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#14th doctor x fem reader
theetherealbloom · 5 months
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WHERE DO WE GO NOW? - CH. 1 | 14th Doctor
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Chapter One: After All Of The Time, And Give An Actual Try
Summary: An enigmatic old face makes a reappearance, heralding unforeseen events. A mysterious spaceship plummets to Earth, bringing chaos and prompting the Doctor's intervention. Amidst the unfolding narrative, a cute and endearing creature seeks assistance, weaving together elements of mystery, adventure, and companionship.
Pairing: 14th Doctor x Fem!Reader
Warnings: Hurt-to-Comfort, Angst, Fluff, Possible Plot Holes, Vague Background, Aliens, Mild Horror, Violence, Past Trauma, Depression, Anxiety, Timey-Wimey Stuff, Star-Crossed Lovers, Second Chance 
Word Count: 12.2k
A/N: Surprise! I love Doctor Who too. I’m a huge nerd, I know tehe. I hope you enjoy this mini-series I have planned for the 14th Doctor! As we know, he is played by the beloved David Tennant who is one of my favorite Doctors ever.
Song: Where do we go now? By Gracie Abrams
→ Next Chapter | Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist
Dividers by @/saradika-graphics
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MILLSON WAGNER STEELWORKS, NORTH LONDON – EVENING, DECEMBER 2023
A UNIT team was promptly dispatched as the spaceship breached Earth's atmosphere, making its way North of London. Both serving as scientific advisors, you and Shirley were on-site where the ship had landed.
While some military personnel were busy extinguishing the flames from the spacecraft and securing the perimeter, preventing you from delving further into the investigation, you found yourself engrossed in studying the ship's scans displayed on the monitor in your hands, attempting to unravel the mystery.
"Miss them, do you?" A voice called out from behind.
You averted your gaze from the tablet, turning to find Shirley maneuvering her wheelchair next to you. Curious, you asked, "What? Who?"
The redhead sported a cheeky smile. "The Doctor, of course."
It was widely known that you had journeyed alongside the Doctor and his myriad companions. Images of their faces flashed in your mind as you reminisced about those exciting adventures. Rose, Donna, the Ponds, Clara... you longed for them. There was a noticeable absence of the Doctor that left a gaping black hole in your chest.
You shook your head, muttering to yourself, "Can't let the Doctor catch a glimpse of me again; the entire universe might just fold in on itself once more. Already me being here is a problem since there’s a possibility he could pop out at any moment. I’m only on duty since I owe Kate a favor."
Shirley hums and responds, "I've read the files, you know. You two were quite the team. Everything that had happened… was in the wrong place at the right time. Still, it could happen, the two of you… together."
You raise your eyebrows at her and offer a small smile while shaking your head, scoffing, "The Doctor was unaware before, and I won't be the catalyst for another cosmic meltdown due to my selfish reasons. Besides... the Doctor doesn’t know I’m still alive and UNIT is already on my arse for even existing on this timeline.”
The redhead emits a sympathetic murmur and pats the side of your thigh, "Wasn't your fault, love. A colossal tear in time and space that dragged you in here... sounds like fate, or destiny even. If anything, maybe it was supposed to happen... like you and—"
The tablet beeps, abruptly halting Shirley's train of thought. You glance at the monitor, furrowing your brow, then hand over the device to her, saying, "You need to see this. I believe there's more to this than we initially thought."
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“Now I think we’re making a fundamental mistake. ‘Cause maybe that spaceship was a collision course to start with, but look.” Shirley says while the UNIT soldier looks at the tablet, “At the last minute, it pulls up, then settles. What I’m sayin’ is, that ship didn’t crash. It parked.”
As Shirley presents her observations to the UNIT soldier, you can't help but notice the intensity in her gaze, the lines of concentration etched across her forehead. The soldier queries, "No signs of life?" You step forward, interjecting, "Not yet. But we don't know what kind of life we're looking for."
Suddenly, an unexplained shiver races up your spine, goosebumps breaking out on your skin. A palpable sense of familiarity and the eerie feeling of being observed by someone you know too well. Your expression shifts into a frown, and Shirley catches on, concern knitting her brows. "What? What's wrong?" she asks.
You open your mouth but hesitate, exchanging glances with Shirley and the UNIT soldier. Shirley, sensing the urgency, instructs the soldier to step aside. Both of you retreat to a secluded corner, where she probes, "What happened? You look like you've seen a ghost, dear."
You exhale shakily, "I... I think he's here. He's back."
Shirley blinks, seeking clarification, "You mean..."
"The Doctor. The Doctor, he’s here."
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"Shirley, I need to leave, immediately," you declare, attempting to stride away with urgency.
"Wait, hang on a second," Shirley interjects, gripping your wrist and compelling you to halt. "He's already seen you, yeah? Looks like nothing bad has happened and—"
"Nothing bad has happened yet, Shirley. The stars could go out; millions of galactic species could die if we so much as breathe in each other's direction. I can't risk it. I won't."
Tears well up, and Shirley guides you to a stop near one of the staircases, settling herself in her wheelchair. As you take a seat, you rub both hands over your face, wiping away the tears. "I should have died that day."
Shirley remains silent, allowing you to continue as you shakily sob, "I should have died. But I didn't, and I'm still here."
"I lied to him, Shirley. I lied. He... he might never forgive me for it," you confess brokenly. Shirley shrugs, offering, "You won't know unless you talk. And it seems to me that whatever was keepin’ you apart before… is tellin’ you two maybe now is the right place at the right time."
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Deep in contemplation of your choices, someone suddenly seizes your wrist, muffling your voice as they pull you close, your body pressed against a comforting warmth.
"Hey, it's me. It's the Doctor," he reassures, and you instinctively push away, allowing some distance between you two. Both of you stand there panting, but he breaks the silence first, shouting, "I thought you were dead!"
Throwing the words back at him, you retort, "I was supposed to be dead!"
"Why aren't you dead?" he demands, and frustration laces your high-pitched response, "Are you bloody serious in asking me that?”
 “No. Yes! Argh, I don't know!"
Shaking your head and taking a step back, you declare, "I need to leave."
The Doctor firmly grabs your wrist, halting your escape. "No. Not again."
With determination, you wrench your wrist from his strong hold, shouting, "The universe could collapse! Again! We weren't ever supposed to meet. It was a mistake."
Wide-eyed, the Doctor gazes at you and replies in a breathy tone, "Is that really what you think?"
Paused, unable to respond, you hear his voice in your head, a telepathic whisper so familiar. "You and I both know, that it wasn't a mistake."
Glaring at him, you muster as much resistance as possible, but those big dark brown eyes make it challenging. "That's not fair. Get out of my head," you retort with furrowed brows.
The Doctor whispers your name, barely audible, causing you to flinch and look away. Instead of acknowledging his presence, you pivot to a question, "You regenerated… But why this face? Why are you back?"
"Why do you ask? You don't like this one?" he retorts.
Crossing your arms, you roll your eyes, "With you, there's always a reason for everything."
The Doctor admits, "Must be why the TARDIS brought me to you and Donna."
You regard him with a concerned gaze and tone, "What? You saw Donna, did she recognize or remember you?"
"The fail-safe worked; she just commented about my clothes. She has a daughter named Rose," the Doctor hums, kicking a small piece of gravel on the floor. You nod, "Yeah, I keep tabs on 'em. Making sure they're alright. Even though Donna gave all that money away to charity."
"Do you know why she did it?" The Doctor asks.
"I don't. But I have a couple of guesses," you reply with a close-lipped smile and a shrug. The Doctor brings his gaze to you, and you can already feel the question before he says it.
"I thought you were dead, for fifteen years."
You scoff, "Oh, that's nothing for you, Time Lord and all."
The Doctor throws his hands up in frustration, "Oh, don't do that."
"Do what?" you demand.
"Pretend that it was nothing for me! You were everything to me," the Doctor says, taking another step closer, and you take a step back this time. You look at him with narrowed eyes, and in a low tone, you say, "You and I both know that's not true."
"What happened? Where did you go?"
"You and I both know what happened after Arcadia. I was ready to die. I thought I had served my purpose, what I was made for. I got shot midway through the regeneration process, and I felt it. I felt myself slipping away... I could only see the two suns, and then when I closed my eyes, there was this surge of energy... I couldn't explain it back then, and I can't now. But it was like someone had given me their regeneration energy... but when I looked around, no one was there, and I was no longer on Gallifrey."
The Doctor finishes the sentence for you, "You were brought to Earth."
You nod, "I still have no idea who did it. But now, I can't leave. And all those years, my memories were locked away in that old pocket watch until I met you... and then the stars started to go out once more, and I knew I had no choice… I couldn't stay with you."
"All those years... you were alone, just like me," the Doctor says, and you look away before sitting atop one of the crates by the pillar, sighing, "I need to leave again... planets could disappear and galaxies could collapse at any second, and we'd be back where we started."
The Doctor remains silent as you close your eyes, resting your head on one of the stacked crates behind you. You yearn for him. Every atom in your being longs for his presence, yet every angle you examine seems to present an unsolvable puzzle. Thus, you convince yourself that distancing is the best course for everyone involved. How does one repay a sacrifice of such magnitude?
Then, you detect his approaching footsteps, and he settles comfortably beside you, shoulders brushing as he leans in. "Or... we could finally figure out a way to solve the paradox."
Opening your eyes, you shoot him a pointed look. "Doctor, we're in the middle of yet another crisis. A spaceship just landed, and we have no bloody clue who the hell we're dealing with right now. And you want to solve the impossible with our situation?"
"Who says I can't multitask?" he retorts, wiggling his eyebrows playfully. You lightly smack him on the arm, feeling warmth flood your cheeks. Memories of the carefree early days flash through your mind, recalling lingering gazes and soft touches exchanged. Licking your lips nervously, you release a heavy breath, "One problem at a time. We have another alien on the loose."
The Doctor takes that as a win, a calculated risk, with the universe as a potential consequence. He's never demanded anything, and for the first time, he yearns for something for himself. He envisions it — hope — the prospect of finally rewriting the ending you both desperately desire.
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The sonic clicks and buzzes as the Doctor conjures a holographic screen, displaying the schematics of the spacecraft that recently landed nearby. He retrieves his glasses from his coat pocket, donning them as he peruses the screen. Pressing a few buttons, he zooms in on the bottom part of the ship before highlighting the drive.
Frowning, your eyes narrow as an unsettling weight settles at the pit of your stomach while reading what's on the screen.
"Too good for us now?" Shirley remarks as she rolls up in her wheelchair. The Doctor briefly glances at her, nodding, and casually greets, "Evening."
Shirley smiles knowingly as she looks between the two of you. "Doctor. I see you and my colleague have talked. Has galaxies and universes collapsed yet?"
The Doctor hums, "Mmmm, not yet. Soon maybe, if I could get her to kiss me."
You smack him on the shoulder a little harder this time, and he yelps out, "Ow!" Making a face at him, you retort, "Oh, sod off!"
The Doctor gives you a cheeky smile while Shirley chuckles next to you. She then looks at the holographic screen on display, and the Doctor brings his focus back to the problem at hand, saying, "That’s a double-bladed dagger drive, damaged by laser fire which means we’ve got two sets of visitors at war with each other."
He glances at Shirley politely, "Nice to meet you. Did you get the heat readings on deceleration?" Shirley chuckles and clicks her tongue, "Oh, I got everything." She unfolds her tablet to give to the Doctor, who presses a button on his sonic screwdriver to close the holographic screen. Taking the tablet, he begins to analyze the readings as your colleague introduces herself, "Shirley Anne Bingham, UNIT Scientific Advisor number 56."
The Doctor sounds delighted, saying, "Oh! I was Scientific Advisor number one."
Shirley smiles, "No, I know. I’ve read the files. I’m gonna get a bonus just for meeting you."
The Doctor makes a face, not used to humble praise. "Oh."
Shirley then asks, "But why are you hiding away? We’re on the same side and it can’t be ‘cause of her now." She looks at you, and you also turn your attention to the Doctor.
He slightly groans and inhales sharply before replying, "It’s all a bit mad, Shirley. I don’t know who I am anymore."
Shirley crosses her legs in the wheelchair and says matter-of-factly, "Well, you look like the Doctor to me."
The Doctor shrugs, "Well, exactly. The one in the skinny suit. After that, I wear a bow tie. After that, I’m a Scotsman. After that, I’m a woman."
Shirley frowns, "But that’s your future. You can’t know that. It’s forbidden."
The Doctor replies, "I regenerated. And she became me."
Both of Shirley’s eyebrows rise, and her eyes widen as she says, "You got your old face back?"
The Doctor replies with a resounding pop, "Yep."
"But why?" Shirley asks, and the Doctor sighs, "Well, that’s what I’m worried about."
He then inhales deeply before continuing, “Because, besides this lovely stubborn woman right next to me,” you pinch the bridge of your nose briefly as he continues, “I've got this friend called Donna Noble. She was my best friend in the whole wide universe. I absolutely love her as much as I love this one right here.” The Doctor pulls a face and pouts, puffing out a breath as his thick eyebrows furrow, he says, “Oh. Hmm. Do I say things like that now?”
Shirley smiles at him while commenting, “Sounds like a good thing to say.”
You mumble, “I’m not used to this.”
“But Donna took the mind of a Time Lord into her head. I had to wipe her memory to save her life. If she ever remembers me she will die. So what happens next?” The Doctor said with emphasis and leaned closer to you and Shirley, “I get this face back, and the TARDIS lands right next to her. I turn around, there’s her husband. A spaceship crashes in front of her. That led me here to my other best friend in the whole wide universe, my Time Lady who I thought was dead for many years. It’s like she’s drawing us in.” The Doctor finishes, and you and Shirley give each other a look, processing everything he has just said. Especially you, who was processing the fact he called you his. You and Shirley blinked a few times before Shirley said, “What? She’s making it happen?”
The Doctor shakes his head, “No, she’s got no idea. She’s so ordinary. She’s brilliant. She’s got this beautiful daughter. She’s happy. Is she? Hmm.” He pauses before saying in a lower tone, “But the universe is turning around the two people I love the most again. I don’t believe in destiny, but if destiny exists, then it's heading straight for Donna Noble and quite possibly the love of my life right next to me.”
You blink in surprise, opening your mouth to try and say something, maybe correct him, but nothing comes out, so you sit there, mouth gaping next to him like a fish while Shirley has a toothy grin as you say to the Doctor, “Okay, I’m still not used to whatever this is… and I don’t think I ever will be. You’re kind of freaking me out a little, dear.”
The Doctor grins, “Ooh, are we doing pet names now darling?”
You rub your right eye, feeling a migraine beginning to form, “I… What the hell is happening? You sure you’re alright? Last time you regenerated into this form you had a high fever and you were… completely out of it.”
The Doctor scrunches his nose and sniffs, “I feel great. Fantastic even!”
You purse your lips, observing the Doctor from head to toe, and then focus on his eyes—those warm, inviting brown eyes. Softly, you remark, “You've grown.”
The Doctor returns your gaze, his lips forming a quirked-up smile that reveals a dimple. "Just a little bit, yeah."
Shirley interjects, steering the conversation back on course, “You said it was also heading for Donna. What for?”
The Doctor responds with a swift, “I don’t know.” Shirley replies with an, “Oh.” The Doctor continues, with deep emphasis, “But she can’t remember. I won’t be the one who kills her.”
Shirley nods, and the tablet in the Doctor’s hands beeps. He looks at it, saying, “Right. There’s no sign of a pilot, but that’s not an automatic drive, so you should look for–”
“Ma’am,” a soldier interrupts, cutting off the Doctor. He slinks back into the shadows, and you and Shirley listen to what the soldier has to say. “We found the escape pod. No sign of life, but we’re moving out to secure the site.”
Shirley quickly replies, “Good work, soldier. Go get it.” Dismissing the soldier and watching her walk away, the Doctor moves to stand, removing his glasses and putting them away, ready to follow the soldier. But Shirley raises her hand and says to him, “Uh, yeah, yeah. Not you two, mate. I’ve got this. Off you pop. Bye-bye.”
Shirley begins to roll her wheelchair away, leaving the Doctor and you confused. The Doctor then calls out to her, “Waited your whole life?”
To which Shirley throws a look over her shoulder as she responds with a smirk, “You wish.”
The Doctor looks at you, and you look up at him. He turns his hand, palm up, waiting for you to take it with your hand. You glance at his hand and back to his eyes; he sees the uncertainty swirling through your gaze.
The Doctor speaks gently, “I know you aren’t ready and you’re scared… but I know you’re brave. And the universe listens to the brave. C’mon, it’s time to be brave again.”
You release a shaky exhale, swallowing the lump in your throat and dismissing the rational urge to walk away from him. Taking his hand, he tugs you along, pushing his legs into a run with you, hand-in-hand.
He thrusts the exit door open, utilizing his sonic screwdriver with his other hand on the back of the UNIT truck, the chains rattling as the trunk hatch pops open, pulling you with him to settle at the back of the truck.
As the UNIT truck pulls away, you see Shirley waving you off, and the Doctor gives her a small salute while you offer her a faint smile.
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CHISWICK, LONDON – EVENING, 2023
You constantly poked your head out to see the stars, in case anything had changed. The Doctor held your hand, squeezing it every time you did, quietly reassuring you that whatever you faced, you'd do it together.
Arriving in the residential area, a long street lined with cars and now multiple UNIT trucks and soldiers running around, you could hear Donna shouting, “Oh, what the hell is it doing in my shed? Get out of my garden!”
The Doctor ran towards the sound of her voice, and you followed him. Reaching Donna's home, the Doctor pounded on the door, “Let us in! Let us in!”
Sylvia glared at the Doctor as she briskly walked towards him, but he exclaimed happily, “Sylvia! Oh, Sylvia! So nice to see you again. Could you let us in?”
Sylvia angrily whispered, “You said that if she sees you again, she will die. Well, no. If – if she remembers me. That’s slightly different.”
You heard and saw Donna through the stained glass yelling from down the hall, “No such thing as spaceships? We’ve got a bloody Martian in the shed!”
Sylvia angrily said, “Just get out of here, now.” But the Doctor knelt down to peek through the mail slot to see all the commotion, finding a small white fluffy creature with big eyes. “Oh, wow. He’s so cute,” the Doctor mumbled. With no other choice, he used his sonic to unlock the door as Sylvia told Donna, “Don’t look! Don’t look. It doesn’t exist.”
As the Doctor walked down the hall, with you trailing behind him, Sylvia whirled around to slap the Doctor. He grunted and groaned, “Here we go again.”
“It’s that man!” You recognized Rose say as Donna pointed at the Doctor, “Oh, it’s the skinny man!”
Sylvia continued to try and gaslight Donna, outstretching both her arms to block both of you, “He’s not there! You can’t see him. And there’s no monster. Oh, for the love of God, none of this is real!”
You and the Doctor ducked down and crawled to the creature to help assist them. In the middle of all the shouting and noise, you saw Shaun Temple appear, saying, “Hey, hey. Dad’s home.”
Everyone stood at a standstill, wide-eyed and unsure of what to do next. After a pause, Shaun commented with a small smile, “Something smells nice.” Sylvia smiled, “Tuna madras.”
“Meep, meep.”
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As you and the Doctor sat on the floor, he carefully wrapped Meep’s injury in his hands with medical tape, while you quickly assessed if the Meep had any more injuries. Sylvia spoke to Donna, “We should think about infection. I mean, I think this man should deal with this beast, and we can leave him alone and go back to mine.”
Donna pulled her arm away from Sylvia and gestured around the Meep, “Never mind. Never mind about the ferret from Mars.” She gave you and the Doctor a pointed look as she growled out, “Who the hell are you two?”
You looked to the Doctor for help, and he stumbled over his words, “I– um. What was it?” He looked to Shaun who replied, “A friend from Nerys.” To which the Doctor promptly agreed, “That’s it.”
Donna scrunches her nose and says, “Nerys. Well, now it all makes sense. That viper in the nest.” She continues and points to the Meep, “I’m not going anywhere. We could sell mad Paddington for a million quid.”
Everyone reacted, giving Donna a pointed look and a noise of disagreement, “Woah!” Donna tried to justify her comment by saying, “You fill the fridge!”
The Doctor’s expressive eyebrows furrowed, and he asked Donna, “What did happen to all your money?” Donna got defensive and threw back, “Why are you so interested in us? Everywhere you go, there you are. Now you got this woman with you,” She gestured to you, “are you sure you’re safe with him, darling? Is he forcing you to be with him? Did he kidnap you?!”
You blinked wildly at Donna, “Uh, no– I’m good. He’s my partner.”
The Doctor smirked at you, “Ooh, I’m your partner?” To which you narrowed your eyes at him, “Quiet, you.” He pouted but continued to finish wrapping the injury of the Meep, then the Doctor said, “There is one person missing. I used to know your grandad, Wilf.”
Donna shook her head, “He’s not with us anymore.”
The Doctor had a somber expression as he nodded, “Right. Course. He wasn’t young; he was—” His lower lip trembled as he admitted, “I loved that man. I’m so sorry for your loss.”
Donna shook her head, emphasizing, “He’s not dead.” Sylvia shot the Doctor a sharp look, “You idiot.”
The Doctor gaped at them, and Donna continued to share, “He’s in sheltered accommodation. He’s 94. He can’t manage the stairs.” Shaun took over, saying, “We were lucky. We couldn’t afford it, but this offer came along.”
Rose smiled, painting a vivid picture, “It’s amazing. He’s got this room, like a cottage and a garden, and it’s almost free.”
“Run by that lot in the middle of town? UNIT? This woman in charge, Kate, she says he’s an old soldier, she’ll look after him.” Shaun said, and the Doctor's face lit up, “Right. I know her. She’s looking after Wilf. Brilliant. Brilliant.”
Shaun tilted his head as he looked at you, “You look very familiar… Weren’t you with Kate as you were helping with the accommodations for Wilf?”
Your lips pinched together as you nodded, “Yeah, I work with UNIT. I check on him regularly; he’s wonderful.”
“Meep, meep.”
You and the Doctor turned to the fluffy white creature in front of you, and the Doctor’s eyebrows raised as he inhaled sharply, “Yes! The Meep. I promise I can help him get home. Then you’ll never have to see me, or well, the both of us ever again.”
Rose looked at the Doctor and gave him a questioning look, “You’re assuming he as a pronoun? Hmm.”
The Doctor took it in stride and nodded, “True. Yes. Sorry. Good point.” He quickly turned to the creature and asked, “Are you he, or she, or they?”
The high-pitched voice of the Meep responded, “My chosen pronoun is the definite article. I am always the Meep.”
The Doctor’s expression shifted to one of understanding as his thick eyebrows raised and he nodded, “Oh. I do that. But you were shot down. Who wants you dead?”
You tilt your head, captivated by the Meep's explanation, “The Wrath Warriors. They cultivate Meepkind for our beautiful fur. But then the galaxy said, ‘No more fur. It’s wrong. So the Wrath Warriors slaughtered their livestock.”
The Doctor crosses his arms, a thoughtful expression on his face, and leisurely leans back on the couch, letting his back rest against it, “You’re a fashion victim.”
A collective groan escapes from all the humans in the room, “No.”
The Doctor quickly mumbles an apology, and the Meep continues, “Now, they will hunt me down till there are no Meeps left.” The Meep sniffs, “It breaks both my hearts.”
You and the Doctor exchange surprised glances, both of your eyebrows raised. The Doctor shares with the Meep as he gestures to both of you, “You got two hearts? So do we.”
Donna quickly catches onto the Doctor's revelation and frowns, “You’ve got what?”
Sylvia tries to downplay what the Doctor just exposed, stammering as she speaks to Donna, “No. He means it like a metaphor. Like two minds. Do you?” You and the Doctor shake your heads, but suddenly there’s a pounding at the door.
“Open up!”
“Well, what the hell is it now?” Donna exclaims, her frustration evident as she wonders why all these strange anomalies keep happening. The Doctor pushes himself up, and you assist him with his navy blue coat as he puts it on. He continues addressing everyone in the room, “Ah, good. The soldiers! They can give us a lift.”
As he goes to answer the door, leaving you with the Meep and Donna’s family, Rose can't help but ask, “Are you two…”
Your cheeks feel flush, the tips of your ears turning warm, “Yep.”
Just as Donna is about to make a cheeky comment, you hear the Doctor slam the front door shut, loudly informing you all, “I think we need to run. Woah!”
Suddenly, an explosion rocks the backdoor, causing everyone to hit the ground with a collective yelp. You and the Doctor peek to look at the new visitor; arthropods, with a tough chitinous exoskeleton. With their external skeleton acting as a skelo-shield they had formidable strength. Their eyes were like large red lights. Seeing the Wrath Warriors enter while saying, “Wrath, attack formation! Surrender the Meep!”
UNIT soldiers burst in from the main entrance, their voices echoing down the hallway as they shout instructions to each other. The distant hum of gunfire and the vivid flashes of lasers light up the space, creating a chaotic symphony that fills your senses.
Donna, caught in the middle of the sudden onslaught, shouts in confusion and frustration, “What the hell is going on?”
The Doctor deftly manipulates his sonic screwdriver, adjusting its settings. He turns to Shaun and inquires, “Where’s your car?”
Shaun, bewildered but cooperative, responds, “Uh, five- five doors down.”
“Excellent.” The Doctor nods. He pivots, activating the sonic screwdriver to generate large, rectangular force fields. The blue glow emanating from the force fields reveals a recent upgrade, and you can't help but smile, commenting, “Nice upgrade, love.”
“Thanks, dearest. Help me move this, won’t you?” The Doctor passes the sonic to Donna, who handles it with familiarity. You and the Doctor work together to slide the force field into the first section of the hallway, dodging blaster shots as you go. Once in the living room again, you take the sonic from Donna, creating your force field with the Doctor’s scientific instrument. The Doctor observes you with admiration, and together, you slide the final force field into place, sealing off the area where the Wrath Warriors were firing from.
Immediately, the Doctor issues a commanding directive to the Noble-Temple family and the Meep, “Upstairs! Up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up!” They follow the urgent order, shrieking as they ascend the stairs, sandwiched between the force fields that shield them from the relentless onslaught of gunshots and laser fire.
“Come on, Meep!” The Doctor encourages, executing an energetic dance of hopping and flailing arms. The Meep responds with a whimper, “No.” Undeterred, you and the Doctor persist, the Doctor continuing his lively hopping routine, insisting, “Come on! That’s it.”
You guide the Meep up the stairs, the Doctor closely behind. A reassuring hand rests on your back as the trio ascends. When you're halfway across the corridor, a deafening explosion erupts from behind. The Noble-Temple family screams in fear, and you're thrown to the ground. However, the Doctor reacts swiftly, his strong arms wrapping around your waist to break your fall. In a protective move, he cushions the impact with his body, leaving you on top of him.
You swiftly roll off him, your palms hitting the floor as you propel yourself upward. Grasping the Doctor's hand, you haul him to his feet, both of you swiftly turning around to confront the aftermath—a colossal, gaping hole now occupying the space where a window once stood. Donna's cry of agony echoes through the room, "My house!"
Despite the devastation, there's no time for dwelling. The Doctor urgently directs everyone, gesticulating emphatically, "Upstairs. Upstairs, upstairs!"
Observing the Wrath Warriors soaring menacingly through the breached window, and amidst the symphony of gunfire and laser blasts echoing from the stairs, you and the Doctor deftly ascend to the third floor. With a swift motion, he lowers the ladder leading to the attic, urgently urging everyone, "Up we go! Fast as you can."
The entire group efficiently ascends to the attic. Positioned beside a robust brick wall connecting attics along the street, you and the Doctor huddle close. The Doctor showcases the device in his hand, proclaiming, "This is a sonic screwdriver. And if it's good at one thing, it's resonating concrete." He flips it in one hand before activating it, causing vibrations to ripple through the mortar.
Shaun interjects, "That's not concrete. That's mortar." Donna, in her familiarly exasperated tone, sighs and quips, "Thank you, Bob the Builder."
With a determined push, you and the Doctor dislodge the bricks, prompting them to cascade down. Donna crouches beside the Doctor, complimenting, "Skinny minnie, you're not bad."
The Doctor grins at Donna, "You think?"
However, Sylvia intervenes, frowning as she guides Donna aside, firmly asserting, "No, she doesn't. Now move."
"Come on. Five houses down," the Doctor grunts, effortlessly moving aside a box brimming with Christmas decorations. He takes the lead, guiding the family through the interconnected attics.
Traversing through these loft spaces, you witness the chaotic scene unfolding outside, with laser beams and gunshots punctuating the air. Explosions resonate in the distance as you navigate the makeshift route, carefully descending a staircase. Along the way, you stealthily pass by someone deeply immersed in sleep on a couch, oblivious to the turmoil around them.
Upon reaching a door, the Doctor jostles it open, revealing a view of the black cab parked a few meters away. Amidst the cacophony of gunfire and distant shouts, the Doctor extends his hand and requests, "Can I have the keys?" Shaun promptly hands them over.
As the Wrath Warriors advance with their menacing backs turned, the Doctor swiftly swings the door open, directing the family and the Meep into the sanctuary of the black cab. Positioned in the passenger seat, you observe the Doctor deftly using his fingers to check the pulse of a fallen UNIT soldier. Abruptly, a Wrath Warrior pivots, growling, "Meep located. Stop the Meep!"
Evading blaster fire with nimble agility, the Doctor slips into the driver's seat, swiftly igniting the engine and propelling the cab into motion. The Meep whimpers, "Help! Save the Meep!"
As the Doctor skillfully navigates away, Donna exclaims, "Oh my God!" Shaun pivots within the cab, jubilantly stating, "You did it!" Meanwhile, Rose chimes in, "We're alive," and Sylvia expresses gratitude, "Thank you."
"Meep, meep."
While the Doctor keeps a vigilant eye on the side mirrors during the escape, there's a discernible shift in his tone, "Either we've escaped, or we've got things very, very wrong."
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UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE, LONDON – EVENING, 2023
The Doctor skillfully maneuvers the cab, smoothly parking it in an underground garage. A contemplative furrow graces his forehead as he steps out of the vehicle. With an attentive courtesy, he opens the passenger door, gesturing for you to alight from the cab. Simultaneously, he opens the back passenger door, facilitating the exit of the Meep.
The Doctor deftly extracts a barrister's wig from the depths of his coat, perching it atop his head with an air of theatrical flair. Meanwhile, the Meep positions itself purposefully in front of the cab. In a tone of authoritative declaration, the Doctor announces, "This court is now in session."
With a swift motion, he retrieves his trusty sonic screwdriver, and it emits a distinctive whiz as he proclaims, "Intercept teleport!"
The Meep emits a piercing shriek, swiftly retreating a few meters behind you and the Doctor. Donna, emerging from the cab, questions, "What the hell are you doing?" The Doctor, with an authoritative air, responds, "Silence in the court."
In the blink of an eye, two Wrath Warriors materialize just across from you and the Doctor. You stand there, massaging your face with your hand, as he adopts a menacing tone and declares, "I’m invoking Shadow Proclamation protocols 15, P, and 6. Under my jurisdiction, there will be no violence until such time I deem it fit and proper. Is that understood?"
The Wrath Warriors nod in compliance, dutifully stowing away their weapons to their sides. The Doctor, brandishing his sonic, gestures towards the taxi, asserting, “Now, exhibit A. The taxi. No scorch marks. Donna, can you confirm?” Donna swivels around, inspecting the taxi behind her, and nods, “Um. Yes, no, nothing.”
You arch your eyebrows, interjecting, “We were hit by plasma bolts, but there isn’t a mark.” The Doctor affectionately kisses your forehead, remarking, “Clever girl.” You duck your head, feeling a slight warmth in your chest and cheeks. He proceeds, “And that soldier in the street. He was unconscious, not dead.” Pointing at the Wrath Warriors' guns with his sonic screwdriver, he continues, “Exhibit B. Those guns are stun guns. Is that correct?”
The right Wrath Warrior nods, “The guns apply a mild and harmless neural anesthetic. For the record, my name is Sergeant Zogroth.” The left Wrath Warrior adds on and says, “And I am Constable Zreeg.”
The Meep interjects from behind you, its large ears folding to the side, “But the evil Wrath Warriors want to kill the Meep.”
“The only ones out to kill were the soldiers with the swirling eyes,” the Doctor asserts, gesturing in a circular motion with his sonic, his eyes widening to emphasize his point. “Were they coming to hurt you, the Meep? Or save you?” The Doctor eyes the furry creature suspiciously.
“If I may speak,” Sergeant Zogroth says, and the Doctor promptly replies, “Address the court.”
“The story of the Meep is a tragic tale. Their planet basked in the light of a living sun. Until one terrible day, the sun went mad,” Sergeant Zogroth began, his voice laden with the weight of the narrative. Constable Zreeg chimed in, “A psychedelic sun.”
Sergeant Zogroth continued, “Its radiation mutated all of Meepkind into cruel beasts who live for conquest.”
The Doctor's face lights up with realization, "The eyes. That's solar psychedelia." Sergeant Zogroth adds, “It renders them as maniacs.”
“The Meep army captured the Galactic Council, beheaded them, and ate them,” Constable Zreeg revealed, sending shivers down your spine. You and the Doctor exchange a grimace at the horrifying revelation. “The Wrath Warriors were summoned. And we fought across the stars, a long and awful battle,” Sergeant Zogroth continued with a somber tone.
“Meepkind died rather than surrender. And now, only this one survives. Their leader, the most cruel and despicable of all,” he added, pointing to the Meep, who responded with a plaintive, “Meep, meep.”
The Doctor, adopting a composed stance, interjects, “Now. Let’s be fair. It’s your turn, the Meep. Witness for the defense. So, what do you say?” The Doctor crosses his arms, and you observe as the Meep's innocent visage transforms into something more sinister and monstrous.
The Meep's sharp teeth are bared as it growls defiantly, "Oh, to hell with this!" With a swift motion, it brandishes a weapon, declaring, "Exhibit C!" The Meep takes aim and fires, bringing down the two Wrath Warriors, their bodies collapsing to the ground. You, the Doctor, and Donna quickly rush to the fallen foes. The Doctor, during the action, removes his barrister wig. The Meep, in a sinister tone, adds, "No stun guns for me! Just die!"
Shaun leaps out of the cab, urgently shouting, "Donna! Donna, don't!" Despite his plea, Donna remains fixated on the fallen warriors, her concern evident. You find yourself beside the Doctor on the ground as the Meep triumphantly declares, "And here they come! My soldiers of the psychedelic sun!"
Suddenly, a convoy of UNIT vehicles arrives, accompanied by soldiers with their distinctive headgear, forming a protective perimeter around all of you. Their authoritative voices ring out, "Obey the Meep!"
Donna, her maternal instincts flaring, turns to Shaun and passionately commands, "Get out! Get Rose out!"
Shaun swiftly maneuvers to the driver’s seat while Rose and Sylvia settle back in the taxi. However, the UNIT soldiers, now under the control of the Meep, have you all surrounded with no clear escape.
“I don’t need to pretend, for I am the Beep of all the Meeps,” the Meep declares, grinning menacingly with its sharp teeth.
Sergeant Zogroth emits a final groan, his parting words being, “Sergeant Zogroth regrets retirement from active duty.” His eyes dim, and his body goes limp. Donna, disgusted, confronts the Meep, saying, “I was right. You are a monster.”
The Meep revels in Donna’s anger, taunting, “And you believed every word I said. You stupid woman! With your weird child!”
Donna, ready to confront the Meep for insulting her daughter, stands defiantly, retorting, “Oh, don’t you dare!”
The Meep, relishing the confrontation, points its weapon at Donna, threatening, “Oh, I dare!”
You quickly rise, positioning yourself in front of Donna, raising your hands in a protective stance. Simultaneously, the Doctor moves across the floor on his knees, hands raised, pleading, “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! But— Last-minute evidence! Me.”
He emphatically points to himself and exclaims, “Why are there two more two-hearted species on this planet? Unless we are part of a strategy by the Wrath Warriors to outfox you? If you kill me and her and fail to take this family hostage, you’ll never find out, will you?”
The Meep hums, then commands the soldiers, “Bring them!”
The Doctor stands animatedly, “Good! Now, look, I can suggest a much better way off this planet than a double-bladed dagger drive. ‘Cause that thing is gonna—”
His sentence remains unfinished as he is abruptly knocked out by a UNIT soldier. The Meep cackles triumphantly as the rest of you are ushered into the back of a truck, alongside the unconscious Doctor.
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On the truck's floor, the Doctor lay with his head resting on your lap, his unconscious form a testament to the challenges you faced. Your fingers moved soothingly through his untamed, spikey hair, offering a quiet comfort amid the tension.
Donna observed the scene, her curiosity getting the better of her. "How long have you two been together?" she inquired, attempting to place where she might have encountered you before.
"A good number of years," you replied, choosing to keep the more intricate details to yourself, considering the Doctor's timeless nature.
Rose, equally intrigued, posed another question, "Are you two married?"
A snort escaped you. "Nope. I don't think he wants that with me if I'm being honest."
“Why?” Rose pressed on.
Your gaze drifted, and you sniffed softly. "I’m all sorts of wrong for him. And sometimes, it scares me. The emptiness I see in my eyes,” you admitted, vulnerability seeping into your words. Your eyes lingered on the Doctor as you continued, “The Doctor is brilliant. He is truly brilliant. After all he’s been through... he deserves everything good and more… more than me.”
As your confession lingered in the air, the Doctor began to stir awake, bringing a momentary hush to the truck. His eyes fluttered open, and a low groan escaped him as he gradually sat up, settling next to you.
Donna eyed the Doctor with suspicion, her narrowed gaze fixed on him. "Who are you?" she questioned, her tone demanding answers.
The Doctor, still feeling the effects of his earlier unconsciousness, touched the back of his head with a wince. "I’m just passing by," he nervously replied, attempting to deflect her inquiries.
Undeterred, Donna redirected her attention to her mother, Sylvia, and pressed on, "Do you know him?" Sylvia, in an attempt to conceal any familiarity, shook her head, responding, "No."
Donna, frustrated and puzzled, continued, "You act like you know him. Ever since he arrived, it’s like—" She heaved a heavy sigh, abruptly halting her train of thought. "I’m so stupid!" she declared, voicing her self-reproach.
Shaun quickly reassured his wife, "No. No, you’re not."
Donna shook her head, lost in contemplation. "We could be living somewhere far away from here. Monte Carlo. Switzerland." She then turned to her daughter Rose, who sat beside her. "And you— And you’d be safe, Rose." Donna pulled Rose into a comforting side hug. "It’s all my fault. Gave away that lottery money."
The Doctor, unable to resist his curiosity, interjected, "Why?"
Donna shot him a glare. "Because. There are places out there where people are in danger. And in pain. And fear. And I could help. Just felt the sort of thing he would do." Her words hung in the air, revealing a sense of duty and compassion that drove her actions.
Abruptly, the truck jolts to a stop, resulting in the Doctor colliding with one of the crates, eliciting a pained groan. You swiftly move to assist him. The truck door swings open, and a stern voice commands, "Out!"
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MILLSON WAGNER STEELWORKS 
NORTH LONDON, – EVENING, DECEMBER 2023
The UNIT soldiers briskly led you towards the heart of the steelworks, where the Meep's spaceship had strategically landed.
"It didn't choose the steelworks by accident. It came here to be mended," the Doctor remarked as the group neared the spacecraft. The Meep made a grand entrance, seated on a makeshift throne of steel carried by a procession of UNIT soldiers. With its menacing teeth and booming voice, it declared, "Hail to the Meep!"
A hypnotic chant echoed through the steelworks as multiple officers joined in unison, "Hail to the Meep. Hail to the Most High. Hail to the Meep. Hail to the Most High."
"Human scum, behold my vessel to the stars! Far beyond your tiny, grasping minds," Beep the Meep declares with an air of arrogance. You respond with an eye roll of annoyance, and the Doctor shakes his head while humorously interjecting, "I name this ship the Delusions of Grandeur."
Beep the Meep growls in protest, "Meep."
"You can't fire those engines. Not from here. A dagger drive gets its energy by stabbing down. It would extract, ooh, five square miles? The whole of London town burnt as fuel," the Doctor explains, his tone serious and concerned.
Rose, wearing a frown, adds, "But that's nine million people."
"A great day for Meepkind. And the start of a new reign of terror as the Meep return to the stars for revenge. And feasting. Now, activate the initializers," the Meep commands, its voice dripping with malevolence.
A disciplined UNIT soldier swiftly responds, "Initializers activated."
The low hum of the spaceship's engines reverberates through the steelworks as the Meep grins with an evil glint in its eyes, proclaiming, "Brandish the gravity stanchions."
"Gravity stanchions brandished," announces a focused UNIT soldier as the prongs of the spacecraft forcefully dig into the ground.
"Calibrate the flight deck," the Meep commands with a sense of authority, intensifying the tension in the air.
A disciplined UNIT member announces, "Flight deck calibrated."
The Meep, perched on its steel throne, commands, "Take the prisoners on board! Then I’ll decide which one to eat first. Hail to Meep!"
The rhythmic chant of the hypnotized UNIT soldiers fills the air, "Hail to the Most High! Hail to the Meep!" while the Meep indulges in a sinister cackle, reveling in its delusions of grandeur.
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The liftgate slams shut, transporting you to a different floor. Thoughts of subduing the UNIT guards swirl in your mind as the lift grinds to a halt. As the gate creaks open, Shirley appears, wearing a mischievous grin. "Evening, boys."
With swift precision, she activates a concealed device beneath her wheelchair, firing two darts at each soldier. The tranquilizers swiftly take effect, rendering the guards unconscious.
"You've got weapons in your wheelchair," the Doctor exclaims, eyeing Shirley with a mixture of surprise and admiration. She glances back at him, a knowing look in her eyes, and responds, "We all have. You've got your girl to thank for that. Come on." With a nod, she leads the way, wheeling herself confidently through the complex.
"Right. You lot, the family, you can get out through that door," Shirley says, gesturing towards the exit on the right. She then turns her attention to you and the Doctor, her tone more serious, "You need to get to the engine control. But the port side’s guarded, and there's no way around it."
A quick exchange of glances between you and the Doctor precedes his question to Shirley, "So what do we do?"
With a confident smirk, Shirley retorts, "I don’t just fire darts, mate." She spins her wheelchair around, revealing hidden capabilities. With the push of a button, two missiles activate and blast through the wall, creating a makeshift path forward. The unexpected firepower leaves you and the Doctor momentarily impressed.
Shirley swiftly directs the family, "You lot run. I’ll fight them off at the lift."
The Doctor tightens his grip on your hand, leading you through the large breach in the wall. The chaotic, metallic environment of the spaceship's bridge unfolds before you. With his trusty sonic screwdriver, the Doctor deftly manipulates the controls, unlocking the gate to the engine control room. As the door creaks open, the two of you step inside, ready to stop the ship from taking off.
The Doctor removes his coat and hangs it on one of the pillars as the ship's system voice declares, “Dagger drive systems initializing.”
In a sudden burst of energy, Donna enters the control room panting, "That's enough… running. Blimey."
The system voice abruptly announces, “Chamber deadlocked.” Panic sets in as the only exit seals shut, leaving the Doctor frustrated. He slams his hands on the door, exclaiming, “No, no, no, no! I told you to go—just don’t!”
Frantically, he moves about the room, urging, “No time. I’ve got this. We’ve got it. We’ve got it. You stay there. Don’t move, Donna!”
The Doctor and you scramble around, pressing buttons and flicking switches, racing against time as the system voice declares, “Star launch in five minutes.”
Climbing up one of the pillars, the Doctor instructs you while you squat on the other side to manipulate hidden switches. Suddenly, the system announces, “Deadlock sealed.” A flicker of discomfort courses through both of you as the ship's mechanisms react.
“It’s been deadlocked,” you groan, and Donna questions, “What’s that mean?” 
The Doctor replies swiftly, “It means, we can do it by hand.”
You move to the far end of the ship, and the system voice chimes in again, “Maxifold bisecting.” A glass pane wall starts dividing the room, separating you from the Doctor and Donna. “You can stay on that side Doctor, I—” But then the Doctor rolls under the glass just before it seals, protesting, “Oh. No, no, no, no!”
“Double dagger drive installed and initiated.”
You can feel your eye twitch as you look at the Doctor standing next to you. “Okay, okay. Okay, we can do it with half the room. That’s fine.” The Doctor tries to reassure himself and you look at him wondering why he had to end up on your side of the room.
“Let me help.” Donna insists and the Doctor is quick to disagree, “No! You can’t get involved.”
Donna looks at the Doctor with a glare, challenging him and the Doctor tries to steady his resolve, “You can’t!”
It's then your turn to shoot him a pointed look. The Doctor groans and pants in frustration before finally surrendering. He instructs Donna, "Switches, the top ones, the blue ones, flick them all down."
Donna diligently follows his directions, swiftly flicking the switches down, while you navigate to a different section of your side of the room to spin a dial a few times. Despite your efforts, it proves futile, and you slump down in disappointment. The Doctor, leaning defeatedly on a pillar, somberly admits, "We've run out of time."
“Ignition in 230.”
The Doctor sighs with a heavy burden on his shoulders as he confides in Donna, "If there was anything else I could do, but there's one thing left."
"Well— Well, then do it," Donna urges, her tone laced with desperation. The Doctor, however, looks down in shame, prompting Donna to insist, "Hurry up and do it! What are you waiting for?"
Pushing himself off the pillar, the Doctor strides over to the glass partition separating Donna from the two of you. "I think… all that coincidence was heading here to save London from burning. 'Cause the three of us can stop this ship. Together."
Donna gasps in realization, "Oh."
As you rise and move towards the glass, locking eyes with Donna, you declare, "But it will kill you."
Donna sharply inhales, and responds easily, “Okay.”
The Doctor’s voice cracks as he says, “You’ll die.”
Donna's lower lip trembles, her eyes reflecting the imminent crisis, as she says, "My daughter is down there."
"Ignition in 180."
Tears well up in Donna's eyes, and her voice stammers with fear, "And it's not just Rose. It's nine million people. Who cares about me?"
The Doctor responds swiftly, his urgency palpable, "I do. We both do."
Donna takes a deep breath, mustering courage, and asks, "But why?" She pauses, gathering her thoughts, and continues, "I'm just no one."
The Doctor's expression shifts to one of anger, his eyebrows furrowing as he yells, "No, you are not!"
He takes a few steps back, the weight of the situation evident in his sob and scream, "Why does it have to be this?"
"Entering the final sequence."
The Doctor looks at Donna with a somber gaze, defeated, as he utters the words that trigger Donna's memories, "Westerly. Pelican. Dreams."
Donna is desperate as she says, "I don't— Look, I don't care what it is. All right. Just— just go on and do it, will you?"
"Ignition in 150."
"Tornado. Clifftops. Andante," the Doctor says.
"Get on with it!" Donna shouts.
The Doctor continues, "Grief. Fingerprint. Susurration."
Donna's eyes light up as she begins to remember her adventures, "Oh."
The Doctor and Donna utter the last few words in unison, "Sparrow. Dance. Mexico. Binary. Binary. Binary."
A golden glow emanates from Donna, the metacrisis shimmering through as she regains her memories once more. You and the Doctor press your palms against the glass, witnessing her transformative moment.
"Ignition in 100."
As the glow dissipates, the Doctor anxiously asks, "Are you alright?"
"Ignition in 90."
Donna pants, sighs, and sweeps her bangs away from her eyes as she glares at the Doctor. Inhaling deeply, she says, "I gave away my money."
"Ignition in 75."
The Doctor looks at her, puzzled, "Right, but—"
Donna, expressing a mix of frustration and anger, interrupts, "I gave away all my money. And do you know why, Doctor? I gave it away to be like you. So I could be kind. So I could be nice. So I could be helpful— I—"
Donna releases a frustrated growl as the system voice continues, "Ignition in one minute."
Moving her face closer to the glass panel, Donna continues, "I had a subconscious, infracutaneous, retrofold memory loop making me act as soft as you and give away 166 million pounds!"
"Ignition in 50."
The Doctor, wide-eyed, nods in agreement but attempts to refocus on the urgent matter, "Yes, Donna, but— Destruction of London?"
"Oh, I'll show you destruction, mate," Donna declares, intertwining her fingers before flexing them to crack her knuckles.
"Ignition in 40."
You and the Doctor observe in awe as Donna moves around the control panel with ease. "I'll triple-drive the particle manifesto, overstep the umbilical feed, vindicate the cyberline, and roast the hyperfeeds! Like this!" Donna exclaims, spinning the dial on the lower left of her.
The Doctor navigates about half of the room, deftly flicking switches while instructing, "Maximise the stressfold links!"
"Channel up the booster drive!" Donna commands, pressing a few buttons.
"Inculcate the plexidrones!" You chime in, flicking a few more switches.
"And shatterfry the positrons! Oh yes!" Donna exclaims.
"Twenty, nineteen..."
Donna interrupts, asking, "How long have I got to live?" as she switches off a few controls.
"...sixteen, fifteen..."
All three of you simultaneously answer, "Fifty-five seconds."
"Thirteen, twelve, eleven..."
"The best fifty-five seconds of my life!" Donna exclaims.
"Seven, six, five, four..."
"Because I get to do this!" Donna proudly announces, turning around and simultaneously flicking off several switches.
"Three, two— Ignition halted."
You three watch as the panel flies off the wall; the countdown has stopped, and Donna proudly states, "Donna Noble is descending."
"Ignition reverse. Ignition reverse."
"It’s working!" The Doctor's voice resonates with exhilaration as the tangible effects of the reversed dagger drive unfold before your eyes.
However, your joy is cut short when you notice Donna beginning to falter. Panic sets in, and you urgently cry out, "No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no!"
Swiftly, both you and the Doctor move in unison to catch Donna as she descends, cradling her fragile form in your arms. Donna sighs, her expression reflecting a mix of exhaustion and relief. The Doctor reassures her, "We did it. She’s fine. She’s safe. You saved her."
Donna smiles weakly, and you add, "You saved them all."
In a moment of introspection, Donna questions, "Why did this face come back?" She turns her gaze towards the Doctor, who responds with a sigh, "I don’t know."
"To say goodbye," Donna asserts with a soft smile. She then shifts her attention to you, saying, "Oh, the Stargazer. I’ve missed you."
"I’ve missed you too, Donna, every day," you confess, and the Doctor emits a thoughtful hum.
"Good fun, though," Donna remarks, her chuckles mingling with yours and the Doctor's. The lighthearted moment takes an abrupt turn as Donna's eyes flutter closed, her entire being going limp in the arms of her two closest companions.
A collective sob escapes from you and the Doctor as you sit there, cradling your best friend, a bittersweet mixture of victory and loss filling the air.
Abruptly, the door to the engine control room opens, revealing a cadre of UNIT soldiers with swirling, hypnotized eyes. The air tightens with tension as one of them declares, "We have orders to kill you."
Undeterred, the Doctor retorts defiantly, "Do what you want. This ship isn't going anywhere. You were beaten. By the DoctorDonna." The soldiers, rifles at the ready, cast ominous shadows in the confined space. You resign yourself to the impending threat, feeling the Doctor's protective instinct as he positions himself to shield you.
In a surprising turn, the psychedelic light emitted from the soldiers' eyes screeches and hisses, dissipating into nothingness. Bewilderment echoes through the room, and you join the Doctor in uttering a perplexed, "What?"
Even one of the soldiers can't help but question, "What?"
Donna, roused from her unconscious state, adds her own disoriented, "What?"
The Doctor, his voice tinged with disbelief, softly utters, "You're not dead."
A collective sense of confusion lingers, and Donna, now fully awake, queries, "But how?" as she steadies herself.
After a brief pause, Rose's voice resonates through the intercom, "Can you hear me? Mum? Doctor? Star? I think it's safe for you to come down now."
Donna responds, perplexed, "Rose?"
The Doctor's eyes widen with a sudden epiphany, "Too much power for one person, but you had a child, and the metacrisis passed down. A shared inheritance."
Donna grins, “It was always there. Shining out of her.”
“And she chose her own name,” the Doctor adds.
“Oh, the shed! The shed was her memory of the TARDIS. The toys! Every creature we met, she remembered as a toy,” Donna says with a glint in her eye.
You gape, suddenly realizing, “We are binary.”
“She’s not. Because the Doctor’s—”
The Doctor interjects, “Male.”
“And female,” Donna finishes.
"And neither. And more," Rose says, her voice carrying a warm smile through the intercom.
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Donna rushes down the stairs, her steps echoing in the cavernous steelworks. Rose meets her halfway, and they share an emotional hug, Shaun joining in the embrace.
You and the Doctor follow suit, descending rapidly to the ground floor. Sylvia awaits, and as you approach, the Doctor wraps her in a jubilant hug. He inquires, “Happy now?”
Sylvia responds with a radiant smile, "My father would be impressed. I have no higher compliment." Laughter of triumph fills the air as you and the Doctor proceed to the nearby control center.
Shirley deftly maneuvers her wheelchair towards you and the Doctor, offering her unique perspective. She addresses the Doctor with a sly grin, “There’s a word for you, Doctor. And that word is jammy.”
The Doctor responds with infectious enthusiasm, “Jam on toast.” He decisively slams a button, activating the intercom. With authority, he speaks into the microphone, “Calling the Meep.”
The Meep's defiant voice crackles through the speakers, “You forget I still have my ship. And if I have to explode the engines and rupture this world and damn us all to hell, then I will!” A shared glance between you and the Doctor follows, and he graciously hands you the task of flicking the crucial switch.
With a resounding click, the Meep’s cockpit is ejected into the sky, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of the Meep's distressed shrieks. You and the Doctor gaze upward, drawn into the spectacle unfolding against the canvas of the vast night sky.
“There you go.” The Doctor points with a wry smile, observing the Meep’s cockpit deploying a parachute against the cosmic backdrop.
You feel the Doctor's reassuring grip on your waist as he pulls you into his side. Together, you look up, transfixed by the celestial display. The stars twinkle above, and in that moment, you choose to hope and believe that nothing universe-ending has transpired yet.
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As the sun ascends on the horizon, casting a warm glow over the scene, the Wrath Warriors stand sternly with the imprisoned Meep, forming an uneasy tableau. You step forward, addressing them with a heavy heart, "Sergeant Zogroth and Constable Zreeg gave their lives, alongside many Earth soldiers."
The Wrath Warrior, resolute in the face of the aftermath, declares, "Their names will be included in the litany of crimes as the Meep atones in prison for 10,000 years." The Meep, defiant in defeat, mutters, "Oh, I will escape and have my revenge. So you beware, Doctor and Stargazer, because there’s one more thing."
With a determined stride, the Doctor moves closer, inquiring, "Which is?"
“A creature with two hearts is such a rare thing. And to have two of your kind here… Just wait till I tell the boss,” the Meep retorts, an ominous promise lingering in the air. The Wrath Warriors and the Meep vanish in a teleportation, leaving a sobering aftermath beneath the morning sun.
The Doctor, caught in contemplation, mumbles under his breath, "Cryptic. I hate that." He takes a deep breath, turning his attention to Donna and Rose with a sense of urgency, "But… we’ve still gotta fix you two. ‘Cause the metacrisis might have slowed down, but that thing is wrapped around your cortex."
Donna, with an eye roll and a knowing nod, quips, “Yes, we know.”
Rose adds confidently, “We know everything, thanks.”
Donna, in her typical nonchalant manner, shrugs, “And you know nothing. It’s a shame you’re not a woman anymore. ‘Cause she’d have understood.”
Rose, crossing her arms, asserts with confidence, “You’ve got all that power, but there is a way to get rid of it. Something a male-presenting Time Lord will never understand.”
Donna, ever pragmatic, advises, “Just let it go.”
The unity between mother and daughter becomes evident as Rose takes Donna’s hand, and together, they release the accumulated metacrisis energy. Shaun interjects with a grin, “Like I said, mate, how lucky am I?”
Rose, with a joyous laugh, concludes, “After all these years, I’m… finally me.”
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CAMDEN MARKET, LONDON — MORNING, 2023
Shaun skillfully navigates the vehicle, bringing the group back to Camden Market in London. Earlier, you had informed Shirley about the intention to bid farewell to the Doctor and Donna before returning to headquarters. Shirley responded with a nonchalant, "Sure..." accompanied by a discerning look, rolling away from you in her wheelchair.
The Doctor maintains his characteristic chattiness as he informs Donna, "And UNIT has a splendid insurance policy for damage caused during an alien war. While they sort that out..." Approaching the iconic tall blue police box, the TARDIS, the Doctor gestures towards it, saying, "One last trip?"
"Uh, don’t you dare," Sylvie interjects with a pointed look. Donna, casting puppy eyes at both you and the Doctor, laments, “Do you know, I would love to.” She then takes a sharp inhale, sighs, and adds, “But… I have got adventures of my own, bringing up this one.” Donna points her thumb towards Rose.
“Can I see inside?” Rose asks the Doctor curiously, taking a step toward the TARDIS. Donna, however, swiftly moves her away, cautioning, “No. No! No. No.”
Rose sighs, and Donna playfully waves her finger, “No. Because summat will go wrong, and you’ll end up on Mars with Chaucer and a robot shark. And that’s actually happened, hasn’t it.”
The Doctor gives a sheepish, “Oh, yeah.”
“But I was thinking, we could go and see Wilf?” The Doctor suggests to you and Donna.
Donna then says, “Now that is cheating.”
The Doctor pouts, “Just a suggestion.”
“I mean it, don’t you dare.” Sylvie says, and Donna sighs, “But imagine his face, Mum. Oh, he would be so happy. All those secrets Grandad kept for years. He— He thought I’d never remember. And to see the Doctor. One last time.”
The Doctor and Donna make a puppy face to you and Sylvie, urging you to join them. Sylvie relents and gives in, “Oh, all right. But one trip. That’s all. Just one.”
The Doctor turns to unlock the door with his key while Donna laughs with glee, “One tiny, little trip. That is a promise.”
Donna turns to you and the Doctor and gasps in excitement, “It’s like the old days. Just me, the Doctor, and the Stargazer. Together.” She then turns to her family, “Is that all right?”
“Yeah, of course it is,” Shaun says confidently with a huge smile.
“Well, a lot of husbands would worry. You know, me, in a box, with another man.” Donna jokes, and Shaun shrugs and shakes his head, “Yeah. But not him.”
The Doctor looks somewhat offended, but then Donna shoos him to go inside, “Come on, space man.”
In the quiet aftermath, with Donna entering the TARDIS, the Doctor notices the unsure expression on your face. He whispers to Donna to go ahead, and she complies, leaving the two of you alone, behind the TARDIS, sheltered from prying eyes.
With a gentle gesture, he wraps an arm around your waist, pulling you closer. He cups your face with both hands, his smile revealing dimples that carry the weight of countless adventures. “The stars haven’t gone out.”
Your raised brows betray a hint of skepticism, “Yet…”
The Doctor locks eyes with you, his deep dark brown orbs conveying understanding. As tears well up in your eyes, you break the silence, your voice a fragile whisper, “You have no idea how bad it gets. How scared I am that all of this is temporary and I lose you… and I can’t have you.”
“Hey. Hey, hey. None of that,” he reassures, his gaze unwavering. “So far, everything has been leading me back to you. And when the time comes to face it… we’ll fix it… together. I can’t lose you again. Not ever again.”
His words linger in the air, a vow shaped by the quiet resilience of a Time Lord who has navigated countless challenges across time and space. You respond with a nod, sealing the unspoken pact, and tenderly kiss his wrists. In return, he draws you closer, planting a gentle kiss on the top of your head.
“When this is all over,” he declares, “we’re getting married.”
“What?” you screech, caught off guard by the unexpected revelation.
“We've waited this long. I’m not spending the rest of my how many years without you,” the Doctor insists, his eyes earnest.
“Is this a proposal?” you inquire, a mixture of surprise and delight in your voice.
“If you want,” he smirks, playfully nonchalant.
On tiptoe, you reach up to kiss the tip of his nose, a tender acknowledgment, “We'll see.” The promise of an unwritten future hangs in the air, held by the shared understanding that time and space will unfold their stories together.
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THE TARDIS
The Doctor guides you inside the TARDIS and closes the door behind him and both of you are in awe of the major changes of the entire TARDIS. Huge curved white walls with round circles that glow with lights and many ramps that lead to different corridors.
The Doctor hangs his coat on one of the railings as he grins and laughs, “Whoa!” He begins to run around all the ramps with the energy of a little kid as he shouts, “This is amazing!”
“It changed! Oh, you clever thing! Look at that!” The Doctor laughs as he finishes his lap around the new interior of the TARDIS. He runs over to the console and smiles, “It’s got this!”
He pushes a lever forward, and the lights within the TARDIS shift to a vibrant orange, casting a warm glow. Your gaze is drawn upward in awe as the ambient hum of the time machine resonates around you. Running your fingers along the railings, you can feel the TARDIS responding, and you affectionately murmur, “Hello, sweet thing. I missed you too.”
Amid the luminous atmosphere, the Doctor darts around the console, engaging with switches and buttons on the refurbished device. Donna, observing the transformation, remarks, “It’s still a bit nippy.”
The Doctor protests, “Oh, come on!”
Undeterred, Donna concedes with a grin, “All right…” Her expression changes as she admires the surroundings, “It’s gorgeous!” Laughter bubbles up from both Donna and the Doctor, who joins in the jubilation, bouncing excitedly.
“It’s cleaner. And it’s grown,” Donna observes, her laughter echoing through the TARDIS.
Making your way to the console, you overhear Donna questioning the Doctor, “But I— I still don’t get it. I mean, the TARDIS can change all right. But what about your face? Why did it come back?”
“Does there have to be a reason?” the Doctor muses, and Donna, with a snort, retorts, “In your life? Yes!”
With a nonchalant shrug, the Doctor remarks, “Well, I’m stuck with it now.” He continues exploring the console, fidgeting with excitement, and comments, “Oh, this thing is brilliant. It’s even got a coffee machine!” Glancing at you and Donna, he inquires, “You want one?”
You shake your head, “No, thank you, darling.”
“You’re kidding,” Donna says with wide eyes.
“With cold milk, yeah?” The Doctor deftly presses a few buttons, and Donna, smiling, says, “Well remembered.” To your delight, a white cup materializes with coffee and cold milk.
He carefully hands the cup of coffee to Donna who says, “Thank you very much. Careful. It’s how I lost my job. Dropped a coffee in the computer.”
To which the Doctor just hums and moves to flick a few more switches around the console as you lean on a railing, to listen to him say, “I really do remember, though. Every second with you. I’m so glad you’re back ‘cause it killed me, Donna.” The Doctor clicks another switch as he continues on, “It killed me, it killed me, it killed me.”
"We can have more days, can’t we?" Donna inquires, her tone laced with a mix of hope and curiosity. Her eyes reflect a desire for a future filled with shared moments. Continuing with optimism, she suggests, "I mean, why is it such a big goodbye with you? Why is it one last trip? ‘Cause you could visit. With my family."
The Doctor, absorbed in examining a screw, listens attentively as Donna paints a vivid picture of ordinary yet precious moments. "We could do outrageous things, like have tea, dinner, and a laugh! And Rose’s school play. Well, maybe not that. She can’t act. She’s terrible. I don’t know how to tell her. But the point is, you’ve been given a second chance. You can do things differently this time."
Encouraging him to embrace change, Donna suggests, "So why don’t you do something completely new and have some friends?"
The Doctor contemplates the idea, responding with a hesitant "Maybe. Yeah." Donna chuckles, savoring the simplicity of their current moment. "Mmm. Like now," she remarks, lifting her cup as if to toast. "Here we are. Having a coffee."
Before the Doctor can respond, Donna's accidental spillage disrupts the calm, eliciting a gasp from her. "What’s gonna go wrong—" Her sentence is abruptly cut off as the spilled coffee interacts with the TARDIS console, resulting in sparks and flames.
With urgency, Donna questions, "What’s happening?" The Doctor, swift in his actions, ushers both you and Donna away from the unfolding chaos. The TARDIS groans and whines as its engines protest, and the cloister bell rings ominously in the background.
"We could end up anywhere in time and space," the Doctor confesses, a tinge of uncertainty in his voice. As the atmosphere fills with anticipation, you brace yourself, thinking, "Here we go again."
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TAGLIST:
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allophonicmess · 5 months
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Time and Time again - Part 2
14th Doctor x reader / mentioned 15th x reader
Masterlist
Full version cross-posted on Ao3
The Doctor is struggling after the Bi-regeneration. It only seems logical for you to move on with the next version of him. So why do you stay?
Established relationship
Timelord!wife reader
Mostly jealous 14th! Doctor and angst but balanced out with fluff.
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The 25 of December 2023, Christmas day
 "Okay, but I have to ask. Why two wedding bands?" Rose leaned over to you, eyes moving between your wedding rings and your face. On your left ring finger was a thin, twisted band adorned with a clear gem. On the right a wider band decorated in fine Gallifreyan symbols.
"It's an old tradition." You chuckled. "Two rings-"
"For two hearts?" She finished for you, smiling softly at the idea of the intricate gesture.
"Yep, exactly." You laughed softly, squeezing her hand under the table. The Doctor sat opposite you, next to Donna and Shaun. The table was set beautifully with Christmas decorations, lights and candles. The new Doctor had been right about the roast, complementing the Noble-Temple household for their magnificent cooking.
"Aww, that's so sweet!" Rose marvelled, gasping at Doctor. He blushed softly, suddenly very interested in the bits of carrots on his plate. 
"One for each heart? I thought that whole ring to the heart idea is an American thing?" Shaun wondered, looking between you two and the others at the table.
"Well, actually-"The Doctor started, setting his cutlery in an attempt to create a rhetorical pause. You chuckled at his antics. You loved his storytelling. His expressiveness and capturing performance. You leaned back a little, watching the family around you, focusing on him with curious expressions. 
"Many human cultural practices are adopted from alien contact." He casually crossed his arms, basking in the attention like a cat in warm sunlight. "Weddings themselves. Imported from the Bisianth. Inquisitive creatures, birdlike, like um-"
He went on with his tale, pretending to think about the proper expression. 
"Like ostriches." You offered, leaning your elbow on the table to cover your grin. He loved it even more when you joined in. A team effort at wowing the company.
"Yes! Ostriches! Thank you, love." He laughed.
Rose smirked at you suggestively. She had grown close to you and your partner over the last few weeks. She loved each and every story about your adventures, fascinated by what is out there. She felt connected to you in a way that only the Doctor was. She was so much wiser and grown than her age allowed for. 
"And what about them? You were explaining about the rings," Sylvia interjected. She was quick to notice the Doctor drifting off from his original story.  
"Hm? Oh well, they bond for life. Ostriches, I mean. And Bisianth-"
He was lost in thought for a moment. Eyebrows furrowed, and gaze focused on the light of one of the candles. He remained silent for another moment. The humans at the table became slightly concerned at his sudden stop and change in demeanour. 
He blinked a few times, shaking his head slightly. He seemed to have lost the plot, so you stepped in.
"They bond for life as do timelords. But our culture does so at a deeper level since death is a more, let's say, abstract concept." You explained simply, sipping from your glass and gently smiling at the others.
"And on that note, we'll ask you to excuse us. Someone here is still woozy from their Bi-regeneration and needs to sleep." You explained, finishing your drink and smiling at Donna. 
"I thought timelords don't sleep…" Donna explained, looking at you and the Doctor quizzingly. 
"I don't need sleep" The Doctor replied with a scoff. "Just a little bit for regeneration sickness, but I'm fine, so-"
He stopped talking when he saw your and Donna's doubtful expressions. 
Rose spoke up after a moment of awkward silence, "Looks like that's something you can work on." she joked, getting up to help the others gather the plates and cutlery. You gave a soft laugh, sharing a knowing look until she rounded the corner to the kitchen. You also got up, pushing your chair to the table and walking around to meet the Doctor. 
"As I said, Dinner was fantastic. Thank you so much, Donna, all of you." You called a little louder to make sure that all of them heard. 
They had taken you in without any questions. You instantly became family and integrated with them as if it had been like this from the beginning. You were happy to have helped them when UNIT came in to fix the Noble-Temple's house after what happened with the Meep. The house had to be cleared and empty for repairs, so the whole family moved in with you. They spend 2 weeks living with you in the Tardis. It was a delight, the fascination they felt, and it finally gave you a chance to organize and relocate the rooms. In the end, you finally had a functioning kitchen, a proper bedroom for you and enough set guestrooms for a full-on family trip. The Doctor also enjoyed the new proper setup, even though he tried not to show it.
"Of course, darling. "Donna smiled, watching happily as you sneaked an arm around the Doctor's waist. His reaction was instantaneous, leaning into you and placing his arm around you, smoothing his thumb over your arm. You were good for him. Always have been. But your relatively stationary position on earth only allowed for a few visits and meetings between you and the Doctor. You had travelled with him every once and again but mainly took care of earth, protecting it when he was gone. 
"Now get this one to bed. He's losing focus again, and I'm not going to let him sleep on the couch again. Not after all that complaining last time." She replied, pretending to sound strict and fed up. The Doctor had tried to sit through a binge-watching session with Rose, trying to build that proper Uncle-Niece relationship early on. But even a timelord has no chance against the hyperfocus and messed up sleep schedule of a 15-year-old. So he spent the night sleeping on the couch in an almost impossible position and proceeded to complain about his back for the next week. 
"Eh, I'm fine. And I didn't complain." He scoffed, "But I won't fight with this one here." He pecked a kiss on your head, pulling you into his side. 
"So, have a good night!" He called into the house, smiling softly at the "thank-you!"' s  and "you-too!"' s  that came from the kitchen and hallway.
He took in the moment, that easy joy he felt. He was surprised at how happy these small things made him. Dinner with the family, a game of cards, gardening, or simply watching the others with a cuppa in hand. It felt good, a joy that didn't need a grand entrance or having to save a civilization. Just life.
He took your hand and gently led you out towards the terrace, the garden, and into the blue box you called home. He opened the door for you, letting you inside while smiling at you with soft admiration. You thanked him, listening to his soft-soled steps as he followed you inside. You threw your jacket over one of the railings and approached the upper level. 
But you paused at the door when you noticed he didn't follow.
"Are you coming?" You leaned onto the upper railing, watching him flip a few switches at the controls and studying one of the screens intensely. It took him a moment to answer, looking up at you. "Yeah, I'll be there in a second. Get settled already." 
His focus shifted back towards the controls. He even took out his glasses, all attention on the screen.
You smiled at him and made your way towards the bedroom. You changed into your nightwear, brushed your teeth and settled under the soft duvet. With closed eyes, you focused on the steady hum of the Tardis. It was like breathing, a soft whining that sounded like home to you. 
Soft rustling and a gentle tug on the duvet made you open your eyes again. The Doctor slipped under the covers next to you. He laid on his back and immediately lifted his arm to let you rest your head on his chest. He let out a long sigh, lowering his arm as your head came down over his right heart and gently running his fingers over your back and arm. You closed your eyes, letting out a sigh of your own and relaxing as the sound of his heartbeats drew you in. You hummed softly, just enjoying the moment and running your hand over the cotton of his shirt. Your hand consistently over his other heart. 
"Why did you stay?" He whispered, almost as if too afraid to ask you out loud. Ever since that kiss with the new version, he had been thinking about it. It only seemed logical for you to keep going and settling in with the new Doctor. Especially since that one seemed to do so much better than he did.
You slowly lifted your head and turned to look at him properly. The lines on his face seemed more prominent in the soft orange light of the Tardis night setting. 
"Why wouldn't I stay?" you ask, your hand gently smoothed through his hair. You felt him relax under you. Melt into your touch like candle wax. 
He remained silent, eyes closed and quietly enjoying your touch. Then he breathed in deeply, licking his lower lip before focusing on your eyes with a stern look.
"He is better than me. In so many ways." He gently shook his head. "A younger body, the charisma, that smile. Oh, that damned grin. How dare he-"He gritted his teeth, his eyes moving away from you to focus on some random spot in the room. Anywhere, really, he regretted starting the conversation. He knew it was silly, but he needed to know. 
"And he seems to be so much better. Lighter…” 
"Healed." You interjected. Holding his chin to bring his attention back to you. You knew that you two would have this talk. You always had these types of discussions after he met other versions of himself. Especially the younger ones. Being with 12 had been a real challenge in that sense. 
"He is healed. Because he stopped running." You smooth over the lines on his forehead. Caused by so much thinking and worrying. 
"He stopped and faced his past. And that hurts, but it's the only way to keep going." You kissed his eyebrow that dared to lower in confusion to your statement.
"He stopped and reflected, spending his time with life's little joys. And over time, it helped him to become better. To lose that baggage." You saw the tears starting to well up in his eyes. He tried to look away again, but you kept your eyes on him.
"It's okay, Doctor. Let it out. You don't have to keep your emotions shut away." You encouraged him softly, feeling your own tears welling. It felt like a relief to feel his tears soak into your shirt. It was a first step.
He sat up slightly, pulling into a tight embrace and burying his face in your neck. You just held him, both of you letting your tears flow. 
After a moment, you laugh softly, "See, this is what made you become him." Turning your head to kiss his cheek.
He sniffed softly, "Yeah?" "Yeah. And I'll be here for it. Every step of the way." You gently pushed him back onto the bed, resting on his chest again, both hands placed on his cheeks. 
"And when this run ends, I'll be there for the next chapter." You kissed him slowly, feeling his desperation as he kissed you back. His lips moved softly against yours, and he moved his hands to hold your face like you had his. 
"Hopefully, with this face, but who knows. Maybe I'll have a new face by then, and you'll have to be clever to find me in the crowd. No, wait-" You stopped to think about the exact workings of time in your situation. "You'll know the new face 'cause you were here before. Oh, I wanted to have you work for it. At least once." You sighed dramatically before going for another kiss. 
He chuckled softly. "What are you on about?" the Doctor said, shaking his head softly. "We split. It's me and him from the point of Bi-Regeneration and onwards."
You stared at him momentarily, dumbfounded that he hadn't figured it out. You laughed, sitting up and looking at him with mischief.
"Is that how you think Bi-Regeneration works?" You giggled, watching his confused face. 
"Well... Yeah! What else should be happening? It's two time-strands opening. I've got this once, and he's off doing new version things!" His hasty and offended answers made you laugh even harder. 
"See, that is why I was at the academy and learned the proper stuff while you just went  and stole a Tardis." You calmed down, still giggling but moving back towards him. 
"This here is a time loop, silly." You peck a kiss on his nose. "You remain in this form till you regenerate, and then it's back to the rooftop, love." You grinned, watching gleefully as his 'Oh, now I understand' – expression took over his face. 
He blinked, thinking for a moment, and you watched him quietly, a knowing smile on your lips.
"That's where he took off to. That's why he was in a hurry to leave!" He grinned triumphantly. He pulled you into a deep kiss, holding you close as he celebrated his achievement. You pushed yourself off him slowly," Now you have got to remember the date, Kensington Park, the 12 of June 2023. Italian Gardens." 
"And bring some Ice cream?"
You held his cheek, gently smoothing over his skin.
 "You know it, darling."
Thanks for reading! Feel free to send requests or promts if you would like to see more stories like this one :)
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gracesimp · 5 months
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Together Forever
14th doctor x fem!wife!reader
summary: The newly regenerated doctor is finding out some very interesting things about himself. Luckily, his wife is supportive. (super quick drabble).
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"Was it just me, or was issac Newton hot?" Donna asks and y/n giggles, her hand tightening around her husband's as he sways them back and forth.
"he was, wasn't he? he was so hot - ooh, is that who I am now?" The Doctor ponders aloud, and his wife snorts, fondly shaking her head.
"Now?" She asks playfully, raising a teasing eyebrow. The Doctor pauses, pouting as he looks down at her, scrunching his nose as he sniffs.
Donna bursts into a fit of loud laughter, actually wiping tears from her eyes as she looks between the two. "Well," She starts, clutching her stomach as she tries to calm herself. "It was never that far from the surface, mate."
"Literally!" Y/n agrees quickly, nodding her head as she blinks up at him. Her husband rolls his eyes and she gently grabs his cheeks, bending him down so she can kiss his lips softly. "I'm happy you're finding yourself, and I'm even happier that you feel comfortable talking about this." She assures quickly.
The Doctor's eyes soften immediately, a small smile slowly replacing his pout as he looks to Y/n with complete adoration and love. He wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her closer, kissing her deeply.
The kiss lasts longer than necessary, but neither of them were complaining. He rests his forehead on hers, pecking her lips again and again before mumbling softly, "I love you."
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imdefinitelyfloating · 3 months
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A Perfect Chaos (spencer reid x reader)
Pairing: Spencer x fem! Reader
Word Count: 1.4k
This will switch between Spencer’s POV and Reader’s POV – the first paragraph is Reader, and from there it alternates. I hope it isn’t too difficult to follow along!
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The universe can be funny sometimes. It puts us in places we never expect to be, and sets into motion the new chapter of our lives. And I believe that is exactly what happened when I walked into the BAU bullpen on my first day at my new job, 3 years ago. The only empty desk sat across from a man, with his curly golden locks, his sharp jawline, and the softest eyes; I was sure, this was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. I don’t know if I believe in love at first sight, but that’s the only way I can describe what I felt at that very fateful moment.
My whole life, I’ve been trying to narrow down all the things around me to an exact science. But when she walked in that day, I felt something I had never experienced before. I was… speechless. The way her hair flowed, the way her eyes sparkled, the way her skin shone despite the harsh lighting of the BAU bullpen; I’m sure, this was the most beautiful woman I had ever laid my eyes upon. There’s an old Buddhist saying that, when you meet your soulmate, remember that the act to bring you together was 500 years in the making. So always appreciate and be kind to each other. I don’t know if I believe in soulmates, but that’s the only way I can describe what she would become to me.
Spencer and I became fast friends after I joined the BAU. I don’t know if it was intentional or just a simple coincidence, but Hotch always paired us together on cases, we sat opposite each other every day, and even rode all the same trains on the Metro. It’s safe to say we were quickly becoming the best of friends; we’d have Doctor Who marathons at his place, and have sleepovers at mine. Platonic, of course. There is no doubt in my mind that this is who I love, and this is who want to spend the rest of my life with. But I know he’ll never feel the same way, not for me.
Y/n became a place of comfort for me after tough cases, and she’d always be the one to pull me out and lift me up. She was my best friend, and I loved her, in more ways than she could even understand. I still remember the first time we sat together on the jet. It was a long case, and everyone was worn out. I felt the warmth radiating from her as she rested her head on my shoulder. I’m not the best with touch, but with her I didn’t mind. With her, I wish I could stay like that for all eternity. But I know she’ll never feel the same way, not for me.
Sitting opposite the man everyday, I quickly realised how much Spence loved his coffee (or in his case, sugar with a hint of coffee!) It soon became a tradition for us to bring coffee for each other every morning, and to go down to the little coffee shop a few blocks away on our shared breaks. As we’d walk, he would ramble on about Star Trek, and I’d counter back with my love of Star Wars! If there’s anyone who was going to challenge one of my favourite movie series, I’m glad it was him.
Valentine’s Day was always tough for me. To be honest, I was never really bothered by it until I met Y/n. Seeing her almost every day, but not being able to hold her, not being able to tell her how I really felt, it killed me inside. Every year, I thought this time I’m going to tell her. But when I would open my mouth to speak, it was like I’d forget how to talk, how to breathe. Now, three years later, I’m still just as speechless as I was when I had first met her.
February 14th – a day of love. It was meant to be a beautiful day, but for me it was just another day gone by when I hadn’t confessed my feelings to the man I so desperately wanted to hold, and to love. Still, me and Spence both went for our daily coffee break, both pretending to ignore the clearly obvious tension between us. We both had a lot of paperwork to get through, so we ordered our drinks to go. February in DC is unpredictable to say the least; the sun was finally shining through as we stepped into the small café, but as we stepped out, I felt the rain brush upon my face as I looked up to see clouds looming above us once again. And of course, just my luck, I don’t have my umbrella!
I must have forgotten my umbrella at my desk. The rain is really coming down now, so Y/n and I decide to take a shortcut through the park. We’re practically running now, and well, I’m not the most athletic of individuals. I stop at a bench, with Y/n coming back to hopelessly get me back up. She quickly gives in, sitting down on the small, wooden bench with me. The two of us sit in silence as I struggle to catch my breath in the cold Virginia air. But just as I felt my breath coming down to a more normal pace, I heard Y/n ask me the question I had been hoping she would never ask.
“So, Reid, who’s your Valentine’s?”
It had become something she’d ask me each year, always pestering me to go on dates or trying to set me up with one of her friends. But all I wanted to say was “I wish it was you.” It amazed me, a profiler, and she is still oblivious to how I really feel about her. Instead, I just brush her question off and ask her one instead.
“Who’s yours, Y/n?”
It’s now or never. If I don’t tell him now, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. He has to know.
“I wish you were my Valentine.”
Is this real? Did she really just say that? No, she must be joking. She could never love someone like me. I’ll just laugh it off. Why isn’t she saying anything? And that’s when I saw it. I looked in her eyes. She’s serious? This is happening? Oh, this is happening. It’s now or never, she has to know. And with that, I pressed my lips to hers, and we stayed like that. The rain was pouring, the wind was howling. People were shouting “Get a room!” But we didn’t care. You always hear it in children’s fairytales, that when you truly love someone nothing else matters, the whole world stops except for you. I had never believed it until now, but Y/n is my fairytale come true.
As our lips parted from one another, we rested our foreheads together. Magic really does exist, because Spencer Reid is my magic.
Eventually, Y/n and I made it back to work. We were so ready for a trademark Hotch glare, coming back so long after our break had finished. But all we heard was Rossi, “Finally, thank God they admitted it!” I was about to speak, but Y/n read my mind and beat me to it:
“How did you- HOW?!”
Everyone erupted into a fit of laughter, Emily and JJ making pointing fingers and teasing as Garcia literally suffocated me in a classic Penelope hug. And then there’s Morgan patting Spencer a little too enthusiastically on the back, “Pretty Boy, my man!” Even Hotch gave a rare smile as he and Rossi observed the scene. It was a perfect chaos, and in the middle of it all stood Spencer and I, my soulmate and I.
Thank you for reading! 🥰💗
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strangesthirdeye · 5 months
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Adore ( 10th/14th Doctor x fem! Reader)
Summary: Sometimes old wounds can bleed again Warning: It's the Doctor who doesn't love him? light angst, slap, not a spoiler from The Star Beast special, heart breaking, broken, fluff, old face, forgiveness and horny cat. As usual, I'm sorry if there are any wrong sentences or typos or grammatical mistakes, please forgive me and again English is not my first language, so I try to improve my language and writing in this way.
─── ・ 。゚☆: *.☽ .* :☆゚. ───
A few years ago. ⏤͟͟͞͞☆
You have traveled with the Doctor since his 9th regeneration. You already know Rose, Jackie, Mickey and Jack. It can be said that you have made many friends plus enemies while traveling with the Doctor.
Although most of his travel can be dangerous but that is not an obstacle for you to continue traveling with him.
You have met Donna Noble. The kind and spitfire lady. Sometimes she can be a protective partner and sometimes she and her sarcasm can be quite dangerous for a certain period of time. But overall, you and Donna are best friends forever and always tease the Doctor with some kind of flirting and name calling such as Skinny Man or pretty boy, making him blush or whine with embarrassment. Sometimes he just brushed it off.
But then, Davros and the Daleks happen. And there goes Meta Crisis Doctor created by Donna accidentally and Rose coming back from the alternative universe. Everything seems to be planned for this thing to happen. Donna suddenly gets knowledge from the Time Lord causing her brain to burn if she 'uses' too much energy and she will die if it continues so the Doctor decides to wiped all the adventures she, you and the Doctor have been through.
Meanwhile you only looked at what the Doctor did to Donna from the Tardis door with eyes glossy with tears. You can't do anything, but you can only see the knotted situation in front of you. You're speechless and just accept fate with open arms.
Once the Doctor sent the unconscious Donna back to her house, the Doctor just kept quiet and didn't say anything. His shirt was soaked with rainwater, his face was broken and sad while his hands were fiddling with the Tardis control.
You don't know how to approach a situation like this so you just move closer to the Doctor and stand next to him and look at the control with a blank face.
A few seconds later you heard the Doctor sniffling trying to hold back his tears and you could feel the Doctor was about to say something.
"I will take you back home. So better prepared with whatever items you have here" Doctor said in his hoarse voice.
You looked at the Doctor skeptically. "what?"
"I'll take you home.. I can't let you travel with me anymore. It's gone too far and I can't let you in danger anymore" The Doctor exclaimed then pulled and pressed some controls there.
The sounds of wheezing and groaning are heard inside the Tardis indicating that the Tardis has started to move. You looked at the Doctor in disbelief.
"no.. Is this because of what happened earlier? hmm? Now you just want to say that it has crossed the line. But tell me, what we went through before didn't it cross the line too? Then why now do you want to take me back?" you argued
"I never asked for this to happen. Please just.. just don't fight and let me take you home. At least you will be safe" Doctor pleaded.
"But I'm already safe here! With you. Please don't take me back, Doctor..please" you begged with glassy eyes.
The doctor didn't say anything and just controlled the control. He didn't directly look at your broken face because he was afraid he would regret the choice he made. At least what he thought was the right choice. You will be safe. No more threats of aliens or disasters.
You scoffed bitterly. "You can't suddenly take me home, Doctor. I know you."
"actually I can. At least you don't have to go through all this if I'm not there" Doctor replied blankly while looking at you.
The Tardis stopped wheezing and groaned indicating that the destination had been reached. You looked at the Doctor with a betrayed face.
You let out a small whimper trying to hold back the tears. "Why are you doing this? We've been through a lot. Why now?"
"because I can't let the people I adore in danger anymore. All this happened because of me. I'm not a hero you can admire and flatter. I failed to protect the people I adore and now see what happens. I can't let the same thing happened to you too. I-" Doctor paused. "- you should go.."
You are stunned. Tears started to fall and fell down your cheeks, wetting your smooth cheeks. You sighed heavily and looked at the Doctor with betrayed eyes.
"if that's what you think is a good thing, Doctor.. Then once my feet step out of this Tardis that means I've lost faith in you, Doctor." you said with a sad tone of voice.
The Doctor just kept silent and turned his gaze to the control without glazing over you for the last time. You were dumbfounded and just nodded in resignation. Without words, you started walking out to the Tardis door with a sad expression on your face. "I just leave my stuffs here then..I don't need it anymore.."
And there you lost faith with the Doctor. You never see Doctor for several years until now.
─── ・ 。゚☆: *.☽ .* :☆゚. ───
Present day ⏤͟͟͞͞☆
"no, no! Pablo. You can't mess with the cat next door! I don't want grandchildren yet" you scolded your cat.
Pablo only meowed and he lazily walked under the table and landed there. You sighed. It's been 4 times Pablo tried to 'flirt' with the cat next to your house sneakily and fortunately your neighbor Dhani brought Pablo back to your house and stated.
"Pablo has started to mate with Munchkin this time. Fortunately, I was able to stop him from making me and you unpaid adoptive grandmothers" Dhani said blankly while handing Pablo into your hand.
You scoffed at Pablo and sat down on your sofa and started reading your book. It's been a long time since you stepped out of the Tardis and since then you haven't heard from the Doctor and you haven't talked about it anymore. You have moved on. You have the job you want, a sex-crazed cat and a new lifestyle that you feel quite comfortable with it.
But there are times when you might shed tears silently remembering the adventures you and the Doctor went through together. You feel a little regret but when you remember the thing that made you step out of the Tardis you immediately forget it.
' Forget about it, he might be happy traveling alone. He doesn't want you anymore' whispered the devil in your ear. You just shook your head and focused on reading again.
But your composure to read doesn't last long when you hear a familiar sound like wheezing and groaning in the back yard of your house. You were transfixed and the book in your hand fell onto your lap. Pablo suddenly woke up and hissed towards the door as if angry with the sound.
You then get up from the couch and go to the window facing the backyard. The curtains are pulled aside and there it stands majestically in the middle of your backyard. Blue Box that is bigger on the inside. Tardis. You exhaled heavily and closed your curtains again then walked towards your couch.
You are pensive. Why? why did he reappear today? why now? To apologize? To make up for all the wrongs he did to you? After all this time why did he suddenly appear in your backyard?
You bite your lip anxiously. This cannot be. What else does he want from you?
Not long after, a knock on the door began to be heard at your back door. You are silent. Breath caught in your mouth and your hands started to sweat. It's him.. That's really him. Why does he want to come back to you after he kicked you out of the Tardis years ago? You looked at Pablo who was still glaring at the back door.
You got up and slowly walked towards the back door. When you got there, your sweaty hands slowly reached for the doorknob. Anxiety and nervousness started to exist in your body while your mind screamed not to open the door and face him. But you don't know if he has regenerated or not. You worry about what you expect is him but it's not the same face. Can he be she? you don't know.
The sound of knocking is heard again this time accompanied by the hoarse voice of the same man who kicked you out a few years ago.
"Y/n, are you there?"
You turned the doorknob and faced his face with a nervous face. There he stood with his thin and tall body still the same as a few years ago only his attire was different and not his usual dark brown trench coat and striped suits in it. The shoes are still the same. Right now he has a dark blue trench coat, a white collar shirt along with a striped blazer matching his pants and complete with a gray tie. But what catches your attention is his slightly older face. His hair is still brown and spiky while his gorgeous brown eyes hold emotions that you can't identify whether it's sad or happy.
"Y/n" he whispered your name slowly as if an old memory struck his mind.
You just looked at his face and moved closer to him. Look upon his dark brown eyes with your uncontrollable emotions, you slap his face with all your heart. Angry tears running down your cheeks. He was stunned.
"What are you doing here, Doctor?" you hissed bitterly.
The Doctor was stunned and his face was upset. His cheeks were red with the imprint of your slap on his cheeks.
"I- I came to apologize" Doctor said slowly.
"why now? after you kicked me out of the Tardis.. why now?" you questioned with an angry tone.
"I think you deserve an apology from me after what I did to you.. I'm very, very sorry after breaking your heart and kicking you out of the Tardis a years ago.. I shouldn't have done that to you.. you deserve better than me" Doctor explained with a sad tone of voice.
"oh, you shouldn't have done that to me, Doctor. If you love your friends, you shouldn't do that suddenly and kick them out of the Tardis without any reasonable reason. Sure, you don't want the same thing happened to me. But don't you think that before this I have been through many dangerous things while traveling with you but you never stopped me from traveling with you. Why? why after Davros and the Daleks invasion, you suddenly change your mind and decide to kick me out? Not to mention what you did to Donna?" you exclaimed in your raspy voice. Your eyes were red with tears while your cheeks were wet with tear streaks.
The doctor was silent.
"i just want you to be safe" Doctor whispered but that was enough for you to hear.
"oh, sod off with me being safe, Doctor. I'm tired with your same excuse. I'm tired with this guilty feeling that I always have and think about what I did wrong to you until you kick me out of the Tardis ." you replied
"I don't want you to go through the same thing as our other friends... I-" Doctor paused and stared at your face with a pleading face.
"What is it, Doctor? After all this time without hearing from you and now you suddenly appear behind my house, why now? I'm already happy and moved on with all that then why did you decide to appear and disturb my peace? " tears fell down your cheeks again.
" because I care about you! i can't lose you. I adore you since the moment we traveled with Rose. I don't have enough courage to say this to you because I'm afraid I'll lose the person I love. Because i know.. I know that I will lose the people I love if I keep doing good things. That is my curse to be a Time Lord. I don't want you to go through the same thing as them so what I decided is the most sensible thing for me to keep you safe " Doctor looked at your face pleadingly.
You are speechless. The Doctor loves you. Now you understand. It's the feeling that you don't want to go through losing someone so dear to you so you push them away in the hope that they will be safe from you. In the hope that they can find a better love than you.
"you.. adore me?" you stammered. while holding out your hand towards the Doctor in disbelief.
"i adore you so much. No matter what my face looks like, I will always adore you and I will do anything to protect you. Half of my hearts is with you. I don't care if you lose faith in me but you still need to know that I really adore you" Doctor held your hand and stroked it gently.
You sighed heavily and brought your right hand to the Doctor's cheek and gently stroked his cheek with your finger. Doctor leaning against your palm while closing his eyes trying to feel the texture of your soft skin. It's been a while since he couldn't have physical contact with you and he doesn't know how much he misses the feeling of your skins.
"how many faces have you been through?" you questioned him with a softened voice.
"I've become an obsessed man with a bowtie and fez, I've become a Scottish man and I've become a woman. But then I got this face again out of nowhere. I don't know why" Doctor explained and placed his forehead on yours.
"why? to apologize?" you replied with a hushed.
"probably to admit my love for you" Doctor chuckled lightly.
You chuckled lightly for a moment then closed your eyes and parted away with him slightly. You stare at his face, his eyes and his lips. The Doctor did the same thing to you. And without wind or storm, you both lean and kiss each other's lips passionately and gently.
The doctor put his right hand on the back of your head and his left hand on your neck while you put both your hands on his chest. Both of your eyes are closed tightly to feel each other's presence. And after that, you both part away and stare at each other's eyes with love and fondness in both of your eyes.
"I adore you too, Doctor"
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booppooo · 3 years
Text
Body Guard: Chapter Seven
Abby Anderson x Fem! Reader Series
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AN: sorry for the slow uploads but I've slowly been revising the plot with the help of @caitlinisfruity <3 hope you guys enjoy! As always I enjoy any feed back :)
Warnings: blood and injury
Word Count: 3082
-
June 14th, 0 hours remaining
Y/n all but collapsed into Abby's arms, but powered through and just tossed her arms around Abby's neck. Her head came to rest on her chest and the blood that soaked Abby's jacket rubbed off onto the doctor's cheek.
Y/n gasped, "Quick, I need to stitch you up before you bleed out!" she scanned the ruins around her for something, anything that she could use as a makeshift examination table.
Abby panted, "Don't have time.." she was exhausted and lost enough blood to make her vision fuzzy.
Y/n clenched her jaw and just in time before she could blurt out something that could possibly leave her stranded here in this flooded emergency room.
-
"Everything okay doc?" Mel softly closed the door as she stepped into Y/n's office.
Y/n leaned against the desk and hovered over the scattered paper work, "It's malignant."
Mel nodded, "I figured."
Y/n pinched the bridge of her nose - was she really going to follow through with this?
"I need you to...ugh..." why couldn't she just ask?
Mel stepped closer with a concerned gaze.
"I need you to do the surgery, I won't be here to do it."
The shorter woman furrowed her brows, she was well aware how uncommon it was for Y/n to leave the stadium, "Where are you going?"
With a tired sigh Y/n plopped into her seat and ran her fingers through her disheveled hair. Today had taken a turn she hadn't quite expected, but she didn't have much of a choice.
After Y/n reported to Isaac how his tumor was slowly killing him, he requested she take Abby and find the supplies, however she failed to mention how Isaac had far less time than she anticipated to him. He would have to go under the knife within the next day in order to keep him alive and Y/n knew that.
"You said we wouldn't have the tools or the antibiotics." Mel cut in.
And Y/n explained how that was simply a play on words to convince Isaac to let her go beyond the stadium. They did need the tools and antibiotics - but not for that procedure. Isaac would be fine without strong antibiotics until Y/n returned with them. She loathed deceiving patients, especially her leader, but everything added up.
Abby needed to prove her loyalty as a member of the WLF after carelessly retrieving Owen without consent. Isaac figured if Abby could safely guide and protect Y/n to the hospital and back she would prove herself a dedicated member and redeem herself. He trusted Abby to return within the forty-eight hour window Y/n had given Isaac.
Y/n requested Mel do the surgery the next morning after their departure since his time would run out approximately that time, but his seizure sped up the process. Mel was satisfied the surgery had been a success nonetheless and nervously awaited the head surgeon to return with more substantial antibiotics. She was used to the dirty looks and hushed whispers behind her back so she didn't mind taking some heat for the 'premature' surgery.
The plan had been set in stone, but to assure Abby was an honest person who didn't let her personal conflicts influence her actions (much like with Owen), Y/n would have to pull a stunt during their journey.
Isaac let Y/n decide the conflict, "I trust your judgement, you know how time is of the essence."
Therefore justifying Y/n's 'mindless' wandering their first night on the road. Would Abby continue to the hospital anyway and just grab the nearest medical kit she could find, or would she find Y/n and follow through with the mission correctly? Surely all the tedious and irritating check ups and overnight stays in the infirmary would sway Abby's judgment and convince her to leave the doctor to fend for herself.
But Y/n had been proven wrong thankfully. She not only rescued the doctor but also assured she stayed on her heels for the duration of the mission; Isaac would be very pleased and Abby had cleaned up her reputation.
Things had gone accordingly on Y/n's end, so she could only hold high hopes for Mel to hold up her end.
-
"We have time, here-" Y/n let those few words slip and aided Abby over to a metal table that still stood proudly.
If she were to tell Abby how her efforts were all to prove herself, she'd have her hands wrapped around Y/n's throat. The soldier had risked her life countless times to keep Y/n safe which proved more than her loyalty...it had to. She wanted it to mean more than that, the doctor liked to think (as unprofessional as it was) that Abby had set her own life aside for more than the sake of her position as a soldier.
Her mind continued to wander as she cleaned away the blood on Abby's pale shoulder. Every touch against the tender skin was gentle despite the uncomfortable sting it left in its wake. The blonde was far too tired and numb to grit her teeth and comment how Y/n needed to be gentler - if anything her tender care was soothing and reassuring. That seemed a first.
It was almost second nature to be sewing Abby's skin this way. The doctor didn't have enough fingers on her hand to count the number of times Abby had waltzed in unfazed as a portion of her clothing or skin was stained by her familiar crimson liquid. And like every other time, Y/n would also be the one to remove them and delicately (maybe even suggestively) run her finger over the scar that tainted the fair freckled skin.
Sighing as Y/n bandaged the wound, Abby lulled her head forward and let her eyes flutter open. Her vision was still blurred but had cleared up some since the bleeding subsided. Her gaze lazily flitted over to the surgeon patching her up: tongue peeking from between her soft lips, defined brows tightly knit together, and eyes narrowed at the task at hand. Though Abby had seen it before, this time it crossed her differently. Differently in that it made the tips of her ears hot and her muscles hyper aware of every touch Y/n laid onto her.
I'm just dazed from the blood loss. She tried to rationalize.
"Okay, all done." the smaller woman huffed.
Abby straightened her back, "Uhm, thanks.."
She wished her heart didn't beat so hard, only to make up for the blood loss of course, no other reason.
With a small wobble the doctor gave Abby space to slide from the table. Meanwhile, she took the hem of her dirtied shirt and tore at it, ripping around the circumference of her body.
"What are-"
"Tourniquet for my leg." Y/n interrupted.
The daintier woman took a deep breath and quickly made woke of the cloth, wincing and groaning as she tightened the knot.
"Y/n.."
Abby reached out but found herself hesitating. Her voice was barely above a murmur and failed to reach Y/n's ears. She wanted to help in any way she could, the sight of Y/n panting as the pain died down some was taking an unexpected toll on the blonde.
What was this?
148 notes · View notes
imonthinice · 3 years
Text
The Criminal Psychology Majors, Jason Todd x Fem!Reader Part 22/?
Word Count: 1.8k
Author's Note: Y/N - Your name, A/N - Any name (Your best friend's name)
We're back, we're in full swing, we've hit like 50 followers, we've hit 500 notes. We're thriving.
Also! Fun fact but I can't actually watch Young Justice season 3 (and 4) or Titans :/ They're on DC Universe, which is only available in America. (If you can't catch on, I'm not from America lol)
Warnings: Swearing, Description of Injury, Kidnapping, Police/ Justice System, Manipulation attempts, Gaslighting, Violence, No beta bitch we die like Jason Todd.
(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7) (Part 8) (Part 9) (Part 10) (Part 11) (Part 12) (Part 13) (Part 14) (Part 15) (Part 16) (Part 17) (Part 18) (Part 19) (Part 20) (Part 21) (Part 22)
The days became longer and kept bothering Y/N. She was losing grip on reality. Aria would come in occasionally and feed her. Give her water. Let her use the bathroom. She was stuck. She wanted to knock off that stupid fucking bird plague doctor mask and, look her pathetic sister in her eyes. And let Aria know that she knew, she knew who it was.
But she was backed into a corner. And the mask was not going to come off anytime. Boy, oh boy, she wanted it to fall. She wanted it to slip so she could boot it into the walls she had become accustomed to. She wanted it to fall and shatter.
Aria came into the room like normal, to be greeted by Y/N not even looking her in the eyes.
"Come here, love," Aria said.
"Go to Hell."
"I need to use you for a "Proof of Life" video. So I can use you for ransom. Come here."
"No."
"Come here. Now," Aria said, voice getting more hoarse and pissed off with Y/N and her actions.
"No."
"Come. Here. Now!" She screeched.
"No!"
She felt Aria's claws grab her wrists and dig in, she could feel the blood seeping through the claws from her wrists. Aria pushed her into the wall, still gripping her wrists and letting the blood flow down Y/N's arms.
"Listen here, you fucking bitch," Aria said, dropping her voice a few octaves, to seem intimidating. "I want that money. If you don't cooperate, I'll kill you."
Y/N whimpered but spat at her sister, "You'll fucking die trying."
Aria wrestled Y/N into her seat and handcuffed her to it. She then set up the video camera.
"And, recording. Talk."
"I fucking hate you."
"You should."
"Go to fucking Hell."
"The date is February 14th. Here," she shoved a newspaper into the view of the camera, Y/N didn't even notice Aria bring it in. She saw the article on the back of her kidnapping. She knew people were still talking.
"Here is the date. On a newspaper. This video will be released today. If I don't get the money within a week, I'll kill her. Along with the Waynes."
Y/N gulped. This just got so much more real than she was expecting.
Aria left the room, with Y/N still handcuffed to the chair. She took in the room she had become used to. She had spent a week in captivity, expecting the vigilantes of Gotham to come and get them, but they didn't. She was confused as to why-
Wait a damn minute, she thought. Are you- Wait- Wait- Wait- Wait. Oh my god? The family is in captivity, the vigilantes haven't come for us yet, are- she paused. Are they the vigilantes? There's no way, they can't be- Can they? They can- Can't they, huh? Fuck. We're- We're not getting out anytime soon. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
This is a God damn pickle we've gotten into. Aria must know what I think, the family- she paused, almost as if she didn't believe what she was thinking. That they're the Gotham vigilantes. She must- Fuck!
I don't care that they didn't tell me- she thought like someone could read her thoughts. She figured that someone might be able to. She knew that Martian Manhunter had those abilities. she figured that Miss Martian, who she didn't see often, likely shared those abilities.
I care that we might be fucked.
---------------------------------------
Before she knew it, that exact day, she figured, February 14th? The door was broken down by Superman. This just put the pieces together more for Y/N. Her assumptions about the Waynes being the Gotham vigilantes were just seeming more likely as time went on.
Superman uncuffed her and she thanked him before running out to where Aria was being arrested by the Gotham police. But she didn't stop, and she knocked off Aria's mask.
"Oh, hi Y/N," Aria said, nonchalantly.
"Oh, hi Y/N," Y/N mocked. "You fucking bitch!" she yelled and pushed Aria, while the police tried to detain her. She struggled and tried to attack Aria further, "Let go! I know her power of attorney is going to be her sister-"
"How do you know that?" Commissioner Gordon asked.
"Because her sister is me!" She yelled when she finally broke away from the police, trying to get closer to Aria, before Commissioner Gordon stopped her, grabbing her arms and squeezing lightly. She stared at him, dead-faced. No emotions were there, other than anger, raw, seething anger.
Aria laughed, "Oops. I guess the jig is up."
Y/N was seething, she didn't even notice the JLA and the rest of the Waynes were behind her. She was still struggling to get towards Aria, yelling and just making noise.
She was making a scene, but she didn't care. She felt betrayed.
"You fucking bitch. You absolutely pathetic piece of shit."
"Keep yelling at me, Y/N. Mom and Dad will be disappointed in you. They always are, aren't they?"
Y/N turned to Commissioner Gordon, who was still holding her in place, "You either get her out of my fucking face in 5 seconds or I'm going to hurt her. That's not a threat," she turned to Aria, "That's a fucking promise."
"We might have to detain you at this rate, Y/N."
"And I would understand that, but I'm going to hurt her."
"Ma'am, calm down." Commissioner Gordon said before waving his hand and the other police took Aria into the back of a police car. "I'm going to have to arrest you," he said, trying to show sympathy for the pain that Y/N was in.
"Then do it already," Y/N mumbled, eyes still locked on the police car her sister was in.
"Gordon?" Jason called, "I swear, I've never seen this much anger in her. I'm sure you can send her home with us."
"You better be right about that, Jason."
"I really think I am right."
Gordon looked at Y/N, which she caught in the corner of her eye. She could tell he was upset about this, he was trying to get to her, to get her to understand her anger was okay, but beating her sister wasn't.
And then Aria waved as they drove her to the station.
But she wasn't even paying attention and before she knew it, she was in Jason's arms. He was holding her while talking to the police about the attack. He had his hands wrapped around her waist while he was behind her, maximizing the ability he had to stop her should she run.
He knew what he was doing, and it was working to calm her slightly, to the point where the police were able to talk to her about her experience with the attacker they knew as Hour, or as Arianna (Last name).
Once they were done with questioning her, they spoke more to Jason, who still had her in his grasp.
She surveyed the area and noticed that Bruce was talking to Superman.
The pieces were all falling into place. She knew he had to be Batman at that moment.
And she wanted in on it.
The hopelessness she felt when Aria had her kidnapped was astronomical. She wanted to make sure no one ever felt that way again, not if she could help it. She wanted in on it all.
She thought back to Jason's stab wound, the scar still fresh. She knew it wasn't a mugging. It had to be him saving the city from peril. She realized how dumb she was for buying into that lie, but she wasn't mad at anyone in her vicinity.
She was mad- pissed- so far beyond angry at Aria.
She didn't know she could be so angry. She didn't know she had it in her to be so angry at Aria. But she was. She was so unbelievably pissed. Any mention of her name sent Y/N into seething anger, and Jason could feel her heart race in her body.
She wasn't paying attention to words anymore. She just wanted to get out of there, to go home. To her home, not Jason's. She didn't feel safe in the Wayne Manor anymore.
No one could blame her when she told the police to drive her to her house, not the Wayne Manor. Jason just hugged her and asked when he could see her next. She told him in the morning. "Or," she added, "At 3 in the morning. I don't care. Just leave me alone right now."
Everyone understood. They didn't have their own sister kidnap them after all.
She got to her house and got inside, A/N immediately trying to flag her down to talk to her, but she just put up a hand and waved her off. Slinking to her room without a second thought and locking the door.
She didn't want to talk about it. The thoughts about her sister racing through her mind. The thoughts about how her boyfriend was a vigilante. How was she going to bring this up? How was she going to tell him that she knew? That she wanted in on the act? That she wanted to fight alongside him- and his family?
Before she knew it, and like clockwork, it was 3 in the morning. And Jason was knocking on her window. She assumed that he had tried to let himself into her room, but to no avail since she hadn't unlocked the door.
She went over to her window and unlocked it. She lifted it and Jason crawled in.
"I have a front door," she said.
"You didn't answer when I tried to knock on your door," he joked. "How are you holding up?"
"As well as anyone can in my situation."
"Well, everyone wishes you came home with us, so we could watch you on your first night away from-"
"From my sister?"
"I was going to say from captivity."
"So, my sister."
"Yeah, that."
"Uh-huh."
"So, anyway," Jason said, trying to get Y/N's mind off of Aria. "Did you sleep when you got here?" he asked.
"No. I was busy."
"Doing what?"
"Lost in thought. There's a lot of thoughts, not enough brain," she joked. "You probably get that part."
"I do-"
"When were you going to tell me?" she but in.
"Tell you what?" he questioned, confused.
"That you're one of the vigilantes," she answered, studying his face. He seemed taken aback by the statement and tried to avert her gaze. Oh yeah, he knows what I'm on about, she thought.
"I-"
"You know what I'm on about, Jay. You know I know so don't lie anymore."
"Y/N-"
"No. You know I know. I know you know. Don't lie anymore. I'm not even ad at the lies, you're trying to keep me safe, obviously."
"Oh."
"The truth is, babe, I want in."
"What!?"
(Oh my god? Are we going to get Red Hood action? (The answer is yes, in due time)
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sashi-ya · 3 years
Text
{+18} - Law x Fem Best Friend ♥ CH.1
♥ Daily living with the Heart pirates crew AU  ♥ Spoilers after Dressrosa Arc. Law´s backstory.  ♥ Female reader. Little physical description. Everybody is 18+, canon ages.  ♥ TW: Nightmares related to PTSD. no further warnings. If you think I should include some feel free to tell me ♥ ♥English is not my first language, so If you happen to find some grammar or vocab mistakes, I’m sorry ♥´
AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31053383
Word count: 4.1K
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» List of parts: {CH1}  {CH2}  {CH3}  {CH4} {CH5} «
Chapter 1
- Polar Tang, somewhere underwater on the Grand Line. July 14th. -
“Ay ay captain, I need fresh air please, I’m dying!” Shouted Bepo asking our captain, and my best friend, Trafalgar D Water Law to please emerge from underwater. Bepo is a polar bear mink, and does not like hot environments, so he is usually hot whenever we pass a lot of time underwater in the submarine.
“Let’s emerge, guys” said Law, annoyed, but willing to make the polar bear feel better. Me, despite not being a polar bear, I’m always hot, so I praised the lord for the decision. 
“Aya aya, Thank you captain!!!” Bepo celebrated and grabbed me by the arm pulling me eagerly to the main door, because he knew how much I love to get fresh air, as much as he does. 
From the control room, Shachi and Penguin shouted, announcing that we can fully unlock the door. And so, we did. Outside there was a clear blue sky, the sun was shining, but apparently, we were close to some winter islands, so the temperature was lower than we were expecting. 
Fresh cold air hit my freckled cheeks and it felt wonderful. “Oi, Y/n-ya, don’t go outside without your coat. You are going to catch a cold”, said Law while placing a white coat over my shoulders. My best friend, despite the unfriendly appearance he normally shows, has the biggest heart and takes care of the one he loves.  
I’ve known him since we were 13 years old, while wandering on a certain island of the North Blue after losing my family.  A few weeks before knowing him, I found the Nagi no mi and became the user of it. So, when we introduced ourselves, we realized I was the new user of the devil fruit that had “Cora-san”, the person that saved Law’s life. Both of us were alone, and sad, so we held onto each other, striving to survive. I wanted to become a doctor like him, so we studied together. Now I’m his right hand whenever we have a surgery. 
“Aren’t you coming outside?” I asked Law, which was still inside, looking through the door with a listlessly gaze at the immense sea around us. He looked at me, sighed and said, “Tomorrow is 15th”.  He didn’t wait for my response and walked away. 
Our captain still misses “Corazón”, Rosinante, or “Cora-san”, as he usually calls him, and on July 15th was his birthday. He was killed by his brother, Donquixote Doflamingo, who was taken down and sent to prison by Law and the Mugiwaras, a few months ago.  I didn’t say a word, mainly because I knew how Law hates to show his feelings and even if I decide to say something, it wasn't going to help at all. The afternoon went by, and while the crew was having fun relaxing on the deck, Law didn’t show up. So, I proceeded to go see him, he usually loves to be alone, but this time I felt he needed some company.  
I headed straight to the kitchen, made his favorite tea and went to his room. “Oi, Doc, you’ve been there for a good 5 hours, I brought your fave tea. Can I come in?”, I asked, but didn’t receive any answer, so I knocked, and the door opened. “I’m sorry dumbass, it was unlocked, I brought some tea for… “I stopped when I saw Law on the floor, with red cheeks, sweated and unconscious holding something red on his hand. “Law, what the hell?” I said while placing my hand over his forehead. His skin was burning. He was running a strong fever that caused him to faint. I was worried because I didn’t know how much time had passed since he had fainted. In any case I needed to make the temperature go down, as quick as possible. 
“Law, Law, are you with me?” I asked him while grabbing him by the shoulders making soft movements. The captain vaguely opened his eyes and said “Y/n-ya… I’m ok, do… don’t worry”, “Of course you are not, your temperature is really high, why didn’t you tell me you were feeling like this?, come on you should take a bath right away”. He passed his arm around my neck and I grabbed him by his waist. Law is pretty tall, but I am stronger than I seemed, so I made him stand up and took him to the bathroom. 
I turned on the shower and helped Law to undress. Taking off first his sweated white shirt and then unbuttoning his jeans. I left him only with his boxers on, that made me giggle a little ‘because they had a heart pattern all over. 
The laughing was over because he became pretty weak so in order to avoid him falling, I had to grab him real tight, making myself enter to the open douche. We remained for a few seconds looking at each other under the running water, until he slipped a sloppy laugh at how I was becoming wet. “Dumbass don’t laugh” I apprehended him. I remained there for a few minutes letting the slightly cold water bathe his whole body, waiting for the temperature to drop.  I realized I’ve never been that close to him, we usually had zero physical contact, and as weird as it might sound this was the first time, I saw that he has more tattoos than I thought. 
“Sexy motherfucker look what you’ve been hiding”, I thought, but quickly I uprooted those thoughts off my head. “Come on, Y/n, he is like your brother….”. 
I turned off the water, extended my arm out of the shower and grabbed a towel. Wrapped him with it and as I was doing so, I noticed that Law was looking at my chest, still weak but now able to stand up without my help. 
“Take off your wet boxers, I’m not watching” I said, turning my back to him. To which he responded, “I don’t care if you look, you are like my doctor”. 
“Oh, come on, tell me when you are ready”, I said, a little embarrassed.
A few seconds later he told me he was ready and I turned back at him again, realizing that now the towel was hanging from his hip bones, leaving his whole tattooed torso naked, his hair was pretty straight from being wet and his cheeks now don’t show as much blush as before. I admired the image of the handsome man I got before my eyes for less than two seconds and told him to go to bed.  I helped him to get into bed carefully not to untie the white towel, because he was still a little weak. 
“Wait here, I’m going to the infirmary to get you some antipyretics, ok?” I ordered pointing at him. 
I was about to walk out the bedroom when I heard him say “Oi, dumbass, are going out looking like that?, Put on one of my shirts” and I realized that my underwear was showing through the transparency of my wet clothes. I widened my eyes, and my cheeks turned to fire. Without saying anything I opened the drawers grabbing a shirt and some shorts he had there. I ran to the bathroom where I got changed and left the bedroom without even looking at him. 
I walked through the hallway feeling my heartbeat faster, trying to dismiss the embarrassment I was feeling, until I got to the infirmary.
While searching for the medication I asked myself why this whole situation was making me lose my cool so easily, but no answer came out of it.
I then went to the kitchen to grab some water for Law to take the antipyretics and came back to my captain's room. 
I gave him the pills and water and waited for him to take them.
"Let me check on your temperature" I said, and he raised his arm for me to put the thermometer under his armpit. "I don't want to feel sick; I hate those pills you gave me", complaining and acting almost as if he was a little boy. I remember when we were younger. He rarely got sick after he cured himself from the amber lead disease, but whenever he felt bad, he acted as he was a kid. I always thought that was really cute and today it wasn't the exception. I teased him a little bit for being a capricious little child and he smiled, gave him shorts, because his temperature was getting lower.  I asked him if he was hungry and he assented. 
 The whole crew was still having fun on the deck, so I went back to the kitchen and made Law some soup. 
I brought the meal to the room that he devoured, despite feeling sick. We chatted a little bit until he fell asleep. "How angelic you seem sleeping and acting as a child, Law…" I whispered while contemplating his face that was slightly illuminated by the moonshine that enters from one of the little windows. 
Suddenly, something on the floor caught my eyes. It was some sort of red cloth. Picking it up I realized it was Law’s most precious treasure, Cora-san’s hat, that he was holding when I found him on the floor. I put the hat next to his face and caressed his cheek softly, "Sleep tight, Law, Corasan and I will take care of you tonight”. 
A few hours passed and the bustle of the crew slowly turned to silence as they went to bed. 
Sitting on bed next to him I must have fallen asleep until I was woken up by some grunts. Law was still asleep, but he seemed uncomfortable, he was again starting to sweat, and a few tears were running through his cheeks. I placed my hand over his forehead and his skin was burning once more, not only was he having one of those nightmares he always has, but also his fever was getting serious again. 
I went to the bathroom, got some towels wet and put them over his face and under his armpits. 
I held his hand and softly said “everything is going to be ok, Law”. You see, when someone has nightmares related to PTSD it's better not to wake them up instantly. With Law it has always been better if I slowly do it, making sure I am there for him.  He woke up, looking at me embarrassed but relieved I was there to tell him it was just a bad nightmare. 
The night went by, with me frequently changing the wet towels for more cold ones and the fever slowly stopped. My best friend went back to sleep until the next morning. 
The sunrise was invading timidly the room and the clock strikes 7 am. Time for Law to take the medicine again, I said and stand up from bed. 
I headed to the kitchen to prepare some tea and bring a glass of water to my patient.  
When I got there, I saw Penguin and Bepo looting the fridge. "Excuse me? What are you both doing?" I shouted, scaring the hell out of both of my nakamas. "Aya aya Y/n, you are gonna kill us!!". But after looking at me both of them changed their facial expression from scared to confused.  "Y/n, are you wearing the Captain's clothes? “asked Penguin, scanning my whole image from head to toe. "They suit you, really". “Whatever you are trying to suggest, stop it right there, you little shit” I said frowning and continued, “Law is sick as hell, he had a fever all night long, I’m taking care of him. He is still sleeping, don't run to him, especially you, Bepo.” I sentenced the Bear that was about to run through the hallway to hug his captain. 
“Law, oi Law, wake up, you have to take your meds”, I whisper to wake him up. Slowly he opened his eyes, letting myself admire the bold grey irises that were looking at me. He gave me a weak smile and sited on the bed, grabbed the glass of water and chugged it with the pill.  “How are you doing? feeling better?”, I asked. “uhm, I am”. “Go back to sleep, then, you should rest”, I suggested - ordered - him. He nodded getting under the sheets again, covering his face with them. A little laugh slipped out of my mouth until he said “Y/n.. can you… stay here with me? If you don’t want to, it's ok.”. How cute he acts when he wants some care… “Of course, I’m staying here, I’ve been here the whole night, what makes you think I’m leaving you now?”. A silence invaded the room, until he broke it with “Thank you, do you mind getting in bed with me?”. We have slept in the same bed before when we were younger so at first it didn't surprise me, but then, something hit my insides. I didn't know why but It made me nervous. Nevertheless, I acted cool and agreed, "Ok, make some space". 
Law moved and I got under the sheets. My body didn't know how to react, so I stayed laying down facing him until he buried his face onto my chest hugging me by my waist, really tight. I put one hand over his hair and place my other hand on his back caressing it softly up and down. I couldn't see his face, but I knew he was crying as my t-shirt began to have wet spots where his face was. He then placed his ear onto my chest, as he was trying to feel the beating of my heart and said, "I needed to hear your heartbeat, I don't want to ever stop hearing it". There weren't words to be said, I knew what he meant, so I simply gave him a kiss on his head and hugged him even harder.  
We both passed out at some point until a well-known voice woke me up saying "Daaaaaamn the captain and vice-captain are sleeping together!!!" Shachi was shouting and I realized I had the whole crew watching us from the door. The image they saw Included Law half naked, myself with my shirt up letting my back and stomach out, Law's hand over my waist and his head over my breasts, my leg over Law's legs. The perfect image to imagine every sexual situation. 
"It is not what you all are thinking! Law is sick, shut up!" I told everybody as I stranded up from bed arranging my clothes. The whole crew was laughing and making a fuss of it. “Hey, get out, Law didn’t get so much sleep last night, shut the hell up!” ... As I finished my sentence, I regretted it instantly and everybody started to laugh. Suddenly everyone shut up. I saw their faces turned to happy to fully serious followed by the voice of my captain saying “Oi, all of you, prepare to submerge. Bepo, resume the course to our destination, tomorrow we have to arrive at the next island, I don’t know why you all are wasting time. And, remember this is the last time you disrespect your Vice Captain. Is that clear?”, “Yes, Captain. We are sorry. Excuse us Y/n”, said everybody in unison, and rushed to their positions. 
I grabbed my face with both of my hands, I wanted to hide for a week. Law approached me and placed his hand on my shoulder saying, “don’t worry, they ‘ve always been like this, it’s ok”. I sighed hard and turned my face to him. He looked better than yesterday but still needed to rest. “Are you feeling better?” I asked him, and he nodded. 
I told him to go get some more rest, that I was going to have a bath and get some rest too, and then come back to check on him, and left to my room. 
Only Law and I have private rooms, so I was going to be safe from the looks of our nakamas as long as I didn't leave. 
I open the faucet and let the water fill my bathtub. Undressed and left Law’s clothes aside for me to clean them after and return them to him. I realized I had left my wet clothes and underwear on Law’s bathroom, but I didn’t stress much about it, he wouldn't see them, because I left them in the laundry bin. I relaxed for a few minutes in the hot water until the image of Law’s body covered in tattoos, hit my thoughts. 
Suddenly I discovered myself enjoying the fond memories of his anatomy. He had become such a grown-up man throughout all of these years, and I didn’t realize about it until last night. I wonder if he thinks the same way about me…? My mind sailed through the memoirs of yesterday, seeing his body covered in sweat, having him close under the shower, the feeling of his skin on my hands, his face over my breasts, him holding me from my waist, being in the same bed… every memory was making my body react and… I shook those thoughts out of my head. What the hell am I thinking? Law is my best friend; he is like family. Stop Y/n, stop right there. 
After eating something I headed to Law’s bedroom and stood up in front of the closed door. I’ve never felt the need to rehearse what I was going to say to him, but this time, I did. I felt the need. To my surprise I heard from behind the door as If someone was breathing with trouble, little moans perhaps. So, I instantly thought that my best friend was again running a fever, perhaps having trouble breathing. I opened the door without even knocking, worried and expecting to found Law suffering. I tripped and fell on my knees and what I saw next, was something far from distress or sickness… 
 There he was, sitting on his bed, fully naked, holding my bra with his left hand, breathing heavily, arching his back and neck with his head thrown back. His right hand stroking his hard member up and down, violently. 
I was still on my knees when he concluded someone had entered his room, and as fast as he could said “Room… Takt” and closed the door behind me with the simple movement of two fingers. “La… law… what… I mean, I’m sorry, I’m…” I barely mumbled still with my mouth open, unable to move, mortified for interrupting such a private practice. But at the same time unable to understand why the hell he had my bra on his hand while touching himself. 
He looked at me, still naked, meeting our eyes, both without even moving. Until he expressed a little smile and stood up. Me still on my knees, I contemplated him and his glorious body reaching to where I was. He stopped in front of me, grabbed my chin up in between two fingers. “Wha.. what are you doing, Law?” I asked, even though I didn’t take my eyes off him. “Shh…” he said rubbing his thumb over my lips and softly opening my mouth…
“Puru puru puru puru” the Den Den mushi next to my bed woke me up from my dream exalted. “Oh… It was just a dream…” I said and picked up the snail transponder. “Y/n, dinner is ready, you haven’t eaten anything all day, come to the dining area!”, I heard my nakamas shout through the speaker. 
I washed my face and looked into the mirror. My cheeks were red, my head was spinning, I was agitated, sweaty. I replayed the dream over and over, it felt so real… so… enticing. 
When I got to the kitchen my nakamas were already drinking beer and shouting as always, Law was seated on his usual spot, and Bepo was passing plates. “Oi Vice Captain! have a drink!!” some of them shouted, while Bepo handed me a big bowl of my favorite meal, read bean soup.  Shachi, who was seated next to me, bumped me with his elbow and said, “Oi, the dinner was chosen by the Captain specially ‘because he said it was your fave, fufufu…  are you both sleeping together again tonight”? I turned my face to him with the most psychotic expression I’ve ever had… “I’m sorry”, he said and directed his gaze to his plate. 
I looked at Law who smirked a little and kept eating without any talking. I gave him a little side smile and did the same. He had a better semblance than the night before, so I think his fever hasn't come back since last night. 
We finished eating and discussed the plan for tomorrow. We were supposed to arrive at a new island in the morning, not for anything special but for us to buy food and supplies needed. Usually, the whole crew divides the work, so some of them buy food, the others stuff for the submarine, and normally Law and I take care of buying medical supplies. 
Through all the conversation I was trying to avoid looking at Law as much as I could. Whenever our gaze locked, I remembered the dream over and over… I felt guilty, stupid. My cheeks burned every time I replayed it on my head. 
After having the plan settled, I waved goodnight to everybody, and left the kitchen. I was almost running through the corridor to get to my room as if I was trying to hide when I remembered that my underwear and clothes were still in Law's bathroom. 
“Ok, he is not here, this is my chance, I just have to recuperate them and run to my room”, I said while entering my best friend's bedroom.
I was scrutinizing the laundry bin in the bathroom, when I heard the door of the bedroom close. I stood still. "Damn, what should I do?" … so, I decided to use my devil fruit powers in order to avoid making any sound until I was able to figure out what I was going to do. I mean, I couldn't just get out of the bathroom like nothing happened, what would Law think? 
As the bathroom door was not fully closed, I was able to peek through it and observe what Law was doing. 
The captain took off his hat first, and then his shirt. He jumped on the bed and grabbed a book.
I was hoping for him to read some more and fell asleep, so in that moment I could get out from my now hiding spot. 
Twenty minutes passed and he was still reading. Meanwhile I admired every movement he did. From brushing his hair back, to how he licked his finger to turn the pages. My core felt fancy, I couldn’t escape from watching, deep down I wished for him to even untied his pants. I wanted to see more…  
Finally, he put the book down and turned off the lamp.  
"YES! FINALLY!" I said getting excited for my big escape but suddenly he said, "I know you are in the bathroom; I don't need to hear you to sense you, you know?". 
I froze, closed my eyes and remembered how strong his Observation haki got during the last months. I didn't say anything simply because I didn't know what to say. 
" Room… Shambles!", and without any warning I was teletransported to his bed. My ass hit the mattress hard making myself lose stability falling with my whole face over his lower abs. 
The scent of his skin invaded my nose for less than a few seconds, because I regained my posture as quickly as possible. "Law, how many times I have to tell you not to use shambles with me without any warning?!!" I scolded him. "Excuse me? You've been hiding in MY bathroom for almost half an hour and I'm the one who gets shouted at?" He said, frowning and staring into my eyes. “I was trying to recover my clothes, I wasn’t trying to hide…”, I confess, to which he responded this time laughing, “Don’t lie, I’m sure you are into voyeurism”. Widening my eyes, still seated on his bed, covering my mouth, my cheeks blushing, my heart beating faster, I was embarrassed, because deep down, after all it was what I was doing. I was enjoying the view from the bathroom, I wanted to see more, I wished I could witness an image as my dream…
“I’m kidding…”, he said ruffling my hair and smiling. God, I love his smile… I wasn’t still saying anything back when he came close to my face, and whispered into my ears, “unless… you like it…”
Chapter 2
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Text
If I Could Bring You Back
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Steve Rogers x Fem!Reader
Warnings: Just tears, Death
Summary: Steve and the rest are going back for the stones. In 2012, Steve runs not into himself. He runs into the love of his life that died 8 years ago in his real time. He knows he could bring you home with him, but it wouldn’t be the same.
Author’s Note: I just thought of this when I saw the gif when he sees himself in 2012. Instead of himself, it’s you. He lost you during the attack if Ultron. You were with him when he woke up. You two fallen for each other.
I’m sorry to bring tears.
Love you!
It’s short! Didn’t really proofread, sorry if there are mistakes!
~~~
2015
Steve and Thor stood over, helping the people onto the cargo that were sent by Nick Fury. Clint had just chased after the boy who was stuck by the debris. “Y/N? Where are you?” Steve asks on the comm.
Nothing responds. Steve looks around and pants.
The comm makes a white noise. “Coming your way with a kid,” Y/N says. Steve turns to see Y/N rush over with a girl in her arms. Y/N runs to the cargo and places the girl there, stroking her hair. “It’s okay,” Y/N said, the girl was covered in dirt, “Stay strong for me?” She asked. The little girl nods and Y/N smiles.
She hears a quinjet and sees it began to fire. “Steve!”
Y/N runs towards the two men, the bullets began to fly as Y/N takes the leap and pushes Steve away from the bullets flying.
The loud bangs and debris fly all around while Steve hits the ground harshly with a groan.
The jet flies away and the bullets had stopped. Steve sees the dust slowly fade and he sees someone on the ground. “Y/N?” He asks, he runs over and kneels by her side. 
“Y/N? Speak to me,” He looks down to see a shot to her torso. He began to panic and puts his hands on the wound. “Y/N, look at me,” Steve says, she weakly turns her head to him. 
“Steve...” She whispers, Steve hooks his arms under her, “Stay awake for me, okay? Nick,” Steve says.
“What’s the matter, Cap?” Nick asks, Steve carries her over to the cargo. “Y/N’s been hit,” Steve tried not to sob. “How bad?” 
“I don’t know...” Steve lays her on the ground and sees her head go limp as it turns to the side. He stares at her, “Y/N?” He turns her head and gently strokes her cheek. “Y/N...” He says. No respond. He lowers his head as he silently cries above her.
His hair falling out of place as he held her close to his chest.
.
After Sokovia had crashed back down to Earth into large rocks. The Avengers had returned to safety. Well... Some.
Natasha waits for the cargo to land as it does, opening the civilians out onto the helicarrier. Natasha waited for Steve, Y/N and Clint. Steve walks out limping, holding someone in his arms.
Natasha gasps softly, Steve falls to his knees and Natasha watches from the distance. Y/N was limp in his arms. Her head hung with her arm as well. Natasha spotted the large spot of blood in her suit. Y/N had blood on her forehead as well.
Natasha knew how much Steve loved Y/N. Ever since their first attack from aliens. Y/N and Steve were inseparable. She fought with him no matter what. Now to see her in his arms, dead. Natasha couldn’t even walk up to see her closer.
.
2023
They were going for the stones. 5 years after Thanos had snapped his fingers and gotten rid of half the universe. They were on for a time heist. Something they wouldn’t think they would have done.
The only way to bring them back is to take the stones from different times and build their own gauntlet. 
Steve, Scott, Tony and Bruce were all in for 2012. 
...
"Better hustle Cap. Things look like they're just about wrapped up here," Tony says.
"Got it. I'm approaching the elevator now.”
Tony scoffs, “Ugh, Mr. Rogers, I almost forgot that that suit... did nothing for your ass.”
“No one asked you to look, Tony,” Steve said.
“It's ridiculous,” Tony adds. “I think you look great, Cap,” Scott say on Tony's shoulder. “As far as I'm concerned, that's America's ass.” He salutes.
“Who gets the, uh, magic wand?” The 2012 Natasha asked. “S.T.R.I.K.E team's coming to secure it,” The 2012 Steve says. Tony spots Y/N and he could stop there. “God, she’s been gone for too long.”
“Who?” Scott asks, he looks over.
 The elevator behind the two began to opening up after it dings and Tony rushes away when the S.T.R.I.K.E. team walk out of the elevator.
“We can take that off your hands,” Sitwell says. Natasha hands him the scepter. “By all means. Careful with that thing.”
“Who are these guys?” Scott asked. “They are S.H.I.E.L.D. Well, actually Hydra, but we didn't know that yet.”
“Seriously? You didn't? I mean, they look like bad guys.”
“You're small, but you're talking loud,” Tony says to Scott.
“On my way down to coordinate search and secure,” Captain America says, passing by the God brothers. Loki's body changed into Steve, “On my way down to coordinate search and rescue,” Loki mocks and changes back, “I mean, honestly, how do you keep your--”
Thor slaps a muzzle on Loki's mouth, “Shut up.”
2012 Tony turns to Y/N, “Hey, Y/N wanna follow Cap, help your boyfriend out?” He asks. Y/N rolls her eyes, “He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Not yet, he isn’t,” Tony mutters, watching her leave to Steve. “Ooh. All right, you're up, little buddy. There's our stone,” Tony says. “All right,” Scott says, he sticks his butt out, “Flick me.”
Tony flicks Scott off his shoulder and Scott lands on 2012 Tony's hand. Tony then jumps out the window and his suit engulfs his body.
“Move,” Hulk growls.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Thor shouts, “Hey, hey. Buddy!” 2012 Tony says, “What do you think? Maximum occupancy has been reached.”
Thor shoos him off while Loki waves bye. “Take the stairs,” Thor says. Hulk growls as the elevator doors close on him. “Stop, stop!” Tony says and Hulk throws a punch at the doors and stomps over to the stairs.
“Take the stairs. Hate the stars,” He grunts.
Tony flies around in the sky, "All right, Cap, I got our scepter in the elevator just passing the 80th floor."
Steve pushes the button at the elevator and waits. “On it.” Steve waits for the elevator to reach his level as he sighs. 
The S.T.R.I.K.E team sat in the elevator while Rumlow held onto the scepter. “Evidence secure. We're en route to Doctor List,” Sitwell says, “No. No hitches at all, Mr. Secretary.”
The elevator dings and the doors open to Steve, all of them looked at him. “Captain. I thought you were coordinating search and rescue.” Steve hits the button and steps in. “Change of plans.”
Steve stands by Rumlow who looks at him, “Hey, Cap.”
Steve inhales, "Rumlow." Steve slightly gave him a glare. Rumlow in 2014, made a horrible comment on Y/N's death. He didn't like it. Steve glances over to one of the men who reaches for his gun holding it there. Steve diverts his eyes.
“I just got a call from the secretary. I'm gonna be running point on the scepter,” Steve said, Sitwell turns around, “Sir? I don't understand.” Steve looks at the men behind him. “We got word there may be an attempt to steal it.”
“Sorry, Cap,” Rumlow spoke, “We can't give you the scepter.”
“I'm gonna have to call the director,” Sitwell began to reach for his phone. “That's okay. Trust me,” Steve says, he leans over causing Sitwell to lean in as well.
“Hail Hydra.”
Sitwell pulls away and looks at him.
The elevator doors open and Steve walks out with a small smile, holding the case with the scepter.
.
Steve was reaching down the levels and began to walk towards the bridge. “Tony, what’s going on? Tell me you found that cube?” Steve looks forward and stops. His face drops. 
Y/N walks up and reaches up to her ear, “I’ve found Loki. On the 14th floor.” He hasn’t seen her for 7 years. He could still feel her weight in his arms. He finally spoke, “I’m not Loki.” He gently places the scepter on the ground.
“And I don’t wanna hurt you.”
“I wouldn’t stress about it,” Y/N pulls out her gun and fires, Steve pulls up his shield and blocks the bullets. Without knowing, she throws her gun towards his kneecap. 
He stumbles on his knee and she lifts up hers to his face, knocking him back. Steve rolls back onto his feet and Y/N jumps onto his shoulders. Slipping out a wire from her belt, she pulls it to his neck but he pulls it away and figures to drop to the ground.
The two crash down and he grits his teeth as her heels dug into his torso. “I’m sorry...” Steve takes the knife from her belt and drags it across her calf. She releases him with a shout and the two both lay on the ground in exhaustion.
Y/N grips her leg as she glances up at him. She spot something silver on the ground.
She reached for it and stands up. She stared at the object in disbelief. Y/N looks up to Steve. She holds it out. “Where did you get this?” Steve looks at the silver bracelet with her name engraved on it.
“I tried to save you,” He says, panting. Y/N stared at him in horror. “Remember... I took you on my bike for a late night ride-?”
“Stop,” She says.
“And you were scared of falling off?” He asks, he grins, “I took you to Central Park? We were walking-”
“Stop!” Y/N says, Steve doesn’t comply and continues, “I gave you that bracelet. Sometimes as a thank you when I woke up 70 years later-”
“You don’t know me like that!” Y/N says. 
“You died in front of me, Y/N. You saved me...” Steve noticed her shoulders drop. To her, of course, he knew he was speaking nonsense to her but it was all true to him. “I know I shouldn’t do this... I loved you.”
“You’re Loki.”
“I’m Steve-”
“No you’re not!” Steve kicks the case open and Y/N charges at him. He kicks the case, taking the scepter in hand as Y/N trips over the case and Steve puts his foot on Y/N. “I’m sorry...” He puts the scepter on her chest as her eyes flutter close.
Her hand releases the bracelet and he falls to his knees. His breath was heavy. He hated to see her again. Alive and well. He wished she was brought back. Not this way, he couldn’t. It would be a horrible choice.
It wouldn’t be the same.
Steve takes the bracelet and puts it back in his utility belt. He looks down at her again and leans down. “I love you...” He gently places his head on hers and sighs.
He takes the scepter and his shield walking off. 
If I could bring you back I could.
But not this way.
~~~
@jtargaryen18​ @joannaliceevans-fanficblog​ @chrisevans-imagines​ @navispalace​ @princess-evans-addict​ @elliee1497​ @ifuseekamyevans​ @axen-gers​ @rororo06​
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rosescovenwrites · 4 years
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INTRO TO HELL (just kidding...or maybe I’m not hehe)
*OKAY BUT IN ALL SERIOUSNESS PLEASE READ*
Hi lovely people! Here is my impromptu introduction post for this account. To begin, I do not write real-people fanfiction, however I do have a pretty lengthy list of all the characters I plan to write for on this blog below.
MARVEL
Steve Rogers
Bucky Barnes
Peter Parker (as 18+ because otherwise it’s icky)
Eddie Brock/Venom
Matt Murdock
Wanda Maximoff
Natasha Romanoff
Other characters upon request
DC
Harley Quinn
Rick Flag
Adrian Chase/Vigilante
Other characters upon request
STAR WARS
Kylo Ren/Ben Solo
Poe Dameron
Anakin Skywalker
Other characters upon request
ADAM DRIVER CHARACTERS
Adam Sackler
Phillip Altman
Officer Ronnie Peterson
Flip Zimmerman
Charlie Barber
Toby Grisoni
Rick Smolan (AU context)
Other characters upon request
CHRIS EVANS CHARACTERS
Ransom Drysdale
Andy Barber
Frank Adler
Colin Shea
Johnny Storm
Other characters upon request
SEBASTIAN STAN CHARACTERS
Frank
Lance Tucker
Charles Blackwood
Other characters upon request
OTHER CHARACTERS
Jake Martin (The Crew)
Crowley x Aziraphale (Good Omens)
10th Doctor (Doctor Who)
14th Doctor (Doctor Who)
Other David Tennant Characters
MORE INFO
And what I would guess most people want to know is that I DO write smut and that is probably what my content will be heavily. That being said, I will 100% be sure to tag each piece accordingly (ex. cum-play, anal, pegging, etc.).
I DO NOT write non-con or dub-con fics for obvious reasons. If I ever did I would only write dub-con and I would put clear cut warnings on that particular piece.
I DO also write fluff content based upon request or based on the specific writing I am working on.
Of course you may request characters not directly stated on the aforementioned list, however I cannot promise I will write for that character or fandom.
Requests are currently OPEN so send away! Or just talk to me! I am here friends 🤗
Typically I will write my works as a fem!reader (AFAB) or gender neutral but I am more than happy to write for any other gender identities upon request.
No kink shaming here people, so express your little hearts out! However, if a certain request makes me feel uncomfortable or negatively it will be deleted. That is in no intention to be rude: I just want to make sure everyone feels comfortable on my blog (including myself too)!
ABOUT ME
You can call me Rose or C if you’d like
My pronouns are she/they & I am a member of the LGBTQ+ community: pan pride 💗💛💙
I am very outgoing & approachable so never be afraid to shoot me a message or ask
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theetherealbloom · 5 months
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WHERE DO WE GO NOW? | Series Masterlist
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Pairing: 14th Doctor x Fem!Reader
Summary: An old face returns, a spaceship falls from the skies, and you thought you had moved on with that part of your life.
Warnings: Hurt-to-Comfort, Angst, Fluff, Possible Plot Holes, Vague Background, Aliens, Mild Horror, Violence, Past Trauma, Depression, Anxiety, Timey-Wimey Stuff, Star-Crossed Lovers, Second Chance
Song: Where do we go now? By Gracie Abrams
Dividers by @/saradika-graphics
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SPECIALS:
Chapter 1: After All Of The Time, And Give An Actual Try Chapter 2: All Our Best Years Are Behind Chapter 3: Guess The Space Was The Thing That I Needed, But I Miss You Epilogue: Coming Soon...
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allophonicmess · 5 months
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Uncanny Touch
Masterlist
You didn't get the chance to get acquainted with the new version of the doctor. So it's comes as a surprise when he suddenly wants the seduce you on a space ship at the end of the universe.
14th Doctor x reader + fake doctor x reader
Timelord!wife reader
Established relationship
1.5K Words
Angst
A little bit smutty
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Written based on this request by @creelmalfoylaufeyson69 on my tumblr:
"Hello! I was wondering if you could do something angsty where Y/n prefers the fake Doctor over the real one? "
After the unconventional landing, the sudden disappearance of the Tardis, you finally arrived in the ship's cockpit. You let out a sigh of relief. Finally, some sense of control. Cockpits were good; you were trained on a Tardis type-60 but knew enough about other ships and transport systems to make an educated guess. "Okay, you two take a look at the other corridors.", you told them, sliding into the pilot's chair. You took a look at the pedals and screens in front of you. Was it built with a dual-slot engine? No, there would have to be a physical instrument to initiate ignition. Abduction core? Possibly, guessing from the symbols, there was a cooling system on the ship.
The Doctor and Donna had taken a step towards the cockpit's glass front, wondering about the edge of the universe. It was a strange concept: being at the end of everything. The thought made you shiver.
"Doctor." You called, making him step away from the glass and turn to you. "It looks like it utilizes cooler breaks. Could you go and look for any kind of cooling system?" You asked, still trying to figure out any of the written symbols.
You hadn't been able to figure out anything more than the basic number system that the Doctor had been able to translate.
"Any indication for power resources?" The Doctor leaned in next to you to take a look at the controls; he flipped through some of the slides and notifications that popped up on the screen. His hip was pressed against your knee; he didn't notice as he was too focused. But you did. You felt how warm his skin was. His heat slowly seeped into your leg, and you suddenly felt warmth rush to your face. You hadn't really touched, not in an intimate way.
But there had been no time to do so as you just popped up during the situation with the Meep. There was no time for rekindling, and you would have to wait a little longer judging the situation. "Um, no," You said softly. This position gave you the chance to finally take a better look at him.
He hummed, sliding back out between you and the screen. But not without letting his hand glide over your leg with just enough pressure to show you that his touch was deliberate. You sat up a little more straight, your eyes following his hand up to his arm and up to his face. He was looking at you with a kind smile. You huffed, reciprocating the playful sentiment. He let go, calling for Donna to follow him on his search for the ship's energy source and water system.
You stayed in the pilot's seat, trying to figure out possible syntax structures for the language you were presented with. It looked like nothing you had seen before. You were very familiar with circular writing systems, but this? Mysterious.
"Energy systems are controlled with base plate repetition filaments, Love." He informed you as he passed you on the corridor. "Ah, nice. And you gave Donna the pesky task of reenergizing them?" You asked, vaguely looking in his direction as he moved swiftly towards the other side of the cockpit. "Someone had to do it." He shrugged. He kept moving into the other room, his voice becoming muffled by the metal walls separating you. "And you had instructed me to look for a water system, no? Repetition filaments mean water spindles, so that's where I am going to solve my riddle of the day," He told you, his voice becoming smaller as he moved further into the room.
You huffed a laugh, once again focusing on the task at hand. You squinted your eyes, trying to find reoccurring elements in the symbols. Was there a word order? Did they even use words or was this a different kind of language. They may be phonemic creatures and somehow managed to create a written language.
"Whoa-"You gasped when a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around you from behind. You realized it was the Doctor's.
You caught your breath, adrenaline rising in you from the sudden contact. You turned your head to look at him, but the seat's height made it impossible to look behind it.
"Are you done already?" You asked, genuinely surprised at his speed at work. He just hummed, his hands losing their pressure to slowly glide over your torso. You gasped softly at the intimate touch over your chest and belly. Was 14 going to be a touchy incarnation? Wandering hands and flirty interactions?
"I missed you." He said lowly, letting go of you, only to appear on your left. His hand was outstretched, asking you silently to take it. You studied his face for a moment. He had removed his glasses, and his dark eyes watched you with a strange energy behind them. You haven't seen him like this before. You glanced at his hand for a moment before accepting his invitation. He grinned, pulling you up quickly.
He was more substantial than you remembered, using a good amount of strength to pull you right into his chest. His grin widened, keeping you there, pressed into his front. It was new, unexpected. He had always been very levelheaded on past journeys and travels. But you couldn't get yourself to mind it very much. Not with the sudden rush you felt. He had always been romantic but never this… physically approaching.
"Hello, you." He chuckled, watching you hungrily. His right hand moved up to your chin, holding it in a firm grasp. You let out a breath, not noticing you held it. His thumb moved to your lower lip, pressing down on it and letting his finger glide over it.
"Doctor-"You gasped softly. You really wanted to tell him that you appreciated the new physical contact and were also looking forward to exploring his new form, but now, stuck with Donna on an empty ship and without a Tardis, wasn't the right moment to do so. Yet the mix of surprise and attraction made it impossible to say more than that. He chucked at your weak interjection. Letting go of your lip and letting it bounce back into place.
"Always humouring me." He whispered, grinning again, eyes moving to your lips and back up to meet your eyes. He pulled you forward to meet you in a passionate kiss, the hand on your cheek moved to your neck to hold you in place.
You gasped into the kiss when he slowly walked you backwards, turning you around so that he stood with his back to the chair.
"Taste so good." He growled, allowing you to catch your breath before letting himself fall into the pilot's chair. His left arm was still wrapped around you, making you follow his movement. You practically fell into his lap; you had enough sense not to stumble completely and sit down on his lap. Each leg was placed over his thigh as your knees bumped against the small armrests of the chair. He looked down at your position.
"Yes-"He groaned, pushing you closer with a hand against your lower back. His long fingers graced your ass, and suddenly, you didn't care so much about being stuck on a lost spaceship.
"My good girl." He hummed, going in for another kiss. He squeezed your side, nimble fingers moving under your shirt. He pulled down the neckline of your shirt, humming against your pulse.
"I've waited so long to finally have you again." The Doctor started kissing your pulse, moving towards your neck. You closed your eyes, intoxicated by him. His stubble rubbed deliciously against your skin, making you gasp.
"Doctor, we shouldn't…" But then his fingers hand found a way under your shirt. They were a bit cold, creating goosebumps as they danced over your back with gentle pressure.
"Mhm, and yet you enjoy it. You little rule-breaker." He sucked on that delicious spot where your jaw connected to your skull. His fingers had reached the claps of your bra. He kneaded the skin underneath them before unhooking them one by one. You knew that something was off. That the Doctor would never approach you like this, despite his playful and sometime unpredictable nature. But you realised with shock that you didn't care about that. Because this version of him gave you what you longed for.
"Donna?!"
"My little deserter." He pulled you closer to let his lips wander over your clavicle to go lower.
"What?" You opened your eyes, wondering if you were just hearing things. Did he just call you-
"You should have followed those orders, hmm?" He licked your neck, his hands moving to your front, just waiting to touch your-
"Donna, Love, are you there? Donna-"
Your eyes met. His emotions shifted quickly from confused to intrigued, triggered by that look of bliss and arousal on your face. But in the end, he just looked terrified as he noticed the familiar arms and white sleeves peeking out from underneath your shirt. Accustomed fingers massaging your flesh. And then that grin. He never knew he could look so terrorizing, grinning back at himself.
With you, gasping on the lap of the other him.
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hisirishsoufflegirl · 7 years
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(Requested by @blondhumain: Can I get a fluffy imagine with Clara Oswald for Valentine’s day? A love planet maybe? Thanks! I love your blog btw ❤)
[You are such a sweetheart, omg!]
Show: Doctor Who
Pairing: Clara Oswald x fem Reader
Warnings: Fluff
-
“So where are we off to next?” You asked your dad, walking around the Tardis console.
Being the Doctor’s daughter was certainly interesting although it meant trying not getting too attached to people. You had learned that the hard way. So life was lonely. Well, until Clara came along.
You couldn’t help but smile whenever you were around the Lancaster woman. She was beautiful, smart and witty and after a while you had begun to fall for her. You kicked yourself sometimes for allowing yourself to care so much for a human, not only that but for a woman who seemed to be straight.
“Oh, I don’t know. Why don’t you two gals pick?” your dad answered, fiddling with the controls.
You looked at Clara, shrugging your shoulders to tell her to choose.
Clara subconsciously licked her lips whilst deep in thought, not knowing that she was still staring at you.
‘God, this woman will be the death of me.’ You thought to yourself.
“Hmm. Today’s the 14th, right? Valentines Day! Let’s go somewhere Valentines Day-y. There must be a planet like that somewhere.” Clara eventually spoke.
“ 'Valentines Day-y’ ?” You raised your eyebrow at the brunette, amused.
Clara narrowed her eyes playfully at you. “Shut up.”
“Valentines Day? I think I know just the place.”
-
“So where are we again?” Clara stepped outside the Tardis.
×
“Amareestamare.”
דIt roughly translates to 'love is love’.” You told her, looking around.
It was dark out but warm light emitted from every lamp, building and star. The stars above your head shone with a pink glow and the nearby restaurant was adorned in red. The epitome of Valentines Day.
“It’s beautiful.” Clara gushed as she took in the scenery.
“You arrived on the right day, lovelies.”
The three of you turned round to be greeted by an old woman. You raised your hand in a slight wave.
“Welcome to Amareestamare. I feel at liberty to point out that any feelings you usually bottle up no longer stay secret here.” The elderly woman smiled. “You see, because Amare- is a romantic planet, we don’t believe in repressing feelings of love. So the whole planet’s atmosphere emits a veritum gas.”
“Gas?” Clara glanced at you, worry visible on her face.
“Veritum gas, it makes you tell the truth.” Your dad explained, simply.
“Now that we’ve got the necessities out of the way, would the young lady like to keep me company whilst you two lovebirds enjoy yourselves?”
Your eyebrows furrowed until you realised the Amare- native meant for you to follow her. Even though you knew your dad had no interest in Clara, it still hurt you to think that other people viewed them as a couple.
“Oh, no. We’re not together. I’m married and quite frankly, she’s not my type.” Your dad spoke.
דOh, so you’re not…?” the woman gestured between the pair of them.
“God, no. I mean, well, I did find his old face attractive.” Clara began to speak. “But the real reason I ran away with him is because I secretly fancy his daughter.” She grimaced as the words came out of her mouth.
×Your head whipped around to look at the beautiful brunette. You were stunned. You knew that on occasion she’d flirt with you but you just chalked that up to Clara’s naturally flirty nature.
As she turned to face you wide eyed, you noticed out of the corner of your eye that your dad had begun walking with the old woman, giving you privacy.
“I did not mean that to come out. Not like this, anyway.”
“So it’s true? You… fancy me?” You raised your eyebrows, trying to remain calm all the while doing an internal dance.
“I’m not good with articulation but… Yeah. I fancy you a lot.” Clara admitted. “And I’m hoping to God that it’s reciprocated.” She closed her eyes with a small chuckle.
“Clara, I like you too. I have done for a while, actually. I just always assumed you were straight.”
Clara opened her eyes. “Oh hun, I’m as straight as a circle.”
You couldn’t keep the smile off your face. She actually liked you back.
Clara stepped forward, taking your hands into yours. “Would you like to have dinner? We’re beside what looks like a nice restaurant. I think. I hope.”
“I would like that very much.”
Clara broke out into a grin, glancing down at your lips before reaching up to place her lips on yours.
You could feel your heartbeat in your ears. There were no words to describe what you were feeling.
“Wow.” You breathed as you both pulled away.
“I know.”
-
I gotta admit - I ship Whouffle and Colepaldi wayy too much.
Okay, I think we can all agree that Jenna Coleman is one of the most beautiful creatures upon this earth. Like, it should be illegal to be that beautiful
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strangesthirdeye · 1 year
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✧Masterlist✧
heh, this is my first Masterlist so I'm still trying to learn how to use Tumblr don't be mad and yeah I'll still try to add my work for the future. And I'm the type of person who doesn't take requests because I don't believe in myself to fulfill the ideas you give me to make so I only make fanfics based on my ideas only because for me it's comfortable and makes it easy for me to write.
Because I'm the type of person who is slow to update and I don't like requests that are given to wait a long time... Stay tuned eh?
-DB
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
Sherlock Holmes (BBC)
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• Forever (Sherlock x dead! Wife reader)
• Sixth Sense (Sherlock x platonic! Reader)
• Too Many Secrets (Sherlock x twin sister! Reader)
• A detective and a part time dad (Sherlock x Wife! Reader ft Baby)
• Listen Before I Go (Sherlock x Fem! Reader)
• Sherlock² ( Sherlock x Fem Sherlock! Reader)
• Being Sherlock's wife and going through the pregnancy would include
Doctor Strange (Marvel)
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• Unspoken Love ⟬ series ⟭
•A Silent Voice (S.Strange x Mute! Female reader)
• Husband Material (Defender Strange x wife! Reader)
• I Can't Handle Change (S.Strange x Fem! Reader)
• No Way ( S. Strange x wife! Reader)
Doctor Who (BBC)
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• Lost in Time and Space ⟬ series ⟭ ⫷ Marvel x Doctor Who ⫸
• Little Companion (10th Doctor x child! Reader)
• Adore (10th/14th Doctor x fem! Reader)
Good Omens (BBC)
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• Star Mini Series ⟬ Series ⟭ ⫷ Ineffable hubbys x daughter! reader ⫸
• Being blind and dating Crowley would include:
• Human dating Aziraphale would include:
• Little Star (Ineffable Husbands x toddler! Reader)
• Being short and married to Ineffable Hubbys would include:
• Our Star (Ineffable Hubbys x baby fem! Reader)
Loki Laufeyson (Marvel)
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•Under the root of Yggdrasil (Loki x Fem! Reader)
Severus Snape
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•Late Night Potions (Severus Snape x wife! Reader)
• In The Afterlife (Severus Snape x Dead! Reader)
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theetherealbloom · 5 months
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WHERE DO WE GO NOW? - CH. 2 | 14th Doctor
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Chapter Two: All Our Best Years Are Behind
Summary: With the TARDIS out of control, you three end up stranded on a spaceship. Unbeknownst to you all, you're not the only one on board.
Pairing: 14th Doctor x Fem!Reader
Warnings: Hurt-to-Comfort, Angst, Fluff, Possible Plot Holes, Vague Background, Aliens, Mild Horror, Violence, Past Trauma, Depression, Anxiety, Timey-Wimey Stuff, Star-Crossed Lovers, Second Chance, Character Death, Mention of Su!c!de, 
Word Count: 11.7k
A/N: Tbh, this chapter took a while for me to write because of all the holiday shopping I needed to do tehe! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter and as you know I thrive for feedback, reblogs and comments. Thank you for all the love you've given so far to this series and I can't wait to start writing the next chapter because I have a bunch of ideas swirling around in my mind hehe. Also, please note that English isn't my first language, please forgive me for any grammatical errors or wrong spelling etc. Love you loads!
Song: anything (demo) by Dodie
Previous Chapter → Next Chapter | Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist
Dividers by @/saradika-graphics
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ENGLAND, 1666 — MORNING
The TARDIS collides with an unknown object, sending you and Donna tumbling through the room. Donna clings to the railing for stability, but you, unfortunately, lose your balance. As you teeter on the edge of falling, the Doctor swiftly intervenes, grabbing your waist and pulling you close. Your bodies collide in the chaotic scenario as flames and sparks whirl around the console.
The Doctor gently cradles your head with one hand, conducting a swift but thorough assessment for any injuries. Satisfied with the examination, he presses a tender kiss to the top of your head. With a determined look, he retrieves a piece of the console, swiftly making his way to the TARDIS doors. His focus shifts to triangulating your current location and time, a sense of urgency evident in his movements.
You, the Doctor and Donna pop your head out the TARDIS and you can see a bright blue clear morning sky and it seems that you have crashed into an apple tree. You look down to see a man holding an apple while looking up at the three of you in disbelief.
The Doctor, with a quirky smile, introduces you and Donna to the stranger he's just encountered. His charm radiates as he explains, "Oh! Sorry, we’re just slightly out of control. This is my fiancée, Stargazer. My friend, Donna..." He playfully gestures towards Donna, who greets the stranger with a friendly grin, "This is Donna. Donna Noble."
"Hi!" Donna chimes in cheerfully.
The Doctor, ever the quick thinker, continues, "Just dropped some coffee into the console." Donna interjects with a light-hearted assurance, "But don’t worry. He’s got a time machine, which means he can blame me for all eternity."
Ignoring Donna's quip, the Doctor turns to the perplexed man and earnestly asks, "I just need to triangulate. Could you tell me what year this is?"
The man, clearly taken aback, responds, "It’s 1666."
You and the Doctor exchange puzzled glances, your lips puckering in unison as you simultaneously warn the stranger, "Oh! Stay away from London."
The Doctor proceeds to input the year into a device, then has a sudden realization, exclaiming, "Wait a minute. Apple tree. Apple. Man holding an apple in 1666. Are you Sir Isaac Newton?"
"Sir Isaac?" to which the man reveals himself as the renowned figure who discovered gravity.
The Doctor, correcting his error, teases, "Oh! Not yet. Spoilers."
Donna, injecting some humor, remarks, "Have you got the controls set to famous or what?"
The Doctor, with a hint of exasperation, retorts, "If I had controls. Thank you."
Donna playfully engages Isaac Newton, saying, "But it's got to be said, Mr. Isaac Newton, that you, above all others, can appreciate—"
The Doctor interjects with a cautionary, "Oh, no, don't."
Undeterred, Donna persists, "You can appreciate—" and you join in, emphasizing, "Really, really don't." Donna groans and urges, "Oh, come on!"
Turning back to a bewildered Isaac Newton, she asserts, "You can appreciate—" and in unison, the three of you declare, "the gravity of the situation."
A loud bang and fire erupt from behind the three of you, prompting a swift turn to witness the chaotic scene inside the TARDIS. The Doctor hastily tells Isaac Newton, “Oh! Sorry, gotta go. Bye!” You and Donna join in, adding your farewells, “Bye!”
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UNKNOWN SPACESHIP — ???
As the TARDIS crash lands, Donna steps out of the TARDIS, beginning to say, “I am never ever—”
After hastily evaluating the impending disaster at the TARDIS console, you and the Doctor realize it's on the verge of erupting in flames. The Doctor seizes your wrist and swiftly ushers you outside, shouting to Donna, "Out of the way!"
Both you and the Doctor hit the ground, Donna in tow, as flames erupt from the TARDIS doors. Strangely, the U.S. Air Force song plays in the background with audible lyrics:
"Here they come
Zooming to meet our thunder
At ‘em, boys, give ‘em the gun"
Lying on the floor, the TARDIS abruptly slams its doors shut, bringing an unexpected end to the song. The three of you are panting on the floor in shock and confusion plastered on your face.
As you three pull yourself up and stand, Donna asks in disbelief and unsureness, “Is it… Is it all right? Is it broken? Is it knackered?”
With a frown, the Doctor strides toward the TARDIS doors and pushes them open. "Uh..."
Ducking your head from underneath his shoulder, you peer inside to assess the damage. The hiss of fire and creaking of objects reach your ears amid the billowing steam surrounding the TARDIS. Both you and the Doctor frown at the sight, and he utters a small, "Ooh."
Gently closing the TARDIS door, the Doctor grips both sides of the time machine with his hands. You take a step back, and Donna softly and sheepishly asks, "Is it bad?"
The Doctor presses his forehead against the blue doors in defeat, groaning, "It was brand-new."
Donna softly says, "Sorry."
The Doctor composes himself, taking a deep breath. He spins around and addresses Donna, saying, “Not your fault.”
“Yes, it was.” Donna responds matter-of-factly, accompanied by an awkward smile. “But can we fly? Can you fix it? Can we get back home?”
The Doctor grins, “We can do anything.” Donna laughs in delight.
The Doctor brandishes his sonic screwdriver and says, “Sonic screwdriver,” then pulls out a regular screwdriver, “and a non-sonic screwdriver.”
You and Donna share a laugh, and you playfully point out, “I think a non-sonic screwdriver is just called a screwdriver.”
The Doctor nods, giving you an adorable smile, “Thank you, love.”
“But if I can just reconfigure…” The Doctor starts as he fiddles with the keyhole of the TARDIS, “'Cause this old box can regenerate itself if I can just click it into gear.”
“Am I going mad, or did the TARDIS play ‘Wild Blue Yonder’?” Donna asks both you and the Doctor. He frowns and furrows his brows, “Yeah, it did, didn’t it?”
“What for?” Donna asks, and you reply, “I wonder.”
“We sang that in the choir in primary school. We’d have a little concert every Christmas, but gramps complained. He said, ‘You shouldn’t be teaching children that.’ It sounds all jaunty and fun, but it’s not. It’s the military going to war.” Donna shares as you stand next to her.
“Yeah. It’s the Air Force. The words are ‘wild blue yonder,’ which means the TARDIS played us a war song.” The Doctor frowns in contemplation but then manages to remove a portion of the keyhole. He inserts the end of his sonic screwdriver into the keyhole and clicks a button. The sonic emits a sound as the Doctor continues, “There, now... it can rebuild.”
The Doctor leaves the sonic screwdriver inserted as it continues to hum. The three of you take a few steps back as you hear the TARDIS clattering inside, shifting gears. The Doctor makes a face as he says, “Ooh. Okay? Yes?”
The TARDIS suddenly groans, and you three lean a little backward. Donna then asks, “Is it working?”
“Think so. Strange.” The Doctor comments. After a few seconds, the light atop the police box lights up blue and emits a small ding. The Doctor smiles and clasps his hands together, “There you go! Mending, mending, mending. Give it a bit of time.”
The Doctor then looks around the space you had landed, bends his knees up and down as he says, “So, now. I wonder where we are. Feels like a spaceship? Yeah?”
Donna concurs, “Yeah.”
The Doctor remarks, “Flight.”
Donna then adds, “Spaceship.”
The Doctor scrunches his nose as he shrugs, “Let’s just see.” He moves to what seems to be a door and presses the button on the side, leaving you and Donna to follow him.
“Wow! Nice!” The Doctor remarks as you enter the large, long corridor of the spaceship. Multiple shapes and sizes of grey panels surround the interior walls, while large mechanical beams hold the roof, leaving you in awe of the immense size of the entire spacecraft.
“Big!” Donna comments as she looks around, and The Doctor adds, “Very big!”
“I’d hate to be the cleaner,” Donna says as she gazes up at the high ceilings.
You then spot something in the distance, a small, white figure standing still. Squinting your eyes, you try to make out its shape and say, “Is that—”
The Doctor begins to wave his hand in the air, yelling, “Hello! We just landed. By accident. I hope that’s okay.”
There’s no response from whatever is at the end of the long corridor. Donna leans a little closer and asks, “Is that a person or a thing?”
The Doctor can’t help himself as he looks at the two of you, his tone suggesting, “We could take a look.”
Donna scoffs and points out, “Or we could stay here, wait for the TARDIS to mend itself so I can get back home. My family is waiting for me.”
The Doctor makes a face as he hums and points with his thumb, “Mmm?”
You shake your head while looking up, knowing his curiosity will always win. Eventually, Donna relents, “Yeah, all right.”
The Doctor smiles and shoves a hand down his pocket as he takes your hand in his, and the three of you walk down the massive, long corridor. Donna begins to say “Still, wherever we are, could be worse. We’ve got air. We’ve got lights. We’ve got mavity.”
You and the Doctor glance at each other before nodding along with Donna. Both of you hum and agree, “Yeah.”
“Was it me, or was Isaac Newton hot?” Donna says, and you grin wildly as you nod your head in agreement, saying, “Oh, thank the stars someone said it! 'Cause, yes, he was very hot.”
“He was, wasn’t he? He was so hot.” The Doctor said before realizing, “Oh, is that who I am now?”
You give the Doctor a reassuring squeeze as Donna says to the Doctor, “Well, it was never that far from the surface, mate. I always thought—” She’s cut off by the sudden sound of the TARDIS engine whirring, and the three of you race back to where you had landed to see it disappear.
The Doctor exclaims in panic, “No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!”
“But— What?” Donna says as she takes a small step back in disbelief. You're by the Doctor’s side as your mouth slightly opens in shock, feeling a tightness in your chest of uncertainty.
“You’ll get it back though?” Donna asks, “Doctor, you can get it back.”
The Doctor has wide eyes and a mouth agape as he doesn’t reply. Donna steps in front of the two of you, saying, “Doctor, you can get the TARDIS back, can’t you? Use the sonic.”
The Doctor’s eyebrows dip in the middle, a visible annoyance and frustration as he replies, “It was in the keyhole.”
Donna’s eyes widen, and she stammers as she tries to gather solutions to the problem you three were in. She says, “But you can whistle. You could snap your fingers. You could summon it. Just use that stupid head of yours and get it back.”
The Doctor gives her a look as he grits his teeth in slight rage, and Donna shakes her head at him, pointing a finger as she says, “Oh, don’t you look at me like that. It’s your fault.”
To which you and the Doctor give her a more pointed look, and Donna continues on, “I said, ‘Let’s stay here’. But you two had to wander off.”
You raise your voice as you say, “You wandered with us!”
Donna retaliates with her voice high-pitched, “Oh, like I could stop you both!”
The Doctor adds fuel to the fire, his voice raising, “You spilled the coffee—” He stops himself, not liking where all the blaming and pointing fingers were going. To him, there was no point, so he threw his hands in the air as he turned around, saying, “No.”
The Doctor places both hands on his hips as you let out a deep sigh through your nose as you cover both your eyes with the palms of your hands, rubbing them out in frustration. 
Donna fiddles with the lapels of her coat as she nods and agrees with a soft note, saying, “No.”
The Doctor briefly raises both of his hands in surrender as he softly says, “Sorry.” To which you also add your own, “Sorry, Donna.”
Donna steps back, and her voice shakes as she says, “No. Okay. Fine.” Then you see panic seep through Donna. She begins to pant, her eyes slightly water and rim her eyes, and her lower lip begins to tremble. “Oh— Oh, my God. Where are we?”
You and the Doctor move towards her the moment her lower lip begins to tremble, and Donna has an outstretched hand, trying not to let you two get close, but it’s no use. The Doctor grabs her hand and gives it a small kiss in reassurance. Then you hold on to grab her other hand in support as she whimpers, and she sniffles out, “Rose is waiting.”
The Doctor looks directly into Donna’s shining blue eyes as he says, “I will get you home.” Donna shakes her head, “How?”
The Doctor is serious as he says, “There is one hope. A mechanism on board the TARDIS called the HADS. Hostile Action Displacement System.” He then lets go of Donna’s hand and continues, “If the TARDIS is in danger, it goes away.”
“Goes where?” Donna asks.
“Anywhere. And it only comes back when the danger is gone. I turned it off years ago. I mean, I’d never land anywhere. Once spent three years with the Stargazer in orbit, and I thought, ‘Oh, mmm, turn off the HADS’, but if the TARDIS is rebuilding itself, maybe it clicked back on.” The Doctor explains, and Donna realizes, “But that means we’ve landed in the middle of hostile action.”
To which the Doctor replies with a somber tone, “Yeah.”
In moments like these, you remain silent, your mind kicking into overdrive as it gathers as much information as possible, desperately searching for a solution to the chaotic situation around you.
“There’s something on this ship that’s so bad the TARDIS ran away?” Donna asks, a slight quiver in her voice. The Doctor stammers, “Y-yes.”
Donna takes a moment before declaring, “Then… we go and kick its arse!” She moves to slam the palm of her hand on the button on the wall that opens the door and strides down the corridor with determination. You and the Doctor exchange a look before trailing after her.
“She was very put out. Mrs Bean,” Donna says as the three of you stroll down the long spaceship corridor. The Doctor, intrigued, asks, “Mrs Bean?” Your hand is in his, swaying with the movement of your bodies as you walk. He never wants to let you go again, now that he has you back.
Donna recounts her memory, “Head of the choir. She said, ‘It’s not a war song. It’s jolly.’ That’s what she said, ‘It is jolly.’”
After a brief moment of silence, you turn to Donna with a silly expression, “Mrs Bean?” The three of you burst into laughter at the absurdity of the last name, wondering just how unlucky someone must be to carry a vegetable as their surname for the rest of their life.
“Fenslaw.”
An automated voice echoes through the speakers of the spaceship, causing the pillars and panels to click and clatter as they shift and move around you three. You, the Doctor, and Donna stand still in concern, watching as everything unfolds before settling back into place.
“What was that?” Donna asks with narrowed eyes.
The Doctor frowns as he tries to understand, “Like circuits moving. Or it’s reconfiguring to become…”
“But what was that word? Fenslaw. What’s that mean?” Donna asks.
The Doctor shrugs, “I don’t know. The TARDIS translates, but now it’s gone.”
“No, the TARDIS translates for me. I thought you knew twenty-seven million languages.” Donna points out.
“I know fifty-seven billion two hundred and five, but not this one.” The Doctor says matter-of-factly, and you roll your eyes at his subtle brag. Then he tilts his head slightly, “Unless it’s Mr Fenslaw saying his name?”
Donna shakes her head, “It wasn’t that.”
The Doctor nods and agrees as he parrots back, “It wasn’t that.”
Donna turns and places her hands in the pockets of her coat, jutting her chin out in the direction where the unknown species or object stands from a distance and says, “Jimbo didn’t move. What is that?”
The Doctor begins, “Oh, wait a minute. If I’m right…” Then he steps on a button on the floor with his grey converse, and a mechanism hisses before popping up a small orange hovering transport vehicle. Donna chuckles in amusement as she moves to sit in the passenger seat on the far end.
The Doctor gives you a cheeky grin and exaggerates his accent as he says to the two of you, “Your car, milady.”
“Thank you, Parker.” Donna says with her own exaggerated accent. You sit in between them as the Doctor drives.
After a few meters of driving, the object comes into view, and you say with realization, “Oh, it’s a robot.”
The Doctor pulls the vehicle to a halt, and you three exit the cart as you stand in front of the white, round, and old robot. The Doctor then says, “Hello, Jimbo. Can you talk?” The robot doesn’t move or make a single beep, and the Doctor continues to try to talk to it as he bends down to its height, “You got basic communications, Fenslaw? Fenslaw. No?” He moves an inch closer as he slowly speaks to it, “Fenslaw.”
With no response, the Doctor resorts to knocking on the white metal of the robot’s head, and a hollow echo sounds out. The Doctor waddles a little backward as he continues to ask, “Have you got controllers listening? Hello, I’m the Doctor, this is my soon-to-be-wife the Stargazer,” you interject him by saying, “Haven’t agreed to anything, yet.” He ignores it and continues with introductions, “This is Donna. We need help. We need to—”
He’s cut off as the Doctor takes a slow and mechanical step forward, causing the three of you to jump and take a step back. “Is that it?” Donna asks, wondering if there’s more to it than the robot.
“One step at a time.” The Doctor says, and Donna spirals, “What is it? Maybe it’s an invader. Maybe that’s the hostile action.”
Then you look around the robot, observing it, before remarking, “I think it’s just old. See, look at the rust.”
“It’s primitive if you don’t mind me saying so, Jimbo. Someone got a very old robot out of storage to walk very slowly down a very long corridor.” The Doctor says before taking a long inhale, “Why?”
“Maybe… time slowed down.” Donna guesses and you and the Doctor shake your heads. You then say, “No. We’d feel it in our bones.”
The Doctor points at the robot while saying, “Stay there, Jimbo. No sudden moves.” He then tilts his head back on the cart, “Onwards?” You and Donna hum before following the Doctor back to the cart.
Donna lifts her hand and tells the Doctor, “Uh, I’ve got it.” As you climb into the cart, Donna says, “Allons— as the idiots say— –y!”
She steps on the gas, and the car moves forward, zooming along the corridor. Eventually, you reach the end of the corridor, revealing a door. The three of you move to the door, which slides open.
The door behind you slides down shut as the Doctor calls out, “Hello? Is anyone home?”
With no response, the three of you push forward. The entire room glows in cool blue light, leading you to the front of the ship where you find an empty captain’s chair and two monitors attached to the front.
“Well, definitely a spaceship,” Donna comments as she steps forward to look out the large window in the front, continuing, “If that’s space.”
The Doctor hops into the pilot’s chair, saying, “We’ve got a chair. That’s a good sign. It’s a life form with a bum.” He presses one of the switches on the control panel, adding, “If I can translate their basic one to ten, I can find out where we are. And when. And why.”
Putting on his glasses, the Doctor reads out the screen, “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Now I can read the base codes. So, life signs?” After pressing a few buttons, the computer whizzes and chirps, and the Doctor frowns, “None. Just an empty chair.”
“Where have they all gone?” Donna asks, leaning forward, and you feel something shiver up your spine, as if you’re being watched around the corner.
The Doctor hums, “The spaceship seems to have powered down. Basic functions ticking over.” Then something catches your eye, and you point out on the monitor, “Oh. Someone opened an airlock door three years ago. And then it closed.”
“What for?” Donna asks with wide eyes and continues, “This whole ship has been empty for three years?”
“Don’t know,” the Doctor mumbles as he reads the symbols on the screen. Then he realizes and says, “Those numbers are lenses. There’s a camera.” As you lean a little closer to see what the Doctor is saying, you feel him tug you closer and suddenly let you sit in his lap, your entire body flooding with warmth.
You squirm in his lap and playfully smack his shoulder as he lets out a yelp, “Ow!”
You look at Donna apologetically, and she gives you a knowing smile, not letting the display of affection affect her. She hasn’t seen the Doctor this happy in ages.
The Doctor flips a few switches while explaining, “Like a drone. We can see where we are.” As the drone activates, you see what it’s seeing on the screen in front of you, and the Doctor chuckles in excitement, tightening his arms around your waist, pulling you closer as he mumbles, “Well, it’s definitely a spaceship.”
Donna asks, “What kind of spaceship?”
“Don’t know,” the Doctor replies honestly. Then the drone appears from the front of the ship, shining a bright flashlight in your direction. The Doctor moves his head to the side and uses a hand to wave, “Ah! Hello!” which you see on the monitor to your left.
“But if we’re in space, there are no stars,” Donna points out and then asks, “Where are the stars?”
“We could be inside a dust cloud or a mavity well, or—” The Doctor pauses suddenly as he reads the screen to his right, “Oh.”
“What?” Donna asks with concern in her voice, and the Doctor shakes his head, “No, it’s fine. The ship is lost. It fell through a wormhole.”
“Ending up where?” Donna inquires, and you frown as you try to translate the rest of the symbols. The Doctor sighs, “I’m sorry, Donna. The TARDIS was out of control. It’s taken us…”
“To the edge of the universe,” you say, finishing the Doctor’s sentence. The drone moves away, and Donna takes a step forward toward the glass, where a void of pitch black is on the other side.
“So, what’s out there?” Donna asks with a subtle shift in her tone, a little scared. The Doctor taps your hip to stand, which you do, and the two of you follow Donna to look at the view of the edge. The Doctor removes his glasses and pockets them as he begins to say, “Well, that’s difficult… for you because if the universe is everything, then the concept of everything having an edge is, mmm, kind of impossible. But that’s the language of 21st-century Earth, and you don’t know anything yet.” The Doctor pauses and adds, “Not being rude. You just don’t. When you discover Camboolian Flat Mathematics, you’ll discover it’s possible.”
“What?” Donna asks softly, and the Doctor replies, “That. The nothing. At the edge of creation. Absolute nothingness.”
Donna then says, “But starlight travels. You can stand in my garden and look at the light from stars a billion miles away. So, where’s the light?”
You nod to the corner and say, “Over there. It just hasn’t reached us yet.” You then point and explain, “If we flew in that direction, it would take a hundred trillion years to reach your house.”
You see Donna’s eyes glaze over and water, “That’s my family. Over there.”
The Doctor comments, “I’ve never been this far out.” He then places a hand on the glass, “To stand here like this.” He begins to softly say, “Physically. Unprotected. Right on the edge.” He then places his other hand on the glass and leans forward to observe the empty void. Absent of stars and light. He continues, “No one ever has. Not ever. Till us. And this ship.”
“And an airlock that opened three years ago. And closed,” Donna says, and the Doctor pushes himself off the glass and inhales, “Yeah.”
Suddenly, a loud metal clang reverberates throughout the ship, causing the three of you to whip your heads around to see the source of the noise. You rush out of the pilot’s room, and the door slides up and opens, revealing nothing.
“Must’ve been just settling,” the Doctor says, and Donna looks around skeptically, “You said no signs of life. Are you absolutely certain?”
“Coliss.”
The deep automated voice echoes, and you watch as the hexagonal panels and large pillars begin to flip and switch, clicking and clattering before coming to a stop.
“It said fenslaw and coliss. Like a list. Or a solicitors. Or a countdown. Or instructions.”
“Or a warning,” Donna adds.
The Doctor’s brows furrow, and he puffs out his cheeks. “Slow warning,” he says as he turns around back inside the pilot’s area with you two following him.
“I think this way,” the Doctor says, spinning to the far right end of the room before entering a different section and saying happily, “Yes! Base plate repetition filaments.” He pats both of the drawers that glow a bright orange before pulling a drawer while letting out a small gasp, “Huh.”
He then pulls one of the filaments out, and it creates a squelching sound as he does, vocalizing, “If we move one up…” It drips out goo as he inspects it, and Donna asks, “Is that stuff dangerous?”
“No. I don’t think so,” the Doctor says. He moves to sniff it before sticking his tongue out on the filament, licking the goo, and you and Donna make gagging noises as you groan in disgust.
Then the Doctor shakes his head, “No.”
As he goes to put the filament back, he begins to gag and groan, clutching on your arm and you and Donna begin to panic. “Doctor! What—” You begin to say but then he suddenly stops and stands straight, “No.”
You and Donna whack him on the arm in annoyance with his little joke. He pulls the top drawer and, placing the filament on top, he says, “Clip it into the fold back. Can you do that? Take all the rectangles, move them up there.” The Doctor asks Donna, and she replies, “What does that do?”
The Doctor then explains, “The ship's on neutral for some reason. It’s just idling. We need to get it back on full power.”
He then grabs your hand and begins to drag you away from the room, and Donna calls out, “Well, don’t leave me on my own.” The Doctor spins around with you in his grip as he says, “Donna, there is no one else on board this ship.”
Donna retorts with, “Hostile action, remember?”
As if on cue, a metal clang thumps and creates an echo throughout the room, and Donna asks, “And what’s that?”
The Doctor shakes his head, “A noise.” Donna scrunches her face as she sarcastically replies, “Oh, well, you’re very helpful.”
The Doctor takes a step back with you, and Donna says, “Go on then. And hurry back. You little streak!”
“I need to find the spindle. That’s not like wool. It’s a water pivot.” The Doctor says, and you look back at the Captain’s chair. You tell him, “I’ll try and see if I can access any of the logs.”
The Doctor nods, and you walk off to sit in the pilot’s seat. You hear the Doctor exclaim at the end of the hallway, “That’s it! Can you still hear me?”
You hear Donna yell out, “No,” as you let out a little hum of acknowledgment.
“Good. Good. Won’t be long.” The Doctor says from the spindle room, and you tap the monitor, trying to understand each symbol to see if you can find out what happened during all those years this ship was lost.
You exhale in frustration, conceding defeat in your attempt to access the logs. Slouching back into the chair, you cross your arms, and a visible puff of warm air escapes your mouth with each breath. A slight shiver courses through you, prompting a tighter embrace of your own body, as you curl into a small ball. Surveying the vast empty void at the edge of the universe, there's a profound absence of light, sound, or anything discernible.
Donna enters your field of vision, and you inquire, "You alright? It suddenly got colder." She responds with a nonchalant, "Yeah, 'm fine."
"Already done with the filaments?" you ask incredulously, and Donna hums in affirmation, "Yeah."
Raising your eyebrows, you nod, "Alright then." Donna moves to stand with her back to you, gazing into the abyss. After a brief silence, she asks with a tone void of emotion, "Did you ever miss it?"
"Miss what?" you seek clarification.
"Running away with the Doctor?" She clarifies, and you lean your head back, looking up at the ceiling as you hum in contemplation. Eventually, you settle on, "I did, sometimes... The thrill, the chase, all the excitement... because I often thought to myself, 'What would I give for another run with the Doctor?' or even just to catch a glimpse of him. Then as the years went on when I..." You release a deep breath before continuing, "I realized I didn't miss any of that... I just... I missed him."
"But I couldn't... even the thought of my desires versus the entire universe collapsing. I just— I never thought I would ever see him again." You say and Donna lets you continue, “Now he’s back and… it all feels so surreal. And I fear that there’s going to be a price to pay.”
"My arms are too long," Donna suddenly declares, and you frown, "I don't think so."
"No, seriously, look!" Donna insists, and you divert your gaze from the ceiling to see her facing you. Your eyes widen as her arms appear unusually long and huge in front of you. You jump out of your seat, taking a step back, "What—"
"Star! Star, are you there?" you hear the Doctor call from behind you, and you shout, "Yeah! What about Donna? Is she there?"
Turning around, you rush to the middle of the room to find the Doctor. Donna does the same, and you both clutch each other as you watch the three duplicates move toward you. Fear laces Donna's voice as she asks, "What are they?"
“They’re us,” the Doctor says, and Donna denies it, not wanting to believe as she says, “They’re not us.”
You watch as your clones walk into the room. The Doctor's double says with zero emotion, “The notion of shape is strange.”
Your doppelganger remarks, “It limits. It is limiting.” As it waddles from the other room where Donna once was, a consuming fear sets in. “It limits. Limits everything,” you hear the Donna clone say as it walks forward. The Doctor tries the friendly approach, “Whatever shape you want to take, that’s fine. You can do whatever you want. I just want to say it’s very nice to meet you. I’m the Doctor, this is the Stargazer, and this is Donna.”
Donna chimes in, “So are they.”
As the unknown creatures move a step closer, you three take a step back to the door that leads out to the corridor. The Doctor raises his voice, “If you can just get those bodies to calm down, we can talk. That’ll be nice, don’t you think?”
“They’re looking at us like food,” Donna says, and the fake Doctor says, “Food is interesting. Because once I sort out the arms…” You watch as it stretches back to a normal size, and then it continues, “then I have a problem with the jaw.” The creature-like-Doctor’s jaw stretches down to the floor, and the three of you are wide-eyed in shock, confusion, and fear before it clicks back into place.
“It’s the knees. How many knees?” The other-Donna asks, and your non-Doctor replies, “Two.”
“Two in total, or two in each leg?” The non-Donna asks, and you hear the sound of cracking as it adjusts its knees.
The three of you take a few steps back, and the door behind you opens. The Doctor asks, “Where did you come from? You’re not part of the ship, are you? Did you come from outside?”
“We came from the nothing,” your doppelganger says as it twitches and resets her wrists while stepping forward. “We are No-things,” the Not-Doctor says, and the Not-Donna adds, “But you. You are not nothing.”
The Doctor replies, “Oh, I think you’ll find we’re quite something.” The three of you hastily jump into the transport cart, the Doctor seizing the driver's seat while you and Donna squeeze into the passenger seat as the No-Things pursue you.
Then, a menacing growl echoes from behind. You and Donna glance back to witness the No-Things crawling on all fours, steadily growing larger. Donna exclaims, “Oh, my God, they’re growing!”
“Come on!” The Doctor urges, stepping on the gas and shifting gears. Donna raises her voice, “Go faster!”
“I know!” The Doctor responds, and you feel a slight tug on the back of the cart. Turning around, you see the Not-Doctor gripping it as he crawls. You and Donna grab tools from the back as the redhead declares, “No, you don’t!”
You two start to strike the Not-Doctor's hand, and your Doctor announces, “I can’t control it!”
“You stupid big hand!” Donna yells out in anger, and it eventually releases its grip on the cart, flinging you and Donna forward. The Doctor shouts, “No, no, no, no, no, no!” The cart crashes into a hydraulic pillar but manages to regain control, only for the Not-Donna to throw its hand at the side of the cart, causing you to spin out of control.
The Doctor rips out the steering wheel, and Donna screams as the spinning comes to a halt. You watch as the three No-Things expand and become entangled in each other’s limbs, hissing and growling at you three. The engine sputters as you sit there in shock. Donna then asks uncertainly, “What are they?”
Exiting the vehicle, the cart's frame falls apart, causing a loud clatter. You turn around to see the Doctor approaching the chaotic mess in front of you, and you groan, “Oh, no, don’t!”
“We’ve got to see,” the Doctor says, walking a little forward. The metal groans under the weight of the twisted limbs and squished faces. The Doctor mumbles, “It’s strange enough my face coming back, but not this big.”
“The airlock door three years ago. That’s when they got in,” Donna states with a nod, and the Doctor adds, “No-things. No control of shape. No concept of shape or size.”
“How can they get bigger? ‘Cause you only get a certain amount of mass, don’t you? Shaun used to complain about that watching Venom films. He said, ‘Where’s the extra mass come from?’”
You then recall the chill you felt as you sat in the pilot’s chair, pointing out, “It got colder.”
Donna agrees, nodding as she announces, “Oh, yeah, it got colder for me.”
Glancing back at the No-things, you conclude, “Heat into mass.”
The Doctor builds on that, saying rapidly, “But they’re not just physical copies. They’ve got our thoughts, too. That other Star, she mentioned Gallifrey and Mars.”
“The other Stargazer said, ‘Wilf’,” Donna remembers, pointing to your copy.
“The Not-Donna asked me if I missed all the adventures with the Doctor,” you add with disbelief.
“So they’ve got our memories,” the Doctor concludes, and Donna shudders, “Okay. So they’re copies with memories and mass, but what I don’t get is why do they hate us?”
Suddenly, one of the hands drops onto the metal floor, causing a loud thump, and the three of you jump back, letting out yelps. Donna looks at it with a concerned tone as she says, “That’s my hand.”
The metal begins to creak, and you look around as the Doctor points out, “They’re getting free. We should reason with them. Try to make peace. Welcome them to our side of the universe.”
The No-things roar in anger and disgust, and you flinch. The Doctor takes a step back and remarks, “Maybe later.”
As the three of you turn to run, the Doctor points out the three hexagon panels with steps on them, exclaiming, “I know, I know. Ladder. Do you think? Maybe up there?” You see a small exit hexagon, and Donna shrugs, “Let’s go!”
The Doctor climbs first, leading the way as you and Donna follow him up. But you hear the familiar automated voice resonate throughout the speakers of the ship, “Brate.”
The Doctor groans, “Oh, not now!” The triangle panels begin to flip, and you feel each hexagon shape slide opposite sides. You hear Donna exclaim, “Doctor! Star!”
“It’s okay. I’m right here!” the Doctor says right before the panel flips inwards, and he’s out of view. You watch as Donna slides down from the ladder and into a different area of the ship. Your hexagon moves upwards and flips inwards, flinging you into the interior of the spacecraft. You let out a yelp as you land on your bum, and suddenly the three of you are separated.
Fatigue etches lines of frustration across your face as you wearily rub your eyes with both hands. With a sigh, you push yourself upright, casting a glance down the dimly lit corridor. The soft hum of glowing pipelines provides the only illumination as you traverse the hallway, the occasional hiss of escaping air and steam accompanying your footsteps. Abruptly, a door slams shut behind you, prompting a swift turn of your head. Shaking off the interruption, you continue walking forward in the eerie silence of the spaceship's metallic passageway.
You discover a ladder and descend, the metallic clangs echoing in the confined space. Moving forward, the whirring of systems shutting down and rebooting accompanies your steps. The flickering lights above cast erratic shadows, and as you exhale, your breath materializes in the cold atmosphere.
Finally, you reach a door, stepping out just as the Doctor emerges simultaneously. A moment of uncertainty hangs between you two.
You cautiously take a step back, asking, “Are you—”
The Doctor interjects, “Is it—” A shared pause ensues, and you murmur, “But it got cold.”
“I know I’m me,” you assert with narrowed eyes, and the Doctor affirms, “Well, so am I.”
Frustration flickers across your face as you lick your lips. The Doctor initiates, “Tell me, how did we meet?”
“When?” you inquire.
“The first time we met, how did we meet?” the Doctor specifies.
"At the Academy. What was the color of the sky back on Gallifrey?" you respond, then throw a question back at him.
“Orange sky and trees with silver leaves. That reflected the morning sunlight, making it look like the forests were on fire. You and I would have picnics outside of the Capitol when we didn’t want to show up for class… your eyes would shine like starlight, and I… I knew then that I loved you.”
Tears well up in your eyes, and your bottom lip trembles as you say, “You didn’t say it then.”
“I can say it now,” the Doctor pleads.
You purse your lips, feeling a wavering resolve, and shake your head, “You also hated me back then.” The Doctor shakes his head, attempting to step forward, but you take two steps back, edging closer to the door. “After what I had done. When you found out who I was and where I came from. A rift in time. A supposed observer who interfered with fixed points in time when I had to save everyone. I had to save… you.”
The Doctor begins, “You and I both know it wasn’t your fault. After the Rift, the Time War, and Mars…”
You shake your head, swallowing down your guilt as you take in the way he looks at you. It wasn't him, but the weight of the past bears down on you. Another step back, and this time the Not-Doctor grimaces and says mockingly, “You and your sad backstory. ‘Oh, woe is me! I started an entire war! I altered a fixed point in time! Boo hoo! I should have died.’ Blah, blah, blah. No wonder the Doctor left you on Earth! You are annoying to be with. And you are right about one thing, you should have died! Why didn’t you die? Hmm?”
Gritting your teeth, you head out the door and slam the button shut, running down the corridor. The echoes of harsh words linger in the cold metallic passage. Exhausted, you eventually stop to catch your breath. Sliding down one of the walls, you can't contain the streams of tears flowing down your cheeks. Quiet sobs escape, and you cup your mouth with your hand, trying to muffle the sound, the weight of emotions overwhelming you in the dimly lit corridor.
Taking a deep breath, you try to settle yourself down, a skill you've honed over years of navigating the guilt within. You've learned not to be ashamed of your survival. You did what you had to do, continuously clawing your way out of the ache, cutting through the pain to the bone. It was never going to be pretty, but deep down, you know it will always be worth it.
You bury your head in between your curled-up knees, seeking solace as you take another breath and sniffle. Suddenly, loud banging echoes from a few meters down the hall, and amidst the clamor, you recognize the voice shouting. The Doctor's frustration is palpable as the grunting and banging continue. You remain still, waiting in the silence that follows. When the noise subsides, the Doctor notices you. He comes to a stop, and as he meets your tear-stained gaze and red-rimmed eyes, you say nothing.
Anger seems to cloud the Doctor's expression, evidence of the harsh words exchanged with the Not-You or Not-Donna. Yet, his demeanor softens as he kneels to your level, whispering, "Is it you?"
Weakly, you mumble, "I think you know."
He draws you close, his arms enveloping you, and his warmth provides a comforting embrace. Placing your head on his chest, you admit, "I should have known the it was the Not-Doctor I was speaking to, but I—"
The Doctor shushes you, planting a gentle kiss on the side of your head. "I was tricked too. I'm here now, love. Wasn't your fault." Gently rocking the both of you back and forth, he eventually stands up, offering a hand for you to take and pull yourself up. Moving through the hallway, this time, he doesn't let go.
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“Gilvane.”
You find another door, and upon entering, you are met with the peculiar sight of your doppelgangers and potentially the real Donna. As you and the Doctor survey the two sets of clones – one set of you and the other Donna not holding hands – the two Donnas exchange uncertain glances. One Donna breaks the tension with a comment, "I’ve gotta say, this is the biggest nightmare of my life, but… I look quite good."
"I can’t argue," the other Donna adds. The Not-Doctor then points at your Doctor, demanding, “I want to talk to you. You Not-Doctor. I know you’re a fake. I know for a fact. So I want to know why you’re doing this.”
Your Doctor frowns, “That’s what I was gonna say!”
“You should have been faster. ‘Cause that’s me, isn’t it. Fast. Am I fast? Do I talk fast? Yes.” The Not-Doctor rattles off rapidly. Your Doctor retorts, “But you’re a copy of me! You’re only fast because I am.”
“You seriously want to marry this one?” The Not-You asks, and you nonchalantly reply, “Of course you’d know. Spent almost my entire life with him, might as well.”
“Oh, well, I can’t follow any of this. And that is proof. ‘Cause let’s not pretend. I’m the stupid one,” the other Donna interjects, prompting the Doctor to squeeze your hand as he questions, “You think you’re stupid?”
The other Donna replies, “Of course I do.”
“That’s very Donna,” your Doctor says, and the Not-Doctor chimes in, “That’s so Donna. That’s my Donna.”
“Except Donna does not think she’s stupid,” you point out, and the two Donnas say, “Oh, but I do.”
You shake your head, “No. Donna thinks she’s stupid, and sometimes she thinks she’s brilliant. She thinks both. Because that’s the astonishing thing about people from her planet. They can believe two completely different things at exactly the same time.”
After a moment, Donna looks at the both of you with your intertwined hands, grinning, “Brainbox and Stargirl!”
“Earthgirl!” You and the Doctor say in unison as the three of you reunite, sharing a group hug. Suddenly, the sound of cracking fills the air as the No-things begin to stretch. The Doctor swiftly whips out a salt shaker, exclaiming, “But salt! You can’t cross salt. In our universe, it is said that vampires, demons, and ghosts cannot cross a single line of salt until they’ve counted every single grain.” He starts drawing a line of salt in front of you before lifting the shaker up, “You’ve got no choice!”
“But that’s a superstition,” the Not-Doctor says, and your doppelganger adds, “Doesn’t mean it’s true.”
“It’s a superstition, and it’s true. Two things at once,” the Doctor asserts, and the Not-Doctor attempts to call him out, “You’re lying.”
Challenging him, the Doctor exclaims, “Then walk towards me. Come on. Stop copying and make your own minds up. Cross the line!”
The Not-Donna glances at your Donna and says, “She doesn’t believe him.”
“But you said I’m stupid,” Donna points out, to which the Not-Donna retorts, “And also brilliant.”
Your Donna sneers at her copy, “Then which one is it, Donna? Cross the line. Or count.”
As if the Not-Donna couldn’t help herself, like an impulse, she gets on her knees and begins to count each grain of salt, mumbling numbers as she does. Now all that stands is the Not-Doctor and the Not-Stargazer who stands there staring at the three of you.
“So tell me. What do you want?” The Doctor asks, to which the Not-Doctor responds, “You tell us.”
“It didn’t get cold this time.” You point out, and Donna agrees, “No, it didn’t, did it?”
“Which means you’re acclimatizing. Your arms are a bit too long. Your mouths are a bit too wide. But are you stabilizing?” The Doctor inquires, and Donna adds, “Like they’re becoming us properly.”
“I just wonder why.” Your Doctor says aloud, and the Not-Stargazer singsongs, “Why?”
Donna realizes something as she says, “Because the TARDIS will come back for us. They know that. So if they become completely us, the TARDIS will come back for them.”
“Is that what you want? Escape?” The Doctor asks with his hands in his pockets. Suddenly the tone of the Not-Doctor shifts and explains, “We drifted here. In the lack of light. Passing no-time.”
Your copy continues, “But we would feel it. From so far away. Your noisy, boiling universe.”
“We want to travel there. To play your vicious games and win.” The Not-Doctor says with a grave tone.
You frown as you say, “If you existed here with no shape, no form, no purpose, then what’s made you so bad?”
The Not-Stargazer replied with eyes devoid of emotion, “The things we felt, they shaped us. Carrying across the dark. We could hear your lives of war. And blood and fury and hate. They made us like this.”
“We are more than that.” Donna spits out, and the Not-Donna says, “Love letters don’t travel very far. And neither do your lies.” She then blows the line of salt away, and you three step backward as your clones begin to have sharp teeth as they hiss and growl at you.
You feel your back against the wall, and suddenly the automated voice can be heard once more, “Stond.”
The lights flicker as the panel behind you begins to flip you three around, clicking and clattering, and Donna remarks, “That’s lucky.”
But the panel flips you back to where you were, and Donna whispers, “Or not.”
“Run?” The Doctor asks, and you and Donna agree, “Run!”
You sprint through the corridor, timing it perfectly as one of the doors manages to stall them before you re-enter the captain's area. The Doctor gestures a hand and says, “Come on!”
After pressing a few switches, a glass panel slides down from above, dividing you three from the No-things. As they stare at you three, Donna asks, “Why? I don’t understand why. What are they scaring us for?”
“Problem is, ten minutes ago they’d have ripped that door off its hinges. Now they’re just standing there. Locking into shape. Almost complete,” the Doctor comments, and Donna presses, “Yes, but if you just listen to my question, thank you very much. Why are they making us so scared? If they wanna copy us, why don’t they just sit in a corner and do it? Why terrorize us?”
The Doctor’s face lights up and says, “That’s a very good question.”
“Yes. I’m brilliant.” Donna says while bouncing on her tip toes.
“Why provoke us? Unless… that’s how it’s done. The more scared we are, the more blood pumps. Hypothalamus. Adrenaline. We think faster and faster and faster.” The Doctor says as the pieces begin to click.
“It makes us easy to copy.” You remark, and the Doctor takes a step towards the glass as he says, “Goosebumps, like braille. You’re reading us. Is that right?”
“Well, what do we do? How do we stop ‘em? Stop being scared?” Donna asks urgently, and the Doctor says, “Like the ship all ticking over in neutral. Donna, stop thinking.”
Donna laughs nervously, “Well, that’s easy for me. What about you two?”
You look at the Doctor as you pull your lips to the side, “Took up meditation for a bit, so the only one with that problem is him.”
The Doctor takes a deep breath and says, “Just calm. Just cool.”
“Yeah, I’m calm.” Donna says with a deep inhale, and the Doctor comments, “Even calmer.”
“Well, you do it too.” Donna says, and the Doctor exclaims back, “I am!”
Donna grits her teeth, “Mmm. Stop rattling me!”
“Will you two just shut up!” You say.
The Doctor softly says, “Slow. Slow heartbeat. If we’re slow, they can’t read us.”
“Okay.” Donna says, and the Doctor replies, “Good. Shhh.”
After a few moments of complete silence, Donna asks, “For how long?” And the Doctor replies, “Uh, there’s a flaw in the plan.”
The Not-Doctor decides to bait him by asking, “How can you not think on a ship full of questions? Why the empty chair?”
Not-Stargazer adds on and asks, “Why do the walls keep moving?”
Not-Doctor asks, “What are the words in the air?”
Not-Donna asks again, “Why did the airlock open and close three years ago?”
You and Donna say simultaneously, “Don’t.”
Your Doctor begins to protest, “But—”
Both of you are firm as you say, “Don’t. Stop it.”
Then a sudden loud metal clang rings out once more, and the Not-Doctor asks, “And what is that?”
“Doctor, stop thinking.” You warn but eventually the Doctor relents and groans as he says, “Let me think. Let me think.”
The No-things begin to chant creepily, “Think! Think! Think! Think!”
The Doctor moves to a few switches and buttons on the wall and begins to press and pull each of them as he says, “What is making that noise?”
The rooftop panel whirs as it slides open, revealing a glass roof, and the three of you look up, and the Doctor says, “There.”
You watch as a creature in a spacesuit floats in space with no helmet, the skull of what once was. You frown, and the metal hook clangs as it thumps against the glass. “The Captain of the ship.” You say somberly, and the Doctor adds, “Circling round and round forever. Caught in the gravity field.”
“Caught in the what?” Donna asks, and you quickly clarify, “Mavity field.”
“But why? Did they throw him out? Her out. Them out.” Donna says with a breathy voice, and the Doctor says, “Her. I wonder. Why is the captain outside? Why is she in a spacesuit with no helmet?” He turns around to face the No-things and catches their expressions, he says, “And why don’t you know?”
The Doctor moves closer to the glass as he looks at the Not-Doctor; he growls as he says, “I know that face. I know my expressions very, very well, and you don’t know. The captain did something you don’t understand, but what?” The No-things begin to say, “Tell us! Tell us! What did she do? What did the Captain do? What did she do?”
You move to stand next to the Doctor as he says, “They don’t know. They really don’t know. The questions aren’t a test. They need the answers. We’re all stuck in a system because of the Captain.” He groans as he jumps up and asks, “What did she do?”
Donna shakes her head and points out, “Well, if they want the answers, don’t tell ‘em!”
“You know what my head’s like, Donna, once I start having ideas.” The Doctor explains, and the Not-Doctor interjects, “Then I have ideas. So the captain…” Not-Donna looks at him and finishes, “Tried to stop us. But how?”
“Wait a minute.” Donna begins, “If they don’t know why the Captain’s outside… The airlock door three years ago wasn’t them coming in. That was her going out. She killed herself.”
“But what for?” The No-things ask in unison from behind the glass.
The Not-Doctor says, “She hid her thoughts.” And the Not-Stargazer explains, “So we couldn’t see.”
You watch as the Doctor’s expression turns to understanding, the final bits of information making sense in his head. His mouth opens in a silent gasp as he exclaims loudly, “Maximised automatic brain function! Oh! Well done, Captain. Because she knew. Even with a lost ship, if you were found one day, if you three ever reached the universe, you’d run riot across the stars!”
Your eyes widen in realization, adding, “And you were already becoming copies of the captain. You’d have owned this spaceship. If you’d copied her perfectly, you could’ve flown the ship home and started your war!”
The Doctor points out, “So, she ended her life to hide whatever it is she left behind. Because when she died, you hadn’t completed her. So you lost everything she knew. Gone.”
The lights flicker as clicking and clattering sound throughout the ship, and Donna asks, “What is that?”
The Doctor runs around animatedly, beginning to explain, “That captain, calm as a Zen master, set in motion to stop those three. And she took her own life so they couldn’t work out what she’d done.”
The Not-Doctor grins, “But you’re working it out right now.”
The Doctor shakes his head as he denies it, “No, I’m not. Mm-mmm.”
The Not-Stargazer smiles as she tilts her head, “Yes, you are, and so is she. Therefore, so am I.”
You bite your lip and try to calm your racing thoughts, standing next to Donna for support. Then you hear the Not-Doctor begin to say, “It’s all about slow. We don’t understand the slow, so the captain set out to slowly stop us. So the ship is slow. The robot is slow. The words are slow. Is that it?”
You see the Doctor holding it in as he bounces out the energy, and he shakes his head, “Nope.”
The Not-Doctor continues, “The words move the walls, so the ship is slowly reconfiguring to become a very slow…” The Doctor finishes the sentence for everyone, “Bomb.”
“What?” Donna asks with a high-pitched tone, and the Not-Doctor explains rapidly, “The captain set the self-destruct slowly so the words are a very slow… countdown.”
The Doctor groans out in frustration as he throws his arms up in the air, “I said so! I said countdown straight away! It’s that simple.” He sighs, “I translated the numbers. I’d never heard them out loud! ‘Fenslaw, coliss, brate,’ means ten, nine, eight.”
The Not-Doctor turns to the Not-Donna and says, “The robot.” The three of them move to the door that leads to the long hallway, and as it opens, the Doctor flicks a switch to lock it.
The Not-Doctor glares at you, “We’re as clever as you now. That robot won’t stop us!” It begins to flick a few buttons and switches by the nearby control panel next to the door. You and the Doctor move about the area, flicking switches to try to override the system they were trying to break.
Donna quickly asks you two, “So, what’s the robot?” And you reply, “The robot is the trigger. A primitive mechanical brain that those two couldn’t read, taking three long years to walk a very long corridor with one slow instruction.”
“Kaboom.” The Doctor finishes as he twists a few knobs before pressing a button, and Donna says, “Countdown. What number are we on?”
“Ratico. That’s five.” The Doctor says as he slams his palm on the button, closing the door once more, “It’s been counting down for years, but the TARDIS brought us here just in time for the final sequence! We can’t let them reach that robot. There’s only one way we can stop them.”
You move about to flick a few more switches and rapidly slam your palm against a few more buttons as the Not-Doctor, Not-Donna, and Not-Stargazer begin to rip out different wires. “What’s that?” Donna asks, and you hear the Doctor say, “I’m sorry, Donna. But the countdown needs to speed up.” The Doctor then slams his palm on the button, and an alarm begins to sound along with the automatic voice, “Vandeen.”
Donna begins to panic as she yelps, “That’s number four!”
“We know!” You and the Doctor say, and Donna shrieks, “But we’re still on board!” To which you both reply in unison once more, “We know!”
But then the No-things manage to get the door open, you hear the Not-Doctor say, “Stop that robot!” To which your Doctor says as he presses a button that lifts the glass divider, “Don’t stop that robot!”
“Could the robot just wait!” Donna says as she runs after both of you.
“Blinss.”
“That’s three!” Donna says as she pushes her legs faster to try and catch up to you. Suddenly, the Not-Stargazer turns around and hisses at the Doctor, throwing herself on him to try to stop him, but he shoves her aside only for her to attack you.
Donna slows down a moment as you wrestle with your double, and you yell to Donna, “Keep going!” The redhead nods and keeps running, following the Doctor. You manage to get the upper hand as you maneuver your weight and lock your knees to her waist, saying, “For some odd reason, this is going to be theraputic.”
You smack her across the face, tumbling off the No-thing, and proceed to run after the Doctor and Donna.
“Sensill.”
“That’s two!” Donna announces from in front of you as you feel your lungs expand and deflate while running after them. But then, you're taken down by the Not-Stargazer from behind, and you shout out in pain as you roll on the floor with her.
As you wrestle yourself to the ground, you hear the TARDIS whizzing as it floats down, playing the song Wild Blue Yonder. The lyrics and the music echo, “Off we go into the wild blue yonder. Climbing high into the sun.”
The Doctor snatches his sonic screwdriver from the keyhole and steps into the TARDIS with Donna climbing inside, pushing it forward with his foot like a scooter towards you and your double. As the Doctor and the TARDIS are in front of you, you hear the automated voice echo, “One.”
The Doctor's voice reverberates, urgent and probing, “What was my nickname at the Academy?”
“Theta Sigma.” The simultaneous reply from both you and the Not-Stargazer hangs in the air. The Doctor scrutinizes both of you, his keen eyes flickering between your faces. His next question pierces the tension, “What happened on Trenzalore?”
“Nine hundred years of battle and that’s where you were buried,” The Not-Stargazer asserts confidently, a sense of triumph coloring her words. However, your gaze remains distant, memories of Trenzalore flooding your mind, and you avert your eyes from the Doctor's penetrating gaze. He swiftly ushers you into the TARDIS, slamming the door shut.
As the flames engulf the three No-things, their screams echo in the air. The TARDIS whooshes away, leaving behind the burning remnants. The three of you huddle on the floor inside the time machine, wrapped in a comforting embrace.
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THE TARDIS — SPACE
After the intense ordeal with the No-things, a collective decision is made to refresh and rejuvenate. In the soothing confines of the TARDIS, you find a moment to cleanse yourself from the recent events. The warm water cascades over you in the shower, washing away the remnants of the unsettling encounter. Drying your hair, you change into a fresh set of clothes, embracing the renewal that accompanies the change.
Exiting the room, you traverse the winding corridors of the TARDIS, making your way to the control room. The Doctor, having already cleaned himself up, is engrossed in the myriad buttons and switches that adorn the console. As you approach, he turns, a warm smile gracing his features, “Hello, love.”
With a hum, you encircle your arms around his waist, and he reciprocates by wrapping his arms around you. A tender exchange of glances unfolds as you gaze up at him. Offering a small smile, you inquire, “How did you know it was me?”
“You could never bring yourself to talk about what happened that day. Not once after that, you never mentioned it again,” he replies. Pressing your forehead against his chest, you take a deep breath, absorbing his freshly cleaned scent.
“I know you were the one who saved me and brought me to Earth after the Time War,” you admit. He furrows his brow, “How did you figure that out?”
Sighing, you recount, “The No-thing appeared as you when we got separated and said some really hurtful things... but he also mentioned you were the one who brought me to Earth. You saved me. All those years ago…”
The Doctor exhales before planting a gentle kiss on the top of your head, “You saved me. It was only fair.”
“I love you,” you declare, feeling his smile against your forehead. “I love you too.”
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"She'd almost completed you," the Doctor shared, his gaze fixed on Donna as she joined them at the console. "The other Donna was a 99.9% copy. Except I thought, 'What's wrong?' Turned out her wrist had an extra 0.06 millimeters. Obvious, really."
Donna, hands resting on the controls while you expertly pilot the TARDIS, quipped, "The devil's in the details," and the Doctor agreed with a nod, "Yeah, isn't it just?"
After a brief pause, he mused, "Oh, I keep thinking, 'I wish I hadn't done that thing with the salt.'"
Donna shook her head, dismissing it, "What, the bad luck thing? That was just a lie."
"Normally. Except I invoked a superstition at the edge of the universe, where the walls are thin and all things are possible," the Doctor explained with a slightly shaken tone. "I just got this feeling."
“What?” Donna inquired, and the Doctor, after a momentary space-out, shook it off, saying, “Which is gone. Fine. Good. Onwards.”
The Doctor moved to pilot alongside you, adjusting knobs as he continued, “So anyway. I was wondering, she said on the spaceship— That other Donna had your memory. She could remember us as the DoctorDonna. So she could see my life and my mind and my thoughts for the past fifteen years. All the time we’ve been apart, she could remember it. Can you?”
Donna blinked, contemplating, and replied, “No. It’s too much. It’s like looking into a furnace. But I suppose she had a great, big, outer-space brain. She could make sense of it.”
The Doctor nodded thoughtfully, “Yeah. Maybe.”
“Why?” Donna probed, and the Doctor mumbled, “Just wondering.”
“What did she see?” Donna persisted, and the Doctor, puffing out his cheeks, evasively said, “Ooh. Things.”
“Like what?”
The Doctor remained silent, prompting Donna to push further, “Come on. Where have you been since I last saw you? What’s happened?” Attempting to shrug it off, he nonchalantly said, “Oh, you know, the usual. Robots, chases, waterfalls.”
Donna mockingly nodded, “Oh, okay,” before giving him a scrutinizing look and asking, “But what really happened?”
The Doctor's expression turned sad and tired as he admitted, “A lot.”
Donna nodded in understanding, then turned to her friend and asked, “You okay?”
The Doctor, opting for candor, grasps your hand, affirming, “I will be.”
“When?” Donna inquires, tilting her head, and the Doctor responds, “A million years.”
The TARDIS emits a pleasant ding, signifying your arrival as it materializes. The Doctor, wearing a contented smile, notes, “Ah. There we are, back home.”
Donna strides towards the TARDIS doors, commenting, “You timed that to get out of awkward conversations.” She then rushes down the bridge, calling out, “Where are they? Where’s the family?”
As you prepare to step out, the Doctor playfully pulls you back, encircling your waist with his arms, prompting a delighted squeal, “Doctor!”
“Wait, I have a present for you,” he announces, positioning you by the console. With a gentle push, a concealed compartment reveals a new sonic screwdriver—silver and gold with an ergonomically designed handle. Overwhelmed with excitement, you bounce up and down, unable to contain your joy. Seizing the Doctor's face, you plant a passionate kiss on his lips, and in that moment, the Doctor melts into the warmth of the affectionate embrace.
“My own sonic screwdriver. Thank you.” You say to him as he gives you a grin, “Consider it as a wedding present.”
You lightly smack his chest and say, “I expect a proper proposal, Doctor.”
He kisses your cheek, “Of, course dear.”
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CAMDEN MARKET, LONDON — MORNING, 2023
Intertwining your hands, you and the Doctor emerge from the TARDIS, greeted by Donna and Wilf. Donna beams triumphantly, exclaiming, “I said so!”
Wilf gasps, hand covering his mouth in shock, while the Doctor grins, “Wilfred Mott. Oh, now I feel better.” Wilfred erupts in delighted laughter as you and the Doctor approach him, enveloping him in a warm hug. The Doctor affirms, “Now, nothing is wrong. Nothing in the whole wide world.”
Stepping back, the Doctor smiles broadly, addressing Wilf, “Hello, my old soldier.”
“I never thought I’d see you two again after all these years. Oh, the Doctor, that lovely face. It’s like springtime,” Wilf chuckles, and the Doctor nods to Donna, remarking, “And Donna’s got her memory back.”
“Without dying, which I recommend,” Donna adds with a smile. However, you hear distant sirens, not giving them much thought. Wilf grins, “Yeah, well, I knew it. I never lost faith. I said, ‘He won’t let us down. He’ll come back and save us.’”
Both you and the Doctor frown, and he questions, “Save us from what?”
Donna asks anxiously, “And where’s the family? Where’s Rose? Are they all right?”
Wilf reassures Donna with animated gestures, “Yeah, they’re fine. They’re safe. I’ve told them to bunker down, and I’ll keep watch. I said, ‘You save yourselves.’”
Your eyebrows knit in concern as you ask, “Why? Is there something wrong?”
Right on cue, the food truck in the background erupts in flames, people shouting and screaming, chaos ensuing. More people join in the madness, hitting each other, and the Doctor queries, “What’s going on?”
The tumult intensifies, with people shouting and cursing, and Donna implores, “What is it? What’s happening?”
Wilf attempts to explain, “It’s everybody. It’s everything. They’re all going mad. Listen, you’ve got to do something, Doctor! The whole world’s coming to an end!”
As an airplane approaches, its engines emitting smoke, people scream and clamour. The plane crashes in the distance, prompting the Doctor to swiftly move Wilf's wheelchair to the front of the TARDIS, shouting, “Quickly!”
Taking cover, the four of you shield yourselves from the ensuing blast, and amidst the chaos, you can't help but wonder if the kiss was somehow connected to this impending disaster.
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TAGLIST:
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theetherealbloom · 4 months
Text
WHERE DO WE GO NOW? - CH. 3 | 14th Doctor
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Chapter Three: Guess The Space Was The Thing That I Needed, But I Miss You
Summary: You arrived on present-day Earth engulfed in violence and chaos. And a familiar foe who transcends the universe’s laws and logic. He hails from a realm where science is a game, but that salt trick apparently blurred the lines of reality enough for him to enter your universe.
Pairing: 14th Doctor x Fem!Reader
Warnings: Hurt-to-Comfort, Angst, Fluff, Possible Plot Holes, Vague Background, Aliens, Mild Horror, Violence, Past Trauma, Depression, Anxiety, Timey-Wimey Stuff, Star-Crossed Lovers, Second Chance, Character Death, 
Word Count: 15.5k
A/N: Hello old friend, and here we are, you and me on the last… chapter. When I posted the first chapter of this mini-series I was honestly terrified of the response I would be getting. I hadn’t been writing for a while due to stress or lack of motivation. But then the miracle called the Doctor Who specials came into existence and here we are. Also, Merry Christmas Eve! Here’s my little gift to you. I hope you enjoy. (P.S. yes there will be an epilogue :>)
Song: This Love by Taylor Swift (Taylor's Version)
Previous Chapter → Next Chapter | Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist
Dividers by @/saradika-graphics
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ENGLAND, THE STREETS OF LONDON — DAY, 2023
The world descends into turmoil and pandemonium as cars collide, their metal frames screeching against each other. The air is filled with the cacophony of people shouting and screaming. Amidst the mayhem, you, the Doctor, and Donna navigate the tumult, pushing Wilf's wheelchair through the chaotic landscape. Struggling through the disarray, people around you engage in fights and heated arguments, adding to the surreal spectacle of disorder unfolding.
As the rumble of a truck engine grows louder, a man defiantly strides onto the road, seemingly prepared to challenge the oncoming driver. Reacting swiftly, both you and the Doctor extend your arms, urgently intervening. You exclaim, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Excuse me. Can you tell me, what the bloody hell are you doing?"
The elderly man, with an air of self-assuredness, retorts, "I can’t drive."
Perplexed, you furrow your brow and inquire, "Okay, so— Which means?"
Meanwhile, a car behind you impatiently honks, prompting the Doctor to raise his hand, signaling the driver to wait. Unperturbed, the stranger in front of you explains, "I pay my taxes. Which means I paid for this road. It is mine, and I will do with it what I like."
The Doctor interjects, cautioning, "You’ll get yourself killed."
The man, with a sneer and a narrowed gaze, replies, "It’s my life, not yours." Undeterred, the Doctor suggests, "But you could just stand over there and be safe."
Flailing his arms emphatically, the man retorts, "Blame them! Because it all changed two days ago. Everyone started thinking they’re right all the time. And they won’t change their mind. If you try to argue, they go mad. Well, not me. I’ve always been right."
The deafening honk of the truck intensifies as it barrels forward, compelling the Doctor to swiftly seize you and yank you out of harm's way. In the chaos, you unintentionally collide with a well-dressed man adorned in a tuxedo, complete with a top hat and a staff in his left hand. Apologizing in a refined manner, he utters, "Oh, excusez-moi, madame et monsieur, je suis désolé. But perhaps you will dance avec moi."
He then takes the lead in an impromptu dance, placing his hand just above your waist and swaying with you amidst the bedlam unfolding on the street. In a rather peculiar tone, he utters, "Ooh la la."
Feeling uncomfortable, you gently pull away from the eccentric stranger. The Doctor, sensing your unease, protectively tucks you behind his body and asserts, "That's my wife, sir. Excuse me." With a subtle maneuver, he guides you away, back to where Donna and Wilf are positioned on the side of the street.
Amidst the cacophony of screaming voices echoing through the chaotic streets, the peculiar stranger continues his solo dance, creating a bizarre spectacle in the midst of the turmoil. The distant whirr of a helicopter above adds to the disconcerting atmosphere, leaving you and the Doctor with a growing sense of panic, a shared feeling of confusion about the unfolding events.
Armored vehicles roll onto the scene, their imposing presence and military precision contrasting sharply with the chaotic backdrop. A soldier, wielding a loud megaphone, calls out with urgency, "Attention, the Doctor and the Stargazer! Attention, the Doctor and the Stargazer! Stay where you are. You are UNIT control. Repeat, UNIT control."
The soldiers swiftly move into action, their movements coordinated as they converge on your location. One of them confidently asserts, "Go, go, go! Let’s move! Eyes on, eyes on! I got them." The atmosphere shifts from anarchic confusion to a semblance of organized control as UNIT takes charge.
The authoritative figure from UNIT, Colonel Ibrahim, strides forward, a no-nonsense expression etched on his face. "Doctor, Stargazer, I’m Colonel Ibrahim of UNIT squad five," he declares with military precision. He gestures toward a waiting vehicle, a subtle urgency in his stance.
Donna, the voice of concern, steps forward, her plea directed at the Colonel. "Get him to safety. All right? Never mind about us. I want my grandad safe. All right? You got that?" Her words carry the weight of a granddaughter determined to ensure the safety of her grandad, emphasizing the weight of the situation.
Colonel Ibrahim gives an assertive nod, his military demeanor unwavering. "Yes, ma’am. We’ll keep your family safe," he assures Donna. Wilf, displaying concern for his granddaughter's well-being, encourages her, "You go with the Doctor."
Amidst the organized chaos of UNIT soldiers following orders, a palpable sense of unease settles over you. A feeling of being observed intensifies, prompting you to instinctively clasp the Doctor’s hand. Together, your hearts quicken as you turn to the left, discovering the stranger with whom you shared an odd dance. He stands eerily still, offering a disconcerting smile and a small wave, sending shivers down your spine.
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UNIT HEADQUARTERS, LONDON — DAY, 2023
Seated alongside the Doctor in the first helicopter, you peer out of the window, taking in the chaotic scene below. The city is ablaze, casting an eerie glow that turns the world outside into a disorienting spectacle, as if the very fabric of reality has been upended. The second helicopter follows closely, bearing the weight of the TARDIS, an emblem of hope amidst the turmoil. The flickering flames paint a surreal canvas against the night sky, leaving you with a profound sense of displacement.
The helicopter sets down on the helipad at the UNIT headquarters, and as you disembark, the brisk wind from the rotor blades whips through the air. Donna clutches her coat tightly, shouting over the din, "Oh, here comes trouble."
Shirley, in her wheelchair, wheels forward with a wide smile, greeting you with a warm, "I could say the same thing about you." The TARDIS touches down nearby on the helipad, and amidst the noise, the Doctor remarks, "Shirley, you can’t be serious." Shirley squeezes your arm in a friendly greeting.
Chief Scientific Officer Kate, your boss, appears on the scene, her short blonde hair bouncing slightly as she strides towards the group. The Doctor, arms outstretched, exclaims, "And Kate Lethbridge-Stewart. I remember your father working night and day to keep UNIT a secret. Look at you now. Out and proud defending the Earth."
Kate embraces the Doctor tightly before turning to you with a subdued smile, saying, "I fought them all. Robots and insects and yetis and clones. But what do we do this time, Doctor? How do we fight the human race?"
Inside the UNIT headquarters, the large steel doors close behind you, shutting out the chaos. The new HQ unfolds before your eyes, with the hum of radio chatter and the bustle of people. Multiple screens and tables with keyboards fill the room, and a triple giant screen at the center displays various statistics and news outlets reporting the devastation around the world.
Kate hands the tablet to the Doctor, and you lean over to peer at the symbols and graphs displayed on it. The Doctor, engrossed in the data, doesn't look up as he remarks, "Good, good, good. Now, what have we got? Are these worldwide? 'Cause I'm gonna need all of the statistics."
As he turns to his right, an exclamation of surprise escapes him. Your gaze follows his, and there stands a very familiar redheaded companion and colleague. She grins at the Doctor's reaction, and he joyfully exclaims, "Oh! That is the best news! Melanie, hello!"
Both you and the Doctor share a brief hug with Mel, who giggles and adds, "We'll catch up later. We haven't got time." You chime in with a playful, "Ta-da! Surprise, Doctor."
Turning to you, the Doctor asks, "You knew?"
You playfully roll your eyes and retort, "We work together, dear." Mel adds, "We also try to meet every Saturday for a cuppa."
Mel tilts her head slightly, addressing Donna with a warm smile, "I used to be like you. I was one of their companions." Donna gasps, exclaiming, "I wasn't the first redhead?"
With a shake of her head, Mel allows her large red curls to bounce, "No. That was me."
Donna awkwardly chuckles as the Doctor takes his glasses and wears them, quipping, "Although don't say companion. That sounds like we park him on the seafront at Weston-super-mare."
As Shirley pushes herself off the wheelchair, standing and giving Donna a look, Donna suddenly realizes what she said and turns to face Shirley, asking, "Is 'park' rude?" Shirley replies with a monotone voice, "Borderline." Donna winces in response.
In the heart of the command center, Kate stands with authority, her tablet in hand, and announces, "And stations. Gold Protocols. The Doctor and the Stargazer are in the room. Report."
Shirley adjusts her stance, her voice cutting through the air, "Two days ago, an increase in violence worldwide. The same increase in every country, all rising at exactly the same rate."
"Basically, every single human being thinks they're right and won't be told otherwise," Kate says, moving to stand next to you. Colonel Ibrahim adds, "That plane crash, the F665, Boston to Heathrow. The pilot declared his right to land wherever he wants."
On the screen, footage of the crazed pilot plays. His eyes were wide, he laughs amidst the blaring alarms of his instruments, declaring, "I'm coming home. Lookout, London. Daddy's coming home!"
In the tension-filled room, the Doctor initiates, "If everyone is going mad—" and Kate concurs, completing the thought, "So is the government."
Shirley, with a solemn nod, swipes on the screen of her tablet, unveiling footage of the current Prime Minister. He stands on a podium, his laughter echoing as he addresses the nation, "What do I care? I mean, seriously? Why should I care about you?"
In the aftermath of Donna's nonchalant remark, injecting a touch of humor with her observation, "No change there then," the room grapples with the unsettling scenes unfolding on the screen. The Doctor, now reclaiming the tablet, hands it back to Mel, who places it on her station. His gaze then sweeps across the room, and he remarks, "But you're fine. You're completely normal. And that's because of the—" He gestures towards the silver bands adorned with a glowing blue light worn around their arms.
Kate steps in to elaborate, "Oh, we call it the Zeedex." As the room processes this information, a robot's machine voice chimes in from the far left, connected to tubes and sporting screens, proudly announcing, "An invention of the Vlinx."
Taking a step forward, the Doctor addresses the robotic AI, "Hello, the Vlinx. I'm the Doctor, and this is my wife, the Stargazer."
Quick to clarify, you interject, "Not married yet."
"Just practicing," the Doctor playfully hums before turning his attention back to the Vlinx. With curiosity piqued, he queries, "So why's it called the Zeedex?"
In response to the Vlinx's brief explanation, "Good name," the Doctor emits a small, contemplative "Oh." Kate supplements the information, stating, "It disrupts the brain. Flattens the spike. Keeps everything calm."
With a slight scrunch of your nose, you inquire, "And the spike is?"
"I think I need to show you," Kate responds. Sensing a shift in the room, she commands Shirley, "Activate brain scan."
"Activating, ma'am," Shirley acknowledges. A beep emanates from the computer, and the screen displays the frequency inside Kate's brain. She points out, "That's my brain activity. Seems normal, albeit slightly heightened, given the end of the world. Now keep your eyes on the scan."
Kate moves to the center of the room and instructs, "And deactivate my Zeedex."
Shirley types on the keyboard, announcing, "Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, off." The light on her silver armband extinguishes. Kate takes a moment to scan the room, hands on hips, and asks, "Well?"
You gently interject, "Uh, hello?"
"Hello," Kate replies promptly, but her narrowed eyes betray suspicion. The Doctor poses a simple question, "How are you?"
"Fine," she responds.
You casually inquire, "Busy day?" Kate's nostrils flare, and she glares at you, retorting, "Why do you want to know?"
"I'm just asking. Is that a problem?" you reply, observing the increased spike in brain activity. Kate aggressively points at you, asserting, "It's an invasion of my privacy. In fact, it's an assault on my civic rights. And I think it's highly relevant that the person demanding information from me is an alien."
The Doctor turns to Shirley, nodding in approval for her to activate her Zeedex, and calmly says, "Okay."
However, Kate abruptly interjects, rejecting the Doctor's initiative, "No, no, no, no, no. I think you'll find that I'm in charge here." With a swift motion, she rips off her Zeedex, launching into an impassioned tirade, "And we've been infiltrated by aliens, a man and a woman with two hearts," she points accusatorily at the Doctor, "a man who changes his face and cannot be trusted."
As her anger intensifies, Kate aggressively directs her accusations at Donna and Mel, both with red hair, insinuating a conspiracy. You instinctively step forward, shielding them from Kate's escalating rage.
Growing more incensed, Kate turns her ire towards Shirley, who looks on with mild dissatisfaction. Kate singles out your friend and declares, "And as for her, in that chair. I've seen you walk. I've seen you walking! Don't deny it!"
UNIT soldiers move in to pull Kate away, and she unleashes her fury at you, "And you! This is all your fault! If you hadn't fallen into the bloody time rift, altering the universe with your existence and falling in love with the Doctor—none of this would have happened!"
The soldiers carefully escort Kate away, and the Doctor swiftly positions himself in front of you, protectively shielding you from lingering gazes. You bury your face in his shoulder as Kate continues to shout, "No, you can't stop me. It's about time you heard the truth."
One of the soldiers places the silver band back on Kate's arm and commands, "Activate Zeedex," resulting in a beep and the restoration of the blue light on her band. Kate sits on the floor, panting, as the tension in the room eases.
You lift your head from the Doctor's shoulder and nod, silently assuring him that you're okay. Together, you approach Kate, who is visibly distressed, covering her face with her hand. She breathes out an apology, "I'm sorry."
Both you and the Doctor shake your heads, reassuring her, "No, it's okay."
Gasping for air, Kate turns to Shirley, mortified, realizing the extent of her outburst. She says, "Shirley, I'm so sorry."
Shirley dismisses the need for an apology, "Absolutely no need."
UNIT soldiers help Kate to her feet as she acknowledges, "It's not just me. It keeps spiking inside every single person's head."
"But what does that mean? Is it being beamed in from outside?" Donna inquires. The Vlinx responds, "No. It is natural. It is generated inside the brain."
Donna points out, "But not me. Not Grandad." Mel adds, "Nor me. I'm wearing a Zeedex just in case, but I've been fine. Well, no more opinionated than usual." Donna sighs, "You and me both."
You and the Doctor ponder the situation, and he suggests, "Maybe long-term travel in the TARDIS put you out of sync."
Donna shakes her head and proposes, "Can't you give everyone a Zeedex?" Kate scoffs at the idea, gesturing to the screen behind her, where a late-night talk show host expresses her skepticism, "They're using this to control us and monitor us. And microwave our brains. I am anti-Zeedex!"
The Doctor, in response, asks you to help him with his coat. You take it from him and neatly place it on a chair. He then stands next to Shirley and suggests, "Can we filter this wavelength? Lose the background noise."
Shirley hums in response, typing away on her keyboard, "Uh-huh. Gives us a strong coherent wave in seizure focus. Peaking seven times."
As you consider the recent events, you voice your thoughts, "So, this started two days ago. But why then? What else happened on that day?" Kate responds, "Exactly. We've been looking for a trigger, and there's this."
The screen illuminates with the image of a satellite gracefully orbiting the Earth, accompanied by detailed blueprints on the left side. Kate elucidates, "The KOSAT 5 satellite, launched by South Korea, activated two days ago.”
Shirley, with a swift gesture, adds to the explanation by displaying a live feed of the satellite, which hovers 36,000 kilometers above Earth. Kate expounds further, “KOSAT is the final link in the chain. The world is now 100% online. From the highest mountain to the deepest valley on Earth, everyone is connected.”
"But KOSAT is clean. We’ve checked and double-checked. It’s not like the old Archangel Network. There’s nothing hiding in that signal." Shirley asserts, and the Doctor, with a contemplative hum, adds, “And yet.” He shakes his head, ��For the first time in history, everyone has access to this.” He taps on the edge of one of the monitors, saying, “A screen.”
"What if it’s a tune?" Donna asks, prompting you and the Doctor to turn around and face her.
"What?" The Doctor inquires as you move to stand in front of her. Donna continues, "I know we’ve only got minutes left to live, but give me a second." Donna begins to draw lines on a clipboard with a piece of paper as she explains, "Because I spent six months teaching my daughter how to play the recorder till she said, ‘This is not who I am.’ That was the start of a whole other conversation, believe you me.”
She places the sheet of paper on the screen, drawing dots on the corresponding line, “But if… you look at these seven peaks, like this…”
She flips the sheet of paper around, revealing what you recognize to be music notes, and Donna confirms this by saying, “Maybe it's music.”
“A classic arpeggio. Middle C, an octave higher.” Mel says before she sings in arpeggio, “La, la, la, la, la, la, la.”
“Oh.” Kate says as if she remembers something, and you look around to see others having the same reaction, as if they’ve heard it before. You and the Doctor look around and ask, “What? What is it?”
Mel repeats her tune, “La, la, la, la, la, la, la.”
Donna gasps, her eyes slightly watering and her blue eyes shining as she says, “I know that tune.”
“I-I know that from somewhere. What are the notes?” Shirley asks, spinning her chair to face you, and you read them off, “C, E, G, C, G, E, C. It’s a musical palindrome.” Then you sigh, “But it’s just a straightforward arpeggio. Everyone knows arpeggios.”
“It’s a basic tune. So, the question is, why are we all reacting to this one?” Mel asks as everyone looks around at each other. You and the Doctor frown, and he says, “We’re not. The Vlinx?”
“Negative.” The Vlinx replies promptly, and you hum out loud, “Just the humans.”
“It’s just— It’s so familiar. It’s like it’s been buried in my head for years.” Donna says and groans, “What is it?”
Then you hear giggling from across the room, a nearby station. You and the Doctor turn to see Shirley pointing to her screen, a puppet in black and white display as she says, “I found the exact same notes.”
The puppet begins to laugh in arpeggio, and you and the Doctor realize it at the same time. The Doctor says, “Oh, it’s not a tune. It’s a laugh.”
“It’s a puppet.” Kate says as she stares wide-eyed at the screen featuring the puppet.
“The giggle in everyone’s head.” You say as you stand behind Shirley, looking at the monitor as it continues to laugh in the arpeggio notes.
“What is that thing?” Donna asks, and Shirley explains, “Stooky Bill, the first face ever to appear on television. Put there by John Logie Baird himself.”
Donna shakes her head and points at Stooky displayed on the monitor, “I’ve never seen him before, so how do— How do I know that laugh?”
You blink a few times before realizing out loud, saying, “If the very first image has been hiding in every screen since… sneaking into your head, carving a wave, and waiting…”
“But hiding how? If there were secret pictures hiding in every television, we would have found it,” Shirley asks, so sure of herself and UNIT’s capabilities. The Doctor then sassily and in a mocking tone replies, “Oh, why? Because you’re so clever? Maybe Stooky Bill’s a lot smarter than you.” Shirley raises her eyebrows and puckers her lips, somewhat agreeing to the possibility.
“Imagine… if he burnt himself into television itself and every picture ever since, every single one.” You say before taking out your sonic screwdriver, pointing to one of the monitors, and clicking the button. It whizzes, and the image of Stooky Bill appears. The woman who sat by that desk pushes back her chair in shock, and he is mockingly laughing as you hear the notes in the air.
“Screen… after screen, after screen.” You use your sonic screwdriver, tapping on each station's monitor, revealing Stooky Bill as it continues to reverberate its laughs.
The Doctor joins in, using his sonic on an employee’s phone in their hands. He says as he clicks his sonic screwdriver, “And every type of screen.” The Doctor taps on Kate’s tablet, showing the image of Stooky Bill. He says, “Every one and everywhere. He’s inside ‘em all!”
You move to stand in the very front of the room, center, pointing your sonic at the large screens. “And two days ago, he finally connected worldwide, branding his Giggle into your brains.” The sonic screwdriver warbles, and images of Stooky Bill, along with his laugh, appear on the large monitor.
The Doctor stands by your side, adding in a low voice, “Since the very first existence of television. Laughing at the human race. And driving you mad.”
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The entire group gathers for a small meeting by the large metal doors that lead to the helipad outside. You stand in a circle, positioned by the Doctor’s side, his glasses tucked away in his pocket. Kate tries to grasp the newfound knowledge as she asks, “But something at that scale, over so many years, who could do that?”
The Doctor's countenance turns wrathful, and you sense the heat and intensity radiating from his body as he retorts, "The puppet’s just a puppet. We’re looking for the puppeteer." He then pauses, taking a deep breath that puffs out his chest as he crosses his arms. Speaking with a low intensity, he adds, "And I’ve got a memory. I think something’s coming back… after a very long time."
Raising his voice to address everyone, he grits his teeth, "But it’s not only the giggle. Don’t go thinking you’ve got an excuse. The human race might be clever and bright and brilliant." His words are delivered with a hint of disgust, "But it’s also savage and venal and relentless."
The Doctor points to the screens showcasing people causing havoc around the world as he vehemently declares, "All the anger out there on the street. The lies, the righteousness." Jabbing a finger at the rest of the group, he continues, "That’s human. That’s you. That’s who you are. Using you’re intelligence to be stupid. Poisoning the world. And hating each other, you’ve never needed any help with that!”
He briefly pauses, toning down his voice as he says, “But today, something else is using your worst attributes. Playing with you. Like toys.” A chill runs down your spine as a distant memory starts to resurface, hinting at an old-time foe returning to wreak havoc. You blink, a hunch forming about who might be orchestrating all of the catastrophe.
“Can we take that satellite out?” The Doctor asks Kate, and she replies promptly, “All missiles are on lockdown, but we’ve got the Galvanic Beam.”
“What range?” You inquire, and Kate explains, “We could pick off a pebble on the moon. Trouble is, taking out a South Korean satellite will have international consequences, so we’ve been waiting for permission. All world leaders are being affected by the Giggle.”
The Doctor nods and says, “You have my permission.” He then looks to you, and you deeply sigh, nodding, “And you have mine.”
Kate nods to Colonel Ibrahim, signaling to get the Galvanic Beam ready. Then, she turns to you and the Doctor, “Thank you, Doctor and Stargazer.” Kate moves past you, announcing to the entire UNIT staff on the floor, “Gold protocol override. All staff, initiate Galvanic activation. Bring up the beam.”
“Platform in motion,” an employee's voice echoes through the speaker as the platform outside the tower shifts downward.
“Shirley, have we got the exact date that Logie Baird made that transmission?” The Doctor asks aloud, to which Shirley responds with determination, “I’ll find it,” and begins clicking away on her keyboard.
“All clear on the helipad,” another employee announces over the speaker as The Doctor walks over to Mel’s station, and you make your way towards Shirley, beginning to help her locate the date of the transmission.
The Doctor leans over Mel’s shoulder, and she says to him, “I fed the KOSAT fake coordinates, so it’s coming into UK orbit. Within range in three minutes.” The Doctor compliments her, “You’re brilliant.” He then looks at her with a smile, “Hello.” Mel replies with her own smile, the kind that reaches her eyes as she says, “Hi.”
You glance over to see the Doctor and Mel chatting as they work, and a sense of happiness and comfort washes over you, knowing Mel is okay. After a few minutes, you hear Mel announce to everyone, “Galvanic Beam payload boarding.”
“Platform locking at level 55,” an employee announces over the intercom, and Mel continues, “Galvanic Beam in position. KOSAT in range in 90 seconds.”
A beep emanates from Shirley’s computer, and your eyes quickly scan over the words before Shirley turns her head and says to the Doctor, “Doctor, Stooky Bill was televised on the 2nd of October 1925 at 22 Frith Street, Soho, W1D 4RF.”
You grab the Doctor’s coat from the chair and hand it to him as he says to Kate, “Fire when ready. Don’t wait for us.” He then looks to Colonel Ibrahim, quickly asking, “TARDIS?”
The Colonel points as he replies promptly, “Suite 17.”
The Doctor grunts, “Okay.” After putting on his coat, he grabs your hand, pulling you along with him as Donna says to you both, “You’re not going without me.”
As you enter the suite and find the TARDIS parked there, the Doctor quickly unlocks it with his key and rushes inside, with you and Donna trailing right behind him. Time’s running out, always running out, and every road you discover disappears under your feet. Because if nothing else, you're given a little time to change the game, a chance to redefine everything.
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SOHO — 1925
The TARDIS whooshes and whizzes, finally giving a loud thud as it lands. The Doctor opens the door first, popping his head out to check if it’s safe before allowing you and Donna to step out into the dimly lit alley where the TARDIS is parked. The flickering gas lamps cast a warm glow, highlighting the cobblestone street and the faint echoes of distant chatter.
The Doctor announces to the two of you, “Soho, 1925.”
“So, what about Mel?” Donna asks, wiggling her eyebrows playfully at the two of you. You let out a chuckle, saying, “She’s brilliant, isn’t she?”
Donna laughs with a smile, “Yeah, but I just kept thinking, all this time, you’ve never mentioned her.”
The Doctor addresses Donna with a frown, “Donna, we’re a billion years old. If we stood and talked about everyone we’d ever met, we’d still be in the TARDIS yapping.”
“So you talk about no one ever?” Donna asks, and you look away guiltily. Donna continues, “You just keep charging on.”
“Yes, because I’m busy. Like now,” the Doctor replies.
“But you are busy every second of every day. I mean, look at us now. We haven’t stopped,” Donna points out, and you all come to a halt by the sidewalk. She continues, “I saw you, Doctor. I got a glimpse inside your mind.” The three of you stand on the sidewalk, surrounded by the ambient sounds of 1925 London, as Donna expresses, “And it’s like you’re staggering. You are staggering along. Maybe that’s why your old face came back. You’re wearing yourself out.”
You observe as the Doctor contemplates her words, his expression revealing a momentary reflection on her insight. However, he doesn't directly acknowledge them. Instead, he smoothly shifts the topic, saying, "Stooky Bill might be on Frith Street, but the question is, where did Stooky Bill come from?”
His gaze shifts to the bright red shop on the street labeled Mr. Emporium above the store. The three of you cross the street, anticipation building as you peek through the window. There, you spot someone engaged in a playful exchange with the Doctor, both figures playing peek-a-boo before the mysterious man expertly hops down to conceal himself. The Doctor's expression tightens with anger as he forcefully shoves the door open, pulling back the maroon curtains, and the three of you step into the enchanting toy store.
The atmosphere is filled with wonder and a touch of nostalgia as you take in the whimsical surroundings. Shelves adorned with a myriad of toys, each telling a story of childhood innocence and imagination. The air is scented with a mix of wooden toys, plush animals, and the faint fragrance of freshly painted models.
As you step further into the store, your disbelief intensifies as you recognize the man orchestrating this peculiar encounter. An old foe, one who could have channeled his creativity for good, yet chose to warp reality into a twisted game where play meant suffering for others. Dressed in a crisp white button-up and a vibrant red apron, he skillfully juggles three balls, his voice carrying a distinct German accent as he addresses you, "Die ball is die first game ever being invented."
He throws a ball towards you, only for the Doctor to swiftly intercept it before it makes contact with your stomach. Without missing a beat, the Doctor tosses it away onto the ground. Meanwhile, the man behind the counter continues his mesmerizing juggling act, sharing his narrative, "Stone Age man, he picked up ein rock." The Doctor catches another ball skillfully, and with a nonchalant toss, sends it away.
The rhythmic cadence of his speech, accompanied by the mesmerizing flow of his juggling, weaves an enchanting atmosphere within the toy store. The balls dance through the air, tracing whimsical patterns, adding a touch of magic to the man's storytelling. With a gleam in his eye, he continues narrating, "He said, ‘Oh! Das ist ein Ball.’"
The sequence of throw and catch becomes a rhythmic ballet, each movement a beat in the peculiar symphony unfolding before you. "He threw it, und he killed a man," he declares with a dramatic flair, followed by a nonchalant toss.
Another cycle of throw and catch commences, and he recounts, "He said, ‘Oh, what fun!’" The balls move effortlessly in the air, and the ambiance resonates with a sense of playfulness.
"Und now, everybody loves the balls," he proclaims, the balls gliding through the air in a mesmerizing display. Every throw, catch, and toss adds to the building tension in the tale.
"Until the year five billion. When the very last human picks up the skull of his enemy," he declares, the tone shifting slightly, yet maintaining the captivating rhythm. The balls continue their dance, and he winks as he concludes, "Und said, ‘That is the final ball of all,’ jah?"
As he tosses another ball, the vibrant atmosphere in the toy store takes a sudden turn when Donna, with a determined air, steps forward and effortlessly catches the ball with a single hand. Her gaze, firm and unyielding, pierces through the whimsical scene as she asserts, "Enough."
The man behind the counter raises an eyebrow, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips. "Ah, Donna Noble. I wondered which one of you had the balls," he retorts, his words carrying a playful undertone. Donna, taken aback, attempts to brush it off with a casual, "Okay. So you know my name?" The man, still smirking, raises both eyebrows in response.
Curiosity sparking, Donna seeks answers. "How do you three know each other?" she questions, her tone holding a mix of suspicion and intrigue. In response, the Doctor, donning a low, stern tone and a deep frown that accentuates the lines on his face, issues a command, "Star, Donna, go back to the TARDIS." The urgency in his voice hints at a deeper concern, urging them to retreat from the unfolding confrontation.
Donna, wearing a perplexed expression, seeks clarification, "What?"
The Doctor, frustration evident in his gritted teeth, reiterates his command, "Go back to the TARDIS."
You, however, defiantly shake your head. "As much as I love you bossing me around, you do not get to tell me to leave you here with him." The tension in the air thickens, with unspoken concerns lingering between all of you.
"Oh, but he is recognizing me," he says, a mischievous glint in his eyes. You whip your head back to the man behind the counter, the one who revels in tricks and games for sheer amusement. Chaos and discord personified, he continues, "Are you not 'ge-pleased,' Herr Doctor und Stargazer, to see me again after so many years?"
Donna, finally seeking clarity, asks, "Who is he?" Flashbacks of memories flood your mind.
The Doctor answers, "The Toymaker." As the realization sinks in, the atmosphere in the room starts to change.
The Toymaker gives a bow, a theatrical flourish that befits his whimsical yet ominous presence. Abruptly changing accents, he addresses with a menacing tone, "We meet again, Doctor, Stargazer."
But just as swiftly, the Toymaker's demeanor undergoes a shift. Stepping backward, he adopts a German accent, prompting curiosity. "But think, if the ball was the very first game, what was the second?"
With a mischievous grin, he seizes both ends of the curtain behind him and declares, "Hide-and-seek!" The Toymaker pulls the curtain shut, his laughter echoing in the room in those distinctive arpeggio notes.
The Doctor vaults over the counter, deftly pushing aside the two curtains, only to discover the Toymaker's disappearance. Behind the curtains lies a door, and with a quick turn of the copper-colored knob, the Doctor reveals a seemingly endless hallway. Warm-toned lights bathe the corridor in a gentle glow, wooden floorboards creak, and numerous doors line both sides of the mysterious passage.
As the Doctor steps forward, guided by an instinct you and Donna share, the door abruptly slams shut behind both of you. Turning sharply, the Doctor commands, “No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Go back.” With a quick twist of the doorknob, it should logically lead you out, but instead, it reveals the same seemingly endless hallway. Donna, her mouth agape, exclaims, “It’s bigger than the shop. Don’t tell me he’s got his own TARDIS.”
“The TARDIS is an idea the Toymaker would throw away,” the Doctor spits out with disdain as you three stride down the hallway. He continues, “We’ve stepped inside his domain, and it’s governed by the rules of play.” The Doctor turns to the door on his left, confidently opening it. Donna and you follow him, but just as the door slams shut, you find yourselves still trapped in the long, mysterious hallway.
“Okay. Keep going forward,” the Doctor instructs, stepping ahead with you and Donna in tow. Donna, perplexed, shakes her head and remarks, “But how does this even make sense? 'Cause I’ve seen some things with you two. I’ve seen Ood, Davros. I mean, the Adipose, for God’s sake.”
The Doctor twists another doorknob, taking a chance with the door to his left, only for it to transport you three back into the hallway. Donna continues, “But they had a sort of logic. Daleks built a great big bomb. I understood that. But this— this is impossible. How does it exist?”
The Doctor grits his teeth, growling, “That’s what unravels me. All the laws I cling to, gone.” He spins, opening another door only to lead you three back into the hallway. Moving to the opposite door, he finds it locked and slams his palm against the wood in frustration before pressing on down the hall.
Donna moves closer to you two and asks, “Who is the Toymaker? What is he?”
The Doctor turns to face Donna, explaining, “When I was young, I was so sure of myself. I made a terrible mistake. I let the TARDIS fall into another realm.” The Doctor opens a door, and you follow him as he continues, “A hollow beneath the Under Universe, where science is a game and all of us are toys.”
He pauses, taking a deep breath. "It's also how the Stargazer ended up with us, but that's something I will never regret." You softly remark, "A rift in the universe..." The Doctor quickly kisses your forehead, saying, "And it brought me you, my love."
After a moment, the Doctor struggles with another stubborn door, wiggling the doorknob in frustration. "I beat the Toymaker. I won his game, but now he's here. He's found his way into reality."
As he opens the door to the right, leading the three of you back into the hallway, he stills and sighs. "And I think it's all because of me."
You exchange a glance with the Doctor, shaking your head in disagreement. However, before you can utter a word, he cuts you off, his gaze intense. "'Cause I got clever, didn't I? I cast that salt at the edge of the universe. Thought I could have it all," he admits, his eyes locked onto yours. "I thought I could finally have you. I played a game and let him in, an elemental force with the power of a god, and he’s driven the human race mad with a puppet.”
Donna begins, “Yeah, but you always say—” the Doctor shakes his head and mockingly replies as he walks backward down the hall raising his voice, “Oh, what do I say? What do I say? What do I say?”
“‘Cause I’m always so certain. I’m all sonic and TARDIS and Time Lord. Take that away.” The Doctor says and defeatedly shrugs, “Take away the toys. What am I?” He chokes a little as his eyes glaze over, repeating, “What am I now?”
The Doctor looks to you and Donna as he offers a variation of the truth, “I don’t know if I can save your life this time.” The vulnerability in his voice echoes through the corridor, a stark departure from his usual confident demeanor.
Donna raises her eyebrows, her gaze shifting between you and the Doctor. “It’s not about me,” she asserts.
You meet Donna's gaze and respond, “Oh, yes, it is.”
With a nonchalant shrug and a deep breath, Donna begins, “Well,” and then she steps a little forward, flashing a determined smile, “Maybe I’ll save you, you big idiot.” Through the perplexing hallway, the chatter reverberates with a mixture of warmth and friendliness as you all chuckle.
"Anyway, you beat him before," Donna points out, and the Doctor wears a contemplative frown. "That’s the problem. Odd-on I’ll lose next time."
Donna dismisses the notion with a shake of her head. "Nope. Doesn’t work like that. Because my dad used to say, ‘Dice didn’t know what the dice did last time.’ Games don’t have a memory. Every game starts from scratch."
After a moment of letting the words settle, the Doctor nods with a genuine smile. "Oh, I like that. Well said, Dad." He takes a deep breath before suggesting, "Okay. Shall we find the right door?"
The Doctor swiftly dashes to one of the doors, opening them one after the other. You and Donna struggle to keep up, the anticipation heightening. Suddenly, one of the heavy doors slams shut behind Donna, separating you from her. Then the door in front of Donna slams shut, also separating her from the Doctor, the echoes of the closing door lingering in the air. 
You sense your fingernails biting into the palm of your hand, forming a tight fist as you strike the door with the side of your fists. An exasperated cry escapes your lips as you press your forehead against the wooden door. You shut your eyes, tears trickling down your cheeks. Slowly, you lower your hands to your sides, then raise them, placing them at the back of your neck in an attempt to regain composure.
You take a deep breath, letting the air fill your lungs before releasing it in a resounding exhale. Pushing away from the door, you continue down the corridor. A distinct pull guides you to a door on the right. Twisting the knob, you pull the door open and step into a room filled with standing mirrors encased in plastic frames. As you survey the surroundings, the door slams shut behind you, making you flinch and glance back.
Turning your head forward, you're met with various incarnations of the Doctor—past and present—alongside friends and companions, all staring back at you through the mirrors. Their gaze penetrates through you. The mirrors shift, forming two opposing lines, resembling portraits guiding you towards a solitary dresser and a seat. On the creaky wooden floors, you move delicately, feeling like a doll as the eyes of your own reflections track your every step down the mirrored pathway.
You eventually reach the dresser, and the seat smoothly pulls out from underneath it. Hesitant, you lower yourself onto it, only to find that your own reflection is not what greets you. Instead, it's the Toymaker, wearing a smug expression as he says, “Ah, yes, the Stargazer. Oh, how I’ve missed you, old friend.”
You cross your arms and raise your eyebrows, “If that’s what you want to call it, sure.”
The Toymaker’s expression shifts to a sour one as his face scrunches up, “We were friends, we had such wonderful games in our little dollhouse until the Doctor stole you away from me.”
You shake your head as you say sternly, “He didn’t take me away from you.”
The Toymaker childishly rolls his eyes as he also crosses his arms, “Admit it. You were happy. Happier to be blissfully unaware of who you are when we were in our universe.”
You shake your head as you feel your eyes glaze over, pressing your lips, trying to steady your breathing. Softly, you spoke, “You were controlling me. You were trying to mold me into something… that had to be exceptional to be worthwhile.”
You sniff as you continue, “You never cared about me or any of it. You only wanted to play your games and win. And the one time I won… I saw your true nature and never let me out of that box.”
You gaze directly into the Toymaker's eyes, inquiring, “How? How did you end up here?”
He tilts his head and smiles, “The Doctor may have cast that salt, but that was just the door. You being here, allowing yourself to exist in this reality, my dear, you were the key. The Doctor merely provided the key, and voila. Here I am.”
The Toymaker shifts before he hums and then says nonchalantly, “Well, this was so much fun… us two friends catching up. We should do this more often.”
You narrow your eyes as you shake your head, “Don’t you dare hurt them.”
The Toymaker grins, “Well, what’s the fun in that?”
The room around you seems to blur as a heaviness settles in your chest, the weight of your choices and the consequences of your time with the Toymaker bearing down on you. The mirrors that once reflected various versions of yourself, your friends, and the Doctor now seem to mock your vulnerability.
Your face shifts to anger as you grab your sonic screwdriver, raise it to the mirror, and press the button, causing the illusion to shatter. There is no glass in the mirror because, on the other side of it, is you—freed from the false reflections that sought to define you.
You rise from your seat, hastening as the glass mirrors rupture behind you, fragments and shards soaring through the air. Grabbing the doorknob, you wrench the door open, hurtling into the hallway just as the door behind you slams shut.
Anticipating the impact of the hard hallway floor, you're surprised to find yourself enveloped in sturdy arms, the familiar texture of the Doctor’s coat reassuring. "Whoa! Darling, there you are," he exclaims.
Speechless, you encircle him with your arms, finding solace in the warmth he provides. He eases back, cradling the side of your head, and you yield to the touch, trying to ground yourself in the reassurance that you're still alive, still breathing. Life may have presented challenges, love may have left its mark, and certain experiences may have etched an ache in your soul, yet, you survived.
The Doctor scans your face and says, “You’ve been crying. What’s wrong? What happened? Did he hurt you?”
You sniffle as you shake your head frantically, “No, I’m just… I’m sorry.”
The Doctor frowns, “What for?”
“It’s my fault. All of this is my fault.”
“No. I cast that salt—”
“Yes, but since I’m here, in this reality. I allowed him to exist here as well. It’s my fault. I’m so sorry.”
The Doctor pulls you in closer, tightly wrapping his arms around your frame as he asks, “Did he tell you that?”
You merely make a squeak as you nod into his chest, “It makes sense—”
“No. It’s— I refuse to believe it. I won’t.”
You began, “But—”
The Doctor pauses, his gaze softening, and he says, “No, my love. It's not your fault. Don't let his games mess with your mind. We'll figure this out together.”
You let go of your ghosts and your worries for once. It was just one step, but it said plenty. That you've been cut off from the outside world for such a large portion of your existence dawns on you. That you devoted so much of your life to a version of existence that was cut off from believing in the good and the beautiful as a means of survival, that you tried so hard to shield yourself from the love you so desperately needed.
You knew that you wouldn’t find a love that was perfect, but you found a love that was real. The kind that sees you and brings down your walls, that asks you to share parts of your soul you have tucked away and kept hidden from the world.
Suddenly, the creak of another door opening startles both of you, prompting a swift turn of your heads. Your heart skips a beat as you spot your fiery-haired friend. You exclaim, “Donna!”
“Oh, my god!” Donna exclaims, and the Doctor responds, “There you are!” As you eagerly move forward to embrace Donna, the room undergoes a rapid metamorphosis, transforming into a puppeteer theatre, with the Toymaker standing at its center.
Fanfare resonates in the background through concealed speakers as the Toymaker speaks in German, “Kommen Sie, kommen sie!”
Three chairs materialize from behind you, smoothly rolling forward and obliging you to take a seat upon them as they advance towards where the Toymaker stands.
"The show is just beginning. Worldwide premiere," the Toymaker announces, vanishing momentarily only to reappear behind the puppet theatre at the center. He addresses Donna Noble, "This is for you. Let me tell you what happened when the Doctor, he was leaving you."
Lifting the cross brace of the string puppet, he continues, "He met a friend called Amy Pond. And he loved Amy Pond." The strings sway as he manipulates the Amy puppet. "Yes, he be liking die redheads." A playful wink is followed by, "And they went to and fro in time und space."
The Toymaker's tone darkens as he narrates, "But Amy Pond was touched by the Weeping Angel. And she died." He grabs a large pair of scissors, severing the strings of the puppet, rendering it limp and lifeless.
The Doctor's expression turns grim and angry as he grits his teeth, "She died of old age."
Quickly shifting to an American accent, the Toymaker mockingly remarks, "Well, that’s alright then."
Continuing in his vibrant German accent, the Toymaker orchestrates the descent of a new puppet onto the stage, "Und then he was meeting Clara. Mmm." He adds, "But she was killed by a bird." Another snip of the strings leaves the puppet limp and lifeless.
The Doctor growls, "She still survives in her last second of life."
"Well, that’s alright then!" The Toymaker replies in his mocking American accent.
The Toymaker continues in his vibrant German accent, placing another puppet on the stage, "Und then the Doctor met Bill." Strings are pulled as he continues, "Not Stooky Bill, but lady Bill. But she was killed by the Cybermen." With a snip, the puppet falls to the floor, lifeless.
The Doctor's lip trembles, jaw set, as he asserts in a raised tone, "But her consciousness survives."
"Oh, well, that’s alright then!" The Toymaker retorts once more in his mocking American accent. He then transitions to a new scene with stars and planets descending, connected with strings. Cutting the strings, he comments with feigned remorse, "Und then there came die Flux. Oh, Donna Noble, the poor Doctor." The Toymaker continues to sever the strings attached to the planets, remarking, "Die Flux was killing everything."
"Is all of this true?" Donna asks in disbelief, leaving you frozen and unsure of what to do or say.
The Doctor abruptly stands up, his gaze locked onto the Toymaker's eyes as he lowers his tone, the gruffness evident, "I challenge you to a game."
The Toymaker's expression drops, his nostrils flare, and he strides toward the table. The Doctor meets him at the other end, and they lock eyes, a tense silence enveloping them.
The two of them settle into seats across from each other as the Toymaker mysteriously conjures a deck of cards. In a refined British accent, he declares, “I accept the challenge.”
The Doctor retorts, “You have no choice.”
With an air of a magician, the Toymaker skillfully shuffles the deck of cards, his hands moving with deliberate precision. "I came to this universe with such delight, and I played them all, Doctor." The Toymaker lays down the cards in a line, maintaining his magical flair. "I toyed with supernovas, turned galaxies into spinning tops."
He holds the two halves of the deck and continues, "I gambled with God and made him a jack-in-the-box." Flipping the cards, he shuffles the deck, his eyes locked onto the Doctor's. "I made a jigsaw out of your history. Did you like it?"
"The Master was dying and begged for his life with one final game. And when he lost, I sealed him for all eternity inside my gold tooth." The Toymaker says, a sly smile accompanying the gesture to his shiny gold tooth. However, his tone turns grave and haunted as he continues, "There’s only one player I didn’t dare face. The one who waits."
Both you and the Doctor furrow your brows, and the Doctor questions, “Who’s that?”
The Toymaker's gaze becomes distant as he recalls, “I saw it. Hiding. And I ran.”
“What do you mean?” The Doctor presses, and the Toymaker shakes his head, “Mmm. That’s someone else’s game.” Placing the deck of cards neatly on the table, he asks, “What shall we play?”
“One request. Tell me,” The Doctor starts, his tone curious, “The human race, back in the future. Why does everyone think they’re right?”
The Toymaker smirks knowingly and replies, “So that they win. I made every opinion supreme. That’s the game of the 21st century. They shout, they type, and they cancel. So I fixed it. Now everybody wins.”
“And everyone loses,” you remark, your eyebrows furrowing in contemplation. The Toymaker smiles, acknowledging the truth, “The never-ending game.” He then turns to the Doctor, prompting, “Now name your challenge.”
“The simplest game of all. Let’s cut,” the Doctor proposes, and the Toymaker grins, “Highest card wins.”
“Aces high,” the Doctor asserts.
“You choose,” the Toymaker replies.
“I’ll go first,” the Doctor declares.
Then Donna interjects, “But he’ll cheat.”
You, the Toymaker, and the Doctor quickly disagree, simultaneously stating, “No.” The Toymaker's face turns sour, offended by the accusation, “Shame.”
“That’s the one thing he won’t do,” the Doctor asserts, and Donna points out, “But they’re his cards. He’s all tricks. Of course, he’ll cheat.”
You then explain, “The only rules the Toymaker follows are the rules of the game. They bind his entire existence. The Doctor wins or he loses, and that’s it.”
The Toymaker glowers at the Doctor as he says, “Then play.”
The Doctor seizes the top deck of cards, turning it to reveal the Eight of Clubs. A sinking feeling creeps into the pit of your stomach as you calculate the odds, not liking the prospects for the Doctor.
The Toymaker raises an eyebrow with a smug expression, “My turn.” He grabs a portion of the deck, turning it to reveal the King of Hearts. Gripping the sides of your chair, you feel a sense of dread as the Toymaker laughs, “I’m the King.”
Switching back to his German accent, he declares excitedly, “Und now, meine kleine Doctor, we will see what is my prize!”
The Doctor responds, “One… all.”
A light laugh of relief escapes you, realizing the Doctor had a backup plan in case he lost. Leaning across the table, the Doctor's words make the Toymaker's expression drop, “I won the game many years ago. You’ve won today, which leaves us equal. And you know two players are bound by one inviolable rule.”
The Toymaker sneers as he begrudgingly admits, “Best of three.”
The Doctor nods, “Best of three.”
The Toymaker purses his lips in annoyance, narrowing his eyes before saying, “Then let’s make it 2023.” He suddenly pulls a curtain from the side, quickly vanishing as the red velvet cloth clatters to the floor. The room transforms, and you hear the creaking of wood.
Both you and the Doctor exclaim, “Donna!”
Donna has already sprung from her chair, responding, “I’m already running!”
As you run, the structure behind you collapses in on itself, the scratching and groaning of wood as it folds in the hallway. Eventually, you make it out of the shop, running into the streets and stopping from across the street to see the entire building fold itself neatly into a box on the ground.
Donna points out, "He said 2023," and the Doctor responds as his chest puffs out a breath, "Winner takes all."
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UNIT HEADQUARTERS, LONDON — DAY, 2023
Once the TARDIS had landed, you and Donna hurriedly followed the Doctor, who carried the box containing the Toymaker's shop. As you reached the main area of operations, the Doctor placed the red box on Melanie's desk and instructed, "Keep an eye on that."
Stepping up on one of the desks, the Doctor addressed everyone in a loud tone, "The satellite was only a link in the chain, so Donna needs access to the subframe. There is no one in London faster on a keyboard. She’s creating a template for this." He produced a flash drive and explained, "It coordinates all telescopes and satellites and deep-space scans across the Earth." Tossing the flash drive to Shirley, who deftly caught it.
Turning to the Vlinx, the Doctor requested, "The Vlinx, I need all mesh reflectors on Earth translated to digital five."
As Donna worked on the keyboard, Mel replied to Donna's question, "Dynamic. We’re using triad."
Donna nodded in understanding, typing rapidly, "Got ya. Okay, so you should all be receiving this now."
"How bad is it, Doctor, Star?" Kate asked with concern. The Doctor responded with a warning tone, "Something entered this world in 1925. I don’t know how. And I warn you, this thing can get from 1925 to now like stepping through a door."
He shoved his hands into his pockets and continued, "But if we’re lucky, the program the Stargrazer created can detect the decay of an energy signature from 98 years ago. Might be on Earth. Might be in orbit. Might be in space. But if we can find the entrance, maybe we can turn it into an exit."
"What are we fighting?" Kate asked, and you responded grimly, "An elemental force beyond the rules of the universe."
Shirley then inquired with a puzzled tone, "What’s that supposed to mean?"
The Doctor gave her a look and explained, "You think life is a balance between order and chaos, but the universe is not binary." As the Spice Girls' "Spice Up Your Life" began playing from somewhere, he continued, "Far from it. There is order and chaos, and then there is play." Pointing to the ceiling, he asked, "What’s that?"
"Could you turn that off, please?" Kate requested, and Melanie, standing from her chair, asked, "Who is that?"
The Doctor groaned, "Oh, I think he’s here."
The Toymaker entered the scene like a Broadway hurricane, dressed as a band leader with his hair curled and styled. A door suddenly appearing with the bell jingling as he strutted forward. Confetti popped, lights flashed, and the Toymaker lip-synced to the Spice Girls' song playing from an unknown location.
"When you're feelin' sad and low
We will take you where you gotta go"
The door materialized behind you, the bell jingling as the Toymaker stepped out, dancing and lifting his hat, grooving to the music. You and the Doctor stood there, unimpressed, wearing a fed-up expression.
The Toymaker, immersed in the infectious beats of the Spice Girls, continued his impromptu performance. With infectious enthusiasm, he teleported across various areas of the headquarters, seamlessly syncing his lip movements to the lyrics of the song. His dance was a spectacle of exaggerated expressions, capturing the vibrant spirit of the Spice Girls' anthem.
As the music echoed through the room, the Toymaker made flamboyant movements, teleporting next to Shirley. With flair, he held up a phone, lip-syncing passionately to the lyrics.
"Smilin', dancin', everything is free
All you need is positivity"
The Toymaker's energetic dance moves and lively expressions added a surreal touch to the otherwise serious atmosphere of the operation.
“Colours of the world
Spice up your life”
Teleporting with theatrical finesse, he continued his spirited performance, engaging with the song's upbeat tempo.
“Every boy and every girl
Spice up your life”
The Toymaker, a delightful force of whimsy, twirled and danced with infectious energy, infusing the tension-filled room with an unexpected burst of joy.
“People of the world
Spice up your life
Aah
Slam it to the left
If you're havin' a good time
Shake it to the right
If ya know that you feel fine
Chicas to the front
Ha ha (uh uh)
Go round”
With each step, he appeared and disappeared, dancing effortlessly to the rhythm. In a sudden move, the Toymaker materialized next to Kate, seamlessly incorporating her into his lively dance. However, the exuberant twirl proved too much, and Kate, spun too fast, and collided with a wall.
Undeterred, the Toymaker vanished and reappeared beside Melanie, pulling her into an impromptu dance as UNIT soldiers point their weapon at him.
“Slam it to the left
If you're havin' a good time
Shake it to the right
If ya know that you feel fine
Chicas to the front”
The Toymaker spun Melanie like a spinning top, prompting your alarmed cry, "Melanie!" Both you and the Doctor rushed to her aid as she tumbled to the ground, the unexpected dance taking an unforeseen turn.
"La la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la"
Kate regains her composure, brushing off her slacks with a determined air as she commands the UNIT soldiers, "Detain him!"
In response, a contingent of UNIT soldiers swiftly advances, attempting to apprehend the whimsical Toymaker. The Doctor's warning echoes in the air, “No, don’t!” However, defying the Doctor's urgent plea, the Toymaker playfully taps the soldiers, transforming them into vibrant, bouncing balls that clatter across the floor.
"What happened to them?" Kate urgently inquires, and you, wearing a grimace, shake your head, "They're dead. I'm sorry. Just stop it. Let me talk to him."
The Toymaker confidently struts down the center aisle among the stations, seizing the attention of everyone. Kate seizes the opportunity and commands the remaining UNIT soldiers, "On my command, open fire!"
"Take him out, take him out!"
Despite the barrage of gunfire from the UNIT troops, the bullets magically transform into a cascade of delicate rose petals, scattering around the office in a surreal display. The Toymaker, reveling in the chaos, gleefully glances atop a table as more rose petals dance in the air.
"Yellow man in Timbuktu
Colourful, both me and you
Kung Fu fighting, dancing queen
Tribal spaceman and all that's in between"
Undeterred, more UNIT soldiers step in, brandishing larger firearms. Kate urgently yells, "Get down!" Yet, instead of bullets, they too unleash a storm of rose petals towards the Toymaker, amplifying the confusion and chaos in the headquarters.
Now seated on the floor, the Toymaker whimsically creates a rose petal angel, moving his arms and legs in a playful display as he swims amidst the never-ending fall of petals, still lip-syncing to the song.
"Colours of the world (Spice up your life)
Every boy and every girl (Spice up your life)
People of the world (Spice up your life, ah)"
As the Toymaker gracefully walks away from the floral aftermath, he makes his exit, singing the last part of the song and forming a heart with his hands.
"Hai, sí, ja! Hold tight!"
With a resounding honk, he disappears into the floor, leaving the bewildered onlookers shaken and utterly confused about the bizarre turn of events.
The Doctor swiftly dashes forward, sliding to his knees with palms pressed to the floor in an attempt to catch the Toymaker, yet the space where he once stood appears empty, as if he were an illusion.
While Donna tends to Mel, you approach the Doctor, who rises to his feet. Kate's inquiry breaks the moment, "Doctor, Stargazer, who is he?"
Breathing heavily, you respond, "The Toymaker."
"How does he do that?" Shirley questions from her wheelchair, seeking understanding.
Ignoring the query, the Doctor directs urgently, "The Vlinx, speed up those scans. I need those results." He then turns to the group, nostrils flaring, and commands, "All of you, search the building. He’s still here. Where’s he gone?"
Soldiers take charge, securing the perimeter, while Shirley persists, "But how does he do it?" The Doctor, resolute, explains in a low tone, "If I told you he manipulates atoms with the power of thought, would you believe it?"
Shirley ponders for a moment before responding, "Is that what he does?"
The Doctor shakes his head, "No. You can’t fight him, Shirley. There’s nothing you can do."
A sudden noise interrupts the conversation—a bell tinkling. Hushing everyone, you urge, "Listen. Listen."
The ringing intensifies. Kate steps towards the automatic door leading to the helipad, and you follow suit. There, on the helipad, the Toymaker stands alone, dressed in an aviator outfit, ringing the doorbell. Kate exclaims, "Oh, my God. He’s got the Galvanic Beam." Reacting swiftly, you and the Doctor rush onto the helipad. The Toymaker sits on the chair of the Galvanic Beam, swinging it as he excitedly exclaims in German, "Achtung, Achtung! Backen Sie."
Kate, Donna, Shirley, and Mel, carrying the box, join you on the helipad along with the UNIT soldiers. The Toymaker continues, with his goggles on and his exaggerated German accent, "Oh, how I am liking this, the gun mit the laser und the bang und the boom."
The Doctor turns back to the group, urgently shouting, "Go back inside! Get back, get back!"
The Toymaker, however, dismisses the idea, insisting, "No, no, no, no, no. Every game is ge-needing an audience, ja."
Now it's your turn to raise your voice, "Get back inside!" Yet, the Toymaker, maintaining his defiance, sternly disagrees, "Und I said nein!" He takes aim at the glass higher up the building, shattering it. The team below reacts with startled cries as you and the Doctor shoot furious glares at the Toymaker.
Removing his goggles, the Toymaker switches to a British accent, calmly stating, "Now we can all have some fun."
Kate steps forward, undeterred and unafraid, confronting the Toymaker with a determined gaze. "Where are my staff? The beam had a pilot, and the armourer and the ground staff. Where are they?"
“I think they're still falling,” the Toymaker replies, and then a faint thud in the distance is followed by the sound of glass shattering.
The Doctor bares his teeth, anger etched across his face as he stomps forward and confronts the Toymaker, “I don't understand why you're so small!” The Toymaker’s face shifts into a frown, his features scrunching up as the Doctor continues his impassioned confrontation, “You can turn bullets into flowers. Think of the good you could do. So tell me why you don't!”
The Toymaker responds with resounding sureness, "You know full well this is merely a face concealing a vastness that will never cease, because your good and your bad are nothing to me. All that exists is to win or to lose."
“And you know full well that I've had many faces, containing something far more,” the Doctor begins. You inch closer to him as he grabs your hand, offering the Toymaker a compelling invitation, “So come with us. Leave this tiny world. We can take your games back to the stars. We can play across the cosmos. We can be... Celestial.”
You watch as the Toymaker’s gaze shifts between the two of you, “The Time Lords, and the Toymaker?”
You nod, extending your hand, “Infinite games.”
A moment of anticipation hangs in the air as you hope for his acceptance. However, the Toymaker's expression shifts to one of indifference as he uses the controller of the Galvanic Beam. Turning to survey London, he begins, “And yet…” The soldiers cautiously retreat as the Toymaker observes the destruction and chaos engulfing the city.
“I have fallen in love with humanity. This world is the ultimate playground. All of the sport, the matches, the medals, the gambling, and the anger, and the children shackled to their bedrooms with their joysticks and their buttons. You make games out of bricks falling upon other bricks. You are exceptional,” the Toymaker remarks, and you signal the troops to halt their advance. The Toymaker gasps, “And then there are the mind games. Oh, the dating and ghosting, the deceit and the control. You make me dizzy. I am in no hurry to leave this place.”
He swivels the turret around, a maniacal glint in his eye as he chuckles, “We can play Grandma's Footsteps.” He gleefully fires at the soldiers' feet, forcing them to hastily retreat, "And Off-Ground Touch."
“Ah! Stop, stop, stop, stop!” You plead helplessly as the Toymaker, a sinister smirk on his face, persists in aiming the Galvanic Beam at your companions. He remarks, "Shooting ducks. Who's up next? The companion? The soldier? The scientist? The orphan?"
The Doctor charges ahead, bellowing and thumping his chest defiantly, "Your fight is with me!" The Toymaker directs the beam towards the Doctor, declaring, "And you owe me! One more ga—"
His words abruptly cease as the Toymaker unleashes the Galvanic Beam, piercing through the Doctor's torso. A gut-wrenching scream escapes your lips, and you desperately attempt to rush towards him, only to be forcefully restrained by Donna and Kate. Helplessly, you bear witness to the Doctor's anguished ordeal.
The Toymaker proclaims, “I played the first game with one Doctor. I played the second game with this Doctor. Therefore, your own rules have decreed I play the third game with the next Doctor.” As the beam deactivates, you extricate yourself from Donna and Kate's grasp, hastening to reach your Doctor who has descended to his knees on the ground. Regeneration energy begins to shimmer around him, and you sniffle as you cradle him close, feeling his feeble arm wrap around you.
Tears stream down your face as you murmur, "Hey, hey... I'm right here."
You sense his touch, brushing away your tears as he utters, "Hello, my sweet Stargazer... I’ve been alone for so long. Oh, how I've missed you." A resonant sniff escapes you as you reply, "I'm so sorry. For running. For leaving. For everything, I’m sorry.”
He softly hushes you, "No. None of that. It's not your fault." A wistful smile gently paints his face. "I love you." You release a sob, "I love you too."
"Marry me?" The Doctor proposes, managing to flash you a boyish grin. You can't help but emit a weak laugh, "Right now?"
"Whenever, wherever you like. Just say yes."
"You already know I’d say yes, you idiot!" you retort.
"Say it, please," he murmurs, and you nod as tears continue to fall from your cheeks, "Of course, I'll marry you. I’ll marry you as many times as you want. As many lifetimes as you want."
As the regeneration energy glows brighter, Donna steps forward, yelling loudly to the Toymaker, “He's not dying alone. You can do what you like to me. I'm going to be with them both.”
“And so am I,” Mel declares, setting the box down and approaching the other side of the Doctor along with Donna.
The Toymaker allows it, nodding, “Handmaidens.”
“It's okay,” Donna says, and the Doctor responds, “It's not dying.” Donna nods in understanding, adding, “I know. But…”
Mel smiles as she interjects, “You're going to be someone else. It doesn't matter who because every single one of you is fantastic.”
The Doctor’s eyes glaze as he feels the regeneration energy glow brighter and stronger, surging throughout his body, “It's time. Here we go again. Allons-y!”
The energy fizzles out, and the Doctor hasn't changed his face, leaving you all blinking in confusion as he lets out an, “Um.”
The Doctor’s brow furrows as Donna asks, “What... What's happening?”
Looking to you, the Doctor asks in an even more confused tone, “Could you... pull?”
With your mouth agape and wide-eyed, you inquire, “Could I... what?” The Doctor looks to Mel and Donna to his left, saying, “And you.”
“What do you mean?” Mel asks, and the Doctor blinks as stands up and replies, “Pull! Just pull each way. I don't know. It feels different this time.” The three of you begin to pull in each way, and the Doctor exclaims, “Ow! Oh.”
Regeneration surges and flares up once more, and out pops the head and shoulders of the new Doctor, number 15. You all gasp in shock, and you're the first to say, “What?”
“What?” Donna and Mel ask in unison.
“What?!” The Toymaker exclaims.
“No way,” the other part of the Doctor exclaims, and your Doctor responds with glee, “You're me.”
The new regeneration of the Doctor smiles, a toothy grin spreading across his face as he says, “No, I'm me. I think I'm really, really me. Oh, ho-ho, I am completely me! Don't just stand there, push!”
Your Doctor poses the question once more, "Do what?" to which his other half retorts, "Push."
"What— Does this work?" Your Doctor questions and the new one responds with a laugh, "I don't know."
They part ways entirely, each now clad in half of the other one's attire. Your Doctor sports the undershirt, vest, and trousers, and is left barefoot. Meanwhile, as far as your memory serves, the 15th regeneration of the Doctor is now adorned in a button-up shirt, tie, sneakers, and underwear. You purse your lips as you try to hide your smile and feel a warmth spreading out your face as you realize your Doctor isn’t wearing any underwear. You decide to pocket that bit of information for later.
A surge of joy and laughter fills the air as the 15th Doctor exclaims, "Hello!" Arms outstretched in a welcoming embrace, he moves towards your Doctor, continuing to laugh, "So good to see you! So good!"
Turning his attention to you, a broad grin decorates his face as he rushes towards you, enveloping you in a warm hug and lifting you off the ground, spinning you around. A yelp of surprise and glee escapes you, and you notice a twinge of jealousy in your Doctor's expression. However, you shoot him a look, a gentle reminder that they are one and the same.
The 15th Doctor lets out hearty laughter before addressing everyone, "Now, someone tell me what the hell is going on here."
"Excuse me. Sorry, but..." Kate begins, and Shirley interjects, "How did that happen?"
"Bi-generation. I have bi-generated! There's no such thing. Bi-generation is supposed to be a myth, but... look at me.” He chuckles and stretches as his joints crack, “Yeah, myth, myth, myth," the 15th Doctor declares with a jolly tone, turning to Mel and inquiring, "Mel, what do you think?"
Mel smiles widely as she gazes at the 15th Doctor, "I think you're beautiful."
Your Doctor furrows his brow, questioning, "Still beautiful?"
"Yeah," Mel responds.
Donna, taking in the new Doctor with a rich deep ebony skin tone, asks, "Do you come in a range of colours?"
To which all the Time Lords reply with a resounding, "Yes."
You hear the Toymaker clear his throat and begin, pointing the beam at the two Doctors, "If I can interrupt... Behold the game of the Time Lords. A dummy who dies and doubles and dies and doubles. I could play this for 100 years. I'll have vast meadows of Doctors dying over and over again, and I'll never get bored because…"
The two Doctors step forward in unison, declaring, "I challenge you to a game."
The Toymaker's face sours, and he tosses his goggles, shifting into a frown. "But there's two of you."
Your Doctor asserts, "I'm the Doctor," and the 15th remarks, "And I'm the Doctor."
Your Doctor smirks, "And according to the rules, you can't say no."
The Toymaker stammers, "But that's cheating."
“How?” both Doctors say simultaneously, and your Doctor continues, “It's your game, and you did this.”
The Toymaker is at a loss for words, stammering, "But…"
Your Doctor smiles, "You doubled us."
“So, who am I marrying then—” You interject, and the two Doctors exclaim, “Me!”
Your eyebrows shoot up, eyes widening in response. "Y’know what, that seems like an issue for later."
The Toymaker interjects, stating, "I accept your challenge." Stepping off the Galvanic Beam, your Doctor commands everyone in a commanding voice, "Get back." In compliance, everyone takes a few steps back.
“Moments like these are a joy, when someone thinks they can outwit the maker of the games. Do you think a grand total of two can cause me to shiver when I've played against the Guardians of Time and Space and shrank them into voodoo dolls? Name your challenge, Doctor,” the Toymaker says, and you mockingly yawn, eliciting a glare from him.
“You said it. The first game ever,” the 15th Doctor states, and your Doctor finishes his thoughts, “The ball.”
The Toymaker conjures a ball from thin air and declares, “Catch? Of course, before we begin, there is one thing to remember. It's a simple game, really, but I think…”
Suddenly, the Toymaker hurls the ball towards your Doctor at an astonishing speed, making contact with his chest just as he finishes his sentence, “…if you drop it, you lose.”
Your Doctor catches the ball, releasing a deep breath, “Nice.”
The ball is tossed around in a flurry. You can only watch as it keeps getting passed and tossed. Eventually, the 15th Doctor throws it extremely far to your Doctor, causing him to tumble and dive to catch it from the 15th.
Your Doctor looks at the 15th with wide eyes, his chest puffing out breaths as he exclaims, “Hey! I'm on your side!”
15th sheepishly replies, “I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry!”
The game of catch persists, and you nervously bite your nails as you observe the trio. There are numerous extreme throws and catches, accompanied by near misses, until the 15th Doctor imparts enough spin on the ball. It glances off the Toymaker's fingers, tumbling over the building's edge.
The Toymaker pants in disbelief, beginning, "But—"
“We won!” Your Doctor asserts, and the 15th adds, “We did it. Fair game. You lost.”
Attempting to salvage the situation, the Toymaker stammers, “No, but I think you'll find…”
Your Doctor steps forward, declaring, “Best of three. And my prize, Toymaker, is to banish you from existence forever.”
The Toymaker protests, “No! But I'm... It's not…” Suddenly, he starts to flatten and fold, “You can't... But I…” Mel steps forward and brings out the box as the Toymaker yelps, “Not fair. Please. My legions are coming. Argh!” He folds up into a square and drops into the box, which slams shut.
Kate seizes the box by the handles, instructing the soldier, “Take it to the deepest vault and bind it in salt.” The soldier promptly responds, “Yes, ma'am.”
Shirley and Kate disengage their Zeedexes. Kate turns to Shirley, saying, “Shirley, tell Geneva we're in full resus. Tell every base to follow Green Shoot protocols, full liaison.” She then addresses the soldier, “Rudi, I'll want the names of all those staff.”
Your attention shifts to your Doctor, standing at the edge of the helipad. The wind tousles his brown, spiky hair as he surveys the destruction wreaked upon London by the Toymaker. Approaching him, you grasp his hand and offer, “Hey, we did it.”
“But how many died down there?” The Doctor frowns, his tone heavy with sorrow. The 15th and Donna approach, with Donna reassuringly stating, “That's not your fault.”
The 15th points out, “You can't save everyone.”
Your Doctor pouts, “Why not?”
The 15th Doctor pulls both you and him into a hug, soothingly saying, “Come here. I've got you. Yeah? It's okay. I'm here.”
As you let out a sigh of relief, exhausted to the events that occurred. Your mind wanders and you smile. This love will intimately understand you, resonating on certain levels as if it has always existed—a deep-seated yearning your soul has carried, anticipating the reunion with its heart, perpetually poised to return home to the facets of itself discovered in another being. It serves as a poignant reminder that hope can emanate from the fingertips of another human being, nestled within the layers of the uncharted aspects waiting to be unveiled.
You and the group re-enter the building, abandoning the helipad to solitude, save for a lone sentry stationed at the entrance. A faint echo of laughter seems to linger in the air, leaving you with an inexplicable sense of dread resonating from a distant place.
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UNIT HEADQUARTERS, SUITE 17, LONDON – DAY 2023
INSIDE THE TARDIS
You observe as the Doctor maneuvers around the console, guiding his other incarnation through the intricacies. "That's the petrolink shatterfy compensator, moved from there to there. Hyperdynes. Er... fluid links, obviously," he explains, his hands deftly pointing out the components.
Your Doctor halts abruptly, stumbling over his words as he gazes at the version of himself standing on the bridge. "And, well, you know... things. But, er... how's it going to work? You and me. This is great, I think. Is it? But... How do we both...?”
“One thing you need in this place is a chair,” the 15th Doctor remarks, and you arch your eyebrows, glancing at your Doctor, who responds, “I'll be all right.”
The 15th shakes his head, emphasizing, “No, you're thin as a pin, love. You're running on fumes.”
You and Donna both sigh in agreement, stating, “That's what we keep saying.”
“I'm just... post-bi-generation,” your Doctor attempts to justify, but the 15th Doctor interjects, “Ha! It's more than that. Our whole lifetime. That Doctor that first met the Toymaker never, ever stopped. Put on trial, exiled, Key to Time, all the devastation of Logopolis.”
“Adric,” your Doctor says with a tinge of sadness, and the 15th nods, “Adric.”
Your Doctor's expression shifts to a sorrowful pout as he reminisces about the days and tragic events. “River Song. All the people we lost. Sarah Jane has gone. Can you believe that for a second?”
“I loved her,” your Doctor admits, and the 15th agrees, “I loved her. And Rose. But the Time War, Pandorica, Mavic Chen. We fought the Gods of Ragnarok, and we didn't stop for a second to say, ‘what the hell?’”
Your Doctor shakes his head, “But you're fine.” He gestures to his newly regenerated self, and the 15th says, “I'm fine because you fixed yourself. We're Time Lords. We're doing rehab out of order.”
You then gently interject, “He's saying you need to stop.”
Your Doctor shakes his head in disagreement, stating, “I don't know how.”
Donna takes a step forward, her words measured, “Well, I can tell you. Cos you know what I did when you went flying off in your blue box, Spaceman? I stayed in one place, and I lived day after day after day.”
“It would drive me mad,” your Doctor admits. You nod in agreement, stepping closer to him, your hand gently holding his cheek. “Same here. I’ll be honest, it was difficult… at first. Yeah. It does. But you keep on going. That’s what makes it special. You won’t exactly know what’s going to happen. And that's the adventure. The one adventure you've never had. Because I've... I've worked out what happened. The Flux caused a reset in the universe, no longer making my entire existence a threat to everyone. Then you changed your face, and then you found me. Do you know why?”
The Doctor is wide-eyed as you gaze into his chocolate brown eyes, and you give him a soft smile, “To come home.”
“Do you mean... he flies off?” The Doctor says as he glances at the 15th Doctor, tears welling up. “But I could never let the Tardis go. Never. It would hurt.”
The 15th Doctor approaches you two and leans against the console, stating, “Yeah, but... bi-generation has never happened before.” An idea begins to form in his mind, “What if...? What if!”
Eagerly, he dashes to the walkway, producing a 'test your strength' mallet. “What if the Toymaker's domain is still lingering? Just for a few seconds more, we're in a state of play. Oh! So maybe…”
The 15th Doctor steps out of the TARDIS, and the three of you follow after him. Shirley and Mel are waiting in the suite.
Excitedly, the 15th Doctor exclaims, “Hey! Watch this, watch this. Watch, watch, watch, watch. Stand back. Stand back. Go on, that's it, Donna. Oh! Wish me luck.”
“What for?” The Doctor asks, to which the 15th responds with a big smile, “We won the game. You get a prize, honey, and here is mine!” He swings at the side of the TARDIS, knocking a second one out. An exact duplicate stands on the left side of the original one.
“Ta-da!” The 15th shows off in a sing-songy voice before whispering to the TARDIS, “I am so sorry.”
Donna expresses with glee, “That is completely nuts,” and the 15th Doctor laughs in agreement.
The Doctor pushes the other TARDIS doors open and looks down. He unfolds a ramp, saying, “Oh, look! Oh, that's not bad. Wheelchair accessible.”
“At last! You finally caught up with the 21st century!” Shirley smiles, laughing.
“Yeah. Go on,” the 15th Doctor says to your Doctor, who steps inside to glance around as you wait outside. After a minute, he walks out, goes into the original TARDIS, and looks around. You watch as the 15th Doctor gives you a wink before stepping inside his TARDIS, and you let out a snort.
You see your Doctor exit the TARDIS and realize the 15th Doctor is missing. “Where is he? Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!”
You follow your Doctor as he pushes open the other TARDIS doors, saying, “You weren't going to leave without saying goodbye, were you?”
The 15th Doctor mischievously grins as he replies, “As if I would ever do that. Come here. Come here, come here, come here, come here.” He hugs him and kisses you on the cheek, saying, “Look after him, you know? Now, you three, if you don't mind, there is a great big universe out there calling, and I've got to get going. So off you pop, old man.”
Your Doctor shakes his head, a playful glint in his eyes, “Oh. You're the old man. You're older than me.”
Donna nods in agreement, “Actually, that is true. He's younger because you came after him. So you're the older Doctor.”
The 15th Doctor rolls his eyes playfully, teasing, “Okay, kid. I love you. Get out!” He sets the Time Rotor in motion, and Donna rushes out of the TARDIS, yelping, “I'm not doing that again!”
Observing the Doctors salute each other, you hear him say to you, “I’ll see you soon.” Then the two of you exit.
Stepping into Suite 17, the group gathers as the Doctor remarks, “Shirley, I don't suppose you've seen this before. I don't see it often myself. Stand by.”
“Where's he going?” Mel asks, and the Doctor replies, “Everywhere.”
You watch as the TARDIS dematerializes, and you catch the soft whisper of the Doctor, “Good luck.”
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DONNA’S GARDEN — DAY, 2023
The TARDIS is parked in Donna’s garden, a testament to the new chapter you and the Doctor were embarking on—cohabiting. Presently, the entire family savored a meal al fresco beneath the pergola adorned with wisteria in full bloom. The Doctor sat beside you, his hand resting casually on your thigh, a constant desire to connect, to be near.
“Right. The cast-iron pot is the vegan. Ta-da! And the one with the flowers is the chicken,” Shaun declares, placing the dish on the table. You hum and nod, and Shaun adds, “I think.”
Sylvia chimes in, pointing to the dish, “And this is cauliflower cheese, which doesn't really go with anything, but it was there.” Rose nods as they begin to take their seats.
Donna raises a hand, signaling for attention, “Anyway, shush, please, for the eyebrow story.”
“Oh, yes. So... this species only communicated with their eyebrows. I thought, I can do that,” the Doctor says with an unusually happy tone, a rare occurrence that visibly lifts the weight from his shoulders. He sits straighter, and with a flourish of his eyebrows, he continues the story, “So I'm stood there on this clifftop and I went... ‘I mean you no harm. I come in peace. I am your friend.’”
“Am I late?” Mel's voice breaks through, and you lift your head to see her sheepishly saying, “Sorry. The door was open. You don't mind?”
Sylvia dismisses her concern, cooing, “Oh, you're family, darling. Sit down.”
You glance at Mel and ask, “Did you drive?”
“No. I got a lift off a zingo,” Mel replies as she takes a seat next to you, prompting cheers and laughter from the group.
“A zingo!” Donna exclaims, and Sylvia smiles, “Oh, how strange.”
The Doctor continues his eyebrow-raising tale, “So, she looked at me, the Warrior Queen of the Felooth, and she said, ‘Good. And now... you will marry me.’ I said, ‘What?!’ And she pushed me off the cliff!”
Sylvia leans in over the table, asking, “But is it true, though? Is it really true?”
The Doctor looks to you, humming and shrugging, “Mmm…” You playfully shove his shoulder, and he kisses your cheek.
“We could always go in the Tardis and find out,” Rose suggests, but Shaun interjects, “Don't you dare.”
Donna sternly tells her daughter, “You are grounded until the Doctor feels better. Don't go sneaking off to Mars.”
“Again,” Rose says, and Donna goes wide-eyed, asking, “What does that mean?” She pointedly looks at the two of you.
“Oh, no. It was just once. Oh, you're in trouble,” the Doctor says, and you wince.
Mel explains, “They took me to New York last week. The Gilded Age. It was amazing.”
The Doctor shrugs, “Well, yeah. We just can't turn down my favourite niece.”
Rose smiles, “Ah! Niece. I like that.”
“Well, that's what you are. With my best friend, my brother-in-law, the evil stepmother…” The Doctor says, and Sylvia chuckles, “Oh, I have barely begun.” The Doctor continues, “..and Mad Aunty Mel.”
Mel chuckles, “Mad Aunty Mel!”
You all toast happily, exclaiming, “Mad Aunty Mel!”
The Doctor then places down his glass before lifting your left hand, now adorned with a gold band inscribed in Gallifreyan. He kisses your knuckles and says lovingly, “And of course, my soon-to-be wife.”
You can’t help but smile as you look at him. With him, you just open. The cost of staying fortified and hidden away becomes too high. With the Doctor, you lay down your arms. You let love rush in. You let it wash over you. You crack your shell, exposing your heart to this world, trusting that you are worthy of being seen there.
The Doctor then remembers, “And Grandad! Where is he?”
Sylvia says, “Oh, he's off shooting moles.”
The sound of a shotgun resonates, and you hum as the Doctor says, “Don't worry, I gave the moles a forcefield. I love the moles.”
Donna raises her eyebrows, asking, “You love the moles?”
The Doctor grins, “I love them. But here we are, Grandad and all. Who'd have thought? I ended up with a family.”
You feel the weight of his words settling in the cracks of your bones as your hearts thump in the silence. You lean your head on his shoulder, feeling him kiss the top of your head.
Shaun suddenly exclaims, “Oh, my God, I got it wrong. The vegan one is in the flowers.”
Rose groans, tossing her fork on the plate, “Urgh! What am I eating?”
“Oh... Don't worry.” Shaun tries to help. “We'll just… give it to Grandad.” Sylvia adds, “Don't make a fuss. Pass me your plate.”
Donna looks between the two of you, smiling as she says, “You don't have to stay forever.”
The Doctor glances at you, and you smile up at him, saying, “We'll see.”
“Do you miss it? Out there?” Donna asks.
The Doctor looks around, realizing he’s surrounded by love as he says, “The funny thing is, I fought all those battles for all those years, and now I know what for. This. I've never been so happy in my life.”
This love infuses honey into the core of your being; it's akin to a gentle warmth seeping into the very marrow of your bones. Witnessing how it learns about you, fights on your behalf, and remains steadfast through life's storms by your side, you're reminded of the profound connection often overshadowed by the preference for distance over depth in this world. It's a reminder that hope emanates from the touch of another, concealed within the layers of undiscovered facets. You now comprehend that love was always intended to be gentle, always meant to be tender, as evidenced by the Doctor intertwining his fingers with yours, accompanied by a bright grin. Your bones are safe, and your heart can rest assured it belongs to him. Your world transforms, cradled by the comforting embrace that is the Doctor.
“So,” Donna begins as she chews her food and swallows as he smiles at her best friends, “When’s the wedding?”
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