Yes! It's another chapter finished! There are probably some mistakes (though I hope there aren't) and I apologize for them.
If you're wondering why The Doctor's been avoiding Dahlia, read the second chapter of my other story Takeaways: DW. It's basically smut mixed with guilt.
The Doctor had avoided me for a few weeks after he returned my sonic screwdriver. I was still confused about that, too. How did it get into the console room? And why didn't he ask more questions about where I got it? At first I thought I had done something wrong or he was angry about me keeping my sonic a secret for so long, but when I confronted him about it, all The Doctor could stutter was that it wasn't my fault. It was a Time Lord thing and I didn't want to understand because it was a disgusting biology thing. Right after telling me this, he scurried from the room faster than I'd ever seen him move.
I didn't seek him out after that. If it was that embarrassing, then I wouldn't bother him. Maybe it was the male, Time Lord version of a period. If that was the case then I definitely didn't want to be around when he switched moods.
Now though, a month and a half later, he was back to his old self. Sometimes he wouldn't meet my eyes for long periods of time, but I didn't think anything of it. The Doctor wasn't actively avoiding me and we were back to adventuring around the universe.
Now all we had to do was not die during the landing.
"Doctor!" I screamed, clinging to railing with every ounce of strength I had. "What the fuck did you just press?!"
He was attempting to stabilize us midflight. At the same time, he was trying to land. It was going as well as one could imagine.
"Don't you start with me! I punched in the correct calculations! She's just bein' a bit difficult today!" he retorted.
Lights flashed angrily around us. Steam started filling the console room from places I couldn't even see. Sparks flowered from the base of the central column. A series of buttons just to my right flashed in an oddly steady pattern. Too steady to be caused by us spinning out of control.
I made my way to the console, slowly and unsteadily but surely. Thank you, Sexy. Don't worry, I'll smack him in the head for the both of us when we're not about to die.
Upon pressing the last button, I flicked the temporal stabilization switch. The TARDIS ceased being tossed around like a tree in a tornado. I beamed proudly when the grinding noise of the engines filled my ears. Finally, we were landing. Now . . . where was The Doctor?
"Doctor?" I asked, frowning and furrowing my eyebrows together as I peered over the console to where I last saw him.
He popped up from the floor, looking slightly disheveled. He fixed his jacket and then peered over the console at the buttons I had pressed. The Doctor leered at where my hands still rested. "What'd you do?"
I scoffed, "I landed the TARDIS. What were you doing?"
He shot me a nasty look, but it faded quickly when his gaze landed on the TARDIS doors. Grinning, he asked me, "My turn or yours?"
A smile broke my stern expression. "Yours, last time I opened the doors we were on the edge of a cliff on Saronoff and I nearly fell to my death. I'll let you take the risk this time, thank you very much."
The Doctor snorted, grabbing my hand when he walked around the console toward the doors. As agreed, he peeked out first, making sure the coast was clear before leading me outside. The Doctor was instantly enamored by our surroundings and skipped off to examine what looked like a glowing set of alien teeth. I, on the other hand, froze in panic.
Henry Van Statten's museum. So soon? Why? Everything was going so well. I've felt more human than ever since my breakdown, and The Doctor and I have become closer, disregarding his awkward episode. This . . . this is going to ruin everything. No matter what I do, The Doctor will still hate me for not telling him about the Dalek. I bit my lip and watched The Doctor. I needed to get him out of here. Maybe if I asked really nicely he'll let us leave. Or should I use the fear road instead? I'll have to be very careful if I do, one wrong word and he'll want to stay here even more, if just to take care of the monster.
"Doctor . . ." I called out quietly, allowing my fear and worry to make my voice quiver.
His attention immediately snapped from the artifact he was examining to me. "Dahlia? What's wrong?" he asked, taking long strides until he stood in front of me.
Guilt made my gut turn nauseously. I didn't want to deceive him, but I couldn't let him know about the Dalek . . . I wrung my hands together and stared at the floor.
"We need to leave," I muttered lowly. Then I looked up at him and added, "Now."
The Doctor frowned, pursing his lips. "Dahlia," he said slowly. My heart sank. "We can't leave. I have to know what's makin' that signal. After we do that, then we can leave. Okay?"
His tone made me feel like an ignorant child. I gnawed on my lip again. How much should I tell him? Nothing about the Dalek, of course, but how do I get across the urgency that I need? Panic and guilt were not the best supporters of rational thought; all I could think about was his upcoming anger. And disappointment. I couldn't take it if The Doctor was disappointed in me. Anger I could take, but I didn't want to be just another ape to him.
"Please, please, listen to me, Doctor. We have to leave. We can't be here!" My voice rose in volume at the end. The panic was moving from my gut to my chest. I could feel its spider-like fingers closing in around my lungs. My breath came in shorter bursts.
The Doctor narrowed his eyes at me. He knew something was off. Oh God . . . please don't let him notice how bad the situation really is.
"Why not? How bad will it get if we stay?"
Doctor, for fuck's safe! For once in your goddamn life will you just listen to me?! No. No, you won't, because you have to know everything! God, I hate you sometimes.
I took a deep breath to curb my anger. It would do me no good today. At least the remorse and dread had calmed to only slightly unpleasant levels.
"Very, very bad. Now come on, back to the TARDIS." I gripped his hand, harder than intended, and started toward the ship, but The Doctor didn't budge.
His frown deepened. "Dahlia, just tell me what's so dangerous. I'll fix it, I promise. Just give me some time."
My eyes widened. Time. Was there a time limit to how long we would stay undetected? Or were the guards only triggered by the alarm? Van Statten probably had bugs and security cameras all over the place; it wouldn't be long before we were discovered.
I shook my head and scowled at him over my shoulder. "This isn't something you can fix, Doctor. Let's go," I growled.
Something behind his eyes hardened underneath the worry. It wasn't The Oncoming Storm—not yet—but the resemblance was enough to make me shudder.
The Doctor wrenched his hand from mine and glared at me. He sneered, "Don't tell me what I can and cannot do, Dahlia Tombew. No matter how much you know about me, you still don't know what I am capable of. Now, tell me. What. Is. Wrong."
I shoved the fear into the corner with the guilt; the panic seemed to be staying this time. "I can't. Doctor, we need to—"
He cut me off, "No, we're not goin' anywhere 'til you stop keepin' things from me!" He turned me around so he could plant both his hands on my shoulders, keeping me firming in place.
I swallowed thickly. His eyes glared into mine. We'd been over this. Twice. Would he ever trust me? Probably not. I was suddenly struck by how stupid I had been to think he'd ever fully trust me. I was from another dimension, sent here to replace a dead girl who should be here blindly following him instead. I knew nearly everything about him. I knew his past, present, and future. The Doctor would never trust someone who could destroy him so easily.
Shoving the irrelevant feeling of betrayal away, I pleaded, "Doctor, please just listen to—"
"No!" he shouted, "Tell. Me. Now!"
I cowered immediately and some resisting part of me gave up. "It's a Dalek!" The words spilled from my lips before I could think and, as soon as I said it, I knew I'd made possibly the worst mistake of my entire life.
The Doctor's eyes blazed with fury as his eyes went black with The Oncoming Storm. Every ounce of worry he had shown earlier evaporated the instant the word Dalek left my mouth.
I stumbled away from him backwards, but his hand shot out and wrapped around my wrist, locking me in his titanium grip. His glare froze me, daring me to attempt any form of escape or explanation.
"A Dalek?" The Doctor growled through gritted teeth. "There's a Dalek here and you didn't tell me?"
I winced when his grip tightened. I could feel the bruise forming. "Doctor, you're hurting me. Please let go."
"No. Not until you tell me why," he snarled.
"I-I couldn't . . . We agreed . . . I'm not supposed to—" I stumbled. What was I supposed to say? I thought we'd settled this ages ago. Apparently The Doctor hadn't been satisfied with the outcome of our arguments.
He sneered again. "That's what I thought." He then started dragging me toward the TARDIS.
My heart skipped a beat in surprise. We were leaving? Okay . . . okay, I can work with this. We'll leave and have another screaming tournament. I'll take the brunt of his anger and deal with it. I'd suffer through anything to get away from this place.
The Doctor paused before opening the TARDIS doors. He looked me up and down once and turned back to the TARIDS to open it, barking, "Should've known you were nothing more than another stupid ape."
What?
In my mindset the entire world just fell apart. Another stupid ape? That's how he saw me now? Because I'd done what I was supposed to do? My heart shattered. Tears burned my eyes and slid down my cheeks; I made no move to stop them as I normally would have.
Three words. Three words were all it took for him to break me. Why was I so surprised? It had only taken him six to topple Harriet Jones, and she was supposed to bring about Britain's Golden Age. I was just a teenaged girl.
The Doctor paid my silent suffering no mind. He wrenched the TARDIS door open and shoved me inside. I stumbled and nearly fell but caught myself on the railing.
"I'll deal with you later—after I kill the Dalek." And then the door slammed shut.
My brain, still addled with shock, took a few moments to process this, but when it did, I pushed aside whatever feelings I had and rushed to the door. I tried to open it. The door rattled, but didn't open. "Doctor?" I wheezed, panic causing my voices to climb several octaves. "Doctor, open the door! You have to let me out! Doctor!" I banged on the doors until my fists were nearly numb with pain.
Was he even still out there?
I dashed to the console, nearly crashing to the metal grating floor in my rush, and found the monitor linked to the camera outside.
Yes, there he was. He was scowling at the various objects on the wall with his hands shoved in his pockets. I felt a spark of hope. Maybe he wouldn't be able to find his way around . . . Then The Doctor pulled his sonic screwdriver from his pocket. He pressed one button and the alarm sounded. Within seconds, he was surrounded by armed guards and being escorted away.
"No!" I screamed. "No! Doctor! Come back!" Screaming at the screen was pointless, the TARDIS was blocking all communication from inside the TARDIS; The Doctor hadn't even heard me when I attempted to knock the doors down.
Okay . . . calm down, Dahlia. Think. How do you get out of a locked TARDIS?
Obviously with the key.
Taking my spade key from around my neck, I went back to the doors and tried it. All I got was another rattling sound.
Don't panic. Try the sonic.
I slipped the sonic out of my pocket and switched it to the proper setting. The Doctor had been teaching me all the settings. The only ones I had managed to remember were the ones I found most useful, which was about fifteen.
The whirring of the sonic eased my panic. This would work. The sonic always worked. I'd be out of here in a minute or two and then I could go save The Doctor and we'd be out of here—
The door didn't open. The lock didn't even twitch. My heart picked up speed, thudding in my chest. Icy fear shocked my gut and spread through my veins. My breathing became labored.
The sonic hadn't work. Why hadn't it worked? The sonic always worked.
What else could I do?
In a wave of rage, I slammed my entire body against the doors. Not the best plan but I was too frustrated to think. I just needed to get out.
A new anger pulsed through my head, but this was different than the frustration and worry I already felt. This anger wasn't mine.
The lights of the console room pulsed; an angry buzzing filled the room, and then I knew. The TARDIS was angry with me. I could feel her in my mind. She was ranting about how I had hurt her thief. Don't ask how I knew what the buzzing meant. I couldn't explain it if I tried.
"I'm sorry! I know you're angry, but I still regret telling him! How could I bring it up? 'Oh, hey, Doctor, yeah, you know how you sacrificed your entire race to save the universe from the Daleks? Well, there's a problem with that. Ya see there's a Dalek in this guy Van Statten's underground museum. Why didn't I tell you earlier? Well, I believe that if I tell you anything, the universe with implode again'," I ranted to the ship. She probably wasn't listening, but it never hurt to explain yourself.
The doors still didn't open.
Pressing my forehead against the wood, I exhaled heavily through my nose. What else could I do? The key didn't work; the sonic didn't work. The TARDIS was resisting every notion of opening the doors. So what could I try? I couldn't force the doors open in any normal way, so what about an abnormal way?
I shoved away from the doors and ran past the console and through the corridors. My feet converse clad feet clanged along the metal grating.
I only had one other option. The laser screwdriver; if the TARDIS wouldn't open her doors for me, I would force them to. I could use the setting I'd used on Platform One. Melt the doors open. The TARDIS would repair herself while I rescued The Doctor. I still didn't know how I was going to do that without waking up the Dalek, but I was working on it. I had a few ideas, they just needed flushing out.
Hadn't I gone through here before? Was I going in the right direction? I was going the way I always went. I should've been there by now.
Out the corner of my eye, one of the corridors shifted.
I skidded to a stop. My God . . . the TARDIS was trapping me. I knew she was angry but not angry enough to do this. She was toying with me. She was the TARDIS, and I was trapped inside her. A rat in a genius, sentient machine. I would never get out. And The Doctor was trapped as the newest edition to Van Statten's museum. How long had it been now? Ten? Twenty minutes? Maybe thirty? Van Statten knew what The Doctor was by now and was torturing him. Restoring the Dalek was what forced Van Statten to release The Doctor, and with me trapped in here . . .
I leaned heavily against a wall. There was no point in moving. I couldn't outsmart the TARDIS. I couldn't unlock the doors. I was trapped. The Doctor was a hostage. The TARDIS hated me. End of the line.
Go left.
I frowned. Who was that? There was no one on the ship except me, and the TARDIS couldn't talk, at least not to me.
Go left you stupid girl.
I knew that voice. Koschei? I asked hesitantly.
Who did you think it was? Your precious Doctor? he sneered. Now go left.
Pursing my lips, I did as I was told, albeit slowly. How'd he know which way was the right one? And was it really safe it take directions from a voice in my head?
Yes, it is. Now move your arse, ape.
You've gotten rude, I snipped back, taking off down the left corridor.
Keep going straight. You'd be rude, too if you were stuck as a voice in a silly human's head.
The corridors shifted. Yeah, what's up with that?
Sharp right. You still have my fob watch. Before I was erased from existence, I managed to seal a fraction of my regenerative energy inside it.
I turned right. Regenerative energy? But you were being erased, not just dying.
He sighed heavily and I could feel his irritation in the back of my mind. It was both. When I went to your world—another left—my body started breaking down. When we got back to mine, I was being erased.
Narrowly missing a newly grown wall, I dove left. I was almost there, just one more corner. Why'd you do it, though?
Koschei scoffed. Any half brain could see that you would need help, ape.
But I could hear the tone of his voice. He was seeking my approval. He wanted to know I didn't mind having his consciousness roaming around in my head. And he was still guilty. I sighed internally. Koschei, you shouldn't feel guilty anymore. I know why you did it and I'm not mad at you. Don't know why but I haven't been able to keep a grudge against you . . . and I don't mind having you around. In fact, it'd be better if you spoke up more often. As you can see, The Doctor and I tend to argue more than get along and I could always use your company.
One more right, he muttered. I could tell he was smiling.
Koschei was correct. I saw my door as soon as I turned the last corner. I grinned, even though I was panting tiredly; get the laser screwdriver, blast the doors open, save The Doctor. Simple plan, easy steps. Nothin' to it.
My gut sunk with a fear I pushed away. The fear was completely rational. The door to my room wouldn't open. The TARDIS had locked it.
"No! Goddammit! TARDIS, open the door!" I screamed, pounding at the door with my fists. Another pointless action. Why, God, why had I gotten into the habit of leaving my bag in my room?
The Doctor was definitely being tortured by now. I remembered what he'd looked like on the show. Reality would be so much worse because it wasn't just actors faking it. The Doctor was really being tortured and there was nothing I could do about it.
"TARDIS, please," I begged, "please, let me leave. The Doctor needs my help! He's being tortured. Van Statten's going to keep him for his collection. So please, please just open the door . . ."
Brief scrapings of metal; the corridors were shifting again. The TARDIS' touch drifted at the edges of my mind. She urged me to move, down the pathway she had just created.
Heaving a sigh of defeat, I did as I was told. My footsteps were heavy and graceless. I walked slowly; there was no point in rushing.
The new corridor led me back to the console room and I almost collapsed on the captain's chair, but the TARDIS urged me forward. I stared blankly at the doors when I stopped at them. My hands twitched anxiously. Part of me was aching to try opening them again but I wasn't sure if I could take another bout of disappointment.
Get away from the doors before you beat your fists bloody against them. I started to move away but I stopped at the click of a lock. One of the doors slid open a sliver. A light touch caused it to creak open further. Cautiously, I pushed the door open and peered out. No guards. Though, I didn't really expect them to be there. They thought they'd caught the intruder. No one thought to look for an accomplice.
"Thank you," I whispered to the TARDIS, caressing the wood before dashing to the elevator at the far end of the hall.
What floor was The Doctor being held on, again?
A voice in the back of my mind that I suspected to be Koschei ordered me to press the button for Level Four, so I did so. After the doors opened I wandered until I found Adam's workshop. The little rat was attempting to put together two separate pieces of technology. Unfortunately for him, one was Drahvin and the other was Slyther. Not to mention the fact that one was a music holder and the other was a food cooker.
Adam didn't hear my approach. I had gotten quite good at sneaking up on people; it helped that I practiced on The Doctor. His super hearing was much more difficult to foil.
"Where's The Doctor?" My question startled Adam; so much that both pieces of technology and the tool he was holding clattered to the ground while he let out a very girly shriek, cowering in his chair with both hand covering his head.
I scowled. "I asked you a question. Don't make me ask again."
He finally turned around. I wasn't too far away, but any farther and I might have missed the glint in his eye. Oh God . . . please don't tell me he's attracted to me. It was annoying enough to have to watch him flirt with Rose; I'd rather not have to endure it myself.
"Who are you?" Adam questioned, rising from his seat. He didn't pick up the fallen items, ignoring them in favor of closing the distance between us by a foot. "How'd you get in here?"
I made sure to keep my expression as bitchy and disgusted as I could (it wasn't hard at all). I wasn't here to make friends and I definitely wasn't here to invite Adam along to see the universe. I wanted The Doctor, not this greedy, flirty moron.
"All you need to know is that I'm here with The Doctor, and we should've left here half an hour ago," I responded coldly.
My tone didn't seem to dissuade him. In fact, Adam seemed to take my aloof stance as a challenge. Smirking in a way that he probably thought was attractive, Adam said, "Give me your name and I'll tell you where they are."
I eyed him like he was dirt beneath my shoe. Irritation itched beneath my skin. I was going to break his nose if he kept this up. I managed to not show any outward signs of anger; if he knew he was getting to me, it would only spur him on.
Ignoring his subtle demand, I asked, "What floor is The Cage on?"
He was taken aback by my question. He apparently thought I was clueless about this entire place. "How do you know about The Cage?"
I snorted and crossed my arms. "I know a lot about this place. I know this is Van Statten's underground museum in Utah. That Van Statten believes he owns the Internet, which is fuckin' stupid. I know your name is Adam and that you were brought here to catalogue alien scrap that you know absolutely nothing about. You've been told you're a genius but you're not. You currently believe you can seduce me, which you can't because I think you're one of the most irritating people I have ever met. And I know that The Cage holds Van Statten's only living specimen.
I smirked condescendingly. "Now tell me, Adam, where is Van Statten currently torturing The Doctor?"
Adam gaped at me for several seconds, flapping his jaw uselessly up and down as he stumbled for something to say. Finally he cried out indignantly, "I am too a genius!"
I scowled fully, baring my teeth at the fool. "Out of everything I said, you latch onto the comment about your fuckin' IQ? Not the part where I asked you where Van Statten was torturing my friend?"
He ignored me, choosing instead to glare venomously. "I am a genius and I can prove it."
"Oh? Is there a set of toy blocks around here somewhere?" I sneered.
"Then if you're so smart, why don't you prove it?" Adam snarled. He stormed over to where he had been working before and scooped up the previously forgotten technology.
I rolled my eyes. Ain't nobody got time for this. "There's nothing to fix. Those are two separate pieces of technology from two very different species. And no, they aren't weapons. Most of the crap you have here if just useless junk that's either broken or requires a few different appendages to operate. Now answer my gorram question!"
The boy's stunned and slightly awed look quickly contorted to fury and envy. He tried to hide the latter but his face was like an open book.
"Your companion isn't being tortured!" he snapped, tossing the scrap onto a worktable.
I stomped toward him. I was sick of playing his games and dealing with his shit. I was finding The Doctor, even if I had to pummel this idiot to get to him.
"Look, asshole," I growled, invading his personal space and trapping him against a table, "you don't like me and I sure as hell don't like you. Where. Is. The. Doctor. I'm not asking again. Next time you ignore the question, I'll break your nose."
"He isn't being tortured, and I'll prove it." Adam gripped my wrist in a bruising grip and led me toward the elevators.
Snatching my wrist back, I barked out, "I can follow just fine. Just make sure you don't get lost, boy."
We entered The Cage. Of course there was no trace of The Doctor or Van Statten, just a bunch of scientists and armored guards.
Adam marched through the lobby-like space outside The Cage. He didn't pause when someone ordered him to stop, just flashed his badge and said, "Level three access, special clearance from Mr. Van Statten."
I stopped before we entered The Cage. "Where do you think you're going?" I demanded.
Adam glared at me over his shoulder, pausing at the entrance to The Cage. "Inside The Cage to show you where The Doctor is," he spat back.
"No, you're not. You all have no idea what that creature actually is, or what it's capable of. You're not setting foot in that cell."
He scoffed, "And I suppose you do?"
"Yes. I also know The Doctor isn't in there. Van Statten took him captive as soon as The Doctor made it known that he knew what species the alien was. And now The Doctor's being tortured because of what he is," I said lowly.
Adam rolled his eyes and continued into The Cage. Scowling, I followed. I wasn't about to trust that idiot not to want to touch the damn thing.
When he got inside Adam gave the room a puzzled look. "Where are they?"
"I highly doubt the room will answer," I mocked.
Giving me another scowl, Adam edged closer to the Dalek.
My skin crawled. Flashes of Daleks blackening the sky of Gallifrey, slaughtering Time Lords by the hundreds, wracked my brain. I didn't feel the fury The Doctor had felt when he saw the Dalek, only a nagging feeling that I should run as far away as possible.
Back in my world, Daleks had never been the most terrifying enemy of The Doctor. The Weeping Angels were always the worst and were quickly followed by The Silence.
I gripped Adam's collar and jerked him back. "Don't go near it."
"Why not?"
"Be-cause," I drawled, "that particular species of alien in exceptionally dangerous. The only reason both of us aren't dead is because it's too weak to do anything."
Adam shoved my hand away. "Since you first strolled in here, all you've done is be rude and order me around. What do you have against me?"
I scowled at him. "Other than you're a greedy, deceptive little bastard who would sell out anyone if it meant getting whatever you wanted? Nothing. Now back away from the alien."
"And what if I don't want to?" he challenged, getting in my personal space.
"Then I'll drag you out of here." I went to grab him by the scruff of his neck again, but he dodged, maneuvering behind me. Before I could do anything, Adam was shoving me with all of his strength toward the Dalek.
No, I thought. I flailed helplessly, hoping to crash onto the floor but that didn't happen. I crashed into the Dalek hands first. My palms landed right on the cold metal of its crown. A light burning sensation spread through my hands; I could feel part of my genetic code being taken from my body and healing the monster beneath me.
Pushing off the creature, I landed on my ass and practically crab walked away as fast as possible. The imprints of my palms glowed bright orange. The eye stalk of the Dalek brightened and it announced: "Genetic material extrapolated—initiate cellular reconstruction!"
The Dalek burst from the chains holding it and started to advance on us.
I leaped to my feet and ran. Adam was already halfway out the door.
"Condition red! Repeat, condition red! This is not a drill!" A voice shouted over the intercom.
The Doctor took over the intercom. "Dahlia, get out of there!"
I spared some breath to talk, "No! I was going to have a nice tea party with the damn thing!"
Adam turned on me, snarling. "This is your fault!"
"Don't blame me, you dumb fuck! You're the one who shoved me into it!" I snapped back. I turned away from him to address everyone in the room. "Fighting the Dalek is pointless! If you stay here all you're doing is giving it something to kill. Run now and you might be able to live."
A soldier cocked his gun and aimed at the door. "Don't worry, ma'am. That door is set with millions of security protocols. It'll never get through."
I gave him a pitying look. "The Dalek can hack billions of protocols in seconds. It'll be out before you know it."
He smiled grimly at me. "Then we'll shoot it until it dies."
I shook my head. "If you insist on staying aim for the eyepiece, that's its only weak spot."
The nameless man nodded and motioned to the other soldiers to aim for the door. They didn't stand a chance.
"Dahlia, I said move!" The Doctor ordered again.
I took off down the hall with Adam tagging along. The female soldier from the show joined us.
"No matter what, even if it's your job to protect us, don't stop running. Your gun won't do a damn thing. The only thing we can do is run," I told her, briefly staring her down before looking forward again.
Diana Goddard came over the intercom this time. "All guards to converge in the Metaltron cage, immediately."
The three of us ran through a security post full of guards. "Civilians! Let them through!" Our soldier shouted.
"I don't want a scratch on its body work! Do you hear me? Do you hear me?!" Van Statten called out through the intercom.
Van Statten, if the Dalek doesn't kill you, I will.
We came to the stairs and Adam and the soldier stopped. Their naivety infuriated me. Did the simpletons understand when I said to keep running?
"Ha! It's trapped! Stupid pepper shaker!" Adam cackled.
I ignored him, taking hold of the soldier and tugging her up the stairs. "It's not trapped. Daleks can fly."
The soldier looked at me in horror. "What?"
I gritted my teeth and hissed out. "It can fucking fly! What didn't you understand?!"
We were running again just when the Dalek came into our sight.
The soldier attempted to get me to release my grip. "Let go! I can buy you time."
"No way, lady. All you'll do is add another corpse," I replied.
The fear I felt had been overwhelming at first. Now the adrenaline and panic and events taking place cleared my head. I was thinking in rapid jumbles. Everything was going as it did in the show. All I had to do was play my part. And not get killed beforehand. Just another day on the job for Dahlia Tombew.
The Doctor had taken the microphone for the intercom from Van Statten again. Hearing his voice invigorated my muscles to keep moving and not just give out.
"The Dalek's surrounded by a force field. The bullets are melting before they even hit home but it's not indestructible. If you concentrate your fire, you might get through. Aim for the dome, the head, and the eyepiece. That's the weak spot," he instructed the ignorant soldiers. I knew they wouldn't listen but there was always that slight glimmer of hope that reality would be different.
That particular hope was childish.
The commander shouted "Hold fire!" while our surviving trio ran through the warehouse and past the strategically placed soldiers.
An instinct told me to look back, to watch the Dalek advance. I don't know why, but I obeyed.
My eyes landed on the Dalek and I could feel the connection I had unintentionally created. Even if I couldn't see it, I knew the single eye the Dalek had staring me down, assessing me. Koschei's watch burned in my pocket.
I swallowed in fear. What if it knew? Could the Dalek tell I had part of a Time Lord with me? Or was Koschei's signal too weak to show up on the creature's radar? I didn't care to find out if it did or didn't. I turned around and continued running.
My phone went off and I struggled to retrieve it from my pocket. The soldier stared at me incredulously. I knew what she was thinking: How could I take a phone call at a time like this?
"Doctor! Hey, yeah, I know what you're thinking of doing and I know you have to do it. We're on Level 49 and running as fast as we can," I panted into the speaker, not giving him time to talk.
"Dahlia, you've got to hurry. I can't keep them open," The Doctor said desperately. "I'm so sorry. I should've listened to you."
I groaned. "You really think this is the best time for that? You can beg for forgiveness later, preferably after I hit you and scream for a long time." We were on Level 46.
The bulkhead ahead was closing. Adam dove through first. I knew he wouldn't wait, but it still lit a fire in my gut. I wish I had punched him when I had the chance.
The soldier was right with me. I could tell from the set of her jaw she knew we wouldn't make it. She could've easily left me behind, but she hadn't. I wanted to cry with gratification. The woman didn't know me, but she wouldn't let me die alone. So I made a choice.
Easing my pace just enough to get directly behind her, I used as much force as I could muster to shove her through the closing doors. I came to a stop scant inches from the metal, jerking my hands away so my fingers wouldn't get caught in the doors.
Well . . . this seems a bit dramatic. I leaned against the bulkhead and started easing my breathing. I lifted my phone to my ear again. "Doctor?"
"Dahlia . . ." he choked out.
I could picture him in that room with Van Statten. He was hunched over, watching me on the security camera and thinking about how this was all his fault. For once I couldn't find a fault in that reasoning.
"I didn't make it," I finished lowly. I closed my eyes. The Dalek was getting closer; I could feel it.
"Dahlia . . . Dahila, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
I sighed. "Shut up, Doctor. Do you really think that, if I'm going to die, the last thing I want to hear is your apologies? I tried to warn you. You didn't listen. What more is there to say?" I was too weary to be angry with him.
"A lot. There's so much I haven't told you, that I wanted to say but didn't," The Doctor confessed.
"The Dalek's almost here," I muttered. I could hear it now. A few more second and I'd be able to see it.
The Doctor took a deep breath and whispered, "Dahlia, I—"
"Exterminate!" the Dalek shrieked.
I exhaled shakily. "Sorry, Theta, seems like I won't get to hear your confession. Remember to tell Ashley and Jackie what happened to me. And make it sound cool, not too dramatic, though . . . bye." I hung up and stared full on at the Dalek.
"I feel your fear," it croaked.
"Probably."
"Daleks do not fear. Must not fear." It's death ray shot wildly at the walls, floor and ceiling all around me. I flinched away from each beam of light. "You gave me life. What else have you given me? I am contaminated!" it demanded hysterically.
"I'm sorry," I said quietly. Really, what did one say to a Dalek who was likely to kill them if they so much as twitched wrong?
The Dalek herded me to face the security camera. The Doctor was on the screen below the camera. His face lit up when he saw me.
"Open the bulkhead or she dies," the Dalek threatened.
In the background, I heard Van Statten ask who I was, what I was doing here, and how had I gotten into the building. All those questions were ignored.
"'Sup, Doc. Guess ya didn't think you'd see me again, huh?" I teased.
Whatever he wanted to say was cut off by the Dalek. "Open the bulkhead!" It jabbed its death ray into the small of my back, making me shift uncomfortably.
"This is the part where I bravely order you to not do what the murdering Dalek says. Sooooo, I'm not important blah blah blah don't do it blah blah if it gets out, it'll kill everyone etcetera etcetera . . ." I droned on apathetically.
When the Dalek spoke again, its tone bordered on irritated. "What use are emotions if you will not save the woman you love?"
The Doctor turned his shocked gaze from me to the Dalek, and then back to me. I closed my eyes and whispered to myself, "He doesn't love you. He doesn't love you. It's just a line. It's not true." But the look on The Doctor's face . . . it was like a secret he'd been keeping hidden for so long had been revealed . . . Did that count for anything?
"It is true. The Doctor loves you," the Dalek seemed to scoff.
I looked over my shoulder at it. "I highly doubt that. We argue as much as rivals do and he locked me in the TARDIS when we got here because I didn't tell him you were here. I infuriate him."
"The Doctor loves you," it repeated, shoving me forward when the bulkhead opened.
We entered the elevator. I can't tell you how bizarre it is to stand inside a tiny elevator next to a Dalek. The cheesy elevator music was just the bow on the present.
"Why have I not killed you?" the Dalek asked suddenly, spinning its eyestalk around to stare at me. "Why are you still alive? My function is to kill. What am I? What am I?"
"When you absorbed my DNA, it morphed you. It's changing you. I'm sorry. I didn't want this to happen," I replied quietly, staring at the ground. "I know you would've preferred to have died as a full Dalek."
The first thing we saw when the elevator doors opened was Van Statten. He was just . . . standing there . . . doing nothing. Well, okay, he looked like he was about to piss himself but that was it.
The Dalek rolled forward. "Van Statten. You tortured me. Why?" It demanded in a shrieking voice.
Van Statten stumbled backwards and away from the Dalek. He sputtered, "I wanted to help you. I just . . . I don't know. I-I was just trying to help. I thought if we could get through to you, if we could mend you . . . I wanted you better, I'm sorry!" His back hit a wall. The Dalek stopped inches from him. "I'm so sorry! I swear! I just wanted you to talk!"
"Then hear me talk now. Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!" the Dalek crowed.
Was it wrong that I found that funny?
The Dalek fell silent and turned its eyestalk to me. "You will not stop me?"
Van Statten gave me a pleading look. I shrugged. "Why should I? I don't even like Van Statten! He was torturing my friend a short while ago! He tortured you just to 'hear you speak' for God knows how long. Why shouldn't you kill him? He's a waste of space."
If the Dalek had an eyebrow to raise I'm pretty sure that's what it would've done. "You are different than The Doctor's other companions."
I shrugged again. "Yeah, I guess." I frowned and look at the terrified Van Statten. "I have to ask though . . . is this what you want? To keep killing like that's all there is to you? Because I'll tell you—I don't think he's worth it."
The Dalek seemed to contemplate what I was saying. It whirred around to glance at Van Statten for a second before turning back to me. "I want . . . freedom," it croaked out slowly, almost unsurely.
I managed a small, tired smile. "All right then, let's go."
The Dalek led the way down the corridors to the Level 01 parking garage. I stayed a few paces behind, not wanting to get hit in the head by any rocks when the Dalek blasted the ceiling. Still, I flinched when the death ray shattered the concrete and sunlight streamed through the hole.
Stepping up to stand beside the alien, I basked in the warmth of the sun. I finally smiled a real smile. "You're free. Sorry if it's a bit anticlimactic."
"How . . . does . . . it . . . feel?" I didn't answer. I just watched the metal casing open and reveal the one-eyed creature. The Dalek stretched one of its tentacles out to feel the sun.
Swallowing down my nerves, I timidly reached inside the opening and caressed the Dalek with the back of my fingers. It wasn't as bad as I thought, just really cold and wrinkly, like it was really sick.
"Dahlia, get out of the way, now!" The Doctor shouted.
I was surprised I didn't jump. I hadn't heard him coming. It didn't matter anyways, I didn't move from where I was. All I did was remove my hand from the Dalek and turn halfway to watch The Doctor.
I stared at him lazily, blinking a few times before simply saying, "No."
The Oncoming Storm took over. "That thing killed hundreds of people," he hissed out, not lowering the enormous gun he was carrying.
The raw hate and animosity The Doctor was radiating enticed something in me. Some unexplored corner of my mind was excited, practically giddy, that he was so furious. I felt the urge to prod at his wounds, mock his anger and tease him into firing the gun. A snarky line welled up in my throat and I almost said it, but at the last moment I did the smart thing. "He's not the one pointing the gun at me."
The Doctor shook his head and said with a wavering voice, "I've got to do this. I've got to end it. The Daleks destroyed my home, my people. I've got nothing left."
"Just look at it, Doctor," I said, stepping to the side so The Doctor could watch the Dalek warm itself in the sunlight.
His eyebrows knitted in confusion. "What's it doing?"
"It wanted the sunlight. Freedom. That's all," I said plainly.
"But it can't . . ."
I didn't want to say the next line. Every time I heard it on the show, I felt sick to my stomach, especially with the way Rose had spat it. Gut heavy with guilt, I locked eyes with The Doctor. "It couldn't kill Van Statten. It couldn't kill me. It's changing. What about you, Doctor? What are you changing into?"
The Doctor's arms went limp; the gun no longer pointed at me and the Dalek but at the floor. He looked so sad and lost. "I couldn't . . . I wasn't . . . Oh, Dahlia . . . they're all dead," he choked out.
"Why do we survive?" the Dalek wheezed.
The Doctor shook his head. "I don't know."
"I am the last of the Daleks."
The words were spoken to slowly. It was dying, even with my DNA helping it regenerate.
The Doctor managed a pathetic chuckle. "You're not even that. Dahlia did more than regenerate you. You absorbed her DNA. You're mutating."
"Into what?"
"Something new," The Doctor replied. "I'm sorry."
"I can feel. So many ideas. So much darkness . . . Dahlia . . . give me orders! Order me to die. I shall not be like you. Order my destruction! Obey! Obey! Obey!" the Dalek screamed, glaring at me with its single gleaming eye.
I swallowed another wad of spit and looked at the Dalek. My pulse pounded in my ears. I was going to do it. Granted, it wanted to die, but that wasn't the point.
Before I could change my mind, I nodded rapidly.
"Are you frightened, Dahlia?"
"Yes," I whispered.
"So am I," it rumbled back. "Exterminate."
I moved away from the Dalek while it replaced the metal armor surrounding its body. The entire Dalek hovered in the air several feet; the metal spheres disconnected from the body and formed a perfect circle around the Dalek. After glowing brightly for several seconds, the Dalek exploded. Any other evidence vanished into thin air.
Feeling numb and empty, I turned away from the scene of the Dalek's death and walked past The Doctor with my eyes to the floor. There was nothing to say.
The Doctor said nothing on our trek back to the TARDIS. Behind us, Adam tried to keep up. He was going on about the place being filled with concrete like we didn't know.
I wish the pest would drop dead.
When we approached the TARDIS, I paused at the doors and spun on my heel to face the two following males. The Doctor stopped a foot form me; Adam stumbled in a few feet after him.
I barely spared either of them a glance. "He's not coming with us. Get rid of him," I ordered stonily, entering the TARDIS right after and slamming the door behind me.
I made my way through the hallways to my room. The door wasn't locked this time.
I took off my jacket and neatly folded it over the back of my desk chair. I slipped off my shoes without unlacing them. Silently, I settled on my bed with my hands resting on my stomach. My fingers were laced together. I waited for The Doctor.
I didn't have to wait long. Not five minutes later I could hear his footsteps making their way to my door. He stopped uncertainly at my door. He knocked and murmured, "Dahlia?"
"Yes, Doctor?" I sighed heavily.
"May I come in?"
I closed my eyes. "I suppose so."
The door creaked open and The Doctor stepped nervously into my room. I could tell he was observing everything. He was rarely allowed in here; I preferred my privacy.
"Dahlia?" he asked again, quieter than before.
I opened my eyes a sliver. "I'm not asleep. Just waiting for you to start talking."
"You're angry," The Doctor stated sadly.
I sighed again. "Not angry, just tired, upset . . . probably disappointed."
After a few moments of silence, The Doctor said, "I'm sorry."
"I know."
"No, you don't. If I had just listened to you, then we could've left and those people wouldn't have died. The Dalek would've eventually died on its own. If I had given you a chance to explain . . . if I just listened for once in my damn life . . ."
"Doctor, is this going to happen again?" I asked suddenly, interrupting his self-deprecating tirade.
"What?" He frowned.
"Is this going to happen again? This whole you not trusting me and getting pissed off even though we've gone over this twice. I'm sick of arguing with you over the same thing. If you need someone else, someone who doesn't know the future, let me know and we'll find her, and then I'll be on my merry way." I watched him collapse into a chair. My words had obviously stung him, but I wouldn't allow myself to feel guilty. We needed to settled this now or suffer the consequences later.
"I don't need someone else, nor do I want someone to take your place," The Doctor finally said. "I want you, here, with me, traveling through all of time and space."
"Is that really what you want? Because next time you don't listen to me, I'm going to knock you unconscious."
"Yes. I don't want anyone else, Dahlia, only you. Please understand that I don't mean to get angry when you can't explain something. I know you have responsibilities."
I opened my eyes fully and stared at him. "Doctor, if this is going to work out, you have to trust me. No other way will work."
"I trust you," he said without hesitation. "It's me I don't trust."
Shoving myself into a sitting position, I crossed my legs and gave him a soft smile. "Doctor, all you have to do is act the way you normally would. No sudden tricks or new ways of thinking. Just you and your Time Lord brain."
He grinned at me. "Right. So . . . are we good? Everything all right now? I'll listen to you and you won't leave me with some naïve twat some random day?"
I laughed. "No, Doctor, I won't be running off any time soon. Promise."
Another chapter down. The next one will be an original adventure, not The Long Game. You all will be very happy with that chapter. I can practically her the squeals of happiness. xD