"What did you do?" The Doctor demanded fiercely, yanking the sleeping soldier up from his slumber and throwing him against the wall. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"What-what do you mean?" He stuttered back, his young eyes wide with panic.

The Doctor snarled, rage and grief pulsing through every vein in his body as he clutched the man's collar. "What did you do to my son?!"

"I-nothing!" The soldier insisted, using his hands to try to pull away from the Doctor's murderous grip. "Nothing! I swear!" Trying desperately to free himself, he kicked his legs, but the Time Lord held on.

"Who are you?" He demanded darkly.

"What?" The soldier gasped.

"WHO ARE YOU?"

"Ackart. Paul Ackart!" The soldier squirmed beneath the Time Lord's iron grasp, trying to keep himself from being suffocated. "I don't even know what's going on. What is going on?"

"Doctor!" The captain's voice boomed behind him. "Let go of my man!"

The Doctor made a noise in response but kept his grip, staring the terrified soldier down.

"Doctor!" The captain yelled again. "I have a gun, do not make me use it. I will use it without hesitation."

This time, the Doctor trembled and dropped the man down as a shaky breath escaped him. Paul cowered for a moment, fearful of what the man in front of him may still do. As if forgetting the man on the ground, the Doctor turned with mournful eyes to the Captain who still had aim, then looked to the child on the bed.

"It got him," he stated, wiping his eyes with his hand. "It's got Gabriel." Narrowing his eyes, he looked at each face in the room carefully. Suddenly, it had become quite full of people, all gathered to find out what had happened. "LISTEN TO ME, LISTEN TO ME ALL OF YOU!" He bellowed, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I WILL FIND OUT WHO YOU ARE, AND WHEN I DO, YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!"

"Doctor," Jacob stepped up behind him after securing his weapon and took the grieving father by the shoulder. "You should come with me." While his voice was sympathetic, there was an unmistakable edge which made it more of an order then a suggestion. "Ackart, get the boy to quarantine," he commanded, shooting a look to the soldier still seated on the ground.

"No," the Doctor pushed the young Captain away and looked back to the bed. "I'll take him."

"Doctor, he's infected," the captain reminded him.

"He's also my son, and the only thing that matters to me," the Doctor replied, his voice daring the Captain to stop him.

No one moved, so he stepped up to the bed. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Gabey," he whispered, tears running down his face as he tenderly brushed the boy's sandy bangs from his tiny eyelids. "I let you down" Carefully, as though it would be possible to wake him, he slid his arms beneath the limp body and lifted him up. Holding him close, he pressed his forehead to Gabriel's, hoping to feel some sign of life. No tiny, warm breath escaped to touch his face. No warmth was left at all in Gabriel's skin, aside from his father's tears that had fallen against his cheek. There was nothing at all, though he knew the boy still barely lived.

They would pay.

If he lost his son, their entire race would pay.

Looking ahead as though seeing none of the clustered men, the Doctor straightened up and carried his limp son to the quarantine.

No one had dared to talk to him.

By the time he had returned, the men had returned to wherever they had come from. Those who saw him walking back watched him carefully, but lowered their eyes if he looked back to them. He didn't care. All he knew was that one of them was guilty, and he was going to find them.

Sitting back down on Gabriel's bunk, the Doctor looked at it remorsefully. Gabriel was younger then those who had been taken so far. Why had it gone after him? The boy was of no value to an alien trying to invade the race. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. It didn't make sense. However, since the boy was so much younger, he likely had less time then those taken before him. Adult humans could theoretically survive up to two months after being infected. Children Gabriel's age? Maybe a few days. A Time Lord Gabriel's age? Maybe a week longer.

It didn't help that he didn't know what exactly his son was. He had theories, but theories needed to be proven. He hadn't tested the boy yet as he wanted to wait until the boy was just a bit older before anything. Gabriel had two hearts, that much was certain. He likely had a little longer then a human child, but there was no saying if he had as long as a Time Lord child.

The Doctor stared hollowly in front of him, feeling as though there was a heavy weight in the air that had enveloped his entire being. Was this what Eilam had meant?

"Is this it?" He asked to the silence of the room, his throat swelling up once again and his voice raw. "Is this how I'm going to lose him? Is this how the prophecy is fulfilled?"

No answer came back to him, and he laughed bitterly to himself, running his hands through his hair. Salty tears still hung in his eyes, multiplying by the moment.

Gabriel was all he had left, and he had failed him. That little boy had looked up to him for protection and guidance, and he had failed him. He'd failed Missy too. Moments before her death, the Doctor had promised to look after their new son. Now, the boy lay unconscious in a room filled with slowly dying men.

He had failed.

However, he couldn't stay here and feel sorry for himself, not while there was still a chance at saving both the men and Gabriel. No, he had to go and find who was responsible, and make them pay.

Oh, how he would make them pay.

Taking a deep breath and wiping away his tears for the final time, the Time Lord rose to his feet and swept out the door with a determination and unstoppableness that nothing could break.

A/N: Sorry this took me so long. Again. Currently, my mind is ahead in the story D: So far ahead. My mind is with something fun and colourful. Well, actually something angry and colourful.

You'll understand in the story following this one, I promise ;D In the mean time, feed a review junkie? R and R? Please? :D