Really sorry this took so long, I've been dealing with college things at the moment, hopefully this chapter makes up for it. Most of you have been guessing about Freya's backstory - some of you right, some of you wrong - I'll let you wait to find out which one you are ... I know, I'm evil. Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Human Nature
Freya cringed as she fell to the floor, the console sparking like crazy. She felt a hand grab hers, she looked up from to see the Doctor, he pulled her to her feet as well as Martha and then looked at them seriously.
"Did they see you?" he asked urgently.
Freya shrugged while Martha said, "I don't know!"
"Did they see you?" he repeated.
"Doctor, we were too busy running to." Freya cut in, her arm starting to hurt under his grip. "I...I don't think so."
"Can you be sure? Did they see your face?"
Freya frowned before shaking her head. "They couldn't have," she said and noticed that Martha was doing the same.
The Doctor finally let go of them and ran upto the control, Freya followed him as he started messing with the controls. She held on tightly as the TARDIS started up. "Off we go!" The Doctor exclaimed, watching the time rotor intently.
Freya and Martha stayed silent as the Doctor worked, neither one of them wanting to interupt.
Suddenly, a load of symbols appeared on the screen and the Doctor cursed lowly. "They're following us," he told the girls, not looking up at them as he ran around the console.
"How can they do that? You've got a time machine!" Martha pointed out as they followed him.
"Stolen technology, they've got a Time Agent's vortex manipulator. They can follow us wherever we go, right across the universe...they're never going to stop." He paused, running a hand through his hair nervously. "Unless...I have to do it, we have to do it..." he eyes slid over to Freya before moving to Martha. "Martha, do you trust me?"
"Of course I do." Martha said instantly.
"Cause it all depends on you," he said before diving under the console, leaving Martha looking confused. She turned to Freya but all the younger girl could do was shrug.
"What does, what am I supposed to do?" she asked.
The Doctor reappeared holding an ornate pocket watch. "Take this watch, 'cause my life depends on it. This watch, Martha, this watch is -"
Freya woke with a start and looked around wildly, unsure where she was for a second before she slumped back onto the bed. This had been her routine for the past couple of months, even since she and her brother had moved into the school and the nightmares had started.
Well...they were hardly nightmares all the time, some were so amazing she woke wishing she hadn't.
She wished they were real. But they aren't and her life isn't a fantasy. Sure, her life wasn't bad but who wanted to live with their brother for the rest of their lives.
Freya sighed heavily before getting up.
...
Martha smiled at the Doc-at John Smith as he passed. "Morning, sir," she said politely.
He slowed to a stop, a faraway look on his face. "Yes, hi," he said simply, before walking away without another word. Martha ignored to pain in her chest as she got back to work.
"Heads in the clouds, that one." Jenny said, smiling slyly. "Don't know why you're so sweet on him."
"He's just kind to me, that's all. Not everyone's that considerate, what with me being - " she cut herself off and pointed to her face.
Jenny smiled. "A Londoner."
Martha couldn't help but smile back. "Exactly! Good old London town!" And the pair started to laugh. Their laughter stopped instantly when they heard a male voice to the side of them.
"Ah, now then, you two." Baines - an arrogant snob - sneered down at them. "You're not paid to have fun, are you? Put a little backbone into it."
"Yes sir, sorry sir." Jenny said quietly, not looking up at him while Martha bit the inside of her cheek.
"You there," the second boy, Hutchinson, who was just as bad as Baines, turned to Martha. "What's your name again?"
Martha looked up, surprised at being addressed. "Martha, sir. Martha Jones."
Hutchinson smirked. "Tell me then, Jones. With hands like those, how can you tell when something's clean?"
"With comments like those, it's a wonder how you could be called 'gentlemen'." The four of them turned to see Freya Smith, glaring at the two boys and Martha relaxed instantly.
Baines looked unfazed. "Hello, Gallifreya." His usual smirk turned into a charming smile as he made his way over to her, took her hand and pressed his lips against her knuckles.
Freya grimaced slightly and discretely wiped the back of her hand on her skirt when he finally let her go. "Do you think it's nice insulting people?" she snapped.
"She hardly classes as a person." Hutchinson scoffed.
"And you two could hardly class as men, more like little boys who really need to grow up. Why don't you run along and learn some manners." They didn't move so she tried a different approach. "Maybe I should tell my brother about your hidden stash of beer in the woods." Hutchinson glared while Baines frowned as they walked away. Freya turned to Martha and Jenny with a smile. "Let me know if they start bothering you again."
"We will, miss," Jenny said with a smile.
"Thank you," Martha said, smiling even more brightly than she had in months. Freya had always been polite, and occasionally spoke with them, but like John she always had her heads in the clouds. Martha had missed her friend. A thought hit her and she spoke before she could stop herself. "Could we take you out for a drink, tonight?"
Freya looked surprised. "You...want me to have a drink with you?" she looked between Martha and Jenny, who looked just as surprised but was smiling.
"We'll love you to join us." Freya thought for a moment before nodding with a small smile. "Okay, we'll meet you at the front gates at seven." Freya nodded again before walking upstairs, leaving Martha and Jenny in silence.
...
Freya shook her head as she watched John carry a large pile of books out of the library, barely able to see around them.
"You sure you don't need a hand?" she called after him.
"No, I'm alright thank you," his muffled voice called back.
Freya rolled her eyes and turned to Timothy with a smile. He handed her a book with a strange look on his face when their hands touched. "Noble." He said suddenly, Freya stared at him.
"Excuse me?"
Tim shook his head to clear it. "Sorry miss," was all he said and Freya nodded slowly before jotting down the title of his book.
"Freya!" A boy yelled, making both Freya and Tim jump. "It's Mr Smith, he fell down the stairs."
Freya cursed slightly, earning shocked and amused looks from the people in the room, before running around the counter and down the hall.
...
John groaned in pain, making both Joan and Freya smirk.
"Stop it. I get boys causing less fuss than this," Joan said before turning to Freya. "Is he always like this?"
Freya laughed. "Always."
"It hurts." He mumbled sulkily.
The three of them jumped when the door suddenly burst open and Martha ran in frantically. "Is he alright?" she asked, breathlessly.
Joan frowned at her. "Excuse me, Martha. It's hardly good form to enter a master's study without knocking."
Martha rolled her eyes. "Sorry, right, yeah." She ran back to the door and knocked before returning. Freya tried not to laugh while an annoyed look passed over Joan's face. "But is he alright?" she asked again, turning to John before Joan could reply. "They said you fell down the stairs, sir."
John blushed. "No, it's just a tumble, that's all." He mumbled.
"Have you checked for concussion?" Martha asked Joan.
The matrons forced smile became mocking. "I have. And I daresay I know a lot more about it than you."
Freya frowned at Joan. "Actually, Martha's good with all the medical stuff," she said but Joan seemed to have gone deaf at that moment.
"I'll just..." Martha trailed off after a long moment of silence, she moved to the desk. "Tidy your things."
"I was just telling Nurse Redfern - Matron, um, about my dreams. They are quiet remarkable tales." John told Martha and Freya, both who looked up in interest. "I keep imagining that I'm someone else, and that I'm hiding - "
"Hiding? In what way?" Joan asked.
"Um...er...almost every night..." he laughed nervously, his blush becoming darker. "This is going to sound silly - "
"Tell me."
"I dream, quite often, that I have to hearts." John said and Freya froze. In her dreams she and John always had two hearts...how strange...
"Well then, I can be the judge of that." Joan said, reaching into a battered doctor's bag and pulling out a stethoscope with a smile. She placed it against John's chest. "I can confirm the diagnosis - just one heart, singular."
John chuckled. "I have written down some of these dreams in the form of fiction...um...not that it would be of any interest..."
"I'd be very interested." Joan said softly. So would I, Freya thought to herself, wondering whether she would see anything familiar.
John looked at her in amazement before standing up and moving to the desk. "Well...I've never shown it to anyone before." He hands her a black leather-bound journal and turns the first page.
"'Journal of Impossible Things,'" Joan read from the first page, before turning even more. Freya jumped to her feet when she saw a picture of the dalek.
Joan, John and Martha turned to stare at her but she refused to look at them. "I've got to go," she mumbled, almost running out of the room, ignoring John calling after her.
Once she was back at the library, she finally slowed and tried to calm herself down. How could she and John be having the same dreams? Is that even possible?
...
"Ooh, it's freezing out here." Martha said as she helped Freya carry the pints over to the table outside of the pub. "Why can't we have a drink inside the pub?"
Jenny and Freya shared an amused look. "Where do you come up with this stuff?" Freya asked.
"It's all very well those Suffragettes; but that's London, that's miles away." Jenny said.
"But don't you want to scream sometimes, having to bow and scrape and behave, don't you just wanna tell them?" Martha asked with a sigh.
Jenny smiles. "I dunno. Things must be different in your country."
Martha sighed. "Yeah, well they are. Thank God I'm not staying."
"She keeps saying that," Jenny told Freya.
"One more month and I'm as free as the wind. I wish you could come with us, Jenny - you'd love it!"
"Oh, am I not invited?" Freya asked in mock offense and, for some reason, Martha cringed. "Where are you planning on going?"
"Anywhere," Martha looked up at the stars. "Just look up there. Imagine you could go all the way out to the stars."
Jenny laughed while Freya went quiet, staring up at the sky wistfully. She guessed Martha wished for similar things she does all the time. "You don't half say mad things!"
"That's where we're going. Into the sky, all the way out." Martha whispered, almost to herself, and Freya noted that she said 'we' again instead of 'I'.
Before she could question it however a green light flared in and out of existence in the night sky.
Freya looked down quickly, blinking hard as if there was something wrong with her eyes, before looking up again. Nothing there. She must've imagined it.
"Did you see that?" Martha breathed. Okay, maybe not...
"See what?" Jenny asked, completely oblivious.
"Did you see it though?" Martha asked as she stood up, her eyes never leaving the sky. "Right up there, just for a second."
Jenny studied the woman causiously. "Martha, there's nothing there."
"There was," Freya said quietly, making Jenny turn to look at her. "There was a green light."
Martha finally looks away from the sky to look at Freya, a scared look on her face, when something caught her eye. "Matron, are you alright?" she asked.
Freya turned to see Joan running towards them looking distressed. "What happened?" she asked concerned as Joan came to a stop, breathless.
"Did you see that?" Joan asked. "There was something in the woods...this light..."
"Anything wrong ladies?" John asked, walking out of the pub to join them. "Far too cold to be standing around in the dark, don't you - "
"There!" Joan exclaimed, interupting John and pointing to the sky. The four others looked up to see a green light flash across the sky. "There, look in the sky!"
"That's beautiful." Jenny whispered, smiling.
Freya looked up at John unsure but knew she was worrying about nothing when he didn't seem scared or anxious about it at all.
"There...orgom. Commonly known as a meteor. It's just rocks falling to the ground, that's all." John explained.
"It came down in the woods." Joan stated but John shook his head.
"No, no, no, they always look close, when actually they're miles off. Nothing left but a cinder." He turned to look at Joan. "Now, I should like to escort you back to the school." He told her before turning to Martha and Jenny. "Ladies?"
Martha was still staring at the sky. "No, we're fine, thanks."
"Freya?" John looked at his little sister who smiled back.
"Thanks, but I'd like to walk back with Martha and Jenny."
"You sure?" he asked and Freya nodded. "Alright then, I shall bid you goodnight." He said formally before giving Freya a small wink, making her smile even more, and then turning in the direction of the school with Joan.
"Jenny, where was that?" Martha asked as soon as the couple were gone. "On the horizon, where the light was headed."
"That's by Copper's Field." Jenny told her and Martha took off, running in the same direction.
"Martha! Where are you going?" Freya yelled after her, standing up to run after her without another thought.
"You can't just run off! It's dark, you'll break a leg!" Jenny yelled after Martha, and now Freya, before sighing and running after them aswell.
Both Jenny and Freya were gratefull when Martha came to a stop at Copper's Field.
"See...there's nothing there..." Freya said breathlessly, for some strange reason having an urge to throw a stone into the field.
"And that's Copper's Field?" Martha asked with a frown.
"As far as the eye can see, and no falling star. Now come on, I'm frozen to the bone, let's go. As your Mr Smith says, 'Nothing to see'." Jenny turned to walk back to the pub. Freya glanced at Martha, who was still staring at the field, before following.
...
Martha smiled as she walked into the TARDIS the next day. "Hello," she said outloud before shaking her head with a sigh. "I'm talking to a machine..."
There was a loud rumble that echoed around the room and, if Martha actually believed that the TARDIS was living, she would've thought that it was angry at her. Taking off her gloves, she walked towards the console before sighing again and closing her eyes, caught in flashbacks of how this mess all started.
"Look out!" The Doctor yelled and she and Freya dived to the floor as a bolt of flames flashed past, making the console spark when it hit.
Martha kept her eyes closed as she walked slowly around the console.
The Doctor growled in anger. "They're following us! They can follow us wherever we go. Right across the universe. They're never going to stop..." the Doctor's eyes flashed to Freya before landing on Martha. "Martha, do you trust me?"
"Of course I do - "
"Cause this all depends on you!"
Martha finally opened her eyes as she stopped in front of the screen.
"Martha, this watch is me and Freya." Martha took the watch off him before he started to run around the console again.
"Right...okay...gotcha..." she said, looking at Freya who could only shrug in response.
"I'm completely lost!" Freya admitted.
"Those creatures are hunters, they can sniff out anyone - and us being time lords; well, we're unique. They can track us down across the whole of time and space."
Freya stared at him blankly. "And the good news would be..."
The Doctor rolled his eyes as if it should be obvious. "They've smelled us, they haven't seen us. And their life's bound to be running out so, we hide, wait for them to die."
"But they can track us down." Martha pointed out and the Doctor came to a stop, looking at Freya very seriously.
"That's why we have to do it. We have to stop being time lords, we have to be human."
Martha looked up at the ceiling, where the headset was hanging from a cable.
"Never thought I'd use this," the Doctor said absently as he lowered it to his reach. "All the times I've wondered..."
"What does it do exactly?" Freya asked warily.
"Chameleon Arch. Re-writes our biology. Literally changes every cell in our bodies. I've set it to human." He took the watch off Martha and fit it into a section of the headset. "Now, the TARDIS will take care of everything. Invent a life story for us, find us a setting and integrate us. Can't do the same for Martha..." he looked at her. "You'll just have to improvise. I should have just enough residual awareness to let me in."
"But...hold on, if you're going to rewrite every single cell...isn't it going to hurt?" Martha asked.
"Oh yeah, it hurts," he said, placing it on Freya's head, not looking her in the eye.
"What?" Freya's eyes widened but before she could say anything else it turned on and she was in agony. Martha watched in horror as Freya screamed more than ever before while the Doctor had his back to her, his eyes tightly closed.
Martha shook her head, trying to clear it and deciding to watch the Doctor's message again. She pressed a few controls and instantly relaxed when the Doctor's face appeared on the screen.
"This working?" he asked, tapping the camera. "Martha, before Freya and I change here's a list of instructions for when I'm human. One, don't let me hurt anyone. We can't have that, but you know what human's are like. Two, don't worry about the TARDIS, I'll put it on emergency power so they can't detect it, just let it hide away. Three, take care of Freya. I know she says she can take care of herself but she'll probably be just as much trouble human than she is time lord. Five- no, wait a minute, four. No getting involved in big historical events. Six, you. Don't let me abandon you. And sev - "
Twisting the dial Martha sped through most of the Doctor's speech. "But there was a meteor, a shooting star - what am I supposed to do then?" she asked out loud, before letting the dial go as it came to the end of the recording.
"And twenty-three. If anything goes wrong, if they find us, Martha, then you know what to do. Open the watch. But don't open it unless you have to. Because once it's open, then the Family will be able to find us. It's all down to you, Martha. Your choice." He goes to walk off the screen before suddenly turns back to look at the camera. "Oh - and thank you." He said with a smile and the screen went black.
Martha turned off the recording with a sigh. "I'd wish you'd come back."
...
"Oh dear me," the Headmaster said in a dry voice after Timothy had corrected him once again. "Latimer takes it upon himself to make us realise how wrong we all are. I hope, Latimer, that one day you may have a just and proper war in which to prove yourself. Now, resume firing."
Tim's mind, however, was elsewhere. He could hear the distant sound of guns firing, but not the ones on the field outside the school. Ones from a battlefield.
Two young soilders were struggling through the dark and mud, one supporting the other and it took Tim a while to recognise himself. Tim opened a watch - an all too familar watch that he had took from Mr Smith's study.
"One minute past the hour." Tim said. "It's now. Hutchinson, this is the time. It's now." Tim looked up suddenly and -
Tim came back to the present with a start just in time to hear Hutchinson say, "Didn't I tell you, sir, this stupid boy is useless! Permission to give Latimer a beating, sir?"
"It's your class, Mr Smith." The Headmaster said.
Mr Smith sighed heavily. "Permission granted."
Freya Noble growled from the watch as Tim was dragged to his feet by Hutchinson and most of the other boys pull him away.
Tim was soon backed into a corner. The boys walked towards his threateningly when, what sounds like dark muttering, came from the watch and the boys stopped in their tracks.
"What was that?" one of the boys asked causiously.
Hutchinson shook his head and sneered. "Don't know what you're talking about." He said, starting to walk towards Tim again.
GET AWAY! Freya Noble screamed and the boys were suddenly thrown backwards by an invisible force. The boys looked around in horror as none of them could believe it had anything to do with Tim, seeing nothing they ran off - looking ready to wet themselves.
Tim bit back a laugh as Freya Noble spoke again, this time in a more softer voice, I won't let anyone hurt you. Sine SOMEONE'S human self is acting like an idiot!
The Doctor obviously thought it best not to say anything.
...
John and Joan were walking through the fields, both still shocked by what had happened in the village.
"It's all becoming clear now," Joan said suddenly, smiling at the man next to her. "The Doctor is the man you'd like to be, doing impossible things with cricket balls."
"Well, I discovered a talent, that's certainly true!" John laughed.
"But the Doctor has an eye for the ladies..." Joan said teasingly.
"The devil!"
"A girl in every fireplace!"
John laughed. "Now there I have to protest, Joan, that's hardly me!"
"Says the man dancing with me tonight."
John was about to reply when something caught his eye. "That scarecrow's all skewed." He nodded towards the scarecrow before the made there way towards it and John started to stretch it across it's frame again.
"Ever the artist. Where did you learn to draw?" Joan asked as she watched him.
"Gallifrey." John said absentmindedly.
"Is that in Ireland?"
John hesitated, as if he wasn't sure. "Yes, it must be, yeah."
"But you're not Irish?"
"Not at all, no. My father Sidney was a watchmaker from Nottingham and my mother Verity was...um...well, she was a nurse, actually."
"Oh, we make such good wives!" Joan laughed before blushing when she realised what she said.
John was blushing aswell. "Really? Right. Yes. Erm...they died a little over five years ago and I toke Freya in. It wasn't really a choice, she is my sister after all."
Joan paused for a moment. "You're really close to her, aren't you?"
John smiled as he thought of Freya. "She's one of the best people you could ever meet." Joan bit the inside of her lip, hoping for a change of subject. Luckily for her John had finished. "Well, my work is done, what do you think?"
He stood back to let Joan look at the scarecrow. "Masterpiece."
"All sorts of skills today!" The walked back towards the school laughing, neither of them noticing the scarecrow move again.
...
"Can I see?" Joan asked, peeking at John while he sketched her. He was silent for a second before moving to sit next to her, showing her the book. She laughed in delight. "Oh, goodness...Do I look like that?" she laughed again. "Are you sure that's not me?" she points to the next page, which showed a Slitheen.
John shook his head with a smile. "Most definitely this page, I should think."
"You've made me far too beautiful."
John looked at her. "Well, that's how I see you."
"Widows aren't supposed to be beautiful. I think the world would rather we stopped." She paused. "Is that fair? That we stop?"
"That's not fair at all," John whispered, brushing a piece of her hair fondly away from her face. Slowly, they leaned towards each other and kissed. "I've never...erm..." John ran out of words, choosing to kiss Joan again instead.
The door slammed open, making both John and Joan glare at Martha as she stared at them wide eyed. "Martha, what have I told you about entering unannounced?" John snarled but Martha was already running back out of the room.
Martha leaned against the door once she'd closed it. "That wasn't on the list." She whispered, holding back tears, before running down the hall.
...
"Six, you. Don't let me abandon you." The Doctor said, as Martha listened to his recording again.
"That's no good. What about the stuff you didn't tell me, what about women? Oh no, you didn't think of that! What the hell am I supposed to do then?" She groaned, fast forwarding right to the end again.
"Thank you." The Doctor said with a smile before the screen went black.
"You had to, didn't you?" Martha whispered, the tears she had been holding back for over an hour finally running down her face. "Had to go and fall in love with a human...and it wasn't me..." Martha looked down, wiping the tears from her face and taking a deep breath.
"Right." Martha's head snapped up to see Freya's face appear on the screen. "Martha, you know I'm not very good with camera's and things like that so I'll make this quick. I doubt you've seen this, and have just watched the Doctor over...and over...and over again. I can't even be sure if you've watched this at all. Anyway, since the Doctor had his rules I've decided to make mine. One, ignore all of the preasure the Doctor has put on you by saying 'this is all down to you, Martha' or 'our lives are in your hands'. Blah, blah, blah. Just try to keep calm and relax. Breathe. Two, keep an extra close eye on the Doctor - he might be human for a while but I'm willing to bet quite a lot of money that he'll be just as much trouble." Martha smiled, knowing the Doctor had said the same about her only minutes before. "Three, if the human doctor and I get into an arguement please take my side for once. You never do while we're time lords so please, just for a little while, go team Freya for a while. Four, don't go in my bedroom. Don't ask why, just don't. Five, call Jayden for me, I would before I change but I can't seem to find my phone. Six - I know the Doctor would never think of this - if he falls in love." Martha's heart dropped, she could've stopped all of this by just listening to see if there was anything more on the recording. "When we get to the school make up a rumor, say he has a disease or something. It's a school, it will spread fast. If you've watched this too late and he's already fallen for someone...come find me. I might be human but I'm sure that I'll like you just as much as I do now. We'll get rid of her together." Freya smiled. "Keep your chin up, honey."
The screen went black again and Martha took a deep breath to calm herself, before turning and walking back outside.
...
The Darkness is coming, the Doctor's voice whispered, keep away from the force and empty man...the last of the time lords, the last of the wise and ancient race...
Big headed! Freya Noble's voice sang.
Timothy looked up to see Baines heading through the ground, towards Mr Clarke. They didn't say anything as they came to a stop and were soon joined by a little girl holding a red balloon but their heads turned to Timothy simultaneously. Together they tilted their heads to the side and sniffed deaply - Timothy shivered and quickly looked down.
...
"Are you sure you want me to come?" Freya asked anxiously. "And Joan doesn't mind either?"
"Freya, I'm not having you stuck in the library when you could enjoy yourself at a ball," John told her softly, glancing at her before turning back to the mirror.
"And Joan?"
"I'm sure she wouldn't mind."
"...so you didn't even ask her?"
"Stop worrying," John rolled his eyes at her before looking at her more closely. "You look lovely by the way."
Freya blushed, she was wearing a lilac and light pink dress - not something she would usually wear but if John was going to insist on her going she might aswell look nice.
She jumped slightly when there was a knock on the door and quickly went to answer it. It was Joan.
She was stood their with a smile on her face but when she saw Freya, and the dress she was wearing, her smile dimmed.
"Freya," she said, forcing the smile back onto her face. "What are you doing here?"
"Erm... John invited me. I promise I won't get in your way or anything." Freya added quickly and Joan's smile became less forced. She moved around Freya and over to John, leaving Freya feeling worse than she had before.
John's eyes almost popped out of his head when he saw her. She turned for him to get a better look.
"You look wonderful," John breathed.
"You'd best give me some warning - um, can you actually dance?" Joan asked.
John thinks hard, a small frown on his face. "Um...I'm not certain..."
Joan chuckled. "There's a surprise. Is there anything you're certain about?"
"Yes," John said, taking a step towards Joan. "You." He leaned down to kiss her.
Freya didn't look at them, choosing to look at the floor instead.
Luckily, Freya didn't have to put up with the kissing pair for long because the door suddenly slammed open once again, and a breathless Martha burst into the room frantically.
"They've found us," she gasped to John and Freya.
"This is ridiculous..." Joan muttered under her breath.
John glared at Martha. "I warned you."
"Martha, what's wrong?" Freya asked, the only one to notice how scared Martha looked.
"They've found us," Martha repeated, "and I've seen them - they look like people, like us, like normal. I'm sorry but we've got to open the watch." She looked at the mantlepiece. "Where is it?" she asked, her voice getting higher as she searched for something.
"Where's what?" Freya asked, glancing at John to see him staring at Martha as if she'd gone completely mad.
Martha didn't seem to hear her. "Oh my god, where's it gone? Where's the watch?"
"What are you talking about?" John asked in exasperation.
"You had a watch, a fob watch! Right there!"
Freya frowned. What fob watch? Wait...hadn't she seen a fob watch before. John was frowning at Martha. "Did I? I don't remember..."
"I can't see what concern it is of yours." Joan said snottily.
"But we need it..." Martha took a deep breath as she glanced between Freya and John. "Oh my god, we're hiding from aliens, and they've got Jenny and they've...possessed her or copied her or something and you've got to tell me, where's the watch?"
"Oh I see..." John said, finally understanding, before speaking more quietly to Freya and Joan. "Cultural differences." Joan nodded in agreement while Freya's mouth almost dropped, before she could say anything though John picked up his jounal and started speaking to Martha very slowly. "It must be very confusing for you. Martha, this is what we call a story."
Martha gaped at him. "Oh you complete...THIS," she waved her hand to indicate John and Freya, "is not you. Not either of you. THIS is nineteen thirteen!"
"Good, this is nineteen thirteen."
"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry but I've got to snap you out of this." Martha told John before slapping him to hard he stumbled back.
"Martha!" Joan exclaimed while Freya choked back a laugh.
"Wake up! You're coming back to the TARDIS with me!" She grabbed Freya and John's wrists and tried to pull them towards the door.
"How dare you!" John snapped, pulling his wrist away easily and almost dragging her across the room towards the door. "I'm not going anywhere with an insane servant! Martha, you are dismissed, you will leave these premises immediately. Now get out!" He slammed the door behind her and then turning back to Joan and Freya, not noticing that the latter was glaring at him. "Nerve of it, absolute cheek! You think I'm a fantasist, what about her?"
Joan watched him carefully. "The funny thing is, you did have a fob watch. Right there. Don't you remember?" John just stared at her blankly.
...
"She's infatuated." Joan said as they walked towards the hall, Freya walking further in front of the pair. "You're a dangerous man."
John flashed him a smile. "You've taken my arm in public."
"I'm very scared." They laughed and Freya mumbled under her breath, something that didn't go un-noticed by John.
"Spare a penny for the veterans of the Crimea, sir?" a man asked, standing in the doorway.
"Yes, of course," John dug into his pockets and handed the man a couple of coins. "There you are." He glanced around at Freya before turning to Joan. "Why don't you go inside where it's warm, I need a word with Freya."
Joan glances at Freya before smiling and walking inside the hall.
"What?" Freya sighed as John pulled her slightly away from the door.
"What's the matter with you?" John asked, frowning at her.
Freya scoffed. "Why don't we ask Joan?" she spoke in a mocking tone, making John frown even more.
"What has Joan done?"
"She changed you." Freya finally looked up and John sighed when he saw her expression.
"I understand that you're friends with Martha and that you're upset with what happened back at the school but none of it is Joan's fault."
"Really?" Freya scoffed. "So you would've treated Martha like that before you got involved with her?"
John's voice turned cold, "Either you go in there and be polite or you go back to the school."
"I'm not a child anymore, John. You can't tell me what to do."
"Well, if that's the case, you don't need me to look after you." There was a silence as John and Freya glared at each other.
"Fine!" Freya snapped, storming past him and towards the hall.
"Where are you going?" John yelled after her.
"Why do you care? I'm not your problem anymore!"
...
Freya couldn't hold back a scowl as she watched John and Joan dance as if they didn't have a care in the world.
"Would you like to dance?" she heard someone say and looked up to see Tim holding his hand out towards her, looking nervous.
Her scowl disappeared into a smile. "I'd love to." She placed her hand in his and walked with him towards the dance floor.
Tim was someone she could get along with and she had fun through most of the night with him, it wasn't until they had sat down between dances when Martha walked upto her.
"Martha," Freya instantly stood up as Tim watched with interest, "are you okay?"
Martha seemed annoyed by her concerned tone. "Can we talk?" she asked, glancing at Tim.
"Sure," Freya turned to Tim for a moment. "I'll be right back." He nodded, still watched the two of them as they walked away.
Martha reached into her bag and pulled out a silver stick thing that looked familiar to Freya. "Do you recognise this?" Martha asked.
Freya stared at it and after a moment it felt as though her heart was sinking into her stomache. The Sonic Screwdriver. She looked up at Martha, trying to keep her face unreadable. "I've never seen that thing in my life." She lied.
Martha smirked. "Liar. You recognise this because you've been having the same dreams as Mr Smith, am I right?" Freya didn't say anything - she didn't have to - Martha already knew. "You have to believe me, Freya. Atleast help me get Mr Smith to listen."
Freya thought for a second. She didn't want to talk to John, not after the arguement, what would she even say? He hated her. But she had nothing left to loose now. John was stubborn, he wouldn't forgive her unless she begged and she wasn't about to beg. "Fine," Freya sighed.
Martha looked relieved and put the sonic screwdriver into her bag again before making her way over to Joan, who was sitting at the table while John got the drinks. Freya glanced back at Tim for a split second to see him looking out of the window.
"Please, don't. Not again." Freya heard Joan say and turned her attention back to Martha.
"He's different from any other man you've ever met, right?" Martha asked.
Joan narrowed her eyes. "Yes."
"And sometimes he says these strange things, like people and places you've never heard of, yeah? But it's deeper than that. Sometimes when you look in his eyes you know - you just know that there's something else in there. Something hidden. Right behind the eyes, something hidden away. In the dark." Martha said and Freya swallowed loudly. Yes, she'd noticed that about him...
"I don't know what you mean, I..."
"Yes you do." Freya interupted, Joan glared at her but she glared back.
"I don't mean to be rude, but the awful thing is it doesn't even matter what you think. I just wanted to say sorry for what I'm about to do." Martha told Joan, who looked worried now as John appeared with the drinks.
"Oh, now really," he said when he saw Martha. "This is getting out of hand. I must insist that you leave." John turned to look at his sister, his eyes were sad but his face hardened. "Both of you."
Martha pulled out the sonic screwdriver again. "Do you know what this is?" she asked. John stared at it. "Name it. Go on, name it."
"John, what is that silly thing?" Joan asked but John didn't answer. "John?"
He slowly took took it off Martha and turned it over in his hand. "I recognise it too, John." Freya said quietly and John looked up. "I've been having the same dreams of the Doctor."
"You're not John Smith." Martha told him softly. "And Freya isn't your sister. You're called the Doctor. And Freya's last name is Noble. You're both time lords."
"There will be silence! All of you!" Mr Clarke yelled as he walked into the hall, followed by Baines and Jenny and a dozen of people dressed as scarecrows. Everyone turned to look at them but didn't stop talking to each other. "I said silence!"
"Mr Clarke!" The announcer said. "What's going on?"
Mr Clarke barely looked at him as he held up a gun and shot him, dissolving him into nothing. Everyone let out screams but stopped quickly when Jenny and Baines also pulled out guns, they backed away from them.
"Mr Smith, Freya, everything I told you, just forget it!" Martha said urgently, putting the sonic screwdriver back into her bag before anyone else could see it. "Don't say anything!"
"We asked for silence!" Baines barked at her but she kept her eyes down, refusing to meet his. Baines looked at John. "Now then. We have a few questions for Mr Smith."
"No, better than that," a little girl with a red balloon said, walking over to them. "The teacher, he's the Doctor and his sister is Freya Noble. I heard them talking."
"You took human form." Baines said in amusement.
"Of course, we're human, we were born human! As were you, Baines. And Jenny, and you Mr Clarke! What is going on, this is madness!" John said frantically.
This seemed to amuse Baines even more. "And a human brain, too! Simple, thick and dull."
"John." Freya said, her voice shaking slightly trying to keep calm. He looked at her and tried to edge towards her without everyone noticing.
"They're no good like this." Jenny said.
"We need a time lord." Mr Clarke.
"Easily done." Baines said, grabbing Freya and aiming the gun at her head, making John stop in his tracks. "Change back or your so called sister dies."
"We don't know what you're talking about." Freya tried to explain but Baines wasn't listening.
"CHANGE BACK!" He yelled.
"I literally do not know - " John started but cut off when Jenny grabbed Martha, holding the gun to her head.
"Get off me!" She screamed.
"She's you friend, isn't she?" Jenny snapped, she looked at Freya. "Doesn't this scare you enough to change back?"
"I don't..." Freya looked between Martha and John. "I don't..."
"Wait a minute... The maid told me about Smith and the matron..." Jenny nodded to Joan who looked like she'd rather be anywhere else. "...that woman, there!"
"Let's have you!" Mr Clarke grabbed Joan, also pointing his gun to her head.
"Have you enjoyed it, Doctor?" Baines asked. "Being human? Has it taught you wonderfull things, are you better, richer, wiser? Then let's see you answer this. Which one of them do you want us to kill? Maid, Matron or Librarian? Your friend, you're lover or your sister? Your choice."
Right, just a few words before I let you disappear and wait for another update - hopefully one that doesn't take as long as this one did.
If any of you are wondering about Freya's dress; think the film Titanic, the dress Rose was wearing when it sank. As you've probably guessed I don't like Joan very much, for those who like her; sorry if I've offended you in anyway.
Anyway, please review, I'd like to know what you think :)
