Disclaimer: I do not own either Twilight, Highlander, or Doctor Who, although Gabriel and any original character are my own creation.
Italics are all thoughts and flash backs.
Chapter XXV: Of Ponds and Doctors
I had met the Doctor in mid 1974. He came upon me immediately after I had taken a Quickening in a forest just outside Manchester, England. Apparently, the electricity produced by the Quickening had caught his attention. After I regained my composure, he casually walked over to me and introduced himself. He explained that he knew another Immortal some centuries ago, which turned out to be Methos. Though he frowned upon senseless violence, he claimed to understand that Immortals had no choice but to fight in the Game, if only to simply defend themselves.
After he explained what he was, and some of his adventures, I inquired about joining him. I had been involved in a cat and mouse game with Cain for so long that I longed for an escape. I saw joining the Doctor as that. He enthusiastically accepted my proposal, and I joined him for twenty-five whole years. I saw many of his companions come and go; some hurt the Doctor more than others. We toured the stars and various different Earth time periods until his home planet called for his assistance in the Time War. The Doctor dropped me off back on Earth one full year after I left with him, being that the TARDIS acted as a time machine as well as a space ship. He has occasionally showed up to offer me some more adventures, the last time being just after he lost his latest companion, Donna Noble.
In all my years, I had never met such a curious specimen like the Doctor. He could be one of the kindest and most wise individuals you ever met, but could also be the most fierce and heartless bastard in the whole Cosmos when he needed to be. However, I knew that he had no choice but to play both roles. He was the last of the Time Lords, and that meant that it was up to him alone to fix the universe whenever something threatened it. It was because of that sacrifice that I knew I could not judge him. He had earned my respect and friendship, and I was never going to throw that back in his face.
I had explained all this to my large family. They had been completely gob smacked at what I had told them. We had spent some ten minutes in silence; vampires in shock and awe were a new experience for me. I decided to simply wait for them to formulate any questions they had. Perhaps I would even ease some of their fears that I'm sure they were harboring at the moment.
"Is he dangerous?" Rosalie was the first to break from the vampire stupor.
Smiling, I shook my head, "Not unless you plan on destroying the world. He has a strong moralistic code that he judges others by. If you adhere to it, he usually accepts you."
"Why didn't the Doctor just tell you that it was indeed him this morning?" Carmen frowned, confused by the Doctor's actions.
I thought for a moment, coming up with a logical answer to her question, "There are only two possible reasons for that. One, he truly didn't expect me to be there. Two, it was a crowded area. I doubt the Doctor would ever reveal that he is a time traveling alien in front of that many humans."
"Edward said that Amy and the Doctor knew what we were, though." Bella posed the concern that all the vampires in the room probably shared.
I took a deep breath, attempting to figure out the best answer that would put them at ease, "My guess would be that they encountered a vampire at some point, but not one that caused them any heartache. The Doctor is very keen on gauging what is going to be a threat or not. So, if it was a positive experience, he has no reason to seek any of you out. Not to mention that I'd put him in his place if he did. He's not a monster or a villain. He's just a little, er… eccentric. No need to worry."
A thought occurred to me just then, it was one that I didn't consider until that moment. Why was the Doctor here? If I knew him as well as I believed I did, then it would mean that something terrible was going to happen. That's the way it always went. The TARDIS would pick up some anomaly and appear within a certain distance of it. The Doctor would then determine the source and do whatever he needed to do to correct it. Now, the problem was, nine out of ten times these anomalies usually meant a significant threat to Earth or whatever planet the TARDIS landed on.
Reading my train of thoughts, Edward frowned, "So, then there is a reason to worry if the Doctor is here to prevent a disaster."
"Then, what are we going to do?" Tanya questioned, casting her worried eyes onto me.
I embraced her lovingly, "Let us all relax a little. If the Doctor just arrived, then there's time to figure out the whole situation. I'll talk with him tomorrow, and figure out if there is anything that we could do to help. Until then, just go about your usual activities. Remember, there are midterms next week, and I expect A's from all of you."
In unison, the Cullen children, plus Jacob, groaned. The rest of the group laughed at their misfortune. Tanya left our embrace, and pulled me over to the chair. She pointed down at it with a smirk, so I sat, smiling at her ridiculousness. She followed suit, perching my lap. Any tension that was previously in the room had disappeared and was replaced with a lighthearted feeling as we all settled into basic chit-chat. I could tell that Carlisle was beaming to know about my adventures with the Doctor.
"Go ahead and ask, Carlisle," I told my brother as I absentmindedly traced circles on Tanya's upper thigh with my right hand.
Carlisle pondered his first question for a moment, "Hm, how were your adventures with the Doctor? Were they ever dangerous?"
I grinned when I thought back at our adventures, "Ha, of course they were, actually, I don't recall a single time that they didn't end up that way. There was never a dull moment. There was this one time, about five years ago, when the Doctor's tenth incarnation, I, and Captain Jack Harkness were tracking down this strange alien that was wreaking havoc in Cardiff, Wales. You see, there's this rift in time and space over the city, and, at times, aliens and people from different time periods would appear from it. Typically, they were not harmful, and Jack would help them along, but sometimes, he'd have to take drastic measures. Now, this thing had been eluding us for days, and Jack and I were getting frustrated. That was when things got interesting…"
Flash Back
Cardiff, Wales 2007
"This is becoming ridiculous!" I growled as Jack, the Doctor, and I searched another empty warehouse on the outskirts of Cardiff, "We don't even know where this giant bloody beetle is, let alone if it has any intention to listen to reason when we find it."
We had been searching these warehouses for two days now with no leads on the creature. It had insisted on attacking the locals upon its arrival through the Rift, and it was becoming hard to track the damn thing. At one point, no more than three days ago, I had come across it and tried to reason with the thing. It was to no avail, of course, as it smacked me across the park we'd been in. Since then, you could say that I had it out for the giant beetle thing. I did try to save its life, after all.
"It's called a No 'Dar, Gabriel," the Doctor informed me, rolling his eyes as he held up his sonic screwdriver.
"Yeah, and we're still no close to finding it. So, we're staying here until we do. Plus, I thought you wanted to shove a can of Raid down its throat?" Jack smirked at me.
I gritted my teeth together, "I'm highly considering it! I figured 'Hey, try and use diplomacy 101. That will get it to see that it can't attack people.' Ha, what a crock that was. Damn thing ended up breaking four of my ribs, AND rupturing my spleen. He's just bloody lucky that this bloke is Immortal." I pointed to myself to exaggerate my statement, "It took me a whole eight hours to heal correctly in your damn Torchwood. I had to endure Gwen, Owen, and Tosh's questions that whole time! I swear, humans drive me insane, sometimes."
Gwen Cooper, Owen Harper, and Tosh Sato were part of Jack's team in Cardiff called Torchwood. They operated as a top secret defense organization with the mission of fighting any alien threats to the United Kingdom. There was one more member of their team, Ianto Jones, who acted as their secretary of sorts. Gwen, Owen and Tosh were currently searching the other warehouses, whilst Ianto monitored our progress via satellite.
The Doctor chuckled briefly before turning to face me, "After thirty years, you never cease to amuse me, Gabriel!"
"Good, I'll be here all week," I grinned and took a mock bow.
"So, did the No 'Dar understand anything you said?" Jack asked as he searched a dark corridor at the end of the warehouse.
I shrugged, though I knew Jack couldn't see it, "I suppose I saw some recognition in its eyes, but I can't read giant beetle alien body language. For all I know, it figured that I insulted it."
"Ah, I found some residual energy form the Rift! The No 'Dar shouldn't be far. Allons-y!" The Doctor all but charged out of the warehouse.
Jack and I shared a brief glance before following the manic Time Lord. We found the Doctor stalking outside another ominous looking warehouse, sonic screwdriver in hand. I could hear the three humans jogging up to us. Jack informed them that we believed we found the creature as we waited for the Doctor to finish his readings. Once the Doctor appeared satisfied, he stuffed his sonic screwdriver back into his tan trench coat, and swung around to face us.
"Alrighty, he's in there. Now, we agreed not to kill him, but to tranquilize him. That was the deal when I agreed help you lot." The Doctor told the Torchwood team with a serious edge to his voice.
I knew that another Torchwood team had misused its authority and day near ended world. Since that time, the Doctor has had some resentment toward the government agency. They all nodded their understanding and loaded their tranquilizer guns with darts. The Doctor then turned to me with that serious look that I'd seen thousands of times before.
"Don't be too foolish in there. You don't have a stun gun, so I don't want you taking any unnecessary risks." The Doctor raised his eyebrows at me.
I nodded and mock saluted him, "Aye, sir! You don't have to worry about me. Almost four hundred years and still looking good. I'll follow your lead, Doctor."
With that, we approached the door to the warehouse in caution, readying ourselves for the green, ten foot beetle to spring at us. Being completely immortal, Jack entered the metal door first, followed by the Doctor and I. The whole warehouse smelt of melted plastic, mixed with burnt hairs. This smell had accompanied the No 'Dar when it was near. The warehouse was almost completely bathed in darkness, so Jack handed us all flashlights. Jack's team hung by my side, searching the area for any danger.
As I walked further into the warehouse, I felt my foot stick to the ground. Vaguely alarmed, I jumped back, tripping and falling on my arse when my foot detached from whatever clung to my boot. Raising my boot to inspect it, I saw a thick, clear liquid oozing from it. It looked similar to something a cocoon would be made out of. The Doctor was there moment's later, sonic screwdriver at the ready. He nodded and placed it back in his jacket.
"Yep," He began, popping his 'p', "He's here alright. I'd say he's pretty close by. Most likely watching us."
Almost on queue, the No 'Dar dropped from the ceiling, crouching in front of us. I jumped to my feet, glaring at the beast. The Doctor shoved his hands in his pockets, strolling up to it. He began to try and reason with it, as the Torchwood team stood at the ready. I couldn't help but get the sense that this wouldn't go as planned. Sure enough, the No 'Dar roared, shoving the Doctor out of the way and charger at me. I quickly rolled out of the way just as the Torchwood team fired their tranquilizer guns. All the darts connected with the beast. He stopped mid charge, and collapsed to the ground, successfully tranquilized.
I turned to face the Doctor, who was smiling, "You see, Gabriel, not that bad at all."
"What are you talking about? He shoved you to the ground and charged me! That could have been tragic!" I stared disbelievingly at the Time Lord.
He simply laughed at my panicked voice, "Where's your sense of adventure gone? I remember you standing off against Daleks with a smirk plastered on your face."
"That's because I hate beetles…" I glared at the sleeping beast on the ground.
Flash Back End
"So, you just released the beetle back home?" Emmett questioned, dumbfounded.
"Yep," I said popping my 'p', "We hauled it back to the TARDIS, which was no easy feat, mind you, and the Doctor, Jack and I saw it home. What a pain it was too. That's one of the shorter tales for you. The ones that required gallivanting around the universe would take hours to tell, and seeing as I have a Doctor to chat with in the morning, I'm off to get some sleep." I said as Tanya hopped off my lap and I stood from the table.
Tanya and I said our good nights and walked over to my manor. Once there, I texted Duncan, telling him that none of us Immortals should be alone with Cain still on the horizon, to which he agreed. Tanya walked into my master bath, getting ready to take a shower. I smiled to myself, knowing that once she exited the room, I'd be on one knew proposing to her. I bought the ring less than a moth ago, and I was waiting for the right time to propose. With everything that had been going on during the last few weeks, I knew that she'd appreciate a pleasant surprise. I was looking forward to this, too, probably since we became a couple. I loved her with all my being, and I was ready to make this commitment to her.
I grabbed the ring box as I heard her turn off the shower, and dropped to one knee. Part of me wished this could have been more romantic, but I knew Tanya loved the unorthodox. So, this would make her smile. She opened the door with her evening dress on, and froze once she saw me. Her jaw dropped. She brought her right hand up to cover her mouth, but stayed in her place, wide eyed.
"I know that the past month has been a little hectic on us, and I know that things are slightly stressing, but I simply cannot put this off another moment. Even within the short period of time that we've been together, I feel that I've loved you for a thousand years. I want to complete our bond, my love. My devotion to you is eternal. Tanya, will you marry me?" I gazed into her beautiful gold eyes.
She brought her hand down and offered me the largest grin I'd ever seen from her, and launched herself down at me, embracing me, "Oh, yes, my love!"
She pulled back, and I slipped the diamond ring onto her finger. Moments later, we were kissing passionately on the bed. She tugged my shirt away, growling once her hands found my flesh. The next few hours were spent in pure ecstasy as we proclaimed our love for one another. It was nothing short of glorious.
…
The morning came all too soon as my alarm clock tore me from my pleasant slumber. I grudgingly stretched and dragged myself into the shower, pulling Tanya with me. We had some time to spare, so we enjoyed ourselves under the warm water. Afterward, I dressed quickly, and checked over my email. With nothing new to report, I gathered my shoulder bag. Before I left, I walked over to my beautiful Tanya, kissing her for a full minute. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pushing me toward the front door. I pulled away and grinned at her.
"I'll see you tonight, my beautiful bride-to-be." I said, kissing her one last time.
She grinned right back at me, "Don't be late, love."
Once I was in my Impala, I got straight into 'confront the Doctor' mode. During my thirty minute drive toward campus, I settled on calling Amy and the Doctor into my classroom and telling him I knew who he was. I saw no real point in skirting around the issue. Though, I'm sure he's expecting me to do this. He knows me far to well.
I parked my car in its usual spot outside my building, and headed into it. I spotted Amy chatting with the Doctor near my lecture hall doors. She noticed me out of the corner of her eye and waved me down. I smiled, making my way toward the two, "Well, hello there! I was hoping to spot you two! You both wouldn't mind coming in here, will you? I've got something important to discuss."
I saw the Doctor's face light up. Amy looked to him in uncertainty. However, once she saw his glee, a smile donned her face just the same. They followed me up to my desk. I told them to make themselves comfortable as I took off my bag and leather coat. As I sat down, I began studying the Doctor's face. Yep, he knew what this was going to be about. I couldn't help but smile.
"So, did you park the TARDIS on the meter, Doctor?" I quirked an eyebrow as a smirk made its way on my lips.
He jumped up from the desk he was sitting at, and began clapping his hands enthusiastically, "Yes! I knew that you recognized me yesterday. Oh, Gabriel Cullen, you are so observant!"
"Well, I've only known you for almost forty years now," I grinned as I stood from my desk to make my way over to hug the Time Lord.
After we embraced the Doctor stepped back a foot to appraise me, "Still looking the same, I see."
"Of, course, I change for no one, sir! You, on the other hand have changed quite a bit. You're younger than me, for one." I chuckled, and then stared at his bow tie, "Is this your new accessory? A bow tie?"
He adjusted the offensive fabric and glared at me, "Hey, bow ties are cool!"
"He keeps telling himself that," Amy shook her head as she walked over to us.
I shook my head, smiling, "You never change, Time Lord."
"Nor will I ever." The Doctor smiled smugly.
I wanted to catch up with him, but I needed to know what he was doing here first. If there was any danger coming, I wanted to be in the knowing. Not to mention that my family and I could be of considerable help. I leaned onto the front of my desk and crossed my arms, "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but I know for a fact that you never enroll as a teacher unless something was on the horizon that you wanted to keep a closer eye on. So, Doctor, what brings you to Seattle?"
He smiled, "Well, a few weeks ago, the TARDIS picked up a massive surge of an unknown energy converging on Seattle. I couldn't tell what it was, but there's no rift in the area and it was not of alien origin. It didn't even seem like it was from this universe, and I should know what belongs in this universe. So, long story short, we came here to find the source of the energy surge."
"I'm guessing this is something you've never seen before?" I asked.
"Nope, not at all. That's what's utterly fantastic! A new mystery to be solved, and who doesn't love those?" The Doctor waved his arms about like a mad man as he spoke.
I rubbed the back of my neck, "This could be bad, you know. I'm not liking this."
"Frankly, neither am I, so I'm here to figure it out." He said as he began to pace the room, most likely deep in thought.
If there was one positive thing about the Doctor, it's that he loved this planet. He's bent over backwards thousands of times and gets little more than a 'thank you'. Yet, here he is, still fighting for the human race. It was more than admirable. If there were to be a name that truly represented the word 'hero', it'd be the Doctor. This I believe with all my heart. He's lost so much, his family, his entire world, many of his friends, and he's never become detached from his morals. I honestly aspire to his model.
Suddenly, the Doctor stopped pacing and realization donned his face, "Oh, how did I not see the pattern. Oh, you cleaver girl."
"Who's clever, Doctor?" I asked, puzzled.
He looked between Amy and I before answering, "There's only one being that gathers such an amount of energy. Her name is Lilith, a powerful Dark Fae, and she's here."
"A Fae, Doctor? Please don't tell me she has wings and throws pixie dust." Amy chuckled slightly.
The Doctor shook his head, "If only it were that simple. The Fae are typically a peaceful race of trans-dimensional beings that cross between universes to spread and gain knowledge, as well as protect nature. They're quite powerful beings, possessing abilities that far outweigh anything I've ever seen. Some believe that the Greek Gods and Goddesses were actually Fae. Some Fae, however, turn from their peaceful ways, and become power hunger and corrupt. Lilith became one of these Fae some fifteen thousand years ago, and no one knows why. I last saw her in Egypt when the TARDIS stopped there in 5000 B.C."
The Doctor stopped after he noticed my tense posture. If Lilith were here, that would mean she knew where Cain was. This could mean that Cain will rush into challenging e for my Quickening. Not to mention that Lilith had some whole plan for a new world order, one that had a powerful Immortal by her side. Of course, that was if Cain's story was accurate. I knew that he didn't lie, but this was pushing the bounders of reality to its very edge. All I knew was that Lilith was either in Seattle or very close, and that was not a positive.
"Gabriel, what's wrong?" The Doctor asked with concern heavy in his voice.
I stared at him, fear in my eyes, "It's Lilith, Doctor, She created the Immortals…"
A/N: So, I apologize if I didn't get the 11th Doctor quite write. I'm still figuring out how to write him. And, yes, the Doctor will have some more answers about Lilith's history soon. Cain will be popping back up to create some havoc shortly as well. Things are staring to get complicated, that's for for!
Until next time…