The Last Seer

Chapter 30

Chapter 30

I sat on the jump seat and took a deep breath. I had to get a message to the Doctor.

Go to my house one year exactly after Ian's birth.

I hoped it would work, and I hoped they knew who Ian was.

Then I sat back and watched my Tegan running around to fly his TARDIS. "Can't wait to meet this regeneration of him," he said. "He was a fairly cool guy as parents went."

I laughed. "I think you'll get along great."

When we showed up, Tegan grabbed my hand and led me out the door. "Earth. Again. Twice in three months, this is a new record." He smiled at me and I opened the door to my house, still just as I had left it.

Instantly the Doctor was grabbing me in a hug. I hugged him back. "You're alive," he sighed. "You're alive, and you're safe." He kissed me on the head and I hugged Rose from the side. "Claire Ann, if you ever do that again, I will ground you until the day you die."

The intensity and fear on his face told me that he was deadly serious. So I just nodded and looked at Rose. "Identical twin boys! What are you going to name them?"

"I wanted your help with-"

"How do you know they're identical boys?" the Doctor asked. "Or that they're even twins?"

I cleared my throat. "Earlier today I had a vision. You left Rose here to raise your children and look for me...and you never came back. I had to come find you. I couldn't let that happen."

He nodded. "And who's this?" he asked, giving Tegan a once over.

"Papa," I said happily, taking Tegan's hand and leaning on his shoulder, "guess who else survived the Time War."

Tegan held out his open hand. "Nice to meet you again, Doctor."

The Doctor reached out, and when his hand brushed Tegan's, he flinched back in surprise. And then understanding. "Tegan? Rose, this is Tegan-Claire Ann's soulmate."

Tegan was exceptionally sensitive to telepathic tendencies. Most people needed contact with the mind, specifically touching the other's head, but he could communicate anything through the simplest and vaguest of touches. Even now, holding his hand, I could hear him saying that he loved me. Because I was a Seer, my talents were elsewhere, so I could never say it myself. But he could hear me, since telepathy was two way.

"He saved my life, just before I was going to fall into the void. His TARDIS is newer than mine, so it materialized around me at the right second."

Rose smiled. "Thank you, Tegan."

He smiled. Do you want to travel with them? I'll leave.

You're never leaving me again; so help me I'll tie you to the TARDIS console.

He laughed and kissed the top of my head. "So, Doctor, where do you want to go from here?"

Shrugging, the Doctor looked at me. "What do you want to do, Claire Ann?"

I smiled. "Where's my TARDIS?"

We walked out back and I pulled Tegan over. "Papa broke the camouflage on it in 1967 London."

He laughed, and the Doctor slightly glared. "I didn't break it on purpose."

"You meant to. You liked the Police Box and you were so new to her you didn't know how to disable it so you broke it. I remember." I smiled at him and pulled Tegan inside. Instantly I felt warm air being blown at me. "Hello, darlin'. Nice to see you again."

Once Rose was inside and the Doctor closed the door I leaped to the controls, punching in a date and place, and looked at the Time Lords. "Care to help? This is a six-person job you know."

They smiled, and after making sure Rose was safely buckled down so she didn't fall over during travel, stood between two stations. We all took turns this time as we pressed buttons and threw levers. It was the easiest time I'd ever had flying.

"Doctor," called Rose as we pressed the big red button that sent us into the time vortex. "Doctor!"

She was panting and holding her stomach, and the Doctor and I ran to her. "They're coming now," she said, and she sounded scared.

As the Doctor lifted her and we ran to her bedroom, Tegan grabbed her hand, and I knew that he was trying to help her calm down. "Breathe, Rose. Just breathe."

The Doctor suddenly looked at me. "Get us out of the Time Vortex! Now!"

Confused, but willing to do whatever he needed, I ran from the room and to the console. Just as I reached it I heard the Doctor say to both Rose and Tegan that she could not give birth in the Time Vortex-that's why he sent me away.

I pulled a big lever and flicked a switch; that was supposed to stop us where we were. Well, that it did, but we hadn't left the Time Vortex. A grimace appeared on my face.

"Quickly, Claire Ann!" the Doctor yelled. The TARDIS must have been carrying his voice so I could hear.

My hearts were pounding as I dashed around to grab the spinning handle, from which I could manually pilot us out. It was stuck! Quickly thinking I reached over and pulled on a cord, which should have released the brakes. Should have.

"Come on, darlin'!" I shouted. What more could I do but hope that one of these things would suddenly work?

The console started to smoke, and I knew we we in trouble. Nothing was meant to stay stationary in the Time Vortex-not even a TARDIS. It would destroy us.

"Extractor fans on!" The smoke started to ventilate out so I could breathe, but I still had no idea what to do. I tried the brakes again, but that didn't work. Then an idea hit me. "Tegan! Tegan, help!"

Almost immediately he was at my side, and I put his hand on a switch. "Pull that when I say!"

He nodded, and I swung across to the other side, coughing at the noxious air in my lungs. After pressing two more buttons, I grabbed a lever of my own and shouted at him. We threw the switches and the TARDIS began to move again, but very slowly. It stopped the TARDIS from smoking anyway, so that was good.

"Let me try something," he said, and I backed up.

"Now! She can't give birth in the Time Vortex!" the Doctor bellowed. I don't think I'd ever heard him sound so panicked.

"We're trying!" I shouted back. "We're stuck!"

And then I heard a baby's wail.