Because of all the reviews I got, this chapter is longer than the average chapter. :) You are welcome. Please enjoy it!
Chapter 16: New Earth
Freya woke up to the Doctor pulling the covers off of their bed.
"Come on! New planet to see! It's a new day! You've slept thirteen hours! Up up up!" he urged.
Freya sat up slowly, yawning. She had slept thirteen hours, she realized when she caught sight of the clock. She'd went to bed in her bed with the Doctor wrapped around her and hadn't woken up since.
In all honesty, she was surprised he let her sleep as long as he did. He had to be dying for an adventure. Two months was much too long to wait for an adventure, especially for someone with as little of an attention span as the Doctor. And this Doctor? He seemed to have less of an attention span than he had as his leathery counterpart.
"Come on! Get dressed!" he ordered, throwing an outfit at her. When she didn't seem to be able to get up fast enough, he was pulling her to her feet and tugging her shirt off.
Well. That sure woke her up. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him, stilling his hands instantly. His eyes widened and he stumbled back.
"Sorry! Sorry, come on! Get dressed!" the Doctor said, stumbling out of the room. Not trusting the Doctor to stay out of the room for very long, she tugged on the clothes. She threw on the cami and the hoodie he'd given her, opting to leave the shirt off to save time. She had only just tugged the trousers the Doctor had left for her onto one leg when the Doctor burst back in.
He immediately covered his eyes, waiting for her to finish. When she had, she grabbed his arm and pulled him from the room.
"Took ya long enough!" the Doctor complained.
"I have to use to loo," Freya corrected before he tried pulling her into the console room. He sighed dramatically and all but threw himself against the wall in a huff.
She managed to brush her teeth and go before the Doctor started knocking. The toothpaste turned her stomach and she found herself vomiting instead of opening the door for him.
He didn't wait. The door opened and cool hands held her hair back as she retched.
"You okay?" the Doctor asked softly. Freya nodded, vomiting once more.
"Yeah," Freya murmured, slumping forward. The Doctor held her up, resting her head against the side of his head as he flushed the toilet.
"Morning sickness. Three months, four months in? What set it off?" the Doctor asked. Freya shook her head slowly, not wanting to be nauseous again.
"Toothpaste did," Freya murmured. The Doctor slowly helped her to her feet, leaning her against the sink before pulling out a different tube of toothpaste.
"Try this kind. Flavorless, tasteless, but it cleans the teeth. It should fight the nausea," the Doctor offered. He even went as far as putting the toothpaste on her toothbrush for her. While she was brushing her teeth for the second time, the Doctor pulled out a hairbrush and slowly brushed her hair.
He seemed more subdued when he finally managed to pull her into the console room. He paused before flipping any switches.
"Would you rather just…spend a day relaxing?" the Doctor offered her. Freya could see his hidden disappointment at the thought. And she shook her head.
"It's been a few months since we've had an adventure. Let's go for it," Freya said enthusiastically. She wasn't as overly thrilled for the idea, but the Doctor had been still for months. He needed adventure.
His smile grew tenfold at her words and he flipped switches, running around anxiously.
"Where are we going?" Freya asked as he dashed around the console.
"Further than we've ever been before," the Doctor told her excitedly, giving her a wide grin before dashing for the doors. Freya followed him as quickly as she dared, stepping outside and closing the doors firmly behind her.
They were across the river from a large city and cars were flying around overhead. The sun was shining bright in the sky. It was gorgeous. Freya didn't regret agreeing to go on this adventure.
"It's the year five billion and twenty-three. We're in the galaxy M87, and this? This is New Earth," the Doctor told her gleefully.
"Wow," Freya breathed. The Doctor's arm snaked around her waist, pulling her closer to him.
"Not bad. Not bad at all," the Doctor bragged.
"Amazing. This is amazing. What's that smell?" Freya asked.
"Apple grass," the Doctor told her with a grin. Freya's eyes went wide and she dropped to her feet, picking a few strands of the grass. She tentatively stuck a piece of it her mouth and experimentally chewed it up.
It tasted odd. Not terrible, but odd. She pushed a second piece in her mouth, chewing it up as well.
"Oi! Don't eat the grass!" the Doctor said indignantly. Freya stopped chewing instantly.
"Why? Is it poisoned?" Freya asked, preparing to spit it all out. The Doctor shook his head.
"No….but…you're pregnant. You're gonna have odd cravings. I don't want to have to start getting you apple grass," the Doctor complained. Freya continued chewing and swallowed the grass.
"It doesn't taste half bad. You should try it," Freya suggested with a smile. The Doctor stared at her for a moment and took the grass she offered him. He stuck it in his mouth and chewed before spitting it out, wiping his tongue on his jacket sleeve.
"Disgusting," he swore, staring at her.
"It's not that bad. You're overreacting," Freya complained, but the Doctor just shook his head. He pulled her a ways from the TARDIS and laid down his jacket. He plopped himself down and held his hand up to her. She allowed him to pull her down next to him and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, allowing her to rest her head on his chest.
"When did this planet come to existence?" Freya asked curiously.
"After the sun burnt up. You remember that, right?" the Doctor asked. Freya nodded.
"Our first real adventure. Jabe thought I was your wife," Freya said with a reminiscent smile.
"She wasn't the first one. Your grandmother called me your husband," the Doctor reminded her. He shook his head and smiled.
"So anyway, planet gone, all rocks and dust, but the human race lives on, spread out across the stars. Soon as the Earth burns up, oh yeah, they get all nostalgic, big revival movement, but then find this place. Same size as the Earth, same air, same orbit. Lovely. Call goes out, the humans move in," the Doctor explained with a grin.
"What's it called?" Freya asked, gesturing towards the city.
"New New York," the Doctor told her with a grin. Freya shook her head.
"No. It can't be," she argued. He smiled down at her.
"Well, technically it's the fifteenth New York since the original, so that makes it New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York," the Doctor told her with a cheeky grin. Freya shook her head, staring at him
"What?" he asked her, staring down into her eyes.
"You're different. You're different but you're still the same. How does that make sense?" Freya asked him. His grin grew.
"New new doctor," he told her. Freya smiled and shook her head.
"Can we go visit this New New York, or are we just going to watch it safely from a hill?" Freya teased him. The Doctor stood and pulled her to her feet before shrugging his jacket on.
"I thought we might go there first. It's a hospital," the Doctor explained, pointing at a beautiful building closer to them than the actual city. There was a green moon on the side of it, like some sort of symbol.
"Why? Is something wrong?" Freya asked him, worry spiking through her. Her hand went to her stomach automatically. The Doctor smiled, the small lines around his eyes creasing at her as he shook his head.
"No. You could use a checkup though. I got a message on the psychic paper," the Doctor told her, pulling the psychic paper from his pocket. Freya watched in fascination as the worlds "Ward 26 – please come," appeared on the blank paper.
"People can do that?" Freya asked in surprise.
"Not many. Few people can," he told her. He started putting it away but Freya stopped him. She flipped it open and left it in his hands, focusing her thoughts on it. A few seconds later, a very faint hello flashed on the paper. The Doctor looked up at her in surprise and smiled once more.
"Fantastic. You're fantastic. If you practice that enough, maybe one day you'll be able to send me messages!" the Doctor said cheerfully, only to sober up momentarily. Freya's eyes widened at his expression change.
What if that was what was happening?
"Come on. Let's go. Allons-y!" he said happily, grabbing her hand and taking off at a jog for the hospital. Freya followed as quickly as she could, minding her ankle as much as she could. It was still a bit weak from her tumble awhile back, back on her run with River.
As they entered the area, Freya glanced around. It looked just like a normal hospital, she supposed, only more open. There was a tiny shop tucked away, where a girl with red hair was browsing about.
"I don't like hospitals," the Doctor told her with a sniff as he examined the area, eyes wide.
"Odd name for you if you don't like hospitals," Freya teased, only for him to give her an indignant glare.
"I can't help it. They give me the creeps," he said with a shiver. He shook his head and frowned.
"No shop. I like the little shop," he said sadly. Freya mustered up her courage and grabbed his chin with her free hand, jerking it towards the hidden shop she'd seen.
Watching his face light up at the sight of the shop was worth it. She dropped her hand from his chin quickly as he dragged her to the shop.
"Cute shop," he said with a nod. He dropped her hand and started examining the contents. Freya noticed a tiny statue angel necklace and was examining it when she heard a familiar voice.
"Excuse me sir. Can you please buy me a balloon?" a little girl's voice asked. Freya dropped the necklace she'd been examining. She scooped it up off the floor and put it back on the shelf, glancing around the corner.
Standing there was a girl who could have been the clone of the little girl she'd seen in the streets just yesterday outside of Rose and Jackie's flat. She wasn't wearing a hat, so Freya could see the girl's bright red hair. She was talking to the Doctor.
The Doctor stared down at her then up at the balloon she was pointing at. It was a simple balloon. The Doctor's grin grew and he dug around in his pockets, pulling out a large stick.
"This the type of currency here?" the Doctor asked her. The little girl's face scrunched up and she shook her head tentatively.
"I don't think so, sir. My brother said it looked more…papery," she told him.
Brother? Told her? Had she never seen money before? That sounded quite…suspicious. The Doctor nodded and pulled a few other sheets of paper from his pockets and selected a balloon. He then paused and glanced at the girl once more. Freya glanced at her as well.
She didn't look like an orphan. Her clothes seemed sort of ragged, but it was more like she'd picked them out herself rather than not having the clothes to wear.
The Doctor then picked up a tiny teddy bear and made his way to the check-out counter. He bought both and handed them to the girl with a smile and a pat on the head. The girl hugged him before dashing out of the store, ecstatic.
"Doctor," Freya said quietly, approaching him. He jumped slightly, turning to look at her.
"I've seen her before," Freya whispered. The Doctor's eyebrow shot up.
"Are you sure it was her?" the Doctor questioned. Freya could only nod.
"I saw her yesterday. She was outside the flat when I went down to the TARDIS. Remember? I told you I saw a little girl who was staring up at us. That was her. It looked just like her," Freya told him. The Doctor smiled but shook his head.
"Maybe it was her ancestor. That could happen. What else could it be?" the Doctor asked her logically. Freya shook her head once more.
"But…she looked younger. She looked younger than she did last night. And she looked so familiar…" Freya drifted off. The Doctor gave her a smile once more and tugged her from the shop.
About that time, a cat…nurse…nun walked by. Freya's eyes widened and she stopped in her tracks.
"Are they the new humans as well?" Freya asked faintly.
"Nah. That's the nursing staff. Don't stare. Think of what you look like to them," the Doctor told her, making his way to the lift. By the time she'd made her way to the lift, the doors had closed.
"Wait!" Freya shouted, hitting the button quickly.
"Too late. I'm going up! Watch out for the…" the Doctor called out, but Freya couldn't make out the last word. She considered shouting at him once more, but a cursory glance around the lobby made her change her mind. Already a few people were examining her curiously.
Freya stepped into the lift next to the one the Doctor had taken and was confused at the lack of buttons.
"Ward 26, please?" Freya asked, hoping she didn't look like an idiot. The doors slid shut and the lift started moving downward.
"Commence stage one disinfectant," a tinny voice announced. Freya opened her mouth to ask what that meant when a spray hit her hard. She sputtered, trying to get the stuff out of her mouth as it covered her from head to toe. It was like she'd been sprayed with a water hose on full blast…but instead of water, it was like germ-x.
When that stopped, air started blowing at her. The movement scared her once more and she all but slammed into the back of it. Her hair flew around her face, nearly blinding her. After a few seconds, she tried holding her jacket out and letting the air dry it. She was only halfway dried when the air stopped blowing and the doors slid open.
It was much darker than she expected. She'd assume it'd be as light and open as the lobby had been. She'd assumed it'd at least be clean. Garbage was strewn about the floor and there seemed to be a liberal layer of grime covering every surface. Freya didn't move to step out of the lift.
A man appeared in front of her. He was pale and had marks drawn all over him. Freya took a step back, intimidated.
"The human child is clean," he said. Freya glanced at the lift doors, willing them to shut.
"I want to go to Ward 26," Freya said loudly, hoping the lift doors would close and she'd be on her merry way.
"This way, Freya," the odd man told her, gesturing for her to follow him. Freya didn't move, but neither did he. When it became obvious that the lift wasn't going to move, she took a reluctant step out. Her feet stumbled over a pile of metal pipes as she tried keeping up with him.
She entered a room that was slightly cleaner than the hallway had been. A reel was being projected on the wall of an old-fashioned party. The woman who seemed to be the center of attention was pretty if not a bit self-centered. And for some reason, she sounded familiar. Freya tried to place who it was but couldn't put her finger on it.
"Peekaboo!" the woman's voice from on the screen called. But it was coming from behind her. Freya jumped and let out a tiny scream, spinning around to see Cassandra.
Cassandra, who'd exploded on her second adventure with the Doctor.
"You're dead. I watched you die," Freya said shakily, taking a step back.
"Calm down, child. What do you think I'm going to do to you? Flap you to death?" Cassandra asked her sarcastically. Freya's breathing, she realized at that moment, was accelerated. She focused on trying to slow her breathing. She needed to focus. This was bad. Cassandra shouldn't be there. And she doubted Cassandra would be happy to see her.
"What about him?" Freya asked, nodding towards the man who'd escorted her there.
"Oh, that's just Chip. He's my pet," Cassandra said. If she'd had a hand, Freya was certain she would have just waved it off.
"He's a person. People aren't pets," Freya protested, staring at the man with pity instead of apprehension.
"He's not even a proper life form. He's a force grown clone. I modelled him on my favorite pattern. But he's so faithful. Chip sees to my physical needs," Cassandra explained with a wink. Freya managed to refrain from shuddering at what Cassandra was implying.
"How are you still alive?" Freya asked her.
"After you murdered me," Cassandra spat at her. Freya winced at the tone used.
"I didn't do anything," Freya defended herself quietly.
"The brain of my mistress survived. And her pretty blue eyes were salvaged from the bin," Chip explained proudly.
"What about the skin? You claim you're the last human. That can't be your real skin," Freya pointed out.
"That piece of skin was taken from the front of my body. This piece is the back," Cassandra sniffed (or, she would have, had she had a nose). Her words confused Freya, but she didn't want to ask.
She needed to get out of there.
"The mistress was lucky to survive. Chip secreted m'lady into the hospital," Chip crooned.
"They don't know you're here? Why a hospital?" Freya asked. She took a half step backwards, hoping no one would notice her trying to sneak off.
"Chip steals medicine for her," Chip said proudly. Freya nodded, glancing at the projection on the wall. She needed to distract Cassandra and Chip.
"What's the video? What happened that night that makes you want to relive that moment?" Freya asked, her voice soft and warm. Cassandra smiled at the thought, staring at the wall. Freya took another small step backwards.
"Drinks for the Ambassador of Thrace. That was the last time anyone told me I was beautiful. After that it became such hard work," Cassandra said. Unfortunately, Cassandra's eyes drifted back to Freya.
"I need your help. I've heard things, here. The Sisters, the cat nuns that run the place, they're hiding something," Cassandra explained, her voice dropping.
"I need to get back to the Doctor," Freya protested, not wanting to have to lie to Cassandra and say she'd help her. She needed to get back to the Doctor. She took a step backwards, only for something to seize her.
"Chip, activate the pyschograft," Cassandra ordered. Freya's eyes widened. Psychograft?
"Wait! Cassandra, please, what will it do?" Freya asked, terrified.
"I'll go into your head. Suppress you so I can have your body," Cassandra said before glancing back at Chip.
"No! Please, you'll hurt my…" Freya was cut off as the bright lights enshrouded her. And then she was pulled under.
The feeling was terrifying, feeling another presence invade her mind. With the Doctor, she allowed him in and he mingled with her consciousness. Cassandra was pushing her down, drowning her in herself. She felt herself being pushed down, down near the baby's consciousness.
The baby was panicking.
Freya tried soothing the baby as best she could.
Her body collapsed and Cassandra groaned.
"Mistress?" Chip asked, and Cassandra nodded.
"Getting a lot of pain. Uneasy feeling. Moisturize me! Help me up," Cassandra ordered. Freya was terrified to realize she could see, hear, feel everything going on. But do nothing about it.
"You're crying, mistress," Chip said. Cassandra's hand shot up and brushed a tear away.
"It seems I am. That would be her. She's scared. Scared and hiding deep in her mind. Put on some weight here, didn't she?" Cassandra complained, her hands going to her stomach. Freya's panic intensified and her hands were pulled away from the stomach. Cassandra winced.
"She's got some control. Not much. Not enough to make a difference. But she's sensitive about her stomach. Must've been a recent weight gain," Cassandra mused. Cassandra's words were a beacon of hope to Freya. If Cassandra didn't realize Freya was pregnant, there was a good chance the Doctor would notice right away something was wrong. Freya immediately tried burying any memories of the pregnancy from her mind.
She was pulled from her thoughts when she felt her cell phone vibrate. As Cassandra talked on the phone, Freya turned her attention back to her baby.
He seemed uneasy. He was confused. Lost. Freya made sure that she wrapped her arms – er, her being, she guessed it was – around him, hoping to provide him with as much comfort as she could. She didn't know how long it would take, but she knew the Doctor would figure out that something was wrong.
And if it didn't look like he was going to, she'd figure something out.
Her baby seemed to calm slightly at the thought. Freya murmured to him, telling him to keep still and not alert Cassandra to his presence. Once her baby was calmed down, Freya focused outward once more.
Cassandra was stripping.
No, she wasn't stripping. But she was discarding Freya's jacket. Cassandra stretched the cami down as low as she could, pressing Freya's breasts upward.
Cassandra winced at the movement.
"Sore. Must be that time of the month," Cassandra muttered, her voice too quiet for Chip to hear. Still, she adjusted Freya's cleavage before shoving a tiny bottle of perfume low in between her breasts.
If the Doctor didn't realize something was wrong when he first saw her, Freya was going to give him a good smack when she got free.
Freya's heart sank the moment Cassandra made her way towards the Doctor. He had on a pair of glasses and was focusing quite intently on the patients in the ward. He was distracted. She didn't know quite how he was like now, but before he noticed little when he was truly focused on something.
She hoped that was a characteristic that didn't carry over to this version of her Doctor.
"There you are! Come and look at this patient. Marconi's Disease. Should take years to recover. Two days. I've never seen anything like it. They've invented a cell washing cascade. It's amazing. Their medical science is way advanced. And this one," the Doctor told her excitedly, rushing over to the next cubicle without sparing Freya a glance.
The Doctor continued to ramble on and Freya tried coming up with a plan. Cassandra didn't know she was pregnant. If Freya and the baby could make it appear that Cassandra needed a checkup, Cassandra would be unable to properly react.
But how could she make the Doctor think she needed a checkup without hurting the baby or giving it away?
"I can't Adam and Eve it," Cassandra responded to the Doctor. The Doctor stiffened slightly at her words. Freya's heart soared at the sight. The Doctor moved a few steps away from the patients and gave her a proper look.
"What happened to your hoodie?" the Doctor stammered, eyes wide. Freya could have slapped herself.
"They didn't get all the way dry from the disinfectant. I didn't want to wear wet clothes," Cassandra said as she eyed the Doctor as well. She took a step towards the Doctor and Freya watched as the Doctor gulped at her sudden movement.
She was going to kill him when she got control.
Cassandra grabbed the Doctor by his jacket and pulled his lips to hers, crashing into him. The moment their lips met, it was as if a dam of passion burst. Freya doubted Cassandra had expected that. She didn't really want to think of it. Because even with herself pushed out of the main receptors, she could still feel the intensity of the kiss.
As could the Doctor.
The Doctor kissed her back just as passionately as Cassandra had kissed him, wrapping his arms around her and shoving her back against a wall. It was as if the intensity had been amped up for both of them.
Or maybe it was the new body. Freya realized that this was the first time she'd kissed this body. And it wasn't even her doing it.
Maybe she could use this. She'd shown she could do tiny things. Could she get a few words out real quick? Cassandra had to be distracted by the intensity of the kiss that was still continuing. Freya took that moment to shove her way through.
She jerked her lips away from the Doctor, only for the Doctor's lips to try to make their way to her neck.
"Checkup. Can I have a checkup? Feeling kind of sick. Hormones out of balance," Freya managed to murmur before Cassandra shoved her back down.
The Doctor's eyes widened and he instantly pulled back.
"Of course. I thought you didn't want to do any checkups yet?" the Doctor asked Cassandra, eyes searching her eyes. Cassandra laughed slightly, trying to think of a cover up.
"You said they had really good medical science," Cassandra tried covering. The Doctor nodded and slid his hand into hers, dragging her along to a cat nurse.
"Novice Hame, this is my wife. Can you run a quick checkup for me? To make sure everything's okay?" the Doctor asked her. The cat nurse nodded.
"Of course. I've been intrigued to see how it could be possible for this to happen. Come!" she urged, pulling them along to a vacant cubicle. Both the Doctor and the cat nurse helped Cassandra onto the table and the cat nurse started asking Cassandra questioned. Freya couldn't even mask her glee as Cassandra stumbled through the questions, obviously having no clue as to how to answer them.
When the cat nurse first mentioned the baby, Cassandra's eyes went wide.
"Baby?" Cassandra blurted out before she could stop herself. She was staring straight at Novice Hame, but Freya was watching the Doctor out of the corner of Cassandra's eyes. His jaw dropped open before stiffening. Freya could have kissed him right then and there.
He realized something was wrong.
Cassandra covered it real quickly and as soon as the checkup was over, she was convincing the Doctor to try to solve what was wrong at the hospital. She led him to a computer terminal by the lift, and the Doctor wasted no time sonicking it. Now, Freya could notice that he was watching her out of the corner of his eye in suspicion. She'd succeeding in arousing his suspicion. But he was pretending he wasn't.
"Nope. Nothing odd. Surgery, post-op, nano-dentistry. And the shop. I like that little shop," the Doctor said.
"No. It's missing something. When I was downstairs, those Nurse Cat Nuns were talking about Intensive Care. Where is it?" Cassandra asked. The Doctor stared at the screen, confused for a moment.
"You're right. Well done," he told her.
"Why would they hide a whole department? It's got to be there somewhere. Search the sub-frame," Cassandra suggested. The Doctor was still examining her.
"What if the sub-frame's locked?" the Doctor tested her.
"Try the installation protocol," Cassandra told him, rolling her eyes.
"Yeah. Of course. Sorry. Hold on," the Doctor told her. He sonicked it and the wall next to them slid down to show a hidden corridor.
"Intensive Care. Certain looks intensive," the Doctor murmured as he led Cassandra into the hallway. They made their way down a staircase only to see cells, thousands of them, all over the place. The Doctor opened one to reveal a very sick man. Freya fought to keep the bile down.
"That's disgusting. What's wrong with him?" Cassandra asked. But the Doctor couldn't respond before Cassandra rushed for a trashcan, vomiting.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," the Doctor murmured as he opened the cell next to the man. Cassandra glanced up, wiping her mouth off before keeping from looking at the woman. She seemed to realize the sight upset Freya and didn't want a repeat of the vomiting.
"What disease is that?" Cassandra asked, keeping her eyes on the ground.
"All of them. Every single disease in the galaxy. They've been infected with everything," the Doctor said, his face eerily calm.
"What about us? Are we safe?" Cassandra asked fearfully.
"Yes. The baby's safe. The air's sterile. Just don't touch them," the Doctor told her. Cassandra didn't bat an eyelid to his words at the baby being safe. That seemed to confirm the Doctor's already strong thoughts that something was wrong with Freya. He closed the door firmly.
"How many patients are there?" Cassandra asked him, sounding quite interested.
"They're not patients," the Doctor told her coldly.
'But they're sick," Cassandra protested. The Doctor turned on her, eyes flashing.
"They were born sick. They're meant to be sick. They exist to be sick. Lab rats. No wonder the Sisters have got a cure for everything. They've built the ultimate research laboratory. A human farm," the Doctor said in disgust. His words seemed to upset the baby and Freya quickly tried calming the baby down.
She didn't know why, but something about what the Doctor said disagreed with the baby.
"Hold on. I can understand the bodies. I can understand your vows. One thing I can't understand. What have you done to Freya?" the Doctor asked Novice Hame. Freya didn't remember seeing her appear. It must've taken longer than she'd suspected to calm down the baby.
"I don't know what you mean," Novice Hame protested, legitimate puzzlement prominent on her face.
"I'm being very, very calm. You want to be aware of that. Very, very calm. And the only reason I'm being so very, very calm is that the brain is a delicate thing. And Freya's brain's more delicate than most with the baby there as well. Whatever you've done to Freya's head, I want it reversed," the Doctor said angrily.
"We haven't done anything," Novice Hame reassured him.
"I'm perfectly fine," Cassandra told the Doctor, but he shook his head.
"You didn't know Freya was pregnant. You knew things Freya wouldn't have known. And Freya would have tried to touch the people dying as soon as she'd seen them. She would have had to have been held back to keep from trying to hold them," the Doctor told her sternly.
"Oh, all right, clever clogs," Cassandra said, stalking around him.
"Smarty pants," she said as she pressed herself against him, a smirk on her lips.
"Lady-killer," she whispered into his ear. The Doctor's face remained expressionless.
"What happened to you?" the Doctor asked, but Freya could tell the question was directed to Freya, not Cassandra.
"I knew something was going on in this hospital, but I needed this body and your mind to find it out," Cassandra explained as she walked away from him.
"Who are you?" the Doctor asked her, getting frustrated with his lack of knowledge. Cassandra smirked at him.
"The last human," she said with a wink.
"Cassandra?" the Doctor asked in shock, staring at her with wide eyes.
"Wake up and smell the perfume," Cassandra told him as she reached into her cleavage and pulled the tiny bottle out. The Doctor's eyes widened significantly at the sight of her doing that and it was probably the shock of seeing her do that that kept him from avoiding her as Cassandra sprayed him with the perfume. He crumpled to the ground and Cassandra spun on her heel, facing Novice Hame.
"You've hurt him. I don't understand. I'll have to fetch Matron," Novice Hame said nervously.
"You do that, because I want to see her. Now run along. Sound the alarm!" Cassandra said gleefully as she pulled on a power cable. An alarm went off as Novice Hame took off running. Chip appeared a few seconds later, smiling. Cassandra bent down to drag the Doctor's body but Freya willfully stopped her.
"What is your problem?" Cassandra hissed at Freya.
Please. Make Chip move him. You can't lift anything heavy in my body. It'll hurt the baby.
Cassandra glared down at the Doctor as Freya's words flickered into her conscious.
"Chip, put him in that empty cell. I chose a weak body. I'll either need to find a new one soon or get rid of the parasite," Cassandra said flippantly. Her words sent Freya into a fury. As Chip was moving the Doctor's body, Freya was bashing against Cassandra's consciousness with all of her might. When Chip turned around, his eyes widened.
"Mistress, are you alright?" he asked her. Cassandra nodded, wincing.
"She's giving me a headache, pounding around in my head. Doesn't like the idea of getting rid of the child," Cassandra said. She winced once more and growled.
"Fine! We won't discard the fetus! Now stop!" Cassandra shouted. Freya allowed herself to slow and sink back down at the words. She felt exhaustion. The energy it had taken to do that was taxing and she wanted nothing more than to slip away for awhile, but she didn't dare. If she slipped away, who would be there to protect her baby?
When she'd regained the energy to focus on exactly what was happening on the outside, she wished she hadn't. Chip was pulling a lever and all of the doors burst open. Including the Doctor's door. The Doctor was instantly next to her, glaring down at Cassandra.
"What have you done?" the Doctor asked her angrily.
"Gave the system a shot of adrenaline, just to wake them up. See you!" she called cheerfully before running off. The Doctor was chasing her; Freya knew he was. When they reached the landing, Freya and Cassandra's eyes widened.
All of the cells were opening. Every last one of them.
"Oh my God," Cassandra breathed in horror.
"What the hell have you done?" the Doctor shouted at her.
"It wasn't me!" Cassandra shouted right back. The Doctor's hand automatically slid into hers, despite it not being Freya.
"One touch and you get every disease in the world, and I want that body safe, Cassandra. We've got to go down," he ordered, pulling her along after him.
"But there's thousands of them!" Cassandra protested in terror.
"Run! Down! Go down!" the Doctor shouted anyways. He pulled her into a staircase, still running. Cassandra wasn't running as fast though.
"How do you run with this added weight?" Cassandra complained in a huff under her breath.
"Keep going! Go down!" the Doctor shouted at her again.
Once they reached the basement, Cassandra tried to call a lift, but the Doctor shook his head.
"No, the lifts have closed down. That's the quarantine. Nothing's moving," the Doctor informed her. Cassandra huffed, pulling away from him.
"This way," she ordered, running ahead of him. Straight for where Freya had entered when she'd first came to the basement area. Chip got separated from them but Cassandra didn't seem to care. Freya bit back tears, choosing instead to make sure her baby was still calm. The running was upsetting him, panicking him.
"We're trapped! What am I going to do?" Cassandra fretted, her voice breaking through Freya's concentration.
"Well, for starters, you're going to leave that body. That psychograft is banned on every civilized planet. You're compressing Freya and my baby to death," the Doctor said coldly. Cassandra just scoffed at him.
"No. I'm not. They're still up there. Trust me. Threw a fit and nearly collapsed me when I suggested getting rid of the baby," Cassandra said. The Doctor's eyes flashed and he was on Cassandra in a heartbeat.
"You so much as think about hurting my baby and I will destroy you. Don't doubt that. Now get out," the Doctor threatened her, his voice low.
"But I've got nowhere to go. My original skin's dead," Cassandra protested.
"Not my problem. You can float as atoms in the air. Now get out. Give her back to me," the Doctor ordered, his hands shaking in anger around her arms.
"You asked for it," Cassandra said darkly. Freya was suddenly pulled away from the baby and into…control. She slipped to her knees at the movement, glancing up at the Doctor around her pounding headache.
But it wasn't the Doctor.
"Oh my. This is different," Cassandra murmured, staring down at the Doctor's body.
"Cassandra, get out of him," Freya ordered weakly.
"Goodness me, I'm a man! Yum. So many parts. And hardly used. Oh, oh, two hearts! Oh baby, I'm beating out a samba!" Cassandra cheered before running her hands up and down his body.
"He's slim. And a bit foxy" Cassandra purred. Freya stumbled to her feet, pulling Cassandra's hands from the Doctor's body.
"He's my husband. Stop fondling him," Freya ordered as the disease carriers burst into the room.
"What do we do? What would he do? The Doctor, what the hell would he do?" Cassandra asked Freya frantically. Freya scanned the room quickly before landing on the ladder in the corner of the room.
"Ladder. Go up. Hurry!" Freya commanded, pushing the Doctor's body towards the ladder before following Cassandra quickly. Freya knew that if the Doctor was in control, he'd make her go first. But Cassandra had no qualms with going first. Freya followed her quickly up the ladder.
"Help us! Please!" one of the disease carriers begged Freya. Freya paused on the ladder, glancing down at them.
"The Doctor just shouted at me that if you so much as touch one of them, you'll kill the baby," Cassandra complained from above her. Freya winced at the warning, because the Doctor knew her so well. She would try to touch them. He knew she would and fought Cassandra's mind just to get a message to her.
"If you leave his body, he can come up with a solution," Freya told Cassandra, not liking how close the people were getting. Cassandra rolled her eyes at Freya but Freya shook her head.
"Go back into me if you have to, just let him come up with an idea," Freya offered just as she felt something grab her ankle. Her eyes widened in horror and her heartbeat accelerated. She glanced down, relief flooding her as she saw it was the Matron, not one of the contaminated patients.
"All our good work. All that healing. The good name of the Sisterhood. You have destroyed everything," she accused.
"Go and play with a ball of string," Cassandra retorted flippantly.
"Everywhere, disease. This is the human world. Sickness!" the Matron tried explaining as she grabbed the rung. A diseased arm grasped the Matron's ankle and Freya was horrified to see the welts grow on the Matron's face before she lost her grip and fell.
Cassandra and Freya climbed faster. When they reached the doors, they wouldn't open. The voices just droned on about maximum quarantines.
"Now what do we do?" Cassandra asked, the Doctor's voice she was using going high in panic.
"Use the sonic screwdriver!" Freya shouted. The people were getting closer. Cassandra dug around in the Doctor's pockets, pulling out the screwdriver.
"You mean this thing?" she asked skeptically.
"Yes! That! No. Better yet. Go into me. He can get it open," Freya begged.
"Hold on then. Don't want you losing your grip," Cassandra muttered. Freya felt Cassandra shove her back down inside. It was almost painful, how sudden it was. But Freya was with her baby.
"Open it now!" Cassandra shouted up at the Doctor. But the Doctor only glared down at her.
"Not til you get out of her," he said darkly.
"We need the Doctor," Cassandra argued.
"I order you to leave her," the Doctor commanded, but Freya was protesting.
This will just cause problems. Tell him I said to open the door or me and his baby will die!
Cassandra winced and glanced up at the Doctor.
"She said that if you don't open the door, both her and your baby will die. So open it!" Cassandra ordered. The Doctor's jaw tightened but he turned to the door and sonicked it open. He made his way up and pulled Cassandra up as well, his grip almost too tight on her arm.
"Now get out of her!" the Doctor roared. Cassandra didn't even have a chance to retort before a woman lunged at them with a metal stand. The Doctor held up his and Cassandra's hands automatically.
"We're safe! We're safe! We're safe! We're clean! We're clean! Look! Look!" he repeated himself anxiously, automatically stepping in front of Freya's body.
"Show my your skin," the woman said, her eyes narrowing. Both the Doctor and Cassandra held out hands to her.
"Look. Clean. If we'd been touched, we'd be dead. So how's it going up here? What's the status?" the Doctor asked. Freya felt the baby shift and instantly tried to wrap herself around the child. The baby was getting restless, uncomfortable. All the sudden movement, the running, the anxiety was stressing him out. She mentally hummed to the baby, hoping it would sooth him.
Or her.
Probably him, if Martha was to be believed. And Martha probably knew best.
When she focused back on what was going on, she – Cassandra – was wrapped around the Doctor's body, clutching onto a metal cable and going down at an alarming pace. At the bottom, Freya felt her stomach turn.
"Well, that's one way to lose weight," Cassandra joked. The Doctor ignored her.
"Now listen. When I say so, take hold of that lever," the Doctor ordered her as he started pulling what looked like IV drip bags from his chest. Where had those come from?
"There's still a quarantine down there. We can't," Cassandra argued, but the Doctor obviously wasn't in a mood to listen to Cassandra any more.
"Hold that lever! I'm cooking up a cocktail. I know a bit about medicine myself," he bragged as he ripped the bags open and started pouring them into a little tank. When he'd finished, he stared at Cassandra.
"Now, that lever's going to resist. But keep it in position. Hold onto it with everything you've got," the Doctor ordered her.
"What about you?" Cassandra asked. Freya could detect the slightest undertone of worry in Cassandra's voice. And it wasn't even Freya.
"I've got an appointment. The Doctor is in," the Doctor said as he dropped himself into the lift. He aimed the sonic screwdriver at the door and it opened. Every seemed to turn to stare at him. And by everyone, Freya realized, it was only diseased people.
"I'm in here! Come on!" the Doctor shouted. The diseased people move to their feet and shambled towards them.
"Pull that lever!" the Doctor shouted. Cassandra pulled the lever down and the elevator started stage one disinfectant.
Freya watched in shock as the people touched the sopping Doctor and became better. It was miraculous to watch. She could feel her baby's happiness as an extension of her own happiness at watching these people, these people who no one had ever touched, get to touch one another.
It was perfect.
They were watching later as the police came and escorted the cat people away. Very few people were left alive, save the new humans, Freya noticed. The only people she'd seen so far were the people from Ward 26.
Until she saw the little girl. The little red-headed girl with the balloon and the bear the Doctor had bought her. She skipped right past Freya and the Doctor, the Doctor not even noticing her. And she got into the elevator alone.
"The Face of Boe!" the Doctor shouted, smacking his forehead. He ran over to the elevator, the other one, dragging Cassandra along behind him. As they entered into Ward 26, Freya noted that the Face of Boe was one of the last people there. He was there. And so was the little girl. She was sitting next to his cage, giggling with her hand pressed against the glass. The Doctor slowed down and eyed the two of them.
"You were supposed to be dying," he said wryly.
There are better things to do today. Dying can wait. The Face of Boe's voice filled Freya's mind, just as it had the first time she'd met him, back on the Observation Deck.
"Oh I hate telepathy. Just I want I need, a head full of big face," Cassandra complained. The Doctor shushed her quickly and Freya noted the look of alarm on the little girl's face.
I have grown tired with the universe, Doctor, but you have taught me to look at it anew.
The Doctor squatted by the Face of Boe's glass tank, watching him intently.
"There are legends, you know, saying that you're millions of years old," the Doctor told the Face of Boe. The little girl giggled at his words, trying to smother her laughter as she did.
There are? That would be impossible.
If it was possible for him to sound sarcastic, he was doing it.
"Wouldn't it just. I got the impression there was something you wanted to tell me," the Doctor hedged. The Face of Boe nodded in the water.
A great secret. He said this solemnly.
"So the legend says," the Doctor agreed.
It can wait.
"Oh, does it have to?" the Doctor complained.
We shall meet again, Doctor, Freya, for the third time, for the last time, and the truth shall be told. Until that day. And you? Be a good girl.
The last comment seemed to be directed towards the little girl as the Face of Boe beamed away.
"That is enigmatic. That, that is textbook enigmatic. And now for you. And you, missy, stay right there. We'll find your parents in a minute," the Doctor ordered the little girl. She grinned, as if there was some big secret she had that they didn't understand.
"But everything's happy. Everything's fine. Can't you just leave me?" Cassandra begged.
"You've lived long enough. Leave Freya's body and end it, Cassandra," the Doctor said coldly.
"I don't want to die," Cassandra cried, real tears streaming from Freya's eyes.
"No one does," the Doctor agreed firmly.
"Help me," Cassandra begged, but the Doctor didn't budge. His expression remained cool.
"I can't," the Doctor told her.
"Mistress!" a voice called out. Cassandra spun around to see Chip running their way.
"Oh, you're alive," Cassandra said, eyes wide.
"I kept myself safe for you, mistress," Chip preened. And Freya could sense Cassandra's mind turning at the new development.
"A body. And not just that, a volunteer," Cassandra mused. The Doctor didn't like the way her words were going.
"Don't you dare. He's got a life of his own," the Doctor said, quickly moving to try blocking Chip from Cassandra's view.
"But I worship the mistress. I welcome her," Chip begged.
"You can't, Cassandra, you…" he drifted off as Freya fell forward, Cassandra leaving her mind. The Doctor caught her without a second's hesitation. Freya was reluctant to leave her baby but knew she needed to take over her mind once more.
"You all right there? The baby fine?" the Doctor asked her worriedly. Freya nodded, smiling up at him.
"I spent the time she was there with the baby, keeping him calm. Bonding, I guess," Freya said with a wide smile.
"Oh sweet lord. I'm a walking doodle," Cassandra said from Chip's body.
"You can't stay in there. I'm sorry, Cassandra, but that's not fair. I can take you to the city. They can build you a skin tank and you can stand trial for what you've done," the Doctor told her sternly, but his voice was tinging with a bit of regret now.
"Well, that would be rather dramatic. Possibly my finest hour, and certainly my finest hat, but I'm afraid we don't have the time. Poor Chip is only a half-life, and he's been through so much. His heart is racing so. He's failing. I don't think he's going to last," Cassandra commented as she fell to her knees. Freya immediately sank to the ground next to her, trying to help her up.
"Are you all right?" the Doctor asked, but Cassandra shook her head.
"I'm fine. I'm dying, but that's fine," Cassandra said, almost absently.
"I can take you to the city," the Doctor offered, but Cassandra shook her head.
"No, you won't. Everything's new on this planet. There's no place for Chip and me anymore. You're right, Doctor. It's time to die, and that's good," Cassandra said sorrowfully.
"Come on. There's one last thing I can do," the Doctor offered, holding his hand out to her. Cassandra took it, but Freya shook her head when he offered her a hand as well.
"I'll stay here and find the girl's parents. You can come back for me in about five minutes time. Don't mess up the driving," Freya warned him. He gave her a wink and nodded.
"Be safe," he warned before taking off.
"I thought he'd never leave."
The voice came from behind a curtain.
River. She looked younger than the River Freya had met before though.
She smiled at Freya and pulled out a blue journal.
"Have we met by this time?" River asked, flipping through pages.
"Yes. I've met you once or twice before. But you were older," Freya hedged. River tucked the journal away at Freya's words and moved closer. Her eyes focused on Freya's stomach.
"How far along?" River asked. Freya's grin widened at River's words.
"A few months. You bought me boots and a bear and the tests before I'd even suspected I was pregnant. Hadn't even thought it possible," Freya said with a grin.
"Spoilers," River warned her with grin that mirrored her own. River then turned to the little girl.
"How was the Face of Boe?" River asked the little girl. Her grin widened and she opened her mouth but stopped. She glanced at Freya first then at River.
"Spoilers. I'll tell you later," she promised. River could only laugh.
"You have no idea how many children I've taught that word to," River told Freya with a grin.
"Is she your child?" Freya asked curiously. River's eyes danced at the words. She pulled the girl up and settled her on her hip, just as the man had done before when Freya had spotted them. Maybe that was her husband?
"Spoilers. That doesn't matter. Where'd you get the balloon and bear? And did you get vaccinated?" River asked the little girl seriously.
"The Doctor bought her the bear and balloon," Freya supplied. River laughed at that but didn't elaborate as to why it was funny.
"I did get the medicine. I don't like needles though," the little girl pouted, pulling up her sleeve. Sure enough, there was a bandaid there. River nodded.
"I know you don't, but we want to make sure you don't get sick," River told her before smiling at Freya.
"I've got to get going. We had to give her all vaccinations. Heard once that she'd get a disease and die. Wasn't gonna let that happen on our watch," River told her seriously. Freya smiled and nodded.
"I'll see you again soon, hopefully," Freya said. River gave her a wink.
"Oh beautiful, you're never gonna get rid of me," she warned.
Soooo? What do you think? If you don't know who the little girl is yet, come on! :D But don't worry. We'll be seeing her more. And River. And the mystery man. All the future people. :D I hope y'all are enjoying it. Thanks for all the reviews! I really appreciate them all! Keep them coming though! :)
Also, since I doubt I'll post another chapter before then, Happy Easter everyone! (Also, even if you think you got everything in this chapter, you didn't. This is one of those chapters you'll be able to come back to wayyyy later and be like WHAT?! So there's that warning. :) )
Andi