IT WAS 20,000 YEARS AGO TODAY

Chapter Forty Seven

The Doctor and the others went quietly down the hallway. The klaxon was still sounding and they could hear distant booms.

"I hope they know what they're doing and they don't drop a bomb on our heads while we're trying to escape," the Doctor said.

He gritted his teeth when he heard the other human's crying out in fear and he whipped around.

"Look," he said to the shocked humans, "I know you're scared and I understand that, I really do. But we're trying not to get recaptured here and I'm sorry but you're gonna have to be courageous at this point or if not, just be quiet so we can get out of here, is that clear?"

The humans nodded and the Doctor shot Jeremy an exasperated glance before they continued. They heard another loud boom but to his relief, the humans said nothing this time. They turned a corner and stopped when they saw an unconscious Diablon lying in the cooridor, blood trickling from a gaping wound on his right temple. The Doctor looked at Jeremy.

"Find one, did you?" he said while his other companions chuckled softly.

"Um…yeah," Jeremy said.

They stepped over the unconscious alien and hurried on.

John Smith winced when Pepa narrowly avoided a laser bolt. The Diablons finally got to their weapons systems and were now returning fire while they tried to bring the ship down.

"Cutting it a bit close, are you?" John Smith said to Pepa.

"I can't do much until I know exactly where the rest of our friends are," Pepa said to him. "I can't risk bombing the main compound or I might hit them."

"Then I need to take my TARDIS and go and get them," John Smith said. "Anyone who wants to come with me can come. Just keep up the assault, Pepa and I'll go and find them and bring them back on the ship."

To his delight, everyone except Lila turned to follow him.

"Right then, you lot, let's go save the troops!" he said.

He started to head towards the TARDIS but Lila grabbed his hand.

"Wait, you are coming back, right?" she said.

"Hopefully. I'm planning on it," John Smith said.

To everyone's surprise, Lila kissed his lips.

"Please keep yourself safe and hurry back," she said, squeezing his hand.

Everyone looked at each other while John Smith stared at her in shock. He looked down at his hand in hers and suddenly realized why she kept following him. His heart warmed when she gave him another kiss and another squeeze of the hand before letting go. Everyone else snickered when they saw the delighted look on his face as he turned to go to the TARDIS.

"Hmmm…double wedding perhaps in future?" Paul said to John as they hurried to the TARDIS.

The Doctor stopped everyone at the corner of a corridor. The booms still echoed in the distance but for now they sounded far away. The Doctor figured Pepa was playing it safe and aiming away from the compound.

"Okay, I'm taking the TARDIS and coming down there to get you," the Doctor heard him say into his ear.

"Just be careful. The last thing I want is for the Diablons to get hold of it," the Doctor said in a loud whisper.

"Don't worry, I'll be careful," John Smith replied. "I'll see if the TARDIS can hone in on your location."

The Doctor barely heard the end of that because at that moment three Diablons came around the corner and both sides were surprised.

John Smith and the others heard the sounds of fighting in their ears as John Smith opened the TARDIS door and they all ran inside.

"Damn, here they go again," Jack said. "Get us down there fast so we can join in!"

"Trying, Jack," John Smith said, running to the console.

Paul winced when he suddenly heard Jane howling in pain followed by the Doctor and Bill's curses.

"Jane, love, what's wrong?" Paul said.

"Damn Diablon broke her bloody arm," Jeremy said to him, "I'm getting her to safety now."

John, who heard what he said, looked at Paul and saw how ashen he looked. Paul sprinted up to the console.

"We can go right to their location, right? Jane needs to get out of there," he said urgently.

"Yes, the TARDIS is scanning their artron energy signatures and she's going right to them," John Smith said. "As for her arm, we can fix that in med bay."

"You hear that, Jane, love?" Paul said. "Look for us."

"I'm sorry, I tried to punch one of them and he grabbed my arm and snapped it before I could get it away from him. I'm fine, otherwise."

Paul gritted his teeth, thoughts of revenge in his head. He felt a hand on his shoulder and saw John.

"She's fine, Paulie. They'll sort her arm out, don't fly off the handle and start killing everything in sight. You need a clear head before you end up beside her in the med bay…or worse."

Paul nodded. He took several deep breaths while John squeezed his shoulder.

"Anyway," John continued when he calmed down, "I'm the one with the anger problem, remember?"

The TARDIS landed and everyone rushed to the door. They heard the sounds of fighting outside the door and the startled yells of the Diablons followed by them screaming that the TARDIS was nearby.

"You may see it, mate, but you're not gonna get it," John Smith said before he threw open the door.

He held it open and stood there while the others ran out, bellowing at the top of their lungs while they joined in the fray. He was about to close it when he saw Jeremy run around the corner with Jane. John let them inside.

"Tend to her, mate, I'll handle this," John Smith yelled before he closed the door.

Jeremy led Jane back to the med bay while they listened to the sounds of fighting. She winced when she heard Paul's enraged yell in her ear.

"Please don't get yourself killed over this, Paul, please," she said softly.

"I think he'll be alright," Jeremy said as they walked. "He's just angry."

"Yeah, I noticed," Jane said dryly. "I just hope his anger doesn't get his head knocked off his shoulders."

They heard another scream of pain from John and heard Paul and George cursing.

"What's going on?" Jeremy said as Jane sat down on the examination table.

"John got shot in the stomach," the Doctor said. "We're trying to get everyone inside but for the moment, there are too many, we can't open the door safely."

"Jane, can you wait a moment, I'm gonna try to make a way for them to get inside here," Jeremy said.

She nodded and Jeremy nodded.

"I'll be back in a moment," he said over his shoulder as he ran out the door.

Jeremy ran to the armory. He ran inside and selected a blaster and grabbed a couple of wooden staffs. He told the TARDIS to make a shortcut to the console room and she obliged. He ran through the console room, stopped at the door and listened a moment to the sounds of struggle outside. He put the staffs down on the ground beside him, readied the blaster and opened the door. Before anyone could react, he shot several bolts over the Diablons' heads, startling them. He then shot at their feet and above their heads, pushing them back while George and Ringo got John inside the TARDIS. Still firing, Jeremy kept his eyes on the Diablons as he leaned over and grabbed the bo staffs. He threw them to the Doctor and the Doctor threw one to John Smith. Jeremy noticed the Diablon were fighting back, trying to come towards the open door. He yelled to the Doctor, threw him the blaster and quickly shut the door. In his ear, he heard the Doctor call to Jack and tell him to catch the blaster. He turned his attention back to the med bay. The entrance was still at the back door and he could see George, Ringo and Jane were clustered around John who was lying on the examination table. He instructed George and Ringo on what he needed and where it was and they rushed around, getting things for him while Jane sat down on a bed and waited her turn. George handed some surgical scissors to Jeremy and he cut open John's shirt, wincing at the burnt wound.

Meanwhile, the others were finally getting the upper hand. Jack kept firing the blaster around the Diablons' heads as well at their legs, wounding them when he got a clean shot. Some of the Diablons finally wised up and retreated and they quickly dispatched the others, knocking them out or wounding their legs. When all of them had been neutralized in some way, they stepped back towards the TARDIS, breathing heavily.

"We need to get a message to Mex, giving him a chance to surrender," the Doctor said to them. "We just can't blow this building up without issuing an ultimatum at least."

"Don't you think he would have surrendered by now, Doc," Jack said.

"Doctor, Jack, quit calling me "Doc"…and I know he probably won't surrender but I want to give him a chance before we blast the building into the ground," the Doctor said to him.

"He has to give them a choice, trust me, we've seen this before," Donna said while Martha nodded in agreement. "He nearly got himself killed by the Sontaran army before Rattigan went up in his place."

"It eases my conscience, okay?" the Doctor said to Donna, "The villains are the ones who blow up buildings without warnings. I'm not the villain. I don't fancy blowing them to smithereens and I want to give them a chance to surrender first. So sue me."

He snapped his fingers and everyone hurried inside. Paul rushed to the med bay and embraced his wife, giving her a kiss on the cheek before he turned his attention to John. Jeremy was rubbing a salve over the wound while John grimaced and groaned at the pressure of his fingers.

"Sorry, mate, trying not to hurt you," Jeremy said.

"S'alright, it hurt worse when the bastard shot me," John groaned.

"Is that cream fast acting?" Paul asked Jeremy, "because when I cracked my ribs during the car wreck, this woman called Angela rubbed some cream on my ribs and they healed instantly."

"Yes, this salve does the same thing. I'll use it on Jane's arm in a moment."

"Oh…you aren't gonna like this," Paul said. "For about thirty seconds, you both are gonna be in a world of pain."

"Yeah, I can feel the pain starting already," John groaned.

Everyone except the Doctor came into the med bay and watched. Martha asked Jeremy if he needed help and he smiled and shook his head.

"Nah, got it all under control, Mrs. Smith, thanks," he said to her.

He finished with John and moved over to Jane. He sat down beside her and asked where the pain was coming from. Jane pointed to the middle of her left arm and Jeremy very gently rubbed salve onto it. Paul stood up and walked back over to John who by now was past the pain and was breathing normally. The other Beatles came up beside him and let out sighs of relief when they saw his burnt flesh was healed and looked normal.

"Good job he had that, mate," Ringo said. "We already lost our Paul; we didn't need to lose you as well."

"Yeah, I thought for a moment, I was gonna see Paulie again," John said.

He glanced down at his stomach.

"One good thing about the ray guns, you don't bleed," he said, sitting up and feeling his formally charred flesh.

Paul heard Jane groaning and went back to her. He held her right hand while the salve healed her broken arm. While he watched her, he heard the wheezing of the TARDIS and guessed that they were leaving. A moment later, the Doctor came inside. He smiled when he saw John sitting up and Jane moving her newly mended arm around.

"Good, I'm glad you're both safe," he said to them. "Thank you, Jeremy, for doing that."

"Not a problem," Jeremy said, "but now what do we do?"

"I had the TARDIS scan the frequency for their tannoy system before leaving," the Doctor said. "Once we get back inside the ship, I'm gonna issue the warning that way. I have a feeling they'll try to escape via ships, at least the most important ones will. I also had the TARDIS scan their ships and disable their shields and she's gonna warn me if they try to take off. If they do, I'm gonna land on top of them the way I landed the TARDIS on top of Pepa's ship. Once inside, the TARDIS can take control of their systems and seal them inside as well as disarm them. They'll be trapped until we can take them somewhere. I'm hoping we deliver such a crushing blow that at the very least they'll think twice before invading Earth again. Right now, we're on Pepa's ship so I'm gonna tell him what's happening and then I'm gonna deliver the final ultimatum.

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