Sorry for the delays, but this is literally all I have written up. I'm working on it.
Chapter 24: The Impossible Planet Part 1
She woke up in terror. Blackness. Blackness all around her. She didn't know where she was.
Two arms wrapped themselves firmly around her, pulling her back against a warm body. She relaxed into the embrace. She was alive. She was with the Doctor. In the TARDIS. She was safe.
"Nightmare?" the Doctor asked her soothingly, but Freya could only shake her head.
"No. It was nothing," she whispered.
"You can tell me," the Doctor told her, but Freya shook her head once more.
"No. It was literally nothing. Surrounded by nothing. No time. No space. No concept of anything, no way to mark time. An eternity, surrounded by nothingness," Freya said with a shudder. The Doctor started rubbing her back carefully.
"It's okay. You're safe now," he reassured her, but Freya didn't feel all that safe.
After all, she'd disappeared straight from the Doctor's arms before.
The Doctor's movements slowed as that thought ran through her head. As if he could sense her doubt, her worry.
"How's the baby?" the Doctor asked her, trying to change the subject. Freya pressed a hand lightly against her stomach and shook her head.
"He's antsy. He…I think he could sense. The time, I mean. The time I was separated from him. He's in my mind now. Actively. Like, he won't leave the main area. He's seeing what I'm seeing, hearing what I'm hearing, everything. Like he's scared if he goes to where he has been before he'll lose me," Freya whispered. The Doctor's grip on her tightened slightly.
"He's scared. Time Lords, we're used to having people inside our minds, hearing them. It's so empty, my head is. He's only starting out and he already has that sense ingrained into him, that desire for others to be there with him. He's had you, this whole time, and me whenever you're sleeping with me or when I enter your mind. He had no one for a while. Just strapped in a body. Like you were trapped in a vat," the Doctor explained to her gently.
"It won't hurt him to be there?" Freya asked in concern. The Doctor shook his head.
"Nah. It'll probably help him develop cognitively. He'll come out of the womb with the mentality of an eighteen month old but the speech functions of a newborn. He'll be frustrating to be around, those first few months, but it won't be too big of a deal," the Doctor said dismissively.
"Are there things we shouldn't say? So they don't leave a bad impression on him?" Freya asked. The Doctor's eyebrows furrowed before his lips formed a pout.
"He can stand to see some mature things," the Doctor tried arguing, but Freya shook her head immediately.
"No. He can't. He doesn't need to see anything like that," Freya told the Doctor. The Doctor pouted again but Freya shook her head.
"So no sex? Until he's born?" the Doctor asked, his voice small. Freya stared at him with wide eyes. His own eyes went wide.
"Not that that's the only reason I like you. Cause I don't. I like for lots of reasons. Not just sex. Never just sex. But I like sex. I like it a lot," the Doctor said, tugging on his ear nervously.
"I don't want him coming out of the womb with that sort of knowledge," Freya told the Doctor, tugging on her own ear in turn. The Doctor seemed disappointed but nodded.
"I guess it would be for the better. We don't need another Jack on our hands," the Doctor said slowly.
"Remember that. If we do have sex, our baby'll have all that knowledge. At birth. He'd be like Jack's best friend," Freya said. The Doctor shook his head.
"I hope he isn't best friends with Jack. That's not the sort of friendship I want our son to have," the Doctor said firmly. Freya glanced over at the dresser, noting her stuff exactly as it had been when she'd went to sleep before…before everything happened.
"My stuff. It's here. How did you….how did you not notice me?" Freya asked quietly.
"I did notice you not here!" the Doctor exclaimed, but Freya shook her head.
"I was there. I was in there for a long time. I…I don't know how long, but it was a long time. It took you way too long. You didn't notice I was gone," Freya said, her voice quietly.
"Your stuff was gone. All of it. It was as if you never existed," the Doctor explained equally quiet.
"How is it back then?" Freya asked.
"When we managed to get you out of the vat and into your body, it rewrote history to add you back in wherever it had erased you," the Doctor explained.
"And it didn't miss anything? Everyone remembers me again?" Freya asked him. The Doctor nodded.
"Everyone. Don't worry," the Doctor told her, holding her close.
"Where's Rose?" Freya asked suddenly, remembering the girl.
"I took her home as soon as you fell asleep. Figured we needed some time to ourselves," the Doctor told her.
"So an adventure?" Freya asked. The Doctor's grin returned.
"Yes! I'll meet you in the console room when you're ready?" he asked her, and Freya nodded.
She made her way through her shower mechanically. Trying to sift through her thoughts. She could still hear the voices a bit. All those voices, eating away at her consciousness. But she was alive. She knew that. She could feel the warmth of the water on her back. The rough texture of the floor. The sting of shampoo in her eyes. She was alive. And she knew where she was.
And the baby was right there, taking everything in.
Freya knew he couldn't really communicate with her, but it was times like this that she wished he could. Because when he was there, she didn't feel alone.
When she stepped out of the shower, she was struck with an idea.
He could communicate with her, just not right now. Not in this form. But his future self could. If she could convince the Doctor to visit their son, in the future, she'd be able to talk to him. Make sure he's alright, that she didn't do anything wrong.
She all but skipped to the wardrobe, throwing on the first clothes she could as she scurried to the console room. As soon as she entered, she opened her mouth, knowing the Doctor would start talking the moment he saw her.
"Doctor, can I pick our next trip?" she asked, the words rushing out. The Doctor banged his head on the grate before quickly climbing out from the interior of the TARDIS.
"Sure! What brought this on?" he asked her curiously.
"I want to see my baby grown up," Freya told him.
Only to watch his smile drop.
"We can't do that," he said gently. And Freya's own smile faded.
"Why not? We can see all of time and space, but I can't make sure my baby is okay?" Freya bit out before she realized what she was saying.
"No. Because your baby is okay. Right here, right now, he's okay. We can't see him in the future because that would be a major spoiler. We have to see him as he grows up, not taking any shortcuts," the Doctor told her.
"But I won't get to see him grown up. Can't I see him at least once, before I have to die?" Freya pleaded. The Doctor stared at her. She could see the conflict in his eyes.
"Yes. I will make sure you can see him before you die. But not now. Later. Closer to the end," the Doctor promised. Freya felt the tears forming in her eyes.
"But Doctor….that doesn't mean anything. I…I could die on our next trip," Freya whispered. The Doctor gripped her arms tightly.
"You aren't going to die. You're going to be fine. And you'll live until your body gives out," the Doctor promised her before letting go of her with one hand and pulling a lever. The TARDIS took off as the Doctor wrapped his arms around Freya.
"Do you feel okay? Is the baby settled?" the Doctor asked her, searching her eyes.
"He feels fine. Kinda…bored," Freya said, realizing it was true as she said it. It was as if the baby was as excited for adventure as the Doctor was. Of course he would be.
"Come on. Let's go on a trip," the Doctor said, flipping a switch. As soon as it stopped, he was at the door. Freya followed him slowly, trying to ignore the feeling of unease that surrounded her. Her wrist was weighing her down. She glanced down…to see two full charm bracelets.
And the uneasiness grew.
"I don't know what's wrong with her. She's sort of queasy. Indigestion, like she didn't want to land," the Doctor was saying as Freya stepped out of the TARDIS.
"Doctor, I don't like this. I don't like it here," Freya said quietly.
"We're in a cupboard. I'll take a peak outside. If you wanna go back in the TARDIS, I'll be there in a minute," the Doctor told her before stealing a quick kiss and sonicking the door. As soon as the Doctor left the room, Freya tried opening the TARDIS.
But it wouldn't open.
You don't want to go where I'm going.
Freya jumped at the words that wafted through her mind. What did that mean? Where was the TARDIS going? Freya's uneasiness magnified and she turned for the door. She made her way out of the cupboard.
"Doctor, something's wrong," Freya called.
"It's some sort of base. Moon base, sea base, space base. They build these things out of kits," the Doctor rambled as Freya made her way over to him. She gripped his arm tightly as he approached the next door. An automated computer voice said they were opening door 16.
"Human design. You've got a thing about kits. This place was put together like a flat pack wardrobe, only bigger. And easier. I thought you were going to the TARDIS? Couldn't help exploring, could ya?" the Doctor asked her with a grin.
"She wouldn't let me in," Freya corrected him as they made their way towards another door.
"Oh, it's a sanctuary base!" the Doctor said as they stepped inside.
"What's a sanctuary base?" Freya asked.
"What do you mean, the TARDIS wouldn't open?" the Doctor interrupted her, eyes narrowing.
"Sanctuary base?" Freya questioned once more.
"Deep Space exploration. We're way out. And someone's drilling," the Doctor observed.
"Welcome to hell," Freya read from the wall, eyes widening. Her free hand drifted to her stomach automatically.
"It's not that bad," the Doctor protested, but Freya shook her head, pointing at the wall.
"Over there," Freya murmured. The Doctor spun and his eyes widened. He moved towards the wall, pulling Freya along with him.
"Hold on, what does that say? That's weird. It won't translate," the Doctor murmured.
"Is something wrong with the TARDIS?" Freya asked worriedly, instantly trying to pull away from the Doctor and rush back to the TARDIS. His grip was too tight though.
"No. She's fine. The writing though. It's very old. Impossibly old. We should find out who's in charge," the Doctor said.
And then his eyes narrowed on her wrist.
"Your bracelet. There's two," the Doctor said. Freya nodded, biting her lip.
"Something's wrong here," Freya told him. He nodded, hurrying for the door. He started to turn the wheel, eyes continuously darting back to her wrist.
"We've gone beyond the reach of the TARDIS's knowledge. Not a good move. And she's worried about you. And if someone's lucky enough," he started to say as the door opened.
To reveal aliens. They had tentacles coming out of where their noses and mouths should be. They were carrying some odd globe connected to them.
"Right, hello! Sorry. I was just saying, er, nice base," the Doctor said, pulling Freya immediately behind him.
"We must feed," the creatures droned.
"You've got to what?" the Doctor asked in disbelief. Freya felt a niggling in her mind. The baby. He was reaching out.
"We must feed," the creatures repeated, moving closer.
"Baby wants something," Freya said quickly as the aliens continued moving closer, repeating their mantra of needing to feed.
"Not the time," the Doctor said, grabbing something that Freya couldn't catch sight of. Freya glanced down at her wrist to see a charm dissipate, drifting towards her head.
And she could hear the creatures in her head.
"Doctor. They aren't trying to hurt us," Freya told him. The creature hit its globe and then it blinked.
"You, if you are hungry," the creature corrected.
"How did you know that?" the Doctor asked, turning to look at her quickly.
"The charm did it. I think it had to do with the baby," Freya said.
"The baby was using his telepathy to connect to the creatures," the Doctor said.
"He can do that? Why didn't you?" Freya asked curiously.
"Baby's telepathic abilities are stronger as their brains develop. He musta sensed it and wanted you to know what was happening. Because he was in the front of your mind, he could sense what was going on and the TARDIS charm made him able to communicate it to you at that moment," the Doctor explained.
"We apologize. Electromagnetics have interfered with speech systems. Would you like some refreshment?" the creature asked. The Doctor glanced between Freya and the creatures as the door opened and a man entered.
"What the hell? How did…" the man drifted off, staring at them. He pushed a button on a wrist-watch like thing and raised it to his mouth.
"Captain, you're not going to believe this. We've got people. Out of nowhere. I mean, real people. I mean two living people just standing here right in front of me," the man said in disbelief.
"Don't be stupid. That's impossible," a voice retorted.
"Your favorite word," Freya said teasingly.
"I suggest you tell them that," the man responded evenly.
"Where are we that it seems so odd to have visitors?" Freya asked the man.
"You're telling me you don't know where you are?" the man asked, lowering his wrist as he regarded them with even more disbelief.
"No idea. More fun that way," the Doctor said with a grin, but his grip on Freya tightened.
"Stand by, everyone. Buckle down. We have incoming. And it's a big one. Quake point five on its way," a female voice called out. The man opened a door and held it open for them.
"Through here, now. Quickly, come on! Move!" he ordered. The ceiling started to shake as the Doctor pulled Freya along behind him, following the man closely.
"Move it! Come on! Keep moving! Come on! Quickly! Move it!" the man urged as they entered a room full of other people. Control Room? That's what Freya assumed, anyway. The man sitting in what appeared to be the captain's chair stared at them in shock.
"Oh my god. You meant it," he breathed. The man from the speaker.
"People! Look at that, real people!" a girl breathed, eyes wide. Freya recognized her voice from the speaker earlier as well.
"That's us. Hooray!" the Doctor cheered, eyes darting about quickly.
"We're definitely real," Freya said slowly.
"I'm the Doctor, and this is my wife Freya," the Doctor said cheerfully.
"Come on; the oxygen must be offline. We're hallucinating. They can't be. No, they're real," another man said in disbelief.
"Come on! We're in the middle of an alert! Danny, strap up. The quake's coming in! Impact in thirty seconds. Sorry you two, whoever you are. Just hold on, tight," the captain said. The Doctor immediately dragged Freya into a sitting position and wrapped his arms tightly around her, gripping the railing as well.
"Ood, are we fixed?" Zack asked the alien creatures. Ood. Huh.
"Your kindness in this emergency is much appreciated," the Ood said. Freya frowned at that. They were…much too nice. Something was wrong with them.
"What's this planet called, anyway?" the Doctor asked, his grip not loosening on Freya.
"Now, don't be stupid. It hasn't got a name. How could it have a name? You really don't know, do you?" the woman said in disbelief.
"And impact!" the captain shouted as the entire place began to shake. After a few seconds, it stopped. The Doctor's grip on Freya loosened and he started to pull away. But that wasn't it. They made it sound really bad. There had to be more coming.
"Oh, well, that wasn't so bad," the Doctor said as it started shaking once more. He dove at Freya as she got flung away from the railing. His grip on her tightened as the control panel burst into flames.
"Okay, that's it. Everyone all right? Speak to me," the captain said, calling out names.
Freya felt nauseous.
The Doctor took one look at her and dashed to the side, bringing back an empty bucket. Freya wasted no time in vomiting into it, the Doctor's cool hands holding her hand back.
"She okay?" the captain asked momentarily, glancing at them.
"She'll be fine," the Doctor waved it off. The captain glanced at the screen and sighed.
"The surface caved in. I deflected it onto storage five through eight. We've lost them completely. Toby, go and check the rocket link," the captain ordered.
"That's not my department," a man retorted, irritated, but the captain waved it off.
"Just do was I say, yeah?" the captain ordered. Toby left, grumbling angrily the entire way.
"Oxygen holding. Internal gravity fifty-six point six. We should be okay," one o the women said.
"What's going on? I thought it was an earthquake…that sounds like a hurricane," Freya asked quietly before heaving once more.
"You'd need an atmosphere for a hurricane. There's no air out there. It's a complete vacuum," a woman told Freya.
Freya finally managed to lean away from the bucket and glance back at them.
"Then what's shaking the roof?" Freya asked. The Doctor handed her a toothbrush and mouthwash, which she gladly accepted.
"You're not joking. You really don't know. Well, introductions. FYI, as they said in the olden days, I'm Ida Scott, science officer. Zachary Cross Flane, acting Captain, sir. You've met Mister Jefferson, he's Head of Security. Danny Bartock, Ethics committee," the woman introduced.
"Not as boring as it sounds," Danny offered with a grin at Freya.
"And that man who just left, that was Toby Zed, Archaeology, and this is Scooti Manista, Trainee maintenance. And this? This is home," Ida finished as she pulled down a lever.
"Brace yourselves. The sight of it sends some people mad," Zach, the captain – no, acting captain, warned.
The shutters above opened to reveal what Freya always pictured a black hole looked like.
"But that's impossible," the Doctor said, standing up abruptly.
"I did warn you," Zach said.
"We're standing under a black hole," the Doctor repeated.
"In orbit," Ida added.
"But we can't be," the Doctor argued.
"You can see for yourself. We're in orbit," Ida told him, as if she were speaking to a child.
"But we can't be," the Doctor repeated. Freya shakily stood and put her hand on his shoulder.
"Impossible doesn't exist with you, remember?" Freya asked him. He glanced at her, mouth still open, before glancing back out at the black hole.
"This lump of rock is suspended in perpetual geostationary orbit around that black hole without falling in," Ida explained.
"That can't be good," Freya observed carefully.
"Not good doesn't cover it. A black hole's a dead star. It collapses in on itself, in and in and in until the matter's so dense and tight it starts to pull everything else in too. Nothing in the universe can escape it. Light, gravity, time. Everything just gets pulled inside and crushed," the Doctor said, staring up in disbelief.
"So there's no way we should be in orbit," Freya said slowly, hoping she'd understood him enough to say the right thing. The Doctor nodded.
"We should be dead," he said.
"And yet here we are, beyond the laws of physics. Welcome on board," Ida said once more.
"What's out there, making all the noise? Since it isn't anything in the atmosphere," Freya asked curiously.
"Stars breaking up. Gas clouds. We have whole solar systems being ripped apart above our heads, before falling into that thing," Ida explained. The Doctor started flitting around the controls. Freya stood back, wrapping an arm loosely around her stomach.
"A refreshment?" the creature next to her, the Ood, asked her. Freya started to take it but stopped.
"I don't know what it is. I'm pregnant. I don't want to hurt my baby," Freya told him. The Ood regarded her for a minute before retracting the drink and pulling out another drink.
"This will help provide mental stimulus to the fetus," the Ood offered. Freya took the drink, staring at it for a moment before glancing up at the Doctor.
"Doctor, I feel a bit off. Can I go lay down in the TARDIS for a bit?" Freya asked him. The Doctor glanced up immediately, glasses perched on his nose.
"Are you alright? Do you want me to walk you there?" he asked her instantly. Freya shook her head.
"I think my new friend here can. Can you?" Freya asked the Ood.
"They're not friends. They're the Ood," Danny said. Freya shook her head.
"I like him. He's nice. He's my new friend. We'll be fine," Freya said. The Doctor nodded and Freya walked out of the room, Ood walking alongside her.
"What did he mean, you're not friends, you're the Ood?" Freya asked the Ood as they made their way down the corridor.
"We are a species called the Ood. We are here to serve," the Ood told her.
"Do you have a name? Outside of Ood?" Freya asked him. The Ood regarded her oddly.
"We are all one," he told her.
"Why do you serve? Are they making you?" Freya asked him, alarmed. She glanced at her wrist to see another charm dissolve.
The circle must be broken.
"What circle?" Freya asked the Ood. The Ood continued walking alongside her.
"The circle," the Ood said simply.
"I'll find the circle for you. I'll find it and break it," Freya promised as they reached the door right outside where the TARDIS should be.
"FREYA!" the Doctor shouted from down the hall. Freya stopped and spun around as the Doctor collided with her. Arms wrapped firmly around her, he pressed her against the wall.
"Doctor?" Freya asked, confused.
And the Doctor stiffened.
"The TARDIS. It's gone," he said, his voice sounding funny. Freya pushed him back gently and turned around, peeking out of the tiny window he'd been looking out.
There was nothing there.
The Doctor's arms were around her tightly once more.
"You were going to stay there. In the TARDIS. And I would have lost you both," the Doctor murmured.
Instead of letting her go, the Doctor scooped her up into his arms and carried her back to the control room, his grip almost bruising, as the Ood trailed along behind them. The Doctor entered, his grip tightening on her even more.
"The ground gave way. My TARDIS must've fallen down right into the heart of the planet. But you've got robot drills heading that same way," the Doctor said.
"We can't divert the drilling," Zach said apologetically.
"But I need my ship. It's all I've got, outside of Freya. We need that ship," the Doctor said desperately.
"No diversions, no distractions, no exceptions. Your machine is lost. All I can do is offer you a lit I we ever get to leave this place, and that is the end of it," Zach said firmly.
And a thought flickered through Freya's head.
"Doctor, what about the baby?" Freya asked him anxiously.
The room fell silent.
"Baby?" Zach asked in shock, and almost horror.
"There's a baby down there?" Scooti asked, equally horrified. Freya swallowed and shook her head.
"No. But I'm pregnant. We need the TARDIS. We need the right medical supplies to keep my baby alive," Freya said, feeling panic rise inside her.
"Calm down. Baby there, remember?" Doctor asked her quietly. Freya sucked in a few slower, deep breaths.
"We have medical supplies here. We've only got the resources to drill one central shaft down to the power source, and that's it. No diversions, no distractions, no exceptions. Your machine is lost. I can offer you a life if we ever get to leave this place, and we can help deliver the baby, but that is it," the captain said firmly.
"I'll, er, put you on the duty roster. We need someone in the laundry," Ida said awkwardly, walking away. The others left them alone. The Doctor's arms wrapped themselves around Freya tightly, pulling her in to him.
"I've trapped you here," he murmured sadly.
"No. You've trapped us here. But it's us. Together," Freya told him. And as long as they were together, nothing else mattered to Freya. After a few minutes, the Doctor lifted Freya and gently wrapped her legs around his waist and made his way out of the room, Freya's head still tucked into his chest. She wrapped her own arms around him.
His mind slipped into hers as they walked. Just resting there, just like the baby. He was needing the comfort.
"And I don't understand how you don't need the comfort," the Doctor murmured. Freya could hear his voice both in her head and through his chest.
"I'm with you. And the baby's safe. We're safe. That's all that matters to me. At least now you won't leave me behind," Freya murmured.
"I wouldn't have left you behind. Not to you. You'd have spent every moment of your life with me, a version of me. I'd always be there with you, but I'd never be able to waste any of my precious time with you," the Doctor told her adamantly.
"Do you waste time with me now?" Freya asked him, almost dreading that answer.
"Yes. I have to sleep. When I sleep, I can't actively be paying attention to you," the Doctor told her.
"But I have to sleep too," Freya pointed out.
"I can still hold you and watch you," the Doctor told her.
"That's…a bit unsettling," Freya said slowly.
"Where are we going?" Freya asked him when he continued walking in their silence.
"Habitation 3. I wanna get a better look at that writing," the Doctor explained.
The door slid open and Freya felt the Doctor detangling her from his limbs, gently sitting her down in a seat. She stared up at him for a moment before he gave her a smile and a kiss on the forehead, whipping his glasses out of his pocket and perching them on his face as he did. With one last wink, he bound off towards the odd writing.
"Bit off, that one," a voice said. Freya turned to see Scooti sitting there, grinning at her.
"Just a bit," Freya agreed.
"Still….he's rather fit," Scooti said, eyes on him.
"Yeah. My husband is," Freya corrected her. Scooti nodded, eyes wide.
"Yeah. I…I figured. Since you mentioned a baby. Don't see many men around here. Besides Toby," Scooti said, rolling her eyes. Freya joined in with her laughter.
"Hungry? My mum was always hungry when she was pregnant with my younger brother," Scooti mentioned. Freya nodded slightly. She hadn't really ate anything before they'd come out of the TARDIS. Even if she had no idea what sort of food was being offered here, she knew she needed to eat.
Scooti held out a hand, clearly offering to help her up.
"I'm not helpless," Freya grumbled, but there was a smile on her face as she did. Scooti grinned as well.
"I have no doubt in my mind that you can handle yourself. It's that fit husband of yours I'm worried about. He seems like the type to fly off the handle if you try getting up without help," Scootie said with a wink.
"You're not too far off there," Freya admitted, taking Scooti's hand.
Scooti pulled her over to what looked like a serving line from a cafeteria. Freya must've been pretty distracted before if she hadn't noticed that. Because she hadn't.
"You're welcome to try anything. Just don't try the green. Or the blue," Scooti told her, sticking out her tongue at the thought.
"Is everything healthy for me to eat, being pregnant?" Freya asked, biting her lip.
"Of course. Ask the Ood if you're not sure," Scooti told handing her a tray.
"I'll be right back. I think we have some sort of multivitamins in the med bay that would be beneficial for you. I'll nip out and get them," Scooti told her with a smile before making her way out of the area.
Freya moved towards the line, a feeling of bile rising in her throat when she saw the Ood. They all looked the same. There were a few of them in what Freya assumed was the kitchen, waiting patiently for someone, anyone, to come get food. Was that all they did? Wait to serve? What sort of life was that?
Freya sat her tray down, staring at the first Ood in the line.
"Why do you do this? Why do you just wait to serve people? You can't possibly like this," Freya said softly, reaching over the counter to touch the Ood's shoulder.
"I do not understand," the Ood said, tilting its head at her.
"I mean, what do you want to do? I can't imagine you want to wait around, serving food," Freya said.
"We are happy to serve," the Ood said, as if that was all that mattered.
"But they treat you like slaves! You can't be happy with that!" Freya protested.
When the Ood made no move to protest, Freya shook her head.
"One of you…my friend, that Ood…he mentioned something. Something about a circle. A circle that needed to be broken. Does that mean anything to you? What circle do I have to break?" Freya asked.
"Is there anything you want to eat?" the Ood asked her politely. Freya's shoulders sagged. She wanted to help – she wanted to help so bad – but he wouldn't let her.
"What's safe for me? I'm pregnant," Freya supplied.
"Everything is safe. Your son is healthy," the Ood supplied. Freya was taken aback.
"Yeah. I'm sure he'll be healthy," Freya said, her hand drifting over her stomach.
"No. Your son is healthy," the Ood corrected.
"I…thank you," Freya said carefully. The Ood held out a hand for her tray and Freya dutifully handed it over, watching as the Ood plopped a scoop of green stuff on her tray. He then passed it on to the next Ood.
The next Ood plopped the blue stuff onto her tray.
"Would you like sauce with that?" the Ood asked her.
"Sure. Are you happy?" Freya asked the Ood, watching him.
"I do not understand," he said.
"Are you happy? Being ordered around like some slave," Freya said, feeling extremely frustrated.
"The Beast and his Armies shall rise from the Pit to make war against God," the Ood told her. Freya's eyes widened and she quickly held her arm close to her head, hoping the bracelet would dissolve a charm, allow her to hear what the Ood meant.
Half a charm dissolved and Freya was overcome with a feeling of confusion, disorientation, and a fight for control. Her eyes widened.
"Are you alright?" Freya asked worriedly. The Ood tapped its ball and the ball lit up again.
"Apologies. I said, I hope you enjoy your meal," the Ood corrected. Freya nodded apprehensively, taking her tray from him and quickly making her way to the seat.
Something bad was happening.
Freya sat down and poked at the odd food before carefully scooping some of it into her mouth. The baby hummed in discontentness, but whether it was at the taste of the food or the lack of excitement, Freya wasn't sure.
"How's the food?"
Freya glanced up to see the Doctor sinking into the seat next to hers.
"I'm not throwing it up yet," Freya told him, taking a second bite. The Doctor winced at the sight of it.
"Might as well get used to it. Until we get the TARDIS, this is as good as it's gonna get," Freya told him with a grin. But the Doctor didn't grin back.
"I don't know if we will get the TARDIS back," the Doctor told her mournfully.
"Of course we'll get the TARDIS back. We always get the TARDIS back," Freya told him, sure of it. He didn't seem to share her sentiment.
"I don't have a plan. God, I haven't the slightest as to what we can do. And I don't know if they have the right equipment here to monitor the pregnancy," the Doctor fretted.
"It's fine. We won't be running a lot. That means there shouldn't be very many risks to the baby. We'll be nice and calm and the baby will be fine," Freya told the Doctor, hoping she sounded soothing enough. The baby reached out with his mind, towards the Doctor, and Freya leaned closer to him, pressing her forehead against him. The contact was all the baby needed to fully connect.
Freya found herself being tugged along. It was different, so different, being in the Doctor's mind with her baby rather than having him being in her mind. It felt so warm, so intimate. And with the baby right there, in between them, they felt like a warm, happy, blissful family.
Nothing else mattered.
The Doctor slowly pulled back, opening his eyes. Freya opened her eyes as well, shocked to see tears in the corner of his eyes.
"My head hasn't felt that full since the Time War," he said, pulling her close to him.
"I guess this means we're going to have to have family time more often," Freya said with a quiet laugh.
"Yes. The baby needs it," the Doctor agreed happily.
"I meant for you," Freya clarified, still smiling at him.
The lights above them flickered, drawing their attention.
"Zach? Have we got a problem?" Ida asked on her intercom device.
"No more than usual. Got the Scarlet System burning up. Might be worth a look," Zach's voice echoed back to them. Ida made her way to a lever and made eye contact with Freya and the Doctor.
"You might want to see this. Moment in history," she said, flipping the switch. The shutters above opened.
It was beautiful. Breathtaking. Freya's grip on the Doctor dropped and she managed to stand, eyes glued to the stars above. The stardust, being sucked away into the black hole above them.
It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.
"There. On the edge. That red cloud. That used to be the Scarlet System. Home to the Peluchi, a mighty civilization spanning a billion years, disappearing forever. Their planets and suns consumed. Ladies and gentlemen, we have witnessed its passing," Ida said solemnly, reaching for the lever once more.
"Could you leave it open? Please? Just for a bit. I won't go mad, I promise," the Doctor begged.
"What about your wife?" Ida questioned him. Freya felt the Doctor grip her shoulders gently.
"We'll be fine," the Doctor promised.
"Scooti, check the lockdown. Jefferson, sign off the airlock seals for me," Ida commanded, moving away.
"I've watched my planet burn, and now entire galaxies being devoured by a black hole," Freya whispered in awe as the doors closed.
"Yes you have. Long way from home, you are," the Doctor murmured.
"Wouldn't be the first time. We'll be fine," Freya said, eyes scanning the skies for any detail to absorb. The Doctor pulled her chin down so she was looking at him, a serious expression on his face.
"Freya, we don't have the TARDIS. We don't have a way to get back. We're stuck here. The best we can do is go back to wherever this lot came from when they leave," the Doctor told her.
"Is there any way to build another TARDIS?" Freya questioned, although she felt that information was false. It didn't seem possible to build a creature as magnificent as the TARDIS.
"TARDISes aren't built, they're grown. Remember?" the Doctor reminded her. Freya nodded slowly before her eyes widened.
"But what about our baby? Will he have to travel with us forever or can we grow him a TARDIS?" Freya asked worriedly.
"You don't understand. We don't have a TARDIS to grow another from," the Doctor said, frustrated.
"We will. She's fine. She told me I wouldn't want to go where she's going. She didn't mention dying," Freya said.
"I don't understand why she'll talk to you and not me," the Doctor grumbled at that before his eyes widened.
"Wait – you don't want our son to travel with us?" he asked, eyes wide.
"Of course I do. But he's gonna be a mini you. He won't wanna stay with his father for a couple hundred years. That'll cramp his style. How's he supposed to find a wife like that?" Freya asked, hand drifting down to her stomach.
"He's not even out of the womb and you're already discussing his future marriage?" the Doctor asked in disbelief.
"I like thinking ahead," Freya said with a sniff. The Doctor stared at her for a moment before his lips twisted into a wide grin, one that made even his eyes sparkle. He pulled her close instantly, capturing her lips with his own, foreheads pressed together.
"You're…absolutely…fantastic," he whispered in between kisses.
In the middle of their kisses, a phone started ringing. Freya pulled back, frowning at her phone that she hadn't remembered putting in her pocket. The TARDIS must've moved it. Again.
She sighed and flipped it open.
"He is awake."
The voice was so dark, so terrifying, that Freya flung it across the room in horror. The Doctor was on his feet in an instant, dashing across the room to grab the phone. He plucked his glasses from his pocket and perched them on his nose, examining the phone.
"What's wrong?" the Doctor asked her.
"It said, 'He is awake,'. It didn't sound…human," Freya admitted with a gulp.
"Funny. It says no signal now," the Doctor said, sonicking it quickly.
"The Ood said something funny at dinner too. And they seemed really uneasy," Freya remembered.
"Right! Let's go check on the Ood. Maybe that'll tell us what's going on!" the Doctor said, leaping to his feet and bounding over to her.
Sorry I wasn't able to finish the entire episode here. It's shorter because of that. I would have but I just couldn't find the inspiration to write much this week. This chapter has almost taken me three weeks to write. Please leave some reviews for inspiration! I want to write more chapters faster, but I need your guys' help for that!
Andi