Inside the Tardis, Rose told them the story about her father and how he dead. “That’s what Mum always says. So I was thinking, could we, could we go and see my dad when he was still alive?”
The Doctor frowned. “Where’s this come from, all of a sudden?”
Rose sighed. “All right then, if we can’t, if it goes against the laws of times or something, then never mind, just leave it.”
Maddie blinked as the Doctor looked at her. “No, I can do anything. I’m just more worried about you.”
“I want to see him.” Rose told them.
Maddie nodded. “I respect that, just be careful.”
The Doctor looked at Rose. “Your wish is my command. But be careful what you wish for.”
--------------------
The Doctor, Maddie and Rose attend Rose’s parent’s wedding. “I, Peter Alan Tyler, take you, Jacqueline Angela Suzette Prentice.” Registrar told to Peter.
“I, Peter Alan Tyler, take you, Jacqueline Suzanne Suzette Anita.” Pete repeated.
Jackie waved it off. “Oh, just carry on. It’s good enough for Lady Di.”
“I thought he’d be taller.” Rose whispered to the Doctor and Maddie.
“To be my lawful wedded wife, to love and behold till death us do part.” Registrar told them all. Pete and Jackie were married.
------------------
Back in the Tardis. The Doctor looked at Rose. “November the 7C.”
Rose nodded. “1987.”
Maddie helped the Doctor as the time rotor started up.
-------------------
The Tardis had parked herself between a telephone junction box and a road sign, by park railings. “It’s so weird. The day my father died. I thought it’d be all sort of grim and stormy. It’s just an ordinary day.” Rose told them.
“The past is another country. 1987’s just the Isle of Wight. Are you sure about this?” The Doctor asked to Rose.
Rose nodded. “Yeah.”
---------------
Rose looked around. “This is it. Jordan Road. He was late. He’d been to get a wedding present, a vase. Mum always said, that stupid vase.” A green van came around the corner. D602 PKW. “He got out of his car.” It pulled into the kerb. “And crossed the road. Oh, God. This is it.” As Pete got out of the van, the Doctor took Rose’s hand, Maddie put her hand on Rose’s shoulder. A beige car came round the corner – NEH 793W – and straight into Pete. The driver shielded his face with his arm and kept going, leaving Pete and the broken vase in the middle of the road. Pete tried to move.
“Go to him, quick.” The Doctor told her.
But she can’t. Later, round the corner, as sirens approached. “It’s too late now. By the time the ambulance got there, he was dead. He can’t die on his own. Can I try again?”
“I don’t like it.” Maddie replied.
Moments later the Doctor, Maddie and Rose look round the corner to see themselves by the kerbside. “Right, that’s the first you and me. It’s a very bad idea, two sets of us being here at the same time. Just be careful they don’t see us. Wait till she runs off and he and Maddie follows, then go to your dad.”
Pete parks at the kerb. “Oh, God. This is it.” They heard the other Rose say.
“I can’t do this.” Rose comment.
The Doctor looked at her. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, but this is the last time we can be here.” Suddenly Rose ran forward as Pete was getting out of the van. “Rose! No!”
“Rose!” Maddie shouted.
Rose dashed past her earlier self and pushed her father out of the path of the beige car. The vase rolled away, unbroken. The earlier Doctor, Maddie and Rose vanished. “I did it. I saved your life.”
Pete looked at her. “Blimey, did you see the speed of it? Did you get his number?”
Rose looked in disbelief. “I really did it. Oh, my God, look at you. You’re alive! That car was going to kill you.”
“Give me some credit, I did see it coming. I wasn’t going to walk under it, was I.” Pete told her.
“I’m Rose.” Rose introduced herself.
Pete blinked. “That’s a coincidence. That’s my daughter’s name.”
“That’s a great name. Good choice. Well done.” Rose comment.
Pete stood up. “Right, I’d better shift. I’ve got a wedding to go to.”
“Is that Sarah Clarke’s wedding?” Rose asked.
Pete nodded. “Yeah, are you going?”
Rose nodded. “Yeah.”
“You, your friend and your boyfriend need a lift?” Pete asked.
---------------------
They stepped into the Tyler’s flat. “Right, there we go. Sorry about the mess. If you want a cup of tea, the kitchens just down there, milk’s in the fridge. Well, it would be, wouldn’t it. Where else would you put the milk? Mind you, there’s always the window sill outside. I always thought if someone invented a window sill with special compartments, you know, one for milk, one for yogurt, make a lot of money out of that. Sell it to students and things. I should write that down. Anyway, never mind that, excuse me for a minute. Got to go and change.” Pete went to the bedroom.
Rose looked at the stuff. “All the stuff mum kept. His stuff. She kept it all packed away in boxes in the cupboard. She used to show me when she’d had a bit to drink. Here it is, on display. Where it should be. Third prize at the bowling. First two got to go to Didcot. Health drinks. Tonics, mum used to call them. He made his money selling this Vitex stuff. He had all sorts of jobs. He was so clever. Solar power. Mum said he was going to do this. Now he can. Okay, look I’ll tell him you’re not my boyfriend.”
Maddie and the Doctor stood next to each other. “When we met, I said travel with me in space. You said no. Then I said time machine.” He told her.
Rose shrugged. “It wasn’t some big plan. I just saw it happening and I thought, I can stop it.”
“I did it again.” The Doctor scoffed. “I picked another stupid ape. I should’ve known. It’s not about showing you the universe. It never is. It’s about the universe doing something for you.”
“Idiot.” Maddie told her, angry.
Rose looked at the Doctor. “So it’s okay when you go to other times, and you save people’s lives, but not when it’s me saving my dad.”
“It is a fixed point in time and we don’t know what happen next.” Maddie told her.
The Doctor gritted his teeth. “I know what I’m doing, you don’t. Two sets of us being there made that a vulnerable point.”
“But he’s alive!” Rose shouted.
“My entire planet died.” The Doctor looked angry as then Maddie grabbed his hand. “My whole family. Do you think it never occurred to me to go back and save them?”
“But it’s not like I’ve changed history.” Rose shrugged. “Not much. I mean he’s never going to be a world leader. He’s not going to start World War Three or anything.”
“Rose, there’s a man alive in the world who wasn’t alive before.” The Doctor told her. “An ordinary man. That’s the most important thing in creation. The whole world’s different because he’s alive.”
Rose snored sarcastically. “What, would you rather him dead?”
“I’m not saying that.” He replied.
Rose crossed with her arms. “No, I get it! For once, you’re not the most important man in my life.”
“Let’s see how you get on without me, then. Give me the key. The Tardis key. If I’m so insignificant, give it me back.” The Doctor held out his hand.
“All right then, I will.” Rose handed over the key.
“You’ve got what you wanted, so that’s goodbye, then.” The Doctor grabbed Maddie’s hand this time.
“You don’t scare me. I know how sad you are. You’ll be back in a minute, or you’ll hang around outside the Tardis waiting for me. And I’ll make you wait a long time!” Rose shouted. The Doctor and Maddie leave and Rose slammed the door behind him.
----------------
The Doctor and Maddie were outside of the Tardis when he looked up for a moment. He unlocked the doors and opened them to reveal an empty police telephone box. The Tardis interior was missing. “The Tardis is empty.” Maddie frowned. “How in the world?”
The Doctor realized that it had the do something with Rose. “Rose!” He grabbed Maddie’s hand and they rushed into the streets.
-------------------
Later the Doctor and Maddie ran up behind Rose. “Rose! Get in the church!” A large thing with bat-like wings appeared in the sky. Very devilish. It hissed and started to swoop. Rose screamed. The Doctor pushed her to the pavement just in time to avoid its talons. “Get in the church!”
Two more appeared as Suzie exclaimed. “Oh, my God. What are they? What are they?”
“Inside!” The Doctor shouted.
“Sarah!” Stuart shouted.
“Stay in there!” Maddie also shouted.
Stuart’s dad tried to run away, but he got pounced on. Another blocked Sarah’s path to the church, but when she screamed it flow off and pounced on the vicar instead. “In!” The Doctor pointed at the church.
--------------
The Doctor got the bride’s party inside and slammed the doors on the creatures. They can be seen flying around outside. “They can’t get in. Old windows and doors. Okay. The older something is, the stronger it is. What else? Go and check the other doors! Move!”
“What’s happening? What are they? What are they?” Jackie asked.
“There’s been an accident in time. A wound in time. They’re like bacteria, taking advantage.” The Doctor replied.
Jackie looked confused. “What do you mean, time? What’re you jabbering on about, time?”
“They are gonna eat us.” Maddie deadpanned.
The Doctor glanced at her. “Oh, I might’ve known you’d argue. Jackie, I’m sick of you complaining.”
“How do you know my name?” Jackie exclaimed confused.
The Doctor sighed. “I haven’t got time for this.”
“I’ve never met you in my life!” Jackie shouted.
“Oh my god!” Maddie groaned.
The Doctor looked at her. “No, and you never will unless I sort this out. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve waited a long time to say this.” Then he ordered her. “Jackie Tyler, do as I say. Go and check the doors.”
“Yes, sir.” Jackie comment as then she walked away.
“I should have done that ages ago.” The Doctor comment.
Maddie looked at him. “Yeah...”
Just then Stuart came to them. “My dad was out there.”
The Doctor looked at him. “You can mourn him later. Right now we’ve got to concentrate on keeping ourselves alive.”
“My dad had...” Stuart was interrupted.
“There’s nothing I can do for him.” The Doctor told him.
Stuart shook with his head “No, but he had this phone thing. I can’t get it to work. I keep getting this voice.”
“Watson, come here. I need you. Watson, come here. I need you.”
The Doctor heard it. “That’s the very first phone call. Alexander Graham Bell. I don’t think the telephone’s going to be much use.”
Stuart frowned. “But someone must have called the police.”
“I don’t think it would work.” Maddie comment to him.
“Police can’t help you now. No one can.” The Doctor agreed with her. “Nothing in this universe can harm those things. Time’s been damaged and they’ve come to sterilise the wound. By consuming everything inside.”
Rose blinked. “Is this because? Is this my fault?”
Neither of them said a word.
----------------------
All laid out for the signing of the register. “There’s smoke coming up from the city but no sirens.” Pete looked worried. “I don’t think it’s just us. I think these things are all over the place. Maybe the whole world.” The beige car appeared at the corner, turns, the driver covered his face and it disappeared again. “Was that a car?”
“It’s not important. Don’t worry about it.” The Doctor replied to him as Maddie was next to him.
-----------------
A creature was head-butting a side door. The Doctor pulled the curtain aside and got out his sonic screwdriver. Maddie frowned. “Don’t like this.”
“Me neither.” The Doctor agreed with her.
Just then Stuart came to them. “Excuse me, Mister...”
“Doctor.” The Doctor interrupted him.
Stuart looked at him. “You seem to know what’s going on.”
The Doctor nodded. “I give that impression, yeah.”
“I just wanted to ask...” Stuart trailed off.
“Can you save us?” Sarah finished as she was apparently by them as well.
The Doctor looked at them. “Who are you two, then?”
“Stuart Hoskins.” Stuart replied.
“Sarah Clark.” Sarah added.
The Doctor noticed that Sarah’s pregnant. “And one extra. Boy or girl?”
“I don’t know.” Sarah smiled. “I don’t want to know, really.”
Maddie smiled. “How did all this get started?”
“Outside the Beatbox Club, two in the morning.” Stuart replied.
“Street corner. I’d lost my purse, didn’t have money for a taxi.” Sarah added.
“I took her home.” Stuart finished.
The Doctor looked at them. “Then what? Asked her for a date?”
“Wrote his number on the back of my hand.” Sarah replied.
“Never got rid of her since. My dad said.” Stuart added.
Sarah shrugged. “I don’t know what this is all about, and I know we’re not important.”
The Doctor frowned. “Who said you’re not important? I’ve travelled to all sorts of places, done things you couldn’t even imagine, but you two. Street corner, two in the morning, getting a taxi home. I’ve never had a life like that. Yes. I’ll try and save you.”
------------------
The Doctor was talking to baby Rose in her carrycot by the choir stalls. Maddie smiled at him. “Now, Rose you’re not going to bring about the end of the world, are you? Are you?” Then Rose walked up. “Jackie gave her to me to look after. How times change.”
“I’d better be careful. I think I just imprinted myself on Mickey like a mother chicken.” Rose comment as she went to touch the baby.
“No.” The Doctor told her sternly. “Don’t touch the baby. You’re both the same person. That’s a paradox, and we don’t want a paradox happening, not with these things outside. Anything new, any disturbance in time makes them stronger. The paradox might let them in.”
“Can’t do anything right, can I?” Rose asked.
“Nope.” Maddie muttered.
“Since you ask, no. So, don’t touch the baby.” The Doctor replied to her.
Rose scoffed. “I’m not stupid.”
“You could have fooled me.” The Doctor told her seriously. “All right, I’m sorry. We weren’t really going to leave you on your own.”
Rose nodded. “I know.”
The Doctor sighed. “But between you two and me, I haven’t got a plan. No idea. No way out.”
“You’ll think of something.” Rose reassured him.
“Maybe.” Maddie added. “Hopefully you will.” She looked at him.
The Doctor looked at them. “The entire Earth’s been sterilised. This, and other place like it, are all that’s left of the human race. We might hold out for a while, but nothing can stop those creatures. They’ll get through in the end. The walls aren’t that old. And there’s nothing I can do to stop them. There used to be laws stopping this kind of thing from happening. My people would have stopped this. But they’re all gone. And now I’m going the same way.”
“And me.” Maddie comment. “Oh my mother!” She exclaimed. “She would be dead as well.”
The Doctor grabbed her hand squeezed it. “I’m sorry.”
“If I’d realised.” Rose comment.
The Doctor looked at her. “Just tell me you’re sorry.”
“I am. I’m sorry.” Rose nodded. They hugged. “Have you got something hot?” She reached into his inside pocket, took out a key and dropped it because it was glowing hot.
“It’s the Tardis key!” The Doctor exclaimed. He took off his jacket to pick it up safely. “It’s telling me it’s still connected to the Tardis.” Then he make an announcement from the pulpit. “The inside of my ship was thrown out of the wound but we can use this to bring it back. And once I’ve got my ship back, then I can mend everything. Now, I just need a bit of power. Has anybody got a battery?”
Stuart picked up the mobile phone. “This one big enough?”
“Fantastic.” The Doctor smiled as he went to grab it.
Stuart had a small smile. “Good old dad. There you go.”
“Just need to do a bit of charging up and then we can bring everyone back.” The Doctor used the ever-versatile sonic screwdriver while the creatures batter at the doors. The Tardis slowly materialised around her key. “Right, no one touches that key. Have you got that? Don’t touch it. Anyone touches that key, it’ll be, well, zap. Just leave it be and everything will be fine. We’ll get out of here. All of us. Stuart, Sarah you’re going to get married, just like I said.”
-----------------
The Tardis was fading in and out. Maddie looked sad. “Oh, old girl.” The Doctor grabbed her hand. She looked at him as then she hugged him.
“When time gets sorted out...” Rose spoke up.
“Everybody here forgets what happened.” The Doctor looked at her. “And don’t worry, the thing that you changed will stay changed.”
Pete looked at them. “You mean I’ll still be alive, though I’m meant to be dead. That’s why I haven’t done anything with my life, why I didn’t mean anything.”
“It doesn’t work like that.” The Doctor told him.
Pete waved it off. “Rubbish. I’m so useless I couldn’t even die properly. Now it’s my fault all of this has happened.”
“This is my fault.” Rose told him.
Pete shook with his head. “No, love. I’m your dad. It’s my job for it to be my fault.”
“Her dad?” Jackie looked in disgust. “How are you her dad? How old were you, twelve? Oh, that’s disgusting.”
Pete sighed. “Jacks, listen. This is Rose.”
“Rose?” Jackie exclaimed. “How sick is that? You give my daughter a second hand name? How many are there? Do you call them all Rose?”
“Oh, for God’s sake, look. It’s the same Rose!” Pete took baby Rose from Jackie Rose handed her to Rose.
Maddie looked horrified. “No!”
“Rose! No!” The Doctor snatched her away too late and gave her back to Jackie. A creature appeared inside the Church. “Everyone, behind me! I’m the oldest thing in here.”
“Doctor!” Maddie exclaimed.
The creature pounced on the Doctor, then flow over to the Tardis. They touch, the Tardis and the creature vanished, and the key fell to the floor. Rose ran to pick it up. “It’s cold. The key’s cold. Oh, my God, he’s dead. This is all my fault. Both of you. All of you. The whole world.”
“Yeah, this is your fault.” Maddie comment angry. She was glaring at her.
“This is it. There’s nothing we can do. It’s the end.” Bev panicked.
As the creatures start scraping at the stonework outside, Pete watched the car drive around the corner again and again from the vestry window. He went back into the church and over to Rose, who was sitting on her own. “The Doctor really cared about you. He didn’t want you to go through it again, not if there was another way. Now there isn’t.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The car that should have killed me, love. It’s here. The Doctor worked it out way back, but he, er, he tried to protect me. Still, he’s not in charge anymore. I am.”
“But you can’t.”
“Who am I, love?”
“My daddy.”
Pete looked at Jackie “Jackie, look at her. She’s ours.”
“Oh, of course.” Jackie hugged the weeping Rose. Maddie watched them from a far.
“I’m meant to be dead, Jackie. You’re going to get rid of me at last.”
“Don’t say that.”
“For once in your life, trust me. It’s got be done. You’ve got to survive, because you’ve got to bring up our daughter. I never read you those bedtime stories. I never took you on those picnics. I was never there for you.”
“You would have been.” Rose spoke up.
“But I can do this for you. I can be a proper dad to you now.”
“But it’s not fair.”
“I’ve had all these extra hours. No one else in the world has ever had that. And on top of that, I got to see you. And you’re beautiful. How lucky am I, eh? So, come on, do as your dad says. You going to be there for me, love? Thanks for saving me.”
------------------
Pete ran out of the church, clutching the vase. A creature spotted him. He ran to the corner, where the car appeared. The driver flings his arm across his face. “Goodbye, love.” Thump! The vase dropped and broke. The creatures vanished.
-----------------
The Doctor’s back as then he told to Rose. “Go to him. Quick.”
---------------
Rose ran to her dying father. This time, the driver had stopped at the scene. Pete died gazing into Rose’s eyes. “What’s that?” Sarah asked confused. Then Stuart’s dad came out of the church.
Rose kissed Pete farewell then stood up and looked at the Doctor and Maddie. “Its all so...” Maddie trailed off. “I couldn’t do that.” The Doctor nodded to her.
Then the Tardis had relocated to outside the Tandoori across the road. The Doctor, Maddie and Rose walked away.
YOU ARE READING
Lost Souls (1)
ФэнтезиAu 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?
