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"And this is the signature piece, Jareed's final painting before he passed." The tour guide explained as she stopped in front of a stunning holographic image of two people dancing, "As you can see, even as he branched out into other realms, he always went back to his favourite subjects, Madame Henson and her lover, Geraldine." A couple of people took pictures of the hologram that was being projected onto a marble podium, "Now, if you'll all follow me, next on our tour is the Picasso wing." The tour guide walked off, the group of tourists trailing behind her until only Danni and the Doctor were left. Danni leant in closer, mesmerised by the almost 3D projection. You could see every brush stroke on the two women dancing, the older of the pair holding the younger one as if she would break.
"How old was he when he died?" She asked the Doctor without looking away from the stunning artwork.
"76, if I remember correctly." He replied, making sure he was stood as close as he could be without actually standing on her, "A good age for Catkind. Very happy life, these two were his next door neighbours. Henson was 62 years older than Geraldine when he saw them dancing in the window and he decided to paint the scene. Apparently Geraldine had found out she'd never learnt how to waltz." Danni smiled, her fingers dancing slightly in front of her as she couldn't stop herself reaching out to touch, but managing to stop herself just before she actually did.
"That's nice." She commented, "It's so beautiful. They look like they love each other so much, it's amazing how he'd managed to capture that."
"He was extremely talented." He agreed, wrapping his arms around her waist. She felt so wonderful. His wife, his Danni-Girl, in his arms. Whenever she wasn't there he just ran around, chasing aliens and seeing new places, in new times he'd never been before. But then, when she came back, it felt like a huge part of him had been missing and was back again. Every time he was stunned about just how much he had missed her.
"You look at me like that, sometimes." Danni said after a moment of quiet contemplation.
"Like what?" He asked, leaning over her shoulder to try and get a closer look.
"Like I'm about to break." She explained, "An ancient amateur holding onto his young lover, it is rather familiar." She leant her head back, looking up at him with a cheeky grin that made him want to spin her around and kiss her where she stood. So he did, spinning her around to her surprise and planting his lips on hers. Not quite the snog he had wanted, but they were in a gallery and even he knew that wasn't the best idea.
"Very familiar." He agreed, clearing his throat as he voice came out slightly hoarser than he was expecting, "Come on, gift shop then next stop!" He took her hand and began eagerly dragging her back the way they came.
Two weeks she'd been with him, two weeks of post-wedding bliss where he'd been flying her across the universe on what he called their 'honeymoon'. They'd been to beaches, and more museums than she thought was possible, with his showing-off being at it's minimum as he told her everything that had been wrong with them. They went back to see Ronnie Barker, and like he'd promised five years ago she'd been an extra in one of his and Ronnie Corbett's famous party sketches. Series 5 was officially her favourite now. They'd spent a lot of time in the TARDIS, in their bedroom to be precise and she would blush occasionally as thoughts of that ran through her mind.
He'd tried to take her to a New Years Eve in Times Square, but that had been too close to comfort for her so she made up some nonsense about how she'd always wished to be in Australia to see the fireworks on Sydney Harbour rather than in New York, so she'd dodged a bullet there and seen an absolutely stunning firework display instead. So, win-win.
She couldn't bring it up again, because the thought of Manhattan was making her feel guilty in so many different ways. She felt guilty about leaving this poor man behind, she felt guilty about wanting to stay and leaving her parents on their own forever, with no hope of seeing their daughter again. She felt guilty about wanting to go and see them again, because she really missed them so much it hurt all the time. She missed Claire and everyone else she went to university with, doing homework and not worrying about the big things in the universe.
But it wasn't enough, none of it was enough to make her actively choose to go back and leave the Doctor on his own again. She didn't know what to do.
The Doctor rambled happily to himself as he went through the gift shop, finding her yet another magnet to add to her collection, which had almost covered one wall over the years. He was so sweet, one eye always on her to make sure she was reacting positively, ready to fix whatever it was that could potentially make her sad. She didn't deserve him.
"Doctor." She said his name without realising, a breath of his name that made him stop as he opened the door.
"Yes?" He asked her, slightly concerned as she had pulled them both to a stop. She seemed slightly surprised he'd answered her but then smiled such a bright smile he was immediately reassured.
"Love you." She told him and he smiled right back at her.
"Love you too." He promised, lifting her hand and kissing her palm, "Now, I was thinking somewhere cold this time, when was the last time we made a snowman?" He glanced over his shoulder as he rushed to the console as Danni paused, looking upwards slightly in thought.
"Hmm..." She shook her head, "Entirely too long ago, I think." He pointed at her.
"Just what I was thinking." He told her, spinning on the spot before motioning her over, "Come here." She hopped up the stairs to him, standing slightly on her tip toes as she tried to work out what he was showing her.
"What?" She asked, confused because even though he'd tried to show her how to fly the TARDIS, they'd both agreed it wasn't the best idea for her to be allowed anywhere near it.
"Tonto." He whispered with a slightly devilish tone to his voice before flipping and switch and sending the TARDIS spinning out of control. Danni yelled in surprise, falling to the floor and taking him with her.
"What the hell?" She shouted as he laughed, the TARDIS spinning the other way and the pair rolling over to the console, the Doctor taking the brunt of the weight as they hit it, "What did you do, Theta?" She yelled as he rolled on top of her, taking her wrists and pinning them by her head.
"Gotcha." He declared smugly, leaning down and kissing her as the TARDIS mysteriously stopped rocking. She didn't reply straight away, peeved at his latest attempt at getting her into situations he could kiss her, but soon fell into the feeling of his lips on hers, linking their fingers together, her skin flushing as he started trailing small kisses down her jawline. Then, she chucked her head back, groaning in a deep-seated frustration and his face reflected the disappointed that radiated throughout her.
"Really?" He asked, having just gotten started and she nodded.
"Geronimo!" She cried, disappearing in a flash of light, immediately reappearing in a courtyard. The cold air bit at her skin almost instantly and she wrapped her arms around her as she looked around. No aliens, no TARDIS, no companions. No anything, really. How incredibly dull. If she wasn't going anywhere interesting, why tear her away at all?
A quick look at the grey, overcast sky above her and the bushes that surrounded one side of the area had her thinking of her homeland, so she decided she had to be back in England. Okay, so maybe there were companions nearby. The grass underfoot was wet as she headed to the edge of the small clearing on her way to an arched exit in one of the walls. Whatever reason she was here, the Doctor had to be somewhere. All she had to do was head for the screaming or the blue police box, whichever came first.
Out of the archway a group of soldiers all rushed towards her, screaming orders at each other until she was completely surrounded by people in armour pointing guns at her. She blinked, completely taking by surprise before deciding to take a leaf out of River's book.
She placed a hand on one hip, dropping the other one as she struck a confident pose she'd seen on the curly haired woman plenty of times before. She fluffed her hair with her free hand, smirking.
"That's more like it." She crowed, calling upon her inner-Mels, "Take me to your leader, boys."
~0~0~0~
After being led into the mansion that housed the courtyard, unnecessarily at gun point because she was going willingly, she was taken to a grand room with an ornate patterned floor and wood panelled walls. Above them was a large glass ceiling that caught her attention more than the computers and technology lining the walls. The sky looked nicer above them than it had done when she was in the courtyard. It always surprised her how weather could vary even so close together.
She looked down again, curiously glancing around the room at the people in white lab coats, not recognising any of them as the Doctor or anyone else before she caught sight of the metal monstrosity sitting proudly at one end,
"Oh, I'm in the Naismith mansion." She stated, "Never thought I'd end up here, but I guess it's not like I have a choice where I go." She muttered to herself, trying not to show how so suddenly frightened she was. Naismith mansion, the setting of a large chunk of what had been her most favourite two-parter of Doctor Who. The one where the Master returned, the chances were he already had and her heart sped up at the though. It was here, the last day of Koschei and she suddenly realised how unprepared she was for it.
"So, the Books of Saxons yet again speak the truth; the girl who jumps through time." From across the room a man with a an arrogant look on his face stood up from behind the computer he was sat at. Another, much younger, woman joined him, staring up at him in almost adoration and Danni's stomach turned slightly. She always thought the way his daughter looked at him was kind of gross.
"He wrote about me?" She asked instead of letting the barrage of other thoughts in her head come out, her brows furrowed.
"Only briefly; the girl who jumps through time with the knowledge of things to come." Naismith explained, "The first recorded mention of the Time Child, a woman who is feared across the universe." He smiled sickly at her as she blinked in surprise, "That would be you, my dear."
"I know that." She snapped, slightly annoyed, "I'm just surprised he named me that at all. I thought it was the Daleks." Her eyes narrowed slightly, "Heard of them?" She spat, "They don't like me, either." Were the Daleks afraid of her? Probably not, but she'd seen other species quake at the mention of her, but only because they feared the Doctor's wrath. That's kind of being afraid of her, right? Yeah, she'd take that.
"I have." He chuckled, "I didn't mean to offend you, my dear. I just wanted to show you my gratitude at your presence."
"I'm not here by choice, I can assure you." She retorted, "What do you want?" He motioned to a desk, "Please, sit." She crossed her arms, not moving.
"What do you want?" She asked instead and he perched himself on the edge of the desk instead.
"I need your help. Your expertise, if you will." He explained, "You have knowledge of the future, I just wish to... borrow it."
"Oh, I see." She replied in realisation, "You want to know if your 'little experiment' works." She chuckled darkly, "It doesn't, I'm afraid. You fail miserably. Now, if you don't mind, I have a Time Lord to find." She turned to leave but she was greeted by the guards cocking their guns in warning.
"This is no little experiment, this will create a way for all of mankind to live forever." He replied calmly but obviously annoyed at the belittlement of his project, "And I know that it will work, no matter what you say." He stood up, nice guy act falling away quickly, "We have been working closely with the Disciples of Saxon, and know that He was resurrected yesterday, killing everyone within the building where it happened. We want to know where he is." She shrugged.
"Well, you've come to the wrong girl. I haven't the foggiest who you're on about, I'm afraid." She told him simply, "So, why don't you and your men just let me go so I can go find the Doctor? You know, my husband. He needs my help a lot more than you do at the moment."
"There is no need to play games, we all know you have knowledge of the events to come." He replied, picking up a handful of paper from the desk and shuffling through them.
"I do, but I don't know every single little detail." She explained sharply, "I don't know where he is, not until he turns up here at any rate. I can't help you locate him any quicker, you'll just have to be a patient little boy and wait like everyone else." He frowned, pausing on a sheet of paper before he started to pace around her, looking her up and down as he tried another direction.
"The Books of Saxon also speak how Harold Saxon gained information from the Time Child by bargaining with her friends before tricking her." He whipped the paper slightly, causing it to stand up straight where it'd been folding over on itself, "We don't have any of your friends here, but maybe we can come to some arrangement."
"I doubt it very much." She sighed in frustration, "I did that once, for a mad man who was greatly more powerful than you will ever be. And immensely more good looking. I'm not doing it again."
"Maybe we have something of interest to you, something that you will give up his location for." He offered before waving at the room, "I am a billionaire, after all." She shook her head.
"What use would I have for money?" She scoffed, "The moment I jump to yesterday I won't have it anymore, then what? I don't know where he is." She reiterated and the man sighed angrily, obviously becoming more infuriated by her lack of cooperation than he could stand for.
"Fine, take her downstairs." He commanded to the guards behind her. Two of them grabbed her by the arms forcefully and she yelled in anger.
"Let me go! You're not taking me anywhere!" She snapped, struggling against the two burly men who marched her out of the room, "Let me go!"
"If you're not going to willingly co-operate, we shall just have to entice you some other way. Lock her up until she is willing to talk." He called smugly after them, as if he'd won their little argument. They headed down the hallway, Danni quickly realising that she really didn't stand a chance against the two men and let them lead her away, down a flight of stairs to the basement level. It was lined with old wooden doors, what she assumed would once of been the servant rooms. Again, in the underclass. Did she not give off the air of someone posher?
"You know," She told them, "I was on my honeymoon when I was sent here. I don't think my husband will be pleased to know I've been manhandled by two men with guns." They didn't reply, one opening a door and the other chucking her inside. The door shut and there was the sound of the lock being put in place. She looked around the room, which had obviously been transformed from it's original use to an office. Great.
~0~0~0~
And that was how she had ended up locked in a make-shift cell on the basement level of the Naismith Mansion. That was three days ago, well she thought it was. It was a long time to be locked up anyway, and she was really hoping that they found Koschei... The Master soon and let her out. Before, you know, he went all psycho and changed everyone into himself. She was watching the door when she thought about that and blanched, would she turn into him too? She hoped not, but she knew there was a slim chance of her escaping because she wasn't a Time Lord, or locked up in a little glass case, or a Meta Crisis like some people. That thought made her sad, she really missed Donna. She was the first companion she had met, and as such she held a special place in her heart.
If she turned into him, would she hear the drumming again? And if she did, when they were changed back by Rassilon, would she still be addicted. That was not a road she really wanted to go down for a third time. All that anger...
She sighed, leaning her head against the wall she was sat in front of. She couldn't believe that she was going to have to ride this out in a board room, on her own. No one would even know she was there, would they? Would Naismith tell Koschei? Perhaps one of him would come let her out, because he would always save himself. God, to see him again would be nice.
No! No it wouldn't. She growled, rubbing her hand down her face. She stood up and stormed over to the door, fully intent on banging on the door and demanding food when it unlocked as she was halfway across the room. She froze, confused and slightly startled as the door opened and two Master clones in guard costumes stood on the other side, both looking as startled as you.
"Danielle?" One asked, amazed at the sight of her and she nodded slowly. Oh Lord, she'd forgotten about how good he looked with blonde hair. She shook her head slightly, trying to clear her head.
"Hello." Oh, that was original, "You're... You're all him now, aren't you?" The one who'd spoken nodded.
"You should be like us." He replied, his eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion, "How are you still you?" She shrugged, trying not to show how terrified that fact made her, or what it implied. What was going on? This wasn't right! What was wrong with her?
"If you don't know, then how could I possibly know?" She replied, shakier than she'd expected as she headed out the door, "Has he strapped the Doctor down on that wheel-thing yet?" She asked him, focusing on the Doctor. Her husband. Well, not the Doctor who married her... Her future-husband. Well, actually her past-husband, she was his future-wife.
"He is restrained, yes." He explained, the pair flanking her on either side as she nodded.
"Well, we'd better hurry up then." She picked up pace, taking the stairs as quick as she could, "Left or right?" She asked as they reached the top. One of them motioned left and in a quick jog to keep up with them, they led her away.
~0~0~0~
They reached the study too late, apparently, as they found Koschei laid out unconscious on the floor. He was alone, which meant both the Doctor and Wilf were long gone. She growled slightly, kicking the door frame harder than she meant to.
"Dammit!" She cried angrily to herself, "He left me behind. Again." She walked over to the unconscious man, kneeling down. His blonde hair covered his eyes slightly and she brushed it away, once again in awe over how much his features relaxed when he was asleep.
She cleared her her throat, not liking the reaction she was having. It had been two years, what was this? She reached out and shook him gently.
"Hello?" She tried quietly, "Koschei?" She shook him again, slightly firmer this time until he groaned and his eyes fluttered open. His eyes went wide and he stared up at her.
"Danielle?" He whispered in shock and she nodded, helping him sit up as he tried to get his bearings.
"You were laid out by one of the green..." She trailed off as she tried to remember the race name before rolling her eyes, "cactus people. I hate that, it's so racist." He knelt up, hand on the back of his head, feeling for the wound as a group of solider Master's ran in. He looked at her for a moment, as if he was trying to work out if she was real or not before remembering why he was on the floor in the first place.
"Find him! Find him!" He cried as the guards searched the room quickly before rushing out, designating him at least not there. Koschei s grabbed her hand, scrambling off the floor and he began pulling her down the hallways after him.
"Hello to you too." She muttered out, slightly hurt by his lack of reaction to her. She thought he'd might ask why she was still her, or be able to give her a reason. She'd thought he might be... happy to see her? No, probably not now she thought about it.
"Underneath the Gate Room, sir." One of his clones shouted from in front of them and they all skidded to a stop, Danni crashing forcefully into his side. They then turned to run the other way, towards the basement.
The guards swarmed around the basement entrance and Koschei harshly passed her to one, who wrapped his arm around her waist and chucked his hand over her mouth to stop her crying out for the Doctor. He stepped in front of them, smiling wickedly as he stared down the Doctor, Wilf and the two green people.
"Gotcha." He stated triumphantly.
"You think so?" Danni mouthed along with the green woman from behind the Master Clone's hand. The Doctor protested as they disappeared in front of their eyes, the sound of Ten's voice both reassuring and worrying her in equal measures. He was okay, which was good, but he always had no idea she was there and couldn't take her away from a situation she didn't want to be in, stuck with a house full of Koschei.
Koschei growled in fury at the fact they'd been able to get away, then began running around the room, tapping on various keyboards and flipping switches trying to locate them.
"Open the teleport and follow him!" He ordered as he read the readouts from his search of the airspace around them, "He's still up there. Target practice." He exclaimed gleefully before running out. Danni rolled her eyes with a sigh of exasperation and, at a slower pace, followed him to the lab, where he was already talking to the many Masters across the world.
"Turn everything you've got to the skies. Find me that ship. And prime the missiles." He ordered sharply at the group of men on the large screen on the wall.
"Open up the radar, maximum scan." She saw a clone dressed as a General order his men in one of the many video feeds. They all acknowledged him and began their work. Koschei stood impatiently waiting on the news from his clones, tapping his foot at all the excess energy in him, "Lost him." The General Master eventually replied. Koschei, angry, slammed his finger on a button on the console.
"What about teleport coordinates?" He asked the guards downstairs over a radio, "I need that information."
"He's cut the link, sir." An identical voice replied, "No trace, all dead. Still... open fire!" Danni jumped as there was a barrage of gunfire fed back to them, "No way back now. He's stranded." The clone sounded pleased but Koschei looked anything but. He growled and swiped his hand at the microphone on the controls, sending it to the floor with a clatter.
"How does he always get away?" He exclaimed then he spun to face Danni, looking manic as he startled her slightly, "And how are you still you?" She shrugged.
"As I said to the clones before, if you don't know how could I possibly know?" She replied. He looked her up and down, as if trying to figure her out and she smiled gently, "It's good to see you again." She said before thinking and his eyes shot up to look deep into hers, that imposing stare that made her shiver all the way down her spine.
"The last time you saw me I had just been shot. I can't have looked fantastic when you left me." He snarled back and her eyes narrowed.
"Hey! Less of the tone, you know I don't have a choice with this thing on." She waved her arm at him, "I would have never left if I had had the choice!" She slammed her mouth shut, mortified she'd admitted that aloud. He opened his mouth to retort as a flash of life energy flew through him, causing him to stumble on the spot and him to flash a deep blue.
Seeing his skull like an x-ray was creepier than she had expected it to be. His eyeballs were visible along with the bright white bones in the blue energy, staring directly ahead and laid bare for everyone to see. It was deeply horrifying, seeing something on the outside that should never been seen on a live person, but as he knelt on the floor hissing in pain she still ran over to him, kneeling in front of him in concern. He looked at her in mild shock at the tears already glittering in her eyes as her hand rested on the top of his arm.
"I'm fine." He said, obviously meaning that to come out much harsher than it did. Instead it sounded as if he was trying to reassure her and she took it as such, nodding slowly. They sat in silence for a moment, both of them panting ever so slightly as their eyes locked. Now they weren't on full view, they drew her to him enough to temperarly stun her. He looked so hungry.
"I'm guessing," She started uncertainly, letting go of his arm as her heart pounded, "you running around like a maniac has drained you even more?" Without waiting for an answer she turned to a clone, "Go fetch him some food." She commanded.
"Sir?" The clone asked his leader, as always not willing to take orders off anyone but himself. Koschei paused for a moment before nodding.
"Do as she says." He commanded and the order was passed down the line. Feeling better, he stood up abruptly, knocking her over onto her backside. He didn't help her up, she didn't expect him to, instead he stalked over to the communication screens, "I want you to monitor the sky, if he appears I want to know immediately." He told every version on himself that was waiting.
"Yes sir." The clones replied in unison.
"You'll find him soon enough, just rest for a minute." She told him, trying to get him to calm down as he paced like a caged animal. It was so different to the Koschei she remembered in the Valiant, who would have his outbursts but everything was calculated and precise. With so much energy running through him, it was like he was having trouble containing it.
"Who do you think you are telling me what to do?" He snapped, glaring at her, "If you haven't noticed you are the minority." His arms shot out at his sides, indicating the room full of Master clones. She took a deep breath, trying to remain calm because one of them had to.
"You won't be any use to anyone as a pile of dust, or whatever you will burn up into. Your food will be here in a minute, and you have plenty of time to continue your plan later. Just rest for a while." She reasoned. He stormed over to her, hovering over her intimidatingly.
"You will not tell me what to do." He warned and she threw her arms in the air in exasperation.
"Fine! burn, don't burn!" She shouted back, "I'm not going to argue with you. I'm going to wait for the Doctor. He's slightly less frustrating than you." She spun around to storm out but he grabbed her arm tightly, squeezing hard.
"You are not going anywhere." He hissed, his eyes blazing threateningly. His grip hurt, she was more than likely going to bruise and her heart skipped at the idea of having something of him after he was gone, even if it was only for a little while.
"Then stop for a rest." She demanded, not letting him know she was in pain, and he growled.
"Fine!" He exclaimed, letting her go with a shove and he stormed over to the screens, "Prepare to follow the signal this evening." He told his clones, who replied with a simultaneous 'yes sir' before the screens turned off almost in unison. He stood with his back to her, and she stood awkwardly, twisting one hand in the other.
"Thank you." she whispered sincerely and he spun to face her.
"I'm not doing it for you." He told her bluntly, "If I'm going to follow the signal I need to be at full strength."
"I don't care why you're doing it. I'm just happy you are." She sent him a grin, "And I am happy to see you, whether the feeling is mutual or not."
"It's not." He snapped back and she shrugged.
"Don't care. Although it does beg the question why you wrote about me in the Books of Saxon." She shot him a cheeky smirk, which only grew at the look on his face at this news.
"You read the Books?" He asked, slightly alarmed and she shook her head.
"No, Naismith over there," She motioned to the Naismith Master, one of the only ones in a suit, "mentioned something about how Harold Saxon bargained with the Time Child." She tilted her head, putting an exaggerated thoughtful look on her face, "You're the first record of me being called that, you know? A nickname I've heard throughout my time here, and it comes from you. I wonder if that's significant."
"I felt the need to chronicle my entire time as Harold Saxon, which did include you." He dismissed, "I wouldn't feel flattered, I mentioned Captain Flash as well."
"I'm sure you did, but he's not the 'Time Child', is he? I am." She shot him a smirk and walked over to a window, looking up into the sky trying to picture where the Doctor and Wilf were, "Don't feel bad, everyone loves me in the end. I'm just that awesome." She heard him bark out a laugh and smiled brightly at her reflection in the window.
It was wonderful to hear that laugh again.