This chapter took AGES to write. I am so sorry for keeping everyone waiting. I actually now have the series outlined through the end, so hopefully I'll be able to get another chapter out within the next two months... Yeah. Sorry. I'm trying my best, I really am. Let me know what you think of this!
Chapter 23: The Daughter
"What the hell's going on?" Donna barked angrily as the Doctor managed to throw himself onto the console. James followed, gripping onto the side. Freya and Ianto didn't bother – they stayed on the railings. Martha and Donna also seemed to follow Freya's example, choosing to stay where they are rather than risk being thrown about.
"The control's not working," the Doctor exclaimed, running a hand through his hair. A sudden jerk throws him away from the console, making him land on the ground.
"I don't know where we're going, but my old hand's very excited about it," the Doctor said with a wild grin as he glanced back up at Freya.
"I thought that was just some freaky alien thing. You telling me it's yours?" Donna asked in disbelief.
"Well," the Doctor drifted off.
"It got cut off. He grew a new one," Martha explained.
"And then my boss, Jack, kept it for a few years in a jar," Ianto added drily.
"You are completely impossible. And your boss is a creep!" Donna decided.
"I'm not impossible. Just a bit unlikely. And don't let Jack hear you call him a creep," the Doctor warned with a grin as the TARDIS console sparked before stilling.
The Doctor is out the door before everyone can regain their sense of balance.
"Hurry up. He'll get himself arrested in two minutes flat. Trust me," Freya warned as she hurried for the door, colliding with James as she did. James steadied her as Ianto pulled her forward.
Outside, the place looked deserted. There was trash littering what looked like a tunnel. It seemed to be underground.
"Why would the TARDIS bring us here, then?" the Doctor murmured, spinning around in a circle.
"Oh, I love this bit," Martha whispered excitedly to Donna.
"I thought you wanted to go home," Donna pointed out.
"I know, but all the same. It's that feeling you get," Martha said.
"Like you swallowed a hamster?" Donna said drily.
"Close," Freya agreed, laughing at Donna. The Doctor looked affronted at Donna's analogy, but didn't protest.
Not that he had time to.
A man ran out, pointing a gun at them. Two more followed, all with guns.
"Don't move. Stay where you are! Drop your weapons!" the man ordered. Their hands shot up quickly, Ianto moving quickly to Freya's side.
"We're unarmed. Look, no weapons. Never any weapons. We're safe," the Doctor reassured him, carefully avoiding looking at Ianto.
Freya just hoped he'd hidden his weapons better on him.
"Look at their hands. They're clean," one of the other men told the first man.
"All right, process them. Start with her," the leader said, pointing to Freya.
"Process?" the Doctor asked in alarm as two of the men grabbed and shoved her hand into a machine.
"Leave her alone! What's wrong with clean hands?" the Doctor shouted, moving closer. The leader's gun trained itself on him. The Doctor kept his hands up, but his eyes were glued to Freya.
"What's going on?" Martha asked, looking worried as well.
Freya shrieked as something grabbed her hand. She bit her tongue, trying to keep from yelling again.
"What are you doing to my wife?" the Doctor roared.
"It's…it's fine," Freya gasped out.
"Everyone gets processed," the leader said firmly.
The machine then let her go. Freya stumbled backwards, gasping as she stared down at her hand.
It had the same mark on it as the mindless people from world war two.
That in itself was enough to alarm her.
The machine's doors opened. A girl walked out with light brown hair in a ponytail, with bright blue eyes.
Blue eyes the exact shade as Ianto's.
And she looked ready for battle.
Freya glanced at Ianto, realizing that he too saw the similarities between himself and this new girl.
The leader pulled a gun off of his back and handed it to the girl.
"Arm yourself," he told her and she took the gun with what seemed to be practiced ease.
The Doctor grabbed Freya's arms, pulling her close to her as he stared at the new girl.
"Where did she come from?" Martha asked, moving closer to them. Ianto looked ready to reach for a weapon. James was just staring in shock at the girl, as was Donna.
"From Freya," the Doctor said, his tone neutral.
"From Freya? How? Who is she?" Donna demanded.
"Well, she's..she's Freya's daughter."
The girl glanced up at Freya and gave her a dazzling smile, one Freya had seen before. On Ianto's face.
"Hello, Mum," she said fondly.
"You primed to take orders? Ready to fight?" the leader asked the girl, ignoring the rest of them. The girl nodded, moving to his side as the leader seemed to be prepping things for a fight.
"Instant mental download of all strategic and military protocols, sir. Generation five thousand soldier primed and in peak physical health. Oh, I'm ready," she said with a wide grin. She moves next to the leader along some sort of barricade, where the other soldiers are waiting.
"Did you say daughter?" Donna asked for clarification. They all had turned to follow what was going on.
"Mmhmm. Technically," the Doctor agreed. Freya was too shocked to speak. She was busy trying to find herself in the girl. She could see how certain features seemed to mirror her own, but in all actuality, she could see more of Ianto in the girl than herself.
"Technically how?" Donna demanded.
"Progeneration. Reproduction from a single organism. Means one parent is biological mother and father. You take a sample of diploid cells, split them in into haploids, then recombine them in a different arrangement and grow. Very quickly, apparently," the Doctor murmured.
"Then why does she look just like me?" Ianto wanted to know.
"Something's coming," the girl, Freya's daughter, said in alarm.
They could see the shadows moving towards them on the tunnel wall and as soon as they came into sight, the girl and the soldiers began firing.
"Get down," the girl shouted over her shoulder at them. Everyone jumps to the ground, the Doctor, Donna, James, and Ianto on one side and Martha on the other.
They all started shooting at one another. Freya wasn't even sure what the other side looked like, all she could see was guns.
She could see why the Doctor hated guns so much.
"We have to blow the tunnel. Get the detonator!" the leader shouted.
"We're not detonating anything!" the Doctor protested angrily. He hurried to the side, trying to help a man who'd been hit.
And then Freya got a glimpse of the other side. They looked like giant fish with gas masks.
And one of them grabbed Martha.
"Blow the thing! Blow it!" the leader shouted.
"Martha! No! Don't!" the Doctor protested as Freya's daughter picked up a small box and pushed a button on it. The soldiers started running away, and James grabbed Freya, pulling her along as well as the world behind them exploded.
The blast threw them all to the ground. Freya was back on her feet quickly, scoping the area out.
The other side was gone.
As was Martha.
The Doctor spun on Freya's daughter, furious.
"You've sealed off the tunnel. Why did you do that?" the Doctor demanded, furious.
"They were trying to kill us," she retorted.
"But they've got my friend!" the Doctor protested. Freya's daughter scoffed.
"Collateral damage. Look at you. You've got four other friends," the girl pointed out, crossing her arms, "He lost both of his men. I'd say you came out ahead."
The Doctor grabbed the girl, pulling her to him. He was furious. Freya quickly scrambled to her feet.
"Her name's Martha. And she's not collateral damage, not for anyone. Have you got that, GI Jane?" Donna barked at her. The girl didn't take her eyes off of the Doctor.
It was like she could sense that he was the biggest threat to her.
Freya moved to his side, placing a hand over the Doctor's.
"Let her go. You don't need to hurt anyone to prove a point," Freya reminded him.
The Doctor dropped the girl's arms as if they'd burnt him.
"I'm going to find her," the Doctor decided.
"You're going nowhere. You don't make sense, you lot. No guns, no marks, no fight in you. I'm taking you to General Cobb. Now move," the leader ordered, waving his gun at them.
In the end, they followed him without much complaint. It was the only way to figure out what was going on, and what had happened to Martha, after all. They walked down the dimly lit tunnels, Freya's daughter alongside them.
James was enamored with the girl. He was constantly staring at her, as if searching for something. Ianto, too, would only stare, only his gaze was full of scrutiny. The Doctor did his best to ignore her.
Only Donna seemed interested in conversing with the new girl.
"I'm Donna. What's your name?" Donna asked her softly.
"Don't know. It's not been assigned," the girl said with a shrug.
"Well, if you don't know that, what do you know?" Donna wanted to know.
"How to fight," the girl said simply.
"Nothing else?" Donna was surprised. Freya would be lying to say she wasn't surprised as well. Technology that advanced, surely it included more than just muscle memory for battle…right?
"The machine must embed military history and tactics, but no name. She's a generated anomaly," the Doctor said quietly.
"Generated anomaly. Generated. Well, what about that? Jenny?" Donna suggested. The girl gave Donna a wide smile.
"Jenny. Yeah, I like that. Jenny," she repeated, as if tasting the name on her own tongue.
"What do you think, Mom?" Donna asked, nudging Freya's shoulder's playfully.
"I like it," Freya agreed, noting the Doctor's deep frown at her words.
"You don't seem to pleased. Not a natural parent, are you?" Donna asked, spinning on the Doctor.
"They stole a tissue sample at gunpoint and processed it. It's not what I'd call natural parenting. And we don't need another child," the Doctor said, frowning.
His words cut Freya. She bit back any retort her mind threw at her. They didn't need to be fighting. Not right now. There was enough fighting going on as it was.
"Rubbish," Donna protested, "My friend Nerys fathered twins with a turkey baster. Don't bother her."
"You can't extrapolate a relationship from a biological accident," the Doctor protested.
"Er, Child Support Agency can," Donna pointed out.
"Look, just because I share certain physiological traits with simian primates doesn't make me a monkey's uncle, does it?" the Doctor shot back at her.
"I'm not a monkey. Or a child," Jenny protested angrily.
"No. You're not. And they shouldn't be treating you like one. I'm Freya. Your Mum," Freya introduced herself. Jenny gave her a blinding smile.
"I guessed, yeah? You feel like my mum. And he's my brother?" she asked, pointing to Ianto.
"Er…not really? Sort of? Maybe? We're not quite sure how it all works out, at this moment. It's a bit complicated," Freya said.
"More complicated than me?" Jenny wanted to know.
"Jenny, trust me, everything about us is complicated," Freya told the girl with a rueful smile.
"Fantastic. I can't wait to learn more," Jenny said, winking at James when she noticed him staring at her.
James quickly looked away.
The Doctor snorted.
"Definitely your daughter," he muttered as they were led into a large room. All of the lights in the room were red, giving the place the aura of always being on high alert.
It wasn't a place to live.
And Freya would be damned if she left her daughter there.
"So where are we? What planet is this?" the Doctor asked as he glanced around the room as well.
"Messaline. Well, what's left of it," the man said ominously. There was a monotone voice overhead.
"Six six three seventy-five, deceased. Generation six six seven one, extinct. Generation six six seven two, fourty-six deceased. Generation six six eight zero, fourteen deceased. Generataion six…." Freya worked to tune it out. Her alarm was only growing. This was a legitimate war grounds. Whole generations deceased?
No. Jenny was not staying here.
"But this is a theater!" Donna protested. Freya's eyes widened. It was a theater. She was surprised she had missed it before.
"Maybe they're doing Miss Saigon?" the Doctor joked.
"It's like a town or a city underground. But why?" Donna pressed. The Doctor didn't have a chance to answer, because approaching them quickly was a man with a white beard in the same green clothes everyone seemed to be wearing.
"General Cobb, I presume," the Doctor said, naming off the person the man had told them they would have to go see.
"Found in the western tunnels, I'm told, with no marks. There was an outbreak of pacifism in the eastern zone three generations back, before we lost contact. Is that where you came from?" General Cobb said, looking at them in both distaste and distrust.
"Pacifist describes him to a tee," Freya agreed, jerking her head towards the Doctor.
"Eastern zone, that's us, yeah. I'm the Doctor, this is Donna, Freya, Ianto, and James," the Doctor said.
"And I'm Jenny!" Jenny added when it became clear the Doctor wasn't going to introduce her.
"Don't think you can infect us with your peacemaking. We're committed to the fight, to the very end," General Cobb swore.
"I wish peacemaking was contagious," Ianto muttered.
"Life would be so much easier," James agreed, finally pulling himself from the stupor he'd fallen in since he'd seen Jenny for the first time.
"Well, that's all right. I can't stay, anyway. I've got to go and find my friend," the Doctor said.
"That's not possible. All movement is regulated. We're at war," General Cobb informed him in a no-nonsense tone.
"Yes, we noticed. With the Hath. But tell me, because we got a bit out of circulation, eastern zone and all that. So who exactly are the Hath?" the Doctor asked, tugging on his ear.
"Back at the dawn of this planet," General Cobb began, "These ancient halls were carved from the earth. Our ancestors dreamt of a new beginning. A colony where human and Hath would work and live together."
"So what happened?" Donna asked.
"The dream died. Broken, along with Hath promises. They wanted it all for themselves. But those early pioneers, they fought back. They used the machines to produce soldiers instead of colonists, and began this battle for survival," General Cobb swore.
"There's nothing but earth outside, why's that? Why build everything underground?" Donna wanted to know.
"The surface is too dangerous," General Cobb said flatly, his tone leaving no room for more questions.
"Well then, why build windows in the first place? And what does that mean?" Donna pressed, obviously not taking his tone seriously. She pointed up to a number written on a plaque on the wall. 601707.
"The rites and symbols of our ancestors. The meaning's lost in time," General Cobb said, shaking his head.
"How long's this war gone on for?" the Doctor wanted to know.
"Longer than anyone can remember. Countless generations marked only by the dead," General Cobb said, shaking his head in sorrow.
"What, fighting all this time?" Donna asked, surprised.
"Because we must. Every child of the machine is born with this knowledge. It's our inheritance. It's all we know. How to fight. And how to die."
The words were not settling right in Freya. Everything felt…off. Of course, if these people had learned all their history from a machine as they were created, she could understand that. All sorts of things could get distorted…but the question was, what had been distorted?
She followed them to a screen where the Doctor immediately started his examination, glasses perched on his nose in an instant.
"Does this show the entire city, including the Hath zones?" the Doctor wanted to know.
"Yes. Why?" Cobb wanted to know.
"Well, it'll help us find Martha," the Doctor said simply.
"We've more important things to do. The progeneration machines are powered down for the night shift, but soon as they're active, we could breed a few platoons from the five of you," Cobb said.
"I'm not having sons and daughters by some great big flipping machine. Sorry, no offense, but you're not…well, I mean, you're not real," Donna said awkwardly to Jenny.
Freya felt as if she'd been struck at Donna's words.
"You're no better than him. I have a body, I have a mind, I have independent thought. How am I not real? What makes you better than me?" Jenny demanded.
"Nothing. Nothing does," Freya reassured the girl, moving quickly to her side. She wrapped an arm around Jenny's shoulder, noting that despite Jenny's strong words she was still quivering from it all.
"Well said, soldier. We need more like you, if ever we're to find the Source," Cobb said firmly. Freya flinched at the man's words, as did Jenny. Neither of them liked the fact that he was referring to Jenny only as a soldier.
"Oooh, the Source. What's that, then? What's a Source? I like a Source. What is it?" the Doctor asked.
"You can practically hear the capitalization there," James muttered, earning a small giggle from Jenny. James seemed highly pleased with himself for that smile.
"The Breath of Life," Cobb said.
"And that would be?" the Doctor pressed.
"In the beginning, the great one breathed life into the universe. And then she looked at what she'd done, and she sighed," Cline explained.
"She. I like that," Jenny said.
"You would," Ianto said, giving the girl a grin. He seemed to like her as well.
"Right. So it's a creation myth," the Doctor said, unamused.
"It's not myth. It's real. That sigh. From the beginning of time it was caught and kept as the Source. It was lost when the war started, but it's here, somewhere. Whoever holds the Source controls the destiny of the planet," Cobb explained angrily as the Doctor continued to fiddle with the map.
Only for the map to make some sort of buzzing noise.
"What did you just do?" Freya asked anxiously.
"I thought so. There's a suppressed layer of information in this map. If I can just…aha!" the Doctor exclaimed happily as a whole new layer came up on the map. The Doctor tucked his sonic screwdriver back in his pocket.
"What is it? What's it mean?" Donna asked.
"See? A whole complex of tunnels hidden from sight," the Doctor grinned triumphantly. Cobb leaned closer as well.
"That must be the lost temple there. The Source will be inside. You've shown us the way. And look, we're closer than the Hath. It's ours!" Cobb exclaimed joyously. He spun around, eyes landing on the nearest soldier.
"Tell them to prepare to move out. We'll progenerate new soldiers on the morning shift, then we march. Once we reach the Temple, peace will be restored at long last," Cobb declared.
"Er, call me old-fashioned, but if you really wanted peace, couldn't you just stop fighting?" the Doctor asked, tugging slightly on his ear.
"Only when we have the Source. It'll give us the power to erase every stinking Hath from the face of this planet," Cobb cried.
"Hang on, back up a second. You were talking about peace," James protested, eyes going wide.
"And now it's all genocide," Ianto agreed, giving Cobb a worrying look.
"For us, that means the same thing," Cobb said, attempting to be solemn but his glee kept showing despite his attempt to hide it.
"Then you need to get yourself a better dictionary. When you do, look up genocide. You'll see a little picture of me there, and the caption will read, over my dead body," the Doctor swore angrily.
"And you're the one who showed us the path to victory. But you can consider the irony from your prison cell. Cline, at arms," Cobb ordered. Cline moved forward quickly with his gun, another two soldiers behind him.
"Oi! Watch it, Rambo," Donna spat at them as they prodded her forward with their guns.
"Take them. I won't have them spreading treason. And if you try anything, Doctor, I'll see that your women die first," Cobb said, nodding to Donna and Freya.
"No – we're not a couple," the Doctor protested, glancing over at Donna.
"They're the couple," Donna added, exasperated.
"Come on, this way," Cline ordered.
"I'm going to stop you, Cobb. You need to know that," the Doctor told him.
"I have an army and the Breath of God on my side, Doctor. What'll you have?" Cobb asked, amused at the protest.
"This," the Doctor said, pointing to his head.
"Lock them up and guard them at all times," Cobb ordered, directing his attention back to the army that was amassing before him.
"What about the new soldier?" Cline asked, eyeing Jenny. He'd been eyeing her the whole time, Freya realized. Him and James both had been.
"Can't trust her. She's from pacifist stock. Take them all," Cobb dismissed, and Jenny was dragged off alongside them.
The lot of them were thrown in a cage, where Donna immediately took to examining the number etched into the top of it.
"More numbers. They've got to mean something," Donna said urgently.
"Makes as much sense as the Breath of Life story," the Doctor grumbled.
"I don't know. She might have something here. Do you remember the last number?" James asked her, dragging his attention from Jenny and focusing once more on Donna.
"You mean it's not true? The story?" Jenny asked the Doctor, surprised.
"It's a myth," Ianto informed her, giving her a smile when she turned to him..
"Yes, but there could still be something real in that temple. Something that's become a myth. A piece of technology, a weapon," the Doctor guessed.
"Hold on," Donna said, spinning around from her conversation with James, "Are you meaning to tell me that this Source thing could be a weapon and we've just given directions to Captain Nutjob?"
"We didn't. He did," James said, nodding his head towards the Doctor.
"I didn't invite you to come along just to nag at me," the Doctor complained.
"You never invite me along. Your wife does," James shot back at him triumphantly.
"As much fun as listening to your arguing is, we do still have Martha out there, alone," Freya reminded them.
"You don't even like Martha," the Doctor tried waving her off.
"No, I don't, but I don't like having anyone left behind. And you shouldn't either, since you actually do like her," Freya shot back angrily.
"You are an aggressive lot, aren't you?" Jenny observed, staring intently at them.
"No, we're nothing like them!" the Doctor protested, immediately seeing what she was getting at.
"You keep insisting that, but look at you drawing up strategies like a proper general," Jenny argued.
"No, no, I'm trying to stop the fighting," the Doctor protested.
"Isn't every soldier?" Jenny demanded.
"Yes."
It was James that cut into the conversation.
"Yes, we all are. But there is a difference, Jenny. Some of us fight because we're trying to keep the peace for all people. Those guys out there? They fight for their own agendas, for a peaceful world with only them in it," James tried explaining.
"But why it is always an us verses them mentality? Even you have that," Jenny pointed out.
"We do. But we have that in hopes to reconcile the difference," Ianto added quietly.
"Look, we don't have time for this. Donna, give me your phone. You need an upgrade," the Doctor said, pulling his sonic screwdriver out.
"And now you have a weapon as well," Jenny said bitterly, giving him a glare.
"Definitely your daughter. Keep her away from Bad Wolf, please. He doesn't need her influence on him," the Doctor ordered.
"I'll do what I like," Jenny shot back at him.
The Doctor opened his mouth and wisely closed it once more. He took the phone Donna was holding out to him and started sonicking it.
"Oh, you're speechless. I'm loving this. You keep on, Jenny. Like mother like daughter," Donnaa cheered. The Doctor ignored her and pocketed his screwdriver before dialing a number in Donna's phone.
"Martha, you're alive!" the Doctor exclaimed.
"Thank God," Freya breathed.
"I didn't want to have to explain to Jack why Martha died," Ianto agreed in relief, shoulders dropping.
"Everyone else is here. Donna, Ianto, James, Freya. We're fine. What about you?" the Doctor asked.
"And Jenny. She's fine too," Donna interjected fiercely.
"Yes, alright, and Jenny. That's the woman from the machine. The soldier. Freya's daughter. Except she isn't, she's…anyway. Where are you?" the Doctor asked hurriedly.
"Oh, yeah, sorry, that was me. If both armies are heading that way, there's going to be a bloodbath," the Doctor realized, eyes going wide. He was quiet for a moment, then nodded.
"Just stay where you are," the Doctor ordered, "If you're safe there, don't move, do you hear?"
He then sighed.
"Her phone died, I think. Hopefully she'll listen," the Doctor said, but he didn't sound too hopeful at the thought.
"She's a companion. She was probably wandering off before she even got off the phone with you," James grumbled.
In the background, they could hear the soldiers in the other room shouting.
"They're getting ready to move out. We have to get past that guard," the Doctor realized.
"I can deal with him," Jenny said, moving forward with a purpose.
"No. You're not going anywhere," the Doctor said with a frown.
"You belong here with them," the Doctor said.
"No. She belongs with us," Freya said firmly.
"She is not your daughter," the Doctor protested.
"She is my daughter," Freya shot right back.
"She came from that machine!"
"And that makes her any less mine?"
Donna, it seemed, had had enough.
"Both of you, shut up! Doctor, do you still have that stethoscope?" Donna asked him. Puzzled, the Doctor pulled it from his pocket and Donna snatched it from him, moving to Jenny.
"What are you doing?" Jenny asked, eyeing the stethoscope with distaste.
"It's alright. Just hold still," Donna told the girl as she listened to her chest. Then moved it to the other side. Donna nodded and pulled it from her ears.
"Come here, listen, and then tell me where she belongs," Donna ordered. The Doctor reluctantly moved to Donna's side, doing as she asked. After a moment, he pulled back.
"Two hearts," the Doctor murmured.
"Exactly," Donna agreed.
"What's going on?" Jenny wanted to know.
"Does that mean she's a female Time Lord?" Donna wanted to know.
"Probably not," Freya disagreed, "I'm not, and I have two hearts as well."
"Why do I have two hearts? What's a Time Lord?" Jenny asked, blue eyes wide with curiosity.
"It's who I am. It's where I'm from," the Doctor said with a sigh.
"You have two hearts because I do. It's complicated, darling. But it shows. You're from me. As we've been trying to point out," Freya said with a sigh.
"She's not. We already have two children. A son and a daughter. That's all we need," the Doctor protested angrily.
"And our daughter is dying!"
As soon as Freya said the words, she wished she could take them back. Everyone flinched back at the ferocity of her words. Freya sighed and ran a hand through her hair.
"Look, I love Lil' Red and Bad Wolf. I love them both. But they're not with us anymore. And Lil' Red? She's dying. She won't live past thirteen or so. You know that. I know that. What's wrong with wanting another child?" Freya asked, begged him.
"We've got our hands full," the Doctor said, but his words lacked their previous conviction.
"You may, but I don't. I'm lonely, Doctor. I've been lonely for awhile. I just want my children, but as soon as I have them, we get separated and they're adults, or nearly dead, when I see them again. Is it so wrong for me to want children, companionship?" Freya asked him, her voice much softer now.
The Doctor's shoulders fell, defeated.
"I…Freya," he said, his tone heartbroken. Freya moved to his side and wrapped her arms around him tightly. He didn't hesitate to reciprocate.
When she finally let go of him, Jenny was eyeing the cell's door with a grim look of determination.
"Jenny, no. Whatever you're thinking of doing, don't," Freya ordered. Jenny flashed her a smile.
"I'm busting us out though. Sounds good, right?" she asked before sauntering up to the gate. Ianto pulled Freya back the moment she rushed for Jenny.
"Get back. All of you. To the shadows. Look sulky," Ianto ordered.
"Why? What's she doing?" James demanded. Ianto shoot his head.
"She's busting us out," Ianto said as Jenny rested her head against the bars. Eyes glued to the man guarding their door.
The same man who'd found them in the tunnels.
"Hey," Jenny said, tilting her head as she made eye contact with the guard.
"I'm not supposed to talk to you. I'm on duty," the man said, but his eyes slid over to her nonetheless.
"I know. Guarding me. So, does that mean I'm dangerous, or that I need protecting?" Jenny proceeded to bat her eyelashes at the guy, laughing slightly at her own words.
"Protecting from what?" the guard asked as he moved closer so he was facing Jenny, only the bars of the cell keeping them apart.
"Oh I don't know. Men like you?" Jenny asked innocently, reaching out to smooth over the collar of his uniformed shirt. He inched closer still. Jenny pulled him closer by his shirt and kissed him through the bars, hands sliding down his back.
And grabbed the gun from his belt, pressing it to his head.
"Keep quiet and open the door," Jenny ordered as she pulled back from the kiss.
The boy's horror filled, surprised expression had Donna laughing.
"I'd like to see you try that," Donna shot at the Doctor with a smug grin as the guard fumbled to unlock the doors.
"I've done it before. It's not too difficult," Ianto said, looking uncomfortable when all eyes shifted to him.
"You knew she was going to do that," the Doctor accused.
"I guessed," Freya admitted weakly.
"Seducing the guards always works," Ianto defended Freya, although even James rolled his eyes at that one.
"Come on. We need to get out of here if we're going to find your friend," Jenny told them, shoving the guard in the cell they'd just left and locking it swiftly behind her.
They made their way down the hall before coming to a guard by a set of stairs.
"That's the way out, isn't it?" James asked with a frown.
"Of course it is," Ianto said, moving forward. Donna stopped him.
"Let me distract this one. I have picked a few womanly wiles over the years," Donna said smugly. The Doctor quickly stopped her just as she moved to go to the guard.
"Let's…save your wiles for later. In case of an emergency," the Doctor said awkwardly as
Ianto once more moved to go out there.
"I can distract him," Ianto insisted.
"Or we can use this," the Doctor said, pulling a…mouse…from his pocket? He wound it up before setting it on the ground. The mouse made its way over to the guard and passed him, causing the guard to spin around in confusion.
That was all it took for Jenny to rush out and knock the man out with the pistol she'd swiped from the first guard.
"Good time," Ianto praised her, while the Doctor glared.
"I was going to distract him, not clobber him," the Doctor protested angrily.
"Well it worked, didn't it?" Jenny demanded, clearly getting fed up with the Doctor.
"It did. Where to?" Freya asked the Doctor, hoping to waylay any more arguments. They had more important things to do. Freya's eyebrows shot up when she saw that the Doctor now had a map in his hands.
"They must all have a copy of that new map. Okay. Down the stairs. You can just stay here though. Don't hurt anyone," the Doctor ordered Jenny.
"Oh, I am so coming," Jenny scoffed at him, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder as she examined the map over his shoulder. The Doctor tried to ignore her and started walking down the stairs, forcing everyone else to follow him. They went that way for a while before the Doctor stopped in his tracks, turning the map sideways before righting it once more.
"Wait. This is it. The hidden tunnel. There must be a control panel," the Doctor said, jerking his head towards a smaller door.
"Wait a minute. It's another one of those numbers. They're everywhere," Donna said, staring up at the wall.
"The original builders must have left them. Some old cataloging system," the Doctor shrugged it off.
"You got a pen? A bit of paper. Because, you see, the numbers are counting down. This one ends in four. The prison cell one said six," Donna pointed out.
"You guys are always thinking, all of you. Who are you people?" Jenny asked, highly intrigued.
"I'm the Doctor. And these are my companions," the Doctor said irritably.
"The Doctor. That's it? And seriously? Mum's just a companion?" Jenny asked in disgust, glaring up at the Doctor.
"No. Not that. She's my wife," the Doctor changed quickly.
"And that's all you'll ever get out of him," James warned her.
"Wait. If you go by the Doctor, does that mean you don't have a name either? Are you an anomaly also?" Jenny asked eagerly, all but skipping right up to his side.
"No," the Doctor said abruptly.
"Oh, come off it. You're the most anomalous bloke I've ever met," Donna scoffed at him as the Doctor stopped in front of a control panel, pulling out his sonic screwdriver.
"Here it is," the Doctor said excitedly.
"What are you for though, exactly? You aren't human. What is your purpose?" Jenny continued, not deterred by his lack of focus on her.
"For?" the Doctor asked, startled, "They're not for anything."
"So what do you do?" Jenny asked.
"I travel through space and time," the Doctor said as he continued to fiddle with the control panel.
"He saves planets, rescues civilisations, defeats terrible creatures. And runs a lot. Seriously, there's an outrageous amount of running involved," Donna complained as the door in front of them opened.
"You're telling me. You try keeping up when you're pregnant," Freya added. Donna shook her head and punched the Doctor lightly on the air.
"Got it! Ow! What was that for?" the Doctor complained.
"Being a prat," Donna said, just as they heard a voice down the hall.
"Squad five, with me," the general's voice called out.
"Now, what were you saying about running?" the Doctor asked with a grin before taking off running, leaving the rest of them to dash after him.
They all came to a crashing halt when they turned a corner and saw laser beams criss-crossing behind the passage. The passage they were supposed to be taking.
They were trapped.
"That's not mood lighting, is it?" Donna asked, deflating. The Doctor pulled the mouse out of his pocket from before and gave it a light toss into the laser beams.
It was instantly disintegrated.
"Go sonic it or something!" James hissed at him, glancing nervously over his shoulder.
"I didn't think so," Donna muttered as the Doctor threw himself a blue box on the wall.
"Sonicking it," the Doctor shot back at James. Ianto and Jenny were huddled at the corner, watching out for the general and his men.
"Donna," Freya murmured, pointing up at the wall. Donna turned and her eyes narrowed on the numbers.
"There's more of these. Always eight numbers, counting down the closer we get," Donna murmured.
"Any idea yet as to what they are?" Freya asked.
"Working on it," Donna said, sounding so much like the Doctor in that moment that Freya wanted to laugh.
"Right! Here we go!" the Doctor shouted, the lasers disappearing. He took off running through the area, grabbing Donna's hand and tugging her along as he did. James was right on his tail.
"Corridor!" the General's voice shouted. Close by. Too close by.
"The general," Jenny breathed before grabbing the pistol from her pocket.
"What are you doing?" Freya asked as James grabbed her hand and tugged her down the corridor as well.
"I can hold them off. They're too close, and they probably know how to take the lasers down," Jenny said.
Ianto remained at her side, looking torn.
"No. We don't need any more dead," the Doctor protested, dropping Donna's hand only to snatch Freya's from Jame's hand.
"It's us or them!" Jenny protested.
"It doesn't mean you have to kill them!" the Doctor shouted back at her.
"I'm trying to save your life. All of your lives," Jenny argued with him, her eyes flashing.
"Listen to me. The killing. After a while, it infects you. And once it does, you're never rid of it," the Doctor's tone dropped, a touch softer than before.
"We don't have a choice," Jenny protested. At her side, Ianto nodded, his expression cool and indifferent.
"We always have a choice," the Doctor tried, but Jenny shook her head.
"I'm sorry," Jenny said, dashing around the corner. Ianto gave Freya a soft smile before following the girl, pulling out his own gun.
"He still has a gun?" the Doctor protested, whirling on Freya angrily.
"I knew nothing about a gun. But he works with Torchwood. He's always prepared," Freya told him.
"Just like a girl scout," James said gleefully.
"I thought that was boy scouts?" Donna asked.
"They're both prepared," the Doctor said absently as a gunshot rang out. Then a second.
"I told you all. She's nothing but a soldier," the Doctor said grimly.
"She's trying to help us," Donna protested.
"Jenny, come on!" Freya shouted. She didn't like this. The feeling of worry was starting to cloud her mind.
"I'm coming!" Jenny shot back from around the corner, but she didn't' appear.
"Let's go!" the Doctor shouted, running a hand worriedly through his hair.
And then there was another shot.
"Jenny!" Freya called out!"
"Hurry up!" Donna added as Jenny and Ianto appeared around the corner.
Just as the lasers went back up.
"No! No, no, no, no, no! The circuit's looped back!" the Doctor shouted, eyes wide.
"Can't you zap it back again?" Donna asked.
"Slide the screwdriver to them?" Freya begged.
"Too many lasers, and the controls are back there," the Doctor said.
"They're coming," Jenny said, glancing worriedly over her shoulder.
"Not for long," Ianto said before turning back to the box the Doctor had zapped before, pulling it apart in one movement.
"I can't get you out," the Doctor said, his tone final. Jenny nodded, jaw locking.
"But I can," Ianto said smoothly as the lasers went out. Ianto didn't even fix the box – instead, he grabbed Jenny's hand and started running.
"Five seconds," Ianto gasped out as they dashed across the hallway, running into Freya just as the lasers went back up.
"How did you do that?" the Doctor asked, eyes wide.
"I'm just a touch brilliant," Ianto said solemnly as he released Jenny's hand.
"My brother, you are. Of course you're brilliant," Jenny bragged with a smile as she kissed his cheek.
"We didn't kill him. General Cobb. I could have killed him. We could have killed him. But we didn't. You were right. We do have a choice," Jenny said proudly as she stared up at the Doctor, waiting, hoping for approval. Freya held her breath as the Doctor's face lit up.
"Brilliant, you are," he finally exclaimed, pulling Jenny in for a hug.
"He's changed his tune," James muttered.
"Which is a good thing. She wanted approval. She had it from me. Now she has it from him as well," Freya explained. James could only nod sadly, eyes drifting over to Ianto.
Ianto, who in all honesty was actually his son.
Freya felt as if she'd been hit as the realization struck her. If Alternate Freya was Ianto's mother, then James was his father.
On the other side of the lasers, the General appeared. General Cobb, according to Jenny.
"At arms!" the general ordered.
"I warned you, Cobb," the Doctor said darkly, "If the Source is a weapon, I'm going to make sure you never use it."
"One of us is going to die today, and it won't be me," General Cobb promised as the men's guns were raised. They took off running quickly down the hall.
Once they had run a good distance, they were able to slow. Well, actually, Donna and Freya slowed. Upon seeing them slow down, the guys then found it in themselves to stop running as well. Jenny wormed her way right in the middle, eyes constantly examining them and darting about, trying to figure everything out.
"So you all travel together? But only you two are together?" Jenny finally asked, nodding between Freya and the Doctor.
"Yeah. Only them. I'm not with either of those blokes," Donna agreed.
"Oi! What's so wrong with us?" James asked indignantly.
"Nothing's wrong with you. You look like a proper bloke – it's him I wouldn't be caught dead with," Donna scoffed at the Doctor who frowned at her, examining his shirt as if that was the only reason she could have for not wanting to be with him.
"We're all friends, that's all. I mean, we're not all even the same species," Donna continued, shrugging it off.
"There's probably laws against that sort of thing," James agreed, giving Freya a meaningful look as he said it.
"Doubt it. After all, Jack sleeps with anything that moves. Jack's my boss," Ianto elaborated when he felt Jenny's curious eyes on him.
"You have a boss? Is travelling your job?" Jenny wanted to know.
"No. I'm…let's just say I'm on vacation. It's like a holiday for me," Ianto finished, leaving Jenny appearing unsatisfied with his answer.
"And what's it like, travelling?" Jenny wanted to know, nearly bouncing in place as they sped down the hallways at a brisk pace.
"Oh, never a dull moment. It can be terrifying, brilliant, and funny, sometimes all at the same time. I've seen some amazing things though. Whole new worlds," Donna said, shaking her head as she thought about it.
"And that's why he brings us all along. He likes showing off the wonders of the worlds," Freya teased, elbowing the Doctor as she grinned at him. He grinned right back.
"Oh, I'd love to see new worlds," Jenny said wistfully.
"You will," James promised.
The Doctor's grin went away just as quickly as it had came.
"She will, won't she, Doctor?" Donna asked, also picking up on his mood change.
"I suppose so," the Doctor said carefully.
Jenny stopped in her place before speeding back up to fall in step with them all.
"You mean…you mean you'll take me with you?" she asked, her eyes so full of hope that Freya decided if the Doctor said no, she'd outright leave him until he regenerated.
"Well, we can't leave you here, can we?" the Doctor said rhetorically.
"No. We can't," Freya answered, just in case he was debating such an action.
"Then no. We can't leave you here," the Doctor said with a nod. Jenny was nearly vibrating with excitement.
"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! Come on! Let's get a move on!" she exclaimed before giving the Doctor a kiss on the cheek before running ahead of them.
"Careful! There might be traps!" the Doctor shouted after her as she rounded a corner.
"Kids. They never listen," Donna said fondly before she got a good look at the Doctor, "Oh, I know that look. I see it a lot round our way. Blokes with pushchairs and frowns. You've got dad-shock."
The Doctor shook his head, frowning at Donna.
"Dad shock?" the Doctor asked.
"Sudden unexpected fatherhood. I saw it a lot, growing up," Ianto explained for Donna.
"Which doesn't make sense, since you already have two children," James added.
"I don't have dad-shock," the Doctor said.
"No. You totally do," Freya disagreed.
"No, it's not that," the Doctor protested.
"Well, what is it then?" Donna demanded, "Having Jenny in the TARDIS, is it? What's she going to do, cramp your style? Like you've got a sports car and she's going to turn it into a people carrier?"
"Donna, we travel with our children occasionally. It just…It's scarier. And more dangerous," Freya said, eyes widening when she saw the Doctor sigh in relief.
"It's exactly that," the Doctor said, "You have no idea how many I've lost, travelling."
"Lost?" Donna asked, her voice small.
"Not everyone can survive," Freya said sadly. The Doctor reached over and grabbed her hand, deciding the conversation was over.
"Come on. Before she gets into trouble," the Doctor said, striding forward quickly with Freya's hand in his.
Gunfire echoed through the corridor.
Jenny came running back.
"They must've blasted through the beams. Time to run again. Love the running, yeah?" she asked, grinning with her tongue in cheek in a way that reminded Freya painfully of Rose. They took off running, only to come to a dead end.
Or, sort of a dead end.
"Can't be. This must be the Temple. This has to be a door," the Doctor decided, dropping Freya's hand to sonic at the wall.
"There's more numbers," James murmured to Donna, who quickly pulled her notepad out and scribbled it down.
"We're down to one two now," Donna said, pointing at the number as the Doctor let out an excited cry.
"I've got it!" the Doctor said.
"I can hear them," Jenny said worriedly.
"Nearly done," the Doctor amended.
"It can't just be a cataloguing system. Not with how the numbers are changing," Donna said more to herself than anyone else at that point.
"They're getting closer," Jenny said from the corner, where she had moved to keep a lookout when Freya hadn't been paying attention.
"Then get back here," Freya ordered as the door opened for the Doctor.
They ran through it and the Doctor quickly set to work closing it.
As soon as it was locked, Jenny laughed.
"Oh, that was close," she said.
"No fun otherwise," the Doctor told her.
"She sounds more like him than Freya," James muttered to Donna.
"I wouldn't go that far. I've seen Freya get excited too," Donna shot right back before frowning at the room before them.
"This isn't what I'd call a temple," Donna complained.
And Freya frowned as well.
"Fusion drive transport. It's a spaceship," the Doctor agreed.
"What, the original one? The one the first colonists arrived in?" Donna asked skeptically.
"That doesn't make sense. It's still running," Freya argued.
"She's right. The power cells would have run down after all that time. This one's still fully-functioning," the Doctor said, moving forward. They made their way up a flight of stairs, only to see someone cutting through another door.
"It's the Hath. That door's not going to last much longer. And if General Cobb gets through down there, war's going to break out," Jenny warned, but the Doctor was distracted.
"Look! Look, look, look! It's the ship's log!" the Doctor cried out joyously. He started messing with things, reading off what it said aloud.
"First wave of Human/Hath co-colonization of planet Messaline," the Doctor read.
"So it is the original ship," Jenny realized.
"But we already established that it couldn't be," Ianto corrected them.
"What happened?" Donna wanted to know.
"Phase one, construction. They used robot drones to build the city," the Doctor said.
"But does it mention the war?" Donna persisted. The Doctor was silent for a moment, skimming over things.
"Final entry. 'Mission commander dead. Still no agreement on who should assume leadership. Hath and humans have divided into two factions and turned on each other.' Started using the progeneration machines, suddenly you've got two armies fighting a never-ending war," the Doctor said grimly.
"Two armies who are both now outside," James pointed out.
"Hold on. Look at that," Donna said, pointing to a display. With a number like the ones they'd been seeing everywhere else.
"It's like the numbers in the tunnel," the Doctor realized.
"No, no, no, no. But listen, I spent six months working as a temp in Hounslow Library, and I mastered the Dewey Decimal System in two days flat. I'm good with numbers. It's staring us right in the face," Donna said excitedly.
"I'm good with numbers too, but I don't see anything," James complained.
"What is it?" Jenny wanted to know.
"It's the date. Assuming the first two numbers are some big old space date, then you've got the year, month, day. It's the other way round, like it is in America," Donna said.
"Oh! It's the New Byzantine Calendar," the Doctor realized.
"The codes are completion dates for each section. They finish it, they stamp the date on. So the numbers aren't counting down, they're going out from here, day by day, as the city got built," Donna explained.
"Yes! Oh, good work, Donna!"
"Yeah, but you're still not getting it," Donna said, frustrated, "The first number I saw back there, was sixty-twelve-oh-seven-seventeen. Well, look at the date today," Donna said.
"Oh-seventy-twenty-four….No," the Doctor shook his head.
"What does it mean?" Jenny wanted to know.
"Seven days," the Doctor murmured.
"That's it. Seven days," Donna agreed.
"What does that mean, seven days?" James demanded.
"Seven days since war broke out," the Doctor said.
"This way started seven days ago. Just a week," Donna said in disbelief.
"They said years," Jenny protested.
"No. They said generations," Ianto realized.
"And if they're all like you, and they're products of those machines…" Donna drifted off.
"They could have twenty generations in a day. Each generation gets killed in the war, passes on the legend. Oh, Donna, you're a genius!" the Doctor said happily.
"Coulda told you that," Freya teased.
"But all the buildings, the encampments. They're in ruins," Jenny argued.
"No, they're not ruined. They're just empty. Waiting to be populated. Oh, they've mythologized their entire history. The source must be part of that too. Come on," the Doctor said, pulling Freya away with him and down another hall. The others followed quickly.
They didn't get too far before they ran into Martha.
"Doctor!" she cried out happily, throwing her arms around him. The Doctor dropped Freya's hand to hug Martha back.
"Oh! I should have known you wouldn't stay away from the excitement!" the Doctor said happily.
"Wow. Everyone's still alright?" Martha asked.
"We are, but you're filthy! What happened?" Donna wanted to know.
"I, er, took the surface route," Martha said awkwardly.
Down the hall, they heard General Cobb shouting out orders to his men.
"We haven't got much time," the Doctor said grimly.
"We don't even know what we're looking for!" Donna protested, and Freya sneezed.
"Is it just me, or can you smell flowers?" Martha asked.
"Definitely flowers," Freya agreed.
"Yes! Bougainvillea. I say we follow our nose," the Doctor said as he dashed down the hallway, not even taking the time to grab Freya's hand in his hurry. They all hurried after him into a green room.
And by green, Freya meant there were plants covering every surface. Trees, flowers, grass – everything. It was so….peaceful.
"Oh yes. Isn't that brilliant?" the Doctor said gleefully. He led them up to a glowing globe that was resting on some sort of pedestal.
"The Source?" Freya asked.
"It looks quite Source-y," Ianto said with a straight face.
"It's beautiful," Jenny breathed.
"What is it?" Martha wanted to know.
"Terraforming. It's a third generation terraforming device," the Doctor explained.
"So why are we suddenly in Kew Gardens?" Donna asked.
"Because that's what it does. All this, only bigger. Much bigger. It's in a transit state. Producing all this must help keep it stable before they finally –," the Doctor was cut off by the Hath and soldiers running into the room from opposite sides, guns drawn.
"Stop! Hold your fire!" the Doctor ordered.
"What is this, some kind of trap?" General Cobb demanded of the Doctor.
"You said you wanted this war over," the Doctor reminded him.
"I want this war won," General Cobb amended.
"You can't win. No one can. You don't even know why you're here. Your whole history, it's just Chinese whispers, getting more distorted the more it's passed on. This is the Source. This is what you're fighting over. A device to rejuvenate a planet's ecosystem. It's nothing mythical. It's from a laboratory, not some creator. It's a bubble of gases. A cocktail of stuff for accelerated evolution. Methane, hydrogen, ammonia, amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids. It's used to make barren planets habitable. Look around you. It's not for killing, it's bringing life. If you allow it, it can lift you out of these dark tunnels and into the bright, bright sunlight. No more fighting, no more killing," the Doctor said. As he spoke, the soldiers and the hath seemed to be lowering their guns.
Listening to him.
The Doctor picked up the glowing globe.
"I'm the Doctor, and I declare this war over!" the Doctor shouted as he threw the globe at the ground. It shattered and the stuff inside slowly filtered out, drifting upwards.
All the soldiers and Hath completely lowered their guns. Except General Cobb.
"What's happening?" Jenny asked, her voice nearing awe.
"The gases will escape and trigger the terraforming process," the Doctor said.
"What does that mean?"
"It means a new world," the Doctor said, beaming at her.
And Jenny's eyes went wide in horror. She threw herself at the Doctor, and James gave her a hard shove as she lunged for the Doctor.
A gun went off.
Both Jenny and the Doctor fell to the ground. Freya dropped next to them quickly, eyes scanning the two of them.
Jenny was bleeding.
Martha was down on the ground too.
And let out a sigh of relief.
"It's just her arm. If we stop the bleeding, I'll be able to fix it entirely on the TARDIS," Martha said. Between her and James, they quickly got to work stopping the bleeding.
But the Doctor was in a rage.
He threw himself to his feet, stalking to Cobb. The other soldiers grabbed Cobb, holding him down. The Doctor grabbed the gun off the ground and pointed it at Cobb.
"Doctor?" Freya asked worriedly. The gun in his hand was shaking.
He slowly lowered it. Glanced back at Jenny, making sure she was safe.
"I never would. Have you got that? I never would. When you start this new world, this world of human and hath, remember that. Make the foundation of this society a man who never would," the Doctor said, dropping the gun to the ground.
"It's time to go," he said simply, turning on his heel and walking out.
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James carried a light-headed Jenny back to the TARDIS, once they stopped the bleeding. Jenny had been staring at him the entire time.
It wasn't until they entered the TARDIS and the doors closed that Jenny spoke.
"You saved my life," she said to James.
"I knew you were going to do something stupid. I saw the gun. You're too much Freya," James said gruffly, shaking his head as he sat her down on the table in the examination room.
In the doorway, Freya stood between Ianto and the Doctor, Donna on the Doctor's other side. Martha was working with James to clean Jenny up.
"Jenny was the reason for the TARDIS bringing us here," the Doctor said.
"What? Why?" Freya asked.
"I don't know. But it had to be Jenny. Only we got here too soon, which then created Jenny. A paradox. Time to go home?" he asked rhetorically before heading back to the control room.
"That still doesn't make sense," Donna protested after the Doctor had left.
"Unless there's something more important about Jenny than we realized," Ianto corrected.
"Or maybe the TARDIS was attached to her. Is attached to her. I used to speak with the TARDIS. She doesn't talk as much now, but she was very attached to me, and by extension my children. She may've done that because Jenny needed to exist and couldn't without us there," Freya guessed.
"You sound like him, when you think aloud like that," Donna realized, staring at Freya.
"Sometimes. It's what happens, after spending so much time with someone," Freya said with a shrug.
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In the end, Martha, James, and Jenny all decided to stay on Earth for the time being. Martha wanted Jenny close to by monitor her arm, and James wasn't going anywhere without Jenny.
The TARDIS felt much emptier.
But it was still nice. Ianto hadn't made any move to leave, and Freya had a feeling they would have pry Donna from the TARDIS if they ever wanted her to leave.
She ignored the feeling that told her she was wrong about that. That reminded her that, someday, Donna would be left on earth.
But for now?
Everything was going to be alright.