Thorn Bush (Doctor Who Story)
Chapter 37: The Unicorn and the Wasp Part Two
Masterlist
The Doctor begins stumbling on his feet halfway to the kitchen as his limbs have become numb. Kathy keeps him steady and pushes him onward.
"Ginger beer! We need ginger beer!" Kathy shouts as soon as they enter the kitchen. The cooks and servers within the room stare at her and a stumbling Doctor in confusion.
"I need ginger beer!" The Doctor yells as he pushes away from Kathy's hold on him as he rushes over to a shelf. Knocking the other shelf items over, he gulped down the contents of the bottle. Even doses some of the ginger beer on himself for extra measure.
Kathy rushes over to another shelf and cabinet, searching through for the next item the Doctor needs. "Protein, protein, protein." She mutters rapidly as she searches. Agatha and Donna come into the kitchen just then, going to the Doctor's side as he slumps against a counter.
"I'm an expert in poisons, Doctor. There's no cure. It's fatal." Agatha tells the Time Lord.
The Doctor spits up some of the ginger beer. "Not for me! I can stimulate the inhibited enzymes into reversal." The Doctor explains rapidly, panting from the exertion his body is going through. His body convulses again, making him grit his teeth from the pain. "Protein! I need protein!"
"Here, protein!" Kathy calls as she spots a jar of walnuts on a counter one of the cooks at been preparing. Grabbing the walnuts, she sprints over to the Doctor, shoving it into his hands.
"Brilliant." The Doctor fills his mouth with them. As he chews, he begins making frantic movements with his hands, trying to show them what he needs next. Unable to speak at the moment from his full mouth.
"We can't understand you! How many words?" Donna exclaims. The Doctor holds up one finger as he keeps up his actions. "One-one word. Shake! Milk! Shake! Milk! Milk! No, not milk! Um, shake! Shake! Shake! Cocktail shaker!"
"Salt! He needs salt!" Kathy exclaims as she slaps herself on the forehead for forgetting what else he needs. Donna, Agatha, and Kathy go back to the shelves in search of something with salt.
Donna grabs the first item. "What about this?!" She asks the Doctor hurriedly as she rushes back over to him, showing him a brown bag.
"What is it?" The Doctor questions her.
"Salt!"
The Doctor shakes his head hastily. "That's too salty."
"Oh, that's too salty." Donna retorts in exasperation as she rolls her eyes.
Agatha comes up next, handing the Doctor a jar of anchovies. He eats the contents immediately, coughing in trying to chew as fast as he can. He then mimics something else that he needs.
"What is it? What else? It's a song? Mammy? I don't know. Camptown Races?" Donna rambles.
"Camptown Races?" The Doctor cries in disbelief.
"A shock. He needs a shock." Kathy interrupts. As much as this is a funny moment, she would rather stop the Doctor from being poisoned right now.
"Right then. Big shock coming up." Donna grabs the Doctor and kisses him long and hard. When she releases him, smoke comes from his mouth.
The Doctor coughs, clearing his throat. "Detox. Oh my. I must do that more often." He receives an alarmed look from Donna. "I mean, the detox."
"Doctor, you are impossible." Agatha gasps at the Doctor, who simply winks and runs out of the room. "Who are you?"
——
Night has fallen, and thunder and lightning crash overhead. The hosts and guests are on the soup course. There is a vase of Yellow Irises on the table.
"A terrible day for all of us. The Professor struck down, Miss Chandrakala taken cruelly from us, and yet we still take dinner." The Doctor remarks.
"We are British, Doctor. What else must we do?" Lady Eddison rebuts sharply.
"And then someone tried to poison me. Any one of you had the chance to put cyanide in my drink. But it rather gave me an idea."
"And what would that be?" The Reverend asks.
"Well, poison." The Doctor replies lightly with a smile. Everyone sort of freezes as all had been in either mid-sip of their soup or were about to take a gulp from their spoons. Donna even spits some of her soup out after drinking it. Only Kathy continues to sip on her soup, unaffected at all by his comment. The Time Lord gives them all a knowing smile as he lifts another spoonful of soup. "Drink up."
Kathy smacks her lips lightly, holding a sly smile as she says, "I do love pepper in my soup. Like to mix things up a bit. Thought you all would enjoy it as well, so I asked the chef to add just a bit." She takes another sip of her soup as she and the Doctor watch with guarded eyes to see how everyone's expressions change when they realise it is only pepper added to dinner.
"Ah, I thought it was jolly spicy." The Colonel comments, smiling easily as he takes another gulp of his meal.
"Oh, yes. Pepper does make great spice." Kathy agrees with a nod. "Though, pepper isn't only just good for extra flavour."
"The active ingredient of pepper is piperine," the Doctor explains in a chirp comment, "traditionally used as an insecticide." Everyone around the table stiffens again as thunder rumbles distantly outside. The Doctor, gazes around carefully, observing each and every one of their faces to judge who is the most affected by this. "So... anyone got the shivers?"
"Someone will get the shivers soon enough." Kathy says in a mumble, keeping her gaze steady on one person in particular, her eyes unmoving from his face. The Reverend across from her seems to swallow as his own face remains blank, staring right back at her with guarded eyes.
On cue, there is a crash of thunder and the windows blow open, extinguishing the candles. All the guests sort of make startled gasps and begin murmuring about what is going on. But when shushed by the Doctor, they then hear a loud buzzing going off in the room.
"No. It can't be." Lady Eddison breathes at the end of the table, sounding in complete disbelief at what they are hearing.
Thunder roars around as lightning lights up the room, illuminating their faces in a white light. It continues to flash wildly as more lightning hits around the place, causing panic for most of the guests as the buzzing grows louder and louder by the second. Footmen in the room rush to the door with the Colonel not far behind them.
Kathy hears the Doctor yelling, "Out, out, out, out, out, out!" But she doesn't listen, instead focusing on her plan. She quickly pulls Roger out of his chair and shoves him forward.
"What the devil are you doing?!" Roger exclaims in panic.
"You heard the man! Move!" Kathy responds, purposely shoving Roger towards the door. It is dark enough that making out anything other than vague shapes is basically impossible. But there is a faint light under the door. If Roger still gets stabbed, it won't be because she isn't guarding his back. That is for certain.
Kathy pushes Roger through the still open door and then swiftly shuts it behind him so that the killer (or should she say his lost elder half-brother?) isn't able to sneak out as well. She takes a deep breath. The feeling of relief is swiftly replaced by the sensation of someone punching her between the shoulder blades as hard as they can. And then, then the pain hits. It is sharp and cold, and yet it burns.
The killer couldn't get Roger, so it got her. Got her good.
Kathy instinctively tries to shout, but it comes out as a cough instead. Her mouth tastes metallic. Her vision blurs. She stiffens for a moment and stumbles d forward. Kathy slams against the closed door and feels herself slide down and onto the floor.
She looks down to see her hands beginning to glow orange. The energy flows over her, her insides and outer skin slowly sowing together the best they can, but they can't fully heal due to the sword sticking in her back. Thank you, Reverend...
"Mrs Raedan's been stabbed. She's in front of the door!" Someone screeches.
One of the double doors that Kathy is pressed against is pushed open as people rejoin the rest of the party. The opening of the door jostles her, and Kathy does her best not to scream. Her body has healed the damage that actually put in her hypothetical danger so there is no chance of her dying, but she still has a sword in her back. As long as someone doesn't shove the knife in deeper, she is going to be fine.
From her place on the door, she sees someone walking closer. She stares blankly at them for a moment, until she recognises the shoes. The Doctor crouches down in front of her.
"Hey..." Kathy mumbles. "I've mostly healed, but I've got a bit of a problem..."
The Doctor lets out a slight snort. "I can see." He very lightly rests a hand on her shoulder and ever so slightly pushes her to the side so he can get a better angle on the knife. Kathy hisses as the Doctor lightly grabs a hold of the knife.
"Don't take the knife out!" Kathy hears Agatha cry quickly. Kathy turns her head to see Donna and Agatha standing nearby. Both look alarmed but while Agatha is frantic and confused, Donna is calmer. She's probably seen this before. Something to look forward to... "I don't know how Mrs Raedan is still alive, but we need to get help. We need to call a hospital. She'll bleed out you can't—"
In one swift motion, the Doctor pulls the knife out of her back. Kathy hisses in pain. It hurt a lot, but nowhere near as much as it had going in. Kathy hears the sound of the knife clattering to the ground as the Doctor lets go of it. He lightly pushes her, so she is resting on her stomach.
"Thanks, Doctor." Kathy sighs.
"Doctor! What have you—" Agatha goes silent. Probably because of the sight of the faint glow and the last of the wound sowing itself back together, the energy leaving a tingling feeling. Kathy is finally fully healed.
When the Doctor helps her to her feet, Kathy realises that the Doctor had positioned himself in such a way that no one was really able to see her back unless they were as close as Agatha, Donna, or himself had been. Everyone had at least gotten a glimpse of the knife in her thought. Kathy can see it in their faces. Kathy looks around the room for something to use as a distraction.
"Are you human?" Agatha asks.
Kathy blinks. "A little bit?"
She is saved from any more awkward questions when Lady Eddison puts her hand to her neck and then freezes. She pats her neck again, and then her eyes go wide. "My jewellery. The Firestone, it's gone. Stolen."
——
"Stop scaring me like that." The Doctor scolds Kathy the instant they are in the drawing room, leaning against the fireplace. Agatha tags along inside, sitting on a sofa.
Kathy sits next to her, rolling her eyes. "If I didn't stay behind, Roger would have died. Had to save him from the Vespiform."
"What do you mean?" Agatha quizzes.
"Did you see the knife sticking in the table? That was the weapon the murderer was trying to kill Roger with." Kathy explains to them. The door opens to the sitting room as Donna walks in.
"Did you enquire after the necklace?" Agatha asks.
"Lady Eddison bought it back from India. It's worth thousands." Donna tells them, taking a seat on the opposite sofa.
The Doctor's brow is furrowed as he tries to make sense of it all. "This thing can sting, it can fly. It could wipe us all out in seconds. Why is it playing this game?"
"Every murder is essentially the same. They are committed because somebody wants something." Agatha concludes, staring off into the distance.
"What does a Vespiform want?"
"Doctor, forget about that. What you need to do is listen to the human exert." Kathy tells him. She gestures at Agatha, who blinks at her in confusion.
The Doctor's eyes widen. "Ah, I've been so caught up with giant wasps that I've forgotten. You're the expert."
"I'm not." Agatha scoffs. "I told you. I'm just a purveyor of nonsense."
Kathy frantically shakes her head, moving to sit on the table between the sofas to look directly at Agatha. "Don't say that, Agatha. Plenty of people write detective stories, but yours are the best."
"She's right." The Doctor adds. "You know about people. Their passions, their hope, and despair, and anger. All of those tiny, huge things that can turn the most ordinary person into a killer."
Kathy can see the wheels turning in the author's mind as it seems to spark into life in thinking over the day's events. All the murder. All the facts and clues.
"Just think, Agatha, anyone can solve this, it's you." The Doctor presses on.
——
Everyone is now gathered for the traditional denouement.
The Doctor addresses them once seated. "I've called you here on this endless night because we have a murderer in our midst." He slowly turns to face them, keeping his expression levelled. "And when it comes to detection, there's none finer. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Agatha Christie." Waving a hand for Agatha to stand at the fireplace. He walks over and sits by Kathy on the sofa across from Lady Eddison. Donna comes over and joins them on the seat as they watch Agatha face them all squarely.
"This is a crooked house, a house of secrets." Agatha starts. "To understand the solution, we must examine them all. Starting with you, Miss Redmond."
The woman sitting behind the rest in a corner seems startled by this as everyone shifts their gaze onto her. "But I'm innocent, surely." 'Redmond' counters in defence, trying to keep her voice light and calm.
"You've never met these people, and these people have never met you," Agatha speaks carefully, and thoughtfully as her eyes pierce at 'Redmond'. "I think the real Robina Redmond never left London-you're impersonating her."
One could tell that the woman had been caught by the strained smile on her face. But 'Redmond' keeps her cool, "How silly. What proof do you have?"
Agatha nods, explaining, "You said you'd been to the 'toilet'."
"Oh, I know this. If she was really posh, she'd say loo." Donna eagerly remarks.
Agatha picks up the locksmith's case. "Earlier today, Miss Noble and I found this on the lawn, right beneath your bathroom window. You must have heard that Miss Noble was searching the bedrooms, so you panicked. You ran upstairs and disposed of the evidence."
"I've never seen that thing before in my life." 'Redmond' responds tightly.
"What's inside it?" Lady Eddison questions.
"The tools of your trade, Miss Redmond. Or should I say, the Unicorn?" Everyone gasps upon this reveal as Agatha smirks at the fuming 'Redmond'. "You came to this house with one sole intention. To steal the Firestone."
"Oh, all right, then." The Unicorn spits out as she glares at Agatha and her once proper voice changes in accent. "It's a fair cop. Yes, I'm the bleedin' Unicorn. Ever so nice to meet you, I don't think." She stands up from her seat, going over to stand closer to the group, closest to the Colonel. She jerks the large Firestone out of the front of her dress, showing it to everyone. "I took my chance in the dark and nabbed it. Well, go on, then, you nobs. Arrest me. Sling me in jail." She tosses the jewel in the air, allowing the Doctor (who now stands by Agatha, getting up when the Unicorn did) to catch it.
"So, is she the murderer?" Donna asks curiously.
The Doctor sits back down next to Kathy as he begins to examine the Firestone very closely.
"Don't be so thick." The Unicorn retorts crossly at Donna. "I might be a thief, but, well, I ain't no killer."
"Quite. There are darker motives at work." Agatha agrees as she places down the Unicorn's black case. The author then directs her gaze onto the Colonel. "And in examining this household, we come to you... Colonel."
The man sits in his wheelchair, appearing very nervous now. Then, his expression turns sour. "Damn it, woman." He grumbles, standing up from his chair, revealing to everyone that he could always stand. "You with your perspicacity. You've rumbled me."
"Father?!" Roger exclaims in shock.
"Hugh, you can walk." Lady Eddison gasps. "But why?"
"My darling, how else could I be certain of keeping you by my side?" The Colonel replies.
"I don't understand."
"You're still a beautiful woman, Clemency. Sooner or later some chap will turn your head. I couldn't bear that. Staying in the chair was the only way I could be certain of keeping you." He turns to Agatha. "Confound it, Mrs. Christie. How did you discover the truth?"
"Um," Agatha replies with a grimace, "actually, I had no idea. I was just going to say you're completely innocent."
Kathy and Donna both let out conspiring sniggers.
"Oh. Oh." The Colonel's face goes red, embarrassed to have jumped the gun.
"Sorry."
"Well. Well, shall I sit down then?"
"I think you better had."
The Colonel slowly sits back down on his chair. Lady Eddison reaches over to grasp his hand softly and Roger leans over to give him a pat on the shoulder.
"So, he's not the murderer." Donna states.
"No, but I have to say," Kathy says, "faking a disability because you're afraid that your wife is going to leave you is a really really scummy thing to do."
"Yes, but it isn't murder." Agatha continues. "So, to find the truth, let's return," she holds out her hand to the Doctor, who then hands her over the Firestone, "to this." She lets them all see it. The golden chain holding the deep purple jewel in the centre of the golden heart-shaped charm. "Far more than the Unicorn's object of desire. The Firestone has quite a history. Lady Eddison." Agatha turns her gaze upon the woman sitting on the sofa next to her, seeing the wary demeanour of the lady.
"I've done nothing." Lady Eddison says in defence.
"You brought it back from India, did you not?" Agatha inquires. "Before you met the Colonel. You came home with Malaria. And confined yourself to this house for six months, in a room that has been kept locked ever since. Which I rather think means—"
"Stop. Please." Lady Eddison begins to sob, holding her hands to her mouth.
Agatha stares at the woman in sympathy. "I'm so sorry. But you had fallen pregnant in India." The Colonel stares wide-eyed at Lady Eddison as the woman's shoulders shake in quiet sobs. "Unmarried and ashamed. You hurried back to England with your confidante, a young maid, later to become housekeeper-Miss Chandrakala."
"Mother," Roger speaks up in question, "is this true?"
"My poor baby." Lady Eddison whimpers as she tries to hold back her sobs the best she can. "I had to give him away. The shame of it."
"But you never said a word." The Colonel says, shaking his head in pure disbelief.
"I had no choice." Lady Eddison replies solemnly. Then, her voice changes to that of a drone as though she has had to repeat these words many times. "Imagine the scandal. The family name. I'm British. I carry on."
"And it was no ordinary pregnancy." The Doctor says from where he sits with Kathy and Donna. Now, instead of Agatha, everyone turns to look at him.
"How can you know that?" Lady Eddison replies, her voice filled with a mix of disbelief and fear.
"Excuse me, Agatha," The Doctor says quickly glancing at the woman before continuing, "this is our territory. But when you heard that buzzing sound in the dining room, you said, it can't be. Why did you say that?"
"You'd never believe it." Lady Eddison replies in a harsh whisper.
"Lady Eddison," Kathy says, standing, "somebody in this room literally stabbed me in the back. The Doctor took the knife out of my back, but I'm still breathing, and I know that everyone here saw it. Also, the person who stabbed me was a giant wasp. I'm pretty sure that everyone is just a little bit more willing to believe the seemingly impossible than when they woke up this morning."
"It was forty years ago." Lady Eddison begins. Her eyes stare off into the distance as if seeing the memory again. "In the heat of Delhi, late one night. I was alone, and that's when I saw it. A dazzling light in the sky. The next day, he came to the house. Christopher, the most handsome man I'd ever seen. Our love blazed like a wildfire. I held nothing back. And in return, he showed me the incredible truth about himself. He'd made himself human, to learn about us. This was his true shape. I loved him so much, it didn't matter. But he was stolen from me. 1885, the year of the great monsoon," she inhales deeply, "the river Jumna rose up and broke its banks. He was Taken at the Flood. But Christopher left me a parting gift. A jewel like no other. I wore it always. Part of me never forgot. I kept it close, always."
"Just like a man." The Unicorn comments. "Flashes his family jewels and you end up with a bun in the oven."
"A poor little child." Agatha continues her denouement. "Forty years ago, Miss Chandrakala took that newborn babe to an orphanage. But Professor Peach worked it out. He found the birth certificate!"
Donna's eyes light up. "Oh, that's maiden. Maiden name!"
"Precisely."
"So, she killed him?"
"I did not!" Lady Eddison insists.
"Miss Chandrakala feared that the Professor had unearthed your secret." Agatha continues. "She was coming to warn you."
"So, she tried to kill her!"
"No, cause Lady Eddison is completely innocent." Kathy says.
"Correct Mrs Raedan." Agatha nods. "Lady Eddison is innocent. Because at this point, Doctor—"
The Doctor leaps up, standing in front of the fireplace. "Thank you. At this point, when we consider the lies and the secrets, and the key to these events, then we have to consider it was you," he turns and points, "Donna Noble."
Donna gawps. "What? Who did I kill?"
"No, but you said it all along. The vital clue. This whole thing is being acted out like a murder mystery, which means it was you," he turns and points again, "Agatha Christie."
"I beg your pardon, sir?" Agatha splutters, flabbergasted.
"So, she killed them?" Donna eagerly questions.
"No. But she wrote. She wrote those brilliant, clever books. And who's her greatest admirer? The Moving Finger points at you," he points again, "Lady Eddison."
Lady Eddison sobs. Roger rubs her back comfortingly, frowning at the Doctor. "Don't. Leave me alone." The former gasps through her tears.
"So, she did kill them."
Kathy sighs. "No. What he means is, what were you doing last Thursday Lady Eddison?"
"I was–I was in the library," she paused for a moment, "I was reading my favourite Agatha Christie, thinking about her plots, and how clever she must be. How is that relevant?"
"That's not the only thing that happened last Thursday. Is it?" Kathy turns to face the Reverend. "Along with Lady Eddison curling up in the library with a good book, what else happened that day?"
"I'm sorry?" The man replies, speaking for the first time since this whole denouement had started.
"You said on the lawn, this afternoon." The Doctor reminds him. "Last Thursday night, those boys broke into your church."
"That's correct." The Reverend responds. "They did. I discovered the two of them. Thieves in the night. I was most perturbed. But I apprehended them."
"Really?" The Doctor retorts. "Really? A man of God against two strong lads? A man in his forties? Or should I say forty years old, exactly?"
"Oh, my god." Lady Eddison gasps in a tremor of astonishment.
"This is poppycock." The Reverend laughs in spite, looking unnerved by the truth of his identity.
"What's so poppycock about it?" Kathy speaks. "You're a Vespiform who's part human, born from Lady Eddison and raised by Fathers from the church. A Vespiform who finally broke through his genetic lock for the first time and is now angry with his mother for abandoning him."
"Acting out upon the stories of Agatha Christie that transferred from the Vespiform telepathic recorder." The Doctor explains along with Kathy, standing next to her as he indicates at the Firestone being what he is talking about. "It beamed your full identity, your brain, your very essence, right to you when you activated. Along with absorbing the stories Lady Eddison loved to read. It all became a part of you. The mechanics of those novels formed a template in your brain. You killed in this pattern because that's what you think the world is. Turns out we are in the middle of a murder mystery. One of yours, Dame Agatha."
Upon Agatha's clearly bewildered expression, Kathy pokes the Doctor in the side lightly. "Too soon." She whispers to the Time Lord.
"So, he killed them. Yes? Definitely?" Donna asks.
"Yes." The Doctor affirms.
The Reverend shifts in his chair, narrowing his eyes at them all. "Well, this has certainly been a most entertaining evening. Really, you can't believe any of this surely, Lady Edizzon."
"Lady who?"
"Lady Edizzzzon." Everyone begins staring at him, eyes piercing at him in observation as they hear the buzzing in his voice.
"Little bit of buzzing there, Vicar." The Doctor provokes.
"Don't make me angry." The Reverend spits.
"Why? What happens then?"
The Reverend stands, glaring at them all. "Damn it, you humanzz, worshipping your tribal sky godzz. I am so much more." The more he tries to speak, the more his anger grows, and the more the buzzing in his voice increases as he rages at them. "That night, the universe exploded in my mind. I wanted to take what wazz mine. And you, Agatha Christie, with your railway station bookstall romancezz, what'z to stop me killing you?"
"Oh, my dear God. My child." Lady Eddison sobs.
"What'zz to stop me killing you all?" He shakes as a cloud of purple smoke surrounds him as he transforms into his Vespiform body. The massive wasp, with a yellow and black hard body, large wings that beat rapidly in the air with their deafening buzz, and an enormous stinger at the end, pointed and ready to kill them all.
Everyone begins panicking as the Vespiform crawls on the empty sofa across from the others, snapping its sharp mouth at them.
"Forgive me." Lady Eddison cries as she tries reaching for her long-lost son, to comfort him and beg him for forgiveness. But the Colonel and Roger hold her back for her own safety.
"No, no, Mother, come back." Roger says.
"Keep away. Keep away, my darling." The Colonel adds. The two of them pull the screaming woman into the corner and away from the Vespiform man where the Unicorn is standing, huddled and rightly terrified.
"No." Agatha loudly declares. She holds up the firestone in her hand. "No more murder. If my imagination made you kill, then my imagination will find a way to stop you, foul creature."
And then she opens the door and runs. The Vespiform, antagonised, chases after her. Kathy, Donna and the Doctor bolt after her.
They reach outside, ahead of the Vespiform, to find Agatha driving a car and she hoots the horn. The Vespiform bursts out behind them.
"Over here! Come and get me, Reverend." Agatha yells.
"Agatha, please, it's not your fault! You don't need to do this!" Kathy cries.
"You're wrong Mrs Raedan. You don't know everything. I started this so then I must stop it." Agatha drives off. The Vespiform hesitates and then follows her.
"Come on!" The Doctor cries. He, Kathy and Donna get into another car and give chase.
——
Finally, Agatha suddenly makes a sharp turn, and the Doctor follows after her. She stops her car and gets out, holding the Firestone in her fist. It glows the same violet as the Reverend had when he transformed.
"Here I am!" She shouts. Her voice carries across the lakeside. "The honey in the trap. Come to me, Vespiform."
"She's controlling it!" Donna observes, climbing out of the car.
"Its mind is based on her thought processes. They're linked." The Doctor explains.
Kathy hops out the side of the car, joining Donna and the Doctor.
"Quite so, Doctor!" Agatha agrees. "If I die, then this creature might die with me."
The Vesprifom buzzes forward, and the Doctor steps forward as well. "Don't hurt her! You're not meant to be like this. You've got the wrong template in your mind."
"It's not listening to you." Donna snatches the necklace from Agatha and hurls it into the lake as hard as she can. They duck as the Vesprifom flies over their heads, and it crashes into the lake. The water is bubbling purple.
"How do you kill a wasp?" Donna asks rhetorically. "Drown it, just like his father."
"Donna," the Doctor says in disbelief, "that thing couldn't help itself."
"Lady Eddison beamed stories of cunning people solving crimes and bringing murderers to justice. And yet he chose to be one of the villains instead of the heroes." Kathy argues. She hates that it came to this, but she honestly can't think of another way this part could've been changed.
"It made its choice," Donna agrees, "and I made mine."
Agatha silently stares out into the lake in disbelief. "Death comes at the end, and justice is served."
"Murder at the vicar's rage." The Doctor murmurs.
Kathy and Donna give him a look. "Not your best." The former says. He shrugs.
"Just one mystery left, Doctor and Mrs Raedan." Agatha turns to them. "Who exactly are you both?"
Before the Doctor or Kathy can open their mouths and give any kind of answer, Agatha suddenly doubles over in pain and starts to collapse. Kathy and the Doctor quickly catch the woman before she hits the ground and slowly lowers her onto the grass. Agatha's face screws up in pain and she gasps as if she's been stabbed in the gut.
"She'll be fine. She should be." Kathy reassures. Please don't let her be proven wrong.
And just like that, Agatha glows purple for a few moments before it fades, and she relaxes as she falls unconscious.
"He let her go." The Doctor realises. "Right at the end, the Vespiform chose to save someone's life."
"Is she all right, though?" Donna asks.
"Of course. The amnesia." The Doctor realises. "Wiped her mind of everything that happened. The Vespiform, the murders."
"And us. She'll forget about us."
"Yeah, but we've solved another riddle. The mystery of Agatha Christie." The Doctor says. "And tomorrow morning, her car gets found by the side of a lake. A few days later, she turns up in hotel at Harrogate with no idea of what just happened."
——
Agatha stands at the bottom of the steps of the Harrogate Hotel. She looks back at them, dazed and confused before walking on. Kathy, the Doctor and Donna continue to watch on from next to the TARDIS.
"No one'll ever know."
"Lady Eddison, the Colonel, and all the staff. What about them?" Donna questions.
"Shameful story. They'd never talk of it. Too British." The Doctor replies.
"The Unicorn does a bunk back to London town." Kathy continues. "She can never even say she was there."
"What happens to Agatha?" Donna asks.
"Oh, great life." The Doctor reassures. "Met another man, married again. Saw the world. Wrote and wrote and wrote."
"She never thought her books were any good, though." Donna says sadly. "And she must have spent all those years wondering."
——
"The thing is, I don't think she ever quite forgot." The Doctor says once they're back in the TARDIS. "Great mind like that, some of the details kept bleeding through. All the stuff her imagination could use. Like, Miss Marple."
Donna does a mock irritated sigh. "I should have made her sign a contract."
"And, where is it, where is it, hold on. Here we go." He pulls up a deck plate next to the console and gets out an old wooden chest. "C. That is C for Cybermen, C for Carrionites," Kathy grimaces at the green ball, "and Christie, Agatha. Look at that." A 1957 paperback edition of Death in the Clouds with a wasp on the cover.
"She did remember." Donna beams.
"Somewhere in the back of her mind, it all lingered." Kathy remarks, nudging the companion's shoulder with her own.
"And that's not all. Look at the copyright page." The Doctor says, opening to said page.
"Facsimile edition, published in the year five billion!" Donna cries in shock.
"People never stop reading them. She is the best-selling novelist of all time."
"But she never knew."
"That's the problem. Most people only get appreciated once they're dead." Kathy says. Vincent Van Gough and Mary Seacole are some of them.
"She's right and no one knows how they're going to be remembered." The Doctor says. "All we can do is hope for the best. Maybe that's what kept her writing. Same thing keeps me travelling. Onwards?"
"Erm," Kathy interrupts, "drop me off first before you get any ideas."
The Doctor grins. "Right, a short hop. Then it's till the next time, Kathy."
"Till the next time, Doctor."
——
A/N: Please leave comments on how you're enjoying this story and what you think.
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Ongoing list of characters who will be included in the bracket under the cut—still adding but please ask for any you don't see:
Clive (Rose)
Steward (The End of the World)
Raffalo from Crespellion (The End of the World)
Moxx of Balhoon (The End of the World)
Jabe (The End of the World)
Gwyneth (The Unquiet Dead)
Gabriel Sneed (The Unquiet Dead)
Redpath (The Unquiet Dead)
Toshiko Sato (Aliens of London/World War III)
Indra Ganesh (Aliens of London/World War III)
Diana Goddard (Dalek)
De Maggio (Dalek)
More under the cut!
Cathica (The Long Game)
Suki (The Long Game)
Nurse (The Long Game)
Sarah Clark and Stuart Hoskins (Father’s Day)
Dr. Constantine (The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances)
Nancy (The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances)
Kathy Salt (Boom Town)
Idris Hopper (Boom Town)
Rodrick (Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways)
Lynda Moss (Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways)
Unnamed Male Programmer (Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways)
Unnamed Female Programmer (Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways)
Danny Llewellyn (The Christmas Invasion)
Major Blake (The Christmas Invasion)
Alex (The Christmas Invasion)
Sally Jacobs (The Christmas Invasion)
Chip (New Earth)
Duke of Manhattan (New Earth)
Clovis (New Earth)
Novice Hame (New Earth)
Captain Reynolds (Tooth and Claw)
Lady Isobel and Sir Robert (Tooth and Claw)
Parsons (School Reunion)
Katherine (The Girl in the Fireplace)
Sally Phelan (The Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel)
Rita-Ann Smith (The Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel)
Mr. Crane (The Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel)
Mrs. Moore (The Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel)
The Connellys (The Idiot’s Lantern)
Zachary Cross Flane (The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit)
Ida Scott (The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit)
Danny Bartock (The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit)
Scooti Manista (The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit)
Ursula Blake (Love and Monsters)
Bliss (Love and Monsters)
Bridget (Love and Monsters)
Mr. Skinner (Love and Monsters)
Trish Webber (Fear Her)
Yvonne Hartman (Army of Ghosts/Doomsday)
Dr. Rajesh Singh (Army of Ghosts/Doomsday)
Adeola (Army of Ghosts/Doomsday)
Gareth (Army of Ghosts/Doomsday)
Nerys (The Runaway Bride)
Julia Swales (Smith and Jones)
Mr. Stoker (Smith and Jones)
Oliver Morgenstern (Smith and Jones)
Dolly Bailey (The Shakespeare Code)
Milo and Cheen (Gridlock)
Pale Woman (Gridlock)
Thomas Kincade Brannigan and Valerie (Gridlock)
Businessman (Gridlock)
Alice and May Cassini (Gridlock)
Tallulah (Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks)
Frank (Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks)
Solomon (Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks)
Sylvia Thaw (The Lazarus Experiment)
Jenny (Human Nature/The Family of Blood)
Tim Latimer (Human Nature/The Family of Blood)
Kath McDonnell (42)
Billy Shipton (Blink)
Kathy Nightingale (Blink)
Chantho (Utopia)
Professor Docherty (The Sound of Drums/The Last of the Time Lords)
Vivien Rook (The Sound of Drums)
Albert Dumphries (The Sound of Drums)
Thomas Milligan (The Last of the Time Lords)
Mr. Copper (Voyage of the Damned)
Morvin and Foon (Voyage of the Damned)
Bannakaffalatta (Voyage of the Damned)
Alonso Frane (Voyage of the Damned)
Penny Carter (Partners in Crime)
Caecilius (Fires of Pompeii)
Evelina (Fires of Pompeii)
Metella (Fires of Pompeii)
Quintus (Fires of Pompeii)
Soothsayer (Fires of Pompeii)
Ryder (Planet of the Ood)
Solana Mercurio (Planet of the Ood)
Ross Jenkins (The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky)
Cline (The Doctor’s Daughter)
Hath Peck (The Doctor’s Daughter)
Lady Eddison (The Unicorn and the Wasp)
Miss Chandrakala (The Unicorn and the Wasp)
Roger Curbishley (The Unicorn and the Wasp)
Hugh Curbishley (The Unicorn and the Wasp)
Robina Redmond (The Unicorn and the Wasp)
Miss Evangelista (Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead)
Other Dave (Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead)
Proper Dave (Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead)
Anita (Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead)
Strackman Lux (Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead)
Lee McAvoy (Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead)
Dee Dee Blasco (Midnight)
Professor Hobbes (Midnight)
Val, Biff, and Jethro Cane (Midnight)
Unnamed Hostess (Midnight)
Rocco Colasanto (Turn Left)
Jival Chowdry (Turn Left)
The Shadow Architect (The Stolen Earth)
The German Woman (The Stolen Earth)
Rosita Farisi (The Next Doctor)
Malcolm Taylor (Planet of the Dead)
Capt. Erisa Magambo (Planet of the Dead)
Barclay (Planet of the Dead)
DI McMillan (Planet of the Dead)
Lou and Carmen (Planet of the Dead)
Nathan (Planet of the Dead)
Angela Whittaker (Planet of the Dead)
Yuri Kerenski (The Waters of Mars)
Mia Bennett (The Waters of Mars)
Steffi Ehrlich (The Waters of Mars)
Roman Groom (The Waters of Mars)
Ed Gold (The Waters of Mars)
Maggie Cain (The Waters of Mars)
Tarak Ital (The Waters of Mars)
Joshua and Abigail Naismith (The End of Time)
Minnie Hooper (The End of Time)
Addams and Rossiter of Vinvocci (The End of Time)
Jeff (The Eleventh Hour)
Dr. Ramsden (The Eleventh Hour)
Lilian Breen (Victory of the Daleks)
Edwin Bracewell (Victory of the Daleks)
Guido (The Vampires of Venice)
Isabella (The Vampires of Venice)
Nasreen Chaudhry (The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood)
Ambrose Northover (The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood)
Sophie Benson (The Lodger)
The Unnamed Curator (Vincent and the Doctor)
Aunt Sharon (The Big Bang)
Amy’s parents (The Big Bang/The Pandorica Opens)
Dorium Maldovar (The Pandoria Opens)
Canton Everett Delaware III (The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon)
Jennifer (The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People)
Lorna Bucket (A Good Man Goes To War)
Alex (Night Terrors)
Auntie and Uncle (The Doctor’s Wife)
Rita (The God Complex)
Howie Spragg (The God Complex)
Joe Buchanan (The God Complex)
Gibbis (The God Complex)
Cassandra (Asylum of the Daleks)
Harvey (Asylum of the Daleks)
Brian Williams (Dinosaurs on a Spaceship)
John Riddell (Dinosaurs on a Spaceship)
Indira (Dinosaurs on a Spaceship)
Ellie and Dave Oswald (Rings of Akhaten)
Onegin (Cold War)
Stepashin (Cold War)
Grisenko (Cold War)
Hila Tacorien (Hide)
Professor Alec Palmer (Hide)
Emma Grayling (Hide)
The Van Baalen brothers (Journey to the Center of the TARDIS)
Ada Gillyflower (The Crimson Horror)
Porridge (Nightmare in Silver)
Alice Ferrin (Nightmare in Silver)
Missy (Nightmare in Silver)
Handles (Time of the Doctor)
Tasha Lem (Time of the Doctor)
Clara’s Gran (Time of the Doctor)
Linda (Time of the Doctor)
Abramal and Marta (Time of the Doctor)
Journey Blue (Into the Dalek)
Gretchen Allison Carlisle (Into the Dalek)
Orson Pink (Listen)
Psi (Time Heist)
Sabra (Time Heist)
Adrian (The Caretaker)
Captain Lundvik (Kill the Moon)
Perkins (Mummy on the Orient Ecpress)
Rigsy (Flatline)
Seb (Death in Heaven/Dark Water)
Shona (Last Christmas)
Albert Smithe (Last Christmas)
Fiona Bellows (Last Christmas)
Ashley Carter (Last Christmas)
Jac (The Magician’s Apprentice)
O'Donnell (Under the Lake/Before the Flood)
Cass (Under the Lake/Before the Flood)
Lunn (Under the Lake/Before the Flood)
Bennett (Under the Lake/Before the Flood)
Lofty (The Girl who Died)
Walsh (The Zygon Invasion)
Anahson (Face the Raven)
The General (Hell Bent)
Ohila (Hell Bent)
Moira (The Pilot)
Heather (the Pilot)
Felicity (Knock Knock)
Paul (Knock Knock)
Harry (Knock Knock)
Pavel (Knock Knock)
Shireen (Knock Knock)
Dahh-Ren (Oxygen)
Abby (Oxygen)
Ivan (Oxygen)
Penny (Extremis)
Erica (the pyramid at the end of the world)
Colonel Babbit (pyramid)
Kar (The Eaters of Light)
Lucius, Simon, and Thracius (The Eaters of Light)
The Captain (Twice Upon a Time)
Karl (The Woman Who Fell to Earth)
Angstrom (The Ghost Monument)
Epzo (The Ghost Monument)
Jade McIntyre (Arachnids in the UK)
Astos (The Tsuranga Conundrum)
Mabli (The Tsuranga Conundrum)
Eve Cicero (The Tsuranga Conundrum)
Yoss Inkl (The Tsuranga Conundrum)
Prem (Demons of the Punjab)
Kira Arlo (kerblam)
Dan Cooper (kerblam)
Willa Twiston (the witchfinders)
Ribbons (it takes you away)
Andinio and Delph (The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos)
Lee Clayton (fugitive of the judoon)
Jamila and Gabriela (Praxeus)
Jake Willis and Adam Lang (Praxeus)
Tibo (Can You Hear Me?)
Shaw (Village of the Angels)
Professor Jericho (Village of the Angels)
Gerald and Jean (Village of the Angels)
Sarah (Eve of the Daleks)
Nick (Eve of the Daleks)
Ying Ki (Legend of the Sea Devils)
Ji-Hun (Sea Devils)
4 notes
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