Chapter Eleven: Age of Steel

♥✰♥

CLAUDIA CLAMBERED DOWN THE STAIRS AFTER THE DOCTOR, Sam following in suit after her.

Once reaching the ground, she let out a small huff and avoided looking at her brother. He seemed to notice, bumping his shoulder with hers, but she took a step to the side, wanting nothing more than to curl up and cry.

"It's freezing," Mrs. Moore commented, wrapping her arms around herself.

Claudia nodded, doing the same.

"Any sign of a light switch?" Mrs. Moore asked. "Can't see a thing. But I've got these," she reached into her backpack and pulled out three headlights, handing one to the Doctor and Sam before putting on her own. "Sorry, Claudia, I've only got the three."

"That's fine," Claudia waved her off.

"Something for every occasion," Mrs. Moore told the Doctor.

"Haven't got a hot dog in there, have you?" He asked her. "I'm starving."

"Of all the things to wish for. That's mechanically recovered meat."

"I know. It's the Cyberman of food, but it's tasty."

The four of them chuckled at his comment and Claudia dug into her own backpack. "I may not have a headlight, but I come with snacks," she grabbed a granola bar. "You really hungry?"

The Doctor's face lit up and he grinned down at Claudia. "Thank you, what else you got in there?"

"Guns," she raised an eyebrow challengingly and his smile fell.

"Well, thank you."

Sam laughed at the duo, nodding to her bag as she slipped it back over her shoulders. "You do the same thing here, always carrying snacks."

"Dean's always hungry," Claudia chuckled.

"Here, love," Mrs. Moore grabbed Claudia's attention, handing her a flashlight. "A proper torch for you."

"Oh, thank you."

"Let's see where we are," the Doctor said, grabbing a second flashlight from Mrs. Moore and clicking it on.

Claudia jumped back, bumping into Sam, who steadied her, as she saw what awaited them. Dozens, maybe hundreds of Cybermen lined the walls for what appeared to be the entire tunnel.

"Already converted," the Doctor said quietly. "Just put on ice." His voice changed a moment later. "Come on."

Sam and Claudia exchanged a look but followed after the pair, watching as the Doctor tapped his knuckles on the helmet of the first Cyberman.

"Let's go slowly," he told them, and Claudia looked at the Cyberman as they passed, chills running down her spine. She hated things she couldn't defend herself against. "Keep an eye out for trip systems."

As they walked, Mrs. Moore stayed next to the Doctor, the pair talking in low tones. Claudia knew he was giving her a chance to speak with Sam, and she had a feeling Mrs. Moore felt the same.

"So I'm pregnant here?" Claudia asked finally, her voice just above a whisper.

"Yeah," Sam nodded, a sympathetic smile on his face. "Like I said, it's Cas' and you're really happy. You're having a girl."

A girl. She wondered if she'd be a good mom. She knew if she had Castiel by her side, she would have been. Or at least, tried to be. But she didn't really ever see herself having children. The thought scared her. She didn't want to end up like her father, neglectful and cold towards the ones he was meant to cherish.

"How's that work?" Claudia asked. "Y'know, with him being an angel?"

Sam let out a small laugh. "He's uh, he's not one. Anymore. He was, when we first met him...but he gave it up."

"Gave it up?" Claudia asked. "I don't understand. How could he just give it up? I didn't know they could do that."

"Well, they really couldn't. But every day for," Sam let out a small breath, "years, I think, he prayed to God. He prayed to give up his grace so he could have a life with you. One day, we all woke up and he said he'd seen him, God. That he granted him his wish and told him that it wasn't the same in every universe. He was doing you both a favor, he felt like he owed you, I guess."

"Owed me," Claudia mumbled. "He owes me everything and he gives it to a parallel version. Classic sense of entitlement."

"So, yeah. You and Castiel live a pretty normal life. He's still Cas, you know, doesn't understand why people go duck hunting and the purpose of cartoons, but he's happy. You both are."

Claudia's jaw clenched at his words, and she glanced to the side, passing a Cyberman with every step.

"That's a different me," she said finally. "I'm not -- I'm not happy. My Castiel is dead. My brother is dead, my father is dead."

"Brother? Do you not have a-?"

"--Dean's alive," she swallowed. "You're not."

She said it plainly, like a fact, something she'd read in a textbook. But she'd distanced herself from her own life in that moment, feeling so aware of her pain and so jealous of the woman he knew, that it didn't feel like her life at all.

"Got it," Sam nodded. "You guys hunters?"

Claudia nodded. "Yeah. We stopped Michael and Lucifer from starting the apocalypse last year. You know Bobby?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, Bobby's like our uncle. He was the officiant at my wedding."

"Wedding? So you married Jess?"

"Yeah," he answered quietly. "Did I not in your universe?"

Claudia's breath hitched. "She's gone too," she whispered. He stumbled for a moment at her words, his feet seeming to disconnect with his mind. She helped him steady and he nodded his thanks.

"I'm sorry," he said after a moment. "I'm sorry that's your life."

Claudia shrugged, feeling, for the first time in her life, disconnected from her brother. He felt like a random person with the face of the man she loved most painted on. That wasn't her brother. She didn't know him.

She glanced up at him, and his downtrodden expression tugged at her heartstrings. But he looked the same. And he sounded the same.

"It is what it is, I guess," Claudia mumbled. "How do they know me here? Ricky mentioned my name earlier, before I spoke to him. How's he know me?"

"Ah," Sam nodded. "Cas was the one to find this case, Dean and I didn't believe him. So you both came over here to investigate, found out about Lumic, met Ricky and Jake, and a week later you realized you were pregnant. I came instead and Cas was here up until early last night. When you started having contractions he flew back to America, but he--you could've--"

"--I'm happy he's not here," she said quickly, her mouth speaking before her brain could catch up. "I am. It's...hard seeing you. Alive and...happy. If I had to..."

"I get it."

No, you don't, she wanted to tell him. You don't get it. You have everyone you love, I have no one. You don't have a single clue about how it feels.

"Yeah," Claudia said, aiming her flashlight at another Cyberman. They'd trailed a bit behind the Doctor and Mrs. Moore. "C'mon, we should catch up."

"Doctor?" Mrs. Moore asked the Doctor hurriedly as Sam and Claudia made their way closer. "Did that one just move?"

She aimed a light towards the Cyberman, and Claudia did the same, finding the hand clenched.

"It's just the torchlight," the Doctor said softly, looking further ahead. "Keep going, come on."

Sam and Claudia exchanged a look, silently agreeing to keep the other two safe if necessary. Winchesters were always last to be safe.

Just as they looked ahead again, another Cyberman turned towards them and the Doctor grabbed Mrs. Moore's hand, pulling her quickly. "They're waking up, run!"

Sam and Claudia immediately followed behind, and Claudia ducked under the outstretched arms of one, heart racing in her chest.

They rushed down the hallway, Sam taking the rear, and the Doctor immediately climbed the ladder at the end of the tunnel. Claudia and Sam exchanged a silent look as Mrs. Moore waited behind, gesturing for them to go.

Sam sighed, going next as the Doctor used the sonic against the grate.

"Quickly!" Mrs. Moore shouted, panic in her voice. "Hurry up, they're coming! Open it!"

Claudia looked to her. "Get on the ladder," she said firmly without room for argument. Mrs. Moore gave her a fearful look before clambering behind Sam, ready to leave quickly.

The Doctor shoved open the door and hurriedly climes, Sam following suit, then Mrs. Moore. Claudia waited at the bottom until she had room to climb, rushing after the others.

The Doctor leaned down and clasped her hand, pulling her up the rest of the way, just as a Cyberman reached out to grab her leg. She fell over the end, next to him, and he quickly sonic'd the door shut.

"You alright?" He asked as he did so, looking at her worriedly.

Claudia nodded, taking a shaky breath.

The Doctor finished and looked at the other three. "Great team," he grinned excitedly. Sam and Claudia let our soft laughs and Mrs. Moore nodded with a wide smile.

—

The four walked through the upper levels of the tunnels, jumping when a Cyberman moved in front of them suddenly.

Sam stood in front of Mrs. Moore and the Doctor in front of Claudia, but she moved to the side slightly, wanting to protect the other three before herself.

"You are not upgraded." The Cyberman said.

"Yeah?" Mrs. Moore asked rhetorically, pulling out a device from her bag. "Well, upgrade this!" She sneered, tossing the item at the Cyberman.

It landed on it's chest and the Cyberman short-circuited the Cyberman, making it spasm, screaming before it fell to it's knees, landing on it's back.

The Doctor looked down at her with an impressed grin as Sam and Claudia exchanged a smile.

"What the hell was that thing?" The Doctor asked.

"Electromagnetic bomb," Mrs. Moore said proudly. "Takes out computers, I figured it might stop a cyber suit."

"You're fucking awesome," Claudia said excitedly to Mrs. Moore, who smiled kindly at her.

"Well, you figured right," the Doctor nodded to Mrs. Moore, smiling at Claudia and pulling out his sonic. "Now, let's have a look. Know your enemy."

He kneeled down, pressing the sonic to the chest of the Cyberman and flicking it on. "Got a logo on the front."

Claudia kneeled down next to Mrs. Moore, and Sam did the same with the Doctor, all watching him work.

"Lumic's turned them into a brand," the Doctor said, pulling the chest piece off.

He looked at Claudia with a small smirk, holding the chest piece. "Heart of steel."

Claudia snorted, shaking her head. "Two out of ten, you could do better."

The Doctor smiled a fraction before looking back down at the chest piece. "But look," he pulled out textured white pieces woven together.

"Is that flesh?" Mrs. Moore asked.

"Hmm," the Doctor nodded, holding some in his hand. "A central nervous system."

"I'm so not holding your hand again," Claudia said, her nose crinkled in distaste.

"Artificially grown then threaded throughout the suit," the Doctor continued, sparing Claudia a small smirk. "So it responds like a living thing. Well, it is a living thing." He narrowed his eyes. "Oh, but look," he pointed to the box inside the chest piece. "Emotional inhibitor. Stops them feeling anything."

"But...why?" Mrs. Moore asked.

"Because it hurts," Sam clarified with a sigh.

The Doctor gave him a surprised and impressed look. "Exactly. It's still got a human brain. Imagine it's reaction if it could see itself. Realize itself inside this thing."

"It would go insane," Claudia softened. "I hate Cyberman, just clarifying." She glanced to the Doctor. "If we ever see them again, it'll be too soon."

The Doctor smiled a bit. "With your luck, you've jinxed us and we'll see them again on the next trip."

Claudia laughed a little and Sam looked between the pair, reading them. She knew he was going to say something. She didn't want to hear it.

"So they cut out the one thing that makes them human," Mrs. Moore said softly, looking down at the Cyberman.

"Because they have to," the Doctor nodded.

"Why...am...I...cold?" The Cyberman asked suddenly.

Claudia's heart broke and she leaned against Mrs. Moore a bit.

"I'm so sorry." She said quietly.

"Oh my god, it's alive," Mrs. Moore said gently. "It can feel."

"We broke the inhibitor," the Doctor leaned closer to the Cyberman's face. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Why...so...cold?"

"Can you remember your name?" The Doctor asked.

"Sally. Sally...Phelan."

"Nice to meet you, Sally," Claudia said softly.

"You're a woman?" Mrs. Moore asked.

"Where's...Gareth?"

"Who's Gareth?" Sam asked.

"He can't...see...me. It's...unlucky...the night before."

Tears filled Claudia's eyes at Sally's words and she looked down, trying not to cry. She was getting married. And then forced into a cyber suit to be someone else's toy.

"You're getting married?" Sam asked, clearing his throat, his tell-tale sign of being choked up.

"I'm cold...I'm so cold..."

"It's alright," the Doctor said softly. He flicked on his sonic and pointed it to her chest. "You sleep now, Sally. Just go to sleep." He paused, pulling it back when he finished. "Sally Phelan didn't die for nothing."

He leaned back a fraction as his eyes lit up, and Claudia couldn't help but smile. That face — as soon as he figured something out, his eyes were so bright and his voice raised.

"'Cause that's the key, the emotional inhibitor. If we could find the code behind it, the cancellation code, then feed it throughout the system, into every Cyberman's head, they'd realize what they are."

"And what happens then?" Mrs. Moore asked.

"They die." Sam and Claudia said at the same time, coming to the same conclusion.

The Doctor looked between the two solemnly, nodded. "Precisely. It would kill them." He looked between the three of them. "Can we do that?"

"We've got to," Mrs. Moore said firmly before either of them could answer.

Sam sighed. "I don't think we have another choice. Or not the time to make it."

Claudia didn't say anything, looking at Sam first, then Mrs. Moore, then the Doctor.

"There's always a choice," she said softly. "We can prolong the pain of humanity here, and find a way to redeem those turned into Cybermen, or we can kill the thousands of humans that have already been converted."

The Doctor and her exchanged a long look before he nodded finally. "Are you alright with this?" He asked her softly, as though Sam and Mrs. Moore weren't with them.

"I am if you are. You're not making this alone."

He smiled gratefully. "Neither are you."

Another look of understanding crossed between them before reality settled back in and they looked away from one another.

Claudia stood up then, gasping when electricity moved through her body from her shoulder, spawning across her limbs. She felt cold and on fire at the same time, her eyes rolling back and she could hear shouting — her name, mostly — and then she fell back and then there was darkness.

—

She couldn't see anything.

Where was she?

"Hello?" Claudia called.

No answer.

"Hello? Where am I?"

It was quiet again. Claudia tried to open her eyes, but there was only darkness. Maybe her eyes were already open?

She raised her hands, trying to see them in front of her face, but her skin felt tight and her limbs were heavy. She couldn't move.

Where was she?

She looked around, trying to find a source of light, something to see her surroundings through.

There.

A small golden thread was about a foot in length, away from her. She frowned, walking towards it.

Her legs were heavy. She felt like they were lead, dragging her down. The more she walked, the further he legs fell, sinking into the darkness, quicksand to her body.

Then her legs stopped working altogether and she felt to her face. She stopped herself, landing on her palms.

Wasn't her wrist broken? It didn't hurt anymore. Why didn't it hurt? Where was she?

Her legs were stuck, sunken beneath whatever surface her palms were flat across.

Where was she?

She tried to pull herself from the darkness, move her legs again, but the more she tried, the more trapped she was.

She couldn't pull herself out, but something inside her told her not to let go. If she fell, she wouldn't come out.

"Is there anyone there?" She called out, her voice echoing through the darkness.

She tried to focus on the light, her waist sinking further into the black abyss. She wanted to reach the thread. It looked like a rope. It could help her.

She reached a hand out, knowing she was too far to tug, but she couldn't pull out of the darkness either.

She thought of her predicament and her mind flashed to Sam. Maybe if she let go...

No.

She knew where she'd end up. And where he was. They wouldn't see each other again.

She had to stay for Dean.

Dean.

Oh, he'd be so disappointed in her.

Her grip slackened a fraction and she felt herself pull further in.

She thought of Castiel next.

Her Cas.

Her angel.

She missed him so much. She wondered where he was. Where did angels end up? Why couldn't they just be happy like in the parallel universe?

Oh.

The Doctor.

Her heart tugged at the thought of him. She couldn't leave him. He was like her. Alone.

But then again...he had Rose.

The light shrank a bit.

He would be okay with Rose. Without her. Wouldn't he?

Before she could think anything else, something tugged on her arm and she was out of the darkness.

"What the...?"

She looked around, trying to see anyone. She was standing now, right in front of the golden thread. What was going on?

What pulled her out? Who pulled her out?

She looked down at the thread, now just in front of her. It was a bright golden light, shimmering almost blindingly against the darkness. She reached down and touched it, immediately sinking into something else.

Her vision blurred and she could hear static in her ears. Everything was muffled and quiet, like she'd dunked her head under water.

She could see again, but there were too many colors, too much light.

Light...darkness...it was all over, it was blinding and overwhelming.

She felt as though she were being torn in two. Something was cracking her soul, ripping it into pieces again.

A scream left her throat and then —

"Hello, Claudia."

Looking around, she was in a room. A white room. Or something similar to a room.

And in the middle: oh, oh, oh, how cruel.

It was Castiel.

"Cas?" Her voice cracked and he smiled softly.

The same smile she'd replayed over and over again in her mind.

The piercing blue eyes, filled with wisdom and life, softening only upon looking at her. Dark hair and chapped lips. Blue tie askew over his button down shirt and tan overcoat.

He was beautiful.

He walked closer to her, close enough for her to touch him.

She reached a hand out, pressing it to his chest. He was solid. He was real.

"Cas?" She sniffled, not even realizing she'd been crying. "Where — what's going on?"

"I love you," he said reaching his hands up and cupping her face in his palms. "I would follow you anywhere. And I have. I want you to be happy."

"I'm not — Cas, I—"

"Shh," he calmed her gently, wiping her tears with the pads of his thumbs. "It's going to be alright, Claudia. I promise. I'm always with you. Especially now."

"What?"

And then he was gone again.

The warmth of his hands still on her face, but his body gone, she broke into another fit of sobs, falling to her knees.

I'm always with you. Especially now.

A burning sensation circled her wrist and she looked down, finding the golden thread from before, circling her wrist, falling into her veins and moving up her arms. She whimpered in fear as it climbed her arm, moving to her shoulder and she let out a scream when it hit her chest.

Everything felt like she was on fire.

Her eyes closed as tears poured down her cheeks.

She was going to die again.

This was it.

Hours passed. Weeks. Days. Months. Sheer agony encompassed her very being and then — it was over, as though no time had passed at all.

And then she opened her eyes.

—

"Claudia!"

Exhausted, trembling, shakily, her body fell against something soft.

"It's okay, it's okay, I've got you."

She recognized that voice. Looking up, her eyes met a soft brown, worry flooding the color deeply.

"Doc?" She croaked out, her voice hoarse.

He nodded, looking down at her.

"Hey there, you alright?"

Claudia nodded, eyes closing. "What's going on?"

"Human interaction will cease. You are unknown upgrades. You will be taken for analysis."

The Doctor held Claudia up as the walked, and she leaned on him heavily for support. Sam came to her other side, tucking her arm over his shoulder as they walked her.

"What happened?" She asked as the Cybermen led them.

"They killed you," the Doctor looked at her. "And Mrs. Moore. They grabbed you both. You should be dead."

"Hmm," Claudia nodded. "Not the first time."

—

"We've been captured," the Doctor started sarcastically as they entered a holding room. "But don't worry, Rose and Pete are still out there, they can rescue me. Oh, well, never mind."

He and Sam gently led Claudia to a chair and sat her down, both standing protectively in front of her in case any Cyberman came near her again.

She leaned into the chair, having no energy to fight or talk or even breathe.

"You okay?" The Doctor asked Rose and Pete, who stood side-by-side.

"What's happened to her?" Rose asked worriedly. "Claudia, are you okay?"

"She'll be fine," Sam said softly, brushing his hand through her unmanageable curls.

"They got Jackie," Rose said softly to the Doctor.

"We were too late," Pete added. "Lumic killed her."

"And where is he?" The Doctor asked loudly, a bitter tinge to his voice. Claudia knew that voice. Lumic wasn't making it out of this alive. "The famous Mr. Lumic? Don't we get the chance to meet our lord and master?"

"He has been upgraded."

"So he's just like you?" The Doctor asked the Cyberman flatly.

"He is superior. The Lumic unit has been designated Cyber controller."

As though on cue, large circular doors opened and out rolled a Cyberman in a metal wired wheelchair-looking object.

Claudia wanted to make a witty retort, but her brain was too tired. Too exhausted. Her body hurt. She leaned into Sam more, he pulled her closer.

"This is the Age of Steel and I am its creator."

Screams erupted outside and Claudia smiled a bit. Mickey and Jake did it.

"That's my friends at work," the Doctor grinned. "Good boys!" He looked to Mr. Lumic. "Mr. Lumic, I think that's a vote for free will."

Claudia's heart tugged at his words, remembering not so long ago when she'd been apart of the self-proclaimed Team Free Will.

Her mind drifted back to the Cas she'd seen...it must have been her subconscious. He was dead...right?

"I have factories waiting on seven continents. If the Ear Pods have failed, then the Cybermen will take humanity by force. London has fallen, so shall the world."

"I will bring peace to the world," Lumic continued. Claudia was beginning to tire of this monologue. "Everlasting peace and unity and uniformity."

"And imagination?" The Doctor countered. "What about that? The one thing that led you here. Imagination, you're killing it dead."

"What is your name?"

"I'm the Doctor."

"A redundant title. Doctors need not exist. Cybermen never sicken."

"Yeah, but that's it!" The Doctor exclaimed, walking towards Lumic. "That's exactly the point. Oh, Lumic, you're a clever man, I'd say a genius except I'm in the room."

Claudia heard Sam snort at the Doctor's words and a weak smile crossed her lips.

"But everything you've invented, you did to fight your sickness," he held his hands up to Lumic, "and that's brilliant, that is so human! But once you get rid of sickness and mortality, then what's there to strive for, eh? The Cybermen won't advance. You'll just stop. You'll stay like this forever. A metal Earth with meten men and metal thoughts," he walked towards a Cybermen and leaned into its face. "Lacking the one thing that makes this planet so alive. People!"

"This guy loves speeches," Sam leaned down to her. "And I thought I had a way with words."

Claudia chuckled, wincing when it hurt.

"Ordinary, stupid, brilliant, people!" The Doctor shouted through gritted teeth.

"You are proud of your emotions?" Lumic asked.

"Oh, yes."

"Then tell me, Doctor, have you known grief and rage and pain?"

"Yes. Yes, I have."

"And they hurt?"

"Oh, yes."

"I can set you free. Would you not want that? A life without pain?"

Claudia snorted. "Who the fuck would?" She asked weakly, her voice hoarse and rough. "Newsflash, literally nobody."

The Doctor looked at her with a soft smile. "What she said. You might as well kill me."

"Then I take that option."

"It's not yours to take!" The Doctor shouted. "You're a Cyber controller. You don't control me or anything with blood in its heart."

"You have no means of stopping me, I have an army. A species of my own."

The Doctor leaned his head back, running his hand over his face in exasperation. Claudia smiled softly at his expression. He could be quite — no, absolutely not.

"You just don't get it, do you? An army's nothing. 'Cause those ordinary people's they're the key. The most ordinary person can change the world. Some ordinary man, or woman, some idiot. All it takes is for him to find, say, the right numbers, say, the right code, say, for example, the code behind the emotional inhibitor. The code right in front of him."

The Doctor looked to the camera and Claudia leaned further into Sam, wishing she could fall asleep. He smelt the same. Woodsy aftershave and cheap cologne, laundry soap. She missed that smell.

"'Cause even an idiot knows his computers these days. Knows how to get past firewalls and passwords. Knows how to find something encrypted in the Lumic family database under, eh, what was it Pete?" He gestured to Pete. "Binary what?"

"Binary nine."

"And idiot could find that code. Cancellation code. And he'd keep on typing, keep on fighting, anything to save his friends."

"Your words are irrelevant."

The Doctor grinned, leaning over the railing. "Talk to much, that's my problem. Lucky I got that cheap tariff, rose, for all our long chats on your phone."

"You will be deleted."

"Yes." The Doctor grinned. "Delete. Control. Hash. All those lovely buttons."

Sam chuckled, shaking his head. "This guy's awesome," he mumbled to Claudia.

"Then of course, my particular favorite. Send. Aaaand, let's not forget how you seduced all those ordinary people in the first place," he drummed his hands against the counter. "By making every bit of technology compatible with everything else."

Rose looked down at her phone. "It's for you," she tossed the phone at him and he caught it.

"Like this." He jammed it into the reader and the code directed through all the Cybermen, making them scream in their suits.

"What have you done?" Lumic shouted from his suit.

"I gave them back their souls. They can see what you've done, Lumic, and it's killing them."

He grabbed Rose's phone and tossed it back to her, running across the room, grabbing Claudia.

"You have to run with me, okay?" He looked down at her hurriedly. "Rest later, please, love."

She nodded, grabbing his hand tightly and forcing back the pain as Sam over to Rose and Pete, Claudia running with the Doctor as they all fled the room.

"Delete! Delete!"

An explosion ripped through the building and Claudia whimpered, wanting to stop, her body aching and sore and exhausted, but the Doctor kept his grip tightly on her, pulling her down the hallways.

He opened an exit door to find Cybermen screaming and shut it, turning around to find another explosion.

"There's no way out," he said, looking around.

"There's always a way out," Sam shook his head, moving around the Doctor and Claudia.

"It's Mickey," Rose said, her phone to her ear. Claudia leaned further against the Doctor. "He says head for the roof."

They ran to the stairs and Claudia whimpered again at the sight of them.

"You can do this," the Doctor told her. "Don't let Lumic win. Not against you."

Together, they ran upstairs, Rose and Pete following with Sam at the rear.

When they made it to the ladder, Claudia pushed with the remaining strength and climbed up, nearly collapsing over the edge. The Doctor caught her, steadying her and she leaned against him heavily as they walked to the zeppelin.

They ran across the roof, Claudia leaning against the Doctor as they half-ran, half-stumbled across it. A ladder fell from the zeppelin and the Doctor held it steady with his free arm.

"Rose, get on!"

Rose climbed on first, and the Doctor helped Claudia get on steadily, and she held on tightly near the bottom. The Doctor went next, Sam following, and then Pete at the end.

"We did it!" Rose shouted. "Mickey did it!"

Just as she made it up a few steps, her grip slackened when something heavy tugged at the bottom.

A scream left Claudia's throat and her hands slipped, but the Doctor grasped her tightly, pulling her back on.

"Don't you dare let go, Claudia," he said firmly.

Claudia nodded, trying to force herself to climb higher.

"Sam!" The Doctor shouted, reaching into his suit pocket and pulling out his sonic, as Lumic grew closer to Claudia's brother and Pete. "Take this!"

He dropped it and Sam caught it, looking down at it curiously. He figured it out soon enough, pressing the button and aiming it to the rope.

The rope snapped after a tense thirty second and Claudia's grip tightened against the ladder as it snapped, feeling the Doctor's arm around her waist, keeping her steady.

Lumic fell into the explosion below, and the building ignited.

They did it.

—

Claudia leaned on the captain's chair where the Doctor helped her sit, as he began to restart the TARDIS.

"Going home," Claudia breathe out, a small smile on her face. "We get to go home."

He grinned as the lights turned on, looking over at her. They shared an excited smile and he walked over, kneeling in front of her and grabbing her hands.

"We're home, okay?"

"Okay," she nodded.

He pressed a soft kiss to her head. "Do you want me to get your brother?"

Claudia nodded. "I think he'd like it in here, if that's okay? I want to say goodbye."

"Of course." He brushed back a loose curl, looking into her eyes. "I'm so proud of you today. I don't know how you survived, but I'm so happy you did. You are absolutely irreplaceable to me, and I am so proud of you for making it through the day."

Tears found Claudia's eyes and they fell at the open, honest look on his face.

"Thank you, Doctor."

He nodded, placing his hand to her face gently. "Thank you, Claudia."

She didn't know what he was thanking her for, and she didn't have a chance to ask. He left the console room a second later, rushing outside and closing the door behind him.

The soft humming of the TARDIS nearly put Claudia to sleep by the time Sam entered.

"Holy fucking..."

Claudia laughed at his face, looking over at him. "Yeah, right?"

He looked at her slack-jawed. "This is amazing."

"She's called the TARDIS. Travels through space and time. Time and relative dimension in space."

"That's so cool," Sam laughed, his eyes bright and filled with wonder, like a little kid on Christmas. He slowly walked over to her, his eyes finding new parts of the console room to look at before sitting next to her. "You have to leave now, don't you?"

Claudia nodded. "Yeah."

They were quiet for a moment before Sam pulled out his phone and handed it to her, the contact name reading: Castiel.

"Call him." Sam said softly. "We've talked. You need to talk to him." He pressed a kiss to her head, and stood, walking around the room again.

Claudia sighed, watching him for a moment before pressing the call button and holding it to her ear.

It rang three times and then she heard his voice again, just like in her dream — or near-death experience, she hadn't found the time to think about that fully yet — but so much more clear.

"Hello, Claudia."

"Cas?" She asked softly, scared he'd hang up if she spoke too loudly.

"I heard your prayer."

"I thought...Sam said you weren't an angel anymore."

"I'm not. And not many people pray to me directly, but I can hear when they do. And I heard you. And I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry? You're — you're happy. You're with another Claudia and I'm — I'm the reason that the other you, my you, is-is..."

She couldn't bring herself to say it.

"No you're not," he interjected firmly. "Do not ever think that, Claudia Winchester. You are everything to me. I didn't know happiness or love or true faith until I met you. That is the same in every universe. What happened to me in your world — I would do it again. In a second if it meant you were safe."

Claudia let out a soft sob, unable to form any words to actually speak.

"Did you know as an angel, I could travel between universes? It was easy. I exist through all of them both as one entity and many. It's complicated to explain."

"So you still love me?"

"I love you in every universe, Claudia. And we only get one reality with happiness together. I'm sorry you won't experience that."

Claudia cried harder against the phone, leaning against the captain's chair.

"I am happy here. And another version of you is too. But you will be happy too. I know your ending, Claudia, and I know what your future holds. It's not with me, but it will make you incredibly happy. And I am happy for you."

Claudia sniffled. "What do you mean?"

She could hear the smile in his voice. "You will love again, Claudia, and I don't want you to feel guilty. I know who you will love and how much you will love them. And it is okay. I am so happy you get to be happy."

"I miss you."

"I miss you too." The smile was gone now. "But I'm still with you. Do you know that? What the other Castiel did? In this universe, I gave up my grace to be with a version of you. In your universe, I am still with you. In a way."

Silence.

"W-what?"

"You'll be safe, Claudia. I promise. Archangels and God are all you have to worry about. But you can handle aliens."

"How do you know about the aliens?"

"Like I said, I could travel between universes. It wasn't always the same Castiel you were with. I was with you too."

Another sob tore from her chest. "So I loved you too?"

"All versions of me love you, Claudia. And we all have our own Claudia. But you won't see me again. You're the only Claudia on a path without me."

"But I want a path with you!"

"You don't," Cas said softly. "I know you do now, and that's okay. But in the end, you'll be happy. And I'm happy for you. I love you."

"I love you."

"Goodbye, Claudia Winchester."

"Goodbye, Castiel."

—

and that's it. THANK YOU for the long wait, extra long chapter to compensate.
I know you guys probably have questions and Cas was a bit vague and confusing but hehe that's Cas for you. I also know we didn't get a proper goodbye with Sam or Mickey, don't worry, we'll still have flashbacks with this episode. Who else loves the Doctor calling her names UGH my heart.
Hope you guys enjoyyyyeeeddd, I'm soooo excited for impossible planet. So close!
Idiot's lantern will be good too.
Oh! I can't decide:

Should Rose lose her face?
Should Claudia lose her face?

Vote here:)