My Queen of The Garden

by aliceoakdown11

"This is where we've always been heading, you and I." The Doctor's daughter was always shunned on Gallifrey, now travelling with her father, can she learn to trust him while keeping from him her biggest secret? That she's unavoidably in love with his best enemy. The MasterXOC

100. Part 6 - Chapter 100

"Morning, Kate," Hally greeted, bringing the previously vibrating phone up to her ear.

"There's been a break-in at the Queen Elizabeth archive," Kate's voice was brisk, no-nonsense, her hallmark. "We need to bring The Doctor in, are you on your way?"

Hally let out a hum, eyes flicking to the driver behind the wheel of the car that was currently transporting her from home to the office. "Yeah, we're about fifteen minutes away. I can text him? Can't guarantee he'll appear all that quickly…"

There was a pause before Kate spoke again. "Actually… scrap that. We've already found his TARDIS. In a field."

Hally snorted. "Oh, just pick it up then, bring it in. He'll go wherever the TARDIS is."

"Could he be inside?" Kate asked.

"Probably not." Hally's lips twitched into a smirk. "But he won't mind."

Of course, he would mind.

But she had to get her kicks somewhere.

Ten minutes later, Kate called back, her tone more urgent. "Meet us at the National Portrait Gallery, Trafalgar Square."

By the time Hally arrived at Trafalgar Square, the area was in full lockdown. UNIT personnel swarmed the scene, keeping crowds and cars at bay, a perimeter established around the gallery. She spotted Kate near the steps, Osgood standing next to her, fiddling nervously with her scarf. Kate shot Hally a knowing look as she approached.

"He's not happy," Kate said, lips pressed into a thin line.

Hally grinned, feigning innocence. "Oh, was he inside?"

Kate didn't respond verbally, but instead pointed upwards. Hally followed her gaze to see the TARDIS being airlifted in by a helicopter, The Doctor clinging precariously to the bottom, his coat flapping in the wind.

Hally's smirk widened.

As the TARDIS neared the ground, a nearby soldier barked, "Atten-shun!" A squad of UNIT soldiers snapped to attention as the helicopter gently lowered the TARDIS. Before it even touched the ground, The Doctor dropped, landing on his feet, then snapped a salute to Kate, Osgood, and the soldiers.

"Why am I saluting?" he muttered, before his gaze snapped to Hally with a suspicious squint. "Was this your doing?"

Hally tilted her head innocently. "I thought you'd like it."

"Liar."

"Did you have fun?"

"No. I. Did. Not." His tone was clipped. Hally hummed a low chuckle at the pout he sent her.

"Terribly sorry." She purred.

Kate stepped forward, offering him her hand. "Doctor, as Chief Scientific Officer, may I extend the official apologies of UNIT."

The Doctor turned to her, eyes narrowing. "Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, a word to the wise, as I'm sure your father would have told you, I don't like being picked up."

Clara stepped out of the now, fully grounded TARDIS. "That probably sounded better in his head," she shot them all a knowing grin.

"Doctor, I'm acting on instructions direct from the throne. Sealed orders from Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the First." She retrieved a sealed letter from one of the soldiers behind her, handing it to The Doctor.

Clara's eyes widened in surprise. "The Queen? The First? Sorry, Elizabeth the First?"

Kate nodded, completely serious. "Her credentials are inside."

The Doctor made to tear into the sealed message, but Kate interrupted, pointing to the National Gallery behind her. "No. Inside."

As he began making his way toward the gallery, The Doctor glanced at Osgood. "Nice scarf."

Osgood froze for a split second, her eyes going wide as she processed the compliment. The Doctor and Clara rushed off, bounding up the stairs to the gallery as Hally stepped in beside Osgood. She rolled her eyes playfully. "You know, it's a bit offensive to fangirl over my dad," she teased, nudging Osgood lightly. "You've never fangirled over me."

Osgood shot her a sheepish grin. "Oh no, I did. Quite a lot, really. All I need to do now is meet The Master and I've completed the set."

"Completed the set?" Hally repeated with a laugh. "We're not trading cards."

Osgood grinned wider, an inkling of embarrassment tinging her cheeks.

Kate caught up with them, and turned to Osgood. "What's our cover story for this?"

Osgood blinked, recovering quickly. "Er, Derren Brown."

Kate sighed. "Again?"

Osgood nodded earnestly. "We've sent him flowers."

UNIT officers led the group through the National Portrait Gallery, their footsteps echoing off the marble floors. Hally jogged to catch up with her father and Clara, who were walking ahead, deep in conversation.

"Did you know her, Elizabeth the First?" Clara asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Hmm, yeah. I'm intrigued. When did that happen?" Hally added, falling into step beside them. She took an iPad from one of the soldiers and swiftly read through the current incident report.

The Doctor gave her an appraising look. "Oh, look at you. All official, all Unified Intelligence Task Force," he teased.

Hally rolled her eyes. "Well, this is called 'holding down a job,' something I don't think you could hack." She handed the iPad back, offering him a pointed look.

"Oh, I could," The Doctor replied, his tone suddenly defensive. "I could have a job. Why shouldn't I have a job? I'd be brilliant at having a job."

"You'd be terrible."

"No, no. UNIT did actually hire me once. So technically, technically, this is my job."

"It's not your job. It's my job," Hally shot back, smirking.

"This is my job. I'm doing it now."

"You don't have a job."

"I do."

"Stop stealing my job."

"Is it a job if they don't pay you?" The Doctor quipped, raising an eyebrow.

She shot him a mock wounded look. "Oh… low blow."

"Maybe I could be your boss."

"You're not my boss. You're never going to be my boss." She clipped back.

Before The Doctor could retort, a large painting was unveiled in front of them. The group stopped in their tracks, staring at the image of a Citadel, engulfed in flames and under siege.

"Elizabeth's credentials, Doctor," Kate said, stepping forward.

The Doctor's eyes widened as he stared at the painting. "No more."

"That's the title," Kate explained.

"I know the title," The Doctor muttered, his voice tight.

"It's also known as Gallifrey Falls."

She stared at it.

The Doctor echoed her thoughts. "This painting doesn't belong here," The Doctor said, his voice low. "Not in this time or place."

"Obviously," Clara chimed in, her brow furrowing.

Hally might have frowned at the way Clara was so certain, she might have asked how it was the human was so sure but her brain was far too occupied.

"It's the fall of Arcadia," he explained, his voice quieter now. "Gallifrey's second city."

"But how is it doing that? How is that possible? It's an oil painting in 3D." Clara stepped forward, examining the painting more closely.

The Doctor nodded. "Time Lord art. Bigger on the inside. A slice of real time, frozen."

Hally stepped closer to the painting as well, her gaze scanning the details, every brushstroke, every flame.

"Elizabeth told us where to find it," Kate continued, "and its significance."

Clara took a step back, taking The Doctor's hand as she glanced at him, concerned. "You okay?"

"He was there," The Doctor said, quiet, his voice heavy.

"Who was?" Clara asked.

"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 Doctor's voice was laced with disgust, his eyes distant, staring not at the painting but through it. She turned to look at him. "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."

Something akin to empathy crossed her face at the pain on his. She was about to ask him how the painting had ended up on Earth, but Clara spoke across her first.

"But the Time War's over. Why have you brought us here to look at a painting?" Clara's eyes searched his face, trying to understand.

Kate stepped forward again, her voice steady. "The painting only serves as Elizabeth's credentials, proof that the letter is from her. It's not why you're here."

The Doctor, finally breaking his gaze from the painting, broke the wax seal on the letter and unfolded the paper.

Hally moved around to peer over his left shoulder at the letter, reading the old, swirly writing.

'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 pledged yourself to the safety of my kingdom. In this capacity, I have appointed you as curator 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.

Godspeed, gentle husband.'

Hally, reading the last line, scoffed gently. "My god, you get around."

The Doctor shot her a look that begged her not to start, but didn't comment. His attention snapped back to Kate. "What happened?"

Kate's expression grew more serious, her lips pressed together. "Easier to show you."

They followed Kate into another room. As a metal shutter slid down behind them, Hally, The Doctor and Clara stepped out in front of a large painting of Queen Elizabeth I. Their eyes moved from the Queen to the figure next to her. There stood a familiar face—The Doctor. Not the face that stood next to Hally now, the one he'd been before. The spikey hair and pinstripes, although the suit had been swapped out for full period dress and a ruff in the portrait.

"Elizabeth the First," Clara said, half to herself. "You knew her, then?"

"A long time ago," The Doctor replied, his tone guarded.

Hally glanced at the painting, then side-eyed her father with suspicion. Her attention quickly shifted to Clara. "Hold on, you recognise him as him?" she asked, incredulity creeping into her voice.

Clara hesitated, and The Doctor looked at her expectantly. "Oh… yes," Clara admitted slowly, casting a sheepish glance at Hally. "I sort of… fell through his timeline."

Hally blinked, shifting her gaze between them. "Right…" she said, clearly trying to process what that could possibly mean.

The Doctor waved his hand dismissively. "It was all fine," he assured her.

"He nearly died," Clara added, a little too casually.

Hally's expression hardened. "Again?" She gave The Doctor a pointed look. "You're really pushing the record at the moment, aren't you?"

The Doctor offered a faint smile. "She saved me."

"Uh-huh," Hally hummed.

Clara spoke up, eager to explain. "I jumped into his time stream… saved him. Lots of times."

"Right," Hally said, her brow furrowed.

"Visited my grave," The Doctor added, almost as if it was an afterthought, as though it explained all of it.

Hally's eyes widened. "Feels like you're definitely not meant to do that."

"No," He hummed in agreement.

"Cool," Hally replied, her sarcasm thinly veiled.

"I saw River," The Doctor added, glancing at Hally.

Hally's face shifted at the mention of River. "Oh… did you?" she asked, her voice lifting slightly. "She's been avoiding us."

"Well… she avoids me… I think," He said, his face falling into something saddened.

"No, you avoid each other. I'm just collateral damage," Hally replied with a hint of frustration.

"Indeed," The Doctor said, quietly acknowledging the truth of her words.

Hally narrowed her eyes, piecing it together. "Hold on… you visited your grave… and she jumped inside your time stream, like your actual time stream?"

"Yes," The Doctor confirmed.

"Wow… Ok… so she's seen a lot," Hally's eyes flicked to Clara, trying to wrap her mind around it.

"Well, I don't remember it all," Clara quickly added.

"No, you'd explode," Hally muttered dryly, casting Clara a sidelong glance.

She took in a breath, her eyes moving back up to meet The Doctor's. "Are you… ok?"

He nodded, giving her a smile that didn't quite meet his eyes.

They were busy, but it felt necessary as Hally pulled him into a hug.

He chuckled softly, exhaled with gentle relief and hugged her back.

Kate's voice cut through the moment. She pointed toward the portrait that was being shifted to the side, revealing a previously concealed door.

"This way," Kate instructed, guiding them back to the matter at hand.

Kate led them through the door and they followed into a dimly lit space, a hallway behind the painting. She waited for the three of them to cross over the threshold before she spoke. "Welcome to the Under Gallery. This is where Elizabeth I kept all art deemed too dangerous for public consumption."

The Doctor frowned and crouched down, scooping up a handful of sand from the floor. Hally looked around them, they were in a small room, either side lined with statues that had been covered with dust sheets. "Stone dust." The Doctor spoke, drawing her gaze back to him, filtering the stone through his fingers.

"Is it important?" Kate asked, her tone tinted with light curiosity.

The Doctor straightened. "In twelve hundred years, I've never stepped in anything that wasn't."

Hally cocked an eyebrow at him. "Well no, there was that time in Regent's Park you stepped in dog sh—"

The Doctor quickly waved his hand in front of her face to cut her off. He turned to Osgood with an exaggerated focus. "Oi, you. Are you science-y?"

Osgood, slightly startled, straightened her glasses. "Oh, er, well, er, yes."

"Got a name?" The Doctor asked, his eyes narrowing in playful inquiry.

"Yes," Osgood replied nervously.

The Doctor grinned. "Good. I've always wanted to meet someone called Yes. Now, I want this stone dust analysed." He began, before noting with instant delight how he had the unwavering attention of everyone present. "And I want a report in triplicate, with lots of graphs and diagrams and complicated sums on my desk tomorrow morning, ASAP, pronto, LOL." He raised an eyebrow at Clara, his gaze drifting over pointedly towards Hally. "See? Job. Do I have a desk?" He turned swiftly towards Kate.

"No," Kate replied immediately.

"And I want a desk."

"No." Hally clipped, offering him a sarcastic smile.

Kate sighed and instructed Osgood, "Get a team. Analyse the stone dust." She turned and they took it as instruction to follow.

"Inhaler!" Kate called back over her shoulder towards Osgood, who was undoubtedly freaking out over her elongated conversation with The Doctor.

Hally followed closely behind Kate as they moved deeper into the Under Gallery. Clara and The Doctor coming up swiftly behind them.

"Are you stealing 'art' now?" She commented as she turned to see he'd removed the fez from its casing, placing it atop his head as he entered the next gallery where Kate had paused.

The Doctor shot her an unabashed grin. "Oh, I think I made it art."

"Dear God…" Hally uttered, unable to suppress her eye roll.

Kate cleared her throat, gently attempting to remind the pair that they were supposed to be assisting in a serious matter. Hally's face pulled with a sly smile which she sent towards Kate, the look on her face indicating that her wish for the pair to 'behave' may not be granted. Nevertheless, father and daughter turned towards the far wall, taking a look at the only art display in the room. Three portrait paintings hung in a line on the wall, each a different landscape. It wasn't the paintings themselves that caught their attention, rather the frames. They'd been broken.

Glass littered the floor, some remnants still attached to the inside of the frames.

"This is why we called you in," Kate gestured to the shattered mess.

Clara stepped closer to the paintings. "3D again," she observed.

"Interesting…" The Doctor mused, he crouched, picking up a piece of the broken glass.

Clara gestured to the broken glass. "The broken glass?"

"No," The Doctor corrected, straightening up. "Where it's broken from."

Hally hummed softly. "It's been broken from the inside. Like something has broken out."

The Doctor shot her a glance, a wry smile on his face. "Exactly."

Kate gestured toward the walls. "As you can see, all the paintings are landscapes. No figures of any kind."

"So?" The Doctor asked, still piecing it together.

"There used to be," Kate said quietly, handing him a tablet displaying the original artwork. Hally leaned in on The Doctor's other side so she could see. Indeed, the original photographs Kate had of the paintings showed multiple figures within each landscape. Far off in the distance and blurred.

Clara's eyes widened. "Something's got out of the paintings."

"Lots of somethings," The Doctor confirmed. "Dangerous."

Kate crossed her arms. "This whole place has been searched. There's nothing here that shouldn't be, and nothing's got out."

"When were these paintings procur-" Hally was cut off by a sudden flash of light and a crackle of impatient energy.

Her attention and the attention of everyone in the room was immediately taken to the offending mass that was now hovering just above their heads inside the gallery. A sort of whirlpool of shimmering white energy circling above them.

"Oh no, not now." At her father's words, she turned to him, shooting him a look that demanded an explanation.

Clara glanced at him in alarm. "Doctor, what is it?"

The Doctor attempted to wave away the mass, as though it might make it disappear. "No, not now. I'm busy."

"Doctor, what is it?"

Kate's brow furrowed as she asked, "Is it to do with the paintings?"

"No, no. This is different," The Doctor muttered, distracted. "I remember this. Almost remember." His expression brightened with sudden realisation. "Oh, of course. This is where I come in."

Without hesitation, he pulled the fez from his head and threw it into the fissure. "Geronimo!" And, with a wild grin, he leapt into the whirlpool himself.

"Doctor!" Clara shouted, rushing forward, but it was too late, he had disappeared.

Kate, sensing Clara's intention to immediately follow him stopped the young woman with a firm but gentle grip on her shoulders. "Wait."

Hally folded her arms, her irritation evident. "Wonderful… love it when he does this."

Kate gave her a sideways glance, then looked at Clara, who seemed equally concerned. "Give him a minute… both of you."

They waited and after a few moments, the faint echo of voices drifted through the whirlpool. Distant and barely audible. Hally strained to listen, trying to pick up more, but it was too faint. Clara was the first to lose patience.

"Doctor, is that you?" Clara's voice cut through the murmur.

"Ah, hello, Clara. Can you hear me?" The Doctor's familiar voice responded, still distant but recognisable.

"Yeah, it's me. We can hear you. Where are you?"

"Where are we?" came The Doctor's response.

Another voice joined his. "England, 1562."

She felt herself pause.

She knew that voice.

Clara, confused, asked, "Who are you talking to?"

The reply came in unison with a hint of something she could only name 'Dad humour'. "Myself."

Hally's voice shook as she took a slow step closer to the whirlpool. "Dad?"

"Hal?" The voice again—his voice. Her father. The Doctor, but… the man he'd been before.

"Doctor, what's going on?" Hally asked, her confusion quickly turning to concern.

"Wait... hold on. He's 'Dad,' and I'm 'Doctor'? Is that it?" The… current Doctor piped up, his voice hitching with immediate distaste. "Oh, I get it." Even though she couldn't see either of them, she could imagine the way his face had scrunched up with a childlike scowl.

"No!" She pressed back quickly. "No, no, no. Don't start. I didn't say anything! You're the one who decided to take it that way." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"That's what you said." He shot back.

She let out a loud, impatient huff. "Daaad. Is this important right now?"

Clara's voice cut back in, and Hally could practically hear her confusion. "Oh, there's two of them."

"Yes." Hally offered her quickly.

Kate's voice then chimed in. "Can you come back through?"

The Doctor's answer was less than encouraging. "Physical passage may not be possible in both directions. It's... Ah! Hang on. Fez incoming!"

They waited and a few silent seconds passed.

Clara's voice came again. "Nothing here."

"Where did it go?" They heard the other Doctor ask his older self.

"Ah!" The Doctor cried out, followed by a smacking noise that indicated he'd hit his own palm into his face. "Kate?! Kate!"

"Yes?" Kate responded, her eyebrow cocking at the newfound urgency in The Doctor's voice.

"I need you to do me a favour. No questions asked..." Kate was in the process of opening her mouth to no doubt ask him what he meant when The Doctor continued, his words rushed. "I need you to deactivate that patch on the back of her neck."

Hally's brow furrowed. He was evidently talking about her.

The three women, Clara, Kate, and Hally, shared a look between them.

"Why?" Hally piped up, the slight lilt in her voice urging The Doctor to offer an explanation.

"No questions," He insisted swiftly. "Just do it. Deactivate it. Maybe just... take it off." He didn't even attempt to hide the distaste in his tone.

Reluctantly, and after a few seconds of the two women silently communicating with stares, Kate complied. She moved around to stand behind her, Hally assisting by moving her hair out of the way while Kate deactivated the patch before removing it from her skin completely. "It's off. What's going on, Doctor?" Kate probed, a hint of urgency seeping into her words.

"Just... stuff," came the muffled response, his voice fading again.

Kate frowned and gestured to Clara and Hally. "Keep him talking." She ordered them both, moving to leave, her phone already pressed to her ear.

Hally stood, eyes on the fissure. She could feel the edge of impatience surrounding Clara and it wasn't helping her own frustration.

She couldn't just wait here.

Something was happening.

She was simultaneously intrigued and mildly frustrated that she wasn't with him.

Both of them.

Her hearts seemed to flutter in her chest.

The pair of them, somewhere while she was stuck here gnawed at her. Momentarily, she tried to rationalise that following The Doctor would take her away from Lily, although the irrational part of her had already theorised that the younger version of The Doctor would have his TARDIS, he wouldn't be stranded and so neither would she be if she followed them.

Going was better than standing around waiting, wasn't it?

Clara's eyes flicked to Hally, sensing her internal conflict. The human gave her a subtle nod. "You go. One of us here, one of us there..."

Hally didn't need to be told twice. She gave a quick nod in return and jumped.

She landed with a thud, unceremoniously hitting the forest floor with a grunt. "Ow…"

The Doctor rushed over to help her up. "You were supposed to wait," he said, his tone a mix of relief at seeing she was unharmed and exasperation.

"Yuh-huh..." she groaned, dusting herself off. She stood, her gaze taking in the forest around her. There were three beings in front of her, The Doctor, the younger version of The Doctor and then… Hally's eyes locked onto the third figure, her expression immediately hardening into a scowl.

He looked back at her, his appearance aged and bedraggled. He raised an eyebrow, more surprised than hostile. "You." He uttered.

She immediately straightened up, feeling a familiar prickle creep up the back of her neck as she glowered at him. "Yeah. Me. Problem?" Her voice was sharp.

The other two Doctors, sensing the immediate shift in her, swiftly stepped in. The younger moved to position himself next to the problem, while her Doctor gently tugged her back a step or two, raising his hands in an apologetic plea for a truce. "No, no, no, no problem," He stammered, giving her a look that begged her to be the bigger person and not make the situation any more chaotic.

Hally huffed, her arms crossed, but she stayed quiet, albeit begrudgingly.

His eyes had widened in a sort of innocent confusion, as though surprised by her apparent attitude problem.

The Doctor.

Of course, not really.

Not her Doctor.

The Doctor before he'd been her father.

The Doctor as he'd been at the end of the war.

His gaze moved from her, back towards his older counterparts, trying to piece together the situation. "So, you are me?"

"Yes," Pinstripes responded dryly.

"Both of you?" He pressed, voice cracking with unimpressed surprise.

"Yep," He clipped again, shooting an equally surprised look towards the current Doctor, his face scrunching with something close to distaste.

"Even that one?" The War Doctor gestured towards the current Doctor, his expression sceptical.

"Yes!" both Doctors snapped, exasperated.

The War Doctor looked to Hally, as if for confirmation. She gave him a short nod in return, arms still crossed defensively.

"Am I having a midlife crisis?" The War Doctor asked, eyeing the sonic screwdrivers in the hands of his future selves. "Why are you pointing those things like water pistols? They're scientific instruments, not toys."

"Still loving the posh gravelly thing," Pinstripes quipped, pulling a face. "It's very convincing."

"Brave words, Dick van Dyke," His older self shot back.

Hally cocked an eyebrow, glancing between the three of them.

Before anyone could respond further, a troop of armed men surrounded them in the clearing. Well, she said 'armed', they pointed some pointy sticks at them, it was 1562 after all. "Encircle them!" A man whom she assumed to be the leader commanded loudly before turning on the four of them. "Which of you is The Doctor? The Queen of England is bewitched. I would have The Doctor's head!"

The War Doctor stepped forward. "Well, this has all the makings of your lucky day."

Hally couldn't help it—she snorted a laugh. "Oh, would you look at that. He's got a sense of humour, too."

Her Doctor shot her a pointed look. "Hally…"

"What?"

"Behave." Pinstripes joined the gentle berating.

"I am behaving," Hally insisted, her lips twitching into a smirk. "I think we can all agree I'm being pretty reasonable."

Clara's voice rumbled through the fissure, distant and not completely audible. "…I think there's three of them now."

Kate's clipped. "There's a precedent for that."

Fear seemed to grip the men in a wave, each noticing the still floating whirlpool of light that was hovering above their heads as the women's voices echoed through from it. "What is that?"

The War Doctor huffed as he noticed the other two had started brandishing their sonic screwdrivers at the surrounding men. "Oh, the pointing again. They're screwdrivers! What are you going to do, assemble a cabinet at them?"

Hally let out an overzealous sigh. "It hurts me immensely to agree with him, but he's right. What are you doing?"

The leader of the men, increasingly wary, pointed toward the fissure. "That thing, what witchcraft is it?"

The Doctor tilted his head, eyes flashing with an idea. "Ah, yes. Now that you mention it, that is witchcraft. Yes, yes, yes. Witchy witchcraft." He turned to shout into the portal. "Hello? Hello in there. Excuse me. Hello! Am I talking to the wicked witch of the well?"

After a moment, Clara responded sounding more like a confused librarian than a witch. "Hello?"

"Clara? Hi, hello. Hello!" The Doctor grinned back towards the three of them before calling back through the fissure. "Would you mind telling these prattling mortals to get themselves begone?"

Again there was a pause, before Clara muttered a very unenthusiastic, "What he said."

Hally let out a short laugh. "Clara, a little more colour would be wonderful. Imagine our lives are at stake."

"Right. Prattling mortals, off you pop, or I'll turn you all into frogs." Clara's voice echoed through the fissure.

A pretty terrible effort if you asked Hally. She rolled her eyes and raised her hand, adding a dramatic roll of thunder and a flash of lightening from the sky for good measure.

The Doctor grinned. "Ooo, frogs. Nice. You heard her."

The other Doctor, Pinstripes shot Hally a knowing look. "Nice one."

"Thanks. I thought so too," she quipped back, a small smile curving her mouth.

Clara asked again, "Doctor, what's going on?"

The Doctor waved his hand vaguely. "It's a timey-wimey thing."

The War Doctor looked confused. "Timey what? Timey-wimey?"

Pinstripes hummed, pulling a face. "I've no idea where he picks that stuff up."

Hally shot him a pointed look, which he innocently shot back at her.

The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances, their whispers turning into a murmur of agreement, before one of them finally stepped forward, barking with a finger pointed steadily in Hally's direction, "She's the witch!"

Hally threw her hands up in exasperation. "What? Why am I suddenly a witch?"

"I have never seen a woman in such attire. It is the work of the devil!"

Hally's eyebrows shot up. "Right... right... I see. So, there's a literal portal to another dimension hanging above your heads, but the issue you're all fixating on is that I'm wearing jeans?"

The War Doctor let out a huff, folding his arms. "Well, they're hardly appropriate for time travel. We're supposed to blend in."

Hally's eyes narrowed, her voice sharp. "Excuse me...? You don't have a problem with their attire?" She pointed at the other two Doctors, in their sharp suits and bow ties.

Pinstripes shifted uncomfortably, clearing his throat. "Oh... no, no. He does," he added, gesturing vaguely toward The War Doctor, who gave a gruff nod of agreement.

"Well, I certainly have opinions." The War Doctor muttered.

The Doctor quickly moved her aside, steering her away from The War Doctor, his arm guiding her protectively between himself and his counterpart. Very much distancing themselves from the older-looking man.

Just then, all the soldiers fell to their knees. "The Queen." They murmured, dropping to the floor in a show of respect as a woman with bright red hair in a large golden dress stepped into the clearing.

Elizabeth approached with an air of confident command. "You don't seem to be kneeling," she cooed, addressing the four of them. "How tremendously brave of you."

The younger Doctor squinted, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Which one are you? What happened to the other one?"

Elizabeth gave him a sly smile. "Indisposed. Long live the Queen."

In unison, the soldiers shouted, "Long live the Queen!"

Elizabeth turned to her soldiers. "Arrest these men and the witch. Take them to the Tower."

Hally groaned, which prompted The Doctor to pat her on the head in a semi-apologetic manner.

The younger Doctor, still eyeing Elizabeth suspiciously, spoke up, trying to reason with the soldiers. "That is not the Queen of England. That's an alien duplicate."

The Doctor chuckled, adding with plenty of mirth, "And you can take it from him, 'cause he's really checked."

"Shut up," Pinstripes grumbled.

But he didn't, continuing as a smug grin curved his mouth, very content to tease his younger sense. "Venom sacs in the tongue."

Hally rolled her eyes, chipping in. "You're such a slut. It's actually a miracle there aren't more like me."

He pouted at the pair of them. "Seriously, both of you, stop it."

"No, hang on!" The Doctor interjected suddenly, excitement sparkling behind his eyes. "The Tower!"

He turned to Elizabeth, suddenly intrigued. "Did you say the Tower? Ah, yes, brilliant. Love the Tower. Breakfast at eight, please. Will there be Wi-Fi?" He quipped with a grin that told them all he thought he was hilarious.

The War Doctor, deadpan, eyed him. "Are you capable of speaking without flapping your hands about?"

The Eleventh Doctor waved a hand dismissively. "Yes."

"No," Hally cut in.

The Doctor ignored her, continuing in full dramatic fashion. "No... I demand to be incarcerated in the Tower immediately with my co-conspirators: Sandshoes, Granddad, and the terrifying witch... or would you prefer Sorceress? That sounds fun, doesn't it? Sorceress."

Hally crossed her arms, glaring at him.

The War Doctor, completely unamused, raised an eyebrow. "Granddad?"

The other rolled his eyes. "They're not sandshoes."

"Yes, they are," The War Doctor replied bluntly.

Elizabeth clapped her hands to regain their attention. "Silence! The Tower is not to be taken lightly." She raised her voice, her tone ominous. "Very few emerge again."

---

The warder's voice echoed in the cell as he threw them inside. "Come on, you lot, get in there."

The War Doctor grumbled as the door shut behind them, rubbing his arm. "Ow."

The Doctor swiftly moved inside, scouting out a suitable wall before he picked up a discarded piece of metal, beginning to scratch something onto the stone pillar. "Three of us in one cell? That's going to cause some nasty anomalies if we don't get out soon."

The younger Doctor eyed him curiously. "What are you doing?"

"Getting us out," The Doctor replied, as if it was obvious.

Meanwhile, The War Doctor aimed his sonic screwdriver at the wooden door, testing its effectiveness.

Hally watched the three of them, a slight frown starting to form on her face.

Pinstripes shook his head. "The sonic won't work on that, it's too primitive."

The Doctor didn't miss a beat. "Shall we ask for a better quality of door so we can escape?"

Hally, feeling rather impatient, huffed and raised her hand. "I could just…" She motioned towards the door.

"No!" Both her fathers yelled toward her in unison.

She sighed dramatically, lowering her hand. "Alright, fine... let's do it your slow way."

Pinstripes shot her a look before he started to pace, running a hand through his hair. "Okay, so the Queen of England is now a Zygon. But never mind that. Why are we all together? Why are we all here? Well, me and Chinny—we were surprised, but you came looking for us. You knew it was going to happen. Who told you?" He turned to The War Doctor, his expression falling into one of suspicion.

The Doctor paused in his chiselling. "Oi, Chinny?"

"Yeah, you do have a chin," Pinstripes shot back.

Hally rolled her eyes and started to pace, her mind turning through the details they'd picked up so far. Her mind split between what was happening here and the problem they'd jumped from back at the National Portrait Gallery. The Doctor had seemed to know the two weren't connected. She glanced up, her eyes trailing from her Doctor to the other one. Something in her chest ached. For a moment, she allowed her to actually look at him, to really look at him. He looked exactly the same as she remembered.

Of course, he did. Why wouldn't he?

Those sad eyes, the stupid spikey hair, brown suit and converses.

Her mouth pulled into a slow smile.

There he was.

She had missed him.

It was almost a nostalgia, she supposed. Bittersweet reminiscing for a time that had passed. Perhaps even a simpler time. Time had moved on, as it always did. It was strange, facing something, or someone, you had come to terms with being gone. All the things she imagined she'd feel, the words she thought she'd say, and yet… nothing came. The memories were heavy, yet somehow distant. And now, here he was again.

Her father.

The War Doctor, seemingly lost in thought, spoke up. "In theory, I can trigger an isolated sonic shift among the molecules, and the door should disintegrate."

The Doctor she'd been staring at immediately dismissed the idea. "We'd have to calculate the exact harmonic resonance of the entire structure down to a subatomic level. Even the sonic would take years."

The War Doctor sighed softly. "No… no, the sonic would take centuries. Oh, we might as well get started. Help to pass the timey-wimey." His eyes fell purposefully on his two older counterparts. He shook his head, scoffing. "Do you have to talk like children? What is it that makes you so ashamed of being a grown-up?" A heavy silence fell across the trio of Doctors as the older pair turned to look back at The War Doctor. "Oh, the way you both look at me. What is that? I'm trying to think of a better word than dread."

"It must be really recent for you." The younger Doctor offered quietly.

The War Doctor frowned. "Recent?"

The Doctor's scratching halted for a moment. "The Time War. The last day. The day you killed them all." He clipped, not even bothering to look at either man.

The younger Doctor added quietly, but firmly, "The day we killed them all."

The Doctor didn't flinch. "Same thing."

The War Doctor remained stoic. "I don't talk about it."

Hally's brows knitted further together, her attention landing on him. "When have you come from?"

He ignored her, staring into the distance, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. "Did you ever count?"

Again, without looking back at him, The Doctor continued scraping into the wall. "Count what?" He asked, his tone flippant although Hally had a faint inkling that the nonchalance wasn't honest.

The War Doctor's gaze darkened. "How many children there were on Gallifrey that day."

The Doctor's scratching stopped abruptly, his expression hardening. "I have absolutely no idea."

She could have called him out, she could have called him a liar, but she didn't. There was something happening between the three of them, and it didn't feel right for her to interject.

The War Doctor didn't let it drop. "How old are you now?"

The Doctor shrugged. "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."

"Four hundred years older than me," The War Doctor stated flatly, "…and in all that time you've never even wondered how many there were? You never once counted?"

The Doctor let out a dark sigh, his voice clipping in a way she rarely heard. "Tell me, what would be the point?"

The younger Doctor cut across him. "Two point four seven billion."

The War Doctor's eyes snapped to him. "You did count."

But the younger Doctor wasn't looking at him, his gaze was focused on his older self, disgust etched across his face. "You forgot? Four hundred years, is that all it takes?"

Hally had leant herself back against the cell wall, shrouded in a partial shadow. Her presence was suddenly uncomfortable. She was out of place. As though witnessing something private. Something she shouldn't be witnessing. And yet, she couldn't help but watch them, her eyes flicking across each of their individual faces. The two she considered her father, the darkness behind their expressions. The guilt seemed to wrap around them both in a heavy cloud.

She glanced then, at The War Doctor. She'd never met him. Not in this regeneration. She'd recognised his face from all the alerts during the Time War. Holo-messages. The high-tech version of a wanted poster. His face had always been plastered all over them. He looked older than in the photographs.

As she considered him, her eyes narrowed.

He didn't carry the same cloud of guilt as the other two.

Pinstripes had mentioned something about how The War Doctor had come looking for the pair of them? But her, he'd been surprised to see her. Which meant he hadn't 'rescued' her from Gallifrey yet. Which, in turn, led her to the conclusion that he couldn't have destroyed Gallifrey yet…

And yet, here he was…

The pair of Doctors were passing words between them, heavy and frustrated.

The War Doctor interjected, his voice flat and uncertain. "I don't know who you are, either of you. I haven't got the faintest idea." He shook his head, studying them both.

Hally leaned forward, enough light catching her face to remind them of her presence. "How are you here?"

But again, he ignored her.

"Just, no," The War Doctor spoke, after a moment, his gaze still distant.

"No?" Pinstripes clipped.

"Just, no," He repeated, a weight lingering in the words.

The Doctor shook his head, letting out a snort of amusement.

The younger Doctor picked up on it, shooting him a glare. "Is something funny? Did I miss a funny thing?"

"Sorry. It just occurred to me. This is what I'm like when I'm alone," The Doctor admitted, a wry smile curving at his mouth.

"Four hundred years…" The War Doctor hummed, rising from his seat with a spark of an idea behind his eyes.

"I'm sorry?" Pinstripes tiled his head.

"At a software level, they're all the same device, aren't they? Same software, different case." The War Doctor continued.

"Yeah…"

"So… it would take centuries for the screwdriver to calculate how to disintegrate the door. Scanning the door, implanting the calculation as a permanent subroutine in the software architecture, and if you really are me, with your sandshoes and your dickie bow, and that screwdriver is still mine, that calculation is still going on."

'Sandshoes' brought his screwdriver up to his ear, his face lighting up. "Yeah, still going."

"Calculation complete," The Doctor announced, a grin spreading over his expression. Invariably pleased with himself. "Hey, four hundred years in four seconds," He laughed. "We may have had our differences, which is frankly odd in the circumstances, but I tell you what, boys. We are incredibly clever."

At that moment, the cell door burst open and the bundle that was Clara Oswald practically fell into the room.

They all stared at her.

"How did you do that?" The Doctor asked the obvious question.

"It wasn't locked…" Clara motioned back towards the door.

"Right."

"Figures…" Hally muttered, her mouth curving with amusement.

Clara looked around, piecing it together as she addressed The Doctor. "So they're both you, then, yeah?"

"Yes. You've met them before. Don't you remember?" He took a few steps towards her, seemingly checking her over.

"A bit. Nice suit," Clara noted, looking over toward Pinstripes.

"Thanks." He hummed with a grin, pleased.

Clara's gaze found her then, looking her up and down as an empathetic realisation passed across her face. "Ok?"

Hally gave her a smile and a shrug. "I suppose."

Clara's brow furrowed as she took them all in. "Hang on. The four of you in one cell, and none of you thought to try the door?"

The War Doctor cleared his throat. "It should have been locked."

"Yes. Exactly. Why wasn't it locked?" The Doctor brushed past Clara to inspect the door as though it had embarrassed them on purpose.

From beyond the door, Elizabeth's voice sliced through the air, immediately drawing their attention. "Because I was fascinated to see what you would do upon escaping." She stepped forward into the cell, her eyes twinkling as her gaze slid across the five of them. "I understand you're rather fond of this world. It's time I think you saw what's going to happen to it."

Elizabeth turned on her heal, indicating for them to follow, which they did. She led them deeper into the tower dungeons, the dim light from the candles lining the walls lighting their path until an unnatural reddish glow took its place. "The Zygons lost their own world. It burnt in the first days of the Time War. A new home is required." Elizabeth spoke, stopping as they entered a cavern, one that was certainly not suited to the time period. Zygon technology littered the walls and down on the platform below, Zygons moved about in their true forms.

Clara pieced together the implications of Elizabeth's words. "So they want this one."

"Not yet. It's far too primitive. Zygons are used to a certain level of comfort," The Zygon Elizabeth clarified.

From the shadows, a Zygon emerged, its beady eyes glaring at them as it spoke with contempt. "Commander, why are these creatures here?"

"Because I say they should be." Elizabeth, the Zygon commander snapped back. "It is time you too were translated." She turned to motion for The Doctor to step closer. "Observe this. I believe you will find it fascinating," Elizabeth commanded, gesturing towards a glass cube placed inside a bed of wires. As the Zygon placed its hand on the cube, it vanished and promptly reappeared inside a familiar painting propped up against the wall. It was one of the paintings that they'd just left in the Under Gallery in London.

Clara's eyes widened. "That's him! That's the Zygon in the picture now."

Hally was going to open her mouth to let Clara know that she didn't need to narrate everything happening, they could also see… but The War Doctor spoke first.

"It's not a picture; it's a stasis cube. Time Lord art. Frozen instants in time, bigger on the inside, but could be deployed as…"

"Suspended animation. Oh, that's very good…" Pinstripes chimed in, semi-impressed excitement bubbling in his voice. "The Zygons all pop inside the pictures, wait a few centuries until the planet's a bit more interesting, and then out they come."

"Exactly," The Doctor agreed, nodding at his past self. "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. Forget I said cup-a-soups." He waved his hand dismissing the metaphor. "So, now that the world is worth conquering, they're emerging. Invading the future from the past."

"Exactly." His younger self echoed, before he turned his attention to the Zygon Elizabeth, his gaze darkening as he rounded on her. "And do you know why I know that you're a fake? Because you're such a bad copy. It's not just the smell, 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?"

Elizabeth gave him a slow, coy smile. "Because it's not my plan. And I am the real Elizabeth." She countered, a flicker of defiance in her eyes.

Hally watched as her father desperately tried to dig himself out of the hole he'd just marvellously jumped into. "Okay. So, backtracking a moment just to lend context to my earlier remarks…"

Elizabeth continued, unfazed. "My twin is dead in the forest. I am accustomed to taking precautions." With a swift motion, she produced a dagger from beneath her skirts. "These Zygon creatures never even considered that it was me who survived rather than their own commander. The arrogance that typifies their kind."

"Zygons?" Clara asked, trying to clarify.

"Men," Elizabeth replied, a note of disdain in her voice.

Hally hummed in loud agreement prompting a trio of looks from all three Doctors.

"And you actually killed one of them?" Clara pressed, incredulity in her tone.

"I may have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but at the time, so did the Zygon. The future of my kingdom is imperilled. Doctor, can I rely on your service?" Elizabeth asked, her gaze piercing.

Pinstripes nodded, thoughts flashing behind his eyes as he brought himself up to speed. "Well, I'm going to need my TARDIS."

"It has been procured already," Elizabeth assured him, her eyes glinting with confidence.

"Ah," he said, a smile creeping onto his face.

"But first, my love, you have a promise to keep," Elizabeth added, her face curving with a knowing smile.

---

"I now pronounce you man and wife."

Clara cheered, clapping her hands in delight.

The only one celebrating, it would seem.

"You may kiss the bride," the Clergyman instructed, motioning towards the Queen and her now husband. Elizabeth wasted no time, enthusiastically pulling the younger Doctor into a passionate kiss.

Hally's face scrunched with distaste and she swiftly averted her gaze from the pair, instead choosing to focus on the line of onlookers. Clara, The Doctor and The War Doctor. The Doctor had the decency to offer her an apologetic smile.

"Is there a lot of this in the future?" The War Doctor asked, eyeing the scene with curiosity.

"It does start to happen, yeah…" The Doctor hummed.

Hally shook her head, a bemused expression on her face. "Honestly. How many is this now?"

Elizabeth had finally removed her mouth from The Doctor's. "Godspeed, my love," Elizabeth said, her voice laced with affection.

"I will be right back." He untangled himself from her, before sprinting towards the parked TARDIS, the rest of them followed swiftly.

Pinstripes cranked up his TARDIS as Hally, Clara, The Doctor and The War Doctor filtered into the console room, Clara and The War Doctor taking in the décor.

"Right then, back to the future."

The TARDIS hummed with familiarity, the air heavy with a mix of nostalgia and urgency. The War Doctor's face had fallen into a slight frown. "You've let this place go a bit."

The Doctor waved his hand. "Ah, it's his grunge phase." A dismissive grin on his face. "He grows out of it."

Hally pouted. "I like it like this…"

"You're just picking favourites." The Doctor shot back, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Don't you listen to them…" Pinstripes cooed, patting the TARDIS console gently.

The console sparked and The Doctor jumped back with a jolt. "Ow! The desktop is glitching!" His eyes widened at the suddenly altered console appearance.

"Three of us from different time zones. It's trying to compensate." The War Doctor offered as explanation.

The Doctor's face split into a stupidly childish grin. "Hey, look. The round things!"

"I love the round things." His younger self added, his own face a mirror of excitable wonder.

"What are the round things?"

"No idea."

The Doctor messed around with the controls until the console stabilised herself to look as the most recent version did. The other two Doctors took a look around, Pinstripes scoffed with an exaggerated look of disdain. "Oh, you've redecorated. I don't like it."

"Oh? Oh yeah? Oh, you never do." The Doctor countered, rolling his eyes. "Listen, we're going to the National Gallery. The Zygons are underneath it."

"No, UNIT HQ. They followed us there in the Black Archive," Clara corrected quickly. She crossed her arms across her chest as she received three incredulous stares—one from each Doctor. "Okay, so you've heard of that, then." She muttered.

Hally's face fell into a deep frown and she let out a huff. "The Archive is TARDIS proof…"

Four pairs of eyes landed on her.

"What do you mean 'TARDIS' proof?" The Doctor spoke slowly, as though speaking to a child.

She shot him a withering look. "As in you can't land the TARDIS in there. It's TARDIS proof. They thought it was a good security measure."

"And you agreed?" His voice hitched an octave.

Hally rolled her eyes dramatically. "I have no say in what UNIT choose to do, Dad. Its alien technology plus human stupidity. It's unbeatable." She paused, shooting Clara a look. "No offence…"

"Some taken…"

The Doctor's fingers flew over the controls as he hacked into a communication device located within the Black Archive, his expression grave as Kate's voice began playing through the console.

"You would destroy London?"

"To save the world, yes, I would."

A deep crease appeared on Hally's forehead as she frowned. It sounded as though Kate was talking to herself…?

Then Hally remembered.

Zygons.

"You're bluffing."

"You really think so? Somewhere in your memory is a man called Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge Stewart. I am his daughter."

Right… so that must be the real Kate's voice.

The Doctor spoke, interrupting them. "Science leads, Kate. Is that what you meant? Is that what your father meant?"

"Doctor?"

"Space-Time Telegraph, Kate. A gift from me to your father—hotline straight to the TARDIS. I know about the Black Archive, and I know about the security protocol. Kate, please. Please tell me you are not about to do something unbelievably stupid."

"I'm sorry, Doctor. Switch it off."

The Doctor's younger self spoke up, his voice low and hard. "Not as sorry as you will be. This is not a decision you will ever be able to live with."

"I said, switch it off."

"No, Kate, please. Just listen to me!"

But the link had already been cut, the TARDIS fell into a tense silence.

It was The War Doctor who broke it. "We don't need to land."

Pinstripes looked over to him, before his eyes slid to hers and back again. "Yeah, we do. A tiny bit. Try and keep up." He clipped.

"No, we don't. We don't. There is another way…." They followed his gaze to the stasis cube. "Cup-a-soup… What is cup-a-soup?"

They'd made a plan.

The Doctor had made a call, getting the Gallifrey Falls painting sent to the Black Archive.

Then they'd landed. They were going to use the stasis cube to put themselves inside the painting. Then they'd be there, in the Black Archive, when they needed to be.

Everything was set.

The Doctor turned to her. Something about his expression told her she wasn't about to like whatever was going to come out of his mouth.

"Stay here, Hally, stay in the TARDIS."

"Oh, fuck off... no," she shot back, crossing her arms defiantly.

The War Doctor shot her a disapproving look. "Language," he chided, raising an eyebrow.

Hally glared at him, before turning back to her Doctor. "I'm coming with you. I decide what's too dangerous or too much of a risk, understood?"

The Doctor looked like he was about to argue, but with a raise of both of his hands he gently conceded and the five of them entered the painting.

It was strange.

Almost like a dream.

If a dream were made of brush strokes.

It looked like Arcadia. Everything so realistic and yet with a quality of not being quite right. A blend of colours and flowing forms.

They waited.

Until the time was right.

And then…

Time began to move.

The painting was moving.

And they were escaping.

The Doctors sent the screeching form of a dying Dalek crashing through the glass of the painting, stepping out defiantly into the Black Archive.

The Dalek expired with a final, defeated whimper.

"Hello." The War Doctor greeted the staring humans and Zygons.

"I'm The Doctor." Pinstripes added, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Sorry about the Dalek." The Doctor hummed, his voice lilted with confidence.

Clara climbed out of the portrait behind Hally. "Also the showing off."

Hally offered the human a hand, helping her down while avoiding the shards of glass scattered across the floor. She watched as The Doctors moved around, assessing the standoff. Humans and Zygons, neither backing down.

"Kate Lethbridge Stewart, what in the name of sanity are you doing?" The Doctor demanded.

"The countdown can only be halted at my personal command. There's nothing you can do." Kate replied, her expression unwavering.

"Except make you both agree to halt it." Pinstripes chimed in, his eyes narrowing.

"Not even three of you," Kate countered defiantly.

"Kate…" Hally stepped forward, her eyes flickering between the two of them. "This is stupid… surely, surely this isn't your answer?"

The Kate to her right offered her an apologetic look before her face hardened with determination. Hally's own expression darkened into one of warning, one of disappointment. "You're about to murder millions of people." She pressed, her eyes glittering with the unsaid.

"To save billions," Kate shot back, unwavering. She turned to look across at The Doctor. "How many times have you made that calculation?"

"Once," The Doctor admitted, his voice filled with a bitter reflection. "Turned me into the man I am now. I'm not even sure who that is anymore."

"You tell yourself it's justified, but it's a lie." Pinstripes hummed, coming to stand by his counterpart. "What I did that day was wrong. Just… wrong."

The pair of them sat, side by side at the head of the table. "And because I got it wrong, I'm going to make you get it right." The Doctor crossed his arms over his chest, placing his feet up on the table. An action mirrored by his younger self.

Hally watched the pair of them and as she did a thought wriggled its way into her conscious mind. She considered him, her father and she considered that perhaps all those times he'd stopped her, all those times he'd tried to sway her behaviour, to hold her back from making her mistakes had been because of this. Her father knew guilt far better than her. Perhaps, all along, he'd simply been attempting to prevent her from ever needing to feel it.

"How?" Kate asked, curiosity mingling with her concern.

"Any second now, you're going to stop that countdown. Both of you, together." Pinstripes instructed, his voice firm.

"Then you're going to negotiate the most perfect treaty of all time." The Doctor added.

"Safeguards all round, completely fair on both sides."

"And the key to perfect negotiation?"

"Not knowing what side you're on." A knowing smirk played on her father's lips.

"So, for the next few hours, until we decide to let you out—" The Doctor began.

"No one in this room will be able to remember if they're human or Zygon." His younger self concluded.

The Doctor jumped out of his chair, leaping onto the table with his screwdriver raised. "Whoops-a-daisy!"

The singular buzzing was immediately joined by another two sets of whirring as all three screwdrivers were pointed towards the memory filters within the ceiling.

As the countdown ticked down to seven, the humans and Zygons looked around, their expressions a mix of confusion and dread.

"Cancel the detonation!" The Kates shouted in unison.

The countdown halted at five.

"Peace in our time."

The conversation between the Kates hummed on in the background, but Hally's attention wasn't on them. She was keeping some of her attention vaguely on them, but most of her focus was on the youngest Doctor. Something about him wasn't quite right. Perhaps she was biased. But still… how was he here? The pieces weren't adding up. Her only logical explanation was that he had somehow come from Gallifrey. And if that were true, then maybe, just maybe, there was a way to get her onto Gallifrey as well.

She pulled her phone from her back pocket, shooting a text to Jack.

H: Might be a long day. Can you pick Lily up from school?

J: Sure, all okay? Kate mentioned something about Elizabeth I? Need a hand?

H: No. Doctors are on it.

J: Doctors?

She snapped a quick photo of the two Doctors, still seated side by side at the table, and sent it to Jack.

J: Holy shit.

H: 👍

J: How're those Daddy issues holding up?

H:

She ran a hand through her hair as she pocketed her phone, looking back up to continue to observe The War Doctor. He was speaking with Clara.

The human turned away from him momentarily, a frown on her face.

As she did, as Hally watched, the aged-looking man simply… disappeared.

Clara turned back, confronted with the now empty chair. She stood up and swiftly started to move towards The Doctor. Hally intercepted her, the human's eyes were wide with a realisation.

"What did he say?"

"He disappeared…"

"I know. I saw. What did he say before?"

"That he… he was ready… he hadn't done it yet. I knew he hadn't. He hasn't destroyed them."

Clara moved away from her, no doubt to relay the information to The Doctor.

Hally paused.

He hadn't destroyed Gallifrey yet.

Which meant…

He had come from Gallifrey.

Somehow, he'd come from inside the Time Lock.

Hally shifted, following the human.

"… I'm telling you, he hasn't done it yet. We can stop him."

"If he came here, maybe we can follow him back." Perhaps to Clara, it sounded like Hally was agreeing with her, perhaps it did to the other Doctor too, but her Doctor looked at her. His expression immediately grave. He knew what she was thinking. He knew where her mind had gone.

"He came from Gallifrey." She pressed.

The younger Doctor looked between them all. "He hadn't done it?"

"No." Clara insisted.

"Doctor…" Hally's gaze never left his. Something passed between the pair.

He rose to his feet. "Kates. Keep up the discussions. We'll be back."

They had picked up both TARDIS's and somehow… they had followed him.

Hally, Clara and The Doctor stepped out of their TARDIS into a barn, joined on their right by the younger Doctor, stepping from his TARDIS. Silence hung around them. Sunlight streamed in through the windows, catching the dust motes suspended in the air, the smell of earth and age surrounding them. Hally followed the others, her eyes flicking from the three Doctors in front of her to the windows, her senses stretching far beyond the physical walls.

The War Doctor, the man standing before them, his hand hovering near a large, ominous red button, was focused on what he believed he had to do.

They were far from the Citadel, too far. She stretched out her consciousness, searching. But the distance was too far, the noise too great.

But, he had to be there.

This moment.

He would be there.

"I told you," Clara said, her voice shaking with both fear and hope. "He hasn't done it yet."

The War Doctor didn't look up at their approach. "Go away now, all of you. This is for me."

"No, you don't understand…" Pinstripes muttered, looking around the barn with a heavy sense of recollection. "These events should be time-locked. We shouldn't even be here."

"So something let us through." The Doctor nodded, his tone sharp and knowing.

"Go back. Go back to your lives. Go and be The Doctor that I could never be. Make it worthwhile." The War Doctor begged, his voice cracking with the weight of what he was preparing to do.

The Doctors approached him slowly from either side, coming to meet him in front of the weapon.

"All those years, burying you in my memory."

"Pretending you didn't exist. 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."

"But this time…" Their hands joined his, ready on the button. "You don't have to do it alone."

"Thank you…" The War Doctor whispered and the room held its breath.

Hally's attention had snapped back to the trio in front of her. Her brow furrowed deeply. She hadn't really thought about it before.

This.

This moment.

Not like this.

"What we do today…" Pinstripes spoke again, his voice soft but filled with conviction, "is not out of fear or hatred. It is done because there is no other way."

Hally glanced over at Clara, seeing tears streaking her face, and it hit her like a freight train.

No.

This wasn't… right.

Not like this.

The Doctor's voice rang through the barn. "And it is done in the name of the many lives we are failing to save."

No.

It had never felt right.

Not to her.

All of the ways she had imagined this moment.

This moment that had changed everything.

She had never imagined it like this.

Not this quiet, subdued sadness. Not this solemnity. She'd imagined it frantic, rushed, chaotic, born out of desperation and terror.

Not this.

She stared at the button. Red and obnoxious.

If they pressed it, he'd kill them all.

All of them.

Indiscriminately.

Children. All those children.

Her hearts stuttered painfully in her chest.

It was funny. All those times he'd told her not to kill and she didn't fully understand the sentiment.

She does now.

She understands now.

All of those children.

Because one of them could have been Lily.

She moved, almost without thinking, her hand stretching out low in front of her. A golden band of energy snaked from her fingertips, winding around the wrists of all three Doctors. They froze, startled, as the band tightened, halting them.

Her Doctor looked to her first, followed swiftly by his younger selves.

"Hally... what are you doing?"

She didn't answer, her face a mask of concentration. Her mind was spinning, racing through a thousand possibilities. She'd never considered this before, this moment, this decision. It had always been his problem. His burden. His guilt.

But not this time.

This time, she was here.

And letting him do this felt a lot like doing it herself.

"Hal…" His voice was gentle, tentative. "What is it?"

"Shh," she whispered, silencing him. She needed to think. They were all talking, and she needed them to be quiet so she could focus.

The Doctor frowned, glancing toward the barn doors. "We don't have time for this. There are billions of Daleks about to break through above us—"

"Hold on," Hally muttered, cutting him off.

Within the silence, within the moment The Doctor seemed to notice Clara's tears, because he frowned. "What? What is it?"

Next to her Clara took a deep breath. "You told me you wiped out your own people. I just… I never pictured you doing it, that's all."

Hally's frown deepened, her eyes drifting through the wooden slats to the distant outline of the city.

The war.

And yet…

It was still home.

Home.

It had been so long. Too long.

Suddenly, the barn around them faded into darkness, their surroundings shifted and a moment later it was as though they were standing in the centre of the Citadel itself. Destruction raged around them. Fear and chaos as blasts took out whole buildings from above. Men, women and children fled around them, running as though they could somehow outlast the destruction.

"What's happening?" Clara spoke, her voice strangely echoing against the backdrop of death.

The War Doctor shook his head, his face grave. "Nothing. It's a projection."

Of course.

The Moment.

The weapon that had developed a conscience.

"These are the people you're going to burn?" Clara's voice broke with pain, with the horrible realisation of what The Doctor planned to do, of what he had done.

The younger Doctor turned to her, his face tense with anguish. "There isn't anything we can do…"

"He's right. There isn't another way. There never was. Either I destroy my own people or let the universe burn."

Hally's gaze shifted around them, the rubble, the people.

So real she could almost touch it.

Home.

It had been so long.

So, so long.

And it still was home.

As much as she had resented it.

Her home.

Clara was talking.

Addressing The Doctors.

To her right she watched as two women gathered a child into their arms, attempting to take shelter beneath an alcove created by a fallen column.

It struck her, unavoidably and with it came a steadfast certainty.

That could have been her.

It could have been Lily.

To kill them all.

Could she stand here and let him?

The answer was easy.

"…You told me the name you chose was a promise. What was the promise?" Clara pressed, her tone an evident plea.

"Never cruel or cowardly."

The scene around them shifted, the chaos and destruction eased.

"Never give up, never give in."

The blaster fire overhead stopped and slowly, as though rising from the ashes the people around them began to get to their feet.

As suddenly as they had come, the images vanished, and they were back in the barn. The quiet of reality replaced the chaotic visions of Gallifrey under siege. Hally stood still, watching the scene in front of her, the three men by the button that could end it all. Her wrist flicked and all three of their hands were pulled away. "Yeah… no." She hummed casually.

The younger Doctor blinked at her in disbelief. "No? You're not actually suggesting that we change our own personal history?"

Hally shrugged, her arms folding across her chest. Her tone was unapologetic, almost defiant. "Fuck it. Fuck the stupid Timey Wimey."

The War Doctor, his expression a hardened mix of resignation and determination, huffed, not appreciating her levity.

She tutted, looking between the three of them. "No. Really. What if you didn't? What if this time, you didn't?" She paused, her gaze shifting to The Doctor—her Doctor. "I don't think I can let you."

The War Doctor's eyes narrowed. He scoffed at her, offended by the implication that she had any say in this. "Let us? This is our choice."

"Shh," Hally shushed him, her eyes never leaving The Doctor. "No."

The Doctor met her gaze, torn, his mind processing her words. He understood why she was doing this, he understood, of course he did. But she voiced it anyway.

"Could you look her in the eyes and tell her?" Hally pressed softly, the weight of her question heavier than anything else in the room. "Tell her you had the chance to make it right, and we didn't? Because I know I couldn't… I can't…"

The Doctor's face softened. His lips pressed into a pout as the gravity of what she said settled deep within him. He nodded slowly, as the cogs started to shift in his mind.

Pinstripes looked between them, his brows drawn together in confusion. "What? We're doing this?"

The Doctor turned, his decision solidifying in his eyes. "We change history all the time. I'm suggesting far worse."

The War Doctor eyed him warily, unsure where this sudden shift was heading. "What, exactly?"

The Doctor straightened, a glint of something bold and daring flickering across his face. "Gentlemen, I've had four hundred years to think about this. I've changed my mind."

Before either of the others could react, The Doctor whipped out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the big red button. In a blink, the button disappeared, sonicked back into the box.

The War Doctor's eyes widened in disbelief. "There's still a billion, billion Daleks up there, attacking."

"Yeah, there is," The Doctor said, nonchalantly. "There is."

Pinstripes began to catch on, the same glimmer of brilliance spreading across his face. "But there's something those billion, billion Daleks don't know."

The Doctor smiled, his tone growing mischievous. "Because if they did, they'd probably send for reinforcements."

Clara, standing off to the side, stepped forward, confused but intrigued. "What? What don't they know?"

The Doctor grinned. "This time, there's three of us."

The War Doctor's face lit up, understanding dawning on him. "Oh! Oh, yes, that is good. That is brilliant!"

With a low hum and a gentle roll of her eyes Hally added, "Ok, yeah, there's also me, I think you're all forgetting I'm brilliant too."

Pinstripes began bouncing on his toes, excitement building. "Oh, we are brilliant!"

The Doctor let out a laugh, a joyous release of years of regret. "Ha, ha, ha! I've been thinking about it for centuries."

The War Doctor's face softened, a rare smile pulling at his lips. "She didn't just show me any old future, she showed me exactly the future I needed to see."

The Doctor blinked, confused for a moment. "Eh? Who did?"

The War Doctor grinned wider, a glint of fondness in his eyes. "Oh, Bad Wolf girl, I could kiss you."

The younger Doctor's head snapped toward him, his eyes wide. "Sorry, did you just say Bad Wolf?" Father and daughter shared a look.

Clara looked between them all, trying to keep up. "So what are we doing? What's the plan?"

The War Doctor, now fully on board, spoke with newfound energy. "The Dalek fleets are surrounding Gallifrey, firing on it constantly."

Pinstripes nodded. "The Sky Trench is holding, but what if the whole planet just disappeared?"

Clara raised an eyebrow, scepticism creeping into her voice. "Tiny bit of an ask."

Hally's eyes widened as a grin slowly spread across her face, excitement bubbling in her voice. "The Daleks would be firing on each other. They'd destroy themselves in their own crossfire."

The War Doctor, his brow furrowed in concentration, nodded. "Gallifrey would be gone, the Daleks would be destroyed, and it would look to the rest of the universe as if they'd annihilated each other."

Clara, still standing beside The Doctor, asked the obvious question, her voice soft but sharp. "But where would Gallifrey be?"

Pinstripes spoke up, his voice carrying a hint of hope. "Frozen. Frozen in an instant of time, safe and hidden away."

The Doctor smiled. "Exactly."

Safe.

The War Doctor smiled towards the human. "Like a painting."

Hally stood there, her breath catching. "Are we really doing this?"

The Doctor grinned at her, pulling her into a tight, bone-crushing hug. "Yes. Yes, we are." He kissed her forehead with a sense of resolve. "We're doing this. We're righting this wrong. We're going to save Gallifrey so we can go home and tell that little girl… because Grandad didn't let everyone die."

Hally let out a laugh, warm and genuine.

"Grandad?" The younger Doctor, standing off to the side, caught the word. His eyebrows shot up, and he turned toward them. The pair of them looked back at him, their faces probably a mixture of awkward empathy and nervous anticipation.

After a moment, his eyes widened, his mouth falling open in complete, heart-stopping shock. He stared at Hally, then at his older self, processing. "Wait… Grandad?" His voice wavered slightly, the disbelief thick in the air.

Hally made a confirmatory noise, more of a whine really. One that gently said, 'yes, please don't freak out, because we don't really have time.'

"Oh…" He exhaled as their chests collided, his arms tight around her. She laughed again, softer this time, the familiarity of the scent and the feel of him washing over her with a wave of nostalgia.

Pulling back, Hally watched as the Doctors began moving around the room, their minds buzzing with plans. They spoke quickly, ideas firing between them as they worked together.

"…in your TARDIS," one of them said, gesturing toward the door.

Clara, standing near The Doctor, asked, "Could this work?"

He looked at her, nodding with confidence. "It just might."

Hally narrowed her eyes slightly, biting her lip as she glanced toward The War Doctor. "Umm…" Her voice dropped a little, hesitant. "Bad Wolf, the Moment… is she still…?" She motioned around vaguely.

The War Doctor's expression shifted, his eyes focusing on something none of them could see. "Yes… She's here."

"Cool…" Hally muttered, her lips twitching into a smile, but there was a hint of something else—urgency.

The Doctor caught her look and frowned, sensing something. "Hal?"

She turned back to him. "How long have we got? Do you think?"

He quickly checked his watch, his movements a little frantic. "Uh… sixteen minutes? Maybe?"

"Okay… let's be quick, then."

"Yes… TARDISes," He agreed, already moving toward the door of his.

But Hally shook her head. "Uh… no. Detour. Let's be quick on the detour."

He froze mid-step, swivelling back to her. His face dropped. "Hally… there isn't time. Finding him… even in the TARDIS…"

"I know," Hally cut him off, turning her gaze toward the general area where the War Doctor had looked, where the Moment lingered unseen. "But she can find him. The Moment." She couldn't see her, but she hoped the Moment would listen. "I'm asking a favour…" She stepped forward, speaking to the air as though someone stood right there. "A pretty please… because, you know, I sort of just saved everyone on this planet and stopped you from murdering them all." Hally smiled faintly. "Because that's what this is, isn't it? You're a weapon… except you're not. You're conscious. You're only a weapon in the wrong hands. Otherwise, you're just… you." She paused, her voice lowering. "I understand the sentiment. So I'm asking for a favour… because I helped stop them… and because it sounds like you're wearing the face of my mother…"

She made a face, trying to lighten the weight of her words with a laugh, though the silence that followed was heavy. None of them, except the War Doctor, could see or hear the Moment. The silence seemed to stretch on endlessly.

The Doctor—her Doctor—stood nearby, watching her intently, his eyes flicking between Hally and the empty space.

Time was running out.

The War Doctor's gaze lingered on the empty space before shifting to Hally. His brow furrowed, and when he spoke his voice was low, uncertain. "She's asking where it is you want to go..."

Hally's response was immediate, her voice steady. "The Master. Take me to The Master."

In an instant, the scene around them dissolved into darkness. When the world came back into focus again, they'd moved. This time though, it was immediately apparent that they weren't simply inside another projection. She could feel the biting cold as the wind whipped across her face, dust stinging her eyes and catching in her throat. She wasn't alone, the others had been brought with her: the three Doctors, Clara. The Moment had brought them all.

Her eyes scanned their surroundings, the broken landscape vaguely familiar. They were stood within the rubble of the Academy, towards the foot of the mountain. The Northern quarter. Or what had once been the Northern quarter. It lay half destroyed in front of them, dust from the destruction forced up around them. The ground beneath them shook and a hand yanked her backwards to safety as the column to their right exploded, hit by a blast from above. It collapsed in a muted storm of debris.

The Doctor pulled her behind a fallen pillar, his voice urgent. "Hally! This is too dangerous!"

Clara had taken cover next to the younger Doctor, her eyes wide.

She had forgotten the chaos of this place.

Her breathing quickened as the War Doctor snapped, "We don't have time for this!"

"Shh." Her response was automatic, eyes narrowing as she looked around.

The War Doctor's gaze flicked to something beyond them, shouting out, "What do you mean 'Timey Wimey'?" His voice echoed across the ruin, directed at what could only be the Moment.

Hally followed his line of sight, her frown deepening.

She saw movement.

It wasn't The Master.

It was a woman.

Her outline just about visible through the dust, illuminated against the burning sky.

The figure stumbled through the remains of an archway which had once held two grand double doors, the entrance to the Northern quarter. She paused, the silhouette, eyes assessing the destruction around her.

Hally tilted her head, watching from their position behind her. Unseen. Unheard over the noise of war. There was something unnervingly familiar about the scene in front of her. She'd seen this destruction before, hadn't she? Not just Gallifrey, but here, right here. The broken archway, the dust, the hellish darkness falling from the shadow of the mountain. Or... no. She'd stepped into this frame before.

It was only when she spotted the other figure, slowly making his approach through the dust, a limp, barely noticeable but there, did comprehension slam into her.

"No..." She exhaled the word, it cracked out painfully. "No, no, no… this isn't what I meant! You know this wasn't what I meant!" Her cry rang out, frantic and filled with disbelief. Hot, desperate anger coursed through her.

"Hal?" The younger Doctor's voice cut through the air, filled with confusion. The others were equally baffled, watching her as they attempted to piece together what they were witnessing.

Timey wimey.

She could see her clearly now, through the dust, through her shock.

Herself.

Her younger self.

Straining to see whether the approaching figure was friend or foe.

The Moment had brought her to The Master...

Except Hally had forgotten, she'd forgotten that on this day, the last day, there had also been them.

The pair of them, frantically searching for one another in the middle of the chaos.

The Master from so long ago, the one she was now staring at. The one limping toward her younger self. The pair of them, finding each other, planning to run, to find a TARDIS and escape the destruction… except…

A painful, bitter laugh escaped her lips.

The irony hit her like a punch to the gut.

Because now she knew.

With a wrenching breath, she understood.

She knew why the Moment had brought her here. Instead of where she'd wanted to go.

Timey wimey indeed.

How ironic.

How, devastatingly ironic.

Her father must have realised at least who they were looking at, because when she shifted to move towards them he tried to pull her back, to stop her. "You can't… you can't interfere."

She gave him a sad, knowing smile. "Oh… but I think I do." She pulled free from his grip, climbing over the fallen debris, away from the group behind her.

She straightened up, the dust swirling in the dimming light. Ahead, she could see herself, the back of her, she was picking her way through the rubble, determined to reach The Master. Her view of him was clearer now too, his face etched with pain, just as she remembered it. The gash across his forehead, his eyes searching for her.

Her hearts clenched.

She took larger steps over the rubble, gaining on her silently.

She was only a few meters behind herself, close enough to see his expression change as he finally looked past the younger Hally and locked eyes with her.

"Hal…?" He breathed.

The sound of his voice froze her, momentarily stopping her in her tracks.

His eyes on her.

She could just let them go. She could let her younger self reach him, take his hand, and they could run together.

What would happen then?

Would she even be born if she didn't go with The Doctor?

She wasn't sure.

Lily certainly wouldn't exist.

All the pain she was about to cause, it ached inside her violently, a terrible reminder.

He had been right.

On the Valiant, he had been furious. At her.

At this.

Up ahead, she'd started to turn her head, as Hally knew she would, turning to try and see what it was The Master was looking at so intently.

Without hesitation, Hally flicked her wrist, sending a palm-sized piece of rubble flying through the air. It struck the back of her younger self's head with a dull thud, the sound swallowed by the distant explosions.

She collapsed and Hally rushed forward, her hearts pounding painfully. Around them, explosions thundered in the distance, the chaos relentless. But there was a strange, haunting quiet as she reached her side—her own side—and stared down at her unconscious face. A mirror distorted by time.

Kneeling, she pressed her fingers gently to her forehead, forcing her to remain asleep, the contact strangely numb against her fingers, like touching a ghost.

Her gaze flicked up.

The Master was staring at her, his expression unreadable. Scrutinising. He had taken several steps toward them, his approach slow and hesitant, stopping as his eyes shifted between the two versions of his wife. The space between closing further and further. He was barely three meters away.

"Run..." she exhaled, but what came out of her mouth cracked, barely audible. She swallowed, forcing it to come out again, stronger, "Run!"

The ground trembled beneath them, as if the very planet was warning them of what was coming. Dust swirled in the air, rocks shifting ominously, the anarchy of the war pressing in on all sides. "RUN!" she screamed, her voice raw, her eyes burning.

But instead of fleeing, he took another step forward, moving toward her, his face twisted with harsh lines of confusion and distrust. She held out her hand, a tightly balled golden force crashed into his chest, shoving him back a few paces.

Tears spilled over, wetting her cheeks. "Go! Now!"

He struggled to his feet, anger flashing behind his eyes. His gaze didn't leave her, she could see it ticking behind his eyes, the suspicion. He was looking at her as though he didn't believe for one second that she was real, but instead, some sort of phantom, a trickster, designed to make him leave his wife behind.

But as she stared at him, something shifted as he slowly came to terms with exactly what had just shoved him backwards.

Only one person was capable of that.

His eyes locked with hers, and in that moment, he saw her—the pain etched into her face, the tears streaming freely, the anguish in her gaze. Slowly, as if finally understanding what she was asking of him, he took a step back. His gaze swept over her, lingering on her face, as though committing it to memory.

He took another step back.

"RUN!" Her voice was hoarse with urgency. He needed to move faster. He wasn't moving fast enough. He had to escape.

When he didn't, she lifted her hand once more, focusing on one of the few crumbling walls still standing. With a violent crash, the structure began to fall, collapsing toward him, forcing him to turn and flee—to run in the opposite direction, away from her. Away from them.

She watched him disappear from view, swept away in the maelstrom of dust. She looked down, her own peacefully sleeping face so wrong within the circumstance. She winced as she hoisted the dead weight of her younger self. The rubble beneath her feet made every step harder, but she pressed on, carrying herself through the wreckage, back to the others, as she neared, their surroundings shimmered and flickered, and with a jarring shift, they were back in the barn.

Gently, Hally lowered her younger self onto the ground. Her unconscious face streaked with dirt and smeared with blood, the lines of her features soft, innocent. She looked so young. So heartbreakingly young.

I'm so sorry.

The words ached inside her chest. She wanted to say them aloud, wanted to tell her that it would all be okay. That she would survive this.

But she didn't.

Instead, she straightened up, turned toward the War Doctor, her voice steady and calm, betraying nothing of the storm inside her. "She goes with you." She brushed her hands against her clothes, casually forcing away some of the dust as though she hadn't just made a choice that had set the course for her entire life.

"What?" The War Doctor's eyes snapped up to hers, confusion swirling in his gaze. Of course, he had no real understanding of what he'd just witnessed.

Hally felt the sharp retort rising in her throat, the urge to snap at him, but before she could open her mouth, The Doctor stepped in front of her. His posture was rigid, his voice dripped with darkness, a quiet threat. "She said, she goes with you." He punctuated every word. There was a dangerous edge to his tone, the hint of something final, something unyielding. "And if you have a problem with that…"

The other Doctor stepped forward on her other side, joining him. He mirrored the defiance in his counterpart's stance, his gaze unwavering as he stared down their younger self. "...you'll be dealing with us." His voice was steady, cold, and determinated.

The War Doctor's eyes flicked between the three of them, measuring, calculating. He wasn't a man who liked being backed into a corner, but here he was—cornered by himself. His gaze finally settled on the unconscious girl lying on the floor.

He let out a heavy breath and nodded, his voice low. "It would seem I do not have a choice."

"No." Hally's voice was clipped. "Neither of us did."

The two men in front of her slowly turned to look back at her, their expressions dropping immediately from the cold hardness with which they'd addressed the War Doctor. She could see it in their eyes—an understanding, a silent admission that they both knew what she had just done, what it had cost her. The younger Doctor surveyed her gently, brow furrowed slightly, the deep lines of his face softening as his lips pressed together, not in judgment but in quiet solidarity. His hand twitched, as though he wanted to reach for hers, but thought better of it. His counterpart's eyes flickered with something gentler, his jaw tense but his gaze searching her face as if trying to find the right words, though he said nothing. They didn't need to.

Her father gave her the smallest nod, barely perceptible, but she caught it. A silent gesture. A silent understanding. An apology. I see you. Acknowledgement. She had done the right thing.

She cleared her throat and let out a bitter, hollow laugh, the sound ringing out in the stillness. She shook her head, a wry smile pulling at her lips despite the ache in her chest. "Come on. Let's do this."

---

She stood at the console next to The Doctor, Clara on his other side. The three Doctors had each returned to their respective TARDISes and after the War Doctor had placed her unconscious younger self inside a bedroom he'd been surprised to find already existed within his TARDIS, they'd taken off.

"Hello, hello, Gallifrey High Command, this is The Doctor speaking." The console screen flicked into life, connecting the three TARDISes to the War Council, down on the planet below.

"Hello! Also The Doctor. Can you hear me?" Chimed his younger self, overzealous enthusiasm lilting his words.

"Also The Doctor, standing ready," the War Doctor's gravelly voice followed, sombre and resolute.

The General scoffed in disbelief. "Dear God, three of them. All my worst nightmares at once," he muttered under his breath but loud enough that they'd hear him.

The Doctors barely paid him mind. They were locked into the rhythm of their plan.

"General," Pinstripes began, "we have a plan."

"We should point out at this moment, it is a fairly terrible plan." The Doctor added casually, with a faint grimace.

"And almost certainly won't work," his counterpart added, the sounds of him smacking buttons and pulling levers on his console accompanying the message.

The Doctor hummed. "I was happy with 'fairly terrible.'"

"Sorry, just thinking out loud."

Hally glanced over, catching her father's gaze. He nodded and sent her a confident wink. With a flick of a small silver switch, the two neural patches pressed against her temples thrummed to life. A momentarily uncomfortable pressure pulled at her mind as the TARDIS mainframe fused with her.

He watched carefully assessing her, and only once sure she was ok did he speak again. "We're flying our three TARDISes into your lower atmosphere."

"We're positioned at equidistant intervals around the globe. Equidistant! So grown-up."

The War Doctor added from his own TARDIS, his tone clipped and no-nonsense. "We're just about ready to do it."

"Ready to do what?" the General asked, his frustration palpable.

"We're going to freeze Gallifrey." The Doctor declared with an almost eerie calm.

The comm link with Gallifrey momentarily went silent. "...I'm sorry, what?"

"Using our TARDISes, we're going to freeze Gallifrey in a single moment in time," the War Doctor explained, his voice gruff yet resolute. "You know, like those stasis cubes? A single moment in time, held in a parallel pocket universe."

"Except we're going to do it to a whole planet." Added The Doctor in front of her, leaning casually against his console.

"And all the people on it." Pinstripes completed.

Her hands flexed as she steadied herself, bracing against the edge of the console. There was a small chance this was going to hurt.

The General's voice crackled through the comms again. "Even if that were possible—which it isn't—why would you do such a thing?"

"Because the alternative is burning." The Doctor replied firmly.

"And I've seen that."

"And I never want to see it again."

The General, still incredulous, demanded, "We'd be lost in another universe, frozen in a single moment. We'd have nothing."

"You would have hope." The Doctor offered softly. "And right now, that is exactly what you don't have."

She closed her eyes, reaching out with her mind, and instantly she could feel it—the mainframe, a vast and intricate network of consciousness woven into the fabric of time itself. It stretched endlessly in every direction, a living, breathing thing, pulsing with energy and knowledge older than the stars. It was a link, not just between her and one TARDIS, but between three, a connection so strong it felt like coming home. The sensation washed over her like a warm embrace, welcoming her with open arms.

The General's voice cut through the static again. "It's delusional. The calculations alone would take hundreds of years."

"Oh, hundreds and hundreds." The Doctor agreed with a confident grin.

"But don't worry, I started a very long time ago."

The General's tone grew more panicked. "Even if you could, the power required… you'd burn a hole in the universe!"

Hally heard the younger Doctor's voice, addressing the General. "Oh, it would. But I've got the power of the universe with me."

Her Doctor looked up from his console, his eyes soft. "And she's fighting for the purest, most powerful thing in the universe."

His face curved with a proud smile. "Love."

As he spoke, she felt the energy shift, subtle at first—a ripple in the atmosphere around her. She closed her eyes, steadying herself, her breath slowing as she tuned into the change. The TARDIS hummed beneath her, a low vibration that seemed to rise in response to something deeper, something cosmic. Slowly, the resonance of this hum tuned with the other three boxes, an intricate harmony forming between them.

The power of the Time Vortex, it trickled through the link to start with, flowing faster and faster as the link solidified. It blazed through her veins, lighting every nerve, every thought, as though the universe itself was pouring into her. Time and space no longer felt distant concepts but part of her, tangible, alive, pulsating with an energy that transcended anything else.

It should have hurt. By all rights, it should have been burning her from the inside, this raw, infinite force coursing through her body, consuming her from the inside out. And yet, somehow, it didn't. Held at bay by the trio of ships. Protecting her. The energy was everywhere—in the air around her, in the floor beneath her feet, in the walls of the TARDIS. It wrapped itself around her like an embrace.

"Calling the War Council of Gallifrey. This is The Doctor."

"You might say I've been doing this all my lives."

Hally felt a tug in her chest as the voices surrounded her, feeding herself into the hearts of each and every TARDIS, one by one.

"Good luck."

"Standing by."

"Ready."

"Commencing calculations."

"Soon be there."

"Across the boundaries that divide one universe from another."

"Just got to lock on to his coordinates."

"And for my next trick…"

Hally's eyes snapped open, her vision shimmering as the full force of the vortex surged through her. She was connected to all of them—each TARDIS, each Doctor, the entire planet of Gallifrey, all linked together by the threads of time. She could feel her body vibrating, light pouring from her core.

She would happily drown in this feeling.

Here, like this, so entwined with everything she could feel along the surface of the planet. She could feel as the younger version of The Master left. Running in his TARDIS. And she could feel him. He was there. If she saved Gallifrey, she could save him.

"Ready?" The Doctor asked quietly, his gaze fixed on hers.

For Lily, for The Master.

"Oh, for this?" Her voice seemed to echo around them, through them. "I was born ready."

His face split into a wide grin. "Geronimo!"

"Allons-y!"

"Oh, for God's sake... Gallifrey stands!"

It ignited within her, the moment each TARDIS roared to life, their energies awakening like a force of nature. It was as if the very heart of the universe had opened up, flooding her with a power so intense it consumed everything else. The energy surged through her, pulsing in rhythm with the TARDISes, intertwining with the planet below. She could sense it rushing around the entire world, enveloping it, expanding, filling every corner of space and time.

As the surge intensified, the energy within her burned brighter and brighter, growing into something almost too powerful to contain. It was blinding, overwhelming, until the planet below seemed to vanish, swallowed by an immense white light.

---

Hally cradled her cup of tea, the warmth seeping into her palms as she sat in front of the painting in the National Gallery, Gallifrey Falls. The five of them eyed the dramatic colours with a newfound contentedness. Three TARDISes lined against one wall, large and bright against the otherwise white space.

On the bench in the centre of the room sat three. In the middle of the trio, the War Doctor, flanked by Clara and Hally. The two women leaned slightly toward the painting.

"I don't suppose we'll know if we actually succeeded," the War Doctor mused, his voice low and contemplative. "But at worst, we failed doing the right thing, as opposed to succeeding in doing the wrong."

Clara, with a teasing glint in her eye, replied, "Life and soul, you are."

The side of Hally's mouth curved into a slight smile.

The older pair of Doctor's were stood, more closely examining the painting. "What is it actually called?"

"There's some debate." The Doctor replied to himself. "Either, 'No More' or 'Gallifrey Falls'."

"Not very encouraging." The War Doctor scoffed.

"How did it get here?"

"No idea."

"There's always something we don't know, isn't there?"

The War Doctor cleared his throat and rose to his feet, placing his finished cup and saucer down on the bench behind him. "One should certainly hope so. Well, gentlemen, it has been an honour and a privilege."

Pinstripes gave him a wide grin. "Likewise."

"Doctor." The Doctor bowed his head towards him, eyes glittering.

The War Doctor chuckled, shaking both of their hands. "And if I grow to be half the man you are, I shall be happy indeed."

It took her a moment to realise that his gaze had fallen onto her. Her mouth curved into a small smile. It did warm something in her chest and she managed to resist the urge to tell him his comment was still somewhat pejorative.

"That's right. Aim high," Clara chimed in, smiling at the War Doctor, her attempt to lighten the heaviness that had settled between them. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it was certainly weighty.

"I won't remember this, will I?" the War Doctor asked, a hint of regret in his voice.

"The time streams are out of sync. You can't retain it, no," The Doctor replied, a sombre note creeping into his tone.

"So I won't remember that I tried to save Gallifrey rather than burn it. I'll have to live with that." He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "But for now, for this moment, I am The Doctor again. Thank you." He glanced toward the trio of blue boxes. "Which one is mine? Ha!" He barked a laugh at his own joke before he made to move towards the TARDIS on the end of the line.

As he reached the door, she spoke. "Look after her." She looked over her shoulder to meet his gaze. The man she'd barely known. The man who'd barely known her. All of that was about to change. For him. He was about to meet Rose, about to become her father, properly. He looked at her, as though to say, 'of course,' but she pressed on.

"No, I mean it. Properly, though. Because you won't remember any of this. But if there is space in that head of yours for anything from today… look after her."

He paused, nodding slowly, a silent promise exchanged between them.

With that, he stepped inside the TARDIS and a few moments later, he was gone.

The Doctor moved around to squeeze Hally's shoulder from behind her. "You alright?" he asked, his voice gentle.

"No… not really… but I think I will be," she looked over her shoulder and up at him, a gentle smile on her lips.

The other Doctor settled next to her, nudging against her side. "You were brilliant." His face was split into one of his trademark goofily wide grins.

"Oh, yeah. I know." She shot back with a smirk.

"Modest too." Came from behind her, The Doctor's playful tone lifting the heaviness lingering in the air.

"Meh, modesty is for other people. We saved a planet today. Let me bask in my glory." Hally declared, a chuckle escaping her lips. Her fathers' chuckles vibrated from behind and beside her as the younger Doctor took her hand in his, silently acknowledging the pain they weren't vocalising.

The Doctor bent down, kissing the top of her head as his hands gently squeezed her shoulders. A silent message, a reminder that she was going to be ok.

Pinstripes cleared his throat and dropping her hand, rose to his feet. "I won't remember either, so you might as well tell me."

"Tell you what?" The Doctor cocked his head to one side, watching himself.

"Where it is we're going that you don't want to talk about," he pressed.

The Doctor shook his head, moving away from the bench and the two women. "I saw Trenzalore, where we're buried. We die in battle among millions."

Hally watched him, her eyes shifting swiftly to Clara and back again.

"That's not how it's supposed to be." His younger self commented, sadly.

"That's how the story ends. Nothing we can do about it. Trenzalore is where you're going."

"Oh, never say nothing," he retorted. "Anyway, good to know my future is in safe hands." Shooting himself a grin, the younger Doctor turned to the human. "Keep a tight hold on it, Clara."

"On it," Clara affirmed, a bright smile pulled into her face.

He turned to her then, his mouth opening to say something when a small racket erupted from the hallway behind them. Lily burst into the room, her eyes lighting up as she spotted her mother.

"Mum!" she cried, grinning wide, as she dashed over to Hally, enveloping her in a warm hug. Hally huffed with delight, straining her neck to glare at the culprit of this interruption—Jack, who was leaning against the archway with an amused smirk.

"I see you misunderstood 'take her home' as 'bring her to the National Gallery,'" Hally called out, shaking her head.

"Whoops," Jack replied with a teasing lilt, sharing an amused look with Clara.

Hally shook her head but bent down, pulling Lily into a giant embrace. She realised very quickly just how much she needed this, her daughter's arms held tight around her. It somehow felt like days had passed since she'd held her, when really it had only been that morning. She had almost forgotten how all-consuming travelling with The Doctor could be. The endless danger and adrenaline. In the midst of it all, it was easy to forget everything else. She hugged Lily tight, her chest aching. Everything she had done today, was suddenly more than worth it.

"Wow… she's so… big…" The younger Doctor's voice broke the moment, tinged with shaky surprise and awe. Hally straightened up and offered him a small smile of semi-empathy. This was certainly a lot to dump on him, especially since he'd forget it all in a few moments.

Lily frowned, cocking her head as she pulled back from her mother, shooting him a frown. "No, I'm only a little above average height for my age, actually."

Hally smirked, looking back up at the very bemused and out of his depth Doctor. "Mmhmm. That's you told."

Lily glanced between the two Doctors, her brows furrowing in confusion. "Mum, why are there two Grandads?"

Hally let out a soft laugh. "Ummm… well… because we were having a little chat with some Zygons and needed some help. So we brought in another Grandad," she explained, motioning towards the Doctor in his pinstripe suit.

He waved at Lily, still staring at her in wonder, as though he couldn't quite believe she was real.

"Would you like to give him a hug?" Hally prompted Lily, looking between the two fondly. Her daughter nodded eagerly, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around his waist. He seemed to freeze for a moment, processing the gesture, before gently reciprocating, leaning over her and wrapping his arms around her in return. He let out a breathless laugh, looking up at his daughter with a slight sheen of emotion glittering in his eyes.

She had to swiftly blink away her own blurriness as she gave him a soft smile, one that silently pleaded, 'please don't cry, because if you do, then I will too'.

After Lily had untangled herself from him he wasted no time in pulling his daughter into a hug tight, desperate, and all-consuming. She hugged him back. Just the two of them. One last time. "Bye, Dad…" she whispered, the words slipping from her lips.

"Bye…" he breathed softly, squeezing before he pulled back to give her a proud smile. He waved a goodbye to Lily, who returned the gesture happily. Then he finally turned and headed toward his TARDIS, shooting Jack a nod that was wordlessly returned.

Hovering in the doorway, he glanced back at his older self. "Trenzalore. We need a new destination, because I don't want to go."

The Doctor replied with a silent, knowing smile.

With that, he stepped into the TARDIS and it dematerialised with a familiar whir.

The Doctor cleared his throat, his eyes catching theirs as he hummed. "He always says that."

The Doctor grinned as Lily leapt up into his arms, her laughter ringing like music in the air. He hugged her tightly, the embrace reminiscent of how Hally had held her moments ago, in that way that made it obvious to her, at least, that The Doctor needed the hug far more than Lily did. A large smile crept onto his face as he held her. He kept her tight to him, her legs wrapped around his waist as she pointed over towards the painting on the wall. He brought her closer to it, revelling in explaining the Time Lord technology of the 3D effect. Lily would move her head backwards and forwards, enjoying how the picture seemed to move.

"Need a family moment with your painting?" Clara's voice chimed in, teasing yet warm.

The Doctor chuckled, glancing back at her. "How did you know?"

"I always know," Clara replied, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Oh, by the way, there was an old man looking for you. I think it was the curator."

The Doctor gave her a nod as Clara turned on her heel. "Come on, Harkness. To the TARDIS!"

Jack hummed, moving to follow her. "Clara, if you wanted me alone, all you had to do was ask."

"Oh, shut up, Jack."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied with mock seriousness, grinning as he entered the TARDIS behind her.

Hally exhaled a slow breath, coming to stand next to her father as Jack and Clara disappeared inside the TARDIS. Lily's head had dropped onto The Doctor's shoulder, Hally leant across, pressing a quick kiss to the side of her daughter's head. The Doctor watched the motion and the pair shared a small smile. Her gaze shifted back to the painting. She wasn't too sure what her father was thinking, in his silence next to her. She was certainly glad, happy they had done the right thing. If it had worked, retrieving The Master might be easier now. No, it should be. More possible.

They'd just have to find Gallifrey.

Today, she'd also been able to say Goodbye.

Her hearts thumped in her chest.

She had missed him.

More than she'd missed any of his other regenerations.

Although, that was understandable. He had been her first father. Properly.

Plus, they'd saved the world from Zygons.

Big tick.

Saved herself from Gallifrey…

That was supposed to be good, she imagined.

It felt odd.

It hurt.

The endless possibilities of the alternative, hurt.

It was an unpleasant pool of thought. In the end, was all this written? Preplanned?

She didn't like the idea that it was, but she couldn't ignore that some things had to happen.

Save herself. Abandon Koschei.

She had.

Hadn't she?

She wanted nothing more than to tell him how sorry she was. How she understood. Now. She understood and she was sorry.

But she couldn't.

Because he wasn't here…

"I could be a curator. I'd be great at curating. I could be the Great Curator," The Doctor mused aloud, his voice light and playful, breaking the heavy weight of Hally's thoughts. "I could retire and do that. I could retire and be the curator of this place."

Hally was about to snort in disagreement when an aged, booming voice interrupted from behind them. "You know, I really think you might."

They turned to see a silver-haired figure leaning heavily against a walking stick. His eyes sparkled with mischief.

"I never forget a face…" The Doctor uttered, his surprise morphing into delight.

"I know you don't. And in years to come, you might find yourself revisiting a few. But just the old favourites, eh?" The Curator winked, his smile warm and inviting.

Hally looked between The Doctor and the old man, a little lost.

The Curator's gaze shifted to Lily, who was still perched with her legs wrapped around The Doctor's waist. He extended his hand, introducing himself. "Ah, Lilja, my name is The Curator."

Lily grinned, shaking his hand enthusiastically. "Hello!"

"Oh, how grown-up you are," he said, beaming down at her before his gaze moved to Hally, a twinkle of kindness in his eyes. "But not as grown-up as you."

Hally was starting to cotton on.

"You were curious about this painting, I think," The Curator continued, his voice dropping slightly as if sharing a secret. "I acquired it in remarkable circumstances. What do you make of the title?"

The Doctor leaned in, his eyes narrowing in thought. "Which title? There are two: No More or Gallifrey Falls."

"Oh, you see, that's where everybody's wrong," The Curator replied, his tone almost conspiratorial. "It's all one title. Gallifrey Falls No More. Now, what would you think that means, eh?"

The Doctor's expression shifted, a wry smile etching onto his face as his eyes lit up. "That Gallifrey didn't fall. It worked. It's still out there."

The Curator smiled knowingly. "I'm only a humble curator. I'm sure I wouldn't know."

"Then where is it?" Hally pressed, her tone edging towards urgent.

The Curator leaned in slightly, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "Where is it indeed? Lost. Shush. Perhaps. Things do get lost, you know." He poked Hally gently on the nose, knowingly. He turned back to The Doctor, his demeanour shifting. "And now you must excuse me. Oh, you have a lot to do."

"Do I?" The Doctor replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Mmm," The Curator hummed cryptically.

"Is that what I'm supposed to do now? Go looking for Gallifrey?" The Doctor's voice held a mix of hope and trepidation.

"Oh, it's entirely up to you. Your choice, eh? I can only tell you what I would do if I were you. Oh, if I were you. Oh, perhaps I was you, of course. Or perhaps you are me. Congratulations."

"Thank you very much," The Doctor lilted back, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Or perhaps it doesn't matter either way. Who knows, eh? Who knows?" The Curator chuckled, a glimmer of insight shining in his eyes as he began to walk away, leaving The Doctor smiling brightly, a spark of excitement igniting within him.

Hally blinked and turned to her father, who was grinning widely at her. He passed Lily back to her, Hally exhaling with a grunt as she adjusted her daughter's weight in her arms.

"He was funny," Lily said, her eyes wide with delight.

Hally nodded in agreement. "Bonkers."

The Doctor pouted at her, pretending to be offended, before his face split into a broad grin. "Do you know what this means?"

Hally cocked an eyebrow at him. "I think it means… that one day… when you've got nothing better to do, you're going to curate an art gallery…"

He shook his head, laughter bubbling in his chest. "No… I'm going to find Gallifrey." His eyes sparkled with determination. "Home, the long way round."