"Yer wha?" Dan looked at Thirteen as she smirked slightly.
"Your Mum. She still has a Wok? Big frying pan type thing?"
"Yeah, think so."
"Doctor." Kate started. "We have some of the most advanced technology on the planet. A cooking utensil is hardly..."
"Worked before." Dan shrugged as Ace and Graham smirked.
"Sometimes the simplest things are the best." Ten smiled. "And trust me, never and I mean NEVER underestimate a mum. Mums are awesome."
"Yes we are." Tegan agreed as she glared at the screen Kate and Thirteen had been looking at. "So, you said you have a plan."
"Yeah, Professor." Ace folded her arms. "What are you thinking?"
Thirteen smiled. She nodded towards the computer as she crossed the room to her. "The Sontarans want to take over Earth, yeah? Same as always. They see it as a place to be controlled, to be won over."
"We know this."
"Exactly." She paused. "They expect us to know that."
Kate folded her arms. She knew the Doctor's brain worked faster than most human brains but sometimes the leaps of logic and the air brain schemes seemed too fantastical for even her to keep up with. Thirteen nodded as Ten pulled some glasses out of his jacket pocket. Neither of them said a word until Ten pulled a face.
"Dan?"
"Yeah." Dan turned to face the skinny Time Lord.
"Any chance of a lift?"
"Course." Dan picked up his car keys as Iain swore under his breath.
"I AM TOO OLD FOR THIS. CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON! PLEASE. FOR ONCE!"
Yaz squeezed his shoulder. "He's right. You can't just run off and not tell us."
"Ok yeah. You're right. Sorry." Thirteen sat next to Iain. "You deserve an explanation. And honestly, when I know why there are now two of us from one regeneration I will explain it. But honestly, I don't know."
"Ok." He sighed as he squeezed her hand. "Ok, I."
"Look, even back when we travelled together. You, Barbara, Susan and me." She paused. "I never really knew what was going on. I just tried to do the right thing and hoped for the best."
"You always seemed to know."
"Good." Thirteen smiled. "That was the idea. I didn't want you three worrying. And I don't want you worrying now. Neither of us do." She looked at Ten who just nodded. "Humans, you really are a crazy species. Capable of so much good and so much evil. But some of you really are worrywarts."
Graham smiled. "You said there was a plan."
"Oh. Yeah. I did." Thirteen nodded. "Work in progress."
"Now why doesn't that surprise me?"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ace walked out of the room feeling slightly sick. She wasn't the gung-ho teenager she had been when she had met the Doctor. Life had changed a lot since she had walked out of the TARDIS for what she had thought was the last time. Now as she looked at the impossible machine in front of her wondering if it was true. Did it really take the Doctor where they were needed? Or was it some other power at work? She folded her arms as Graham appeared next to her.
"You ok?"
"Always."
"Ace."
"Look." He paused. "Dan has gone to get that wok. Kate has the tech people making bespoke woks for the Doctors' plan."
"I thought Iain was going to have a heart attack."
"Don't." Graham sighed. "Not sure how much me old ticker can take of this. Looks like the Sontaran lot are trying to organise an invasion."
"Great." Ace closed her eyes. "How are we going to deal with that?" She sighed as Graham squeezed her shoulder.
"Listen, we met in a bloody Volcano. We got out of that, stopped the Master. We will deal with this."
"You always look on the positive side."
"No other way to look at things. Ryan phoned. He's heading to Cardiff, going to meet up with Jack and Donna. See what Torchwood have on all this business. It will be ok." His voice dropped slightly as she turned to face him.
"Graham."
He smiled at her slightly as she held his gaze. Both jumped slightly as the door opened. "Oh."
"Tegan."
"Sorry to interrupt." Tegan smirked slightly. "Kate wants us all in the Control Room." Graham shrugged before ushering Ace back out of the room.