Waiting On A Rival

Chapter 25

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Jenny, Donna, and I walked behind the boys. They talked until the topic shifted towards me and the Doctor. She asked, "So, you travel together, but you're not together?"

My mind went into override. "Well, it's not that simple." Sometimes, I was absolutely sure that I liked, even loved, the Doctor, but then the notion seemed ridiculous. He was my old school nemesis. We detested each other.

Tyler joined us. "And what's it like, the travelling?"

"Oh, never a dull moment. It can be terrifying, brilliant and funny, sometimes all at the same time," Donna praised, "I've seen some amazing things though. Whole new worlds." I smiled at her.

"Oh, I'd love to see new worlds."

"You will. Won't she, Doctor?" Donna looked pointedly at him. He wasn't even paying attention. "Do you think Jenny and Tyler will see any new worlds?"

"I suppose so."

"You mean," he stuttered, "You mean you'll take us with you?"

"Well, we can't leave you here, can we?" I grinned a bit at his logic for the growing fondness of Jenny and Tyler. At least, I tried to be friendly.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you. Come on, let's get a move on." Jenny grabbed Tyler's hand and they ran ahead.

I called, "Careful, there might be traps." Nevertheless, they ignored me.

"Kids. They never listen." Donna got a look of our faces. "Oh, I know that look. I see it a lot round our way. Blokes with pushchairs and frowns. You've got dad-shock." She turned to me. "Overprotective feelings? Mom-shock."

"What?" I asked, "Mom-shock? Dad-shock?"

Donna explained, "Sudden unexpected parenthood. Take a bit of getting used to." Jenny and Tyler ran back when the guns started. She smiled. "They've blasted through the beams. Time to run again. Love the running. Yeah?"

"Love the running," I agreed.

A massive door blocked the tunnel. "We're trapped."

"Can't be," I insisted, "This must be the Temple. This is a door." More numbers were there "And again. We're down to 1 2 now."

"I've got it!" He yelled, using his sonic. The army marched closer.

Tyler said, "I can hear them."

"Nearly done."

"These can't be a cataloguing system," I told Donna, "They're too similar. Too familiar." She nodded. The Doctor got the door open and they went through. Tyler urged, "They're coming. Close the door." I locked it.

Jenny sighed, "Oh, that was close. "

"No fun otherwise."

"It's not what I'd call a temple," she noted, walking around. The temple looked like a spaceship. I voiced my thoughts, "Fusion drive transport. It's a spaceship."

Donna asked, "What, the original one? The one the first colonists arrived in?"

"Well, it could be, but the power cells would have run down after all that time," the Doctor explained, "This one's still powered-up and functioning. Come on." A door on the other side blocked our way.

"It's the Hath. That door's not going to last much longer," Tyler informed, "And if General Cobb gets through down there, war's going to break out." I searched the computer.