Chapter 12: Warnings
Why isn't the Tardis translating for me? thought Lilly. Did I do something wrong? Is there something wrong with me? Do I have brain damage? Did the Doctor's information transfer do some damage? Or was it the vortex manipulator? Did the time jump hurt me? Was it that final action thing?
"Doctor." Lilly looked at him, fear and worry in her eyes. She reached out and took hold of his arm. Her hands were already trembling. "What's the matter?"
He looked at her. His face softened. "It's alright, Lilly. Trust me." He raised his free hand to her shoulder, looking at her with compassion.
"I want to know what's going on," she managed. "I'm not a little one. Remember?" Her voice was shaking.
The Doctor remembered their conversation about his lying to calm the 'little ones.' She thinks I'm lying, he worried.
"I'm sorry," interrupted Dickens, "But... What's a Tardis? And how does it translate?"
The Doctor didn't take his eyes off of Lilly. "Don't worry about it," he answered Dickens. "Doesn't matter."
Lilly stared at him, questioningly.
The Doctor paused. He frowned. He knew unless Rose had explained it to her, Lilly didn't know about the Tardis translation program. He hadn't told her about it yet. Chances were, she thought the aliens on Platform One spoke English. And after Rose's reaction to the idea of the Tardis using a telepathic field to translate languages in her mind, the Doctor was a little nervous about how Lilly might react. Both woman were from the same time period, and Lilly had made it abundantly clear she didn't want him in her head. This could go very badly, thought the Doctor. He suddenly wished he'd kept his comment about the Tardis translating to himself. Then again, Rose had already said too much. If he hadn't said anything, she would have. So, it really didn't matter.
Lilly kept silent, waiting for the other shoe to drop. She could see the worried expression on the Doctor's face.
"Please," Lilly prodded. "I promised not to freak out." She took a deep breath to try to keep calm. They had a deal. And she was reminding him of it.
The Doctor looked at the growing apprehension on her face. He couldn't leave her like this. But he didn't have time to deal with Lilly. The gelth sounded desperate. And desperate usually meant time was short. But he had to tell her something.
The Doctor looked at her for a long moment. If he told her about the Tardis telepathically entering her mind, she would be angry. She would be furious. She might even insist on going home. He cringed at the idea of being stuck on Earth with her. Hadn't he just escaped that fate? Maybe he should lie. He could tell her the Tardis wasn't translating for her because she didn't have Lilly's permission. She was human. She'd fall for that. Then he could take the time to find the problem, and fix it. She'd never know the difference. Yes. That was good. Keep the little ones cal... The Doctor paused in his thoughts. He realized that would break their deal. He'd promised. Stupid ape, me. Why did he ever agree to that!?
"Come with me," he said simply. Taking Lilly by the hand, he led her to the other side of the room away from the others. He swallowed, bracing himself for her reaction, and leaned forward to Lilly's ear. "The Tardis uses a telepathic field to translate languages inside your mind." He whispered so he wouldn't have to explain the Tardis to the rest of the group. "Sorry. Should have told you sooner."
Lilly was surprised. Was that it? Was that what he was worried about? No. There was more to it than that. The Tardis was translating for Rose, but she wasn't translating for Lilly. Something was wrong. But why would he be so worried about telling her...? Oh. Lilly remembered Rose's reaction to the Tardis being in her mind without permission from the show. And with everything that had gone on between Lilly and the Doctor, it made sense why he was so worried about telling her.
"O.K." She calmed her breathing, and squeezed his arm gently. Somehow, seeing how worried he was over her reaction made her feel a little better. The concern she felt about her questions was still there. But if he was more worried about her reaction to Lilly finding out about his telepathic ship than the translation not working, maybe it wasn't that serious. "I understand," she said softly. "Thank you. Thank you for being honest with me."
The Doctor stepped back in surprise, eyes wide. He was shocked. Was honesty so important to her? Why wasn't she more upset about the Tardis being in her head? She was handling this better than he thought. If she could handle something like this, maybe he could be more open with her. A new appreciation for his ward washed through him. He suddenly liked her. Oh, he liked her before. But now... Now, he liked her a lot. Yes. She was his friend.
A giant manic smile appeared on the Doctor's face. Relief ran through his body. She wasn't going to ask him to take her home. Taking her by the shoulders, the Doctor pulled Lilly into a hug. Lilly was surprised. She hadn't expected that.
I'm Lilly Brooks, she thought, and I'm hugging the Doctor, my friend.
A thought of Lilly's vortex manipulator along with the memory of the medical issues she was hiding called from the back of the Doctor's mind, sending ripples of doubt through his internal declaration. His worry about Lilly possibly attempting to access restricted information from the Tardis resurfaced as well. His smile dimmed slightly. He still needed answers.
"What was that for?" asked Lilly when he released her.
"Not 'freaking out,'" replied the Doctor, using her words.
She smiled at him. Lilly didn't explain she already knew about the Tardis. That would break Jack's rules. Besides, she liked seeing the Doctor so happy with her.
"So, why isn't it working for me?" Her smile wavered. "Have I done something wrong? Or is it something you did? I mean... Brain damage from the information transfer? Or the final action thing?" She frowned, and momentarily touched her temple. She could still feel his fingers there. Her voice was quiet enough, so the others couldn't hear, but the Doctor heard the emotion in her words. He saw her touch, and read her body language.
"I didn't hurt you, Lilly. I swear." A serious look was on his face. He watched her, and was relieved to see she believed him. "Honestly. Don't know why the link isn't working. Never had a problem with the Tardis translating before."
Lilly was surprised with how open the timelord had become. He wasn't even trying to hide his worries like he did on the show. Was this normal for him? Or was this because of their deal?
"Don't have time to work it out now. Sorry," he continued. "Have to take care of the gelth. Think they're desperate, maybe dying. And you're fine. I checked. Promise I'll take care of you soon as I can. Alright?" He put his hand reassuringly on her upper arm.
She nodded. Lilly was disappointed he didn't have any answers for her. But she was relieved he didn't seem too concerned. He'd said she was fine. If it was serious, he'd be worried. Right?
Bishop watched the Doctor and Lilly from across the room, his hopes of winning Lilly's affections quickly disappearing. He watched the Doctor pull Lilly into a hug, and was appalled at the public display of familiarity.
"Are your companions betrothed, Miss Tyler," he asked.
Rose looked up from the chair she was maneuvering into place. She glanced at Lilly and the Doctor. "They're friends," she answered, looking at the back of Bishop's head. He was facing away from her, watching the Doctor.
"A little familiar for friends. Showing such affection in public. Wouldn't you say?"
Gwyneth was too busy moving a stack of papers off of the table to take any notice, but Mr. Sneed was staring at Lilly and the Doctor like he was watching a racy movie scene he couldn't take his eyes off of, his mouth slightly ajar.
"How very... modern," commented Dickens. He swallowed.
Rose shook her head. 'S a miracle the human race didn't die off, she said to herself. She was amazed at how reserved everyone she'd met had been. Gwyneth in the kitchen, and now Bishop and Dickens had all been mortified at anything that could be construed into resembling romance. It was like it was taboo. Rose glanced back up at Lilly and the Doctor. Still, maybe they were right, she thought. She saw how her new friends smiled at each other. The Doctor was a little old, but if that's what Lilly liked, good for her.
Minutes later the group was seated around a table about to start the seance. Dickens railed about how seances were nothing more than cheap mummery. The Doctor made his joke about a happy medium. And Gwyneth began calling to the gelth. Lilly tried to keep calm.
The room began to grow cold. Lilly could feel that same presence she'd felt when the gelth had spoken in the other room. She trembled. She closed her eyes, and held tight to Dickens' and Bishop's hands. The sensation slamming into Lilly's senses when they again began to speak was still overwhelming, but this time she was surprised to hear the gelth weren't speaking English. Gwyneth was translating for them.
Lilly remembered the gelth speaking English on the show. I guess that makes sense, she thought. After all, all the aliens on Platform One spoke English on the show too. But right here and now, in reality, the gelth were speaking some strange alien language. Gwyneth was their translator.
"Pity us. Pity the gelth. There is so little time. Help us," said Gwyneth.
The sound of the gelth's soft childlike voices speaking in their native tongue from just behind Gwyneth vibrated through Lilly's bones. I can do this, she reminded herself.
"What do you want us to do?" asked the Doctor.
The gelth explained they needed Gwyneth to open the rift. They explained they were dying. They were almost extinct. When they mentioned the time war, Rose looked at the Doctor. His whole body stiffened. Guilt and grief ran through him. Lilly saw it too.
"We need a physical form, and your dead are abandoned. They are going to waste. Give them to us," the gelth begged.
"We can't," answered Rose.
"Why not?" the Doctor demanded.
"It's not..."
"Not decent? Not polite? It could save their lives." The Doctor's voice was frustrated.
Lilly looked at the aliens. "How many are you?" she asked.
The Doctor looked at her, surprised. "Good question."
Rose stared at Lilly, obviously upset.
If Lilly asked the gelth questions, she thought, maybe they would make a mistake with their answers. Maybe the Doctor would see they couldn't be trusted. He wouldn't get after her for breaking his rule. And she wouldn't be breaking Jack's rules either.
"How many corpses do you need?" Lilly rephrased her question.
"So few of us left."
"How many is a few?" demanded Lilly in a quiet voice, cringing at the sensations pounding through her body as she spoke. Why wasn't anyone else reacting to the gelth like she was. Why didn't anyone else look like they felt sick? Why wasn't anyone else looking weak? She looked quickly around the table. None of them seemed to be having a hard time. Even the Doctor didn't seem to be affected. Maybe it was just because she was so tired from being awake too long.
"Let the gelth through. We're dying. Help us. Pity the gelth." They ignored her question, and slipped away from Gwyneth into the lamps on the wall behind her. Gwyneth collapsed on the table. Rose bolted to her side.
"Gwyneth!" called Rose. "Gwyneth, are you O.K.?" She was trying to rouse her, but Gwyneth had completely passed out.
"What did they do to her?" asked Lilly. She was still trying to raise suspicion about the gelth.
"Can be a bit draining, communicating telepathically over large distances," explained the Doctor. He looked at Lilly. "She'll be fine."
"Is she a telepath?" asked Lilly as the Doctor lifted Gwyneth gently into his arms. She'd always thought Gwyneth was just a psychic. Could human's be telepaths? Well, Jack was. But he wasn't exactly normal.
Rose stepped out of the Doctor's way, but hovered near, not taking her eyes off Gwyneth.
"No, she's not telepathic, but the rift is full of similar energy. She grew up with it. So, she's got access. Like it's part of her," answered the Doctor. He hoisted Gwyneth gently into his arms, and carried her towards the couch at the other end of the room.
"It's witchcraft," stated Bishop. "That child is a witch." He was clearly shaken by what he'd seen.
"Don't be stupid," accused Rose. She glared at him.
"We should call the constable... and a priest," Bishop told the other men in the room, ignoring Rose's comment. She was only a woman, after all. The Doctor rolled his eyes.
He laid Gwyneth down. Rose took a cloth from the pocket of Gwyneth's apron, and wiped the sweat from her brow.
"You," the Doctor pointed at Bishop. Bishop looked at the Doctor. "Shut it," he ordered. Bishop was taken aback, offended, but didn't say another word.
Lilly listened while the Doctor explained what the gelth were and what they were asking for- THREE times. Still, the other people in the room were having a hard time grasping the concept.
Lilly still felt drained. She leaned her head on her hands, elbows on the table, and closed her eyes. She was getting frustrated with the Doctor having to repeat himself again. Is this what he feels like when he has to explain stuff to us? wondered Lilly, thinking of Rose and herself.
Gwyneth awoke. She was disoriented. She didn't remember what had happened. She began speaking in Welsh, obviously asking questions. Lilly only knew what she was saying, because she'd seen the show. Even the Doctor and Rose were speaking Welsh in response. Mr. Sneed understood the conversation, and Dickens seemed to be catching the gist of it. But Bishop didn't understand a word, and was getting more and more upset.
"Beth wnaethoch chi ei ddweud, Doctor?" asked Mr. Sneed. "Eglurwch eto. Beth ydyn nhw?" He was asking the Doctor to explain what the gelth were...again. And with great patience, noted Lilly, he did. Even though she knew what was being said, what was being discussed, it was hard feeling like a forgotten third wheel in the room.
"Which is why they need the girl," commented Dickens in English after several minutes into the conversation. Even though he could understand some Welsh, he felt more comfortable speaking English. Instantly, and to Lilly's relief, Rose and the Doctor switched back to English as well.
"They're not havin' her," responded Rose.
"But she can help," explained the Doctor. "Living on the rift, she's become part of it. She can open it up, make a bridge, and let them through."
Dickens mumbled something Lilly couldn't hear. Bishop remained silently stewing, and Mr. Sneed listened closely. Lilly got up and began walking over to the Doctor.
O.K, she thought with a little relief, and renewed energy. Now, I tell him the gelth will kill Gwyneth. She won't open the rift. We go back to the Tardis. Everybody lives. Lilly prayed this would work.
"You can't let them run around inside of dead people," Rose shot at the Doctor.
"Excuse me," Lilly tried to interrupt.
"Why not?" he asked Rose, not responding to Lilly. "It's like recycling."
Rose looked disgusted. "Seriously, though, you can't."
"Seriously, though, I can!" he shouted.
Lilly jumped, and stepped back. Little flashes of how dangerous the Doctor could be ran through her mind. Maybe she should wait until this argument was over, she thought. He glanced at her. Rose glared at him, and pursed her lips.
"It's just... wrong," Rose tried to explain. "Those bodies were living people. We should respect them, even in death."
He shook his head. "Lilly understands. Don't you Lilly?" He looked at her, hoping she could talk some sense into Rose.
Rose looked at her too.
"I... I agree with Rose," she answered.
Rose grinned.
The Doctor gaped at Lilly for a moment in surprise before his features darkened. Why did she ask the gelth how many corpses they needed, if she didn't think it was a good idea?
"Please don't get mad," Lilly added. Her insides felt like jello. He was so much more intimidating in real life. She swallowed. "We... we can talk about this. Calmly."
He looked at her, stilling his features. She looked like a skittish cat about to run, he thought. She was afraid of him. That hurt. This was the third time she'd asked him not to get angry. The first time was after the incident on Platform One. The second time was in the Tardis after she'd said he looked good for an alien. And now, she'd asked him again. The Doctor took a deep breath, and released it. He stepped forward slowly so as not to startle her. He placed his hand gently on Lilly's shoulder. "I'm not angry," he tried to reassure her in a calm voice.
She let out a breath, and he watched her relax. She was surprised at her own reaction to the Doctor's touch. She hadn't realized how tense she'd become until she let it go.
"I'm... concerned," explained the Doctor. "Lives are at stake."
You have no idea, thought Lilly.
"'S not right," said Rose before Lilly could think to open her mouth.
The Doctor let his hand drop from Lilly's shoulder to hold her hand. "Do you carry a donor card?" he asked, looking at Rose.
Oh, here it comes, thought Lilly. She'd always had a problem with this argument. Maybe now she could have a say in it.
"It's different," countered Rose. "It's..."
"It is different, yeah," interrupted the Doctor, instantly back to his aggressive demeanor.
Somehow, Lilly wasn't afraid of him though. It was like he was lending her his strength by holding her hand. She looked down at their hands, questioningly.
"It's a different morality. Get used to it, or g...!" He glanced at Lilly, and stopped mid sentence.
...go home, thought Lilly, remembering the line from the show. Why did he stop? she wondered.
The Doctor didn't dare finish his sentence around Lilly. If she took him at his word, he might end up stuck on Earth for the next century.
"Donors have a say," Lilly objected. She'd found her confidence, and no longer needing the Doctor's hand, released it. "No one can take their organs without their permission. It should be the same way with the gelth. They don't have the right to just take what's not theirs. And we don't have the right to give it. If you take away ownership, and the freedom to control what you own, which is what you would be doing, you'll be destroying freedom... liberty." After Lilly had seen this episode, she'd had a long time to come up with this argument.
The Doctor sighed. "Americans," he said to himself. He ran his hand over his face, and turned to look at Lilly.
She stood her ground.
"If your mum was dying," he started, "and the only way to save her was to get her to hospital, would you be willing to steal a car to get her there?"
"I..."
The Doctor looked pointedly at her. "How 'bout a dead man's car? How about taking a dead man's boots during a war, if you were stranded in a foreign country during winter? Would you do that? Would you steal from a dead man's kitchen to save your family from starvation?"
Lilly felt like she'd just drooled all over her shirt, suddenly understanding how silly her argument was. She wasn't any better than Sneed or Dickens or Bishop having to have the Doctor explain something repeatedly before she finally got it.
"You heard what they said," the Doctor went on. "Time's short." He shifted from Lilly's eyes to Rose's. "I can't worry about a few corpses when the last of the gelth could be dying," he added, his voice pleading for understanding.
"I don't care," stated Rose. "They're not using her."
Lilly was stunned. How could Rose still object to the Doctor after what he'd just said? She didn't know the gelth were evil. Why would she still fight against him?
Lilly took a deep breath. As much as the Doctor's argument made sense, helping the gelth was the wrong decision. And maybe, just maybe, together she and Rose could convince him.
"Rose is right," she stated. "They hurt Gwyneth during the seance. What would they..."
"They didn't hurt her!" objected the Doctor, clearly getting frustrated. What was up with these humans?! Stupid apes! Was this his lot in life, to be stuck traveling with people who couldn't grasp common sense?! "Like I said before..."
"Doesn't matter," said Rose flatly, cutting him off. "'S not happening."
"Doctor." I've got to tell him now, thought Lilly. Just enough time to save Gwyneth, and not a moment more. She remembered the Doctor's instructions. "They'll kill her," she told him.
He sighed exasperatedly. "They're not going to hurt her," he countered.
"No," said Lilly, looking him in the eyes. "As little information as possible, and only to save a life. They'll kill her. If she helps them, it will cost her her life."
He stiffened, eyes widened, understanding what she meant. He pushed himself away from the wall, and stared at Lilly seriously. "You said you didn't know anything about this time period," he stated.
She didn't know how to respond to that. If she told him she didn't know anything about 1860, but knew plenty about 1869, she'd be breaking Jack's rules. She understood the more she shared, the more danger she was putting herself in, maybe putting the universe in. She trusted the Doctor, but she believed Jack. The less she told him the better.
"She'll die," Lilly repeated firmly. Everyone stared at her.
Was she lying, wondered the Doctor. Lilly had been adamant in the argument they'd been having. Was she lying about her foresight to get her way? He couldn't tell just by looking at her. Her body language showed a mixture of emotions. It wasn't clear enough.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Yeah."
He stepped towards her. "Lilly, this is serious." He breathed out a heavy breath. "We're talking about the survival of a species."
"I'm sure."
"Like you were sure when you thought Rose was killed by a descending sun filter? Or when you thought Jabe was dead?"
Lilly was surprised. Didn't he believe her?! "They're evil," she almost shouted. How could he not believe her?! "They..." She looked around the room. "Rose. Rose, you saw. When you were trapped in that room, they were going to... No." She couldn't use that as an example. The gelth hadn't tried to kill Rose. Lilly's presence had changed that from happening. She turned. "Mr. Sneed, I know the gelth have been killing your patrons. How many have died here because of them?" she asked.
Mr. Sneed looked nervous. He hesitated. "None, Miss," he finally responded. "I'm sorry. You're mistaken." He didn't dare let anyone know how he'd been covering up the murders the gelth had committed. He was afraid he'd be blamed for the deaths, so he'd been hiding the extra bodies in the coffins he'd been burying.
"Liar," Lilly whispered, glaring at him. She covered her mouth and turned around the room. She glanced at the Doctor. She realized from his point of view, the only thing the gelth had done was steal some dead bodies, and ask for help. He looked disbelievingly at her. Her heart sank. There had to be some way to prove it to him.
"Doctor," Lilly frowned as she spoke, "you've got to believe me."
The Doctor looked at her like he was studying the situation, like he was taking in all the possibilities. He frowned. How could he risk the survival of an entire species on the foresight of one human, specifically a human who had been wrong in the past? And, at the same time, how could he not take Lilly's warning into consideration when she'd accurately predicted so much, the Nestine Consciousness, Cassandra's death, and Rose running to join him on his Tardis, to name only a few.
Lilly stared at the Doctor. She could see the indecision in his eyes.
"Rose." Lilly turned to her. "You know we can't trust them. Why?"
"Dunno," she answered. "'S... Just feels wrong. Yeah?"
The Doctor looked at Rose.
"Don't I get a say?" asked Gwyneth. Rose and Lilly turned to face her.
"You don't understand what's going on," objected Rose.
"You would say that, Miss," responded Gwyneth, "'cause that's very clear inside your head." She stood up and walked over to Rose. "You think I'm stupid. Things might be very different where you're from, but here and now, I know my own mind. And the angels need me. They've been singing to me since I was a child, sent by my mum on a holy mission. I want to help them."
Gwyneth, thought Lilly. Gwyneth was psychic. She was for all intents and purposes telepathic right now. Gwyneth could see Lilly was right. And if Gwyneth believed her, the Doctor would have too. Besides, once Gwyneth saw what was really going on, she would never open the rift. Maybe Gwyneth could tell the Doctor she was from another universe. The idea lifted Lilly's spirits. If he finally believed she was from an alternate universe, maybe he could finally find her a way home. But wait. Maybe this was a bad idea, especially with the Doctor standing right there. If Gwyneth revealed the wrong piece of information, she could create a paradox. What about that paradox the Doctor referred to on Platform One? Was it still a danger? No, Lilly couldn't risk it. She couldn't risk the lives of everyone in the multiverse, even for a chance to return home. She stepped away from the maid, just to be safe.
"Doctor," asked Gwyneth, "what do I have to do?"
"You don't have to do anything," he responded just as he had on the show.
Lilly's heart sank even further. The Doctor wasn't going to listen to her warning. Nothing was going to change. Gwyneth would die. Mr. Sneed would probably die too. At this point the only difference Lilly could see she could make might be to suggest they release the gas from the light fixtures a little earlier than Dickens had on the show. Oh, and definitely make sure she didn't get herself killed. Maybe she should just wait outside until it was over.
"We'll think of something else," continued the Doctor.
"What?" Lilly looked up in surprise to see him watching her.
"You said it would kill her," he answered. "So, we'll think of something else."
She let out a great sigh of relief, and covered her smile with her hand. Tears sprang to her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you." He finally believed her. I can do this, she thought, feeling her tension release.
"Why would you think my angels would hurt me?" Gwyneth asked Lilly. "Miss Brooks, they're angels. They're kind." She stepped forward, reached out, and gently took a hold of Lilly's injured arm."
Lilly winced, but quickly recovered, hiding her pain. She couldn't let the Doctor know about that burn. Why did it hurt so much?
"We need to save them, like you're trying to save the lives of your family," Gwyneth began.
Oh no, thought Lilly. She's reading my mind.
"You wish to change the course of time," Gwyneth went on, her eyes a vacant stare.
No. Well, sort of, thought Lilly. She did want to change what was going to happen here. She wanted to save Gwyneth's life.
The Doctor grimaced. That wasn't good. Was that what she was after, altering a time line?
"You've been missing your family these last few days, Miss," Gwyneth continued. "Your mum and dad. All your sisters. And your little brother. You think of home."
Everyone in the room looked on with interest.
"You're not from here," she added, staring at Lilly, but looking right through her. "You came from the darkness." Gwyneth swallowed.
Lilly tried to pull gently away, but it hurt when she tugged. Gwyneth held tight in her trance like state. Lilly stilled herself, not wanting the Doctor to find out about her arm. Rose and the Doctor looked on with wide eyed fascination.
Gwyneth was quiet for a moment more. "The archway in the morgue will open the rift, but that's not what you worry about." She looked up into Lilly's eyes.
"They're still hunting you," Gwyneth warned.
"Who is?" Lilly couldn't help asking.
"Torchwood." Gwyneth looked off into space. "You were so happy to see Mr. Bedford dead. The way you kicked his body." The look on her face showed her disapproval.
Lilly swallowed. The Doctor's eyebrows shot up. Rose looked at Lilly in surprise.
Gwyneth's eyes widened too. "You shot that man."
"I didn't shoot him," Lilly answered, thinking of Mr. Bedford.
"No, the other man. That old man. He was trying to help them, save their lives. You shot him in cold blood. You wanted him to die. Why would you want to murder him? Oh. You hated him. So much anger. So much fear."
Lilly was shocked. What was she talking about? She had never killed anyone. She certainly would never hurt anyone good.
"You know the devil," continued Gwyneth. "You recognize his home. He will awaken. The pit will open. The beast and his armies shall rise from the pit. He will bathe in the black sun. He'll speak with you."
"No!" shouted Lilly. She pulled her arm quickly away from Gwyneth in spite of the pain, and backed away. Krop Tor, she thought in horror, remembering the episode with the black hole and the devil. No. Please. No.
Gwyneth came out of her trance when Lilly jerked away. She looked terrified at Lilly. "You're a witch. Only a witch speaks with the devil," she accused.
"Oi," Rose interceded. "She's not a witch."
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Miss. I didn't mean too." She quickly recanted, taking a step back away. "It's just all the things in her head..." She glanced at Lilly, and began staring like she was looking right through her again. "It's your fault," Gwyneth started. "It's all your fault," she repeated louder. "Don't tell him."
"Wh... Who?" asked Lilly.
"You have to keep what you know a secret. But you can't. Can you? Oh, the things you know." Gwyneth shook her head. "Now, the Earth is lost. And soon it will be the universe too."
"Gwyneth, calm down," ordered the Doctor. "How? How is the Earth lost?" And how was she familiar with a word like 'universe?' That wasn't commonly used in this time period.
"What she knows can break the lock."
"What lock?" asked the Doctor.
"The daleks. The Skaro Degradations. The Horde of Travesties. The Nightmare Child. The Could-Have-Been King with his army of meanwhiles and never-weres." Gwyneth rattled off. "The TIMELORDS!" she shouted.
The Doctor stepped forward, streaks of fear running through his body. He looked quickly between Lilly and Gwyneth, instantly recognizing Gwyneth's description of the time war. All the possible connotations of what she'd just said were running through his massively impressive brain at top speed. He was scared, properly scared. Could this little human really figure out how to break the time lock?
"Don't ever tell the timelord the secret," ordered Gwyneth, stepping closer to Lilly still staring glassy eyed into space. "Don't let him touch your thoughts."
Lilly stepped back.
"The Doctor should have destroyed you when he had the chance. He should have hallowed out your little mind before it was too late. Or he should have just killed you. He always was a coward." It didn't sound like Gwyneth speaking. She sounded cold, unfeeling, calculating. Everyone in the room stiffened at Gwyneth's declaration.
She seemed to melt before continuing. "Oh, Miss. Your future. He wants his mummy. Don't let him touch you! The metal-tron. The metal-tron! Don't Blink. It moves! It shouldn't move!" Gwyneth's stare turned to look Lilly directly in the eyes. "Burn with me, Lilly," she said in a dark voice. "Burn with me." She took a breath. "Stay out of the shadows. The end of the universe. The Toclafane! You could kill the bad wolf." With that Gwyneth's eyes rolled up and into the back of her head. She collapsed. The Doctor stepped forward, catching her before she could hit the floor.
Lilly backed away from the scene, everything Gwyneth just said running through her mind. I can't do this. I can't. I just can't. The mantra she'd been repeating to herself for the last few hours crumbled.
'He should have hallowed out your mind.' Lilly repeated Gwyneth's words silently to herself. Would the Doctor change his mind about the final action? She was shaking, visibly shaking. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. This couldn't be happening. She had to get out of there. She had to get away from the Doctor. With everyone's attention on Gwyneth, Lilly quietly slipped from the room, and fled through the front door.
When the Doctor looked up from laying Gwyneth back onto the couch, he instantly noticed Lilly was missing. He frantically looked around the room. After what he'd just heard, he couldn't let Lilly out of his sight. If even half of what he was able to understand of Gwyneth's rant was true, Lilly was more dangerous to the survival of the universe than he'd ever imagined. He had to deal with this.
Lilly's heart pounded in her ears as she tried to run. The constriction of her corset made breathing difficult. She could hardly move. Her layers of skirts kept wrapping around her legs, slowing her down. And the ache of almost every muscle in her body cried with every step.
"Lilly!"
She heard the Doctor call her name. She turned a corner, ran between two tall buildings, and tried to increase her speed. She ran out onto the boardwalk next to a moderately busy street, dodging through other pedestrians as she went.
"Oi!" the Doctor called after her.
He was getting closer. She ducked behind a group of Christmas carolers, and kept running. He caught sight of her turning into an alleyway behind the carolers, and took a detour. Just before Lilly could run out of the secluded alleyway onto the almost vacant street, the Doctor stepped out in front of her.
No! Her body tried to gasped. Unable to stop she slammed into him. He caught her by her arms. There was no one in the alleyway to help her, and she couldn't make it to the street. She was alone.
"Please," she choked out in a whisper, shaking her head. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't get enough air. Her corset was like a vice around her lungs. Dark spots began to appear at the edges of her vision. The whole world seemed foggy, hazy. Lilly felt like she was starting to sink into the ground.
"Lilly, calm down." The Doctor watched as she tried to speak. No sound came out. Her face was turning pale. Realization hit the Doctor. Panic splashed across his features. Lilly was suffocating. Instantly, he spun her around, took hold of the top of her dress with both hands, and in one swift movement tore open the back of her garment, sending tiny handmade buttons in all directions. He reached up again, this time for her corset. Using inhuman strength, he pulled at the fabric, tearing the laces. Rip. Rip. Rip. Lilly inhaled sharply as the ancient torture device released her. The Doctor wrapped one arm around her middle to help steady her.
"Breathe," he ordered next to her ear. He inhaled as though his breathing would show her what to do. "Just breathe."
And she did. She breathed. For several minutes Lilly had no choice but to lean against the Doctor, gulping air.
When she finally regained some semblance of rationality, she asked, "Why?" She inhaled deeply. "Why did you come after me?" Gwyneth's words were still ringing in her ears.
The Doctor wasn't about to tell Lilly he was afraid as soon as she was out of his screwdriver's range, she'd use her vortex manipulator to jump away. He wouldn't be able to trace her jump, and he might not be able to find her until it was too late. He might not find her until she'd already opened the time lock, bringing about the end of all life. He didn't want to remind her how dangerous she was, or tell her after what he'd just heard, he couldn't let her out of his sight. No. He needed to know more about her before he confronted her about her vortex manipulator. He needed to know what he was dealing with before he faced it. But he couldn't lie to her. That was part of their deal.
"You're my responsibility," he answered simply, "Under my protection. Wouldn't want you to disappear." There. That didn't break their deal.
"You're not going to hurt me?"
He released his hold on her, and gently turned her around to face him, a confused look on his face. He was holding onto her shoulders.
"The... final action." Lilly clarified, looking up at him. She was barely holding it together.
His face fell. "Lilly Brooks," he said softly, eyes boring into hers, "Gave you my word." He frowned. "Showed you my thoughts. Why don't you believe me?"
Lilly exhaled sharply. He wasn't going to hurt her. She'd overreacted. Covering her mouth with her hand, she stopped a small sob from escaping. She'd been so scared. "She said you should have..." Lilly touched her temple, frowning. "I thought..." Her voice cracked. "I thought you might change your mind. Didn't you believe her?"
"Lilly, don't listen to what she said," he answered, side stepping her question.
Lilly pushed away from him, using one hand to keep her dress from slipping off. Was he lying to her, smoothing things over like he did with so many of his other companions?
"She said, 'the timelords.'" Lilly swallowed. "That's you. Your people. She said, 'daleks.' That's your word." She didn't dare tell him she knew what it meant. "How can you say not to listen?"
"She said you were a witch," countered the Doctor. "She said you shot a man in cold blood. Was she right?"
Lilly shook her head, frowning. The Doctor let out a breath.
"Lilly, I've heard psychics before. Problem is even when you think you understand what they're talking about, could mean something else entirely. They're not like us. They aren't time sensitive."
"But she knows things." Lilly ignored his comment about being time sensitive. "Didn't anything she said freak you out?"
He'd understood enough of what Gwyneth said to be properly scared. But he didn't have enough information to act on it yet. Besides, he'd made a mistake in dealing with Lilly before. He wasn't going to do it again. Time agent or something else, she was his responsibility. He would deal with her, but carefully. The Doctor didn't answer her question. Instead, he asked one of his own. "Do you know what she was talking about?"
Lilly was quiet. She swallowed. Yes. She knew. She recognized snippets of episode after episode from the show. But how much should she tell him? How much would his rule allow? What about Jack's rule? 'Don't let him know what you know.' Lilly thought back to how the Doctor seemed to know what she was thinking when he'd questioned her in the viewing room on Platform One. If she lied now, if she said she didn't know what Gwyneth was talking about, would he know?
"Right then," said the Doctor, interrupting her thoughts. "Think we need a new rule."
Lilly was shocked. Did the Doctor know she recognized what Gwyneth was talking about? Had he read her mind? No. No, if he could read her mind, he would know she was from an alternate universe. But how did he know she recognized what Gwyneth was saying? Was it written across her face?
"What?" asked Lilly.
"Rule two," said the Doctor. "No altering time." He worried about Gwyneth's comment about Lilly wanting to change time. Changing one timeline could have exponential side effects.
"What... What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.
"No altering events, paradoxes, timelines or time locks without asking me first," he stated firmly. He needed to make sure she didn't somehow, accidentally or otherwise, open that time lock, and release the time war back into existence. It shouldn't be possible. But after Gwyneth's warning, he had to take precautions.
"No." Lilly shook her head.
"How's that?" He looked at the human in surprise.
"No. I don't agree to that rule," she answered. "Sometimes I know more than you. Sometimes you're not there to ask. And I'm not going to stand by and watch someone die, just because you don't happen to be there at the moment."
The Doctor nodded at her concerns. He frowned, and put his hands on his hips, spreading open his jacket. He was thinking. "Alright. No altering time without asking me first, unless I'm not available to ask. And then only to save a life. No altering time without asking me for any other reason." He dropped his hands from his hips, and put them in his pockets. "And Lilly."
She looked at him.
"This only applies to your foresight. If you know someone is going to die because you've been to their future, you're not to change it. That could cause a paradox." He gave her a gravely sober look, pressing his lips together, almost frowning. "That alright?" he asked.
Lilly was quiet for a moment. She nodded... and shivered. It was a little cold out, but the shiver wasn't a reaction to the temperature.
"You're really worried about what Gwyneth said. Aren't you?" commented Lilly.
The Doctor didn't answer. He looked at Lilly seriously.
"You need to start following the first rule too."
Lilly grimaced. She frowned. "I have!" Her voice was a little louder than she'd intended. "I mean." She lowered her volume. "I know I make mistakes. And I really messed up with Cassa..." She still couldn't say her name. "... with what happened on Platform One. But you said life was making mistakes and cleaning them up. I'm doing my best."
"You deliberately told Rose her mother would be fine when she moves out."
Lilly closed her eyes, and ran a hand over her face. She looked at the Doctor. "That wasn't fortune telling. That was logic. I didn't break the rule."
The Doctor's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Lilly Brooks," he said, "You lied."
"No, I didn't. I..."
The Doctor smirked. Lilly looked at him.
"Yeah. O.K. I lied," she conceded. "And I feel terrible about it." She looked at the ground. "But I didn't lie to you. I didn't break our deal. I would have told you sooner, but I didn't want to hurt Rose. And she needed to know she could move out, if she wanted to."
There was an odd silence between them. The Doctor was still smirking at her. Lilly looked around the alleyway. The ground was solid. She could hear the sound of her shoe scuffing the dirt against the cobblestone. The smell of chimney smoke soaked into everything around her. And the bricks of the buildings on either side of them were so real. How could any of this possibly be real? And if it was real, how could she have doubted the Doctor?
"I feel like such an idiot," she commented, a feeling of embarrassment sinking in her stomach. "Everything I..." She paused thinking of how to explain what she knew from the show. "Everything I've 'sensed' says I should trust you. That you're good." She paused.
The Doctor's eyes widened. Good? he thought. After what he'd done, how could anyone call him good?
"I... I don't sense that much," Lilly corrected, remembering Jack's rule. "Tiny, tiny pieces," she went on, hoping she hadn't messed up too badly. "But when Gwyneth said that stuff, I just freaked out. I had to get away. I'm sorry. I'm sorry ran off like that. I..." Lilly pressed her lips together.
She was still afraid of what Gwyneth said. She was terrified. Gwyneth had said so much, so fast, Lilly could hardly remember any of it. She did remember how it made her feel though. It made her want to crawl under her bed and never come out. But she didn't have a bed. She didn't even have a room. She had to hold it together. Maybe when she was back on the Tardis, she'd feel a little better. At least the Doctor hadn't changed his mind about the final action. When he gave his word, apparently, he meant it. He'd do his best to keep her safe. That was reassuring. And Lilly had been able to help. Besides saving Jabe on Platform One, the Doctor had listened to her warning about the gelth killing Gwyneth. Maybe, because of Lilly's presence, future episodes would be different from the show too. Maybe everything would be alright. Lilly had to hang onto that thought. How could she function, if she didn't have hope.
"Still friends then?" asked the Doctor.
The tension in her body relaxed a little more. "Yeah," answered Lilly.
The Doctor relaxed a little too. Well, at least dealing with Lilly went well. One crisis averted. One more to go. The gelth. How was he going to help the gelth?
"Are you alright, Miss?" asked a well dressed young man standing behind the Doctor. He'd just stepped into the alleyway from the almost empty street when he'd noticed Lilly's disheveled appearance in the corner of his eye. He was staring intently at her.
Lilly held onto her ruined dress a little tighter. "I'm fine," she answered.
The teenager glanced at the Doctor, then back to Lilly. "Is this yob bothering you? Shall I call the constable?"
"No. We're fine," Lilly answered again.
"Hello, I'm the Doctor." When the Doctor took a step towards the boy, the boy stepped back, startled.
"Help!" shouted the young man. "Help! Police!" He sprinted away from the alleyway.
The Doctor looked perplexed. "Must be the jumper," he commented, pulling at the front of his top, inspecting it.
"You tore my dress," explained Lilly.
The Doctor looked back up at her, grinning with pride. "Yes," he said, "I did." He'd saved her from suffocating.
"No," explained Lilly, slower this time. "You tore open my dress." She gave him a look.
The Doctor's expression changed from pride to confusion to understanding. "Oh," he said. "Didn't think about it like that."
Lilly smiled to herself. Wow. Maybe some things were just like the show. How could anyone so inconceivably intelligent be so completely oblivious at the same time? The Doctor looked uncomfortable.
"It's O.K." Lilly tried to reassure him. "Victorian underwear has more layers than my regular 21st century clothes. It's like I'm wearing another entire dress under my first one, and pantaloons down to my ankles under that." She fidgeted a little under all the layers. "Maybe I could just slip off the outer dress. The under clothes should be enough, right?" Lilly wiggled a bit more until her corset slid down past her hips and landed on the ground. She kicked it out from under her skirts, looking scornfully at the menacing restraint. "I'm never wearing one of those again." She looked up at the Doctor. "Can't you make it bigger on the inside?" Lilly was thinking of all the fan fictions she'd read where the Doctor made corsets transdimensional. Maybe the Doctor had just never thought of it, because he'd never had to wear one.
"Nope," he answered her simply. His thoughts were somewhere else. He was thinking about the young man calling for the police. "Could get arrested for this," he said to himself. The Doctor was staring off into space, eyebrows raised. No good deed goes unpunished, he told himself. The look on the Doctor's face was like he couldn't believe what was happening. He came out of his stupor, and looked at Lilly. They needed to get moving, before that kid came back with trouble.
She was still staring at him, thinking about transdimentional corsets. He saw her look, and remembered her question.
"Where would all the... bigger on the inside go when it's completely open?" he asked. He smiled at her. "Wouldn't work. But good thinking. Brilliant for a human."
Well, that made sense, she thought. Lilly smiled at him. There was nothing like getting praise from the Doctor. She wasn't about to tell him the idea wasn't hers. Even if she wanted to, how could she? Explaining fan fiction to the Doctor would definitely break Jack's rules. But if he believed her, the look on the Doctor's face would have been priceless. She smiled to herself. He glanced at the corset on the cobblestone.
"And no. You can't go around in only your underwear," he explained, shaking his head. Humans. "Here." He took off his jacket, and helped her put it on. "Fasten it closed. Should take care of things 'till we get you back to the Tardis."
"DOCTOR!" He heard Rose. "DOCTOR!" She sounded panicked.
"Rose!" called back the Doctor.
"What's wrong?" asked Lilly, looking questioningly at the Doctor. She hadn't heard anything. She understood instantly, however, after hearing the Doctor call out Rose's name, Rose was in trouble.
"Run," he answered, grabbing her hand.
Adrenaline surged through her body, giving her the strength to move. The two of them ran towards their friend. Just as the Doctor and Lilly reached the end of the alleyway, a police officer and the well dressed teenaged boy they'd met a few moments before entered the alleyway at the other end.
"You there!" shouted the officer. "Stop!"
The Doctor increased his speed, pulling Lilly along with him. If Rose was in trouble, the last thing he needed was to have to answer a game of twenty questions.
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Special thanks to emptyvoices for her expertise and advice about Victorian clothing. She's an expert who was gracious enough to take the time to answer my questions. So, according to the expert, all that stuff about suffocating and passing out from wearing a corset while being physically active is completely accurate. Thank you so much for your help and advice!
