Hello all! Welcome to the second entry in The Lost Princess's Journal. If you have not read the first story, "A New Beginning," I highly recommend that you go read it. Otherwise, you will not get what is going on at all. This story will be a revision of Series 2. Every episode will be one chapter, each varying in length. This story is a Doctor/OC pairing.
My OC is Evelyn Viviana Davis, but she goes by Viviana (pronounced like Anna from Frozen). By this point, she is 20 years old. She is a short, petite girl with extremely long brown hair and green eyes. She is slightly pale and starting this story, she will wear glasses. Her outfit for this story is on my profile.
"italics" is communication in another language
'italics' is telepathic communication between Viviana and the Doctor
~)8(~ is a scene break
This story will be told from Viviana's point of view unless I feel a POV change is necessary. There will be very few POV changes, if any at all.
Disclaimer 1: I do not own Doctor Who in any way.
Disclaimer 2: My OC does not relate in any way to LizzeXX's Time Lady, Evy Daniels.
Episode 1 "The Christmas Invasion"
Chapter 1: In Sickness and in Health
The newly regenerated Doctor looked back at the monitor on the console and began entering in coordinates. I watched the new man in curiosity and snuck a glance at Rose. I bit my lip and frowned when I saw she was still staring at him.
"6 PM," the Doctor said. "Tuesday. October. 5006. On the way to Barcelona!" I giggled at his enthusiasm but Rose gave no reaction. "Now then, what do I look like?"
"New teeth?" I asked him unable to help myself. It had been so random and I had to ask.
"Oi! Shut it! You don't have to deal with this problem. So, come on, tell me. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. No. Don't tell me." The Doctor began to examine himself and I watched in amusement. "Let's see… two legs, two arms, two hands… Slight weakness in the dorsal tubercle. Hair! I'm not bald!" He ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up even more. "Oh, oh, big hair. Sideburns! I've got sideburns! Or really bad skin. Little bit thinner. Give me time, I'll get used to it. I… have got…. a mole. I can feel it. Between my shoulder blades there's a mole. That's all right. Love the mole. Go on then, tell me. What do you think?" the Doctor turned to Rose and I with a big smile.
"Who are you?" Rose asked timidly. She was still half hiding behind the Y-column. I looked over at her in shock.
"I'm the Doctor," he answered, not noticing how uncomfortable she was. I went over to Rose and put my hand on her shoulder. She looked at me and I saw how terrified she was.
"No, where is he?" she asked, just as quietly. "Where's the Doctor? What have you done to him?"
"Rose-" I tried but the Doctor cut me off.
"You saw me change…" he looked over at the spot he regenerated at, "right in front of you."
"I saw him sort of… explode," Rose said before I could interject, "and then you replaced him, like a… a teleport or a transmat or a body swap or something." She walked up to him and pushed him on the chest. The Doctor didn't say anything and looked speechless. "You're not fooling me. I've seen all sorts of things. Nanogenes, Gelth, Slitheen…" The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "Oh, my God, are you a Slitheen?"
"I'm not a Slitheen," the Doctor replied calmly.
"Send him back! I'm warning you, send the Doctor back right now!" Rose shouted.
"Rose," I interjected. She whirled around to look at me. "That is the Doctor."
"Rose, it's me. Honestly, it's me," the Doctor pleaded. "I was dying. To save my own life I changed my body. Every single cell, but… it's still me." Rose shook her head.
"You can't be," she whispered.
"Then how could I remember this?" the Doctor asked coming towards us. "Very first word I said to the both of you. Trapped in that cellar. Surrounded by shop window dummies… oh… such a long time ago. I took Viviana's hand." I suddenly felt his hand enclose around mine and he looked me straight in the eyes before speaking again, "and I said one word. Just one word. I said… run."
"Doctor," Rose whispered. The Doctor and I looked at her.
"Hello," he said gently and with a smile. Suddenly, the Doctor ran off to the console, rambling on about running and hopping.
"Are you okay?" I asked Rose gently.
"I don't know," she whispered. "Are you going to change?"
"No, Rosie, I'm not." She looked immensely relieved. "The Time Lords and Incolae have similar processes when it comes to cheating death and saving our own lives. The Time Lords have a very quick regeneration process, but they have to change everything about themselves. The Incolae have a slower revitalizing process. It takes hours, but we don't change. The Time Lords heal quickly, but have to change. The Incolae heal slowly, but can remain the same." Rose looked even more relieved. Then, we noticed the Doctor looking at us.
"Can you change back?" Rose asked. I bit my lip.
"Do you want me to?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"Oh."
"Can you?"
"No." The Doctor looked disappointed and looked at the floor of the TARDIS. "Do you want to leave?"
"Do you want me to leave?" Rose asked.
"No, but… it's your choice… if you want to go home." The Doctor looked even sadder when Rose didn't reply and I longed to go comfort him.
"Do you?" he asked me. I immediately shook my head.
"Can't get rid of me that easily, Doc." The Doctor smiled slightly, but it fell.
"Cancel Barcelona," he said working at the console. "Change to… London… Powell Estate… ah… let's say 24th of December. Consider it a Christmas present." The Doctor fixed the TARDIS and we shot off in the other direction.
"I'm going home?" Rose asked.
"Up to you," the Doctor shrugged. "Back to your mum… it's all waiting. Fish and chips, sausage and mash, beans on toast… no, Christmas! Turkey! Although, having met your mother… nut loaf would be more appropriate." I smirked as Rose looked down, trying to hide a smile. "Was that a smile?"
"No," Rose said quickly.
"That was a smile."
"No it wasn't."
"What do you think, Viviana? Was that a smile?" the Doctor and I exchanged smirked.
"Definitely," I said.
"Traitor!" Rose cried. I laughed and the Doctor joined in. Rose looked at us sourly.
"Oh, come on. All I did was change. I didn't-" The Doctor suddenly gagged and the TARDIS lurched. I frowned at him.
"What?" Rose asked confused.
"I said I didn't-" the Doctor gagged again and made retching noises. Rose and I exchanged concerned looks. "Uh-oh."
"Are you all right?" Rose asked. The Doctor stared blankly and some excess regeneration energy escaped through his mouth.
"What's that?" Rose asked.
"Oh… the change is going a bit wrong and all," the Doctor said. My eyes widened as he fell to his knees, his face contorted and he retched some more.
"Look… maybe we should go back. Let's go and find Captain Jack, he'd know what to do," Rose suggested.
"Gah, he's busy! He's got plenty to do rebuilding the Earth." I frowned at the Doctor's response. A switch on the console caught his eye. "I haven't used this one in years." The TARDIS shuddered violently when he flicked the switch. Rose and the Doctor fell against the console while my light form was thrown through the TARDIS. I hit a wall, but wasn't dazed and made my way back to the console room. However, when I got there, it was too late. The TARDIS jolted and I was thrown again. It sounded like we hit a few buildings before finally crash landing into something. The Doctor immediately went outside and I rushed over to Rose.
"Rose, come on!" She pulled herself up and we rushed out of the TARDIS. When we opened the door, the Doctor was on the ground, unconscious, in between Jackie and Mickey.
"What happened? Is he all right?" Rose asked coming towards him. I followed suit.
"I don't know, he just keeled over," Mickey said. "But who is he? Where's the Doctor?"
"That's him," I said. "This is the Doctor." I stroked his hair, ignoring the slight stab of pain in my head. The Doctor was sick for some reason and it was affecting our mental bond.
"What do you mean that's the Doctor?" Jackie demanded. "Doctor who?" Rose and I quickly explained the situation to them, including why I was made of blue mist. Jackie and Rose carried the Doctor into the apartment while Mickey carried my body. I couldn't move too far away from my body otherwise my spirit and body would be disconnected and I would die. Mickey was fine to carry me; the force field of revitalization energy wouldn't affect him or disperse. Mickey placed my body on the couch before going to change the Doctor into pajamas. Once he was done. Rose and I sat by his bedside.
"Here we go." I heard Jackie say. "Tina the cleaner's got this lodger, medical student." She came into the bedroom and handed Rose a stethoscope. "I still say we should take him to the hospital. You too, Viviana."
"No chance," I said firmly.
"We can't," Rose said. "They'd lock 'em up. They'd dissect them. One bottle of either of their blood could change the future of the human race." Jackie tried to say something but Rose shushed her. Rose put on the stethoscope and listened to the left side of the Doctor's chest. A few seconds later, she moved it to the right.
"Both working," she said. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"What do you mean 'both?'?" Jackie asked.
"Do you want me to check you as well?" Rose asked me, ignoring Jackie.
"Go for it," I said. They should've both been working, but it never hurt to check. Rose went into the living room, coming back a minute later.
"Both working as well," she said.
"What do you mean 'both?'?" Jackie demanded again.
"The Doctor and I have got two hearts," I told her.
"I thought you and him weren't the same species."
"We aren't, but there are several similarities." Jackie nodded and she left the room with Rose. I stayed by the Doctor's bedside and watched as more regeneration energy floated from his mouth and outside the apartment. I wasn't sure how much time had passed, but the next time regeneration energy floated out of his mouth, it was night. Rose and Mickey were Christmas shopping. Jackie came in, talking to someone on the phone. She set a cup of tea down by the Doctor and walked out. I frowned at this, but didn't do anything about it. But still, there was no reason the Doctor needed tea. Suddenly, Rose and Mickey barged into the apartment, making me jump.
"Right, it's not safe, we've got to get out. Where can we go?" Rose asked. I walked out of the Doctor's bedroom in confusion.
"Rose? What's wrong?" I asked.
"My mate Stan. He'll put us up," Mickey said ignoring me.
"That's only two streets away," Rose said. "What about Mo? Where's she living now?"
"I don't know. Peak District," Jackie said.
"We'll go to cousin Mo's, then," Rose concluded.
"That or we could go to the TARDIS. If we lock the doors, we should be safe," I said.
"It's Christmas Eve, we're not going anywhere," Jackie insisted. "What are you blabbing about?"
"Mum…" Rose tried. She paused. "Where'd you get that tree?" I frowned.
"She said you had it delivered while you were out," I said. By the looks on Rose's and Mickey's faces, that was not the case. My face fell and the four of us backed away from the tree. It started to light up and the four of us backed up even farther. However, I suddenly felt myself lurch forward.
"Viviana!" three voices cried. I was thrown back into my body violently. The revitalization process was done. When I managed to open my eyes, I screamed. The Christmas tree was spinning violently and I felt my body get cut and scratched. The tree continued to attack me for a few more seconds before moving down the hallway. I heard commotion and looked over. However, I blinked. My vision was… very fuzzy. I ignored it and raced down the hallway. There were a few sparks right in front of me and I screamed again. I winced as my hand got burned and saw that the tree had disappeared. Through my crap vision, I was able to make out Mickey and Jackie against opposite walls. Rose was behind the bed and the Doctor was sitting up, his hand raised. I realized the sonic screwdriver must've been in his hand.
"Remote control," he said. "But who's controlling it? What happened to your face, Viviana?" I scowled.
"There was just a killer Christmas tree in the flat. What the hell do you think happened?" I closed my eyes and focused. I felt excess revitalization energy coat my body and heal it of the scratches and burn. When I looked down, I saw that my clothes were slightly ripped from the attack, but otherwise, I was fine. However, my vision remained fuzzy. Before I could say anything about it, the Doctor got up and walked out of the apartment. Rose, Jackie, Mickey, and I followed him and saw what he was looking at.
"That's them. What are they?" Mickey asked. I realized that these must've been the things that attacked them at the mall along with the fact that I was now pretty far sighted. I could see the creatures much clearer than anything close to me. They were still blurry… just not as much. Rose shushed Mickey and the Doctor pointed the sonic at them. The creatures… who happened to look like robotic Santa's got closer together before disappearing in beams of blue light.
"They've just gone! What kind of rubbish were they?" Mickey said. "I mean, no offense, but they're not much cop if a sonic screwdriver's going to scare them off."
"Pilot fish," the Doctor said.
"What?" Rose asked.
"They were just pilot fish," the Doctor said. The Doctor groaned and fell back against the wall. All of us rushed towards him.
"What's wrong?" Rose asked.
"You woke me up too soon," the Doctor said grimacing in pain. My eyes widened. The Doctor clutched to me with one hand and clutched his chest with the other. "I'm still regenerating. I'm bursting with energy." The Doctor breathed out some more excess regeneration energy.
"That's what attracted them," I realized.
"The pilot fish could smell it a million miles away," the Doctor said. "So they eliminate the defense, that's you lot, and carry me off. They could run their batteries off me for a couple of years. It's lucky they didn't know about Viviana!" The Doctor lurched forward in pain again and I caught him. I leaned him against the railing and he clung to me.
"My head," he moaned. "I'm having a neural implosion. I need-"
"What do you need?" Jackie asked.
"I need-"
"Say it. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me."
"I need-"
"Pain killers? Aspirin?"
"I need-"
"Codeine? Paracetamol? Oh, I don't know. Pepto Bismol? Liquid paraffin. Vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E!"
"I need-"
"Is it food? Something simple? Bowl of soup? Nice bowl of soup? Soup and a sandwich? Oh, soup and a little ham sandwich?"
"I need you to shut up!" the Doctor finally managed to get in.
"Oh, he hasn't changed that much, see?" Jackie grumbled. The Doctor lurched against the wall again, taking me with him. He looked me in the eyes and I blinked rapidly, like doing that would bring him into focus.
"We haven't got much time. If there's pilot fish then…" the Doctor trailed off and looked at his hand. "Why is there an apple in my dressing gown?" I frowned in confusion. That certainly was odd.
"That's Howard, sorry," Jackie said.
"He keeps apples in his dressing gown?" the Doctor asked.
"He gets hungry."
"What, he gets hungry in his sleep?"
"Sometimes." The Doctor groaned and slid down the wall. I cried out as well. His pain was really starting to take a toll on our mental bond. I slid down the wall with him, as he had yet to let go of my shoulder and waist.
"Brain collapsing," he moaned. The Doctor held me tighter and looked at me intensely. "The… pilot fish… The pilot fish mean there's something… There's something… Something is coming." With that, the Doctor passed out in my arms. Between the four of us, we were able to get him back into bed. I tucked him in while Rose dabbed his forehead with a rag. The Doctor let out raspy breaths and I felt tears prick at the corner of my eyes. I saw Mickey come in out of the corner of my eye, but didn't look up from the Doctor. I took the stethoscope and listened to his hearts. I nearly sobbed when I heard only one beating. This was bad.
"Viv…?" Rose said softly.
"Only one of his hearts is beating," I said quietly.
"Viv, I know that look," Rose started. "This is not your fault. Don't go blaming yourself." I didn't look at her.
"But it is my fault. He had to pull the entire Time Vortex out of me. The half that was in you flew into me for some reason. It wouldn't leave me and he had to pull it out."
"Absorbing it was my idea," Rose said.
"I couldn't remember how to fly the TARDIS," I said finally looking at her. "That's the only reason you and I did what we did."
"The Doctor was blocking you!" Rose insisted. I shook my head.
"It doesn't matter. I've flown the box multiple times. I should've been able to remember. If I had been able to, we wouldn't have absorbed the Time Vortex, he wouldn't have had to pull it out of me, he wouldn't have had to regenerate, and he wouldn't be like this." My voice got quieter and cracked towards the end. I buried my face in my hands as sobs racked my body. I felt Rose hug me and shush me as I cried.
"Oh, Viv…" she said.
"This is all my fault," I choked out. "I'm sorry, Rose. I'm so sorry." Rose let me cry and when I was done, she left my by myself, knowing that was what I needed. A few minutes later, I heard Rose cry out. I left the room, not bothering to make myself presentable and saw what was wrong. There was an alien on TV.
"What is this?" Rose explained the Guinevere One space-probe and how Britain was landing it on Mars. They were supposed to get pictures, but this is what they got instead. Rose, Mickey, Jackie, and I watched the news as reporters all around the world talked about how BBC One broadcasted proof of alien life. Mickey got to work on his laptop and eventually called us over.
"I've got access to the military. They're tracking a space ship. It's big, it's fast, and it's coming this way," Mickey said.
"Well, if they're tracking the ship, that means that must be where the Guinevere transmission came from," I said.
"What are they coming for?" Rose asked. "The Doctor?"
"I don't know. Maybe it's coming for all of us," Mickey said.
"Thanks, Mickey. That makes me feel loads better," I said.
"Sorry." A new transmission came in with four of the aliens. They began speaking an alien language and I translated in my head. "Have you seen them before?" Mickey asked.
"No," Rose and I answered.
"I don't understand what they're saying," Rose said. "The TARDIS translates alien languages inside my head all the time, wherever I am."
"So why isn't it doing it now?" Mickey asked.
"The Doctor and the TARDIS are connected," I explained. "He's sick, broken. So's the TARDIS." I didn't mention that I could still understand the aliens and I went back into the Doctor's room. He was breathing heavily and shivering. I felt more tears well up in my eyes as I looked at him. I sat down beside him and stroked his hair. The Doctor relaxed, but it didn't make me feel any better.
"I'm sorry, Doctor. I'm so sorry," I whispered. I cried silently as I watched over him. I thought back to the aliens. "I've never heard of the Sycorax. They seem to think we belong to them. They said if we don't surrender, they will die." I looked at the unresponsive Time Lord. "Who are 'they?' I've got no idea. I don't know what I'm supposed to do, Doctor." He remained silent and I sighed. "Sleep tight." I kissed the Doctor on the forehead and sat up again.
"I can watch him, sweetheart," Jackie said coming into the room. I shook my head. "Get some sleep." At the word sleep, my eyes drooped and I realized how worn out I was. Not just from all the crying and emotions, but the revitalization as well. I nodded and lay down on the floor next to the Doctor's bed. Jackie took my place after putting a blanket over me. Within seconds, I was asleep.
"Viviana! Viv, wake up!" I groaned as I felt someone shaking me. I opened my eyes and was able to tell it was Rose, despite my bad eyesight and her close proximity. "You need to see this." I heaved myself up and followed her and Mickey outside. My eyebrows furrowed as I saw the people on the roof. They were just standing there on the edge. I looked around. They were on top of every single tall building in sight. It's like… they were getting ready to jump. I ran back inside the apartment.
"Mickey! Find out how many there are," I said. The man typed away on his laptop.
"Looks like a third of the world's population," he eventually said. My face fell. That was… two billion people all on the verge of committing suicide.
"Okay, whatever's happening with the Sycorax isn't affecting everyone so there's got to be some common trait between all of them," I muttered. Suddenly, I stopped. "Surrender or they will die."
"What? What does that mean? What are the Sycorax?" Rose asked.
"The Sycorax are the aliens," I explained. "I don't need the TARDIS to understand them. They said, 'Surrender or they will die.' I didn't know who 'they' were… until now. Okay, think, Viviana, think! It can't be hair color, ethnicity, and eye color. That's too simple. Not genetics, not gender, not blood…" I trailed off. "Blood. It's blood. The most common blood type is A positive. Roughly a third of the Earth's population has the blood type A positive." Mickey and Rose looked at me stunned. "But… how are they doing it? Where did they get a blood sample?" I wondered. I shook my head. "Unless I can get to the ship, there's nothing I can do to stop this." I went and sat on the couch in the living room, still exhausted. I was slightly stunned when I saw Harriet Jones come on TV. Apparently, she was the Prime Minister now. I didn't pay any attention to her speech though. That was… until she mentioned the Doctor.
"Doctor… if you're out there, we need you. I don't know what to do. If you can hear me, Doctor, if anyone knows the Doctor, if anyone can find him, the situation has never been more desperate." Rose turned and walked away. I watched her sadly, realizing that she had given up on the Doctor. "Help us. Please, Doctor, help us." I turned off the TV and put my head in my knees, starting to cry again. I felt Mickey put his arm around me and rub my back until an explosion happened. I looked up and saw the window had been blown in. I heard a rumble and the flat shook.
"It's the ship," I realized. "It's entered our atmosphere." I ran outside, Mickey following close behind me. Rose and Jackie soon joined us and we watched as the massive spaceship flew over London. Rose ran back inside and we followed.
"Mickey, we're going to carry him. Mum, get your stuff and some food," Rose instructed. "We're going."
"Where to?" Mickey asked.
"The TARDIS. It's the only safe place on Earth," Rose said.
"What are you going to do in there?" Jackie asked.
"Hide," Rose answered. I looked at her in shock.
"Is that it?"
"Mum, look in the sky. There's a great, big alien invasion and I don't know what to do, all right?"
"What, am I invisible?" I asked. Rose looked at me. "Or did you give up on me too?" I knew it was rude of me to say, but I was feeling emotional, frustrated, and exhausted. And frankly, at the time, I didn't care how rude I was being.
"Viv, I-"
"No, Rose. You've given up on the Doctor. God only knows why. He's sick! He hasn't abandoned us! He's sick and he can't get better on command." I had accepted that, but that didn't mean I didn't blame myself.
"Yes, well, it's your fault he's like this!" Rose shouted. I immediately stopped. Mickey and Jackie froze also. I stared at Rose in shock as she glared at me. "You've done enough. Now, move." I moved out of the way as Mickey and Rose lifted up the Doctor. I felt more tears fill my eyes.
"Sweetheart-" Jackie began.
"Stop," I said shrugging her off. "Just stop." I covered my mouth to muffle my sobs and ran outside. I raced inside the TARDIS and collapsed against one of the Y-beams, crying. I knew I deserved it. All of this was my fault, but it was bad enough that I felt that way. To have Rose, my best friend, say that… it hurt. It really hurt. A few minutes later, Rose and Mickey came inside, carrying the Doctor. They were closely followed by Jackie carrying multiple bags.
"No chance you can fly this thing?" Mickey asked Rose.
"Not anymore, no," she said.
"I can," I spoke quietly. Rose pretended she hadn't heard me.
"It's sort of been wiped out of my head, like it's forbidden. If I try it again, I think the universe rips in half," Rose said.
"Ah, better not, then," Mickey replied.
"Maybe not."
"So what do we do? Just sit here?"
"That's as good as it gets."
"Right. Here we go," Jackie said. "Nice cup of tea."
"The solution to everything," Rose mumbled sarcastically.
"Now stop your moaning. I'll get the rest of the food." With that, Jackie left the TARDIS. I moved over to the console, trying to get her ready.
"What are you doing?" Rose snapped. I flinched.
"Rose!" Mickey scolded.
"I was going to fly us up to the ship so I could figure out what's going on. You said it yourself, you can't fly her, but I can," I said quietly.
"I thought you couldn't remember," Rose spat. I glared at her.
"That was when the Doctor was blocking me and before the Time Vortex was forced into me."
"Not going to happen." I walked over to Rose and stared at her.
"Do you have any idea what is going on?" She didn't answer. "I didn't think so. I do. So, button it, Rose Tyler. And let me work." Rose backed down and I flipped a few switches. The TARDIS was mainly ready, I was just waiting for Jackie to get back. Mickey and Rose tried to get what was happening on the monitor, but after a few more minutes, Rose got impatient and stepped out. I whirled around when I heard her scream.
"Rose!" Mickey called. The two of us raced out of the TARDIS, Mickey dropping the thermos of tea next to the still passed out Doctor. I stepped outside the TARDIS, saw the Sycorax around us, and shut the door quickly. There was no way I was going to let them get their hands on the box. A couple Sycorax took a hold of me, and unlike Rose and Mickey, I didn't struggle.
"Viviana!" I heard. I looked over and my eyes widened.
"Harriet!" I wrenched myself from their grip and Harriet hugged me.
"Viviana, I've got you. My Lord. Oh, my precious thing. The Doctor, is he with you?" I felt more tears stream down my face before I could stop them.
"No, um, he's unable to help," I said quietly. Harriet, her assistant, Rose, Mickey, and I stood in front of the TARDIS, surrounded by Sycorax. What looked like their leader came forward and spoke.
"The yellow girl, she has the clever blue box. Therefore she speaks for your planet," he said. I ignored the assistant as he translated. I wasn't going to let Rose get in danger. She might've been angry with me at the moment, and I was frustrated with her, but she was still my best friend. I stepped forward and the entire hall fell silent.
"What are you doing?" Rose yelled. I ignored her.
"She does not speak for this planet. I do," I said to the leader in Sycoraxic. I looked stunned, but I continued. "I request parlay under Convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation." The leader studied me.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Evelyn Viviana Davis. Now tell me, what does it mean when you want us to surrender? What will happen if we do?" I asked.
"One half will be sold off as slaves, or one third will die," the leader said. My face fell. "You speak our language, I am impressed. But if you are the best your planet can offer as champion… then your world will be gutted." My eyes widened as I realized he was now speaking English. But… he wouldn't… he was too proud. I kept my smirk at bay as I realized that the TARDIS was now translating for us. The leader continued talking and the translator stopped.
"Hold on, that's English," he said.
"He's talking English," Harriet said.
"No he's not," I said.
"I would never dirty my tongue with your primitive bile!" the leader yelled.
"Can you all hear English?" I asked the people behind me. I turned around and they all nodded. "See, that's the thing. You all hear English. That doesn't mean he's speaking it. The Sycoraxic is being translated for us. That means…" I trailed off as I looked at the TARDIS. Not a second later, the doors opened, revealing the Doctor.
"Did you miss me?" he asked with a smile. the leader cracked his whip, but the Doctor merely grabbed the end and pulled the whip out of his hand. "You can have someone's eye out with that."
"How dare-" The Doctor walked forward and snapped the leader's staff over his knee.
"All yours," I mumbled going to stand beside Harriet.
"It looks like you were doing fine on your own," the Doctor said with a smile.
"According to some, I'm not enough for this planet," I said referring to the leader, "and I've done enough." It was a low blow to Rose, but I didn't care. The Doctor frowned at me. My vision blurred even more when I felt more tears come to my eyes. All my emotions from before came rushing back to me and Harriet wrapped me in another hug.
"Mickey, hello!" the Doctor said enthusiastically. "And Harriet Jones. MP for Flydale North. Blimey, it's like This is Your Life. Tea! That's all I needed. A good cup of tea. Super-heated infusion of free radicals and tannin, just the thing for healing the synapses. Now, first thing's first." The Doctor stood in front of me and I tried to stop crying. "Be honest, how do I look?"
"Umm…" I started.
"Am I ginger?" he asked.
"No, you've got brown hair," I said quietly. The Doctor finally seemed to notice my mood and his smile fell. He spun to Rose.
"You, Rose Tyler! Fat lot of good you were. You gave up on me." The Doctor paused. "Oh, that's rude. Is that the sort of man I am now? Am I rude? Rude and not ginger."
"I'm sorry. Who is this?" Harriet breathed.
"That's the Doctor," I said.
"What happened to my Doctor? Or is it a title that's just passed down?"
"I'm him, I'm literally him," the Doctor said. He came to stand in front of Harriet. "Same man, new face. Well, new everything."
"But you can't be."
"Harriet Jones. We were trapped in Downing Street and the one thing that scared you wasn't the aliens, wasn't the war, it was the thought of your mother being on her own."
"Oh, my God," Harriet breathed.
"Did you win the election?"
"Landslide majority."
"If I might interrupt," the leader cut in.
"Yes. Sorry. Hello, big fella," the Doctor said with a grin.
"Who exactly are you?" the leader asked.
"Well, that's the question."
"I demand to know who you are!" The leader yelled in a low, booming voice.
"I don't know!" My eyes widened in amusement as the Doctor imitated the leader. "See, that's the thing, I'm the Doctor but beyond that, I just don't know. I literally do not know who I am. It's all untested. Am I funny? Am I sarcastic? Sexy?" The Doctor turned and winked at me and I fought a smile. "A right old misery? Life and soul? Right handed? Left handed? A gambler? A fighter? A coward? A traitor? A liar? A nervous wreck? I mean, judging by the evidence, I've certainly got a gob. And how am I going to react when I see this?" The Doctor pointed and I followed his finger to see a big, red button. "A great big threatening button. A great big threatening button which must not be pressed under any circumstances. Am I right? But what is it?"
"Doctor!" I called. "They're controlling a third of the Earth's population. It has to do with blood, type A positive." The Doctor's eyes lit up and he looked underneath the button. I saw him dip his finger in a little bit of blood before licking it. I nearly gagged at that.
"Yep, human. A positive. With a dash of iron." The Doctor waggled his tongue and I almost laughed… almost. "But that means… blood control. Blood control! Oh! I haven't seen blood control for years! You're controlling all the A positives. Which leaves us with a great big stinking problem, 'cause I really don't know who I am. I don't know when to stop. So if I see a great big threatening button that should never, ever, ever, be pressed, then I just want to do this!" The Doctor slammed his hand down on the button.
"No!" Rose and Harriet cried. I merely gave a small smile, knowing how he released the people from the control the Sycorax had over them.
"You killed them!" the assistant cried.
"They're fine," I spoke up.
"We allow them to live," the leader said.
"Allow? You've no choice," the Doctor said. "That's all blood control is. Cheap bit of voodoo. Scares the pants off you, but that's as far as it goes. It's like hypnosis, you can hypnotize someone to walk like a chicken or sing like Elvis, you can't hypnotize them to death. Survival instinct's too strong."
"Blood control was just one form of conquest," the leader said. "I can summon the armada and take this world by force."
"Yeah, well, you could, yeah," the Doctor admitted. "You could do that, of course you could. But why? Look at these people. These human beings. Consider their potential. From the day they arrive on the planet, and blinking, step into the sun." My eyebrows furrowed and I turned to the Doctor. He continued. "There is more to see than can ever be seen, more to do than… No, hold on. Sorry, that's The Lion King. But the point still stands. Leave them alone." I raised an eyebrow at him in amusement. This new Doctor was certainly quite the character.
"Or what?" the leader challenged.
"Or…" the Doctor took a sword from a nearby Sycorax. "I challenge you." The leader and all of the Sycorax burst out laughing. "Oh, that struck a chord. Am I right that the sanctified rules of combat still apply?"
"You stand as this world's champion?" the leader asked as he pulled out his own blade.
"Thank you. I've no idea who I am, but you've just summed me up." The Doctor took off his robe and tossed it to me. However, before I could catch it, Rose snatched it and put it over her arm. I rolled my eyes slightly. "So, do you accept my challenge? Or are you just a…" the Doctor insulted him in Sycoraxic and my eyes widened at what he said. It made me want to scrub my brain and rinse out my ears. The leader hissed in anger and accepted.
"For the planet?" the leader asked.
"For the planet," the Doctor agreed. The two began fighting and I realized that I began to bite my nails nervously. The two continued fighting, and at one point, Rose called out.
"Look out!"
"Oh, yeah, that helps. I wouldn't have thought of that otherwise. Thanks," the Doctor said sarcastically. The Doctor was hit in the stomach and I winced. He groaned, but ran up a ramp in the ship. "Bit of fresh air?" He opened the door and the fight moved outside. All of us followed to watch as the leader and the Doctor fought. Their swords clashed over and over again. The Doctor cried out at the leader struck him in the face. Rose began to run forward.
"Stay back!" the Doctor yelled. She paused. "Invalidate the challenge and he wins the planet." The leader and the Doctor charged each other and crossed swords. However, the leader was too strong and knocked the Doctor over. My eyes widened as he brought his sword down upon the Doctor. I watched as he cut off the Doctor's hand, sending it and the sword falling to Earth. The Doctor stood up, as the leader let out a victorious cry. I couldn't hear what the Doctor said, but he held out his arm with no hand. He still wasn't far away enough to be completely clear, but I could make out his hand growing back. My eyes widened, and then I realized it must've been like how I healed myself from the tree. He used excess regeneration energy and was still within hours of the cycle, so he was able to grow a new hand.
"Witchcraft," the leader hissed.
"Time Lord," the Doctor corrected.
"Doctor!" Rose cried. She threw him a new sword and he caught it.
"Oh, so I'm still the Doctor, then?" he asked.
"No arguments from me," Rose replied with a smile.
"Viviana?"
"Did I ever say you weren't?" I shot.
"Good point. You want to know the best bit? This new hand… it's a fighting hand." I almost laughed at the Doctor's terrible country accent and he began fighting the leader again. The Doctor pressed the leader towards the edge of the ship and disarmed him. He jabbed the hilts of the swords into his stomach… twice… and the leader fell back on the edge of the ship.
"I win," the Doctor said.
"Then kill me," the leader replied.
"I'll spare your life if you take this champion's command. Leave this planet and never return. What do you say?"
"Yes."
"Swear on the blood of your species."
"I swear."
"There we are, then," the Doctor said, cheerful again. "Thanks for that. Cheers, big fella." The Doctor removed the sword from the leader's throat and jammed it into the ship.
"Bravo!" Harriet cheered.
"That says it all. Bravo," Rose agreed.
"Not bad for a man in his jimjams," the Doctor said. Rose helped him into the robe. "Very Arthur Dent. Now, there was a nice man. Hold on, what have I got in here?" The Doctor pulled something out of his pocket, but I couldn't make it out due to my poor eyesight. "A satsuma. Ah, that friend of your mother's. He does like his snacks, doesn't he? But doesn't that just sum up Christmas? You go through all those presents and right at the end, tucked away at the bottom, there's always one stupid old satsuma" The Doctor and Rose began to walk back towards us. Suddenly, the leader picked up his sword and charged the Doctor. Without missing a beat, the Doctor threw the satsuma and hit the button next to the door. The leader's battle cry turned into a scream as the ship opened up beneath him and he fell to Earth.
"No second chances," the Doctor said dead serious. "I'm that sort of man." All of us walked back inside the ship and stopped in front of the TARDIS. The Doctor turned to address the Sycorax.
"By the ancient rites of combat, I forbid you to scavenge here for the rest of time. And when you go back to the stars and tell others of this planet, when you tell them of its riches, its people, its potential, when you talk of the Earth, then make sure that you tell them this. It is defended." The, we were beamed off the ship.
"Where are we?" Rose asked.
"We're just off Bloxsome Road," Mickey said. "We're just around the corner. We did it!"
"Wait a minute. Wait a minute," the Doctor said. We watched as the Sycorax flew off.
"Go on, my son! Oh, yeah!" Mickey cheered.
"Yeah. Don't come back!"
"It is defended!" Rose and Mickey hugged enthusiastically and I looked away.
"Are you okay?" I heard someone ask. I turned around and saw the Doctor looking at me, concern lacing his voice and body language. I'm sure his eyes showed concern to, but everything was just so blurry. I forced a smile.
"I'm fine, Doctor," I insisted.
"You're lying," he said seeing right through me.
"I don't know what you're talking about." I turned away, but the Doctor grabbed my hand, and once again, laced our fingers together.
"Viviana…" He cupped my cheek and made me look at him. I felt tears fill my eyes again but held them back. "Is this about Rose?"
"What makes you think that?" I admit, I replied a little too quickly.
"I could hear, Viviana." My face fell. "I could hear everything." I sighed.
"It doesn't matter. She was right. I'll be in the TARDIS." I slipped away from the Doctor and walked towards the TARDIS. I knew he would've called after me, but Harriet approached him. At one point, I heard Jackie run up, but I continued walking to the TARDIS. I was about to enter the box when I heard a noise behind me. I whirled around a saw a green laser shoot out in the sky. Another one followed, and another, and another, and another. The five lasers connected and shot towards the sky, hitting the Sycorax ship and blasting it apart.
"What is that?" Rose asked. "What's happening?" I stared at Harriet in shock.
"You didn't," I said in disbelief. Her face was guilty, but not apologetic.
"Viviana, I-" I turned and shut myself in the TARDIS before I could hear another word. I leaned against the door in shock. Harriet Jones… the Prime Minister of Great Britain… the woman I considered a friend… had just committed genocide. Hundreds, maybe thousands of Sycorax were on that ship. I let out a shaky breath and went to my room. When I closed the door, something fell. I frowned and looked down. It was Grandpapa's keys. The keys to the Porsche he owned. I smiled slightly as I got an idea. I picked up the keys and got to work. I put them and a quick note in an envelope before addressing it to Mickey.
"Viv…" I heard. I looked up and saw Rose standing in the doorway. "Can I come in?" I nodded. "I wanted to talk to you."
"Did the Doctor send you?" I asked.
"Yes, but I was going to come anyway," she said. I looked up and knew what she was going to say. "I'm so sorry. Everything I said was… wrong… in every way possible. Not only was it mean, and completely bitchy of me to say and it wasn't true." I kept silent and watched Rose as she ranted. I smiled slightly when I saw that she really was sorry.
"Well, I wasn't any better," I said.
"No, you had every right to say the things you did. I deserved it and I'm so sorry, Viviana." Rose looked near tears.
"It's okay, Rose," I said. She looked surprised.
"Really?"
"Yes, really. You're my best friend, I could never stay mad at you." I went and hugged her.
"I'm your best friend?" she breathed. I rolled my eyes fondly.
"Yes, you are. Now leave so I can get your present together." Rose looked confused.
"Present?"
"It's Christmas," I said. "Duh! Now go be with your mom. Scoot!" Rose smiled and turned to leave.
"You'll come up for dinner right?" she asked. I nodded.
"Definitely." Rose and I smiled before she turned and left. I turned and returned to packing and wrapping the gifts for Jackie and Rose when I heard someone else come in.
"Did she apologize?"
"Yes, Doctor," I replied not looking up.
"Are you two okay?"
"Of course we are."
"What about you?" I looked up and saw the Doctor standing right in front of me. I was barely able to make out his features due to how close he was. I put down my pen and sighed.
"I told you, I'm okay," I insisted.
"And I told you, you're lying." I looked away. "This was not your fault, Evy." I blushed at the new nickname.
"Yes, it was."
"No, it was not!" The Doctor made me look at him again. "You used to tell me how things weren't my fault. You used to me the one to comfort me. Let me comfort you." I looked at him sadly before hugging him. The Doctor wrapped me in a hug. It felt different and familiar at the same time. Different arms, same hug. I inhaled his scent. Unlike his last self, who smelled of leather and musk, this regeneration smelt like cinnamon. It comforted me and I relaxed in his arms.
"No more tears, okay?" the Doctor said when he pulled away. I nodded. "Seriously, it pained me so much to hear you crying like that and not be able to help."
"Well, if there's a next time, I promise, you'll be the first I come to," I said. The Doctor smiled.
"Good. I don't want you to feel like you can't be here or around me without something happening. I want you to stay here."
"Calm down, Doctor," I said. "I never said I was leaving. Like it or not, you're stuck with me." The Doctor smiled again and I returned it. "Now, you need to get out of those pajamas, and I've got to get out of these infernal shorts."
"What's wrong with shorts?" the Doctor laughed.
"I feel exposed!"
"What? Because your legs are showing? Jack and Rose are right, you should show them and your tattoo off more often." I turned around and was startled at the smirk on the Doctor's face.
"Well, this regeneration's cheeky," I said. The Doctor's smirk widened. "I'll see you in a little bit, Doctor." He nodded and walked out. I let out the breath I had been holding in and shakily walked to my bedroom. I rubbed my eyes; I was really getting tired of the crap eyesight.
"Wait, Doctor!" I called. I ran off towards the wardrobe and found him along the way. "Do you have the sonic?" He nodded.
"I always have the sonic," he said.
"Sonic my eyes," I said. The Doctor looked at me weirdly, but did it.
"Can you not see?" he asked after seeing the results. I shrugged.
"Well, I can, but everything's fuzzy. Something went wrong when I revitalized and now I'm very far sighted."
"Evy, why didn't you tell me?"
"It wasn't important at the time! Besides, it's not like you could've done anything about it." The Doctor sighed.
"Come on." He took my hand, intertwined our fingers, and led me to the wardrobe. Once we got there, he told me to stay where I was. He went off into the wardrobe and I waited there patiently. When he came back, the Doctor handed me a pair of glasses.
"Try these," he said. I put them on and my vision cleared.
"Much better!" I exclaimed. The Doctor was staring at me. "What?"
"You look good in those," he said. I blushed.
"Thanks." We fell into an awkward silence and I took this opportunity to leave the wardrobe and go back to my room. Once I got there, I went through my closet, looking for a new outfit. I slipped into a new pair of black skinny jeans and a dark grey tank top. I laced up my combat boots and put on a jean jacket. I let down my hair from the bun before brushing it out and putting it in a side braid. I looked at my outfit, satisfied, and went back to my gifts. I had Mickey's and Jackie's done. Soon, I finished Rose's and started thinking about the Doctor. Suddenly, something clicked in my head. I went into Grandpapa's room and opened his safe. I took out the only thing in the safe and went back to my room to wrap it. When I was done, I smiled and put the gifts into a bag. I grabbed it and walked out of the room.
"Hey," I turned around and saw the Doctor coming towards me. I smiled. He was in a brown, pinstripe suit with a long brown coat. I smiled.
"You look good," I said. I twirled around jokingly. "And me?" The Doctor didn't answer right away and my face fell.
"You look great," the Doctor said after a few seconds. I breathed a sigh of relief and the Doctor laughed. I flicked him on the forehead.
"Don't do that to me!" I laughed. The Doctor smiled and held out his arm. I took it and the two of us exited the TARDIS and went to Rose's flat. We went inside and Rose turned to face us. The three of us smiled before the Doctor and I came inside. I put the presents at the tree and sat down at the table. The Doctor, Rose, Mickey, Jackie, and I ate and laughed together. Soon, we were all pulling crackers. The Doctor and Rose pulled one and the Doctor won, but gave the prize to Rose anyway. She pulled out a pink, paper crown.
"It's pink. It should be yours," Rose said to Jackie. We all laughed. The Doctor had a red crown on his head and Rose put on her pink one. I already had a blue one on my head. "Look, it's Harriet Jones." I looked over at the TV and sure enough, there she was.
"Prime Minister, is it true you're no longer fit to be in position?" a reporter asked. I looked over at the Doctor in confusion. He merely winked.
"No. Now, can we talk about other things?" Harriet insisted.
"Is it true you're unfit for office?" another reporter asked. I stifled a giggle as I saw the Doctor slip on a pair of glasses.
'What on Earth are those for? You don't actually need them.'
'Everyone needs a pair of brainy specs,' he replied.
'Oh, my God. You think they make you look clever. That is adorable!' I laughed out loud and the Doctor pouted.
"It's Bev. She says go and look outside," Jackie said after picking up the phone. The Doctor took off his glasses. All of us rushed outside and I paused when I saw it snowing. It was snow… real snow… in London. Then, I looked up and saw what looked like meteors falling through the sky.
"This isn't snow, is it?" I asked the Doctor.
"It's the spaceship breaking up in the atmosphere. This isn't snow. It's ash," he explained. I grimaced and looked around. "And this is a brand new planet Earth. No denying the existence of aliens now. Everyone saw it. Everything's new."
"And what about you? What are you going to do next?" Rose asked.
"Well… back to the TARDIS, same old life."
"On your own?"
"Evy's coming. Why? Don't you want to come?"
"Well, yeah. Evy?"
"New nickname," I quickly explained. Rose shot me a suggestive look and I rolled my eyes.
"Do you, though?" the Doctor asked her.
"Yeah!" she replied.
"Well, I just thought… 'cause I'd changed."
"Yeah, I thought 'cause you'd changed… you might not want me anymore."
"Oh, I'd love you to come," the Doctor said.
"Okay," Rose replied. The three of us smiled at each other.
"You're never going to stay, are you? Either of you?" Mickey asked.
"There's just so much out there," Rose said. "So much to see. I've got to."
"Yeah," Mickey said with a small smile.
"Well, I reckon you're mad. All three of you," Jackie said. "It's like you go looking for trouble."
"Trouble's just the bits in between," The Doctor said. He walked over to Jackie and put an arm around her shoulder. "It's all waiting out there, Jackie. And it's brand new to me. All those planets, creatures, and horizons, haven't seen them yet. Not with these eyes." The Doctor walked back and stood in between Rose and I. "And it is going to be… fantastic!" The Doctor automatically reached out and held my hand. He held his other out to Rose.
"That hand of yours still gives me the creeps," she said. I laughed and the Doctor wiggled his fingers. Rose took his hand. "So, where are we going to go first?"
"Um… That way," the Doctor said letting go of Rose's hand and pointing to the sky. "No, hold on." He moved his hand a little to the left. "That way."
"That way?" Rose asked.
"Mmm."
"Yeah, that way." The Doctor turned to me. I smiled.
"Definitely that way." The Doctor, Rose, and I exchanged smiles before looking back out at the Christmas, night sky.
There you all have it! I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them.
Reviews:
NicoleR85: I didn't imagine Viviana to look like any actresses, but I'll describe her as best as I can :) She is short and petite with green eyes and extremely long brown hair. She is slightly pale and now wears glasses. She has two birthmarks, one on her neck and one on her ankle plus a tattoo on her leg. And yes, I am planning to have this story continue through Series 5 and beyond :)