Last of Their Kind

by ThyWanderer

Worn down from years of strife as the last of her kind, Madison once believed happiness was far from reach. Everything begins to change when she meets a man called the Doctor. As secrets and sorrows are shared between them, the pair finds comfort together amidst the stars. Madison can only hope that this time things will be different, even if the universe has other plans for her.

46. Chapter 46

Hope everyone is having a good new year so far. Enjoy the newest chapter!

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Chapter 46

The Doctor seemingly went back to his normal, cheerful self almost immediately that night. His excitement for the games pushed back what had been his apprehensions at the beginning of the night. Rose never saw anything amiss. The girl was just as animated in her delight as the Doctor. The two were bouncing balls of joy that kept Madison smiling and chatting along with them. But as they joined the games, enjoyed their stay in 2012 and watched the turn after turn of thrills and adventure, Madison kept locked away safely what the Doctor had said to her. Perhaps he had not meant to be so open with her. After everything was said and done during their stay at the Olympics and they finally returned to their TARDIS, he wouldn't mention it again about the storm he felt coming. No matter what she said, he outright refused.

"Forget I said anything. I'm just an old Time Lord prattling on. Getting too weary in my age. Nah, go on. Join Rose in the lagoon. I'll meet you there soon enough. Go on! Rest up! I've got big plans for our next trip!"

That was all he said to her when she asked. It was all he would admit to saying anything at all. So, she allowed him to live in his blissful ignorance. If he wished to continue to forget of the troubles that were looming ahead . . . then she did not wish to argue with him. Better to keep the peace for now instead of turning things into a useless problem that cannot be fixed at this moment. She went to the lagoon as he said, finding he was right and Rose was already doing laps around the pool. When the girl had said she was going here, Madison could not recall. Perhaps her mind was too preoccupied by the premonition the Doctor had told her of.

"Aren't you going to jump in?"

"Hmm?" Madison blinked out of her stupor, seeing Rose at the side of the pool, staring at her curiously. Looking down at herself, she saw that she had taken off her jumper and boots only. She had stood there holding the jumper tightly in her grasp, staring off at nothing in particular. Her t-shirt clung to her, making her skin itch as she knew she needed to get into the water to relax. But the idea of relaxing while the Doctor sat somewhere in the TARDIS at unease . . .

"Rose . . . has the Doctor seemed, at all, troubled by anything? Have you noticed him saying anything out of the ordinary? Even for him?" Madison asked as she folded her jumper neatly and sat it on a chair by the pool. She tucked her boots under the chair as well, preparing to undress the rest of the way.

"Now that you mention it, yeah." Rose pulled herself onto the edge of the pool to sit. "Has he ever mentioned that . . . he had kids before he met you?"

Madison blinked, stopping in mid-pull of her shirt over her head. "What?"

Rose bit her bottom lip, seeming uncertain now. "I think it sort of slipped when we were talking about the Isolus in the TARDIS. Remember, when you stayed behind? We were talking about kids and he just blurted out that he had been a dad once."

Madison closed her eyes, letting out a long breath. Oh. This one was painful. She had a feeling for a long while that he had children before the war. Maybe even during. He had mentioned his family a few times, but never gone into specifics about them. Though, deep down, she knew. It was the way he would act around children sometimes. That deep sorrow in his eyes when he would gaze at them. The big smile he would plaster on when he talked to them. Then there were glimpses she would catch when their minds were one and sharing their thoughts. Images of things she knew he had not meant to let her see. She knew that he had been a father, yet she never bothered to question him on it. Too afraid of upsetting him or bringing forth terrible memories. For if she asked . . . she knew what answer she would receive. That they had died along with all the rest during the war. Even worse, that they had died that same day the Doctor had . . .

"Best we not discuss this," Madison finally said, pulling her shirt off and folding it up to be placed with her jumper.

"But—," Rose stuttered.

"Rose," Madison said firmly, turning to stare at the girl, "some things are best left alone. If he wishes to discuss it further with us, then we'll let him. Until then, best not press him on it." She hurried to get the rest of her clothing off before diving into the pool. Wishing to swim around for a while to not allow Rose to press her further on the subject. It hurt too greatly to talk.

With her tail formed, she let out a sigh of relief from the pleasant feeling of being in her true form. She did a few laps around the lagoon before finally surfacing again. Rose had grabbed a floating lounge chair and was now floating on top of the water in a comfortable resting place. The girl smiled at her, patting the empty floating chair beside her. Returning the smile, Madison swam over and hoisted herself up onto the chair. Her long tail hung far over the side, dangling in the warm water. At some point the large TV had turned on, allowing them to watch a programme from their time.

"How long do you think I can keep travelling?" Rose asked suddenly, turning to Madison curiously.

"I don't know. That's entirely up to you. Why? Have you thought about it lately?" Madison questioned in return.

Rose let out a puff of air. "I don't know. It's been on my mind here and there. Sometimes I think I'll travel with you two forever. But I know I'll have to quit sometime or another. I'll get too old for it, or you'll want to start a family with him eventually. Things like that."

"Oh. Um. Well. That's rather, ah . . ." Madison blushed, feeling flustered. "I don't foresee that being something in our future."

"Come on, you really haven't talked about it? Not even a little? The Maddie in Andy's world had a family with David. Why not have your chance with the Doctor? If he had kids once, I'm sure he'll be happy to have kids again."

Ah. There it was. Back to the conversation about his past children. Madison shook her head. "That is highly assuming of you and not exactly appropriate."

Rose raised a brow before she gasped and looked alarmed. "Oh! Sorry, I didn't even think. Are you two, not, you know, compatible or something?"

Madison groaned, shaking her head as her face burned from embarrassment. "We are not having this conversation right now," she muttered under her breath. But, knowing how Rose was merely curious, she sighed. "Yes, I can have children with him if I so wished. Though I doubt he wishes to, if not now then possibly never."

"Have you even talked about it?"

"Well, yes, we had to discuss some . . . things in the beginning when we grew . . . intimate. But only in the standpoint of what . . . cautions we must take. Nothing more. Now, this is something I do not wish to discuss with anyone other than my partner, so please, do change the subject."

Rose let out a short laugh. "All right, all right. Forget I said anything."

The quiet between them next was soft. Not uncomfortable, just quiet as each contemplated their own thoughts. Only the telly kept any sort of noise in the room besides the trickle of the small waterfall in the corner of the pool. Finally, Madison looked at Rose, her curiosity peaked. "So what made you think of these things? Are you wishing to take a break from travelling?"

"Maybe. I don't know." Rose sighed, leaning back into her chair. "Like I said, sometimes I think 'forever'. But then I get these thoughts in my head that won't go away and things get . . . pear-shaped in my mind."

"Such as now I'm guessing?" Hearing Rose grunt in response, Madison gave the girl a kind smile. "Maybe you need a break for a while. Take some time away from the TARDIS and spend it with your mum. I'm sure Jackie will love to have you around for some time."

Rose nodded as a slow smile appeared on her face. "You're right. I think I could do with a vacation away from travelling through space." She then grinned slyly. "Think we can convince the Doctor to hang around for a while?"

"Not a chance," Madison laughed, shaking her head.

XxXxXxXxXx

As it turned out, the Doctor did, in fact, want to stay on Earth for a while. Something about catching up on 'research' he had been meaning to conduct. She could have sworn he also mentioned Earth being 'safe', but when she questioned him on this he acted as though he never said anything. Did she miss hear him or . . . was he pretending again to have said nothing? Either way, she knew there was more to his merriment as Rose packed to go to her mum's. Though again, she didn't push him for answers. Maybe he would come to his own terms of telling her everything on his mind. Maybe he wouldn't. Perhaps she would have to wait forever. However, the prospect of that seemed . . . dreadful.

Shaking this thought away, she decided to keep being happy along with him. There was a good chance it was him overthinking things as he normally would. Maybe things have been going so well lately that he worried something terrible would happen. An old feeling she knew far too well. She knew how hard it could be to accept being happy. In fact, she was still handling those sorts of thoughts from time to time. But she knew she could press on past these intrusive thoughts and just live in the moment. If she could, then she was certain the Doctor would learn to do the same.

So, she, the Doctor, and Rose were all laughing as they landed in a park not far from Powell Estate. Strolling out of the TARDIS, Rose talked a mile a minute about catching up with her mum and other things on Earth. All the while the Doctor held Madison's hand, swinging their arms lightly as they walked. Madison gazed around at the estate, seeing they had arrived sometime in the cooler months. Which season, she had no idea. But it was nice seeing Earth again. It really had been a long while. A small wind picked up and she shivered from the cold, pulling her blue coat closer around her.

"Maddie . . . we should think about getting you a flat," the Doctor commented after a moment.

"Really?" She stared at him curiously, wondering where this had come up. Then, a bit of anxiety poked its ugly head forward. Was he growing tired of having her around all the time? "Do you want me to leave the TARDIS?"

"Nothing like that!" he assured her quickly, eyes going wide in alarm. His hand on hers tightened. "I just thought, well, Rose gets to have a break with her mum. Wouldn't you like a place to run away to when you're tired?"

"Oh! Well, I never even thought about it," Madison answered truthfully. "The TARDIS has sort of become my home now. If I needed a break . . . would it be too much trouble if we could—"

"Park somewhere? Hmm . . . I suppose I could always park her to refuel, give us an excuse for rest then."

"What, you don't wanna get a flat with Maddie next to mum? Just think of all the programmes you could watch together. EastEnders is one of her favourites," Rose teased, poking the Doctor in the side and laughing as he blanched.

"No, no, no, no, no. I am not getting a flat near Jackie," the Doctor said immediately, shaking his head viciously. "Just think of all that gossip." He shuddered then while Rose and Madison laughed. They walked up the flight of stairs to Rose and Jackie's flat, bouncing up rather quickly. Rose pulled out her key before they even got close. It was obvious she was eager to see her mother again. It really had been a long while since their last visit. Months even. It made Madison wonder what Jackie had been up to.

"Mum, it's us! We're back!" Rose called out the moment they set foot into the flat. Rose jangled her keys back into her pocket while the Doctor shut the door behind them. Jackie came around the corner from the kitchen, eyes wide in shock before a brilliant smile was given to them.

"Oh, I don't know why you bother with that phone. You never use it," Jackie said as she walked over to her daughter. She and Rose gave each other a large hug. The mother made sounds of joy while Rose giggled. Eventually Jackie and Rose broke apart, leading the mother to turn on Madison. "Maddie! Hello, sweetheart! You're looking good." The mother hugged her next, kissing Madison on either cheek.

"I could say the same to you. I love the new eyeshadow," Madison replied, smiling as the warmth of the hug made her heart swell with happiness and contentment. At last, Jackie went for the Doctor, who had been trying to sneak around.

"Oh, no, you don't. Come here!" Jackie grabbed the Doctor, hugging him hard while he stuttered and tried to get out of her grasp. He made a face of disgust as she kissed him and went on about how happy she was seeing him as well. Eventually, she let go, walking into the front room where Rose was. Madison giggled while the Doctor rubbed away saliva from his mouth. She grabbed his hand then, dragging him into the rest of the flat.

"I've got loads of washing for you," Rose said as she handed over the large backpack she had. Jackie took it, absently setting it on a chair. "And I got you this." Rose pulled out a small antique-looking glass jar that had the appearance of an expensive perfume bottle. "It's from the market on this asteroid bazaar. It's made of . . . um. What's it called?" Rose turned to the Doctor for help.

"Bazoolium," said the Doctor.

"Bazoolium," Rose went on, grinning eagerly for her mother's reaction. "When it gets cold, yeah, it means it's gonna rain. When it's hot, it's gonna be sunny. You can use it to tell the weather."

Jackie grabbed the jar, setting it aside as well. "I've got a surprise for you and all."

Rose sighed in disappointment. "I get her bazoolium, she doesn't even say thanks."

"Guess who's coming to visit?" Jackie said, her turn to look eager for Rose's reaction. "You're just in time. He'll be here ten past. Who do you think it is?"

"I don't know."

"Oh, go on, guess."

"No, I hate guessing. Just tell me."

Jackie appeared emotional then, her eyes watering a bit. "It's your grandad. Grandad Prentice. He's on his way any minute." She beamed with absolute delight. She looked to the Doctor and Madison then. "Right. Cup of tea." She left then, going back into the kitchen in a hurry.

"I didn't know your mum's father was still alive," Madison commented as she glanced at Rose, seeing the look of shock on the girl's face.

"He's . . . not. He's dead," Rose said quietly, slowly appearing alarmed. "She's gone mad."

"Tell me something new," mumbled the Doctor, who was distracted by flipping through a few magazines that were lying on the coffee table. He then blinked and did a double take. "Wait, did you say he's dead?"

"Yeah. He died, like, ten years ago. Oh, my god, she's lost it," Rose explained, keeping her voice low so Jackie wouldn't overhear. They could hear the water running in the kitchen basin and the clanking of pots. The Doctor dropped the magazines, coming over to stand near Rose and Madison. The three of them glanced at one another before Rose went to the kitchen. "Mum?" she said, edging slowly into the other room. "What you just said about Grandad . . ."

They could see Jackie setting aside what she had been doing for now, smiling away pleasantly. "Any second now."

"But he passed away. His heart gave out. Do you remember that?" Rose questioned carefully, staring warily at her mother.

"Of course I do."

"Then how can he come back?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Jackie looked at her wristwatch. "Ten past. Here he comes."

Madison tensed, feeling a tickle at the back of her neck. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably as she sensed something coming. Something wrong. Something unsettling. It was then that she watched as a black, shadowy figure stepped through the wall of the kitchen. The figure, humanoid, had a fuzzy, waving outline to it as it walked into the room with them. It went around Jackie to stand beside the smiling woman. The air in the room changed, becoming something that smelled . . . off. Not quite like normal air. Almost like that of the brine of a still sea. It felt . . . wrong. Yet . . . she recognised the sensation. Where had she smelled and felt air like this? On one of the planets she had visited? Feeling the Doctor tensing beside her, she looked at him to see his eyes were wide and his jaw slightly slack, stunned by the sight. Rose had a similar reaction as well.

"Here we are, then," said Jackie, pulling Madison back to what was happening in front of them. "Dad, say hello to Rose. Hasn't she grown?" The figure did not say anything, only looking at Jackie and then at them in an eerie silence.

"What is this?" Rose asked, looking at the Doctor for answers immediately.

"It's your Grandad, sweetheart," Jackie said gently, smiling away happily.

Rose shook her head. "No. No, seriously, what is it?"

"I know it's a bit of a shock at first. I know how everyone else reacted when they saw the others."

"Others? What others?"

"Well, the other ghosts! They're all over the place."

Madison was jerked around as the Doctor grabbed her hand, taking her with him as he bolted out of the flat and through the estate, his coattails flapping around as he ran. She stumbled as she followed him down the flight of stairs and into the backway of the estate. Was he going to the TARDIS? She came to a halt as the Doctor stopped abruptly. She wasn't certain why he stopped at first until she saw the rest of the 'ghosts' as Jackie had mentioned, dozens of them, mingling, standing around or walking stiffly about. People were going about their business as if nothing were wrong. There were even kids playing with a basketball, seeming to be turning the ghosts into a game of some sort.

"They're everywhere," the Doctor noted as he gazed around.

"Just as Jackie said," Madison muttered. The back of her neck prickled and she turned in time to see a ghost coming right for her. She had no chance to react as it swiftly walked right through her. The reaction was immediate. She felt her strength leave her and her stomach do flips as she dry heaved. She all but collapsed to the ground as her legs gave out.

"Maddie!"

"Madison!"

She felt two pairs of hands on her. She looked up weakly to see the Doctor and Rose surrounding her. Both appeared greatly disturbed by her reaction. "I'm all right," she said, shaking to stand up again. She could feel her strength returning rapidly. As if what had occurred never happened at all. She stared around at the other ghosts, seeing how people were walking through them as if there was nothing wrong at all. Why did she have such a reaction? Was it because she was Mer? She felt the Doctor keep a hand on her, helping her stay steady as they watched the ghosts a bit longer.

"Are you all right?" the Doctor asked her, hesitating to let go of her even though she was staying steady now.

"Yes. I'm fine," Madison assured him.

"That's funny. They're usually harmless," she heard Jackie saying, looking over to see the mother had come down to join them.

"That was not harmless," the Doctor growled, glaring at the ghost that had passed through Madison. She patted his hand that held her arm, trying to reassure him that she was fine.

"I'm sure it was simply because I'm . . . well, reasons I suppose. It doesn't look like it's bothering anyone else," Madison replied, pointing to a man who also had a ghost walk through him. The man gave a shiver but seemed to laugh it off like it was nothing. She heard the Doctor hum in the back of his throat, seeming to be assessing this observation carefully.

"We need to start doing some scans or readings or something, yeah?" Rose asked the Doctor to see what he thought. He nodded absently, taking out his sonic screwdriver from his inner suit pocket.

"You haven't got long," Jackie told them, looking at her watch. "Midday shift only lasts a couple of minutes. They're about to fade."

With brow furrowed, the Doctor frowned at her. "What do you mean 'shift'? Since when did ghosts have shifts? Since when did shifts have ghosts? What's going on?"

"Oh, he's not happy when I know more than him, is he?" Jackie remarked, sending the Doctor a side-eyed glance as she removed her gaze from her watch.

"No one's running or screaming or freaking out," the Doctor noted, ignoring her comment.

"Why should we?" Jackie looked back at her watch once again. "Here we go. Twelve minutes past."

They watched as the ghosts gradually dimmed before disappearing completely. They blinked out of existence entirely. And the people continued doing what they had been before, going on with their lives as if nothing had happened. The Doctor decided quickly from there that he needed to know everything. Jackie agreed to tell him, though said that maybe he would get more information from the telly. With this in mind, the four of them went back to the flat, with the Doctor's face set in a troubled expression. The moment they were back in the flat, the Doctor threw off his coat before getting the remote for the TV.

It was almost like deja vu for Madison as she watched him sitting as close as possible to the telly, flipping through the channels to watch different programmes and news. She could almost see the Doctor with leather and large ears sitting there beside them, staring intently at the screen. Shaking this thought away, she stared at the Doctor before her now, seeing how he had placed on his glasses as he watched the news discussing formations of ghosts in different places. Then there was 'ghost weather' on another channel. There were other news channels from around the world which also discussed the ghosts in their regions. Followed by a talk show of a woman who claimed to love a ghost. A commercial for a ghost product. And other programmes that seemed to be using the ghosts as actors.

"It's all over the world," muttered the Doctor.

"They're also appearing somewhat . . . obsessed," Madison noted. She knew humans could find something to enjoy together at a rapid rate at times. Cultural phenomenons and whatnot. But this seemed at a whole other scale to her.

The Doctor finally turned off the TV, turning to Jackie for clearer answers. "When did it start?"

"Well, first of all, Peggy heard this noise in the cellar, so she goes down—," Jackie began to explain, going on about the programme the Doctor had been on last.

"He means the ghosts, Jackie," Madison interrupted, trying to be as polite as possible.

"Oh! That was about two months ago. Just happened," Jackie told them. "Woke up one morning and there they all were. Ghosts everywhere. We all ran around screaming and that. Whole planet was panicking. No sign of you, thank you very much." She sent the Doctor a stern eye then. "Then it sort of sank in. Took us time to realise that we're lucky."

"Lucky? What? How could the world be lucky with people coming back to life?" Madison responded, gaping at the woman.

"'Cause we get to see them again!" Jackie said, smiling away with joy. "I get to see my dad. Isn't that wonderful? Wouldn't you like to see your parents again?"

Madison stiffened, eyes widening as her heart clenched. Her parents. Forced back to life and made to live in a harsh world once again? The very notion sent an ache through her heart. Made her hope that, out of all these ghosts, her parents were not among them. For them to be forced out of their afterlife . . . For that to happen to anyone . . . It was madness. Chaos. There was a certain order that must be with life and death. To bring back someone by force in such a way . . . She shivered as the unsettling thought sent chills down her spine.

"What makes you think it's Grandad?" Rose asked her mother then, bringing Madison out of her troubled thoughts.

"It just feels like him. There's that smell, those old cigarettes. Can't you smell it?" Jackie said to her daughter, looking hopeful for Rose to see what she saw.

Rose shook her head. "I wish I could, Mum, but I can't."

"Well, you've got to make an effort. You've got to want it, sweetheart."

The Doctor, shaking his head slowly, stared at Jackie carefully. "And the more you want it, the stronger it gets?"

"Sort of, yeah," Jackie admitted.

Sucking in a breath, the Doctor ran his hand through his hair. "Like a psychic link. 'Course you want your old dad to be alive, but you're wishing him into existence. The ghosts are using that to pull themselves in."

Jackie stared at him, dejected now. Her smile, all but gone. "You're spoiling it."

He gave the mother a look of understanding and sympathy. "I'm sorry, Jackie, but there's no smell, there's no cigarettes. Just a memory."

"There is a smell, though," Madison said, looking at the Doctor. "It's the smell of brine from the sea. And I sensed it, too. It was . . . wrong. Like that uneasy feeling you get when you're about to tumble down a steep hill."

"Hmm. Maybe you're just sensing it. Maybe another reason why you had such a bad reaction when one walked through you," the Doctor muttered, frowning thoughtfully. "Doesn't mean that it's a ghost."

"But if they're not ghosts, what are they, then?" Rose questioned.

"Yeah, but they're human," Jackie argued then, staring around in hopes someone would agree with her. "You can see them. They look human."

"She's got a point, I mean, they're all sort of blurred, but they're definitely people," Rose agreed.

"There are many things out there that look like 'people'. Doesn't mean they are," Madison disputed with a shake of her head.

"Maddie's right. They may look it, but there's a good chance they're not," the Doctor commented, staring off into space as he appeared to be in deep thought. Already Madison could see his mind at work, formulating and calculating what he needed to do to solve this mystery. "Whatever they are, they're pressing themselves into the surface of the world, but a footprint doesn't look like a boot," he said in a soft tone. He jumped up then, grabbing his coat to rush out of the flat. All the while Madison and Rose shared a glance, knowing this was just the beginning.

XxXxXxXxXx

It was fast work for the Doctor. Easy, work, really, but the looks of things while Madison watched him speeding around the TARDIS and the park outside. He was putting together something or another to trap a ghost. At least, that's how he explained it when she had asked. He seemed rather excited after a while, even singing a song as he worked under the console to get things together for his trap. Madison waited patiently by the hole he opened up on the grated floor, watching him work. She was glad he was at ease with these 'ghosts'. Not seeming all that worried about them. At least one of them felt at rest. She, herself, couldn't stop the inkling that something was not quite right about this situation. Other than there being ghosts, of course. No, it was something else. Something her gut told her. What that was, she had not a clue. It wasn't a sense of danger . . . though perhaps something similar? Foreboding? That would be a good word for it.

"Cowgirl! Do us a favour and make sure no one is around for this. I don't want any kids from the playground getting caught up in the field I'm making," the Doctor said from under the console, his voice sounding muffled. He must have his sonic screwdriver in his mouth again.

"Can do, spaceman," she replied, giving a small salute when he poked his head up from the grated floor.

"Oh, don't salute. I told you about the saluting," he groaned, rolling his eyes.

"I know. That's why I love teasing you with it." Madison sent him a wink as she walked over to the doors and left the ship.

There was only one mother and small child at the moment, so it was rather easy to convince the two to go elsewhere after explaining that the park was about to undergo active construction in a moment. Madison was surprised the mother believed this as it did not feel like the best of lies, but she was glad it worked in the end. By the time the mother and child walked away, the Doctor was bouncing out of the TARDIS and was placing down large, round cones of some sort around in a triangle formation. He also had on an electronic backpack of some kind that held a cable attachment and a handheld end of the cable. It somewhat reminded her of the proton packs from Ghostbusters. Jackie was standing near him, seeming anxious now. Rose was next to her mother, keeping a more observant gaze on the Doctor.

"When's the next shift?" the Doctor asked Jackie, busy in his work adjusting the three cones correctly.

"Quarter to," Jackie stated after glancing at her watch. "But don't go causing trouble." She looked at the cones then. "What's that lot do?"

"Triangulates their point of origin," the Doctor answered absently as he kept on working.

"You're always doing this. Reducing it to science. Why can't it be real?" Jackie complained then. "But just think of it, though. All the people we've lost, our families coming back home. Don't you think it's beautiful?"

The Doctor gazed at the mother, his eyes telling of haunted things he had seen in the past. Of things, these ghosts could truly be. "I think it's horrific."

"He's right. There's a certain order to life that must stay, to keep things balanced. Death is as natural as life. You cannot muddle with that," Madison spoke then as she came over to stand near Rose. "Besides, why would you want to force your loved ones into the hardships of life? Life is cruel and unkind at times. Death is the ultimate relief from that. They're at peace. Why make them suffer more? By wanting them back like this . . . I'm terribly sorry, Jackie, but that is nothing more than selfish."

Looking away disgruntled, Jackie said nothing more as she crossed her arms tightly. Madison felt that the woman should know better, but, in the end, she did not blame Jackie for wanting this. It was easy to be selfish at times and not think these things through. It was far too easy. And that was why they must be better than this. Better than forcing their loved ones back into existence just for the sake of making things a little happier for one's own selfish gain. She hoped Jackie would see that this was true and would see what horror this event truly was.

"Rose, give us a hand! I need someone ready for when I get this going," the Doctor instructed hurriedly as he began rolling out a long cord of copper wire. Madison waited behind patiently, wondering if the Doctor needed her outside still. She watched as Jackie and Rose went into the TARDIS, close behind the Doctor. Moments later, the Time Lord came running out of the TARDIS, preparing himself around the cones.

"What do you need me to do?" she asked him.

"I need you to tell me what you sense. Every detail you can think of. I need to know for certain," he told her rapidly as he held the end of the nozzle in his hand and pressed it to the tips of the cones. "Rose, what's the line doing?" he yelled to the opening of the TARDIS.

"It's all right, it's holding!" she heard Rose yell back from the ship.

"Maddie, do you sense anything yet?" the Doctor questioned, looking to Madison now.

Madison shook her head. "No, not yet."

With a nod, he kept working for a while longer. Then he yelled back to the TARDIS, "Here we go!"

"Scanner's working! It says, 'delta one six'!" called out Rose.

The Doctor stopped what he was doing, turning to the area he set up with the cones, grinning eagerly. "Come on, then. You beauty!"

Madison watched as the cones began to light up on the tips, creating an electrical connection between each other. They then shot up tendrils into the air that came together at a point as a ghost appeared right in the centre of it all. She listened to the buzzing of electricity, watching the ghost shift within the electric field in an agitated stance. The smell of brine came from it and she sensed the general abnormal feeling to it. Where had she sensed this before? She knew she recognised it, but . . . Her stomach dropped somewhat as she felt weak at the knees next. A sensation of falling that was unique. Then, she remembered the place where she had sensed this same feeling exactly.

"Doctor . . . Doctor, they can't be from another universe, can they?" Madison asked suddenly, turning her head sharply to the Time Lord. She saw how he had on a pair of red and blue glasses one might wear to a 3D theatre showing.

"Getting that smell of brine and falling sensation?" he asked.

"Yes. Almost right away."

"Then it looks that way. I had a feeling they were, but I needed to scan to be certain." He reached for a small control box connected with the cones, adjusting a dial.

"So, there's beings from another universe bleeding through into this one. But why and how?" she wondered aloud.

"Now that is a very good question." As he worked, the ghost within the field began twisting around, shifting almost angrily on the spot. The Doctor gave a short laugh. "Look at that! Don't like that much, do you?" Humour gone, the Doctor, even with the coloured glasses covering his eyes, was staring hard at the ghost. "Who are you? Where are you coming from?" The ghost suddenly took a sharp swipe at him, making the Doctor jump back. "Whoa! That's more like it! Not so friendly now, are you?"

"I'm sorry. I should have felt that coming. I didn't get a sense of danger from it," Madison apologised, realising that her instincts were not acting correctly when it came to these ghosts. Other than the smell and the weak-knee feeling, she wasn't getting much at all.

"They're not technically capable of harming anything or anyone. So I'm not surprised your instincts aren't alerting you to them yet," the Doctor explained as he kept at the control panel he dropped on the ground. He stared at the ghost from where he was crouched, a frown shown then as he observed the being carefully. "But they will be a threat soon enough if we don't stop them."

It was then that they watched the ghost suddenly fade away. The electrical field around the spot where it had been disappeared as well, making the cones go silent and inactive once more. The Doctor, working at a rapid pace, grabbed the cones by their cords and dragged them and the rest of his equipment back to the TARDIS at a sprint. Madison was right behind him. She shut the door of the ship the moment they were inside, seeing how the Doctor was too busy placing everything back under the grated floor. Once he finished, he was at the controls, preparing to send them off somewhere. Where that might be, she doubted he would tell them. He was on a roll at the moment. Shaking her head as she spotted him grinning widely, his coloured glasses safely tucked away and the bounce in his step as he went around to the different controls. It was always amusing when he got like this. Another reason why she loved this man so dearly.

"I said so. Those ghosts are being forced into existence from one specific point, and I can track down the source," the Doctor said as he paused to fling off his coat to a coral pillar before finally sending the TARDIS off with a sharp pull of a lever. "Allons-y!"

The TARDIS shook greatly, causing Rose and the Doctor to fall back into the captain's chair while Madison stumbled into a railing. She hurt her hip, but she merely shook it off as she watched the time rotor move and listened to the grinding sound of the ship. She soon pulled off her coat and set it aside, knowing she would get warm if she wore it all day. Things would most likely lead to running soon, anyway. The Doctor laughed loudly then, bouncing up from the chair while Rose remained sitting.

"I like that, allons-y. I should say allons-y more often. Allons-y!" he began rambling on excitedly. He passed Madison by, winking at her. "Look sharp, cowgirl, allons-y!" He then looked at Rose. "Allons-y, Rose Tyler!" His attention was pulled back to the console as he worked. Though the rambling continued. "And then, it would be really brilliant if I met someone called Alonso. 'Cause then I could say, 'Allons-y, Alonso', every time."

"Have you found your new favourite word?" Madison said lightly, chuckling as he sent her a wide grin with a gleam of glee in his eyes.

"I think I have!" he laughed, zipping over to her now and pulling her close to him. "Do you like it? Nah, of course, you do. It's a perfect word! Allons-y, Maddie! See? It works!"

"You know one of my favourite words is 'molto bene'. It comes in handy sometimes."

"Oh? How so?"

"Long story short, it helped me escape from a police chase once."

"Ha! You and your run-ins with the law. You really have a knack for that. You know—"

"Ahem!" Rose coughed loudly, earning their attention. The girl gave them a pointed look. "My mum's still on board." She then nodded her head over to where Jackie was. The mother was currently sitting on one of the upper levels in the console room, her legs dangling over the edge and glaring at the Doctor. Meanwhile, the Doctor's face instantly fell. Madison blinked as well, having completely forgotten the mother was even with them.

"If we end up on Mars, I'm gonna kill you," Jackie warned as she crossed her arms tightly and kept on glaring. Madison couldn't help but laugh a little when seeing the Doctor's wide-eyed expression. Shaking his head, he went back to work on the console, ignoring the mother entirely for a moment. There was a beep from the console.

"Uh-oh. Looks like they've got sensors that can detect our landing," he said after a moment, staring at the monitor. The TARDIS around them settled, landing in place. Madison, Jackie, and Rose went to the Doctor to stare over his shoulder. They could see a group of men and women dressed in military uniforms pointing their assault rifles at the ship from outside. "Ooh, well, there goes the advantage of surprise."

"We should have looked into the source a bit more. We're at a disadvantage not knowing who these people are and what they're planning," Madison commented. She bumped the Doctor lightly with her elbow. "You rushed into things without thinking again."

"Yeah . . . sorry," muttered the Doctor. Staring thoughtfully at the screen for a moment, before he eventually let out a puff of air. "Still, cuts to the chase." He headed for the door with his hands in his pockets, glancing back at Madison and Rose briefly. "Stay in here, look after Jackie."

"I'm not looking after my mum," Rose argued swiftly, scoffing at him.

"You need someone to come with you. Help you where you need it," Madison added as she and the other two followed him.

"No, no, no. I don't really know what these people will do and I'd rather not endanger any of you," the Doctor disputed easily, shaking his head at them. "Besides, Rose, you brought her."

"I was kidnapped!" Jackie exclaimed angrily.

"Doctor, they've got guns," Rose tried again.

"You can't go without at least one of us," Madison argued as well. She went around the Doctor, standing in his way at the door. "Please, whoever they are, they're obviously dangerous. You can't go alone. Let me help."

"You can help me by staying safe," the Doctor said quietly, reaching for her and gently moving her to the side. She tried to debate further with him, but he shushed her softly, lifting a hand to cup her face and kiss her forehead. "I don't have a weapon, so they won't attack. Trust me on this. You do trust me, right?"

"Of course I trust you," she sighed, shoulders dropping as she knew it was pointless to keep trying to reason with him. He was such a stubborn man. "Just . . . be careful, okay?"

"Oh, I'm always careful." Sending her a wink, he pulled open the door and stepped outside.

He ended up leaving the door slightly ajar, allowing her the chance to listen outside. She heard the military personnel sound an alert with the sound of clicking guns, making her tense. Readying herself, she was prepared to grab him at a moment's notice. She would drag him back into the TARDIS if necessary for his own safety. Whether he liked it or not. She felt Jackie and Rose get closer as well, keeping their own eyes on the door. She noticed Jackie had a better visual of what was happening through the crack in the door.

"Oh, how marvellous!" came a voice suddenly. A woman's voice by the sound of it. Then, shockingly, there was clapping. "Oh, very good. Superb. Happy day." There came more clapping, this time from others. Were . . . Were they all clapping for the Doctor out there? Why? What was their angle? Did they know about the Doctor already? If so, then why the guns? Unless . . . they weren't exactly fond of him. Maybe even against what he was and what he stood for. Then, again, why clap for him?

"Um, thanks. Nice to meet you," she heard the Doctor saying now, sounding ever so bewildered by what was happening. "I'm the Doctor."

"Oh, I should say. Hooray!" exclaimed the same woman as before. Then again, the clapping started.

"You–You've heard of me, then?" the Doctor asked after the clapping stopped again.

"Well, of course we have. And I have to say, if it wasn't for you and that friend of yours, none of us would be here. The Doctor and the TARDIS!" The clapping started up once again, only stopping after another moment.

"And . . . and . . . and you are?"

"Oh, plenty of time for that. Now then, where is she?"

"Ah . . . where's who now?"

"Madison Baker. Or is she going by a different name again? She's changed it frequently, hasn't she? We know you're not one for travelling alone, and, according to the Queen's records, she's the one who was with you the night of the wolf. The Doctor and his companion. That's the pattern, isn't it, right? Though, then again, you are travelling with more than one now, aren't you?" There was a long pause as things had gone still outside the TARDIS. "There's no point hiding anything. Not from us. So, where is she?" Another long pause.

"Yes! Sorry, good point. She's just a bit shy, that's all." The Doctor's hand suddenly shot through the crack of the door, grabbing Jackie who had been closest, and yanking the mother through. The door closed swiftly after that, leaving Rose and Madison to share a glance before pressing their ears up to the door to listen. "But here she is, Madison Baker! Hmm, she's not the best I've ever had. Bit too blonde. Not too steady on her pins. Lot of that. And just last week, she stared into the heart of the Time Vortex and aged fifty-seven years, but she'll do."

"I'm forty!" they heard Jackie say in defence.

"Deluded. Bless. I'll have to trade her in. Do you need anyone?" the Doctor went on. "She's very good at tea. Well, I say very good. I mean not bad. Well, I say not bad. Anyway, lead on! Allons-y! But not too fast. Her ankle's going."

"Hmm . . . Are you quite finished now?" came the woman's voice, sounding not entirely amused. "We know who Madison Baker is, Doctor. Red hair, about five foot seven inches tall, has lived an exceptionally long life, changes her name and her location frequently. We have a list if you'd like, though I'm sure you know all this already." There came a long pause again. "Come now, Doctor, you can't hide her forever."

"She's not with me," said the Doctor then, his voice gruff and hard.

"We both know that's a lie. Either she comes out now, or I'm afraid I'll have to take drastic measures." A pause. "Very well. Fire on my command."

Madison knew at this point the woman was talking to the military personnel. Brief panic and worry went through her before being replaced with fiery anger. "Rose, stay here," she hissed through her teeth before yanking open the TARDIS door and exiting with a tempest right on her heels. "Don't even try it!"

Finally seeing this woman in person, Madison hurriedly assessed her. From what she could see, the woman had the appearance of being business-oriented given the black dress suit she wore. There was also a silver watch on one wrist, and a black beaded one on the other, with a matching necklace hanging low around her neck. She had sleek blonde hair that was styled with curls on the ends, a slick smile, and Madison even saw a flash of black nail polish when the woman clapped again. Apparently, this woman loved the colour. Perhaps a colour that matched her personality. Dark and cruel.

"And there she is! The woman of the hour," said the woman as she and the others clapped.

"Oh, stop it. You look ridiculous doing that," Madison retorted, rolling her eyes at the display. "And since when is resorting straight to killing someone a way to get what you want?"

"It got you out of that ship, didn't it?" countered the woman easily once she stopped clapping, giving that sly smile that made Madison's skin crawl. The woman then looked at Jackie. "So, who are you actually?"

"She's Rose Tyler. My other companion," the Doctor answered quickly. "All right, you have all three of us now, so what do you want?"

"Follow me," said the woman, smiling away at them as if she won a promotion before turning and walking away. The military bunch stayed there, staring hard at the trio to move. Madison jumped somewhat when the Doctor snatched up her hand so fast, gripping it in a vice hold.

"I told you to stay in the TARDIS," he spoke in her mind, sounding rather infuriated.

"And I said you needed help. They were going to shoot you. What else was I supposed to do?" Madison rebutted, shaking her head at him.

"They were bluffing."

"We don't know that. We don't know anything about these people. They could kill you off very easily without a second thought and you know it. Now, please, let's not argue. We need to concentrate. You can scold me all you want later when we're safe."

She heard a grunt in response within her head before the Doctor pulled her alongside him as he strode after the woman. The woman in black was waiting patiently for them in the open doorway, smiling just the same as before. It made Madison wonder if she ever dropped that smile. They walked down the corridor from the room, with the military personnel now following after their departure. Madison happened to dart her eyes around, hoping to get a clue of where they were going and where they might be. It was then that she caught a logo plate on the side wall. Her blood ran cold as she felt her stomach drop. On the plate was a honey-comb 'T' with the words Torchwood Institute written underneath. A small tremor went through her and she gripped the Doctor's hand harder.

"Doctor . . . It's . . . It's Torchwood," she breathed weakly in his mind.

"I saw . . . Stay with me no matter what," he instructed her, squeezing her hand just as hard.

"It was only a matter of time until you found us. And at last you've made it," said the woman in front of them, diverting their attention to her now. "I'd like to welcome you, Doctor. Welcome to Torchwood."

The woman pushed open the doors at the end of the corridor, revealing a massive warehouse on the other side. There were boxes and crates, storage containers scattered all around. A few heavy-duty equipment were seen parked at other locations. Different workers in either grey jumpsuits or military uniforms were busy going about their day. Some were in small vehicles with crates, driving around to transport the items elsewhere. Some were carefully lifting up boxes together and moving them away. Some were on a long balcony in the upper level of the room, on guard with guns in their hands. Out of everything in the room, the most impressive had to be the gigantic spaceship in the corner of the room. It took up much of the warehouse and had the appearance of a silver, flying saucer. Just as one might expect of an alien ship. It had silver legs that kept it propped up from the ground. There was a group of men and women in lab coats around the ship, seeming to be inspecting it as they wrote down notes on their clipboards. Obviously, these were the scientists out of the bunch.

"That's a Jathaa Sun Glider," the Doctor noted as he stared at the ship.

"Came down to Earth off the Shetland Islands ten years ago," the woman stated, her voice hinting at the pride she felt of their holding of such a ship.

"What, did it crash?" the Doctor questioned, his curiosity outweighing any need to be wary of this bunch.

"No, we shot it down. It violated our airspace, then we stripped it bare," the woman replied easily, without a second thought of remorse. "The weapon that destroyed the Sycorax on Christmas Day? That was us."

"Typical Torchwood," Madison muttered under her breath.

"Care to speak your mind?" the woman asked her, smiling and sounding rather like they were having a pleasant conversation.

"Actually, I think I will. Firstly, who are you specifically?"

"Yvonne Hartman, at your service," the woman replied coolly, allowing her sly smile to reappear.

"Then answer me this, Yvonne, why is it Torchwood has such a superiority complex that you feel the need to shoot first and ask questions later?" Madison spoke angrily then, turning her ire onto the woman. "I know your practice of 'anything nonhuman is a threat' but shooting down a spacecraft which held no qualms with you is not necessary to act upon. It could have been humanity's chance at first contact, yet you swiftly chose a violent act, sending a clear message to any who might wish to extend peace. In fact, you could have potentially begun an unnecessary war with another galactic race due to your ignorance."

Yvonne's smile widened into that of amusement. "Records said you and Torchwood met once. The Yeti incident of '83 I believe it was. You went by a different name back then. Tell me, were those yeti harmless?"

Madison glared, hating that damn smile already. "They would have been if your organisation hadn't upset them in the first place."

"Oh, now, don't misconstrue the facts. Those yeti were killing long before our people showed up."

"Only out of fear. Those yeti didn't understand why people were climbing their mountain. If you had just explained it to them—"

"And how would we have done that? Hmm? You may think we're the bad guys, but trust me when I say all we want is the safety of the human race. Aren't we allowed to protect ourselves, just as the yeti did for themselves?" Yvonne turned before Madison had a chance to say anything further, leading them onwards. "The Torchwood Institute has a motto. 'If it's alien, it's ours.' Anything that comes from the sky, we strip it down and we use it for the good of the British Empire."

"For the good of the what?" Jackie blurted out, staring at Yvonne in shock.

"The British Empire," Yvonne replied, saying so as if that would be obvious to them.

"There isn't a British Empire."

"Not yet," responded Yvonne smoothly, holding a knowing smile.

They walked passed crates filled with things that Madison could only assume were from other alien races. Things that she vaguely recalled seeing during different trips with the Doctor, though nothing which she recognised. There was a glass tube with a swirling blue light inside. Tesla blubs near it that Madison assumed was Torchwood testing the blue light. She spotted another crate which held what appeared to be a variety of weapons inside. At least, she assumed that was what they were. They were very gun-shaped. She watched as one man in military gear went to the crate, pulled out one of the larger guns, and handed it over to Yvonne when asked to do so. It was a bulky thing. Almost larger than Yvonne herself.

"Do you recognise this, Doctor?" Yvonne asked.

"That's a particle gun," he answered, eyeing the gun carefully.

"Good, isn't it? Took us eight years to get it to work." Yvonne inspected the gun with pride.

The Doctor stared at the woman, in a mix of disbelief and apprehension. "It's the 21st century, you can't have particle guns."

"Like I said to your friend, we must defend ourselves and our borders against the alien." Yvonne turned to the man who handed her the gun, her smile turning polite. "Thank you, Sebastian, isn't it?"

"Yes, ma'am," said the man with a nod.

"Thank you, Sebastian." Yvonne turned her attention back to the trio. "I think it's very important to know everyone by name. Torchwood is a very modern organisation. People skills. That's what it's all about these days. I'm a people person."

Madison found it highly ironic. Yvonne spoke of people skills as a must for Torchwood, yet that doesn't apply to those from other worlds. Were they not people as well? Sadly, to Torchwood, they were not. It made Madison's heart weep for all those Torchwood had killed and never bothered to learn the names of. So many lives were lost to senseless violence.

"Have you got anyone called Alonso?" the Doctor asked suddenly, snapping Madison out of her troubled thoughts. She blinked, slowly turning her head to stare at him with her brow raised. Honestly. At a time like this?

"I don't think so. Is that important?" Yvonne asked, finally dropping her smile as she looked at the Doctor in confusion.

"I suppose not," the Doctor replied, shrugging his shoulders as a flash of disappointment went through him. He finally let go of Madison's hand as something seemed to catch his eye. He reached into a crate, yanking out a large, black device of some sort. It was shaped oddly, completely flat on one end with a handle on the other. There was also a small red button at the end of the handle. Perfect for someone's thumb to press. He inspected it, frowning as he looked it up and down.

"Ah, yes. Now, we're rather fond of these," Yvonne said as she went over to where the Doctor was. Her smile back in place. "The Magna-clamp, found in a spaceship, buried at the base of Mount Snowdon. Attach this to an object and it cancels the mass. I could use it to lift two tons of weight with a single hand. That's an imperial ton, by the way. Torchwood refuses to go metric."

"I could do with that to carry the shopping," Jackie commented, seeming keenly interested in the clamps. The Doctor dropped the clamp back into the crate, brushing off his hands and turning away to inspect something else.

"All these devices are for Torchwood's benefit, not the general publics," said Yvonne as she stopped Jackie from touching the clamp.

"So what about these ghosts?" the Doctor asked then, earning Yvonne's attention. He was currently looking through a magnifying glass that was sitting over a table, lighting up something that a scientist had been inspecting moments before. He moved away from the table, turning back to Yvonne.

The woman's sly smile came back again. "Ah, yes, the ghosts. They're, ah, what you might call a side effect."

"Of what?"

"All in good time, Doctor. There is an itinerary, trust me."

It was by this time that a vehicle drove past them. One which was carrying the TARDIS in the back of it.

"Oi, where are you taking that?" Jackie exclaimed in alarm.

"You can't take her!" Madison shouted, angrily turning to Yvonne.

"Oh, you'll find we can. If it's alien, it's ours," Yvonne replied, giving that slick smile of hers.

"You'll never get inside it," said the Doctor, remaining calm and collected as he watched the truck drive on by with his ship.

Yvonne snickered. "Etcetera." She turned away smugly, talking to one of the military men who walked over to her.

Madison worried about the TARDIS. Or, more specifically, Rose inside. The TARDIS would be practically invincible to anything trying to get her open. However, it was hard to tell just what Torchwood would do to try and get inside. What if Rose got hurt in the process? Looking over to the TARDIS as it continued on by, going deeper into the warehouse, she saw the door crack open ever so slightly. Brown eyes stared out from the small opening, showing her that Rose was still inside. Madison made no move to show what she saw. Only hoped with her expression alone conveyed her wish for the girl to stay safe. She wanted Rose nowhere near this cruel organisation. However, she knew that having Rose out freely from Yvonne's grasp, that it could be a good chance of getting secret intel. A sneaky way of perhaps taking Torchwood down from the inside. One could only hope.

XxXxXxXxXx

It almost felt as though Yvonne were giving them a tour. They walked further into the facility, going deeper down into basement levels. All the while Yvonne kept telling them of different departments and their purpose. There was more alien technology to point out as well, with the Doctor almost always noting how this century of humanity was not meant to have such devices. Yvonne ignored him after a point, continuing on as if he never said a thing. She kept on that smile of hers the entire time, something that became grating. If Madison did not know better, she would have said that Yvonne was boasting about Torchwood's abilities to the Doctor as a way of showing off. However, there was a more nefarious reason for it. Madison was certain of this. Though what this could be, she was still trying to piece that together.

From what she gathered, Yvonne was a woman dedicated to her business. Wholeheartedly, she believed in Torchwood and what it stood for. Therefore, Madison knew that she and the Doctor would be considered enemy number one. Normally, from what she knew, this resulted in death for those from outside of Earth. However, there could be a case of aliens kept as specimens to have. Perhaps interrogation? Was Yvonne showing them all of this to see if she could get more information on their required technology from the Doctor? Surely they knew how vast his knowledge was. It was not likely for him to be killed off so easily when it would be better to use him. So he was likely safe from harm . . . for now. At least, this was a hope of Madison's. That just led to the question of what that meant for her. Did Queen Victoria tell them of her being a mermaid? Or had that secret been kept? They knew of her, though this just made Madison wonder if it was because of the Yeti incident. She may have made herself a target after that. Did they know she wasn't human? They knew of her long lifespan but she could easily pretend to be a long-living human.

"You know, I've been meaning to look into Torchwood for a while now. Suppose I took too long to work on that. Oh, well," the Doctor remarked as they strolled down a narrow corridor. There were military personnel in the front and rear, guiding the trio down the way. Yvonne was still in the lead of them, her high heels clicking on the sterile concrete. The fluorescent lights overhead hummed dully, casting dim lighting for them as they walked.

"Oh? So, you have heard of us. I suppose that was Miss Baker's doing?" Yvonne questioned, eyeing Madison now.

"Does it really matter?" the Doctor retorted, stepping around to block Madison from the woman's view. "I'm here now, and I'm assuming, judging by your motto, that I'm something else you're going to 'collect'?"

"Actually, you're more of our prisoner. You're the enemy, after all." Yvonne sent him a smile before looking forward again. "You're named in the Torchwood Foundation Charter of 1879 as an enemy of the Crown."

"Yeah. I remember. Queen Victoria and the werewolf. House in Scotland called 'Torchwood'. Queen makes the Institute after a bad scare from the unknown. I figured that out already, thanks."

"It's more the Queen created the express intention of keeping Britain great and fighting the alien horde. But not to worry, we'll make you perfectly comfortable. And there is so much you can teach us." They came up to a large concrete wall with a vault door in the centre. There was a small keycard scanner to the side of the door, one which Yvonne waved her badge in front of. "Starting with this," she finished as the door slid open.

She waved a hand, allowing the Doctor to step in first. Madison kept herself on alert, waiting for when they would be forced into something dreadful. The area they came into looked to be some sort of scientific research area for observation. She could see all sorts of equipment scattered around the room. All of which was oddly pointed towards the back of the room. There were also two scientists in lab coats working on said equipment, seeming to be monitoring any readings they received. What exactly that was, Madison only noticed until her line of sight was drawn to where the measurement devices were pointing.

Taken aback by the sight, she could only stare at the massive bronze sphere that hovered in mid-air at the far end of the room. There were stairs leading up to where the sphere was hovering, allowing anyone to get closer to it. Whether to touch it or not was something she wasn't certain of as the sphere, the more she gazed upon it, the more . . . wrong it felt. Something was off about this seemingly metallic sphere. Was it because of the perfect roundness to it? Not a seam or crease or dent could be seen on the surface. Or was it the faint noise she could hear radiating off of the sphere? It was like a hum that vibrated into her skull. Though her ears could not hear a thing. Was it possibly messing with her telepathic abilities? She glanced to see if the Doctor was feeling a similar effect, watching how he faltered in step when spotting the sphere for only a second before strolling forward as though nothing were wrong.

"Do you feel it, too?" she asked him quietly. His only response was a slight nod of the head. His expression shifted, puzzled by the sphere. Apprehensive of its sight. And eyes shifting all around it for any sign that might give him more information.

When they finally approached closer, Yvonne turned to the Doctor. "Now, what do you make of that?"

A man with glasses and dark brown hair came over, wearing a purple oxford and matching tie under his white lab coat. He appeared eager to speak with the Doctor as he drew closer to the Time Lord. "You must be the Doctor," said the man. He then held out his hand to the Doctor. "Rajesh Singh. It's an honour, sir."

"Yeah," the Doctor responded rather faintly, eyes glued to the sphere still.

"What is that thing?" Jackie questioned quietly, eyes wavering as she kept trying to look away but did not seem to be able to.

"We got no idea," Yvonne answered truthfully.

"What's wrong with it?"

"What makes you think there's something wrong with it?" Rajesh responded curiously, staring at Jackie in an observing way.

"I don't know. It just feels weird," Jackie told him, appearing greatly uncomfortable the longer they stayed near the sphere. It was at this moment the Doctor finally moved, going quickly over to the first set of stairs leading up to the sphere. He stood beneath the bronze orb, examining it closer. The troubled gaze deepened as his eyes refused to leave it. Madison bit the inside of her cheek, wishing she could pull him away from it. Something about it messed with her senses, making her both fascinated and terrified. As if she was compelled to touch it and run away from it all at the same time.

"The Sphere has that effect on everyone. Makes you want to run and hide. Like it's forbidden," said Yvonne.

"Maybe it is," Madison remarked, folding her arms around herself as she shook her head slowly. "Don't you think that maybe there are things in this universe that are not meant to be observed or studied? Things that are meant to be left alone?"

"It's not exactly as if we went searching for it. It came to us," said Rajesh, looking at the Doctor and the sphere now. He and the others walked over to get closer to the two while Madison remained in place, refusing to get any closer. She noticed how the Doctor had on his red and blue paper glasses again with his hands in his pockets. "We've tried analysing it, using every device imaginable. But according to our instruments, the Sphere doesn't exist. It weighs nothing. It doesn't age. No heat, no radiation and has no atomic mass," Rajesh went on to explain.

"I can see it," Jackie pointed out.

"Fascinating, isn't it? It upsets people because it gives off nothing. It is absent."

"Well, Doctor?" Yvonne asked, pushing for answers from the Time Lord.

"This is a Void ship," the Doctor answered after a moment's pause.

Now Yvonne's eyes lit up, looking keen for some real answers. "And what is that?"

The Doctor turned, taking off the 3D glasses. "Well, it's impossible for starters. I always thought it was just a theory, but . . . It's a vessel designed to exist outside time and space. Travelling through the Void." He walked away from the sphere now, sitting on the top step of the metal stairs.

Rajesh, just as keen for answers, walked over closer to the Time Lord. "And what's 'the Void'?"

"The space between dimensions," the Doctor explained, folding his hands together as he rested his arms on his bent legs. "There's all sorts of realities around us, different dimensions, billions of parallel universes, all stacked up against each other. The Void is the space in-between, containing absolutely nothing. Can you imagine that? Nothing. No light, no dark, no up, no down. No life. No time. Without end." He paused, staring past everyone now, his eyes growing distant. "My people called it the Void, the Eternals called it the Howling, but some people call it Hell."

Madison shivered, trying to imagine what sort of hell that would be like. There were thousands of interpretations of what 'Hell' was. But out of everything that could be imagined, the reality was always so much worse.

"But someone built the Sphere. What for? Why go there?" Rajesh said, imploring the Doctor to give them the answer.

"To explore. To escape." The Doctor turned to look back at the sphere. "You could sit inside that thing and eternity would pass you by. Big Bang, end of the universe, start of the next, wouldn't even touch the sides. You'd exist outside the whole of creation."

Yvonne turned her attention to Rajesh, smiling smugly. "You see, we were right. There is something inside it."

The Doctor's eyes travelled to the woman, seemingly disappointed by her reaction. "Oh, yes," he said quietly.

"So how do we get in there?" Rajesh asked, his earlier eagerness returning.

"We don't!" The Doctor moved quickly, jumping away from where he had been sitting to walk away from the two humans, turning to jab a finger in the sphere's direction. "We send that thing back into Hell! How did it get here in the first place?"

"Well, that's how it all started. The Sphere came through into this world, and the ghosts followed in its wake," Yvonne told him.

"Show me."

The Doctor turned on his heel, hands in his pockets once more as he walked briskly to the door of the lab. Madison hurried to catch up with him. Even going down the wrong way briefly with him before Yvonne corrected them both. Trying her best to keep up with the Doctor's brisk pace, she could sense the Doctor trying his best to hold in any emotional changes he was feeling. There had been only a brief wave of dread from him when talking of the sphere. Now he was keeping his mind oddly quiet to the point that she barely felt him. She knew he was doing so for her benefit. Perhaps he was more disturbed by the sphere than he let on and was now hiding that from her. Which only made her worried in the end. The Void ship already had her on edge, knowing that it being here was wrong. But if the Doctor was unsettled by it, then she knew they were in a world of trouble.

"And now, Miss Baker, it's time for your expertise," Yvonne said after they went further down the corridor. They were still in the lower level of Torchwood, going deeper into the dark reach of the building. Coming up to the end of the corridor, there was another door similar to the one which housed the Void ship. Madison closed her eyes tightly for a brief moment, already having an inkling of what Yvonne meant by 'expertise'. She could feel the Doctor and Jackie's eyes on her now as they came up to the door, but she refused to look at either of them. She could feel that pit of dread slowly encase her as Yvonne opened the door, allowing them to see inside.

It was a smaller room than the one which held the Void ship. Though there were just as many scientific instruments and tables set with different lab equipment. There were few scientists in this room. Two women were hovering over a table, seeming to be discussing what they were observing under a microscope. A man was by a computer, typing away and only giving the new arrivals a side glance. A few others could be heard behind a white curtain, sounding as though they were working on something in secret. At the very end of the room was a large tank filled with water. There was a filtration system within, creating a line of bubbles at the bottom. Lights surrounded the tank, pointing at it and lighting it up. One of the women discussing their observations turned towards them, smiling away in bright eagerness before hurrying over to them. Madison immediately felt wary, knowing nothing good could come from an overly eager scientist. Not in this instance, at least.

"Oh, good, you're here. Have you brought the live specimen like you promised?" asked the woman.

"Hello, Robin," Yvonne greeted, smiling away as usual. "Yes, I've brought her." Yvonne waved a hand at Madison, making her wince. Her heart sped up; her eyes darted around the room in a habit of looking for an escape. None of which she could see. Her hands were already shaking and her heart racing as she felt cornered. This was it, wasn't it? She had finally been caught and now there was no escaping this. It felt worse than when Van Statten had her chained up. These people were prepared for her. They knew what they were getting from her. They had all the resources ready to dissect her and string her up. The Queen would have told them everything and made certain to have her turned into a live experiment to have around. Madison let out a yelp, startled when she felt someone suddenly grab her. It wasn't until she felt a strong arm wrapped around her waist that she realised it was the Doctor. He pulled her tightly against him, his eyes flashing dangerously as the Oncoming Storm came forth.

"No one touches her," he warned, his voice rumbling as he spoke.

"Don't mind Robin. She called everyone a specimen. No people skills," Yvonne said as Robin walked away with a blush. Yvonne gave her usual sly smile. "And we've only prepared to make Madison feel as comfortable as possible given what she is. Queen Victoria left specific instructions that Madison is to be treated with 'respect and dignity'."

"But none of you will ever let me walk outside these walls again," Madison pointed out, trying to push past her fears and remain outwardly calm for the others. She did not want to give any sort of satisfaction to Torchwood to see how unnerved she was.

"Can't have our secrets running around, now can we?" Yvonne replied smoothly. "Besides, Torchwood has protocols when dealing with a species that is the last of their kind."

"Last of . . . Look lady, I know she hangs around an alien, but Maddie is human," Jackie suddenly spoke up, marching over to stand near Madison defensively. "You're not gonna poke and prod at her."

Yvonne raised a brow, staring curiously at them. "Oh? Has she not told you? I thought all her acquaintances knew."

"Know what?" Jackie looked to Madison. "Maddie, what's she talking about?"

With heart thudding away in her chest, Madison could only stare at Jackie with wide eyes. Uncertain in how to even begin to explain it. She felt that she dared not say it out loud in front of those working for Torchwood. Saying it clearly would only make her situation even more pressing. Her silence must have been answer enough for Jackie as the mother took a step back, her mouth agape in shock.

"Oh, my god. You're an alien, too?" Jackie exclaimed, standing there stunned.

". . . No, I'm not an alien . . . I'm just not . . . human," Madison finally said, averting her eyes and staring down at the floor.

"Then what are you if you're not human?"

"That's enough," the Doctor said strictly. Madison could feel him pull her closer to him.

"No. She—She has the right to know," Madison said, her voice coming out weakly as she slowly raised her eyes to Jackie. "I'm . . . I'm a mermaid."

Jackie let out a short laugh before stopping, seeing that everyone else wasn't showing signs of humour. "No. Now, be serious. You can't be a mermaid. They aren't real!"

"I said," Doctor growled, "stop it."

"Oh, but they are real. Our fellow neighbours of Earth," said Yvonne, smirking at Jackie. "You'd be surprised at just how many have come and gone through the ages. They do leave behind some evidence for us to find. Artefacts and such. And sometimes, if we're lucky enough, even a body."

Yvonne had them walk over to where the curtain was drawn, snapping her fingers as she went to have those behind the curtain move it aside. Jackie gasped, the Doctor stiffened, and Madison had to look away. It was the mummified corpse of a Mer, decorated in jewels and made to look like a statue. She knew right away who this poor creature was, her Uncle, still being put through hell and not allowed to rest in peace. He had been frozen as in his Mer-form when he had died. Something which could happen from time to time for Mer at death. She had seen that there were machines and bright lights all around the corpse before looking away, knowing they were most likely doing tests and experiments with the body. What they were, she did not care to know. She feared she could not stomach it. She felt the Doctor pull her closer to him, hugging her now in comfort.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear.

"She was supposed to bury him. She promised." Madison's voice wavered as she spoke, her eyes burning as tears came forth.

"Oh, the Queen did bury him. But we had him unburied," Yvonne told them, having heard Madison. "We couldn't pass up an opportunity to learn about another species living amongst us. We've discovered quite a number of things from his body, actually. We're close to a breakthrough when it comes to his regenerative cells. Mermaids seem to still react to water, even in death. Did you know that?"

"How dare you! You unburied someone? How sick can you get?" Jackie suddenly spoke in outrage. Madison lifted her eyes to see the mother turning her fury onto Yvonne. "I don't care who you think you are or what sort of place this is. You don't mess with someone after they've died."

"I think you'll find that we can and we will," Yvonne replied easily. "We can't let anything go undiscovered under our watch. If there is another species living within our society, we have every right to know who they are and how they live."

"Disgusting. That's what you are," Jackie spat, stomping over to Madison now and rubbing her back. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. Did you know him?"

Madison shook her head. "He's my uncle. But I never knew him. He died before I was born."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Jackie pulled Madison away from the Doctor to hug her now. "I'm sorry I didn't believe ya. No matter what you are, you're family."

Touched by Jackie's kindness, Madison hugged the woman in return, her tears finally coming forth and falling down her face. "Thank you," she whispered as she hugged Jackie. She felt someone wiping the tears from her face. She thought it was the Doctor at first. Then she heard him bark angrily.

"I told you not to touch her!"

Madison moved away from Jackie, turning to see Robin walking away with a cotton swab, placing it into a vial. The scientist gave no notice of the Doctor, taking the tear sample she had collected from Madison back over to her workstation. The look the Doctor sent the woman was nothing short of a boiling tempest ready to burst forth. There came a cough, making the trio turn to see Yvonne staring pointedly at the Doctor.

"We have a schedule to keep, Doctor. If you want to see those ghosts, then I suggest we get a move on," Yvonne said, turning on the spot as she headed for the door, not waiting for them. Madison started to follow along with Jackie and the Doctor. But she was soon halted by a strong hand on her. She looked to see two of the military personnel had stayed behind. One of them held tightly to the crook of her arm.

"Let go of me," she snapped, jerking her arm out of the man's hold. He simply grabbed her once more.

"Unhand her," the Doctor snarled, storming back over to her and the two. There came a few clicks as the two military men by Yvonne prepared their weapons. He halted, glaring at Yvonne now. "You said she would be treated with respect!"

"Of course. As long as she cooperates. The same goes for you as well, Doctor," Yvonne replied, smiling coolly. "You can be made comfortable by us, or things can become 'uncomfortable'. The choice is up to you in the end."

"You twisted—," Jackie barked, angrily fuming at Yvonne now. "You can't experiment on Maddie!"

"We're not experimenting. Merely observing and learning. I did mention 'dignity' as well. Madison will stay here so she can teach us all there is of mermaids while you continue to educate us, Doctor."

"I won't leave Madison. So you either let her stay by my side, or you're getting nothing more from me," the Doctor retorted, standing his ground in his decision.

Yvonne raised a brow. "Very well. You can stay here all you like with Madison while we continue the rest of our work. I do have a ghost shift to attend to, so if you'd excuse me." Yvonne turned to leave.

"Wait! He'll come with you," Madison said hurriedly, yanking her arm away from the man who held her, hurriedly going to the Doctor. "You have to go with her. Knowing what the ghosts are and what they're doing is far too important. Much more than my comfort," she whispered.

"I'm not leaving you alone with them," the Doctor immediately argued, shaking his head as he gripped her hand hard.

"We have no choice." Her eyes shifted to Yvonne briefly, seeing the woman watching them. "We don't know what they're up to. They could be close to destroying the world if we're not careful. You may be the only one who can stop them," she said in his mind. He looked as though he wished to argue, but she shook her head to stop him. "This is far more important than me. Trust me. I'll be all right. They aren't going to harm me. Just study me. I can handle that. So, please, don't stay on my behalf."

Rubbing an aggravated hand through his hair, eventually, the Doctor let out a gusting breath. She knew he saw the logic in her reasoning. Even if he did not like it. He soon let go of her hand, going after Yvonne as the woman made to leave. Madison hurriedly convinced Jackie to go with the Doctor, knowing that the mother would be safer with the Time Lord. A small wince was made as the door slid closed, locking her inside alone with the scientists and military men. She could feel all eyes on her as she stood there in the centre of the room. Her nerves were running high as she stood in place, refusing to look at anyone at the moment. She flinched when she heard someone cough beside her.

"We have a swim top for you if you like," said Robin, holding up a halter top. Narrowing her eyes at the woman, Madison stomped away, heading to the tank. She knew they would get her into that tank one way or another. They wanted to study her in her Mer-form. That was certain. But she would make it difficult for them. She would just sit in a corner of the tank and refuse to move an inch. If they wanted their observations done, they'd have to come into the damn thing with her.

She stood at the end of the stairway that led up to the top of the tank. There was a built ledge made out of glass that hung out a few feet over the water of the tank. An obvious place for her to pull herself out of the water if needed. She eyed the stairs and the ledge, staring at the bubbling water within the tank. She felt trapped, unable to escape. She was going to have to show her true form to others outside of those she trusted. Her heart twisted, her stomach dropping as her grip on the railing of the stairs began to quiver. What could she do to fight this? She wasn't worried about what they would do to her so much. It was what they would do to the Doctor if she did not comply. Yvonne already said that things would be made worse for them if they fought against Torchwood's demands. The very thought which made Madison shiver in dread. She could only imagine what horrors Torchwood had in mind for them.

It was then that she sensed it. She almost could not believe it, but . . . there it was. Stiffening and eyes going wide, she turned just in time to see two kind faces staring back at her. One which she knew and one which she did not. Both wearing a white lab coat.

"Hello, sweetheart," Andy whispered to her, smiling and winking. "I figured you might want to come with us."

"Hold on tight," said the young woman beside him. The two then grabbed Madison by the arms, holding onto her as she felt herself being yanked forward in a swirl of light.

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So the site is kind of broken at the moment. Don't know if anyone has noticed, but the site no longer shows any traction that the stories get. Have no clue if anyone is reading this. But if you are, I hope that you will enjoy the story as it progresses. :)