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"You have got to be kidding me!"

I suppose I should have expected this. I'm living in Doctor who. Running is part of the job description. But this? This is not what I was hoping for when I had them pull the trigger.

The place I'm standing in is obviously not Earth. It's rolling desert landscape with red dirt which could be my home planet except when you look at the sky it's basically purple. Not a good purple either. This purple looks sick. And the black clouds don't help either.

On the horizon I see a mob. Well, more like an angry horde of...people. And when I say people I mean aliens. But the landscape, the sky, and the yelling mob, is not what has me standing there like a gob smacked idiot. No. It's the girl that the mob is chasing. And they're all running right toward me.

"Go! Go! Run!"

She doesn't have to tell me again. I turn tail and start pumping my legs. We fall into step with each other rather easily. Our pace keeps together as we push each other's limits. We run up over a hill and we're about to keep going but I notice a cave on our right. So I reach out and grab her hand to drag her into it.

We hold our breath as the "people" run right past it. They don't even notice. They just keep going. I finally get a good look at them. They're basically humanoid except they have crablike claws and appear to have some sort of shell. In fact, they actually look like crab people. I flip through my journal and come across Martha's new Earth adventure. Macra. There were crab scavengers called Macra. I don't know if that applies but I don't want to call them crab people.

"How the hell did you get on this planet? Humans don't have the technology to get this far out."

I turn my attention to the girl. If it was just a random girl it wouldn't matter. But this girl is not random. She's familiar.

"I could ask the same of you, couldn't I Jenny?"

She looks shocked before her gaze darkens.

"Who are you?"

I shake my head and grin.

"Like father like daughter."

I offer her my hand.

"Jane Ryder."

She eyes me warily but shakes my hand anyway.

"Jenny Mali. But I guess you already knew that."

"Mali?"

"Yeah. As in generated anomali."

"Oh yeah. That makes sense. How did you get here. This isn't your original universe is it?"

She furrows her brow.

"Are there other universes. Because if there are then that explains a lot actually."

"Where those Macra?"

She looks surprised.

"Yeah. Humacra. How do you know that? How do you know me?"

"Oh sweetie, that is a very long story. Let me explain."

I pause.

"No. There is too much. Lemme sum up."

Yep. I quoted the princess's bride. Yes I did.

"I knew your dad in another universe but then I got sucked into another one. In that universe I joined up with a woman named Rose that traveled with your version of your dad. They loved each other. The universes are all falling apart, so I'm helping Rose get to your dad so he can fix it. Got it?"

"Um. Yeah. No. Maybe."

"Good enough. Now, what about you?"

"I was trying to find my dad and I followed a weird signal and ended up going on a bumpy ride that landed me a few galaxies over from here. The history here is wrong and it confused me. Im trying to find my way back. Can you get me back?"

I want to. I'm changing things anyway so I think it would be a good idea. I'm about to tell her yes, when I remember something important.

"I don't have a button for you. And you don't have a tracker to pull you back. I could attempt to get you one and come back but the aim would be too spotty. Likely we would be separated for good."

Her shoulders fall.

"Oh. So I'm stuck here?"

Before I can answer, there is a loud horn sounded. We look at each other and head toward it. Over a few more hills we come to the top of a valley. And in the valley is the largest weapons arsenal I've ever seen.

"What in the world?"

"They're preparing for war. They're going to try taking over this sector. If they succeed, they'll just keep going. I was trying to stop them when you showed up."

"You really are your father's daughter. He'd be very proud."

She grins and I know that that makes her feel better. The next few hours are spent with covert investigations. The whole time, I'm trying to think of way to bring Jenny with me, but I'm coming up empty. Besides that, we learn that the Humacra have turned their entire planet into a battle station. It becomes apparent that the only way to stop them is to destroy the planet.

"We can invert the launch sequence. Cause all their weapons to go off at once without ever leaving the atmosphere. They'd blow themselves up."

"No. We'd be blowing them up. And that's genocide! We can't do that."

"But if we don't, this doesn't bode well for anyone!"

"We have to give them a chance. That's what the Doctor would do."

She grumbles but doesn't argue with me. We head to the leader base and walk right in. I try to reason with them. Jenny acts as my translator sense I can't speak their language. No TARDIS to do it for me. But they don't listen. I didn't actually think they would but I had to try.

They try to kill us and we run for our lives. We barely make it out.

"Jenny. Go to your ship. Get out of here."

"No. We got to finish this. No second chances you said. We have to see it through."

"There's no we. You're leaving. I'll take care of the Macra."

"No! This is my universe now. And don't try to say otherwise. You can't get me out. If I ever do find a way, then I'm on my own. You can't help me. But you can help me do this. But I'm the one that needs to do it."

I let my anger seep into my words. I hold nothing back. Not right now. She won't listen to soft words. She is a soldier. She will listen to a command.

"Yeah you are stuck here. I can't get you out. But you know what I can do? I can make sure that your hands stay clean of this. I can make sure that this universe has a doctor that isn't ridden with the guilt and regret of genocide. I WILL NOT let you destroy this planet and this species for not only your sake but our fathers as well. He would never want this for you. No parent wants this for their child. So you are going to haul your arse back to your ship and you are going to leave. You won't look back and you will not help me."

She's stunned into silence.

"That's an order! Move!"

I see rather than hear her sigh in defeat. And then he surprises me. She throws her arms around me and gives me a big hug.

"Thank you. Please tell Dad I'm okay and that I'm sorry we didn't get to travel together. I miss him."

I hug her back.

"I know sweetie. Listen to me. Everything's gonna be fine. You are going to be, fantastic. You hear me."

I pull back and look into her glistening eyes.

"I think this universe needs a doctor. But you need I be you. Being similar to your dad is fine. But you're the next generation. You are supposed to be better than him. You see why I won't let you stay here?"

"Yeah. Thank you Jane. Good luck."

I smile. "Go."

As she runs away I feel the heaviness of it all crash into me. I've saved the doctor's daughter from this guilt but at a cost. It still must be done, and in the only one who can pay the price. And I can't even get Jenny back to her Dad and her proper universe. There's nothing for it. She has to stay here. I can only hope that the universe somehow gives her a break. Maybe one day she can make it back. But it won't be today.

The inverting is easy. Jenny had explained it before, rambling on like her father would. It startles me how little of an effort it takes for me to end an entire civilization. The Humacra discover me. They come at me. But I use my speed of thought to slow them down. I slow them down long enough to press the button.

I see the explosions start to happen. I hope Jenny is already gone. I decide that I'll believe that she is. I trigger the cannon and I end up back at Torchwood. It's then that it hits me and I sink to my knees.

Mickey bends down in front of me.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm always alright. Just a rough jump. That's all. Send me agian."

"Maybe you need a break."

"Send me again!"

What I need is a distraction. I just trapped a time lady from her only family. I just murdered an entire species. It's time to move on. This is why the Doctor runs. He needs to stay ahead of it. Ahead of the pain and the guilt. I don't feel regret for it. It needed to be done. But it's still unpleasant.

"On my mark. Three, two, one, spike."

There's no jest in it this time. I room for it. When i land, I'm again gobsmacked by what I see. But this time, it's for a completely different reason.

"You can't be serious!"