The Doctor took charge of the situation with her usual calm hysteria. She wheeled Haana to the Landralau Preceptory while she sat on Romana’s chair. She was very much in labour and her anguished cries started more than a few Time Lords out of their wits. It only took them seventeen minutes all told, including the time they stopped so that the Doctor could stop Haana’s manic screaming by stuffing her handkerchief into Haana’s mouth.
The birth had been a quite calm affair. The Doctor had scrubbed up and put on a medical gown so that she could help with the delivery. Once the head emerged it had only taken a few minutes of screaming by both parties before the umbilical cord was cut and the Doctor announced that it was a boy.
Haana lay there exhausted and sweaty when they put the tiny bundle in her arms. She cuddled her newborn son and smiled down at his tiny face. “Hello there” she whispered “hello.”
The Doctor took Haana’s legs out of the birthing stirrups and pulled the blanket up onto Haana’s flat stomach. It seemed as if she had never given birth at all. She looked at the doting mother and sleeping child, her own maternal feelings stirred up.


This must be the date from hell Jean-Marc considered. Nothing was going right at all. The soup had arrived cold, the main course was not what he had ordered and the dessert was just a little hotter than the surface of the sun. However he was with Penny and that part of events more than made up everything else. He had dressed up in his best trousers and shirt for the occasion and both were splattered with cold soup.
Penny thought things were going really well. The fishy soir was superb, the lobster she had booked ahead for was fantastic and custard was nice and hot, the way mum used to make it. Being with Jean-Marc was nice too, she liked being around him in the strange way she felt totally uneasy. She wore a clingy dress and stockings and her heels matched the bag she had found in the TARDIS. Looking up she spotted the Doctor, dressed in a beige trouser suit and pink top under her jacket, hurrying towards them and she tried to make go away hand signals to her but it didn’t work.
“Ah there you two are.” The Doctor looked at her puzzled companions for a second before realisation clicked in. “Oh I didn’t know you two were seeing each other. I’ll make this brief then. Haana’s given birth to a baby boy he’s seven pounds and two ounces.”
“What?” Jean-Marc and Penny asked together.
“Is she ok?” Jean-Marc asked.
“Can we see them?” Penny wondered, all thoughts of seduction gone.
“They’re both fine.” The Doctor reassured them both. “You can see them both in the morning. Will you be sharing the same room tonight?”
Penny looked at Jean-Marc and then the Doctor. “We’ll see.” She said diplomatically and waited for the Doctor to leave.
“We shouldn’t.” Jean-Marc couldn’t believe what he was saying. “It’s our first date and we shouldn’t rush things.”
Penny nodded her head slowly. “We don’t have to do anything neither of us doesn’t want to but spending the night together, even just platonically seems the right thing to do.” She smiled sweetly at him.
“I’m good with that.” The French boy said. “I won’t do anything you’re not comfortable with.”


The Black Guardian sat back on his simple throne of gold and silver. Abyss appeared next to him as if by magic. “Ah there you are, do you have it?”
Abyss produced the black diamond for his lord and master. “Here you are my lord.” He handed it over.
“Soon we can move Abyss, soon the final pieces will be moved into place. It’s all a game after all. A grand game played on a billion worlds and only one pawn left to sacrifice. Is our associate briefed and in position?
“Yes my lord.” Abyss reassured the Black Guardian. “When he asked why I told him that it was better not to ask such questions and simply obey.”
“What did our associate say to that?”
“He said that he didn’t want to talk to the monkey, he wanted to talk to the organ grinder himself. He’s on channel five now my lord.” Abyss left the Black Guardian’s presence.


The Doctor and Romana made their way to the Dark Tower via transmat. It was late and neither could be bothered to face almost certain death inside the Death Zone. They transmatted into the gothic vault and the Doctor led the way over to the former ruler of Gallifrey.
Rassilon’s image burst into life. “This is game of Rassilon. Oh Doctor it’s you and Romanadvoratrelundar too I see. Is this just a social call?”
“Lord Rassilon.” The Doctor began. “How do we defeat the Black Guardian of chaos and cruelty?”
Rassilon appeared to think for a few seconds. “Tricky.” He stated. “I may have to think about this for a while.”
“How long for?” Romana asked candidly.
“Seven and a half.” Rassilon stated confidently.
The Doctor’s blue eyes seemed to bulge. “The Universe will be long gone in seven and a half million years.”
“Please let me finish.” Rassilon boomed. “Seven and a half minutes.”
“That’s more like it.” Romana said to the Doctor.


Haana woke up when the baby started to cry. She got out of bed, she expected some pain down there but found none. She picked her baby up and cuddled him to her breast and sang some of the songs her mom used to sing to her back when she was a child. She hadn’t thought of mom for a long time now. Would she be pleased to know that she was a grandmother now? Probably, however they would want to meet the father and Haana would have to explain that she was still gay and the baby was probably fathered by Satan and she’d be locked up in a mental hospital for the rest of her lives.
A nurse came in and she reluctantly handed the baby over to her. Names, she must think of names. The Doctor had promised to bring the others by in the morning to see them both. Maybe she would ask them to think of some names then. She yawned and got back into bed, still tired from the birth. Wow, she thought as she slipped into sleep. I’m really a mom; I’ve had a baby. She dreamed about people made of cheese and yoghurt.


Penny woke up and kicked Jean-Marc. “Wake up, it’s almost seven.” In the end they had decided to just simply sleep together. The thought of Haana giving birth had put them both right off it completely.
Jean-Marc staggered out of the bed and looked around for his trousers and shirt, which he pulled on. He threw Penny her skirt and blouse and offered to turn his back while she got dressed.
Penny thought his idea to turn around while she got dressed was cute but she didn’t mind. After all they would have to see each other’s bodies sooner or later if they kept seeing each other.


Haana was feeding the baby when the Doctor, Jean-Marc and Penny bounded in. “Hi guys she welcomed them. Just feeding the baby here, he’s very hungry. Do you think my boobs look bigger? They seemed to have swelled up like barrage balloons to me.”
“You look fine.” The Doctor reassured Haana. “I’m sure he’ll keep them from getting too big he certainly likes his milk doesn’t he.”
Penny agreed and wanted her own child to one day, hopefully with Jean-Marc. She imagined a whole houseful of children and pulled his arm over her shoulder, snuggling into his chest.
When the baby had finished Haana readjusted her top and handed the baby to the Doctor. “I think he wants to see his aunty doesn’t he?” She looked at Jean-Marc and Penny. They both seemed more comfortable around each other now. “I want you two to pick names. Can you draw up a list each before lunchtime?”
The Doctor held the baby in her arms and everything just clicked into place, the whole mothering instinct. “He’s so beautiful Haana.” She tickled his chin with her fingers. “You’re a beautiful baby boy, yes you are.”
Haana smiled to see the Doctor so comfortable with her child. “If you keep this up, I may have to fix you up on a date too.” She laughed at the Doctor’s look of surprise. “I have no idea why this happened to me but it feels so right. It’s as if it was a part of me that was missing but I never knew was there until I had him in my arms for the first time.”
“What about your studies?” The Doctor wondered. “I’m still terribly fond of you Haana but this baby must be the first priority in your life now. The TARDIS is not a safe environment for a child.”
Haana sighed. “I guess it’s back to being an on campus student again. I’ll have to do a few hours a day until he’s big enough to go to Time Tot School.” She wondered whether to mention it to the Doctor but decided to go ahead with it anyway. “I’ve been thinking, about going back to Earth, to let my folks know. I owe it to my brothers at least; they supported me totally after that whole coming out debacle.
“Of course you do, it’s only natural. I’m sure they’ll be thrilled to pieces to hear the good news.” The Doctor handed the baby back to Haana.
Haana took a hold of the Doctor’s hand. “I know you’ll always be my friend Doctor but technically speaking, on a genetic level you’re my mother as well. I want you to be the baby’s godmother. Please say yes. I know I may not be a religious woman and Gallifrey doesn’t believe in them but it means a lot to me and I’d love you to be a part of our lives.”
“I’d love to be his godmother.” The Doctor broke out into a huge grin. “This way I get all the benefits of motherhood without any of the drawbacks, the tantrums, the icky factor or those awkward questions.”
Haana laughed. “I’m so looking forward to explaining the facts of life. Immaculate conception to a queer and not one strain mark to show for all of that screaming and pushing I had to do last night.”
“It’s a miracle birth, in more ways than one. You see Gallifreyan women find it hard to conceive, part of our long and colourful history. That’s why they created the looms, to supplement the naturally low birth rate. My father was from here but my mother was a human time traveller who wound up here one day by accident and couldn’t get back. They fell in love and got married; it was quite a scandal in those days and it lead to a decree that no alien should be allowed on Gallifrey ever again. Of course I got rid of that as soon as I became President and it has only benefited us since then. What I’m trying to say is that your baby may have been born in unusual circumstances but considering this planet’s history you shouldn’t feel awkward about it. I was a man for over two thousand years and this me doesn’t miss it at all. I don’t feel awkward around those people who used to know me as a man. They accept it because they know who I am and that I’m comfortable being me.”
“I know what you’re saying Doctor and conception aside I love my child with all my hearts.” Haana lay back in the bed, her weight supported by the thick fluffy pillows. “Did they say when we can get out of here? I’m sure I’m getting bedsores. If I could have my clothes back it would be a start, not that I don’t mind wandering about the place naked. I just don’t want to scare the nurses, I’m sure some of them have never taken their clothes off in centuries. Oh that reminds me of the time I tried the soriety bonding ritual with Penny. We were both supposed to spend the day totally nude as a way of letting down all barriers between us. Well I’m sure you remember it from your Prydonian days. Anyway, I’d just gotten her out of her bikini when a Rutan copy of me turns up and tries to have Penny. In the end we took the poor thing back to Ruta III and we’ve worn clothes since.”


Penny looked through the book of boy’s names she had found inside the TARDIS library. She casually flicked through the pages and noted down the ones she likes, the ones she thought Haana might like and the ones the baby would want when he grew up. In the end she had a fairly complete list.
Jean-Marc wrote down Papa’s name, Henry, then the names of his friends. Then he borrowed the book of names from Penny and wrote a few more down that he liked. In the end he came up with a similar list to Penny only his didn’t have little hearts drawn all over it.


Haana listened with interest to their lists as they took it in turn to read out the names. She thought it was cute the way they both wanted the other to go first. There were some good names in the mix but there was only one that they had both chosen, Paul. She chose that, he was her favourite Beatle too, which made it even more appropriate.
“Paul Sinclair.” The Doctor announced. “It sounds noble enough. He can always change it to Paula if he regenerates into a girl.” She saw Haana’s concerned look. “Hey he’s got my DNA in him somewhere, it wouldn’t exactly be a precedent.”
Haana laughed. “Well we’ll jump across that lake when we come to it.” She held her son up for the others to greet formally.
“Hi Paul.” Penny waved at baby Paul.
“Bonjour Paul.” Jean-Marc added, also waving at the tiny baby.


The Doctor was the one who finally arranged Haana’s discharge from the Preceptory and they moved mother and son over to Haana’s Prydonian Academy suite. The Doctor and Penny had vastly redecorated it while Jean-Marc had bought the baby a lot of clothes from a shop called Mothercare. He had also built the baby a cot. Well actually he had bought it from another shop, called Ikea, and assembled it himself.
Haana opened the door of her rooms to be greeted by just about everyone she knew on Gallifrey. There was Andred, Leela and their son. Rodan and Romana. A couple of her teachers and several of her classmates. They all fussed over them both while the Doctor saw to the drinks. She spotted Jean-Marc and Penny in a corner kissing and smiled, they were both so right for each other. She hoped that they hurried up and got on with it so that she could move onto Operation Doctor.


The journey to Earth in the TARDIS seemed to be taking to long and yet it couldn’t take long enough for Haana. Finally she could wear her own clothes again, her favourite battered jeans and her baggy blue cotton blouse finished off with sneakers that were older than Jean-Marc and Penny’s ages put together. She held Paul in her arms as she breast-fed him in what used to be her room. Everything she had left behind the first time was now gone into their home on Gallifrey. She remembered all the good times she had had in this room, playing with Lucky when he was still alive, making love with Claire, reading her back issues of Playboy and now sitting here on the bed nurturing her child. She was only fifty-six, still a child herself in Gallifreyan terms but by human standards she looked and felt twenty-one. She wished Claire was still here, so that they could bring Paul up together as a proper family, but wishing had never made things happen in her experience.
Penny popped her head through the door. “The Doctor said to tell you that we’re almost there.” She closed the door again as she left.
Haana knew that of course, she was connected to the TARDIS in a way that transcended logic and explanations. She suspected that Paul knew too as he finished suckling on her nipple and she adjusted her bra back into position and buttoned up her blouse.

Haana stared at her folk’s house. It was just the way she remembered it. The brickwork was a little more faded and some of the paint on the picket fence was starting to peel but it looked, smelt and felt like the home she had grown up in all those years again. Carefully she knocked on the door and waited until her father answered it. “Daddy, it’s just me. Can we come in?”
Patrick Sinclair looked down at his only daughter and the baby in her arms. “I guess so. Your mom’s out back. He looked at the Doctor, Jean-Marc and Penny. “Who are you?”
“We’re her friends.” The Doctor explained.
“Are you lot queer too?” He asked them casually.
“I’m not, no.” The Doctor stated casually. “Jean-Marc and Penny are both very much in love, not that it’s any of your business. We’re just here because we care about your daughter.”
“You’d better come in then.” They followed him to the poolside area where Haana was showing off baby Paul to her mom and four brothers.
Haana introduced everyone to each other before having a long talk with her folks. “I know what you both think of me and to be honest if you don’t get over it then I’ll make you both very sorry indeed. I will not tolerate any bigotry or arrogance towards me anymore; I’ve had enough of it. I’m your daughter and I’m ashamed of it. I used to adore you both when I was a kid when I thought you felt the same way about me. I guess it’s easy to kick down on minorities isn’t it? I’ve had enough cheap shots off the two of you to last me all my lives and unless you can accept me for who and what I am then you can both stay the hell out of my life.”
“I won’t have a queer daughter telling me what I can and can’t do in my own home.” Patrick Sinclair shouted until Haana knocked him to the floor with one punch.
“Does it hurt Daddy?” Haana mocked? “Physical wounds heal, the pain fades. Mental wounds can last forever.” She helped her father to her feet. “You think you can hurt me and get away with it? I’m a big girl now and I’m not going to put up with it anymore. Now either we talk about this like adults or I keep hurting you both for every cheap insult. I don’t want to do this; you’re my folks for Omega’s sake. All I’ve every wanted is your love and acceptance. Is that too much for a daughter to ask?”
“You’ve changed Haana.” Patricia Sinclair said to her daughter. “What happened to my baby girl who would never hurt a fly?”
“I grew up mother, I’m my own woman now and I have a baby who needs me. I want you to be a part of our lives but until you can accept me for who I am that’s not going to happen. I’ve seen so much since I left home, far more than I can tell you about. The places I’ve been, the things I’ve seen and done. Watching the woman I loved dying in my arms and not being able to do save her life. I’m gay, for some reason I can’t explain I’m attracted to other women. I like making love to women; it feels totally natural to me. Is it so hard to expect a little love and support from the two of you?”
“Your boy? Do you love him?” Patrick asked Haana. “Would you love him if he started bringing other boys home and kissed them in front of you?”
“I’d love him no matter what he did. It might take some getting used to but I’d always respect his rights to be who and what he is. I could never put him through what you both did to me, it was…bad.”
A tear rolled down Patrick’s cheek and he hugged his only daughter. “I just wanted you to have a normal life. I didn’t realise the pain I was causing you, I just wanted you to be the perfect daughter.”
Haana hugged her father back. “When it comes to kids I don’t think there is a normal and I want my son to be perfect too. No matter what he does or how mad I get at him he’ll always be my son and I’ll always love him.”
“Can you forgive a cantankerous old man?” Patrick asked Haana. “Maybe if we spend some time together you can help me change?”
“What about you mom? Can you accept me for who I am?”
Patricia smiled. “I have a strong and independent daughter who can stand up for herself, what’s not to like about that?”
“Can you accept that I’m gay though?” Haana asked the million-dollar question.
Patricia hugged her baby girl. “I hear that Mary Baxter’s daughter is currently in between girlfriends. Do you want me to fix you two up?” It was hard for her to say it but Patricia wanted to close the gulf between herself and her gay daughter. There, she could finally admit it to herself. Her daughter was a lesbian and she was proud of her for being able to be herself.


The Doctor chatted to Haana’s brothers. They had know since she was a child that she was gay. The way she would play with her Barbie dolls and imagine them living together or the way she preferred to hang around with them and talk about girls. And the day Adam had spotted his kid sister making out with Becky Tomlinson. She told them about Claire and how her death had deeply affected Haana and Haana’s subsequent attempted suicide. She refrained from telling them about Haana being genetically modified, however that was something that could be left to a later day.
Jean-Marc held baby Paul while they watched silly Aunty Penny try and make burgers for everyone using the Sinclair’s barbeque.


The Doctor lingered inside once Haana, Jean-Marc and Penny were outside. “Did she tell you that she wants to continue her education at the Academy?”
“Yes.” Patrick stated. “She never used to be much good at school work. I’m glad she’s making up for lost time.”
“Who would have thought that my baby girl would be accepted into a foreign University?” Patricia gushed. “When does she graduate? We should get a nice big photograph of her in her cap and gown to go with Owens Harvard graduation photo.”
“I’ll let you know.” The Doctor promised. “I’ll see to the travel arrangements myself.” She left to join her companions outside and they headed back towards the TARDIS.


The Black Guardian watched Haana and her child through a glowing sphere of light he held suspended just in front of him. He stroked his chin thoughtfully before waving his hand and making the sphere vanish. “Make your move,” he told his operative.


The TARDIS materialised around the only Police Box left in active service in London. Its five occupants emerged a few moments later, Haana pushing her tiny son Paul in a buggy.
They found Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and his wife Doris already waiting for them in the restaurant. Haana handed Paul to Doris when she asked if she could hold him. Doris fussed over him like her brothers had done. She then passed him to the Brigadier who was even worse.
Haana decided to give Paul a bottle rather than breast-feed him, as she preferred to do. Once he was finished she handed him to the Doctor while she caught up on her half eaten salad. Her meal was ruined all together when someone walked past and put a human heart on her plate.
“Oh my god.” Jean-Marc exclaimed when he saw why Haana had stopped eating.
Penny wrapped the heart up in a napkin and handed it to the Brigadier who was furthest away from Haana. “What kind of sicko does this?” She asked him.
“I’m not sure Miss Bayley.” The Brigadier replied. He had just met Penny and Jean-Marc for the first time but they both seemed descent enough people.
The Doctor handed Paul back to his mother and she quietly went and had a chat with the manager. The manager came over and apologised profusely to Haana and promised her that he would telephone the police immediately. He offered her some vouchers as a way of saying sorry. The Doctor took them as Haana was too shook up to say anything, she only cuddled her baby to shield him from the nasty situation.
The Doctor suggested that they depart before the police arrive and she suggested that they go to one of the houses she owned in London, all of the bills paid by direct debit from an account with more money in it than the gross national product of many countries.


The Doctor fumbled inside of her handbag for the keys, taking half of its contents out first and handing them to Penny before she found the large bunch of keys. Finding the right one she unlocked the door and ushered Haana, Paul, Alistair and Doris inside. “Jean-Marc be a dear and help Penny put all this back in my bag hmmm?” She left them to see to the others and sort through the pile of junk mail that was scattered on the floor.
“This is cosy.” Doris said as she looked around the small apartment and spotted the various photographs of the Doctors companions through the years.
The Brigadier found his old regimental picture with Yates, Benton, Jo Grant and Carol Bell along with the rest of his command. His blood and thunder days, as he liked to think of them sometimes.
Jean-Marc and Penny finally made it inside and the dropped the Doctor’s handbag on the floor by the door before sitting down. The Doctor glared at them until Penny stopped sitting on Jean-Marc’s lap. “Spoil sport.” She muttered under her breath.
Haana put her baby down onto a large cushioned plastic mat and watched, as he lay there half asleep. It was true what they said; she loved him more and more with every hour. She couldn’t imagine her future without him in it now. Already he seemed to have grown and he appeared to be all well developed as some babies six months old.
The Doctor made tea for her guests, this simple act meant so much to her these days. She found it very comforting. “Tea up everyone.” She handed Alistair and Doris their cups first, then Haana before waiting for Penny and Jean-Marc to finish kissing. They were almost as bad as Claire and Haana used to be. At least Penny didn’t have her hand down the front of Jean-Marc’s trousers, as Claire would do every chance she got. The White Guardian’s recent appearance had stirred up a lot of memories of Claire. It was hard to believe it was over a year now since she had died, her whole life had been ahead of her and then one day it had simply stopped. She had to be strong for Haana’s sake especially after Haana went to pieces totally and the Doctor had never really had time to grieve properly. “Oooh, who wants a hobnob?” She asked the others. “Penny, be a dear and bring the biscuit tin in please? You can kiss Jean-Marc again once you bring it in here.”
“I have to do all the work around here.” Penny complained as she searched for the kitchen. Eventually she found it and got the tin of biscuits. She was on her way back when a man dressed in black stopped her.
“Listen to me Penelope Bayley. I am the Master and you will obey me…"
“Obey you.” Penny repeated. It was obvious, he was the Master and she wanted to do what he told her, he saw things in the bigger picture and knew what was best for her. She listened as he told her the truth. She wanted to obey him, he was the Master, and she wanted to make him proud of her.

“Do not let the Doctor suspect a thing Penelope, you know what is at stake.” The Master laughed as the hypnotised girl returned to her friends. “This is almost to easy.”
“Ah there you are Penny.” The Doctor took the biscuit tin from Penny and passed it around.
Penny sat down next to Jean-Marc and kissed him. The Master said that she should not let them suspect anything. She wanted to tell Jean-Marc the truth but the Master knew what was best. She still loved Jean-Marc and this part of the pretence wouldn’t be a problem.


The Black Guardian listened to the Master’s voice as he made his report. “Very good, oh I am impressed. How much control do you have over the girl? Total? Well then I think we can sit back and watch this dreary little drama of domestic dullness play out for a while longer.” He clicked his fingers and Daphne appeared next to him. “I’m in a playful mood my dear, it’s time for you to do your part.”
“What would you have me do my lord?” She wanted to please her creator so badly.
The Black Guardian pointed at Haana. “I want you two to become close.” He clicked his fingers and her appearance changed. “Black velvet suits you my dear. Now we just need to work on the voice like this.” He clicked his fingers again. “Finally the memory.” He clicked his fingers once more. “Now my dear who are you?”
“My name is Claire Mason.” Daphne replied. “I’m from a parallel dimension. Somehow I ended up here and I’ve been looking for Haana Sinclair all this time.”
“Very good my dear.” The Black Guardian chuckled to himself. “I just hate to see a family separated and in pain. You know what to do my dear.” This part of the plan was the masterstroke; his recreation of Haana’s dead lover would be the Doctor’s downfall.


Haana looked out side the front window when a very familiar face walked past; she was dishevelled and looked in terrible condition. She ran outside and confronted her. “Is that really you Claire?”

“Haana?” Daphne gasped, copying Claire’s body language perfectly. “Oh my god it is you.” She threw her arms around Haana and kissed her.
“How did you come back to life?” Haana asked once they finally broke their kiss.
“I never died. At least this me didn’t. We were with the Doctor and then suddenly I was somewhere else. There was a man, a cruel and terrible man. He said that he was some sort of guardian but I escaped before he could rape me. He said I was to have his child to even up the balance.” Daphne hugged Haana once more. “I’m so glad to see you again.”
“You had better come inside Claire, there’s a few things we need to talk about.” Haana took a hold of Daphne’s hand and led her inside the Doctor’s house.
The Doctor saw Haana come back inside and when she saw Claire she dropped her teacup in shock. “Claire?” She asked, is this really you?
“Err yes.” Daphne replied. At least he had gotten her looks right, they accepted who she was instantly. “Hi Brigadier, Hi Doris.” She greeted the Doctor’s friend and his wife. She remembered that the girl she was supposed to be had lived with them for a while. She looked at Jean-Marc and Penny and waited to be introduced to them, as she was not supposed to know about them yet.
“Hello, I’m Jean-Marc.” Jean-Marc shook Claire’s hand.
“And I’m Penny.” Penny waved to Claire before returning her attention to Jean-Marc.
Daphne said hi to them both before sitting down next to Haana. She saw the baby lying on the mat all innocent and helpless. She resisted the urge to kill it, she could feel it’s goodness and it hurt her. She took Haana’s hand in hers. “So what did I miss?”
“You died.” The Doctor exclaimed. “Who are you?”
“I don’t remember dying.” Daphne replied. “Wait a minute, have you dyed your hair blonde Doctor?”
“I’m a natural blonde.” The Doctor replied.
“You were a natural brunette when we first met and had been until the day that bloke I was telling Haana about tried to rape me. It was terrible but I managed to escape when he wasn’t looking.”
“A brunette?” The Doctor pondered.
“When we were caught up in those time streams you were briefly a brunette Doctor.” Haana remembered.
“What do you mean?” Daphne asked. “Am I in some sort of parallel dimension?” This was the acid test; if they could accept that she was then they wouldn’t doubt her no matter what she did.
“It does sound that way.” The Doctor agreed. “After all anything is possible where the Guardians are concerned.” She picked her dropped cup up off the carpet and went to the kitchen to get some stain devil. She turned around to see Penny.
“Is she really this Claire that Haana keeps talking about?”
“Yes, yes it is.” The Doctor replied. “It may be Claire from a slightly different time stream but yes that’s her…I think.”
“The dream child and the fool, who is which and what are you?” Penny laughed.
“I don’t understand Penny.” The Doctor was confused.
“He said you would not, but then he say there is a lot you do not know.” Penny laughed again.
“Who’s done this to you Penny?” The Doctor was concerned for her flame-haired friend. She was acting very peculiar.
“Don’t you know an old friend? A friend from long ago? He wants to help us but knows you would never believe him. He knows you better than you know yourself Doctor.”
“Who does?” Realisation hit the Doctor like a cliché. “The Master! I should have known, yes it’s all so obvious now. He plucks that poor girl out of her own time stream, threatens her and lets her loose here and now to distract Haana and everyone else. Why let me know? To humiliate me? This is not enough and he’s not here in person.”
“This is the End of Days you gibbering fool.” Penny relayed the Masters words exactly. “I may wish to see you suffer Doctor but not even I would wish to destroy the entire Universe, starting with this paltry little cesspit of a planet.”
“The End of Days? Already? It’s only November. He’s started a month early.” The Doctor knew that only the Black Guardian could be behind this now. “He wants to distract me, but why? What does he have planned hmmm?”
“It’s very simple.” Penny giggled. “He’s going to kill Haana’s baby.”
The Doctor raced back into the lounge where the others were trying not to watch Haana breast-feeding her child. She saw Claire snuggled up to Haana and smiling at the innocent baby. “The tea’s almost ready, who wants another cuppa?”
“Oooh, I’d love a cup thanks Doctor.” Daphne spoke up. Claire had liked tea so she should drink it too.


The others wanted tea too so the Doctor returned to the kitchen where she found Penny collapsed on the floor. “Penny!” The Doctor knelt down next to her unconscious friend and checked her breathing. It was fine and her pulse was strong so she tried shaking Penny gently and she woke up. “Penny, what do you remember?”
“About what? How did I get in here?” She looked around the kitchen. “The last thing I remember was bringing the biscuit tin back from the kitchen.”
The Doctor tried to explain things to Penny as best she could. “Well you did that. Then you kissed Jean-Marc quite shamelessly in front of the others. Then you followed me in here and started to tell me things about the Black Guardian. I think the Master hypnotised you Penny and now that you’ve said to me everything he wanted you to say he erased your memories. He’s being unusually neat, I wonder why hmmm?”


Baby Paul was very hungry and Haana had to switch boobs when the left one started to get painful. She ran her hand through his curly blonde hair, had that been there a few minutes ago? It was so nice to have Claire back, even if she was from another dimension. Unlike the White Guardian who merely copied Claire’s form this really was her lover. She felt right and her hands were in all of the right places.
“He’s a beautiful baby.” Daphne told Haana while not meaning it. “Almost as sexy and gorgeous as his mummy.”
Paul finally finished his feeding and she handed him to Claire to hold while she put her clothes back in order. “This is Claire, she loves mommy and I know she’ll want to love you.”
Daphne cradled the baby in her arms. “Hello there, I’m Claire and I love you lots, yes I do.” She could feel his putrid goodness but holding the baby in her arms wasn’t that bad. It felt kind of natural in a way. She had never had kids when she used to be mortal and now holding him she wished that she had done so. “He’s very heavy isn’t he? How old is he? A year, eighteen months?”
“I only had him a few days ago.” Haana started to cry, there was something wrong with her baby and she didn’t know what was going on.
Daphne looked at the tearful Haana and pulled her head onto her shoulder. “There now, it’s going to be ok. Whatever’s happening to Paul, we’ll find out what.”
“Is there anything we can do?” The Brigadier asked. “UNIT has some of the most advanced laboratories you know.”
“Oh Alistair, they’re hardly the place for a toddler.” Doris scolded her husband playfully.
Haana watched as Paul started to crawl uncertainly over the floor. Claire held her tightly as tears streamed down her face.
“I’ll go and see where the Doctor and Penny are.” Jean-Marc headed towards the kitchen where he found them talking. “There you are, we seem to be having a problem with Paul, he’s growing very rapidly.”
“What do you mean?” Penny gasped. “What’s going on Doctor?” She turned around but the Doctor had gone. “Oh, well now she’s gone there’s time for some of this. She put her hands around Jean-Marc’s neck and kissed him.
“Mmmm, I like this a lot.” He kissed Penny back. “This is definitely something I enjoy.”
“Me too.” Penny agreed before kissing him yet again.
“What would the Doctor say if she caught us?” Jean-Marc asked.
“Something like you should have better control of yourselves I would imagine.” The Brigadier said. “Oh don’t mind me, I remember what it was like to be young and in love once.” He left the kitchen with the tray of teacups.
“Are we in love?” Penny asked.
“I love you.” Jean-Marc replied.
“I love you.” Penny responded.
“I think we’re in love then.” Jean-Marc kissed Penny again.


The Doctor looked down at the three year old child that clung to her trouser legs. “Hello there, Paul?” She looked at the terrified Haana and Claire who comforted her. “I thought Jean-Marc was exaggerating but I can see that he was not.” She knelt down and took him in her arms. “Who’s a big boy then?”
“Me.” Paul spoke his first word and Haana broke out into fresh sobs of anguish. Doris held Haana’s other hand while Claire got her to drink some tea.
The Doctor looked closely at Paul, he seemed healthy enough but given that his mother was partially Gallifreyan he should be growing at a slightly slower rate than this burst of life and development. “Do you want to see your mummy?” The Doctor asked Paul.”
“Mommy.” Paul shouted excitedly and reached his arms out towards Haana.
Haana took a hold of him and clutched him to her. “It’s ok baby, mommy’s here. Mommy still loves you.”
Daphne walked over to the Doctor. “What are we going to do? She’s hysterical; she might even try to harm him. Perhaps we should keep them separated for a while?”
The Doctor looked at mother and son and shook her head. “She seems to have calmed down now. We should just keep an eye on them for now and see what develops.” She looked at Claire. “How do you feel? Seeing this version of your lover with a baby?”
“Haana, well the Haana that I was with, well we split up. She couldn’t handle that I fancied men as well as women. She got paranoid and jealous and we just fell out of love. It wasn’t pretty and you made us lots of cups of tea and helped us until we sorted things out. I still loved her however but the romance between us was dead. I think that with this Haana I have a second chance at life so to speak. I have no idea why I ended up here but I’m glad I did. I think that this time we can be a real family and bring Paul up together.”
“Oh that’s good.” The Master stood in the doorway, dressed in a dark grey pinstripe suit, his long ginger hair pulled back into a ponytail. “The sad eyes, the cute words filled with hope and the body language. However I know what you are.” He aimed his tissue compression eliminator at Daphne. “I only agreed to do the Black Guardian’s bidding so that could hear his plans for this world. Now I know what they are I can stop it. There can be only one Master of this world and it will be me.”
“Doctor, it’s the Master.” Daphne pointed at the Master. “You have to stop him.”
“Yes, I am the Master. I’m the big bad nasty man that fills a thousand nightmares, I’m also telling you the truth Doctor. Like so long ago in the Death Zone when I told you I was there to save you.”
“I never did appologise to you for that did I?” The Doctor mused before turning round to look at Claire. “Who, no what are you?”
“The game’s up my dear.” The Master stated coldly. “You may as well tell us the truth.”
Daphne shook her head. “It almost worked. My name is Daphne and I serve the Black Guardian. He wanted me to separate mother and child; it was the only way to secure a universe of infinite darkness. She looked at the paralysed Haana. “He gave me this body, the voice and the memories of your girlfriend. In a way I kind of am her.” A swirling mist of darkness enveloped Daphne’s body.
The Master watched as the minion of Darkness started to fade from view. “The Black Guardian does not forgive those who fail.”
Haana stood up and carried Paul over to where the fake Claire was rapidly vanishing from view. Streams of light poured forth from their eyes and mouths and in an instant the dark mist had gone and so had Daphne, only Claire remained now and she hugged her lover with all her heart.

“I love you.” Claire whispered to Haana, totally unsure how she had gotten here but glad to see Haana. “Who’s this little guy?” She asked Haana and sat down next to her as Haana explained things to her.
“You’re a Time Lady?” Claire gasped. “Can I hear your hearts?”
“Of course silly.” Haana held Claire’s head as she put her head against her chest. “This is just like old times.
“Wow.” Claire exclaimed. “Two hearts, I like it.”


The Black Guardian seethed, flashes of black lightning flashed all around him. “My poor Daphne destroyed.”
“My lord, you we’re going to destroy her yourself.” Abyss commented from the relative safety of the other side of the room.
“I was merely going to end that charade, her suffering would have been eternal. No one cheats me of my little vices Abyss, no one. Now that child has another person to love it and it’s powers will grow even faster.”
Abyss coughed. “My lord, there is one thing that can cheer you up?”
“What is it?” The Guardian demanded. “I’m feeling very depressed.”
Abyss smiled coldly. “Release the host, let them feed and spread your unholy word through out the streets of that city. The Doctor’s suffering when she realises that she cannot save them all will be delicious, a delicacy fit for you my lord.”
A cruel smile came over the Black Guardian’s mouth. “An excellent idea, see to it at once.”


The sunlight seemed to disappear outside and the streets were plunged into darkness. People panicked and fled back to their safe and secure caves made of brick, wood and stone. The ancient race memories of giant tigers and bears and the need for fire took over in the general hysteria. Then they came, like a tide of darkness with razor sharp teeth and claws. Klaus grinned at his werewolf lover Tiffany, and she snarled a slobbering grin back at him. “I’ll save you the Doctor’s hearts my love, you’ll enjoy eating those.” At least while she was like this. The rest of the time she was no fun at all and had to be kept locked up in a cage. Klaus grabbed a man and bit deep into his neck, draining his lifeblood out of him in seconds. He wiped the trace of blood off his lips with the back of his hand and casually tossed the body in the direction of the zombies, they would eat his brain and then he would become one of them.
Tiffany pounced on another man and ripped his head off with her powerful jaw before sinking her teeth into his fleshy arms and legs, eating the prime meat and leaving the rest. She then pounced on a young girl and bit down deep on her shoulder and chest. Her saliva filled the wound and she waited for the wound to heal that would signify her conversion into a wolf. She took her weight off the child and let her run free before she tripped over her changing legs and turned into a wolf herself. Tiffany adopted the cub as her own kin and taught her how to hunt.
The food was good but all too quickly the people emptied the streets and the vampires had to wait for the zombies to drag people out of their homes before they could drink their fill.


“Well we had better be going, come on Alistair.” Doris said her goodbyes to the Doctor, Haana and the others.
“It’s been nice seeing you all again, even you.” He shook the Master’s hand. “You used to give us quite the run around back then.”
“Thank you.” The Master smiled. “I had better be going too, before the Black Guardian can find me. I don’t think that anyone can protect me, given my past.”
“Fit your TARDIS with a randomiser.” The Doctor urged him hurriedly. “If even you don’t know where you’re going then he can’t find you.”
“Goodbye Doctor, it feels strange when we’re on the same side. Perhaps if you saw things more clearly it would happen more often?”
“I see things clear enough Master. All the pain, suffering and misery, I do my best to help people where I can.” The Doctor shook the Masters hand.
The Brigadier and Doris hurried back into the Doctor’s house. “Doctor, we have a problem. There’s a lot of unfriendlies out there killing people.”
The Master looked out of the window. “Oh dear.” He smiled. “I think the Black Guardian’s made his move earlier than expected. I don’t suppose you have a couple of hundred wooden stakes and a lot of silver bullets?”
“Silver bullets?” The Brigadier asked. “UNIT has lots of those.” He took out his cell phone and dialled the emergency help line. “Yes.” We waited for the automated message to cycle through the various word and number code phrases. “Five N and Four T.” He spoke after the beep. He was connected to a human operator “Carol Bell?” He asked. “Are they still working you in C and C? Oh now where was I? Oh yes code Five N and Four T. Yes, right outside. Ten minutes? Oh very well then. Auxiliary flame throwers too, just in case. Yes nice to hear you too, goodbye.”
“Carol Bell?” The Doctor asked. “I thought she retired years ago.”
“So did I” the Brigadier mused “glad to see that we can still make a contribution at our time of lives eh Doctor?”
“I’m only four Alistair.” The Doctor laughed. “Although it does feel a little more.”
“Oh spare me this pointless chatter. There are a lot of people out there who want to kill us. I for one would prefer to get out of this alive.” The Master glared at the Doctor. “Standing around exchanging pleasantries will not get the job done.”
“Where are Jean-Marc and Penny?” The Brigadier wondered. We should barricade ourselves in this room until UNIT can arrive.
The Doctor found them in the kitchen. “Ahem.” She said as Penny started to unbutton Jean-Marc’s trousers. “This is not the time for that. There’s rather a lot of bad people outside and we’re going to barricade ourselves into the living room.”
“Ok Doctor.” Penny left Jean-Marc to help the Doctor board the window up while she made sure the front door was locked. The Doctor then gave her a hand to drag a large grandfather clock in front of the door.
“Wait a minute.” The Doctor put her hands on her hips. “This isn’t mine. It’s the Master’s TARDIS; we can all hide in there. Penny, be a dear and get the Master out here ASAP hmmm?”
Penny led the Master by a simple wristlock to where the Doctor was standing outside of his TARDIS. “Open it up, we can stay at your place instead.”
“Ever resourceful Doctor.” The Master smiled. “It’s open and quite safe. Shall I go inside first?”
The Doctor shook her head. “I will, that way if there are any traps you or Haana can get everyone else to safety.”
“I can assure you that the controls will only respond to me Doctor.” He called after her once she was inside his TARDIS. He looked at Penny. “Will you be next my dear Penelope?”
Penny found Jean-Marc and dragged him into the Master’s TARDIS with her before they looked for a secluded room.
The Brigadier and Doris followed on then Claire and Haana. Finally he stepped into his TARDIS and dematerialised it just before the front door exploded inwards.


The Doctor looked at the black walls with their roundel pattern and shuddered. She had rarely been inside the Master’s TARDIS. The last time she had done the Master was still working, or pretending to work, for the Black Guardian. That was not long before Claire had met Haana and they had fallen crazily in love with each other. The Doctor looked at the two girls, they deserved some happiness together. Young Paul seemed about five now and he could walk well on his own. She knew how confused they were but they both loved him and wanted only the best for him.
The Master flicked a switch on the console and the view screen flickered into life. “We’re inside the Black Guardian’s domain now, however I’ve screened us with a null field. Not even he can find us until we materialise proper.”
The Doctor checked the settings; everything the Master said was true.
“You still don’t trust me Doctor? If I wanted you dead you would be quite dead by now, believe me.”
“I think I do Master. I think you really are trying to help us.” The Doctor had done the Master another injustice.
“I may be ruthless Doctor but I have never been Evil. That’s what he stands for, the destruction of everything I want to possess. I’ve always strived for order my dear Doctor only I wanted to be at the top of the pyramid so to say.”
“Master, do shut up please? There’s a good fellow.” The Doctor looked at the infinite inky blackness that was the Black Guardian’s home. A realm of total void where he ruled absolute and everything he build was only to further his own perfidy. He did not create; he only corrupted. He did not do anything to benefit another, only to amuse or aid himself. She looked at Claire. What she had been was a corrupt parody of her companion. Somehow Paul had taken away all the evilness and vileness and left only the essence of Claire, which the Black Guardian had tainted, and was now pure again. What was Paul? She wondered. Certainly he was Haana’s child, she was the one who delivered him but a baby needed a father and Haana was quite gay. It was a mystery and one left for another time.
The Master looked at the Doctor? “You still don’t realise do you? I told you that you didn’t see everything as clearly as I do Doctor. The baby is the balance, the embodiment of all law and order. He is the new White Guardian. What? You didn’t think the Guardian would sacrifice her existence like that and not make back up plans? This was all my idea, the miracle birth and the Guardian sacrificing herself. Why else do you think the Guardian appeared as a female all of a sudden? To get close to Haana of course, it’s all been planned for a long time ago. You know the legends from the Old Times; did you think that the Other made them up one day for some fun?
The Doctor gasped. “I didn’t really believe it. I thought it was all just a coincidence, after all who could really believe the way Haana became one of us? Somehow the Other knew all of this and wrote it down before he vanished from lore.”
“So now you know Doctor, now you have seen a small piece of the large picture. I have to play my role as you do too but when you see what I have seen and you know the rules by which all of us are governed then you can cheat.” The Master laughed. “Why else do you think I brought us here to the realm of Darkness? The Universe is unstable, like a spinning top that has lost it’s momentum it tips this way and that. It cannot be allowed if we wish to prevent it from being destroyed. The White Guardian knew this, I know it and now you know it. Only the Black Guardian refuses to believe it, which brings us back to why we are here.” The Master pointed at Paul Sinclair who now appeared to be the same age as Jean-Marc. “Did K’Anpo teach you nothing Doctor? The old man must die and the new man will discover to his inexpressible joy that he never existed before.”
The Doctor gasped as Paul visibly grew and aged now until he appeared to be a gentleman in his late forties, dressed in a white cotton suit, shirt and tie. His shoes were white leather and he smiled at the Doctor. “The wheel has come full circle Doctor, I am restored again and renewed to fight my nemesis.”
“No.” Haana gasped. “You can’t leave me, I love you.”
The White Guardian looked at Haana with sad eyes. “My dear Haana, though I was born through you I am not of you. I am sorry I had to use you in this way, it is shameful and cruel but it was necessary for the sake of the entire Universe. Please accept my apologies and thanks for your tender care while I was helpless.” He rubbed his hand on Haana’s cheek. “Your future lies with she who I brought back from beyond the veil to be with you. Together you will find whatever the future brings you both.” The White Guardian put Claire’s hand into Haana’s hand. “Goodbye.” He vanished in a burst of light.
Claire held Haana when she broke down and cried for her loss. “It’ll be ok Haana.” She soothed her girlfriend. “We’ve got each other, and that’s a lot. Together we can handle this my love. Together we can be strong.”


Penny sneaked back into the console room, followed a few minutes later by Jean-Marc. She couldn’t stop grinning, she felt different now, more complete. She noticed that Paul was missing but Doris walked over to her and explained everything to her. She whispered it to Jean-Marc.
Jean-Marc took the Time Ring off of his wrist and handed it to Claire. “Haana will know what to do with it.” He explained to her. “You know you two make a lovely couple, you two should double date with Penny and myself sometime.”
“Perhaps.” Claire agreed.
“That’s everyone paired off but you and me Doctor.” The Master put his arm around the Doctor’s shoulders.
“What are you doing?” The Doctor asked. “I thought we were just good friends.” When he put his hand on her bottom she left it there, promising herself she would definitely break it after a minute or so if she didn’t like it.
Haana winked at the Master through tear filled eyes. Operation Doctor seemed to be going very well.


The Black Guardian cursed as his unholy menagerie was exposed to sunlight. The vampires exploded into flames, the zombies fell to pieces and the werewolves became ordinary naked men and women. He looked up to see the White Guardian smiling at him. “Will I never be rid of you?” He shouted, his voice filled with angry petulance.
“You are as much a part of me as I am a part of you. As long as you exist, I exist. Until neither of us is needed anymore.” The White Guardian tipped his hat to the Black Guardian and vanished.


Deep in the middle of the vast emptiness of time and space, commonly referred to as the vortex, eight people travelled to somewhere where there was danger, somewhere where there was hatred and somewhere where they could get a hot cup of tea and maybe a splint for the Master’s arm but not just yet.