Seo and Jenny visit Gallifrey
I actually started writing this story, before I decided not to write the rest. I'll put some of the snippets I wrote into this summary. The parts written in past tense are parts of the actual story, already written.
By this point, I wanted Dawn to be married and expecting a child. I was planning to write another story, which came before this one, which explained all this.
Dawn winds up with three children: Joy, the eldest, is a girl who is named after Joyce; Nate is named after Dawn's husband's father; and Will is named after Donna's grandfather Wilf, because Donna has helped them out so much over the years.
Dawn is currently pregnant with Will, in this story.
It's a little long, so I'm splitting this up between several chapters.
In the light of the setting suns, the silhouette of two Time Lords appeared in shadow, above the landscape. Looking through the window of the Capital, out at the red grass and silver trees of their home.
One sighed.
"So that's it, then," she said. Her voice flat. Emotionless. "It's over. The crack has been sealed, all links to the Doctor severed. And this planet… will remain where it is."
The Time Lord beside her said nothing.
His hands clasped behind his back, his stare steady out the window.
"It feels odd, doesn't it, Braxiatel?" said the Time Lady, stealing a glance at her companion. "After standing here, every day, seeing that tear in reality, and waiting and hoping and praying he would get the message… now, it's over. All over."
Still, Braxiatel said nothing.
"Silent, are we?" the Time Lady asked.
"You know my views on the matter, my Lady Romana," Braxiatel replied.
Romana, with a small laugh, "Yes, well. You did make them clear on one or two occasions."
"Gallifrey faces the biggest crisis in its history," Braxiatel replied. "I fail to see how a plan to shunt the planet several universes to the left would solve any of that. If you ask me, this rather pointless scheme was a waste of time, money, and resources — and it should have ended centuries ago."
"You're very quick to dismiss the technological innovation and progress we used to create all this," Romana replied.
Braxiatel flicked his eyes over to her. "The riots in Southern Gallifrey," he reminded her, softly. "That unpleasantness to the east, several days ago. The Victor's cult growing ever stronger, in the outlands. Not to mention—"
"Yes, I am aware of current events," Romana replied. Looking back out the window, again. No longer able to meet his eyes.
They said nothing.
Reflecting on the planet below.
"These are dark days for Gallifrey," Romana admitted. "But it will get better." She looked out at where their pathway to Trenzalore had once been. Her hope waning with the setting suns. "Somehow."
A faint smile appeared on Braxiatel's face. "Yes, well," he muttered. "We all have our own sources of hope."
This made Romana laugh out loud. "And you're still hoping for your… mystery hero, then?" she asked. Thinking back to what he'd told her, and listing it out on her fingers. "A pure blood Gallifreyan. Born after the war, free from both its atrocities and its memories. But not born on Gallifrey. A hero. An outsider. A traveler. But still accepted, here, as one of us."
Braxiatel said nothing.
The smile didn't fade.
"You'll be waiting a long time before that happens, Braxiatel," Romana told him. Turning, and heading back to her quarters. "With Gallifrey the way it is, now, I'd say it'll be at least three millennia before any Time Lord is born off-world."
The door closed behind her.
Leaving Braxiatel alone.
That same faint smile on his face, as the last embers of the suns set beneath the horizon.
"If you say so," Braxiatel replied.
"I found it!" Jenny cried, thrusting something in front of Seo.
They were on Earth. In front of Buffy's house. In the midst of a starless night.
Seo blinked. Rubbing sleep out of her eyes, as she took the device and struggled to get her brain working, again, long enough to work out what she was seeing.
"You found… a planet," Seo muttered. She sighed, handing back the device. "Tell me again why this couldn't wait until morning?"
"It is morning," Jenny replied. "Three in the morning. Are you really human enough that you sleep that long?"
Seo figured that wasn't worth dignifying with an answer.
"And besides," said Jenny. "I didn't find a planet. I found the planet."
"You found…?" Seo was wide awake, suddenly. "You're kidding!"
"Nope; I got the readings a while ago," Jenny explained, tweaking a few settings on her gizmo. "But couldn't make heads nor tails of them. And there was no getting past that blockade — especially not after the Daleks started storming all the other ships and blasting their way through."
"So the secret really was somewhere on that… Tents Galore planet?" Seo said.
Jenny shot her a pointed look. "Trenzalore, Seo. It's called 'Trenzalore'."
Jenny had been trying to get down to the surface of Trenzalore for years, now. Constantly hopping back and forth in time, trying to find a weak-point in the blockade.
But she'd never actually managed to break through.
"It was Donna Noble who figured out the answer, actually," Jenny explained. "I came to get some help from Ace, and we had all these equations and things spread out on numerous chalk-boards. Unable to work them out. Then Donna turned up and wrote down the answer — said it just 'popped into her head'." She flipped something around in her gizmo. "Your aunt's doing fine, by the way. Considering she's blowing up like an inflated beach ball. Is that really how humans have babies?"
Seo tucked back her hair. "When they're not flown by stork," she said. She tried to sneak another peek at Jenny's device. "Don't suppose you've got my aunt stashed away in that ship of yours? Because there's no way we'll be able to leave the universe without her."
"No need!" Jenny held out two small, silver rings. "She gave me these. Said she'd had a premonition that they'd help. Besides — with two small kids and another on the way, she didn't seem enthusiastic about inter-universal adventuring."
Seo took one of the rings.
Slipped it on her finger.
There was a pleasant hum about it. Something familiar. Something that reminded her, distinctly, of her aunt.
"Now, quit dawdling, and come on!" Jenny said, grabbing Seo by the arm and dragging her behind, as she launched them both towards her ship. "It's time to do what we always planned! Time for me to meet the Time Lords, and you to rescue that weapon!"
"Yes, I am aware it's past three bells, Chancellor," Romana said, striding into the room, her robes flowing around her. "I'm sure you can imagine that, with the Rani's latest trial, I have my hands full at the moment. Where is Lord Rassilon?"
"In Southern Gallifrey, my Lady," the Chancellor replied. "It seems the riots are slightly harder to quell than we initially thought. He's sent a request for full military deployment."
Romana sighed. "Should have guessed our Supreme Leader would handle this with his usual… 'lightness of touch.'"
"My Lady Romana," said the Chancellor, a little uneasily. "The Great Lord Rassilon has no power in the government, anymore. He's hardly our Supreme…"
"Braxiatel once told me," Romana cut in, "that clever Time Lords go into politics, to fix society. But the cleverest Time Lords remain behind the scenes — controlling it."
The Chancellor looked like he was going to protest.
But Romana cut him off.
"Oh, do get on with it, Chancellor Halswin," Romana said. "I haven't got all day. What's so urgent that it couldn't wait for your Supreme Leader to return?"
"The… transduction barrier," said the Chancellor. "It's… been breached, my Lady."
Romana froze.
Hearts leaping into her throat.
"You don't mean…!" She stood up, suddenly. A thousand plans flitting through her head. "The regenerations never reached the Doctor. The Daleks are coming through. We're back to where we were before."
"No, my Lady," the Chancellor assured her. "That's not it at all. Just… an alien. Humanoid. Wandering around the Capital, somewhere. I'd assume it's one of the neighboring species in this new universe. Possibly even one the CIA has catalogued."
Romana paused. "I… see." Thought a moment longer. The implications of this were all terribly worrying. "And what does President Ulpasatonipson say about this? No — wait. I can guess. You didn't ask him."
The Chancellor looked a little sheepish.
"I have no wish to act as president, again, Chancellor Halswin," Romana told him. And she somehow doubted Rassilon would let her get anywhere near the presidency if she tried. "Go to the Lord President. Or the CIA Coordinator." She headed back out the door. "I'm sure either of them would be happy to handle both the diplomatic and safety issues inherent in this problem."
"At least give your advice, then!" said the Chancellor.
Romana paused. Yes, of course he'd want her advice. Everyone did, these days. And with Rassilon tied up in Southern Gallifrey, it was doubtful President Ulpasatonipson would have the first idea how to deal with an issue like this.
Everyone knew the Presidency of Gallifrey was little more than a joke, these days.
"Oh, all right." Romana turned back to face the Chancellor. "Round up the Chancellery Guard, and track down the alien for interrogation. Then examine the transduction barrier controls and see how they were breached. And inform the CIA — if they don't already know."
The Chancellor stood up, and bowed. "As you wish, Lady Romana."
Then began to race off.
"I never said I wished, I only…!" Romana sighed, as he trailed out of sight. "What's the use?"