A/N: Yes, another Raven crossover story that I'm starting. I've recently become hooked on Doctor Who, and I realized how much in common the Doctor and Raven have and how awesome they'd be as companions. This time, I actually have a plot in mind from the beginning!
IMPORTANT: I have not seen any episodes after Season 4, so my Doctor is strictly David Tennant...and for the most part, I plan to ignore the existence of the other companions in this story. Not because the story demands they never happened, but because there's no reason to bring them up. This is somewhat AU because of that.
Rated T for now, but I may need to up it to M once we reach later chapters strictly for disturbing content. I'm not planning on adding lemons or anything like that.
I don't own Doctor Who or Raven from the Teen Titans...I just like to play with them :)
CHAPTER 1 - The Reunion
A flashing light pulsed into existence, growing in strength. It sat atop a blue police box, the likes of which would not be seen in existence for another several hundred years. The phone booth materialized in a small wooded clearing with its cycling shriek heralding its return. The instant the TARDIS took solid form, its doors opened and the Doctor sprung out, spinning around to take in the natural beauty of unspoiled America.
"Oh this is magnificent," he commented to himself, his tongue touching the roof of his mouth as he grinned boyishly. The sun's rays were flickering through the thick canopy of leaves, and the occasional gust of wind ruffled the Doctor's long hair. Despite being smack-dab in the middle of a very dense forest, the Time Lord's attire remained as it always was...a blue suit with red tie and matching red sneakers. "Now where is she?" he mused.
His thoughts were interrupted when four men crept into view from the woods they'd been watching from. Aside from being tall, these men were exceptionally lean and muscular...he noticed this immediately due to them being very sparsely dressed. The next thing he observed was that they were carrying spears or bows and arrows.
Nonplussed, the Doctor beamed at them and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Ah! Good to see you all again so soon! Has it been so soon? I tried to time it shortly after I left, but sometimes I'm off by a year or several. I expect you're wondering what I'm doing back here?"
The four hunters recognized him, but their faces remained inscrutable even as they looked at one another.
The Time Lord bobbed up and down on his toes expectantly, but none of them answered. "Well, I suppose that could have sounded like a rhetorical question," he babbled. "No matter. I'll get to that in a bit. More importantly, how long has it been?"
Ignoring his question, one of the hunters approached and knelt before him on his knees, bowing his head in reverence.
"Medicine Man has returned." The other three behind him also knelt. "We are at his service."
The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, none of that kneeling business, remember?" He sunk down on one knee so he was on equal level with them and whistled to get their attention off the ground beneath them. "Oy! I don't want your worship, just your assistance!"
The warriors rose back to their feet. "We will always assist the Medicine Man."
"Fantastic, fellas, thanks so much. I need to find her. Can you take me to her?"
The men glanced at one another again, as if in hesitation.
The Doctor repeated, his tone suddenly serious. "I need to see Raven."
Looking back to him, the dark-skinned, nearly naked man spoke to him. "In your land, she goes by the name Raven, but here she is Miakoda."
"Miakoda?" he repeated with interest. "What does it mean? And why the change?"
"We will take you to her."
Shrugging at the minimal communication, the Doctor nodded and began to walk after the small hunting party as they turned and lead him out of the small clearing. With some difficulty, he managed to keep up with them through the forest despite his ill-suited red trainers. He marveled (quite verbosely) at their ability to run and travel in the woods completely barefoot, and audibly contemplated removing his shoes to join them. Ultimately, he decided against it.
They hiked for what seemed like an hour, though it was probably only a couple miles, before reaching the outskirts of a small Native American village. There were huts built in a circular pattern with members of the tribe out and about, attending to their daily requirements. Some women were tanning hides of animals, others were cooking over open fires, and still others were weaving wool into rugs and articles of clothing.
When the group entered the campsite, anyone who saw them stopped their activity and rose to their feet. The Doctor began rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously, suddenly uncomfortable from all the attention. A woman in traditional Native American dress hurried to intercept them as they walked through the camp. She thrust a necklace of beads and bear teeth over his head and began thanking and praising him in Algonquian, which was translated for the Doctor by the TARDIS.
He began mumbling dismissals as he tried to hide further into the group of escorting hunters. "Nah don't mention it... You don't have to... It was nothing, really... Wasn't even all my doing... I had a lot of help..."
When they reached the center of the village, the warriors approached the chief's hut and called for him. An elderly man with long, braided white hair emerged from his dwelling in full headdress and garb, and when his wrinkled eyes landed on the Doctor, they filled with respect and pride.
"The Medicine Man returns to us at last." His harsh and weathered features softened into something akin to a smile. "The Powhatan tribe welcomes you back." The old chiefton's eyes searched the fiercely intense brown ones of the visitor before continuing. "You are here for Miakoda." It was a statement of observation, rather than a question.
The Time Lord nodded solemnly.
The wise leader continued to observe the visitor intently. "You wish to take her back with you. To the place she was running from."
The Doctor winced. "It'll take some convincing."
Raising his head a tad, the chief considered him thoughtfully. "Two years have passed since. I believe she has found what she stayed for." His lips suddenly widened in an amused smile. "But all the same...good luck."
Smiling back, the time traveler pulled at his earlobe nervously. "Thanks...I'll probably need it. Two years, huh? That's more than expected. Where can I find her?"
"Beside the river in that direction. There is a large boulder overlooking the water. She meditates there."
"Ah, that sounds like her, ey?" The Doctor began moving toward where the chiefton's finger had pointed. "Thank you for understanding, your honor."
The old Indian raised and slowly swept his hand in farewell.
The Time Lord suddenly stopped in his tracks and swiveled around after several steps as he recalled something. "Oh right!" he called back to the chief, "Why the name change? Doesn't 'Raven' suit her?"
"Physically," the Indian answered calmly, a serene smile still on his face. "But she is so much more than that." He turned back and returned to his hut, leaving the Doctor to ponder his words and continue on into the forest in search of his former companion.
Onward he trekked through the woods, around trees, over roots and vines, and over small bushes, until he came to a moderately sized river. He could hear the babbling water from a good distance away, and now that he'd arrived, the sight was everything he imagined it would be. The water was crystal clear, and he could see the stony bottom perfectly.
Looking up, he saw the immense boulder the chief had described, and hovering just three feet above its surface was Raven. She was sitting Indian-style as always - he appreciated the irony of that - slowly rising up and down in her trance. The wind was a little stronger at her altitude, and it made her purple hair and navy-blue robe flow gently around her. He knew her violet eyes were closed, and he could see even from this distance that her lips were moving in her Azaranian mantras.
Excitement filled him as he bounded around to the back of the mighty rock. Excitement, and perhaps a few other things. Some things he didn't care to identify.
He scampered up the grassy hill to the beginning of the stone and seamlessly made the transition to climbing the rock with his hands and feet. A climb that steep would have normally exhausted him, but the Doctor was full of anticipation and glee to notice the taxing vertical rush.
As he pulled himself over the edge when he reached the top, he couldn't keep quiet any longer. "Care if I join you?"
The girl jerked from her meditation and collapsed out of the air onto the stone beneath her. Wheeling around on her sore butt cheek, she stared in shock at the intruder still hanging halfway over the edge. "Doctor!" she crawled forward and grabbed his hand, using all of her human strength to pull him up and over. They both collapsed side by side on their backs, panting for breath. "What are you doing here?"
He sniffed deeply before answering "Oh you know..." his lips pursed with a sideways smile "...got bored. Thought I'd swing by and check in on how the Powhatans are doing. Plus I needed to restock on maize...I've gone through my store-Welll, I guess I have a bit left-Wellll, okay maybe more than a bit..." The Doctor trailed off as he noticed her staring at him almost fondly. He shut his mouth and his brows furrowed anxiously. He'd almost forgotten how naked he felt when she looked at him like that. There was never any hiding from her. He'd never felt so exposed and so vulnerable and so...connected...as he did with her. She could read him like a book, and that both comforted and terrified him.
"You're lonely."
Simple words.
But oh, how they cut so deep...
He turned his head back to the front, looking at the sky as he fought for something to say.
She continued, her face still pointed toward him, cheek resting on the cool stone. "After all that time, you came back to find me...? Despite all I'd done?"
"Oh yes," he swiveled his head to her again. "Nothing you could do would dissuade me from finding you. I know you need space and privacy and all that, but don't you miss it all? Travelling the universe, exploring new worlds, saving lives and defeating evildoers together?" He hesitated before adding quietly, almost to himself, "I know I do."
At this Raven had to look away. After a moment, she closed her eyes. "I will always cause more harm than good, Doctor. It's who I am."
"I don't believe that. Not for a second."
A crease formed between her eyebrows.
The Time Lord propped himself up on his elbow and leaned over her emphatically. "Just think of all the good you've done since we first met! The Cybermen! The Ood! Those funny fish people! Let's not forget the entire Earth, and OH the Daleks! You saved my life, Raven. Doesn't that count for anything? You try to project this image of solitude and indifference, but I know better than that! You're the most compassionate being I know... And I need you. You're right. I am lonely. And that's why I'm here. Asking you to come with me. Because I can't save the universe alone. Nor would I want to."
His eyes burned so intensely that Raven couldn't pull hers away from them, and they simply lay there staring at one another.
Her voice was just loud enough for him to hear her say, "I missed you, too."
The time traveler moved his arm and clasped her pale hand in his and squeezed, still not breaking eye contact.
The half-Azrathian, half-demon offered a small smile. "I'll stay with you." She squeezed back as her smile grew sad. "Until the End."