This chapter's a bit longer; I doubt anyone will protest. :) Posting it earlier than I'd expected because of the amount of reviews I got. I really appreciate everyone who's reviewed!
Chapter 5: World War Three
As the Doctor was doing….something technical, Freya was stuck watching Mickey channel-hop.
"How many channels do you get?" Mickey asked curiously. Freya rolled her eyes, thinking of how that was the last question he should be asking at the moment. The Doctor's eyes met hers and they rolled as well.
"All the basic packages," the Doctor told him, eyes staying on Freya.
"You get sports channels?" Mickey asked in surprise.
"Yes, I get the football. Hold on, I know that lot!" the Doctor said, pointing at the screen.
" ' It is looking likely that the Government's bringing in alien specialists – those people who have devoted their lives to studying outer space,'" the woman on the screen was saying. The Doctor nodded along with her words.
"UNIT. United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. Good people," the Doctor said, looking almost nostalgic.
"How do you know them? Have they studied you before?" Freya asked, trying to connect the dots she was being presented with. The Doctor grinned at her.
"Nah. No one studies me," he boasted.
"He knows cause he's worked for them. Oh yeah, don't think I sat on my backside for twelve months, Doctor. I read up on you. You look deep enough on the Internet or in the history books, and there's his name, followed by a list of the dead," Mickey said scathingly, sending Freya an imploring look.
"In my case, if he hadn't shown up, I would have been one of the dead. And it had nothing to do with him. It was all me that caused my almost death," Freya retorted angrily. Mickey's eyes widened at her words.
She hadn't told them that.
Freya turned away, back to the Doctor.
"If you know them, why don't you go and help?" Freya asked him curiously. He shook his head, although she could tell he was still considering it.
"They wouldn't recognize me. I've changed a lot since the old days. Besides, the world's on a knife-edge. There's aliens out there and fake aliens. We want to keep this alien out of the mix. I'm going undercover. And, er…I'd better keep the TARDIS out of sight. Ricky, you've got a car. You can do some driving," the Doctor said, not really giving Mickey the change to say no.
"Where to?" Mickey asked. It was as if he was forgetting everything that had happened already. And forgetting that the Doctor still wasn't calling him by the right name.
"The roads are clearing. Let's go and have a look at that spaceship," the Doctor said almost excitedly. He grabbed Freya's hand and pulled her out of the TARDIS, right into a bright light.
Freya shielded her eyes as voices started shouting at them.
"Do not move. Step away from the box and raise your hands above your heads," the voices droned. Mickey took off running away from them. Freya had to admit that that plan sounded golden. But the Doctor didn't move. Freya turned to him, noticing his wide smile.
Marie and Rose came running down the stairs, Jackie and Masen close behind them.
"Freya!" Marie shouted as a soldier grabbed her. Another on grabbed Rose.
"Raise your hands above your head. You are under arrest," the soldiers shouted. The Doctor gleefully raised his hands, causing one of Freya's to go up automatically. She raised her free hand as well.
"Take me to your leader!" the Doctor shouted happily. The soldiers immediately closed in on them, at least three soldiers grabbing Freya by the shoulders. They pushed the two of them towards a car and into the back of the car before shutting the door.
Even as someone got in the front seat, Freya could see that there were soldiers still standing by both doors, making sure they didn't try to run for it.
"Don't they usually handcuff people when they get arrested?" Freya asked as soon as the car started moving.
"We're not being arrested. We're being escorted," the Doctor informed her with a grin.
"Where to?" Freya asked, eyes wide. The Doctor's grin only grew into a full blown smile.
"Where'd you think? Downing Street," he said gleefully. Freya's jaw dropped at his words.
"10 Downing Street?" Freya asked for clarification. He nodded.
"That's the one," he told her. Freya could only shake her head.
"Why are they taking us to Downing Street?" Freya questioned him.
"I hate to say it, but Mickey was right. Over the years, I've visited this planet a lot of times, and I've been noticed," the Doctor said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
"So they need you?" Freya asked, scrunching up her nose at the thought. She figured they'd want him for examination, not for help. Especially with all the alien drama at the moment.
"Like it said on the news. They're gathering experts in alien knowledge. And who's the biggest expert of the lot?" he asked expectantly. Freya couldn't help but smile.
"Patrick Moore?" she answered teasingly, earning an indignant glare.
"Oi! Apart from him!" the Doctor demanded. Freya could only shake her head at his antics.
"I'm telling you. Lloyd George, he used to drink me under the table. Who's the Prime minister now?" the Doctor asked her curiously. Freya could only shrug helplessly.
"How should I know? I've been gone a year."
The car coasted to a stop and the Doctor opened the door, immediately grinning and waving at the cameras. Freya's eyes widened and she quickly ducked behind the cameras, hoping they wouldn't catch her. The last thing she needed was for the world to see she was at 10 Downing Street with an alien expert. The alien expert.
The Doctor ignored her behavior as they made their way inside the building. A man was calling people to order as they entered.
"Ladies and gentlemen, can we convene? Quick as we can, please. It's this way on the right, and can I remind you ID cards are to be worn at all times," the man called out. He approached the Doctor and handed him an ID card, which the Doctor promptly clipped to his leather jacket.
"Here's your ID card. I'm sorry, your companion doesn't have clearance," he told the Doctor, sounding so far from sorry that it even irritated Freya.
"I don't go anywhere without her," the Doctor said simply, crossing his arms. The man squirmed slightly under his eyes but didn't back down.
"You're the code nine, not her. I'm sorry, Doctor. It is the Doctor, isn't it? She'll have to stay outside," the man told the Doctor. Freya tightened her grip on the Doctor before loosening it. She let go of him, causing him to turn to her in confusion.
"It's all right. You go. You'll be back," Freya said, although the second phrase was more to herself than to him.
"Of course I'll be back. Are you sure?" the Doctor asked her, slightly concerned. Freya plastered a smile to her face and nodded.
"I'm far too clingy. Go save the Earth," Freya told him, adding a teasing lilt to her voice. The Doctor looked like he knew she was lying but didn't call her out on it. For that she was thankful. She was dreadful at lying.
"Excuse me. Are you the Doctor?" a woman asked as she approached the two of them.
"Sure," the Doctor told her cheerfully.
"Not now. We're busy. Can't you go home?" the man asked the woman crossly.
"I just need a word in private," the woman begged the Doctor, but the Doctor didn't quite seem to hear her. Instead, he made his way into the room, but not before giving Freya's hand a quick squeeze.
"You haven't got the clearance," the man argued with the woman. He then turned to Freya, looking slightly nicer.
"I'm going to have to leave you with security," he told her. He seemed to get that she wasn't as strong as the Doctor. His whole tone seemed to be as if he were talking to a scared child. Freya couldn't blame him. She felt like a scared child.
"It's all right. I'll look after her. Let me of some use," the woman said quickly, grabbing Freya's arm. Freya relaxed slightly at the touch.
"Walk with me. Just keep walking," the woman murmured. Her words slightly alarmed Freya, but she sensed some sort of almost hysteria in the woman. And it wasn't like she had anywhere else to be.
"That's right. Don't look round. Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North. This friend of yours, he's an expert, is that right? He knows about aliens?" the woman asked Freya anxiously. Freya hesitated, feeling as if it would be right to talk to her but not knowing for sure.
"Why do you want to know?" Freya asked levelly. They had left the sight of anyone else, standing in the shadows of the stairs.
And Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North, burst into tears. Freya helplessly pulled the older lady into a hug, waiting for her to calm down. Once she had, she led Harriet away from the rest of the people. They'd only managed to get upstairs when Harriet was able to take over.
She led Freya to a room with a long table and many chairs. The cabinet room, Freya realized. Harriet glanced around to make sure no one was around before opening up her purse and pulling out a…a skin. Freya felt sick.
"They turned the body into a suit. A disguise for the thing inside!" Harriet choked. Freya took her hands and steadied them. The contact helped sooth her as well. It gave her the strength she needed. She didn't dare look at the suit.
"It's all right. I believe you. It's…it's alien. They must have some serious technology behind this," Freya murmured, forcing herself to glance down at the body. It looked as if someone had skinned a human and used it as some sort of costume.
The though made Freya's stomach turn but she forced the feeling down.
"Maybe they have something hidden in here. The technology. Or a secret plan. I don't know," Freya said, running a shaky hand through her hair before she started pulling open drawers. She made her way to the wardrobe-like cupboard and pulls it open.
A body lurched out at her, knocking her to the ground. Freya's eyes widened in horror as she struggled to get the body off of her. Harriet merely jumped back, terrified.
"Get him off of me!" Freya cried, unable to move the body off of her, the weight pinning her down.
"Harriet, for God's sake. This has gone beyond a joke. You cannot just wander…oh my god. That's the prime minister," the man from downstairs gasped as he stared at the body on top of Freya.
"Please, get him off of me," Freya begged.
"That's impossible. He left this afternoon. The Prime Minister left Downing Street. He was driven away!" the man continued, ignoring Freya. Freya bit back the tears of panic that threatened to fall.
"And who told you that?" a new voice asked. The man and Harriet turned to face the newcomer. Freya closed her eyes and slowed her breathing, hoping that maybe they wouldn't notice her. Because no one was helping her get up. And the voice sounded quite ominous.
"I did," the voice continued. Freya could almost see flashing lights behind her closed eyelids and forced her breathing to calm down even more.
Harriet Jones screamed, and Freya could hear someone else moving around. Something….large. It was terrifying. She kept her eyes closed, hoping, praying, it would ignore her.
She heard a gurgling noise near her, very near her, and then there was the sound of….electricity? She couldn't be sure. But she didn't move.
It sounded like someone in high heels took off running out of the room. Harriet Jones. A few moments later, something else bound after and there was a thud on the ground. Freya's eyes flew open to meet the unstaring eyes of the man who'd told her she couldn't go into the meeting with the Doctor. Her eyes darted around the room. From what she could see, she was alone.
Her breathing quickened as she shoved the body with as much force as she could muster. It budged, but only slightly. Freya continued shoving and wriggling herself out from under the body, swearing to herself that she'd start lifting weights, practice running, work out, anything, if she could get out of this alive.
It was those thoughts, only those thoughts, that kept her from having a panic attack.
She managed to get out from under the body just in time to hear what sounded like a screech. A screech, coming closer. Freya jumped into the wardrobe, closing it instantly behind her. She sank down behind the coats, wrapping her arms around her knees. Steadying her breathing. She could faintly hear voices in the other room but didn't dare say a word, didn't dare hope it was Harriet Jones or the Doctor. Her eyes closed tightly.
She needed to calm down. She'd seen dead bodies before. She'd seen plenty in 1869. She'd even known Mr. Sneed before he was killed. But there was a difference. Freya knew there was a difference.
Wherever the Doctor went, death seemed to follow. Death and destruction and trouble. Except in her case. In her case, he came and stopped the death. He saved her. And he would save her again. He would always save her.
Freya ignored the improbability of that statement, choosing instead to focus on it. He would save her. She was safe. She would be safe.
The words did the job. Her breathing steadied and she slowly opened her eyes. Opened her ears.
"What do you mean, you just left her in here under a dead body?" the Doctor's voice shouted. The Doctor! Freya felt a real honest smile forming on her lips.
"I was…the wardrobe was open," Harriet's voice was more muffled. Freya managed to unwrap her arms from her body. She had only just stood when the doors were thrown open and a body flung itself at her. Freya's face was buried in the Doctor's leather jacket, his arms tightly wrapped around her.
"Don't you know better than to shut yourself in a wardrobe?" the Doctor asked lightly, but Freya could sense there was something more there. His chin was resting on top of her head. The contact left her feeling so much more at peace, so much more relaxed.
"I hadn't even noticed," Freya admitted, her voice muffled in his shirt.
"What's going on?" Freya asked, not moving to pull back.
"Slitheen. They're a family of aliens here to do something with the planet. They're large green creatures that use the human bodies as a disguise," the Doctor explained, still holding her tight to him.
"That's what the skin I found was," Harriet added.
"Are you going to let go of the poor girl or are you going to smother her to death?" Harriet Jones asked the Doctor. Freya's grip on him tightened for a moment before she loosened it. He pulled back, staring down at her for a moment, almost calculating.
"You look better. Calm. How are you calm?" the Doctor asked. Freya shook her head, making sure she didn't look at the ground. She doubted her calmness would last if she saw the man's lifeless eyes met hers again.
"Can you move the bodies?" Freya asked him shakily. He nodded, immediately withdrawing from her to grab one of the bodies. Freya swayed slightly, causing Harriet Jones to steady her.
"Why are we just standing in here?" Freya asked the woman quietly.
"The room's protected. They can't get in. Something about security reinforced by steel or something," Harriet Jones explained. She reached for a glass and handed it to Freya. Freya eyed it for a moment, not sure what exactly the amber liquid was. She sniffed it, wincing at the alcoholic smell.
"Drink some. You're shaky," Harriet Jones urged. Freya hesitated before taking a tiny sip. The drink burned her throat all the way down but did succeed in making her stomach feel warm. Her stomach and throat. Harriet took the cup from her and sat it back down on the table.
The Doctor moved back over to grab the body of the man whose eyes were now closed.
"What was his name?" the Doctor asked Harriet as he laid the man's body next to the body of the prime minister in a small storage room.
"Who?" Harriet asked, letting go of Freya to move next to the Doctor.
"This one. The secretary or whatever he was called," the Doctor said, gesturing towards the body.
"I don't know. I talked to him. I brought him a cup of coffee. I never asked his name," Harriet said, almost shocked at the realization.
"Sorry. Right, what have we got? Anything that doesn't belong?" the Doctor asked, turning to Freya. Freya shook her head.
"I couldn't find anything that stood out. I don't understand though. You said they use the people's bodies as disguises. Why didn't they use the Prime Minister's body?" Freya asked him, her eyebrows drawn together.
"He's too slim. They're big old beasts. They need to fit inside big humans," the Doctor explained to her.
"But those creatures are huge. About eight feet tall, I'd assume. How do they fit inside?" Harriet asked.
"That's the device around their necks. Compression field. Literally shrinks them down a bit. That's why there's all that gas. It's a big exchange," the Doctor explains. He shook his head, staring at Harriet for a moment.
"Harriet Jones. I've heard that name before. Harriet Jones. You're not famous for anything, are you?" the Doctor asked her. He turned to Freya, but she could only shake her head.
"Oh, hardly. Lifelong backbencher I'm afraid, and a fat lot of use I'm being now. The Protocols are redundant. They list the people who could help and they're all dead downstairs," Harriet said. Freya's mouth went dry.
"Dead?" Freya asked. The Doctor nodded grimly.
"The Slitheen electrocuted them," the Doctor said. Freya wanted to close her eyes, pretend it was all a dream. But it wasn't. It was real.
"Protocols? What sort of protocols?" Freya asked Harriet.
"It tells the Prime Minister what to do in case of an alien invasion," Harriet said, and Freya was sure she was paraphrasing.
"Does it have defense codes? Like, for launching bombs?" Freya asked, trying to think. These Protocols had to be pretty important.
"You're a very violent young woman. Who'd think of launching bombs at them?" Harriet asked her.
"I didn't ask to do it. But is it possible that they wanted the Protocols, so they could bomb us? What if they were trying to kill us?" Freya asked.
"Say that again," the Doctor ordered, eyes wide.
"What?" Freya asked him, eyes widening as well.
"Anything. All of it," the Doctor ordered. Freya glanced at Harriet, who shrugged.
"Well, the British Isles can't gain access to atomic weapons without a Special Resolution from the UN. That would be what they would need to cause some real damage. But the codes have been taken out of the government's hands and given to the UN. Is that important?" Harriet explained, then asked.
The Doctor nodded.
"Everything's important," he told them.
"If only we knew what the Slitheen wanted. Listen to me. I'm saying Slitheen as if it's normal," Harriet said more to herself than anyone else.
"But what do they want?" Freya asked him.
"Well, they're just one family, so it's not an invasion. They don't want Slitheen World. They're out to make money. That means they want to use something. Something here on Earth. Some kind of asset," the Doctor mused, trying to expel all of this thoughts.
"Like what, gold? Oil? Water?" Harriet Jones asked anxiously.
"Or the bombs," Freya pointed out, remembering how it was the mention of the bombs that set the Doctor off before.
"You're both quite good at this," the Doctor told them, earning a small smile from Harriet. Freya jumped slightly as something in her pocket vibrated. And continued vibrating.
"Sorry. That's me," Freya said, pulling the phone out. And promptly sighed.
It was her mother.
"Yes mum?" Freya asked quietly, noting that the Doctor and Harriet Jones were talking and gesturing towards her.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? We saw you on the telly! Who's the stranger you're with? Where have you been for the last year? Why is that this call only comes through now when your phone hasn't worked for a year? And who the hell is that man you're with?" her mother shouted at her.
"Mum, I'm sort of busy," Freya said, not wanting to deal with hanging up on her mother. The Doctor took her phone from her and put it up to his own ear.
"Listen, miss, your daughter is currently in a life or death situation and we'd really appreciate it if you'd shunt off," the Doctor said, his tone entirely too pleasant as he hung up and handed the phone back to Freya. Freya stared at him, wide-eyed. The phone vibrated once more, causing the Doctor to groan.
"Did she really call you back?" he asked angrily. Freya glanced down and shook her head.
"It's a text message. From Marie," Freya said, opening the text instantly. The Doctor groaned.
"Tell your stupid friend we're busy," he ordered her. Freya's blood went cold at the image that came up on her phone.
"She doesn't look so stupid after all. Is that the Slitheen?" Freya asked, handing the phone to the Doctor. One look at his face told her that yes, it was a Slitheen. And it was at Jackie's flat.
Freya quickly called Marie's phone, only for Mickey to answer it.
"Hey! We're at my flat. The others are barricading the door. Where are you? What should we do? What is that thing?" Mickey asked, his words rushing together.
"Is everyone okay? Marie, Masen, Rose, Jackie, you?" Freya asked quickly. The Doctor grabbed the phone from Freya again and for a moment, she feared he was going to hang up on Mickey as well.
"Is this Rickey? Don't talk, just shut up and go to your computer," the Doctor ordered. The Doctor listened for a moment before glancing up at Freya, a sort of disgusted expression on his face.
"Mickey the Idiot, I might just choke before I finish this sentence, but I need you," the Doctor said, grimacing as if the words left an acrid taste in his mouth.
"Say again?" the Doctor asked, plugging the phone into the conference phone speaker.
"It's asking for the password," Mickey said.
"Buffalo. Two Fs, one L," the Doctor said, smiling at Freya.
"He's hacking into the UNIT website for us," the Doctor elaborated.
"So what's that website?" Jackie asked, obviously not having heard what the Doctor said.
"All the secret information known to mankind. See, they've known about aliens for years," Mickey said, sounding as if he was in his element.
"They've just been keeping us in the dark," Masen finished. Freya was confused as to why Masen seemed to know something about this. Just what did Masen do for a living? Who was Masen?
"Mickey, you were born in the dark," the Doctor scoffed.
"Leave him alone. He's helping us," Freya said, hitting his shoulder lightly. It didn't do any real damage, only alerting the Doctor that her hands were shaking slightly. He gave her a confused look, causing Freya to shove her hands into her jeans pockets quickly.
"Thank you. Password again," Mickey stated.
"Just repeat it every time," the Doctor said, turning away from Freya.
"Big Ben – why did the Slitheen go and hit Big Ben?" the Doctor asked himself.
"You said to gather the experts, to kill them," Harriet pointed out.
"That lot would've gathered for a weather balloon. You don't need to crash land in the middle of London," the Doctor retorted sharply.
"They're aliens on Earth. They should be in hiding. And now they're using this to execute their plans. They just put the entire planet on Red Alert. Why would they do that?" Freya mused aloud, hoping her musings would be helpful to the Doctor.
"Oh listen to you! You sound nothing like yourself!" Marie said crossly into the phone.
"I'm trying to help," Freya said, feeling hurt at her only friend's words.
"Well, I've got a question, if you don't mind," Jackie interrupted.
"Since that man walked into our lives, I have been attacked in the streets. I have had creatures from the pits of hell in my own living room. My daughter's new best friend disappears off the face of the Earth for a year," Jackie continued.
"Mum!" Rose shouted.
"I'm talking to him. Cause I've seen this life yours, Doctor. And maybe you get off on it, and maybe you think it's all clever and smart, but you tell me. Just answer me this question. Is she safe?" Jackie asked. Freya's eyes widened at her words.
"You're concerned…for me?" Freya asked, unbelieving.
"Of course we are!" Rose added.
"We all are! Is she safe?" Marie repeated Jackie's question.
"Will she always be safe? Can you promise us that?" Jackie continued. Freya glanced over at the Doctor, eyes wide. His own eyes had hardened. He glanced at Freya and it was all too obvious, the answer to that question.
She wasn't safe. And she may never be.
But she felt safe. She felt oh so safe with him. He made her feel safe.
"Well, what's the answer?" Marie asked, sounding almost scared. The Doctor didn't react, every muscle in his body seemingly frozen.
"We're in," Mickey said, instantly shifting the mood. The Doctor nodded, moving away from Freya.
"Now then, on the left at the top, there's a tab, an icon. Little concentric circles. Clock on that," the Doctor said, leaning on the table.
"What is it?" Rose asked, her voice slightly hushed.
"The Slitheen have got a spaceship in the North Sea and it's transmitting that signal. Now hush, let me work out what it's saying," the Doctor said, leaning even closer to the phone. It sounded like a bit of white noise to Freya with the occasional flux.
It didn't make sense. The Doctor had said, back at the observation deck, that the TARDIS was inside their heads, translating alien words into English. Her and Rose should be able to understand it. As should the Doctor. Why was it so hard to understand?
"He'll have to answer me someday," Jackie said in the background, causing Mickey to hush her.
"It's some sort of message," the Doctor finally said.
"What does it say? The TARDIS didn't translate it," Freya said. The Doctor looked surprised at her words.
"No. It didn't. Surprised you caught that. I don't know what it's saying. It's on a loop, keeps repeating,' the Doctor said. A doorbell rang in the background.
"Go and see who it is," Mickey designated to someone.
"It's three o'clock in the morning!" Rose protested.
"Well, go and tell them that!" Mickey snapped back.
"It's beaming out into space. Who's it for?" the Doctor murmured, still thinking. Then they heard a scream. Freya jumped, eyes wide.
"It's him. It's the thing, it's the Slitheen!" Jackie rambled, terrified.
"They've found us," Mickey said grimly. Freya's eyes widened.
"Mickey, I need that signal," the Doctor said firmly.
"You guys need to get to safety! Get out!" Freya shouted, terrified.
"We can't. It's by the front door," Mickey said, his voice sounding all too calm. Freya could make out someone crying. It was probably Marie. Her gut twisted. That flat had the only people out there who cared about her.
"Oh my God, it's unmasking. It's going to kill us!" Mickey said, his composure slipping.
Harriet looked just as alarmed as Freya felt.
"There's got to be some way of stopping them! You're supposed to be the expert. Think of something!" Harriet ordered the Doctor.
"I'm trying!" the Doctor shot back at her. Freya winced as the sound of the door breaking open resonated on the phone.
"That flat has every person in the world that cares about me in it," Freya whispered, terrified. The Doctor glanced at her, something flashing through his eyes that she couldn't read.
"Right. If we're going to find their weakness, we need to find out where they're from. Which planet. So, judging by their basic shape, that narrows it down to five thousand planets within travelling distance. What else do we know about them? Information!" the Doctor shouted.
"They're green. And they have that technology that compresses them," Freya restated the little she knew about them.
"Yep, narrows it down," the Doctor nodded.
"Good sense of smell. The pig technology!" Harriet added excitedly. Pig technology? Freya shook it off. It was something she'd missed.
"The type of spaceship. You know what kind it was!" Freya guessed. The Doctor nodded.
"Narrows it down," he repeated.
"It's getting in!" Mickey shouted.
"Oh! When they fart, if you'll pardon the word, it doesn't smell like a fart, if you'll pardon the word, it's something else. What is it? It's more like, er…" she drifted off. Freya quickly closed her eyes, trying to think. The room, when Harriet had left her, had smelt odd.
"Bad breath!" Freya finally said. Harriet nodded quickly in agreement.
"Calcium decay! Now that narrows it down!" he shouted excitedly.
"Too late!" Mickey responded in the phone.
"Calcium phosphate. Organic calcium. Living calcium. Creatures made out of living calcium. What else? What else? Hyphenated surname. Yes! That narrows it down to one planet! Raxacoricofallapatorius!" the Doctor shouted triumphantly.
"Oh great, we could write 'em a letter," Mickey muttered sarcastically. Another crash of wood was heard.
"Get into the kitchen!" the Doctor ordered. It was silent for a moment before Marie's voice wavered.
"My God, it's going to rip us apart!" Marie cried.
"Calcium weakened by the compression field. Acetic acid. Vinegar!" the Doctor yelled triumphantly.
"Just like Hannibal!" Harriet added in excitedly.
"Just like Hannibal. Mickey, have you got any vinegar?" the Doctor asked him.
"How should I know?" Mickey asked.
"It's your kitchen," the Doctor pointed out.
"What do we need?" Rose asked.
"Vinegar," Mickey repeated.
"Mum, get in the cupboard by the sink, middle shelf!" Rose shouted.
"Gherkins. Yeah, pickled onions. Pickled eggs," Jackie was saying.
"Rose kisses this man?" the Doctor asked Freya in disbelief. Freya could only shake her head, staring at the phone. There was a loud explosion, followed by some nervous laughter.
"Hannibal?" Freya asked.
"Hannibal crossed the Alps by dissolving boulders with vinegar," Harriet explained. Freya nodded, accepting the explanation. The Doctor took a swig from the glass of alcohol before handing it to Harriet who did exactly the same. She handed it to Freya. Freya took the tiniest of sips once more.
"Listen to this," Mickey said suddenly. Another voice filled the room.
"Our inspectors have searched the sky above our heads and they have found massive weapons of destruction capable of being deployed within forty-five seconds," the voice said.
"What?" the Doctor asked in disbelief.
"Our technicians can baffle the alien probes, but not for long. We are facing extinction, unless we strike first. The United Kingdom stands directly beneath the belly of the mother ship. I beg of the United Nations, pass an emergency resolution. Give us the access codes. A nuclear stroke at the heart of the beast is our only chance of survival, because from this moment on it is my solemn duty to inform you, planet Earth is at war," the television voice finished solemnly.
"He's making it up. There's no weapons up there. There's no threat. He just invented it," the Doctor said, throwing himself from the table.
"Do you think they'll believe him?" Harriet asked anxiously. The Doctor only gave her a look.
"That's why the Slitheen went for spectacle. They want the whole world panicking, because you lot, you get scared, you lash out," he spat out.
"They release the defense codes," Freya said slowly.
"And the Slitheen go nuclear," the Doctor finished grimly.
"But why?" Harriet asked as the Doctor stalked over to the door. He pushed a button and the metal slid away.
"You get the codes, release the missiles, but not into space because there's nothing there. You attack every other country on Earth. They retaliate, fight back. World War Three. Whole planet gets nuked," the Doctor stated.
"And we can sit through it safe in our spaceship waiting in the Thames. Not crashed, just parked. Only two minutes away," the woman said gleefully. The voice. It was the same voice as the alien that'd come into the room while I was under the dead prime minister.
"But you'll destroy the planet. What for?" Harriet asked in disbelief.
"Profit. That's what the signal is beaming into space. An advert," the Doctor said angrily.
"The sale of the century. We reduce the Earth to molten slag, then sell it piece by piece. Radioactive chunks, capable of powering every cut-price star liner and budget cargo ship. There's a recession out there, Doctor. People are buying cheap. This rock becomes raw fuel," the woman said gleefully.
"But what about earth? You'd kill five billion people," Freya spoke up, aghast.
"Bargain," the woman said with a careless shrug.
"I give you a choice. Leave this planet or I'll stop you," the Doctor told her coldly.
"What, you? Trapped in your box?" she asked in disbelief. The Doctor nodded.
"Yes. Me," he said, pushing the button to close it just as the woman's laughter ebbed off.
The night drifted on. No one slept. The Doctor remained sitting at the desk, staring into space, head in his hands as he thought. Harriet had taken to pacing the room. Freya was curled up next to the wardrobe, eyes stuck on the wall. There was nothing they could do. They had no plans.
Around seven in the morning, Freya's phone rang. The Doctor answered it, placing it back on the speaker.
"All right, Doctor. I'm not saying I trust you, but there must be something you can do," Jackie's voice filled the room. They'd hung up earlier to save phone battery.
"If we could ferment the port, we could make acetic acid," Harriet supplied. It was obvious she'd been thinking of that for awhile.
"Any luck there?" Freya called, hoping someone at the flat had come up with an idea.
"There's loads of emergency numbers, but they're all on voicemail," Masen's voice spoke up.
"Voicemail dooms us all," Harriet said glumly.
"If we could just get out here," Freya murmured.
"There's a way out," the Doctor said. Freya's head jerked up to stare at him. He was staring at her, a sad sort of look on his face. An almost resigned look. The look terrified Freya.
"What?" Freya asked, although she really didn't want to ask.
"There's always been a way out," the Doctor said once more.
"Then why don't you use it?" Mickey asked from the other end. The Doctor's eyes never left Freya.
"Because I can't guarantee Freya will be safe," the Doctor said.
"Don't you dare. Whatever it is, don't you dare," Rose threatened into the phone.
"That's the thing. If I don't dare, everyone dies," the Doctor said sadly.
"Do it," Freya said, forcing her words to come out stronger than she felt.
The Doctor's eyes filled with something she couldn't identify. He shook his head.
"You don't even know what it is. You'd just let me?" he asked in disbelief and shock. Freya nodded.
"Yeah. I trust you with my life. To do what you know is right," Freya told him, swallowing as she added the second half. Because if it was her versus the entire Earth, the rest of the Earth was more important.
"Please. Don't," Marie begged.
"She's our friend," Rose added.
"She's just a kid," Jackie piped up, seeming quite distressed by the thought. The Doctor spun around to glare at the phone.
"Do you think I don't know that? Because this is my life. It's not fun, it's not smart, it's just standing up and making a decision because nobody else will," the Doctor spat.
"Then what're you waiting for?" Freya asked, but her voice wavered. It was too quiet, and it wavered. The Doctor turned to face her once more, the anger melting off of his face.
"I could save the world but lose you," the Doctor told her sadly.
"Except it's not your decision, Doctor. It's mine," Harriet said, standing abruptly.
"And who the hell are you?" Marie asked angrily.
"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. The only elected representative in this room, chosen by the people for the people. And on behalf of the people, I command you. Do it," Harriet said firmly.
"How do we get out?" Freya asked, pulling herself up using the wardrobe.
"We don't. We stay here," the Doctor said, opening a red box. He started going through files at lightning speed.
"Okay Rickey, still have the website pulled up?" the Doctor asked.
"Yeah. Why?" Mickey asked.
"Use the buffalo password. It overrides everything," the Doctor ordered.
"What're you doing?" Jackie asked Mickey through the phone.
"Hacking into the Royal Navy. We're in. Here it is. HMS Taurean, Trafalgar Class submarine, ten miles off the coast of Plymouth," Mickey explained.
"Right, we need to select a missile," the Doctor said.
"We can't go nuclear. We don't have the defense codes," Mickey said quickly.
"We don't need it. All we need's an ordinary missile," the Doctor said grimly. Freya made her way over to the other two, silently slipping her hand into the Doctors. He glanced at her, surprised by the contact but said nothing against it.
"What's the first category?" the Doctor asked Mickey.
"Sub Harpoon, UGM-A4A," Mickey read off. The Doctor was silent for a moment before nodding.
"That's the one. Select," the Doctor commanded. There was silence on the other end, muffled words that they couldn't make out.
"You ready for this?" the Doctor asked for clarification.
"Yeah," Mickey said nervously.
"Mickey the Idiot, the world is in your hands. Fire," the Doctor commanded.
"Oh my God," Jackie said in the background.
"How solid are these?" Harriet asked, gesturing towards the walls.
"Not solid enough. Built for short-range attack, nothing this big," the Doctor said sadly, squeezing Freya's hand tighter in his. Freya glanced over at the small room and her eyes widened.
"That room. Remember what they say about earthquakes? You can survive them by standing under a doorframe. The room's small so it's strong, right? Come on!" Freya urged, yanking her hand from the Doctors as she dashed for the cupboard.
The Doctor and Harriet helped her drag the bodies out before
"Counter defense five five six," Mickey read off. The Doctor dropped the body and grabbed the phone from the port.
"Stop them from intercepting it," the Doctor ordered as he ushered Harriet and Freya into the cupboard.
"I'm doing it now," Mickey answered.
"Good boy," the Doctor said in relief. He shifted, holding the phone with his shoulder as he helped Harriet lay down on the floor.
"Five five six neutralized," Mickey said. The Doctor nodded, giving Freya a light push to the ground as he pulled the door shut behind him. He hung up the phone and slid in between Freya and Harriet.
"Right. It was nice knowing you both," Harriet said as the Doctor pulled Freya to him. Freya squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the impact.
They didn't have long to wait. Moments later, the room shook and was thrown. It felt like they were on a rollercoaster without seatbelts, without seats of any kind. She was pulled tighter to the Doctor as they tumbled about the room. They slammed into a table bolted to the ground, Freya's back hitting it with the Doctor slamming into her. Harriet narrowly missed it, only to hit her own head against the door. When the shaking finally stopped, the Doctor jumped back, pulling Freya with him.
"You both okay?" the Doctor asked them. Harriet stood on her own, gripping her head for a moment before nodding.
"And you?" the Doctor asked Freya. She winced and nodded, but as soon as the Doctor released her she collapsed.
"Back…hurts," Freya gasped out as the Doctor pulled her back up.
"We'll get you checked out at the TARDIS," the Doctor told her as he wrapped an arm around her and used his other hand to push the steel door open.
And by open, Freya realized, the door completely fell off. Outside, the whole area was rubble. The Doctor leaned down and scooped her cell phone up, placing it in one of his pockets. Harriet stumbled out of the room first, glancing around.
"Made in Britain," she murmured as someone came running up tot hem.
'Oh my God. Are you all right?" the stranger asked.
"Harriet Jones. MP, Flydale North. I want you to contact the UN immediately. Tell the ambassadors the crisis is over. They can step down. Go on, tell the news," Harriet said, her voice filled with authority.
"Yes ma'am," the stranger responded instantly. Harriet turned back to Freya and the Doctor. The Doctor tried helping Freya to take a step but Freya's legs were too wobbly. He picked her up instead.
"Someone's got a hell of a job sorting this lot out. Oh, Lord. We haven't even got a Prime Minister," Harriet said in horror.
"Maybe you should have a go," the Doctor suggested, a smile on his face.
"Me? Huh. I'm only a back-bencher," she said, her tone degrading.
"I'd vote for you," Freya said, her voice sounding shaky but sure.
"Now, don't be silly. Look, I'd better go and see if I can help. Hang on!" Harriet yelled to reporters that were starting to gather. She made her way over to them as the Doctor carried Freya in the opposite direction.
"I thought I knew the name. Harriet Jones, future Prime Minister. Elected for three successive terms. The architect of Britain's Golden Age," the Doctor said as they walked away.
He brought her straight to the TARDIS, to the med-bay once more.
"You might as well just make this my room. I'm here enough," Freya told him, hoping her voice sounded light enough. He sat her down on the table and helped her roll over.
"I'm going to pull up the back of your shirt so I can feel your back, make sure none of the disks in your spine are out of place," the Doctor narrated. She nodded and felt the cold air hit her back. She shivered, but the shivering went away when the TARDIS filled her once more with warmth. His fingers ghosted over her back, pressing lightly against every bone in her spine.
"Still hurt?' the Doctor asked her quietly.
"Yeah. It's higher up though," Freya admitted. The Doctor's hands stilled for a moment.
"I may need you to take your shirt completely off then," the Doctor said, his voice sounding odd to her ears.
"How do I do it?" she asked. She didn't think she could sit up on her own without hurting herself more, and she was already face down.
Before she could think of any other possible solutions, the Doctor was lifting her shirt up to her neck. He didn't pull her arms out.
"Keep your arms where they are. I don't want you hurting yourself anymore. You're a danger magnet, you know?" he asked her lightly. His fingers brushed against her back once more. As they approached her bra strap, she winced.
"There?" the Doctor asked. Freya nodded, wincing once more. The Doctor sighed at her movement.
"Sorry," he said.
And that was the only warning she had before he unhooked her bra.
Freya jumped slightly at the movement but stilled when the Doctor's hands pressed against her back. Another wince of pain shot through her.
"It's in place. It was probably just strained. I can realign it for you. That may make it feel better," the Doctor offered.
"Do whatever you think necessary," Freya told him.
A moment later, there was a sudden pressure a little ways below where her back was hurting. A pressure that hurt. But then the hurt faded. The Doctor growled, more to himself – or so Freya assumed.
"Ugh. Table's too high for the right angle. Right. This might be a bit awkward for ya, Freya. Hold on," he said as he released her.
And climbed onto the table. She felt a pressure settle just below her bum as the Doctor leaned forward.
"Sorry. This would be the best angle to get your back in alignment. Do you want me to tell you about the test results, while I'm doing it?" the Doctor asked her.
"Yeah. Sounds like a good distraction," Freya murmured.
"Right. You should have gone to a doctor, before now. You were about size immunizations short of current day vaccinations. Your one arm, the one I'm assuming you broke when you were little, didn't heal completely right. But it shouldn't be too big of a problem," the Doctor explained as he pressed on her back.
There were three cracks, one after the other, each accompanied by a burst of pain. Then a good feeling made its way through her.
"You also had a few vitamin deficiencies. You didn't have too much brain trauma, nothing me and the TARDIS couldn't fix up," the Doctor continued as he moved up her back.
"Nice mole, by the way," the Doctor said. Freya felt his fingers brush over it. She had a mole on her back, right under where her bra usually rested.
"Did anything say why I was so tired and kept passing out?" Freya asked, wincing slightly as he popped another area of her back.
"No. I think it was from the medical induced coma. You know, after effects?" the Doctor said. He leaned further over her, near her neck. With one final crack, he sighed.
"Done," he said.
"I'd hope you're done!" a voice shouted from the doorway. Freya's eyes shot up and she was sure the Doctor's eyes did as well. Marie, Jackie, Rose, Masen and Mickey were standing in the doorway, each of them with wide eyes.
"She hurt her back. I was fixing it," the Doctor said awkwardly, not moving from his spot.
"So you thought crawling on top of her was the solution?" Marie scoffed.
"You're a chiropractor too now?" Jackie asked in disbelief. The Doctor moved up and she felt him climb off the table.
"Feel better?" the Doctor asked Freya, completely ignoring everyone else. Freya nodded carefully.
"I think so," she said.
"Sit up then," the Doctor urged. Freya shook her head.
"Only if everyone turns around," she said, feeling her face turn read. The Doctor's ears turned a bright pink and he spun around so quickly Freya was sure he almost fell.
"Oi! Turn around so she can fix her clothes!" the Doctor ordered. The group slowly turned around, Jackie and Marie grumbling in the process while Rose merely giggled. Once they all were looking away, Freya quickly sat up and struggled to hook her bra back. Her back felt completely better. After a few minutes of struggling and not wanting to have to spin her bra around while there were men in the room, albeit them being turned around, she just pulled the shirt down and hoped no one noticed.
"Okay," Freya said. Everyone spun around, the Doctor faster than the rest.
"Better? Everything feel good?" he asked, instantly moving to press on her back. Where he felt no bra strap.
"Good," Freya bit out, glad that the Doctor said nothing.
"Are you going to stay with us then?" Marie interrupted. Freya glanced up at them, noting the hopeful looks on everyone's faces.
She couldn't. She just couldn't stay. Not after everything she'd seen. Her hand unconsciously made its way to her necklace, not the one she'd had all her life, but the new one. The one she claimed was an engagement necklace.
"I think I'm going to stay with my fiancé," Freya said deliberately. The Doctor glanced at her, one eyebrow raised.
"Please. You can break up with him still. That doesn't mean anything. What about us? What about your friends?" Masen scoffed.
"The four of you? You're paired up. I'd be the fifth wheel. I'll stick with this alien, thanks," Freya said, her voice coming out stronger.
"But he can't keep you safe," Jackie pointed out.
"He will keep me as safe as he can. He can't make a promise that he'll always keep me safe. That's just not how things work. But he's kept me safe so far. And I trust him," Freya told them.
"But you'll come back right? It won't be another year long wait?" Rose asked, biting her lip.
"I don't think it'll be a year. I hope it isn't a year," Freya said, shooting the Doctor a sideways look.
One by one, the lot hugged her. Even Masen, who she sensed still didn't like her near as much as Marie did.
"Let us know the moment you come back to Earth. And call us!" Rose said softly.
"So you don't want to come?" Freya asked, surprised. Rose hesitated, glancing between Freya and the Doctor.
"I think the two of you could use another trip alone. Come get me soon though, okay?" Rose asked. Freya nodded, smiling at the girl.
"Wait! How did you lot get in here?" the Doctor asked sharply.
"The TARDIS let us in," Rose said with a wink towards Freya.
"But why would she just let you in?" the Doctor asked.
"She probably wanted us to walk in on you in a compromising position," Rose teased him as she walked out of the room. The Doctor shook his head, glaring slightly at the ceiling.
"Are you trying to get me killed by domestics?" he growled at the ceiling. Freya could hear the TARDIS's laughter in her head.
Okay, so that last scene was entirely unnecessary but I couldn't resist. What do you think? :)
Andi