The sound of the shot made Tegan jump. She had been expecting something very Flash Gordonish in sound. Instead she heard a rushing wind and then one of the chanters feel to the side, clearly unconscious, more than likely dead. And then the rest scattered. Their crimson robes flittered like ribbons of blood at their legs.

The Doctor cupped the child's head to his shoulder and nodded in the direction that they had come. "Go Tegan, we'll keep the children between you and I. Don't look back. Run as fast as you can with them. Towards the TARDIS. Safety is first issue. Hide if you have to. Do I make myself clear?" his whisper had a pleading tone imbedded and she reacted instinctively. Holding the hand of the child at her side and keeping the other child in her arms quiet by calm whispers, she quickly left the security of the reactor housing and out into the dark, cool of the unused reactor.

Breaking the Doctor's order, she turned to see him reach down and scoop another child up in his arm and began to run in her direction. The other children followed her like a gaggle of geese.

"Please God, let Turlough and the others have them away from the TARDIS," she whispered to the ether.

**

"Where did the shot come from?"

"This direction!"

Robes were thrown aside, feet pounded against the floor. Guns appeared from under the religious regalia. Turlough tripped up the front runner and dove for the gun. He wanted to be armed and almost cursed the predisposition of the Doctor not to have weaponry. As he came up from his crouch, he hit the recovering runner over the back of the head and turned to catch up the other guards. They formed a straight firing line and gave a return rally of shots.

"We have to pull them away from the TARDIS," he hissed.

"This way!" one of the guards whispered in return.

They backed down a corridor adjacent to the TARDIS firing their guns in an effort to draw the fire from the time machine.

**

The Doctor watched Tegan running ahead of him. The child she held cried softly. Ahead of her, around her, he saw the TARDIS. He saw as she slid into the door and opened it with her key. He spied Turlough out of the corner of his eye and called for his friends.

**

"I suppose we should set out to see about subduing the cult," Turlough muttered quietly. He had, almost regretfully, handed over the gun to another guard. Although he liked the feeling of protection, the cool feel of the gun in his hand brought back too many memories. He wiped his palm on his trousers and walked over to Tegan.

She stood by the door of the TARDIS, her head in her hand. She wasn't saying anything, which was surprising for her. When he stepped to her side, she lifted glassy eyes to look at him. The repeat of the statement only brought a shrug to her shoulders. "I don't know what is going on any more," she said, plainly and shrugged again. "Do what you please. I'm checking on the children."

He gaped at her retreating back, unsure what he had said or not said to bring about that reaction in her. He rubbed at the back of his neck, shaking his head until he saw a pair of white cricket boots stepping up next to his shoes. "Gone to our TARDIS, is she?" the Doctor asked quietly.

Turlough nodded and glanced up and around. Most of the parents had their children back, he was in the center of jubilant reunions. "Are we helping them with the cult?"

The Doctor frowned and shoved his hands into his pockets harshly. A deep breath brought a sigh out of his throat. "No, believe it or not, Turlough. I do believe our lesson was learned here. We can leave."

"Our lesson?" the boy looked confused and squinted his eyes at the Doctor. "What are you talking about?"

"Ah, well." the Time Lord sighed. To Turlough, he seemed in shock. "Let's just say that some things have occurred and they are a bitter pill." The Doctor grimaced and began to walk toward the TARDIS, settling his hat on his head. Before he could enter the time machine, however, Tegan exited, carrying Michael.

He stopped short and sighed, seeing the tears in her eyes. Michael was obviously confused and worried, reaching out for him as he neared. Tegan released him slowly, letting the Doctor take the boy in his arms.

"Daddy?" Michael whispered. "What's wrong with Momma?"

The Doctor let the boy take his hat off his head and gave him a little smile. "She just found out that Uncle Thete wants to take you back home. We're going to go in my TARDIS and meet you there. You would like that, wouldn't you?" he asked gently.

Mike nodded enthusiastically and gave his mother a kiss. Tegan waved good- bye to him sadly and retreated into the TARDIS with her arms crossed protectively over her chest.

The Doctor attempted calm conversation with Mike until they arrived at Eight's TARDIS. The other Time Lord stepped out and caught Mike in a laughing hug as the boy bounced happily in Five's arms. "Are you ready to go back, Mike?" he asked, chipper and happy.

"Am I ever! Do I get to push the button this time?" Mike asked loudly as the Eighth Doctor set him down on the ground.

"Of course: a promise is a promise," the Eighth Doctor laughed. Mike turned and embraced the Fifth Doctor's legs and smiled up at the Time Lord.

"I'll see you again soon, Daddy, right? We're going to fly my kite, just like you said," the boy stated, giving him a tight hug.

"As soon as I can," the Fifth Doctor said, smiling widely. "Now run along. I know how exciting it is to press that button."

The Eighth Doctor knelt and brushed down the back of Mike's shirt and then sent him scurrying into the TARDIS with a pat to his behind. "Run along, you."

When the boy disappeared into the darkness, the Fifth Doctor turned his thoughtful gaze to his elder incarnation. "He'll never see me me again, will he?"

"No," the Eighth Doctor said, with a tinge of regret. "No. You've regenerated in his time line. A pity."

"And you aren't his 'Daddy'," the Fifth Doctor kept his gaze on his elder incarnation as he stood.

"No, Tegan has the right idea that to explain Time Lord and time travel to young children is inadvisable. And after all, I am you, but not you you. She loves me, but not with the same.passion.she did you. No, she and I have an understanding and she is looking for others to fill that void in her life and her children's lives. I am their 'Uncle'."

"But he's traveled in the TARDIS." the Fifth Doctor whispered. With a shake of his head, he continued, louder. "No, quite right. A shame that I didn't know of him or was known to him; this meeting might have been different, I might have had things to say to him, tell him."

"You told Amy and Mike almost daily that they meant the world to you," the Eighth Doctor reassured. "But, old boy, I must go and you must deal with Tegan. You know as I do that once the TARDIS' have disengaged from the same geographic proximity the paradox and Limitation Effect will cause you to forget. Talk to her before that. And I must get Mike home and deal with that Tegan."

The Fifth Doctor held out his hand and shook the older Time Lord's hand, feeling the tingle of self-awareness travel up his arm. "I was happy, wasn't I?"

"Tremendously," the Eighth stated. "Take care of that body. You do have years, you know. Until next time," he completed, inclined his head and turned, disappearing into his TARDIS.

**

The Fifth Doctor walked into the TARDIS and hung his hat up on the stand by the rotor. There was no sign of Turlough, but Tegan was standing near the view screen, staring out at the other TARDIS.

"So that's it," she said, plainly. "That's just it. He's going back."

"To you," the Fifth Doctor quietly finished her sentence. "Yes, I gather he'll have quite a fight on his hands."

"Wouldn't you?" she demanded, and turned to him. Her eyes were full of tears. "Playing with that boy's life.with my life."

He sighed and closed the door and then walked across the console room to lay his hands on her shoulders. "He's making sure your life occurs just as it should. If this hadn't happened then whatever transpires between you and I in the future and your children and I might never happen."

"But you don't know that," she demanded.

"No, but I do know that the probability is lower that it would without it. He's making a sacrifice of sorts, you know, Tegan. I saw his eyes."

"Oho. And your self-pity is supposed to stop me from being angry at you."

"I saw his eyes, Tegan. Apparently whatever happens between you and I means a great deal to him, to me. Having a child call you Daddy, Tegan." he shook his head and leaned back against the rotor. "And he's giving that up by taking Mike back to you and fighting with you. He knows that you'll more than likely slam the door on him interacting with your children and interacting with you. It's going to cause him a great deal of pain. But he's doing it to make sure that what happens in his past and our future happens."

"I still don't entirely understand," she tearfully said, turning her large eyes to him.

"Nor do I think you should," he agreed. "Just understand that for that future to happen when your son will call me Daddy, this had to happen."

Tegan looked down and away as the Doctor walked around the console to dial up new coordinates. "Here we go," he said quietly and hit the dematerialization button. As they left the area, the memories of what had transpired over the last day slowly dissolved in their minds.

When Turlough walked into the console room later, he was confronted with two happy friends.

**