Chapter Text
“I’m leaving, I’m done, gone. There is no way I am staying with him after this. I’m hopping on the train in 17 minutes and I’ll never have to see his stupid face ever again. Can you pick me up from the station please?” she says with a frustrated sigh.
Davina Bennet was a forgiving and understanding person, really, she was. But it was hard to be forgiving and understanding when you walk in on your partner of two years screwing the woman you hated. And then asking if you’d like to join them.
“Yeah, text me when you’re 10 minutes out and I’ll head over.”
She was on the way to her best friend’s house, with all the stuff she had accumulated over the last two years packed into two large suitcases, and a small strappy handbag. She didn’t even give herself time to change out of the date clothes she was wearing, she had chucked on a jacket, packed her bags, and left him begging in front of his apartment building. She had already humiliated herself enough, there was no way she was going to spend a second more than she had to in that bloody apartment with the man who had been lying to her.
“Thank you, I just couldn’t stay there for another second, let alone night.”
……………….
“Easy there, love, do ya need a hand? Graham help the poor girl won’t cha?” the old lady sitting near the window asks.
“Oh, no, that’s okay, really.” Davina tries to say with reassurance in her voice, but it was a tad hard, considering she was trying to get the two suitcases through the small walkway. And failing at it.
“It’s alright, love, he doesn’t mind.”
“Grace is right, I don’t. I’ll set it down here, yeah?” Graham asks, setting one of the suitcases in between the seats just behind him and his partner while Davina handled the other one.
“Thank you so much, that’s just fine.” She shot a grateful smile at them both before she sat down, letting out a small sigh.
Now that she was on the train, and not moving, she finally had time to think over the events of tonight. The ones where she ended a two-year relationship because he just had to be a cheating bastard. Why the hell would he cheat on her? She could feel the tears pushing to break free. She closed her eyes and drew in a shaky breath, struggling to hold them back and hold herself together until she got to Cameron’s house.
……………….
The train stops so suddenly Davina is flung to the floor of the train. Her glasses and phone go flying, landing just in front of her. The train lights flicker and stutter off and on. She can see the others on the floor as well and moves towards them after picking up the phone and putting her glasses back on.
“Are you guys okay?” she says kneeling next to Graham and helping him up.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Are you alright, love?” Graham asks, moving towards Grace.
“Think so.” Grace replies, walking ahead.
“Where are you going?”
“Just having a look, love” Grace calls back to them.
While the other three start walking to the front of the carriage, Davina pulls her phone out to text Cameron.
Hey, the trains stopped, and I think the power’s gone out, might be a while before it moves.
Are you alright? Do you need me to come to you?
Nah, I should be good, it’s just another wrench in my day :)
Okay, keep me updated.
She pulls her bag strap over and places the phone in the front pocket, just in time to see the other three running back down the aisles.
“Get to the back!” Graham yells out.
Davina was looking up at them from where she had sat back down in the seats, legs crossed. She pulls her jacket a little tighter around her as she wished she had changed clothes before she left, but she might not have made the last train if she had.
“What’s going on?”
Trains stopped all the time, why were these three freaking out so bad? It’s not like they had full-on crashed or anything.
“There’s something coming down the train, we gotta get these doors open,” the not Grace and not Graham dude says in a panic, eyes a little wild.
“Come on, love, let’s go” Grace coaxes, pulling her up and with them to the doors at the end.
She let Grace pull her along. Even if they were acting a little crazy, she liked Grace and Graham. The small space was a little cramped as they huddled together, trying to get the doors unlocked while Grace was making a phone call.
“Grace, get back!” Graham hisses.
The explosion knocks them all a little. Davina almost slips but manages to pull herself up as she grips onto the back of the seat in front of her. The door at the other end is broken into pieces, scattered around the cart while a bright blinking light moves towards them. What the hell is that? Electricity buzzes in the middle of hundreds of tentacles slowly but surely moves closer. There is glass underneath her feet as she walks back.
“What is it?” Graham asks, leaning on the handlebar.
“I’ve no idea” Grace says, shakily.
“Whatever it is, it doesn’t look good. Grace!” Davina exclaims as it’s her turn to pull Grace behind her as the guys start fiddling around with the doors again.
She can hear the others behind her but her entire attention is on what’s in front of her. Like a dumbass, she takes a step forward to look at it closer. What was the saying, curiosity killed the cat? Well, sue her, she was curious. It doesn’t look real, is this what aliens look like? Is she really going to be abducted or killed by an alien on the day she finds out her boyfriend cheated on her? Could her luck get any worse? She jumps back with a breathless gasp as an actual person crashes through the roof of the train.
“Holy shit” Davina whispers, locking eyes with the stranger.
“What,” she asks as if she didn’t just come crashing through the top of the train.
She can see out of the corner of her Grace pointing behind the stranger at the creature, but Davina’s eyes don’t leave the woman in front of her. She’s gorgeous, really, but she just fell through the roof like it was nothing. Who the hell does that? She watches as the woman pulls a stray cable from the top of the train and uses it on the creature.
“Should buy us a few seconds” she says, panting as she turns back.
They all look between her and the giant hole in the roof.
“Oh, yeah, long story. Tell you later. Doors?”
“Locked shut” Grace answers for the lot of them.
Davina’s not even sure she can speak at the moment, she’s frozen in shock, eyes on the creature on the ground as it starts sparking again. She walks forward in a daze. She can distantly hear one of the guys yell out a warning before the stranger pulls her out of the way as the creature moves past them. She stumbles and braces herself, her hands gripping the woman’s shoulders to keep from tripping.
“Sorry, you looked like you weren’t gonna move” she whispers in Davina’s ear.
They both turn towards the creature, who has the guy whose name Davina can’t remember, pinned against one of the seats.
“Get it away from me” he screams.
“All of you, stay very still” the woman whispers as she moves away from Davina and towards the others, slowly.
She can hear the guy mumbling, and she can see the fear etched into his face. She grips the seat handle in front of her, feeling nauseous and faint. She hears Grace yell out before there’s a sharp stinging pain in her left collarbone. She collapses on the train seats, feeling around her neck for any wound that accompanied the stabbing pain. She’s hunched over but pulls herself up as she sees fast movement out of the corner of her eye. The creature leaves through the hole in the roof.
“You four, relax but stay put. I’ll check the rest of the train” the woman says before walking past Davina.
Davina nods and stays put in her seat. She curls her arms around her waist and pulls her feet up on the seat opposite her. She watches as Grace walks over and sits next to her.
“Are you alright there, love?” Grace asks.
“Um, I think so. My mind’s a little blown” she says shakily.
“It’ll be fine, that thing’s gone now. But boy do I wonder what it was. That was quite an experience you’ll be able to tell the grandkids when you’re my age, aye love” Grace laughs, a wonderful laugh.
She really likes Grace. She reminds her of her grandmother. She watches as Grace moves back to Graham as the stranger comes down the aisle.
“Right, then troops. No, not troops. Team. Gang. Fam. I’m distracting myself” Davina lets out a small laugh, the rambling was cute.
“You came crashing through that roof” she hears Grace say.
“I was thrown out of my TARDIS. Oh! I’ve lost my TARDIS. It was exploding and then it dematerialised. Don’t panic. Not the end of the world. Well, it could be the end of the world, but one thing at a time.”
She watches as the woman tries not to panic and prioritise what’s going on.
“Are we supposed to understand anything you’re saying?” Graham asks, sounding as if he’s just done with all of this.
Davina doesn’t blame him, she’s much the same.
“She thinks that thing is an alien” the guy, who looks a lot like Grace, especially in the eyes, offers helpfully.
“Don’t be daft. There’s no such thing as aliens. Anyway, even if they was, they ain’t gonna be on a train in Sheffield” Graham scoffs, rolling his eyes.
“Why not? I’m alien and I’m here.”
Davina sputters at that and brings her gaze back to the strange woman who had fallen straight through the roof. How long had she been falling for?
“Grace, we’re going.”
Graham goes to pull Grace along, but she stands stock still.
“No, we’re not. She just saved our lives” Grace argues.
“Don’t be scared. All of this is new to you and new can be scary. Now, we all want answers. Stick with me, you might get some” the strange woman says.
“Actually, um, I don’t think I do want answers. I’ve had enough of the world for the day, I’m just gonna leave if that’s alright with everyone” Davina says shakily, moving towards her suitcases.
For a moment, Davina looks into her eyes and she wants to stay. It’s weird and nothing she’s felt before. The weirdest thing is she swears she can tell that the woman wants her to stay too. Before anyone else could say a word, she turns around and leaves.
“Yeah, I’m gonna follow her lead, but good luck, yeah”
……………….
The small but spacious apartment was one of the few places Davina could call home since she had moved to England. She was now sprawled out on one of the most comfortable couches in the world, in her opinion, a wine glass in her left hand, jacket, and heels off, feet over the back of the couch.
“And then the strangest thing ever happened, some lady falls straight through the roof, between us and whatever that thing was. Then she gets up and moves around like that hadn’t just happened” she’s almost finished recounting what had happened that night to Cameron.
Most of her was still in shock over what had happened on the train. Maybe that’s why she hadn’t stayed with the supposed alien lady. Instead she had run away.
“If anyone else had told me this, I wouldn’t believe them” Cameron says, shaking his head.
They had struck an unlikely friendship in University when he was about to graduate and had stayed friends after. He was handsome in that rugged bad boy way of his, but she’d never date him. Their friendship means too much to both of them to complicate it with romantic shenanigans.
“I can tell you anything, right?” she bites her bottom lip as she thinks over what she’s about to say.
“Yes! But whether I judge you or not is another matter entirely” he says with a small chuckle.
She rolls her eyes but a small smile creeps onto her lips.
“Ha de haha, I just, I feel like I should have stayed. I don’t know why, but I should have stayed” she confesses, twirling a dark lock of hair around her fingers.
“Well, then, what are you waiting for? What did you say that thing looked like again? I’ll see if my contacts have seen anything” he says, getting up, already texting on his phone.
She looks up at him quizzingly. He is also the best Private Investigator she’s ever met and if anyone could track that group down, it would be him.
“You don’t think I’m crazy?”
“I know you’re crazy, but honestly, if you wanna go chase after some chick who quite literally fell into your path, I’ll support you. It’s what best buds do” he chuckles.
He rolls his eyes but the cheeky grin that slips onto his lips is contagious. She can feel herself getting excited.
……………….
“Thanks for the lift, mate, have a good one” she says as she moves to get out of the car without even waiting for it to fully stop.
She pulls her phone out of her bag and texts Cameron.
Hey, I’m at the first site. Call me straight away if you find them.
Will do, D, be careful.
She puts the phone away and feels her heart almost stop as she sees the electricity sparking on the top of the building in front of her. She knows she’s found the creature, now she has to hope the others have too. She rushes inside the building, finding every door and gate already unlocked as she makes her up to the top.
“You said there were two aliens in a battle” she hears the policewoman say.
“There’s another one?” Davina asks, closing the rooftop door behind her.
They all turn to look her way and she can already see a small smile on Grace’s face while the stranger who fell through the roof wears an even bigger one.
“It’s you!” she says.
“Hi” Davina breathes out.
It’s the only thing she’s capable of saying at the moment, the relief almost making her collapse but thankfully she stays steady on her feet.
“Oh, hello, love” Grace says with a wave.
Davina waves back, a little out of breath from all the running. There’s nothing that could take away her smile right now though.
“What are you doing here?” the woman seems confused now.
“I’ve changed my mind, I wanna help” Davina gulps, still staring into the stranger’s eyes.
“Brilliant! I do need to see your collarbones though”
……………….
“Hi, I’m Davina.” It’s not like it was the first time she had found herself sitting in a gorgeous stranger’s lap.
“Ryan” the sheepish smile he shoots her is cute, and so is he.
“I figured you’d like to know my name, seeing that I’m using you as a seat. Sorry about that by the way” she smiled, hoping it would ease some of the tension in the car since she had joined the rest of the group.
It was cramped in the car, but that honestly couldn’t get her down. She could feel the excitement thrumming through her veins, and she knew she was wearing a dopey grin.
“Nah, it's fine”
“No, it is not. This car is only meant to seat five and I don’t know why I’m letting it slide. And Karl’s number is going straight to voice mail” the policewoman exclaims.
“Got him. Karl Wright, operator for Skylark Building Services. That’s Yaz by the way, we went to grade school together” Ryan answers Davina’s unspoken question.
“I know where their site is. It ain’t far. Grace, next right, love.” Graham says.
……………….
This was definitely a bad idea, but dear lord, the way Davina’s heart was racing. She was with this group of strangers until the end.
“Are you alright to do this?” Davina asks, noticing the way Ryan was looking at the ladder.
He looked nervous and scared.
“Yeah, I can do this” he nods at her.
“Okay, but damn we’re about to climb up a crane and I’m in heels and a fucking dress. I might not be alright to do this” Davina swore underneath her breath.
“It’ll be fine, if I can do it, you can too, yeah” Ryan says, a shaky smile on his face.
“You’re right, but you’re going before me, Ryan, I don’t like you that much. Not yet at least” she says with a teasing smirk.
He laughs and a little of the tension eases from his shoulders as he starts to climb. She follows after, pulling herself up with ease but making sure her footing is right. Half-way up the crane, Davina almost has a heart attack as Ryan slips. But he manages to catch himself, and she holds onto his leg quickly, pressing them both into the ladder.
“Easy, Ryan, you’re okay!” she says breathlessly.
“Ryan, are you okay?” Yaz calls down.
“Yeah,” Ryan groans, and she can hear how shaky his voice is right now.
It’s a good thing they reach the top of the crane soon.
“Oh, we made it. Oh! Oh, no, no, no! It’s way too high up here” Ryan says, panic clear to hear in his voice as he backs himself up against one of the pillars.
“Hey, hey, hey, it’s okay, you’re fine! I’ve got cha” Davina murmurs, grabbing ahold of Ryan’s hand and squeezing tight.
“What’s the plan? You said you’d have a plan.” Yaz says and Davina can hear the start of Yaz panicking too.
“Nearly, nearly, nearly. I got one. I climb on to the arm of this crane; you swing the arm round next to Karl’s crane.”
Davina’s not sure if this woman is crazy or not, because this plan sounds like it’s hanging on by a thread. She and Ryan move closer to the others as Ryan shakes his head.
“Oh, no, you’re kidding!” Ryan exclaims.
“Karl steps across, you swing the arm away. I get him back in here, all back down for a cuppa and a fried egg sandwich. I’m really craving a fried egg sandwich. Simple, no?” she smiles and Davina is captivated.
“Not really.” She can hear the disbelief in Yaz’s voice and part of her agrees.
“All right. It’s a work in progress. But so is life. It’ll be fine. Ooh, I got these downstairs. One must work. You can figure out how to work a crane, right? Go.” She hands the keys to Davina with a wink and runs to the other ladder.
……………….
“Here, it’s this key” Davina says, handing the key over to Yaz.
“What, how’d you know?” Ryan asks, looking at her shocked.
“It says so, all the keys have tags on ‘em” she laughs.
“Okay, so, now we just need to swing the arm around to meet that one.” Yaz exhales nervously.
“Right, I think this shows us. Ready?” Ryan says, holding his phone out for the other to look at.
“Every day’s a learning day” Yaz shrugs, and with a shaky expression she turns the crane.
Davina balances herself with one hand on the wall and the other on the backrest of Yaz’s seat as they start moving to the left.
“Wrong way” Ryan quips.
“I know, shut up!”
“Yes! Amazing, you are!” Davina exclaims, jumping up as her excitement gets the better of her.
“Omg, is she going to jump”
They all stare and watch as the stranger jumps from one crane to the other higher crane, only just grabbing ahold of it.
“Yaz, you brilliant gorgeous person, you’ve got to line up these cranes!” Davina says, leaning down to Yaz.
Davina starts to leave the cramped space, but Ryan catches her by the wrist before she’s able to. She turns to look at him quizzingly.
“Hey, where are you going?” Ryan asks, brows furrowed in concern.
“To help her, just get those cranes lined up. I believe in you” she shoots him a quick smile before rushing out of there, making her way to the top of the crane.
She pauses, gripping the handles tightly before the jump as the crane slowly starts to move closer.
“Oh, Yaz, you’re amazing!” Davina says under her breath.
Crossing the much smaller jump easily, she quickly reaches Karl and the others, stopping just behind the stranger to catch her breath. Cautiously, she moves forward to the stand at the stranger’s side.
“What do you do with them, your human trophies?” the stranger asks, after turning away from Davina to stare at Tim Shaw or whatever.
“They’re held in stasis in our trophy chambers on the cusp between life and death,” he, Davina assumes, gloats.
“Left to rot? That’s cruel” she can’t keep from commenting, expression twisting in disgust and anger.
“How completely obscene” the stranger says.
“They’re not important” the alien says, with total belief in words.
“Hey, I’m important” Karl shouts.
“Yes, they are! Human beings, people, are not toys for you to simply throw around. Our lives are not yours to play with! You don’t get to treat other people like they’re pieces of meat,” Davina snaps, taking a few steps forward.
She knows everyone is staring at her, including the strange woman, but the rage quelling deep inside of her is the only thing she can focus on. It only burns brighter as the alien in front of her starts laughing.
“She’s right. If we don’t stop you, your people will keep doing this,” the stranger says, moving to put herself in slightly in front of Davina.
She knows it’s only to protect her in case anything happens, but there’s no fear burning inside Davina. She’s much too angry for that and struggling to keep silent.
“Give me the circuit… or I detonate the bombs placed in your friends,” the alien says, sounding frustrated.
“More weapons, do you not get sick of weapons? Did your pet put one in Karl too?”
“What?”
“There was no need. He was tagged. He is the trophy” the smug smirk, and Davina can tell he’s bloody smirking, drives her insane.
She wants to punch it right off his arrogant face.
“I thought as much. Right, you detonate the bombs, I’ll destroy the recall. So what are we going to do? Poor Tim Shaw, the wannabe leader who has to cheat because he knows he’s unworthy. See, that’s why I know you won’t detonate. Although, you could prove me wrong. Because we’re all capable of the most incredible change. We can evolve while still staying true to who we are. We can honour who we’ve been and choose who we want to be next. Now’s your chance. How about it?”
“Who are you?” Tim Shaw asks, confusion littering his face and voice.
“Oh, yes, I’m glad you asked that again. Bit of adrenaline, a dash of outrage, and a hint of panic knitted my brain back together. I know exactly who I am. I’m the Doctor”
……………….
“Oh, no, Grace” Davina breathes out.
……………….
It’s Grace’s funeral and it’s not right. It’s not pouring down, there are absolutely no clouds in the sky. It’s a wonderful day for such a depressing occasion. Davina sees Ryan after the funeral, once most of the crowd had dispersed.
“Ryan, hey” she murmurs as she walks over to stand next to him.
“Hey, Davina,”
They stare past the glass walls in silence for a while, both grieving. She turns to stare up at him, heaving a deep sigh before speaking.
“I wish I had known her longer. I originally wasn’t going to come to the funeral, it didn’t seem right seeing as I had only met her the other day. I hope you don’t mind. In the small amount of time I knew Grace, she had made an impact in my life. I don’t think I’m ever going to forget Grace O’Brian, and I’m so sorry,” Davina says, lacing her hand with Ryan’s.
She took a deep breath to try to control the tears struggling in the corner of her eyes. But she felt his hand tighten around hers and the breath left her in a sigh.
“The others and I were gonna talk to the Doctor about what happened, do you wanna join?”
“Yes, please” she murmurs.
……………….
They’re back in the warehouse after helping the Doctor track down all the supplies she would need to get back to her ship. Davina’s wide eyes take in everything the Doctor does and say, committing every detail to memory if this is going to be the last time she sees her. It’s not like she can ask to go with the Doctor, why would she say yes? All of space and time in the Doctor’s hands and Davina would be selfish to ask for more. Instead she would treasure the last two days for the rest of her life.
“How long have we got to stand here for? I’m getting cramp” Graham complains, wiggling around, but pulling Davina’s focus back to the present.
“Seriously, Graham, trying to concentrate here.” The Doctor says, rolling her eyes.
“Do you understand what she’s doing?” Ryan leans over to whisper to her.
“Not a clue” Davina whispers back, tilting her head to look up at him.
“My ship uses a particular type of energy. I’ve tracked that energy trail from the moment I lost it to where it is now. Now, given this is a transport pod I’m configuring it… to send me to the planet where my ship seems to have ended up.” The Doctor explains.
“You’re going to another planet?” Yaz asks.
“Really?” Davina can’t help the hope that settles in her tone.
“Well, I’m trying to, except Stenza technology is really annoying and super hard to decipher. Hundred and thirty-nine layers, seven of which don’t make sense. Right, Graham…” The Doctor looks over and seems to pause for a moment.
“Yeah?”
“Clamp those onto there” she instructs “Yaz, throw the cable on to the top. Davina, connect those two cables. Ryan, you turn on the switch.”
“All right”
“Okay, you four, I’m almost going to miss you. That’s it. it’s connected. This should work. Oh. Moment of truth then. Wish me luck. And goodbye. Oh, deep breath. Not you lot, me,” the Doctor says with a smile.
It’s the last thing Davina hears before she suddenly can’t breathe.