(AN) Hello and welcome to the next chapter of What If Doctor Who Wasn't Axed: Season 27; hope you all enjoy.
In the last chapter, the Doctor and co were taken on board the Ice Warrior spaceship after stealing some relics from the Tower of London and guest character Anna Carlton revealed to Sam Tollinger that she was pregnant.
Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who; all characters and locations are owned by the BBC. What If Doctor Who Wasn't Axed is owned by DaDoctorWhoFan.
Chapter Six
Ice Time, Part Three
The Doctor groaned as he slowly came to. The Time Lord sat up and once again found himself in the white void. "Adjudicator?" he called out.
"Doctor," came the voice of the Adjudicator, "Doctor, I warned you not to interfere, but you refuse to listen: you tried to help everyone escape in your TARDIS."
"Our lives were in danger, I had no choice!" argued the Doctor, "I've told you before, I'm fine with you testing ce, but not if it puts her life in danger!"
"You are the one who helped to set this whole test up," reminded the Adjudicator, "You should have known that your companion's life would be put at risk."
"Send me back," begged the Doctor, "There's some stuff they may need help with."
"Very well, Doctor, but know this: should you interfere in the test again, then I will have no choice but to remove you from the test altogether."
"Understood." muttered the Doctor, nodding.
The whiteness faded away and the Doctor found himself sitting in the large hanger of the Ice Warrior spaceship. The Doctor looked around and saw that half the floor was covered in ice. The TARDIS was standing just a few feet away in front of him. Sam and Anna were sitting near the van, the crate had been taken out and was open. Anna was currently examining Sezhyr's helmet.
"Hey, Professor, are you alright?" asked Ace as she came to sit next to the Doctor.
"Oh yes, I'm fine." replied the Doctor, who was still feeling frustrated at the Adjudicator.
"Where are we?" asked Ace curiously.
"We appear to be on the helm of the Ice Warrior spaceship," answered the Doctor, "It seems that the trrrractor beam scooped all of us up, as well as the van, half the River Thames and the TARDIS."
Ace looked over at Sam, who was clearly trying to talk to Anna. "I think I messed up by getting Anna to tell him about the baby," she lamented, "Do you think they'll be okay?"
"They'll be more than okay," assured the Doctor, "It takes time, but they work things out and raise a beautiful baby girl."
"Hang on a minute, have you known about the pregnancy this whole time?" asked a surprised Ace, "Why didn't you just say?"
"It wasn't my place to divulge that information." said the Doctor.
Over by the van, Sam was still trying to talk to Anna, but she seemed to be transfixed by the helmet.
"Come on, love just talk to me!" barked Sam impatiently, "How do you even know the baby's mine? We haven't seen each other in ages."
"Remember when we spent the night together at that hotel?" asked Anna as #he whirled round to face Sam, "That was three months ago; do the maths!"
"And how come you told Ace before me!" questioned Sam hotly.
"Ace figured it out, so I had no choice," explained Anna, "She convinced me to finally tell you. I didn't want to because I didn't want you to worry about me, and I didn't think you'd be ready to settle down."
Anna turned her attention back to the Ice Lord helmet and gave a little shudder. "Every time I look at this helmet, I get the feeling that it's staring right at me." she commented quietly.
"Maybe put it back in the crate." suggested Sam.
Anna didn't answer. She was once again staring blankly at the helmet.
The Doctor stood up and walked over to Anna. "Why don't you put that helmet down for now." he suggested politely.
Anna didn't respond at all: it was as if she was frozen to the spot.
"Anna?" said Sam in concern as he walked in front of the agent and waved his hand in front of her face, "Anna, can you hear me, love?"
Anna remained completely frozen to the spot.
"What's the matter with her?" asked a familiar voice.
The others turned and were shocked to see Felton standing a few feet away. His face was a mixture of confusion and frustration.
"How the hell did you get in here!" asked a shocked Sam.
"I jumped on to the ice to try and apprehend you," informed Felton, "You were all distracted, so you didn't notice me, but then that tractor beam came and scooped us all up. Congratulations by the way, Tollinger."
"Thanks." uttered Sam.
"Okay, enough chitchat, you're all under arrest for high treason!" declared Felton before drawing his gun and aiming it at them, "How long have you been working for your martian friends!"
"The Doctor works for nobody!" spat Ace defiantly.
The doors to the helm hissed and slid open, allowing Hhessh and Glarva to enter. Felton turned and aimed his gun at Hhessh, he then fired several rounds at the Ice Lord, but the bullets pinged harmlessly off of his armour. Felton put his gun away and marched over to the two Ice Warriors.
"I am Major Felton with MI6 and I demand to know who you are and who the Doctor is!"
"That issssss none of your concern human!" hissed Hhessh, "The Doctor issss not human and issss no longer in my employment."
Glarva then grabbed Felton and tossed the MI6 agent to the floor.
"That's you told." snarked Ace.
There was suddenly a loud scream from behind. Everybody turned and saw that Anna was now wearing Sezhyr's helmet.
"What issssss ssssshe doing!" yelled a horrified Glarva.
"I tried to stop her, but she just put it on," explained a panicky Sam.
"Get it off of her!" demanded Hhessh angrily.
The Doctor and Sam went over and bent down on either side of Anna, then as one, they attempted to pull the helmet off of her, but it was no use.
"This thing's jammed on real good." commented Sam as he continued to try and pull the helmet off.
"It's no use, it just won't budge!" huffed the Doctor.
The two let go of the helmet. The Doctor gently rested his hand under Anna's chin before quickly pulling away. "Her temperature is going up." he said in a concerned manner before feeling for her pulse, "Her pulse rate is also climbing."
"Looks like leaving that helmet lying around wasn't such a great idea after all." snarked Ace to the two Ice Warriors.
"What isssss happening!" demanded Hhessh.
"It appears that this helmet is part of some sort of martian exoskeleton that's melded itself to Anna." explained the Doctor gravely.
On the flight deck, Hhessh was staring out of the large window; Glarva standing next to him.
"I wonder what the humansssss will think of our intervention?" pondered Hhessh.
"It doessss not matter what they think," replied Glarva, "Lord Hhessh, permit me to desssstroy the female human so that we may have the helmet."
"No!" replied Hhessh firmly, "I am aware that thisssss was unintended, but I believe thissssss to be part of Ssssezhyr's plan."
"If you ssssssssay sssssso." said Glarva, who wasn't entirely convinced.
Back in the van, the others were gathered around Anna, who was groaning and muttering to herself.
"I think she's getting worse." commented Sam.
Ace leaned in closer to hear what the agent was trying to say.
"F-food." muttered Anna weakly.
"She says she wants food." said the teen to the Doctor.
"Ace, you stay with Anna, I'll go to the TARDIS and see if I've got anything." said the Doctor.
"S-Sam, I feel strange." uttered Anna, who's voice suddenly sounded more reptilian.
Sam looked down and was alarmed to see that Anna's skin was turning green. "What on Earth!" he cried in alarm.
"Go get the Doctor!" ordered a panicky Ace.
Not saying a word, Sam climbed out of the van.
The Doctor poked his head out of the TARDIS and stepped out, whereupon he found Felton looking at the TARDIS with curiosity.
"Why do you have a police box with you?" asked Felton curiously.
"I could tell you, but I won't," replied the Doctor, smirking, "Like MI6, I too have secrets. Now tell me, what are the Ice Warriors planning?"
"I don't know," replied the major earnestly, "We simply took their technology in the hope that it would somehow help win the cold war."
"Typical human." huffed the Doctor.
"I'm intrigued by the Ice Lord helmet," said Felton, "In all the time we've tested it, I've never seen it behave like that. I hope tha Agent Carlton doesn't die."
"So you do have an ounce of compassion," snarked the Doctor, "Anna will be fine, but I'm convinced that the helmet is turning her into an Ice Lord, and I think I know which one."
There was suddenly a loud, reptilian scream. Sam and Ace came running towards the Doctor.
"Doctor, Anna's went into labour," informed a panicky Ace.
"And I think she's turning into one of them Ice Warrior things," said an equally panicky Sam, "I'm not ready for this!"
"But she was just a few weeks pregnant!" said the Doctor in amazement.
"Looks like whatever's happening to her sped up her biological clock," said Ace before seeing the Doctor's impressed face, "I did pay attention to some things in school, Professor."
The Doctor and the others ran back to the van.
Soon after, Anna had given birth to a healthy baby girl, who the Doctor wrapped up in his jacket. Sam was currently cradling his daughter in his arms and was smiling down at her. "She's perfect." he remarked happily, tears of joy streaming down his face.
"Not so scared now?" asked Ace.
"Oh trust me, I'm still nervous, but not as much as I was." said Sam.
"Congratulations, Tollinger." said Felton, who was moved by the sight before him, as were Hhessh and Glarva.
Sam then tried to hand the baby over to Anna, but she hissed angrily at her. "Get that thing away from me!" she seethed.
"What?" uttered a surprised Sam, "B-but, don't you want to hold your daughter?"
"Ssssshe is no daughter of mine!" snapped Anna, "Sssssshe issssssss human scum!"
Anna suddenly began glowing with an emerald green light while screaming in agony. After a few seconds, the glow died down and lying where Anna had been was an Ice Lord. The Ice Lord hissed before sitting up. "At long lassssst!" he hissed, "Ssssssezhyr lives!"
"It isssssss a miracle!" cheered Hhessh, "Lord Sssssssezhyr has returned to us!"
Sezhyr stood up, reached into the crate and pulled out a glowing orange orb. "My life esssssssence was sssssstored within this: the Orb of Alikyre." he explained, sounding triumphant."
"And I assume that the helmet is directly connected to the orb?" questioned the Doctor.
"Yessssssss," replied Sezhyr, "Without it, I would die completely."
"But what of the human child?" asked a curious Hhessh, "What will her future hold?"
"I'm not sure," answered the Doctor, "The only thin* I know right now is that she's perfectly human."
The Doctor and the others stepped out of the van.
The Doctor closed his eyes and suddenly found himself in the white void.
"Doctor!" yelled the angry voice of the Adjudicator, "I ordered you not to interfere and you deliberately disobeyed me!"
"A young woman was in labour, what was I supposed to do!" argued the Doctor.
"You have disobeyed me for the last time!" scolded the Adjudicator firmly, "You and Mr Tollinger will be forced to leave! Ace will take the test alone!"
"No please, you can't!" begged a horrified Doctor, "Ace is just a child, she has no way to defend herself!"
"You will leave her! Ace must learn to stop depending on you to save her all the time!"
The white void faded and was replaced by the hull. The Doctor was suddenly forced to walk towards the TARDIS. Ace watched on in surprise. "Professor, where are you going?" she asked curiously.
"I'm so sorry, Ace," muttered the Doctor sadly as he began to unlock the TARD8S door, "Tollinger, come with me."
Sam, who was carrying the baby ran over to the open door.
"What is it, Doctor?" asked Sam.
"I need you and your daughter to come with me," explained the Doctor, "It's not safe here."
"What about Ace?" asked Sam.
"She can look after herself, now come on!" snapped the Doctor hotly before ushering Sam into the TARDIS before stepping inside himself.
Ace's eyes widened in shock as she suddenly heard the familiar sound of the TARDIS engine and watched as the TARDIS began to dematerialise.
"Doctor, come back!" cried a horrified Ace as she ran towards the vanishing police box, "Don't leave me!"
Ace just stood there; a feeling of dismay sinking in as the TARDIS vanished completely. All she could hear now was the sound of Felton laughing with amusement. "Some friend you have!" he snarked.
"He'll come back for me!" snapped Ace as she whirled round to face the MI6 major, "He has a plan, I know he has."
But even as she said this, Ace wasn't entirely sure.
"We have now reached the final outpost," announced Hhessh, "It isssssss indeed a gloriousssssss day for our people."
The Ice Warrior ship landed inside a large cold storage facility. A small ramp was lowered and Sezhyr exited, followed by Hhessh, Glarva, Ace and Felton. Five Ice Warriors were waiting for them.
"Welcome back, Lord Hhesssssh." greeted one of the Ice Warriors as he and the other Ice Warriors bowed to Hhessh.
"Who isssss thissssss?" asked another Ice Warrior, indicating Sezhyr.
"It isssss I, Lord Sssssssezhyr," announced Sezhyr, "I have conquered death itself."
The other Ice Warriors hissed in triumph at this.
The Doctor and Sam were currently sitting in the living room of Sam's mum's house, sipping some tea.
"So, what's our next move, Doc?" asked Sam, "I-is Anna really gone?"
"I don't know," replied the Doctor darkly, "She could be. Right now, we need to focus on finding that Ice Warrior ship and their base of operations. Once we've achieved that, then we can focus on rescuing Ace, destroying Sezhyr once and for all and maybe, just maybe, I'll figure out a way to bring Anna back."
"Well, I've got some old contacts that can maybe help," said Sam, "But once we find them, how are you going to convince them to release Ace?"
"Ohhhh, I've got something that they'll definitely want back." informed the Doctor before putting the tea cup down and pulling two energy cell units out of his pocket. They resembled two white orbs..
"You crafty old fox." remarked Sam in amazement.
Back in the cold storage facility, the other Ice Warriors were marvelling at Sezhyr.
"Lord Ssssezhyr, you mussssst tell usssssss everything about your resssssurection." said one of the Ice Warriors.
"I will in time," promised Sezhyr, "but first, I wisssssh to know why you're all hiding in here like a bunch of cowards and why you're allowing weakling humansssssss to aid you?"
"We have been ssssssstranded on this rock for many yearssssss," answered Glarva before taking on a suspicious tone, "How do we know that you really are the great Lord Sssssssezhyr?"
"Do not ssssssay sssssuch thingssssss!" snapped Hhessh angrily, "We both sssssssaw the ressssssurection with our own eyesssssssss!"
"It is alright, Lord Hhesssssssh," said Sezhyr quickly, "It issssssssss natural for any of you to be ssssssussssspicious, but I am indeed Lord Sssssssezhyr. I fought and died in the Great Dust Rebellion."
While Sezhyr was bragging about his achievements, nobody was paying attention to Ace and Felton, who had quickly snuck away and were currently trying to find a way out of the facility.
"Why are you helping me?" asked a surprised Ace as they continued to run down corridors.
"This is not for your benefit," spat Felton, "You and your friends are still in serious trouble."
Sezhyr walked over to the crate containing the relics and began to search through it. After a few moments, the Ice Lord turned to face the others. "The energy orbsssssss are missssssing!" he cried in frustration.
"Perhapssssss they did not sssssssurvive." suggested Glarva.
"No, I sssssssaw them when we entered that vault!" hissed Hhessh angrily, "Ace and Felton, the two humans tha5 we brought with usssssss mussssssssst have them! Find them, find them at once!"
The other Ice Warriors started hissing as they began fanning out.
Ace and Felton raced down a dark corridor, but suddenly found themselves at a dead end.
"Now what do we do?" panted Ace.
Try that door." suggested Felton, pointing to a large metal door with a window. Light appeared to be shining through it.
The two ran over to the door and Ace pulled it open. Before Ace could do anything else, Felton suddenly pushed her inside and slammed the door shut.
"Hey, what are you doing!" cried an annoyed Ace as she began banging on the door.
"Sorry my dear, but I can't be seen around criminals like you; wouldn't be good for my reputation," explained Felton, "I'll soon contact my colleagues and have you arrested along with your friends, then we'll capture these Ice Warriors and take their relics back."
"Y-you w-w-w-won't g-get away w-w-with this." stammered Ace.
Felton simply chuckled before walking away, grinning evily.
Over at Sam's mum's house, the Doctor was admiring some ornaments on the mantelpiece when Sam walked in.
"Any luck with your contacts?" asked the Doctor hopefully.
"Yes actually," replied Sam, "Well, first I had to contact my boss; seems that I'm getting paid off for this job. Anyway, one of my contacts knows somebody who delivers fish fingers to a cold storage facility on the South Bank with a dodgy reputation."
"That sounds like the perfect place to hide a ship and a pack of Ice Warriors," said the Doctor, "Come on, we haven't a moment to loose."
"Mum said we can take her car." said Sam.
"I must rrrrremember to thank her for the hospitality," said the Doctor, "How is she taking the idea of being a grandmother?"
"Surprisingly very well." answered Sam, grinning.
Back in the cold storage facility, Ace was desperately trying to pull the freezer door open when it suddenly swung open, causing Ace to leap back in surprise. Standing on the other side of the door was an obese, middle-aged man with long brown hair that had a few grey patches and a stubbly brown beard. He was wearing a smart business suit.
"T-thanks for freeing me," said Ace as she raced out of the freezer, "I know this'll sound crazy, but there's a bunch of martians in your big freezer."
"Ah, you mean the Ice Warriors," said the man before seeing the surprised look on Ace's face, "Yes, I'm quite aware of them, but they don't bother me. Now how about you come to my office to warm yourself up: you can tell me everythint there."
"T-thank you, Mr Walters." said Ace, reading the ID badge that the man was wearing.
Ace then allowed Mr Walters to lead her to his office.
In the big freezer the other Ice Warriors had returned.
"No luck ssssssso far, my lords." said one of the Ice Warriors to Hhessh and Sezhyr.
"We sssssshall find her!" promised a determined Sezhyr, "But for now, we have more presssssssing matters to attend to."
Sezhyr then walked into the middle of the freezer. "My dear Ice Warriorssssssssss," he began, gaining the attention of Hhessh, Glarva and the other Ice Warriors, "I find mysssssself frusssstrated by the fact that you have hidden yourselves in here for many yearsssssssss; cowering away like a bunch of pathetic weaklingssssssss. From all that I've learned, you have allowed thesssssse humansssssss to make a mockery of our people, but I sssssssay no more. Once I have helped you, we ssssssshall return to Marssssssss, where we will overthrow the rulers, allowing me to take my rightful place as emperor of Marsssssss, then we shall bring the Ice army to Earth, where we'll wipe out every lassssssst human!"
All of the Ice Warriors, except for Hhessh hissed in triumph.
Inside Walters' office, Ace was sitting in a comfy chair next to a fire and was sipping on a nice cup of soup. She had just finished explaining everything that had happened.
"So, Ace, how do you plan to stop the Ice Warriors?" asked Walters.
"Well, Sezhyr has this orb thing that keeps him alive, so I guess I should destroy that and maybe the other relics." explained Ace.
"That would make sense," agreed Walters, smiling with pride, "You know my dear, if you're accepted into the Prydonian academy, you'd probably find it easy there too."
Ace gave the man a completely confused look. "I'm sorry, the Prydonian what now?" she asked.
"The Prydonian academy on Gallifrey of course," said Walters as if it were obvious, "The Doctor believed that sending you to Gallifrey would be a good thing for us Time Lords, so I've been serving as the Adjudicator for this test, surely the Doctor's-
Walters stopped as he saw the horrified expression on the teen's face. "Oh dear," he uttered awkwardly, "You mean to say that he hasn't told you? Oh dear."
"No, I didn't." said a shocked Ace.
"Well, if it helps, the Doctor didn't want to put you in danger." said Walters sheepishly.
"No it doesn't!" spat Ace venomously, "He's lied to me too many times, and now I'll never trust him again."
(AN) And that was part three of Ice Time; hope you all enjoyed.
Next time: will be the concluding part of Ice Time, where we'll say goodbye to Ace.
Until then, this is TimeLordMaster108 signing out.