Oswin Returns
Chapter One : The end ? Not today...
DISCLAIMER : I don't own Doctor Who - it, and its' characters all belong to the BBC.
A/N : Well, after reading many good stories on this website (and reviewing them), I decided finally to get off my arse and write something based on a sudden idea that came into my head. This story is also a tribute to the many good writers on this website - you are all brilliant !...Oh, and this story is also personally dedicated to my three favourite authors on this site : rycbarm123 (who's work compelled me to join this website to start reviewing the great works on offer), LouBlue (of "Wednesday's Child"), and the twenty third of November (of "The Time Travelling Trio") :) !
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An alternative timeline from the ending of "Asylum of The Daleks".
Tears streamed down her pretty cheeks as the shock set in. Collapsing onto the floor, she dipped her head, as the memories of the nightmare - what she thought had been a nightmare - came back into her head...The crashed ship, the long ladder down into the ice, the feeling of being followed...and those voices...those voices - emotionless and cold...then darkness... She was a Dalek...no, she wasn't !...She was human - proud of it - and defiant !
Oswin stood up, and leapt into the observation seat (or what passed as a seat in the world she had created). She looked at the screen in front of her, and saw The Doctor standing in front of her. Thoughts of the places she could have gone to...thoughts of that chin...thoughts of love...What, no ?! How could she feel love for someone she had just met ? Fresh tears welled from her eyes, as she shook her head - nothing was left now for her...all she could do was save The Doctor and end the living nightmare she was in.
"Run you clever boy...run...and remember me..."
...Or so she thought...
It had happened so fast...First she had programmed the self-destruct mechanism on the Asylum, then she noticed that The Doctor...had come back to her...He seemed to have a glint in his eye...there was something that suggested optimism...and a little hope...To her surprise, she found herself being pushed along the corridors filled with flames, debris - plus the occasional explosion...and then into a little blue box. She remembered a man and a woman eyeing her with suspicion...plus a distinct look of fear. A box that was bigger on the inside...much bigger. But what stuck in her mind the most was the look on The Doctor's face when he said to her...Oswin...would you like to be Human again ?...
Human again ?...Was that actually possible ?!...No, it's impossible !...That word "impossible" seemed to trigger something vague in her mind...But then again, to be rescued as a Dalek (no, she was Human !) also seemed impossible...
The Doctor opened the doors of the TARDIS to reveal a large white building in the distance bathed in twilight. Oswin positioned herself at the doorway, and made her way a little into the strange new world. Purple grass swayed slightly in the wind, bathed in a low blue light from a setting blue sun. To her right, and down a valley, there was a lake, with a small boat in the middle of it. The boat seemed to be heading for a small house on the shore. A light was on in the house, smoke lazily drifting from the chimney...Oswin thought back to her childhood, when she would be looking out of the window of her home by the sea...and dreaming of seeing the stars in the vast ocean that was the universe. Her dream came true, in a way. She got a coveted job as Junior Entertainment Manager on the Starship Alaska - she could see the stars, and do what she thought she did best - looking after children, keeping them happy. She had a loving, maternal instinct, and she loved the innocence, and carefree behaviour the children in her care had...They made her feel young again...but sometimes she thought she had done this all before...like in a previous life...
"Oswin ?...Are you alright ?...Why have you stopped ?" The Doctor asked curiously - and a little impatiently (as he had something important to do. He always seemed to be in rush to get somewhere...always running)...
"Oh, sorry Doctor, I was just um...thinking"
"Thinking of what ?"
"Oh, it was nothing...just some memories"...
"Oh, OK...Never mind" the Doctor cheerfully said, as he straightened his bowtie..."Come on Oswin, we don't want to keep them waiting, do we ?!"
Keep who waiting ?
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"Welcome to the planet Miracleosusdonotbelievous !" the Doctor beamed as he and Oswin entered the building.
"Miracleos...what ?!" said Oswin.
"Miracleosusdonotbelievous" frowned The Doctor, before regaining his grin. "A place of miracles, but people didn't believe in the things they could do here, so they coined the somewhat sarcastic add on to the planet's name of Miracleosus, and it somewhat stuck...so tadahhh ! - Miracleosusdonotbelievous !"
Oswin chucked to her self. Even though she was still in a Dalek shell, she could nonetheless still display her emotions - and sweet, feminine voice through careful reprogramming of the Dalek circuits. She allowed herself to smile a little...she liked The Doctor, and if what he said was true, she had the feeling that she was going to have the most wonderful time with him. But the smile faded. She still didn't believe that she could be Human again...
They were inside the building they had seen on arrival at the planet. The building was windowless, and circular in shape. It reminded her of a large slab of cheese from a supermarket, except that cheese wasn't made of concrete (or what passed for concrete on this world), and cheese was delicious, especially in cheesecakes...Oh, maybe she could make a cheesy version of her souffles...Most, no, all of her souffles had been too beautiful to live so far, but maybe, just maybe, she could one day perfect a perfect cheesecakey souffle that would make her, The Doctor...and her mum proud...Tears welled up in her eyes again...How could she ever see her mum again - as a Dalek ?...
"Ah, hello again Doctor" said the Doctor (this time a real doctor) in front of them.
"Pleased to meet you again ! As you can see, we have repaired most of the damage caused by the raiding Aarons when they tried to steal the equipment that makes this planet a miracle. It's a good job you were here, otherwise...well, you know..."
"Yes, I do know" The Doctor frowned. "Oh, where are my manners ?...Doctor, this is, um, well should be...Oswin, but of course, she is a Dalek now, and I was wondering if you could perform one of your miracles on her"
"Doctor who ?" said Oswin.
The Doctor couldn't help but smirk a little, then he sighed. He wished that Oswin could have asked him that question at The Asylum - he loved that "Doctor who ?" question that all new companions asked him...rather than coin the unflattering (but strangely affectionate) nickname "chin boy".
"Doctor Williams Miracles" said the alien. He was quite tall, about the height of The Doctor, wore a white overcoat, with a dark blue rectangular badge on a breast pocket. He looked basically human, except that he didn't have a full head of hair, just a ridge of ginger hair that ran from the back of his head, to his forehead, with the bare skin on either side covered with pale blue freckles.
"Williams ?...That doesn't sound alien to me..." said Oswin, immediately regretting her faux pas.
The Doctor and Doctor Willams looked at each other...then towards Oswin. An uneasy silence persisted.
"Williams is a very prestigious name to us...It is in honour of the dear lady Williams who came with The Doctor and saved us on his last visit" said Doctor Williams with a stern, but polite look on his face.
"That's Amy Williams...or Pond as she likes me to call her sometimes" whispered The Doctor to Oswin.
"Oh, the girl I saw in the blue box...I'm so sorry Doctor" said Oswin, with a lowered, sheepish tone. "Oh, but why aren't you afraid of me...aren't Daleks supposed to be...well...everything that is meant to be evil, and destructive in this universe ?"
"We cannot be like them...our mission in life is to help anyone...besides, being with The Doctor we had the feeling you were friendly and not like...the usual Daleks" said Doctor Williams with the slight hint of fear in his voice.
The three of them were led down a brightly lit corridor with doors evenly spaced on either side. All the doors had a blue box on the top, some of the boxes were lit, some of them not. Oswin swore she could have heard a muffled scream of agony from one room or two...
"Try as we may, there are some people we cannot help" Doctor Williams frowned as they reached a door at the end of the corridor. The door was swung open to reveal a room with a large vat of yellow liquid in the middle of it. There were some nurses milling around, some by machines with screens next to rows of buttons. The nurses turned around as soon as they noticed the trio in the room.
"Is everyone ready ?" said Doctor Williams with an air of authority.
The nurses all nodded.
"Excellent, we are going to make history today - for the first time ever, we are going to take the essence of a Human from a Dalek, in itself a miracle...and create a new body for it...Doctor, have you told the patient the drawbacks of this treatment ?" Doctor Willams turned to face Oswin and The Doctor.
"Ahh, of course", as The Doctor slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. "Nothing really, the usual stuff...try to take plenty of rest afterwards, avoid fatty foods, and have plenty of exercise to get the new body into shape...oh...oh..." the Doctor turned towards Oswin with a pained expression on his face.
"What is it Doctor ?" Oswin said, as the previous giddy thoughts in her heart were replaced by fear.
"Well, the science isn't perfect, it is still experimental, but erm, like what happens with a sieve, your essence will leak slowly out the vessel, erm, your new body..."
Oswin tensed..."and...I could die..."
"Well" the Doctor swallowed "I'm so sorry, but yes...but not for a long while..."
Oswin felt a little relieved, but sighed. "Oh well, at least 20 years as a Human again is much better than being a Dalek..."
The Doctor looked down as he said "not 20 years I'm afraid...you will start to erm, fade, after about...3 years"...
Oswin froze.
Three years.
1000 days.
Silence. All eyes were on the Dalek in the room.
"Let's do it !" cried Oswin. Everyone else in the room jumped slightly at the sound of the Dalek's (well sweetly feminine voiced Dalek's) voice.
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The room was a hive of activity, as the nurses and both Doctors helped to remove Oswin's Dalek shell, revealing the sorry blob of genetic material...that had been the original Human Oswin. A pen like piece of equipment, not unlike The Doctor's sonic screwdriver was used to extract a blue glowing light from the blob...which turned grey as the pen lit up blue with Oswin's essence. The pen was placed into a machine, which immediately lit up, with lines of text appearing on its' display, accompanied by flashing lights, with one large button in particular lighting up.
After looking at the button for a brief second, Williams looked around...then pressed the button.
At first, the vat of yellow liquid in the room was still, then it stirred...Blobs began to appear it the liquid, then they moved together, forming a growing mass...Terminator 2, The Doctor quickly thought, reminding him of an interesting movie which Amy had shown him over Christmas.
The biggest blob grew bigger, then became taller, then features began to appear. The Doctor just stared, as the blob's skin became smoother, then wrinkles started to form in certain areas. he could see the blob changing colour from yellow...to a light pink. Blood vessels appeared, then disappeared...The blob became a distinctly human shape, with dark brown strands - hair - starting to appear from the head. Then, after what seemed like a lifetime, a new Human had been created.
Oswin had been reborn.
The Doctor's mouth opened wide. She, Oswin, was beautiful...Her flowing shoulder length chocolate brown hair, round face...a very cute small nose, pink lips...Then her eyes fluttered open...Big, round, sparkling brown eyes...so endearing...
Oswin looked around, a little stunned at the people looking at her...After a few disorientating seconds, she looked at The Doctor...and smiled.
That smile, it melted The Doctor's heart, and the only thing he could say was "...err...um...hello again, Oswin, pleased to meet you ?".
"Pleased to meet you too, my Doctor" said Oswin...Then she noticed The Doctor go bright red, as he swiftly turned around.
Oswin, she was far more beautiful than he could have imagined, The Doctor thought...she had the perfect face, perfect voice - as he already knew, a small body, but that was OK...and a perfect body too...Oh...and she was naked.
Oswin's pretty nose wrinkled in confusion at why The Doctor had suddenly turned round...She looked over herself, and her smile grew as she noticed that all her bits were there...feet - check, legs - check, arms - check, fingers - check, belly button - check...even the small scar where one of her charges on the Alaska had stabbed her "accidentally" with a pencil - was there...She was back to her original Human form...Then she froze...She realised she had no clothes on...
Oswin became bright red as she covered those bits with her hands. Doctor Williams spared her further embarrassment by throwing a towel onto her.
At that point in time, although he was still facing away from her, somehow The Doctor knew that Oswin was going to play a very special part in his life. Although she would only have 1000 days to live, he was going to make sure that they would be the happiest days of her life...and of his...
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A/N : Well, that's it...well, maybe not the full end, as shall be writing at least one more chapter to "wrap things up". I know my story isn't that good (aka pretty crap) for a first effort, but all reviews are welcome - good, or not (sweat dripping from forehead). If I get enough positive reviews / I can be bothered, Iam inclined to create another 10 chapters to reflect on the extended life of Oswin Oswald (aka Clara, the Doctor's Greatest Ever Companion).
You may wonder why I have given Oswin 1000 days to live. It seems (to me) that the average time a long-term companion stays with The Doctor...is just 2 or 3 years. At that rate, the lovely Jenna-Louise possibly will leave the show at the end of Season 8 or 9 (hopefully at least the latter). *Sigh* I wish Jenna-Louise & Matt wouldn't have to leave the show, but in the end, you have to respect their wishes although I hope somehow Clara could remain The Doctor's companion for a long long time, perhaps as another actress or actor (hint)...
Regards to y'all - RedKestrel.