Lost Our Minds |5| The Ascension

Chapter Fourteen: Call In

"Maybe I shouldn't."

Zosia raised an eyebrow. "We could use them. And you know she'd be heartbroken if something happened to one of us and she wasn't there to stop it."

"But after what happened to Amy and Rory?" Steve reminded her. "River said she was... you know. Not well."

"I know," Zosia bit her lip. "But it'll only get worse if they don't get back into things. We can lure her here with the promise of getting to punch Rumlow, and then... we can help her. Like we planned."

He turned to look at her with his stern Cap face on. "I'm still not sure about that. I'm pretty sure it's against the law."

She snorted. "Law, schmaw. This is our mom. It's for the best. It's to keep her safe. Because if we don't... I just think she's balancing on a knife-edge and it'll only take a split-second and she'll fall. And if she falls... I don't know if we'll get her back." She shook her head, holding her hand out for the phone. "Let me do it."

"You sure?" She nodded. He frowned, but handed the phone over all the same.

Zosia hesitated before pressing call, but only for a second. After a few moments, a fake smile spread over her face. "Hey, Mom! No, no, everything's fine, I promise. Yes, he's right here." She listened for a minute, then rolled her eyes. "Sure." She looked around at Steve. "Mom says she's missed you."

"I've missed her too," he answered, flashing a smile.

She went back to the call. "Yeah, yeah, we all love you, whatever. Anyway, um, we were just calling to let you know, we've found him. Rumlow." She hesitated, then smiled. "Yeah, that sounds great. Uh, it's Thursday eighth July 2021. Okay, sure. See you soon. Bye." She hung up, letting out a breath.

"How did it go?" Steve asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know," Zosia admitted. "She sounded fine, she sounded good. They're coming tomorrow." She bit her lip.

He frowned. "What is it?"

"I don't know, just... as soon as I mentioned Rumlow she just sort of... faltered. Like she was perfectly chirpy and all that before and then for a moment it was like I was seeing behind the mask. Like maybe unconsciously, she's crying out for help and... and she needs us." She looked down, swallowing.

Steve reached across to take her hand, kissing her knuckles. "Hey. We'll be there, okay? She's got us."

There was a loud crash from downstairs and they both shot to their feet, running to the landing. Below, Zoë was sitting up on the floor, her prosthetic leg missing. She groaned, using the nearby table to balance her as she got to her feet. Zosia snorted, and her sister narrowed her eyes at her playfully. "I'm going to kill those kids," she warned.

Steve chuckled. "Looks like they've got the upper hand at the minute, Zo."

Zoë scowled, but she couldn't help a smile. "Just you wait, America's Ass. Just you wait."

***

Back in the TARDIS, McKenzie rolled her eyes as the Doctor fussed over her. "Seriously, babe, I'm fine."

He bit his lip. "I don't understand it. You fell from a cloud, for Christ's sake!"

She took his hand, trying to calm him down. "Hey, relax. You've checked me over, there isn't a scratch on me, see? There's nothing for you to worry about."

He hesitated, reluctant to just let it go. "You sure?"

She smiled reassuringly. "Of course. It's not like last time. I didn't fall through a glass ceiling or anything. I'm okay, I promise."

"Okay," he said finally, nodding. "Okay, fine. You're fine. We'll show up." He winced. "On one condition."

"And what's that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Fish fingers and custard?" He met her eyes, and she couldn't help but match his grin.

"'Course," she agreed. "I'll be there in ten."

"Sure." He headed off towards the kitchen.

As soon as he was gone, McKenzie turned back to the scans, her smile dropping. Her trained eyes perused them for any hint of injury, even just a scratch. There was none. Even the wounds she'd had before, even the scrape she'd gotten weeks back when she'd slipped on the ice—they were all gone. Only scars remained in their places. It was almost like she'd regenerated, but that was impossible. After all, she was pretty sure she would have noticed if she'd woken up with a new face.

She sighed. There was only one explanation she could think of to make sense of it all, but it couldn't be. She couldn't bear to imagine it was true, it would mean too much. It would change everything. More than anything she wished she could tell the Doctor, let him calm her fears, but she couldn't. If she was right... it didn't even bear thinking about. There was one person and one person only who would understand what she was going through, what was happening to her body, and she didn't even know what planet he was on.

Besides, the whole thing would have to wait. Right now, she had fish fingers to eat, and a traitor to punch. And soon, she would be all out of fish fingers.

It was game time.