Chapter 6: The Incident
Stepping out of the TARDIS, finding himself inside an old abandoned warehouse, the Doctor looked about with a curious look. It surprised him that no matter what time period, New York City never seemed to change. Even when he visited the place with Martha back in the 1920's, it had this decaying charm about it—a certain stench that never seemed to go away from memory.
Quick pace out of the warehouse, memorizing its location in his mind, the Doctor found himself a newspaper of the correct date (March 14, 2000) and according to the sun setting above him, it was close to the time he needed to get there. Now all he had to do was find that club called "The Spotted Dog" and he would be home free.
Asking kindly from a random person he found on the street, he received decent directions and was there in no time at all. The club itself seemed rather spiffy with its mock-gothic architecture to give it that 'old world' feel to it; windows totally nonexistent on its black front. Outside, a large line was formed halfway down the street. It mostly consisted of young adults and older teenagers dressed in dark gothic wear—complete with liquid black eyeliner and black nail polish. It amused him for some reason.
Striding up purposefully, putting on the act of someone very important and very busy, the Doctor flashed his psychic paper at the head bouncer who eagerly let him in. Checking it afterwards, the Doctor found that the man thought he was a representative of some record company. The inside of the club was jam-packed about the dance area in front of the stage (most likely used for moshpits if the music expected to be playing said anything).
At the edge of this dancing area were a collection of tables sprawled about for people to sit and drink leisurely from their drinks of choice. Spotting a lonely-looking young lad—who must have been no older than seventeen—reading a familiar lyric book. The Doctor made a bee-line for that table and sat down with a cheerful grin.
"So you a fan of the band or something?" said the Doctor in a friendly conversational way. The boy seemed startled at first to have some random stranger come out-of-the-blue and start a conversation with him but from the look on his face, he was asked about something he held dear.
"Yeah." he admitted, turning faintly crimson, "I just love Marishka's voice. She has this true emotion behind her words that anyone can relate to." handing the Doctor his lyric book to browse, "You can really feel the pain and anguish of her life, man." The Doctor's hand trailed along the cover, tracing the outline of the words "Marishka Rasmussen" with a lazy fingertip.
"This is my first time here. What's she all about?" The Doctor tried to make this last part sound as nonchalant as possible, not wanting to scare the boy with his eagerness to know of Jaime's past—not that the boy would know her by that name. The boy brightened, taking on an informed voice.
"Marishka is a vampire rocker, turned a few centuries ago. Her sire was killed not long afterwards. When her humanity was taken away, she felt like she lost everything until she met Andrei—a mortal man destined to save her soul. Her problem though is she loves him so much that she doesn't want to turn him for fear of him hating her like she hated her sire. She doesn't want him to live the life she must live. It's so Romeo and Juliet, man." Pulling a comic book out from his pile of Marishka merchandise, the boy smiled proudly, "Here read through this. It gives the complete back story to her life."
What the boy said was true. In beautiful detail Marishka's life was outlined with every heartache and painful experience. Recognizing the style as that of Jaime's from the lyric book, the Doctor was very impressed by her skill. The intricate details she put into a single panel blew him away—making him forget for a moment that during this time she was just sixteen. The drawing of Andrei looked vaguely familiar, though he couldn't figure out why.
"At the bottom of some of the pages, you'll see song titles in italics. Those are where her songs she wrote fit into her life story."
"I think I shall have to buy my own." drawled the Doctor, deeply enthralled by the piece of art. As he walked back from the counter crammed with things from lyric books, comic books, and signed photos; the lights dimmed. The show was about to start.
The already gloomy atmosphere of the club became positively dusky and hazy—almost eerie with the heavy smell of incense and cigarettes in the air. A fog rose from the stage as a single light emerged in the darkness, lighting the grand piano center stage. A dark figure, half-shadowed in darkness, lit only by the watery glow of the blue light hovering overhead—causing more shadows than anything else. The darkened person was definitely female, the Doctor guessed, by the small frame, rounded shoulders, and delicate figure. The long dark locks of her hair flowed in a billowy wave down her back. What caught the Doctor's attention most was the beauty of her music as her fingers flew deftly across the board in a flurry of eerie passion. Her voice, hauntingly beautiful in its sad refrain—calling to the Doctor's own inner pain—was too moving to describe as she transfixed her audience.
I'm so tired of being here, suppressed by all my childish fears.
And if you have to leave, I wish that you would just leave.
'Cause your presence still lingers here and it won't leave me alone.
These wounds won't seem to heal. This pain is just too real.
There's just too much that time cannot erase.
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears,
When you screamed I'd fight away all of your fears,
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have a hold over me.
You used to captivate me by your resonating life,
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind.
Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams,
Your voice it chased away oh the sanity in me.
These wounds won't seem to heal. This pain is just too real.
There's just too much that time cannot erase.
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears,
When you screamed I'd fight away all of your fears,
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have a hold over me.
I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone.
But though you're still with me, I've been alone out of love.
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears,
When you screamed I'd fight away all of your fears,
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have a hold over me.
Me oh. Me oh.
The song moved the Doctor unexplainably. He felt so…heartbroken…by her performance that it took a moment in his mind to register that it was Jaime actually singing and not someone else. He had to know the reference in her life where this song stemmed from; it was too beautifully tragic to be made up on a whim.
Flipping though the comic book, asking the name of the song ("My Immortal") from the young starry-eyed boy beside him, the Doctor found where in the character's past the song fit in. According to the comic book, "My Immortal" was written as homage to Marishka's sire that turned her into a vampire, but looking at the drawing the Doctor could tell who the song was really about. What with his intense green eyes and pitch black hair, the resemblance was uncanny. But that still didn't explain why she gave up singing if her father died four years before this day.
The concert went on, showcasing Jaime's unbeatable talent. The difference between that little ten-year-old girl and sixteen-year-old-woman child was immense. For one thing, there was a ferocity in Jaime's performance; her cocky confidence doubled now she knew the power of her beauty. And oh was she beautiful. Dressed in a completely gothic ensemble made of black jeans, black knee-high boots, and a black and red brocaded bodice; she cut a stunning figure of youth. Surprisingly, she made the heavy black eyeliner and black nail polish alluring, coupled with her blood red lipstick and pale skin. Most surprising of all was who Andrei actually was.
Seeing him leap onstage, the Doctor instantly recognized "Andrei" as Adrian—Jaime's long time best friend. No longer was he the shy little boy who tagged along obediently in his friend's heels, commenting here and there in conversation in a soft mouse-like voice. Now he was as fierce as she, even more so in his duet with her as he played the guitar. A perfect match if there ever was one. The chemistry between the two of them as they sang to each other—the very passion in their voices—was overwhelming. At one point, she pulled away from her keyboard and sang directly to him and "almost bit" him. The crowd went nuts. Even the boy beside him squealed gleefully.
"Is everyone having fun out z'ere tonight?" Jaime called over the crowd with a playful smirk; she was just eating up this attention. The audience screamed back a unanimous "YES!" with energetic enthusiasm.
"How about ve sing one last song, yes? A personal favorite of mine—"Everybody's Fool"." The crowd went nuts once more as Adrian whipped out his guitar again to play for her with a smile. Even the boy seemed excited by this song.
"What's so special about the song?" asked the Doctor, shouting over the crowd to be heard. The boy laughed back:
"You really are a noob! "Everybody's Fool" is the only song that has no setting in her back story and she's only sung it one time before. The original title was "Doctor's Song" I heard, but that's probably just a rumor." The boy shouted, turning back eagerly to the performance. That peaked the Doctor's interest.
The song started of a fast Spanish style guitar solo, turning into an out-and-out rock song. Jaime danced about the stage—owning it totally as she sang her song with a bitter sarcastic smirk.
Perfect by nature, icons of self-indulgence.
Just what we all need: more lies about a world
That never was and never will be.
Have you no shame, don't you see me.
You know you've got everybody fooled.
Look here he comes now, bow down and stare in wonder.
Oh how we love you, no flaws when you're pretending.
But now I know he never was and never will be.
You don't know how you betrayed me.
And somehow you've got everybody fooled.
Without the mask, where will you hide?
Can't find yourself; lost in your lie.
I know the truth now. I know who you are
And I don't love you anymore.
It never was and never will be.
You don't know how you betrayed me.
And somehow you've got everybody fooled.
Never was and never will be
You're not real then you can't save me.
Somehow now you're everybody's fool.
The song explained everything about her bitter feelings towards him when they first met. The last note hung in the air, much like the bitter scowl on Jaime's crimson lips. This scowl reminded the Doctor very much of his Jaime but there wasn't that tragic sadness in the corner of her eyes; that private pain. And he still hadn't found out why she no longer would sing. Unfortunately, he didn't have long to find out.
Standing at the edge of the stage was an ordinary enough looking lad with mousy brown hair and ordinary brown eyes, but there was something off about him. Perhaps it was the maddened twinkle in his eyes or the strange smile hovering over his lips, but as he heard her sing he became more restless. When Jaime went to hug Adrian as they normally did as the boy informed the Doctor, the strange fan at the foot of the stage pulled the gun from his jacket and fired. The Doctor shot out of his chair and towards the stage as soon as he saw it.
A loud BANG echoed the small hall as the sound of the gun went off like a cannon. Before anyone could move to stop him, a shower of crimson erupted across the stage. Adrian had been shot dead. Most would assume that a person standing so close to him when he was shot, and who knew him so well, would be hysterical with fear. This was not so with Jaime.
As the crowd moved to subdue the guy, knocking away the gun from his hands and holding him down until the cops could come, Jaime leapt off the stage and snatched the gun from the floor—pointing it at the offender with a cold glare. Pushing to the front of the crowd, the Doctor boldly stepped between the man and Jaime to block her shot.
"You don't want to do this." A glimmer of a dark smirk twinkled at the corners of her mouth as she continued to stare over his shoulder at the man she so wished to seek vengeance on in her maddened state.
"Yes. Yes, I believe I do." The Doctor had to hand it to her; she never once broke character in all this—still speaking with that thick Russian accent. It was time to appeal to the little girl he knew once upon a time.
"Is that what he'd want?" he said softly, looking her straight in the eye, "Do you think he'd want you to throw your life away just to seek petty vengeance?" There was a glimmer of hesitation in her eyes, enough to let the Doctor know he was in the right place. "Come on. Give me the gun." He held his hand out for her to hand the gun over. Reluctantly, she placed it in his palm before pushing past him to confront her attempted attacker.
"Why? Why did you do it?" she demanded, grabbing him by the collar. The man looked back blankly as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.
"Because I love you." he said simply, "Ever since I first heard you sing, I've loved you. I just knew I'd be so much better for you than him." The poor lad was delusional, thinking she was a real vampire. It almost made the Doctor feel somewhat sympathetic for him. It had the opposite effect on Jaime.
"You fell in love vit me because of my voice?" she repeated with a shake of her head, "z'en let it be known z'at never again shall I sing as long as I shall live." A loud shout of anguish erupted as the crowd tried to get at the man for ruining such a good act, pushing the Doctor to the door with his comic book in hand. It was time for him to go anyway now that he knew.
The outside was still rather cold from the melting snow as spring approached slowly. Inside, the Doctor felt numb. He witnessed the murder of such a good person—his life snuffed out like a candle in the wind just because of one rabid fan who took make-believe way too seriously. With a heavy heart he reviewed what he knew of Jaime's life: her brother died a horrific death when she was six, thought her mother was dead for years, her dad died when she was twelve from drugs, and her mother was murdered in front of her not even a few months ago during their reunion. Add the death of her best friend, and most likely lover, after she sang the Doctor Song, and he inadvertently had a hand in almost every death in her life. And it killed him inside.
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The first song was "My Immortal" by Evanescence. I do not own the song. I wish I had that talent.
The second song is "Everybody's Fool" by Evanescence. I also don't own it. It's where I got the title of the story because that's what inspired this whole story in my head. If you think back to Jaime's thoughts about the Doctor before she actually met him, it fits perfectly. Yeah I know, my mind's kind of twisted. Actually, I have a whole backstory into each song on the album Fallen to this story, I just felt these two captured this story more perfectly.
P.S. The mentioned duet between Jaime and Adrian is "Bring Me To Life" from Evanescene as well. So sorry I couldn't fit it in.
P.S.S. I won't be able to post anymore of the story for a while. In the middle of moving. Please comment on the story. I desperately want feedback to know if this story is even worth continuing. I love it, I do, it's just...I wonder if other people connect with it like I do.