"Once, there was a planet, much like any other...and unimportant. But one will always disagree with this statement. Anyway…This planet sent the universe a message. A bell tolling among the stars, ringing out to all the dark corners of creation. And everybody came to see. Although no-one understood the message, everyone who heard it found themselves afraid. Except for three people. The man who stayed for Christmas with his son and daughter."
▪︎▪︎▪︎
A girl, who seems to be around 25-ish years old with blue hair, beams into a large dark space, carrying a Dalek eye-stalk. "Greetings, fellow travellers!" She said, "I, Claudia Elspeth Redwood, had brought proof of courage and comradeship. With that, please identify yourselves by species and planet of origin."
Still nothing.
Claudia quickly turns on her earphone. "Eh, Doctor? Are you sure this is safe?"
"Perfectly safe, Claudia. Nothing to worry about."
"Are you sure? Because I swear this place looks like—"
Her words get interjected by a very familiar exclamation. "Exterminate!"
"Dalek's ship," she finished, gritting her teeth as she avoided getting hit by several Daleks. "Doctor!"
"Wait, hold on! Handles!"
"Just navigate manually!"
"I'm trying!"
Just a few metres from getting blasted to death, she's beaming back to the console room of the Tardis. There, she finds her mother giving the Doctor a serious glare.
"DALEK?" She fumed at him. Oh ow. "Seriously?"
"Well… every ship I go on, they just shoot at me…"
"So, you think sending your granddaughter to a Dalek ship is the best thing to do?"
"Don't blame me, blame Handles!" the Doctor gestures to the damaged Cyberman's head attached to a stand on the console. "I said, 'put Claudia on a ship.' I didn't say, 'put Claudia on a Dalek ship.'"
"You did not indicate a preference," Handles told him.
"Then, try one," Claudia huffed as she took a look at the monitor that's showing lots and lots of spaceships. "They're all here. Daleks, Sontarans, Terileptils, Slitheen. And they're not even fighting, they're just…standing by. Waiting."
"The message was received throughout the universe."
"And they came looking for it," Delaney recalled, turning away her gaze from her father-in-law while fidgeting. She can deal with his action later. "Even the Tardis can't translate it."
"Must be something grand to make the entire universe search for the source," Claudia guessed.
The emergency phone outside rings.
"Oh, no. And remind me I've got to patch the telephone back through the console unit. This is getting ridiculous," the Doctor said, recalling the trouble he caused just because he forgot.
"Attention. Information available," Handles stated.
"Okay?"
"You must patch the telephone device back through the console unit."
"No, no. No, no, no, no. No, not now. Remind me later."
"When?"
"I don't know. Just later. Just pick a time."
"When?"
"Just pick a random number, express that number as a quantity of minutes, and when that time has elapsed, remind the Doctor or any of us to patch the telephone back through the console unit," Delaney summarised.
"Affirmative," Handles finally said.
"One often wonders of your words, Doctor," Claudia mused as she opened the door (the Tardis had set the air surrounding it so she can breathe) and got the telephone before bringing the handset inside. "Hello, the Tardis."
"Emergency. You're my girlfriend!" Clara suddenly declared.
It took a moment for Claudia to process it. It's as if her head has been hollowed out from receiving information that makes her insides explode. Even her brain function was impaired by the statement that Clara had just said in a short, concise, and clear manner. "Excuse me," Claudia slowly responded. "Girlfriend?"
"Yes! I mean, you're not actually my girlfriend. But I need a girlfriend really quickly."
"Not getting it."
"Christmas dinner. Me cooking."
"So?"
"So, I may have… accidentally invented a lover."
"Your family knows you're bi?" Claudia asked instead. Seriously, all of this is so sudden. She had a hard time processing it and right now, she's thinking about how the Oswalds' are going to react to Clara being attracted to the same gender as her.
"Yes, they know!" Clara retorted, and couldn't believe she would ask that. She thought the Doctor would, not Claudia. "And I said he/she would be coming to Christmas dinner."
The three of them hear a beeping sound from the scanner that has picked up an unidentified new vessel in orbit.
"I'll try to be there as fast as I can," Claudia promised. "I just need to check something with Mum and Grandpa."
"Oh, thank you! I just need you to come for Christmas dinner—oh no no no, don't!"
The call ends. Claudia hopes Clara won't suddenly cause a fire in her apartment.
"What did she say?" Delaney asked as they all exited the Tardis, with the Doctor holding Handles as they went through a corridor.
"She accidentally invented a lover and needs me to cover it up," Claudia informed as a door opens, shifting their focus on the front.
"Okay, don't be alarmed," he told the people onboard. "I come in—"
"Oh my words," Delaney blurted as she saw the Cybermen.
As if that's not enough, the Cybermen suddenly turn on. "Alert. Alert. Intruder detected. The intruder will be upgraded," they all stated as lots of Cybermen leave their cubicles and start shooting.
"No thank you!" Claudia replied as the three of the running back to the Tardis. They get inside and the phone rings, so Claudia (with a heavy sigh) pops out to get it again. "We're coming!"
"Then, be quick! I'm cooking Christmas dinner!"
▪︎▪︎▪︎
Clara's family—consisting of her father, her aunt, and her grandma—with Arthur (who had just arrived an hour before her family came) are sitting in the dining room. The adults are tucking into starters and alcohol whilst the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special is on the television. "Happy Christmas!" It said.
"How's the turkey doing?" Linda Oswald asked, already annoyed that Clara hadn't finished the main dish.
"Great. Yeah, yeah, it's doing great. Well, dead and decapitated, but that's Christmas when you're a turkey!" Clara blurted.
"Actually, maybe I will have a little more," Granny Oswald suggested.
Clara refills her glass. "There you go, Gran."
"Did you put it in early enough?" Dave Oswald asked.
"Dad, I put it in when you phoned me."
"I emailed you some instructions."
"Oh, you certainly did."
Arthur hears the Tardis materialising outside Clara's flat. With a smirk, he and Clara run down the stairs and outside, losing both of their paper crowns in the wind.
Just as they open the door, Clara quickly says, "Claudia, I so need you…"
"Holy crap!" Arthur hollered at the sight of his father being naked, while Delaney and Claudia seemed to be having a hard time not to laugh.
"Clara! Sunny!" He greeted them.
"No, stop, stop, don't move. Don't do anything!" Clara warned, turning her back while Arthur closed his eyes.
"Why? What is it? What's wrong?"
"Dad. You're naked!" Arthur blurted.
"Yes, I am naked. I wondered if you'd notice."
"So unnecessary!" Claudia muttered, sounding very, very embarrassed.
"Doctor, why are you naked?" Clara asked.
"Because, and I quote, he's 'going to church'," Delaney remarked and pressed a button so the Doctor wouldn't look naked in front of those two. "There! No more naked!"
Clara turns around. "Oh, that was quick."
"Hologram clothes, projected directly onto your visual cortex," Arthur explained after opening his eyes again. "Essentially, he's still naked."
"Everybody's naked underneath Sunny," the Doctor replied.
"Okay, that's gross, even for you," Delaney remarked, looking sour.
"So," Claudia claps her hands. "Care to introduce your family, Miss Oswald?"
"Of course, Miss Redwood," Clara replied with a teasing note as they both ran back to the flat.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"So," Clara said as she and Claudia entered the dining room. "Here she is!"
"Hello, everyone!" Claudia called with a bright smile. "Nice to meet you all!" She shakes their hands with delight as Dave and Granny Oswald seem surprised yet happy to see her (except Linda, who looks absolutely displeased at her). "Merry christmas!"
"Merry christmas," Granny Oswald replied with a smile.
"So…this is Claudia. My girlfriend," Clara clarified.
"I thought you said 'lover', not 'girlfriend," Linda grumbled, rolling her eyes.
"Linda," Dave warned with a sharp look, angry that Linda was still keeping her hard opinion on Clara's preference on dating someone. It was understandable at first, considering that her husband had cheated with someone else. But she never changed after many years went by and criticised Clara for being bi.
"It's fine, Mr. Oswald," Claudia assured him, giving Linda a deadly glare for a brief moment. "Most people tend to get confused as well. And speaking of confusion…"
"Oh. Right!" Clara recalled. "Excuse us," she said, dragging Claudia into her kitchen that looks to be a mess.
Claudia simply hums before walking closer to the oven. "That is a problem," she realised at the unfinished turkey inside it.
"What's wrong? Do you think it's not done yet?" The brunette inquired.
"Maybe a decent vet would be a good chance."
"Okay. Well, use an app."
"On my screwdriver? Excuse me. My screwdriver had apps for analysis and survival apps, not for cooking turkey," Claudia rolls her eyes but then frowns. "Maybe it would work."
"What would work?"
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"You can't keep using the Tardis like this," the Doctor huffed around the console before walking down the stairs below the console.
"Like what?" Clara asked as she's carrying the poor uncooked bird.
"Missed birthdays, restaurant bookings. And please, just learn how to use iPlayer."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Claudia waves her hand as she opens one of the small doors, taking the turkey from Clara and lays the carcass in the workings below the console.
"Ooo, vortex cooking?" Clara guessed.
"Yep, exposure to the time winds. It'll either come up a treat, or just possibly lay some eggs," the Doctor shrugged.
"Information available," Handles informed.
Clara frowns at the sight of a Cybermen's head. "What's that?"
"Don't worry," Delaney assured Clara as the three of them step back to the console room and Arthur checks the scanner. "The organics are all gone, but there's still a full set of data banks. The Doctor found it at the Maldovar market."
Arthur presses a button and the monitor shows back to the snow planet.
"Planet identified from analysis of message," Handles added.
"Right, cool," the Doctor beamed. "Go on then. Okay, tell us, what is the planet? Go on."
"Processing official designation. Processing."
"Okay, in your own time, dear. Don't rush."
"Dad, why haven't you just gone down there and had a look?" Arthur frowns.
"It's shielded, Sunny. Even the Tardis can't break through it," the Doctor replied.
The air in the room slowly gets thick when Handles says, "Gallifrey."
All of them glance at the head. "What did you say?" Delaney asked.
"Gallifrey."
"What are you talking about? Gallifrey? What do you mean?" The Doctor demanded.
"Dad—" Arthur called, but interrupted by Handles.
"Confirmed. Planet designation, Gallifrey."
The Doctor grabs Handles and takes it to the scanner. "You see that? Gallifrey is my home. I know it when I see it. That is not Gallifrey."
"Doctor, calm down," Delaney asserted, quickly taking Handles away from him before he slams it.
"It's not Gallifrey, Dela. Gallifrey…is gone."
"Unless…unless you saved it," Clara proposed as they all looked down at the planet below. "You thought you might have."
"Even if it survived, it's gone from this universe. That is not my home," the Doctor insisted before they went back inside. "It can't be."
Arthur had stayed silent, knowing that Gallifrey is one of the sensitive subjects for his father and he didn't want to make him angry for saying more.
Then suddenly, there is a big fog horn blast outside. "What's that?" Arthur asked.
They all look out of the door again, at a big square Borg-style spaceship. "Papal Mainframe," the Doctor introduced sourly. "It's like a great big flying church. The first ship to arrive. They are the ones who shielded the planet. They can get us down there."
Above thej, a large holographic face appears. The Doctor simply nods curtly before it disappears.
"A friend of yours?" Clara guessed.
"Tasha Lem, the Mother Superious," Delaney explained as she nods at her. "She's inviting us aboard."
"Why?"
"Because she has to."
"Here." Claudia shows Clara and Arthur two small pills. "Swallow this."
"What is it?"
"Your hologram projector. You can't go to church with your clothes on."
"Great," Arthur mumbled, facepalming as he realised that he also needed to get naked.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
Arthur and the others walk into a long walkway bearing a red carpet suspended over a deep chamber. Members of the church line the walk as they make their way forward. Clara is hunched over, self-conscious, while Claudia scrunches her face.
"I don't feel like I'm wearing anything," Clara muttered beside Claudia.
"Yeah, I don't really appreciate the reminder," the bluenette remarked.
"What is this place?"
"The Church of the Papal Mainframe, security hub of the known universe," the Doctor explained.
"A security church?" Both Clara and Arthur repeated.
"They're basically keeping people safe in many worlds," Delaney added before looking at Tasha and bowing. "I venerate the exaltation of the Mother Superious."
"I venerate the exaltation of the Mother Superious," Claudia said as she and the Doctor gave her a low bow, while Clara and Arthur gave her a courtesy.
A male Colonel standing near the Mother Superious greets them. "Welcome to the Church of the Papal Mainframe. Your nudity is appreciated."
"Hello, Doctor. Hello, Miss Redwoods. Hello, Mr. Jonas," Tasha greeted, looking at Arthur with curiosity. Arthur never met her personally, so he's not entirely comfortable with it.
"Clara, this is Tasha Lem, the Head of the Church of the Papal Mainframe," Delaney introduced. "Tasha, this is our companion, Clara Oswald."
"Greetings, Miss Oswald," she greeted before addressing the person beside her. "We'll go to my chapel." Then, she talks to everyone else. "All honours in place, no sacrifices required."
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"I assume it was you who shielded the planet?" Arthur asked as they walked into another corridor.
"That means you could sneak us down there, couldn't you, Tasha?" Delaney asked.
"I would have conditions," she said, looking at everyone except the Doctor. "I have confidential matters to discuss with the Doctor. Would you excuse us?"
"Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of my acquaintances," the Doctor remarked a bit coldly.
"That's okay," Arthur assured him with a pat in his forearm. "We'll stay here."
He sighs, reluctant to let his son, his daughter-in-law, his granddaughter, and his companion stay here. But knowing Tasha, he better follow her agreement. For now. "I'll be back," he promised and entered a room with Tasha.
"He…doesn't seem to like Tasha…or anyone else in here," Clara imparted.
"They didn't help us when Kovarian kidnapped Amy," Delaney explained in a grim mood. "Tasha refuses to help after knowing that the Doctor will instigate a war. It's against their foundation."
Arthur shoves his hands in his green hoodie's pocket, recalling how the Doctor didn't ask any help about the situation in Lake Silencio. He looked wary and furious when Claudia suggested it and immediately refuted the idea of getting help from Papal Mainframe.
A husky voice of an old man kept asking. "Doctor who? Doctor who? Doctor who?"
"Silence will fall!" Many people in a dark room chanted. "Silence will fall!"
Arthur looks at the crack and gently holds it. His eyes glowing in yellow before his hand also glowing…
His body shook at the same visions he kept having after the whole fiasco in Lake Silencio. He always gets those three visions constantly, like a reminder on what will happen in Trenzalore. He still had no idea exactly what it meant, but he can sense that he will figure it out very soon.
"Confess," a low voice denoted, making the brunette boy flinch. It can't be…can it?
Slowly, he turns behind, letting out a gasp as a mouthless creature in a suit, with three long fingers, approaching him and others.
"Oh no," Delaney muttered in horror, shielding Arthur right away while Claudia looks around, panicking that nobody seems to mind about a Silent just entering this place.
"Confess... Confess…"
"I don't know what those are," Clara said. "But it's not good, right?"
"Not good doesn't even begin to cover it," Claudia hissed.
"Any weapons available?"
"I left it at the Tardis."
"What?!" Clara looks at her, exasperated.
"It's prohibited to carry it in here! We'll get killed immediately!"
"Let's just get into the door!" Arthur yelled, terrified as many Silence began to step closer to them. His mind starts to get spinning as the memories of torture and pain are coming back. Oh God. They're going to get him. They're going to kill him. They're going to punish him—
His thoughts get cut as Delaney grabs him into Tasha's room with Claudia and Clara. Both the Doctor and Tasha look at them in confusion. "Are you okay?" The Doctor asked, particularly at his son
They all nod. Arthur gives him a 'I'll explain later' look.
"This is my personal teleport," Tasha walks into a small teleport box while Clara and Claudia are sitting on a bed. "I can put you all down just outside the town. Find the source of the message and report back to me in one hour. And on your life, Doctor, you will cause no trouble down there."
"When do I?" He asked as he, Arthur, and Delaney entered one of the boxes. Tasha and Delaney give him an obvious look. "Don't answer that," he said and drew the curtain. Tasha pulls it back and holds out her hand. "What?"
"I'm not an idiot. Everyone in this church is trained to see straight through holograms."
"Ah. Great," Clara reacted.
"Give now. You are taking no technology of any kind down there."
"What can I do with a key? You two, in, now."
"You could summon your Tardis," Tasha noted, opening the curtain again as Clara and Claudia enter another teleport box.
"The Tardis doesn't work by remote," the Doctor grumbled before finally gives the key. "Fine. If it makes you feel any better, there we are."
"Remember. I want you back in one hour," Tasha reminded them before they got sent.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
Snow is falling all around as they all beam in.
"Oh, cold. Very cold," Clara noticed, shivering.
"There's a heat loss filter in your hologram shell. Give it a moment," Claudia assured her, giving her jacket to Clara.
"So, sweet little town covered in snow, half the universe in terror. Why? Why?" The Doctor wondered as Arthur tugged his hoodie much closer.
Delaney frowns, noticing an arm sticking out of the snow. "That's strange. There's something under the snow."
"What is it?" Arthur asked as she took a closer look and inspected it.
"It's cold. And it's a…stone…" she held her breath. "Oh my words! There's a Weeping Angel here!"
"Mum!" Claudia shouted as the hand grabbed Delaney's ankle, stopping her from walking away.
"Everyone, keep looking at it. Don't look away. Don't even blink!" The Doctor insisted as he and Claudia grip her shoulder.
Clara, standing beside Arthur who looks frightened, asks. "What is a Weeping Angel?"
"Looks like a statue, isn't a statue. Can send you back to the past forever," Arthur summarised. "Dela, can you get your foot out?"
"Only if I get it out of my shoe," she replied.
"You're not wearing a shoe."
"Oh. Right.
"Okay, pull hard. One, two, three!" The Doctor counted as he and Claudia pulled Delaney with a hard effort. Eventually, she comes free and they all tumble backwards. Lots of Angels are starting to emerge from the snowdrifts to their location.
"They're climbing out of the snow. Oh, God!" Clara realised.
"Keep looking at them. At all of them," Claudia warned.
"Why?"
"Quantum locked lifeform. It can only move if it's unobserved," the Doctor answered.
"What is it doing here?" Arthur frowns, trying to stay calm.
"They must've got past Tasha's shield," Delaney guessed, trying to keep her eyes on every Weeping Angels. "Keep looking!"
"I can't. I can't see!" Clara remarked as more of them got closer and closer. "The snow's in my eyes!"
"I just need to bring the Tardis down," the Doctor decided.
"You can't fly it remotely."
"No, but it can home in on the key."
"But she took your key!"
"She took one of them. He had spares," Arthur informed…before the Doctor pulled off his wig to reveal a spare glowing Tardis key.
Clara can only look at his bald head in absolute horror as she's pointing at it, Arthur covers his mouth in shock, Delaney simply watches as she tries to hold her laugh, and Claudia doesn't react any differently as the Tardis materialise at their surroundings.
"The old key in the quiff routine. Classic!" He beamed and put his wig on Handles. "Okay, homing in on the mysterious message. Ooo yes, I like that. The mysterious message."
"What have you done?" Arthur asked, still in shock.
"What? It's a clever plan to get us past the shield."
"He got bored one night after a big argument with River," Claudia added as she navigated the console. "Then, he decided to live with otters for a month."
"Is that what happened to your eyebrows?" Clara guessed.
"No, they're just delicate."
Arthur quickly checks his eyebrows before sighs in relief. His eyebrow is thick. Not like the Scottish one, but still enough.
"Right, setting us down near the signal source," Claudia mentioned. "I'm going to turn the engines on silent. Also," she throws the wig back at the Doctor. "Put it back on."
"Why?" He asked.
"Your ears are like rocket fins."
"I know."
"It's weird," Arthur commented, also checking his ears momentarily before Delaney snorts.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
After the Tardis materialises in the street, all five of them step outside. Arthur, while holding Handles, notices there are lit trees lining the road as well as braziers with lit fires.
"Oh, it's good to be wearing clothes again," Clara said in relief. "That's so much better, don't you think?"
"So much better," Claudia agreed, scanning the area with her sonic pen. "2 o'clock in the afternoon, must be a very short day here. And the message…is coming from that tower."
"Maybe we should ask the locals!" Arthur suggested as he sees a couple walking the street. "Hello!"
"We're a family from another planet," Claudia greeted. "My name is probably Ramona."
"Or Hank," the Doctor chimed in.
"Or Daisy?" Clara proposed.
"Hush."
"Most pleasant to meet you too!" The man said and shook Claudia's hand.
The woman beside him smiles. "Most pleasant. Most pleasant."
"Hello! Hello! Hello! I'm the Doctor. I'm a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. I stole a time machine and ran away and I've been flouting the principal law of my own people ever since while also questioning my quality as a father." He quickly covers his mouth. "That wasn't quite what I was meant to say!"
Clara snickers and starts talking. "I'm an English teacher from planet Earth, and I've run off with a man from space because I really fancy his—" she quickly covers her mouth as well.
"I think, perhaps, you should stop talking till you get used to it," the woman suggested.
"Used to what?" The Doctor asked.
"What did you say your name was?"
"Bubbly personality masking bossy control freak!" Clara blurted before covering her mouth with her hand.
"Fighting girl who had trouble with her love preference!" Claudia babbled before shutting her mouth as well.
"I'm wearing a wig!" The Doctor suddenly said, pointing at his wig before holding his mouth.
"Oh! I see!" Arthur remarked. "We're standing in a truth field."
"No-one can lie in this town," the man confirmed. "Especially this close to the tower."
"Doesn't that make life a bit difficult?" Delaney pondered as the couple walked away.
"Not at all," the woman assured her while the man simply said, "Yes."
"I see… What is the name of this town?"
"It's Christmas," the man replied.
"It's July," the Doctor said, looking at the watch.
The woman chuckles. "No, the town. The town is Christmas, that's what it's called."
"Be happy here. Be well," the man said before they continued to walk away.
"How can a town be called Christmas?" Clara wondered.
"How can a town be called Santa Claus in Georgia?" Delaney asked back as they walked into the church.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
The moment they enter, Arthur immediately notices how dark the tower is. He barely can see the inside without knocking some stuff.
Then, as they keep moving, they all see a source of light. Slowly, they walk closer to it, and find themself looking at a W-shaped crack on a wall.
"There you are," the Doctor said. "What took you so long?"
"What's wrong?" Clara frowns. "It's only a crack in the wall."
"It wasn't any ordinary crack, Clara," Delaney explained, wrapping her arms around herself as she studied it. "This is the same crack that causes us so much trouble."
"I knew. I always knew it wasn't over," the Doctor mumbled, touching it, recalling the same crack he saw in his room, the everlasting fear of uncertainty of what exactly the crack existed. "A split in the skin of reality. A tiny sliver of the 26th of June, 2010. The day the universe blew up."
"Missed that," Clara commented.
"Dad managed to reboot it, put it all back together," Arthur added, closing his eyes as he remembers that day as the day the Silence took him, changing his life and emotional stat forever. "The Tardis got blown away in the first place." He glances back at his father, telling him silently that he's okay. "This shouldn't be possible."
"The scar tissue must remain. A structural weakness in the whole universe," Claudia concluded after scanning it using her sonic pen.
"Whoa!" The Doctor gasped. "And someone's trying to get through it from outside our universe, from somewhere else." His eyes widened as he pressed his ear on the crack. "Of course. Of course. It makes sense."
"It does?" Clara asked.
"Yes. If you were trying to break through a wall, you'd choose the weakest spot. If you were trying to break into this universe, you'd choose this crack, because…"
"Because this is the right place to break into this universe," Delaney finished with horror as she glanced at Handles. "Handles, why did you say Gallifrey?"
"Analysis of message composition indicates Gallifreyan origin, according to Tardis databanks," Handles informed.
"You said Gallifrey was gone," Clara recalled.
"No. I said it was in another universe," the Doctor shook his head. "The message is coming through here. The truth field is too, at a guess. If it's the Time Lords… If it's the Time Lords…" he quickly takes a large round item from his trouser pocket. "Seal of the High Council of Gallifrey. Nicked it off the Master in the Death Zone. There is an algorithm imprinted in the atomic structure. Use it to decode the message."
Arthur takes it from his hand and puts the Seal on Handle's forehead. "Message decoding. Message analysis proceeding. Information available. The message is a request for information."
"It's a question. Why can't you just say it's a question?"
"It is being projected through all of time and space on a repeating cycle."
"The oldest question in the universe, hidden in plain sight."
"Warning. Translation will be available to all lifeforms in range. Translation follows. Doctor who? Doctor who? Doctor who?"
Arthur nearly drops Handles as the question slowly gets demanding and the voice changes from Handles to the voice Arthur had heard many times from his visions.
Oh no. Could it be…? Is this it?
"Oh my words," Delaney muttered, running her hand through her hair, realising as well. "A question only we five could answer. A truth field to make sure none of us can lie. If we give the Doctor's name, they'll know they've found the right place and that it's safe to come through."
Clara gulps, knowing that's a fact. She knows his name from one of her echoes' life. Claudia knows his name after accidentally reading it at the Tardis' library when the Tardis were hijacked by Van Baalans. Arthur knows his name the moment he was born. Delaney knows his name at her own wedding. "Okay, so what then? If one of us answers the question and they come back, what happens?"
The Doctor looks at Delaney before giving Clara a short round device. "Er, you need to take this to the Tardis and put it in the charger slot for the sonic. Claudia can help you."
"Why?"
"I'm guessing nothing good will come if the Time Lords come back?" Claudia asked.
"There's half a universe up there already, waiting to open fire," Delaney noted, holding her hands. "Now please, go to the Tardis. Okay?"
Claudia gives her a serious look before finally leaving the tower with Clara.
"Doctor!" Tasha shouted. "Speak with me. Doctor! Delaney! Arthur! Face me now!"
The three of them go up to the bell chamber above the clock face, which is very open to the elements and appears to house just the one bell. "Mother Superious, there is only one thing I need from you. This planet, what's it called?" The Doctor asked.
Tasha stays silent for a moment before she confirms their suspicions. "Trenzalore."
Arthur clenched his hands into fists.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
Both Clara and Claudia enter the Tardis. Claudia immediately set for the spot the Doctor told her. As it appears on the console, Clara quickly put the cylinder into the spot.
Clarabsteps back from the console, looking at Claudia. "Okay, is that it?"
"That should be it," Claudia replied, frowning at the navigation system and how the monitor doesn't work.
"What is it?"
Before the bluenette can say more, they hear a metallic thrumming. They both quickly run to the door, open it and rush outside…only to find themself back to Clara's flat. They turn back to the Tardis as they hear it begin to dematerialise.
"Don't!" Claudia shouted as they both ran back and held the door.
"Come on. Come on," Clara muttered, trying to put the key into the keyhole as they soon disappeared.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"If you three speak the Doctor's name, the Time Lords will return."
"If they return, they will come in peace," the Doctor pointed out.
"It doesn't matter. They will be met with a war that will never end. The Time War will begin anew. You all know that."
Arthur and Delaney might have never been into the Time War, but they know the horror and the pain of what the Doctor had done to stop the war from getting bigger as both sides were just growing desperate and corrupt for victory.
"They're asking for help, Tasha!" Delaney said.
"And if you give it, Dame Redwood, war will be the consequence. I will not let that happen, at any cost. Speak the Doctor's name and this world will burn."
"We won't make it happen!" Arthur promised as the Doctor rings the bell, getting all the residents to gather around the tower. They quickly run downstairs and come out of the Tower.
"So, you lot, a quick word, thank you. Spot of news. Christmas has a new sheriff. Hello, everyone. I'm the Doctor," the Doctor greeted. "And this is Sunny and Delaney. They're going to assist me."
Tasha looks at them grimly before leaving. A vision soon hit Arthur's head.
"Attention. Attention all Chapels and Choirs of the Papal Mainframe," Tasha announced to all personnel. "The siege of Trenzalore is now begun. There will now be an unscheduled faith change. From this moment on, I dedicate this church to one cause. Silence. The Doctor and his acquaintances will not speak his name, and war will not begin. Silence…will fall!"
"Silence will fall!" Many people in a dark room chanted. "Silence will fall!"
The siege…has begun.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"In the time that followed, the Papal Mainframe strove to maintain the peace between the Doctor and his enemies."
▪︎▪︎▪︎
Arthur smiles as he switches on the trap that he had made surrounding the town. A set of vehicle tracks is slowly appearing in the snow on the road into town as an alarm blaring.
"Commander Skarr! That's the detection warning. Our invisibility cloak is compromised!" One of the Sontaran asked.
"What's wrong with it?" Skarr asked.
"I don't know. I can't see it."
"Well, it looks invisible to me."
He hits the side of the semi-visible vehicle before a giant explosion hits them, followed by an announcement. "The Church of the Papal Mainframe apologises for your death. The relevant afterlives have been notified."
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"As the days passed, and the years, the Doctor and his acquaintances stayed true to their word. On the fields of Trenzalore, they stood as protectors of their own people and their new home."
▪︎▪︎▪︎
Delaney snickers, uses the Doctor's sonic screwdriver to show a mirror right in front of a Weeping Angel.
"Bye, bye!" She mocked with a bow as the statue got blasted into oblivion.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"Over the years, the enemies would find new, stranger ways to enter the town called Christmas."
▪︎▪︎▪︎
Delaney had just set their meal when they heard an alarm and a voice shouting. "There's another one! Doctor, Arthur, Delaney! There's another one!"
"Incinerate. Incinerate," a Cybermen's voice declared.
"I'll handle it," Arthur told her, kissing her forehead before comes out of their Tower home.
"The Doctor is required."
"Oh, I'm afraid he can't," Arthur replied, shoving his hands on his green hoodie. "It's my turn to be the sheriff."
As time went by in Trenzalore, the Doctor had slowly aged as well. It was…weird, but also, not weird. He knows his father is way older than he normally would look, but to see him getting older and older after the long exposure with the crack makes him realise how very ancient his father is.
He and Delaney know that the Doctor can't always keep the town safe and sound. Which is why, they made a schedule on who should be on the lookout. Fortunately, it's his turn now, so the Doctor and his wife can recharge their energy.
"Keep an eye around, Barnable," Arthur whispered at him before looking at the Cybermen…or Woodman (okay, not a good nickname, but it's much better than stickmen). "Wooden Cyberman, huh? Interesting." He takes a step closer to his foe. "Low tech, doesn't set off the alarms upstairs."
There is a brief High Noon moment between the town sheriff and the newcomer, then Arthur manages to zap it with his vortex energy before it manages to raise its creaky arm.
"Only a bit of tech is allowed in. Which is why, I was tweaking your system so you can only fire yourself," Arthur added. "Now, as we're standing in a truth field, you will understand I'm telling the truth. If you like, you can scan me, verify what I have done to you."
"Verified." The Cyberman's arm weapon turns around and fires its flamethrower through its chest.
"Tell anyone above that the Explorer will always be here," he claimed with a victory smile and the residents cheering.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"With every victory, the town celebrated. In time, the Doctor and his son and daughter seemed to forget they had lived any other life. And the people of the town came to love the three people who stayed for Christmas."
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"You've got to be the drunk giraffe. You've got to commit!" The Doctor said as he teaches the kids the dance he did back at Amy and Rory's wedding. "Don't be cool, guys. Cool is not cool."
"Cool is not cool!" The children repeated.
"And what's the dance we're doing?"
"The drunk giraffe!"
"The drunk giraffe. Yeah, it is. Merry Christmas. Give me a hug. Bring it in."
"Yeah!" They all said before hugging him.
Arthur laughs while Claudia shakes her head in happiness. Her head leans on his shoulder, watching the scene with serenity.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"How's your father's barn?" Arthur asked Barnable after he and Delaney cleaned up the leftovers of the party.
"The Doctor has fixed the leak all right, but he says it's bigger on the inside now," Barnable said as they walked around.
"Shush, they'll all want one," the Doctor whispered, holding his cane as they all heard the sound of a wheezing time rotor.
"What is it? What's that noise?"
"Well I'd be damned," Delaney muttered as the Tardis is trying to materialise.
"Well. Where have you been for 300 years? Ha?!" The Doctor demanded.
"What's that?" Barnable asked.
"Our ship, Barnable," Arthur answered. "And my grandma."
"Your what?"
"It's my Tardis. That's how we got here in the first place," the Doctor elaborated.
"Does this mean you're leaving?"
Arthur immediately regretted hearing that. He wants to assure him that they won't leave until the war is over, until he finds a way to stop this madness.
But he loses his words when he sees Clara and Claudia standing, on the outside, with Clara holding her key in the lock.
"Girls!" The Doctor yelled at them. "What are you doing here?"
"We…were…in space," Clara replied, shaking as Delaney helps her and Claudia slowly takes some steps.
"Well, you were in the time vortex. She must have extended the force field. No wonder…No wonder she's late, dragging you around!"
"You tricked us!" Claudia snapped, pointing her shaking finger at them. "Three of you!"
"We saved you!" Delaney retorted, throwing her hands in the air.
"You didn't even say goodbye!" Clara remarked.
"I'm furious with you two!" The Doctor shouted.
"Well, I am not even talking to you!"
"Are you all done?" Arthur inquired, rubbing his temple. Seriously. The drama his family can cause… "Just hug each other already!"
His words seem to manage to make Claudia and Clara take a good look at him…and quickly their expression changes into shock. Well, he can't blame them. After all, they now see him as a 20s man, not a 12ish boy. 300 years in Trenzalore had made him grow into an adult. Or at least, an adolescent. Even still, he wore the same clothes when he was a child, albeit much bigger for an adult.
"...Dad?" Claudia managed to call him.
"Hi," he said with an awkward smile.
"You're not a kid anymore."
"Yeah, well, 300 years staying makes me finally grown up. This isn't exactly a good place to raise a child, but it does help you to develop a survival skill."
"300 years?!" Clara repeated as she tries to digest that fact. She never met this version of Arthur face to face and only knows from pictures Delaney had and vague memories of her echoes.
"Maybe we should talk inside the tower," Delaney suggested as the residents start giving Clara odd gaze. "I just make a good meal for us to eat."
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"Look at that," Claudia mused, gripping a blanket as she and Clara looked at the drawings, the pictures Delaney had taken showing Arthur Jonas in different ages (the latest showing his 344th birthday) and the Doctor's workbench that had several broken toys.
"Oh, Doctor. Fixing toys, raising your kid, and fighting monsters," Clara shook her head.
"The turkey isn't done yet," Delaney said as she took the turkey to a desk.
"Is it still asking the question?"
"Oh, never stop," Arthur grumbled as he looked at the crack. "It was annoying, at first. But you'll get used to it."
"Come upstairs. It's almost time," the Doctor gestures to follow him upstairs.
Claudia frowns. "What for?"
"Dawn. The light here lasts only a few minutes. You don't want to miss it."
▪︎▪︎▪︎
Arthur carries Handles up the stairs, setting it beside the Doctor. A small fire is burning in the chamber. Delaney carried several bowls of chicken soup she just made.
"It's a siege, to be honest," Delaney explained as she gave her daughter and Clara a bowl of soup. "They can't attack in case one of us unleashes the Time Lords, and neither of us can't run away, because they'll burn this planet to stop the Time Lords."
"After all these years, I've finally found somewhere that needs me to stick around. A town called Christmas. Could've been worse," the Doctor mused, then looking at Handles. "Right, there you go, buddy. Comfy?"
"Comfort is irrelevant," Handles replied.
"How's that, is that better?" The Doctor asked after adjusting the robot.
"Affirmative."
"You just take it easy, buddy."
"He's getting old," Delaney mentioned as she eats her soup. "The Doctor and Artie had done the best for him, but it's not enough."
"Where did you get these?" Clara asked, referring to their food supply. Considering the town's environment, having a large food supply must be very rare for them to produce.
"We have a supplier. You should check the pink marshmallow. The Doctor can't stop eating it."
"I have developed a fault," Handles suddenly stated.
"Hey, don't you worry, Handles. you're just dreaming. The sun's coming up very soon. You just hang on in there," the Doctor told him.
"I have developed a…fault. I… I have developed… a fault."
"Dad," Arthur called, slowly holding both of his hands, telling him to insist on Handles.
But he didn't want to. And so, he kept holding at Handles. "Hey, Handles. Come on. Come on. One more dawn, you can do it. You've got it in you. Come on, just hang on in there."
"Attention. Emergency. Attention," Handles said in rusty voice.
"Handles, what is it? What's wrong?"
"Urgent action required. You must patch the telephone device back through the…console…unit."
Handles' lights go out. Arthur kindly takes the head away from the Doctor, letting it rest beside him. "Rest now, buddy," he whispered. His eyes wince as the sun rises between the mountains, and birds sing to greet it.
"What do you think of our new place?" The Doctor asked, trying to change the topic. "We three come up here once a day for a few minutes. For me, to remind myself of what it is I'm protecting."
"It's beautiful," Clara complimented.
Finishing her soup, Claudia looks at her parents. "Why did you send me away?"
"Because you and Clara will stay here and participate in this war as well," Arthur responded in a quiet tone. "I don't want that. Not after…"
Delaney quickly gave him a rub on his left shoulder. A way for her to give him her support. It was hard for her to tell him the exact truth of what will happen to her in Trenzalore. He tries so hard to find a solution, a way to save her. But each vision he saw only solidified her death.
"We would never have let you three get stuck here," Claudia insisted, not liking the idea of leaving by force.
"Ha! Everyone gets stuck somewhere eventually, Claudia," the Doctor disagreed. "Everything ends."
"Except you three."
"The Doctor's in his last body," Arthur emphasised. He knows that this isn't the last Doctor he'll see, but he can't reveal that to others without spoiling the future. "And Dela only had several hundreds of years to live thanks to the Source. I may be young, but I can't leave them here. My regeneration or my time vortex cannot resurrect them without draining my life energy."
"But you don't die," Clara persisted, looking at the Doctor. "You change. You pop right back up with a new face."
"No, not forever," the Doctor disagreed. "I can change 12 times. 13 versions of me. 13 silly Doctors."
"Okay, so you're number 11."
"Ha. Are we forgetting Captain Grumpy, eh? I didn't call myself the Doctor during the Time War, but it was still a regeneration."
"Okay, so you're number 12."
"Well, number 10 once regenerated and kept the same face. I had vanity issues at the time. Long story," he added after noticing the confused face at Claudia and Arthur since they weren't there at the Crucible. "12 regenerations, Clara. I can't ever do it again. This is where I end up. This face, this version of me. We all saw this planet in the future, remember? All those graves, one of them mine…and Delaney."
As the sun is setting, Claudia says three words that she wants to say, "Change the future."
"We can't, dear," Delaney shook her head. "At least, not without a big risk."
"And we won't take it," the Doctor averred. Both Clara and Claudia realise how the atmosphere suddenly turns a bit heavy.
"Why?" Clara insisted. "Why can't we take it?"
"What do you remember about the prophecy in Trenzalore?" Arthur asked eating his chicken soup.
"'On the fields of Trenzalore, at the fall of the Eleventh, when no living creature could speak falsely, or fail to answer, a question will be asked. A question that must never, ever be answered. A question will become a catalyst of an unexpected future. And by doing so, the Explorer must pay a high price,'" Claudia denoted.
"The last two lines mentioned 'unexpected future' and 'pay a high price'," Clara realised, gripping the edge of the bowl. "Wait…so the future…can change!"
"Not without risking Sunny!" The Doctor argued with a disapproving tone, surprising Clara by his tone.
"But it could work! It's worth to—"
"When I said no, I said no!"
"You don't even know that!"
"Why? Because you only care about your son's life and not the others like my mother?! For God's sake, she's going to die here with you and you don't even care!" Claudia shouted, slamming her fist beside her before covering her eyes, holding out the tears while taking a deep breath. How can he said that? After everything he had her mother went though for those times?!
"Claudia, I've been having that argument for the last 300 years," the Doctor implored, not even angry at her words. "With Sunny. With Delaney. I, no, we know the risk coming here. I won't let anyone decide to change the outcome without causing a consequence."
"But surely we can change it!"
"Dear, you saw my grave in Trenzalore," Delaney reminded her. She knows this is hard for her daughter to accept. Heck, even she used to have a hard time with it. The only thing that manages to ease her mind of her death is that she'll spend many centuries with her husband that has grown up and slowly loving her like the way she feels. "My death is a fixed point in time. The werewolf from my home had seen it. Emma had sensed my death. This town, Christmas, is going to become my resting place." She looks at the Doctor with a meaningful look. "Fitting."
Arthur sighs deeply. It took a lot for him to accept his wife's death. While he may had a chance to save his father, the same cannot be said to Delaney, as she is always destined to die here. And that doesn't always make him fine. It always leads to heated arguments between the couple, even the Doctor can't resolve it.
It hurts him that the woman he had grown to be his girlfriend-slash-wife won't be with him after Trenzalore. That that is the reason why Delaney wasn't around when he arrived in Victorian London after his first jump. That Claudia had to live without having her parents around because one is already dead and one is very much absent from her life.
There's just silence around them as nobody is able to say something else. Then, out of nowhere, a thunder appears in the darkening sky with a voice calling. "Doctor! Arthur!"
"Ah. Look who's woken up," the Doctor quipped as Tasha's holographic face is in the sky.
"The Church of the Silence requests parlay. Your rights and safety are sanctified."
"We'll be right up," Arthur asserted to her.
"I'm sending a transporter."
"We'll use the Tardis."
After Tasha disappears, Clara realises, "It's gone dark."
"Yeah, well, the sun's gone down," Delaney remarked sadly as she took every bowl to take back to the kitchen.
"Already?"
"Everything ends, Clara. And sooner than you think," the Doctor said.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"She hasn't aged much," Clara notices at Tasha's appearance as she and Delaney help the Doctor to walk.
"She's against it," Arthur replied, now holding Claudia's arm, kept looking at the people who stood between the red carpet, couldn't help but to think how…odd they are than usual. But he can't pinpoint exactly what's wrong with them. 300 years of mastering his time vortex and he still hasn't grasped the full potential of what he can do.
Claudia, who had noticed his gazes at the people on the Papal Mainframe, asked him. "What is it?"
"Approach!" Tasha ordered.
"Confess," one of the Silent said.
"What are those things?" Clara whispered. Arthur simply ignores it so he won't freak out by the Silent's presence.
"Confessional priests. Very popular. Genetically engineered so you forget everything you told them," the Doctor explained.
"Told who?"
"There you go."
"Just stay on guard," Arthur suggested as they all followed Tasha, looking at his surrounding nervously.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
As they all sit on a chair, with Tasha sitting across them, she places a big box in front of the Doctor. "Satisfactory?" She asks as Delaney looks inside, realising that there are many food supplies that are able to get them all full for months.
"Where are the pink ones?" the Doctor insisted.
"Please tell me you don't bring another," Arthur huffed, leaning back in his chair. "I had to search for him for a week after he ran across the town after eating those things."
"Not to mention, the nagging," Delaney added, shaking her head as she tries to forget the annoyance she had when her father-in-law kept begging on the pink marshmallow after she hid the marshmallow supply.
"So, this is sweet. Middle of a siege and you all have little chats," Clara pointed out.
"She's right. This situation cannot continue," Tasha agreed.
"It can't end, either," the Doctor disagreed.
"Why did you ever come to Trenzalore?"
"We had to," Arthur shrugs. "None of us exactly had a choice to avoid this. Even I couldn't. But that didn't stop your people trying."
"Kovarian and her people broke away," Tasha clarified, sounds as if she tries to prove something. "They travelled back along your timeline and tried to prevent you ever reaching Trenzalore."
"Yeah, we know," Delaney remarked, tapping her fingers on the table. "They blew up the Tardis, created the very cracks in the universe through which the Time Lords are now calling. The crack had caused so much problem for us." She glares at her. Even if Tasha didn't do it, her very own establishment had caused the phenomenon that made Amy to forget her parents, Rory erased from existence, her and the Doctor to be trapped inside the Pandorica, River and Arthur trapped inside the exploding Tardis, and the entire universe collapsed for good.
"And don't get me started with what your ex-girlfriend had done to my son and wife," the Doctor alluded irritably, not bothering to explain further about Tasha and Kovarian former's relationship to the shocked Claudia and Clara. Knowing that Tasha had let Kovarian do her insane actions gives him quite a rage he can't fathom.
Arthur kindly holds his and Delaney's hand, telling them that all of those are in the past. As much as it had caused pain, he knows that if Kovarian didn't do what she did, then neither he or River would exist, and that alone would cause a serious repercussion on the timeline.
"I'm not interested in changing history," Tasha insisted. "I want to change the future." She looks at Arthur. "I know the prophecy had mentioned a price you must pay for the 'unexpected future'. Tell me, Explorer. You had the power to see the future. Have you truly never seen the third option of this?"
Arthur squeezed the hem of his flannel shirt, thinking about some of the visions he'd had over the last 300 years. As he grew, so did his power of the time vortex. Tinkering with technology is one of them, although it can't be done by all kinds of technology. One of his growing strengths is his visions, which is not limited to the future, but also the past and present.
With so many pieces of the future at his disposal, he had the big picture of what he could do to prevent his father's death without destroying the future he had seen and ensuring his timeline with the Scottish Doctor and Blondie Doctor remained intact. But to be honest, Arthur wasn't sure he could do it. At least...not right now. Not with his current capacity. "Why exactly did you bring us here, Tasha?" He inquired. He had sensed something off with the members of Papal Mainframe. And he had learned that he can trust his sense.
"Why? The Daleks send for reinforcements daily. They are massing for war. 3 days ago, they attacked the Mainframe itself!"
"They attacked here?" the Doctor repeated, worried.
"How did you stop them?" Clara asked.
"Stop them?" Tasha scrowled. "It was slaughter."
"Why didn't you call us?" Delaney inquired, gripping the arm of the chair. "We could have helped."
"Doctor!" Tasha screamed, trying to get help as a blast from a Dalek hit her back…
"She tried, Dela. She died in this room," Arthur asserted as he and others stood up, taking some steps away from Tasha.
"I died," Tasha realised. "It's funny the things that slip your mind. Ah!"
"No! No, no, no. Tasha, no, please, not Tasha!" The Doctor pleaded as she fell to the ground. As much as he blamed her for what happened to Arthur and River, he had no intention for her to die. Not like this.
"Fight it. Tash, fight it!" Claudia insists as a Dalek eyestalk comes out of her forehead and the real Daleks enter. She internally cursed herself that she left her weapons in the console room of the Tardis.
"Step away from the Dalek unit, Miss Redwood," one of the Daleks ordered.
"You shouldn't even know any of us," Arthur frowns. "Unless…You get that from Tasha."
"Bet she never told you how to break through the Trenzalore forcefield, though. She'd have died first," the Doctor guessed.
"Several times," another Daleks alluded.
"So what? You're going to kill us? You know that's a stupid move," Delaney mentioned as the Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver, letting the question fill the room.
"I'm a tough old bird. I'll be ages dying," the Doctor added. "Way enough time to answer a question. And, oh dear, what happens then, boys?"
Tasha slowly aims her hand that has energy swirling in her palm…towards Arthur and Delaney. "You will die in silence, Doctor, or the Explorer and Dame Redwood will die!" a Dalek declared.
"You did that, and I'll reveal my name. I'll let the Time Lords march into this place and bring all hell they have caused once again into this universe!" The Doctor affirmed without any hesitation, causing several Daleks to move nervously. "And really, Tasha? You're just letting them get you? I always knew you were a bit spineless, you and your pointless church. Why did I ever rely on you? Never trust a nun to do—"
Delaney quickly pulls all of them down as Tasha aims her hand at the Daleks, blasting them into fire.
"You were saying?" Tasha retorted.
"Right," he slowly nods, "Get us back to the Tardis. Can you do that?"
"Yeah, but quickly, the Dalek inside me is waking."
"Fight it."
"I can't."
"You have to," Arthur insisted, holding both of her hands as she looked at her. "Buy us more time. Do that…" he leans closer to her ears and whispers, "and I'll change the future. When the time comes, I'll use my power to change it."
Tasha looked at him with shock and relief. She nods curtly before Arthur enters one of the teleport boxes. "The forcefield will hold for a while, but it will decay, and there are breaches already," she warned.
"Then this isn't a siege any more, it's a war," the Doctor declared. "It's all up to you now. Fight the Daleks, inside and out. You can do it, I know you can."
"I pray so," she hoped and beamed them, silently hoping that the Explorer could keep his words and end this madness.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
The Tardis lands at the field of Trenzalore. As Arthur pulls off the lever, the bell below rings. "Finally, the turkey is cooking," he commented.
"Do you want some?" Clara asked.
"Why not?" Delaney smiles.
"Got any plates?"
"Eh, it's in the kitchen so…"
"Okay, we'll wait," Claudia waves her hand before looking serious at her parents and grandpa. "Don't do that again. Promise me and Clara that none of you will never send us away ever again."
They look at each other silently. Arthur steps closer to her and Clara. "We won't send you away again."
"Good," Clara nods as she and Claudia go down to get the turkey, not realising the pain expression they had for lying. "Turkey smells good!"
"Can't wait!" Arthur beamed as he glanced at the city from the monitor.
Delaney kindly rubbed her hands on him, giving him encouragement to do what it's necessary. The siege has turned into a war. It's not safe for the girls to stay in this place.
This time, they need to send them away.
With a heavy feeling, Arthur puts the device into the charger…
▪︎▪︎▪︎
Clara removes the well done turkey from the vortex cooker. Claudia smells it. "Now that's the turkey I'll eat," she remarked.
"Hey. This is for everyone!" Clara reminded her before she chuckled. "Come on."
"Here it is, guys!" the bluenette called as they came back up the stairs. "A turkey for—" She loses her words when she realises nobody is inside the Tardis.
"Doctor? Delaney?" Clara asked, looking around.
Panic, they both go outside the Tardis, hoping that they're still in Christmas town. But their hope shatters when they only see themself back at Clara's flat.
"NO!" Claudia yelled, trying to get back to the Tardis, but can only go through as the Tardis dematerialised, leaving them. The girl just stood there, shocked and griefed that her parents had sent her away.
"Claudia…" Clara holds her hand, knowing that this must be hard for her to adjust. She had the same feeling when her mother died from illness. Those days that lead into her death had been the worst days for her and her dad.
"The vortex manipulator."
"What?"
Claudia turns around, now looking serious. "The coordinate of Trenzalore," she elaborated, taking out her sonic pen from her sling back that she managed to pick up…and a vortex manipulator. "I had it in my sonic pen. And Kate let me borrow the device for some time."
"That's great!" Clara beamed. "How long does it take?"
"Shouldn't be long," she muttered before the vortex manipulator went beep. "Okay. Hold my hand. This should be working."
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"And so, to the fields of Trenzalore came all the enemies. For this was the winter of the Doctor and his family. In time, when all other races had retreated or burned, only the Church of the Mainframe remained in the path of the Daleks. And so those ancient enemies, the Doctor and the Silence, stood back to back on the fields of Trenzalore."
▪︎▪︎▪︎
Once the two of them arrived in Trenzalore, they were shocked by the sight they saw.
Claudia knew that Trenzalore was about to enter a serious round of warfare. However, seeing the collapsed houses, the screaming soldiers, the weapons being thrown in various areas, the red coloured sky filled with smoke...made the blue-haired girl feel sick of the sight of war that she hated so much.
"There," Clara pointed at the tower house that looks very old. How long had they gone?
Slowly, both girls take their steps inside the tower. As they enter, they hear an ukulele being play. Following the sound, both girls find three people in there. An elderly Doctor keeps working on a wooden dog in an armchair that older people often use. Near him, Arthur Jonas, still looking the same, playing an ukulele while humming a song alongside an older woman with a grey sweater and long skirt who is colouring the toys, giving a warm yet sombre atmosphere around.
"I guess I'll have to face. That in this awful place, I shouldn't show a trace of doubt," he sang softly. "But pulled against the grain, I feel a little pain. That I would rather do without." Then, as if sensing their presence, Arthur puts his ukulele and looks in their direction. "Girls?" he whispered, causing the Doctor to drop the toy as he and the older woman looked at them too.
"M-Mum? Dad? Doctor?" Claudia mutters. All the anger, the hurt, the words she wants to say at them for sending her and Clara away…all gone as Clara quickly helps her walk so she can be closer to her family.
"Hello, Clara, Claudia," the Doctor greeted, taking off his reading glasses.
"My, look at you two," Delaney smiles as she stands up, holding each of their cheeks. Claudia can feel the trembling on her old hands. "Were you always so young?"
Claudia snorts, holding her tears. "As if," she sniffles, realising that death will coming to get her mother very soon. But she can't dwell with that. Not when this is her last chance to see her. So, she decides to says, "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas."
Clara takes out a cracker that she had prepared for Arthur (well, child Arthur). "I don't get a chance to get you all a gift, but this is all I had."
"Oooh, let me," the Doctor volunteers as Clara gives the cracker and they both try to pull the cracker, but his hand isn't strong enough. Arthur can watch it with sadness as he helps Delaney sits down closer to the Doctor.
"Hey, it's okay. It's all right, don't worry," Clara assured him, helping him make the cracker open.
"Ah! Is there a joke? Ha?"
Arthur kindly takes the paper from Clara and reads the slip. "Extract from Thoughts on a Clock by Eric Ritchie Junior."
"Is it a knock knock one? Those are best."
"No, Dad. It's not that kind of joke."
"For shame," he pouted. "Keep reading."
"And now it's time for one last bow, like all your other selves. Eleven's hour is over now," Arthur read as his eyes flooded with tears and his lower lip trembled. "The clock is striking twelve's."
"...I don't get it."
"It's new. So you might not understand," Claudia commented as tears finally running down at her eyes.
"Doctor! The Doctor will be brought! The Daleks demand the Doctor!" A Dalek's voice echoing the city.
A young man runs in. "They're here. The Daleks, we can't stop them. They want you and Mr. And Mrs. Jonas."
"Oh, all right, Barnable," the Doctor replied before frowning. "Are you Barnable?"
"No, Doctor."
"Don't worry, James. Get the children and adults into safety," Delaney affirmed before coughing.
James nods, briefly looking at her worrily before leaves to the sounds of explosions outside.
"I haven't got a plan," the Doctor confessed as he stood up.
Arthur quickly helps him out. "Dad, you don't need to do this."
"Yes, Sunny. I have to. This is it."
"No!" Claudia and Clara shouted at the same time. They just get back. They can't see him die!
"We saw the future, girls," Delaney pointed out, gripping her sweater from cold despite the room is very warm. "This is how it ends."
"Change it!" Clara pleaded at Arthur.
Claudia nods. "Like Tasha said, change the future! Please, Dad!"
The Doctor shook his head sternly. "Now, now, girls. You can't force someone to change the future without consequence, can't you?"
"But—!"
Delaney shushes them, giving them both a serious look to not say anything as she leaning on her chair. They frown at the way she interrupted their arguments. As if…as if she is keeping something from the Doctor. "You two…go help the residents for evacuation," she suggested, rubbing her eyes. "I will accompany the Doctor. Do that for this old woman, eh?"
They look absolutely ready to argue, but they simply nod.
"Thank you," the Doctor said in relief as he and Delaney took a step up the stairs.
When they were up, Arthur looked down. "I had to do this alone," he told them.
"Why?" Clara asked.
"What I'm about to do, Clara...is a very dangerous thing. Idris warned me that I must not overuse my time vortex energy. Auntie Wolf told me the same thing. But this is the only way to save the Doctor and preserve my past. At least… I can do this for River, Amy, and Rory."
Claudia squeezed her hands together. "And Mum...?"
"She knew all along. That's why she signalled you to stop arguing. And I'm sorry, Claudia... But I can't change Dela's future."
The girl closed her eyes and nodded slowly. She already knew this. She knew that in the end, her grandfather would survive...and her mother would still die. It was painful to know that fact. But no matter how bitter she felt, it was nothing compared to how her father felt about not being able to change the future of the woman he loved from death itself.
"Good luck," Claudia finally said, hugging him one last time before she and Clara went outside the clock tower to help people.
Arthur looked at the crack on the wall. His heart felt heavy and hard. The energy of the time vortex began to spin madly all over his body, ready to break out.
It was now or never.
He pointed his hand at the crack and with great effort, began to expel the time vortex's energy from his hand and focused on using it to change the outcome.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"Sorry I'm a bit slow. Someone didn't hurry," he joked as he and Delaney finally arrived.
"You can talk," she rolls her eyes.
From above, he can see Clara and Claudia briefly. He frowns when he doesn't see his son but quickly relieves when he hears footsteps behind him and sees his son arrive too.
"You are dying, Doctor," the Dalek informed.
"Yes, I'm dying. So does my daughter. You've been trying to kill me and my family for centuries, and here we are, both dying of old age. If you want something done, do it yourself."
"You will die, and the Time Lords will never return."
"You still can't work up the courage to shoot us, can you? You're still worried we've got something up my sleeve. Well, you knock yourselves out, boys. I've got nothing this time."
"Oh, I would disagree," Delaney remarked as he looked at her husband.
"Hope this would work," Arthur mumbled, wincing as several flying Daleks fire at the troops on the ground, making the townsfolk scream.
"Wha…What happened?" the Doctor asked, gripping his hand. "Sunny…what did you do?"
"Changing the future," was all he could say before gesturing to the sky. When both the Doctor and Delaney look in his direction, they see the crack opens in the sky and golden regeneration energy enters the Doctor's mouth. His eyes widen in surprise and his hands begin to glow.
"Whoa," Delaney responded as the crack disappeared.
"You will die now, Doctor. This is the end of you and your family. The rules of regeneration are known. You have expended all your lives."
"Sorry, what did you say?" the Doctor retorted at the Daleks. He slowly stood all without help and didn't fall down. "Did you mention the rules? Now, listen. Bit of advice. Tell me the truth if you think you know it. Lay down the law if you're feeling brave. But, Daleks, never, ever,tell me the rules!"
"Emergency! Emergency! The Doctor is regenerating!" the Daleks warned as the Tower clock struck twelve. "The Doctor is regenerating!"
"Oh, look at this. Regeneration number 13. We're breaking some serious science here, boys. I tell you what, it's going to be a whopper!"
"Exterminate! Exterminate the Doctor!"
"GET TO THE TOWER!" Claudia shouted as loud as she could from below, realising what's going on.
"Get inside! Come on, quickly. Get inside, quick!" Clara warned as well.
"I think we should too," Arthur suggested and dragged his wife back to the tower.
As he and the remaining survivors wait inside, they can hear the Doctor yelling at the enemy. "You think you can stop me now, Daleks? If you want my life, haha, come and get it!"
They heard rumbling sounds and explosions from all sides.
"Love from Gallifrey, boys!" the Doctor declared…before a giant blast happened above them, shaking the entire building.
And that's the last thing Delaney hears before her eyes close forever.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
Later
Cemeteries in Trenzalore are not always grand. This was Delaney's request whenever someone died in battle or other causes. The townspeople agreed to the request of the woman who had protected the city of Christmas for 900 years.
And they do the same as they gather. Both Claudia and Clara stood on one side of the altar table, where Delaney's cold body lay. In the centre, Arthur Jonas clutched Delaney's wedding ring with a look of sadness that could not be read by all the residents, including the two girls who knew him.
Arthur glances towards the Tardis, where his father is currently talking to Clara in the future. He knew it had to happen, with Clara struggling to adapt to his father's new face. After all, he rarely attended funerals due to his dislike of endings and the trauma of finding himself stood on his grandparents' tomb.
"Rest now… my warrior," he started to sing. A song that Delaney always sang at funerals. She never told him why she always sang that song, but someday he'll find out. "Rest now, your hardship is over."
"Live. Wake up. Wake up," they all sang. "Live. Wake up. Wake up. And let the cloak of life. Cling to your bones. Cling to your bones."
"Oh my words," Claudia mumbled, realising the song as she tries not to cry loudly.
"Wake up, wake. Wake up. Wake up. And let the cloak of life. Cling to your bones. Cling to your bones. Wake up. Wake up!"
They keep singing the song, honouring their fallen protector as the sky gets clearer and the stars shine brightly, welcoming Delaney Redwood into their arms.
Unknown to them, the Doctor had watched the funeral from the Tardis' monitor. A silent tear came out of him as another member of his family was gone.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
After it is over and the residents abide them goodbye, they return to the Tardis. Arthur sees the Tardis' external emergency telephone hanging off its hook and returns it back, silently smiling before he gestures to Clara and Claudia to go inside.
In the console room, they found the Doctor's village clothes scattered on the floor, and a nearly empty bowl of fish fingers and custard is on the console. There are footsteps on the stairs.
When they turn around, they see their usual Doctor.
"Doctor!" Clara called happily.
"Hello," he smiles.
"You're young again. You're okay. You didn't even change your face."
"It's just a reset, Clara," Arthur told her as he finished his custard. "The Regeneration cycle tends to do that."
"Taking a bit longer. Just breaking it in," he added, grunting before start the Tardis' engines. "It all just disappears, doesn't it?" He asked his son. "Everything you are, gone in a moment…like breath on a mirror. Any moment now, he's coming."
"Who's coming?" Claudia frowns.
"The Doctor."
"But you…you are the Doctor," Clara pointed out.
"Yep, and I always will be," he said as he glances down at his glowing hands. "But times change, and so must I."
The Doctor sees a young Amy Pond run up the stairs, laughing. Then, he sees his son, both first and second self, running around the console while giggling. He never heard that giggle for a long, long time. "We all change, when you think about it," he realised. "We're all different people all through our lives. And that's okay, that's good, you've got to keep moving, so long as you remember all the people that you used to be. I will not forget one line of this. Not one day. I swear. I will always remember…when the Doctor was me."
Then he takes a step closer to his son. Slowly, they touch each other's cheeks, smiling against each other.
"Goodnight, Dad," Arthur whispered as tears glistened in his brown eyes. "Sleep well."
The Doctor takes a step back, removes his bow tie and drops it on the floor. His face is in pain.
"No, no!" Clara pleaded with him as Claudia held her. "Please don't change."
The Doctor jerks backwards and a tall, grey haired, piercing blue eyes appear. The Scottish one, as Arthur nicknamed him.
The new Doctor and Arthur stare into each other's eyes, then he does the same to both Clara and Claudia, seeming ready to say something…when he jerks back and forward again. "Kidneys!" he blurted out. "I've got new kidneys. I don't like the colour, Sunny!"
"Uh-huh," he responded, blinking as the Tardis started lurching from side to side. "Crap. I'm going to—"
He can't finish his sentence as he is already gone from the Tardis.
"Oh, come on!" Claudia yelled, throwing her hands in the air.
