A/N: This adventure is from the BBC New Adventures book, Apollo 23, by Justin Richards. Lines of dialogue and description have been copied out just as they are in the book for authenticity's sake, but I took liberties with some descriptive parts and 'he said, she said' parts. I do not own Apollo 23 by Justin Richards.
As soon as the hideous creature appeared in the doorway, Major Carlisle hurled herself across the room. Her shoulder knocked the gun sideways. A blast of energy hurtled across the room and exploded on the wall, sending out sparks.
The Talerian's slimy hide was contracted as Carlisle cannoned into the creature's armor, pressing it into the skin. But the skin was tightly sprung, like the surface of a balloon, and she found herself bouncing off and crashing to the floor.
With a roar of anger, the creature took several squelching steps forwards. It raised its gun again. Amy dragged Carlisle back while the Doctor positioned himself in front of Alex and watched with apparent interest.
"You'll probably want to keep us alive," he told the Talerian. "Jackson, or whatever his real name is, wants to wipe our minds."
The creature hesitated, gun still aimed at Carlisle as Amy helped her up. Then it gave another roar, and fired.
At the same moment, the blanked and unconscious soldier sprawled across the control console groaned and straightened up. Distracted, the creature turned towards the movement. Again, its shot went wide, blasting part of the console to pieces. The soldier stared in shocked amazement.
Alex looked around and, over the Doctor's shoulder, threw the nearest thing she could find at the creature – a coffee cup. Cold dregs of coffee dripped from the cup as it turned in the air. But, like Carlisle, it just bounced off the creature's armor.
"Alex!" the Doctor hissed.
The recovering soldier's training cut in, overcoming his shock in a moment. He picked up the chair from beside the console, raised it, and charged. The wheeled base of the chair hammered into the Talerian, forcing it backwards. It bumped heavily into the wall, its whole body shimmering like jelly and armor plates rattling.
His momentum kept the soldier going. The girls stared in fascinated horror as the chair's base squashed into the creature's belly. One of the wheels on the chair was jammed between two of the loose armor plates, stretching the skin behind inwards like it was made of thin rubber. Any moment, the skin would spring back into shape and the soldier would be hurled off like he'd fallen on to a trampoline.
Except it didn't happen. The sharp surround of the wheel cut into the Talerian's skin. It pierced the rubbery hide, making the smallest of holes. But it was enough. With a rumbling, gurgling, anguished cry, the Talerian burst. Gray-green gunge erupted from its punctured skin and the whole body seemed to deflate. The bulbous arms flailed aimlessly, before losing their form and substance. The gun clattered to the floor. In a few seconds, all that was left was a pool of gooey liquid and metallic, armored plates lying across the shriveled-up hide of the creature, like a deflated balloon.
Alex inched her way out from behind the Doctor. "Oh my God," she murmured as she stared at the goo. "It's like those Slitheen you told me about, Doctor."
The Doctor nodded. "Except not as explosive and without the need of acetic acid. Well, this answers one of my questions." He knelt down beside the creature's remains. He dipped his fingers in the goo, and for one awful moment, Alex was afraid he was going to lick it.
She opened her mouth to say something, but the Doctor cut her off. "Relax, Ally," he drilled, giving her a look that loosely translated as I'm a Professional. He instead sniffed at the goo curiously, then wiped it off on the lapel of his jacket.
"What question is that?" Carlisle wondered. She looked pale and shaken, but nowhere near as confused and shocked as the soldier, still holding the gunge-spattered chair.
"Why they want human bodies. Their own are obviously far too fragile. Humans, for all your failings, really are quite robust. Not like viscous liquid-based creatures such as Mr. Blobby-Balloon here."
"How many of them are there?" Alex asked.
"And what do we do?" Amy jumped in. "Throw darts at them?"
"You got any darts?" the Doctor asked her.
"Well, no."
"Not really an option, is it?"
They all looked up as a bing-bong chime sounded. "Public address system," Carlisle explained. "Never known it used before, though."
Jackson's voice came through loud and clear. "This is Androparg to all Talerian forces. Commander Raraarg has decreed that we need the humans alive as mind-fodder for our initial strike force to infiltrate planet Earth. Make sure all weapons are set to stun. And be careful, some of the Blanks are waking up and going rogue." There was a pause before he added, "And to any humans listening, surrender or you will be shot. That is all." The voice cut out.
"Charming," Amy decided.
"We know where he is now," Carlisle said, checking the control console. "That was broadcast from Jackson's office."
The Doctor clapped his hands together. "Terrific. Then it's obvious what we do. You and you. . ." He pointed to Carlisle and then to the still bewildered soldier. ". . .find Captain Reeve and get everyone together somewhere you can defend. The canteen would be good, because then you can get croissants and hot drinks and those buns with the slightly cinnamon flavor."
"What about you, me, and Amy?" Alex questioned.
"We're continuing with the hot drink theme – by going for a cup of tea with Professor Jackson and Commander Raraarg."
~Living the Life of Ally~
"Are you sure this is the way?" Amy asked as they started down yet another corridor. They all looked the same to her. All the doors were open, she noticed – part of the Doctor's plan with the fire systems so the sprinklers would go off throughout the base.
"Depends on where you think we're going."
"Jackson's office?"
The Doctor made a noncommittal sound.
Alex smirked. "You're lost, aren't you?"
He made the same sound again. Ahead of them, the bulbous figure of a Talerian stepped out of an open doorway. It didn't see them as it walked with a blubbery gait away down the corridor.
"There we are, just what we need," the Doctor said happily. "Come on." He hurried to catch up with the alien, pulling Alex along after him.
"What?" Alex mouthed. "What are you doing?" she hissed.
"Asking directions." The Doctor quickened his pace, forcing Alex and Amy to practically sprint to keep up with him. "I know, men generally don't, but Time Lords aren't proud. At least, not this one. Oi! You there!" he called. "Yes, you with the blobby face and one eye."
The Talerian stopped and slowly turned towards them, raising its gun. It gave a gargling noise that might have been surprise or laughter.
"Glad we found you," the Doctor said. "Jackson wants to see us. You'll know him as Androparg. So if you could just point us in the right direction?"
The Talerian jabbed its gun towards them in response.
"Or show us!" Amy quickly suggested. "That'd be great. Oh, you coming too?"
"There'll be tea," the Doctor promised. "Maybe biscuits. I probably have a Jammy Dodger of my own somewhere. Usually do." He patted his pockets. "No?"
They passed several more Talerians on the way. But quite the largest and most revolting Talerian that Alex had seen so far was waiting inside Jackson's office. Professor Jackson himself was sitting at his desk. Even with the grotesque, glutinous alien standing close by watching them, Alex was again impressed by the view out of the large window behind Jackson. Bathed in pale evening sunlight, the gray moon looked somehow warm and majestic rather than colorless and desolate.
"You must be Raraarg," the Doctor said with delight. He held out the hand not holding Alex's, regarded the alien's blobby appendage, and decided, "Maybe not."
"What an unexpected pleasure," Jackson said. "And Miss Locke, so nice to see you conscious again." He dismissed the Talerian who had brought them and looked from the Doctor, to Alex, to Amy, and back again. "You've come to surrender?"
"We came for tea, actually," the Doctor replied. "I assume the offer still stands?"
The huge Talerian leader shuddered and growled.
"Tea," Jackson mused. "I had to drink it at first to maintain the illusion that I was still Jackson. But now I actually find it quite pleasant. I must confess it's one of the few things I find invigorates this rather strange body I have acquired."
"That'll be the caffeine and tannin," the Doctor informed him. "I'm sure it's good for the soul." He turned to the Talerian leader Raraarg. "You should try it."
This provoked more growls and wobbles.
"No," the Doctor agreed. "It might upset your rather delicate insides, mightn't it? Must be a problem having a balloon body like that. Any little wound and you don't bleed, you rupture. Any change in atmospheric pressure and you either squash up and implode, or the internal pressure makes you explode. I can see why you might envy humans. But you can't just take their bodies, you know."
"Why not?" Jackson asked.
"Because you can't!" Alex cried. "It's not right. It's not fair. It's murder."
"What does Professor Jackson think about it?" the Doctor asked. "I assume he's still inside you somewhere. As the first to be taken over, you'd need to preserve his memories and emotions so you could survive undetected. If you'd just blanked out, people would notice. Worse than just forgetting names – you'd have forgotten everything."
Jackson nodded. "He's in here," he confirmed, tapping his forehead. "Just. The tiniest hint of him. And he knows it. I can feel what's left of his mind struggling to reassert itself. But you know what? It gets fainter and more desperate all the time. And soon, he'll be gone completely."
"Except for the back-up," Alex pointed out.
"I assume there is a back-up?" the Doctor guessed.
Jackson smiled. "You know there is." He pulled open a drawer in the desk and took out a glass phial of colorless liquid. "I could have destroyed it. But that really would be murder." He set the phial down on the desk in front of him. "The human mind. . ." he mused.
"Plus you never knew if you might need him back, did you?"
"You still might," Alex said, "if his equipment goes wrong, or some memory you need has faded away."
"There is that," Jackson agreed.
"So what happens now?" Amy asked, glancing apprehensively at the shuddering alien beside them. "Your blob-men won't win against trained soldiers."
"You'd be surprised," Jackson said. "We can wait, and more Talerian troops are on the way. This is just the first wave. As soon as I boost the signal from Jackson's process equipment, the main force will latch on to it and transfer here from Taleria."
"Just as you latched on to it in the first place, I assume?" the Doctor prompted.
Jackson smiled thinly. "Jackson – the real Jackson – didn't even realize his process was emitting a signal. It was faint, but it was enough. Our bodies are dying, Doctor. Every generation of Talerians is born more fragile than the one before. We are constantly looking for a new form, a replacement for our frail structure. Imagine my sense of euphoria when my mind was transported along the link and I woke to find myself inside this." He spread his arms.
Put like that, Alex could understand their reasoning. She had to admit, she pitied them a little. It must be hard to watch your race dying and knowing that there wasn't much you could do. She could see why they had turned to mind-swaps, but it didn't mean they had an excuse for what they were doing. Looking at the Doctor, she could see he felt the exact same way.
"You too can have a body like mine," Amy quipped.
"I won't pretend it was easy. It took me a while to get control of Jackson's consciousness and take over completely. There were mistakes and problems."
"Like poor Liz Didbrook," the Doctor said.
"The process never completed," Jackson told them. "But that has been corrected. I boosted the signal, and ensured the next transfers would be perfect."
"So if we turn off all Jackson's equipment," Amy guessed, "we can stop any more of you turning up out of the blue."
The Talerian beside her roared with what sounded unsettlingly like laughter.
"We control the Process Chamber. Major Carlisle and Captain Reeve would never get there alive."
In a sudden fury, the Doctor shoved aside the chair in front of Jackson's desk. He leaned right over the desk and stared into Jackson's face. "What gives you the right to take another life form's body? What do you really think you can achieve?"
Jackson stared back at the Doctor the same way he had at Alex when she confronted him – unflinching. "When you've quite finished."
"Oh, I haven't started yet." The Doctor slowly straightened up, one half of his jacket trailing back across the desk. "I came for tea, remember?"
"Enjoy your tea, Doctor," Jackson said. "And you, Miss Pond and Miss Locke. Very soon we'll round up the humans and simply start to process them all again. All except you, Doctor. Yes, you can have your tea. Let's call it a last request, shall we?"
"Oh, let's not," the Doctor said quietly, an undertone of darkness in his voice.
But Jackson didn't seem to notice it. "But it is, I'm afraid. You see, as soon as you've finished, you will die." From behind the desk, Jackson lifted one of the Talerian weapons and aimed it right at the Doctor. "You'll die knowing you've failed, and that Miss Pond and Miss Locke are next in the queue for the process. On its maximum setting, this gun can blast through armor plate. Let's see what it does to a body, shall we?"
~Living the Life of Ally~
The Doctor busied himself at the tea urn as if he, Amy, and Alex really had just popped into Jackson's office for a chat and refreshments. He lifted the lid and sniffed at the Earl Gray. He took a long-handled spoon from a small rack nearby and stirred the brew slowly and thoroughly. "Sure you won't?" he asked Amy.
"Not without milk, thanks."
"And I hate tea," Alex said, shuddering.
The Doctor rolled his eyes and turned to the Talerian leader, Raraarg. "And I assume you'll give it a miss. If you ever took on human form, you'd want to try it though." The Doctor held a cup under the urn and turned the tap. "Not that you'll get the chance."
Having poured a second cup, the Doctor walked back to the desk. He passed a cup of tea to Jackson, then pulled up the chair he'd moved aside earlier and plonked himself down on it with a relaxed, "Ah!" He then pulled Alex down to sit in his lap, wrapping an arm around her waist as she leaned back into his chest, relishing in his scent. Who knew? It might be the last time she ever smelt it.
Raraarg was wobbling ominously and emitting irritated squelching growls.
Jackson smiled indulgently and sipped his own tea. "Don't worry," he assured his leader. "This will be over soon."
"Not too hot, I hope?" the Doctor asked politely.
"Just how I like it, thank you."
This is so weird, Alex thought. Here they were drinking tea with aliens who had made it clear they would kill them or process them and they were all acting calm about it! Only with the Doctor.
The Doctor set his tea down on the desk and leaned back in the chair. "So, last chance time, then." He tilted his head so he could look at both Raraarg and Jackson. "Are you going to surrender and retreat, never to darken these skies again?"
Jackson laughed. "Very droll, Doctor, in comparison to the chance offered by Miss Locke."
The Doctor whirled to look at Alex. "Really?" he asked.
Amy nodded. "It was quite impressive. She called him 'Prof' if I'm remembering correctly."
The Doctor frowned at Alex. "I'm not sure if I should applaud you or yell at you. Maybe both."
"You can do both later," Alex said easily, not bothered in the slightest.
"Your refusal to admit defeat, Miss Locke, is quite impressive," Jackson complimented. "But I'm afraid it's over."
"You are so right," the Doctor agreed.
"That's a 'No' then, is it?" Alex asked. She had no idea what the Doctor was doing, but he was up to something. She could tell.
Raraarg let out a menacing, throaty growl. The creature's eye rolled angrily. The meaning was obvious – 'Kill him now!'
Jackson held up his hand. "In a moment, I promise you."
"He doesn't know, does he?" the Doctor asked.
Jackson frowned. "Doesn't know what?"
"Last chance – surrender or suffer the consequences."
Raraarg squelched towards the Doctor.
Jackson drained his tea and set the cup down on the desk next to the glass phial still standing there. He raised the gun again. "There will definitely be consequences," he confirmed.
"What doesn't our globby friend know?" Amy prompted.
The Doctor was smiling. "He doesn't know he's been tricked. He doesn't know that Professor Jackson isn't a Talerian at all. It's not us who are being held prisoner here. . ." He turned towards the shimmering blob. "It's you."
The Talerian swung around to stare accusingly at Jackson. "He's bluffing," Jackson said. "I boosted the signal and opened the pathway so you could bring in the attack force. This is his last pathetic attempt to. . ." Jackson blinked rapidly several times, hesitating as if trying to find the right words. ". . .to confuse us. To turn us against one another." He leaned forward, glaring at the Doctor across the desk through his pale blue eyes, a development that didn't go unnoticed by Alex.
"Yes?" the Doctor prompted. "Something to tell me?"
"Only that your time is up. I told you that Jackson's mind is completely suppressed by my own."
"So you did. I remember that."
"And I have the back-up copy safely here." He pointed at the small glass phial standing next to the cup on the desk.
"So you do. I can see that."
"You mean that phial?" Amy said.
Alex leaned forward and frowned. "That empty phial," she revealed.
Jackson stared down at the little glass bottle. His eyes widened in shock and surprise. Raraarg surged forwards. A glutinous hand snatched up the phial, holding it close to the Doctor's face as the slit-like mouth dribbled and spat. Alex leaned away from the creature as its body shook with agitation.
"Where did it go?" the Doctor interpreted. "Well, I would have thought that was obvious."
"He put it in his tea," Alex realized, nodding at Jackson.
"All the time," Jackson said quietly, in a voice that was somehow warmer and more emotional than before, "every single moment, I knew what was happening. I tried to escape, to find ways out of the prison of my own mind. I managed to get control for long enough to transfer a tiny part of my own memory to Prisoner Nine. I hoped that way to warn you, Doctor. But it was like looking out through windows in my own head. Windows. . ." He looked at the Doctor. "Of course, that's the answer. I remember what you said, Doctor. Thank you. And goodbye."
"No!" the Doctor shouted. "No, no, no, don't do that!" Alex sprang off his lap as the Doctor reached across the desk, trying to grab Jackson as the man rose to his feet.
Raraarg moved quickly, despite his bulk. The Doctor was knocked sideways as the creature surged forwards. Globby arms lashed out, sending Jackson flying sideways. He crashed to the floor.
"Hold on to something!" the Doctor shouted to Amy and Alex.
Amy and Alex grabbed sides of a bookcase, welded to the wall. "Why?" Amy asked.
Alex's eyes widened in realization. "Just hold on!" she and the Doctor shouted.
Raraarg was bearing down on Jackson. The man pushed himself backwards, scrabbling for the Talerian gun knocked from his hands when he fell. He found it, brought it up, and fired.
Not at the alien creature about to strike at him, but at the wide picture window behind the desk.
The glass exploded into fragments, which were immediately whipped away as air rushed out of the base. An alarm sounded. The teacup and empty phial on the desk shot out the window as the air escaped. Books were torn from the shelves, papers whipped into a swirling frenzy.
The Talerian leader gave an anguished cry of anger and pain. Then it exploded like a balloon blown up too much. Glutinous, vicious fluid splattered across the room. The plates of armor went flying.
Amy and Alex's hair was blowing around their faces as they held tight to the ends of the bookcase, struggling to brace themselves despite the wind trying to drag them towards the window.
Across the room, Jackson smiled with satisfaction. Then he was gone, his body tumbling across the gray lunar surface, debris and detritus from the base following.
Throughout Base Diana, the Talerians were exploding, just like their leader. With the doors locked open, the whole base depressurized as the air escaped. Atmosphere pumps struggled to keep up. Emergency systems signaled bulkheads to close, but with no effect, thanks to Major Carlisle's earlier sabotage.
At the moment, the Doctor was holding on to the edge of the heavy desk. "Here – help me, Alex!" he yelled.
"I'm not letting go!" she shouted back.
But she was. She could feel her feet being dragged from under her. Fingers slipped on the metal and she shrieked a little in fright.
"I'll catch you!" the Doctor promised. He was not about to let his Ally get sucked off into outer space.
Alex didn't have any choice in the matter. Her fingers finally lost their grip and she tumbled towards the window.
The Doctor's arm grabbed her as she flew past, dragging her down behind the desk. The whole desk was shifting now, dragged towards the smashed window.
"We'll have to time this just right!" the Doctor shouted above the noise of the rushing air. He was holding tight to one of the two support struts holding up the desk.
Alex nodded. She realized now what he was going to do. She grabbed the other support strut. "Count of three!"
The Doctor grinned. "Three!" he yelled.
At the same moment, they each lifted and flipped the desk over on its side. Caught in the outrush, the desk flew across the room, top surface first. The desk was bigger than the window. It slammed over the hole, sealing it tight. The pressure held the desk incongruously in place, as if it had been glued to the wall.
Alex fell back on the floor, breathing heavily, while the Doctor dusted his hands together. "Result," he said.
"One nil to the good guys," Amy agreed as she released her corpse white fingers from the bookcase.
"We should get to the cafeteria," Alex suggested. "Or to the TARDIS for a nap. Either's good."
The Doctor grinned and leaned down to help her up. "Just as soon as I've sealed this room shut and turned off the homing beam Jackson's equipment is broadcasting. Then, cinnamon buns here we come, oh yes indeed."
~Living the Life of Ally~
"Without the quantum link," said General Walinski, "Base Diana is unsustainable."
"To be honest, I'm amazed it worked as long as it did," the Doctor told him. "The whole thing was incredibly unstable. Could have failed at any moment."
The Doctor, Amy, and Alex were in Walinski's office with Candace Hecker and Agent Jennings. The Doctor and Amy were sitting in chairs in front of the General's desk. Alex was sitting on the arm of the Doctor's chair.
"You managed to get the quantum displacement systems working long enough for you, Miss Pond, and Miss Locke to get back, I see," Agent Jennings commented.
"Something like that," Amy agreed.
"And Pat Ashton is due to splash down in a couple of hours," Candace reported. "He's a bit low on oxygen, but he'll be fine."
"We'll have to put together another mission to bring everyone back," Walinski said. "Shame they couldn't all come back with you."
Alex gave the Doctor a meaningful look. She had been all for getting everyone on the TARDIS and bringing them back that way, but the Doctor had vetoed that. He had said something along the lines of "My TARDIS, my rules. When you get a TARDIS, you can do whatever you like."
"They were a bit busy," Amy said. "We just snuck out."
"Left them to tidy up, check the base is airtight again, do the washing up," the Doctor said, pointedly ignoring Alex's look. "Oh, and dismantle Jackson's equipment, too, before anyone gets the idea it can be salvaged and tries to get it working again."
"So how do we get them back?" Jennings wanted to know.
"Can we rely on your help again, Doctor?" Candace asked.
"Oh, you know what it's like – things to do, people to visit. Invading aliens to sort out. But I've got some notes you can have on how to adapt one of the decommissioned space shuttles for the flight to the moon. And I'll pop in if I get a chance."
"Why do I feel that's a snub?" Candace said.
"Because it is," Alex smiled at her.
"You'll manage," the Doctor told Candace. "You'll do magnificently."
"What are you going to do with the prisoners?" Alex demanded. She crossed her arms and gave a narrow-eyed stare at the General, who shifted slightly. "They don't deserve to be shipped off to another world like that. It violates all the rights this country was founded upon. It's like blasted England ordering the colonists to pay taxes without representation!" She then winced, realizing what she said, and turned to look at Amy, the redhead giving her a slightly disgruntled look. "No offense!"
"None taken," Amy grumbled.
Jennings, thankfully, chose to end the awkward moment. "Most of them are due for release anyway under the President's new plans. It was Jackson's influence – or rather his alien counterpart's – that kept them up there. The others, well, I'll make sure they're dealt with fairly. They'll be properly treated, I assure you."
"They'd better be," the Doctor and Alex said. The Doctor added, "We'll be watching."
"I believe you Doctor, Miss Locke."
"I know you want to be on your way," Walinski said, "and no doubt you have your own reports to write and forms to fill in."
"No doubt," the Doctor said.
"But we will need to debrief you all thoroughly. Could take a while, I'm afraid. And I think we all have some pretty searching questions. Obviously, I'll clear it with your superiors. Which Agency did you say you were with again?"
The Doctor, Amy, and Alex all exchanged glances. "Tell you what," the Doctor proposed, "why don't we get ourselves some coffee or something and we'll be right back."
Jennings' mouth twitched into a smile beneath his ever-present dark-tinted glasses. "No problem. I think we could all do with a short break."
"Bye then," Amy said. "For now, I mean."
"Yes," the Doctor said. "Bye for now. It's been . . . real."
Alex only gave a quick finger wave before jumping off the arm of the chair and running to the door. "Come on!" she shouted over her shoulder as she raced off.
The Doctor's eyes widened and he took off after her. "Alexandria, quit running! For Christ's sakes, you were in a coma!"
"I told you, I feel fine!" Alex retorted as Amy left as well.
After a moment of snickering, Candace got coffee for the others while they waited for the Doctor, Amy, and Alex to return.
"So what's with that blue cupboard he had brought in?" Walinski asked.
"I didn't see it," Candace admitted. "But I did hear a funny noise – did you? Like a rasping, grating sound."
"Sort of wheezing and groaning?" Walinski said. "We heard that. I think it came from outside. There's a window open somewhere. It blew some papers around the office."
"Except," Agent Jennings said slowly, "this is a secure building. None of the windows open."
Candace shrugged. "Whatever. To be honest, I was paying more attention to the brunette that came with him. Alex, right?"
General Walinski nodded. "Alexandria Nicole Locke, to be more precise. I looked her up in the data systems. She's from the G-Locke family. Good girl. Got into Octavian University, if you can believe that."
Candace nodded. "That explains her good looks."
"I remember her parents," Agent Jennings remarked. "Brilliant and good people. They were big supporters of several controversial issues."
"The Liberal Locke's, as they're called," Walinski said. "Whole family's like that."
"Ignoring family history for the moment," Candace interrupted, "didn't you two notice how the Doctor was around her? I knew he was handsome, but I just couldn't see anyone actually being with him, let alone a girl that pretty."
Walinski snorted. "Tell me about it. I wouldn't get any girls wearing a bowtie, I can tell you that!"
"They're a cute couple though," Candace added. She stared wistfully into her coffee mug. "They seem to go together, like puzzle pieces."
"I never knew you were such a romantic, Hecker."
Candace rolled her eyes. "I'm serious! They just . . . fit together somehow, you know?"
Walinski considered this for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Yeah. I saw it. You're right."
"What about you, Jennings?" Candace asked. "What do you think?"
Jennings took his glasses off and gently rubbed the bridge of his nose where they had been resting. "You know, I'm not sure we're going to see those two, or Miss Pond, again."
"What makes you say that?" Candace asked, puzzled by the switch in topic.
"Just a feeling. At the back of my mind." He smiled suddenly. "And I've read the UNIT files. You're right."
"You mean they are a couple?"
"I can't reveal what's in the files, but I can say this; they do make a good couple."
It struck Candace that she'd never seen Agent Jennings' eyes before. She'd expected them to be as dark and colorless as the lenses of his glasses. But in fact, they were a bright, cheerful green.
~Living the Life of Ally~
"So, what are we doing?" Alex asked as the Doctor led her into a secluded corner of the library.
After getting back on the TARDIS, most everyone was exhausted. Amy and Alex had gone off to their rooms to take showers and naps. After a five-hour nap, Alex awoke to find a note pushed under her door. It was from the Doctor and only said to meet him in the library when she woke up.
"I am teaching you how to create and control mental shields," the Doctor explained as he directed Alex to two chairs sitting in the middle of an aisle of books. The area was dark, illuminated only by the dim lights of the chandeliers overhead. "You really need them."
Alex nodded and sat down in one of the leather club chairs. She crossed her legs and watched as the Doctor sat across from her. "Okay. But do you really think I can do it?"
"Your mind created a literal cage for the Talerian," the Doctor pointed out. "And it protected your memories of Rory from the crack's influence."
"That's true," Alex mused. "I guess there's no harm in trying."
"Believe me, this will be very beneficial to you, Ally. You'll be able to have a little control over what your mind does without falling unconscious or causing other systems in your body to shut down."
"Okay," Alex nodded. She uncrossed her legs and scooted closer to the Doctor. "What are we going to do first?"
The Doctor scooted his chair closer and leaned forward. He gently put his hands on either side of her head. "First, I'm going to try and attack your mind. When I do, try to envision a bunch of shields coming down around me."
"Okay," Alex said nervously.
"Don't worry, Ally. Nothing bad is going to happen. Are you ready?"
Alex took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes."
Without a further word, they began. The Doctor quickly forced himself into Alex's mind, aware of her physical body jumping in surprise when he roughly entered. He found himself in the hallway he had seen on his first venture in her head, but that didn't last long. Within seconds, gray walls slammed down around him.
He grinned. "Ha, ha! Good job, Ally!"
"Thanks," Alex distantly replied. A second later, Alex herself appeared, dressed in the same cheetah-print pajamas her physical self was currently waiting. She leaned against one of the walls, which rattled dangerously under her weight.
The Doctor cringed. "Okay, next exercise. See if you can make these walls stronger."
Alex nodded and closed her eyes. She envisioned the walls getting thicker and more resilient. Within an instant, slamming noises rang out around them. The Doctor reached out and pushed a wall. It didn't move an inch.
"Excellent, Ally. Now, lift the walls up."
Alex nodded and concentrated on envisioning the walls going upwards. A moment later, the walls began to slowly rise from the ground. Once they were above the Doctor's head, they disappeared entirely.
"Yay!" Alex squealed, jumping up and down. "I did it!"
"You're doing marvelous, Ally," the Doctor told her. "Now, see if you can make a shield appear over there." He pointed down the hallway to where an intersection was.
Alex nodded and this time didn't even bother closing her eyes. She simply envisioned a metal shield slamming down, and a second later, one did. The Doctor grinned and picked her up, swinging her around in a circle. "Excellent! You're doing so much better than I thought you would."
"Hey!" Alex cried. "Who's lacking faith now?"
The Doctor chuckled. "You've got me there." He moved to put Alex down, but just as he did, a mental bomb came whizzing towards them, determined to force the Doctor out.
The Doctor and Alex's eyes widened. "STOP!" Alex shrieked just as the bomb neared them. She envisioned the bomb dropping to the ground. A moment later, it surprisingly did just that, dropping to the ground with a clatter and not budging.
"How'd you do that?" the Doctor breathed.
Alex shook her head. "I just pictured it dropping and that's what it did."
The Doctor clutched her closer. "Remarkable, Ally. Truly remarkable."
"I told you not to doubt me."
The Doctor laughed and lowered her to the ground. "Right, I think we have creating mental shields down. Your subconscious has been protecting you for many years and with you in the dark about your abilities, the subconscious brain has been protecting you with no idea on how far to take the protection, except for keeping certain body systems active so you stay alive."
"But now?"
"Now, you have some control. All we have to do is keep practicing and, in time, you'll be able to create shields and protect your mind without relying on the subconscious part of your brain."
Alex grinned. This was perfect! Now she wasn't so scared of her mental abilities. The idea of actually controlling them was one she really liked.
The two practiced a little bit more, Alex eventually able to conjure up shields just by sheer thought. Soon, the Doctor decided it was time to end. Alex looked a little exhausted. This first practice had nearly drained her.
He slowly pulled out of her mind and found himself back in the library. He became aware of things he hadn't been aware of while in Alex's mind; his back was aching from leaning forwards for so long, the lights in the library had grown darker, and he was just centimeters away from Alex's lips.
Alex's eyes opened and she groaned. The mental exercises had been educational and beneficial, but also exhausting. Alex felt like her brain was aching. But also, it felt strangely vacant. She knew part of her wasn't missing, but it felt like something was missing that should be there.
"Doctor?" Alex murmured, her voice a little dull from not using it physically for so long.
"Hmm?" the Doctor said, not moving in the slightest.
"Does it. . . Does it feel like there should be something in your mind, but nothing's missing?"
The Doctor thought for a moment. "No. But it does in you?"
"Yes."
"I think it's because. . ." He trailed off for a moment before answering. "I think it's because I was in your mind for so long. You got used to my . . . well, for lack of a better word, presence."
"Oh," Alex nodded. That made sense. She felt strangely empty now that the Doctor was no longer inside her. It felt so much more intimate, more intimate than sex even. She longed for his presence inside her again.
"Yeah," the Doctor whispered. He was lying. His head felt empty as well, now that he wasn't within Alex's mind. He felt the urge to throw his mind back in there, let Alex's mental shields trap him, and never leave.
Of course, he couldn't do that. But the physical self of the girl whose mind he wanted to inhabit forever was right in front of him.
The Doctor and Alex's eyes moved upwards to look at each-other. The Doctor felt his hearts beat faster as Alex's eyes switched from copper to emerald green. Alex felt her breath hitch as she looked into his deep green depths. She felt like she was looking into his soul, his very being. It was so dark, but so happy as well.
Ever so carefully, their lips began to draw towards each-other. Alex bit her lip enticingly and the Doctor let out a slight groan. God, how he wanted to bite that lip. . .
But just as they were about to connect, Alex leaned a little too far . . . and fell right off her chair. "Oh!" she cried, landing on her back.
The Doctor shook his head to clear the daze that Alex had unintentionally cast upon him. "Alex! Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Alex assured him. She grabbed a nearby shelf, using it to hoist herself up.
"You sure?"
"Yeah, totally accidental." Alex ran a hand through her hair, knowing that the moment between them had passed and there was no way to recapture it without it looking intentional. "Um, I think I'm going to go to bed. Those mental exercises were rather tiring."
"Oh! Yes, absolutely!" the Doctor agreed, straightening his tweed jacket just so he had something to do. "Of course. Rest. We'll practice more another time."
Alex nodded, not trusting her mouth to babble something that could be potentially embarrassing. She hesitantly released her grip on the shelf, half expecting herself to fall. When she didn't, she hurried out of the library, determined to put whatever had transpired between her and the Doctor behind her.
~Living the Life of Ally~
They were leaning closer. Alex longed to feel his touch, or any part of him really, after he had spent so much time in her mind. The experience of him being in her head had been incredible, but now she wanted more.
The Doctor and Alex leaned closer to each-other. Almost hesitantly, their lips touched. Alex involuntarily moaned. How often had she thought about doing this ever since that time on the Byzantium? Alex mentally shook her head. She had to concentrate. She was kissing the Doctor!
Their lips began moving together and whatever hesitance that had been there in the beginning quickly flew out the metaphorical window. The Doctor's arms wrapped around Alex's waist to pull her closer, but even that wasn't close enough. Almost as if sensing this, Alex pushed his arms away and, without breaking the kiss, moved to straddle him in his chair.
The Doctor leaned back, Alex moving with him. His tongue pried her mouth open and he delved inside. Alex clenched at his jacket lapels in ecstasy while the Doctor's hands went up to tug on her hair, pulling her down to where her body was fully melded with his.
Alex licked the Doctor's tongue, eliciting a loud moan from the Time Lord. She smirked a little, pleasantly surprised that she could make the 907-year-old alien do such a thing.
Sensing that she was smirking at him, the Doctor growled lowly and yanked on a piece of Alex's hair, making her yelp as he maneuvered her to where she was sitting in his lap. He leaned her back against the armrest and began biting her lower lip, making Alex whimper with delight.
"Doctor!" she gasped when his lips left hers. However, she wasn't upset for long. He began nibbling at her pulse point before trailing hot open-mouthed kisses down her neck.
"Ally," he breathed before kissing and licking the hollow of her throat.
Alex moaned, yanked him back up by his hair, and attacked his lips. The two battled for dominance with their tongues, a battle that, not surprisingly, the Doctor won. As he controlled their kiss, he moved his hands up her body, playing with the hem of her pajama top.
"Thought you liked exploring, Doc," Alex retorted, pulling back from the kiss slightly.
He chuckled and gathered her up in his arms, ready to move her to a more comfortable space. "Believe me, Ally, I do."
Alex sat up in bed with a gasp. Holy crap, what was that? She had dreamt of her and the Doctor kissing, but it had always stayed pretty PG-13, i.e. no hint of sexual contact at all. Making out? She could handle that. But this dream had been so much more intense. And she hated to say it, but she kind of liked it.
Alex flopped back on her pillow, aware of the dampness on the back of her neck and how certain parts of her body were warmer than others. She kicked the covers off. Thanks to that dream, she was way too hot. She sighed. This would be a long night.
~Living the Life of Ally~
He had her pinned up against the TARDIS. His hands trailed down her sides, making her giggle a little into the kiss. He would have teased her for doing such a thing while they were making out, but he liked hearing that sound far too much to force it to end.
He had to admit, he hadn't predicted that she would come on to him after Amy went off to find Rory at his stag party. His first thought, as she started moving onto his lap, had been to resist and point out how much older he was than her, but he quickly shoved it aside. He wanted this as well, possibly more.
Somehow, they had ended up from their position on Amy's bed to Alex being pinned up against the TARDIS, his body the only thing keeping her imprisoned. He liked this idea more than he probably should.
Now, he sucked on her bottom lip, eliciting a moan from Alex. Her eyes fluttered closed and she blindly tugged on his braces to get him closer to her. She pulled back slightly from him, but only to open her mouth to him fully. Grinning, he delved into her.
"Oh!" she gasped. Her tongue darted out to meet his, and they did a complicated battle for dominance which he won, not surprisingly.
He trailed his tongue over the roof of her mouth, but jumped and groaned in surprise when Alex rolled her hips against his. He felt a flood of arousal go southwards and he knew he needed her closer to him. Growling playfully, he lifted her up, keeping her pressed against the blue wood of the TARDIS exterior.
Alex clutched clumps of his hair and wrapped her legs around his waist. "Doctor," she groaned.
He didn't respond back, instead choosing to run his hands up under her t-shirt dress. Alex's head banged back against the TARDIS as he did this. "Doctor!"
"Sorry, Ally. Too fast?" He didn't want to stop, but he would if she wasn't ready.
Alex shook her head and he saw a challenging sparkle appear in her newly opened eyes. "No. Not fast enough." She reached down and undid his bowtie in one move, twirling it idly between her fingers as her other hand shoved his braces down. She smirked. "God, you're rubbish at this."
His face went from lust-filled to offended. "Rubbish?" he cried. He pulled her closer to him and began to tug the zipper down on the back of her dress. "That rubbish?"
Alex ran her hand up to pop the buttons on his shirt. "Not really." As she slowly began undoing buttons, she leaned in to whisper in his ear, "Maybe we should take this elsewhere. I don't think Amy would appreciate seeing us use her bed as a dance floor." She then began nibbling and sucking on his earlobe. "My room?"
He moaned and gathered her up in his arms, kicking the door to the TARDIS open. "No, I have a much better idea."
The Doctor sat upwards with a startled gasp. His hearts were beating rapidly. It felt as though they were going to break through his skin with their incessant pounding. He groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "That is the last time I sleep," he muttered, falling back into the bed.
He rolled over, trying to ignore the feelings of arousal and lust running through his body, just begging to be unleashed on Alex. He couldn't believe that dream. It had felt so real, no doubt inspired by what he secretly wished happened in Amy's room after their encounter with the Weeping Angels.
He groaned and yanked the pillow over his head. Rassilon, what was he thinking? He could not get involved with Alex! It would end in nothing but heartbreak and bitterness and self-loathing.
Besides, this dream had only been caused because he was still recovering from the intimateness he'd felt while inside Alex's mind. He really should have known better. Entering another person's mind was the equivalent of seeing their soul. Entering someone's mind had been done for only two reasons on Gallifrey; to find out what they knew for trial and torture purposes, and for weddings, specifically the Mind-Melding between husband and wife.
He remembered when Alex had suggested Mind-Melding as a possibility for the Dream Lord and their shared dreams. He had thought his head would combust from hearing her say those words, but he had somehow managed to hide his true reaction and mask it with genuine approval for her mind and its eagerness to figure out the truth.
He removed the pillow from his face and placed it back beneath his head. Regardless of what he may or may not feel for Alex, he couldn't get attached to her, let alone kiss her. He could enjoy her company, but that was it. She would be gone all too soon and he'd be left bitter and brokenhearted until the next companion came along.
Still, the intensity of the dream refused to leave him. Groaning, the Doctor closed his eyes, determined to try and sleep for a few hours. He did need a little sleep, otherwise he'd pass out on the console, like that one time when Martha was traveling with him. That had been embarrassing.
He sighed. It was going to be a long night.
A/N: And that's the end of 'Apollo 23'! If you're still reading this after 54 chapters, thank you so much! I never thought this story would be THIS long! Up next are the Pandorica episodes which I know you are all excited about. And who liked the fluffy Dalex bits at the end? :)
Some notes on reviews. . .
SopherGopher'sAwesomeSister - Lol, I'm glad you two love the story so much! :) Yeah, the Talerians are really gross, kinda like the Slitheen. Yeah, Jack IS awesome! If only they didn't torture him so much on Torchwood. . . :)
SopherGopherroxursox - Well, that was the last of the cliffhangers! :) Ooh, that is a good idea. Didn't happen here, but it might crop up in another story. 'The Curse of the Black Spot' has a lot of water in it. . . :} Yes, he called her cute! AND had a sexy dream about her! :D
TheGirlBehindTheRayBands - Thank you! That means a lot! :) You got TWO steamy make-outs in this chapter, albeit in dreams, but still! :) The Pandorica episodes start tomorrow! :)
TheGirlWhoWaited - Don't worry, that was the last of the cliffhangers . . . for now. :} Yep, those are some ugly aliens. :)
jesterlover - Thanks! I'm glad to hear you've enjoyed such a long fanfic (and there's still more to go!) Alex's 'Doctor' speech is pretty cool. Another reason I love her. :)
ElysiumPhoenix - Plan B worked here along with a quick Plan C. :) Glad you liked the reunion. They HAD to hug after being separated for so long. :) Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Gwilwillith - Thanks! :)
Neko 97 - Lol, those two love messing with him, don't they? :)
Timey-Wimey Somn-Like Lass - Don't worry about the quoting. :) If it helps, a lot of things I encounter every day remind me of some Doctor Who moment. For example, in history, we were studying Shakespeare and I thought, 'saw him on Doctor Who'. :) 'Brain Storm'...glad you like it, but it still may need some tweaking. :) Yep, Alex is back and with it, Dalex is reunited! :) I haven't read 'Anne Frank', but I do recommend 'Of Mice and Men'. Despite how sad it is, it's a good story. :) Yep, I've got art every school day. A coffeemaker? Nice! I don't drink coffee, but I'm sure a coffeemaker in a classroom is heaven for coffee-drinkers. :) I know, I can't wait for Clara and Alex to meet too! I will say Alex and Clara will have a good relationship, both of them ganging up on the Doctor at times, and that Alex will be mega-curious about her. Clara will also be witness to some important moments in the Dalex relationship. :) Ooh . . . there's quite an interesting thing that comes up in JTTCOTT involving Alex and her absence in 'The Snowmen', but I won't say what it is though. :)
ShadowTeir - That's alright. I heard there were some glitches on FF yesterday. :) Glad you liked both chapters! Lol, yeah, the Doctor is such an idiot in that part, isn't he? :)
