She wasn't entirely sure why she was always running late, but it was certainly a pattern.
Lily was already at school and Jack was waiting for her in the car outside, his impatient horn beeping every thirty seconds. She grabbed her bag and after quickly locking the front door, jumped into the passenger seat. With a soft hum of impatience, Jack pulled away from the house.
Driving anywhere would have been completely impossible four days ago. That would be because four days ago the world had nearly ended when a giant forest had sprung up overnight across the entire planet.
That had been fun.
She'd called her father at least seven times in a panic but eventually, it turned out everything had been fine.
The trees had practically disappeared again overnight after saving them all from a massive solar flare.
"Okay, so if we could keep the glaring to a minimum…" Jack started, re-going over his tips and tricks for dealing with school events. "Teachers do not appreciate snarky comments… they might have positive and negative feedback about Lily so don't tear out their throats…"
Hally scoffed, folding her arms. "What negative feedback could they possibly have?"
Jack gave her a long look. "This is the kind of attitude I'm concerned about… maybe I do the talking."
"No!" Hally scowled at him. "No. I can do that talking. I've done a parents' evening before."
He watched her, his scepticism seeping from him in waves. "Yuhuh, and we both remember you informing the art teacher that she was and I quote 'Taking up oxygen that a potted plant could put to better use,' because she pointed out that Lily might benefit from branching out of her comfort zone of only painting things that were purple, black or grey." His look was pointed.
Hally winced, remembering. "Well… maybe that was a tad harsh."
"A tad?" Jack raised an eyebrow. "Hally, the poor woman looked like she was going to break down right there in the art room. And you weren't exactly diplomatic with the math teacher, either."
She rolled her eyes, waving a dismissive hand. "That was different. He said Lily should work on 'thinking within the box.' What does that even mean?"
Jack sighed, shaking his head with a chuckle. "Look, Lily is amazing, obviously. But this evening will go a lot smoother if you just… humour them?"
She huffed, turning to look out the window. "Fine."
He patted her shoulder. "I'll be your backup. And, hey, we go in there, listen to what they say, and then you can mentally list all the ways humanity is lacking after we're out of the building."
She hummed softly, catching the glint of amusement in his eyes as they parked. Jack was attending for moral support, but also because, somehow, everyone at Lily's school — teachers, parents, other kids — seemed to love him. And, well, most people looked at her as if she was a wild animal who might bite at any moment. Which was, in her opinion, an unfair assessment.
Jack was her buffer… because, even after seven solid years on Earth, she hadn't quite mastered 'small talk,' and making 'mum friends' had never really happened.
They found Lily in her classroom, and slowly along with all the other parents and children they filed into the hall, where rows of benches and chairs had been set up for a brief assembly.
Hally was inherently uncomfortable.
Surrounded by strangers casting polite, tight-lipped smiles her way.
She couldn't help noticing the way other parents would look between her and Jack, muttering to their partners as though she couldn't hear.
She swallowed her discomfort — Lily loved it here, and so Hally sucked it up, letting Jack handle the inane chatter around them. Unsurprisingly, everyone was talking about the trees, tossing around their increasingly ridiculous theories. Hally kept her mouth shut.
"Mum…" Lily's soft voice pulled her from her thoughts.
Hally looked down to see her daughter looking up at her, seated between her and Jack. There was a flicker of nervousness in Lily's eyes, something that made Hally's hearts clench. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked softly.
Lily nodded but swallowed hard. "Do you promise you won't be mad at me?"
Hally frowned, blocking out the surrounding noise to focus fully on Lily. "Sweetheart, why would I be angry at you?"
Lily bit her lip, fidgeting in her seat.
"Are you worried about this?" Hally's voice softened as she squeezed her daughter's hand. "Parents' evening?"
"Uh…"
"Oh, Lily, don't worry. It's going to be fine." She pressed a kiss to Lily's forehead, trying to ease the tension she could feel in her daughter's small hand.
But Lily's frown only deepened as she shook her head. "No… I mean… what if there was a lie…"
Hally's concern grew as she studied her daughter's face. "What do you mean?"
"Well… it's not really a lie… more like… just… not telling you something. Is that a lie?"
Hally tilted her head, worried but keeping her voice gentle. "Lily… where is this coming from?"
"Just… can you promise you won't get angry…"
Hally's chest squeezed tighter as she looked at Lily's nervous expression, feeling a pang of something close to guilt. "I'm not going to get angry, Lils…" She squeezed Lily's hand again, her tone as comforting as she could make it. "What is it? You can tell me, sweetheart…"
Lily pressed her lips together, her brow furrowed in hesitation. "Mamaidh…"
The word slipped out in Gallifreyan, it took Hally a heartbeat to process it.
Her mouth opened, the words not quite formed on her lips when the room fell into a hush as the far door opened. A woman stepped into the room, and Hally's attention flicked from Lily to the front of the hall. She took a few, slow steps, bringing her closer to the centre of the front of the audience. The gentle click of heels punctuated against the new quiet of the hall. She didn't rush, moving as though not bothered by the fact that the whole room was waiting on her. Her dark hair was swept back, revealing every sharp line of her face, accentuating the cutting cheekbones and hard jaw. A pristine white blouse, immaculately pressed, was tucked neatly into impeccably tailored purple trousers that hugged her waist.
She was about to turn back to her daughter, to continue her questioning when it smacked into her.
That presence.
The pulse of something ancient, an electric rush both dangerous and terribly familiar.
The sensation seemed to start at the top of her neck, at the base of her skull before it fanned out through the rest of her mind, sinking deep into her body.
For the first few moments, it didn't quite click.
There was a disconnect between what she could see in front of her, the woman she could see in front of her, and the presence sinking its teeth into her consciousness.
She blinked.
Her mind caught up to the certainty in her gut.
She was staring at The Master.
Koschei.
She was looking at Koschei.
"Mum… breathe…" Lily's soft whisper drew her back, fingers tugging at her hand. Hally looked down to see her daughter's wide, concerned gaze looking up at her.
Her grip tightened instinctively around Lily's hand, her eyes darting back to the woman standing at the front of the room — her husband, her… what? Her wife? Jack's eyes had shifted to her, his face subtly scrunched in concern as he noticed the way she was staring, the strange stillness that he might have been reading as fear.
The headmistress — The Master — began to speak. Her voice was smooth, rich, reverberating effortlessly through the silent hall.
"Good afternoon, everyone," she began with a polite, practised smile. "Thank you all for joining us. I know how busy life can get. Isn't it just wonderful we could all finally make it?" Her eyes flitted briefly over the crowd, and for one tense second, Hally braced for her gaze to land on her. But, as if on purpose, The Master's eyes skipped past her, feigning indifference.
Her hearts were pounding hard in her chest, the sensation increasingly uncomfortable.
"But do take a moment," She continued, her voice clipped, an order wrapped in a cordial tone. "Breathe in, gather yourselves... things don't always go as expected, after all." The same purr she'd heard down the phone now rang in her ears, silky yet barbed, almost taunting and all Hally could do was stare, helplessly suspended between anger and disbelief. Oh my god.
"Now, as we look to the school year ahead…" The Master continued, every word dripping with deliberate consideration, "…it's always important to remember where we've come from. To put yourself in someone else's shoes. To remember, you're not always the most important person in the room. But that's life, isn't it? Learning to handle the… unexpected."
A faint, unmistakable smile played at the edge of her lips, subtle but pointed.
"Whether it's good news or bad, it's important to stay calm…" She cooed, her eyes darting to Hally for the briefest moment, a glint of triumph in her gaze, a hint of a smirk curving her lips. "Just remember, we're in a school. Best behaviour, everyone." In the next second, her gaze had shifted smoothly to the next person, her attention unfurling across the room with meticulous poise.
Jack leaned in slightly, his voice barely above a whisper. "You okay?"
Hally forced herself to nod, though her pulse thundered against her ribs, every beat loud and fast. "Fine," she whispered, her voice a poor attempt at calm. She willed herself to remain still, keeping her face a mask, but she could feel Lily watching her, perceptive as ever, her expression shifting.
The Master was still speaking, her voice a soothing cadence for the others, yet every word grated against the inside of her skull. Her daughter was watching her. She couldn't react. At least, she couldn't overreact. She couldn't just stand up and walk out. Her shock, like ice, was beginning to thaw, slowly turning to a simmering anger that burned, spreading like wildfire through her veins.
What.
The.
Actual.
Fuck?
Thoughts frantically raced through her mind as she just stared at her. Her wife. Her wife who was currently doing a very good job of almost completely ignoring her.
No…
No, no… because… because the Headmistress had been at the school the whole time.
The whole time.
She forced herself to pull in a slow breath at the realisation that she was going a little lightheaded.
What had her daughter just been saying?
Oh…. Wait… no…. she had been tutoring her.
Twice a week, after school.
Hold on.
He'd…. She'd been here the whole time.
Lily had known?
Lily had known.
Here.
Here, here…. She was doing this here?
Fuck off…
Fuck. Off.
She'd been here the whole fucking time?!
She must have stopped talking.
There was a polite, if tepid, round of applause. Hally didn't move.
Jack was giving her a look, half-concerned, half-puzzled.
She did not have the bandwidth to pretend to be fine.
Holy… shitting… fuck.
What?
WHAT?
She'd been here, what? Three years?
No… wait… hold on…
In her memory, there was a momentary flash of what Jack had said, before they'd even chosen this school…
"The teachers have all been there for years…"
A strange laugh bubbled up her throat.
Both Lily and Jack were watching her like she'd gone slightly insane.
The 'Headmistress' gave the room a beam of a smile. "My office is always open. So do feel free to pop by with any concerns. Anything at all."
Around them, other parents and students started to get up, rising from their seats to head to whatever teacher they'd been given on their schedule first.
Hally didn't move.
This wasn't happening.
This wasn't real.
Right?
RIGHT?
This was a dream.
Or a mistake…
She'd made a mistake…
No… no.
She could feel him… her.
She could feel her.
Lily was gently patting her shoulder. "Mum?"
Right.
Yes.
No.
In a school.
Must… behave appropriately.
She blinked and looked down at her daughter.
"Mum?"
"Yeah…"
Jack was still watching her, a concerned frown pinching his browns together. "You ok?"
She gave him a hint of a nod. "Sure…"
"Are you angry with me…?" Lily spoke again, her voice low as she looked up at her, her eyes round and pleading.
Hally stared at her daughter.
Her perfect little daughter.
The girl she has been raising, alone.
She had been lying to her.
"No… sweetheart, I'm not…"
Because it wasn't her fault… was it?
Jack got up, and somehow she followed.
Taking in sharp breath she glanced back to the front of the room.
It was empty.
She'd gone.
Hally exhaled, steadying herself as Lily slipped her hand into hers, gently tugging her towards the English department, where her main teacher had a table set up, a line of at least ten parents waiting ahead of them. She moved in a fog, letting her daughter drag her to stand at the back of the queue. It took her a few moments before she blinked, turning to glance along the line.
It was long, stretching most of the way along the corridor. This would take a while.
Without another thought, she placed a hand on Jack's arm. "Umm… I'll be right back…"
Jack's brows knit in confusion as she pulled away, feeling both his gaze and Lily's on her as she walked off. She didn't need directions to find the headmistress's office, she could feel exactly where she was. An incessant, inevitable magnetic pull. She moved briskly through the corridors, ignoring the curious glances from passing teachers and parents, irritation building in her with each step until it reverberated in her chest. A line of half a dozen parents waited outside a closed door at the end of the hallway, the obnoxious sign on the door clearly stating 'Headmistress'.
She was not going to wait in line. No. Fuck that.
Fuck this.
Ignoring their startled looks, she strode past the queue of humans, grabbed the doorknob, and yanked open the door. Inside, two parents were already seated on the nearest side of the desk, visibly tensing at her abrupt interruption. On the other side, seated, hands folded in her lap, her gaze surveying her with a perfectly calm expression on her face, was her wife.
The parents turned to look back at her, confusion and irritation flickering across their faces.
She was far past caring. The anger burning in her chest made her voice quiet but unmistakably clear.
"Get out…" She barely breathed it, but her intent was sharp. When they hesitated, staring at her like she was the intruder, she repeated, her voice lower and with a sharper tinge of danger. "Get. Out."
They exchanged uncertain glances, then turned to the headmistress for what… permission? The Master smiled, it was sickly sweet, venomous, and stood slowly, gesturing toward the door.
"So sorry," she purred, her tone honeyed. "We'll pick this up later…"
The parents, reassured, rose and slipped out of the room, passing Hally with sideways glances. She closed the door firmly behind them, perhaps just short of a slam.
"You know… that was really rather rude, sweetheart," the edge of a smirk taunted her as she settled against the side of the desk, propped against her hip.
"Shut up."
A soft, low laugh answered her. The sound had her skin prickling with a hot, angry heat.
"Shut. Up."
"Oh… you're trying awfully hard to be angry with me, aren't you?" She tsked softly, pouting.
"I am angry," Hally ground out, voice trembling with the force of her words.
The Master's laughter deepened, and she slid around to the front of her desk, leaning back against it, surveying Hally with an amused smile. Her blouse gaped slightly, revealing a hint of freckles across her collarbone, her jaw sharp and haughty, lips painted in a blood-red curve that only accentuated the mocking curve of her mouth. The ice-blue stare held her in place, daring her. "It's a good attempt…" she purred, voice so soft it could have been a whisper.
She wasn't quite sure when she took the two long strides towards her, but at some point, she must have done so because somehow The Master's collar was bunched up in one of her hands and her mouth was on hers. The smack of her mouth on The Master's could barely be called a kiss. It wasn't passionate. It was anger. Teeth clashed against teeth as she pressed her back hard into the desk. Like this, they were even. Eye to eye. The Master no longer had the advantage of height. Hally bit into her tongue with more force than necessary before she ripped herself backwards. Off her. Away from her.
Anger.
She was supposed to be angry.
She. Was. Angry.
There was a sharp sound, it clapped through the room. It was only at the way The Master's head snapped to one side that Hally realised she'd slapped her.
Hard.
Koschei rolled her jaw, reaching up to rub her cheek, a flicker of genuine surprise passing across her face. "Ow."
"Oh… fuck…" Hally's anger crumbled slightly, eyes wide as she took a step back. "Sorry… I didn't… sorry…"
But she only chuckled, a low, slow sound, her lips curling into a wicked smirk. "Aren't you just a delectable little mess."
"Shut… up…" Hally's voice was weak, her gaze fixed on her, still trembling with the rush of adrenaline coursing through her. It wasn't fair.
This wasn't fair.
"Sit down." Koschei clipped, fixing her with a patronising stare, a flicker of satisfaction glinting in her eyes.
"No." Hally's refusal was instant, defiant, glaring at her.
Unfazed, The Master leaned back, crossing her arms as she surveyed her slowly, with picture-perfect ease as her eyes shamelessly and appreciatively took in the sight of her. "Sit down and let your brain catch up."
Hally didn't budge, her pulse pounding. Koschei cut the tiny thread of patience she'd been flirting with and in two short, sharp movements she had Hally pressed back into one of the vacant chairs. Koschei's hand slid to her jaw, her sharply manicured nails grazing Hally's skin with a faint, biting pressure. Leaning over her, she tilted Hally's face upward, guiding her gaze to meet her own. The angle was deliberate, leading, leaving Hally no choice but to look up at her.
"This would be much easier if you stopped pretending to be angry at me." She purred, looking down at her with a cruel, knowing smile.
"I am angry at you," Hally replied, the slight shake in her voice masked by the defiant glare in her eyes.
The smile sharpened. "For what?"
"For… this… you… I… you've been here the entire time?!" The words stumbled out with a growl.
Koschei's lips pursed in a pout that quickly morphed into a dry, sardonic smile. Then, with a swift, biting flick of her hand, her fingers struck Hally's cheek, a sharp, stinging almost slap, not hard but flat and direct, leaving a searing line of sensation in its wake. The sudden, biting sting jolted Hally, forcing her defiance to crack as the pain pulsed hotly across her skin. Koschei leaned in, her face close, and her voice dropped to a venomous purr. "Oh, come on now, darling," she murmured, savouring each word. "Don't be dense."
Her mouth dropped open, as her eyes sparked with indignant disbelief. "Excuse me?"
"You're excused. Shall we put it down to shock?" The Master's gaze hardened, her tone shifting to a dangerous, lilting drawl. "Now, now, settle down."
Hally's eyes flashed as she made to stand. Anticipating her The Master's hand shot to the base of her neck, the heel of her hand pressing firmly against her sternum, forcing her back down into the chair with a rough, unyielding push. The show of strength was completely unnecessary, and yet The Master held her there all the same. Their eyes locked. Hally's pulse thrummed underneath her hand. The woman above her held her gaze steady, sharp as glass, her lips curled in the barest hint of a challenge—a silent demand for Hally to yield, to relent.
She glared back at her.
"Ah, ah. Darling, we can be civilised about this… or I can take you over my knee…" Her eyes gleamed with a knowing sharpness, her voice dropping into her chest as she hovered over her, hand firmly indented against her sternum.
At the edge of the daring glint in her eye, Hally knew better than to call her bluff. Despite the fact that every muscle in her body had coiled with the impulse to resist, she forced herself to stay still. She met Koschei's gaze head-on, fire flickering in her eyes even as she forced herself to drop back against the chair, an unwilling sign that she had conceded, for now.
Koschei took her time easing the pressure off Hally's chest, her fingers trailing away slowly, almost lingering, before she straightened and leaned back against her desk with a measured grace, her gaze fixed on Hally as if she were studying an unexpected outcome of an experiment.
"Now," she tried again, resetting her tone to one of mock patience, "explain to me why you think you're angry."
Hally held her stare, her own voice was sharp as she demanded, "How long have you been here?"
Her wife only tilted her head, a slow, patronising tilt. "You already know the answer to that, darling." Her voice held a clipped, effortless authority, each word carefully and precisely enunciated to cut across to her just how tolerant she was being, "Now, I'm going to be patient with you because I know you're upset. But remember, you're not upset with me."
"Don't talk down to me." Hally growled. "Don't play with me, Koschei. I'm not in the mood." The Master watched her, silently. "You left me. I raised her on my own. I have been alone, and you're telling me you were here the entire time?!" She hated the way her voice cracked under the weight of her stare.
The Master clicked her tongue. "You've barely been alone one second of the past seven years. You could not possibly understand what it is to be truly alone." A dark glint flickered in her eyes before she leaned down, pressing her hand lightly but firmly against Hally's throat.
The moment she touched her a hot spark of irritation surged through her, and Hally immediately brought her hand up to shove her wrist away, but The Master moved in tandem. They grappled briefly, a quick, charged struggle. Hally twisted and pulled, her pulse thrumming with frustration, but it was like pushing against immovable steel—The Master's hand didn't budge, her touch unyielding, an anchored presence that refused to give an inch.
Hally's breaths came short, her hearts pounding as her body surged with futile effort, each attempt to break free meeting a wall of calm, almost infuriatingly relaxed resistance. She hated it—hated the casual way The Master handled her, hated the way every movement seemed measured, an easy match for her own strength.
Finally, her body stilled, her fingers curling into fists, the fight slowly draining as she met The Master's gaze, only to be caught in its piercing chill. The cold, unwavering blue pinned her with a look that was as much calming as it was a warning.
"I know you can be smart when you want to be," she purred. "Let's take it back to basics, shall we? Would you like me to explain to you how a paradox works?"
"Fuck you." Hally snarled, digging her nails into The Master's forearm, the one that still had her held down like an irate animal.
A second sting bloomed hot across her cheek, the sharp tap harder than the first. A swift shock that had her brain stall, her anger freezing in place as her mind scrambled.
The Master's gaze pinned her, daring Hally to try that again. The blue of her eyes burned, unreadable and relentless, leaving no room for argument. Hally's breath hitched, her body going still as her pulse hammered.
"Drop it." The order was low, carrying a steely edge that carved through the last of Hally's petulance. "I know you want to be angry. You have every right to be angry. Don't you think I'm furious? But don't you dare turn that anger on me."
Hally's chest tightened, wavering as she held The Master's unyielding gaze. There was no humour there anymore, no softening, she was done being patient. And though Hally wanted to hold on to her anger, to match her, fight her every step of the way, there was something in her gaze, something in the faint tingling from the sting of her cheek that stopped her.
Hally's breath came hard and shallow as she stared back.
She swallowed.
It wasn't Koschei's fault it had taken seven years to find her…
Yes.
Yes. Fine.
She understood how paradoxes worked.
Of course, she fucking understood why she hadn't come sooner.
Still, anger simmered beneath her skin.
"All that time, stolen from me…" The Master's head cocked to one side. "Are you truly so surprised I took a little of it back?"
No… of course not.
It struck Hally slowly, the realisation slipping past her anger and resentment in a way she hadn't expected. The Master had been there for Lily.
Hally felt the tension in her shoulders ease as her brain caught up. The Master had found her own way of being present, of supporting Lily from a place that wouldn't risk universal collapse. She'd been woven into the edges of their daughter's life, patient and selfless—two things she was rarely, if ever, known for.
For someone who usually seized what she wanted without a second thought, The Master had been…well, careful, restrained, thoughtful. And the more Hally thought about it, the more she saw that this hadn't been about control or manipulation but something different. It was almost, strangely, sweet.
It softened something in her, just a little.
Hally's gaze narrowed, displeasure flickering. "You had her lie to me…"
"I did." The Master's hand relaxed slightly, loosening her grip on Hally's neck. "I am genuinely sorry about that." She released her, leaning back again with a thoughtful look. "It was the only way both of us could exist in her life at the same time."
The scowl that settled on Hally's face communicated just how little she liked it.
"I promised her you would understand, eventually."
Her irritation was, to her displeasure, dissipating rather quickly and she fumbled, trying her best to resurrect logical reasons to remain annoyed at her wife. She motioned to the room, "You could have just rang the doorbell," she snapped, changing tact, choosing to instead focus her ire on The Master's choice of location for a reunion.
A sly smile tugged at The Master's mouth. "Where would the fun be in that?" Her eyes sparkled with dark amusement. "Why do that… and miss you so deliciously ruffled…?"
Hally's glare only seemed to entertain her more.
"You regenerated…"
"Very observant." She clipped back.
"When?"
"Wouldn't you like to know." She sang it with a taunting, playful edge.
Hally pushed herself up from the chair, attempting to close the height difference and regain some dominance. The Master didn't move, she didn't even blink and with a slight drop of her stomach, Hally realised that all her manoeuvre had accomplished was bringing herself mere inches away from her wife.
Immediately captured in the cerulean stare, she caught the wicked, playful glint. "Do you like it?" It was a soft challenge, dripping with intent.
Hally didn't need clarification. The tone alone spoke volumes. "It's certainly… different." Her eyes flicked down before she could stop herself.
The Master's smile curled with a knowing innuendo as her fingers slipped beneath Hally's chin, tilting her head up. "I was almost concerned you might not swing this way…" She leaned in, her voice a murmur. "But it's rather clear to see my concern was unnecessary."
Hally's eyes narrowed, her lips pursing with a mildly frustrated pout. "It would seem… the way I swing is… inexplicably toward you."
The Master's grin spread wide, baring her teeth, a predator enjoying the chase. "For better or for worse."
Irritation still simmered within Hally. Alright, she might not be as angry as she wanted to be. The Master might be right, but she could still be angry that she'd forced Lily to lie, that she'd revealed herself in front of a room full of humans. Couldn't she?
"It did mean you couldn't overact…" The Master added to her internal commentary, her eyes glinting.
"Shut up." Hally breathed the words, hardly more than a whisper, but they were the only thing she could force out. As she spoke, her hand traitorously lifted until it rested against the side of The Master's face. Warmth hummed beneath her skin, a pulse of something familiar, undeniable. Because she was right here. Koschei, right here. On Earth.
Safe.
And for the first time in far too long, Hally allowed herself a small moment of selfishness, her thumb tracing over the contours of her cheek. The sensation dangerously comforting, as if everything could simply be… alright.
She let her gaze linger, caught in those brilliant blue eyes that held a patience and a wicked amusement.
Every line of her face had an edge to it, each contour cut like glass and just as unforgiving. Everything about her was sharp, from the arch of her brow to the unmistakable gleam in her eye. She was dangerous—lethal, even, and yet…utterly magnetic. Edible, her mind whispered in a language half-formed from instinct and half from the thrum of her pulse, louder than she'd care to admit.
Dark hair swept up, tendrils escaping in loose, defiant curls that dared to fall across her face, softening what might otherwise be too precise, too perfect. Hally's eyes traced over each curl as if she could memorise them, as if committing these details would somehow arm her against whatever was unfurling inside her chest.
Yes, she'd seen beautiful women before.
She could certainly tell the difference.
She could notice pleasing symmetry across most species.
The woman standing before her wasn't beautiful.
She was devastating.
Hally's gaze flicked down to her mouth, captivated by the slight twitch of a smile that curved Koschei's lips—a flicker of encouragement that sent warmth flooding through her. Taking a steadying breath, she stepped in closer.
She raised her other hand, both palms now cradling The Master's face. It started as a barely there brush of skin against skin, tentative and feather-light before she pressed her mouth against hers. Her wife welcomed her in, sitting back to let her take the lead, to softly and extensively explore her mouth.
"Mum…?"
Hally pulled back, running her tongue over her lip as she cleared her throat, wincing slightly as she took a small step back, glancing from the floor to the doorway.
Oh, wonderful. Her daughter had brought Jack.
She was... momentarily grateful they were, in fact, in a school, surrounded by humans and children, which meant no one could completely freak out. Jack included.
The door to the office was now open, her… their daughter watching them with a small smile. Jack, on the other hand, was staring at Hally, utterly confused. His gaze shifted from her to the headmistress standing behind her. "Hal...?"
Hally cleared her throat. "Jack..." She exhaled.
"Missy will do." Koschei interjected, stepping around Hally and cupping her chin, forcing her to meet her gaze. "Or... Mistress, if you're asking for something." Her mouth curved with a wickedly predatory grin. She then turned to Jack. "The Master feels a little obsolete, doesn't it?" She winked at him as she moved toward their daughter. Lily grinned and wrapped her arms around her waist, while Missy pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head. "Were you interrupting for a good reason?"
Lily smiled sheepishly, looking between both of her parents. "Yes. Uh... it's our turn, Mum." She looked at Hally.
It took Hally a moment to remember exactly why they were there in the first place.
"Right... yeah... okay."
Jack, meanwhile, was still buffering.
Lily pulled Hally out of the office, through the door. Missy followed, tapping Jack patronisingly on the chest as she passed. "You, young man, are very lucky to still have both of your hands."
Jack seemed to click back into place, stepping toward Missy with an expression Hally knew all too well. She very swiftly slipped herself between them, pressing her hands against Jack's chest while Missy's front pressed against her back.
"Stop it. Both of you," she hissed.
Their behaviour was attracting attention.
Jack's gaze burned with anger, glaring down at her. "School. Jack... Jack. School. People. Humans. School." He caught her pleading expression and regained control, tension stiffening his posture, but he backed away. She swallowed. "Okay…"
"Come on," Lily hummed, heading toward the teacher.
Hally nodded emphatically, glancing nervously between Missy and Jack. "Mmhmm... Yep..." She forced a tight smile at her daughter, hoping to mask the tension. "Jack." With a gentle but firm grip, she practically dragged him down the corridor. Missy followed closely behind.
Right.
Wonderful.
They settled around a small table, with Lily leading the way, her face filled with enthusiasm as she ushered Hally into the seat beside her. Jack took the opposite side, his barely concealed irritation simmering just below the surface. Missy, with an air of confident entitlement, dragged a fourth chair over to the table and lowered herself into it, giving the teacher a dazzling smile.
"Miss Hayward." The teacher introduced herself, glancing between them, her brow furrowing slightly. "So... I take it you're all here for Lily?"
"Sharp as a tack," Missy purred, stretching back in her seat like a cat lounging in a sunbeam. "Though, you'll find only two of us are really relevant. Think of the third as... a placeholder." She shot Jack a sidelong smirk, delighting in his tight-lipped glower.
"Right..." Miss Hayward cleared her throat, visibly thrown but pressing on. "Lily's doing wonderfully in English. She's attentive, clever, and creative with her work. In fact, her latest assignment was a—"
"Isn't she marvellous?" Missy interrupted, beaming at Lily with fierce pride. "Takes after her mother."
"Stop talking," Hally clipped back, shooting Missy a look.
Jack bristled. "Both of them?" He leaned slightly forward, arms crossed, his eyes narrowing at Missy.
"Uh, yes... a lovely short story..." Miss Hayward stammered, clearly caught in the crossfire of something she could not possibly understand.
"Great," Hally forced a wide, fake smile, painfully aware of the glares exchanging over her head. "So proud of her. She works so hard."
"Of course, she does. With all that family support." Missy winked, her tone dripping with irony as she casually laced her fingers together. "Wouldn't you say, Captain?"
Jack's jaw clenched. "Support? Sure, if we can call it that." He shot Missy a pointed glare before turning back to the teacher, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "How is Lily handling group projects? I know collaboration can be challenging."
Hally was going to kill both of them.
"Oh, she's great with teamwork!" Miss Hayward replied, visibly relieved to change the subject. "She really encourages her peers and keeps everyone focused."
"Because that's what she's learned to do around here—lead the chaos," Missy chimed in, leaning forward with interest. "Must be delightful to have her in class. I do hope the others can keep up."
"Yeah, or do you need a 'placeholder' for them too?" Jack quipped, the sarcasm slipping out before he could rein it in.
"Now, Jack," Missy said, feigning innocence. "It's not their fault they couldn't possibly suitably fill the gap. Some people just—"
"—don't have the same priorities," Jack finished, his tone sharp. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms defiantly, the tension crackling between him and Missy like static electricity.
Miss Hayward shifted uncomfortably in her seat, glancing between the three adults. "Um, right... so about Lily's project—"
"Surely you're not trying to gloss over the brilliance that is my daughter," Missy interjected, leaning closer to Miss Hayward with a wide, charming smile. "She deserves more than just a passing mention. After all, she's clearly inherited her mother's knack for creativity."
"Don't forget her father's charm," Jack added, attempting a smile but failing miserably. "Though I think that might be a bit of a stretch."
"Ah, but Captain Jack, charm is often subjective, much like taste in... what was it? Friends?" Missy shot back, her eyes sparkling hatefully.
Hally groaned, running her hands through her hair. "Sorry. Please just... ignore them." She smiled brightly, pulling Lily closer to her.
As soon as they were done, Hally set a swift pace to get them all off school grounds as quickly as humanly or inhumanly possible. Jack was visibly angry, and Missy's self-satisfied attitude was really not helping. Hally had always known the reunion between the two was going to be frosty, but this was getting spikier by the second. Hally felt a twinge of concern over Lily having to witness the mounting tension, but her daughter seemed oddly calm about the whole ordeal.
"Uncle Jack, can we get chips on the way home?" Lily's voice broke the tense silence.
Jack blinked, his focus shifting to Lily. "Uh… I'm pretty sure there's food for dinner."
Lily pouted, undeterred. "Yes… but this has been very stressful. So, I think chips would be better."
Hally raised her eyebrows, giving Lily a warning look. "Lily, don't emotionally manipulate your Uncle."
Jack's gaze darted to Missy, his tone clipped. "I wonder where she learned that."
Missy grinned back, flashing her teeth in a bright, albeit threatening smile.
"Jack…" Hally's tone softened as she stepped closer, placing her hand on his chest, her voice dropping to a whisper. He looked down at her with something that bordered a glare, staring at her with an expression that very clearly read 'this is not ok'. "I know… okay?" She exhaled. "I know. Can you just… leave this to me?"
His gaze moved from her pleading expression to slip over her head to land on Missy, a heated protectiveness settling across his face.
"Please. I know… just trust me..." At her words, his stare returned to her. "Can you take her home?"
He looked at her steadily, distaste lingering in his eyes. "And where are you going?"
Hally took a breath. "I need to talk to her. Alone. Away from… all of this insanity. Please, let me deal with this myself."
Jack's gaze softened with hesitation but ultimately, he nodded. "You trust her?"
"Yes." She replied, voice steady with a resolute certainty that perhaps even momentarily surprised her. "Please, trust me."
After a long look, he finally nodded and shooting Missy a warning glare, turned to lead Lily towards the car. Lily grinned up at her mother, as though immensely satisfied with the current outcome and gave Hally a quick hug, waving goodbye to Missy before turning on her heel and running to catch up with Jack.
Having Jack take Lily home lifted a weight from her, she could breathe again. A certain step in the right direction of untangling this complete insanity. She cleared her throat. "Can we… go somewhere?" She turned back to Missy and at the playful arch of her eyebrow she quickly added, "To talk."
A sly smile spread across Missy's face. "Dinner, then." She extended her hand, her gaze inviting, yet dissecting. Hally hesitated, a momentary urge to resist before she let herself relax, reminding herself that right now, it was just them as she placed her hand in Missy's. The ground below their feet slipped out from underneath them and seconds later, courtesy of the vortex manipulator around Missy's wrist, they materialised elsewhere.
They had reappeared on a quiet London street, it was almost dark, the majority of the illumination spilling from vintage style lanterns mounted by a large black door, casting a golden glow that softened the edges of the start of the evening. Missy led her forward by the hand, her silhouette a blend of poise and purpose, glancing back at Hally with a slight curve to her lips, as though to check she was following behind. As if it would be possible for her to pull her arm from the tight grip around her hand.
She led her over to the black door, which upon their approach swung open to reveal what at first glance seemed to be an old style London townhouse, or some sort of exclusive members club. There was an air of an intimate, old-world charm, the kind that balanced upscale refinement with a whisper of secrecy. It was quiet inside, a few patrons seated at scattered tables in private corners, enveloped in dim, golden light. Replete with rich wood panelling, dark leather armchairs, and a crackling fireplace set at one end. Velvet drapes softened the windows, leaving the room in a dim, amber glow. Hally took a slow breath, taking in her surroundings as Missy strode ahead, never once hesitating, exuding a confidence that made her seem as though she belonged here more than anyone.
"Right this way, ladies," a waiter led them with a warm but unobtrusive smile, gliding into place and leading them deeper into the restaurant. As they followed, Hally couldn't help feeling immediately very out of place in the warmth of all that flickering candlelight, an intimacy cloaked over each table as couples and small groups leaned close in quiet, murmured exchanges. She was quite noticeably, underdressed, in her blue jeans and grey cardigan she'd practically thrown on before rushing from the house.
They reached a table tucked into a secluded corner near the window, candles set between them casting a soft glow over dark wood, the flame's warmth a private bubble against the cool night just outside the glass. Hally sat, catching herself smoothing her hands across the tops of her thighs as she tried her best to remember how to sit in a chair like a normal person. It was as though suddenly her limbs were all too large.
For some reason she found herself avoiding looking at Missy as she lowered herself gracefully into the chair opposite her.
This felt like a date.
She glanced around again, taking in the splattering of other couples, the quiet ritual of going somewhere overpriced to dine together. The concept looked so normal on them and yet it felt so incredibly abnormal. They'd not done this before, how, how, had they never done this before? The flickering candle between them wasn't helping, casting the two of them in a soft, secretive sort of glow, unmistakably intimate.
Missy's gaze caught hers over the table, her lips quirked in a knowing smile as though she'd read her thoughts.
Well… she probably had.
Missy's hand rose smoothly, a languid gesture for the waiter. "Could you bring us a bottle of the Château Margaux."
The waiter's eyes widened, immediately attentive. "Of course, would you prefer the 2003 or the 2005?"
Out of the corner of her eye, Missy caught the slight but unmistakable eye roll that Hally hadn't quite managed to stifle in time. With a quirked brow and an amused glint in her eye, she deferred to Hally, her tone a teasing lilt. "What do you think, darling?"
Hally, giving her wife a level look, replied dryly, "Is it red?"
Missy's lips twitched, her expression betraying a small, glinting amusement at the evidently naïve question. The waiter, awkwardly clearing his throat, answered despite the fact that no one had asked him directly, "Ah… it's a mix of—"
"I don't actually like red," Hally cut him off, directing her words at Missy.
Missy's eyebrow arched higher, that hint of amusement refusing to fade. "Yes, you do."
"No," Hally said flatly, "you like it. I prefer white."
Missy, rolling her eyes with a light sigh, clicked her tongue. "Then I suppose we'd better order one bottle of the 2005 and one bottle of the house white, for the infant." She sent the waiter off with an overly friendly dazzling smile.
Hally scoffed, folding her arms across her chest, her gaze shifting uneasily around the room. "When I agreed to dinner, I didn't mean… like this."
Missy tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Like what?"
"Like… this. This isn't just dinner."
"Isn't it?"
Hally glared. "Stop it."
Missy's expression was all mock surprise. "Darling, did you expect Pizza Express?"
An uncomfortable laugh escaped Hally, her head shaking in disbelief. "This is a date."
"If you say so."
"Lily loves Pizza Express," Hally muttered more to herself than anything, her tone softening a little.
For a moment, the hard lines of Missy's face tempered, a flicker of something warmer passing over her face. "I know."
They held each other's gaze for a moment, a silent tension weaving between them that was both pointed and gentle, brimming with old familiarity. Missy reclined back in her chair, unflustered.
Hally's gaze lingered on her wife, taking a silent moment to take her in. The way she commanded every inch of space around her. It wasn't unfamiliar, it wasn't drastically different to her last regeneration, there had always been an inflated sense of self-assurance to them. Her previous regeneration had perhaps worn it with a more masculine cockiness. Missy wore it differently. The way her shoulders rested against the back of the chair, her chin tilted slightly up drawing her gaze down her neck towards her chest, the pale, lightly freckled skin. Hally's eyes traced the line of her collarbone, then drifted back up, lingering at the edge of her jaw, at the top of her neck. She was designed to pull in attention, every angle so sharp and deliberate that it was impossible to look away. Missy's gaze was steady on her, daring Hally to keep looking. Yet, sitting under the weight of those blue eyes, Hally's stomach twisted in knots of… what was that? Dread? Fear? Anticipation? It certainly wasn't wholly unpleasant, but it left her feeling utterly devoid of autonomy.
She was terrifying and yet, simultaneously devastatingly, powerfully attractive.
The smirk on Missy's lips deepened, an almost wicked curl as she tilted her head knowingly. "Each to their own, sweetheart." She murmured, eyes glinting.
The waiter returned with a pair of wine bottles. Missy took her time, smelling the wine with a show of graceful precision before taking a small, satisfied sip. Hally, however, quickly poured herself a generous glass, hoping it might take the edge off the unnecessary tension that her wife was more than happy to sit in. She watched as Missy raised an eyebrow, her mouth twitching faintly as she took in Hally's hurried pour.
After a sip, Missy gave her a pointed look. "So, shall I order us something decent, or would you rather stick to the children's menu?" Missy let the silence linger just long enough to make her point before her mouth curved into a dry smile.
Hally met her gaze with an exasperated glare, biting back a retort. The suggestion, condescending as it was, stirred something close to reluctant amusement and only half-masked irritation. She let out a small, resigned sigh. "Fine. Go ahead. Surprise me." She replied, her tone flat but conceding, unwilling to take the bait.
Missy's eyes gleamed, her smirk deepening as she looked at the menu with a focused intensity, clearly enjoying this far more than Hally was.
Hally swallowed, squirming slightly in her chair, innately uncomfortable, yet there was a familiar prickling to it she couldn't quite ignore. Her fingers reached back to gather her hair, securing it up off the back of her neck, which felt suddenly warm under the dim, ambient lights.
A small smile curved at the corners of Missy's lips, her eyes skimming the menu but never lifting to meet Hally's gaze. "We can always skip dinner if you're that impatient to see what's underneath," she quipped, casually.
Hally bit back a low growl, aware of the lingering waiter who seemed to be purposefully tuning in and out. "Just order something," she hissed.
With a faintly amused look, Missy did so, snapping the menu shut and handed it to the waiter, who promptly took his exit. As the silence settled, ice-blue eyes met soft brown, and Hally felt her stomach flip, her throat tightening.
Missy cocked her head, a smirk pulling at her lips. "Eyes up here, darling," she teased, her voice low and dripping with amusement. "Now, I'm more than happy to sit here and let you eye-fuck me, but I was under the impression you wanted to talk."
Hally cleared her throat. "No… that's… no, I was actually… uh… thinking about where we go from here," she managed.
Lies.
She had been picturing undoing a few more buttons of Missy's blouse.
Missy's smile widened. "Of course," she purred, letting the words drag out, savouring the tension as she took a slow, deliberate sip of her wine. "Co-parenting?"
"Something like that…"
"Is that what you want?" Missy leaned forward, setting her glass down as her eyes locked onto Hally's, curiosity gleaming beneath her gaze.
Hally exhaled a soft laugh, bitterness and honesty intertwined. "What I want became irrelevant seven years ago."
"Not to me." Missy's gaze softened, something deeply intent in her eyes. "You have given our daughter everything she could possibly need. I do rather think it's time you remembered yourself."
Hally cleared her throat, eyes wary as she watched Missy.
Missy studied her, leaning forward slightly. "Do you even know anymore? What you want?"
Hally blinked, her tongue flicking out to wet her bottom lip. "Uhh…"
A smile curved on Missy's lips.
"I want whatever is best for her. Always." Hally replied, her tone firmer as a frown crossed her face, an edge of irritation in her voice.
"Mmhmm… of course." Missy reached across the table, lifting Hally's chin slightly. "But if, for a moment… you dropped the perfect parent act, what do you want?"
The frown deepened into a scowl. "Oh, I'm sorry if my whole being revolves around our daughter. In case you hadn't noticed, I've been keeping her alive without you."
"I had noticed, yes." Missy pulled back, examining her fingernails with feigned interest. "But here I am. You don't have to carry the burden alone."
"She's not a burden," Hally snapped.
Missy's eyes glittered. "I was being sarcastic…"
"So that's it? You just expect to waltz back in? To hide from me for years and then show up and what? Move in? Kick Jack out? Come and be a perfect little family?"
"That is what you want."
"You don't have the slightest idea," she hissed, voice taut with barely contained anger. "Do you even know what she eats? Her bedtime? Which toy she refuses to sleep without?" Her voice wavered. "What makes her laugh when she's upset, or her favourite story when she's too tired to sleep? Her favourite place to go on Sunday mornings? The songs she dances to, even if she doesn't know the words?"
"And is that my fault?" Missy shot back, voice dropping into a sharp hiss, pain slicing across her face.
Hally took a breath, Missy's words hitting her hard. "…No… no, I know it's not your fault… I… sorry." She ran a hand through her hair, before her palms pressed against her eyes. She took a slow, deep breath.
"Darling, I have been here."
She moved her hands away from her face, letting herself look back at her wife. "I've been with her when you weren't. I have parented. I have helped. You just didn't see it."
"Oh?" Hally's tone was slightly pointed.
"Yes, sweetheart." Missy hummed. She cocked her head to one side. "The time she bit James McAlister so hard he needed three stitches. I dealt with it. When she slammed the door in Mr. Johnson's face, I dealt with it. Did you think she never had homework? She does. We do it together so you don't have to."
Hally opened her mouth, but Missy continued. "School trips, permission slips, lost socks, grazed knees, tantrums, falling out with friends. Everything I could do, I have done."
"W-what?" Hally stammered.
Missy's gaze softened slightly as she met Hally's eyes.
"She… bit someone?"
Missy allowed herself a small, amused smile. "Oh, don't worry, he more than deserved it."
Hally shot her a look, and Missy chuckled softly. Hally took a moment, looking away as the waiter brought their food. Steadying her breath and just letting herself come to terms with what Missy was actually saying.
Again, they were left alone, the soft clinking of silverware the only sound as Hally picked up her fork, mechanically pushing her food around her plate. Each movement felt like a chore, a distraction from the thoughts swirling in her mind.
"I suppose… I don't actually know what I want…" she admitted quietly, glancing up at her wife, searching for something in Missy's expression. "I know what I should want. I know what I should do, what would be best for Lily." Her gaze slipped back down to her plate. "I barely know who I am when I'm not just being her mother…"
Missy stayed silent for a moment.
"You're my wife." She finally said.
"… but what does that even mean?" Hally looked back up at her. Missy's mask had gone. There was no smirk, no playful glint, just the quiet intensity of Koschei.
"It means, that we'll work it out together."
Hally exhaled slowly.
"I don't really know what I expected…" She watched Missy, a small almost bitter smile tugging at her mouth. "You. I'd sort of… tricked myself into believing we could just pick things back up, but it's… it doesn't feel that easy."
Missy twirled her fork through her food, a wry smile curling her lips as she raised it to her mouth. "Darling, this has never been easy…" Her smile sharpened. "That's what makes it so delicious."
"To co-parenting, then," Hally offered, the corner of her mouth twitching into a reluctant smile.
Fondness glittered behind Missy's eyes as she raised her glass. "To co-parenting." She echoed softly.
They let the conversation drift into a comfortable lull as they ate, the soft clinking of cutlery and the distant hum of the restaurant filling the silence. Hally gradually let herself relax, the tension in her shoulders easing. Once she'd actually started to eat, she found she couldn't deny that it was, in fact, divine.
When she finished her first glass of wine, Missy had smoothly and silently refilled her glass with the Château Margaux. Hally glanced up, expecting to see that familiar playful smirk or a teasing glint in her wife's eyes. Instead, she was met with a softness that caught her off guard. Missy's expression was serious, devoid of the usual mischief, oddly intimate.
A flutter of awareness stirred within Hally, a realisation that settled over her. This… all of this, the ridiculously expensive restaurant, the wine, the food, it wasn't just a power play. It was supposed to be a gesture, opulent and over the top. It was a date, of sorts. She was treating her. Caring, extravagantly.
Hally's cheeks warmed, not solely from the wine but from a sudden rush of emotion. It was intimate. Purposefully. She turned her gaze back to her plate, her hearts dancing in her chest, a lump forming in her throat as she considered how long it had been since she'd felt this kind of attention.
Eventually, Hally broke the gentle silence, the conversation drifting around safer territories.
"How long has it been since Gallifrey?"
"Oh… I can't quite remember."
"You can't?"
"It all gets a little hazy."
"How long have you been at that school?"
"Not everyone can just become Headteacher, you know. It took me years."
Hally laughed, shaking her head. "You mean you actually worked your way up?"
"Yes."
"Was it you…?"
"Was what me?" Missy asked, playing innocent.
"Christmas Eve…"
Missy's smile grew. "Darling, I was there the whole time. Someone had to look after you."
"Why are you sometimes Scottish…?"
"Am I?" Missy's voice took on a playful lilt.
"You regenerated into a woman…"
"Is that a question?"
"It's just… I didn't see you swinging that way."
Missy smirked. "Perhaps I thought it might make you less likely to hit me…"
"Well…"
"Yes, evidently I was wrong."
"Sorry…"
They stepped out into the crisp night air, the quiet hush of evening settling around them. They had agreed that Hally would tell Kate tomorrow. Surprisingly, Missy hadn't put up any kind of fight, she'd thought she might object to Hally's insistence they do this properly. 'By the book'. She could only imagine how Jack was going to react. For now, Hally would go home and Missy would go… wherever it was Missy was living.
Missy turned to Hally, an eyebrow arched and a playful glint dancing in her eye. "Well," she drawled, her voice low and teasing, "aren't you going to give me a goodnight kiss?"
Hally hesitated, a soft laugh escaping her as she traced the line of Missy's jaw with her gaze, taking in the dark shimmer of her lipstick. The night wrapped around them in silence, amplifying every small sound, her own breathing, the whisper of Missy's movements as she stepped closer. "I suppose it's only fair…" Hally breathed, slowly reaching up to brush her fingertips against Missy's cheek, warm and smooth under her touch.
Missy tilted her head slightly, inviting her in, her hand slipping around Hally's waist and drawing her close with a deliberate pull. "… after all, I have been thoroughly wined and dined."
"And you have been thinking about nothing else all evening." Missy purred, her voice dipping with heat.
"Quite possibly…" Hally conceded, hovering her lips just above Missy's, teasingly close. The warmth of Missy's breath mingled with her own. "… but then again…" A smirk tugged at the corners of Hally's mouth. "…so have you." She caught Missy's lean in, pressing her mouth firmly against her lips. The contact quickly deepened, Missy's fingers sliding around her waist to pull her chest flush against hers. Missy's tongue claimed her mouth with a fierce urgency. There was a trickle of something desperate slipping through as she gripped her, held her.
When Hally eventually pulled away, she found herself more than a little breathless, her hearts pounding. The world tilted slightly as she stumbled back out of Missy's hold, an unfamiliar warmth spreading from her lips and across her cheeks, leaving her suddenly, inexplicably lightheaded. She blinked, disoriented.
Missy's gaze held steadily on her, a gentle smile playing at her lips, calm, controlled. She reached out, steadying Hally with a gentle hand. "Steady there," she murmured, her voice soft, laced with something unreadable.
Hally's vision blurred, her knees weakening. A distant part of her realised, with a slow, dawning dread, that something was very wrong. She stumbled, her body refusing to respond, each movement slower, heavier. She tried to pull back, to step away, but her limbs felt weighted, no longer her own.
"Missy…" she gasped, voice trembling, a hint of pleading already slipping through. "Koschei… what did you…?" Her words trailed off, tangled and far away, the edges of her vision beginning to blur.
Missy's face softened, almost pitying, her gaze holding Hally with a quiet intensity that was both calming and terrifying. She stepped forward, closing the distance between them, her hands coming up to Hally's shoulders, steadying her with a strange gentleness, considering. "Shh," she whispered, brushing her thumb over Hally's cheek with a careful, soothing touch. "It's alright, darling. Just breathe…"
"No… no, I don't…" Hally tried to speak, her voice barely more than a whisper as she struggled to stay awake, to fight against the growing fog in her mind. Each word was an effort, slipping away even as she tried to hold onto them. Darkness crept into the edges of her vision, her body sagging against her wife as she tried to cling to consciousness. "Koschei, stop… please…"
"Shh, don't fight it," Missy murmured, her tone warm, affectionate, as her hand slid to cradle Hally's head, lowering her gently, fingers stroking softly through her hair. "It's alright, my love. I've got you." The jolt of the vortex manipulator was familiar.
They'd moved.
Panic flared in Hally's chest, her hearts pounding weakly as her mind fought against the toxin's insistent pull, trying to strain out of her arms. "Please…" she begged, her voice cracking, desperation slipping through as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. "Missy… please…"
Missy's expression softened, her lips pressing a gentle, prolonged kiss to Hally's temple, the warmth of it lingering as she felt herself slipping further away. "It's alright, darling," she whispered against her skin, her voice low, calming. "Just let it take you."
A tear slipped down Hally's cheek as her last bit of strength faded, her body slumping into Missy's arms. Her vision dimmed, each breath coming slower, shallower, as she struggled weakly, grasping at the last fragments of awareness slipping away from her. "… Koschei…"
Missy's arms wrapped around her, pulling her close, her hand gently stroking Hally's hair, cradling her as she surrendered to the darkness, her body finally giving in. "Shh," Missy murmured, her voice a soft, soothing lullaby as she held her. "I've got you, my love."
The last thing Hally saw before her vision went dark was Missy's face, framed by an eerie blue glow, her eyes bright and unyielding.