The Rose & Crown

“Asylum of the Daleks.” Doctor Who, written by Steven Moffat, directed by Nick Hurran, season 7, episode 1, BBC One, 12 September 2012.

“Before the Flood.” Doctor Who, written by Toby Whithouse, directed by Daniel O’Hara, season 9, episode 4, BBC One, 10 October 2015.

“The Bells of Saint John.” Doctor Who, written by Steven Moffat, directed by Colm McMarthy, season 7, episode 6, BBC One, 30 March 2013.

Bringer of Darkness. By Warwick Gray, illustrated by Martin Geraghty, Marvel Comics, DWMS Summer 1993, June 1993.

“The Caretaker.” Doctor Who, written by Gareth Roberts and Steven Moffat, directed by Paul Murphy, season 8, episode 6, BBC One, 27 September 2014.

“The Chase.” Doctor Who, written by Terry Nation, directed by Richard Martin, season 2, serial 8, BBC1, 22 May-26 June 1965.

“Clara and the TARDIS.” Doctor Who Home Video, written by Steven Moffat, directed by Jamie Stone, BBC, 24 September 2013. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8I9z6Y4mBY&t=2s

“The Claws of Axos.” Doctor Who, written by Bob Baker and Dave Martin, directed by Michael Ferguson, season 8, serial 3, BBC1, 13 March-3 April 1971.

Cole, Stephen. The Monsters Inside. BBC Books, book 2, 19 May 2005.

Cornell, Paul. Timewyrm: Revelation. Virgin Books, book 4, 5 December 1991.

The Dalek Book. By David Whitaker and Terry Nation, Souvenir Press, BBC tv, 30 June 1964.

“The Dalek Invasion of Earth.” Doctor Who, written by Terry Nation, directed by Richard Martin, season 2, serial 2, BBC1, 21 November-26 December 1964.

“Dark Water.” Doctor Who, written by Steven Moffat, directed by Rachel Talalay, season 8, episode 11, BBC One, 1 November 2014.

“Death Comes to Time.” Doctor Who Webcast, written by Colin Meek, directed by Dan Freedman, part 5, BBCI-1, 13 July-3 May 2002. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGC8ZGNRR98&t=8s

“Death in Heaven.” Doctor Who, written by Steven Moffat, directed by Rachel Talalay, season 8, episode 12, BBC One, 8 November 2014.

Deceit. By Peter Darvill-Evans, cover by Luis Rey, Virgin Books, book 13, 15 April 1993.

“Deep Breath.” Doctor Who, written by Steven Moffat, directed by Ben Wheatley, season 8, episode 1, BBC One, 23 August 2014.

“The Doctor’s Daughter.” Doctor Who, written by Stephen Greenhorn, directed by Alice Troughton, season 4, episode 6, BBC One, 10 May 2008.

“The Edge of Destruction.” Doctor Who, written by David Whitaker, directed by Richard Martin and Frank Cox, season 1, serial 3, BBC tv, 8-15 February 1964.

“The Empty Child.” Doctor Who, written by Steven Moffat, directed by James Hawes, season 1, episode 9, BBC One, 21 May 2005.

“The End of Time: Part Two.” Doctor Who, written by Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat, directed by Euros Lyn, season 4, special 7, BBC One, 1 January 2010.

“Extremis.” Doctor Who, written by Steven Moffat, directed by Daniel Nettheim, season 10, episode 6, BBC One, 20 May 2017.

“Face the Raven.” Doctor Who, written by Sarah Dollard, directed by Justin Molotnikov, season 9, episode 10, BBC One, 21 November 2015.

“Flatline.” Doctor Who, written by Jamie Mathieson, directed by Douglas Mackinnon, season 8, episode 9, BBC One, 18 October 2014.

“For Four Years More.” The New York World (03 March, 1893), volume 33, issue number 11,518: 2 pages. Print. Retrieved from https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-world-mar-03-1893-p-1/

“The Girl Who Died.” Doctor Who, written by Jamie Mathieson and Steven Moffat, directed by Ed Bazalgette, season 9, episode 5, BBC One, 17 October 2015.

Goss, James. Dismemberment. BBC Books, The Missy Chronicles, 22 February 2018.

“Heaven Sent.” Doctor Who, written by Steven Moffat, directed by Rachel Talalay, season 9, episode 11, BBC One, 28 November 2015.

“Hell Bent.” Doctor Who, written by Steven Moffat, directed by Rachel Talalay, season 9, episode 12, BBC One, 5 December 2015.

“The Husbands of River Song.” Doctor Who, written by Steven Moffat, directed by Douglas Mackinnon, season 9, special 17, BBC One, 25 December 2015.

“Into the Dalek.” Doctor Who, written by Phil Ford and Steven Moffat, directed by Ben Wheatley, season 8, episode 2, BBC One, 30 August 2014.

“Journey to the Center of the TARDIS.” Doctor Who, written by Steve Thompson, directed by Mat King, season 7, episode 10, BBC One, 27 April 2013.

Kludt, Amanda. “Remembering Delmonico’s, New York’s Original Restaurant.” NYEater.com, 29 June 2011, https://ny.eater.com/2011/6/29/6673317/remembering-delmonicos-new-yorks-original-restaurant.

“Last of the Time Lords.” Doctor Who, written by Russell T Davies, directed by Colin Teague and Graeme Harper, season 3, episode 13, BBC One, 30 June 2007.

Laundro-Room of Doom. By Nick Abadzis, illustrated by Eleonora Carlini, The Fountains of Forever, Titan Comics, 2 May 2015.

“Let’s Kill Hitler.” Doctor Who, written by Steven Moffat, directed by Richard Senior, season 6, episode 8, BBC One, 27 August 2011.

“The Lie of the Land.” Doctor Who, written by Toby Whithouse, directed by Wayne Yip, season 10, episode 8, BBC One, 3 June 2017.

“Listen.” Doctor Who, written by Steven Moffat, directed by Douglas MacKinnon, season 8, episode 4, BBC One, 14 September 2014.

Martin, Philip. Vengeance on Varos. Target Books, W.H. Allen, book 106, 16 June 1988.

Rayner, Jacqueline. The Last Dodo. BBC Books, book 14, 19 April 2007.

Mortimore, Jim and Lane, Andy. Lucifer Rising. Virgin Books, book 14, 20 May 1993.

“Mummy on the Orient Express.” Doctor Who, written by Jamie Mathieson, directed by Paul Wilmshurst, season 8, episode 8, BBC One, 11 October 2014.

“The Name of the Doctor.” Doctor Who, written by Steven Moffat, directed by Saul Metzstein, season 7, special 13, BBC One, 18 May 2013.

“Nekromanteia.” Doctor Who Audio, written by Austen Atkinson, directed by John Ainsworth, number 41, Big Finish Productions, February 2003.

“The Parting of the Ways.” Doctor Who, written by Russell T Davies, directed by Joe Ahearne, season 1, episode 13, BBC One, 18 June 2005.

“Planet of the Ood.” Doctor Who, written by Keith Temple, directed by Graeme Harper, season 4, episode 3, BBC One, 19 April 2008.

Rayner, Jacqueline. Original Sin. BBC Books, The Missy Chronicles, 22 February 2018.

“Revenge of the Cyberman.” Doctor Who, written by Gerry Davis, directed by Michael Briant, season 12, serial 5, BBC1, 19 April-10 May 1975.

Richards, Justin. Silhouette. BBC Books, book 55, 11 September 2014.

Shark Bait. By Bill Mevin, Polystyle Publications, Ltd, TV Comic, issue 728-731, 27 November-18 December 1965.

“Silver the Trouble.” The New York World (03 March, 1893), volume 33, issue number 11,518: 1 page. Print. Retrieved from https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-world-mar-03-1893-p-1/

“The Snowmen.” Doctor Who, written by Steven Moffat, directed by Saul Metzstein, season 7, special 11, BBC One, 25 December 2012.

“The Sontaran Stratagem.” Doctor Who, written by Helen Raynor, directed by Douglas Mackinnon, season 4, episode 4, BBC One, 26 April 2008.

“The Sound of Drums.” Doctor Who, written by Russell T Davies, directed by Colin Teague, season 3, episode 12, BBC One, 23 June 2007.

“The Sun Makers.” Doctor Who, written by Robert Holmes, directed by Pennant Roberts, season 15, serial 4, BBC1, 26 November-17 December 1977.

“Sword of Orion.” Doctor Who Audio, written and directed by Nicholas Briggs, number 17, Big Finish Productions, 26 February 2001.

“Terminus.” Doctor Who, written by Steve Gallagher, directed by Mary Ridge, season 20, serial 4, BBC1, 15-23 February 1983.

Time Bomb. By Jamie Delano, illustrated by John Ridgway, Marvel Comics, Doctor Who Magazine, issue 114-116, 12 June-14 August 1986.

“Time Heist.” Doctor Who, written by Steve Thompson and Steven Moffat, directed by Douglas Mackinnon, season 8, episode 5, BBC One, 20 September 2014.

“The Time of the Doctor.” Doctor Who, written by Steven Moffat, directed by Jamie Payne, season 7, episode 7, BBC One, 25 December 2013.

Tucker, Mike. Diamond Dogs. BBC Books, book 61, 20 April 2017.

“Twice Upon A Time.” Doctor Who, written by Steven Moffat, directed by Kit Pedler and Gerry Davis and Chris Chibnall, season 10, special 19, BBC One, 25 December 2017.

“Under the Lake.” Doctor Who, written by Toby Whithouse, directed by Daniel O’Hara, season 9, episode 3, BBC One, 3 October 2015.

“Vengeance on Varos.” Doctor Who, written by Philip Martin, directed by Ron Jones, season 22, serial 2, BBC1, 19-26 January 1985.

“The Witch’s Familiar.” Doctor Who, written by Steven Moffat, directed by Hettie MacDonald, season 9, episode 2, BBC One, 26 September 2015.

“The Woman Who Lived.” Doctor Who, written by Catherine Tregenna, directed by Ed Bazalgette, season 9, episode 6, BBC One, 24 October 2015.

“World Enough and Time.” Doctor Who, written by Steven Moffat, directed by Rachel Talalay, season 10, episode 11, BBC One, 24 June 2017.

Skaro – The Doctor and Clara abandon Missy on the Dalek planet.

Cumbria, 1212 – Missy escapes from Skaro to Earth. She receives Quynn as an infant, the Comasphere, and a letter from her future self. She takes the child to the Justica prison system to raise her.

Anima Persis – Quynn and her small army go to the Persuaders’ home planet to force them to join her by destroying their sun and entire world. Thus the beginning of how she will come into power.

Prima Nova – Missy and Quynn begin planning for the auction. Quynn is instructed to lure the Doctor and Clara to them.

London, 2013/14 – The TARDIS phone rings. The Doctor accepts a mission and forces Clara to be his partner in crime. He retrieves two memory worms then takes her into the city to get an outfit for the Prima Nova Biannual Charity Auction Ball. An invitation is placed outside the TARDIS by an unseen figure who had travelled there from approximately one year into the future. The Doctor places the invitation in his breast pocket and they erase their memories.

Prima Nova (the first auction) – The Doctor and Clara arrive at the planet after their memories had been erased and leave the TARDIS to figure out why they were sent there. They encounter Missy for the first time since they had left her on Skaro. They enter the auditorium and succumb to the effects of the Comasphere. Their bodies are invaded by Persuaders and their minds are infected with a virus. The Doctor unknowingly trades a copy of the TARDIS key to Missy. Clara and the Doctor are taken to a room where they are forced to conceive a child. They leave the room and head back to the ship. Once aboard, the Doctor sends them to Clara’s flat then deletes the data to the TARDIS interface. Clara and the Doctor touch the memory worms and their memories of all that had happened are erased. The Persuaders leave their bodies to become lost within the infinite walls of the ship. The Doctor and Clara awaken. He tells her to wait for his call as he tries to figure out what happened to them.

London, 2013/14 – Six weeks pass. The Doctor returns to Earth after discovering the invitation in his pocket. He picks up Clara and takes her back to Prima Nova with him.

Prima Nova (the second auction) – Future Quynn travels to the past. She gains entry to the auction house and encounters the Maître D’. She gives him a package and a note intended for a Mr Smith. Later that night, the Doctor and Clara arrive. He receives the note and two pairs of glasses from the Maître D’. The Doctor soon discovers that Clara is pregnant. They encounter Missy, unaware that it is the second time they have seen her since Skaro. They enter the auditorium where the Doctor’s mind is once again invaded by the Persuader. He agrees to trade his unborn child to save Clara’s life.

London, 2013/14 – After they leave the planet, the Doctor reveals that Clara is pregnant with their daughter. They have an argument and Clara leaves. Ten weeks pass. The Doctor returns and they set aside their differences. Another four weeks go by. He agrees to take Clara on another trip in order to tell her what she means to him.

London, 1865/Ood Sphere – The Doctor and Clara are kidnapped by a coachman in disguise who introduces himself as the Raven. It is discovered that she is really their daughter from the future who goes by the name of Quynn. Clara kills Quynn to save the Doctor and she regenerates. The Doctor and Clara escape captivity and flee to the Ood Sphere. Clara decides to leave the Doctor to go back to her friends and family as it may be the last time she will ever see them again.

London, 2013/14 – Four weeks pass. Danny has died and Clara calls for the Doctor. He arrives and decides to take her with him to help stop Quynn.

Messaline, 6012 – The Doctor and Clara arrive on the planet. Quynn has already been there. Clara plots to kill herself to alter her fate but is stopped when the Doctor confesses he is in love with her. They try to escape Quynn’s army. Clara is killed and time begins to rewrite itself. The Doctor saves Clara and his unborn daughter from death but the universe begins to suffer as a result.

New York City, 1893 – The Doctor contacts Missy. They agree to meet at Delmonico’s restaurant. Missy reveals she is the one that put him and Clara together. He offers to trade his life for the child but she refuses. Later, he discovers her future self has been sending messages to her past. He makes it his mission to find the end of the loop to stop her. He discovers the source of the haunted noises within the ship and asks the two Persuaders on board for their assistance.

The Garazone System, 2532 – The Doctor revisits his battle plans hoping to find another lead and discovers Garazone on the list. He recalls an old friend who owes him a favour and might be willing to give him information that would lead to Missy and Quynn. He takes Clara to the station and confronts Otto. The information eventually leads him to a transmission signal originating from the Justica system.

Mutter’s Spiral/Uninhabited Planet – The Doctor sets a plan in motion to meet with Quynn but his plans are cut short when Clara goes into labour. The Doctor and Quynn help deliver the baby. Quynn chooses to disobey her mother’s orders, suspecting that Clara and the Doctor are her real parents. The Doctor invades Quynn’s mind, leaving a ghost of himself buried inside her to help atone for her sins. Before parting ways, he gives her a sample of his newborn’s DNA.

New Sparta, 3135 – Years have passed since the day Quynn’s mind was infiltrated by the Doctor. Constantly plagued by the screams of her victims, she suffers from extreme hallucinations in the form of a man who she thinks is the Doctor. Feeling his presence nearby, she follows him into a building only to discover a mother and her children hiding in fear. She realizes the man she had been chasing across the universe isn’t real and was merely placed in her mind to persuade her to change. In a rare act of kindness, she allows the mother and children to escape unharmed before returning to her ship. Once on board, she discovers the truth about her identity and makes it her mission to get her revenge on Missy.

London, 2013/14 – The Doctor is quickly losing his grasp on reality as the virus continues to gain control of his mind. The thought of settling down with Clara and starting a family has become far more desirable than defeating Missy. Meanwhile, Quynn sets out to find the Doctor to join forces. She discovers an encrypted message hidden inside the device he had given her. She follows his instructions, leaving behind a singular chess piece at Clara’s flat as a sign that she is ready to talk, then sets her destination for the storm planet to wait for him.

After discovering the chess piece, the Doctor realizes how close he is to reaching the end. Having fully succumbed to the virus, he chooses to abandon the mission instead. Clara uncovers the Doctor’s plan to seduce her into falling pregnant, hoping she will agree to stay with him to raise a family. A fight brews between them before Clara is finally able to remind him of the importance of continuing the mission.

The Storm Planet – The Doctor arrives to find Quynn waiting for him. It is revealed that she has discovered the truth to her lineage. She begs for his forgiveness for what she has done. He accepts and brings her on board the TARDIS. Several days pass and the three of them decide upon a plan of action against Missy.

Present Day

“The Satanic Nebula,” the Doctor called towards the other side of the wall, then shifted his attention to the brightly lit fish tank situated above the icebox. “Or the lagoon of lost stars. Or we could go to Brighton!” He exited the small kitchen and followed the sound of his companion’s shoes tapping around in the next room. Discovering her in her bedroom, he stopped at the entrance and leaned against the doorway. “I’ve got a whole day worked out,” he informed her, somewhat impressed with himself for having managed his time in advance to prepare something for them.

“Sorry but, as you can see, I’ve got plans,” she replied over her shoulder as she hurried to put on her coat.

A confused look passed over his furrowed face as he studied her, unable to place what was unnaturally different about her more than usual. “Have you?” he inquired, failing miserably at sounding interested.

“Look at me,” she invited, finally acknowledging him for the first time all evening.

“Yeah, okay,” he replied, perplexed by the strange request. A test maybe?

“No, no, no. Like, no. Look at me,” she tried again, signalling to her hair and clothing as she approached him.

“Yep, looking.” Definitely a test, he thought. But what could I be missing?

“Seriously?” she asked, feeling deflated by his misuse of the obvious.

He found himself increasingly distracted by the brightly lit features of her face, his eyes fixed upon what he could only assume was some sort of reddish war paint plastered to her lips. “Why is your face all coloured in?” he questioned her, watching obliviously as she returned to the mirror to begin applying a floral-scented liquid to her neck and wrists. Something was definitely different about her, he was sure of it. “Are you taller?” he asked, sizing her up and down.

“Heels,” she answered, lifting her foot to reveal one of her black heightened shoes. Taking one last look at her finished form in the mirror, she turned and headed towards him once more.

“What, do you have to reach a high shelf?”

“Right,” she replied, smirking at his adorable cluelessness as she passed him in the doorway. “Got to go. Going to be late!”

“For a shelf?” he prodded, trying to prevent her from leaving before he had solved her little mystery.

“Bye!” she called to him and headed towards the front door. She reached for the knob and began to turn it when an unexpected sensation of fear caused her to stop, freezing her in place. A tremendous sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach was felt as if something were warning her of an oncoming threat. “Don’t answer it,” she blurted out inadvertently as though the words had been spoken by someone else.

The Doctor, employed by his curiosity, removed himself from the doorway and stepped into the hall. His head tilted slightly to the side as he studied her from afar. “I’m sorry?” he called to her.

His words seemed to dissolve into oblivion as her consciousness was dragged deep into the dark unvisited centre of her thoughts. Before she could determine the cause, her mind became flooded with thousands of images bursting their way into her head faster than she could even process them. She heard herself gasp under her breath as the visions tore through her defences and shattered her understanding of reality altogether. The more she tried to latch onto them, the quicker they passed her by. It was as if someone else’s terrifying memories were being downloaded directly into her thoughts all at once. A dark mask, a hooded demon, a red raven. The frightening images and emotions rushing through her were so very foreign and yet strangely intimate as they consumed her. Red grass, an infant girl, a vast sea of unknown faces, strange exotic new destinations never seen before. They felt so real, so powerful, it was as if she were drowning in the depths of an endless out-of-body experience. She found herself questioning her existence as the vast amount of fragmented memories swarmed around her. The part of her still fighting to take control was desperately clawing its way to the surface of her thoughts hoping to latch onto any aspect of familiarity before she became lost in the sea of inevitable insanity.

At last, the faint whisper of the Doctor’s voice penetrated the darkness like a pillar of light guiding her back to him. Following the sound of his calming lull, the walls around her slowly faded into recognition once again. Her eyes searched for anything commonplace that might anchor her to this world until they met with the Doctor’s own. The expression on his face suggested he had been waiting for a reply from her. Quickly attempting to shake the images from her mind, she released the knob and turned towards him. “Sorry, what?” she called back.

“You said, ‘Don’t answer it,’” he accused her softly.

“No, I didn’t,” she disputed, unwilling to accept the temporary loss of control in his presence.

“I’m rather sure that you did,” he insisted, taking a hesitant step in her direction.

She could feel his inquiring eyes upon her, dissecting her piece by piece in search of answers. And yet, as frightened as she was of the true meaning behind the strange visions burning their way into her thoughts, something about the look in his eyes felt calming as if he were luring her towards him for protection. Slowly approaching him, they looked to each other with an equally puzzled expression as if trying to decide amongst themselves in which order they were supposed to speak next. As hard as she tried, she couldn’t find the words to calm his growing concern for her well-being. She feared the thought of telling him the truth. That he would somehow think she’d gone mad. And maybe she had. What other possible explanation could there be? As he continued to study her, she couldn’t help the uneasy feeling of nervousness growing within her at having become the target of his sudden interest. The longer he retained his position in front of her, the harder it was to keep hidden what was going on inside her head. Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth to speak but was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a telephone ringing nearby which shattered the awkward silence between them. Startled by the noise, her head quickly turned towards the entrance of the living room where the sight of the time machine could be well observed.

The Doctor raised his brow and followed his companion’s distracted gaze towards the direction of the blue box parked in the middle of the room. Clara stared at the TARDIS intently as if entranced by its presence there. Her pulse began to rise as the unexpected feeling of déjà vu emanated from somewhere in the back of her mind. “There you go, you’ve got another playmate,” she recited as if by memory, though the words seemed to fall unnaturally from her lips as she spoke them. Through their returned silence, the phone continued to ring.

Returning his attention towards his companion, his eyes narrowed as he continued to ponder her strange behaviour. “It isn’t me. It’s you,” he replied, gesturing towards her pocket.

Her wide eyes shot back to his as if searching for the truth behind his words. Reaching into her back pocket, she hesitantly pulled out her phone and held it in front of her for inspection. She frowned in disbelief as a series of unfamiliar numbers were displayed upon the screen. This isn’t right, declared a voice from somewhere deep inside her mind. Something has changed.

“Are you alright?” he asked, growing more concerned by the less-than-satisfied expression on her face.

“Yeah, sorry,” she replied, trying to mask the rising apprehension forming at the thought of who or what could be calling her.

“Who is it?”

“I dunno.”

“Well, aren’t you going to answer it?” he questioned her, taking notice of her unusual reluctance. It wasn’t like her.

Taking a deep breath, she brought her hand to the screen and hesitantly hovered her finger over the answer button. “What if something happens?” she asked nervously.

“Like what?”

“A thing.”

“It’s just a phone, Clara,” he assured her, attempting to ease her scattered mind. “Nothing-”

“Nothing happens when you answer the phone,” she interjected, observing as he stared at her in a bewildered state of silence. “That’s what you were going to say, wasn’t it?” she asked, though his reaction only seemed to confirm her accusation. She lowered her glance towards the ringing object. Staring at the screen one last time, she pressed the button and answered the call. “Hello?” she spoke into the receiver. “Who is this?” The suspension between them grew by the second as they waited for an answer.

“Clara?” asked a familiar voice she knew very well.

The tension in every muscle of her body quickly dissipated as she realized who the voice belonged to. “Yes, hi! Sorry, I didn’t recognize the number.”

The Doctor felt his face frown with displeasure as he finally put two and two together. “Oh, I see. Is that the boyfriend then?” he asked, not even attempting to hide his irritation over the diversion taking place between them and anything else that could have been more interesting.

She glared at the Time Lord murderously and brought her finger to her lips to shush him. Turning around, she stepped away and plugged her ear to bring even the smallest amount of privacy to her conversation. The old man rolled his eyes and scoffed quietly to himself over her ridiculous attempt at ignoring him. “Yeah sorry, running a bit late. I’m just about to head out. Where are you calling from?” she wondered, making her way towards the front door. Before reaching it, she paused momentarily and leaned her shoulder against the wall. “Oh,” she replied discouragingly, trying to hide her disappointment. “No no, it’s fine. Yeah, totally understand. I was feeling a bit tired, actually,” she lied. “Rain check then. Okay. Yep, see you tomorrow. Bye.” Lowering the phone, she hung her head in defeated silence and ended the call.

Though her back remained turned to him, he needn’t see her face to understand what had happened. He uncomfortably cleared his throat, feeling very unsure of what he should do or say next that might alter the sombre mood in the room. “So, you’ve been stood up I take it?” he asked, then immediately thought to himself that it probably sounded a lot better in his head.

Clara quickly gathered her thoughts and did her best to appear unaltered by the unexpected interruption to her night. “Yeah, uh, I guess something came up,” she answered, turning towards him once more. Returning the phone to her pocket, she slowly made her way to him and concentrated all of her energy on trying not to feel sorry for herself.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” he inquired delicately. Though concerned for her current state of mind, a part of him remained hopeful that the sudden disruption to the evening would still work out in his favour.

“I’m fine,” she replied unconvincingly towards the floor.

“I see,” he conceded, seeing little point in challenging her obvious deception. He didn’t have to. He knew her all too well. As the silence grew between them, he peered at her hanging head and gently lifted her chin to meet his curious expression. “How did you know what I was going to say?” he wondered, eyeing her suspiciously.

Her eyes passed back and forth to each of his as she searched for an answer. “I dunno. Just a weird feeling I guess. Maybe we have been knocking about too long. I’m starting to think like you,” she teased with a warm smile. He matched her smile with his own as he continued to hold her in his grasp. His thumb inadvertently grazed over the surface of her cheek as if he had become possessed by her. His eyes seemed to be pulled into hers at their strong connection to each other. She found his unexpected touch oddly soothing despite her lingering fear of what was happening inside her head. Embracing his simple display of affection, she caught herself glancing towards his lips for the first time since she was in the presence of his last body. The thought alone of what they would feel like against hers betrayed everything she thought she understood about their relationship. And yet, the longer he held her, the more natural his sudden intimacy had become. In that one small moment, she sensed something developing between them that she hadn’t noticed before. Buried somewhere beneath her many layers of security was an aspect of familiarity she couldn’t quite place. A feeling she couldn’t explain as if he had held her this way many times before. Whatever the cause, she felt the need to break their connection to each other before she became lost in his gaze any further. It took all of her remaining willpower to carefully pry herself from his grasp. She nervously cleared her throat and quickly attempted to change the subject. “Well, I suppose it’s just you and me then. How do I look?” she asked, raising her arms from her sides.

“Uh, well,” he began, unsure of how to respond. “Sort of short and round-ish. But with a good personality, which is the main thing.”

“I meant my clothes. I’ve just changed,” she noted, gesturing towards her appearance once again.

“Oh,” he stated awkwardly, looking her up and down. “Well, good for you. Still making an effort I see.”

“Thanks,” she replied, frowning at his unsuccessful attempt to cheer her up in his own Doctory kind of way. Hoping to relieve her mind from the strange and very disappointing turn of events, she looked to her best friend and sighed. “Well, come on then. You’re my date.”

“Who, me?” he asked, pointing to himself in disbelief. “Oh, no. No, no, no. No, I don’t think so.”

“Yes, you. Like it or not, you still owe me from that little death-defying detour to the frost fair last week,” she pointed out.

“I agreed to no such terms,” he retorted. “If I’m not mistaken, you rather enjoyed that one.”

“I was almost vaporized by an incendiary grenade, no thanks to you,” she bit back.

“You’re still here, aren’t you? You can’t expect me to come running every time there’s a minor threat of death. We’d never get anything accomplished.”

“Easy for you to say. You weren’t the one left alone with Strax, all day,” she replied, squinting her eyes at him.

“You’re right, that sounds terrible.”

“You think?!”

“I’m starting to, yes.”

“Good. Glad to know at least something works up there,” she noted, gesturing towards his daft head. “Now come on, let’s go! Chop chop!” she insisted. She took his hand and began to pull him towards the door as he sulked behind her.

“I don’t do dates, I’m not a dating person!” he argued, trying to release himself from the vice-like hold she had on him.

“Not sure you get a vote,” she disputed, continuing to drag him down the hallway.

Realizing too late that he was rapidly losing the battle between them, he quickly pulled her into him and placed his arm around her waist to herd her towards the direction of the blue box. “I’ve just remembered! I know this extraordinary little restaurant at the other end of the universe. They only serve invisible food there! Bit of a gamble, but I’m sure you’ll love it. Let’s just pop into the TARDIS and-”

“Oh no you don’t,” she spun out of his grasp and pointed a stern finger up at him. “I’m not falling for that one again. The last time you promised me dinner on another planet, we nearly drowned trying to escape from an angry mob of fish people!”

“And? We didn’t, did we? Besides, what’s dinner without a bit of perilous entertainment?” he countered.

“Just dinner!” she exclaimed, trying her hardest not to murder him out of frustration.

“Exactly, boring. Very not me.”

“Doctor, so far my night has gone horribly and I’m extremely upset about it. Just this once, I’d like to pretend I still know how to live a normal life among actual people without things exploding all around me! Is that so much to ask?” she inquired adamantly. He opened his mouth to speak. “Never mind, don’t answer that,” she stopped him. “Look, here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to walk out that door and do my very best to enjoy what’s left of the evening. And if you care about me in any way at all, you’ll put away your screwdriver for just one night and come join me.” Allowing him only a moment to think it over, she turned from him to make her way down the hall and out of her flat leaving the door wide open behind her.

Surprised by her unexpected leave of him, he found himself torn by the choice she was forcing him to make. His focus teetered between his time machine and the direction of his impossibly stubborn companion. Either way he saw it, it all came down to which decision could be worse. Travelling without his best friend by his side or the gruelling experience of having to mingle amongst other humans. It was so unfair.

“Doctor?” she called from outside. “Are you coming?!”

Having weighed his limited options in the moment of brief abandonment, he rolled his eyes and childishly groaned at the question. “Fine!” he conceded, knowing deep down he couldn’t resist the charm she had about her that continued to draw him in no matter how hard he tried to fight it. He adored that about her and wouldn’t change it for anything. Reluctantly making his way towards the exit, he took hold of the knob and called to her from the doorway. “But there will be absolutely no dancing!” he insisted.

“Yeah, still not sure you get a vote!” she called back.

While reading, you may notice that there are some numbers and parentheses next to a select few lines of dialogue or text. These are time stamps. In this case, they indicate an exact point within a selected score (song) that the dialogue or paragraph takes place. Though everyone reads at a different pace, I hope that I was successful in getting as close to matching the words to the song as I possibly could. If you’re a naturally fast reader, you may want to slow down a bit and take your time reading the words. So, if you're interested in knowing where my inspiration for this next scene comes from, if you want to know what I felt in my heart when writing it, then I urge you to play this song in the background simultaneously with the very beginning of the scene.

*EDIT: You have to open YouTube in another page. Once you start scrolling down, about halfway through the scene, the attached link stops playing.

The Doctor observed from afar as Missy sat slumped in her chair. Her catatonic condition was brought to life by the wide-eyed terrified expression on her face. He could only imagine what sort of horrors she was being forced to face. The sight of her helpless crumpled form before him was nearly unbearable. If only it hadn’t needed to come to this. As many times as they had tried to kill each other in the past, this was the best option he had to ensure he could win without either of them being harmed.

After a moment, the doors to the TARDIS opened and Clara exited the box. She rested her hand upon the frame as her eyes met with the familiar presence of her Time Lord. “Doctor,” she called to him softly.

He quickly spun around at the sound of her voice. “Clara,” he whispered back, feeling relieved by the sight of her presence. They cautiously approached each other and met in the middle of the room, their focus drawn to one another as if nothing beyond them mattered. There were so many things he wanted to say yet didn’t know where to start or how to begin. Being forced to openly deny his love for her had destroyed him on the inside. And now that they were standing in front of each other again, all he could think about was wanting to hold her in his arms and tell her how sorry he was. But he feared that it was too late. That he had already ruined everything between them. “Are you okay?” he managed to ask.

“I’m alright. She didn’t hurt me,” she assured him. His eyes softened with apology and remorse as the events of the evening continued to tear him apart. She knew all too well the pain he was suffering at the cost of risking their friendship to save her. All she had left to offer was her compassion and understanding. “That was a nice touch back there, your tragic confession. Not your best performance, but she seemed to have bought it pretty well,” she teased, attempting to lighten the mood between them.

Though surprised by her words, he was greatly pleased to hear that she had seen passed his deception and through to his hearts. “How did you know I was lying?”

A compassionate smile passed over her as she gazed at him. “The way you look at me. The way you’ve always looked at me. That was never a lie.”

Matching her smile as best he could, he delicately took her by the waist to pull her closer and lowered his glance to the space between them. His hand passed along the front of her and gently pressed against her middle. “Is it true?” he asked, his eyes lifting to read her expression carefully.

Her smile quickly faded as her guilt of having kept him in the dark about her condition devoured her. She fought her shameful tears and found the courage to tell him the truth. “Yes.”

He closed his eyes and sighed disheartenedly. “How far?”

“A few weeks, maybe more,” she answered, realizing how long she had been hiding her secret from him. “I knew the moment I felt the warmth.”

The moment between them became still as his senses were lured towards a pair of tiny hearts beating deep within her. His fingers protectively spread over their source as he met with the new life form growing inside of her. The feel of his child’s pulse beneath his palm was both sentimental yet incredibly tragic as if he were welcoming them into existence and bidding them farewell at the same time. “Oh, Clara,” he whispered, meeting her eyes with his tearful gaze. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Would we have ever gotten this far if I had?” she wondered, though she already knew the answer. Coming to terms with the reality they were facing, he nodded softly in understanding. He pulled her towards his chest and wrapped his arms around her in a loving embrace. She laid her head against him and allowed her tears to fall openly as the wound of her betrayal set in. “I’m sorry, Doctor. I know how much this baby means to you.”

He sighed and kissed the top of her head. Though the chances of meeting his child were highly improbable, he couldn’t imagine what the alternative would have been if he had lost his companion instead. “Don’t be sorry. As long as I still have you, that’s all that truly matters,” he replied. He held her quietly for a few moments before turning his attention towards his daughter who approached the couple holding the Comasphere out to him. He nodded his appreciation and placed the sphere into his pocket. Releasing his companion, he turned to face his oldest friend who remained seated in her comatose state staring off into oblivion. He made his way to her desk and peered down at a series of neatly stacked letters upon its surface. Retrieving them, a small smile passed over his face as he thought about all the hardships he had overcome just to reach this point. How far he had come to finally win.

Clara regained herself and approached his side to better observe what had taken his interest. “What are they?”

Turning towards her, his brow playfully raised at the question. “Beethoven’s Fifth,” he answered with a child-like grin and tucked the letters neatly into his pocket.

“What will happen to her now?” she asked, glancing at Missy’s unresponsive form. For a moment, it was almost as if there was a part of her that couldn’t help but feel sorry for the deranged woman. Almost.

“She can’t hurt anyone. As long as she remains here, she will be trapped in fear by what she has done.”

“You’re just going to leave her here like this?” she questioned him, knowing how unlike him that sounded.

“No,” he assured her. “If we have indeed altered the future, then she will be released. It will be as if none of it ever happened. And if not, then I will come back for her. That is until I’ve felt she has endured enough.” He sighed and took one last look at his most notable foe. “Perhaps one day we will set aside our differences. Until then, I might be in the market for something large enough to keep her contained for a while,” he laughed and glanced over his shoulder towards Quynn, only to discover her sombre expression staring off into the void of her thoughts. His smile quickly faded at the sight of it. He cleared his throat and peered down at his companion. “Clara, will you give us a minute?” he asked, observing her curious expression at the request. “I’ll see you in the TARDIS, okay?”

Her eyes diverted towards Quynn for a brief moment then returned to his in understanding. “Of course,” she complied before removing herself from his presence. Approaching their daughter, she wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tightly. Surprised by her mother’s sudden affection, Quynn hesitantly embraced her caring gesture. “Thank you,” Clara whispered, hiding her face behind Quynn’s shoulder. Feeling her tears returning, she released her and leaned away to see her face. She placed her hand on her cheek and smiled tearfully as she gazed upon her one last time. Doing her best to maintain her composure, she returned to the desk and took up the carrier in her arm before heading through the open doors of the TARDIS.

Now alone, the Doctor tucked his hands in his pockets and hesitantly stepped towards his daughter. “Where will you go?” he asked solemnly.

Quynn smirked to herself as she thought about how his determination to remain hopeful in even the bleakest of times was worthy of her admiration. Deep down, they both understood the cost of what they had done and what it would mean for both of them. And yet, just this once, maybe there was room in her hearts to view things in a different light as he did, even if only very briefly. “Perhaps I’ll create my own path throughout the stars.”

He smiled as best he could as the pain of their inevitable reality settled inside of him. “Don’t run. Stay with us,” he pleaded softly.

Quynn drew her attention towards the time-machine where the sight of her mother could be seen rocking the baby in her arms. “She needs you,” she replied, looking to him once more. “If this doesn’t work, the child will need a father in her life to show her the ways of the universe.”

A regretful sigh escaped him as the memory of everything that had been taken from him began to surface. No matter where they were to go from there or what was to happen, he’d never be able to fix what had so wrongfully been done to her. “I wish things had turned out differently for us,” he confessed, doing what little he could to hold back his heartbreak.

“Everything is as it should be,” she comforted him, taking a moment to find the words to say that would earn his understanding in exchange for the gratitude she had gained from his wisdom. “A brave man once told me that life is very fleeting when you’re not immortal. I only wish I had understood what he meant sooner. I’ve come to realize that our existence in this universe is never guaranteed. That the paths we forge can only be carved by the choices we make. If we’ve accomplished anything here today, I can only hope I have given back what I’ve taken from so many. You and I both know that for balance to be restored to the universe, I must never exist. I have accepted that,” she explained as genuinely as she knew how to be.

Turning his head, he glanced towards his companion. He watched from a distance as she carefully placed their baby in her bassinet and admired her from above. He smiled warm-heartedly as she rested her hand over her middle and allowed her fingers to brush over the surface with great affection for the life she carried inside of her. The elation she displayed towards their growing family was enough to bring even the smallest glimpse of hope for what the future had in store for them. “Never say never,” he replied, returning his attention to his daughter. “Perhaps our paths will cross again one day.”

“Yes, perhaps they will,” she smiled in return and extended her hand to offer a final farewell. “Goodbye, father.”

Peering down at the gesture, he took her hand in both of his and brought it to his lips to kiss it softly. He returned his tearful eyes to hers and took in every last detail of her before releasing her from his grasp. Glancing towards the blue box, he headed in the direction of his companion. He crossed the threshold and turned towards his daughter, nodding his farewell before closing the doors to this reality for what would be the last time.

His grasp upon the handle, he inhaled a deep breath and called to arms all the courage he had remaining to help prepare himself for what he knew was to come. After everything they had been through together, after all the challenges they had faced, the hardest part was finally upon them; their final moment together. There would be no turning back now, it was only a matter of time. Releasing the handle, he slowly turned to face his companion. The sight of her presence before him relieved him of his held breath, being drawn to her beauty as if she were the very last flame still fighting to bring an essence of life into the surrounding darkness. Taking his place beside her at the console, his eyes gazed into hers as if he would never leave them.

“So, I suppose this is it then,” she spoke solemnly, fighting the flood of emotions attempting to gain control over her heart.

“I suppose so,” he answered sorrowfully.

Her eyes fell shyly to the floor as she tucked her hair behind her ear and allowed a small smile to spread across her lips. “We made a pretty good team back there.”

He matched her smile with his own and brought his hand to her chin, carefully lifting her gaze to meet with his once more. “You were brilliant.”

Her expression brightened for only a moment at his affection. “I had a good teacher.” Her eyes passed back and forth to each of his as the reality of what they had done forced its way into her soul. “We won’t remember any of this, will we?”

He sighed and held back the tears that yearned to form. “No,” he whispered, trying his hardest to stay strong for her as his hearts tore themselves apart. “The moment we leave here, every event that had led up to this point would never have happened. All that had been accomplished would cease to be. The paradox will be shattered.”

She swallowed the pain rising from within her, feeling every bit of it burning her throat as she fought her tears in his presence. Attempting to shield herself from the look of heartbreak in his eyes, she glanced at their child resting peacefully in her bassinet. She hesitantly approached her side and peered down at their sleeping baby girl. “Will it hurt her?”

“No, she won’t feel a thing. She’ll have no idea that anything has happened,” he assured her.

“Will I ever see her again?”

“I wish I knew the answer to that. All I can tell you is that I know how deeply her parents love each other, even when they don’t say it. Even though they should. People like us, we should say what is really in our hearts. Our truth was never meant to be kept hidden away. Never a moment wasted. No matter where we are to go from here, as long as we remain bound by the love we share between us, there will always be hope for her and perhaps more in the future.”

Clara smiled towards their baby as the sincerity of his words warmed her heart. Even at the most difficult of times, he always knew exactly what to say. Lowering herself to her, she closed her eyes and softly kissed their daughter’s cheek, knowing this was goodbye. But maybe not forever. Perhaps there was still a chance they would see each other again one day. Returning to her natural stance, she took a deep breath and nodded as confidently as she could. “I’m ready, Doctor.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, raising his brow.

“No,” she answered, turning to face him once more. “And I don’t expect that I ever will be. But I’ll have you, and that’s as good a place as any to start.” She smiled and returned to his side, to the place she knew in her heart she would always belong.

He returned her smile and carefully took her hands in his, feeling comforted by the trace amount of electricity flowing through her fingers. Bringing them to his lips, he gently kissed their surface and gazed tenderly into her eyes, knowing everything he wanted to say to her she already knew. Once ready, his smile brightened to the newfound enthusiasm taking place inside of him. “So, Clara Oswald. What would you say to another adventure?”

She couldn’t help the grin that formed on her face at the offer. “What did you have in mind?”

He excitedly released his grasp on her at the question and hurried along the outside of the console, swinging the view-screen around to the other side as he circled it. As he animatedly began to fire up the engines, he looked to her with a new sense of exhilaration in his eyes. “How about the fiery rings of Collabria?! Or a holiday on Halergan Three?! Your choice! Wherever, whenever, anywhere in time and space!”

“Back in time for tea?” she asked playfully, peering around the glass pillars of the time rotor to observe his elated expression.

“I’ll do my best,” he replied, smirking at the unmistakable look of wonder in her eyes he missed so dearly as it finally made its return to her face.

“Just like old times then,” she laughed and rushed around the console to his side.

“All of time and the universe, right at our fingertips! Anything could happen!” he exclaimed. His fingers danced energetically over the buttons and keys in front of him as he awakened all of the ship’s systems.

“We best get on with it then. The planets aren’t going to save themselves,” she teased.

“Just the Doctor and Clara Oswald in the TARDIS. What would you say to lunch on a distant asteroid, followed by breakfast in ancient Rome?! Then cocktails on the moon! Why? Because we’re time travellers and that’s how we roll!”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she replied, gripping the edge of the console in anticipation.

“It could be dangerous,” he grinned excitedly.

“I’m counting on it,” she grinned back.

His gaze never leaving his companion’s, he placed his hand on the lever and held it steady as the emotion observed within her eyes captivated his soul. He took a deep breath and allowed every part of himself to be immersed by the vast amount of electricity between them striking the air. “This is it, Clara. Our moment of truth. The end of the line. There’s no going back. No guarantees. From this point forward, our futures will be uncertain. Our fates left unsealed. One last pull of this lever, there’s no telling what might be waiting for us out there.”

Closing the small distance between them, she peered up at his beaming expression and hesitated for only a moment before nodding confidently in his presence. “Then we’ll do it together,” she smiled brightly and placed a gentle hand atop his own with care. “Just as we always have.”

He returned her smile and brought his remaining hand to carefully rest upon her cheek, taking in every detail of her for all it was worth. She was every bit as beautiful to him as the very first time he laid eyes upon her in his previous form, and she always would be. “My impossible girl,” he spoke softly, allowing his fingers to brush over the surface of her soft skin and through her hair. He delicately cupped her head in his palm and gazed into her vibrant brown eyes as they stared back at him. He slowly leaned his head towards hers and stopped, their lips nearly touching. “See you on the other side.” He closed his eyes and pressed his lips to hers as a wave of passion came over him, savouring every moment of her divine taste for what could be the very last time.

Gripping the lever securely, they pulled it down together and held onto each other tightly. The time rotor suddenly began to spring into action. Its mechanisms ascended and descended back into itself as the TARDIS signature melody of time travel clattered all around them. The feel of its engines purred underneath their feet as the living machine dematerialized towards their next unknown destination.

Flashback to the uninhabitable storm planet. The Doctor and Quynn silently stare each other down from afar as lightning struck fiercely in the distance. Her long black cloak rustled with the passing breeze as the sky boomed with the sound of thunder. It was only a matter of time before the oncoming storm had closed in on them.

“How did you find me?” he tested her, unsure of her intentions as he stood his ground against the ever-threatening elements of the planet’s surface. He prided himself on being notoriously difficult to track. With as many enemies as he had faced over his lifetime, very few had proven themselves able to pinpoint his exact location throughout all of time and space. Unless, of course, he wanted to be found. There was only one way she could have known exactly where to find him, and only one way to know for sure if she could be trusted. His glance shifted towards her side where he noticed an object clenched in her hand. He watched closely as she raised her arm and tossed the object towards him. It flew through the air and landed in the dirt at his feet, revealing itself to be the device he had given her upon their last encounter with each other. His eyes peered down at it for only a moment before returning to hers.

Remaining silent at his inquiry, she knew full well that he already knew the answer. ‘When you’re ready to know the real truth, you’ll know what to do with it,’ were the last words he had spoken to her before she had discovered the device’s secrets hidden within. A message for her had been encoded into its files along with detailed instructions on how and where to find him. In that final moment of realization, she finally understood that only the truth would be able to release her from her mother’s grasp. Knowing all the damage she had caused and the pain she had inflicted upon so many lives, there was only one person in the known universe that had the power to make it right. An overwhelming wave of remorse claimed her as she collapsed to the ground. Her arms braced themselves in front of her as she sobbed before him.

“Quynn!” he cried as he rushed towards her. His knees hit the dirt as he fell in front of her and took her by the shoulders to hold her steady.

Her head lifted at his caring gesture, allowing her tears to fall openly in his presence. After everything she had been through, after everything she had done, there was only one thing she could think to say. “I’m sorry,” she confessed as she fell into his warm embrace.

Surprised by her sudden affection, he carefully wrapped his arms around her and held her close as his hearts tore for her. He closed his eyes and exhaled his held breath, letting go of everything he knew himself to be. “I know,” he whispered gently.

Flashback to several days later inside the TARDIS control room.

“What we need is a plan,” the Doctor declared as he slowly paced about the control room between his companion and his newly acquired female passenger. Quynn and Clara looked to each other as if the answer was hidden somewhere amongst them. “We need to get onto that planet. It’s the only way we’re going to stop her,” he continued, then turned his attention towards his daughter. “Can you lower the deflection barrier?”

“It can only be controlled from the inside. I don’t have access to it from here,” she informed him.

“What about your ship?”

“Even if I could get us close enough, she’ll know we’re coming. She will suspect a trap the moment I’ve tapped into the controls.”

“And we’d have the Shade on us within minutes, I’d expect. No, that’s no good. I need more time.” He rubbed the back of his neck and continued to pace around the room in mild frustration. “Okay, so options then. What have we got?”

“I’m the only one who can get us through to the surface without raising suspicion. However,” she paused, knowing what she was about to say would be met with unfavourable objection. “I can’t go back there empty-handed. She may have raised me as her own, but she wouldn’t hesitate to kill me once she discovers I’ve betrayed her orders. I need collateral, something I can bargain with to prove my loyalty to her. Unless I have the child-”

“No, absolutely not. If anything were to go wrong, we’d have to start this all over again.” He ran a hand down his exhausted face as his mind worked to find a solution to their problem. As much as he hoped to find a way to beat Missy without jeopardizing anyone’s life, he knew she was right. Sending Quynn in alone might as well be suicide. The only way to win was to let go of his fear of losing those closest to him. Without great risk, there would be no reward for them in the end. But what did he have to bargain with? His life had proven to be of little value to her, and he couldn’t wager a successful outcome by sending the child in without him there to stop her from being sent back to the past. Sighing, he returned to Quynn’s side and tried again to discover a weakness he could work with. “You know her. There must be something we can offer that will buy us more time.” The pair of them stared at each other for what felt like an eternity until the answer finally revealed itself. Turning their heads, they glanced in the direction of his companion who had remained surprisingly quiet throughout the discussion.

“Me?” Clara asked, astonished by the implication.

“Yes, you. Good idea,” he agreed, pointing at her with a bit of child-like excitement. It had been so long since their last real adventure together, he nearly forgot how it felt to be knocking about as partners in crime once again. Having become distracted from their relationship over the past few days, he couldn’t help but notice the perturbed expression forming on her face as if she were trapped by her thoughts. Sensing her rising apprehension, he cautiously approached her side to allow for a moment of privacy between them. Where he would have expected her to feel comforted by his presence, he felt only tension building inside of her at his closeness. Whatever the cause, one particular possibility came to mind that might explain her unusual reluctance to involve herself in the mission ahead. “Unless, of course, there’s a reason you shouldn’t?” he insinuated, studying her expression carefully for any sign of deception taking place within her. “Because, if there is, now would be the time to tell me,” he pressed further, his eyes falling to her middle for a brief moment before returning to hers.

His inquiring gaze upon her, she nervously crossed arms in front of her as if to shield herself from him and tried to avoid the answer she knew he was looking for. “No, I’ll do it,” she nodded, ignoring his concern to concentrate on being as brave as she knew how to be.

“Are you sure you’re up for it?” he eyed her suspiciously. “You know this could be dangerous. I wouldn’t want for you to get hurt.”

“Don’t worry, daft old man. I can handle myself,” she assured him, willing a small smile to her face to calm his uneasiness.

“Well, it seems it’s settled then,” he replied, conceding his pursuit of pressing the issue any further to return to the task at hand. “So, we have our way in. The board is set and the pieces are in play. What we don’t have is an exit strategy. Although, what’s the point of having one if you don’t understand how you got there in the first place?” he paused, grinning to himself. “The problem with winning is you only ever focus on the victory. You’ll never be able to see the bigger picture if you’re blind to the events that led you there. And if you can’t see them, how do you expect to ever learn anything?” Reaching into his breast pocket, he pulled out a small rectangular sheet of paper and held it on display in front of him. “I give you Exhibit A.” Turning to Quynn, he approached her side and handed her the invitation. “I take it you didn’t send me this.”

She read the card quietly to herself and shook her head. “I’ve never seen it before. I’m afraid the methods used to obtain our guests were very... discrete,” she confessed, remaining as vague as possible so as not to warrant his predictable disapproval.

“I expected as much. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have rung the TARDIS. Missy would’ve known the phone call was all the open invitation I needed to bring me there. Which can only mean one thing...”

In a dark alley across from one of London’s most popular city squares strode a shady looking figure. A black hoodie worn over his head concealed his identity from within as he approached a familiar blue box hidden from public view. The figure glanced around for any sign of wandering eyes then removed an envelope from his pocket. On its surface, the words The Doctor had been written. Placing the envelope on the ground, he knocked on the door then quickly retreated into the shadows from whence he came. He rounded the corner and headed towards an identical blue box parked in the next alley. Reaching the doors, he lowered his hood to reveal a mass of silver-coloured hair before proceeding his way inside.

“...I sent it to myself. Or at least I will have. I’ve left my own trail of breadcrumbs for me to follow,” he revealed, smirking to himself at his cleverness.

“If you can do all that, you’d think you would’ve given us a little more warning,” Clara pointed out. “A few things come to mind that could’ve used a bit of a heads up if we’re listing them all in alphabetical order.”

“Not everything can be prevented, Clara. If that were the case, I would have told myself not to answer the phone. But then, I wouldn’t have been around to tell myself that,” he explained. “Which brings me to Exhibit B,” he grinned excitedly and turned towards his daughter. “This is where you come in...”

Flashback to Justice Delta inside of Missy’s control room.

“I could stay if you’d like. I’ve known this one to be rather… unpredictable at times,” Quynn emphasized, cuing Clara’s attention.

“That won’t be necessary. I can handle babysitting on my own,” Missy replied, turning towards her. “Prepare your forces. I want to be ready when he arrives. You never know what that man will have hidden up his sleeve.”

“As you wish, mother,” she bowed and moved aside as her mother drew near.

“You won’t win, Missy. The Doctor will never give her up,” Clara claimed, attempting to hold the mad woman’s attention on herself as Quynn made a move for the desk.

“Is that what he told you?” Missy laughed, circling the girl.

Quynn seized her only opportunity during their banter to retrieve the chess piece and a small wooden case from the desk while her mother was distracted. Hiding them beneath her cloak, she turned and quickly headed towards the entrance. She silently nodded towards her soldiers, signalling for them to join her. The three of them departed the room together and headed down the hall. Quynn picked up her pace and rounded the corner into the adjacent pathway before her soldiers could reach it. As they continued to follow the path ahead, the soldiers turned the corner and came to a sudden stop as they soon realized their commander had seemingly vanished without a trace.

Before her guards could determine the cause of her disappearance, Quynn had already transported herself back to her ship as it laid in orbit around the planet. Clinging to the chess piece in her hand, she quickly made her way down the corridors towards the cargo bay. The large metallic door slid open allowing her access to the loading dock where the TARDIS had been hiding within the safety of the ship’s walls. Approaching the blue box, she proceeded inside before shutting the doors behind her and heading towards the old man standing in the centre of the room.

The Doctor spun around at the sound of her entrance. “Did you get it?” he asked with more urgency in his voice than he intended there to be. He observed as she presented the case from beneath her cloak and lifted the lid to reveal two familiar pairs of glasses inside. “Good work,” he commended her with a smile and returned to the view-screen to input the next set of coordinates into the interface.

Quynn approached him at the console, setting the case and chess piece upon its surface. She removed her hood and mask and quickly parted ways with the rest of her uniform where a formal one-piece dress-suit had been concealed underneath. Setting a pin in her long amber-coloured hair, her appearance was far from the mass murderer she had shown herself to be. In one swift movement, she had completely transformed from a dark creature of destruction into the beautiful woman now standing beside him.

Proceeding around the console, he flipped several switches then placed his hand on the lever and turned towards her. “We need to hurry. I’m afraid you only have one shot at this before our window of opportunity has closed entirely. Can you get inside without being seen?” he asked, concerned he was about to send his only child directly into danger.

“I know where to go,” she assured him.

He reluctantly nodded and pulled down on the lever. The TARDIS began to dematerialize as her passengers held on tightly to the console. He couldn’t help but feel unnerved as the ship whirred towards their next destination. There was so much riding on this mission to save themselves that failing any part of it was sure to cause significant damage to the fabrics of time, let alone this reality. After a few moments, the time machine’s thudded landing was heard as it alerted them of their intended arrival. Returning to Quynn’s side, he took up the case in his grasp and turned towards her. “Be careful,” he cautioned, handing it over to her.

Taking the case from him, she couldn’t help but notice a certain spark in his eyes she had never seen before. A spark that brought with it not only a sense of excitement but an aspect of responsibility and care that seemed to surpass all words. In that one small moment, she felt more loved by him than the woman who raised her had shown in her entire life. And for that, she finally began to understand what kind of man he had been hiding beneath his coarse exterior. “I won’t fail you,” she replied before making her way to the doors once more.

“And remember,” he added, pointing a stern parental finger towards her as she spun around. “No running into your past self. There’s only so many paradoxes I can fix in one day.”

“I understand,” she nodded, then took a deep breath to prepare herself for the mission ahead of her.

Exiting the box, she examined her surroundings thoroughly to find that they had landed in a secluded garden beside the familiar auction house on Prima Nova. It was late morning, determined so by the binary suns shining down upon her from the brightly lit sky. Approaching the building, a pair of voices could be heard closing in from somewhere nearby. She flushed herself against the wall as two of her soldiers appeared from the other side and continued their rounds around the perimeter. She waited until the soldiers were out of sight then made her way to the exterior kitchen door, slipping her way inside. The room was barren of anyone to be concerned about as the catering staff had not yet arrived. Heading towards the next door, she froze in place as another pair of footsteps could be heard approaching from the hallway. Thinking quickly, she hid behind a large ice cabinet and clutched the case tightly to her chest.

“Where are we on preparations?” asked a feminine voice she knew very well.

“The doors are being installed as we speak,” replied the servant.

“And the artefacts?”

“They’ve just arrived. They’re unloading them now.”

“See to it that they’ve arrived unharmed,” the woman ordered with an intimidating harshness to her voice. “And be quick about it. You know mother doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the servant complied before removing himself from her presence.

The young woman waited until the servant was out of sight before heading in the other direction when she suddenly paused and turned her head towards the kitchen entrance. Sensing someone nearby, she slowly stepped towards the room and stopped in the middle of the doorway. Her eyes scanned the large space for anything out of the ordinary and quietly listened in for even the slightest disturbance.

Quynn held her breath as her past self remained outside. The strange feeling of déjà vu tore its way through her mind as she recalled the memory of having been there before. Her hearts began to race as the presence of her former self stood at the end of what little amount of space was separating them. Just when it seemed that at any moment she would be discovered and the mission would surely fail, a voice originating from somewhere in the building claimed her past self’s attention. Abandoning her curiosity, her past self removed herself from the doorway and headed in the voice’s direction. Exhaling her held breath, Quynn waited until the sound of her own footsteps had dissipated then removed herself from behind the ice cabinet and exited the kitchen. Entering the hallway, she quickly made her way through the house and continued her mission towards the lobby. Once certain she had made it to her destination undetected, she proceeded into the large space and headed for the host’s station. A scaly man she recognized stood behind it while meticulously sorting a list of names in front of him. A badge pinned below his lapel was inscribed with the words ‘Xarbanka, Maître D’.’

His head lifted with surprise at her entrance and quickly came around the side of the station to confront her. “I’m terribly sorry, madam,” he began politely. “But guests for tonight’s festivities are not expected to arrive for several hours. If you’d like, I’m sure I could arrange some accommodations for you?”

She smiled brightly and played along with her role as best she could. “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary. I’ve come on a more personal matter, actually.” She presented the case and handed it over to the man who seemed perplexed by the unusual request but accepted it. “May I borrow your pen?” she asked, observing the pad of paper lying next to the guest list. Returning to the station, he obligingly handed her his pen and the pad. She smiled in appreciation and began to write a message before tearing off the top sheet, folding it neatly and handing it back to him. “It’s very important that he receives this. See to it that he does,” she instructed.

“Of course,” he complied, taking the note from her. Placing the case inside the station, he opened the note to read its contents where the words ‘For Mr Smith, from a friend’ had been written. The man stared at the peculiar message for a few moments as if trying to uncover any additional information he might have been missing. “Who should I say it is from?” he asked, returning his attention towards the mysterious woman, only to discover that she had vanished into thin air.

Returning to the TARDIS, she opened the door and entered the control room. She shut the door behind her and approached the Doctor at the console once again. His attention remained focused on a particular task as she drew closer. In one hand was his screwdriver and in the other was one of the two perception filter badges he had stolen from her battle-room.

“I trust you were successful,” he acknowledged her from over his shoulder as he hurried to update the badge’s data.

“He didn’t recognize me if that’s what you mean,” she replied, choosing not to disclose how close she had come to failing her objective. She waited patiently beside him as he continued his work. Once finished, he set down the screwdriver and turned towards her to fasten the badge to the lapel of her blouse. She studied his expression carefully, taking notice of his quiet discontent as he appeared to be suffering from an internal battle with himself. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather confront her yourself?” she offered.

His silence lingered for a few moments as he fought the temptation to accept her proposition. Under any other circumstances, he never would have allowed her to take on this dangerous mission in his place to begin with. But this was no ordinary circumstance. “I can’t,” he painfully declined.

“Why?”

He sighed with a heavy heart and attempted to mask his increasing disappointment in himself. “Because I no longer trust myself to make the right choice,” he confessed, shielding his shameful glance as he reached into his pocket and pulled a pair of glasses to hand to her. His eyes stole a brief glimpse of hers before removing himself from her to return to the console.

Quynn tucked the glasses into her blouse and observed from afar as the old man silently calculated their next point of interest. The melancholy building between them could be felt within every fibre of her being. There was no denying that they had become an essential component in the inevitable downfall of each other. The love he bore for her and his companion caused him to question everything he knew himself to be. And yet, without it, she never would have been released from the darkness that bound her towards a path of destruction. He may have loved her enough to save her from herself, but the pain of her actions remained a constant in her life even after all these years. “The screams. Do they ever leave you?” she asked, equally frightened of the answer as she was of the question.

His hesitation to answer was impressively palpable. He knew all too well the agony he caused her to suffer by releasing her inner demons. An unfortunate though necessary decision on his part. No matter how hard he tried to silence his own demons, he would never be able to escape the horrors he had inflicted upon his victims who continued to torment his darkest nightmares whenever he closed his eyes. And for that, he was never truly alone. “No,” he lamented softly, lowering his head towards the console. “I’m sorry.” Distracting himself from the conversation, he reached towards the interface and flipped a switch on the upper panel which activated a high-frequency signal being broadcasted throughout the ship. As he waited for a response, his glance shifted towards a small silver case resting in front of him. His fingers gently brushed its surface before opening it to reveal a singular adhesive voice patch contained inside. He delicately removed it from its place of rest then turned to face her. “I’ll be watching everything from right here,” he explained, gesturing towards the view-screen. “Once we make the switch, I won’t be able to talk you through it. You will be on your own.” Approaching slowly, he peered into her eyes and attempted to fight the increasing confliction coursing through his mind. “Are you certain you want to go through with this? You and I both know what might happen if we are successful. There’s still time to change your mind.”

Quynn took a moment to consider her answer. Though torn by the thought of which fate would be awaiting her in the end, she reluctantly nodded and proceeded to find a way to relate to him on a more personal level he could understand. “I’ve had years to think about this, Doctor. If I’m truly destined to make it out of this alive, I fear I will never be able to forgive myself for what I’ve done.”

Knowing there was nothing he could say that would cause her to reconsider, he sighed and nodded in return. “I understand,” he replied, carefully placing the patch to the side of her neck then cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand. Gazing into her eyes, he forced a sad smile to his face as if taking one last look at her. Just then, a pair of haunted moans suddenly filled the space all around them. The demons’ screams grew louder as they drew closer towards the source of the signal. “Are you ready?” he asked, sensing that their time was quickly running out. Quynn inhaled a deep breath in preparation and nodded in response. The pair turned to face what was coming for them as father and daughter for the very first time. He could sense her rising apprehension as the sound of bellowing voices inched their way closer to their location. Lowering his glance towards her side, he took her hand in his and squeezed it tightly. “Don’t be afraid. I won’t let them harm you, I promise. There’s an entire planet at stake for them now.” Lifting his head, he confidently stood his ground as the two Persuaders finally appeared from the walls of the ship and floated towards them. Their razor-sharp talons and glass-like teeth glistened in the light provided as they came closer. “Remember, just like we practised,” he whispered. Exhaling their held breath, they closed their eyes and cleared their minds of all internal thought. The Persuaders screamed in response, then entered their minds.

Justice Delta

Missy stood quietly at the security console, her focus drawn towards the sensors as they continued to scan each auto beacon one by one. A tedious yet necessary task whenever the deflection barrier became lowered in the off-chance an unsuspecting threat managed to slip its way past the planet’s defences. As highly unlikely as it was for anyone to enter the system without being detected, one could never be too careful. To her satisfaction, everything seemed to be functioning as normal. After a few moments, the sound of footsteps could be heard approaching the open chamber door from the hallway. A smile peeled over her lips as a familiar presence entered the room and came to a stop behind her.

“Commander Quynn, I hope you’ve come bearing gifts,” she addressed the visitor without bothering to lift her gaze.

“Perhaps not the one you were hoping for, but a gift nonetheless,” Quynn’s distorted voice replied as more footsteps were heard approaching from the hall. Standing aside, she waited patiently as two of her soldiers entered dragging a familiar prisoner between them.

“Let go! Get your hands off me!” Clara demanded angrily, fighting the soldiers hold on her as they brought her to the middle of the room.

Missy turned around at the sound of the female’s voice to observe the situation unfolding in front of her. “My my, what have you brought to my doorstep?” she sneered, slowly making her approach like a cat on the prowl. “I send you to collect a child and you bring back the family pet,” she added, taking notice of the girl’s slender form. “An empty one at that.”

“Forgive me, mother. I have no one to blame but myself for my mistakes,” she spoke solemnly, lowering her head in shame. “The child was within my grasp. And yet, I fear I had become blinded by my desire to fulfil a greater sense of purpose. A decision I have painfully regretted ever since. I can only hope that I am able to redeem myself in your eyes by offering you an alternative in exchange for my failure. He will come for her,” she assured her.

Missy’s eyes narrowed with suspicion as she studied what little she could see beyond her daughter’s shaded disguise. “And how, may I ask, were you able to procure her?” she inquired, attempting to fill the holes of Quynn’s excuses with her own theories.

Quynn silently shifted her gaze towards a satchel fastened to her belt. Lifting the clasp, she reached inside and removed a small object from within. She approached her mother, setting the object on the desk beside her.

Missy eyed the mysterious gift before picking it up to examine it further. To the naked eye, it appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary chess piece. But as she looked closer, its real hidden wonders began to reveal itself. “A long-range teleporter? How clever of you,” she remarked, twirling the pawn in her hand. There were very few species she could name that had access to such technology. And even fewer who possessed the knowledge to achieve something as advanced as vortex manipulation without help. Such devices were incredibly difficult to come by. Unless, of course, you happened to gain the trust someone stupid enough to offer it willingly.

“I told you he was a fool, Mother,” Quynn remarked, sensing her mother’s approval.

“I’m quite impressed. Perhaps I’ve misjudged just how significant my training has been to you after all these years,” she commended her, returning the game piece to the surface of the desk. Turning to Clara, she approached her side and tapped her finger to her lips as if deep in thought. “Now, what to do with you?” she asked rhetorically. “I wonder how long it will take him to realize you’ve gone missing? If his timing is as bad as his judgment of character, we could be here a very, very long time. Just the two of us. Imagine all the fun we could have together.”

“What makes you so sure he will come for me at all?” she bit back.

“Oh, he’ll come,” she began, leaning in closer. “And when he does, you might want to consider being on your very best behaviour.”

“I could stay if you’d like. I’ve known this one to be rather… unpredictable at times,” Quynn suggested, turning her head towards Clara to stare her down from behind the darkness of her mask.

“That won’t be necessary. I can handle babysitting on my own,” she replied with a smirk before turning her attention towards Quynn. “Prepare your forces. I want to be ready when he arrives. You never know what that man will have hidden up his sleeve.”

“As you wish, mother,” she complied, bowing respectively.

“You won’t win, Missy. The Doctor will never give her up,” Clara claimed as she defiantly stood her ground against the Time Lady.

“Is that what he told you?” Missy laughed, circling her captive like prey. “All that time knocking about and you still have no idea who he is, do you? The question was never about if he was going to give her up, it was when,” she replied as Quynn and her soldiers removed themselves from the room leaving the two of them alone together.

“You’re wrong about him. He’s stronger than you will ever be. He will do whatever it takes to protect her. Even if it means you have to kill me.”

“Oh Clara, Clara, Clara. If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it already,” she declared with a malicious grin as she came around to face her.

“So why haven’t you?”

Missy sighed and rolled her eyes at the question. “There you go again, always thinking everything’s about you. You really are perfect for each other.”

“We’re going to get out of this. And when we do, I hope I finally have the chance to slap that smug smile off your face,” Clara threatened as their hatred for each other intensified the space all around them.

“Why wait?” she offered, stepping towards her until they were standing face to face. The anticipation between them grew by the second as they squared off against each other for dominance. After a few moments, the tension in the air was suddenly disrupted by the sound of an alarm ringing from the console’s interface. Her crude smile widened as the noise beckoned her attention. “Now, I wonder who that could be,” she remarked facetiously and turned towards the sound. Conceding their stand-off, she approached the console and tapped her fingers along the controls until a holographic view-screen was projected above her. The screen flickered for a few seconds before displaying a live image of the Doctor’s frowny face from inside the TARDIS control room. “Doctor!” she began as if surprised by his presence. “So good to see you again! I had no idea you were making house calls. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I believe you have something that belongs to me,” he answered sternly.

“Do I?” she asked, genuinely determined to get as far under his skin as possible. “Let me guess. Is it your pride? A sense of humour? Well, it certainly isn’t your bubbling personality.”

“We made a deal, Missy,” he fumed, his eyes fierce as he glared at the madwoman through the screen.

“I haven’t harmed a single hair on her pretty little head,” she assured him, then turned towards Clara. “Well? Go on, tell him.”

Clara glowered at her spitefully and stepped into view. “I’m alright, Doctor.”

Returning to the screen, Missy pressed her hands atop the console and leaned herself upon its surface. “As you can see, I’ve kept up my end of the bargain. You, on the other hand, have yet to come through on yours,” she noted, doing everything in her power to provoke him.

“Don’t do it, Doctor!” Clara insisted, doing what little she could to take control of the conversation. “Just forget about me. Take our daughter somewhere she’ll never be able to find her.”

He drew his attention towards his companion and looked to her compassionately. “You know I can’t do that.”

“You see, Clara? Predictable as always,” Missy replied, her lips curling venomously. “Well, Doctor. It appears as though your time is finally up. And I’ve grown tired of waiting. Will you admit defeat? Or would you prefer I kill her now and spare you the embarrassment?”

“Don’t you dare,” he commanded harshly. A moment of silence lingered in the air as he contemplated the severity of the situation. Taking a deep breath, he hung his head and sighed. “Alright, Missy. You win,” he conceded, returning his steely glance towards her direction. “Lower the deflection barrier. I’m coming in.”

“Doctor, NO!” Clara shouted in protest.

“Hurry my stallion!” Missy exclaimed whimsically. Switching off the screen, she began typing several commands into the console’s interface to pave the way for the Time Lord’s arrival. “Best stand out of the way, dear,” she spoke over her shoulder. “There’s no telling what sort of spankings will be in order when daddy comes home to find you’ve been squished.”

Doing as she was told, Clara stepped away from her position to stand beside the woman as a light breeze began to form all around them. The familiar sound of grinding and whirring was heard as the TARDIS materialized in and out of time on the spot she had been standing. After a moment, the ship finally landed in the centre of the room like the pillar of hope it had always been known for. Once settled, the door opened and the Doctor stepped out to observe his surroundings before closing the door behind him. “Doctor!” she called to him.

“Clara!” he called back as she started to rush to him.

“Ah-ah-ah!” Missy stopped her, snaking her arm around Clara’s torso to hold her tightly against her from behind. Clara gasped from under her breath as Missy quickly pulled a dagger from her blouse and held it to her throat. The Doctor froze in fear at the sight of it. “Patience, poppet. Wouldn’t want to spoil the moment by getting yourself killed too early now, would we?” she asked, drawing her attention towards the old man. “I hope you haven’t come all this way empty-handed. Where’s the child?”

“She’s safe inside. And that’s where she will remain until I’m certain no harm will come to Clara,” he threatened, attempting to maintain composure over his companion’s captivity.

“You stupid, daft old man,” Clara declared angrily, attempting to remain still in Missy’s grasp. “Why? Why did you come back for me?”

Despite her outrage and his concern for her life being threatened under Missy’s blade, he couldn’t help the endearing expression that formed on his face at the question. “I have a duty of care,” he told her, knowing there was more truth to that statement than he would ever dare to admit in the presence of his enemies.

“Well, isn’t that just precious,” Missy chimed in, severing the brief moment of privacy between them. “If you could see the look in your eyes right now, Doctor. Such love and affection for your human. One might say it could almost pass for the real thing,” she declared maliciously.

“Missy,” he warned, flashing her a heated glance from beneath his furrowed brows. “Don’t.”

“What do you mean the real thing?” Clara interjected, directing her attention towards him. “Doctor, what is she talking about?”

“You mean you haven’t told her?” the Time Lady replied with a laugh.

“It hasn’t exactly come up in conversation, no,” he confessed, hoping there was some part of her that wouldn’t press the issue any further, yet knew she wasn’t the type of person who would allow such advantageous generosity.

“My my, and here I thought I was the cruel one,” she added, smirking to herself.

Clara studied his expression carefully expecting to discover an answer, only to be met with the look of shame spreading across his face. “What haven’t you told me, Doctor?”

“Should I tell her, or would you like to do the honours?” Missy offered, amused by the sour turn of conversation.

“Well someone better tell me what the hell is going on!” Clara snapped back.

“I will,” he reluctantly volunteered, stepping forward to address her as personally as he could given the circumstances. His mind struggled to find the words, though none would be able to redeem him of the lie he had been keeping from her all this time. He hadn’t planned for this moment. And now that it was upon him, there was nothing he could do to prevent the damage he was about to inflict upon his companion. He looked to her and sighed with heavy regret in his hearts. “Clara, you’re ill. We both are. There’s an irreversible virus infecting our minds that have been there from the very start. It has been controlling us, forcing us together. It’s the reason we continue to be drawn to each other no matter how hard we may try to fight it. There’s no stopping it.”

She found herself staring at him in a bewildered state of confusion as she worked to process his unexpected confession. “I don’t understand,” she admitted as the thought of his betrayal began to set in.

“Of course you do, dear,” Missy intruded softly, leaning towards Clara’s ear. She loosened her grip around the girl and allowed her fingers to slide down the front of her as she spoke. “You can feel it, can’t you? The fire growing within your belly? The incessant longing to fill the new vacancy?” She felt Clara’s body tense beneath her grasp as she moved farther down her abdomen and stopped over the small curve hiding between the young woman’s hips. “Ooo, or perhaps you already have,” she implied with a mischievous grin. “Oh Doctor, you do work quickly.”

Alarmed by her claim, his attention quickly shot towards his companion. “Clara?” he questioned her urgently.

Clara’s eyes widened in fear as they connected with the Doctor’s own. She swallowed the panic rising within her and attempted to maintain herself in Missy’s grasp. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she insisted.

“Don’t you?” Missy inquired. Sensing the girl’s sudden distress, she turned towards the Doctor to study his shocked expression in every pleasing detail. “Oh, you poor man. She didn’t tell you, did she? How terribly awkward,” she remarked as the tension in the air thickened between the two. Releasing her grip, she lowered the dagger and removed herself from behind her prisoner. “Well, since we’re on the topic of spilling secrets, it seems only fair that I share one of my own,” she began, coming around her side to address the pair out in the open. “My Persuaders. They’re exceptional creatures, aren’t they? So useful, and yet so deadly at the same time. The perfect weapon. When it comes to mind control, I’ve found their capabilities to be quite limitless. As long as they are slaved to me, I could win any war, command any army. Even the mightiest of heroes would lay down their weapons and surrender in defeat. Then again, why go to all the trouble when I can admire my work from afar, watching as my enemies are slowly tortured to death by their lust for each other?” she paused, savouring every second it took the couple to fully understand just how far she had gone to deceive them. “Now, I know what you’re thinking. How terribly Shakespearean of me. Though, he doesn’t deserve all the credit. Every good writer needs his muse, after all,” she added, fluffing her hair at her own recognition. Turning to Clara, she pouted playfully at the painful expression forming on the young woman’s face. “My dear girl. You didn’t actually believe he was in love with you, did you?”

“You’re lying,” she accused her harshly.

“Am I? Why don’t you ask the man himself?” Missy suggested, turning her attention towards the other last of the Time Lords.

“Doctor,” Clara called to him tearfully. “It’s not true, is it? Please tell me it’s not true.” She watched in utter disbelief as he lowered his head towards the floor and shielded his eyes from her. A short breath escaped her as her tears made their way down her face. “I see. So it’s all been a lie then. You’ve been lying to me this entire time. Was any of it real?” The silence between them became increasingly unbearable as she awaited his answer.

“No,” he whispered, unable to look her in the eyes as his humiliation and disappointment in himself consumed him.

“Oh, Doctor. The look on your face,” Missy smiled wickedly. “It must be my birthday.” Pleased with herself, she exhaled a long melodic sigh that seemed to resonate off the walls all around them. “Well, now that we’ve got that out of the way, shall we get back to business?” She lifted her dagger and pointed it towards his companion’s throat once more. “What will it be, Doctor? Clara or the baby? Think of it as a two for one deal.”

“Don’t give her what she wants,” Clara pleaded. “Do what you’re good at and fly away from here. Just let me go.”

“No,” he refused, lifting his head to glare at Missy in a sudden fit of anger. “I’ve already lost one child today.” Glancing towards his companion, his eyes lowered towards her middle for a brief moment before returning to hers. “I will not lose another.” The thought alone of her possible pregnancy was reason enough to do whatever it was going to take to protect her. Having made up his mind, he turned from them and headed for the doors of the TARDIS.

“No Doctor, please! Don’t do it! Don’t give in to her!” Clara cried, watching as he stopped only once to peer over his shoulder at her before proceeding inside and shutting the door behind him. “Doctor!”

“You see that, Clara?” Missy spoke softly, sparing no time in her attempt to destroy whatever was still left of their relationship. “That’s who he really is. When it comes to his precious companions, the Doctor never fails to disappoint. Such a pity, I was hoping today would be the day I finally killed you.” After a few moments, the door opened and he reappeared holding a wicker carrier covered with quilted linens in his grasp. He shut the door behind him and reluctantly made his way towards the desk, setting the carrier atop its surface. Missy eyed the man and brought her dagger closer to Clara’s throat. “No tricks,” she warned.

Glaring at her, he peeled back the linens draped over the top to reveal the baby resting peacefully inside. He stepped away and allowed her to observe for herself that he had come through on his part of the deal. “Now release her,” he demanded.

Missy stared at him suspiciously as if expecting to discover a hint of ill-intent in his eyes. Once certain the child was the genuine article, she obligingly lowered the dagger to her side and turned to Clara. “Well? Go on then, off you pop,” she instructed, gesturing for her to leave her presence. She watched as the young woman cautiously stepped away from her towards safety. “There’s a good girl.”

Clara stopped shortly and glanced in the direction of the carrier, taking a moment to offer a disheartening goodbye to her baby from afar. Fighting her sorrow and heartbreak, she averted her eyes from the old man and headed as quickly as she could for the TARDIS.

“Clara,” he whispered as she strode towards him.

“Don’t,” she silenced him harshly as she passed him by and proceeded to the doors. Placing her hand upon the frame, she turned to look upon them with anger and devastation in her eyes.

“Ta ta, call me sometime,” Missy toyed, holding her hand up like a receiver.

The Doctor waited patiently for Clara to make it safely inside before returning his attention to the woman standing in front of him. “So, here we are,” he announced, gesturing to the space around them. “What happens now? Where do we go from here?”

“Well,” she began, gracefully leaning herself against the desk next to the carrier. “As much as it pleases me to watch as you brood in your failure, I’m afraid this is where you and I part ways. So much work to be done. You understand, of course.”

“Where are you sending her?” he prodded.

“Ah, now that would be telling. Nice try though.”

Exhaling a frustrated sigh, he glanced around the room in an attempt to maintain his composure. “Seeing as you’ve won, let’s have this out. You and me, once and for all. Why are you doing this? What’s the point?”

“You really are thick, aren’t you? I thought it was rather obvious,” she started as she removed herself from the desk and slowly paced around him. “Very well. If you must know, the only way I was going to bring you down from the inside was to appeal to your bleeding hearts. And who better to pave the way than your companion? I knew exactly what I was doing by putting the two of you together. All that was missing was a little... motivation. One to bring out the monster in you and another to release it on a path of destruction. All those years trying to convince you of what you really are when all I had to do was widen the target. And voilà, an army is born. But not just any army, no. An army composed of the very people you failed to save. And for that, they will never stop hunting you. You see, it wasn’t enough to cripple your good nature. I wanted the entire universe to be turned against you until there was nowhere left for you to go. You’ve made your whole life out of running away from pain and suffering. I always wondered what would happen when you finally ran out of road,” she confessed, running her fingers along his shoulder as she came around him.

“That’s what this is all about? Some extravagant plot to force my hand into murder like a cornered animal?” he eyed her, trying to keep his infuriated demeanour under control.

“If that’s the part you’re so determined to play,” she countered.

“And what about Quynn? Where does she fit inside this cyclical version of hell of yours?” he asked, attempting to set their rivalry aside.

“You and I both know how this was always going to end, Doctor. I’m afraid there’s only room for one psychopath in this reality. Once she is finally out of the picture, I’ll have an entire army at my disposal. Just imagine what I could do with that.”

“You raised her as your own. She trusted you. Have you any love for her at all?” he persisted.

Her eyes narrowed as she glared at the man. “Is love what you felt when you took my own daughter away from me? Can you still hear her screams beyond the countless others you murdered that day?”

Halted by her abrasiveness, he took a moment to carefully consider his answer. He recalled the conversation held in the battle-room the night the truth first began to unravel itself. I don’t expect she’s ever really forgiven me for what happened to her, for what I did, for what I had to do. The words tore through his memory so clearly, it was as if they were spoken only yesterday. “You know I had no choice,” he answered contentedly.

“Choice?” she nearly laughed. “Is that what you tell yourself to hide the pain? To be able to live with yourself? Is that how you justify the difference between us, Doctor?” Turning her back on him, she made her way towards the carrier once more. “You’ve had a choice all along. You could have ended this any time you wanted. You chose love.”

“And I always will,” he replied as sincerely as he knew how to be.

“And that’s exactly why you’re here, defeated and powerless to stop me. It’s pathetic, really. I expected so much more from you.” She peered into the carrier at the sleeping baby as the gears in her head began to spin. A malicious smile peeled over her lips as she observed the small girl sleeping before her. “Tell me, Doctor. How far would you be willing to go for love? Have you ever really thought about it?” Without warning, she raised her dagger and hovered it above the child, allowing the blade to swing from side to side like a pendulum.

“Missy,” he whispered nervously. “What are you doing?”

“Let’s play a little game, shall we?” she insisted, grinning towards him. “If it’s a choice you want, I can offer you one. One that you never gave me. Should you decide this child’s fate, would you allow her to live to repeat her atrocities on this universe for all of eternity? Or would you have her die, shattering this reality and sacrificing everything you’ve become because of it? The choice is yours, so I suggest you choose wisely.”

“That wasn’t part of the deal. Clara for the baby, that was the agreement,” he persisted fiercely.

“How typical. You never were willing to get your hands dirty, were you? It’s no wonder you keep companions around to make the hard decisions you never could,” she declared condescendingly. “Luckily for you, I’m feeling rather generous today. So I’ll give you one last chance to decide. Will you run away like a coward? Flee to the farthest stretches of the universe while everything around you becomes consumed by darkness? I’m offering you the chance to choose your fate. You could end this all right now. Go back to the way things were before - forever policing the universe, defending every pathetic excuse for a planet you bump into, saving life after life and never asking for anything in return. On the other hand, you could spend the rest of your days living in early retirement. You could hide away for as long as you like while you’re slowly forgotten throughout time and space. You can finally settle down with the woman you love and the child she carries. The life of pure domestic bliss. Tempting, isn’t it?”

The Doctor glared at her from beneath his furrowed brows as he thought about his answer. “So, this is what it all comes down to. The impossible choice. The greatest risk at the cost of everything. It has always come down to me. My decision. We’ve remained trapped here all this time because of what I decide to do right here, right now. You’ve known from the beginning what I’d choose, what I’d always choose.”

“If you’re so sure of yourself, then make your choice.”

“What makes you so sure I won’t choose to end this?” he asked.

“Because you would have done it already. You could have killed the child any time you wanted. The power has been within your grasp all this time. But instead, you brought her to me. Which can only mean one thing. So, what will it be? Is this the day we finally discover what the Doctor is made of?” she instigated to the best of her ability.

“You know,” he began as he tucked his hands into his pockets and slowly paced about the room. “I’ve had a lot of time to think about the answer to that question. What are any of us made of? Are we born evil or just raised that way? Do we choose our own path or is the path chosen for us? But more importantly, what are we truly capable of? I’ve spent so many years convincing myself that I didn’t want to know the answer. That it was all just part of some great big mystery keeping me from going too far. I’ve been lost in the answer to that question for so long, I sometimes can’t remember why I chose this title. I realized that when you stop questioning the difference between good and evil, you start to forget what you used to stand for,” he paused, turning to face her once more. “That is until you’re forced to make a choice that would ultimately define who you are for the rest of your life. In that case, I’d have to ask myself, ‘What would the Doctor do?’ Would he kill the child and break the cycle? Or let her live, dooming her for all of eternity? All those people and planets, gone forever because of her. Because of what she was trained to do. Her entire life, shaped and moulded into everything you wanted her to be all so that you could use her as a weapon. And for what, exactly? Here we are at the end of the line. Tell me, what do you gain from this?”

The malicious grin on her face widened at the question. “Why, front row seats to the greatest show in the universe, of course! The one where I watch day after day as everything you’ve ever stolen from me is taken away from you. Have you seen it? I’m told it’s quite the standing ovation.”

The Doctor scoffed at her answer. “That’s what you want, endless entertainment? Is that what all of this has been to you, just one big game? Moving us around like pieces on the board because you hold all the cards. You should know better. Anyone who can put all of this together should know better.” Turning his back on her, he attempted to bring his emotions under control before he lost himself in a fit of rage. After a moment, he felt his furious expression melt away as he realized that this was the moment he had been waiting for. This was his chance to finally bring her down once and for all. It was now or never. Shifting character, he quickly spun around to face her once more. A wide grin spread over his face as his eyes met with hers. He raised his arms with wild deliberation and paced in front of her with a slight energetic bounce to his step. “Now, games I can do. I’m brilliant at games. They make for great conversation starters, don’t you think? So, choices then. You want to know what the Doctor would do. Of course you do. Although, the answer is quite obvious, isn’t it?” he paused, allowing the anticipation in the air to settle itself. “He’d choose neither,” he revealed, his smile widening as their eyes made a deep connection to each other. “Isn’t that right, Doctor?”

Before the Time Lady had a chance to respond, the double doors to the TARDIS flung themselves open causing her to shift her attention towards the unanticipated spectacle. Standing just beyond the threshold of the time-machine, the real Doctor appeared from the doorway and stepped out of the TARDIS for his grand entrance. Her jaw dropped in shock at the sight of it.

The man entered the room, his hands clapping in rhythm as he approached his identical self. “Wow, that was very impressive. Bravo. A truly inspiring performance. Even I was convinced you were the real me. We should consider going into business together, start our own magic act.” The pair of them laughed in unison as Missy looked on, utterly confounded by the events unfolding.

“Should we tell her?” the first of the two Doctors asked.

“Why not?” the real Doctor replied with a grin.

Missy watched in horror as the first of the two raised their hand towards their lapel and removed a small device fastened behind it. The perception filter used to disguise themselves flickered for a brief moment before disengaging to reveal Quynn’s natural form hidden beneath it. She observed the woman’s long fiery hair as it settled past her shoulders and down the back of a formal one-piece dress suit she had never seen before. Her eyes passed back and forth between the two other people in the room as her mind tried to process exactly what was happening. “How?” she asked the Doctor as Quynn removed a small adhesive voice patch attached to the side of her neck.

“Well,” the Doctor began, smiling towards his daughter. “I sort of had to backtrack there a bit. It gets a little complicated towards the end.” He then returned his attention to his old friend. “Perhaps it would be easier if I just showed you.” Before Missy could question him any further, the sound of haunted shrieking was heard emanating from beyond the open doors of the TARDIS. Their howls resonated from every corner of the room so fiercely, the walls seemed to shake at the force of it. “I brought some friends with me. I believe you may already be acquainted,” he added. As the voices drew closer, Quynn and the Doctor seized their opportunity to retrieve a pair of glasses from their pockets and place them on their face. Quynn reached into her other pocket and removed the Comasphere, holding it on display in front of her.

“No!” Missy gasped as she quickly rushed around the desk hoping to retrieve her own pair of glasses, only to discover the small wooden box she kept them in was nowhere to be found. It was then that she finally realized how far her daughter had gone to deceive her. A small cynical laugh escaped her as she braced herself against the desk and lifted her head to glare at the woman who had forsaken her trust. “All those years I sacrificed raising and protecting you. And this is how I am to be rewarded? With your betrayal?” she asked as her hatred began to electrify the space all around them.

Quynn swallowed the pain forming in her throat as she gazed upon the woman who had fallen so far from everything she once portrayed herself to be. As hard as it was to witness her mother’s downfall, deep down she knew that all things must eventually come to an end. “What can I say? I learned from the very best,” she replied disheartenedly before activating the Comasphere in her grasp.

The air felt frigid and damp upon his pale skin, bringing with it a sense of familiarity that only the oncoming storm could provide. Far off in the distance beyond the rigid mountainous highlands, a streak of lightning claimed the pale evening sky like splintering glass. The earth rumbled beneath his feet as the boom of thunder soon followed. His calculating eyes were fixed upon an unmasked figure standing several paces in front of him. Her long black cloak rustled with the howling wind. Neither of them made a move as the tension in the air grew between them. His hearts raced with anticipation at her benighted presence before him. Whatever reason for her ultimate quest to discover his location, there was only one thing he needed to know.

“How did you find me?”

********************

Amidst the silence that had befallen the interior walls of the TARDIS main control room stood the form of her silver-haired Time Lord on the upper platform. A maroon-coloured velvet jacket hung on display upon the metal coat rack beside him. He hesitantly reached out and allowed his hand to run its course over the fabric of the sleeve as if searching for imperfections. Lifting the jacket by its collar, he removed it from its position of rest and gracefully placed on his armour. His fingers slowly traced their way down the seams of the lapels towards the buttons on the front as the garment embraced him like an old friend. Inhaling a deep breath in preparation of what was to come, he took hold of the railing and descended the stairs. He came to a sudden stop near the last few steps as his eyes met with Clara’s favourite chair, now empty and cold. He was alone. The memory of their last conversation from that very spot bled into his mind so clearly, it was as if she never left it.

The Doctor stood quietly at the console, his attention fixed to the view-screen as he manually updated the TARDIS interface with the data from his most recent maintenance. Though tedious and time-consuming, he rather enjoyed the distraction from the constant apprehension he felt towards their impending future. Patience had never been one of his strongest attributes. He was a man of action, constantly moving forward, the first to react whenever the moment called for it. His own personal agenda for any given circumstance had almost always paralleled each other; swoop in, save the day, rinse and repeat. But now, as the anticipation lingered in the air, he felt every bit of it tightening the rope bound around his hands. Unless all the cards were to suddenly play out in his favour, he had no choice but to hang up his coat in defeat. As strange and exposing as that felt, after everything he and his companion had been through so far, perhaps it wasn’t so terrible a thought after all.

Clara took to her reading while he worked, her legs comfortably propped on the railing as she took up occupancy in her chair. Her fingers softly grazed the familiar pages of Jane Austin’s “Pride and Prejudice” for what felt like the hundredth time since coming aboard. The brief moment of descent into the world of a truly enthralling story was the closest she could come to exploring on her own without the threat of danger lurking in any given direction. The people she discovered there were oftentimes the only example of humanity she had left to cling to. Being the sole representative of the human race aboard the TARDIS, the only person qualified enough to remind her of where she came from was herself.

His wistful eyes shifted towards her for a brief moment before returning to the screen. “If you’re hoping to discover an alternate ending, I’m afraid I have some bad news for you,” he offered.

“I don’t read it because I know how it ends,” she noted, her attention drawn towards the page. “No matter how many times I’ve read it, I always find something I hadn’t noticed before. An unrealized emotion, a meaningful glance, a deeper understanding of the characters. It’s as if I’m meeting them for the first time all over again. I find it quite inspiring, actually.”

“If you say so.”

She frowned at his predictably apathetic response and did her best to ignore him, seeing no point in defending her obsession with the written word any further. Returning to the story, she tried to concentrate on the words and phrases in front of her but found her mind beginning to wander. “Can I ask you something?” she inquired from behind the pages.

“I assume you’re being rhetorical,” he replied, reluctantly engaging himself in her idle conversation between tasks.

She lowered the book and closed it neatly in her lap before swinging the chair around to face him. “Why were you so afraid to tell me how you really felt?” she asked delicately as if the question might shatter the illusion he had created around their friendship to protect himself. Though she bore a great appreciation for how far their relationship had come, she often found herself revisiting the memories of their past with an entirely new perspective. Every word, every touch, every glance in her direction had all been called into question ever since the day his true feelings for her were revealed. Perhaps the patterns had always been there but until recently had gone unnoticed. She wasted so much energy trying to decipher who they were to each other that she failed to realize she might have been searching in the wrong place.

“You want to discuss this now?” His brow raised at her inquiry as he continued to monitor the ship’s diagnosis. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m sort of in the middle of something,” he informed her.

“Well, can’t we do both?” she prodded further.

He sighed concededly and thought to himself, ‘Sure, why not?’ He took a moment to find the words to reply that would sound the most meaningful. It wasn’t often he thought about the parameters of their relationship nor felt the need to devise a scientific explanation to define it. They simply just... were. Though confident in his ability to express his love for her, he knew very well that it hadn’t always been that way. “If you must know, I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. I doubted myself and my ability to become the man I wanted to be for you. I still do, but I’m willing to try,” he answered, fully prepared to leave it at that.

“Have all your romantic relationships been this difficult for you?” she pressed on.

“Have I been trapped inside a paradox loop with all of my previous relationships? No, I’d say this is a first,” he answered, returning to his work.

“You know what I mean.”

Exhaling another exasperated breath, he had little choice but to accept the fact that she had no intention of backing down from the conversation. “Time Lord courtships work very differently from what humans are accustomed to. Genetically speaking, my people mate for life so they must be very sure of whom they wish to mate with.”

Her eyes lowered to the floor for a moment, unable to help but feel slightly disenchanted by his answer. Had their romantic involvement with each other not been forged by unfortunate circumstances, there would have been no way to know which direction their relationship would have gone. “It couldn’t have been easy for you then, not having a choice,” she replied.

He stood silently for several moments as he recalled the anger he felt after discovering the terms of their friendship had been violated by Missy’s hands. Though difficult to accept at first, over time it had allowed him to overcome his fear of letting Clara into his hearts. There had been no manual available to advise him on how to feel for her, but her patience and compassion for him were well worth the struggle it took to learn. He remembered the pain he once harboured as punishment for longing to be with her. A pain he was far more willing to suffer than face the devastating thought of her absence from his life altogether. “Some things are easier to live without than others,” he professed softly, his eyes stealing a brief glimpse of her before returning to the screen. “Nothing is ever easy when you’re truly invested in it enough. That’s what makes losing it so hard. Our friendship was far more complex than the choices we were forced to make. You still had your whole life ahead of you. You had the freedom to choose to stay with me of your own free will. Or you could have left the TARDIS and never looked back if you wanted to. It may not have been the choice I would have wanted, and I cannot say without a doubt that it wouldn’t have broken me severely to see you go, but it still would’ve been yours to make.”

Meeting his familiar form with her sympathetic expression, she finally came to understand all that he had sacrificed at the cost of getting too close to her. The love he had imprisoned inside himself was his only protection against the pain he’d endure if she ever decided to leave him for someone else. She could only imagine what that must have been like for him when they were apart. If only she had known sooner, things might have turned out much differently between them. “And how does it make you feel knowing that if I had to do it all over again, I would still choose you?”

Turning around to face her, he smiled warmly and gazed into her eyes. “Deeply honoured,” he answered tenderly. “I can only hope you feel the same. That you bear no resentment for what I’ve done to you. No matter what may happen to us in this cycle or the next, I promise to always love, cherish, and protect you for as long as you’ll have me.”

Charmed by his words, a coy smile formed over her lips. “Are you proposing, Doctor?” she teased.

The question caught him by surprise. “Is that what you want?” he asked, unsure of how to respond.

Taking a moment to consider her answer, she set her reading aside and lovingly glanced in his direction. “No,” she confessed as she stood and made her way towards him. She placed her hands in his and held them with delicate care. “I already have everything I could ever ask for. What we have is very special to me. I don’t want anything to change between us, Doctor.”

“Nor do I,” he agreed, not wishing to lose any part of what they were to each other.

“Besides, going into battle against a lunatic on a prison planet isn’t exactly how I’d imagine spending my first days as a married woman.”

“Ah, yes. I could see how that might spoil the moment,” he admitted, genuinely adoring every second she remained in his grasp. As he held her, he thought about how many times he tried to tell her how she made him feel yet the words would not escape him. He was so afraid of what she would say that he buried them deep inside himself. But now, everything they were before had been altered by their intense love for each other. The very nature of their relationship was the sole cause of his inner turmoil, the reason he’d been avoiding his pursuit of reaching the end. It was only a matter of time before he’d run out of excuses for keeping them there. Even the ship’s never-ending maintenance was just another unnecessary diversion from his original plan to save them. Though he knew he couldn’t lie to her forever, perhaps he no longer had to. Perhaps this was his chance to finally open her eyes to another possibility in front of them. An opportunity to show her what they could truly become together. “Although, there’s always the alternative,” he implied.

“Alternative?” she asked curiously.

Gazing into her eyes, he felt the strong sensation of nervousness rising within him. He found himself both scared and vulnerable standing before her, hoping that even the smallest piece of how far their relationship had come was worth risking what he was about to say. Glancing towards their held hands, he lightly stroked his thumbs over their surface and tried to find the courage to expose his greatest weakness for her. Though his apprehension in the matter made it difficult to find the right words, his hearts would not allow him to retreat from them now. “What would you say if I asked you to consider sharing a life with me here inside of this reality?”

Her eyes narrowed as she studied him, unable to prevent her confusion from expressing itself on her face. “What are you talking about?”

Inhaling a deep breath, he pushed his fears aside and forced himself to continue. “What if I could offer you a reason to stay in the loop with me, a chance to create a future of our own together?” Hesitating for only a moment, he lowered her hand and gently placed it against her middle. “Starting here.”

She found herself taken aback by his gesture. As her mind began to process what he was asking, she quickly realized how bewitched he had become by her ability to carry for him. She believed his sudden increase in intimacy over the past few weeks was his way of savouring their last moments together. But in reality, it was all part of his greater purpose to seduce her into conceiving his child so she would agree to stay with him. “Is that what you’ve been doing to me? Bedding me night after night to ensure I fall pregnant again?” she accused him.

“Would it be wrong of me if I said yes?” he asked, attempting to mask any sign of guilt behind his endearing expression.

“Doctor, we’ve talked about this,” she scolded.

“I know, and I haven’t forgotten the risks,” he assured her. “But if you believe I’m prepared to throw everything we have away so easily, then you are greatly mistaken. How can you possibly expect me to give you up when I’ve become addicted to the happiness you bring to me? You’ve given me more to live for in this life than I ever thought possible. From the very first moment I felt our child’s warmth thriving inside of you, my craving for it has only grown stronger. And now that I’ve seen what we are truly capable of, can you blame me for trying?”

She sighed with mild confliction at his words, knowing how badly they both wanted this life despite what it would mean for the rest of the universe. They had set off on this journey together with the understanding that the path in front of them would be a difficult one. She just hadn’t realized how quickly he would slip away from being who he was meant to be the longer they stayed on it. Though it pained her greatly to see him so lost inside, she couldn’t bring herself to fault him for wanting so desperately to provide her with a family of her own. “I don’t blame you, Doctor,” she answered softly.

“I’m relieved to hear you say that. Because, in a way, this is all your fault if you think about it,” he added, smirking to himself.

“Wait, hang on. My fault?” she inquired defensively. “How so?”

He smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her closer. “You make it very difficult to resist you.”

Though flattered by his love-struck diversion, she rolled her eyes and attempted to bring him back to reality. “Very charming, but we both know the only way to ensure the future is to see this through to the end. I don’t see how getting me with child on purpose is going to help us defeat Missy.”

“Perhaps we won’t have to. As long as we can convince her you haven’t given birth yet, she’ll never know the difference. We could buy ourselves an eternity together,” he offered, amused by his misbehaviour.

“Right. Just so I’m clear, the new plan is to keep me pregnant forever, never age, and hope Missy doesn’t catch on,” she frowned, realizing how even more ridiculous that sounded out loud.

“You’re right, that’ll never work. Two of those things can be easily maintained. The other would require a miracle worker,” he teased.

Her eyes narrowed at his attempt at humour. “Not all of us have the luxury of being a two-thousand-year-old stick insect. You’re lucky I still tolerate you.”

“Admit it, this isn’t the first time you’ve been swept away by my charm,” he remarked bearing a wide flirtatious grin.

“Maybe,” she smiled amorously and wrapped her arms around his neck. “But now I have the advantage. You’ve revealed your true intentions to me. All I have to do is resist you.”

“You can certainly try,” he cheekily replied, bringing his hands to rest upon the sides of her waist. “But I must warn you, I’m very resourceful.”

“Is that so?” she asked, concealing a small laugh behind her smile.

“You should probably surrender now. It’ll save time,” his grin brightened.

“Oh, I see. And this is the part where I’m supposed to let you win, is it?” she wondered, raising a curious brow at their light-hearted role-play.

“Perhaps I already have,” he suggested, his eyes lowering to the space between them. His hand slid from her waist and pressed against her belly, holding her body firmly to the console. “It could already be too late for you.” He allowed his fingers to spread between her hips as he searched deep inside of her for any sign of life. Though it was still too early in her development to determine how far along she might be, he remained hopeful it wouldn’t be much longer before he had caused her to swell for him again. “I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see.”

She closed her eyes and gasped from under her breath as he applied a deep pressure to her womb. The sensation of it quickly ignited the fire within her as he worked to stimulate her maternal appetite for him. His power over her was exhilarating. She felt every beat of her heart as it quickened in rhythm. Her breathing deepened the more control he placed over her. Unable to help herself from falling hopelessly under his spell, she opened her eyes to meet his tender gaze. “Be careful what you wish for, Doctor,” she whispered, pulling him towards her to embrace him with a passionate kiss.

His body pressed against hers as he became lost in her arms. His strong desire to protect her was made even more aware by his unrelenting hunger for her conception taking priority in his mind. It gave him a sense of vitality knowing that as long as they remained entrapped together, his claim over her fertility would forever be bound to him. Her incessant longing to fill the void inside of her with life consumed him. He could feel her desperation for it pulsating beneath his palm. He would do anything to provide her with the relief she required. He knew the battle to save themselves from the virus’s control over them had been lost long ago, and he no longer cared. Slowly removing himself from her lips, he leaned away to see her face in every detail. “I want this life with you, Clara. A chance to prove to you that I have what it takes to protect you and our children. A chance to care for you and stand by your side as they grow within you. What we are capable of creating together has only happened between our species a handful of times in the entire history of the known universe. Don’t you see? We are compatible, you and I.” His glance returned to her middle where he stroked her delicately, his fingers grazing over the thin fabric of her dress. “I can make you happy in this new life, just as you have made me. All you have to do is say yes.”

Her heart fluttered so fiercely in her chest it was almost frightening. The moment between them became still with anticipation as she searched inside of herself for an answer. He was offering her a choice. A choice he no longer felt he could be trusted to make on his own anymore. He was asking to be released from the terrible burdens he’d been harbouring within him all this time. As she peered deeply into his eyes, she could see how utterly torn he was inside. The man she knew him as before never would have allowed himself to become so divided by which decision was easy and which was right. Whatever demons had been the cause of his internal battle with himself, he no longer had the strength to fight them. It had taken her until this very moment to realize that the man standing before her had been drowning in the sea of his addiction for her longer than he would ever dare to admit. If she had any hope of rescuing him, she would have to be strong enough for both of them. Her eyes fell to where his hand caressed her middle and gently placed her hand over his. “You know how badly I want this, Doctor. I want more than anything for us to be a family, to have a life of our own we can share together. You’ve seen inside my mind. You’ve been inside my dreams. You don’t need to prove yourself to me to know that I would carry your child in a heartbeat if you asked me to.” Taking a deep disheartened breath, her eyes met his again. “But is this the world you truly wish our children to be raised in? To be trapped here on the TARDIS forever because someone out there will always want to hurt them? Have you forgotten about our daughter or what must happen to her if we were to stay?”

His eyes narrowed as they passed back and forth to each of hers, studying her expression with guarded precision. “Of course I haven’t,” he answered defensively, suddenly realizing his terrible mistake in assuming she would be on his side in this. Releasing her from his grasp, he slowly stepped away and took a moment to find the words that would explain what had been eating him up inside. He ran a hand down his face and attempted to mask his increasing disappointment as his thoughts began to reorder themselves. Once composed, he looked to her more sternly. “Have you any idea what you are asking of me? Do you not realize that I am being forced to make an impossible choice? Either Quynn becomes everything she was raised to be, or never exist at all. You might as well be asking me to kill her. Is that what you want?” He watched as his companion’s eyes lowered to the floor in conflicted silence. He sighed heavily and tried again to appeal to her heart. “I reached through to her, Clara. I know I did. Somewhere out there our daughter is trying to find us. For all I know, we could be walking straight into a trap. But if I’m wrong, then there’s still a chance she could be a part of our lives. As long as she is on our side, there will be no army for us to run from. Her terror will be at an end. Together we could be sparing countless species across the universe from death and destruction. And in return, we could have everything we’ve ever wanted right here. We would never have to leave this reality. Can’t you understand? We’ve been given a chance to start a new life together, a chance to have a family of our own. Isn’t that winning enough?” he pleaded, desperate for her acceptance.

“Winning? Is that what you think this is?” she responded, her eyes lifting from the floor to meet his. “When we first started this, I knew there was a chance I would never see my friends or family again. That they would never know what happened to me. But I chose to stand by your side because you made me believe we were going to change the future together. That the lives of those who had suffered at the hands of Quynn and her army would be saved. If we stay, then you will be condemning the billions of people she has killed to their fate. They will die over and over again for all of eternity because of her.”

Turning his back on her, he approached the edge of the platform and gripped the railing to steady himself. It took everything in his power to calm his emotions. “Everyone dies eventually, Clara. I can’t save them all,” he replied solemnly.

“Yes, you can,” she insisted, taking a step towards him. In his silence, her underlying heartbreak began to take its toll on her. “What happened to you, Doctor? What happened to the man I fell in love with?”

Losing all control of himself, he quickly turned around to face her and allowed his voice to rise with intensity. “He became a coward! Is that what you want to hear? That I’m afraid of things going back to the way they were before, spending my days pining away for you, unable to tell you how I feel?”

“What are you saying, that you want Missy to win?” she insinuated, astonished by his confession. She caught herself staring at him in disbelief as his expression quickly shifted towards that of ineradicable defeat at her inquiry. “Oh my god. You are, aren’t you? You’re giving up. You intend to put a child in me so you can give up being the Doctor,” she accused him.

“Maybe so,” he confessed without the slightest hint of hesitation.

“But you are the Doctor. There is no one else,” she replied imperatively as if the man standing before her had died leaving no trace of his former existence behind to be saved.

“Maybe I don’t want to be the Doctor anymore!” he shouted angrily as he approached her. “What if everything I ever wanted is right here in front of me?!”

She backed herself against the console and attempted to swallow her intimidation of him as he came closer. It took every bit of courage she had left to stay strong in his presence. “Have you fallen so hard for me, Doctor?”

A short cynical laugh escaped him at the question. “Is that so wrong?” he asked, raising his arms from his sides and allowing them to fall limply into place. “After all this time, after everything I’ve done, don’t you think the universe owes me this? Do I not deserve happiness?” He waited for a response from her as she silently stared at him through her stilled expression. Turning away, he paced for a few moments while trying to gather his emotions as they bled all over the floor. Once calm, he turned to face her again. “The life you carried inside of you, the life I helped bring into this world, I desire more of that feeling with you. Please, all I’m asking is that you at least consider what we could have together,” he begged her.

Having lost herself in the heat of the moment, she allowed her defensive nature and disappointment in him to take control. “This isn’t about me, is it? This is about what you failed to do as a father all those years ago,” she declared harshly, then immediately felt the sharp pain of regret after saying it. Her mouth dropped open in shock over her own words but it was too late to take them back. She watched helplessly as he placed a hand over his shattering hearts and turned from her, utterly crushed and saddened by her painful accusation. The sight of it was unbearable. “I’m so sorry, Doctor,” she confessed softly as tears welled in her eyes. “That was cruel of me.” She felt her stomach turn at how sick she felt just then, her arms coming around to hold herself tightly. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath to clear her mind and find another way to reach through to him. “I know you miss them, but I will never be able to replace the children you have lost.” After a moment, she opened her eyes and lifted her gaze hoping he would turn to face her once more. He remained silent in her presence, unwilling to abandon his outward glance. She sighed and tried again to gain his acknowledgement. “You once told me that as long as they still lived within you, you would never give up fighting to save those who would suffer the same fate. No matter what happens, we will still have each other. We both know Missy will never stop until every star and planet has burned by her hands. If you allow her to win, then this world you so desperately wish to create with me will become a very small place. How can we teach our children about the wonders of the universe if there is nothing left of it?”

Placing his hands on the console, he braced himself upon it and hung his head in devastation. “Are you saying no then?”

Her tears making their way down her face, she felt every bit of her heart breaking for him. As unfair as it was to bear the weight of this decision on her shoulders alone, deep down she knew she had made the right choice. “I’m sorry, Doctor. But we cannot hide ourselves away watching from a distance as the rest of the universe falls apart all around us. No one else should have to die for our love.”

Fighting his tears, he slowly gathered himself to a standing position and attempted to regain himself in her presence. “You’re right, of course. Always right,” he spoke softly, turning around to face her one last time. “Forgive me. I was being selfish.” He forced a weak smile to his face before lowering his eyes to the floor and removing himself from the room.

Clara caught herself staring at the shadows draped across her ceiling as if she had never seen them before. Her arm was loosely wrapped around her lover’s head as she absent-mindedly ran her fingers through the strands of his silver hair. His head rested against her chest as he listened to the calming sound of her heart beating beneath him. Her thoughts teetered between the events of the evening and the soothing sensation of his thumb stroking the surface of her middle. “I’ve missed this,” she finally spoke, breaking the silence in the room.

“Me too,” he admitted, taking in her scent as his glance drifted towards the sight of his hand resting low on her belly.

“It smells so different in here. I almost forgot what the rest of the world smelled like beyond metal consoles and chalk dust.”

“Now that you mention it, there does seem to be a particular Clara-esque aroma floating around in here,” he noted.

“If that’s code for I could do with a wash, I’m going to smack you,” she threatened playfully.

“I’m glad you brought that up. I was worried I would have to break it to you,” he teased her.

“Shut up,” she hushed him, covering his mouth with her hand. She felt him quietly laugh against her and attempted to ignore his humour. Taking a look around the room, she tried to remember how it felt to have lived and breathed a normal life within those walls. “It’s so strange being back here again,” she continued. “I wonder how long I’ve been gone.”

Lifting her hand from his face, he kissed it tenderly and held it in his grasp as he removed himself from under her arm. “Well, that depends,” he started, shifting to her side and supporting his head with his other arm as he looked to her. “Technically speaking, I’d say about four months, give or take a day or two. Realistically, a few hours.”

She tried to wrap her thoughts around his words, finding it difficult to grasp the fact that so little time had passed by on Earth when so much had happened to her since she had last been seen by another human being. As far as anyone else was concerned, she was still grieving over the loss of her recently departed boyfriend while her body continued to expand with the growth of another man’s child. As much as she wanted to see her friends and family again, even if only to hear their voice, she couldn’t even begin to imagine what to tell them. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that the Doctor was right. They shouldn’t have come back there. The memories were far too painful. Distracting herself, she took a moment to look around the room as if searching for anything out of the ordinary. “Should we even be here? Won’t that like, I dunno, implode the universe or something?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he scoffed. “It’s a bedroom, not a black hole.” His eyes scanned the room as if taking into consideration that they had crossed beyond the threshold of safety by leaving the TARDIS and were currently vulnerable to the outside world. “But, just to be safe, perhaps it would be best if we didn’t extend our stay any longer than we have to.”

“Is there time to put the kettle on?” she asked with a bit of excitement. “I haven’t had a decent cup in ages.”

“What are you suggesting, that the TARDIS isn’t capable of making tea?” he eyed her playfully. “You two have never gotten on, have you?”

“Or maybe she just never liked sharing,” she countered with a smile. “Can’t say I blame her though. You’re quite the catch.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere, Miss Oswald,” he smiled back.

“Good, I’ll only be a minute then,” she assured him. She placed her hand on his cheek and leaned in to kiss him. Rolling to the side, she removed herself from the bed and rummaged around the floor for something a bit more than her nudity to wear. Finding his buttoned shirt, she placed it on and flipped her hair from under the collar. “I hope you don’t mind. Mine seems to be, um, misplaced at the moment.”

“It looks better on you anyway,” he stated, admiring her from the bed.

“A compliment? That’s new. Someone’s being naughty,” she grinned.

“I wouldn’t dare,” he replied with a smirk.

Returning to the bed, she braced her hands on the surface and leaned down to kiss his cheek before taking her leave of the room. Heading towards the kitchen, she passed through the hall and entered the small space. She quickly located the kettle sitting idly atop the counter and began to prep it. As she waited for the water to boil, she took a moment to look around the familiar place as if peering into a part of her past. She ran her hand across the utensils and appliances as if trying to remember how it felt to have utilized the space for its intended purpose. She recalled every unsuccessful attempt at making her mother’s soufflé, the countless number of good times with her closest friends, the laughs she had laughed and the tears she had cried. All the memories of her previous life were there waiting for her return.

After a moment, she sensed the Doctor’s presence approaching her from behind and assumed he was there to check on her. Leave it to him to worry about the potential danger lurking in the cupboards. She felt the warm sensation of his hands reaching around her waist to caress her bare middle as he pulled her closer to him. She leaned herself against him and allowed him to explore every bit of how different she must feel in his grasp now that she was no longer expanding with his child. “Did you miss me being so small in your arms?” she asked coyly.

“You’ve always been desirable to me. Even more so when you’re carrying,” he answered, breathing her in.

She lowered her glance to where his hands were protectively pressed over the place their child once flourished and smiled fondly. “Are you so eager to see me like that again?”

His lips found their way to her cheek and kissed her tenderly. “As many times as you wish,” he whispered, stroking her between her hips as if encouraging her body to embrace the essence of life he had placed inside of it. His paternal desire to ignite the spark of motherhood within her was far too enticing. His powers of persuasion were desperate to feel the electricity and warmth emanating from within her once more, knowing it would only be a matter of time before she’d start to swell for him again. The part of him that should have been ashamed for putting her at risk of another pregnancy during this dangerous time was greatly outweighed by his eagerness to share this life with her. To be able to care for her and their children. To protect them.

The sensation of his hands on her body attempting to lure her in awakened the arousal within her. Placing a gentle hand over his, she took a deep breath and cleared her mind hoping to take command over her diminishing willpower. “Well, Doctor Careful. If you keep that up, it may happen sooner than we expected,” she replied, softly reminding him of his warning against her carrying another child for him while they were still at war.

“Yes, well, maybe the next one won’t grow up trying to discover the best way to kill us,” he added.

“The next one?” she asked, turning towards him to read his expression carefully. “You actually sound as if you want this to be a thing. Do you?”

He inhaled a deep breath and thought for a moment about his answer. She hadn’t made his decision to choose between their two possible futures any easier on him, but he couldn’t deny the fact that one was far more desirable over the other. “Maybe so.”

She smiled and felt her cheeks flush brightly as his intimate confession became the headline of her thoughts. “Are you trying to charm me into having another baby with you, or is your nostalgia from the last time you pollinated me speaking for you?”

Grinning sheepishly at the question, he removed his hands from her middle and gently turned her around to face him. His arm wrapped around the small of her back as his other hand tenderly lifted her head by her chin to meet his gaze. “Perhaps it’s both,” he admitted sincerely, matching her wide smile with his own.

“What about Missy?” she asked, raising her brow.

“What about her?”

“Aren’t we still at war? Don’t we still have a mission to complete?”

“That could be ages from now!” he exclaimed childishly. “There’s no telling what we could accomplish before then. Who knows. By the time we finally get around to it, perhaps we’ll have created an entire army together,” he grinned, holding her tightly against him.

“You seem pretty sure of yourself,” she noted with a laugh. “A Time Lord with baby fever. Now there’s something you don’t see every day. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were under a spell,” she implied harmlessly.

He felt his smile quickly fade away as his guilt of keeping her in the dark about their illness returned to the surface of his mind. He could not nor wished to fault her for her accusation in this matter. She was purely innocent. It was the virus’ control over them that deserved the full force of his rage. As he peered down at her brightly lit expression, he realized he no longer recognized who he was anymore nor could recall what his old self would have done in this situation. Perhaps he would have already chosen the path to save them from the grip of their altered reality at the cost of their relationship by now. But now that everything had been left up to this version of himself, being forced to choose between their two futures was tearing him apart. The Clara he knew never would have allowed him to become so selfish. The moment she would have discovered the existence of their illness, she’d have found a way to do away with herself to save them long ago. She was so much stronger than him in nearly every way. Which was the main reason he knew he’d never be able to bring himself to tell her the truth.

Willing a small smile to his face, he leaned down and lovingly kissed her forehead. “Don’t be long,” he finally replied. Looking to her one last time, he reluctantly released his hold on her then took his leave of the room before he had fallen apart in front of her any further.

Clara tried to determine what she’d said that suddenly darkened his mood but was easily distracted by the sound of the kettle whistling beside her. She took the time to prepare her cup then exited the small space. Returning to the hallway, her feet were comfortably reacquainted with the vibrant red carpet guiding the way in either direction. A rather nice change from the cold metallic flooring she was used to. Her attention was pulled towards the portraits of her family hanging on the wall. She smiled as she approached them. Her fingers grazed along the surface of their frames as if she hadn’t taken the time to look at them before. Finding her way to the living room, she leaned against the threshold and casually sipped her tea. As she glanced around the tiny room, her focus was drawn towards the coffee table in the middle of the floor. Atop its surface sat a singular chess piece, one she had never seen before. “Doctor?” she instinctively called to him from the doorway.

After a moment, he approached from the bedroom. His hands worked to fasten his belt and trousers around his waist as he returned to her. “What’s wrong?” he asked, taking notice of the worried expression on her face.

“Was that there before?” she inquired, gesturing towards the unfamiliar game piece.

Following her gaze, he felt his face frown as his eyes met with the object in question. “Seriously? Have you seen this place?” he asked, raising his arms to call attention to the mess around him. “Frankly, I’d be surprised if there wasn’t a body buried somewhere in here. Let alone a chessboard.”

“Very funny,” she replied, frowning at his humour. “Except, I don’t own a chessboard.”

“Are you sure? Perhaps you just never noticed it under all the clutter,” he suggested.

Annoyed by the accusation, she squinted her eyes in his direction. “I’m sure.”

The familiar sound of the Doctor’s voice reverberated off the walls and nearby corridors of the TARDIS as Clara made her way towards the console room. She quietly paused at the bottom of the stairs and listened in to the energetically charged one-sided conversation taking place above her. From what she could hear, he appeared to be engaged in some sort of advantageous narrative with himself. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she quietly climbed the metal steps to meet the form of her best friend holding their baby in one arm and a spoon in his other hand.

“Do you want to know how I did it? Go on, ask me. Okay, I’ll tell you. I switched on the antigrav, of course! Then I drove that motorbike up the side of the building all the way to the sixty-fifth floor!” He pointed the spoon in front of him and continued. “I pulled out my screwdriver, aimed it at the glass, and soniced my way right into her office! The look on her face. Hilarious.” A wide childish grin spread across his face as the baby gazed up at him in amazement.

“The day we first met,” Clara chimed in as she approached them. “Our first adventure together. She must like that one.”

“So do I,” he admitted, shifting his focus towards the sound of his companion’s voice.

“What’s with the spoon?” she asked with a laugh.

“Practical effect. I was short a spoon-headed killer robot lying around and had to make do in a bit of a rush,” he answered, exhaling his breath upon the metal before polishing it off on his coat.

“Ah. Equally terrifying, I’m sure,” she replied humorously. Reaching the console, she lightly grazed her fingers over the buttons and controls before stopping at the view-screen. She peered up at its display as if expecting something new to be discovered there, only to find its idle status remained unchanged since last she had seen it. Nothing about their current situation had changed over the last several weeks ever since the Doctor first explained his theory behind their multi-cycle loop. As the days continued to wear on, she couldn’t help but wonder how much time had been afforded to them before it was finally up. If he did have a plan, he’d certainly kept her in the dark about it. Perhaps he was biding his time. Or perhaps he had yet to find a solution with the least amount of risk to their lives. Either way, she felt entirely pointless during this time of uncertainty.

If there was one thing he had taught her throughout their many travels together, it was how to utilize whatever was readily available to successfully manoeuvre their way through any unfavourable situation. Work the room, look for clues, discover your enemy’s weakness. Whether he relied on her ability to be incredibly clever whenever the situation called for it or simply tasked her with causing a distraction, she brought a sense of value and purpose to the table he often found desirable. But now, everything seemed a little too quiet, a little too routine, a little too... human. She wasn’t sure she knew how to be that anymore nor remembered how it felt to live a normal life again. As much as she wanted to be a part of whatever crazy idea he had hidden up his sleeve, it hadn’t exactly sat well with her knowing he had chosen to entrust their fate in the hands of a psychopath.

“Any word?” she asked, turning around to face him. He sighed and shook his head at the question. “And Missy?”

“Nothing,” he confessed.

“Well, maybe there’s a bright side. Maybe she’s changed her mind,” she suggested, amused with herself as he responded to her humour by frowning in her direction. “Yeah, I know. Just wishful thinking, I guess.” She leaned against the console and smiled at the sight of him gently rocking their infant in his arms. She had noticed a significant change in his demeanour over the past week or so. He had become exceptionally caring and more involved in their lives as if embracing the thought of what it would be like to finally settle down. Though a strangely foreign sight to her, she had grown particularly fond of the way fatherhood looked on him. It was nice to see him happy for a change despite their unfortunate circumstances.

The Doctor replaced the spoon inside his breast pocket then softly stroked his thumb over their daughter’s small brow until she eventually fell asleep in his grasp. He tenderly kissed the top of her head then carefully lowered her into the bassinet beside him.

“You’re good with her,” she admired from afar.

“I’ve had a lot of practice,” he replied, delicately draping a blanket over the small girl.

“You know what I think?” she continued, slowly approaching him from behind. “I think you were better at being a father than you let on.”

“I may have had my moments.” He glanced at his child and smiled fondly as he recalled a time long ago when he spent his nights watching over his children as they slept. Back when things seemed so simple.

As she reached him, a familiar heat began to rise within her at their closeness. Though she had become accustomed to its unfaltering persistence within her, it was significantly different than the warmth she experienced during her pregnancy. This particular fieriness burned deep in her belly whenever she was near him. She thought perhaps it was just another side-effect of their bond, that maybe their feelings for each other had been amplified ever since they had become a part of each other. Whatever the cause, the sensation was both exhilarating and increasingly sensual. “I find that incredibly attractive,” she admitted, tracing her fingers down the centre of his chest.

“Do you?” he asked, his attention drawn to her sudden affection. As he peered into her big brown eyes, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of security in her presence. No matter the turmoil they had faced, she was always prepared to stand by his side. Without her, he was sure he would have forgotten how to breathe. He brought his hands around her waist and gently pulled her closer. “Are you sure it isn’t my impeccable charm? My superior intelligence? My dazzling dress sense? I’ve a whole list to choose from,” he noted, grinning to himself.

“Lest we forget your inflated ego,” she added, smiling brightly. “We could fill a raft and float out to sea on that.”

“You never know when that might come in handy,” he countered.

“What, and give you another reason to feel clever? I’d never hear the end of it,” she teased, wrapping her arms around his thin frame. She comfortably rested her head against his chest as they looked in on the sleeping girl. “Is it strange that we named our daughter after herself?” she asked rhetorically. “I mean, try explaining that one in normal conversation.”

“Stranger things have happened,” he answered vaguely, inclining the memory of those from his marital past to be left where they were. Tilting her chin towards his lips, he leaned down to kiss her. He hardly remembered the last time she had been in his arms, a fault he would greatly consider to be his own. Finding the perfect balance between rising to the top of his intellectual game and his desire to become the lover she deserved was an impossible task. And yet, the longer they stayed hidden away waiting for something to happen, the more he could feel the scale tipping in her direction. The few precious moments remaining between now and the inevitable fight to the finish line was all the time he had left to love her this way.

As she engaged herself in his romantic gesture, their affection for each other began to electrify the space all around them. Elated by their sudden intimacy, he took her aside and anxiously herded her towards the console to lean her against it. Their bodies united as one as they continued to kiss each other. Once timid and frightened of what his feelings for her might lead to, he found himself comforted by the love she continued to gift him with. A love that opened more doors into their relationship than he ever thought were possible. She had gone from a mystery to a friend, from his companion to the mother of his child more quickly than he could even fathom. And he cherished her even more for it. Nothing would ever be able to replace the love he held in his hearts for her. After a moment, he heard her grunt uncomfortably from under her breath. He pulled away to see her face and raised his brow in response.

“Sorry, it’s just… the metal. It’s digging into my back,” she declared, shifting herself to a better position. As her fingers grazed over the buttons on his vest, she gazed up at him with a heightened sense of provocativeness about her. “You know, it’s a shame there’s no bedroom in here. As far as snog boxes go, the TARDIS isn’t exactly the most comfortable.”

He playfully scoffed at her insensitivity and placed his hand upon the console, petting it tenderly. He glanced up at the rings above him and called out to his long-time vessel. “She didn’t mean that!” Before he could talk himself out of it, he reached towards the controls and began typing a destination into the ship’s interface. His other hand manoeuvred around his companion’s side to grasp the lever behind her. He peered down at the form of his petite-sized prisoner captured between his arms and grinned mischievously. Without warning, he pulled down on the lever and sent the ship to her instructed coordinates.

“Where are we going?” she asked suspiciously, though remained intrigued by his sudden mysteriousness. It had been so long since he had taken her anywhere, she nearly forgot the excitement that accompanied the ship’s signature clatter of time travel. The TARDIS landed almost as quickly as she had dematerialized, the sound of her thudded landing alerted them to their intended arrival.

“Ask and you shall receive,” he answered, returning his lips to hers. Taking hold of her waist, he hurried to guide her towards the ship’s entrance. She wrapped her arms around his neck as they burst their way through the doors straight into her flat. She laughed and yelped with surprise as he gracefully lifted and tossed her onto the bed. Standing above her, he threw off his coat and kicked off his shoes. She took the liberty of lifting her blouse over her head to relieve herself of it. He watched intently as she reached towards him and began unfastening the buttons on his vest then moved to his shirt underneath. Helping to part ways with the rest of his clothing, he climbed onto the bed as she seized the opportunity to slide out of her skirt. Bringing his lips to hers, he slowly lowered her onto the bed and carefully pressed himself on top of her as if to prevent her from escaping.

He could feel her temperature rising beneath him the more passionately he kissed her. He was unable to help himself from being drawn to her intoxicating fragrance; a divine perfume of perfectly balanced femininity and fertility. His increased sensitivity to her reproductive desires was made even more aware by their strong bond to each other. The maternal mix of chemicals inside every cell in her body were exploding with sexual energy. The untamed animalistic side of him had become infatuated by her pheromones. His senses were lured in by the irresistible scent of her body’s heat-cycle urging her to conceive. He could feel himself losing all control. No matter how desperately he fought, there was nothing he could do to stop it. They were doomed to be enslaved by their illness’ command.

He knew that as long as the virus retained its hold over their minds, he would never be able to break free of his relentless desire to impregnate her. Just as she would never be able to sustain her maternal appetite for bearing his child for as long as she still could. A concept more concerning than he had given credit. His companion may be a young female still in her prime, but she was still human. If he failed in his attempt to break them out of the loop, they would spend the rest of their infected lives trapped inside of this altered reality. As tempting as it was to continue the relationship they had created together, eventually there would come a time when Clara could no longer carry a child for him. What then? What would happen to her if she was unable to fulfil the obligation of her mind? Of course, he already knew the answer to that whether he chose to admit it or not. He was no stranger to how the snare functioned within its victims. Those who were unfortunately selected to be a carrier of the virus were often driven to insanity after completing the task set out for them. Like trying to scratch an unscratchable itch until all the flesh had been scraped down to the bone yet the sensation remained. Which was another reason the Persuaders were considered so deadly. Clara had no idea what she was up against. All she knew was that there was an incessant longing to fill the emptiness inside of her with life that could only be tamed by him. The only way to prevent his companion from going mad before her age had caught up with her was to try to teach her how to fight her urges, or give her what she wanted. She was only just beginning to regain her strength after giving birth. Whatever sensible part of him remained would not allow himself to put her through that again, especially if they were forced into battle against Missy. It would be far too dangerous.

He quickly pulled himself from her lips and gasped for breath. “Clara, wait. We need to stop,” he blurted out without even realizing it.

“What, already?” she asked disappointedly. Her glance instinctively shifted to the area below his waist. “For a Time Lord, you sure do expire quickly.”

“No, not that,” he replied defensively. His mind worked quickly to find a way to tell her the truth without revealing the fact that he wasn’t entirely in control of himself, and neither was she. It would raise far too many questions. Questions that in his cowardice he wasn’t yet ready to answer. “It’s much too soon. You’re still healing,” he continued, hoping she would be understanding of his concern for her well-being. He cradled her head in his grasp and looked to her sincerely. “I don’t wish to hurt you.”

A coy smile spread across her lips as she leaned in towards his neck. “Be gentle then,” she whispered into his ear, unwilling to abandon the much-anticipated intimacy taking place between them. She had waited for this moment for too long to allow it to slip through her fingers so easily.

“Clara,” he started, trying his hardest to resist her increasing affection. “As much as I want this, and believe me, I do, I’m afraid you’ve become far too susceptible to your biological impulses towards me,” he explained poorly, starting to realize how badly he was failing at gaining control of the situation.

She leaned away to see his face and frowned at his choice of words. “Not sure how I feel about your expertise on the subject,” she argued, then curiously raised her brow. “What do you mean ‘susceptible’?”

He sighed and tried to find the words to respond that would sound the least impersonal. “Well, for one, your body has already begun the process of preparing itself for conception. I am able to sense the changes taking place inside of you through our bond. Which is reason enough for us to be keeping our distance from each other, else we may have another tiny problem on our hands,” he declared, lightly patting her middle as if to provide a gentle reminder of how their daughter came into existence in the first place. Taking a deep breath, he silently scolded himself for having fallen victim to his lust for her once again. “I shouldn’t have brought you here. This was a mistake.” He watched as her expression quickly shifted from provocatively inquisitive to mildly wounded. It was never his intention to upset her. He only wished to protect her from himself and what he knew they were capable of so long as the virus remained in control of their actions. The longer he remained in her presence, the less authority he had over his impulses. He placed his hand on her cheek and looked to her compassionately. “Please, try to understand. Being away from you is the last thing I would ever want. But if we’re not careful, you could be with child again before I can even get us out of this mess. We’re still at war, Clara. Now is not the time for us to become so careless.”

The fire within her grew in strength by his words of warning as if demanding she disobey. She felt every bit of its intensifying heat brought to life by the thought of what their lust for each other could cause. She no longer recognized herself as her mind became clouded by how badly she wanted to feel him inside of her again. As her hand gently trailed its way down his bare chest and stomach, she could feel a part of him pressing against her thigh. She raised her brow and smiled seductively. “It seems one of us is eager to become careless more than they’re letting on.” Her hand explored farther down his body until she found herself carefully caressing him between his legs. The part of her that would have been shocked by her actions had been replaced by that of her strong sexual depravity longing for his affection.

He closed his eyes and lowered his head in submission, groaning softly at the sensation of her grasp on him. His mind shattered into a million pieces as she took control. He felt his entire body tremble with arousal. The ability to think rational thoughts was now under threat as his primal instincts awakened to the heat of their passion. His hearts became filled with hunger and lust for her once more. There was nothing in the universe powerful enough to stop it. The desire to fill her and protect her as she grew heavy by him consumed him. The only thing preventing him from ensuring his seed had taken root inside of her before the night’s end was his fear of the immediate danger bound to follow as a result of his actions. Putting a child in her now would only give Missy that much more of an advantage over him. “Clara, please,” he whispered, hoping there was some part of himself still able to resist his impulses before they forced him to do something he shouldn’t have. He needed to stop himself before the animal trapped inside tore its way through his defences to take control over their intimacy. The more he tried to hold it back, the more he could feel it stirring within the cage that imprisoned it. “We must stop,” he begged her.

She returned her lips to his neck and gently nipped at his skin before kissing her way towards his ear. “And if we don’t?” she asked softly, no longer in command of her sexual prowess as she positioned herself between his legs and delicately pressed her hips into him.

Every bit of restraint was annihilated the moment he felt himself brush up against her entrance. Her seductive advances had driven him far beyond the edge of all reason. The beast had finally awoken. His felt his eyes snap open. His hand reached out and firmly took her by her chin to stop her. “Then I might be tempted to give you exactly what your body desires of me,” he threatened. His gaze stared back at her fiercely to warn her of just how serious he was.

The feel of his grasp on her was both frightening and yet strangely erotic. She had seen that look in his eyes before from the visions of their euphoric love for each other as they flashed into her head. The longer she thought about them, the more authentic they appeared. She realized this was the truth he had been hiding from her all this time. The part of himself he would not allow her to see for fear of hurting her. This is what he looked like when he had lost himself in his passion for her, and she wanted more. As terrified as she should have been of the person he was becoming, a deeper part of herself buried somewhere beneath her layers of denial wanted to know just how far his lust for her would take them. There was only one person in the universe able to extinguish the fire burning so brightly inside of her, and that person was him. “I might be tempted to let you,” she admitted softly.

He found himself shocked and bewildered by her confession. Glancing towards his hand, his hearts became filled with distress over the aggressive hold he claimed on her face. He slowly released her and took a moment to compose himself before he had unintentionally damaged her any further. He calmed his mind and allowed himself to come to terms with what she was asking him to do. He took a deep breath and peered down the length of her until his eyes met with her middle. He slid his hand down her belly and carefully pressed it above the part of her that had ripened with fertility. A small gasp escaped her as he rubbed soothing circles over the place that once swelled with his child. Her breathing deepened the more he wooed her into maternal submission. He could feel her muscles contracting under his palm, her pulse began to quicken. The heat rising between her legs quickly claimed his attention. His mind was in torment over how close he was to seeding her and how badly her body was begging him to. Bringing his lips to her neck, he trailed tender kisses down her smooth skin and took in her scent for all it was worth. “Is that what you want?” he whispered, concentrating all of his energy towards stimulating her for reproduction. “Do you wish to carry again so soon? Would that please you?”

“Are you trying to seduce me, Doctor?” she inquired provocatively.

“Is it working?” he asked as his lips made their way down her chest.

“Yes,” she spoke softly, feeling even more aroused by his intimidating power over her.

“Tell me what you want, Clara,” he begged her. “I’ll do anything you ask if only to satisfy you.”

“I want you, Doctor. It has only ever been you,” she replied breathlessly, feeling the sensation of his lips enticing her as they moved farther down her stomach.

Lifting his gaze, his eyes met her hungry expression. “Are you sure?” he asked, offering her one last chance to change her mind before the last bit of himself left untainted by the virus had finally been consumed.

“I’m sure,” she confirmed, tenderly placing her hands on the sides of his head to guide his lips back to hers.

The familiar taste of her lingered upon him as they kissed. His senses had long since lost the battle for sanity as they continued to explore each other. His hearts pounded in his chest as he instinctively positioned himself at her entrance. His hand moved lower down her body, gently encouraging her to open for him before the rest of himself slowly slid its way inside. He softly moaned with pleasure as every bit of her warmth embraced him.

She gasped at the sudden intrusion and quietly winced at the unanticipated sensation of soreness and pain residing within her since she had given birth. Grasping his shoulder, she momentarily stopped him from proceeding any farther. “Be gentle with me, Doctor,” she pleaded, exhaling a deep breath to soothe her mind from her sensitivity to him.

“Always,” he replied adoringly. He waited patiently, allowing her all the time she required to prepare herself, then felt her opening wider to accommodate for him. Once ready, she nodded confidently and released the tension building within her. Seizing his opportunity, he succumbed to his own tactical torment as he carefully penetrated her. All he could think about was what he needed to do to fulfil the obligation of his illness. The fine line between pleasure and strategy was never more apparent than it was right then. Each push brought him closer to his objective of creating life inside of her. A task easily championed by his dominance over her vulnerable state of mind. As the virus continued to take control over his actions, his thoughts were once again flooded with the images of the night she had been forced to conceive his child. The start of everything that had been and would be that even he could not avoid.

As he was pulled between one reality and another, a new set of visions were introduced that had yet to be seen. A bed, much like this one, and his companion lying partially unclothed beneath him. She smiled at him brightly as he admired her from above. He saw himself peering down the length of her, his hand gliding up her bare thigh towards her hip. Continuing to her middle, he delicately slid his way under her shirt and gently brushed his fingers over the newly formed swell of her tummy hiding underneath. The return of her maternal glow was simply breathtaking. The Persuader’s snare was flawless in design. Each new vision of her felt so real, he was unable to determine which reality he was currently living in. There was no way to know for certain if the images were merely the illusory byproduct of his illness or a glimpse into the future. All he knew was how badly he wanted it to be true.

New Sparta, Arcadia 3135

The night’s absence of moonlight piercing the darkness foreshadowed the fate of every living soul behind the once impregnable walls of the armoured city. The inevitability of its much-anticipated downfall had become the most sought after achievement of more than a thousand warrior races in its extended history. Though none had ever succeeded. The knowledge of this realm’s often celebrated immortality stretched far beyond the stars, bringing with it significant temptation to those hell-bent on witnessing the fortress’s destruction. Passed down from generation to generation, the tales of its victory told throughout the centuries had become that of legend to the citizens of this metallic kingdom. And yet, like the fall of Troy in the infamous Achaeanian war, it was only a matter of time before the city’s defences had worn thin with age and weakened by the continuous sieges against it. Whether it be due to the hubris of their species or by the will of the Gods, sooner or later all great things must come to an end.

The resonating cacophony of defending gunfire drowned the screams of defenceless women and children fleeing for their lives as their beloved sanctuary burned all around them. The breached city walls groaned and creaked loudly with objection, their integrity now compromised by a force far greater than anything they had ever been met with. Those of the highest-ranking status and stature were shown to be of no greater value than their livestock ripe for the slaughter. Anyone still fighting to stay alive was forced into retreat deep inside the underbelly of the city’s most sacred grounds. As the air grew thick with smoke and ash, the countless pleas for help from those left abandoned on the surface began to die out leaving an eerie quiet in its place.

From the shadows appeared a legendary creature of great power. Her black cloak drifted over the fallen debris like the cold touch of death as she passed. Behind her, a loyal army of ten thousand strong accompanied their commander deep into the ruins of the shattered city. The earth shook beneath their feet as they marched forward. Their ballads of victory stretched far beyond this foreign kingdom bringing horror and despair to the hearts of their enemies.

Approaching from the easternmost section of the city’s central square, a lone scout made his way towards the familiar form of his superior standing before him like a God. “Sir,” he addressed the Raven, bowing respectively.

Turning her attention to the soldier, she glared at him from behind her shaded mask. “Report,” she instructed, her voice feigned and distorted.

The scout cleared his throat and presented a battle-ready server pad containing the data he had gathered of the city’s structures and garrison. “Our artillery was successful in disabling nearly all of their main defences both inside the city and along the perimeter walls. Their remaining forces have retreated just beyond the borders of the capitol building. They’ve taken defensive positions in at least three known locations throughout the city,” he informed her, highlighting specific areas on the map’s interface for her to observe. “It has come to our attention that a large number of their legions have been concentrated in one area in particular,” he continued, enlarging the map to a digital rendering of a massive columned building. “The temple of Hestia. According to our scanners, there’s a series of tunnels running underneath the city that can only be accessed from inside. It has been suggested that they are utilizing the tunnels and crypts to offer sanctuary to the women and children seeking refuge there. We’ve discovered the temple grounds to be heavily armoured and well-defended. Those still fighting to protect it are proving more difficult to eliminate than we originally anticipated.”

“How admirable,” she replied, allowing a small snicker to escape through her mask. “And here I was beginning to think we had come all this way for nothing.” Though pleased at how effortlessly the city seemed to have fallen under her control, she expected to find greater resistance from those who so boastfully claimed to be forged from that of legend. Before their departure, she had become just as well-versed in the tales of triumph told throughout the land as she had of the trials and tribulations of her predecessors. All of which had attempted to take the city by force and failed. Their misfortunes on the battlefield had become quite the tactical advantage when it came to paving the way for her own army’s success. If it hadn’t been for their downfall, this day might have been awarded to another. “Never fear a challenge, my friend. It only makes our victory that much more rewarding in the end.”

“What are your orders, sir?”

Returning her attention towards the direction of the sacred temple, she almost pitied them. Their refusal to accept their place under her command was the sole cause of their demise. And now, as they faced certain death, the only thing they had left to cling to in this world was hope for their species. Where were their Gods now? Where was their heroic knight in shining blue armour so tirelessly determined to set things right in the universe? He had abandoned them. And yet, they would still choose to sacrifice themselves waiting for a coward in a box to save them rather than accept their fate. She felt her face furrow in a sudden fit of resentment and loathing, though she wasn’t entirely certain it was them who were to blame for it. “Obliterate them,” she instructed.

“What of the women and children?” he inquired, holding his intimidation of her at bay.

Taking a moment to consider her answer, she became lost in thought as if she had been pulled into the void of her contemplation. Somewhere deep inside her mind, she felt as though every cell in her body had slowly been poisoned over time ever since the day she first regenerated. Where she once strove to mould and shape the universe by way of order and destruction, a larger part of her could not help but feel her purpose had become monotonous and unfulfilling. There were times when she found herself yearning for something much greater than what she spent her entire life hoping to achieve. This was the only life she had ever known. She had caused more pain and suffering in her lifetime than her memory of it could ever recollect. By her reasoning, it was far too late for her to become anything else. Perhaps the Doctor was right. Perhaps the day would come when the countless number of lives she sought to destroy had finally weighed heavy on her soul. But until that day, there was still an army to command and a war to be won.

“Sir?”

Regaining her mind, she peered at the scout and confidently delivered her answer. “Leave no one alive.”

“Yes, sir,” he replied, bowing in compliance.

As the scout took his leave of her presence, she sensed something of a rather unsettling nature beginning to form around her. Something she could not have anticipated. Quynn, a voice suddenly whispered to her with the passing breeze. Her gaze was pulled towards the direction of a large columned structure left modestly unscathed by the surrounding siege. Being drawn to the sound, she removed herself from her stagnant position on the street and made her way towards the building alone. Slowly approaching the colossal entrance, she observed a figure stirring amongst the shadows from within. She paused just outside and listened in for the voice’s return, only to find silence in its place. Perhaps she simply imagined it. Or perhaps it was unworthy of any further investigation on her part. The thought of abandoning her curiosity in favour of the building’s destruction had crossed her mind when the sound of someone’s footsteps was heard originating from somewhere inside. Silently drawing her sidearm, she cautiously stepped foot onto the marble tiles and proceeded into the room on a mission to locate the source.

“I know you’re here,” she called out, her voice echoing back to her from every direction as it reverberated off the walls and high ceilings. Advancing into the uncharted expanse, a long row of variously sized bronze statues depicting the old Gods of Earth could be well observed between every structural pillar on either side of her. Her senses remained on high alert as she made her way deeper into the meticulously designed space. Her tactically trained skills of observation helped her to scan every possible niche and cavity in search of potential threats concealed within. The farther she strode into the unknown, the more she could feel the familiar presence of someone she knew all too well lurking in the shadows as if they were watching her. “There’s no use in hiding. You’ll only prolong the inevitable,” she called again, attempting to lure them out. Beyond the next area, the distinctive sound of footsteps from someone retreating farther into darkness was followed by a series of hushed whispers. “If you think you can save them, you’re too late. You’ve already lost,” she expressed with confidence as she tentatively followed the voices into the adjacent room. In the centre of the columned chamber sat several long tables between accompanying rows of hand-crafted wooden chairs. A dining hall perhaps.

A rustling noise from somewhere beside her drew her glance towards the dark spaces of the room. Her eyes observed the silhouette of someone quickly passing behind the columns. She caught a glimpse of crimson red shining brightly from the lining of their coat as the light welcomed it. “Come out and face me, Doctor,” she called to him malevolently, slowly stalking towards the shadows as if hunting her prey. Another noise from the opposite side of the dining hall claimed her attention. Her pace quickened as she strode across it towards the sound. Just before reaching another doorway, she stopped in her tracks. From the shadowy centre of the next room stood the familiar form of a man. His hands were tucked into his pockets. His face was shrouded in darkness, but she knew it was him. Though she couldn’t see his face, she was sure he was smiling at her. Raising her sidearm, she aimed it at his hearts with the determination that this time she would not miss. Her finger upon the trigger, she observed as he stepped forward into the light and looked at her with his piercing green eyes. An eerie silence fell between them as they stared at each other. In her hesitation, he turned and headed out of sight towards the other side of the room before she could fire. “Stop!” she commanded, rushing weapon first through the doorway after him. As she entered what appeared to be a small kitchen, she was prepared to find him waiting for her just inside. But what she discovered there was not what she expected as her eyes met with the frightened faces of a mother and her young boy cowering in the corner against a solid wall. In her arms, she held a newborn baby girl close to her chest. Quynn stared at them in disbelief as it suddenly dawned on her that there were no other doors aside from the one she had come through, making these creatures the only other life forms in the room. Bewildered by the sight of them, she took aim. The mother softly pleaded for their lives and held her children tightly. As Quynn attempted to grasp what was happening to her, her glance lowered towards the small baby.

She’s beautiful, isn’t she, the Doctor’s voice whispered as if it were calling to her from every wall and corner of the room. She quickly spun around and aimed her weapon towards the shadows, only to find them vacant of any life. She felt her hearts beat even faster at the sudden disturbance, becoming frightened by her mind’s apparent rejection of all reason. The sound of her accelerated breathing resonated from inside her mask as she continued to search for him. Her thoughts began to betray her the more she tried to convince herself that this was all an illusion, just a trap masterfully designed by him to weaken her defences. And yet, what if it wasn’t? What if it was far worse than that? Her story has yet to be written, he spoke softly from behind her. She turned around towards the source, her weapon aiming blindly into the darkness surrounding her. The sound of the infant’s whimpering forced Quynn’s attention to the family cowering before her. Her weapon instinctively drew itself towards the terrified faces staring up at her. Her gaze returned to the small girl being protectively cradled in her mother’s arms. She can grow up to be anything she wants to be, he called again, this time from the centre of her mind. His words were so very clear and possessing, it was as if she had spoken them herself. She glanced at the young boy. The sight of his tears triggered her memory of the child lost within the sea of screaming faces as he cried out for his mother. The image of his city burning all around him had stained itself in her memory ever since the Doctor gained access to her thoughts. Whatever he’d done to her, it was clear that no matter how strong she had become, no matter how many people had fallen for her to succeed, there was no army in the universe large enough to defeat him in the battle against her mind. He knew exactly what he was doing.

An explosion originating from somewhere in the city caused the building to creak and groan, suddenly breaking her of her trance. The sound of the walls shedding centuries worth of dust and sand between its cracks was heard hitting the floor as the structure became increasingly unstable. From somewhere within the boundaries of the massive building, she could hear the faint voices of her soldiers making their way inside. Their footsteps drew closer to her location. It was only a matter of time before they were inevitably discovered. Her weapon trembling in her grasp, she lowered her arm and allowed it to fall to her side. Taking one last look at the faces of her enemies, she inhaled a deep breath and offered them the single most important advice they would ever hear. “Run.”

Making the solitary journey back to her ship through the mass of decaying bodies, she finally arrived at the base camp just outside the city’s outer defences. She hadn’t even remembered leaving. All she could think about was getting as far away from that place as possible. Once on board, she made her way down the corridors in silence. The doors to her battle-room opened as she approached. Inside she discovered several of her lieutenants hovered over data schematics and tactical protocols. Their heads raised at her entrance.

“Leave me,” she instructed, her demeanour fierce and threatening.

“Sir?” one of the soldiers asked, confused by the sudden interruption of her presence in the room.

“I SAID LEAVE ME!” she screamed, removing her sidearm to point it  at the next highest-ranking soldier in the room.

Without further argument, the soldiers gathered up their materials as quickly as they could and made their way towards the exit. She found herself now completely alone within the confines of her battle-room. Replacing her weapon at her side, she removed her gloves and placed them on the console table in front of her. Lowering her hood, she unfastened the cloak from her shoulders and allowed it to fall to the ground behind her. She raised her hands to her head and removed the mask from her face before clipping it to her hip. As she did, her mind was suddenly flooded with the screams of her victims as if they cried out all at once. She grasped the sides of her head as their voices pulsated through her mind and shattered her from the inside. The returned visions of their horrific deaths were so powerful, she screamed in agony in an attempt to make them desist. She felt her nails tearing at her flesh as she tried to escape from them. The thought of killing herself just to end her pain had entered her mind when the voices suddenly stopped. She gasped for breath and braced herself against the surface of the table as her mind began to reset itself. No matter how hard she tried to deny it, she knew this was the price she had been forced to pay at the cost of uncovering the truth. As the Doctor’s confession filtered into her thoughts, her reflection continued to stare back at her.

Returning to her natural stance, she reached into her pocket and retrieved the device he had gifted her so many years ago. Having kept it with her all this time, its purpose remained a mystery ever since the day she could last recall being in his presence. So small a thing, she thought. And yet, important enough to have risked his life just to give it to her. When you’re ready to know the real truth, you’ll know what to do with it, his voice echoed into her thoughts once more. Twirling it around in her hand, she noticed the green light lit up on one side remained unchanged since last she saw it. Examining it more closely, she discovered a small round opening located at either end. A charging port or data link perhaps? She instinctively slid her finger over the opening as if searching for a clue to its meaning. Before she could question its purpose any further, she was suddenly startled by something sharp piercing her finger. She winced aloud at the pain, allowing the device to fall from her grasp onto the console table. A pool of blood began to form at her fingertip. A few seconds later, another green light appeared atop the device opposite the first. Without warning, the table’s view-screen flickered and switched on as all of its internal systems fully activated to the technology being presented. Scanning the device, the interface quickly began to download the stored data onto its memory drive. Her attention shifted to the console as the words download complete flashed upon the screen. Though afraid of what she would discover once she chose to follow the path of uncertainty in search of answers, deep down, she already knew what she would find. She could not turn back now. After a brief hesitation, she opened the file and expanded its contents to display in the form of a holographic projection in front of her. The image revealed two separate yet nearly identical triple helix DNA strands, both originating from the same source. The readings indicated that the first blood sample had been procured from that of a half-human female, extracted on the very same day that Quynn had last seen the Doctor. The second more concerning sample was her own. The scan showed the same blood type and species as the first with only one noticeable difference. Of the two specimens, only one of them had gone through a complete cellular regeneration.

The sound of chalk tapping along the surface of a blackboard resonated off the walls of the room as Clara climbed the metal steps towards the heart of the TARDIS. Coming around the console, she found him on the lower level, his back turned to her as he continued to be immersed in his work. She slowly approached him from behind and took a seat at the top of the stairs, observing intently as he appeared to be focused on some sort of Gallifreyan maths equation. She studied him quietly, allowing him the time he required during their temporary silence to distract himself from whatever was ailing his mind. After everything that had happened between them over the past few days, it could hardly be narrowed down to one alone. There was a lot to be accounted for, after all. Their current situation wasn’t what one might consider normal by any standard. But then again, when it came to the Doctor, what was? Though human parents typically spent this quality time together adapting to the lifestyle changes brought on by the birth of a new child, the Time Lord and his companion were facing an entirely different set of challenges. Most notably, the race against time.

The Doctor seemed rather distant since their daughter was born, wandering about the ship in a constant state of depression and wild deliberation. Though he looked in on his family from time to time, there was an unmistakable glimpse of sadness hiding behind his eyes whenever she found herself looking deep enough. He was both present and not at the same time. He hadn’t held his daughter in his arms since the day he helped deliver her. Clara thought perhaps he was still trying to remain unattached so as not to allow his devastation to consume him at the thought of never finding a way to stop Missy from taking her. Or perhaps he knew deep down that if they were to succeed it wouldn’t even matter in the end. Though she hoped he’d desire a strong bond to form between them, he chose instead to deny himself the joys that came with fatherhood to concentrate all of his energy towards reaching the end. It pained Clara immensely to see him this way, watching as his affection and devotion slowly disintegrated over time to be repurposed as a means of winning the battle against Missy. As she continued to observe him with unspoken apprehension, she couldn’t help but wonder what sort of man he was forcing himself to become.

“How is she?” he finally asked, breaking the silence in the room. His attention remained focused on his work as he waited for a response from her.

“She’s sleeping finally. Dreaming of something magical, I hope,” she answered, trying to mask her concern over his apparent absent-mindedness and disconnection from her.

“And you?”

She sighed lightly and thought for a moment about her answer. The sheer quantity of emotions thriving within her was so overwhelming, she didn’t know where to start. She had left her old life and everyone in it to remain by the Doctor’s side. There wasn’t a single person back on Earth who had any idea she was even gone. No baby showers or congratulations awaiting her return as she knew she’d never be returning, at least not in this reality. She felt so very alone and abandoned by the man she loved even though he hadn’t actually left her. She felt weighed down with uncertainty and bound by the capabilities she knew she must ensue as a new mother. But she was strong. She knew she could endure the pain of loneliness for as long as she had to if it meant they’d survive this together. What worried her more than all of that was the feeling of something evolving inside of her she didn’t know how to explain in words alone nor understood what it meant. “It’s a bit surreal, I think. I’m slowly coming to understand what it takes to be a real mother. And yet, when I look at her, I sometimes can’t believe she’s here. I can’t help but think that only a few days ago, she was living and growing inside of me. When I close my eyes, I swear I can still feel her moving around in there. But now that she’s finally here, it’s almost as if there’s an emptiness inside. Like a void. I had become so used to her warmth, I hadn’t realized how much I’d miss it when it was gone.” She lowered her head and wrapped her arms around her knees, hugging them tightly to her chest as she thought about how much she missed everything that came with his affection.

“All of that will pass with time, I’m sure,” he replied, continuing to face away from her.

Clara nodded quietly to herself and tried not to develop an emotional attachment over the lack of sympathy in his response. She couldn’t bring herself to object to his sudden avoidance of her as she felt responsible for its existence in the first place. The guilt she carried in her heart over her last confession to him had been born from fear and spite. A confession she knew to be both cruel and untrue. During that moment of extreme desperation, she had become a victim of failure in the ultimate test of strength and taken it out on him in the most undeserving way. Though he had come through on his promise to get their child back, her regrets of that day were tearing her apart. “Doctor. What I said before, about hating you,” she began, trying to find the words housed somewhere beneath the layers of her thoughts.

“There’s no need to explain. I already know,” he stopped her, maintaining concentration towards his work.

As much as she felt he deserved an explanation to what was going on in her mind, she knew that wasn’t the sort of thing he’d often take the time to listen to out of his own free will. Though his words helped to remind her of his ability to see beyond her anger and through to her own heart, she needn’t rely on their bond to know there was something much larger than her insecurity taking priority in his mind. “What’s troubling you then?”

“What makes you think I’m troubled?” he asked, raising his brow towards the blackboard as he wrote.

She glanced at the ground below his feet, taking notice of the active battlefield around him littered with broken chalk pieces lying murdered by his frustration. “Oh, I dunno. Wild guess?” Returning her attention to his work, she allowed her thoughts to become strategic and analytical in process. If she truly wished to discover what was going on in that daft mind of his, she would have to think like him. She would need to depend upon her knowledge of how he functioned under pressure to form a suitable reason for his diversion. If she hadn’t been the cause of it, then what had? Taking a moment to comb through the events over the past few days and carefully taking into consideration everything he’d told her, it suddenly made perfect sense. “You’re worried. You’re wondering if you’ve done the right thing.”

“Perhaps I have, or perhaps not. Only time will tell,” he answered, unsurprised by her accusation.

“She could have taken our child away, but she didn’t. She could have killed you and left your body back on that beach, but she didn’t. That’s got to count for something, shouldn’t it?” she asked, trying to bring even the smallest amount of positivity to their conversation.

“That’s not what concerns me,” he replied, taking a step back from his work to observe it in its entirety. He folded his arms at his chest and brought the chalk to his chin as his mind continued to wander.

“What is it then?”

He turned around to face her for the first time at the question. “Well, for one, we’re still here.”

Clara felt her eyes narrow with perplexity at his statement of the obvious. “Yeah, not following.”

“Time has yet to be rewritten. We’re still trapped within our infinite loop,” he explained, gesturing to the space around them.

“And what, you thought that Quynn changing her mind would have saved us?” she wondered, trying to latch onto whatever thought pattern he was attempting to pull her towards.

“No, I knew that wouldn’t have worked. Well, probably wouldn’t have worked.” He observed intently as her questioning brow tore right through his cleverly disguised deception. “Okay, so I wasn’t exactly ruling it out at the time,” he confessed. He turned and slowly paced in front of her, taking a moment to allow his thoughts to reorder themselves in a more linear path so that she would understand. “But had that been the case, everything would have reverted to the way it was before by now. This conversation wouldn’t even be happening. Though it may seem like we are no better off than we were a few days ago, I believe Quynn may have proved herself more useful to us than I originally thought. Her sudden change of heart might not have been enough to alter the course of history altogether, but perhaps her act of kindness was exactly the push we needed to help shift ourselves out of this loop.” Turning his attention towards the blackboard, he placed his hand on top of it and rotated it around to reveal a blank workspace on the other side.

“Why do I suddenly get the feeling there’s a theory coming on?” she frowned.

“Hush,” he ignored her. Grasping the chalk, he began to draw a straight line across the bottom of the blackboard with a gap directly in the centre of it. “Now pay attention. To fully understand how we will break out of the loop, we must first explore the nature of the loop itself.” He brought his hand to the very middle of the board and drew a circle in alignment with the gap. “This circle represents us at the very moment this all started. Consider it a marble containing everything we know to be true leading up to that moment. And this,” he paused, drawing an arrow from the circle straight down through the gap in the bottom line, “represents the path of our infinite timeline. Constantly moving forward, never changing. The marble travels down its timeline, unaware of what lies ahead of it, until one day it gets sent back in time.” He proceeded to draw a second circle at the top of the blackboard, followed by an arrow from the second circle straight down to the first one. “Staying true to its original course, the marble will travel towards its past self, thereby striking it and sending it forward down its timeline to be sent back in time to encounter its past self. A never-ending loop, forever trapped for all of eternity. Unless, of course, you were able to alter the angle of impact.” He quickly turned around and pointed at her with the end of the chalk. “Question: Why did you try to kill yourself back on Messaline?”

She found herself blinking with surprise at his abrasiveness, unsure of how to respond. “I, uh-”

“Conjecture: Because you knew something was wrong,” he interrupted, then returned his attention to the blackboard. Reaching towards the top, he drew a series of circles tightly overlapping each other atop the second circle. “Each of these circles represents an unknowable amount of cycles we’ve made through the loop. All nearly identical to each other, but with one small difference. You see, each time we’ve repeated the same series of events that have led us to this point in our timeline, something more has followed us back. Little pieces of our previous selves have begun to bleed through causing small ripples in the fabric of time. Those slight variations from one cycle to the next may seem minuscule and insignificant at first glance. But, over time, they could have catastrophic consequences. If you’re a paradox that is.” He took his time drawing lines from each of the new circles towards the original one in the centre, then turned to her. “Imagine you’re skipping stones over a body of water. You throw the stone over and over again towards the same destination but no matter how hard you try, no stone will ever land in the same place twice. Why? Because of small changes in the atmospheric pressure, the pull of gravity, the average wind resistance, the density of the water, the size and weight of the stone, the number of skips, the velocity of the throw. Every single one of these factors will undoubtedly alter the final destination of each stone. But in the end, they will all still sink in the water, as stones do,” he paused momentarily. “Which I now realize isn’t strictly relevant. Skip that last part. What I mean is, even the smallest change from one cycle to the next would cause the angle of the marble’s path through time to be shifted by a mere fraction. In other words, the marble will continue to strike itself over and over again at a slightly different angle than before until it eventually knocked itself completely off course, thus never being sent back in time to begin with. Boom. The timeline disintegrates.” Picking up the eraser beside him, he quickly dragged it across the board to erase all of the circles then turned around to face her once more. “Any questions?”

Clara’s expression reflected that of sheer exhaustion both in mind and body as she held her head up by her temples and allowed her thoughts to catch up to her. “A few, but let’s start with the obvious one. How exactly do we plan to knock ourselves out of the loop?”

“No idea.”

“Great. Good thing I was sitting down through all of that then,” she replied, allowing her head fall to her knees in defeat.

The Doctor set down the chalk and approached her at the stairs, concerned by her increasing display of weariness towards his lack of comforting conversation. He relied so heavily on her ability to retain a positive outlook when it came to keeping other people alive that he forgot how to be that for her in return. “There is one thing that I do know. Whatever course of action is required to get us out hasn’t been done yet. Otherwise, we wouldn’t still be here. Which means it would have to be something I wouldn’t normally do. Something dangerously outside my level of comfort. Something risky. So, what’s the best way to find out if a plan is going to work? You do it. Starting with step one: Discover the cause of the loop. Step two: Form an exit strategy. Step three: Change the future.” He eyed her carefully and allowed her a moment to process his words in her own time.

Clara slowly lifted her head from her knees and stared at the old man objectively. She knew that look in his eyes all too well. Taking the time to grasp what he was trying to say, she realized he wasn’t just lecturing her on the cause and effects of the universe as he always did when he was trying to come up with a plan. He was being clever. He was testing her. This was his way of determining whether or not she had been paying attention, which almost always meant he was about to do something she wouldn’t approve of. He was seeking her validation, luring her in for some underlying purpose, and he needed her on his side. The wheels in her head began to spin as she thought about the real reason they set out on this path to begin with until it finally hit her. “Except we already know what caused this. We know Missy needs the baby to continue the loop. Which means you have to get close to her to find out how she wins to change the outcome. And you can’t do that unless she has the baby. That’s what this is all about.”

“Precisely,” he smiled, feeling elated by his success in reviving his partner in crime from her extended dormancy. “We only assumed Missy would come for the child. But what if we’ve been going about it all wrong? What if our only means of breaking out of the loop depended entirely upon us giving her up willingly?” he implored her.

“And you seriously thought I’d be okay with that plan? Have I missed something? Wasn’t the whole point of everything we’ve been trying to do meant to stop Missy from sending Quynn back to the past?” she objected, fighting to keep her defensive nature to a minimum.

“It still is. That hasn’t changed,” he assured her.

“I don’t understand,” she replied as her inner hostility gained in strength. “You said nothing would happen to us. That we would be safe here under your protection. You gave me your word, Doctor. I trusted you. And now that she is finally a part of our lives, you’re telling me you want to just give her away? Is her life so expendable to you?”

His smile faded at her harsh accusation, feeling every bit of it cutting right through to his beating hearts. Inhaling a deep breath, he cautiously ascended the steps and took a seat next to her at the top of the stairs. He rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands in front of him, allowing his thoughts to brew for a moment before responding to her calmly. “I know how all of this must sound to you. I understand you are upset. I haven’t given you any reason not to be. But if there is any part of you that believes I want to give her up, even to save our lives, then you don’t know me at all. So please, do not accuse me of being so heartless.” He lowered his glance to the steps below him, knowing what little had been said between them the past few days. “I know I haven’t been there for you. That I haven’t brought myself to become what you hoped I’d be for her. There’s nothing I want more than to be by your side. For us to be a family. Have you any idea how painful it has been for me to watch as you fall more in love with her each day, knowing that I will never be able to give you the life I dream we could have together? Do you think I enjoy my time down here all alone, spending all hours of the night and day apart from you? I don’t do it because I want to. I do it because I must. I do not have the luxury of pretending everything is going to be fine in the end. That whatever fate is in store for us isn’t waiting just beyond those doors.” He sighed and ran his hands down his exhausted face, trying his hardest to keep his heartbreak from revealing itself in her presence. “My entire world is falling apart all around me, Clara. I’m doing the best I can to hold all the pieces together. It seems the longer I try to hold them, the quicker they slip from my grasp. By now, Missy must know our child has been born. It’s only a matter of time before she’ll expect me to come through on my part of the deal. And if I don’t, she still has access to the future and the means to kill you.” He turned his attention towards his companion’s sympathetic expression and gazed apologetically into her eyes. “I’m sorry. But now that you’ve given birth, you’ve become expendable to her. As long as our child still lives, she no longer needs you alive to carry out her plans. She knows what you mean to me. She knows she can threaten to hurt you just to get to me. And she will. Unless I can stop her first.” He slowly reached over and carefully placed his hand into hers, their fingers curling as they entwined with one another. “Do you trust me, Clara?” he spoke softly, desperate for her comfort and understanding.

She glanced at their held hands, feeling his thumb softly stroking the surface of her skin. It was so rare an act for him to open himself up to her in such a way, especially when it mattered. She knew he would never ask her to risk her life or their child’s unless he was certain he could win without either of them being harmed. No matter how dangerous or insane or suicidal his ideas turned out to be, the one thing she could always count on was his duty of care. She would never give that up, not for anything. Their dependence upon each other had gotten them through even the worst of situations. This one was no different. “I trust you, Doctor,” she confirmed, gently squeezing his hand to assure him that she would always be by his side. “What do we do?”

He willed a weak smile to his face and brought her hand to his lips, kissing it tenderly before placing his other hand on top. “We play the game, over and over again if we have to. Until we beat it.” He looked to his companion, feeling comforted by the thought that she remained a constant in his life during these dark times. He knew he had taken their friendship for granted more often than he dared to admit, which left a lot to make up for. If there was one aspect of himself he could take with him after all of this was finally over, it would be the memory of her admirable compassion. The best he could hope for in the end was the chance he’d finally find the courage to tell her what she meant to him before it was too late. As impossible as it was to know for certain what their future relationship would evolve into, there would be no future for them at all if they didn’t succeed. The only thing left for them to do was continue the mission. “If there was any other way, I’d take it. I’m afraid defeating Missy is the only way to end this. She’ll expect a fight, so we’re going to give her one. Except this time, it’ll come with my own set of strings attached. I’ll need her to think she has won if this is to work. So long as she believes she’s winning the battle, she’ll never anticipate the war until it’s over.”

“So you have a plan then?” she asked hopefully.

“Less of a plan, more of a thing. But soon the answer will be, ‘Yes, I have a plan,’” he answered, trying to remain as positive as he could so as not to lose her confidence in him. “I cannot bring Missy down on my own without help. As long as she remains protected behind her wall of defence, I’ll never reach the end. I won’t be able to stop her.” He lowered his head and sighed, feeling just as diminished as he did the day Missy turned down his offer. If he truly wished to beat her at her own game, he would need the equivalent of an entire army on his side all working together. “I need Quynn, Clara. I can’t do this without her.”

Clara nodded reluctantly, unsure of how to feel about the amount of dependence he was putting towards their daughter’s decision to betray the woman who raised her. “Do you think she will help us?”

“We’ll know the answer to that soon enough, I suppose,” he replied, realizing what little time he had left to wait for her. “All I do know is that when she’s ready, she’ll come to us.”

“For our sake, I hope you’re right,” she replied, doing her best to stay supportive during this time of uncertainty. “Well, speaking of our daughter, I better go check on her before the TARDIS decides to play revolving rooms again. We really need to come up with a better arrangement.” She let go of his hand and grabbed the rail beside her, pulling herself to a standing position. As she turned to make her way towards the console, she suddenly felt the startling sensation of heat burning low in her abdomen unlike anything she’d ever felt before. Like fire but without the pain. It happened so fast, she hardly had time to react. She winced aloud and brought a hand to her middle as the feeling intensified. She tightly shut her eyes and concentrated on the foreign affliction. Before she could determine the cause of her ailment, her thoughts were interrupted by a series of images flashing into her mind uncontrollably. Visions she had never seen before. A room, a bed, two people engaged in a passionate display of love for one another. She saw herself crying out with euphoria. A bead of sweat glistened upon her brow. And then she saw him. He held her delicately in his grasp, worshipping every part of her body as if it were a temple. His familiar form was pressed on top of hers. She could feel him carefully pushing himself deep inside of her, urging her to open wider for him. A sense of greater purpose could be seen in his eyes as he filled her. She felt their heat, their passion, the intensity of his love all pouring into her. And she wanted more. The images were so real and so powerful, she gasped at the sensation of it. Her eyes flew open to the space around her once again.

“Clara?” he called worryingly. He quickly gathered himself from the floor and gently took her by the arm to steady her. “Are you alright?”

She found herself startled by his touch, unsure of what was happening inside of her. “Yeah, uh, a bit light-headed is all. Probably just tired,” she lied, taking a moment to clear the visions from her mind.

His brow raised suspiciously as his concern for her well-being took over the expression on his face. “Yes, probably that,” he eyed her, feeling the heat of her body rising beneath his grasp. Something was definitely wrong.

“There’s no need to worry. I’ll be alright,” she assured him, bringing a smile to her face. Taking a step towards him, she leaned in and kissed his cheek hoping that her simple display of affection would be enough to distract him from fretting over her. “Don’t work too hard, Doctor,” she added, removing herself from his side and leaving him to his thoughts.

The Doctor stepped outside his blue box and closed the door behind him. His eyes adjusted to the light of the setting sun and observed the form of his daughter as she quietly stood several paces ahead of him. Her attention was drawn towards the impressive view in the distance, remaining unaffected by the sense of his presence behind her. Inhaling a deep breath, he returned his hands to his pockets and made his way across the sand to take his place beside her once more. As they stood together side by side, he couldn’t help but notice her distracted gaze as if she were trapped beneath the weight of her confliction. He didn’t need to read her thoughts to understand the gravity of her internal battle with herself.

“They’re resting comfortably now,” he started, attempting to distract her from her inner turmoil. It was the least he could do. “As is to be expected, I suppose. Bringing new life into this world, couldn’t have picked a better day for it,” he added, admiring the sunset.

“My congratulations, Doctor,” she replied absent-mindedly as her thoughts continued to consume her.

“Thanks, but it’s Clara who deserves all the credit. All I did was believe in her.” The moment between them became temporarily quiet as they looked towards the brilliant sight ahead. He couldn’t even imagine the thoughts invading her mind right then. How scared she must be of the repercussions awaiting her return. How alone she must feel as her betrayal finally set in. But above all, he wanted her to know what her selfless act meant to him before he lost the opportunity to do so. “Quynn, what you did-”

“You have no idea what I’ve done,” she stopped him harshly.

“Yes, I do,” he looked to her with deepened certainty in his eyes. “You made a choice. The first of many, I hope.”

Quynn lowered her head as if the words she needed to say were buried somewhere beneath the sand. The thoughts taking place in her mind were wreaking havoc upon the walls of security she had built around herself. She was no longer sure of who she could trust anymore. “I need to know,” she turned to look upon him with a new understanding of vengeance in her gaze. “Is it true? Are you my father?”

The question surprised him. He wasn’t exactly sure how to respond. The reason he set out to bring her to this place was to convince her to question everything she believed to be true, to unveil even the smallest amount of humanity buried within her. Her act of kindness proved something inside of her had changed. That maybe his attempt to reach through to her had not been in vain. And yet, as much as he desired her acceptance and understanding, there was something of an even greater concern weighing on his mind. The part of him that wanted to tell her everything was greatly outweighed by the fear of what she might do with that knowledge. He could see the hatred within her eyes, a look he knew better than anyone. Making an enemy of Missy on her own would be pointless suicide. If they worked together, it was possible they could take her down. But he knew that Quynn had no reason to trust an alliance with him. And even if he wanted to offer her one, her hearts were too cold and vengeful and without any remorse. She was of no use to him like that in the battle against his oldest friend. She still had so much to atone for before they would be able to trust each other. He wasn’t entirely convinced she was ready for that just yet. The only way to keep his daughter from getting herself killed on a path of revenge against Missy laid within his ability to do a very clever thing.

“Do you know what the most interesting thing about truth is? It can never really be told. Not properly, that is. When left up to someone else, the truth will always come with their own influence attached. I’m afraid its real power can only be obtained when we can see it for ourselves.”

“Show me then,” she insisted imperatively, then softened her tone at his raised brow. “Please.”

“Are you sure you want to know?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything,” she confirmed.

The Doctor took a moment to think about what he needed to do then inhaled a deep breath and nodded in acceptance. When he was ready, he slowly reached towards the sides of his daughter’s head. “I’ll try to be gentle,” he told her, hoping to calm her mind for a better link to her thoughts. She closed her eyes in preparation of what was to come as he brought his fingers to rest upon her temples. He closed his eyes and concentrated on creating a connection between their minds.

Quynn opened her eyes at the presence of his thoughts inside her own only to find she was no longer standing on the shoreline as she remembered. As her eyes adjusted to her new surroundings, she suddenly experienced the unusual sensation of weightlessness as if she were somehow adrift in space. As she began to take in exactly where she was, she realized the sight before her was one she had seen a very long time ago. Tucked away within the cusp of a mountainous valley stood a small village. The sound of flowing water could be heard from the surrounding river followed by the unmistakable echo of children laughing from somewhere nearby. Turning her attention towards the sound, she observed as the small beings ran towards her, smiling and chasing each other as if engaged in some sort of game. As they came closer, they continued to run past her, taking no notice of her presence in their world. Her eyes followed them to the end of the path where they stopped suddenly and peered far out into the distance.

Approaching from the northernmost road, the recognizable shape of a large army was steadfastly making its way towards the village. Their presence on the horizon produced an optical illusion as if they were floating towards them on a mirage of glassy water. The children screamed and abandoned their position on the path to retreat deeper into the village. As the army drew closer, they began firing upon the citizens and surrounding structures. The screams of the village’s inhabitants could be heard for miles in all directions. The buildings themselves were no match for their firepower as many of them crumbled to the ground while others were set ablaze. Quynn retained her position in the centre of the village square as countless women and children fell to their death at her feet. “Stop this,” she demanded of the man she was bound to, angered by his intrusion of her forgotten memories. The army, having finally reached the village, proceeded farther into the peaceful place on a mission of pure evil. They swarmed like a plague of locusts on the path of destruction, firing upon every last soul still begging for their lives. Quynn slowly circled her position, witnessing the chaos forming all around her before the vision was suddenly replaced by another. One by one, she watched as every planet that had ever fallen by her wrath was blending like a continuous living painting depicting the very moment of their inevitable demise.

“Release me!” she called to him, attempting to break their connection but to no avail. He was much stronger than she could have ever imagined him to be. Everything around her was burning as if she were trapped within the fires of hell itself. Entire cities were collapsing to the ground in a blazing inferno while hellfire rained down upon her. Men, women, and children shed frightened tears as they fled from their homes into the streets. A young boy lost within the sea of terrified faces cried out for his mother. Quynn found herself overwhelmed by the vision’s true power over her as a massive army of souls comprised of every being that had ever perished by her hands engulfed her like a great flood. Their countless screams tore through her mind with such ferocity it forced her to her knees. Covering her ears from the sheer volume of voices inside her head, she opened her mouth and screamed in agony. “ENOUGH!”

A flash of light returned her to her position on the shoreline. Opening her eyes, she was met by the familiar face of the Time Lord standing just in front of her, his hands still raised towards the sides of her head. The resonating bellow of screams still present inside her mind were so overpowering, she felt her stomach turn with nausea. Quickly stepping away, she turned her back on him and folded in half as the sickness from within her was expelled onto the sand.

“Ah, yes. The first link is always the hardest,” he confessed, turning his head away to give her the privacy she required. “Only the purest of telepathic minds could pass such a test on the first go. Perhaps there’s more humanity in you than I thought there was. You’ll have Clara to thank for that. Don’t worry, I won’t tell her. It’ll be our little secret.”

Quynn, enraged by the assault on her mind, spun around and withdrew her sidearm to take aim at the centre of his chest. “What have you done?!” she asked angrily through gritted teeth as the voices inside her head slowly began to fade.

The Doctor kept his hands at his sides and attempted not to make any sudden movements that might startle her. “I’ve done nothing but provide you with a glimpse into your soul. A mirror to show you what you’ve become. That’s what you wanted, isn’t it? To know the truth?” His eyes glared at her from beneath his furrowed brows. “I never said whose truth.”

“I should kill you where you stand!” she screamed.

“So do it then. What’s stopping you?” he provoked her, his voice rising with intensity. “You think I’m afraid of dying? I’m not even sure that I can. I could just keep on regenerating. We could be at it all day. But know this. If I’m wrong and I die here today, then my truth will die with me. So I advise you to be very quick and very sure.” He continued to stare her down, unafraid of the real threat being pointed in his direction. He knew he had the advantage. Of all the people he had ever met, there was no one better at controlling a situation than he. In her weakened state, she didn’t stand a chance against him. “Well? What are you waiting for?!” he shouted, raising his arms from his sides. “I’m standing right here, right in front of you. Unarmed. Defenceless. Take your shot. Isn’t that what you do? What you were programmed for? Or would you prefer it if I were in chains first? Make things even easier on yourself.”

Quynn felt her grasp on the trigger weaken as her mother’s instructions forced their way to the front of her mind. She let out an exasperated growl and lowered her weapon to her side in submission. “The end of your reign will come soon enough, old man. A privilege I look forward to bestowing upon you most eagerly. Until that day, know this. You can run away all you like, but not for long. In the end, I will find you.”

“And I’ll be waiting,” he assured her, lowering his arms to his sides. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small silver object. “Here, take this,” he insisted, tossing the device in her direction.

Catching it, she examined its intricate design as her confusion consumed the expression on her face. “What is it?”