The Other Tyler - rewrite

Paradox

OH MY GOD I HAVE BEEN DYING TO GET THIS CHAPTER DONE! AND I MEAN DYING! THIS IS THE BEST CHAPTER I HAVE DONE - IN MY OPINION - I LOVE IT!!!!!

Having taken it upon herself to make sure Sarah was resting and getting plenty of water, Mei missed the sight of Jackie asking the Doctor to look after little Mei and Baby Rose. So when she came across the three, she felt herself go rigid.

"Are you okay?" Little Mei asked, peering around the Doctor's legs at her - unknowingly - older self.

"I, um," Mei glanced between the little Mei, the Baby Rose and the Doctor, "I'm gonna go over there. Away from me-her-them!"

"Wait!" The Doctor called after her, "As long as you don't touch, you should be fine."

Mei remained cautious, but sat across the aisle from the three, watching the Doctor play iSpy with little Mei, and coo at Baby Rose. He was a natural, she realised with a dazed smile, he would make a wonderful father. Suddenly a thought hit her, if the Doctor was nine hundred years old, perhaps he already WAS a father, a grandfather even?

"Jackie gave them to me to look after. How times change," The Doctor stated, causing Mei to snap free from her thoughts.

She turned and eyed Rose as she approached, the blonde staring at the younger versions of the two Tyler sisters.

"I'd better be careful. I think I just imprinted myself on Mickey like a mother chicken."

Wanting to laugh, Mei quickly snatched Rose away from the Doctor and the baby, the Doctor having taken a large step back himself.

"You can't touch the baby," she warned, "It's dangerous, just like i can't touch little Mei."

Rose glanced at the Doctor's dark expression and then to her sister, only just noticing the exhaustion in Mei's blue eyes. She could only imagine what this whole thing had been like for the brunette, after what she'd heard and seen between her mother and father while little Mei stood on the side having to watch.

"You're both the same person," The Doctor decided to explain, just to be sure no mistakes would happen, "That's a paradox, and we don't want a paradox happening, not with these things outside. Anything new, any disturbance in time makes them stronger. The paradox might let them in." 

"Can't do anything right, can I?" The blonde asked, watching little Mei coo at her baby sister, not bothered by the conversation of the three adults.

"Don't be stupid," Mei spoke, shooting a glare at the Doctor when he went to open his mouth, "Look you made a mistake Rose, we're human, it happens. Just learn from it and never do it again, alright?"

"I'm sorry," she whispered, falling onto her sister's shoulder.

"We know," The Doctor sighed, "But between you two and me, I haven't got a plan. No idea. No way out. The entire Earth's been sterilised. This, and other place like it, are all that's left of the human race. We might hold out for a while, but nothing can stop those creatures. They'll get through in the end. The walls aren't that old. And there's nothing I can do to stop them. There used to be laws stopping this kind of thing from happening. My people would have stopped this. But they're all gone. And now I'm going-"

"Ouch!" Mei yelped, leaping from her seat and nearly sending Rose to the floor, "Ow, hot hot!" she complained, reaching into the hidden pocket of her skirt, "Hot!"

She pulled out her Tardis key, almost dropping the damn thing because of the temperature, but managed to hold it by the chain she'd looped it on. 

"Why the hell is the TARDIS key trying to set me on fire?!"

Grinning, the Doctor placed Baby Rose into her carrycot, "It's telling us it's still connected to the TARDIS!" he then turned to little Mei, "Watch your sister, don't move."