Necessary Evils

Chapter Nine: Reflection

Chapter Nine: Reflection

The Master crawled out from the clothes, turning to face me with furious eyes.

Current Amy reached down to take Child Amy's hand, beginning to glow. We stood on the sidewalk where we all met before, and Teenaged Amy stood in the wake of the glow. She leaned close to Rory and said, "Remind me not to touch that one," and pointed to her middle aged counterpart.

I sighed.

"Any plans, Doctor?" Donna Noble asked, sidling up to the group.

I shook my head at her. "My last plan worked especially well," I murmured, "but time is too distorted for a plan to be of any effect."

"What?" Rose said, frowning at me.

"Spontaneous molecular combustion," I repeated, rubbing my forehead. I had no idea what to do.

Doctor?

"No way," I breathed, staring into space. Rose?

"Doctor?" I raised a finger to River, shushing her.

Doctor, what happened? Everyone just vanished.

It's okay. Well, it's not okay, but—

You're rambling, she reminded, a smile in her voice.

Right, I said. Rose, time is confused. It's as if we never came to Downing Street.

But I remember—and so does the Master.

That's not good, I grumbled. The only ones who remember are the Time Lords and the girl who absorbed the Time Vortex, then.

No, she corrected, the girl who is connected to a Time Lord's mind.

I began to pace, but stopped when I faced a wall, pressing my forehead against it and closing my eyes. The traditional rescue isn't going to work.

We have to find a way to seal the paradoxes at its source, she told me.

There's too many sources, and at the same time, there's no source at all.

You're only thinking like that because you're stressed out. Focus, Doctor. For me.

I can't Rose. The space-time continuum is too damaged.

Think, Doctor. What caused all of this?

The Master. My duplicate, I said impatiently. That doesn't help at all.

It does, she said. I can see your thoughts more clearly than you right now.

I perked up as she showed me my own mind, through her eyes. I pushed away from the wall, turning a grin on the companion doppelgangers. "We have to get to the TARDIS. Martha, don't try to use that screwdriver trick on the Master this time—he'll be ready for it. Let's go!"

Again, I grabbed Rose before the Bay's hand and started running up the sidewalk. Again, Jack jogged up alongside me.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"10 Downing Street."

"And why are we—?"

"Oh, let's not repeat this for a third time," I prayed, laughing.

The sky turned dark and I saw planets in the sky.

"What is that?" Rose asked, staring up at the sky and stumbling slightly.