Authors Note: Meh. So sorry for the slowest update ever, I haven't abandoned the story yet don't you worry. It's just school is pretty hectic and I have a Geography exam that I'm needing to revise for. But half term is coming up so I should have time to fit in writing along with my social life and revising :P
Oh and incase I haven't already said, Katherine's actual thoughts will be written in italic font like this. And yes there are a lot of mentions of Ryan in this, and sorry but there will be a lot. It just seems right. I don't know.
Also there is something that I need your opinions on. I'll let you guys know at the end of the story. So enjoy and place review yada yada.
The Doctor was running around the console, pulling and twisting leavers and pushing buttons while Martha and I clung on for dear life. The rides always looked a bit bumpy on the show, but I never thought it was actually this bumpy.
"How do you travel in time? I mean, what makes it go?" Martha asked over the noise the TARIDS was making.
"Oh let's take the fun and the mystery out of everything." The Doctor said rolling his eyes, "Martha, you don't want to know it just does. Now hold on tight."
"You don't think I already am!" I yelled back.
I obviously hadn't been holding on tight enough because when The Doctor pulled a leaver pulling the TARDIS to an abrupt halt, Martha fell to the floor and I was flung across the console room. I seem to be having a habit of hitting my head right now.
"Blimey!" Martha said picking herself up from the floor and brushing herself down, "Do you have to pass a test to fly this thing?"
"Yes and I failed." The Doctor answered.
"Then how the hell were you allowed to have it?" Martha asked.
I smirked, "He stole it."
The Doctor turned to me, a look of hurt on this face, "I borrowed it."
"You never gave it back did you?"
The Doctor folded his arms, "I was going to."
I folded my arms in an attempt to mimic him, "There's a difference between 'going to give it back' and actually giving it back."
The Doctor sighed in defeat, "Bloody hell you can argue. I give up okay? You win. I stole it." He said, "Now come on Martha let's go make the most of it. I promised you one trip and one trip only." He grabbed his trench coat from the pilot seat and flung it on before bounding down towards the door, "Outside this door, brave new world."
"Where are we?" Martha asked smiling in anticipation.
"Take a look." The Doctor said opening the door. He stepped to the side and gestured for us to walk out, "After you, ladies first."
Slowly walking towards the doors me and Martha took one last step out of the TARDIS and walked outside. It was defiantly somewhere in the past, given what the people were wearing and the buildings. I didn't know exactly what century; I'd leave The Doctor to tell us that.
"You are so kidding me!" Martha exclaimed, "Oh my god we did it, we travelled in time."
I looked up at the Doctor to see the look of smugness I was expecting splayed across his face. He thinks he's so impressive sometimes, he really does. But most of the time he is really, well I think so anyway.
"Where are we?" Martha asked, "Sorry, whole new language. When are we?"
"Erm mind out." The Doctor said grabbing hold of both me and Martha pulling us back a couple of steps so that we were pretty much right against the TARDIS.
I looked up to see a man chucking a bucket full of waste out of the window. It fell down onto the floor, right where me and Martha had been standing a couple of seconds ago.
"Some time before they invented the toilets I guess." I said wrinkling my nose is disgust. It really didn't smell nice.
"Yeah, sorry about that." The Doctor said he was also wrinkling his nose; it seemed to be only Martha who didn't have that too much of a problem.
"I've seen worse." Martha said brushing it off, "I've worked the late-night shift in A&E."
Me and The Doctor smirked before taking and step over the waste. I feel really posh saying waste… but then what else would I call it? Wee and poo sounds a bit childlike.
"Wait! Are we safe and everything?" Martha asked.
"Course we are why do you ask?" The Doctor asked puzzled.
"It's like in the films. You step on the butterfly you change the future of the human race." Martha said.
I scoffed, "Are you planning to step on the butterfly? What have butterflies ever done to you?"
"Look I'll tell you what, just don't step on any butterflies." The Doctor said as he began to walk off again.
"But what if I kill my grandfather of something?"
"Are planning to do that too?" The Doctor asked turning around walking backwards.
"No."
"Well then."
"So this is London?" Martha asked.
The Doctor shrugged again, "Think so. Round about… 1599."
"So Martha's grandfather wouldn't even be around then?" I said, it was more of a statement then a question but then you never know with time.
"Probably not."
"Hold on! Am I all right?" Martha asked. The Doctor raised an eyebrow, "I'm not going to get carted off as a slave am I?"
"Why would they do that?" The Doctor asked both confused and shocked causing both me and Martha to roll our eyes.
"Not exactly white in case you haven't noticed." Martha said gesturing to her skin.
The Doctor shrugged, "I'm not even human, just walk around like you own the place. It works for me. Beside, Elizabethan England isn't so different from your time. Look, you have recycling, water cooler moment."
"…and the Earth will be consumed by flames!" a man in the street started shouting.
"Global warming." The Doctor said gesturing to the man, "And entertainment! Now if I'm right, we're just down the river by Southwark." He grabbed hold of our hands and started running around the corner along with us, this time I managed to keep up so it wasn't like he was pulling me, "Oh yes! The Globe Theatre! It's brand new, just opened. But then strictly speaking it isn't a globe. It's a tetra decagon."
"Hold on. I'm an A-level maths student I should defiantly know this… a tetra decagon has fourteen sides am I right?" I asked.
The Doctor nodded, "And it's containing the man himself."
"Whoa you don't mean… Shakespeare is in there?" Martha asked.
"Oh yes."
"Miss Stewart, Miss Jones will you two lovely ladies accompany me to the theatre?" he said holding out both arms for us to take.
"Oh Mr Smith we will." I said taking linking arms with him. Martha did as well and we began walking towards the theatre. I bet The Doctor was loving this, two girls on either side of him.
"See Martha when you get home, you can tell everyone you've met Shakespeare." The Doctor said.
"Oh yeah and then I could get sectioned."
XOXO
The theatre was absolutely packed! Everyone had to be squished together just to fit everyone in. It did smell a lot, but I didn't care this time. I was in the year 1599, in the globe theatre watching one of Shakespeare's plays. I'm not going to lie I did hate studying Shakespeare when I was back on my own Earth, but they made us read the scripts. Plays are meant to be watched and that is it. And it's totally different when you watch the play for real.
"That's amazing, just amazing." Martha said clapping her hands in delight.
I nodded in agreement, "It's even worth putting up with the smell." I looked at the cast who were taking their bows or whatever it's meant to be called, "Those are men dressed as women right?"
The Doctor nodded, "London never changes."
"Where's Shakespeare? I want to see Shakespeare." Martha said.
"Me too, Doctor? Does Shakespeare come on and take bows too?" I asked.
The Doctor just shrugged, "I have no idea."
"Author! Author!" Martha shouted she quickly stopped and looked at the Doctor, "Wait do people do that? Shout Author?"
Before The Doctor could answer a man that was behind us started shouting "Author." And then even more people started following suit, it didn't take long before everyone in the theatre was shouting it. I tried my best to hold back a laugh as I looked at the Doctor's face as he looked around.
"Well they do now." He finally said.
After a couple of minutes of the people shouting "Author." Shakespeare came on stage. I do have to say, I was surprised he looked a lot different to the paintings I've seen of him. But then again he could look different in this universe; after all it is a different one. Everyone started cheering was he walked up the stage blowing kisses to people in the crowed.
"He's a bit different to his portraits?" Martha said.
"Yeah." I agreed, "I thought it was probably just because of different universes but I guess not. Whoever done to portraits of him must just a rubbish artist then."
"He's a genius, the genius. The most human, human there's ever been. And now we're going to hear him speak." The Doctor said. It was almost as if he was fangirling right now, "He always chooses the best words. New brilliant and beautiful words…"
"Oh shut your big, fat mouths!"
"Oh well." The Doctor sighed.
"You should never meet your heroes." Martha said.
"You've got excellent taste, I'll give you that." Shakespeare said to the audience, "Oh that's a wig." He pointed to a lady at the front of the crowed.
"New brilliant and beautiful words? Want to take that back Doctor?" I said and The Doctor gave me a look as if you say shut up, I smiled in satisfaction. He is so easy to wind up sometimes, "He looks drunk to me." I added.
"I know what you're all saying." Shakespeare began again, ""'Love's Labour's Lost' that's a funny ending isn't it?" It just stops." The crowed made noises to show that they agreed and Shakespeare continued, "Will the boys get the girls? Well don't get your hose in a tangle. You'll find out soon."
"When?" The crowed all started shouting out and once.
"All in good time." Shakespeare said, "You don't rush a genius." Oh god, he's just a vain as The Doctor is. I thought to myself. Shakespeare began bowing to the crowed again but was then flung back like some sort of invisible force has pushed him, "When? Tomorrow night." He said.
The crowed began to cheer and clap their hands in approval and delight. But my attention was on the cast who were still on stage. They were sharing confused glances with one another… I'm guessing this was the first they had even heard about this.
"The premiere of my brand new play, a sequel no less. I call it Love's Labour's Won."
XOXO
Me, The Doctor and Martha were slowly walking out of the theatre behind the rest of the people. It was tedious walking this slow, especially after we had been running non-stop for what couldn't have been more than a couple of hours ago.
"I'm not an expert or anything, but I've never heard of Love's Labour's Won." Martha said.
"Exactly." The Doctor said, "It's the lost play, it doesn't exist, only in rumours."
I scoffed, "What are you talking about? Love Labour's Won exists. I've never seen it but I've heard of it."
The Doctor looked at me with a raised eyebrow and then I realized my mistake. Sure I might have heard of Love's Labour's Won because it existed in my world, but it might not have existed here. I'm really going to have to get used to this whole parallel world thing.
"Sorry. I forgot, parallel world and all that."
"What do you mean parallel world?" Martha asked. Shit. I forgot she didn't know.
"It doesn't matter." I said trying to brush it off.
"I was thinking, have you got a mini disc in the TARDIS or something? We could tape and flog it. We'd make a mint." Martha said.
The Doctor gave her a look to say 'you're stupid', "No."
"That would be bad."
"Yeah."
"So if it disappeared over in this world… how did it disappear in the first place?" I asked.
The Doctor sighed, "I was going to just give you a little trip in the TARDIS." He said gesturing to Martha, "But I guess we could stay a bit longer."
XOXO
We reached a building, a pub by the looks of it. There was a sign swinging in the breeze. It had a picture of an elephant on it and as you can guess underneath it, it said 'The Elephant." I thought it was a bit of a weird name to call a pub, but then most pubs have weird names don't they?
"So you think that Shakespeare is in there?" I asked gesturing to the entrance.
"Closest to pub to The Globe." The Doctor shrugged.
I sighed, "Oh what the hell."
I walked up to the door and pushed it open. The pub seemed surprisingly quiet. There were only a couple of people in there taking sips of their pints or whatever they called them in these days. There was no-one tending the bar so we walked past easily and headed up-stairs where Shakespeare would probably be, if he was even here that is.
As we got to the top of the stairs, I heard voices coming from a room. They were talking about Love's Labour's Won. So The Doctor had been right. The Doctor walked past me and knocked on the door lightly.
"Hello! Excuse me, not interrupting am I? Mr Shakespeare isn't it?" he said.
"Oh no. Who let you in? No autographs, no you can't have yourself sketched with me and please don't ask me where I get my ideas from." Shakespeare said, "Thanks for the interest. No be and good boy and shove."
That's when he caught glimpse of me and Martha hiding behind The Doctor. He kept glancing at me a little bit but he kept looking at Martha more than anything thank god.
"Hey, nonny, nonny! Sit right down here next to me. You two get sewing on them costumes off you go." He said to the two men sitting at the table with him. The two men walked off leaving 3 empty seats which me, The Doctor and Martha took.
"Sweet lady." Shakespeare said to Martha causing her to blush a little bit, "Such unusual clothes so fitted."
"Erm, verily forsotth egads." Martha said.
"No, no, no, no." The Doctor said, "Don't, don't do that." he reached into his pocket fumbling through it, "I'm Sir Doctor of TARDIS and these are my companions Miss Katherine Stewart and Miss Martha Jones." The Doctor said flashing up his psychic paper.
"Interesting, that bit of paper." Shakespeare said pointing at the psychic paper, "It's blank."
The Doctor looked at him with shock while grinning like a maniac, "Oh that proves it. Absolute genius."
Martha shook her head, "No it says right there. "Sir Doctor, Katherine Stewart and Martha Jones." It says so." She said looking at it.
"Psychic paper. It's a long story. Oh I hate starting from scratch." The Doctor complained placing the paper back inside his pocket, I couldn't help but smirk.
"Psychic? Never heard that before and words are my trade." Shakespeare said, "Who are you exactly? More to the point, who is your delicious blackamoor lady?"
Martha turned to look at him, a look of surprised mixed with a little bit of disgust on her face, "Excuse me?"
"Isn't that a word we use nowadays? An Ethiop girl, a swarth, a Queen of Affric?" he said.
Me and The Doctor were exchanging looks. I gave him one as if to say 'this is starting to get potentially awkward.' He gave me a knowing look back and nodded as if to say he agreed. It was a little bit weird; I didn't think he'd be able to see what I meant.
"I can't believe I'm hearing this."
"It's political correctness gone mad." The Doctor began, "Martha's from a far off land, Fredonia." He lied.
"Excuse me. Hold hard a moment." I voice came from behind us. I turned around to have a look. There was a man standing in the door way walking towards us. He was rather chubby, he had a hat on but I could tell by his beard that he a sort of ginger colour.
"This is abominable behaviour." The man said, "A new play without warning? I demand to see a script Mr Shakespeare. As master of the Revels every new script must be registered at my office, and examined by me before it can be performed."
"First thing tomorrow morning, I'll send it around." Shakespeare said.
"I don't work to your schedule you work to mine. The script, now!"
"I can't."
"Then tomorrow's performance is cancelled." The man said as he began to walk out of the room, "I'm returning to my office for a banning order. If it's the last thing I do. Love's Labour's Won will never be played."
I sighed taking a sip of the pint that a lady had given me, "Well then. That's what happened to the play. Bit boring."
"Yeah. I thought it might be something you know, more mysterious." Martha said.
As if it was right on queue a high-pitched scream came from outside. The Doctor jumped out of his seat almost immediately and bounded outside to see what the screaming was about. I instantly followed after him and Martha also followed closely behind me. When we finally got outside I saw that same guy that had been in the pub with us a few minutes ago. He was spitting out water, a great deal of it too.
"It's that bloke from before." Martha said.
"What's wrong with him?" The Doctor paused, "Leave it to me I'm a Doctor." He said rushing over to the man.
"So am I." Martha said rushing over, "Near enough."
Suddenly the man let out one more mouthful of water before he collapsed to the floor. Martha and The Doctor bent down beside him as I rushed over.
"Can't get the heart going." Martha said, "You're going to be alright." She opened his mouth, about to do that mouth to mouth thing when a load of water came spilling out.
"Okay. What the hell is that?" I asked.
"I've never seen anything like it. His lungs are full of water, he drowned." The Doctor said answering my question, "I don't know, like a blow to the heart. An invisible blow." He stood up and turned to the lady who owned the pub, "Good mistress this poor fellow has died from a sudden imbalance of the humours. A natural if unfortunate demise. Call for the constable to have him taken away."
"I'll do it Ma'am." A younger girl beside her said walking back off inside. The Doctor turned back to me and Martha and bent back down to our level.
"Why did you tell them that?" Martha asked.
"This lot have still got one foot in the Dark Ages. If I tell them the truth they'll panic and think it was witchcraft." The Doctor said.
"So what was it then?" I asked.
"Witchcraft."
XOXO
Me, The Doctor, Martha and Shakespeare entered the room we had just been in before all the commotion had happened. No one said a thing. Shakespeare sat back down in his seat. The Doctor and Martha stayed standing up while I leaned against the wall.
"I've got you a room Sir Doctor. You're just across the landing. Miss Jones and Miss Stewart are in the room next to it." The land-lady said before walking away.
"Poor Lynley. So many strange events. Not least of all this land of Fredonia where a woman can be a doctor." Shakespeare said.
"Where a woman can do what she likes." Martha said trying to correct him.
"You Miss Stewart." He said looking at me, "Something tells me that there is a man out there that has a hold of your heart. But he is ever so far away." I nodded. Okay I most definitely agree with The Doctor this man is a genius.
"And you Sir Doctor how can a man so young have eyes so old?" Because he is so old. I thought to myself.
"I do a lot of reading." The Doctor answered.
"A trite reply, yeah? That's what I do." He looked back to me and Martha, "You two look at him like your surprised that he exists. But something tells me you both have different reasons."
"I think we should say goodnight." I said heading out of the room.
I walked down the landing until I finally found what was going to be both mine and Martha's room. There were two small beds spaced a couple of metres from each other. A couple of seconds later Martha walked in.
"Shakespeare was talking about Ryan right?" I nodded, "What did he mean he's far away?" When I didn't answer she spoke up again, "Earlier you said something about a parallel world…"
I sighed and closed my eyes, "I come from a different universe, a different version of Earth where all of this is a TV show and The Doctor is just a fictional character."
"Well… I guess that explains how you know so much about him. So in the hospital when you said that it was New Year's Eve?" she asked.
"That was the day I was taken from my universe yes. I disappeared right in front of Ryan. I tried to call him earlier before we got here, but I got a version of him were it hadn't happened yet." I paused for a second, "Don't know what I would have said to him anyway."
Martha looked at me sympathetically but she never said sorry. I wouldn't have seen the point in her saying it anyway. Sorry isn't going to take me back to my universe, or bring Ryan to me. I climbed into one of the beds and curled myself into a ball like a usually do when I sleep. Martha climbed into the bed next to mine.
"Who's this Rose girl? Before you came into the console room earlier he mentioned her." Martha asked.
"What did he say?"
"Just that she was gone. That I wasn't replacing her and that I was only being given one trip to say thank you." I rolled my eyes. God sake Doctor when I said bring Martha I meant for more than one trip.
"Rose was his last companion. He lost her in the battle of Canary Wharf. She lives on a parallel universe now." I said.
"What? The one that you were on?"
I shook my head, "No a different one."
"There are other parallel universes?" Martha asked, I nodded, "How many."
I shrugged, "No clue."
"Him and Rose, were they a couple?"
I sighed, "Sort of yeah." Martha gave me a raised eyebrow, "He loves her, and she loved him but they were never officially a couple…"
Martha's expression turned into one of disappointment, I should have known that was coming. It was pretty obvious that she liked him, well it was to me anyway. To The Doctor it wasn't.
"Well. Night."
I just nodded and watched as Martha blew out the candle that had been lighting the room leaving us in the dark. The only light left was the moon light shining from outside. I closed my eyes tight shut, letting myself drift off into a deep sleep.
XOXO
I was woken up by yet another high-pitched scream. I heard the Doctor's footsteps run across the room next door to ours and I quickly jumped out of bed running out the door with Martha right next to me. I ran down the landing to the room where the screaming had been coming from and crashed right into the Doctor who had been standing in the door way. The lan-lady's body was on the floor. There was no sign of her breathing so I guessed she was dead. Shakespeare was asleep, but then he suddenly woke up.
"What was that?"
Me and The Doctor bent down the lan-lady's lifeless body on the floor. Martha however ran up towards the open window.
"Her heart gave out. She died of fright." The Doctor said.
"Doctor?" Martha said, her tone of voice was slightly worried which started to put me on edge a little bit.
The Doctor jumped up and went to Martha's side, "What did you see?"
"A witch."
XOXO
It was the next morning. All of us had tried to get some sleep after what had happened last night. I didn't know about the others but I didn't sleep a wink. I could feel small bags under my eyes and I felt completely drained of energy. I just sat down on the chair with my head rested on the table with half of my face covered with by auburn brown hair.
"Sweet Dolly Bailey. She sat out three boughts of the plague in this place while we all ran like rats. But what could have scared her? She had such an enormous spirit." Shakespeare asked.
"Rage, rage against the dying of the light." The Doctor said. His voice sounded tired, I guess I wasn't the only one who didn't get any the sleep then.
"I might use that." Shakespeare said.
The Doctor shook his head, "You can't. It's someone else's."
"Lynley drowned on dry land, Dolly died of fright and they were both connected to you." Martha said looking at Shakespeare.
"You're accusing me?"
"No. But I saw a witch, and well you've written about witches."
Shakespeare looked at her with a puzzled look, "Have I? When was that?"
"Not quite yet." I heard The Doctor whisper to Martha.
"Peter Streete spoke of witches." Shakespeare said.
I lifted my head up, tucking my hair behind my ear so my face was showing completely, "Who's Peter Streete?" I asked.
"Our builder." Shakespeare answered, "He sketched out the plans of the Globe."
"The architect?" The Doctor said, it was more of a statement rather than a question. It looked like he was on to something, "Hold on, the architect! The Globe! Come on!"
Before anyone could say anything else, The Doctor jumped out of his chair and bounded out of the room. Shakespeare stood up from his and ran out following him and me and Martha done the same. We found him waiting for us in the doorway outside and we all walked together up towards the Globe.
Once we got there The Doctor began pacing around the theatre. Martha and Shakespeare were standing up on the stage while I went and sat down letting my feet dangle off the edge of the stage as I looked around the theatre. It felt a little bit weird being in it when there was no one there. I looked such much bigger.
"Columns there right, 14 sides." The Doctor's voice echoed, "I've always wondered but I never asked, tell me Will why 14 sides?" Hold on did he just call him Will?
Shakespeare shrugged, "It was the shape Peter Streete thought best, that was all. He said it carried the sound well."
In a way this Peter Streete guy was right, it did carry the sound well. Me, Martha and The Doctor had been near the back of the theatre last night when she saw Love's Labour's Lost and I could still hear all the actors perfectly. It was like I was at the front.
"14." The Doctor trailed off, "Why does that ring a bell? 14?"
"There are 14 lines in a sonnet?" Martha suggested. I shrugged, that was a very good point. I would never have thought of that.
"Good point." The Doctor said making Martha have a quick look of smugness splayed across her face, "Words and shapes following the same design. 14 lines, 14 sides, 14 facets… my head!" he grabbed his hair and started messing around with it, "Tretradecagon, think, think, think!"
"This is just a theatre." Shakespeare said.
The Doctor turned to look at Shakespeare, "But the theatres magic isn't it? You should know, you stand on this stage. Say the right words with the right emphasis at the right time. You could make me weep, or cry with joy. Change them." He paused for a split second, and I thought I saw a look of realization in his face that I used to see on the TV shows, "You can change people's minds just with words in this place. And if you exaggerate that…" He turned away and started to pace up and down again, scratching his head in thought.
"It's like your police box. That small wooden box with all that power inside." Martha said
"Oh, Martha Jones I like you." He said making Martha give another smug look, "Tell you what Peter Streete would know. Can I talk to him?"
"You won't get an answer." Shakespeare answered, "One month after finishing this place, he lost his mind."
"What happened?" I asked.
"He started hearing voices, raving about witches, babbling."
"Where is he now?" The Doctor asked.
"Bedlam." Shakespeare said, me and Martha raised an eyebrow as if to ask what Bedlam was, "The mad house." He added.
"We've got to go now. Come on!"
Martha rushed down towards the steps and I jumped of the edge of the stage, I landed crouching down to keep myself steady before running after The Doctor.
"Wait I'm coming with you! I want to witness this first hand." Shakespeare said following closely behind Martha. Two men were walking in as we headed out Shakespeare stopped and handed them the bundle of paper that he had been holding, "The script. Perfect it, you never know the Queen might show up." He began walking with us again as he turned to me.
"As if, she never does."
XOXO
We were at Bedlam. It's hard to explain what it's like. But there's one thing I can definitely say, the place smelt horrible. I was trying my best to stop myself from throwing up while trying not to make it too obvious. There were people filling up almost every cell, and when we walked past them they would stretch they're skeleton like arm through the bars, begging to be let out. There was a guard leading us the way to Peter Streete's cell, he was carrying a whip and I could only imagine what he uses that for.
"Does my lord Doctor wish some entertainment while he waits?" The guard asked, "I can whip these madmen. They'll put on a good show for you. Bandog and Bedlam." Knew that's what the whip was for, entertainment.
"No I don't." The Doctor replied, sounding disgusted with each word he said.
"Well wait here my lords, whole I make him decent for the two ladies here." The Guard replied before heading off to Peter Streete's cell where he was going to make him "decent." More like whip him.
"So this is what you call a hospital? Where the patients are whopped to entertain the gentry?" Martha said sounding disgusted too, "And you put your friend in here?" she said to Shakespeare.
"Oh it's all so different in Fredonia." Shakespeare said.
"But you're clever! Do you honestly think this place is any good?"
"I've been mad. I've lost my mind. The fear of this place set me right again, it serves its purpose." Shakespeare almost snapped.
"Mad in what way?" I piped up.
"He lost his son." The Doctor said.
Shakespeare nodded, "My only boy. The Black Death took him and I wasn't even there."
"I didn't know I'm sorry." I said to Shakespeare giving him a sympathetic look before looking down at the floor.
"Made me question everything. The futility of this fleeting existence, to be or not to be." He paused for a second, "Oh that's quite good." He said smugness taking over.
"You should write that down." The Doctor added. I was starting to get annoyed a little bit with this 'oh I might use that' and stuff. I really hope for as long as I travel with the Doctor, we don't meet anymore authors.
"Maybe not. A bit pretentious?" Shakespeare asked, The Doctor just shrugged.
"This way my lords." The Guard called down from the end of the room.
XOXO
We were taken to Peter's cell, he was sitting in the corner all hunched up and shaking. The guard opened the door before letting us in. The Doctor walked in first, I followed along with Martha and Shakespeare.
"They can be a bit dangerous. Don't know their own strength." The guard said.
"Well it would help if you didn't whip them! Now get out!" I snapped. The guard did as I told and left shutting the cell door behind him, The Doctor gave me a little smirk but I just gave him a scowl back. He quickly turned his gaze back to Peter and began walking slowly over to him,
"Peter. Peter Streete." He said
"He's the same as he was; you won't get anything out of him." Shakespeare sighed.
The Doctor put a hand on Peter's shoulder causing Peter's head to shoot up to stare at the Doctor. The Doctor then placed his hands onto Peter's head, a lot like he had down to Madame De Pompadour
"Peter I'm The Doctor. Go into the past, one year ago. Let your mind go back, back to when everything was fine and shiny. Everything that has happened in this year since happened to somebody else. It was just a story."
Peter started to slightly collapse and The Doctor laid him down gently on the bed, if you could even call it a bed.
"Tell me the story Peter," The Doctor said, "Tell me about the witches."
"The witches spoke to Peter," he began, "In the night they whispered, got Peter to design the Globe to their design. The 14 walls, always 14. When the works was done," Peter laughed manically, "They snapped poor Peter's wits."
"Where did Peter see the witches, where in the city?" the Doctor asked. When Peter didn't say anything The Doctor bent down to his level, "You've got to tell me. Where were they?"
"All Hallows Street."
"Too many words." A voice came causing me to jump out of the skin, I looked away from Peter to see a witch, well at least that's what I thought it was. The Doctor jumped as well and pretty much jumped back to me and Martha.
"Just one touch, of the heart." The witch said, showing one pointy finger. She touched Peter at where his heart should be and the very next second he was dead.
"Shit." I said, it was all I could eve say.
"A witch! I'm seeing a witch!" Shakespeare exclaimed.
"Now who would be next? Just one touch and I'll stop your frantic hearts." The witch taunted.
Martha ran towards the barred door shaking it frantically, "Let us out!"
"Well that's not going to work the whole place is shouting that." The Doctor said.
"And who would die first hmm?" the witch asked.
"Well if you're looking for volunteers.." the Doctor began.
"Don't!" I shouted trying to grab him by the jacket, but I missed and The Doctor kept edging towards her.
"Doctor can you stop her?" Shakespeare asked now sounding a lot more uneasy than he had a few seconds ago.
"No mortal has power over me." The witch spat.
"But there's a power in words." The Doctor said and I watched as the witch's face grew a little worried, "If I can just find the right ones if I can just know you."
"None on Earth has knowledge of us."
"Well there's a good thing I'm here. Now think. Humanoid, female, who uses shapes and words to channel energy… Ah! 14! That's it 14! The 14 starts of the Rexel planetary configuration! Creature I name you Carrionite!"
The witch began screaming, this golden light appeared from her and the next minutes she had vanished. I wondered for a second if she was dead, but I knew that The Doctor would never have killed her, even if she had been threatening to kill us.
"So what did you do?" I asked.
"Named her." The Doctor answered, "The power of a name, that's old magic."
"But there's no such thing as magic." Martha said.
"Well it's a different type of science. You lot chose mathematics, given the right string of numbers, the right equation, you can split the atom. The Carrionites chose words instead." He explained.
"Use them for what?" Shakespeare asked.
"The end of the word."
XOXO
"The Carrionites disappeared way back at the dawn of the universe. Nobody was sure if they were real or legend."
"Well I'm going for real." Shakespeare said drying his just washed face with a towel.
"What do they want though?" I asked.
"A new, empire on Earth." The Doctor sighed as he leaned against a table, "A world of bones and blood and witchcraft."
"But how?"
"I'm looking at the man with the words." The Doctor said looking at Shakespeare and I followed his gaze.
"Me?" Shakespeare asked looking confused, "But I've done nothing."
"Hold on, what were you doing last night?" Martha asked him, "When that Carrionite came in the room?"
"Finishing the play." Shakespeare replied.
The Doctor's eyed widened a little and I started to catch on a little bit, "What happens of the last page?" The Doctor asked.
"The boys get the girls; they have a bit of a dance. It's all as funny and thought provoking as usual. Although… those last few lines. I don't remember writing them."
"That's it!" The Doctor said, "They used you, they gave you the final words. Like a spell, Love's Labour's Won, it's a weapon. The right combination of words spoken at the right place, with the shape of the Globe as an energy converter! The play's the thing!" he paused for a second, "Yes you can have that." I rolled my eyes.
Shakespeare rushed to his room and quickly got dressed while The Doctor rumbled through drawers looking for a map, me and Martha helped. Once everyone was back in the room. The Doctor placed the map down at he began to search for what he was looking for.
"There it is, All Hallows Street. Katherine, Martha. You two and I will track them down. Will, you get to the Globe and whatever you do stop that play." The Doctor ordered.
"I'll do it. All these years I've been the cleverest man around, next to you I know nothing." Shakespeare said as he shook The Doctor's hand. Alright Shakespeare, he's already got a big enough ego thank you.
"Well don't complain!" Martha said.
"I'm not! It's marvellous." He then turned to the Doctor, "Good luck Doctor."
"Good luck, Shakespeare." The Doctor ran grabbing his trench coat while me and Martha followed him; I also grabbed my demin jacket that was underneath his, "Once more unto the breach!" The Doctor said.
"I like that!" I heard Shakespeare say in the room I just left, "Wait a minute, that's one of mine."
I rolled my eyes, "Just shift will you!" I shouted
XOXO
"All Hallows Street" The Doctor confirmed as we walked around the corner, "But which house is it?"
"Thing is though, am I missing something here? The world didn't end in 1599, look at me I'm living proof." Martha asked and I shook my head while The Doctor sighed.
"Oh, how do I explain the mechanics of the infinite temporal flux? I know! Back To the Future! It's like Back to the Future." He said.
"The film?"
The Doctor rolled his eyes, "No the novelisation." He said with every word dripped in sarcasm, "Yes the film. Marty Mcfly goes back and changes history…"
"And he starts fading away." Martha finished his sentence and then the realization hit her, "Oh my god am I going to fade?"
The Doctor nodded, "You and the entire future of the human race, it all ends here in 1599 if we don't stop it." He said.
"So which house?" I asked.
As if right on queue the door of the house right in front of us opened on it's own, creaking as it was opening. Looks like the witches were expecting us I guess.
"Maybe that witch house."
The Doctor walked towards the house and Martha followed him, with me reluctantly following behind. We went through the hallway and into one of the rooms; I wasn't too sure what the rooms was for. There was nothing there, it was just empty dark and dingy. Like I had expected there was already someone waiting for us, that woman who was at the inn the other night. But she didn't look like the witch we had seen before… she looked human.
"I take it we're expected?" The Doctor asked.
"Oh I think death has been waiting for you a very long time." The girl replied, the words she said made me start to feel a little sick to the stomach.
"Right then. It's my turn." She said as she walked closer to the witch standing before us, "I know how to do this." She raised her finger up just like The Doctor had done earlier, "I name thee Carrionite."
The witch let out a false gasp of pain before smirking at Martha. Martha turned to look at The Doctor, a confused expression on her face.
"What did I do wrong? Was it the finger?" she asked.
"The power of a name only works once. Observe." She lifted her finger up pointing at Martha, "I gaze upon this bag of bones, and I name thee Martha Jones."
Martha let out a gasp on pain, although one was real. She collapsed to the floor and me and The Doctor grabbed her before she hit her head.
"What have you done?"
"She's only sleeping. Curious, her name has less impact. Seems to be out of her time." She then turned to me, "But there's always you." She pointed her finger at me, "Katherine Stewart." I felt a small sharp pain fill my entire body and I flinched a little bit, but I still remained standing, I began smirking at the witches puzzlement, "Seem you're not just out of your time too… you're also far far away. But I know one name that will hurt more… Ryan Edwards."
Another sharp pain filled my body, but like the witch had said, it hurt more. A whole lot more. I collapsed to the floor still conscious and the Doctor bent down to my side.
"Are you okay?" I nodded and smiled weakly the pain still taking over my entire body.
"Hm, I was hoping that name would have more impact than it did. But her agony will have a do. As for you Sir Doctor." She pointed her finger at him but he didn't even flinch, he just stared at her, "Fascinating. There is no name. Now why would a man hide his title in such despair?" She then began smirking and I wondered what she had seen, "Oh but look. There's still one word with the power that aches." Oh god. I thought. She knows about Rose.
"The naming won't work on me." He said, his tone dark. It reminded me of the oncoming storm and I wished I could just get up and move away from him, but the pain was still there and I didn't want to move.
"But your heart grows cold. The north wind blows and carries down the distant, Rose." The Doctor didn't even flinch again. Why did it work on me and not on him?
"Oh big mistake, because that name keeps me fighting. The Carrionites vanished, where did you go?" he asked as he stood up and walked away from me. I picked myself up a bit and shuffled down I was sitting down against the wall, the pain was starting subside, but it was still there.
"The eternals found the right word to banish us into the deep darkness." She answered.
"Then how did you escape?"
"New words. New and glittering, from a mind like no other."
"Shakespeare." I managed to choke out.
The Carrionite nodded, and looked down at the cauldron. I couldn't see anything from where I was sitting down but the Carrionite told me everything I needed to know, "His son perished. The grief of a genius. Grief without measure, madness enough to allow us entrance."
"How many of you?" The Doctor asked.
"Just the three." She replied, "But the play tonight shall restore the rest. Then the human race will the purged as pestilence, and from this world we will lead the universe back into the old ways of blood and magic."
"Hmm, busy schedule. But first, you've got to get past me." The Doctor said walking up to the Carrionite so that he was barely even an inch away from her.
"Oh that should be a pleasure." She began touching his face and running her hands through his hair, I was surprised that The Doctor wasn't pulling back or anything, "Considering my enemy has such a handsome shape."
"Now that's one form of magic that's definitely not going to work on me."
"Oh we'll see." I suddenly saw something in the form on scissors in the Carrionite's hand and before I could say anything, she cut of a piece of the Doctor's hair and rushed back from him.
"What's that for? What did you do?" the Doctor asked her.
"Souvenir." She replied.
"Well give it back!"
The Doctor rushed towards her but before he could get anywhere near her, she used her magic and opening the windows and floating out into mid-air.
"Behold Doctor, men to Carrionites are nothing but puppets." She then brought something else into her other hand, something that looked a lot like a voodoo doll. Do those even work?
"Now you might call that magic, I call that a DNA replication module."
I saw Martha start to stir in the corner of my eye, she turned to look at me. I pressed my finger on my lips motioning for her to be quiet, pointing at the Doctor and the Carrionite. She nodded as she tried to sit herself up as well.
"What use is your science now?" I saw her stab the scissors into the voodoo doll, or "DNA replication module" and the Doctor yelped out in pain. Trying to put the pain that I was still in to one side I jumped onto my feet and rushed to the Doctor's side I heard Martha following behind me. I looked up to where the Carrionite to see she had completely vanished. Stupid witches.
"Don't worry I've got you." I said.
Martha began listening to his heart beats, "Hold on mister, two hearts."
"You're making a habit of this." The Doctor mumbled, jumping up off the floor, only to yell out again in agony, "I've only got one heart working. How do you two cope? Katherine, I need to get it started hit me on the chest."
I hit him lightly on the right side of his chest; well I say lightly he still yelped out in pain.
"Other side!" I punched his left side this time and he still yelped out in pain, "Now on the back, hit me on the back." I done as he said, "Left a bit." I move slightly to the left and hit him, "Ah! Lovely! Ba-da-boom-ba!" He stared at us for a minute, "Well what are you standing there for? Come on, the Globe!"
XOXO
We ran through the streets until we got to the outside of the Globe. There were people running around screaming, I looked up at the globe. There were red tornado's coming out of the roof, with lightning and the sound of thunder, and I had feeling that somehow Shakespeare hadn't been able to stop the play for whatever reason.
"Stage door!" the Doctor shouted above the noise.
We ran down closer to the Globe and came through the back entrance. We got through to the dressing room where Shakespeare was, he was holding his head like he was in pain.
"Stop the play? Yeah that was it, he told you to stop the play!" I almost shrieked.
"I hit my head." Shakespeare said.
"Yeah don't rub it, you'll go bald." The Doctor mumbled.
Another load of thunder came through making me almost jump out of my skin.
"I think that's my cue!" The Doctor said running out of the room, Martha followed and so did I dragging Shakespeare behind me. We ran on the stage to see the whole crowed in panic trying their best to get out. A load of black clocked figures started emerging from the red clouds which I guessed were the Carionites.
"Come on Will! History needs you!" the Doctor shouted.
"But what can I do?" Shakespeare asked.
"Reverse it!"
"How am I supposed to do that?"
"The shape of the Globe gives words power, but you're the wordsmith. The only man clever enough to do it."
"But what words? I have none ready!"
I looked at him in disbelief, "You're William Shakespeare!"
"But these Carrionite phrases, they need such precision." He said.
"Trust yourself, when you're locked away in your room the words just come don't they? Like magic. Words of the right sound, the right shape, the right rhythm, words that last forever. That's what you do, Will you chose perfect words. Do it. Improvise."
The Doctor stepped back and I went to stand beside him, leaving Shakespeare at the front of the stage to say whatever words he needed to say to stop this thing.
"Close up this din of hateful, dire decay, decomposition of your witches' plot. You thieve my brains, consider me your toy. My doting Doctor tells me I am not. Foul Carrionite spectres, cease your show between the points…" he paused turning to do the Doctor.
The Doctor shrugged, "7-6-1-3-9-0."
"7-6-1-3-9-0." Shakespeare repeated, "Banished like a tinker's cuss, I say to thee…"
Shakespeare turned to the Doctor and The Doctor turned to me and Martha, I quickly scanned my brains trying to think of a word. I don't know why but I suddenly thought of Harry Potter. After all this is magic really isn't it?
"Expelliarmus!" I blurted out.
"Expelliarmus!" the Doctor repeated.
"Expelliarmus!"
"Good old J.K" the Doctor said grinning.
The Carrionites all started disappearing in the red clouds, and pieces of paper from back stage started to flying onto the stage and began disappearing in the clouds along with them. I'm guessing the sheets of paper were the scripts for the play.
"Love's Labour's Won, there it goes." The Doctor said.
There was a quick flash of white light and in the next second all the red clouds were done and you could see the roof of the Globe properly again. All the Carrionites were, gone and so was the play. Suddenly the crowed started applauding. The actors started taking their bows and so did Shakespeare, even Martha did. However the Doctor rushed of the stage, I decided to follow him instead. Never been one for the stage.
I followed him all the way up to the top balcony thing, he hadn't noticed me yet. When we got there, there was a sort of crystal ball thing just sitting there on the chairs. Although the crystal ball was some sort of the purple shade, and there was screaming coming from it. I looked at is a little closer and saw the three Carrionites screaming and banging at the glass.
"Bit moody aren't they?" The Doctor said.
"You knew I was here?" I asked.
"Yup." He replied popping the 'p', "You can't sneak up on me that easily." He said smirking.
XOXO
"Think Shakespeare's chatting Martha up. Again."
The Doctor looked out onto the stage with me from behind the curtain. Martha was sitting with Shakespeare on the edge, from what I could tell he was saying some fancy words in attempt to 'woo' her. And by the looks of it, it wasn't working too well.
"Well he's going to have to say goodbye soon." The Doctor said as he turned back to rummaging through the props.
"Why are you even looking through this stuff anyway?"
The Doctor shrugged, "Curiosity, always wanted to see what the Globe's prop store was like."
I rolled my eyes, "You're like a kid rummaging through a dressing up box."
The Doctor looked up at me, slowly shutting the box of props he had been rummaging through. And began walking past me out onto the stage.
"Good prop store back there!" he said, "I'm not sure about this thought. Reminds me of the Sycorax."
"Sycorax. Nice word, I'll have that of you as well." Shakespeare said.
I rolled me eyes, "Seriously? He should be getting 10% out of what you earn at this rate."
The Doctor smirked, "How's your head?" he asked Shakespeare.
"Still aching."
"Well I got you this. Neck brace. Wear that for a few days until it's better." The Doctor said placing the neck brace around Shakespeare.
"You might want to keep it actually, suits you." I said smiling.
"What about the play?" Martha asked.
"It's gone, looked all over. Katherine double checked. Every single copy of Love's Labour's Won went up in the sky." The Doctor answered.
"My lost masterpiece."
"Well you could always write it up again?" I suggested.
"Um, better not Will. There's still power in those words, maybe it should best stay forgotten." The Doctor said.
"Oh but I've got new ideas. Perhaps it's time I wrote about fathers and sons, in memory of my boy, Hamnet."
"Hamnet?" Martha asked.
"That's him."
"Ham-net?"
"What's wrong with that?"
"Anyway, time we were off. I've got a nice attic in the TARDIS were these lot can scream for all eternity. And I've got to take Martha back to freedonia." The Doctor said.
"You mean travel on through time and space?" Shakespeare said, I looked at him wide eyed. "You, Doctor are from another word like the Carionites, Martha here's from the future. And Katherine, well I don't know how you're here but you're from the future and a parallel universe. It's not so hard to work out."
"Proves it, you are a genius." I said grinning.
"That's incredible, you are incredible." The Doctor said also grinning.
"We're alike in many ways Doctor." He then turned to Martha, "Let me say goodbye to you with a new verse. A sonnet for my dark lady." Martha looked up at me and Katherine while we just gave her another look back, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely, more temperate…"
"Will!" Two men shouted interrupting him, "You'll never believe it. She's here! We're the talk of the town. She heard about last night and she wants us to perform it again."
"Who?" Martha asked.
"Her Majesty, she's here!"
"Queen Elizabeth the first!" The Doctor exclaimed grinning even more as she walked into the theatre.
"Doctor!"
"What?" The Doctor said confused.
"My sworn enemy. Off with his head!"
"What?"
Me and Martha rolled our eyes, "Never mind what, just run!" The Doctor, Me and Martha done as she said and started running.
"Bye Shakespeare!" I yelled.
We ran out of the Globe and down the street where the TARDIS was parked, soldiers were running after us shouting for us to stop. Fat chance they had of that, there was no way I was going to get me head chopped off.
"What did you do to upset her?" Martha asked.
The Doctor shrugged, "Don't know, haven't met her yet."
I rolled my eyes, "That's time travel for you." I said as I ran through the TARDIS doors, The Doctor and Martha following.
"I can't wait to find out though." The Doctor said grinning as he shut the door behind him. "Something to look forward too."
Authors Note: Sorry if it seems a bit rushed at the end. I wasn't too impressed with this chapter as I was with the one before… Anyway! The thing I need your opinion on. So obviously Martha shall be in the next episode. And the Dalek ones. But when it comes to the Lazarus episode, at the end shall The Doctor leave her on Earth or shall she stay with The Doctor and Katherine? Please leave your opinion in a review as I'm unsure of what to do.
Until next time…
Allonsy!
