The Doctor's Traveler
Skaro, once the capital of the Dalek Empire, now a pile of rubble. Amidst this rubble stands a giant statue of a Dalek and within this statue stands a young man in a trench coat. Behind him stands a Dalek, just sitting there, waiting for him to speak. The young man walks up to the window and just stares for a few minutes.
"Look at it, Ozwin. The home world of the Daleks. Once the capital of a mighty empire. Now…."
"What happened to it?" inquired Ozwin.
"My father happened. There was a war. A war between the two oldest and greatest civilizations that the universe has ever seen: The Time Lords and the Daleks. You are now looking at the aftermath of that war. This is all that remains of Skaro. And Gallifrey….. it's just gone. Lost to time. I've never seen the home of my ancestors. Never walked through the red grass, never gazed upon the twin suns".
"Well, let's go then".
"Ozwin, the planet…..is…gone!"
"I'm a genius, remember. This should be easy. Just plug me into the TARDIS and…."
"NO!" Traveler very rarely raises his voice. Ozwin actually retreats a few paces. "I'm sorry, it's just….my father was the exception, not the rule. In the Time War, both sides were completely insane. They wanted to destroy everything that was not Dalek or Time Lord. Not just in the present, but in the past and the future. In fact, they wanted to destroy time itself. The entire universe….every race on every planet at every moment in time and space….would have ceased to exist. And they scary thing is, they were both brilliant enough to do it. So my father did the only thing he could do, he tried to ensure that no one survived the war".
"What?"
"He tried to end the war by ending both sides. The Time Lords he took care of, but the Daleks….well…."
"He exterminated his own race?"
"If he hadn't, your race would never have existed. When I say your race I mean humans, not Daleks. Though the Daleks would never have existed either. The entire universe would never have existed. Just Gallifrey or Skaro, depending on who won. So in order to save every planet in the universe, my father destroyed his own. Skaro too, but then the Daleks did an emergency time jump and the war continues to this day".
"Wow, no wonder the Daleks were afraid of him. Good thing I erased their memories. I am a total genius". Traveler walks over to Ozwin and kisses the top of her dome. Suddenly, the sound of the TARDIS engines fills the room.
"No. NO!" Traveler runs towards the TARDIS with Ozwin close behind him. They arrive in time to watch the TARDIS disappear. "I don't suppose you could exterminate her, just once. You know she would get over it".
"Trav! I'm a genius, not a monster". Traveler sighed as he took a Vortex Manipulator out of his pocket.
"Let's sink up our devices. Lock onto the TARDIS".
"Done. Time to get your legacy back. How long are you two going to keep doing this to each other?"
"Probably until I give you up". Ozwin fires her laser just past Traveler's right ear. "I'M NOT GOING TO DO IT".
"I know. I just wanted to make sure. Besides, what would you do without me, lover boy?"
"You truly are magnificent, Ozwin".
"I know. Let's go get the TARDIS".
In the TARDIS, Amy, Rory, and the Doctor are debating where to go next. Suddenly, a man and a Dalek appear next to the control panel. The man is a bit uneasy, swaying left and right. He almost looks as if he might vomit at any moment.
"Whoa! What a rush!" announces Traveler. "Nothing like time travel without a capsule".
"I wouldn't know. I'm welded into mine" replied Ozwin.
"Oh, hello", exclaims Traveler as he turns towards Amy and Rory. "I'm Traveler, and I'm looking for my sister. Could you kindly direct me to her so I can kill her?" Ozwin rotates her dome to look at Amy and Rory.
"Trav!"
"I'm not really going to kill her, Ozwin".
"OZWIN?!" shouts a very confused Rory. "Ozwin from the Alaska? That Ozwin".
"Oh, you know my Ozwin?"
"Tav!" Ozwin is beginning to raise her voice a little.
"He's not an old boyfriend of yours, is he?"
"TRAV! Look at him. Just, look at him".
"Fine, I'm looking at him. Funny, he looks like my grandfather." The realization hit Traveler like a TARDIS landing on him. "Granddad Rory? Grandmum Amy?" The Doctor walks over to Traveler, looking quite puzzled.
"I'm sorry, did you just say granddad and grandmum?" An astonished Traveler turns to face the greatest man the universe has ever known.
"Dad? DAD!" Traveler hugs his father and kisses him on both cheeks. Inside her mind, Ozwin smiles as she watches this touching family reunion unfold through her eyepiece. "It's so good to see you. But…..if you're here, that means we've time jumped to the wrong TARDIS. Well, even a genius is wrong once in a while. Come on, Ozwin. Let's go get my TARDIS back".
"What? We can't leave now" replies the astonished Ozwin. "Your whole family is here. Your grandparents, your father, I bet your mother is around here somewhere".
"Don't talk about my mother".
"Trav…."
"DON'T TALK ABOUT MY MOTHER!" Almost as he says it, Traveler realizes what an ass he sounds like. "I'm sorry, it's just…..she is a bit of a tricky subject for me".
"Haven't you been defending her everywhere we go?"
"Yeah, I'm her son. I'm supposed to defend her. But all of the evidence says that she murdered my father, and that is something that I can never forgive. I can't forgive her and I won't forgive her…..and I shouldn't have mentioned it when my father is in room. My bad, sorry".
"I already know" replies the Doctor. "Still, you shouldn't talk about the future. Especially ours".
"You know? How could you know?" Traveler has never been more confused in his life than he is at this moment.
"I read my file" replies the Doctor as he punches a few buttons on the TARDIS control panel. The Justice Department files on the Doctor appear on one of the screens.
"You knew. You knew you were going to die and you went anyway".
"It's a fixed moment in time. You can't change a fixed moment in time. If you try to change, everything goes…."
"Spacey-Wacey" adds Traveler. Ozwin starts to laugh.
"I love the way you talk. Humany-wumany, spacey-wacey, explody-wody, wibbly-wobbly-…." Before she can finish her sentence, Traveler finishes it for her.
"Timey-wimey. They're all phrases I learned from dad. I've picked up a lot of his speech patterns over the years".
"So, you're dad used to talk like that, did he? I don't remember him using those phrases when I met him. God, this is so weird. He we are, talking about your dad in the past tense, when he is standing right over there". Ozwin points in the direction the Doctor is standing, when she realizes she no longer has arms. "I'm doing it again, aren't I? I'm pointing with a hand that no longer exists. Hold on, I'm going to rotate my dome". Ozwin rotates her dome so that her eyepiece is pointing at the Doctor. "There we go. Hello Doctor".
"Hello Ozwin. So, travelling with a Dalek, my boy?"
"Don't call her a Dalek. She's not a Dalek. She's, she's something else. Something unique. Something…..absolutely brilliant. She's even smarter than you, dad".
"Well, I wouldn't quite say that" replies the Doctor. "She is brilliant, but, smarter than me".
"For the longest time, I thought there was nothing you couldn't do. If the Doctor couldn't do it, then it couldn't be done. But then I met Ozwin, and she could do things even you can't do. She's an absolute genius".
"That she is. Fine, she's smarter than I am. Happy?"
"Yes, Doctor" replies Ozwin. "I'm very happy to hear that".
"Great, now everyone's happy" adds Traveler. "Now, let's time jump to our TARDIS so I can steal it back from my sister".
"Your sister?" inquires the Doctor. "Your sister, her name wouldn't happen to be Jenny, would it?"
"Yes, it would. She regenerated after you left. It takes longer for her than with other Time Lords. Oh, you didn't know she was alive. So this is how you found out. Ah, the life of a Time Lord. Everything is wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey". Ozwin squeals with delight.
"I love it when he says that. Does anyone else love it when he says that?"
"I don't understand" exclaims the Doctor. "Why would Jenny steal the TARDIS from you?"
"Because you didn't leave a will" replies Traveler. "It's a bit of a grey area as to who owns the TARDIS".
"But he can leave a will now, can't he?" inquires Ozwin.
"No he can't Ozwin. If he does, that would mean that I had altered my own timeline. If I alter my own timeline, the universe would implode".
"That sounds like a bad thing".
"It is. Just like if my father were to go to Utah and not die. Time and space would collapse on itself. It would be the end of the universe. See, that's why he's the Doctor and I'm not. I could never go to my death knowing I'm going to die. That's what makes him the Doctor. He's the one that always does what is necessary to save the entirety of creation".
"Yep, lucky me" replies the Doctor.
"You are undoubtedly the greatest man that ever lived. I am proud to be your son".
"Wow. Thank you. So, why are you and Jenny fighting over possession of the TARDIS? Can't you two just share it?"
"She thinks I'm a disgrace to the family. She says that no son of the Doctor would ever date a Dalek".
"Date a Dalek? You two are dating? Well, that's…um…..how do you two….you know".
"Psychically" replies Ozwin. "And it's good. Trav is a wonderful lover".
"OZWIN! You do not have to talk about our psychic sex in front of my father and grandparents".
"Yeah" adds Amy, joining the conversation. "I could have done without the psychic sex talk".
"Sorry. But he is really good. And I'm like: oh Trav. Oh God yes. Oh Trav don't stop". Ozwin has her eyes closed and does not see Traveler walking over to her and placing his hand on her dome. "Oh, Trav! YES! YES!" Traveler enters Ozwin's mind, sneaks up behind her, and begins to tickle her sides. "GAHAHAAHA! No! Don't tickle! Don't tickle!" Ozwin breaks free and runs away from Traveler.
"Stop acting like we're having sex. Look, you're freaking out my grandfather". Traveler points to the view from Ozwin's eyepiece, which is now showing the uncomfortable face of Rory Pond.
"I'm sorry. But when we are together in my mind, I'm like: OH! OH! OH YES!" Traveler starts to chase Ozwin around her mind while wiggling his fingers. "No, don't tickle! I'm sorry. It was a joke! A joke! We aren't doing anything in here. Honest. Cross my heart, if I still have one".
The Doctor walks over to Traveler and places his arm on his shoulder. The unexpected physical impact causes Traveler to break his psychic connection with Ozwin and return to his own mind. "Whoa! Don't do that. It's a very jarring experience, jumping from mind to mind".
"Sorry, son. But, we've arrived at our destination".
"Arrived? Arrived where? And when?"
"At wherever your sister has taken the TARDIS. Time to work this out. This way, you two stop fighting and the universe does not have to implode".
"That's why you're the Doctor and I'm just a Traveler. You always know what to do to fix the situation".
"GOD!" Cries OZwin. "I wish I had hands so I could smack you. It drives me crazy every time I hear you put yourself down. And not a good kind of crazy, like when you enter my mind. I know you can never be the Doctor, but whoever said you had to be. You don't have to be the Doctor, Trav. No one could be the Doctor. He was one of a kind. Just be you. Be the best Traveler that you can be".
"God, I love you Ozwin".
"I know. I love me too!" Ozwin begins to laugh as Rory and Amy stare at each other.
"I hate to admit it" announces Amy, "but she does seem to be good for him".
"I know. I'm actually kind of glad our grandson will be with her. I just realized we are grandparents. God, I feel so old".
"Don't worry about it, granddad. From the expressions on dad's face, I'm willing to bet that I haven't been born yet. Remember, Time Lords never do things in the correct order".
"I hate to interrupt this family discussion" exclaims the Doctor as he opens the door, "but I've got a family crisis of my own to deal with. Trav?"
"Traveler. Only Ozwin calls me Trav".
"Of course, sorry. Time to end this thing with your sister".
"GOOD!" cries Traveler as he storms past his father. Jenny is standing in front of the TARDIS. "You left me on Skaro!"
"You ran to dad!" replies Jenny. "Traveler, you're two hundred years old, when are you going to start fighting your own battles?"
"Why you little" before Traveler can finish his sentence, he is pushed to the ground by his father.
"You're alive". The Doctor hugs Jenny. "You're alive. And you look exactly as you did the last time I saw you. How do you look the same? I thought you regenerated".
"I did. So did you, apparently. I like the new look".
"Excuse me!" exclaims Ozwin. "No one gets to shove my boyfriend into the dirt! No one except me, of course".
"Oh" replies Jenny. "I see you brought IT along".
"Don't call her IT!" shouts Traveler. "At least she never left me stranded on Skaro. Or the Library. Or…."
"You were never stranded" replies Jenny. "Your Dalek date could always time jump you out of there. Unlike me, who had to steal a Vortex Manipulator from the museum you left me in".
"The museum I…..SON OF A BITCH! You're the one that speared me in the Library!"
"What!" exclaims Ozwin.
"You remember. It was the time I took you to see my father's sonic screwdriver on display in the Library".
"And I bypassed the security systems in order to hold the screwdriver in my suction cup. That was such a good day. The looks on the faces of those security guards. They come charging in to stop whoever it is that's stealing the Doctor's sonic, and they see this Dalek standing there holding the screwdriver. HA HA! Then I started chasing them saying EXTERMINATE and then you got hit in the back with a spear".
"A spear that we saw on display in the same museum we left Jenny in after she stole the TARDIS from me the first time".
"Right. The spear pierced your left heart, and while you were regenerating she stole back the TARDIS". Ozwin rotates her dome so that her eye piece is pointed at Jenny. "You killed my boyfriend?!"
"He got better, didn't he?"
"You're my sister, and you BLOODY KILLED ME!"
Ozwin begins to roll towards Jenny. "She can regenerate, right?"
"Yes. Why do you ask?" Ozwin shoots Jenny. "What the….YOU SHOT MY SISTER!"
'She'll get better. She always does". As Ozwin rolls away from Jenny, the Doctor runs over to his stricken daughter and cradles her body.
"Jenny! Jenny just stay with me. Jenny! JENNY!" The Doctor begins to cry as he cradles his daughter's body. "You killed my daughter. You bloody…."
"FINISH THAT SENTENCE AND I WILL PERSONALLY GAURANTEE THAT I WILL NOT HAVE ANY MORE SIBLINGS!" Traveler pulls his sonic cane out of his trench coat and points it at the Doctor's crotch.
"How….How did that fit in there?" inquires Amy.
"It's a Time Lord trench coat. It's bigger on the inside. Everything Time Lord is bigger on the inside" explains Traveler. "Just put her down dad, she'll be up and about in a few minutes".
"And if she isn't?"
"She will be. This has happened before".
"Your girlfriend has shot your sister before?"
"No, but other people have. Sontarans, Sletheen, it's one of the perks of being the Doctor's children. A lot of people want to kill you".
"Good thing you have me" adds Ozwin. "Remember the time you got shot by Sontarans?"
"I remember. I regenerated as a woman for the first time and you started calling me Nina".
"I've always thought you were pretty as a woman than as a man. But whatever you regenerate as, you're still my Trav".
"And you're still my brilliant, beautiful Ozwin".
"Ooooo, I love it when you say that. Put your hand on my dome. We can have a psychic quickie while we wait for Jenny to regenerate. Saddle up, Jim-Boy".
"Well, I don't have anything else to do".
"You are NOT going to have a quickie until we are certain your sister will be alright. Is that understood, Jim-Boy?" The Doctor is audibly irritated by his son's behavior. However, he probably should not have used the word Jim-Boy. Traveler walks over to the Doctor and bops him on the head with his cane. "OW!'
"You don't get to call me Jim-Boy. Ozwin gets to call me Jim-Boy. You call me either Traveler or son. Is that understood?"
"OY! You don't get to hit your dad on the head. Is that understood, sony-boy" shouts Amy.
"Hey, barren-ess! You don't get to yell at my boyfriend. Wait, are you sure these are your grandparents?"
"Yeah. Amy and Rory Pond, the parents of Melody Pond. Why do you ask?"
"Because I just scanned Amy Pond and she is as barren as the desert".
"Ozwin, that doesn't make sense".
"It's complicated" replies Rory. "And she doesn't get to discuss it. This is a family matter and she's not part of the family".
"She is as far as I'm concerned, granddad".
"I'm sorry, what?" inquires the Doctor.
"Trav, did you just propose?"
"Ozwin, I can't imagine my life without you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. If I ever lost you, I would probably fly into a supernova".
"That is the most romantic and the most creepy thing any man has ever said to me".
"We can have a human wedding. It would be less complicated than a Time Lord wedding. You say I do, I say I do, when spend the rest of our lives together".
"What's so complicated about a Time Lord wedding?"
"Your parents have to give their consent".
"NO!" There is a sense of panic in Ozwin's voice. "NO! NO! NO! They cannot see me like this. You can't let them see me like this. You can't!"
"I never would. I swear, your parents will never see you like this. Cross both my hearts and hope to not regenerate". Ozwin rolls over to Traveler and rotates her eyepiece so that it is pointed directly at his face.
"I….I could never ask you to give up your heritage for me".
"And I could never ask you to do something you are not comfortable with. I love you Ozwin".
"God, if you two start with the luvy duvy talk I am going to vomit" announces Jenny as she sits up. "Your girlfriend just killed me".
"You killed me. Now we're even".
"I swear I am going to throw her into a supernova".
"Why don't I throw YOU into a supernova? Hey, that's the first time you called her a her instead of an it".
"See" chimed Ozwin, "everyone warms up to me eventually. I'm the girl you just can't hate".
"You're also the girl who can't make a suffle" replied Traveler with a grin.
"Hey, watch it, lover boy. I can still cut you off from psychic sex". Traveler walks over to Ozwin and kisses her eyepiece. "You've never done that before".
"I've been thinking: your parents will never see you, but that doesn't mean that you can't see them".
"Ok, now I'm thinking that I shot the wrong Doctor spawn".
"It's easy. My father and Jack Harkness did it with Rose Tyler all of the time. You stand somewhere they can't see you, like on top of a building or on a street corner with a perception filter, and just watch. You don't say anything or do anything to attract attention. You just stand there and you watch".
"You would do that for me?"
"Of course I would. There is nothing in all of time and space I would not do for you".
"OK" announces the Doctor. "Now that we've got that tidbit out of the way, it's time for you two to shake hands and make nice".
"That's it? That's your plan Jim-boy? Just tell them to play nice or you'll, what? Take away their favorite sonic device?"
"No, that can't be it" scoffs Traveler. "Jenny doesn't even have a sonic device".
"Oh, yes I do" replies Jenny as she takes the Sonic Screwdriver out of her pocket.
"Hey, that's the one I borrowed from the Library".
"Borrowed, Ozwin?"
"Alright, nicked from the Library. But I gave it back. Apparently, she didn't".
"It belongs to our family. Just like the TARDIS".
"I'm part of that family, and whether you like it or not, so is Ozwin".
"No Dalek will ever be part of our family".
"ENOUGH" shouts the Doctor. "There are too few Time Lords in existence for you two to be killing each other. Ozwin, she's not your typical Dalek. She's, well she's bloody brilliant. And I consent and knowingly give".
"Dad? Did you just do what I thought you did?"
" I repeat, I consent and knowingly give". Traveler runs over to his father and hugs him.
"Thank you, dad". Tears are forming in Travelers eyes. "Thank you".
" Jenny, I have more of reason to hate Daleks than you. Yet, I am willing to accept Ozwin into our family. She is a very special young woman. I would be proud to call her my daughter in law". Jenny looks at the Doctor, then at Ozwin, then back to the Doctor.
"Are you sure dad?"
"Positive".
"Well then, welcome to the family, sister".
"I….I…."Ozwin is starting to cry. Traveler places his hand on her dome and jumps back into her mind. He runs his hand through her long, flowing black hair.
"It's ok, Ozwin. It's ok. You're one of us now" Ozwin closes her eyes as she feels one hand running through her hair and the other upon her face.
"What now?"
"Just one thing to do, my beautiful, brilliant Ozwin. Allons-Y!"