Part 25 (1/2)

She had to check one more time. 'Do you remember me?' she asked.

He peered at her above the gla.s.ses. Slowly, he shook his head. 'I'm sorry. I really don't.' He looked at the gun.

'Obviously, I ought to.'

'You killed my baby.'

He stared at her.

'I was at that house,' she said. 'Where we went today.

Some kind of big telepathic explosion came out of you. And it killed my baby, inside my stomach.'

His mouth opened in an expression of horror. 'I don't - I didn't -'

The gun had drifted down a little in her grip. She straightened it back up again. 'Do you remember killing my baby?'

He closed his eyes. 'I can't,' he whispered. 'I'm sorry.'

'Why can't you remember?'

'It wasn't me,' he said. 'I was possessed. Fighting for my life.'

'You told me to get out.'

'Were you one of the experimental subjects?'

Jacqui nodded. 'They wouldn't let me leave.'

'Have you been looking for me for all these years?' he said softly.

'Yes,' she said. 'When I found out about Little Caldwell, I came to live here, because I knew one day you'd show up.'

He opened his eyes. They were so sad. It was a big sadness, as though he had seen everything sad that had ever happened, and was remembering it all.

It was even bigger than hers.

'Do you want to kill me?' he said.

'No,' she said. 'I wanted you to remember.'

She put the gun down on the end of the bed.

He held out a hand to her. But she picked up her handbag and went back down the stairs to call a taxi.

If he wept, she didn't see it.

Benny had been crying for a quarter of an hour when Albinex found her. She had been sitting in the coffee shop with only a big box of tissues for company. She had been sobbing silently, the way children can, partly hoping that no one can hear them and partly hoping that someone will come and see what the matter is.

'I'm all right,' she said nasally.

'Of course you're not all right.' He sat down opposite her, careful not to intrude into her s.p.a.ce. 'Your husband is missing. You've found your long-lost father, only to have everything turn sour.'

She smiled ruefully. 'It's just like the old days.'

'When you travelled with the Doctor?' She nodded. 'But it wasn't always bad, was it?'

'Oh, no,' said Benny. 'We had such fun. When we weren't being shot or tortured.' He returned her smile. 'It was never boring. I loved it. We did a lot of good.'

'It's just the same living here,' said Albinex. 'We've had some harrowing times. We've lost friends. But we've saved a lot of lives. It's very serious work, Benny. It's important. We're lucky, because we have a chance to change the world.'

Benny sniffled. 'I just hope Jason isn't trying to change his world. If he kills his father, he'll never be born. Even if he just frightens the b.a.s.t.a.r.d into never beating his kids, Jason will never leave home, and I'll never meet him.' She looked up at Albinex. 'Am I being selfish?'

'Of course not. Jason mustn't change the timelines. Don't worry, Ms Summerfield.'

'Please,' she said. 'Call me Benny.'

He smiled. 'We'll find Jason, Benny. And the TARDIS too.'

His watch started beeping. 'It's a quarter to one,' he said.

'Almost time for the pick-up.'

Benny stood up and collected her used tissues. 'Let's go and save another life,' she said.

He was sleeping, breathing softly, his head turned so that his hair fell against the pillow.

Roz hovered in the doorway, telling herself to go to bed.

Telling herself she just wanted to double-check he was okay, after his weird dream or whatever the other night, after everything he'd been through. Remembering his serious eyes, his frightened eyes.

s.h.i.+t. He couldn't get serious on her now. She needed someone to be more cynical than.