Here it is, the final chapter. Please read the author's note at the end. It's VERY important!
Disclaimer: (that I haven't bothered adding the entire time) Guess what? I'm not really Moffat, or any part of BBC. So I really don't own Doctor Who. I know that's a big disappointment to everyone. :D
Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 30: Doomsday
The Daleks continued to shout their battle cry as they began spanning across the room.
"Daleks! You're called Daleks," Freya shouted before she lost her courage. Otherwise they would kill them all on the spot. All of the Daleks silenced themselves at her words and their eyestalks swiveled towards her.
"Step aside," the Daleks ordered Mickey and James. Freya felt herself shaking but pushed through to stand in between then, still holding tightly onto them.
"I know your name. I know all about you, about the Time War, about it all. If you want to know how I know, you'd bettered keep us alive. All of us. That's all I want. For you to keep us alive," Freya begged, trying to keep her voice as strong as she could.
"Yeah. Daleks. Time War. Me too," Mickey said, face blank.
"I do too," James bluffed, and Rajesh nodded quickly.
"Me too," he lied eagerly. The Dalek eyestalks examined them all carefully before focusing on Freya.
"You will be necessary. What is the status of the Genesis Ark?" the Dalek asked, gliding away from them.
"Status, hibernation," they said as they rolled a device out. It reminded Freya of a Dalek without the top portion or the weapon. She didn't like it.
"Commence awakening. The Genesis Ark must be protected above all else," the Dalek ordered.
"I thought you said all the Daleks were dead," Mickey hissed in horror. Freya shook her head.
"I thought they were. I killed them all. I don't know how they got here. Any idea what a Genesis Ark is?" Freya asked them. Neither man responded.
The black Dalek, the one that seemed to be the leader, spun around to face them.
"Which of you is least important?" it asked.
"Each of us is important," Freya responded firmly, although her hands were still shaking severely.
"Which of you is least important?" the Dalek repeated. Freya didn't like the sound of that. What did that mean? Were they going to kill one of them? Why?
"We are all important," James said for her, his own voice much firmer than Freya's could be.
"Report! This human resembles the Doctor," one of the Daleks behind the leader screeched.
Freya threw herself in front of him, eyes wide.
"No! He's not the Doctor. Scan him. Only one heart. He's just a lookalike," Freya said immediately, slowly stepping to the side. The Daleks all seemed to stare at him for a moment before focusing on her.
"Scan reveals female is the Mother, companion of the Doctor," the Dalek reported.
"The Mother?" Freya asked in confusion.
"They gave you a name, like the Doctor has a name. Is that important?" Mickey asked worriedly.
"How am I the Mother?" Freya asked them in confusion.
"Records say you are the Mother," the Dalek said.
"But I'm not a Time Lord. Why did you give me a name like them?" Freya asked.
"The question is irrelevant! Designate the least important!" the Dalek screeched at her.
"This is my responsibility," Rajesh said.
"No, you don't. You have no idea what they'll do to you," Freya protested, grabbing his lab coat. Rajesh shrugged her hand off before turning to the Daleks.
"I, er, I represent the Torchwood Institute. Anything you need, you come through me. Leave these three alone," Rajesh said firmly.
"You will kneel," the Dalek said.
"What for?" Rajesh asked them.
"Kneel!" the Dalek shouted at him. Rajesh very nearly fell to his knees.
"The Daleks need information about current Earth history," the Dalek said.
"Yeah, well, I can give you a certain amount of intelligence but nothing that will compromise Homeland security," Rajesh said.
"Speech is not necessary. We will extract brainwaves," the Dalek said as the Daleks extend their plunger-like extensions towards Rajesh until they covered his face.
"Don't! I'll tell you everything you need. No. No!" Rajesh shouted before screaming in horror. Freya's stomach turned and she fell forward, retching at the sight.
"Keep your gun on them," James voice hit Freya's ears as he held her hair back, holding her carefully as she shook.
"Watch where you place your hands, mate, or the Doctor'll kill you," Mickey warned him. Freya was slowly able to sit back up and James moved her away from her sick. Mickey moved back with them as Rajesh's body fell into the pile. Freya bit back the urge to vomit once more at the sight.
"His mind spoke of a second species invading Earth infected by the superstition of ghosts," the Dalek reported.
"You didn't need to kill him," Freya said shakily.
"Dalek Thay, investigate outside," the lead Dalek ordered. Freya's eyes widened. Names? But they didn't have names.
"I obey," Dalek Thay said before gliding out.
"You have names. Daleks don't have names," Freya said, feeling unsure.
"We are the Cult of Skaro. Only we have names," the Dalek said.
"What are your names, then?" Freya asked. James's grip on her tightened, but the Dalek ignored her.
"Establish visual contact. Lower communications barrier," the Dalek ordered as a view screen appeared where the sphere had been.
Dalek Thay was facing two Cybermen in the hallway on the screen.
"Identify yourselves," the Dalek said.
"You will identify first," the Cyberman retorted.
"State your identity," the Dalek said once more.
"You will identify first," the Cyberman repeated.
"Identify!" the Dalek screeched.
"It's like Stephen Hawkins meets the Speaking Clock," Mickey said in disbelief.
"That statement is irrelevant and illogical. You will modify," the Cyberman said.
"Daleks do not take orders," the Dalek said.
"I can tell you who they are," Freya spoke up. The Dalek turned to look at her.
"They are the Cyberman. Send that to him. They're the Cybermen," Freya said. The Dalek turned away from her.
"You have identified yourself as Daleks," the Cyberman said.
"You have been reported as the inferior species known as the Cybermen," the Dalek said right back. Freya felt something vibrate in her pocket. Her phone? She pulled it out discretely, hitting the answer button. She kept it in her pocket though, hoping no one would notice it.
"We followed in the wake of your sphere," the Cyberman continued on the screen.
"Long range scans confirm the presence of crude cybernetic constructs on worldwide scale," the leader Dalek observed.
"We must protect the Genesis Ark," one of the other Daleks said.
"Our species are similar, though your design is inelegant," the Cybermen on screen continued.
"Daleks have no concept of elegance," the Dalek droned.
"This is obvious. But consider, our technologies are compatible," the Cyberman said. Freya's heart stuttered.
"No they're not!" Freya blurted out quickly. The Leader Dalek's eyestalk swiveled towards her.
"Explain!" he demanded.
"The Cybermen would only turn on you," Freya lied immediately.
"Cybermen plus Dalek. Together we could upgrade the universe," the Cyberman continued.
"You propose an alliance?" the Dalek asked.
"This is correct," the Cyberman said.
"Request denied," the Dalek retorted. Freya breathed out a sigh of relief, sinking back into James.
"Hostile elements will be deleted," the Cyberman said, shooting at the Dalek. Nothing happened.
"Exterminate!" the Dalek shouted, killing both Cybermen.
On screen, the visual was replaced with an image of a Cyberman, the Doctor standing behind him a ways. Freya's hearts sped up at the sight. He was still alive. They were still alive.
"Daleks, be warned. You have declared war upon the Cybermen," the Cyberman said.
"This is not war. This is pest control," the Dalek retorted.
"We have five million Cybermen. How many are you?" the Cyberman asked.
"Four," the leader Dalek said.
"You would destroy the Cybermen with four Daleks?" the Cyberman asked in disbelief.
"We would destroy the Cybermen with one Dalek. You are superior in only one respect," the Leader said right back.
"What is that?" the Cyberman asked.
"You are better at dying. Raise communications barrier," the Lead Dalek shouted as the Doctor walked along behind the screen just before it went blank.
"Wait!" one of the Daleks ordered.
"Rewind image by nine reels. Identify grid seven gamma frame. This male registers as enemy," the Dalek reported.
"The female's heartbeat has increased," the Lead Dalek said
"Tell me about it," Mickey joked.
"Identify him," the Dalek ordered.
"That's my husband. That's the Doctor," Freya said, feeling satisfaction crash over her when the Daleks rolled back in fear.
"Five million Cybermen, easy. One Doctor? Now you're scared," Freya couldn't resist saying.
The other Dalek returned from the hallway.
"Cyber threat is irrelevant. Concentrate on the Genesis Ark," the Dalek ordered.
"Why are we being kept alive?" Mickey asked quietly.
"They might need us. Or me," Freya realized, thinking back to the first Dalek she'd ever met.
"Why you? What can you do?" James asked her sharply.
"The first time I saw a Dalek, it was broken, dying. I touched it. The moment I did, I brought it back to life," Freya explained.
"How?" Mickey asked.
"The Doctor mentioned before that when you travel in time in the TARDIS, you soak up all this background radiation. It's harmless. It's just there. But in the Time War, the Daleks evolved so they could use it as a power supply," Freya explained, hoping they could understand her.
"So there could be something inside there that needs woken up, and only you can do it?" James asked her.
"Or Mickey. He traveled in time with us too," Freya pointed out.
"Do we have any sort of escape plan?" Freya asked. Mickey hesitated.
"I could transport out of here, but it only carries one and I'm not leaving you," Mickey explained.
"I've got one too. But no spares," James said regretfully.
"So we've got to find a way out of here without touching that thing," Freya mused, trying to think of some way.
"Why would they build something they can't open themselves?" Mickey wondered.
"The technology is stolen. The Ark is not of Dalek design," the Leader Dalek said. Freya jumped. She hadn't realized they had been listening to their conversation.
"Then who built it?" James demanded.
"The Time Lords. This is all that survives of their Home World," the Leader Dalek said.
"What's in there?" Freya asked.
"The future," the Leader Dalek said ominously. They disconnected from it and turned towards Freya.
"Final stages of awakening," one of the Daleks said.
"Your hand print will open the Ark," the lead Dalek ordered Freya.
"No," Freya said as firmly as she could manage.
"Obey or the males will die," the Dalek said as two of the Daleks behind the leader pointed their weapons at Mickey and James.
"They'll kill you both if I don't," Freya murmured as she took a step forward. Both men grabbed her arms, trying to pull her back.
"Place your hand upon the casket," the Dalek told Freya. She tried shrugging them off but neither man would let go of her. She took a step forward, dragging the two of them forward with her.
"Let go of me. They'll kill us," Freya begged. Mickey hesitantly let go of her arm but James stubbornly clung to it. Freya reached for the Ark with her free hand before pausing, a feeling of unexpected courage shooting through her. They'd kill the three of them no matter what, unless someone swooped in and saved them.
And if that were to happen, she needed to stall them .
"You lot, you escaped the Time War by hiding away. Did you ever learn what happened? To the Time Lords, to your people?" Freya asked.
"Place your hand," the lead Dalek tried continuing. It wasn't working.
"What about the Emperor? Did you want to know what happened to the Emperor?" Freya taunted. James's grip on her tightened and Mickey grabbed her other arm once more.
"The Emperor survived?" the lead Dalek asked, almost in shock. Freya felt a smile stretch unbidden across her lips.
"Until he met me," Freya said. The Daleks stared at her. Freya took in another deep breath. She had to speak slow, get as much time as she could from what she said.
"You're just going to kill us here. I might as well get my say before you do. I met the Emperor of the Daleks and I took the Time Vortex in and used it to turn him and his army he raised into dust. I killed them all, the new Daleks and the God of all Daleks, because they there threatening my husband," Freya enunciated her words carefully.
"You will be exterminated!" the Leader Dalek shouted as Mickey and James both stepped in front of her.
"Oh now, hold on, wait a minute," the Doctor's voice called from behind them. Freya's eyes widened and her knees nearly gave out in relief. Freya glanced at him to see him wearing the three D glasses. Where had he got those from?
"Alert, alert. You are the Doctor," the lead Dalek said.
"Sensors report he is unarmed," another Dalek said.
"That's me. Always," the Doctor said.
"Then you are powerless," the lead Dalek said.
"Not me. Never. How are you?" the Doctor asked Freya, wrapping an arm around her. Freya nearly sank to the ground when he did that. It was only him that kept her up.
"Could be better," Freya admitted. The Doctor nodded solemnly before glancing at James and Mickey.
"We'll make it better later. And Mickity McMickey! Nice to see you! And James, what're you doing here?" the Doctor asked, his grip tightening on Freya.
"Volunteered, I did. Not much left for me over there," James admitted.
"Social interaction will cease!" one of the Daleks shouted.
"How did you survive the Time War?" the lead Dalek asked.
"By fighting. On the front line. I was there at the fall of Arcadia. Someday I might even come to terms with that. But you lot ran away!" the Doctor said in disbelief.
"We had to survive," the lead Dale stated.
"The last four Daleks in existence. So what's so special about you?" the Doctor scoffed.
"Doctor, they're got names. They said they're the…the Cult of…the Cult of Skaro," Freya said as she managed to remember it.
"I am Dalek Thay," the one Dalek said.
"I am Dalek Sec," the lead Dalek said.
"Dalek Jast," another Dalek said.
"Dalek Caan," the last Dalek said.
"So that's it! At last. I thought you were just a legend," the Doctor said, running a quick hand through his hair.
"Who are they?" Freya asked him quietly.
"A secret order above and beyond even the Emperor himself. Their job was to imagine, think as the enemy thinks. Even dared to have names. All to find new ways of killing," the Doctor said in disgust.
But that thing, they said it was yours. I mean, Time Lords. They built it. What does it do?" Mickey asked.
"Something bad," Freya said unbiddenly.
"I don't know. Never seen it before," the Doctor said, staring intently at it.
"But it's Time Lord," James protested.
"Both sides had secrets. What is it? What have you done?" the Doctor demanded.
"Time Lord science will restore Dalek supremacy," the lead Dalek said, Dalek Sec.
"What does that mean? What sort of Time Lord science? What do you mean?" the Doctor shouted at them.
"They said one touch from a time traveler will wake it up," Mickey added.
"What were your people known for? Time, stuff to do with time. Time travel, that's what you do. What else?" James murmured, eyes closed as he thought.
"Technology using the one thing a Dalek can't do. Touch. Sealed inside your casing. Not feeling anything, ever, from birth to death, locked inside a cold metal cage. Completely alone. That explains your voice. No wonder you scream," the Doctor said, his voice cold.
"That's why I held the Dalek in Van Statten's museum," Freya said sadly. Even though they were faced by them, at that very moment, Freya couldn't help but feel sorry for them. Feel sorry for their existence, the pain they had to go through. She could emphasize with them more than she wished she could.
"The Doctor will open the Ark!" Dalek Sec shouted.
"The Doctor will not," the Doctor responded, obviously irritated with them.
"You have no way of resisting," Dalek Sec pointed out.
"Well, you got me there. Although there is always this," the Doctor said, pulling out his sonic screwdriver.
"A sonic probe?" Dalek Sec questioned.
"That's screwdriver," the Doctor corrected indignantly.
"It is harmless," Dalek Sec said dismissively.
"Oh yes. Harmless is just the word. That's why I like it. Doesn't kill, doesn't wound, doesn't maim. But I'll tell you what it does do. It is very good at opening doors," the Doctor said, pointing it at the door behind them. The laboratory door blows up as Jake entered the room. Behind him is a Cyberman, shouting delete as it started shooting at the Daleks.
"Alert! Casing impaired. Casing impared!" one of the Daleks shouted.
"James, get Freya out!" the Doctor said. James wasted no time in throwing Freya over his shoulder and running out of the room. The Doctor followed, but Mickey was trying to shoot at the Daleks with his gun that had fallen to the ground.
"Come on Mickey!" Freya shouted as the rest of them made it to the door. Mickey tries making it out but stumbled into the Ark. As soon as he righted himself he was out with them in the hallway.
The Doctor quickly closed the door.
"Jake, check the stairwell. The rest of you, come on," the Doctor ordered.
"Can I walk now?" Freya asked. The Doctor glanced at her and shook his head but held his arms out.
"I'll carry her. Don't want any more stress," the Doctor said with what he was hoping to pass off as a reassuring smile.
"Life with you is all stress," James muttered as he handed Freya over.
"I just fell. I didn't mean to touch it," Mickey said quietly as the Doctor readjusted Freya in his arms.
"Mickey, without us, they'd have opened it by force To do that, they'd have blown up the sun. You've done us a favor. Now, run!" the Doctor shouted.
"Where's Rose and Jackie? And Masen and Marie? And Dad?" Freya asked, glancing around in alarm.
"We're going to save them. Turn here. Run!" the Doctor shouted as they ran down another hallway, Pete Tyler running ahead of them. Freya could see the outline of Cybermen in front of them.
"You will be upgraded," one of them was saying as Pete shot his gun, taking them out.
Standing in front of Masen, Marie, and Rose, was Jackie Tyler, with her eyes wide in shock.
"Pete?" Jackie asked, barely breathing.
"Hello Jacks," Pete said with a smile.
"I said there were ghosts, but that's not fair. Why him?" Jackie complained. The Doctor gripped Freya tighter. When Freya glanced up at him, he had a smile on his face.
"I'm not a ghost," Pete explained.
"But you're dead. You died twenty years ago, Pete," Jackie said, looking moments away from tears.
"It's Pete from a different universe. There are parallel worlds, Jackie. Every single decision we make creates a parallel existence, a different dimension where," the Doctor rambled, only to be cut off by Jackie herself.
"Oh, you can shut up. Oh, you look old," Jackie said, examining Pete.
"You don't," Pete said with a sad smile.
"Are you playing matchmaker?" Freya asked the Doctor quietly. The manic grin that spread out across his face in that instance was all the answer Freya needed. He was. He was trying to get them together.
"How can you be standing there?" Jackie continued.
"I just got lucky. Lived my life. You were left on your own. You didn't marry again, or…" Pete drifted off.
"There was never anyone else. Twenty years, though. Look at me. I never left that flat. Did nothing with myself," Jackie said sadly. Rose threw her arms around her mother, giving her a reassuring smile.
"You brought her up. Rose Tyler. That's not bad," Pete said, nodding to Rose.
"Yeah," Jackie admitted.
"In my world, it worked. All those daft little plans of mine, they worked. Made me rich," Pete said.
"Did you tell him about his alternate self?" Freya asked the Doctor.
"Rose did," the Doctor said, shushing her as he watched them.
"I don't care about that. How rich?" Jackie asked after a moment.
"Very," Pete said. Freya couldn't keep her own smile off her face.
"You're a closet romance," Freya whispered back to the Doctor.
"I don't care about that….how very?" Jackie asked again.
"Thing is though, Jacks, you're not my wife. I'm sorry, but you're not. I mean, we both…you know, it's just sort of…oh come here," Pete said, putting his gun down. Jackie wasted no time running into his arms. The Doctor's arms tightened even more around Freya.
"Happy ending," Freya said softly.
"Not yet. We still have to deal with the Cybermen and Cult of Skaro," the Doctor reminded her. Freya shuddered at the thought.
"Come on. Let's get going," the Doctor said, heading down the hall. He stopped right outside what Freya assumes is a warehouse.
And her eyes widen.
"Doctor….where's my dad?" Freya asked. She was met with silence. She glance at the others, only to see that none of them met her eyes.
"Where is he?" Freya asked, her voice cracking.
"He saved us. The Cybermen got him," Rose admitted quietly. Freya bit her lip, eyes quickly filling up as the Doctor sat Freya down on the ground.
"I'll be right back," he promised, kissing her on the forehead before dashing out into the open. James scooped her up.
"I'll carry you for the moment," he told her, somewhat gruffly.
"And who the hell are you?" Jackie demanded, eyes wide as she stared at him.
"James McCrimmon. I'm from the alternate world too," James said.
"Are you like the Doctor?" Jackie asked.
"No Mum. He just looks like the last Doctor," Rose said with a reassuring smile at Freya.
"The Cybermen. Did they shoot him or turn him into one of them?" Freya asked. She had to know. Rose shook her head, just as the Doctor made his way back to them holding three giant…things.
He stopped though in the middle of the way and turned around, throwing his 3-D glasses back on as the Daleks opened the roof.
"Elevate," Dalek Sec droned.
"What're they doing? Why do they need to get outside?" Rose asked.
"Time Lord science. What Time Lord science? What is it?" the Doctor asked himself angrily, trying to think as the Daleks disappeared out the roof.
"Oh no," James said in horror.
"What?" the Doctor asked, spinning quickly with his eyes glued to Freya.
"Time Lords. You lot travel in time and have things that are bigger on the inside. What if there's a whole dimension inside that thing, like there is in your TARDIS? The Daleks said it would restore Dalek supremacy. What if it's full of Daleks?" James asked. The Doctor's look turned horrified.
"Oh no," he said.
"It's not though, is it, Doctor?" Rose asked him. But the Doctor didn't answer her. He turned to James, eyes wide.
"Get her out of here. You hear me, James? Protect her!" the Doctor shouted at James. James wasted no time in taking off out of the room, Freya trapped in his arms.
"Wait! What's going on? Why is he making us leave?" Freya asked in confusion.
"He's trying to save you. Something bad's going to happen and he wants you safe," James told her, not even glancing down at her.
"But I want to be with him! I feel safest when I'm with him!" Freya protested as tears began to leak from her eyes.
"She's right, you know," a voice said from behind them. James came to an abrupt stop, spinning around. Standing there, in the doorway of the room they'd just left, was River and Jack.
"She's safest when she's around him," Jack spoke up this time.
"He told me to get her to safety," James said slowly.
"Of course he did. He always says that. But she won't be any safer down here than she would be with him. It's all about to go to hell, James. Set her down," River said, moving closer. James hesitated but slowly placed Freya back on her feet. River was at her side instantly, pulling her aside. Jack, Freya noticed, approached James as well, speaking in hushed whispers before giving him something.
"Everything's going to be okay. I promise. You just need to stay calm and remember to hold on as tight as you can," River told her soothingly.
"Hold on? What are you talking about?" Freya asked.
"You'll understand. Thanks for bringing us Bad Wolf, by the way. He's adjusting well. Wanted to come along, but we made him stay put. Too dangerous, him being around the Daleks before he's properly met them," River told her.
"So that's where we are right now? I just dropped Bad Wolf off with you?" Freya asked for confirmation. River nodded.
"Makes it sound like some sort of babysitting service," she complained with a smile.
"River…they called me The Mother. Why do they have a name for me? I thought they only had names like that for the Doctor's people," Freya said. River's smile melted from her face as her thinking face appeared. The face River gave Freya whenever she was debating how much to truly tell Freya.
Freya hated that face.
"Because, in a sense, to them, you ARE THE Mother. You took care of one of their own, even when no one else would dare touch them. You will give birth to the Time Lord, the only other Time Lord other than the Doctor. You are the ultimate mother in their eyes," River explained.
"But I'm not even a mother yet," Freya protested.
"Yes you are. You've been taking care of us, even before you knew the connection. And you take care of everyone you meet. Now hurry up. Take the lift; it's the only way you'll make it to the others at the top of the building in time," River said, giving Freya a gentle nudge towards the lift. Jack was similarly done with James and leading him that way as well.
"Lift?" James asked grudgingly, and Freya could only nod. He pushed the button and the two of them hurried into the lift.
"What did Jack say?" Freya wanted to know.
"Nothing of importance. Only that we'd bettered hurry. Still have that device I gave you?" James asked her. Freya nodded, patting her pocket.
"Don't forget about that," he warned her, staring intently at her. So intently it worried Freya.
"Did he tell you the future? He's not supposed to do that," Freya said worriedly.
"No. He just gave me a warning. Here we are," James said, helping Freya out of the lift.
"I'm sorry, but you've had it. This world's going to crash and burn. There's nothing we can do. We're going home," Pete was saying as they came around the corner.
"Jacks, take this. You're coming with us," Pete continued as he handed Jackie something.
"But they're destroying the city," Jackie pointed out.
"I'd forgotten you could argue. It's not just London, it's the whole world. But there's another world just waiting for you, Jacks. And it's safe as long as the Doctor closes the breach. Doctor?" Pete asked. The Doctor still had their backs to them. Freya was sure that, if he hadn't, he would have been on them already for not listening to him.
He then turned around, 3-D glasses on his ace.
"Oh, I'm ready. I've got the equipment right here. Thank you, Torchwood….Freya?" the Doctor asked, eyes going wide behind the glasses.
"We couldn't leave you," Freya said. The Doctor had her in his arms in an instant.
And his eyes looked so grief-stricken Freya was worried they'd done the wrong thing.
"Doctor," Pete reminded him. The Doctor leaned in and kissed Freya intently before moving towards the computer terminals.
"When I slam this down it'll close off both universes," the Doctor said, lacking any excitement he may have had before.
"Reboot systems," the computer program said.
"But we can't just leave. What about the Daleks? And the Cybermen?" Rose asked.
"They're part of the problem, and that makes them part of the solution. Oh yes! Well? Isn't anyone going to ask about the glasses?" the Doctor asked, looking around. Freya could sense the fake happiness he was putting on. Something was seriously wrong.
"What is it with the glasses?" Rose asked, a wide smile on her face. It was like she couldn't see his act.
"I can see, that's what, because we've got two separate worlds, but in between the two separate worlds, we've got the Void. That's where the Daleks were hiding. And the Cybermen travelled through the Void to get here. And you lot, one world to another, via the Void. Oh, I like that. Via the Void. Look," he said, handing the glasses to Rose. She put them on and moved her hands underneath them.
"Reboot in three minutes," the computer said.
"What is it?" Rose asked, intrigued.
"Void stuff," the Doctor said simply, taking the glasses from Rose and putting them on Freya's face. Freya was alarmed at the moving particles that covered the Doctor, Rose, everyone in the room except for Jackie, Marie, and Masen.
"Like, er, background radiation," the Doctor said, scratching the back of his head.
"The only ones who haven't been through the Void are Jackie, Masen, and Marie," the Doctor said.
"But the Daleks lived in the Void. They're bristling with it. Cybermen, all of them. I just open the Void and reverse. The Void stuff gets sucked back inside," the Doctor said with a small smile.
"Pulling them all in!" Rose said happily.
"Pulling them all in!" the Doctor agreed.
"Including us," Freya said softly. This got everyone's attention.
"What?" Rose asked.
"It'll pull us all in too. With the Daleks and the Cybermen," Freya pointed out.
"That's why you've got to go," the Doctor said to them. Freya's heart lurched at his words.
"Reboot in two minutes," the computer droned, reminding them of their deadline.
"Back to Pete's world. Hey, we should call it that. Pete's World. I'm opening the Void, but only on this side. You'll be safe on that side," the Doctor said sadly.
"And then you'll close it, for good?" Pete clarified.
"The breach itself is soaked in Void stuff. In the end it'll close on itself. And that's it. Kaput," the Doctor said.
"But you stay on this side?" Rose asked, eyes wide.
"But you'll get pulled in," Mickey protested.
"That's why I've got these," the Doctor said, lifting the things he'd nabbed earlier from the warehouse.
"I'll just have to hold on tight. I've been doing it all my life," the Doctor said.
"I'm supposed to go," Rose said flatly. Freya took a step away from the others, just watching them. She wasn't going anywhere. River told her to hold on tight. That had to be forewarning, right? She was staying. She wasn't being sent there.
She couldn't. Because Bad Wolf was in this world. If she went to the other, she'd give birth to him there and he wouldn't have his best friend or his wife or his family.
No. She was staying there.
Freya glanced up in time to see Pete Tyler slip one of the devices around Rose's neck and push them as they all disappeared. The Doctor turned to James, who was still there.
"Do you have an extra one?" the Doctor asked him frantically, but James could only shake his head.
"Only one, but I'll give it to her if I have to," James said adamantly.
"No. I'm staying here. Go, James. I was told to hold on tight, and I plan on doing that," Freya told him with a smile.
"Who told you that?" the Doctor demanded as James gave her a sad smile and pressed his button, disappearing before her eyes.
"A future friend. Help me set mine up?" Freya asked.
"What about us?" Marie demanded.
"You two will be fine, as long as nothing hits you. Marie, you can stay in the corner over there, and just press yourself against the corner. Masen, these clamps aren't really big enough for two people to hold onto them, but I don't want Freya on one alone. Can you stand by it, holding onto her as well?" the Doctor asked him anxiously. Masen nodded, taking one of the clamps from the Doctor.
Just as Rose reappeared in the middle of the room.
"I think this is the on switch," she said curiously. The Doctor spun around, eyes wide.
"Once the breach collapses, that's it. You will never be able to see her again, Rose. Your own mother," the Doctor told her solemnly.
"I made my choice already. I'm never going to leave you two," Rose said firmly, eyes on the Doctor.
"Systems rebooted. Open access," the computer announced.
"Fine. Rose, those coordinates over there, set them all at six. And hurry up. Masen, Freya, get your magnaclamp up," the Doctor said quickly as Rose rushed to the terminal. Freya glanced at the security screen, eyes widening.
"Doctor, we've got Cybermen on the way up," she told him as Masen fitted their magnaclamp to the wall.
"How many floors down?" the Doctor asked.
"Just one," Freya admitted, feeling spooked at the realization. The Doctor gave Roes the third magnaclamp as he put his on the wall opposite to Freya and Masen's. Marie was huddled in the corner, eyes wide.
Rose's magnaclamp was placed near the levers, across the wall from the Doctor on the same side as Freya and Masen.
"Press that red button," the Doctor informed Rose.
"When it starts, just hold on tight. Shouldn't be too bad for us but the Daleks and the Cybermen are steeped in Void stuff. Are you guys ready?" the Doctor asked. Freya felt her mouth go dry as she caught sight of the window.
"The Daleks sure are," she said, pointing at the window.
"Let's do it then! Masen, don't let her go. Marie, don't move from the corner!" the Doctor shouted. Freya looped her arm around the Magnaclamp and Masen latched onto her as well as the Doctor pulled the lever down. Rose pulled down the identical lever on her side.
"Online," the computer voice announced as a bright light emitted from the breach. Freya felt a strong wind pulling at her, sucking the Daleks through the window first.
"The breach is open! Into the Void! Ha!" the Doctor shouted gleefully. Freya was lifted off the ground, her feet angled towards it as she held onto the clamp with all her might. Masen's grip on her intensified. She glanced over at Marie, who was sitting normally in the corner.
She looked terrified out of her mind, though.
The Cybermen started flying past them as well as the Daleks. It was terrifying, exhilarating….and Freya's arms felt like they were about to fall off.
But it was working.
They were okay.
And then Rose's lever started to move.
"Offline," the computer voice chimed. Freya's blood ran cold at that. They weren't all there. The breach wasn't closed.
"I've got to get it upright!" Rose shouted, letting go of the magnaclamp to grab the lever and pull it downward, clicking it on.
"Online and locked," the computer voice said as the wind started pulling them back towards it, almost twice as hard now.
"Rose, hold on! Hold on!" the Doctor shouted.
"She's not going to make it," Freya realized in horror before turning to Masen.
"Get to her! You can get to her!" Freya shouted. Masen's eyes held conflict but he dropped her and quickly moved towards the lever, trying to avoid the Dalek's and Cybermen that were flying by.
He was to the magnaclamp when Rose lost her grip.
The shock of seeing Rose lose her grip momentarily stunned Freya and her own hand slipped. Her side slammed into the wall, the device James had given her digging into her side.
She tried reaching for it with her other hand but the wind was much too strong for her to move her hand.
And her other hand was slipping.
"Freya?" the Doctor shouted, a hint of panic in his voice.
And Freya's other hand slipped.
She slammed into something and felt as if her molecules were being pulled apart.
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The breech was sealed. That was the Doctor's only positive thought as he stared at the wall. That blasted white wall. He felt a hand on his shoulder but shrugged it off immediately.
"They could be fine," Marie whispered.
"No. Don't you get it? Don't you see? They're alive, yeah, but I'm never going to see them again. I'm never going to see my wife again, or my son. They're gone," the Doctor said, his voice sounding almost hollow even to his ears.
"But Freya didn't have one of the dimension jumpers. And James didn't have an extra one!" Masen protested.
"How do you know he didn't just grab one while he was over there?" the Doctor asked, spinning on him. Before his eyes narrowed.
"You. You work here, for them. This is your fault," he said lowly, advancing on him. Marie planted herself firmly in between them, tears forming in her eyes but her lips set in a grim line of determination.
"This is none of our faults, Doctor. Masen works here, yeah, but he didn't seem to be high up. Didn't they say the purpose of Torchwood was to protect Freya? They wouldn't do this on purpose," Marie tried reasoning as a tear leaked from her one eye.
"But if he'd just held onto her!" the Doctor protested, feeling his fury rise. His fury was good.
It was better than the emptiness that threatened to eat him alive.
"I was trying to save Rose," Masen said, his own voice thick. The Doctor turned from them, staring at the white wall before slowly making his way towards it. He pressed his ear, his hand against it, imagining he could feel her, see her again.
But there was nothing.
She was gone.
He turned and slowly made his way towards the TARDIS.
Same old lonely life.
There would be no more companions.
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Freya woke up to a familiar voice shouting her name.
"WAKE UP!" the voice finally came through. Freya's eyes opened wearily and for a second, she thought it was the Doctor.
No.
It was James.
She was up in an instant, eyes wide.
"Where's the Doctor? Where did you come from?" she asked, glancing around.
"We're still in your universe," James said quickly.
And Freya's shoulders dropped in relief.
"The device. It signaled me, saying you needed help, so I came. Your friend earlier, he gave me this and said when you called me for help, to push the button on it to save you," James said awkwardly, holding up Jack's Vortex Manipulator.
"So where are we then?" Freya asked him, feeling much calmer now.
"A floor down. I'll carry you up," he said, lifting her effortlessly.
"James….the walls closed. You're trapped here," Freya realized in growing horror. James merely shrugged off her worry.
"Eh. Won't be too bad. Had nothing left there, me," James said, giving her a smile.
"You had a child. Even if alternate me didn't let you see her, you still had a child," Freya reminded him quietly. His cheerful grin faded and he stared blankly ahead.
"I know," he said quietly as he pushed the door open, making his way quickly up the stairs.
"I'm sorry," Freya told him quietly.
Freya glanced down at her bracelet, only to frown.
"My bracelet's full," Freya said quietly, staring at it.
"So?" James asked.
"So. I hit you. Right? Something should have dissolved. There are way too many of them…" Freya drifted off, eyes wide.
"Unless what?" James asked her, catching what she wasn't saying.
"Unless the TARDIS thought I was going to be away from her long enough to need all of these," Freya said as James opened the door to the top floor.
Marie and Masen spun around at the door opening.
And Marie fainted.
Masen caught her, his own face ashen.
"Freya? How are you here?" Masen asked her, his voice shaking.
"James used a Vortex Manipulator instead of the Dimension Jumper to save me," Freya told him. Masen quickly laid Marie down and took off running.
"Masen? What's wrong? Where's the Doctor?" Freya asked him frantically, trying to get down from James's arms.
"He left. He walked out. We thought you were gone," Masen said as he pressed the button for the lift. He was in it, James and Freya behind him instantly.
"What about Marie?" Freya fretted.
"She'll be fine. We've gotta keep the Doctor from leaving! If he leaves now, we don't know when he'll come back to Earth. He won't see a reason to see us, if he thinks you're gone," Masen said as the doors opened. Masen was out the lift door, running. James followed, carrying Freya.
"Doctor!" Masen shouted as he ran.
James and Freya entered the room just in time to see the TARDIS fully dematerialize.
Freya's heart dropped.
He'd left her behind.
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The Doctor spent months in the TARDIS, trying to find some way to at least say goodbye. He owed it to Freya. He had to tell her goodbye. Had to tell her goodbye and give her some advice for raising their son.
It sent a pang through his chest. He'd never see his son. Not until he was all grown up, when he somehow managed to make it back to the right dimension.
But Freya'd be dead by that time.
He finally found a sun that was dying that he could use to project a message to the other dimension. So he could say goodbye. And he had. He made sure everything was working as well as it could before he started projecting. His image appeared on a beach, Rose Tyler standing in front of him.
Freya was nowhere.
"Where's Freya?" the Doctor asked, wide-eyed.
"Freya's not here, Doctor," Rose told him honestly. The Doctor nearly crumbled at her words. He gripped the console quickly, tightly.
"What do you mean she's not there? She fell right after you did. James caught her and blinked out," the Doctor said. Rose glanced over her shoulder, towards the car where her mother and Pete were standing alongside Mickey.
"James didn't return either. He told Mickey bye before jumping back. He didn't come back here," Rose explained.
"So Freya…my Freya…she's still in my world?" the Doctor asked, feeling disbelief rise inside of him alongside hope.
"She has to be," Rose said. The Doctor felt his eyes light up at the thought.
"I've got to find her," the Doctor said, but Rose reached for him, her hand going straight through him.
"What about us? Is there any way to get us back?" Rose asked him hopefully. The Doctor sobered up at her expression.
"No. There's only one tiny little gap in the universe let, just about to close, and I'm burning up a sun just to use that to send you this message," the Doctor explained.
"So we're just trapped here?" Rose said with a quick sob. The Doctor nodded.
"I'm sorry Rose. I'm so sorry. But there's nothing I can do. At least you're alive. And you've got your family. You aren't alone," the Doctor told her.
Unlike Freya.
Freya was alone. Completely alone.
He had to find her.
He gave Rose a quick goodbye before cancelling his signal, turning around. The TARDIS hummed in happiness as he set the course to Earth – where Freya was – when he happened to notice something in the corner of his eye.
He looked up sharply to see a figure all in white standing in the corner of the room. He moved closer in shock as the figure turned around and a woman with red hair in a wedding dress glared at him.
"What?" the Doctor asked in shock, staring at her.
"Who are you?" she demanded.
"What?" the Doctor could only repeat. She looked familiar though.
"Where am I, eh?" she continued.
"But…" the Doctor drifted off. How did she get in there?
"What the hell is this place?" she demanded.
"WHAT?!" the Doctor shouted
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"You're not going to your cottage in the country," Marie told Freya the next day. Freya had crashed at Marie and Masen's flat for the night, along with James who was just as displaced as she was feeling.
"Why not?" Freya asked dully.
"Because you need someone to check up on the baby at all times," Masen reminded her calmly.
"I can do it. It's not like I have anywhere else to go," James pointed out.
"But her cottage is about an hour's drive from London. With Jack Harkness's help, I'll be able to get you a job at UNIT along with a valid identity," Masen pointed out.
"I don't care," Freya said.
"He'll come back for you, Freya. I promise he will," Marie told her, wrapping her arms around Freya.
"He just left me," Freya said.
"He didn't know you were still there," James added, trying his hand at comforting her.
"I don't want a flat in London. Or a new home. A new home means I'm staying. I just…I can't make that commitment. That would be giving up," Freya said quietly.
"You can drift. Spend two weeks with us, two weeks with Jack, two weeks at the cottage," Marie suggested.
"Or we can always go to the Torchwood Estate. I own that too, apparently," Freya told them apathetically.
"Right. You can go to the Torchwood Estate first, as a bit of a relaxer. I'll see if Jack wants to go with you two. He can help get James's story straightened up," Masen said, his voice full of authority.
Freya really didn't care.
The Doctor had left her here, alone, on Earth. Just as he said he wouldn't. Even if he hadn't meant to.
It still broke her heart.
Well, there you have it. Of Loneliness and Second Chances is over. I finished writing the first chapter of the sequel and will post it as soon as I get it all set up on here. The Sequel is called Of New Horizons and Thoughts of Flight. As soon as you finish reading this, to ease you from the pain I've just caused, the first chapter of this will be up for you to go straight into.
You can't say I'm completely heartless. (This is where I'd put a smiley face if it wasn't for the fact that I just finished a really cruel chapter.)
Anyway, I would like to thank everyone who's taken the time to read this and review. You guys kept me going on this story.
Next stop, Of New Horizons and Thoughts of Flight.
-Andi