Chapter Four, Chase the Morning
"I saw you at the show. I thought I'd seen a ghost. Your resemblance is striking. You have your mother's eyes, her hair. I was told you died with her. All these years have come and gone." ~Repo! The Genetic Opera
Istas frowned as she sat in one of the lounges at school and gingerly rubbed the scrapes on her elbows with a delicate hand. She muttered a few curses under her breath and tired to focus on the small laptop before her. She groaned and leaned back in the chair, flinching as the bright sunlight burned her eyes.
"Monkey bubbles…" she cursed and hunched over the keyboard again. Her eyes followed a student who walked in and settled at a distant table. She sighed and rubbed her eyes.
Her weekend didn't go at all how she planned it. Everything went downhill after running into that man in a brown suit. At first she had thought it was Eric since he fancied wearing suits and Converse, but the expression the man gave her was unsettling. The woman who followed also unsettled her.
After the incident, her entire rhythm was thrown askew and was unable to regain her stride. She hurt too much to try very hard and doubted that the village would want a blood trail. Istas had gone back to her vehicle and cleaned herself up as best as she could before returning home. Any phone call that came for her, she ignored. She wanted sleep.
"Hey, you feeling okay?" Ian asked as he walked into the lounge. "You didn't answer my text or call."
Istas blinked a few times and snapped out of her reverie. "Hm? Oh, yeah, I'm okay. Just…overly pensive for some reason."
"You sure? You seem…anywhere but here." He sat down across from her and watched as she packed up her laptop. "Shit, Istas! What happened to your arms?"
She looked up before searching her arms. "Oh, the ground hit me."
"You? Istas Smithe? Being hit by the ground? Impossible!"
"Improbable is more like it," she replied and shook her head. "I was out running and ran into some guy and his lady friend. The ground thought it was a good idea to bite both of us."
"Damn…run and hit. I wonder why you didn't get a ticket for that. Your running is dangerous."
"No coppers around. I was safe."
"So who'd you bowl over?"
Istas gave Ian a flat stare before laughing. "Some pinhead. He didn't say sorry or anything. He just gave me this look like, 'Oh. Dear. Gods! She's got an alien on her face!' It was…not amusing."
Ian laughed. "Well, he shouldn't have to say sorry considering you ran into him."
"Yeah, well, he wasn't exactly looking where he was going either!"
Ian was quiet. "Okay, point. So how was the rest of your weekend?"
"Like shit. If felt like someone was constantly following me. It was bad. I kept seeing those people. Like I had to go to the knit shop to pick up yarn for Bonnie and there they were! I didn't even pick up the yarn she wanted. I walked out and headed somewhere more public and they bloody followed me! "
"Did they ever confront you?" Ian asked, looking mildly worried.
"No…they kept a few paces back."
"Did you call the police?"
Istas shook her head. "No, why would I? They're not doing any harm."
Ian sighed heavily. "You don't understand, do you? They're stalking you!"
"Well it's about time I've got a stalker!" Istas replied teasingly. "Ian, I know I should talk with the police, but they're seriously not doing any arm."
He sighed heavily and shrugged. "You're worrying me, Istas. Kate would be talking with authorities."
"But that's the thing. I'm not Kate. I'm not even related to her. She's just my foster sister. She's a worry-wart anyway. When and if the time comes where I don't feel comfortable with it, then I'll talk with the police. But until then, I don't really care."
"…If you sure." Ian looked into Istas's eyes for a moment before looking away.
"I am sure, Ian. Don't worry about me so much. I've got myself covered. I know how to defend myself."
"Run screaming?" asked Jackie as she waltzed into the lounge and took a seat.
"You forgot flailing, dear, but yes," Istas corrected and smiled widely.
"Great tactic, Issy," Ian chided.
Istas stuck her tongue out to Ian before greeting her friend. "How're things, my dear?"
"Good. I'm tired…really, really tired. So…what were you two talking about?"
"Istas has herself some stalkers," Ian blurted.
"Issy! Did you call the police?"
Istas looked up, clearly not in the mood to be lectured on the proper way to handle being followed. "Will you guys just let it be?" she interrupted as both Jackie and Ian joined sides and began lecturing. "Pretty soon Kristen's going to call and tell me the same exact thing."
The dark skinned woman groaned again and threw back her head as her friends continued talking. Her slim hands ran through her silken raven black hair and rubbed her eyes.
"Okay, okay! If they keep following me, in swear on my mother's grave that I'll call the police, blah, blah, blah," Istas finally said, her voice loud enough to receive glares from studying students. She flinched at the looks. "As of now, they're nowhere around here. I would appreciate it if you all backed off and let me figure this out on my own."
Ian and Jackie exchanged looks before Ian shrugged. "Whatever you say, Istas."
--
Rain pounded against the TARDIS. The thick canopy of leaves could do little to stop the torrential rain that fell on much of Illinois. Dark, ominous clouds milled to the south and lightning flickered in the distance. Gusts of strong winds whipped tree limbs to and fro as if they were made of rags. Withering leaves were torn from branches and were carried on the howling wind.
Inside the TARDIS, the wind became a low drone, the rain a soothing rhythm. The Doctor sat at the controls, deep in thought. Just hours before, the weather was bright and sunny. The storm had brewed quickly and struck with horrifying force. His eyebrows knit together as a cold sensation gripped his gut—a constant nag that something was worse than he had initially thought. Exactly what it was, the Doctor didn't know.
At the moment, it was far from being the priority. Thoughts of the daughter he never knew about occupied his mind and set his stomach even more on edge. His hands clenched the yellow upholstery of the chair as he pieced things together. That woman—she looked so much like Misae. Her face was calm and serene, yet it held such wild abandon. He knew she was strong spirited. The way she moved was as graceful as her mothers. Every little thing about her, the Doctor saw Misae.
He wasn't alone anymore. At last there was another Time Lord—or partial Time Lord. He shuddered at the thought. Everything was all too familiar for his liking. He had lost Jenny so quickly after she came into his life. He feared that he would lose his only other daughter. The daughter he had made with a woman that he ended up loving.
Part Time Lord…the Doctor thought, his eyes narrowed. He took a deep breath through his nose and looked to see where Donna went.
He opened his mouth to call to Donna, but he shut it quickly. His eyes went wide as he sprang to his feet. Misae!
If his daughter was here, then the mother would be too. His hearts leapt with joy, but the uneasiness was still too overpowering. The Doctor grabbed his brown trench coat and hastily pulled it on. He checked his pockets to ensure that he had his Sonic Screwdriver before he sprinted towards the door.
"Oi!" Donna shouted towards him as she stepped out of a back room. "And where do you think you're going, Space Man?"
"To find Misae!" the Doctor shouted back as he opened the door. He shielded his eyes as a gust of wind stole the very breath from his body and threatened to knock him over.
"Are you bloody insane? It's a hurricane out there!"
"I don't care! I need to find her!"
"Well I do, Doctor! I've seen storms in the past and this is no ordinary storm!" Donna continued to shout. She rushed over to where the Doctor was and attempted to pull him back inside.
"Donna, I need to see her again. I need to know why she left me and never told me about our daughter." He searched Donna's eyes for the answers to his questions. He needed her support. Icy rain dripped down his face as the wind whipped his coat about his lithe form. His body shivered as he was already soaked to the bone.
"She must have had a reason, Doctor. Get back inside before you catch your death!" Donna snapped and wrapped her arms about her drenched form.
The Doctor reluctantly entered the TARDIS and closed the door with a struggle. "Why…?"
The way the Doctor asked such a simple question nearly broke Donna's heart. She had seen him lost and conflicted before when he spoke of Rose and Martha—even on a rare occasion, Jenny. It was never like this. He had the power to get Misae back, and he didn't. For once he had the opportunity to change the ending and he allowed it to pass him by.
"I don't know, Doctor. I don't know," she replied in a gentle voice. She pulled him into her arms and held him as if he were a small child. She felt odd doing so—the Doctor was over 900 years old and she was…extremely young compared to him.
The Doctor melted into her arms and leaned against her, too distraught to stand on his own.
"Once this storm ends, then we'll go out and find her and your daughter. It's only early morning and there is a whole day ahead of us. We'll find them, don't worry. But I think you should be more concerned about what is driving this storm, Doctor."
He looked oddly to her and stepped back. "What do you mean?" he asked slowly, his sorrow lost.
"I've traveled enough with you to know that something is making it happen, and that something isn't Mother Nature nor is it good. Something or someone is generating it."
The Doctor thought logically about what Donna said. He nodded slowly. He knew Donna was right. Someone was behind the storm and his stomach churned. He had seen this storm before, but couldn't remember where.
--
The annoying buzz of Istas's alarm clock startled her. She sat bolt upright in her bed and slammed her hand down onto the clock with a grumble. She laid looking towards the ceiling, her eyes focused on a small speck from where Katherine had little glow in the dark stars puttied. They had long since been removed, but the discoloration on the ceiling remained.
From out the window, the sun tried to break through the dense cloud cover. It's struggles proved futile as the dark clouds continued to thicken and cast a gray shadow across much of the United States. Where birds usually sang songs to greet the sun, silence stretched on for miles. The only sounds that wafted through her open windows were the sounds of morning traffic and the rustle of leaves.
Istas found enough strength to roll out of bed and start her morning. She stumbled towards the dresser in her room and pulled on the clothing she had set out the night before. She cried out in pain as she stubbed her toe on the metal bed frame and cursed foully. She sat down on the edge of the bed and cradled her throbbing toe delicately.
She looked up quickly as a noise from outside startled her. Her eyes narrowed and she silently moved to the window and peered out. Once satisfied that nothing was there, she closed the window, said a farewell to Katherine's rats that she had to leave behind, and trudged down the stairs into the living room to watch the morning news.
Donna elbowed the Doctor sharply in the ribs as he almost got them caught. He sent him a warning glance and let out the breath she held.
"Idiot…" she hissed under her breath as she got to her feet. Donna dusted off her knees and fought against the branches of the bush they took shelter behind.
"That's my daughter!" the Doctor shot back in his defense. "Haven't I got the right to see her?"
"Yeah, but not when it's going to get us caught, genius!" Donna hissed again. "What do you think would have happened if we were found out? She would have called the police and we would have been arrested for trespassing!"
"Awh, don't think that way. Everything would have worked out well enough."
"At five bloody thirty in the morning?"
"Well…yeah, I guess you're right," the Doctor admitted.
Donna was pleased to see the Doctor had his usual spunk back. The previous day had worried her—she had never seen the Doctor that troubled. She regretted assuring him that they would figure out a way to contact her that day. She was far from ready to help with such a feet, but she knew the Doctor needed to contact his daughter.
After a few minutes of silence, the Doctor looked over to Donna. "What 's taking her so long?"
"She's a lady, dimwit!" Donna snapped. "We're not always ready to get up and leave! Unlike you."
The Doctor's gaze was flat as he listened to Donna. "…Right…."
Silence once again stretched between the Doctor and Donna as they waited for the Doctor's daughter to leave the house. Donna shot him a warning glare as he began to fidget and become restless. The Doctor could only give a half-hearted shrug and bounce his leg impatiently.
Time ticked by slowly and a half an hour's wait seemed like half a century. Finally, the front porch lights snapped on. The warm glow flooded the first part of the yard and made the Doctor blink a few times. He rolled forward on his feet as the door opened and two figures emerged from behind the screen. One he recognized instantly as his daughter, and the other, a slightly older woman he didn't know. His hearts fell as he understood who the woman was.
Donna frowned as she spied the Doctor's expression and gripped his arm to offer support.
The door opened and the young woman trudged out, a heavy messenger bag slung over her shoulder and rested on the small of her back. She didn't look pleased to be awake let alone heading out to class.
"Later, kid! Have a good one!" the woman called out in a cheery, alto voice. She smiled widely and it brightened her somewhat pale complexion. Her dark gray hair turned gold from the warm, yellow lights outside the house.
Istas groaned and waved her off. "Later, Steve," she mumbled unenthusiastically. She fumbled with her caribeaner of keys before she tried a key. She pulled the handle to the Tank's door and bumped into it. She grumbled again and raised the keys to the light to pick out the correct one.
"Bloody keys…bloody lack of light…bloody car…. Why can't things be easy and just open when I snap or something? The new and improved version of 'Open Sesame'—or that clap-on light thing! But no…oh no. Why would it? They're purposely out to piss me off."
Istas jerked on the handle and the door swung open with the intent of hitting her. She shouted a word in a foreign tongue before throwing her bag onto the passenger seat and climbed in.
The Tank shuddered and roared to light as the ignition was turned. At a pull of a lever, the headlights flared to life. The driver side window rolled down as a wisp of white smoke billowed out into the crisp air. A heavy, lumbering, dark tune broke the drone of the Tank's engine. A gruff, raspy voice began to chant.
The Doctor looked to Donna in distaste. He could hardly understand the growling words of the singer. His daughter's choice of music was clearly upsetting him. Donna fought to hold her laughter in. She swayed with the music and was only reminded of a slow, drunken tavern song.
He held a finger to his lips to silence Donna before she could speak and pointed towards the large, rusted vehicle that backed out of the long driveway at an insanely fast rate. Once the vehicle was out of the driveway and sped off down the road, the Doctor motioned for Donna to follow him.
"Where are we going?" Donna asked in a harsh whisper.
"I'm going to meet my daughter. You can come with if you'd like, but I need to do this. I need to know where her mother is," the Doctor explained shortly and looked deep into Donna's eyes.
"You're not leaving me behind with these weird-os, Sunshine!" Donna hissed. The Doctor smiled widely and took her hand as he ran off.
Note: I seemed to have failed at describing the awesomeness of Finntroll. Youtube the song "Asfagelns Dodd" if you're interested in hearing my epic attempt at describing Finntroll and epically failing.
Also, special thanks to BlueEyedWolf04 for adding my little story to her story alert list.
