(Untitled)

[iamhismummy]

The door opens and a familiar small figure walks in, looking around the room.

He remembers that a few of his own were here, and he isn't just going to abandon them.

[ooc: this is the post for curing of gasmask zombies, but is not plotlocked!  Tag in at will, before or after the cure takes place.]

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[iamhismummy]

They get through the door without incident, and it's a gate set in a wire fence from the other side.

And then... well, the Child's army are waiting for him, and he and his stragglers go to join them.

[thedoctorwho]

"Right," the Doctor says. "Now that's sorted. One big happy Chula warrior mob family." He looks over to the right where Jack's still waiting. "What's the matter, Captain? Bit close to the volcano for you?"

[iamhismummy]

Jack doesn't answer, staring at the crowd of zombies around them.

Nancy, on the other hand, only has eyes for one.

"He's just a little boy."

[ibringlife]

"So what are we gonna do?" Rose asks, not so much impatient as hoping someone here has a plan to pull them out of the fire.

[thedoctorwho]

"I don't know," he admits. "I hadn't thought that far ahead. Getting the child -- Jamie -- here, bringing him to the medical pod, was about as far as I'd gotten."

[iamhismummy]

Nancy stares at Jamie, tears welling in her eyes.

"He's just a little boy who wants his mummy... it's my fault."

[thedoctorwho]

"How can it be your--" He breaks off.

Are you my mummy?

"Nancy, what age are you? Twenty? Twenty-one? Older than you look, yes?"

A nearby explosion cuts off his next words. Jack teleports away, and the Doctor doesn't give him a second thought. His only concern is Nancy, and maybe, just maybe figuring a way out of this.

"How old were you five years ago? Fifteen? Sixteen? Old enough to give birth, anyway." Everything clicks into place. "He's not your brother, is he?"

A single shake of the head confirms it for him. "A teenage single mother in 1941. So you hid. You lied. You even lied to him."

The gates creak open, and the mob surges forward, headed by the boy asking his eternal question.

"He's gonna keep asking, Nancy. He's never gonna stop. Tell him. Nancy... the future of the human race is in your hands. Trust me... and tell him."

[iamhismummy]

The Doctor nudges her gently towards the boy, and she takes a reluctant step forward, the tears pouring down her face.

Her voice is barely audible at first, but strengthens after the first word.

"Yes. Yes, I am your mummy."

She watches him walk towards her and he asks, "Mummy?"

"I'm here", Nancy tells him and he asks again, "Are you my mummy?"

"I'm here", and she drops to her knees in front of him, answering the repeated question with a whispered "Yes".

[thedoctorwho]

The nanogenes appear, swirling around them like golden snow.

"Come on, please," the Doctor pleads. "Come on, you clever little nanogenes. Figure it out! She's the mother! There's gotta be enough information, figure it out!"

[iamhismummy]

Nancy isn't listening. She reaches for her son, wrapping her arms around him, not even caring what might happen now.

"I am your mummy. I will always be your mummy. I'm so, so sorry."

She closes her eyes, stroking his hair, until the nanogenes vanish and she falls back.

[thedoctorwho]

The Doctor crosses the space to Jamie and Nancy. Every step, he breathes out -- what? A plea? A prayer? A cry for some kind of cosmic justice? He doesn't know. He just repeats it, like a mantra, until he can be sure.

"Oh, come on. Give me a day like this. Give me this one."

This one. This little boy. So much death already. Death around the humans here. Death around him on a scale to make this look like a slap fight. One little boy. One hope for the future. Please. Anyone who can hear, please.

He reaches out for the mask. Please. A gentle tug, and it comes away from the face, just as it should, leaving only a gentle-faced young boy underneath.

[iamhismummy]

The mask is gone, he's back to normal and he's alive, and Nancy's tears have changed to joy now, mingled with rapidly fading disbelief.

She watches as the Doctor swings Jamie round, babbling about pop music and nanogenes, before putting him back down in front of her with a jubilant "Mother knows best!"

She sobs Jamie's name, pulling him in for another hug.

[ibringlife]

A bomb explodes somewhere nearby and Rose is reminded of the one that's due to land pretty much right here any second.

"Doctor, that bomb..." she interrupts, hating to be the one to ruin the happy ending in progress.

[thedoctorwho]

"Taken care of it!" he says. Nothing's gonna bring down this mood.

Sure enough, Jack shows up in the nick of time to sweep the bomb away to parts unknown.

And just to keep the energy going, the Doctor calls up the nanogenes one more time. "You want moves, Rose? I'll give you moves."

A flick of his wrist sends the little nanotech machines scattering toward the others, and the little babies do their work on both the native humans and the Milliways refugees alike. Soon enough, they all revert back to their original states, just like little Jamie. The nanogenes know enough of human now to fix everyone just as they should be.

The Doctor can't decide between crying or laughing, so he settles for shouting.

"Everybody lives, Rose. Just this once. Everybody lives!"