Part 8
Hetty heard the doctor close the Tardis door behind him.
"Where are we?" she asked as he came to stand next to her.
"This is Gavaniar, or for you …..home!" he said basking in the sunlight.
"You weren't kidding about going anywhere!"
"Yee of little faith!" he said smiling. "I think you owe her an apology!" he said gesturing to the tardis.
"You seriously want me to apologise to that!" Hetty wrinkled her nose.
"She can be rather wicked when riled and you don't want to get lost in there! The last person who was mean to her was lost for 2 weeks!" he said scratching the back of his head. Hetty looked at him dumbfounded.
"I'm sorry!" she whispered.
"What did you say?"
"I'm sorry!" she said louder.
"Don't say it to me, now give her a hug and say you are sorry!" Hetty raised her eyebrows.
"You are kidding, right?" he gave one of his Paddington bear stares.
"I don't believe I'm doing this! You'll be telling me to give her a kiss next."
"Well…." Hetty stomped over to the tardis reached her arms around it and mumbled an apology. The doctor let out a laugh.
"You did it, you really did it! You humans are so gullible!" hetty was not amused.
"OWWW!" the doctor clutched his arm. "What was that for?" he nursed a bruise that was forming in the shape of Hetty's fist.
"That's for being smug!" she chuckled. "Well come on then lets go meet the relatives!" she shouted as she started to walk on the path that curled away from them.
Hetty walked on ahead for a while. She was scared but she wasn't going to let the doctor know that. That was her way, be brash and look like you know what you're doing. She looked at her surroundings. It was like a beautiful spring day on earth. That sounded so weird. Back on earth! She smirked to herself. There were no birds, the trees had green leaves, and the grass was green. If there was just one sun you would think it was earth. The track ahead started to go uphill.
"There should be a village just over this hill!" the doctor shouted from behind her.
She stopped and allowed him to catch up. He hadn't even broken a sweat. She was walking at a fair old pace. Anna said she could speed walk for England.
"So where do you call home then doctor?" she asked. They were now walking together.
"The tardis is my home now!" he said averting his gaze.
"You must have a home planet? Hey I've got two!" she said with a giggle.
"I'm a long way from home Nurse Davies!"
"Please call me Hetty!" the doctor stopped suddenly.
"Just a minute!…… Hetty Davies!" he began to laugh.
"Ok, ok, laugh it up. My dad…. Well Norman had a sense of humour! Anyway what kind of name is Dr John Smith!" the doctor stopped laughing.
"I'll have you know that name has got me out of a lot of scrapes!" he looked hurt.
"Could be worse I suppose!" she smiled at him, she started to feel safe with him. The man who had caused so much trouble for her, taken across goodness knows how many galaxies. She was warming to him. She suddenly realised she was standing alone. He'd disappeared.
"Come on Hetty!" he shouted over the crest of the hill.
She ran in the direction of his voice and stopped dead at the top of the hill. The view below her was breathtaking.
The valley stretched out below her. It was littered with chocolate box cottages. A small stream meandered it's way through the village. Hetty could hear children playing. The doctor was half way down the slope and was waving at her. She carefully began to descend into the valley. She could feel the sun on her skin, she felt warm, safe. She had been here before. Was this the place in her dreams? She walked through the long grass that was dotted with beautiful purple flowers. The doctor was at the foot of the slope and was waiting patiently for her. 'Please do not let me fall on my backside again' she thought.
"Glad you made it!" he said offering her his hand to help her down the last bit. She warily took it and stood in rapture.
"This place is beautiful!"
"Yes it is, they have made a lot of progress since I was here last!" they started to walk towards the village.
"Have you been back here since….. You know?"
"No, it was too dangerous!" hetty stepped over a cat in the middle of their path.
"Hello!" the doctor said to an old woman who appeared to taking in her washing. She looked at him and hurried away.
Hetty looked in wonderment at the houses that lined both sides of a dusty track. Women were sitting sewing, children chasing each other and chickens running loose. It reminded Hetty of rural France. The women looked at them and took in there belongings and herded the children in doors. The doctor and hetty looked at each other.
"Do you always get this reception!" Hetty asked bemused. The doctor sniffed his coat and jacket.
"Pretty much!" he said with a smile.
"Why does that not surprise me!" the street was now deserted.
"News travels fast around here!" the doctor said thrusting his hands in his pockets. Hetty saw what seemed to be a town square up ahead.
"Perhaps we could find the local pub hostelry? I need a drink!" she said heading towards the town square.
"Hang on, something's not quite right here. Where are the men?" hetty didn't hear him.
At the centre of the town square was a statue. It could be approached from all four sides. Hetty looked up at the remarkable statue. It was made of what seemed like marble. It was of a man sat on a throne. The plaque at his feet read 'Our Lord and protector Lord Menavore'.
"Don't mind me?" the doctor said.
"This looks an interesting bloke!" Hetty said studying the statue more closely. The doctor took out his glasses and read the plaque.
"Our Lord and protector, more like our Lord and Master. Hetty meet your father!"
"What?" she said surprised. "He is my father the tyrant?" the doctor had his back to her.
"Why would they erect a statue of him if he was so evil?" she asked looking up into the statues face once more.
"I don't think we need to worry about him at the moment we've got company!" he said shakily.
Hetty moved to the other side of the statue.
"Erm doctor we've got company!"
"I just said tha….. Oh!" he said stopping. There were four streets that lead to the town square, all four were now filled with male villagers brandishing pitch forks and various farming implements. The doctor moved in front of Hetty.
"Stay behind me Rose!"
"Who?" Hetty said.
