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Chapter Text

The Doctor and Angel ran to the console, quickly hitting various controls, watching as the walls of the TARDIS closed, pushing the ship out. They then got to work materializing the TARDIS inside the ship. The Doctor stepped out and looked around at the small space they'd landed in, a supply closet, before holding the door open for Angel to step out first, ever the gentleman. They headed out of the room and into a wood paneled one, decorated with potted palms and Christmas decorations, a reception area it seemed. People garbed in early 20th century dress milled around as waiters passed hor d'ouveres and champagne around. A band in another room was playing a slow version of Jingle Bells. The Doctor walked over to two golden angels in white when they twitched mechanically, robots.

"I hate robots," Angel remarked as she eyed them, now wary of wherever they were, "They're always trying to kill us."

The only robot she liked was K9, because he was just adorable. Looking at the robots now...they made her shiver, she didn't like them. They reminded her of how she'd felt as Angela Smith, when she and the Doctor had been before the scarecrow as he fixed it. She'd just known there was something wrong with the scarecrows even as a human and this was no different. Those robots...they weren't good. They weren't right. And she didn't like them.

The Doctor reached out, sensing her unease, and took her hand, lifting it in both of his to press a kiss to the back of it, pulling her attention away from the robots and back to him. Really though, all he had to do was look at her and her attention would wander to him, as it often did. She was always aware of when he was around her, when he was near, when he was looking at her. She smiled up at him as he smiled back at her, there was a...sparkle in his eye, another one, a different one than the one she normally saw. THAT sparkle was still there, it always was, whenever he looked at her, but there was another one there too...she just...didn't know what it was for though.

"Come on," he tugged her hand, walking with her over to a window, both of them peering out at the Earth below.

"Attention all passengers," the speakers called, "The Titanic is now in orbit above Sol 3, also known as Earth. Population: Human. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Christmas."

Angel blinked, "It's Christmas again," she breathed, not too sure how she felt about that.

It was supposed to be such a joyous holiday, full of love and light and peace...but the last few Christmases she'd had...had been quite the opposite. Full of danger and anger and pain...not at all like it should be. And, though she hated to admit it as it was such a favored holiday for so many...she'd begun to find herself disliking the holiday. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with it in general...it was just...terrible things tended to happen to her on Christmas...much like terrible things always happened when she set foot in a hospital.

Which made her frown, that feeling inside her, that her next companion might be a nurse, well...how would that work? How would she even find a companion who was a nurse if, everytime she entered a hospital, things went wrong? She might reach the point where she refused to enter one just because of that fact and then where would she be? She'd have missed the opportunity to have another amazing companion.

She supposed she'd just have to 'suck it up' as the humans would say. Bear with it all, go into as many hospitals as they encountered over their travels till she found her next companion. She couldn't wait though! Mickey was so special to her, so important, and he'd grown into such a strong man which, she liked to think, might have had something to do with her friendship. She hoped to one day be able to do the same for another person, help them grow into a strong individual, a better individual, show them just how special they were.

She liked the idea of doing that.

"I know!" the Doctor cheered, "Isn't it brilliant!?"

"I suppose," she murmured, though her tone and the feelings rolling off her alerted him to the fact that, to her, it might not be quite as brilliant as to him.

He looked at her, knowing where her thoughts had gone, to Rose, to Donna, to everything that happened the last two Christmases. And he nodded to himself, this one would be different, he'd make it different. He was going to give Angel the best Christmas ever! Oh yes he was!

"Come on," he turned to lead her off, "I've got a surprise for you."

"What?" she smiled up at him.

He just grinned, "This time...we're BOTH gonna dress up."

She laughed, starting to run, pulling HIM along now. It wasn't often he offered to leave his trusty brown suit behind and she jumped at any chance she got to see him in a different outfit.

~8~

On the bridge the crew, in period uniform, with a mix of different period tech around them, were just working the controls, "Nice and steady," the captain called, "Good work, Mr. Cavill," he patted another man on the back, "And maintain position. Now then, gentlemen, according to the traditions of the planet below, Christmas is a time of celebration. I think you might be entitled to a tot of rum. Just the one. Off you go. I'll keep watch."

"Sir," Cavill saluted and walked out with a few other members. One man paused, before closing the door and facing the captain, remaining in the room.

"And you, what was it?"

"Midshipman Frame, sir," he introduced, "Only just qualified, sir. First trip out."

"Then you can stand down, Midshipman."

"Uh, but, uh...regulations say the bridge has to be staffed by two crewmembers at any one time, sir."

"Well said," the captain nodded, smiling, seemingly impressed, "Very good," Frame smiled at the praise and walked over to a bank of instruments, "It should be nice and quiet. It's only a Level 5 planet down below. They don't even know we're here. 'Silent Night,' I believe they call it," the captain's smile slowly faded, "A silent night."

~8~

"Max Capricorn Cruise Liners, the fastest, the farthest, the best," a bald man with a horrendously laughable mustache smiled at the camera, "And I should know, because my name is Max," he grinned and his golden tooth glinted before the screen returned to the cruise logo.

The Doctor looked over at Angel who was wearing an ivory colored, silk, 3/4 sleeved, floor length dress with a golden mesh over it, high waisted, with a golden bow tying in the back, her hair in its usual plait. She was truly a sight to behold, beautiful, and the colors, the white and the gold made her look every bit the angel he knew she was. The whole image would be complete if only she had wings and a halo, though he doubted anyone who met her wouldn't agree that she really was an angel incarnate.

"How do I look?" he asked her, fixing his tie.

"Oh not that suit again," she mock-moaned, when he'd said they'd both dress up, she had been hoping to see him in something other than the black suit. Anything but the black suit would have been just fine for her, "And the bowtie," she sighed, shaking her head before fixing his tie completely, "You'd best hope we don't get stuck under any mistletoe," she pointed out.

He pouted, "You wouldn't kiss me just because I'm wearing a bowtie?"

She smiled, kissing his cheek, "I didn't say THAT," she laughed, "It'll just be harder to tug you down to kiss you."

He smiled, reaching out to brush a lock of hair behind her ears as she moved to do it herself, taking her hand in the process, "You don't have to tug me down, you know. You really don't," he leaned in and kissed her softly, "I would kiss you willingly every single second for the rest of my lives," he kissed her again, deeper, leaving her quite breathless when they parted, her cheeks a bit pink as well, "You just have to look at me and I'd lean in to kiss you myself."

"I know," she whispered, resting her forehead to his, "But it's fun to be able to tug you, makes me feel special, like I've got a tiny bit of power over you."

"You have complete power over me," he told her, meaning it as he pressed the back of her hand to the center of his chest, letting her feel his hearts beating, "I live for you Nella," he breathed, staring into her eyes so she could see the truth in them, feel the promise in his words, "Everything I do, is for you. Anything you want, I'll get you. Anything you want me to do, I'll do it, no matter what. I think I proved that on the Valiant," he reminded her gently, recalling the promise she'd made him make, "I'm yours, mind, body, and soul, completely and utterly yours."

She let out a breath, feeling herself shivering at his words, seeing him staring into her eyes, into her soul, feeling his true devotion to her coursing through her. He really meant it, every single word, not just with his mind but with his hearts as well. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for her.

"Likewise," she said, her voice shaking from the overflow of emotions pouring into her. She loved this feeling, this little tingling, this trembling, this electricity, that only the Doctor had ever made her feel. She felt warm and protected and special and...happy. Just...so happy.

"I love you Nella," he kissed her once more, "More than all the stars in the Universe."

She smiled into the kiss, "I don't think I can say the same..." she admitted, looking up at him, reaching out a hand to touch his cheek as he looked at her, confused by her words, "There aren't enough stars in the Universe, throughout the whole of time and space, to express how much I love you."

He beamed at that, lifting her hand to kiss once more before tucking it into his arm and leading her towards reception.

"Merry Christmas, sir, ma'am," a steward smiled.

"Merry Christmas," they said before stepping past him and entering the ballroom where the band was playing.

"It's not a holiday for me, not while I've still got my vone," a rather snooty sounding man spat into his small communicator as they walked by, "Now do as I say and sell."

They watched as he walked off before the Doctor approached a robotic angel, making sure to stand a bit before Angel as he knew she was still uneasy around them. Angel had to smile at that, everything he did really was for her wasn't it? He probably hadn't even realized he'd moved in front of her, as though to protect her, and that was just so him.

He'd step in the way of a bullet if it meant saving someone else.

"Evening," the Doctor nodded at the robot, "Passengers 56 and 57. Terrible memory. Remind me. Uh, you would be..."

"Information: Heavenly Host supplying tourist information," it stated.

"Good, so, um...tell me, 'cos I'm an idiot, where are we from?"

"Information: the Titanic is en route from the planet Sto in the Cassavalian Belt. The purpose of the cruise is to experience primitive cultures."

"It's really called the Titanic?" Angel frowned at that, she didn't know much about a lot of things, but...she knew enough to know that the Titanic was not a ship you wanted to be on. The Doctor had told her a story once that he'd actually been on the ship...expressly stating that its sinking was NOT his fault...but remarking that it was a terrible wreck. Being on a spaceship of the same name was not shaping up to be a good omen for this Christmas either.

"Um...who...thought of the name?" the Doctor asked, actually starting to grow a bit uneasy about this as well.

"Information: it was chosen as the most famous vessel of the planet Earth,"

"Did they tell you why it was famous?"

"Information: all designations are chosen by Mr. Max Capricorn, president of Max…Max…Max…" they stepped back as the Host started to jerk its head, short circuiting.

"Ooh, bit of a glitch," the Doctor remarked, reaching into his pocket for the sonic.

"Sir, we can handle this," another steward ran forward, waving to two others for some help as they switched off the Host and carried it away, "Software problem, that's all. Leave it with us, sir, ma'am. Merry Christmas," he turned and followed the other stewards off, "That's another one down," he muttered, "What's going on with these things?"

~8~

Down in the Host storage area, the stewards dropped the Host down onto a repair table, "That's eight of them now on the blink," the steward said to an engineer, "One woman, she asked the Host to fix her necklace. It almost broke her neck...in First Class!"

"I've been over the robotics," the engineer replied, "Nothing. It's like somebody's got into them. Some kind of bug," a forklift drove by with Host parts on it, "Whoa, wait, wait, wait. Over there, Bay 15."

"Tell you what. If you can't fix them, throw them overboard!" the two men walked off in opposite directions, neither noticing the Host move its head.

~8~

In reception Angel glanced over to look at a blonde haired waitress moments before she dropped her tray of drinks, bumping into the snooty man from before, "For Tov's sake, look where you're going!" the man glared, wiping off his jacket and gesturing at it angrily, "This jacket's a genuine Earth antique."

"I'm sorry, sir," the woman fell to her knees and picked up the broken glass, her head bowed.

"You'll be sorry when it comes off your wages, sweetheart. Staffed by idiots. No wonder Max Capricorn is going down the drain," luckily though, he stalked off and left the woman alone.

"He's ruder than you," Angel murmured to the Doctor, moving over to help the woman herself as the other passengers just sneered down at her, making the woman even more conscious she was being watched than before.

"Careful," the Doctor called as he followed her to the woman's side, having seen the interaction as well, he quickly moved a shard of glass away from the woman's hand, "There we go."

"Thank you, sir," the woman smiled, "I can manage."

"Of course you can," Angel smiled, kneeling down to help too, "Doesn't mean you don't need help from time to time."

"I'm the Doctor, by the way," he introduced, "And this is my Mate, the Angel."

Angel couldn't help but blush at that. She'd noticed that SHE wasn't the only one who had seemed to have picked up a bit of a habit from their time as humans in 1913. While she tended to brush a piece of her hair behind her ears, even if there wasn't anything there to brush, the Doctor, well...ever since they'd returned form 1913, whenever he'd introduced her, he would start by calling her his Mate. She had to admit that she liked it, she liked being known as his Mate, she loved the fact that he seemed so eager and happy for others to know as well. It was also, she thought, a bit of a warning move for him. By introducing her as HIS Mate right off the bat...it kept other men away from her. It did depend on the man though, some were just kind men who chatted with anyone, those men were fine with her, some were boys or old men, and they were sweet. She supposed it was really to keep the ones who were too flirtacious for their own good, like Jack before he'd calmed down, or the ones that didn't know when to stop, from focusing on her which she was thankful for. The only man she wanted to flirt or focus on her in that way was the Doctor.

And it was endlessly sweet to hear him calling her his Mate, especially the smile he threw her afterwards, which he was doing now.

"Astrid," the waitress nodded, "Astrid Peth."

"Nice to meet you, Astrid Peth," Angel greeted, "And I hope you have a very merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, ma'am," Astrid looked at her, surprised at her kind words because...she could tell...the girl was genuinely being sincere, she really did wish her the best Christmas, and that was kind, far kinder than many of the other guests had been to her.

"No, no, just Angel please," she shook her head, "Just call me Angel, not 'ma'am.'"

"And I'm just 'Doctor,' not 'sir,'" the Doctor added for good measure.

"You enjoying the cruise?" Astrid asked them, nodding in acceptance of their request.

"Hmm…" the Doctor trailed, thoughtful, "Christmas…on a cruise…with my Mate…yeah, very much."

"Stop it," Angel nudged him a bit, blushing. He just gave her a peck on the lips...or three...neither seeing Astrid sigh at the action.

"Are you honeymooners?" Astrid stood.

"No, no," the Doctor laughed, standing and helping Angel up as well, "And what about you? What are you doing on the cruise? Long way from home, Planet Sto."

"Doesn't feel that different," Astrid remarked, gesturing to the tray in her hand, "I spent three years working at the spaceport diner, travelled all the way here...and I'm still waiting on tables."

"They don't let you visit the Earth?" Angel asked as they followed after her when she resumed her clearing up.

"We're not allowed," she sighed, picking up some glasses left on a table by the window, "They can't afford the insurance. I just wanted to try it, just once. I used to watch the ships heading off to the stars and I always dreamt of...it sounds daft."

"You dreamt of another sky," the Doctor nodded, "New sun, new air, new life. A whole Universe teeming with life. Why stand still when there's all that life out there?"

Astrid shook her head sharply out of her thoughts, "So...you travel a lot?"

"Oh all the time," Angel nodded, beaming at that.

It was so odd. She never thought she'd like travelling when she'd been on Gallifrey. She supposed it was because she'd always had so many responsibilities, taking care of the TARDISes. She hadn't wanted to leave them. She could pilot one remarkably well, better than many other Time Lords, but then again, she HAD had access to them for her entire life. But she'd never really wanted to leave. She'd never really ever left Gallifrey before. The Universe, while amazing, had never really...touched her the way the mystery and brilliance of the TARDISes did. She'd been content then.

But then the War came and everything changed. In such a short time she'd lost the TARDISes, she'd lost her family, she'd lost her home...but she still had one TARDIS left to care for and that one was so full of life. It was almost like the TARDIS was taking them to all the most amazing places to try and show her what she was missing. And she had to admit, she rather loved the adventures and the places she'd been, the people she'd met, the things she'd seen. Though, it probably also had to do with the company, the Doctor made everything so much more amazing!

"Just for fun," the Doctor added, though inwardly beaming at the feelings and thoughts he was getting from Angel. He was so pleased that he'd managed to inspire her sense of adventure in such a way. He loved it!

"That's what we try to do at least," Angel continued.

"Never quite works."

"Always works out for the best in the end though," Angel nudged him.

"That it does," he admitted.

He could see it now, hindsight truly was 20/20 unlike Angel's foresight. Everything that had happened, had needed to happen. He needed to regenerate to be able to be this new man and tell Angel how he truly felt about her. Angel had needed to regenerate for her body to begin anew, more accepting of her abilities to allow them to grow. Rose had had to go to Pete's World otherwise they would have never met Martha Jones. They would have never had the adventures they'd had with her if they'd had Rose. Angel had been right, they were two entirely different people. They wouldn't have gone to meet Shakespeare or New New York again or Old New York or anything if not for showing them to Martha. There was no saying that they would have found the Master if Rose had been there.

By losing Rose, they had gained so much as well.

"Must be rich though," Astrid remarked.

"Haven't got a penny," the Doctor shook his head, before whispering, "Stowaways."

"Kidding?" Astrid's eyes widened.

"Seriously."

"No!"

"Oh, yeah."

"How did you get onboard?"

"We had a bit of an accident with your ship," Angel said, "I was working on rebuilding our ship with the Doctor and we left the defenses down. Ended up bumping right into the Titanic."

"And here we are," the Doctor finished, "Bit of a party, I thought 'Why not?' Take a break, celebrate," he wrapped his arm around Angel's waist, holding her back to him, swaying her a bit in his arms as he grinned widely. Boy did he have a lot to celebrate. She was ok, she was alive, and healthy and fine and in his arms once more. What wasn't there to celebrate?

"I should report you," Astrid murmured.

"You should," Angel smiled knowingly at the woman.

Astrid considered them a moment, "I'll get you a drink..." and added in a whisper, "On the house."

As she left, going past a group of first class passengers, they couldn't help but notice that the group was laughing and pointing at the expense of a heavy set couple a few tables away, dressed in purple country western outfits, eating away at the food on their table.

"Just ignore 'em," the black man said to the white woman next to him.

"Something's tickled them," the Doctor muttered as he pulled out a seat for Angel to sit down at their table, taking a seat close beside her.

"They told us it was fancy dress," the woman tugged at her shirt, "Very funny, I'm sure."

"They're just pickin' on us because we haven't paid," the man said, "We won our tickets in a competition."

"I had to name the five husbands of Joofie Crystalle in 'By the Light of the Asteroid.' Did you ever watch..."

"Is that the one with the twins?" the Doctor frowned, trying to recall it, Angel completely lost as she actually hadn't seen many 'alien' shows, with Rose and Martha around she'd ended up watching quite a bit of human telly.

"That's it. Oh, it's marvelous."

"Probably not good enough for that lot," the man motioned at the laughing table, "They think we should be in steerage."

The Doctor put his hand in his pocket, "Can't have that, can we?" he crossed his arms, holding the sonic under his left arm and flashing it. The champagne on the laughing table popped its cork and sprayed all of them.

"Did…did you do that?" the woman looked at the Doctor.

"Maybe," he smiled as he put the sonic away.

"We like you."

"We do," the man nodded, reaching out his hand to the Doctor, "I'm Morvin van Hoff," and then to Angel, "This is my good woman, Foon."

"It's nice to meet you Foon," Angel said warmly, shaking the woman's hand.

"Hello, I'm the Doctor," he greeted, "And this is my Mate, the Angel."

"Ooh, I'm gonna need a doctor by the time I'm finished with this buffet," Foon laughed, picking up a bit of food, "Have a buffalo wing. They must be enormous, these buffalo, so many wings."

The Doctor picked up a buffalo wing, holding it out to Angel offeringly.

"I'm not hungry," she shook her head. It was a bit odd though, she should be hungry, she'd barely eaten anything on the Valiant the last few days, unable to really keep anything down if she tried. One of the guards had brought her a bit of bread near the end, and she'd nibbled on that, but just...hadn't managed to keep it in her stomach. She should be hungry but her stomach just felt queasy, still settling, like the rest of her was, to being back to full health once more. She'd probably be starving after this adventure was over though...

'I'll make you a buffet of cupcakes,' the Doctor promised her in his mind, 'As many red velvet ones as you can eat, as much hot chocolate as you can drink, and I'll get the TARDIS to make a fireplace somewhere so we can get in a nice cuddle for good measure.'

She smiled, leaning over to rest her head on his shoulder, he was SO good to her, 'I look forward to that.'

He nodded and nibbled on the wing in his hand.

"Attention please," the speaker came on, "Shore leave tickets Red 6-7 now activated. Red 6-7."

"Red 6-7!" Foon pulled out the red ticket, "That's us," she stood and turned to them, "Are you Red 6-7?"

"Might as well be," the Doctor shrugged, getting up and holding a hand to Angel as well.

"Come on," Morvin smiled, putting an arm around Foon, "We're going to Earth!"

~8~

Frame examined a panel, frowning at the readings, "Seems to be power diverted to Deck 31, sir. It flared up then it stopped."

"Nothing to worry about," the captain called, "She's an old ship, full of aches and pains."

"Picking up a meteoroid shower portside, bearing West 56 North 2."

"Pretty standard in this part of space. Miles away."

"We could probably see it, sir," Frame remarked, taking out a pair of binoculars and peering through them at the meteoroids, not seeing the captain watching him closely from behind.

~8~

An older man, a bit bald, stood before a small gathering of people, in a tweed suit, holding up a red sign bearing '6-7' on it as he called out, "Red 6-7. Red 6-7. This way, fast as you can."

The van Hoffs rushed over followed by the Doctor and Angel, when Astrid stepped up to them, a tall drink on her tray with a small, pink, fruity drink with a small yellow umbrella in it beside it, "I got you those drinks."

"That's so cute," Angel smiled, plucking the umbrella out of the drink to look at it as though she had never seen one before, it was adorable in how miniature it was and the pattern on it. She opened it fully and moved to place it behind her ear like it was a flower.

"And we got you a treat," the Doctor laughed at Angel's reaction to the umbrella as he took Astrid's tray and set it on a table, "Come on."

"Red 6-7 departing shortly," the old man announced.

"2 Red 6-7s," the Doctor held up the psychic paper to the man, "Plus one."

"Uh, quickly, sir, ma'am. And please take three teleport bracelets if you would."

"I'll get the sack," Astrid whisper-yelled as Angel took the bracelets for them.

"Brand new sky," the Doctor smiled as Angel looked at the teleport bracelets a moment longer before handing one to Astrid and one to the Doctor, slipping her own on. It was weird, just then...she'd felt exactly the same as when she'd been on the Game Station, when she'd been holding Jack's shock bracelets and, for some reason, kept them. Those bracelets...

"To repeat, I am Mr. Copper, the ship's historian," the old man, Mr. Copper, explained, pulling Angel's attention away, "And I shall be taking you to old London town in the country of U.K. ruled over by good King Wenceslas. Now human beings worshipped the great god Santa, a creature with fearsome claws, and his wife Mary. And every Christmas Eve the people of U.K. go to war with the country of Turkey. They then eat the Turkey people for Christmas dinner...like savages."

Angel and the Doctor looked at each other. She knew she wasn't the cleverest Time Lord, but still…even she knew that was very wrong.

"Excuse me, sorry, sorry, but, um...where did you get all this from?" the Doctor asked the man.

"Well, I have a first class degree in Earthonomics. Now standby..."

"And me!" a high-pitched voice called, "And me! Red 6-7!" a small red alien with short spikes on his head and face ran over.

"Well, take a bracelet, sir..."

"Uh, but, um, hold on, hold on," the Doctor frowned, "What was your name?"

"Bannakaffalatta," the alien replied.

"Ok, Bannakaffalatta. But it's Christmas Eve down there. Late night shopping, tons of people. He's like a walking conker. No offense, but you'll cause a riot 'cos the streets are going to be packed with shoppers and parties..."

And they were teleported down to Earth, arriving on an empty, nearly desolate, street.

The Doctor looked around, "Oh."

"Now, spending money," Mr. Copper held up a small card, "I have a credit card in Earth currency if you want to by trinkets or, uh, stockings or the local delicacy, which is known as 'beef' but don't stray too far, it could be dangerous. Any day now they start boxing."

"Something's wrong…" Angel frowned, looking at the empty street.

"It should be full," the Doctor agreed, confused, "It should be busy."

"Oh it's beautiful!" Astrid cried, looking around, awed.

"Really?" the Doctor looked at her, "Do you think so? It's just a street. The pyramids are beautiful, and New Zealand, and you..." he winked at Angel before taking her hand and pulling her to him, just dancing in the middle of the street to no music any human could hear, though Angel knew he was moving in time with their hearts beats.

"But it's a different planet!" Astrid continued, reminding the Doctor that they were not alone, though he didn't stop dancing with Angel, "I'm standing on a different planet!"

Angel smiled gently as she rested her head on the Doctor's shoulder, "Different ground beneath your feet," she murmured, "Different sky, different smells…" she looked up at the Doctor, "Just like Rose."

The Doctor smiled sadly at that before suddenly turning and dipping her to the side, making Angel laugh and him smile, their thoughts no longer grim.

"This is amazing! Thank you!" Astrid ran over as soon as Angel was upright and hugged them both.

"You're very welcome," Angel nodded, "Now that we're here, we might as well have a look," she linked her arms with Astrid and looked around before spotting someone, "Doctor, is it just me...or does that man look a bit like Donna?" she nodded to the side.

The Doctor tilted his head before leading them across the street to a newsagent's booth where an old man was sitting, bundled in winter wear.

"Hello there!" the Doctor smiled, "Sorry, uh, obvious question, but where's everybody gone?"

"Oh ho, scared!" the man laughed.

"Right, yes. Scared of what?"

"Where have you been living?" the man scoffed, "London at Christmas? Not safe, is it?"

"Why?"

"Well, it's them, up above," he pointed up, "Look, Christmas before last we had that big bloody spaceship, everyone standing on a roof," he pointed at his small TV, showing a news clip, "And then last year, that Christmas Star electrocuting all over the place, draining the Thames."

"Our track record really isn't looking good for Christmas is it?" Angel asked the Doctor quietly, growing a bit more uneasy at the reminders of their past Christmases.

"This place is amazing," Astrid breathed, still in awe of it all.

"And this year, Lord knows what," the man continued, "So everybody's scarpered, gone to the country. All except me...and Her Majesty," he stood, proud, and smiled at the TV.

"Her Majesty, the Queen, has confirmed that she will be staying in Buckingham Palace throughout the festive season to show the people of London, and the world, that there's nothing to fear," a news reporter stated.

"God bless her!" the man saluted the TV, "We stand vigil."

"Well, between you and me, I think her Majesty's got it right," the Doctor said, "Far as I know, this year, nothing to worry about."

And suddenly they were teleported back to the ship, leaving the man standing there, mouth agape, staring at the spot they'd just been standing in, "Then again..." he fell back into his seat.

Chapter Text

"I was in mid-sentence," the Doctor muttered, annoyed, as they appeared on the ship.

He pouted at that, he always hated being interrupted. Well...there was ONE thing he didn't mind getting interrupted by.

But Angel hadn't kissed him just then.

He'd been rudely pulled away from a lovely conversation and beamed back aboard the ship. Anything short of Angel kissing him was a most unwelcome interruption in his book. Though...now that that thought was in his mind, he glanced around the room, trying to see if he could spot some mistletoe...bowtie or not he was rather in need of another good long kiss with his magnificent Mate. Yes, he'd kissed her only a short while ago when they'd stepped out of the TARDIS but...they'd been forced apart for a year, every move watched by the Master. All he really wanted to do was hold her in his arms, never let her go, and kiss her to the point of breathlessness over and over and over to make up for that.

No...that was a lie. He always wanted to do that regardless of how long he was away from her or how long he was around her.

He really couldn't get enough of her kisses.

"Yes, I'm sorry about that," Mr. Copper said, sounding as confused as the guests were about what had happened, "A bit of a problem. If I could have your bracelets…"

"Apologies, ladies and gentlemen, Bannakaffalatta," a steward stepped forward, "We seem to have suffered a slight power fluctuation. If you'd like to return to the festivities. And on behalf of Max Capricorn Cruise Liners, free drinks will be provided," the ticket holders slowly departed, dropping their bracelets back into a basket.

"That was the best, the best!" Astrid cheered, handing them her bracelet.

"Here," Angel said, holding out her hand, "I'll put them back."

The Doctor slipped his bracelet to her as she walked over to the basket. She paused, though, looking down at the three bracelets in her hand again, eyeing them intently, trying to figure out why she was so focused on them. She was actually trying to get better at her 'visions' or whatever they were of the future, really wanting to have more of an explanation behind why she felt certain things because, if she could explain it to the humans they might believe her quicker not to do something. Like now, she knew that the bracelets were important, but she didn't know why, she didn't understand what they would be useful for. Well, she knew for teleporting at least but...she kept thinking she only needed two of them. If anything happened she knew the bracelets wouldn't be for her and the Doctor, neither of them would just run and leave others behind, trapped or hurt. She sighed and simply slipped two into a pocket of her gown, dropping only one off, it was better not to ignore her feelings. Whatever the bracelets would be used for in the future...at least she had them to use them now.

"What sort of power fluctuation?" she heard the Doctor ask as she returned to his side by the stewards.

~8~

Frame frowned, watching the meteoroids, getting closer, "That's a bit odd, sir, the meteoroids are changing course. Still, we can put the shields up to maximum just in case."

"As you were, Midshipman," the captain said when the young boy began to try and power up the shields.

Frame looked over, startled, to see the captain pushing buttons on an instrument panel, realizing what controls they were exactly, "Sir? You're magnetizing the hull, sir. It's drawing the meteors in."

"Port turning Earthside," the computer announced.

Frame swallowed hard, the truth hitting him, working out what the captain might be doing, though hoping against hope that he was wrong, "I take it that's deliberate..."

"Port turning Earthside."

"Bit of a light show for the guests?" please let him be wrong.

"Something like that," the captain remarked with a solemn tone in his voice.

Frame let out a breath, no, he wasn't wrong.

~8~

The van Hoffs were eating at their table, enjoying the buffet, as the stewards warily eyed the Host, the snooty man was winning at roulette while Bannakaffalatta danced crazily in the middle of the floor despite the song being a rather slow version of 'All I Want For Christmas,' and Astrid smiled at the Doctor and Angel in thanks as she stood holding the tray of free drinks for the guests.

The Doctor watched the various passengers dancing slowly to the Christmas tune and beamed, an idea hitting him, before standing and making an exaggerated bow to Angel, offering her his hand, "I believe we have unfinished business to attend to my lady."

She laughed, her eyes sparkling, "Why I believe we do my lord," she nodded as she took his hand and he led her to the dance floor, pulling her close. He wound his arms around her waist as she put hers over his shoulders, leaning in to rest her head on his shoulder, smiling as she felt him rest his head beside her own, his mouth near her ear. They swayed, not really dancing, lord knew the Doctor couldn't dance a step, but just...moving, together, in sync, as they always were.

Angel let out a little gasp when she heard the Doctor's light humming turn into him singing quietly in her ear as they swayed on, "...I just want you for my own," he sang with the end of the slow song, "More than you could ever know," she smiled, feeling more in his words than just lyrics, "Make my wish come true," he tilted her chin up to look into her eyes, "All I want for Christmas is...you," he smiled at her, meaning it, "All I want for Christmas, is you," he sang to her, making her shiver, she loved his voice.

"You already have me," she murmured up at him, love shining in her eyes for him, making him breathless at just the sight, before she leaned in and kissed him gently, moving to rest her head on his shoulder once more, closing her eyes, listening more to his hearts beating than the song slowly fading around them.

That song though, he couldn't help but think...

It was so true.

On the Valiant, all he wanted was for her to be ok, for her to live, for her to somehow survive, and now...he'd gotten it. His prayers had been answered. He laughed a bit at the irony of that, people always called him the lonely god, though he couldn't imagine himself being lonely now that he had Angel, but still...god and his angel. When the Master had said it, it sounded like more of an insult than anything but, thinking on it, they really were just so synonymous with each other. Where would HE be without his Angel at his side? He didn't even want to think about it. Not even on the Valiant did he want to entertain the notion that Angel might truly die. He'd had a sliver of hope that had arisen from his instructions for Martha. He had worked out that, if they could stop the Paradox Machine, that everything, no matter what the Master did in the future, would revert right back to the moment the paradox began, when the machine started. When he'd realized Angel was dying, he'd prayed more than he ever had that he was right because then the machine would revert back to before it activated, before the TARDIS grew ill, before Angel did the same. He'd had that small sliver to cling to that, if the machine stopped, she'd snap back and be ok again.

And she was.

And he was so thankful for that, words couldn't express how much.

These moments, now, were even more precious to them since surviving the Valiant. You never knew how special something truly was till it was gone and, while they were both VERY aware of how important the other was to them, these moments...they cherished them so much more now. Each and every moment, while it had always been important to them, was even more so. Because they were together, they were alive, they were safe...

Angel's eyes snapped open...

'...Brace yourselves!...'

...he held her, doing his best to protect her as they were thrown to the floor...

'...I've got life signs all over the ship but they're going out one by one...'

"Doctor," she breathed, "Something's wrong. Something's coming."

The Doctor looked down at her, seeing the vision and hearing the words spoken in her mind and quickly took her hand, looking around for some way to check the ship...when he spotted it, a framed screen of Max Capricorn playing on the wall near a window. He quickly led her over to it. If something struck the ship, as it appeared it did in her mind, then it had to have come from outside, something had to be approaching...he just needed to know what it was. He needed to know what the danger was, he'd just got her back to full health, he was NOT about to risk her safety again.

Not now.

Not so soon after having nearly lost her.

"...and I should know because my name is Max," the video finished. The Doctor put on his specs and pulled out the sonic, flashing the frame as the video started again, "The fastest, the furthest, the best...my name is Max."

He opened the frame and flashed the inside, changing some settings as Angel watched anxiously over his shoulder, till the screen began to show the Titanic and her immediately surroundings, like a radar. His eyes widened, seeing the shields offline and specks of something flying towards the ship. He quickly peered out the window, seeing the meteors approaching them they were so near, "The shields are offline!"

He grabbed Angel's hand, about to pull her away, his mind and hearts racing with the thought that he had to get her to safety, he had to get her back to the TARDIS before the meteors struck them, he had to protect her and...

Angel stopped, tugging him back, "We can't go," she shook her head.

"Angel..."

"No," she insisted gently, "We need to warn the bridge," she told him, "Please...it's more than just the shields," she glanced out the windows at the approaching meteors, "There something else…"

"What?" he looked at her quickly.

She scrunched her face a bit before shaking her head, frustrated, "I don't know."

He nodded, understanding, before turning back to the frame and doing as she requested, changing the settings to act as a comm. to the bridge, "Is that the bridge? I need to talk to the captain. You've got a meteoroid storm coming in West 0 by North 2."

"Who is this?" the captain called.

"Never mind that. Your shields are down. Check your scanners, Captain. You've got meteoroids coming in and no shielding!"

"You have no authorization. You will clear the comm. at once."

"Yeah? Just look starboard!"

Suddenly two stewards appeared, grabbing the Doctor and the Angel and 'escorting' them out of the room, "Come with me, sir, ma'am," the chief steward ordered.

~8~

"But he's right, sir," Frame said, moving to an instrument panel, checking and seeing the man was right, the shields really were lowered, "The shields have been taken offline."

"Step away from there," the captain ordered, seeing Frame trying to reverse the controls.

"But we have to re-energize them…"

"I said step away, Midshipman," the captain threatened.

Frame looked up, only to see the captain holding a gun at him.

~8~

The Doctor and Angel struggled as they were led away through reception, the Doctor quite a bit more than Angel, "You've got a rock storm heading for this ship and the shields are down!" the Doctor shouted, trying to get through to anyone, "My Mate is onboard! You need to listen to me!"

He struggled as hard as he could, he HAD to get free, if the humans wouldn't listen then fine, but he was NOT about to risk his Mate because of that. He needed to get her out of there! Quickly!

~8~

"They promised me old men," the captain lamented, tears filling his eyes as he looked at Frame.

"I'm sorry, sir?" Frame frowned, trying to edge back to the controls once more.

"On the crew. Sea dogs, men who'd had their time. Not boys."

~8~

Angel frowned, managing to knock into one of the stewards before her, jolting him enough for the Doctor to break free and run to the stage where the band was playing a cheerful tune, taking the microphone, knowing Angel would never let him drag her out of there unless he tried everything he could to warn the humans first, "Everyone, listen to me! This is an emergency! Get to the lifeb…"

A Host covered his mouth with a hand and led him off stage while Astrid, the van Hoffs, and Bannakaffalatta looked on in shock.

"Astrid," Angel called, seeing that at least Astrid and the van Hoffs were paying attention and actually LISTENING, "Please, believe him! He's telling the truth. You're in danger!"

But a steward squeezed her arms, pulling her off before she could say another word.

~8~

"I'm sorry, sir," Frame took a breath and gathered his courage to turn his back on the captain, knowing the man had a gun and would fire at him, but needing to protect the passengers, "It's my duty!"

He turned to the panel...

And the captain fired.

~8~

The Doctor twisted and jerked as he was taken out more forcefully this time for his latest feat, passing a small gathering of people, who were chuckling and pointing at them as though it were all a joke.

"Look out the windows!" Angel pleaded with them, hoping they'd hear the honesty and concern and fear in her voice.

The snooty man from before actually seemed to do that and frowned but Astrid and the van Hoffs ran after them.

"Them, friends," Bannakaffalatta excused himself from a conversation and ran off as well.

The snooty man turned and looked out the window, spotting little points of light heading towards them...

~8~

"If you don't believe me, check the shields yourself!" the Doctor cried as the stewards hauled them way, out of reception, away from the passengers.

His hearts were racing at the realization that the humans just weren't listening. Angel was in true danger now and all he wanted to do was get her to safety. Even if the humans didn't listen to him, he needed to get free of them, he needed to get HER free and back to the TARDIS, now! This was too much, he couldn't stand it any longer. His hearts were pounding, his mind had gone fuzzy (and not the good kind of fuzzy like when Angel kissed him), he was shaking in fear of what might happen to her.

Always her.

He couldn't care less if he got hurt during an adventure, but if Angel did...he was her Mate, it was his job to protect her. No, not his job, it was his promise, his need, his instinct to protect her from every harm. And right now, everything inside of him was telling him to get her away, to make the humans let her go in any way he could, even...hurt them to get her free. It was a bit of a scary feeling, the desire to actually hurt someone else but his mind had left him it seemed.

All he could see was his Mate in danger and that he had to protect her.

"Sir, I can vouch for him!" Astrid yelled as the small group followed the stewards, trying to reason with them.

"Look, steward, he's just had a bit too much to drink," Morvin argued.

"Sir, something seems to have gone wrong," Mr. Copper joined them, "All the teleports are down."

"Not now!" the steward spat.

~8~

A small piece of rock broke through the window in the ballroom and landed at the snooty man's feet.

"Oxygen membrane holding," the computer announced, "Oxygen membrane holding."

He eyed the rock a moment, knowing enough to realize that it shouldn't have gotten through, not if the shielding really was working. He turned to a Host, "You there. Has anyone checked the external shielding?"

"Information: you are all going to die," it replied.

~8~

The captain stood at the wheel while Frame lay on the floor, still alive but bleeding from a wound to his side, groaning.

A screen showed the meteoroids getting closer.

~8~

"Where's the chief steward?" the snooty mask asked a steward as he ran out into reception, knowing that the steward would have to listen to him, a man of money and stature and importance because he clearly wasn't listening to the madman and the ginger woman.

"That way, sir," the man pointed and he was off.

~8~

The chief steward strode through a maintenance corridor, the other stewards pushing the Doctor and Angel along as Astrid, Mr. Copper, Bannakaffalatta, and the van Hoffs followed, "The shields are down!" the Doctor repeated, his tone growing dark, "My Mate is in this ship, you need to listen to me or we're all going to die!"

"We are going to get hit," Angel added, gasping a bit as she was shoved forward again, "Please...just listen!"

~8~

"You're going to kill us," Frame groaned.

"I'm dying already," the captain sighed, sounding truly regretful for everything that was happening, "Six months. And they offered me so much money...for my family."

~8~

The snooty man caught up to them, "Oi! Steward! I'm telling you the shields are down!"

"Listen to him!" the Doctor nodded, breathing just one single breath of relief that someone else was saying the same, "Listen to him!"

~8~

Back in the ballroom, a young couple stood before the viewing window, "Darling, come and have a look at this," the woman called to her man.

~8~

"Red Alert," the computer called as the captain stood at the wheel, unmoving though with tears in his eyes, "Red Alert."

~8~

"Cheers," the man smiled at the woman, looking out the window, expecting a show.

~8~

Frame laid on the ground, whimpering, closing his eyes, not wanting to look, not wanting to see the captain actually do it and condemn so many people...

~8~

Angel's eyes widened, "Brace yourselves!"

~8~

The meteoroids struck the side of the ship causing everyone to be thrown to the floor, everything thrown around, sparks going off, fires rising, lights going out...chaos everywhere.

~8~

"Bert!" the chief engineer called, looking around for one of his men, "Bert!" he looked up at a Host just standing there, "Help me! Help!"

A beam fell on top of him, trapping him.

~8~

The Doctor grabbed Angel the moment she shouted, yanking himself out of the stewards' arms in a feat of strength. He held her, doing his best to protect her as they were thrown to the floor by the hit.

~8~

The Host in engineering formed a line, ready to march, ready to do what they were programmed to do.

~8~

The Doctor looked up at Angel as soon as things settled, his hands roaming her body lightly, checking to make sure she was alright, swearing threats for any and every bruise, scrape, mark on her beautiful skin...

"I'm fine," she breathed, taking his hands and just holding them a moment, feeling them shaking in her grip.

'Theta,' she said, seeing his eyes still moving over her, inspecting her. He looked up though at the use of his name, 'I'm alright. Are you?'

He nodded, pulling her into his arms a moment, just hugging her in his relief that she was ok, that he'd managed to protect her this time. She had no idea, or maybe she did being not just a precog but his Mate and having access to his mind and hearts, but...he felt so guilty for the Year-That-Never-Was, for everything that had happened to her. He felt...like he'd failed her. She had been dying, there had been nothing he could do to save her, he'd had to trust the humans would succeed, he'd had to sit there and watch as she grew weaker.

Because of him.

No, it wasn't the Master's fault...it was his.

Because if he'd just left the moment Angel had said that they shouldn't stay there, at the end of the Universe, then none of that would have happened. Angel had said that they should go, that they shouldn't stay there, but...for the first time in a long while...he hadn't listened to her. He'd listened, yes, he'd heard her but...his curiosity had been too great. He'd wanted to see what the end of the Universe was like.

And because of that...because of him...she'd nearly died.

'No, you're not alright, are you?' Angel asked him as she hugged him back, feeling where his mind had gone, 'Theta...I'm fine now and it was NOT your fault. Not even I saw that coming,' she joked a bit, smiling as she pulled away, looking into his eyes as she touched his face, 'It wasn't your fault. YOU saved me. Again,' she smiled, 'Like you always do.'

'Like I always will,' he added, kissing the back of her hand in promise.

She smiled, nodding at that before she looked up, listening a moment, "It's quiet...I think it's stopping," she breathed, relieved, before the Doctor stood and helped her up, her turning to help Astrid up as well, "Are you ok?"

"I think so," Astrid nodded.

"Bad name for a ship," the Doctor remarked, "Either that or this suit is really unlucky."

"I told you before," Angel said, "It's the suit."

The Doctor knelt down to examine one of the stewards only to find him dead.

"My name is Max," a video looped behind them, stuck due to the damage the hit had caused, "My name is Max. My name is Max."

"Ev…everyone...ladies and gentlemen, Bannakaffalatta," the chief steward pushed himself up, though clearly shaken by what had happened, by how it was...somewhat his fault. The two passengers had been warning of this, ranting and raving about it, and he'd ignored them...and now...the ship was in trouble, "I must apologize on behalf of Max Capricorn Cruise Liners. We seem to have had a small collision."

The Doctor nodded Angel over to a small comm. panel where the video was playing from, having her hold the side open as he soniced it, trying to turn the video off.

"Small?" Morvin scoffed.

"You know how much I paid for my ticket?" the snooty man asked.

"If I could have silence, ladies, gentlemen..." the steward started. But they all ignored him, talking over each other, till he shouted, "Quiet!" they stopped, "Thank you. I…I'm sure Max Capricorn Cruise Liners will be able to reimburse you for any inconvenience. But, first, I would point out that we are very much alive."

"Are you alright?" Astrid turned to Mr. Copper, seeing he was hunched over and panting, with a nasty-looking cut on his head. She started dabbing it with a cloth as the Doctor and Angel walked over, having seen and heard her and worrying about the man. The Doctor leaned in to examine the cut while Angel reached out and took the man's hand, offering Mr. Copper a small, reassuring smile.

"She is, after all, a fine, sturdy ship," the steward continued, "If you could all stay here while I ascertain the exact nature of the…the situation," he turned to open a door.

"No don't!" Angel shouted, whirling around.

But it was too late.

He opened the door and was sucked right out of the hall by the vacuum. Everyone grabbed hold of anything they could to keep in place as the Doctor struggled his way over to the comm. and used the sonic to replace the shield, his hearts racing at the close call.

"Oxygen shield stabilized."

"Everyone alright?" the Doctor turned, his gaze immediately turning to the first person it always did, "Angel?" he looked over at her, worried as she wasn't responding, to see her staring at the hole in the wall, looking more than a bit shocked.

She'd been too late...she was...off. She hadn't been that off in a while…maybe the whole reversal of time thing and her nearly dying had thrown her off more than she thought. Her head was still a little fuzzy from it all, it HAD only happened only hours ago, perhaps a day at most, to them at least. The TARDIS had taken a while to get used to herself after they'd fixed her up, and she was only a Time Lady, it would probably take her a little while longer to feel like her old self. But...she'd been right about the impact...maybe it was just the scope of it all. An enormous collision was harder to miss than a door opening...

She shook her head when she realized the Doctor was waiting for a response, "Yeah, I'm fine," she looked to her side, "Astrid?"

"Yeah," Astrid gasped.

"Foon?" the Doctor looked around, "Morvin? Mr. Copper? Bannakaffalatta?"

"Yes," Bannakaffalatta nodded.

"You…what was your name?" he pointed at the snooty man.

"Ah, Rickston Slade," the man grinned, well...smirked cockily was more like it.

"You alright?"

"No thanks to that idiot," he sneered at the hole.

"The steward just died!" Astrid chastised.

"Then he's a dead idiot."

Astrid gasped at his complete lack of respect for the life of another human being.

"Alright, calm down," the Doctor called, "Just stay still, all of you. Hold on," he nodded Angel over and she walked over to the hatch opening with him, looking out though the hole where the door had been.

"What happened?" Astrid frowned, walking over to them, "How come the shields were down?"

"I don't think it was an accident."

"It wasn't," Angel nodded, staring sadly out at space to see the bodies of the passengers floating among the rubble.

"How many dead?" Astrid whispered.

"We're alive, just focus on that," the Doctor said, taking Angel's hand, squeezing it, knowing how much she'd need the comfort, she hated death, "We will get you out of here, Astrid. We promise," Astrid gave a slight nod, "Good. Now…" he looked around, "If we can get to reception, we've got a spaceship tucked away. We can all get onboard..."

"Doctor," Angel called, nodding at the hole.

He turned to look outside, "Oh."

"What is it?" Astrid frowned, "What's wrong?"

"That's our spaceship right there," she nodded again.

"Where?" Astrid squinted, not really seeing a ship floating anywhere.

"There, that box," the Doctor said, pointing at the TARDIS, in the distance, "That little blue box."

"That's a spaceship?"

"Oi, don't knock it."

"It's a bit...small."

"It's a bit far away too," Angel added, sighing, not needing her abilities to know what was coming next, "Once she's sent adrift, a TARDIS is programmed to lock onto the nearest center of gravity, which is..."

"The Earth," the Doctor nodded.

"There she goes," Angel frowned as the TARDIS headed for Earth, she really didn't like not knowing where the TARDIS was after the Year-That-Never-Was.

~8~

In engineering, the chief engineer was still alive, but trapped under the beam that had fallen on him, "Don't just stand there!" he shouted at a Host as it stood over him, "Get this thing off me! Host, that's an order. Help me! That's your job, isn't it?"

"Information: we now have only one function," the Host replied, stepping forward.

"And what's that?"

"Information: to kill," it reached both hands to its halo and pulled it off.

"What are you doing? I'm ordering you...stop it. Stop it right now!"

The Host threw the halo, spinning like a saw, towards the trapped man…

~8~

"Deck 22 to the bridge," the Doctor's voice called over the comm. in the bridge, "Deck 22 to the bridge. Is there anyone there?"

Frame moaned and clutched his side as he reached out for the comm., barely managing to heave himself up and switch the comm. on, "This is the bridge."

"Oh hello, sailor. Good to hear you. What's the situation up there?"

"We've got air. The oxygen field is holding. But the captain..." he looked over at the captain, buried under wreckage, unmoving, "He's dead. He did it," his voice cracked, "I watched while he took down the shields. There was nothing I could do. I tried. I did try."

"It's alright," the Angel came on, her voice soothing and gentle, "We believe you. What's your name?"

"Midshipman Frame."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Frame," Angel said warmly.

"What's the state of the engines?" the Doctor asked now that the man was calm again.

"They're um..." he tried to look over at them without moving but couldn't, "Hold on," he pushed himself forward with a groan.

"Are you hurt?" Angel called back, concerned.

Frame gave a small smile at the woman's concern for him, "I'm alright," he reassured her, before he looked at the engine readings, his eyes widening, "Oh my vot. They're cycling down."

"That's a nuclear storm drive, yes?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah."

"The moment they're gone, we lose orbit."

"The planet."

"Oh yes. If we hit the planet, the nuclear storm explodes and wipes out life on Earth. Midshipman, I need you to fire up the engine containment field and feed it back into the core."

"This is never going to work," he muttered but moved to do it nonetheless.

"Trust me, it'll keep the engines going until we can get to the bridge," and with that, the call cut off.

Chapter Text

The Doctor sighed as switched off the comm. to the bridge, closing his eyes a moment...till he felt a hand rest on his arm. He looked over, not even really needing to do that to know it was Angel beside him, he could always feel when it was her next to him. She offered him a reassuring smile, "Everything will be alright," she told him, taking his hand, squeezing it.

He wanted to believe her, he really did, but...given what had just happened...even though a part of his mind did trust her words, the Mating instinct was sending all his nerves and senses into a panic, that the ship they'd been in, that his Mate had been in, was hit. It wasn't as strong as it was and she was still in danger.

"Trust me," she added, lifting his hand to kiss his scarred knuckles, knowing it often calmed him.

He just reached out, about to touch her cheek...when Foon cried, "We're going to die!"

"Are you saying someone's done this on purpose?" Mr. Copper frowned, having heard bits and pieces of what Angel, the Doctor, and Astrid had been saying before.

"We're just a cruise ship!" Astrid shook her head.

"Ok, ok," the Doctor quieted them, realizing that, no matter how much he wanted to just have a moment with Angel, reassure himself completely that she was ok, they needed to focus on the scared humans, "Tch, tch. First things first. One: we're going to climb through this ship. B..."

"Two," Angel cut in with a soft smile, knowing exactly what he needed.

And...she really did love how absentminded he could be. Things just slipped past him at times, his thoughts and sentences got away from him. It was amusing, as amusing, she believed, as her comments had been in her last body. She knew she amused the Doctor, Rose, and Jack with her numerous flubs of phrases and expressions and questions, and she was fine with that. She was happy she could make them smile and laugh and it never bothered her when they did because it was never done in a mean way, but jovial. With the Doctor, this Doctor in particular, he was rather rubbish at lists. It was nice, to see him NOT good at something, because she thought he was just amazing.

'I'm as amazing as I am because of you,' he pointed out to her silently, having heard her thoughts, 'You make me want to be a better person.'

Her smile widened as she started to blush, though she couldn't imagine him being better than he was, he really was fantastic. HER on the other hand, she needed all the help she could get just to keep up with him, but, then again...he wasn't quite as good with a TARDIS as she was. It was nice...how they balanced each other, how they complimented each other. They really did make each other better in that way and it made them closer for it.

"Two," the Doctor continued, "We're going to reach the Bridge. Three…"

"Or C," she joked.

He smiled, seeing what she was trying to do, distract him, calm him, "We're going to save the Titanic. And, coming in a very low four."

"Or D."

"Or that little 'iv' in brackets they use in footnotes..." he laughed, feeling his hearts slowing, lightening at how she was smiling and laughing, his nerves calming. Leave it to her to sense his lingering fears and somehow make him realize that the danger, it seemed, had passed for now or, at least, they weren't in any immediate danger at the moment. He could feel his mind clearing a bit more, allowing him to think past the instinctual drive to put her safety first, "Why? Right then, follow us," he took Angel's hand and started down the corridor.

"Hang on a minute," Rickston cut in, "Who put you in charge and who the hell are you two anyway?"

"I'm the Doctor and this is my Mate, the Angel. We're Time Lords. We're from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous. We're 903 and 797 years old and we're the ones who're gonna save your lives and all six billion of the people on the planet below. You got a problem with that?"

"No," Rickston shook his head.

"In that case, Allons-y!" he turned and walked off with Angel, leading them down the hall, Angel giggling a bit at his side for his little speech, he did have a flare for the dramatic didn't he?

~8~

The Doctor and Angel slowly pushed a metal door open into a stairwell, seeing why it was so difficult to move in the first place, the small area was full of debris and sparking cables, "Careful," the Doctor called back, "Follow me," he stepped out and started clearing the way, making sure Angel was behind him, then Astrid, and Bannakaffalatta, Mr. Copper, Rickston and the van Hoffs.

"Rather ironic when this is very much in the spirit of Christmas," Mr. Copper began, thoughtful, "It's a festival of violence. They say that human beings only survive depending on whether they've been good or bad. It's barbaric."

"That's not really true Mr. Copper," Angel said softly.

Or at least she didn't think it was.

Her own experiences with Christmas hadn't been the best. First the Sycorax attacked...that had been violent, especially given what Harriet Jones had done when the aliens were leaving. Then the Racnoss tried to free her children, electrocuting people in the streets with her webbed-star-ship-thing. Well...now thinking on it...it sort of WAS a rather violent last few Christmases. But that wasn't what it was supposed to be though. Christmas, from what she'd seen of Rose and her mum and then Donna's parents, was a time of celebration, of joy and love and family. In that sense, she could see herself loving Christmas as much as the Doctor did...if only she could experience just ONE where they weren't facing someone trying to harm others.

"Christmas is a time of…of peace and thanksgiving," the Doctor nodded, seeing her thoughts, though he was frowning a bit, he'd so been hoping to make this a good Christmas for Angel and, so far, it wasn't exactly living up to that promise, "And...what am I on about? Christmas is always like this," he stopped, seeing a dormant Host, "We've got a Host!" he cheered as Angel paused, staring down at the robot warily, "Strength of ten. If we can mend it, we can use it to fix the rubble."

"We can do robotics, both of us," Morvin called.

"We worked on the milk market back on Sto," Foon agreed, "It's all robot staff."

"See if you can get it working," the Doctor told them, before grinning at Angel, the woman smiling, more as a return to his smile than the hope of fixing the Host, she really didn't like robots after the last two Christmases, "Let's have a look," he took her hand, wanting to reassure her, able to sense her hesitancy with the Host, and climbed up the stairs, everyone following but the van Hoffs. They stopped, seeing their path was still blocked by the wreckage.

"It's blocked," Astrid breathed.

"So?" Angel smiled at her, "What does that mean?"

"Means we need to shift it."

"That's the attitude," the Doctor grinned, "Rickston, Mr. Copper, and you, Bannakaffalatta...look, can I just call you Banna? It's gonna save a lot of time."

"No!" Bannakaffalatta said, sounding almost offended, "Bannakaffalatta!"

"Alright then, Bannakaffalatta, there's a gap in the middle. See if you can get through."

"Easy. Good," he wiggled a bit as he climbed onto the small passage, managing to squeeze through the opening, but the ship shook, shaking debris loose with it, the group gasping as they avoided it falling on them, the Doctor pulling Angel into his arms to protect her.

"This whole thing could come crashing down any minute!" Rickston called.

"Oh, Rickston, I forgot," the Doctor glanced at him over Angel's shoulders, "Did you get our message?"

"No. What message?"

"Shut up!"

"Bannakaffalatta made it!" the alien called out to them from the other side.

"I'm small enough, I can get through," Astrid pushed her way through as well.

"Careful," the Doctor warned.

"I'm fine."

"Thing is, how are Mr. and Mrs. Fatso gonna get through this gap?" Rickston sneered.

"We just have to make it bigger," Angel said.

"So start," the Doctor agreed, handing Rickston a piece of metal.

"I can get through too," Angel turned to the passage.

"Wait…" the Doctor called, pulling her back a bit.

"What is it?"

He gave her a quick, though very deep, kiss, "For good luck," he murmured, before kissing her once more, he really couldn't get enough of her kisses.

She smiled, "I should give those to you don't you think."

He paused a moment in thought, "Yes," he replied, dead serious, "Yes you should."

She laughed and turned to climb through the passage after Astrid, the Doctor watching her go, convincing himself he was watching to make sure she'd get to the other side alright and not because of the view of her going.

"I'll make sure to do it when this is over then!" she called back over her shoulder at him, making him grin at the promise.

Even more kisses!

Maybe their luck was turning around...

~8~

"Hey, hey!" Morvin turned to his wife who'd started sniffling at Rickston's words, the two of them able to hear everything going on above them, they weren't THAT far away from the group, "Come on, sweetheart. Don't listen to him."

"No, but it's all my fault, though," she said, "The tickets..."

"We won them fair and square."

"I know," she sighed, "I never told ya. I dialed the competition line 5,000 times. That's 5,000 credits. I might as well have paid for the tickets. I've been hiding the vone bill for months now."

"5,000 credits?! You spent 5,000 credits?!"

She nodded, ashamed, "Don't hate me…" she closed her eyes, expecting him to blow up at her...when he just started laughing, "What's so funny?"

"5,000?" he laughed more.

"We'll never pay that off!" she cried, staring at him.

"I know," he nodded, still laughing, "We'll have to work 70 years you mad, bloody woman."

Foon blinked, looking at him cautiously, this was not what she was expecting her husband to do, how he would react, "You're...not cross?"

"Does it matter?" he smiled at her.

This entire trip had really put things in perspective for him. Right now they were on a ship, on the brink of crashing into the Earth, one of the, quite possibly few, survivors...and they were together. He'd seen the exact same look in the Doctor's eyes when the man looked at Angel with how he felt right now. He and his wife were together and alive and that was really all that mattered at the moment. Vone bill or not, they were alive to pay it.

"Look at us. You drive me barmy. I don't half love you...Mrs. van Hoff. Come here," he pulled her to him, hugging her as they laughed.

~8~

"What happened?" Angel heard Rickston ask as she got up on the other side of the passage, her and Astrid able to hear the van Hoffs laughing as well, "Did they find a donut?"

"Doctor," she turned to call through the passage to the Doctor, "We should be able to clear some of it from this side!"

"Just tell us if it starts moving," Astrid added, before glancing over to see Bannakaffalatta lying down, panting, "Bannakaffalatta, what's wrong?"

"Shh," he held up a finger.

Astrid looked at Angel who nodded, getting to work on starting to clear the passage while Astrid knelt beside the little red man, "What is it?"

"Can't say."

"Are you hurt?"

"Ashamed."

"Of what?"

"Poor Bannakaffalatta," he lifted his shirt to reveal circuitry around his middle.

"You're a cyborg…"

"Had accident long ago. Secret."

"No, but everything's changed now. Cyborgs are getting equal rights. They passed a law back on Sto. You can even get married."

"Marry you?"

"Well, you can buy me a drink first," she smiled, "Come on. Let's recharge you."

Angel glanced over as Astrid pushed a button on Bannakaffalatta's torso, frowning as she stared at it a moment before shaking her head, a smile coming to her face when she caught sight of something hanging in the door behind Bannakaffalatta and Astrid, something that the Doctor would rather enjoy. She chuckled to herself though the other two didn't seem to notice.

"Just stay there for a bit," Astrid told the alien.

"Tell no one."

"I promise," Astrid said as she rejoined Angel, the two of them getting to work.

"What's going on up there?!" the Doctor shouted.

"I think Bannakaffalatta and I just got engaged," Astrid remarked.

~8~

Frame attempted to bandage himself when the comm. whistled. He glanced at it, his eyes widening as he saw the call was NOT coming from the Doctor, and turned quickly to patch it through, "This is the bridge!"

"This is Kitchen Number 5," a man called.

Frame breathed a sigh of relief, more survivors, "How many of you are there?"

"Six of us, just about. Are we the only ones left alive, sir?"

"No. There's more on Deck 19. Hold on, if I reverse the scanner..." he looked at the diagram of the ship on a scanner, seeing red dots all around, a smile forming on his face at the numbers he was seeing, "No, 50...60 people still onboard ship! Hold on. I can see you. Kitchen Five, there you are," he let out a little laugh of joy, "Listen, everyone's heading for the bridge. Don't go portside, there's no way. Can you make your way starboard?"

"We're stuck. The doors have sealed. We can't get out," there was a sound of a wheel on the door turning, "No, wait a minute. It's opening. There's someone on the other side…Host. We've got Host!" the man cheered, "The Host are still working."

"Oh, that's brilliant," he beamed, "Tell them to clear a path up to the bridge," but his smile slowly faded when there was nothing but silence on the other end of the comm., "Did you get that?" still silence, "Kitchen Five report," and more silence, "Hello? Kitchen Five?" he jolted back as screams came over the comm., the red dots representing the lives of those onboard blinking out...

"It's the…"

"Report!"

And not just in the kitchen, but all over the ship!

~8~

"Almost done!" Morvin called up to the Doctor.

"Good, good, good," he nodded, turning to the comm., needing to check in, needing to know how much time they had, "Mr. Frame, how's things?"

"Doctor, I've got life signs all over the ship but they're going out one by one," Frame reported.

"What is it?" he frowned immediately, hearing the man's words, the words Angel had heard in her mind, repeated, this was NOT a good sign in any case, "Are they losing air?"

"No. One of them said it's the Host. It's something to do with the Host."

"Doctor!" Angel shouted, her voice slightly distant through the passage, "Tell them to get back! Quickly!"

"What?" he turned to look through the passage.

"Tell Morvin and Foon to get back now!"

"It's working!" Morvin cheeed.

The Doctor's eyes widened as he rushed down just in time to see the Host take Morvin by the throat.

"Kill," it said, "Kill. Kill."

"Turn it off!" the Doctor called.

Foon tried, "I can't! Doctor!"

"Go!" he shouted, jumping down the last step and flashing the sonic at the Host as Foon ran to stand on the steps, "Lock! Double deadlock!" he lowered the screwdriver and moved to pry Morvin free with his bare hands instead, "Ok, go upstairs!"

"Run, darling, run!" Foon yelled as Morvin was freed.

"Information: kill, kill, kill..." the Host turned to them.

"Foon!" Morvin gasped as they ran up the stairs, "Foon!"

"Rickston!" the Doctor yelled, following them, "Get them through!"

"No chance!" Rickston shook his head before going through the narrow passage himself.

"Rickston!" Mr. Copper glared, nearly spitting the man's name.

"I'll never get through there," Foon pointed at the passage.

"Yes, you can. Let me go first," he shoved himself in the hole, pushing things aside to make more room as he went.

The Host went after the Doctor, slowly, jerking, still partially damaged, giving him time to run to the comm., "It's the Host!" he warned Frame, "They've gone berserk! Are you safe up there?"

~8~

Frame turned to see the Host heading for the open door to the bridge, repeating, "Kill. Kill. Kill."

He leapt forward and closed the door just in time, but catching a Host hand in the doorway.

~8~

Angel and Astrid were pulling Foon out of the passage when she shouted, "No, I'm stuck!"

"Come on, you can do it!" Astrid encouraged.

"It's going to collapse!" Mr. Copper called, getting up and grabbing a lever to use as wedge, hefting a portion of the passage up, before glaring at Rickston, "Rickston, vot damn it, help me!"

"No...way," he breathed, panting from exertion, as Foon made it through.

"Morvin, get through!" the Doctor shouted on the other side as Morvin struggled to do so, being just a bit larger than his wife.

"Kill," the Host came nearer, "Kill. Kill."

The Doctor raced around behind Morvin, "Doctor, he's stuck!" Astrid told him.

"Mr. van Hoff, I know we've only just met but you'll have to excuse me," the Doctor said, shoving Morvin through from the back.

"That's it!" Astrid cheered as she and Angel pulled him through, "We've got you."

"Doctor, hurry!" Angel cried, her hearts racing when she looked through the passage to see the Host right behind the Doctor.

"Information override!" he shouted, turning to face the Host, "You will tell me the point of origin of your command structure!"

"I can't hold it!" Mr. Copper groaned.

"Information: Deck 31."

"Thank you," the Doctor grinned at the Host before he scrambled through the hole, shouting "Let go!" as soon as he was clear and out the other end.

Mr. Copper let go of the lever and crushed the Host that had tried to follow the Doctor beneath the wreckage.

"Well done!" the Doctor cheered as he got to his feet, patting Mr. Copper on the back, "Oh good team!"

He was about to say more when he felt himself being tugged to the side, rather forcefully, and looked over to see Angel was dragging him over to a nearby door. He frowned, feeling a swarm of emotions rolling off her, "Angel..."

But he was cut off once more when Angel just pointed up, stopping in the doorway. He looked up to see a sprig of mistletoe hanging over them before he was tugged down, not by his bowtie, but by the lapels of his suit, right into a kiss with Angel. He had to smile into it, he HAD to, this kiss...he'd been dying for it since they'd ended up back on the Titanic. And it was perfect, with Angel, and mistletoe, and Angel, and a good long kiss, and Angel, and Christmas, and did he mention it was Angel he was kissing? It didn't even matter to him that the humans were staring at them, wondering how on Earth they could be kissing and following some daft tradition when their lives were on the line and the Host were set to kill the passengers.

"Do we really have time for this?!" Rickston snapped, interrupting their moment.

But the Time Lords didn't jump apart at his shout, only slowly came to an end for their kiss, the Doctor's eyes closed as he rested his forehead on Angel's, "Rule 408, always waste time when you don't have any," Angel murmured, smiling, her hearts calming at seeing the Doctor alright.

Just then...she'd felt such fear, looking through the passage to see the Host right behind him, knowing she was too far away to be of any real help. It was just like in Old New York all over again! She knew the Doctor was capable of handling himself, of surviving, but...it still terrified her whenever he was alone or the target of an enemy. She hated being away from him or too distant to get to him in time, to pull him out of the way of attacks. She'd needed that kiss as badly as he had, to reassure herself that he was alright.

'I'm always alright,' he whispered in her mind, 'Actually...' he opened his eyes to look into hers as they fluttered open, his hearts skipping a beat at the happiness he saw reflected in her brown orbs, 'I'm rather BRILLIANT right now after that,' he gave her a wide grin that made her blush, 'So...seems the bowtie isn't really an issue then is it?' she blushed more, 'I just need to make sure my next coat has lapels to it then?'

And now she was as red as her hair.

He laughed, lifting her chin to kiss her again, quite a few times, peppering her face with small pecks really till she laughed loudly at him. He loved that blush though, he loved knowing HE could make her blush like that. It pleased him to know he had that profound of an affect on her, much like she did him.

His whole Universe really did revolve around her.

~8~

Frame turned to see the hand of the Host still moving and grabbed a handle, pulling, causing the door to fully shut and seal, cutting the hand off in the process. He looked through the window to see the line of Host just...waiting.

~8~

The group ran into the next room to find themselves in the kitchens, much to the delight of the van Hoffs, "Morvin, look, food!" Foon exclaimed.

"Oh great," Rickston bit out sarcastically, "Someone's happy."

"Don't have any then," Morvin glared as he and Foon made their way to the table with some treats and nibbles on it, the Doctor heading to the comm. in the back of the room instead.

"Mr. Frame, you still there?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes, sir, but I've got Host outside," Frame answered, "I sealed the door."

"They've been programmed to kill. Why would anyone do that?"

"That's not the only problem, Doctor," Frame sighed and the Doctor could practically imagine the man rubbing his face, "I had to use a maximum deadlock on the door, which means...no one can get in. I'm sealed off. Even if you can fix the Titanic, you can't get to the bridge."

"Yeah, right, fine," the Doctor rolled his eyes, "One problem at a time. What's on Deck 31?"

"Um, that's down below. It's nothing. It's just the Host storage deck. That's where we keep the robots."

The Doctor looked down at the scanner attached to the comm. as Frame brought up a diagram of the ship, "Well, what's that?" he put his specs on as Angel walked over to him, a small plate of food in her hands, "See that panel?" he squinted at a black streak in the image, "Black. It's registering nothing. No power, no heat, no light."

"Never seen it before."

"100 percent shielded. What's down there?"

"I knew there was something else," Angel muttered beside him, frowning at the mark.

"I'll try intensifying the scanner," Frame called.

"Let me know if you find anything," the Doctor replied, removing his specs, "And keep those engines going!" he ordered, switching off the comm. as he turned around to see Angel holding out the small plate of food to him with a smile on her face, "Thanks," he said, taking her hand and moving to sit on a few crates. He took a nibble of some fruit before holding the plate out to her, she shook her head.

"Eat something," Astrid insisted as she walked over to them with her own plate of food, "You might be a Time Queen from Gaddabee but you need to eat."

"I'm just not hungry is all," she smiled at the woman's concern. She reminded her quite a bit of Martha and Rose, and even that Donna Noble woman, an excellent combination. Hmm...Donna Noble...she often wondered how the ginger was, well of course she would! Donna was the co-founder of Gingers United! Perhaps she should ask the Doctor if they might check in on the woman, see how she was doing, how she was coping after everything that happened the last Christmas. They still needed to have that pub quiz after all...though she supposed it would have to wait till the Doctor found some other hermits to play with.

They fell into a comfortable silence when Astrid remarked, "So, you look good for 903 and 797."

"You haven't seen us when we've just woken up," Angel remarked, "I think I nearly gave Martha, our friend, a heart attack once," Astrid laughed, "No, seriously, my hair was all stuck up, looked like my head was on fire!"

Astrid had to wipe a tear away from her eye she was laughing so hard. The woman's hair really was a brilliant red, she could picture it looking like fire if it was all stuck up.

"Doctor, it must be well past midnight, Earth time," Mr. Copper said, joining them, "Christmas Day."

"So it is," the Doctor smiled, "Merry Christmas," he looked at Angel softly, lifting her hand to kiss the back of it, "Merry Christmas Angel, oh!" he shouted suddenly, making Astrid and Mr. Copper jump but Angel just smile, "A Christmas angel," he nodded, kissing Angel's forehead as well, "That's what you are, my good luck charm and my Christmas angel."

"You're my angel too you know," she whispered back to him, resting her chin on his shoulder to look at him, "My spaceman angel."

He leaned forward, giving her a peck, "I like that title."

She beamed, "I like the title of Mate as well," she told him.

"I love it," he breathed, staring into her eyes, "The Doctor, Mate of the Angel," he winked, "Perfect. Like you."

She blushed at that as Astrid sighed, smiling as she watched them, they were clearly very much in love and...she could tell that they were both alone, that they needed each other, that they were good for each other, took care of each other. She wished she had someone like that, not even a man or a beau or anything but just...someone to look out for her, someone she could look out for as well. Well, she'd wanted an adventure for 'Christmas' and she'd certainly gotten one, maybe she'd get that as well?

"This Christmas thing, what's it all about?" Astrid shook her head out of her thoughts.

"Long story," the Doctor sighed, turning his head away from Angel's eyes but resting his against hers to look at Astrid, "We should know, we were there. We got the last room."

Angel rolled her eyes at him, "You were really rude then too."

He laughed, "I wasn't about to let my Mate sleep out in a barn."

"But if the planet's waking up, can't we signal them?" Mr. Copper frowned, "They can send up a rocket or something."

"Earth doesn't have spaceships like that," Angel told him.

"No, I read about it. They have shuffles, space shuffles."

"Mr. Copper, this degree in Earthonomics...where's it from?" the Doctor asked him suspiciously.

"Honestly?" he laughed, sitting down.

"We won't tell a soul," Angel reached out to put a hand on his arm in promise.

"Mrs. Golightly's Happy Travelling University and Dry Cleaners," he said, mopping his brow with a handkerchief, carefully avoiding the still healing cut on his head.

"You…you lied to the company...to get the job?" Astrid's stared at him.

"I…I wasted my life on Sto. I was a travelling salesman, always on the road and I reached retirement with nothing to show for it. Not even a home. And Earth sounded so...exotic."

"Hmm, I suppose it is, yeah," the Doctor nodded.

"How come you two know it so well?" Astrid turned to them.

"We were sort of..." the Doctor struggled to explain without having to really explain it, "A few years ago, were sorta made...well, sort of homeless. And, um there was the Earth."

Angel squeezed his hand, 'I love our current home though,' she told him, 'The TARDIS is all we need. Her and each other.'

He smiled at her for that. He really didn't know how she did it, made everything bad seem...not quite so bad. Made everything ok again. She was remarkable.

"Thing is, if we survive this, there will be police and all sorts of investigations," Mr. Copper added, "Now the minimum penalty for space-age fraud is ten years in jail. I'm an old man. Well, I won't survive ten years."

There was a sudden bang on the door, a dent appearing in it.

The Doctor dropped his food and, in an instant, pulled Angel with him to the opposite door, "A Host! Move! Come on!"

Chapter Text

More and more dents appeared in the door as the pounding continued, Angel nearly wincing at how tightly the Doctor was holding her hand, but she couldn't fault him, she was holding HIS just as tightly in fear of the Host behind them. They both knew how strong the robotic angels were and how quickly they'd be able to break through the solid metal door. Neither of them felt calm with that being so near at hand. Adding to that the fear of the other getting injured or harmed echoing back into them through the emotional connection...well...their hearts were racing more than normal as a result. Angel glanced back to see the group scrambling out after them, following them into the next room only for them all to realize they'd run right into the engine space of the ship, the only way across to the other side being a makeshift bridge of a fallen strut above the engines.

"Is that the only way across?" Rickston asked, staring at the strut in horror.

"On the other hand, it is a way across," the Doctor said, optimistic, his thumb absently making circles on the back of Angel's hand in a bid to calm himself. It was working, if just a little, they DID have a way across now, a way to get farther away from the Host, and that was ALL he wanted at the moment.

"The engines are open," Astrid warned, glancing down at the burning engines below them.

"Nuclear storm drive. Soon as it stops, the Titanic falls."

"But that thing, it'll never take our weight," Morvin shook his head, staring at the beam solemnly. He and Foon had barely made it through the small passage of debris, there was NO way they'd make it across that beam in one piece. For all the joking and teasing, they DID realize they were both rather large individuals, the beam wouldn't hold their weight for even a moment.

"You're going last, mate," Rickston shouted.

"It's nitrofine metal," the Doctor said, trying to keep them all calm, "It's stronger than it looks."

"All the same, Rickston's right," Morvin stepped forward, "Me and Foon should…"

Angel quickly pulled Morvin back as the piece of metal near the edge of the railing gave way, nearly dropping him down and into the engines. The two of them toppled over, Angel falling to her knees at the force she'd needed to use to move the man while Morvin fell onto his backside, panting, while the other passengers jumped back with a start.

"Morvin!" Foon gasped, kneeling at her husband's side as he stared in shock at the place he'd just stood, at the place that had nearly sent him to his death had it not been for the Doctor's ginger woman.

"I told you!" Rickston called, "This thing couldn't even take him."

"Just shut up!" Mr. Copper glared.

The Doctor, though, just ignored him, kneeling before Angel and hugging her tightly, making sure she hadn't hurt herself in her fall, "You ok?" he asked her, seeing her rubbing her knee.

She winced, trying to move it, she'd landed rather hard on it, not really expecting to have overcompensated as much as she had in stopping Morvin. She lifted up the hem of her dress, not noticing the Doctor's breath catch in his throat at her bare leg being revealed, and frowned, seeing a rather nasty looking bruise already starting to form on her knee, "Not so much," she answered, feeling a sense of déjà vu with all of this. It was just like in Albion Hospital, when they'd fallen through the floor and she'd twisted her ankle...perfect...just perfect timing on her part.

The Doctor hissed quietly through his teeth as he saw the bruise on her knee, the tears just barely in her eyes at the pain she was only just starting to feel. He swallowed hard, forcing down the rising anger at Morvin, of all people, for being the cause of his Mate's hurt. He knew it wasn't the man's fault, that Angel had been the one to pull him back, but...she was hurt! And she was hurt because of Morvin!

'Theta,' her voice cut through his head, sensing his mounting ire. And, just like that, his anger faded, her voice cutting through all his building rage, like a beacon in the night, the light in the dark. Her voice, so gentle and calm and forgiving...SHE didn't blame Morvin, he couldn't either.

'Sorry,' he smiled apologetically at her for having nearly lost control of himself just then.

She simply smiled back at him, understanding, emotions were high right now, what with the Host, and the ship, and the beam-bridge, she knew how he was. For all his control, he had surprisingly little of it when it came to her, 'It's alright,' she reached out a hand and he helped her up, but she winced, trying to put her weight on her leg.

'Let me...' he moved to touch her knee but she stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her with a frown, 'What...'

'Don't,' she pleaded sofly, 'Please, don't waste your regeneration energy like that.'

'It's not a waste,' he promised her, 'Not on you, nothing is ever a waste when it comes to you.'

She smiled, 'I feel the same for you,' she told him, 'But it's just a bruise Theta, it'll heal. I CAN walk on it, it'll just be...stiff for a while.'

'But it HURTS you,' he shook his head, not understanding why she'd WANT to be in pain when he could heal her instantly. When she hurt, he hurt for her.

'And it'll hurt me more if you end up using too much of your regeneration energy on me healing little things like cuts and bruises,' she reached out, taking his hand and kissing his scarred knuckles, 'I want you around for a good long while.'

'And I want you around happy and healthy,' he countered, 'NOT in pain.'

Her smile turned into a small smirk, 'Then hold my hand,' she held hers out to him again and he took it instantly, 'There,' she nodded, 'You see, no pain at all now,' he stared at her a moment, 'I never feel that when I'm around you,' she told him, making him smile, 'You always take the pain away, you always make me feel better.'

It was HIS turn to lift her hand and kiss it this time, 'I feel the same with you,' he repeated her words a bit.

Unfortunately, their touching little moment was interrupted by the sound of a banging getting louder, "Doctor, I rather think those things have got our scent," Mr. Copper shifted uneasily.

"I'm not waiting," Rickston shook his head and started across the bridge.

"Careful!" the Doctor shouted, turning to watch Rickston but not letting go of Angel's hand, "Take it slowly!"

There was a rumble and the ship rocked, nearly throwing Rickston off, "Vot help me."

"You're ok! One step at a time. Come on, you can do it."

~8~

"Kill," the Host banged on the door outside the kitchen, "Kill. Kill."

They finally broke through and marched across it...

~8~

"They're getting nearer!" Mr. Copper warned, spotting the Host approaching.

"Seal us in," the Doctor muttered before sonicing the door they'd come from with one hand, truly keeping to Angel's request of holding her hand, he was NOT about to let it go any time soon if he could help it.

"Leaving us trapped, wouldn't you say?"

"Never say trapped, just inconveniently circumstanced."

"Oh."

"I'm ok!" Rickston shouted, halfway across.

"But how are we gonna make it?" Foon wept as she held onto her husband who had his arms tightly around her, still panting at how close he'd come to falling into the engines.

"Rickston's right," Morvin sighed, shaking, terrified. If the floor couldn't hold HIM, how was that beam going to hold him AND Foon? He wanted to live, yes, he didn't want his wife to die, no, but...he couldn't bear the thought of someone else being trapped, being put in danger because of him and that was exactly what would happen if he set foot on that beam. He didn't want to put his life above someone else's.

He wasn't Rickston.

"Yes!" the man in question whooped, having made it, "Oh yes! Who's good?!"

"Bannakaffalatta, you go next," the Doctor delegated.

"Bannakaffalatta, small," the alien nodded, jumping on the beam.

"Slowly!"

There was a pounding on the door, "They've found us!" Mr. Copper shouted.

"Astrid, get across right now," the Doctor turned to the young woman.

"What about you?" Astrid looked at the small group still there.

"Just do it," the Doctor insisted, "Go on," Astrid darted off to the beam as the Doctor turned to Mr. Copper, "Mr. Copper, we can't wait. Don't argue," Mr. Copper nodded and followed after her, "Morvin, Foon, you've got to get across right now."

"We can't!" Morvin shouted.

"Doctor!" Rickston yelled, "The door's locked."

"We really don't have the time to argue," the Doctor turned back to them.

"The beam won't hold us," Foon wept. She had never been ashamed of her weight before, Morvin loved her exactly how she was as she did him, but this was the first time she was regretting her weight. If she had been smaller...

Angel looked down, not wanting to leave the couple, knowing how much she didn't want to ever leave the Doctor, she couldn't bear to ask the two to separate...and then her eyes widened, "What about these?" she pulled out the teleport bracelets from her pocket, the TWO teleport bracelets.

The Doctor shook his head, "The teleports are offline and we can't risk diverting any of the power to the engines with us in the same room as them..."

"Doctor, I can't open the door!" Rickston shouted, "We need the whirring key thing of yours!"

"Couldn't you reconfigure them?" Angel tried again. She didn't know if it was possible to do that to a teleport bracelet, but...she could hope. Why else would she have taken them if they couldn't help in some way now? And, the Doctor was brilliant! Surely HE could figure out a way to make them work to help Morvin and Foon...

The Doctor looked at them a moment before his eyes widened, an idea striking him, "Yes! Brilliant!" he beamed, "Oh you are brilliant!" he kissed Angel quickly, "Really," he told her, taking the two bracelets from her...and kissing her again, "Just amazing!" and flashed the sonic across them, before kissing her once more, "Good luck charm, all I'm saying," and handing them back to the van Hoffs and trying to kiss her once more, only for her to press her finger to his lips, stopping him.

"This is beginning to be a problem for you isn't it?" she asked him, amused by his seemingly lack of control in kissing her.

He just grinned widely, flashing her her favorite grin, "Oh yes," he agreed, but not seeming at all like he was sorry or worried about that. He just gave her finger a kiss as well.

"We should really focus right now though," she reminded him, nodding at the van Hoffs.

"Right!" he shouted, turning to them, "Yes, sorry," he gestured at the bracelets still in their hands, "Put those on."

"What good are they?" Foon asked miserably.

"Teleporters work by taking your atoms, dividing them in one spot, and regrouping them in another space," the Doctor explained very quickly, "I've tweaked the bracelets to where it'll cancel out half your atoms. Like an antigravity booster, your weight have been reduced to a half. Enough so that you're safe to cross. Now come on!" he turned, pulling Angel by the hand, over to the beam.

Morvin and Foon quickly put the bracelets on and followed them.

The Doctor lifted Angel's hand in both of his, kissing the back of it, before reluctantly letting go of it, not wanting to unbalance her on the beam. Angel took a breath and stepped on, making her way after Mr. Copper, then the Doctor, Foon, and Morvin stepped on after her. The metal creaked under the weight of the seven of them, but held, the bracelets clearly doing their job.

"Too many people!" Bannakaffalatta warned.

"Oi!" the Doctor pointed at him, "Don't get spiky with me! Keep going!"

"It's gonna fall!" even Astrid agreed.

"It's just settling! Keep going!"

And suddenly...it became quiet as the pounding stopped.

"They've stopped…" Astrid breathed.

"Gone away?" Bannakaffalatta asked.

"Why would they give up?" the Doctor wondered.

"I don't think they have," Angel remarked, a pit starting to form in her stomach again. The silence was very unsettling, when silence fell...it was never a good thing.

"Never mind that," Rickston groaned, annoyed at how they kept stopping and not getting him the key, "Keep coming!"

"Where have they gone?" the Doctor looked around, worried it might be some sort of trick or trap and he was NOT about to take that chance with Angel right beside him.

Angel, though, glanced up, only Mr. Copper seeming to notice.

"Where are the Host?" the Doctor repeated.

"I'm afraid..." Mr. Copper said, looking up as well, "We forgot the tradition of Christmas, that angels have wings!" he pointed and they all looked up to see about five Host gliding down from above.

"Information: kill," the Host reached for their halos.

"Arm yourselves!" the Doctor yelled, grabbing a pipe as he stepped beside Angel, determined to protect her, "All of you!"

Everyone scrambled to take up pipes and sheets of metal, using what they could to protect themselves from the Host when they threw their halos at them like flying circular saws. They managed to bat them away but one grazed the Doctor's arm as he tried to keep the Host away from Angel, not wanting her to have to pick up a weapon. He knew she could defend herself, they'd both been in the War, she could use a weapon even if it was a simple pipe but...that just wasn't her. And it shouldn't be, she shouldn't have to fight and defend herself, that was HIS job, HE was the one who was meant to protect her from all harm, up to and including robotic angelic things trying to kill them.

Mr. Copper cried out as a halo struck his leg when Astrid fell to her knees, "I can't," she panted.

Angel carefully made her way past Mr. Copper and to the woman's side, the Doctor backing up to cover her as much as he could. He wasn't happy she'd left his side, that he couldn't protect her as easily, but Astrid was clearly terrified and, much like he wouldn't be the Doctor if he didn't give people a chance, she wouldn't be Angel if she didn't try to help someone. He understood why she'd gone to Astrid, even if all he wanted to do was pull her back behind him.

"Bannakaffalatta stop!" the alien tossed down his weapon just as Angel made it beside Astrid, "Bannakaffalatta proud! Bannakaffalatta, cyborg!" he lifted his shirt and discharged a sort of energy, disabling the Host, causing all but one to fall into the engine, the lone Host falling onto the strut between the Doctor and Foon.

"Electromagnetic pulse took out the robotics," the Doctor muttered, glancing back at the Host between him and the two humans, "Oh, Bannakaffalatta, that was brilliant!"

Bannakaffalatta collapsed as Angel helped Astrid over to his side, "He's used all his power!" Astrid gasped, checking the little red alien over.

"Did good?" he asked, smiling up at Astrid.

"You saved us," Angel told him gently.

"Bannakaffalatta happy."

"We can recharge you, get you to a power point and just plug you in!" Astrid replied.

"Too late," Bannakaffalatta shook his head.

"Maybe not," Angel muttered, lifting the alien's shirt and pressed the same button she had seen Astrid press before, Astrid's eyes widened a small golden spark jumped out of Angel's finger and into the button.

Bannakaffalatta gasped, feeling his power systems restoring, just enough that he would be able to get to a power point.

"Was that an EMP transmitter?" Mr. Copper called as he moved to crouch down behind the girls as they helped a slightly startled and confused Bannakaffalatta sit up, "I used to sell these things. They'd always give me a bed for the night in the cyborg caravans. They're good people. As soon as we get you charged up we can use it as a weapon against the rest of the Host. Bannakaffalatta you've saved us all!"

"Bannakaffalattta proud," he beamed, especially when Astrid pulled him into her arms and hugged him tightly, not caring what Angel had done just that the little cyborg was alright again.

"Watch out!" Rickston shouted, pointing behind them. They turned to see the Host behind the Doctor start to move and stand, Morvin and Foon backing up in fear.

"Information: reboot."

"Use the EMP!"

"It's too drained!" Mr. Copper replied, "He won't survive another round."

"So?"

Astrid glared at Rickston for that.

"No, no, no," the Doctor called, turning to the Host as it advanced on him, "Hold on. Override loophole security protocol...10! 666! Oh. 21, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8? Um, I dunno, 42! Uh, 1!"

The Host stopped and just stood there, "Information: state request."

"Good...right..." the Doctor nodded, letting out a little breath of relief, relaxing more when he felt a hand slip into his, Angel had returned to his side, he could face anything now, that's how he always felt when she as with him, invincible, "You've been ordered to kill the survivors, but why?"

"Information: no witnesses."

"But this ship's gonna fall on the Earth and kill everyone. The Human Race have nothing to do with the Titanic so that contravenes your orders, yes?"

"Information: incorrect."

"But why do you want to destroy the Earth?"

"Information: it is the plan."

"What plan?"

"Information: protocol grants you only three questions. These three questions have been used."

"Well, you could have warned me," he glanced at Angel over his shoulder, "YOU could have too you know."

"I can't see everything!" she huffed a little.

That really was an irritating limitation on her abilities, even she had to admit that. She didn't know how it worked, why it worked, why she saw what she saw and didn't see other things...she supposed she could only hope that, one day, she'd be strong enough to see everything. Though, to be quite honest, she doubted she'd ever see EVERYTHING that was coming, foreknowledge was dangerous, even for precogs or Visionaries.

"Information: now you will die," as the Host raised its halo the Doctor tensed, his jaw tightening as he stiffened, feeling Angel inhale sharply at the Host about to attack him. Well...that wouldn't do at all would it?

He tightened his grip on the pipe in his hand and whacked the Host hard, upsetting its balance and, at the same time, disabling its antigravity mechanics with the well aimed blow, sending it falling down into the engine where the others had gone.

"Doctor," Angel called, tugging his hand, "We need to move now," the beam creaked, "It won't last much longer."

"Right!" the Doctor nodded, "Come on, everyone, shift!"

They quickly made their way to the end of the beam, onto the other side where Rickston was waiting. Angel held out a hand and pulled Morvin off the beam moments before it collapsed as the Doctor turned to the door, sonicing it open.

"Get up to Reception One," the Doctor turned to the group, taking charge once more, "Once you're there, Mr. Copper, you've got staff access to the computer. Try and find a way of transmitting an SOS. Astrid, you're in charge of Bannakaffalatta. You get him powered up, make sure he doesn't burn himself out. Once he's powered up, he can take out Hosts within fifty yards but then he'll need sixty seconds to recharge. Got it?" Astrid nodded, "Rickston, take this," he handed over the sonic, "I've preset it. Just hold down that button. It'll open doors. Do not lose it! You got that? Now go and open the next door. Go on! Go!"

"Alright!" Rickston huffed, walking off.

"Morvin, Foon," the Doctor handed a first aid kit to them, "You're in charge of injuries, start by patching up Mr. Copper's head. Astrid, where's the power point?"

"Under the comm.," she said.

The Doctor nodded and led her and Bannakaffalatta over to it, lifting the alien's shirt and positioning him so that the power point fell in the center plate of his mechanics, "When it's ready, that blue light comes on there…" he pointed to the plate.

"You're talking as if you're not coming with us."

"There's something in Deck 31," Angel said quietly, having followed them, "We have to find out what."

"What if you meet a Host?!"

"Well, then we'll just...have some fun, eh?" the Doctor smiled a tense, almost dark, smile.

Astrid shivered, that man...he was so happy and cheerful and kind...that smile...it didn't suit him but...in a way...it did. It was protective. It was a smile that promised he would NOT let any harm befall someone, and she knew that someone was Angel. That man would protect her with his life, he'd do anything to keep her safe. No matter what, he'd save her. That smile...it promised just that, that no one would harm a hair on the girl's head if he had anything to say about it. It made her shiver a bit, to be honest, and made her scared for anyone who dare even tried to hurt Angel...not that she could see anyone doing that, the girl was far too kind for anyone to wish her harm. But...then again...the Host were robots, they didn't have a sense of kindness or emotion or feeling.

They were dangerous.

Though not, it seemed, as dangerous as the Doctor in protecting his Mate.

"Sounds like you do this kind of thing all the time," she murmured, shaking her head from her thoughts.

"Not by choice," the Doctor countered, "All we do is travel. That's what we are, just travelers. Imagine it. No tax, no bills, no boss, just the open sky."

"I'm sort of...unemployed now and I was thinking the blue box is kinda small. But I could kinda squeeze in. Like a stowaway."

"We can't promise it'll always be safe," Angel warned her, reaching out to squeeze the girl's hand, not really warning her away from the idea but just...making her aware of what she might be getting into.

"So? I've got no one back on Sto, no family, just me. So what do you think? Can I come with you?"

Angel looked at the Doctor to see him smile and nod at her, leaving her beaming as she turned back to Astrid, "We'd love it," she nodded, "Finally I get another companion," she nudged the Doctor's stomach, making him laugh and beam at seeing her so happy about that. It had been her desire for Martha to be HIS companion, knowing he needed it more, but he could tell she really wanted another companion and he'd promised himself, the next one would be hers.

The ship shifted suddenly and the Doctor quickly moved to the comm., "Mr. Frame, you still with us?"

"It's the engines, sir!" Frame called back, "Final phase. There's nothing more I can do. We've got only eight minutes left!"

"Don't worry, I'll get there."

"The bridge is sealed off!"

"Yeah, yeah, working on it. I'll get there Mr. Frame, somehow," he cut the comm. and looked over to see the EMP light flashing, "All charged up?" he turned back to the group, "Mr. Copper, look after her."

"Astrid, look after him," Angel added.

"Morvin, Foon, take care of each other."

"Bannakaffalatta, keep an eye on them all."

"Rickston, um...look after yourself. And we'll see you again, promise."

"See you later!" Astrid called, busy helping Bannakaffalatta up and checking herself to make sure he was ready, "And good luck!"

"You too!" Angel called back.

~8~

Rickston opened the door to the next room, dashing through it only to see three Host standing there, "Do it!" he shouted, running back to them.

Bannakaffalatta lifted his shirt, firing out a wave of energy, stunning the Host till they collapsed. Astrid quickly moved behind him, catching him as he stumbled back at the sudden dip in power. The rest of the group stood there a moment before cheering as Astrid led Bannakaffalatta to the nearest power point.

~8~

The Doctor and Angel ran into a small kitchen to see two Host before them and then two behind them. He grabbed a pot by the handle, ready to use it was a weapon, while Angel still had a pipe she'd grabbed on the beam, not that the Doctor had let her use it, not that she really wanted to, even against a robot, she wasn't exactly strong so the pipe wouldn't help much.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" the Doctor yelled, "Security protocol one! Do you hear me? One! One!" the Host paused, "Ok, that gives me three questions. Three questions to save our lives, am I right?"

"Information: correct."

The Doctor lowered the pot, sullen, "No, that wasn't one of them. I didn't mean it. That's not fair. Can I start again?"

"Information: no."

"No, no! No, no, no. That wasn't one either. Blimey…" he looked at Angel, who was just shaking her head at him, not really seeming cross or worried that he'd wasted two questions but more...a little amused at him than anything, "One question left. One question," he sighed and turned to the Host, knowing he needed to be careful, one question to save his and Angel's lives, this had to work, or else it would be HIS fault she got hurt...again.

Angel reached out and took his hand, squeezing it to remind him she was still there, alive and well because of him.

He smiled at her, lifting her hand to kiss it before focusing on the Host, "So, you've been given orders to kill the survivors but survivors must therefore be passengers or staff, but not us. We're not passengers. We're not staff. Go on, scan us. You must have bio-records. No such persons onboard. We don't exist therefore...you can't kill us. Therefore, we're stowaways and stowaways should be arrested and taken to the nearest figure of authority. And I reckon the nearest figure of authority is on Deck 31. Final question: am I right?"

"Information: correct."

"Brilliant," he grinned, "Take me to your leader."

"Did you really just say that?" Angel asked him, laughing.

He beamed at her, "I've always wanted to say that."

Chapter Text

The humans and Bannakaffalatta burst into reception, Bannakaffalatta immediately using his EMP to take out the Host that were standing there, "Rickston, seal the doors, make the room secure," Astrid commanded, "Mr. Copper, keep an eye on the Host. Morvin, get Bannakaffalatta all charged up. Foon bandage Mr. Copper's head, I need to check the computer. We need that SOS," she ran over to the computer and tried to turn it on, only to see the power was out. She hit it hard with her fist in frustration but it didn't help. She sighed and turned around to see the teleport bracelets and ran to the comm., "Bridge, this is reception!"

"Who's there?" Frame replied.

"Astrid Peth. I was with the Doctor and Angel. Tell me, can you divert power to the teleport system?"

"No way. I'm using everything I got to keep the engines running."

"It's just one trip. I need to get to Deck 31."

"And I'm telling you no!"

"Mr. Frame...this is for the Doctor and Angel. They've gone down there, on their own, and I...I can't just leave them. They've done everything they can to save us. It's time we did something to help them."

A moment later, "Giving you power."

Astrid beamed and grabbed a teleport bracelet, turning to Mr. Copper, "Mr. Copper, I'm gonna find them," she slipped it on, Morvin and Foon taking theirs off to be safe, not wanting to get sucked along with her and drain what little power there was left in the ship.

"Good luck," he nodded.

"Be safe," Bannakaffalatta added, "Pretty girl."

Astrid smiled as she was teleported out.

~8~

The Doctor and Angel were led by the Host to a storage facility on Deck 31 where there was much structural damage as well as some fires, "Now that is what you call a fixer-upper," he remarked to Angel before taking a step in front of her and calling out, "Come on then, Host with the most, this ultimate authority of yours, who is it?" two doors hissed, opening behind them, and they turned, the Doctor quickly making his way back to Angel's side, "Oh, that's clever. That's an omnistate impact chamber," he explained to Angel, "Indestructible. You can survive anything in that, eh?" a vehicle slowly moved out of it, "Sit through a supernova or a shipwreck. Only one person can have the power and the money to hide themselves onboard like this and I should know, 'cos..."

"My name is Max," Max Capricorn replied, wheeling out in a giant life-support system, the only thing keeping his human head alive.

The Doctor frowned as Max's tooth glinted, "It really does that?"

"Who the hell are they?" Max looked at the Host.

"I'm the Doctor," he grinned, putting an arm around Angel's shoulders, "And this is my Mate, the Angel."

"Hello," she nodded at him, feeling just a bit uneasy with how the man seemed to be responsible for all the destruction and death, bust still...she had to be polite, it seemed this New New her was even more so than her last self, possibly to try and compensate for the Doctor's rudeness, "Nice to meet you."

"Information: stowaways."

"Well..." the Doctor shrugged at the title.

"Kill them," Max spat.

"Oh, no, no!" the Doctor leapt in front of Angel, his arms up, "Wait, but you can't. Not now. Come on, Max...you've given me so much good material like...how to get ahead in business. See 'head?' 'Head in business?' No?" he looked at Angel. He knew now really wasn't the time for jokes, the wrong word could set the man off, but...he needed something to lighten the mood, something to calm him, to convince him Angel wasn't in as much danger as they clearly were.

"No," Angel gave a little laugh even as she shook her head.

"Oh, ho ho, the office joker," Max laughed, "I like a funny man. No one's been funny with me for years."

"I can't think why," he remarked.

"176 years of running the company have taken their toll."

"Yeah, but...nice wheels."

"No, a life-support system in a society that despises cyborgs. I've had to hide away for years. Running the company by hologram."

Angel frowned, "But Astrid said Sto is changing the laws on cyborgs," she told him, "You're getting all sorts of rights now, apparently you can even get married and..."

"Far to little," he cut in with a sneer, "FAR too late. Host! Situation report."

"Information: Titanic is still in orbit."

"Let me see," Max moved past the Doctor and Angel as they stepped out of his way, the Doctor pulling Angel a bit more to his side, not wanting her anywhere near the man, "We should have crashed by now. What's gone wrong?" Max looked over the edge and down at the engines, "The engines are still running! They should have stopped!"

"If the engines stop, the ship will destroy the Earth!" Angel frowned at him. She really didn't like people who had such little respect for human life, for life in general. And this man had already proven that he didn't care at all given what he'd let happen to the ship and passengers.

"I don't understand," the Doctor shook his head, "What's the Earth got to do with it?"

"This interview is terminated," Max turned back to them.

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" the Doctor shouted as Angel glanced over to see Astrid peek around a corner, "Hold on! Hold on! Hold on! Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! I can work it out. It's like a task. I'm your apprentice. Just watch me. So...business is failing and you wreck the ship so that makes things even worse? Oh yes! No. Yes. The business isn't failing, it's failed. Past tense."

"My own board voted me out. Stabbed me in the back."

"If you had a back. So..."

Angel frowned as Astrid crept closer, before inhaling sharply...

'...Mr. Capricorn! I resign!...'

'...He's cut the break line!...'

...Astrid fell towards the engines, falling, falling…

Angel let out a breath, her eyes wide as she looked over, her hearts racing at seeing Astrid sneaking into a forklift in the back.

No!

No, no, no, no, no! She had to do something!

"You scupper the ship, wipe out any survivors in case anyone's rumbled you and the board find their shares halved in value," the Doctor realized, far too focused on trying to distract Max and keep the man's attention away from Angel to realize what Angel had just seen, "Oh, but that's not enough. No, 'cos if a Max Capricorn ship hits the Earth, it destroys an entire planet. Outrage back home. Scandal! The business is wiped out."

"And...the whole board thrown in jail for mass murder."

"While you sit there, safe inside the impact chamber."

"I have men waiting to retrieve me from the ruins and enough off-world accounts to retire me to the beaches of Pentaxico Two where the ladies, so I'm told, are very fond of...metal."

"So that's the plan?! A retirement plan. 2,000 on this ship, 6 billion underneath us, all of them slaughtered. And why? Because Max Capricorn is a loser."

"I never lose."

"You can't even sink the Titanic."

"Oh, but I can, Doctor. I can cancel the engines from here."

And then the alarms went off.

~8~

"Engines closing," the computer announced in the bridge.

"No, no, no, no!" Frame rushed to an instrument panel to try and stop it.

"Engines closing."

~8~

"What's happening?" Rickston called as the alarms blared.

~8~

"You can't do this!" the Doctor yelled.

"Host, hold them," Max commanded as two Host grabbed the Doctor and one Angel, pulling them back, "Not so clever now, Doctor," Max wheeled back over to them, smirking right at the Doctor's glaring face, "A shame we couldn't work together. You're rather good. All that banter yet not a word wasted. Time for me to retire. The Titanic is falling. The sky will burn. Let the Christmas inferno commence. Oh! Oh, Host! Kill them."

"No!" the Doctor struggled, needing to get out, needing to get Angel away, especially when one of the Host not holding them removed its halo and readied its attack…

"Mr. Capricorn!" Astrid shouted, they looked over to see her in a forklift, the machine now on and buzzing, "I resign," and then she floored it, rushing at Max.

"Astrid, don't!" Angel gasped, seeing her vision playing out before her and she was still trapped, unable to help her!

Astrid collided with Max's life-support, lifting the front of it so his rear tires spun, falling to a standoff. The Host turned and threw its halo at Astrid instead in a bid to stop her, but missed, hitting a cable on the side of the lift instead.

"He's cut the break line!" the Doctor's eyes widened in horror.

"No!" Angel cried, hearing the vision playing out nearly entirely, she knew what was coming next and she HAD to stop it! Too many people had died already! She pulled and pulled, gasping when she managed to yank one of her arms free from the Host, which seemed distracted, waiting for instructions on what to do with the girl in the forklift but receiving none.

Astrid looked over at them, solemn but determined, before raising the forklift, getting Max off the ground and stepped on it, wheeling them towards the edge.

"Astrid!" Angel twisted her other arm out of the Host's grip and ran to the lift. She reached in and grabbed the woman's arm, yanking her out of the lift only a moment before it toppled over the edge, taking Max down with it, the two women falling to the ground.

"Angel!" the Doctor shouted, running over to them, the Host letting him go, skidding on his knees to his Mate's side as she and Astrid knelt on the ground, panting at what had just happened and nearly happened.

"She was going to fall," Angel breathed, showing him the vision she'd had, Astrid, falling to the engines, her hand outstretched for them to save her, the moment feeling far too final for them to have come up with a way to get her back, "I…I couldn't let it…"

The Doctor pulled her into his arms in a fierce hug before they both turned and pulled Astrid in as well, the girl starting to cry at how close she'd come to her own end.

~8~

"Titanic falling," speakers went off all over the ship, "Voyage terminated."

~8~

Frame took the wheel, trying to control the ship.

~8~

Rickston, Mr. Copper, Bannakaffalatta, Morvin, and Foon all held onto each other as the ship rocked.

~8~

The Doctor and Angel walked hand-in-hand away from the wreckage behind them with Astrid, when two Host stepped up to them. The Doctor stiffened, eyeing them, wary of what they might try to do to him and Angel, but they stood there waiting. He smirked, relieved at that, before he stepped forward and held out his arms for the Host to grab him. Two more Host stepped over, each taking a hold of Angel and Astrid, the Doctor watching the one holding Angel closely to ensure it didn't try to do anything, waiting a moment longer till it turned to him, awaiting commands, before he was satisfied. He snapped his fingers and the Host started to rise. The Host holding the Doctor raised their fists and broke through the ceiling above them, which ended up being the floor of the bridge, startling Frame before gently depositing the Doctor on the floor, the Host with Angel and Astrid flying through moments later and doing the same, the Doctor immediately pulling Angel out of its grasp, knowing the girl didn't like robots nor did she trust them.

"Deadlock broken," the computer confirmed.

"Ah, Midshipman Frame at last!" the Doctor smiled as he turned to the man, his arm around Angel.

"Uh, but...but the Host!" Frame pointed at the robots who still just stood there.

"Controller dead they divert to the next highest authority and that's me."

"There's nothing we can do. There's no power. The ship's gonna fall."

"Titanic falling," the speakers called, as though hearing Frame's words.

The Doctor moved to the wheel, "What's your first name?"

"Alonzo."

"Oh my God," Angel shook her head, laughing at that, highly amused, as the Doctor just looked at the man, surprised.

"You're kidding me…" the Doctor breathed.

"What?" Frame frowned, not sure why they were both looking at him like that just because of his name.

"Something wrong?" Astrid asked, darting away from the Host as well to stand closer to Frame.

"He's always wanted to say this," Angel beamed at the Doctor, clearly happy for him about whatever he was to say.

The Doctor cheered, "Allons-y Alonzo!" and spun the wheel, "Whoa!" the ship lurched, Angel lunging for the control panels to keep her footing as the Doctor frantically tried to steer, the ship falling straight towards Earth.

Frame screamed, falling back to the wall, Astrid toppling with him, the two falling to the floor in a heap as the room shook.

The ship started to burn on entry.

An alarm started to sound.

Angel ran forward, switching it on, the computer springing up before them, showing the impact zone as somewhere in London.

The Doctor sighed, shaking his head at the precise location, "Ah…Angel?" he nodded at the wheel, indicating he was a bit busy at the moment and needed help.

Angel nodded and ran to the comm., dialing out, "Hello, yes, hello, who's this?" she nodded, listening, "Oh! Hello Nancy, nice to meet you..."

"Angel," the Doctor cut in.

"Right, sorry," she blushed, "Um...yes, hello Nancy, could you get me Buckingham Palace please?"

~8~

"And as dawn rises over Great Britain, it seems that, this year, the city of London has escaped alien intervention," a BBC news reporter smiled, "The Queen has remained in residence in defiance of extraterrestrial attack."

~8~

"No, Howard," Angel shouted over the phone at the man from the Palace refusing to listen to her, "Please, just listen! This is the Angel..." she blinked, "Yes, yes the..." she smiled, "The Doctor's Mate, hello!" before shaking her head, "No, I mean, please begin Security Code 771! And get yourself out of there too! Quickly!"

~8~

The Queen rushed down the red carpeted hallway of Buckingham Palace, her hair in curlers, in her dressing gown, as a footman carried a corgi, "Open the door!" the footman cried as they neared the entrance.

~8~

The old news seller stepped out of his kiosk and looked up at the sky, glaring as the Titanic became visible, "Don't you dare, you aliens!" he shook his fist up, "Don't you dare!"

~8~

"Engine active," the speakers reported, "Engine active."

The Doctor pulled back on the wheel as hard as he could, sending poor Frame and Astrid, who had JUST managed to pick themselves back up...right back against the wall again as he strained, finally regaining control of the steering.

The ship just barely missed Buckingham Palace.

"You did it!" Angel cried, delighted, as the Doctor looked on, stunned at their luck.

~8~

The group in reception looked at each other, shocked and relieved, as the ride smoothed out.

~8~

"Thank you, Doctor!" the Queen waved as the ship headed back to outer space, "Thank you Angel. Happy Christmas!"

~8~

The Doctor laughed as they saw the stars again, Angel turning and pulling him into a hug.

"Oh my good luck charm!" he turned, spinning her around, the ship set for the stars once more, "Didn't I say?!"

~8~

"Yes, oh yes!" Rickston shouted as they all hugged each other, Morvin and Foon sharing a delighted kiss.

~8~

Frame started ringing the ship's bell with Astrid, both of them laughing and whooping, "Whoo-hoo!"

The Doctor grinned and pulled Angel into a celebratory kiss.

~8~

The Doctor sat beside Frame on the floor as Angel and Astrid tended to his wound with a small kit the Doctor had found, "Used the heat of re-entry to fire up the secondary storm drive," the Doctor explained to them.

"Unsinkable," Angel smiled at him, "That's you in a nutshell."

"Only because of you," he insisted gently, taking her hand in both of his to kiss each knuckle.

She just laughed and leaned in, kissing him once more.

"We made it," Frame sighed with a smile, relieved.

"That we did," the Doctor nodded as he pulled away from the kiss, squeezing Angel's hand, knowing that she had played a rather large part in all of that. He knew, if it hadn't been for her, Astrid and Morvin at least wouldn't be with them, both would have fallen into the engines if not for her.

She was incredible. Truly a Christmas angel.

Angel smiled and blushed, looking away as she heard his thoughts.

He just smiled.

~8~

"Rickston!" the Doctor grinned as the four of them strode into reception, the Doctor's arm around Angel's waist, "Sonic!" Rickston tossed it to him and he caught it, sticking it back into his coat pocket, "How is everyone? Alright?"

"The engines have stabilized," Frame added as they nodded, "We're holding steady till we get help and I've sent the SOS. A rescue ship should be here within twenty minutes. And they're digging out the records of Max Capricorn. It should be quite a story."

"They'll want to talk to all of us, I suppose," Mr. Copper murmured.

"I'd have thought so, yeah."

Mr. Copper nodded sadly and wandered off. Angel frowned and walked over to him, tugging the Doctor with her as he let his arm trail from her waist, along her arm, to her hand, "I think, uh, one or two inconvenient truths might come to light," he sighed, rubbing his head as they and Astrid joined him, "Still, it's my own fault, and then years in jail is better than dying."

"Doctor...I never said...thank you," Rickston walked over, interrupting Mr. Copper to hug the Doctor. He moved to hug Angel as well, but the Doctor pulled her back behind him, glaring at Rickston so darkly that the man took a step back, able to see that the Doctor was NOT pleased with him at the moment, "The funny thing is..." he chuckled nervously when the Doctor's look didn't lighten up even as he stepped away, "I said Max Capricorn was falling apart. Just before the crash, I...sold all my shares, transferred them to his rivals. It's made me rich. What do you think of that?"

"I think you're a right old ass!" Astrid glared.

"But a rich ass," Rickston countered.

"And I think that's terrible," Angel frowned at him.

Rickston smirked, "Terribly fortunate," he laughed before his vone rang, "Salvain? Those shares, I want them triple-bonded and locked," he turned and walked off as the small group just shook their head at him.

"Of all the people to survive, he's not the one you would have chosen, is he?" Mr. Copper eyed the man, "But if you could choose, Doctor, if you decide who lives and who dies..." he shrugged, "That would make you a monster."

"But that won't ever happen," Angel agreed slightly, wrapping an arm around the Doctor, smiling up at him, "I won't let it."

The Doctor smiled back at her and kissed her head before turning to Mr. Copper, "Mr. Copper..." he turned to the teleport and pulled out four bracelets, "I think you deserve one of these."

Mr. Copper smiled and put it on, as did the Doctor and Angel, Angel tossing the last one to Astrid. The Doctor leaned over and started the machine, Frame saluting them before they disappeared.

~8~

The TARDIS sat waiting, in an open space outside London, in the snow. The Doctor, Angel, Mr. Copper, and Astrid walking across it as the snow fell around them, "So, Great Britain is part of, uh, 'Europee' and just across the British Channel you've got Great France and Great Germany?" Mr. Copper asked.

"No," Angel corrected lightly, spinning around with her hands out to catch the snowflakes, the Doctor smiling as he watched her, beaming really, at seeing her so happy, "It's France and Germany," she ran to the Doctor and took his hands, pulling him to spin with her, "Britain is the great one!" she cheered, laughing.

"Oh," Mr. Copper nodded, following along, "And they're all at war with the continent of Ham-erica?"

"No," the Doctor pulled Angel closer, turning their spinning into a small waltz in the falling snow, "Well...not yet," he nodded to himself, getting distracted by his dance but unwilling to stop, "Uh...could argue that one," he dipped Angel and pulled her up into his arms with a laugh as they arrived at the TARDIS, "There it is," he patted the box, "Survive anything."

Angel smiled and stroked the corner of it lightly, "She's a tough old girl, isn't she?"

"You know, between you and me, I don't even thing this snow is real," Mr. Copper turned to Astrid.

"What is it?" Astrid frowned up at the white particles.

"Er...the ballast from the Titanic's salvage entering the atmosphere."

Astrid grimaced at that.

"Yeah," the Doctor agreed as he looked up, his arms moving around Angel, pulling her back to his front as they looked up, regardless of what it was, it was beautiful, "One of these days it might snow for real."

"So, I…I suppose you'll be off?" Mr. Copper asked them, looking at the trio.

"No," Astrid sighed.

"Astrid?" Angel looked at her questioningly, putting her arms over the Doctor's as he swayed side to side, his chin resting on her head.

Astrid smiled apologetically, "I know what it's like to not have anyone to look after you," she looked at the two of them softly, "You've both got each other, but Mr. Copper…he hasn't got anyone."

"You are a magnificent woman Astrid Peth," Angel said, stepping away from the Doctor and hugging the woman, realizing what she was saying.

She was sad, yes, that the woman she'd offered to be her next companion had said no in the end, again, but she really did believe that it would happen when it was meant to. And Astrid's reason, wanting to look after Mr. Copper, be there for him, well, she couldn't argue with that, it was an amazing and selfless thing the girl was doing.

She squeezed her once more, pulling away to rest her hands on Astrid's shoulders, "And if you ever want to, the offer will always be open."

"Thank you," Astrid smiled, nodding, before stepping over to Mr. Copper.

"Mr. Copper," the Doctor said, "That credit card…may I see it?"

He gave it to him, "Well, it's just petty cash, spending money. It's all done by computer. I…I didn't really know the currency so I thought a million might cover it."

"A million?" the Doctor blinked, "Pounds?"

"That enough for trinkets?"

"Mr. Copper, a million pounds is worth 50 million credits!"

"How much?!" Mr. Copper gaped.

"50 million and 56."

"I…I've got money!" he nearly choked.

"Oh yes," Angel smiled, laughing, as the Doctor gave him the card back.

"Oh my word," he blinked, still unable to believe it, "Oh my vot! Oh my goodness me! Ya ha!"

"It's all yours, planet Earth," the Doctor told them, "Now that's a retirement plan. But just you be careful, though."

"I will," he nodded, "I will. Oh, I will."

"WE will," Astrid promised, linking her arm with Mr. Copper's.

"And…if it's not too much trouble," Angel added, "Would you be willing to transfer 5,000 credits to Morvin and Foon? I think it would help them."

"Oh of course," Mr. Copper nodded, having heard their small discussion before the Host attacked, "Yes, yes, of course!"

"No interfering," the Doctor warned, pointing at them, "We don't want any trouble."

"Just have an incredible life," Angel finished, stepping over to Mr. Copper, the man just staring at the card. She reached out and took his face in her hands, "You both deserve it," she leaned in and kissed his forehead, right on the bandage Morvin and Foon had placed on his cut. Smiling as she pulled away, hoping what she'd wanted to try, what had been in the back of her mind since the Doctor had healed the cut on her own head with his regeneration energy after getting back from the end of the Universe, might work and set their lives off to a good start.

"But I can have a house, a proper house, WE can have a house!" Mr. Copper turned to Astrid, excited, knowing it would be the BOTH of them, Astrid had wanted to stand by him BEFORE he learned about the money, the girl genuinely wanted to stay with him, "With a garden, and…and a door, and..." he looked back at them, "Oh, Doctor, Angel, I will made you proud!" he hugged them quickly before running back to Astrid, "And…and we can have a kitchen with chairs, and windows, and lace..."

They watched him skip off, laughing with Astrid, "Um, where are you going?" the Doctor called.

"Why, I have no idea!"

"No, us neither," the Doctor smiled at Angel before they stepped into the TARDIS and disappearing into the night.

~8~

The library had been the perfect place to bring up a nice cozy fireplace, it was just so vast and warm and being surrounded by books just made them feel so cozy. The plush armchair that the TARDIS had provided was even better...because there was just one, which meant they got that cuddle right at the start. The fire roaring before them, the small tray of cupcakes and hot chocolate beside them, and the warm fleece blanket draped over them truly made the moment.

The Doctor let out a content sigh, pressing a kiss to Angel's hair as he held her closer, she was half-on his lap, half-beside him as they curled up on the armchair, his arms around her, her head resting on his shoulder, the blanket pulled around them. They hadn't bothered to change from their Titanic attire, just wanting that cuddle after the experience they'd had. Though, the Doctor had discovered, the bowtie really WASN'T an issue any longer because Angel had simply untied it as soon as they had sat down and tugged him down by the ends. So really, it meant he should always wear some sort of tie apparently, which was fine with him, if it meant he got kisses out of it.

"I'm sorry," he murmured as she ate the last of her cupcake.

She looked up at him, confused, and he had to chuckle at the small bit of icing at the corner of her mouth, taking a napkin to wipe it off for her, "Thanks," she smiled, swallowing, "But...what are you sorry for?"

"This Christmas," he sighed, "Wasn't exactly the best was it?"

He'd been so determined to see her having a good Christmas, but it just...hadn't happened. It was just...he loved Christmas so much, he always seemed to end up on Earth for it, and he just wanted her to love it too because, really, that holiday seemed to have been made for her with everything it represented.

"It wasn't so bad," she shrugged, winding her arms around him, snuggling into him.

He let out a small laugh, not fully believing her, "Really?"

She nodded, closing her eyes, just letting the warmth of the fire and his arms relax her, "Life is a mess of good things and bad things," she murmured, "The good don't always make up for the bad, but the bad don't always ruin the good. As long as you can find one truly good memory in the bad, then the bad aren't so bad after all."

He smiled at that, thinking on how true that was, she was literally his one good thing in all the bad, his light in the darkness, "And you found good in the other Christmases too?"

"Mhmm," she nuzzled the side of his neck as she snuggled closer, making him close his eyes at the sensation, his breath hitching as he bit back a groan, that was almost as 'bad' as when she'd play with his hair, "First, we started the Mating process. Then we met Donna and I got to found Gingers United...we really should go check up on her soon, see how she is."

He nodded, "And this one?"

She let out a little yawn, already falling asleep, something he couldn't fault her for given how little of it she'd had the past year, "I got a good long cuddle with my Mate, JUST what I wanted for Christmas," she cracked a tired eye open at him, "Are you sure YOU'RE not psychic?"

He laughed, "I'm nowhere NEAR as special as you," he told her, meaning it, "But I do promise, the next Christmas will be better."

She hummed lightly, "Take me for a shark-drawn carriage ride and we'll call it even."

He shook his head at her, smiling at how she must be half-asleep by now, a shark-drawn carriage ride? But still, if that was what she wanted for Christmas, he'd get it for her, no question, somehow, he would.

This Christmas may have been a bust, but he was determined, one day, he'd give Angel a wonderful Christmas.

~8~

"Mr. Copper please," Astrid stood before him, a small bit of white cloth and a bandage in one hand with a small bowl of water in the other, "Just let me clean it, please?"

Mr. Copper sighed and sat down on the bed of the 'hodel' room they'd gotten for the night. It was a rather nice place, two beds, very soft beds, with thick blankets, and a little chocolate on the pillow! Astrid had insisted on cleaning the cut on his head and putting a new bandage on it, but it stung terribly and he just wanted to leave it alone, but that girl was determined to see him taken care of.

"If you must," he waved her on.

Astrid beamed, placing the items down on the bed beside him and gently peeling back the bandage...only to gasp, her eyes wide, "It's gone!"

"What?" he frowned.

"Your cut...it's gone!"

He stood and looked at a mirror on the wall, leaning forward a bit to see that the cut on his head really had gone! Just...vanished. As though it had healed over...

"But...how?" he shook his head.

Astrid frowned, thinking on it...

~8~

Angel reached out and took Mr. Copper's face in her hands, "You both deserve it," she leaned in and kissed his forehead, right on the bandage Morvin and Foon had placed on his cut...

~8~

Astrid blinked and started to smile, working it out, Angel had done it, somehow...the girl had done it!

"That girl really IS an angel isn't she?" she breathed, shaking her head, before she just started laughing.

Chapter Text

Holding a red folder, one Donna Noble walked down a crowded street, dressed in a black suit, striding with purpose, on a mission. She was ready and set to go, investigating the Adipose Industries, a company she'd seen on the web as having quite...shady and...weird happenings. And that was JUST what she needed, weird and almost 'alien' things because she needed to find the Doctor and Angel again, she needed to. She was going mad stuck on Earth, wanting to see what was out there, the wonders of the Universe but just...stuck...

~8~

Angel and the Doctor strolled arm-in-arm down the busy streets, just enjoying their time, taking in the sights of the people and buildings around them, everyone fine and happy without the threat of an alien invasion at Christmas looming over them any longer. The Doctor had, surprisingly, wanted to stay in the TARDIS, apparently the cuddle was far too good for him to want to get up and move, content to just be lazy, curled up in the armchair with Angel in his arms. But she had been far too excited to be able to get out there and move about again. After months of being too weak to do much of anything on her own she just wanted to run around and meet people and have adventures. He'd laughed and said she was turning into him, and she'd just countered with how incredible it would be to be as mad, ridiculous, and wonderful as him. Well, after that, how could he say no? Not that he really could anyway, all she ever had to do was ask him and his will would be broken instantly the moment she looked into his eyes.

It really was incredible for him to think on that. He had stood up to gods, to monsters, to the Time Lords themselves and held his ground, his resolve firm, his will iron, but one pleading look from Angel and he crumbled. But still, the smile that lit up her face when he did was more than enough to make up for that.

Angel's smile though was missing at the moment as she rubbed her head a bit with her forefinger and thumb, a small frown on her face instead, "You alright?" the Doctor asked as he looked down at her.

"Yeah, fine," she smiled at him, putting her hand on his arm, her other arm linked through his.

It was just a headache, nothing to worry about.

~8~

Donna looked up at a high building before her, smirking at the sign that read 'Adipose Industries,' before walking towards it purposefully.

~8~

Angel frowned as they walked past a high building, slowing down as she eyed it, "That building there…"

"What about it?" the Doctor looked over at it, squinting as he made out a sign, 'Adipose Industries' before it.

"I dunno," she shook her head, "Something about it…"

He grinned, taking her hand, "Let's investigate!" she laughed as the Doctor pulled her towards it, nearly getting them both run over in his excitement to cross the street and start their latest adventure.

~8~

Donna stepped through the main entrance of the building, "Good morning, Adipose Industries," an employee greeted her as she simply nodded in return.

~8~

The Doctor flashed the sonic at a fire exit in the back of the building and they slowly entered.

~8~

"Donna Noble, Health and Safety," Donna flashed her ID card at the security officer she passed.

~8~

The Doctor and Angel walked along a deserted corridor, the Doctor flipping the psychic paper open at a security guard, "John Smith and Angela Jones, Health and Safety."

He glanced at her after they'd passed the man, "You know...we really should call you Angela Smith now."

She laughed, "We're not married."

"We're Mated though," he reminded her.

Well, almost.

They still did have that last step of the process left but...given how sick Angel had been the last year, he really didn't want to rush into it, he didn't want to push her. They would both have to be at the top of their game when they reached that point. The physical union...if the stories were to be believed...was one of the most incredible, intimate, intense moments of a Time Lord's long life, and that was saying something. That moment where their soul touched another's, where they were as joined to another being as they would ever be...it was like nothing else in the Universe. That first time...when you could feel what your Mate was feeling, their emotions and love and desire rushing through you...you strove to make the experience everything to them and they did the same in return. It was a very...and he blushed to think...fulfilling moment, reaching the point of ecstasy with your Mate, seeing the Universe exploding in your mind, being with them in every single sense...

It was often said that the Mated couple...well, he blushed more at that...wore themselves out, the moment and connection was that extreme. Everything they were was put into that moment, forging that last connection, merging their souls so completely that one couldn't exist without the other except for one completely abhorrent way. It was a physically demanding and trying experience and both Mates needed to be fully ready and committed, able to sustain the connection right to the end.

He was ready, he was sure of it, he wanted Angel terribly, his blood literally sang for her, his hearts beat for her, his mind thought only of her without the distraction of an adventure present. He could never get enough of her and, he doubted he ever would, even after they completely finished the Mating, such was the love and desire he felt for her. But Angel, despite how she seemed to be better than the Year-That-Never-Was...he didn't want to risk it. HE wanted to be completely and totally, 100 percent certain she was fully recovered and the epitome of health before he led her down that path of establishing that final string that would bind them together.

He could wait.

And it would make the moment that much better.

"And I was Angela Smith as a human," she nudged him out of his thoughts, thankfully seeming to have missed where his thoughts had gone, "As John Smith's wife. The only other name I could be called is Angie Harkness and we're not at Torchwood," she nodded, "And I like being Angela Jones," she smiled, "Remember, Smith and Jones, there's no better team."

"Can't argue that," he laughed, winding his arm around her waist with a grin.

Angela Jones and John Smith, there really WASN'T a better team.

~8~

Donna sat in a lecture room with about three dozen people, slightly bored and a bit confused as she listened to the head of the industry, a Miss Foster, give her spiel about their 'amazing' products, like she hadn't heard THAT 10,000 times a day on TV adverts.

"Adipose Industries," Miss Foster smiled, "The 21st century way to lose weight. No exercise, no diet, no pain. Just lifelong freedom from fat. The Holy Grail of the modern age. And here it is," she held up a small pill, "You just take one capsule, one capsule, once a day, for three weeks. And the fat, as they say..."

"The fat just walks away," the computer called behind her.

"Excuse me, Miss Foster, if I could?" a young black woman called out, "I'm Penny Carter, science correspondent for The Observer. There are a thousand diet pills on the market, a thousand con men stealing people's money. How do we know the fat isn't going straight into your bank account?"

"Oh Penny, if cynicism burnt up calories, we'd all be as thin as rakes," Miss Foster chuckled, "But if you want the science, I oblige."

"Adipose Industries," the computer began a presentation, the display beginning to portray various scientific formulas and components, "The Adipose capsule is composed of a synthesized mobilizing lipase, bound to a large protein molecule..."

~8~

The Doctor and Angel peered through a small window in the projection room above the lecture hall, watching along, "The mobilizing lipase breaks up the triglycerides stored in the adipose cells, which then enter..."

The Doctor glanced up and flashed the projector's handler the psychic paper as the man walked in, "Health and Safety...film department."

"100 percent legal, 100 percent effective," Miss Foster smirked.

"But, can I just ask, how many people have taken the pills to date?" Penny called again.

"We've already got one million customers within the Greater London area alone. But from next week, we start rolling out nationwide. The future starts here. And Britain will be thin."

~8~

In the call center of Adipose Industries the phones were ringing and ringing and ringing, "Good morning, I represent Adipose Industries…" the employees recited as they struggled to keep up.

Donna strolled over to a male employee on his phone, "That's a three week course of pills for a special price of 45 pounds."

"Donna Noble, Health and Safety," she whispered, sitting down before him, "Don't mind me."

~8~

The Doctor and Angel headed over to a female employee in the call center, just across a small aisle from the man, "We deliver within three working days…" the woman was responding to a caller.

"John Smith, Angela Jones, Health and Safety," the Doctor smiled as they sat down, "Don't mind us."

~8~

"The box comes with 21 days' worth of pills, a full information pack, and our special free gift, an Adipose Industries pendant..."

Donna looked at a pendant on a chain that the man had handed her.

~8~

"It is made of 18 carat gold, and it's yours for free. No, we don't give away pens, sorry. No, I can't make an exception, no."

The Doctor looked down at the small pendant in his hand with a frown, seeing Angel looking at it the same way. He knew enough from her own admissions that she probably didn't understand the technology that was clearly put into the alien pendant, but the fact that she was frowning...he knew she had a feeling about it, and if she was frowning, then the pendant couldn't be good.

~8~

"I'll just need to keep this for testing," Donna whispered, putting the pendant in her jacket pocket, "And I just need a list of your customers. Could you print it off?"

"Suppose so," the man nodded, finally putting down the phone.

"Where's the printer?"

"Just over there, by the plant."

She stood up and looked around, squinting, "Which plant, that plant?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

"Lovely," she sat down.

~8~

The Doctor stood up, "That's the printer there?" he pointed.

"By the plant, yeah," the woman nodded.

"Brilliant," he grinned, sitting down.

~8~

Donna stood up, "Does it need a code? Last place I worked, the printer needed a code."

"No, I can do it from here."

Donna nodded, sitting down once more.

~8~

The Doctor popped up again, "Has it got paper?"

"Yeah, Jimbo keeps it stocked."

He nodded, when Angel pulled him down just as Miss Foster walked in with two bodyguards in tow, "Excuse me, everyone, if I could have your attention," everyone stood except them.

~8~

Donna peeked over the divider and looked at Miss Foster, "On average, you're each selling forty Adipose packs per day. It's not enough…"

Donna crouched back down.

~8~

"I want one hundred sales per person per day," the Doctor crept up, "And if not, you'll be replaced. 'Cos if anyone is good in trimming the fat, it's me. Now. Back to it."

The Doctor dropped down just as Miss Foster left, "Anyway, if you could print that off. Thanks."

~8~

"So if you could just print off that list, I'll get out of your way," Donna stood up, "Lovely! Thanks, then. See you!" she turned and walked to the printer.

~8~

"Thanks then," the Doctor smiled...when the woman handed him a piece of paper, "Oh, what's that?"

"My telephone number," she smiled at him suggestively.

"What for?" he asked, sounding completely lost.

"Health and Safety. You be health, I'll be safety."

"Uh…" he shifted uncomfortably, his eyes wide at what the woman was implying, "I've already got a safety," he took Angel's hand, standing up, "Sorry."

The woman blushed, flustered and embarrassed, she clearly hadn't thought they were together. No wedding rings, different last names…she'd assumed they were just partners…oops.

The Doctor turned and headed to the printer with Angel just moments after Donna walked away from it, having grabbed both sets of printouts. He stopped at the printer and saw that there was nothing there before turning and going back to the woman, "Us again…"

~8~

Donna knocked on a door as a plump woman with brown hair opened it, "Stacey Campbell?"

"Who wants to know?" Stacey asked.

"My name is Donna, I represent Adipose Industries," she flashed her card, "And you're on the list of our valued customers."

~8~

Angel knocked on a door, a faint knock knock-knock knock knock pattern that made the Doctor smile, when a slightly lean man answered it, "Mr. Roger Davey," the Doctor began, "We're calling on behalf of Adipose Industries," he held up the psychic paper, "Just need to ask you a few questions."

~8~

"It's been fantastic," Stacey gushed as she preened herself, clearly getting ready for something, "I've started the pills on Thursday. Five days later, I've lost eleven pounds!"

"And no side effects or anything?" Donna frowned.

"No, I feel fantastic. It's a new lease of life. Now, what d'you think of these earrings," she held up a pair to show Donna, "Do they work?"

"Yeah, lovely."

~8~

"I've been on the pills two weeks now, I've lost fourteen kilos," Roger exclaimed.

"Fourteen in two weeks..." Angel frowned, "That's...the same amount every day?"

"One kilo exactly. You wake up, and it's disappeared overnight. Well, technically speaking, it's gone by ten past one in the morning."

"What makes you say that?" the Doctor asked.

"That's when I get woken up. Might as well weigh myself at the same time," he shrugged.

The Doctor and Angel exchanged a glance, that really didn't seem right to them, it was too...precise.

~8~

"You going on a date?" Donna asked, eyeing Stacey's clothing.

"I'm doing the opposite," she replied, almost smug, "I'm dumping him. I can do better than him now. Right, I won't be long. If the taxi beeps, give me a shout," she turned and headed towards the stairs.

~8~

"It is driving me mad," Rodger explained as they stood outside his house, staring up at the burglar alarm, "Ten minutes past one, every night, bang on the dot, without fail, the burglar alarm goes off. I've had experts in, I've had it replaced, I've even phoned Watchdog. But no, ten past one in the morning, off it goes."

"But with no burglars?" the Doctor asked.

"Nothing. I've given up looking."

"Do you have a cat?" Angel wondered, out of nowhere.

"No..." Roger frowned at the odd question, "Why?"

Angel blinked, as though just realizing she'd asked that, and looked over at them, shrugging, "If there's a cat, there's a flap to go through."

The Doctor's eyes widened as he realized what she was implying. It was brilliant!

~8~

The Doctor, Angel, and Roger knelt by a cat flap, the Doctor prodding it open with his sonic, "It was there when I bought the house," Roger said, "Never bothered with it. I'm not a cat person."

"No," the Doctor agreed, "I've met cat people. You are nothing like them."

"I prefer dogs," Angel commented, thinking of K9, making the Doctor grin, "Stray dogs," she added, nudging the Doctor, "Dogs in need of adoption."

He laughed, "Right, right," that was her own subtle way of telling him they ought to find another companion. It seemed Astrid had left her mark on them, her desire to travel with them reminding they they currently didn't have a companion at the moment and they'd both looked forward to taking Astrid on.

"It's that what it is then?" Roger wondered, "Cats or dogs getting inside the house?"

"Well, thing about cat flaps is that they don't just let things in, they let things out as well."

"Like what?"

"The fat just walks away…" Angel mumbled, something about that phrase had struck her as odd during the presentation.

~8~

"Won't be long!" Stacey shouted down to Donna from the bathroom.

"That's alright!" Donna called back before sitting on the sofa. A moment later she pulled out the Adipose pendant and started playing with it, twisting it absentmindedly...

~8~

In the bathroom, Stacey's belly started moving and making strange sounds.

~8~

An alarm went off in Miss Foster's office, "We have unscheduled parthenogenesis!" she gasped.

~8~

Angel stood up and looked back at the street a moment before running off. The Doctor's eyes widened, she hadn't done that in a good long while, before he started after her, turning around to yell back to Roger, "Well, thanks for your help. Tell you what, maybe you could lay off the pills for a week or so…"

And then a device in his pocket started to beep.

"Ooh, gotta go, sorry!" he pulled out the small Y-shaped device as it blinked and beeped, laughing as he ran to catch up with Angel who seemed to be heading in the same direction, "Psychic!" he beamed at her, her skills were as sharp as ever.

She just laughed, "Thief!" before taking his hand as they ran off through the night, racing to see who would lead where first, her or the device.

If he had to bet, as he'd learned from 1969, it would probably be Angel.

~8~

"Send out the collection squad," Miss Foster called into a wrist comm., "Bring them home."

~8~

Stacey gasped as a small blob of white fat broke off her stomach.

"You alright up there?" Donna called.

"Yeah," Stacey's voice trembled, staring in wide-eyed horror at the little blob.

~8~

"The Adipose has been witnessed," Miss Foster twisted an Adipose pendant, "Activating full parthenogenesis."

~8~

Stacey started breathing hard as a second blob appeared and jumped off of her to land beside the first one in the sink, both waving up at her with little arms and faces, "What?" she gasped, "What are you? What ARE you?"

Bumps started appearing all over her body as the rumbling noise inside her increased.

"I like what you've done in the hall," Donna called, her voice sounding like it was getting closer, "Stacey? Are you alright? I wouldn't mind a little visit myself. Everything alright in there?" there was a knock on the door, "Only me. Do you mind if I pop to the loo? Stacey?"

"Help me! Oh my God, help me!"

"What is it, what's wrong?" Donna called, trying to get in but the door was locked, "Stacey!"

Stacey screamed and literally fell apart into about 20 little blobs...when Donna finally managed to break the door down. She looked around to see Stacey gone, but her clothes left on the floor. She gasped, seeing a little blob of white waving at her before jumping out the window.

~8~

A collection squad car drove along the street, lights flashing.

~8~

The Doctor and Angel ran hand-in-hand as they followed both the signal and Angel's intuition. The Doctor stopped, holding the device in front of him, confused when the beeping slowed, losing the signal.

"This way!" Angel shouted, pulling him down the street.

~8~

The collection car pulled up and two bald men in suits got out with butterfly nets.

~8~

Donna ran along a street, trying to find the little blob.

~8~

The Doctor ran down a lane, Angel leading the way as the device ceased working entirely.

~8~

The bald men closed a container holding the mass of the blobs and put it in the back of the van before getting in and driving off, past Donna, and then the Doctor and Angel, who jumped back, seeing the truck careening towards them. The device in the Doctor's hand pinged and they ran after it.

But they were too late, the car turned a corner and disappeared.

~8~

"Stacey Campbell?" a taxi pulled up by Donna.

"No, she's gone," she said sadly.

"Gone where?"

"She's just...gone."

"Aw great, thanks for nothing," the taxi pulled away, driving off...

~8~

...right past a disappointed looking Doctor and a frustrated Angel on another street.

The sensation was gone.

She rubbed her head.

"You sure you're alright?" he asked.

"It's just a headache Doctor," she reassured him with a laugh, it was perfectly normal and natural, even Time Lords got them from time to time.

~8~

The Doctor and Angel stood on a street just one away from Donna, all of them standing there a moment longer before turning and walking away, back up their roads, away from each other.

The Doctor took Angel's hand, tugging her off as she hesitated and looked back, "Come on, I've got some medicine back in the TARDIS that should help."

Angel grimaced, "I hate medicine," it always tasted so foul!

The Doctor laughed, squeezing her hand, "Well then, I have a temporary solution that should help your head a bit."

She looked up at him, "What?"

He just grinned and suddenly pulled her towards him, kissing her deeply, right in the middle of the road, pulling her closer, making a rather fine snog out of it. Angel wasn't the only breathless one when he pulled away quite a few moments later, "Well..." he took a breath, trying to calm his racing hearts, not that it would help with Angel pressed so closely to him, "How's your head feel?"

"Fuzzy," she stated instantly, before laughing, burying her face in his chest, "The way it always feels around you."

He lifted an eyebrow at that, pleased, "Really now?"

"Oh yes," she nodded, lifting her chin to rest on his chest, looking up at him, "You always make my mind go fuzzy," she lifted his hand to press the back of it to the center of her chest, "My hearts race and calm at the same time," and kissed his scarred knuckles, "And my stomach flip when you look at me with that sparkle in your eyes," she lifted her free hand and touched his cheek, "And when you kiss me...I tingle all over."

"Me too," the Doctor smiled, leaning in to kiss her again, softer, "I rather like that feeling," he murmured against her lips, not pulling away enough to remove them completely, "Like I'm being shocked in the best way."

Angel just smiled up at him.

~8~

Miss Foster put her glasses on, smirking, "It seems that we have a case of industrial espionage. One touch and the capsule bio-tunes itself to its owner, but someone must have introduced a second raw capsule…" she looked at a camera footage of the offices of Adipose Industries, "Therefore, one of these people is a thief. There," she grinned, catching sight of something on the monitor, "Oh yes, there she is. Now...what should we do with her?"

~8~

Donna walked through the front door of her house, hearing her mother in another room, "And what time is this?"

Donna rolled her eyes, "How old am I?"

"Not old enough to use a phone," her mother remarked, peering in.

~8~

Donna sat at a table in the kitchen, drinking tea, lost in her thoughts as her mother bustled about and complained, mostly about her, but that seemed to be the norm, "I thought you were only moving back for a couple of weeks. Look at you, I mean you're never gonna find a flat, not while you're on the dole. And it's no good sitting there, dressed up, looking like you're job hunting, you've got to do something! It's not like the 1980s, no one's unemployed these days except you! How long did that job with Health and Safety last? Two days, and then you walk out. 'I have other plans,' well I've not seen them. And it's no good sitting there dreaming, no one's gonna come along with a magic wand and make your life all better."

Donna sighed as her mother nagged on, the woman didn't even realize that someone had. Two people had come with a magic wand and offered to make her life better...and she'd...turned them down.

"Where is Granddad?"

"Where do you think he is?! Up the hill. He's always up the hill."

~8~

Angel laughed as the Doctor pulled her into his arms just as they caught sight of the TARDIS waiting near Mr. Davey's home, spinning her around before dancing with her.

"You really like doing this don't you?" she had to ask.

"Doing what?" he countered, mock innocently.

"Dancing with me," she explained, "And not the OTHER dancing, just...dancing..."

"Hmm," he hummed a moment, "I get to hold you, in my arms, so close I can feel your hearts beating a rhythm in time with mine, making music...I DO hear music you know, when I'm around you, I hear it."

"And what's it sound like?"

"Angels singing," he winked at her.

She laughed, "I hope it's not a bunch of MEs singing, I'm rubbish!" she really was rather bad at singing, a bit tone deaf and off-key, but the Doctor never seemed to mind.

"I hear the most beautiful melody in the world," he murmured, pulling her closer, "One that lets me twirl you about, whisk you off your feet, and make you smile and laugh..." he nodded, "No, I don't like doing this...I love doing this."

She looked at him softly, "Promise me you'll never stop being so wonderful."

"You know I can't promise THAT," he bopped his head forward to tap her nose with his, "My next self could be a right old misery to everyone else but..." he trailed, smiling, "There is ONE thing I CAN promise."

"What?"

He suddenly squatted a bit, his arms moving to lock around her, under her bum, before he stood, lifting her into the air and spinning around, making her laugh as she rested her hands on his shoulders, looking down at him as he cheered, "I'm never ever gonna stop being wonderful to you! The light of the Universe!" and she really was, she was his shining light in the darkness.

"Theta!" she squealed as he hoisted her up, just holding her above him, looking up at her with a soft smile, "Put me down!" she looked around, realizing she'd been a bit loud just then, and spotted an old man in the distance on top of a hill, looking at the stars. She hoped her shouts hadn't disturbed him.

"Hmm..." the Doctor seemed to think on it, "Nope!"

"What?" she laughed, looking back at him.

"I will not put you down...unless..."

"Unless what?"

"It'll cost you."

"Cost me what?" she raised an eyebrow at him, amused.

"A kiss...or three."

She shook her head, smiling at him, "Now there's a price I'll gladly pay," she remarked before she leaned down and kissed him, the Doctor slowly letting her slide through his arms till she was on the ground, not letting her go though.

He would never let her go.

~8~

Donna walked up a hill into a sort of junkyard to see her grandfather walk out of a little tin shed, "Aye, aye here comes trouble," he smiled at her, "Ha."

"Permission to board ship, sir?" she asked.

"Permission granted. Was she nagging you?" he sat down on a folding chair before a telescope.

"Ha ha. Big time. Brought you a thermos," she handed him one with something nice and hot to drink.

"Oh, ta."

"You seen anything?" she looked up.

"Yeah, I've got Venus, there with an apparent magnitude of minus 3.5. At least that's what it says in my little book," she pulled out a tarp and sat down on it, "Here, come and see, come on, here you go," she leaned forward and looked into the telescope, "Right? That's the only planet in the Solar System named after a woman."

"Good for her. How far away is that?"

"Oh, it's about 26 million miles. But we'll get there one day. In a hundred years time we'll be striding out amongst the stars. Jiggling about with all them aliens. Just you wait."

"You really believe in all that stuff, don't you?"

"It's all over the place these days. If I wait here long enough..."

"I don't suppose you've...seen a little blue box?"

"Is that slang for something?" he eyed her, not really understanding a word of that.

"No, I mean it. If you ever see a little blue box flying up there in the sky, you shout for me, Gramps. Oh, you just shout."

"You know, I don't understand half the things you say these days."

"Nor me."

"No, fair dos. You've had a funny old time of it lately. There was poor old what's his name, Lance, running off on your wedding day...and that barmy old Christmas. I wish you would tell us what really happened."

"I know. It's just..." she sighed, "The things I've seen. Sometimes I think I'm going mad. I mean even tonight I was in a..." she shook her head, "Doesn't matter."

"Well you're not yourself, I'll give you that. You just...you seem to be drifting, sweetheart."

"I'm not drifting. I'm waiting."

"What for?"

"The right man."

"Oh, ho, ho same old story. A man! Ha ha."

"Ha ha, no, I don't mean like that, he's already got a girl of his own, the sweetest thing she is. And they're real. I've seen them. I've met them, just once. And then...I let them fly away."

"Well there you are, go and find them!"

"I've tried. They're nowhere."

"Oi, not like you to give up. You know, remember when you were about six years old, your mother said no holiday this year. So off you toddled, all on your own and you got on a bus to Strathclyde! Hah! We had the police after you and everything! Ha, where's she gone then, where's that girl, hey?"

"You're right. 'Cos they're still out there, somewhere. And I'll find them Gramps, even if I have to wait a hundred years. I'll find them."

Chapter Text

The Doctor stood by the console of the TARDIS, looking at the golden pendant through a magnifying glass, examining all the alien tech he could in the process, "Oh, fascinating. Seems to be a bio-flip digital stitch, specifically for..." he looked over to see Angel sitting on the captain's chair, massaging her temples. He smiled at her softly and moved to sit beside her, "The medicine will take a bit to kick in."

Her headache had gone away surprisingly quickly thanks to his, if he did say so himself, rather magnificent kisses last night. It seemed that, as Angel had said on the Titanic, all he really had to do was hold her hand and the pain went away. Well, he'd taken that a step farther with the kissing, but it had the same effect in the end, a bit better though...which made him rather smug that he had such 'magic kisses' as Angel had called them. It was only fair though, he could swear that Angel had magic hugs. They were just so warm and loving and made him feel so good inside...it was one of the many, many, many reasons he loved having her in his arms, it was like a continuous hug.

"I know," she sighed, stopping her ministrations to lean on his shoulder, "It's just rather annoying to have to wait…" she paused, "I see why you don't do it often."

He laughed at that, dropping a kiss onto her hair before putting an arm around her, though he DID have to tell her about the only occassion his natural impatience ceased for, "I'd wait for you forever."

She smiled at that despite the lingering pain in her head, "Really?"

"Oh yeah."

She shifted, looking up at him, "You'd really wait as time moved slowly around you, just for me?"

"Mhmm."

"So..." she smirked a bit, moving to sit back, across from him, a playful look in her eye, "If I was trapped in the Pandorica for 2,000 years...you'd wait outside the box and guard it?"

The Doctor smiled at her, "The Pandorica's a myth."

"But would you?"

He nodded, leaning over to kiss her deeply, "I would wait more than just 2,000 years for you Nella," he whispered, resting his forehead to hers when he pulled away.

She beamed, not pulling her head away either, "The man who waited," she murmured, "I'd wait for you too you know."

"I'm glad," he laughed, giving her one more kiss before he pulled her closer, putting his other arm around her, just holding her as she snuggled up to him, enjoying the moment and the feeling of her in his arms, the TARDIS humming gently around them, "But, you know, neither of us would really have to wait for the other."

"How?"

He smiled, "Because I wouldn't leave you for a moment. If you were in that box, I'd be in there too, right there with you."

She laughed a bit, the vibrations of it sending shivers down his spine, "We'd be a bit cramped. I doubt it's as big on the inside as the TARDIS is. I'd probably be stuck on your lap for the rest of time!"

He chuckled at that too, "I have NO problem with that at all. You in my arms Nella, that's all I need for eternity. I'd be happy stuck in that box with you."

~8~

Donna walked out of the house the next morning and over to a blue car, rolling her eyes as her mother followed in her dressing gown and curlers, STILL complaining about her and her lack of a job...till she noticed that she was opening the car, "It's my turn for the car. What do you need it for?"

Donna just got in and turned it on, "A quick getaway."

~8~

The Doctor and Angel ran around the console, pushing and pulling buttons, needing to land the TARDIS back by Adipose Industries. The box was shaking quite a bit, jolting everywhere, and so Angel was VERY happy that the medicine had kicked in and her headache had gone away, all this moving would probably have made it worse. The Doctor pulled a lever and went for his good old mallet...but Angel seemed to be expecting that.

"Oh no you don't!" Angel grabbed it from his hands and flicked a simple switch, succeeding in doing what the Doctor had hoped to do with the mallet, without said mallet.

"Spoilsport," he muttered before they ran to finish landing the old box.

"Keep hitting her and she'll NEVER take you where you want to go," Angel remarked before laughing, "Like when we tried to go to Space Florida."

He pouted at that, "I was JUST trying to show her the beach!" he cried up at the console.

The box hummed in what Angel would guess was meant to be a scoff.

"I think she thinks you're lying," Angel eyed the rotor, reaching out to stroke it a moment, the box seeming to hum in agreement which made Angel turn to look at him curiously, "Why DID you want to go there all of a sudden?"

It had been a trip with Martha, just after they went ice skating, after she'd recuperated a bit. Martha had been talking about how cold it had been while the Doctor said he preferred cold to warm, more ways to stay warm...and then he'd hugged her. Martha had laughed, watching them, and said but beaches could be lovely and fun. The Doctor had just complained about how sand got everywhere and the water was always too salty and there were crowds of people who, some of whom, should NOT be wearing the suits they did...and then he'd trailed off, his eyes wide as he looked at her.

And the next thing they knew, he was setting a course for Space Florida, raving about how it was the most magnificent beach and telling them how he'd wanted to go there for ages, loved that beach, despite his rant moments earlier, and asked them to go get ready in the wardrobe.

They'd only taken a step when the TARDIS jolted and they'd ended up in the middle of the Arctic tundra and gotten chased by a Woolly Mammoth.

"Um..." he rubbed his ear, "No reason."

She frowned, eyeing him, "You ARE lying aren't you?!"

He winced, not for the fact that he'd lied, well fibbed really, to her, but more that she'd caught him, because she'd want to know what about, "Um...maybe?"

"Theta," she laughed, walking over to him and taking his hands as the box began to settle, "You don't have to be embarrassed, not with me, just tell me...why did you want to go to the beach so badly?"

He blushed.

And then she blushed, seeing an image of her, dressed for the beach, in his mind.

"I don't think I'd quite wear that," she nudged him.

"You would have looked lovely though."

"And you would have had dual heart attacks," she reminded him, well aware of the affect she seemed to have on him and his reaction to others, "And that would be before you murdered everyone on the beach for looking at me in a bikini."

He blinked, he hadn't thought about that, about the other men who might see her so...revealed. In his mind...the beach, it would have been empty, just him and her...and maybe Martha. Because, really, there was no one else in his mind but her.

"Right..." he nodded, glancing at the rotor, "Good call," he thanked the box.

~8~

Donna parked her car in an alley behind Adipose Industries and got out, locking it as she walked away.

~8~

The TARDIS materialized in an alley a few feet behind a little blue car.

~8~

Donna pushed her way through the revolving front door.

~8~

The Doctor smiled, handing his sonic to Angel, aiming it with her as she flicked the button, breaking them in through the fire exit and raced inside, laughing.

"Maybe I should get a sonic," Angel thought out loud, "Yours is so much fun."

"Hmm..." the Doctor considered it, "Why would you need it though?"

She shrugged, "To scan things and unlock things?"

He smiled, kissing her quickly, "That's what you've got ME for. I'll always be there to do that for you, I'm never ever gonna let you out of my sight again Nella," he promised her.

The last few times he had...well...she'd had her face stolen, she'd ended up facing a Beast in the Pit and regenerating, trapped with Daleks, kidnapped by Pilot Fish, chased by Judoon, kidnapped on the Motorway, taken by the pig men, possessed by a killer star, killed by a Weeping Angel, trapped with the Master...and those were just a few! All because he took his eye off her for a second.

Never again.

~8~

Donna walked through the call center, waving to the man who she'd spoken to the day before, "Morning."

~8~

Angel led the Doctor down a deserted corridor of the basement, glancing at a few doors before stopping by one. The Doctor soniced it open and stepped into the small storage cupboard, pulling Angel to him before sonicing it shut. He smiled down at her, wrapping his arms around her as she simply smiled at him, laying her head on his shoulder, content.

~8~

Donna walked into a washroom, moving to a stall at the end and sitting down, looking at her watch...waiting.

~8~

Miss Foster walked along, through the office cubicles, flanked by two body guards, "Keep an eye out. She'll come back and then she's mine."

~8~

Everyone was packing up to go home by 6:10, many ready to leave after coming in at 9, the offices and work areas slowly emptying for the end of the day, everything growing quiet and dark for the night.

~8~

Angel laughed as she dashed out of the cupboard with the Doctor's sonic in her hand, wiggling it triumphantly at him as she turned to face him across the hall from the cupboard. The Doctor nearly stumbled out, his eyes wide and dazed, hair mussed, tie slightly askew, his lips looking just a bit swollen...

"Well?" Angel asked him, a sly grin on her face, highly, highly amused by the state he was in.

He blinked a few times, his mouth opening and closing, trying (and failing) to get his mind working again after that little experience, that little...surprising...wonderful...amazing experience.

"Well…" he swallowed, looking at her, "That's one way to get the sonic off me," she giggled as he smoothed down his hair, recalling the faint groans she'd heard coming from him when she'd played with it to get it all stuck up like it was, "But…"

"But?" she eyed him.

The next thing she knew, her back was pressed against the corridor wall behind her making her gasp lightly, the Doctor holding her arms on either side of her, near her shoulders, his body pressed against her, letting her feel the heat rolling off it, "But two can play at that game," and with that, he leaned forward and kissed her deeply, making her squirm against him. He lowered her arms, trailing his hands down them till he found the sonic, grabbing it, and stepping back, "Ha ha!" he cried, victorious, holding up the sonic.

Angel panted a bit, as breathless as he had been, "Touché."

He laughed, reaching out a hand to take hers, kissing the back of it before they headed off down the hallway, flipping the sonic in his hand and sticking it back in his pocket with the thought that...maybe he ought to switch pockets from time to time, give Angel a bit of a challenge next time she tried to do THAT.

Oh he was SO hoping there would be a next time.

~8~

Donna was stretching in her stall, more bored and stiff than she'd ever been in her life, before opening the door and walking out, ready to investigate...when her phone started to ring and she rushed back into the stall to answer it, "Not now!" she whispered-shouted.

"I need the car!" her mother said, "Where are you?"

"I can't. I'm busy."

"Why are you whispering?"

She rolled her eyes, "I'm in church."

"What are you doing in church?"

"Praying!"

"Bit late for that, madam."

"What's she in church for?" she heard her grandfather ask in the background.

"Hush, you," her mother hissed, "Go up the hill!" before turning back to the conversation, "But I need the car. I'm going out with Suzette. She's asked all the Wednesday girls. Apparently she's been on those Adipose pills. She says she looks marvelous…"

Donna looked up, hearing the bathroom door open, and hung up on her mother, wincing as she thought about the complaining she'd have to deal with about that when she got home.

"We know you're in here, so why don't you make this nice and easy and show yourself?" Miss Foster said, walking through as Donna pulled her legs up onto the toilet, actually praying now that she wouldn't be caught, "I'm waiting. I warn you, I'm not a patient woman. Now, out you come," there was silence a moment, "Right," she sighed, "We'll do it the hard way. Get her!"

Two men started kicking open the stalls, one-by-one, getting closer and closer to Donna till…

"There you are."

"I've been through the records, Foster," Donna heard that Penny woman from the other day speak, "And all of your results have been faked. There's something about those pills you're not telling us."

"Oh, I think I'll be conducting this interview, Penny," Miss Foster said.

Donna waited a few minutes, listening as Penny was escorted out, before getting out and following.

~8~

The Doctor and Angel stepped out onto the roof, the Doctor heading over to a window cleaner's cradle and switching it on as they got in.

~8~

"You've got no right to do this," Penny cried as she was led towards Miss Foster's office, "Let me go!"

~8~

The Doctor and Angel got the cradle down just as the door to the office they'd just reached opened. Angel pulled the Doctor down so they wouldn't be seen. He winked at her in thanks before pulling out a stethoscope and pressing it against the window, putting one end in his ear and the other in Angel's so they could hear the conversation inside, their heads pressed together.

"This is ridiculous," Penny said.

"Sit there," Miss Foster commanded.

"I'm phoning my editor."

"I said sit."

"You can't tie me up!" Penny shouted as the men shoved her into the chair and did just that, "What sort of a country do you think this is?"

"Oh, it's a beautifully fat country. And believe me I've travelled a long way to find obesity on this scale."

"So come on then, Miss Foster, those pills. What are they?"

~8~

Donna snuck up to the door of the office, peering through the small window at the top, watching Miss Foster and Penny closely.

~8~

"Well, you might just as well have a scoop, since you'll never see it printed," Miss Foster smirked, "This…" she held up a pill, "Is the spark of life."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Penny asked.

"Officially, the capsule attracts all the fat cells and flushes them away. Well, it certainly attracts them, that part's true. But it binds the fat together and galvanizes it to form a body."

"Well, what d'you mean 'a body?'"

"I am surprised you never asked about my name. I chose it well. Foster, as in foster mother. And these…" Miss Foster pulled a small white blob out of a desk draw and placed it onto the table, "Are my children."

"You're kidding me. What the hell is that?"

~8~

Donna stood on her toes to look through the window...

~8~

...as the Doctor and Angel crouched up to peer through the window at the blob.

"Adipose," Miss Foster patted it on the head, "It's called an Adipose. Made out of living fat. Stripped from ordinary human..."

"Doctor…" Angel breathed. The Doctor looked at her but she just pointed across the room. He looked over to see Donna peering at them through the window of the door, stunned and surprised.

"Donna?" he spoke silently, mouthing the words to her.

"Donna!" Angel cheered as she mouthed it too.

"Doctor!" Donna gaped, "Angel!"

"But...what? What…what?!"

"OH MY GOD!"

"But...how?"

"It's ME!"

"Well, I can see that!" he gestured at his eyes, making Angel laugh.

"Oh this is BRILLIANT!"

"Donna what are you doing there?" Angel mouthed, getting in on it more, worried for the other ginger, if she had been sneaking around the building on her own...

"I was looking for you!" she pointed at them, confirming Angel's thoughts.

"What for?!" the Doctor frowned.

"I, came here," Donna started to mime her story as well as mouth it, "Trouble, read about it, internet, I thought, trouble = you! And this place is weird! Pills! So I hid. Back there. Crept along. Heard this lot. Looked. You! 'Cos they..."

She gestured to the side and looked at Miss Foster, only to see her staring back, along with Penny and the guards, "Are we interrupting you?" Miss Foster remarked dryly.

"Run!" Angel shouted in warning to Donna as the Doctor pulled out the sonic.

"Get her!" Miss Foster yelled.

The Doctor aimed the sonic and locked the office doors, giving Donna time, before pointing up and elevating the cradle quickly back to the roof.

"And them!"

~8~

Donna ran up the stairs towards the roof.

~8~

The Doctor and Angel ran through the door and down the stairs.

~8~

The guards shot the office door open before running out after them, Miss Foster following.

"What about me?" Penny called, straining in her binds, trying to get free.

~8~

"Oh my God!" Donna gasped as they met in the middle of the stairwell, before pulling them both into a tight hug, "I don't believe it! You've even got the same outfits!" she looked at them, aghast, "Don't you ever change?"

"Oh I missed you Donna!" Angel cheered, hugging her tightly, just her, making the woman jump up and down like she was doing in excitement.

"Yeah, thanks Donna, not right now," the Doctor looked down to see the guards coming up, "Just like old times!" he grabbed Angel's hand and pulled her away from Donna, leading them off as they ran up the stairs and out onto the roof.

"'Cos I thought, how do I find the Doctor and Angel?" Donna babbled as the Doctor ran over to the cradle, sonicing it, as Angel kept an eye on the doors to the roof while still listening to Donna, "And then I just thought, look for trouble and then they'll turn up! So I looked everywhere, you name it, UFO sightings, crop circles, sea monsters. I looked, I found them all. Like that stuff about the bees disappearing, I thought, I bet they're connected. 'Cos the thing is, I believe it all now. You two opened my eyes. All those amazing things out there, I believe them all. Well, apart from that replica of the Titanic flying over Buckingham Palace on Christmas Day, I mean that's gotta be a hoax!"

"What do you mean, the bees are disappearing?" Angel looked over at her with a frown. Why were the bees leaving?

"I don't know. That's what it says on the internet," the Doctor climbed into the cradle, helping Angel in as well, "Well on the same site, there was all the conspiracy theories about Adipose Industries, I thought let's take a look!"

"In you get," the Doctor cut in.

"Well in that thing?"

"Yes, in that thing!"

"But if we go down in that, they'll just call us back up again."

"No, no, no, 'cos I've locked the controls with a sonic cage," the Doctor said, gesturing her in, "I'm the only one who can control it. Not unless she's got a sonic device of her own. Which is very unlikely…"

Donna scrambled in quickly.

~8~

Miss Foster approached the roof door as the guards tried to break in, a sonic pen in her hand, "Out of my way," the guards scrambled to the side and she flashed the door, stepping onto the roof to see it empty. She walked over to the edge and looked down to see the Doctor, Angel, and Donna in the cradle, heading down, "Oh, I don't think so," she held out her sonic pen and accelerated the cradle, letting them fall.

~8~

The Doctor, Angel, and Donna fell against the sides of the cradle as it started to plummet. The Doctor reached up with his sonic and flashed it wildly, stopping them suddenly. They fell to the floor and pulled themselves up. The Doctor turned to the nearest window and stared flashing it, knowing it was only a matter of time before Miss Foster managed to undo his sonic trick and send them falling again, and he HAD to get Angel out of the cradle.

"Hold on," he muttered, "Hold on, we can get in through the window..."

~8~

"Deadlock the building," Miss Foster called through the comm..

~8~

"Can't get it open!" the Doctor shouted as the sonic beeped, "She's deadlocked it!"

"Well smash it then!" Donna cried, grabbing a hammer and trying to smash the glass, but it didn't work.

"She's cutting the cable!" Angel gasped, looking up to where the cable was starting to sparkle and smoke, "Hold on!" she quickly turned to Donna and grabbed the woman's hands, pressing them to the side of the cradle just as the cable snapped.

The Doctor and Donna managed to hold onto the sides of the cradle but Angel right fell out the back of it, having lost her balance.

"Angel!" they yelled.

"Doctor!" she called, dangling from a broken cable, "Help!"

"Hold on!" the Doctor told her, reaching towards her, his hearts racing. He was quite sure that his entire life flashed before his eyes, his future too, and that a few gray hairs must have sprung up in that very instant that she'd fall away from him.

"Not much else I can really do is there?!" they turned and tried to pull her up but couldn't manage it, "Doctor!"

~8~

"And now, for the other one," Miss Foster smirked, lifting the sonic pen to the second cable.

~8~

"Doctor!" Angel shouted, looking up at him, past him, at Miss Foster, seeing the same sparks as before.

He turned and aimed the sonic at the woman's pen, a dark look on his face, not only was HE in danger but his MATE was as well. And that wouldn't do. He flicked it to a higher setting, causing the pen to spark and burn her hand. She dropped it and he caught it, handing it to Donna to hold as he climbed up the cable to another window, managing to open it now that the sonic controls were disabled.

"A little faster Doctor!" Angel muttered loudly.

"Working on it!" the Doctor called down to her, trying to control himself, trying to keep his hands from shaking as he scrambled to get the window open.

~8~

Penny looked out the window to see feet in brown boots just...hanging there, "What the hell is going on?"

~8~

Angel let out a small cry as a gust of wind hit her, making her sway on the cable, making it harder to hold on. She was trying not to struggle, not to move too much, not wanting to wear herself out and use her strength, but it was getting harder.

"We won't be a minute!" the Doctor swore to her before climbing into the building, rushing to get down to Angel, leaving Donna to climb in after him herself.

~8~

"Yes they're slippery, those three," Miss Foster remarked as she rubbed her red hand, "Time we found out who they are."

~8~

The Doctor and Donna, who had caught up to him, ran into Miss Foster's office, ignoring Penny as though she weren't even there, before opening the window where Angel's feet were.

"Is anyone gonna tell me what's going on?" Penny shouted.

"What, you're a journalist?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes."

"Well, make it up!" he reached out to grab Angel's legs, "I've got you Angel! I've got you."

Angel took a breath and let go, the Doctor catching her, saving her as he always did, not about to let her fall, managing to pull her into the building and into a tight hug, the two of them clinging to each other as their racing hearts only JUST started to calm.

"I was right," Donna breathed as she smiled at them, "It's always like this with you two, innit?"

"OH YES!" he grinned hugely, relief coursing through him at having his Mate with him again, as he took Angel's hand, "And off we go!"

They ran out of the room, leaving Penny behind, "OI!" the woman snapped.

The Doctor ran back in, "Sorry!" he flashed the sonic and popped her bonds, turning to dash off but came back, "Now do yourself a favor, get out," they turned and ran down the hallway, across the call center, stopping short when Miss Foster appeared with her guards.

"Well then," she removed her glasses, smirking at them, "At last."

"Hello," Donna gave a wave.

"Nice to meet you," Angel smiled, "I'm the Angel."

"My Mate," the Doctor added with a cheeky grin.

"Stop that," she playfully whacked him in the stomach.

"Never," he promised, catching her hand and kissing the back of it, before turning to Miss Foster as well, "And I'm the Doctor."

"I'm Donna," Donna told them.

"Partners in crime," Miss Foster remarked, "And evidently off-worlders, judging by your sonic technology."

"Oh yes, we've still got your sonic pen," the Doctor nodded as Donna held it up, "Nice, I like it. Sleek, it's kinda sleek."

"Oh it's definitely sleek," Donna nodded.

"It's a bit small," Angel shrugged.

"Yeah, and if you were to sign your real name that would be..." the Doctor looked at Miss Foster.

"Matron Cofelia of the Five-Straighten Classabindi Nursery Fleet," Miss Foster said proudly, "Intergalactic Class."

"A wet nurse, using humans as surrogates."

"I've been employed by the Adiposian First Family to foster a new generation after their breeding planet was lost."

"What do you mean lost? How do you lose a planet?"

"Oh, politics are none of my concern. I'm just here to take care of the children on behalf of the parents."

"What, like an outer space super-nanny?" Donna asked.

"Yes, if you like."

"So...so those little things they're, they're made out of fat yeah, but that woman, Stacey Campbell, there was nothing left of her."

"Oh, in a crisis the Adipose can convert bone and hair and internal organs. Makes them a little bit sick, poor things."

"What about poor Stacey?!"

"Isn't seeding a Level 5 planet against galactic law?" Angel frowned, trying to recall that lesson in the Academy.

She was trying, she really was, to learn things as she went with the Doctor. It was actually surprisingly easy, she always listened when he talked, he had a nice voice, and she found herself absorbing quite a bit from him. But she was actually trying to do better. The Doctor always claimed that she made him want to be a better person, despite her thinking that impossible, he was already so fantastic. HER on the other hand, she could do so much better, be so much better, for him. He really did deserve someone incredible...and despite how much she was trying...she had a LONG way to go before she could even begin to be as brilliant as him and...

'Oi,' the Doctor cut into her thoughts, 'If anything, I'M the one that doesn't deserve YOU,' he nudged her, 'YOU are the incredible one.'

She smiled, knowing she couldn't disagree without saying he wasn't incredible as a result, so she just went with, 'We're BOTH incredible then.'

'That we are,' he nodded, pleased he'd stopped her thinking those thoughts, 'And we're even more so together,' he shot her a wink.

"Are you threatening me?" Miss Foster narrowed her eyes at Angel, immediately setting off a protective instinct in the Doctor as he moved to step in front of her, as though shielding her from the woman's glare.

"We're trying to help you, Matron," Angel said softly from behind him, knowing he'd only pull her back if she tried to move beside him, he was rather adorable when he got all protective, Jack would be happy to know she was being so well looked after.

The Doctor nodded, "This is your one chance," he told Miss Foster, "'Cos if you don't call this off, then we'll have to stop you."

"I hardly think you can stop bullets," she laughed, giving the nod to the guards to take aim.

And the Doctor's hearts stopped.

Chapter Text

"No, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, one more thing, before...dying," the Doctor held up his hands, his hearts starting again, but racing even faster than when he'd seen Angel hanging from the cradle, "Do you know what happens if you hold two identical sonic devices against each other?"

"No…" Miss Foster frowned, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Nor me," the Doctor held out a hand and Donna gave him the sonic pen, "Let's find out!" he pointed the sonics together, creating an awful noise that pierced the eardrums. Miss Foster and the guards squirmed in pain as the glass shattered around them.

Donna pushed the Doctor till he stopped, trying to cover her ears in the process, even Angel winced at the pitch, "Come on!"

They turned and ran off as Miss Foster held up her wrist comm., "I'm advancing the birth plan. We're going into premature labor," she turned and hurried away, back into her office where Penny was collecting binders of files on the Industry having ignored the Doctor's warning to get out.

"Cellular ossification…" Penny mumbled, staring at a paper with a small frown on her face, trying to make heads or tails of it, when Miss Foster and the guards walked in.

"Tie her up!" Miss Foster snapped, glaring at the journalist.

"Ah, you're kidding me," Penny grumbled as the guards grabbed her and began to do just that...again.

~8~

The Doctor, Angel, and Donna ran along a deserted corridor in the basement, back to the storage cupboard the two had waited in before. The Doctor opened the door and started throwing supplies out of it, "Well, that's one solution," Donna said, watching him, "Hide in a cupboard. I like it."

"We're not hiding in it," Angel remarked, ducking as a piece of tubing flew over her head, "Well...not NOW. Before we were. Well, before we weren't really JUST hiding..."

Donna smirked, seeing the Doctor's cheek tint pink and turned to Angel, "And what were you doing when you weren't hiding?"

"Snogging," Angel stated.

Donna laughed and whacked the Doctor on the arm, "The cupboard's about the size of the outside of the TARDIS you know. Is that what the TARDIS has turned into then Doctor? Is it a snog-box too? It isn't, is it? Do you snog in there too?"

Angel frowned, "The TARDIS is a time machine," she said innocently, "We snog in the time machine."

Donna just beamed and hugged Angel, "Oh I missed you too!" she laughed, nearly knocking the girl off her feet as she swung her side to side in her enthused hug.

The Doctor just did his best to ignore them and pressed the wall and it slid open to reveal a big, green machine built into it.

"I knew there was a reason I picked this one," Angel muttered as she watched the Doctor examine it.

"Hacking in to this thing," the Doctor said, pressing a few buttons on it, "'Cos the matron's got a computer core running through the center of the building. Triple deadlocked. And now I've got this…" he flipped the sonic pen, "I can get into it."

~8~

Miss Foster opened a wall panel in her office to reveal a similar green machine, "What does that thing do?" Penny asked from the chair she was tied to, leaning over as much as she could to the side to try and see what the woman was doing.

"It's the inducer," a Miss Foster explained, "We had planned to seed millions, but if those two, at least, are aliens then they've alerted the Shadow Proclamation, so the first one million humans will have to do," she turned to the guards, "Find him, and the women. Don't waste time, just kill them."

The guards nodded and rushed off.

~8~

"She's wired up the whole building," the Doctor continued to examine.

Angel stiffened, "Doctor...someone's coming."

He glanced at her to see her looking down the halls as though expecting someone to run up to them and realized Miss Foster must have sent the guards after them. He nodded, looking back at the machine, "We need a bit of privacy," he held two sparking plugs together and…

~8~

Lightning shot out of the walls, stunning the guards as they passed, not killing them, but jolting them enough to knock them out.

~8~

"Just enough to stop them," he nodded, letting out a small breath of relief that they were safe, for now. Those guards had guns, and they were headed right for them, for him and Angel, he didn't like people with guns anywhere near his Mate, "Why's she wired up the tower block? What's it all for?"

"Inducer online," the computer announced as he worked.

"You two look older," Donna remarked, taking the time to really look at them, at the Doctor focused on the machine, on Angel focused on him, both of them with matching little frowns on their faces.

"Thanks," the Doctor mumbled.

"Still on your own?"

"Oh no," Angel explained gently, smiling in reminiscence, "We had another girl with us, Martha Jones," she laughed, "Most definitely my best human friend," she nodded, "She's brilliant Donna, you'd love her, she's so clever and..."

"And I destroyed half her life," the Doctor added.

"That was the Master," Angel corrected instantly, putting a hand on the Doctor's shoulder, squeezing it till he looked over at her to see her smiling at him.

She didn't blame him for what happened, for what the Master did, even though he blamed himself. Everything the Master had done had been to get back at HIM, destroy the planet and species he treasured, hunt his companion, torture the companion's family, and keep him away from his Mate. Everything the man could do to make him miserable and see him suffer, the Master had done. But in the process, he'd hurt so many others, like the Jones family. But it really was ALL the Master, the Doctor had tried to stop it, had succeeded in stopping it, the family was alive, and healthy, and closer because of everything they'd endured. And they would be just fine, stronger, better, because they knew him.

She nodded when she saw he'd caught her thoughts and was starting to smile again before turning back to the machine to finish. She turned to Donna again, "She's just fine, safe at home with her family."

"What about Rose?" Donna asked cautiously, recalling their reactions on the TARDIS. She truly winced thinking back to how she'd acted, how insensitive she'd been to not have noticed how pained they were at the reminder of Rose in a shirt.

"She's um...," Angel whispered, "Still trapped. In a parallel world," she added, explaining a bit more to Donna, "All the ways to it are sealed off. But still," she managed a smile, "She IS with her family and that's all that matters in the end, family."

Donna nodded, she could understand that. Her father, rest his soul, had recently passed that year. It had devastated her mother, shaken her family terribly. And it hurt. It made her wish she could go back and just spend one more minute with him, just...hug him. She knew it was every father's dream to live long enough to walk his daughter down the aisle and, despite the utter failure that whole mess had been, he'd gotten to do it, for the most part...if you forgot about how she'd disappeared in a flash of gold during the middle of it. But still...she treasured the memories she had of her father and could understand how the Time Lords must have felt. They'd said enough for her to know that their planet was gone, their people, just the two of them left, they, out of everyone in the Universe, could understand how important family was. And she didn't doubt they'd had a hand in getting Rose to her family before the parallel world sealed up.

"I thought you were going to travel the world?" the Doctor asked, wanting to get off that topic. It still stung them both to think on Rose, they did remember her fondly, they had moved on as much as they could, gotten closure, been able to say goodbye, healed a bit thanks to Martha. But it still hurt to remember that she was gone, his companion, Angel's sister.

"Easier said than done," Donna nodded, understanding, "It's like I had that one day with you and I was gonna change. I was gonna do so much. Then I woke up next morning, same old life. It's like you were never there. And I tried. I did try, I went to Egypt. I was gonna go barefoot and everything. And then it's all bus trips and guidebooks and don't drink the water and two weeks later...you're back home. It's nothing like being with you. I must have been mad turning down that offer."

"What offer?" the Doctor looked back.

"To come with you."

"You'd come with us?"

"Oh yes, please!"

"Right," he smiled as did Angel.

"Inducer activated."

"What's it doing now?" Donna squinted as the machine lit up.

"She's started the program…" the Doctor breathed.

~8~

Miss Foster pulled a lever.

"Inducer transmitting."

"Mark the date, Miss Carter," she smirked, "Happy birthday. One million birthdays."

~8~

Mrs. Noble sat with her friends at a restaurant, having dinner as her friend, Suzette, extolled Adipose and their blessed pills, "I swear that Adipose treatment is fabulous. Just look at my chin," she lifted her head a bit to poke her chin, "And it's very good for back fat. I'm down two sizes!"

"It's like a miracle," Mrs. Noble smiled, "All that from just one little pill!"

"And I've been eating like normal," Suzette added...when her back started twitching, making her frown and shift uncomfortably.

"You alright, love?"

"Yeah. I'm just...funny sort of feeling like a..."

Other people in the restaurant started reacting as well, in the same way, twitching and twisting, "What's happened?" a woman shouted.

"I'm not sure, seems to be..." a man replied.

"Better pop to the loo," Suzette got up only for her back to start to bulge out, lumps forming all over it.

"Oh, my God, Suzette!" Mrs. Noble gasped.

"What?" she asked, "What is it?" she looked over her shoulder, her eyes widening as she saw the lumps moving, "Get it off me!"

Mrs. Noble ran to her friend's side and pulled down the back of her shirt to reveal an Adipose which just hopped out of her shirt and waved at them. The large people all over the restaurant started getting bumps too, more and more Adipose jumping down from them.

~8~

Roger stood before his mirror, a small smile on his face, admiring his new figure...when an Adipose burst out of his belly, waving at him from the floor before jumping out the cat flap, leaving poor Roger stunned.

~8~

The Adipose ran along the restaurant floor, dodging people's feet and out onto the street where they littered the paths, they were everywhere.

~8~

"Come to me children," Miss Foster called into a communicator, "Come to me."

~8~

"Alright, everyone get back, don't touch them, and stay away," a woman tried to keep the people on the street calm as the Adipose swarmed, the police trying to help but to no avail, no one knew what to do.

~8~

"So far they're just losing weight, but the matron has gone up to emergency pathogenesis," the Doctor said.

"That's when they convert..." Donna swallowed.

"Everything," Angel frowned.

The Doctor nodded, "Skeletons, organs, hair, you name it. A million people are gonna die!"

~8~

Suzette fell to the ground, flailing as her body developed even more bumps.

~8~

"Gotta cancel the signal!" the Doctor pulled the pendant out and took off the top to reveal a chip beneath it, "This contains the primary signal. If I can switch it off the fat goes back to being just fat," he hooked it into the machine.

Angel winced, closing her eyes...

...Donna held up a second pendant...

'...We're not the ones in trouble now. SHE is!...'

...Miss Foster, bewildered, looked down at the ground she was hovering above before she fell with a scream...

Angel opened her eyes and looked at the Doctor, frantically working...

~8~

"A nice try," Miss Foster smirked, seeing the new signal racing up the controls, "Double strength," she pulled a lever down completely.

"Inducer increasing."

~8~

"No, no, no, no, no, she's doubled it," the Doctor said tensely, "I need...haven't got time! It's too far, I can't override it! They're all gonna die!"

"Is there anything I can do?" Donna gasped.

"Sorry, Donna, this is way beyond you!" the Doctor panicked, "Gotta double the base pulse, I can't..."

"Doctor, please, just tell her what you need," Angel reached out to put her hand on his as it fiddled with the controls, squeezing it.

"I need a second capsule to boost the override," he turned to Donna quickly, "But I've only got the one. I can't save them!" he returned his attention to the machine, trying to unlock the switches...

When Donna held up her own pendant.

He looked at her in shock before they all burst out laughing, the Doctor taking it and plugging it in, shutting the lights off permanently.

~8~

Suzette stilled, the bumps disappearing back into her body, "It's stopped! They've gone."

~8~

Miss Foster flicked the switches on her machine but the lights wouldn't turn back on.

"What's happened?" Penny asked, frowning, knowing something had happened.

"I think the Doctor happened," she sneered, "But we've still given birth to ten thousand Adipose. And the nursery is coming."

A loud horn sounded from above.

~8~

"What the hell was that?" Donna stared up, hearing it all the way in the basement.

~8~

"It's my lift home!" Miss Foster smiled, turning and strutting out of the office.

"You can't just leave me here!" Penny called after her, struggling in her bonds once more.

~8~

"It just stopped," Suzette breathed, when the horn sounded again.

"What on Earth is it now?" Mrs. Noble looked outside, "Oh my God!"

Everyone looked up as a big circular spaceship flew over London. People started screaming and running away, not having the best experiences with spaceships just randomly appearing...it always meant trouble.

~8~

Donna's grandfather sat at his telescope, listening to music, deaf and oblivious to the spaceship behind him.

~8~

The ship came to a halt over the Adipose Industries building where thousands of Adipose had gathered, cheering.

~8~

"Fine…" Donna nodded, "When you say nursery you don't mean a crèche in Notting Hill?"

"Nursery ship," the Doctor corrected.

"Incoming signal," the computer lit up and started talking in an alien language.

"Hadn't we better go and stop them?" Donna reminded them when they didn't move to leave but just stood there staring at the machine.

"Hang on, instructions from the Adiposian First Family," the Doctor frowned as he and Angel listened in, Angel frowning as she tried to understand what was being said. She was fair at alien languages, she knew enough to get by, so it was a bit difficult to make out.

~8~

Miss Foster stood on the street, talking to the Adipose babies that had gathered around her, "Children! Oh my children, behold. I am taking you home," the Adipose cheered, "Far across the galaxy, your new mummies and daddies are waiting. And you will fly!" blue levitation beams reached out from the ship, creating a small circle of light on the ground below, "Up you go, babies. Up you go!" the Adipose babies stepped into the beam and started floating up to the ship, "That's it, fly away home!"

~8~

"She's wired up the tower block to convert it into a levitation post," the Doctor mumbled, "Oh. Ooh," his eyes widened as he heard the message, "We're not the ones in trouble now. SHE is!"

"We have to stop her," Angel gasped, remembering her vision, she hadn't had much time to process it with her concern for the other humans but...Miss Foster was in danger and, despite what she'd done, the vision she'd seen...no one deserved that. The Doctor took her hand and led them to the stairs, rushing up them till they reached the roof.

"Take me!" they heard Miss Foster shout, "The children need me!"

They looked up to see the babies flying towards the nursery ship, "What you gonna do then?" Donna looked at the Time Lords, at the Doctor more than Angel, thinking about what he'd done with the Racnoss, "Blow them up?"

"They're babies," Angel sighed.

"They can't help where they come from," the Doctor nodded.

"Oh, that makes a change from last time," Donna remarked, a small smile on her face, pleased, "That Martha must've done you good."

"Adipose are docile," Angel replied, countering just a bit, "Peaceful. Nothing like the Racnoss," she smiled at the floating blobs, "THEY won't hurt anyone."

They looked over as an Adipose waved at them and they returned the gesture.

"I'm waving at fat," Donna breathed.

"Actually, as a diet plan, it sort of works," the Doctor admitted.

"There she is!" Angel shouted, running to the edge of the building where Miss Foster was now soaring through the air, up to them as she levitated within the light.

"Matron Cofelia, listen to us!" the Doctor called.

"Oh, I don't think so, Doctor," she smirked, "And if I never see you again, it will be too soon."

"Oh, why does no one ever listen?" he muttered, before shouting, "We're trying to help! Just get across to the roof. Can you shift the levitation beam?"

"What, so that you can arrest me?" she glared.

"Please just listen," Angel told her, "The Adipose, they sent instructions, we saw them. They know what you're doing, breeding on Earth, is a crime."

"So what's the one thing they want to get rid of?" the Doctor reasoned, "Their accomplice!"

"I'm far more than that," Miss Foster shook her head, "I'm nanny to all these children."

"Exactly! Mum and dad have got the kids now, they don't need the nanny anymore!"

Suddenly the blue light disappeared and Miss Foster, bewildered, looked down at the ground she was hovering above before she fell with a scream.

Angel gasped and closed her eyes, burying her face in the Doctor's shoulder, horrified, as he put an arm around her, Donna looking away. When they looked up again the Adipose babies waved goodbye through the windows of the ships as they left.

~8~

"Sonic?" the Doctor asked, holding the pen out at Angel, recalling how she'd mentioned she might want a sonic.

She frowned and shook her head, if she was going to use a sonic it would be one that came from the TARDIS not some other species, especially not one that had tried to harm the Earth and the humans.

He nodded and tossed the pen into the trash bin.

"Oi, you two!" Penny called. They turned around to see her creeping out of the building, still tied to the chair, struggling to walk with it on her back, half-hunched over, "You're just mad. Do you hear me? Mad! And I'm gonna report you...for madness!"

"You see, some people just can't take it," Donna remarked as they watched the woman walk off.

"No," the Doctor nodded.

"But some people can. So, then, TARDIS! Come on!" she grabbed their arms and pulled them away, back towards her car in the alley…to the TARDIS, "That's my car! That is like destiny! And I've been ready for this," she ran to the car and opened the boot to pull out the suitcases she'd put there, "I packed ages ago, just in case. 'Cos I thought, hot weather, cold weather, no weather..." she started loading her luggage into the Doctor's arms as he stood there, stunned, "...they go anywhere, I've gotta be prepared," she tossed a striped hatbox over to Angel.

"You've got a...a...hatbox?!" the Doctor eyed the box in his Mate's hands.

"Planet of the Hats, I'm ready!" she grinned.

~8~

The Doctor and Angel stood in front of the TARDIS, the suitcases all around them, as Donna rambled in the doorway, positively beaming, "Do I need injections though, do I? Like when you go to Cambodia, is there any of that? 'Cos my friend Veena went to Bahrain, and..." she paused, seeing the Doctor's thoughtful, though slightly serious expression, "You're not saying much."

And that was VERY unlike him.

"No, it's just..." he shook his head, "It's a funny old life, in the TARDIS."

"You don't want me…" Donna realized, her heart breaking at the thought, "Neither of you?" she looked at Angel, feeling like she might just cry if the woman said no too.

"We're not saying that at all," Angel shook her head.

"But you asked me," Donna looked at the Doctor, "Would you two rather be on your own?"

"No," he said, "Actually, no."

And it was true. He loved Angel with both his hearts and she did him, but they both liked having others around, having friends with them made the hole left by their people more bearable. When it was just the two of them, it was all too easy to remember it really was just the two of them. He had to admit, deep down, he wasn't pleased with the fact that another companion would mean having to share Angel's attention with someone else, but...he supposed...as long as it wasn't another Time Lord...or a man...he'd be ok with it. And he knew Angel was more than eager to have another human travelling along, she seemed to love them as much as he did, and he could never say no to her.

"It's dangerous Donna," Angel explained, "The last time, with Martha, she was put in a hard position. And…her family was hurt."

Donna's eyes widened at that.

"We'll try to protect you as much as we can," the Doctor promised, "But…we can't guarantee you'll be safe. And…it's hard when you leave, when we lose our mate."

"YOUR MATE?" Donna's eyes widened in horror, "I ain't your Mate spaceman!"

"I know!" the Doctor shouted, feeling very uncomfortable with where Donna's mind had jumped to, "No, I've got a Mate, you would just be…a mate!"

"You're not Mating with me, sunshine!"

"A mate! Our mate! Not MY Mate!"

"Well, just as well," Donna nodded, his words finally getting through to her, "Because I'm not having any of that nonsense. I mean you're just a long streak of...nothing. You know, alien nothing."

"To you maybe," Angel smiled, highly amused by the little altercation.

"So can I come?" Donna asked after a moment.

"Yeah," the Doctor nodded, taking on another companion, he had been the one to ask her after all, "Course you can, yeah."

They all smiled, "We'd love it," Angel agreed, "Gingers United, back together again!"

The Doctor laughed, "It figures, my Mate and my companion are..."

"Hold on there spaceman," Donna cut in, starting to cross her arms, "Who said I was YOUR companion?"

He blinked and stared at her.

"Um, Donna..." Angel began gently, realizing that the human didn't understand how the TARDIS worked, "He asked you first."

"So?"

"So the TARDIS will only recognize you as HIS companion as a result," Angel explained, "We can have more than one companion at a time, but we can't share them."

The only reason Mickey had been allowed to be HER companion, given that the Doctor HAD invited him onboard earlier, dealing with the Slitheen, was that she hadn't been a designated Pilot when he had asked the boy, she hadn't even been travelling with them at that point. It was similar to how Jack could be her companion NOW as he'd been the Doctor's companion before she'd become a Pilot. Anything before she'd become a Pilot was basically erased when she DID become one because she wouldn't have been able to ask, so Mickey had been allowed to be hers, but after she'd become a Pilot...well...THAT was when the TARDIS was programmed to keep track of her pilots' invitations again.

Donna frowned and looked at Angel, "But...I want to be YOUR companion, Gingers United remember?"

"I feel so loved," the Doctor remarked dryly.

"You should," Angel turned to him, putting an arm around his waist, "I love you, very much."

He smiled at that and pressed a kiss to her hair, making Donna smile as well. He had to admit, despite his words, he was actually happy Donna didn't want to be his companion. It really meant so much to him that Donna actually wanted to be Angel's companion, that the woman cared for her and liked her that much. It was ironic though, the first time someone came aboard wanting to be her next companion, something she'd been wanting for a while, it couldn't happen.

Donna let out a mock-long suffering sigh, "I suppose I'll make do with you," she nudged the Doctor playfully, a small smile on her face, letting him know she thought he was incredible as well.

"You know," the Doctor rubbed his eye, "Just because you're MY companion, doesn't mean you can't be something else to Angel."

The gingers looked at each other a moment and then turned to him, "What?" they both asked at the same time, making him laugh.

"Keep on like that and people'll think your sisters," he smiled.

They blinked and looked at each other again.

"OH. MY. GOD!" Donna cheered.

"That would be wonderful!" Angel beamed, excited for the idea.

"And we really do look alike too!" Donna enthused.

"Gingers definitely United!"

"I get to be the older sister though," Donna stated. She usually hated thinking of anything that made her feel older but...Angel was just so sweet and innocent and she felt so...protective...of the Time Lady already, it would be...nice...to have a sibling, someone to look out for, she'd never had one before.

"I've never been a younger sister to a sister before," Angel remarked, "I love it!"

"Oh, that's just..." Donna ran to hug Angel, no, hug her sister, but stopped, "Car keys!"

"What?" Angel laughed, her arms still out to start the hug.

"I've still got my mum's car keys!" she gasped, "I won't be a minute!" she turned and ran off as the Doctor just shook his head.

"Come here you," he turned Angel, finishing the hug for Donna, seeing his Mate with her arms open just waiting for one...how could he resist? She laughed, hugging him tightly, squealing when he picked her up and spun her around, before setting her down, the two fo them starting to carry the luggage into the TARDIS.

Angel, paused though, watching Donna run off around a corner, a curious expression on her face before she shook her head and turned to help.

~8~

Donna ran onto the crowded street where police cars were now stationed as she spoke into her mobile, "I know, mum, I saw it, little fat people. Listen, I've got to go. I'm going to stay with Veena for a bit."

"...it was in the sky!" her mother gasped.

"Yeah. I know. Spaceship. But, I've still got the car keys. Look. There is a bin on Brook Street, about thirty feet from the corner, I'm going to leave them in there," she tossed them into a bin.

"What? A bin?"

"Yes, that's it, a bin."

"You can't do that."

"Oh, stop complaining, the car's just down the road a bit. Got to go, really got to go. Bye."

"But Donna, you can't..."

Donna hung up the phone and walked over to a line of people standing by a fence, watching the police working. She tapped a blonde woman on the shoulder as she looked back, "Listen, there is this woman that's going to come along, a tall, blonde woman called Sylvia, tell her that bin there," she pointed to the one she'd tossed the keys in, "Right, it'll all make sense. That bin there," she smiled brightly and turned to rush back to the TARDIS.

The blonde turned back to look out at the scene one last time, only to reveal herself to be Rose Tyler, looking worn and worried. She turned and walked away several steps before vanishing into thin air.

~8~

Donna entered the TARDIS, shutting the doors behind her, "Off we go, then!"

"Here it is, the TARDIS," the Doctor beamed, "It's bigger on the inside than it is on the outsi..."

"Oh, I know that bit," Donna cut him off, making him pout, "Although frankly, you could turn the heat up."

Angel laughed and flicked a switch blowing warm air into the room, "Better?"

"Much thanks," Donna nodded.

"So, whole wide Universe, where do you want to go?" the Doctor grinned.

"Oh, I know exactly the place," she smiled.

"Which is?" Angel asked her.

"Two and a half miles, that way," she pointed.

~8~

Donna's grandfather sat on the hill, looking up into the sky, when he caught sight of a blue telephone box flying above his head, exactly the one Donna had told him to keep an eye out for, "There! Donna! It's...it's the flying blue box!" he looked into the telescope to see Donna standing in the door of the box, waving at him, "Huh…what?! That's Donna! Yeah, that's Donna!" he smiled, seeing the Doctor and Angel standing behind her, waving at him as well, "And that's them! That's them! Hey! That's them! Ha ha ha! Go on girl! Go on, get up there! Hey!" he did a happy sort of dance as the TARDIS shot off.

Chapter Text

The Doctor glanced around as he stepped out of the TARDIS, pushing a sheet acting like a small curtain to the side with a wide grin on his face, "Ancient Rome!" he shouted, turning to Donna, who was smiling, practically buzzing in excitement, and Angel, who was wearing a light green toga that fell to the floor, one strapped, with a small bit of a cape hanging over the back of it. Her hair, standing out more against her green attire, was pulled up into an intricate bun for the times.

Well...his gaze lingered a bit longer on Angel than necessary, but he couldn't help it, the toga...it was lovely on her. Well, to him, everything was lovely on her. She could be wearing a sack and he'd still think she was the most beautiful woman in the world. But that toga...he didn't know what it was about it, he'd thought he'd had it bad when he'd seen her in that dress when they'd gone to Lazarus Labs, but this? Well, he hadn't walked into a chair or tripped this time when he saw her, but he had stared openly, his mouth open, till Donna literally had to push it shut for him. She was gorgeous. He had to admit, he didn't usually care for dressing up himself, but Angel, seeing her like that...it was making him reconsider. Or at least he seemed to love it when SHE did it. He personally thought he'd look a bit silly in a toga.

He'd said as much and Angel had just laughed and said he'd probably start talking about time and the future and be thrown in jail as a mad soothsayer by the Emperor. That or insult said Emperor and end up thrown in jail. At least dressed as he was, others would assume he was a foreigner and claim he just didn't know better.

"It's not all that ancient now though," Angel smiled as she and the Doctor stepped past the curtain and into the street.

"Obviously," the Doctor laughed, "To all intents and purposes right now...this is brand new Rome."

"Oh my God, it's...it's so Roman!" Donna cried, enthusiastic, "This is fantastic!" she turned and hugged him, "I'm here...in Rome," and then hugged Angel, "Donna Noble in Rome," she looked around and they started walking down the street, the two just a bit behind her, "This is just weird. I mean, everyone here is dead."

"Well, don't go telling them that."

"Hold on a minute," Donna stopped and looked at something just behind the Doctor as he walked with his arm around Angel, "That sign over there is in English. Are you having me on? Are we in Epcot?"

"That's the TARDIS translation circuits," Angel explained, "It just makes it look like English and sound like English."

"You're talking Latin right now," the Doctor nodded.

"Seriously?" Donna asked.

"Mmm," he hummed.

"I just said 'seriously' in Latin…"

"Oh yeah."

"What if I said something in actual Latin? Like 'veni, vidi, vici?' My dad said that when he came back from football. If I said 'veni, vidi, vici' to that lot, what would it sound like?"

The Doctor and Angel exchanged a look, "I'm not sure…" she frowned, thinking about it. It wasn't something they gave much thought to. Most of the time they forgot that they were speaking another language or hearing another one. As Time Lords they knew quite a few languages, the Doctor probably even more so, so they could naturally understand what was being said even without the TARDIS's help. Angel smiled though, leave it to Donna to come up with a brilliant, human question.

"You have to think of difficult questions, don't you?" the Doctor asked.

"I think it's a brilliant one," Angel countered, "Sometimes the simple questions are the ones that really make you think," she blinked and looked at the Doctor, "Why DID the chicken cross the road?" she asked him, serious.

He laughed, recalling how she'd asked that a few times now and they still didn't have an answer. There were infinite ones and just going with 'to get to the other side' seemed...dull. But no one could seem to agree with just one answer.

Donna smirked at the compliment to her question and nodded, "I'm gonna try it," she determined, walking over to a vendor.

"Hello, sweetheart," the man smiled at the potential customer, "What can I get for you, my love?"

"Veni, vidi, veci."

"Huh?" the man blinked, confused, "Sorry? Me no speak Celtic. No can do, missy."

"Yeah," she turned and walked back over to them, "What does he mean 'Celtic?'"

"Welsh," the Doctor said, "You sound Welsh. There we are. That's something."

"You learn something new every single day," Angel smiled at Donna, making her beam at that, that she had asked a question that taught the Time Lords something.

They turned and walked down the street, the Doctor eager to get to the sights, when Angel glanced back with a frown before being tugged on, rubbing her head.

~8~

A young, ginger woman in a red robe peeked around the corner she'd ducked behind at the woman's turn to watch them go.

~8~

"Won't our clothes look a bit odd?" Donna looked at her modern outfit.

"Well yours will," Angel smiled as she gestured to her toga.

"I wish you would have left your hair down," the Doctor sighed, though his gaze trailed over her appreciatively.

She blushed, brushing a non-existent lock of hair behind her ear, "It's how they styled their hair then."

"I know," he reached out to brush that same non-existent lock behind her ear, really just using it as an excuse to cup her cheek, "But I love your hair."

"I know."

"You don't leave it down often enough," he pouted.

"And YOU don't dress up often enough," she countered, nudging him, "YOU dress up and I'LL leave my hair down."

"I could have worn that suit you know," the Doctor nudged Angel lightly back, "But someone went and threw it in a supernova."

She rolled her eyes at that, she'd learned that the Doctor dressing up seemed to be a very bad idea. Whenever he DID dress up in anything but his typical brown or blue suit, usually in his black tie, bad things happened...so she really had thrown it into a supernova to keep the Universe safe from the bad luck.

She poked him in the side, "YOU were the one who threw the manual into a supernova first," she reminded him, making him pout, "I was just following your example."

"The manual was wrong though," he insisted.

"My ancestors helped write the manual," she countered, "Are you saying I'M wrong about the TARDIS?"

He blinked, realizing he may have just fallen into a bit of a trap, before he leaned in and kissed her quickly, "I'm saying that I'd much rather learn it from YOU than some stuffy old book," he kissed her again, "Books are boring, YOU are the most interesting, divine specimen in the Universe," he grinned, kissing the back of her hand, feeling her hearts jump at his words, "I'd pay attention to everything you say."

She smiled, "Well...then I say that suit was bad luck and," she reached out to tap his nose, making him smile, "As your good luck charm, I must get rid of the opposition!"

He laughed, turning to see Donna had been watching them with a smile, before he put his arm around her waist again, "Anything goes in Ancient Rome Donna. It's like Soho...but bigger."

"You've been here before then?" Donna asked, unable to stop smiling really. Those two were just adorable together, it made her both sad and happy that she hadn't married Lance. Happy because he was a right old jerk and she could do better, and sad because...she really did want someone to love and love her back the way the Doctor and Angel did each other.

Angel glanced behind her again, she could swear there was someone there…

"Hmm, ages ago," the Doctor trailed in thought, "Before you ask, that fire had nothing to do with me."

"Oh really?" Angel laughed as she nudged him.

"Well, a little bit…"

"A little?"

"But we hadn't gotten the chance to look around properly," he defended, "Coliseum...Pantheon...Circus Maximus..." he looked around, "You'd expect them to be looming by now. Where is everything?" he turned and headed off to the side, "Try this way."

Angel frowned, glancing behind her again before shaking her head, she was going mad. She had to be. She sighed and rubbed her head, feeling a bit of pressure there...because...something WAS wrong. She looked around, something felt...off, "Doctor…I don't think we're in Rome."

"I'm not an expert, but there are Seven Hills of Rome, aren't there?" Donna asked, agreeing, "How come they only got one?"

The Doctor looked over to the one mountain in the distance, when the ground started to shake and smoke started to rise from the top of it.

"Here we go again!" a man shouted as the vendors tried to keep their stalls steady.

"Wait a minute! One mountain...with smoke...which makes this..."

"Pompeii," the Doctor gaped, "We're in Pompeii..."

"And it's Volcano Day," Angel's eyes widened, briefly missing Jack with that remark, before the magnitude of what was happening hit her, "Doctor, the TARDIS!"

~8~

The young ginger woman ran into a temple, past other women in red and threw herself prostrate before a contained fire, "I beg audience with the High Priestess of the Sibylline!"

"The High Priestess cannot be seen," a priestess with black hair stepped up, clearly the one in charge for the moment, "What would you tell her, sister?"

"It has come...as foretold in the prophecy. The box...the blue box."

~8~

The trio ran through the streets, back the way they came, the Doctor shoving aside the curtain...to see the TARDIS was gone.

"You're kidding," Donna breathed, "Don't tell me the TARDIS is gone."

"Ok…" he nodded.

"Where is it then?"

"You...told me not to tell you."

"Don't get clever in Latin."

"Um...excuse me!" they heard Angel speak, they turned to see her standing before the vendor Donna had talked to, "Excuse me, Mr..."

"Trenus, Brutus Trenus," the man introduced, grinning.

"Right, nice to meet you. There was a big, blue wooden box right there," she pointed back to where the Doctor and Donna were, "Do you know wher it is?"

"Sold it, didn't I?" Trenus grinned, seeming very smug about it.

"But...it wasn't yours to sell," the Doctor shouted, coming over to her side.

"It was on my patch, wasn't it?" he defended, rubbing his hands together, "I got 15 sesterce for it. Lovely jubbly."

"Who did you sell it to?"

"Old Caecilius. Look...if you want to argue, why don't you take it up with him? He's on Foss Street. Big villa can't miss it."

"Thank you," Angel nodded as she and Donna took off.

"What did he buy a big, blue wooden box for?" the Doctor asked.

"Doctor!" Angel called.

"Coming!" he turned and ran after them.

~8~

Caecilius looked over at the blue box he'd placed in the corner of the main room of his villa, the servants scurrying off, "Modern art!" he cried joyfully, "Out of the way, that's it!" he shooed more servants away, before stopping one of them, "Oh, Rombus, I'm a little bit peckish. Get me some ants in honey, there's a good man. Ooh, maybe a dormouse!" he looked over to see his wife looking on, eyeing the box, her arms crossed, clearly not very pleased, "What do you think?"

"You call it modern art," she remarked, "I call it a bloody great waste of space."

"But we're going up in the world, my love. Lucius Dextrus himself is coming to the house this afternoon. What, with that and our Evelina about to be elevated..."

Just then a young woman with dark hair walked in, seemingly bored with the man's ravings, "Oh, don't go on about it, dad."

"If we had moved to Rome like I said, she could have been a Vestal Virgin," his wife muttered.

A young man entered the room as well, a bit tired, looking as though he'd just woken up from a night on the town, "Someone mention Vestal Virgins?"

"Quintus, don't be so rude. You apologize to the household gods."

"Get off," he waved at her, rubbing his head with his other hand.

"Apologize right now. The gods are always watching."

The ground rumbled.

"Positions!" Caecilius shouted. The family ran to different areas of the villa holding their arms out to keep their valuables from falling and breaking. When the rumbling stopped Caecilius kissed the head of a male bust he'd protected.

"There, now you've made the household gods angry," their mother turned to glare at Quintus, "Just say sorry," Quintus sighed and knelt by their shrine, "I tell you, Caecilius, that boy will come to no good."

"Sorry, household gods," Quintus sighed, not sounding sorry at all, sprinkling the relief with water.

"So where were you last night?" Caecilius turned to Quintus, "Down the thelopolium, I bet, cavorting with Etruscans, Christians, and all sorts. How's your head, sunshine? How's your head?" he clapped Quintus on the ears, just knowing the boy had been drinking.

"Alright, dad," he waved his father's hands away, "Give us a break."

"You want to smarten yourself up, Quintus, before Lucius Dextrus gets here," his mother warned, "Look at your sister. She is giving us...status."

"Oh, yeah, 'cos it's all about Evelina," Quintus rolled his eyes.

"She has the gift," his mother defended, holding her daughter's hand up, showing him the eye painted on the back of it, a mark of the Sibylline Sisterhood, "Be proud of your sister for once," she smiled at Evelina, "Have you been consuming?"

"Not this morning," she shook her head, shifting uncomfortably.

"Well, come on, sweetheart," she led her over to a hypocaust in the center of the room, "Practice. It's hot today. The hypocaust is on full blast," they sat down on the ledge around it, "The mountain god must be happy. Breathe deeply. Remember what the sisterhood said."

Evelina leaned over and took a reluctant, deep breath, "It hurts."

"Oh, my love, is it too hot?"

She shook her head, "Sometimes in the smoke...I see the most terrible things..." she stared down into it.

"Like what?"

"A face. A face of stone."

"It'll make sense...one day...Sister Spurrina promised it. The veil will be parted and you'll be a seer," she got up and left Evelina sitting by the hypocaust.

She breathed deep again and looked down into the heat, where a creature of stone looked up at her and growled, "Who are you?" she breathed, leaning back, frightened.

~8~

The Doctor pulled Angel through the streets as they ran back to Donna, "Donna! Angel's found it! Foss Street, this way!"

"No," she grabbed his hand, "I've found this big sort of amphitheater I think...we can start there. We can get everyone together. Then maybe they've got a great, big bell or something we could ring. Have they invented bells yet?"

"What do you want a bell for?"

"To warn everyone! To start the evacuation! What time does Vesuvius erupt? When's it due?"

"It's August the 23rd, 79AD," Angel said, closing her eyes a moment, feeling the pressure in her mind start to pound.

"Which makes Volcano Day tomorrow," the Doctor nodded.

"Plenty of time," Donna beamed, relieved, "We can get everyone out easy."

"Except we're not going to," he grabbed her hand and pulled her but Donna didn't budge.

"But that's what you do. You're the Doctor and...and the Angel! You save people."

"We can't this time," Angel shook her head sadly, rubbing her head, "We need to go..."

"Pompeii is a fixed point in history," the Doctor explained, "What happens, happens. There is no stopping it."

"Says who?" Donna crossed her arms.

"Says me."

"What, and you're in charge?"

"TARDIS, Time Lord...yeah."

"Donna, human...no! I don't need your permission. I'll tell them myself."

"You stand in the marketplace and announce the end of the world, they'll just think you're a mad old soothsayer. Now, come on. TARDIS, we are getting out of here."

"Well, then I just might have something to say about that, spaceman!"

"Oh, I bet you will!"

"Can we please just GO!?" Angel snapped suddenly.

They looked at her, completely stunned at her reaction, at her words, at her tone...it was...harsh...completely unlike her.

But Angel just winced and rubbed her head harder, "Sorry…" she murmured, her face scrunching in pain, "This headache's killing me."

The Doctor frowned and walked over to her, taking her head in his hands as he looked at her, "Still? I thought it went away?"

"It did for a bit, yeah. But it came back worse."

He gave her a quick kiss, hoping it might help like before, "Better?"

"Always," she smiled up at him, tense though, "But...not by much."

He nodded, frowning, "I've got some other medicine we can try, a bit stronger, should make you right as rain again...when we get back to the TARDIS," he looked back pointedly, "Donna?"

Donna sighed before nodded and walking after them, a bit concerned for Angel as well. She'd had killer headaches in the past...well...hangovers really, but all the same, they could be painful and she didn't want that for Angel. She was sure though, that once Angel's headache had cleared up, the girl would be on her side in saving the Pompeiians? Pompeiites? ...the people of Pompeii, from the volcano.

The young, ginger soothsayer watched them go before extending her arms out and slowly placing her hands, painted with eyes on the back of them, over her eyes, calling to the sisters, "The tall one, he calls us mad..."

~8~

"Then he is a stranger to Pompeii," the same dark-haired soothsayer that had stopped her before called back, "Soon he will learn."

A robed woman ran forward with a scroll in her hand, "We have found it, Sister Spurrina. In the 13th book of the Sibylline oracle. The blue box," she unrolled the scroll to reveal a drawing of the TARDIS, "A temple made of wood...and yet the Sibyl foretold the box would appear at a time of storms and fire and betrayal."

"Sisters..." a raspy, weary voice strained to call.

The sisters turned to stand in front of a gauze curtain, the vague image of someone sitting on a bed behind it visible, "Reverend Mother, you should sleep," Spurrina stepped up.

"The Sibylline oracles are wrong."

"But we have venerated her words for generations."

"This is a new age. Heed my words. I predict a future of prosperity and might...an endless empire of Pompeii, reaching out from this city to topple Rome itself and encompass the whole wide world. If the disciples of the blue box defy this prophecy, their blood will run on the temple floor."

The ground rumbled and the sisters gasped, looking up, "The gods approve!" Spurrina cried.

~8~

"Positions!" Caecilius shouted as the ground started to shake again. He, his wife, and Evelina ran to their appointed places while Quintus just sat by the impluvius and drank his wine, rolling his eyes at his family's antics. If they were as well off as his father kept promising, they could just buy new items to replace the broken ones. Caecilius ran to the bust just as it toppled over, when Angel rushed in and caught it in time.

"Oh!" she smiled, pushing it back into place, the Doctor right behind her, Donna running in after, panting a bit in exertion, "There we are," and then she noticed Caecilius, "Sorry!"

"Thank you, kind lady. I'm afraid business is closed for the day. I'm expecting a visitor."

"Oh, that's me," the Doctor leaned forward to shake his hand, "I'm a visitor. Hello."

"Who are you?"

"I am...Spartacus."

"And so am I," Donna nodded.

"And me," Angel laughed, pleased she'd acutally caught that little joke.

"Mr. and Mrs. Spartacus?" Caecilius gestured at the Doctor and Donna.

"Oh no, we're not married," the Doctor said quickly.

"Not together," Donna affirmed, grimacing.

"My Mate," the Doctor took Angel's hand.

"Oh yes," Caecilius nodded, before looking between Donna and Angel, "Sisters then?" he guessed, assuming Donna had been taken in by the man's family with her sister, like a ward, taking on the family name, "Yes, of course. You look very much alike."

Angel beamed at that and linked her arm with Donna's, "Mother said much the same," she joked, making Donna grin at that, "Though I think my sister is far more beautiful, don't you?"

Caecilius laughed, "She is quite lovely," he nodded.

Donna blushed at that, she doubted it was true but...Angel had said, Rule 2 was that SHE didn't lie. She really believed she was beautiful and...that was nice. She hadn't usually been self-conscious about her looks...before Lance. Hearing him calling her all sorts of names, calling her fat and useless and that he'd rather be with a giant red spider than her...well...it had shaken her. She'd tried dieting, she'd tried watching her weight, she'd tried beauty products...but every time she saw herself she just felt worse.

Angel was lovely, truly as beautiful outside as she was inside, and to have her claiming SHE was more beautiful, knowing the girl didn't lie...it made her feel warm. It made her feel...happy...to know someone thought she was beautiful.

And she rather liked how much Angel had taken to her, Gingers United, standing strong, together. She loved how Angel was really, actually going along with the 'sisters' thing. For a moment she'd been afraid that it was just a passing remark, a passing idea that would never really be used again. She should have known better, Angel didn't strike her as the type to do that. If she said it, she'd do it.

"Well, I think my sister is far sweeter," Donna countered.

"I'll second that," the Doctor grinned at Angel as she blushed now too.

She and Donna had such different personalities, but just...worked. It was almost like they were really sisters, they had that quality to them. And...he could tell, Donna's request to be the older sibling...it was partially based in how she felt about Angel, he could tell she felt protective of her. And that was an enormous relief to him. He knew, he knew quite well, that he wouldn't always be able to be with Angel every single second...no matter how much he wanted to...and that he couldn't always protect her as much as he would like. While he didn't trust humans with his Mate's safety, his companions...he could give them a bit more credit. He wouldn't ever trust them completely or feel calm when she was trapped somewhere without him, like when she and Martha had been kidnapped, but...it did ease his mind a fraction that Donna would be there too to help him.

And, he could tell...Angel would be good for Donna. There was something different about her, about this Donna they met again as opposed to her last year. What had happened with Lance had affected her deeply and Angel was JUST what she needed to feel better. He couldn't even begin to describe how HE felt now compared to when he'd escaped the War, it was like...he was a new person and not just because of the regeneration. There would always be guilty and sorrow, but...it didn't crush him, it didn't rule him as much as it had his last self, and it was mostly because of Angel he knew, Rose had helped but Angel...there were no words to describe the effect she had on people. If anyone in the Universe could get Donna to see how remarkable she was, it was Angel.

"But back to business," he shook his head, turning to Caecilius.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not open for trade," Caecilius shook his head.

"And that trade would be..." the Doctor eyed him.

"Marble. Lucius Caecilius. Mining, polishing and design thereof. If you want marble, I'm your man."

"That's good," the Doctor smiled, pulling out the psychic paper, "That's good, 'cos I'm the marble inspector."

"By the gods of commerce, an inspection," Caecilius's wife gasped, taking the wine from Quintus, "I'm sorry, sir. I do apologize for my son," she poured it out into the pool behind him.

"Oi!" Quintus cried.

"This is my good wife, Metella," Caecilius smiled at her, "I…I must confess, we're not prepared for a…"

"Nothing to worry about," the Doctor nodded, "I…I'm sure you've got nothing to hide. Although, frankly, that..." he looked over at the TARDIS, "Object...rather looks like wood to me," the three of them headed towards it.

"I told you to get rid of it!" Metella whispered.

"I only bought it today," Caecilius countered.

"Ah, well," the Doctor replied, "Caveat emptor."

"Oh, you're Celtic. They're lovely."

"I'm sure it's fine but I might have to take it off your hands for a proper inspection."

"Although, while we're here, wouldn't you recommend a holiday, Spartacus?" Donna asked the Doctor.

"I don't know what you mean, Spartacus."

"Oh, this lovely family, mother, and father, and son...don't you think they should get out of town?"

"You really shouldn't Spartacus," Angel frowned at Donna.

"Why should we do that?" Caecilius asked, eyeing Donna curiously.

Donna turned to the man as the Doctor rubbed his eye, "Well, the volcano for starters."

"What?"

"Volcano."

"What-ano?"

"That great big volcano right on your doorstep."

"Oh, Spartacus, for shame," the Doctor interrupted, "We haven't even greeted the household gods yet," he pulled her away towards the shrine, Angel following behind them.

"They don't know what a volcano is," Angel told Donna quietly, "Right now, Vesuvius is still just a mountain."

"The top hasn't blown off yet," the Doctor sprinkled the frieze, "The Romans haven't even got a word for volcano. Not until tomorrow."

"Oh great," Donna huffed, "They can learn a new word...when they die."

"Donna, please, stop it," Angel shook her head, rubbing it.

"Listen, I don't know what sort of kids you've been flyin' around with in outer space, but you're not telling me to shut up. That boy..." she pointed at Quintus, "How old is he, sixteen? And tomorrow he burns to death."

"And that's our fault?" the Doctor turned to her, crossing his arms, not liking how she was also taking this out on Angel, all this arguing wouldn't be helping her head any.

"Right now, yes!"

"Announcing Lucius Petrus Dextrus," Caecilius's servant announced, "Chief Augur of the city government."

An older man walked in, the cloak he was wearing draped over his right side, "Lucius, my pleasure as always," Caecilius greeted as the trio turned to see who the visitor was.

"Quintus, stand up," Metella ordered in a whisper as her son stood with a sigh.

"A rare and great honor, sir, for you to come to my house," Caecilius smiled, holding out a hand, but Lucius ignored it.

"The birds are flying north...and the wind is in the west," Lucius remarked.

"Right…" Caecilius nodded along, "Absolutely. That's good, is it?"

"Only the grain of wheat knows where it will grow."

"There now, Metella, have you ever heard such wisdom?" Caecilius turned to his wife, clearly needing help dealing with the man.

"Never," she replied, "It's an honor."

"Pardon me, sir, I have guests," he nodded at the trio, "This is Spartacus and Spartacus and, uh, Spartacus."

"Nice to meet you," Angel greeted.

"A name is but a cloud upon a summer wind," Lucius remarked as they waved at him.

"But the wind is felt most keenly in the dark," the Doctor retorted.

"Ah! What is the dark other than an omen of the sun?"

"I concede that every sun must set..."

"Ha!"

"...and yet the son," he gestured at Quintus and Caecilius, "Of the father must also rise."

"Damn. Very clever, sir. Evidently a man of learning."

"Oh yes, but don't mind me. Don't want to disturb the status quo."

"He's Celtic," Caecilius told Lucius.

"We'll be off in a minute," the Doctor nodded as he and Angel led Donna towards the TARDIS.

"I'm not going," she hissed at them.

"It's ready, sir," Caecilius informed Lucius.

"You've got to," Angel whispered to Donna.

"Well I'm not!" she insisted, "Why are YOU trying to make me?" she looked at Angel, this...was so unlike her!

"The moment of revelation," Caecilius pulled a cloth off a square piece of marble, "And here it is..." the Doctor looked back over his shoulder to see what looked like a circuit pattern on the block, "Exactly as you specified. It pleases you, sir?"

"As the rain pleases the soil," Lucius smiled.

"Oh now that's...different," the Doctor said, turning to walked back to them, Angel and Donna as well, Angel shifting a bit as she really wanted to leave, she could just tell that this adventure...would be devastating, and not just for them, "Who designed that then?"

"My lord Lucius was very specific," Caecilius said.

"That pattern...where'd it come from?" Angel asked, eyeing him.

"On the rain and mist and wind," Lucius waved her off.

"Well that looks like a circuit," Donna nodded at it.

"Made of stone," the Doctor examined it.

Chapter Text

"Do you mean you just dreamt that up?" Donna looked at Lucius, shaking her head. That would be one very weird dream, she knew SHE didn't dream of circuits or things like that.

"That is my job...as City Augur," Lucius replied, lifting his chin, almost like he was sticking up his nose at her, proud of his position.

"What's that then, like the mayor?"

"Oh, ah, you must excuse my...sister-in-law," the Doctor cut in quickly, making Angel beam at how he'd remembered their little cover story just then, "She's from...Barcelona," he turned and led Donna off a small ways with Angel, "This is an age of superstition...of official superstition. The augur is paid by the city to tell the future. 'The wind will blow from the west.' That's the equivalent of the 10:00 news."

Angel looked over to see a young woman enter the room feebly, pale and dazed, looking rather ill, "They're laughing at us," Evelina said as the Doctor and Donna looked over too, "Those three, they use words like tricksters. They're mocking us."

"No, no," the Doctor shook his head, "I meant no offense."

"I'm sorry," Metella made her way to her daughter, putting her arm around her, "My daughter's been consuming the vapors."

"By the gods, mother!" Quintus gaped, "What have you been doing to her?"

"Not now, Quintus," Caecilius cut in.

"But she's sick. Just look at her."

"Are you alright?" Angel asked her, taking one step closer to her, it really was obvious that the girl wasn't quite all there at the moment.

"I gather I have a rival in this household," Lucius remarked, eyeing Evelina critically, not giving the girl a chance to answer Angel, "Another with the gift."

"Oh, she's been promised to the Sibylline Sisterhood," Metella said proudly, "They say she has remarkable visions."

Angel frowned as she eyed the young girl. She could empathize with that a bit but...there was just...something wrong about it all. The girl...she looked like the visions were either hurting her or draining her and...that was wrong. She couldn't help but feel like...if the visions were meant for the girl to see, then they would come naturally. It seemed like these visions were being forced on her.

"The prophecies of women are limited and dull," Lucius sneered.

"Oh, I don't know about that," the Doctor put his arm around Angel's waist, grinning widely, proud, "Got a soothsayer of my own, she's never been wrong yet."

And she hadn't. Vague, yes, out there, quite a bit, but never wrong. It was hard to interpret her words at times, but visions of the future, prophecy could be like that, they were meant to be hard to define and figure out. Angel though...she actually saw and heard what was coming, and that was remarkable. To see the future that clearly...and when she spoke, even if it was one of her feelings, they were so often right. It took a while to get to them, some times he didn't even work out what she meant till after it had happened, but she'd been getting much better at them, stronger. It was really amazing how far she'd come. He could still remember when she'd mumbled about Cathica's name being like a cat and how they were curious, such an ordinary, if odd, comment, and it would later prove correct. Now she could actually say what was coming. She DID get feelings still, spoke before she realized she had at times, but she'd progressed so much, and he couldn't imagine what she might be able to do in the future if her abilities continued to grow.

'Hopefully keep you out of trouble,' Angel remarked in his mind.

'Where would be the fun in that?' he smirked back at her, he loved the adventure, the danger...but, in the same breath, he also hated it because it put Angel in danger as well, 'I'd much rather YOU keep out of trouble.'

'We'll keep each other out of trouble then,' she laughed, making him smile.

"Only the men folk have the capacity for true perception," Lucius declared.

"I'll tell you where the wind's blowing right now, mate," Donna remarked, glaring at him, taking his words as a slight against Angel as well.

Lucius smirked as the ground began to tremble, "The mountain god marks your words. I'd be careful if I were you."

"Consuming the vapors, you say?" the Doctor eyed Evelina.

"They give me strength," Evelina nodded shakily.

"It doesn't look like it to me."

"Is that your opinion...as a doctor?"

"I beg your pardon?" he blinked, surprised.

"Doctor. That's your name," her gaze turned to Angel, "As she is your angel."

"How did you know that?" the Doctor asked her, bewildered.

"And you...you call yourself noble," Evelina looked at Donna.

"Now then Evelina, don't be rude," Metella warned.

"No, no, no," the Doctor cut in, interested, it wasn't often they came across someone else who was so like Angel, the last person had been, well, the Sibyl herself, "Let her talk."

"You come from so far away," Evelina said, swaying a little as she focused on the future.

"A female soothsayer in inclined to invent all sorts of vagaries," Lucius spat.

"Oh, not this time, Lucius," the Doctor smiled, "I reckon you've been out-soothsaid."

"Is that so...child of Gallifrey?" he looked at the Doctor, before smirking at Angel, "Child of Time?"

"What?" Angel breathed, confused and a bit scared as to how he knew the name of their planet and also...why he'd called her that. She understood 'child of Gallifrey,' both she and the Doctor WERE children of Gallifrey, but...child of Time? She really had no idea what that was or what it was supposed to mean. But it made her shift uncomfortably, it made her think of the Vortex...it was literally the power of time itself...coursing through her, even now she could feel it. But why? Why call her that? Did he know about the Vortex? Or...was there something...else?

"Strangest of images. Your home is lost in fire, is it not?"

"Doctor, what are they doing?" Donna blinked.

"And you, daughter of...London," Lucius turned to her.

"How does he know that?"

"This is the gift of Pompeii. Every single oracle tells the truth."

"But that's impossible."

"For the most part," the Doctor mumled, squeezing Angel's hand, she was the only psychic he knew that was never wrong, "Show them what you've got Angel."

She glanced at him as he smiled encouragingly at her, so she took a breath and closed her eyes, frowning as she tried to just...let herself feel, let the thoughts come to her, "Evelina has a short tunic hidden in her rooms..."

Metella rolled her eyes, everyone knew that, "So does every girl in Pompeii..."

"And Quintus wasn't out drinking last night," Angel continued as though she hadn't been interrupted, opening her eyes as she looked at the startled boy, THAT was clearly something the DIDN'T know, "He was meeting with a potential mentor of the physical sciences," she smiled, "He wants to be a doctor."

"How..." Quintus breathed, blinking as he stared at her, shocked, his family looking quite surprised as well.

"I have to say, I think you'd make a remarkable one."

"Quintus?" Metella looked at her son, "Is this true?"

Quintus glanced as his parents, starting to shift, "Yes."

"Brilliant," the Doctor beamed, kissing Angel's temple.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Caecilius frowned.

"You want him to be a merchant," Angel cut in, looking at Caecilius as he turned to her, "You dream of it, of him following in your footsteps, he didn't want to say no...so he's..." she frowned, "Pretending to drink, so you'll think him not responsible enough and leave him alone."

"Quintus!" Metella gasped, shocked her son was going to such extremes, surprised he didn't think he could talk to them about his own dreams.

"You shouldn't be surprised," Angel turned to her now, "You've spent more time with Evelina since the priestesses have come than ever before," Metella took a step back at that, "How could you notice his ambitions didn't lie with your hopes? You're more concerned with the status you could gain from your daughter you can't see how brilliant your son is."

"How dare..." Metella began, starting to feel the discomfort she was sure the trio had felt when her daughter and Lucius had started in on them.

"I think you should tell him that more often," Angel shrugged, not at all affected by the woman's growing anger, "And you Lucius," Angel turned her head to him, "This isn't the first or last stop you'll be making today, is it?"

Lucius stiffened, something the Doctor noticed, "I am a busy man," he defended.

"You're a clever man," she countered, "You can't see a big picture from a single piece of the puzzle, can you?"

"Doctor," Lucius turned to the Doctor, "She is returning," he said, needing to stop the ginger prophet from speaking more, she knew, he could tell, she truly was a soothsayer, the things she knew, and if she saw as much as he could see...he needed to stop her.

"Who is?" the Doctor asked, stiffening, knowing why Lucius had changed the topic, he wanted to keep Angel from continuing, from her feelings focusing on only HIM but...he was curious as well as to what the man was talking about, Angel clearly looked confused as well.

"She is returning...while the other is fading."

"Who are you talking about?"

"And you, daughter of London..." Lucius smirked at her, pleased they seemed to not want to turn the discussion back towards him, "You have something on your back."

"What's that mean?" she breathed, scared.

"It'll be ok Donna," Angel reached out to take her hand too, glancing at Lucius, "And the mountain god will welcome you to his home," she told the man, but he just smirked as though he either knew that or was pleased with the knowledge. She had to frown, what she said...it was NOT to be taken in a positive way.

"Even the word 'Doctor' is false," Evelina remarked, making them all look at her, "As is 'Angel,' though truer than you realize. Your real names are hidden. They burn in the stars of the cascade of Medusa herself. You are a lord and lady. A lord...and a lady…of time..." and then Evelina fainted, right into Angel's arms as she jolted forward a moment before the girl fell to catch her.

"Evelina!" Metella gasped as she and the Doctor rushed over to help Angel support the girl.

~8~

Evelina was sleeping on her bed while Metella cared for her, Donna and Angel helping her tend to her daughter, "She didn't mean to be rude," Metella murmured, now feeling a bit bad for how she'd reacted and acted to the trio earlier, having another woman there with gifts as powerful, possibly more so as Angel hadn't needed the vapors to help, as her daughter had made her defensive, "She's ever such a good girl. But when the gods speak through her..."

"She can't control what she says," Angel answered, "Things just slip out and she has no say over any of it, she doesn't know why she says it or what it means," she looked down at Evelina sadly, "And it hurts her."

Metella swallowed hard, it seemed the Doctor's soothsayer really was just as accurate as theirs were, there was no way she could know that, it was something Evelina had confided in her in private, "Yes," she breathed, unwrapping a cloth from the girl's arm.

"What's wrong with her arm?" Donna asked, seeing some sort of discoloration on the girl's arm.

"An irritation of the skin. She never complains, bless her. We bathe it in olive oil every night."

"What is it?" Angel asked as they walked closer.

"Evelina said you'd come from far away," she looked up at them, "And you...you're a soothsayer too yes?" she looked at Angel, who gave a hesitant nod, "Please, have you ever seen anything like it?"

They reached out and touched the grey spot on Evelina's arm, "It's stone…" Donna gasped.

~8~

The Doctor pulled the grille off the hypocaust as he and Caecilius sat by it, "Ah! Different sort of hypocaust."

"Oh yes, we're very advanced in Pompeii," Caecilius nodded, "In Rome, they're still using the old wood-burning furnaces, but we've got hot springs...leading from Vesuvius itself."

"Who thought of that?"

"The soothsayers after the great earthquake seventeen years ago. An awful lot of damage but we rebuilt."

"Didn't you think of moving away?" he wondered, before catching himself, "Oh, no, then again, San Francisco."

"That's a new restaurant in Naples, isn't it?"

The Doctor looked down into the earth where there was a loud grating and rumbling, "What's that noise?"

"Don't know. Happens all the time. They say the gods of the Underworld are stirring."

"But after the earthquake...let me guess, is that when the soothsayers started making sense?"

"Oh yes, very much so. I mean, they'd always been...shall we say 'imprecise?' But then...the soothsayers, the augurs, the haruspex, all of them, they saw the truth again and again. It's quite amazing. They can predict crops and rainfall with absolute precision."

"Have they said anything about tomorrow?" he asked, before wincing, catching himself again, Donna's words before had really gotten to him.

"No. Why should they? Why do you ask?"

"No, no, no reason," he sighed, "Just asking. But the soothsayers...they all consume the vapors?"

"That's how they see."

The Doctor put on his glasses, "Ipso facto..." he muttered, leaning into the hypocaust.

"Look, you..." Caecilius started but the Doctor straightened.

"They're all consuming this," he pinched a few rock particles between his fingers, letting them fall like dust.

"Dust?"

"Tiny particles of rock…" he tasted a bit of it, grimacing but tasting something entirely different than typical dirt and rock and ash, "They're breathing in Vesuvius."

'Angel?' he called getting up, 'Any idea where Quintus might be?'

~8~

Quintus was lounging around his room, sipping wine...again...when the Doctor walked up, "Quintus, me old son...this Lucius Petrus Dextrus, where does he live?"

"Nothing to do with me."

The Doctor walked over to him, "This Lucius Petrus Dextrus..." he pulled a coin from behind Quintus's ear, the gold certainly catching Quintus's eye and attention, "Where does he live?"

~8~

Angel rubbed her head as she stood in Evelina's room with Donna, both of them watching the girl as Metella went out to work on dinner. She'd been following the Doctor's plan and thoughts and could only hope he wouldn't run into too much trouble without her there to help. She'd actually asked him to let her stay behind instead of going with him. He seemed torn between agreeing or not. On one hand, she'd be with him, and he could protect her...but he didn't know what he might face when he encountered Lucius, whether it might be more dangerous for her to be with him. On the other hand, he didn't like being separated from her and there was no telling if something might happen at the villa while he was with Lucius. So she'd taken it upon herself to decide for him, choosing to stay at the villa no matter what.

Evelina...she was so ill and pained...she just...wanted to try and help, see if she couldn't help cheer her up a bit. And Donna was staying and she knew, as much as she didn't like the fact that he kept proving it, that the Doctor could handle himself. Donna could probably do the same but, as a human, it would always make HER feel better if someone was there to look out for her. Where would she be if she lost, not only the co-founder of Gingers United, but her big sister as well?

She had to admit though, she didn't like not being beside the Doctor either. That man got himself into all sorts of trouble just standing still. He needed her there to pull him away. She sighed, rubbing her head a little, her headache had faded quite a bit, it was more like a dull, throbbing annoyance now, hopefully it would go away soon. She looked back as Evelina slowly woke up.

~8~

Quintus held a flaming torch as he led the Doctor to Lucius' home, "Don't tell my dad."

The Doctor leapt onto a barrel and climbed onto the windowsill, "Only if you don't tell mine," and then dropped down into the villa, lit only by the light from the hypocaust, "Pass me that torch," Quintus handed him the torch before looking around nervously and climbing in as well. The Doctor looked behind a curtain, making sure no one was there, thinking for a moment he should have brought Angel, she'd have been able to tell if anyone was there BEFORE climbing in and alert him to if anyone was coming, before giving the torch back to Quintus and pulling down another sheet that was covering something to see at least a dozen more marble circuits.

"The liar! He told my father it was the only one."

The Doctor put his specs on, "Well...plenty of marble merchants in this town. Tell them all the same thing; get all the components from different places so no one can see what you're building."

"Which is what?"

"The future...Doctor," Lucius appeared behind them, they spun around, "We are building the future as dictated by the gods."

Yes...he definitely should have brought Angel.

~8~

Evelina laughed as Donna tried on her new, dark blue toga-dress, "You're not supposed to laugh!" Donna mock-huffed, even though she was laughing along, "Thanks for that. What do you think?" she posed.

"I think you look beautiful," Angel walked over and put her arm around Donna's shoulder, "Just lovely."

"More beautiful than the goddess Venus?"

"Oh, that's sacrilege!" Evelina laughed.

"You have a wonderful laugh Evelina," Angel smiled as she and Donna sat down on the edge of the girl's bed, "You don't get to do it much though, recently, do you? Just...laugh."

"No," Evelina nodded sadly.

"What do you do in old Pompeii, then...girls your age?" Donna asked, "You got...mates? Friend mates, not them Mates," she nodded at Angel, "Do you go hangin' about 'round the shops? T.K. Maximus?"

Evelina sighed, "I'm promised to the sisterhood for the rest of my life."

Angel reached out a hand and put it on Evelina's shoulder, "No one gave you a say in it, did they?"

"It's not my decision. I have the gift of sight. The sisters chose for me."

"Just because you have a gift," Angel began, "Doesn't mean you have to use it. And it doesn't mean others can force you to as well."

Lord knew she spent enough of her childhood trying to bury her abilities, fearful of what they could mean, hoping that, if she did so, others might think she was normal and try to befriend her. It had failed. It seemed, even without her abilities popping up, the other children just instinctively knew to keep away from her. She'd heard that Visionaries often gave off an aura like that, warding people away so as not to be influenced or biased. She still didn't know how to explain the Doctor. He was like the complete opposite, he was closer to her than anyone had ever been and only seemed like he wanted to get closer and closer.

She sighed inwardly, he was such a worrier. She was dying to complete the Mating, she wanted to be as close to him as possible, connected to him in every way, but he kept putting it off. It was such a role reversal, she knew. Before the Year-That-Never-Was, she'd been the one telling him they should wait, let their feeling settle, and they had. They'd had that entire year. But now, HE was the one waiting to make sure she was healthy again, and she was, she felt fine. Truly fine! And...she didn't want to wait. She'd had a lot of time to think during that year, about how she did regret it with everything she had that she wasn't truly his Mate in every sense of the word. She knew if they'd been Mated before then and something happened to her, then it would be bad for the Doctor, but she survived and it just made her want to be with him, to not wait anymore, they were both fine and the future looked bright. She didn't want to take another moment for granted, she just...wanted to be with him forever, and that's what Mating promised, forever.

"Then...what can you see happening tomorrow?" Donna asked, her voice cutting through Angel's thoughts.

"Donna…" Angel said quietly, shaking her head.

"Is tomorrow special?" Evelina asked.

"You tell me," Donna shrugged, "What do you see?"

Evelina closed her eyes, breathing in, "The sun will rise. The sun will set. Nothing special at all," she opened her eyes.

"Look...don't tell the Doctor I said anything 'cos he'll kill me..."

"Donna don't," Angel warned her.

"Please," she looked at Angel, "Angel you know what it's like to know about things that are going to happen...YOU stop them," she reminded her, "Please...let me try to stop this."

Angel frowned, it was...different. What she saw...it was often time that was in flux, time that could be changed. Pompeii, it was fixed, it was always meant to and always would happen just as it should in history. To alter a fixed point in time...it was dangerous. It could destroy time itself if not corrected. What she did...she didn't even understand how her visions worked. She didn't know why she got them when she did or what to make of them. She just...felt...like the visions she got were the glimpses of the future she was allowed to see, the things she was allowed to try and change. She admitted, she hadn't always been able to change them, not entirely, but the ones she could...it was because time was in flux.

Pompeii...well, if it would always happen...what was the harm in letting Donna try to change it?

"Go on," Angel gave her a small nod.

Donna beamed and turned to Evelina, "I've got a prophecy too..."

Evelina covered her eyes with her hands, unknowingly creating a link with the sisterhood, allowing them to hear everything...

~8~

"Evelina, I'm sorry, but you've got to hear me out..." Donna's voice called in the minds of the sisters.

"Sisters!" Spurrina called, covering her eyes as did the other priestesses.

~8~

"Evelina, can you hear me?" Donna asked, "Listen."

"There is only one prophecy," Evelina insisted.

"But everything I'm about to say to you is true. I swear. Angel can tell you so, she 'seen' this future. Just listen to me. Tomorrow, that mountain is going to explode. Evelina, please listen. The air is going to fill with ash and rocks...tons and tons of it and...this whole town is gonna get buried. "

"That's not true!"

"Angel knows so too. And the Doctor, he told you she was a soothsayer, like you. Evelina, she's seen it..."

"She's wrong!"

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, but she's never been wrong yet. Everyone's gonna die."

~8~

"A new prophesy," Spurrina gasped.

"Impossible," one of the sisters replied, "There is only one!"

~8~

"Even if you don't believe me, just tell your family to get out of town...just for one day, just for tomorrow. But you've got to get out! Just leave Pompeii!"

"This is false prophecy!" Evelina threw her hands down, upset.

~8~

The sisters knelt before the High Priestess, "The noble-woman, she spoke of a new prophecy...one from an angel, of the fall of Pompeii," Spurrina said.

"Pompeii will last forever," the High Priestess argued.

"Then what must we do?"

"The false prophets must die. Sacrifice them!"

The sisters bowed their heads.

~8~

The Doctor arranged the marble circuits into a certain order, "Put this one...there…" and took one from Quintus, "This one...there. Uh...I'll keep that one upside down. What have you got?"

"Enlighten me," Lucius smirked.

"What? The soothsayer doesn't know?"

"The seed may float on the breeze in any direction."

"Yeah, I knew you were gonna say that and I didn't have to be my Mate to do it. But...it's an energy converter."

"An energy converter of what?"

"I don't know. Isn't that brilliant? I love not knowing, keeps me on my toes," he moved beside Lucius, looking at him, "It must be awful, being a prophet. Waking up every morning, 'Is it raining? Yes, it is. I said so.' Takes all the fun out of life. Oh but not for Angel, my Mate is brilliant, she's still learning how her visions work and even then, her feelings..." he shook his head, "It's like a great big mystery we get to work out together. But most importantly, well," he frowned, shaking his head a moment, "Second most importantly, 'cos Angel will always be number one most important, but for number two, who designed this, Lucius? Hmm? Who gave you these instructions?"

"I think you've babbled long enough."

The Doctor scoffed at that, the man clearly didn't see THAT much about a person if he thought THAT was him babbling enough, before he grew serious, "Lucius, really, tell me honestly. I'm on your side. I can help."

"You and your Mate insult the gods! There can be only one sentence. At arms!" Lucius's guards stepped in as the Doctor stepped back, taking his glasses off.

"Oh, morituri te salutant."

"Celtic prayers won't help you now."

"But it was him, sir," Quintus cried, pointing at the Doctor, "He made me do it. Sir Dextrus, please don't."

"Come on now, Quintus...dignity in death," the Doctor turned to Lucius, "I respect your victory, Lucius. Shake on it?" he held out his hand, "Come on…" he wiggled his fingers, "Dying man's wish?" he lunged forward and grabbed Lucius' hand, yanking hard and pulling it right off.

"But he's..."

"Show me," the Doctor said, holding a stone arm as Lucius shoved his cloak aside to reveal his stone stump.

"The work of the gods," he smiled.

"He's stone!" Quintus exclaimed.

"'Armless enough, though," the Doctor tossed the arm back, "Whoops!" before turning to run, "Quintus!" Quintus hurled his torch at the guards, giving himself time to get through the window, the Doctor flashing the sonic at the circuits, toppling them over, "Out! Out! Out! Hurry!"

"The carvings!" Lucius cried, rushing over to try and salvage them.

The Doctor jumped out onto the street, "Run!"

~8~

Lucius examined the circuits, relieved, "My carvings! The work is unbroken."

~8~

The Doctor and Quintus ran through the streets.

~8~

"Oh, lord of the mountain, I beseech you," Lucius called into a hypocaust, down at the stone creature inside it, "This man would prevent the rise of Pompeii…" a snarl echoed up to him, "Lord, I beg of you, show yourself!" the snarling grew louder, "Show yourself!"

~8~

Angel gasped, her eyes wide...

'...Talk to me. Tell me who you are. Don't hurt these people!...'

...they arrived in a great cavern, seeing the creatures of magma and stone walking around...

'...I can avert the system so the volcano will blow them up, yes, but...that's the choice. It's Pompeii or the world...'

"No!" she cried, running out of the room, Donna behind her.

~8~

The Doctor and Quintus paused, looking back a moment, "No sign of 'em," the Doctor smiled, "Nice little bit of Allons-y. I think we're alright."

"But his arm, Doctor," Quintus said, fearful and concerned, "Is that what's happening to Evelina?"

A loud boom echoed, "What's that?" the Doctor looked back as the sound continued.

"The mountain?"

"No, it's closer," the thudding continued as stalls and baskets fell over, along the path, heading towards them, "They're footsteps."

"It can't be."

"Footsteps underground!"

"What is it? What is it?"

The Doctor just turned Quintus around and they ran again.

~8~

"What is it?" Metella asked, looking around, "What's that noise?"

"Doesn't sound like Vesuvius," Caecilius remarked.

"Get out of the house!" Angel shouted, bursting into the room a moment before the Doctor came running in.

"Caecilius!" the Doctor called, "All of you, get out!"

"Angel, what is it?" Donna ran in after Angel.

"I think we're being followed," the Doctor said as the grille over the hypocaust was blown into the air, "Just get out!" he tried to push them to the doors as the ground beneath the hypocaust started to fracture and a loud growling was heard.

Everyone stopped.

And then a stone-like, magma-jointed creature broke through the ground as well.

"The gods are with us," Evelina breathed.

"Evelina get back!" Angel called, pulling the girl back.

"Water!" the Doctor realized, "We need water! Quintus, all of you, get water! Angel! Donna!" Donna, Quintus, Angel, and one of the servants ran to grab things to scoop the water in as Caecilius's head servant stepped forward.

"Blessed are we to see the gods…" he gasped...

And then there was a shattering noise of a vase falling to the ground a moment before he was toppled to the side as Angel tackled him, narrowly avoiding a stream of fire.

The Doctor ran forward, his hands out, "Talk to me!"he shouted at the creature, trying to keep it distracted, keep it from attacking Angel again instead, "That's all I want! Talk to me. Tell me who you are. Don't hurt these people!"

Angel looked over just as Donna entered the room with a jug to collect the water, only to see the ginger being pulled back by women in red robes with eyes painted on the backs of their hands like Evelina. Her eyes widened and she got up and ran out after them. Two women grabbed her as well and dragged her off.

"Talk to me! I'm the Doctor. Tell me who you are."

The creature opened its mouth to shoot more fire when Quintus dipped an urn in the pool, "Doctor!" he shouted, turning to splash the creature with the water. The creature froze and fell apart, in pieces, on the floor.

"What was it?" Caecilius asked.

"Carapace of stone..." the Doctor explained, "Held together by internal magma. Not too difficult to stop. But I reckon that's just a foot soldier."

"Doctor...or whatever your name is...you bring bad luck in this house," Metella said.

"I thought your son was brilliant," the Doctor replied instead, smiling a bit as Angel's words came back to him, "Aren't you going to thank him?" Quintus looked at the Doctor, amazed at what he'd said, when his mother hugged him, "Still...guess there are aliens at work in Pompeii and it's a good thing we stayed. And, speaking of luck..." he looked over, trying to spot his own personal good luck charm, "Angel?" but she was gone, "Donna?" and so was Donna, "Donna? Angel!" he ran out of the villa.

~8~

"You have got to be kidding me," Donna cried as she was shoved against a pillar and gagged, glaring at the sisters as they tied her, struggling to get out...especially considering Angel was tied to what was most likely a sacrificial altar with Spurrina holding a dagger above her.

"Please don't..." Angel gasped, struggling to get out of her bonds, well...there was one way she might be able to but...she didn't want Donna to see, she didn't want the woman to know, Donna wouldn't stop asking her about it and she was a little afraid she might tell the Doctor too...

"The false prophets will surrender both their blood and their breath," the priestess said.

"You don't need to do this!" Angel pleaded, "Please...just stop..."

"You will be silent!"

"Listen to me! I'm a soothsayer like you, I've met the Sibyl, she wouldn't want you to do this. She wouldn't want you to become this. Just...let me go. Please, you don't know what's coming for you if you don't..."

"This prattling will cease...forever!" Spurrina lifted the dagger above her head...

When she was pulled back and shoved away, pressed against a pillar, her own knife now at her throat, "Touch her and you're dead," the Doctor hissed to her, a dark look in his eyes that promised exactly what he'd threatened, a growl to his words that proved his anger, "Keep back!" he nearly snarled, looking over his shoulder at the priestesses that had tried to aid their trapped sister.

Spurrina winced as the blade nearly cut her, the Doctor's hands were shaking in what she knew was barely restrained rage, "Back away," she called to the sisters, her voice faint, clearly not have seen this coming like Angel clearly had.

The Doctor watched until the sisters had backed away from Angel before shoving Spurrina aside and striding over to the altar. He paused at the head of it, the sisters watching as, before their eyes, the man's expression completely changed from darkness to relief the nearer he came to her, "You alright?" he breathed, reaching out to stroke Angel's hair a moment, touching her cheek, his hearts starting up once more at seeing her alive.

Angel smiled softly at him, turning her head to kiss his hand, "You do realize you're in the Temple of Sibyl," she said, speaking as though she hadn't just been about to be sacrificed, well, she knew she wouldn't be, the Doctor would save her, she felt it.

"I'm VERY aware thanks," he laughed, seeing that she also wasn't answering because it would just remind him of the fact she hadn't been alright to start.

"You're not supposed to be here," she reminded him teasingly, "No men allowed. That was the rule she and I came up with."

"Oh, that's alright, just us girls," he smiled, glancing up at Spurrina, eyeing him warily, before he started to cut the bindings away from Angel as he spoke to them, "Do you know, Angel and I met the Sibyl once. Hell of a woman. Blimey, she could dance a tarantella. Truth be told, I think she had a bit of a thing for me. But, I already had my Angel, said it would never last, it couldn't even begin. She said, 'I know.' Well, she would," he stopped, getting the last binding undone, "Perfect," he smiled, helping her sit up, cupping her face in his hands, "You're just perfect," he breathed, relieved she was ok, that he'd been in time, and so, he leaned in and kissed her deeply, needing to reassure himself she was truly alright and he couldn't think of a better way than this...

"Urubahmeh!?" a muffled shout cut across their moment.

They looked over, Angel blushing a bit in embarrassment for having gotten so caught up, "Sorry Donna!" she hopped off the altar and headed over to the pillar, stepping behind it to untie her, the Doctor watching, his expression growing dark and dangerous as the sisters looked at him, knowing he was watching THEM, making sure they kept away from the gingers, "There we go!" Angel cheered, freeing Donna who pulled her gag off.

"Thanks," she smiled.

"You know," she stepped back around to help push the rest of the ropes off her, "We need to take you to meet the Sibyl Donna. She's ginger too, wouldn't you know, and I think she'd be a great addition to Gingers United. Oh!" she cheered, taking Donna's hands in her own, "We can invite some other famous gingers!"

Donna laughed, "Sounds like a plan."

Angel nodded, pleased with the ides of their future adventures, and walked back over to the Doctor, slipping her arm around his waist, "Don't worry," she reassured him, "We won't invite Queen Elizabeth...can't have our members trying to kill my Mate."

"Thanks," he laughed, his expression much lighter with Angel in his arms again, dropping a kiss to her hair before eyeing Donna, "I like the toga."

"Thank you," Donna beamed.

"Let me tell you about the Sibyl..." the Doctor turned them back to the sisters, "The founder of this religion. Angel was right, she would be ashamed of you. All her wisdom and insight turned sour. Is that how you spread the word, eh?" he squeezed Angel to his side, his mind returning to that dark place it had been in at seeing her about to be stabbed, "On the blade of a knife?"

'Still here,' Angel reminded him gently, squeezing him back, 'And not going anywhere.'

"Yes...a knife that now welcomes you!" Spurrina lunged at him when Angel pulled him back...

"Show me this man and woman," the High Priestess called. They all turned towards the curtain, the sisters quickly kneeling.

"High Priestess, the strangers would defy us!"

"Let me see. These two are different. They carry starlight in their wake."

The Doctor and Angel exchanged a glance before they approached the curtain with Donna, "Ah, very perceptive," he remarked, "Where do these words of wisdom come from?"

"The gods whisper to me."

"That's not all they've done," Angel said gently.

The Doctor glanced at her before taking a step closer to the curtain, "Ah, might we beg audience, look upon the High Priestess?"

The curtains fell away and Donna gasped, "Oh my God! What's happened to you?"

The High Priestess sat up on a bed, seeming to be almost made of rock, "The heavens have blessed me."

Chapter Text

"If I might..." the Doctor gestured to step closer. The woman raised her arm and the Doctor knelt before her, touching it, "Does it hurt?"

"It is necessary."

"Who told you that?"

"The voices."

"Is that what's happening to Evelina?" Donna asked, looking at the sisters, "Is this what's gonna happen to all of you?"

"The blessings are manifold," Spurrina stepped forward, revealing her arm was rock as well.

Donna touched it, "They're stone."

"Exactly," the Doctor stood and stepped back, "The people of Pompeii are turning to stone before the volcano erupts."

"But why?" Angel frowned, "What's going on?"

"This word...this image in your mind, this 'volcano,' what is that?" the High Priestess asked.

"More to the point, why don't you know about it?" the Doctor looked back at her as he stepped over to Angel's side, "Who are you?"

"High Priestess of the Sibylline."

"No, no, no, no. I'm talking to the creature inside you. The thing that's seeding itself into a human body, in the dust in the lungs...taking over the flesh and turning it into...what?"

"Your knowledge is impossible."

"Oh, but you can read our minds. You know it's not. I demand you tell me who you are!"

"We...are...awakening!" the High Priestess rasped, her voice echoing with another's.

"The voice of the gods!" Spurrina breathed.

"Words of wisdom, words of power," the sisters began chanting, "Words of wisdom, words of power."

"Name yourself!" the Doctor shouted, "Planet of origin, galactic coordinates, species designation according to the universal ratification of the Shadow Proclamation."

"We...are...rising!"

"Tell me your name!"

"Pyrovile," Angel breathed.

The Doctor looked at her a moment before the High Priestess wailed, "Pyrovile!"

"Pyrovile," the sisters repeated over and over, "Pyrovile."

"What's a...Pyrovile?" Donna looked at them.

"I think that's a Pyrovile..." Angel nodded at the woman, trying to recall what she knew of the species, "It's like it's...growing inside her."

"She's at the halfway stage," the Doctor nodded, eyeing the priestess.

"Well, and that turns into?" Donna asked.

"That thing in the villa, that was an adult Pyrovile."

"And the breath of a Pyrovile will incinerate you, Doctor," the High Priestess rasped, "And your Mate!"

The Doctor stiffened at that threat, "I warn you...I'm armed!" and then he...pulled out a little, yellow, water pistol, "Donna, Angel, get that grille open."

"What are..." Donna shook her head.

"Come on," Angel grabbed her arm and they ran over to it, the Doctor backing up a step to guard them.

"What are the Pyrovile doing here?" the Doctor turned back to the High Priestess, though keeping Angel in the corner of his eye.

"We fell from the heavens," the High Priestess gasped, "We fell so far and so fast we were rendered into dust."

"Right. Creatures of stone shatter on impact. When was that, seventeen years ago?"

"We have slept beneath for thousands of years."

"Ok, so seventeen years ago woke you up and now you're using human bodies to reconstitute yourself, but why the psychic powers?"

"We opened their minds and found such gifts."

"Yeah, ok, fine. You force yourself inside a human brain, use the latent psychic talent to bond. I get that. I get that. Yeah, but...seeing the future? That is way beyond psychic, and I know psychics, I call my Mate a psychic, she's really not though, well…sort of is. She's like you, but she's so much more. She can see through time. But she was born with that talent. Where does your gift of prophecy come from?"

"Got it!" Donna yelled.

"Now get down!" he called, moving to them, the pistol still trained on the High Priestess.

"What, down there?"

"Yes, down there!" the Doctor nodded. Angel jumped down, motioning for Donna to follow, "Why can't this lot predict the volcano? Why is it being hidden? My Mate can see it clear as day, she HAS seen it. Why can't you?"

"Sisters, I see into his mind!" Spurrina proclaimed, "The weapon is harmless."

"Yeah, but it's got a sting!" he squirted the High Priestess who moaned in pain, "Get down there!"

Donna dropped down, landing beside Angel as the Doctor followed, ending up landing right on top of his Mate, making them both blush a bit at the position.

"Hello," Angel breathed, staring into his eyes, he always said he loved her eyes, that they were like dark hot chocolate with golden sprinkles, but she rather loved his eyes as well, she could see so much of his soul in them.

"Hi," he let out a breath as well, his hand lightly touching her cheek, neither making a move to get up, forgetting, for a moment, where they were and what was happening.

"You fought her off with a water pistol," Donna laughed in relief, cutting through their thoughts, jolting them into memory of what was going on, "I bloody love you."

Angel moved to help her stand as soon as the Doctor got off her, smiling, "I know that feeling."

The Doctor just beamed and kissed her quickly, taking her hand to pull her off, "This way!"

"Where are we going now?" Donna called as she followed after them.

"Into the volcano."

"No way."

"Yes way," he spun the water pistol, "Appian way."

Angel just laughed and, in a way similar to the Doctor whenever his companions attempted accents, said, "No, don't do that."

~8~

"The strangers would threaten our great endeavor," the High Priestess called out, "The time has come. The prophecy must advance."

~8~

Lucius stared into the hypocaust, "The prophecy must advance," he nodded, "Thy will be done," he turned to the guards, "Summon the Cult of Vulcan."

"Yes, sir," the guard dashed out.

"We must go to the mountain. Vesuvius awaits."

~8~

Caecilius stood in his villa, looking out at the rising sun with his wife, "Sunrise, my love. A new day. Even the longest night must end."

"The mountain's worse than ever," Quintus frowned as he looked out at the smoking mountain.

"We killed a messenger of the gods in our own house," Metella lamented before turning to her daughter, "Sweetheart, can you see? Tell us. What's going to happen?"

"Just...leave her alone," Quintus pleaded, upset with seeing his sister used the way she was.

Evelina closed her eyes a moment, frowning, "I can see..."

"What is it?" Metella asked.

"A choice," her eyes opened, tears in them, "Someone must make a choice. The most terrible choice."

~8~

The Doctor, Angel, and Donna walked through the tunnels of Vesuvius, Angel taking a bit more of the lead, letting her intuition guide her, "But if it's aliens setting off the volcano, doesn't that make it alright?" Donna asked, hopeful, "For you to stop it?"

"Still part of history," he shook his head.

"Well, I'm history too. You saved me in 2008. You saved us all. Why is that different?"

"Throughout time there are things that are fixed and things that are in flux, able to be changed," Angel tried to explain, rubbing her head a bit, her headache was starting to come back with the heat and the terrible smell of smoke around them, "Pompeii...it's fixed Donna."

"How do you know which is which?"

"Because that's how we see the Universe," the Doctor stopped and turned to look at her sadly, "Every waking second."

"We have the ability to see what is and what was," Angel said, sounding almost like she was reciting an age old lesson, "What could be and what must not be."

And it was even stronger in her.

Her visions...she saw more of what could be than anything but...her feelings...sometimes, like now, with how she was leading them off, she got the impression that those feelings were also of what is...what was happening at that very moment or near enough. It was like...when she shivered, knowing it meant an enemy had likely killed someone, that was happening at that exact moment. She had to admit, she was rather scared of how her abilities might progress. She already saw what could be, felt what is, how long would it be before she saw what was, what must not be? She didn't know, and she wasn't sure she wanted to. Foreknowledge alone was the most dangerous aspect to time travel, you could end up creating the future as a result, trying to alter something that couldn't be altered, among so many other things. She worried, each and every time she saved someone, that she might be disrupting the future. Whenever she pushed or pulled someone away it was always right before they were about to be killed or wounded and...if that gut feeling meant that, it meant those people would have been dead if not for her. What then? What sort of future was she building for those men and women? It was different with Rose's father, they KNEW he was dead, he'd been dead for so long, it was an established event in Rose's life...but the people she saved, there was no telling when they would have died, they didn't know their personal futures, it wasn't set in stone yet. It gave her freedom to save them, but she often wondered...at what cost? How would it affect the future?

She could only hope that, since time didn't seem to be disrupted right after it happened, perhaps, the future would be alright.

"That's the burden of the Time Lords, Donna," the Doctor squeezed her hand, sensing her thoughts, he'd often worried the same, how her small changes to the timelines of those around her might play out in the future, "We're the only ones left."

"How many people died?" Donna asked as the Doctor turned them to walk on.

"Stop it!"

"Doctor!" she yelled, making them stop, "How many people died?"

"20,000," he whispered.

"Is that what you can see?" she looked between the two of them, "All 20,000? And you think that's alright, do you?"

"Of course it's not alright," Angel turned to her, "But Donna…some things are necessary. Some things have to happen for the sake of the Universe."

"How could Pompeii affect the Universe?"

Before either of them could reply, a terribly screech echoed down to them, "They know we're here!" the Doctor shouted, "Come on!"

~8~

Lucius approached Vesuvius with the Cult of Vulcan, each member carrying a circuit.

~8~

The trio ran through the tunnels, trying their best to avoid flames shooting up, Angel helping them dodge and weave through them moments before they shot out.

~8~

"Oh, mighty Vesuvius accept these offerings in Vulcan's design and show unto us, I beseech you, the gods of the Underworld!" Lucius called to a mountain entrance.

The Cult knelt as a Pyrovile stepped out of the cave.

~8~

They arrived in a great cavern, seeing the creatures of magma and stone walking around, "It's the heart of Vesuvius," the Doctor breathed, "We're right inside the mountain."

"There's tons of 'em," Donna whispered.

"What's that thing?" Angel pointed at something across the way as the Doctor pulled out a small collapsible telescope and peered through it.

"Well, you'd better hurry up and think of something," Donna remarked as they kept low, "Rocky IV's on its way."

"That's how they arrived..." the Doctor squinted, seeing it was a ship, "Or what's left of it. Escape pod? Prison ship? Gene bank?" he collapsed the scope.

"But why do they need a volcano? Maybe...it erupts and they launch themselves back in space or something..."

"No, it's worse than that," Angel breathed, her eyes filling with tears as the last part of her vision rang in her mind.

"How can it be worse?" Donna shook her head, a Pyrovile roaring a few feet away, "It's getting closer."

"Heathens!" Lucius yelled. They looked up to see him standing on a high ledge in the cavern, "Defilers! They would desecrate your temple, my lord gods!"

"Come on!" the Doctor called, leading them across the cavern floor, for the ship.

"We can't go in!" Donna yelled.

"We can't go back!"

"Crush them!" Lucius cried, "Burn them!" they stopped when a Pyrovile stepped in front of them. The Doctor quickly fired his water pistol at it, making it flinch back so they could run past, "There is nowhere to run, Doctor...Angel...daughter of London."

"Now then, Lucius," the Doctor turned as they made it to the ship, "My lord Pyrovillian...don't get yourselves in a lava," he looked at Angel and Donna, "In a lava...no?"

"No," they said at once, sounding very much like sisters again, they even had the same expression on their faces.

"No," he nodded, turning back to the man, "But if I might beg the wisdom of the gods before we perish...once this new race of creatures is complete...then what?"

A Pyrovile started towards them, boulders and other rocks being crushed along the way, making the Doctor tug Angel closer, as Lucius spoke, "My masters will follow the example of Rome itself, an almighty empire, bestriding the whole of civilization."

"But if you've crashed...and you've got all this technology, why don't you just go home?" Donna called.

"The heaven of Pyrovillia is gone."

"What do you mean 'gone?'" Angel shook her head, "Where'd it go?"

"It was taken. Pyrovillia is lost. But there is heat enough in this world for our new species to rise."

"Yeah, I should warn you, it's 70 percent water out there," the Doctor scoffed.

"Water can boil and everything will burn, Doctor!"

He put the pistol away, "Then the whole planet is at stake. Thank you, that's all I needed to know. Donna!" he pushed her into the pod, Angel following after them before the Doctor soniced the door shut.

"You have them, my lords!"

"Could we be any more trapped?" Donna huffed as the door behind her and the pod itself suddenly got hotter, "Little bit hot."

"See, the energy converted takes the lava, uses the power to create a fusion matrix which wields Pyrovile to human," the Doctor remarked, examining the controls before them, mostly speaking to Angel, knowing she would understand some of it more than Donna, "Now it's complete, they can convert millions."

"Well, can you change it...with these controls?" Donna managed to follow along anyway.

"'Course I can. But don't you see? That's why the soothsayers can't see the volcano. There is no volcano. Vesuvius is never going to erupt. The Pyrovile are stealing all its power. They're gonna use it to take over the world."

"But you can change it back," Angel said softly, realizing what was coming, the end of her vision.

"I can avert the system," he nodded, "So the volcano will blow them up, yes, but...that's the choice. It's Pompeii or the world."

"Oh my God," Donna breathed, shocked.

"If Pompeii is destroyed, then it's not just history, it's us," the Doctor looked at Angel, knowing she would stand by him, "We make it happen."

"But the Pyrovile are made of rock. Maybe they can't be blown up."

"Vesuvius explodes with the force of 24 nuclear bombs," the Doctor set the controls, "Nothing can survive it," he looked at Donna and Angel sadly, "Certainly not us."

"Never mind us."

The Doctor put his hand on the lever, "Push this lever and it's all over. 20,000 people," he hesitated, not wanting to be responsible for so many deaths, and not just of those in Pompeii, but...possibly theirs as well.

"It has to happen Doctor," Angel whispered, resting her head on his shoulder as she put her hands on the lever with his, letting him know it was ok to pull it.

"I know…" he swallowed hard.

And then Donna put her hands on as well.

They all looked at each other a moment before pulling the lever down.

~8~

Evelina gasped, sensing the change in the future, as did the sisters of the Sibylline.

~8~

"Nooooo!" Lucius cried, "Noooooo!"

~8~

"Nooooo!" the High Priestess screeched.

"A new prophesy!" Spurrina gasped.

~8~

Angel winced as she braced herself against the side of the capsule as it shook, Vesuvius erupting around them, closing her eyes, concentrating as much as she could, pulling a power she hadn't used in such a large amount in so long to the surface...

~8~

"The future is changing," Evelina breathed.

~8~

Lucius screamed as flames of the mountain god's cavern burned him.

~8~

The mountain erupted, sending ash and the capsule the trio were trapped in, now surrounded by a faint golden glow, up into the air, throwing those inside about, Angel just barely managing to hang onto the sides of the capsule.

~8~

"The sky is falling!" Caecilius exclaimed, looking up.

"Death," Evelina backed away to the wall, "Only death!"

~8~

The townspeople looked up, stunned, watching the mountain, not sure what to do.

~8~

The Doctor helped Angel out of the capsule as the woman rubbed her head, Donna climbing out after them, "That did not help my head," Angel muttered.

"It was an escape pod," the Doctor peered at the pod a moment before realizing the volcano was active behind them, "Come on!"

And then they were off, running back to the town.

~8~

People watched in horror as the cloud of ash blocked the sun.

~8~

The villa quaked as dust and furniture fell around the occupants.

"Out!" Caecilius shouted, "Out, everybody out! Quickly!"

~8~

The people panicked, screaming and running, trying to escape the town.

~8~

Caecilius tried to lead his family out...when the ceiling fell around them, blocking the way.

~8~

The ash began to fall like black rain as the Doctor, Angel, and Donna ran through the streets.

~8~

The High Priestess wailed as the temple collapsed around her.

Spurrina sat on the floor with the soothsayers gathered to her, "You lied to us! And yet this was meant to be."

~8~

The Doctor and Angel tried to make their way to the TARDIS amidst the chaos in the streets while Donna shouted out to anyone who might listen, "Don't! Don't go to the beach! Don't go to the beach, go to the hills! Listen to me! Don't go to the beach, it's not safe! Listen to me..." she turned around, hearing a little boy crying, all alone, and made her way to his side, "Come here."

But a woman pulled the boy away, "Give him to me!"

Donna stood there, devastated, crying at the sight around her, when Angel stepped forward and grabbed her hand, "Come on," she said gently, tugging her back to the Doctor as they ran towards the villa, only to find the family crouched together against the back wall with their servant, the same one Angel had saved before.

"Gods save us, Doctor!" Caecilius cried.

The Doctor stared at them in terrible sadness before pulling Angel towards the TARDIS.

"You can't!" Donna gasped, "Doctor, you can't! Angel!" she rushed after them, into the TARDIS, storming up to them as the Doctor rushed around the console, preparing to dematerialize, "You can't just leave them!"

"Don't you think we've done enough?" he glared, "History's back in place and everyone dies."

He didn't know what he was more angry about, the fact they'd nearly gotten trapped in Pompeii, that his MATE had nearly gotten trapped, or that he'd been forced to be the cause of it, along with Angel. Their entire planet had burned, because of HIM, and now...it was happening all over again in Pompeii and worse yet...he'd made Angel responsible for it too. That was a guilt and a burden he DIDN'T EVER want her to have to bear.

"You've got to go back! Doctor, I am telling you, take this thing back!"

The Doctor released the brake and the TARDIS disappeared, his face stony.,

"It's not fair," Donna breathed, tears streaming down her face.

"No, it's not," Angel whispered, coming from around the other side of the console to stand by her.

"But your own planet," she looked at Angel, "It burned."

"That's just it," the Doctor said, drawing her attention again, sounding so...tired, so hurt, "Don't you see, Donna? Can't you understand? If we could go back and save them then we would, but we can't. We can never go back! We can't! We just...can't!" he looked down, "We can't…"

"Then why save that servant if he was just gonna die anyway?" Donna looked at Angel.

Angel blinked, gasping as something struck her and she spun to the Doctor, rushing over to him, taking his hands, "We can't save our people," she agreed, "And we can't save them all, but we CAN save someone…"

He looked at her and she gave him a little smile, showing him her thoughts. Donna was right, why would she have saved that servant from the Pyrovile just to have him die now?

He started smiling.

~8~

Caecilius and his family, along with his servant, sat huddled together as ash fell around them. They looked up at a wheezing sound, to see a bright light fill the room when the box that had somehow disappeared when the Spartacus trio had entered it, appeared again in the same spot. The doors opened and the Doctor and Angel stood silhouetted against a white light.

"Come with us," the Doctor held out a hand.

Caecilius reached out and grasped the Doctor's.

Angel had saved that simple servant because he was meant to live, THEY were meant to live!

~8~

They watched from a hill as a a dark cloud descended over the town. The Doctor, with his arm around Angel, Donna beside them, and Caecilius, his family, and his lone servant, watching as the city was destroyed.

"It is never forgotten, Caecilius," the Doctor told them, "Oh time will pass, men will move on, and stories will fade, but one day...Pompeii will be found again...in thousands of years...and everyone will remember you."

"What about you, Evelina?" Donna looked at the girl, "Can you see anything?"

"The visions have gone," she shook her head.

"The explosion was powerful enough to crack open a rift in time," Angel nodded, smiling just a bit at how SHE had given the explanation this time. She was good when it came to time and space.

The Doctor sighed, "Just for a second. That's what gave you the gift of prophecy. It echoed back into the Pyrovillian alternative. But not anymore. You're free," he squeezed Angel beside him, in the end, she was the one true soothsayer of them all.

"But tell me...who are you, Doctor, Angel?" Metella looked at them, "With your words...and your temple containing such size within?"

"Oh, we were never here. Don't tell anyone."

"The great god Vulcan must be enraged," Caecilius murmured, "It's so volcanic. It's like some sort of...volcano," his voice cracked, "All those people..." he hugged his wife to him as Quintus took his sister's hand, none of them noticing the Doctor, Angel, and Donna slip back into the TARDIS.

"Thank you," Donna said, taking Angel's hand and squeezing it, knowing that it was her, her that convinced the Doctor to go back, it was always her.

"You were right," Angel squeezed her hand back, "Sometimes we need someone," she smiled softly, "I can't always see everything, but you can see what I miss."

Donna nodded at that, knowing it had been HER as well that had helped save that family, SHE had noticed Angel saving the servant, all the excuse they needed to save them.

"Welcome aboard," the Doctor smiled.

"Yeah," she tried to return it.

Angel frowned, still seeing tears in Donna's eyes, and tugged her, "Come with me."

Donna frowned as Angel pulled her off, the Doctor trailing behind, "Where are we going?"

"To cheer you up!" Angel cheered, smiling back at her, knowing just what Donna needed, the one good memory in the bad, "I'm not about to let my sister be sad after her first trip am I?"

Donna had to smile at that when Angel pulled her right past a door...shutting it in the Doctor's face, which made her laugh.

Angel opened the door to see the Doctor standing there, blinking, "Sorry Doctor, girls...no," she smirked, recalling his little joke in the temple, "Gingers only," she beamed at him and shut the door...only to open it a moment later as he pouted, to give him a kiss, before shutting the door again.

"First official meeting of Gingers United!" he heard Angel announce to Donna through the door, "First order of business...uniforms!"

He laughed and shook his head, it seemed Martha and all her dressing up had gotten to Angel, she seemed to like doing it not just for period trips anymore, he could only imagine what those two would get into.

~8~

Six months later would find Caecilius searching through his villa, in Rome, "Metella, my love, have you seen that clasp? The beetle one. The Egyptians do love a scarab."

"Here we are, I was giving it a polish!" she arrived with the clasp in hand, giving it to him, "Now calm down."

"If I get that contract for the marble granaries of Alexandria, we'll be rich, you'll see..." he grinned...but it faltered when Evelina walked by wearing a short blue tunic, "Hold on there, Evelina. You are not going out wearing that!"

"Don't start dad, it's what all the girls in Rome are wearing," she smiled, kissing his cheek, "See you later."

"Are you seeing that boy again?" he called after her.

Quintus walked by, carrying a few scrolls under his arm, looking far more mature than last time, "Oh, look at Quintus," Metella gazed on him proudly, "My son, the doctor."

"Mum, I've told you," he sighed, though he was inwardly pleased that his parents finally knew the truth about his ambitions and were actually quite supportive of them, "I'm not a doctor for the legion, not yet. I'm just a student of the physical sciences."

"Well, that's a doctor to me," she kissed his forehead, "Give thanks to the household gods before you go. There's a good boy," she turned to Caecilius, eyeing his clothes, "Come here, let me fix it. You've got that folded all wrong..."

Quintus shook his head at his mother and walked over to kneel before their shrine, sprinkling water on it, "Thank you, household gods. Thank you for everything," he smiled, looking at the carving...the Doctor, Angel, Donna, and the TARDIS.

~8~

Angel and Donna laughed as they posed in front of a mirror in the back of the wardrobe. Both of them were wearing the most ridiculous outfits they could find. Angel was wearing a pair of bright, neon purple bell-bottom pants, with ridiculously high orange heels, a shirt that was practically a tent on her and in a bright pattern that hurt the eyes, looking like an optical illusion, with a bright pink feather boa around her neck, a large red hat on her head that was so wide it could probably have been used to fly, and big yellow sunglasses that took up more than half her face on. Donna, on the other hand, had a tiara on her head, with one of the joke glasses that had bushy eyebrows and a big plastic nose on, with a purple feather boa, what looked like it was a yellow shag carpet as a long-sleeved shirt, a pair of pants that were cow patterned, and big swimming flippers on her feet. They both looked ridiculous but they were laughing too much to care.

"Strike a pose!" Donna cried and they tried to make the most random pose they could...only for Angel to lose her balance and topple over, rolling onto her back as she laughed even more, so hard that tears came to her eyes. Donna tried to help her up but stepped on one of her flippers and fell right beside her, the two gingers' faces as red as their hair.

They had tried to be serious, really actually looking for 'uniforms' to wear, trying on suits and dresses and pajamas among many other things, but then they just started getting silly. They dressed up as clowns and ghosts and babies, though they DID find some rather lovely Flapper dresses in the back, before they just started throwing the most random pieces of clothing at each other and egging the other into changing into them.

The Doctor stepped in, right at that moment, missing his Mate as she'd been locked in the wardrobe for a good few hours now, and stopped at the sight of the two women sprawled out on the ground, seeming to have trouble breathing, and dressed in clothes he was sure the TARDIS hadn't had, "Do I want to know?"

Angel just smiled and scrambled to her feet, "What do you think?" she asked, gesturing at her outfit as she unwound her boa, trying not to knock her hat off her head in the process as it had, somehow, managed to stay on her head despite her fall.

"I can honestly say I have never seen anything like it before," the Doctor nodded, he really didn't know how she managed to find outfits so completely ridiculous, yet look as amazing in them as she did.

Angel laughed and flung her boa around his neck, "A good answer deserves a good reward," she remarked, tugging him towards her by the boa, kissing him soundly.

He beamed as he pulled away, his hands wandering to her waist, "I suppose that answers another thing," he remarked, "If I, for some reason, chose a bowtie or a coat without lapels in my next body...all you needed to do," he tapped her nose, "Is pick an outfit that uses a boa."

She paused, considering that, "I think I might just wear it for THIS body," she told him.

"Oh will you?" he laughed, stepping back, taking the boa with him, though she didn't seem to notice.

She nodded, "We decided boas will be mandatory Gingers United attire," she informed him, that was really ALL they had managed to decide in the middle of everything, "Boas are cool!"

He grinned, holding her boa back from her, "Well you'll need to take this one back first or else you're in violation of your own rules," he teased.

Her mouth dropped open in a playful smile as she tried to reach for the boa, only for him to pull back. She moved to the side, he moved it behind his back to his other hand. She jumped for it, he just held it above his head, "Give it back!" she called with a laugh.

He just smirked deviously, something only Donna seemed to notice, the two seeming to have forgotten she was there, much like in the temple. He held the boa out as though to give it to her, only to pull it back suddenly as far back as he could go, Angel jolting after it...right into a kiss. He quickly dropping the boa to wind his arms around her, holding her closer, his one hand slowly drifting up to her neck, tilting her a bit to kiss her deeper...until he moved his hands suddenly, one behind her back, the other to her legs and lifted her up.

Angel squealed as he gathered her into his arms, bridal style, and spun around, making her laugh, her face red from the loving kiss he'd just given her. He beamed widely at the bright smile on her face, how her arms went around his neck, they way her eyes lit up, and leaned over to brush his nose to hers.

"You two are SO adorable," Donna remarked quietly.

They looked over at her to see her sitting on the floor of the wardrobe, cross-legged, smiling up at them, though it was small and wistful.

"Can't help it," the Doctor shrugged, not letting go of Angel for a moment.

It wasn't actually all that hard to keep holding her, she was practically light as a feather to him and, even if she wasn't, there was just something about having her near, having her in his arms, that gave him a strength he didn't know he had.

"Just love her so, so, so, so, SO much!" he spun her around again, dropping the hand under her legs to put his arm back around her waist.

"I love you more," Angel told him, giving him a peck.

"Oh now THAT'S impossible," he smiled, though his hearts raced at her words.

"How do you do it?" Donna asked, pulling their attention back.

"Do what?" Angel blinked as the Doctor set her back down, though he kept her close, her back to his front as he rested his chin on her head, swaying them side-to-side gently.

"That," she gestured at them, shaking her head, "You're aliens, you haven't changed at all. Despite what I said about you looking older...you HAVEN'T aged. Just how old are you?"

"903," the Doctor replied, "And Angel's 797."

Donna blinked, working out that they had to be immortal, or at least very, VERY slow agers, but it didn't really matter what they were, their ages were enough to go on with her point, "You'll be together for ages," Donna said, firmly believing it, "For centuries, millennia, the end of time even," she nodded, "I just..." she sighed, "Every time I see you, you're even more in love with each other and I don't think that'll ever change. How? How do you do it? I..." she looked down, a small frown on her face, "I barely had 6 months and we all know how THAT turned out."

Angel stepped away from the Doctor, the man letting her go, to sit beside Donna, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Donna..." she shook her head, trying to figure out a way to say what she wanted to, "There is something SO special about you. The way we met you," she smiled, "The way we met you again, that's not a coincidence, that's something more," she nudged Donna to look at her, "I really believe that things happen for a reason and I think you were meant to be with us, right now, NOT Lance," she smiled, "And Lance...he wasn't meant for you Donna, because YOU are just too amazing to be with HIM," she beamed, seeing Donna starting to smile again, "The Doctor is BRILLIANT yeah?"

"Yeah," Donna nodded, not quite sure where that was going.

"And YOU are his companion!" Angel laughed, "Don't you see? He wouldn't take you on if you weren't brilliant. And you deserve someone who is just as amazing as you, someone who deserves you, someone who will make you as happy as the Doctor makes me."

The Doctor smiled at her words, touched.

"Do you think that was Lance?" Angel asked, wrinkling her face in distaste as she said 'Lance.'

"No," Donna let out a breathy laugh as she shook her head, "Not at all, even before the wedding he never made me feel the way you clearly do around the Doctor, not really."

"You see," Angel nodded, "You couldn't be with Lance because there's a man out there who will love you so much more than Lance ever could, someone who will always be there for you and make you smile and laugh and feel all warm inside," she smiled back at the Doctor as he gazed at her softly, knowing that was how HE made HER feel, "And when you DO find him...I want an invitation to the wedding."

Donna laughed, tears in her eyes at how...she couldn't even describe how Angel made her feel at that moment, "You'll be IN it," Donna swore, "My sister's GOT to be my Maid-of-Honor."

"Brilliant," Angel smiled, "I look forward to it."

Donna just shook her head and reached out to hug Angel to her, feeling so much better, feeling...she didn't know.

'You really are an angel,' the Doctor's voice called in her mind as she looked over at him again, him just beaming at her.

She just smiled and hugged Donna tighter, happy she could help.

Chapter Text

"The Ood," a man's voice spoke, "They came from a distant world...they voyaged across the stars, all with one purpose..."

"Do you take milk and sugar?" an Ood asked, his orb lighting up in its typical fashion.

"...to serve."

A man stood in his office, watching the ad playing out on a monitor, an Ood standing behind him, silent and waiting, "That's good," he nodded, speaking into his comm., clearly pleased with the ad, "That's excellent. I like it. 'Buy one now.' Direct. Straight to the point."

"We play that across the tri-galactic for two weeks, then introduce this," another man replied over the comm..

"Now only 50 credits…" the ad continued again.

"50?" he raised an eyebrow, scoffing at the amount, "We're reducing the price to 50 credits?"

"Sales are down," the man over the comm. sighed, "We've got to reposition ourselves. So get going."

He rolled his eyes, cutting off the comm., "Idiot!" he muttered, glaring at the frozen ad, "He's bleeding us dry," he turned to the Ood, "You there! Get me last month's military export figures. The army always needs more grunts," he turned and sat at the desk.

"Yes, sir," the Ood nodded, going to do just that.

"Mr. Bartle, you asked me to contact you?" a young Indian woman called over the comm..

"Solana, when those buyers arrive, we're gonna pitch like never before," Bartle began, "I want those Ood flying out of here," the Ood returned and placed a binder on the desk in front of him, "I said military figures. That's the domestic file," he handed it back...more like shoved it back...to the Ood without looking at it.

"The file is irrelevant, sir," the Ood slammed the file down, its eyes red though Bartle didn't notice.

"Oh, and why is that?" Bartle turned to look at the Ood, gasping at the sight of the red eyes they'd only ever heard whispers of.

The Ood simply placed his translator ball to Bartle's head, electrocuting him, "Have a nice day."

~8~

The Doctor and Donna were jostled about as the TARDIS flew through the Vortex, Angel just barely managing to hold onto to the center of the console to keep steady enough to land her wherever it was the old box had taken them. All they really knew was that the Doctor had set the controls for a random planet, as per Donna's request to see one, and SHE wasn't allowed to 'peek' ahead to where it was or what might happen, also as per Donna's request. They'd both been all too willing to agree. The Doctor because he loved mystery tours, Angel because the Doctor had been right when he spoke to Lucius, sometimes knowing what was coming made things a bit dull. She knew enough of her abilities to know that she could, if she really, really tried, force a glimpse of the future, or at the very least, get a feeling about something. But most of the time, she didn't really want to know. When the feelings and visions happened, they happened, and, more often than not, she was able to help someone as a result. But...there were things she'd rather not see, like...if something terrible was coming. Yes, she could try to stop it, but, knowing something bad was coming up was just...she didn't want to see it once and then have to live through it. The only good thing about those was she could help, and that's all she ever really wanted to do, help and protect people, much like the Doctor loved caring for people and making them better.

They were quite the pair, weren't they?

"Set the controls to random!" the Doctor called as the TARDIS settled, walking around the side of the console to look at Donna, sliding his arm around Angel's waist in the process as he came beside her, "Mystery tour. Outside that door could be any planet, anywhere, anywhen in the whole wide…"

"Are you alright Donna?" Angel asked, seeing the ginger standing there, almost trembling, stiff even.

"Terrified," Donna said, though she sounded very excited as well, "I mean, history's one thing, but an alien planet!"

"We could always take you home," the Doctor joked.

"Yeah, don't laugh at me," Donna warned.

"And don't you dare," Angel poked him in the side, making him squirm away, ticklish, "I've only JUST started showing her how to pilot the TARDIS," she poked him again, making him take her hand and kiss the back of it.

It was something she had decided to do ever since Mickey had come along as her companion. She liked making the humans feel included, she liked helping them understand things and not feel left out or missing something. She knew all too well how that felt to not be able to follow something others would think of as simple. So she'd always tried to at least show them the basics of the TARDIS controls, simple buttons that they could operate and things like that. She'd only gotten to show Donna the heating and cooling controls and how to turn on the radio and that was NOT enough in her book.

"I know, I know," the Doctor laughed, "I've only JUST started showing her the wonders of the Universe," he agreed, "Far too much still left to see."

"Is that what you say to all the girls Doctor?" Donna teased, egging the Doctor into a small bickering match.

Angel's smile tensed a bit as she watched their bickering. Her stomach was very...unsettled and her head felt like it was buzzing, making her feel slightly light headed. It wasn't quite a headache but just...fuzzy. But then again, that had been one of the more bumpy rides the TARDIS had taken them on, much more jarring than normal for some reason, she'd be surprised if her stomach hadn't gotten all twisted from it. She hadn't really been able to help pilot much as a result either. The Doctor had gotten a bit too excited at the prospect of his first 'Mystery Tour' with his newest companion and shot them off before she could get to the console to help. She'd only just got her footing moments ago.

"I know what it's like," the Doctor told Donna gently, steering the conversation in a more 'serious,' well, as serious as the Doctor could be, direction, "Everything you're feeling right now. The fear, the joy, the wonder, I get that!"

"Seriously? After all this time?"

"Oh yeah," he nodded, "And not just about the travelling," he winked at Angel.

Donna had been right on so many counts earlier, when he'd found them in the wardrobe in the most laughable outfits one could imagine, they'd had quite a surprisingly serious and meaningful conversation with the woman...which was odd when one considered she'd been wearing glasses with bushy eyebrows and a big plastic nose through the whole thing and hadn't seemed to notice. But she'd mentioned that, every time she saw them, they were more in love with each other and that she didn't think that would ever change.

She was SO right.

Even now, even having had Angel with him nearly every waking (and sleeping) second of every hour of every day of every infinite year in the TARDIS since the moment they'd met...she awed him still. He didn't doubt she wouldn't ever stop completely captivating him. Everything she did, every expression on her face, every laugh, every smile, ever touch...he'd memorized. He couldn't help it, he was just...drawn to her. She was truly the most exquisite thing he'd ever been able to call his. He was quite certain she might even best the TARDIS in that respect. The box was a wonder, yes, but Angel...she was a treasure. He'd been telling her the complete truth after dealing with that killer star, he really would give up everything, all the travelling, even the TARDIS, if it meant keeping her, being with her forever. He just...loved her so much it actually hurt at times to think of what it would be like if anything ever happened to her.

He tried not to, he tried so hard not to ever even imagine that, not wanting to jinx it. But...there WERE times he couldn't help it. When she was in danger, which she DID seem to get into quite a bit of despite his best efforts, sometimes, it seemed, even more so than his companions did. Like falling off the window cleaner's cradle or getting kidnapped in Pompeii...those moments where her life was on the line his mind would, for only a split second before he violently forced it back, go to an image of what he'd be like without her.

It scared him.

Terrified him really.

His world had been so dark after the War, so empty, so...cold. He'd met Rose and she was a good distraction, he could pretend for a moment or two that he was just flying away from Gallifrey, from the Time Lords and all their stuffy rules, and just showing the Universe to his next companion. But that was all she was, a distraction from the truth. Angel though...he couldn't describe what she was to him. If Rose was like a meteor, streaking across his darkened sky, lighting it up for a moment before fading and leaving him in darkness once more...Angel was like the sun, the ever-rising, never-setting sun. She was always there, she was always shining, and happy, and smiling, and laughing, and warm, and...meeting her had become the most important moment in his long life. Meeting her...he didn't feel dark, not with her faith in him and her trust and belief he was a good man, he didn't feel empty with her love shining at him through her eyes and her presence always at his side, he didn't feel cold when she gave such magnificent hugs that literally warmed his hearts and her hand fitting perfectly in his when she held it sending the best feeling up his arm and into his body.

It actually scared him at times how perfect she was for him, how much she balanced him. Whenever he felt himself tipping towards the dark and the rage and the hate...there she was, his guardian angel, lighting the way back.

He couldn't imagine his life without her...

He couldn't imagine what HE'D become without her...

"It's why he keeps going," Angel said, pulling him out of his thoughts.

He just looked at her a moment smiling, before he pressed a kiss to her temple, pouring all his happiness into it, beaming when she smiled happily up at him in return.

"Oh!" Donna grinned, "Alright, then! This is barmy!" she turned and made her way to the door as the Doctor swung his coat on, Angel stepping around the console, her stomach a bit more settled, "I was born in Chiswick," she turned back to them, "I've only ever done package holidays. Now I'm here. This is…I mean, it's…I dunno. It's all so…I don't even know what the word is!" she turned once more and stepped out of the TARDIS onto a planet where snow was falling all around, the wind breezing past them, "Oh, I've got the word. 'Freezing.'"

The Doctor and Angel stepped out moments later, hand-in-hand, as they looked around, "Snow!" the Doctor exclaimed, "Ah! Real snow! Proper snow at last! That's more like it."

"It's lovely," Angel nodded, "What do you think Donna?"

"Bit cold," the woman shook a bit, chilled, even Angel crossed her arms a moment at a particularly nippy gust of wind.

"Look at the view!" the Doctor gushed, looking at the beautiful, though barren, land.

"Yep. A beautiful, cold view," Donna remarked, before glancing at the snow and then smiling at Angel, "Ever made a snow angel before?"

Angel frowned, "A what?"

Donna stared at her, "You've never made one?" Angel shook her head, "Not ever?" and again, "Well then," she marched over to Angel and took her hand, leading her off a few paces, the Doctor watching with a grin, "Follow me," she told Angel before letting herself fall back into the snow.

Angel blinked but did the same, falling with an 'oomph' and a little laugh, "Now what?"

"Swish your arms and legs, like this," Donna demonstarted, Angel sitting up just a bit to see her before doing the same.

The Doctor chuckled and walked to Donna's feet, "Like a hand?" he grinned, reaching out for her when she finished.

"Thank you," Donna nodded, taking his hand and getting up.

"And you," the Doctor turned to Angel, offering his hand to her as well.

She beamed and took it, letting him pull her right up and jump a bit out of the impression she'd made. She looked down at the two impressions, looking very much like the angels her mother had often talked about, and smiled down at them, "Oh that's wonderful!"

She loved this! She loved learning new things, especially Earth traditions and little human ideas, they were brilliant!

"A snow you," the Doctor tapped her nose as they looked at the snow angel she'd made, "But I think it's missing something," he remarked.

"What?" Angel frowned, looking at it critically before turning to Donna, "Did I do something wrong?"

Donna shook her head, "No, they're perfect," she said, shaking quite a bit, considering perhaps if she should have waited till she got a jacket or something to do that...speaking of, she glanced back at the TARDIS and dashed for it...

The Doctor just walked around Angel's snow angel as she watched him and knelt down, drawing a circle at the top of its head, a halo, and then leaned forward to make two hearts in the center of its chest, "There we go!" he stood up, brushing off his hands, "A much closer rendition."

Angel laughed and shook her head at him, "I made a snow angel on another planet," she remarked.

He laughed, "Millions of planets, millions of galaxies, and we're on this one," he sighed, nodding at the magnificence of that, "Molto bene!" he walked around the snow angel, to Angel, and pulled her into his arms, spinning her around in a little dance once more, "Belissimo! Says Donna, born in Chiswick," he called to her, though he didn't take his eyes off Angel, nor her off him, "You've had a life of work and sleep," he spun Angel away and pulled her back, "Telly and rent, takeaway dinners, birthdays and Christmases, and two weeks holiday a year and then you end up here! Donna Noble, citizen of the Earth, standing on a different planet. How about that, Donna?" he dipped Angel and looked over, Angel looking upside down, to see the other ginger in question was missing, "Donna?" he pulled Angel back up.

Donna simply stepped out of the TARDIS, a warm fur-lined coat over her, "Sorry. You were saying?"

"Feel better?" Angel smiled as she brushed the lingering snow off her own sweater.

"Lovely, thanks."

"Comfy?" the Doctor asked.

"Yep."

"Can you hear anything inside that?"

"Pardon?"

He laughed, "Right. I was saying, citizen of the Earth…"

Suddenly a rocket flew past them, overhead.

"A rocket!" Donna gaped, "Blimey, a real, proper rocket. Now that's what I call a spaceship," she whacked the Doctor's arm, "You've got a box, he's got a Ferrari! Come on, let's see where it's going!" she reached out and took Angel's hand, pulling her forward with her as the Doctor looked back at the TARDIS, miffed.

~8~

Outside a warehouse, the rocket landed and a man strode out dressed in a black suit, slightly balding, with an Ood and two guards at his side, "Mr. Halpen, sir," a man in a white lab coat greeted, "Dr. Ryder, new Head of Ood Management," he held out a hand but Halpen ignored it.

"How many dead?" he asked, getting right to the point, "Come on, facts and figures. I haven't flown all this way to discuss the weather. Which, by the way, is freezing."

"Solana has the figures, sir," Ryder motioned for a young Indian woman who was beside him to step forward.

"Solana Mercurio, sir," she greeted as well, "Head of Marketing and Galactic Liaison."

"Just what I need," he rolled his eyes, "A PR woman. I don't want a word of this getting out, is that understood? Now, get to the point, how many dead?" they turned and walked inside, heading to an executive office, the one where Bartle had been killed.

Solana stepped forward and played the security video of what happened, "In the past financial quarter, we've had three deaths in the complex, all attributed to heart attacks or industrial accidents. But now we've captured this on tape, the cause would seem the same."

They watched as the Ood stepped up to Bartle and struck him with its translator, electrocuting him.

"Using the translator ball as a weapon," Halpen frowned, "How does that work?"

"No idea," Ryder sighed, "I'm checking the equipment. Nothing so far."

"Can't see its eyes from this angle," he muttered.

"I think we have to assume…"

"Red-eye."

"I would think so, sir."

"That Ood...what happened to it?"

"Oh, ran for the hills, sir, like a dog. One of the guards fired off a shot. It'll be dead by now."

"Can I ask, what is red-eye, sir?" Solana asked.

"It's some sort of infection. The Ood eyes literally change color."

"Drink!" Halpen called and his Ood prepared a small glass.

"I can't find a source. All the bacterial scans register negative..."

"I'm sorry, but according to your own rules, sir, there's no alcohol allowed on base," Solana eyed the Ood and the glass it was now holding out to Halpen.

"It's hair tonic, if you must know," he told her, taking it from the Ood and gulping it down, "Five years ago I had a full head of hair. Stress," he tapped his head, "That's what this is, stress!"

~8~

The Doctor and Angel walked through the snow, hands still held fast, the Doctor having tugged Angel away from Donna as soon as he'd caught up with them, Donna walking beside them, all of them laughing at something, when Angel just...stopped, "What is it?" the Doctor asked, looking down at her.

"Someone's singing…" she muttered.

The Doctor frowned and listened, hearing the song moments later, "Can you hear that? Donna, take your hood down."

"What?" Donna pulled her hood down.

"That noise, it's like a song…"

"Over there!" Angel pointed, running off. They dashed across the snow to an Ood half buried in it a small ways away.

"What is it?" Donna grimaced a bit as the Doctor and Angel knelt by its side.

"An Ood," the Doctor muttered, pulling his stethoscope from his pocket, "He's called an Ood."

"But its face..."

"Donna, not now."

"He's a 'he,'" Angel told her gently as she took the Ood's hand in her own, "Not an 'it.' It's alright," she reached out her other hand to Donna, gesturing her to join them.

Donna knelt on the other side of the Ood, "Sorry."

The Doctor moved the scope around the Ood's chest, frowning, "I don't know where the heart is. I don't know if he's got a heart. Talk to him," he glanced at the gingers, "Keep him going."

"It's alright," Donna turned to the Ood, "We've got you. Um...what's your name?"

"Designated Ood Delta 50," he said, the sphere he was holding glowing faintly.

"My name's Donna..." Donna spoke into the ball.

"That's only for him," Angel told her softly, nodding at the ball.

"Sorry," she nodded, putting it down, "Oh, God…"

"This is the Doctor," Angel whispered to the Ood, "And I'm the Angel..."

"Just what you need. A doctor and an angel. Couldn't be better, eh?"

"You've been shot," the Doctor's eyes widened, finding the wound.

"The circle…" the Ood strained to speak.

"No, don't try to talk," Donna shushed.

"The circle must…"

"The circle?" the Doctor shook his head, "What do you mean? Delta 50, what circle? Delta 50? What circle?"

Angel suddenly pulled the Doctor away as the Ood opened its eyes to reveal they were red. Donna jumped back as the Ood sat up and growled...before collapsing, dead.

"He's gone," Donna blinked, feeling tears in her eyes as she moved over to the Ood once more.

"Careful!" the Doctor called.

"There you are, sweetheart," Donna rested a hand on its chest for a moment before gently running a hand along its head, "We were too late. What do we do, do we bury him?"

"The snow will take care of that."

"Who was he?" Donna turned to them, "What's an Ood?"

"They're servants of humans in the 42nd century. Mildly telepathic."

"That's what the song was," Angel realized, "It was him, his mind calling out to the other Ood."

"I couldn't hear anything," Donna mumbled, getting up, "He sang as he was dying."

"His eyes turned red," the Doctor looked down at it, suspicious.

"What's that mean?"

"Trouble," he sighed, "Come on," he took Angel's hand and led them off, "The Ood are harmless and completely benign."

"Except when we met them last time," Angel reminded him, before explaining to Donna, "There was this...thing..." she supplied, not wanting to frighten the woman by implying the Devil was real, even if he had been dealt with, "That started to control them. It turned their eyes red in the process..."

"What sort of thing?" Donna frowned.

"Long story," the Doctor murmured.

"Long walk."

"It was the Devil."

"If you're gonna take the mickey, I'll just put my hood back up."

"Must be something different this time, though, something closer to home…" he looked over the crest of a small snow hill and grinned, "Ah ha! Civilization!"

And there it was, a factory, a string of warehouses really, with 'Ood Operations' written on it.

~8~

Solana smiled as she stood before a group of potential buyers, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Ood-Sphere and isn't it bracing? Here are your information packs with vouchers, 3D tickets, and a map of the complex," an Ood stepped forward and passed out packets of papers, "My name's Solana, Head of Marketing. I'm sure we've all spoken on the vid-phone. Now if you'd like to follow me…"

"Sorry, sorry!" the Doctor cut in, he, Angel, and Donna pushing through the crowd to join them, "We're late! Don't mind us! Hello. The guards let us through."

"And you would be?"

"The Angel, the Doctor, and Donna Noble," the Doctor flashed her the psychic paper.

"Representing the Noble Corporation, PLC Limited, Intergalactic," Donna nodded.

"Nice to meet you," Angel gave her a little wave.

"Must have fallen off my list," Solana smiled apologetically, "My apologies, it won't happen again. Now then, Miss Angel, Dr. Noble, Mrs. Noble, if you'd like to come with me..."

"Oh, no, no, no," the Doctor shook his head, gesturing at Donna, needing them all to understand Donna was NOT his Mate, "We're not married."

"We're so not married," Donna added.

"Never."

"Never ever."

"My Mate," the Doctor put his arm around Angel and pulled her close, "Right here."

"My sister," Angel added, nodding her head at Donna, "Right there."

"Of course," Solana eyed them a bit oddly, "Here is your information pack. Vouchers inside," she held one out to the Doctor, "Now, if you'd like to come with me, the executive suites are nice and warm."

Angel paused a moment from stepping forward and looked back, a second before an alarm went off.

The Doctor followed her gaze and frowned, "Ooh, what's that? Sounds like an alarm."

~8~

"For God's sake, we've got buyers arriving!" Halpen shouted in the office, "Who sounded the alarm? Drink!"

~8~

"It's just a siren for the end of the work shift," Solana smiled tensely.

Angel eyed her suspiciously, knowing she was lying, she was hiding something.

"Now then, this way! Quick as you can!"

The buyers and the trio shuffled inside, not seeing Solana's smile drop as she glanced back as well.

~8~

"Mr. Kess, what the hell's going on?" Halpen called over a comm..

"Ood on the loose, sir," Kess called back, "Looks like we've got another one."

"Red-eye?"

"As red as sin, sir. Don't worry, Mr. Halpen, we're on it."

~8~

An Ood ran out behind the patrol and a guard spotted him, "Sir!"

Kess turned, "Alright, lads, go! Get him!" they gave chase.

~8~

Solana stood before the group of buyers, a large screen bearing the 'Ood Operations' logo on the wall behind her, as she spoke about the Ood, three of which were now standing on pedestals, "As you can see, the Ood are happy to serve and we keep them in facilities of the highest standards…"

~8~

The Ood ran for his life as Kess and the guards chased him.

~8~

"Here at the Double-O, that's Ood Operations, we like to think of the Ood as our trusted friends."

~8~

"He's over there!" Kess shouted, "You two follow me!"

~8~

"We keep the Ood healthy, safe and educated..."

~8~

"Take him alive!"

~8~

"We don't just breed the Ood, we make them better..."

~8~

The Ood cowered behind some barrels.

~8~

"Because at heart, what is an Ood...but an extension of us?"

~8~

Kess and his men found the poor thing.

~8~

"If your Ood is happy..."

~8~

Kess raised his weapon as the Ood turned, eyes glowing red as he growled, and fired...

~8~

Angel flinched a bit, her gaze turning to the Ood a moment, swearing she'd seen them flinch as well.

"You alright?" the Doctor asked her quietly, having felt her flinch with his arm around her.

"Then you'll be happy too," Solana finished with a small nod of her head, the buyers clapping at the delightful presentation.

"She's lying," Angel whispered, her eye now on Solana.

The Doctor frowned, "About what?"

"Everything," she looked up at him, "The Ood, the siren, how they're happy," she shook her head and turned back to the Ood, "They're not happy. They're just...I dunno, they're not what she says they are. She's lying."

The Doctor nodded, his own worries confirmed.

~8~

"Mr. Halpen, this is a bit more than red-eye, sir," Kess called into the comm. as he watched the Ood foam at the mouth, "This is something new. It's rabid, sir."

"Take it to Dr. Ryder," Halpen ordered, "Just...get it out of sight!"

~8~

"Sales figures needed by 1900, sir," a man's voice came over the comm. to Halpen as he worked in an office of Ood Operations.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he muttered, getting up from his desk and walking over to the mirror where his Ood followed, rubbing his head, "What do you think? Growing back? Just a little bit?" the Ood just blinked, "Like you'd know."

~8~

The Doctor frowned as he, Angel, and Donna watched Solana approach the three Ood on pedestals, "I'd now like to point out a new innovation from Ood Operations. We've introduced a variety package with the Ood translator ball. You can now have the standard setting. How are you today, Ood?"

"I'm perfectly well, thank you," he said in a normal voice.

"Or perhaps after a stressful day, a little something for the gentlemen. How are you, Ood?"

"All the better for seeing you," a sensual, female voice spoke.

"And the comedy classic option. Ood, you dropped something."

"D'oh!" the third Ood mimicked Homer Simpson, getting a laugh from the buyers.

"All that for only five additional credits. The details are in your brochures. Now, there's plenty more food and drink, so don't hold back."

"Why don't you go get something to eat," the Doctor murmured to Angel, though his gaze was on a small control board attached to the screen on the wall.

She shook her head, "I'm not hungry," she told him, staring at the Ood, she really couldn't even think about eating right now, there was just...something SO wrong here.

He nodded, understanding, and took her hand, leading her over to the control board as he slipped on his specs and switched it on while Donna went to get a drink before heading over as well, "Ah, got it," he brought up a picture of space, "The Ood-Sphere. I've been to this solar system before, years ago. Ages. Close to the planet Sense-Sphere. Let's widen it out..."

"The year 4126," Angel smiled a bit at that at least, she was always very good with time, "That is the Second Great and Bountiful Human Empire."

"4126?" Donna gaped, staring at the screen, "It's 4126? I'm in 4126?"

Chapter Text

"It's good, isn't it?" the Doctor smiled at Donna's awe, Angel beaming at it.

"What's the Earth like now?" Donna wondered.

"A bit full, but you see, the empire stretches out across three galaxies," he brought up red rings around three different galaxy clusters that had appeared on the screen.

"It's weird," Donna shook her head, "I mean, it's brilliant, but...back home, the papers and the telly, they keep saying we haven't got long to live, global warming, flooding, all the bees disappearing."

"Yeah," Angel started to frown now, thoughtful, "That thing about the bees is really weird," she didn't know what it was, but something just kept striking her every time it was brought up.

"But look at us, we're everywhere," Donna laughed, "Is that good or bad, though? I mean, are we like explorers or more like a virus?"

"Sometimes I wonder," the Doctor shrugged.

"Hey!" Angel laughed, nudging him, "The humans are incredible!"

"I know, I know," he smiled, winding his arm around her waist.

They really were and Angel seemed to see it more than he could at times. He was well aware of how...bad...humans could be. Sometimes he felt like...there were things they did that just...hit him so hard that he actually felt like he just had to turn away in shame. But Angel, she saw the good in everything, in the humans, in the Master, in HIM. And if she could see it, even after having been chained up and studied by the humans for 50 years, then he could too. It was like how he always brought companions along, after a while...the Universe was just...the Universe. Clumps of planets, stars, species, all the same in a way, it just...got old after a while. But when his companions saw it all, the awe and amazement in their eyes, when THEY saw it, HE could see it too.

"What are the red dots?" Donna asked, seeing red dots inside the clusters.

"Ood distribution centers."

"Across three galaxies? Don't the Ood get a say in this?" she turned and headed for an Ood.

"She's just like Rose," Angel remarked to the Doctor before they joined her, thinking of Rose's reaction to the Ood on Kroptor.

The blonde had been as offended as the ginger was when she'd learned how the Ood were just expected to serve with no way to refuse the humans. Oh, she missed Rose...and Mickey...and Martha...and Jack. It was even worse with Jack, with Rose and Mickey she missed them but she knew she couldn't just hop in the TARDIS and go see them, she COULD see Jack she just...things got in the way or they got caught up in an adventure or they ended up on the other side of the galaxy...

'We'll go see Jack,' the Doctor promised her silently, he knew how much she missed her 'brother' and how much she'd been wanting to be able to call herself 'Angie Harkness' since the man had mentioned it. She was usually very happy on their trips, but sometimes there were moments where something was said or done that reminded her of Jack and she'd grow just a little sad. She HAD offered for him to be her next companion and, though she understood why he'd said no, he could tell that Angel had just wanted to be able to see the man more. He promised himself, soon, they'd go and see Jack, maybe introduce Donna and...

He blinked, Jack and DONNA? On second thought...he wasn't quite sure the Universe could handle that...

'That's my brother and sister you're thinking about Theta,' Angel reminded him with a small mental laugh, 'It would be rather wrong for them to flirt.'

'They're not REALLY siblings though,' he countered.

'They're as good as now,' she nodded firmly, 'I just have to introduce Jack to his newest sibling first,' she smiled at the thought, her two 'older siblings' finally meeting. It was quite funny when she thought about just how similar both her older siblings were. It was interesting how that worked out.

The Doctor chuckled, shaking his head, 'He won't like that there's one less person for him to flirt with in the world.'

She just smiled secretively, Jack probably only wanted to flirt with Ianto at the moment, probably for a good long while really.

'He didn't seem to feel that way when he stopped flirting with me,' she remarked, grinning just a little bit more at that, she knew it was wrong, but she loved bringing up when Jack had flirted with her because the Doctor got all cute about it. She remembered how uncomfortable she'd felt with it in her last body, but this one seemed to love teasing the Doctor with it. The man had literally growled at Jack once, and that was BEFORE he'd regenerated, 'YOU seemed rather relieved and happy about that too...'

'Yes, well,' he blushed a bit, 'He was flirting with my Mate!'

'I wasn't your Mate then Theta,' she reminded him, a teasing smile on her face, she loved seeing him like that, getting all worked up about other men flirting with her. She really didn't realize when they were, in this body she truly didn't, but...after a while of the strange lines they kept trying to use that had little to do with the conversation and the irritation and possessiveness she could feel rising from the Doctor she usually could work out when she was being flirted with.

'Nella,' he paused, taking her hand, letting Donna walk ahead of them, needing to look Angel in the eye for this one. He smiled at her, his hand lightly stroking circles over her knuckles, his other hand reaching up to touch her cheeck, 'You may be a precog, you may see the future, and you may be the one true soothsayer in the Universe...but I have a prophecy of my own.'

She frowned, tilting her head, 'What?'

He just looked at her, his gaze so soft that she shivered a bit, 'You were meant to be my Mate, you were ALWAYS meant to be my Mate. Before we even met, we were destined to be together.'

She let out a breath at the conviction in his voice, the honesty in his eyes, he truly believed that, with every fiber of his being, 'You really think so?'

'I'm honestly surprised I didn't meet you before the War,' he admitted.

'You were too stubborn to admit you'd broken the TARDIS before the War,' she joked, 'But...do you REALLY think that?'

He let out a little laugh, kissing the back of her hand, 'What was the first thing you thought of when you saw me in Van Statten's museum? The first thought in your mind the moment our eyes met.'

'Finally,' she answered promptly, she hadn't known what it meant at the time, it wasn't a 'finally!' like she was exasperated to finally getting out of there, but more of...like when something you had been waiting for, for such a long time, finally happened.

He nodded, 'I thought...mine,' he laughed again, pulling her into his arms with a possessive squeeze, she could vaguely imagine his last self laughing the same way, 'That's the first thing I thought when I saw you, that you were mine. Didn't understand it for a second and I understand everything,' she laughed and rolled her eyes at that bit of ego shining through, 'But I couldn't help it, that's what I thought. Don't you see Nella?' she shook her head, 'My mind, well, my unconscious mind at least, but my hearts, my soul...they knew we were meant for each other before we did. You,' he leaned in and kissed her, his voice still speaking in her mind as he did so, 'Were meant to be mine, my Mate.'

She was beaming as she pulled away, 'You sounded like me just now, I wonder if psychic is contagious?'

'I wonder if psychic is hereditery,' he countered, before stiffening, 'Sorry...'

'It's fine,' she cut in, she knew he wanted children one day, one day but not right now.

She hadn't ever given much thought to it, she'd never really imagined herself Mated so she'd never thought of children. It would take a while before she could see herself as being a mother, but, she had to admit, one day, it might be nice to have a child with her Mate, one day. The Universe could do with more Doctors running around.

'But we can't do that till we finish Mating,' she reminded him, nudging him a bit, making a point.

He laughed and squeezed her hand, 'We can't exactly do that right now.'

Angel grimaced a bit, 'Wouldn't want to scar Donna.'

'We'll do it soon Nella, I promise.'

She nodded, glancing at him, 'You know...I have a prophecy too.'

'Oh?' he smiled.

'You and I are going to be together forever,' she told him, kissing his scarred knuckles.

His breath left him at that, 'You feel that?'

'No,' she admitted, 'I can't see that far ahead, but I believe it with everything I have.'

'Me too,' he leaned in and kissed her again.

"Oi!" Donna's voice broke through their moment and they pulled apart to see her standing beside them, her arms crossed, "Blimey you two get lost in the moment don't you?"

She'd turned around, realizing they'd stopped, to see them staring at each other in the middle of the room, their expressions making her think they were having some sort of conversation with their eyes and she'd waited...and waited...and waited...and when they'd kissed for a second time she knew she should probably remind them about the Ood.

"Sorry," Angel blushed, though she was smiling widely.

"Come on then!" she reached out and pulled Angel after her as she walked right up to an Ood, "Um...sorry, but..." she tapped the Ood's shoulder, "Hello. Tell me, are you all like this?"

"I do not understand, miss," the Ood turned to her.

"Why do you say, 'miss?' Do I look single?"

"You better be single," Angel laughed, "I haven't gotten that wedding invitation yet."

"Back to the point," the Doctor whispered.

"Yeah," Donna shook her head, looking at the Ood, "What I mean is, are there any free Ood? Are there any Ood running wild somewhere like wildebeest?"

"All Ood are born to serve," the Ood stated, "Otherwise we would die."

"You can't have started like that. Before the humans…" his head started to twitch, "What were you like?"

"The circle."

"What do you mean?" the Doctor stared at it intently, "What circle?"

"The circ…the circle…must…"

"Be broken," Angel finished for the Ood as he nodded, the words just...coming to her.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Solana gathered them again, "All Ood to hospitality stations, please."

The Ood turned, heading out of the room, as the Doctor pulled off his specs and reached into his pocket for the map of the complex, "I've had enough of the schmoozing. Do you fancy going off the beaten track?"

"A Rough Guide to the Ood-Sphere?" Donna joked, "Works for me."

"Me too," Angel agreed, taking the Doctor's hand.

"Yeah," the Doctor grinned, squeezing hers.

~8~

Halpen, Ryder, and his Ood, stood in a cell where the red-eyed Ood Kess had captured was chained, growling and sputtering, bleeding from a wound in its gut, "What the hell's wrong with it?" Halpen demanded.

"It's obviously Stage 2 Red-Eye," Ryder remarked, "Whatever that means."

"Ood Sigma, have you seen this before?" Halpen turned to his Ood.

"Humanity defines us, sir," Sigma replied, "We look to you for answers."

"Fat lot of good, all of you. We're exporting hundreds of thousands of Ood to all civilized planets. If they turn rabid, you know what it'll mean."

"There's only one thing I haven't checked, sir, Warehouse 15," Ryder said.

"Why should that cause trouble? It's been two centuries now. No change, not ever. Drink!"

Sigma turned to prepare the hair tonic.

"I know it's restricted access. But if I'm gonna work on this, I should see it. Just in case."

"Can't stand the place," he muttered, gulping the drink down, "Still, Warehouse 15, then. Come on," he turned and headed out the door.

"What about this one, sir?"

"Well, I'd suggest a post-mortem, which means it's gotta be dead first," Halpen remarked, walking out as the chained Ood became more enraged. Two guards stepped forward and then gunshots rang out.

~8~

Angel shivered, rubbing her head, as they walked over to a locked gate just outside the complex, the Doctor sonicing the lock, "Ood Shift 8 commencing," a speaker announced, "I repeat, Ood Shift 8 commencing."

The Doctor opened the gate and stepped in with the girls, to see they were clearly in a part of the complex visitors were not meant to be. They climbed up some stairs and looked down over a space between the warehouses where the Ood were being led through at a march. One Ood tripped, falling down to its knees, as Kess stalked over to it, "Get up," he commanded, "I said, get up!" he snapped a whip he was holding.

"Servants?" Donna scoffed, "They're slaves."

"Get up!" Kess shouted as the Ood stood, "March!"

"Last time we met the Ood, I never thought, never asked..." the Doctor breathed.

"That's not like you," Donna murmured.

"We were busy," he defended feebly, "So busy we couldn't save them."

"I couldn't save them," Angel corrected, thinking back to that time, "I had to let the Ood go. I could barely control the Vortex long enough to free Toby from the Beast's control, I just…didn't have time or strength enough to…"

The Doctor took her hand, gently running his thumb along her knuckles soothingly, seeing how upset she was getting over having not been able to help the Ood, "I reckon we owe them one," he smiled down at her, getting her to smile back.

"That looks like the boss," Donna said quietly as Halpen, Ryder, and Sigma walked across the area.

Angel stared at the man and blinked...

...the red-eyed Ood poured out of the shipping containers, snarling at them all...

'...the infection is about to be sterilized...'

...there was a click of a weapon behind them and they turned to see a gun held at them...

"Let's keep out of his way," the Doctor stepped back, "Come on," he tugged Angel along as she stared back at the balding man.

That man...he'd been the one to hold the gun at them...

~8~

"How long since you went inside?" Ryder asked as they stopped at the door to the infamous Warehouse 15.

"Must be ten years ago," he remarked, entering a code on a keypad.

"Warehouse 15..." the computer began.

"My father brought me here when I was six years old."

"Security protocol initiated."

"God, the stench of it!"

"Warehouse 15: door open."

Halpen stepped inside, holding a hand to his mouth while Ryder quickly put a handkerchief over his nose and mouth, both men grimacing at the smell. They walked over to a railing, looking down at something as electricity crackled, "Incredible," Ryder remarked, staring.

"Like I said, nothing's changed," Halpen sneered.

"I've read the documents, but...it doesn't quite prepare you."

"Is it just me, or does it feel like it's looking at you?"

"I think I understand the border mechanics well enough. I'll check the signal," he walked over to a nearby panel and checked the instruments.

"I suppose it's home sweet home to you," Halpen turned to Sigma, "What do you think?"

"I have no opinion, sir," Sigma replied.

"Well...say hello to daddy."

"Nothing," Ryder called, "The barrier's intact. No abnormal signal. Same as it's been for 200 years."

"Mr. Halpen, those three people from the Noble Corporation failed to pass security checks," Solana came over the comm., "There's no such company. The Noble Corporation doesn't exist. And on top of that, they seem to have gone missing, sir, the Doctor, the Angel, and Miss Noble."

"Just what I need," Halpen grumbled, "Start a search. No alarms, got that? Keep it quiet," he turned off the comm., "You see?" he glanced at Ryder, pointing at his head, "Hair loss. Drink!" he took the drink from Sigma and leaned over the railing, "Tell you what, old friend...have this one on me. Cheers," he poured the drink over the side as a whoosh and a roar reached him. Halpen held out the glass, having Sigma refill it, "I think we're done here," he gulped it down and left.

"Sorry," Ryder replied when he bumped into Sigma on his way out.

Sigma paused at Ryder's kind treatment and apology, looking over the railing at the thing below, before following.

~8~

The Doctor was walking quickly past the warehouses, looking at the map intently, when Angel stopped at one in particular and frowned at the door. Donna, who had been walking beside her, stopped as well, glancing over at the Doctor to see if he would notice. When he just kept walking, too absorbed in looking at the map, she whistled loudly, making him jump and duck before turning back.

"Where did you learn to whistle?" he asked her, recalling her failed attempt at catching a cab.

"West Ham, every Saturday," she smirked.

"There's something in here Doctor," Angel called, her hand resting on the door.

He walked over and soniced the lock, taking her hand off the door to hold as he pushed the door open. They stepped in to see a massive amount of shipping containers stacked inside with a large, metal claw running along a track set in the ceiling to lift them and transfer them, "Ood Export," the Doctor nodded, "You see?" he gestured at the claw, "Lifts up the containers, takes 'em to the rocket ships. Ready to be flown out all over the three galaxies."

"What, you mean, these containers are full of..." Donna trailed.

"What do you think?" the Doctor asked as they walked to the closest container. He moved to sonic the lock on that when Angel put her hand on his arm, stopping him.

"It's open," she murmured, reaching forward herself to pull the door open, Ood standing inside, scores of them, crowded together in lines.

"Oh, it stinks," Donna grimaced, trying to cover her mouth, "How many of 'em do you think there are in each one?"

"A hundred?"

"More," Angel said sadly, looking at the Ood with tears in her eyes, the Doctor instinctively moving his arm around her shoulders, rubbing her arm with his one hand.

"A great, big empire, built on slavery," Donna scoffed.

"It's not so different from your time," the Doctor shot back.

"Oi, I haven't got slaves."

"Who do you think made your clothes?"

"Is that why you travel round with a human at your side? It's not so you can show them the wonders of the Universe, it's so you can take cheap shots."

"Sorry."

"Well, don't. Spaceman, else me and Sis are gonna bean you one," the Doctor smiled as Donna turned to the Ood inside, "I don't understand, Angel was right, the door was open, why didn't you just run away?"

"For what reason?" an Ood tilted his head.

"You could be free."

"I do not understand the concept."

"What is it with that Persil ball? I mean, they're not born with it, are they? Why do they have to be all...plugged in?"

"Ood…" Angel began, taking a small step forward, out of the Doctor's arm as he watched her carefully, knowing the Ood eyes could turn red at any moment, "The circle..."

"The circle must be broken," they all recited.

"Whoa, that is creepy," Donna whispered.

"What is the circle?" Angel asked, blinking, "Where is it?"

"The circle must be broken."

"Why?" the Doctor frowned.

"So that we can sing."

~8~

Kess walked into the same warehouse as the trio had, smirking, two guards on either side of him, "Mr. Halpen, I'm in Ood cargo," he called into the comm., "I found your unwanted guests," he turned to the guards, "Go!" he hit a button and alarms rang out.

~8~

"That's us!" the Doctor yelled, looking up at the loud noise, "Come on!" he grabbed Angel's hand, pulling her back and led them out.

~8~

"Cut the alarms!" Halpen shouted in the office, "I said no alarms!"

~8~

Solana tensely smiled at the buyers as they looked around at the alarms, "Nothing to worry about, ladies and gentlemen. It's just a...fire drill. We test the alarm at this time every day. If you'll excuse me," she quickly made her way out of the room.

~8~

The trio ran through the labyrinth of shipping containers, when Donna stopped running, "Doctor! Angel! There's a door!"

But the Doctor hadn't heard her, continuing to run and pull Angel with him.

Donna turned around to follow them again...when the door burst open and guards ran in, "Don't move!" a guard ordered Donna.

~8~

"Doctor!" Angel gasped, pulling him to a stop as she panted, "Donna!"

He looked around, realizing the woman wasn't with them, "Where have you gone?"

"Stay where you are!" a guard called to them as they caught up.

The Doctor just grabbed Angel's hand and they were off again as the guards ran after them.

~8~

"Keep her there for now," a guard pushed Donna into a container with some Ood.

~8~

Kess walked onto a catwalk, looking down on the Doctor and Angel as they ran through the warehouse, "Donna?" the Doctor was yelling, "Where are you?!"

"All guards withdraw," he ordered into his comm..

"This way!" Angel pulled the Doctor around a corner, leading him back towards Donna.

"Sir?" a guard asked.

"I said withdraw," Kess repeated, "Keep to the perimeter. I've got this one," he watched as the Doctor stopped and pressed the two of them against a container, listening, "I've always wanted to do this," he smirked, turning on the equipment before him and starting the claw, steering it towards the Doctor and Angel as they ran again, trying to open a container, "Container locked. Ha!"

Angel grabbed the Doctor's hand and pulled him away as the huge metal claw chased after them along its track, Kess having far too much fun as he sent it smashing down behind them, just missing Angel.

~8~

"Can you help me?" Donna asked the Ood as one raised its head, its eyes red, "Oh, no you don't."

~8~

The claw gained on them as Angel began to tire, shaken from how close the claw had come to her earlier, the Doctor taking the lead now.

~8~

"What have I done?" Donna stepped back, "I'm not one of that lot. I'm on your side!"

~8~

The claw barely missed the Doctor this time, clipping him, causing him to fall to the floor, forcing himself to let go of Angel's hand so as not to slow her down or trip her too, stumbling to get up as they kept on running.

~8~

"Stay where you are, that's an order!" Donna shouted, "I said stay!" but when the first Ood stepped towards her, she turned and pounded on the doors, "Doctor! Angel!"

~8~

The claw swung down again and knocked the Doctor to the floor, sending him into barrels nearby, taking Angel with him this time.

Kess released the claw, dropping it, ready to crush them, when a hand turned off the control, halting the claw inches from where the Doctor had turned to roll himself on top of Angel to shield her, both of them panting.

"You heard the instructions," Solana glared at Kess, "Mr. Halpen wants them alive."

~8~

"Doctor, get me out!" Donna screamed, "Angel, help!"

~8~

Two guards each brought the Doctor and Angel back to the container holding Donna, who was still yelling inside it, "Angel, get me out of here! Doctor!"

"If you don't do what she says, you're really in trouble," the Doctor told a guard, "Not from us, from her."

"Unlock the container," Kess commanded.

Donna bolted out as soon as the doors were open and threw herself at the Doctor and Angel who hugged her back, "Doctor! Angel!"

"It's alright," Angel smiled at her wearily, that run had taken a lot out of her for some reason, "We've got you, you're safe..."

"Never mind about me, what about them?" Donna pointed, the red-eyed Ood poured out of the shipping containers, snarling at them all.

"Red alert!" Kess cried as the Ood began to attack, using their translators to electrocute the men, "Fire!" the guards shot at the Ood while the Doctor, Angel, and Donna escaped, only for another container to open and more Ood to pour out, Angel grabbing the Doctor's hand to lead them away, "Shoot to kill!"

~8~

The trio and Solana flew out of the doors, out of the warehouse, running far enough away that they couldn't hear the gunfire, before daring to stop for a moment to take a breath, "If the people back on Earth knew what was going on here..." Donna panted.

"Don't be stupid," Solana glared, "Of course they know."

"They know how you treat the Ood?"

"They don't ask. Same thing."

"Solana, the Ood aren't born like this," the Doctor moved in front of her, "They can't be. A species born to serve could never evolve in the first place."

"How do you make them listen?" Angel asked, "What are you doing to them?!"

The Doctor took her hand, not just feeling, but hearing her getting upset about it all. The Ood...they were somehow being forced to obey, that much was clear, they were being forced into the role of slaves and that was upsetting both of them to know the humans were doing it. It was hard to see the good in it this time...

"That has nothing to do with me," Solana stepped back.

"What, because you don't ask?" the Doctor glared.

"That's Dr. Ryder's territory."

"Where is he?" the Doctor held out the map to her, "What part of the complex?" she hesitated, "I could help with the red-eye. Now show me!"

Solana pointed to an area, "There, beyond the red section.

"Come with us," the Doctor looked at her, "You've seen the warehouse, you can't agree with all this."

"You know Ood Operations better than we do," Angel added, "You could help us. Please."

Solana looked between them, before swallowing, her choice made, and yelling, "They're over here! Guards, they're over here!"

The trio ran as the guards caught up, "Male and female suspects escaping," Kess called, "Westbridge corridor."

"Mr. Halpen, I found the three of them," Solana reported into the comm., "They're heading for Ood Conversion."

"On my way," Halpen replied.

~8~

"Mr. Kess, what's the situation?" Halpen stood in his office on the comm..

"We've contained it, sir," Kess reported, "The red-eye seems to be permanent this time, it's not fading. Worse than that, sir, there's more of them going rabid," there was growling on the other end, "In my opinion, sir, I think we've lost them, the entire batch contaminated."

"What's causing it? Why now? What's changed?" he rubbed his head and a chunk of hair came out in his hand, wonderful, "How many Ood in total?"

"I would say about 2,000, sir."

"We can write them off. That's what insurance is for," he turned to Sigma, "Drink. We've plenty more on the breeding farms. Let's start again," he gulped the drink, "Fetch the canisters. No survivors."

"My pleasure, sir," Kess replied, sounding rather pleased, "You lot, canisters," and then the comm. cut off.

~8~

The Doctor, Angel, and Donna skid to a halt, running back they way they came and turning a different corner...when they caught sight of more guards ahead of them.

"This way!" Angel shouted, grabbing the Doctor's hand and leading them through the maze of warehouses.

~8~

Halpen straightened his tie before heading out to Ood Conversion, Sigma following, ever faithful.

~8~

"Can you hear it?" Angel asked the Doctor as she stopped and panted, "We didn't need the map to find our way."

He looked at the door to a warehouse, hearing what she heard, and soniced the lock, opening it and rushing in with the girls before sonicing it closed behind them, "Does that mean we're locked in?" Donna gasped.

"Listen," the Doctor whispered, "Listen, listen, listen, listen," they headed down the nearest set of steps, pausing when they saw nothing but cages everywhere, rows of them against the walls, "Oh, my head."

"What is it?"

"Can't you hear it?" Angel asked, rubbing her head again, massaging her temples really, "The singing?" they looked over to see a group of Ood huddled together in one of the cages when the Doctor switched on a light.

"They look different to the others."

"That's because they're natural-born Ood," the Doctor explained, "Unprocessed. Before they're adapted to slavery. Unspoiled."

Angel crouched down in front of the cage, "That's what we've been hearing, their song."

"I can't hear it," Donna crouched down beside her.

"Do you want to?" Angel glanced at her.

"Yeah," she faced her friend.

"It's the song of captivity," the Doctor warned.

"Let me hear it."

Chapter Text

The Doctor reached out to let Donna hear the song when Angel put her hand on his arm, stopping him, "Let me," she asked.

"You sure?" he looked at her.

She nodded, "It's like with Peter," she reminded him of the architect of the Globe. He sat back and gestured her on. She smiled and kissed his cheek before turning to Donna, placing her fingertips on the woman's temples, "It'll be ok Donna," she reassured her, "Just...open your mind," she closed her eyes, "Just...let yourself hear it...can you hear them singing?"

Donna gasped, hearing the melody in her mind, turning to face the Ood, crying silently as she listened to their song, though she could only stand it for a few moments before...

"Take it away."

"You sure?" the Doctor asked.

"I can't bear it," she nodded as the Doctor reached out this time and did as Angel had, "I'm sorry."

"It's ok," Angel whispered, taking her hand.

"But you can still hear it," she looked at them.

"All the time," the Doctor nodded.

~8~

Halpen, Ryder, and Solana arrived outside Ood Conversion where a guard was standing outside, "Well, what's the hold-up?" Halpen demanded.

"The experimentation lab's maximum security," Ryder explained, "They've fused the system."

"Don't just stand there!" Halpen turned to the guard, "Get bolt cutters! Rip that door off! Solana, go back to the reps. I don't want any of them wandering off and seeing this. And get them away from the Ood, just in case. Hurry up!"

"Yes, sir," Solana nodded before she ran off.

~8~

The Doctor soniced the cage when Donna heard a noise from above, "They're breaking in."

"Ah, let 'em," the Doctor moved into the cage with Angel as the Ood tried to back away in fear.

"Hey, hey," Angel said gently, kneeling before them and holding up her hands, meaning no harm as she gently made her way towards them on her knees, "It's alright," she smiled at them, "What are you holding sweetheart?" an Ood turned to look at her, shy, "It's ok, I'm a friend," she gestured to the three of them, "We all are," and then starting with the Doctor, introduced them, "Doctor, Donna, Angel, friends. Look at me," she smiled, "I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise," she crossed her hearts and held out her hand, "Want to show me?" the Ood came over to her, "That's wonderful. Sharing's excellent isn't it? Go on..."

'You're wonderful, you know,' the Doctor's voice whispered to her, unwilling to speak and break the moment. He'd seen it in her mind at times, whenever he slipped and mentioned children, he knew she wasn't against them, but...he knew she couldn't seem to see herself as a mother. Taking care of the TARDISes, the clever little living machines was one thing, babies, flesh and blood, were another. She was afraid she wouldn't know where to begin. But this, right here, this proved she was just a natural at taking care of others, at calming them, at protecting them...she was so a mother even if she didn't realize it.

The Ood held out his cupped hand and pulled the top one off...

"Is that…" Donna swallowed hard at the pink ball in the alien's hand.

"It's a brain," the Doctor nodded, kneeling beside Angel, his hand resting on the small of her back, "A hindbrain. The Ood are born with a secondary brain. Like the amygdale in humans, it process memory and emotion. You get rid of that, you wouldn't be Donna anymore. You'd be like an Ood. A processed Ood."

"So the company...cuts off their brains…"

"And stitches on the translator."

"Like a lobotomy. I spent all that time looking for you two, because I thought it would be so wonderful out here. I want to go home."

The Doctor and Angel looked at her, stunned and hurt by her wish...when there was a bang above them, "They're with the Ood, sir!" a guard shouted.

The Doctor jumped to his feet and pulled the cage door shut, "What are you gonna do, then? Arrest us? Lock us up? Well, you're too late! Ha!"

~8~

The Doctor, Donna, and Angel were handcuffed to a pole in Halpen's office by two guards, "Why don't you just come out and say it?" Halpen glared, "FOTO activists."

"If that's what Friends of the Ood are trying to prove, then yes," the Doctor nodded.

"The Ood were nothing without us, just animals roaming around on the ice."

"That's because you can't hear them," Angel told him quietly, she could empathize entirely with them, the Mental Dampener Van Statten had forced on her...she'd screamed for ages but her thoughts were forced quiet, no one could hear her. Like the Ood, they were trying to break free with their song but just kept getting silenced.

"They welcomed it! It's not as if they put up a fight."

"You idiot!" Donna spat, "They're born with their brain in their hands, don't you see? That makes them peaceful! They've got to be because a creature like that would have to trust anyone it meets."

"Nice one," the Doctor smiled.

"Thank you."

"The system's worked for 200 years," Halpen continued, "All we've got is a rogue batch. But the infection is about to be sterilized," he held up a comm. as Angel winced at those words, "Mr. Kess, how do we stand?"

"Canisters primed, sir," Kess reported, "As soon as the core heats up, the gas is released. Give it 200 marks...and counting."

"You're going to gas them?!" the Doctor asked, horrified.

"Kill the livestock," Halpen waved him off, "The classic foot-and-mouth solution. Still works."

~8~

Kess chuckled and put on a gasmask.

~8~

The unprocessed Ood in the warehouse put their hands out to the side, touching each other as they formed a circle, singing.

~8~

The fenced-in, red-eyed Ood stood in a circle their hands raised to their sides much the same.

~8~

Solana arrived back in the reception area where the buyers were still eating and drinking, "I'm sorry. If I could ask you one more time, would all the reps please come through to the education suites?"

"Why move now?" a drunken buyer asked, "It's a free bar."

"Could I ask all the Ood to withdraw? It's feeding time."

The Ood gripped their heads in pain.

"Ooh, you've upset them!" the drunk exclaimed jokingly, "Leave them alone."

"I have to insist," Solana said, growing tense and concerned, "If all the Ood could please leave!"

~8~

The red-eyed Ood joined the unprocessed Ood in song, the volume increasing in their minds.

~8~

The Ood in reception turned red-eyed as Solana gasped, "Ladies and gentlemen, change of plan. If you could leave by the fire exits."

The drunken buyer approached one of the Ood, "I could sell this. I could offer different colors..."

The Ood just put his translator ball to the man's forehead, electrocuting him. The rest of the buyers panicked and tried to escape when the Ood attacked, Solana just narrowly managing to run outside when three guards ran over to her.

"They've gone insane, miss!" one of the guards said, "They've gone mad, all of them!"

"Just shoot them!" Solana shouted as a group of Ood approached, "Shoot to kill!" she turned and ran off as the guards opened fire, stopping to watch...when an Ood came up behind her and killed her as well.

~8~

"What the hell?" Halpen cried as the alarms rang.

~8~

The canisters in the warehouse counted down when Kess heard the alarms, the red-eyed Ood growing more agitated, "What's going on out there?!" he demanded...when the exterior door opened and more Ood entered.

~8~

Halpen, Ryder, and Sigma left the office and stood in the snow, watching as the guards shot at the Ood, "Emergency status!" the speakers called, "Emergency status!"

Halpen looked on in confusion as Ryder cried, "It's a revolution!"

Halpen turned and pushed past Ryder, heading back up the stairs as Sigma followed.

~8~

The red-eyed Ood locked Kess behind the fence while the canisters continued to count down, his gasmask on their side of the fence, "Come back!" he screamed, "Let me out of here!" the canisters released the gas right at Kess as he screamed, the Ood just leaving him to his fate.

~8~

Halpen stalked into the office where the trio was still handcuffed, "Change of plan."

"No reports of trouble off-world, sir," Ryder reported, checking the communications, "It's still contained to the Ood-Sphere."

"Then we've got a public duty to stop it before it spreads."

"What's happening?" the Doctor looked over.

"Everything you wanted, Doctor. No doubt there'll be a full police investigation once this place has been sterilized so I can't risk a bullet to the head. I'll leave you to the mercies of the Ood," he turned, leaving.

"But, Mr. Halpen, there's something else, isn't there? Something we haven't seen."

"What do you mean?" Donna asked.

"The creature couldn't survive with a separate forebrain and hindbrain, they'd be at war with themselves. There's got to be something else, a third element. Am I right?"

"Again, so clever," Halpen said.

"It's got to be connected to the red-eye. What is it?"

Halpen turned to look the Doctor in the eye, "It won't exist for very much longer. Enjoy your Ood," he and Ryder turned to leave with the two guards, the trio watching them.

Angel frowned, looking at Sigma as he paused in the doorway...and blinked at her.

~8~

"Dr. Ryder, Warehouse 15," Halpen said as they crossed the compound.

"What about this one?" Ryder gestured to Sigma.

"No!" he shouted at Ryder, before smiling at Sigma, "You've not turned. Faithful to the last. Go. Join your people," they bowed their heads and Sigma left, "Come on!" he and Ryder headed off as Sigma watched before leaving.

~8~

The trio struggled with their restraints, trying to get out, "Well, do something!" Donna yelled, "You're the ones with all the tricks! You must've met Houdini!"

"Oh he was lovely," Angel smiled, "He tried to teach the Doctor a card trick or two. Didn't work..."

"He cheated, he was trying to make me look bad," the Doctor defended lamely, "And these are really good handcuffs!"

"Oh, I'm glad of that," Donna huffed, "At least we've got quality!"

"Um...Doctor..." Angel called, staring at the door as it opened to reveal Ood standing there, advancing.

~8~

Halpen and Ryder made their way to Warehouse 15, behind a guard trying to clear a path for them.

~8~

The Doctor, Donna, and Angel quickly tried to convince the Ood of their friendliness, shouting, their words overlapping as the Ood advanced, "Doctor, Donna, Angel, friends!" the Doctor tried, desperately trying to shift himself to stand in front of Angel, block the Ood from her, but he was handcuffed to the side.

"The circle must be broken!" Donna offered.

"The Ood will sing again," Angel ventured.

Over and over and over their words repeated and overlapped.

~8~

The unprocessed Ood looked up as the words echoed to them before they stood, their hands held above them.

~8~

The Ood lifted their translator balls to the trio...but stopped inches away from their foreheads.

~8~

The unprocessed Ood began to sing.

~8~

The translators turned off and the Ood gripped their heads. One lifted his head moments later to reveal his eyes returned to normal, "Doctor. Donna. Angel. Friends."

"That's me!" Donna beamed, "Us!"

"Yes, that's us!" Angel let out a breath, "Friends!"

"Oh, yes!" the Doctor agreed.

~8~

Halpen and Ryder continued to Warehouse 15 when an Ood attacked their guard. Ryder moved to help him but Halpen held him back, "No! Leave him! Leave him."

~8~

The trio flew down the stairs and across the complex, trying to avoid the fighting, when the Doctor paused to get his bearings, "I don't know where it is! I don't know where they've gone!"

"What are we looking for?!" Donna panted.

"This way!" Angel shouted, leading them off.

~8~

Halpen and Ryder finally reached the door, Halpen entering his code, "Warehouse 15, door open," the speakers announced.

They rushed inside.

~8~

The trio was thrown to the ground by an explosion behind them, "Alright?" the Doctor looked at Donna as he helped Angel to her feet, the man quickly checking her over to make sure she was ok, when they saw Sigma standing before them through the smoke.

~8~

"It's always been an option," Halpen explained as he strode through the warehouse, "My grandfather drew up the plans. That's the advantage of a family-run business, Dr. Ryder, the personal touch."

"But we should evacuate," Ryder argued, "If we can get to the rocket shed…"

"No need. We've got this," he opened a large cabinet, "Detonation packs," and pulled out a few devices, handing them to Ryder, "Place them around the circumference. We're gonna blow it up. This thing dies...so do the Ood," he turned and started placing the packs along the railing as Ryder stared at him, horrified.

~8~

Sigma led the Doctor, Angel, and Donna to the warehouse, the Doctor sonicing the door so they could run in, only to see an enormous brain kept on the floor below within an energy field. Angel quietly panted, holding the side of her head as she felt...fuzzy...slightly dizzy...but she'd been doing much more running today than normal, that giant claw and all, and the smell...she didn't like to poke at anyone, but...the Ood smelled really bad in those containers…

"The Ood brain," the Doctor stared, "Now it all makes sense. That's the missing link. The third element, binding them together. Forebrain, hindbrain, and this. The telepathic center. It's a shared mind...connecting all the Ood in song."

There was a click of a weapon behind them and they turned to see a gun held at them by Halpen, "Cargo. I can always go into cargo. I've got the rockets, I've got the sheds. Smaller business. Much more manageable without livestock."

"He's mined the area," Ryder warned them, creeping up beside the man.

"You're gonna kill it," Donna breathed.

"They found that thing centuries ago beneath the northern glacier," Halpen explained.

"Those pylons," the Doctor nodded down at them.

"In a circle," Donna saw, "'The circle must be broken.'"

"It's like a giant Mental Dampener," Angel murmured, "Blocking the telepathic field, it's been keeping the Ood from connecting to each other for 200 years."

The Doctor reached out and took her hand, knowing she could empathize with the Ood.

"And you, Ood Sigma, you brought them here," Halpen spat, "I expected better."

"My place is at your side, sir," Sigma moved to his side as he spoke.

"Still subservient," Halpen smirked, "Good Oo…" he gagged a bit, seeming to have trouble talking.

"If that barrier thing's in place, how come the Ood started breaking out?" Donna asked.

"Maybe it's taken centuries to adapt," the Doctor shrugged, "The subconscious reaching out."

"It wasn't that…" Angel frowned, looking at Ryder, "The process was too slow, wasn't it?"

He nodded, "It had to be accelerated," he glared at Halpen, "You should never have given me access to the controls, Mr. Halpen. I lowered the barrier to its minimum. Friends of the Ood, sir. It's taken me ten years to infiltrate the company. And I succeeded."

"Yes," Halpen sighed, "Yes, you did."

And then he pushed Ryder over the railing.

But Angel leapt forward and grabbed his arm, Donna quickly moving to help grab his other as Angel jerked forward, nearly toppling over the edge with the man, the two women working on pulling him up as the Doctor stepped forward to protect them as they did.

Halpen eyed the Doctor, "Can't say I've ever shot anyone before...can't say I'm gonna like it, but, uh, it's not exactly a normal day, is it? Still..." he held up his gun at them.

"Would you like a drink, sir?" Sigma asked as Angel and Donna got Ryder over the edge again, the man collapsing on the ground, panting.

Halpen chuckled, "I think hair loss is the least of my problems right now, thanks."

Sigma stepped in front of the Doctor, holding out a glass to his master, "Please have a drink, sir."

The Doctor put a hand on Sigma's shoulder.

"If…if you're gonna stand in their way, I'll shoot you too," Halpen glared, though his speech started to slow.

"Please have a drink, sir."

"Have…have you...poisoned me?"

"Natural Ood must never kill, sir."

"What is that stuff?" the Doctor frowned.

"Ood-graft suspended in a biological compound."

Halpen dropped the gun, looking rather unwell, "What the hell does that mean?"

"Oh dear," the Doctor breathed.

"Tell me!"

"Funny thing, the subconscious. Takes all sorts of shapes. It came out in the red-eye as revenge. It came out in the rabid Ood as anger. And then there was patience. All that intelligence and mercy focused on Ood Sigma. How's the hair loss, Mr. Halpen?"

"What have you done?"

"Oh, they've been preparing you for a very long time. And now you're standing next to the Ood brain. Mr. Halpen, can you hear it? Listen."

Halpen's eyes widened as he heard the Ood song, "What have you…I'm...not…"

Sigma stepped to the side, the trio watching as Halpen held his head, shouting in pain. He pulled at the skin of his scalp till it came away, revealing an Ood's head underneath. Tentacles dropped out of his mouth as he gagged.

"They…they turned him into an Ood?" Donna's eyes widened.

"Yup," the Doctor could only nod.

"He's an Ood."

"We know," Angel put an arm around Donna's shoulder.

Halpen made a gurgling noise before coughing up his secondary brain.

"He has become Ood-kind and we will take care of him," Sigma said.

"It's weird, being with you," Donna muttered, "I can't tell what's right and what's wrong anymore."

"It's better that way," the Doctor sighed, "People who know for certain tend to be like Mr. Halpen," there was a loud beep, "Oh!" he quickly switched off the detonator packs, "That's better. And now...Ood Sigma, will you allow me the honor?"

"It is yours, Doctor," Sigma bowed his head.

"Mr. Ryder?" the Doctor looked over.

"Yeah…" the man breathed, still partially in shock, even as Angel knelt beside him, rubbing his back, "S'fine."

"Oh yes!" the Doctor cheered, going to the equipment powering the fields, "Stifled for over 200 years but not anymore…" he paused, turning back to Angel, "Angel?" he gestured her over, "If anyone should do it…it's you," he smiled at her and stepped back.

She smiled and stood, moving over to the lever. She took a breath and put a hand on it, "The circle is broken. The Ood can sing!"

And with that, she pulled it down, the field around the brain shutting off, the song resonating everywhere.

"I can hear it!" Donna cried.

The Doctor laughed, grabbing Angel and pulling her into his arms, spinning her around, dancing to the new song, the song of freedom, as Sigma held his arms up as did the Ood all over the facility and the Universe.

~8~

The Ood stood in a semicircle before the Doctor, Donna, and Angel outside the TARDIS, "The message has gone out," the Doctor said, "That song resonated across the galaxies. Everyone heard it. Everyone knows. The rockets are bringing them back. The Ood are coming home."

"We thank you, Doctor-Donna-Angel," Sigma began, "Friends of Ood-kind. And what of you now? Will you stay? There is room in the song for you."

"Oh…I've…I've sorta got a song of my own, thanks," he nodded, putting his arm around Angel, "Most beautiful song in the Universe."

Angel laughed, squeezing his middle, "Like you're mine."

"I think your song must end soon," Sigma stated, staring at the Doctor.

"Meaning?" he tensed.

"Every song must end," Sigma remarked before he turned to look at Angel, "Everything, all things, must die."

Angel blinked, shivering, a pit forming in her stomach at the familiar words.

"Yeah…" the Doctor held her closer, not sure what to make of his words, before turning to Donna, "Um, what about you? Do you still want to go home?"

"No," Donna smiled, "Definitely not."

"Then we'll be off," the Doctor decided.

"Take this song with you," Sigma called.

"We will," Donna promised.

"Always," the Doctor nodded.

"Forever and ever," Angel agreed.

"And know this, Doctor-Donna-Angel, you will never be forgotten," Sigma added, "Our children will sing of the Doctor-Donna-Angel, and our children's children, and the wind and the ice and the snow will carry your names forever."

Angel smiled softly at them before they turned and walked back to the TARDIS, fading away as they left the Ood singing their songs.

~8~

Angel smiled as she laid on her back at the edge of the pool, just staring up at the sparkling ceiling. The waters were crystal blue, the floor and walls shining white, and the ceiling made of glass with a false blue sky and white clouds drifting by. It was enormous, the pool, with a little diving board on one side and a ladder to get in on the other, and the waters were so warm. The TARDIS always seemed to know just what temperature to make the waters. If they'd been in the desert just then, the waters would be refreshingly cool, but they'd been in the snow so it was perfectly warm, just what they needed.

"Doesn't she ever make you want to cry sometimes?" she asked absently to the only other occupant of the pool, the Doctor swimming a bit, wearing a pair of brown, pinstripe swim trunks.

"Who?" he looked over at her.

"The TARDIS," Angel sighed, "She's just so...amazing! More than 700 years I've been around TARDISes, I was born in one, practically raised in them, and they STILL amaze me."

The Doctor smiled and swam over, crossing his arms on the side of the pool, his head by hers as she stared up at the 'sky,' "She IS incredible," he nodded, though his gaze was NOT on the TARDIS.

"She's so wonderful," Angel smiled.

"Yes, she is."

"And brilliant."

"Yup."

"And beautiful."

"Sums you up exactly."

She blinked and looked over at him to see him grinning at her, clearly while SHE had been talking about the TARDIS, HE'D been talking about HER.

"You are the most beautiful creature I have ever laid eyes on Nella," he told her, just staring at her, "You're truly as beautiful inside as out and that's a RARE combination to find in someone. Your kindness, your warmth, your hearts..." he grinned, reaching out to tug on the end of her braid as it dangled over her shoulder, "Your hair," he pulled himself over the side of the pool and kissed her, "Your kisses," he grinned, slipping back in, "I love everything about you, my angel."

She let out a soft breath as she turned on her side to face him, resting her head on her right arm, reaching out her left hand to touch is cheek, "You say things like that a lot you know."

"Like what?"

"How beautiful I am, how special, how brilliant..."

"Because you ARE. Rule 3, I never lie to YOU."

"But I'm really not though."

"To me you are," he insisted lightly, pressing her hand to his cheek a moment before moving it to kiss and just holding it, "To me you are the most perfect being the Universe has ever made."

She smiled, "And you're the most fantastic," she winked.

"Brilliant!" he laughed, "You see, all I really do is say exactly what I think about you exactly when I think it...or near enough. Some things I can't exactly say outloud."

"Like what?"

He grinned and just pushed himself back, drifting away from her so he could see all of her, "Like...you're far too over-dressed for swimming!"

She looked down at herself, she was wearing a swimsuit yes, but...she hadn't revealed it to the Doctor. It was the same one that she'd glimpsed in his mind when he'd told her his true reasons for wanting to go to Space Florida. But it was hiddedn at the moment. She was wearing a rather lovely rainbow colored, tie-dyed, sleeveless dress sort of thing, a 'coverup' she believed it was called. It seemed to be mostly yellow with pinks and blues and greens swirling around in the middle and it hid the suit quite well.

She blushed a bit.

And he caught it, "Why Nella, are you getting shy all of a sudden?" he joked.

"You can't blame me," she sat up, "You haven't actually seen me that...revealed you know."

It was true, the Doctor had taken to turning around whenever they changed for bed or dressed, she knew why he did it, she always felt the flash of desire for her before he turned. She'd actually tried to give him no warning when she'd start to change just because it was so funny to feel his 'want' for her and then watch him struggle to turn around and keep himself back. He really had little self-control when it came to her and she loved testing how far that could go, teasing him to see how long he'd last. He was actually surprising her quite a bit, she'd have thought he would have caved ages ago with how much he longed to turn round, especially judging by how tightly he ended up gripping the back of a lone chair at his desk whenever she finished and looked back at him. He really was MUCH too tempted by the thought of her half-dressed. So, it was true, he'd never seen her as revealed as the bikini would have her.

"And there is not an inch of you I wouldn't love," he reminded her, trying to remind himself in the process that her in a bikini was not the same as when she changed clothes. A bikini was clothing, a little, and she wasn't undressing, she was just...wearing a new outfit.

She smiled at him for that and grabbed the end of her coverup, pulling it over her head, not looking at him though as she sat there in her bikini. She wasn't...uncomfortable in it...not with JUST the Doctor being there, she never felt uncomfortable when he looked at her, but...she could feel it, his eyes on her. She could feel her skin heating up in a trail as though warmed by just his gaze as it roved over her.

"There you see," he let out a breath, "You take my breath away," he looked at her, murmuring to himself, "Absolutely gorgeous..."

Angel just smiled down at him, one of her legs absently dangling over the edge and into the pool, swirling around while the other was curled up beside her, her foot resting under the knee of her other leg as she watched the Doctor swim closer to her. He gently crossed his arms and rested them on her bent knee, smiling up at her, making her shiver not just from the cool water on her bare skin, but the look in his eyes…

It was almost...hungry...

And not for food.

She blushed, shifting a bit, she probably should have picked a different suit. It was emerald green, a color he seemed to love on her, and she had to admit she liked it with her red hair almost as much as she liked the blue of the TARDIS. Almost. It was a very modest bikini if she had to describe it, like a halter top that tied behind her neck and a bottom part that was like a pair of very, very short shorts. If it hadn't been for it being a swimsuit, she would never wear something like it she was sure.

"You're staring at me again," she whispered to him.

"Can't help it," he grinned cheekily up at her, "I could stare at you all day and never get bored."

"You?" she laughed, he could get bored in the TARDIS and the ship really was the most magnificent thing in the Universe.

He just took her hands, tugging her towards the water. She shifted, putting her other leg in but not going farther, "You DO know how to swim?" he asked her, feeling a bit foolish for not having asked her that before suggesting a swim.

"Yes," she nodded, "I've been, once or twice, I'm not very good though..." she eyed the water.

"Leave that to me," he moved right before her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her with him as he kicked off the wall, his arms keeping her up, "I'll never let you get hurt Nella," he swore, though he knew he hadn't done the best job of keeping it so far, but she didn't seem to mind, according to her, he was always there when she really needed him, "I'll keep you safe, from enemies, from danger, from the water..."

She laughed, her hands on his shoulders, "You can put me down a bit, I can manage a float at least," he nodded and gently did as she said, though he held tight to her hand as they floated there, "Don't expect any races though, we both know who'd win."

"You," he remarked.

"How?" she laughed, "I can't swim all that well Theta and I saw you swimming laps around the..."

"I'd let you win," he shrugged, before grinning cheekily once more, "I'd much rather watch you ahead of me."

She blinked before her mouth dropped open in mock-offense and she whacked him on the chest, splashing him with a bit of water in the process.

"Oh is THAT how you want to play it?" his grin turned devious and he splashed her back.

She laughed and retaliated, both of them splashing and splashing and splashing, getting soaked until...

She found herself being pulled forward and kissed soundly on the lips, stealing her breath away and making her feel thankful that she was floating in the water as she was fairly certain this particular kiss would have made her knees give in. The Doctor's arm was around her back, his other hand touching her cheek, doing just as he'd promised, keeping her afloat despite his obvious distraction. It really was incredible his sense of protection, how his instinct to keep her safe was displayed even now when his mind was elsewhere.

She was breathless when they separated, he was too, quite a bit really, but she had to let out a little laugh, "I'm not sure how I feel about swimming," she remarked, staring at the top of his head.

"Why?" he frowned, a bit confused as to how she could feel that way given what they'd just done. He'd been enjoying it immensely, his Mate, in his arms, in a swimsuit, kissing him, just the two of them...much better than any beach.

She reached out and lightly ran her hand through his hair, his sopping wet hair, "The water's flattened your hair," and it was, all stuck to his head and forehead, "I LOVE your hair. It's all sticky-uppy, like a hodge podge."

"I..." he swallowed, "I think you..." his eyes drifting shut of their own accord at the feel of her playing with his hair, "Might mean...hedgehog."

She shrugged, her hand still moving through his hair, "Suppose there's still a little of the old me in me then."

He could only let out a groan at that as her hand trailed down to the back of his head, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, "You need to stop that Nella," he murmured, his head drooping forward to rest on her shoulder.

She bit back a small smirk, "And why's that?" she asked as innocently as she could as he nuzzled her neck.

She knew why. She could hear his thoughts, feel his emotions, feel his hearts racing and his body shivering and his resolve weakening. It was quite fun to see how far he could be pushed before his will broke. Usually it was as easy as asking him please or giving him a kiss or just...looking at him. But other issues took more doing.

"Because if you don't stop," he turned his head to kiss her neck, nibbling on it, making her breath catch in her throat, "We're gonna end up Mating right here in the pool," he replied, dead serious, as he literally forced himself to pull back, though her hands still rested on his shoulders and his remained around her.

She smiled softly as she looked at him, "Are we ever going to Mate Theta?"

"We will," he swore, "Cross my hearts," he crossed them with his one hand, his other still around her waist, "But Nella, I just want to make sure you're fully ready and..."

"I am," she insisted lightly.

He looked at her intently, "Has your headache gone away?"

She sighed and shook her head, it wasn't quite as bad as it had been in Pompeii, but...it WAS still there, a niggling annoyance in the back of her mind, "No."

"I want to make sure you're completely perfect in health before we do that."

"But it's just a headache."

"I know," he kissed her forehead lightly, "But I want it to be the best experience you ever have Nella," he whispered, "And I don't want any old headache getting in the way."

She smiled, "We'll just have to find some stronger medicine then, and quickly."

"Oh? And why's that?"

"You're not the only one tempted by their Mate," she poked him lightly in the chest, the poke turning into a small, light tracing of random patterns, "You look rather 'foxy' in that suit of yours and I find myself thinking that, one day soon, I might just 'jump' you..." she blinked, "That's what the humans say right?"

He stared at her a moment, his mind trying to process the fact that she'd just said she wanted to jump him, before blinking, "Yep," he said, his voice gone a bit high till he cleared it, "I mean, yes, yeah, that's the expression alright."

She laughed at that, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear before putting her arms around his neck, linking her fingers together behind him, "What do you think?" she gave him a small smirk.

He swallowed hard, feeling her thumbs lightly playing with his hair again, "I think you're right."

"About?"

"I'm not sure how I feel about swimming either."

"Oh?"

He nodded, pulling her even closer, their noses touching, "There's something else I'd rather be doing right this very moment than swimming laps."

"And what's that?" she whispered, her lips brushing against his they were so close.

"This," he leaned in and kissed her deeply.

He wouldn't allow himself to Mate with her in the pool, no, he wouldn't cheapen such a moment in such a way, but...nothing said he couldn't share a rather intimate and lasting kiss with his magnificent Mate.

She wasn't the only one who enjoyed seeing how far his self-restraint went.

Chapter Text

Angel smiled lightly to herself as she laid on the floor of the TARDIS, on her back, listening to the light echoing sounds playing softly above her, reminding her very much of Earth Whale songs but so much more beautiful. It was the music of the Spheres she knew, the Doctor had been on a song kick lately, ever since they'd helped save the Ood, their song was just…so touching…that he'd wanted to go and meet the great composers and singers of time, taking Donna along, before deciding to try his hand at composing, but just didn't know what to make a song about.

Well, that was a lie. He had started babbling that he'd wanted to compose a symphony for her, about her, the 'Angelic Hymn' he had wanted to call it, a song that encompassed everything she made him feel and everything he felt she was…but he'd gotten stuck. She'd laughed and said love was always the hardest to translate and he'd had to agree. There was just no way he could do it justice. So she'd suggested they listen to the sounds of the Universe for inspiration for a different song.

He hadn't had a clue what she was talking about, which secretly pleased her, there wasn't much he didn't understand, even less that she knew that he didn't. She'd taken him to the harmonic filters of the TARDIS and put the gravity patterns of the galaxies into it to create the lovely music that was now playing softly above them, well, it had to be soft, Donna was asleep, worn from so many adventures back to back.

The Doctor looked up, smiling, as he watched her listening, her eyes closed, just relaxing and enjoying the moment. He was…a bit worried, he had to admit. He'd noticed her headache was still there, how she seemed...tired, much more so than was normal. She'd been sleeping a bit longer than average and seemed a bit more weary on their adventures, the running got to her quicker than it usually did but he supposed it was a little bit his fault, he'd been so excited after meeting the Ood that he'd wanted to go see Beethoven and Mozart and Bach and so many others, they'd been dashing and running all across the Universe meeting composers from other planets too, even HE was worn from it all. Which was why he'd wanted to take that time to just have a peaceful moment, and when it was just the two of them, that was all he really felt, peaceful.

He hummed lightly to himself, getting back to his work. He was currently lying on his stomach, sheet music spread out before him as he jotted down the music he heard with a feather quill, sometimes reaching out with it to tickle Angel's cheek with it. He grinned, marking off the last note before he threw down the quill and leapt up, grabbing the papers. Angel cracked an eye open to see him hop over her in his mad dash to a music stand set up near the console, putting the papers on top of it.

She blinked though and frowned, before standing up, walking to the monitor of the controls, checking them a moment before an alarm started to go off, a small beeping noise.

"Not now!" the Doctor called back at the console, as though by just speaking the alarm would magically turn itself off which made Angel roll her eyes, "I'm busy!"

Angel laughed, shaking her head at that as it kept beeping as though to spite him, "Doctor," she called, "You may want to see this."

He turned and walked over to her side, slipping an arm around her waist as he looked at the monitor, only to see 'Alert: Teleport Breach' had come up. He frowned, "What? What!"

They looked over as a light flashed to the side, and there, standing in the middle of the TARDIS, was a tiny, red alien with three tentacle-like things sticking out of his head, a Graske.

"Oi!" the Doctor glared, taking a step forward, moving in front of Angel, "Get out of our TARDIS!"

"Sorry," Angel moved to the console, flicking a few switches, "That was my fault," she explained to the Doctor, "The defenses have to be lowered in order to start the harmonic translation feed and…"

"Must speak to the Doctor!" the Graske cut in, an urgent note to his voice.

"I don't care," the Doctor shook his head, "You're a Graske and a Graske is trouble. Out!" he pointed to the side...and not in the direction of the doors though he didn't seem to notice.

"But that noise…" the Graske looked up, as though trying to spot where the melody was coming from, "Beautiful sound in the air, what is it?"

"That," Angel smiled, looking up as well, "Is the music of the Spheres."

"Music of the Spheres? Is what?"

"Well," the Doctor sighed, moving over to the Graske and sitting down beside it, his back resting on the captain's chair as Angel turned to lean against the console, facing them, watching them, her smile still there, she loved it when he explained things, "You got all those planets revolving around suns, and all those suns revolving around in a galaxy, and all those galaxies revolving around each other…and," he beamed up at Angel, a soft look in his eyes, "As my lovely, brilliant, magnificent Mate showed me, thanks for that dear," he winked at her, making her laugh, "You can take the gravity patterns and feed them through the TARDIS harmonic filter!"

"That sound in the air," Angel added, sighing softly at the music, "That's the sound of the Universe!"

"Universe sounds wonderful," the Graske replied.

"It does," Angel agreed.

The Doctor smiled for a moment, so pleased to see her so happy. She was so…easy. To please that is. It only ever took little things to make her smile, a hug, a hand-hold, a gentle moment between the two of them and she would beam in such a way that sent his hearts racing and made him actually feel…good…about himself, that he could have a hand in making her that happy. And that was all he ever really wanted, her to be happy. She had once said that she thought he was fantastic, he couldn't see it given everything he'd done, but the way she looked at him, like he was the most magnificent man in the Universe, well, it was hard to argue when the woman you loved looked at you that way.

He shook his head, his thoughts were getting away from him, as they so often did whenever Angel drifted across his mind…which was all the time to be honest, "But you're still not staying!" he shouted at the Graske, getting up and joining Angel at the console.

"No!" the Graske shook his little head, "Graske came to warn you."

Angel frowned, "About what?" she hadn't sensed any pressing danger looming and, while she knew, as Mickey had said once, that she couldn't see everything, dangers like that, dangers that seemed so big they needed a warning, tended to give her some sort of feeling.

"About that!" he pointed.

They looked over to the doors, only to see a small hole appear in the air, swirling slightly, creating a small window.

"Oh!" the Doctor eyed it, taking Angel's hand to reassure her that it was not anything dangerous and her feelings were fine, "Now…that looks like a space portal."

"Told you! Danger!"

The Doctor shook his head, walking towards it with Angel, "Nah, it's harmless."

Angel nodded slowly, recognizing it now, "They're just holes in space yeah?"

"Yeah," he agreed, leaning over to try and look at it closer, "But I wonder what's on the other side…hello?" he stepped even closer, peering through it, frowning as he could see some sort of place with hundreds, maybe thousands, of people gathered together, staring up at him.

"What's that?" Angel frowned, squinting, trying to make out where the people were, "Who are all those people?"

"Hold on…" the Doctor turned his head a little, looking this way and that through the portal, managing to make out the area, "That looks like…is that the Albert Hall?"

The people within said something, but it came out as more of a faint hum than anything, oh the mechanics of space portals, volume often got distorted.

"I said is that the Albert hall?!" he tried again, a little louder, but the people seemed confused, "I said…is that the Albert Hall!" he shouted.

They started nodding and pointing at the two Time Lords, all of them excited, almost as though they recognized the aliens.

"Oh!" he grinned, "Brilliant!"

"Hello!" Angel laughed, waving back to some of the children waving at her, "Nice to meet you!"

"We said hello!" the Doctor called when they got no reply back save a collective murmur they couldn't make out, "No, no, no, sorry, sorry, you'll have to shout. We said HELLO!"

'HELLO!' came the faint reply, so low that even they, with their Time Lord hearing, could barely hear it, but it was good enough for them, at least now they could communicate.

"Listen, my name's the Doctor, and this gorgeous woman," he put his arm around Angel, "Is my Mate, Angel," he kissed her cheek quickly when he saw it heat up in a blush, "We're Time Lords…"

"That's an awful lot of people," Angel commented, cutting into his speech slightly, before looking at him, "What are they all doing there?

He nodded, wondering the same, before he realized, "Ooh!" he looked back at them, "It's the Proms, isn't it?" he asked them, "Is that the Proms? Are you in the Proms?"

'YES!'

"Oh!" he cheered, "I LOVE the Proms. I was at the very first Proms, 1895," he told Angel, "I played the tuba."

She smiled softly at him, "I bet you were just brilliant."

"Oh I was," he beamed.

"We should have a go one day," she added.

"Oh definitely," he agreed, pleased at the idea, before he noticed another group of people getting up to peer at them from the bottom of the portal, "Is that the orchestra down there? Oh!" his eyes widened as he shouted, an idea hitting him, "Wait there!" he made a mad dash back to his papers, grabbing them off the music stand before rushing back, "'Cos…funny thing is, I've just been composing something myself. I said to Beethoven, I said 'I can rattle off a tune,' he said 'pardon?' But! I've just been inspired by the music of the Spheres. Well," he shrugged, "I was inspired by Angel here, but she'd just too brilliant to put into words…or notes really…"

"He's written his very own symphony," Angel told them, proud.

"Yeah," he smiled softly at her.

That was another thing he loved about her, she was always so proud of him, of his accomplishments, even the little ones, even...even his terrible ones. He had told her about Gallifrey, his part in its end, and she'd understood, being psychic she had also once told him that she believed Gallifrey would have fallen anyway, but more from their own corruption than the Daleks. He had seen it in her mind, she was still...proud...of him for what he'd had to do, for having the strength to do it, the strength to consider the fate of all the Universe over their planet. It had been the most difficult decision he'd ever had to make in his considerably long lives, and she was proud of his strength in making it. It hurt them both that their planet was gone, but Angel had been remarkable in reminding him they still had a home in the TARDIS, a family in each other and their companions, and in reminding him that he'd saved every single soul in the Universe, through all of space and time, by stopping the Last Great Time War. And she was proud of him for that, for saving all that life despite what it cost him. He truly hoped he never ever did anything to disappoint her, because...he really didn't think he could bear that.

"And," he shook his head out of his thoughts, "If I can send these pages through the portal, then the orchestra can play it!"

"What do you think?" Angel asked the orchestra, not wanting to be rude and assume they would want to do it or play a song they hadn't rehearsed first, "Would you like to play it? Just think, a brand new piece of music, composed by the Doctor!"

There wasn't a definite answer they could hear but the orchestra members seemed very excited about it.

"Ready for this, orchestra?" the Doctor asked, getting ready to throw the papers through, "Standby, 3, 2, 1!" he tossed them into the portal, the two of them watching as the papers rained down on the orchestra like big, flat pieces of snow, "That's it, that's it! There you go, hurry up. This portal isn't gonna stay open for long. Right, now…so, eh, if you don't mind, Mr. Conductor," he smiled, "Stand down," he pulled out the sonic, "I'm in charge of this one."

"Now you've all got to be quiet please," Angel added, gently shushing the crowd, the music needed to be heard, "Fingers on lips children," she put her own finger on her lips along with the kids who quickly did the same.

The Doctor smiled at her, she was so kind like that, he'd have just told them to shut up, but there she was, being polite, "Ladies and gentlemen," he began, lifting the sonic as though it were a baton.

"And children," Angel added again, winking at the children in the audience, seeming to make them giggle and beam at having been remembered and included so much by her.

He laughed, "And children," he agreed, "THIS is the worldwide premiere of…Ode to the Universe…" he swished the sonic around, conducting, closing his eyes as he listened to what he probably thought was a beautiful melody…but really, it was quite a ruckus of mismatched instruments playing off-key notes…quite a mess, though the Doctor didn't seem to notice and Angel just couldn't find it in her hearts to comment on it.

He cut off suddenly, ending the song and beamed, "Oh! Come on! That was brilliant!" he flipped the sonic and put it away, smirking as the audience gave a small, polite applause, "Thank you! I thank you, no, no, no I thank you…really, you're too kind. You see Graske," he called over his shoulder, "That's the thing about planet Earth, it…"

"Doctor," Angel tensed, not turning around to look back at the Graske, but stiffening, "I think the Graske is gone."

He spun around and looked back, the Graske really was gone, "What? What!" he ran to the console, rushing around it, trying to find the little creature, "Where's he gone?"

"Sorry!" Angel called to the humans as the Doctor joined her back at the portal, "It seems we've lost a Graske," she looked at him, "Do you think he slipped through the portal?"

He nodded, looking at the humans, "Have you seen him?" before groaning, seeing something scampering through the audience, "Oh, ah…there he is! Albert Hall you've got a Graske on the loose!" he patted his jacket for a moment, realizing something, "And he's stolen my water pistol!"

Angel blinked and looked at him, "The one from Pompeii?"

"That's the one," he sighed, "I love that water pistol," he glared through the portal at the Graske squirting people, "Oi! Graske! Stop it! Behave!"

"He wasn't trying to warn us was he?" Angel figured it out, still looking at him, "He just wanted a quick way to Earth!"

He nodded, "If he escapes he'll go around the whole planet causing trouble, stealing sweets, making smells…" he grimaced.

Angel nodded and turned to the console, "Best get on that then."

He eyed her a moment, "How?"

She smiled back at him, "We just need to 'reverse the polarity of the neutron flow,'" she laughed.

He stared a moment before beaming, "Brilliant!" and ran to her side to help her, the two of them getting to work, "We can pull that Graske back into the TARDIS!" he smiled ta her, "Oh you are so brilliant," he kissed her quickly, and once more, before focusing on the controls.

Angel just smiled and pulled a lever, the Graske half-thrown out of the portal, stumbling into the TARDIS.

"Not fair!" the Graske stamped his foot.

"Oh, I'll give you not fair!" the Doctor scoffed as Angel got to work, seeing the plan in his mind and knowing exactly what to do to see it through, she DID know her way around a TARDIS quite well, "We're gonna reverse back the teleport and send you all the way to the other side of the galaxy!"

She hit a button and nodded at the Doctor, who pulled out the sonic and flashed it at the Graske, making the little creature disappear in a flash of light.

"Right," he nodded, "Well," he smiled at Angel, taking her hand to kiss the back of it, "Brilliant work!"

She laughed and tugged him back to the portal, "That was fun," she told him.

"And a little bit mad," he agreed, before remembering the people watching them, "But we've got to close this portal before there's anymore trouble," he added to the humans.

"It was very nice to see you all," Angel waved at them, moving to the console again as the Doctor stepped before the portal fully.

"One more thing…" he called to them, smiling, "Just remember, music isn't just orchestras and pop stars and best people with albums and downloads and concerts…it's YOU," he nodded, "'Cos the music of the Spheres is all around you. When you're on your own, just close your eyes and you'll hear it. Music. Inside your head. 'Cos everyone's a musician," he looked back at Angel, at the console, ready to close the portal, and had to smile, "Everyone's got a song inside of them," or a song in general, she was his song, the melody of his hearts and of his life in every way, like he knew he was hers, "Every single one of you," he nodded, before turning to wave at them, "Bye!"

Angel twisted a knob slowly and the portal shrunk and shrunk and shrunk till it disappeared.

The Doctor beamed and walked over to her, unable to stop himself from kissing her, she really was his everything.

Chapter Text

"Oi!" the Doctor glared up at the rotor as the console shocked him, "I said for a minute!" he moved to whack the controls with a mallet when he found it plucked out of his hand. He spun around to see Angel dashing to the doors, throwing the mallet into space, before closing them and brushing off her hands, heading back with a smirk, "I loved that mallet," he pouted.

She laughed, "It was either that or threaten not to kiss you again if you hit her with it. Which do you love more?"

He blinked, "Right, sayonara mallet!" he cheered, moving to rest his hand on the console again...only for it to spark again and force him to withdraw his hand, "Oi!" he shouted at the rotor, "I wasn't going to let her fly you far!"

Angel shook her head, the Doctor had all but told the TARDIS he was going to let Donna try her hand at flying the old box. The ginger had nagged him and nagged him and nagged him till he'd finally broken down and agreed. Well, that and claiming SHE thought Donna was ready to try to fly the box a little bit. And she was, she really thought Donna could do it, but the Doctor wasn't exactly convincing or reassuring the TARDIS of that at the moment. He'd basically just said it was Donna's turn and then the box had thrown a little bit of a tantrum...probably because he'd also rambled about how they had to hope Donna wouldn't crash the box into Ancient Greece or push the wrong button and kill them all or blast them out of the Vortex and other things...which had not only made the box nervous but Donna as well.

The Doctor moved to pull a lever to get them into the Vortex to start when even that shocked him too, "Stop it!" he whined.

Angel smiled and walked over, taking his hand as he tried to put it on the lever again, "Let me," she offered, turning to the rotor, "Oh you didn't like that did you old girl?" she asked calmly, reaching out to stroke the rotor comfortingly, "Having the mean old Doctor ordering you around..."

The Doctor pouted, but Angel just gave him a quick peck to appease him, before trying to turn back to what she was doing...only for him to pull her back to him, kissing her soundly. Really, did she think just one little peck would do? Never. He grinned as he pulled away, stroking her cheek, "Go on," he whispered, nudging her towards the console, "Be amazing."

She laughed and gave him one more peck, dashing away before he could pull her back in, and over to the console, "I promise I'll keep an eye on Donna, make sure everything's fine," she told the box, "I trust her," she winked at Donna before turning back to the rotor, "Taught her myself and you trust me at least to teach her the proper way to fly you don't you girl?" the box hummed, making the Doctor smile at how she was getting through to the irate machine, before pouting as he realized his piloting skills were being questioned...as always, "I can feel it, she'll do a fantastic job. So, will you let her try? Please, for me?"

The box was silent a moment before there was a little hum.

"Brilliant, thanks!" Angel beamed, turning to take Donna's hand and position her before the monitor, ready to start the latest lesson/test drive.

"What if I explode the Universe?" Donna hissed to her quietly, tense, nervous now. She'd been so excited before but now...so many things really could go wrong.

"You won't," Angel promised her, pulling the lever to send them into the Vortex.

"But what if I do?"

"You won't."

"But what if I DO?"

Angel had to laugh, she'd had this same discussion when she'd encouraged Donna to try and change the thermo-couplings by herself last week after she'd shown her how. She put her hands on Donna's shoulders, "You won't Donna, you'll have me AND the Doctor looking out for you, you'll be JUST fine," she squeezed the woman's shoulders, "Trust me, you can do this. We're only going in a straight line, just like I showed you."

Donna took a breath and nodded, turning to the controls...

~8~

A group of red sweat suit clad students 'escorted' an older woman down the steps of their school as she struggled in their grasp. A boy in a t-shirt and jeans followed them, clearly the one in charge given his smirk and lack of a sweat suit, "You're gonna regret this!" the woman called, "This is completely ridiculous! Get your hands off me!"

The two young people holding her shoved her to the ground and threw a handful of papers after her.

"I think that makes my answer clear, don't you?" the young man smirked wider, "Oh, and, uh, if you're gonna go to print, spell my name right: Rattigan with two Ts."

"Oh, this goes way beyond the newspapers," she glared, getting up, gathering her papers in the process, "This thing's worldwide! I'm telling you, ATMOS is dangerous!"

"But if you had proof, then you wouldn't be here," he held his arms out wide, gesturing at the building, the school, behind him.

"Fine. If you won't listen, I'll find someone else who will," she turned and strode into her car which had an ATMOS sticker on the windshield.

"Welcome," the ATMOS system greeted as soon as the car was started, "What is your destination?"

"You're the last thing I need," she muttered, trying to turn it off.

"ATMOS cannot be disabled."

"Right then. Take me to UNIT Headquarters, Tower Bridge, London."

"UNIT Headquarters."

~8~

The young man stood, alone, in his large room, speaking aloud to no one in particular...or so it seemed, "Her name's Jo Nakashima, freelance journalist. Clever by the sound of it, not as clever as me, but that goes without saying," he looked at a small camera, "I'd recommend termination."

"Remember your status, boy," a male voice called back to him, the tone harsh, "We do not take orders from humans."

"I said, 'recommend.'"

"Then your advice shows military wisdom. She will be terminated."

"Cool," he smirked, hitting a tennis ball across the room, completely unaffected by the fact he'd just organized for the death of another.

~8~

"This is UNIT, extension 221," an automated woman's voice replied over the mobile, "Please..."

"Don't put me through to answer-phone," Jo Nakashima said when the phone beeped anyway, she sighed, "Yes, this is a message for Colonel Mace from Jo, Jo Nakashima. Look, you should have got my e-mail. I've been investigating a number of deaths related to ATMOS systems..."

"Go straight on," ATMOS ordered.

"I can't prove anything but there's got to be a link. I need you to check out all the people who died in ATMOS cars yesterday and then check out the time."

"Turn right."

She turned right and crossed a bridge to find herself facing the river, "I don't believe this," she huffed.

"This is your final destination."

"I said to take me to UNIT," she hit a button.

"Go straight on."

"I don't think so. I'll find my own way, thanks," she reached for the gearshift but it moved on its own, the engine revving. She grabbed the gear shift and tried to move it but it wouldn't budge.

"This is your final destination," ATMOS locked the doors, "This is your final destination."

"No, no! Help!"

"This is your final destination..."

She turned and pounded on the window, "No!"

The car accelerated forward towards the river.

"No! Noooo!"

"This is your final destination," the car drove straight into the water, sinking, with the woman still screaming inside.

~8~

Donna stood before the console controls while the Doctor looked on, more than a bit wary, Angel sat on the captain's chair, calm, watching, having faith that Donna could do this, "I can't believe I'm doing this!" Donna exclaimed, now more in excitement than nerves.

"No, neither can I," the Doctor remarked.

"I can," Angel cheered.

She'd been slowly teaching Donna the different controls over the last few months, moving far beyond the temperature controls and radio. The woman now knew enough to at least fly the TARDIS in a semi-straight line through the Vortex. Mickey, Rose, and Martha had all picked that up relatively quickly, but Donna was taking just a bit longer. That was fine with her though, it meant she got to spend more time teaching her sister how to fly the best box in the Universe. She secretly thought the TARDIS loved that, her teaching the humans how to fly her.

"I still don't understand why you bother to teach them," the Doctor remarked to her, he LOVED running around the console with her, making the ride complicated for the humans. He sort of felt that teaching them how the box worked took the wonder out of it, as though just being in a room that was bigger on the inside wasn't wonderful enough.

She shrugged, "One day, if we have a reunion with Martha and Jack, we can get Donna to help us pilot. We'll have nearly enough to fly her properly," she smiled at the rotor and got up, walking to it, "You'd like that wouldn't you girl? One trip, every so often, flown just the way you're meant to be flown?"

The TARDIS seemed to hum in agreement, which made Donna laugh and look at the Doctor, "Even your box doesn't like the way you fly it."

"Whoa, careful," the Doctor lunged forward, seeing them veering with Donna's eye off the monitor...and to change the topic...but mostly because of the veering, really, "Left hand down!" he shouted, "Left hand down!" the ship jolted, sending Angel falling onto the console, "Getting a bit too close to the 1980s."

"What am I gonna do, put a dent in 'em?" Donna asked sarcastically.

"Too late," Angel smiled, "The Doctor already did."

Just as he opened his mouth to try to defend himself, again, a phone rang.

"Hold on, that's a phone!" Donna shouted as the Doctor and Angel looked at the mobile sitting in a holder on the console, "You've got a mobile? Since when?"

"It's not ours…" the Doctor murmured, reaching out for it, when Angel beat him to it.

"Martha!?" she called, half-excited, half-worried.

"Angel!" Martha greeted happily, "It's me...and I'm bringing you both back to Earth!"

~8~

The TARDIS faded into existence between two buildings at the end of an alley, behind Martha as she stood there, dressed in black, looking at a warehouse across the way. When the wheezing of the TARDIS reached her she turned around. The door opened and the Doctor and Angel stepped out, standing there and looking at her, "Martha Jones," the Doctor greeted.

"Doctor," Martha smiled, walking over to them as they did the same, "Angel."

Martha held out her arms and the Doctor pulled her into a great big hug, pulling her off the ground, "Ah, yeah!" he released her, "You haven't changed a bit!"

"Neither have you!" Martha laughed.

"Martha!" Angel smiled, hugging her best friend tightly, moving her side to side a bit from the force of her bear hug, "How's everyone?" she asked softly, pulling away, resting her hands on Martha's shoulders, truly concerned.

"You know. Not so bad. Recovering," Donna stepped out of the TARDIS behind the duo, Martha spotting her.

"What about you?" the Doctor asked.

"Right," Martha shook her head with a smile, expecting it, "I should have known. Didn't take you long to replace me."

"No one could ever do that," Angel told her lightly, "My very best friend," she told Martha, hugging her again, "I don't think anyone will ever take that title."

Martha smiled, closing her eyes, a little relieved to hear that, as she hugged Angel once more. She knew the Time Lords were near immortal, she knew they had so many adventures, met so many people, that she must be such a small part of their lives, she wouldn't blame them for forgetting her...but Angel always seemed to know just what to say, and said it so genuinely, that she couldn't help but feel reassured. Angel didn't really ever lie so if she said it, she honestly believed it. And it was nice to know that, while she'd been the Doctor's companion, one of many, many, many, she was Angel's best (human) friend, and that was a title, to her, that was so much more rare.

"Now, don't start a fight," the Doctor pleaded, though it was more joking now that he saw Angel had reassured his former companion, "Martha, Donna. Donna, Martha. Please don't fight. I can't bear fighting."

"You wish," Donna remarked, turning to Martha, "I've heard all about you," she held out a hand to shake Martha's, "They talk about you all the time."

"I dread to think," she said.

"Only the absolute best," Angel reassured her, still standing beside her, with her arm around Martha's shoulders, "Don't worry."

Donna's eyes widened as Martha brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes, "Who's the lucky man?"

"What man?" the Doctor asked, "Lucky what?"

"Oh Martha, congratulations!" Angel hugged her again, having spotted what Donna had.

Martha laughed, she loved how much of a hugger Angel was.

"She's engaged, you prawn," Donna told the Doctor as Martha held up her left hand, revealing her ring.

"Really?" the Doctor eyed her, "Who to?"

"Tom," she beamed, "That Tom Milligan. He's in pediatrics working out in Africa right now. And yes, I know, I've got a doctor who disappears off to distant places, tell me about it."

"Is he skinny?" Donna asked, sounding rather serious.

"No, he's sort of...strong."

"He is too skinny for words," she pointed at the Doctor, "You give him a hug, you get a paper cut!" which made Martha laugh.

"I'd rather you were fighting," the Doctor remarked.

"Oh hush," Angel walked away from Martha, around to his side, putting an arm around his waist, "You're the perfect size for me."

He beamed at her, squeezing her as he moved his own arm around her too, "And you're just perfect."

"Dr. Jones, report to base, please," a woman called over a radio.

"Speaking of which..." Martha lifted a radio, "This is Dr. Jones. Operation Blue Sky is go, go, go," she nodded her head for them to follow her off down the alley, "I repeat, this is a go."

The Doctor, Angel, and Donna followed, watching as soldiers, jeeps, and a large lorry drove down the road towards the warehouse before them.

"Unified Intelligence Taskforce, raise that barrier now!" a soldier shouted as the soldiers and vehicles entered the factory, "Leave your safeties on, lads, it's non-hostiles!"

"All workers lay down your tools and surrender!" a second soldier shouted through a megaphone.

"Greyhound Six to Trap One," Martha ordered, "B Section, go, go, go! Search the ground floor, grid pattern Delta."

"What are you searching for?" the Doctor looked at her.

"Illegal aliens."

"This is a UNIT operation!" came a call over the megaphone, "All workers lay down your tools and surrender immediately!" the UNIT soldiers ushered the workers onto their knees, moving their hands over their heads.

"B Section mobilized!" Martha called, heading over to help, "E Section, F Section, on my command!"

"Is that what you did to her, turned her into a soldier?" Donna turned to them as they watched Martha, a bit stunned.

Angel frowned and looked back over her shoulder at the alley, at the TARDIS, before glancing up to the sky, she couldn't help but feel like...they were being watched.

~8~

On a monitor a lone figure in thick armor watched Angel turned back to the factory, "As predicted, the UNIT forces have moved to the penultimate stage. Observe their troops, thin fabrics, exposed skin, feeble weapons. These are toy soldiers, the playthings of children!"

~8~

Martha came back to the trio when Angel noticed her name badge, "Oh my God, Martha you're a doctor now! A real proper doctor!"

"UNIT rushed it through, given my experience in the field," Martha nodded, grinning.

"That's wonderful," she beamed at her.

Martha blushed a bit, "Thanks," before recalling why she'd come back, the orders to bring them in, "Here we go," she brought them over to the factory, to a lorry stationed just outside it, "We're establishing a field base on site. They're dying to meet you."

"Wish I could say the same," the Doctor muttered, holding Angel closer as they entered the lorry from the rear, not at all comfortable with soldiers running around with guns with her there. He looked down a moment later though when Angel shivered, "You alright?"

"Just a chill," she said, for once it NOT being accompanied with a feeling like someone had just died, "I'm a bit cold is all. I'm fine," but she crossed her arms and hugged herself despite her sweater. The Doctor rubbed her arm absently, trying to warm her as well, it WAS just a little nippy out.

They looked around to see the vehicle was set up with computers and monitors and communications, all top of the line. Martha strode up to an older man, the leader of the expedition, "Operation Blue Sky complete, sir. Thanks for letting me take the lead."

"You returned from your previous mission with the highest of recommendations from Torchwood," the man replied, "You earned it."

Martha grinned a little at that, thinking of her last mission, on loan from UNIT, helping out Jack and his team, before she turned to the aliens behind her, "And this...this is the Doctor and the Angel..."

"My Mate," the Doctor cut in.

Angel rolled her eyes at him and playfully smacked his stomach as he beamed at her, she really had NO idea how much he loved saying that, his Mate, she was HIS Mate. He wanted to shout it from every corner of the Universe. He shivered just thinking of it, he'd never thought he'd have a Mate, not when he'd been 'married' on Gallifrey, but there she was, the light of the Universe, and she was all his.

Martha laughed at the familiarity of that, "Doctor, Angel, this is Colonel Mace."

"Sir," Mace gave them a salute, "Ma'am."

"Oh, don't salute," the Doctor sighed at the same time Angel said, "Nice to meet you."

"But it's an honor, sir. I've read all the files on you and your Mate," Mace continued, catching the little smile that lit up the Doctor's face when he called Angel the man's Mate as well, judging from the files Martha had helped update, that was the best way to get on the man's good side. It was quite funny really, they had typed notes on the man and his Mate, and then scribbled on the side in the margins was anything Martha wanted to add, like 'Doctor hates pears' or 'Angel loves period clothes' and the like, "Technically speaking, you're still on staff. You never resigned."

"What, you used to work for them?" Donna looked at him.

"Yeah," he rubbed his ear, embarrassed he'd forgotten that little detail, "A long time ago, back in the 70s, or was it the 80s? It was all a bit more homespun back then."

"Times have changed, sir," Mace nodded.

"That's enough of the 'sir,' though..." he considered it a moment, "You'd best call Angel 'ma'am,' I'll not have you disrespecting her and..."

"Angel is just FINE," Angel cut in, patting the Doctor's arm as she reassured Mace, "It's my name after all."

"Come on though," Martha cut in, "You've seen it. You've been on board the Valiant. We've got massive funding from the United Nations, all in the name of Homeworld Security."

"A modern UNIT for the modern world," Mace smiled.

"What, and that means arresting ordinary workers?" Donna glared, "In the streets? In broad daylight? It's more like Guantanamo Bay out there. Donna, by the way. Donna Noble, since you didn't ask. I'll have a salute."

Mace turned to the Doctor and Angel who nodded, Angel smiling as she nodded more eagerly, "Ma'am," he gave her a salute as well.

"Thank you," Donna smiled.

"Tell me, what's going on in that factory?" the Doctor turned to Mace.

"Yesterday, 52 people died in identical circumstances right across the world, in 11 different time zones," Mace turned, bringing up a world map with red dots and times, "5am in the UK, 6am in France, 8am in Moscow, 1pm in China…"

"They died simultaneously?" Angel asked, she'd always had a little affinity with time, she could see that it was the same moment all across the globe.

"Exactly. 52 deaths at the exact same moment worldwide."

"What happened to them? How'd they die?" she frowned and the Doctor squeezed her closer, knowing how much she didn't like deaths.

"They were all inside their cars."

"They were poisoned," Martha told them, "I checked the biopsies. No toxins. Whatever it is, left the system immediately."

"What have the cars got in common?" the Doctor asked.

"Completely different makes but all fitted with ATMOS. And that is the ATMOS factory."

"What's ATMOS?"

"Oh come on, even I know that," Donna rolled her eyes, "Everyone's got ATMOS."

~8~

Martha led the Doctor, Angel, and Donna down the catwalk stationed over the factory floor, explaining what they knew, "Stands for 'Atmospheric Emission System.' The ATMOS in your car reduces CO2 emissions to zero."

"Zero?" the Doctor gaped, "No carbon? None at all?"

"And you get sat-nav thrown in, plus 20 quid in shopping vouchers if you introduce a friend," Donna nodded, "Bargain."

"And this is where they make it," Mace joined them, "Shipping worldwide. Seventeen factories across the globe but this is the central depot, sending ATMOS to every country on Earth."

"So...you think ATMOS is alien?" Angel guessed, glancing down at the floor below.

"It's our job to investigate that possibility. Shall we?" he walked off, the Doctor following.

Angel paused a moment, looking down at the soldiers gathering the workers, frowning as she eyed them before shaking her head and walking off.

Donna however, glanced between Angel and the workers, if Angel really was a psychic like they'd told her, then there was something more than met the eye with the workers. It really was like Angel said, sometimes she would look at something for too long or touch something and not even realize she had, but SHE noticed and kept it in mind for later, she really did see what Angel missed, just like the woman had said in Pompeii...oh that psychic, she was good.

"Come on, everybody, up the pace," a soldier called to the workers, "We haven't got all day now."

~8~

Mace led the group into a small office where the ATMOS devices were set up, "And here it is, laid bare. ATMOS can be threaded through any and every make of car."

"You've must've checked it before it went on sale," the Doctor muttered.

"We did," Martha explained, "We found nothing. That's why I thought we needed an expert."

"Really?" the Doctor asked as he put on his specs to examine some equipment, "Who did you get?" he turned at the quiet that followed, seeing them giving him a look, "Oh, right! Me! Yes! Good!"

Martha shook her head at him before she and Mace left the room to check how things were going in the factory.

"Ok, so why would aliens be so keen on cleaning up our atmosphere?" Donna wondered as she and Angel looked at the tech, Angel absently running her finger along the clear top of the ATMOS that fit on the engine, along the grid-like pattern and small holes in the crossed lines.

"Very good question."

"Maybe they want to help, get rid of pollution and stuff."

"Do you know how many cars there are on planet Earth? 800 million."

"848,958,137," Angel murmured, glancing at them as they stared at her, "At a guess."

He nodded, smiling at her, he'd take that guess, "Imagine that. If you could control them, you'd have 848,9..." he trailed off, "800 million weapons."

~8~

Two UNIT soldiers walked around the lower levels, checking the dark corridors, one holding a map and reading it by torchlight, "We should head back. There's not much down here. Should be just boiler rooms, generators..."

The other man stepped into the next corridor when the lights flickered on. At the end of the hall there was a doorway with two factory workers standing guard, "Aye, aye...what's this then?" the man asked as the map holder joined him, the two of them walking down the hall, "You two, all personnel have been ordered to evacuate. Building's under UNIT control."

"This area is out of bounds," one of the workers said, monotoned.

"Excuse me, sunshine. I think you'll find we're in charge," the men just stared straight ahead, expressionless, "We can do this the easy way...or the hard way."

~8~

"General Staal, they are close," a deep voice said as they watched the proceedings of the hall on a monitor.

"Excellent!" Staal replied, his voice sounding remarkably like the other one that had spoken, "And like a good warrior, I shall enter the fray myself. Let them pass."

~8~

The two workers stepped aside, one opening the door, "It's open."

"Come on," the soldier muttered to his friend. They stepped in to see the room was dark with an eerie, green light coming from the opposite side. He switched on a light to see a large covered container in the middle of the room, "What the hell?"

"Greyhound Sixteen to Trap One," the first man with the map called into the radio, "We found something. Basement corridor, north side, grid 36. Request backup, sir."

They both approached the container that had steam rising from it, "Looks like something's boiling inside," he moved to open it.

"Don't touch it!"

"C'mon, Steve. We get first rights on this. That means promotion."

"Just leave it alone. Wait for backup," Steve tensed as there was a loud clanking sound, "What the hell was that?"

"Came from inside," he remarked, looking at the container.

"Could be just the machinery," Steve suggested.

There were two more clanks.

"Is there someone in there? Hello?" he banged on the lid, "We gotta get this open."

"We should wait for the others," Steve shifted.

"You could suffocate in there!"

"Greyhound Sixteen to Trap One. Request immediate assistance," Steve called into the radio, "Repeat: immediate assistance. Over."

"How do you work this thing?" the man mumbled, trying to open it, "Come on," the lid rose straight up as a green slimy substance bubbled away underneath. They leaned in for a better look, coughing at the stench.

"Oh!" Steve held his nose, "God, it stinks!"

"What the hell is that stuff?"

Just then a human-like creature rose up from the slime, reaching for them. It was human in shape but not fully formed, with a cord extending from the back of its neck. Steve quickly aimed his rifle, "Identify yourself! Identify!" before he called into the radio again, "Greyhound Sixteen to Trap One declaring absolute emergency, sir! Repeat: absolute emergency! Over."

His partner pulled out his pistol and aimed it at the creature, watching it though, fascinated, "Can you hear me? Can you understand me?" he looked at Steve, "Look at its neck," he gestured to the cord, "It looks like an umbilical cord."

"Well, don't get too close."

"I think it's harmless," he said as the creature laid back down in the goop, "I don't even think it's properly alive."

"It's gonna drown!"

"No, I think it breathes this stuff, like some kind of embryo."

"What do you mean, an embryo?"

"Someone's growing a body. A human body."

"Excellent skills of deduction," Staal's voice said. They spun around to see a short creature completely covered in armor with a domed helmet, "I would rate you above average, soldier. Well done," he turned to Steve, "Whereas you, you smell of sweat and fear."

"Yeah?" the man lowered his gun, eyeing the short thing in front of him, "Well, we're not the ones that got out of school early, sonny. So stop playing Humpty Dumpty and tell us who you are."

"Is that a reference to my height?" the creature asked, offended.

"Short answer: yes."

"A pity. Words are the weapons of womenfolk. I must judge you unfit."

"Oh? What are you going to do, bite our ankles?"

The creature fired a bolt of energy from his staff at the man's legs, making him fall to the floor in pain.

"I'm warning you!" Steve aimed his gun, rushing to stand in front of his fallen friend.

"A proper soldier gives no warning," the creature replied, "Fire! I order you. Fire!" Steve did but the rifle only clicked, "The room is contained within a Cordalaine signal exciting the copper surface of the bullet and causing expansion within the barrel, rendering your guns useless. And your radio signals have been blocked."

Desperate, Steve raised the rifle to strike a blow but the creature fired at his legs as well making him fall to the floor as well, "My legs! I can't feel my legs!"

The two workers who had been guarding the room entered.

"I apologize for disabling you," the creature remarked, "Death has more honor but you are needed for the stratagem," he turned to the workers, "Prepare them for processing," he looked at the man beside Steve, "You spoke of promotion, now you shall serve a greater cause."

"Who are you?" the man groaned.

"Indeed, know your enemy. I am General Staal of the Tenth Sontaran Battle Fleet, known as Staal-the-Undefeated," he removed his helmet.

Steve's eyes widened in panic at the alien within, shouting into the radio, "Help us! Oh, my God, help us!"

But no help came...though a Time Lady in another part of the factory gave a little shiver...

Chapter Text

The Doctor examined the ATMOS device while Angel sat, rubbing her head, on a small counter, trying to make heads or tails of a few files Martha had left with them about the deaths, it was difficult to focus though, her headache had just gotten worse and it was making it hard to look at the words for too long. Whenever she looked down she got a throb in her head so she had to hold the files up but even then, the light of the room was bothering her a bit, hurting her eyes. So she'd figured it was a reaction to the clear alien threat they were dealing with, the thought that so many humans were at risk because so many had cars was alarming to her and she was really worried about them. Not only all the humans on Earth, but also those closer to her hearts, like Donna's family, and Martha's family, and Jack and his team...

"Ionizing nano-membrane carbon dioxide converter, which means that ATMOS works," the Doctor remarked to Martha and Mace as they stood with the Time Lords, Donna having wandered off when the Doctor first started techno-babbling earlier, "Filters the CO2 at a molecular level."

"We know about that," Mace stepped beside him, nodding, trying to get to the point they REALLY wanted to know about, "What's its origin? Is it alien?"

"No, but it's decades ahead of its time," he glanced at the man, his eyes drifting down a moment to his hip, then to Angel, then back to the man, "Look, do you mind? Could you stand back a bit?"

"Sorry, have I done something wrong?" Mace stepped back.

"You're carrying a gun," the Doctor said, as though it were obvious, before pausing, blinking as he actually thought about the words he'd just said, "Actually…could you leave the room."

"Why?"

"You've got a gun," he straightened up, crossing his arms as he nodded to Angel, "My Mate is in the room. I don't like people with guns with my Mate in the same room, alright?" that last part got a bit snippy as his mind seemed to catch up to his words, actually realizing his Mate really WAS in a room with another person who had a gun...not a good combination given what happened the last time he hadn't noticed a human had a gun on a Time Lord, the Master had been shot.

He was NOT about to risk the same happening with Angel.

"If you insist," Mace tensed, walking away, a bitter note to his voice.

"Tetchy," Martha told him as she leaned on a table beside Angel, her elbows resting on it, reading the files in Angel's hands over the girl's arm.

"Well, it's true," the Doctor stated.

"He's a good man."

"People with guns are usually the enemy in my books," the Doctor countered, before considering something as he eyed her, "You seem quite at home."

"Doctor," Angel shook her head at his implication.

Somewhere, in the back of his mind, in the VERY back, he was considering Martha's threat to them, to HER. Martha had been taken in by UNIT, trained, might even know how to handle a gun now and, somwhere in him, he was concerned she might try to hurt her. As though that would ever happen, Martha had always been there for her, protected her, she wouldn't ever hurt them and she needed to remind him of that.

He winced, getting all that from just her one word, her tone, her little shake of the head, no, he knew that was taking it a bit far, Martha was nothing like the other humans who had guns. He pulled the sonic out to examine the device, wanting a distraction from what he'd accidently implied.

"If anyone got me used to fighting, it's you," Martha, it seemed, was not about to let that little flub on his part go though, she was quite offended really by his thought, even for a moment, that she might hurt them. She knew it was the Mating instinct to protect Angel from everything that had made him say it, that had allowed his mind to briefly lose itself, but that was still NOT right of him to say or even think.

"Oh right, so it's my fault," he countered, not seeming about to apologize. Really, it was a valid concern, time and circumstances could change all people, even his companions though he hated to admit it. How was he truly to know, 100 percent, that the Martha before him was the same one that had travelled with them?

"Well, you got me the job!" Martha shouted.

"Doctor," Angel called softly, her head tilted to the side as she rested it on her hand, trying to support her head which felt like lead, pounding a bit more with all the shouting going on, "Just look at her," she nodded at Martha, "Do you see a gun?"

The Doctor glanced at Martha smiled at that little detail being missing, "Suppose not."

Martha nodded, pleased he'd noticed, "It's alright for you two. You can just come and go, but some of us have got to stay behind. So I've got to work from the inside and by staying inside, maybe I stand a chance of making them better."

"Yeah?" he smiled wider, his smidge of concern put to rest by her words, he never should have doubted her, "That's more like Martha Jones."

"I learnt from the best," Martha grinned.

"Well..." the Doctor shrugged.

"Thanks Angel," Martha turned to hug the girl.

"Hey!" the Doctor cried, mock-indignant, as the girls laughed. But he had to smile at that, pleased Angel had had an impact on the girl as well, almost as much as she had on him. He moved beside her, leaning on the desk on her other side, leaning over to kiss her hair.

"Oi, you lot!" Donna held up a binder as she stepped in, "All your storm troopers and your sonics, rubbish! Shoulda come with me."

"Where have you been?" the Doctor asked as Mace stepped into the room as well, having heard the ginger woman shouting.

"Personnel. That's where the weird stuff's happening, in the paperwork. 'Cos I spent years working as a temp, I can find my way around an office blindfolded, and the first thing I noticed...is an empty file."

"Why, what's inside it? Or what's not inside it?"

"Sick days," Donna turned the open file around, blank pages stared back at them, "There aren't any. Hundreds of people working here, and no one's sick? Not one hangover, man flu, sneaky little shopping trip. Nothing. Not ever. They don't get ill."

"That can't be right," Mace frowned, taking the folder.

"You've been checking out the buildings, should've been checking out the workforce," Donna nodded, casting a small smile at Angel for sparking the idea to take a closer look at them.

"I can see why they like you," Martha smiled at her, "You are good."

"She's Supertemp," Angel got off the table and hugged Donna from the side, making Donna beam at the praise.

"Well you're Supergirl," Donna countered.

"We make quite the team then."

"Mother would be proud," Donna joked.

Martha had to smile at that, she knew that Angel had seen Rose, her predecessor as a younger sister and it seemed she'd found an older sister as well. She was happy for her, you could never have enough of the most important thing in the Universe, family. She was also glad that Donna was her sister, as Angel had said, HER title was best friend and, to her, that meant someone Angel chose not someone who was born into the role...not that Donna was really Angel's sister but, family usually wasn't something you could pick, friends were and Angel picked HER.

"Dr. Jones, set up a medical post, start examining the workers," Mace began, pulling Martha out of her thoughts, "I'll get them sent through."

"Come on, Donna, give me a hand?" Martha asked as the Doctor took Angel's hand and walked out with Mace.

~8~

The Doctor, Angel, and Mace walked along an open corridor, past the work area in the factory, "Where exactly did this ATMOS thing come from?" Angel asked as the Doctor had implied it was made on Earth, "Who made it?"

"Luke Rattigan himself," Mace sighed.

"And himself would be?" the Doctor frowned.

~8~

Mace pulled up Luke's profile on the computer of the UNIT base, "Child genius. Invented the Fountain 6 search engine when he was 12 years old. Millionaire overnight. Now runs the Rattigan Academy. A private school educating students handpicked from all over the world."

"A hothouse for geniuses, wouldn't mind going there," the Doctor smiled as Mace glanced at him, puzzled, "I get lonely."

"Et hem?" Angel raised an eyebrow at him.

It was all in jest of course, she had claimed herself to not be a genius far too many times to be offended by not being called one by someone else. She knew she wasn't very clever, but she knew that the Doctor didn't mind that, that he loved her regardless and that meant the world to her. But still, she WAS trying to do better, to learn more, a trip to a genius academy would be fun.

The Doctor just took her hand, "You're a different kind of genius," he assured her, kissing the back of her hand.

~8~

"Do you think I should call my mum?" Donna wondered, "About the ATMOS in her car?"

"Better safe than sorry," Martha nodded.

"I'll give her a call," Donna decided, turning to leave and do just that.

"Donna…" Martha called, stopping her, "Do they know where you are? Your family, I mean, that you're travelling with the Doctor and Angel?"

"Not really. Although...my granddad sorta waved us off. I didn't have time to explain."

"You just...left him behind?"

"Yeah," Donna breathed as though JUST realizing she really had just...left them.

"I didn't tell my family. Kept it all so secret and...it almost destroyed them."

"The Doctor and Angel mentioned that, but they never really said what happened."

"They ended up imprisoned. They were tortured, my mum, my dad, my sister...it wasn't the Doctor or Angel's fault, but you need to be careful. 'Cos you know the Doctor, he's wonderful, he's brilliant, and so is Angel even though she'd probably deny it. But he's like fire, stand to close and people get burned. And there's only so much Angel can see or help with before she misses something."

Donna looked down, taking her words into consideration because...she'd seen it herself. She'd seen how much like fire the Doctor was when she'd first met him, with the Racnoss, and Angel had warned her herself that she couldn't see everything...

~8~

The two UNIT soldiers emerged from the basement and stood at attention by the door, blank faced, as Staal stood in the doorway, "Conditioning is complete. Now do your duty and advance the conquest."

"Yes, sir," they replied in monotone before slowly marching down the hall.

Staal watched them go before turning to head back into the room, "General Staal returning," he reported, "The stratagem advances..." he walked into a large cube with a circle cut into the middle of it, teleporting out with one last lingering remark, "The last days of planet Earth."

~8~

Mace brought the Doctor and Angel through the docking bay of the factory, "You are not coming with us," the Doctor shook his head at the man, "I want to talk to this Luke Rattigan, not point a gun at him and, no matter how comfortable Angel might make other people feel, a gun won't help."

"It's ten miles outside London," Mace reminded, "How are you going to get there?"

"Then get us a jeep."

"According to the records, you travel by TARDIS."

"She's not a car," Angel huffed, a little insulted he would assume the TARDIS was JUST transportation, "She's our home!"

"Yeah, and if there is a danger of hostile aliens, I think it best to keep a super-duper time travel machine away from the front lines," the Doctor agreed.

"I see," Mace smirked, "Then you do have weapons but you choose to keep them hidden."

"The TARDIS isn't a War TARDIS and I won't let you turn her into one!" Angel frowned at the man, crossing her arms as though to say he'd have to get through HER to get to the TARDIS, which made the Doctor smile and put his arm around her, he loved how much she loved that old box, "The TARDIS stays here, understood?"

Mace's smirk turned into a small smile as he nodded, seeing the girl getting a little upset about his talks of the box made him feel a bit...guilty. Martha's notes were certainly right about her, she DID have a way of just...getting to you, getting into your heart without even really trying. It was just like Martha's notes about the Doctor and how he just had a way of getting people to trust him. He shook his head from his thoughts and turned, "Jenkins?!"

"Sir!" a young man called, running over.

"You will accompany the Doctor and the Angel, take orders from them."

"We don't do orders," the Doctor said.

"Any sign of trouble get Jenkins to declare a Code Red. And good luck, sir, ma'am," he gave them a salute.

"I said no salutes!"

"Now you're giving orders," Mace smirked and left.

Angel blinked as she watched the man go, "He's just as cheeky as you are," she remarked to the Doctor, squeezing him around the middle, "But I like your cheek much more."

He beamed, "I love YOUR cheek," he leaned in, "Literally," and kissed her on said cheek, making her laugh.

"Doctor!" Donna ran up to them, "Angel!"

"Oh, just in time," the Doctor grinned, "Come on!" he grabbed her hand, "Come on, we're going to the country," and leading her to the jeep, "Fresh air, geniuses, what more could you ask?"

"I'm not coming with you," Donna pulled back a bit, making him stop, "I've been thinking. I'm sorry...I'm going home."

"Really?" the Doctor frowned as Angel looked at Donna, grinning from behind the Doctor's back, already anticipating what would happen, just knowing that what the Doctor thought she was talking about wasn't what she was really talking about.

"I've got to."

"Well, if that's what you want. I mean, it's a bit soon. We had so many places we wanted to take you. The Fifteenth Broken Moon of the Medusa Cascade, the lightening skies of Cotter Palluni's World, the diamond coral reefs of Kaata Flo Ko...thank you. Thank you, Donna Noble. It's been brilliant. You…you've saved my life in so many ways, you've saved Angel and for that I can't thank you enough," Donna nodded, an amused smile on her face, and then he realized, "You're...you're...you're just popping home for a visit. That's what you mean."

"You dumbo," Donna shook her head as Angel laughed.

"And then you're coming back."

"Do you know what you are? A great, big, outer space dunce."

"Yeah," he tugged on his ear in embarrassment.

"Ready when you are!" Jenkins called from inside the jeep.

"Come on Donna," Angel took her hand, "We can give you a lift at least."

"Broken moon of what?" Donna asked as they piled in the jeep.

"I know," the Doctor shook his head, "I know."

Angel glanced to the side, out the window, eyeing two UNIT soldiers who appeared unnaturally blank as they drove past.

~8~

Martha sat in her lab coat, interviewing a worker in one of the examination rooms that had been set up, as he stared straight ahead, blank, "And your name's Treppa, yeah?" and stared some more, "Is that Polish?" and more, "Listen, we're not checking passports. It's not about that. But did you come across from Poland just to work?"

"I came to do my job," he replied in monotone, not even blinking.

"Ok…" she nodded slowly, already able to tell something weird was going on, "I need to listen to your heartbeat," she breathed on the stethoscope to warm it, "This might be a bit cold. Lift," Treppa lifted his shirt at the command and Martha listened, to hear a very rapid heartbeat, a very unhealthy one. She pulled away and tried again, "Are you on any medication?"

"I'm here to work."

"How many hours a day do you work?"

"24."

"You work 24 hours a day?" she stared at him but there was no reply, "Down," she ordered and Treppa lowered his shirt, making her frown, he was FAR too obedient, "Mr. Treppa, have you had any form of hypnosis?"

"I'm here to work."

"Ok, um...if you could just wait here," she quickly got up and left, walking quickly down the hall when the two blank-faced soldiers came up behind her.

"Dr. Jones?" one asked.

"Not now, I'm busy."

"Just one question. Do you have Security Clearance Level One?"

"Yes, I do. Why?"

"Colonel Mace wants to see you."

"Oh good, 'cos I want to see him. Where is he?"

"Come with us," Martha turned and followed the two soldiers away, not even noticing their monotone voices.

~8~

The jeep pulled up to the corner of Donna's road, the Doctor and Angel stepping out, followed by Donna, "I'll walk the rest of the way," Donna told them, "I'll see you back at the factory, yeah?"

"Bye!" the Doctor shouted as he got back in.

"I hope you have a lovely time Donna," Angel hugged her quickly, "Say hello to your granddad for me," she smiled, hopping back into the jeep, assuming the little old man Donna had waved at before was related to her.

"And you be careful!" Donna replied, watching as the jeep pulled away before walking down the street. Everything looked so normal compared to the things she'd seen, the beautiful and terrible things she'd encountered, that it was almost surreal.

"Haven't seen you for days," a woman remarked as she passed Donna.

"Yeah. Been away," she looked over at young boy playing football and couldn't help but think of everything had happened so long ago yet only days there, the Adipose, the boy in Pompeii she hadn't been able to save, the Ood…and then she spotted her grandfather in the drive and only barely managed to stifle a sob. He looked up, spotting her and waved his arms, beaming widely as he saw her alive and well again. She took off running, straight to him, as he gathered her into a bear hug.

~8~

Martha followed the two soldiers down to the basement, frowning, "What's he doing down here?"

"He asked to see you."

"Why? Has he found something?" the soldiers didn't answer, just opened a door to a room at the end of the hall.

Martha strode in, expecting to see Mace, but instead found an empty room with a bubbling pool in the middle of it. She turned back but the soldiers blocked her way, the door sliding shut behind them as they advanced on her. The lights in the hallway went out as the screams of Martha Jones echoed down it.

~8~

Donna sat with her grandfather at the table, having a cup of tea, recounting all her stories to him, "I said so, didn't I?" he laughed, "Aliens. I said they were real. I just didn't expect them in a little blue box."

"It's bigger on the inside," she smiled.

"Yeah, but is it safe, then? This Doctor and Angel, are you safe with them?"

"They're amazing, gramps. They're just...dazzling. And never tell the Doctor I said that. Angel probably already knows anyway, the psychic," she laughed a bit, "She's ginger too so we tell people we're sisters sometimes," she smiled, "She treats me like a sister too, that's...nice."

And it really was, to have someone care about you that much. She loved her family, of course she did, but...she DID wonder what it would have been like if she'd had a sibling, now she was finding out.

"But really though, don't tell them I told you anything."

"No," he agreed.

"I'd trust them with my life..."

"Hold up. I thought that was my job."

"You still come first."

"For God's sake, don't tell your mother."

"I don't know. I mean, this is massive. It's sort of not fair if she doesn't know."

And then her mother walked in with the laundry, "Doesn't know what? And who's 'she,' the cat's mother?" she started folding the clothes, "And where have you been these past few days, lady, after that silly little trick with the car keys? I phoned Veena and she said she hadn't seen hide nor hair."

"I've been...travelling."

"Oh, hark at her, Michael Palin. Are you staying for tea? 'Cos I haven't got anything in. I've been trying to keep your granddad on that macrobiotic diet but he sneaks off and gets pork pies at the petrol station," he tried to protest but she cut him off, "Don't deny it. I've seen the wrappers in the car. Oh, I don't miss a trick," Donna and him shared a smiled, "Now then, what were gonna tell me? What don't I know?"

"Nothing. Just...nothing."

"Good. Right, then. You can sit there and cut out those coupons. Every penny helps. This new mortgage won't pay for itself. Dad, kettle on."

"Yeah, kettle on," he got up, winking at Donna, it would be their little secret for now.

~8~

Jenkins, well Ross as Angel insisted on knowing his first name too, drove the jeep as Angel sat between him and the Doctor, the Doctor with his arm firmly around Angel's shoulders. He was a bit worried, she had been shivering slightly and, for once, he couldn't tell if it was a chill or excitement, but he'd asked Jenkins to turn the heat up a bit just to be safe, it seemed to be working which pleased him, "UNIT's been watching the Rattigan Academy for ages," Ross told them, "It's all a bit Hitler Youth. Exercise at dawn and classes and special diets."

"Turn left."

"Ross, one question," the Doctor glanced at the ATMOS as it went off, "If UNIT think that ATMOS is dodgy…"

"How come we've got it in the jeeps?" he finished.

"Yeah."

"Ha, tell me about it. They're fitted as standard on all government vehicles. We can't get rid of them until we can prove there's something wrong."

"Turn right," it instructed.

"Drives me around the bend," Ross smiled as he turned to the school drive.

"Brilliant," Angel laughed.

"Timed that perfectly."

"Ha," the Doctor laughed as well, "Yeah. You did. You're not psychic too are you?"

"No sir," Rose grinned, recalling what Mace had mentioned would be a way to stay on the Doctor's good side, "Nowhere near as special as your Mate sir."

Compliment Angel in a completely platonic way, Martha's notes had been VERY specific about how the Angel reacted to 'flirting' and how Doctor reacted to Angel being 'flirted' with.

"This is your final destination," ATMOS shut off with the car.

~8~

Students in red sweat suits ran past the entrance to the school while the young man who had led them in tossing out Jo, Luke Rattigan, stood and looked over the grounds, "Is it PE?" the Doctor asked as they walked up to him, "I wouldn't mind a kick-around. Got me daps on."

Luke turned, "I suppose you're the Doctor and the Angel?"

"Hello," the Doctor grinned.

"Nice to meet you," Angel smiled.

"Your commanding officer phoned ahead," Luke glared.

"Oh, we haven't got a commanding officer," the Doctor said, "Have you? Oh, this is Ross. Say hello, Ross."

"Afternoon, sir," Ross greeted.

The Doctor turned and pulled Angel with him to the main doors, "Let's have a look, then! I can smell genius...in a good way."

~8~

Many of the students sat around a lab, working on quite a few advanced projects, when the Doctor entered and wandered around, leaving Angel with Ross by Luke though the ginger was always in the corner of his eye.

"Oh, now...that's clever!" the Doctor exclaimed, putting on his glasses, "Look! Single-molecule fabric. How thin is that?! You could pack a tent in a thimble. Oh! Gravity simulators! Terraforming, biospheres, nano-tech steel construction! Ha ha, this is brilliant!"

"I'm sorry about him," Angel remarked to Luke, even SHE was a little overwhelmed by his enthusiasm, she knew she should probably be able to guess what he was talking about, and so excited about, the items he'd described seemed familiar and related, but he was talking really fast, "He's very...fanatic about science."

"But y'know with equipment like this," the Doctor spun around to face them, "You could, oh, I dunno...move to another planet or something."

Angel nodded, there it was, THAT'S what they were used for. She started to smile at that, when she blinked...

...the Doctor walked towards a hollow cube in the back of a vast room...

'...if they can trace that, they can isolate the ATMOS...'

...spikes shot up from the ATMOS grid...

"If only that was possible," Luke remarked, not seeing Angel look over at him with a frown.

"If only that were possible," the Doctor corrected, pulling off his glasses, frowning as well, Angel having shown him what she'd seen, making him all the more suspicious of the boy, they didn't know who the boy was in league with, but...he had heard himself clearly talking about someone controlling the ATMOS, "Conditional clause."

"I think you'd better come with me," Luke looked up, mildly alarmed.

~8~

"You're smarter than the usual UNIT grunts, I'll give you that," Luke remarked as he led them into his quarters.

Angel's eye was immediately caught by the large cube in the back with a circle carved into it, the one she'd seen in her vision.

The Doctor eyed it a moment as well before turning to Ross, "He called you a grunt."

"That's not very polite," Angel shook her head, pulling her gaze away from the cube and over to Luke, "He's a very nice man."

"We like Ross," the Doctor agreed, though he wasn't comfortable with people with guns with Angel in the same room...that was only untrue if said person with the gun was protecting her, "Look at this place..."

"What exactly do you want?" Luke huffed.

"I was just thinking, what a responsible 18 year old. Inventing zero-carbon cars, saving the world..."

"It takes a man with vision."

"Mmm, blinkered vision. 'Cos ATMOS means more people driving, more cars, more petrol, end result: the oil's gonna run out faster than ever. The ATMOS system could make things worse."

"Yeah, well, that's a tautology. You can't say 'ATMOS system' 'cos it stands for Atmospheric Emission System. So you're saying 'Atmospheric Emission System System.' Do you see, Mr. Conditional Clause?"

"It's been a long time since anyone's said no to you, isn't it?"

"I'm still right, though."

"It can't be easy," Angel turned to look at him, almost knowingly, "Being so clever? Can it? The way you see the world, it's different than other people. You make so many wonderful connections, from the most random things. It must be hard to wonder why no one else sees what you do..."

Luke blinked, a bit startled by how spot on she was, "Yeah…"

"And you're all alone."

"I know."

The Doctor pressed a kiss to Angel's temple, 'I'm glad you're starting to think you ARE clever,' he told her.

She frowned up at him, 'I was talking about YOU.'

He just smiled, 'Could have fooled me,' he remarked but she looked confused, 'Seeing the world in a different way, like the future perhaps, making connections, like knowing when someone's in danger, from random things, like little feelings and comments,' he nudged her to remind her of her last self, the sometimes ridiculous things she'd say out of nowhere, 'Something no one else can see...'

She blushed, 'I really WAS talking about you though.'

'I know,' he nodded, 'But now you can see how much like YOU that is too.'

She shook her head just a bit, she really couldn't see it, but she did like the fact that he could see the connection. Maybe, one day, she'd see it too.

"But not with this," the Doctor pulled out the ATMOS device from his bigger-on-the-inside pocket, remembering the matter at hand, the danger they (Angel) were still in, "'Cos there's no way you invented this single-handed. It might be Earth technology, but that's like finding a mobile phone in the Middle Ages," he handed the device over to Ross and slid his arm along Angel's waist to her hand. He kissed her hand quickly as he squeezed it before letting go and walking towards the hollow cube, "No, no, I'll tell you what it's like! It's like finding this in someone's front room. Albeit, a very big front room."

"Why?" Ross asked, "What is it?"

"Yeah, just looks like a thing, doesn't it? People don't question things. They just think, 'Oh, it's a thing.'"

"Sort of like, 'Oh it's an old police box,'" Angel joked.

"Correctamundo!" he pointed at her, grinning, "Just think of this as a hollow, cubed, police box."

"Leave it alone!" Luke seemed about ready to stomp his foot.

"Me, I make these connections too," the Doctor continued, walking inside the cube, "And this, to me, looks like..." he pushed a button, "...a teleport pod!"

And then he disappeared.

~8~

And reappeared on a teleport pod onboard a spaceship, an army of fully armored creatures stood around before him.

"Orbit now holding at 556.3, sector 270," a computer stated.

"Oh…" the Doctor's eyes widened.

The army turned to see him.

"We have an intruder!" Staal's voice cried from one of them.

"How did he get in?" the Doctor grinned, "In-tru-da window?" the army advanced, "Bye bye!"

He hit a button and disappeared again, running out of the teleport and into Luke's room, knowing the army was about to follow...

Chapter Text

"In-tru-da window?" Angel asked as the Doctor ran right over to her side, taking her hand and pulling her just a tiny bit behind him, "Were you channeling Van Statten?"

"No time!" he called, moving to pull her to the doors, needing to get her out of there, but Ross and Luke were just standing there, "Ross, get out! Luke, you'd better come with us!"

Just then Staal appeared in the teleport.

"Doctor!" Angel gasped, pointing back at the pod.

The Doctor spun around and flashed the sonic, shorting out the controls, making sure the rest of the army couldn't follow its leader. Unlike some armies throughout the Universe, where the generals and leaders would stay back, able to command their troops and not risk dying themselves and leaving their men without a commander, Sontarans believed the leader should truly, well, lead. The Sontaran in charge was always the first one into battle, the first to make the glorious attack against the enemy. And he couldn't risk more of them coming after the one, not with Angel in the room and Ross being the only one with a weapon, despite how ineffective it would be against a Sontaran.

"Sontaran!" he panted, praying this tactic would work and the alien would be distracted, there was no way he'd be able to get Angel out of there without the Sontaran attacking them from behind unless he was able to incapacitate it first, "That's your name, isn't it? How did I know that, eh?" he put the sonic away, "Fascinating, isn't it? Isn't that worth keeping us alive?"

Ross lifted his gun, "I order you to surrender in the name of the Unified Intelligence Taskforce."

"That won't work," Angel whispered to Ross who quickly lowered his gun, stepping to their side.

The records Martha had helped adapt about the Angel were very specific, listen to her. Even if she didn't know why she said something or knew nothing about the situation at hand, her words were often correct. Whether it was a vision or a feeling or something that just slipped through at times, the Angel was to be listened to at all times. If she said it wouldn't work, then it wouldn't work and there was no point in wasting bullets.

Not to mention, the files were also very specific about the Doctor as well. The man was VERY protective of his Mate and, at any inkling of danger, would become immediately on the defensive. According to Martha's notes there was really no telling how the man would react or who the target of his reaction would be. Martha had seen him face down Daleks and monsters and aliens and witches in the name of his Mate, he would do anything to protect her. Anything. If the situation tensed any more and the Doctor saw him with a gun...well, it had spread rather quickly through UNIT that the Doctor had kicked Mace out of the room for just having a gun in it while Angel was there. He did NOT want to be seen as a potential danger by the Doctor, not when the man might be the only thing that kept him alive.

"Cordalaine signal, am I right?" the Doctor looked at Staal before explaining it to Ross, "Copper excitation stopping the bullets."

"How do you know so much?" Staal glared though none of them could see it through his helmet.

"Well..." the Doctor walked around the room, trusting Ross to keep Angel safe for just the moment, Angel always in the corner of his eye anyway.

"Who is he?" Staal looked at Luke, making Angel frown.

"He didn't give his name," Luke replied, not seeing Angel looking between the two of them, making the connection the Doctor had as well, that the two had to be in it together. Why else would the boy have a teleport to the Sontaran ship?

The Doctor leaned on a desk, eyeing the alien, "This isn't typical Sontaran behavior, is it? Hiding? Using teenagers? Stopping bullets? A Sontaran should face bullets with dignity! Shame on you!"

"You dishonor me!" Staal cried.

"Then why don't you show us who you are," Angel added, knowing what the Doctor was doing. Even if she couldn't read his mind and saw his plan unfolding, she knew enough about him to know he'd never risk angering or insulting a Sontaran without a reason, and he wanted the Sontaran's helmet off. Because then the alien's weakness would be exposed. It was a good thing that the Doctor knew what a Sontaran's weakness was, now they just had to hope the alien wouldn't see what the Doctor's was.

'Why do you think I moved over here?' the Doctor called in her mind.

She looked over at him with a small frown of confusion, 'To get the tennis racket on the other side of the desk.'

He blinked and looked to the side subtly, seeing the racket really was there, which made him smile, 'Psychic.'

'Thief,' she countered, 'But really though, if not for the racket then what?'

'YOU are my weakness Nella,' he told her, gazing at her from across the room with such intensity that she felt her breath catch in her throat, 'I had to make sure he would see me protecting you and try to target you.'

She blinked, letting out the breath that had been caught, 'Oh,' she smiled a bit, 'It's good that you're over there too. I don't want them to see my weakness.'

He grinned, smug, 'Which is?'

Her smile turned into a little smirk, 'Your tie of course.'

He blinked, about to pout at that, before he smiled, recalling what she often did with his tie, and his smile became a beam, his kisses were her weakness, HE was her weakness too.

He loved that.

"I will look into my enemies' eyes," Staal pulled his helmet off and a brown, domed face with no visible neck stared back at them, distracting them from their moment.

"Oh, my God," Ross stared.

"And your name?" the Doctor eyed it.

"General Staal of the Tenth Sontaran Battle Fleet," Staal said proudly, "Staal-the-Undefeated."

"That's not a very good nickname. What if you do get defeated? 'Staal-The-Not-Quite-So-Undefeated-Anymore-But-Nev er-Mind?'"

"Looks like a potato, a baked potato," Ross mumbled, "A talking baked potato."

"Now, Ross, don't be rude."

"That's the Doctor's job," Angel added with a nod, "And besides, he probably thinks you look like a pink weasel in a red hat."

The Doctor leaned over and picked up the tennis racket Angel had mentioned before along with the ball that was resting on the table, "The Sontarans are the finest soldiers in the galaxy," he walked over, bouncing the ball on the racket in the process, and leaned on Ross's shoulder, "Dedicated to a life of warfare," he caught the ball and twirled the racket, "A clone race grown in batches of millions with only one weakness…"

"Sontarans have no weakness!" Staal cried.

"No, it's a good weakness."

"Aren't you meant to be clever?" Luke glared, "Only an idiot would provoke him."

"But the Sontarans are fed by a probic vent in the back of the neck. That's their weak spot, which means they always have to face their enemy in battle. Isn't that brilliant? They can never turn their backs!"

"We stare into the face of death!" Staal replied.

"Yeah?" the Doctor smirked, "Well, stare at this!" he gave the ball a firm whack with the racket, sending it flying against the cube, bouncing right to Staal's probic vent which sent the alien staggering, "Out!" the Doctor yelled, shoving Ross on and taking Angel's hand, "Out! Out!"

They ran out of the room as Luke ran to Staal's side, fretting over the alien, "What have you done? What have you done?"

~8~

The trio ran out to the jeep and sped off.

~8~

"Don't touch me!" Staal shoved Luke away, standing slowly, getting his strength back, "A Sontaran would rather be court-martialed than show pain. I must return."

"But he broke the teleport," Luke said.

"Ha! Primitive sonic trickery!" he aimed his staff and shot a beam at the teleport, entering it with Luke, "The teleport is now repaired," and then they teleported out and onto the Sontaran ship where the rest of the army was waiting, "Our presence is known. Soldiers, we move to a war footing!"

"I see you face the battle open-skinned, sir," another Sontaran came over to him, "Might I have that honor?"

"You may."

"Thank you," he pulled his helmet off to reveal a face nearly identical to Staal's.

"How...do you tell each other apart?" Luke asked, looking between the two.

"We say the same of humans," Staal remarked.

"Tell me, boy, how many ATMOS devices have been installed?" the second soldier asked.

"They've gone worldwide, but only about half," Luke reported.

"Which means 400 million cars converted," Staal smirked, "A fine arsenal."

"Is it sufficient to trigger the conversion?" the soldier asked.

"More than enough, yeah," Luke assured them, "And the test signal proved that it works. 52 deaths in the same second, man, that is just so cool!"

"Is the temperature significant?" Staal frowned.

"No. That…that's just a phrase. I'll get my people ready. Just tell me where and when."

"Have we infiltrated UNIT?" Staal turned to his soldier.

"The process is about to begin," he replied.

"Then you'll see it completed, Commander Skorr. Get to it!"

"Yes, sir!" Skorr teleported out and into the secret lab where Martha Jones was now strapped to a basket-like table with a band of metal around her head.

"Is someone gonna tell me what the hell is going on?" she demanded, struggling more than she was when she spotted Skorr, "Ok. So listen, you're not the first aliens I've met. Just tell me who you are."

"Commander Skorr of the Tenth Sontaran Battle Fleet," he stated, "Known as Skorr-the-Blood-Bringer."

"What have you done to those two?" she nodded at the soldiers who were still standing there, impassive and stiff.

"Simple hypnotic control as with the factory drones. But with you, we need something more complex," he turned to the pool of bubbling goop and a hand and arm lifted up.

"What is that?" Martha gaped, staring at it in horror.

"Soon that will be you," Skorr smirked as the hand sank back into the liquid.

"You're not gonna get away with this!" Martha glared at him, "My friends will find me! They'll know what you're doing, trust me!"

Skorr just laughed at her pitiful attempts to frighten him. Sontarans did not feel fear.

~8~

Luke looked down at Earth from the ship, smiling at it in wonder, this was all he'd ever wanted.

"Orbit now holding at 556.3, sector 270," the speakers stated.

"Continue," Staal ordered a soldier before joining Luke, "War can never come too soon. Take your last look, boy."

"It was never big enough for me," Luke replied.

"I like your ambition."

"That doctor and that ginger woman, they were in a UNIT jeep," he smirked, "It should have ATMOS installed."

"You said you didn't know his name!" Staal glared at him.

"I don't. He just said 'Doctor' and she's 'Angel,'" he frowned, turning to Staal, sensing something more to it, "Does that mean something?"

"There is an enemy of the Sontarans known as the Doctor. A face-changer."

"Do you mean he's an alien too? What about the girl?"

Staal was quiet for a moment, "We have heard rumors of the Dalek fleet, a formidable army, a great enemy, destroyed by a single woman. The Angel, a face-changer like the Doctor," he smiled in thought of the power the woman must possess to be able to take out an entire army by herself, what a prized weapon she would be to their cause.

He briefly gave thought to giving the order to have her captured...but the legends, they claimed the Angel as the Mate of the Doctor, she would not be as easy a target to seize than the UNIT soldier they had taken, a former companion of the Doctor. No, Sontarans were wise in battle, they knew what battles to wage and which to avoid, they knew which enemy to provoke and which to stay away from. It would be unwise at the moment for them to attempt to take the Angel from the Doctor. Not only would the man not let the Angel out of his sight given he now knew of their involvement with the ATMOS, but he would not rest if they succeeded.

The Doctor was a disgusting pacifist. He avoided war and battle and bloodshed at all costs. Despite their plans for the Earth, the Doctor would not engage them in combat, he would not openly fight them in the hopes of killing them in battle, the finest way to die. If they took his Mate from him...that would not hold true. The Doctor would slaughter all of them in his quest to get his Mate back and they needed to survive to see their plans through. No, they would not take the Angel, not now...perhaps though, when the army grew stronger...

"She's an alien too?!" Luke gaped, pulling Staal from his musings.

"Legend says he led the battle in the last great Time War. The finest war in history and we weren't allowed to be part of it," he spat at that insult, "Oh, but this is excellent. The last of the Time Lords will die at the hands of the Sontaran Empire in the ruins of their precious Earth!"

~8~

Martha fought against her restraints as Skorr watched her, amused, "It is inadvisable to struggle. The female has a weaker thorax."

"What are you doing?" she demanded, glancing at him at controls of some sort.

"Completing mental transfer. The clone needs full memory access."

"Clone?" she looked over to see the hand rise from the pool, the skin now colored, followed by her face and body, "You can't…" she breathed, watching the clone, face blank, pull the cord from her neck, "That's not…"

"You will sleep, girl. Sleep and keep the memories alive," he pushed a button and Martha fell asleep, "Memories we can use in battle."

The clone's face immediately turned into a smirk.

~8~

A monitor flickered on in the Sontaran ship, tracking the UNIT jeep's progress, "We have the Doctor and the Angel's vehicle," a soldier reported.

"An ordinary death for such remarkable enemies, but proceed," Staal ordered.

~8~

The Doctor, Angel, and Ross drove back to London, Ross speeding as fast as the Doctor would allow him to go with Angel in the car, the Doctor on the radio, "Greyhound Forty to Trap One. Repeat: can you hear me? Over."

"Why is it not working?" Ross glanced over.

"It's the Sontarans," Angel said, swallowing hard.

She knew she should have realized it was aliens earlier. She'd had that same feeling of being watched from above as she had with the Racnoss. She should have worked it out that it was some sort of alien, but she just...hadn't. Her feelings were so frustrating at times, never getting the whole picture or anything, and her headache wasn't helping her any. All she really wanted to do was help the Doctor, be as great as he was, help people and it was so frustrating when she couldn't stop situations from happening.

'You have stopped more than enough,' the Doctor reassured her, feeling a flash of disappointment and frustration surge through him from her, 'You've saved so many people I couldn't.'

'I know,' she sighed, rubbing her head, she just felt...irritated lately. The headache still hadn't gone away and it was starting to get to her. It was like how she'd snapped at the Doctor and Donna in Pompeii, she, thankfully, hadn't snapped at them again after that, but she found herself having less patience at times, like now, with her feelings. She just...wanted it to stop and go away.

She closed her eyes a moment, resting her head on the Doctor's shoulder, she supposed that was exactly what the Master must have felt, and he'd had that drumming in his head for centuries.

'You are NOTHING like him,' the Doctor added, kissing her hair, 'You never could be. It's just a headache,' he promised her.

She nodded against him, it really was. It was probably just worse at the moment because she really was worried about the Earth, what the Sontarans might be doing with the ATMOS. She knew worrying too much could give someone a terrible migraine, much like crying could as well, and right now she felt both. She really did feel like crying as they didn't know what was happening or what might happen or how to really stop it and she could just feel like whatever they thought it might be was just the tip of the iceberg.

"If they can trace that, they can isolate the ATMOS," the Doctor agreed, wincing as he realized he'd just said the same thing as in Angel's vision, and that did NOT help him calm down at all. He put his arm around Angel, squeezing her closer, now all too aware that the Sontarans could control the ATMOS, they could track them, and who knew what they might do then...and Angel was right there.

"Turn left," ATMOS instructed.

"Try going right."

"It says left," Ross shook his head.

"I know. So go right."

Ross tried but couldn't shift the wheel, he then let go and the wheel moved by itself, startling him, "I've got no control. It's driving itself. It won't stop!" he moved to open the door, "The doors are locked!"

"Argh!" the Doctor exclaimed as he flashed the sonic at the locks too, "It's deadlocked! I can't stop it!"

"Turn left."

The jeep jerked left, "The sat-nav's just a box, wired through the whole car!"

~8~

"Are they going in the water?" Luke grinned, watching the small dot that was the Doctor's jeep on the monitor as it moved, "Oh, I love it with the water!"

~8~

The tires screeched as the jeep swerved off the road, "We're heading for the river!" Ross yelled.

"ATMOS, are you programmed to contradict my orders?" the Doctor asked, his hand grabbing onto Angel's in a death grip.

"Confirmed."

"Anything I say, you'll ignore it?"

"Confirmed."

"Then drive into the river!" Ross stared at him, "I order you to drive into the river! Do it! Drive into the river!"

The brakes whined as the jeep came to a halt just at the river's edge. The doors opened as the ATMOS started to short circuit, the three jumping out and running for their lives, "Turn right. Left. Left. Right."

"Get down!"

"But Doct…" Angel began, when the Doctor pulled her to the ground as he dove for it, rolling on top of her, covering her body with his against the explosion he was expecting to happen any minute now...

"Left. Right," ATMOS increased in pitch and speed, "Left. Right. Left. Right. Left! Right!"

Suddenly the panel sparked a bit and smoked.

The Doctor looked back, "Oh, is that it?"

"I tried to tell you," Angel laughed from under him, "You know...you're not exactly light for being so skinny."

He looked back down at her, grinning, "You know," he countered, "I don't think I should get up though."

She tiltled her head to the side a bit, "Why?"

He just leaned down and kissed her softly, "I rather like this position," he murmured against her lips, "I can kiss you all I want and you can't stop me."

She smiled as he gently touched her cheek, "You can do that any time you want, you know I'd never stop you."

"Promise?"

"I'd cross my hearts if I could," she laughed, her one hand was still held by his, her other lying across her stomach, smushed between them, "But I don't lie, you know that."

"So then," he grinned, "If you don't lie, how do you feel about me?"

He knew, of course he knew, but he loved hearing it, he loved hearing her voice answering questions like that, talking about him, speaking of how she felt. Those words, her voice, they replayed themselves over and over in the back of his mind.

She looked at him softly, "You are the most important man in the Universe to me and I love you very much."

He blinked, feeling the air being sucked out of him at her declaration, said so honestly, so certainly, "Likewise," he breathed, really all he could manage to get out before he kissed her again.

Ross shifted a bit as he stood to the side, trying not to watch but feeling the need to remind them, for they had clearly forgotten, about the danger at hand. Martha's notes were right about that as well, the two Time Lords were very much in love and very sweet on each other.

He waited a few more moments before clearing his throat, "Um...the ATMOS?" he supplied.

"Right, yes," the Doctor shook his head, jumping to his feet, reaching out to help Angel up.

She swayed a bit, slightly dizzy, before laughing, "Seems you've made me too breathless again," she remarked, "I'm dizzy."

He just grinned and kissed the back of her hand.

~8~

"ATMOS terminated," a solider reported, "Mission accomplished. The Doctor and the Angel are dead."

"Then prepare the weapons," Staal ordered before turning to a comm., "Is the operative ready?"

~8~

Skorr checked on Martha, asleep, before facing her clone, "Ready and waiting to advance the great Sontaran cause, sir," the clone replied, putting on Martha's lab coat and engagement ring.

"Then go to work," Skorr ordered.

The clone nodded and walked out, flanked by the dazed soldiers.

~8~

Angel smiled as she made a knock knock-knock knock knock pattern on the door of a quaint little home and Donna answered, "Hello!" she greeted brightly.

"You would not believe the day we're having," the Doctor told her.

~8~

The Doctor examined the Nobles' car, taping the ATMOS device underneath it before opening the bonnet to look at the fitting on the engine while Donna stood by them, on her mobile, trying to reach Martha.

"I'll requisition us a vehicle," Ross said.

"Anything without ATMOS," the Doctor reminded him, "And don't point your gun at people!"

Ross gave a small salute and headed off.

"Is it them?" Donna's grandfather called, stepping out of the house, "Is it them? Is it the Doctor and the Angel?" he looked over at the Doctor, checking under the bonnet, Angel standing beside him, watching with a frown, "Ah, it's you!"

"Who?" the Doctor glanced up at him, "Oh...it's you!"

"I knew he looked liked Donna!" Angel smiled at the man, the news stand man from the Titanic, the same man Donna had waved goodbye to.

"What, have you met before?" Donna shook her head, looking between the three of them.

"Yeah, Christmas Eve," the man smiled, "They disappeared right in front of me."

"And you never said?!"

"Well, you never said," he defended, before turning to them, "Wilf, sir, ma'am. Wilfred Mott."

"It's nice to meet you Wilf," Angel gave him a small hug.

"You must be two of them aliens," Wilf eyed them.

"Well, yeah, but don't shout it out," the Doctor laughed, shaking the man's hand, "Nice to meet you properly, Wilf."

"Donna, did she pick up?" Angel asked, growing concerned by the lack of response from Martha, whenever she would call Martha, every so often to check in, the woman, no matter what, usually answered after two rings at the most.

"She's not answering," Donna sighed, "What's it, 'Sontiruns?'"

"Sontarans," the Doctor corrected, "But there's got to be more to it. They can't be just remote-controlling cars. That's not enough."

"Is anyone answering?" Angel asked again, really getting worried, this was the fourth time Donna was trying to get through.

"Hold on," Donna heard the line click.

"Don't tell me...Donna Noble," Martha's voice spoke.

"Martha, hold on, they're here," Donna gave the phone to the Doctor.

"Martha, tell Colonel Mace it's the Sontarans," he said, "They're in the file, Code Red Sontarans. But if they're inside the factory, tell him not to start shooting, UNIT will get massacred. We'll get back as soon as we can. You got that?"

"Code Red Sontarans," she repeated, "Gotcha."

"And Martha," Angel took the phone suddenly, "Good luck."

"You too," she said before clicking the phone shut.

Angel frowned down at it, staring at it in her hand, just knowing, "That wasn't Martha."

~8~

"Dr. Jones, found anything yet?" Mace called as the clone put her phone away.

"No, sir, nothing to report," she replied.

Mace nodded and continued on while the clone smiled behind his back, pleased, and went on her way.

~8~

"You're sure?" the Doctor asked, eyeing her.

"Almost entirely," she nodded.

He sighed, "Great…" he muttered, before nodding to himself, "Gotta figure this out first," he pulled the sonic out and began to flash the bonnet while Donna, Angel, and Wilf looked on.

"You've tried sonicing it before," Donna reminded him, "You didn't find anything."

"Yeah, but now I know it's Sontaran, I know what I'm looking for."

"The thing is," Wilf said, talking to Angel quietly as the Doctor was rather busy, "That Donna is my only grandchild. You gotta promise me you're gonna take care of her."

"Of course I'll take care of my sister," Angel told him lightly, smiling as she put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it, "Mum would be cross if I didn't, wouldn't she?"

Donna laughed, "Oh yes, 'mum' would."

"We take care of each other," Angel added, "Really though, I think Donna takes more care of us, she's brilliant like that," she smiled at Donna, making the woman blush a bit.

"Oh, yeah, that's my Donna," he smiled proudly, making her blush even more, "She was always bossing us around even when she was tiny. 'The Little General' we used to call her."

"Yeah," Donna sighed, "Don't start."

"And some of the boys she used to turn up with, a different one every week. Yeah, who was that one with the nail varnish?"

"Matthew Richards. He lives in Kilburn now, with a man."

"But really Wilf, don't worry," Angel put a hand on his shoulder, "We do our best to take care of our companions."

Wilf smiled, reassured.

Suddenly spikes shot up from the ATMOS grid pattern, the same one, Angel realized, she'd been tracing in the factory.

"Whoa!" the Doctor moved back, "It's a temporal pocket! I knew there was something else in there."

"It looks like it was hidden a split second out of sync with real time," Angel explained to Donna, the woman nodding along, she found she really got things, even complicated things about time and space, when Angel explained it. The Doctor rambled and talked too fast but Angel just seemed to know when you got confused and slowed down and tried to explain it simply, and she never stared at you like you'd dribbled on your shirt if you asked a question like another Time Lord tended to do at times.

"But what's it hiding?" the Doctor agreed, confirming Angel's suspicions.

"I dunno, men and their cars!" Mrs. Noble griped as she came over from the house, having seen them all huddled around the car, "Sometimes I think if I was a car..." she paused, seeing the Doctor and Angel, "Oh, it's you! Angel and the Doctor, what was it?"

"Yeah, that's us," the Doctor waved a hand, not bothering to look up.

"Have you met them as well?" Wilf turned to her.

"Dad, it's the two from the wedding!" Mrs. Noble exclaimed, "When you were laid up with Spanish flu. I'm warning you, last time those two turned up, it was a disaster!"

And, as though hearing her words, gas started to blow out of the spikes...

"Get back!" the Doctor called.

~8~

"A converter has been activated!" a soldier reported.

"Show me where!" Staal rushed over as a hologram appeared in the middle of the room with a diagram of maps.

"London," Luke squinted at the readings, "That's Chiswick."

"Who can have such knowledge?" the soldier wondered.

"Only the Doctor!" Staal cried, "Then they survived!" he spat, before grinning, "Excellent! Then battle will be joined! Glorious warfare!" he moved to a comm. device, "Tenth Sontaran Battle Fleet, we move to the final phase! Prepare the subjugation of Earth for the glory of Sontar!"

"Announcing Battle Status One," the speakers called, "All soldiers to positions," the warriors began marching through the corridor, "Repeat: we are now at Battle Status One. Rejoice!"

~8~

The Doctor soniced the car, managing to cut off the gas, "That'll stop it!"

"I told you!" Mrs. Noble cried as the car sparked as a result, "He's blown up the car! Who is he anyway? What sort of doctor blows up cars?"

"Oh, not now mum!" Donna complained.

"Oh, should I make an appointment?" she wondered before storming off to call a repair shop.

"That wasn't just exhaust fumes," the Doctor frowned, "Some sort of gas. Artificial gas."

"And it's aliens, is it?" Wilf guessed, "Aliens?"

"But...if it's poisonous..." Donna realized, "Then they've got poisonous gas in every car on Earth..."

"Not every car," Angel frowned, looking around, "I'd say at least half though..."

The Doctor straightened and caught Angel's gaze, following it to see almost all the cars parked on the street had ATMOS stickers in them.

~8~

"Trigger the converters and deadlock every single one!" Staal ordered.

~8~

"It's not safe," Wilf decided, "I'm gonna get it off the street," he got into the car and the door shut behind him, automatically locking.

"No, don't!" Angel yelled a moment too late, the car turned on by itself, sending thick smoke pouring from the tailpipe.

"Turn it off!" Donna shouted as Wilf shook his head, "Granddad, get out of there!" she tried to open the door.

"I can't!" Wilf struggled, "It's locked!" he showed her the keys still in his hands, "It's the aliens again!" he hit the window.

"What's he doing?" Mrs. Noble shouted from the doorway of her house, "What's he done?"

"I've isolated it!" the Doctor called, trying to sonic the gas off.

~8~

All the cars all over London, all over the world, started emitting gas, making people cough and alarms go off.

~8~

"Turn them off!" Mace shouted, running into the docking bay where ATMOS was releasing the gas as well, "Turn them off! Turn off all engines!"

"It's all of them, sir!" a soldier cried, "Every single car on the planet!"

The clone and soldiers entered the bay, walking through, ignoring the panic, "Now we begin," she said, smirking as she glanced at the blank-faced soldiers, "Let's get to work."

~8~

"There's gas inside the car!" Donna pulled on the door, "He's gonna choke! Doctor! Angel!"

The Doctor ran to the door, trying to open it, flashing the sonic everywhere, "It won't open!"

Car alarms started going off as the other cars emitted the gas.

"It's the whole world," Angel breathed, coughing weakly as she struggled to try and get the door on the side opposite Donna open too.

"Help me!" Wilf gasped.

The Doctor rushed to the engine.

~8~

"400 million weapons!" Staal grinned, "Sontar-Ha!" he punched his fist, "Sontar-Ha!" and the other Sontarans took up the chant with him, as did Luke.

~8~

Wilf choked as Donna looked on helplessly, the Doctor pulled out a handful of wires from the ATMOS but nothing happened. He dashed to the middle of the road as Angel took a step to the side, closer to the front of the car, watching him.

~8~

The Sontarans continued their chant of victory.

~8~

The Doctor stood in the middle of the road, not knowing what to do as the smoke filled the air around him.

To be continued...

Chapter Text

"He's gonna choke!" Donna cried as Wilf slumped forward in the car, her pounding on the side of it, trying desperately to break the window open, "Doctor! Angel!"

"It won't open!" the Doctor ran back, flashing the sonic over the side of the door. Donna looked over at Angel who seemed be frowning at her hand.

Donna was about to ask her what the hell she was doing just staring at her hand while her grandfather was choking to death…when the hand in question started glowing golden. Her eyes widened as Angel slapped the windshield and the entire thing shattered, "What the hell was that?!"

"Get him out!" Angel just shouted, ignoring her for a moment as she rushed forward to help pull Wilf out through the front of the car.

"What was what?" the Doctor asked as he looked over at Donna and helped Angel get the man out, not knowing what had happened to shatter the glass but very thankful for it. Perhaps it was just a build up of the gas within, too much pressure or something, whatever it was, it was lucky it had happened, Wilf had nearly been done for!

Donna looked over at Angel, who was shaking her head 'no' behind the Doctor's back, such a pleading look in her eye that Donna found herself saying, "Nothing," and moving to help her grandfather as well.

Well, she said nothing for NOW, oh but she would be getting answers later, there was no doubt about that.

~8~

"All soldiers to a door!" a UNIT soldier ordered at the base, "Make the factory secure and take positions on the ground floor!"

"Wicowsky, take the soldiers into the factory!" Mace shouted, "Make the area secure. Seal off doors and windows."

Soldiers started pushing the cars still blasting the gas out of the factory, trying to clear the air, "We've tried everything, it just won't stop!" a soldier yelled.

Mace ran into the base, looking around at his crew, "What have we got?"

"ATMOS is running wild, sir," a young blonde woman reported, "It can't be stopped, it's everywhere. The whole planet!"

The clone of Martha entered the lorry-base and sat at a computer, using Martha's Level 1 Clearance to get into the NATO defense system.

~8~

"Thanks!" Wilf gasped as they helped him to his feet, the man breathing easier, if just a bit, from the semi-cleaner air.

"Get inside the house," the Doctor commanded, ushering Wilf towards the house where Mrs. Noble was standing, still watching from the front door, "Just try and close off the doors and windows."

"Doctor!" Ross called, pulling an old black car up, "Angel! This is all I could find that hasn't got ATMOS!"

Angel started coughing a little as she and the Doctor ran to the cab, the Doctor motioning her in first as he called back to Donna, "Donna, you coming?"

"Yeah!" Donna nodded, turning to go, when her mother grabbed her arm.

"Donna!" she shouted, "Don't go! Look what happens every time those two appear! Stay with us, please."

"You go my darling!" Wilf tugged his daughter back, freeing Donna from her hold.

"Dad!" she glared.

"Don't listen to her!" Wilf called, "You go with the Doctor and Angel! That's my girl!" Donna turned and ran to the cab, though they could tell she felt guilty leaving her family, "Bye!"

Angel reached over across the Doctor to take Donna's hand, squeezing it as they drove off.

~8~

"Success, the operative has the necessary information!" Skorr reported on the ship as they watched the information the clone was gathering pop up on their monitors.

"Good work for a female," Staal approved begrudgingly, "Now she must be protected."

"I will prepare an attack squad," Skorr turned and left.

"This is it, isn't it?" Luke grinned, excited, "Oh man, this is war!"

"How does it feel, boy?" Staal turned to him.

"Magnificent!" he beamed.

~8~

"The Government has declared a state of emergency," a News 24 reporter declared, "People are being told to stay away from all cars with ATMOS devices attached."

"The gas appears to be toxic," the AMNN announced, "We are warning anyone and everyone, stay away from the cars. Repeat, stay away from your cars."

~8~

The black car came to a stop outside the ATMOS factory, the trio getting out, "Ross, look after yourself, get inside the building," the Doctor instructed.

"Will do," Ross gave a nod before calling over the radio, "Greyhound Forty to Trap One, I have just returned the Doctor and Angel to base safe and sound, over."

~8~

The clone frowned, hearing this and rushed over to Mace, "Trap One, received," Mace was saying, having heard the report as well, "Over."

"Sir, message from the Doctor, he says Code Red Sontaran," the clone replied, needing to keep her cover should the Doctor ask about that particular message, that and having the soldiers attack the Sontarans would ultimately lead to their destruction, nothing could beat the almighty Sontaran Fleet!

"All troops, Code Red Sontaran," Mace ordered over the radio, "Code Red Sontaran."

~8~

"The air is disgusting!" Donna grimaced as she coughed.

"It's not so bad for us," the Doctor said, shrugging. It really wasn't, Time Lords were...

"Oh yeah?" Donna cut into his thoughts as she pointed back at Angel, the Time Lady leaning against a fence, coughing more than even Donna was.

The Doctor's eyes widened at the sight, she shouldn't have been that affected by the smoke. Time Lords were immune to quite a few things and their respiratory bypass system helped them breathe in almost anything. He quickly turned to Donna, needing to get her safe so that he could focus on his Mate, "Go on, get inside the TARDIS."

"She needs...a key," Angel called, strained through the coughing.

"Right!" he pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to Donna, "Keep that! Go on, that's yours! Quite a big moment really!"

"Yeah, maybe we can get sentimental after the world's finished choking to death!" Donna remarked.

"Good idea!" the Doctor agreed, turning to go to Angel's side, putting an arm around her and leading her off.

"Where are you going?"

"Stop a war!" the Doctor said, rushing to the UNIT lorry as Donna ran off to the TARDIS. Just before they entered the base the Doctor sat Angel on the steps, the air a little clearer as most of the cars had been removed from around it, and pulled out the sonic, scanning her quickly to see if it might pick up what was going on with her, because clearly something was very wrong.

"What is it?" Angel wheezed as he stared at the results with wide eyes, "Theta," she called, getting him to look at her instead.

He just swallowed hard, his mouth opening and closing but no words came out, only able to shake his head.

She blinked, "Oh..." seeing what he'd seen in his mind, "But that can't be right..." she let out a breath, "That's impossible. I can't be...we haven't..." before closing her eyes tightly and shaking her head, feeling herself getting worked up but knowing she couldn't let herself at the moment, if she did, he would and she needed him to be clearheaded right now, as clear as it could be now that they knew this, "No, not right now, no time right now," she decided and pushed herself to her feet, "We haven't got time to worry about that."

"Angel…" he began, standing and taking her hands to stop her from grabbing the door.

But she yanked her hands away, before she winced and pressed a hand to her forehead, her head was throbbing now, the smell of the gas not helping, "Sorry," she whispered, her voice cracking a bit, "I just...we don't have the time, we really don't," she looked at him, swallowing as she nodded, "War with the Sontarans first," she said firmly, not wanting to think about what the sonic said, not wanting to let HIM think about it either, "Me second."

"Never," he told her seriously, taking her hands this time, "Nella, you will never come second to anyone or anything, not ever. Not to me. You're everything to me."

She managed a small, soft smile at that, feeling the emotion behind his words course through her and lifted her hand to touch his cheek, "For now though, that's the way it has to be," she told him gently, her thumb stroking his cheek, smiling more as he reached up his hand and pressed hers more to his skin, "Ok?"

He stared at her a long moment.

"Please," she whispered, "Billions of humans are in danger Theta. Please."

He closed his eyes, shaking his head a moment, before taking a breath and nodding, "JUST until we stop the Sontarans," he told her, opening his eyes to show her the promise in them.

"Thank you," she kissed him quickly, twice as she knew he loved getting more than one from her, before she turned to open the base door, pulling him in.

~8~

"Right then, here we are, good," the Doctor shouted as they entered, Angel breathing a little better as there was no gas in the room, though her gaze immediately went to 'Martha' sitting by a desk, frowning. He glanced at the 'human' as well, realizing exactly what she was before turning to Mace, "Whatever you do, Colonel Mace, do not engage the Sontarans in battle, there is nothing they like better than a war. Just leave this to us."

"And what are you going to do?" Mace turned to them.

"We've got the TARDIS. We're gonna get onboard their ship."

Angel watched as the clone pressed something on her PDA.

"Come on!" the Doctor called to the clone as he took off with Angel, regretful that he had to take her back out into the gas, but not about to leave her anywhere on her own, not with the Sontarans around.

~8~

The two blank-faced soldiers placed small devices on the doors of the TARDIS, "Ready for transport," one reported over the comm., the two of them stepping away as the TARDIS teleported out...with Donna still inside.

~8~

"The spoils of war!" Staal grinned as the TARDIS appeared on the Sontaran ship, "The Doctor's infamous vessel in Sontaran hands."

"It's time I made a move, sir, I have soldiers of my own," Luke stated, straightening, "I'll tell them of the honor and the glory, sir! I'll tell them that Planetfall is coming!" and with that, he teleported back to the Earth.

"He is behaving exactly as predicted, sir," Skorr remarked, smirking, not seeing Donna peek out from the doors of the TARDIS and close them spotting the aliens.

"None of the humans can guess our true purpose," Staal grinned.

~8~

The Doctor ran down the alleyway where they'd left the TARDIS, to see it had vanished, Angel with a small piece of cloth he'd pulled from the vast recesses of his pockets wrapped around her mouth and nose to help with the gas.

"But...where's the TARDIS?" the clone frowned.

"Taste that, in the air," the Doctor grimaced, "Yech. That sort of metal tang? Teleport exchange. It's the Sontarans, they've taken it," he looked at Angel, "We're stuck, on Earth, like...like ordinary people. Like humans! How rubbish is that!" he smiled a bit seeing her shaking her head at him, before he glanced at the clone, "Sorry, no offense, but come on!"

"So what do we do?"

"The TARDIS's shields were working," Angel said, eyeing the clone knowingly, "The Sontarans shouldn't have been able to detect her or even teleport her."

"What?" the clone looked between them as they stared at her for a few moments.

"Martha..." Angel swallowed, forcing herself to use Martha's name with someone who wasn't her, "Did you let your family and Tom know?"

"Know what?"

"About the gas," the Doctor said, "Tell them to stay inside?"

The clone tensed, "Course I will, yeah, but what about Donna? I mean, where's she?"

"Oh, she's gone home," the Doctor waved her off, "She's not like you, she's not a soldier. Right. So, Avanti!"

~8~

Luke stood behind his students as they looked out the windows of the school at London, the fog settling over it, "Leave it. Turn away. Civilization is falling!"

"But it's all over the news, sir, it's everywhere," a boy said, "Paris and New York..."

"It's time I told you, all of you," he grinned as they turned around to face him, "It's time I revealed what our work has been for!"

~8~

The Doctor, Angel, and the clone entered UNIT's base again, "Change of plan!" the Doctor called.

"Good to have you fighting alongside us, Doctor," Mace nodded.

"He's not going to fight them," Angel frowned.

The Doctor nodded, "Neither of us are fighting. We're not-fighting, as in not hyphen fighting, got it? Now, does anyone know what this gas is yet?"

"We're working on it," the clone replied, moving to one of the computers.

"It's harmful, but not lethal until it reaches 80 percent density," a young blonde woman explained as she stood, "We're having the first reports of deaths from the center of Tokyo City."

"And who are you?" the Doctor asked.

"Captain Marion Price, sir, ma'am," she gave a salute.

"Oh, put your hand down," the Doctor grumbled, "Don't salute."

"Jodrell Bank's traced a signal," Mace reported, "Coming from 5,000 miles above the Earth. We're guessing that's what triggered the cars."

"The Sontaran ship?" Angel guessed.

"NATO has gone to Defcon One, we're preparing a strike."

"You can't do that, nuclear missiles won't even scratch the surface," the Doctor said, "Let me talk to the Sontarans."

"You're not authorized to speak on behalf of the Earth."

"I've got that authority," he told Mace, serious, "I earned that a long time ago," he pressed the sonic into the UNIT control board but paused, thinking it over, "No, actually..." he looked at Angel, "Why don't YOU talk to them."

She blinked, "ME?"

He nodded, "The woman of peace, just what we need on the brink of war," he reached out and touched her cheek, "Go on, I know you can do it."

She frowned, "But...I've never negotiated anything before, and...you don't usually tend to let me talk to the aliens trying to kill us..."

"Well," he had to wince a bit at that, he'd noticed he did tend to pull her back from facing their enemies often, not so much now with Donna there, an extra pair of eyes to help him, but still, as he said to Mace, he didn't like people with guns pointed at his Mate, "We're safe for now, on Earth, in UNIT, while they're on their ship. I think it's safe enough for you to talk to them now."

She shifted, "What if I muck things up?" she asked in a small voice.

"You won't."

"But what if I do?"

He smiled, "You won't."

"But what if I DO?"

He laughed, "I can see that family resemblence shining through now," he told her, making her smile at the reference to Donna, "Ah, there it is, little bit of a smile," he tapped her chin with his hand, making her smile more, "Love that grin," he winked at her, "You just smile at them and I think they'll cave."

She laughed, "That's only YOU," she reminded him.

"Fair point," he nodded, "But you really will do fine, I believe in you."

She looked at him, seeing that he really DID think she could do it and took a breath, turning to the monitor.

"Brilliant," he beamed, switching on the sonic, and called out to the Sontaran ship, "Calling the Sontaran Command Ship under Jurisdiction Two of the Intergalactic Rules of Engagement."

"Hello," Angel added, "Nice to meet you, I'm Angel," and then added, "Mate of the Doctor."

Which made him beam.

~8~

Donna rushed to the monitor as she heard the Doctor calling out and Angel speaking, just missing Rose Tyler appearing, calling for the Doctor, before she faded out and the Doctor and Angel appeared from the UNIT base, "Doctor!" she gasped, "Angel! I'm here, can you hear me?"

~8~

"Doctor, breathing your last with your weak, little Mate?" the monitor of UNIT sprang on and Staal appeared, sans helmet, in the ship.

"My God, they're like trolls," Mace gaped.

"You're being rude," Angel remarked back to Mace, not turning around or taking her eye off the monitor, off the Sontarans. Even SHE knew not to insult the Sontarans. She trusted the Doctor to know what he was doing if he happened to insult them, but the humans...she'd noticed when they were overwhelmed or scared or angry they tended to speak without thinking, and that could be very bad in this sort of situation.

And she was even more nervous with this being her first time actually being the one to try and talk an enemy down. She'd attempted it in Pompeii, tried to get the priestesses not to kill her, the Doctor had saved her. Every other time she'd managed to stop an enemy had been by using the Vortex, or she'd been facing the Daleks to try and keep them from harming the humans around her. Sometimes it made her feel a bit...disappointed in herself. The Doctor was so amazing in how he could stop an enemy, get them to wait, get them to listen, sometimes even get them to reconsider something. She could only wish she had that ability on such a scale.

But he seemed to think she could do it, try and calm the Sontarans. So she had to try, for him.

The Doctor smiled at her, he would have just made some sort of remark to shoot back the man's diplomacy skills but there was Angel, being polite about it all. He moved away from the controls, eyeing the Sontarans as he went to sit down in a chair, ready to just be a silent support to Angel, before thinking of something and tugging Angel to sit down instead, standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders, even more of a show of support. From there, the Sontarans could see him, focus on them both, and they'd have to listen to her.

He leaned down, "You can do it," he whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek as he stood.

She reached up and put a hand on his, taking a breath, "General Staal?" she began, wincing at how questioning that sounded, but she didn't want to insult him and get the name wrong though since they all looked so alike.

'It's him,' the Doctor told her silently.

"General Staal," she repeated, sounding more sure of herself, "Why are you attacking the Earth?" she shook her head, "Why are you attacking it from such a distance is what I mean. Don't the Sontarans usually fight their enemies face-to-face? Bravely and with honor and..."

"How dare you!" Staal glared, cutting in.

Angel winced, assuming she may have just accidently insulted them, but she was just trying to remind the Sontarans of their own code so they could see what it seemed like to everyone else.

The Doctor squeezed her shoulders, 'Relax,' his voice whispered in her mind, 'You're doing fine.'

"Oh, that's diplomacy?" Mace scoffed.

"Quiet," the Doctor hissed at the man, Angel was nervous enough already.

"You impugn my honor, stupid female!"

"Oi!" the Doctor's glare snapped to Staal, "Watch it!" he warned.

Angel squeezed his hand again, reassuring HIM this time, she knew the Sontarans thought everyone who wasn't Sontaran was weaker and just...less...than them, it wasn't a real insult to HER, "General Staal," she continued, "I apologize for any slight against your honor, that was not my intention to insult the mighty Sontaran Fleet," Staal nodded, seemingly appeased by that, which made her breathe easier.

The Doctor dropped a kiss to the top of her hair, he would have just insulted the Sontaran right back, probably with a dig against the alien's height, but Angel wasn't that sort of person. He loved that about her.

"I was merely curious as to why you chose the tactic you did," she added, "Poison gas? Why would you submit to such a...small attack when you have all the power to blast Earth right out of existence," Staal started grinning at the seeming praise of the might of the Sontaran race, "You struck me as warriors of action, not observance. Why watch from your ship?" she frowned, watching the Sontaran for a moment, before blinking, "There's something else...isn't there? There's something more you're planning."

The Sontaran stiffened, catching sight of the Doctor's smirk from behind Angel and realized, the rumors were true. The Time Lady had the gift to see the future, she truly did! They had assumed it was merely a whisper, a tale to be told...but the woman was truly intuitive. What an advantage that could be in battle...so THAT had been the Doctor's plan all along, let her talk, let her keep them talking, until she got some sort of sense off them, some sort of glimpse into their plans.

Despite that, despite their plans on the verge of being discovered, Staal had to smirk, the Doctor certainly did have quite a genius for war, a proper general utilizing every resource available to him.

"A general would be unwise to reveal his strategy to the opposing forces," he stated, let's see how long it would take the Time Lady to see the true depth of their plans, if she even could see that far.

"Then why target the Earth?" Angel asked, knowing she wasn't clever enough to trick the Sontarans into admitting what their plans were, and her head hurt too much to try and focus more on what it might be and see if she could 'feel' anything about it.

"The war's not going so well, then?" the Doctor asked, absolutely beaming at Angel, she was SO clever, she really had no idea just how much she was getting the Sontarans to reveal, just by talking to them, "Losing, are we?"

"Such a suggestion is impossible!" Staal glared.

"Doctor," Angel squeezed his hand again, actually...starting to feel confident, like, maybe, she could do this herself.

"What war?" Mace asked.

"Um," she frowned, thinking, "It's a 50,000 year long war between the Sontarans and the Rutans."

"50,000 years of bloodshed," the Doctor muttered, shaking his head at the aliens.

"I don't understand that," Angel frowned at them, "Why would you fight for so long? So many people, not just your Sontaran brothers or the enemy Rutans, must have been hurt or died..."

The Doctor looked down at her softly for her concern for the lives of others, starting to squeeze her shoulders lightly, massaging them, 'You're an angel,' he told her.

"For victory!" Staal shouted, pulling the Doctor's gaze back to the screen, "Sontar-ha!"

"Sontar-ha!" the other Sontarans started to chant, "Sontar-ha! Sontar-ha!"

"Give me a break," the Doctor muttered, pulling out his sonic and switching the channel to Tommy Zoom, knowing it would make Angel smile again, he'd felt her tensing beneath his hands at the war chant going on.

"Doctor," Mace scolded, "While I appreciate the effort your Mate is making, I would seriously recommend that this dialogue is handled by official Earth representation. We do not have the time to converse casually with the enemy!"

The Doctor looked at Mace, "We don't have the time to go to war either," he reminded the man, "Just let her talk, please, just trust her," he stared Mace down a moment till the man nodded, "Thank you," he turned back to the controls, sonicing the feed back to Staal.

"Have you ever seen Tommy Zoom?" Angel asked the Sontaran conversationally, "I love it."

"You will not be so quick to speak of trivial matters when you'll see our prize," Staal glared, not pleased with having been interrupted or ignored even for a brief moment, "Behold!" he gestured to the TARDIS standing behind him, "We are the first Sontarans in history to capture a TARDIS."

Neither the Doctor nor Angel looked very much surprised with the TARDIS being there. Angel stared at it a moment longer, knowing Donna was in there, Donna was on the ship right at that very moment. Her stomach twisted painfully imagining how scared her 'sister' must be at that moment, surrounded by the aliens that might just kill her family.

"You're still not, I'm afraid," she told him, "A TARDIS...a TARDIS is far too noble a prize to be captured by anyone, not even the Time Lords. We may grow them, but in the end a TARDIS allows her Pilots to fly her."

~8~

Donna's eyes widened as she watched the Doctor and Angel look up, as though right at her, through the screen, "She forms a bond with her Pilots to protect them, just like family, like a sister."

"That's me!" she gasped, beaming as she realized Angel knew she was there! Which meant the Doctor did too, "I'm here!"

"Personally, I LOVE the phone box design," Angel nodded, the Doctor positively beaming behind her, "I think it's brilliant and I'm rather glad you keep refusing to let me fix her," she glanced up at the Doctor, her hand lightly rubbing over his, "I really do love it."

He just smiled and leaned down, kissing her for it, he loved that old box too.

And then Mace cleared his throat from behind them.

Angel blushed as she turned back to the monitor, "I especially like all the phones in it," she continued, "There's one behind the front panel, there's a phone on the console, and a mobile from a friend too. It really is the best way to communicate, phones..."

"All you have communicated is your distress," Staal remarked.

"Oh my God," Donna looked around and grabbed Martha's mobile.

"You know, my family was responsible for the TARDISes, General Staal," Angel added, "I know how they work, how to fix them, all the little tricks..."

"But who do I phone?" Donna asked.

"Including...how to get her to materialize without being in her."

The Doctor held up a small device, "She's rigged up a remote control!"

"Cease transmission!" Staal ordered.

"But what number are you on?" Donna shouted as the screen went to static, "You haven't even got a number!"

~8~

"Remove the box from the War Room, beyond the transmission field," Staal turned to his soldiers.

~8~

"Oh, well," the Doctor smiled even as the screen went black.

"That's achieved nothing," Mace cried.

"You'd be surprised," Angel smiled softly.

"Oh you were brilliant!" the Doctor cheered, pulling Angel up and kissing her soundly, his arms wrapping around her as he spun them around.

She really was! She'd talked to the Sontarans, kept it polite, kept them from launching a premature attack in anger, managed to get SO MUCH out of them, AND communicate with Donna! And right at the end, she was just...in her element, talking about the TARDIS, working out a way to contact Donna, and just...

So incredible.

That was his Mate, absolutely, positively fantastic!

Angel smiled as she hugged him tighter, for now at least, it seemed his mind wasn't on the sonic's results, and that was all she wanted.

~8~

Donna nearly fell to the floor as the TARDIS was pushed away, "But what do I do?!"

~8~

Luke stood in the lab before his students, his arms wide as he gestured to the devices around them, "All this stuff we've been building. All this invention. Where's it been heading? Gravity intensifiers, hydroponics, atmospheric conversion, eco-shell. More than enough to build a brand new world!"

"Luke, we haven't got time for this," one of the boys said, "I've got to find my parents."

"Oh, but this isn't just theory. I'm talking Planetfall. For all of us. A brand new start for a brand new Human Race. Look," he opened a 3D projection of a planet, "A new world. Far out. Beyond Alpha Geminorium, just waiting for us. Its official destination is Castor 36. I think of it as Earth Point Two. I did wonder about Rattigan's World, but...we can take a vote on that."

"What the hell are you on about?"

"This is where we're going. I have partners willing to take us there."

"Oh, he's lost it," a girl shook her head, "I haven't got time for this."

Luke turned off the projector, to see everyone turning to leave, "Excuse me, I haven't finished. Where are you going?"

"To find my brother!"

"I didn't say you could leave."

"I told him to put ATMOS is his car. I've got to go and help him."

Luke pulled out a gun, "Stay where you are!"

"What do you think you're doing?!" she cried as the students banded together.

"Luke," the boy said, "Put that down."

"But...I did this for you!" he shouted, "Don't you see? We've spent all our lives excluded. The clever ones. They...they've laughed at us. And pulled us down. Those ordinary people out there. Those cattle. This is our chance to leave them behind!"

"You mean you want them dead?" the boy's eyes widened as the students looked shocked.

"And I chose you to survive! With Planetfall we can start again. We can build and breed. We can prosper, we can do anything!"

"We're going to breed?" the girl looked disgusted.

"I've designed a mating program," he nodded, missing her tone, "I've planned the whole thing."

"Well then," she glared, "Shoot me!" and then she walked out.

"Stay where you are!" he ordered, "Stay where you are I said. Stay where you are!" but the students just ran out of the room, "Stay where you are, that's an order!" he lowered the gun as most of the students left the room.

"Castor 36?" the boy glared at him, "You're just sick."

He left as well, Luke standing alone in the room, "Guess that just proves it!" he shouted after them manically, "I'm cleverer then you! I'm cleverer then everyone! D'you hear me!" he stamped his feet, "I'M CLEVER!"

~8~

"The United Nations has issued a directive worldwide, telling urban populations to stay indoors," the News 24 news reader reported, "Those in rural areas are being ordered to stay away from all major cities. There are reports from every country in Europe of thousands of people walking across country to escape. And on the Eastern seaboard of America it's said to be reminiscent of Dunkirk, with boats taking refugees out into the Atlantic."

"With the freeways blocked by ATMOS cars, populations of major cities are now walking across open country to escape the fumes," the AMNN reporter stated, "It is being likened to a Biblical plague. Some are calling this the End of Days."

Chapter Text

"Mum?" Donna phoned home on Martha's mobile, still feeling truly guilty for having left them like she had. It was just like what she and Martha had discussed, how people got so caught up by the Doctor and Angel that they just...ran...and didn't even think about what, no, who, they left behind and right now, her family was in danger and she wasn't there, "You alright?"

"Donna!" her mother gasped, picking up, "Where are you sweetheart?"

She smiled at that, her mother, while rather harsh on her most of her life, really did love her and care about her as she could clearly hear in her mother's voice at that moment. Now she just had to wait and see how long that would last for.

"Is that her?" Wilf called in the distance.

"Oh, just finish the job," her mother called back to him, "Your granddad's sealing us in. He's sealing the windows. Our own house, and we're sealed in! All those things they said about pollution and ozone and carbon, they're really happening aren't they?"

"There's people working on it, mum," she told her gently, wanting to reassure her like Angel always did, "They're gonna fix it, I promise."

"Oh, like you'd know, you're so clever?"

She closed her eyes, well apparently the concern didn't last all that long and that just made her feel more useless. She couldn't even reassure people properly, "Oh don't start. Please, don't."

Her mother was silent a moment, a sign she knew meant she really felt bad about snapping just then, her mother was rarely ever quiet like that, "I'm sorry," her mother whispered to her, "I wish you were here."

"Now, come on Sylvia, look," Wilf called, "That doesn't help," and then he was on the phone, "Donna? Where are you?"

Donna smiled and looked around at the TARDIS humming gently at her, "It's sort of hard to say. You alright?"

"Yeah, fighting fit, yeah. Are they with you, the Doctor and Angel?"

"Oh, them!" Sylvia scoffed in the background.

"No," she told him quietly, "I'm all on my own."

"Look, you promised they were gonna look after you. That Angel girl promised..."

"They will, Gramps. Angel wouldn't lie to you about that. There's just...something they need me to do. I just don't know what."

"Well, I mean, the whole place is covered, the whole of London they're saying and the whole...the whole world. It's the scale of it, Donna. I mean, how can two people stop all that?"

"Trust me," Donna smiled, nodding to herself, "They can do it."

"Yeah, well if they don't, you tell them they'll have to answer to me."

"I will," she laughed, even if she couldn't make other people feel better like Angel did, at least her gramps could, "Just as soon as I see them, I'll tell them," and with that she ended the call with a little sigh.

~8~

The Doctor nabbed a clipboard from the clone as he and Angel entered an examination room in the back of the lorry-base, "There's carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, but 10 percent unidentified," the clone replied, watching him carefully as he flipped through it, trying to keep her gaze from drifting to Angel, the ginger was staring at her intently, it was a little unnerving the knowing look in her eyes, the Sontarans had warned her the girl might be psychic and she was doing all she could to act as Martha would and to distract her, "Some sort of artificial heavy element we can't trace. You ever seen anything like it?"

"Must be something the Sontarans invented," the Doctor muttered, "This isn't just poison," he glanced at Angel, "You were right, they need this gas for something else. What could that be?"

"I dunno," Angel sighed, shaking her head. Right now, for some reason, all she was thinking about was that old phrase 'one man's trash is another man's treasure,' that was the expression yes? But it didn't make sense, she KNEW the gas was poisonous to the humans but valuable to the Sontarans, they all knew that, they wouldn't be using it if they didn't need it.

"Launch grid online and active!" Price cried from the main room.

"Positions ladies and gentlemen, Defcon One initiatives in progress," Mace called.

"What?!" the Doctor turned and ran back into the base, "I told you not to launch!"

"The gas is at 60 percent density, 80 percent and people start dying, Doctor. We've got no choice."

"You always have a choice!" Angel frowned.

The Sontarans were terrible warriors, she knew that at least, an open attack against their ship would force them to retaliate, the humans would be slaughtered faster by open combat with the aliens than the gas. The gas, while deadly, at least gave them more time. And they were Time Lords, they were good with time.

"Launching in 60, 59, 58, 57, 56…" Price began the countdown, ignoring them, "Worldwide nuclear grid now coordinating. 54, 53..."

~8~

The Sontarans followed the countdown on their ship, having a direct link thanks to the clearance the female clone had given them, "Ha!" Staal laughed, "The planet is going nuclear! I admire them. The bravery of idiots is bravery nonetheless."

"The operative is in place, sir," a soldier reported.

"Commander Skorr!" he called into a comm., "Is the attack squad ready?"

~8~

"Ready and eager for battle, sir," Skorr replied as he stood at the head of a line of soldiers, fully armed, ready for battle, in the factory, "We've been watching for long enough, it'll be good to taste blood."

~8~

"You're making a mistake, Colonel!" the Doctor yelled, "For once, I hope the Sontarans are ahead of you."

Angel shifted at those words, for some reason, she had the feeling the Sontarans were very much ahead of them, ahead of them all.

"North America, online," Price reported, "United Kingdom, online. France, online. India, online. Pakistan, online. China, online. North Korea, online. All systems locked and coordinated."

Angel blinked, "It won't work."

The Doctor looked at her, taking her hand, rubbing circles on her knuckles, more to calm himself than her. He believed her, fully and completely. If she said it wouldn't work, it wouldn't...but why?

"Launching in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5..."

"God save us," Mace murmured.

The Doctor glanced at Angel, seeing her gaze on the clone, watching her instead of the countdown, and decided to watch her as well.

"...4, 3, 2, 1..." Price finished as they saw the clone press 'NO' on her PDA, "0."

And the screens went black.

Angel smiled as the Doctor squeezed her hand, relieved.

"What is it?" Mace frowned, "What happened? Did we launch? Well, did we?"

"Negative, sir. The launch codes have been wiped, sir. It must be the Sontarans."

"Can we override it?"

"Trying it now, sir."

"Missiles wouldn't even dent that ship, so why are the Sontarans so keen to stop you?" the Doctor wondered before turning to the clone, "Any ideas?"

"How should I know?" she shrugged.

The Doctor frowned at that and looked at Angel, "Any feelings?"

She scrunched her face a bit, trying to see if she might sense something, only to bite the inside of her lip, it was...hard. Harder than it should be. She'd...she'd been able to try and focus and get feelings before, sometimes surprisingly easily, but this...it was actually difficult. And...she knew it had nothing to do with her worry or fear for the humans distracting her, no, this was something else...

~8~

"Now protect the operative," Staal ordered through the comms. as Sontarans marched through the ATMOS factory to do as commanded.

~8~

Ross stood in the factory, guarding a deserted corridor with four more very bored soldiers, "Stinking out there," he paused in his pacing when he heard something, "Shh! Keep it down lads," and then he saw them, the Sontarans marching down the hall...

~8~

Angel blinked, "They're in the factory…" she breathed, finally getting a feeling.

"Who?" the Doctor looked at her.

"The Sontarans!" she looked at him, alarmed, before turning to grab Mace's arm, "Get them out of there!"

"Enemy within!" Ross shouted on the radio, "At arms! Greyhound Forty declaring absolute emergency. Sontarans within factory grounds, east corridor, grid six."

"Absolute emergency, declaring Code Red," Mace ordered, "All troops, Code Red!"

"Get them out of there!" the Doctor yelled as well.

"All troops, open fire!"

"No you need to get them out!" Angel tried.

There was the sound of clicking but no shots and the Time Lords knew what that meant.

"The guns aren't working!" Ross called, "Inform all troops, standard weapons do not work," and then there was the sound of lasers being fired followed by the shouts and screams of the soldiers.

The Doctor quickly pulled Angel into his arms at the sounds of the humans dying, the ginger burying her face into his chest, covering her ears, not wanting to listen to it, she'd heard enough of that on Gallifrey, 'It'll be alright,' his voice soothed in her mind, 'I promise, we'll stop them...' he rubbed circles on her back, holding her closer, feeling her shaking, she really hated death.

"Tell the Doctor it's that Cordalaine signal," Ross managed to get out, "He's the only one who can stop them…"

And then Ross's radio cut to static.

Angel winced, letting out a small sob, she rather liked Ross, he was a nice human, very brave, very sharp and determined and now...now he was gone. The Doctor dropped a kiss to her hair, trying to calm her, his hearts breaking for her, but knowing her getting worked up wouldn't help her any.

"Greyhound Forty, report," Mace ran to the comms., "Over. Greyhound Forty, report. Greyhound Forty, report!"

"He wasn't Greyhound Forty!" Angel turned in the Doctor's arms, actually glaring at the man, "His name was Ross!"

"Now listen to us!" the Doctor shouted, gripping Angel tighter to him, closer, as he too glared at Mace, perceiving the man as one of the reasons his Mate was so upset and distressed at the moment, if he'd just listened, heeded Angel's warning the moment she made it...those men, those young boys, would still be alive, "GET THEM OUT OF THERE!"

"Trap One to all stations," Mace said into the radio, "Retreat. Order imperative, immediate retreat!"

~8~

The UNIT soldiers ran everywhere, trying to get away from the Sontarans, "Retreat!" they shouted, "Retreat!"

But the Sontarans marched out and started shooting everyone down, not caring if their enemies weren't facing them. The humans were taking the cowards approach and fleeing from battle, they had no honor and so they died the dishonorable way.

Two blank-faced UNIT soldiers walked out and addressed the Sontarans, just standing there, "Reporting for duty, sir!"

The Sontarans walked past them and then turned back and shot them down with no warning, "This is too easy!" Skorr remarked as they turned and carried on, "Their running like slimebait from a speelfox," he laughed as they continued to shoot the soldiers, "This isn't war, this is sport!"

The factory doors slid down, sealing them inside.

~8~

"They've taken the factory," Mace reported.

"Why?" the Doctor frowned, "They don't need it. Why attack now? What are they up to? Times like this, I could do with the Brigadier. No offense."

"None taken. Sir Alistair's a fine man, if not the best. Unfortunately he's stranded in Peru."

"We should go see him about that," Angel remarked, "Give him a lift back."

The Doctor smiled at her for that, they were in the middle of a possible war and she was still giving time to think about even more people. He really should introduce her to the Brig, the man, while human, had become one of his truest and dearest friends and it was only fitting that the Brigadier meet his Mate. The man could be so serious at times and he knew Angel could bring a smile to anyone's face.

"Launch grid back online," Price cut in as the screen turned back on to show a map of the world.

Angel looked over as the clone pushed a button on her PDA and the screen went black again. The Doctor followed her gaze, catching sight of that as well.

"They're inside the system, sir. It's coming from within UNIT itself."

"Trace it," Mace pointed at her, "Find out where it's coming from, and quickly. Gas levels?"

"66 percent in major population areas. And rising."

~8~

"Commander Skorr reports victory with many glorious deaths," Skorr was reporting to the ship, when Luke teleported in behind Staal.

"Sorry to report, sir, I've failed," Luke sighed, "They wouldn't come. The students, they…didn't have the imagination to believe."

"A pity," Staal remarked, "We've lost our target practice!"

Luke stiffened, "What do you mean?"

"Upon arrival onboard this ship, your students would have been shot down. Perhaps they were more clever then you thought."

"You promised!" Luke glared at him.

"There was no Planetfall. Castor 36, indeed!" the Sontaran scoffed, "We only needed you for installation of the ATMOS system."

"No, but..." Luke paused in his attempt to remind the Sontaran that it couldn't be ATMOS system because that would be Atmospheric Emmissions System System...when the alien's words registered, "I'm on your side! I did everything you wanted!" before he HAD to add, because it really did bother him, "And it's not ATMOS system, that's a tautology. Just ATMOS."

"Execute him!" Staal ordered, but Luke pressed a button and teleported away, "A coward's retreat. Now close all teleport links to Earth. Isolate them as they perish."

~8~

Luke appeared on the floor of his teleport pod, crying for how easily he'd been manipulated and for what he'd sentenced the Earth to.

~8~

"Why are they defending the factory only after we were inside?" Mace asked.

"Because they wanted UNIT here," Angel said, frowning as she thought on it, as she felt it, "You had something they needed, so they had to draw you out, bring you there where they could get it. Whatever it is...it's inside the factory. It's...something precious."

The Doctor smiled, winding an arm around her shoulders as she rubbed her head.

"Then we've got to recover it," Mace determined, "This Cordalaine signal thing, how does it work?"

"The bullets," the Doctor replied, "It causes expansion of the copper shell."

"Excellent," Mace nodded, getting up and leaving, "I'm on it."

"For the billionth time, you can't fight Sontarans!" the Doctor yelled after him, but Mace was already gone. He sighed, sliding his arm down Angel's to take her hand before turning to the nearest officer, speaking quietly as Angel kept an eye on the clone, making sure she didn't hear or see them sneak off, "Phone. Have you got a phone? I need your mobile, quickly, hurry up!"

The officer handed over the phone and the Doctor headed to the back room, Angel shutting the door behind them as the Doctor called up Martha's mobile on speakerphone, "What's happened, where are you?" Donna picked up immediately.

"Still on Earth," the Doctor said, "But don't worry, we've got our secret weapon."

"What's that?"

"You."

"Oh. Somehow that's not making me happy. Can't you just zap us down to Earth with that remote thing?"

"Yeah, I haven't actually got a remote, though I really should…"

"I can make you one if you like," Angel offered.

"Brilliant!" he beamed at her, "Could you put it on the key? Maybe add a lock system that sounds like a car alarm? That'd be brilliant. You know I had a car once and..."

Angel leaned in and kissed him quickly, "Donna and the Sontarans?" she reminded him.

"Right, yes!" he nodded, holding the phone back up, getting back to Donna, "But we need you on that ship. That's why I made them move the TARDIS. I'm sorry, but you've got to go outside."

"But there's Sonterruns out there!" Donna cried.

"Sontarans. But they'll all be on battle stations right now. They don't walk around having coffee. We can talk you through it."

"But what if they find me?"

"I know Donna," Angel said gently, walking over to the Doctor's side from the door, taking the phone with him, her fingers curling around his own, making him frown, they were a bit cold, so he lifted his other hand to put his over hers, warming them, making her smile at the sweet gesture, "And we wouldn't ever ask, not ever, but we can't do much from down here. Donna...the whole planet is choking, your family is in danger, and now...YOU can be the one who saves them."

Donna was silent for a moment before speaking, "What d'you need me to do?"

The Doctor pressed a kiss to Angel's temple, she really was just so wonderful and she didn't even see it, "The Sontarans are inside the factory which means they've got a teleport link with the ship," he explained, "But they'll have deadlocked it. We need you to reopen the link."

"But I can't even mend a fuse!"

"Donna!" Angel cut in, frowning, "Stop talking about yourself like that. My sister is nothing short of amazing!" she smiled, hearing Donna give a small chuckle at that, she knew it would cheer Donna up, hearing her being called her sister again, "You can do this. I promise you. I know you can. Because you are absolutely brilliant. Right Supertemp? You know I'm right," she teased, her voice a bit sing-song, "You can't argue with a psychic you know..."

Donna laughed again, "Right Supergirl."

The Doctor grinned widely at that, at that little nickname Donna had given her much like his own 'spaceman' title, 'I think we may just have superhero costumes in the wardrobe,' he remarked.

She laughed, 'That'd be brilliant! Gingers United, with uniforms of capes and boas!'

'I love it,' he laughed as well, imagining it...and then swallowing hard, imagining Angel in quite a few of the very popular super heroine costumes, some being a bit...revealing.

'Not quite THAT far,' she blushed, seeing her in them as well, and looked down. He always made her out to be so beautiful in his mind, she really couldn't see it though.

'That's the way I see you,' he reached out lightly and lifted her chin to look her in the eyes, her beautiful hot chocolate eyes, making her look at him, 'That's the way I will ALWAYS see you.'

She smiled, leaning in to brush her nose to his, 'I'll always see you as handsome,' he grinned, 'Devilishly handsome really.'

He winked at her, 'Fitting as your beauty would rival the angels.'

She laughed, 'Charming. Witty. Clever,' she watched as his grin grew wider with each word, 'The most mad, ridiculous, wonderful man with the most incredible hair,' she reached out and ran her hand through it, smirking slightly at how his eyes automatically fell closed and he leaned into her touch, groaning just a little under his breath at the sensation, 'And...' she trailed her hand from his hair to his cheek and down to his chest, 'The most useful tie in the Universe,' she tugged him a little by his tie, kissing him soundly, grinning as she pulled away, 'A little bit foxy too,' she joked.

"There's a Sonterrun!" Donna shouted suddenly over the phone, the small sound of the TARDIS door shutting quickly, "Er, Sontaran."

"But he didn't see you," Angel calmed her, pulling her attention away from the Doctor and back to Donna, feeling a bit guilty for having forgotten her for a moment.

The Doctor's grin just turned smug, pleased he was able to distract her the way she often did him, she really had no idea how difficult it was for him to focus on anything besides her did she?

"No," Donna breathed, "He's got his back to me."

"Right, Donna, listen," the Doctor began, shaking his head from his thoughts, they really DID need to focus, Angel would be very cross with him if his distraction led to the injury or possible death of her sister, "On the back of his neck, on his collar, there's a sort of plug, like a hole. The probic vent. One blow to the probic vent knocks 'em out."

"But he's gonna kill me."

"No he won't," Angel said gently, "He won't Donna, I swear it, he won't hurt you...'cos you're gonna whack him before he knows what hit him…you'll beat him."

There was silence for a moment as the door to the TARDIS opened again, they held their breath and...then there was a thud, "Back of the neck!" Donna cheered.

"Oh I told you! Well done!"

"Now then you gotta find the external junction feed to the teleport," the Doctor continued.

"What...what's it look like?"

"A circular panel on the wall. Big symbol on the front, like a...like a letter T with a horizontal line through it. Or...or two Fs back-to-back."

"Well, there's a door…"

"Should be a switch by the side."

"Yeah there is. But it's Sontaran-shaped, you need three fingers."

Angel laughed, "Live long and prosper Donna."

"Oh, yeah!" Donna laughed as well at Angel's polite way of reminding her she had three fingers, and then there was a whoosh, "I am through."

"Oh, you are brilliant, you are!" the Doctor beamed, "I definitely see that family resemblance now!"

"Shut up. Right. T with a line through it..."

"Doctor," Angel whispered, nodding back to the room where Mace had just returned.

"Got to go," the Doctor told Donna, switching the phone off speaker, "Keep the line open!"

"Counter-attack!" Mace grinned as they walked in.

"I said you don't stand a chance!" the Doctor argued.

"Positions! That means everyone!" he tossed them each a gasmask.

"You're not going without me!" the clone called, getting up.

"Wouldn't dream of it," the Doctor smiled tensely before making sure Angel's mask was secure.

~8~

Donna hid in a shadowy corner when a troop of Sontarans marched past.

~8~

Outside the ATMOS factory, UNIT was gathered, all wearing gasmasks, even the Doctor, as Colonel Mace showed him a gun, "Latest firing stock, what do you think, Doctor?"

"Are you my mummy?" the Doctor asked him as Angel just shook her head at him.

"If you could concentrate," Mace deadpanned, "Bullets with a rad-steel coating, no copper surface. Should overcome the Cordalaine signal."

"But the Sontarans have got lasers! You can't even see in this fog, the night vision doesn't work."

"Thank you Doctor, thank you for your lack of faith, we'd have thought with your Mate being who she is that you'd have more of it," Mace replied dryly, "But this time, I'm not listening," he pulled off his mask and addressed the soldiers, "Attention, all troops! Sontarans might think of us as primitive, as does every passing species with an axe to grind. They make a mockery of our weapons, our soldiers, our ideals. But no more! From this point on, it stops. From this point on, the people of Earth fight back and we show them! We show the warriors of Sontar what the Human Race can do! Trap One to Hawk Major! Go, go, go!"

They all looked up at the thunderous noise ringing out above them. The fog began to clear away so they could see the Valiant lowering down.

"It's working! The area's clearing. Engines to maximum!"

"It's the Valiant!" the Doctor's eyes widened…before he turned sharply to Angel, his mind racing.

No, oh please no...

That year, all that time the Master kept them apart, the 'medical exams' he'd 'kindly' offered to run on Angel while they'd been there. Oh please...no...it couldn't be.

"UNIT Carrier Ship Valiant reporting for duty!" Mace cheered, looking at them, "With engines strong enough to clear away the fog."

"That is really...brilliant," Angel smiled at him sadly, her mind coming to the same conclusion as the Doctor, reaching out to take his hand, squeezing it as he stared at her, near tears, his hearts racing and breaking at the same time.

But it just...it couldn't be...

"Getting a taste for it, Doctor?"

"No," he shook his head, putting an arm around Angel as the horrible truth hit him, "Not at all."

"Valiant, fire at will!" Mace shouted, not seeming to notice their downcast attitudes. A bunch of green beams united and the Valiant fired at the ATMOS factory while UNIT soldiers attacked on foot too. And this time it was the Sontarans who were overpowered, "East and north secure. Doctor?" he rushed off with soldiers.

'Don't think about it Theta,' Angel's voice pleaded in his mind as he looked down at her, 'Please don't. We need to focus on Donna. Now that the Sontarans are losing, they're going to be more alert, we have to get her out of there.'

He sighed but nodded, wanting nothing more than to get her back to the TARDIS and have the old box scan Angel with the tech designed for a Time Lord, but in order to do that, they had to get the TARDIS, and Donna, back first.

He picked up the mobile again, "Donna, hold on. We're coming."

And then the clone approached, following them, "Shouldn't we follow the Colonel?"

"Nah, you, Angel, and me," the Doctor forced a smile, "Martha Jones. Just like old times!" as they turned and ran back to the factory.

~8~

The clone stopped the nuclear launch once more, not seeing Angel watching her, panting a bit as they stopped in a hallway of the factory, the Doctor taking out the sonic, attempting to find their way, "Alien technolo…"

"This way," Angel called, leading them down the hallways, not even giving him a chance to finish talking.

"That works too," the Doctor agreed, flipping his sonic and putting it in his coat to follow his Mate.

As the real Martha had once mentioned, between her and, well, anything really, safe betting was always on her.

~8~

UNIT and Sontaran soldiers fired at each other from everywhere.

"The honor of battle!" Skorr shouted joyfully, running into the middle of the fray, "The glory!"

~8~

Angel led the Doctor and the clone down to the basement, to a deserted corridor, "No Sontarans down here," the Doctor observed, "They can't resist a battle."

He watched as Angel moved to a door at the end of the hall, resting her hand on it a moment before nodding, "It's here," she pushed it open and strode in. They found themselves in a clone lab where Martha Jones was lying in a sort of basket device, a metal band around her head, unconscious.

They ran to her, "Ooh, Martha, I'm so sorry," he checked her pulse.

"She's still alive," Angel assured him, putting a hand on his, "As for us..." she glanced past his shoulder and he looked back to see the clone pointing a gun at them.

His hands clenched on the edge of the metal basket, his knuckles turning white as his mouth moved into a near snarl at the sight. But Angel squeezed his hand and he took a breath, he had to be rational about this. This wasn't just any clone. Not only was it a Sontaran clone who would pull the trigger at any moment for the glory of her masters, but a Martha clone. He couldn't just attack her, threaten her, anything really because, despite knowing it was a clone, the idea of hurting Martha upset them and, while he knew it was truly terrible to admit, he would do anything to protect Angel from anyone, even Martha, but he knew hurting the clone without cause would hurt Angel in some small way.

"Are we supposed to be impressed?" he asked, a dark edge in his voice, a warning for the clone to back off, away from his Mate.

"Wish you carried a gun now?" the clone asked, smug.

"Not at all."

"I've been stopping the nuclear launch all this time."

"I know," Angel looked at her.

"Doing exactly what we wanted," the Doctor agreed, "We needed to stop the missiles, just as much as the Sontarans. I'm not having Earth start an interstellar war. You're a triple agent!"

"When did you know?" she frowned as the Doctor stood up to look at her, blocking Angel from her sight and aim as the Time Lady moved over to kneel by Martha's head, gently running her hand through the sleeping girl's hair, comforting her.

"What, you?" the Doctor eyed her, "Oh, right from the start. Angel knew before we even saw you. Psychic," he glanced back at her.

"Thief," she countered, sending him a small smile before she looked back at the metal band on Martha's head.

"But what did it for me," the Doctor turned to the clone once more, "Was the reduced iris contraction, slight thinning of the hair follicles on the left temple. And, frankly, you smell. You might as well have worn a t-shirt saying 'clone.' Although, maybe not in front of Captain Jack. You remember him, don't you? 'Cos you've got all her memories. That's why the Sontarans had to protect her, to keep you inside UNIT. Martha Jones is keeping you alive."

He nodded at Angel who took a breath before pulling the device off Martha's head.

The woman awoke with a gasp and a scream while the clone fell to the ground, grabbing at her chest.

Chapter Text

The Doctor ran forward as soon as the clone was on her knees, having dropped the gun in the process, and kicked it to the other side of the room, spinning around to see Angel hugging Martha, calming her, "It's alright Martha," Angel rocked her, her hand running through Martha's hair as the human clutched her, her eyes wide in fright, "It's ok, we're here, I've got you, we're here. You're ok now..."

"There was this thing," Martha panted, shaking in Angel's arms, "This alien, with this head..."

"Round and brown?" Angel asked, shifting Martha to face her, her hands on her shoulders, "Like a walking talking baked tomato?"

Martha stared at her a moment, before she had to laugh, "Baked potato."

Angel smiled, "I know," she tapped Martha's nose, "Got you to laugh though."

"Yeah, it did," Martha had to smile back, leave it to Angel to come up with the most random ways to make you smile.

"Feel better?"

She nodded. Just seconds ago she'd been terrified, stuck in a nightmare, and there she was, feeling calmer already, feeling safer. But that was Angel for you, she made everyone feel safe, which, she had to admit, was something anyone travelling with the Doctor desperately needed.

"Good," Angel nodded, turning to put her arm around Martha's shoulders a moment, hugging her from the side as she rubbed her arm.

The Doctor smiled softly at her, 'You really are wonderfu...' he began...when the mobile rang in his pocket.

"Oh, blimey I'm busy," he remarked, pulling the phone out, pouting a bit as his compliment being cut off, but knowing, from the beam on Angel's face that she knew what he was going to say anyway, the psychic.

'Thief,' she countered.

He winked at her before answering, "Got it?"

"Yes!" Donna called, "Now hurry up!"

"Take off the covering," he instructed as Angel helped Martha up, "All the blue switches inside, flick them up like a fuse box. And that should get the teleport working."

"Oh, my God," Martha gasped, seeing the clone, backing away from them on the ground, "That's me."

~8~

Skorr walked through a corridor of the factory, when Mace came up behind him, "You will face me, sir!"

The Sontaran turned back, pleased for the fight, when Mace simply shot him.

Skoor fell to the ground, dying, but still looking quite happy about it, "Wonderful!" he cheered with his last breath, his eyes drooping closed, knowing he'd died for the glory of his people!

Sontar-ha!

~8~

The Doctor worked on the teleport in the clone lab while Martha and Angel sat beside the clone, Martha wearing the Doctor's jacket over the white hospital-like gown she'd been forced into, "Don't touch me!" the clone glared as Martha reached for her.

"It's not my fault," Martha defended, "The Sontarans created you. But...you had all my memories."

"You've got a brother, sister, mother, and father."

"If you don't help me, they're gonna die."

The clone stared at her a moment, "You love them."

"Yes. Remember that?"

"The gas!" the Doctor yelled from the pod, "Tell us about the gas."

"He's the enemy!" the clone glared, "And so is she!" she spat at Angel.

Angel held up her hands in surrender and got up, moving to join the Doctor, not wanting the clone to grow angrier. She knew Martha was going to try and get the clone to help them, and she knew Martha Jones. When her mind was made up, the only person who stood a chance of talking her out of it was, well, herself. She didn't want to upset the clone to the point where it refused to even hear Martha out just because she was near, and she knew the Doctor would also need some help getting things set to get Donna back. She may not understand the Sontaran tech, but the TARDIS had teleport systems as well, they had to be at least a little similar.

She'd actually found herself being a little better able to help at times if she did that, think of something in regards to a TARDIS. It was like she'd said to the Doctor on that ship crashing into the sun, math in relation to a TARDIS she was fabulous at. If she thought of something or worked on something as though it were just another part of a TARDIS or a different make, a newer model, she found she understood more of it. They were just wires after all, a teleport was a teleport and she was amazing when it came to the TARDIS, according to the Doctor. She knew she was good, she had to be, she'd spent her life around TARDISes and they always seemed pleased with her when she finished with them, but it was nice to have someone else think she was incredible, even if it was in just one area.

'In everything,' the Doctor corrected in her mind, smiling at her as she knelt beside him and began to help strip some wires, 'You are absolutely fantastic in every single thing you do Nella.'

She blushed, 'Likewise.'

"Then tell me," Martha began, the two of them able to hear even across the room, "It's not just poison, what's it for? Martha, please!"

"Caesofine concentrate," the clone answered after a moment, "It's one part of Bosteen, two parts Probic 5."

"Clonefeed!" the Doctor realized, "It's clonefeed!"

"What's clonefeed?" Martha asked.

"Like amniotic fluid for Sontarans. That's why they're not invading, they're converting the atmosphere. Changing the planet into a clone world. Earth becomes a great big hatchery. 'Cos the Sontarans are clones, that's how they reproduce," he laughed, seeing Angel grimace at the thought of a Sontaran 'reproducing' in any other way, "Give 'em a planet this big, they'll create billions of new soldiers. That gas isn't poison, it's food!" he turned back to the teleport, excited now.

"My heart..." the clone breathed, "It's getting slower."

Angel looked over sadly, she wanted to help, she really did, the clone had made up for everything by telling them what the gas was, but...without the connection to Martha...the clone couldn't survive. It needed that connection to sustain itself and there was no way to do that without making Martha a prisoner of her own mind again. If they had the TARDIS they could help more, the TARDIS could stabilize the clone, make her a real person, but...the TARDIS was on the Sontaran ship, they were working to get it back down and...she knew they wouldn't have enough time to save the clone.

And that hurt, because she looked just like Martha, no...she was Martha in a way.

"There's nothing I can do," Martha breathed.

"In your mind, you've got so many plans," the clone looked at her, her eyes drooping, "There's so much that you wanna do."

"And I will. Never do tomorrow what you can do today, my mum says. 'Cos..."

"'Cos you never know how long you've got. Martha Jones...all that life," and, with one last breath, the clone's eyes closed for the last time.

Martha eyed her in sorrow before gently reaching out to pull off her engagement ring from the clone's finger and put it back on herself.

"Doctor!" Donna yelled into the phone, Angel having picked it up when she'd finished the wires so that the Doctor could keep working.

"Are you ok Donna?" she asked.

"Blue switches done," Donna said, when the sound of a door sliding open reached her, "But they've found me!"

"Now!" Angel turned to the Doctor.

He pointed the sonic at the teleport pod, activating it. Donna appeared there moments later, still holding the phone to her ear, as stiff and frightened as she had been seeing the Sontarans before her before she blinked and realized where she was. She rushed out and hugged them both close, "Have I ever told you how much I hate you?" Donna breathed.

"You love us," Angel laughed.

Donna sighed, "Yeah I do."

"Hold on, hold on," the Doctor stepped back, "Get off me, get off me!" he pushed Donna back a bit, making her narrow her eyes and purse her lips at him.

"More hugs for me then!" Angel cheered, turning Donna to hug her properly, making her laugh, her irritation at the Doctor rebuffing her hug forgotten.

"Gotta bring the TARDIS down," the Doctor added as an explanation, flashing the sonic at the teleport and the TARDIS was sent back down to the alley, "Right, now. Martha, you coming?"

"What about this nuclear launch thing?" Martha asked as they all stepped into the teleport pod, her and the Time Lords.

"Just keep pressing 'N,' we want to keep those missiles on the ground," the Doctor handed her the PDA the clone had been using.

"But there's..." Donna's eyes widened, seeing the clone, "Two of them."

"Yeah, long story," the Doctor motioned for her to join them, "Here we go. The old team, back together! Well, the new team."

"We're not going back on that ship!" Donna stepped beside them.

"No, no, no. No. I needed to get the teleport working so that we could get to..." they appeared in Luke's cube in the school, "...here! The Rattigan Academy, owned by..."

"Don't tell anyone what I did!" Luke appeared, advancing, pointing a gun at them, "It wasn't my fault, the Sontarans lied to me, they..."

The Doctor stalked forward and grabbed the gun, well, more like ripped it out of Luke's hands, "If I see one more gun..." he threatened the boy, throwing it away. What was with all the humans and aliens pointing a gun at his Mate...and the humans...today? He understood it was the brink of war, but did they really have to point their weapons at Angel? What had she done but try to stop it all? Well, he supposed for the Sontarans that was more than enough, but still!

And then he felt someone take his hand and he let out a breath, feeling himself calming instantly and knew who it was without even needing to look, Angel, at his side, as always. He looked down at her as she squeezed his hand. He grinned, lifting it to kiss the back of hers before turning to head out of the room.

"You know, that coat sort of works," Donna remarked to Martha they followed after him.

"Feel like a kid in my dad's clothes," Martha admitted with a blush.

~8~

"A human female onboard ship," a soldier reported to Staal, "It could only be the Doctor's work and all the teleport systems have been deadlocked open."

"No matter," Staal waved him off, "Increase the ATMOS devices to maximum. Choke them! Behold, the cloneworld is born!"

He laughed gleefully as the alarms blared, signalling the massive activation of all the ATMOS to top power.

~8~

Back on Earth, car engines revved, the gas getting in everywhere no matter how well people sealed off their houses. Wilf put a towel in the gap at the bottom of a door, trying to fend the gas off before moving to hug his daughter as she cried on the floor, "Oh, my little girl. Come on, we'll be alright. We'll be alright. Donna said so. She promised. Come on, darling. It's alright."

Mrs. Noble just turned in her father's arms and hugged him, she wanted her daughter there as well, to do just that for her. Everything was falling apart and her daughter was trapped out there when she should be with them, where she could take care of her...

~8~

The Doctor ran around the lab, assembling a device from the random components of Luke's leftover products, "That's why the Sontarans had to stop the missiles, they were holding back," he said quickly, "Because, caesofine gas is volatile, that's why they had to use you to stop the nuclear attack. Ground-to-air engagement could've sparked off the whole thing."

"What, like set fire to the atmosphere?" Martha asked.

"Yeah. They need all the gas intact to breed their clone army. And all the time we had Luke here in his dream factory."

"You were going to use all of this, weren't you Luke?" Angel asked, eyeing the boy.

"They promised me a new world," he murmured glumly.

"You were building equipment, ready to terraform El Mondo Luko so that humans could live there and breathe the air with this!" the Doctor looked at his device appraisingly, "An atmospheric converter."

~8~

"Prepare to launch clone pods," Staal ordered, "We will breed across the surface of the Earth. For the glory of Sontar!"

~8~

The Doctor ran outside with the converter to see London now invisible in the thick, yellow fog, "That's London!" Donna breathed, "You can't even see it. My family's in there."

"If I can get this on the right setting…" the Doctor muttered, fiddling with the device as he placed it on the ground.

"Doctor, hold on, you said the atmosphere would ignite," Martha looked at him.

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?" he grinned at her.

"It'll work Martha," Angel put an arm around her, "Don't worry."

The Doctor pressed a button and a blast of fire flew into the sky, igniting it. He smiled, watching it go, before pulling Angel to him, holding her hand as they watched.

~8~

The Nobles, much like many people across the globe, looked out the window to see the sky on fire.

~8~

"General Staal, sir!" a soldier called.

"What's happening?" Staal demanded.

Alarms blared and they looked down to see the Earth engulfed in flame, and when the fire cleared...the planet was clear as well, blue and green and white and normal.

~8~

The Nobles stepped out of their house to see their neighbors alive and the sky clear, everyone turning to each other, celebrating.

~8~

UNIT cheered as Prince kissed Mace in her relief and excitement, both looking a bit embarrassed when they pulled away.

~8~

"He's a genius!" Luke breathed.

"Just brilliant," Martha agreed.

"Now we're in trouble!" the Doctor said, picking up the converter and running back into the building, Angel frowning a moment before she dashed after him, the others following.

~8~

"It seems we must revert to Basic Sontaran Stratagem One," Staal glared, "We will ravage this planet. Prepare weapons! Wipe them out! Every last stinking human beast!"

~8~

The Doctor stepped inside the teleport pod of Luke's chambers with the converter held tightly in his arms, "Right, so...Donna, thank you. For everything. Martha, you too. Oh...so many times. Luke, do something clever with your life. Angel…" he just blinked back a few tears, unable to come up with the words to speak.

"You're saying goodbye," Donna frowned as Angel looked down...

'…I am giving you the chance to leave…'

"Sontarans are never defeated," the Doctor explained, "They'll be getting ready for war. And, well, you know, I've recalibrated this for Sontaran air, so..."

"You're gonna ignite them," Martha finished.

"You'll kill yourself!" Donna frowned, putting an arm around Angel.

'…Then do it!...'

"Just send that thing up on its own," Martha argued, "I don't know...put it on a delay."

"I can't," he murmured.

"Why not?!" Donna demanded.

'…Sontar? Ha!...'

Angel winced, hearing Luke moments before an explosion sounded in her mind.

"I've got to give them a choice," the Doctor said.

"You'll come back," Angel told him, looking up at him though she had tears in her eyes, making the golden flecks stand out and shimmer, "Alive."

He smiled at her, hopeful though doubtful, before pressing the teleport button and disappearing.

Angel fell to her knees.

~8~

The Doctor appeared on the Sontaran ship with the converter, "Oh, excellent!" Staal laughed.

"General Staal, you know what this is," the Doctor placed it down, "But there's one more option. You can go. Just leave. Sontaran High Command need never know what happened here."

"Your stratagem would be wise if Sontarans feared death. But we do not. At arms!"

"I'll do it, Staal," he placed his hand over the button that would ignite it all, "If it saves the Earth, if it saves Angel, I'll do it. There is nothing I wouldn't do for her."

"A warrior doesn't talk, he acts!"

"I am giving you the chance to leave."

"And miss the glory of this moment?"

"All weapons targeting Earth, sir," a soldier reported over the speaker, "Firing in 20."

"I'm warning you!" the Doctor shouted.

"And I salute you!" Staal replied, "Take aim!"

"Shoot me, I'm still gonna press this! You'll die, Staal."

"Knowing that you die too."

"Firing in 15," the voice reported.

"For the glory of Sontar!" Staal chanted, "Sontar-ha! Sontar-ha! Sontar-ha!"

"Sontar-ha!" the soldiers took it up, "Sontar-ha! Sontar-ha! Sontar-ha! Sontar-ha! Sontar-ha! Sontar-ha!"

"I'll do it!" the Doctor threatened.

"Then do it!" Staal shouted.

~8~

"Angel…" Donna looked at the girl cautiously as she knelt beside the teleport pod, shaking, her hands on the side of it, gripping the edges to tightly her knuckles were turning white.

"What are you doing?" Martha asked.

"Please don't tell him," Angel whispered to them, glancing back at them over her shoulder.

"Tell him what?" Donna frowned.

But Angel didn't answer, just turned back to the pod.

Donna, Martha, and Luke's eyes widened as Angel's hands began to glow golden, swirling with energy, the same energy appearing in her eyes as well. They watched as the energy swarmed out of her and into the teleport, right over to the control panel and the teleport pad...

~8~

"Sontar-ha!" the soldiers chanted, "Sontar-ha! Sontar-ha! Sontar-ha! Sontar-ha!"

"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3…" the voice counted.

The Doctor closed his eyes tightly...

"...1..."

And pushed the button...

Only to disappear a moment later in a crackle of golden energy right as the ship exploded.

~8~

A moment later there was a small burst of golden electricity striking from the top to the bottom of the pod's pad and the Doctor appeared, confused.

Donna and Martha looked at Angel to see the golden energy gone as she half-threw herself into the Doctor's arms before he could even climb out of the box. He held her close as soon as he realized who was in his arms, that he was still alive to feel her in his arms, and buried his face in her hair, nuzzling her neck as he held her tightly. Martha and Donna, far too stunned and relieved to even think of something to say about what had just happened, quickly walked over and joined them, making it a group hug, while Luke sat down heavily, shocked by what had nearly happened and how much was his fault.

~8~

"Morning!" Sylvia called to a neighbor as she walked towards her house with two bags of groceries.

"Morning," the neighbor smiled.

"Walked all the way, won't catch me driving," she added as the neighbor got into her car and pulled off the ATMOS sticker from the rear window. Sylvia entered her house and went to the kitchen to see Donna and Wilf sitting there, "The streets are half-empty. People still aren't driving. There's kids on bikes all over the place, it's wonderful. Unpack that lot, I'm gonna see if Suzette's alright," she put the bags on the kitchen counter and turned to leave.

"I won't tell her," Wilf promised Donna, "Best not. Just keep it as our little secret, eh?"

"Yeah," Donna smiled.

"And you go with them, that wonderful Doctor and that remarkable Angel," he added.

Donna had told him what had really happened in the school, how, somehow, Angel had managed to get the Doctor back from the brink of an exploding ship and, to him, if she could do that for the Doctor then she'd be able to do that for Donna as well, keep her safe and all. Donna still had no idea how or what that golden energy was, that energy that had not only saved the Doctor but her gramps as well, but it was far too emotional a scene to start in on the girl about it, Angel had been devastated by what had nearly happened, she'd cried as the Doctor held her and she and Martha couldn't find it in them to bring it up right at that moment. They'd find out, eventually, once things calmed down at least. But, as promised, they hadn't told the Doctor, they'd come up with some story that Luke had hacked into the pod from there and reversed the teleport beam to return the last person teleported out. He seemed to believe it, which Angel seemed thankful for.

"You go and see the stars," Wilf continued, pulling Donna from her thoughts, "And then bring a bit of 'em back, for your old Gramps."

Donna nodded, getting up to hug him, kissing his head, "Love you," she turned and headed out, holding back her tears.

~8~

Angel and the Doctor sat on the examination bed of the TARDIS med-bay, solemn and silent, staring blankly across the room, Angel leaning on the Doctor's shoulder as he had his arm around her tightly, as though afraid to let her go, as though...if he did...she'd just...fade away from him.

"I suppose…" she began, swallowing hard, feeling tears in her eyes as they stared at the results of the scans he'd done on her flashing across a screen before them, "I suppose it's a good thing we didn't finish the Mating process then," she sniffled, "When I…you won't…and…" she quickly wiped a tear away from her eye, though they were still filled with them, she just didn't want him to see her so upset, she knew how upset it made him in return.

The Doctor had done all sorts of tests, wanting to confirm that what the sonic had picked up was correct, praying that it was wrong though, and to test the theory they'd developed when they saw the Valiant.

And it was confirmed.

The results were exactly the same as the ones the Master had run on her when she'd first collapsed on the Valiant.

Her body was failing in exactly the same way it was during the Year-That-Never-Was.

She was dying...again.

It seemed that, when time snapped back to before the Paradox Machine had been activated, the TARDIS snapped back too, able to maintain the fact that, now, she hadn't been activated. HER body had snapped back as well, but, having been in the eye of the storm and not being an 11-dimensional object, her body hadn't retained that. Just as their minds remembered everything that had happened during that year, so had her body remembered. It reverted back to before the Paradox Machine was activated, but then...continued as though it had during that year, remembering what had happened, remembering that it was...dying.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor blinked back his tears, trying to be strong for her though she could feel his inner turmoil despite that, "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," she told him, squeezing his hand, "Neither of us could see this coming…not even me."

The tests were inconclusive about one thing though, whether or not she would regenerate when her body finally died. Before, when the paradox had been running, they were almost certain she wouldn't…and now…now…with her dying the same way...they were scared.

"We can hope."

"I'll find a way to stop this," he promised her lightly, kissing the side of her head, "I promise you, I will. I won't lose you."

She smiled sadly at him. At this point in time, she had, maybe, a little more than half a year left if she was very lucky. She had thought, once, long ago, that being on the Valiant was better for her dying, would help her live longer without the strain and exertion that came with adventures with the Doctor. But the Master hadn't always been kind to her, he wouldn't let her eat at times, he wouldn't let her rest when she'd been able to manage sleep, he'd stuck her in the cold cells, none of which had helped her last. It was really an even ground now, adventures with the Doctor left her body the same as being on the Valiant did. But she knew, the time she had left, 6 months...around that time on the Valiant was when things started turning bad, and she knew what was coming. The dizziness increased, she didn't eat, she didn't sleep, she felt cold all the time, she was tired, her head hurt, her body hurt, her insides hurt…she just felt sick and feeble…everything she felt now just...MORE.

She should have realized it really, everything, from her lack of being hungry to her headaches to how dizzy she got at times to how easily she tired and how cold she felt...it was exactly how it had started on the Valiant. She just...she thought that was over, she truly thought she'd be fine, she hadn't wanted to think, consciously or subconsciously, that she might be dying again. She didn't want to die. She truly hadn't noticed, she'd made up all sorts of excuses and reasons for why she felt that way, blaming it on adventures or worry or the temperature, anything she could, just to keep herself from believing it was happening again and that was just it, wasn't it?

It was happening again.

She looked away, about 6 months left.

There was one regret she had about that. The last step of the Mating process, the physical aspect…more often than not a couple who reached that stage would find themselves with child as a result, such a physical connection of love might lead to a physical manifestation of it, a child. It wasn't always true, actually it was less true than most would think, it was more what people liked to believe, like humans who believed most brides returned home pregnant from their honeymoons. Her mother hadn't conceived the first time, though she wasn't Mated to her father, still, her mother had had several difficult pregnancies before she had had HER. Her sister though, HAD conceived upon Mating...she'd lost the baby. She'd lost three before her only child had been born. And now...she couldn't even risk it. She couldn't risk conceiving. And as a result...they couldn't even finish the process, with a gestation period of 3 years, the baby would die with her and wouldn't be able to survive even if it was somehow removed from her. Given the way her body had failed on the Valiant, her body wouldn't even be able to suport a child, or having a child growing inside her might kill her faster.

She hadn't thought of it much on Gallifrey, of having children. In the back of her mind she supposed she thought it might be nice to have at least one child before her life ended and that was before the War when she thought she'd have millennia to go…she hadn't even really thought about it even now with the Doctor. But...just because it hadn't been an active thought or even a desire...to have all possibility striped away. To know she might NEVER have a child, might never be able to give the Doctor the family she knew he wanted...it hurt. It hurt her more than she thought it would. To have that hope torn away. The saying was true, you never knew how special something was till it was gone. Now it didn't seem like she would ever have a child.

She supposed it was almost a good thing to not have finished the Mating, to have put it off like they had, but for another reason, the one silver lining in it all. Once the Mating process was finished, when one Mate died, the other did as well. At any point before the physical union, a Mate would, at the very least, miss the other in their mind or at the most suffer a terrible heartsbreak over the closeness they once had, entirely survivable. Once the Mating was finished though, there was no going back. She knew the Doctor could try to convince her to Mate, to finish it, saying there was no guarantee of a child, and wanting to Mate to her before she died, because he wouldn't want to lose her without finishing it. But she'd refuse, she knew how his mind worked, in the very back of it he was terrified of being alone again, of losing her and being the last, he'd want to Mate as a sort of...suicide, to die with her, to use her words as Angela Smith against her, that whatever they did they did together.

It had been one reason he'd gone to the Sontarans, a foolish, stupid, dangerous thing to do, but everything had hit him at that moment, as much as he tried to keep it from coming to mind, it hit him that he'd saved the Earth but wouldn't be able to save her. He'd snapped, just a little, and gone to the Sontarans because, if she was dying, he might as well die too.

But she would be damned if she let the Doctor die because of her, she would NOT let that happen, no matter what.

"Come on," she got up, subtly telling him that her answer to his idea of continuing the Mating, his desperate idea, was NOT going to be accepted, "We need to say goodbye to Martha."

"Angel…" he began, shaking his head.

"I just want to go on as normally as possible. For as long as possible. I spent a year with little else to do but think about how I was dying, I don't want to do that again. I just want to…to go on adventures and be with you for as long as I can. Please Theta, I just...if I get to choose how I spend my last moments, they're with you, always. But I don't want to spend them constantly thinking about how they're my last," she squeezed his hand, trying to smile, "Come on Theta, show me the stars and make me forget."

He swallowed hard, standing and pulling her to him, hugging her tightly, his hearts breaking, but swearing to himself, he'd show her every single one and save her in the process.

And if he couldn't...he'd make sure no one saved him either.

~8~

Donna entered the TARDIS to see Martha standing by the console, eyeing the Doctor and Angel with concern. The Doctor seemed solemn and despondent while Angel appeared to be trying to focus on the controls, her lips in a line and not smiling like they always saw her doing.

"How were they?" Martha turned to the ginger as she entered.

"Oh, same old stuff," she gave a small smile as she brushed away a tear, "They're fine. So! You gonna come with us? We're not exactly short of space."

"Oh, I have missed all this, but, you know. I'm good here. Back at home. And I'm better for having been away. Besides," she wiggled her left hand fingers, "Someone needs me. Never mind the Universe, I've got a great big world of my own now!" she laughed and walked towards the doors...

When they slammed closed and the TARDIS jerked wildly, flying off.

Everyone clung to different objects, the console, the railings, the captain's chair, trying to keep their balance, while the Doctor's hand wiggled in the jar below the console.

"What?" the Doctor yelled, "What!?"

"Doctor, don't you dare!" Martha glared at him.

"No, no, no!" he shook his head, struggling to get to the controls where Angel had managed to grab on near the monitor, "I didn't touch anything!"

"We're in flight," Angel agreed, "But we're not the ones piloting her!"

"Where are we going?" Donna called.

"I don't know, it's out of control!" the Doctor yelled.

"Where are we going girl?" Angel looked up at the rotor.

"Just listen to me!" Martha shouted, "You take me home, take me home right now!"

But the TARDIS just continued to jerk and thrash as she flew on...

To be continued...

Chapter Text

The TARDIS shook violently as the people within grabbed the console, trying to keep stable as it flew through the Vortex. They shook and lurched and jolted every possible way while the Doctor and Angel tried to regain control, well, Angel tried to regain control, the Doctor was just trying to regain his footing enough to make his way to Angel. This shaking, all this turbulence, it wouldn't be good for her. He'd sworn to himself, calm trips from now on despite Angel's insistence to go on as normally as possible. He was NOT going to send them anywhere dangerous, anywhere that she might overexert herself and fade faster. No, he would NOT let that happen!

And now this?!

He didn't understand it, the TARDIS had always loved Angel, he could tell by how the box seemed to always respond to her and listen to her and protect her. They'd worked out ages ago that the reason she hadn't been taken by the transmat on the Game Station had been because the TARDIS had been protecting her, had pulled her back into the box. Of course, the old box would save her and not him, but he was happy about that. He wanted Angel to be safe and protected and he couldn't begin to say how relieved he was to know the TARDIS cared for her that much, well, he knew the box would, that it would have to since Angel was a Pilot, but the transmat had been BEFORE she'd bonded to the TARDIS. That had to mean the box cared for the Time Lady, so why was it doing this now? Angel didn't need this!

"What the hell's it doing?" Donna shouted.

"Controls aren't working!" the Doctor yelled, trying again to reach Angel at the console, when the controls sparked and he fell back to the floor, seeing his hand bubbling excitedly, "I don't know where we're going but my old hand's very excited about it!"

"I thought that was just some freaky alien thing! You telling me it's yours?"

"Well..."

"It got cut off," Martha told her, "He grew a new one!"

"You are completely...impossible!" Donna gasped.

"Not impossible, just...a bit unlikely!" he remarked.

"It's alright," they heard Angel say softly despite the noise. They looked over to see her stroking the rotor gently, "Calm down girl, it's alright, everything's ok…" and, amazingly, the TARDIS seemed to listen, slowing to a screeching halt, making everyone but Angel fall backwards.

The Doctor fell back onto the captain's chair before jumping up and running over to Angel, taking her head in his hands, looking her over, making sure she was alright, about an inch away from scanning her with the sonic when she lightly slapped his hands down.

'Stop it,' she said quietly in his mind, 'Scanning me will only make them wonder why and I don't want them to know,' she glanced at Donna and Martha, 'Not just yet. I don't want them to worry.'

'We have to tell them Angel,' he nudged her, but put the sonic away. They were his companions, her family, they had a right to know.

'We will,' she nodded, 'But let's deal with whatever's out there first and then tell them, ok?'

He sighed, but nodded as well.

"How the bloody hell did you do that?!" Donna panted as she and Martha picked themselves up.

"This isn't the first tantrum I've dealt with from TARDISes," Angel shrugged, though catching her breath as well.

And boy did she have plenty of experience with that. Some of the younger TARDISes, the newly grown, freshly harvested ones, were just like children, screaming and irritated and pouty, or at least that was the sense she got from them. They always fought her sister and father tooth and nail not to be touched or poked or prodded or adapted to becoming a true TARDIS, but then again, her father and sister had never had the most patience with the wonderful creations that were TARDISes. They, she was sorry to admit, treated them like the machines many Time Lords thought they were, while she had always respected them and treasured them as living creatures and tried to ease them and calm them whenever they were being difficult. Most Time Lords forgot they were grown and not built, adapted from living organisms to become the time travel units they were. And most Time Lords treated them like that, to the point where that's all the TARDIS became, a machine.

That was one thing she loved about the Doctor, he treated the TARDIS like the most incredible thing in the Universe, which she really was. He respected the box, talked to her, cherished her like it was a living thing, and he insisted it was. Which, the TARDIS was, alive that is. He saw the TARDIS for what she was, living, and that meant so much not just to her, but to the TARDIS as well. She knew the box loved the Doctor for that as well, not as much as SHE loved him though.

The Doctor took her hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it, hearing her thoughts, before he led her to the door, looking out to see that they were in a tunnel of some sort, probably underground, completely filled with rubbish of all kinds, "Why would the TARDIS bring us here?" he frowned as Martha and Donna stepped out.

"Oh, I love this bit," Martha smiled.

"Thought you wanted to go home," Donna smirked.

"I know, but all the same..." she shook her head as the Doctor looked around at the equipment before licking his finger and looking into the distance as Angel looked around, "It's that feeling you get..."

"Like you swallowed a hamster?"

"Something's coming," Angel said, frowning as she looked down one tunnel in particular.

"What?" the Doctor asked, tensing, not sure if it was a good, friendly something, or a bad, 'wants to hurt his Mate' something. Well, hurt her and his companions, but that was just how his mind worked, where it went first and foremost, to Angel and her safety, even more so now that her health was on the line as well.

Just then there was a loud bang down the tunnel Angel was looking through when soldiers ran forward, "Don't move, stay where you are!" one ordered as they aimed their guns at the group who raised their arms quickly, "Drop your weapons."

"We're not armed!" the Doctor said, stepping before Angel to block her, his mind even more aware and driven to protect her with her failing health, because there were people with guns with his Mate in the same room, again, "Look, no weapons. Never any weapons. We're safe."

"Look at their hands," a second soldier noted, "They're clean."

"Alright, process them!" the first young man gave the command, "Him first."

Two soldiers moved their guns and reached out for the Doctor, shoving him away from the women, over to a box with a hole in it, "Oi, oi!" he called, "What's wrong with clean hands?!"

"What's going on?" Martha demanded.

"Leave him alone!" Donna glared as she and Angel ran after them.

They stuck the Doctor's hand into the hole in the machine, making him yell in pain as it whizzed away, "Something tells me this isn't about to check my blood press…AAGGGH!"

"What's it doing to him?" Angel frowned, her hearts racing at seeing him in pain but not knowing what it was doing and being unable to help.

"Everyone gets processed," the young man stated.

"It's taken a tissue sample," the Doctor explained, "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! And extrapolated it! Some kind of accelerator?"

The machine finally let him go and he stepped back, examining his hand were a Y-shaped graze was on the back of it. Angel, Donna, and Martha ran to him as he looked at the large machine near the back of the box.

"Are you alright?" Martha asked, examining the graze.

Angel lifted his hand and pressed a small kiss to it, hoping it would make him feel better...

'Always,' the Doctor offered her a smile, kissing her hair in thanks for her kindness. A kiss might not literally make his hand feel better, but any kiss from Angel always made HIM feel loads better.

She smiled in return before she heard the machine hiss and looked back at it, the Doctor and Donna as well.

"What on Earth?" the Doctor frowned as the doors opened, "That's just..."

A young blonde woman with blue eyes stepped out from the machine, smoke wafting around her, dressed in a short sleeved green shirt and dark pants. The quartet looked at her in shock as she looked around, so curious to everything around her.

"Arm yourself!" the young man shouted, handing the woman a gun which she handled easily.

"Where did she come from?" Martha eyed her.

"From the Doctor," Angel whispered, looking at the woman as she readied the gun.

The Doctor blinked, completely shocked at that.

"From you?!" Donna looked at the Doctor, "How? Who is she?"

"Well...she's...well...she's my daughter…" he stared, swallowing hard, trying to ignore, trying to bury, trying to block, the bonds he could already feel forming in his mind and soul to the young woman before them.

No!

He wouldn't let this happen, this girl, she was NOT his daughter, because...because she wasn't Angel's. She couldn't be his and he refused to let her be.

The blonde turned to him, smiling, "Hello dad!"

"You primed to take orders, ready to fight?" the young man questioned.

"Instant mental download of all strategic and military protocols, sir," she gave a nod, "Generation 5,000 soldier primed and in peak physical health. Oh, I'm ready."

"Did you say...daughter?" Donna repeated.

"Mmm," he hummed, before shaking his head, "Technically."

Technically, not actually, not really, she couldn't be. She wasn't Angel's daughter too. She wasn't his daughter. She wasn't!

"Technically how?" Martha shook her head.

"Progenation. Reproduction from a single organism. Means one parent is biological mother and father. You take a sample of diploid cells, split them into haploids, then recombine them in a different arrangement, and grow. Very quickly, apparently."

"Something's coming!" the woman warned as soldiers with purple fish heads and green liquid tubes by their mouths ran in, guns blazing. The Doctor and Donna ducked behind a small wall, the Doctor reaching out for Angel, but she had already grabbed Martha and pulled her to hide behind a crate.

"It's the Hath!" the young man yelled as the human soldiers shot back.

"Get down!" the woman called.

"We have to blow the tunnel! Get the detonator!"

"I'm not detonating anything!" the Doctor shouted.

Just then a Hath appeared behind Martha and Angel, grabbing their arms and pulling them back while the young woman kicked a Hath and picked up the detonator.

"Blow that thing, blow the thing!" she was ordered by the young man.

"Doctor!" Angel yelled.

"Angel!" the Doctor shouted, seeing them being pulled back, "Martha! No! Don't!" he ran to the woman's side, trying to stop her, needing to stop her, only for her to hit the button.

Donna ran out and grabbed his arm to keep him from running after Angel, right towards the bomb, and pulled him back, forcing him to run for cover as the tunnel exploded. But he was on his feet in an instant, staring at the tunnel, sealed by rubble, Angel and Martha trapped on the other side.

"You've sealed off the tunnel!" he ran to it, banging on the wall, before turning around to glare at his supposed daughter, "Why did you do that?!"

"They were trying to kill us!" she reminded him.

"But they've got my Mate!"

"Collateral damage. At least you've still got her," she jerked a thumb at Donna, "He lost both his men. I'd say you came out ahead."

"Their names were Angel, my sister, and Martha," Donna cut in with a glare, "And they're not collateral damage, not for anyone! Have you got that, GI Jane?!"

"I'm gonna find them," the Doctor turned to the wall.

The young man just pointed a gun at them, "You're going nowhere. You don't make sense, you two. No guns, no marks, no fight in you…I'm taking you to General Cobb. Now, move."

The Doctor just turned to him, his shoulders squared, body tense, a dark look on his face. Here was a human, a miserable human, holding a gun at HIM? Ordering him to give up on his Mate? That was never ever gonna happen.

He took a single step towards the boy, the boy actually stepping back in fear of the dangerous glint in the man's eye when...

'Don't,' Angel's voice called in his mind, making him stop in his tracks, 'Theta don't. I'm fine.'

'But they're the reason you...'

'I'm only trapped on the other side of a wall,' she reminded him, 'I've got Martha, and I trust you remember? I know you'll find me, you'll save me. But I don't want you to get hurt trying to do it.'

'And that's just it! You're trapped, away from me and...'

'And Martha will protect me, just like I'll protect her. We'll watch out for each other.'

'But the Hath...'

'I'll be ok,' she cut in, 'I can feel it Theta, the Hath mean as much harm as the humans do. They won't hurt us, they won't hurt me. Please, trust me, I've learned an awful lot from my brilliant Mate,' he had to smile at that, 'I will be just fine till I get to see you again.'

He let out a breath, closing his eyes, shaking his head, he really didn't like this but... 'You promise?'

'Cross my hearts,' she laughed and he could imagine her crossing them in his mind, 'I'll see you soon.'

'Yes you will,' this time it was HIS turn to promise her.

'Go with them and just...stay calm,' she added, 'Everything will be alright.'

~8~

"Martha?" a soft voice called.

Martha blinked blearily, slowly waking up to find herself lying in the middle of debris, Angel kneeling beside her, an injured Hath a few feet away.

"Angel!" she gasped, sitting up and hugging her friend, before quickly checking her over for injury, she seemed fine but she still had to ask, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, but he could use some help," she nodded at the Hath that was struggling to sit up, gripping its arm.

Martha turned and made her way over to it, "Hold on, I've got you, is it your arm, yeah?" the Hath gurgled, "Is that a yes?"

"It's a yes," Angel translated, seeing Martha having trouble understanding the Hath through the bubbling of that tube, "He says he can't feel it."

Martha nodded, "Let me examine it. Keep still. Still, yeah? No move!" the Hath nodded, "Half-fish, half-human, how'm I supposed to know? Is that a shoulder?" she gestured to the area for Angel to look at, "Feels like a shoulder! I think it's dislocated..."

"I don't know," Angel shook her head sadly, "Alien languages I was fair in…physiology, not so much."

Martha nodded and reached for the Hath when more of them marched in and pointed guns at them.

Angel quickly stood, closing her eyes a moment as a wave of dizziness hit her, before she shook her head, holding her hands up to the Hath and trying a tactic the Doctor seemed to love doing, "Wait!" she called, hoping they might just do that...and, oddly enough, they did. She let out a breath of relief at that, "She's helping him," she promised, "I swear," and crossed her hearts as well, "She's a doctor," she gestured at Martha.

"Right, yes," Martha nodded, "I am, and he is my patient, and I'm not leaving him! Now," she looked back at the Hath before her, "This is gonna hurt. One, two, three!" she snapped the shoulder back into place as the Hath cocked their guns, assuming she'd hurt one of them.

The injured Hath quickly held up his hands for them to wait and explained to them.

"He's telling them you really were helping," Angel whispered to Martha as she moved to kneel beside her, the two of them watching the Hath talk, "That his arm feels much better. And that you're a physician."

The armed Hath lowered their guns.

"Now, then," Martha nodded as she looked at them, "I'm Dr. Martha Jones and this is the Angel. Who the hell are you?"

The injured Hath raised hits hand, the liquid bubbling as he spoke.

Martha looked at Angel, "He says his name is Peck."

~8~

The young man and woman led the Doctor and Donna through the tunnels. The Doctor could sense Angel, both of them keeping an open communication for safety, letting the other hear everything that was being said. At least he knew Angel and Martha were safe, even with the Hath, for now. And he trusted Martha, as much as he could trust a human, to keep Angel safe. He'd seen the two girls bond and grow closer during their travels, if it hadn't been for Angel, Martha wouldn't have become his companion, something Martha seemed to have worked out herself. He knew Martha would do her best to protect Angel and, given that the Hath weren't attacking them, he hoped it meant they wouldn't attack them in the future either. Angel had promised she'd be ok though and, despite not liking not being there with her, to protect her himself, he trusted her intuition.

He didn't like it, he wasn't happy about it, but it calmed him enough that he could focus more clearly on getting back to her.

"I'm Donna, what's your name?" Donna introduced herself to the young woman, if just for conversation.

She didn't like the girl for what she'd inadvertently done, trapped Angel, but...Angel was always so kind to people, even those trying to kill them she recalled, like when the girl had spoken to the Sontarans, and Angel was one of the best people she knew, and she as always saying how SHE was brilliant too. It made her want to be a better person so, she thought, why not start with the Doctor's daughter. Of all people, Angel would certainly forgive the girl for what she'd done.

"Don't know, it's not been assigned," she stated.

"Well, if you don't know that, what do you know?"

"How to fight."

"Nothing else?"

"The machine must embed military history and tactics but no name," the Doctor explained, not looking at Jenny, forcing himself not to look at her, each time he did he felt a little bit of himself attach to her, to the idea she was his daughter, and he didn't want that, he would not accept a child that wasn't Angel's, "She's a generated anomaly."

"Generated anomaly?" Donna said, trying out the word, "Jenny-rated. Well what about that? Jenny!"

"Jenny," she nodded, smiling, "Yeah, I like that, Jenny."

"What do you think, 'dad?'" Donna teased.

"Good as anything, I suppose," he sighed, a bit distracted by his desire to return to Angel and make sure she was alright. Not to mention, the thought of a child of his existing, not related to Angel…it made his hearts hurt.

"Not what you'd call a natural parent, are you?"

"They stole a tissue sample at gunpoint and processed it, it's not what I call natural parentage," he closed his eyes tightly, an image flashing through his mind of just what natural parentage would be like, imagining the end of the Mating, imagining Angel pregnant, imagining holding her hand as she gave birth, him holding a beautiful little girl in his arms, his daughter, his little girl...

He opened his eyes and shook his head, the little girl in his imagination had been blonde, like Jenny. No, he wanted a little ginger girl, or boy, actually, it didn't matter the hair color as long as it was happy and healthy and just like its mother. And that could never be because Angel was...

He shook his head again, no, he wasn't going to think about it, it wouldn't happen, he'd stop it.

He had to.

"Rubbish!" Donna laughed, oblivious to his inner turmoil, "My friend Nerys fathered twins with a turkey baster, don't bother her."

"You can't extrapolate a relationship from a biological accident."

You couldn't, he couldn't, he couldn't let himself.

"Er, Child Support Agency can."

"Look, just 'cos I share certain physiological traits with simian primates doesn't make me a monkey's uncle, does it?"

"I'm not a monkey!" Jenny huffed, "Or a child."

The Doctor didn't even look at her, doing his best really to NOT look at her at all, as they reached the human base, a huge underground theater where a large progenation machine was stationed along the side, "So, where are we?" the Doctor asked, "What planet's this?"

"Messaline," the young man said, heading off across the room, "Well, what's left of it."

"...663-75 deceased," came over the speakers, "Generation 6671-Extinct. Generation 6672-46 deceased. Generation 6680-14 deceased. Generation..."

"But...this is a theater!" Donna frowned at the room.

"Maybe they're doing Miss Saigon," the Doctor remarked.

"It's like a town, or a city, underground. But why?"

Just then the young man led an older soldier over to them, "General Cobb, I presume?" the Doctor eyed the man.

"Found in the Western tunnels," he nodded, "I'm told, with no marks. There was an outbreak of pacifism in the Eastern Zone, three generations back, before we lost contact, is that where you came from?"

"Eastern Zone, that's us, yeah. Yeah. I'm The Doctor, this is Donna."

"And I'm Jenny," Jenny smiled.

"Don't think you can infect us with your peacemaking," Cobb frowned, "We're committed to the fight, to the very end."

"Well, that's alright," he nodded, "I can't stay anyway. I've gotta go and find my Mate and my friend."

"That's not possible, all movement is regulated. We're at war."

"Yes, I noticed. With the Hath. But tell me, 'cos we got a bit out of circulation, Eastern Zone and all that, so, who exactly are the Hath?"

~8~

The Hath led Martha and Angel into their base, a dark room with a progenation machine along the side, much like the one Angel had seen in the Doctor's mind of the human camp. All the Hath looked over, delighted to meet what seemed like friendly humans and gathered around the two, petting their heads, making Angel laugh, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

~8~

"Back at the dawn of this planet, these ancient halls were carved from the earth," Cobb explained as they all stood before a 3D diagram of the base, "Our ancestors dreamt of a new beginning, a colony where human and Hath could work and live together."

"So what happened?" the Doctor asked.

"The dream died. Broken, along with Hath promises. They wanted it all for themselves. But those early pioneers, they fought back. They used the machines to produce soldiers instead of colonists and began this battle for survival."

"There's nothing but earth outside, why's that?" Donna looked at the window, "Why build everything underground?"

"The surface is too dangerous," the young man stated.

"Well, then why build windows in the first place? And what does this mean?" she pointed at a line of numbers carved into the wall, 60120717.

"The rites and symbols of our ancestors," Cobb gave a proud smile, "The meanings...lost in time."

"How long's this war gone on for?" the Doctor turned back to Cobb.

"Longer than anyone can remember. Countless generations marked only by the dead."

"What, fighting all this time?" Donna shook her head.

"Because we must," Jenny added, "Every child of the machine is born with this knowledge. It's our inheritance, it's all we know. How to fight. And how to die."

The Doctor turned to look intently at the map, that just proved it. The girl was nothing like Angel or what her daughter would be, her daughter wouldn't know fighting and death, but love and life. Angel's daughter would be so full of life and happiness. She wouldn't hurt you, but help you, hug you. He swallowed hard, a phantom sensation of being hugged by a little girl striking him, and closed his eyes, family was the most important thing to him. Angel was his family, had become his family, was meant to be his family, and, yes, he'd hoped, one day to see their little family grow.

And now it didn't seem like it would.

And now...he was going to lose the only family he had left.

~8~

The Hath showed Martha and Angel a holographic map of the base, gurgling away as they spoke, Martha looking to Angel for help understanding them, "He's telling us this is where we are," Angel translated.

Martha frowned, looking at the map a moment, at a small red blinking dot, before pointing, "Right…so we're here?"

~8~

The Doctor looked at the map closely, "Does this show the entire city, including the Hath zones?"

"Yes," Cobb replied, "Why?"

"Well it'll help us find Angel and Martha."

"We've more important things to do," the young man glared, "The progenation machines are powered down for the night shift, but soon as they're active, we could breed a whole platoon from you two."

"I'm not having sons and daughters by some great big flippin' machine!" Donna glared, before wincing and sending Jenny a sorry look, "Sorry, no offence but you're not...well I mean you're not real."

"You're no better than him!" Jenny exclaimed, "I have a body, I have a mind, I have independent thought, how am I not real? What makes you better than me? What makes you so superior? That's a rubbish word, superior, who are you to decide that?!"

The Doctor looked at her sharply, those words, were SO similar to what Angel had once said as a human...

No! He looked back at the map, no Jenny was NOT like Angel. She wasn't the sort of daughter she'd have, and therefore, not the daughter HE'D have either because any child of his would be Angel's as well.

"Well said, soldier," Cobb smiled, "We need more like you if ever we're to find the Source."

"Ooh, the Source, what's that then, what's a Source?" the Doctor grinned, thanking the stars for the distraction from his thoughts, "I like a Source, what is it?"

"The Breath of Life."

"And that would be..."

"In the beginning the Great One breathed life into the Universe," the young man retold, "And then she looked at what she'd done, and she sighed."

"She?" Jenny smiled, "I like that."

"Right, so it's a creation myth," the Doctor guessed, distracted by something on the map.

"It's not myth," Cobb insisted, "It's real. That sigh. From the beginning of time it was caught and kept as the Source. It was lost when the war started. But it's here, somewhere. Whoever holds the Source controls the destiny of the planet."

"Ah!" the Doctor cried, "I thought so! There's a suppressed layer of information in this map, if I can just…" he soniced the map and another set of tunnels appeared.

"What is it, what's it mean?" Donna frowned.

"See?" the Doctor smiled, "A whole complex of tunnels, hidden from sight."

~8~

Martha blinked as a new set of tunnels appeared on the Hath's map. "Hold on, look!"

Angel smiled, "The Doctor did that."

~8~

"That must be the lost temple," Cobb pointed to a spot, "The Source will be inside. You've shown us the way! And look, we're closer than the Hath! It's ours!"

~8~

"That's a new map," Martha smiled, "There's a different set of tunnels!"

~8~

"Tell them to prepare to move out," Cobb ordered the young man, "We'll progenate new soldiers on the morning shift, then we march. Once we reach the Temple, peace will be restored at long last."

"Um, call me old-fashioned, but if you really wanted peace couldn't you just stop fighting?" the Doctor asked.

"Only when we have the Source. It'll give us the power to erase every stinking Hath from the face of this planet!"

"Hang on, hang on, a second ago it was peace in our time, now you're talking about genocide!?"

"For us, that means the same thing."

"Then you need to get yourself a better dictionary. When you do, look up genocide. You'll see a little picture of me and my Mate there and the caption will read 'Over our dead bodies!'"

And then he winced, realizing what he'd said.

"And you're the one who showed us the path to victory. But you can consider the irony from your prison cell. Cline," he smirked at the young man, "At arms!" Cline immediately lifted his gun.

"Oi, oi, oi!" Donna shouted, "Alright! Cool the beans Rambo!"

"Take them, I won't have them spreading treason. And if you try anything, Doctor, I'll see that your woman dies first."

"No, we're...we're not a couple!" the Doctor snapped.

"I am not his woman!" Donna agreed, this was getting a little ridiculous now how people kept assuming SHE and the Doctor were together. She knew she and Angel were both gingers, but really!

"Come on," Cline jerked his gun, "This way."

"I'm going to stop you, Cobb," the Doctor looked at the man, he didn't have to have Angel's abilities to know that, "You need to know that."

"I have an army and the breath of God on my side, Doctor, what'll you have?"

"This," the Doctor pointed to his head.

"Lock them up, and guard them."

"What about the new soldier?" Cline eyed Jenny as she stepped up.

Cobb turned her away, into the Doctor's arms, "Can't trust her, she's from pacifist stock. Take them all!"

~8~

The Hath waved their guns in the air, celebrating and patting Martha on the back.

"But I didn't do anything!" Martha defended.

"It was my Mate," Angel told them, "Our friend, the Doctor."

The Hath just continued to wave their guns in the air happily.

"I think he just started a war," Martha remarked lightly to Angel as the ginger rubbed her head.

Angel shifted, crossing her other arm over her stomach, she had a terrible feeling that this, all of it...it wasn't going to be easy and she knew, it wouldn't end well for all of them.

Chapter Text

The Doctor, Donna, and Jenny entered the cell, well, were shoved in really, Donna immediately noticing the numbers printed on the walls there as well, 60120716 this time, "More numbers. They've gotta mean something."

"Makes as much sense as the 'breath of life' story," the Doctor grumbled, falling, with a huff, onto small cot, rubbing his face wearily. He was really starting to not like this even more.

Not only was Angel trapped, ill, with other aliens (that had guns he should add), but with aliens who were the supposed enemies of the humans (who also had guns!), and were now at war with each other. The humans were about to march out to face the Hath, Angel was with the Hath, which meant Angel would be a target. Even if the humans tried to avoid killing other humans, they would still be firing at the Hath...where Angel was. He didn't like this at all, he should be there, he should be with her, HE should be the one protecting her.

And he was failing.

Miserably.

What a Mate he was, wasn't he? He not only lost his Mate and trapped her on the other side of a collapsed tunnel, but he hadn't been able to stop the Master from launching the Paradox Machine, which made her ill in the first place and was still the cause of her dying now! How could she still have so much faith in him when all he did was put her in danger and lead to her death. Yes, this wasn't the first time she'd died because of him. HE was the one who let the Dalek out of the museum after sealing it in with Rose...and she'd gotten shot and regenerated. HE was the one who had wanted to stay and try to stop the Daleks on the Game Station, forcing her to take in the Heart of the TARDIS and nearly die. HE was the one who had gone down into the Pit, forcing Angel to take in the Heart of the TARDIS again to save him, and she really did die that time and regenerate. And HE was the one who had failed to stop the Paradox Machine and she was dying again, but this time...no regeneration. All he ever did was cause her pain and bring her death, how could she even still lov...

'If you finish that thought Theta,' Angel's voice cut into his mind, 'I will NEVER let you into Gingers United, even if you become one.'

He had to smile at that, laughing a bit to himself, leave it to her for THAT to be his punishment. Angel wouldn't ever hit him for thinking something like that, or threaten to not kiss him, or leave him (as she would probably guess that was what he wanted, to protect her, even though it would kill him for her to do it), so she'd been left with the only other thing...his hair. That was one thing he loved about her, at the most random times, in the most random ways, with the most random words...she could make him smile.

No matter how depressed he grew or how full of self-loathing, she just...knew...how to make him feel better, how to get him to smile and laugh again.

'I love you,' Angel continued, 'And I trust you because I know you, you never ever give up, not on anyone, not on me. You protect me, you always protect me but Theta there are things neither of us will see coming and all we can do is be there for each other when they happen. This wasn't your fault, what's happening to me, it was the Paradox Machine, it was the Master, it's even MY fault and...'

'How is you dying YOUR fault?' he frowned.

'It was MY connection to the TARDIS that did it,' she explained, 'If I wasn't so connected to her, for whatever reason, I wouldn't have gotten ill like she did. I would have been fine. So, either you blame someone else, like...me, or you stop blaming yourself. Who will it be?'

He shook his head, she always said she wasn't clever and there she was, getting the best of him, 'It was no one's fault,' he replied.

'Good,' he could almost feel her nod, 'Now, stop with the frowning face, that only works on your fifth self,' he let out a little laugh at that, she'd LOVED his fifth self's frowning face, 'And remember, you're the Doctor, focus on that,' he nodded at that, yes, yes he was the Doctor, 'And...' she mentally nudged him, 'You never lie to me, you promised I'd see you again, and I will.'

'Yes you will,' he agreed, 'And when you do, I'm going to kiss you till you're breathless.'

'You don't have to kiss me to do that,' she told him, 'Just you looking at me, or being near me, or me thinking of you, always leaves me breathless.'

He smiled at that, God did he love her.

"You mean that's not true?" Jenny looked at him, pulling him out of his thoughts and silent conversation.

"No, it's a myth," Donna nodded, going to sit down beside him, not trusting him to be by himself anywhere, he must be smarting from not having Angel there and, well, she was a ginger, one half of Gingers United, they stuck together, Angel was always there for her, she'd be there for the Doctor for Angel, "Isn't it, Doctor?"

"Yes, but there could still be something real in that temple, something that's become a myth," he sighed, trying to make himself focus on this and not how much more he missed Angel after the moment they'd shared, "A piece of technology, a weapon."

"So the Source could be a weapon and we've just given directions to Captain Nutjob?"

"Oh, yes."

Donna tensed, her mind also going to Angel (and Martha) being out there where the humans and their insane captain could hurt them, "Not good, is it?"

"That's why we need to get out of here, find Angel and Martha, and stop Cobb from slaughtering the Hath," the Doctor determined, before seeing Jenny looking at him with a smile, "What, what are you...what are you...what are you staring at?"

He didn't like it, he didn't like her looking at him. He could always feel when people looked at him, despite having gotten so used to people staring at him, but it always made him look up to see who it was. He didn't want to look up, he didn't want to look at Jenny, the more he did, the more he started to think of her as a person, a proper person, and not just a result of that machine. And he couldn't let that happen, he couldn't let himself accept her, she was like the Anti-Angel, all war and combat and weapons while Angel was so peaceful and hugging and words...but, then again, there were times, small moments, where Jenny DID sound like Angel and remind him of h...

NO! He was NOT going to do that! Jenny was NOT his daughter!

"You keep insisting you're not a soldier," Jenny remarked, "But look at you! Drawing up strategies like a proper general."

"No no, I'm trying to stop the fighting," not only was it something he always tried to do, but something he knew Angel would do as well, something she'd be proud of...

"Isn't every soldier?"

"Well..." he blinked at how Jenny had just gotten the better of him, "I suppose..." just like Angel had, "But that's…" he shook his head, "That's…technically..." no, Jenny was not like Angel, he needed to stop thinking like that, trying to find similarities, he knew what it was, his subconsious, the part of him that wanted a child, trying to find ways for his conscious mind to accept her, but he refused, "I haven't got time for this! Donna, give me your phone!" he needed something else to focus on, "Time for an upgrade!" she handed the Doctor her phone, watching as he flashed it with the sonic.

"And now you've got a weapon!"

"It's not a weapon!"

"But you're using it to fight back!" she pointed out with a laugh, "I'm gonna learn an awful lot from you, you are such a soldier!"

The Doctor winced, and there she went again, sounding like Angel had just after the tunnel collapsed only, you know, with the soldier remark, "Donna, will you tell her?"

"Oh, you are speechless, I'm loving this!" Donna beamed, "You keep on, Jenny! Only time I've ever seen him properly speechless is when Angel kis..."

The Doctor tossed Donna back her phone, cutting her off, blushing a bit, "Universal roaming," he explained, "You can call anyone, anywhere, anywhen."

"We can call Martha!" she exclaimed, starting to dial the number.

"You don't have to. I've got Angel…"

"Donna!" Martha came on the speakerphone.

"Martha!" Donna breathed a sigh of relief, she knew that the Doctor and Angel could talk in their minds, they'd explained it after dealing with the Ood, when she'd asked about them just standing there looking at each other after Solana's pitch, but SHE couldn't and SHE wanted to know if her sister and friend were ok, hear it herself because Rule 1 was, the Doctor lied, "You're alive! And Angel?"

"I'm here Donna," Angel called.

"Are you alright?" Martha asked.

"The Doctor's with me," Donna nodded, "With J..."

"We're fine," the Doctor cut in before Donna could finish talking, he didn't want Angel to know that Jenny had a name now, though he supposed she may have seen it in his mind by now. But a name, a name made Jenny more real, and he didn't want Angel to think he was ok with Jenny, that he was happy about having a daughter that wasn't...theirs...

"And...and Jenny, she's here too!" Donna glared at the Doctor for not including her.

"Yes alright," he huffed, now stuck having to say it, "And...and Jenny...that's the woman from the machine, the soldier, my daughter, except she isn't Angel, she's not…she's…she's...she's..."

Jenny frowned, watching as he struggled for the words, which seemed very unlike him, he really was having a difficult time accepting her wasn't he?

"It's alright Doctor," Angel called, her voice soft, "I understand."

"Anyway," he swallowed hard, "Where are you exactly?" he hadn't had time to actually pinpoint where the Hath camp was on the map.

"We're in the Hath camp," Martha said, not getting that, "The Hath are all marching off to some place that's appeared on this map thing."

"The new map," Angel added, knowing the Doctor would get it.

"Right…" the Doctor rubbed his neck, wincing as he realized he may have also given the Hath directions to the same place as the humans, and if the Hath brought Martha and Angel along...oh dear, "If both armies are heading that way, there's going to be a bloodbath."

"What do you want us to do?" Martha asked.

"Just stay where you are," he insisted quickly, "If you're safe there then don't move, d'you hear? If I need to contact you, I'll use my connection with Angel, same goes for you."

"But we can help!" Martha argued...

And then the phone went dead.

~8~

Cobb stood before his troops, making a speech, "The doors that have been closed will be open to us now. The door to the Temple, to the Source, and to victory!" the soldiers cheered, "Come the dawn cycle, we march!"

~8~

The Doctor looked over as the cheers and chanting drifted to the cell, "They're getting ready to move out. We have to get past that guard."

"I can deal with him," Jenny stepped up.

"No, no, no, no," the Doctor pulled her away before he realized he had, the instinct to protect her rearing up before he could crush it down, "You're not going anywhere."

"What?"

He shook his head firmly, "You belong here, with them," that was why he stopped her, he told himself, not because he wanted to keep her safe, like Angel, but because she wasn't his daughter, she was a soldier, from the machine and belonged with them. Not him. Not Angel. She wasn't their daughter.

"She belongs with us," Donna cut in, "With you. With Angel."

"But she's not Angel's daughter," he cried, willing Donna to see what he was trying to say.

"Yeah, but she's yours!" Donna argued, "Angel loves YOU and she'll love anything that's a part of you too! You know that!"

"She's a soldier," he shook his head, knowing it was true, he could feel it, Angel may not have said it to him, understanding this was already a difficult situation for him, but he could feel it, she wanted to meet Jenny properly, but he knew, he just knew, it would break her hearts to do it, to see a woman, face-to-face, and know that she was HIS daughter and not HERS as well, "She came out of that machine!"

"Oh yes, I know that bit! Listen, have you got that stethoscope? Give it to me. Come on!"

"What're you doing?" Jenny asked when the Doctor handed the ginger the scope.

"It's alright," Donna promised, "Just hold still," she placed it on Jenny's chest, first on the left, then the right, before looking at the Doctor, "Come here. Listen. And then tell me where she belongs," she handed him the scope to put on and repeated the process, allowing him to hear Jenny's hearts, her twin hearts, beating in her chest.

He took a step back and stared at Jenny, stunned, "Two hearts."

This was too much, if she'd just been a human he could force himself away from her, reminding himself she was human, he was Time Lord, she WASN'T his daughter, she couldn't be, she wasn't even the same species. But now...now he knew, she was, she was a Time Lady, just like Angel was...

"Exactly."

"What's going on?" Jenny shook her head, pushing a strand of hair behind her ears, frowning as she saw the Doctor wince at that action.

"Does that mean she's a...what's Angel? What do you call a female Time Lord? A Time Lady?"

"What's a Time Lady?"

"It's who I am, a Time Lord," the Doctor said as he leaned back against the wall, staring at Jenny, his hearts breaking, she really was so much like Angel in ways and she hadn't even met the woman! How was he going to be able to keep pushing her away? He truly didn't know, "It's who Angel is. It's where we're from."

"And I'm from you."

"You're an echo, that's all," maybe that was how, she wasn't a true Time Lady, she hadn't gone to the Untempered Schism, she hadn't gone to the Academy, she hadn't travelled in time, she hadn't fought in the Time War, she was just...an echo of him, she had to be, because if she was real...his resolve would break entirely, "A Time Lord is so much more. A sum of knowledge. A code. A shared history. A shared suffering," he swallowed hard, "A shared loss," he shook his head, his mind wandering to his own upcoming loss, "Only it's gone now. All of it. Gone forever."

His hope as well.

Angel was his light in the darkness, his calm in the storm, his hope in despair, and now...she was just...fading out of his life.

"What happened?"

"There was a war."

"Like this one?"

He laughed at how sadly this compared to the Last Great Time War, "Bigger. Much bigger."

"And you fought? You and this Angel woman. And killed?"

"Yes," he said, feeling the darkness seeping into him at the memory of it all without Angel there to hold it back.

"Then how are we different?"

~8~

Angel let out a breath as she wiped a tear from her eyes, listening into the Doctor's discovery. She shook her head; she couldn't worry about this now, she'd tried her hardest to get the Hath to listen to them, to not march off to war, but they'd been too excited to find the Source of legend. She looked over at Martha who was talking to the only Hath that had stayed with them in the encampment, the one they'd helped before, Peck, "I need to charge it up," she held up the phone, "I need power, d'you understand?" the Hath just fiddled with the controls of the map, changing it into a 3D version, "There's even more! In 3D! Angel look!"

Angel walked over and looked at it, smiling softly, "You are just brilliant," she smiled at Peck, who bowed his head as though shy or blushing.

"So this is where everybody's headed?" Martha pointed to an area, "But look...those tunnels sort of zig-zag…if we went up and over the surface in a straight line, we'd get there first!"

Peck gurgled.

"He said that's not a good idea," Angel translated.

"Why not?" Martha frowned. Peck brought up another diagram, Martha's eyes widening as she read the readings, exactly what the surface of the planet was like, "Are these readings to the surface? Well it doesn't look too bad. Nitrogen and oxygen about 80:20, that's fine. Ozone levels are high. And some big radiation spikes. But as long as we're not out there too long..."

Angel frowned as she looked at it, seeing the levels, for a normal person, yes, it wasn't too bad if done quickly. For a Time Lord, it was nothing really, they were made to endure worse but...for a sick Time Lord...all that, the radiation, the elements they'd be exposed to...it wouldn't be good. She was already wearing herself thin given her exposure to the Sontaran clonefeed, it wouldn't be good for her to go out there too...but...Martha was probably going to, and she couldn't let Martha go alone. She just...had this terrible feeling that something bad was going to happen on the surface. She didn't know if it would be to Martha or Peck or both but...maybe, if she was there, she could try and stop whatever it was.

"Angel?" Martha called, nudging her a bit, frowning as she saw the woman just staring at the readings.

"What?" she looked up, before realizing Peck had been gurgling beside her and poor Martha was having trouble hearing him, "Oh, um, he wants to know why we want to go there."

"We have to find our friends! Angel's Mate!" she turned to head off with Angel when Peck gurgled.

"Can he come?" Angel asked for him.

"Come on, then!" Martha agreed, waving him on.

~8~

Jenny turned to Cline as he stood by the cell door, "Hey."

"I'm not supposed to talk to you," Cline said, "I'm on duty."

"I know. Guarding me," she smiled flirtatiously, "So does that mean I'm dangerous? Or that I need protecting?"

"Protecting from what?"

"Oh, I don't know. Men like you?" she leaned forward and kissed him, all the while grabbing his gun out of his hands and pointed it at him when she pulled back, "Keep quiet and open the door."

The Doctor and Donna exchanged a look as they stood against the back wall, "I'd like to see you try that!" Donna remarked.

The Doctor just shifted uncomfortably, something stirring in him, an anger and...protectiveness, at seeing his daughter kissing a boy...no! She wasn't his daughter! He had to stop letting thoughts like that slip through.

Jenny was not his daughter and she never would be.

~8~

The trio headed downstairs, the Doctor pulling Jenny back automatically when they spotted a guard around the corner with his back to them, letting go of her immediately, "That's the way out," he murmured as Jenny cocked her gun and moved to step forward, only for him to stop her, "Don't you dare!" he pointed at her warningly, almost scoldingly, like a proper parent dealing with a child.

Donna smirked at that, seeing Jenny working her way into his hearts despite his best efforts not to let her, "Let me distract this one. I have picked up a few womanly wiles over the years."

"Let's...save your wiles for later," the Doctor stopped her as well, "In case of emergency," he pulled a windup toy mouse from his pocket and set it to scurry past the guard. They waited as the guard turned and went to examine the mouse. Jenny stepped behind him and quickly knocked him out with a quick chop, "I was gonna distract him, not clobber him!"

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" Jenny argued.

"They must all have a copy of that new map," he knelt down, searching the soldier's pockets, not about to get into really scolding her, he wasn't her parent, it wasn't his job to teach her right from wrong, "Just stay there, don't hurt anyone."

"It's not like I was gonna kill him," Jenny huffed, crossing her arms, "I just stopped him."

The Doctor's hand froze over the map, recalling Angel, how she hadn't killed the Daleks, even when she'd been overwhelmed by the power of the Vortex, she'd just stopped them. He closed his eyes, these little sparks of Angel in Jenny needed to stop popping up, they weren't helping him keep her at a distance.

~8~

The Hath marched down a corridor, stopping at a point, and worked on breaking through the wall.

~8~

Martha and Angel headed up the stairs as Peck followed, gurgling.

"He says he really doesn't advise this," Angel said, seeing Peck reconsidering, "He says we should stay here."

"You can stay down here and live your whole life in the shadows," Martha turned to him, "Or come with us and stand in the open air. Feel the wind on your face. What's it gonna be?"

He hesitated.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to," Angel told Peck gently, putting a hand on his shoulder, "It's up to you in the end. But Martha and I need to go and nothing's gonna stop us."

Martha nodded her agreement, climbing out onto the surface, Angel following, as well as Peck. They found themselves on a cold, windy, deserted planet lit by three moons, "I knew he wouldn't be able to resist you," Martha smirked at Angel when she saw Peck climb up beside them, "You're good."

Peck gurgled, sounding a little angry, as Martha looked at Angel questioningly.

"I, um, I don't think I should repeat it," Angel frowned.

"Oh…language!" Martha chastised with a laugh.

Angel smiled a bit at that before looking around, "I think it's this way," she murmured, taking the lead, letting her intuition guide her.

~8~

Soldiers ran into the cell to find Cline inside, tied up, the prisoners nowhere to be seen.

"It was the girl!" he shouted, "She tricked me, they...they got away. I'm sorry."

"I waited all my life for this moment," Cobb glared, "No one's gonna get in my way. Certainly not this Doctor. At arms! We march to war!"

~8~

The Doctor looked down at the map in his hand as they walked through the tunnels, "Wait! This is it. The hidden tunnel. There must be a control panel," he turned to the wall and started sonicing it, when Donna noticed another set of numbers, 60120714.

"It's another one of those numbers," she frowned, "They're everywhere."

"The original builders must've left them. Some old cataloguing system."

"You got a pen? Bit of paper? 'Cos, d'you see, the numbers are counting down," she took the paper and pen the Doctor handed her and started writing them down, "This one ends in 1-4, the prison cell said 1-6."

"Always thinking, both of you," Jenny shook her head at them, "Who are you people?"

"I told you," the Doctor sighed, "I'm the Doctor."

"The Doctor? That's it?"

"That's all he ever says," Donna remarked, "Just like the Angel."

"So, you don't have a name either?" Jenny looked at the Doctor, "Neither you nor this Angel? Are you anomalies too?"

"No," he said.

"Oh, come off it!" Donna scoffed, "You're the most anomalous bloke I've ever met! Angel though, simpliest person ever."

"She's not simple Donna, she's incredible," the Doctor corrected with a small, sad smile as he pulled a panel off the wall, "Here it is!"

"And Time Lords, what are they for exactly?" Jenny eyed him.

"'For?' They're not...they're not 'for' anything."

"So what do you do?"

"I travel with Angel. Through time and space."

"They save planets," Donna explained, "Rescue civilizations, defeat terrible creatures, and run. A lot. Seriously, there's an outrageous amount of running involved."

There was a whoosh as the door opened, "Got it!"

"Squad 5, with me!" they heard Cobb's voice echo.

"Now, what were you saying about running?" the Doctor smiled as they took off running, only to stop short by a series of red beams crossing each other, blocking off the tunnel.

"That's not mood lighting, is it?" Donna asked. The Doctor tossed the clockwork mouse into the lights...and it was destroyed instantly, "No, I didn't think so."

"Arming device," the Doctor breathed, turning to a set of controls off to the side and working on them.

"There's more of these!" Donna called, seeing another number, 60120713, "Always eight numbers, counting down, the closer we get..."

"Here we go!" the Doctor soniced the controls.

"You better be quick!"

"The general!" Jenny looked back, hearing the commotion of the approaching soldiers.

She turned to run back but the Doctor caught her arms, "Where are you going?" he demanded before he could stop himself.

"I can hold them up."

"No, we don't need any more dead."

"But it's them or us."

"It doesn't mean you have to kill them!"

"I'm trying to save your life!"

He closed his eyes a moment, thinking of all the times Angel had saved his life, even times she didn't even realize she'd saved him in some way, before he looked at Jenny, "Listen to me, the killing, after a while it infects you. And once it does you're never rid of it."

"We don't have a choice."

"We always have a choice," he swallowed hard, he didn't like this, he didn't like it at all because... "I don't want my daughter turning into a killer."

She was just like Angel, wanting to protect him, just in a more violent and forceful way than his Mate, and...it would kill Angel to have Jenny kill others, to let her run off with a gun and attack others. Angel wanted desperately to meet Jenny, it increased the nearer she came, and he wanted her to meet a different Jenny than the one in the tunnels, a better Jenny. He was the Doctor, he made people better, like Angel did him, he didn't want that darkness in him to shine through in Jenny, and that was a reason he found his thoughts shifting, found himself actually wanting the two to meet, because, the more he thought on it, the more he realized...Jenny...she would need Angel too.

"I'm sorry," she breathed and turned to run off.

"Jenny!"

~8~

"This door!" a soldier called, "Now!" and then he saw Jenny on the other side of the room, "There she is! At arms!"

Jenny fired as the soldiers did the same.

~8~

The Doctor looked back at the sound of the gunshots, Donna frowning in concern as the Doctor tried his hardest not to care, "I told you. Nothing but a soldier."

"She's trying to help," Donna argued.

He winced, just like Angel, no, he couldn't let Jenny do this, "Jenny! Come on!"

~8~

"I'm coming!" Jenny yelled back.

"Cease fire!" Cobb commanded, "Cease fire!"

The firing stopped.

~8~

"That's it!" Donna smiled as the red lights faded.

"Jenny!" the Doctor yelled, "Leave it! Let's go!"

He and Donna ran down the hall.

~8~

Cobb stepped toward Jenny slowly, "You're a child of the machine. You're on my side. Join us! Join us in the war against the Hath. It's in your blood, girl, don't deny it."

Jenny took aim, but hesitated, before firing at a pipe over his head, causing a cloud of steam to blind them a moment. She laughed and ran back to where she'd left the Doctor and Donna.

"Jenny!" the Doctor shouted, catching sight of her, "Come on! That's it!"

"Hurry up!" Donna yelled.

But just as the girl reached it, the red beams flickered back on.

"No, no, no, no!" the Doctor gaped, "The circuit's looped back!"

"Zap it back again!"

"The controls are back there!"

"They're coming!" Jenny yelled.

"Wait!" he shook his head, quickly thinking, feeling himself getting almost as frantic as when Angel was in danger, "J…Just...there isn't...Jenny, I can't!"

"I'll have to manage on my own," she backed up, "Watch and learn, father!" and with that, she leapt at the beams, dropping into a series of somersaults and flips till she reached the other side.

"No way!" Donna gasped, "But that was impossible!"

"Not impossible," the Doctor beamed, "Just a bit unlikely!" he pulled Jenny into a hug with a proud smile, "Brilliant! You were brilliant! Brilliant! Just like your mum!"

"I didn't kill him," Jenny said, smiling widely, he'd said she had a mother! It was probably that Angel woman he went on about, but she didn't know which woman it was, she hadn't exactly gotten a good look at them in the tunnel, "General Cobb, I could have kill him, but I didn't. You were right. I had a choice."

The soldiers arrived at the other end of the corridor and the Doctor lightly shoved Jenny and Donna forward before turning to Cobb.

"At arms!" the man shouted.

"I warned you, Cobb," the Doctor said, "If the Source is a weapon, I'm gonna make sure you never use it."

"One of us is gonna die today and it won't be me," Cobb glared before giving the order to fire at the Doctor who ran off.

~8~

Martha, Angel, and Peck struggled forward on the surface, all of them hugging themselves in the chill and the rain and the wind, "It can't be much further," Martha said before tripping and slipping down towards a bog.

Angel however, quickly grabbed her, holding her by the hand, keeping her from falling down entirely.

"Peck help!" Angel turned to the Hath who quickly knelt beside her, reaching out for Martha's other hand.

"Help me!" Martha shouted. The two struggled to haul Martha back up, falling onto their backs, Martha on her stomach between them as they panted in exertion, "That was close."

"Far too close," Angel agreed with a frown…she hadn't even sensed what was going to happen till the very last moment before Martha fell.

That would not bode well in the future.

"Come on," Angel panted, pushing herself to her feet, moving to help Peck up as Martha got up as well...only to turn when she heard Martha hiss in pain, "What is it?"

Martha winced, holding her hand, "I cut it on something when I fell," Martha muttered, looking around for what that something might have been before examining her hand again, "There's nothing to treat it with, I hope it doesn't get infected..."

"Let me see," Angel stepped beside her and looked at it in the dim light of the moons, it was a rather nasty cut, bleeding quite a bit, the metallic smell made her stomach hurt, as did the sight of it. She bit her lip, seeing Martha wince again as a gust of wind and rain hit them, "Martha...do you trust me?" she asked.

"Course I do," Martha nodded, frowning at Angel for the question.

Angel nodded and looked down at the cut once more...and her eyes started to glow golden. Martha gasped as she looked at her, and then at her hand when she felt a warmth flood through it. She watched in awe as the cut on her hand started to glow golden as well, soft whisps of energy drifting out of Angel's hands, wrapping around her own, and settling on the cut...mending it. She watched, stunned, as her hand was healed before her eyes.

Angel gasped, panting a bit more as she stumbled back, it should have been easier to heal Martha, her powers having grown since meeting Mr. Copper, but she was ill, she was dying, she was weaker than she should be and so...it had taken a bit more out of her to heal Martha than it should have.

"Angel," Martha stared at her, rubbing a finger over her palm, feeling the smooth skin, "How did you do that?"

Chapter Text

Angel swallowed hard, brushing her hair behind her ear, "You remember how the Doctor told Jack about what I did to him? How it all happened?"

Martha nodded, "Yeah, something about how you took in some heart thing...the Vortex he called it."

She gave Martha a meaningful look.

"Oh my God," Martha breathed, staring at her with wide eyes, making the connection, "That's what it was? You used the Vortex to heal my hand...but...how?" she shook her head, "The Doctor said he pulled it out of you!"

"He did," she sighed, "THAT time."

"That time?"

"Remember what he said happened the second time I took it in?"

Martha frowned and thought, recalling that time, so long ago, when the Doctor had been talking to Jack about what had happened to the man. He'd said Angel had taken in the Vortex and saved the man, brought him to life forever, but had nearly died. And then...

Her head snapped up as she stared at Angel, then he'd said that it happened again and she'd died that time.

"I don't understand," she shook her head, "If you died, didn't it leave you then? Wouldn't the regeneration have, I don't know, burned it out of you?"

Angel gave a small laugh, "Nothing is more powerful than the Vortex, not even regeneration energy," she sighed, hugging herself tighter at the chill, "It...it didn't leave me that time Martha. It's still in me."

"Is it going to kill you?" Martha asked, her voice breaking at the thought. Angel couldn't die, she couldn't, she was just...she was exactly like Donna had called her, Supergirl.

Angel gave her a sad smile, "No, the Vortex won't kill me."

Something else would.

Well, the Vortex probably could kill her, it had before, it might again, but this time...this time it wasn't the Vortex that would do her in.

"Well good," Martha nodded, moving to hug Angel, not caring what that might mean for her to have that power inside her, she was still Angel, she was still alive and well, and she was really just relieved that she was alright because she was truly scared of even thinking of the woman dying, "'Cos you're not allowed to go anywhere."

Angel hugged her tightly, tears in her eyes for what would happen when Martha and Donna learned the truth.

"Come on," she pulled away, wiping her face, masking wiping her tears away with pretending to wipe the rain off her, "We need to go," she took a breath and smiled, "I want to meet my daughter."

"I thought she was the Doctor's daughter?" Martha asked as they continued on, Peck moving ahead of them despite Angel leading, wanting to keep an eye out for any more falls.

"She is," Angel nodded, her smile turning more genuine, "And he's MY Mate. So she's my daughter too."

Martha had to smile at that as well. She'd gotten the impression the Doctor wasn't very accepting of that Jenny girl over the phone, but he was a complicated man. Who knew what went on his head.

But Angel, she was looking at it in the simplest way, Jenny was the Doctor's daughter, the Doctor was her Mate, therefore Jenny was her daughter too.

Martha reached out and took Angel's hand, squeezing it, ignoring the chill of it from the cold, "She's gonna love you."

~8~

The Doctor shook his head as he smiled at Angel, hearing her words in his mind, how did she do that? Just...make things so simple? Here he'd been, pushing Jenny away, fighting tooth and nail to believe she wasn't his daughter...and there was Angel, the woman who didn't share DNA with the girl, accepting Jenny as her daughter and she hadn't even met her.

He supposed there was no going back now, no reason to fight it any longer, Angel wanted Jenny to be her daughter, Angel was going to claim Jenny as hers regardless of whether they shared blood or genes, and so...Jenny really would be theirs in a way.

"So, you travel together, but you're not...'together?'" he heard Jenny question Donna carefully as she and the ginger walked after him.

"What?" Donna gasped, "No, no! No way! No, no. We're friends. That's all. I mean, we're not even the same species, there's probably laws against it. And anyway, he's already got a Mate and that's Angel."

"This Angel woman…is she my mother?"

Donna blinked, smiling as she saw a small smile on the Doctor's face as well at that idea. She knew this would happen eventually, the Doctor was the most brilliant man but sometimes he could be SO slow. Blood didn't matter, DNA didn't matter, a child was a child to a parent no matter what, Angel saw it, and now, it seemed, he was starting to as well, "I suppose she is, yeah. Or at least a step-mother."

Jenny smiled widely at the thought of having two parents, "And what's it like, the travelling?"

"Ah, never a dull moment. Can be terrifying, brilliant, and funny, sometimes all at the same time. I've seen some amazing things though. Whole new worlds."

"Oh, I'd love to see new worlds."

"You will. Won't she, Doctor?"

"Hmm?" he pulled his attention away from the map.

"D'you think Jenny will see any new worlds?"

"I suppose so," he said, offering a little smile.

"You mean...you mean, you'll take me with you?" Jenny stared at him, so hopeful and then he noticed, there, in the edge of her baby blues...tiny flecks of gold. They looked different than Angel's, hers sparkled, but Jenny's...they made her eyes look almost green when a certain light hit it, different than Angel but still...so like her.

"We can't leave you here, can we?" the Doctor reasoned, looking at her softly, "And Angel will really kill me if you don't. She wants to meet her daughter."

Donna frowned a bit as the Doctor's eyes filled with tears at that, his voice almost cracking on the word 'daughter.'

Jenny, however, just beamed and hugged him tightly, "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! Come on! Let's get a move on! I can't wait to meet mum!" and jogged off.

"Careful, there might be traps!" he warned her, shaking himself out of his thoughts, feeling the protectiveness rising in him, but...accepting it. Angel wanted to meet Jenny, she'd said it out loud now and he had to make sure they'd meet, because that smile that he knew would be on Angel's face...would make it all worth it, to see her that happy. He had to keep Jenny safe so they could.

"Kids!" Donna smiled, "They never listen!" she glanced at him to see him still looking troubled though, "Oh, I know that look. See it a lot round our way. Blokes with pushchairs and frowns. You've got dad-shock."

"Dad-shock?"

"Sudden, unexpected fatherhood. Take a bit of getting used to."

"No, it's not that..."

"Well, what is it then? Having Jenny in the TARDIS is that it? What's she gonna do, cramp your style? Like you've got a sports car and she's gonna turn it into a people-carrier?"

"Donna, I've been a father before."

"What?" Donna gasped.

"I lost all that a long time ago. Along with everything else. Angel never even got the chance to be a mother before and now…"

"I'm sorry," Donna put a hand on his shoulder, "I didn't know. Why didn't you tell me? You talk all the time, but you don't say anything."

"I know," he swallowed hard, "I'm just...when I look at her now I can see them. The hole they left, all the pain that filled it. It's gotten easier with Angel here, but…I just don't know if I can face that every day when she..." he shook his head, he didn't even want to think it let alone say it.

"It won't stay like that. She'll help you. Angel will too. We both will."

"But when they died, that part of me died with them. It'll never come back. Not now," he added the last part softly.

Had he and Angel been able to…he might have been able to finally let go, start anew for his children…but now. Now he was losing everything all over again, he couldn't bear it to let Jenny in and have it all fall apart again.

"I tell you something, Doctor, something I've never told you before. I think you're wrong."

Jenny ran back to them as shooting sounded in the distance, "They've blasted through the beams, time to run again. Love the running! Yeah?"

"Love the running," he smiled sadly and took off with the girls.

~8~

Martha, Angel, and Peck struggled forward on the surface, shivering and frigid with cold, Angel taking the lead as she got them through the harsh conditions, Peck and Martha trusting that she'd be able to get them there. And then they spotted it, the 'Temple' in the distance, and hurried towards it.

~8~

The Doctor, Donna, and Jenny reached a dead end, "We're trapped!" Donna exclaimed.

"Can't be," the Doctor frowned, "This must be the temple," he reached out to feel along the wall, realizing it wasn't exactly a wall at all, "This is a door."

He wished, and not for the first time, that Angel had been there. She wouldn't have needed the map or anything to get them to this spot. She'd have known the wall was a door, she was just amazing like that.

"And again!" Donna found another number stamp, 60120712, "We're down to 1-2 now..."

"I've got it!" the Doctor shouted, working on the wall with the sonic.

"I can hear them!" Jenny kept watch.

"Nearly done."

"These can't be a cataloguing system," Donna murmured.

"They're getting closer!" Jenny warned.

"Then get back here!" he shouted.

"They're too similar," Donna eyed them, "Too familiar."

"Not yet," Jenny shook her head.

"Now!" he shouted as the door slid open, "Got it!"

~8~

Martha, Angel, and Peck reached a similar door on the surface, and all of them grabbed the edge, pulling with all their might to get it open, rushing through.

~8~

The Doctor looked over, immediately sensing Angel's presence within the compound, heading towards his own, and let out, what felt like, the breath he hadn't been able to take since spotting the Hath pulling her and Martha away from him.

"They're coming!" Jenny shouted, "Close the door!" the Doctor turned and pushed some keys, sliding the door shut, "Oh, that was close!"

"No fun otherwise!" the Doctor smiled.

"It's not what I'd call a temple..." Donna remarked, catching sight of the space before them.

"It looks more like..." Jenny frowned.

"Fusion-drive transport," the Doctor agreed, eyeing all the high tech around them, "It's a spaceship!"

"What, the original one?" Donna turned to him, "The one the first colonists arrived in?"

"Well, it could be, but the power cells would have run down after all that time. This one's still powered-up and functioning. Come on!"

They turned and ran, only to see someone cutting through another door, "It's the Hath!" Jenny realized, "That door's not gonna last much longer. And if General Cobb gets through down there, war's gonna break out. We have to stop them!"

The Doctor felt his lips twitch up at that, listen to her, Jenny, now trying to STOP the fighting, just like her old mum, "Look, look, look, look, look!" he ran to a control panel, "Ship's log!" he switched it on and read through the information quickly, "'First wave of Human/Hath co-colonization of planet Messaline.'"

"So it is the original ship."

"What happened?" Donna squinted, trying to make out the information but it was flashing by too quickly.

"'Phase one,'" he read, "'Construction.' They used robot drones to build the city."

"But does it mention the war?"

"Final entry...'Mission commander dead. Still no agreement on who should assume leadership. Hath and humans have divided into factions.' That must be it! A power vacuum. The crew divided into two factions and turned on each other. Start using the progenation machines and suddenly you've got two armies fighting a never-ending war!"

"Two armies who are now both outside," Jenny added.

"Look at that," Donna stuck her finger at the screen, the wall numbers were there as well, but now at 2-4, 60120724.

"It's like the numbers in the tunnels," the Doctor realized.

"No, no, no, no, but listen...I spent six months working as a temp in Hounslow Library, and I mastered the Dewey Decimal System in two days flat. I'm good with numbers! It's staring us in the face!"

"What is?" Jenny asked.

"It's the date! Assuming the first two numbers are some big old space date, then you've got year, month, day. It's the other way round, like it is in America!"

"Oh!" the Doctor's eyes widened, "It's the New Byzantine Calendar!"

"The codes are completion dates for each section. They finish it, they stamp the date on! So the numbers aren't counting down, they're going out, from here, day by day, as the city got built."

"Yes! Oh, good work, Donna!"

"Yeah! But you're, you're still not getting it. The first number I saw back there, was 6012-07-17. Well, look at the date today!"

"07-24. No!"

"What does it mean?" Jenny shook her head, not following.

"Seven days."

"That's it!" Donna smiled, "Seven days!"

"Just seven days?!"

"What d'you mean, seven days?" Jenny looked between them.

"Seven days since war broke out."

"This war started seven days ago!" Donna told her, "Just a week! A week!"

"They said years!" Jenny shook her head.

"No. They said generations. And if they're all like you, and they're products of those machines..."

"They could have 20 generations in a day!" the Doctor exclaimed, "Each generation gets killed in the war, passes on the legend! Oh! Donna, you're a genius!" he hugged her tightly, "Oh, there's that family resemblance shining through again!"

"But all the buildings, the encampments, they're in ruins," Jenny countered.

"No they're not ruined, they're just empty! Waiting to be populated! Oh, they've mythologized their entire history! The Source must be part of that too. Come on!"

They turned and ran around a corner, only to bump into Martha, Angel, and Peck, "Doctor!" Martha beamed, "Donna!"

"Angel!" the Doctor quickly pulled the woman into a hug, literally pulling her off the floor as he squeezed her tightly, making her laugh, before set her down and kept true to his promise, kissing her breathless, before reaching out and pulling Martha into another hug as well, "Martha Jones!"

"Who's your friend?" Donna smirked at the Hath who seemed to actually be a bit shy now.

"Oh, this is Peck," Martha smiled.

"He was helping us," Angel added before turning to Jenny, who was staring at her with wide eyes, "And you must be Jenny."

"Mum?" Jenny asked, blinking back tears. She hadn't gotten a good look at the two in the tunnel, but now she could see, her mother was beautiful and with such a warmth and kindness in her eyes…she could understand her father's reluctance for violence now.

"Hello," Angel stepped forward and pulled Jenny into a tight hug, "It is SO nice to meet you Jen," she whispered to the girl. She may not be her daughter by blood, but that didn't matter. She could already feel a connection to the girl who was her Mate's daughter.

"Oh, you're filthy," Donna remarked as Martha hugged her as well, "What happened?!"

"We, erm, took the surface route," Martha said.

The Doctor tensed, seeing the dirty and worn state they were both in and flashed the sonic over them, frowning at the results, the traces of radiation and earth and elements stuck to them. He looked at Angel, knowing that trip couldn't have been easy on her, about to check on her...when the voice of the soldiers reached them.

"That's the general!" he realized, "We haven't got much time."

"We don't even know what we're looking for!" Donna shouted.

"Is it me, or can you smell flowers?" Martha frowned.

"Yes!" the Doctor's eyes widened, "Bougainvillea! I say we follow our no..." he cut off as Angel grabbed his hand and pulled him down the hall, "Follow the psychic!" he called as the others ran after them.

"Blocks 7 to 10, advance!" they heard Cobb shout, "With me!"

They stopped short, reaching what seemed to be a huge greenhouse area, filled with all sorts of flora and vegetation, "Oh, yes!" the Doctor beamed, looking at Jenny and Angel, "Yes! Isn't this brilliant?"

"Is that the Source?" Donna asked, gesturing to a small glass sphere on a pedestal, shining with gases within.

"It's beautiful," Jenny breathed as her mother took her hand, squeezing it with a smile.

"What is it?" Martha asked.

"Terraforming!" the Doctor said, "It's a third generation terraforming device!"

"So why are we suddenly in Kew Gardens?" Donna frowned.

"Because that's what it does. All this, only bigger. Much bigger! It's in a transit state. Producing all this must help keep it stable before they finally..."

The Hath ran in to their right, Peck quickly moving to their side, trying to explain what was happening as the humans appeared on the other side, each with their guns cocked at the other.

"Stop! Hold your fire!"

"What is this?" Cobb spat, "Some kind of trap?"

"You said you wanted this war over."

"I want this war won."

"You can't win. No one can. You don't even know why you're here. Your whole history, it's just Chinese whispers. Getting more distorted the more it's passed on," he gestured at the sphere, "This is the Source. This is what you're fighting over. A device to rejuvenate a planet's ecosystem. It's nothing mystical. It's from a laboratory, not some creator. It's a bubble of gases. A cocktail of stuff for accelerated evolution. Methane, hydrogen, ammonia, amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids. It's used to make barren planets habitable. Look around you! It's not for killing, it's bringing life. If you allow it, it can lift you out of these dark tunnels and into the bright, bright sunlight! No more fighting. No more killing," he stepped forward and lifted it up, "I'm the Doctor, and I declare this war is over!"

He threw it on the ground, the sphere shattering as the gases escaped, shining in gold and green as it flew higher into the air. Amazed at the sight, the humans and Hath put down their guns.

Angel blinked, frowning, the swirling was starting to hurt her head, making her dizzy...well, that and everything she'd endured on the surface was catching up to her, the adrenaline was starting to wear off now that things seemed to be calming...

"What's happening?" Jenny whispered to her parents.

Angel scrunched her face in pain, rubbing the side of her head, it was pounding now and a ringing was starting to sound in her ears...

"The gases will escape and trigger the terraforming process," he beamed.

Angel opened her eyes to look at the Doctor, wanting to see the smile she knew would be on his face...when she swallowed hard, the room was starting to spin…

"What does that mean?" Jenny frowned.

And then a barrage of hazy, disjointed images hit her...

…there was a gunshot…Jenny fell to the ground…the Doctor held a gun to Cobb's head…

"It means a new world," the Doctor smiled lightly.

Jenny laughed with delight, when she caught sight of Cobb aiming a gun at the Doctor...

But before she could even react to the sight, though, she felt herself being shoved to the ground as both she and the Doctor were tackled by Angel, a split second before Cobb fired his gun, grazing Angel's arm in the process. The woman hissed in pain, grabbing her arm as she fell to her knees from the shove, the blood mixing with the brown dirt and her once white sweater, as the humans grabbed Cobb, holding him down and pulling his gun away from him.

The Doctor quickly sat up and looked at Angel, "Are you alright?"

She nodded, "I'm fine..." but her words were starting to slur, all of them able to see her swaying on her knees, "I just...I'm..."

She collapsed to the side, whether from the blood loss or how terribly the room was spinning in her vision she didn't know, only that it went black as the Doctor scambled to catch her before she hit the ground.

"Mum!" Jenny shouted, crawling over to her mother's side as she lay cradled in the Doctor's stunned arms.

"Angel!" the Doctor shook her slightly, his hearts beating wildly "Angel! Wake up!"

Martha quickly dropped to her knees, tearing off a piece of her shirt to wrap around Angel's wound till they could clean it properly, wondering briefly if Angel had to be awake to use the Vortex...if she could even use it on herself, as Donna knelt down as well.

"What's wrong?" Donna breathed, "Is it the cut?"

Martha shook her head, "I don't know…Doctor?" no matter what, a little graze like that wouldn't have done that to Angel.

They looked up to see the Doctor was looking down at Angel, tears and fear in his eyes as he clutched her to him, "Angel…Angel you have to wake up," he was speaking to her softly, whispering to her, begging her, "It's not time yet. Please…please be alright. Please wake up…"

But Angel didn't stir.

He knew what happened. He'd felt her emotions shift from happiness to fear and stress despite both sides hesitating to fire at the other, willing to listen to him, he saw her sway before she moved to push him and Jenny out of the way…everything had been too much for her, the trip to the surface, the strain of the environment, the human aiming a gun at her Mate and daughter…it had taken its toll, the gunshot putting her over the edge.

The Doctor kissed her forehead, gently shifting her to Jenny to hold, instinctively trusting her now to protect her mother, more so than the humans, while he dealt with Cobb. He stood and grabbed Cobb's gun, standing over the man, pointing it at his head, shocking the humans and Hath alike.

"That was your fault!" he spat at the man, so angry he could barely form complete sentences, "My Mate…because of you…" Martha and Donna looked on, stunned to see him threatening a man like that, actually worried for Cobb as Angel wasn't able to stop the Doctor...

But suddenly he lowered the gun and crouched before him, glaring, "I never would. Have you got that? I never would!" he stood up and turned to the different sides, "When you start this new world. This world of Human and Hath...remember that! Make the foundation of this society. A man who never would!"

He threw the gun away and walked back over to Jenny, taking Angel from her arms and lifting her up, walking away.

~8~

Angel was laying on a table in the theater room, still unconscious, as the Doctor, Donna, and Martha stood on one side, the Doctor holding her hand tightly, Cline, Peck, and Jenny on the other, Jenny doing like her father. Suddenly a beam of light shot through the windows and landed on Angel's face.

"It's happening," Martha remarked, "The terraforming."

"Build a city nice and safe underground," Donna nodded, "Strip away the top soil. And there it is," she paused and looked at the Doctor, "Doctor, what happened to Angel?"

He swallowed hard, his other hand stroking her hair, "She's dying."

"What?!" Martha gasped.

"How?" Donna frowned, Jenny looking at them alarmed.

"Just like during the Year-That-Never-Was," the Doctor looked at Martha, knowing she would understand.

Martha's eyes widened before looking down at Angel with tears in her eyes.

"The what?" Jenny asked quietly, her voice shaking. She'd JUST found her mother and now she might lose her?

"We were trapped by another Time Lord," the Doctor explained, his gaze back on Angel, "A bad one. He took our TARDIS, our ship, and made it very sick. Angel, she…she's deeply connected to the ship and she got sick too. We undid all the damage the Time Lord had done, reversing time back a year to before the ship got sick. It made Angel well again but…it didn't last. She's dying just like she did then."

"At least I'm free," Angel's hoarse whisper called. They looked down to see her blinking awake, "This time I'm not a prisoner. I'm with people I love."

The Doctor gently helped her sit up, his hand remaining on the small of her back, rubbing circles in it lightly, "We should get back to the TARDIS, get you checked out, and rested."

She nodded, too tired to argue, and got off the table. She closed her eyes a moment, a sinking feeling in her stomach, before she called out, "Jenny?" and looked back at the girl, "Are you coming?"

The others thought that a strange question to ask. Of course she was. Why wouldn't she?

But the look on Jenny's face was solemn and regretful, "No."

"What?" the Doctor's eyes widened, starting to sputter, "But...but...you...and we..."

"There's a lot to be done here," Jenny cut in lightly, "A planet to groom, civilizations to build, creatures to discover…" she smiled, "And quite a bit of running around if I'm lucky," she looked at her father, "I want this planet to thrive in your memory dad," and then her mother, "I want it to be everything you are mum," before nodding firmly, "Something you'd both be proud of."

The Doctor smiled at her, tears in his eyes, "You're my daughter," he nodded, just like him she was too, wanting to make things better and explore at the same time, but with her mother's hearts, wanting to care for others as well, "We've only just got started…" he sighed but looked at her with pride, "You're gonna be great. You're gonna be more than great. You're gonna be amazing!"

"She is your daughter," Angel nudged him, just as proud.

Jenny beamed.

~8~

The quartet stood around the TARDIS, the Doctor setting the controls, adapting a small communicator he'd given Jenny so that she could contact them if she ever needed help or wanted to go and see the Universe, while Angel rested on the captain's chair, Martha standing by the console while Donna sat beside Angel, her arm around her, Angel clearly upset that Jenny hadn't come with them despite being proud of her daughter for choosing to do what she was, taking responsibility for the planet and the people and wanting to help them.

"Jenny was the reason for the TARDIS bringing us here," the Doctor worked out, glancing at Angel a moment, that old box always listened to Angel, it must have sensed not only his, but her tiny desire for a child before she...he swallowed hard, what did it mean if the TARDIS was trying to give one of its pilot's her dying wish? Did it mean the box could see her death as well? He shook his head, he wasn't going to think about that, because he'd stop it, he had to, "It just got here too soon, which then created Jenny in the first place. Paradox. An endless paradox," he looked over at his companions, "Time to go home?"

"Yeah," Martha nodded, "Home."

The Doctor pulled down a control and the TARDIS was off.

~8~

Donna and Martha walked down a road towards Martha's house while Angel and the Doctor walked slowly behind them, the Doctor's arm around the Time Lady's waist as she leaned on him a bit more than normal, really she was quite worn.

"You sure about this?" Donna looked at the former companion.

"Yeah, positive," Martha smiled, "I can't do this anymore. You'll be the same one day."

"Not me. Never! How could I ever go back to normal life after seeing all this?" she looked back at the duo, "I'm gonna travel with those two forever."

She refused to believe the Angel would die. She knew the Doctor, he wouldn't allow it. He'd find away to save her. And if not, there was hope the woman would regenerate even if they were all scared she might not.

Martha smiled in understanding, hoping the same, as she hugged the woman, "Good luck."

"And you," Donna nodded, stepping back and turning back to the TARDIS as the Doctor and Angel stepped forward.

"We're making a habit of this," the Doctor commented.

"Yeah," she laughed, "And you'd think it'd get easier," she looked at the two of them sadly, before hugging them, "Bye Doctor. Bye Angel."

"Goodbye," Angel breathed, hugging her tightly, "Dr. Jones," she pulled away and smiled at Martha, "We'll see you again. In the end. I want to see everyone again."

Martha blinked back tears and nodded as they stepped back, the Doctor saluting her with two fingers before they turned and entered the TARDIS. Martha looked at the disappearing box, almost regretting her decision, before she glanced at her engagement ring and smiled.

She had to smile, because they were wrong. Angel wouldn't die, she wouldn't. The Doctor would save her and then...then Angel could come to her wedding. She'd put it off forever if she had to, she wanted a healthy Angel there with her, full of life again, and she'd get it.

Because the Doctor didn't let people down.

~8~

Angel sat on the captain's chair, staring at the phone lying on the console for a long while. She'd tried to sleep, managed it for an hour or two, and then laid in bed, in the Doctor's arms, till she grew restless. She'd spent too much time on the Valiant just...lying there, dying, so she snuck out of his arms...only for him to wake up and pull her back, kissing her soundly. He'd been awake the whole time apparently, just watching her sleep, not as tired as she was. He was in the kitchens now, making something for her to eat, something small as she wasn't very hungry but knowing he'd insist on her eating.

But she was in the console room, still just...staring at that phone...before she nodded to herself and stood, walking over to it. She pressed a few buttons and held it to her ear, waiting till it rang, "Yello," came a distinct American accent.

"Jack?" she whispered, tears in her eyes.

"Angie!" Jack cheered before sobering quickly, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You really are a terrible liar Ang, what happened?"

She took a breath, "I have a daughter."

"You're pregnant?!" Jack shouted, so loudly she had to pull the phone away from her ear.

"No..."

"But you just said..."

"There was a small incident with the Doctor and a progenation machine."

Jack chuckled, "Is that what you kids are calling it these days?"

"Jack," she let out a small laugh at that though.

He sighed, knowing that it was time to be serious, "What happened?"

"Jenny was born, the Doctor's daughter but...I could feel it Jack, she was mine too. She called me mum..." she started to tear up.

"That's great Ang."

"But um...she decided to stay on her planet, help rebuild it, making it a place her parents would be proud of."

"I understand THAT alright," he laughed, he'd done the same with Torchwood but for his sister not his mother.

"I just...I miss her so much and I only knew her for an hour..."

Jack was silent a moment before speaking, "Angel...I think it's time you met my daughter and grandson."

Her eyes widened, actually surprised at that, "I have a niece?"

"And a great-nephew," he laughed.

"What are their names?"

"Alice and Stephen."

"That's lovely," she smiled, tears in her eyes.

"Alice well...she doesn't let me see them often, thinks I'm too dangerous but...I think she'll feel better if she meets her angel of an aunt. Show her that she and Stephen are protected."

"I'd love to Jack," she nodded, "I'll get the Doctor and we'll come right over with Donna, the Doctor's companion, I think you'll love her, she's ginger too!'"

"Sounds like a plan, I'll order some cupcakes."

She laughed, "And Jack..."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"No problem Angel."

She nodded and hung up the phone, dashing into the TARDIS to find her Mate, forget eating, they had a family to go see!

~8~

Jack smiled as he hung up, standing from his desk and stretching, ready to go to the Plass to meet Angel and the Doctor and this Donna woman...when Tosh ran in, "Jack, we've just detected about five lifeforms, definitely alien, not ones the system recognizes."

He sighed but nodded, "Let's go, get Owen and Ianto, contact Gwen," it was better to have the whole team, all five of them, when facing an unknown species, in case they were hostile at least they'd have even numbers, "We need to be quick about this one."

Tosh frowned, "Any reason why?'

Jack just strode past her, "We're gonna have visitors soon."

Now he just needed to take care of this potential alien threat before Angel got there, he didn't want a life threatening situation to arise, not when she was visiting, especially if he was going to take her to see Alice and Stephen, though...with the Doctor's piloting...they might end up landing there next month...

"Who?" Tosh asked, rushing after him.

He grinned, "My sister."

Chapter Text

Jack got quickly out of the SUV the team had taken to the warehouse that the signals Tosh had found were coming from, he wanted to get this over and done with quickly, he had things to do, people to see, but the Earth had to be defended…and with the Doctor's piloting, he was sure he'd end up seeing Angel sometime next month.

"Gwen," Ianto Jones, a former administrator of Torchwood One who had practically begged Jack to allow him to join Torchwood Three, left a message on Gwen Cooper's phone, a lovely Welsh woman, police officer, who had stumbled upon Torchwood and become an asset to the team, "We've texted you the location, we're querying four or five signs of life, definitely non-human. Get here as soon as you can."

"So, sure they're not Weevils?" Owen Harper asked, looking at Jack, those creatures were tricky, usually living in the sewers but vicious when they attacked which usually left him to patch everyone up. Owen was the resident medical expert for the team, previously a doctor till an alien caused the death of his fiancé and Jack had found him and brought him onboard

"Don't think so," Toshiko 'Tosh' Sato answered instead, the technological guru of the bunch, had been arrested by UNIT after she was forced to build a sonic modulator for a terrorist organization, till Jack got her out, "Different energy patterns, can't make sense of it. Not a species we've encountered before."

"Well let's hope they're friendly then."

"Owen, Ianto," Jack turned, taking command, "Take the other side of the building, check the upper floors," he nodded to Tosh as they ran off, "Toshiko with me."

She followed closely behind as they entered the building, looking around, their guns out, ready for whatever aliens might be hiding in there. They explored every level till they reached the top one, meeting up on either end of a hall, only one room left to check. They nodded at each other, rushing into the room, aiming their guns…

Only to see a small silver box on the ground, counting down from 20, a bomb!

"We need to get out!" Owen shouted, pushing Tosh out the door, always concerned for her first and foremost.

"We'll never make it out in time," Ianto countered.

Jack looked around, as the time hit 10, when he heard it…a faint wheezing noise…

"Run!" he shoved them, "That way!" he pointed, vaguely seeing an imprint of a large telephone box appear at the end of the hall, "Go!"

"What?" Tosh shook her head but was pushed on, the four of them running.

"Get in!" he cried…

And the doors opened, the four of them leaping in, landing on the ground, when a beep went off and the bomb exploded.

Tosh rolled onto her back to see a ginger woman shutting the door, the flames just outside it, before the room shook again and they all held onto each other, expecting to be blown up.

"There we go!" a voice shouted and the three non-immortal humans opened the eyes they'd squeezed shut to see a man in pinstriped brown suit pull a lever at a console, "Safe and sound!"

And then they noticed…the room was enormous! But…that box, they'd briefly glimpsed it as they ran for it, it was so small, looked a bit like a police box now that they thought about it, but still. What?! And how were they still alive?

"Alright there Jack?" the ginger woman called as she reached out a hand to help Jack to his feet.

The team just watched, stunned, as Jack jumped up and, using the hand he was holding, pulled the ginger into his arms, lifting her up as he spun her around, hugging her, "I'm brilliant! You have no idea how glad I am to see you!" he cheered, setting her down but hugging her again, "I could kiss you!"

"I'm right here Jack," the man in the pinstripe suit called, "You kiss her I'll have the TARDIS throw you out!"

Jack rolled his eyes and put his arm around the ginger woman's shoulders, "Yeah, like she'd," he nodded at the woman in question, "Let you do that to me."

"Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" Owen demanded as he sat up on the floor, Tosh still shaking beside him as Ianto stared at the bigger-on-the-inside room.

"Oh he's cheery," the man remarked.

"And you're rude," the ginger stepped away from Jack and walked over to the man, slipping an arm around his waist which made him beam.

"I'm Donna," another ginger woman, slightly older, stepped over to them, helping Tosh to her feet, "Sorry about him, like she said, he's rude and'll forget to introduce himself, and Angel just gets distracted by him a lot."

"Oi!" the man pouted while the other ginger, Angel Donna had said, just nodded and agreed, "That's true."

"Sorry," Ianto stood as well, snapping himself out of his shock, "But…who exactly are you?"

"I'm the Doctor," the Doctor grinned, "And this is my Mate, the Angel."

"That's not what they're supposed to call me," Angel reminded him with a poke to the side.

"Oh, right," he grinned, "Well, go on," he nudged her, "Say it," he wiggled his finger at her nose, "You know you've been dy…" he swallowed, "You've wanted to for ages."

Angel smiled and looked up at the team just picking themselves up, "Hello, it's nice to meet you, I'm Angie Harkness."

The team's eyes widened as they stared at her, Angie Harkness…Jack's baby sister…

"I usually go by Angel though," Angel added, "Or Angela Jones."

"Technically speaking," the Doctor cut in, "It's THE Angel of Gallifrey. Or, the Time Lady Angel. Or my Mate, whichever you prefer."

Angel smiled, "I like the last one."

The Doctor beamed at her, "Me too."

"Time Lady?" Tosh shook her head.

"You said she was your sister," Ianto looked at Jack.

"She is," Jack nodded, "I met Angie and the Doc after I went rogue from the Time Agency," he explained to them, "Travelled with them for a while, got to know them, and Angel…" he smiled at her, "She just grew to be like my little sister."

"Like you're my big brother," Angel smiled at him.

"He um," Tosh began, "He talks about you ALL the time."

"He never STOPS talking about you," Owen grumbled.

The Doctor beamed at that, pleased to know that Jack still spoke of Angel often.

Angel though, blushed and looked at the team, "Sorry but…which one of you is Ianto?" she looked between Owen and Ianto. She knew, of course she knew, but the Doctor didn't know that she'd kept tabs on Jack that entire time he'd thought she thought he'd died.

Ianto glanced at the team before hesitantly holding up a hand, "Me."

Angel walked over to him, standing before him with her eyes narrowed as she looked at him, searching his eyes for something, making him shift uneasily before she crossed her arms, trying her very best to look intimidating but to everyone besides Ianto she just looked adorable, "Are you very careful that you don't step on Jack's toes as his dance partner?"

"ANGIE!" Jack cried from behind her as the Doctor laughed hysterically, revenge was sweet!

"Um…" Ianto frowned, not entirely sure what she was talking about but then again, Jack had mentioned his sister was rather odd in her phrasings. He just assumed it had something to do with him being careful not to hurt Jack, "Yes?"

She beamed, "Good, now one more test…" she stepped closer...

And hugged him tightly.

Ianto blinked, a bit startled, but returned the hug when he saw Jack smiling at him over Angel's shoulders.

"Brilliant," Angel whispered as she pulled way, "VERY nice hug," she told Ianto before turning to Jack, "I approve."

"Glad you do," Jack laughed moving over to Angel and grabbing her around the middle, hugging her from behind as he lifted her up and spun her around, making her laugh, making the team smile to see him so happy.

"How did you do that though, just…appear?" Owen shook his head, "And what is this place?"

"This is the TARDIS," Angel explained as Jack set her down once more, "She's our ship."

"Our ship," the Doctor smiled, reaching out and pulling Angel from Jack's hold and to him, wrapping his arms around her from behind, holding her back to his front as he rested his chin on her head, "I LOVE the sound of that."

"It can travel anywhere in space and time," Jack added, "Just appears with that weird noise…"

"The brakes," Angel explained, "It's the brakes, the Doctor always leaves them on."

"But how did you know to go there?" Owen continued, it was really bothering him how they just…appeared. He was grateful for it, yeah, but he didn't like the idea of someone watching him…

"She's psychic," the Doctor winked.

Owen scoffed, "There's no such thing."

Donna crossed, "One minute we were all set to land in the Plass and the next Angel was shouting that we need to go to some warehouse in the middle of nowhere and then she ran to the doors and…"

Jack just laughed, "You're an angel Ang."

Angel gave him a smile, "Need to live up to my title, don't I?"

He shrugged, "I don't know, I sort of like Angie Harkness better."

She laughed, before gasping, "Oh!" she grabbed Donna's arm and pulled her over to Jack, "I need to introduce you to Donna," she smiled, putting her hand on Donna's shoulder, "Donna meet our brother Jack, Jack, our new sister Donna."

Donna and Jack nodded along before Angel's words reached them, and they stared at her, "Brother?" Donna shouted, the man was too handsome!

"Sister?" Jack gaped at the same time, how was he going to flirt now?

Angel nodded, "Jack is my older brother in every way that matters," she told Donna, and then looked at Jack, "And Donna became my sister because she had to be the Doctor's companion."

Jack looked at Donna and eyed her appraisingly, she did have a resemblance to Angel what with the ginger hair, "I've got another sister then," he hummed, "Well mom's sure got some explaining to do."

"And who are your friends?" the Doctor asked, stepping over to the gingers, nodding at the team who were still partially in shock, staring up at the room.

Jack grinned, "Owen, medical director, Toshiko…"

"Tosh," Tosh smiled.

"Technological expert, and Ianto," Jack put his arm around Ianto, "Our administrator, maker of the best coffee in the Universe."

"And your dance partner," Angel added.

Jack blushed faintly, "Yeah, and that. There's also Gwen, but she's home with her guy Rhys…"

"No she's not," Angel shook her head.

They looked at her.

She just smiled and led them over to the console, bringing up the monitor where they could see a car pulling up to the warehouse. A frantic woman, who vaguely resembled Gwyneth to the Doctor, got out and ran towards the smoking debris that was the warehouse with a slightly plump man running after her.

"You should probably tell her you're not buried in there," Angel frowned at the building, "It doesn't look safe."

"On it," the Doctor grinned, moving to the console and setting some controls, Angel helping, even Jack, and Donna a bit, impressing the Time Agent that the ginger also could fly the TARDIS even just a little.

~8~

"Oh my God," Gwen panted, her hands in her hair as she stared at the wreckage. She'd been late, overslept, just got a call from Ianto about meeting there and, just as they saw the warehouse…it exploded, with her team inside.

"Gwen!" Rhys ran up to her, trying to hold her back from running into it to check for their bodies, "You can't go in there! It's gonna collapse any second."

"But they're in there," she struggled, "I have to…"

Her words were cut off by a wheezing filling the air, a bright blue, police telephone box appearing two feet in front of her as they stared.

A moment later the doors opened and Jack was leaning in the threshold, "I heard someone calling for God," he winked, "You rang?"

"Jack!" Gwen gasped, leaping at him and hugging him tightly, before pulling away and whacking him hard on the arm, "What the hell happened?!"

Jack just laughed and pushed himself out of the box, stepping past Gwen, letting Owen, and Tosh, and Ianto, and Donna, and the Time Lords out as well.

"How did you all fit in that little box?" Rhys asked, "How did that box even get here?!"

"What is he doing here?" Jack eyed Rhys.

"Look, I was late, ok," Gwen huffed, "He gave me a lift. Are you all ok?" she looked at the team, physically touching them to see for herself.

"We're fine," Tosh smiled, hugging Gwen tightly, seeing her worried.

"We were lucky," Owen said.

"Jack's sister saved us," Ianto nodded at Angel.

"Hello," Angel waved at her, "Nice to meet you, Gwen right?"

Gwen just stared at her, "Oh my God," she breathed.

"Tell me, Gwen," the Doctor cut in, his arm around Angel's shoulders, "Are you from an old Cardiff family?"

Gwen blinked, a bit surprised, not quite sure what that had to do with anything, "Yes, all the way back to the 1800s."

"Brilliant," he beamed, looking at Angel, "Spatial genetic multiplicity!"

"You're being rude," Angel smiled at him, "You haven't introduced yourself yet."

"Right yes," he looked at Gwen, "Hello, I'm the Doctor, and this is Donna," he nodded to his other side where Donna was standing.

"And this is a spaceship," Donna nodded at the box, just to get it out there.

"A spaceship?" Rhys gaped.

Jack nodded, "They got us out in time," he told Gwen.

"Jack, who's done this?" Gwen asked him, concerned and confused.

Just as Jack went to answer, his Vortex Manipulator beeped. He held it up and a hologram of a man in an old-fashioned soldier's uniform appeared, his hair slicked back, the team groaned, clearly knowing the man while the time travelling trio stared, confused.

"Who's that?" the Doctor frowned.

"Captain John Hart," Owen grumbled, "Ex-Time Agent and ex-lover of Jack's."

"Jack, what does he want?" Gwen groaned.

"Oh, déjà vu!" the man in the hologram smirked, "Or did I say that already? Hey, team. Course, there might be a few less of you by now…" well at least they knew it was a recording, "Don't know if you liked my little gift. Course, you can't die. And with all that life, all that time, you can't spare any for me. Oh! Say hi to the family," the hologram hit a button on his own manipulator and another hologram appeared of a man, who looked surprisingly like Jack, standing there, his hands bound, in an old jumpsuit, worn from age and dirt, bruises on his face, scars on his neck.

"No...it can't be," Jack breathed.

"Jack…" Angel stepped beside him, staring at the second hologram for some reason, "Who is he?"

"Been a while since you've seen your brother, eh, Jack," John smirked.

"Gray?" Jack stared, his eyes filling with tears.

Angel's eyes widened as she stared at the hologram, taking Jack's hand in her own. Jack had a brother…she knew he had a daughter, he'd promised to introduce her to her and his grandson, and she knew he had a brother, he'd told her, but…he'd implied the boy had died. Yet there he was, and…she felt her stomach unsettle, there was something…wrong about him…he wasn't like Jack at all…

"Ok, here's what's going to happen," John continued, "Everything you love, everything you treasure, will die," Jack squeezed Angel's hand at that, "I'm going to tear your world apart, Captain Jack Harkness, piece by piece. Starting now. Maybe now you'll wanna spend some time with me."

Gray blinked out, just as he'd looked up where Jack was, John following.

"We need to go, now!" Jack turned around, only to see that the SUV was too close to the warehouse, the building partially collapsed on it, crushing it.

"Bastard John's taken out the SUV," Owen grunted.

"Looks like he's in Torchwood," Ianto called, looking at a scanner in Tosh's hand.

Tosh nodded, "I'm getting readings of Rift activity all over the city. Major Rift flares at St. Helen's Hospital, the Police Headquarters, and the Central IT Server Station…"

Gwen pulled out her phone as it rang, one of her fellow officers, "Hey, Andy?"

"Gwen, you've gotta get here right now! I'm serious, we need you."

"Ok, I'm on my way, alright?" she hung up and looked at Jack, "This is him, isn't it? This Captain John, or whatever he likes to call himself."

"We need to get out of here" Jack shouted, spinning around.

"We can take my car," Rhys offered.

"We'll never fit 9 people in it," Jack shook his head, "It's too small..."

When the Doctor cleared his throat behind him.

Jack turned, watching as the Doctor smirked and nudged the doors to the TARDIS open, "All aboard," he called.

Jack smiled and ran into the box, Angel laughing as she joined the Doctor by the doors, "Go on," she nodded to the others to head in as well, "Plenty of room."

"You think we're all gonna fit in here?" Rhys scoffed.

Donna laughed and took the man's arm as he hesitated, "Wait till you see it!" she led him in, Gwen and Rhys staring at the larger space beyond.

"Doc, take me to Torchwood, then drop Tosh and Ianto off at the central server building, Gwen, the police station, and Owen, the hospital."

"Jack," Angel stepped beside him, taking his hand as he started putting in coordinates, "It's a trap, all of it."

Jack kissed her forehead, "I know, so I need you guys to watch my team for me," he looked between her, Donna, and the Doctor, "No one else I trust."

The Doctor nodded, "I can take the hospital with Owen is it?" he looked at the man who nodded, "I'm a doctor after all, Donna, why don't you go with Tosh and Ianto…"

"But I can't even med a fuse!" Donna reminded him, there was little she'd be able to do in a server building.

"Supertemp can do anything she sets her mind to," Angel reminded her, "Right?" she nudged her.

Donna sighed and smiled, "Right Supergirl."

"I suppose I get to go with Jack then?" Angel smiled.

"NO!" Jack and the Doctor both shouted.

She frowned, "Why?"

"You don't know what John's capable of Angie," Jack squeezed her hand, "I'd rather have you with Gwen in a police station…"

"Actually, maybe she should go to the hospital instead of me," the Doctor remarked, "Too many people running around with guns in a police station…"

"Oi!" Gwen glared at him for the slight.

"But like you said Doc," Jack countered, "YOU'RE a doctor, you can help more at a hospital."

"I'll be fine," Angel promised, kissing the Doctor quickly, "I'll be in a room full of people dedicated to helping and protecting others, think of it that way," he sighed but nodded, kissing her again, as she turned to Jack, "What about you?"

"I'm gonna go reason with John," Jack said.

"He just tried to kill us!" Owen shouted.

"I was the only one who could ever control him. That's why the Time Agency partnered us."

"Sounds familiar," the Doctor remarked, smiling at Angel as he kissed her hair, he was known to fly off the handle, get worked up, get frustrated, Angel was really the only one who kept him balanced and in control. Lord knew what he would be without her.

Rhys blinked, "Did you just say Time Agency? Don't tell me that's based in Cardiff too?!"

Angel blinked and turned to him, "And you're IN a time machine now."

"I'm in a what?!"

"Hold on!" the Doctor cut in, pulling a lever as the TARDIS took off, sending them crashing all over the place.

"Why's he doing this Jack?" Tosh shouted over the noise, "What does he want?"

"That's what I'm going to go ask," he said, his voice determined.

~8~

Jack stood outside the door to the Torchwood command center, taking a deep breath before entering, the door rolling away to let him in, only to hear 'I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper' by Sarah Brightman playing and John on the upper level waving a scarf over his head, dancing to it, "Come on! Sing along! It's our song!"

"We don't have a song," he stated, "And if we did have a song, it wouldn't be this song."

John pouted and put down the scarf, "You're no fun!" he raised his hand and pressed a button on his own manipulator, which beeped and turned off the music.

"Thank you."

"I've been here quite a while, what kept you?" he asked, heading down the stairs to join him.

"We all survived."

"I can see that," John eyed him appreciatively, "You know, you look pretty good for someone who just got crushed by a building."

"We didn't," Jack smirked, "We weren't even inside…"

John frowned, "You were, my scanners picked you up on the prototypes…"

"Yeah, well, if you're gonna set off explosions, make sure your target doesn't have a psychic for a sister," he crossed his arms, "She saw it coming and came to get us out just in time."

"What do you mean 'sister?'" John shook his head.

Jack shook his in return, not about to let him in on it, "What do you want?"

"I want you to know that I love you."

"Funny way of showing it, you know, my sister just gives me hugs."

John stared at him a moment as to why he kept bringing up a sister when he knew he only had a brother, before turning around, "No, seriously. You have to understand. I really do love you," he spun around, two machine guns in hand, and fired them off at Jack, shooting him right in the chest, till he fell over into a small bit of water on the ground, dead.

John walked over, looking solemnly down at the man's prone form, "Because this...is gonna get nasty."

~8~

"Just…try to keep calm," Gwen was saying to Angel as she led the girl and Rhys into the station, the Doctor having just dropped them off, "You'll probably see some bad things…"

"I'll be ok Gwen," Angel smiled at the woman for her concern. They stepped into the station to see police everywhere, blood everywhere, a body lying on the steps, two in the hall, medical examining them, taking pictures.

"Andy!" Gwen shouted, spotting a fellow officer.

"They just appeared out of nowhere, across the whole building," Andy ran to her side, "They weren't human, least not like any human I've ever seen. The whole station's in shock. Four most senior officers, murdered. Everyone's running round like headless chickens," Gwen stepped past him, and then he noticed Rhys, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Rhys, what you doing here? And who're you?" he looked at Angel.

"I'm Angel, nice to meet you," she smiled, despite the gruesome scene before them.

"This is a crime scene," Andy shook his head, "And a confidential crime scene at that. If it gets out what happened here, there'll be a citywide panic…"

"Rhys isn't gonna go blabbing," Gwen told him, "And Angel's not going to say."

"I'm keeping more secrets than you'd ever believe," Rhys nodded.

"Like what?" Andy scoffed.

"Like a Time Agency based in Cardiff! And she's an alien with a huge phone box that travels though time!" he pointed at Angel.

"It's not actually based in Cardiff," Angel patted Rhys on the shoulder, not disputing his second statement.

"Brilliant secret," Andy rolled his eyes, "I ask, you tell. Well done," before he frowned, "And what do you mean she's an alien?" he looked at Angel, "She don't look like those things, she looks like us!"

"I'm a Time Lady," she smiled, "Technically you look like me."

Andy opened his mouth to comment on that when they heard a growling through a door a few feet away. They walked over, Gwen cautiously opening the peephole to see Weevils inside, growling and snarling and rushing around the room, about four of them. Angel pulled Gwen back when one caught sight of her and lunged at the peephole.

"Bloody hell," Rhys breathed, "What are they?"

"Weevils," Gwen stated.

"Tell me you're joking," Rhys breathed.

"Weevils," Angel frowned, thinking about that species, "They…live in the sewers don't they?"

"Aren't you an alien?" Andy looked at Angel, "Shouldn't you know where they live?"

Angel blinked, "I'm a Time Lady not a Weevil Queen," she shook her head, "And I didn't do very well in school when it came to learning about other species, well, except humans…"

"You studied us in school?" Andy stared at her.

"We studied loads of species in school," she nodded, "But I didn't really pay attention much."

"Wait…you went to school?"

She laughed, "Andy, almost every planet in the galaxy has an education system of some sort, most important thing, being clever."

"Don't mind if I subdue them, do you?" Gwen asked, getting them back to point, as she pulled out a canister of something.

"Be my guest," Andy gestured at the door.

"What is that?" Angel asked, putting her hand on Gwen's to stop her a moment, "It's not going to hurt them will it?"

"Hurt THEM?" Andy gaped as he and Rhys said the same thing.

"They just killed people!" Andy added.

"That's no excuse to kill them either," Angel shook her head, "They're scared and frightened, they don't like being out of the sewers, someone forced them out."

"How do you know that?" Andy eyed her, suspicious now, here was an alien who seemed to know what the other aliens were thinking.

"She's psychic," Gwen answered, Jack had told them ALL about Angel, "It's a sedative," she reassured the girl, before tossing it into the hatch, closing it, a small bit of gas emitting under the door. She waited a moment till it cleared before looking in to see they were passed out and turned back to Andy as Angel moved to check the hole herself, "They killed the four most senior officers?"

"Almost like it was targeted," he nodded.

"It was," Angel remarked, staring at the Weevils, "Like I said, someone forced them out of their homes," she stood up quickly, swaying at bit, closing her eyes as she held her head.

"You alright?" Gwen moved beside her to steady her.

"Fine," she nodded, she'd begged the Doctor not to tell Jack what was wrong, not wanting to worry him while he defended the Earth, "Just…stood too quickly."

~8~

"Tosh, report where you are," Tosh looked down at the sound of Gwen calling over the comms..

"Just entering the Central Server," she replied, "No sign of Rift activity yet."

"So you lot protect the city?" Donna asked as she followed Ianto and Tosh into the building, "Like UNIT?"

"Yeah," Tosh nodded, smiling, "Much quieter than UNIT though, there's only five of us."

"MUCH quieter," Donna nodded, "You're not shoving people to their knees in broad daylight and waving guns around at them."

"So you've met UNIT then?" Ianto glanced at her.

Donna smiled, "Martha Jones called us up to help her with some Sonterens, er, Sontarans."

"How is she?" Tosh asked, Martha had come to work for them a little while ago, on loan from UNIT.

"That was you?" Ianto questioned at the same time, they'd been monitoring the Sontaran attack, the gas and the ATMOS, ready to step in if UNIT failed, but they'd succeeded at the last moment. Not to sound pompous but, they weren't really expecting UNIT to succeed.

"Oh yeah," Donna laughed, "I was the one on the Sontaran ship that got the teleport working."

"That's incredible, what was it like up there?" Tosh asked.

"Terrifying, not quite as bad as this though," she murmured as they entered a darkened room, full of computers and rows of wires, everything dark, and eerie, and quiet, it was weird how much more creepy Earth could be in a room like this than an alien ship was, "What is this place exactly?"

"This building houses servers for the military, police, NHS, even looks after the server systems for the nuclear station at Turnmill," Tosh explained.

"What problem did they report?" Ianto looked at her.

"Ghosts in these server stacks."

"Ghosts?" Donna scoffed, "Isn't that a bit Dickens? Not really alien is it? I mean, it can't be aliens can it? Or are they alien ghosts?"

"I think we're about to find out," Tosh remarked, hearing a faint growling behind them.

They turned slowly to see three men dressed in monk robes and holding scythes, "Huh," Ianto murmured, eyeing them.

"So…not ghosts then?" Donna asked hopefully, if they weren't ghosts then they were solid, then they could be knocked out or something.

"Doesn't look like it," Tosh nodded.

"But aliens then?"

"Could be," Ianto agreed.

"Devils!" one of the monks cried in a deep voice, "Blasphemers! Pray to your heathen God. While in the Lord's name, we cast you out!" they started to advance, their weapons raised…

As Tosh and Ianto just looked at each other and pulled their guns, Donna wincing as they shot the three men down.

"There we are then," Ianto remarked.

"Sorted," Tosh smiled.

"Wasn't that…" Donna frowned, before trailing off.

"What?" Tosh looked at her.

"A bit…weird?"

"No more than usual," Ianto shrugged.

"No I mean," she huffed, trying to think of a way to say it, "Three monks? In a service tower? Stopped by bullets?" she shook her head, "Wasn't it a bit…easy?"

Ianto and Tosh looked at each other again, now that they thought about it, it was really random and…very easy…

~8~

"Owen, do you have anything to report?" Gwen called over the comm. as Owen walked through the halls of the hospital, following a female doctor down the stairs, the Doctor casually following, his hands in his pockets, whistling a little tune. It was really starting to irritate Owen, but it was all the Doctor could do to distract himself from the fact that something was going on…and Angel wasn't with him, he wasn't with her, where he could protect her.

But she'd been right, she was in a room full of people who would die to protect others, probably as safe as she could be when he wasn't there to watch over her himself. And…she was in one spot, in one small building, there wouldn't be much running around, there would be ample food and drink and chairs for her to rest in…she wouldn't be stressing herself out which was what he wanted. He didn't want her to overexert herself.

"We've got some activity in the basement," Owen replied.

The Doctor pulled out his sonic and scanned it around just as they reached the bottom level, "Yep, picking up some alien DNA," he nodded, "Ooh," he hissed through his teeth, seeing the results, "You've got a Hoix loose," he grimaced, "Hate Hoix. Last one we met tried to eat Angel. Well, I say tried, I wasn't letting that happen. And he was probably trying to eat the pork chop she was holding. Probably shouldn't have let her do that, don't like her facing down dangerous aliens. Good thing I sent her to the station with Gwen, eh?" he nudged Owen, who looked highly unamused.

"Do you ever stop talking?" he asked the man with a huff before walking off after the female doctor as she stopped by a set of doors.

"Only for one thing," the Doctor told him, ambling on after him, "And I'm NOT taking a kiss from anyone but Angel."

Owen rolled his eyes at the man, Jack was right, 'the Doctor' could certainly gob on and on if given the time.

"Coming back from a fag break," the female doctor explained as they stepped up, "Saw the door open and there it is! Chewing through the cables. So I locked it in."

The Doctor grinned and knocked on the door…only for a rattling to sound inside, like something dropping something, and a Hoix slammed itself against the doors, making Owen and the woman jump back, but the Doctor just lean in closer to look at it.

"What the hell is it?" the woman gasped.

"Short answer?" Owen sighed, "It's an alien."

"Alien?!"

"Technically, it's a Hoix, I just said that, didn't I just say that?" the Doctor looked back at her before shrugging and turning back, watching the Hoix turn and leave, back to whatever itw was trying to eat, "Hoix, carnivorous, well, omnivorous creatures from a little known galaxy half a Universe away, lives to eat, everything it comes across. Sort of like the Racnoss but more of an animalistic mind to it, doesn't communicate, just eats. Managed to track one down to a warehouse once for a friend," he glanced at the woman again, "You wouldn't happen to have any water and oil would you?"

"What'?"

"Hoix are allergic to water mixed with oil."

"They are?" Owen blinked, that would have been useful to know, "Caught one in Barry last year in a kebab shop, it went through seven doner sticks in 20 minutes. Could have used that then," he muttered, before glancing at the woman, "Now, have you got the keys?"

"No need," the Doctor grinned, holding up the sonic, "Not a deadlock so I can get us in easy peasy."

"What's that?" the woman asked as Owen nodded at the Doctor and pulled a rolled up cloth out of his pocket, taking out something that looked like a large thin cylinder but with a sharp tip.

"All species sedative," the Doctor scanned it with the sonic, "Nice work."

Owen smirked, "Thank you," he nodded, "Now, food," he glanced at the woman, "You got anything it can eat?"

"Only these," she held up a pack of cigarettes.

"I can do you one better," the Doctor pulled out a raw steak from his pocket.

Owen stared at him, "Why have you got raw meat in your pocket? How did that even fit in there?" it was a decent sized piece of meat.

The Doctor shrugged, grinning like an idiot, "I have no idea."

Owen shook his head, hearing the rattling inside again, no time to waste asking about pockets, "Wish us luck!" he called to the woman as the Doctor soniced the lock and they ran in.

"I'll cover the Hoix," the Doctor said, suddenly serious, "Distract it, you sneak up around it and sedate it."

Owen nodded and stepped to the side, moving around the room.

The Doctor held up the steak, "Hoixy, where are you? Here boy. Come out, come out, wherever you are…"

He smiled as the Hoix appeared and started to inch towards him, its eyes on the steak.

"There you are. Look what I've got. That's it, good boy, come to me. Come on, that's it, here we are…now!" he shouted.

Owen leapt out and stabbed the Hoix in the neck with the sedative, "You really are quite stupid, aren't you?" he asked the alien as it sank to the ground, subdued.

"Oh nice team!" the Doctor held up his hand and high-fived Owen, the two doctors grinning down at the fallen alien.

~8~

Gwen watched Angel as she stood to the side, her arms crossed, staring at the white sheets over the bodies of the four officers, a frown on her face, looking…so sad.

"You alright?" Gwen walked over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Fine."

Gwen laughed, "Jack was right, you couldn't lie to save your life."

"I just…" she glanced at the bodies, "I don't like death. It's just…so final."

"Happens to us all," Gwen sighed, "Just a natural part of life but," she nudged the girl, "Think of it this way, when we're gone, it gives us more power to watch over the ones we love. Because we never really leave them, we're always with them, protecting them."

Angel smiled, "That's a nice way to think of it."

Gwen nodded, "Being a police officer," she looked around, "You have to be aware that it could happen, at any moment, and you need to be at peace with it."

"You are a brilliant woman Gwen."

Gwen smiled, "I know," she laughed.

Angel laughed as well when her expression grew distant, her smile fading.

"Angel?" Gwen eyed her, "You ok?"

Angel blinked…

...Jack struggled, dangling between two chains, writhing as he was electrocuted...

...the Torchwood team stood on rooftops, watching as bombs went off all over the city...

...Jack grabbed onto John, the two glowing with the Rift energy and disappeared...

...Jack gasped as he was stabbed through the gut by a sword...

"Oh my God," she breathed, grabbing the side of her head as she nearly fell against the wall, a searing pain ripping through her mind as she panted.

"Angel!" Gwen gasped, moving to help her, "Are you alright? What happened?"

Angel could only shake her head, "I have to go..." she breathed, pushing herself off the wall and running off.

'Doctor!'

~8~

Jack, hanging between two chains by his wrists, gasped awake, to find himself restrained, John before him, watching him struggle and thrash, pulling on the chains.

"Comms. and weapons have been removed, in case you're wondering, so no chance of rescue," John remarked.

Jack scoffed, "What part of 'my sister is psychic' did you not understand?" he glared a little at John, "She's knows exactly what you did to me."

John held up his hands, "Then where is she?" he smirked.

"This is a little extreme, don't you think?" Jack asked, not wanting to get into it, if Angel wasn't there at the moment it was because she was either dealing with something herself, not an option because he'd sent her with Gwen to keep her safe, or the Doctor found out and wouldn't let her into a room with a man who loved machine guns, something he would NOT fault him for.

"Oh, what, suddenly you're anti bondage?" John grabbed a photo in a frame, a book-like frame, one photo on one side, another on the other, one of the Doctor, Martha, him, and Angel just after the Year-That-Never-Was, and the other was of Alice and Stephen, not that anyone commented on it, he just told the team it was from a previous mission with Torchwood, that he had to play 'father' for some reason and was friends with the woman and her son, anything to keep his daughter and grandson safe.

"Why are you here?" he nearly barked.

"Well, see...now you're interested in me. It's always the same, nobody cares until you tie them up. Number of reasons, actually. First of all, you were very rude to me," he moved to the computers across from Jack, fiddling with them.

"What?!"

"Very rude indeed. In front of people who barely knew me. You belittled me. Can't let that go."

"You're serious?" he scoffed.

"Second…you have all of time. Eternity, essentially. And you still refused to spend time with me. After all we've been through together, after all I've done for you."

"Where's Gray? What've you done with my brother?"

John just stared at him, "You don't realize, actions, ramifications, ripples in the pond. It's beyond my control."

"Beyond your control?! Please!"

"It is," he sighed, "You need to understand that. So…" he resumed his work, "Localize the Rift storms, a few short sharp shocks..."

"Don't touch those controls!" Jack snapped.

"Oi, I'm working here!" John pressed a button on his manipulator and Jack was electrocuted, "If you don't want that again, keep quiet," he turned back to the controls.

"No," Jack called, struggling.

"So, I think we're ready to find a vantage point," John nodded, ignoring Jack, "Bit more power," he plugged a cable into the Rift Manipulator, "Routing the power from the nuclear reactor…and…" he grinned, watching the main column start to rise and fall.

"Hey!" Jack cried.

"And…" John nodded, hitting a button, "We're all set."

"Whatever you're planning, we're gonna stop you," Jack glared.

"Oh," John scoffed, "Ok," he moved around to the front of the computers, crossing his arms, "Go on, then. Stop me. I hope you can, really," he smirked as Jack struggled to break through but couldn't, "No? Alright, let's go get ourselves a good view," he pressed a button on the manipulator and Jack fell to the ground, in pain, John quickly making his way to him and grabbing him by the cuffs, hauling him up and forcing him off, up and up and up, as high as they could go outside Torchwood, into the night, up to the top of a castle tower.

"What the hell are we doing here?" Jack panted.

"This is a good view," John shrugged but then Jack lunged at him…only to be electrocuted again, "I told you, no struggling."

"I can make things right with you."

"You don't understand. You can't ever make this right," he hit a button on his comm., "Attention...Torchwood employees!" he smirked, knowing they were all listening, all over the city, "Evening all! Now, stop what you're doing."

"Jack, what's going on, are you ok?" Gwen came back.

"Jack can't come to the comms. right now. But if you leave a message, I'll be sure and pass it along."

"What've you done to him?" Tosh asked.

"No, no, wrong question. You should be asking…what am I about to do to you?"

"Put Jack on right now!" Ianto demanded.

"Eye Candy! That was so masterful, so bossy, so basically…powerless. Get up to the roofs of your buildings. Quickly now, spit spot."

"Why?" Owen asked, though they could hear him running, hear all of them running really.

"'Cos if you don't, you'll miss all the fun. Hold on a minute, do I mean fun or do I mean carnage? I get them confused. Are you running yet? No dawdling now!"

"What're you doing?" Jack eyed him as he pulled out a box, a detonator.

"I'm sorry," John said to him quietly, waiting till he was sure that every member of Torchwood was on a roof somewhere, looking out at the city, even Jack getting up to look, "Now...Cardiff! Isn't it pretty? Doesn't it twinkle so? Take a good look. Remember this...because it all goes so quick."

He held up the box…and pressed it…

And…

Nothing happened.

"What?!" John looked at the box, whacking it, pressing the button again, and again, and again, but still…nothing.

"Oh sorry!" the Doctor's voice came over the comm., "Didn't anyone ever tell you never to go to war against a psychic? And my Mate is the most powerful one of them all."

"I'm really not," Angel said modestly, "But I DID know about the bombs John," she continued, John looking stunned, "And what you did to Jack, that wasn't nice of you to hurt my brother like that."

He looked at Jack, stunned as the man just grinned at him, smirked really, "Told you."

"We diffused them," the Doctor continued, "Angel knew exactly where to look and with a little help from my trusty sonic screwdriver," there was a soft whirring noise of the sonic going, "The whole thing went kaput."

"We're not about to let you destroy the city John, I'm sorry," Angel told him, "We've found all 15 of the bombs, no one here will die today. No one."

John swallowed hard, Jack eyeing him as his hand went to his wrist, not to the manipulator but to something else on it, seemingly about to push it.

"No!" Jack lunged forward, not sure what it was, not willing to find out. He grabbed onto John…just as they both started to glow with the Rift energy…and disappeared in a flash of light…

~8~

"What just happened?" Donna's voice asked over the comm., still out there with Tosh and Ianto as the Time Lords ran around the console, the whole box going crazy and sparking wildly at the use of the Rift.

"John's opened the Rift," Angel told them.

"He's transported them both somewhere in time," the Doctor added.

"Jack?" Gwen tried the comm. directly linked to Jack, "Jack, can you hear me? Are you there? Jack!"

But there was no reply.

"Huge Rift flare over at the castle," Tosh reported, "It's been generated by the Rift Manipulator at Torchwood!"

"Oh you're good!" the Doctor grinned, when another spark went off.

"Something bad though," Ianto cut in, "John's routed all the power from the nuclear plant to the Rift Manipulator, all the systems are running at full power, they're gonna overheat."

"Right," Gwen sighed, taking charge, "Tosh, Ianto, Donna, you have to stabilize the nuclear power station, make that a priority. Owen, what's it like at the hospital?"

"Half the power's generated by the plant," he sighed, "We're losing more and more of it, but the backup generators are holding for now.

"Ok, all of you, listen to me. We're gonna fix this, we're gonna stop the plant, get the power back, we're gonna find Jack, and we're gonna punish John. Now, I need you to be careful. Ok? Where are you, Jack? Where are you?"

"Gwen?" Angel called, "We might be able to find Jack," she told the woman, "We'll run some scans see if we can track the backlash of the Rift."

"Good, do it," Gwen replied.

"I love it when you talk technical," the Doctor grinned at Angel, kissing her quickly, before they ran around the console, now calmed, and tried to find Jack.

~8~

Jack leapt to his feet, to find himself in the middle of a wide field, in the day, trees here and there, in the middle of absolutely nowhere.

"We're safe," John called as he walked out from the trees towards him, "Now, before you do anything rash, you have to hear..."

Jack just punched him in the face, "Take us back now!"