Ties Between Freedom and Love

✦16✦

Chapter Sixteen
Crisis Activated And Crisis Averted

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Emma woke up a few hours later to the shrill of Jackie's voice speaking through the phone, she looked up from where she'd fallen asleep on Rose's lap.

"All right, Doctor, I'm not saying I trust you," she started saying before Dean took the phone out of her hand.

"But for my daughter's sake and this entire planet's survival, I trust you right now," he said and sighed as he looked at Cas, his face frowned in worry for Emma. "There must be something you can do."

"If we ferment the port we could make acetic acid," Harriet suggested.

"Mickey, any luck?" Rose asked as she and Emma made their way back to the table, Coulson giving his niece a soft smile in comfort.

"There's loads of emergency numbers," he replied.

"They're all voicemails," Dean added.

"Voicemail dooms us all," Fury muttered, taking another drink.

"We need to get out of here," Rose groaned, starting to pace.

"There is a way out."

Emma turned in her seat to face the Doctor, he was leaning against one of the metal shutters his arms crossed, and a dark expression clouding his face.

"What?" she asked.

"There's always been a way out," he replied, meeting her gaze.

"Then why didn't you use it?" Emma asked, standing up from her chair.

He rushed forward to stand beside her his hands pressed down against the table, "Because I can't guarantee Rose's safety," he stated, knowing she was the single most important person to Emma in this room.

"Don't you dare!" Jackie shouted, "whatever it is, don't you dare."

"That's the thing," the Doctor replied, "if I don't dare, everyone dies."

"Do it," Emma said, no hesitation in her voice.

"Emma?" Dean asked warily, not sure his daughter was thinking clearly.

The Doctor stared at Emma in disbelief, "You don't even know what it is. You'd just let me?"

"Yeah."

Their gazes never left each other, Emma knew she could protect Rose and Coulson no matter what, that was never a question. So, yes. And she trusted the Doctor with her life, but more importantly with the ones she loved lives.

"Emma, are you sure?" Cas asked softly from the other end. "You might not be able to die, but your physical form can."

"I don't care. If it saves everyone's life, I don't care."

"Emma," Dean whispered. He hated how much she was like him, always willing to sacrifice herself for others and never once thinking of herself. But he loved her just so much more because of it too, he loved her, and he was so very proud of her.

"Doctor," Jackie pleaded, "she's my daughter, she's just a kid."

"You think I don't know that?" he asked, "because this is my life, Jackie. It's not fun, it's not smart. It's standing up and making a decision because nobody else will."

"Then what are waiting for?" Emma asked.

He looked up from the phone and into her eyes, "I could save the world, but you could lose the ones you love, and then I'll lose you too." Emma stared at him, her demeanor faltering. His gaze softened. "And the possibility of losing you will make me hesitate in any situation, Em. Big or small."