Snow.
It was snowing.
A beautiful chorus sang. He knows that as Carol of the Bells. "Hark how the bells. Sweet silver bells. All seem to say. Throw cares away. Christmas is here. Bringing good cheer. To young and old. Meek and the bold."
From afar, a person in a dark robe walks in a hurry. In their hands, wrapped up against the cold, carrying a bundle. A baby.
"Ding, dong, ding, dong. That is their song. With joyful ring. All carolling. One seems to hear. Words of good cheer. From everywhere. Filling the air."
The figure walks towards a church. It's a beautiful, simple, classic church, windows glowing with light. A tall spire with a cross on top. A village church with a small cemetery. Inside the church, the chorus keeps playing.
"Oh how they pound. Raising the sound. O'er hill and dale. Telling their tale. Gaily they ring. While people sing. Songs of good cheer. Christmas is here. Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas. Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas."
They lays down the baby that has been wrapped in a blanket before turning around, walking hurriedly.
Above the church, a giant clock reaches 12.
Arthur rolled his eyes, waking up with both hearts beating fast. His mind raced back to what he had seen (or dreamt). He had no idea what it meant, but it made him feel bad. His chest hurt a little and his eyes itched a little. And his forehead also hurt like hell.
Whatever it was...it seemed Arthur shouldn't know.
But why? So far, Arthur had no problem with visions of the past, present, or future. But that scene...it gave him goosebumps. As if he had entered a VERY dangerous territory, not even the Doctor would cross.
"Are you okay?" Someone asked beside him. His eyes saw a little girl in overall jeans and pink checkered shirt, her head slightly tilted, focused on him. "Are you having a nightmare?"
"I…I don't know," he replied hoarsely. He seems to be inside a big, wooden house, with many bed place in his left and right. "Wh-Where am I?"
"I don't know. They never told us exactly. But we're here to stay away from the scarecrows."
"Scarecrows?"
She nods. "They are always trying to catch us. Adults trying to keep us safe. I heard from Gazron that this is the last safe location for us." She catches his arm to help him stand up. "I'm Alit. What's your name, mister?"
"Arthur. Arthur Jonas. I'm…just a traveller. Where are the adults, Alit?"
"Outside." Alit gives him a pair of clothes. A grey, long sleeve shirt with brown trousers. "That's how Hazran found you last night. When the adults are firing their weapon against the scarecrows…you suddenly appear in the field, injured."
"Did I?" He pondered as he changed his clothes. "I honestly can't remember landing here." He takes his backpack and green hoodie that's laying behind the bed. "Maybe I should meet the adults. Giving them my thanks for saving my life."
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"Why would they do that?" Arthur asked, putting on his hoodie as he and Alit went outside, finding the adults carrying several humanoid scarecrows and making them into actual scarecrows.
"A sign," Alit replied. "So those scarecrows can't get past us."
"How long have these scarecrows attacked?"
"As long as I can remember. Most people here fought as hard as they could to survive. They usually wanted to take children more than adults. But there are some points…adults also get taken."
Then, the ground is shaking.
"I'm guessing that never happened?" Arthur asked.
Alit shook her head. A little distance from their place, a round section of meadow simply erupts, like an explosion of soil, before a great beam of light shoots up into the sky. A shuttle craft, the Time Lord quickly realised. It looks battered and burned and old, and looks faintly reminiscent of the giant ship.
Also, it's plunging down right at their position.
"Run!" Alit screams and races away, trying to get away. Arthur throws himself, shielding Alit, before a big crash happens just a few metres away, shaking their surroundings again.
Alit is raising her head, peering over. "What is that?"
"Shuttle craft," Arthur replied, helping himself and Alit to stand up. Some smoke appears around it, making it hard for both of them to see who's coming out of it.
A moment later, a massive figure is emerging through the smoke. An old design of a Cybermen the brunette man realises before several small visions comes.
Bill looks down on her chest. There's a giant hole in her chest with some burn marks around.
"This won't stop you feeling pain, but it will stop you caring about it. It fits over your head," a surgeon told Bill on an operation room.
"I love disguises. Do you still like disguises? Of course, they are rather necessary when you happen to be...someone's former Prime Minister," a stranger remarked and pulls off the mask to reveal the Master. Missy stays silent, unable to speak as she looks at the young incarnation of hers. "Hello, Missy. I'm the Master, and I'm very worried about my future. Give us a kiss."
His eyes catch on to who Bill's carrying. "Dad?!"
Just as he's going to help him, more figures emerge from the smoke.
"What level are we on?" Missy asked, looking around.
"Must be one of the solar farms," the Master replied. "Hologram sky, bit of atmosphere."
"Who are you?" Alit demanded as Arthur hides her at his back.
Nardole appears last. "That's the last floor we can bust through. Engine's blown." He notices them. "Explorer!" He gasped. "And a little girl!"
"What?" Arthur whispered, looking at his caretaker, his father, and two versions of his father's best friend. "How...?!"
"Uhm…Well, we're from downstairs, and, er…I think we're going to need your help, sir."
▪︎▪︎▪︎
Two weeks later
Arthur helps the adults and children piling up sandbags and reinforcing the barricade around the farmhouse.
Once he and Alit let them in (with Bill forced to sleep in the farmhouse because the kids are scared of her appearance), Arthur gets an idea of what brought them here (and how the Doctor got his sight back).
The brunette man isn't so calm about the presence of Missy and the Master. Arthur has an unpleasant history with his father's former best friend. But not only that. It seemed his instincts also sensed a sense of impending danger from the Master. Especially, the one that seems love to make sexist comments.
He felt uncomfortable every time he came face to face with them, something that everyone seemed to secretly realise. Whenever Arthur spotted one of the two of them not far away from him, several people immediately jumped in. His father immediately dragged him away to do some chores. At times, Alit and Gazran discussed other topics that made Arthur focus on their conversation instead. Even Nardole will asked Arthur for a simple favour so he wouldn't look at Missy or the Master for too long, like right now.
"Come on you lot, put your backs into it. Remember the Alamo!" Nardole shouted.
"Don't say that," Arthur huffed as he took another sandbag.
"Oh, right, maybe not."
"Nardole, you're working them too hard," Hazran remarked.
"This isn't work, it's war. Operation Exodus. They're looking for fresh meat, and you're it. And it will get worse when they get their hands on him."
"Gee, thanks," Arthur grumbled. As if he didn't have enough enemies. Arthur knew Nardole meant well, but there were times when Nardole's comments irritated him.
Suddenly, an explosion occurs behind him, sending his face into the ground while his ears are ringing.
"Get back!" Rexhill yelled.
"You all right?" Gazran asked, helping Arthur out as Bill stood out of the barn, staring and all children adults are staring back, keeping a safe distance.
"Right, everyone, back to work, please," Nardole reminded. "Nothing to see here, somebody broke the barn, no biggie."
As everyone returns to work, Nardole throws a little half wave at her. Arthur quickly joins her with the Doctor, who's stepping closer to Bill. Bill is watching the people disperse. They all seem to have various tasks. Cleaning rifles, piling sandbags round the house. A few of them glance nervously over at her. And then look away.
"It's okay. They're just frightened," Arthur assured her.
"People are always going to be afraid of me, aren't they?" Bill asked back, looking at both father and son. "Aren't they?" The Doctor wipes a tear from her Cyber-face. "What is that, engine oil?"
"No. It's an actual tear. But it shouldn't be," the Doctor remarked.
"Doctor, Mini Doctor," the Master called. Arthur folds his arms at him, glaring, while the Doctor's jaw getting tense. "Right, while you and the duplicate of your 10th self have been here chatting up Robo-Mop, me and me have been busy. We've found it." Then, he speaks in a deep voice. "Oh, hello, my dear. My God, you were so boring for all those years. But it was worth every day of it, for this."
"Shut yer mouth," Arthur growled, slipping his Scottish accent.
He ignores him. "Though, didn't you used to be a woman? I'm going to be a woman, fairly soon. Any tips? Or, maybe, I dunno, old bras?"
"I am not upset," Bill replied, though Arthur can sense that she's crying from the inside.
"Oh. Well, doesn't that take all the fun out of cruelty. Might as well rile a fridge. Come on, this way."
Arthur shook his head as they followed him from behind. "I swear, sometimes I want to kick him in the nut—"
"Oh, you will, Sunny," the Doctor implied. "You get your chance."
Bill notices many children around. "Why are there so many children in that house?"
"Small community, several hundred at most. So they keep the children together for their protection," Arthur informed her what Alit said before.
"Those things," the Doctor gestures to the scarecrows. "They make it up here sometimes. They try to take the children."
He gasps and leans against a tree. Regeneration energy glows briefly in one hand. "Dad!" Arthur gasped, holding him so he wouldn't pass out.
"You all right?" Bill questioned.
"Yes, fine," he answered. He breaks off a dead branch to use as a walking aid, while his other hand grips his son.
"You look like a shepherd," Arthur noticed, trying to keep up the mood. He knows, from that brief golden energy, that time will catch on him very soon. The least Arthur can do to help his father...is to distract him.
The Doctor humming, somewhat relieved that his son didn't ask further questions about him dying. "You always love that story."
"What story?" Bill asked, curious.
"The shepherd boy," Arthur recalled with fondness. "Every night, the Doctor or my mother would read that story to help me sleep." His eyes turn sombre as the song returns in his head.
"Hark how the bells. Sweet silver bells. All seem to say. Throw cares away. Christmas is here. Bringing good cheer. To young and old. Meek and the bold."
"Arthur?" Bill called, and noticed his face went blank.
He shut his eyes. Why on Earth he suddenly hear that song? "Sorry. The children in here…they're not safe."
"Why?"
"They target the children because conversion is easier with a younger donor," the Doctor explained. "The brains are fresher, and because the bodies are smaller…there's less to, er—"
"Less to what?"
"Less to throw away," the Master finished before continuing walking.
Bill paused as the Doctor and Arthur turned to her. "You said. I remember, you said you could fix this. That you could get me back. Did you say that?"
"I did say that, yes," the Doctor agreed.
"Were you lying?"
"No."
"Were you right?"
"No."
Bill looks at the trees nearby. Arthur takes a sharp breath. He remembered how he asked about Bill and Nardole to the 13th Doctor when he, Yasmin, and Dan were on a beach in Greece. The way his mother's eyes just glistening with tears before she deflected his question... "Bill—"
"We're not going to get out of this one, are we?" She asked.
"I don't know. There are always possibilities. I just haven't found it."
"No. I can feel it, Arthur. In my head, the programming. The Cybermen are taking me over, piece by piece. It's like I'm hanging on in a hurricane, and I can't hang on forever."
The Doctor approaches her. "Bill, look, whatever it takes—"
"No, I want you two to know, as my friends," Bill quickly said. "I don't want to live…if I can't be me anymore. Do you understand?"
"Yeah."
"And that's not possible, is it?"
"Maybe," Arthur admitted. "But a cybermen shed a tear? That rarely happens, Bill."
"Where there's tears, there's hope," the Doctor uttered. "Come on."
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"You absolutely had to bring her, did you?" Missy huffed as the Doctor, Bill, and Arthur arrived.
"Her?" The Master frowns. "It's a Cyberman now."
"I can't wait to kick your nuts in the future," Arthur jeered.
"Where is it?" The Doctor asked Missy.
"Lift shaft? Right here," Missy pointed at the ground besides Arthur.
Bill was automatically on alert, quickly standing beside Arthur. The Doctor may not have explained specifically what happened in The Year That Never Was, but Bill could guess what the Master/Missy had done to his son.
The Doctor scans the column of light as the Master theories. "Hologram. Mustn't ruin the pretty forest. It's a wonder more people don't turn to genocide."
"And the doors," Arthur waves his hand, revealing a lift in front of them.
"This is how we evacuate the children. There have to be more lifts, quite close," the Doctor remarked, scans another two into view. "We know Operation Exodus is ready. We can't hang around here."
Missy simply sonicks the call button, making the lift on.
"Are you out of your mind?!" Arthur demanded.
"Yeah, well, we're going to need them, aren't we?" She shrugs.
"The lift was downstairs, and quite possibly not empty," the Doctor asserted.
"Stand aside," Bill insisted.
"Do as she says."
"Stand aside."
"Do as she says," the Master leered. "Is the future going to be all girl?"
"Be careful what you ask," Arthur cryptically alluded, briefly glancing at Missy, knowing at this point, Missy had met the 13th Doctor before.
Bill takes point, Arthur's hands shimmering in gold light, and three sonic devices are readied behind them. The lift arrives, the doors open, and a Cybus-style Cyberman is revealed.
"Fire!" The Doctor shouted as they fired the cybermen with all they had to make it stop moving. "Missy, sonic the lift. Keep it here."
"Why's it different?" Arthur asked the cybermen they attacked.
"Why does it look like that?" Bill added.
"It evolved," the Master realised.
"Exactly. Since we left, they've built a weapons-grade version to come after us. And we just gave our position away," the Doctor clarified, looking at Missy and Master with annoyance. "Well done, the genius twins."
"It doesn't matter," Missy said. "We can still get out of here. We go take the lift right to the top and escape in your Tardis. We could evacuate the Waltons back there, if you're feeling ridiculous."
"We can't go back to the bridge. We can only go four or five floors up at the most. The further we move up the ship, the slower time moves for us and the faster it moves for the Cybermen."
"By the time we get to the bridge, they'll have had thousands of years to work out how to stop us," Arthur uttered, just seeing a vision of many cybermen, ready to attack. "There is no safe way to get back to the Tardis. They'll outnumber us before we even try to get there!"
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"Doctor?" Nardole frowns when the Doctor runs back to the house with Bill, Arthur, Missy, and the Master catching up with a loud alarm that keeps ringing.
"The Cybermen don't have fear, but they know how to use it. Operation Exodus. They're announcing their arrival. They're coming! The Cybermen are coming," he revealed.
"How long till they get here?" Bill asked as others began to prepare.
"Two hundred miles of time-dilated spaceship," Arthur hyphothesised before they entered the house. "We need a plan, quick."
"But do we have long enough?"
"They're Cybermen," the Doctor responded, opening the trapdoor to the cellar. "There's no such thing as long enough."
"Let me," Arthur volunteered, pushing a small cabinet to show a large wall.
"What's that?" Bill asked.
"We're on a spaceship, remember?" The Doctor reminded her before scanning it. "That's a service duct, rusted shut. Think you could get angry with it?"
Bill nods and starts to burn a human-sized hole in the metal covering. Besides her, Arthur's eyes glimmering in golden, giving boost power for Bill.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
Inside the children's dormitory, the Doctor is gathering up toys with some help from Arthur
"I don't understand," Alit stated.
"Well, it's very simple. The Cybermen have removed all fear from their hearts and minds. But you, Alit, you are going to put it all back," the Doctor remarked, putting down a small doll, then knocking the rest of the toys over.
"Yeah," Arthur nods as Alit frowns. "He did that to my Muppet dolls when we lived in Trenzalore."
▪︎▪︎▪︎
The Doctor is sitting on a chair on the front porch, toting a rifle. Behind him, Arthur and Alit standing guard, eyes observing at distance.
"Ding, dong, ding, dong. That is their song. With joyful ring. All carolling. One seems to hear. Words of good cheer. From everywhere. Filling the air. Ding dong ding dong ding."
"Listen. Er…" Bill walks closer to them, cutting Arthur from the repeating music as she leans on the pile of sandbags. "I don't suppose—"
An explosion happens.
"Cybermen start to arrive," Arthur confirmed as his father stood up.
"We have a maximum of ten minutes before they attack," the Doctor informed.
The door behind them opens. "Is it time?" Alit asked, step outside.
"Nardole?"
Nardole walks to him. "We're ready."
Alit points at the gun the Doctor had. "Is that my gun?"
"Oh! Er, no, no. I don't like guns." He quickly gives it to Hazran, gesturing her to come closer to him. "I've got a better idea. Are you good at throwing?"
"Better than all the boys," Alit said.
"Then how about humanity's first weapon?" Arthur smiles as his father gave Alit an apple. "Tempting, isn't it?"
"Tell everyone to be in position," Arthur informed Hazran as he caught Missy and the Master outside. "They can come in with suddenness."
As others prepare like they had planned beforehand, the Doctor and Arthur find the Master and Missy are lounging by the wall.
The Master has the dematerialisation circuit in his hand. "Listen, me and sis are off now, but we were kind of wondering, what's your plan, Doc?"
"Because whatever you've got, you can't save them," Missy pointed out.
"There's another solar farm five levels above us," Arthur told them. "We can get all the children up there, and most of the adults—"
"Then the Cybermen will find them again," the Master interrupted.
"It's the best we can do, so we're doing it," the Doctor remarked. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"You can't win."
"I know! And?"
He chuckles, mockingly. "Come on, Lady Version. I honestly don't know what you see in him."
"Likewise."
They walk away.
"HEY!" Arthur shouted, dragging the Doctor the moment they're still walking away before finally catch up. "We're not done with you two!"
"I'm going to be dead in a few hours, so before I go, let's have this out, you and me, once and for all," the Doctor said, looking at their faces carefully before laughing. "Winning? Is that what you think it's about? I'm not trying to win. I'm not doing this because I want to beat someone, or because I hate someone, or because…because I want to blame someone. It's not because it's fun and God knows it's not because it's easy. It's not even because it works, because it hardly ever does. I do what I do, because it's right! Because it's decent! And above all, it's kind. It's just that. Just kind. If I run away today…good people will die. If I stand and fight, some of them…might live. Maybe not many, maybe not for long. Hey, you know, maybe there's no point in any of this at all, but like my son did in the past, it's the best he can do, so I'm going to do it. And I will stand here doing it till it kills me."
"You know, eventually, you're going to die too," Arthur imparted. "Question is, how are you going to die? Died as a loser, or die trying to help people, to be kind? One day, when I die, I will die trying to save people. Because that's who I am. That's what my entire life shall be."
"Stand with us. These people are terrified. Maybe we can help, a little. Why not, just at the end, just be kind?"
The Master takes a step. "See this face? Take a good, long look at it. This is the face…that didn't listen to a word you two just said."
As he walks away, the Doctor looks at Missy. "Missy. Missy. You've changed. I know you have. And I know what you're capable of. Stand with me, with us. It's all I've ever wanted."
"Me too," she muttered as the Doctor reached his hand. "But no. Sorry. Just…no." She quickly grabs his hand. "But thanks for trying," she added and left him and Arthur, not even looking back.
"Now that…was really very nicely done," the Master admitted.
"Thank you," Missy said as they let go of hugging. The Master has blood on his fingers and she has a small blade on her palm.
"Missy!" The Master yelled as Missy walked away, leaving him on a lift. "I will never stand with the Doctor, let alone with that brat!"
"Yes, my dear, you will," she insisted, then her face went into shock as the Master zaps her in the back with his sonic.
"Don't bother trying to regenerate. You got the full blast."
"I see," Arthur mumbled sadly. That's how it goes.
The Doctor turns to look at his son. "What is?"
"Without hope, without witness, without reward," he simply recited.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
The Doctor, Arthur, and Bill enter the house, towards the living room. "So, any second now, the Cybermen will decide that we have significant weaponry," the Doctor informed.
"Awesome weaponry. The ultimate apple upgrade," Nardole told Alit.
"Which means that they will change their campaign parameters," Arthur added.
"How's that?"
"Before, this has been a simple mission."
Hazran frowns. "Why?"
"They want to upgrade you," the Doctor elaborated. "That's why they come for your children. But now they think we're a military target, so they will fall back, regroup, and plan a much bigger assault."
"Oh, good-o," Bill quipped.
"Yes, good. Because they will stop tracking the children, which means—"
"They're moving back," Rexhill said.
"And time to go," Arthur informed.
"But, we're surrounded."
"Oh, I love being surrounded. It means everyone's looking at me," the Doctor admitted. "Hazran, let's get going."
"Right then." She grabs Alit and calls the children. "Come on, you lot. Everybody down to the cellar."
"Time to go." The Doctor glances at Arthur. He knows what he need to do, but he needs one last thing to be done. "Nardole, I want you and Sunny to lead the evacuation."
"What? No!" They both protested.
"There's another solar farm on floor 502. There should be enough livestock in the cryogenic chamber—"
"Dad, you need us with you!" Arthur insisted.
The Doctor downloads everything on the laptop into his sonic screwdriver and shuts the lid. Then, within a minute he takes his sunglasses and put it on Arthur's hoodie pocket before Arthur can say anything. "Thanks for all the software. I will take it from here."
"Sir, with respect, I'm worried about your plan," Nardole grunted.
"Plan? What plan?"
"I think as soon as this place is evacuated, you're going to blow the whole floor, killing as many Cybermen as you can."
"Nooo. No, course not. I won't do that until I've left."
"You know it can't be done remotely," Arthur pointed out.
"Neither you two couldn't do it remotely," he retorted.
"Neither could you," Nardole argued. "And more to the point, you are not sending me up there to babysit a load of smelly humans. I had enough to babysit your son and that's saying something since he barely complaining, even as a child."
"Yeah? Well, I'm afraid that's exactly what I'm doing."
"Huh? This is me we're talking about. Me. You know what I was like. I'm nothing like your boy. If there's more than three people in a room, I start a black market. Send me with them, I'll be selling their own spaceship back to them once a week. Please, I would rather stay down here and explode. You go and farm the humans."
"Listen," the Doctor looks at Nardole and Arthur after a brief silence. "One of us has to stay down here and blow up a lot of silly tin men, and one of us has to go up there and look after a lot of very scared people, day after day, for the rest of their lives, and keep them safe. Now the question is this, Nardole, Sunny...which one of us is stronger?"
There's a long pause.
"I can stay, help you," Arthur pleaded. "Don't leave me."
The Doctor hugs him fiercely, kissing his forehead. "I'll always be with you, my Sunny. I love you with my beating hearts. But I can't let you stay. Not while you still had so much time to do it."
"I can't lose you."
"You won't. I'm sure there's a future when I see you again. So," he rubs his back. "Go with Nardole. Stay with the children until your next jump."
"Damn," Nardole cursed, realising how serious the Doctor is.
"My condolences."
"I'm going to name a town after you. A really rubbish one."
"Oh, I'm counting on it."
"And probably a pig," he glances at Bill. "Young lady, you're coming with me. No arguments. May I remind you I'm still empowered to kick your arse. And not even Arthur can avoid that. His mother made sure of it."
"You'd have to go back down there to that hospital and find it, then," Bill beckoned.
Arthur shook his head, his eyes swam with tears. "Bill—"
"My arse got kicked a long time ago, and there's no going back. Not even you can," she affirmed, standing next to the Doctor. "All I've got left is returning the favour."
"Oh, great. So she's allowed to explode," Nardole sassed.
The Doctor looks at Bill. "Are you sure?"
"You know I am," Bill replied.
"I don't know what to say," Nardole admitted.
"You'll think of the right words later," he reckoned. "Like Sunny always do."
Nardole takes Arthur's hand. "Doctor. Bill," he called, ready to leave, but said one last thing. "You're wrong, you know. Quite wrong. I never will be able to find the words."
"See you around, Dad," Arthur whispered in Gallifreyan, taking a good look at his father before walking away.
"Till next time…Sunny," the Doctor answered.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"Right, everyone!" Arthur shouted as he and Nardole arrived. "We need you to be big, we need you to be brave—"
"And we need you to follow me," Nardole remarked, leading them into the service duct.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
They lead the children out of the duct towards the cluster of lifts. "Okay, to the lifts. Floor 502. Squeeze as many in as you can, we only get one trip!" He instructed.
"Come, everyone!" Arthur cajoled them all. "They'll take years to get back here."
They hear more explosions in the near distance.
"Come along," Hazran called them.
The Doctor falls to his knees. The regeneration energy builds in his hand.
"Dad," Arthur murmured. "Dad, let it go. Time enough…"
As if hearing his words, the Doctor activated the bomb.
He flinches as he gets inside the lift. Not even the small comfort of Nardole nor Alit can cheer him up.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
A week later
Nardole and Alit step closer to a lift door on level 502, where Arthur Jonas had been sitting on a rock near the lift, waiting with his backpack and green hoodie. A really heartbreaking view, if Nardole is honest, remembering a story River told him about her mother who had waited for the Doctor to come back.
"They still might come, your father and friend," Alit consoled.
"No. They won't come here," Arthur shook his head. He knows that with certainty. His father will regenerate into a woman and crashed into the same train he took off many years ago.
"What about the Cybermen?"
"Well, the Doctor's destroyed most of them, so it'll take them a while to regroup, before they find us again," Nardole suspected.
"And then what?"
"Well, I'm sure we can think of something," Arthur suggested.
"Arthur, Nardole, Alit!" Gazran called as she ran to them. "Hazran says the food's ready."
Nardole nods. "Right. Come on. Let's go and find the others."
"Don't mind me," Arthur said with a sad smile, putting his backpack and hoodie on. "I'll be gone."
Alit gasped. "You're going to jump?"
He nods. "Be good, kids. Don't stress Nardole and Rexhill, okay? And Nardole?"
"Yeah?" The bald man asked,
Arthur quickly stands up and hugs him. He may not knows Nardole longer, but he appreciates his company. "Thank you."
Nardole hugs back, trying not to cry. "Of course."
They all watch as Arthur Jonas disappears, leaving gold particles behind as Nardole slowly put his arms down and lead Gazran and Alit back to the house.
Unknown to them, a blonde woman with a rainbow shirt. had stood far away, her blue box behind her humming sadly, while the blonde herself watched the interaction with two heavy hearts.
Time is slowly catching up to the Explorer.
And her time will also catch up.
Note: See y'all in Bidding Time!