the hourglass (doctor who fan fiction)

The Sontaran Strategem pt. 2

"So. Have you ever fallen in love, Doctor?" I asked. The Doctor looked over to me from the console. "Well, I suppose I have Martha." he replied. My eyes widened. "Oh, so the alien can fall in love. With who then?" I quizzed. He gave a sad smile. "A long, long time ago, I fell in love. It didn't last long, though. A war came." he paused, "I knew I couldn't protect her, so I sent her away with something like my pocket watch." he said.

   "Wait, you mean there's another timelord out there?" I questioned. "I went searching for her, and just like that, I met her. She knew me, but not how I know her."  he looked down to the floor. "I'm sorry, Doctor. What was her name?" I asked. "Juno. Her name's Juno."

———
present

The Doctor picked up one of the ATMOS components and began to look at it. "Ionising nano-membrane carbon dioxide converter. Which means that ATMOS works. Filters the CO2 at a molecular level." Mace had come back to the room. "We know all that, but what's its origin? Is it alien?" Mace asked. "No. Decades ahead of its time." the Doctor replied. "Look, do you mind? Could you stand back a bit?" the Doctor asked Mace. "Sorry, have I done something wrong?" he stepped back.

"You're carrying a gun. I don't like people with guns hanging around us, all right?" Mace sighed and left. "Tetchy." Martha said walking up to us. "Well, it's true." the Doctor replied. "He's a good man." Martha reasoned. The Doctor furrowed his eyebrows. "People with guns are usually the enemy in my books." he began. "You seem quite at home." He looked up at Martha. "If anything got me used to fighting, it's you." she defended herself. "Oh right, so it's my fault." he scoffed. "Well, you got me the job. Besides, look at me. Am I carrying a gun?" she argued back. The Doctor squinted. "Suppose not."

"It's all right for you. You can just come and go, but some of us have got to stay behind. So I've got to work from the inside, and by staying inside, maybe I stand a chance of making them better." Martha said sounding more like herself. "Yeah? That's more like Martha Jones." he said with a smile. "I learned from the best." she smiled back. "Well-" he was interrupted by Donna. "Oi, you lot. All your storm troopers and your sonics. You're rubbish. Should've come with me." she said. "Why? Where have you been?" the Doctor asked walking over to Donna. "Personnel. That's where the weird stuff's happening, in the paperwork. Because I spent years working as a temp, I can find my way round an office blindfold, and the first thing I noticed is an empty file." she held up a file.

"Why, what's inside it? Or what's not inside it?" he asked. "Sick days. There aren't any. Hundreds of people working here and no one's sick. Not one hangover, man flu, sneaky little shopping trip, nothing. Not ever. They don't get ill." I walked over and grabbed the file. "That can't be right. That's impossible." I said. "You've been checking out the building. Should've been checking out the workforce." Donna said to Mace. "I can see why he likes you." Martha said to Donna with a smirk. "Mmm hmm."

"You are good." Martha complimented. "Super temp." I added. "Doctor Jones, set up a medical post. Start examining the workers. I'll get them sent through." Mace ordered. "Come on, Donna. Give me a hand." Martha and Donna clicked.

The Doctor walked over to me. "Come with me." he whispered. We followed Mace out of the room. "So this, this ATMOS thing. Where'd it come from?" the Doctor asked. "Luke Rattigan himself." Mace replied. "And who would himself be?" I questioned. We walked back to the Mobile HQ. Mace pulled up Rattigan's file on a computer screen. "Child genius. Invented the Fountain Six search engine when he was twelve years old. Millionaire overnight. Now runs the Rattigan Academy. A private school, educating students handpicked from all over the world." Mace read off. "Whoa..." I looked at the computer screen closely. "A hothouse for geniuses. Wouldn't mind going there. I get lonely." the Doctor said.

"You are not coming with me. I want to talk to this Luke Rattigan, not point a gun at him." the Doctor said holding my hand as we walked. "It's ten miles outside London. How are you going to get there?" he asked. "Well then, get us a jeep." I responded. "According to the records you travel by tardis." Mace said. "Yeah, but if there is a danger of hostile aliens, I think it's best to keep a super-duper time machine away from the front lines." the Doctor responded. "I see. Then you do have weapons, but you choose to keep them hidden. Jenkins?" A soldier came up to us. "Sir." Mace ordered, "You will accompany the Doctor and Juno and take orders from him." I raised an eyebrow at the soldier. "Yeah, I don't do orders." the Doctor commented.

"Any sign of trouble, get Jenkins to declare a Code Red. And good luck, sir." Mace saluted. The Doctor groaned. "I said no salutes." Mace stopped and said, "Now you're giving orders." before leaving. "Ha!" I laughed. "Oh, you're getting a bit cheeky, you are." he nudged my shoulder. I saw Donna walk to us. "Doctor." she said in a serious tone. "Oh, just in time. Come on, come on, we're going to the country. Fresh air and geniuses, what more could you ask?" he said not picking up on the tone. "I'm not coming with you. I've been thinking. I'm sorry. I'm going home." the Doctor turned to her. "Really?"
"I've got to."

"Oh, if that's what you want. I mean, it's a bit soon. I had so many places I had wanted to take you. The Fifteenth Broken Moons of the Medusa Cascade, the Lightning Skies of Cotter Palluni's World, Diamond Coral Reefs of Kataa Flo Ko. Thank you. Thank you, Donna Noble, it's been brilliant. You've, you've saved my life in so many ways." I nudged his shoulder , "You're," he sighed. "you're just popping home for a visit, that's what you mean."

"You dumbo."

"And then you're coming back."

"Know what you are? A great big outer space dunce."

"You bet he is." I remarked giving Donna a laugh. "Ready when you are, sir." Jenkins said. "What's more, you can give me a lift. Come on. Broken moon of what?"' she said hopping into the jeep seat beside me. "I know, I know."

The jeep stopped in the middle of a junction. "I'll walk the rest of the way. I'll see you lot back at the factory, yeah?" she pointed as us. "Bye!" me and the Doctor waved. "And you be careful!" she yelled. We drove off.

The jeep drove through the grounds. "UNIT's been watching Rattigan Academy for ages. It's all a bit Hitler Youth. Exercise at dawn and classes and special diets." Jenkins said. "Turn left." beeped the ATMOS. "Ross, one question. If UNIT think that ATMOS is dodgy..." I began. "Go straight on." the ATMOS directed. "How come we've got it in the jeeps? Yeah, tell me about it. They're fitted as standard on all government vehicles. We can't get rid of them till we can prove there's something wrong." he replied.

"Turn right." the AMOS said. "Drives me around the bend." said Jenkins. "Oh, nice one." I commented. He turned a bend. "Timed that perfectly." he smiled to himself. "Yeah. Yeah, you did." the Doctor agreed.

"This is you final destination." the ATMOS said. We got out of the jeep, and walk up to Rattigan who was standing still while he watched his students run around the building. "Is it PE? I wouldn't mind a kick around, I've got me daps on." the Doctor said. "I suppose you're the Doctor and Juno?" the boy turned around. "Hello!" we both said.

"Your commanding officer phoned ahead." Rattigan said. "Ah, but I haven't got a commanding officer. Have you? Oh, this is Ross. Say hello, Ross." the Doctor quickly changed the subject. "Good afternoon, sir." Jenkins gave a nod. "Let's have a look, then. I can smell genius- in a good way." the Doctor said.