17

Graham ran a hand over his face as Ace shot him a look before smirking slightly. Tegan stuck her head around the door just as Ace was about to say something.

"Are you two ok?"

"Never better." Graham smiled as he practically bounced towards the door, suddenly remembering his manners and holding the door open for Ace to step through first. Tegan smiled slightly as she followed the couple back to the main conference room where the team had been beginning to assemble.

"Good, because you are the last two to arrive. And your Ryan look like the cat that got the cream." Tegan laughed as she ushered her friends into the room only to see Ian and Ryan in deep conversation. Kate stood at the head of the table looking more unsure of herself than Graham could ever remember seeing her.

"You alright? What I miss?"

"Sontarians have gone quiet." Martha stated as Ace took a seat between her and Dan. Yaz frowned, just as Donna walked to the screen at the other end of the room.

"What do you mean? Quiet?" Donna asked. "We didn't just traipse all the way here from Cardiff for nothing?"

"No." Ten pulled a face. "No, its not good. It is far from good."

"We have the tech all in place." Kate looked at the male timelord. "You know that. What we need is a plan."

"Work in progress." Thirteen sighed.

"She always says that." Graham huffed. "You do, you always says that."

"And?" Thirteen crossed her arms. "You say I dunno what I'm doing?" She raised an eyebrow as Yaz and Ryan smirked.

"Nah, I'm just saying that it would be nice if you let us in on the plan once in a while. I mean, you went and regenerated and didn't tell us. You went and somehow split into two incarnations of yourself. Never explained that."

"Still working on that one." Ten huffed.

"Not important." Thirteen sighed. "Not now."

"So what is?" Ace tilted her head. "Professor?"

"This." She nodded to the screen. "They've gone quiet for one reason only."

"Which is?" Yaz prompted as Ten and Donna looked at each other.

"They are about to attack."

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The rest of the day was taken up with making sure the whole of UNIT and Torchwood Cardiff were briefed on what was going on. Kate had been in discussion for most of the afternoon with the British Prime Minister and the head of the UN, neither were conversations she relished while the rest of the team went over the possible outcomes of the plan.

"Right, Donna." Ten looked at her. "You sure you can do this?"

"Listen, Spaceboy."

"Oh she's not changed." Ten smirked as Thirteen threw what looked like a frying pan handle at Dan.

"Back of the neck." Donna smiled as Dan repeated her words to her.

"Ok, lets do this. Sontarans, lets be having you."

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Thirteen stepped into the TARDIS knowing that the modern ancient machine was not happy with her going back to the Sontaran fleet. The TARDIS had more than enough experience with the aliens to know that the warmongering race were generally more trouble than they were worth. She dimmed the lights as Thirteen stepped in.

"I know." She sighed. "I know."

The TARDIS whirred. "But I am not supposed to still be here. I regenerated. I know it was forced. I know the Master did it and that is the only explanation I can think for there being two versions of me now."

"Twins?"

She turned to see Ten watching her. "My time has been and gone." He sighed. "I didn't want to go. I didn't want to Regenerate." He sighed sadly. "I wasn't ready. Neither were you."

"Are we ever?"

"The things you found out. Things I have no memory of. The Flux. Our mother."

"SHE is NOT our mother." Thirteen snapped. "I know that now."

Ten nodded. "Tectuen, not exactly going to win Mum of the Universe."

"No." Thirteen turned back to the TARDIS console.

"Come on. Sis?" He watched her role her eyes. "Lets finish this."

Thirteen smiled. "Ready?" She pulled the lever sending the TARDIS into orbit knowing the Sontarans were not going to give up easily.