Chapter 1: Longer Summary
Chapter Text
Supernova — Noun — A violent explosion that occurs upon the death of a star, causing it to suddenly become extremely bright for a few months.
Supernova was the love of the Doctor's life. She was perfect. She was beautiful, compassionate, and intelligent (maybe even more so than him); she was powerful, immortal, protective, and terrifying when crossed. But soon after his sixth regeneration, she had to leave him. She was the princess of a neighboring planet called Elder and her parents, the prophetess Queen Kassandra, and the protector, Castiel were killed and she was forced to marry someone to take care of her kingdom. She had begged the Doctor to take her away and he had to lie for the good of her people. It seemed so quick that she had run to him in battle and died in his arms just before he had to say "no more".
Delilah Sherlock "Lillie" Tyler is the premature younger sister of Rose Tyler, she never knew her father but she is told she got his cleverness and creativity because she claims when she was thirteen, she met an eccentric man with an impractically long scarf named "The Doctor" with a magic spaceship/time machine and his companion, a young journalist named Sarah-Jane Smith, and his friend, a woman with multi-colored hair and purple eyes named Nova, he saved her from the “evil statues”. Ever since then she has been having dreams of the Doctor and Nova’s adventures.
Lillie Tyler, now eighteen, is highly intelligent and has a lot of potential, however she lacks ambition or self-confidence and is likely to end up like her older sister, living a tedious meaningless life at a dead-end job, until one day she and Rose Tyler meet a man with big ears and a leather jacket who changes their lives forever… though soon they’ll find out that their lives weren’t as normal as they once thought them to be.
Ninth Doctor x Tyler!OC (Semi-Platonic)
Captain Jack Harkness x Tyler!OC
Tenth Doctor x Tyler!OC (Slow Burn)
"Impossible" Semi-Original Female Original Characters x Tyler!OC
Chapter 2: Delilah H. "Lillie" Tyler 2005 Bio
Summary:
Get to know our mysterious protagonist!
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Lillie H. Tyler Season One Bio
Full Name: Deliah Holmes “Lillie” Tyler
Age: Eighteen (Six months younger than Rose; was born at six months old.)
Stolen Quote: Bill Potts: “Are you secretly a badass?”
Nardole: “Nothing secret about it, baby doll”
Real Quote: “Yeah, I’ve been faking a smile to hide my pain my entire life and it’s gotten me nearly eighteen years without anyone noticing, I’ve come realize that maybe no one will ever see through my mask.”
Birthday: October 31, 1987
Human Appearance: Curly dark brown hair, blue eyes, five foot three.
Relations: Rose Tyler (Older sister), Jacklyn "Jackie" Tyler (Mother), Pete Tyler (Father; Deceased, hit by a car on November 7, 1987)
Personality: Loyal to a fault; Kind; Compassionate; Fierce; Protective; Intelligent; Scary when angry; Geeky; Witty; Sarcastic; Goofy; Tomboy; Just; Selfless; Shy, Kind, Hufflepuff, Brave, Curious, Soft, Insecure, Secret Badass, Observant, Strong, Fighter, Trusting, Loving, Violent, Impulsive, Scatterbrained, Pessimistic, Eccedentiast (Hides her pain with smiles), Paradoxical (Little Bit), Perceptive
Hogwarts House: Hufflepuff
Hogwarts Hybrid: Gryfflepuff (Hufflepuff/Gryffindor)
Fatal Flaws: Excessive Personal Loyalty — (Think of Percy Jackson) She will risk her life and the world for her friends.
Feeling of Inferiority — (Think of Leo Valdez) She will always feel like she is the least important and feels that she is worth sparing
Low Self-Confidence/Low Self-Esteem — She doesn’t trust herself to make the right decisions, she thinks of herself as useless and invaluable
Fears: Claustrophobia — Fear of small, enclosed spaces — Leaks through the suppression cloak
Likes: Freedom, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Reading, Helping, The Color Purple, Halloween, Kindness, Mischief
Dislikes: Being Bored, Feeling Trapped, Most People, Wearing Dresses, Looking Girly, Being Called Girly, The Color Pink, Valentine's Day, Conformity
Favorite Singers/Bands: Queen, the Police, the Velvet Underground, Linkin Park, Imagine Dragons, Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift
Skills/Abilities: Acting, Mild Sherlock Scan (Look on tvtropes.org), Intellect, Weapon Proficiency Instincts, Fighting Instincts, Martial Arts Instincts, Hacking
Possible Disorder(s): ADHD (Her alien counterpart had ADHD which leaked into her human counterpart), Directional Dyslexia (Also leaks through)
Sexuality: Heteroflexible Demisexual
Wardrobe: Flannel; Plaid; Leather Jackets; Beanies; Graphic tees; High tops; Boots; Trench Coats Accessories: 3D Glow-In-The-Dark Galaxy Ball Pendant (Origin of unknown)
Friends: Rose Tyler (Older Sister/Best Friend), Mickey Smith, Sarah Jane Smith (Acquaintance), The Fourth Doctor (Acquaintance), Lars South-Woods (Ex)
Enemies: Weeping Angels, Bullies
Etymology: Deliah – The Delilah is a type of dahlia; The Delilah symbolizes beauty, commitment, and kindness. Another meaning is finding inner strength; the Victorians used the flower to signify a lasting bond and commitment between two people. They can symbolize elegance, inner strength, change, creativity, and dignity. They can also symbolize positivity, resilience, wildness, and happiness. Generally, dahlias symbolize new beginnings, fresh starts, enduring kindness, and even grave in challenging times.
Lillie – Variation of the nickname “Lily” – These flowers represent purity, innocence, rebirth, and resurrection just to name a few. Lilies may represent mourning and to some they symbolize death because represent the moment when the soul departs the body.
Holmes — Surname of literature’s most famous detective (and possibly one of literature’s earliest cases of a character with ADHD).
Face Claim: Young Lillie - Malina Weissman
Young Adult/Adult - Katherine Langford (Hannah Baker/Morgan Stark/Nimue/Leah Burke/Meg Thrombey)
Notes:
*First Note: I put Directional Dyslexia because the official name Left-Right Confusion sounds belittling to me, to me is sounds like someone trying to insult someone’s intelligence so I prefer Directional Dyslexia. I do believe in this disorder and I’m not going to say I have it because I haven’t been officially diagnosed with it. (Long story.)*
*Second Note: I am a Hufflepuff according to Pottermore but when the site first launched when I was around twelve I was placed in Gryffindor and granted I changed since the first time I took it to when I was sorted into Hufflepuff at sixteen, so I consider myself to be a hybrid of Hufflepuff and Gryffindor and I know the normal hybrid name is “Gryffinpuff” but it sounds so awkward to me and I like “Gryfflepuff” better, therefore it’s my Wattpad name. According to a Buzzfeed quiz that tells you your percentage of each house (after I took it a few times when I didn’t get what I was aiming for as my answers always change.), I got this result: You Are 34% Hufflepuff, 27% Gryffindor, 25% Ravenclaw, and 14% Slytherin! You’re undeniably a Hufflepuff, but you definitely have some strong Gryffindor qualities. You proudly wear your heart on your sleeve, but you lack the recklessness of a true Gryffindor, which means that you don’t act on your feelings without thinking. Your kindness and openness is what originally attracts other people to you, but they stay for your unwavering loyalty, meaning you’re constantly surrounded by a large group of friends.*
*Third Note: RIP Bernard Cribbins who played Wilfred Mott, the best grandfather ever. You will be miss but never forgotten.
*Fourth Note: I have only seen the modern series and almost all of the Tenth Doctors episodes, I always hate endings and don't want to see David Tennent go because he is so good at it. I've been trying but I keep getting too sad and depressed and I’m already wildly depressed. I actually skipped his regeneration story. I’ve seen the classic Who up to the first appearance of the Silurians in the Third Doctor Era. Allons-y*
*Fifth Note: I am not British like most people in the Doctor Who universe, so I may spell things how Americans spell them and I may not know some of the slang but I will do my best*
Chapter 3: Princess Supernova Bio
Summary:
Get to know Princess Supernova before she died.
Chapter Text
Real Name: (Various translations) Methuselah, Earendel
More Legendary Translations (Though she doesn’t really go by them): Artemis, Athena, Cassiopeia, Eris, Nyx, Psykhe, Andromeda, Ceto, Asteria, Melinoe, Persephone, Hestia, Nemesis , Mnemosyne, Cilo, Hebe, Circe, Thanatos, Soteria, Hecate, Kaun Yin (etc.)
Chosen Name: Supernova
Nickname(s): Nova
Titles (at the time of her death): Queen of Elder, Elder Queen, Supernova Queen
Former Titles: Princess of Elder, Elder Princess, Supernova Princess
Age: Nearly Thirteen Billion
Quote: “I’ve found that if people think I’m less than I actually am, the more satisfying it is for me, and more shocking it is for them, when I prove them wrong.”
“I am not your little princess. There’s a reason I was the inspiration for so many feared Goddesses."
Human Appearance: Curly Red/Blonde Hair, Purple eyes, Five Foot Three.
Natural Appearance: Curly Multi-colored Hair, Purple Eyes, Five Foot Three
Species: Elder (Neighbor planet of Gallifrey)
Status: Suppressed but Alive
Cause of Supposed Death: Shot by Dalek after trying to save the Doctor’s life
Powers/Abilities: Empathy, Mild Telepathy, Reincarnation, Aura-Seeing, Mind Palace, Light Manipulation, Heat Manipulation, Optional Semi-Immortality, Levitation, Memory Transfer, Gravity Manipulation,
Oddities: Silver Tears; when Elders die, their bodies glow and cause a violent seeming although ultimately harmless explosion outward; Legend says that some are capable of reincarnating as new Elders or other alien species if their gods view them worthy enough, only one has been proven worthy enough.
Relations:
Kassandra (Mother, Deceased)
Castiel (Father, Deceased)
Narcissus (Husband via Arranged Marriage, Deceased)
Personality: Loyal to a fault; Kind; Compassionate; Fierce; Protective; Intelligent; Scary when angry; Geeky; Witty; Sarcastic; Tomboy; Just; Selfless; Shy, Hufflepuff, Brave, Curious, Soft, Insecure, Secret Badass, Observant, Strong, Fighter, Trusting, Loving, Violent, Impulsive, Scatterbrained, Pessimistic, Eccedentiast (Hides her pain with smiles), Cold Anger, Hyperactive, Insensitive, Masks her feelings, Perceptive, Paradoxical
Hogwarts House: Hufflepuff
Hogwarts Hybrid: Gryfflepuff (Hufflepuff/Gryffindor)
Fears:
Claustrophobia — Fear of small, enclosed spaces — As a princess she grew to resent enclosed spaces as she often felt trapped.
Likes: Freedom, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Reading, Helping, The color purple, Traveling with the Doctor, Halloween, Kindness, Mischief, The Doctor, Violence, Proving people wrong
Dislikes: Being Bored, Feeling Trapped, Most People, Wearing dresses, Looking girly, Being called girly, The color pink, Valentine's Day, Conformity, Being forced to conform to royal forms
Tendencies: To go on philosophical tangents, to help those who feel distressed, to become violently protective
Skills/Abilities: Sword Fighting, Acting, Sherlock Scan (Look on tvtropes.org), Intellect, Weapon Proficiency, Fighting, Martial Arts, Hacking, Omnilingual, Ability to use a Mind Palace (Like in Sherlock.)
Possible Disorder(s): ADHD, Directional Dyslexia
Sexuality: Heteroflexible Demisexual
Wardrobe: Flannel; Plaid; Leather Jackets; Beanies; Graphic tees; High tops; Boots; Trench Coats
Accessories: 3D Glow-In-The-Dark Galaxy Ball Pendant (Chameleon Arch), Alien Sword that Changes Its Blade As Per Wielder’s Mental Command
Friends: Ozzie Clarus (First love/Ex; Deceased), The Doctor, The Master (Presumed Deceased), Sarah Jane Smith, (Various other companions of the Doctor)
Enemies: Daleks, Cybermen, Narcissus
Love Interests:
Ozzie Clarus (First Love/Ex; Deceased)
The Doctor (Crush)
The Master (One-Sided Crush on his side; Presumed Deceased)
Narcissus (Husband by Arranged Marriage; Deceased)
Face Claim(s):
Malina Weissman (Violet Baudelaire)
Katherine Langford (Hannah Baker/Morgan Stark/Nimue/Leah Burke/Meg Thrombey)
Chapter 4: The Doctor Reincarnations (SPOILERS)
Summary:
Get to Know the Doctor
Chapter Text
Young First Doctor (The one who went through the Academy) -- The Boy She Punched in the Face; The Boy Who Fell In Love With Her; The Boy Who Fell in Love with her at First Punch; The Time Lord in the Making She Saw the Most Potential In
The First Doctor — The Man She Punched In the Face Upon First Meeting Him; The Man She Changed For the Better, The Man Who Fell in Love With Her At First Punch
The Second Doctor — The Man Who Asked Her To Join Him; The Man She Started To Travel With; The Man Who Borrowed Her Tricks (Pretending to be less intelligent than they are)
The Third Doctor — The Man She Rescued; The Eternal Optimist; The Light To Her Darkness; The Incorrigible Show Off; The Action Hero
The Fourth Doctor — The Man Whose Butt She Had To Save; The Man Whose Eccentricity Matched Her Own
The Fifth Doctor — The Man With Odd Fashion; The Man With the Frowny Face; The Man Who Refused To Believe
The Sixth Doctor — The Man Who Thought He was Superior; The Man She Talked Down; The Man She Had To Leave; The Man Whose Hearts She Broke; The Man She Begged; The Man Who Broke Her Heart; The Man Who Had To Turn Her Down
The Seventh Doctor — The Chess Master; The Man She Barely Knew; The Man Who Hated Himself; The Man Who Hated His Hearts
The Eighth Doctor — The Man Who Believed It Was Never Too Late; The Man Who Never Gave Up Hope; The Doctor Who Watched Her Die
The War Doctor — The Man Who Had to End It All; The Man Who Thought He Had Lost Her
The Ninth Doctor — The Man Who Saved Her Sister; The Man Who Found Her; The Man Who Asked Her To Travel With Him; The Man Who Remembers
Tenth Doctor — The Man Who Helped Her Get Her Memories Back; The Man She Fell in Love With Again; The Lonely God; The Man Who Could Never Tell Her How He Felt; The Man Who Regrets
Eleventh Doctor — The Man Who Lost Her; The Man Who Would Always Love Her; The Man Who Forgets; The Raggedy Man; The Man Who Thought He Was Hot When He Was Clever; The Man Whose Hearts Broke When He Looked At Her; The Man With the Fez; The Man Who Flirts; The Man Who Had To Live Without Her; The Man Who Hearts Clara Healed
Twelfth Doctor —The Man She Never Got To Meet; The Man Who Accepts
Thirteenth Doctor — The Woman Who Missed Her
Notes:
*If these descriptions are off, please let me know, I've never seen the Classic Doctor Who and I just looked up their personalities.*
*If there are titles I missed please comment on them.*
*I love Clara and I think Eleven was definitely in love with her, I haven’t gotten to Twelve though. I love River but I feel that Eleven’s feelings for Clara were more… I don’t know just the way he acts around her is more like a full-blown crush while with River it’s just flirting.*
*I'm waiting for the sixtieth anniversary to come out to see if David Tennant as the fourteenth Doctor is really considered that.*
Chapter 5: Companion Titles (SPOILERS)
Summary:
Get to know the companions
Notes:
SPOILER WARNING FOR SEASON ONE THROUGH SEASON FOUR/SEVEN
Chapter Text
Lillie Tyler — The Girl Who Was Reborn; The Girl Who Was Chosen; The Girl Death Couldn't Break; The Girl Who Cheated Death; Female Sherlock Holmes; The One Who Was Chosen
Supernova “Nova” Holmes Tyler — The Girl Who Was Reborn; The Girl Who Was Chosen; The Girl Death Couldn't Break; The Girl Who Cheated Death; The Tomboy Princess; The Princess Who Yearned Freedom; Female Sherlock Holmes; The Broken Princess; The First Woman Who Could Make Daleks Beg For Mercy; The Only Person To Make Cybermen Feel Fear; The Destroyer of Daleks; The Dying Star Princess, The Dying Star; The Forever Dying Star, The Heart of Elder, The One Who Was Chosen, The Dying Star Princess of Elder; The Forevermore Queen; The Forevermore Princess; The Dark Star Princess; The Cold Star; The Protector of the Multiverse; The Defender of the Multiverse; The Protector of the Universe; The Defender of the Universe
Rose Tyler — Defender of Earth; Bad Wolf; Dame Rose of the Powell Estate; The Girl Who Loved; The Most Ordinary Girl; The Only Person in the Universe Who To Show a Dalek Mercy
Mickey Smith — The Boy Who Grew Up; Ricky the Idiot; Mickey the Idiot
Captain Jack Harkness — The Immortal Man; The Man Who Couldn't Die; The Man Who Can Never Die; The Impossible Man; The Face of Boe; The Man Who Was Abandoned; The Man Who Waited; The Man Who Protected Her
Martha Jones — The Girl Who Walked the Earth; The Girl Who Left; The Girl Who Chose to Leave
Donna Noble — The Most Important Woman in the Universe; Most Important Woman in the Whole Of Creation; The Most Important Woman in the Whole Wide Universe; Doctor!Donna; The Girl Who Forgot; The Runaway Bride
River Song — The Woman Who Knew His Name; The Doctor's Wife; The Second Woman Who Could Make a Dalek Beg For Mercy
Amelia "Amy" Pond — The Girl Who Waited; The Legs; Amy Williams
Rory Arthur Williams — The Boy Who Waited Two Thousand Years; The Boy Who Waited; The Lone Centurion; The Last Centurion; The Constant Warrior; Sir Gawain; Rory Pond; Roranicus; The Nose; Roricus Pondicus
Clara Oswin Oswald — The Impossible Girl; The Doctor's Impossible Girl; Nova's Impossible Girl; The Doctor's Clara; Nova's Clara; The Doctor's Second Love; The Only Mystery Worth Solving; The Girl Who Was Born to Save the Doctor and Princess Supernova; Souffle Girl; The Girl Twice Dead; The Girl Who Died Twice
Minor Companions (Were never official companions):
Reinette Poisson — The Original Girl Who Waited
Wilfred Mott — The Soldier Who Never Killed; The Man Who Remembered; The Man Who Knocked; The Man Who Will Always Be Remembered
Chapter 6: Supernova First Prologue: October 31, 2000
Summary:
Thirteen-Year-Old Lillie Tyler meets a doctor with an impractically long scarf who is not very competent at not infuriating humans and a much more competent alien princess who knows more than she's saying.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Pana po'o — Hawaiian — When you scratch your head to help you remember something you've forgotten.
"I don't regret my past because it made me stronger."
It was Lillie Tyler’s thirteenth birthday which also doubled as Halloween and she was dressed as Sherlock Holmes with pigtails, she was dressed as a modern day-version of Sherlock, one that wouldn’t be seen on television for ten more years by Benedict Cumberbatch before he was the second biggest ego in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (third if you include Ego) and she was lost. Not surprising since directions gave her a headache and she often got so lost in her thoughts she's not paying attention to the world around her.
She had gotten separated from her mother and sister; she had heard a funny sound. A beautiful yet funny sound. Like something whirring or humming. It was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard; she was sure she had never heard it before yet it sounded familiar. And so she followed it in a sort of trance. She wasn't in a crowd exactly but there were scatters of people... until there wasn't. One moment she was surrounded by groups of people, the next... they were all gone and now she was stuck staring at a statue of a crying angel.
Something in the thirteen-year-old told her not to look away. Not to blink. She stepped backwards away from it, seeing that she couldn't rely on some Prince Charming or a knight in shining armor to come rescue her. She was only thirteen years old, but she already knew that Disney movies were a lie—Sometimes princesses had to save themselves, and sometimes princesses had to be like Mulan, fight for what was right, and to save the people they love. Then again, she wasn't a princess... she was a tomboy, she had always been independent
which made her both the protagonist of the story and her own knight in shining armor.
"Little girl!" A guy’s voice shouted but she didn't turn, "Don't turn around!"
"Yeah, thanks for the heads up!" She shouted, sarcastically, still staring at the statue. "Wouldn't of have thought of that otherwise!"
"Don't look in its eyes!" Shouted the voice of a woman.
She was only human, if you tell someone not to think about something, they'll immediately start thinking about it. So, of course, she looked in its eyes but strangely enough, it didn't try to take over her body; it couldn't.
"When I say run, run towards my voice!" He shouted.
She took another step back and felt her foot stand on something, like a compact mirror... a mirror! She crouched down, never breaking eye contact and picked it up, she held it up in front of her face to see that it was in fact a compact mirror.
"Run!"
She turned and ran towards the voice, she spotted a man in around his forties with wild brown hair in an impractically long bohemian-looking scarf. He was ducking halfway down a tube staircase. She ran towards him and jumped down the staircasing.
"Hello-o-o-o-o." He drew out the vowel of the greeting before saying, "Little girl, you're standing on my scarf."
"Stop calling me little girl! I am thirteen! As of two hours ago!" She snapped at him. “And why is your scarf so bloody long! That’s just stupid and impractical!”
“Oi!” He whined before getting back to the matter at hand, "Just keep looking at the statue."
Begrudgingly she obeyed, remembering she had a "stranger-danger" whistle in the pocket of her Sherlock Holmes costume. She was shocked to see that the statue had moved, it was now a few yards away and was facing them with its arms extended and fingers clawed.
"What-what is that?" She gasped.
"A Weeping Angel. If either one of us stops looking at it, it will transport us to another era... didn't know they existed until some time ago, thought they were a myth."
"What do we do?"
"Umm... my plan was to get the little girl to safety, then I would think up another plan."
"Don't call me little girl!" She growled, looking at him.
"Don't!"
She turned back to the statue to see it now almost touching her, she stumbled back and held up the mirror, showing the Weeping Angel its reflection, albeit cracked and it stopped.
"Oh, that's brilliant. Hang on, calling for help." He took out a strange-looking object with a silver body and a red top as the thirteen-year-old brunette stared at him in utter confusion.
"What the hell is that?" She asked.
"Oi, language." He scolded as the object made a humming sound.
"If Nova could actually pick up her sonic." He whined.
"Who?"
"Nova, she's like me but not."
"What does that mean?"
"What do you think that is?" He tested.
She examined the creature and she clutched her locket under her costume.
--
In the Tardis, Nova was walking into the console room, seeing her sonic buzzing like a twentieth-century phone and then a light shimmered along her body. She gasped and stumbled. Another one of her must be in contact of someone with the Doctor.
"Sarah Jane!" She shouted, "The Doctor needs saving!"
“What else is new!?” Sarah Jane, a young journalist, shouted from somewhere else in the Tardis.
She ran along the clean, silver console, flicking levers and pushing buttons with her opal-colored curls bouncing.
--
Lillie was distracted when she heard the same whirring, she looked and saw a police box appear out of nowhere.
"It's clearly not supernatural. Or at least not in the Halloween-traditional supernatural, more alien supernatural. The object you used seemed to have caused someone in that 'police box' to bring it here. So, I'm going to say it's alien."
The Doctor was impressed. This girl was barely thirteen and showed impressive deduction skills as he usually had to
Two women stepped out of the police box. Both seemed to be in their early twenties. One looked normal while the other looked like she belonged at ComicCon, yet somehow both seemed familiar.
The more normal-looking young seemed to be in her early twenties with dark brown hair with slight bangs and blue eyes.
The first woman had curly silver-purple hair in a series of intricate braids and amethyst-colored eyes, high cheekbones and she wore a yellow and black leather jacket over a white Hufflepuff constellation graphic tee, a yellow and black plaid skirt, high yellow boots with buckles, and around her neck were a few necklaces, a round locket that doubled as a compass but it was closed, a D20 dice necklace but it didn't really have numbers but astrological symbols that seem to shimmer and shift, a rose necklace with star sapphire gem in it, and a silver necklace of a sword with a star and a moon and moonstones on it.
She looked Lillie and while her expression didn't change, something flickered in her purple eyes.
"Doctor!" The brunette woman exclaimed.
"Ooh, mirror, bet you didn't think of that." The purple-haired woman smiled. "Brilliant thinking, future warrior." Lillie liked her already and she usually didn't like most people. The opal-haired woman walked to the statue, stepping in front of it, eyeing it, putting on a serious face and holding up a bronze and purple object similar to the man's, it seemed familiar to Lillie, but she wasn't sure why, and she started to scan the Weeping Angel with it.
"What is that?" Lillie asked, curiously.
"Sonic screwdriver. Common scientific instrument of Kasterborous." The purple-haired woman said, without looking at her, though Lillie didn't consciously understand her words, they seemed to vaguely ring a bell at the back of her head. Her tone suddenly became serious with a dark undertone and Lillie knew this wasn't a woman you'd want to mess with. "Sarah-Jane, take her into the Tardis, we don't know if there are any more around. Besides, don't want her to be around for the, uh, clipping of this angel's wings."
Sarah-Jane pulled Lillie into the Tardis while the Doctor and the purple-haired woman spoke.
Lillie's jaw dropped and she looked around in amazement but she made no comment.
"Were you scared?" Sarah-Jane asked.
"Hmm?"
"When you realized that it was alien, the Weeping Angel?" Sarah Jane clarified.
"I just knew that Prince Charming wasn't going to come save me, that some knight in shining armor wasn't going to. I'd have to save myself because this isn't a Disney movie, this isn't a fairy tale and even then, the real fairy tales are much grimmer than people think they are. I just didn't expect for the supposed knight to be in a ridiculous scarf."
"Why's everyone always on about the scarf?" The Doctor asked as he and the purple-haired walked into the Tardis. He was then jerked back because his scarf got caught in the door of the Tardis, making both the purple-haired woman and Lillie laugh as he embarrassedly freed his scarf. The Tardis made a sound that indicated she was also laughing.
"Maybe that's why." The purple-haired woman teased.
"Who is he?" Lillie asked.
"I'm the Doctor. Would you like a jelly belly?"
"Even though it's Halloween, I'm not accepting candy from the strangest man I have ever met." Lillie said. "And Doctor who?"
The purple-haired woman laughed, "She did the thing!" She squealed.
"Just the Doctor." The Doctor said as if he couldn't think of any other way to say it.
“Trust me, his eyes would pop out of his head if you did say his real name.” The purple-haired woman teased.
“Nova!” The Doctor whined and turned to Sarah-Jane Smith, “Did she say it?”
“Say what?”
“The-the thing.”
“About the Tardis? No.” Sarah-Jane said.
“It’s like a glass of coke.” The Doctor said, “it’s only this big.” He made a gesture measuring something about the size of a coke can. “But it’s actually got this much sugar in it.” He extended his arms. “or did you not notice?”
“What?”
“The Tardis. It’s bigger on the inside.”
“Well, obviously. I just figured it was supposed to be. Like… the wardrobe in Narnia.”
“Most people are confused by that.” The Doctor said.
“I like her. My name is Supernova but my friends call me ‘Nova’.” The purple-haired woman brought her attention to the young Sherlock Holmes and walked towards the young teen with a mission in mind, "what's your name?"
"Lillie. Lillie Tyler." Lillie said as the woman crouched down to look her in the eyes.
“How’s that spelled?”
“L-I-L-L-I-E. It’s short for Delilah.”
“Delilah!” Nova said, eccentrically, “A type of dahlia. Symbolizes beauty, commitment, kindness, elegance, inner strength, change, creativity, dignity, positivity, resilience, wildness, and happiness. Generally, they can symbolize new beginning, fresh starts, enduring kindness and even grace in challenging time. Rebirth. The Victorians used them to signify a lasting bond between two people. Love. Of course, then there’s the Black Daliah. Elizabeth Short. Her death remained a mystery long after her and her killer’s death.”
“What do you mean her killer’s death?”
“George Hodel. He was an awful man. The world may never know but I do. He couldn’t run forever and he didn’t by the time I found him. Last year, 1999. Wasn’t it?
"What?" Lillie asked, very confused. "How could you even know that? It’s unsolved. I should know. I wrote an essay about it in year six. My teacher then sent me home with a note saying I was too graphic and ecstatic about horrifying things.”
“Then you’ll get along with us great.” Nova said, “Time machine, what do you make of the Doctor and me?" Nova said, testing her.
"I don't understand the question." Lillie said.
"Yes, you do. You're smart. What do you think of us?" Her purple eyes were somehow both cold and warm. Both analytical and emotional. As if she were analyzing her through her emotions and psychology.
"That 'Weeping Angel' wasn't human... it wasn't of this world so it must be of another world. Alien. Like you and the Doctor. Like this 'Tardis'. Because it... it defies science. So, it must be alien. You and the Doctor are aliens too, aren't you." She said, impressing all three of the adults with her deduction skills yet accepting nature.
“Yes. Does that bother you?”
“No. I mean, I’m alien from your point of view.”
“Finally. Someone gets it.” The Doctor said.
“Hush. Can I see your necklace, young female Sherlock?" She asked, gently. “A rose, huh?”
"How did you know about that?" Lillie asked, slightly taken aback by this.
"I'm smart too." She said, vaguely.
Lillie pulled her necklace out from under her shirt and showed it. The woman's eyes flickered with recognition but other than that there was no change of expression on her face.
Her necklace had a deep meaning for a thirteen-year-old, and barely that. A golden rose with a shiny dark red snake wrapped around the stem. It symbolized an eternal internal fight between light and darkness. People often got tattoos of it but Lillie didn’t seem like the tattoo type. A rebel, most definitely but not a tattoo girl.
"A genius, you can see things that no one else sees. Why can't they? Why are you so fast and everyone else so slow? You look and connect things, things people think are random but they're not. They're connected. Sometimes you wonder if there's something wrong with you but let me tell you that there isn't. There's nothing wrong with you. You're just stone-cold brilliant. You're unique, you're one-of-a-kind, you're special but you don't see that. I could scream it at you and you would refuse to believe it. But some day, you will."
"Who are you?" Lillie asked.
"Sorry, rude of me. I am Nova. I am alien, I am from the planet Elder of the Kasterborous galaxy. In a way."
"Nova." The Doctor whined but she literally waved him off like he was an annoying fly, annoyed he stomped off no doubt to sulk.
"How did you know who I am?"
"Alien reasons." Nova said, vaguely.
"Are you a seer or a time traveler?" She asked, changing the subject.
"Ah, while the Doctor is more telepathic than me, I'm more empathetic, though slightly telepathetic. But I cannot see the future; that’s my Mum. I mean, occasionally I can but it’s unpredictable. It’s like bouts of nuclear fission without the satisfying afterburn.”
“What?” Lillie asked.
“Right, you’re human. Nuclear fission is radioactive in large quantities and long-term exposure causes cancer in humans. So to sum up, I am an alien time traveler."
"And who is she?" Lillie asked, nodding to Sarah-Jane Smith.
"I'm human. I'm a companion of the Doctor and Nova." Sarah Jane said. "I'm, uh, from seventy-three."
"Well, welcome to two-thousand." Lillie smiled, awkwardly.
"You want to come with us, don't you?" Nova asked.
"But I can't. I'm only thirteen. I have my big sister, Rose..."
"You have a sister?" Nova asked, slightly surprised. That was new. Then again… "Rose?" She had a ironic smile tugging at her lips.
"She's six months older than me."
"Were you adopted?" Nova asked, bluntly.
"Nova!" Sarah-Jane scolded but was ignored.
"No, I was premature. Doctors said it was a miracle, I lived. I was perfectly healthy as if I were born at nine months." Lillie said.
"Does Rose happen to associate with gold?"
"What?"
"Does she like gold? Has a gold heart? Whatever?"
"She's... she's blonde and she... she has the best heart I know."
"Ah." Nova nodded, knowing more but not saying as the Doctor reentered the console room.
“Where do you live?” He asked.
“What?”
“Where do you live?”
“I wasn’t willing to take candy from you. You think I’m willing to tell you my address?” Lillie shouted.
“It’s not just a time machine. It materializes here and there. We can take you home.” Nova said.
Lillie told Nova her address and Nova drove the Tardis which the Doctor didn’t seem all too happy about.
The Tardis moved as Nova went back to Lillie.
“Question: Do strange things happen around you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Things like when you’re scared or angry. Things you can’t quite explain? Things that you know are because of you even if it seems impossible. Things that only you seem to really notice and if they do notice, they shrug it off.”
“Yeah—wh—yeah, why?” Lillie stammered.
“No reason.” Nova smiled and she took her compass necklace off, “this is an ancient necklace. From my planet. You can keep this until… one day, if our paths cross again when you're older, we'll reconsider, hmm?"
Lillie looked down at the necklace, seeing it was a compass necklace, the pendant was a shade of black with a purple-ish hue like a dark star, the metal twisted into a rose with a star sapphire in the middle under of the compass rose star, pointing to the north, the east, the south, and the east, the grooves around the rose and the compass rose was a Celtic design resembling roots, a purple glow the openings between the dark metal. When it clicked open it revealed a compass and it played a beautiful music unlike any anyone on Earth had heard before, on the back was an inscription that said, "Not all those who wander are lost."
"And Rose too?"
"Yep." Nova said, "if she's anything like you then she's brilliant, brave, sweet, loyal, and kind. Just like you. Keep true to yourself, Delilah Sherlock Tyler.”
--
They dropped Lillie off at her flat as a panicked Rose and Jackie came back, just in time to miss the Tardis dematerializing as Lillie watched it in wonder.
"Lillie!" A thirteen-year-old Rose Tyler cried, running to her younger sister and throwing arms around her, just about blinding her with her blonde hair
"Lillie, where the hell have you been?" Her mother demanded as Rose hugged her.
"Battling evil angels with the Doctor." She said blankly.
"What? Doctor who?" Jackie asked, incredulously.
--
That night as Lillie dozed off to sleep, a multi-colored field energy that has surrounded the young Tyler her whole life started to glow in her room before being sucked into the compass which was now glowing, Lillie shifted in her sleep and smiled gently.
Notes:
*Sorry, if the personalities of Sarah Jane Smith and the Fourth Doctor were off beat. I haven’t gotten to the Fourth Doctor yet in the Classic Doctor Who… or Sarah-Jane Smith’s debut. And I haven’t seen the Sarah Jane Smith Adventures.*
I saved a bunch of compass pictures that I found on my old laptop but now I've got a new laptop. I did save them on Terrabox but loading the pictures are slow and the scrolling is laggy, so the compass I photoshopped isn't exactly what is described.
The DnD dice is not random. It represents her mother who can see different paths of the future and I felt the dice showed that pretty well and the sword represents her father, Castiel who is the protector of the universe, Elder, and above all else, his daughter. (And perhaps if you think there's a version of Dean Winchester on Elder).
Chapter 7: Second Prologue: January First, 2005
Summary:
On January first, 2005, Rose and Lillie on their way back into their flat meet a friendly man they assumed to be a random drunk but it was the next face of the man they would meet in just two months who promised them that 2005 would be a great year for them.
Notes:
Warning: TenRose Feels Gifs, If you love TenRose as much as I do, the gifs may break your heart, Spoilers for The End of Time, TenLillie Feels or whatever their ship name would be.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
January first, 2005, two months and four days before Lillie and Rose Tyler meet the Ninth Doctor
Au Revoir — French — Goodbye until we meet again.
"My soul feels reborn each time I see you; falling in love with you again and again."
Lillie Tyler, Rose Tyler, and Jackie Tyler walked through the streets of the Powell Estate in the freezing cold.
"I'm late now. I've missed it. It's midnight. Mickey's going to be calling me everything. This is your fault." Rose blamed.
"No, it's not. It's Jimbo. He said he was going to give us a lift, then he said his axle broke. I can't help it." Jackie denied.
"Get rid of him, Mum. He's useless." Lillie groaned.
"Listen to you two, with a mechanic and no boyfriend." Lillie looked at her mother with a look just as sarcastic as her words would be, like, Thank you for that.
Lillie’s ex had recently ended their relationship when an internship arose and the end of relationship was mutual but it didn’t make Lillie feel any better despite the smile she had kept on her face during their talks and when she was around everyone else. She had kept the relationship secret from everyone in her life, well, almost everyone, there was that very handsome, charming dark-haired man in the military coat and the American accent.
She thought he was just a stranger, but in his point of view, he knew her very well. She had seen a twinkle in his blue eyes, but he was so kind and understanding when he sat down next to her on the bench and they had a lovely chat about the social expectations of the early 2000s and the rights people should have to be themselves. He was funny, kind, encouraging, and supportive, even though to her, he was a total stranger. It was almost like he was from another era, where the rules were different and people were less judgemental and people could be who they wanted to be without fear.
"Be fair, though. My time of life I'm not going to do much better." Jackie added.
"Don't be like that. You never know. There could be someone out there." Rose encouraged her mother.
"Maybe, one day.” Jackie mused.
"Mum, you're only thirty-seven." Lillie said.
Rose turned to her curly-haired brunette sister, "And they'll be someone out there for you."
"Oh yeah, boys are lining up to date the crazy tomboy with weird dreams, violent and rebellious tendencies, and a criminal record,." Lillie scoffed, sarcastically.
"Closed criminal record." Jackie reminded her as when Lillie did the things she did, ultimately for the greater good of others but got her in trouble, she seemed to have an anomonous guardian angel who kept her record closed and from getting her into any major trouble. They had always brushed it off as privileges due to her genius.
"Hey." Rose said with the gentle sternness of an encouraging older sister, "One day, you'll meet your perfect guy."
"What did you always say?" Rose asked and recalled her sister's list, "A mischivious renegade who was moral, stubborn yet kind. Loyal, unpredictable, empathetic, kind, understanding, witty, funny, and cheeky. Oh, yeah, with great hair."
Lillie crossed her arms and blushed, looking down.
Lillie smiled, softly but she doubted it. She wasn't the kind of girl guys dated. Just the kind they would get intimidated by. She had always been boyish in personality and clothing. She wasn't exactly the kind of girl guys were lining up to date; she was more the kind who you almost forgot was a girl at all.
If you were to ask her what her perfect guy was, she would say someone who was rebellious yet moral. Someone who was stubborn in his beliefs of compassion and free will, someone who was unpredictable yet loyal, someone who was mischievous yet empathetic and understanding. She wanted someone who was brutal yet kind, someone who was funny in a witty, cheeky kind of way. Someone who was broken in a way that it made him so kind that he fought to keep others from feeling pain like the kind he does. Most importantly, someone who could be both her best friend and look at her with such love, like he had seen and loved the universe with all its stars, planets, and beauty and like he had seen and loved her, and ultimately, the universe couldn’t compare to her as she had more beautiful galaxies in her than the whole of the universe. Appearance-wise? Ideally, someone with great hair and a brilliant smile.
Sometimes when she thought this, she felt as if she were describing someone she had once met yet at the same time she didn’t know yet, not knowing that that very somebody was watching her from the shadows, looking at her with absolute certainty that nothing in the universe compared to her angelic and classic beauty.
Happy New Year." Jackie told her daughters.
"Happy New Year!" They said in unison, and they all embraced.
"Don't stay out all night." Rose told their mother.
"Try and stop me." Jackie said, "Look after your sister!"
"I'm not a child!" Lillie exclaimed, indignantly as Rose gave her mother a look like, I always do.
"And get her inside. You know how quickly she gets sick from the cold!"
Jackie walked in a different direction than her two daughters, as her youngest blushed, unaware of a man who would be very important to them in just two months and four days was watching from the shadows, with a different face than the one they'll meet.
He grunted in pain, bringing their attention to him.
"You all right, mate?" Lillie asked, kindly, laying her warm blue eyes upon him. Something about him was... almost familiar...
Her memory briefly flashed back to that bizarre man she had met five years ago.
"Yeah." He lied. He was dying but he had to say goodbye. To these girls. His girls. His best girls.
"Too much to drink?" Rose asked.
"Something like that." He nodded.
"Maybe it's time you went home." Lillie suggested with a head tilt. "Don't think your loved ones would appreciate you out in this cold."
"Yeah." He nodded, knowing that if she remembered, she'd smack him and shout at him to get into his Tardis. "You too. Listen to your mother, you don't want to get sick. You're starting to look a bit nippy." He gestured to her burning cheeks and red nose from the cold.
"Anyway, Happy New Year." Lillie smiled.
"And you two as well." The sisters went to walk back home when he spoke again, "What year is this?"
"Blimey, how much have you had?" Lillie laughed as she brushed her hair out of her face, her laugh was still the most beautiful sound he ever heard, even more than the sound of the Tardis.
“Well,” He said, tilting his head.
"Two-thousand-and-five. January the first." She said.
"Two-thousand-and-five." His words carried a kind of weight that Lillie picked up but couldn't tell why. He couldn't tell her how much he loved her because he was a stranger to her. That was the most painful thing, even more painful than the radiation poisoning and killing his body. His words would mean nothing to the girl that meant everything to him. So instead he said his last goodbye. "Tell you what. I bet you're going to have a really great year. The both of you." He nodded at Rose.
"Yeah?" Lillie smiled that beautiful smile of hers, the sisters saying their first hello and he returned a smile as he just barely kept himself together from the radiation poisoning his body and heartbreak wracking through his double-hearted body. "Well, Au-Revoir."
The man smiled with both his hearts breaking as the two girls, the two very important girls to him ran off back to their home, two months before they would officially meet him back when he had big ears and wore a leather jacket.
"Goodbye, Rose Tyler. Goodbye, Lillie Tyler. Goodbye, Supernova." He said, his hearts hurting more at saying the name of who he would always consider his true love than the radiation that was killing him painfully.
It was his last day and the first of the Rose and Lillie/Nova’s... forever.
Notes:
*I do not own these gifs. I just thought they were really beautiful yet heartbreaking, just describing the Tenth Doctor and his human love perfectly. Just imagine Rose in the gifs is Katherine Langford.*
Chapter 8: Prologue Three — Her Death and One Hundred Years of Traveling Alone After the Time War
Summary:
Supernova dies in the Doctor's arms during the Time War and the Doctor struggles to cope with this.
Notes:
*I completely forgot on Wattpad, I had songs on these but I can't remember most of them. So any suggestions until I find some.*
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Desiderium — Noun — An ardent desire or longer; a feeling of grief for something lost.
“You were unsure which pain is worse—the shock of what happened or the ache for what never will.”
It had happened so fast that even after it happened, the Doctor couldn’t believe it had happened.
He was fighting the Daleks when he heard a Dalek shout, "Exterminate!" The Dalek about to shoot the Doctor said before, "Ahh..." Then a sword was thrusted through the Dalek's metal before retracting and the Dalek was shoved to the side, revealing an opal-haired woman.
"Doctor!" Nova screamed when she saw him. He turned and she leapt into his arms despite a war going on around them. She let out a soft giggle of relief and disbelief into his ear, making him feel all warm and fuzzy inside as his hearts thumped at an irregular beat. “I found you. I will always find you.”
He pulled back, smiling down at her, “I know you will and I will always find you.”
She hesitated before leaning up on her toes and pecking his cheek, just at the corner of his lips. Not exactly a kiss but close enough.
“We have a war to win.” She said and put on her game face.
She had changed since he last saw her... on her wedding day. When she begged him to take her away when he was still in his sixth regeneration, as cruel as that face was, it still killed him to reject her, for the good of her people.
To him it had been more or less of a century since he last saw her, to her... it had been much... much... longer.
She no longer had her hair down with small braids that were custom to Elder, specifically the Elder royals, but in a full intricate braid at a bright blue shade. She didn't wear her usual casual tomboyish clothing but a kind of battle-appropriate dress.
It was unnoticiable but this was a hair color change by choice like most of her hair color changes were, but a coping mechanism for her nearly eon-long depression. Only one had managed to realize that... ironic since he was considered to be even more narcissistic and self-absorbed than the Doctor, even at his worst, yet he had noticed the red flags when the Doctor never could. He had been at the wedding--granted he left halfway through--but he had been there and he hadn't noticed the red flags. The other Time Lord noticed them right away.
The Doctor and Nova fought back to back until… Dalek Caan came along. The Doctor didn't see it but Nova did. "DOCTOR!" She screamed, pushing him out of the way and the Dalek hit her in the chest, her skeleton glowed before she fell as Dalek Caan then made his escape.
"Nova, no!" He cried, distraught, he fell to his knees and pulled her into his lap. “Nova!”
"M’ Sorry." She breathed, her words slightly slurring from the pain; he could see her hand veins already starting to glow the color of a supernova as she lifted them to look at them, “Fuck, he got me good.”
"Why? Why would you do that?" He sobbed as she lowered them.
"Because I-I..." Her body began to glow like an aura. "Doctor, I...” She let out a bitter chuckle, “you know why. Because…” She broke off, gasping in pain as the glow in her veins reached her cheeks.
“Shh, don’t talk.” He hushed her, stroking her hair, ignoring that it was burning his hands.
“No, this is my last chance to say it.” Her voice broke.
"No, you're going to be okay. You're always okay."
"No, I'm not. Elder is dying… and there’ll be no more children to be born for me to be reborn as. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Doc." Her purple eyes looked into his blue ones as her eyes started to glow. She uttered out his true name before her body let out an explosion, cutting her confession short that shot the Doctor a few feet away, when he got up, his body now dying from her blast, her body was gone, leaving nothing but a scorch mark in the shape of a star and the Eighth Doctor’s body dying.
--
When the Ninth Doctor regenerated from the War Doctor, his memory of spotty of the reason for his regeneration but that could’ve been just the regeneration energy that made him act as if high but wasn’t spotty as Nova’s death. He remembered it clear as day.
He fell to his knees, sobbing as he felt as if he had seen her again before she was ripped away from him again. The Tardis warbled and projected a hologram.
“Doctor.” Her Australian accent said and he looked up to see his silver purple-haired love with purple eyes, she smiled a bittersweet smile at him.
“NO!” He shouted, pointing frantically at both the hologram and the Tardis, “NO! I KNOW YOU ARE TRYING TO HELP BUT YOU ARE KILLING ME WITH THE GUILT!”
“My Doctor.” The Hologram said, “I am not a hologram created by the Tardis.”
“GET BACK!” She shouted, dramatically and crawled/rolled away from her as she gave him a drolly deadpan look like she was unamused with his regeneration high antics.
“Doctor. Stop acting like I’m the Rani! I am an artificial program the real Nova programed not long after battling that Weeping Angel with Sarah-Jane and that young female Sherlock Holmes.”
“Who?” He asked.
She sighed and snapped her fingers, showing the young girl saying, “"I just knew that Prince Charming wasn't going to come save me, that some knight in shining armor wasn't going to. I'd have to save myself because this isn't a Disney movie, this isn't a fairy tale and even then, the real fairy tales are much grimmer than people think they are. I just didn't expect for the supposed knight to be in a ridiculous scarf."
“Oh, yes, she was very rude.”
"You have to admit she had a point about the scarf. Good thing, she didn't see you went you wore celery." The Nova hologram sassed and the Doctor rolled his eyes, annoyed.
“I need you to do something, you can do it now or when she and her sister are in danger in their time. This program will activate with no way to shut it off…”
The Doctor slammed his hand down on the Tardis console and Nova’s hologram flickered out.
--
One hundred years later…
The Doctor was in his console, having spent the past century alone, traveling with the hologram flickered on.
“Hey, Doc.”
“No!” He shouted, pointing at her.
“Doctor.”
“NO, YOU DON’T GET TO DROP BACK INTO MY LIFE WITH THE FACE OF THE WOMAN I LOVED AND MAKE DEMANDS!” He thundered.
“Blimey, you really do know how to sulk!” She shouted, rolling her eyes and turning in a circle at his stubbornness.
“I’M NOT SULKING!” He shouted.
“You’ve been traveling in a box alone for a hundred years.”
“You want to know what seven hundred years of traveling and saving the universe talk me? You want to know what her death taught me? The universe doesn’t care. I’ve saved the universe for over half a millennia, and the least the universe could do was give me this one thing. Her life. She wasn’t just a princess, she was my only true love. The only woman I could ever truly love. I married Patience, trying to get of my feelings for her. Didn’t work and she knew that! She encouraged me to ask her to travel before she died with Omega’s universe! I couldn’t have this one bloody thing. Not only did I lose Arkytio, and Patience, and my sisters, and Irving Braxiatel, and my dad, and my mother, and Koschei! I lost her! So, the universe doesn’t care so why should I!?”
“Because she asked for you to do this one thing. This one thing will give you that happiness again.”
“Not unless it can bring her back.” He spat.
“Won’t you give her this one last request?” She asked, “What would she do?”
Nova had been the first Elder to be born, she was first being in the universe to be born at all. She had always been vague about the other oldest Elders, stating they just twinkled into existence (as like everyone and all of us, they were made out of stardust, only more celestially than all other species...) She had always tried hard to stay true to the morals of the Elders. To be compassionate, humble, kind, loyal, selfless, accepting, fair, dedicated, empathetic, protective, wise, equal, strong, determined, genuine, true, and valiant.
He knew what she would do. He was one of few who knew her well enough to be able to somewaht predict her usually unpredictable actions.
He was silent for a long time before asking, “What does she want me to do?”
“Autons in Westminster, London, England on March 4, 2005. Save Rose and Lillie Tyler.”
Notes:
*I know there's a lot of pictures on this one here, but most of these, I photoshopped myself to fit the story. It was hard work.*
Chapter Text
Toddler/Child Lillie Tyler - Lexi Rabe (I tried to edit a photo of her to give her blue eyes but her eyes are too dark)
The Miracle Baby
Thirteen-Year-Old Lillie Tyler — Malina Weissman
The Genius Child Inventor
Lillie Tyler — Katherine Langford
The Girl Who Was Reborn
Supernova — Katherine Langford
The Dying Star Princess
Rose Tyler — Billie Piper
Bad Wolf
Jackie Tyler — Camille Coduri
The Mother You Wouldn't Dare Cross
Mickey Smith — Noel Clarke
Ricky the Idiot
Ninth Doctor — Christopher Eccleston
The Doctor She Helped Heal
Captain Jack Harkness — John Barrowman
The Super Handsome Con Man; I f It Breathes, He Flirts With It, if it Doesn't Breathe, He Still Flirts With It
Guest Starring:
The Tenth Doctor — David Tennant
The Man Who Was Born From His Love For Her
Lars South-Woods — (Redacted. Spoilers! Do your research, maybe you'll figure it out before they're revealed. 😉)
Chapter 10: Rose and Lillie
Summary:
Rose and Lillie Tyler meet a man who changes their lives forever.
Notes:
Note: Bits have been taken from the "Rose" Novelization by Russel T. Davis in 2018, I've rewritten the parts I felt could be rewritten but still have no ownership; those words are either in italics or bold (unless I forgot to do it). I only own Lillie Tyler and Nova and their storylines.
Warnings: Death, Violence, Violently Protective Younger Sister, Overprotective Family, Donna Noble missing an invasion.
Chapter Text
Datsuzoku — Japanese — Noun — To escape from the daily routine; to take a break from the conventions of one's life; to discover more creativity and perceive your surroundings differently.
"I am tired of pretending I'm fine to those around me, I've never felt more dead in my entire life."
Nineteen-year-old Rose Tyler woke up on the most ordinary day in her very pink room, not knowing that her life was about to change forever. She would often wonder, many years later, standing on the shore of a different universe, about to witness the biggest heartbreak of her life, whether she had missed any signs on that day, long ago. Presentiments of the dangers and joys to come. A lowering sky, perhaps. Distant lightning. Dogs barking at thin air. A fearful old woman staring at her from across the street. But no. It was simply a Friday. Her alarm went off at seven-thirty.
She knew her schedule—shower, have yogurt, wake up her little sister, argue with her mother about the electricity bill or with her sister about her paper assignments scattered all over the flat, walk her sister to the bus stop, and then walk to work.
--
Princess Supernova of Elder glared at the young Time Lord who would one day choose the name “the Doctor” and his standoffish attitude (that was hiding his immense anxiety as he had spent a lot of time crying in the barn of his orphanage lately as this day had grown closer) and then she punched him in the face in front of the whole of Gallifrey’s Academy. The young boy who would one day choose the name “The Master” but now was known by his nickname, “Koschei” let out an impressed and disbelieving chuckle as the Doctor turned back to her in shock, holding his jaw that would soon sport a bruise.
She smirked and stuck out her hand, "Hi, I'm Princess Supernova."
He stared at her for a few shocked moments, he made eye contact with Koschei who was still grinning.
Lillie Tyler was awoken by her sister, Rose Tyler banging on her door. "It’s time for school, Lillie!”
She heard Lillie let out a nasal, overdramatic groan, which vaguely resembled a dying cat parade. “Naaaaaaaaaaggghhh!” which roughly translated in went-to-bed-at-two-in-the-morning-Lillie as, “Don’t make me get out of bed! I’m allergic to sunlight and socializing and dumb people which is everyone at my school including the teachers! Especially the teachers!”
Rose showed no facial expression, indicating that this was unusual behavior for her little sister.
“Don’t make me sent Mum in there!”
“I’m getting up! I’m getting up!” The younger Tyler sister groaned and then rolled over, pulling all the blankets with her as she rolled off the bed.
Lillie stood up, pushing the blankets off her, revealing her hair to be a brunette frizzy mess and her gray-tinted blue eyes bleary with sleep. She rubbed her eyes and got ready for the day.
She and her older sister, Rose Tyler moved in their usual routine. You wouldn't think it by looking at them that they were sisters as Rose had straight blonde hair and green eyes and Lillie had curly chocolate brown hair and blue eyes.
Rose had dropped out of school when she was sixteen while Lillie was exceptionally bright and liked to think of herself as an empathetic Sherlock Holmes.
When Rose was in school, Lillie was a grade behind her even though she was only six months younger. Lillie was still in school, in her last year, she had wild amounts of potential, in between and after her high school classes, she even took advanced classes—college-level advanced classes that were hard for college students and sometimes even professionals—but she had no ambition or confidence in herself. She occasionally questioned her own sanity as she still believes she met a man with a stupidly long scarf and a woman with purple hair with a magic box that could travel through time and space that was bigger on the inside.
She and Rose left their house, walking side by side before splitting at the bus stop, accustomed to this routine.
--
Throughout school, she stared into nothingness as she was bored out of her mind. Boredom. That's all she really felt her whole life... except when she met the Doctor and Nova and Sarah Jane Smith. When she was dealing with that "Weeping Angel" she had been scared but she felt alive, more alive than she had ever felt. She'd give anything to feel that again. This September she was supposed to go to the University of Cambridge to study astronomy, cosmology, and quantum physics. That's all she wanted, to reach the stars; that'll be the next best thing as it seemed that they were never coming back for her.
She didn’t really have friends at school, they regarded her as weird and abnormal. She had one school friend, one who was intelligent and resourceful, more than any of the other students, the brilliant Lars South-Woods; they became friends and Lillie had fallen hard, they dated for a year before Lars was given an internship at… well, Lars wouldn’t tell Lillie where but she caught a glimpse of the name, it was two words put together but she only made out a “T” and a “W” but then Lars had caught her nearly had a freakout and Lillie realized if she didn’t want to get yelled at to run. Lars and she had broken up on mutual terms with the promise to stay friends but she was alone again.
“Miss Tyler?” Her teacher asked. Well, it wasn’t her teacher but a professor whose class she audited she had been taking these classes since she was twelve years old when she started outsmarting the teachers by calculating things in multiple dimensions. Some of the professors tried to trip her up but she often both outsmarted them and confused them, like when she kept only referring to “Quantum Entanglement” as Einstein’s name for it, “Spooky action at a distance” even in her papers. She was acknowledging the theory brilliantly but only used that term, simply because according to her when her mother confusingly asked her about it, not understanding a lick of it, was because, “it’s funnier to say.”
“Why did a genius such as Albert Einstein consider Quantum Entanglement impossible?”
Lillie just looked up boredly at her and said, “Well, spooky action at a distance is the phenomenon by which one particle can effectively ‘know’something about another particle instantaneously, even if they are on opposite sides of the galaxy. Einstein argued that this violates the local realism view of causality which is the cause of a physical change must be local—that is, a thing is changed only if it is physically touched, he argued at nothing could move faster than the speed of light, not even information. This idea absolutely rattled the physicist and he never accepted it. But it doesn’t at least, not to our knowledge, experiments show that quantum physics can be used to send faster-than-light communication, whether this theory is true is not truly known to this day and may be that way for quite a while. Most physicists today accept spooky action at a distance as a real phenomenon, based on many experiments that confirm it. They also argue that it does not allow for faster-than-light communication, because the measurement outcomes are random and cannot be controlled or predicted.”
She said this with the utmost causality as if explaining what color the sky was.
“What do you think?”
“I think nothing is faster than light.” She said with a slight smirk as if she knew something she didn’t. Well, not consciously.
“Y-yes, well, once again, Miss Tyler, it’s called ‘Quantum Entanglement’.” The professor said.
Lillie sighed and slumped back in her seat before dropping her head on the table, typical, scienctists always wanted to make everything straightforward and never have any fun. The people who had fun never liked Lillie, they found her weird and the people she almost fit in with were no fun.
She and Rose had been promised this year would be better. A promise made on New Year’s Eve by a complete stranger. She and Rose had been heading across the estate before Lillie got sick from the cold, when a man—some drunk the girls assumed—had asked out to the sisters out to her from the shadows, by the bins. He’d asked them what year it was. It had just chimed midnight, so Lillie told him it was 2005. His face was lost in darkness and snow but somehow she heard him smile as he repeated the year, there was a certain weight to his words that Lillie still thought a lot about, and then he said, “I bet you're going to have a really great year.” He had spoken in a southern Estuary English accent and she could make out the silhouette of his sticky-uppy hair.
Yeah. Sure.
“Never trust a drunk in the dark.” Jackie told that to Rose and Lillie when they were young and Rose still continuously told Lillie this as if they were her own words of wisdom, especially after Jimmy Stone. Lillie never did, not that she had many chances to be around drunks with her rather introverted personality.
But the funny thing was, she did trust him. And so did Rose against all sense of logic. That stranger. There was something about his voice, the way he said it, like he was saying it only for them. He had looked directly at Lillie as if he was applying it more to Lillie than Rose. Somehow, out of all the nonsense the sisters had ever heard from drunken men, they remembered his words.
So Rose and Lillie Tyler kept waiting.
After school, she walked to Rose's work after school, she was just so tired of everyday life. She knew Rose was too, despite never having to talk about it but what could they do about it?
Rose told her that she needed to give Wilson the lottery money at her work and Lillie offered to stay up in the store.
Rose let a sarcastic laugh and said, “Not a chance in hell.” She grabbed her hand and pulled her to the elevator. “Blimey, Lils, you’re eighteen and have been taking genius advanced university classes for six years, it’s just a lift!”
“Ugh, you sound like Mum!” Lillie groaned.
They got on the elevator of the building and went down the elevator shaft.
Wilson was known for being a creep, Rose had caught him eyeing her little sister at times but he wasn’t so dumb to make a move after witnessing Jackie scream at and slap a drunk who had hit on her in the store soon after Rose started working at Hendrick’s and it was immediately followed by Rose doing the same thing while Lillie just blushed, mortified with her arms crossed. So he knew both Rose and Jackie wouldn’t hesitate to slap the living day lights out of him and then there was the story of what Lillie did to Rose’s ex-boyfriend, Jimmy Stone, allegedly, she had somehow hunted him down to Amsterdam when seven full hours away from London by car—and Lillie didn’t own a car or a driver’s license, she had been fifteen years old and allegedly slashed his tires and keyed his car and all of his band equipment was mysteriously stolen and then he was found by the police with his bass drum broken over him, trapping him with a convenient list of proof of his petty crimes just for them which landed him in prison for eighteen months. There had been no proof that Lillie had done it but Rose suspected otherwise.
They stepped out of the elevator and Rose looked down the hall, "Wilson!" The sisters looked at each other before venturing down a hall, "Wilson, I've got the lottery money. Wilson, are you there?" The eldest knocked on Wilson's office door but there was no answer. "I can't hang about cause they're closing the shop. Wilson!"
The two sisters heard a clattering down the hall and the sisters looked at each other and they followed the noise with Rose taking the lead; Wilson was known for being a bit of creep.
Rose has always been overprotective of her and Lillie was for her. Rose’s earliest memory was when she was about a year and a half year old, most don’t have memories form the first three years of their life but this memory always stuck to her because Lillie had gotten really sick during the winter, Jackie had cried as she had feared Lillie would die so soon after Pete but Lillie made it through. It turned out it was a really bad case of pneumonia; apparently Lillie had some aversion to cold weather, it made her particularly vulnerable to illnesses such as the common cold or the flu, which was especially dangerous as she not even a year old at that time. They had been told that while most one-year-old’s immune systems were stronger than people thought, usually maturing somewhere between two and three months but Lillie’s immune system just was maturing more slowly, making her vulnerable to the cold.
Rose remembered getting out of her tiny toddler bed and walking to her sister’s room, being quiet as her mom chattered away on the phone.
“I swear, I’m only twenty-one and she’s giving me gray hairs…”
Rose snuck into her sister’s room and pulled the step ladder thing she used to peer over the crib and she saw her sister asleep, she was hugging a stuffed star, fists pale as she clung onto it for dear life as she slept on her side with her cheek all smushed from lying on the stuffed star, she had curly chocolate brown hair, a vast contrast of her mother and sister’s straighter blonde hair.
Toddler Rose didn’t say anything, she just looked at her little sister. At her young age, Rose had been aware her sister was in danger, Jackie had been crying in the hospital as Mickey and his parents and grandmother were there. Odessa and Jackson had been comforting Jackie while Mickey and Rita-Anne sat with her.
Baby Lillie then opened her eyes, revealing brilliant blue eyes, looking up at her older sister with much more intelligence than an eleven-month-old should have.
Toddler Rose smiled down at her sister, she reached down and felt Baby Lillie take her hand.
“I promise to protect you.” The one-year-old Rose Tyler promised. “Forever.” To this day, Rose recalls that day as the first time she promised to protect Lillie and she never failed to live up to that promise and it had become her instinct to protect Lillie before herself.
"Hello? W-Wilson?" She pushed a door open, the sisters entering a very dark room, revealing a huge room of mannequins. The eldest Tyler sister ventured into the room, closely.
"Right, let's just go for a stroll into the room full of nightmares," Lillie muttered before following her sister to a red door that said: Estates Management Department Access: Restricted to Authorized Personnel Only when the door they came in closed shut.
The sisters ran to the door, trying to pull it open but it seemed to be locked.
"You're kidding me." Rose muttered as Lillie kicked the door.
They heard more clanking behind them.
"Is that someone mucking about?" Rose called.
"Who is it?" Lillie called as they wandered further into the nightmare room.
They heard creaking and turned to see a male mannequin looking at them. Lillie saw the mannequin stepping out towards them, Rose grabbed Lillie's arm, pulling her back.
"Yeah, you got me. Very funny." Rose said, her voice slightly shaky, she sensed danger but didn't want to accept it but was still wary of the danger Lillie was in.
A second mannequin behind the first moved, then a third.
"Right, I've got the joke. "Whose idea was this? Is it Derek's? Is it? Derek, is this you?" Lillie pulled Rose away from the increasing number of moving mannequins, Rose stumbled over a box as Lillie backed into a wall with Rose joining her. The sisters clasped each other's hands tightly.
The lead mannequin raised its arm as if going to karate chop them; Rose noticed in a brief glint of light, dark liquid on the dummy’s hand… she hoped it was oil or paint… but she doubted it… Rose pushed Lillie behind her, shielding her with her body, though it wouldn’t be much use… Rose closed her eyes, bracing for impact, letting out a few soft whimpers of fear but refusing to do anything other than live up to her promise. Lillie stared up at the dummies over Rose’s shoulder with a glare, her compass locket given to her five years ago glowed colors of a rageful red, a protective turquoise, a flowery pink that an Elder would recognize for the fierceness of sisterly love but then before the glow became noticeable a man reached out of the darkness and grabbed Rose and Lillie’s joined hands, and with that and one word changing the sisters' lives forever.
"Run."
It was a bald man around his early-to-mid forties with big ears, wearing a t-shirt and a leather jacket.
He pulled Rose and Lillie out of the way, and the three ran through the basement as the mannequins followed until they got to the lift. One of the mannequins grabbed Lillie's hair and tried to pull her back out. Suddenly some unknown instinct kicked in and she spun, grabbing the arm and pulling it off in one fell swoop and the elevator doors closed on the mannequins.
"I..." She drawled out in shock, backing into the elevator wall next to her sister. "...Pulled its arm off."
The man stared at Lillie in shock for a few long moments. She looked just like her, just with brown hair and blue eyes. She even had a similar fashion style. Graphic tee, plaid skirt, jeans, boots.
"What?" Lillie asked, looking down, she hated when people looked at her for what she felt was too long, she felt like they were judging her and while she ultimately didn't care about the opinion of people who were usually too invested in their own lives to consider other people or only did it to feel better about themselves, it hurt nonetheless, not that she would ever admit that.
The man shook his head as if shaking out of a trance, denying something in his head. "Yep. Plastic." He covered up his shock. There would roughly be about six people in the world who would look like her, nonetheless the universe.
"Very clever. Nice trick! Who were they then, students? Is this a student thing or what?" Rose asked.
"Why would they be students?" He asked, curiously, almost as if he were testing her.
"I don't know..." Rose trailed off, feeling flustered suddenly.
"Well, you said it. Why students?" He prompted.
"Cause to get that many people dressed up and being silly, they got to be students." Rose mumbled, she felt shameful that she had froze up in a crisis, she had just acted as a shield for her sister, lot good that would do before they would’ve gotten to her.
"That makes sense. Well done." He smiled.
"Thanks."
"They're not students."
"Whoever they are, when Wilson finds them, he's going to call the police." Rose said, sternly.
"Who's Wilson?" The man asked.
"Chief electrician."
“Slash-caretaker.” Lillie mumbled.
"Wilson's dead." He said simply.
The lift beeped, announcing that they had reached their destination and they walked out.
"That's just not funny." Rose exclaimed.
"That's sick!" Lillie scoffed. The man noted that this brunette had a different accent than she did. It had been Australian.
"Hold on. Mind your eyes." He took out a sonic screwdriver, it was different than the one she had seen her Doctor with.
Doctor. It was her Doctor but with a different face. Like in her dreams. But… where was Nova?
"I've had enough of this now!" Rose complained, the sisters truly did get Jackie's attitude. Sparks emitted from lift mechanism as he continued to ignore most of Rose's questions, "Who are you, then? Who's that lot down there? I said, who are they?"
"They're made of plastic. Living plastic creatures. They're being controlled by a relay device in the roof, which would be a great big problem if I didn't have this." He produced what seemed to be a small bomb, "So, I'm going to go up there and blow them up, and I might well die in the process, but don't worry about me. No, you two go home. Go on. Go and have your lovely beans on toast." He opened a door and pushed the sisters through it, Don't tell anyone about this, because if you do, you'll get them killed." He shut the door.
Doctor. The name appeared in her head and she knew that was who he was.
The man opened the door and opened his mouth to speak but Lillie had spoken, "You're the Doctor, aren't you?"
He blinked at her like he couldn't believe it.
"How did you know?"
"Umm... I don't..." She mumbled, lamely. It couldn't be him. Those were just dreams. Right?
"What's your names?" He asked, narrowing his blue eyes but not in a bad way, but more in a curious way.
"Rose."
"Lillie."
"Nice to meet you, Rose, Lillie. Run for your lives!"
Rose, still holding the mannequin arm, grabbed Lillie's hand and pulled her out of the building onto the street, Lillie pulled Rose back before she became a questionable hood ornament of a car.
"Watch it!" The man shouted.
The sisters looked at one another as they made it to the sidewalk.
KABOOM!
A huge fireball took out the upper floor of Rose's job, making Rose flinch while Lillie just tilted her head. Rose ran straight past an out-of-date police telephone box, Lillie however, stumbled to a stop and the brunette turned to look at it, she walked up to the blue wooden box and went to touch it but stopped when Rose shouted for her and Lillie ran after her.
The Tardis warbled, recognizing the soul of the girl who had tried to touch her, well, the fact that she was the same girl who dressed as Sherlock.
--
The neighbors applauded when the sisters returned much to Lillie’s embarrassment as she pulled her hoodie over her head and then their mother burst out of their flat, resembling five foot tall blonde and denim missile.
Rose flinched and Lillie paused, observing her mother’s mood, trying to decipher, if they’d get a hug or a slap.
A hug. A hug that nearly knocked Lillie off the ground and brought her mother down with her but they managed not to as Jackie squeezed the living daylights out of the sisters.
Jackie Tyler, five-foot-nothing, age—not relevant (thirty-six, but she’d never admit it), karaoke champion of the spinning wheel, life and soul of the party (which birthed Jackie’s eighteen-year-old joke of how she could be Lillie’s mother since she was the opposite) but a monumental lightning storm when angry(which was proof that she was Lillie’s mother), now sobbing and laughing and somehow finding a reason to give Rose a punch on the arm while still nearly strangling her youngest.
“YOU STUPID GIRL!”
“Why am I stupid!?” Rose asked.
“You just are!”
Then she found a reason to get angry at her youngest, “What are you doing out here in the cold! You’ll get hypo-pneumonia!”
“That’s not a thing, Mum!” Lillie protested as Jackie dragged her back to the flat, waving to the neighbors as though she had single-handedly rescued her daughters herself, “It’s ‘hypothermia’ and ‘pneumonia’!
As she dragged her youngest inside as if she were blue from the cold as her oldest, thankful for not being Jackie’s center of attention at the moment, quietly entered as Jackie wittered on, “What would I do if you left! All these textbooks lying about!” To be fair, a bunch of Lillie’s textbooks were at random places, including in the freezer as Jackie had found that morning for some reason and a bunch of her papers were scattered about.
Soon Jackie switched to going on the phone to talk to seemingly everyone she had ever known, as the sisters watched the news, "The whole of Central London has been closed off as police investigate the fire. Early reports indicate..."
Jackie walked out of the kitchen, still on the phone, "I know. It's on the telly. It's everywhere. They're lucky to be alive. Honestly, it's aged them. Skin like an old bible. Walking in now you'd think I was their daughter. Oh, and here's them."
Mickey, Rose's boyfriend entered the apartment, "I've been phoning your mobiles. You two could've been dead. It's on the news and everything. I can't believe that your shop went up!""
"We're all right, honestly!" Rose said.
"We're fine! Don't make a fuss." Lillie agreed.
"Well, what happened?"
"I don't know!"" The sisters groaned in unison.
"What was it though?" Mickey asked. "What caused it?"
"We weren't in the shop. We were outside." Rose lied. "We didn't see anything.
Jackie walked up to them, handing Rose the phone, "It's Debbie on the end. She knows a man on the Mirror. Five hundred quid for an interview."
"Oh, that's brilliant!" Rose said, sarcastically, taking the phone, "Give it here." She took the phone and hung up.
"Well, you've got to find some way of making money. Your job's kaput and I'm not bailing you out."
"Mum, we could've died! Now's not the time to be thinking about money!" Lillie scolded her mother but before Jackie could reply the phone rang and she picked up again.
"Bev! They're alive. I've told them, sue for compensation. They were within seconds of death." She said into the phone as Lillie rolled her eyes. As far as Jackie knew, they hadn’t even been in the building.
"What're you drinking, tea? Nah, nah, that's no good, that's no good. You're in shock. You need something stronger." Mickey told them.
"We're all right." Rose said for what felt like the umpteenth time.
"Now, come on, you deserve a proper drink. We're going down the pub. My treat. How about it?" Mickey told the girls.
"Is there a match on?" Rose asked, knowing her boyfriend.
"No, I'm just thinking about you, babe."
"There's a match on, ain't there."
"That's not the point, but we could catch the last five minutes." Mickey said.
"Go on, then." Rose said.
"We're fine, really." Lillie reassured him.
"Go. Get rid of that."
Rose and Mickey kissed before leaving with the mannequin arm.
"Fire then spread throughout the store. Fifteen fire crews are in attendance though it's thought there is very little chance of saving the infrastructure."
Lillie’s phone rang and she looked at it and stiffened. Lars.
She shut herself off into her room, hearing her mother say, “Oh, Lillie’s gone to her room already. Lasted longer than you thought, Bev but I know my daughter!”
Lillie answered her phone and didn’t even get to answer when a series of fast-paced anxious questions were hurled at her from the other end as if someone had pushed the forward wind button as Lillie repeated the nickname and it wasn’t until about ten minutes later that Lillie could get a word in edgewise.
—
Rose was still shamed how she hadn’t acted as she thought she would in the crisis, wondering if it was a girl thing. She felt like everyone was right about her that there wasn’t anything special about her, that she was simply and utterly average. Maybe Jimmy Stone was right about her, that she was thick. She felt like for the first time, she had let her sister down, who the only person she felt like didn’t look at her like she couldn’t do better. She felt like she had broken her promise to save her sister. Soon she drifted to sleep but she woke up around two when Lillie let in Lars, quietly and snuck into her room. Rose listened to the indecipherable whispering between Lillie and Lars, luckily Rose’s room was in-between Lillie and Jackie’s, so their mum didn’t hear the late-night visitor. Rose drifted off to sleep again, to wake up again around three.
--
Lillie's alarm woke her from her dream. Her blue eyes opened as she heard her mother shout to Rose, "There's no point in getting up, sweetheart. You've got no job to go to."
Lillie had chosen to stay home that day as Jackie prompted Rose to get another job, even though twelve hours ago her last one blowing up.
"There's Finch's. You could try them. They've always got jobs." Jackie suggested.
"Oh, great. The butchers." Rose scoffed, sarcastically.
"Well, it might do you good. That shop was giving you airs and graces. And I'm not joking about compensation. You've had genuine shock and trauma. Arianna got two thousand quid off the council just because the old man behind the desk said she looked Greek!"
"Mum, Arianna is Greek!" Lillie said, somewhat boredly.
"I know she is Greek, but that's not the point. It was a valid claim."
Lillie dropped her head on the table in exasperation as Rose smiled softly, stroking her little sister's chocolate-colored locks.
Something at the door rattled, the catflap. According to their mother, that was one of the last things their father, Pete Tyler promised to fix, according to Jackie he was a budding entrepreneur and an inventor, at least, that’s who Pete wanted to be; he died before he could. The day of Sarah and Stuart’s wedding, he took the week-old Lillie out to get a wedding present that he forgot about, Jackie had already been furius that he took their newly born daughter who spent most of the week in the hospital because she was born at six months miraculously which had turned to guilt when she was informed of what had happened when the police had tracked her down, baby Lillie had spent hours crying as if she had sensed her father’s death.
Eighteen years later, Jackie had insisted she’d one day fix the catflap but she never did. Lillie didn’t need to take psychology classes to know for Jackie to do it would to fully accept that Pete was never coming back.
Rose and Lillie walked over to it, "Mum, you're such a liar. I told you to nail that cat flap down. We're going to get strays."
"I did it weeks back!" Jackie called.
"No, you thought about it." Lillie called back.
Lillie could swear she heard a familiar sound but she couldn't think where she heard it before. She bent down, finding the screws for the cat flap and it moved slightly. Rose bent down, opening it to see a familiar face.
"What the hell?" Lillie asked as the sisters stood up and Rose opened the door.
"What're you two doing here?" He asked like he was the one who belonged there.
"We live here." Rose said, "what are you doing here?"
"What'd you do that for?" He asked.
"'Cause we do!" Rose snapped. "And I'm only home because someone blew up my job."
He took out the sonic screwdriver again.
"Must have got the wrong signal." He said, "neither of you are plastic, are you?" He knocked on Rose's forehead, then went to do the same to Lillie's who slapped his hand away, giving him a similar drolly glare at Nova was so accustomed to giving him. "Nope, boneheads. Bye, then."
Lillie grabbed him by the arm, glaring at him like, oh, no. You're not getting away so easily again! "You, inside, right now." She pulled him inside, making him stumble from her impressive strength and grip. Lillie herself was surprised by her bold act as she was usually accustomed to just ignoring people listening to her Walkman, because for some reason, she still had one that somehow hadn't broken.
"Who is it?" Jackie called from her room.
Rose poked her head to Jackie's room, "It's about last night, he's part of the inquiry. Give us ten minutes.
"They deserve compensation." Jackie said.
"We're talking millions." The Doctor agreed.
"I'm in my dressing gown."
"Yes, you are."
"There's a strange man in my bedroom."
"Yes, there is."
"Well, anything could happen."
"No."
Lillie had a disgusted look on her face. "Well, I'm scarred for life." Lillie deadpanned, pulling the Doctor away from Jackie's room. "Come into our house, strange stranger,"
"Don't mind the mess. Do you want a coffee?"
"Might as well, thanks! Just milk."
Lillie watched the Doctor as Rose made the coffees.
"We should go to the police. Seriously. All of us."
He picked up a magazine, "That won't last, he's gay and she's an alien.
"I'm not blaming you, even if it was just some sort of joke that went wrong."
He picked up a paperback book, The Lovely Bones, flipping through it and remarking, "Hmm. Sad ending."
"Uh, y-yeah, it's for school." Lillie said, looking at him, strangely. "Don't like it. Very depressing."
"How old are you?" He asked.
"Eighteen. Turn nineteen in October." She answered.
"College?" He asked.
"Cambridge."
"Cambridge? Good school."
"Yeah, astrology. I've always wanted to reach the stars." She said and a smile pulled at his lips.
"They said on the news they'd found a body."
He picked up an envelope, "Rose Tyler." Then he looked at himself in the mirror and seemed to be acting as if he had never seen his reflection before, "Ah, could've been worse. Look at the ears."
"All the same, he was nice. Nice bloke."
The Doctor picked up a deck of cards, "Luck be a lady."
"Anyway, if we are going to go to the police, I want to know what we're saying."
The cards went flying everywhere.
"I want you to explain everything."
"Maybe not." She snarked.
He saw a picture of a thirteen-year-old girl in a Sherlock Holmes costume and then it clicked; he pointed at her, "October thirty-first, two thousand. Sherlock Holmes." He looked her up and down, "You've changed."
She narrowed her eyes at him and scoffed, "You can talk!"
He looked confused for a moment before realizing, "oh yes, the face. I do that."
"You change your face?" She asked.
"And body and personality, done it half a dozen times since I last saw you." He said, causally.
"As you do." She said, sarcastically.
"Why'd you change?"
"Uh, I grew up." She said.
The Doctor made a face at that, like he was Peter Pan thinking of the aspect of growing up.
“What’s this?” He asked, nearly slipping of paper.
“Oh, that’s my paper on spooky action at a distance.” She giggled, “That’s what I call ‘Quantum entanglement’ to annoy my professor. I take university-level classes.”
“At eighteen?” The Doctor asked, actually impressed and picked up another paper.
“That’s my paper on cosmology. It’s about the size of the universe…”
“This… this is like twenty-first century drafting of Camhoolian Flat Mathematics, though oddly with very little mathematics.” He kept turning the paper at different angles as if expecting to spot a secret message.
“I don’t like numbers; they give me a headache.” She said.
“Ah, I understand that! Wait, this paper is dated 1999! And it’s about quantum physics! How long have you been taking university classes?”
“Since I was twelve.” She mumbled.
Then there was a pattering sound, "What's that, then? You got a cat?"
"No."
He peeked over the couch and the mannequin arm jumped up, grabbing his throat. Lillie jumped into action, trying to pull it off.
"We did have, but now they're just strays. They come in off the estate."
Rose came back in and took little to no notice of what was happening, under the impression that it was just a joke.
"I told Mickey to chuck that out... Honestly, give a man a plastic hand..."
"Uh, Rose." Lillie said but Rose didn't seem to hear her.
"Anyway, I don't even know your name, Doctor... what was it?"
The Doctor threw the hand off and it flies across the room attaching itself to Rose's face.
"ROSE!" Lillie screamed, worried for her sister, running to her trying to pull the hand off.
She pulled it off no problem only for it to grab on to Lillie's throat, pushing her down onto the glass coffee table which broke from her weight as it strangled her.
"LILLIE!" Rose screamed.
The Doctor pushed her onto the couch, took out the sonic screwdriver, and disabled the hand. Rose enveloped her sister into a big hug before examining her neck for bruising.
Somehow all of this commotion went completely unnoticed by Jackie Tyler who apparently had the loudest hair dryer known to humankind.
"It's alright, I've stopped it. There you go you see? Armless."
He tossed it at them, Rose snatched it before it could hit Lillie, not wanting to take any chances. "Do you think?" She then whacked him on the shoulder with it.
The Doctor then promptly left with the bemused sisters running after him.
"Hold on a minute, you can't just go swanning off." Rose exclaimed.
"Yes, I can. Here I am, this is me, swanning off. See ya!" He exclaimed.
"That arm was moving, it tried to kill me! It tried to kill my sister!" Rose snapped.
"Ten out of ten for observation." He said, sarcastically.
"You can't just walk away, that's not fair! You've got to tell us what's going on." Lillie said, angrily, getting mad that he had insulted her sister.
"No, I don't."
"Well, you should." Lillie argued.
"Alright then. I'll go to the police. I'll tell everyone. You said, if I did that, I'd get people killed. So, your choice. Tell me, or I'll start talking." Rose tried to sound tough.
"Is that supposed to sound tough?"
"Sort of." She said, sheepishly.
"Doesn't work."
"Who are you!?" Rose asked.
"I told you! The Doctor."
"Yeah. But Doctor what?"
"It's just the Doctor." Lillie replied.
"Just the Doctor." He said, their responses overlapping.
"The Doctor?"
"Hello!"
"Is that supposed to sound impressive?"
"Sort of." He mimicked her earlier words.
"Well, it's not." Lillie said, sharply.
"Come on. You can tell me. I've seen enough. Are you the police?"
"No. I was just passing through. I'm a long way from home."
"But what have we done wrong? How comes those plastic things keep coming after us?" Rose asked. "And how do we stop them before they kill my me and sister."
"Oh! Suddenly the entire world revolves around you! You two were just an accident, you two got in the way, that's all."
"It tried to kill us!"
"It was after me, not you! Last night, in the shop, I was there, you two blundered it. Almost ruined the whole thing. This morning, I was tracking it down, it was tracking me down... the only reason it fixed on you is that you met me."
"So, what you're saying is, the entire world revolves around you." Lillie sassed.
"Sort of, yeah."
"You're full of it!"
"Sort of, yeah."
"If we almost ruined everything last night, then you didn't have to save us," Lillie spoke up, "you could've let us die. Why did you save us, then?"
"It's my job."
"You haven't done this is a while, have you?"
The Doctor stopped and looked at her, surprised, "yeah, how'd you know?"
"I-I don't know. I just know things about people. I'm intuitive I guess, part of the ADHD thing."
"You're ADHD?" The Doctor asked, the similarities just kept adding up.
"Yeah, you got a problem with a girl having ADHD?" She demanded, surprising herself with the confrontational tone as she was not a confrontational person.
"No, my best friend had ADHD before she died." He said, "I'm trying to do better in her memory."
"Then you shouldn't tell people they almost ruined everything; you know how much we already do that ourselves!" Lillie reprimanded him, reminding him of someone who always scolded his dismissive behavior.
"But, all this plastic stuff. Who else knows about it?" Rose asked, changing the subject and they all started to walk again.
"No one."
"What, you're on your own?" Lillie asked, noticing the lack of Nova and Sarah-Jane.
"Well, who else is there?" He said, shortly, "I mean, you lot, all you do is eat chips, go to bed, and watch telly, while all the time, underneath you, there's a war going on."
"Oh, yeah? Well, some of us would love do something more but can't! My sister dropped out of school without taking her A-levels for a boy and he thanked her by stealing her computer, leaving her to deal with their shared bedsit to run away with a woman named Noosha in a camper van with no A-levels and an incomplete education!"
"Lillie!" Rose scolded, embarrassed.
"Our dad died when I was barely a week old, he was an inventor, Rose wasn't even a year old and our Mum's a hairdresser who raised us on her own." Lillie didn't mention how while Jackie did the best she could, she wasn't as present in their lives as any of them would've liked, Rose essentially took on the protecting role over Lillie and helped raise her as much as Jackie did. "Not everyone gets the opportunity to do something great with their lives. Some things get in the way, some of those things they may be born with, and sometimes people don't know what they're going to do with their life."
The Doctor seemed shocked by all this and felt a little bad, understanding that with all of the companions, some had had less than fortunate upbringings. Vicki Pallister's dad had been killed by someone who she thought was like a father figure to her while gaslighting her for years. Peri Brown had been fearful of her stepfather, not that he made it much better when he throttled her after regenerating into the Sixth Doctor. Then... Nova, her parents hadn't been abusive, they loved her with all their hearts, but... the man she had to marry, however...
"Sorry."
Rose sighed and snatched the arm from him. "Okay. Start from the beginning. I mean, if we're going to go with the living plastic, and I don't even believe that, but if we do, how did you kill it?" Rose asked.
"The thing controlling it projects life into the arm. I cut off the signal, dead."
"So that's radio control?"
"Thought control." Lillie said automatically though she wasn't sure how she knew this.
"So, who's controlling it, then?"
"Long story."
"Well, I happen to like long stories." Lillie challenged.
"But what's it all for? I mean, shop window dummies, what's that about? Is someone trying to take over Britain's shops?" And then the three laughed.
"No."
"No."
"It's not a price war. They want to overthrow the human race and destroy you. Do you believe me?"
The sisters spoke in unison but had different answers, "No."
"Yes."
"But you're still listening." He pointed out to Rose.
"Really, though, Doctor. Tell me, who are you?"
He paused, "Do you know like we were saying about the Earth revolving? It's like when you were a kid. The first time they tell you the world's turning and you just can't quite believe it because everything looks like it's standing still. I can feel it." He took their hands "The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour, and the entire planet is hurtling round the sun at sixty-seven thousand miles an hour, and I can feel it. We're falling through space, both of you and me, clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go. That's who I am. Now, forget me, Rose and Lillie Tyler." He took the arm from Rose, "Go home."
Lillie watched as he walked towards the blue box from the day before but it was in a different place, Lillie narrowed her eyes before Rose pulled her away when a rush of air blew through the area and then a strange noise. A strange yet beautiful sound that only existed in Lillie's dreams along with adventure that she had never known in this lifetime. The girls ran back to find the blue box gone.
--
The Doctor walked into the Tardis and started to smack the console as he brought up Lillie Tyler's high school picture and info.
Full Name: Delilah Holmes “Lillie” Tyler
Birthday: October 31, 1987
Appearance: Curly dark brown hair, blue eyes, five foot three
Fears: Claustrophobia — Fear of small, enclosed spaces
Skills/Abilities: Deduction, Problem-solving, Creative solutions, Resilience, Compassion, Empathy, Multi-tasking, Adaptability
Disorder(s): ADHD, Directional Dyslexia
Family:
Pete Tyler (Father; Deceased)
Jackie Tyler (Mother; Hairdresser)
Rose Tyler (Former Student; Dropped Out)
Medical History: Born four months early, fortunately, she was miraculously grown enough to go home with her parents and sister; Frequent visits to hospitals for bruised knuckles acquired due to fights; Sensitive to cold weather, prone to getting colds.
Record: Lillie has been known to skip class and get in trouble with the authorities and rebel.
Notes: "Lillie marches to the beat of her own drum"; Lots of potential, no ambition; Equipped for leadership but lacks interest; Highly intelligent but absent-minded.
"What are you?" The Doctor wondered.
--
"This is why we need to get a car of our own." Lillie complained to her sister.
"You're not coming in! He's safe, he's got a wife and kids." Rose told Mickey.
"Yeah but who told you that? He did. That's exactly what an Internet lunatic murderer would say."
Rose and Lillie got out and knocked on the door of the house, a boy answered.
"Uh, hello, we've come to see Clive. We've been emailing." Rose said, somewhat awkwardly.
"Dad! It's one of your nutters!" He called. Rose and Lillie exchanged looks at this.
"Sorry. Hello. You must be Rose and Lillie. I'm Clive. Obviously!"
"I better tell you now, my boyfriend's waiting in the car, just in case you're going to kill us!" Rose said and the sisters laughed nervously.
"No, good point. No murders." He said, he waved to Mickey who glared.
"Who is it?" His wife asked.
"Oh, it's something to do with the Doctor! These girls have been reading the website. Please come through, I'm in the shed." He invited the girls inside.
Lillie tilted her head, he seemed friendly enough, but she had a taser gun in her pocket... just in case.
"They read a website about the Doctor? Girls?"
In the shed, Clive told them about the Doctor. "A lot of this stuff's quite sensitive, I couldn't just send it to you. People might intercept it if you know what I mean. If you dig deep enough—keep a lively mind—this Doctor keeps cropping up all over the place. Political diaries, conspiracy theories. Even ghost stories. No first name, no last name. Just 'The Doctor'. Always the Doctor. And the title seems to have been passed down from father to son, it appears to be an inheritance. That's your Doctor there, isn't it?"
He pointed to a photo of the Doctor on a computer screen behind them.
"Yeah."
"I tracked it down to the Washington public archive last year. The online photo's enhanced, but if we look at the original..."
He shows the girls some photographs of the Doctor standing in a crowd at the JFK assassination.
"November the 22nd, 1963. The assassination of President Kennedy."
"Must be his father..." Rose mused.
The father/son theory made sense but Lillie wasn't sure.
"Going further back... April 1912." He brought over a photo album of sorts. "This is a photo of the Daniels family, Southampton. And friend." He pointed to the Doctor standing with them "This was taken the day before they were due to sail off for the New World. On the Titanic. And for some unknown reason, they canceled the trip and survived. And..." He brought them a sketch of the Doctor, "1883. Another Doctor. And look—the same lineage. He's identical. This one washed up on the coast of Sumatra on the very day Krakatoa exploded. The Doctor is a legend woven throughout history. When disaster comes, he's there. He has a storm in his wake. And he has one constant companion."
"Who's that?"
"Death."
Lillie felt offended but it was brief and fleeting. "Death? How do you know he's the cause for all this death?" Lillie questioned, "what if he only showed up because of the death and he stopped it as much as he could?"
“Uh, his name, how can he be ‘the Doctor’?” Rose asked. “It’s a bit vague. When I tried searching online, I got too many results.”
“Yes. That’s how he hides in plain sight. Clever, isn’t he… or she…”
“What do you mean?”
“Well to narrow the search down, I started look for the Doctor—the definite article—specifically no first name, no last name—just the Doctor and all the evidence seems to suggest, the Doctor seems to be some sort of title—given to a freedom fight or a convert operative. Granted by the some sort of government. Because in times of crisis, there’s always been a Doctor. And look, here they are, these people would seem to be the most important Doctors of all.”
Clive laid out photos on the glass table, all the Doctor’s Lillie had dreamed of… “It’s hard to work out the right order, but I think this is the Doctor…”
Lillie took a photo of an old man with white hair under a black cap and a black cape, standing in front of a metal tank that Lillie somehow knew was a called a “War Machine.”
“What’s that thing?” Rose asked.
“A War Machine.” Clive stated and then he explained, “Evil thanks built by a super computer hidden inside the Post Office Tower which invented the internet.”
Rose expressed her disbelief while Lillie stared at the photos of the old man. Another photo with him had a photo of a girl near him that caught Lillie’s attention. She was around fifteen with short dark brown, almost black hair and blue-brown eyes.
“Grandfather!” A girl’s voice echoed in her head before it seemed to tune in her head, making the girl’s voice clearer now, “Oh, Grandfather, I belong with you!”
Then a man spoke, he sounded older, “Not any longer, Susan. You’re still my grandchild and you always will be. But now, you’re a woman, too. I want you to belong somewhere, to have roots of your own. With David, you’ll be able to find those roots and live normally like any woman should do. Believe me, my dear, your future lies with David, not with a silly old buffer like me. One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine. Goodbye, Susan. Goodbye, my dear.”
Then Lillie saw flashes of the girl, just slightly aged, but her face was smudged with ash and blood, her eyes staring at nothing, but as quickly as the image in her head was there, it was gone.
A little man with a Beatles mop of hair and Lillie had another not-memory of him playing a recorder much to a young man’s increasing irritation.
A man with a gray bouffant hairstyle sitting in a silver hovercraft with… was that Sarah Jane Smith!? There was someone in the backseat but only she bent down, Lillie could only see the top of her head and her multicolored hair. Lillie saw flashes of him snatching a pair of shoes from a doctor and holding them close to his chest, rather childishly for an old man.
The curly-haired man in the impractically long scarf too small to be seen in detail because he was dwarfed by a silly forced-perspective puppet monster rising out of the Thames at least that’s how Rose’s mind put it together. Lillie saw another phone of the girl with who seemed to be Sarah Jane again, the girl seemed to be doing a fangirl happy dancing while pointing and squealing to Sarah Jane at the “puppet monster” with her light green hair flying about.
A rather hot blonde man at Heathrow and behind him was the girl again, now with dark green hair sneaking up the stairs as three security guards bolted towards her.
“Is that man wearing celery?” Lillie asked but was ignored.
A curly-haired man clearly on his way to a fancydress party dressed as a picnic behind him was the girl with blue-gray hair with hints of other colors with another girl with dark hair. Lillie saw flashes of some rather tender moments, close ups of the girl who had bruises around her neck as if she had been strangled, as if Lillie herself were comforting, her mind made a seemingly random connection: Perpugilliam.
Then she saw flashes of the girl, now older, she seemed to be in turn, comforting someone in Lillie’s first-person perspective and she heard her say, “Cute blonde guys can turn into scary violent guys real quick.”
A World War II photo of a short man with an umbrella running with some soldiers but there was no sign of the girl.
A dashing, Byronic man at the opening of some atomic clock thing still no sign of the girl.
And then… “That’s him.” Rose said as Lillie skipped the next two, noting that these didn’t look familiar at all.
A man with floppy hair around his mid-twenties to early thirties with a bowtie and a noticeable jaw and he was adjusting his bowtie, defensively and seemed to be justifying it to a woman whose face couldn’t be seen other than her frizzy grayish hair as another woman who had red hair and seemed to have more legs than most woman, again Lillie couldn’t see her face was her body language seemed indicate she was laughing.
An angry-looking man around fifty-something years old with gray hair and a caretaker's coat, holding a mop for some reason.
A woman in her mid-thirties with short shoulder-length blonde hair and braces, running away from a giant frog in front of Buckingham Palace.
A Black man in his late twenties to early thirties in an orange coat running through a graveyard.
A tall, bald Black woman wielding a flaming sword.
Another dark-skinned woman who appeared to be middle aged with her hair woven into braids in a navy tweed frock coat with silver buttons with golden hoop earrings. She seemed to be arguing with someone hidden from view.
Lillie was sure she didn’t have any dreams of her but somehow she seemed familiar but at the same time, her appearance put her off slightly, made her feel anxious in ways none of the others had. Like she was part of a deep dark secret Lillie had but didn’t know.
And a young girl or boy in a hi-tech wheelchair with what looked like a robot dog at their side.
“Before we stop, you should see the whole thing. Your Doctor’s not the final Doctor in the sequence, have a look at this next one.”
“We can’t keep Mickey waiting forever.” Rose sighed, checking the time.
Clive was saying something about a man who was usually seen with two pinstripe suits under a brown coat, brown and blue.
“What?” Lillie asked, why did that sound familiar.
She looked at the photo to see a handsome young man in his late twenties to early thirties, he was a distinct look that made Lillie think, oh, this guy could not pass as an American, either he’s British, Scottish, or an alien. He wore a brown trench coat over a blue pinstripe suit covering a dark tie and a white button-up shirt, and vastly contrasting against his professional wardrobe was a pair of white converse sneakers. He had simply fantastic hair, that seemed to defy gravity itself. He looked familiar but Lillie couldn’t place him.
She saw another picture of the man but he seemed a bit more aged, however with a copper-tinge to his chocolate brown fantastic hair, he was wearing a similar but updated wardrobe, a navy blue trench coat over a white button-up shirt with a gray knitted tie, a brown and turquoise checked-tartan waistcoat only buttoned once over his tie with a pair of matching trousers.
“I’m only interested in my Doctor.” Rose said.
“Yes! Yes!” Clive said and fetched a box labeled: 09 but Lillie was examining a picture of what seemed to be the girl but there was a bright lens flare covering her face. She shifted through some more but there were various light or tech problems some lens flares either on or beside her face or full-on glitches; some of the flares were directly over her heart, some had colorful flare-like things around her like an aura. Some looked like filters you’d do for fun, not to convince people, which hinted that Clive hadn’t doctored these. There were only a few you could see her face and in them she seemed preoccupied but the few filtered ones that allowed you to see her she seemed aware of the photographer, from a mischievous glint in her eyes, a uptilt in her cheekbones of a mischievous smirk, or just a feeling Lillie got, like she had power over the lights and even the camera. There were black and white ones with light effect in color. Something told Lillie that these weren’t Clive’s handiwork… but they were because of the girl.
“What are these flares?”
“Blimey. She looks just like you!” Rose exclaimed and then he elbowed her sister, “Look good as a blonde.” Lillie rolled her eyes.
Clive didn’t really see it but he explained, “That’s a companion often seen with the Doctor, she seems to be on and off but it’s rare to get a good picture of her.” He seemed a bit dismissive of her and turned back to the Doctor.
Lillie looked back at the photos to see one with a series of lens glares over her, this one she had red hair.
“What’s this thing?” Rose asked, pointing to the blue box in a picture of the Doctor.
Lillie looked at it and she felt a sense of longing, she missed a home she had never had.
“I don’t know.” Clive said, also sort of dismissing it, like he could see it but because he didn’t know the power of the Doctor or the Tardis he didn’t want to see it; something different that you see but you don’t really focus on it.
“So, how’d you get into this in the first place, Clive?” Lillie asked. “It looks like it must’ve taken years to gather all of this.” She gestured to the research. “So what started it.”
“My dad. He died when I was two years old.”
“Oh.” Rose said, sadly and she wrapped an arm around her younger sister, “I was six months and Lils here was only a week old when we lost ours.”
“I bet you still think about him.”
“Yeah, I do.” Rose admitted.
Lillie’s memory came up blank when it came to Pete as she had only been a week old when he was hit by that car. Only Jackie’s stories, and though neither sister knew, they highlighted who Pete wanted to be and the best of him rather than what she had thought of him at the time. She had always scolded Pete by telling him the girls needed a proper father, that didn’t mean the girls couldn’t think that he was, because he tried to be.
But then Lillie’s memory flashed to a man she was sure she had never seen before but seemed familiar in a way she couldn’t explain. He had dark red hair and blue eyes.
“Me too.” Clive said, “My old fella was a soldier with the Infantry. He was in the London Regiment. Proper little Cockney by all accounts, Mam said he was always scrapping. Handy with his fists. They said he died on manoeuvres. But in Shoreditch, of all places. Sounds a bit odd, dying in peacetime on British soil. Accidental discharge of a weapon, they told my mam. And bear in mind, this was back in 1963. You didn’t argue, back in those days, you accepted what the establishment said. But not me! I got older, I kept asking questions. Second Lieutenant Gary Jonathan Finch, how did he die?” Clive took out a photo from his wallet, laminated—much more personal. A black and white photo of a tough, stocky man in his early thirties, obviously Clive’s father—the same curly hair. “The more I tried to research it, the stranger it seemed. Like something was being hidden. Turns out, Dad’s regiment was caught up in some sort of incident. All very hush-hush. The day he died, they’d sealed off the whole of Shoreditch. Officially, they said a cache of unexploded bombs had been discovered. And there were certainly reports of huge explosions, that day. I tracked down the Service Inquiry, in the end, it was buried deep but I found it. And it said Dad had been killed in a junkyard, in a place called Totter’s Lane.”
Lillie’s mind flashed to an old junkyard, this sounded vaguely familiar but also… different.
“But killed, how? Information redacted. No record of the inquest. But I kept on looking, I searched and searched. Until I found it. The secret.”
“What secret?” Lillie asked.
“There was something else on the streets that day. Something that had no place in this world.” He took a few moments to take a deep breath and he opened a black folder, showing the sisters what he believed to be the real cause of his father’s death. It was a picture of a smaller tank made out of white and gold metal, Lillie hadn’t seen too much of the villians of the Doctor in her dreams, she had mostly seen him saving the day and with Nova but she knew this was one of them.
She had flashes of a young girl just a few years younger than her and she was hiding when a white and gold Dalek came in.
“Small human female sighted on level three.”
“WHO ARE YOU CALLING SMALL!” She bellowed and she started to beat the machine with a bat.
“Under attack! Under attack!”
She hit the eyepiece and then dove under the benches.
“Vision impaired!” The machine whined and started to fire wildly.
The girl had dove under a desk, using it for cover before jumping on it and running along the table towards the window as the creature followed the noise she was making in her haste.
“Reinforcements requested!” Then she jumped through the window into the hallway.
Another creature just narrowly missed her, she ran past it but not before turning around and bashing her bat into its side and taking off down the stairs… apparently they could somehow use stairs… she came upon a dead soldier, making her halt, she saw that he was dead and there was nothing she could do so she took his gun and ran off as one of the creatures rolled into the room.
“Human female is now leaving building!”
Ace ran down a hallway but was then trapped between two Daleks in a large empty area opening onto the playground.
“Stay where you are. Do not move.”
“Exterminate. Exterminate.”
Then a third Dalek arrived, they all closed in on her as they all chanted: “exterminate!”
Ace got down on her knees, taking an anti-tank rocket and launcher out of her rucksack, clearly scared but not going to go down without a fight.
“ACE!” Screamed a voice and Lillie saw the girl again who looked just like her but with multicolored hair, she looked the same as she always did but there was something much more youthful about her, like she hadn’t yet been broken by the universe. She extended her hands, her eyes glowing and all three Daleks exploded.
“Ace!” The woman ran to the girl who was apparently named Ace in a protective manner.
“I nearly had them.” Ace muttered.
“You’re hurt.”
“I had an argument with a window.” Ace dismissed.
“You could’ve gotten killed.” The woman said with obvious worry beneath the her anger that she had taken out on the Daleks.
Clive was speaking again, “No one knows what it’s called. But I believe this creature, from outer space, murdered my dad.”
Lillie’s memory flashed to a fallen soldier, Clive’s dad, dead on the ground of a junkyard.
Rose was clearly not convinced; she looked at the photos of all the aliens. “And all of these things, the lizards and the robots and the blobs. They’re all from outer space? But Clive. Look. I’m sorry about your dad, but … All these creatures, they’ve been photographed out on the streets. In the open. They’re next to Big Ben. That giant big tentacle-thing is wrapped around Westminster Abbey. If all these alien invasions happened in public, how come we don’t know about them?”
“That’s the thing!” said Clive, excited, moving to look them in the eyes, “How do we forget? Why? That’s the biggest mystery of all. Some people say they’ve drugged the water. Some people say there’s an amnesia wavelength being beamed into our heads. And some people say there’s a crack in time, leaching away the memories of the human race.’
“What?” Lillie asked. That didn’t sound good.
He paused. ‘That one sounds a bit too fanciful for me.’
“Mmm-hmm.” Rose hummed in agreement as Lillie gave Clive was bewildered look.
"If the Doctor's back... if you've seen him, Rose... Lillie... then one thing's for certain, we're all in danger. If he's singled you two out... If the Doctor's making house calls... then God help you two."
"Who is he? Who do you think he is?" Rose asked.
"I think he's the same man. I think they’re all the same person. Each Doctor. I think he's immortal. I think he's an alien from another world." Clive said.
Lillie nodded, feeling he was right as Rose felt like this was just crazy... this was fiction... this was the raving of a madman... this was just absurd.
Rose pulled Lillie away from the "crazy" man's house and to the car talking to Mickey before they were even back inside the car.
"Alright! He's a nutter! Off his head! Complete online conspiracy freak. You win!" She said as they got back in.
“Rose! We’ve barley left his house!” Lillie started to scold her sister as she got in and then she stared at the person in the driver's seat. It seemed to be a poorly made clone of Mickey Smith.
"What're we going to do tonight? I fancy a pizza."
"Pizzaaa! P-p-p-pizza!" The whatever it was said.
"...or a Chinese..."
"Pizza!"
Whatever it was that had taken Mickey's place drove off in a wobbly line. How was Rose not noticing this? Lillie knew she didn't pay as much attention to Mickey as she should've but this was ridiculous.
--
At the restaurant, the trio sat at a table as Rose pondered where she should go to get a job as Lillie stared at the strange-looking Mickey, bemused by how Rose couldn't tell that it wasn't her boyfriend.
"Do you think I should try the hospital? Suki said they had a few jobs going in the canteen. That's it then... dishing out chips... I could do A-Levels..."
"Mickey" just stared at her, grinning creepily.
"I dunno. It's all Jimmy Stone's fault. I only left school because of him and look where he ended up. What do you think?"
Jimmy Stone. Rose's deadbeat ex-boyfriend who she dropped out of school for to which he then repaid her by stealing her computer and dumping her with no A-levels. Lillie had repaid him by slashing his tires and keying his car. Lillie may have been shy but if you hurt someone that she cared about she went all out in getting revenge. She was like a badger, she was often underestimated by her kindness, her quietness, and her non-threatening appearance but when provoked she was able to become vicious and deadly.
"So, where did you meet this Doctor?" He asked.
"I'm sorry, wasn't I talking about me for a second?" Rose asked sarcastically.
"Because, I reckon it started back at the shop, am I right? Is he something to do with that?"
"No..." The sisters said.
"Come on."
"Sort of." Rose said.
"No." Lillie said, sternly, glaring at her sister like, shut up. “Mickey…” She said the name of her oldest friend as she were meeting someone else with that name and didn’t feel like it belonged to them and she spoke slowly and cautiously to both not set off this fake-looking Mickey and to warn Rose, “we never told you anything about the Doctor.”
"What was he doing there?" Mickey ignored her.
"I'm not going on about him, Mickey, I'm not, because, I know it sounds daft but... I don't think he's safe. I think he's dangerous." Rose said. “And you know, I can’t let anything happen to Lillie.”
Lillie disagreed in a way while she didn't think he was safe at the same time she knew he wouldn't let anything happen to her.
"But you can trust me sweetheart! Babe, sugar, darling, sugar."
Both sisters looked confused.
"You can tell me anything. Tell me about the Doctor and what he's planning, and I can help you, Rose. Because that's all I really wanna do, sweetheart, babe, sugar, sweetheart."
"What're you doing that for?"
A waiter approaches the table, Lillie looked up to see the Doctor, he winked and then put a finger to his lips to silently tell her not to say anything.
"Your champagne."
"We didn't order any champagne." Fake Mickey said, grabbing Rose's hand, "Where's the Doctor?
The Doctor moved to Rose's side and held the bottle out to her, "Ma'am. Your champagne."
"It's not ours..." Rose waved him off, not looking at him, "Mickey, what is it? What's wrong?"
Lillie gave her a drolly look like, seriously?
"I need to find out how much you know, so where is he?" He pressed on.
"Why do you want to know so bad? Why do you need to find out what we know?" Lillie snapped, narrowing her eyes at him, suspiciously. "Huh, Mickey!?"
Then Mickey’s smile fell, along with his eye, revealing just a smooth surface…
Rose gasped, barely managing not to scream and she muttered, “Plastic.”
He popped the eyeball back into his head and then he grabbed both Lillie and Rose’s wrists, tightly.
“Let go!” Rose gasped.
“Now tell me, I want to know everything about the Doctor. Or I will kill them.”
“Who!?”
“The people. The diners. The humans. Everyone. Starting with your sister!”
New kind of fear shot through Rose. She recognized the self-preserving kind of fear and then the fear she had for her sister’s safety. But fear for other people’s safety, there was a family nearby with two kids, two couples on either side of them, and a gang of friends. And most importantly to her, her sister. All in danger. Because of her. She’d brought this plastic monstrosity into the building and sat him down in the middle of them all. She felt a raw terror like never before because other people were in danger now, not just her and Lillie... Mickey. The real Mickey. Where was he?
Lillie looked around, where was the Doctor now!? She huffed and resisted, making fake Mickey look at her perhaps for the first time but he seemed to be able to barley do that.
“Think about it, mannequin. You’re in a pizza place with hot ovens. Large ovens. Blistering hot to humans but it’d just melt you.” Lillie growled as her necklace started to glow and Plastic Mickey’s hand started to loosen, not voluntarily but because the plastic-skin enclosed around Lillie’s hand was starting to melt.
Then suddenly he was back,
"Doesn't anybody want this champagne?" The Doctor asked.
Plastic Mickey, exasperated, finally raised his eyes to the waiter for the first time, "Look, we didn't order any..." He then realized that the waiter was the man he had kept questioning about. Plastic Mickey smirked as if this were his evil plan along. To be rude the waiter. "Ah. Gotcha."
"Yes, you've outnumbered him." Lillie deadpanned to him and ripped her hand out of his grip, the hot plastic not even phasing her as it just slipped off her skin like rain off of a roof. Plastic Mickey was so shocked he let go of Rose.
The Doctor started to shake the bottle as he said, "Don't mind me. I'm just toasting the happy couple. On the house!"
The cork popped out and hit Fake Mickey squarely in the face. His forehead absorbs the cork, and he spits it out of his mouth.
"I knew that wasn't Mickey all along!" Lillie exclaimed and Rose looked at her, puzzled like she couldn't understand how she could've noticed that this clay model-looking thing wasn't Mickey.
"Anyway." The fake Mickey turned his hand into a plastic blade and started to smash tables.
Rose pulled Lillie out of the way as a woman screamed.
The Doctor grabbed fake Mickey's head and started to pull, making a creaking noise until the head popped off.
"Don't think that's gonna stop me." The disembodied head said, the man sitting at a table nearby screamed. It was almost funny.
Rose saw that the Doctor was grinning madly like this was fun to him, like it was a game.
"Rose, get everyone out." Lillie said, pushing her sister towards the fire alarm which Rose pulled as Lillie shouted, "EVERYONE OUT! OUT NOW!"
Everyone ran for the exit except for the Doctor, Lillie, Rose, and fake Mickey whose body was blinding smashing tables.
"GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!"
Then the Fake Mickey swung at Lillie, sensing her voice seemingly. Rose screamed and the Doctor spun around, his glee fading as horror struck him, terrified of losing this mysterious girl, this brilliantly smart girl but Lillie ducked and then jumped as the other hand which had turned into a blade, albeit thinner and weaker swung at her legs, another swing and she spun around of the way, her curly brown hair flying before she stumbled into a table, making it fall over and Lillie noticed a small child at a nearby table, a boy, around the age of four, trying to stay silent but crying, he screamed when he saw the headless Mickey, bring his attention to him.
“No!” Lillie shouted, grabbing a chair and smashing it into the fake Mickey and she went to pick up the boy who clung onto her for dear life, Lillie became aware of the mother of the child was crying out their name.
“Robert! Robert!”
“Mummy!” Robert cried as Lillie handed him over to her.
“Over here!” The Doctor cried and Rose grabbed her sister’s hand and pulled her after the Doctor as they ran through the kitchen, warning the staff to leave, only leaving when the headless Mickey came in, causing Lillie to grab the handle of a pot with bubbling water and she threw the water at the creature, weakening its strong arm before the threw the pot at it and was yanked backwards with Rose yanking Lillie by the hoodie, making her let out a strangled gulping sound.
The head started to bark at Lillie like an angry dog after you took their treat away.
The Doctor, Rose, and Lillie ran down a corridor—he grinned at the sisters and said, “Nice to see you, by the way! How’s your mum?”
“Angry!” Lillie stated in a shout from the adrenaline.
“Makes sense.”
They pushed their way out of a back exit, entering a yard containing… The blue box that the Doctor seemed to take everywhere with him which Rose assumed was no use to them now.
Rose spun around to see the Doctor holding Mickey’s head in the crook of his left arm, his foot jamming the fire door shut, whirring that metal stick to lock the door.
“WE’RE OUTSIDE!” Mickey’s head said, taking a break from barking at Lillie.
“Can’t you shut that thing up?” Lillie asked.
She turned to see Rose had run to a gate but it was locked but she was distracted by the Tardis.
Lillie just walked towards the Police Box, she pressed her hand against its wood and could practically hear whirring as if it were purring.
"Hey, girl. Long time no see." She muttered.
"Open the gate! Use that whirry metal thing, come on!" Rose shouted.
"It's a sonic screwdriver." Lillie corrected her, automatically.
“Yes, it is!” The Doctor exclaimed, proudly.
"Use it!" Rose cried.
"Nah. Tell ya what, let's go in here." He dismissed, walking to the police box, unlocking it, and entering.
Lillie eagerly followed him, her first thought, being that he had redecorated. She liked it better. More personality and more… her style.
"Oh, you've redecorated." She said as much. "I like it so much better."
"Yeah?" He smiled; Nova had always insisted that he use this setting but he had refused because he loved to tease her. Now he finally chose it as a tribute to Nova. “How long has it been since you saw me last?”
“Five years.”
“Huh, for the first time, I’m the one taking the slow path.” He said, thinking that couldn’t possibly be right but it was.
“LILLIE, YOU CAN’T HIDE IN A WOODEN BOX!” Rose screamed from outside.
Rose then ran inside and never being inside was shocked.
Nope! Her mind screamed and she ran back outside, making the Doctor chuckle in amusement. Rose, knowing Headless Mickey was going to break down the door, still ran around the box, circling it, to try and get an understanding at how a box that could maybe fit two people could have that much space. She counted the sides. Four.
Then Headless Mickey finally broke through, only a few more chops would allow him to get through, so she ran back inside. "It's gonna follow us!"
"Then close the door." Lillie said, gesturing for her sister to come in and she jumped past her sister, sliding down the railing towards the door as Headless Mickey broke through and stopped, trying to sense them and then ran at the Tardis but Lillie slammed the doors shut.
They heard Headless Mickey hit the doors but they only shuddered. Rose wouldn’t turn away from the door, struggling to comprehend.
"The assembled hoards of Genghis Khan couldn't get through that door, and believe me, they've tried. Now, shut up a minute." The Doctor was wiring up the clone Mickey's head to the center of the control panel.
“She’s not going to bite you, Rosie.” Lillie said.
Rose finally turned around, nodding and trusting her sister.
The Doctor’s blue box was bigger on the inside than on the outside. Much bigger. Hugely so. She was standing on a metal ramp surrounded by curved walls arching upwards, studded with hexagons. What she’d thought was a dome was more of a sphere; she could look down, through the metal mesh at her feet, to see the curve completing far below in one vast circle. The whole interior was weathered, rusting, bruised, and yet humming with life, as though huge engines were brooding somewhere beyond the walls. The skin of the sphere was supported by weird buttresses, shaped like… coral? Yes, she could smell ozone, like the seaside, though this was a coral glowing with internal light. The metal ramp at her feet was part of a suspended walkway leading to the center of the sphere, to the Doctor. He stood in front of a sculpture, a coral mushroom out of which a glass pillar containing tubes of light soared up to the roof and down to the depths, like a linchpin holding the entire globe together.
"You see, the arm was too simple, but the head's perfect. I can use it to trace the signal back to the original source.” He turned to the sisters, he may be alien but he knew enough about humans that they tended to struggle with the bigger-on-the-insideness. “Right. Where do you want to start?"”
The Doctor folded his arms, his feet set apart in a classic pose of masculine supremacy, looking down at them but Lillie knew that wasn’t who he was. He didn’t look down on women and he didn’t think he was as superior as he pretended to be.
But what Rose was focused on what that the Mickey-head had been plugged into the console, she stared at it with her mouth open.
The head was still alive, eyes darting from the Doctor to Rose and then to Lillie, eyeing her suspiciously.
“You must have a lot of questions,” He said, to bring Rose back to reality but then Head-Mickey spoke.
“Not really. Seen all this before. Seen better than this! You lot brought a war crashing down on our civilization, d’you think we don’t remember?”
Lillie studied the Doctor’s body language; the Doctor lost his tough-guy pose, muttered a quick sorry, and leapt to the console and stabbed buttons and pulled a big red lever. “Hold on a tick, we don’t need laughing boy.”
Mickey’s head said, ‘I’m gonna do more than—’
“Hey, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, shut up!” Lillie interrupted him.
He seemed offended but then he froze, and his eyes glazed over. Reduced to inanimate plastic.
‘Right, where were we?’ said the Doctor, and returned to that superior folded-arms position, facing Rose and Lillie.
Rose seemed a little overwhelmed but she calmed herself down when Lillie took her hand. Rose was glad she had met Clive as the craziness of his theories seemed to have prepared her.
"Um, the inside's bigger than the outside?" Rose pointed out, though that much was obvious, but understandably Rose was in shock.
"Yes." He said and looked at Lillie like, was that so hard? Apparently still a little miffed that she hadn’t said it, to her five years ago, but to him it was hundreds of years ago,.
"You like it when they say that don't you." Lillie asked.
"Yes."
"It's alien." Rose said, still coming to terms with this.
"Yep."
"Are you alien?"
"Yes. Is that all right?"
"Yeah." Both the sisters responded without hesitation.
"It's called..." The Doctor started before the intelligent brunette cut him off.
"The Tardis. T-A-R-D-I-S. An acronym for Time and Relative Dimension in Space."
"How do you know this?" He asked, not recalling him, Nova, or Sarah-Jane having told her before but before she could reply, Rose burst into tears, Lillie went by her side to comfort her.
The Doctor was uncomfortable for a few moments. Rose thought he was weird. Kind one minute, and yet, when she cried, he stared like a scientist but then again, her sister was like that too. Kind one moment, and then brutal and reckless the next. She had gotten arrested for hacking into the school records once she discovered the school was embezzling money out of the “special needs” program.
"That's okay. Culture shock. Happens to the best of us." The Doctor said, gently. “Natural reaction, for a human.” Rose glared at him. “It does your head in, seeing technology like this.’ He was arrogant, he was alien, and he was an idiot.
"Did they kill him? Mickey? Did they kill Mickey? Is he dead?" She asked. Lillie knew that she mostly felt bad because she didn't love him like he loved her. She just loved him as a friend and liked him as a boyfriend.
"Oh. I didn't think of that." He said, blankly, slightly crestfallen getting a glare from the sisters.
"He's my boyfriend. You pulled off his head. They copied him and you didn't even think? And now you're just going to let him melt?"
"Melt?" The Doctor asked, confused, he turned to see the head was indeed melting, "Oh, no, no, no, no, no!"
"What're you doing?" Rose cried as Lillie got on her toes, examining the console. the desk had six sides, full of control panels, some sophisticated, some antique, with levers improvised out of bottle-openers and hammers, paperweights in place of dials, toy soldiers and scissors and curling tongs duct-taped to switches to hold them down. Designed by a mad geek wizard child.
No, more like a mad alien science geek man-child who always asked questions like he was in Wonderland. The Doctor had an almost Peter Pan-ness about him. Like he never wanted to grow up.
The Doctor yelled with excitement, “We’re following the signal!’
"Following the signal. It's fading. Wait a minute, I've got it. No, no, no, no, no, no, no! Almost there. Almost there. Here we go!"
Then the Doctor yelled, ‘No!’ He had a rubber mallet in his hand – it was chained to the console, standard kit, for him – and he battered the desk, bang-bang-bang!
“Hey! You can’t hit her!” Lillie shouted, not nearly having as much trouble with the tilting as Rose was.
But whatever he was doing, it was too late. “Lost it,” he groaned, and the tilting stopped and the noise faded away, “I lost the signal but we must be close…”
Before he finished, Lillie had turned and ran to the door, opening it and running outside.
“LILLIE, YOU CAN’T GO OUT THERE! IT’S NOT SAFE!” Rose shouted, wondering if the Doctor’s madness had rubbed off on her sister but then he dashed past her and ran outside. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?”
The headless Mickey-killer-shovel-hands was still outside in the yard, the Doctor and Lillie would get chopped to death! The fear of losing her sister was enough to get Rose running dwon the ramp and ran to the door and looked outside.
They weren't behind the restaurant anymore but near the Thames River.
"I lost the signal, I got so close." The Doctor was complaining.
"We've moved. Does it fly?" Rose asked.
"More like it disappears and reappears." Lillie said, automatically before shaking her head.
“Oh.” The Doctor said, a bit disappointed and then he asked her, “How do you know this?" Rose looked at her, also curious.
"When I met you when you had an impractically long scarf and wild hair. You had a companion named Sarah-Jane Smith and a friend... with purple-colored hair and purple eyes. I saved your ass with a compact mirror from the Weeping Angel."
"Yes, I know all that." He said, shortly, offended by how she described him.
"Ever since I keep having these dreams of your adventures. Nova?" She had had dreams of Nova's death but didn't want to believe it. His eyes darkened and he shook his head, silently telling her that Nova was gone. "I'm sorry."
He was silent for a few beats before snapping out of it, "Ah, yes. Must be mildly psychic and a bit of the Tardis got in you or... she must've done something. She was quite fond of you for some reason."
"If we're somewhere else, what about that headless thing? It's still on the loose." Rose cut him off.
"It melted with the head. Are you going to witter on all night?" He said, tactlessly.
"Hey! Don't you dare talk to my sister like that!" Lillie glared.
Rose thought of the body dissolving, the last vestige of her boyfriend, and she felt a surge of horror in her heart, the enormity of it. Mickey. Lovely Mickey Smith, with his smile and his mates and his daft yellow Beetle, the only boy who’d buy a car because it was funny, not because it was cool. And it hurt so much, to see the chain of his family across the decades, Odessa, Jackson, Rita-Anne, now Mickey, all gone.
"We'll have to tell his friends, his uncle, and the kids from the estate." Rose realized, running a hand through her blonde hair as Lillie went to her side to comfort her and the Doctor gave them a confused look.
"Mickey." Lillie said, sharply, glaring at him.
"We'll have to tell his mates--The Bad Wolf band, His Uncle Cliff, all the little kids from the estate, they adored him. Oh my God, I’ve got to tell them he’s dead, and you just went and forgot him, again!" Rose shouted at him, "You were right, you are alien."
"Look, if I did forget some kid called Mickey."
"Yeah, he's not a kid." Rose interjected.
"He's older than both of us." Lillie agreed.
"It's because I'm trying to save the life of every stupid ape blundering on top of this planet, all right?" He said, bluntly.
Lillie narrowed her eyes at him, it seemed like to her it wasn't so much as what he thought but more like what he told himself to ease his guilt.
"All right."
"Yes, it is!"
This whole argument Lillie's eyes darted back and forth like a tennis match.
"If you are an alien, how come you sound like you're from the North?"
"Lots of planets have a north." He dismissed.
"What's a police public call box?" Rose suddenly asked.
"It's a telephone box from the 1950s. It's a disguise."
‘Disguised as what? It’s not a very good disguise if I don’t know what the disguise is. That’s the opposite of a disguise.’ ‘All right, calm down, it’s a bit out of date, that’s all.’ He looked at her askance. ‘I bet you two never lose an argument, do you?’
“Never.” The sister said in unison.
“Well if you must know, they used to have police boxes on every street corner, back in the thirties and forties. They didn’t have walkie-talkies back then, just telephones, so there’s a phone inside that little panel. And that’s the disguise. The TARDIS hides itself, like a chameleon. Park it on a street corner, no one notices.”
“D’you think? It’s a great big box!”
“Yeah, and d’you know what the human race does, when it sees something big and strange in the middle of the street?” He grinned. “You walk right past it.”
“I suppose,” she sighed, and sat down next to him.
“Is that why… we talked to this guy who had information about you…” Lillie started and the Doctor raised his eyebrows at her. “Clive Finch. He said his dad died in Totter’s Lane in Shoreditch.”
The Doctor seemed to recall the event but not the man, he had been there with Ace but Nova… she had been forced to leave him in his sixth regeneration.
“But he didn’t seem to really pay much attention to the box.”
“Perception filter.” He shrugged.
“Do the words you say make sense to you?” Rose asked.
“Sometimes.” He shrugged.
“Why do they want to kill us?” Lillie asked.
“They don’t. They just want a home… there… a long time ago… there was a war and they were swept up into it. Nestene Consciousness. They’re not individuals, but it’s more like a single, vast, physical, thought-hive-aggregation. Huge, restless thing. Ambitious.”
“Like a Hive Mind.” Lillie said.
“Exactly. It’s eyed up the Earth once or twice before. But then the war rolled across and ripped apart the Consciousness, devolved it, rebuilt it into a travesty of its old self. And then the battle boiled away into the stars and left the Nestene to starve.” He gave the sisters a sudden, lovely smile. “I haven’t talked like this in a long time.”
“Well, I’ve never heard anything like it!”
All three of them laughed.
“You’ve been on your own for a while now haven’t you?” Lillie asked and the Doctor just looked at her. The resemblance was uncanny but it was impossible, then again, the universe, there were bound to be look-alikes.
“So it’s starving,’ said Rose. ‘Is that what the Nestene wants? Is it going to eat us? What’s it got against us?”
‘It can feed off the toxic waste of this planet. Loves it, lots of smoke and oil, plenty of toxins and dioxins, perfect. Just what it needs. Its food stocks were destroyed in the war, all its protein planets rotted. So it made its way here, so Earth, dinner!"
“And it what, it controls plastic?” Rose asked.
“It is plastic. That was the damage the war left behind. The Nestene was flesh and blood, once upon a time, it just had an affinity with plastic, it could resonate organic polymers. Nice party trick. But then the war came. And rewrote its DNA. Like a cruel joke. The Nestene Consciousness became living plastic, an actual living plastic creature. No wonder it found its way here. Earth, the greatest plastics factory in the cosmos. You’ve littered this world with so much junk, there’s plastic in the food, in the air, in the wildlife, you’ve got plastic lining the entire ocean floor. The Nestene looks at you lot and thinks it’s in paradise.”
“All right, Swampy, I’ve got it.” Rose cut him off.
“He’s a very nice man. I spent a week up a tree with him.”
“I bet he jumped out first.” Lillie smiled.
“He did, yeah.” The Doctor confirmed.
He noticed her fold her arms to ward off the cold, she had taken her jacket off in the Tardis, “where’s your jacket! You know the cold makes you sick!” Rose fussed, sounding distinctly like Jackie.
The Doctor smiled and he opened the door and pulled her jacket off the railing and brought it to her, wrapping it around her, once again showing a deep kindness.
She smiled in appreciation as she pulled her plaid and leather jacket around her and she smoothed so it matched against her skirt.
“So stopping the Nestene, is that like, your job? I still don’t know who you are or what you really do.”
“I don’t do anything. I just travel.” He gave the sisters a weary smile. “Believe it or not, all I want is a quiet life. No job, no wage, no boss, no tax, no home, no responsibilities. Just me.”
“Sounds like you’re running.” Lillie said.
“Never stopped since I’ve started.
"Any way of stopping it?" Lillie asked.
"Anti-plastic." The Doctor said, holding up a tube of blue liquid.
"Anti-plastic." The sisters repeated.
"Anti-plastic.”
“It’s a polymer-blading reconvertant heuverstatic animotrope.” He said.
“Right,” Rose said. “Anti-plastic.”
“If I can get this inside the Nestene, it’ll stop it dead.”
“Well that’s good news!” Rose said.
“No,” said the Doctor. “It’s the last thing I want to do.” He pocketed the vial and leapt to his feet, holding his sonic screwdriver in the air like a he was trying to get reception. ‘But first things first, we need to find the Nestene. It’s clever. Hiding the signal, it keeps slipping away. How can you hide something that big in a city this small?"
"Hold on. Hide what?" Rose asked.
"The transmitter. The Consciousness is controlling every single piece of plastic, so it needs a transmitter to boost the signal."
"Well, maybe we can narrow it down. What's it look like?" Lillie asked.
"Like a transmitter. Round and massive, slap bang in the middle of London. A huge circular metal structure like a dish, like a wheel. Radial. Close to where we're standing. Must be completely invisible." He noticed the girls were staring past him at the London Eye but it took him about a minute to figure it out after looking at the monument several times. "What? What? What? What is it? What?" He finally realizes what they were looking at, "Fantastic!"
"Aren't you supposed to be a genius?" Lillie asked, teasingly with a slight smirk pulling at her lips.
He just smiled and ran off with the sisters taking each other's hands and running after him, their hair bouncing. The Doctor soon took Lillie's other hand as they ran and smiled broke out on the sisters' faces,
They ran over the bridge, across the dark river, running headlong towards danger and disaster and death, and the Doctor surprised himself by taking Lillie’s hand and the three ran together hand in hand in hand, and they smiled as they ran, and the smile became a grin as they hurtled along, the lights of the night streaking past them, and in that moment, for all their fear, horror, and grief, Rose and Lillie had never been happier in their lives. Lillie felt more than that though. She felt… home.
They stumbled to a stop once they were at the London Eye, there were crowds of people around them.
Rose felt a panic rising at the idea of them in danger, but at the same time, she felt a dark, powerful thrill. She understood now, how the Doctor could look so confident, so detached, so scornful at times; it was astonishing to know so much more than everyone else. The people around her strolled along in ignorance, while she knew about alien worlds, and spaceships, and alien creatures made of plastic trying to destroy the human race.
Rose Tyler, four GCSEs, an unemployed shop assistant living with her mother, barely forty pounds in her bank account with a genius rebellious younger sister she had dedicated her life to protecting.
Lillie Tyler, brilliant yet having no ambition. Moral and kind but rebellious and unwilling to abide to authority. More interested in using her brilliance for fun while helping people than being boring and serious about it. Antisocial despite her charm, wit, and undying loyalty.
Tonight the sisters knew things about life on Earth that no one else knew. For once, they felt special. More than that, they felt capable. The Doctor had trusted them, and they wouldn’t let him down.
"Think of it, plastic all over the world, every artificial thing waiting to come alive. The shop window dummies, the phones, the wires, the cables..."
"The breast implants." Lillie joked said and Rose giggled.
“So did the Nestene build the London Eye?” Rose asked.
“Don’t be daft. That would be ridiculous.” The Doctor scoffed, “They’re just using it. Although, the Eiffel Tower. That was built by aliens.”
“You’re kidding!” Lillie giggled.
“It’s a good thing I stopped it taking off.” Lillie had a feeling that it hadn’t been him but he was taking credit. “Mind you. I only left it on idle. One of these days…”
“I can never tell when you’re joking.” Rose said.
“Assume never.” He grinned down at the sisters.
"Still, we've found the transmitter. The Consciousness must be somewhere underneath."
Lillie was searching around as Rose questioned why they couldn’t use the Tardis to track it and he responded, “Word of advice, Rose Tyler, when you’re searching for a hostile alien life form, don’t deliver the universe’s greatest technology into its tentacles.” A few more lines before he noticed Lillie getting too close away and he warned, “Careful. It’s going to be guarded. It knows what we look like, you two and me. Keep an eye out.”
“What for?” Lillie asked.
“Autons.” They stayed silent and kept walking, refusing to ask the obvious, waiting for him instead. He blinked, getting into their rhythm. “Autons are the Nestene in human form. Like the dummies in the shop. They’re just foot soldiers, they’re crude and simple, but the Nestene can make perfect copies. Like your mate Ricky.”
“Mickey,” The sisters said in unison, Rose biting back her fury.
“Don’t make me punch you.” Lillie snapped.
“Understood.” He acknowledged
“So they could look like anyone?”
“Anyone.”
Lillie felt Rose tug her next to her and she rolled her eyes.
“Rose, I’m fine!” She complained.
Rose however was staring at something as they walked. The living statues. Those people in costume, staying frozen in position, to earn money from people throwing coins at their feet. Rose and the Doctor were just walking past a living statue, a comedy tramp like Charlie Chaplin, battered suit and bowler hat, but sprayed silver from top to toe. He stood on a little box, the crowd passing him by.
Jackie always used to complain about living statues. ‘Creepy,’ she’d say. ‘What a way to make a living. If they want to earn money by standing still and doing nothing all day, they could work for BT.’
Lillie used to say she couldn’t last a minute doing that, she had to be constantly moving or doing something.
The Chaplin was perfectly still, he didn’t seem to breathing or blinking He was holding out his hand, offering a fake flower, his arm was still as if he were a real statue. Rose just stared. This was either the best mime of all time, or not a mime at all.
“Doctor,” she said. “You don’t think …”
Hearing the Doctor’s name caused the Chapin to move. It turned its silver face to look at her. It did not blink. ‘Oh my God,’ said Rose. The Doctor, perversely, was delighted. ‘Well done, Rose Tyler!”
Why did he love saying their names so much?
The Chaplin stepped off its box and walked towards them, ignoring everyone other than the trio, its black eyes fixed on them. Slowly, it advanced, holding out its flower like a threat.
A posh little boy stood in front of the tramp. He said crossly, “You’re supposed to stay still.” The tramp swatted the kid aside, whack! Then it kept walking, remorseless.
“Hey!” Lillie shouted out of reflex.
“Come on.” Rose said, taking the Doctor and Lillie’s hand to draw the Auton away from the crowd.
“They’re still in hiding,” The Doctor explained. “The Autons, they don’t want to draw attention. If we can just keep ahead of them.”
They heard shouting behind them. “Hey, you!” They turned to look as a large, red-faced man grabbed hold of the Chaplin. “Did you hit my little boy?” The Doctor started back towards them, but too late. The Chaplin shoved the man and sent him flying. He collided with a gang of drunk lads, which perhaps saved his life as one of them grabbed the man and started waltzing with him, his mates cheering. The Chaplin turned back to face the Doctor and the Tyler sisters and resumed its march/
Then the Doctor said, “Uh-oh.”
“Oh, what now?” Lillie asked. Ahead of them, another living statue. A ballerina, painted entirely white except for blotches of red on cheeks and lips. Eyelashes like spiders, moving towards them.
The crowd was getting jittery as the parents of the boy kept bringing attention to the Autons.
“What do we do?” muttered Rose.
“No idea. Keep going,” said the Doctor. They ran past the London Eye, then stopped. Ahead of them, a third living statue was stepping off its box. A knight in armor. It raised a sword as sharp as steel. Little kids running around it. So close to the sword.
The ballerina was advancing and behind her, the tramp was still pointing with that sinister flower. Behind him, the crowd jostled with violence, Everything volatile. About to explode. Only this explosion wouldn’t kill the Autons.
“This way,” said the Doctor, heading for the Embankment wall where there was a gap, leading to a stone staircase leading down to the river.
The sisters and the Doctor ran towards it as the Chaplin, the ballerina and the knight continued to march towards them—then they followed the Doctor down the wet, worn steps. Plunging into darkness. At least this would take the chase away from the crowds. The sounds of trouble on the Embankment were already fading away. But below them, there seemed to be only mud and black water. No boat, no tunnel, no escape. The knight, the ballerina and the tramp had reached the top of the steps and began to march down.
“But what do we do?” said Rose, panicked, as they reached the bottom, the stink of the river rising up. “We’re trapped, aren’t we? There’s nowhere to go!”
The Doctor grinned—God, he loved trouble—and held up his sonic screwdriver. “What did I say? The absence of a signal. And there is absolutely nothing coming from that!’ He pointed at a manhole, a few meters away, across some slimy flagstones. A hazy red steam billowing from its vents. Like anyone who’d ever lived in any city of the world, Rose and Lillie had spent their lives walking past grilles in the ground that emitted smoke, without ever giving them a second thought. But now, they saw them as a portal to another world. Or to their death. The Doctor ran over the slippery flags, squatting down to aim his sonic screwdriver at the manhole cover.
Rose looked back to see that the Autons were arranged along the steps in a diagonal line. “Why’ve they stopped?”
“Well, yes, problem is,” said the Doctor, a little shame-faced, “I don’t think they’re chasing us. They’re herding us. We’re not escaping, we’re walking into a trap.”
“You mean they wanted us to find this?”
“Yeah. Or we’d be dead by now. We’d have been ballerina’d to death. Which, actually, I’d like to see, but there you go.” The Doctor answered.
“I don’t want a life-sized plastic ballerina to be the last thing I see.” Lillie said.
“Yes. That would be a rather embarrassing death.” The Doctor agreed.
“So we’re doing exactly what the Nestene wants?” Rose asked.
“Yup!” The Doctor kept whirring away/
"So, you're saying that there's a secret alien base under an English landmark." Lillie deadpanned. "Yeah, that's original."
The Doctor shrugged like, I didn’t write this.
There was a click and release within the manhole. He lifted the cover and a rush of heat and steam billowed up from the depths. An awful stench of sewage and carcasses. And a noise. The distant roar of something vast. Rose and Lillie looked down to see a metal ladder descended into reddish darkness. The Doctor said, ‘Normally I’d say, wait here. But that’s a bit tricky with the Three Stooges behind us.’ ‘Never mind them,’ said Rose. ‘I’m coming with you.’
“We both are. This is our planet and it’s not a replacement.”
“They always used to say that,” said the Doctor, with a sad smile. They didn’t know who he was talking about. But whoever they were, they weren’t them; the sisters do her own thing together.
Lillie moved first, jumping in and landing on a wrung, making Rose move like she was going to catch her. Lillie looked up to see an impressed Doctor and anxious Rose.
“You can wait here if you want.” She said with a cheeky wink and lowered herself down. Rose quickly following.
The Doctor grinned and followed them, descending into the pit from hell. Far below them, deep in the earth, something huge was shrieking with delight.
The trio climbed down a short ladder, all of them now bathed in the red light. They walked past a bunch of chains hanging from the ceiling and opened a door.
"The Nestene Consciousness. That's it, inside the vat. A living plastic creature." He pointed to a vat that seemed to have a pulsing, red-hot substance in it, screaming.
"Well, then. Tip in your anti-plastic and let's go." Rose said.
"No, don't kill it!" Lillie interjected.
"I'm not here to kill it. I've got to give it a chance." The Doctor said, reminding himself of what he swore to do just this one time—do it how Nova would in her memory... but both Rose and Lillie had reignited his passion to save people, reminding him how beautiful humanity could be.
He walked down the catwalk and spoke up, "I seek audience with the Nestene Consciousness under peaceful contract according to convention fifteen of the Shadow Proclamation."
Lillie felt lightheaded and stumbled into Rose who looked at her with concern as she could hear a vague voice echo, "Shadow Proclamation." The vague image of a beautiful woman with pale olive skin with her hair up in a ponytail and glasses over her brown eyes, and a warm, motherly smile on her lips.
The substance in the vat flexed and the Doctor continued to speak. "Thank you. If I might have permission to approach?"
Lillie spotted something and she nudged Rose, bringing her attention to a terrified Mickey. "Oh, God!" Rose gasped as the sisters ran over to him and the Doctor rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Mickey, it's us! It's okay. It's all right."
"That thing down there, the liquid. Rose, Lillie, it can talk!" Mickey cried.
"You're stinking. Doctor, they kept him alive." Rose called to the Doctor as Lillie hugged Mickey.
“Yeah, I can see that.” The Doctor said, sounding annoyed at being interrupted. "That was always a possibility. Keep him alive to maintain the copy." The Doctor dismissed.
"You knew that and you never said?" Rose scoffed.
"Can we keep the domestics outside, thank you?" He continued downwards towards the Nestene Consciousness.
Mickey was terrified, babbling as he clung onto Lillie’s leg tightly, it uneased Lillie as it felt like Mickey was trying to unbalance her. “That thing, down there, it’s alive, it’s been screaming at me.”
“It’s all right,” Rose tried to comfort him as he clawed at Lillie’s black skinny jeans.
“It’s okay, it’s all under control, I promise. But how the hell did you get here?”
“There was a bin, it pulled me inside. Big white light. Opened my eyes. I was here.’ She pulled back to wipe the dirt and snot from his face, and she thought: Culture shock. Like the Doctor had said. Rose and Lillie had discovered this world stepby-step, but Mickey had been thrown in headfirst.
A selfish thought in Rose’s head whispered, maybe I can handle this better than him.
The Doctor started to speak the substance, "Am I addressing the Consciousness? Thank you. If I might observe, you infiltrated this civilization by means of warp shunt technology. So, may I suggest, with the greatest respect, that you shunt off?" The substance gurgled, "Oh, don't give me that. It's an invasion, plain and simple. Don't talk about constitutional rights.” It bellowed and the whole chamber shook. But the Doctor shouted over it: ‘I! AM! TALKING!” He silenced the beast. “How d’you want history to remember you? As a fine and rare intelligence? Or a genocidal intergalactic criminal? You once built mighty transparent empires in the sky. Now you’re reduced to this, plotting down here in the sewers. Don’t you think it’s time to stop?” The plastic lava slopped at the sides, a little sulky. “I know you’ve been through agony. And it wasn’t your fault. But look at the Earth around you. This planet is just starting. These stupid little people have only just learnt how to walk, but they're capable of so much more. I'm asking you on their behalf. Please, just go."
Lillie could swear she heard a lilt in the gurgles like a question. Apparently so because the Doctor answered it, “
"Doctor!" The girls shouted as two mannequins walked to him, grabbing him. One of them took the vial of anti-plastic from his pocket. Lillie ran down to help him more out of instinct than anything else, “There are a thousand worlds out there with skies of dioxins. Places you could colonize without hurting anyone. The Western Heights of the Jaggit Brocade. Callistenia. Beynhale. Gris. The Threppitch Consolidation…’ He rattled off names with confidence.
Then Mickey pulled on Rose’s arm, somehow still clinging to Lillie’s leg. “It won’t listen,” Mickey whispered, terrified. “I’ve heard it. Screaming at me. It’s furious, it wants us dead.”
“How do you know that’s what it’s saying?” Lillie asked.
“Don’t worry,” Rose reassuered him, ignoring her sister. “You can trust the Doctor.”
“But it’s going to destroy the whole world.” Mickey whined, clawing at Lillie’s leg again as she tried to shake him off, making the bridge shake but Mickey wasn’t budging.
“No, it can’t.” She leaned closer to him and whispered, ‘He’s got this anti-plastic. He can kill that thing if he has to.”
“Wait, Rose…” Lillie warned.
“Really?’ he said. And Mickey smiled a terrible smile. His voice was cold. “Thanks babes, baby, babyface boombastic.”
He wasn’t Mickey. He was a copy. It copied him twice. Mickey stood, now strong and unafraid, but still clinging onto Lillie like determined to provoke her into attacking him as he faced the pit and calling out to the Nestene in words that were more like roars and howls.
The Doctor turned around, furious, with Rose and Lillie, not Mickey. “What have you two done?”
“LET GO OF ME!” Lillie screamed, punching on fake Mickey’s chest but fake Mickey grabbed her wrists as Rose stood helpless to do otherwise.
Mickey called out alien commands. Two shop-window Autons dressed in sharp navy suits, strode out of the darkness at the back of the Doctor’s ledge.
“Doctor!” Lillie cried but he had nowhere to run, with only the drop in front of him. He was helpless as one Auton grabbed hold of him and pinned his arms behind his back, the second Auton digging into his jacket. It found the vial of blue liquid anti-plastic and held it aloft for the Nestene to see. The beast screeched with rage, betrayed.
“Let me go!” Lillie screamed, her compass starting to glow, fake Mickey’s hands started to melt again until she ripped them out of his grip and bolted to the Doctor.
"No, Lillie, don't!" The Doctor warned.
"I'm not leaving you!" She shouted back but then another dummy grabbed her, making her shriek as she fought back.
"LET HER GO!" Rose screamed.
"Oi, let her go! She's got nothing to do with this! What? That was just insurance. I wasn't going to use it. I was not attacking you. I'm here to help. I'm not your enemy. I swear, I'm not.”
But Mickey answered as the Nestene’s puppet. He yelled one simple word of English: “Liar!” Then Rose looked on in horror as Mickey turned to her and grinned. His teeth a perfect, plastic white. “See ya,” And he melted away.
“Mickey,” Rose said, helpless.
Then a grill behind Rose moved and the real Mickey Smith tumbled out, panicked and terrified.
“Rose!” He grabbed a hold on her, “Oh my God, it held me prisoner, there was a bin and this light and then that monster!”
“RUN!” Lillie shouted, fighting against the guard holding her.
“Get him out,” yelled the Doctor, still being held tight by his Auton guard. “Rose, both of you, get out of here.”
“Who’s he?” said Mickey, and that convinced her he was real, because the last copy hadn’t even asked. That and the stink of sweat and fear rising off him, God, yes, definitely flesh. But she didn’t have time for him. He’s alive, great, been there, done that, sorry. She sort of patted him on the head as she looked up at the top of the chamber. The living statues were still guarding the exit.
“We can’t get out!” she yelled at the Doctor.
A door nearby Rose and Mickey slid open revealing the Tardis.
Rose could tell from how the guard started handling her sister and the Doctor more aggressively and the horror on the Doctor’s face that this was bad news.
"No. Oh, no. Honestly, no!” He cried.
“What’s going on?” Asked Mickey.
“Shut up,” Then she yelled, down to the Doctor, “What’s going on?”
“It knows the TARDIS,” The Doctor said, “Worse than that, it knows who I am. And it’s terrified.” He turned back to the pit, desperate. “Yes, that’s my ship, but I swear, I’m not attacking you, I promise. That's not true. I should know, I was there. I fought in the war.” And now the Doctor was terrified. More than that. He was sorry. “I couldn’t help it,” His voice was raw as if the wound had been reopened. Was he crying? “It wasn't my fault. I tried to stop the war. I lost everything. But it was too late. I’m sorry, but I couldn't save your world! I couldn't save any of them! I couldn’t save her or her world!” The last part was almost a sob.
But the Nestene’s screech was monstrous. It was pure noise to Rose, yet its ferocity pressed on her mind to form words. She was beginning to understand it. She realized: it’s a consciousness, it’s making me conscious. It spoke of pain. It spoke of war. It spoke of planets boiling in space and a thousand TARDISes spinning in flames. And then Rose saw its molten maw shape a word, which seemed to say: ‘Time.’ It reformed, to roar another word: ‘Lord.’
He hadn’t seen her world die. Her world already burned, she (Nova had always said Elder was more of a ‘she’ than an ‘it’) thrived on burning as her inhabitants were literally living stars but then there were no more Elders, or at least, not enough to keep her alive, so she froze and that would’ve killed any remaining Elders on Elder.
"What's it doing?!" Rose asked.
"It's the Tardis! The Nestene's identified its superior technology. It's terrified. It's going to the final phase. It's starting the invasion! Get out, Rose! Just leg it now!"
"Not without my sister!" From above, now in front of the Tardis, Rose started the call Jackie but Lillie couldn't hear her from where she was.
Rose couldn’t do anything to save her sister but she could try to save her mother, she took out her phone and called her.
“Hello sweetheart!” Jackie Tyler sang.
It was a bad line, crackling and dipping. Rose’s voice sounded a thousand miles away. “Mum, where are you?”
“I’ve got you that compensation form from a police officer,” Jackie said, waving the paper about slightly, “And who’s that woman that Howard likes, is it Cynthia Rothrock? Cos I thought I could buy him a DVD, after I knackered his washing machine.”
“No, but listen,” said Rose. “Where are you?”
“I’m up West, I’ll tell her, it’s a bit nippy out! You make sure Lillie’s all warm.” Rose looked at her sister in exasperation at her mother’s non-stop chattering phone skills. “You should see Henrik’s now! How the mighty are fallen. It’s like Pompeii. Oh and they found that man, they said he was dead, that’s sad, isn’t it? Didn’t you say he was horrible? I’ve always said that—the way he would eye your baby sister! We don’t need her getting her own Jimmy Stone, not that it was your fault, darlin’…”
Rose’s voice flickered in and out, “Mum,” and then “Don’t,” and then maybe, “Go home.”
“Sorry darling,’ said Jackie. “Bad line. I’ll speak to you later, I’m off shopping. On your money, but you’re a very kind girl. There’s a bit of paella in the fridge if you and Lillie get hungry, although heat it up properly because old rice can kill you, see you later.” As Jackie hung up, she heard Rose swear—cheeky girl. Lillie was rubbing off on her.
“Mum! Mum!” Rose shouted and then she swore.
The Consciousness started to throw energy bolts.
"It's the activation signal. It's transmitting!"
"It's the end of the world." Rose said.
Not too far away, Clive Finch, finally with proof that the Doctor was read, gave his life to save his wife and his children and Jackie Tyler ran for her life in shoes that weren’t meant to be ran in.
--
Far away, beneath the city, Rose looked up. She thought she could hear the terror on the streets. Screams. Sirens. Gunshots. Her mother was out there somewhere. Her mother and everyone she knew, with an Auton army on the march. But then the Nestene bellowed, forming another two syllables with its red plastic maw. It said, “Doc.” And then “Tor.”
On the ledge below, the Auton holding the phial stood back and its twin began to push the Doctor forwards. Towards the edge.
The Doctor struggled, gasped, dug his heels in, but the Auton was remorseless. And Lillie’s the same, surprisingly, having a harder time as Lillie was not going down without a fight as the screams of all those she cared about echoed in her head and she felt like she could feel their fear.
Its rage battered Rose’s mind, hammering ideas into her thoughts. It said feast. It said sacrifice. It said revenge. And one more word, what was it …? Absorb. It would absorb the Doctor and Lillie. And with him, it would gain everything he knew about time and space. The TARDIS would come under Nestene control. The massacre spreading across London would roll on forever and outwards into the stars. Rose sank down, helpless, to hug poor, sobbing Mickey. There was nothing she could do. She’d never felt so small; one stupid girl in the middle of a war, trapped underneath a burning city with entire galaxies pivoting around this moment, and she was tiny, infinitesimal, useless. The Auton pushed. The Doctor and her sister were forced closer to the edge.
Lillie could feel Jackie’s fear and her determination to save her daughters
--
Somewhere in Catford a lanky, rangy, stubbly man was making a quick escape. Jimmy Stone had been living with a Ghanaian woman called Abena for three months. In truth, he couldn’t stand her. But she had money to spare. Her father was the CEO of a petrochemicals firm back in Ghana, and she’d come to London to study Politics and Philosophy at the LSE. Her student life was supported by an open cheque book from dad. Nice flat, nice car, nice meals. And that, thought Jimmy Stone, was very nice indeed. So he’d romanced her, and moved in, and helped her to spend the money. And then he’d got bored. It was all very well, having cash to flash, but he couldn’t bear her smile, her positivity, her relentless dedication to doing good in the world. Give it a rest, love!
She kind of reminded him of Rose Tyler, his ex-girlfriend, only Abena didn’t have an annoying younger sister who Rose had cherished more than him, Lillie had been protective of Rose and saw through his act but Rose, still young and naive when it came to the cruelty of men, dismissed her concerns until Jimmy Stone left her.
Abena was out tonight, at some posh wedding in Henley. Jimmy had wrangled his way out of the invitation by pretending to have food poisoning. Left alone, he went around the flat, helping himself. Six pairs of gold earrings, one gold bracelet, one platinum bracelet, and bingo, her Duomètre Chronographe watch, worth about £25,000, all shoved into his pockets and off he went, down the stairs, thanks, Abena, bye-bye. He reached the street and inhaled a shock of cold air. He’d done it! He wasn’t a thief by nature—a born liar, perhaps, and unfaithful, okay, that was only natural—but Abena deserved it. In fact, he was doing her a service. He could teach her more about politics and philosophy than the LSE with one simple phrase: always look after Number One.
“You’ll come to no good one day,” said a memory in his head. The voice of that gorgeous, stupid Rose Tyler. Ranting at him as he drove off with her rubbish second-hand computer stashed in the back of his car. Hah, he’d proved her wrong!
Though, he had regretted pawning her computer after he stopped his car, seeing Lillie Tyler in his headlight late one night, staring at him with icy cold eyes that almost looked dead, like she was in trace with her compass glowing with pure fury. It had been days since he left Rose and somehow her fifteen-year-old sister had traveled to Amsterdam. He tried to defuse the situation with his usual charm but as always it hadn’t worked on Lillie. Her eye had twitched and then… even to this day, he swore her eyes had flashed purple several times, then next thing he knew she was chasing him around the woods he had been stopped in as he screamed like a little girl as she laughed manically, taunting him, never feeling such fear as he felt for her, not even the fear he would feel moments from now. The next thing he knew his camper van was ransacked as if by racoons and smudged with ash, his tires slashed, his band equipment gone, later it turned out it had been given to charity after being retuned and polished, except for his bass drum which had been smashed over his head, trapping him like an afternoon cartoon, burn marks he couldn’t explain for the life of him, and a list of everything he had done.
His account of the incident was a little foggy, but he swore at one moment he was in a tree and had nightmares of her walking up the side of the tree trunk like Spider-Man as if it were the floor.
He had considered suing Lillie, not that her family had anything he wanted, but then a good-looking American man in a military coat had entered, smiling at him with false kindness but a rage in his eyes like he had hurt someone the man had cared about and he had threatened him, not to say anything about Lillie.
Besides he refused to acknowledge the time when a fifteen-year-old girl, six years younger than him at the time, he had made him scream and cry like a child. Besides, there was no evidence and no way she could’ve gotten there.
Jimmy Stone, swaggering in tight jeans, turned the corner onto Catford Broadway, his pockets bulging with so much expensive jewelry that technically he died a very rich man, as a crowd of Autons fell upon him and chopped him into bits.
His last memory was Lillie’s last words to him: When you die, you will remember me and know that if you hadn’t crossed me, you might’ve lived.
And he swore, he saw Lillie Tyler staring at him with no mercy and slight smirk before blackness.
—
As the citizens of London ran, screamed and fought for their lives, someone was fast asleep. In a house in Chiswick, a woman hugged her pillow a little tighter, annoyed by vague alarms from far-off. She’d had hell of a time last night, a bit too much vino collapso because Rufus from Accounts was leaving, to go to Northampton, and she fancied him like rotten, except she drank a bit too much and told him, and he’d laughed in her face, so that went well, and it was still only nine-thirty p.m., and God knows what had happened after that, except she’d arrived home at three A.M, without one shoe. Or, to put a positive spin on things, with one shoe. She’d then wandered through Saturday, dazed and glum. She made a truly disgraceful ham in parsley sauce for her mother’s birthday tea, then gave up. ‘You go to sleep, sweetheart,’ said her granddad. ‘Good idea,’ said Donna Noble. And she slept through the whole thing.
—
Lillie fought, her mind flashed to people she knew who had died or were dying, like Clive, and even those she didn’t like, Jimmy Stone, and those she didn’t know. She didn’t know who she was but she was a woman in her forties, older than her mother with brown hair and brown eyes. Lillie somehow knew she had a daughter around her age, eighteen, who was clever and witty, and… impossible. And… and something about a leaf, the most important leaf in human history or something, whatever the hell that meant! She knew people would die, people she loved, even if half of that list was down here, but people like Jackie and Lars would soon be dead too if they didn’t do something. The Nestene below widened its awful mouth in anticipation.
Lillie pushed the mannequin whose hands were now all melty as a bolt shot it, incinerating it but she slipped and nearly falling into the plastic below but she managed to grab onto the ledge.
"LILLIE!" Rose screamed.
"Get out, Rose! Just get out! Run!" The Doctor shouted.
"I'm not leaving my sister!" She repeated.
"The stairs have gone!" Mickey shouted.
Rose, with no intention to abandon her sister, but to get Mickey somewhere safe, or where at least, he'd stop clinging on her like a magnet, ran to the Tardis but it wouldn't open for her.
"I haven't got the key!" She cried.
The dummies tried to push the Doctor into the vat as Lillie desperately tried not to fall in as the vat spoke, "Time Lord."
Lillie looked down at the vat and vaguely heard it say, "Elder."
She saw flashes of that woman again and then of that man with the blue eyes.
In the shadow of an overturned black cab, Jackie Tyler felt her legs buckle and she sank to the floor as the brides advanced. The dummies raised their stilettos. Jackie sobbed, and she thought of Rose, and thought of Lillie, and thought of Pete, and she closed her eyes, she hoped her daughters were safe.
--
Rose stared in horror as her sister dangled above the Nestene Consciousness, kicking her feet at the faces forming.
Then an old memory came to her from just before she started dating Jimmy Stone.
Rose Tyler at sixteen years old bailed out her fifteen-year-old sister for hacking into the school computer and vandalizing the headmaster’s office, while she had busted the headmaster for having a hacker embezzling money from both the "special needs" program and from parents and had then digitally rerouted it back to the family’s, she hadn't been able to do it from the school, so she had broken into the school's "sponsor"'s mansion, she had avoided the security and disabled the cameras with ease, even bypassing some kind of defense matrix but miraculously she hadn't gotten jail time thanks to the help of a certain American in a military coat who the had flirted with multiple of the officer at once.
“Why do you have to do it this way? You could’ve gotten expelled or worse, arrested.”
“He was embezzling.” Lillie complained.
“You could’ve called the police.”
"And how much much would family and the program lose by the time they arrested him!"
“They never believe me. I stopped trusting them to do the right thing a long time ago. I had to do it myself.”
“Why? Why couldn’t you have just shown them the evidence.”
“True character and integrity is doing the right thing even if no one is watching. I couldn’t stand by and let him do it. It wasn’t right. The coppers are too cautious with their careers and the kids at our school aren’t exactly rich. I looked into it, several families were on the verge of bankruptcy and homelessness, I had to act fast before they lost something they couldn’t just grab back. You can’t just do what is easy, you have to do what’s right, even if it’s the most painful decision you ever make, you have to do what’s right because then what’s the point in doing it at all!?”
It would be so easy for Rose to follow Mickey’s first instinct to run away, to find a way to enter the Tardis. Well, easier than to do what she was thinking of doing but nothing in this universe would keep her from her sister. Nothing in any universe would.
Rose stood up, gathering her courage, it was easy when her sister was in danger. And then Rose Tyler said no. She said it aloud. She said, ‘No.’ She’d had enough. She’d had enough of standing back and doing nothing. Of being told to sit still and behave and go to work and wear this and say that, of being told what to do by men, and boys, and her mother, and teachers, and bosses, and boyfriends, by the Doctor and the Nestene and everyone in between. Above her, the world was ending. In front of her, the Doctor and her sister were dying. At her feet, Mickey was blubbing. Well, to hell with that.
Rose got a determined look in her eyes as she looked at her sister. She may be a high school dropout with a future of a dead-end job but she'll be damned if anything happened to her little sister. She will fight with her life to keep her safe. She ran across the catwalk to the wall as Mickey shouted after her, "Just leave them! There's nothing you can do!"
If the circumstance were different, Mickey would know better than to tell Rose that when it concerned her sister and Rose would've smacked him with the protective ferocity of a wolf in her eyes.
She ran across, jumped down to a lower gantry. "I've got no A-Levels, no job, no future." She said as she grabbed an axe. "But I tell you what I have got." She broke a chain attached to the wall, if she were a physicist, a soldier, an architect, or whatever, she might be able to calculate the angle and distance and velocity but sod it. In a life without many qualifications, Rose had one badge of merit—"Jericho Street Junior School under sevens gymnastic team. I got the bronze!" She took a firm hold onto the chain, wrapping it around her wrist, So she held on tight to the chain and looked at her sister.That was all the motivation she needed.
She took a deep breath and let out a growl of exertion before she jumped off the gantry and swung across the chasm, throughout the chamber. She kicked dummies into the vat and she sailed towards the Doctor. He saw her coming somehow; in that second,or whatever a second was to a Time Lord, he seemedto gaina second wind—with that big stupid grin, he doubled over, to throw the dummy holding him over his shoulder and down into the pit, so easily that later on when she had a second to think, Rose would wonder: What, was he waiting for me?
More importantly, the Doctor was free and he didn’t waste a second before running to Lillie whose boot and sock had been absorbed by the plastic and was burning holes into her other boot, and he grabbed her hand, surprised she had lasted for so long, she looked up, her eyes seemed to get bluer from a purplish hue when he looked at her but it must’ve been a trick of the light.
Rose swung over the Doctor’s head. She wasn’t aiming for him. She was aiming for the second Auton. The Auton still holding the Doctor’s vial of anti-plastic. She managed to knock the dummy off its balance, making it totter and then the one-booted Lillie, apparently not bothered by the metal of the floor in the hot chamber against her bare foot, pushed the dummy and kicked it, knocking it down into the living molted plastic.
Rose’s arc completed and she began to swing back. As Rose sailed back towards the wall, there he was, the Doctor, with that huge, silly smile, arms wide open to intercept her, a whoomph of air from his lungs as he caught her and held on tight. The two of them laughed with joy and looked over the edge. Below them, the cauldron of red and yellow plastic seethed and bubbled, but now lines of dark blue streaked and skittered across its surface. The Nestene started to scream and started to glow brightly as it turned blue.
Rose turned to her sister and laughed out of joy at seeing her alive and safe, she ran to her shouting her name and hugging her and Lillie hugging back, laughing out her sister’s name.
"Now we're in trouble." The chamber started to fall apart and blow up. “Come on!” The Doctor laughed, taking the sisters’ hands and pulling them across to and up the last stairway. Towards the TARDIS.
Mickey who had moved to where Rose had run to, pressed against the wall, wailed, “We’re going to die!”
“Oh, shut up, Rickey!” The DOcote shouted as they reached him and he grabbed his hand, letting go of Lillie’s who moved across the platform to see the Nestene Consciousness as a huge ball of fire erupted up from the create itself but Lillie didn’t flinch, she showed to sign of being affected by heat, not even sweating like the others.
“Oh my God!” Rose cried, grabbing onto her sister’s hand and trying to pull her back away from the fire but so they could still see the Nestene.
The web of anti-plastic had thickened until the creature’s entire skin had become a beautiful, poisonous blue that seemed to have entranced Lillie.
“Doctor, its solidifying, its losing its elasticity.” Lillie shouted.
It reached out into tendrils but its skin tore open and fire guttered from the rips. It tried to rise from the pit but pulled itself apart, red flames bursting out of blue wounds. The chasm below became a lake of fire. And it seemed to entrance Lillie, like an old memory.
“It’s destroying itself,” The Doctor said. In that moment, Rose saw his glee, and his agony, and she was terrified of him. “Come on!” The Doctor shouted and led the three humans to the Tardis.
“There’s no way out,” Mickey cried.
“In there,’ yelled Rose, pointing at the TARDIS. ‘But it’s just a box!’ said Mickey,
“Oh, hush!” Lillie told him as Rose remembered how dumb she’d been just a short time ago.
Debris began to fall and Lillie instinctively ran back to the Doctor.
Rose ducked, dodging breaking concrete and bits of bricks as she pulled Mickey along the platform as the Doctor shielded Lillie from debris.
Rose reached the rickety blue doors of the police box and yelled to the Doctor, “Key!” The Doctor reached into his pocket and took out the key, holding it between him and Lillie, she stared at it in awe.
“Get this to your sister.” He told her, “I’ll be right there.”
She smiled with a glint in her eyes as she held his gaze, that he had trusted her with a key to the best technology in the universe. She suddenly threw her arms around him in an uncharacteristic act of affection, laughing and she ran off to Rose and Mickey, giddy as if she wasn’t at risk of being hit by falling debris.
The platform shook, the chains threatening to snap but they held as Lillie reached Rose and Mickey and she pushed the key into the door, gently caressing the side of the Tardis as if greeting an old friend she hadn’t seen in a long, long time, then she turned to Rose and Mickey and grinned before swinging the door open and the sisters pushed Mickey inside before Rose did the same to Lillie and tumbled inside after her.
Again, that shock of entering the TARDIS, the change in pressure like a physical thump; the sound of the crumbling evil lair became muffled. And for Mickey, the interior was a brand new terror. He yelped. ‘Whaaat?’ and boggled like he was being attacked by bees as Lillie laughed before realizing the Doctor wasn’t there.
She went to go find him when he had jumped into the doorway, his back to her, standing on the edge to look down. Rose ran forward to join him as Lillie ducked so she could squeeze through the gap under his arm to see, much like how a child would.
“What the hell is going on?” Mickey’s voice was more like background noise as the three saw the dying Nestene Consciousness.
The creature was ripping itself into blue, fleshy chunks as it descended into the pit of fire, huge explosions blossoming up from the depths, the walls caving in on all sides. And above the roar, a terrible, keening sound as the Nestene wept. Rose looked at the Doctor, though he did not look at her nor did Lillie.
She wasn’t smiling anymore, she looked sorry and apologetic. Like she had the weight of the universe on her shoulders, she seemed to hold more responsibility in that moment than Rose had ever known her to have in her entire life.
The Doctor and Lillie’s eyes were like skies of ice.
“I’m sorry.” The Doctor whispered.
Then he slammed the door shut, sealing them inside the cocoon of the TARDIS.
Mickey, still not understanding how the Tardis was the safest place on Earth, cried, “We’re still going to die!”
The Doctor strode past him, dismissively and he reached the controls, flipped a big red lever. Rose sank to her knees, exhausted, with a blissful smile, welcoming the joyous sound of the engines lurching and stuttering into life as Lillie stood her ground, feeling strong.
The shining glass within the central column began to rise and fall, and the roar of the world outside faded away. In the lair of the Nestene, a final wail rose from the beast as the walls and roof collapsed into the burning ravine. The creature died in fury and despair, and the flames and rocks became its tomb. The rising stanchion reached maximum stress and sheared in half with a snap like a thunderbolt. The last lattices of ceiling fell, exposing the chasm to the night sky above and then as the stars shined down on the Nestene… it felt a sense of peace in its final moments as if the stars were smiling down on it, giving it some comfort in its last moments before death.
—
“Mum!” Rose suddenly gasped, fumbling with her phone as the Doctor frowned at Lillie’s one-booted shoe.
“You look daft with one shoe.” He stated and then he pulsed his sonic screwdriver at her boot, “One second.” And then he left.
“Where’s he going!?” Mickey squeaked.
Jackie was desperate. Thinking of Rose and Lillie. She kept walking. Heading for home. All around her, horrors. Injuries that made her flinch. People lying on the floor, asking for help. Huddled in corners, crying. Lost children. But Jackie didn’t have time, she had to get back to the flat, to find Rose and Lillie. She had to make sure they were safe.
She’d been in that flat so many years ago, when she left one morning with Rose just to go to a wedding, upset with her husband and then returned a widow and a single mother with her two baby girls.
She had to be there now. To stop that news from ever coming again. And then her mobile rang. Rose.
Jackie answered, “Oh my God! Sweetheart, is that you? Are you all right? Is Lillie alright?”
“Mum! Oh thank God, you’re alive! Where are you? Are you okay?”
“Never mind me, what about you and Lillie.”
“Honestly, trust me, I’m fine. And Lillie’s right here, she’s fine.”
“Where are you?”
A pause. “Travelling,” Rose said.
“What the hell does that mean?” Jackie asked.
“Never mind, I’m on my way home.” Rose said, Rose’s voice became muffled as she asked someone, ‘How long?’ Then she came back to Jackie, “I’m one second away, apparently.”
“I’m still up West. Did you see it? All the dummies? And not just people dressed up, their heads fell off, I picked up this bride’s head and I gave it a tap and it was solid. Then I banged it on the floor, and I’m telling you, 100 per cent plastic! But it was moving! And they tipped over a bus! And killed this man right in front of me, you should’ve seen it, and this great big clown—"
“Yeah, sorry, got to go.” And click, Rose was gone.
“Oh, well thank you, madam,” said Jackie to her phone. But Rose was alive. Her daughter was safe, and heading home. Jackie would get there somehow, even if she had to walk all the way, she’d burst through that door, she’d get out the whisky, she’d knock them up a curry, she’d toast their survival and hold her daughters tight. Hey, she might even sell her story for a bit of money. My Night of Hell, by Jacqueline Tyler. But first of all, she thought of the children she’d walked past. And Jackie went back to help.
—
The Doctor returned with an identical pair of boots to the ones Lillie was wearing and waved off her thanks.
Mickey interrupted. “How do we get out of here?” He was sitting on the floor, on the opposite side of the console to the Doctor, determined to stay as far away from him as possible as if he were suddenly going to grow tentacles. He’d initially retreated down one of the gantries, so scared of the chamber’s size that he’d tried to hide in the shadow of an internal doorway. But then he’d heard a roar from the depths of the TARDIS.
“That’ll be the dragon,” said the Doctor with a bit a laughter in his voice and Mickey had scarpered back to the center. Now he huddled into himself, overwhelmed, smeared with grease and grime. As far as he knew, the police box was still inside the underground lair; he could accept that the inside was calmer somehow, safer and sort of detached, but he had no concept of the box having moved.
Rose supposed she could explain it to him. But later, maybe. The Doctor was more important, right now. Time with him was precious, he could vanish on a whim, and she didn’t like the idea of seeing that happiness fade from her sister’s eyes.
Rose and the Doctor discussed how they were in flight when Mickey interrupted, “What the hell are you on about?” The Doctor had a wolfish gleam in his eye, that made Mickey regret his question. A challenge. He strode down the entryway, his big boots making the metal clatter and clang. He looked at the sisters, seeing the excitement in their faces, returned his challenge and he opened the left-hand door. Lillie was immediately at his side, leaving a gap for Rose to see the outside who soon joined them as Lillie sat down, dangling her feet as she looked at the view.
They were in flight above the entire planet. They held the whole of the world within their sight.
“It’s a trick. That’s not real,” Mickey denied. They didn’t look back at him.
Down below at Great Britain, the lights of London a yellow sprawl in the dark of night. Down there, she supposed, there must be fires and alarms and tragedies, but it seemed mercilessly peaceful from above. The clouds of the Atlantic curling towards a bright fringe of sunlight, the long day ending beyond the curve. When Rose looked at the north-east curve of the horizon below, some plains of Russia, focusing on particular dips of landscape. Up and out where the infinite stars.
Rose had imagined space as a simple black. But it was paler, and richer, and so much more complex, infused with extraordinary maroons, reefs of light blue, glints of yellow on vast clouds of the deepest green. They stood there together, Rose and the Doctor, standing over Lillie, in an intimate silence.
Lillie waited, and then, as she knew she would, she saw them change under the planet’s slow revolve, she felt an exhilaration, a thrill, that almost made her feel powerful, like she was capable of universal possibilities.
“I can feel it,” she said aloud so the Doctor and Rose could hear her. “The turn of the Earth.”
The Doctor smiled and they stayed there for a while. Lillie soon became antsy and moved back into the Tardis and the Doctor closed the door. Time to go home but Rose knew that the Powell Estate was no longer Lillie’s home. Earth was no longer home to her.
The TARDIS had settled with a big, resounding thump, the glass column hissing to a halt and the groan of engines falling away. The end of the line. The Doctor had promised to bring them back to the Powell Estate. With a grin, Rose opened the door. Onto the cold and dark. She stepped out, into the London night with Lillie behind her.
“We’re in the wrong place!” She realized this was Henrik’s. Where it all began. They were just beyond the ruin of the shop. The TARDIS had brought them to a mountain of blackened rubble sealed off by hazard tape and chain-link fencing. Just twenty-four hours ago… One day in which everything had changed. But the sisters also knew it couldn’t last forever. Rose turned back to the Doctor who was leaning against the TARDIS doorway, arms folded. “You said home, you got it wrong.”
Then he was pushed aside as Mickey ran out, came to a halt. He looked around, looked back at the TARDIS, then at Rose, then at Lillie, down at the ground, up at the sky, down again. He stamped on the street to prove it was real. He’d convinced himself that seeing the Earth from orbit had been some sort of illusion, but now he had to face the truth. That they’d moved.
Then he asked, “Were we thrown?”
“What?” Lillie asked.
“What d’you mean, thrown?” Rose asked.
“Like, we were underground. And it exploded... And we got thrown out. And we landed here.” Mickey tried to reason.
Rose took a deep breath, to explain, but the Doctor interrupted, “Actually, that’s not bad. Same difference. Well done, Ricky.”
“It’s Mickey,” He said, trying to hide behind a large piece of wood, away from the Tardis.
Rose went to him to check on him, “Is he all right?”
“Don’t talk like I’m not here,” Mickey complained.
Lillie spun on her heels to look at him, “Oh, so you know the side effects of you being copied into plastic twice?”
Mickey opened his mouth, shut it, and then open it again, like fish out of water.
“He was copied. Bit knackering. Ten minutes, fresh air, right as rain. So, are we done?”
Rose saw her sister’s posture fall and her smile falter, the happiness in her eyes dimmed. She herself could feel a sudden rush in her heart. This was it. The Doctor was going. He’d step into that box and slam the door, never to be seen again. She saw her sister trying to hide her emotions like she always did and Rose didn’t want to give her disappointment away either.
She said, as though indifferent, “I suppose.”
“Good,” The Doctor said,
“Yeah,” said Rose.
“Yep.” Lillie choked down, looking down.
And they stayed where they were.
Then the Doctor said, “Right. I’d better go.”
Lillie noticed that he seemed to be hesitate to leave them too.
“Well, good luck,” Rose said, “You’ll need it.”
“What makes you think that?” He asked with mock offense.
“You were useless in there. You’d be dead if it wasn’t for me,” Rose smiled that brilliant smile, quite proud of herself.
“D’you think?” He was smiling too, just a little and then he admitted, “Yes, I suppose I would be. Thank you.”
And still, all three of them hesitated. The Doctor’s weight shifted onto his back foot, his hand tensed on the wooden door, about to close it—but not yet. The moment suspended. The Doctor knew these two girls were special; his empathy for all life—especially humanity was back, the one he thought had died with Nova.
"Right then, I'll be off… unless, uh, I don't know,” He shrugged, to appear casual, “you two could come with me. As you know this box isn't just a London-op, you know. It goes anywhere in the universe free of charge.”
Everything fell away: the sirens, the city, the cold, the pain of her new replacement boot rubbing against the back of her bare heel raw.
Then he blinked, drew in a sharp breath, looked at the sisters as though preparing to forget them, “Anyway. Never mind. Just a thought.” He took one step back.
“No! Don’t go!” Lillie blurted out and he looked at her.
Forcing herself to process what he was asking, Lillie got a surge of excitement in her body at the idea, her happiness coming back. For the first time in her life, something felt... right. She wasn't a kid anymore; she was eighteen and Rose could come with.
"You're serious?" She asked, grinning wildly.
"Nova made you promise, didn't she?" He smiled.
Mickey looked up at Lillie and said, “You can’t. It’s not safe. He’s an alien. He’s a thing.”
"Don't. He's an alien. He's a thing." Mickey said, pointing as if it needed to be clarified who he was referring to.
"He's not a bad alien." Lillie said, not looking away, "besides I've saved his hide twice now."
"He's not invited. What do you think? You could stay here, fill your life with work and food and sleep, or you could go anywhere. The choice is yours, Lillie Tyler.”
"Yes!" Lillie exclaimed at once, practically giddy with excitement.
A flash of relief passed over the Doctor’s face and he looked at Rose.
Rose looked tempted too but she forced herself to think logically.
"Is it always this dangerous?" Rose asked.
"Yeah." Doctor admitted and Mickey clung to Rose’s waist.
Rose thought about the fear she had felt but it had been worth it, to do the good that she did. She wanted to feel that again.
But then, ping, ping, ping. Her phone was bombarded by texts as it reconnected with the network came back to life; thirty-four messages received—thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-seven.
The list of names: Sally, Shareen, Mook, Patrice, Omar, Maxwell, Suki, Janice, Keisha, Cole, Mum, Mum, Mum. Rose's old world coming back.
Lillie checked her phone and the Doctor spotted, only two people had messaged her. Mum. Mum. Mum. Lars. Lars. Lars. Lars. Lars. Lars. Mum. Mum. Mum.
Rose wondered if any of those texts would be someone’s final message. And then Jackie, of course, she thought of Jackie, wandering home. And Mickey, poor Mickey Smith, that lovely bright boy shattered by events. Needing her help. And tomorrow the sun would shine and life would go on and she needed a job, she needed a wage, she couldn’t go running off like she’d done with Jimmy Stone, she wasn’t a kid any more. She had to buckle down and behave and face her responsibilities.
"Yeah, I can't. I've uh, I've got to go and find my mum, and someone's got to look after this stupid lump, so..." she turned to her sister, "you have fun and be safe. Okay, Lillie? I'll tell mum that you've... gone studying abroad or something..." Rose shrugged. "Take a year off before you head off to Cambridge."
While Rose didn't want her sister to go without her, she knew that Lillie had been waiting for a moment like this all her life and it wouldn't be fair to take it away from her. Lillie deserved it.
The Doctor’s expression did not change. He kept a level stare, as though none of this mattered at all and Lillie ran in the Tardis with the Doctor with a huge grin on her face. Though she knew that Rose wanted to go.
“You watch after her. She’s sensitive to the cold.” Rose warned, “She gets sick easy when she’s cold.”
The Doctor didn’t mention that the radiation of the Tardis mutated human cells, making them better at fighting off diseases.
"Okay. See you around." The Doctor said, closing the door.
The Tardis started to dematerialize…
Mickey stood up to stare alongside her and they saw the miracle of the box for the first time. The lamp on top of the stacked roof flared as bright as the sun. Then it pulsed up and down, seeming to draw all the color out of the box as the noise heaved into a bellow, a fierce little wind whipping up, a vortex of papers and flakes and ash spiraling around the shape of the box even as that shape began to disappear. The lines and light melted away into the night. The wind died down, the debris settled to the floor, and the noise faded down to a whisper, and then nothing at all. The Doctor had gone with Lillie.
Rose stared at the empty space for a long time where the machine that had her sister and the Doctor inside were. Her eyes fell to a mirror in an alley and she saw herself in a tall broken shard of mirror that was a Hendrik’s display that had been thrown across the street.
And there she stood. Nineteen years old, London born, average height. Hoodie and jeans, like everyone her age. A scoop of dirty blonde hair around her face. Eyes like her father’s, mascara and hair like her mum’s. A bit of a sullen expression which made everyone, her whole life, say “Cheer up.”
The most ordinary girl in the world. And I’m happy with that, she thought. This ordinary girl helped to save the world, not with magic, not with science, not with any particular skill, I just did one simple thing: I never gave up.
--
The Doctor caught Lillie staring at the door from the console as she bit and sucked on her lip and she felt his gaze on her, she looked at him.
"She wants to go, you know." Lillie said. “She ran away from her responsibilities once for a prat of a boy. Dropped out of school.”
“How do you know this isn’t that?” He asked.
“It’s not.” She said, confident.
The Doctor smiled before heading back to give Rose a second chance.
And then she heard it again. The grind of engines. The light blazed into existence, a rush of, a spiral of wind, and the outlines of the box, bleeding into the air, and then with a thump, the TARDIS was back.
The Doctor opened the door again and said, "By the way, did I mention it also travels in time?"
The spin of the world beneath her feet seemed to tilt. Now so many things made sense. The photographs in the shed. Those two words, spoken by a furious beast: “time” and “lord”. Rose turned to Mickey. She loved him, but that seemed a very small thing, right now. She thought of the people who’d abandoned him, the people he’d lost over the years. And she was sorry, but above and beyond that, she thought: That’s his story. But this is my story, now. And the only person who can tell it, is me. She gave Mickey a kiss. She said, "Thank you." Then she ran towards the rest of her life, joining her sister.
Lillie and Rose knew that the stranger’s promise, given to them in the dark and snow of New Year’s Eve, had finally come true. Lillie thought back to that man from what little she could see of him.
And that’s how the journey began. And they hoped it would never end.
Chapter 11: The End of the World
Summary:
Rose and Lillie join the Doctor as companions and he takes them to the day the sun expands and swallows up the Earth.
Chapter Text
Dépaysement — French — Noun — The feeling of disorientation and euphoria you experience from not being in your home country, but somewhere new, unknown, exciting yet terrifying.
“Every story has an end but in life every end is a new beginning.”
Link to End of the World by Arcando x ThatBehavior x Neoni
Rose grinned.
" I am so impressive." He scoffed.
"Oh, you wish." Lillie teased.
"Right then, you girls asked for it. I know exactly where to go. Hold on!" The Doctor said.
The sisters held hands as the Tardis moved again and then it stopped.
"Where are we?”
For dramatic effect, the Doctor just gestured for the door. The sisters turned to the door and they turned back to him.
“What's out there?" Lillie asked, excitedly.
He kept his hand out and then let it fall with a look like, see for yourself.
Lillie ran off, exiting the Tardis.
“Oi, Lillie!” Rose shouted and followed her sister with somewhat more casualness.
Lillie came up to a closed window, she was about to touch on a nearby touch screen when her compass glinted with a glow and the window blind slid down, revealing where they were.
Rose exited the Tardis, soon after the Doctor followed to see Lillie standing in front of a filtered window, revealing the Earth with the sun behind it.
"You lot, you spend all your time thinking about dying, like you're going to get killed by eggs or beef or global warming or asteroids. But you never take time to imagine the impossible, that maybe you survive. This is the year 5.5/apple/26. Five billion years in your future, and this is the day," he looked at his watch, "Hold on." The sun flared, turning red, "This is the day the Sun expands. Welcome to the end of the world."
"Shuttles five and six now docking. Guests are reminded that Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation and religion. Earth Death is scheduled for fifteen thirty-nine" A voice from above said, "Followed by drinks in the Manchester Suite."
The trio walked along a corridor, "So, when it says guests, does that mean people?" Rose asked.
"Depends what you mean by people." The Doctor said.
"I mean people. What do you mean?" Rose asked.
"Aliens."
"What are they doing on board this spaceship? What's it all for?" Lillie asked, curiously.
"It's not really a spaceship, more like an observation deck. The great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn." He said, as he used his sonic screwdriver on a wall panel.
"What for?"
"Fun. Mind you when I said the great and the good, what I mean is, the rich." The Doctor continued as they entered a large area with an even bigger view of the planet.
"So, nothing's changed there." Lillie said, feeling disdain that she didn't quite understand.
"But hold on. They did this once on Newsround Extra. The sun expanding—that takes hundreds of years" Rose said, remembering the program she had watched with Lillie.
"Millions," The Doctor corrected, "but the planet's now property of the National Trust. They've been keeping it preserved. See down there? Gravity satellites holding back the sun."
"The planet looks the same as ever. I thought the continents shifted and things." Rose said.
"They did, and the Trust shifted them back. That's a classic Earth. But now the money's run out, nature takes over."
"How long's it got?" Rose asked.
"About half an hour and then the planet gets roasted."
"Is that why we're here? I mean, is that what you do? Jump in at the last minute and save the Earth?" Rose asked.
"I'm not saving it. Time's up."
"But what about the people?" Rose asked.
"It's empty. They're all gone. No one left."
"Just us, then." Rose gasped and took her sister's hand.
"Who the hell are you?" A rude voice announced, making them turn to see a blue-skinned alien.
"Oh, that's nice, thanks." The Doctor sassed.
"But how did you get in? This is a maximum hospitality zone. The guests have disembarked. They're on their way any second now."
"And it hasn't occurred to you that we might be guests." Lillie asked, patronizingly and then flashed a piece of paper at the steward, making the Doctor do a double take and pat himself down, realizing she had pick-pocketed him. "That's us. I'm a guest. Look, he's got an invitation. Look. There, you see? It's fine, you see? The Doctor plus two."
The Doctor snatched it back from her and smiled at the blue-skinned man. "I'm the Doctor, this is Rose and Lillie Tyler. They're my plus twos. Is that all right?" The Doctor flashed the paper to the man.
"Well, obviously. Apologies, et cetera. If you're on board, we'd better start. Enjoy." Then he left, embarrassed.
"The paper's slightly psychic. It shows them whatever I want them to see. Saves a lot of time."
"How'd you know?" Rose asked Lillie.
"Nova must’ve told me about it." She shrugged and she looked at the paper and frowned in confusion. She had never actually seen it before. "It's blank." Lillie said, pointing at it. The Doctor blinked at her, surprised. "What?" She asked.
"Nothing." He shook it off when Rose spoke up.
"He's blue." She said, referring to the alien.
"Yeah, Rosie. He's an alien." Lillie said, blankly. “Biology be different on other planets.”
"Okay." Rose nodded.
"We have in attendance the Doctor, Lillie Tyler and Rose Tyler. Thank you. All staff to their positions. Hurry, now, thank you. Quick as we can. Come along, come along. And now, might I introduce the next honored guest? Representing the Forest of Cheam, we have trees, namely, Jabe, Lute and Coffa." Lillie tilted her head to the side as she saw a bark-skinned woman enter "There will be an exchange of gifts representing peace. If you could keep the room circulating, thank you. Next, from the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, we have the Moxx of Balhoon. And next, from Financial Family Seven, we have the Adherents of the Repeated Meme." Lillie saw a group of people dressed in black robes, "The inventors of Hypo-slip Travel Systems, the brothers Hop Pyleen. Thank you." Reptilians clad with fur. "Cal Spark Plug. Mister and Mrs Pacoon. The Ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light."
The trees went up to the trio as Lillie joined them again.
"The Gift of Peace. I bring you a cutting of my Grandfather." She gave the Doctor rooted twig in a small pot, which was apparently her grandfather which was apparently a normal gift to give someone nonetheless someone you’ve never met.
"Thank you. Yes, gifts. Er, I give you in return air from my lungs." He blew gently on Jabe as Lillie looked at him oddly.
"How intimate." She said.
"There's more where that came from."
"I bet there is." She said, flirtatiously while Lillie and Rose stood next to the Doctor feeling uncomfortable.
"From the Silver Devastation, the sponsor of the main event, please welcome the Face of Boe." A large glass case that contained a giant humanoid head with straggly hair and squinting eyes barely could make it through the doorway.
He seemed to look straight at Lillie who which she was confused by. Even more at the sad feeling he seemed to give off, surprising her with that so much so that she didn’t notice Jabe flashing her with the device she was holding, presumably some futuristic type of camera as it chirped loudly.
They greeted the various aliens one of which then spit in Rose and Lillie's face much to their disgust and the Repeated Meme gave them a silver ball. Lillie accepted politely but there was something about them that rubbed her the wrong way.
"And last but not least, our very special guest. Ladies and gentlemen, and trees and multiforms, consider the Earth below. In memory of this dying world, we call forth the last Human. The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen." The Steward introduced.
A face on a piece of thin skin stretched in a rectangular frame is wheeled in by two men. Lillie blinked her eyes and shook her head as if thinking she was seeing it wrong but she wasn't. Rose and Lillie exchanged looks like, what are we looking at?
"Oh, now, don't stare. I know, I know it's shocking, isn't it? I've had my chin completely taken away and look at the difference. Look how thin I am. Thin and dainty. I don't look a day over two thousand. Moisturize me. Moisturize me." One of the men used a pump spray on the skin. "Truly, I am the last Human. My father was a Texan, my mother was from the Arctic Desert. They were born on the Earth and were the last to be buried in its soil. I have come to honor them and say goodbye. Oh, no tears, no tears. I'm sorry. But behold, I bring gifts. From Earth itself, the last remaining ostrich egg. Legend says it had a wingspan of fifty feet and blew fire from its nostrils. Or was that my third husband? Oh, no. Oh, don't laugh. I'll get laughter lines. And here, another rarity."
The sister peered around the back of Cassandra to see that she was as thick as a sheet of paper.
Lillie turned to her sister as a jukebox was wheeled in, "where's her brain... and all her other organs and bones?" She whispered and Rose just shrugged.
"According to the archives, this was called an iPod. It stores classical music from humanity's greatest composers. Play on!" Cassandra exclaimed as the sister looked at each other as if to confirm what they were looking at.
The jukebox started to play Tainted Love by Soft Cell, making the Doctor bop his head along to the tune, enthusiastically.
Rose pulled Lillie out of the room for them to get some air, she didn't want to leave her sister alone with strangers, nonetheless alien strangers.
The Doctor noticed them leaving and he went to follow them but Jabe stopped him.
“Doctor?” She said and the camera she had used on Lillie flashed, “Thank you.” The Doctor nodded and went to follow.
As an Adherent of the Repeated Meme insisted that the rude Steward have one of the silver balls despite his protests.
Jabe consulted her camera, which twittered and chirped like a bird, it was scanning the Doctor.
“Identify species. Please identify species.” The device whistled, “Now stop it. Identify his race. Where's he from?” The device chirped and Jabe blinked in surprise, “It's impossible. What about the girl who looks like the late princess of Elder?”
Lillie’s picture popped up, her image rotated before stating: Identified as Princess Cassiopeia of Elder, daughter of the late Queen Kassandra and the late King Virtus. Wife of the late King Narcissus.
“But she’s dead.”
An Analyzing loading symbol turned. Confirmation: Princess Cassiopeia reborn as Human. Elder side suppressed. Advice: Do not confront.
“Why not? She was my friend.” Jabe complained.
Analyzation: Confrontation before Princess Cassiopeia is ready to for confrontation may result in loss control of powers including overwhelming empathy, empathic mind blast, levitation, and supernova explosions. Could result in roasting everyone on board alive. Additionally, she will have to relive all of her repressed memories.
Nova had always been haunted by her memories. She knew of Ozzie, her ex who she had let herself be tortured for at least a billion years (the time that she was tortured tended to change, though Jabe suspected that was due to her dismissing it) but Ozzie found a way back to her and was then killed and died in Nova’s arms. It had taken Nova over a billion more years just to start to heal from that… the day she met the Doctor and punched him in the face. But even more than that was one she never elaborated on, something about a child before she left and when she came back she was horrified by… something. And she blamed herself.
Jabe looked up, sighing heavy and she hurried away, not noticing the four-legged metal spider scurrying away.
--
Rose and Lillie came to a little window, overseeing the sun and its energy when they heard footsteps and they turned, their hair flying to see a woman the seemed to be of the same race as the steward.
"Sorry, are we allowed to be in here?" Rose asked, sheepishly.
She seemed hesitant to speak, "you have to give us permission to talk."
The girls looked shocked at this, "um... you have permission?" Rose said, confused.
"Thank you. And, no, you're not in the way. Guests are allowed anywhere." The woman said in a kind voice.
She went to a keypad on the wall and started to unlock it.
"What's your name?" Lillie asked as the two sisters went to her to make conversation.
"Raffalo."
"Raffalo?" Rose repeated.
"Yes, misses. I won't be long; I've just got to carry out some maintenance. There's a tiny little glitch in the Face of Boe's suite. There must be something blocking the system. He's not getting any hot water." Raffalo said.
"So, you're a plumber?" Lillie asked.
"That's right, misses."
"They still have plumbers?" Rose asked.
"I hope so, else I'm out of a job." Raffalo chuckled.
"Where are you from?"
"Crespallion."
"That's a planet, is it?" Rose asked.
"No. Crespallion's part of the Jaggit Brocade, affiliated to the Scarlet Junction, Convex fifty-six. And where are you from, misses? If you don't mind me asking."
"No, not at all. Um, I don't know. A long way away. We just sort of hitched a lift with this man." Rose started to realize what they had done in horrified shock as Lillie looked at her. "I didn't even think about it. We don't even know who he is. He's a complete stranger." Lillie nudged her sister in the ribs, bringing her back, "Anyway, don't let us keep you. Good luck with it."
Lillie started to pull Rose away when Raffalo spoke up again, "Thank you, misses. And eh… thank you for the permission. Not many people are that considerate." This made Lillie sad. Even now.
"Okay. See you later." Lillie said and they left.
--
Rose and Lillie sat on a step in a gallery as Rose played with the silver ball while Lillie left hers alone; it gave her the creeps like it was watching her.
"Earth Death in twenty-five minutes."
"Oh, thanks." Rose muttered, sarcastically. She put down the ball and picked up the potted plant. "Hello. My name's Rose and this is my sister Lillie… it’s short for Delilah. Those are sort of plants. We might be related."
"Rose, you're talking to a twig." Lillie deadpanned and Rose put the potted plant down exasperatedly.
“Why did you say yes at once?” Rose asked.
“Hmm?” Lillie looked at her older sister.
“You said yes without hesitation.”
“All those years ago, that Halloween where I had gotten separated from you and mum. I understood that he couldn’t take me with him because I was barely thirteen and I couldn’t leave you. But even then…” She tried to put it in words, “it’s like a pull, I feel a pull towards him like… this is what I’m meant to do. Travel with him and I don’t regret it. I don’t think I’ll ever regret it.” Lillie said, honestly. Then she heard a small noise, "Do you hear that?"
"What?" Rose asked her, not hearing anything.
Before she could reply, they heard the Doctor say, "Rose? Lillie? Are you in there?" As he entered and sat on the other side of the steps and looked at them eagerly, "Aye, aye. What do you think, then?"
"Great. Yeah, fine. Once you get past the slightly psychic paper. They're just so alien. The aliens are so alien. You look at 'em and they're alien." Rose said, clearly having trouble processing all of this.
"Good thing I didn't take you to the Deep South." The Doctor cracked.
"Yeah, maybe, we should have stopped at the twenty-second century instead." Lillie suggested, "Ease into it?"
"Where are you from?" Rose asked him.
"All over the place." He said, vaguely.
"They all speak English." Lillie said.
"No, you just hear English. It's a gift of the Tardis. The telepathic field, gets inside your brain and translates." The Doctor explained. That made sense... in some weird alien way.
"It's inside our brains?" Rose said.
"Well, in a good way."
"Your machine gets inside our heads. It gets inside and it changes our minds, and you didn't even ask?" Rose scoffed.
"I didn't think about it like that." He said.
"No, you were too busy thinking up cheap shots about the Deep South." Rose scoffed, getting upset, "who are you, then, Doctor? What are you called? What sort of alien are you?"
"I'm just the Doctor." The Doctor said, he seemed closed off as he had reason to keep quiet.
"From what planet?" Rose asked.
Lillie got lightheaded again as she saw a memory that she hadn’t lived through played.
“Nova,” A woman with blue-green hair in an elegant sort of bun by red flowers that sparkled when she moved, she had red dangling earrings and a black dress with a red and black see-through cape, she had blue and yellow eyes.
“Hey, Mum.” Nova said.
“We need to get you ready to greet the new recruits of Gallifrey’s Time Lord Academy.”
Nova threw her head back and groaned loudly before getting up to put on her perfect princess act for the Time Academy.
"Well, it's not as if you'll know where it is!" The Doctor chuckled, bringing her back.
"Where are you from?" Rose asked.
"What does it matter?"
"You must have a name. A species.”
“Like I said, it doesn’t matter!”
“Just tell us who you are!" Rose demanded. Lillie looked at her like, don't bring me into this. “
"This is who I am, right here, right now, all right? All that counts is here and now, and this is me." The Doctor snapped, angrily.
"Yeah, and we're here too because you brought us here, so just tell us." Rose shouted and the Doctor stomped to the window, looking over at the sun.
Lillie honestly didn't mind, she felt that he was entitled to wait until he was ready to tell them what kind of alien he was or what planet he was from, it was his business and clearly it was a sore subject but she understood that Rose was overwhelmed.
"Do you know what kind of alien he is?" Rose asked Lillie.
"Rose." Lillie whispered. "He has the right to tell us when he wants to. It’s sort of like with my ADHD, it’s my right to tell.”
Rose sighed, as another announcement was made, knowing that as per usual, Lillie was right. She was always right.
"Earth Death in twenty minutes. Earth Death in twenty minutes."
The teenagers walked down the steps to the Doctor, "All right. As my mate, Shareen says, don't argue with the designated driver." Rose said and the Doctor let a smile flicker across his face but forced it away. How dare Rose Tyler being simple… Rose Tyler. Rose took her mobile phone out as Lillie did the same. "Can't exactly call for a taxi.”
The Doctor tilted his head up with another smile on her face. How could he ever be mad at Rose Tyler for being simply her… simply human. She was the most ordinary girl and because of that she was beautiful.
“Not even a space taxi. A time taxi.” Lillie added and the Doctor looked at her to see the cheeky glint in her eyes, making a smile tug at him lips.
“There's no signal. We're out of range. Just a bit."
"Yeah, just a bit.” Lillie agreed with a sardonic tone, “by five billion years."
"Tell you what." He took Rose's phone as she was the closest and started to take it apart, "With a little bit of jiggery pokery."
"Is that a technical term, jiggery pokery?" Lillie teased.
"Yeah, I came first in jiggery pokery. What about you two?"
"No, I failed hullabaloo." Rose played along.
"Oh. There you go." He handed Rose her phone back and took Lillie's the do the same as Rose called Jackie.
"Hello?" Jackie's voice said as Lillie gasped, placing a hand over her mouth. She sounded clearer than ever before, much louder, although with Jackie, she was already pretty loud over the phone.
"Mum?" Rose gasped.
"Oh, what is it?" Jackie sighed, "What's wrong? What have I done now? Oh, this red top's falling to bits. You should get your money back. Go on. There must be something, you never phone in the middle of the day. Is Lillie with you?" Rose and Lillie chuckled in sad relief. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing. Yeah, Lillie's right here. You all right, though?" Rose asked.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" Jackie asked.
"What day is it?" Rose asked.
"Wednesday, all day. You got a hangover? Oh, I tell you what. Put a quid in that Lottery syndicate. I'll pay you back later."
"Yeah, er, I was just calling cause Lillie and I might be late home." Rose said.
"Is there something wrong?" Jackie asked. “Is Lillie alright?”
"No. I'm fine. Lillie's fine. We're fine. Top of the world." Rose said and then Jackie hung up.
Lillie sniffled as the Doctor spoke, beaming, "Think that's amazing, you want to see the bill."
"That was five billion years ago. So, she's dead now. Five billion years later, my mum's dead."
"Bundle of laughs, you are."
“Every person we’d ever know would be dead by now.” Lillie said, “Well, maybe. Maybe we’ll meet an immortal.”
“No one alive could live this long.” The Doctor said and Lillie felt a warmness smile in her mind and her memory went back to that kind American stranger who had talked to her on that bench years ago.
“Best reception ever, she sounded louder than she does in real life.”
“And for our mother, that’s saying something.” Lillie teased.
“Did you give my signal a boost?” Rose asked.
“More or less.”
“Could I phone Mars from here?” Lillie asked.
“Yeah. Tell them I want my boots back.” The Doctor told her.
“Why, what happened to your boots?” Lillie asked.
“I left them there. Obviously.” He said with a grin. Even when joking, he was still so rude.
Lillie laughed, not at the joke but the utter the-Doctor-ness of it which made Rose laugh.
But then the space station shook, and Rose grabbed Lillie protectively.
"That's not supposed to happen." The Doctor said, curiously and ran off with the girls following.
"Honored guests may be reassured that gravity pockets may cause slight turbulence, thanking you." The Steward said over the intercom.
They walked back into the observation gallery, "That wasn't a gravity pocket. I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that. What do you think, Jabe?" He turned to the tree lady, "Listened to the engines. They've pitched up about thirty Hertz. That dodgy or what?"
Jabe glanced at Lillie like she could see into Lillie’s soul but it was only a glance. "It's the sound of metal. It doesn't make any sense to me." Jabe said. That made sense, considering she was like a real-life gender-bent Groot with better vocabulary.
"Where's the engine room?" The Doctor asked.
"I don't know, but the maintenance duct is just behind our guest suite, I could show you and your wives."
Lillie raised an eyebrow as the Doctor said, "They're not my wives."
"Partner?"
"No." This answer was a bit more bitter. Like he had recently had a partner but she was since passed.
"Concubines?"
"Nope."
"Prostitutes?" She asked.
"Whatever we are, it must be invisible." Lillie scoffed; she looked down at her clothing which consisted of a red shirt that had a bandit symbol with swords with a sarcastic William Shakespeare quote on it: I would challenge you to a battle of wits but I see you are unarmed, under her plaid leather jacket, plaid skirt, black jeans with red patches at the rips, and the black boots. What were prostitutes like in the future that her deeply sarcastic Hot Topic/ComicCon fashion sense could be mistaken for one?
“Please, don’t call my sister a prostitute.” Rose said, shortly.
“Princess?” She said, testing on how little Lillie knew of her past life.
Lillie let out a snort, “I’m as much as a princess as a cinder maid.”
“Do you mind? Tell you what, you two go and pollinate. We’re going to catch up with family. Quick word with Michael Jackson.” Rose gestured to Cassandra.
“Don’t start a fight.” The Doctor warned them.
“We’ll see. I’d like to see you try and stop me.” Lillie called to him, walking off, her chocolate-colored curls swishing behind her.
The Doctor offered Jabe his arm, “I’m all yours.”
“And I want you home by midnight.” Rose teased.
“Earth Death in fifteen minutes. Earth Death in fifteen minutes.”
Lillie nearly walked into the Face of Boe, not sure how she could’ve missed him.
“Oh, sorry.” She mumbled, stepping back and she looked up at the enormous alien. “You’re sad. I don’t know how but I can tell you… may I?” The Face of Boe’s gigantic head nodded and she placed her hand on the glass, “you feel mourning and grief for someone you once loved. Your first love.”
“Brilliant as you ever were, N… Lillie." The Face of Boe said telepathically.
She was so shock and awed by this that she didn’t notice that he nearly called her the wrong name.
"I don’t understand how…”
“You’ll see that it comes and goes.”
“Do we… do we know each other?” She asked, confused.
“I know you but you don’t know me yet. I haven’t seen you in so long, Lillie. In all my years, I’ve failed to see someone with such compassion yet brutality. Darkness that shone as bright at her light.”
Her mind suddenly flashed to a childhood memory of her at the school library.
The thirteen-year-old Lillie jumped as she tried to reach a book on the highest shelf about aliens.
A man who looked to be in his late twenties to early thirties but was in actuality much older than he looked with pitch black and piercing pale blue eyes walked in, mimicking his boss at Torchwood for his “lack of proper procedure”, apparently sleeping with all the suspects in their cases and several employees in the workplace was frowned upon. Then he spotted a girl with brown hair dressed in flannel.
“Lillie.” He breathed, seeing the younger self of his first real love.
He cleared his throat and walked towards her, despite knowing that she had no useful information about the Doctor.
“Need some help, little girl?”
“I am not a little girl!” She pouted at the American man, “I’m just… short.”
Jack smiled and pulled the book she was trying to get off the shelf and handed it to her.
“Thank you, um…”
Jack hesitated before offering his real name, “Javic Piotr Thane.”
She held out her hand and said, “Lillie Tyler.”
Had that been the same kind man who had talked to her on the bench?
She shook her head and smiled at the Face of Boe, “Well, I look towards to meeting you for the first time.” She smiled and went to join Rose with Cassandra.
–
The Doctor and Jabe walked through a hall filled with wires and pipes, completely missing the robot spiders that hid from them.
“Who’s in charge of Platform One? Is there a Captain or what?” He asked.
“There’s just the Steward and the staff. All the rest is controlled by the metal mind.” Jabe replied.
“You mean the computer? But who controls that?”
“The Corporation. They move Platform One from one artistic event to another.”
“But there’s no one from the Corporation on board.” The Doctor pointed out.
“They’re not needed. This facility is purely automatic. It’s the height of the Alpha class. Nothing can go wrong.”
“Unsinkable?” He scoffed.
“If you like. The nautical metaphor is appropriate.” She said.
“You’re telling me. I was on board another ship once. They said that was unsinkable. I ended up clinging to an iceberg. It wasn’t half cold.” The Doctor said, causally before stopping to turn to Jabe, “So, what you’re saying is, if we get in trouble there’s no one to help us out?”
“I’m afraid not.” She said.
“Fantastic.” He grinned.
“I don’t understand. In what way is that fantastic?” Jabe wondered.
–
Rose and Lillie were listening the Cassandra who Lillie didn’t like at all as she seemed completely self-absorbed, “Soon, the sun will blossom into a red giant, and my home will die. That’s where I used to live, when I was a little boy, down there.” Rose and Lillie exchanged looks. “Mummy and Daddy had a little house built into the side of the Los Angeles Crevice. I’d have such fun.”
“What happened to everyone else? The human race, where did it go?” Lillie asked.
“They say mankind has touched every star in the sky.” Cassandra said.
“So, you’re not the last human.” Lillie said, raising her eyebrows.
“I am the last pure human. The others mingled.” She clarified, saying it as if it were the most horrid offense, “Oh, they call themselves New humans and Proto-humans and Digi-humans, even 'Humanish’, but you know what I call them? Mongrels.”
So, she was one those people who think she was better above others; they still had these people. But Lillie had always known that no matter how much they progressed there was always going to be people with a backwards view of the world, it was just a fact of life.
“Right. And you stayed behind.” Rose asked as Lillie rolled her blue eyes.
“I kept myself pure.” That was rich of her to refer to herself as pure. With all the plastic surgery she seemed to have undergone. A sex change was one thing but for some reason Lillie felt that Cassandra had numerous sex change surgeries and not just because she wanted her body to identify with her inner gender and more to get away with things, plus she clearly used surgeries to make herself look younger to the point that she was literally a slab of skin. If Lillie hadn’t been against plastic surgery before, she was now.
“Uh-huh, and how many operations have you had?” Lillie asked.
“Seven hundred and eight. Next week, it’s seven hundred and nine. I’m having my blood bleached.” Lillie didn’t even know it was possible to have that many operations. And what was blood bleaching. “Is that why you wanted a word? You could be flatter, Rose. You’ve got a little bit of a chin poking out. And Lillie…”
“I’d rather die.” Rose cut her off, before she could point out Lillie’s imperfections that the younger Tyler was already painfully aware of. She never said anything but Rose knew.
“Honestly, it doesn’t hurt.”
"No, I mean it. I would rather die. It’s better to die than live like you, a bitchy trampoline.”
“Oh, well. What do you know.
"I was born on that planet, and so was my mum, and so was my dad, and so was my sister, and that makes us officially the last human beings in this room, cause you’re not human.” Rose argued as Lillie glanced back at the Face of Boe to see him looking at her again before she turned back.
“You’ve had it all nipped and tucked and flattened till there’s nothing left. Anything human got chucked in the bin. You’re just skin, Cassandra. Lipstick and skin.” Lillie agreed with her sister, having enough of this woman.
“Nice talking.” Rose said and they left.
–
“So tell me, Jabe, what’s a tree like you doing in a place like this?” The Doctor asked.
“Respect for the Earth.” She said.
“Oh, come on. Everyone on this platform’s worth zillions.” The Doctor scoffed.
“Well, perhaps it’s a case of having to be seen at the right occasions.”
“In case your share prices drop? I know you lot. You’ve got massive forests everywhere, roots everywhere, and there’s always money in land.”
“I also had a friend once who loved Earth but she’s…” She trailed off before moving past it completely, “All the same, we respect the Earth as family. So many species evolved from that planet. Mankind is only one. I’m another. My ancestors were transplanted from the planet down below, and I’m a direct descendant of the tropical rainforest.”
“Excuse me.” He said and started to scan a door panel as she continued to talk.
“And what about your ancestry, Doctor? Perhaps you could tell a story or two. Perhaps a man only enjoys trouble when there’s nothing else left. Not even his love.” He only glanced at her, “I scanned you earlier. The metal machine had trouble identifying your species. It refused to admit your existence. And even when it named you, I wouldn’t believe it, but it was right. I know where you’re from. Forgive me for intruding, but it’s remarkable that you even exist. I just wanted to say how sorry I am. Not just for the death of your planet and your species but of hers. Nova was a friend.” She put her hand on his arm and he put his hand on hers as a single tear dropped before the door opened.
–
Rose and Lillie walked through the halls aimlessly, going to pass Adherents went they hit them across the faces, making everything go black.
–
Nova was wearing, to her chagrin, a dress, and dead eyes, still heartbroken even after a billion years, as she stood in the Time Academy to greet the new students.
Her purple eyes then landed on the second brightest student, the Doctor.
Even in her unconscious state, Lillie’s instinct was to grab her compass necklace, making the “dream” slip away.
“Wake up, Nova. Wake up!" She heard the Face of Boe’s voice say in her head, but it wasn’t the voice she had heard. It seemed to be a young American accent. She saw a flash of an incredibly handsome man with blue eyes and black hair, but she barely got to process it.
Lillie woke up in Gallery fifteen with Rose nearby, still unconscious.
"Rose!” She exclaimed, shaking her sister.
Then the computer said, “Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending.” The filter slid down shining the white-hot sun into the room. Things just became from bad to worse.
“ROSE!” She screamed, starting to panic.
Rose woke up and forced herself to wake up at the panic surging through them. The girls hammered on the door, screaming for someone to let them out.
“Anyone in there?” They heard the Doctor from the other side of the door call.
“LET US OUT!”
“Oh, well, it would be you two.”
“OPEN THE DOOR!”
“Hold on. Give us two ticks.”
The rays of the sun reached the door.
“Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising." The sisters sighed in relief but stopped when they heard, "Sun filter descending.”
“Just what we need. The computer’s getting clever.”
“STOP MUCKING ABOUT!” Rose screamed as the girls started to panic again.
“I’m not mucking about. It’s fighting back.”
“OPEN THE DOOR!”
“I know!”
Rose grabbed her sister and pulled her down the steps as the glare moved down the door, getting to the lowest point of the room.
“THE LOCK’S MELTED!” Rose shouted.
“Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising.”
The girls ran back to the door as they heard the Doctor say, “The whole thing’s jammed. I can’t open the doors. Stay there! Don’t move.”
“Where are we going to go, Ipswich?” Rose shouted sarcastically.
“Hurry back or I’ll kill you!” Lillie shouted.
–
The heat levels rose quickly but funnily enough, Lillie didn’t sweat, not at all like Rose was but that wasn’t exactly their highest priority right now.
Rose held Lillie close to her when the filter started to crack from the intense heat.
“Shields malfunction.”
Rose shielded Lillie from the rays of sun hitting the walls around them, both girls shrieking in surprise, neither of them noticing that a sun ray hit Lillie’s hair just beside her neck and it had no effect on it, not even burning her strands of hair.
—
In the engine room, Jabe was keeping the lever down as the heat levels rose until she caught fire.
Then she saw her. The beautiful princess. The beautiful, kind but merciless princess. The princess of a supernova’s fire but could be as cold as ice. Her smile was bittersweet yet it wavered terribly as her eyes teared up.
“I’m sorry. If I was awake, I could’ve done it instead.” She was whispering. Jabe wasn’t afraid, she felt comfort. She didn’t feel anymore pain from the fire, instead nice warmth as if from a sun from the distance in the spring. “But you saved us. You saved us all, Jabe. You saved me and my sister. And you saved my Doctor. You saved him.”
—
Lillie heard Rose crying, hiding her face in Lillie’s hair as she repeatedly whispered, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
Lillie kept her eyes on the glass as her compass glowed, her mind went foggy as her eyes turned purple and she put her hand out, blocking a sunbeam at would’ve hit her and Rose, she could see through the light and she saw the planet explode. She was the only one who could see it. All that history. The planet she spent more lifetimes than there was a human number for save.
—
Then it stopped as they heard, “Exoglass repair. Exoglass repair. Exoglass repair.”
Lillie blinked her blue eyes, the last few moments were foggy but her mind filled them with memories of cowering and fearing of her and Rose dying. Rose opened her eyes as Lillie lowered her hand, she assumed she was blocking the light from her eyes.
The cracks vanished and saw the fractured remains of the Earth. They missed it. No one had seen it.
The girls entered the observation gallery, most of the guests seemed to be fine but the Moxx of Bahoon had been fried by the glare.
Lillie walked to the Face of Boe placing her hand on the glass, staring at the creature as if asking, are you okay? He returned the look.
The Doctor entered and walked past them, glancing at them to check they were okay before going to the other trees, giving them bad news. Jabe wasn’t there.
Oh no.
“You all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m full of ideas, I’m bristling with them. Idea number one, teleportation through five thousand degrees needs some kind of feed. Idea number two, this feed must be hidden nearby.”
Cassandra wasn’t around. It must’ve been her.
“The ostrich egg.” Lillie said.
“Exactly what I was thinking.”
He smashed the alleged to reveal a small device. “Idea number three, if you’re as clever as me, then a teleportation feed can be reversed.” He pushed the button on the device, making a whirring sound.
“Oh, you should have seen their little alien faces.” Cassandra’s voice said as she was beamed back in the room. Lillie’s eyes turned cold as ice-cold rage shot through her, outraged that Cassandra had caused Jabe to die, even though they had spoken twice and she had insinuated that she looked like a prostitute, she got angry like she was an old friend from another life. “Oh.”
“The last human.” Lillie said, coldly, the Face of Boe seemed to notice that her hair seemed to be bristling, gaining flyaways, similar to how a certain overemotional . “Yet the least human in this room even without Rose and me.”
“So, you passed my little test. Bravo. This makes you eligible to join, um, the-the Human Club.” She lied, terribly.
“People have died, Cassandra. You murdered them.” Lillie told her, coldly, she had a deadly look in her eyes, “you killed people and you just don’t care.”
“It depends on your definition of people, and that’s enough of a technicality to keep your lawyers dizzy for centuries.
“Have you ever been really human? Cared for anyone? When was the last time someone actually called you beautiful and actually meant it?”
Cassandra faltered; she thought back to the last person who truly meant she looked beautiful before he died in her arms but she refused to show this to the others, not wanting to appear weak.
“Take me to court, then, Doctor, and watch me smile and cry and flutter…” She started to creak, making Lillie raise her eyebrows.
“And creak?” Doctor asked.
“And what?” She asked.
“Creak. You’re creaking.” Lillie said, “you raised the bloody heat, you wombat.” For a moment, her accent slipped into a light Australian one, but no one paid that any attention… except for the Face of Boe.
“What? Ah! I’m drying out! Oh, sweet heavens. Moisturize me, moisturize me! Where are my surgeons? My lovely boys! It’s too hot!” She cried.
The sisters looked at each other, feeling bad for the slab of skin, while she did kill people, she didn’t deserve to die herself.
“You raised the temperature.”
“Have pity! Moisturize me! Oh, oh, Doctor. I’m sorry. I’ll do anything.” She pleaded.
Rose stepped forward as Lillie stared with almost no emotion in her eyes. “Help her.”
“Everything has its time and everything dies.”
“I’m too young!”
SPLAT!
Rose and Lillie blinked in horror and shock as bits of Cassandra flew everywhere.
The Doctor walked away and Lillie found herself stepping to the Face of Boe, offering a gentle smile as she helped wipe off the glass of his tank.
–
Only Rose, Lillie, and the Doctor remained half an hour later as the sisters looked out the window at the remnants of Earth, holding each other’s hand.
The Doctor walked to Lillie’s side, taking her hand, making her look down and then at him as Rose spoke, mournfully, “The end of the Earth. It’s gone. We were too busy saving ourselves. No one saw it go. All those years, all that history, and no one was even looking. It’s just…” She trailed off.
The Doctor held his other hand out for Rose, “Come with me.”
Rose took his hand and she took Lillie’s, he walked the sisters back to the Tardis.
The Doctor brought them to modern-day London to help Rose and Lillie feel better.
“You think it’ll last forever, people and cars and concrete, but it won’t. One day it’s all gone. Even the sky. I had a bad day. Long ago. A very bad day. Now my planet’s gone. It’s dead. It burned like the Earth. It’s just rocks and dust before its time.” He told them.
“What happened?” Rose asked.
“There was a war and we lost.” He said.
“A war with who?” Rose asked but he didn’t reply, “What about your people?”
“I’m a Time Lord. I’m the last of the Time Lords. Like I said… a very bad day. They’re all gone. I’m the only survivor. I’m left traveling on my own cause there’s no one else.” He said.
Lillie briefly got a throbbing feeling in her head. “Time Lords, that’s what he is. I’m not. I’m an Elder. While Time Lords are a bit pompous, arrogant, and judgmental; Elders are more accepting. They accept any race, sex, non-sex, sexuality, disorder, or otherwise. But that doesn’t mean they’re all good. Good doesn’t always mean nice.”
The throb and voice then faded as she shook her head and ignored it, looking back at the Doctor. “We’re here with you.” Lillie said.
“You’ve seen how dangerous it is. Do you want to go home?” He asked them.
“No.” Lillie said.
“I don’t know. I want…” She sniffed, “Oh, can you smell chips?”
“Yeah. Yeah.” The Doctor laughed.
“I want chips.” Rose and said Lillie agreed.
“Me too.”
“Right then, before you get me back in that box, chips it is, and you can pay.”
“No money.” He told them.
“What sort of date are you? Come on then, tightwad, chips are on me. We’ve only got five billion years till the shops close.” Rose grinned.
The trio walked away laughing as a man with pitch-black hair in a military long coat watched from a distance. He watched them eat chips as the Doctor told them about his planet. The sky. The trees. The domes. The twin suns… and the distant planet in the sky but he did not tell them that planet’s name or who had lived there.
The man couldn’t go to them. They hadn’t met yet. Not yet.
Princess Supernova of Elder glared at the Doctor and his standoffish attitude and then she punched him in the face in front of the whole of Gallifrey’s Academy. The Master let out an impressed chuckled as the Doctor turned back to her in shock.
She smirked and stuck out her hand, “Hi, I’m Princess Supernova.”
Kassandra looked at her daughter interacting with the Doctor with a smile on her face but her eyes remained sad before turning away.
Chapter 12: The Unquiet Dead
Summary:
The Doctor takes Rose and Lillie to 1869 where they meet Charles Dickens and... ghosts and zombies and a psychic girl.
Chapter Text
Eidolism — Noun — The Belief in Ghosts and Spirits
“I am still trying to unveil my mystery.”
Link to Don't Fear the Reader by Blue Osyter Cult
Link to Ghost of You by 5 Seconds of Summer
The Tardis supplied them their own rooms, Lillie’s was her dream room with dark purple walls with multicolored stars and galaxies that constantly shifted and twinkled. The Tardis landed roughly making her fall off her bed, her arms shot out and flipped over, falling on her knees. She got up and ran out of her room and to the console.
“What the hell was that?” She asked.
“He can’t drive.” Rose answered.
“Oi! I promised you a time machine and that’s what you’re getting. Now, you’ve seen the future, let’s have a look at the past. Eighteen-sixty. How does eighteen-sixty sound?
"What happened in eighteen-sixty?” Lillie asked.
“I don’t know, let’s find out. Hold on, here we go!”
The landing was tough, knocking all three of them over as they grinned and laughed.
“Blimey!” Rose chuckled.
“You’re telling me. Are you two all right?”
“Yeah. I think so. You?” Rose helped her sister up. “Nothing broken? Did we make it? Where are we?”
The Doctor went to the console and checked the scanner which Lillie suspected wasn’t one hundred percent accurate.
“I did it. Give the man a medal. Earth, Naples, December twenty-forth, eighteen-sixty.”
“That’s so weird. It’s Christmas.” Rose mused.
He gestured towards the door, “All yours.”
“But it’s like, think about it, though. Christmas. Eighteen-sixty. Happens once, just once and it’s gone, it’s finished, it’ll never happen again. Except for you. You can go back and see days that are dead and gone a hundred thousand sunsets ago.”
“No wonder you never stay still.” Lillie smiled.
“Not a bad life.”
“Better with three.” Lillie mused.
“Come on, then.” Rose took her sister’s hand and they started to the door before the Doctor stopped them.
“Hey, where do you think you’re going?”
“Eighteen-sixty.” Lillie shrugged.
“Go out there dressed like that, you’ll start a riot, Barbarella and Sarcastic Miss Marple.” He gestured to Lillie’s sarcastic clothing. “There’s a wardrobe through there. First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, fifth door on your left. Hurry up!”
“What?” Lillie asked, her head hurting from all these directions.
The Tardis suddenly lit up a path for the sisters who grinned and ran off, giggling.
Rose picked out an era-appropriate maroon dress under a black cloak while Lillie found a black and midnight blue dress and matching boots. She wore over it a baby blue winter cloak with white fur that reached the back of her knees, which seemed to be forced on her by Rose. Her hair was in Victorian rag curls but only at the ends with one lock of hair in those majestic Victorian waves hung beside each side of her face.
The Doctor was working under the console when the sisters returned.
“Blimey!” He exclaimed, seeing Lillie. His memory flashed back to Nova, her multicolored hair. Her amethyst-colored eyes. Her smile.
“Don’t laugh.” Lillie warned.
“You two look beautiful…” He caught himself and looked down, “considering.”
“Considering what?”
“That you’re human.”
“I think that’s a compliment.” Rose muttered.
“Aren’t you going to change?” Lillie asked.
“I’ve changed my jumper. Come on.”
“Typical.” Lillie scoffed, playfully, “We have to put these on while he just has to change his jumper.”
"You stay there. You’ve done this before. This is ours!” Rose said.
The sisters hurried to the Tardis doors, Rose looked out, snowing falling, she pressed her black boots into the snow, leaving a track that wasn’t there before. She smiled at Lillie, and they went outside. Lillie tilted her head back as the snowflakes were caught in her dark hair.
The Doctor joined them, “Ready for this? Here we go. History.”
The Doctor soon bought a newspaper even though Lillie swore he had previously mentioned that he had no money, “I got the flight a bit wrong.”
“Well, that’s not surprising.” Lillie teased.
“Oi!”
“I don’t care.” Rose said, grinning.
“It’s not eighteen-sixty, it’s eighteen-sixty-nine.”
“I don’t care.”
“And it’s not Naples.”
“I don’t care.”
“It’s Cardiff.”
That made Rose falter slightly, “Right.”
“Rose, we’re in Cardiff over a century in the past.” Lillie grinned. “This is amazing!”
Rose admired her sister’s joy. She had never seen her so happy. She knew they had made the right choice in joining the Doctor.
–
They soon heard screaming from inside a nearby theatre.
“That’s more like it.” The Doctor said as he and girls ran into the theater.
The trio came inside, fighting past the fleeing crowd to see blurs of blue gas flying through the air, wailing loudly.
“Fantastic.” The Doctor said and then ran towards the stage as the sisters watched as a duo, an old man and young woman went to the corpse and picked her up.
“Oi! Leave her alone!” Rose shouted.
“I’ll get them.” Lillie shouted as she was the smallest of the trio and would have an easier time getting through the crowd.
“Be careful!” The Doctor shouted.
“Be careful, Lillie!” Rose echoed.
She pushed through the crowd and ran out of the theater to the duo who were packing the woman into their coach.
“Oi! What’d you two think you’re doing?!” She shouted.
The woman went to her to speak her. She had black hair, pale skin, and brown eyes, she was quite pretty yet she had a deep sadness in her eyes, she was dressed like a mere servant.
“Oh, it’s a tragedy, miss. Don’t worry yourself. Me and the master will deal with it. The fact is, this poor lady’s been taken with the brain fever and we have to get her to the infirmary.” She lied in a Welsh accent.
Lillie pushed her out of the way and felt for the woman’s head and her neck for a pulse. She had no pulse and was cold to the touch.
“She’s cold. She’s dead! Oh, my God, what’d you do to her?” Lillie asked in disbelief.
The old man snuck up behind her and pressed a pad of chloroform to her mouth, her nostrils burned with a sickly-sweet smell before everything went black before she could fight back more than digging her fingernails into his arms and scratch deep marks into his skin.
“What did you do that for?” The woman exclaimed.
“She’s seen too much. Oof, she’s heavy.” Lillie’s weight seemed to be getting slowly heavier and heavier. “Get her in the hearse. Legs.”
The Doctor and Rose came out of the theater with the angry man on stage hot on their trail to see the woman pushing Lillie’s head into the hearse.
“LILLIE!” Rose screamed as the woman ran back around to the front and they drove off with her sister.
“You’re not escaping me, you two. What do you know about that hobgoblin, hmm? Projection on glass, I suppose. Who put you up to it?” The man demanded of them. Rose wasn’t listening at all, she looked like she was going to start crying.
“Yeah, mate. Not now, thanks.” The Doctor said and took Rose’s hand, running to the nearest carriage. “Oi, you! Follow that hearse!” They got in.
“I can’t do that, sir.” The driver said.
“Why not?” Rose demanded.
The man who had followed them stuck his head in. “I’ll tell you why not. I’ll give you a very good reason why not. Because this is my coach.”
“Well, get in, then.” The Doctor said and pulled the man inside, “Move!”
The driver cracked the whip and the carriage moved down the street.
“Come on, you’re losing them!” The Doctor shouted.
“Everything in order, Mister Dickens?” The driver asked.
“No! It is not!” The Charles Dickens said.
“What did he say?” The Doctor asked, Rose, despite, knowing who that was as Lillie was a fan of The Signalman, couldn’t care less while her sister was in danger. Otherwise, she’d be in a similar state as the Doctor.
“Let me say this first. I’m not without a sense of humour…” Charles Dickens started.
“Dickens?” The Doctor asked.
“Yes.”
“Charles Dickens?”
“Yes.” Charles Dickens said, a bit irritably.
“The Charles Dickens?”
“Should I remove the gentleman and lady, sir?” The driver asked.
“Charles Dickens? You’re brilliant, you are. Completely one hundred percent brilliant. I’ve read them all. Great Expectations, Oliver Twist and what’s the other one, the one with the ghost?” The Doctor said, excitedly.
“A Christmas Carol?” Charles Dickens asked.
“No, no, no, the one with the trains.” The Doctor said, trying to recall the name.
“The Signalman.” Rose said, distractedly, never taking her eyes off the trolley. “Lillie loves the view of reality transition.”
“Yeah, The Signalman, that’s it. Terrifying! The best short story ever written. You’re a genius.” The Doctor agreed. That had been one of the first stories Nova had showed him when he was in the academy.”
“You want me to get rid of them, sir?” The driver asked again.
“Er, no, I think they can stay.” Charles Dickens said.
“Honestly, Charles. Can I call you Charles? I’m such a big fan.”
“A what? A big what?” Charles Dickens asked, confused.
“Fan. Number one fan, that’s me.”
Rose was sure Lillie could give him a run for his money.
“How exactly are you a fan? In what way do you resemble a means of keeping oneself cool?”
“No, it means fanatic, devoted to. Mind you, I’ve got to say, that American bit in Martin Chuzzlewit, what’s that about? Was that just padding or what? I mean, it’s rubbish, that bit.” The Doctor said.
“I thought you said you were my fan.” Charles Dickens frowned.
“Ah, well, if you can’t take criticism. Go on, do the death of Little Nell, it cracks me up.” He noticed Rose giving him a glare, “No, sorry, forget about that. Come on, faster!”
“Who exactly is in that hearse?” Charles Dickens asked.
“My little sister, Lillie.” Rose said, her eyes back on the hearse. “She’s only eighteen. It’s my job to protect her.”
“It’s my fault. She’s in my care, and now she’s in danger.” The Doctor said.
“Why are we wasting my time talking about dry old books?” Charles Dickens asked, “This is much more important. Driver, be swift! The chase is on!
“Yes, sir!”
“Attaboy, Charlie.” The Doctor grinned.
“Nobody calls me Charlie.”
“The ladies do.” The Doctor said.
“How do you know that?” Charles Dickens asked.
“I told you, I’m your number one…”
“Number one fan. I know.”
–
Gwyneth and Mister Sneed, the duo that abducted Lillie, they were carrying the unconscious teenager into the morgue. Oddly enough, she seemed lighter when they pulled her out of the hearse but once again she seemed to be slowly getting heavier and heavier.
“The poor girl’s still alive, sir! What’re we going to do with her?” Gwyneth asked.
“I don’t know! I didn’t plan any of this, did I! It isn’t my fault if the dead won’t stay dead.” Mister Sneed said as if this was something anyone would do as they placed her down on a black table in the middle of the room.
“Then whose fault is it, sir? Why is this happening to us?” Gwyneth asked and she left. Mister Sneed followed her and locked Lillie inside.
–
There was a knock at the door while Mister Sneed and Gwyneth were in the hallway.
“Say I’m not in. Tell them we’re closed. Just, just get rid of them.”
Gwyneth opened the front door to find a nineteen-year-old woman with blonde hair who looked ready to kill, a fire blazing behind her green eyes and flared nostrils, looking quite like her mother, and two older men.
“Where the hell is my sister?” Rose demanded, slowly, it was evident in her voice that if she didn’t find out soon, she was going to lose it.
“I’m sorry. We’re closed.” Gwyneth told them.
“Nonsense. Since when did an Undertaker keep office hours? The dead don’t die on schedule. I demand to see your master.” Charles Dickens demanded.
“He’s not in, sir.” She lied and tried to close the door.
“Don’t lie to me, child. Summon him at once.” Charles Dickens shouted, slamming the door back open.
“I’m awfully sorry, Mister Dickens, but the master’s indisposed.” The girl said, she looked terrified, Rose would’ve felt sorry for her if she hadn’t just kidnapped her sister.
A gas lamp behind her flared as the Doctor noted. “Having trouble with your gas?” The Doctor asked.
“What the Shakespeare is going on?” Charles Dickens asked.
–
Lillie awoke sooner than chloroform is supposed to last, thankfully not in a coffin, unaware of the corpse that was sitting up in its coffin behind her.Oddly enough, Lillie felt refreshed, not at all like waking up or even waking up from chloroform.
Lillie saw the man in the coffin who was groaning like a zombie.
“You all right, mate?” He continued to groan, staring at her with dead eyes, not blinking as he grabbed the sides of the coffin. “You’re kidding me, yeah? You’re just kidding. You are kidding me, aren’t you?” The man climbed out of the coffin and walked in a zombie-like manner towards her. “Okay, not kidding.” She got down, moving away from the man.
–
The Doctor moved past Gwyneth to the flaring gas lamp.
“You’re not allowed inside, sir.” She insisted as Rose moved past her as well. “Ma’am.”
“There’s something inside the walls.” The Doctor said.
–
The door was locked and if she had the proper equipment, say a bobby pin, she’d be able to pick the lock but she didn’t have one or pockets. What kind of dress had pockets?
The woman from earlier reanimated in her coffin, sitting up, groaning.
Lillie picked up a vase and threw it at the man, he only stumbled back.
–
“The gas pipes. Something’s living inside the gas.”
“LET ME OUT!" A voice screamed, "OPEN THE DOOR!”
“Lillie!” Rose shouted, running to find where her sister’s voice was coming from.
“PLEASE, LET ME OUT!”
Mister Sneed shouted at them, “How dare you…” Rose pushed past him, aggressively she would have to deal with him later. “This is my house!”
“Yeah, and you kidnapped my sister!” She shouted back at him as her sister continued to shout.
“LET ME OUT! ROSE!? DOCTOR!? SOMEBODY HELP ME! ROSE!?”
“Shut up.” Charles Dickens told him, running past him.
Gwyneth hurried to them and Mister Sneed pointed at her, because this was her fault that it was his idea to kidnap Lillie in the first place.
–
“LET ME OUT! SOMEBODY, OPEN THE DOOR! OPEN THE DOOR! ROSE, HELP ME! AAHH!” Lillie screamed as the man grabbed her. Some unknown instincts from another life kicked in and she fought, kicking him back as they continued to approach.
The Doctor kicked the door open, and Rose hurried inside.
“Get off my baby sister!” She shouted pulling her sister away from an oncoming female zombie.
“Rose! Zombies, they’re zombies.” Lillie cried.
“It’s a prank. It must be. We’re under some mesmeric influence.” Charles Dickins said.
“No, we’re not. The dead are walking.”
“Who’s your friend?”
“Charles Dickens.” Rose said.
“Okay. Wait what? As in Signalman Charles Dickens.” Lillie asked.
“My name’s the Doctor. Who are you, then? What do you want?” The Doctor asked the zombies.
The man, Redpath spoke in a distorted young child’s voice, “failing. Open the rift. We’re dying. Trapped in this form. Cannot sustain. Help us. Argh!”
Then the gas left the bodies and they collapsed.
–
In the living room, Rose and Lillie were shouting at Mister Sneed while Gwyneth poured them all tea.
“FIRST OF ALL, YOU DRUG MY SISTER, THEN YOU KIDNAP HER…” Rose screamed at the man.
“AND DON’T THINK I DIDN’T FEEL YOUR HANDS HAVING A QUICK WANDER, YOU DIRTY OLD MAN!” Lillie added, just as angry as Rose as the Doctor grinned.
“I won’t be spoken to like this!” Mister Sneed exclaimed but Rose continued to shout.
“THEN YOU STICK HER IN A ROOM FULL OF ZOMBIES! AND IF THAT AIN’T ENOUGH, YOU SWAN OFF AND LEAVE HER TO DIE! SO COME ON, TALK!”
“It’s not my fault. It’s this house. It always had a reputation. Haunted. But I never had much bother until a few months back, and then the stiffs,” they all glared at the man’s bluntness. “The, er, dear departed started getting restless.”
“Tommyrot.” Charles Dickens scoffed.
“You witnessed it! Can’t keep the beggars down, sir. They walk. And it’s the queerest thing, but they hang on to scraps. One old fellow who used to be a sexton almost walked into his own memorial service. Just like the old lady going to your performance, sir, just as she planned.”
“Morbid fancy.” Charles Dickens reasoned.
“Oh, Charles, you were there.” The Doctor said.
“I saw nothing but an illusion.” He denied.
“If you’re going to deny it, don’t waste my time. Just shut up.”
“Doctor!” Lillie snapped at him, warning him not to be rude.
“What about the gas?”
“That’s new, sir. Never seen anything like that.”
“Means it’s getting stronger.” The Doctor said, “the rift’s getting wider, and something is sneaking through.”
“What’s the rift?” Rose asked.
“A weak point in time and space. A connection between this place and another. That’s the cause of ghost stories, most of the time.”
“That’s how I got the house so cheap. Stories going back generations.”
Neither of the girls noticed that Charles Dickens had gotten up and left until the door slammed shut.
“Echoes in the dark, queer songs in the air, and this feeling like a shadow passing over your soul. Mind you, truth be told, it’s been good for business. Just what people expect from a gloomy old trade like mine.”
The Doctor grinned as Lillie rolled her eyes.
–
Later, Rose and Lillie joined Gwyneth in the pantry, the sisters started to help Gwyneth wash up.
“Please, misses, you shouldn’t be helping. It’s not right.” She said.
“Don’t be daft. Sneed works you to death.” Lillie dismissed.
“How much do you get paid?” Rose asked.
“Eight pound a year, miss.” Lillie said.
“How much?” Lillie asked, hoping she just didn’t hear him correctly.
“I know. I would’ve been happy with six.” She said.
“So, did you go to school or what?” Rose asked.
“Of course, I did. What do you think I am, an urchin? I went every Sunday, nice and proper.” Gwyneth replied.
“What, once a week?” Lillie asked.
“We did sums and everything. To be honest, I hated every second.”
“Me too.” The sisters chimed.
“Don’t tell anyone, but one week, I didn’t go and ran on the heath all on my own.” Gwyneth giggled like it was a the most sinful thing she had done.
“I did plenty of that. I used to go down the shops with my mate Shareen. We used to go and look at boys.” Rose said.
“Well, I don’t know much about that, miss.”
“Come on, times haven’t changed that much. I bet you’ve done the same.”
“I don’t think so, miss.”
“Gwyneth, you can tell me. I bet you’ve got your eye on someone.”
“A guy or a girl?” Lillie asked and Gwyneth, as homosexuality was not as hated but more so considered a topic of taboo and considered with more curiosity or indifference than homophobia, just gasped in shock at Lillie’s forwardness in the topic but didn’t mention it.
“I suppose. There is one lad. The butcher’s boy. He comes by every Tuesday. Such a lovely smile on him.”
“I like a nice smile. ” Rose said.
“Me too,” Lillie laughed. “Nice smile with sharp wit and a strong sense of compassion. Ooh, and good hair! Good hair, preferably dark and a nice face. Preferably friends first.”
“Good smile, nice bum.” Rose said.
“Well, I have never heard the like.” Gwyneth said and then all three girls laughed.
“Ask him out. Give him a cup of tea or something, that’s a start.” Rose said.
“I swear it is the strangest thing, misses. You two have got all the clothes and the breeding, but you talk like some sort of wild thing”.
“Maybe we am. Maybe that’s a good thing. You need a bit more in your life than Mister Sneed.” Rose said.
“Oh, now that’s not fair. He’s not so bad, old Sneed. He was very kind to me to take me in because I lost my mum and dad to the flu when I was twelve.” Gwyneth said.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Thank you, miss. But I’ll be with them again, one day, sitting with them in paradise. I shall be so blessed. They’re waiting for me.”
“Do you have any other family?” Lillie asked.
“A few cousins here and there, all live in Cardiff, don’t see them very much though.” She shrugged, “Maybe your dad’s up there waiting for you two too.”
Lillie stiffened, staring at her in shock. How did she know? Rose and Lillie’s father, Pete Tyler had died when Rose was six months old, Jackie had just given birth to Lillie the week prior. Seven days.
“Maybe.” Rose said.
“Who told you he was dead?”
“I don’t know. Must have been the Doctor.”
“Well, that also doesn’t make sense, we haven’t even tell him about our dad.” Lillie said.
“Our father died years back. Lillie… never got to meet him. I was just a baby.” Rose said.
“But you’ve been thinking about him lately more than ever. Both of you.”
“I suppose so.”
“And you, Miss. You have vague memories of a father-like figure that you don’t quite remember. And another mother. One who was very insightful and wise. Beautiful.”
“Wh-what?” Lillie stammered. She never told anyone about those flashes.
“How do you know all this?” Rose asked as Lillie studied the young woman.
“Mister Sneed says I think too much. I’m all alone down here. Much how people say about you, Miss. When they think you’re not listening. But you can read them better than most. You can sense things.” She was looking at Lillie, she realized she had done it again and changed the subject. “I bet you’ve got dozens of servants, haven’t you, miss?”
“No, no servants where I’m from.” Rose said.
“Or at least, we never did.” Lillie added.
“And you’ve both come such a long way.”
“What makes you think so?”
“You’re from London. I’ve seen London in drawings, but never like that. All those people rushing about half-naked, for shame. The naked women and the naked men together… And the noise, and the metal boxes racing past, and the birds in the sky… no, they’re metal as well. Metal birds with people in them. People are flying. And you, you’ve flown so far. Further than anyone.” She said, “The things you’ve seen. The darkness, the big bad wolf.” She told Rose then turned to Lillie, “and you’re unlike them all… Unlike all humans, and unlike all of your true kind. The dying star princess that could cheat death. Forever, if you chose to.”
Lillie suddenly stumbled back as the dizziness and a terrible migraine washed over her.
"Lillie?” Rose said, going to her, concerned.
“Ah, so how’s the Dying Star Princess." A cheeky voice said.
"Ah, shut it, Koschei." Her voice responded playfully in an Australian accent, "Or I’ll have you thrown in the dungeon.”
“I see who you love. Why, I’ve never seen the likes of that. I see your power… your pain and it hurt… it hurts you so much… and your fear…” The fear she currently had was much easier to look at, “You fear how they will react. You fear they won’t love you anymore. Not just for who you love but what you are…”
“Gwyneth…” Lillie croaked out, grabbing her wrist and snapping her out of it and the memories of the pain vanished from Gwyneth’s head as if erased one by one.
Gwyneth stumbled back and profusely apologized. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, misses.”
“It’s all right.” Rose tried to reassure her but Lillie seemed properly shaken.
“I can’t help it. Ever since I was a little girl, my mam said I had the sight. She told me to hide it.” She rambled.
She could see more, more than the sisters knew. She saw lives Lillie hadn’t lived. She saw the pain that would destroy her optimism if she remembered. She saw her heartache and her constant fascination that followed her through them all, that could be killed… with but a raven.
“But it’s getting stronger, more powerful, is that right?” The Doctor asked, making them jump. When did he get there?
“All the time, sir. Every night, voices in my head.” Gwyneth confirmed.
“You grew up on top of the rift. You’re part of it. You’re the key.” He said.
“The key?” Lillie asked
“I’ve tried to make sense of it, sir. Consulted with spiritualists, table rappers, all sorts.” She said
“Well, that should help. You can show us what to do.”
“What to do where, sir?” Gwyneth asked, confused.
“We’re going to have a séance.”
Lillie turned to her sister, confused, and pointed to the Doctor, “Did he just say we’re gonna have a séance?”
–
Everyone gathered around a table in the living room.
“This is how Madam Mortlock summons those from the Land of Mists, down in Bute Town. Come, we must all join hands.” Gwyneth explained, sheepishly.
“I can’t take part in this.” Charles Dickens scoffed.
“Hey, Scrooge. Come on, have an open mind before saying Bah Humbug.” Lillie said, looking at him, expectingly.
“This is precisely the sort of cheap mummery I strive to unmask. Séances? Nothing but luminous tambourines and a squeeze box concealed between the knees. This girl knows nothing.”
“Oi!” Lillie snapped, “don’t you dare antagonize her, now drop the Harry Houdini attitude and sit down.” Charles Dickins looked confused. While Harry Houdini was alive, he wasn’t known… not yet. Not for his magician fame and definitely not for his ironic abhorment of anything supernatural.
“I love a happy medium.” The Doctor said after a few beats of silence.
“I can’t believe you just said that.” Rose said as Lillie groaned, throwing her head back.
“Come on, we might need you. Come on, all it took was that one experience in the Signalman to change the skeptic’s point of view of reality. Give it chance and you may be turned from a skeptic to a believer.“ She raised her eyebrows in a challenge. Charles Dickins sat between Lillie and Gwyneth.
"Good man. Now, Gwyneth, reach out.”
“Speak to us. Are you there? Spirits, come. Speak to us that we may relieve your burden.” Gwyneth said and then whispering started.
“Can you hear that?” Rose asked.
“Nothing can happen. This is sheer folly.” Charles Dickins said.
“You know not everything can be explained with logic and reason.” Lillie smiled. “So, you never want to listen to reason.”
“Look at her.” Rose added.
“I see them. I feel them.” Gwyneth said as blue gas tendrils drifted above their heads.
“What’s it saying?”
“They can’t get through the rift. Gwyneth, it’s not controlling you, you’re controlling it. Now, look deep. Allow them through.” The Doctor said.
“I can’t!” She cried.
“Yes, you can. Just believe it. I have faith in you, Gwyneth. Make the link.” The Doctor said.
“Yes.” Gwyneth said as blue outlines of people appeared behind Gwyneth.
“Great God! Spirits from the other side.” Mister Sneed gaped.
“The other side of the universe.” The Doctor said.
“Pity us. Pity the Gelth. There is so little time. Help us,” the figure spoke with the distorted voice of two children and Gwyneth spoke along them.
Lillie narrowed her eyes, skeptically. They deserved her sympathy but she didn’t trust them, it was a gut feeling. The first thing they said was: “Pity the Gelth”.
“What do you want us to do?”
“The rift. Take the girl to the rift. Make the bridge.” The Gelth instructed.
“What for?”
“We are so very few. The last of our kind. We face extinction.” The Gelth said.
“Why, what happened?”
“Once we had a physical form like you, but then the war came.”
“War? What war?” Charles Dickins asked.
“The Time War. The whole universe convulsed. The Time War raged. Invisible to smaller species but devastating to higher forms. Our bodies wasted away. We’re trapped in this gaseous state.”
“So that’s why you need the corpses.”
“We want to stand tall, to feel the sunlight, to live again. We need a physical form, and your dead are abandoned. They’re going to waste. Give them to us.” The Gelth said,
“But we can’t.” Rose said.
“Why not?”
“It’s not… I mean, it’s not…”
“Not decent? Not polite? It could save their lives.” The Doctor snapped.
“What if it were your loved ones? The ones you lost! Your best friend, maybe! Your partner.” Lillie said, darkly. The Doctor only stared at her surprised by her bluntness and surprising knowledge. His mind flickered back to his last partner, his best friend. Supernova. “What if it was Nova?” A pang in both his hearts.
“Open the rift. Let the Gelth through. We’re dying. Help us. Pity the Gelth.” The Gelth said before retreating back into the heat lamps.
“Gwyneth?” Rose hurried to the dark-haired girl who had collapsed.
“All true.” Charles Dickins said, he seemed to be stuck between horror and amazement.
–
A little while later, Gwyneth has been laid on the chaise longue while Lillie dapped a wet cloth to her forehead.
“It’s all right. You just sleep.” She shushed.
“But my angels, miss. They came, didn’t they? They need me?” She asked.
“They do need you, Gwyneth. You’re their only chance of survival.” The Doctor said.
“I’ve told you, leave her alone. She’s exhausted and she’s not fighting your battles.” Rose said as Lillie gave Gwyneth a glass of water, “Drink this.”
“Well, what did you say, Doctor? Explain it again. What are they?” Sneed asked.
“Aliens.”
“Like foreigners, you mean?”
“Pretty foreign, yeah. From up there.”
“Brecon?” Sneed asked, oblivious.
“Close. Outer space.” Lillie said with blank snark deadpan in her tone and Sneed couldn’t tell if she was being serious or not.
“And they’ve been trying to get through from Brecon to Cardiff but the road’s blocked.” The Doctor continued, “Only a few can get through and even then they’re weak. They can only test drive the bodies for so long, then they have to revert to gas and hide in the pipes.”
“Which is why they need the girl.” Charles Dickins realized.
“They’re not having her.”
“But she can help. Living on the rift, she’s become part of it. She can open it up, make a bridge and let them through.” The Doctor said.
“Incredible. Ghosts that are not ghosts but beings from another world, who can only exist in our world by inhabiting cadavers.” Charles Dickins mused, fascinated like only a writer could.
“Good system. It might work.”
“You can’t let them run around inside of dead people.” Rose said.
“Why not? It’s like recycling.” The Doctor said.
“Seriously though, you can’t.”
“Seriously though, I can.”
“It’s just wrong. Those bodies were living people. We should respect them even in death.” Rose said.
“Do you carry a donor card?”
“That’s different. That’s…” Rose stammered.
“It is different, yeah. It’s a different morality. Get used to it or go home. You heard what they said, time’s short. I can’t worry about a few corpses when the last of the Gelth could be dying.”
“It’s not the Gelth you’re worried about, it’s your guilt.” Lillie said, darkly, “you’d be singing a different tune if it was your loved ones. Reminders of what you lost. What if it was your family’s bodies? Or Nova’s.”
The Doctor looked at her, unsure on why she was being so rude all of a sudden. She didn’t know herself but it was striking a cord in her. But she was right, he wasn’t sure if he could face a constant reminder of his family. Of Susan. Of Nova.
"I don’t care. They’re not using her.” Rose said,
“Don’t I get a say, miss?” Gwyneth asked, suddenly.
“Look, you don’t understand what’s going on.”
“You would say that, miss, because that’s very clear inside your head, that you think I’m stupid.” Gwyneth said.
“That’s not fair.”
“It’s true, though. Things might be very different where you’re from, but here and now, I know my own mind, and the angels need me.”
“I don’t think they’re the angels you think they are.” Lillie said, darkly but was ignored.
“Doctor, what do I have to do?”
“You don’t have to do anything.”
“They’ve been singing to me since I was a child, sent by my mam on a holy mission. So tell me.”
“We need to find the rift. This house is on a weak spot, so there must be a spot that’s weaker than any other. Mister Sneed, what’s the weakest part of this house? The place where most of the ghosts have been seen?”
“That would be the morgue.”
“No chance you were going to say gazebo, is there?” Lillie deadpanned, dryly.
–
Now in the morgue where just a few hours ago, Lillie was being attacked by zombies.
“The thing is, Doctor, the Gelth don’t succeed, ‘cause I know they don’t. I know for a fact there weren’t corpses walking around in eighteen-sixty-nine.” Rose said.
“Yeah, well, neither were we walking around in eighteen-sixty-nine.” Lillie pointed out.
“Time’s in flux, changing every second. Your cozy little world can be rewritten like that. Nothing is safe. Remember that. Nothing.” The Doctor told them.
“Doctor, I think the room is getting colder.” Charles Dickins noted.
“Here they come.” Rose said.
A Gelth came out of a gas lamp by the door and stood under a stone archway. There was nothing about the Gelth that Lillie didn’t trust.
“You’ve come to help. Praise the Doctor. Praise him.” The Gelth said.
“Promise you won’t hurt her.” Rose told the Gelth.
“Hurry! Please, so little time. Pity the Gelth.” Lillie noted how the Gelth had ignored Rose’s question. Always “Pity the Gelth."
As if they were trying to push it on them. To pity them. Almost like they were trying to guilt-trip them. For some reason, that caused a burning hatred in the pit of Lillie’s stomach, despite not having any big manipulators in her life, at the very most Jackie would guilt-trip her into doing something.
"I’ll take you somewhere else after the transfer. Somewhere you can build proper bodies. This isn’t a permanent solution, all right?” The Doctor said.
“My angels. I can help them live.”
“Okay, where’s the weak point?”
“Here, beneath the arch.”
“Beneath the arch.” Gwyneth repeated as she went to go stand beneath the arch, inside the Gelth.
“You don’t have to do this.” Rose said.
“My angels.”
“Establish the bridge. Reach out to the void. Let us through!”
“Yes, I can see you. I can see you. Come!” Gwyneth gasped.
“Bridgehead establishing.”
“Come to me. Come to this world, poor lost souls!”
“It is begun. The bridge is made." The Gelth said, Gwyneth opened her mouth a blue gas started to come out.
"She has given herself to the Gelth.”
“Rather a lot of them, don’t you think?” Lillie asked.
“The bridge is open. We descend." Then the sweet blue apparition turned red like flames with teeth. The voice was now hard and deep, "The Gelth will come through in force.”
“You said that you were few in number.” Charles Dickins exclaimed.
“A few billion. And all of us in need of corpses.” The Gelth growled as the dead started to rise.
“Gwyneth, stop this. Listen to your master. This has gone far enough. Stop dabbling, child, and leave these things alone, I beg of you.” Mister Sneed demanded.
“Mister Sneed, get back!” Rose shouted as a corpse grabbed him and snapped his neck and a Gelth then inhabited his body.
“I think it’s gone a little bit wrong.” The Doctor observed.
“Oh, you think!?” Lillie sneered at him, sarcastically.
Sneed lifted his head, his brown eyes were now ice blue, “I have joined the legions of the Gelth. Come, march with us. We need bodies. All of you. Dead. The human race. Dead.
"Gwyneth, stop them! Send them back now!” The Doctor shouted.
“Four more bodies. Convert them. Make them vessels for the Gelth.”
Sneed backed the time travelers up against a metal gate
“Doctor, I can’t. I’m sorry. This new world of yours is too much for me. I’m so…“ Charles Dickins stammered before he could finish a Gelth screamed and he ran off.
The three moved behind the metal gate where the bodies couldn’t get them.
"Give yourself to glory. Sacrifice your lives for the Gelth.”
“I trusted you. I pitied you!” The Doctor shouted.
“We don’t want your pity. We want this world and all its flesh.”
“Not while I’m alive.” The Doctor said.
“Then live no more.”
“But we can’t die. Tell me we can’t. We haven’t even been born yet. It’s impossible for us to die. Isn’t it?” Rose asked.
“I’m sorry.”
“But it’s eighteen-sixty-nine. How can we die now?” Rose exclaimed.
“Time isn’t a straight line. It can twist into any shape. You can be born in the twentieth century and die in the nineteenth and it’s all my fault. I brought you two here.” The Doctor said.
“It’s not your fault.” Lillie said.
“We wanted to come.
"What about me? I saw the fall of Troy, World War Five. I pushed boxes at the Boston Tea Party. Now I’m going to die in a dungeon in Cardiff.” The Doctor said.
“It’s not just dying, is it? We’ll become one of them.” Lillie pointed out.
“Then we’ll go down fighting, yeah?” Rose said, taking her sister by the hand.
“Always.” She nodded and took the Doctor’s hand. “Together.”
“I’m so glad I met you. Both of you.” The Doctor said.
“Us too.” The sisters said and then Charles Dickins ran back in.
“Doctor! Doctor! Turn off the flame, turn up the gas! Now, fill the room, all of it, now!” Charles Dickins shouted.
“What’re you doing?”
“Turn it all on. Flood the place!”
“Brilliant. Gas.” The Doctor said as Lillie’s blue eyes lit up with understanding.
“What, so we choke to death instead?” Rose asked, not understanding.
“Am I correct, Doctor? These creatures are gaseous.” Charles Dickins asked.
“Fill the room with gas, it’ll draw them out of the host. Suck them into the air like poison from a wound!” The Doctor said.
The corpses turned and they started to shamble towards Charles Dickins.
“I hope, oh Lord, I hope that this theory will be validated soon, if not immediately.”
“Plenty more!” The Doctor exclaimed and he ripped a gas pipe from the wall. Making the Gelths leave the corpses, making the corpses fall.
“It’s working.”
The trio of time travelers came out from behind the gate. Lillie went straight up to Gwyneth and grabbed her hand, Gwyneth looked at her in acknowledgement, her eyes clearing.
“Gwyneth, send them back. They lied. They’re not angels.” The Doctor said but she only looked at Lillie.
“Liars?” She asked.
“Look at me. If your mother and father could look down and see this, they’d tell you the same. They’d give you the strength. Now send them back!” The Doctor said, “Only you can do it.”
“I can’t breathe.” Rose coughed.
“Charles, get her out.” The Doctor instructed.
“I’m not leaving her.” Rose said, stubbornly.
“Neither am I.” Lillie said as she started to cough.
“They’re too strong.” Gwyneth said.
“Remember that world you saw? Rose and Lillie’s world? All those people. None of it will exist unless you send them back through the rift.” The Doctor said.
“I can’t send them back. But I can hold them. Hold them in this place, hold them here. Get out.” She said as she took out a box of matches.
“You can’t!” Rose shouted.
“No!” Lillie pleaded.
“Leave this place!” Gwyneth said.
“Rose, get out. Go now. I won’t leave her while she’s still in danger. Now go!”
Charles Dickins took Rose and tried to get Lillie but Gwyneth spoke up, grabbing Lillie by the wrist. “Lillie. Come here. Please.”
Lillie walked over to the girl and she whispered something in Lillie’s ears. “I see who you really are. The only person who could make the most fearsome of creature beg for mercy but would get none. The warrior princess who was forced to conform. The warrior princess who had to resurrect the Doctor’s evil counterpart. The Destroyer of Daleks.”
Images flashed behind Lillie’s eyes and Gwyneth continued.
“You… you’ve got half-memories of lives you haven’t lived. There’s one constant companion who follows you. Your… your impossible girl… she resembles a girl I’ve seen… a girl who you always see. He hardly notices her but you always do and she vexes you so. She is impossible like you are impossible but that’s impossible because you are impossible… an anomaly… and you fear… you… fear what your sister will think… your mum… they won’t accept you… they won’t be able to see you. That’s what scares you most of all. That they won’t love you anymore. Not just because of who you love but because of who you truly are…”
“I don’t know who you’re talking about.” Lillie whimpered.
“The girl. She fascinates you, not just because she’s impossible but for who she is… because you love her. You always do.”
Flashes of who Gwyneth saw flashes behind Lillie’s eyes. She knew one but many were not her.
Lillie stepped back, staring at her with wide eyes, when Rose pulled her away and they ran out with Charles Dickins.
As the Doctor ran out of the building a few minutes later, KABOOM!
Rose, Lillie, and Charles Dickins ran to the Doctor.
"She didn’t make it.” Rose said, sadly.
“Gwyneth…” Lillie muttered, sadly.
“I’m sorry. She closed the rift.”
“At such a cost. The poor child.” Charles Dickins said as a single tear fell down Lillie’s cheek.
“I did try, but Gwyneth was already dead. She had been for at least five minutes.” The Doctor told the girls,
“What do you mean?” Rose asked.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Lillie asked.
“I think she was dead from the minute she stood in that arch.”
“But she can’t have. She spoke to us. She helped us. She saved us. How could she have done that?” Rose said.
“'There are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.’ Even for you, Doctor.” Charles Dickins quoted.
“Hamlet. Shakespeare.” Lillie whispered to Rose.
“She saved the world. A servant girl. No one will ever know.” Rose said.
“We do.” Lillie told her.
–
The four walked to the Tardis and the Doctor turned to Charles Dickins, “Right then, Charlie boy, I’ve just got to go into my, er, shed. Won’t be long.”
“What are you going to do now?” Rose asked him.
“I shall take the mail coach back to London, quite literally post-haste. This is no time for me to be on my own. I shall spend Christmas with my family and make amends to them. After all I’ve learned tonight, there can be nothing more vital.” Charles Dickins said, noticeably more spirited than he was before.
“You’ve cheered up.” Lillie noted.
“Exceedingly! This morning, I thought I knew everything in the world. Now I know I’ve just started. All these huge and wonderful notions, Doctor. I’m inspired. I must write about them.” He said with the excitement only a writer could possess.
“Do you think that’s wise?” Rose asked.
“I shall be subtle at first. The Mystery of Edwin Drood still lacks an ending. Perhaps the killer was not the boy’s uncle. Perhaps he was not of this Earth. The Mystery of Edwin Drood and the Blue Elementals. I can spread the word, tell the truth.” He said.
“That sounds brilliant.” Lillie laughed, “you should do that.”
“Good luck with it. Nice to meet you. Fantastic.” The Doctor said.
“Bye, then, and thanks.”
Rose shook his hand and then kissed his cheek as the Doctor opened the Tardis door.
“Oh, my dear. How modern. Thank you, but, I don’t understand. In what way is this goodbye? Where are you going?” Charles Dickins said.
“You’ll see. In the shed.” The Doctor said, vaguely.
“Upon my soul, Doctor, it’s one riddle after another with you. But after all these revelations, there’s one mystery you still haven’t explained. Answer me this. Who are you?” Charles Dickins asked.
“Just a friend passing through.” The Doctor said.
“But you have such knowledge of future times. I don’t wish to impose on you, but I must ask you. My books. Doctor, do they last?”
“Oh, yes!” The Doctor said, truthfully.
“For how long?”
“Forever. Right. Shed. Come on, girls.”
“In the box? All of you?
"Down boy. See you.”
“Bye, Mister Dickins.” Lillie said and then kissed his cheek like Rose did.
In the Tardis, Rose asked, “Doesn’t that change history if he writes about blue ghosts?”
“In a week’s time it’s eighteen-seventy, and that’s the year he dies. Sorry. He’ll never get to tell his story.” The Doctor said as Lillie’s heart fell.
“Oh, no. He was so nice.”
“But in your time, he was already dead. We’ve brought him back to life, and he’s more alive now than he’s ever been, old Charlie boy. Let’s give him one last surprise.”
The Tardis materialized as Charles Dickins’ confusion turned to amusement.
Lillie went to her room as she pondered what Gwyneth had told her she clutched her necklace and then it was gone.
She took her phone out and phoned Lars.
Chapter 13: Aliens of London - Supernova
Summary:
The Doctor takes Rose and Lillie back to 2005 just to see their mother, only to realize that the Doctor is even worse at driving the Tardis than they thought because instead of twelve hours later, it's been twelve months later.
Notes:
Any ideas for songs that fit the story?
Chapter Text
Grend-jai — That feeling of needing to ask someone for help but feeling bad for the imposition, as well as the fear of hurting someone’s feelings.
“The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you.”
The Tardis materializes around Powell Estate and the trio got out.
“How long have we been gone?” Rose asked.
“About twelve hours.” He responded.
The girls laughed and Rose said, “we won’t be long. Just want to see our mum.”
“What’re you going to tell her?” He asked.
“I don’t know. We’ve been the year five billion…”
“Met Charles Dickins…” Lillie added.
“And we’ve only been gone, what, twelve hours? No, I’ll just tell her I spent the night at Shareen’s and Lillie fell asleep at the library. Again. See you later. Oh, don’t you disappear.” She said as the girls went up to their apartment unaware of how long they’ve really been gone.
“I’m back! I was with Shareen. She was all upset again. Are you in? So, what’s been going on? How’ve you been?” Rose called as a pale-faced Jackie came out, staring in shock. “What? What’s that face for? It’s not the first time I’ve stayed out all night.”
Jackie dropped her mug of tea, smashing it.
“It’s you. Both of you. You’re back.” She gasped in disbelief.
“Of course, it’s us.” Rose exclaimed.
“Oh my God, you’re back. Oh my god.” She pulled the girls into a hug and that was when the girls saw the flyers.
Rose Tyler has been missing from her home with her sister, also missing, on Powell Estate on March sixth, 2005.
Rose is described as nineteen years old, five-foot-four in height, slim build with Shoulder-length blonde hair and green eyes
Deliah “Lillie” Tyler has been missing from her home with her sister, also missing, on Powell Estate on March sixth, 2005.
Lillie is described as eighteen years old, five-foot-three in height, slim build with below shoulder-length curly brown hair and blue eyes
The Doctor ran inside, “It’s not twelve hours, it’s twelve months. You two have been gone a whole year. Sorry.”
“Yeah, thanks, doc.” Lillie rolled her eyes.
–
Jackie’s relief quickly turned to the rage that only a mother could have that the girls so feared, and they had a police officer come over to make a statement as Jackie screamed herself hoarse at her daughters. The best Rose could come up with was that they were traveling which set her off into another direction of rage.
“The hours I’ve sat here, days and weeks and months, all on my own. I thought you two were dead, and where were you? Traveling. What the hell does that mean, traveling? That’s no sort of answer.” She turned to the police officer, “You ask them. They won’t tell me. That’s all they say. Traveling.”
“That’s what we were doing.” Rose said, lamely.
“When your passports still in your rooms? It’s just one lie after another.” Then she rounded on Lillie, “And don’t think this is okay for you, you never finished school and you think you’re going to get into Cambridge after this.” Then Rose again, “how dare you just run off traveling and bring down your little sister with you. How could you be so irresponsible, Rose!?”
“It’s not Rose’s fault, mum. I wanted to go!” Lillie spoke up, not wanting Rose to get all of the blame.
“Mum, we meant to phone.” Rose tried.
“We really did…” Lillie added, “We just… forgot.” Seriously? That was the best she could come up with? She was usually a much better liar than this.
“What, for a year? You forgot for a year? And I am left sitting here. I just don’t believe you. Why won’t you tell me where you’ve been?”
“Actually, it’s my fault. I sort of uh, employed Rose and Lillie as my companions.” The Doctor spoke up which was rather brave of him, given the ferocity of Jackie.
“When you say companion, is this a sexual relationship?” The police officer said.
“No.” Rose, Lillie, and the Doctor all said in unison.
“Then what is it? You just waltz in here all charms and smiles then the next thing I know both my daughters vanish off the face of the Earth!” Jackie shouted, “How old are you then? Forty? Forty-five? What, did you find them on the internet? Did you go online and pretend you’re a doctor?”
“I am a doctor!” The Doctor protested.
"Prove it. Stitch this, mate!” She snarled and then slapped him across the face.
Then she rounded on Lillie again, “Is this some episode that you dragged Rose into. The Doctor isn’t real.”
“Mum, it’s not like that!” She cried.
Later in the kitchen, Jackie was hugging her daughters, not wanting to let them go.
“Did you two think about me at all?” She asked.
“Yes, of course.” Lillie said.
“All the time, but…” Rose trailed off.
“One phone call. Just to know that you two were alive.” Jackie said.
“Mum, we’re sorry. We really are.” Rose said.
“Do you know, what terrifies me is that you two still can’t say. What happened to you two? What can be so bad that you two can’t tell me, sweethearts? Where were you?” Jackie cried.
They couldn’t answer her.
–
Rose and Lillie went out to get some air, sitting on the roof of the Powell Estate with the Doctor.
“We can’t tell her.” Rose said, “We can’t even begin.”
“She’s never going to forgive us and we missed a whole year. It’s 2006, now.” Lillie said, she turned to the Doctor, “was it good?”
“Middling.”
“You’re so useless.” Rose scoffed.
“Well, if it’s this much trouble, are you two going to stay here now?”
Lillie couldn’t answer, she just stared at the ground.
“I don’t know. We can’t do that to her again, though.” Rose said as Lillie nodded in agreement.
“Well, she’s not coming with us.” The Doctor said and the girls laughed at the thought.
“No chance.” Rose laughed.
“I don’t do families.”
“She slapped you!” Lillie laughed.
“Nine hundred years of time and space, and I’ve never been slapped by someone’s mother.”
“Your face.”
“It hurt!”
“You’re so gay.” Rose commented, silence before she asked, “When you say nine hundred years…?”
“That’s my age.”
“You’re nine hundred years old?” Rose asked.
“Yeah.”
Rose turned to Lillie, “Mum was right. That is one hell of an age gap.” She pushed off the small ledge they were sitting on and Lillie followed her, “Every conversation with you just goes mental. There’s no one else I can talk to. I’ve seen all that stuff up there, the size of it, and I can’t say a word. Aliens and spaceships and things, and we’re the only people on planet Earth who knows they exist.”
A loud deep horn broke their conversation as a spaceship with black smoke trailing behind it came crashing down, the trio ducked as it descended over their heads, it flew over London until it crashed into Big Ben and into the Thames.
“Oh, that’s just not fair.” Rose muttered.
The Doctor laughed and took the girls’ hands and they ran down the building and to the street where the military had arrived and were blocking off the road.
“It’s blocked off.”
“We’re miles from the center. The city must be gridlocked. The whole of London must be closing down.” Rose said.
“I know. I can’t believe I’m here to see this. This is fantastic!”
“Did you know this was going to happen?” Lillie asked.
“Nope.”
“Do you recognize the ship?” Rose asked.
“Nope.”
"Do you know why it crashed?” Rose asked.
“Nope.”
“Oh, I’m so glad we’ve got you.” Lillie said, sarcastically.
“I bet you are. This is what I travel for. To see history happening right in front of us.”
“Well, let’s go and see it. Never mind the traffic, we’ve got the Tardis.”
“Better not. They’ve already got one spaceship in the middle of London. I don’t want to shove another one on top.” The Doctor said.
“Yeah, but yours looks like a big blue box. No one’s going to notice.” Lillie said.
“You’d be surprised. Emergency like this, there’ll be all kinds of people watching. Trust me. The Tardis stays where it is.”
“So, history’s happening and we’re stuck here.”
“Yes, we are.”
“It’s got to be Ken Livingstone, hasn’t it?”
“We could always do what everybody else does. We could watch it on TV.” Rose suggested.
–
Jackie had invited a bunch of people over as she begrudgingly let the Doctor flip through the channels.
“I’ve got no choice,” Jackie said as she brought two mugs of tea for her daughters. “Either make him feel welcome or I risk never seeing you two again.”
“YOU TWO HAVE BROKEN YOUR MOTHER’S HEART!” Ru Chan, a friend of Jackie’s, yelled at them as Jackie spoke. “SHE WAS SOBBING IN MY ARMS! I CRADLED HER LIKE A CHILD!”
“Oi, I’m trying to listen.” The Doctor said but was ignored.
Jackie invited some more people inside and she moved to the coach, saying, “Oh, guess who asked me out. Billy Croot.”
After a while, the Doctor got up and left and the girls followed.
“And where do you think you’re going?” Rose asked.
“Nowhere. It’s just a bit human in there for me. History just happened and they’re talking about where you can buy dodgy top-up cards for half price. I’m off on a wander, that’s all.” The Doctor said.
“Right. There’s a spaceship on the Thames and you’re just wandering.” Lillie said, not believing him.
“Nothing to do with me. It’s not an invasion. That was a genuine crash landing. Angle of descent, color of smoke, everything. It’s perfect.”
“Uh-huh.” Lillie said, unconvinced as she crossed her arms.
“So?”
“So maybe this is it. First contact. The day mankind officially comes into contact with an alien race. I’m not interfering because you’ve got to handle this on your own. That’s when the human race finally grows up. Just this morning you were all tiny and small and made of clay. Now you can expand. You don’t need me. Go and celebrate history. Spend some time with your mum.”
“Promise you won’t disappear?” Rose asked.
He patted himself down until he found two sets of keys, “Tell you what. Tardis key. It’s about time you two have had one. See you later.” He gave each of the girls a key for the Tardis and then walked off.
Lillie watched him go with a blushing smile on her face as no one had ever given her their key before. Rose nudged her with her shoulder.
“Shut up.”
“He likes you.” Rose sang.
“Please, he’s like eight-hundred-and-eighty-two years older than me.”
–
About half an hour later, the Let’s-Get-Together-And-Yell-At-The-Tyler-Sisters party had turned to a “Welcome the Martians” party, thankfully.
Lillie had gone to take a shower and then change into new clothes.
She walked out of her room, now wearing a sky-blue leather jacket over a black shirt that said: “She was not fragile like a flower, she was fragile like a bomb”, a pastel purple and blue plaid skirt, blue and purple tie die jeans, and blue and purple boots. She had baby braids that framed her face.
She left her room, fidgeting with her braids when a Lancashire accent shouted, “Lillie!”
A small five-foot-two girl with dark chestnut reddish-brown hair and brown eyes rocketed into Lillie, nearly knocking her over.
“Lars!” Lillie’s voice was muffled.
Then she pulled away now furious and punched her in the shoulder, “WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!?”
Lillie rubbed her shoulder and muttered lamely, “Traveling.”
The girl scoffed at this obvious lie. “Yeah, come back to me when you think of a better lie.”
Rose cleared her throat and Lillie looked at her, briefly resembling a deer in headlights.
“Uh… Rose, this is… Lars…”
“We’re old classmates.” Lars said, shaking Rose’s hand.
“Right.” Rose muttered.
Lillie pulled Lars to the side, away from everyone. “Does Mum know about us?”
“No. I didn’t… She just knows we were friends before I got my internship. Where the hell have you been?”
“I… I can’t tell you that.”
Lars huffed, crossing her arms; then she softened and asked, “Are you happy? Are you safe?”
“Happy? Yes. Safe… relatively.” Lillie said.
“Well, safety’s never really interested you.” Lars said and Lillie smiled. She had missed her.
—
Lillie had caught up with Lars for a while before she walked back to Rose.
“Hey, Rose. Guess what I found out?” She said.
“What?”
“Jimmy Stone, you remember him?”
“The guy who I dropped out of school for and then stole my computer? Yeah.” Rose said with teasing sarcasm.
“The night the Autons attacked, he was killed by one while stealing from his at the time girlfriend. Karma is a twisted mistress, ain’t she?” She said, plopping down next to her, smiling, feeling no remorse for Rose’s ex.
“Here’s to the Martians!” Jackie shouted.
“The Martians!” Everyone except for Rose, Lillie, and Lars cheered.
Then Mickey entered and stared at the two girls in disbelief. Rose nudged Lillie and the two girls looked at him.
“I was going to come and see you.” Rose said.
“Someone owes Mickey an apology.” Ru said.
“I’m sorry.” Rose apologized while Lillie avoided his eyes.
“Not you.” She told them and everyone looked at Jackie.
“Well, it’s not my fault. Be fair. What was I supposed to think?” Jackie excused.
“Mum, what did you do?” Lillie asked.
–
What Jackie did was apparently accuse Mickey killing them which Lillie couldn’t believe. They had been friends since as long as she could remember. In the kitchen, Mickey was scolding Jackie, Lillie, and Rose.
Another reason, Lars hadn’t specified who she was to Lillie. She awkwardly stood in the corner of the kitchen in her most recent attempt to make souffle.
“You two disappear, who do they turn to? Your boyfriend and best friend. Five times I was taken in for questioning. Five times. No evidence. Course, there couldn’t be, could there? And then I get her, your mother, whispering around the estate, pointing the finger. Stuff through my letterbox, and all cause of you two.”
“We didn’t think we’d be gone so long.” Rose said.
“And I waited for you, Rose. Twelve months, waiting for you and the Doctor to come back.”
“Hold on. You knew about the Doctor? Why didn’t you tell me?” Jackie said.
Lars looked up, curious but then she spotted some people trying to eavesdrop, “Oi, you lot!”
Mickey closed the severing hatch and the door into the kitchen.
“Yeah, yeah. Why not? Huh? How could I tell her where you went?”
“Tell me now.” Jackie demanded.
“I might as well, cause you’re stuck here. The Doctor’s gone. Just now. That box thing just faded away.” Mickey told them which just confused Jackie.
“What do you mean?” Rose asked.
“What are you talking about?” Lillie demanded.
“He’s left you two. Some boyfriend he turned out to be.”
The girls exchanged a panicked look and then bolted out of the flat with Mickey following them and Jackie and Lars not far behind.
–
The girls ran to where the Tardis had been parked last but it was gone.
“He wouldn’t just go, he promised us.” Rose panicked.
“Oh, he’s dumped you, Rose. Sailed off into space. How does it feel, huh? Now you are left behind with the rest of us Earthlings. Get used to it.” Mickey snapped as Jackie joined them.
“Shut up!” Lillie snapped at him, her eyes blazing in the way they did before she slapped someone.
“He would have said.” Rose said.
“What’re you three chimps going on about? What’s going on? What’s this Doctor done now?” Jackie demanded.
“He’s vamoosed.” Mickey laughed, mockingly.
“Mickey, you better shut up before I smack the residual plastic out of you!” Lillie snapped at him. “He’s not, because he gave us these.“ The sisters showed their keys and Mickey just scoffed which did earn a smack upside the head by Lillie, "he’s not either of our boyfriend, Mickey. He’s better than that. He’s much more important and he…” Lillie trailed off when the Tardis keys started to glow.
They looked up when they heard the beautiful sound of the Tardis as it began to appear.
Rose and Lillie tried to persuade Jackie to go inside while Lillie trying to push back Lars; their stubborn mother and the control freak however didn’t budge as she stared in shock as the Tardis appeared. Lars looked surprised yet intrigued.
“Huh?” Mickey chuckled like, what’d I tell you?
“How’d you do that, then?” Jackie asked.
–
The sisters ran into the Tardis, “All right, so I lied. I went and had a look. But the whole crash landing’s a fake. I thought so. Just too perfect. I mean, hitting Big Ben. Come on, so I thought let’s go and have a look…” He looked at Lillie, “did you change?”
“Our mum’s here.” Rose interrupted.
“Oh, that’s just what I need. Don’t you dare make this place domestic.” The Doctor complained as an angry Mickey, a shocked Jackie and a fascinated Lars entered the Tardis.
“You’re the one who just appeared out of nowhere! Don’t you have scans for something?” Lillie exclaimed.
“You ruined my life, Doctor. They thought they were dead. I was a murder suspect because of you.” Mickey blamed.
“You see what I mean? Domestic.”
“I bet you don’t even remember my name.” Mickey snapped.
“Ricky.”
“It’s Mickey.”
“No, it’s Ricky.”
“I think I know my own name.” Mickey argued.
“You think you know your own name? How stupid are you?”
“Oi! Shut up the both of you!” Lars shouted.
“And who is this!?” The Doctor demanded and then turned to Lillie, “You can’t just bring people on board.”
“YOU MATERIALIZED IN FRONT OF US!” Lillie shouted, not letting him scold her for something that wasn’t her fault.
“Yes. Yes. Good point. Alright! Go ahead.” He waved his hand at Lars.
Lars ran back out of the Tardis and she circled it, running her hands along the cool wood and the blue paint and came back inside.
“it’s… it’s… bigger on the inside… or-or is it smaller on the outside?” Lars asked, walking around the console.
"The miracle of quantum physics.” Lillie said.
“How…”
“It’s a pocket dimension, basically.” Lille said, shrugging.
Jackie turned to leave, too overwhelmed by all of this.
“Mum, don’t! Don’t go anywhere. Don’t start a fight!”
“Mum, it’s not like that. He’s not… I’ll be up in a minute. Hold on!” Rose ran back into the Tardis, “That was a real spaceship.”
“Yep.” The Doctor said.
“So it’s all a pack of lies? What is it, then? Are they invading?”
“Funny way to invade, putting the world on red alert.” Mickey pointed out.
“Good point!” The Doctor admitted.
“So, what’re they up to?” Lars asked. “Invasion or some kind of test to see how we react or maybe they want something from Earth.”
“I’m sorry, who are you?”
“Uh, this is my, uh, fri-friend, Lars.” Lillie said, “She moved away for an internship soon before I met you.”
“Lars? That’s an odd name.”
“Odder than the Doctor?” Lars narrowed her eyes and held her hand out, “Clarys ‘Lars’ South-Woods.”
–
Jackie was in her bedroom, processing what she had learned. Where her daughters had been.
The television showed a number to call for if anyone had information about aliens. Jackie grabbed the phone a dialed the number, getting the busy line twice until someone picked up.
“Yes, I’ve seen one. I really have. An alien. And they’re with him. My daughters, they’re with him. And they’re not safe. Oh, my God. They’re not safe. I’ve seen an alien, and I know his name. He’s called the Doctor. It’s a box; a blue box. They called it a Tardis.”
Jackie soon hung up unaware that she had just put her daughters in danger.
–
Back in the Tardis, the Doctor and Mickey were arguing until Rose took him aside to talk to him while the Doctor worked on repairs. Lillie gently stroked the Tardis’ controls soothingly as if calming the Tardis down as she explained what had happened to Lars until the Doctor spoke.
“Got it! Ha, ha! Patched in the radar, looped it back twelve hours so we can follow the flight of that spaceship. Here we go.” A trajectory appeared on the monitor, “that’s the spaceship on its way to Earth, see? Except. Hold on. See? The spaceship did a sling shot round the Earth before it landed.” The Doctor said.
“What does that mean?” Rose asked.
“It means it came from Earth in the first place. It went up and came back down.” Lars said.
“And whoever those aliens are, they haven’t just arrived, they’ve been here for a while.” Lillie continued.
“The question is, what have they been doing?”
Mickey and Rose started to channel-hop on the scanner.
“How many channels do you get?” Mickey asked.
“All the basic packages.”
“You get sports channels?” Mickey asked, amazed.
“Yes, I get the football.” The Doctor said, shortly and slightly annoyed and then a group of people appeared on the screen, “Hold on, I know that lot. UNIT. United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. Good people.”
“How do you know them?” Rose asked.
“Cause, he’s worked for them. Oh yeah, don’t think I sat on my backside for twelve months, Doctor. I read up on you. You look deep enough on the Internet or in the history books, and there’s his name, followed by a list of the dead.” Mickey said.
“That’s nice. Good boy, Ricky.” The Doctor said, mockingly.
“You mean because he arrived to save them?” Lillie asked, casually, yet almost defensively. “If a detective comes to catch a serial killer and more people die does that mean it’s the detective’s fault?”
Mickey opened his mouth but didn’t have anything to defend his argument.
“If you know them, why don’t you go and help?
"They wouldn’t recognize me. I’ve changed a lot since the old days.” Lillie thought about these words… no. That’s impossible. “Besides, the world’s on a knife-edge.” The Doctor continued. “There’s aliens out there and fake aliens. We want to keep this alien out of the mix. I’m going undercover. And uh, I’d better keep the Tardis out of sight. Lars, do you have a car?”
“Not big enough for five people.”
“Yeah, no one over five foot five can get in.” Lillie snarked.
“Ricky, you’ve got a car. You can do some driving.” The Doctor went to leave the Tardis with the two couples following.
“Where to?” Mickey asked.
“The roads are clearing. Let’s go and have a look at that spaceship.”
As they left, they heard a helicopter overhead and a spotlight shined on them.
“Do not move! Step away from the box and raise your hands above your heads.”
Lars pulled her hood over her head.
Police cars and armored personnel carriers surrounded them. Panicking, Mickey ran off, making Lillie roll her eyes and then and Lillie spotted Jackie running out of the flat building.
“ROSE! LILLIE!” She screamed, trying to run to them but a soldier stopped her, “ROSE! LILLIE! THOSE ARE MY DAUGHTERS!”
Mickey hid behind some dustbins, the trained soldiers somehow unaware of him.
“Raise your hands above your head. You are under arrest.”
“Take me to your leader.” The Doctor said as Jackie continued to try and break free of the soldiers keeping her from her daughters.
Lillie rolled her eyes.
–
The trio of time traveling and the spunky control freak (not that it was a good idea to call her that) were escorted into a police car that looked to be very fancy.
“This is a bit posh. If I knew it was going to be like this, being arrested, I would have done it years ago.” Rose commented.
“It’s not usually.” Lillie said, as she had always been the more rebellious of the two girls.
“What?” The Doctor asked, shocked.
“I tend to have a problem with authority.” Lillie dismissed, reminding the Doctor of someone and not for the first time.
“Problem?” Lars scoffed, “You’re allergic to authority.”
“We’re not being arrested, we’re being escorted.” The Doctor told them.
“Where to?”
“Where’d you think?”
“Area fifty-one?” Lillie asked before remembering that was in America, “the British Aera fifty-one?”
“I doubt that.” Lars muttered.
“Downing Street.” The Doctor laughed.
“You’re kidding.” Rose giggled.
“I’m not.”
“10 Downing Street?” Rose asked.
“That’s the one.”
“Oh, my God. Lillie, we’re going to 10 Downing Street!” Rose squealed, “How come?”
“I hate to say it, but Mickey was right. Over the years I’ve visited this planet a lot of times, and I’ve been, er, noticed.” The Doctor said.
“Now they need you?” Rose asked.
“Like it said on the news. They’re gathering experts in alien knowledge. And who’s the biggest expert of the lot?” He asked.
“Patrick Moore?” Lillie asked, innocently.
“Apart from him.”
“Oh, don’t you just love it.”
“I’m telling you. Lloyd George, he used to drink me under the table. Who’s the Prime Minister now?”
“How should we know? We missed a year.” Lillie said. “I barely knew who it was before.”
Then they looked at Lars, “I’ve been busy.”
“Yes, at your posh shop job.” Lillie said, sarcastically.
“It’s not a shop job!” Lars shouted.
–
People kept on taking pictures of the four, Lars kept her head down and Lillie pulled her hood over her face and put her sunglasses on as they walked by.
Inside, a traumatized older woman entered the room where the Doctor, Lars, and the Tyler sisters were.
“Ladies and gentlemen, can we convene? Quick as we can, please. It’s this way on the right, and can I remind you ID cards are to be worn at all times.” A man announced. He handed an ID to the Doctor, “Here’s your ID card. I’m sorry, your companions don’t have clearance.”
Lars actually did have clearance but didn’t want to leave Lillie.
“I don’t go anywhere without them.” He said, firmly.
“You’re the code nine, not them. I’m sorry, uh, Doctor. It is the Doctor, isn’t it? They’ll have to stay outside.” The man said as the older woman slowly approached them at the mention of the Doctor.
“They’re staying with me.” He insisted.
“Look, even I don’t have clearance to go in there. I can’t let them in and that’s a fact.” The man said.
“It’s all right. You go.” Rose said.
“Yeah, what’s the worst that could happen.” Lillie asked and then joked, “Invasion of the Body Snatchers?”
“Excuse me. Are you the Doctor?” The older woman asked.
“Sure.”
“Not now. We’re busy. Can’t you go home?” The man said, rudely, looking very annoyed as if she had been bothering him all day.
“I just need a word in private.” She argued with the man as the Doctor left.
“You haven’t got clearance. Now leave it.” He turned to the girls, “I’m going to have to leave you with security.”
“It’s all right. I’ll look after them. Let me be of some use.” Harriet said and gestured for the girls to follow, “Walk with me. Just keep walking.” She was now speaking in a softer voice, she sounded scared but she was trying to sound casual, “That’s right. Don’t look round.” She flashed them her ID, “Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North.” Lars nodded, Harriet Jones was a person of interest, in a good way. They arrived at the staircase.
This friend of yours, he’s an expert, is that right? He kn—he knows about aliens?”
“Why do you want to know?” Rose asked and then Harriet’s brave face started to break and she broke down into tears.
Lillie went to comfort her, sharing bewildered looks with Rose and Lars.
–
Harriet brought them to the Cabinet Room as she frantically explained what she had witnessed to the three teenagers. She went to a closet and took out what looked like the skin of a man with the clothes and everything but nothing inside.
“They turned the body into a suit. A disguise for the thing inside!” Harriet cried, starting to sob again.
“It’s all right. We believe you.” Lillie comforted, soothingly as Lars grabbed a box of tissues.
“Yeah, we do.” Rose agreed, “It’s… it’s alien. They must have some serious technology behind this. If we could find it, we could use it.”
Rose started to search the room, she opened a few drawers while Lillie opened a cupboard, “Ooh!” A man’s body fell out on top of Lillie who started to stammer incoherently.
Rose pushed the corpse off of her sister, pulling her into her and away from the body as Lars pushed the body on their back.
“Oh, my God! Is that the…” Rose started when the man from earlier entered, apparently realizing that the Doctor’s companions were missing.
“Harriet, for God’s sake. This has gone beyond a joke. You cannot just wander…”
“Oi, we have an emergency here!” Lars shouted.
He saw the man on the floor, “Oh, my God. That’s the Prime Minister!”
Lillie crouched down and felt for his pulse, “he’s dead. They killed him.”
“I think it’s fair to say they do not come in peace.” Lars said, looking around for a weapon.
“Oh! Has someone been naughty?" A high-pitched voice said and they turned to see a pudgy woman with a blonde pixie cut, closing the door behind her; Harriet Jones stiffened, recognizing her as one of the aliens.
"That’s impossible. He left this afternoon. The Prime Minister left Downing Street. He was driven away!” The man exclaimed.
“And who told you that, hmm? Me!” She giggled.
She reached to her hairline, revealing a zipper attached to her skin that only Lillie could see before she started to unzip it the five of them were bathed in an eerie blue light. She pulled the skin down revealing a big fat green alien with large pitch-black eyes and oversized claws.
She let out a screech as she grabbed the man.
“LOOK OUT!” Lillie screamed but it was too late.
She rammed him against the wall as he screamed and the girls watched in horror
Chapter 14: World War Three
Summary:
The girls and Harriet Jones must fight against the Slitheen not only for their lives but for the world.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Estrenar — Spanish — Wearing something for the very first time.
“Let people underestimate you. That way they’ll never know for sure what you’re capable of.”
Link to Titanium by David Guetta and Sia
Electricity crackled on the alien as she dropped the man. The girls ran past the alien trying to escape.
Then Harriet stopped them, “No, wait. They’re still in there. The emergency protocols. We need them.” And then she ran back.
“Wait!” Lars shouted.
Rose and Lillie looked at her and then each other with bewilderment before going after her only to find her running back as the alien had started to chase them.
They ran past the elevator and before the alien could pass it the lift opened, revealing the Doctor.
“Hello.” He said, cheerfully.
Lillie pulled the two older women with Lars behind them through a door while the alien was distracted.
“Hide.” Rose hissed.
Lillie hid behind a curtain, Rose hid behind a cabinet, Lars in the darkened chimney, her dark clothes blended her with the shadows and masked her scent, and Harriet hid behind a folding screen.
The alien followed soon, trilling, playfully, “Oh, such fun. Little human children, where are you? Sweet little human kins, come to me. Let me kiss you better. Kiss you with my big, green lips.”
Rose moved from behind the cabinet to behind the curtains with her sister. They exchanged fearful looks and then held each other’s hands, tightly.
Soon two other aliens joined, “My brothers.” The first alien greeted.
Now there’s more of them?
“Happy hunting?” One of them asked.
"It’s wonderful. The more you prolong it, the more they stink.” Lillie’s eyes widened.
“Sweat and fear.”
“I can smell an old girl. Stale bird and brittle bones.” One of them said. Harriet.
“And three ripe youngsters, all hormones and adrenaline. Fresh enough to bend before they snap.” The first alien said before pulling back the curtain, revealing the sisters who then screamed.
Harriet bravely jumped out of her hiding spot, shouting, “NO! TAKE ME FIRST! TAKE ME!”
“GET AWAY FROM THEM!” Lars shouted, emerging from her hiding spot w
Lillie took this opportunity to push herself up and kick the alien over, pushing her sister out of the way and she kicked the alien in the chest, actually managing to knock her over before another grabbed her by her hood, holding her above the ground as she kicked and punched.
“LILLIE!” Rose and Lars screamed.
Then the Doctor burst in with a fire extinguisher and sprayed the aliens with it, making the alien drop Lillie who landed on her feet, the force forcing her to crouch down and her fingertips hit the floor, steadying her and she flipped her head up, her hair soaring above her head, “Out! With me!” He told the girls.
Lillie pulled the curtain down over the alien who had picked her up, and pulled it around it, and forcing them to spin in a circle, disorientating it, like a crucial game of hit the pinata before she joined the Doctor and the other women as the Doctor continued sprayed the aliens.
“Who the hell are you?” He asked Harriet.
“Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North.”
“Nice to meet you.” He said.
“Likewise.” She replied.
He sprayed them again before the fire extinguisher was empty and they ran out.
“We need to head to the Cabinet Room.” The Doctor instructed.
“The Emergency Protocols are in there. They give instructions for aliens.” Harriet agreed.
“Harriet Jones, I like you.”
“And I like you too.”
The aliens screeched as they chased them through the corridors and rooms. Harriet, Rose, Lillie, and the Doctor made it back into the cabinet room. The Doctor grabbed a decanter of alcohol and held the sonic screwdriver up to it.
“One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol. Whoof, we all go up. So back off.” They stepped back. “Right then. Question time. Who exactly are the Slitheen?”
“They’re aliens.” Harriet observed.
“Yes. I got that, thanks.” The Doctor said, sarcastically.
“Who are you, if not human?” Said one of the male Slitheens to the Doctor.
“Who’s not human?” Harriet asked, confused.
“He’s not human.” Rose and Lillie said.
“He’s not human?” Harriet exclaimed.
“He’s an alien.” Lillie said.
“Can I have a bit of hush?”
“Sorry.”
The Doctor turned back to the Slitheen, “So, what’s the plan?” But Harriet spoke again.
“But he’s got a Northern accent.” Lars suddenly said.
“Lots of planets have a north.” Lillie explained to her.
“I said hush. Come on. You’ve got a spaceship hidden in the North Sea. It’s transmitting a signal. You’ve murdered your way to the top of government. What for, invasion?”
“Why would we invade this God-forsaken rock?” One of them said,
“Then something’s brought the Slitheen race here. What is it?”
“The Slitheen race?” One of them scoffed.
“Slitheen is not our species. Slitheen is our surname. Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer-Day-Slitheen at your service.” Jocrassa said.
“So, you’re family.”
“A family business.”
“Then you’re out to make a profit. How can you do that on a ‘God-forsaken rock’?” The Doctor theorized.
“Ah, excuse me? Your device will do what? Triplicate the flammability?” One of them asked. Lillie really couldn’t tell the difference between them.
“Is that what I said?”
“You’re making it up.” The Slitheen accused.
“Ah, well! Nice try. Harriet, have a drink. I think you’re gonna need it.”
“You pass it to the left first.” She said.
“Sorry.” He said and handed it to Lillie.
Lillie took it from the Doctor and took a swig and then handed it to Lars who also took a big swig.
“Now we can end this hunt with a slaughter.”
“Don’t you think we should run?” Rose asked.
“Fascinating history, Downing Street. Two thousand years ago, this was marsh land. 1730, it was occupied by a Mister Chicken. He was a nice man. 1796, this was the Cabinet Room. If the Cabinet’s in session and in danger, these are about the four most safest walls in the whole of Great Britain. End of lesson.” The Doctor lifted a small panel and pressed a button causing mental shutters to crash shut across the windows and doors. He turned to the three women, “Installed in 1991. Three inches of steel lining every single wall. They’ll never get in.”
“And how do we get out?” Lillie asked.
“Ah.” The Doctor said, only now realizing this.
“You didn’t think about that, did you?” She asked.
“No.” He confessed and then said, “shut up.”
–
The Doctor dragged the man’s body into a small storeroom where the late prime minister’s body was.
“What was his name?”
“Who?” Harriet asked.
“This one. The secretary or whatever he was called.” The Doctor clarified.
"I don’t know. I talked to him. I brought him a cup of coffee. I never asked his name.” Harriet clearly felt bad about this.
“Indra.” Lillie said.
“What?”
“His name was Indra Ganesh.” Lillie said, they all looked at her, “It’s on his wallet.” She held up his wallet.
She had done it out of instinct, almost like a second nature. Like she often came across bodies and searched for identification.
The Doctor looked at her curiously, “why’d you take his wallet?”
“I-I don’t know. It was almost like… second nature.” She said, handing the wallet to him.
“Thank you, for your death may save the lives of many. And I’m sorry, it had to be you." The Doctor remembered Nova used to say.
She always used to say that you couldn’t save every life but you could make sure their life counted, so their memory could keep them alive forever.
"Right? What do we got? Any terminals, anything?” The Doctor asked, walking out of the closet.
“No. This place is antique. What I don’t get is, when they killed the Prime Minister, why didn’t they use him as a disguise?” Rose wondered.
“He’s too slim. They’re big old beasts. They need to fit inside big humans.” The Doctor said.
“But the Slitheen are about eight feet. How do they fit inside?” Rose asked.
“That’s the device around their necks. Compression field. Literally shrinks them down a bit. That’s why there’s all that gas. It’s a big exchange.”
“Wish I had a compression field. I could fit a size smaller.” Rose joked.
“Excuse me, people are dead! This is not the time for making jokes.” Harriet scolded.
“Sorry. You get used to this stuff when you’re friends with him.” Rose apologized.
“Well, that’s a strange friendship.” Harriet said.
“It’s more like you learn how to laugh at the darkness. It’s a defense mechanism.” Lillie added, darkly and then muttered, “though, I was already a pro at that.”
Lars seemed to consider this for a moment.
“Harriet Jones. I’ve heard that name before. Harriet Jones. You’re not famous for anything, are you?” The Doctor said.
“Oh, hardly.” She scoffed.
“Rings a bell. Harriet Jones?” He turned to Lillie and Rose who shook their heads.
“Lifelong backbencher I’m afraid, and a fat lot of use I’m being now. The Protocols are redundant. They list the people who could help and they’re all dead downstairs.” Harriet said.
“Hasn’t it got, like, defense codes and things?“ Rose asked.
"Couldn’t we just launch a nuclear bomb at them?” Lillie asked.
“You’re both very violent young women.” Harriet commented.
“Thank you.” Lillie said even though it wasn’t a compliment.
“That’s my baby sister, ladies and gentlemen.” Rose said with a slight smile as Lars shook her head with a gentle smile.
“Well, there’s nothing like that in here. Nuclear strikes do need a release code, yes, but it’s kept secret by the United Nations.”
“Say that again.” The Doctor said, suddenly.
“What, about the codes?”
“Anything. All of it.”
“Well, the British Isles can’t gain access to atomic weapons without a Special Resolution from the UN.”
“Like that’s ever stopped them.” Rose scoffed.
“Exactly, given our past record. And I voted against that, thank you very much. The codes have been taken out of the government’s hands and given to the UN. Is it important?” Harriet asked.
“Everything’s important.” The Doctor replied.
“If we only knew what the Slitheen wanted. Listen to me. I’m saying Slitheen as if it’s normal.” Harriet said with disbelief.
“What do they want, though?”
“Well, they’re just one family, so it’s not an invasion. They don’t want Slitheen World They’re out to make money. That means they want to use something. Something here on Earth. Some kind of asset.” The Doctor said.
“Like what, gold? Oil? Water?” Harriet guessed.
“You’re very good at this.” The Doctor complimented.
“Thank you.”
“Harriet Jones. Why do I know that name?”
Rose’s phone beeped. “Oh, that’s me.”
“But we’re sealed off. How did you get a signal?” Harriet asked.
“He zapped it. Super phone.” Rose explained.
“Then we can phone for help. You must have contacts.” Lars said.
“Dead downstairs, yeah.”
“Besides who’s going to believe us over the British Government, compared to them we’re nothing?” Lillie added, bitterly.
“It’s Mickey.” Rose said.
“Oh, tell your stupid boyfriend we’re busy.” The Doctor snarked.
“Yeah, he’s not so stupid after all.” Rose said, showing them that Mickey had sent her a picture of a Slitheen.
–
“No, no, no, no, no. Not just alien, but like, proper alien. All stinking, and wet, and disgusting." Mickey told them. ”And more to the point, it wanted to kill us!“
"I could’ve died!” Jackie’s muffled voice exclaimed.
“Is she all right, though?” Rose asked.
“Don’t put her on, just tell us.” Lillie added hastily, not wanting to get another lecture. They didn’t have time.
The Doctor took the phone from Rose. “Is that Ricky? Don’t talk, just shut up and go to your computer.”
“It’s Mickey, and why should I?”
“Mickey the Idiot, I might just choke. Before I finish this sentence, but, uh, I need you.”
Mickey was now hacking into the UNIT website.
“It says password.”
The Doctor plugged the mobile phone into the conference phone speaker.
“Say again.”
“It’s asking for the password.”
“Buffalo. Two Fs, one L.” The Doctor replied.
“So, what’s that website?" Jackie asked in the background.
"All the secret information known to mankind. See, they’ve known about aliens for years. They just kept us in the dark.”
“Mickey, you were born in the dark.”
“Oh, leave him alone.” Rose said.
“Thank you. Password again.”
“Just repeat it every time.” The Doctor instructed. “Big Ben—why did the Slitheen go and hit Big Ben?”
“You said to gather the experts, to kill them.” Lars said.
“That lot would’ve gathered for a weather balloon. You don’t need to crash land in the middle of London.” The Doctor pointed out.
“The Slitheen are hiding, but then they put the entire planet on Red alert. What would they do that for?” Rose asked.
“Oh, listen to her.” Jackie said, sarcastically.
“At least she’s trying something.” Lillie snarked.
“Well, I’ve got a question, if you don’t mind, Since that man walked into our lives, I have been attacked in the streets. I have had creatures from the pits of hell in my own living room, and both of my daughters disappear off the face of the Earth.”
“We told you what happened.” Rose said.
“I’m talking to him. Cause I’ve seen this life of yours, Doctor. And maybe you get off on it, and maybe you think it’s all clever and smart, but you tell me. Just answer me this. Are my daughters safe?
"Mum, we’re fine.” Lillie reassured but was ignored.
“Are they safe? Will they always be safe? Can you promise me that?” The Doctor remained silent, “Well, what’s the answer?
Mickey took the phone from Jackie, "We’re in.”
“Now then, on the left at the top, there’s a tab, an icon. Little concentric circles. Click on that.”
“What is it?”
“The Slitheen have got a spaceship in the North Sea and it’s transmitting that signal. Now hush, let me work out what it’s saying.”
“He’ll have to answer me one day.” Jackie said in the background.
“Hush.” Mickey hushed her.
“It’s some sort of message.”
“What’s it say?”
“Don’t know. It’s on a loop, keeps repeating.” Mickey’s doorbell rang, “hush!”
“That’s not me. Go and see who that is." Mickey told Jackie.
"It’s three o'clock in the morning." Jackie complained.
"Well, go and tell them that.” Mickey said, annoyed.
“It’s beaming out into space, who’s it for?”
“It’s him! It’s the thing, it’s the Slickeen!" Jackie said in the background, panicked.
"They’ve found us." Mickey panicked.
"Mickey, I need that signal.” The Doctor said.
“To hell with the signal!” Lillie shouted.
“Never mind the signal, get out! Mum!” Rose agreed. “Just get out! Get out!”
“We can’t. It’s by the front door." Mickey told her. Small silence before he spoke again, "Oh, my God, it’s unmasking. It’s going to kill us."
"There’s got to be some way of stopping them! You’re supposed to be the expert, think of something!” Harriet shouted.
“I’m trying!” The Docotr shouted, “Nova was always better at this!”
“I’ll take it on, Jackie. You just run. Don’t look back. Just run.” Mickey said.
“Mickey, it’s an eight-foot-tall monster that we have no idea on how to beat; we don’t even know what planet they’re from! Be smart about this,” Lillie pleaded.
They heard the sound of the door splintering as Rose pleaded, “That’s our mother.”
“Right, if we’re going to find their weakness, we need to find out where they’re from. Which planet. So, judging by their basic shape, that narrows it down to five thousand planets within traveling distance. What else do we know about them? Information!”
“They’re green.”
“Yep, narrows it down.”
“Good sense of smell.” Lillie said.
“Narrows it down.”
“They can smell adrenaline.” Lars said.
“Narrows it down.”
“The pig technology.” Harriet suggested.
“Narrows it down.”
“The spaceship in the Thames, you said slipstream engine?” Rose said.
“Narrows it down.”
“It’s getting in!”
“They hunt like it’s a ritual.” Lillie said.
“Narrows it down.”
Well, this was getting depressing. Lillie rubbed her the sides of her temple as the gears in her head whirred.
“Wait a minute. Did you notice? When they fart, if you’ll pardon the word, it doesn’t just smell like a fart, if you’ll pardon the word, it’s something else. What is it? It’s more like, er…” Harriet tried to search for the word.
“Bad breath!” The sisters said in unison.
“That’s it!”
“Calcium decay! Now, that narrows it down!”
“We’re getting there, Mum!” Rose cheered
“Too late!”
“Calcium phosphate. Organic calcium. Living calcium. Creatures made out of living calcium. What else? What else? Hyphenated surname. Yes! That narrows it down to one planet. Raxacoricofallapatorius!
"Oh, yeah, great. We could write them a letter." Mickey said, sarcastically. The door finally fell down, not that Lillie was complaining but it seemed like they should’ve gotten the door down ages ago.
"Get into the kitchen!”
“My God, it’s going to rip us apart!”
“Calcium, weakened by the compression field. Acetic acid.”
“Speak English!” Jackie snapped.
“Vinegar!” Lillie shouted.
“Just like Hannibal!” Harriet exclaimed
“Just like Hannibal. Mickey, have you got any vinegar?” The Doctor said.
“How should I know?”
“It’s your kitchen.” The Doctor said.
“Cupboard by the sink, middle shelf.” Rose instructed.
Jackie took the phone from Mickie. “Give it here. What do you need?”
“Anything with vinegar!” Lillie told her.
“Gherkins. Yeah, pickled onions. Pickled eggs." Jackie said over the phone.
Lillie wrinkled her nose. "And you kiss this man?” She asked her sister.
They heard the Slitheen break in and then a splat. A few beats of silence, then a fart and the sound of the Slitheen exploding.
“Hannibal?” Rose asked, then looked at her sister.
“The only Hannibal that comes to mind is Lector.” She shrugged.
“Aren’t you supposed to be a genius?” Lars asked her sarcastically.
“Hannibal crossed the Alps by dissolving boulders with vinegar.” Harriet explained.
“Oh. Well, there you go then.”
They all toast the moment with a glass of port from the decanter and the Doctor cringed at the taste.
“Listen to this.” Mickey told them.
“Our inspectors have searched the sky above our heads and they have found massive weapons of destruction capable of being deployed within forty-five seconds. Our technicians can baffle the alien probes, but not for long. We are facing extinction, unless we strike first. The United Kingdom stands directly beneath the belly of the mother ship. I beg of the United Nations, pass an emergency resolution. Give us the access codes. A nuclear strike at the heart of the beast is our only chance of survival. Because from this moment on it is my solemn duty to inform you planet Earth is at war.”
“He’s making it up. There’s no weapons up there, there’s no threat. He just invented it.” The Doctor complained.
“Do you think they’ll believe him?” Harriet asked.
"They did last time.” Rose said.
“That’s why the Slitheen went for spectacle. They want the whole world panicking, because us… us humans when we get scared, we lash out.” Lillie said, darkly. “Anything that we think it different we hate it for years without reconsideration.”
“They release the defense code…” Rose said.
“And the Slitheen go nuclear.” The Doctor finished
“But why?” Harriet asked.
The Doctor opened the doors, “You get the codes, release the missiles, but not into space because there’s nothing there. You attack every other country on Earth. They retaliate, fight back. World War Three. Whole planet gets nuked.”
“And we can sit through it safe in our spaceship waiting in the Thames. Not crashed, just parked. Only two minutes away.” Margaret giggled.
“But you’ll destroy the planet, this beautiful place. What for?” Harriet asked.
“Profit. That’s what the signal is beaming into space. An advert.” The Doctor said.
“The sale of the century. We reduce the Earth to molten slag, then sell it piece by piece. Radioactive chucks, capable of powering every cut-price star liner and budget cargo ship. There’s a recession out there. People are buying cheap. This rock becomes raw fuel.”
“At the cost of five billion lives.” The Doctor scoffed.
“Bargain.”
“Or at the cost of you and your whole family.” Lillie said, darkly.
“I give you a choice. Leave this planet or I’ll stop you.”
“If you had any ounce of common sense, you would know not to mess with me.” Lillie said, with danger in her voice that was unfamiliar to her but reminded the Doctor of someone.
“What, you? Trapped in your box?” She laughed.
“Yes. Us.“ The Doctor said, he shut the door on her laughing face.
As the doors closed, Margaret saw Lillie’s eyes flash purple which sent a jolt of a surprise and fear shoot through her but she brushed it off. Oh, what a mistake that was.
–
"All right, Doctor. I’m not saying I trust you, but there must be something you can do." Jackie said.
"If we could ferment the port, we could make acetic acid.” Harriet suggested.
“Mickey, any luck?” Rose asked. Apparently they weren’t even going attempt that.
“There’s loads of emergency numbers. They’re all on voicemail.”
“Voicemail dooms us all.” Harriet rolled her eyes.
“If we could just get out of here.” Lillie groaned.
“There is a way out.” The Doctor said.
“What?” The girls asked.
“There’s always been a way out.”
“Then why don’t we use it?” Rose asked.
“Because I can’t guarantee your daughters will be safe.” He told Jackie.
“Don’t you dare. Whatever it is, don’t you dare.”
“That’s the thing. If I don’t dare, everyone dies.”
Lars examined the Doctor’s face, he didn’t look happy. Like he enjoyed it. Like Mickey had talked about, like she had heard about. He regreted the list of deaths that always followed him.
The sisters looked at each other, knowing what each other’s answer was before looking back at the Doctor and said in unison, “Do it.”
“You don’t even know what it is. You’d just let me?” He asked them.
“Yeah.”
“Please. Doctor. Please. They’re my daughters. They’re just kids." Jackie pleaded, tearfully.
"Do you think I don’t know that? Because this is my life, Jackie. It’s not fun, it’s not smart, it’s just standing up and making a decision because nobody else will.”
“Then what’re you waiting for?” Lillie asked.
“I could save the world but lose you both.” He said, staring at the two girls, especially at Lillie.
Lars could see… losing Lillie… that would break his hearts…
“Except it’s not your decision, Doctor. It’s mine.” Harriet said.
“And who the hell are you?" Jackie demanded in that mom-shout mothers did to anyone who questioned the safety of their children.
"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. The only elected representative in this room, chosen by the people for the people. And on behalf of the people, I command you. Do it.” Harriet said.
“How do we get out?” Rose asked.
“We don’t. We stay here.” He said and went to get the Emergency Protocols from the Red Box. “Use the buffalo password. It overrides everything.”
“What’re you doing?" Jackie asked.
"Hacking into the Royal Navy. We’re in. Here it is. HMS Taurean, Trafalgar Class submarine, ten miles off the coast of Plymouth.”
“Right, we need to select a missile.” The Doctor said.
“We can’t go nuclear. We don’t have the defense codes.”
“We don’t need it. All we need’s an ordinary missile.” The Doctor said.
“Oh my god." Jackie gasped, "Please, don’t.”
“It’s either the five of us or five billion people.” Lillie reasoned.
“What’s the first category?”
“Sub Harpoon, UGM-A4A.”
“That’s the one. Select.” He said.
“I could stop you." Jackie said in the background.
"Do it, then.” Mickey said, not any more happy to launch the missile that would save the world but kill his girlfriend and his best friend and her mysterious friend.
“You ready for this?”
“Yeah.”
“Mickey the idiot, the world is in your hands. Fire.”
Mickey clicked the mouse, “Oh my god." Jackie gasped.
Lillie was filled with a series of reasonable thoughts, focused on their survival. On Rose’s survival. On the Doctor’s survival. On Lars’ survival.
"How solid are these?” Harriet asked, referring to the walls.
“Not solid enough. Built for short-range attack, nothing this big.” The Doctor replied as Lillie eyed the cupboard they had placed Indra Ganesh in.
“All right, now I’m making the decision. I’m not going to let any of you die. We’re going to ride this one out. It’s like what they say about earthquakes.” Lillie said, opening the cupboard door. “You can survive them by standing under a doorframe. Now, this cupboard’s small so it’s strong. Come and help me. Come on.” Rose said and Harriet and Lillie went to go help her.
The girls emptied the cupboard, quickly before the missile hit.
“It’s on radar. Counter defense five-five-six.”
“Stop them intercepting it.”
“I’m doing it now.”
“Good boy.”
“Five-five-six neutralized.”
The Doctor unplugged the phone and ran to the cupboard to join the girls.
“Here we go. Nice knowing you all.” They all held hands, “Hannibal!”
The missile hit and the cupboard shook violently before it started to roll before stopping.
“Is it over?” Lillie groaned, “Are we dead?” The Doctor pushed the steel door off as the girls got out.
“Made in Britain.” Harriet said.
A soldier came running to them, “Oh, my God. Are you all right?”
“Harriet Jones. MP, Flydale North. I want you to contact UN immediately. Tell the ambassadors the crisis is over. They can step down. Go on, tell the news.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
“Someone’s got a hell of a job sorting this lot out. Oh, Lord. We haven’t even got a Prime Minister.”
“Maybe you should have a go.”
“Me? Huh. I’m only a back-bencher.”
“I’d vote for you.” Rose said and Lillie and Lars nodded.
“Now, don’t be silly. Look, I’d better go and see if I can help. Hang on!” Harriet said and made her way down the pile of rubble. “We’re safe! The Earth is safe! Sergeant!”
“I thought I knew the name. Harriet Jones, future Prime Minister. Elected for three successive terms. The architect of Britain’s Golden Age.” The Doctor said.
“The crisis has passed! Ladies and gentlemen, I have something to say to you all here today! Mankind stands tall, proud and undefeated. God bless the human race.”
–
The sisters made it home being welcomed with a huge hug from their mother.
A little bit later, Harriet Jones was on the TV as the sisters watched, “Mankind stands tall, proud…”
“Harriet Jones. Who does she think she is? Look at her, taking all the credit. Should be you on there. My daughters saved the world!” Jackie shouted at the television.
“I think the Doctor helped a bit.” Rose said.
“All right, then. Him too. You should be given knighthoods.”
“Ooh. Knightess Lillie.” Lillie grinned but something about that title didn’t feel right.
“That’s not the way he does things. No fuss. He just moves on. He’s not that bad if you gave him a chance.” Rose said.
“He’s good in a crisis, I’ll give him that.” Jackie said.
“Oh, now the world has changed. You’re saying nice things about him.” Rose said, sarcastically.
“Well, I reckon I’ve got no choice. There’s no getting rid of him since you two are infatuated.”
“We’re not infatuated.” The girls said in unison.
“I meant, Lillie.”
“I am not infatuated!” Lillie repeated and turned back to the television, “I don’t get infatuated with boys.”
Rose just smirked, shaking her head and Jackie went just made a noise that was half a scoff and half a hum.
“What does he eat?” Jackie asked.
“How do you mean?” Rose asked.
“I was going to do shepherd’s pie. All of us. A proper sit down, 'cause I’m ready to listen. I wanna learn about you two and him and that life you two lead. Only, I don’t know, he’s an alien. For all I know, he eats grass and safety pins and things.” Jackie said
“He’ll have shepherd pie.” Lillie said.
“You’re going to cook for him?” Rose asked.
“What’s wrong with that?”
“He’s finally met his match.” Rose teased.
“You’re not too old for a slap, you know.” Jackie said and she got up to go to the kitchen, “You two can go and visit your Gran tomorrow. You’d better learn some French. I told her you were in France. I said you two were au-pairing.”
Rose’s phone rang, she took it out and saw that the caller ID said Tardis.
“Hello?” She asked confused, holding it so both she and her sister could hear the other end.
“Right, I’ll be a couple of hours, then we can go." The Doctor said.
"You’ve got a phone?” Lillie asked into the phone.
“You two think I can travel through space and time and I haven’t got a phone? Like I said, couple of hours. I’ve just got to send out this dispersal. There you go. That’s canceling out the Slitheen’s advert in case any bargain hunters turn up.”
“Um, our mother’s cooking.” Rose said, awkwardly.
“Good. Put her on a slow heat and let her simmer.”
“She’s cooking tea. For us.”
“I don’t do that.”
“She wants to get to know you.”
“Tough. I’ve got better things to do.”
“It’s just tea.”
“Not to me it isn’t.”
“She’s our mother.” Rose said.
“Well, she’s not mine.” He said.
“That’s not fair.”
“Well, you can stay there if you want, but right now there’s this plasma storm brewing in the Horsehead Nebula. Fires are burning ten million miles wide. I could fly the Tardis right into the heart of it then ride the shock wave all the way out. Hurtle right across the sky and end up. Anywhere. Your choice.”
Rose and Lillie looked at each other and went to Rose’s room.
“Girls, I was thinking. I’ve got that bottle of Amaretto from New Year’s Eve. Does he drink?” Jackie said as she entered Rose’s room to find her packing and Lillie helping her.
“I was wondering whether he drinks or not.” Jackie said.
“Yeah, he does.” Rose said, she turned to Lillie, “go pack.”
“Don’t go, sweethearts. Please don’t go.” Jackie pleaded as Lillie headed to her room to pack.
–
Lillie and Rose both had large rucksacks of clothes and personal belongings on their backs as they headed for the Tardis with Jackie following them.
“I’ll get a proper job. I’ll work weekends. I’ll pass my test, and if Jim comes round again, I’ll say no. I really will.” Jackie pleaded.
“Mum, we’re not leaving because of you. We’re traveling, that’s all, and then we’ll come back.” Rose said as Lillie adjusted the beanie she had put on her head.
“But it’s not safe.” Jackie said.
“Mum, if you saw it out there you’d never stay home.” Lillie said.
“Got enough stuff?” The Doctor said, sarcastically.
“Last time we stepped in there, it was spur of the moment. Now we’re signing up. You’re stuck with us.” Rose gives the Doctor her rucksack and went to Mickey.
“Come with us. There’s plenty of room.”
“No chance. He’s a liability, I’m not having him on board.” The Doctor said.
“We’d be dead without him.” Rose told him.
“My decision is final.” The Doctor said, firmly.
“Uh-huh.” Lillie said, not convinced that it was his decision.
“Sorry.” Rose told him. Rose and Mickey did quick kiss goodbye.
“Good luck, yeah.”
Jackie turned on the Doctor, “You still can’t promise me. What if they get lost? What if something happens to you, Doctor, and they’re left all alone standing on some moon a million light-years away. How long do I wait then?”
“Mum, you’re forgetting. It’s a time machine. We could go traveling around suns and planets and all the way out to the edge of the universe, and by the time we get back, yeah, ten seconds would have passed. Just ten seconds. So stop worrying.” Rose comforted her, “I’ll take care of Lillie and she’ll take care of me.”
“Yeah. See you in ten seconds’ time, yeah?” Lillie agreed.
The three Tyler women all hugged before the two teenagers parted and entered the Tardis as the Tardis dematerialized, Jackie looked at her watch, counting ten seconds.
“Ten seconds.” She scoffed before going back to the flat.
———
As a member of Torchwood One, Lars had an obligation to tell them that she had met the Doctor, their sole purpose for existing but then there was Lillie. Brilliant, noble, kind, valiant, and beautiful Lillie Tyler.
And the Doctor did save them all. The whole world.
She smiled at the junior researcher, a handsome man with blue eyes who always wore a nice suit, he smiled back as they went along with their jobs that no one could know about.
Notes:
*What do y'all think of Lars? Originally, she didn't exist and then I came up with a character when I was writing season five. So I created more characters.*
REBle_Reader72 on Chapter 6 Sat 09 Dec 2023 09:43PM UTC
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Guest (Guest) on Chapter 7 Sun 10 Dec 2023 11:42AM UTC
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GryfflepuffintheTardis on Chapter 7 Sun 10 Dec 2023 10:49PM UTC
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