Next chapter! Y'all should be excited! There's a lot going on here! ;) And please review...having a hard time keeping up with the writing and I'm only three chapters ahead now...could use some support? :)
Chapter 7: Father's Day
Freya woke up feeling much more rested than she had in ages. Even more so than she had since coming aboard the TARDIS. And the gold particles were substantially less than they had been when she'd first arrived.
She slowly made her way to the console room, not even bothering to change. When she entered, Rose was talking to the Doctor intently.
"That's what Mum always says. So I was thinking….could we…could we go and see my dad when he was still alive?" Rose asked, biting her lip.
"We promised Jackie it'd only be one trip," the Doctor told her sternly, but Rose shook her head.
"We would still get back about the same time. She wouldn't know the difference," Rose argued.
"Where's this coming from, all of a sudden?" the Doctor asked, relatively suspicious. Rose sighed, turning away from him.
"All right then. If we can't, if it goes against the laws of time or something, then never mind. Just leave it," Rose said, glancing over at Freya with such heartbreak that Rose winced under the weight of her stare. Her pleading stare.
The Doctor looked up at Freya as well. Both sets of eyes were on her.
"What do you think?" the Doctor asked Freya curiously. Freya shook her head, staring at the two of them.
"You did take me back to see my parents. Well, my grandmother, but you did take me back," Freya admitted slowly, biting her lip nervously at her words.
"You just want to see him?" the Doctor asked Rose for clarification. Rose spun around and nodded quickly. The Doctor sighed and moved towards the console.
"Your wish is my command. But be careful what you wish for," he warned her.
"I'm going to go change," Freya murmured, noticing how intently Rose was watching the Doctor. She made her way back to her room as the TARDIS landed. The TARDIS led her around in the wardrobe a few times before giving her an outfit to wear. By the time she was finally dressed, it had been quite awhile. She returned to her bedroom to see a charm bracelet lying on the small table next to her bed. She was certain it hadn't been there before.
It's a present.
Freya smiled at it, picking the charm bracelet up and cradling it. It was warm and golden, just like the particles. She put it on, surprised at the instant warmth that filled her.
It'll keep you warm, even when you're not here. Until it's needed to do something else.
The TARDIS's voice sounded rather teasing with that last statement. Freya shook her head, allowing a rueful smile onto her lips. She had no clue what that was supposed to mean.
She made her way to the console room, noting that both the Doctor and Rose looked grim.
"What happened?" Freya asked with a frown. Rose turned to her and immediately threw herself at Freya, hugging her tightly.
"I saw my dad. I wanted to hold his hand as he died. But I couldn't. The Doctor said he'd give me another chance," Rose explained. Freya glanced up at the Doctor, noting the apprehension that seemed to be rolling off of him.
He left the console and opened the doors.
"It's a very bad idea, two sets of us being here at the same time. Just be careful they don't see us. Wait til she runs off and he follows, then go to your dad," the Doctor said as he pulled Freya and Rose to the edge of a building. Freya peeked around the corner, shocked to see the Doctor and Rose standing there by the street.
A car pulled up and parked along the curb.
"I can't do this," Rose murmured.
"You don't have to do anything you don't want to, but this is the last time we can be here," the Doctor told her sternly. Rose broke away from the Doctor and Freya and took off running.
"No!" the Doctor shouted at her. Rose dashed out into the road, knocking who Freya assumed was her father out of the way of an oncoming beige car. A vase rolled away from the two of them without breaking and the other versions of the Doctor and Rose vanished.
"I did it! I saved your life!" Rose exclaimed, staring down at the man who had to be her father.
"Blimey, did you see the speed of it? Did you get his number?" her father asked, glancing around to try to spot the car.
"I really did it. Oh my God, look at you. You're alive! That car was going to kill you!" Rose continued. Freya looked back up at the Doctor, wincing at the absolute fury that was rolling off of him. She reached out and gripped his hand tightly, wincing as he responded with an even tighter grip.
"Yeah," Rose was saying. Freya glanced back at the two of them. Rose's father was staring at the Doctor and Freya.
"Do you and your friends need a ride?" he asked. Rose nodded eagerly. The Doctor angrily stalked towards the car, dragging Freya along behind him. The two of them crawled into the back of the car, him never releasing her hand from his iron grip as he glared at the back of Rose's head.
"Actually, Freya's my cousin," Rose said cautiously as she got into the car.
"No kidding? I have a niece named Freya. How ironic," Rose's father said. He glanced back at Freya and the Doctor, jumping at the fury in the Doctor's eyes.
"I'm Pete Tyler. It's nice to meet you, Freya, and you, er," he told them. Freya forced a smile onto her lips.
"He's my fiancé. John Smith," Freya lied smoothly.
"Generic name," Pete retorted. Freya only shrugged, trying to discretely loosen the Doctor's grip on her hand. It didn't work.
By the time they got to Pete's flat, he had given up on trying to keep a conversation going that included Freya and the Doctor.
"Right, there we go. Sorry about the mess. If you want a cup of tea, the kitchen's just down there, milk's in the fridge. Well, it would be, wouldn't it? Where else would you put the milk? Mind you, there's always the windowsill outside. I always thought if someone invented a windowsill with special compartments, you know, one for milk, one for yogurt, make a lot of money out of that. Sell it to students and things. I should write that down. Anyway, never mind that, excuse me for a moment. Got to go change," Pete finished awkwardly, heading into his bedroom. Rose started walking around, examining everything.
"All the stuff Mum kept. His stuff. She kept it al packed away in boxes in the cupboard. She used to show me when she'd had a bit to drink. Here it is, on display, where it should be," she paused, lifting a trophy up.
"Third prize at the bowling. First two got to go to Didcot. Health drinks. Tonics, Mum used to call them. He made his money selling this Vitex stuff. He had all sorts of jobs. He was so clever. Oh! Solar power. Mum said he was going to do this. Now he can," Rose stopped, turning to face Freya and the Doctor.
"When we met, I said travel with me in space. You said no. Then I said time machine," the Doctor said slowly.
"It wasn't some big plan. I just saw it happening and I thought, I can stop it. After all, you changed Freya's life," Rose shot at him. The Doctor ignored her jibe.
"I did it again. I picked another stupid ape. I should've known. It's not about showing you the universe. If it was, you would've stayed like Freya did. It's about the universe doing something for you," the Doctor said angrily. Rose's eyes widened in anger.
"So it's okay when you go to other times and save peoples' lives, but not when it's me saving my dad?" Rose questioned him.
"I know what I'm doing. You don't. Two sets of us being there made that a vulnerable point," the Doctor told her harshly.
"But he's alive!" Rose argued.
"My entire planet died. My whole family. Do you think it never occurred to me to go back and save them?" the Doctor asked her incredulously.
"But it's not like I've changed history. Not much. I mean, he's never going to be a world leader. He's not going to start World War Three or anything," Rose pointed out.
"Rose, there's a man alive in the world who wasn't alive before. An ordinary man. That's the most important thing in creation. The whole world's different because he's alive," the Doctor told her seriously.
"What, would you rather him be dead?" Rose asked, her voice cold.
"I'm not saying that," the Doctor backtracked. Rose shook her head angrily at him.
"No! I get it. For once, someone cares about someone else other than you! If it were Freya, you wouldn't have said anything!" Rose countered.
"Fine. If I'm that unimportant, we'll leave you here with your dad," the Doctor told her. Rose crossed her arms.
"Fine. Do it," Rose told him.
"After all, you've got what you wanted. That's goodbye then," the Doctor told her, spinning abruptly. His grip on Freya dragged her along behind him.
"You don't scare me! You wouldn't leave me here. Freya wouldn't let you! You'll be back in a minute, or you'll hang around outside the TARDIS waiting for me. And I'll make you wait a long time!" Rose shouted after them. The Doctor was all but running angrily down the stairs, dragging Freya along behind him. He got out of the building and was halfway down the street when Freya fell.
The movement stopped the Doctor abruptly. He turned, pulling her to her feet using their still-interlocked hands.
"Did you know this would happen? Were you part of her scheme?" the Doctor asked her angrily. Freya shook her head quickly, surprised.
"Do you plan on trying this to? Bringing back someone else that should be dead? Should I just leave you here too?" the Doctor asked scathingly. Freya shook her head once more, trying to keep her tears down.
"Everyone around me who died died for a reason. I couldn't bring any of them back without changing who I am. They all have to stay dead," Freya said, her voice quivering. The Doctor's expression softened slightly at her words.
"Why do you want to stay with me?" he asked her seriously.
"I feel safe with you," Freya admitted, the honesty in her words nearly blinding. The Doctor's entire expression shattered at her words and he pulled her into a tight hug, hugging her as if she was the last lifejacket on the Titanic.
After a few minutes of the hug that nearly kept Freya from breathing, the Doctor pulled back, smiling at her. He went to take her hand and frowned. Freya glanced down at her hand, confused.
It looked bruised.
It was the hand he'd been gripping.
"Maybe you should hold the other hand?" Freya suggested quietly. The Doctor's eyes found hers, his expression filled with pain once more.
"Come on," he said abruptly, shoving his hands into his pockets. Freya's spirits fell at the movement and she buried her own hands in her pockets. He started walking again, but much to Freya's relief, he'd slowed down. Freya jumped, feeling as if someone – or something - was watching her.
"Something's wrong," Freya murmured. The Doctor glanced back at her for a moment before tentatively looping his arm through hers. They approached the TARDIS and Freya couldn't help but shiver. Something was horribly wrong.
The Doctor released her to unlock the TARDIS. He glanced over his shoulder suspiciously, as if unsure as to what he was feeling.
But when he pushed the TARDIS open, Freya realized what was wrong.
The TARDIS was gone.
The interior was that of an ordinary 1960s Police Call Box. All wood. The Doctor shoved his way inside, hitting on the walls frantically.
"Rose!" the Doctor exclaimed in horror, pushing himself out of the box. He grabbed Freya's arm and took off running once more, dragging Freya behind him. Freya focused on not tripping, trying to ignore the painful feeling of someone watching her every move. They approached a church that had many people milling about outside.
Freya's eyes widened as she spotted Rose.
"ROSE! Get in the church!" the Doctor shouted. Rose turned and smiled at him before the smile melted off her face.
A creature appeared in the sky, hovering near where Rose was standing. The Doctor released her arm, running ahead of her. The creature was massive and had bat-like wings. Its eyes were red. It lunged at Rose, but the Doctor was able to push her to the ground just before the thing would have grabbed her. The Doctor quickly turned just as Freya collided with him.
"Get in the church!" the Doctor ordered, shouting loud enough that everyone could hear him. Two more of the creatures appeared in the sky.
Freya and Rose were shoved towards the church as the Doctor tried corralling everyone else towards the church. They made it inside and a few minutes later, others poured in. The Doctor was the last one in, locking the doors quickly behind him. Freya glanced out the window to see that there more of them now, more of them flying around.
"They can't get in. Old windows and doors. Okay. The older something is, the stronger it is. What else? Go and check the other doors! Move!" the Doctor ordered the guests. Freya threw herself at him, hugging him tightly. He hugged her back just as tightly.
"What's happening? What are they?" Jackie's voice asked. Jackie? Oh. Jackie would be at a wedding Rose's dad was going to.
"There's been an accident in time. A wound in time. They're like bacteria, taking advantage," the Doctor said grimly.
"What do you mean, time? What're you jabbering on about, time?" Jackie asked in disbelief. Freya slowly pulled away from the Doctor, feeling better knowing he was there, that he hadn't ended up getting himself killed trying to save everyone else.
"Oh, I might've known you'd argue. Jackie, I'm sick of you complaining," the Doctor said, irritated. Jackie's eyes widened at his words.
"How do you know my name?" she asked him suspiciously.
"I haven't got time for this," the Doctor muttered angrily to himself. Freya took his hand and gripped it tightly, hoping he would calm down a bit.
"I've never met you in my life!" Jackie exclaimed.
"No, and you never will unless I sort this out. Now, if you don't mind, I've waited a long time to say this. Jackie Tyler, do as I say! Go and check the doors!" the Doctor shouted at her. Jackie looked quite reprimanded and she nodded quickly.
"Yes, sir," she said, scampering away like a puppy.
"I should have done that years ago," the Doctor said to Freya, an almost grin on his face.
The groom approached Freya and the Doctor, looking rather distraught.
"My dad was out there," the groom told them.
"You can mourn him later. Right now, we've got to concentrate on keeping ourselves alive," the Doctor told him sternly.
"My dad had –," the groom began, only for the Doctor to cut him off.
"There's nothing I can do for him," the Doctor repeated his other words with a harsher tone.
"No, but he had this phone thing. I can't get it to work. I keep getting this voice," the groom said, handing the phone to the Doctor.
"Watson, come here. I need you. Watson, come here. I need you." The voice kept repeating. The Doctor handed the phone back to the groom.
"That's the very first phone call. Alexander Graham Bell. I don't think the telephone's going to be much use," the Doctor said drily.
"But someone must call the police," the groom argued.
"What's stopping those things from getting the police?" Freya asked the groom. The groom's face paled.
"Police can't help you now. No one can. Nothing in this universe can harm those things. Time's been damaged and they've come to sterilize the wound. By consuming everything inside," the Doctor told him grimly, his voice carrying. Rose looked up, eyes wide in horror.
"Is this because…? Is this my fault?" Rose asked, her voice small.
But the Doctor wouldn't even look at her.
The Doctor pulled Freya with him to check the doors. Rose's father followed them as the Doctor kicked a door, checking to make sure it was going to hold.
"There's smoke coming up from the city but no sirens. I don't think it's just us. I think these things are all over the place. Maybe the whole world," Rose's father said. Freya glanced out the window, noticing the smoke he'd been talking about. A beige car appeared at the corner, driving recklessly around the turn before vanishing once more.
Freya took a step back, alarmed.
"Was that a car?" Rose's father asked, having noticed it as well.
"It's not important. Don't worry about it," the Doctor said, pulling Freya along behind him and away from Rose's father.
He pulled them into another room, one without anyone inside. The Doctor checked that door as well before turning to Freya, a haunted look in his eyes.
"You don't have a way out," Freya stated. The Doctor swallowed and shook his head.
"Not even one that would kill me?" Freya tried joking, but the joke fell short. The Doctor pulled her to him in another hug.
"I've gotten more hugs from you since I've met you than I have in my entire life," Freya murmured into his shirt. The Doctor's arms tightened around her once more.
"More hugs and more kisses," she added, more of a musing to herself. The Doctor pulled back this time, staring down at her.
"More kisses?" he asked her in confusion. Freya blushed at his expression but nodded anyway.
"You've kissed me on the forehead twice. That's two times more than I've ever been kissed before," Freya admitted shyly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"You'd never been kissed before? Not on the forehead, on the cheek, not even the hand? What about your parents? Did they never give you a kiss goodnight?" the Doctor asked her in alarm. Freya shook her head.
"They never touched me. Never hugged me, never kissed me, never told me goodnight," Freya told him, trying to push back the sadness that threatened to overwhelm her at the thought.
The Doctor stared down at her, an intense look on his face. Freya considered pulling away, wishing she'd never said anything.
"I can't have you dying without having been properly kissed," the Doctor finally said, staring at her.
"Then I guess you can't let me die," Freya joked, hoping the subject would get changed. When she looked back up at the Doctor, she could tell he wasn't joking.
He was absolutely serious.
He tightened his arms around her and pulled her to him, only this he was watching her, not allowing her to bury her face in his shirt. Freya's eyes went wide as his head lowered to hers. Her eyes closed automatically.
She felt just the faintest pressure on her lips, almost tentative. She hesitantly pressed her lips back against his, surprised at just how warm it made her feel all over.
He pulled back after a moment, his eyes finding hers instantly. Begging her to understand.
And it clicked.
He didn't have a way out. Not only did he not have a way out, but he was planning on them dying. Freya nodded, still staring at him.
"Thank you," Freya whispered. There was a crash behind them, causing the two to break apart. Both spun around to see a little girl with wild brown hair on the ground, a chair having fallen over as well. Freya rushed forward, as did the Doctor. The Doctor reached her first, helping the child up. The child stared at his hand on her, eyes wide.
Freya's own eyes widened and she took a step back. The Doctor glanced back at her before looking at the child.
"What's your name?" the Doctor asked the little girl. She was still staring at the hand on her.
"Freya. What are you doing?" she asked, staring at his hand still. The Doctor's eyes landed on Freya, who nodded.
"Don't touch her. If you touch her, it could let those things in," the Doctor told Freya quietly before turning back to younger Freya.
"I'm helping you up," the Doctor said, puzzled. He glanced back at Freya, who moved closer but still within a good distance of the child.
"But your hand's on me?" she asked, tilting her head. The Doctor jerked his hand back quickly, still watching the child. Her expression faded slightly at his removal.
"That's what happens when people help you up," the Doctor told her, still seeming very confused.
"No one ever puts their hands on me," she said. The Doctor spun to look at Freya.
"No one ever touched you as a child?" he asked her in disbelief. Freya didn't answer, merely stared at the child.
"What were you doing?" the child asked him once more. The Doctor turned his head quickly, just in time to see the child flinch.
"She thinks you'll hit her for asking a question. It happened before," Freya said softly.
"I won't hit you. What was I doing when?" the Doctor asked the child curiously.
"You touched her. And…bit her?" the child asked in confusion. The Doctor's eyebrows shot up, as did Freya's.
And her eyes went wide.
Because she remembered this happening.
"No. I was hugging her. And I kissed her," the Doctor explained to the child.
"Hugging? Kissed?" the child repeated, testing the words carefully. The Doctor's heart shattered at the words. He shot another look at Freya, a pitying look. Freya pretended to ignore it.
"Yes. A hug is when you wrap your arms around someone. And a kiss is when you push your lips against someone else. Or something else," the Doctor tried explaining.
"Why?" the child asked. The Doctor shot a helpless look at Freya, who knew exactly what needed to be said. She moved closer, gripping the Doctor as she did to keep from accidentally touching herself.
"It shows that you love someone. Or care about them a whole lot. Because that's what love is," Freya explained in the simplest terms. The child looked utterly puzzled but nodded nonetheless.
"Where are your parents?" Freya asked the child, not because she was curious but because she remembered being asked that.
"I don't know," the child said, sucking her thumb. She stopped and pulled it back quickly, wiping it on her shirt, eyes wide as they stared at Freya and the Doctor.
"We won't tell. Pick her up," Freya told the Doctor. She moved away from him as he did. He placed the child on his hip.
"I remember all of this happening. We need to find her parents and let what happens happen," Freya told the Doctor quietly. He started leading them away.
"You remember all of this? How old were you?" the Doctor asked her.
"About two and a half. I think. I remember being at a wedding. Getting lost. Finding two people. Learning what a hug, a kiss, love was. And I remember what's going to happen," Freya admitted sadly.
"In general?" the Doctor asked almost excitedly, but Freya shook her head.
"No. To little me," she said. They entered the main room, where everyone was waiting.
"Over there," Freya said, pointing towards a couple sitting a ways from everyone else. The Doctor and Freya took little Freya to them. The Doctor sat her on the ground near her parents and watched as the child ran up to her parents and instantly tried to hug them.
Freya hid her face, not wanting to see what happens. It hurt enough the first time around. But she could still hear the slap. The Doctor started to move but Freya stopped him.
"It has to happen," Freya told him thickly.
The Doctor stared in disbelief as the parents lectured their child for trying to hug them. Neither looked a bit remorseful for having just slapped their child. Little Freya was then ordered to sit in the pew behind them on her own.
Little Freya sat down, alone, tears filling her eyes, murmuring to herself. He could read her lips even though he couldn't hear her.
"My parents don't love me."
The Doctor stared down at Freya.
"You said that had to happen. Why?" the Doctor asked her.
"You can't mess with history. That's my history. It shaped who I am. It was another big moment in my life," Freya admitted.
The Doctor looked as if he wanted to say something else but stopped when he heard what sounded like someone beating on one of the side doors near them. He took off towards it, his hand sliding down to take Freya's hand in a much gentler grip than earlier. He pulled his sonic screwdriver from his pocket as he stopped at the door. He pulled it out and started…sonicking?...the door.
"Excuse me, Mister," the groom asked, catching up with them.
"Doctor," the Doctor corrected absently.
"You seem to know what's going on," the groom said once more. The Doctor nodded.
"I give that impression, yeah," he said, still not looking up.
"I just wanted to ask," the man started, but the bride interrupted him.
"Can you save us?" she asked, her voice full of desperation and worry.
The Doctor stopped and put his sonic screwdriver away, turning to face the bride and groom. Freya turned as well. The couple looked familiar.
"Who are you two, then?" the Doctor asked them.
"Stuart Hoskins," the groom said.
"Sarah Clark," the bride said. Freya's eyes widened. She did know them. The Hoskins! She felt queasy at the thought. She knew them. And she knew their son.
"And one extra. Boy or girl?" the Doctor asked, glancing at Sarah's stomach.
"Boy. A beautiful baby boy," Freya breathed. Both stared at her in shock and confusion. The Doctor shot her a glance before turning back to the couple.
"How did all this get started?" the Doctor asked them, sounding truly interested to hear their story. The groom smiled at his bride, taking her hand.
"Outside the Beatbox Club, two in the morning," Stuart said lovingly.
"Street corner. I'd lost my purse, didn't have money for a taxi," Sarah continued.
"I took her home," Stuart explained fondly.
"Then what? Asked her for a date?" the Doctor asked expectantly.
"Wrote his number on the back of my hand," Sarah explained.
"Never got rid of her since. My dad said…." Stuart drifted off sadly.
"I don't know what this is all about, and I know we're not important…" Sarah started, but the Doctor cut her off.
'Who says you're not important? I've travelled to all sorts of places, done things you couldn't imagine, but you two? Street corner, two in the morning, getting a taxi home. I've never had a life like that. Yes. I'll try and save you," the Doctor told them before grabbing Freya's hand and dragging her away.
Freya remembered hearing that story. She remembered their son telling her that story in that smoky room as she tried to calm the boy. She still heard the story sometimes in her nightmares, their son's voice wafting through the smoke and flames.
She shook her head quickly, trying to get rid of the thought. If they didn't fix this, their son would never be born.
When they entered the main area, Jackie nearly bombarded them with baby Rose.
"I have to find my husband. Can you watch her for me?" Jackie asked. She didn't even wait for an answer before taking off, leaving Rose with them. The Doctor, startled, sat down next to the baby carrier, glancing down at the child. Freya started to sit next to him but was pulled away.
Freya was shocked to see Sarah, the bride, pulling her away. She pulled Freya until they were out of the main area, more or less secluded.
"You said I was going to have a boy," Sarah stated, staring at her. Freya's eyes widened.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything," Freya apologized quickly. Sarah shook her head.
"No. You…you know stuff. Stuart said you were probably psychic, but I don't believe in that kind of thing. But I do believe there's something different about you," Sarah said, staring at her. Freya didn't know what to say. She knew better than to start spouting things about the future. And she doubted Sarah would believe what she'd said.
"I don't want to know how you know it. But I want to know something. You mentioned my baby. And you acted familiar with that concept," Sarah said. Her eyes drifted past Freya. Freya turned to see that Sarah's eyes had landed on Freya's younger self.
"You're from the future. Your little Freya, all grown up," Sarah said in disbelief. Freya kept her mouth shut, not knowing what to say.
"So you meet my baby. You grow up with my baby. My baby lives," Sarah gasped in disbelief. Freya didn't say anything. That didn't mean anything. Sarah's baby could still die. But Freya wasn't going to say that. She didn't want to tear down the woman's hopes.
"What's he like? I don't want his name. But what's my baby like when you know him?" Sarah begged. Freya hesitated once more, not sure what to say.
She knew she couldn't say that Sarah's baby died when he was six years old in a fire.
"Your baby will be wonderful," Freya started. She stared at Sarah for a moment before taking in a deep breath.
"He'll be incredibly brave. The bravest person I ever met. He knows the story of how you and Stuart met. And he tells it. When he's scared, he'll tell that story as a distraction. And he never gives up," Freya told the woman. Sarah's eyes filled with tears and she threw herself at Freya, hugging her tightly. Freya glanced over the woman's shoulders to see Rose hugging the Doctor as well. Only Rose jumped back. The Doctor pulled something from his pocket and dropped it, as if it were on fire. He bent down and picked it up using the corner of his jacket.
His eyes met hers across the room and Freya was shocked to see absolute excitement brimming in them. He took off running for the high part of the front of the church. Freya pulled back, moving towards the Doctor automatically.
"The inside of my ship was thrown out of the wound but we can use this to bring it back. And once I've got my ship back, then I can mend everything. Now, I just need a bit of power. Has anybody got a battery?" the Doctor asked loudly, eyes scanning the room. Stuart picked up his father's phone, holding it up.
"This one big enough?" he asked the Doctor. The Doctor nodded excitedly, reaching for it.
"Fantastic," the Doctor said.
"Good old Dad. There you go," Stuart said, handing the Doctor the phone.
"Just need to do a bit of charging up and then we can bring everyone back," the Doctor said excitedly. He glanced up at Freya, his face still beaming. He held the key midair and slowly, Freya could make out the form of the TARDIS starting to materialize around the key.
"Right! No one touches that key. Have you got that? Don't touch it. Anyone touches that key, it'll be, well, zap! Just leave it be and everything will be fine. We'll get out of here. All of us. Stuart, Sarah, you're going to get married, just like I said," the Doctor said, grinning at the couple. Sarah had moved from Freya's side to her soon-to-be husband's side and embraced him tightly.
"What did you tell her?" the Doctor asked Freya quietly. Freya shook her head.
"She was asking about her baby. She deduced that I was future Freya and wanted to know what her baby was like," Freya admitted.
"And you told her?" the Doctor asked sharply.
"I told her truthful things. About how brave he was. I made sure I didn't say anything about his future," Freya told him quietly.
"You said he was brave. What happened to him?" the Doctor asked her curiously.
"He dies. In a fire. When he's six," Freya said shortly, turning around to hide the tears that threatened to well in her eyes.
"That's still over six years from now. Right now he's alive. Calm down," the Doctor said soothingly, pulling Freya into a hug.
When the Doctor finally released her, Rose was standing there awkwardly.
"When time gets sorted out…" Rose drifted off, waiting for an answer.
"Everybody here forgets what happened. And don't worry, the thing that you changed will stay changed," the Doctor told her, glancing over at her father.
"You mean I'll still be alive, though I'm meant to be dead. That's why I haven't done anything with my life, why I didn't mean anything," Rose's father said from where he was sitting.
"It doesn't work like that," the Doctor said sharply.
"Rubbish. I'm so useless I couldn't even die properly. Now it's my fault all of this has happened," Rose's father said angrily.
Freya quickly moved away from them, not wanting to get caught up in the middle of the argument.
Her eyes quickly saw something they shouldn't.
Little Freya. On the top of the railing, looking down.
If she fell from that height, she'd die.
She glanced back at Rose and them only to see Rose's father taking the baby from Jackie's hands. Freya ran forward, tripping right into Rose and knocking her over.
"Don't touch the baby!" Freya cried. She glanced back up at Rose's father, whose eyes were wide. Freya quickly got to her feet, turning back to see her younger self.
Freya distantly remembered this as well. She remembered nearly falling off of a high floor in a church. And wanting to fall. To see if she could feel pain, since she couldn't feel happiness. It was such an odd thing for a two year old to think of. Freya had always assumed it was a dream.
But it wasn't. Freya threw herself towards where her younger self was.
"Doctor!" Freya shouted. She couldn't catch herself. It would let the creatures in. The Doctor had to catch her.
But if he didn't catch her, she'd die. Freya pushed herself harder, just as she watched little Freya fall.
"Freya, don't!" the Doctor shouted, but it was too late. Freya wasn't going to let herself get killed. She caught her younger self, quickly setting her down. The Doctor was still across the church from her. And in the middle of the church, one of the creatures was appearing.
Appearing much closer to her than it was the rest of the people.
"Run! Get to that man!" Freya ordered her younger self. The child managed to get to her feet and run as fast as her stubby legs would take her.
But the creature spotted her.
"Hey! Leave her alone!" Freya shouted the moment the creature started to descend on the child. The Doctor's eyes were wide across the church from her. Freya ran forward, noting that the creature seemed to follow her with his eyes.
It ignored her younger self and dove straight for her. Its talons ripped into her skin as its wings surrounded her.
The last thing she saw was its red eyes burning through her.
Her head spun as she sat up. She was lying in the middle of the aisle in the church. She sat up slowly, making her way out of the church. Everyone was standing outside. And Rose was in the middle of the road, holding her father's hand as he died. A hand landed on her shoulder, making Freya jump. She spun around to see the Doctor.
"Don't ever do that again," he ordered her before pulling her to him in another bonecrushing hug. She ignored her headache.
"What happened?" Freya asked him.
"He saved everyone by allowing the car to hit him like what was supposed to happen," the Doctor explained. He pulled back, still keeping her securely in his arms.
"Why didn't you say anything? You saw her. Your younger self. Yet you ran the other way. If you'd said something, I could have caught her," the Doctor said.
"Rose was about to touch herself. I didn't know if you'd told her she couldn't. I had to stop it. But I had to save myself too. If I'd fallen, it've killed me. That's why I shouted for you. But you were too far away," Freya explained. The Doctor shook his head, still staring down at her.
"What you did was what inspired Pete to do it. He saw how selfless you were and decided it was his turn to be selfless," the Doctor told her.
"You said everyone would forget what happened," Freya said, suddenly frowning. That made no sense. The Doctor frowned as well.
"Yes. They did. Why?" the Doctor asked her.
"I didn't forget. I still remember it. That conversation with me and you. And falling. And why I was up there to begin with," Freya said with a frown.
"You still remember it? Did you remember our faces?" the Doctor asked, instantly alarmed. Freya shook her head.
"I never remembered the faces. I just remembered the words," Freya confused. The Doctor beamed at this.
"Fantastic! Now, let's go get your cousin so we can take her home," the Doctor said.
"Take her home?" Freya asked in confusion.
"Yeah. She was only coming for one trip. And then this happened. I'd rather not have her on my TARDIS for awhile, thank you very much," the Doctor said as he dragged Freya behind him to meet up with Rose.
"Ready to go?" the Doctor asked her. Rose wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and nodded.
"I'm ready to go home," she whispered. The Doctor walked the two of them back to the TARDIS, the complete and normal TARDIS, and they took off. The moment it had started moving, Rose turned to Freya.
"I'm so so sorry!" Rose apologized. Freya shook her head quickly.
"No! Don't say it's okay. It isn't. You got that bad feeling, and then this happened. This was all my fault. If we'd just listened to your feeling, it'd have been fine," Rose said.
"Yeah. It would have," the Doctor added in his own words.
"It's fine. Everything's fine," Freya dismissed once more as the Doctor headed over to the doors. He threw the doors open, only to get smacked in the face by Jackie.
"You're three days late!" Jackie exploded on him. The Doctor stood up, holding his cheek as he stared at Jackie in disbelief.
"I get a slap for three days?!" the Doctor asked in disbelief. Freya couldn't hold back a giggle at the sight of it.
"Yes. I said a day. ONE DAY! Not four! Now get outta my kitchen before I slap ya again!" Jackie told him angrily as she stormed out of the TARDIS. Rose offered Freya one more smile before following her mother out.
The Doctor ran to the console and pushed buttons quickly.
"Right! Let's get out of here. Now!" he said. The TARDIS took off again. When he had stopped flitting around, the Doctor came back over to Freya.
"Where'd you get that bracelet?" he asked suddenly, reaching for her hand.
"The TARDIS gave it to me. You and her seem keen on giving me jewelry," Freya said with a tiny smile.
"Odd bracelet. Can't sense what it's made of. Come on, old girl, why're you blocking me from it?" the Doctor asked, aiming his voice towards the ceiling in exasperation. The TARDIS's laughter echoed in Freya's head.
The Doctor shared a grin with Freya before shaking his head. And then his expression got serious.
"Look, about earlier. When I…kissed you. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to overstep any boundaries," the Doctor apologized quickly.
Freya's stomach dropped at his words. She immediately ignored it.
"It's okay. You were being helpful. You really thought we were going to die. I can't fault you," Freya told him. The Doctor shook his head.
"But I didn't give you a chance to protest or anything! You didn't have a say in the matter! You should always have a say!" the Doctor pointed out.
"If I didn't like it, I would have found some way to let you know," Freya told him gently. The Doctor stared at her for a moment before shaking his head.
"You told Pete we were engaged. Third time you've said we were engaged," the Doctor told her with a teasing grin on his face.
"The first time was to keep you out of prison, remember?" Freya pointed out.
"Yes, and it worked. Good thinking on the spot, by the way. Never thanked you for it," the Doctor told her. Freya nodded.
"The second time, Adam was looking at me weird. I didn't like it. So I figured he'd stop if I told him I was engaged. And it worked," Freya pointed out.
"He was looking at you weird?" the Doctor asked in confusion. Freya nodded.
"He was! And he kept saying these weird things to me. I didn't like it," Freya said firmly.
"He was probably flirting with you," the Doctor teased, but Freya could see there was something else in his expression that she didn't like. Didn't recognize.
"That was flirting?" Freya asked, aghast.
"Not very good flirting, I'm sure. I saw him flirting with Rose on Satellite Five. I guess that was acceptable too. And what about back there? What was your reasoning back there?" the Doctor asked. Freya shrugged helplessly.
"I didn't know what to say. I figured introducing a fiancé named John Smith was better than introducing a random friend with a generic name," Freya told him. His grin remained.
Until he looked down at her hands.
Freya glanced down as well. The hand he'd been holding earlier, when he was mad, was extremely bruised.
"I did that," he said blankly, staring at her hand.
"I bruise easily," Freya said quickly. The Doctor stood abruptly, moving away from her.
"I hurt you! I am hurting you! All I do is hurt you! And you still want to stay! Why?" the Doctor asked, spinning on her. His expression was haunted, so haunted.
"Everyone hurts people," Freya said, but he just shook his head.
"I might've broken bones in your hand if I didn't stop when I did. Would you still be forgiving of me if that had happened?" he asked her scathingly. Freya nodded, moving towards him as quickly as she dared.
"Yes. Because I trust you. I trust you completely. I trust you'll make mistakes. You'll screw up. But you fix it. And you fix it beautifully. Everyone messes up. Not everyone can fix what they break like you can though," Freya told him, words spilling from her lips before she could process what she was saying. The Doctor stared at her for a moment before shaking his head.
"Right. Fancy a vacation trip?" the Doctor asked her.
"Wasn't that what Woman Wept was?" Freya asked. The Doctor's expression morphed into one of disdain.
"Or you can read in the library for awhile and I'll just work on the TARDIS. Give us a bit of a break," he suggested. Freya nodded and turned to leave. Before she had taken but one step, the Doctor had grabbed her hand and pulled her back. When she turned around, his lips hit hers. It wasn't as gentle as before, but it still wasn't aggressive. It was still just the lightest of touches. And it sent a shiver down her spine.
"There. A proper kiss for ya. Now you can save you've been properly kissed, and not just because you were about to die," the Doctor said, smiling as he spun around.
But Freya could detect the slightest pink tinge to his ears.
She walked back to the library, a smile on her face as the gold particles led the way.
Freya pushed the door open to the library, only for her eyes to widen.
There was a man there. Or a woman. Someone wearing a cloak. They spun around, but she still couldn't see their face. A book was in their hands.
"Oops," the man – it was a man, she could tell – murmured as he shoved the book onto the shelf and pushed a button on his wrist.
And he vanished. Freya rushed for the book, pulling it from the shelf.
The cover very simply said her name on it. Freya hesitated before opening it.
The first page was a warning. Telling her not to read it. Not to tell the Doctor. Only to read the book in cases of emergencies.
She flipped the page nervously, finding another almost blank page. It read, "To Get Back to Him".
She started to turn the page again but stopped. It was like what she'd told Sarah in the past. She couldn't tell Sarah her child would die in a fire. And Freya couldn't read ahead to see what she needed to know. She placed the book on the shelf, its spine blending in magnificently with the other books.
When she came to the point in her life where she needed to, "get back to him", as the book put it, she would find the book.
She walked away, grabbing the book she'd been reading earlier.
She needed to relax.
So relax she did.
Until the TARDIS jerked, hours later, and she fell into the pool that had been moved into the library once more.
Haha! What do you think? I hope you really like this chapter! You should! I adore it. ;) Please give me some reviews. I'm currently trying to write the Boomtown episode, but it's been a struggle. I've been working three weeks on it, so feel free to leave some encouragement. I prefer having five chapters written up ahead of time before posting a chapter, so I've been getting close to not having chapters backed up. And I've been getting less and less reviews.
I hate complaining, but it does leave me thinking people like my story enough to read it but not leave feedback. Even a simple "I like it" is good enough for me so I know people actually are still reading it.
Sorry for the rant. And thanks for reading!
Andi