{"Is it just me or is he ugly either way?"}

The Tardis lands, and Theta puts on the hand brake. "There we go. Perfect landing. Which isn't easy in such a tight spot." Martha smirked and nudged me, "You should be used to tight spots by now. Where are we?" She teased causing me to chuckle, "The end of the line. No place like it." Martha goes outside, The Tardis is next to the clothes horse. "Home. You took me home?" She asked in disagreement and sadness, I tried to get Theta to allow her for longer but he seemed keen on leaving her.

"In fact, the morning after we left, so you've only been gone about twelve hours. No time at all, really." He shrugged looking around, "But all the stuff we've done. Shakespeare, New New York, old New York?" She gapped at us, "Yep, all in one night, relatively speaking. Everything should be just as it was. Books, CDs, laundry. So, back were you were, as promised." He grimaced spotting her undergarments causing her to quickly hid them. "This is it?" She asked, "Yeah, I should probably er-" I pointed as Martha's phone rings and the answering machine starts up.

"Hi, I'm out. Leave a message."

"I'm sorry."

"Martha, are you there? Pick it up, will you?"

"It's Mum. It'll wait."

"All right then, pretend that you're out if you like. I was only calling to say that your sister's on TV. On the news of all things. Just thought you might be interested."

Martha turns on the television, which was on stand by. "The details are top secret." A man spoke on the screen, "How could Tish end up on the news?" Tish is standing next to an elderly man who is making an announcement. "Tonight, I will demonstrate a device which will redefine our world."

"She's got a new job. PR for some research lab."

"With the push of a single button, I will change what it means to be human."

"Professor! Professor!"

Martha puts the TV back on standby, "Sorry. You were saying we should?" She paused watching him as he silently stared at the tv. "Yes, yes, we should. One trip is what we said." He cleared his throat nodding to himself in agreement. "Yeah. I suppose things just kind of escalated."

"Mmm. Seems to happen to him a lot." I muttered lowly, "Thank you. For everything." Martha hugged us tightly, "It was my pleasure." Theta goes back into the Tardis, and it dematerializes. Martha stares at me in shock as I smile and do a countdown from three, then it materializes again. "No, I'm sorry. Did he say he was going to change what it means to be human?"

I smiled an grabbed Martha's hand pulling her into the Tardis to change into something formal.

——

Theta paused as he fixed his bow tie, his eyes widened as he spotted me causing me to smile lowly. I was just barely showing and the dress I was in fitted nicely. Martha stood next to me with a smirk of her own at his gapping look. "Oh, black tie. Whenever I wear this, something bad always happens."

"It's not the outfit, that's just you. Anyway, I think it suits you. In a James Bond kind of way." Martha nudged me causing me to cock my head and look him up and down, "James Bond? Really?" I asked with a hum, he looked more like husband material or even Daddy material. Smirking I sent him a quick image before turning and walking towards the building. There was a thump, and Martha yelped, "Doctor! Two feet! Not one." She grumbled catching up to me as I laughed. We walk up to a building labelled Lazarus Laboratories.

In the middle of the room is a circular dais. On it is a man-sized frosted glass chamber and four upright posts, slightly curved at the top to aim at the chamber. A waiter walks past with a tray of food, "Oh, look, they've got nibbles! I love nibbles." I chuckled rubbing my stomach as I watched him. "Hello." A young women walked up to us, giving Martha a tight hug as I grabbed a nibble of my own. "Tish." Martha smiled at her sister, "You look great. So, what do you think? Impressive, isn't it?"

"Very." Martha laughed, "And two nights out in a row for you. That's dangerously close to a social life." Her sister teased as Theta and I stood watching them catch up. "If I keep this up, I'll end up in all the gossip columns." Martha mused back, "You might, actually. You should keep an eye out for photographers. And Mum, she's coming too. Even dragging Leo along with her." Martha raised an eyebrow in shock at what her sister just said. "Leo in black tie? That I must see. This is, er, the Doctor and his wife Kate." I smiled brightly as I shook her hand while Theta just waved.

"Hello."

"Is he with you?"

"Yeah."

"But he's not on the list. How did he get in?"

"He's my plus one. And she's his." Martha muttered and Theta made sure to say something before Tish could question it. "So, this Lazarus, he's your boss?" Theta asked eyeing the man who was talking to guests. "Professor Lazarus, yes. I'm part of his executive staff." Tish nodded back with a happy smile, "She's in the PR department." Martha let us know causing us to nod, "I'm head of the PR department, actually." Martha's eyes widened at her sister's announcement, "You're joking." She gapped happily, "I put this whole thing together." Tish nodded back as she gestures to the whole place. "So do you know what the professor's going to be doing tonight? That looks like it might be a sonic microfield manipulator." I pointed out with a frown, "They're science geek. I should have known. Got to get back to work now. I'll catch up with you later."

"Science geek? What does that mean?" I chuckled at Theta who was frowning, "That your obsessively enthusiastic about it."

"Oh, nice." Francine enters with Leo, "Your father's caused me enough heartache already with his menopause and his trophy girlfriend." Martha's mother hissed in anger as they stopped by us. "Yeah, Mum, I know. It's just something he said last night." Martha's brother shot her a look before her mother finally noticed her older daughter. "Martha." She gasped happily, "Mum!" Martha gives her mother a big hug. "All right, what's the occasion?" Francine frowned at her daughter, "What do you mean? I'm just pleased to see you, that's all." Martha mused back with a awkward smile.

"You saw me last night." Francine muttered with a suspicious look in her eyes. "I know. I just miss you. You're looking good, Leo." Martha complemented causing him to eye her as if she was weird. "Yeah. If anyone asks me to fetch them a drink, I'll swing for him."

"You disappeared last night."

"I just went home."

"On your own?"

"These are friends of mine. The Doctor and Kate."

"Doctor what?" Francine asked with a cock of her head. "No, it's just the Doctor. We've been doing some work together." Martha tried to explain, "You all right, mate?" Leo asked with a suspicious frown, "It's lovely to meet you, Mrs Jones. Heard a lot about you." Thera smiled and held his hand out politely, "Have you? What have you heard, then?" She asked eyeing him up and down with a frown as she scoffed at me causing me to gap in annoyance. "Oh, you know, that you're Martha's mother and. Er, no, actually, that's about it. We haven't had much time to chat. You know, been busy." Theta tried to awkwardly explain but wasn't exactly helping his situation. "Busy? Doing what, exactly?" Francine asked suspiciously causing me to frown and shoot a small glare.

"Oh you know. Stuff." She glares but before saying anything, Professor Lazarus taps on his glass for attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Professor Richard Lazarus and tonight I am going to perform a miracle. It is, I believe, the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom, the biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon. Tonight, you will watch and wonder. Tomorrow, you will wake to a world which will be changed forever." Lazarus goes inside the chamber. A pair of lady scientists start up the machine and press a big red button.

The four columns start to oscillate and rotate around the chamber as they pour energy into it. Then an alarm sounds, "Something's wrong. It's overloading." I speak quickly as I raise my shield and tap Theta, the computer agrees. There are sparks from the controls, then smoke.

Theta rushes over and gets out his sonic screwdriver. "Somebody stop him. Get him away from those controls!" One of the scientists yelled in horror trying to stop him but I quickly stood in front. "If this thing goes up, it'll take the whole building with it. Is that what you want?" I snapped causing them to pause, Finally, Theta pulls out a big power cable and the contraption slows down, then stops. Martha rushes to the chamber.

"Get it open!" Martha opens the door, and a young man staggers out. Lady Thaw is delighted, "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Richard Lazarus. I am seventy six years old and I am reborn!" Wild applause, "Is it just me or is he ugly either way." I muttered lowly looking at the man in slight disgust. "He did it. He actually did it."

—

A little later, Lazarus is posing for the photographers. "It can't be the same guy. It's impossible. It must be a trick." Martha looks up at us in shock as Theta continues to eye the old man with a hound face. "Oh, it's not a trick. I wish it were." I muttered as I placed a hand on my stomach, "What just happened then?" She asked again, "He just changed what it means to be human." Theta mocked with a suspicious glare, "Excuse me. That was the most astonishing thing I've ever seen. Look at you." She laughs and tries to touch him but he pulls away causing me to frown.

He was really that self centered, "This is only the beginning. We're not just making history, we're shaping the future, too." He smirked eyeing the younger women around. "Think of the money we'll make. People will sell their souls to be transformed like that. And I'll be first in line." Lazarus stiffens and gasps, then grabs a tray from a passing waiter and proceeds to eat all the food on it. "Richard."

"I'm famished." Lazarus laughed off as if it was nothing as we moved over to the old couple. "Energy deficit. Always happens with this kind of process." I speak up as I take another nibble from a tray. "You speak as if you see this every day, Miss?" He smirked looking me up and down causing my stomach to churn. Theta was quick to deflect noticing my uncomfortable look, "Doctor. And well, no, not every day, but I have some experience of this kind of transformation." Theta shrugged as if it was no bid deal. "That's not possible." Lazarus scoffed to himself, "Using hypersonic sound waves to create a state of resonance. That's inspired." Theta complemented causing me to elbow him, "We don't complement the psychos, sweetie."

"You understand the theory, then."

"Enough to know that you couldn't possibly have allowed for all the variables."

"No experiment is entirely without risk." He shrugged it off causing me to scoff, "That thing nearly exploded. You might as well have stepped into a blender." I snipped.

"You're not qualified to comment." Lady Thaw snapped causing me to step forward but Theta held me back. "If I hadn't stopped it, it would have exploded." Theta snapped back with a glare, "Then I thank you, Doctor. But that's a simple engineering issue. What happened inside the capsule was exactly what was supposed to happen. No more, no less." Lazarus commented with a suspicious look towards the three of us. "You've no way of knowing that until you've run proper tests." I stated as a fact as I eyed him, "Look at me. You can see what happened. I'm all the proof you need." He smirked leaning close causing me to grunt in disgust. "This device will be properly certified before we start to operate commercially."

"Commercially? You are joking. That'll cause chaos."

"Not chaos, change. A chance for humanity to evolve, to improve."

"This isn't about improving. This is about you and your customers living a little longer."

"Not a little longer, Doctor. A lot longer. Perhaps indefinitely." He boosted causing me to roll my eyes, "Richard, we have things to discuss, upstairs." She tries to be polite but it doesn't work very well. "Goodbye, Doctor. In a few years, you'll look back and laugh at how wrong you were." Lazarus kisses Martha's hand, trying to do the same to me but I pull away and hid slightly behind Theta I didn't want him anywhere near me. He felt all sorts of wrong, he leaves with Lady Thaw. "Oh, he's out of his depth. No idea of the damage he might have done."

"So what do we do now?"

"Now? Well, this building must be full of laboratories. I say we do our own tests."

"Lucky I've just collected a DNA sample then, isn't it?" She smirks holding us her hand causing me to shiver, Martha laughs at my reaction. "Oh, Martha Jones, you're a star."

—

An image of a strand of DNA is on the computer screen. "Amazing." Theta gasped in awe, "What?" Martha asked, "Lazarus's DNA." I muttered as I looked at the DNA myself. "I can't see anything different." Martha muttered looking down with a frown, "Look at it." We both moved away to allow her to look, "Oh, my God. Did that just change? But it can't have." She turned to us with a gasp, "But it did." We both spoke. "It's impossible." Martha gapped at us, "And that's two impossible things we've seen so far tonight. Don't you love it when that happens?" I laughed as I smacked his arm, he chuckled himself. "That means Lazarus has changed his own molecular patterns."

"Hypersonic sound waves to destabilise the cell structure, then a metagenic programme to manipulate the coding in the protein strands. Basically, he hacked into his own genes and instructed them to rejuvenate."

"But they're still mutating now."

"Because he missed something. Something in his DNA has been activated and won't let him stabilise. Something that's trying to change him." Theta frowns as he tries to think, "Change him into what?" Martha asked us with a frown, "I don't know, but I think we need to find out." I stated with my arms crossed, "That woman said they were going upstairs." Martha gapped in panic and worry for the old women, "Let's go."

—

Wr make it up to his office, "This is his office, all right." Martha muttered as we begin to look around, "So where is he?" I muttered in annoyance. "Don't know. Let's try back at the reception." Martha sees a skeletal leg with a ladies shoe on it sticking out behind the desk. "Is that Lady Thaw?" She gapped in horror as we moved over to take a look, "Used to be. Now it's just a shell. Had all the life energy drained out, like squeezing the juice out of an orange." I grunted at the thought, since I got cravings I've actually come to love oranges and he just hand to say that. I smack him, "Lazarus?" Martha asked as she stopped him from saying something to me. "Could be." We both utter out, "So he's changed already?"

"Not necessarily. You saw the DNA. It was fluctuating. The process must demand energy. This might not have been enough." I explained to her, "So he might do this again?" She asked us, "Mmm." Theta, Martha and I get into one lift just before another arrives.

—

"I can't see him."

"He can't be far. Keep looking."

"Hey, you all right, Marth? I think Mum wants to talk to you."

"Have you see Lazarus anywhere?"

"Yeah, well, he was getting cosy with Tish a couple of minutes ago." Leo snorted slightly grossed out, "With Tish?" Martha looked at us in panic, "Ah, Doctor." Francine started, "Where did they go? I asked urgently, "Upstairs, I think. Why?" Leo finished as we ran past her family. "Doctor" Theta runs past her, spilling her drink causing me to chuckle. Martha follows after us, "I'm speaking to you!" Francine yelled after us, "Not now, Mum."

We end up at the elevator again on the top floor, "Where are they?" Martha rushes out as he frowns, "Fluctuating DNA will give off an energy signature. I might be able to pick it up." He scans with his sonic screwdriver. "Got him." Theta shouts out, "Where?" He points upwards, "But this is the top floor. The roof."

I gapped as we came up to the sight of Lazarus flirting with Tish, "I find that nothing's ever exactly like you expect. There's always something to surprise you. Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act" Theta was quick to interrupt. "Falls the Shadow." The Hollow Men, by TS Eliot. "So the mysterious Doctor knows his Eliot. I'm impressed." Tish looks at us in shock and irritation, "Martha, what are you doing here?" Tish snaps harshly at Martha, "Tish, get away from him."

"What? Don't tell me what to do."

"I wouldn't have thought you had time for poetry, Lazarus, what with you being busy defying the laws of nature and all."

"You're right, Doctor. One lifetime's been too short for me to do everything I'd like. How much more I'll get done in two or three or four."

"Doesn't work like that. Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty. It's not the time that matters, it's the person." Theta glares at the man who shrugged, "But if it's the right person, what a gift that would be." He laughed, "Or what a curse. Look at what you've done to yourself." I snapped angrily as I stare in disgust, "Who are you to judge me?" Lazarus glares at us, mostly Theta. "Over here, Tish." Martha urges, "You have to spoil everything, don't you? Every time I find someone nice, you have to go and find fault." I gag; Behind Tish's back, Lazarus spasms and falls. "Tish, he's a monster!" Martha snaps, "I know the age thing's a bit freaky, but it works for Catherine Zeta-Jones."

Then Tish turns and sees the transformation in progress. Lazarus is now a massive bony scorpion with a human face. "What's that?"

"Run!"

Theta sonics the roof door shut and they run down the stairs, "Are you okay?" Martha asks her sister who looked in horror. "I was going to snog him." I snorted, The lights flicker as the creature tries to break in. "Security one. Security one. Security one." The lights go out and the doors all close. "What's happening?" Martha asked as we all looked around, "An intrusion. It triggers a security lockdown. Kills most of the power. Stops the lifts, seals the exits."

"He must be breaking through that door. The stairs, come on!"

Growl, crash.

"He's inside!"

"We haven't got much time!"

"Tish, is there another way out of here?"

"There's an exit in the corner, but it'll be locked now." Tish explained to us, "Martha, setting fifty four. Hurry." He throws the sonic screwdriver to Martha. "Listen to me! You people are in serious danger! You need to get out of here right now!" He shouts as a women scoffs in irritation, "Don't be ridiculous. The biggest danger here is choking on an olive." Then the mutant Lazarus appears on the mezzanine, and jumps down, smashing a table. Panic.

"Mum, get back!" The mutant's tail sends a table flying. It hits Leo. Meanwhile, Martha gets the exit door open. "Leo!" Francine yelled, "Over here! This way! Everyone downstairs now! Hurry!" The mutant stands over the frozen woman and opens its jaws sideways. Then it brings its tail over, and the other mouth appears. "No! Get away from her!" Too late. A desiccated corpse falls to the floor. Francine goes to help her son, "Leo. Leo." The mutant turns to them. "Lazarus! Leave them alone." It turns towards Theta, and Martha runs to her family after throwing me the sonic again. "Martha."

"Come on, stay with me. You're okay."

"What's the point? You can't control it. The mutation's too strong. Killing those people won't help you. You're a fool. A vain old man who thought he could defy nature. Only Nature got her own back, didn't she? You're a joke, Lazarus! A footnote in the history of failure!" Theta leads the mutant off down a corridor. "What's the Doctor doing?" Tish asked, "He's trying to buy us some time. Let's not waste it. Leo, look at me. Focus on me. Let's see your eyes. He's got concussion. Mum, you'll need to help him downstairs." Martha puts some ice into a napkin. "This'll keep the swelling down. Go! I'll be right behind you. Tish, move! We need to get out of here."

People are piling up against the glass doors. "We can't get out. We're trapped!" Fish cried out in horror, "There must be an override switch. Where's the security desk? Tish!" Martha yells as I point handing her to sonic again, "There. Point and Press." Martha jumps over the desk, goes to the control panel and runs the sonic screwdriver over it. The lights come on, the doors open, and the panicked crowd stream out.

"I've got to go back." Martha insists, "You can't! You saw what that thing did. It'll kill you." Tish grabbed both Martha and I in horror. "I don't care. I have to go." I snapped snatching my hand from her grip, "It's that Doctor, isn't it? That's what's happened to you. That's why you've changed." Francine insisted towards her daughter, "He was buying us time, Martha. Time for you to get out, too."

"I'm not leaving him."

"Martha!"

—

The Doctor jumps on a bench and starts to take a light fitting apart. Then he turns on a Bunsen burner and snuffs out the flame. He pulls another tube off a gas fitting and hides behind another bench. "More hide and seek, Doctor? How disappointing. Why don't you come out and face me?" The Doctor turns on as much gas as he can. "Have you looked in the mirror lately? Why would I want to face that, hmm? Kate was right." The Doctor runs to the back door and hits the light switch as he leaves. KaBOOM goes the laboratory.

—

Theta rushes around the corner running into Martha and I, "What are you doing here?" He snapped at me causing me to roll my eyes, I wasn't in capable yet. "I'm returning this. I thought you might need it." Martha spoke as she handed him his sonic, "How did you?" He asked confused slightly calmed down. "I heard the explosion. I guessed it was you."

"I blasted Lazarus."

"Did you kill him?"

"More sort of annoyed him, I'd say." Theta shrugged, "What now? We've just gone round in a circle." Martha spoke turning to us, "We can't lead him outside, Martha go hide over there." He pointed to a dark corner with a nice hiding spot. "Come on, get in." He pulled me into the sonic microfield manipulator chamber. The mutant is outside, "Are we hiding?" I grumbled raising an eyebrow at him as he rolled his eyes at me.

"No, he knows we're here. But this is his masterpiece. I'm betting he won't destroy it, not even to get at us." Suddenly I heard a phone ringing, frowning at Theta I reached into his pocket and accepted the call. "Martha?" I asked as she spoke quietly into the phone. "What are you gonna do? You're trapped." She spoke as I put her on speak, thankfully the monster outside was to damn loud he probably couldn't hear a thing.

"Where did you get the phone?" I muttered in confusion but Theta ignored me. "Well, yeah, that's a slight problem." He spoke to Martha over the phone, "You mean you don't have a plan?" She snapped slightly back in irritation, I put the phone in his front pocket so we could listen as use our hands. "Yes, the plan was to get inside here." Theta grumbled, "Then what?" Martha asked paused as the creature moved around for a second. "Well, then I'd come up with another plan."

"In your own time, then." It is a tight squeeze for us, Theta decided to let hands wander. "Oi! Mister, you better quit. We don't have time." I grumbled smacking him lightly on the chest causing him to chuckle lowly. "Sorry, sorry, sorry." He gets the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket. "Here we are. Improvise." He smirked before he slides down to the floor and opens a panel. "You know if we weren't in a life or death situation this would be naughty." I muttered as he chuckles while Martha purposely ignores us, Theta starts working with the wires and processors he finds there.

"I still don't understand where that thing came from. Is it alien?"

"No, for once it's strictly human in origin."

"Human? How can it be human?"

"Probably from dormant genes in Lazarus's DNA. The energy field in this thing must have reactivated them. And it looks like they're becoming dominant." I explained to her causing her to grunt back over the phone. "So it's a throwback." She stated in annoyance, "Some option that evolution rejected for you millions of years ago, but the potential is still there. Locked away in your genes, forgotten about until Lazarus unlocked it by mistake."

"It's like Pandora's box." I pointed out causing him to click his fingers and nod, "Exactly." Martha leans up to look, watching as the mutant presses the big red button. "Doctor, what's happening? He pressed something." Martha spoke in panic over the phone as she ducked back down. "Sounds like he's switched the machine on."

"And that's not good, is it?" Martha asked in panic for us, "Well, I was hoping it was going to take him a little bit longer to work that out." Theta muttered with a frown causing me to sigh. "I don't want to hurry you, but-" I mused out as I looked down at him, "I know, I know. Nearly done." He uttered back as he nodded along ripping at wires and using his sonic to connect signals. "Well, what're you doing?" Martha asked, "He's trying to set the capsule to reflect energy rather than receive it." I explained to her causing her to pause for a second. "Will that kill it?"

"When he transforms, he's three times his size. Cellular triplication. So he's spreading himself thin."

"You're going to end up like him!"

"Just one more!"

There is a big blast of energy that throws the mutant backwards. The machine stops and the Doctor and I step out, Martha comes rushing back over to us. "I thought we were going to go through the blender then." Martha muttered looking over to where the monster flew. "Really shouldn't take that long just to reverse the polarity. I must be a bit out of practice." I rolled my eyes as we spotted a naked human man is lying face down on the floor. "Oh, God. He seems so human again. It's kind of pitiful." Martha muttered almost sad like, "Eliot saw that, too. This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper."

Outside the building, the ambulance men take away a figure covered in a red blanket. "She's here. Oh, she's all right."

"Ah, Mrs Jones. We still haven't finished our chat." Francine slaps him hard across the face. I immediately step in front of him with a sense of protectiveness and anger, "Don't you ever touch him!" I yelled as I went for her, Theta quickly pulling me away as Martha held her mother back. "Keep away from my daughter." She snapped at us, "Mum, what are you doing?" Martha asked in shock as Theta managed to immediately calm me down. I took a deep breath with a frown of my own, I honestly don't know why I reacted like that. "All of the mothers, every time." He muttered as he hugged me tightly, "He is dangerous, so is she. I've been told things."

"What are you talking about?"

"Look around you. Nothing but death and destruction." The ambulance leaves, "This isn't his fault. He saved us, all of us!" Martha snapped at her mother in anger. "And it was Tish who invited everyone to this thing in the first place. I'd say technically, it's her fault." Tish elbows Leo. There's a big crash, and Theta runs off to investigate. I grunt quickly following after as Martha was pulled back by her mother. "Leave him." Martha shakes her head and follows us, "Martha?"

"Not you, too?"

"Sorry."

The back of the ambulance is open, and only contains desiccated corpses. "Lazarus, back from the dead. Should have known, really." Theta mutters as I catch up while he scans with the screwdriver. "Where's he gone?" Martha asked catching up as well, "That way. The church." I pointed nothing Tish has also followed along. "Cathedral. It's Southwark Cathedral. He told me."

"Do you think he's in here?"

"Where would you go if you were looking for sanctuary?" We walk carefully up the nave to the altar. Lazarus is shivering behind it, wrapped in the red blanket. "I came here before, a lifetime ago. I thought I was going to die then. In fact, I was sure of it. I sat here, just a child, the sound of planes and bombs outside." He told us his story, not that we cared much. "The Blitz." I spoke up, "You've read about it." He spoke with a nod but I shook my head as I remembered our little adventure there with Jack and Rose. "We were there." Theta spoke up with a small smile towards me.

"You're too young."

"So are you." He laughs, then his body makes painful cracking sounds. "In the morning, the fires had died, and I was still alive. I swore I'd never face death like that again. So defenceless. I would arm myself, fight back, defeat it." He explained his eyes shining with a story of death and darkness. "That's what you were trying to do today?" I asked with a disgusted frown, "That's what I did today." He corrected me with a smirk. "What about the other people who died?"

"They were nothing. I changed the course of history." I glared in irritation and sadness, "Any of them might have done too. You think history's only made with equations? Facing death is part of being human. You can't change that." I snapped at him causing him to glare at me. "No. Avoiding death, that's being human. It's our strongest impulse, to cling to life with every fibre of being. I'm only doing what everyone before me has tried to do. I've simply been more successful."

"Look at yourself. You're mutating! You've no control over it. You call that a success?"

"I call it progress. I'm more now that I was. More than just an ordinary human." Lazarus laughed in joy for being something more causing Theta and I to frown. "There's no such thing as an ordinary human." Lazarus convulses again, "He's going to change again any minute."

"I know. If I can get him up into the bell tower somehow, I've an idea that might work." Theta muttered down to us with a frown in thought. "Up there?" Martha whispered pointing, "You're so sentimental, Doctor. Maybe you are older than you look." He spoke towards Theta causing me to raise an eyebrow, he seemed to connect with Theta for some reason. "I'm old enough to know that a longer life isn't always a better one. In the end, you just get tired. Tired of the struggle, tired of losing everyone that matters to you, tired of watching everything turn to dust. If you live long enough, Lazarus, the only certainty left is that you'll end up alone. Only I was one of the lucky ones to live along side my light."

"That's a price worth paying."

"Is it?"

"I will feed soon."

"I'm not going to let that happen."

"You've not been able to stop me so far."

"Leave him, Lazarus! He's old and bitter. I thought you had a taste for fresher meat." Martha shouts causing my eyes to widen, "Martha, no." Lazarus lunges for Martha who runs, I immediately pick up my dress and run behind her. Tish runs with us, "What are you doing?"

"Keeping you out of trouble." Tish responded back as I placed my shield up again for the night. "Doctor! The tower!" Martha, Tish and I run up the narrow spiral staircase. Lazarus has to keep stopping as he mutates. "Did you hear that?" Tish asked stopping to listen, "He's changed again. Keep moving. We've got to lead him up." I demanded as I continued up the chapel stairs.

Theta goes back to the transept, underneath the central tower, and looks for them. "Where are they? Kate?! Baby?" I look down from the passageway in the clerestory. "D!" He looks up in relief before taking a breath, his eyes turning dark. "Take him to the top. The very top of the bell tower and be careful, do you hear me?! You better be careful!" I nodded back turning to the other two watching me. "Up to the top!" I stated as I started upwards, Tish grips onto Martha stopping her.

"Martha."

"Then what?"

"Martha, come on!" The mutant is heading our way. Theta heads for the organ loft and gets out the screwdriver.

"Hypersonic sound waves. Inspired." He sticks it into the power socket then starts pulling out stops.

Underneath the big Peter bell, played by Wells' Harewood bell. "There's nowhere to go. We're trapped!" Tish cried out, "This is where he said to bring him." I explained to them with a determined look. "All right, so then we're not trapped. We're bait." Tish scoffed with an eye roll, "He knows what he's doing. We have to trust him." Martha insisted as she gripped Tish's hand tightly.

"Ladies." His voice came out in a taunt, "Stay behind me. If he takes me, make a run for it. Head down the stairs. You should have enough time and YOU Kate need to protect that baby!" I nodded, I understood of course but I knew that I could protect my baby with my shield. "But"

"Just do it, Tish!" The mutant tries to clamber across the gap under the bell, instead of going around the wooden frame.

"I hope it's a good acoustic in here."

Theta presses on both pedals and starts playing. The mutant starts lashing with its tail, hitting Martha. It almost hit me if I didn't duck out of the way. "Martha!" Martha hangs on to the bottom of the wooden walkway, screaming. "Hold on! Get away from her!"

"We need to turn this up to eleven."

The organ notes reverberate, hurting the mutant as well as Tish, Martha and I; Martha starts to lose her grip. The mutant falls to the cathedral floor below. Theta stops playing when he hears the crash, and goes to look. A naked man is lying on the flagstones amid a shower of broken wood. Martha's fingers slip just as I grab her wrist. "I've got you. Hold on." I gasped out as my eyes glowed red, and I helped lift her up.

Grunting I fell back as Tish went for her sister, hissing as my head began to pound. I've never used my powers to pick someone up, honestly I didn't even know I could do that but I won't be doing it again if I keep getting these killer headaches.

"Kate?!" Theta shouted up at us, I took a deep breath and lowered my shield on my stomach. "I'm okay!" I shouted back causing his shoulders to sag in relief.

"We're all okay! Thanks." Martha uttered out as Tish turned to me, "It's your Doctor you should be thanking." I chuckled with a shake of my head while Martha helped me up. "I told you he'd think of something." Martha mused, "He cut it a bit fine there, didn't he?"

"He always does. It's more fun that way."

"Who is he?"

"He's, he's the Doctor."

As the Doctor closes Lazarus' eyes, he turns back into an old man. Then he runs to meet Martha and I, "I didn't know you could play?" Martha spoke as he pulled me in by my waist and dipped me in a seering kiss. "Oh, well, you know, if you hang around with Beethoven, you're bound to pick a few things up." He muttered to her as he pulled me back up while I laughed. Martha rolled her eyes at us but she was smiling so I knew it wasn't a bad eye roll. "Hmm. Especially about playing loud." I joined in causing him to wince, "Sorry, baby."

—

Theta unlocks the Tardis, "Something else that just kind of escalated, then." I teased him with a slight nudge causing Martha to laugh. "I can see a pattern developing. You should take more care in the future. And the past. And whatever other time period you find yourself in." She made a point, "It's good fun, though, isn't it?" He asked us giving me a happy kiss. "Yeah."

"So, what do you say, one more trip?"

"No. Sorry."

"What do you mean? I thought you liked it."

"I do, but I can't go on like this. One more trip. It's not fair."

"What're you talking about?" He asked causing both of us to roll our eyes in annoyance, sure we didn't get off to a great start but Theta finally moved onwards from Rose and I actually liked Martha when she wasn't making moves at my man. "I don't want to be just a passenger anymore. Someone you take along for a treat. If that's how you still see me, I'd rather stay here." She glared causing me to pout a little as I look up at him. He paused before sighing, "Okay, then. If that's what you want." I smiled happily as I kissed his cheek although she wasn't paying much attention seeming as she turned away from us in sadness.

"Right. But we've already said goodbye once today. It's probably best if you just go." She keeps her back turned, but we just stand there. "What is it?" I smiled at her frown, "What? I said okay." He shrugged pulling me into his side causing me to laugh in happiness. "Sorry?" She asked again in confusion causing him to roll his eyes at her in exasperation.

"Okay." Nodding towards the Tardis, "Oh, thank you, thank you!" They hug, "Well, you were never really just a passenger, were you?" Theta, Martha, and I go into the Tardis, and it dematerializes.

The telephone rings, "Hi, I'm out. Leave a message."

"Martha, it's your mother. Please phone me back. I'm begging you. I know who this Doctor and Queen really are. I know they're dangerous. You're going to get yourself killed. Please, trust me. This information comes from Harold Saxon himself. You're not safe!"

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