The Day of The Doctor
I awoke in a soft bed to a faint humming sound. I was in the Tardis's enfermery. I opened my eyes to see a strangely surprising sight: The Doctor asleep on a chair next to the right side of the bed. The lights were dimmed and there was a glass of flowers on the nightstand to the left of the bed.
"Doctor?" I asked softly.
The Doctor's eyes shot open, "Oh, you're awake!" He then scooped me into a hug which I returned with confusion. I pushed away after a few seconds, the hug getting rather awkward for me. "Um, thanks?"
The Doctor sighed, "Amelia, I never meant to make you feel unwelcome-"
"Then what did you mean to do?" I spat angrily. "You agreed to give me a trial run for my apprenticeship, which you suggested, by the way, and all you do is focus on Clara! Clara this and Clara that! I thought I was going to be learning about becoming a Time Lady, not trying to figure out some human girl's life!" I sat back, shocked at my outburst. "I-I'm-" I said quietly. I looked down and tears started to form in my eyes.
"It was supposed to be a test." The Doctor said, running his hand over his face. "One of the… drawbacks of being a Time Lord, or in your case a Time Lady, is that we live very, very long lives. I've had to learn, the hard way, that you will be alone for most of your life, called an outsider, discriminated against because of being a Time Lord. It's been a long and lonely life, companions come and go, never staying for long. I've made mistakes of getting too attached. That only makes the separation worse."
The Doctor paused. "I'd forgotten that you are only a time-tot compared to me. I'm almost 2,000 years old, Amelia." My eyes widened at that. "I shouldn't have been cold to you. Time-tots, Time Lords under 300 years old, yes, I'm also including your Mum in this, don't do well on their own and adventually become…. become insane from the lack of contact."
"A test?" That was all I could choke out.
The Doctor closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again. "Yes but now I see that test was unfair. Will you forgive me? Start anew?"
I frowned, "What about Clara."
"She's home with Angie and Artie. She refused to come back onto the Tardis, saying that she needed time. After what just happened, I don't blame her."
"She's done?"
The Doctor nodded, "Yes. She's not coming back. I told her so… it didn't end pretty. You don't scream and cry that much, do you?"
I let out a tiny laugh, "No. I don't. If I do, I certainly don't do it in front of people."
The Doctor stood up, "So, let me ask you this properly. Amelia Rose Harkness, will you be my Apprentice?"
I nodded, "Yes, I will be your Apprentice-"
"You're supposed to say Master." The Doctor whispered.
I blanched, "Master? I'm not a slave."
The Doctor laughed, "It's only traditional. Like you call Master in an apprentice blacksmithing job. It's like that."
"Oh. Then, Yes, Doctor. I will be your Apprentice, Master." I bowed my head and The Doctor fully bowed to me. Then he straightened up.
"Well Finally!" My Dad said, opening up the door to the enfermery.
My Mum followed closely to me. "Glad you two worked it out pumpkin."
I blushed at the nickname. "Dad! I'm an Apprentice, I will not tolerate nicknames of that sort of nature!"
Mum smiled, "Alright, sweetheart."
"MUM!"
"Amelia," Mum asked, knocking on the door to my room on the Tardis. I was currently sitting on my bed reading a book about famous females in Time Lord history in my bathrobe.
I put a bookmark in the book and closed it, setting the book down next to me on my bed, "Yeah Mum?"
Mum came in brushing her blond hair out of her face as she sat down, "Um, what do you think about us moving to Earth?"
"Why?" I asked, confused. "What's wrong with Drax?"
"Well, we only moved there to raise you safely." Mum said, "Now that you are under The Doctor's protection, your father and I feel as though it's time to head back to Earth. We do have to check on Torchwood, which your father is still, technically, in charge of and I have to see if Luke Smith needs any help with Terra Firma."
"Can I finished high school first Mum? There's only three months left of senior year, the last time I checked."
"Of course, but your father and I need to move our things back into our house on Earth and that will take a while."
"Yeah, that's okay. I was going to have to leave Drax anyway to travel with The Doctor. Is there anyway that I can tell my friends were I am going and who and what I am?"
Mum thought about it, "Only those you can trust absolutely."
I gave Mum a small smile, "Thanks."
Mum stood up and kissed me on the forehead, "Well, get showered and changed into some cloths. We're checking in on Torchwood today. Then your father and I are going to see if our house back on Earth is still standing." Mum left.
I walked into the console room of the Tardis wearing tight dark blue Jeans and a light blue t-shirt. The Jeans had one small frayed hole on the right side, just above the knee, allowing pink skin to be seen through. "Ah, there you are, Amelia." The Doctor said. "We're just going to make a pit stop on Earth before you're surprised."
"A surprise?" I asked, puzzled, then I narrowed my eyes when I saw both of my parents grinning. "What surprise?"
The Doctor smiled, "A surprise. I guess you'll just have to find out. Okay! And there." The Doctor said as he landed the Tardis. "Torchwood Complex, September 2013… hopefully."
Mum rolled her eyes, "You definitely need to get better at that Doctor."
"Hey, you try steering a time machine all by yourself." The Doctor said. "Oh, by the way, Amelia, catch!"
The Doctor took something that was on the console and threw it in my direction. I fumbled, but I still managed to catch it. It was a sleek black and white pen. "A pen."
"Not just any pen."
My eyes widened. "Sonic?" I whispered. "Thank you! Is this the surprise, because I love it!" I ran up and hugged The Doctor who chuckled and hugged back.
"This is a gift. It is customary for an Master to give their apprentice a gift at the beginning and then again at the end of their apprenticeship in Time Lord society. And no, that was not the surprise."
The Doctor and I broke the hug. "Having my own sonic wasn't the surprise?! It surely felt like one."
"Well, prepared to get a bigger surprise later." The Doctor said, smirking.
I put my new sonic pen in my jean pocket. "Okay, let's go see Torchwood. Oh yeah, Mum, haven't you regenerated since coming here? How will they know that it's you?"
"Very easily. I'll be the one on Jack's arm." Mum smirked and I blanched.
"Mum!"
At that, we walked out of the Tardis and into the Torchwood control room where Gwen and the Torchwood team were, again, waiting. "Amelia, Jack!" Came the calls.
I smiled as Gwen hugged me, asking how I was. "I'm fine, Gwen. Better than fine, I'm great!"
"Where's Susan?" Ianto asked.
"Right here." My mum repled, smirking at the shocked look on Ianto's face.
"Bloody hell, you're tall!" Ianto exclaimed. I bust out laughing.
"And blond!" Owen shouted in shock.
The Doctor and I were walking casually around London. Mum and Dad were visiting their home and then, after they made sure that it was still there, they were planning on stopping by Terra Firma. I sipped my lemonade.
"You know, London is really beautiful. I'm glad that I get to see it on a day where I'm not running for my life."
I snorted, "You do get into lots of trouble, don't you. Mum and Dad have told me about some of your adventures as bedtime stories, mostly starting from your ninth through now."
The Doctor looked at me, "Bedtime stories?"
I smirked at the shocked look on The Doctor's face, "Yep, I wouldn't go to bed if they told me anything else."
Then The Doctor chuckled, "I hope they only said good things."
"Oh, I normally wanted the battles and speeches. Those were amazing. Actually, now that I think about it, your adventures didn't put me to sleep, but only kept me up long after my parents had closed the door." I laughed.
"Well, we're almost at your surprise now." The Doctor said. I playfully narrowed my eyes at the quick change in topic. "It's just about, here."
We came around a building and saw…. "A secondary school?"
The Doctor smirked, "No, your first undercover mission."
I blinked, "What?"
"I got you a job as a Librarian. You're mission is to be a normal… human," The Doctor dropped his voice to a whisper at that, then brought it back to normal. I looked around and no one, besides us, was out on the streets, "And to get through a year or two without anyone finding out."
"A year or two?" I exclaimed.
"Remember, we have the Tardis. You can leave whenever you want to."
"And what exactly is my mission?" I asked, "I doubt it is to get through a year of school trying to pass off as a human."
"Ah, that would be telling. I'm sure you'll figure it out adventually." The Doctor smirked.
Coal Hill Secondary School
I stood at the front circulation desk in the school's library. I methodically checked books in, opening the book up to the back cover, scanning it into the computer system until I heard a beep sound, closed the book and then put it on the 'to be shelved' bright green cart that looked like someone threw up all over it.
I glanced at the clock which read five till three. The day was almost done. I had replaced the school's Clerical Librarian while she went on maternity leave for a year. So far, it was an interesting job. I got to see how children from Earth went to school and learn some of their customs like going to a football game, of which I had tickets to this coming Saturday. It was one of those faculty bonding things. I didn't mind that much though.
The moment the bell rang, the library went from completely silent to students yelling, laughing and chatting to their friends. I sighed as I remembered those times with my friends back on Drax. I put the last of the books on the cart when Tom ran in, weaving between the kids going out of the library. He stopped short at the desk.
"Tom, what is it?" I asked while shutting down the desk computer.
"Are you okay? There was a call for you at the office, from your doctor." Tom said out of breath.
I smiled a bit. I had been 'undercover' for about three months without seeing The Doctor. He probably thought I needed a break, "Yeah, I'm fine. It's only a routine check-up. Did he leave an address?"
At the question Tom looked puzzled for a second then handed me a slip of paper.
"Thanks Tom. Are you coming to the game on Saturday?" I asked, trying to make small talk.
"Yes, are you?
"I planned to, as long as there's no alien invasion that I have to stop." I joked. I saw the look on Tom's face, "Oh. Too soon?" I guess it took people longer than I thought to get used to the idea of aliens considering Terra Firma, Torchwood and Unit went public all at the same time.
"Yeah." Tom got out. He looked like he was either going to faint or throw up.
I inwardly sighed. Only if he knew… "Well, see you later." I said and escaped to the break room in the back of the library to gather my belongings. I grabbed my black motorcycle Jacket, helmet and gloves, put them on and practically ran to my motorcycle. It was small, sleek with a black and white design. I put my purse in the small luggage compartment attached behind my seat and drove off.
I stopped the bike at a top of a hill and saw the Tardis parked at the bottom. I smiled and drove the motorcycle down the hill, at a reasonable speed. I didn't see the need to kill myself today. I got off, turned the bike off. I opened the door and rolled the bike in.
"Draught!" I heard The Doctor yell from somewhere. I looked around until I saw The Doctor sitting on the steps up to the console area reading a book.I smiled and snapped my fingers. The door swung shut. "Fancy a week in ancient Mesopotamia followed by future Mars?"
"It depends. As long as we don't encounter any Ice Warriors."
The Doctor gave a small wince. "Agreed."
I gave out a small giggle and hugged The Doctor, "I've missed you. Everything's so boring without you." We parted.
"Have you learned anything?" The Doctor asked.
I snorted, "Nothing. Are Earth schools always this boring?"
"Wellllll it depends on what's going on at the time you visit."
I narrowed my eyes and opened my mouth to reply and suddenly an alarm sounded. "What's happening?"
The Doctor raced over to the console. "Whoa, whoa. We're taking off, but the engines aren't going."
I looked on the video feed and saw a clawlike grapple come down and grab onto the Tardis. I zoomed in and saw that there was a helicopter with UNIT written on white on the side. I sighed, "Doctor, you call Kate and I'll call Mom."
The Doctor nodded as I took out my cell and speed dialed Mom, "Hey, Mom"
"Amelia! How are you?"
"Yeah I'm good. Actually, do you know of any reason why UNIT would be lifting and carrying the Tardis by helicopter?" I paused for a response.
"What?! Please don't tell me you are in the Tardis right now." Mom responded.
"Um, okay. I won't."
I heard Mom sigh on the other end, "They should really check if someone is in it first." Mom grumbled, "Have you called Kate?"
"The Doctor's calling her now. DOCTOR!" I screamed as I saw him start to fall out of the Tardis. I dropped the phone, sprinted and caught The Doctor by his feet. "Next time, would it kill you to knock?" The Doctor asked into the black corded telephone…..Whoa! I'm just going to pop you on hold."
The Doctor's feet slip from my grasp, "Doctor!" I yelled.
"I'm underneath, Lia!" I heard The Doctor yell.
"Oh, thank Drax." I muttered. I heard my name being faintly yelled from, somewhere. My eyes widened. I ran back to my phone, "Mom, we're fine."
"Do not scare me like that again, young lady." Mom snapped. Then I heard her voice yell, "They're fine!"
I looked out the door and saw the ground getting closer, "I have to go."
"Be careful." Mom said as I hung up. I slid my cell into my pocket and walked out of the Tardis, which was now on the ground. I looked around and discovered we were in Trafalgar Square. Military soldiers dressed in black were lined up behind Kate Stewart and another person I didn't recognize. I glanced behind me and saw metal line dividers and a crowd of people wondering what was going on, along with news reporters. I groaned and thought about all the questions I would get when I went into work tomorrow.
Kate Stewart opened up a badge and showed it to The Doctor, "Doctor, as Chief Scientific Officer, may I extend the official apologies of unit."
"Kate Lethbridge Stewart, a word to the wise. As I'm sure your father would have told you, I don't like being picked up." The Doctor winced as he said that.
"That probably sounded better in his head." I put in. "Hey Kate."
Kate nodded in my direction, " I'm acting on instructions direct from the throne. Sealed orders from her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the First."
"Elizabeth the First?"
Kate gives an old envelope to The Doctor, "Her credentials are inside." The Doctor is about to break the seal on the message when Kate points back to the National Gallery. "No. Inside."
"Nice scarf." The Doctor said, nodding to the girl who was most likely Kate's assistant.
"What's our cover story for this?" Kate asked her assistant as we began walking.
"Er, Derren Brown."
"Again?"
"Oh, we've sent him flowers."
I fell behind with the assistant, "Hey, what's your name?" I asked her.
The girl looked surprised I was even talking to her, "Um, OsGood. Petronella OsGood. But most people here call me OsGood or 'Hey You.' I would prefer Nella though, but, well, no one's asked me for my opinion."
"Atten-shun! Right, I want a secure perimeter around the gallery." A soldier yelled as we started climbing up the steps.
"That's terrible." I responded, shocked. "Well, I'm Amelia Harkness. My friends call me Lia. Nice to meet you, Nella." I held out my hand.
(From here on in, OsGood will be referred to as Nella since that's what name Lia knows her as)
Nella's eyes grew wide before realizing I had my hand out and shook it cautiously, "Harkness? Are your parents Susan and Jack Harkness of Torchwood by any chance?"
"Yes, actually. Do you know them?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"I've just heard stories." Nella admitted.
We were now walking through the National Gallery.
"Yeah. They've both done some amazing stuff." I agreed then I broke off, seeing The Doctor stop short up ahead. I speed up to stand by him. "Doctor, what-?" I stopped and stared at the painting. That shouldn't be possible. "But, but, that's not possible." I stammered. I glanced at The Doctor, who had grown pale.
"No more." The Doctor whispered.
"That's the title." Kate said.
"I know the title." The Doctor snapped.
"Also known as Gallifrey Falls." Kate said.
The Doctor breathed in, "This painting doesn't belong here, not in this time or place."
"Obviously." I said.
"It's the fall of Arcadia, Gallifrey's second city."
"But how is it doing that?" I asked, "How is that possible? It's an oil painting in 3D." I stepped foward and lifted my hand up before lowering it again.
"Time Lord art. Bigger on the inside. A slice of real time, frozen."
"Elizabeth told us where to find it, and its significance." Kate continued.
I felt The Doctor grab my hand. "You okay?" I asked.
"He was there."
"Who was?"
"Me. The other me. The one I don't talk about."
"I don't understand." I whispered.
"I've had many faces, many lives. I don't admit to all of them. There's one life I've tried very hard to forget. He was the Doctor who fought in the Time War, and that was the day he did it. The day I did it. The day he killed them all. The last day of the Time War. The war to end all wars between my people and the Daleks. And in that battle there was a man with more blood on his hands than any other, a man who would commit a crime that would silence the universe. And that man was me."
"But the Time War's over." I protested, "Why have you brought us here to look at a painting?"
"The painting only serves as Elizabeth's credentials," Kate explained, "Proof that the letter is from her. It's not why you're here."
The Doctor breaks the wax seal and unfolds the paper and reads it. After a while, "What happened?"
"Easier to show you." Kate said.
We followed Kate for a while. A metal shutter comes down behind us as we stood in front of a painting on wood of Gloriana herself.
I smirked at the picture, "Elizabeth the First. You knew her, then?" And next to Gloriana in the painting, in period costume, is The Doctor in his tenth form."
"A long time ago." The Doctor replied.
Kate opens the painting to reveal a secret door. "This way. Welcome to the Under Gallery. This is where Elizabeth the First kept all art deemed too dangerous for public consumption."
The Doctor scoops up a handful of the sand on the floor in between two rows of statues covered with dust sheets, "Stone dust."
"Is it important?"
"In twelve hundred years I've never stepped in anything that wasn't."
Nella made a noise that sounded like a cough covering up a snort.
The Doctor turned and faced her and pointed, "Oi, you. Are you sciency?"
"Oh, er, well, er, yes."
"Got a name?" The Doctor asked Nella.
"Yes."
"Good. I've always wanted to meet someone called Yes." Nella blinked. Then blinked again, "Now, I want this stone dust analysed. And I want a report in triplicate, with lots of graphs and diagrams and complicated sums on my desk, tomorrow morning, ASAP, pronto, L O L. See? Job. Do I have a desk?"
"No." Kate said sharply.
"And I want a desk."
"Get a team." Kate said to Nella, "Analyse the stone dust. Inhaler!" Kate said as The Doctor and Kate started walking away.
"Sorry about him." I said softly to Nella.
"It's okay, Lia." Nella said, "You should catch up." I nodded, gave her a reassuring smile and then ran to catch up to The Doctor. Further into the under gallery, the Doctor spots the red fez in a display case. He takes it out and puts it on.
I laughed, "Doctor." I groaned out, exasperated, "Are you ever not going to put on a fez?"
"Nope, never."
We walked forward into another room with broken glass on the floor and alien paintings along the wall.
"As you instructed, nothing has been touched." A scientist said.
"This is why we called you in." Kate said.
"3D art again." I noted.
"Interesting."
"The broken glass?" I asked
"No, where it's broken from. Amelia, what's different about the glass?" The Doctor asked.
I looked at him, surprised. The Doctor nodded, encouragingly, "Hmm. Um, the shatter pattern."
"Okay, good. What about it?" The Doctor said.
I peered at the glass, "Well, its…. Its," I thought about it. "It's been broken from the inside!" I said the last part rushed as I got it. The Doctor hi-fived me and I smiled.
"As you can see, all the paintings are landscapes. No figures of any kind." Kate said.
"So?" The Doctor asked, still looking at the glass.
My eyes widened as I figured out what she meant, "There used to be." I breathed out. Kate nodded at me and handed The Doctor a pad with the original image on it. "Something's got out the paintings." I said.
"Lots of somethings. Dangerous." The Doctor said.
Kate sighed, "This whole place has been searched. There's nothing here that shouldn't be, and nothing's got out."
Suddenly a swirling blob of light, like a funnel appeared in the room.
The Doctor loudly groaned, "Oh no, not now."
"What is it?" I asked.
"No, not now. I'm busy." The Doctor yelled at it.
"Is it to do with the paintings?" Kate asked.
"No, no. This is different. I remember this. Almost remember. Oh, of course. This is where I come in." The Doctor throws the fez into the… thing. Then yells, "Geronimo!" And leaps into it himself.
"Doctor!" I yelled. I started to go toward it until Kate grabbed me by the arm and pulled me back.
"Wait! We don't know what that thing is." Kate said. I nodded and turned back to look at the swirl, which had faded.
The conversation we heard was confusing to say the least as the swirl came back into existence,
"Oh, lovely."
"Your Majesties. Probably a good time to run." The Doctor said.
"But what about the creature?" Two women yelled.
"Elizabeth, whichever one of you is the real one, turn and run in the opposite direction to the other one." A Man said.
"Of course, my love."
"Stay alive, my love. I am not done with you yet."
"Thanks. Lovely." The man said.
"I understand. Live for me, my darling. We shall be together again."
"Well, won't that be nice?" The man said.
"One of those was a Zygon." The Doctor said.
"Yeah."
"Big red rubbery thing covered in suckers."
"Yeah."
"Venom sacs in the tongue."
"Yeah, I'm getting the point, thank you."
"Nice."
"Doctor, are you okay?" I yelled.
"Ah, hello, Amelia. Lia can you hear me?"
"Yeah, it's me. We can hear you. Where are you?" I asked.
"Where are we?" The Doctor asked.
"England, 1562." The man who spoke earlier yelled.
"Who are you talking to?" I yelled back.
"Myself." The Doctor and the man yelled at the same time.
"Can you come back through?" Kate yelled to The Doctor.
"Physical passage may not be possible in both directions. Its. Ah! Hang on. Fez incoming!" The Doctor yelled and supposedly sent it through.
"I didn't get it!" I yelled back.
"So where did it go?" The man asked.
"What's the other man's name?" I yelled.
"Doctor!" The man yelled back.
"There can't be two Doctors." I yelled.
"Good, keep them talking." Kate said and pulled out her cell, Malcolm? Malcolm, I need you to send me one of my father's incident files. Codenamed Cromer. 70s or 80s depending on the dating protocol." And she began walking away.
"He's the regeneration before me!" The Doctor yelled.
My eyes widened, "Oh boy. That's going to be confusing." I said, "I'll just call you Ten then!" I yelled to Ten.
"Fine by me!" Ten yelled back. "Are you his companion?" Ten asked.
I snorted, "Nope! I'm his apprentice."
"Apprentice?!" Ten asked, his voice fluctuating. "But that's not possible unless….. No WAY!"
"Way!" I responded, smiling.
"Okay, you used to be me, you've done all this before. What happens next?" Ten asked.
"I don't remember."
"How can you forget this?"
"Hey, hang on. It's not my fault. You're obviously not paying enough attention. Reverse the polarity!"
"It's not working." The Doctor says.
"We're both reversing the polarity." Ten argued.
"Yes, I know that."
"There's two of us. I'm reversing it, you're reversing it back again. We're confusing the polarity."
"Anyone lose a fez?" An unknown male voice asked.
"You." Ten said coldly. "How can you be here? More to the point, why are you here?"
"Good afternoon. I'm looking for The Doctor." The new man asked.
"Well, you've certainly come to the right place." Ten said.
"Good. Right. Well, who are you boys? Oh, of course. Are you his companions?"
"His companions?" The Doctor asked, sounding offended.
"They get younger all the time. Well, if you could point me in the general direction of the Doctor?... Really?"
"Yeah." The Doctor said.
"Really." Ten replied.
"You're me? Both of you?"
I sighed. 'Another one.' I though.
"Yep." Ten said, 'popping' the 'p'.
"Even that one?"
"Yes!" The Doctor said.
"You're my future selves?"
"Yes!" Both The Doctor and Ten yelled.
"Am I having a midlife crisis? Why are you pointing your screwdrivers like that? They're scientific instruments, not water pistols. Look like you've seen a ghost."
I laughed at the water pistol line. "Who do I call this version?"
"Who's that?" The man asked.
"Apparently, our apprentice." Ten said.
"No." The man said, "Absolutely not."
"Hey, no dissing Lia." The Doctor said.
The man sighed, "Just call me warrior."
"Encircle them." A new voice yelled out. I sighed, "Which of you is the Doctor? The Queen of England is bewitched. I would have the Doctor's head."
"Well, this has all the makings of your lucky day." Warrior said.
Kate returned from her cell phone call, "There's three of them now." I said to her. Kate just shook her head.
"There's a precedent for that." Kate said.
"What is that?" The new man said accusingly.
"Oh, the pointing again. They're screwdrivers! What are you going to do, assemble a cabinet at them?" The warrior scolded.
"That thing, what witchcraft is it?"
"Ah, yes. Now that you mention it, that is witchcraft. Yes, yes, yes. Witchy witchcraft. Hello? Hello in there. Excuse me. Hello!"
"Am I talking to the wicked witch of the well?" The Doctor asked.
"He means you." Kate whispered to me.
"Why am I the witch?" I whispered back.
"Amelia."
"Hello?" I said timidly.
"Amelia, hi, hello. Hello. Would you mind telling these prattling mortals to get themselves begone?" The Doctor asked.
"What he said." I said.
"Yes, tiny bit more color."
I sighed, "Right. Prattling mortals, off you pop, or I'll... turn you all into frogs." I cringed.
"Ooo, frogs. Nice. You heard her."
"Doctor, what's going on?" I asked.
"It's a timey-wimey thing." The Doctor explained, but really didn't.
"Timey what? Timey-wimey?" The Warrior asked.
"I've no idea where he picks that stuff up." Ten said.
"The Queen. The Queen." Men chanted.
"You don't seem to be kneeling. How tremendously brave of you." Elizabeth said.
"Which one are you? What happened to the other one?" Ten asked.
"Indisposed. Long live the Queen."
"Long live the Queen." The Soldiers chanted
"Arrest these men. Take them to the Tower."
"That is not the Queen of England, that's an alien duplicate." Ten said.
"And you can take it from him, cos he's really checked." The Doctor said.
Ten sighed, "Oh, shut up."
"Venom sacs in the tongue." The Doctor reminded Ten.
Ten groaned, "Seriously, stop it."
"No, hang on. The Tower." The Doctor said. "Did you say the Tower? Ah, yes, brilliant. Love the Tower. Breakfast at eight, please. Will there be Wi-Fi?"
"Are you capable of speaking without flapping your hands about?" The Warrior complained.
"Yes. No. I demand to be incarcerated in the Tower immediately with my co-conspirators Sandshoes and Granddad."
"Granddad?" The Warrior almost yelled.
"They're not sandshoes." Ten snapped.
"Yes, they are." The Warrior agreed.
"Silence. The Tower is not to be taken lightly." Elizabeth said, "Very few emerge again."
"Dear God, that man's clever. Come on." Kate said and started walking out. I followed.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"My office, otherwise known as the Tower of London." Kate replied.
We were in a black car driving to the Tower and Kate was on her cell, "The Doctor will be trying to send us a message. We're looking for a string of numerals from around 1550, approximately. Priority One. I'm going to need access to the Black Archive."
We reached the door to the Black Archive, "The Black Archive. Highest security rating on the planet. The entire staff have their memories wiped at the end of every shift. Automated memory filters in the ceiling. Access, please." Kate said.
"Ma'am." A soldier said.
Kate hands him her key. "Atkins, isn't it?"
"Yes, ma'am. First day here." Atkins replied.
"Been here ten years." Kate said softly to me.
"Lock and key? Bit basic, isn't it?" I asked.
"Can't afford electronic security down here." Kate replied, "Got to keep the Doctor out. The whole of the Tower is Tardis-proofed. He really wouldn't approve of the collection."
"But you let me in. And I'm a Time Lady, well, one in-training."
"You have a top level security rating from your last visit." Kate said.
"Sorry, my what?" I asked, my voice rising a bit as I noticed a board with pictures of me visiting this room, that I didn't remember being taken. "You know, Mom and Dad going to be pissed you erased my memory. They're kinda sensitive to that stuff."
"Apologies. We have to screen all his known associates. We can't have information about the Doctor and the Tardis falling into the wrong hands. The consequences could be disastrous." Kate said with no emotion what-so-ever.
"Is that a vortex manipulator?" I asked, going over to the big glass box in the middle.
"Time travel. A vortex manipulator bequeathed to the UNIT archive by, well, your father, Captain Jack Harkness on the occasion of his death. Well, one of them. No one can know we have this, not even our allies." Kate said.
"Why not?" I asked, curious. "Doesn't this break treaties or something like that?"
Kate sighed, "Think about it. Americans with the ability to rewrite history? You've seen their movies."
I shrugged, "Good point. Okay, so this is how we're going to rescue the Doctor."
"I'm not sure there's enough power for a two-way trip. In any event, we don't have the activation code. The Doctor knows we have this, so he's always kept the code from us. Let's hope he changes his mind."
Kate's phone rings. "Yes? Well, if you've found it, photograph it and send it to my phone."
I looked over and saw Nella and McGillop. "Er, Kate? Should they be here? Why have they followed us?"
"Oh, they've probably just finished disposing of the humans a bit early." Kate said without a care.
"The humans?" I asked dangerously, stepping back from Kate.
"Dear me. I really do get into character, don't I?" Kate spits some venom at me, then transforms into a Zygon.
"Oh Drax." I cursed. "What the hell have you done with them?"
"The Under Gallery is secured." Zygon-Nella said.
The numbers on the photograph on Kate's phone include 231163. I quickly memorized them, grabbed the vortex manipulator, puts it on and copies them into it.
"Prepare to dispose of one more human. We have acquired the device." Zygon-Kate said.
I smirked, "You should really watch your prisoners. Activation code, right?" I pressed a button and was whisked away.
I re-appeared in a deserted, old looking, stone hallway. I took out my cell and called Mom. "Hey Mom, yeah, uh, Code Zero. Don't trust anyone in Unit."
"What the hell happened in thirty minutes!?" Mom asked/yelled.
"Nothing good. I've got to rescue The Doctor's. They've gotten themselves in a bit of a bind."
"Doctors?" Mom asked, saying the 's' longer.
"It's complicated." I said, "I've got to go.
"Don't you dare hang-!" I ended the call and ran down a random hallway till I got to a wooden door. I heard arguing behind it.
I opened the door to see The Doctor, Ten and Warrior looking at me, stunned.
"How did you do that?" The Doctor asked.
"Uh, It wasn't locked." I said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Right."
"So they're both you?" I asked, looking at 10 and the warrior.
"Yes."
"Hey Ten, Warrior. I'm the voice coming out of that spiral light thing."
"Time fissure." The Doctor corrected.
"Can't I just call it a portal?" I asked. I paused, "Hang on. Three of you in one cell, and none of you thought to try the door?"
"It should have been locked." Warrior commented.
"Yes. Exactly. Why wasn't it locked?" The Doctor asked.
"Because I was fascinated to see what you would do upon escaping." I turned around to see Elizabeth standing at the door, "I understand you're rather fond of this world. It's time I think you saw what's going to happen to it."
We were now walking in the Zygon control center.
"The Zygons lost their own world. It burnt in the first days of the Time War. A new home is required." Zygon-Elizabeth said.
"So they want this one." I said.
"Not yet. It's far too primitive. Zygons are used to a certain level of comfort."
"Commander, why are these creatures here?" A Zygon asked.
"Because I say they should be. It is time you too were translated. Observe this. I believe you will find it fascinating." Zygon-Elizabeth says. The Zygon puts his hand on a glass cube with dents in the corners, then vanishes. The 3D landscape painting from the Under Gallery is nearby.
"That's the Zygon in the picture now." I realized.
"It's not a picture, it's a stasis cube. Time Lord art. Frozen instants in time, bigger on the inside, but could be deployed as-" The Warrior started.
"Suspended animation." Ten concluded, "Oh, that's very good. The Zygons all pop inside the pictures, wait a few centuries till the planet's a bit more interesting, and then out they come."
" You see, Lia, they're stored in the paintings in the Under Gallery, like cup-a-soups. Except you add time, if you can picture that. Nobody could picture that. Forget I said cup-a-soups." The Doctor said.
"And now the world is worth conquering. So the Zygons are invading the future from the past." I said.
"Exactly." The Doctor said.
"And do you know why I know that you're a fake?" Ten started, "Because you're such a bad copy. It's not just the smell, or the unconvincing hair, or the atrocious teeth, or the eyes just a bit too close together, or the breath that could stun a horse. It's because my Elizabeth, the real Elizabeth, would never be stupid enough to reveal her own plan. Honestly, why would you do that?"
"Because it's not my plan. And I am the real Elizabeth." Elizabeth said, putting her hands on her hips.
Ten blinked, "Okay. So, backtracking a moment just to lend context to my earlier remarks."
"My twin is dead in the forest. I am accustomed to taking precautions." She produces a dagger from the garter beneath her skirts, "These Zygon creatures never even considered that it was me who survived rather than their own commander. The arrogance that typifies their kind."
"Zygons?" I asked.
Elizabeth huffed, "Men."
I raised an eyebrow, still not trusting her, "And you actually killed one of them?"
"I may have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but at the time, so did the Zygon. The future of my kingdom is imperilled. Doctor, can I rely on your service?" Elizabeth asked.
"Well, I'm going to need my Tardis." Ten said.
"It has been procured already." Elizabeth said smugly.
"Ah."
"But first, my love, you have a promise to keep." Elizabeth said.
"Promise?" I asked.
We were now in a castle courtyard watching Ten get married to Elizabeth the First. "I now pronounce you man and wife." The Clergyman concluded.
"You may kiss the bride." Elizabeth does the enthusiastic kissing. And I laughed.
"Is there a lot of this in the future?" The Warrior asked.
The Doctor looked uncomfortable, "It does start to happen, yeah."
"God speed, my love." Elizabeth said.
"I will be right back." Ten said, He runs into the Tardis.
"Right then, back to the future." The Doctor said.
"Oh, I love that movie." I commented as we got into the Tardis, but a different one from the one that I was used to.
"You've let this place go a bit." The Warrior said.
"Ah, it's his grunge phase. He grows out of it." The Doctor said.
"Don't you listen to them." Ten shouted.
An alarm sounds. The tenth Doctor gets an electric shock. "Ow! The desktop is glitching."
"Three of us from different time zones. It's trying to compensate." The Warrior said as the desktop changed again.
"Hey, look. The round things." The Doctor said.
"I love the round things." Ten commented.
"What are the round things?" I asked.
"No idea." Ten replied.
"Oh dear, the friction contrafibulator. Ha! There, stabilized." The desktop changes again to the one were I am familiar with.
"Oh, you've redecorated. I don't like it." Ten said.
"Oh. Oh yeah? Oh, you never do. Listen, we're going to the National Gallery. The Zygons are underneath it." The Doctor argued.
"No, UNIT HQ. They followed us there. To the Black Archive." I said. All three of them turned around and stared at me, "Okay, um, so all I know is what the Zygon-Kate told me. Is it bad?"
The Doctor answered, "The name has 'black' in it. Of course it's bad!"
I watched as The Doctor, Ten and Warrior worked on the console to do, actually, I wasn't quite sure what they were doing since they immediately sprung into action and didn't bother to tell me what they were doing.
Static cracked from somewhere, sounding like some sort of radio waves. I could hear soft speaking at the other end. Ten pushed a couple of buttons and the sound got clearer. "-are deemed so dangerous, it will self-destruct in-" I heard Nella say.
"Five minutes." Kate finished.
"Self-destruct?!" I whisper yelled. "What the hell are they doing?" All three Doctors turned around and shushed me before turning back to the console.
An alarm sounds through the radio.
"There's a nuclear warhead twenty feet beneath us. Are you sitting comfortably?" Kate said.
"You would destroy London?" Another Kate said.
"To save the world, yes, I would."
"You're bluffing."
"You really think so? Somewhere in your memory is a man called Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge Stewart. I am his daughter."
"Science leads, Kate. Is that what you meant? Is that what your father meant?" The Doctor said. Startled, I looked to see The Doctor holding some sort of microphone and speaking into it.
"Doctor?" Kate asked.
"Space-Time Telegraph, Kate. A gift from me to your father, hotline straight to the Tardis.I know about the Black Archive and I know about the security protocol. Kate, please. Please tell me you are not about to do something unbelievably stupid."
"I'm sorry, Doctor. Switch it off." Kate demanded.
"Not as sorry as you will be." Ten said, "This is not a decision you will ever be able to live with."
"Kate, we're trying to bring the Tardis in. Why can't we land?" The Doctor asked.
"I said, switch it off."
"No, Kate, please. Just listen to me!" The Doctor said.
"The Tower of London, totally Tardis-proof." Ten said.
"I thought humans didn't possess that kind of technology yet." I stated. "Mom and Dad will be pissed."
"Alien technology plus human stupidity. Trust me, it's unbeatable." The Doctor said.
"We don't need to land." The Warrior said told us.
"Yeah, we do. A tiny bit. Try and keep up." The Doctor snipped.
"No, we don't. We don't. There is another way. Cup-a-soup. What is cup-a-soup?" The Warrior asked.
The Doctor took out his cell, "Lia," he taused the cell to me and I caught it. "Call McGillop."
I stared at the phone. "Me? Are you sure he will believe me?"
"If he doesn't, put me on." The Doctor said.
I nodded and called McGillop. "McGillop." I heard on the other end.
"Take a look at your phone and confirm who you're talking to." I said seriously.
"But that's not possible. I was just-"
"You were just talking to The Doctor and I was next to him. I know. I'm a time traveller, figure it out. I need you to send the Gallifrey Falls painting to the Black Archive. Understood?"
"Understood, ma'am. But why would I take it there?"
I ran a bit behind the three Doctors as we went through the warzone of Archadia. I couldn't quite take everything in. There were sirens going off, screaming and Daleks repeating 'EXTERMINATE' over and over again.
My eyes were wide and my breath quick as we ran through streets with crumbled buildings. "Doctor, are we almost there?" I asked, my voice wavering.
The Doctor glanced back at me and took my left hand, bringing me next to him. "We'll be out in just a moment."
I nodded, then I noticed something coming around the corner to my right. That something looked like a Dalek. And none of The Doctor's noticed when it pointed its plunger at them. My eyes widened and I yelled, "Look out!"
In hindsight, yelling out probably wasn't the best idea. The Dalek turned to me, stated "EXTERMINATE!" and shot a beam of bright white light that hit me square in the chest. I cried out as I felt basically all my ribs snap and I crumpled to the ground.
"Amelia!" I heard The Doctor yell quietly. Why would he yell quietly? I saw two burly figures farther away firing something at the Dalek while The Doctor hovered over me. I started to hear buzzing and the world span as I began my first regeneration. I screamed as the cells in my body changed, died and changed again. My ribs healed painfully and I could hear the cracks that snapped back into place.
Then It was done. I breathed out as I could breath again. I swallowed and opened my eyes to find The Doctor's face inches from mine.
"Ah!" I screamed, startled and stumbled back, tripping on some rubble but I managed to catch myself. "Don' scare me like tha'!" I growled. "Oh. Ooo. Aye." I smiled, "Apparently I have a scottish accent now." The fact that I was taller was the first thing that I noticed, besides from my speech. Then I noticed that my skin tone had a bit more color in it than my first body.
The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Just think about how your mother's going to react." The Doctor's eyes widened, "Oh shit."
I smirked, raising my right eyebrow, "Aye. I don' thin' I'm the one in trouble. I be' I can find a way to twis' this to my advantage and avoid Mum's wrath."
"Come on. Ten and Warrior have already made it to The Black Archive." The Doctor said, ignoring my remark. He grabbed my hand and pulled me with him and together we stepped through the painting into The Black Archive.
I looked and saw a destroyed and smoking Dalek in the corner along with other debris. I raised an eyebrow at it then looked at The Doctor.
"Apparently I have a protective streak. Who knew."
I snorted, "Everyone, Doctor."
"Who are you?" Came from my left. I looked and saw two sets of the same people looking at me. I blinked.
"Wow. Talk about twins." I said, "Ma name's Amelia Harkness."
"No you're not." Said Nella, "I met her. She doesn't sound Scottish. She's not you."
"You do know that Time Ladies can regenerate. Ah'm Amelia, Nella."
"How?"
I sighed, "Ye don' stroll throug' an active war zone withou' some consequences."
"So, put that interruption on the side, for the next few hours, until we decide to let you out-" Ten.
"No one in this room will be able to remember if they're human-" Warrior said.
"Or Zygon." Ten concluded. "Whoops a daisy." Ten jumps on to the table. The Doctor's all point their three screwdrivers at a device on the ceiling which does something to the memory filter in the ceiling.
The countdown reaches 7. The two Kate's look at eachother, "Cancel the detonation!" The countdown stops at 5.
"It's funny, isn't it. If I'm a Zygon, then my clothes must be Zygon, too. So, what happens if I lose a shoe or something?" Nella said and coughs. Her duplicate returns the inhaler with a shush gesture. I covered my snort with a cough.
I wandered over to the photo array of past companions, starting with the Doctor's granddaughter, Susan. Then I went over to the Warrior, who is sitting in the a big leather chair.
"Hello."
The Warrior nodded, "Hello. Was that your first time?
I blinked, "Firs' time with wha'?"
"Regeneration."
I sighed and closed my eyes, "Aye." I opened them up again after a few seconds, "The Doctor, my, my Doctor, he's always talking about the day he did it. The day he wiped out the Time Lords to stop the war."
"They aren't wiped out entirely. You're here."
"I'm not a natural Time Lady because of how my mother became one." At The Warriors questioning look, I said, "Spoilers. Why would you do it?" I asked.
"One would."
"You wouldn'. Because you haven' done it yet. It's still in yer future. You would be killing family. Friends."
"You're very sure of yourself."
"He regrets it. Ah see it in his eyes every day. He'd do anythin' to change it."
"Including saving all these people. How many worlds has his regret saved, do you think? Look over there. Humans and Zygons working together in peace. How did you know?" The Warrior asked.
"Yer een. Yer so much younger."
"Then, all things considered, it's time I grew up. I've seen all I needed. The moment has come. " The Warrior turns to an empty spot, wait. I could see a faint outline of a person sitting. "I'm ready."
I narrowed my eyes, "Who's there? Who were yer talkin' to?" I turned back to Warrior but he disappeared. "Doctor!" I yelled, "We have a wee bit of a problem!"
The Doctor, Ten and I exited the Tardis into a barn. "Ye told you. He hasn' done it yet."
"Go away now, all of you." Warrior said without turning around, "This is for me."
"These events should be time-locked. We shouldn't even be here." Ten said.
"So somethin' let us through." I concluded.
"Go back. Go back to your lives. Go and be the Doctor that I could never be. Make it worthwhile."
"All those years, burying you in my memory." Ten said.
"Pretending you didn't exist. Keeping you a secret, even from myself." The Doctor said.
"Pretending you weren't the Doctor, when you were the Doctor more than anybody else." Ten stated.
"You were the Doctor on the day it wasn't possible to get it right."
"But this time-" Ten said.
"You don't have to do it alone." The Doctor finished. They put their hands on the button together.
"Thank you."
"What we do today is not out of fear or hatred. It is done because there is no other way." Ten said.
"And it is done in the name of the many live we are failing to save." The Doctor looked at me. I couldn't believe what was happening. What I was watching. I shook my head.
"What? What is it? What?"
"Nothin'."
"No, it's something. Tell me."
"Yer told me ye wiped out yer own people." I sighed, "Ma people. I just. I never pictured ye doing it, tha' all." It suddenly goes dark., "Wha's happenin'?" I asked as I saw what was happening on Gallifrey right now.
"Nothing. It's a projection."
"These are the people yer goin' to burn?" I asked, horrified.
"There isn't anything we can do." Ten said.
"He's right. There isn't another way. There never was. Either I destroy my own people or let the universe burn."
I looked at the three Doctor's in anger, "Look at ye. The three of ye. The warrior, the hero, and ye."
"And what am I?" The Doctor asked.
I gave The Doctor a painful look, "Have ye really forgotten?"
"Yes. Maybe, yes."
"We've got enough warriors. Any old galoot can be a hero."
"Then what do I do?"
I gave a sad smile, "What you've always done. Be a doctor. Ye told me the name ye chose was a promise. Wha' was the promise?"
"Never cruel or cowardly." Ten said.
"Never give up, never give in."
The images vanish.
"You're not actually suggesting that we change our own personal history?" Ten asked.
"We change history all the time. I'm suggesting far worse." The Doctor said.
"What, exactly?"
"Gentlemen, I have had four hundred years to think about this. I've changed my mind."
He sonicks the big red button back into the Moment box.
"There's still a billion billion Daleks up there, attacking." Warrior said.
"Yeah, there is. There is."
"But there's something those billion billion Daleks don't know." Ten said.
The Doctor smiled darkly, "Because if they did, they'd probably send for reinforcements."
"Aye! I see!" I said, smiling.
"What?" The Warrior asked.
The Doctor smirked, "This time, there's three of us."
"Oh! Oh, yes, that is good. That is brilliant!"
Ten's eyes lit up, "Oh, oh, oh, I'm getting that too! That is brilliant!"
"Ha, ha, ha! I've been thinking about it for centuries." The Doctor said.
"She didn't just show me any old future, she showed me exactly the future I needed to see!"
"Eh?" The Doctor asked The Warrior, "Who did?"
"Oh, Bad Wolf girl, I could kiss you."
"Sorry, did you just say Bad Wolf?" Ten asked Warrior, panickedly.
"So, what's the plan?"
"The Dalek fleets are surrounding Gallifrey, firing on it constantly." The Warrior said.
"The Sky Trench is holding, but what if the whole planet just disappeared?" Ten asked.
"Tiny bit of an ask." I said, raising my eyebrows at the size of the stunt we were going to pull.
"The Daleks would be firing on each other. They'd destroy themselves in their own crossfire." The Doctor said.
"Gallifrey would be gone, the Daleks would be destroyed, and it would look to the rest of the universe as if they'd annihilated each other." Ten said.
"But where would Gallifrey be?" I asked.
"Frozen. Frozen in an instant of time, safe and hidden away."
"Exactly."
"Like a painting." Warrior finished.
"Hello, hello, Gallifrey High Command, this is the Doctor speaking." The Doctor said through his monitor. I stood next to it, holding onto the Tardis console. Ten and the Warrior had gone back into their respective Tardis's.
"Hello! Also the Doctor. Can you hear me?" I heard Ten's voice.
"Also the Doctor, standing ready." The Warrior said.
"Dear God, three of them. All my worst nightmares at once." The person who I suspected to be The General remarked. I snorted.
"General, we have a plan." Ten said
"We should point at this moment, it is a fairly terrible plan-"
"And almost certainly won't work."
"I was happy with fairly terrible." The Doctor scowled at Ten.
"Sorry, just thinking out loud." Ten replied.
"We're flying our three Tardises into your lower atmosphere." The Doctor said.
"We're positioned at equidistant intervals around the globe. Equidistant. So grown up." Ten remarked and I giggled.
"We're just about ready to do it." Warrior said.
"Ready to do what?" The general asked.
"We're going to freeze Gallifrey." The Doctor said.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Using our Tardises, we're going to freeze Gallifrey in a single moment in time." Ten explained.
The Warrior explained more, "You know, like those stasis cubes? A single moment in time, held in a parallel pocket universe.
"Except we're going to do it to a whole planet." The Doctor said.
"And all the people on it." Ten finished.
"What? Even if that were possible, which it isn't, why would you do such a thing?" The General asked.
"Because the alternative is burning." The Doctor said darkly.
"And I've seen that." Ten said.
"And I never want to see it again." The Doctor concluded.
"We'd be lost in another universe, frozen in a single moment. We'd have nothing." The General argued.
"You would have hope. And right now, that is exactly what you don't have." The Doctor said.
"It's delusional. The calculations alone would take hundreds of years." The General continued to argue.
Each Tardis has a stasis cube on the console.
"Oh, hundreds and hundreds." The Doctor remarked.
"But don't worry, I started a very long time ago." Ten said.
"Calling the War Council of Gallifrey. This is the Doctor." The first Doctor said.
"You might say I've been doing this all my lives." The Doctor said.
"Good luck." Doctor two said.
"Standing by." Doctor three said.
"Ready." Said Doctor four.
"Commencing calculations." The Warrior said.
"Soon be there." The fifth Doctor said.
"Across the boundaries that divide one universe from another." The Seventh Doctor responded.
"Just got to lock on to his coordinates." The sixth Doctor remarked.
"And for my next trick." The ninth Doctor said.
"I didn't know when I was well off. All twelve of them!" The General exclaimed.
"No, sir. All thirteen!" The General's assistant said.
A new pair of grey eyebrows is seen.
"Sir! The Daleks know that something is happening. They're increasing their fire-power."
"Do it, Doctor. Just do it." The General yelled.
"Okay. Gentlemen, we're ready. Geronimo!" The Doctor yelled and I held on tight to the Tardis.
"Allons-y!" Ten laughed.
"Oh, for God's sake. Gallifrey stands!"
Then it all went white.
Tardis, afterwards
"You saved Gallifrey." The Doctor said to me after we had said our goodbyes to Warrior and Ten. The Doctor leaned against the Tardis console.
I scrunched up my nose, "No. All I did was tell ye to think outside the box a bit."
The Doctor sighed and rubbed his head, "You're mother's going to kill me."
I tilted my head a bit to the side, "Yer right abou' tha'." My eyes widened, " I'll probably get a yellin' as well." I smirked, "Why don' we wait a bit longer before seein' her."
The Doctor smiled and stepped closer to me. "How much longer?"
"I duno. At leas' another adventure." I said, grinning. "To Gallifrey?"
The Doctor gave a wide smile, "To Gallifrey, my Apprentice."
We laughed, The Doctor spun me around, kissed my forehead and we rushed to the controls.