Thank you all for reading this story! I saw all your comments and they totally made my day. It's a happy boost for my mental health every time. You all are awesome!
I believe I forgot to announce it here, but the story is indeed on AO3 now. It's not completely updated with it being behind in chapter updates, but the story has been edited to a better quality than on here and with some changes made to the text.
Hope you enjoy the newest chapter!
Chapter 47
Madison stumbled backwards when she felt her body suddenly grow weak when the light disappeared. Her stomach twisted and the air felt all wrong. It was only a second later that she realised she was in the parallel world. She gazed around quickly as her legs trembled, ready to give under the pressure she felt from this world. It was the same room she had just been in, but much darker and left in disarray. No tank to speak of. No mummified body. Just lab instruments left scattered around. Some even appeared broken. It seemed whatever had happened in this version of Torchwood, things had been left behind in a hurry. Or, was there even a Torchwood in this world? Could this be simply a normal science lab of some sort? She looked back at Andy, seeing his grey eyes sparkling in delight.
"How?" was all she could think to ask.
"With these," Andy said, pulling out a yellow disk from his lab coat pocket. It was brightly yellow, with silver metal around the edges. The entire thing was attached to a metal chain. He took out another one and handed it to her before he placed the other back into his pocket, grinning excitedly. "We brought along another one just for you. You can have it. Glad we got you in time."
"We've been monitoring the parallel Torchwood for a while. Seeing what they were up to compared to ours. When we saw that they had that Mer body, we knew it was only a matter of time before they got ahold of you," said the woman, matching Andy's grin as Madison placed the yellow disk into a dimensional pocket. Madison looked at the woman, seeing the pale brown hair and hazel-brown eyes that held such deep warmth. She recognized these eyes. They were the same eyes as . . . A sharp pang went through her as she realised these were the same eyes as David's. And as the woman smiled, she had a dimple on the right side of her face.
"You . . . You must be Madison's daughter," Madison spoke softly.
"And you're my parallel mum. It's nice to meet you. I'm Shannon," said the woman, grabbing Madison's hand and giving it a vigorous shake.
"It's . . . very nice to meet you, too," Madison whispered, still somewhat unnerved by meeting what would have been her daughter in another life. Yet, at the same time, it was . . . wonderful. A small smile tugged at her lips, knowing this was a moment she would cherish. To be able to meet a daughter she would never have . . . It was a moment that had only been in her dreams till now.
"Come on. We better get a move on. The others are probably all ready to go," said Andy, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. He and Shannon walked briskly out of the room with Madison following swiftly after them. The weak feeling she experienced was slowly fading. Though the air still felt as wrong as ever. She wondered if that ever would go away.
"What others? What's been happening here in your world? Have you been having ghosts as well?" Madison asked quickly, knowing she needed to catch up with everything if she wanted to be prepared. Already she was forming plans of how to get back to Torchwood and help the Doctor. If the parallel world was open, available to people to leap back and forth, then could this be their escape from Torchwood? Perhaps even a way to stop Torchwood?
"No. No, ghosts. The only thing that's really been happening is the Earth getting warmer," explained Shannon. "We think it's because of the Breach."
"What's the Breach?"
"It's the hole in reality. Between this world and yours. Our Torchwood was studying it and developed technology to hop in between the worlds. Then the People's Republic took control when they found out what Torchwood was up to. Put a stop to it before any world hopping could start," Andy told her. They came up to the lift and he pressed the button for them. Madison was surprised that the electricity was even working. So far, this place seemed completely abandoned. The corridors were dark and lifeless. There were broken things scattered around almost all the corridors. Doors were left wide open for her to see different projects this Torchwood had been working on. Things which looked sinister in design. It made her wonder if the Torchwood back in her world had similar projects under their sleeves. Once inside the lift, it rattled around them as they went up.
"Why are you going in between worlds? Unless . . . the ghosts are coming from this world, aren't they," Madison said, knowing this was most likely true.
"They're Cybermen," Andy said quietly.
Madison stiffened as a shiver of fear went through her. Cybermen. The ghosts were Cybermen. Ghosts which were spread all across her world. If Torchwood had their way and kept bringing forth the ghosts . . . "We have to warn the Doctor. We need to stop the ghost shifts. If the Cybermen come fully through into our world, then it will be the end of everything. Our world doesn't have the technology to fight against them," she spoke in a rush as fear coursed through her. She knew she needed to get back to her world and stop this from happening somehow. Though how she could manage that . . .
"That's the plan. We're gathering together a team ready to fight the Cybermen when they come through," Shannon explained as the lift door opened.
"Can't we stop them from coming through? Or is it too late?"
"We're imagining it's too late. The lot of them disappeared from this world three years ago."
"Three years?" This stunned her. It had only been months since they had visited the parallel world. Yet it has been three years for this world? She wondered just how much had changed in the three years since they had last been there. Madison glanced between Andy and Shannon, trying to imagine what those three years had been like for them. "The Cybermen . . . I thought the Doctor gave Mickey the code for releasing their emotional inhibitors. Did that not work?"
"It did for the first few factories, but then the Cybermen in the others adapted. After some fighting and adapting of our own, we sealed the factories and locked the Cybermen inside until we could figure out what to do with them," Andy explained.
"We can have Pete explain the rest if you'd like. He does want to speak with the Doctor again after all," added Shannon. "Pete should be getting everyone ready."
At the mention of Pete, Madison felt concern for the man. Three years since his Jackie's death. He had not been well when they had left this world behind. Had things gotten better or worse for him? "Pete . . . how has he been?" she questioned quietly.
"Been better," Andy sighed, shaking his head sadly. "He's been throwing himself into work. Trying to make himself forget the grief, I think. He's in charge of what's left of Torchwood and Cybus Industries. And he's still in charge of his old company. He's . . . running himself rather thin." The worry for his friend was apparent as Andy's shoulders fell slightly.
Madison couldn't help herself. She reached for Andy's hand and gave it a small squeeze in comfort. He returned the gesture, sending her a small smile as they walked through the hallway, coming up to a large office space. It was a massive room, with a large office behind glass walls while the rest of the room was a mess of tangled wires and cables everywhere. It was a long room, with a lone white wall left bare at the very end. The room was dark, barely lit with only a few dim lights on overhead and some light coming from the windows outlooking the city of London outside. She spotted a few zeppelins off in the distance, flying through the blue sky lazily. As her eyes travelled around the room, she finally noticed that the large office was actually occupied, followed by the sense of another Mer. It was a woman with dark brown hair tied into a tight bun. She had sharp features with a splash of freckles across her face. As she was looking over a variety of papers on the desk she was working at, a small lamp lighting the desk for her, she lifted her eyes briefly towards them. Her green eyes stared sternly at the two beside Madison.
"You're five minutes late," the woman said strictly. "We're behind in schedule."
"Things can't always be on schedule, Bridget," Shannon said, walking over to the woman sitting at the desk. "How's Jake and the others preparing?"
"They'll be here soon," said Bridget, grabbing a handheld radio that was on the desk and fiddling with it. "Mum is going to join them. Couldn't talk her out of it." Bridget glanced up once more as Madison came into the office. Raising a brow, Bridget gazed her up and down. "Grandad wasn't kidding. You do look exactly alike."
"I'm guessing . . . you're another daughter of Madison's?" Madison asked politely, finally noticing that Bridget had the same eyes as her.
Bridget hummed, giving a curt nod and looking back to her papers. "Hopefully things don't get too complicated." She pressed the button on the handheld, holding up the radio to her mouth. "Jake, get a move on. We're ready to go."
"Yeah, yeah, hold on, Bridget. We're on our way," came a voice over the radio. Madison recognised Jake's voice. She was glad to hear from him again. It made her wonder if Mickey was still working with the young lad.
"Where's Mickey? Is he joining Jake?" Madison asked, looking at the three around her.
"Mickey has already been sent through for reconnaissance weeks ago. He had the advantage of being from that world, so he was best suited for the job," Bridget explained briskly. "He's been gathering intel for us, preparing us for what we're about to face."
"And he was rather insistent to go. I think he wanted to be there for Rose," Andy added.
It was at this point that the blank wall at the end of the room began to make a sound. It was a quiet hum as a white light began to come from the wall. It grew brighter and brighter, making Madison squint from it. As she stared at the wall, she could have sworn it was becoming translucent with shapes of figures coming from the other side.
"Jake, you need to get up here now. The other world's opened the Breach on their end. The Cybermen are most likely coming through," Madison heard Bridget say urgently.
There came the sound of hurried footsteps marching down the hallway, followed by people shouting. It happened all so fast. Madison barely had time to see the massive group of new arrivals. It was hard to see anything through the white light. She heard Jake's voice and another she recognised but could not place. She could hear a sound and saw a few flashes of light before the sound of voices disappeared completely. Then the white wall's light dimmed greatly before eventually disappearing.
"What was that?" Madison questioned, finally lowering her hand that she had been using to shield her eyes. She looked at Andy, Shannon, and Bridget, seeing their tense eyes.
"That's the Breach. When the other side opens it, we get to see it from our end as well," Andy explained. "We can even see those on the other side if you can squint through the light."
"Transdimensional transition successful. Now we just wait for Jake to bring back the target," Bridget spoke up then.
"What target?" Madison asked her.
"That'd be the Doctor," came a voice then, making Madison turn to see Pete walking into the room. Like everyone else in the room, he wore black. Though unlike the others who were wearing various jumpers, t-shirts, cargo trousers, and combat boots, Pete wore a tailored business suit. Immediately, Madison noticed how the suit was rather loose on his body and his face showed signs of his cheekbones. There were also dark circles around his eyes. She could see now why Andy had been so worried for his friend. Pete did not look to be keeping himself in a healthy state. There was a guard of some kind standing beside the man. Someone wearing all black, holding a large gun, and had on a gas mask for some reason. Why was he having a guard with him?
"We're expecting he'll be able to close the Breach for us," Pete said, rather business-like in his words. "Keeping the Cybermen away from our world once and for all."
"But that'll leave them in our world," Madison countered, brow furrowed in concern.
"Not our problem," Pete replied curtly, uncaring.
"Pete," Andy said, sounding ready to argue.
"I'm not hearing it again, Andy. It's their problem now. Not ours. We've got no way of stopping them, so why bother," Pete said swiftly, shaking his head.
Madison sighed, folding her arms. "I can see your heart has grown cold in the last three years."
Pete threw her a sharp gaze. "Don't pretend to know me. I know what you are now and what you say has nothing to do with this world."
Not wanting to start an argument, Madison kept quiet, merely shaking her head in disappointment. She knew why Pete kept this mindset. He wanted to protect the last thing he held of value and that would be his world. But to be so cold towards another innocent world was cruel. Even for someone like him. She remembered the Pete of her world, selflessly sacrificing himself to save the world. She supposed not every parallel person would be the same as the ones she knew. Then again, if Pete of her world had been left alone . . . would he too have become so emotionless? Without the warmth of love in his life, Pete was nothing more than a cold, lost soul.
She looked over when hearing a metallic ripping sound and saw a flash of light in the corner of her eye. By the white wall, there was the sudden appearance of three figures. The first she spotted was Jake, wearing a similar outfit as the last time she met him and smiling smugly at another figure. Then there was the Doctor, whom she immediately felt relieved to see. She had been worried about his, Jackie's, and Rose's safety with the Cybermen coming through. Though, if Rose had remained in the TARDIS, then she should still have been fine. However, not seeing Jackie there beside the Doctor had Madison worried. Had the mother been left behind in the other world? The third figure was wearing dark clothing like the others from Andy's world. They had their back to Madison and wore the hood of a jacket over their head. The Doctor was staring at the figure, seeming to have been in the middle of a disagreement but had been interrupted by the travel between worlds. The Doctor lifted his eyes, finally seeing Madison standing beside Andy, Shannon, and Bridget. She saw some tension from him leaving, though there was still that quiet cloud of a storm brewing that she could see in his eyes.
The third figure turned then, finally allowing Madison to see who they were. Green eyes met, both blinking as one observed the other. It was uncanny, seeing her own face staring back at her. It was as if staring into a mirror but in an unsettling way. Slowly, the Madison across from her lowered her hood, allowing auburn hair to be seen. Madison noticed how her counterpart had shorter hair than her, coming up just below her chin. Other than this, the two of them were absolutely identical. She hoped that things would not get complicated because of this.
"Hello," the two of them said at the same time.
Both blinked again before the other Madison smiled. "It's good to finally meet you."
"Same to you," Madison replied, nodding her head. "Ah . . . do you think we should call each other different names to keep things from becoming complicated?"
The other her chuckled, nodding. "Just call me 'Maddie'. Most people do."
Madison chuckled as well. "Most people call me that as well."
"I suppose some things transcend across universes."
"I suppose they do."
"Maddie, time we've moved things along, yeah?" Pete spoke up then, earning their attention.
"Of course. We've already explained the basics to the Doctor," Maddie nodded, finally stepping away from the Doctor to walk over to join her daughters. Jake walked away as well, adjusting the large gun he held in his hand. Madison noticed how her counterpart held a gun as well, though a much smaller one from Jake.
"Look, I don't have time. Rose is in danger, and her mother. I've got to get back," the Doctor said urgently, stepping forward to get closer to the group.
"What's happened to Rose and Jackie?" Madison asked quickly, walking over to him.
"The Sphere, it opened and was made by the Daleks. There's four of them and Rose is trapped down there with them. And Jackie was taken by the Cybermen. We don't have time. She could be upgraded at any moment," the Doctor explained rapidly.
"First you listen to us. Then we'll go back," Pete said curtly. "Because now I know who you are, Doctor, and I know only you can put a stop to all of this for us."
"Right, yes, fine, I'll do whatever you need, but right now I've got to get back." The Doctor walked over to Pete, standing in front of the man.
"No, you're not in charge here. This is our world, not yours. And you're going to listen for once."
Madison and the Doctor both glanced at one another. Each of them gave a look to silently communicate. It seemed they were locked here in this world until Pete had his way. With a small nod from Madison, she stepped back from the Doctor, watching him as he walked over to meet Pete so the two of them could talk. Meanwhile, Madison remained in place, assuming that she would be an unwanted party by Pete since the man's main target had been the Doctor in the first place. She watched as the Doctor began inspecting the white wall when Pete explained how the Breach looked and behaved in this world, going over similar things which Andy and Shannon had already told her down below. Feeling a presence beside her then, Madison looked to her left to see Maddie had come to stand close by.
"So . . . father told me about what you've experienced in your world," Maddie whispered, remaining quiet in the still room so that Pete and the Doctor wouldn't be interrupted. Maddie looked curiously at Madison. "Did you really never tell David?"
"Yes . . . But you did," Madison spoke softly, smiling at Maddie. "I'm glad you were able to find happiness with him in the end."
"Yes, I'm fortunate to have my family." Maddie glanced at her children who stood by Andy. All three were in an apparent discussion over something. "I'm sorry that you never got your chance. I couldn't even begin to imagine a life without my children."
Madison nodded, trying to imagine life with children. It felt . . . odd to contemplate. "You don't have to feel too sad for me. I really am happy with where life has taken me as of late." Her eyes travelled to the Doctor, seeing how he and Pete had moved to the other end of the large room now, entering a small office space to look out some windows as they spoke.
Madison could see the curious gaze again from Maddie. "Have you found another life partner?"
"Yes. Something I know I'm very fortunate to have found."
"I've never heard of a Mer finding another partner after their first one dies. You might be the first to have done so."
"I don't think any Mer has lived long enough to allow themselves to find a second life partner."
Maddie hummed, nodding lightly as she stared thoughtfully at Madison. "How large of a lifespan does the Doctor have? I know he's not human."
Madison gave her other self a slight smile. "He'll actually outlive me."
This made Maddie's brows raise. "Really?" She glanced towards the Doctor briefly. "That's amazing," she murmured. "But then . . . he'll have to live without you one day."
"Yes, I know," Madison sighed sadly. "Knowing that breaks my heart." It was quiet for a moment between them as they both stared at the Doctor. "We're still discussing what will happen once I'm . . . My only solace is knowing that at least he may find someone to help him be happy again after I'm gone." Madison shifted on the spot, arms around her middle as she tried to keep a lighter mood. "Besides, that's a few millennia away for us still."
"With a life like yours? You really think so?"
"What? You're thinking otherwise?"
Maddie shrugged. "I've learned to not expect happiness to stay in my life. Tragedy is always just around the corner. It'll do you good to remember that."
This left Madison feeling uneasy. Of course, she knew this. She had been telling herself that for so many years. But things were different now, weren't they? Things could be better with the Doctor . . . Madison's attention was drawn away from Maddie when the Doctor's voice was heard growing louder as he seemed to be arguing with Pete. The Time Lord was seen walking over to Jake, pointing at the yellow disc that still hung around his neck.
". . . then you lot, those discs, every time you jump from one reality to another, you rip a hole in the universe. This planet is starting to boil!" the Doctor said loudly, looking absolutely frustrated by this point as he stared back at Pete. "Keep going and both worlds will fall into the Void." The Doctor walked over closer to the Breach, turning as Pete spoke.
"But you can stop it?" Pete argued, seeming certain the Time Lord had all the answers. "The famous Doctor. You can seal the Breach."
"Leaving five million Cybermen stranded on my Earth," the Doctor countered, eyes narrowing somewhat.
"Yes, I've discussed that part with Pete already," Madison spoke up, coming over finally to stand beside the Doctor. "Apparently it's 'our problem' and not his."
"Yeah, and I stand by that, too," Pete retorted, standing his ground as both Madison and the Doctor stared hard at him. "My priority is this world and nothing else."
The Doctor made a noise in the back of his throat, giving a humourless smile. "Pete Tyler. I knew you when you were dead. Now here you are, fighting the fight. Alone."
Pete seemed wary as the Doctor got closer. Madison wondered too where the Doctor was going with this until it dawned on her. Of course. Jackie. Though . . . would that really work? Jackie from their world was a different person than who Pete knew. At least, different enough. Yet . . .
"Jackie's back in our world," Madison offered, seeing Pete's eyes whip to her now. She gave a small shrug. "She lost her Pete. You lost your Jackie. You never know. Things could . . . work out between you both if you actually gave it a try."
"There's more important things at stake," Pete countered, dismissing Madison's comments.
"She's right, you know. Could give it a thought at least," the Doctor said, also shrugging.
Pete seemed annoyed at them both now, eyes staring at them hard. "Will you help us or not?"
The Doctor finally took a few steps back. "What? Close the Breach? Stop the Cybermen? Defeat the Daleks? Do you believe I can do that?"
"Yes," Pete answered rather simply.
The Doctor stared at him for a moment. "Maybe, that's all I need," he muttered. Then a small grin appeared. "Off we go, then."
Pete nodded before looking at Andy, Shannon, and Bridget. "You three hang back. If we're not back in an hour, shut it all down. Jake, you're with me. Maddie, you should probably—"
"If you think I'm staying behind then you got another thing coming," Maddie said gruffly, crossing her arms tightly as she narrowed her eyes.
Pete shrugged. "Fair enough." He then pressed his yellow button, making a swift flash as it pulled him, Jake, the Doctor, Madison, and Maddie through.
Madison wavered on her feet when they were back at her world's Torchwood. She could see they were on the top floor now. Much cleaner and brightly lit compared to the other world. The weakness in her from the parallel world also ebbed away. Something she was grateful for. Looking over, she saw there were more of Jake's men and women here, gas masks still on with their weapons primed and ready.
"First of all, I need to make a phone call. You don't mind?" The Doctor didn't wait for Pete or the others' answer. He rushed into the large, empty office, grabbed the landline phone that was sitting on the desk and began to dial a number. Madison was swift to enter the office, standing close to the Time Lord as he held the phone tightly to his ear. She could hear the dial tone for a moment before someone appeared to answer. The tension in the Doctor's shoulders eased somewhat.
"Jackie, you're alive," the Doctor said, sounding relieved but still urgent. "Listen . . ." He tried shushing her rapidly as Madison could hear the woman's frantic cries. "Just tell me, where are you? . . . Yeah, which one? Is there any sort of sign, anything to identify it?" Whatever answer the mum gave made the Doctor breathe out a moment before replying sarcastically, "Yeah, that helps." Then, he nodded. "North corner, staircase three. Just keep low, we're trying our best. . . . I've got to go. I'm sorry." He hung up the phone then, turning to Pete. "Jacqueline Andrea Suzette Tyler."
Pete, seemingly knowing where the Doctor was going with this, narrowed his eyes. "She's not my wife," he said, his voice hard and strict.
"I was at the wedding. You got her name wrong," the Doctor went on, ignoring the man's comment.
"It was rather sweet, actually. You looked so nervous, yet so ready to love her," Madison added. She noticed Pete's shoulders sagging ever so slightly. Though he did his best to keep up a hard expression.
She and the others did as the Doctor began to instruct them, listening as he began to come up with a plan. Apparently, before Jake had collected the Doctor from this world, the Cybermen and the Daleks below had gotten into a small tiff. It appeared neither wished to work with the other. Thank goodness for that. Madison couldn't imagine what would have happened if the Daleks and the Cybermen were on the same side. This led to the Doctor modifying Jake's and the other guards' guns to work against Dalek's armour. All the while explaining that he was going to find some Cybermen to reason with them about the Dalek threat.
"If you can reason with a Cyberman, then I'd really be impressed," Maddie spoke up after the Doctor modified the last guard's gun. She cleared her throat when the Doctor began to head for the exit. "I do believe you've forgotten mine. If I'm going to be of any use, I need that modification as well."
The Doctor turned, frowning at her with a furrowed brow. "You . . . use weapons?"
"Of course. It's kill or be killed as the saying goes. I choose to keep my family safe, no matter the cost," Maddie replied easily. She held out her gun then, nodding at it for the Doctor to fix.
Hearing this coming from Maddie made Madison shiver. Staring at her other self, she began seeing the hard edges of Maddie that she had not noticed before. Though life had given Maddie children and complete happiness with David, there was something there in her eyes. The look of a soldier who had seen plenty of battle and had become hardened by it. Madison wondered what life could have been for Maddie to become like this. She watched as the Doctor walked over, carefully taking Maddie's gun and running the sonic screwdriver over it.
"What about the nature of Mer? Are you going against your kind's nature?" the Doctor was heard asking quietly.
"There are outliers in every situation. I chose to be that outlier," Maddie answered curtly.
The Doctor looked at her, seeming to be studying her carefully. "What's your father have to say about that?"
"He doesn't like it, but he understands. I have to protect him, my children, and every other Mer out there. They're my family. And if they cannot lift a gun to save themselves, then I will gladly do that for them."
A small hum was given as the Doctor handed back Maddie's gun. He walked away, moving on with his task. He then instructed Jake and the others to be close by but hidden as the Time Lord planned on trying to make peace with some of the Cybermen who were down below a few floors. Madison didn't know if she liked this plan, him going straight into danger. However, she knew this might be their only chance as he explained Rose and Mickey were still down in the basement with the Void ship where the Daleks were. The two were still in great danger. She started to move to go after the Doctor but was halted when he glanced over his shoulder and gave her this look which said to stay behind.
"Can't have you coming with me. Too many people and the Cyberleader would grow suspicious," he explained swiftly in her mind.
"Understood. I'll be close by though, if you need me," she replied, giving him a nod that she was determined not to leave him completely on his own.
He gave her a smile and a wink. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
XxXxXxXxXx
It seemed convincing the Cybermen were the easy part. Now all that was left was facing off with the Daleks. Something that would not be as simple. Madison remained down in the corridor of the basement level. Out of the way and where she promised the Doctor she would remain until he was finished. Jake, Pete, Maddie, and the others from the parallel world—along with a few Cybermen—were stationed around where the Void ship and Daleks were located. Madison wished she could be of more use than simply standing aside, allowing the others to face such dangers. But without the ability of a gun, well, she was rather pointless to be around. Unless she could suddenly come up with the ability to control the Vortex inside her . . . Frowning for a moment, she tried to reach out to the Siren but was met with a blank wall. Apparently, the Siren was in a deep slumber for now.
There came a sudden series of thundering bangs echoing down the corridor. Followed by the sound of gunfire and lasers. Madison shifted nervously on the spot, wishing with all her might that everyone pulled through safely. Finally, hearing more cries from the Daleks, she was swift to head towards the branching corridor, peaking around the corner just in time to see the Doctor with Rose, Pete, Maddie, and Mickey coming fast down the hallway.
"Is everyone alright?" Madison questioned swiftly as she was quick to run along beside them all. She noticed that Pete seemed to be sticking close to Rose, even touching the girl's back to get her to move faster.
"Yes, everyone's fine. The Cybermen were the only ones killed by the Daleks," the Doctor spoke rapidly, grabbing Madison's hand to keep her close to him. "The Daleks, they're the Cult of Skaro. Thought they were just a legend. Turns out they exist. They're a secret order, built the Void ship to escape the war, and have this Ark that Time Lords created in secret. Not sure what it does yet. That's about all you've missed."
Madison nodded, glad to have been brought up to speed. She glanced over when she saw Mickey holding his hand out, apparently in pain. It looked slightly red and swollen. "Is your hand alright?"
"It burned when I touched the Ark," he explained. He looked to the Doctor then. "I just fell, I didn't mean it."
"Mickey, without us, they'd have opened it by force, and to do that, they'd have blown up the Sun, so you've done us a favour," the Doctor replied swiftly, only briefly glancing Mickey's way. "Now run!"
And they did. They ran through the basement, going up different levels by the Doctor's direction. He seemed to know the exact location to which they needed to go next. What he had planned, Madison could only vaguely guess. With the Daleks and their so-called Ark, it was hard to tell what would happen to them. She dreaded what those creatures had in store for the universe. Then the Cybermen . . . All of them came to a swift halt as down the corridor they saw a couple of Cybermen with their backs to the group. The metal men seemed to be corning someone as they spoke in their robotic voices. Then, Madison gasped as she heard Jackie's plea for her life. Before anyone could react, Pete pushed his way to the front, yanked the large gun out of Mickey's hands, and shot both of the Cybermen. Once the two metal beings were out of commission, Pete slowly lowered the gun in his hands as he and Jackie's eyes met. Both of them were staring wide-eyed at each other.
Jackie was the first one to speak. "Pete?"
"Hello, Jacks," greeted Pete in uncertainty.
Jackie's body sagged somewhat as she continued to stare at Pete in disbelief. "I said there were ghosts. But that's not fair. Why him?"
"I'm not a ghost," Pete replied as he let his arm swing down holding the gun, hanging by his side.
"But you're dead. You died twenty years ago, Pete."
The Doctor stepped forward at this moment after letting go of Madison's hand, seeming to wish to help explain the situation. "It's Pete from a different universe. There are parallel worlds, Jackie. Every single decision we make creates a parallel existence, a different dimension where—"
Jackie threw the Doctor a look of annoyance. "Oh, you can shut up." She looked back at Pete as the Doctor stepped back. Her expression changed from uneasy to sad. "Oh . . . You look old."
"You don't," Pete countered with a soft tone as he began to smile somewhat.
"How can you be standing there?"
"Just got lucky. Lived my life . . . But you were left on your own. You didn't marry again or . . ."
Jackie shook her head. "There was never anyone else . . . Twenty years, though. Look at me. I never left that flat. Did nothing with myself."
"You brought her up. Rose Tyler. That's not bad," Pete said, nodding his head towards Rose, who was currently standing there with her hands pressed together and held up to her mouth as she stared anxiously at her two parents. He then cleared his throat as he shifted on the spot. "In my world, it worked. All those daft little plans of mine, it worked. Made me rich."
"I don't care about that," Jackie said quickly, then seemed curious. "How rich?"
"Very."
"I don't care about that . . . How very?"
Pete began to chuckle, shaking his head. The humour was gone swiftly as he gazed almost brokenly at Jackie. "This is though, Jacks, you—you're not my wife. I'm sorry, but you're not. I mean we both . . . You know, it's just sort of . . ." When seeing Jackie looking ready to cry, Pete was quick to rush to her. "Oh, come here."
The two met in the middle, gun thrown to the ground as Pete pulled Jackie into the tightest hug. Jackie practically leapt up from the floor, almost wrapping her arms and legs around Pete. Jackie was heard crying as she buried her face into Pete's shoulder. There were some sniffles from Pete as well as he held his wife close. Madison smiled warmly, feeling her heart swell with joy at the sight. She looked over at Rose, seeing the girl glowing with happiness at the sight of both her parents together at last. It wasn't entirely her real dad, and Jackie wasn't exactly Pete's wife. But Madison hoped that it could work out between the three of them somehow after all this mess was cleared up.
"Hate to cut the reunion short, but, Pete, we really need to get going," spoke up Maddie after a moment. Apparently, she had been standing in the back of the group, gun at the ready and keeping an eye out for trouble. Madison supposed that Maddie would not let her guard down until this day was over and done with.
"Right. Let's go," Pete said, letting go of Jackie while keeping a tight hold on the woman's hand. It was clear that Pete would not let Jackie out of his sight from that moment forward. "Where to next, Doctor?"
"The warehouse. This way." The Doctor rushed forward again, leading the way for everyone.
Mickey picked up the gun Pete had dropped as he went by it. Rose ran up to stick close to her mother and father. Madison was closer to Maddie at this point, noticing her other self was still guarding their rear just in case of a surprise attack. Eventually, the group halted when they came to the doors to the warehouse from earlier during their 'tour' of Torchwood. There was a massive battle taking place just on the other side. The chaos was heard even before the Doctor opened the doors to reveal the Daleks making their way through the crowd of Cybermen and human soldiers alike. Finally seeing the Daleks for the first time, Madison noted that the four of them seemed like normal Daleks except for one who had black armour instead of bronze like the others. It made her ponder if this was the leader of the Cult. Noticing a large dome device of some kind travelling in the centre of the group of four Daleks, she assumed that this would be the Ark mentioned before. It seemed the Daleks were easily defending the Ark, killing Cybermen and soldiers as they went along.
The Doctor carefully made his way out of the door, leaving it cracked for the rest to watch him keep low and head for a crate. Madison moved closer to the door next to Rose. Both of them held their breath as the Doctor avoided laser fire and bullets as he was seen grabbing the Magna-clamps from before. He struggled a bit to make his way back to them as a few stray bullets bounced off the ground around him. But soon he was back through the door with the group, panting somewhat from the rush he just went through. He grinned as he held up the clamps briefly before setting them aside. He then proceeded to pull out his blue and red lensed glasses, sticking them on his face before looking out the door towards the battle happening. At some point, the roof of the warehouse began to open. It squealed as the metal parted. Soon the Daleks and the Ark were levitating up towards the open sky.
"What are they doing? Why do they need to get outside?" Rose questioned aloud as the group continued to observe.
"Time Lord science. What Time Lord science, what is it?" the Doctor muttered to himself as he watched the scene unfold. He yanked off his glasses, eyes narrowed as he stared at the Ark.
"You don't think it has Time Vortex energy, do you?" Madison wondered, fearful of the Daleks possessing something like the Siren.
"Now there's a scary thought," the Doctor said with a shudder. He then pulled away, shutting the door. He began running back down the hallway towards the stairwell with the clamps in his hands. "We've got to see what it's doing, we've got to go back up. Come on, all of you! Top floor!"
"That's forty-five floors up. Believe me, I've done them all," Jackie told him as they all ran after the Time Lord. They all halted when they heard a ding behind them and a voice that followed.
"We could always take the lift," came Jake's voice.
The Doctor was the first to run back the way they came, grinning at Jake. "Jake! Good man!"
It crowded as ever in the lift as they rode their way up to the top floor. The Doctor bounced anxiously in place, muttering 'come on, come on, come on' under his breath as they waited for the lift to ascend all the way. Soon, it came to a halt and the Doctor was the first to run out of the lift. All of them followed, coming up behind the Doctor as he went into the office, set aside the clamps, and stared out of the large windows. Outside, they could see the one Dalek next to the Ark just as the dome machine opened. Then, in horror, they watched as the Ark spun and shot out Daleks in every direction. Massive amounts of Daleks all flying off into the city of London, beginning their reign of terror.
"Time Lord science. It's bigger on the inside," the Doctor breathed quietly.
"It's . . . It's a prison for Daleks, isn't it?" Madison said, feeling weak at the sight of so many Daleks.
"Yes. It's a prison ship," the Doctor confirmed.
"How many Daleks?" Rose questioned.
"Millions," the Doctor said gravely.
Flashbacks to the Siren Station came to her of all those Daleks then. She had no idea how they were supposed to face off against so many Daleks again, on top of the Cybermen scattered around the world. Could she call forth the Siren and together they put a stop to it? Did they have enough power to do something like the last time? She didn't think they did. They were much weaker now that the two of them were more separated and no longer fully connected to the Time Vortex and the TARDIS.
Her thoughts were interrupted when laser fire came from far below. She glanced down to the road in front of the building, seeing Cybermen firing at the Daleks. The Daleks were swift to return fire, killing Cybermen and people who were running in the streets towards safety. Hardly anyone made it into the buildings surrounding the street as the Daleks easily picked them off.
"I'm sorry, but you've had it. This world's going to crash and burn. There's nothing we can do," Pete said suddenly, turning away from the scene and walking out of the office, still holding onto Jackie's hand. He grabbed a yellow disc from one of the guards brought from the other world, handing it to Jackie. "Jacks, take this. You're coming with us."
"But they're destroying the city," Jackie refuted, letting go of Pete's hand to step away from him.
"It's not just the city. It's the entire world. There'll be nothing left at this rate. Best we move on," Maddie said, stepping up beside Jake and his men.
"You can't just abandon this world and assume that the Daleks won't try to enter yours. The Breach still exists. They can easily come to your world and destroy that one as well," Madison argued swiftly, leaving the office as well.
"Not unless the Doctor closes the Breach. Doctor?" Pete looked to the Time Lord, seeing how only he now stood by the windows looking out with his 3D glasses again.
The Doctor turned to face them, grinning widely. "Oh, I'm ready." He was quick to leave the office, grabbing the clamps as he went back into the main room. "I've got the equipment right here. Thank you, Torchwood." He set the clamps aside again, going to a computer and typing fast. "Slam it down and close off both universes."
"But we can't just leave. What about the Daleks? And the Cybermen?" Rose asked, coming over closer to the Doctor.
"They're part of the problem and that makes them part of the solution. Oh, yes!" The Doctor walked away from the computer, turning to face them all now.
"You're being cryptic again," Madison sighed, coming over to stand before him. "Care to share with us your plan to save everyone?"
Grinning brightly, in a manic way as he usually became when he had a brilliant plan ready to go, the Doctor pointed to his 3D glasses which he still wore. "No one's asked yet. Anyone? Is anyone going to ask: what is it with the glasses?"
Madison chuckled, shaking her head in amusement. "Yes, alright. What is with the glasses?"
The Doctor, fast as ever with his words, began to explain. "I can see! That's what. 'Cause we've got two separate worlds, but in between the two separate worlds, we've got the Void, that's where the Daleks were hiding and the Cybermen travelled through the Void to get here and you lot," he pointed to the others from the parallel world, "one world to another, via the Void. Oh, I like that, 'via the Void'. Look. I've been through it." He took off his glasses then, pressing them onto Madison's face.
She blinked as suddenly things around the room shifted in colour. There was a strange, wobbling effect around the Doctor, giving him red and blue coloured lines around him. Like that of trying to watch a 3D movie without glasses on. But there was something more. It looked to be floating particles or specs of dark dust surrounding the Doctor in masses. He smiled at her and began moving from side to side, making the particles move and scatter around him. Unable to help herself, she reached over to him to see if she could feel what she was seeing. But her fingers only met empty air. Though she watched as through the glasses the particles scattered where her fingers brushed against them. Then, seeing her arm, she looked down at herself to see that she too was covered in these specs of dust.
"What are they?" she asked, staring at the Doctor for answers.
"Void stuff," he answered, still grinning away.
"Here. Let me see, too," Rose said, coming over to Madison. Once she was handed the glasses, she stuffed them onto her face to stare at the two. She also lifted her hand to feel around the two of them for a moment before dropping her arm. "It's like background radiation, yeah?"
"That's it," the Doctor said in agreement, nodding his head. At the same time, they heard a computerised voice announcing a system reboot in three minutes. Though this was ignored for now. "Look at the others." Rose turned, seeing where the Doctor pointed. "And the only one who hasn't been through the Void, your mother. First time she's looked normal in her life."
"Oi," Jackie grumbled, narrowing her eyes at the Doctor.
He ignored her, turning to walk briskly towards the wall where the Breach was. "But the Daleks lived inside the Void. They're bristling with it. Cybermen, all of them. I just open the Void. And reverse. The Void stuff gets sucked back inside."
"Pulling them all in!" Rose exclaimed, beaming away in excitement.
"Pulling them all in," the Doctor nodded in agreement, also smiling away.
"Sorry, but what's the Void?" Mickey questioned, looking similarly confused as all the others.
"The dead space. Some people call it Hell," the Doctor answered him.
Mickey began smirking, seeming pleased. "So you're sending the Daleks and the Cybermen to Hell?" Mickey looked at Jake who stood beside him. "Man, I told you he was good."
"But, Doctor, that won't work. Since we've been through the Void ourselves, we're all contaminated just like the Daleks and the Cybermen," Madison spoke up, frowning as her stomach grew queasy. A terrible feeling came across her then as if something horrible were about to happen.
"She's right. We'll get pulled in," Rose agreed, looking down at herself for a moment. The girl then pulled off the glasses, handing them back over to the Doctor who walked over to her and Madison. There was a sad look to the Time Lord, regret clear as could be in his eyes. All smiles were gone as he grabbed Rose's hands.
"That's why you've got to go," he said quietly. The same moment he spoke, the computer announced two minutes left.
Rose tensed, eyes going wide. Madison's breath caught as she looked between the Doctor and her human friend. Of course. It hadn't even dawned on her. Pete was taking Jackie back to his world. Rose would have to go as well. Jackie would never leave Rose behind, and Rose was just the same. It would be cruel to separate the two. Besides . . . Pete seemed to be accepting of Rose as well. Slowly, perhaps, but it was still there. Rose could have her entire family. Her friend as well since Mickey was living in the other world. This . . . was Rose's opportunity to find real happiness. Rose seemed to realise this as she slowly looked between the Doctor and Madison.
"No, I . . . I couldn't . . ." Rose said weakly.
"I'm opening the Void only on this side. You'll be safe on that side in Pete's world," the Doctor explained. There was a moment he smiled and looked at Pete. "Hey, we should call it that. 'Pete's world'."
"Doctor," Madison murmured, trying to get him to focus.
"Right, sorry," he mumbled, looking back at Rose once more.
"But the Breach, you'll close it, yes?" Maddie spoke up in question.
"The Breach itself is soaked in Void stuff. In the end, it'll close itself," the Doctor told her. "And that's it. Kaput."
Maddie nodded as she pulled out the yellow disc from her pocket. "Good enough for me," she said as she placed the yellow button's chain around her neck. "I'll leave you to it, Pete." With that said, she pressed her button and vanished.
"But we can't just leave. Doctor, Maddie, you'll be pulled in, won't you?" Rose spoke quickly, looking worriedly between her two friends.
"No, actually, that's why I got those," the Doctor told her, nodding towards the clamps that were resting on one of the desks. "They'll stick to the walls, then Madison and I will just have to hold on tight. Been doing that all my life anyway." For a second he was quiet, giving a subtle glance towards Madison. "Actually, Madison, you might—"
"Don't even think about it," Madison warned him, already knowing what he was about to say. Her sharp gaze seemed to be enough as he nodded and walked away to begin typing at another computer.
Rose stood there, shaking her head as tears gathered forth. "I can't, though. I can't just . . ."
Madison stepped forward, taking both of the girl's hands into her own. "Rose . . . remember when Mickey left and we discussed how life sometimes brings forth opportunities for the better? Think about it. This is the second time now we've come across the same parallel world. Pete's alive there. Jackie's alive here. And Mickey lives there as well, your friend you thought you'd never see again. It's not a coincidence. Life is finally giving you a chance at a happy family. A happy life."
"But I'm happy here, with you and the Doctor. Doesn't that count for something?" Rose cried, tears falling down her face as she gripped Madison's hands hard.
"Of course it does," Madison whispered, pulling the girl into a strong hug. "And I'm so happy to be with you as well." They held each other for a moment, swaying on their feet as the building rocked and there came a booming sound from far below.
"We haven't got time to argue. The plan works. We're going," Pete said then in a rush, walked over to Rose and Madison who pulled apart. "Maddie's probably already got things set up for us on the way. Time all of us left." The others followed the man. All but Jackie and Rose looked ready to leave.
"But I can't . . .," Rose tried again.
Madison held the girl's face softly, making Rose look at her directly. "Rose, you have to go. I'm so sorry, but it's the only way to keep you safe."
"What about you and the Doctor? What if—"
"Don't worry about us. We'll be okay, you'll see." Madison hugged Rose again, whispering into her ear. "I know it'll be hard living in another world. But I believe you'll truly find the happiness you so deserve. And who knows, we might just get lucky and see each other again. Now, please, you need to go and protect your mum."
Rose held Madison tightly, still crying but eventually nodding into Madison's shoulder. The two pulled away and Rose looked towards the Doctor. "Doctor . . .," she said, her voice thick with tears.
The Time Lord was swift coming back over to her, giving Rose his own hug. "I'll miss you, Rose. We both will. But this is the only way. I'm sorry." The Doctor stepped back, pulling out the yellow disc that he had stored away in his pocket earlier, and placing it around Rose's neck. The computer announced one minute left.
Rose nodded, looking down at the yellow button before lifting her sad gaze onto the Doctor and Madison. "Goodbye, Doctor, Maddie. Take care of yourselves, alright?"
"We will," Madison promised.
"Goodbye," the Doctor replied, giving a firm nod.
With that said, Pete pressed his button and it sent off everyone. Standing there, in the silence, staring at the spot where her friend had just been, Madison's eyes burned as tears tried to push their way out. Her lip trembled, making her cover her mouth as she breathed unsteadily. She felt a hand on her shoulder, giving a soft touch.
"Okay?" she heard the Doctor asking her.
"No," she breathed just as the computer announced the reboot. She sucked in a breath, straightening and forcing her tears away. "But I can grieve later. Time to get to work, yes?" The Doctor made a sound of agreement, giving a quick kiss to her forehead before rushing off to another computer.
"The coordinates over there. Set them all to six," the Doctor spoke then in a rush, pointing to a computer for Madison to use.
They worked together quickly. Even though Madison could only work with the basics on the computers, she helped the best she could, doing as the Doctor ordered. At some point she noticed Cybermen shown on a security screen, making both of them worried as the robotic men were only a floor below. But it came as a shock when they saw another Cyberman coming forth to fight the group off. Madison and the Doctor glanced at one another, deciding not to question this too much as they went on to finish their work, glad for a saving grace. Eventually, everything was complete and the Breach was ready to be opened. The Doctor had them both place a Magna-clamp on opposite sides of the room. One for her and one for him. The clamps stayed in place, suctioned to the wall in a tight seal.
"When it starts, just hold on tight. Shouldn't be too bad for us," spoke the Doctor as the two of them rushed over the activations levers, "but the Daleks and the Cybermen are steeped in Void stuff."
The Doctor gripped onto his lever while Madison held onto hers. The two of them looked at each other, and a flash of something came across the Doctor's features, trying to convey something to Madison. What it was, she did not know. Perhaps she would ask him once this was all over.
"Are you ready?" he asked her then.
"Yes," she replied breathlessly. Again, that odd sense of dread came forth. It created a chill through her as they both heard the noise of Daleks. It seemed a group of the metal tanks were just outside of the window, ready to kill the two within. The Doctor gave a shout and Madison grunted as she pushed hard on the lever. It locked into place the moment she had it upright, and she was swift to run to the Magna-clamp. She locked her arm through the handle of the clamp just as the Breach opened.
The howling wind was deafening. It whipped around her, pulling at her body with such a force that it was difficult for her to hold onto the clamp. The white light from the Breach was almost too blinding as it shone through the room. The Daleks which were at the window were sucked through in a crash, spraying bits of glass everywhere as they fell through the Breach and into the Void. More were soon following as more and more Daleks and Cybermen slammed through the windows and walls of the upper floor. All of them tumbling into the Void. She vaguely heard the Doctor shouting something, but it was impossible to hear over the sound of the howl and the massive bangs as Cybermen and Daleks alike bounced off the walls as they fell.
Suddenly, a Dalek hit the lever which was by Madison. Looking over as sparks flew, she saw the lever was unlocked and was lowering once again. The howl lessened, with the Daleks and Cybermen beginning to slow their fall into the Void. The computer announced that it was offline once more, making Madison's heart plummet. No. She couldn't allow this. She had to get the lever up again. If the Daleks and Cybermen were left in this world . . . Madison's body was still being yanked towards the Breach, making it difficult for her to reach for the lever. She hoped to hold onto the clamp and still get the lever back up, but it was no use. The lever was far too low. She couldn't reach it.
There was not even a moment of decision to be made on her part. She let go of the handle on the clamp immediately and grabbed the lever. Gripping it with both hands, she struggled with all her might to push it upright again. In the background of the howl, there was more shouting. But she didn't look at the Doctor or try to hear what he was yelling. Instead, she focused solely on her task, grunting as she heaved against the lever, against the pull of the Void. Through sheer force of will alone, she had the lever upright once again. She barely could hear the computer's voice through the room as the howl increased once more. Her body was yanked sideways. Her grip on the lever was as tight as could be as she held on with everything she had. Daleks and Cybermen were flying through the air, sucked through the bright light. She lifted her gaze as the last few Daleks fell through, seeing the Doctor shouting at her, reaching out to her. The utter look of desperation on his face . . .
She could tell she was slipping. The grip she had on the lever was not good enough. The pull of the Void, through the Breach, was too strong. She . . . she wasn't going to last until the Breach closed. Her eyes met the Doctor's seeing how he gazed at her, pleading for her to hold on. She tried. Oh, did she try with all she had. But nothing she did would be good enough. She was going to fall into the Void. Except . . . The button. She still had it! The yellow disc into the other world. The Breach wasn't open on their side. Maybe, if she was lucky enough . . . It was her only chance. And she had to act swiftly as her hands couldn't—
Her fingers finally slipped off the lever as the force of the Void was far too great. She acted fast, only seeing the briefest glimpse of the Doctor as he was shouting, screaming for her life. She stuffed her hand into her pocket as she fell towards the Breach, pressing the yellow button. The reaction was instant. She felt the telltale jolt of her travelling into the other world. Her body fell to the floor, skidding across through the tangled wires that were scattered around the dark room of Pete's Torchwood. She slammed up against the white wall which was shining in the room. She heard gasps and exclaims, but paid them no attention as she was quick to push herself to stand. Her legs wobbled. The side effect of being in the parallel world hit her hard. But she pushed through it all, stumbling into the centre of the room as she tried to prepare herself to jump back into her world. But just as she turned and hit the button once again, the white light at the wall suddenly snapped away, leaving the room dark and empty.
The silence which followed was numbing. She stared at the blank, large wall. Her eyes glued to it. Weakly she was hitting the button in her pocket. Again. And again. And again. And again. But . . . nothing. No jump. No sensation of falling. No jolting in world leaping. Not a single thing happened. Trembling, she jerked the yellow disc out of her pocket, slamming on it now as her breathing started to come out unsteadily. She gritted her teeth, snarling as she pounded on it. Soon, growing tired of the damn thing not working, she threw it aside and ran to the white wall.
"Doctor!" she bellowed. "Doctor! Please, can you hear me?! DOCTOR!" Her hands pounded against the wall. Hammering, bashing, slamming. Hitting the solid wall so hard that her hands only hurt for a moment before becoming numb. Her eyes burned. Streaks of tears fell, cascading down her face as she continued to shout.
"NO! It can't end like this! Not like this! Please! Please, please, n-no! No, no, no! No!" Weak from being in this world, her legs finally gave out, making her fall to the floor. She collapsed into heaping sobs, wrecking her entire body as it heaved. She tried sucking in air, trying to catch her breath before letting out one long, beseeching wail. She was left weeping. The tremble in her body never once ceases. The feeling of falling apart overcame her, making her wrap her arms around herself. Desperate to hold onto her sanity. The emptiness in her mind was overwhelming. The loss of the Doctor's ever-constant presence . . . was gone in an instant.
Was this it? Had she just imagined coming to the other world and now she was trapped in the Void? It must be. This must be her final punishment. Trapped in this Hell of eternity, of damnation. Forever lost. Forever forsaken. No end in sight. A whimper slipped in between the weak weeping. What was worse . . . was not knowing if the Doctor had held on. Be damned if she was trapped in her own personal Hell. But if he was lost into the Void as well . . . No, he had to have made it. She saw him holding on still when she had fallen. He must still be alive. Mustn't he? Another whimper pushed its way up through her throat. Her body rocked in place as everything came crumbling apart.
She jolted. Her eyes darted over as something grabbed her. With her blurry vision, it took her a moment to register that someone was touching her. She blinked away a fresh set of tears, vision clearing to see her own face staring back at her. Maddie sighed, pulling Madison tightly into an encasing hug. Nothing was said between them. Nothing which would help. All Madison could do was cry harder as she gripped her other self, wishing this nightmare would go away.
Thanks for reading! Can't wait to see what everyone thinks of this chapter!
Also, just as a heads up, it might be a bit of a wait until the next chapter. Maybe. Having some issues at home that might halt the story's progression. But not to worry, it shouldn't be that long of a wait.