The pod came out of hyperspace near a planet locked in a perpetual global ice age. The landing wasn't the smoothest the Doctor had ever experienced, but under the circumstances he didn't care. That they had landed during the day was hardly noteworthy given that it was below freezing and snowing.
Gabrielle said, "I'll check our supplies. You have a peek outside. Don't get out of sight with the ship."
"Yes, Your Divinity."
"That was uncalled for."
"I know. Sorry. I just…" He trailed off.
"We're still alive. Maybe there's still a chance. Don't give up."
"All right…Doctor," he said with a smile.
After he went out the hatch, Gabrielle busied herself with the storage lockers. The Sontaran food might be fit for the Doctor. She didn't need food…but she began to wonder how long it had been since her necklace's Heisenberg compensator had been recharged. If it failed, she would turn to stone when the Doctor looked at her; and she would lose her ability to speak to him. Not insurmountable problems, but it would make things needlessly complicated.
She opened another locker and saw it contained weapons. Of course. She was about to close it when she opened it again. She removed a Sontaran pulse rifle…
…and a cylindrical object that seemed to fit the rifle's muzzle.
She put down the rifle and the directional silencer and opened the hatch to the small engine compartment and inspected it.
"Doctor! Doctor, come here."
He came back in through the hatch. "Yes? What is it?"
"Look what I found." She held up the rifle and snapped the silencer onto the end of the barrel. "And the hyperdrive is still intact."
He squeezed next to her and looked in the engine compartment. "Yes, but it is rudimentary, and our fuel is very low, assuming the pod can take off again."
"It doesn't have to. I have the power to access the time vortex; it's how I send people back. The engine can enhance my natural abilities and turn them back on me….and send me back to Winter Quay on April 3, 1938."
The Doctor pushed himself against a bulkhead. "Are you mad?"
"Quite the opposite. I'm seeing clearly. I was there. I held the door. It has to be me."
"What makes you so sure?"
"An angel farther up the stairs shouted, 'Gabrielle! She's gone insane.' I thought she was talking *to* me, but now I see she was talking *about* me."
"No…" the Doctor said. "There must be another way. We can figure something out."
"There isn't," Gabrielle said. "Rory sensed it. This has always been my destiny. We're living in my personal timeline. That's why things changed, because I have yet to get back to Winter Quay. And things won't be set right until I go back. Surely you must have known."
"I suspected. I hoped I was wrong. I…" His voice broke. "I don't want to lose you. You're the first person I've ever met who knows what it's like to be me."
She took one of his hands in both of hers and smiled. "One person in the right place at the right time doing the right thing can change everything. I want to do it, Doctor. Please help me. Help me give you and Rory and Amy and Clara and Danny and everyone else all their tomorrows."
The Doctor smiled back. "All-"
A dart struck the Doctor's neck. He brushed it off. Then they saw Lucielle standing in the hatch. Her hair was a mess, and her armor had dents and burn marks in it. She had a small pistol aimed at the Doctor. "A parting gift from your old friend, Davros," Lucielle spat. "He saw things our way before the end, and I had a hunch it would come in handy someday. One dose is enough for a slow, agonizing death. Two more and you die instantly. And while you're pondering that, I have a ship on the way. It'll be here in minutes."
The Doctor grinned. "No royal we-" He winced.
"That'll be the burning sensation," Lucielle said. "Gabrielle, do the sensible thing. Hand over the pulse rifle. Now!"
Gabrielle did it.
"Outside, both of you."
The Doctor and Gabrielle shambled outside. Then they heard the rifle fire. Smoke came out the hatch as Lucielle joined them.
Lucielle said, "And that is that for the hyperdrive. No one is messing with time today. Submit, Gabrielle. It will go so much easier for you."
"After what you've done to the humans, Lucielle? It's obscene-"
"Oh, please! Spare me your histrionics, Gabrielle. The humans are thriving under out stewardship. And you were right about how adorable they can be. I have a family at home. Three generations now."
"You've turned them into beasts of burden, Lucielle. As long as I live, I will try to find a way to undo this. You're going to kill us anyway, so get it over with!"
"Oh, no, Gabrielle, you will not be allowed to become a martyr. My sister archangels and I will craft a far worse punishment for you. But if you want some incentive…" Lucielle fished a small glass vial with gold liquid in it out of her belt. "Davros giveth and Davros taketh away. The antidote to the poison. Submit and when you are in custody, I will cure him. We may even be generous and fix his regeneration issue."
The Doctor was obviously in pain and having trouble standing, but he hardened his expression. "Don't do it, Gabrielle. I would rather die than than live knowing you gave in to these tyrants."
Lucielle showed her exasperation. "Oh, spare me! What is with you? You've already lost! Surely both of you can see that. And I have you hopelessly outnumbered. It's in your best interests to surrender if you want to be shown any mercy at all."
The Doctor made a show of pointing at himself and Gabrielle. "Pardon me, but I seem to remember how to count. There's two of us and one of you."
"Do you act stupid, Doctor," Lucielle said, "or are you really that dense? This is an ice planet. Snow reflects. Every snow flake carries my reflection, and with it, my power."
Gabrielle smiled and nodded. "You're right, Lucielle. However…"
A second Gabrielle armed with a Sontaran pulse rifle fitted with a directional silencer appeared behind Lucielle and shot the archangel in the back. Lucielle dropped the rifle as she fell to her hands and knees, energy crackling on her body.
The newly arrived Gabrielle finished, "…I was here first!"
The first Gabrielle – the one who had arrived with the Doctor – scooped up the rifle and aimed it at Lucielle. But Lucielle let out a cry of rage and hurled the vial at the escape pod. It shattered.
Lucielle glared up at the Gabrielles. "Now you get to watch your precious Time Lord die a slow painful death!"
The Gabrielle who'd appeared crossed to Lucielle. "He won't die now, Lucille, because he never will have been poisoned. And you know why."
Lucielle's eyes widened. "The paradox you'll allow those apes to create will kill me too, Gabrielle. For him? For them?"
"Ever read the human bible, Lucielle? One can't help but notice that every time their God needs to punish someone, or set an example, or needs a killing, he sends and angel. Where did they get that idea? The oldest race, and all we've given them is a reason to come up with stories for why we exist. We could have done more. We could have found another way with the humans. Instead, we're parasites. We stole their tomorrows. It's time to give back, no matter the cost. Goodbye, Lucielle."
The Gabrielle who'd shot Lucielle touched Lucielle, and Lucielle disappeared…
…and that Gabrielle screamed as she blazed with gold light!
The first Gabrielle hefted her rifle and aimed it. The glowing Gabrielle put her hand in the snow, and a wave of glowing snowflakes burst from her touch and enveloped the first Gabrielle, who disappeared.
"What—aaargh!" The Doctor fell to his knees. "Gabrielle, what have you done? How far back did you send her?"
"Seven billion years," Gabrielle said in a distorted voice. "Even an angel could die of old age before getting back here."
"No! That's too much. It'll burn you up."
"There won't be time." She shifted the rifle to one hand and pointed at the clouds with her free and. Gold light blazed from her hand to the clouds, which roiled and flashed with gold lightning. The snow around her began to glow, gold light spreading to the horizon in seconds. "Every ice crystal and water droplet on this planet contains my image," Gabrielle said. "I've charged the atmosphere with my power—enough for ten thousand Tardises! I'll send myself back to Winter Quay-"
"You'll need almost all of it to survive the temporal stress, Gabrielle. You may not be strong enough to survive Rory and Amy's paradox. You could cease to exist."
"Then that will be my gift, Doctor. Amy and Rory will be together, you will be restored, and the humans will be free. That's more than enough for the life of one monster."
The Doctor couldn't stand anymore. Tears ran down his cheeks as he fell to his knees. "You were never a monster to me," he choked.
Gabrielle smiled. "Goodbye, my darling Doctor." She reached up with her free hand. The clouds above her twisted into the shape of Gabrielle's head and upper body, one arm extending down towards her flesh-and-blood self. "Get ready to run," the flesh Gabrielle said. "Run, you clever boy, and remember me."
The giant hand made of cloud and snow touched Gabrielle's flesh-and-blood hand…
…and then…