The Doctor wasn't sure what had happened before. Everything was a blur now. Well for now, his pudding brain would sort through it in time. He huffed as he set the controls to his TARDIS taking him away from the diner where he'd talked to the nice girl. Best be off. He needed to find...to find...he shook his head to clear the cobwebs out his mind. Who was he looking for?

A sudden jolt stopped his train of thought. He looked at the TARDIS instruments. No, no malfunction. So what?

"What the blazes has the TARDIS?" He asked aloud and walked towards the door with a huff.

Once he'd stepped outside he was assaulted with a bright light and a blank landscape with mist surrounding it.

"Ah Doctor," a voice that he'd not heard in centuries called to him. Turning to his right he saw sitting in a lawn chair with a crisscrossing wood patterns dressed in a white suit and hat was man with a pale complexion.

"I what..." The Doctor breathed completely at a loss as to what was happening now. This entire scenario was supposedly impossible. How was this happening?!

"You fled," was what finally came from the Doctor's mouth as he stared with shock. He pointed at the being as if it would help the situation make more sense. "You lot fled during the Time War."

"The Eternals did but I did not," the being corrected him with a mild shrug. "I and my opposing compatriot are still here in this universe. Perhaps not as active as we once where but still here. As for the others I think they did indeed leave."

"Then why...The Confession Dial? Missy's Cybermen invasion? Davros reality bomb?"

"Ah yes those unfortunate businesses."

"Unfortunate business?!" The Doctor spat angry at his flippancy. "I was trapped in there for thousands of years! You could've stopped Rassilon and his Final Sanction! You could've helped with the Hybrid! You're the White Guardian, the embodiment of goodness!"

"And pray tell my dear friend would you have accepted my help had I offered it?" The man asked giving him a cool look. "Truly?"

The Doctor snapped his mouth close. The bloke had a point there. He most likely and most definitely wouldn't. Still it was a principle of the matter!

"My point exactly," the White Guardian sighed as he leaned back and picked up a cup from a tea set that appeared. "But I'm not here to discuss what if scenarios because at this point it would be pointless at this time and not to mention moot in quite a few cases. But I am in need of your services now and I'm asking you to help me."

"Oh sending me on a fetch quest are you White Guardian?" The Doctor scoffed but secretly interested.

"Well something of the sort," the White Guardian enigmatically smiled at him over his teacup. "More of a rescue mission."

"Do tell," the Doctor said now openly interested. He could feel his earlier in trepidation dissolve away.

"Tell me Doctor ," the White Guardian leaned back into his seat putting down his cup. "What do you know of parallel universes?"

"They're a pain and a nuisance."

"Now now my dear Doctor," the White Guardian gently chided him. "Just because you've a bad experience with E-Space, the Land of Fiction and the so called Pete's World doesn't mean that they're all bad. You forget that Ancelyn was from a parallel universe and he's an honorable man."

"You forgot about the Divergent universe with all that Zagreus business though and the other one with the lava monsters."

"Ah but that's was your Lord President Rassilon's idea and creation not a natural occurrence. As for the last that was the fault of the denizens of that realm. You saw their folly and know they brought it upon themselves."

"Fine," the Doctor grumbled as he began to pace in the formless void. "So what do you want from me?"

"There's something of vital importance to a parallel universe being held and I need your help to liberate it."

"That's it?" He asked a little stunned. He expected something bigger if the White Guardian himself came to him. "That's all?"

"Indeed," the White Guardian smiled at him making the Doctor a bit uneasy. There was something else going on that he didn't know about. He didn't like that, no not at all. "I think you'll find it's right up all your alleys and rest assured this won't be a Key of Time incident I assure you."

"So no one item to save the multiverses then? Just one? Mind you I don't mind saving a universe I've done it before but what's so special about this item?"

"I believe the term would be spoilers as your spouse would say," the White Guardian chuckled merrily. "Feel fortunate that I've not called upon your other counterparts for this tasks and that I've called upon you for after all this mess is within your jurisdiction."

"Yes because I could totally see Sand Shoes would muck this up."

"Doctor you misunderstand," the White Guardian interrupted him with a sly smile as if he knew something privy to himself. "I wasn't referring to your different incarnations."

The Doctor froze as the implications became clear to him. He wasn't referring to his incarnations then could it be? He turned to the White Guardian his normally boisterous voice roughened with his now trademarked Scottish brogue lowered in awe as he asked: "There are others?" He pointed to himself for emphasis. How was that possible? It couldn't be. "Other mes? There are other mes running around the multiverses? So that Merlin incident before wasn't about a different incarnation but possible another me all together!?"

"Spoilers my dear Doctor. Spoilers."

"Oh no no no, you can't leave me hanging like that!" The Doctor barked completely beside himself with excitement pointing at the White Guardian once again. This was revolutionary. How could he have missed this?! "So there other mes running around experiencing the same things as I am? How am I not aware of this?! How many are there?!"

"I will give you a boon and say both...yes and no to all those questions."

"Oi that's not an answer and you know it!" The Doctor stomped his foot with frustration and excitement. "Inquiring minds need to know this sort of thing. You don't just get throw things that aren't followed up like that you git!"

"Goodbye Doctor," the White Guardian said with a smile as he and the environment faded into nothingness and the Doctor found himself alone on the TARDIS.

"HEY! THAT"S CHEATING AND YOU KNOW IT!" The Doctor bellowed annoyed at being deferred from being answered. "OI GIVE ME THAT ANSWER YOU PRAT!"

Of course none came. The Doctor huffed and began walking around the main console slightly miffed.

"He can't be right," he muttered as he walked. "He's taking the mickey on me. I mean we're talking about a bunch of mes running around the multiverses...Mes...Mes!"

Could it be? If so how? Well regardless of that tidbit that he was must assuredly going to follow up no matter what on he had a task to do and well he wasn't doing anything right now so he might as well do it. He'd do it even if the guy assigning it was most assuredly a prat. He had his curiosity and now he was giving this his full attention.

"Well then Old Girl," he commented to his beloved ship. "Let's find this artifact of doom and see if we can't get it back eh?"

The Oracle sighed with relief as the TARDIS faded away from view. The White Guardian got up from his conjured seat and bowed his head to his compatriot.

"It is as I've said," he said as his illusion fell from around him and Kandrakar became visible once more. "He shall take care of the issue."

"I hope so," the Oracle huffed crossing his arms. "If only that foul being hadn't intervened."

"It is what it is," the White Guardian shrugged. "A most regretful instance of chance I must admit but what we can do is ensure that the damage won't be too severe and far reaching."

"Very well," the Oracle nodded. "I hope for all our sake this Doctor of yours comes through."

"He's the Doctor," the White Guardian said simply with a warm smile. "If there's one thing he can't stand and that's a child's cry. Fret not. All shall be well."

"Who's a little freak?"

Rahim Farooqi bit his lip with worry as he walked into laboratory pushing in cart filled with several machinery parts and other bits and bobs needed for tomorrow's experiments. He'd hoped that the worst tormentors had gone home at this time. But it didn't seem to be his day because him was one of the worst tormentors Alan Roberts hanging over the crib and making a complete tit of himself again.

"Leave her," he said once he'd gotten the cart out off the way. "Both Doctor Wen and Doctor Carter told you to stop antagonizing her. It yields poor results."

"Come off it," Alan brushed off the reprimand leaning back over and leering his wavy brown hair getting into his face leering at her making the girl squawk with fear at what he'd do which wasn't much given Rahim was watching him now. "It's not like it can understand me."

"She's" Rahim placed special emphasis on the pronoun. "Is a baby learning language so yes she does understand you," he reminded him as he pulled out some of the more...dubious articles of the experiments that he knew were going to be used on her fortunately they weren't invasive...He hoped so at least. Some of the implements made him wince at the thought of them being used on the baby he'd named Alaya in his head. She wasn't supposed to be here. She should be at home with her mother or father getting smothered with hugs and kisses and toys. Not clandestinely rocked by him when she wailed in the middle of the night from night terrors that Rahim couldn't begin to understand. Not cradled when the other doctors were looking the other way. Not poked and prodded and drawn blood from. She should've been fat and healthy but while well fed she had a rather thin frame to her and was extremely skittish.

He'd joined Torchwood under the impression he was defending the Earth from terrors from beyond. At first he'd been assigned paperwork and some low level biology lab tests despite being a registered NHS nurse. Now he was a one of the senior staff in this branch but the experiments were nothing like before. Beforehand it'd been doing things to already dead aliens. Now, it was live specimen that they were trying to understand.

"Freaking alien," Alan smiled wolfishly at Alaya. "I can't wait to see if it manages to shut off the power again. Wonder if they'll do anything else to the freak."

"If you'll remember," Doctor Julia Wen the second in command of Project Bad Wolf biting voice cut through the commentary. "I do recall Doctor Carter telling you to stop scaring the child."

"Ma'am," he straightened up and walked back from the crib looking contrite although Rahim had known him long enough to know it was a ruse to get out of trouble. "I've been told that interaction is good for the development of the child."

"That doesn't include antagonizing her," Julia snapped not falling for his sugary wording. "Now aren't you off shift at this time? Go on then."

Alan glared at her for taking his fun away before turning and sullenly walking away. Julia sighed explosively before noticing Rahim was still in the room.

"How is she?" Julia asked leaning over and looking at the baby who started to babble somewhat happily at her. Dr. Wen was one and perhaps the only doctor that actually didn't torment Alaya. Or rather she made sure all the experiments done on her were non-intrusive as possible which since she'd only been recently brought like himself only as a pediatrician this was to be expected. She often gave her various gifts like toys and perhaps more importantly played with her like Rahim did. As a result she often was in charge of basic needs for the baby along with Rahim.

"She's fine now," Rahim replied as he finished up the last of the organizing. "Before I left and Alan came she was cooing."

"No freaky outages?"

"No ma'am," he shook his head. "None of that or impressions."

"So it is emotionally based," Julia mused as she allowed Alaya to play with her fingers. "I'll write that in the notes. Oh and Rahim the request was denied. I'm so sorry, I know how much you looked forward to taking her out."

"Well I figured I'd try," he sighed sadly.

"And I appreciate it," Julia assured him. "I put in the request as well but Carter told me no."

"She's just a baby."

"I know," Julia said sadly. "I know but until I can maneuver into a good position we're at the whims of these veterans."

"That's rubbish," Rahim grunted as he reached into the crib and picked up Alaya who gave out a happy cry seeing him. "So what's up for this little one tomorrow?"

"Sensory deprivation and better that then watching her for hours as she cries and are told to do nothing until becomes unbearable for both us and her."

"This sick," Rahim shook his head. "This is really sick."

"What's worse is that I think on some level we all know," Julia agreed. "And that's what scares me. Just the causal way it's presented and how bit by bit we're allowing ourselves to become the very thing we're fighting against."

"But here I go getting all philosophical on you," she said shaking her head mournfully. "Don't you get off shift now?"

"I doing some overtime with Alaya," Rahim said. "Nabila knows so it's alright. Besides Qabis keeps her busy."

"Well in that case good night and I'll see you in the morning the both of you," Julia said as she grabbed her things pointed ignoring the usage of a name which Dr. Carter discouraged. She walked back over to him and gave Alaya a fond squeezing of her shoulder. "Be good for him alright?"

"She's an angel," Rahim assured her. "She'll sleep well tonight."

"Well don't forget to get some yourself."

"I will," he assured her as he settled into a desk chair that he'd assigned as a rocker since it could lean back and forth. "Good night."