{"I don't care about how you look, your still the same man I fell in love with, you know this well enough."}
The Tardis comes out of the vortex in mid air and bounces off one block of flats, a second and a third before avoiding a post office van and finally crashing into a set of waste bins.
The Doctor opens the door, still in t-shirt and leather jacket. "Kate! We made it!" He laughed as I stepped out behind him to see Mickey and Jackie standing there. "Here we are then, London. Earth. The Solar System. We did it. Jackie. Mickey. Blimey! No, no, no, no, hold on. Wait there. I've got something to say. There was something I had to tell you, something important. What was it? No, hold on, hold on. Hold on, shush, shush, shush, shush. Oh, I know! Merry Christmas!" Theta collapses to fast for me to catch. Rose comes out of the Tardis, with a gasp.
"What happened? Is he all right?" Rose asked looking at me causing me to move towards him and pick him up.
"I don't know, he just keeled over. But who is he? Where's the Doctor?" Mickey asked with a confused look. "That's him, right in front of you. That's the Doctor. He did the same thing as Kate." Rose explained as they both looked towards me. "What do you mean, that's the Doctor? Doctor who?"
———————
Theta has been dressed in pyjamas and put to bed. Jackie comes in with a stethoscope and hands it to me with a small smile. "Here we go. Tina the cleaner's got this lodger, a medical student, and she was fast asleep, so I just took it. Though I still say we should take him to hospital." She continued on, causing me to shake my head as Rose watched with a glare from the doorway. "We can't. They'd lock him up. They'd dissect him. One bottle of his blood could change the future of the human race. No! Shush!" I hushed her and listen to both sides of Theta's chest.
"Both working."
"What do you mean, both?"
"Well, he's got two hearts."
"Oh, don't be stupid." Jackie gapped in disbelief. "He has." Rose insisted, "Anything else he's got two of" Jackie asked making me turn an raise an eyebrow. "Leave him alone." Rose and Jackie leave, The Doctor exhales some of the Tardis's golden energy, which flies into me again making me sigh.
Rose investigates the fridge as I listen to her talk to her mother, "How can he go changing his face? Is that a different face or is he a different person?" Jackie questioned causing Rose to snap, "How should I know? Sorry. The thing is I thought I knew him, Mum. I thought me and him were. And then he goes and does this. I keep forgetting he's not human. The big question is where'd you get a pair of men's pyjamas from?"
"Howard's been staying over."
"What, Howard from the market? How long's that been going on?" Rose asked with a laugh. "A month or so. First of all, he starts delivering to the door and I thought, that's a odd. Next thing you know, it's a bag of oranges-" Rose interrupted her mom. "Is that Harriet Jones?" Rose goes into the living room, "Oh, never mind me." Jackie muttered with a roll of her eyes as I stepped out of the room. Leaning against the wall I watched as well "Why's she on the telly?"
"She's Prime Minister now. I'm eighteen quid a week better off. They're calling it Britain's Golden Age. I keep on saying my Rose has met her." Jackie praised causing Rose to smirk. "Did more than that. Stopped World War Three with her. Harriet Jones." I watched her, this was before me.
"Prime Minister, what about those calling the Guinevere One Space Probe a waste of money?"
"Now, that's where you're wrong. I completely disagree if you don't mind. The Guinevere One Space Probe represents this country's limitless ambition. British workmanship sailing up there among the stars."
"This is the spirit of Christmas, birth and rejoicing, and the dawn of a new age, and that is what we're achieving fifteen million miles away. Our very own miracle. The unmanned probe Guinevere One is about to make it's final descent. Photographs of the Martian Landscape should be received by midnight tonight." Out in space, the probe bumps into presumably either Phobos or Deimos. A hatch opens in the Martian moon and the probe is sucked inside.
———————-
Rose leaves the flat with Mickey since Theta wasn't going to wake up anytime soon. Apparently they went Christmas shopping, about twenty minutes after they left there was a knock at the door which Jackie answered. It was a green Christmas Tree and according to Jackie it was from Rose but I didn't trust it at all. Turning back to watch over Theta, I wiped the sweat off his brow and leaned down to whisper in his ear. "I love you so much. Please get better soon." Sleep soon came to me after, because I too was working off a brand new regeneration cycle.
—————
"Oh, no. Don't come round, darling. No, flat's all topsy turvy. Yeah, she just barges in and litters the place. Yeah. No, I'll come round and see you on Boxing day." I could faintly hear Jackie as she puts a mug of tea by the Doctor's bed and leaves. More golden energy is exhaled and some transferred into me. While the rest leaves the bedroom window floating towards the sky.
————
Rose and Mickey burst in the house causing me to jump awake. "So, save us a chipolata." Jackie continued on the phone, "Get off the phone." Rose snapped in exasperation. "It's only Bev. She says hello." Jackie handed Rose the phone, "Bev? Yeah. Look, it'll have to wait. Right, it's not safe. We've got to get out. Where can we go?" Rose pushed her way into the bedroom.
"My mate Stan, he'll put us up." Mickey suggested, "That's only two streets away. What about Mo? Where's she living now?" Rose bitched causing Jackie to shrug. "I don't know. Peak District." She muttered with a confused look. "Well, we'll go to cousin Mo's then." Rose nodded as she moved around the room but Jackie wasn't having it. "No, it's Christmas Eve! We're not going anywhere! What're you babbling about?"
"Mum. Where'd you get that tree?" Rose paused look at the Christmas tree which is now green, "That's a new tree. Where'd you get it?" Rose questioned turning to us with a frown.
"I thought it was you." Jackie insisted causing me to frown, if Rose didn't know about it then where did it come from.
"How can it be me?" Rose snapped with a confused look, "Well, you went shopping. There was a ring at the door, and there it was!" Rose shook her head in panic. "No, that wasn't me." I stood up in front of Theta; protecting him. "Then who was it?" The tree lights up by itself and starts playing Jingle Bells.
"Oh, you're kidding me." I muttered as
sections of the tree start to rotate in different directions, creating a strong wind. It starts to move, chopping through a coffee table, "Get out! Go, go! Get out!" Mickey picks up a chair to fend it off as Jackie and Rose run for the door. "We've got to save the Doctor." Rose insisted with wide eyes, "What're you doing?" Jackie yelled at her daughter as Rose pushed her way into the room where I was protecting Theta. "Don't lead it here!" I yelled but she ignored me, "We can't just leave him."
"Mickey!" The spinning tree shreds the chair legs, "Leave it! Get out! Get out!"
Rose gasped in shock, "Mickey!"
"Get out of there!"
"No, leave him. Just leave him!"
"Get in here!"
Jackie does as the tree heads for them. She and Mickey pull a wardrobe across the door, "Doctor, wake up!" Rose gets the sonic screwdriver from the jacket pocket and puts it in the Doctor's hand. The tree smashes through the door, "No wait!" I scream at Rose as Jackie yells. "I'm going to get killed by a Christmas tree!" Rose speaks into the Doctor's ear, but he doesn't move.
It was like time stood still as the tree grew closer to me, "Theta" I shouted and he suddenly sits up, aims the screwdriver at the tree, and it explodes, he gets up from the bed and pulls me into a hug. Placing a kiss on my head, he looks towards the tree that was in pieces. "Remote control. But who's controlling it?" I asked him, looking up at him causing him to frown and lead us out. My eyes catching Rose's glare before I turned back forward.
Dressing gown on, Theta leads the trio out. Down on the ground, three Santa's gaze up, one holding a radio controller. "That's them. What are they?" Mickey asked and pointed, "Shush!" The Doctor aims the screwdriver at them and the Santa's back away. Then they are beamed away, "They've just gone. What kind of rubbish were they? I mean, no offence, but they're not much cop if a sonic screwdriver's going to scare them off." Mickey scoffed as Theta and I frowned. "Pilot fish." I muttered causing Rose to snap, "What?"
"They were just pilot fish." Theta started before he doubled over in pain.
"What's wrong?" Rose asked with wide eyes, "I woke up too soon. I'm still regenerating. I'm bursting with energy.
He exhales the golden energy, most of it flowing into me while a little bit leaked out. "You see? The pilot fish could smell it a million miles away. So they eliminate the defence, that's you lot, and they carry me off. They could run their batteries on me for a couple of ow!-" He fell against the wall causing Jackie to gasp, "Oh! Oh! Oh!"
"My head! I'm having a neuron implosion. I need-"
"What do you need?"
"I need"
"Say it. Tell me, tell me, tell me."
"I need"
"Painkillers?"
"I need"
"Do you need aspirin?"
"I need"
"Codeine? Paracetamol? Oh, I don't know, Pepto-Bismol?"
"I need"
"Liquid paraffin. Vitamin C? Vitamin D? Vitamin E?"
"I need"
"Is it food? Something simple. Bowl of soup. A nice bowl of soup? Soup and a sandwich? Soup and a little ham sandwich?"
"I need you to shut up." I snorted as there was a pause, Jackie turned to us, "Oh, he hasn't changed that much, has he?" She asked but Theta continued. "We haven't got much time. If there's pilot fish, then. Why's there an apple in my dressing gown?" He interrupted himself, I have a feeling this is what he was going to be like this regeneration.
"Oh, that's Howard. Sorry."
"He keeps apples in his dressing gown?" Theta asked her with a funny look. "He gets hungry." Jackie smiled gently. "What, he gets hungry in his sleep?" I asked with a cock of my head causing her to look up at me. "Sometimes." Jackie shrugged, "Argh! Brain collapsing. The pilot fish. The pilot fish mean that something, something, something is coming." I spoke with him and gave a nod before he passes out in my arms as I reach to catch him.
I put the suffering Theta back to bed and mop his brow with Rose frowning behind me. "So you lied to me." She started causing me to sigh, "Yes, but I did it so you wouldn't see me as competition. Although it wouldn't be much of one between me and you." She glared at me and stepped up, getting in my face as I stood up. "The Doctor's mine. He loves me. And I'll prove it!" She snarled causing me to laugh, "Really? You don't know anything about him. Your not the one he loves because you can't stop thinking about yourself long enough to care about him."
Mickey cleared his throat from behind her causing her to spin around. She chased after him as he fetched his laptop.
"Jackie, I'm using the phone line. Is that all right?" Mickey asked ignoring Rose while I stood in the doorway watching Theta. I knew he could hear but I didn't want to start anything right now. "Yeah. Keep a count of it. It's midnight. Christmas day. Any change?" Jackie asked me causing me to sigh, "He's worse. Just one heart beating."
"Scientists in charge of Britain's mission to Mars have re-established contact with the Guinevere One space probe. They're expecting the first transmission from the planet's surface in the next few minutes."
"Yes, we are. We're, we're back on schedule. We've received the signal from Guinevere One. The Mars landing would seem to be an unqualified success."
"But is it true that you completely lost contact earlier tonight?"
"Yes, we had a bit of a scare. Guinevere seemed to fall off the scope, but it, it was just a blip. Only disappeared for a few seconds. She is fine now, absolutely fine. We're getting the first pictures transmitted live any minute now. I'd better get back to it, thanks."
"Here we go, pilot fish. Scavengers, like the Doctor said. Harmless. They're tiny. But the point is, the little fish swim alongside the big fish." I chuckled an spoke, "I could have told you that." I laughed as Mickey blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Do you mean like sharks?" Rose asked shooting me another look, "Great big sharks. So, what the Doctor means is, we had them, now we get that." Mickey asked with a frown.
"Something is coming. How close?" I muttered to myself but Mickey hear me. "There's no way of telling, but the pilot fish don't swim far from their daddy." Mickey spoke causing me to nod as I place my hand on my chin with a frown. "So, it's close." I mused as I started the math in my head.
"Funny sort of rocks." Jackie muttered, breaking me out of my thoughts frowning at the tv.
"The first photographs"
"That's not rocks"
"This image is being transmitted via mission control, coming live from the depths of space on Christmas morning."
It's an red-eyed ugly alien with a head like a goat's skull. It growls and gurgles at the screen causing my eyes to widen as I moved closer to the tv.
"The face of an alien life form was transmitted live tonight on BBC1."
"On the 25th of December, the human race has been shown absolute proof that alien life exists."
"These remarkable images have been relayed right across the world."
————-
"Kate. Rose. Take a look. I've got access to the military. They're tracking a spaceship. It's big, it's fast, and it's coming this way." Rose and I moved over to Mickey, "Coming for what, though? The Doctor?" Rose asked him causing me to sigh. They most likely were, "I don't know. Maybe it's coming for all of us." Mickey gets a clear image of four of the aliens. UNIT has an even bigger picture of more of them. "Have you seen them before?" Mickey asked but Rose shook her head. "No." I frowned as I stared at the screen, "Where have I seen you before?"
I muttered to myself, I knew I had never seen them in person but they still seemed familiar to me.
—————-
"I don't understand what they're saying. The Tardis translates alien languages inside my head, all the time, wherever I am." Rose cried causing me to roll my eyes and sigh, "So, why isn't it doing it now?" Mickey asked with a frown. "I don't know. Must be the Doctor. Like he's part of the circuit, and he's, he's broken."
"Despite claims of an alien hoax, it's been reported that NATO forces are on red alert."
"Oh, come on, sweetheart. What do you need? What is it you need? Tell me."
"Speaking strictly off the record, government sources are calling this our longest night."
—————
Jackie has fallen asleep by the Doctor's bedside causing me to smile at the women as I sat on the other side with Rose and Mickey in the doorway. I'm glad at least Jackie can be calm and rational unlike her child. "The Doctor wouldn't do this. The old Doctor, the proper Doctor, he'd wake up. He'd save us." Rose cried causing me to roll my eyes and grab Theta's hand. Placing a kiss on it I ignored the burning glare from Rose on the back of my head.
"You really love him, don't you?" Rose turns to Mickey and they hug. I scoff an glare at her causing her to turn to me with a snarl, "Do you have a problem?!" She screeched causing Jackie to wake up with a frown and Mickey to flinch. "Yeah, I do. I'm not gonna sit here and allow you to whine about how he doesn't love you because he changed. It's bullshit Rose Tyler. He changed to save to world and if you really loved him you would know that." I growled at her causing her to scoff and stalk towards me.
Slapping me across the face, she seethed "Rose!" Her mother and Mickey shouted towards her but I just looked back at her with my head held high and a stern look. "I am in love with him. I know him. And who are you to tell me otherwise. We belong together, you're just a spare part he's going to throw away soon." I stared at her, processing her words before letting out a laugh. "Right. You keep believing that." I moved back towards the bed as she huffed walking away seemingly thinking she won that battle.
—————
Falling asleep, I woke up the next morning to the sound of shouting
"What is wrong with you? Jason? Jason?" Frowning I followed
Rose and Mickey out the door, where a women was chasing after her husband who seemed to be in a trance. "Sandra?" Rose asked with a frown as we followed, "He won't listen. He's just walking. He won't stop walking! There's this sort of light thing. Jason? Stop it right now! Please, Jason, just stop." Rose and Mickey look down to see lots of people walking through the estate.
————
"Alan, come on, now stop this. It's not funny anymore. Come on, Alan, come back inside the house. Katrine. Katrine, listen to mummy. You come back inside now. And you, Jonathan. You come back in with mummy. Jonathon, come back in with mummy. You're scaring me now! Come on! Alan, help me out here, please." Somewhere else, a policeman is reporting in. "As far as I can tell, they're heading for any sort of high-rise building. Anything with stairs, anything with steps."
"They're going all the way up. They're going to the roof."
"Just making my way to the front of the building now. There's hundreds of them. Oh, God. They've gone right to the edge. They're going to jump. They're all going to jump!"
"Sally, stop it. It's Danny Llewellyn. Daniel Llewellyn. Sally, just concentrate. Listen to me. You're being controlled. We need you! Stop it, Sally!"
Shouts echoed through the apartment complex as I looked at the people flipping out, "Jason, I'm talking to you! Just stop!" The controlled people all line up along the edge of the roofs.
—————-
"They've stopped. They've all stopped. They're just standing there, right on the edge."
—————-
I frowned, rushing back towards the apartment. Slamming into the flat, the tv played warning people that if the planet didn't surrender we would all die. Looking back at Theta in the room with a sigh I closed my eyes and hoped he would be okay as Mickey and Rose came rushing back in as well. "What do we do?" Mickey asked looking at me but Rose just frowned, "Nothing. There's no one to save us. Not anymore."
Well I felt that one. I mean she was right, I wasn't as good as Theta. I just stood around most of the time not helping but I didn't know what else to do. Every time he went out on an adventure he was the hero and I just stood off to the side next to him. I was okay with that because when it comes down to it. I wasn't as great as him, I only knew how to rule a planet and I couldn't even save mine.
Tears of frustration gathered in my eyes as I moved into Theta's room an sat down, "Damnit! Why can't I be like you?!"
—————-
With Union flags draped either side, Harriet Jones, PM, sits in a panelled room at a desk with a photograph of Her Majesty on it for her broadcast to the nation.
"Ladies and gentlemen, if I may take a moment during this terrible time. It's hardly the Queen's speech. I'm afraid that's been cancelled. (to an aide) Did we ask about the royal family? Oh. They're on the roof. But, ladies and gentlemen, this crisis is unique, and I'm afraid to say, it might get much worse. I would ask you all to remain calm. But I have one request. Doctor, if you're out there, we need you. I don't know what to do. If you can hear me, Doctor. If anyone knows the Doctor, if anyone can find him, the situation has never been more desperate. Help us. Please, Doctor. Help us. God help us."
I frowned as Rose bursts into tears, "He's gone. The Doctor's gone. He's left me, mum. He's left me, mum." I couldn't help but glare at her. She was such a stupid little girl, he wasn't gone he just needed time to heal. "It's all right. I'm sorry." Jackie hugged her daughter as I stood up. "He's not gone Rose!" I snarled causing her to spin around an glare at me. "Just earlier you said that he loved you and you would prove it! Well how can you prove it if you don't believe in him?! You're nothing but a crybaby who didn't get her way. So stop acting like a baby an grow up because he will wake up. He is The Doctor and he will save us!" I shouted at her causing her to clench her fists and stare me down.
"What do you know, you bi-" Suddenly, all the glass in the block to of flats shatters. The Gherkin (St Mary Axe) also shatters, indicating that it is at least city-wide. All the non-possessed people turn to look. Rose and Mickey go outside amongst the glass shards to watch this big powered rock with nasty pointy bits glide overhead, as big as Westminster.
"Mickey, we're going to carry him. Mum, get your stuff, and get some food. We're going." Rose rushed back into the room with Mickey in tow, "Where to?" He asked back, "The Tardis. It's the only safe place on Earth." I glared at her, while she did have a point for the most part. She still didn't get to make decisions like that. It wasn't her damn Tardis.
She was really starting to get on my damn nerves.
"What're we going to do in there?"
"Hide."
"Is that it?" Jackie asked as Rose glared at me because I stood in the way. Pushing me over, I snarled at her but let her past. "Mum, look in the sky. There's a great, big, alien invasion and I don't know what to do, all right? I've travelled with him, and I've seen all that stuff, but when I'm stuck at home, I'm useless. Now, all we can do is run and hide, and I'm sorry. Now, move. Oh, lift him up." They started to lift him up, Rose not letting me anywhere near him.
Rose and Mickey carry the Doctor while Jackie struggles with half a dozen carrier bags, letting out a sigh I help Jackie with the bags. "Mum, will you just leave that stuff and give us a hand?" I scoffed under my breath as they continued on. "It's food! You said we need food." Jackie cried out causing Rose to glare and snap, "Just leave it!"
Getting Theta into the TARDIS, they just put him down and left him on the floor causing me to glare and rush over. I grabbed one of the blanket Jackie brought and placed it under his head and ran my hand along his face. "You are indeed handsome, my love." I whispered to him with a smile on my face. I made sure he was comfortable before sitting down next to him.
"No chance you could fly this thing?" Mickey asked Rose, "Not anymore, no." I scoffed under my breath and rolled my eyes. "You've never learned how to fly her!" I spoke getting up and walking closer causing her to glare. "And what about you Kate?! Why don't you fly us out of here?" She asked with a shout getting in my face. "I'm not flying off because the world needs him right now and he needs to rest!" I growled back causing her to back down in reluctant agreement.
"So, what do we do? Just sit here?" Mickey asked as Rose went back to sit in the chair, "That's as good as it gets."
She huffed with a glare. "Right, here we go. Nice cup of tea." Jackie has brought a flask and handed it to me. "Mmm, the solution to everything." Rose rolled her eyes as I frowned at the flask, maybe it was the solution.
"Now, stop your moaning. I'll get the rest of the food." Jackie leaves.
"Tea. Like we're having a picnic while the world comes to an end. Very British. How does this thing work? If it picks up TV, maybe we could see what's going on out there. Maybe we've surrendered. What do you do to it?" Mickey asked while I walked over to Theta with the flask. "I don't know. It sort of tunes itself."
She muttered before pressing a button, "Rose, stop touching things you child!" I shouted and rushed over, There's an odd pattern on the scanner. "Maybe it's a distress signal." Mickey shrugged causing me to glare at Rose. What the hell did she press, I couldn't see from that far away.
"A fat lot of good that's going to do." Rose scoffed, I really was on my last nerve with this child. "Are you going to be a misery all the time?" I snarled walking back over Theta causing her to snarl back, "Yes." Mickey who rolled his eyes at us sighed and changed the subject. "You should look at it from my point of view, stuck in here with your mum's cooking." Mickey teased as Rose turned to him with a frown, "Where is she? I'd better give her a hand. It might start raining missiles out there." She muttered causing me to scoff at least she could do something instead of bitching.
"Tell her anything from a tin, that's fine." Mickey smiled as Rose went to leave, "Why don't you tell her yourself?" She asked back with a frown. "I'm not that brave."
"Oh, I don't know." Rose steps outside and is grabbed by a Sycorax. She screams, "Rose?" Mickey rushed out after her leaving me with Theta. I sighed in relief, finally peace. Rushing to undo the flask I poured it around him causing him to breathe it in. Tea vapour rises through the floor grating and he breaths it in, exhaling more golden energy. "That's my boy." I smirked as he continued to breathe it in.
He slowly started to wake up, he winced as he opened his eyes; "There you are." I smiled down at him as he smiled back up at me. He raised up and placed a hand on my cheek causing me to lean into it. "You are so beautiful. I didn't get a chance to get a good look at this you before and you're Scottish, I like it. Sounds sexy. Do you like this me?" I laughed at him and pulled him in for a kiss. "I don't care about how you look, your still the same man I fell in love with, you know this well enough." He nodded with a smile.
"Now before things get heated because believe me I want to take both of our new bodies for a spin. The Earth needs saving again." I told him causing him to nod and sigh. Getting up he helped me up as we moved to the door. "If I can hear English, then it's being translated. Which means it's working. Which means-" Everyone turns to look at the Tardis. The Doctor opens the doors, with me standing behind him.
"Did you miss me?" He asked, finally I could get a good look at them. My eyes widened as I recognized them in one of the old Gallifreyen books on species.
They are The Sycorax.
The Sycorax to crack his whip. The Doctor catches the end and pulls it out of his hand. "You could have someone's eye out with that." I fake gapped at the alien causing him to glare, "How dare!" Theta takes a thick club off another Sycorax and breaks it across his knee. "You just can't get the staff. Now, you, just wait. I'm busy. Mickey, hello! And Harriet Jones MP for Flydale North. Blimey, it's like This Is Your Life. Tea! That's all I needed, a good cup of tea! Good thing Kate was there and had the great idea. Superheated infusion of free radicals and tannin. Just the thing for healing the synapses. Now, first thing's first. Be honest, how do I look?"
He turned to me with expected eyes, "er, different" Rose spoke before I could but Theta ignored her. "Good different or bad different?" I smiled at him. "Good different." I stated causing him to lean closer "Am I ginger?" I laughed at him, "No, my love. you're just sort of brown." I stated running a hand through his hair. "I wanted to be ginger. I've never been ginger. And you, Rose Tyler, fat lot of good you were. You gave up on me. Oh, that's rude. That's the sort of man I am now, am I? Rude. Rude and not ginger."
"I'm sorry. Who is this?" Harriet asked causing Theta to turn to him, "I'm the Doctor." Theta stated as Rose repeated, "He's the Doctor." She smiled shyly as she looked him up and down. "But what happened to my Doctor? Or is it a title that's just passed on?" She frowned at him.
"I'm him. I'm literally him. Same man, new face. Well, new everything." He looked at me with a smirk which didn't go unnoticed by Rose who gapped in realization and her glare turned fierce.
"But you can't be."
"Harriet Jones, we were trapped in Downing Street and the one thing that scared you wasn't the aliens, it wasn't the war, it was the thought of your mother being on her own." Theta proved himself causing her to gap.
"Oh, my God." She gasped, "Did you win the election?" He asked with a smile, "Landslide majority." She shrugged with a smile of here own.
"If I might interrupt."
"Yes, sorry. Hello, big fellow."
"Who exactly are you?"
"Well, that's the question."
"I demand to know who you are!"
"I don't know! See, there's the thing. I'm the Doctor, but beyond that, I just don't know. I literally do not know who I am. It's all untested. Am I funny? Am I sarcastic? Sexy?" He paused winking at me causing me to bite my lip and glare playfully. "Right old misery? Life and soul? Right handed? Left handed? A gambler? A fighter? A coward? A traitor? A liar? A nervous wreck? I mean, judging by the evidence, I've certainly got a gob. And how am I going to react when I see this, a great big threatening button. A great big threatening button which must not be pressed under any circumstances, am I right? Let me guess. It's some sort of control matrix, hmm? Hold on, what's feeding it?" Theta opens the base of the pillar under the button.
"And what've we got here? Blood? Yeah, definitely blood. Human blood. A Positive, with just a dash of iron. Ah, but that means blood control. Blood control! Oh, I haven't seen blood control for years. You're controlling all the A Positives. Which leaves us with a great big stinking problem. Because I really don't know who I am. I don't know when to stop. So if I see a great big threatening button which should never, ever, ever be pressed, then I just want to do this." He hits the button causing Rose and Harriet to shout. "No!"
"You killed them!"
"What do you think, big fellow? Are they dead?" I asked turning to them with my arms crossed. "We allow them to live." The Sycorax muttered, "Allow? You've no choice. I mean, that's all blood control is. A cheap bit of voodoo. Scares the pants off you, but that's as far as it goes. It's like hypnosis. You can hypnotise someone to walk like a chicken or sing like Elvis. You can't hypnotise them to death. Survival instinct's too strong." I explained with a smirk towards them.
"Blood control was just one form of conquest. I can summon the armada and take this world by force." The Sycorax threatened with a snarl. "Well, yeah, you could, yeah, you could do that, of course you could. But why? Look at these people. These human beings. Consider their potential. From the day they arrive on the planet and blinking step into the sun, there is more to see than can ever be seen. More to do than. No, hold on. Sorry, that's The Lion King. But the point still stands. Leave them alone!"
"Or what?" The Sycorax glared at him "Or" The Doctor takes a sword from an aide and runs back towards the Tardis, "I challenge you." General laughter, "Oh, that struck a chord. Am I right that the sanctified rules of combat still apply?" Theta asked with a raised eyebrow, "You stand as this world's champion." The Sycorax nodded causing Theta to smirk. "Thank you. I've no idea who I am, but you just summed me up." Theta throws his dressing gown to me. "So, you accept my challenge? Or are you just a cranak pel casacree salvak?"
This insult makes up the leader's mind.
"For the planet?" The Sycorax asked, "For the planet." They clash swords. "Look out!" Rose shouts causing me and Theta to scoff. "Oh, yeah, that helps. Wouldn't have thought of that otherwise, thanks." The leader is the more experienced swordsman. The Doctor retreats up a tunnel, "Bit of fresh air?" He pushes a button and out into the day light. The Doctor is driven back to the edge, and hit on the nose. Rose tries to rush forward causing me to grab her. "Stay back! Invalidate the challenge and he wins the planet." The leader knocks the Doctor down then slashes. The sword and a hand fall to Earth.
"You cut my hand off."
"Ya! Sycorax!"
"And now I know what sort of man I am. I'm lucky. Because quite by chance I'm still within the first fifteen hours of my regeneration cycle, which means I've got just enough residual cellular energy to do this." He grows a new hand, "Witchcraft." The Sycorax leader growled. "Time Lord." Theta spoke back as I grabbed one of their swords from a Sycorax next to me. "Doctor!" Rose shouts as I throw him another sword.
"Oh, so I'm still the Doctor, then?" He asked back causing her to smile with her tongue between her teeth. "No arguments from me!" She smirked at me causing me roll my eyes, "Want to know the best bit? This new hand? It's a fighting hand!" They fight again. The Doctor disarms the Sycorax and thumps both hilts into it's abdomen, twice. It falls, right on the edge, overlooking London.
"I win."
"Then kill me."
"I'll spare your life if you'll take this Champion's command. Leave this planet, and never return. What do you say?"
"Yes."
"Swear on the blood of your species." I shouted towards him causing Theta to nod an raise and eyebrow in agreement. "I swear." The Sycorax leader growls out against his teeth. "There we are, then. Thanks for that. Cheers, big fellow." Theta starts back towards us. "Bravo!" Harriet laughs, "That says it all. Bravo!" Rose shouts in a cheer.
"Ah, not bad for a man in his jim-jams." He smirks at me as I help him on with the dressing gown, "Very Arthur Dent. Now, there was a nice man. Hold on, what have I got in here? A satsuma. Ah, that friend of your mothers. He does like his snacks doesn't he? But doesn't that just sum up Christmas? You go through all those presents and right at the end, tucked away at the bottom, there's always one stupid old satsuma. Who wants a satsuma?" The Sycorax leader gets up, grabs his sword and runs at the Doctor's back. Theta throws the satsuma at a control on the spaceship hull, a piece of the wing opens up and the leader falls to his death. "No second chances. I'm that sort of a man."
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"By the ancient rites of combat, I forbid you to scavenge here for the rest of time. And when go you back to the stars and tell others of this planet, when you tell them of it's riches, it's people, it's potential. When you talk of the Earth, then make sure that you tell them this. It is defended." Me, The Tardis, Harriet, Alex, Rose, Mickey and the Doctor are beamed away.
—————
"Where are we?" Rose asked with a frown. "We're just off Bloxom Road. We're just round the corner, we did it!" Mickey cheers as I raise my hand "Wait a minute, wait a minute." I spoke and watched the sky.
The spaceship flies away. "Go on, my son! Oh, yeah!" Mickey laughs out and jumps up. "Yeah! Don't come back!" Rose cheers, "It is defended!" Rose and Mickey hug, then Rose hugs Alex.
"My Doctor." Harriet laughs as Theta smiles at her, "Prime Minister." They hug "Absolutely the same man. Are there many more out there?"
"Oh, not just Sycorax. Hundreds of species. Thousands of them. And the human race is drawing attention to itself. Every day you're sending out probes and messages and signals. This planet's so noisy. You're getting noticed more and more. You'd better get used to it."
"Rose!"
"Mum!"
"Oh, talking of trouble." I teased causing Theta to laugh and shake his head. "Oh, my God! You did it, Rose! Oh!" Jackie comes running pulling her daughter into a hug. "You did it too! It was the tea. Fixed his head." Rose completely ignored the fact that I was the one who helped him. "That was all I needed, cup of tea." Theta nodded with a smile.
"I said so."
"Look at him."
"Is it him, though? Is it really the Doctor? Oh, my God, it's the bleeding Prime Minister!"
"Come here, you." Group hug as Jackie smiles, "Are you better?" She asked causing him to nod. "I am, yeah." He nodded causing her to sigh "You left me." She frowned turning to her daughter who winced "I'm sorry." She half ass apologized "I had all the food."
Five green beams streak up into the sky, meet and fire out into space. The Sycorax asteroid ship goes KaBOOM! Causing me to flinch as Theta's eyes darkened, "What is that? What's happening?" Rose asked with a frown causing Theta to glare at Harriet. "That was murder." He snarled causing her to shake her head. "That was defence. It's adapted from alien technology. A ship that fell to Earth ten years ago."
"But they were leaving." I glared as I pointed causing her to shake her head.
"You said yourself, Doctor, they'd go back to the stars and tell others about the Earth. I'm sorry, Doctor, but you're not here all the time. You come and go. It happened today. Mister Llewellyn and the Major, they were murdered. They died right in front of me while you were sleeping. In which case we have to defend ourselves." I scoffed, "Britain's Golden Age." She glared at me "It comes with a price." She insisted causing Theta to glare. "I gave them the wrong warning. I should've told them to run as fast as they can, run and hide because the monsters are coming. The human race." Rose flinched slightly.
"Those are the people I represent. I did it on their behalf." Harriet defended causing him to glare harder, "Then I should have stopped you."
"What does that make you, Doctor? Another alien threat?" She scoffed under her breath. "Don't challenge me, Harriet Jones, because I'm a completely new man. I could bring down your Government with a single word." Theta threatened back. "You're the most remarkable man I've ever met, but I don't think you're quite capable of that." She gave a sad smile and shook her head.
"No, you're right. Not a single word, just six."
"I don't think so."
"Six words."
"Stop it!" She shouted, "Six." The Doctor goes over to Alex and whispers in his ear. "Don't you think she looks tired?" Theta comes over and grabs my hand pulling me along causing Rose, Mickey and Jackie to follow as Harriet freaked out behind us. "Doctor! Doctor, what did you? What was that? What did he say? What did you say, Doctor? Doctor! I'm sorry."
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Theta is picking himself a new outfit in the Tardis wardrobe, and considers David's Casanova costume.
I smiled in approval as he finds a brown pinstripe suit and long brown coat. He leaves the wardrobe past the old hat stand with a long scarf on it.
He is back to a nice suit and tie after his recent aberration. I nod in approval as he smirks at me with a raised eyebrow before reaching for my hand and leading me out with a new dress myself.
The dinner progresses to the crackers,
"Oh, that's yours." Theta laughed. "It's pink! Mum, it should be yours. Look, it's Harriet Jones." That television is never switched off BBC24, it seems.
"Prime Minister, is it true you are no longer fit to be in position?"
"No. Now, can we talk about other things?"
"Is it true you're unfit for office?"
Theta puts on a pair of spectacles to watch the interview, I couldn't help but bite my lip as I checked him out. He was so damn good looking any way around.
"Look, there is nothing wrong with my health. I don't know where these stories are coming from. And a vote of no confidence is completely unjustified."
"Are you going to resign?"
The telephone rings and Jackie goes to pick it up.
"On today of all days, I'm fine. Look at me, I'm fine. I look fine, I feel fine."
"It's Beth. She says go and look outside."
"Why?" Rose frowns as Theta makes eye contact with me. "I don't know, just go outside and look. Come on, shift!" The ground is covered with white flakes falling from the sky. Streaks of light cris-cross the sky. "Oh, it's beautiful. What are they, meteors?" Rose looked towards Theta with a smile as I grimaced.
"It's the spaceship breaking up in the atmosphere. This isn't snow, it's ash." I stated causing her to wince "Okay, not so beautiful." She frowned as Theta sighed. "This is a brand new planet Earth. No denying the existence of aliens now. Everyone saw it. Everything's new."
"And what about you? What are you going to do next?" Rose asked with a frown, "Well, back to the Tardis. Same old life." He shrugged and grabbed my hand. "On your own?" She asked going for his hand but he pulled away, "Why, don't you want to come?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "Well, yeah." She smiled, "Do you, though?" He glared causing her to frown "Yeah!"
"That's funny because you sure didn't seem to when you were going after Kate earlier." She glared at me before sighing, "I'm sorry. I was worried and took it out on her. Is everything okay now?" She asked with a fake smile causing me to snort but I let it go. "I said it earlier, Rose Tyler. No second chances kinda man." Theta glared harshly at her, only to sigh when I grabbed his hand.
"You're never going to stay, are you?" Mickey asked as he walked over causing her to frown, "There's just so much out there. So much to see. I've got to." Theta rolled his eyes and turned to me. "Why are you allowing her to do this. I want to leave her. She needs to leave because she is changing into something I don't like."
I gave him a gentle smile, "Because we have to follow established events, my love. Don't worry. I can handle myself. I have before and I can now." He sighed with a nod in agreement and kissed my forehead.
He turned to the group, "Trouble's just the bits in-between. It's all waiting out there, Jackie, and it's brand new to me. All those planets, and creatures and horizons. I haven't seem them yet! Not with these eyes. And it is going to be fantastic." He laughed as he pulled me closer. "So, where're we going to go first?" Rose asked hesitate, trying to grab his hand but he yanks it away causing her to frown.
"Er, that way. No, hold on. That way." He points up and smiles down at me.
"That way?" I teased with a laugh, "Hmm?" He nodded down at me with love in his eyes. "Yeah, that way." He spoke gently as he leaned down to kiss me in the snow. Neither of us caring if Rose was glaring at us, because we were both perfectly content with each other.
Finally being able to be open with one another.
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Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals! Two updates this week!!
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