Author’s note: It's a long chapter, sorry.
-------------
“No, wait. They’re still in there. The emergency protocols. We need them.” Harriet told to the girls. The Slitheen chased them through a series of rooms, smashing through the oak doors.
The lift doored open and the Slitheen was there. “Hello!” The Doctor distracted the Slitheen so that Rose, Maddie and Harriet can get past behind it, then closed the lift door again.
Then they were in a large settee, a large drinks cabinet, a folding screen by the window to keep out the draughts. “Hide!” Rose hide behind the cabinet, Harriet and Maddie behind the screen.
Just then the Slitheen Margaret entered. “Oh, such fun. Little human children, where are you? Sweet little humeykins, come to me. Let me kiss you better. Kiss you with my big, green lips.” Rose make it from the cabinet to behind a curtain. Slitheens Green and Asquith entered. “My brothers.”
“Happy hunting?” Green asked.
“It’s wonderful. The more you prolong it, the more they stink.” Margaret replied.
“Sweat and fear.” Asquith comment.
Green sniffed. “I can smell an old girl. Stale bird and brittle bones.”
“And ripe youngsters, all hormones and adrenalin. Fresh enough to bend before she snaps.” Margaret pulled back the curtain. Rose screamed.
Harriet and Maddie went out of hiding. “No! Take me first! Take me!”
Just then the Doctor bursts in with a fire extinguisher. He sprayed the male Slitheen with CO2. “Out, with me!” Rose pulled the curtain down over Margaret and rushed over to the Doctor as did Harriet and Maddie. “Who the hell are you?” He asked to Harriet.
She held up a paper. “Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North.”
“Nice to meet you.” The Doctor greeted her.
She nodded. “Likewise.”
The Doctor used up the CO2 and they ran out. “Lovely.” Maddie muttered as she ran.
-------------------
“We need to head to the Cabinet Room.” The Doctor told them all.
Harriet looked at him. “The Emergency Protocols are in there. They give instructions for aliens.”
“Harriet Jones, I like you.” The Doctor comment.
“I think I like you too.” Harriet comment back. The Slitheen chased them through corridors and rooms.
----------------
They arrived in the Cabinet Room. The Doctor grabbed a decanter from a side table and stood in the doorway. “One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol. Whoof, we all go up. So back off.” The Slitheen took one step back in the outer office. “Right then. Question time. Who exactly are the Slitheen?”
“They’re aliens.” Harriet replied.
“Yes. I got that, thanks.” The Doctor comment sarcastically.
Green looked at him. “Who are you, if not human?”
Harriet blinked. “Who’s not human?”
“He’s not human.” Rose replied.
Harriet glanced at the Doctor. “He’s not human?”
“He isn’t.” Maddie replied.
The Doctor glanced back at them. “Can I have a bit of hush?”
Harriet looked sheepishly. “Sorry.”
Then the Doctor looked back. “So, what’s the plan?”
Harriet looked at Rose and Maddie. “But he’s got a Northern accent.”
“Lots of planets have a north.” Rose told her.
“He picked it up.” Maddie comment.
The Doctor glanced at them. “I said hush.” Then he looked back. “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?” Asquith asked sarcastically.
The Doctor frowned. “Then something’s brought the Slitheen race here. What is it?”
Asquith laughed. “The Slitheen race?”
“Slitheen is not our species. Slitheen is our surname. Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer-Day-Slitheen at your service.” Green replied.
The Doctor looked at them. “So, you’re family.”
“A family business.” Green told him.
“Then you’re out to make a profit. How can you do that on a God-forsaken rock?” The Doctor asked them.
Asquith looked at him. “Ah, excuse me? Your device will do what? Triplicate the flammability?”
“Is that what I said?” The Doctor asked back.
“You’re making it up.” Asquith replied.
The Doctor sighed. “Ah, well! Nice try. Harriet, have a drink. I think you’re gonna need it.” He passed it to Harriet.
Harriet was clutching the Red Box. “You pass it to the left first.”
“Sorry.” The Doctor passed it to Rose.
Rose grabbed it. “Thanks.”
Asquith smirked. “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 by the door and pressed a button. Metal shuttered crash shut across the windows and doors. “Installed in 1991. Three inches of steel lining every single wall. They’ll never get in.”
“And how do we get out?” Maddie asked.
The Doctor sighed. “Ah.”
------------------
The Doctor dragged Ganesh’s body into a small store room, where the another body was also laid out. “What was his name?”
Harriet frowned. “Who?”
The Doctor pointed at Ganesh. “This one. The secretary or whatever he was called.”
“I don’t know. I talked to him. I brought him a cup of coffee. I never asked his name.” Harriet told him.
The Doctor looked sorry. “Sorry. Right, what have we got? Any terminals, anything?”
“No.” Rose shook her head. “This place is antique.” She looked at the Doctor. “What I don’t get is, when they killed the Prime Minister, why didn’t they use him as a disguise?”
“He’s too slim.” The Doctor looked at her. “They’re big old beasts. They need to fit inside big humans.”
Maddie frowned as Rose told him. “But the Slitheen are about eight feet. How do they fit inside?”
“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.” The Doctor replied.
“That’s why they fart.” Maddie realized.
The Doctor looked at her. “Yeah.”
“Wish I had a compression field. I could fit a size smaller.” Rose joked.
Harriet looked in disbelieve. “Excuse me, people are dead! This is not the time for making jokes.”
Rose shrugged. “Sorry. You get used to this stuff when you’re friends with him.”
“Well, that’s a strange friendship.” Harriet comment.
Maddie had a small on her face. “Try having a mother, who loves to travel around.”
The Doctor ha a small smile as well. “Harriet Jones. I’ve heard that name before. Harriet Jones. You’re not famous for anything, are you?”
“Oh, hardly.” Harriet replied, shaking her head.
The Doctor frowned. “Rings a bell. Harriet Jones?”
“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 replied.
Rose looked at them. “Hasn’t it got, like, defence codes and things? Couldn’t we just launch a nuclear bomb at them?”
Maddie looked at her. “No.”
“You’re a very violent young woman.” Harriet added.
“I’m serious. We could.” Rose told them.
“No, we don’t.” Maddie reasoned.
“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.” Harriet told them.
Just then the Doctor spoke up. “Say that again.”
“What, about the codes?” Harriet asked confused.
“Anything. All of it.” The Doctor replied to her.
Harriet looked at him. “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.” Harriet told her. “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?”
The Doctor looked at her. “Everything’s important.”
“If we only knew what the Slitheen wanted. Listen to me. I’m saying Slitheen as if it’s normal.” Harriet comment surprised.
“Welcome to our world.” Maddie comment to her. Then she looked at the Doctor. “But what do they want?”
“Well, they’re just one family, so it’s not an invasion.” The Doctor replied. “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.”
Harriet looked at them. “Like what, gold? Oil? Water?”
The Doctor looked at her. “You’re very good at this.”
“Thank you.” Harriet thanked him.
The Doctor looked at her. “Harriet Jones. Why do I know that name?”
Suddenly a phone beeped. Rose realised it was her. “Oh, that’s me.”
Harriet looked confused. “But we’re sealed off. How did you get a signal?”
“He zapped it. Super phone.” Rose replied to her.
“Mine too.” Maddie added.
“Then we can phone for help.” Harriet looked at the Doctor. “You must have contacts.”
The Doctor nodded. “Dead downstairs, yeah.”
Rose looked up from her phone. “It’s Mickey.”
“Oh, tell your stupid boyfriend we’re busy.” The Doctor told her.
“Yeah, he’s not so stupid after all.” Rose held up her phone. Mickey had sent them a photo of a Slitheen.
-----------------
Mickey was on the phone. “No, no, no, no, no. Not just alien, but like, proper alien. All stinking, and wet, and disgusting. And more to the point, it wanted to kill us!”
“I could’ve died!” Jackie added.
Rose looked worried. “Is she all right, though? Don’t put her on, just tell me.”
The Doctor took Rose’s phone. “Is that Ricky? Don’t talk, just shut up and go to your computer.”
“You are rude.” Maddie told him. “You can ask it differently so that it doesn’t sound so rude.”
The Doctor sighed. “Please?” He looked at her. “Better?”
“A bit.” Maddie replied.
Just then Mickey spoke up. “It’s Mickey, and why should I?”
“Mickey the Idiot, I might just choke before I finish this sentence, but, er, I need you.” The Doctor replied to him.
Mickey was busy hacking into the UNIT website. “It says password.” He told them.
The Doctor plugged the mobile phone into the conference phone speaker. “Say again.”
“It’s asking for the password.” Mickey repeated.
“Buffalo. Two Fs, one L.” The Doctor replied to him.
They heard Jackie asking. “So, what’s that website?”
“All the secret information known to mankind. See, they’ve known about aliens for years.” Mickey replied. “They just kept us in the dark.”
“Mickey, you were born in the dark.” The Doctor groaned.
Rose sighed. “Oh, leave him alone.”
“Thank you.” Mickey thanked her. “Password again.”
“Just repeat it every time.” The Doctor told him. Then he looked at the others. “Big Ben... Why did the Slitheen go and hit Big Ben?”
“You said to gather the experts, to kill them.” Harriet replied to him.
The Doctor frowned. “That lot would’ve gathered for a weather balloon. You don’t need to crash land in the middle of London.”
“The Slitheen are hiding, but then they put the entire planet on red alert.” Rose told them. “What would they do that for?”
“Panic.” Maddie replied.
“Oh, listen to her.” Jackie exclaimed.
“At least I’m trying.” Rose told her mother.
“Well, I’ve got a question, if you don’t mind.” Jackie spoke to them. “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 my daughter disappear off the face of the Earth.”
“I told you what happened.” Rose told her mother.
“I’m talking to him.” Jackie told her daughter. Then she spoke to the Doctor. “‘Cos 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. Is my daughter safe?”
Rose sighed. “I’m fine.”
“Is she safe? Will she always be safe? Can you promise me that? “Well, what’s the answer?”
Mickey took back the phone. Clearly. “We’re in.”
“Now then, on the left at the top, there’s a tab, an icon. Little concentric circles. Click on that.” The Doctor told him.
Mickey did what the Doctor wanted him to do. “What is it?”
“The Slitheen have got a spaceship in the North Sea and it’s transmitting that signal.” The Doctor replied. “How hush, let me work out what it’s saying.”
“He’ll have to answer me one day.” Jackie comment.
“Hush!” Mickey called.
The Doctor frowned. “It’s some sort of message.”
“What’s it say?” Rose asked confused. Maddie shrugged.
“Don’t know.” The Doctor sighed. “It’s on a loop, keeps repeating.”
Just then they heard Mickey’s doorbell rings. Maddie frowned. “That’s not possible, it’s night. Middle of the night.”
“Hush!” The Doctor called.
“That’s not me. Go and see who that is.” Mickey told to Jackie.
“It’s three o’clock in the morning.” Jackie exclaimed.
“Well, go and tell them that.” Mickey told her.
The Doctor frowned. “It’s beaming out into space, who’s it for?”
Then they heard running back to Mickey. “It’s him! It’s the thing, it’s the Slipeen!” Jackie shouted.
“They’ve found us.” Mickey told to the others.
“Mickey, I need that signal.” The Doctor told him.
“Never mind the signal, get out! Mum, just get out! Get out!” Rose shouted.
“We can’t. It’s by the front door.” Mickey exclaimed. “Oh, my God, it’s unmasking. It’s going to kill us.”
Harriet looked at the Doctor. “There’s got to be some way of stopping them! You’re supposed to be the expert, think of something!”
“I’m trying!” The Doctor shouted.
“I’ll take it on, Jackie. You just run. Don’t look back.” Mickey told to Jackie. “Just run.” Sounds of the front door splintering.
Rose looked worried. “That’s my mother.”
“I know.” Maddie nodded. “We need to know what for pieces they are.”
The Doctor nodded. “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 travelling distance. What else do we know about them? Information!”
“They’re green.”
“Yep, narrows it down.”
“Good sense of smell.”
“Narrows it down.”
“They can smell adrenalin.”
“Narrows it down.”
“The pig technology.”
“Narrows it down.”
“The spaceship in the Thames, you said slipstream engine?”
“Narrows it down.”
“It’s getting in!” Mickey shouted to them.
“They hunt like it’s a ritual.”
“Narrows it down.”
Harriet held up her hand. “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...”
Maddie and Rose realized. “Bad breath!”
“That’s it!” Harriet called.
The Doctor looked at them. “Calcium decay! Now, that narrows it down!”
“We’re getting there, Mum!” Rose called into the phone.
“Too late!” Mickey shouted afraid.
“Calcium phosphate.” The Doctor rambled. “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 ‘em a letter.” Mickey told them sarcastically. The front door finally fell apart.
“Get into the kitchen!” The Doctor called.
“My God, it’s going to rip us apart!” Jackie called.
“Calcium, weakened by the compression field. Acetic acid. Vinegar!” The Doctor shouted.
“Hannibal!” Maddie called happily.
Harriet looked at them “Just like Hannibal!”
“Just like Hannibal.” The Doctor comment. “Mickey, have you got any vinegar?”
“How should I know?” Mickey asked back.
“It’s your kitchen.” The Doctor replied.
Just then Rose spoke into the phone. “Cupboard by the sink, middle shelf.”
Jackie took the phone. “Oh, give it here. What do you need?”
“Anything with vinegar!” The Doctor replied.
Jackie spoke as they could hear doors open. “Gherkins. Yeah, pickled onions. Pickled eggs.”
The Doctor looked at Rose. “And you kiss this man?”
The Slitheen broke in. Jackie throws the vile contents of the jug over it. It stopped, farted then exploded, redecorating the kitchen in green innards. Then Rose looked at the others. “Hannibal?”
“Hannibal crossed the Alps by dissolving boulders with vinegar.” Harriet replied to her.
Rose shrugged. “Oh. Well, there you go then.” They all toast the moment with a glass of port from the decanter.
---------------
“The experts are dead, murdered right in front of me by alien hands. Peoples of the Earth, heed my words. These visitors do not come in peace.”
“Listen to this.” Mickey held the phone in front of the television.
“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.”
“What?” The Doctor asked.
“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.” The Doctor scoffed. “There’s no weapons up there, there’s no threat. He just invented it.”
“Do you think they’ll believe him?” Harriet asked.
“They did last time.” Rose replied.
“They did.” Maddie added.
The Doctor looked at them. “That’s why the Slitheen went for spectacle. They want the whole world panicking, because you lot, you get scared, you lash out.”
Maddie had her eyes widen. “They release the defence code...”
“And the Slitheen go nuclear.” The Doctor finished.
Harriet frowned. “But why?”
Then the Doctor opened the metal shutters. “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 added.
“But you’ll destroy the planet, this beautiful place.” Harriet frowned. “What for?”
The Doctor looked at her. “Profit. That’s what the signal is beaming into space. An advert.”
“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, Doctor. People are buying cheap. This rock becomes raw fuel.” Margaret told him.
The Doctor looked angry. “At the cost of five billion lives.”
“Bargain.” Margaret told him flatly.
The Doctor looked at her. “I give you a choice. Leave this planet or I’ll stop you.”
“What, you? Trapped in your box?” Margaret asked.
“Yes. Me.” The Doctor closed the shutters on Margaret’s laughing face, and she started to worry.
Just then Jackie spoke up. “All right, Doctor. I’m not saying I trust you, but there must be something you can do.”
Harriet looked them. “If we could ferment the port, we could make acetic acid.”
“Mickey, any luck?” Rose asked to Mickey.
“There’s loads of emergency numbers. They’re all on voicemail.” Mickey replied to her.
“Voicemail dooms us all.” Harriet comment.
“If we could just get out of here.” Rose sighed.
“There’s a way out.” The Doctor told her.
“What?” Maddie asked, frowning on what he meant.
“There’s always been a way out.” The Doctor replied.
Rose frowned. “Then why don’t we use it?”
“Because I can’t guarantee your daughter will be safe.” The Doctor spoke into the phone. Then he looked at Maddie. “Or your safety.”
Maddie walked over to him, she grabbed his hand. “I trust you.” The Doctor nodded to her.
“Don’t you dare. Whatever it is, don’t you dare.” Jackie told him.
The Doctor sighed. “That’s the thing. If I don’t dare, everyone dies.”
Rose glanced at the action, want Maddie was doing, holding hands with the Doctor. She felt jealous. “Do it.” She told to the Doctor.
The Doctor looked at her. “You don’t even know what it is. You’d just let me?”
“Yeah.” Rose nodded.
“Please, Doctor. Please. She’s my daughter. She’s just a kid.” Jackie pleaded over the phone.
The Doctor sighed. “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?” Maddie asked.
The Doctor looked her. “I could save the world but lose you.” He replied, but Maddie squeezed in his hand. She reassured him, that she would be okay.
Just then Harriet spoke up. “Except it’s not your decision, Doctor. It’s mine.”
“And who the hell are you?” Jackie scoffed.
“Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North.” Harriet replied. “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.”
Rose looked at the Doctor. “How do we get out?”
“We don’t. We stay here.” The Doctor replied. Then he got the Emergency Protocols from the Red Box. “Use the buffalo password. It overrides everything.”
“What’re you doing?” Jackie asked to Mickey.
“Hacking into the Royal Navy.” Mickey replied. Then he told to the Doctor. “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 told him.
“We can’t go nuclear. We don’t have the defence codes.” Mickey argued.
“We don’t need it. All we need’s an ordinary missile.” The Doctor argued back. “What’s the first category?”
“Sub Harpoon, UGM-A4A.” Mickey replied to him.
The Doctor nodded. “That’s the one. Select.”
“I could stop you.” Jackie comment.
“Do it, then.” Mickey told to Jackie.
“You ready for this?” The Doctor asked.
“Yeah.” Mickey replied.
“Mickey the idiot, the world is in your hands.” The Doctor told him. “Fire.”
Mouse click. “Oh, my God.” Jackie exclaimed.
Harriet looked at the walls. “How solid are these?”
“Not solid enough.” The Doctor sighed. “Built for short range attack, nothing this big.”
“All right, now I’m making the decision. I’m not going to die. We’re going to ride this one out. It’s like what they say about earthquakes. 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 told them all. Harriet did as the missile headed up the Channel.
“It’s on radar.” Mickey told them. Rose, Maddie and Harriet were emptying the cupboard. “Counter defence five five six.”
“Stop them intercepting it.” The Doctor ordered.
“I’m doing it now.” Mickey told him.
“Good boy.” The Doctor told him.
“Five five six neutralised.” Mickey comment.
Then the Doctor unplugged the phone. And rushed into the small cupboard, where the others were. He sat down next to Maddie as they all were holding hands. “Here we go. Nice knowing you all. Hannibal!” Harriet shouted.
-----------
It went KaBOOM! The iconic front door blowed off in a fireball. The cupboard shook then rolled through the remains of the building inside its steel shell. Moments later, the Doctor pushed the steel door off and Harriet stepped out. “Made in Britain.”
A man looked at her and the others. “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.” Harriet replied, showing her name on paper.
The man nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” He rushed off.
Harriet looked back at the Doctor, Maddie and Rose. “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.” The Doctor comment.
Harriet had her yes widen. “Me? Huh. I’m only a back-bencher.”
Rose looked at her. “I’d vote for you.”
“I would to.” Maddie added.
“Now, don’t be silly. Look, I’d better go and see if I can help. Hang on!” Harriet make her way down the pile of rubble. “We’re safe! The Earth is safe!” She called. “Sergeant!”
The Doctor looked at Maddie and Rose. “I thought I knew the name. Harriet Jones, future Prime Minister. Elected for three successive terms. The architect of Britain’s Golden Age.”
“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.” Harriet spoke.
-----------------
The Doctor returned Rose to her home as then he returned Maddie to her home. Maddie frowned. “Why bring me home?”
“I think your parents must be worried.” The Doctor replied.
“Yeah, they would.” Maddie nodded. “Come with me then.”
The Doctor looked at her. “Maybe later.” Then he pulled out the Tardis key. “Here, it’s for you.” He handed it to her.
“Thanks.” Maddie told him with a small frown. “You come back later, right?”
The Doctor nodded. “Yes.”
“And you know, we need to talk about the soulmate thing, right?” Maddie asked. “Cause you lied to my mother.”
He sighed heavily. “I know.”
“Good.” Maddie smiled. “See you later.”
“You too.” The Doctor also smiled as he returned to the Tardis.
Then Maddie walked into her home. “Mom.”
Sirena came to her daughter. “Oh thank god, you are safe. You know, your father had almost a heard attack young lady.”
“Yeah, I suppose he almost did. I’m sorry, but the Doctor kept me safe.” Maddie told her mother.
“I know he would.” Sirena pulled her into a hug.
-----------------
Later, the Doctor picked Maddie up as now they were outside waiting for Rose to come. Mickey was sitting on a rubbish bin reading the newspaper while the young boy was finishing cleaning off the Bad Wolf tag. “Good lad. Graffiti that again and I’ll have you. Now, beat it.” The boy ran off with his bucket and scrubbing brush.
Mickey looked at them. “I just went down the shop, and I was thinking, you know, like the whole world’s changed. Aliens and spaceships all-in public. And here it is.” He let see them the head line. The Evening Standard headline was... Alien Hoax. “How could they do that? They saw it.”
“That’s the humans.” Maddie replied. “When they see something they don’t understand, they put labels over things that isn’t true.”
The Doctor glanced at her. “They’re just not ready. You’re happy to believe in something that’s invisible, but if it’s staring you in the face, nope, can’t see it. There’s a scientific explanation for that. You’re thick.”
“We’re just idiots.” Mickey comment bitterly.
The Doctor was serious. “Well, not all of you.”
“Yeah?” Mickey asked.
“You aren’t a idiot, Mickey.” Maddie replied to him, smiling.
“Present for you, Mickey.” The Doctor gave Mickey a CD. “That’s a virus. Put it online. It’ll destroy every mention of me. I’ll cease to exist.”
Mickey frowned. “What do you want to do that for?”
“Because you’re right, I am dangerous. I don’t want anybody following me.” The Doctor replied.
Just then Jackie and Rose came out of the block. Mickey looked at the Doctor. “How can you say that and then take her and Maddie with you?”
“You could look after her. Come with us.” The Doctor replied.
“I can look after myself.” Maddie muttered.
Mickey shook with his head. “I can’t. This life of yours, it’s just too much. I couldn’t do it. Don’t tell her I said that.”
“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 told her daughter.
Rose sighed. “I’m not leaving because of you. I’m travelling, that’s all, and then I’ll come back.”
“But it’s not safe.” Jackie exclaimed.
Rose looked at her mother. “Mum, if you saw it out there you’d never stay home.”
“Got enough stuff?” The Doctor asked to Rose.
Rose nodded. “Last time I stepped in there, it was spur of the moment. Now I’m signing up. You’re stuck with me.” She gave 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 told her.
“We’d be dead without him.” Rose argued.
The Doctor looked her. “My decision is final.”
“Sorry.” Rose and Mickey kissed goodbye.
“Good luck, yeah.” Mickey told her.
Then Jackie looked at the Doctor. “You still can’t promise me. What if she gets lost? What if something happens to you, Doctor, and she’s left all alone standing on some moon a million light years away. How long do I wait then?”
Rose looked at her. “Mum, you’re forgetting. It’s a time machine. I could go travelling around suns and planets and all the way out to the edge of the universe, and by the time I get back, yeah, ten seconds would have passed. Just ten seconds. So stop worrying. See you in ten seconds’ time, yeah?”
Jackie and Rose hugged, then Rose followed the Doctor and Maddie into the Tardis. Mickey gave a little wave. The Tardis dematerialised. Jackie looked at her watch. “Ten seconds.” Jackie went back to the flats. Mickey carried on reading the newspaper.
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Later, Maddie was in the kitchen for a cuppa of tea and maybe a snack, she didn’t have a change yet to talk to the Doctor. She waited to had her tea done as then Rose walked in. “Why did you hold hands with the Doctor? And what’s with your mother’s adventures? And why is the Doctor different ever since you and him came back from the hospital?”
Maddie looked at her, unfazed. “It’s not your business, Rose. It’s between the Doctor and me.”
“But why? What could have changed his mind towards you?” Rose asked a little angry.
Maddie remained calm. “Its not your business, the Doctor knows and he is the only one to know and if you keep this up. You will never know!”
“Keep this up?!” Rose exclaimed.
“Yeah, jealously.” Maddie replied. “It’s an ugly emotion that there is, it can break people apart, start wars, place people under false accusations. It hurt people!”
Rose looked angry. “I’m not jealous!”
“Oh really?” Maddie looked at her. “Then why react that way? Btw, did you forget your boyfriend that fast?” She was pushing buttons. Rose’s face went all red and she stormed out of the kitchen. “It was nice talking to you.” She muttered.
YOU ARE READING
Lost Souls (1)
FantasíaAu from Home, the long way round. Where Maddie met the 9th Doctor instead of the 11th Doctor, but her family is also different. Read to find out! What's up with Bad Wolf? Why does it follow them? What would that mean for Maddie and the Doctor?
