Above him was the church-like roof that had become so familiar to him lately. This was the TARDIS. His TARDIS. And he was alive.
He quickly scrambled to his feet. Standing there at the console with his back to him, was Matthew Cole. He turned and then nodded to the Doctor.
“Matthew, what are you doing?”
The Master smiled. “Can you believe that I rescued you?”
“What?”
“I couldn’t let my oldest enemy die, could I? And I’m even going to give you your TARDIS back. I’ve taken the liberty of procuring one of the escape pods.”
“I’m confused,” said the Doctor, rubbing his sore head.
“Not difficult to confuse you, is it?” laughed the Master. He walked up to the Doctor. “I flew your ship into that damaged TARDIS.”
“Last time I did that I couldn’t land.”
“The dimensions were collapsing. It was easy. I took her down and rescued you.”
“I still don’t understand.”
“We’re heading back to Thornsby now,” said the Master, checking the control readings. “And from now on, you owe me. You owe me your life.” He chuckled. “Imagine that, eh?”
“Matthew, what on the Fields of Centralis has happened to you?”
“I think you need to take a seat.”
Two Days Later
Caroline, Danny, Margot, Ben, Thomas and Rebecca were sat in the New Barge pub. Caroline was sipping on a glass of lemonade and her baby was sleeping soundly in the pram next to her.
“So,” said Danny. “How are we all feeling?”
“Still screwed in the head,” said Ben.
“Where’s your brother?” said Margot.
“He’s spending some time with Mum and Dad. It’s a little overwhelming for them at the moment.”
Caroline looked up as a familiar figure came strolling from the toilets. He pulled up a stool and sat down at the table with them.
“People,” said Caroline, “I’d like you to meet Steve.”
“’Bout time we met you, mate,” said Danny.
Steve looked a little sheepish. After he had walked out on Caroline, he had been taken and transformed by the Apparites, but during the few hours in which the police had been involved, he had been spotted, disorientated, by Caroline and they had finally been reunited.
“What do you have to say for yourself?” said Thomas.
“I beg your pardon?” said Steve.
“How dare you walk out on our daughter!” scolded Rebecca.
“Mum!” said Caroline.
“I’m sorry,” said Steve. “I am truly sorry. I hope we can work this all out.”
“It’s gonna take time,” said Caroline, putting her hand on his arm. “We’ll see what happens.”
Danny cleared his throat and then looked at Caroline. “Caz, do you mind coming out with me for a moment?”
The two friends made their way up the wooden steps from the New Barge and out to the open bus station area. It was a warm summers evening and there was no hint that there had ever been any snow only two days before. A little way off, around the church, work had already begun to repair the damage to the area and plans were already being drawn up to build a new church.
Caroline sat down at the wooden table, William in her arms, and Danny joined her.
“Thanks,” said Danny. “I needed it to be us together, one last time.”
“What do you mean?” smiled Caroline.
“Things are gonna get complicated from now on. Your old parents, your new parents and Steve coming back. Then there’s Mr Cope being back and Lilly, Ben and Margot. Not to mention Ade.”
“Yeah,” said Caroline, stroking her babies face. “There’s a lot to sort out. But you’ll always be my friend. I won’t make that mistake again. We’ll always be friends. And at least my other Dad’s getting over his heart attack.”
Danny nodded and then scratched at his temple.
“How are you anyway?” she asked.
“I feel a bit…empty. It’s weird. I guess I just got used to him being in there.”
Caroline sighed. “It’s weird to think that this is where it all began. At the Barge - the old one - talking about babies and stuff. And now look.”
“Technically you could say this all started sometime in the future.”
“Shut up,” said Caroline, smacking him playfully on his arm.
Danny nodded. “I’m so happy for you, Caz.”
“Me too,” smiled Caroline.
“And Steve? What do you think about him? Will you two get back together?”
Caroline chuckled to herself. “He’s the father of my baby, but he hurt me. He hurt me a lot. It’s going to take a long time for me to understand him again. And he‘s been through a lot as well.” Caroline looked sad. “We’ve been through so much together.”
Danny nodded sadly. He reached out and clasped her hand.
“I’m so pleased you’re here with me,” she said. “Sometimes you forget how much a person means to you.”
They leaned in towards each other, their lips about to touch, when…
“Hi, kids!” came a jovial voice, causing Caroline and Danny and quickly pull away from each other.
Caroline and Danny both looked towards the familiar voice. Standing there in a black suit, blue shirt, a yellow smiley badge pinned to the lapel and a shiny, bald head was the Doctor.
“What in the name of all that is holy…!?” said Caroline, happy, angry and shocked all at the same time.
“I’m back,” smiled the Doctor. “I escaped!”
“It’s been two bloody days!!” yelled Danny. “What the hell happened?”
“Oh,” said the Doctor. He bit the end of his finger. “Oh dear.”
“I thought you were bloody dead,” said Caroline, tears in her eyes. And then she got up, threw herself at the Doctor and flung her arms around him. “Thank god. Thank you!”
Danny found himself unable to contain his anger any longer and leapt to his feet and broke into a grin. He held out a hand to the Doctor and the Doctor grabbed it, instead pulled him in for a hug as well.
“How?” said Caroline.
“The Master rescued me, believe it or not, and then cleared off in an escape pod.”
“Oh my god,” said Caroline. “I can’t believe all that Matthew business.”
“Yes,” said the Doctor, “he explained everything to me on the way.”
“Listen, Doctor,” said Caroline. “I think you should come with us. There’s some people I’d like you to meet down in the New Barge.”
And after the Doctor had been reunited with everyone, and had been introduced to Thomas, Rebecca and Steve, they had all enjoyed a night of fun and laughter. They celebrated the life and then mourned the death of Jayne and the Doctor had taken the former Ancestors to the side.
“What do you want to do?” asked the Doctor.
Margot looked at Ben and then back to the Doctor. “We’re staying here.”
“You still have those powers,” said the Doctor.
“I know. They’re a part of us now. We’re going to stay with the Farrington’s and try and help Caroline control them.”
“I can take you back to the future if you want.”
“No,” said Ben. “This has been our home for centuries. And that’s what it’s going to stay as. Our home.”
The Doctor smiled. “And please remember Jayne. Remember the good things she did to keep this town - this planet - safe. She died with honour. Never forget that.”
Margot and Ben nodded.
“It’s difficult to believe she’s gone,” said Margot, trying not to get upset again.
“Gone, but never forgotten,” said the Doctor.
More time had passed. People had said their goodbyes. Thomas and Rebecca were going to stay at Caroline’s flat, while Ben and Margot had booked a room out at a hotel until they could find somewhere permanent to live. They had collected Lilly and the other former members of their team and had also sorted them out with rooms. And so the long process of rebuilding their lives had begun.
Steve had sad a quiet farewell to Caroline, mumbling something about sorting himself out and then disappeared into the night.
Caroline actually felt pleased that he was going. She needed time away from him right now.
And so just the Doctor, Danny and Caroline were left. The Doctor had parked the TARDIS next to the river and was leaning against the old, battered blue box.
“It’s going to take some time,” said the Doctor. “There are a lot of lost people out there. They’re going to need help.”
Caroline and Danny nodded. “Margot and Ben will help them.”
“I know they will,” he smiled sadly.
The Doctor let out a long, deep sigh. “And you two…”
“We’re staying here,” said Caroline.
“I thought you might say that,” said the Doctor, a little sadly.
“When I started travelling with you, Doctor, I came because I wanted answers. I found those answers. But I never got to really appreciate all those wonders out there.” She took a hold Danny’s hand. “But I just wanted to say thank you.”
“I hope you found the answers you wanted.”
“I know there’s a power inside of me. And I know it may always be there, but out of that power has come something…beautiful.” She looked down at William, sleeping in his pram. “And it’s time to get on with my life now.”
“And you, Danny?”
“Oh, I just wanna say cheers for dragging me around time and space with a ghost stuck in my head.”
The three of them laughed.
“But seriously,” said Danny, “you helped me get my brother back. I never thought that was possible. Thank you.”
The Doctor smiled.
Danny held out his hand and shook the Doctor’s.
And then Caroline leaned in, stepped on her tippy-toes, and gave the Doctor a kiss on the cheek.
“Don’t be lonely,” said Caroline. “And don’t die alone.” Caroline tried to hold back to tears. “Promise me.”
“Caroline…”
“The universe needs the Doctor. Who else is going to fight off all of those monsters? So promise me you’ll fight to stay alive.”
“Okay,” said the Doctor. “I promise.”
Caroline smiled.
“Time to go then,” said the Doctor, unlocking the TARDIS door.
“Take care, you daft old sod,” said Danny.
Caroline and Danny watched as he stepped into the box. For a moment Caroline felt a pang of regret. There was a whole universe out there to explore, but this was her life now. Her life with William and - maybe - Danny. And she couldn’t ask for anymore. This was the life she wanted. The most wonderful life.
The two of them stepped back as the TARDIS dematerialised for the last time.
And then they were alone beside the river.
“Come on,” said Danny, putting his arm around Caroline. “Let’s go and get on with life.”
EPILOGUE
February 2nd, 2544
President Jack Harkness surveyed the cold, empty control room of Torchwood LA. Only a month ago the place had been buzzing with as many as twenty members of the team, but now the place was cold, dark and soulless.
Jack didn’t know what had happened to Jayne and her team, but he was damned if he was going to let it lie there. He had to find out.
He pulled his grey military jacket tighter around him, turned to leave, and came face to face with a bald-headed man in a black jacket.
For a moment Jack was stunned by this stranger, and then he broke into a grin. “Doctor.”
“Jack,” smiled the Doctor, and the two men embraced.
“Changed again, huh?” said Jack, looking him up and down. “Loving the bald look by the way.”
The Doctor smiled. “Yes, I’m rather fond of it myself.”
“What number’s this then?”
“Too many to count,” smiled the Doctor. The Doctor looked around his surroundings. “So this is the famous Los Angeles branch then?”
Jack nodded. “Managed to rebuild Torchwood from the ashes. We’ve got branches all over the world now.”
The Doctor raised his eyebrows. “Doing it the Jack Harkness way?”
“Doing it the Jack Harkness way,” he said, nodding. He sighed. “But it’s failing.”
“What do you mean?”
“People are losing faith in us again. Just the other month we lost an entire team. The LA team. They just disappeared.”
“Jack,” said the Doctor, leaning against the railings that surrounded the upper walkway, “Torchwood will rise, and Torchwood will fall. It’ll come back in different guises with different names, but it’ll always be around.”
Jack nodded. He knew he had to trust and believe the Doctor’s words.
“Just be careful of some of the people in the halls of power.”
“Hey,” said Jack, “I’m president of Torchwood now. What I say goes.”
“But others may not believe that.”
Jack frowned.
“As I said,” continued the Doctor, “just be careful.” The Doctor headed towards the door.
“Why did you come here?” said Jack.
He stopped. “I came to tell you about your LA team.” He turned back to face his old friend. “They’re safe. They’re living their lives in the 21st century.”
“How?” said Jack, shaking his head.
“A long, long story,” said the Doctor.
“Can you bring them back?” asked Jack.
“I could,’” said the Doctor, “but they want to stay.”
Jack nodded. “What do I tell their families.”
The Doctor smiled. “Tell them that they’re out there, far away in the past. And they’re heroes. All of them.”
Jack watched as the Doctor walked through the doorway.
He turned to face the central hub of the control room again. For a moment he thought he saw a figure. Down in the darkness, a glowing figure of a woman. But he must have imagined it, because as soon as he had tried to register it, it had gone.
Jack laughed, shook his head and then made his way out of the base. He’d have to begin recruiting again. He wondered if there was anybody out there ready to take up the challenge. He wondered if he was still up to the challenge.
Somewhere else…
On a rain-soaked building site somewhere in a quiet country village, a JCB digger had been stopped. The workers were all gathered around something that the digger had uncovered.
The foreman bustled onto the site and pushed his way past the workers.
“Stand aside,” he said. He looked down into the small, uncovered hole at the base of the chalk cliff. “What the bloody hell’s that thing?”
His second in charge looked down at the twisted, metal thing that looked like it had been crushed under a heavy weight.
The thing’s eyestalk, although dead, was still pointing upwards, as if reaching for freedom.
“I’m buggered if I know what it is,” he said. “It looks like some kind of crushed, giant pepper pot.”
THE END
Doctor Who: Darkpaths returns in January 2014 in “Village of the Daleks”, starring Richard O’Brien as the Doctor, and introducing Louise Brealey as Alice Stokes.
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