My Final Chapter
Chapter 2 – Reunion
The Doctor took Sky and Clara straight to the Hub where they were met by Jack and Donna who were awaiting their arrival outside the building. "Uncle Jack," Sky sang joyfully running into his arms.
"Hey there you," Jack gave her a tight squeeze and a peck on her head.
"Sky," Donna opened her arms.
"Aunt Donna," the girl happily stepped into them. "How's your timelord existence treating you?"
"Can't complain," Donna beamed. "Not when there's weddings to be planned." She held up her left hand revealing a sparkling diamond ring.
"That's great," Sky gave them kisses on the cheek. "It's going to be an excellent one, I'm certain of it."
"You would be," Jack chuckled.
"Yes, that was the entire joke Jack," the Doctor rolled his eyes, shaking hands with the living fixed point. "It's good to see you. May I introduce miss Clara Oswald, Clara these are two old friends mine, Jack Harkness and Donna Noble…soon to be Harkness it would seem."
"Pleasure," Clara shook their hands. "And congratulations."
"Oh yes," the Doctor nodded. "My best wishes to you both."
"Thank you," Jack beamed. "It's actually really good that you've come by. Donna and I didn't know how to get hold of the TARDIS to invite you." Jack shrugged. "It'd be a shame if Donna's best man couldn't make it to the ceremony."
"What? Me? Best man? The BRIDE'S best man?"
"Well of course you dumbo who else would I ask? You're my best mate and I'm part you anyways, so you're like my brother in a weird way."
Behind the Doctor's back, Clara gaped at Sky who rolled her eyes, "He seriously needs to learn how to communicate. Donna is a human-timelord metacrisis as a result of absorbing the Doctor's regeneration energy, I helped a bit. She's got an augmented lifespan."
"I'll live to see a few centuries turn," Donna waved a dismissive hand.
"And what about you," Clara eyed Jack wearily. "Are you some alien disguised as a human?"
"Hardly," Jack laughed. "I'm as human as they come with this bunch. I do have the distinction of being the only living fixed point in time. Meaning I can never die but I still age very, very slowly."
"So what happens in a million years from now?" Clara frowned.
"No one knows," the Doctor replied enigmatically.
"Yeah real mystery," Sky threw in. "As much as I want to enjoy good company right now, I'm still concerned about my mission. Has anything strange been going on lately?" she asked her aunt and uncle. "Anything of the other worldly kind I mean?"
"Nothing strange at all," the couple denied. "Other worldly or otherwise. It's been quiet for ages."
"That can't be right," Sky said frustrated.
"We could drive up to Rose's," Donna supposed. "Maybe she's picked up on something."
"I'm sure she would have told us if she had but it's worth a shot," Jack assented. "Plus you can guys can see the manor. Rose's dad ended up buying a house big enough for everyone."
"And then some," Sky smirked. "You'll see, that place is soon going to be packed. You'll see."
"Now that is something to look forward to." Jack led them to his SUV and they all piled in. It was a fairly long drive up but caught between Clara and Sky, the Doctor refrained from moaning about the slower transportation. They passed through the city, into the countryside, up long, winding roadings over the valley-like landscape. Tucked away in small patch of woods, the Tyler Manor stood like an overlarge country house. The light brown, brick exteriors with wooden accents and large windows across the entire façade. They pulled into the driveway spotting Rose, Michael (The Doctor Metacrisis), Martha, Mickey and Rose's younger brother Tyler playing football in the garden. Not much had changed since their last encounter, Rose's hair was a bit longer, Tyler was a few inches taller, and Michael had decided to flatten the fringe.
The car unloaded and after the customary greetings, they sat on the veranda to discuss the situation. "I don't know what to tell you Sky," Rose shook her head. "Nothing has come across our radar."
"I'm certain I'm supposed to be here," Sky peeked in her diary. "This has never been wrong before. Maybe I have to wait for mum to show up."
"It's possible," the Doctor allowed checking his own journal.
"What about this?" Pete offered them his newspaper. "A hiker's gone missing, police still haven't found his body or where he went. Actually there have been a few disappearances lately."
"I don't know, it doesn't scream intergalactic threat," Sky scanned the article. "Still worth a look, maybe something will turn up. Why would the Pact abduct people though?"
Elsewhere…
A man's agonised screams filled the air. Golden fire whipped around the room as if ablaze with the fury of a thousand suns. "PLEASE! PLEASE!" the man screamed. "I'LL DO ANYTHING – MY FAMILY – PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!"
The fires died away and a man was strapped down to a table, gasping and shuddering. A shadowy figure towered over him, the only thing discernable was syringe of golden liquid in their hand. The figure spoke with a chilling voice, "You should be grateful. I'm giving you the opportunity use your pathetic existence for something useful. Humans are pests at best, no better than the lab rats that your kind experiment on. Really this is no different."
"Please," the man whispered brokenly. "Why are you doing this? I've done nothing-"
"Correct. You've done nothing. You ARE nothing. Destined to be forgotten. Your wife will take another, your children will call another man father, and that is called progress in your world." He savagely sank the syringe into the man's arm and his cries began anew. "Death shall be your reward."
A/N: Hey guys, sorry if that ending tripped you out. I promise it will all make sense by the end. This is technically the last installment of the Children of Time series but I have a prequel/sequel of sorts planned to explain the lore a bit more plus a couple of oneshots to build it out. ENJOY! R&R PLZ!