Gwyn's POV
"Hey, are you going to be okay?" Tom asks as he sits next to me on our bed.
I can't find my voice enough to reply; I don't acknowledge his presence at all. Instead I stare into the photo album that rests in my lap, slowly flipping through Mum's old pictures. I stop at one of the photos, one of both Mum and Dad. It's a picture of the two of them after their adventure in 1953. Mum is dressed up in her pink poodle dress and denim jacket, with her hair pulled back by a pink headband. Dad is dressed in his usual brown-striped suit, but his usual wild hair is combed into a classic 1950's brush back.
I feel Tom's arm across my shoulders as he pulled me into his embrace.
"She was so strong. She raised me all on her own, she left her life here without a second thought. She... she was amazing. She was so brave and had so much courage. I don't know how to do that. She took so many risks and I can't do that. I don't know how I'm suppose to find her, let alone help her. She said to have faith and I'm trying to but it's so hard — it's hard to find faith when the odds aren't on our side. I mean, there's an entire universe out there and I don't know where to start!" It feels good to let loose some of my inner turmoil. I begin sobbing into Tom's chest. He just cradles me and listens. Once my sobs slow down to quiet hiccups I remove myself from Tom's warm embrace and start to wipe my face. Tom's arms don't leave my shoulders.
"I think you just need to follow your instincts. You are a thinker at heart but sometimes you just have to go with what your gut is telling you. Even if your head is screaming that it's wrong," Tom advises gently. I rest my head against his shoulder and process his words of comfort. With a sigh, I slowly pull away from him and start to get dressed for the day. Grabbing a pair of comfortable jeans, I change out of my pyjamas and slip into proper outer wear.
"Gwyn, what are you going to do?" Tom asks. I pause in my movements and turn to face him.
"I need to talk to Uncle Jack," I say before rushing out of the house to the hotel where our out-of-town wedding guests were staying. They might be out exploring London, but I had to start somewhere. I didn't know which step to take first, but I knew one thing: I was going to find my Mum.
~The Doctor's Daughter~
I knock on Uncle Jack and Ianto's hotel room, then fiddle with the end of my t-shirt. I hadn't been paying attention to what I put on since I was in such a rush to get out of the house. Apparently I'd grabbed one of my Harry Potter t-shirts with the simple words "Mischief Managed". Then the door opens and I'm faced with Ianto dressed in very casual jeans and a white t-shirt. It is really weird seeing him without his suit on. I give him a smile and a hug.
"Hey Ianto, is Uncle Jack here?" I asked. We pull away from our hug and Ianto motions me inside.
"Yes, he is, he's just on the phone with the Chinese delivery service. We thought we'd stay in today since tomorrow is all the rehearsal stuff for the official wedding. Just in case you needed us," Ianto replies, smiling, closing the door behind me. I see Jack sitting at a desk, just hanging up the phone. He gets up and turns to me, opening his arms; I ran into them like a child and give him the biggest hug I can.
"I had a feeling you'd be stopping by today, Sparky," Uncle Jack quips. I jokingly frown at his pet name for me; pulling back and putting my hands on my hips.
"I told you not to call me that," I huff. Uncle Jack just laughs and ruffles my hair.
"You'll always be little Sparky to me. Now what's up?" he asks, sitting down on the provided sofa and patting the spot next to him.
"Mum came to me in a vision," I begin. I twist my hands in anxiety. Uncle Jack is silent. That's the great thing about Uncle Jack, he may be a joker and a giant flirt but he knows when to just shut up and let me reveal at my own pace.
"She…she kept flickering in between where she really is and what she wanted to show me. From what I saw, whoever took her isn't kind. She didn't look good. But she still came to me. Mum said that I should trust him." I look up from my lap and face Uncle Jack.
"Him? Did Rosie mean the Doctor?" Uncle Jack asks.
I nod. "I don't know who else she could mean. Why does this all have to happen before my wedding?" I complain. Uncle Jack doesn't say anything for a while but he takes my hands and gives them a squeeze.
"Our family has a bad habit of things going wrong on the important days. It's tradition," he joked. I chuckle quietly in response.
"It's a stupid tradition," I scoff. "I want Mum to be there at my wedding, but what if I miss it? The Doctor isn't known for his punctuality. If I try to find my Mom before the wedding, I'll leave Tom at the altar and I can't do that."
"There's no easy way out of this, Gwyn. It's up to you to find your own way. I know that's not the answer you're looking for but there are some things I can't decide for you. Besides, no matter what I say you'll do what you want anyway. You're stubborn just like your Mom." Uncle Jack smiles. On one hand I agree with him, but on the other hand I wish he would tell me what to do like when I was little. But I'm not that little girl anymore. She died when Mum was taken.
"Uncle Jack, do you still have all those files on your search for Mum?" I ask. Uncle Jack gave me his usual charming smile and releases my hands so he can ruffle my hair.
"Of course, Sparky! I never gave up after all!" Uncle Jack declares, heading to his computer and bringing up the digital copies of the files on Mum's disappearance. I watch over his shoulder as he opens up various documents.
"STOP!" I scream suddenly, and Uncle Jack nearly falls off of his chair in surprise. I take over the mouse and go back to the picture that had caught my attention. It's a child's drawing of a woman. Even this crude picture gives me chills. She is dressed all in black which contrasts her freakishly pale skin. Her curly hair is pulled back and secured at the back of her head. She has a frown on her face and on her right eye there is a black metal eye patch. I feel knots begin to form in my stomach at the sight of her. Fear grips me like I'm a scared little girl again, and I realized I must have drawn this picture.
"Who is it?" I murmur. Uncle Jack shifts nervously in his seat.
"We never found out her name. But you said she was the one who took Rose away. You use to have terrible night terrors about her. It got so bad you didn't want to sleep. When I asked you to draw what she looked like, you didn't want to do it. It makes sense why you wouldn't remember it now," Uncle Jack explains, closing the picture and moving on to accounts of different people who would want to hurt the Doctor.
"Everything after she disappeared is sort of a blur. I wasn't really living in the world so much as simply existing," I croak hoarsely. I don't register how hard I am clenching my fists until Ianto comes up to me and starts to wipe away the small blood lines that had formed on my palm due to my nails.
"Thanks, Ianto. I didn't even know I was doing it," I stammer. Ianto gives me a reassuring smile and continues to wipe away the blood and put a band-aid over the small nicks.
"It's all right, Gwyn. Don't worry about it." Ianto assures me.
Jack continues, still staring at the computer screen, "To be honest, Gwyn, there's not a lot to go on. You were only 12 and didn't want to talk about it. You repressed any memories of what happened," he says. My shoulders slump at the news.
"Well, I guess I'll have to un-repress them. I need more information on what happened that night." Even I can hear the new note of determination in my voice. Uncle Jack and Ianto give me confused looks. "I'm part Tardis, right? I can send my consciousness back to the night it happened — like sending the Tardis back without the container. I won't be able to do anything but I will be able to see more of what's happening than when I was hidden in the safe room. Does that make sense? I have the date, time, and location. It shouldn't be too tricky, but I won't be able to stay long, since I've never done this before. As long as my consciousness doesn't get lost in the matter of the universe, I'll be safe." I explain my plan. Uncle Jack and Ianto look shocked but Uncle Jack snaps out of it fast.
"ARE YOU KIDDING? ABSOLUTELY NOT!" He stands up, towering over me, furious at the idea.
"Uncle Jack, it's the only way to find out what happened!" I argue. His entire body tenses.
"This is too risky. I mean, having you scattered across the universe? You're not doing it!" Uncle Jack bellows. My stomach knots like when he used to shout at me when I was 15 and sneaking out of the house. But I have to stand my ground now. No more hiding. I need to know what happened that night.
"Uncle Jack, I know you're scared, but I have to do this. I need to know what happened. I need to find Mum. Please." My voice breaks and I look down, only to jump with shock when Uncle Jack pulls me into a hug and starts crying. I wrap my arms around him.
"I've lost a lot of important people, Gwyn. I've lost my own brother, and Rosie who was like a sister to me. I can't bear to lose you too. You're my niece. Rosie trusted me to raise you. I know I can't stop you, but I can't help but be scared for you," Jack confesses.
"I know, Uncle Jack, but I'm not going anywhere. I'll come back," I promise. He pulls away and brushes my hair back, before kissing the top of my head.
"Promise me you'll come back, Gwyn," Uncle Jack insists.
"I'll come back safe and sound," I tell him again and again. We release each other and after taking a breath to calm myself, I walk over to lie on the hotel bed. After making myself comfortable, I focus my energy and begin to concentrate on that day and only that day. It takes a while to go far enough into meditation, but I eventually see the world disappear from around me and my old bedroom melts into existence.
As everything becomes more clear, I can see Mum beginning to tuck me — the younger me — into bed. She looks the same as I remember her. She still bleached her hair but it was more of a dirty blonde colour, less evidence that it had been dyed. I look around my old room. Lots of blue everywhere. It used to be my favourite colour; I had to have everything in blue. It was back when I believed in the stories Mum told about the Doctor, when I believed that he was a wonderful man.
I snap back to the situation at hand when I hear my younger voice.
"Mummy, will you sing me the song?" I asks. I move so I can see the moment better. I was still very much a child then; I guess an isolated childhood due to my… quirks had slowed my development a little.
"Of course, my sun and stars. You sure love that song, don't you?" Mum responds. It's so good to hear her voice again, even if it's not really directed at me. She tucks in the covers around me, making sure they are nice and cosy.
"It's the best bedtime song in the history of ever!" younger me exclaims, sitting up in bed and ruining Mum's efforts of tucking in the covers. She just laughs and pushes me back down into bed. But as she is about to start singing, there are footsteps and flashing lights outside our house. I watch helplessly as Mum snatches me up in her arms and rushes from the room. I follow her out the door and watch as she rips open the false floorboards in our cupboard and opens the metallic trap door. Mum quickly puts me down into the safe room.
"Mummy, what's going on?" The child-me asks, terrified. Mum's face softens momentarily and she gives me her final kiss.
"Sweetie, I need you to be a brave little girl for me, okay? I need you to stay here and be quiet. Please. Wolfie will protect you," Mum reassures me, even though her attention is clearly elsewhere. The Bad Wolf must already be stirring. I watch as the past me clutches my favourite stuffed animal closer and nods my head. Mum quickly closes the door to the safe room and shuts the cupboard just as the front door is smashed open. This is it.
I follow Mum down to the main floor, where I see them. It is a horde of funny looking aliens, with large egg-shaped heads and wrinkled skin. Their eyes are just large holes in their heads; they didn't even have mouths at all. Leading the charge is the eye-patched lady from my nightmares. She stands confidently in front of the group, wearing a victorious smirk, but Mum faces them all with bravery. She doesn't look scared at all. She stops right at the top of the staircase that leads to the foyer where the small invasion has assembled.
"You, Ms. Tyler, have been very hard to find," the lady says, not unfriendly, but definitely not friendly, either. Mum stands unwavering.
"Really? And just who has been looking for me?" she shoots back.
The lady lets out a chuckle; Mum doesn't flinch.
"Oh, no one of importance. Just our little alliance, that's all. Now be a good girl and hand over the child of the Doctor. We know she's here somewhere." I take an unnecessary step back from the railing and hide a little behind Mother. I know it's pointless, they don't even know I'm here, but there is something about them that just sets everything off. I watch as Mum's shoulders tense.
"Well, that's not gonna happen. I don't know who you are but clearly you are no friend to me or my family, so I'll ask that you leave now before things get ugly." At Mum's words the smirk on the lady's face falls and her false niceties quickly vanish.
"We expected this would happen. I guess there's no helping it, now. We'll just tear the place apart until we find her," the lady taunts, a different, much colder smile on her face. The army of aliens behind her is advancing towards Mum when she suddenly begins glowing a beautiful golden hue. I watch in amazement as Mum turns into the Bad Wolf.
"I don't know who you are but you aren't going near my daughter," Mum commands, her glow becoming more and more radiant. "As long as I live, you shall not touch my daughter. I shield her from your view; should you try to find her, disaster will befall you." Her voice echoes with the power of the Bad Wolf.
But despite all her strength, neither she nor I see the two aliens sneaking up behind her, dart guns in their hands. Before I can warn her, the drug is taking effect and Mum collapses to the floor. The lady now stands over her, smirking.
"Well, that's not much of a threat now that we have you, dearie. I mean, a Tardis in a human body? That's just not normal. But don't worry, I'm sure we'll find a place for you," the lady preens. I watch until everything blurs, their voices fading out and the hotel room starting to shift back. I'm losing control. No! I have to see where they take her!
"MOM!" I scream, reaching out and sitting up. I am back in the hotel room. I am breathing heavily, a weight on my chest. Uncle Jack is already at the beside, checking me over.
"Gwyn, are you all right?" he asks, and wipes my face. I don't understand what he is doing until I reach my hand up to my face and felt wetness on my cheeks. Was I really crying? I look Uncle Jack in the eye, and his worried face brings me back to reality.
"Gwyn. Are. You. Alright?" Uncle Jack reiterates. I slowly nod my head.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I reply, although after witness what I just saw, I'm anything but. Looking out the window, I see that the sun is just beginning to set. It must have been several hours; at least it isn't dark, or Tom would be worried.
"You've been out for a good three hours, Gwyn," Uncle Jack comments, trying to keep his tone light. I continue to look out the window.
"Really?" I answer distractedly. Where have I seen those aliens before? It's sitting on the very edge of my brain, a memory just waiting to surface. I begin to get off the bed before my legs suddenly give out beneath me. Luckily Uncle Jack is there to catch me.
"It's all right, just rest. I'll drive you back to your place, isn't it your bachelorette party tonight?" he says but I barely hear him. So when they didn't get me, they took Mum instead, but what have they done to her?
~ The Doctor's Daughter~
The Doctor's POV
I am fiddling with the bottom part of the Tardis console when I hear the doors slam open and then shut again. Who would be barging into the Tardis at this time, in this era? Well... it could be anyone, given that a lot of my former companions have gathered here for the wedding. Maybe it's Gwyn? I hurriedly try to think of something to say to her, to Rose's daughter, but that expectation vanishes as the visitor starts speaking. Quickly, I squash my disappointment that it isn't her and climb back up to the main area to greet my old hitchhiker.
"Hello, River," I call to her.
"Hello, Sweetie."