Time is the Father of Truth

[The First Doctor]

One of the acolytes peeled away from the group, racing to raise the alarm. The other, the one who had recognized the icon of the Meddler, led the Chancellary Guard in a desperate race through the halls.

Acolytes and novitiates pressed against the walls as they passed, aghast at the cry "The Specialist is in peril!"

The great bronze doors, with their bas relief of Eileithyia lifting the infant Rassilon from the first of the Birthing Looms, were closed. The acolyte grasped the handle, and strained.

"They are locked!" he cried. He beat his palms against the heavy metal of the doors, screaming in despair. "Specialist!" he pleaded, "Release the locks! You are in danger!"

He was frantic. Like so many of the acolytes, she had rescued him from his own failed Initiation. She had nursed him back to health, healed his shattered mind, given him life and purpose after his House had rejected him. He tugged at the handle in a panic, screaming for her.

"You two," ordered Captain Ramachulainn. "Move him." His tone was not unkind. He understood some of the acolyte's panic, but he couldn't take the time to calm him. Not now. Too much was at stake.

"Dios?" he asked. "What sort of lock is this door fitted with?"

Dios stepped forward as the acolyte was pulled aside, still screaming the Specialist's name. He scanned the door with a small cube, and eyed the results.

"It's a molylock, sir," was the answer. "The door is a solid sheet of entropically-stabilized metal when its activated. And it's pattern-matched. Even if I could match the keytone, it won't open for anyone but... her."

Captain Ramachulainn stared at the door. They had to get inside. "Cut a hole through the wall," he decided. "Now."

"No!" the acolyte gasped. "You can't!"

The Captain wheeled on him, panic showing through the cracks of his professional mask. "The wall or the door, acolyte! Choose, and choose now!" He paused, and continued in a voice of ice. "Or do we leave her in there with the Meddler?"

The acolyte went ashen. "Of course, yes. I'm being foolish. The wall, of course."

Two Guardsmen stepped forward, stasers set for maximum power and minimum aperture. Silently asking the Halls themselves for forgiveness, they touched fingers to triggers.

[Seren Ash]

Her breath rushed from her, as tears jumped to her eyes. Good to hear that her 'nephew' had been directing them to use the old Royal Quarters as a meeting place. It was indeed the perfect meeting place, a rush of air left her as she continued down the hallway that connected the halls and the palace. It was a pathway set into place, a long time ago. So a mid-wife could be easily rushed into the Royal quarters. The royal family was one of the few that did live births.

Her breath rushed from her, as she remembered her sisters births. All had been in the Royal quarter. Her whole family - other then that one great uncle - had been born in this place. It was a painful through, to know that she was the last of her family. The last of her family, other then Thete and... where was Hunter? She hadn't heard anything about him in awhile. Her head shook again, as her eyes narrowed.

"It doesn't matter, which of the Council. The Castellan has always been one that I would happily kill." She whispered, her eyes had gone darker blue. Honestly, most people didn't get to see this often. "As for the Doctor? I suspect he realized what he was doing. I also think it finally took a toll on him. The Archivist was with him for nearly a hundred years, and then they the council took her from him. He didn't even fight for her! I bet his cowardice just suddenly caught up with him." She said as she looked back at the meddler.

"I wish, I wish I had let you kids know that you have a choice, on serving that bloody council. I would have found ways to fix your minds!" She stopped and felt the air rush from her. "Of course, I'm talking about the future." She admitted as she stared straight at the Meddler now, they were at the end of the hallway. "I know what the future is, I've seen it. Why - why was he such a coward? One of my children, what is supposed to be the bravest of my children..."

Everyone was used to the Specialist talking like that. She was the one that took care of the children. Because she couldn't have one of her own. A part of her had stopped to think, maybe it's the Council doing it. Looming didn't work, and neither did natural. What if, what if they had been sabotaging her all along. "I'll kill them!" She snarled now, the pain was screeching in her voice as she pressed her palm to the wall and it slid away.

[The First Doctor]

"It doesn't matter, which of the Council. The Castellan has always been one that I would happily kill." She whispered, her eyes had gone darker blue. Honestly, most people didn't get to see this often. "As for the Doctor? I suspect he realized what he was doing. I also think it finally took a toll on him. The Archivist was with him for nearly a hundred years, and then they the council took her from him. He didn't even fight for her! I bet his cowardice just suddenly caught up with him." She said as she looked back at the meddler.

"Didn't fight?" The Meddler sounded shocked. "Why would he 'ave? She left him, was the way Oi 'eared it. Broke 'is heart, it did."

He shook his head, sadly. "Never did find someone else. Borusa tried to push 'im towards the Rani, an' they even tried it out fer a bit. But it didn't work out. His kids, they were Loomed."

Why am I defending the Doctor? he wondered. Does it really matter what she thinks of him?

Somehow, it did.

"That's what started all, all this," he said, sweeping his hand around. In his mind, he could see the eight of them, planning their coup. "Or, it made his mind up fer him, anyhow. Smash the system, burn it down, build something better in its place. An' then he turned on us, he did."

He shook his head, vaguely angry still. And then a thought struck him. "Mebbe... mebbe she's why he didn't do it," he said, slowly. "What would've she thought, if he'd showed up ta give her the Lord President's head and a burning Panopticon as an engagement gift?"

"I wish, I wish I had let you kids know that you have a choice, on serving that bloody council. I would have found ways to fix your minds!" She stopped and felt the air rush from her.

"Don't fret none on that," he assured her. "We had one. We took it, or tried, an' it failed. An' we were able to hide fer a bit, 'cause the only ones they knew were in it were the Master an' the War Chief, an' both o' them ran...." He shuddered, remembering the Master's last acts of vengeance as he ran. "An' then, when we could, we did the same."

A tight smile. "World o' good. Made us what we are."

"Of course, I'm talking about the future." She admitted as she stared straight at the Meddler now, they were at the end of the hallway. "I know what the future is, I've seen it. Why - why was he such a coward? One of my children, what is supposed to be the bravest of my children..."

The Meddler thought about his own experiences, about the sudden insight he'd had. "Mebbe, sometimes, runnin' is the brave choice. Mebbe he decided, he decided he wouldn't be what they wanted him to be."

A shrug. "Ask 'im, sometime. He's breakin' in to the APC Net right now."

"I'll kill them!" She snarled now, the pain was screeching in her voice as she pressed her palm to the wall and it slid away.

"That's the rough plan, yeah." He looked at the new passage. "Where's this go? Ne'er saw it, last Oi was 'ere."

[Seren Ash]

"I spend a lot of time with The Archivist, I'm the one that fixed her mind. She comes back periodically. Her mind is... it's odd. To say in the least. She did not leave him, she was told by the Council-" The Specialist stopped walking, having entered the new doorway. It lead into her old family quarters, but she stood still now. Her body rigid. "She didn't leave him, she was told by the Council that he had better things to do, and that if she continued to pursue him, they'd kill her family. All of them. Including The Doctors."

She stopped and frowned, as she whirled around and faced the Meddler. "I thought you all knew this? From what I know of the timeline, she send The Doctor an encoded message... " She said and then she shook her head a little. All of this mess, all of it was building up. "Libby wouldn't have cared, what he had given her. She loves him for who he is, even if he was evil - she would love him. That's the power of that gifted emotion."

With that the Specialist walked into her old bedroom. "This Meddler, was my room." She said as she turned around to face him. He was about to learn her biggest secret. "This was the room I grew up in, that I was a child in." She said softly as she tilted her head to the side. Let him connect the dots.

[The First Doctor]

"I spend a lot of time with The Archivist, I'm the one that fixed her mind. She comes back periodically. Her mind is... it's odd. To say in the least. She did not leave him, she was told by the Council-" The Specialist stopped walking, having entered the new doorway. It lead into her old family quarters, but she stood still now. Her body rigid. "She didn't leave him, she was told by the Council that he had better things to do, and that if she continued to pursue him, they'd kill her family. All of them. Including The Doctors."

"They did that?" He was appalled. And, oddly enough, surprised. "They did that?"

She stopped and frowned, as she whirled around and faced the Meddler. "I thought you all knew this? From what I know of the timeline, she send The Doctor an encoded message... "

He grinned sheepishly at that. "Well, yeh see, it ain't exactly like me an' the Doctor're on what yeh might call speaking terms. Not 'till recently, anyhow. Like, three days ago, earlier this afternoon recently." He shrugged. "What c'n Oi say. First time we met offa Gallifrey, he left me stranded in pre-industrial Sol-3 fer a hunnerd years. Oi reciprocated by tryin' ta kill him a time or two." He looked embarrassed. "Or three. Yeah, no more than three. An' it ain't like we sat down and jawed about his love life, while Oi was trying to feed him to the Daleks."

"Libby wouldn't have cared, what he had given her. She loves him for who he is, even if he was evil - she would love him. That's the power of that gifted emotion."

The Meddler shrugged. "Mebbe that's true - an' Oi'll take yehr word fer it - but mebbe, just mebbe, if'n he'd done it, he wouldn't been the Doctor no more." He rolled his eyes. "An' listen to me, a' tryin' to defend the rep o' a man Oi tried to kill."

With that the Specialist walked into her old bedroom. "This Meddler, was my room." She said as she turned around to face him. He was about to learn her biggest secret. "This was the room I grew up in, that I was a child in." She said softly as she tilted her head to the side. Let him connect the dots.

He looked about curiously. "Looks nice enough," he said. "But what's that got ta do wit'..." He did a double-take. "Wait. Hang on, there. Yehr room? Yeh mean, yehr the Queen?"

[Seren Ash]

"I'm defending my children." She said offhandedly as she walked over to an old cradle, pushing the stars around in circles. A small smile on her face, as tears jumped in her eyes. This was where her and all of her sisters had been children. She was the last of her family, other then The Doctor and his own. Her breath rushed from her as she deftly wiped away the tears that threatened to fall. She turned to look at The Meddler.

"I'm The Specialist. I was... the granddaughter of the Old King of Gallifrey. My family line, was built off of a support system. My mother was a bastard daughter, her bloodline was designed to guard the Royal family." She said as she drew in a long breath, her head turning to the side as she shook it a little. "When my first-cousin, the prince of the time, decided to fall in love with a human, the Council started wiping out the rest of us. As a way to assure that none of us would try and take the Throne."

She stepped towards him, and then stopped before she got all the way there. "I'm known as Serantinialjasa, my real name was Tracenista. I used to be a Guard for the Royal family and then I was placed into those Halls by the council, after they realized my abilities. I have been alive for thirteen hundred years, so far. By the time the War happens, I'll be sixteen hundred."

[The First Doctor]

Captain Ramachulainn's gut was churning by the time the two Guards finished cutting through the wall. By the time they had pulled the blocks away, he was afraid he would vomit. We're desecrating the Halls, he kept thinking. We're desecrating the Halls.

But the Specialist was in danger. By focusing on that, by keeping his Guards focused on that, he could force himself to complete the task.

He was the first one through the gap, staser in hand. He was an excellent shot, and the Meddler would be desperate by now. If he hadn't killed her, if just planned to use her as a shield, he could...

He stopped. There was no sign of any occupants, anywhere. His training kicked in, and he began to memorize details. Fact: the image recorders were broken. Fact: there were no signs of a struggle. Fact: nobody was in the room.

A feeling of dread crossed over him. He'd heard of the tissue compression eliminator, but couldn't remember which of the Deca used it as a signature. Hesitantly, he opened drawers and looked under furniture.

Nothing. No tiny body.

"Search," he ordered, as his men entered the room. He looked at the acolyte. "May one of my Guards aid in reviewing the icon memories of the Halls? We will need to see how he took her from here."

"There are no other exits from this room," protested the acolyte.

"There are windows, are there not?"

The acolyte looked startled. "I see. Yes, I will have one of your Guards taken there."

"Thank you." He looked around. "Eyomimir, you handle that."

He stood in the center of the room, forcing himself to think. "Dios," he said. "I need a full scanner sweep of this room. Biodata trails. Pheromone markers. Timespace imprints. I want to know where they went."

He broke the rest of the squad up into pairs, consulting an icon of the Halls. "Each of you will sweep, thoroughly sweep, your assigned section of the Halls - with the assistance of an acolyte. You will respect the sanctity of the Halls as much as possible-" it was unnecessary, but he said it anyway "-but you will be thorough. All of understand the danger. Find her. Keep her safe. That is your first priority, even if it means the Meddler escapes."

He triggered his comm disk as they left. "My Lord Castellan," he said. "They're gone." A pause. "Yes, my Lord. My men have already begun a search of the Halls, and we are preparing a full sensor sweep of the Keeper's Chambers." A longer pause, and he nodded. "I would also suggest a noospheric lockdown, if I may be so bold my Lord. No TARDIS should be allowed to pass the transduction barrier until she is found. And all security systems should be loaded with icons of the Meddler and the Specialist, and set to active search." He listened again. "Thank you, my Lord. He won't escape."

The comm disk winked off, and the Captain swallowed hard. "Now," he said, "I only hope it isn't too late."

[The First Doctor]

"I'm defending my children." She said offhandedly as she walked over to an old cradle, pushing the stars around in circles.

There was something in her tone of voice that made the Meddler uncomfortable. He shifted his feet as the mobile spun, stuck his hands in his pockets, and became engrossed in the pattern of tile on the ceiling.

He liked his solitude. It was... comforting. It was safe. Nobody could touch him, there.

She turned to look at The Meddler. "I'm The Specialist. I was... the granddaughter of the Old King of Gallifrey. My family line, was built off of a support system. My mother was a bastard daughter, her bloodline was designed to guard the Royal family."

He lifted an eyebrow at that. Bastard? he thought, Oi'd 'ave thought that was meaningless, what wit' the Looms an' all. But he held his tongue.

She drew in a long breath, her head turning to the side as she shook it a little. "When my first-cousin, the prince of the time, decided to fall in love with a human, the Council started wiping out the rest of us. As a way to assure that none of us would try and take the Throne."

"What?" The Meddler couldn't help himself. "They what? Oi mean, Oi ken thet what they call miscegenation ain't too popular an' all - the Doctor an' the Hunter 'ad an 'Ell o' a time wit' thet themselves - but murder? An entire Family?"

He shivered with horror and rage. "An' Oi thought what they did ta me an me mates..." His voice trailed away. "The Master was right," he said, his voice like flint. "The Master was right. We shoulda burned it all down. Even after the Doctor turned on us, we shoulda killed 'em all."

He was lost now, considering the implications. "Thet woulda been the key," he said. "If'n the Doctor 'ad known, mebbe he wouldn'a changed his mind."

It wouldn't be hard. It would be dangerous, but it wouldn't be hard... "We should tell him," he whispered. "Six hunnerd years ago." His voice grew stronger. "We should tell him. Let's change it all."

She stepped towards him, and then stopped before she got all the way there. "I'm known as Serantinialjasa, my real name was Tracenista. I used to be a Guard for the Royal family and then I was placed into those Halls by the council, after they realized my abilities. I have been alive for thirteen hundred years, so far. By the time the War happens, I'll be sixteen hundred."

"Oi.. Oi thank yeh," he responded, moved. It was rare for a Time Lord, one that had assumed a title, to reveal her name.

"Oi'm known as the Meddler. Oi've burned me real name away - Oi don't even remember it, now. Oi uncreated meself."

There was no way Tracenista - the Specialist - would forgive his next words. But she had told him her name, and she deserved similar respect. "A hunnerd an twenty years ago," he said, then stopped. "Nah, goes back further. To me first regeneration. The Time Lords used me as a tool fer a time, used me to do their dirty work. An' it made me mad, paranoid. Oi spent centuries customizin' me TARDIS, strippin' out the connections to the APC Net, the remotes, the overrides. Even built me own Eye, Oi did, just so's Oi could go off the grid."

He was avoiding the central point, hiding from what he was going to say with a cloud of facts. He took a deep breath, and pushed forward. "A hunnerd an twenty years ago, Oi snuck into the Halls. Snuck into 'em six hunnerd an' twenty-five years back." He couldn't meet her eyes. He knew, knew what the reaction would be.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if he were bracing for a physical blow. "Oi destroyed me own Loom," he breathed, "figurin' that if'n Oi'd ne'er been Woven, the Council couldn't find me. The Rite o' the Grandfather Paradox, forbidden by every law o' Gallifrey."

A pause. "Oi'd be eight hunnerd 'n forty-five, if'n Oi'd e'er been born."

[Seren Ash]

The Specialist drew in a huge breath, as she watched him. Her eyes widening, as they then suddenly narrowed. "The Doctor is something Akin to a nephew to me. I will NOT be telling him this information about his family. Even telling you, could get me killed." She hissed between her teeth. She was shaking visibly. These rooms were stained with blood, not physically, but in her heart. Her head turned as she looked around, wincing softly as she shook her head. "The Doctor, and The Hunter. They are the only blood family I have left." She stated as she put her hands in the small of her back.

She waited patiently and listened to him. She had suspected that kind of thing, she had expected it definitely. She had known a lot of things, and she had senses A Grandfather paradox. "Excuse me?" She said softly as her eyes narrowed as she leaned in towards him. "Excuse me? You were the one that caused me to have a migraine for a week?" She said as she leaned forward and poked his chest. Stopping and releasing a soft laugh as she rolled her eyes. She dug around in her pockets.

"You know, you're an interesting piece. I really loved all of you children. Anyways, Meddler, please keep my name in mind. To draw someones essence from something, you need their true name. It's why I trusted you with such a thing. I'm going to be very concerned, for the future. But I'm trusting you." She said with a soft laugh. She tilted her head back and then frowned. "Meddler, I'm trying to keep my mind as straight as possible. So I am trying to avoid more time issues. But they will happen."

[The First Doctor]

The Specialist drew in a huge breath, as she watched him. Her eyes widening, as they then suddenly narrowed. "The Doctor is something Akin to a nephew to me. I will NOT be telling him this information about his family. Even telling you, could get me killed." She hissed between her teeth. She was shaking visibly. These rooms were stained with blood, not physically, but in her heart. Her head turned as she looked around, wincing softly as she shook her head. "The Doctor, and The Hunter. They are the only blood family I have left." She stated as she put her hands in the small of her back.

"Oi'm not talkin' 'bout tellin' him now," the Meddler assured her, lost in his plans. "Oi tell him then, back when we still..." He blinked. Despite his gruff appearance and crude accent, the Meddler was not a stupid man.

"'Ang on," he said, changing the subject. "Blood family... yeh mean he's..." He laughed hard, slapping his knee as he doubled over. "Is he the rightful king, or is the Hunter?" More laughter. "Imagine the Hunter as king!"

"Excuse me?" She said softly as her eyes narrowed as she leaned in towards him. "Excuse me? You were the one that caused me to have a migraine for a week?" She said as she leaned forward and poked his chest. Stopping and releasing a soft laugh as she rolled her eyes.

He looked startled, then mildly offended, and then finally chuckled a little. "That's it?" he asked. "Oi tell yeh about how Oi've committed the single worst crime possible on Gallifrey, an' yehr response is to accuse me o' given' yeh a migraine?" He laughed more. "Oi'll be honest wit' yeh: that isn'a the response Oi'd expected."

"You know, you're an interesting piece. I really loved all of you children."

He blinked, suddenly uncomfortable, unsure what to say.

"Anyways, Meddler, please keep my name in mind. To draw someones essence from something, you need their true name. It's why I trusted you with such a thing. I'm going to be very concerned, for the future. But I'm trusting you." She said with a soft laugh.

Shifting uncomfortably, he jammed his hands back into his jacket pockets. "Oi'll... Oi'll do me best, then." The words were sincere, but he still wasn't sure how he'd do it. If it came to it. It will.

She tilted her head back and then frowned. "Meddler, I'm trying to keep my mind as straight as possible. So I am trying to avoid more time issues. But they will happen."

Now that was back on familiar ground. "Oi've found meditation 'elps wit' that, or concentratin' on somethin' grounded in the present." He dug around in his pockets, produced a hip flask, and offered it to her. "'Course, a slug o' winter thunder help as well. Want a nip?"

[The First Doctor]

Gallifrey.
Spacetime Transit Control.

"No, I'm sorry but you can't..."

The voice shrieked importantly, demanding.

"It doesn't matter... no, no it doesn't matter. I'm..." She snorted in irritation. "All transit into or out of Gallifrey has been suspended."

More enraged demands.

"By order of the Lord Castellan himself." A pause. "You'll have to take it up with him, then." Another pause. "No, I cannot connect you."

She broke the connection with an irritable gesture, then groaned as twelve more lights indicated requests for communication.

---

"Captain?"

Captain Ramachulainn looked up from the incoming reports from his Guards. There was no sign of them, and the Halls were proving particularly recalcitrant - probably angered by the hole he'd ordered cut through the wall. Eyomimir was still reasoning with the building, but it was stubborn.

"Yes, Dios? Tell me you have good news."

"We have a biodata trail. It's faint, but it's there."

He felt a weight fall away. "Excellent! Where does it lead?"

Dios pointed towards one of the statues against the wall. "Right into that."

Ramachulainn carefully approached it, and placed his hand gingerly against the cool marble. "It seems solid? Is it a TARDIS? Or another sequestered transdimensional space?"

"I don't know yet, sir. But I will."

"As fast as you can, Dios."

Dios swallowed, and set his face. "She saved my Cousin, sir. The Archivist. Helped to piece her back together, after her Initiation went bad." He gritted his teeth. "I'll find her, sir. I'll find her."

"Good man."

[Seren Ash]

"I'll tell him when the time comes. I know when that time is, remember I'm like you in many ways but more then that in many ways. I am something that probably won't return to the Halls of Gallifrey, ever again." She said as she wrapped her arms around her waist, watching him. She stopped for a moment and stared straight at him. "Do you have a way to rush away from here, to get to your TARDIS without being found?" She asked as she stared straight at him. She knew as a result of this, she was probably going to get dragged before the Castellan.

She was going to hold him to his words, that she would get drawn out. She knew that she would likely be conscious there, and waiting. It would probably be a rather decent wait, but she was patient. She was absolutely patient. She would trust that he would do it, and she hoped that she would be able to eventually have her own form again. A shiver raced over her body as she folded her hands before her. She chuckled as she listened to him get annoyed at her reaction.

"Anyways, the Meditation would indeed help. As for that flask..." She said as she looked around for a few moments, looking nervous for a moment as she withdrew a golden flask from inside of her coat sleeves. A smirk was passed over her features as she pulled the cap off and took a swig. She looked around for a few moments and frowned. "I'd like to dally here with you, and I would love to speak with you more. But my sense of dangers is increasing... we may have some time yet."

[The First Doctor]

"I'll tell him when the time comes. I know when that time is, remember I'm like you in many ways but more then that in many ways. I am something that probably won't return to the Halls of Gallifrey, ever again." She said as she wrapped her arms around her waist, watching him.

"Like me, hey?" he said with a grin, "'Cept yeh was born, 'n Oi ne'er was. But what's a few details, right?" Inwardly, though, he shivered. Like me, hey? He wasn't sure what to make of the way that made him feel.

Best to change the subject. "But why wouldn't yeh be able to return? Oi doubt they'd think yeh was helpin' me - helpin' the inf'mous Meddler - after all. Not the Specialist. Feed 'em a line, tell 'em Oi was kidnappin' yeh fer some nefarious scheme, an' they'll ne'er suspect."

She stopped for a moment and stared straight at him. "Do you have a way to rush away from here, to get to your TARDIS without being found?"

"That's tricky, that is." He frowned. "See, Oi'd parked me TARDIS as one o' the Pillars o' Geometry. Right in front o' the Great Library, which was a perfect place, since Oi'd originally sneaked onto the Homeworld to... borrow a few texts. An when Oi got back from me Initiation with the Hunter an' his lady, Oi just parked back there."

He leaned against the wall, and thought. "So... no. Exceptin' runnin' like a mad fool, or tryin' to look inconspicuous like this." Idly, he knocked on the wall. "Less'n yeh got another secret passage, out to Geometry."

"Anyways, the Meditation would indeed help. As for that flask..." She said as she looked around for a few moments, looking nervous for a moment as she withdrew a golden flask from inside of her coat sleeves. A smirk was passed over her features as she pulled the cap off and took a swig.

He lifted his own silver hip flask in a toast and knocked back a slug. "Hooo," he breathed as the potent grain alcohol mixed with phencyclidine in a 3% solution burned down his throat. "That's the stuff."

She looked around for a few moments and frowned. "I'd like to dally here with you, and I would love to speak with you more. But my sense of dangers is increasing... we may have some time yet."

"Then we should probably get movin'."

[Seren Ash]

"Well I may have something to help. It's a bit experimental." She said as she pulled the disk from her pocket, pressing a button on it as it expanded into a small rod. "It's a Chameleon pocket source. Not exactly as strong as the TARDIS circuits." She said as she wandered over to a wall, and pressed another design, watching as a new panel slid free. "This will take you over to the royal square. It will bring you out in a back alley, that people aren't through often. Use these two in combination, and you'll make it out safely." She whispered softly.

Her head tilted to the side as she shook her head a little. She smiled softly at him as she pushed his shoulder lightly, making sure to have no skin contact. "Go please, I want to see you survive." She said as she smiled softly. At that point she turned her head to look away from him. "I'll do what is needed, when it's needed." She said gently and then stopped. The pain rushing through her as she realized all that would be happening. She was broken, and tired at this point. Broken in so many ways.

"I'll deal with them my own way. I'll explain to them that I was trying to help you. You're my children, all of you. Even if you unbirthed yourself." She stated as she shrugged her shoulder.

[The First Doctor]

"Well I may have something to help. It's a bit experimental." She said as she pulled the disk from her pocket, pressing a button on it as it expanded into a small rod. "It's a Chameleon pocket source. Not exactly as strong as the TARDIS circuits."

He took the rod and eyed it curiously. "Hmmm," he mused. He rotated sections with interest and, with a ripple, he took on the appearance of the woman before him.

"Well," he said in her exact tone of voice, if not precisely her speech patterns. "Look at this." He was examining his hands, and craning his neck around to get a better look at himself. "Far better than a perception filter. Is this your work?"

He twisted the rod again. There was another ripple, and he returned to looking like himself. The Meddler grinned like the cat that has been handed the proverbial cream.

"Oi like this," he said, "Oi really do."

She pressed another design, watching as a new panel slid free. "This will take you over to the royal square. It will bring you out in a back alley, that people aren't through often. Use these two in combination, and you'll make it out safely." She whispered softly.

He nodded, face serious again. "All right," he agreed. "Yehr sure yeh'll be fine? Oi'll not leave yeh in the lurch, not after yeh've helped me."

Her head tilted to the side as she shook her head a little. She smiled softly at him as she pushed his shoulder lightly, making sure to have no skin contact. "Go please, I want to see you survive." She said as she smiled softly. At that point she turned her head to look away from him. "I'll do what is needed, when it's needed." She said gently and then winced.

He stepped into the alcove, stopped, and turned to face her. "Thank yeh," he said. "But yeh'r sure..?" He left the question to hang in the air.

"I'll deal with them my own way. I'll explain to them that I was trying to help you. You're my children, all of you. Even if you unbirthed yourself." She stated as she shrugged her shoulder.

"The hell yeh will!" he exploded. "Yeh'r the Specialist! Yeh ain't puttin' yehr life at risk fer the likes o' me!"

He lept from the alcove and gripped her shoulders. "Gallifrey needs yeh! There's kids what are gettin' ready fer their Initiations, an' they need yeh! Far more'n they need me." His eyes were burning now. "Oi c'n take care o' meself. They can't."

Thrusting his hand into his jacket pocket, he produced a small, slim object of bone and metal. Before she could react, he flipped the blade out and stabbed it deep into his own thigh, then threw it down on the ground.

"There," he gasped, "yeh've yehr story. The Meddler grabbed yeh - yeh don' ken why. Right here, yeh struggled wit' 'im -" He gritted his teeth. "Loom! Oi should think these things through. But yeh struggled wit' the Meddler, yeh stuck 'im wit' his own knife when yeh did, an' yeh scarpered fer safety."

He limped to the alcove, blood soaking his jeans and trailing behind him. "Oi'll not be the monster what really killed the Specialist," he said through gritted teeth. "Let Gallifrey think what it wants. But Oi'll no let yeh die fer me."