Doctor Who and The Great Eclipse Part 30/34

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A/N: Finally…  One more difficult chapter, I think and then the extra long one to finish…

Break

River had turned back to the Doctor after her conversation with her brother. She had not wanted to leave his side even though it was more than past time to move on. The rest had helped Ali, at least, if not Jack. But the Time Lord frowned and fiddled with his sonic screwdriver a bit more and announced, “We’re stopping here for a few hours. Everyone settle down and try to get some rest.” The adults all looked at him, very surprised. Richard moved back with Jack to the space blanket and sheet that had reappeared. Imam made sure that Ali and Suleiman both were next to Jack, before placing himself as a further protection. Since Jack refused to let go of the ex-ranger Riddick was on his other side. The fellow kept a blank face, aside from the slight pleading glance he shot at the Doctor. She knew what the bronze complexioned man needed, of course. After a few moments of mental prodding the alien Lei-yu gave in and guided them both that direction. The difficulty was that more contact soothed them immediately but made the eventual connection that much harder to fight. His spike of fear was enough to make River twist to act as a barrier between the two, without much thought as to how it impacted her role in all of it. She found herself being bodily moved to the other side, still tucked into his form, but with her brother near her back instead of Richard.

She made a token mental protest, considering how she was trying to help him, and got back from him the definite sense that he knew what he was doing, what the risks were, and that he’d face the price when the time came. She needed to focus on herself and worry less about his physical needs. If only it were that easy. The increased clove spiciness in his sweet scent filled her nose and she buried her face into the leather of his jacket to hide her flush from it. Part of her was hot again, slick, sensitive and tingling. Fearful he’d push her away, she curled her hands into his tee around his middle and felt Richard scoot closer against her fingers even though they were separated by thick leather. He never reached his mind toward hers, and yet she felt his crystalline barriers that guarded it ease open along a million little fractures as he waited for her mental flow. She nuzzled into the Doctor’s cool body and allowed her mind to wash gently into Richard’s. She knew Lei-yu was aware of this now, more so than before because she followed his link to Amadak through the storm clouds in his mind in order to reach the other. River felt those intense blue eyes looking at her then over at Rich, as the pieces fell into place. With a slight unheard vibration the Doctor shifted her off the cave floor and onto his lap to allow Simon to move in a bit closer. She sighed and relaxed.

Richard allowed Jack to curl up and use him as a pillow, much as River was the Doctor. He had no intention of sleeping. Someone here was guilty, He just wondered who. On the other side of Simon, Carolyn and Johns were both watching the tunnel. Paris was naturally as far from the guns as he could get while staying in the light. It was rather clear that he felt put out by his exclusion, but Dr Tam knew who he trusted, and the fact that Jack wanted the ex-ranger with him sealed his commitment toward making sure that the man went free. The silver-eyed con turned his attention to the feeling of River flowing over his mind, not quite a hard enough touch to even call a whisper. There were no thoughts with it, no feelings, just a sense of her being there, of it being comfortable for her to be there, as he’d become accustomed to over the course of their weeks together.

This was the first time he’d gotten close to her while she was in contact with the Doctor however, and her scent mingled with the pheromone laden one that surrounded the alien and Richard found himself wanting to copy her position, to crawl in under the coat and push his face and body flush with the other man, holding him with the same carefree manner that she was. He started to shift a little to ease off the contact, the feel of chill through the Doctor’s pants where their legs touched making his skin burn from the lack of contact as he moved away. But he didn’t get far before cool strong fingers closed around his wrist and tugged him gently back. He looked at the Doctor’s face, noticing the expression was blank and his eyes closed. The slight tug repeated and Rich rolled a bit, tilting himself toward the leather, just slightly. He crossed his ankles and allowed his heel to rest on the Doctor’s calf while returning his other leg to full contact. Fine, the Doctor wanted him to touch, so he’d touch. Tucked into his side, Jack shivered and curled up more before he drifted into a restful sleep. Richard waited a while then shifted again to slide his palm under the hand on his wrist and curled his fingers around it, “Feel like I should be standing guard.”

“Um? Aren’t you?” The Doctor’s intense gaze focused on him, “Jack needs to know you are there, Amadak.”

The ex-ranger was seized by the sudden urge to kiss the fellow next to him and pushed it down violently. Bad enough he was holding his hand under the cover of his coat. Weeks they’d been dancing around each other, avoiding this attraction and suddenly Richard was having trouble remembering why he’d fought it. Of course had Jack not been sleeping against him, he would have jerked away from the Doctor at least three times, and he certainly wouldn’t be tempted to lean into him, climb into his lap like River was, or kiss him senseless. But then, who was he trying to fool? He’d been using the man’s towel, sweater, utensils, practically anything the Doctor had touched to try to deal with his feelings. As long as they had kept on the move he’d been fine with a hand on the Doctor’s elbow. But now… It almost wasn’t enough to hold his hand. With Johns watching them almost as much as he was watching the shadows Riddick didn’t dare even hint at what he wanted.

The problem, the Time Lord thought, was that it was taking entirely too long to reach the safety of the TARDIS. He was tired of fighting his need. He was tired of being scared. He was – ready. Which meant, of course, that his body was now fully able and wanting to commit to creation of the next generation. It really mattered little to his current hormonal soup that was his blood if the urge made him sire or carry that ‘next’ into existence. Either way the need for the empty space in his mind would start to fill again and he’d be able to start healing from the horrible loss of his people.

The deepest, most irrational impulses pointed out that he had a perfectly willing female that was totally compatible with him right there. He shoved that away. River was not healed enough to make any sort of sane choice along those lines, and was not going to fall into thinking that she was. Not for a very long time. And even then, there was no guarantee that she’d stay with him. Even if he taught her everything he knew and showered her with love and affection she might decide to head off on her own or fall in love with another. No. Not ever.

She was related to him, although by nearly a thirteen generation gap. Rather a touchy subject anyhow. He figured that he should never mention his thoughts on the matter, unless she brought them up with a ton of genetic evidence to prove that it was perfectly safe for them ignore the distant family ties. He loved her, yes. Just as much as he loved Simon. They were family. He carefully slotted River into that spot marked ‘daughter’ and firmly placed her off limits to his hormonal urges. It was OK for her to have flights of fancy concerning him. It was not OK for him to even want to think of her in that way, willing or not. He then mentally moved Simon into that area of his connections too, upgrading him from distant grandson to ‘son’. Off limits, no matter how much loss of control he might suffer. His mind then drifted to other ways he could get an easement of the pressure building up in his body.

There was Verity… He’d joined with his ship before to produce offspring. They could do again, and she’d be a willing partner to it, as long as he could keep her supplied with the proper types of energy to keep her healthy. She might even want to on her own without his putting any coercion on her. Part of him really liked the thought of it. It would help them both that way, and TARDIS budding was such a slow process that likely if they started right away it would be centuries before it bore fruit. They did have time. The main problem would be energy. With the Eye of Harmony being destroyed the power that Verity would need for any major growth much less budding or basic healing from the effects of the War would be his responsibility.

And then he considered that… Could it be that her refusal to move was more her conserving power than being difficult? She was having to ration what energy she had, after all. He shouldn’t be mad at her for that. If anything he should feel ashamed for being such a shit about her silence and distance. Verity was, after all, just as damaged from the blast as he’d been only she’d not had the benefit of a regeneration to heal her. He was sure his excess power had repaired some of her injuries, but still it took time for her fix things on her own. He really should have insisted that they spend time to deal with the loss instead of rushing into new situations. A little late for that now though.

And there was the giant elephant he was trying to ignore… He could give into the Bond as the bottom partner. He shivered at that thought. Last time he’d indulged in such behavior had been with Jamie. Suddenly he was aware of not knowing if the Scottish piper was alive or dead, where he’d been left, or who he’d been left with. There was the distinct sensation of overlapping pasts. One where they’d been torn apart, he and his Jamie, contrasting with another where he’d successfully hidden the young man and their attachment. In one past he’d tried to deny everything, driven by fear, gambled and lost horribly. In another he’d opened up to his Verity and allowed her to help him although he couldn’t see much more than that.

Neither of his pasts however voided his bond with Amadak. He could only assume that if Jamie was alive that the lad knew about the Bond formed and had given tact approval of it. At least he hoped so. He wouldn’t last long enough to make it to where ever he’d hidden Jamie away to take care of his problem. Not to mention that Richard deserved far better from him, even if his current desire was nothing more than a chemical reaction. Although he knew… with the bond in place that it couldn’t be so simple. He’d wanted Amadak when they formed their connection or it wouldn’t have worked. He wanted him now, and would keep wanting him. He forced himself to stop thinking about it because he wasn’t going to get that itch scratched here. No. He’d have to wait until they were well away from this world for that.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Jack felt good, physically. He woke up feeling more energized than he had in a while, safe and warm. It helped that Riddick had stayed with him. It helped that he didn’t ache like he had before Dr. Tam’s interference. They all got up after a quick meal and using some porta-potty thing that Simon kept in his medical bag benefits of the Doctor’s making it larger on the inside like Jack’s pack was. Once those needs were dealt with and the device sealed away and stored they all mentally prepared to head again into danger, assuming their previous positions.

Jack felt fine, until he saw his tormentor. Then the slow trickle of moisture started up again, this time without the sobs. He tried to hid them from the adults, and they all made the decision to keep moving because if they could reach the Doctor’s ship sooner rather than later it would be a good thing. As they set off following the pull of the TARDIS key Jack became more and more aware that he was focusing less and less on what was around him. It was like blurry tunnel vision, almost. He couldn’t see shit, because his eyes were unable to stop weeping tears. At least the majority of the pain in his body was gone. That was a good trade, right? Not too sure about the needing to cling to someone bit, but at least his body was doing fine. And thankfully Dr. Tam was behind him and not someone else.

He’d not said a thing for over sixty ticks. He’d barely spoken since he’d woken up, and then only to say thanks when one of the adults he trusted offered him something. But then, neither had Ali, who was walking next to him, leading him, acting as his eyes. He was so glad that the Arabic boy had not turned away from him thinking he was soiled because of what he allowed to happen. That meant so much to him. More than anything, really. Now he needed to think about his future and deal with things if he was to be stuck here out of his own time.

He knew where he belonged, but the chances of getting back there were slim to none if his athair’s words were to be believed about his da being dead. He trembled from that thought. It was too horrible to be true. His da had to be alive, even if they couldn’t feel him anymore. Everything he’d suffered because of his da’s actions would be pointless if his missing parent was truly dead. But his athair had been right about the charred black ragged hole that formed in their mind. That was real, and no matter how much Jack tried to ignore it. He realized that he’d have to live the rest of his life with that wound unless it proved that his da was alive and showed up to heal it.

The green-eyed boy knew he’d upset people by his refusal to say who was the other person involved. At the time Jack considered the entire episode his fault. Still did really. He’d walked into the situation, made it worse with his big mouth and snotty words and it had been well within the other man’s rights to set him on the straight and narrow. Or so Jack believed. He was lucky actually that it hadn’t been worse. Back ‘home’, the place he’d had to think of as home to cope with the many jarring changes from what he thought he remembered his life being like before, where the cyborgs had taken him after he’d been swept away from that other life that seemed all to unreal now, it would have been. They’d been keen on hurting him and he was sure that they had done much worse to him than he could actually recall. Like he’d blanked it out. Forced himself to forget as the marks faded to the point that they couldn’t been seen. Because of that he kept expecting the current events and the pain he’d suffered to escalate. That it hadn’t had been kinda nice. At least the injuries hadn’t gotten worse.

He wasn’t even sure how old he was or how much time had passed. He knew he wasn’t ten. He knew he was older. He also knew that he would not be fully grown up for a long while yet, and his da had done a lot in the past to keep it seem he was aging the correct rate to appear human. How he missed the feel of his parents connections to him. He was not even sure if is athair was alive anymore. The Cyborgs had told him that they killed him. Remembering that he felt the tears start to moisten his aching eyes again. His heart hurt, so bad. Jack could only hope that he’d not lost both his parents.

He forced himself to not dwell on the what if and to just exist in the moment. He needed to work on surviving. Eyesight blurry even after the tears stopped, Jack trusted Ali to guide him and paid little attention to where they were going or how far they’d gone. And his mind was sluggish, taking its own sweet time to move from one thought to another. As long as he didn’t look away from Imam’s fuzzy back or think about things too much he was okay to walk, at least. Not that his mind could leave it alone. He wasn’t sure how he felt about what he’d been through, but he knew the other adults were angry about it for him. They wanted to know who had done it. Well, they could just ask each other if they were so blind as to not have seen …

Now, it just seemed pointless to call someone on something he earned, deserved, and maybe even wanted. Oh sure, he’d run away from the Cyborgs because of similar, but damn… That annoying tickle was back. After a while there was little Jack wouldn’t do to make the feeling go away. He’d rather feel the pain. It would be even better to not feel anything in that region of his body until he was older, but he’d not been given the chance in that regard.

He wished he could tell someone, but the adults wouldn’t understand. They would either take advantage of him or look at him in horror and anger. And telling Ali or his brother was out of the question. They would look at him like he was scum. No way he’d survive that experience. Losing his own dignity was one thing, losing his friends was another. He wouldn’t even dream of dragging Ali into this. And Dr. Tam’s fears had nearly done it for him. If he had touched Ali, Jack would rip the man’s offending parts off. And the driving force wouldn’t just be anger.

Maybe the things he’d read in Ali’s holy book were the way to salvation, maybe it could get better. Jack sure hoped so. Shazza and Zeke had offered him a new life, a way to become something more, but they were both dead now. If he followed his current path, the one with Ali, he’d have to try to become normal. Live a normal life, act like other boys, never mention what he’d lived with and craved. Or he could try to strike out on his own, following Riddick’s path. Go for the eyeshine; use what he was to get what he wanted. But then, that would hurt Ali so — maybe not.

And then there was the distant hope that his Athair and his Da were alive still someplace and he’d find them again. If only he could remember what they looked like. His head hurt, with a pounding thudding driving pain. He knew that was caused by trying to see through the blackness in his mind. He massaged his forehead for a moment as he thought about what he was going to do if he did get off this planet.

He liked Ali and Suleiman. He’d liked Hassan. They were good people, not as prissy as the Imam was, but still. He liked Fry, and the Doctor, and the Tam siblings, too. Hell, he worshiped the ground Riddick walked on. While he wasn’t sure that the ex-ranger fully accepted his hero worship, at least the large muscular man was not pushing him away. And the Doctor kept staring at him as though there was some mystery there. Why was he inclined to like the pale fellow? Gosh wouldn’t it be great if this Doctor bloke was his da? Oh… but then if his athair was dead then his da would be really hurting… There were times when it looked like the Doctor was hurting too. He knew there were issues between the adults, but for the most part they had tried to protect him. Even him. Funny that, if nothing had happened before they skipped out of the hanger then this walk might have been much safer.

Jack could smell moisture in the air faintly, like they had reached the upper caverns. It was much colder here then it had been when they were deeper down. Jack shivered and had to force himself to not huddle next to the other boy’s side. He felt Ali shiver too, “Cold now.” He nodded and let out a puff of air that misted up in front of his face. Very cold.

What they soon discovered was that the rain was freezing on contact, forming odd pillars of ice where the spires had been. He wondered what the natives did now, if the forming ice would drive them back underground. Jack sure hoped not. He had enough to deal with at the moment. They’d been walking for such a long time; he was so sleepy and cold. Then they hit a dead end.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The TARDIS was really very close. In universal terms it hadn’t been that far away in any case. If it weren’t for the freezing rain, they’d just continue this trek above ground. Oh, but he could practically see the blue box through the sheet of ice. The problem was, there were bioraptors taking shelter inside the sinkhole from the onslaught nature was throwing at them. And there was a fifty-foot drop in front of them on the other side of that ice. He might make that jump. But could he make the dash beyond with no light?

The Time Lord reached out to his ship and tried again to call her to him. The rejection made him growl softly. She wanted him to go around. He warned her that his current physical state was boarding on mindless lust and the delay was only making it worse. Verity mentally caressed him and sucked away some of his tension, leaving him shivering as he stared at her through the ice. Fate’s line wasn’t fully played out yet. They would have to backtrack and circle the sinkhole looking for a safer way to reach the TARDIS.

He looked back at the children, who were both ready to drop again where they stood. They needed a longer rest period, more than just a couple of hours. The boys needed at least five to really sleep. He indicated to Imam his intention that they stop here for a while. Between his use of the sonic screwdriver and Imam’s directing of the rain, using the spears to direct the freezing rain into the location where he wanted it, they managed to seal off a section of the chamber and heat up some rocks to provide warmth inside it. Then he insisted that they rest. The group had reached the basic location faster than they had hoped to. Now he needed time to consider what to do. The estimate had included longer rest periods then they had felt safe enough to take. The wall of ice would by them some time if the natives caught up to them.

The Doctor felt the animal energy of Richard hovering behind him, and closed his eyes. Twin pasts shifted and flowed against his awareness. One in which he’d been so torn up inside that he’d rejected every attempt Leela had made in getting him to accept her. One in which he’d never made her his Tyro, one in which her intelligence had been ignored and his attitude had eventually driven her away into the arms of another. Not that he’d been unaware of the potential in her, no. He’d known and seen that she could be powerful and wise given time. He’d watched her step in and take her husband’s place to protect the Lady President even though her sight had failed. Leela had never faltered. And he’d loved her, but not the way she loved Andred.

The other flowed against it as a contrast. In it he’d known his secrets were safe, his family secured away – somewhere where his people would not find them – and he’d embraced the savage woman and shown her how smart and how brave and how powerful she could be by making her his Tyro. He’d not taken her as a lover, not ever had either of them wanted it. In fact she’d told him, much like a seer would, that she’d leave him someday for another and that her son would fit into the place in his heart that was so empty. When it had happened he’d encouraged it, blessed it even, ordered the union protected, as irregular as it was for his people to even experience such a thing, and helped her intended forge the bond with her that they’d need for children to be possible. And it just so happened that as Lord President that his word was law and could not be undone.

He rather preferred the second one. What did he need to do to make his past, shifting as it was, conform to what he wanted?

It was not that the large events changed, no. But it was that the small ones had a more pleasant feel, as though he’d kept his friends and they made the choices to do hard things that had to be done without his manipulations. Their emotional ties to him were good ones instead of bad ones. With as much pain as he was in right now he needed the memories to be good ones. Suddenly he needed a past that he didn’t feel driven to run from.

Richard hovered, making him tingle across his entire back. The Doctor smiled as he contrasted the feeling he got from the bronze skinned man and his mother. Leela never got to him like this. Her feel was entirely one of protectiveness. Richard’s was a feel of pure animal need. He could only blame the bond between them for so much. He was gathering that there was something about the ex-ranger, something he could feel right on the edge of his awareness, that was so like Leela yet different. The bronze skinned man sparked something in him that he’d only felt with one other. That had been a very long time ago, back in his second incarnation. Jamie. James McCrimmon. He hoped to Time herself that he’d gotten permission to form this bond from his primary triad. He could only wait to see if the memory surfaced.

The emotion solidified into pained heat that was nearly solid nestled against his right heart. The strong sensation of Jamie being taken away from him, them standing there looking into each other’s eyes holding hands in a firm grip while the mental flow of feelings and thoughts flooded from one to the other, knowing they’d never see each other again, hurt. By Rassilon, it hurt so much. He wasn’t even sure if it had happened and yet the feeling brought tears to his eyes and took his breath away. Morbidly, he poked at the sensation like a child finding a starfish for the first time. Of all the memories – he had to have this one drifting through his brain right now.

But there was no denying it. Beyond the emotional grief of the loss that he would never get over was the renewed filaments of his soul trying to find someone to mend that awful wound. Richard, Amadak, was destined to travel with him, just as Jamie had been. Why was the universe trying to offer him these precious things? He’d just crush them, like everything else. But there it was, that spark of – well, the only word he had for it meant about a book’s worth of words and had no real translation. Damn. By rights it should shatter as soon as his touch became more certain. He drew back the tendrils of his mind away from the shimmering silver bundle of energy that hovered between he and the ex-ranger. Odd that. The beginnings of an additional deeper connection that was forming almost as if to spite him.

It was not helping him get to the TARDIS, this distraction.

“He is your earth,” said the little water who rarely left him. River. He had become so used to her wild flow, like rapids, that he barely noticed that they were not his own. He pondered those words without replying. It doesn’t bother the dark haired girl. She knew he understood. It vexed him to no end. He didn’t think he needed the extra grounding. But it’s too late to deny the spark. The lead of energy arcing between them, the ex-ranger and Time Lord. And River knew something else too, she could become part of him, the storm, let him absorb her and heal her and she’d be reborn, forever connected and feeding it. She could be his water. By the Black, how she wanted that. To be whole, healed, and still possess this wondrous connection.

But could she force Simon into it? Would her air understand? Could he give himself to becoming something more than a boy, more than human? She glanced over to her brother who was with the children, between them with the sheet and space blanket over them in an effort to keep the boys warm so that they could rest. The divide between her and Simon was larger now, strained. She didn’t want it to be, but he was not ready yet to see the new possibilities. Her arm curled over the Doctor’s knee where they were sitting. She let the ache of loneliness that was not her own wash over her. Then her eyes found Richard’s. Those silver orbs dance with a multitude of emotions, many of them dark. He was jealous of her easy physical contact with someone he wanted badly. And for the first time she saw the shimmering connections of amber-green uniting them in shared destiny. She glanced away, curling tighter against the cool body next to hers, blushing because such a thing was intimate beyond anything else and so very fragile that the slightest wrong move could shatter it.

Riddick wondered what the hell that look was about. Sometimes River saw things. He knew this; he’d caught her saying stuff in riddles that proved truthful later. Now she picked up something about him. He narrowed his eyes and watched the faint rosy rise of heat on her skin as she tried to hide from him. Now he was really curious. What could she have seen that would embarrass her? He looked from the pink tinged back of her head to the deep blue of the cool fingers that came up to rest on it. There was a rise of ire that shouldn’t be there. And feeling it, knowing why, makes it rise higher. He was going to end up back in Slam and he didn’t need this emotional crap. ‘Why now? And why him?’ He suddenly realized that his eyes were locked with the deep, ancient ones of the Doctor. The questions he had been thinking were reflected back at him. Twitches moved across his shoulders.

“Spendin’ an awful lota time staring at the bloke,” Johns said sounding calculating. “What’s up Trash-Baby?”

“Thinking about what a killer like him would do if he caught a child molester, Billy,” it wasn’t the truth, actually a spur-of-the-moment lie, but Johns didn’t know that. It seemed to hit a mark, but not just on the merc. He focused a bit of his attention on the art dealer.

“What, Mister-no-weapons-thank-you? A killer? Are you trying to jerk me off?”

“No.” ‘Actually I’m deadly serious.’ “Is it working for you?” The marshal gave him an incredulous expression. “Look at him, Johns. Really try to see what is in front of you. He’s attacked the natives with as much stone-cold efficiency as you have.” The Doctor looked away, seemingly involved in a conversation, with perhaps River or Simon, on a level beyond speech. “Maybe ‘killer’ ain’t the right word.” Riddick finally focused on the redhead. “He’s a – destroyer. And if he finds out who hurt Jack he’ll destroy them totally.”

William looked at the con, blue eyes locked on silver, “You think I’m that stupid?”

“I pray you haven’t been, Billy. He might show mercy if the guilty party confesses before he catches them. But he don’t give second chances.”

The merc closed his eyes. “I don’t remember doing anything. But – the morphine – I don’t know.” The man was trembling, terrified. It was not Riddick that Johns was scared of. It was his own self, what he might have done, and being caught out having done it but not remembering. He’d been thinking ‘bout the doc’s offer to clean him out and try to actually fix the damage to his back. He’d been a bastard, true. He was a greedy man. But he could let Richard go, for the chance to be clean again. It was something he wanted more than money. But if he were the one to have hurt the kid, all bets would be off.

But Riddick was listening to Johns’ body language. Actually, the man was ruthless, he’d shot kids to flush out a target, but he’d never raped or abused them. The sadistic part of the con wanted to watch the merc twist in the wind for a bit, but what’s changing in the man was so new and so fragile that it might shatter. “It wasn’t you.”

Johns heard the words but couldn’t quite believe them, “What?”

“It was not you, Johns. Have you started going deaf?” The redhead’s look was comical, but Rich didn’t laugh, “All the signs are there, pointing straight to the person responsible. Have been from the start. They don’t point to you.”

“Then – who?”

Riddick’s gaze darted over to the person next in line to die, “Him.”

The merc’s eyes followed the gaze and he narrowed them as he considered, “Proof?”

“Think about how Jack’s been acting and what has changed.”

Johns thought about it. Back at the settlement, before they got trapped into the Hanger, Jack had been a thorn in his side, a smart-ass pest that he wanted to turn over his knee. But once the sandstorm started the kid had become quiet. He’d gone from challenging everyone over everything to accepting what he was told. And there had been little – touches – at mealtimes, before settling in to sleep, while playing with Ali. Johns hadn’t thought about it while he watched over the events transpiring around him at the time. “Think the Doctor will want to use my shotgun?”

That coaxed a thin, evil, smile from the con that chilled Johns to the core. “Rather think he’s a gadget man, myself. Wonder how many things one can burst with that sonic device of his.”

The merc shivered. Personally, he’d rather not think about that. “I’m gonna take Dr. Tam up on his offer, Richard. Get off the morphine, get the metal out of my spine, let you go. I should have listened to Hoxie and walked away.”

“Right,” Riddick said stressing the ‘ii’ in the middle and sounding disbelieving. But Johns was telling the truth. Working alongside Fry to protect the others, knowing that they were fighting for their lives and that it was his fault, changed him. Besides he was getting his life back. He let go of Riddick, said he died and he’d still have a perfect record. He could go back to doing what he loved to do knowing that they’d stay put once he got them there. Slowly it dawned on Rich that the man was being honest and open for a change, “Wait – you mean it?”

“Yeah.” He glanced over at Dr. Tam, “The Doc gave me a hit of something, some anti-not-morphine new drug when we stopped, asked me if I wanted my stuff or his. I can’t go on. Fry was right; I’ve been livin’ for the hype, not because I’m alive. So I took his. My mind is a lot clearer, first time it’s been in a long while. And I realized, you warned me about Hoxie before we even got there. Not because you wanted a chance to run, but because you knew I was being stupid.” He scruffed his shoe into the dirt. “You saved my fuckin’ worthless life when we ran into Revas. You’re still savin’ it. And I was so blind from the dope that I truly thought – no, I wanted to hurt you. Nothing else. Didn’t matter if you were in Slam or not, just as long as I could cause you pain.” Riddick didn’t say anything. William took a deep breath, “Go with the Doctor, where-ever he disappears off to, and I won’t bother you no more, Richard.” Actually Johns was pretty sure that with this situation being his fault that the devil was about to collect his due. As much as he wanted to live, if he could save someone else that deserved it, like Simon Tam, he would no matter what the cost.

Richard looked away, only to catch Fry’s smile. Truth was, the experience had changed him too. He could feel the odd tug that kept him gravitating towards the Doctor like he was on some invisible lead. He knew that these people, for the first time in a long time, made him care. Fry treated him like he was something precious, rare. Simon acted like he was normal. Imam saw he was a person, not an animal to be locked away. Jack needed him. And the Doctor… well that was up in the air still. Drawn like a moth to a flame, two worlds caught in mutual orbit. He didn’t know why, or how, but these people changed him. And he was still changing. “Gotta live through this first, then we’ll see.”

Doctor Who and The Great Eclipse: Part 29/34

A/N: This chapter goes into some detail about the nature of injuries and biology. Very adult subject matter. Please be aware that this is added only to further the plot and explain why they enact the revenge that they do later.

Sanguine

They were all on high alert. How could they not be? Simon Tam switched his hand lamp for his medical scanner, set to detect the local life-signs at maximum range. Or a bit beyond, thanks to the Doctor’s fiddling. Something was allowing the bioraptors to track them. It was not their echolocation. The constant clicking and popping going on around them was even sweeps like the predators couldn’t see the group but still knew that they were there. And something was driving the hammerheads to attack like sharks on a blood trail. But what?

That was the thing. It was a blood trail. Something was acting to attract the hammerheads. And down here was where the bull males were, the tough mean ones that didn’t stop for a bit of light. Rich’s idea that it was a blood scent was a good one, but no injuries had been sustained and left untreated. Simon had made doubly sure of that. Both of the females in the party that might be menstruating were not. Was it Mr. Olgivie’s expensive cologne? Was it the food rations? Had they overlooked something? “Incoming, from the left!” Simon called.

Doctor Who and The Great Eclipse: Part 28/34

Note: This image was based on the beautiful shot called “Spellbound_Light_Show” by SallyD. Her blog is http://sallyd.wordpress.com/ . The specific post is: http://sallyd.wordpress.com/2007/10/24/wormy-waitomo-north-island-new-zealand/
I looked for a way to contact Sally to ask for permission, because That is what I do if I use someone’s stuff just to polite, but I didn’t see a way to contact her. I claim no ownership of this work for any reason, not even the graphics.

Submersion

The new passage led them further down; crossing under the canyon by tens of meters at the least. The temperature seemed to level off into one of constant cool-but-not-chilly. All told it was cold enough that the Doctor blended in with the background temperature and for once did not appear so much cooler that he was showing up in Riddick’s vision as a wash of navy-blue with purple-pink edges. At least it was dry here. There was no sound of the clicking screeches from the native hammerheads either.

They walked and walked, still on high alert and as silently as possible, listening for any sound that would give away the location of their hunters. There were several twisting passages that led off into the darkness but because the visible floor was a jumble of rocks and rough surfaces they bypassed those in favor of the wide, nearly dry, somewhat smooth route they were already on. As they walked the floor went from dry to slightly damp, the natural drainage ruts giving way to a broad but very shallow stream. After some careful poking and some scanning they determined that it was safe enough to continue on this route because the rock underfoot was dampened by a slight sheet of water, barely a fraction of a centimeter thick, and still was rough enough for their shoes to grip.

Trying to picture what they see as they make their run …

Take a look, let me know what you think. Does this inspire you?
I’m having a desire to really sink into the description of what they see and try to make it as visual as I can but with words…

Note: I may add more to this or use it as a background.

Made a Pretty… But how do I get it under 40kb?

I made this:

Doctor Who and The Great Eclipse: Part 27/34

A/N: Happy Easter! Got a special chapter for you all. The pic is a rough one, I have a line I want to add to it, but currently the site I’m using to do that is not letting me. So I’ll give you this version now and switch it later.
Pic switched.

Note: someone dies in this chapter.

Wonderland

Goggles off and tucked into a hard protective case in his sweater pocket, Riddick was scanning the tall shelves with their core samples, up high, looking for signs of life more than anything else. His eyes darted back and forth, the light he kept with him turned off so that it didn’t interfere with his nightvision. Everything was a wash of pinks, purples, and navies, with the occasional white highlight. He could read the dates on the shelves and the scientific notations that indicated possible ages and depths of each sample, if he concentrated on it. But right now he needed to detect life-signs, heat, movement, and if possible do it with enough advance warning to get his light turned on while remembering to not look at it.

It was the Doctor’s urging that made him break away from the others, braving to scout. He had his shiv, and he had his hand light. Everyone else should wait for him to give an ‘all clear’. Should. Didn’t mean they would however. They’d all made it through the run, which was fuckin’ amazing in it’s own right. Now he could feel Death closing in on them. Which of them would she take?

Doctor Who and The Great Eclipse: Part 26/34

A/N: This chapter features some added hints as to the eventual direction that River’s healing will take her. It’s complicated and interwoven with her eventual role in later stories. She is well aware of the sexual overtones but neither her nor the Doctor intend to go that way any time soon. (Yes, she might end up being River Song, in a regeneration or thirteen. ). Also this chapter starts the mad dash to Verity. PS. I love how this picture turned out.

Motility

He was used to being in motion. Never stopping. Never looking back. Always moving, forward like an obsession. He knew that someday it would catch up to him. His past, so very painful in so many ways, had to. Now it seemed as though someone or something had realized the fact that he spent all his time running and had decided for him to make him stop, to make him face his past, starting with the remainder of his beloved grand-daughter, Susan. That was, her descendants. He’d come to terms with the fact that she had in fact set down roots and created a triple trunked tree through time in the form of her sons with David. And she had passed on to them the same mutations he carried still. Her genes seeded humanity with the mutation he gained from it. The entire works smacked of a paradox, one that stated he was his own distant (like fifty-great grand, or something) ancestor. Made his head ache to think of it. And yet… it was so obscure and so big, that he doubted anyone ever would have noticed it happening. Hell he wasn’t even sure of it.

The outcome of the skiff burning, thanks to William J. Johns and his flashbacks, was that he was even more stuck and more stationary then he’d been before. The simple fact was they were all in grave danger. He hated being locked away from his ship. He despised being cooped up in this too small space because of darkness. And he hated that there were moments when he wanted to just march out into the downpour, alone, and get back to space and time. He’d never left people in such danger when he might save a few, however. Just because he was responsible for the end of the Time War didn’t mean he could afford to start that behavior now. So he stayed.

Threads of Time, Part 7/?

A/N: Just cannot get the pic I want to work correctly.
So Old Pic. New Chapter. More about what is going on. Two and Nine meet.

Doctor Who and the Threads of Time
Part Seven: St. Albans Space Bazaar, Late October 2518.

Having gotten the annoying time line-crossing Time Lady to flee off to whatever meddling she was bound to be up to, the post-War Doctor marched into the room where he was to meet one William J. Johns. Johns was, still, a merc. In this case the fact that the ex-morphine addict had remained a merc, at least part time, proved to be to the Doctor’s advantage because the fellow was able to get his grubby paws on intel that other sources had not been able to turn up. What surprised ‘Jon Smythe’ was the fact that ex-docking pilot, Carolyn Fry, had stayed with Bill in the past few months since he’d left them on Helion Prime. He had little intention of hiding from them that he and Richard had been living here, in Blue Sun space, dating back to the very day that the Hunter-Gratzner set off from Persephone. Although explaining his current state might take some doing…

The redhead was not in immediate view, but the blond ex-docking pilot rushed up to him and hugged both he and Jacob before he could put up any sort of resistance. Although she hated cryo with a passion, she’d come this way, on her claim money, with Johns, because Alliance shipping had paid off her debts to the Company when she sued them for how the maintenance on her previous ship had been handled. The New Meccan courts had listened to her, Johns, Imam, and young Ali and given them a very nice settlement for wrongful deaths and other hardships. On top of this she won a disability suit claiming that she could no longer work a Ghost run after the crash. Johns promised that once they settled down they’d never go into cryo again. That was the only reason she’d been able to get into the sleeper tube to begin with this time.

She stepped away from the Doctor, and looked over Jacob again, “Oh my God! Look at you!” the woman exclaimed to the boy, “Jack, you’re growing like a weed.”

“Hah, am not.” Jacob replied, “Da just doesn’t want youto see the baby bump, which is, ironically, huge.”

“What?” Carolyn then took a long look at the Doctor himself, noticing his haggard appearance, this shortened hair (not that it had ever been long to begin with), and his swollen middle. “Doctor! Sit down before you fall down,” she guided him into a chair then fussed over him, brushing her hands over his very short and fine hair (he’d given up on it growing in until after the babe was out of him, seeing as it was falling out faster than it was coming in) and pretty much acting like a mother hen on a favoured chick. She ignored the annoyed expression much as Kaylee might. This made Jacob snicker and Book grin. No wonder Kaylee got away with so much, if this was what he had to put up with from her aunt.

The Doctor allowed this for as long as he could then quickly caught her hands, “’m fine, OK? It’s not like I’m gonna have this baby for a few weeks yet, so stop fussin’.” He looked about for Johns, sighed at the fact that the merc was not there and looked at Book, “Can you go find Johns for me please, Shepherd. He’s got to be here close by.” Carolyn got a hand free and put it on his swollen middle just to make sure it was in fact a baby in there and not a beach ball. She grinned at the kick she got for the trouble. “Oi, cut that out, child.”

Book didn’t want to go, but he had seen images of Marshal Johns and knew who he was. The Doctor was with friends so he figured the best thing to do was to locate the redheaded man so that the situation they were here to meet for could be taken care of. He’d personally feel much better once Jon was back on Serenity, where there were medical supplies that were set up to not produce any allergic reactions that might kill him. This in mind the priest agreed and left the room.

Fry was almost petting him, and definitely going into baby-talk as she cooed at his belly. He wagged a finger at Jacob and then reached a hand to him. The boy said, “Why do all women that realize you’re – well, you know – go all funny?”

“It’s a girl thing, Jack. How many guys do you think we see that are pregnant. Besides you should see how we treat each other,” she replied to him as the Doctor moved her hand to another spot so that the babe would kick or punch elsewhere. She knelt down and got her other hand free. “How has your back been doing, having problems sleeping?”

Jon rolled his eyes, “I said ‘I’m fine’ which means – I’m fine. Except for Richard being gone and my being infected with the parasite still, and worried that it’s going to get out of the tiny part of my brain it’s corned in and move into the babe. Please stop fussing.” She sighed and nodded. “What you been up to, Carolyn?”

She shook her head and bit her lip, “Not as much as you have been, clearly. You having a boy or a girl?”

“There’s an overwhelming chance it’s a boy, like ninety-nine-point-nine percent or so. But… I’ve not wanted to know for sure, and River keeps saying it’s a girl. Rich told me he didn’t care either way.”

“Ah. Want my not-so-professional-opinion?”

He smiled at her, “OK, sure.”

Carolyn closed her eyes and thought a moment. Then she looked up at him, “I’m seeing blond hair. But I couldn’t tell you if it is a girl or a boy.”

“How could it have blond hair if both Rich and Da have dark hair?” Jacob asked her.

“I don’t know. You sure it’s Rich’s?”

The Doctor gave her an insulted expression, “Hey! Yes, I’m sure. I had blond hair in my first, my fifth, and my sixth regenerations. The color could pick up from there. And Amadak’s Mum had dark ginger hair, so stop that, both of you,” he teasingly stole the cap off his son’s head, ruffled up his hair, which the lad had grown out again, and allowed the boy to snatch the cap back.

“OK,” Carolyn said with a laugh. “I guess it’s a good thing that we came as soon as we got the message, considering how far along you are. We stopped over at Lupus Five so Johns could pull the records and make contacts, ended up on CoalSack Three to make an exchange of mechanics, because the files you asked for were psychically locked and couldn’t leave the messenger’s bio-field until delivery. Kovan security, what a pain in the ass, I swear.”

“Exactly what does that mean?” Jacob asked.

Jon looked at him, “It means that only the person it’s delivered to can open the files without wiping them. And I’m praying that nothing happens to make this already bad situation worse.”

“It’ll be fine. Johns wouldn’t have let her stay up top if we hadn’t heard the TARDIS arrive –”

At this the Doctor’s head snapped up. He’d been so focused on Romana he’d forgotten about the other TARDIS. The expression he wore was horrified, “That wasn’t me arriving. Well it was, but not now-me.” Then he looked at Jacob. “Oh Rassilon, this is so bad…” Even with Carolyn knelt down in front of him he’s on his feet and halfway to the door before either of the others react.

“What? Da? What?”Jon was keeping a one handed firm grip on his son’s arm, dragging the boy with him. Carolyn hustled to catch up, determined to not let the fellow out of her sight. “Da! Talk to me!” Jacob was not fighting, but rather doing everything he could to keep up with the larger man.

“Romana is here to retrieve something from my second incarnation. If it is the time I remember, Jamie is with me. And the data files end up with him. I’ve got try and – get his help, I guess. Damn it.”

“You mean there are two of you here?” Fry asked from behind him.

“Worse than that. There are two of Jack here. And I have no idea what sort temporal catastrophe might occur if they touch. Which means -” he looked at his son, “- NO touching the other version of me, Dong Ma? You’ve not been born yet, and so touching my other self could cause horrible rifts in reality.” Their footsteps ring out in the hallway, although muffled by thin carpeting.

“Yea, I get it, da. Should I go back to Serenity and wait for you?”

“No,” Thete was tempted to hug the boy to him. “I don’t want the shifting time lines to tear you away from me either.” This made the boy shudder and grip the Time Lord’s hand tighter. He didn’t want that any more than his da did. “On the plus side… with things shifting like they are maybe I can help myself find a way to keep your sire from dying, Jacob. Give you a real childhood.”

The boy blinked, “You mean – Jamie, right?” The Doctor nodded. “But what about Rich?”

“I’m not giving up on Amadak, son. There’s more than enough room in my heart and soul for both of them. There should be more than enough room in yours too.” The Scottish piper would understand, likely with more ease than anyone else realized. In fact it was more than likely that Jamie would have been someone he told before starting the bonding process knowing where it could go and he’d have sought approval before completing even a blocked bond. And he’d missed the man like he missed his home. Perhaps it was because where- and when- ever Jamie had been when they were together, was home. But what to do about Romana?

He knew, in hindsight, what she’d done. Using the matrix to distill other possible parts of her personality, dangerous for even the most rock solid of psyches was downright horrifying when linked back to Morbius’ House. A house that Romana’s was derived from. It was said that the line between madness and genius was razor thin, with the most brilliant of minds just barely balanced on the edge. If he pushed the wrong way then his reasons for destroying his native society and all they had ever touched would shift from the ‘enemy’ to stopping a Tyrant of his own making. The universe would still burn. He’d still end up with this massive power. The Daleks would still be around to keep pestering him. He’d still be alone.

So he needed a third option. He needed to save her from her own foolishness. But could he make her listen? That was the problem. Romana could be quite stubborn at times, very sure of herself, prone to thinking she knew it all even when she knew quite little. But she was also very clever, and if he didn’t do this just right she’d spot that he was making a new path, exercising a power they were not supposed to use, and toss a wrench into the works to stop him. Lucky for him, Time was shifting about her too, so even if she’d checked all the possible paths before leaving Gallifrey that didn’t mean those routes were still valid now. He didn’t remember how much he’d taught her about this illegal ability though. He’d need to be quite careful.

Just as the door was opening, William and Book met them at the lift, “I found Eve, in Cryo. Didn’t I bet she would skip out on us? I had a feeling she might. But–” the redhead noticed the Doctor was there and cut himself off mid-thought, “– did you get the data file from her?” Jon gave the man a withering expression. For a second Bill looked confused, “No? Then who did she give it to?”

Carolyn slid over to his side, reading the increasing tension in the pregnant man’s still too-lean form. She intends on making the marshal slow down before the Doctor gives into the urge to smash the nearest wall with Johns face, “How would he know? The Doctor hasbeen with me waiting for you, Bill.” The blond woman put a hand over his mouth before he could say anything else, “Did you check the ghost run that was boarding?”

He kissed her fingers then pulled back from her, “Yes. She’s already on and hooked in. The captain said she asked for a cheaper box, not a shielded one because she’d made her drop, OK?”

He’s getting tired of standing there holding the doors. He’s annoyed at Johns for his stupidity, but on the other hand how was the fellow to know that he was not going to arrive by TARDIS? It hadn’t been stated that he was coming on a normal spaceship after all. He pushed his rising feelings of anger down. “Don’t worry about it. Just get in the lift,” the Doctor ordered them. “I think I know what happened and I need to find the people that might have it.”

It was then that Bill finally looked at the kilt clad man and really saw him. What stood out the most was the swell to his belly that the marshal just knew mean he was very pregnant and going to have this babe quite soon. This popped up now and then as an odd quirk with certain populations that had a lot of contact with Elementals, but as far as he knew the Doctor didn’t have those ties. He was staring, Johns knew, but he couldn’t help it. Finally he stepped the small space with him, curiosity getting the better of his self-preservation, “How the hell did you end up pregnant?”

“William,” Fry warned. “Don’t start.” She and Book both stepped into the lift too and the door closed.

“I’m just asking.” the redhead said to her before turning back to the Doctor and pelting him with questions, “It’s Richie’s right? How long you got? You two did follow through finally? You didn’t go off on some one nighter or nothing? Does he know?” He didn’t wait for the questions to be answered, “That’s why you’re freaked out that he’s gone… He knocked you up and then got caught?”

“Shut. Up,” Jon finally growled out at him. “For once, don’t work overtime to piss me off. My temper is about at breaking point as it is.” Both the kid and the priest tried to calm the pale, almost sickly looking, man down. “I’m fine. It’s under control.”

“Hey, hey… It’s cool. Relax, huh?”

Even that annoyed the hell out of him. Just being in the same space with Bill was getting on his nerves. He allowed the calm feeling from Book’s silent support and the firm grip from Jacob’s hand in his own to steady him. He couldn’t afford to go off on William right now because he was so close to being due and the Parasite was sure to take full advantage if he cracked even a little. The elevator doors opened at that point onto the main section of the station, and the Doctor marched out ignoring the marshal as best he could. Somehow he’d forgotten how irritating the man could be. He was not usually moved to violence, but this situation was nothing common. No, it was highly irregular, in almost every way. The sensation of Time trying to shift around him flowed over his skin like slithering snakes, and he was, because of the strained Bond, very much at the breaking point. And that was before he’d gotten into William’s presence. At least Carolyn tempered it somewhat.

He scanned the level, looking for signs of – himself – and frowned. He didn’t see what he was looking for right off the bat but he did see the two young women that he’d set free to shop here. Rose and Saritha had managed to acquire an alarming number of bags in the short while he’d cut them loose, and in addition to this were heading his way with Ice Planets in both hands. His glower deepened. Rose gave him a cheery expression, handed one of the frozen treats off to Jacob and then asked, “Want one?” He shook his head, “OK. Though it might cool you off. They have ‘em with just flavored ice too.”

His eyes are still on the bags. Whatever did they find to purchase? And how much did they get? He sure hoped that they steered clear of pink. “What did you do, buy an entire shop?” River fixes him with a mysterious but silly grin, managing, just, to not give into temptation to flirt with him. They have been becoming much closer, as part of her healing requires much more intimacy than either have hinted at to Simon. Usually though, Rose acts as a buffer, and at the moment Rose is flirting, so it’s harder to not follow her example.

“Several, actually,” the bottle blond teased. The situation makes the redheaded man raise an eyebrow, while Jacob shoots him a look that promises great harm if he dares to open his mouth and say even on smart-ass word about this. Rose catches the boy’s eye and smiles at him, which he returns happily. She then focuses back on the Doctor and his two adult friends, “An’ who is this?”

“William, Carolyn,” the Doctor indicated. “This is Rose Tyler. She’s a good friend.” They all said their hellos and then he cut in, “Look, I’m in a bit of a hurry here. Saritha, Rose, luv, why don’t you show my friends here back to the ship. Book, I’ll be along in a moment. I’ve just got to find myself,” he gave them a grin that was happy enough but a ghost of his former brilliance.

Rose handed off her bags to the Shepherd and her ice planet too, managing toconvince him that she’ll buy another for herself and that he can have that one, “Um… I’m staying with you.”

River nodded at this in full agreement, “I will go back. You be careful.” Her words were for the three of them. She then joined Book in leading Fry and Johns off to Serenity.

With this the Doctor was left with Rose and Jacob. The young lady and lad looked at each other, sharing a curious expression before the elder of the pair ventured to ask, “So – what do you look like?” Jacob, of course, knew, having seen the memories of his da’s but Rose didn’t know. She’d never met him, not even in the Doctor’s head when they were attempting to kill the parasite last. Even though she knew about regeneration, having witnessed the Doctor’s panic attacks that he couldn’t right now for more than one reason, she’d never thought to pester him about how his other selves looked. Part of her was curious, of course. Part of her was terrified. What if she hated this other version of him? How awful would that be? She didn’t think she could cope with it, if it ended up that she disliked his younger self.

“Shortish, dark hair. A bit frumpy, I suppose. Oh rather like an old pre-talkie movie star type – Charlie Chaplin – in a way. Like a ‘hobo’ I guess,” Jon said. “There should be a young fellow in a kilt with me.”

“It’s really weird that you’re talking about another version of you like this,” Jacob said.

“Wait… Like black bowl cut hair, over sized frock coat, checkered pants that are just a bit baggy?” Rose grinned at his nod, “I saw you then, up top. Come on,” she took the Doctor’s other hand and led them to the stairs up. “You know it felt like you, but when I looked around I didn’t see your buzzed head so I brushed it off. This happen often?”

“Well – I guess it occurs more often than not, it’s not meant to, but with nine of me running about it is bound to happen. In this case though, I blame Romana.”

“The blond in the tan jacket? She’s still here too.”

He nodded, “I have her time ring, and she’s not getting it back until I’ve gotten her help on something. No I’m not telling you, Jacob.”

The boy shrugged, “Can’t blame me for trying. How do you eat this – thing?” He wiggled the frozen treat which was suspended from a stick and balanced on a bowl shaped cookie. It would make far more sense to just sell the things with a spoon he bet.

“Carefully,” Rose replied with a snicker as she lead them through the crowd. Once more, most folks parted for them without noticing that they were doing so. She could hear the buzz in the back of her mind that indicated Jacob and Jon were communicating about something, but since they were touching she figured it was likely a low level brain-buffing or the Doctor trying to reassure himself that the boy wasn’t going to disappear on him. She’s not too surprised when Jacob blurts out something that has no relevance to their previous conversation at all.

“Siamas is what that’d be in Gaelic, ya?” Jacob asked, ‘If I kept it, right?‘ Rose did hear the last mental question almost as though the boy feared, strongly, that his identity was going to be ripped away from him.

The Doctor glanced over at his son, “One of the possibilities, yes. Do you really want a name that matches the others?” The boy squeezed his hand. “Let’s see what happens, huh? We don’t know what Jamie’s going to say or do yet. He might have some ideas about that.”

“Wait… Jamie McCrimmon is here?” Rose said as she walked with them through the bazaar looking for the dark-haired version she knew she’d seen somewhere nearby, “Your long lost Jamie? How is seeing him again going to impact you?” Her concern flairs through their complex weave of bonds and connections, just above the communication level he has with Jacob. She quickly tempers the emotion with a wave of it not being an emergency to keep the others party to the feelings from rushing their direction. “Gah. I still don’t have this emotional sharing bit under control. I think I panicked Simon.”

The Doctor grinned at her and added his own pulse of his still being just fine to the network, to further settle down Simeon and Inara who were both prone overreacting at times. Although the Companion had gotten to the point that she politely asked if she was needed most times. Unless there was pain involved. “If I can rework things to keep him with me, Rose, I will. It’s not for me though. It would be for Jacob.” He looked at the boy, “You deserve a better life than the one Romana tossed you into,” he got a smile at this and once he’s sure that the lad understood his reasoning he said to Rose, “I can’t abide by either of the choices she left me with so I’m making a third one.”

“But I thought things couldn’t be changed,” Rose tugged at him once and he ignored it. So she dug in her heels and tugged again until he stopped, “That there’d be awful paradoxes created, and rifts and stuff. Explain to me why this is different than those other situations you taught me and Saritha about.” She’d been learning a great deal about things both from Verity and Saritha before the Doctor began even trying to brain-buff her. She knew it was altering her in ways that her mum might go spare about but given the situation, the fact that she was bonded to the TARDIS, the fact that she and Saritha were sharing more mental experiences than anyone but the Doctor and Verity knew about already, made her willing to risk it. Thus she was rather more time-aware than most humans, even more so than most of the Doctor’s previous companions, although not as much so as a member of his species. That didn’t stop her from trying to understand the differences however, and she really disliked when he wouldn’t explain stuff to her properly.

The Doctor looked at her, “There’s no time for this now.” Her expression set stubbornly. He sighed. He knew this was a battle he’d lose because she was determined to judge if this was safe for herself no matter how much he stated it was. He considered for a moment how the situation felt to him and tried to come up with a way to describe it to her, “OK. Concentrate, Rose.” She went from stubborn to intensely focused on his words. Unlike Ace and his Seventh self, he’d come right out and told her what he was after. He needed others to help anchor Time, to share in his task, to ease the strain on his soul. And he only had a few hundred years to do it before he was forced to become part of the fabric of Time as a last ditch effort. She’d agreed to help him, knowing how awesome a responsibility it was going to be and how much it would change her. Like Jamie she accepted this. “Can you feel the sensation of things slithering against your awareness, as though there’s cool tendrils shivering against your mind?” Both she and Jacob nodded. “That is Time, shifting. It’s in flux around us, and I’m keeping it stable right here and now. I could force it into a crystallized path, locking in everyone into what they’ve done before. But others have made changes. Yes just like when the eclipse happened and I saved Ali, Jacob. Now normally I wouldn’t dare mess with this, but it’s a close as I’ve come yet to the Time Lock on the events of the War. I can’t directly change them, but I can influence others to re-examine their choices. Like a different path, but not a paradoxical one. I’m not stepping in at the moment of fate being decided here, but pushing at a point where time is already fluid. I’ve got to try.”

Rose shook her head, “I still don’t see the difference. But – I trust you, so I’ll help where I can.” They carefully took in the space, “That way, I just spotted a flash of his kilt.” The blond began tugging the pregnant fellow and his son toward where she saw the other two men. As they cleared the crowd she felt the cold fingers in her own apply slight pressure. She looked up to see that they were being watched by a very alert young man in a predominantly red toned plaid. His blue-green eyes seemed fully locked on Jacob at the moment. One hand reached out an tugged on the dark, faintly patterned, coat covered shoulder. She felt the power between her Doctor and this other one as their eyes met. She and Jacob instinctively stepped in front of their version as though to protect him from himself.

“Remember, Jacob. No touching,” he warned as he moved the boy back to his side and slightly behind him.

“Yes, da.”

He hated to burden his younger self with this horror, and yet… of them all, this one would understand why he’d done it, no matter the reason. This had been an evil that had to be fought, and sometimes genocide was the only way. He’d tried with the enemy, and he’d faced the Cybermen, there would be many enemies that this particular self would serve as judge and jury to. He was, like his seventh self, one of the few that embraced what he was, doing as he knew he had to do. It was here that he could make his own different choice, revising some minor threads of his life to save some of those he cared for. He’d been mostly unaware as the smaller version of himself and his beloved Jamie cleared the distance. “I’d not expected to see – myself – here. I’m looking for a Time Lady going by the name ‘Fred’. Perhaps you could help me find her?” the tramp-like little fellow asked.

At this he grinned, “Might be able to do you one better, there’s a great deal going on. Have you by any chance gotten a package that was a psychically locked data storage device?”

“Could have done…” the younger version says, his eyes sweeping up and down and taking on the crafty look that often meant he had plans in plans forming. “I think we could help each other.” Jamie was staring at the boy, still, unable to take his eyes off the child, knowing exactly who the boy was, almost by instinct. The kid stared right back at him, looking at him with such an unreadable expression so much like those the Doctor often wore that it was frightening on more than one level. The smaller Doctor looked over at the piper, then at the younger lad and put a hand on his own middle before glancing at his older self’s very round state with a question on his face that was not the one he dared to ask, “What say you? Considering I’ve just left myself in Seville, and I don’t know how many lives have passed…”

Rose’s Doctor grinned, his brilliant smile that chased away shadows, a sight she’d not seen for months because of Rich being gone, “Oh I remember. Forgive the Jacket, eh? That’s been a while for me, and I still can’t figure out why I chose it.”

The other version laughs, “I never saw the Jacket, but the waistcoat was quite bad enough. So is the kilt your normal choice or –?”

“Comfort. I’m not exactly in a normal state at the moment. You might consider it later.”

This gains then a cheery clap and an answering grin, “Yes! Well. I will do. Jamie?”

“Eh?” the piper says as he forces his eyes off his son and onto his Thete.

“What do you think of my wearing a kilt later?”

“Oh… It’d be grand, Doctor. You could wear one now, if you wanted.” The little fellow indicated the taller version with a gesture, “Oh! Aye. Um – wow,” the piper looked floored for a moment then frowned, “I dinna feel you either, why?”

“Time is in flux, I suspect that the Bonds are being blocked by Verity until we come to an agreement as to what course will be taken,” the older, quite pregnant version of the Doctor said. “I’m quite aware of the decisions and altered Bonds forged between the primary Triad. However, those connections have not propagated through the lives I’ve lived yet.” He unbuttons his cuff and slides the sleeve up his arm to reveal the dragon marking his arm. “However, some things have been appearing for quite some time, as though the decision you made was almost destined to happen.”

The younger version hisses, “Is that a bio-data tag? Of all the nerve! How dare they?” He reaches out and catches the pale wrist in his hand to study the mark closer. “Ah, but there’s the mark of the Sisterhood –”

In that touch passed a massive amount of information, willing exchange of knowledge about when, where, and what was going on, if nothing specific about the course to be taken. That still was in flux, apt to change because he could make his own decisions here. The younger’s triad bond pulsed with the same power that rolled through the older’s aura. and the pair of them knew that if they wanted to save Jamie they would need to bend the rules, “Which is rather more important then dwelling on the fact that the tag exists at all, really.”

As the older moves his arm away and hides the mark once more the younger sighs, “And ‘Fred?’”

“Not going anywhere,” Rose says, “You’ve -” She points at her Doctor, “got her Time Ring.”

“Splendid,” the dark haired Doctor says, “You seem like a very nice young lady, Rose. Have you been with me for long?”

She shrugs, “’bout nineteen months, now.” Her phone buzzed. “Oi, that would be my mum. I should take it, huh? It’s been a year and a day.” Rose smiles at the buzz cut Doctor, seeking approval. He nods to her. “I’ll be, like – here.” She pulled out her phone, “Um.. should I tell her we’re in the States, Jon?”

“Should do.”

Rose nods and steps away, “Hi, mum? Oh, it’s a bit early here, is all –”

“Jon?”

“It’s common, easy to remember,” the older one says.

“Plain.”

“Well, yes. That too. Folks don’t tend to single it out so it’s good if you’re trying to blend in.”

This the younger must concede, “Use it a lot then, have I?”

“Ah… Maybe. I’ll tell you what you need to know, what the choices are, let you see for yourself, because I can’t tell which threads are the past and which are potential pasts anymore.”

Random Stuff — and why there’s no chapter of anything.

Ok, ok… I know I’ve not posted nothin’

But I’ve been working on a long overdue instalment of “How the Doctor was Won” (that’s my First Doctor/TARDIS story) covering from Vicki joining up to when Ian and Barbara leave. I’ve managed to chop the scripts down from 158 pages to 130 and rewrite about 7-8 of them into story format. Slow going when the plot bunnies for other stuff keep bouncing into my head, although none of them there bunnies actually are providing anything useful.

Adult revision of chapter 26 of “Great Eclipse” is about half done and I could have finished it today but… I got caught up reading something instead *blushes*.

Chapter 7 of “Threads of Time” is nearly done just a bit of filling in and fleshing out should make it readable.

“All About” is on temporary hold until I get “Threads of Time” done if only because I need to work out how the changes that the Second Doctor’s decisions will have on Victoria when they collect her up.

Also chapter 27 of  “Tangled Web” is on the boards, with Mal and the crew finally wiggling out of the situation with the Alliance. I’m toying with the idea that the Parasite will be contained enough for there to be a few eps from Dr Who slipped into play, Particularly End of the World, through World War III, before going back to Firefly again. Thoughts?

Doctor Who and The Great Eclipse: Part 25/34

Collusion

Almost everyone decided eventually to follow Carolyn’s example and try to rest. Johns was not quite asleep when they started to trickle in. Maybe it was the being inside yet another set of walls, behind another layer of doors and sharp spikes, bathed in light even though they want to sleep, that was the attraction. Maybe it was the need to stay together. Even the Doctor settled down into his cot, the third time anyone can recall him using it ever. Riddick made like he was sleeping, but he was really standing guard, without the standing part.

It was after the high that came down, and after a week more of things falling into a pattern, and his forgetting about his vision and his being in a bad mood because he can see Rich fucking flirting with the Doctor now in front of everyone and nobody gave a shit. It pissed him off, seeing the con smile like that. What right did the killer have to be happy? And then Fry was giving him the cold shoulder as though they’d not talked and he couldn’t figure out why the hussy was so well liked that everyone else jumped to her defense anyhow…