The Day of the Time Lords
Over the next few months, life changed quite a bit for Clara. She went from being a nanny for the Maitland family, to being an English teacher at Coal Hill School. The same school that my second cousin Susan went to when she and the Doctor first arrived on Earth. We parked the TARDIS on a country road far outside London. The Doctor gave the school a call and told them we need to see her and where we were.
A short while later, we were all in the console room reading while we waited for Clara. Annabelle and I were each in one of the chairs around the console while The Doctor was sitting on the steps reading Advanced Quantum Mechanics. I heard the horn from the motorcycle we gave Clara as a present when she got her teaching job. I pressed a button on the console and the doors opened. A few moments, Clara entered the TARDIS on her motorcycle. We continued to read as Clara took her helmet off. "Draught!" said The Doctor as he licked his fingers and turned the page in the book. Clara snapped her fingers and the doors closed. We closed our books and The Doctor said, "Fancy a week in Ancient Mesopotamia…" he turned to look at her. "Followed by future Mars?"
"Will there be cocktails?" asked Clara.
The Doctor stood and took off his glasses, "On the moon."
"The moon'll do!"
"Ha-ha!"
Annabelle and I stood and the four of us laughed and ran together to join in a group hug, "How's the new job?" asked Annabelle, as we broke the hug.
"Great. I'm really enjoying it."
"Good to hear," I said. I was getting ready to set the coordinates for Ancient Mesopotamia when we heard something clamp onto the roof of the TARDIS. Then there was a shutter and the TARDIS started to shake as if we were moving.
"What's happening?" asked Clara.
"I'm not sure," I said, "It feels like were moving but I hadn't even finished entering the coordinates." The TARDIS started to sway.
The rest of us held onto the console while The Doctor headed for the doors. He looked down then looked up. Then he opened the phone door. He waited a moment then said, "Yes, this is The Doctor. May I speak to Kate?"
I walked up to The Doctor, "What's going on?" I asked, as I looked down. I could see we were high over England, "What's going on?"
"From the looks of it, UNIT is calling us in for something," said The Doctor.
"What?!" I said. I took out my iPhone and with my sonic screwdriver I patched it into the TARDIS phone.
I heard Kate Stewart say to someone else, "Inhaler," Then she said into the phone, "Doctor, hello. We found the TARDIS in a field. I'm having it brought in."
"No kidding!" said The Doctor.
"Where are you?" asked Kate. The Doctor held up the phone toward the helicopter so Kate could hear the helicopter, "Oh, my God! Oh, Doctor, I'm so sorry, we had no idea you were still in there." I looked down again and saw we were flying above the Thames, just going over the Tower Bridge.
There was a change of course, and the TARDIS swung in another direction. I slipped my iPhone in my pants pocket and I grabbed onto the door for support, but The Doctor lost his balance and fell from the door, "Argh...!"
"Doctor!" Annabelle, Clara and I shouted together as we ran to catch The Doctor. We grabbed him and held onto him by his ankles, as he dangled out of the door.
"Ow!" he said.
"Doctor?!" called Annabelle, "Are you alright?"
"Yes… The phone hit me in the head!" He said, Then he said, "Next time, would it kill you to knock?" I assumed he grabbed the phone and was talking to Kate again. I looked down and saw we were still following the Thames. Then The Doctor said, "Whoa...! I'm just going to pop you on hold."
Just then the Doctor's ankles came out of our grasps, "DOCTOR!" The three of us shouted. I scrambled to the door and looked down. I didn't see The Doctor falling. I looked under the TARDIS and saw The Doctor hanging onto the bottom of the TARDIS. I looked again and I saw we were descending toward Trafalgar Square. I stood up and watched as we made our final approach.
I could see Kate Stewart there with a young woman in a white lab coat and wearing a long multi-colored scarf very similar to the one my uncle wore in his forth incarnation, and a group of UNIT solders. The Doctor let go and dropped the last few feet. As he stepped out from under the lowering TARDIS then one of the UNIT solders called out, "Attention!"
The Doctor saluted, "Why am I saluting?" He lowered his hand and walked over to Kate.
"Doctor, as Chief Scientific Officer, may I extend the official apologies of UNIT?" said Kate, as the TARDIS landed.
The three of us that were still in the TARDIS stepped out and we walked over as The Doctor said, "Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, a word to the wise. As I'm sure your father would've told you, I don't like being picked up."
"That probably sounded better in his head," said Clara.
"Nice to see you again, Kate," I said, "But, we would like a bit of a warning when you decide to just snap up the TARDIS like it's a prize in a claw machine game.'
"Sorry about that," said Kate, "I'm acting on instructions direct from the throne." The young woman in the scarf reached into her pocket and pulled out a letter sealed with red wax. Kate took the letter and handed it to The Doctor, "Sealed orders from Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the First."
"The Queen?" asked Clara, "The First? Sorry, Elizabeth the First?"
"Her credentials are inside," said Kate. The Doctor started to open the letter but Kate stopped him, "No. Inside…" Kate pointed over to the National Gallery just across the Square.
The Doctor pointed at the young woman with Kate, "Nice scarf." Then he walked through the solders to the museum. Annabelle, Clara and I followed close behind.
We walked into the museum and walked through a few small galleries on our way to the main gallery, "Did you know her? Elizabeth the First?"
The Doctor completely ignored her question and said, "Unified Intelligence Task Force."
"Sorry?"
I rolled my eyes and said, "That's what UNIT stand for. They investigate anything alien."
"What, like you lot?" asked Clara.
"We work for them," said Annabelle. We walked though a double door guarded by two solders. Annabelle saluting them as we went past.
"You have jobs?!"
"Why shouldn't I have a job?" asked The Doctor, "I'd be brilliant at having a job."
"I could see Teddy and Annabelle having a job but not you," said Clara.
"I do. This is my job, I'm doing it now."
"You never have a job."
"I do! I do." We came to a stop in front of a large covered frame. Two soldiers pull off a tarp to reveal a 3D oil painting of a Gallifreian city under attack during the Time War.
"Elizabeth's credentials, Doctor." said Kate.
"But... but that's not possible." said Clara.
"No more." said The Doctor.
"That's the title." said Kate.
"We know the title," said Annabelle
"Also known as Gallifrey Falls."
"This painting doesn't belong here," I said, "not in this time or place."
"Obviously," said Clara.
"It's the fall of Arcadia," said The Doctor, "Gallifrey's second city."
"But how is it doing that? How is that possible?" Clara walked up to the painting and put a hand out to touch it, "It's an oil painting... in 3D."
"It's Time Lord art," said The Doctor, "Bigger on the inside. A slice of real time... Frozen."
"Elizabeth told us where to find it...and its significance," said Kate.
I felt Annabelle take my hand, "You OK, Mom?" asked Annabelle.
"Yeah… Arcadia was where I was born…" I pointed at a building near the back of the painting, "I see the house I grew up in just over there…" She gave me a little side hug and I smiled and hugged her back
"You OK?" Clara asked The Doctor.
"He was there," said The Doctor.
"Who was?"
"Me. The other me. The one I don't talk about."
"I don't understand."
"I've had many faces, many lives. I don't admit to all of them. There's one life I've tried very hard to forget. He was the Doctor who fought in the Time War, and that was the day he did it - the day I did it. The day he killed them all. The last day of the Time War. The war to end all wars between my people and the Daleks. And in that battle, there was a man with more blood on his hands than any other. A man who would commit a crime that would silence the universe, and that man...was me." There was a pause then The Doctor continued, "But the Time War's over. Why have you brought us here to look at a painting?
"The painting only serves as Elizabeth's credentials, proof that the letter is from her," said Kate, "It's not why you're here."
The Doctor broke the seal and us three Time Lords read the letter…
My dearest love, I hope the painting known as Gallifrey Falls will serve as proof that it is your Elizabeth who writes to you now. You will recall that you and your niece pledged yourselves to the safety of my kingdom. In this capacity, I have appointed you three as curators of the Under Gallery where deadly danger to England is locked away. Should any disturbance occur within its walls, it is my wish that you be summoned. God speed, gentle husband.
"HUSBAND!" said Annabelle and I together telepathically. I didn't have any memory of meeting Queen Elizabeth I, other than the time when she wanted to take our heads off when The Doctor and I met her with Martha, let alone The Doctor marrying her! I thought it was odd that it only said niece and not nieces.
"What happened?" asked The Doctor asked Kate.
"Easier to show you." Kate then she lead us out of the main gallery and down a hall to a small gallery. A metal door closed behind us and us Time Lords were shocked by what we saw. It was a life sized portrait of three people, The 10th Doctor, Queen Elizabeth I and my first incarnation, and we were all dressed in clothing appropriate for Elizabethan England.
"Elizabeth the First? You knew her, then?" asked Clara.
"Apparently…" I said, "But I don't remember dressing like that…" I turned toward Annabelle, "I guess the Doctor and I met her before you came around."
"Looks like," said Annabelle.
The Doctor just continued to stare at the painting, "This way." said Kate. The painting swung open to reveal a dark passage way. Kate went in first and the lights came on to reveal some shrouded statues set in alcoves along the walls. There was also something like sand covering the floor, "Welcome to the Under Gallery. This is where Elizabeth I kept all art deemed too dangerous for public consumption."
The rest of us followed Kate inside. The Doctor walked slowly on the dust. He bent over and scooped some up and let it run through his fingers, "Stone dust." he said.
"Is it important?" asked Kate.
"In 1,200 years, I've never stepped in anything that wasn't," He stood and turned around. I turned the way he was looking and saw the young woman with the long scarf from earlier, "Oi, you! Are you sciencey?" he asked her.
"Oh, erm. Well, erm...yes," said the young woman as she entered the passage.
"Got a name? "
"Yes."
"Good, I've always wanted to meet someone called Yes."
I rolled my eyes, "I don't think her real name is Yes." I looked at Yes and said, "What is your name, sweetie?"
"Osgood."
"That's a much better name than Yes," said The Doctor, "Now, I want this stone dust analyzed," he poured some dust into her hand, "And I want a report in triplicate, with lots of graphs and diagrams and complicated sums, on my desk," he took a glanced at Clara, "tomorrow morning, ASAP, pronto, LOL. See? Job." He snapped his fingers and pointed at Kate, "Do I have a desk?
"No."
The Doctor looked back at Osgood, "And I want a desk!"
Osgood looked at Kate and Kate said, "Get a team, analyze the stone dust." Kate stared to walk away and the rest of us followed her. Just then we heard Osgood wheeze, "Inhaler!" Kate called to her.
Then we heard Osgood use her inhaler. Kate lead us through a hall that was lined with paintings and display cases. In one of the cases was a fez. The Doctor tried to walk past it but he turned around and mouthed, "Ooh". He lifted the display case lid and placed the fez on his head. Then, he spread his hands open as if he was saying, "ta-da".
I shook my head and Clara said, "Someday, you could just walk past a fez."
"Never going to happen."
"Not in that body, anyway," I said.
Kate then lead us to a brightly lit room. There was shattered glass on the floor and on the wall were more 3D paintings but these were just landscapes. A scientist that was in the room took Kate's coat, "As you instructed, nothing has been touched." Then he left.
"This is why we called you in." said Kate.
"3D again," said Clara.
"Interesting," said Annabelle.
"The broken glass?"
"No... where it's broken from," she picked up a piece, "Look at the shatter pattern. The glass on all these paintings has been broken from the inside." She put the piece back on the floor.
"As you can see, all the paintings are landscapes - no figures of any kind," said Kate.
"So?" I said.
"There used to be."
Kate showed us a tablet with a picture of one of the paintings. It showed a figure walking on a path. I looked up at the painting in front of us and it was the same painting as in the picture in the photo except the figure was missing. I looked at the tablet again and then I looked at Clara and she said, "Something's got out of the paintings?"
"Lots of somethings," said The Doctor, "Dangerous."
"This whole place has been searched," said Kate, "There's nothing here that shouldn't be, and nothing's got out."
Just then a time fissure appeared above us.
"Oh, no! Not now!"
"As if we didn't have enough things to worry about now!" I said.
"Doctor, what is it?" asked Clara.
"No, not now - we're busy!" said The Doctor to the fissure.
"Is it to do with the paintings?" asked Kate.
"No," said Annabelle, "This is something else."
"Wait a minute," I said, "I think I remember this. But, it's kind of fuzzy."
The Doctor he looked up at the fez on the his head then he took it off, "Oh, of course! This is where we come in," He looked at Clara and Kate. Then he looked at Annabelle and me and smiled. We smiled back then The Doctor threw the fez into the fissure, "Geronimo-o…" Us three Time Lords joined hands and ran into the fissure.
The next thing we knew we landed face down on the ground. I looked up and saw the 10th Doctor and the 1st me. There were also two Queen Elizabeths. The three of us stood with a groan. The 10th Doctor put the fez on and one of the Queens asked, "Who are they?"
"That's just what I was wondering," said the 1st me.
"Oh, that is skinny," said The 11th Doctor, as he looked at the 10th Doctor, "That is proper skinny. I've never seen it from the outside. It's like a special effect." he walked over to him, "Oi!" then he took the fez off his head, "Ha! Matchstick Man!"
The 1st me and the 10th Doctor looked at the three of us, and the 10th Doctor said, "You're not…" Both Doctor's reached into their jacket pockets and the 10th Doctor pulled out his sonic first. The 11th Doctor then took out his sonic activated it with a flourish, "Compensating?" asked the 10th Doctor.
"For what?" asked The Doctor.
"Regeneration - it's a lottery."
The Doctors closed their sonics, flipped them and put them away in a mirror image, "Oh, he's cool. Isn't he cool? 'I'm the Doctor and I'm all cool - oops, I'm wearing sandshoes!'" said The 11th Doctor.
The 1st me looked at me, "Are you… me?"
I nodded, "Yep…"
1st me looked at Annabelle, "You're a Time Lady… How is that possible?"
Annabelle looked at me and I nodded, "I'm your daughter."
"What?! How can that be?!" said 1st me, "I can sense that she is a full blooded Time Lady."
"She was forcibly created from a progeneration machine…" I answered. 1st me still looked shocked.
"So, what are you all doing here?" asked the 10th Doctor, "We're kind of busy."
"Oh, busy?" said the 11th Doctor, "I see, is that what we're calling it, eh?" he picked up the fez and put it on, "Eh? Hello, ladies." he bowed to the Elizabeths.
"Don't start."
"Listen, what you get up to in the privacy of your own regeneration is your business."
"For your information," said 1st me, "One of them is a Zygon."
The 11th Doctor looked at the 10th, "Urgh... I'm not judging you."
Just then there was a whoosh as the fissure reopened above us. The Doctors put their glasses and looked up. Then they looked at each other and smiled, "Oh, lovely!" they said to each other.
The 11th Doctor took his glasses off and walked up to the Elizabeths, "Your Majesties...probably a good time to run."
"But what about the creature?" they asked.
"Elizabeth, whichever one of you is the real one," said the 10th Doctor, as he took his glasses off, "turn and run in the opposite direction to the other one."
"Of course, my love!" said the Elizabeths.
"Stay alive, my love. I am not done with you yet," said one Elizabeth. She kissed him and ran off.
"Thanks. Lovely," said the 10th Doctor.
The 11th Doctor looked stunned.
"I understand," said the other Elizabeth, "Live for me, my darling. We shall be together again." she kissed the 10th Doctor and ran off in the opposite direction.
"Well, won't that be nice?" said the 10th Doctor.
"One of those was a Zygon," I said.
"Yeah."
"Big red rubbery thing," said the 11th Doctor, "Covered in suckers. "
"Yeah," said the 10th Doctor.
"Don't they have venom sacs in their tongues?" asked Annabelle.
"Yeah, I'm getting the point, thanks."
"Nice," said the 11th Doctor.
Just then we heard Clara's voice coming from the fissure, "Doctor? Teddy? Annabelle? Is that you?"
"Ah! Hello, Clara! Can you hear me?"
"Yeah, it's me, we can hear you. Where are you?"
The Doctor looked at 1st me and the 10th Doctor, "Where are we?"
"England 1562." said 1st me.
"Who are you talking to?" asked Clara.
"Myself and Teddy," said the Doctors together.
"Can you come back through?" asked Kate.
"Physical passage may not be possible in both directions," I said, "Hold on a second."
I snatched the fez off the 11th Doctor's head, "Hey!" he said.
"Fez incoming!" Then I threw it into the fissure.
"Nothing here." said Clara.
"So where did it go?" asked 1st me.
"Who are they talking to?" asked Clara.
"He said - himself," said Kate, "and from the sound of it there might be another Teddy there as well. Keep them talking. Malcolm?"
"OK, you used to be us," said 1st me, "you've done all this before - what happens next?"
The 11th Doctor and I looked at each other, "We don't remember." I said.
"How can you forget this?!" asked the 10th Doctor.
"Hey, hang on, it's not OUR fault," said the 11th Doctor, "You lot are obviously not paying enough attention. Reverse the polarity!" The Doctors took out their sonic screwdrivers and used it on the fissure, "It's not working."
"We're both reversing the polarity!" said the 10th Doctor.
"Yes, I know that."
1st me rolled her eyes, "There's two of you - He's reversing it," pointing to the 10th Doctor, "and you're reversing it back again! You're confusing the polarity." 1st me looked at me and said, "He can still be an idiot sometimes, can't he?"
I laughed and nodded. Just then there was a whoosh of air and something came through the fissure. And there standing before the five of us was The War Doctor, "Anyone lose a fez?"
"How can you be here?" asked 1st me
"More to the point, WHY are you here?" I asked.
"Good afternoon," said The War Doctor, "I'm...looking for the Doctor."
"Well...you've certainly come to the right place," said Annabelle.
"Good! Right! Well, who are you all? Oh, of course! Are you his companions?"
"His companions?" asked the 11th Doctor.
"They get younger all the time!" said The War Doctor, "Well, if you could point me in the general direction of the Doctor…" The 10th and 11th Doctor took out their sonic screwdrivers and activated them. "Really?"
"Yeah," said the 11th Doctor.
"Really," said the 10th Doctor.
"You're me? Both of you?" asked The War Doctor.
"Yep."
"Even that one?"
"Yes!" said the 11th Doctor, indignantly.
"You're my future selves," said The War Doctor.
"Yes!" said the 10th and 11th Doctor together.
"Am I having a mid-life crisis?" asked The War Doctor, as he stepped forward.
1st me, Annabelle and I laughed. The War Doctor looked at 1st me and I and asked, "Theodora?"
1st me smiled, "Yes… It's me… I go by Teddy now,"
"They said you went MIA…"
"I did," I said, "I couldn't take the fighting anymore…"
"So, I stole a TARDIS," said 1st me, "and I used the Chameleon Arch to turn myself into a baby to escape The Time War."
The War Doctor took a step toward us and the 10th and 11th Doctor took a step back and pointed their screwdrivers at him, "Why are you pointing your screwdrivers like that? They're scientific instruments, not water pistols. Look like you've seen a ghost!" They lowered their sonics
"Still...loving the posh, gravelly thing. It's very convincing," said the 10th Doctor.
"Brave words, Dick Van Dyke," said the 11th Doctor.
Just then a troop of soldiers ran up to one us all them them aim spears and swords at us, "Encircle them!" said the lead man.
The 10th and 11th Doctors had their sonics out and pointed at the soldiers. I looked at Annabelle and saw her get in a offensive stance getting ready to fight the men off. "Easy, Sweetpea…" I said, "we don't need solider mode right now…"
"I know, Mom," said Annabelle as she looked around at the men surrounding us, "But if one of them makes a move, they'll wish they hadn't."
I looked at 1st me and she looked confused at Annabelle's words and actions. Before I could tell her what was going on the lead solder said, "Which of you is the Doctor? The Queen of England is bewitched. I would have the Doctor's head."
"Well, this has all the makings of your lucky day," said the War Doctor.
"I think there's three of them now," said Clara from the fissure.
"There's a precedent for that," said Kate
"What is that?" asked the lead man..
The War Doctor saw the other two Doctors pointing their sonics at the soldiers, and said, "Oh, the pointing again. They're screwdrivers! What are you going to do, assemble a cabinet at them?"
The Doctors look at each other and lower the screwdrivers, "That thing...what witchcraft is it?" asked the lead man.
"Now that you mention it, that is witchcraft," I said, I turned to the fissure, "Hello! Am I talking to the wicked witch of the well?"
"She means you," said Kate, through the fissure.
"Why am I the witch?" asked Clara, through the fissure.
"Clara?" I called.
"Hello?"
"Clara, Would you mind telling these prattling mortals to get themselves begone?"
"What...she said."
"Could you do it a bit more convincingly. "
"Right. Prattling mortals, off you pop, or I'll turn you all into frogs."
"Oh, frogs, nice," said The Doctor, "You heard her."
"Teddy, what's going on?" asked Clara.
"It's a...timey-wimey thing."
"Timey...what? Timey-wimey?" asked The War Doctor.
"I've no idea where he picks that stuff up," said 1st me.
I suppressed a laugh because I knew exactly where he got it from. The video we made for Sally Sparrow. Just then Queen Elizabeth I walked into the clearing, "The Queen!" said the soldiers.
All the solders knelt down to the ground but none of us Time Lords did, "You don't seem to be kneeling. How tremendously brave of you." said the Queen.
"Which one are you?" asked 1st me, "What happened to the other one?"
"Indisposed. Long live the Queen!"
"Long live the Queen!" said the soldiers.
"Arrest these people. Take them to the Tower."
The 10th Doctor pointed at the Queen, "That is not the Queen of England - that's an alien duplicate!"
"And you can take it from him, cos he's really checked," said the 11th Doctor.
"Oh, shut up!"
"Venom sacs in the tongue," said Annabelle.
"Seriously, stop it!" said The 10th Doctor.
"No, hang on, the Tower!" said the 11th Doctor, "Did you say the Tower? Ah, yes, brilliant, love the Tower. Breakfast at eight, please. Will there Wi-Fi?"
The War Doctor looked at the 11th Doctor, "Are you capable of speaking without flapping your hands about?"
"Yes! No!" then the 11th Doctor turned to the Queen, "I demand to be incarcerated in the Tower immediately with my co-conspirators, Red, Blondie, Little Blondie, Sandshoes and Grandad!"
"Little Blondie?!" said Annabelle.
"Grandad?" said The War Doctor.
"They're not sandshoes," said the 10th Doctor.
"Yes, they are!" said the 11th Doctor.
"Silence! The Tower is not to be taken lightly," said the Queen, "Very few emerge again."
We were take to a cell high in the Tower of London, "Oi, you lot, get in there!" said the Jailor as he pushed us all into the cell.
"Ow!" said the War Doctor as the door closed behind us. The Doctor picked up a a long nail and held it by the head in one hand and flicked the fingers of his other hand against it, causing a 'ting' Then he started to scrape something in the wall. The War Doctor scanned the door with his sonic screwdriver.
"Three of us and two Teddys in one cell - that's going to cause some nasty anomalies if we don't get out soon," said the 10th Doctor then the looked over at the 11th Doctor, "What are you doing?"
He stopped and looked at his younger self and said, "Getting us out!"
1st me turned and looked at the War Doctor, "The sonic won't work on that - it's too primitive."
The War Doctor then stopped his scan and turned to face the rest of us.
"Shall we ask for a better quality of door so we can escape?" asked the 11th Doctor.
"OK, so the Queen of England is now a Zygon," said the 10th Doctor, "but never mind that, why are we all together? Why are we all here?" he looked at the War Doctor, "Well, me and...Chinny, we were surprised. But you came looking for us - you knew it was going to happen. Who told you?"
"Oi! "Chinny"?" said the 11th Doctor.
"Well, you do have a chin," I said.
"Don't encourage him."
I smiled and I went over and sat down next to Annabelle. 1st me came up to us and looked at me, "So, you don't remember anything that happened here."
I shook my head, "No… I don't…. I'm guessing having all of us together is knocking the time streams out of sync."
"So… Can I ask you something… About her…" she pointed at Annabelle..
"Sure,"
"When we met up with the soldiers. She seemed to change. She took a stance like she was getting ready to fight. Then you said, 'We don't need solider mode.' What do you mean by solider mode?"
Annabelle and I looked at each other and then Annabelle said, "I was a progenerated solider. Your hand will be forced into a machine that takes a skin sample. And, about a minute later, I pop out of the machine, ready to fight. You and The Doctor show me a better way. But, my fighting instincts kick in when I sense when we might be in danger."
"There are some good points though," I said, "She's an excellent strategist and can sometimes think of plans to get us out of situations a lot faster then the Doctor and I. We've taken to calling her The General from time to time."
The War Doctor started scanning the door, "In theory, I can trigger an isolated sonic shift among the molecules, and the door should disintegrate."
"We'd have to calculate the exact harmonic resonance of the entire structure down to a sub-atomic level. Even the sonic would take years," said the 10th Doctor.
"No, no. The sonic would take centuries. Oh, we might as well get started," The War Doctor sat down on a bench by the door, "Help to pass the 'timey-wimey'. Do you have to talk like children? What is it that makes you so ashamed of being a grown-up?"
The 11th Doctor stop scratching at the door and looked over his shoulder. Even the 10th Doctor can't keep eye contact. It was hard for me, 1st me and Annabelle to look at him too, "Oh, the way you all look at me. What is that? I'm trying to think of a better word than "dread"."
"It must be really recent for you," I said.
"Recent?" asked the War Doctor.
"The Time War, the last day. The day you killed them all," said the 11th Doctor.
"The day WE killed them all," said the 10th Doctor.
"Same thing."
"I don't talk about it," said the War Doctor.
"You're not talking about it. There's no-one else here," said 1st me.
The War Doctor looked at the 10th and 11th Doctors, "Did you ever count?"
"Count what?" asked the 11th Doctor.
"How many children there were on Gallifrey that day," said The War Doctor.
The 11th Doctor stopped scratching, "I have absolutely no idea," then he started scratching again.
"How old are you now?"
"Ah...I don't know, I lose track. Twelve hundred and something, I think, unless I'm lying. I can't remember if I'm lying about my age - that's how old I am."
"400 years older than me. And in all that time, you've never even wondered how many there were? You never once counted?"
The 11th Doctor stopped scratching and turned to face the War Doctor, "Tell me... what would be the point?"
"2.47 billion," the 10th Doctor said.
"You DID count!" said the War Doctor.
The 11th Doctor shook his head and went back to scratching. 1st me stared at him, and shouted, "You forgot? 400 years? Is that all it takes?"
The 11th Doctor stopped scratching and looked at my younger self, "I moved on."
"Where?!" asked the 10th Doctor, "Where can you be now that you can forget something like that?"
"Spoilers," I said.
"No. No, no, no," said the 10th Doctor, "For once, I would like to know where Teddy and I are going."
"No. You really wouldn't," said Annabelle.
The five of us looked at each other then the War Doctor said, "I don't know who you are...any of you. I haven't got the faintest idea." The 11th Doctor then went back to scratching in the wall. Then the War Doctor said, "No."
"No?" said the 10th Doctor.
"Just...no!"
The 11th Doctor leaned against the pillar and laughed. "Is something funny?" said the 10th Doctor, "Did I miss a funny thing?"
"Sorry. It just occurred to me. This is what I'm like when I'm alone."
I shook my head and rolled my eyes. "400 years!" said the War Doctor."
"What?" said 1st me.
"At a software level, they're all the same device, aren't they? Same software, different case."
"Yeah. So...?" said the 10th Doctor.
The 11th Doctor took his sonic from his pocket and the three Doctors walked to the door, "So, it would take centuries for the screwdriver to calculate how to disintegrate the door," the War Doctor scanned the door, "Scanning the door, implanting the calculation as a permanent subroutine in the software architecture and…" he turned and faced us, "if you really are me, with your sandshoes and your dicky bow, and that screwdriver is still mine... that calculation is still going on."
The 10th Doctor turned on his sonic and held it up to his ear, "Yeah. Still going."
The 11th Doctor held up his screwdriver, "Calculation complete… Eh, 400 years in four seconds. We may have our differences, which is frankly odd in the circumstances, but I tell you what, boys, we are incredibly clever!" Just then the door opened and Clara ran in. She looked at the six of us curiously, "How did you that?"
"It wasn't locked. " said Clara.
"Right," I said.
"So they're both you, then, yeah?" said Clara to her Doctor. Then she looked at me, "and she's you…" nodding to 1st me.
"Yes. You've met them before, don't you remember?" I asked.
"A bit," Clara looked at the 10th Doctor, "Nice suit!"
He put his sonic away, "Thanks."
"Hang on. Six of you in one cell, and none of you thought to try the door?"
"It should have been locked," said the War Doctor.
"Yes, exactly!" said Annabelle, "Why wasn't it locked?"
Just then Queen Elizabeth walked in, "Because I was fascinated to see what you would do upon escaping. I understand you're rather fond of this world. It's time I think you saw what's going to happen to it." she walked out and we followed. She led us to a balcony over looking a Zygon base in the Tower of London. We looked around and saw a number of aliens working at machines, "The Zygons lost their own world. It burned in the first days of the Time War. A new home is required."
"So they want this one?" asked Clara.
"Not yet. Far too primitive. Zygons are used to a certain level of comfort."
A Zygon came up to us, "Commander... why are these creatures here?"
"Because I say they should be," said the Queen, "It is time you too were translated." The Zygon growled and walks towards a glass cube resting on a pedestal, "Observe this. I believe you will find it fascinating." The Zygon put its hand on top of the cube. There was a whirring and the Zygon was pulled into the cube and reappearing in the panting. It was the same one from the Under Gallery.
"That's him!" said Clara, "That's the Zygon in the picture now." she walked up to the panting.
"It's not a picture, it's a Stasis Cube," said 1st me.
"Time Lord art," said the War Doctor, "frozen instants in time, bigger on the inside but could be deployed as…"
"Suspended animation," said the 10th Doctor. The 11th Doctor snapped his fingers and pointed at his counterpart.
"Oh, that's very good," said Annabelle, "The Zygons all hop inside the pictures, wait a few centuries until the planet's a bit more to their liking, and then out they come." 1st me and the 10th Doctor walked up to sand next to Clara.
The 11th Doctor, Annabelle and I walked up to them, the 11th Doctor said, "You see, Clara, they're stored in the paintings in the Under Gallery, like Cup-a-Soups. Except you add time - if you can picture that."
"Nobody could picture that," I said, "Forget he said Cup-a-Soups."
"And now the world is worth conquering," said Clara, "So the Zygons are invading the future from the past."
"Exactly!" said the 11th Doctor.
1st me and the 10th Doctor turned and looked at Queen Elizabeth, "And do you know why Teddy and I know that you're a fake?" said the 10th Doctor, "Because you're such a bad copy."
"It's not just the smell," said 1st me.
"or the unconvincing hair."
"or the atrocious teeth"
"or the eyes just a bit too close together"
"or the breath that could stun a horse"
"It's because my Elizabeth, the real Elizabeth, would never be stupid enough to reveal her own plan."
"Honestly, why would you do that?"
"Because it's not my plan," said the Queen, "and I AM the real Elizabeth."
"OK," said the 10th Doctor, "So...backtracking a moment, just to lend some context to mine and Teddy's earlier remarks…"
"My twin is dead in the forest. I am accustomed to taking precautions." the Queen lifted her skirt and pulled a jeweled dagger from her garter, "These Zygon creatures never even considered that it was me who survived, rather than their own commander. The arrogance that typifies their kind."
"Zygons?" asked Clara.
"Men!"
"And you actually killed one of them?" asked Annabelle.
"I may have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but at the time, so did the Zygon." the Queen looked at 1st me and the 10th Doctor, "The future of my kingdom is imperilled. Doctor, can I rely on the service of you and your niece?"
"Well, we're going to need our TARDIS," said 1st me.
"It has been procured already," said the Queen.
"Ah!" smiled the 10th Doctor with a smile.
"But first, my love, you have a promise to keep!" said the Queen
A short time later, we were in the courtyard of the castle watching the 10th Doctor marry Queen Elizabeth I. Clara, 1st me, Annabelle and I stood on the Queen's side while the Doctors stood on the other, "I now pronounce you man and wife," said the Minister, "You may kiss the bride."
Elizabeth grabbed the 10th Doctor's face and planted a passionate kiss on his mouth. Clara cheered and threw confetti.
"Is there a lot of this in the future?" the War Doctor asked the 11th Doctor.
"It does start to happen, yeah," said the 11th Doctor.
The 10th Doctor pulled away from the kiss and the Queen said, "God speed, my love."
"We will be right back," said the 10th Doctor as 1st me and him ran for the TARDIS.
"Right, then, back to the future," said the 11th Doctor, as the rest of us went inside.
I smiled when I looked around and saw the familiar console room from when I first started traveling with the Doctor, "You've let this place go a bit!" said the War Doctor.
"Ah, it's his grunge phase. He grows out of it," said the 11th Doctor.
"Don't you listen to them!" said the 10th Doctor as he patted the time rotor. Just then an alarm went off. The console sparked and the walls changed to brightly lit white with rondels.
"The desktop is glitching," said 1st me.
"Three of us from different time zones, it's trying to compensate," said the War Doctor.
The 11th Doctor pointed at the walls, "Hey, look, the round things."
"I love the round things," said the 10th Doctor.
"What ARE the round things?"
"No idea."
Just then there was a beeping coming the console. I ran over to it and said, "The friction contrafibulator is destabilizing" I flipped a switched. The console sparked and the console changed to the look that belonged to the 11th Doctor, "Stabilized."
"Oh, you've redecorated!" said 1st me.
"I don't like it." said the 10th Doctor. Then 1st me slapped him on the shoulder, "Ow!" said the 10th Doctor.
"Oh? Oh, yeah. Oh, you never do!" said the 11th Doctor.
"We're going to the National Gallery," I said, "The Zygons are underneath it."
"No, UNIT HQ," said Clara, "they followed us there in the Black Archive." All six of us Time Lords looked at Clara, "OK...so you've heard of that, then."
We had heard of it, the Black Archive was a collection of artifacts that shouldn't exist on Earth but have been found and collected by UNIT. My uncle pressed a button on the console and then we heard Kate's voice, "You really think so? Somewhere in your memory is a man called Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. I'm his daughter."
"'Science leads,' Kate," said the 11th Doctor, "Is that what you meant? Is this what your father meant?"
"Doctor?" asked Kate over the speakers.
"Space-Time Telegraph, Kate," I said, "It was a gift from The Doctor to your father. It's a hotline straight to the TARDIS."
"We know about the Black Archive and we know about the security protocol," said Annabelle, "Kate, please, please, tell me you are not about to do something unbelievably stupid!"
"I'm sorry," said Kate, "Switch it off."
"Not as sorry as you will be," said the 10th Doctor, "This is not a decision you will ever be able to live with." He looked over at the 11th Doctor.
The TARDIS rocked and shuddered, "Kate! We're trying to bring the TARDIS in - why can't we land?" asked the 11th Doctor.
"I said switch it off!" said Kate.
"No, Kate, please, just listen to me…" I started to say but then the space-time telegraph was turned off, "The Tower of London is totally TARDIS-proof."
"How can they do that?" asked Clara.
"Alien technology plus human stupidity," said Annabelle, "trust me, it's unbeatable."
"We don't need to land." said the War Doctor.
"Yeah, we kind of do," said 1st me.
"No, we don't. We don't. There is another way." he picked up the stasis cube, "Cup-a-Soup!" The rest of us Time Lords looked at each other and smiled, "What is Cup-a-Soup?" asked the War Doctor.
The Doctor picked up the TARDIS phone and made a call, "McGillop." said the man on the other end of the phone.
"Take a look at your phone and confirm who you're talking to," said The Doctor.
There was a pause then he said, "But that's not possible. I was just…"
"You were just talking to me, I know. I'm a time traveller - figure it out. I need you to send the Gallifrey Falls painting to the Black Archive. Understood?"
"Understood, sir. But why would I take it there?"
The Doctor didn't give him a chance to answer he hung up the phone and Annabelle and I set coordinates for inside the Gallifrey Falls painting. We stepped out right in the middle of the battle. Just then a Dalek came up behind us. We all turned and the six of us pointed our sonics at it as it said, "Exterminate!" we fired and the Dalek screamed and rolled backwards through the glass of the painting and exploded.
We walked into the Black Archive and saw two Kate, two Osgoods and two McGillops.
"Hello," said The War Doctor.
"I'm the Doctor," said the 10th Doctor.
"I'm his niece, Teddy, " said 1st me.
"This is our daughter, Teddy," I said.
"Sorry about the Dalek," said the 11th Doctor..
"Also the showing off," said Clara.
Annabelle walked over to one of the Kates, "Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, what in the world are you doing?"
"The countdown can only be halted at my personal command," said one of the Kates, "There's nothing you can do."
The 10th Doctor walked over, "Except make you both agree to halt it."
"Not even for six of you."
"You're about to murder millions of people," said 1said.
"To save billions. How many times have you made that calculation?" asked Kate.
"Once," said the 11th Doctor, "Turned me into the man I am now. I'm not even sure who that is any more."
"You tell yourself it's justified, but it's a lie," said the 10th Doctor, "Because what I did that day was wrong. Just wrong." he rested his hands on the table the Kates were sitting at and leaned over.
"And because I got it wrong... I'm going to make you...get it right," said the 11th Doctor. Then him and the 10th Doctor pulled a couple of wheeled chairs around from both sides of the table, they sat down, propped their feet on the table and crossed their arms across their chests, all in unison. 1st me moved to stand behind the 10th Doctor while Annabelle and I stood behind the 11th.
"How?" asked Kate.
"Any second now, you're going to stop that countdown," said 1st me as she pointed at the two Kates, "Both of you. Together."
"Then you're going to negotiate the most perfect treaty of all time," I said.
"Safeguards all round, fair on both sides," said the 10th Doctor.
"And the key to perfect negotiation…" said the 11th Doctor.
"is not knowing what side you're on." said Annabelle.
The Doctors pushed away from the table and stood up, "So, for the next few hours... until we decide to let you out…" I said.
All five of us pulled our sonics out, "No one in this room will be able to remember if they're human…" said 1st me.
"Or Zygon," said the 11th Doctor.
"Whoops-a-daisy!" said the 10th Doctor. The two Doctors leapt onto the table and used the sonics at the memory filter on the ceiling. The War Doctor, 1st me, Annabelle and I pointed our sonics at it as well and in a matter of seconds it sparked.
I looked over to the clock that was counting down to the time of the detonation and there was just seconds left when both Kates said, "Cancel the detonation!" The clock stopped at 5 seconds.
"Peace in our time," said the 11th Doctor.
The 10th Doctor, the 11th Doctor, 1st me, Annabelle and I oversaw the negotiations while the War Doctor and Clara sat off to the side. A few moments later, Clara came over to us, "He's gone."
"Who's gone?" I asked.
"The War Doctor," said Clara, "I think he's gone back to use the Moment."
The five of us looked at each other and then we all made a mad dash to our own TARDISes.
Soon, we arrived at a Barn somewhere on Gallifrey. The War Doctor stood there looking at the Moment that had a big red crystal-looking button on top. "I told you - he hasn't done it yet." said Clara.
"Go away now, all of you," said the War Doctor, "This is for me." he then turned is back on us.
"These events should be time locked," said the 10th Doctor, "we shouldn't even be here."
"So something let us through," said the 11th Doctor.
"Go back," said the War Doctor, "Go back to your lives with Teddy. Go and be the Doctor that I could never be. Make it worthwhile." Then he put his hand on the button.
"All those years, burying you in my memory," said the 10th Doctor.
"Pretending you didn't exist," said the 11th Doctor, "Keeping you a secret, even from myself."
"Pretending you weren't the Doctor, when you were the Doctor more than anybody else."
"You were the Doctor on the day it wasn't possible to get it right," the 11th Doctor moved to stand next to the War Doctor.
"But this time... " the 10th Doctor stood on the other side of the War Doctor and put his hand on the button.
"You don't have to do it alone," said the 11th Doctor as he put his hand on top of the 10th Doctor's hand.
"Thank you," said the War Doctor.
"What we do today is not out of fear or hatred," said the 10th Doctor, "It is done because there is no other way."
"And it is done in the name of the many lives we are failing to save," said the 11th Doctor.
Clara, 1st me, Annabelle and I stood there watching. I never thought I would be standing there to witness this. I turned saw Clara was on the verge of tears. Annabelle and I wrapped arms around her to comfort her. The 11th Doctor turned and looked at us, "What? What is it, what?" he asked.
"Nothing... " said Clara.
"No. It's something. Tell me!"
"You told you wiped out your own people. I just... I never pictured you doing it, that's all."
Just then the barn went dark and we were shown what was happening in Arcadia as if we were right in the middle of the battle, "What's happening?" asked Clara
"Nothing - it's a projection, " said the War Doctor.
We watched as families were torn apart. "These are the people you're going to burn?" asked Clara.
"There isn't anything we can do," said the 10th Doctor.
"He's right," said the 11th Doctor, "There isn't another way, there never was. Either I destroy my own people or let the universe burn."
"Look at you... the three of you," said Clara, "The warrior. The hero. And you."
The 11th Doctor walked over to us, "And what am I?"
"Have you really forgotten?"
"Yes. Maybe, yes."
"We've got enough warriors," said Annabelle.
"Any old idiot can be hero," said 1st me.
"Then what do I do?" asked the 11th Doctor.
"What you've always done. Be a doctor!" I said.
"You told me the name you chose was a promise," said Clara, "What was the promise?"
We saw people start to come out of hiding after the battle ended and families were reunied, "Never cruel or cowardly," said the 10th Doctor.
"Never give up, never give in," said the War Doctor.
Then we were back in the barn. The 11th Doctor looked at the other two and raised his eyebrows trying to convey his thought, "You're not actually suggesting that we change our own personal history?" asked the 10th Doctor.
"We change history all the time," said the 11th Doctor, "I'm suggesting something far worse."
"What, exactly?" asked the War Doctor.
"Ladies, Gentleman, I have had 400 years to think about this. I've changed my mind," said the 11th Doctor. He took out his sonic pointed at the Moment and the button lowered inside.
"There's still a billion billion Daleks up there, attacking," said The War Doctor.
The 10th and 11th Doctors started to pace back and forth, "Yeah, there is, there is," said the 11th Doctor.
"But there's something those billion billion Daleks don't know," said the 10th Doctor.
"Cos if they did, they'd probably send for reinforcements."
"What? What don't they know?" asked Clara.
"This time, there's Three Doctors. Two Teddys and an Annabelle," said 11th Doctor. Then, the 11th Doctor told us Time Lords his plan telepathically.
"Oh! Oh! Oh, yes, that is good! That is brilliant!" said the War Doctor.
"Oh, oh, oh!" said the 10th Doctor, "I'm getting that too!"
"That is brilliant!" said 1st me as the 10th Doctor jumped up and slapped his TARDIS.
"Ha-ha-ha!" said the 11th Doctor, "I've been thinking about it for centuries!"
"And it'll work!" I said.
"Of course!" said Annabelle, "Why didn't I think of it?"
"She didn't just show me any old future," said the War Doctor, "she showed me exactly the future I needed to see!"
"Eh?" said the 11th Doctor, "Who did?"
"Oh, Bad Wolf Girl, I could kiss you!"
"Sorry, did you say, "Bad Wolf"?" asked the 10th Doctor.
"So what are we doing? What's the plan?" asked Clara.
"The Dalek fleets are surrounding Gallifrey, firing on it constantly," said The War Doctor.
"The Sky Trench is holding, but what if the whole planet... just disappeared?" said the 10th Doctor.
"Tiny bit of an ask," said Clara.
"The Daleks would be firing on each other," said Annabelle, "they'd destroy themselves in their own crossfire."
"Gallifrey would be gone, the Daleks would be destroyed," said 1st me.
"And it would look to the rest of the universe as if they'd annihilated each other," I said.
"But where would Gallifrey be?" asked Clara.
"Frozen in an instant of time, safe and hidden away," said the 10th Doctor.
"Exactly!" said the 11th Doctor.
"Like a painting," said the War Doctor.
We all smiled and the we all ran for our TARDISes.
We headed out and The Doctor contacted High Command, "Hello, hello, Gallifrey High Command, this is the Doctor speaking along with my niece Teddy and her daughter, Annabelle."
"Hello! Also the Doctor, Teddy is here too. Can you hear me?" said the 10th Doctor over the speakers.
"Also the Doctor - standing ready," said the War Doctor over the speakers.
"Dear God, three of them! All my worst nightmares at once!" said the general in charge of High Command.
"General, we have a plan," said the 10th Doctor
"We should point out, at this moment, it is a fairly terrible plan," said the 11th Doctor.
"And almost certainly won't work."
"I was happy with 'fairly terrible'."
"Sorry, just thinking out loud."
"We're flying our three TARDISes into your lower atmosphere," said Annabelle.
"We're positioned at equidistant intervals round the globe," said the 10th Doctor, "'Equidistant' - so grown-up!"
"We're just about ready to do it," said the War Doctor.
"Ready to do what?" asked the general.
"We're going to freeze Gallifrey," I said.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Using our TARDISes, we're going to freeze Gallifrey in a single moment in time," said 1st me.
"You know, like those Stasis Cubes?" said the War Doctor, "A single moment in time held in a parallel pocket universe."
"Except we're going to do it to a whole planet," said the 11th Doctor.
"And all the people on it," said the 10th Doctor.
"What? Even if that were possible, which it isn't, why would you do such a thing?" said the General.
"Because the alternative is burning," said the 11th Doctor.
"And I've seen that," said the 10th Doctor.
"And I never want to see it again."
"We'd be lost in another universe... frozen in a single moment. We'd have nothing," said the general.
"You would have hope," I said,
"And right now, that is exactly what you don't have," said 1st Me.
"It's delusional. The calculations alone would take...hundreds of years," said the general.
"Oh, hundreds and hundreds," said Annabelle.
"But don't worry - I started a very long time ago!" said the 10th Doctor.
I looked on the scanner and saw another TARDIS appear then we heard the voice of the 1st Doctor, "Calling the War Council of Gallifrey, this is the Doctor."
Then more TARDISes appeared, "You might say, I've been doing this all my lives!" said the 11th Doctor.
"Good luck!'" said the 2nd Doctor.
"Stand by," said the 3rd Doctor.
"Ready?" asked the 4th Doctor.
"Commencing calculations," said the 8th Doctor.
"Soon be there," said the 5th Doctor.
"Across the boundaries that divide one universe from another," said the 7th Doctor.
"Just got to lock on to his coordinates," said the 6th Doctor.
"And for my next trick...!" said the 9th Doctor.
"I didn't know when I was well off! All 12 of them!" said the general.
"No, sir... all 13!" said one of the lieutenant generals. I checked my scanner and sure enough there was a 13th TARDIS. "Sir! The Daleks know that something is happening. They're increasing their fire power."
"Do it, Doctor. Just do it. 'Do it!'" said the general.
"OK. Ladies and Gentleman...we're ready," the 11th Doctor looked at Annabelle and me. We both nodded and then the three of us together said, "Geronimo...!" as we each threw a switch on the console.
"Allons-y!" said the 10th Doctor and 1st Me.
"Oh, for God's sake!" said the War Doctor, "Gallifrey stands!"
There was a bright white light as the TARDISes surrounded Gallifery. Then in an instant it was gone… The Daleks fired at each other and they were gone.
Later, we were in the back in the Under Gallery. The War Doctor, the 10th and 11th Doctors, 1st me, Annabelle, Clara and I were all having tea looking at the painting of Arcadia. Our three TARDISes were lined up against the wall. The War Doctor and Clara were sitting on a bench "I don't suppose we'll ever know if we actually succeeded," said The War Doctor, "But at worst, we failed doing the right thing, as opposed to succeeding in doing the wrong."
"Life and soul, you are," said Clara.
The rest of us all had our glasses on while we were looking at the painting of Arcadia, "What is it actually called?" asked 1st me.
"Well, there's some debate," I said, "Either No More or Gallifrey Falls." I took my glasses off.
"Not very encouraging," said the War Doctor.
"How did it get here?" asked the 10th Doctor
"No idea," said the 11th Doctor as he took his glasses off.
"There's always something we don't know, isn't there?" said 1st me, as she took her glasses off.
"One should certainly hope so," said the War Doctor, "Well Gentlemen…" he stood and walked over us, "it has been an honor... and a privilege."
"Likewise.," said the 10th Doctor.
"Doctor," said the 11th Doctor
"And if I grow to be half the man that you are," The War Doctor turned to Clara, "Clara Oswald, I shall be happy indeed."
I laughed at the 10th and 11th Doctors looked at each other, "That's right - aim high!" said Clara as she chuckled, stood, and kisses his cheek.
The War Doctor looked at 1st me and I and said, "Thedora…" He walked up to us and the three of us shared a group hug, "Keep him in line…" nodding back at the 10th and 11th Doctors.
"We try to," said 1st me.
"But you know how you are," I said with a smile.
The War Doctor laughed, "Yes… Yes I do." then he looked at Annabelle, "Take good care of her."
Annabelle smiled and took her glasses off, "Always…" she said, as she hugged the War Doctor.
The War Doctor looked around at all of us and said, "I won't remember this, will I?"
"The time streams are out of sync," I said, "You can't retain it."
"So I won't remember that I tried to save Gallifrey, rather than burn it. I'll have to live with that. But for now, for this moment... I am the Doctor again. Thank you all." The War Doctor looked at all the TARDISes, "Which one is mine?!" We all glanced at the battle worn TARDISes on the right, "Ha!" Then, he got inside and his TARDIS dematerialized.
Clara sat back down on the bench then the 10th Doctor took his glassed off, "We won't remember either, so you might as well tell us."
"Tell you what?" asked the 11th Doctor.
"Where it is we're going that none of you want to talk about," said 1st me.
The 11th Doctor, Annabelle and I looked each other then I said, "We saw Trenzalore... where we're buried. We die in battle among millions."
"That's not how it's supposed to be," said the 10th Doctor.
"That's how the story ends, there's nothing we can do about it," said Annabelle, "Trenzalore is where you're going."
"Oh, never say nothing," said the 10th Doctor shook the 11th Doctor's hand and gave Annabelle and I each a hug.
"It's good to know our future is in safe hands," said 1st me, as she hugged, the 11th Doctor, Annabelle and I.
"Keep a tight hold on it, Clara," said the 10th Doctor, as he set his tea on the bench.
"Mm! On it!" said Clara, as she stood and reached out her hand. The 10th Doctor took it and kissed the back of it.
1st me gave her a hug, then 1st me and the 10th Doctor headed to their TARDIS. The 10th Doctor unlocked their TARDIS and said, "Trenzalore… We need a new destination, because…" he opened the door, "I don't want to go." The two of them entered their TARDIS and it dematerialized.
"He always says that," said The Doctor, then the three of us Time Lords walked over and stood in front of the painting.
"Need a moment alone with your painting?" asked Clara.
"How did you know?"
"Those big, sad eyes. "
"Ah."
Clara walked up to The Doctor caresses his face and kissed his cheek. "I always know," Clara gathered up the teacups and said, "Oh, by the way, there were some people looking for you three. I think it was the curator and his assistants." Then, she went in the TARDIS.
The three of us sat down on the bench, I was sitting on The Doctor's left and Annabelle sat on his right. We sat there looking at the painting "I could be a curator." said The Doctor. "I'd be great at curating. I'd be...the great curator. I could retire and do that. I could retire and be the curator of this place."
I rolled my eyes and then I heard kind of familiar male voice call out, "You know, I really think you might."
We looked at each other and then we turned and looked behind us. I could have been knocked over by a feather at what I saw. I saw a older gentleman that looked like a older version of the 4th Doctor. But, that's not what shocked me. With him were two women. One looked like my adopted mother, Amy Duncan. The other looked like Annabelle's first incarnation.
We stood up and walked over to them. I could sense that all three of them were Time Lords and I knew who they all were. "I never forget a face." said The Doctor.
"I know you don't, and in years to come, you three might find yourselves revisiting a few but just...the old favorites, eh?" said the old man who in realty was a future incarnation of The Doctor.
"Or a few who you admired over the years" said the woman, who looked like my adopted mother, in reality it was a future incarnation of me. She gave me a smile and I smiled back.
"They told us you were curious about this painting," said the young woman who looked like the 1st Annabelle. You've probably guessed that it was really a future incarnation of Annabelle, "We acquired it in remarkable circumstances. What do you think of the title?"
"Which title?" asked Annabelle, "There's two. No More... or Gallifrey Falls?"
"Oh, you see, that's where everybody's wrong," said Future Me, "It's all one title. Gallifrey Falls No More."
"Now, what would you think that means?" asked the Future Doctor.
"That Gallifrey didn't fall. It worked. It's still out there," said the 11th Doctor.
"I'm only a humble curator - I'm sure I wouldn't know," then he turned away.
"Then where is it?" I asked.
"Where is it indeed? Lost - shh! - perhaps," said the Future Doctor, "Things do get lost, you know. Now you must excuse me. Oh... you have a lot to do."
"We Do?" asked the 11th Doctor.
"Mm," said the Future Doctor.
"Is that what we're supposed to do now?" asked Annabelle, "Go looking for Gallifrey?"
"Oh, it's entirely up to you," said Future Me, "It's your choice."
"WE can only tell you what we would do, if we were you…" said Future Annabelle.
"Oh...! If we were you…" said the Future Doctor. The six of us chucked,
"Perhaps we WERE you…." said Future Me. We all chucked again.
"Or perhaps... you are us." said Future Annabelle.
"Yeah!" said the 11th Doctor.
The Future Doctor shook the 11th Doctor's hand, "Congratulations."
"Thank you very much," said the 11th Doctor.
"Or perhaps it doesn't matter either way. Who knows? Who...knows?" asked the Future Doctor, then he tapped the side of his nose.
Then, our three futureselves walked way. We turned around and looked, at the panting and smiled.
Clara once asked us if we dreamed, "Course we dream," The Doctor told her, "Everybody dreams."
"But what do you dream about?" she asked.
"The same thing everybody dreams about," he told her. "We dream about where we're going."
She laughed at that. "But you're not going anywhere - you're just wandering about."
That's not true. Not anymore. We have a new destination. Our journey is the same as yours, the same as anyone's. It's taken us so many years, so many lifetimes, but at last we know where we're going, where we've always been going. Home...the long way round.
A/N: I hope you guys are still liking this story… We are getting close to the end of the 11th Doctor's run… that also means that Teddy and Annabelle will be regenerating again. I think you guys are going to like who I picked for the new Teddy and Annabelle. For those of you who don't remember 1st Annabelle was played by Emily Osment.