Author's Note: New story. This fic is one of two stories that were planned and written for Frazer Hines' birthday. The other one, Threads, will hopefully be posted in the next day or so. This story takes place early in Season 6B after Jamie had been reunited with the Doctor for a couple of years. There will be numerous references to the three one-shots I wrote to preview this story (The Price of Blood for Time, The Hearts That are Rent, and The Turn of Fate) all of which can be found in my The Stories in Songs one-shot collection.
I do not own Doctor Who or any of its characters.
Thank you to everyone who reads/follows/favorites/reviews this. It is always appreciated. :D
Chapter One
Standing alone in the entranceway to the TARDIS docking bay, Terlial yawned and wondered if today would be any different from the usual boring routine.
Dawn had arrived on Gallifrey a short while ago, casting its growing light onto silver leaves and land that glowed with a fiery orange tint. The light was bent and scattered into prisms along the dome that covered the ruling metropolis. Although there were always people going about their business along the corridors and walkways of its citadels, the morning always seemed to bring a little extra energy to their activities.
One of the security guards, Terlial, stretched as he marched toward his post in the TARDIS landing bay. This was far from a prestigious job, and he knew it. Time Lords rarely left Gallifrey these days. The only ones who bothered with the TARDISs docked here were stodgy academics on their way to extract some minutiae from history or engineers who were looking for new ways to "improve" the basic TARDIS designs. Still, it was the job that was given most of the new recruits to the citadel security detail. For at least a few months anyway. Terlial had long since resigned himself to this and to the goal of demonstrating to his supervisors that he should be transferred once his probationary period was up.
Terlial had checked in with Canielasander, the previous guard on shift and the two of them took a brief walk around the bay before Canielasander left.
"Why are there posted guards here anyway?" Terlial asked. "Our monitoring equipment for this section is more than sophisticated enough to handle the kind of traffic we get around here."
"You might think that, but then you'd be wrong," Canielasander said, shaking his head. "Look, I know you haven't been here long, so let me give it to you straight. The Time Lords ordered regular guard shifts here ever since one of those old Type 40 TARDISs got stolen."
Terlial's eyebrows went up in surprise. He didn't know a lot about TARDISs, but he did know enough to know that Type 40s had been decommissioned centuries ago and were considered long obsolete compared to the newest models.
"Who in the world would want to steal an old wreck like that?" he asked.
"A madman," Canielasander answered without hesitation. "That's right, Terlial, a real menace. A renegade Time Lord who apparently thought it would be 'fun' to steal a TARDIS and take off, causing all kinds of trouble along the way."
Terlial's eyes widened as understanding finally came to him. "You mean…."
"You got it," Canielasander said sagely. "The Doctor. Surely, you've heard of him by now."
"Of course," Terlial nodded. "You can't go through security training without hearing about the Doctor. He was brought almost every time whenever the instructors went into why we have all these elaborate protocols. But…."
"But what?"
"They said that he managed to steal a TARDIS by hacking into the central database core and wiping all records from the security feeds throughout the capital city," Terlial said. "Is that true?"
"That's the official story," Canielasander replied. "But I have it on good authority that it wasn't anything like that. You want to know how he did it?"
Terlial nodded his head eagerly. Canielasander smiled and waved him over closer to him.
"I heard that snuck a pair of tafelshrews into the citadel and let them loose in the guard's monitoring office," he said. "It was during the resulting confusion that he managed to sneak himself and his granddaughter onto that TARDIS and take off."
"What?!"
"I know, I know, but it's the truth," Canielasander said with a laugh. "I heard it straight from one of the retired guards who was working that night. Apparently his partner had this phobia about live tafelshrews and somehow the Doctor found out about it. Mind you, I think he was actually the one with the phobia and was trying to shift the blame to his partner. But that's the gist of it at any rate."
"Tafelshrews," Terlial repeated with a tinge of awe as he imagined those tiny, furry, wriggling animals in the citadel. "Unbelievable."
"Those other Time Lords certainly do not think like the Doctor, that's for sure," Canielasander said. "Probably just as well. Can you imagine the chaos we'd have if they were all like that?"
"It'd be a disaster," Terlial agreed.
"So anyway, that's why they keep people down here to monitor these TARDISs in person," Canielasander said. "To prevent that sort of thing from happening again."
"I suppose that makes sense," Terlial said. "But Canielasander, what exactly happened to the Doctor? I heard that he was finally caught, but after that…nothing."
"You know the Time Lords," Canielasander said with a shrug. "They like to keep scandals like that out of the public eye as much as possible. Last I heard, the High Council had him in some menial position to keep him out of sight and out of trouble, although, you get some who swear that the CIA got their hooks into him. If you want my opinion, I think they're scared."
"Scared? Of the Doctor?"
"And why not?" Canielasander said. "You know how those renegades are. Desperate, cunning, ruthless people. At least, that's how the ones who manage to survive more than a few decades out on their own tend to be. And no respect for the laws, traditions or their station in society. I meant what I said about him being a menace. A Time Lord like the Doctor causes havoc wherever he goes. He's dangerous, Terlial. Never forget that."
Canielasander leaned close to him, his expression stern.
"I've heard from a couple the other guards that he still runs errands for the Time Lords in that relic of his from time to time," he said. "All I can say is, if you happen to run into him here, stay on your guard. You hear me, Terlial?"
"I understand, sir," Terlial said, nodding in the affirmative.
Canielasander had left a few minutes after that conversation while Terlial settled into his usual duties. After another brief inspection of the docking bay and the travel logs, he took his position near the entrance. Normally, this was the most tedious part of his job, but Terlial was able to keep himself entertained for a little while by contemplating what Canielasander had told him and reflecting on all the stories and rumors he had heard about the Doctor at the military academy.
Eventually, he had run out of recollections and was starting to become bored again when a familiar 'ping' sounded on one of the computer terminals. Terlial walked over and noted the readings on the screen in front of him. He punched a button to begin his arrival entry.
"TARDIS landing," he said into the speaker. "Contact in bay 14655."
He punched the button again and went over to the bay that was indicated on the monitor. He arrived just in time to see what looked like a battered blue box appear in the bay cell.
'What the? Is that really a TARDIS?' he asked himself. 'It looks like it's on the verge of falling apart.'
'Wait…that must be him. The Doctor. They said that he's one of the few that still know how to pilot these old machines. The Time Lords must have sent him out for something and he's come back to report.'
Terlial took a deep breath and ran a hand down his uniform to make sure all his equipment was in place. Canielasander had taken the time to warn him about the Doctor for a reason, and he would not let his mentor down. Now was the time to put all his training to good use. Confident and calm despite a touch of nervousness, Terlial touched the control pad near the bay to indicate that the pilot was authorized to exit the TARDIS. Then he waited, excitedly anticipating the moment when he would get to meet one of the most dangerous people in the universe. A man who had evaded the Time Lords for years. A man who was known to have toppled world governments and shaped the destiny of solar systems.
What Terlial got was the sight of a short, scruffy man who stumbled out of the TARDIS, coughing and picking bits of some stringy white substance out of his hair.
"Jamie, how many times have I told you that weather control is a difficult and volatile science?" he huffed as he flicked a long strand of white from the tip of his finger. "Even the most advanced equipment can't always predict turbulence."
"Oh aye, turbulence. Is that what ye call it, then? More like another reason to stay oof those flying beasties for good."
Terlial blinked hard as he watched another person exit the TARDIS closely behind the Doctor. The being wore a tan shirt with a strip of striped cloth tied around his neck. There was a small pouch attached to the band around his waist which hung over a red skirt with lines of color forming a pattern running through it. Terlial recalled Canielasander mentioning that the Doctor kept an alien assistant in his service. A race known as Tellurians from a rather primitive planet known as Earth. The young guard marveled at the surface similarities between this creature and the Gallifreyan race.
Right now though, the Tellurian the Doctor referred to as Jamie had a scowl on his face which was colored with a slight greenish tint. Terlial wondered if that was typical of the species or if it signaled some kind of defensive posture.
"I'll admit that that was an unfortunate experience, but it couldn't be helped," the Doctor said, combing his fingers through sloppy strands. "That plane was going over the precise area where I needed to get some readings. Besides, you were the one who insisted accompanying me. I told you that you could wait at the station."
"Oh no, not wit' those lassies wandering aboot," Jamie said.
"Why Jamie, I thought that you would find them to be very pleasant company," the Doctor said with a broad smile. "After all, they seemed to be very interested in you."
"Aye, a little tae interested," Jamie shuddered. "Ye'd think those Sassenachs had ne'er seen a kilt before. Their constantly askin' me aboot it was bad enough, but then they kept wanting to 'get a closer look'. And right in middle of that station tae. Och, it was tae much."
"You think you have it bad?" the Doctor said, his face falling. "You're not the one covered in noodle soup. I still say that stewardess spilled it on purpose while we were landing. Not that you were helping the situation with your running to the restroom every few minutes."
The Tellurian groaned and rubbed his abdomen, the action making him wince and then cradle his left arm. The Doctor's expression softened and he reached over to examine the young man's limb.
"Let me see that," the Doctor said. "Hmm, doesn't look too serious. Still, you did hit that stairwell rather abruptly. We should probably have it looked at before too long."
"Och, I told ye it's fine," Jamie said, pulling his arm away and wincing again. "Let's jes get this thing wit' Sardon over wit' so I can have a wee lie doon."
"Oh all right," the Doctor huffed again. "Might as well get it over and done with."
The Doctor scrubbed at his hair again before finally noticing Terlial staring at them. The guard noted a grey cast to the Time Lord's face and a haggard look in his dulled eyes.
"And what do you want?" the Doctor said with a glare. "We're not exhibitions to be gawked at, you know."
"Um, no of course not," Terlial said. "I, I'll inform the duty sergeant of your arrival."
"Do that," the Doctor said with a sniff. "The last thing I need right now is yet another security briefing from one of you lot. Sardon can give you any clearances you might need to enter into your records. Come along, Jamie."
The Tellurian scowled again and followed the Doctor out of the docking area. Terlial waited until they left before heading back to his post to make the necessary report and resume his station.
As he did, Terlial reflected on how this was turning out to be an interesting day after all. Although, he still did not know how he was going to tell his wife about this bizarre little incident.
After all the tall tales she had heard about the Doctor, she was bound to be disappointed.
A short time later, the Doctor and Jamie were standing in front of Sardon, who was seated at a gleaming, grey desk within the CIA's offices. The Grey Man listened silently as the Doctor gave his report while Jamie looked on. To the piper, Sardon looked only slightly interested in what the Doctor had to say, but by now he knew better than to misinterpret that expression. Once the Doctor had finished, Sardon leaned back in his chair and pressed his fingertips together.
"So, those temporal blips we saw in Earth's future were not just a one-time phenomenon," he said.
"I'm afraid not," the Doctor said wearily. "The readings I got indicated that there are probably more places within Earth's time-stream where the temporal fabric has been worn thin. We'll need to find the origin of these disturbances in order to discover who or what is behind it and how to stop them."
"I have people working on that right now," Sardon replied. "Preliminary reports show that the origin might be traced to a point about three hundred years into the past from where you just were in an area that was known as Scotland at the time."
"Hey, that's my home," Jamie blurted out. "That's where I'm from."
"Indeed," Sardon said blandly. "An interesting coincidence. Doctor, once we have pinpointed the origin, we ask that you go and install the necessary instruments so that we can monitor the disturbance from here."
"You don't want us to put a stop to it?" the Doctor asked, surprised.
"Eventually I will," Sardon responded. "But first, I want to know why it exists in the first place. As I just pointed out, it is quite the coincidence that it should occur at a location that is at least somewhat familiar to the both of you."
"I see," the Doctor nodded. "You want to know if someone with a vendetta against me is laying some sort of trap while also trying to goad the rest of the Time Lords into action."
"Precisely," Sardon said. "We'll start with the follow-up mission to install the equipment. Then we shall wait for this meddler to, as you might put it, play his next card."
The Doctor's eyes rolled upward for a moment before he nodded his head. Jamie could guess what the Doctor was thinking because he was thinking it too: that a direct approach would be far better than all this waiting. Still, it wasn't as if they had a whole lot of say in relation to the assignments they got. As it was, they would have to do as Sardon said and wait for something to happen.
Sardon looked as if he was about to say something else, but was stopped when the Doctor suddenly groaned and stumbled forward while putting a hand to his head.
"Doctor?" Sardon said.
Jamie moved closer and put his hand on the Doctor's shoulder while leaning in so he could get a better look at him. The Doctor shook his head and rubbed his face with both hands a few times before speaking again.
"I'm all right," he said quietly. "It's just residuals from the mode of conveyance I had to use to get these readings."
Perhaps Sardon could not see it, but Jamie knew that the Doctor was lying. The piper had watched him struggle throughout this mission. Time Lords usually didn't need much sleep; however, Jamie couldn't help but notice how exhausted the Doctor was. It showed during those times when the Doctor stared blankly at some distant while rapidly blinking in an effort to keep his eyes open or when he snapped at him with little provocation. Even worse were a couple of frightening moments when the Doctor appeared confused and had lost track of what he was doing. Jamie had tried to get him to rest more than once by offering to keep an eye on the wee gadget the Doctor was using, but each offer was met with staunch refusal.
"No Jamie, I have to do this myself. These readings must be absolutely precise. One wrong calibration and all our time here will have been wasted."
Jamie wasn't all that sure about how precise that device could be considered how he had watched the Doctor cobble it together only a couple hours before they arrived in England's future to start their assignment, but he also knew better than to question it. Despite a recent brief holiday spent in the Eye of Orion, the Doctor's morale was extremely low. Thus, the Doctor was often quarrelsome over things that wouldn't have fazed him normally. The fact that he was still recovering from severe injuries he had received on a mission less than a month ago was not helping matters.
"I see," Sardon said. "Then perhaps it would be best if you took some time to rest while we wait for the data to be processed. You could stay in your oubliette."
The grimace on the Doctor's face told Jamie that that was not an even remotely welcome idea. The piper was certain that Sardon would get to find out just what he thought of that suggestion and was surprised when the Doctor merely sighed and nodded his head.
"Very well," he said, rubbing his temples. Concerned, Jamie tightened his grip on the Doctor's shoulder.
"Doctor, are ye sure that…?"
"I'm fine," he snarled, shrugging off Jamie's hand. The Highlander hissed in pain as the movement jarred tender nerves and muscles. Immediately contrite, the Doctor gingerly patted Jamie's arm.
"And it might also be prudent to send your assistant to the medics to be examined," Sardon added.
"Och, it's jes a bump on my arm," Jamie protested. "I don' need to…."
"Doctor," Sardon interrupted. "I'm certain that you would agree that it would be quite irresponsible of you to ignore any possible risks to your assistant's wellbeing."
The Doctor instantly paled. Jamie had no idea how those words could make the Doctor afraid, and yet, the way he gripped his shaking hands tightly together was one of those quiet gestures of terror
"Doctor…?"
"He'll see the medic as soon as we're done here," the Doctor said. "So unless there was anything else…."
"I think we have covered all the relevant points," Sardon said. "Feel free to take your leave. I will inform once we are ready to give you the coordinates you need."
The Doctor nodded and turned to leave. Jamie still didn't know what exactly had just passed between Sardon and the Doctor, but he was certain that it was not good. They walked into the corridors swiftly and with purpose until the Doctor suddenly stopped and stumbled again.
"Right, let's get ye back to our cell then," Jamie said, careful taking hold of the Doctor's arm again.
"No, no," the Doctor muttered. "You should go to the medic center at once. Sardon…."
"Aye and Sardon and the rest of them can wait," Jamie insisted. "Listen Doctor, if ye really want me to go, I'll go, but nae until ye're settled. All right?"
An exaggerated pout made its way onto the Doctor's features, but it soon gave way to a rueful smile.
"All right, Jamie," he said softly. "But please go there as soon as we're done."
"Aye, I'll go and see what new invention they want to try on me today."
"Now to be fair, Jamie, Gallifreyan medicine never had any need to be adapted for use on humans before you came along. And I know that young Jalel is trying his best to make your examinations as painless as possible."
"Mebbe," the piper shrugged. "I jes wish he had someone else to test his new potions and machines on. Well, let's away then."
Jamie guided the Doctor back to the oubliette with the Doctor only grumbling about it a couple times along the way. The Scot was pretty sure he heard the word "mollycoddle" being spoken in an irritated tone, but most of it was in a language he didn't recognize. Jamie nodded at a pair of security guards right before he and the Doctor held up their arms to activate the scanner that operated the door mechanism.
As soon as they entered, the Doctor headed straight for his bedroom without another word. Jamie followed and watched the Doctor sit down on the bed and kick off his shoes. He started to try to shrug off his coat but his arm got caught in the sleeve. The little Time Lord contemplated his predicament with a frown that would have been comical if there wasn't so much exhaustion etched into his face. Jamie decided to risk taking the initiative and walked over to help the Doctor out of his jacket.
"Jamie, there's no need for all this," he said drowsily as he slid his braces off his shoulders. "I…told you…that...that I…."
The Doctor's eyes drooped even more and he collapsed onto his side. Jamie folded up his jacket and sat it neatly onto a nearby chair. Already fast asleep, the Doctor didn't even feel it when Jamie repositioned him so that he could sleep more comfortably. Then Jamie picked up a particularly soft, dark-red blanket up from the foot of the bed and draped it over the slumbering form.
The piper slowly sank down to sit next to him. His jaw tightened in frustration as he thought about how much he wished he could something to ease the burden of this CIA work that was crushing the Doctor, but could not think of any ideas. There were many times when Jamie simply stood around while the Doctor did what was necessary to complete their latest assignment. He knew that the other Time Lords considered him an only marginally useful accessory, and it was during those times when he did little more than wait and his mouth shut that Jamie found it hard to disagree with them. No matter how much he wanted to ease the ongoing misery in the Doctor's hearts, Jamie was painfully aware that he could only do so much.
And right now, all he could do was watch over the Doctor while he slept and hope that he would be at peace for a little while. His throat tight, Jamie reached over and lightly patted the Doctor's shoulder.
"Jes rest," he whispered. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
Jamie took a deep breath and walked out of the room and back into the corridor. A guard start to walk toward him, but the piper was able to deflect any inquiries by telling him that Sardon had given him orders. Jamie was so caught up in his own worries and thoughts that it was impossible for him to notice that someone had been watching him and was now following him.
Nor could Jamie have ever guessed what kind of impact this person would soon have on both his past and his future.