WRAITHS OF THE RIPPER
Chapter Thirty One "What's going on?" Ten said to John. "What's happening? Why did you wake me up?" "Things have changed," John said. "We have problems." "George, what's going on?" Eleven said, coming up beside Ten. Ten glanced at him and looked at Jack. "Might as well wake him up, you did the same for me," he said to him. "What about going nuts and hearing Ripper's voice," Jack said. "I'm still wearing the damper," Ten said, patting his chest. "The only problem is Ripper can sense me now." "Yeah, well…we have the Ninth Doctor inside here so he sorta knows we're here," John said to him. Ten's eyes bulged and John nodded to the console platform. Ten turned and walked up the stairs while Jack reached into his pocket for the second fob watch. Rose smiled at him as he walked up to his unconscious counterpart. "He used the chameleon arch," Rose said to him. "But he programmed it so his new personality is the same as his Doctor personality." "Bugger, why didn't I think of that?" Ten muttered. "So…he's not a threat anymore?" "He's protecting me, he said so," Rose said. "It's why he spared the alternate version of me that night." Ten smiled at that and nodded. "But the Ripper can sense you now," Rose said. "Well, like John said, he knows something's gone wrong if my ninth self disconnected himself," Ten said. "It might be wise to just fight them rather than hide." Eleven came up beside him and Ten gave him an inquiring look. "I'm back," Eleven said. "What is this though?" Rose explained what was going on and what Nine told them while everyone else gathered around them. Ten looked at Sally as she came up beside him and stared at Nine in confusion. "Hi, I know this is confusing but there's a perfectly good explanation for all this," Ten said to her. "Yeah, you got several hours?" Rose said. XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO After going back to the house, Ten, Eleven and John took Nine out of the TARDIS and took him downstairs to the front room, laying him on the sofa. Eleven called for a meeting in the kitchen and Amy put some water on to boil for tea while everyone sat and stood around the wooden kitchen table. Sally stood near the kitchen door, watching in silent confusion as everyone discussed strategies. "Obviously, our cover is blown now," Eleven said to them. "I think my predecessor is right, we need to turn and fight and defeat the Ripper once and for all." "How do we do that since he has ten Doctors on his side," Jack said. "Maybe I could go," John said. "Give myself to them and let them think they kidnapped the Tenth Doctor, it would buy you lot time." "What if they…possess you," Rose said, taking his hand. "I would sacrifice myself if it meant the proper timeline was restored," John said. "I trust you lot, I have faith that you would be able to rescue me." "Perhaps but I should go," Ten said. "I doubt the Ripper will be so easily fooled, especially if he checks memories. He'll know immediately you're a clone." "He wants Rose as well." Everyone looked over at the kitchen door when Nine spoke. He was standing there, arms over his chest while he leaned against the doorframe. "Rose is the key to all this," he said. "Ripper knows that unless she dies, you and the Eleventh Doctor won't be so easily converted." "And you as well," Eleven said. Nine nodded. "But what about the last two Doctors?" Jack said. "I mean, I get that everyone before you won't know Rose and wouldn't be emotionally attached to her but what about Twelve and Thirteen, they don't care about Rose any longer?" Nine, Ten and Eleven shared a glance. "As time went on, the pain of losing Rose faded. I was able to move on which is why I made the decision to marry River. I have no idea how old our future selves are but probably by that time they're so far removed from Rose that she's just a distant pleasant memory…or was. I'm sure there were other triggers that the Ripper used to convert them, more emotionally viable triggers besides Rose. You and you," he said, pointing to Nine and Ten, "you're the ones that are closest to Rose so she still has the greatest pull on you. Hence the whole needing to kill her to convert the two of you. I would grieve if Rose was killed, yes. But at the moment, River and Rory and Amy are closer to me now than Rose was because I left Rose with John. All the Doctors would be like that, I suspect. All of them have something valuable that the Ripper can use to his advantage." "But if you go, wouldn't you be in danger of being converted?" Rose said to Ten. "Yes, but I have two hearts and I can regenerate. I could withstand torture more easily than John could and I can regenerate if something happens, he can't. I don't want him to die. Besides, as I said, I'm sure the Ripper will figure out quickly he isn't me." "Then let me go with you," Rose said. "No!" Nine said. "Yes, if I go with him and he thinks he has us, he'll stop looking for us, at least for the moment. It might buy you some time," Rose said to Nine. "He wants us both, yeah? If the Doctor comes by himself, he'll still keep looking for me. Maybe if we're both there, that'll distract him long enough for you to defeat him." "Are you sure about this, Rose?" Eleven said. Rose chuckled. "Been in the thick of it with ya before," she said. "I haven't backed away since the Nestene, right? Why should I back down now? I know what the risks are and I accept them. Especially if it means bringing the proper timeline back and Mum and Mickey with it." "So…you two just roam around Whitechapel until they find you?" Jack said. "I would, that's where my fifth self was," John said. "Doctor," Ten said to Eleven. "I recommend doing what our ninth self did and undergoing the arch again but this time keeping your persona intact. With you unplugged from the hive mind, Ripper will have no choice but to focus on me." Eleven made a face. "Ugh, more pain," Eleven said, making a face. "Still, you're right. Better to tune myself out so you'll come in loud and clear." Donna cleared her throat and everyone looked her way. She came forward and stood beside the table, across from Ten. "They told me that I traveled with you as well in this other timeline," Donna said to Ten. Ten smiled tenderly and nodded. "Can I come with you and Rose then?" Donna said. "Wasn't I valuable to you as well?" "Oh Donna, very much so," Ten said. "But in this reality, you never traveled with me and never fought the type of dangers that Rose and I fought. You might be a bit in over your head if you go with us." "But I was thinking that it would look odd if it was just you and Rose, especially if you're being hunted. I was thinking if someone else was with you it might look more convincing when you're captured. I mean, we were looking for Annie and Polly, yeah?" "Yes, but…the Ripper would have known I was unplugged from the hive mind. How am I going to explain that he can sense me again if we're caught?" Ten said to her. "If you want to risk your life, you're an adult and I can't stop you but we need a reason why I'm myself again." "Maybe you could tell him that the TARDIS shielded you," River said. "And whenever you stepped outside, you lost that protection. That could explain why my husband suddenly came online and went offline again." Ten nodded. He tapped his chin, deep in thought for a moment. "Doctor, do you have still have the Thinide Chlorzine pills?" he asked Eleven. "Yes, I do," Eleven said. "What's that?" Sarah Jane said. "It numbs the body, dulls any pain but allows the person to function normally, unlike morphine or valium. I was thinking that perhaps if Rose and Donna are going with me, we would have them take the pills. That way they would be spared most of the pain of torture if that's why Ripper decides to do." "Rose, are you sure you and Donna want to do this?" Nine said. "Ripper wants you badly. You, he might spare for awhile but I don't know about...her," he said, pointing to Donna. "Her, he might kill straight away if he decides she's nonessential." "It won't come to that, I'll convince him that she's essential," Ten said. "Ripper will know her and know what she means to me so I'm betting he won't put her to death…at least not right away. More than likely, he'll try to get me to kill both of them." "I want to do this, Doctor," Rose said to Nine. "We have to do something to stop this." "Perhaps I should go then," Nine said. "I could claim I captured you and that would spare you from the wraith of the other Doctors. I'm not sure they would be so gentle if they apprehended you lot." "So…you want to go back online then?" Eleven said. "I suppose I'll have to if I don't want to raise the Ripper's suspicions. I can't guarantee that I will be able to control myself though." "Doctor, get him a damper. That will help dull the Ripper's voice inside his head," Ten said to Eleven. "Okay, so…you'll come with us, Ninth Doctor, and pretend to capture me, Rose and Donna." "That way I can also keep an eye on Rose along with you," Nine said. "What do I do then?" Everyone turned to look at Sally. "I don't know what you're all planning but what do I do?" Sally said. "Who are you, Rose's sister?" Nine said. "I…" Sally said, not sure how to answer that. Nine smiled at her. "Look, what were you doing before?" Nine said. "I was helping Amy and Rani and Rory clean the house," Sally said. "Well, could you keep on helping them and perhaps fix some dinner for everyone?" Nine said to her. "We'll be hungry when we're through doing this." Sally nodded. Nine patted her on the shoulder. "Right, shall we start this so we can finish it?" he said to everyone in the room.
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