**Notes: This is the second chapter in the trial and I swear to you, if you watch the episodes, you will see that I am not making up the fact that he was totally flirting with her. Enjoy!**
Chapter Twenty-One – Flirt for your Life
"So, you want me dead, eh?" The Doctor was used to having his life threatened and he was undeniably about to change tactics based on this new information.
"What the Valeyard wants and what the court decides, are two entirely different things, Doctor," Rose reassured him.
"Thank you, my lady." Clearly he was putting a lot of trust in her now.
"Proceed Valeyard." Rose took a moment to send feelings of reassurance to the Doctor that wasn't yet her husband.
On the screen, there were some arguments over whether to kill him or not and the 'Immortal' ordered him brought to his castle instead. Peri was put into prison in the village as was the usual experience for companions in Rose's experience. While she waited with Glitz and Dibber, she learned that they wanted to destroy the underground city to get something that would turn them a large profit. When they were brought back before Katryca, she ordered the execution of Glitz. The Doctor was brought to meet the 'Immortal' robot. Where he discovered that the robot had work he wanted the Doctor to do for him.
As this rather long bit of the story went on, Rose considered the differences in the minds of the past and present Doctors. Her own husband's mind was refreshing and warm and snuggly. This other Doctor didn't know her. She felt his curiosity, wonder at his future and a desire to have someone who seemed to understand him enough to want that kind of connection. She liked being a mystery to him. He had always had the upper hand in their relationship (it seemed to her anyway). She had held back and waited for him to make the first move as if she didn't have the right. Now, she was ahead of him. It was fun to be in control.
The story on the screen was telling a lot about the mystery that the Doctor needed to solve, but had very little to do with proving his guilt with regard to the charges. She could also see that the Doctor was losing focus and needed a bit of a nudge back to the issues being presented.
"Is this relevant testimony, Valeyard? We seem to be straying from the point." Rose pointed out as she stopped the playback.
"Circumstantially germane, my lady, in that it is part of the prosecution's case that the Doctor introduces a disruptive and corrupting influence wherever he goes," the Valeyard answered.
"Sheer poppycock!" Interrupted the Doctor.
"If the Doctor had not visited Ravalox, then the whole chain of events we are witnessing would not have been set in motion." The Valeyard knew full well that Glitz and Dibber would have destroyed the black light converter whether he was there or not and set off the explosion that he prevented. But he needed to put on the front of the 'responsible Time Lord' for this and use their usual arguments.
"Well, how can the Boatyard make that claim? What might or might not have happened is entirely speculative," the Doctor said acerbically.
"That is for me to decide, Doctor. And may I remind you, the charge you face is grave indeed." This small warning from Rose, she hoped would remind him to pay closer attention to what was happening.
"Oh, I only have to look at the Graveyard to see that, ma'am." The Doctor, as usual, was hiding his tension with humour by mocking the Valeyard.
"Your puerile attempts at flippancy are not appreciated in this court, Doctor. Proceed Valeyard." Rose wondered if he could take anything seriously, but knew in her heart that he really DID take it all very seriously even if he hid it remarkably well.
The scenes from the Matrix continued, showing the robot that they discovered was named Drathro, arguing with the Doctor regarding his black light energy system. It was failing and he wanted the Doctor to fix it or die.
The next interruption came from the Doctor himself, "I protest!"
"What now?" Rose sighed. Oops, was that too human a response?
"Yes, now!"
"I meant, what are you protesting about this time?" Rose clarified.
"I am charged with interfering, yet it's blatantly obvious to a blind speelsnape that I am working under duress." The Doctor often ended up helping whether he wanted to or not when people started threatening him like that.
"That does seem a valid point. What is the relevance of your presentation?" Rose was a little worried that she might not be convincing enough in her role if she let this go, but she knew that her husband had chosen all of this material carefully to make sure all the facts were presented.
"If the accused hadn't interrupted, my lady, the point I wish to make would have become obvious." The Valeyard knew that this video didn't really prove anything with regard to the charges, but his past self needed to have these clues put in front of him to uncover the conspiracy.
"Oh, then I apologize for my outburst. As your ladyship is aware, I am unfamiliar, unlike the Valeyard, with court procedure." The Doctor said endearingly.
"The court accepts your apology, Doctor. Proceed." Rose had to bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud.
She thought to her husband, ~'Is he flirting with me? Oh my god!'~
~'Hmmm... Well, two can play at that game, love.'~ He sent back to her.
The screen, once again, showed Peri, Glitz and Dibber in the village watching as the natives built a pyre to kill Glitz. The people in the court room paid close attention as the Doctor tried to fix the black light system but needed to reach the converter above ground. Drathro would not let him leave, however, and he was forced to trick Drathro and the robot's human assistants in order to escape. Peri and Glitz ran from the village towards the underground tunnels while Dibber took an explosive towards the black light converter. The Doctor ran straight into the guards outside but they seemed to be switching sides when one of them asked him to take Balazar with him. Suddenly the Valeyard interrupted the evidence from the Matrix.
"Stop!" He shouted. "This is another prime example of the Doctor's interference. You will note that he was in a position to free himself of the situation, yet deliberately chose not to."
"I was trying to help," the Doctor said as if speaking to a particularly slow child. "Surely even a blockhead like you can see that."
"I think we should reserve judgement until the end of the sequence," Rose scolded.
"I agree, my lady," the Doctor used such a tone with her that there was no longer any doubt that he was flirting. The Valeyard glared at him for daring to flirt with his wife.
As the Matrix presentation continued, the Doctor and Balazar ran into Peri and Glitz at the entrance to the underground city. The Doctor was being chased by a security robot and Glitz was being chased by the villagers and at this point, they ended up all caught between hostiles on both sides. The villagers shot the robot, then took them all back to the village as prisoners. It all, however, seemed a bit gratuitous to Rose.
"Valeyard, are these unpleasant scenes necessary to your case? I find primitive physical violence distressing," Rose said, trying to play the prim and proper bureaucrat.
"So do I, ma'am. Especially when I'm on the receiving end," the Doctor replied, clearly still trying to agree with just about everything she said.
"I too find it repugnant to witness, my lady, but the Doctor has a well-known predilection for violence." The Valeyard added privately to Rose, ~'And you know you love it.'~
The Doctor didn't like the implications at all, "That is a foul slur!"
"Do not interrupt, Doctor," Rose chastised.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I'm not given to violence as the Valeyard here suggests. Occasionally, I might have to resort to a modicum of force..."
Rose forcefully interrupted him, "Please be silent."
"...as a means of self defence." The Doctor never did do well with the idea of not talking.
"Doctor," Rose explained, " you will have ample opportunity to put your case at a later point."
"But.." the Doctor gave her such a look of puppy dog eyes, she could barely stand it.
"Valeyard, I would appreciate it if these brutal and repetitious scenes are reduced to a minimum." Rose encouraged him to get this thing moving so that they could go somewhere they wouldn't be risking a paradox.
"My lady, it is certainly not my wish to cause you any unnecessary affront, but the accused's offences are such that a certain amount of graphic detail is unavoidable," the Valeyard concluded.
"Very well. Continue."
The Valeyard could feel Rose's frustration. She wasn't angry really, so what was it?
~'Rose, my love, what's wrong?'~ Her husband asked.
~'It's nothing really. I guess I'm just feeling impatient... worried? The longer we are here with the past you, the more I worry about paradoxes and stuff.'~
~'Oh, Rose, this is just the beginning. This trial is going to be very long. I promise you that this is all going exactly as I remember it. We will NOT cause a paradox. I will NOT lose you, my love. After this adventure is completed, there will be another presented by me and then a recess.'~ He sent his wife a psychic kiss as the Doctor on the screen above them argued with Katryca about the fact that he needed to repair the destroyed black light converter.
The Matrix display showed the discussion between the Doctor, Glitz, Dibber, and Peri while they were trapped in the prison again. They learned that Glitz and Dibber were from a planet in the constellation of Andromeda and that they were there for business purposes. When the security robot that was chasing them earlier breaks through the wall, Glitz and Dibber drag Peri with them as they run away, leaving the Doctor to deal with the robot alone. It knocked him unconscious and tied him to itself for transport.
Rose tried to get her emotions under control. She knew the Doctor might be able to sense her feelings and while he might not know the reasons behind them, she didn't want to distract him with it either. If she was worried when she was supposed to be in charge of all of this, then he would likely worry as well. But worry wasn't what she was feeling from him right now. Instead she felt rising suspicion?
The Doctor interrupted the discussion that was happening between Drathro and his assistants about how the above world was not consumed in fire. "All this is irrelevant and hypothetical!"
"Background testimony," answered the Valeyard.
"What possible value does the Farmyard here think there is in listening to some half-incapacitated robot and a couple of diminutive nit-wits who might as well be robots?" The Doctor was being especially insulting, which generally meant that he was stressed.
"You're allowing your disrespect to show again, Doctor," Rose said. At least he wasn't insulting entire species yet. Or maybe that was just the Doctors that she knew.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but the question still stands," he sounded like he was tired of having to point out the obvious that everyone else had clearly missed.
Rose wasn't quite sure what question he was referring to, "As prosecutor, the Valeyard has the right to include any evidence he considers to be relevant. Provided he can justify its inclusion."
"But any record relating to persons not in my presence must be sheer conjecture," the Doctor said with that 'dribbled on your shirt' tone of voice.
The Valeyard knew what he was referring to of course, he was the one to set up the equipment. "The accused is clearly ignorant of the latest methods of surveillance, my lady." ~'Remember the thing I installed in his TARDIS, Rose?'~
"This evidence is taken from the Matrix. A knowledge bank fed constantly by the experiences of all Time Lords, wherever they may be," Rose quoted the information she read about the Matrix.
"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, ma'am. I know that. My whole point is that I'm not," the Doctor said matter of factly.
"Not what?"
"Not part of the scenes being shown by the Scrapyard here. I'm sorry, Valeyard, force of habit. I apologize." The Doctor finally made his point clear.
"Doctor, the experience of third parties can also be monitored and accessed if needed, as long as they are in the collection range of a TARDIS," the Valeyard provided the missing information.
"Oh," this seemed to stop the Doctor's train of thought completely. "But my TARDIS is an old model. Are you telling me it's been bugged without my knowledge?"
"Bugged?" asked Rose.
The Valeyard appreciated her insistence on this clarification for the other Time Lords in the room. "It is a reference apparently to the new surveillance system, my lady. The expression derives from an Earth term."
"I see. I think we are wasting time on an unimportant issue. Continue with the evidence, Valeyard." ~'I'll reassure him that it was necessary and not malicious, love'~ Rose added to her husband.
As the playback resumed, Rose opened her connection to the Doctor again, ~'Don't worry about the bug. We put it there so that this information would be available today. There are important things being shown with this, please trust me and trust your future self. You can feel that I'm not lying to you, Doctor.'~
~'You visited my TARDIS? When was this?'~
~'Not that it's important, but it was while you were dealing with the Rani. I'm only telling you that the surveillance was put there by us because I know you won't drop the issue without some kind of explanation. Now, there is a bigger mystery happening in this evidence and you need to concentrate to solve it. Be the Doctor that I know and love and save the day again.'~ Rose could feel his surprise when she said the word 'love' and wondered what he thought she felt for him if she had created such a deep bond with him.
~'Alright, I promise. Please tell me your name, I can't bear not knowing.'~
~'I suppose we won't risk a paradox by you knowing since you'll have to forget this part of our meeting anyway. My name is Rose.'~ She felt his surprise at that, ~'Yes, I know, it isn't a Time Lord name. That mystery is for later, love.'~ At that, Rose closed the connection and glanced at him to indicate that he needed to pay attention to the proceedings.
On the screen, the security robot carried the Doctor back towards Drathro, when the villagers stopped it and shot at it again. Thinking that this robot was the 'Immortal,' Queen Katryca then led her people to Drathro's castle where they would take all of his secrets. Glitz and Dibber left while Peri freed the Doctor from where he was tied. As he woke up, he sounded rather like his fourth self talking to Sarah Jane. Once the Doctor got his bearings, they chased after the villagers. There was a lot going on as the countdown towards a black light explosion drew nearer, but just as Glitz seemed about to impart some important information regarding what they were after, there was a loud bleeping sound cutting off his words.
The Valeyard spoke up in explanation, "The remainder of that evidence has been excised, my lady."
"Excised? Why?" That ought to draw the Doctor's attention, Rose thought.
"By order of the High Council," the Valeyard replied.
"This is a judicial enquiry appointed by the High Council but independently conducted. It is MY duty, Valeyard, to decide what evidence is relevant."
"Of course, my lady. The High Council simply felt that certain areas of testimony should not be revealed," he continued to point out who was concealing this information.
"Why not?"
The Valeyard was glad they had discussed how important it was that this particular information was presented thoroughly, "Against the public interest, my lady."
Rose put on her best haughty air, "I cannot conduct a proper and searching enquiry without full access to the evidence."
"Naturally, Inquisitor, their honours would be quite prepared to let you consider the full record in camera," her husband responded.
"And I think that would be unfair to the defendant. Do you wish to lodge an official objection at this stage, Doctor?" Rose knew this argument would draw his attention to the importance of this clue.
"Well, I... er. No, ma'am. No, let the Valeyard here continue. Give him enough rope to hang himself, eh?" The Doctor seemed content to be aware of the existence of this secret for now.
"As you wish. Proceed."
They watched as Katryca led her people to their doom and the Doctor hurried towards saving the universe, when Rose stopped the video once more.
The Doctor seemed remarkably relaxed. Perhaps because he knew that this evidence against him was about to show how he had saved everyone again. "I didn't appear to be hurrying there, did I? But that deceptively easy gait of mine covers the ground at amazing speed."
Rose knew this cocky attitude all too well, "I did not interrupt the evidence to commend you on your athleticism, Doctor."
"Oh, well.. you can if you like. All compliments gratefully accepted," he flirted outrageously.
Rose felt the need to stop this behaviour before her husband abandoned the act and punched his former self, "And may I remind you yet again that this is a serious trial."
"It is NOT serious! It's a farce! A farrago of trumped up charges."
"You will have the opportunity in due course to rebut any or all of the Valeyard's charges," Rose pointed out.
"Oh, the Valeyard's charges. I always thought Valeyard meant learned court prosecutor," the Doctor said accusingly.
"And so it does," he stated.
"Not in your case, sir. Your points of law are spurious, you evidence weak, verging on the irrelevant, and your reasoning quite unsound. In fact, your point of view belongs in quite another place. Perhaps the mantle of Valeyard was a mistake. I would therefore suggest that you change it for the garment of quite another sort of yard," the Doctor prodded. "That of the knacker's yard. For your argument is as tired and worn out as the poor, unfortunate creatures that end up there."
"You will apologize at once!" Rose insisted.
"For telling the truth? Never!"
The Valeyard remained calm despite the taunting he had just received, "The Doctor is well known for these childish outbursts. I do not find the ramblings of an immature mind offensive."
"Immature?!" The Doctor sounded appalled by that particular insult.
"It is that particular state of mind that has made it necessary for you to be brought before this court."
"Immature? I was on Ravalox trying to avert a catastrophe. The deaths of several hundred innocent people! Surely not even in the eyes of the Time Lords can that be deemed either immature or a crime." The Doctor was practically pouting now, all that was missing was a, 'so there!'
"The crime was in being there, Doctor! Your immaturity was in not realizing you had broken a cardinal law of the Time Lords. Your presence initiated the whole chain of events that we have witnessed," the Valeyard rebutted.
"Thank you, Valeyard. It was that point about the relevance of the testimony that I had intended to raise," Rose sighed as she was finally able to say why she had paused things to begin with.
"My pleasure, Inquisitor."
"Oh, this is ridiculous," the Doctor retorted.
"May we continue? I tire of this empty banter." Honestly, keeping both versions of her husband under control was like herding cats.
"Of course, my lady," her husband said sweetly.
The playback continued, and the Doctor tried to find a way into Drathro's castle. Glitz and Dibber discussed how they were going to find the secrets once they had destroyed Drathro. They said that the Sleepers had found a way into something, but the question of what that might be was covered over with the same loud beeping noise as before. Obviously, they had again run across information that the High Council was concealing.
"What is going on?" the Doctor asked.
"That question had formed in my mind, Valeyard," Rose added.
"The information extracted is for your eyes and ears only, my lady."
"Something else that is not in the public interest to reveal?" Rose questioned accusingly.
"Exactly, my lady," the Valeyard responded, proud of her performance today.
"Well, this is a charade. If that information was known to those two rogues, what possible reason can there be for concealing it from this court?" The point made by the Doctor was extremely accurate.
"This trial is concerned only with your actions, Doctor, and their consequences. Nothing else. Wider issues, if there are any, are not within our terms of reference," the Valeyard replied, knowing full well that the best way to push himself into action was to tell him that it was none of his business.
"Perhaps that is something I should decide, Valeyard," Rose stated to reassert her authority in the court room.
"Of course, my lady, but my own instructions were to peruse only matters pertinent to the central issue."
"That is accepted. However, I should like to see the last sequence again," Rose requested.
"Yes," the Doctor said as he paid extra close attention to the points being presented.
Glitz pointed out that the Sleepers had found a way into the unnamed biggest net of information in the universe and were stealing information. The Doctor argued values with the robot, while Peri, Glitz and Dibber found a way into Drathro's castle to help. In the end, Glitz and Dibber tried to get away with the box of secrets, but they were destroyed along with Drathro when the black light system was shut down.
They all saved the day of course and the Doctor in the court room looked just as smug as the one on the screen, "Well, that's one up to me, I think. There can't be many people who can literally claim to have saved the entire universe. Well, if that's all the muck you can rake up." He arose as if ready to move on to his next adventure and the case was closed.
"Sit down," the Valeyard interrupted. "Smugness does not become you, Doctor."
"That," he replied, "is an irrelevant observation. I think it's now my turn to present the case for the defence."
"In due course," said Rose.
The Doctor pouted at that. This Doctor seemed rather good at pouting. "Well, that's not fair. Look, I wish it put on record that my involvement in the affairs of that planet resulted in the freedom of Drathro's underground slaves."
"That has been noted," Rose said as she scribbled more notes on the papers in front of her. The papers were honestly more filled with doodles than anything, but it looked important to be taking notes.
"And despite the fact that evidence has been withheld, my presence there was most specifically requested."
"You showed little reluctance in complying with the request," the Valeyard pointed out. He knew this next argument would likely upset his wife. He was going to be rather self-deprecating with this accusation, but it was the best point to bring up as they led into the next story to be presented.
"Well, lives were at stake," defended the Doctor. Lives were always at stake.
"Lives were lost, and because of your meddling, Doctor."
"I deny that. Without my help, an entire civilization might have been wiped out."
"Without your interference it might have involved less sacrifice of human life!" The Valeyard was working up a head of steam in this argument with himself, as he often did in making the same argument in his own mind over and over again.
"That was a risk I had to take," the defendant answered. It was what he perceived to be his duty to the universe.
"Risk! Risk! Hear how the Doctor condemns himself by his own words," the prosecutor shouted.
Rose needed to get between them in their arguing again, "Gentlemen! Doctor, perhaps you should heed the Valeyard. May I suggest that for the time being you have said enough."
"Said enough? Said enough? I have a great deal more to say," as the Doctor always did.
"Be silent, Doctor," warned Rose.
The Doctor was never one to be silenced by anyone. "I wish to demonstrate..."
"You will have your turn when the Valeyard has finished his presentation." Rose knew there was more information that her husband had to pass along to the Doctor. They would have less control over what scenes were presented once the Doctor was allowed to choose his own adventures to present in his defence.
"Thank you, Inquisitor," the Valeyard acknowledged.
"Well, if the rest of his presentation is as riveting as the first little epic, wake me when it's finished," the Doctor sounded bored.
"Finished? I've barely started." The Valeyard sneered at him.
It was obvious that the Doctor was getting tired of this, "Well, for nothing more than your future in the legal profession, I only hope your evidence gets a little better."
"Oh yes, Doctor, much better. The most damning is still to come. And when I have finished, this court will demand your life." The Valeyard couldn't resist directing a menacing laugh towards his wife and heard her mentally giggle in response.