Hello, readers! It's me again. Recently, mimzymont963 posted a review of this story on that really made my morning. Until now, it never really hit me how devoted my fans are. I figured that I owed all of my wonderful fans another chapter. Unexpected might not be the story it is without you guys and I'm always open for requests and prompts for future stories, probably oneshots.
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Chapter 13: Feature from the Future
Week 39
Relative to Clara's time, it had been about three days since the Doctor's surprise baby shower. He currently needed a bit of space, though. That was why he was wandering around a small, peaceful village on Ophelia Prime. Clara was back in the TARDIS, hanging around in the spacious park that had extremely friendly, cat-sized flying squirrels that breathed fire when cornered by predators. He had no reason to worry because the rodents absolutely adored his partner. That was why the Doctor could calmly lounge about at the local café with a cup of caffeine-free tea and a lovely croissant. Yes, it was a beautiful day with a calm ambiance that even he could enjoy. For once in a very long while, he felt like nothing could ruin this day. That was, until the ambiance was ruined by a raspy, nasally voice shouting out, "Doctor!"
The Time Lord turned to see a taupe-skinned alien pointing a gun at him. "I am Vurkin!" the alien shouted.
"Good for you." the Doctor replied. "Now put that gun down and let me enjoy my tea and croissant."
"It is your fault that my cousins, Varrin and Velron, are in prison!" Vurkin barked.
"Blame the local law enforcement, not me." the Doctor said, rolling his eyes.
"No!" Vukin snapped. "It was you! You and your life-mate!"
"If you keep at this, you're going to ruin my afternoon." the Doctor said with a sigh. "You really don't want to ruin my afternoon."
"You will see how it feels to be forever imprisoned!" Vurkin threatened. "I will capture you!"
The Doctor rolled his eyes and said, "You and what army?"
Suddenly, at least twenty aliens that looked similar to Vurkin stepped out of hiding. "This army." Vurkin smugly replied. "Meet the Vookin family, Doctor!"
The Doctor drew his sonic screwdriver, but suddenly he felt the end of the barrel of a gun against his belly. "You really don't want to do that." One of the Vookin said threateningly.
Vurkin twirled his gun and said, "Give your device to Vivin. He has no qualms about pulling the trigger. It probably won't kill you, but I think you know what it will harm."
The Doctor heard Vivin cock his gun. He knew that he could not try to escape now without putting his child in danger. Left with little choice, he dropped his sonic screwdriver on the ground. Another Vookin retrieved and pocketed it. Vurkin pulled out a device and pressed a button on it. It made a sound similar to a car chirping and moments later, a ship lowered to the ground and opened its doors, releasing a ramp to the ground. With well over a dozen guns pointed at him, many of them trained on his belly, the Time Lord allowed himself to be led onto the ship. Not long afterwards, he could feel the ship taking off. The Vookin led him to the brig, where they non too gently tossed him into a cell. A force field came up, preventing him from escaping even with his considerable strength. He sat down on the bench inside, and began to work on coming up with a plan. After about an hour, he had finally come up with the basics for an escape plan. Suddenly, there was shouts of pain and the sounds of bodies hitting the floor. The door to the brig opened with a whoosh and in stepped a woman about his height. She had short-cropped, dark hair and wore black jeans, red chucks, a T-shirt with emojis on it, and that oh-so-familiar black leather jacket that strongly reminded him of the one he used to wear in his Ninth incarnation. The woman's blue eyes met his and he recognized her immediately. "The Mechanic, I presume." The Doctor greeted her.
"Yep, it's me." the Mechanic replied with her typical generic New York accent. "They got you, too?"
"Obviously." the Doctor snorted. "How did you get out?"
"I used my bra's underwire to sabotage the locks." the Mechanic said as she drew what the Doctor recognized as her sonic multi-tool. "Step back. This might get a little bit sparky. Or explode-y."
The Doctor quickly stepped back. The Mechanic then activated her sonic multi-tool with a whirring sound and deactivated the force field. Some sparks flew into the cell, but they did not hit the Doctor. "Come on." the Mechanic said. "Let's go!"
With that said, she grabbed him by the wrist and tugged him along after her. When they exited the brig, the Doctor and the Mechanic had to step around some bodies on the ground, all with burnt hands. To the Time Lord's relief, they were merely unconscious. As they made their way through the ship, the Doctor became aware of just how large the ship was. He also noticed that the Mechanic was geting nervous. "Mechanic, please don't tell me that we're not lost!" the Time Lord groaned.
"We're not lost." the Mechanic replied. "We're temporarily displaced."
"We're lost, then." the Doctor said, irritation clear in his voice.
It was then that they both noticed a monitor on the wall. The Doctor accessed the monitor, searching for something until he quickly found it. On it was a map of the ship and a dot labeled, 'YOU ARE HERE'. The Mechanic grinned and said, "Okay, that helps."
She ran her fingers over the monitor before stopping. "Here." she pointed at something. "This is where we need to go: the shuttle bay."
The Doctor nodded and the duo continued down the corridors. The Time Lord, not for the first time, couldn't help but wonder just who the Mechanic was. He couldn't help but wonder what she was. When they finally reached the shuttle bay, they both immediately spotted a shuttle that the Doctor knew to be built for distance and speed. "This one will work." the Time Lord stated.
"Right." the Mechanic said with a manic grin.
The two then headed into the shuttle. The Mechanic, to the Doctor's annoyance, took the pilot's seat before he had a chance to. "Normally I get to be the pilot." the Time Lord said, his voice rife with annoyance.
"Well, you snooze, you lose, old man." the Mechanic replied in her generic New York accent. "Now sit down."
The Doctor reluctantly sat down in the seat next to the pilot's. The American-sounding woman then cracked her knuckles loudly before activating the controls. The ship jolted shifting the Doctor's position a little. "Don't you know how to fly this thing, Mechanic?" he snapped.
"It'll come back to me." the Mechanic said with slight awkwardness. She tried again and the ship lifted off smoothly. "Okay, shuttle bay doors activated!"
The shuttle bay doors opened and the shuttle shot out, escaping into space. They didn't get very far before the shuttle jolted again. "Craaap!" the Mechanic groaned. "They're shooting at us!"
"Oh, that wasn't obvious at all." the Doctor snarked.
"Enough with the sarcasm and let me fly this thing!" the Mechanic snapped.
They flew off again, but the Vookin ship chased them and fired at them again. Eventually, a shot hit. The Doctor looked at the monitor and said, "Shields at eighty percent!"
"I can see that, Doctor!" the Mechanic hissed.
"Make it go faster!" the Doctor ordered.
"Give me a minute!" the Mechanic replied angrily. "You should know as well as I do that it takes a little while for this baby's hyper-drive to warm up!"
They were hit again and the Doctor almost bashed his head into the dashboard. "Shields at seventy percent!" he exclaimed.
"Damn it!" the Mechanic hissed. "Open the hyper-drive, damn you!"
They were hit again, this time sending the Doctor flying sideways out of his seat and landed so his face was in the Mechanic's chest. The American-sounding woman let out a shout of disgust and shoved him away. However, when the Time Lord's head was towards her chest, he heard a rather distinguishing quality about her heartbeat. When he got back into his seat, the Doctor couldn't help but gape at the Mechanic. "You're a-" he gasped as he buckled himself into the restraints.
"Yeah, I am." the Mechanic replied. "Well, sort of."
"Who are you?" the Doctor asked.
"Answers can wait until later!" the mysterious woman who called herself the Mechanic said harshly. She looked at the console. "Yes! Hyper-drive!"
Without another thought, the Mechanic activated the hyper-drive and was flung back into her seat. As they hurtled through space at far over light-speed, the woman cheered, "Aw, yeah, baby!"
The Doctor clutched the arm wrests of his seat, exhilaration filling every bit of his body. After about a minute, the hyper-drive deactivated. The Doctor was safely restrained and he and the fetus he carried within him were both protected, but the inertial dampeners on the Mechanic's side of the shuttle malfunctioned just enough for the unrestrained woman to lurch forward, the controllers colliding with her abdomen. It was a very hard hit, the kind that would certainly give her internal organs a good rattle. She pulled aside her sleeve and pressed a spot on her arm and a screen popped up. She accessed the screen and pressed a few buttons. "Just checking our location." The Mechanic explained.
Suddenly, there was the sound of the TARDIS materializing in side the shuttle, in an area where there was enough room for it. "Wow!" the Mechanic said. "It's amazing that your ship found you here!"
The Doctor couldn't help but smile and say, "Yes, she is pretty amazing."
"All right." the Mechanic said. "Off you go, then. I'll be fine."
The Doctor nodded and headed into the TARDIS He glanced back at the strange woman. "I'll be fine." she said. "I've got the shuttle, right? There's a habitable moon not far away."
The Doctor nodded once more and closed the door to his ship. As the TARDIS dematerialized, the Time Lord couldn't help but wonder: just who was the Mechanic?
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The Mechanic, once the Doctor was gone, grimaced as she clutched her torso. She drew her sonic multi-tool and used it to scan herself. "Cursory scans indicate internal bleeding. I can probably survive that."
She scanned some more and when she saw the results, she frowned. "Traumatic aortic rupture, huh? I won't reach medical help in time."
She leaned back in her seat with a sigh and said, "Looks like I'm done for."
She breathed in and out, her eyes closed from the pain. After a while, she felt a familiar sensation running through her body. She opened her eyes and read the display on the console, indicating that the nearest friendly ship was ten minutes away. She then looked at her hands and let out a chuckle. "Well, looks like I'm going to make it after all." The Mechanic said, amusement clear in her voice. "Unfortunately, it seems that I'm probably going to have to change my style when this is over."
The American-sounding woman then smiled, closed her eyes, and waited.
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Week 40
Clara had been fussing over the Doctor ever since she found out about his capture. He had decided against telling her about the Mechanic, though. He probably wouldn't tell her at least until he had figured things out. The Doctor was not sure whether to be frustrated or happy about the superb foot massage that Clara was giving him. Still, he sat there in his hoodie, a pair of plaid trousers that actually fit, and his 'That's No Moon' manternity T-shirt. He was currently enjoying a plate of the strange Canadian dish known as poutine. Who knew that he would crave chips, cheese curds, and gravy? At least it wasn't surstromming again. If anything could get Clara to leave him, it would be surstromming tacos again. She probably wouldn't even if he did it again, but it was the only food that could potentially do the job. As for the poutine, well, it was something that the entire family could enjoy. Well, not Clara. She didn't care for it. John and Jack were in the common room eating some, though. If either of them spilled anything, the Doctor would be very cross with them. Did Jack count as family? Clara had chosen Jack as John's honorary uncle. The Doctor knew that he would have to decide eventually whether or not the libidinous Boeshanite counted as a member of his little family or not.
Clara released the Time Lord's feet and said, "I need to take a break. Need anything else?"
"You've done enough already, Clara." the Doctor said awkwardly. "If I need something, I'll get it."
"Are you sure?" the impossible girl inquired.
"Positive." the Doctor replied.
From the common area, he heard Jack shout, "Only fools are positive!"
"Shut up, Jack!" The Doctor shouted back.
"I'd like to see you try-y!" Jack called out in a sing-song voice.
"Harkness, I'm hormonal, I'm irritable, and I'm constantly hungry! Do not mess with me!" the Time Lord shouted. "I will throw you out the airlock!"
"Love you too, Doctor!" Jack shouted back.
The Doctor looked at Clara, who had an amused expression on her face. "What?" the Doctor asked.
"Nothing." Clara chuckled. "Nothing at all."
The Doctor huffed and said, "I could use some lemonade."
"I'll get some!" Clara offered.
"Clara!" the Doctor did not whine. Time Lords did not whine. "I'll get it myself!"
With that said, the Doctor set his plate down on the table and, with great effort, managed to haul himself to his feet. He headed over to the refrigerator, opened it, and withdrew a can of lemonade. It made a 'pssh' sound as he opened it. He brought it to his lips, tilted it back, and let the fizzy, lemony liquid flow over his taste buds. He then lowered the can with a contented sigh. He headed back to the table and sat down to enjoy his poutine with a can of lemonade.
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The Doctor woke up from his dad-recliner with a start to Jack singing O Canada at the top of his lungs. The Time Lord glared at the human and said, "Harkness, what the hell is wrong with you?"
"It's Canada Day!" Jack said gleefully.
The Doctor rolled his eyes and said, "Jack, none of us are Canadian."
"Well, the part of the Boeshane Peninsula that I'm from is colloquially referred to as 'Little Canada'." Jack replied.
The Doctor noticed that Jack was wearing a Canadian flag T-shirt and rolled his eyes once more. "I am not getting involved with this." the Time Lord stated.
"You don't have to." Jack replied. "Though it would be nice if you did."
"If I do," the Doctor inquired, "What horrors will I have to put up with?"
"Well, back home, there are outdoor activities like fireworks, concerts, barbecues, et cetera." Jack replied.
"I'm not going to a concert." the Doctor said tersely. "I can't deal with the smell."
"Come on, Canadians don't smell that bad." Jack said with a roll of his eyes.
"I am not spending the day surrounded by people who smell like maple syrup, Clamato, and ice hockey!" the Doctor said irritably.
"Doctor, Canadians don't smell like that!" Jack said with a groan. "That really is a horriffic stereotype and you should be ashamed of yourself."
"What do Canadians smell like?" The Doctor snarked. "Liberalism and kindness?"
"Canadians don't smell like that, either." Jack replied. "Canadians smell like liberalism and Canadian beer."
"I'm still not going." the Doctor huffed.
Jack rolled his eyes and said, "Fine. Just barbecue and fireworks, then."
"You are not setting off fireworks in the Tardis." the Doctor growled.
"Of course not!" Jack replied. "That's why I came in to charm you into taking me on a trip to New Ontario, home of the biggest Canada Day celebration in the universe!"
"Will it keep you out of trouble?" the Doctor asked.
"Of course." Jack replied. "I'm always on my best behavior on Canada Day."
"I'm not taking you somewhere only for you to disappear with the nearest attractive stranger." the Doctor said with a frown.
"Ah, that's where you're wrong!" Jack replied, wagging his finger. "Today, my heart only belongs to Canada!"
"Have you ever actually been to Canada?" the Doctor asked.
"Once. I think." Jack said, a contemplative look on his face. "I mean, I'm pretty sure that I was there." He looked directly at the Doctor and said in a serious tone, "Never mix cough medicine and hypervodka, Doctor. It messes with your mind."
"Now I'm pretty sure that I don't want to know." the Doctor said, trying not to imagine what might have happened while Jack was in Canada. He thought about it for a moment before finally deciding. "All right, I'll take you to New Ontario. If you get arrested, I'm not bailing you out."
"I'll be on your best behavior." Jack said with a grin. "You can count on it!"
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That, of course, was how the Doctor found himself at a scenic park on New Ontario, reading a book about the history of the meat industry in the Barbacus system while Jack whistled merrily and flipped burgers on charcoal grill. The Time Lord looked up from his book and said, "You know that this isn't barbecuing, right? It's grilling."
Jack waved his hand dismissively and said, "Semantics!"
"It's not semantics." the Doctor argued. "Grilling and barbecue are two completely different methods of cooking."
"Right. Whatever." Jack replied. "You haven't lived until you've had Captain Jack's Spicy Beeftastic Megaburgers."
"If they're so good, why haven't you made them before?" The Doctor asked.
"You've never asked." Jack replied with a shrug. "Anyway, imagine it- a half a kilogram of beef, grilled over charcoal and served with every topping imaginable!"
"That sort of artery-clogging thing sounds more American than Canadian." the Time Lord remarked.
"Well, it was made by Americans, for Canadians." Jack said with a grin.
"I refuse to eat it!" The Doctor insisted
Of course, in the end, he did eat it and he liked it. He liked it so much that he had four of them, which he chased down with a few non-alcholic drinks. Jack did manage to convince the Doctor to attend a concert and he was right about Canadians smelling like liberalism and Canadian beer. The Time Lord still swore that he caught a whiff of essence of ice hockey, though. Eventually, it was evening. Once it was dark, the fireworks came out. Jack took a swig of his beer and said, "Not bad for your first and probably last Canada Day, right, Doc?"
"It's not bad." the Doctor said dismissively. "But you're right, I won't be doing it again."
"Well, at least it was fun." Jack replied.
"I still don't know why you wanted me to attend this with you." The Time Lord huffed.
The Doctor felt his hearts warming slightly when Jack replied, "You're family, Doc."
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I know that it isn't Canada Day, but this idea came to mind and I had to use it. This chapter is a bit short, but I think that it's as good as I can get it. As for the fate of the Mechanic, I tried to leave it open-minded and ambiguous.