Hello everyone. Before we get started on this new chapter, I'd just like to thank you all for reading this story and for your comments. They really mean a lot to me. That being said, I'd just like to clear one big thing up. People have been asking me to cut the romance between Theta and Cleria and, I'm sorry to tell you, that's just not gonna happen. Their relationship is a key part to the story and to their character development. If you don't like it, I'm sorry but it's staying. Also, thank you to Serrenn for pointing out that I haven't mentioned Kyre's ring since the beginning. I'll make sure to add that back in, in the upcoming chapters. Again, thank you all for reading my story. You guys are awesome. Now to the story! Geronimo!
Theta wasn't sure how much time had passed since he had gotten the message from Cleria. He wasn't sure that he even cared. He had been there so long that his entire body had become numb and whatever tears he had left were now just stains on his cheeks. Theta hadn't been able to bring himself to move away from the spot next to the console. He just sat there hugging his knees and staring at Cleria's engagement ring that she had left behind, feeling completely and utterly sick. "They're gone." Theta thought for the millionth time. "They're gone because of me."
What didn't make sense to him was how much this was hurting him. He had had people leave him, people that he couldn't help but leave behind, people that had forgotten him, and people that had died. None of that hurt as much as this did. But as he thought about it, he realized that none of those people had mattered to him as much as Cleria and Kyre. And now that they were gone, what was the point? What was the point of going on? What was the point of helping people? All he had ever done, he had done in their memory. But now they had left him and he couldn't see a point to anything. There was no point in being the Doctor.
As he sat there, the TARDIS started to take off and for a brief moment, the thought crossed his mind that he was going to Cleria. But the feeling of self-hatred kept him from standing up. There was no way he could face her now. He hated himself for pushing her away. A growing weight pressed down on his chest as he listened to the TARDIS fly through the Time Vortex. Theta buried his head in his arms and tried to suppress the overwhelming feeling of nausea. Not from flying, but from realizing all he had done wrong. He was so disgusted with himself that he felt physically sick. And when the TARDIS finally landed, he had no desire to get up and see where he was. He saw no point. Whatever was out there, it didn't need him. No one needed him. And he could bet, that no one even wanted him.
After a long time, the TARDIS started to dematerialize. But it was dematerializing around him. For once, Theta didn't care that it was leaving him behind. He didn't care. Once the TARDIS was completely gone the cold night air attacked Theta from all sides, not that he could really feel any of it. He was too numb to feel anything. He just sat there in the dirt with his head in his arms, and Cleria's ring clutched tightly in his hand.
Suddenly, the cry of an air raid siren filled the air. Theta looked up and finally started to get a good look at his surroundings. Buildings around him had been reduced to near nothing. People were running through the torn up streets in an attempt to get somewhere safe and floodlights filled the sky, targeting planes as they flew above him. When he looked closer, he could see swastikas painted on the wings of the planes. Then it dawned on him as to where he was. He was in England, in the middle of a World War Two air raid.
Bombs began dropping from the planes as he watched a family run from a house towards a bomb shelter. He turned his gaze away from them to see that the TARDIS had left him a long brown coat and a small knapsack. He put the coat on and held the knapsack in his hands.
Suddenly, a bomb was dropped and exploded mere meters away from him and sent him flying through the air. As he tumbled over the street, everything became sharp and clear. He felt the heat of the fires press against his skin and the thickness of the smoke added to the stinging sensation of every single scrape on his arms. The sound of the bomb had sent his ears into a ringing frenzy everything sounded as if he was behind a wall of glass. As he got to his feet, the dust and smoke choked him and stung his eyes. He could taste the smoke in the air and the faint bit of blood on his lip. And the smell, it made him want to vomit. Over the metallic smell of the smoke, the putrid stench of death rose through the air. Like someone had left eggs to rot in a drawer full of wet socks. He gagged on the smoke and death but he knew he had to keep moving.
"Lizzy! Come back!" A voice yelled over the chaos. Theta's eyes followed the cry and through all the smoke and dust saw a small figure silhouetted in the golden light of the fires, run away from one of the buildings and out into the street. It was a child standing in the street, absolutely frozen in terror. Instinct overtook him and as Theta ran, he scooped the child up off the street and then ran back towards the building where she had come from.
He was nearly there when another bomb was dropped and sent him off his feet and shooting through the air. Theta clutched the child to his chest as he tumbled across the course pavement. He could feel the shrapnel from the bomb tear through his coat and pierce his skin, like a thousand tiny knives stabbing him at all once. But none of that mattered as long as the child was safe. He crashed against the foot of some stairs with his back to the steps and the child towards the street. He ignored the pain and scrambled up the steps as fast as he could. Theta made his way inside the building and put the child down. For the first time, he noticed that it was a little girl. Her blond hair and little pink coat were covered in soot and dust.
"What were you thinking?!" Theta asked angrily. "You could have been killed!"
The little girl looked down at her dust covered shoes and opened up her arms. That's when Theta saw that she had been holding a small corgi puppy in her arms. "He got stuck outside." She whispered innocently.
"Well you still shouldn't have run out after him." Theta said, trying not to yell at the little girl again. "What would your mother have said?"
An older woman rushed into the room, a mixed look of terror, anger and relief was on her face. "Elizabeth Jane Bentley," She said sternly. "What on earth were you thinking?"
"Mummy, Toby didn't make it inside." She said, her blue eyes filling with tears. "I had to go and fetch him." There was a pause where no one said anything. The only sounds were that of the bombs being dropped, almost a kilometer away now. "Am I in trouble?" Elizabeth asked.
Her mother sighed and picked her up. "No, you're not in trouble." She breathed in relief. "I was just so worried about you." Elizabeth's mother hugged her daughter tightly and then saw Theta standing in the doorway, watching the street with a blank look on his face. "You grabbed her off the street." She said in awe. "You saved my daughter's life."
Theta turned around and simply nodded.
"My name is Sarah." She said. "And you are…?"
"Smith." Theta said. "John Smith."
"Thank you so much Mr. Smith." Sarah said. "Is there anyway I can repay you?"
Theta shook his head. The adrenaline of the bombing raid had worn off and the feeling of numbness had come back. "No. I don't need anything."
"Can he have supper with us tomorrow, Mummy?" Elizabeth asked, her eyes shining in the dim light.
"Would you like to have supper with us, Mr. Smith?" Sarah asked.
"Please, Mr. Smith?" Elizabeth begged. "You can meet my brothers and sister. And we can play in the garden with Toby after we help Mummy put the dishes away. But we have to make sure that he doesn't dig up the flowers. Mummy doesn't like that because Daddy sent us the seeds from France. And Daddy…" Elizabeth just kept talking and talking. It made her mother look a little bit embarrassed, but for a moment, Theta felt as if a smile was tugging at his mouth just waiting to show.
Just then, another child came running around the bend and into the room where they were. It was a boy about ten years old. "Mum!" He cried. "What happened to Lizzy?"
"Don't worry, Joseph." Sarah said. "It's all right. Mr. Smith got her and brought her in. Now please go back downstairs and wait there until I come back down. Now, Mr. Smith, would you like to have supper with me and my family tomorrow?"
Theta shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can't."
Elizabeth's eyes became very wide and sad. "Please Mr. Smith?"
Theta shook his head again. "I'm sorry Elizabeth but-"
"Lizzy." The little girl said firmly. "My name is Lizzy. Mummy only calls me Elizabeth when she's cross with me."
"I'm sorry, Lizzy. But I just can't come." He turned towards the door and began to walk out.
"Oi! Are you mental?" A boy's voice asked.
"Joseph! I told you to go back down to the cellar." Sarah said strictly.
"You can't go out there!" Joseph said as if Theta was the most crazy person on the planet. "The bombs are still being dropped. You'll be blown to bits."
"Joseph, mind your manners." His mother said. "However, he is right. You can't go out there."
"I think I'll be alright." Theta said blankly.
"You won't." Mrs. Bentley said. "It's too dangerous. And judging by the state of your coat, I'd say that you're in need of some medical attention."
Theta looked down at his coat sleeve and saw that blood had started to leak through the material. because of how numb he had been, and added to the adrenaline of being caught in the middle of a bombing raid, he hadn't even noticed. But the moment he realized it, the pain overtook him like a tidal wave over a small row boat. His entire body ached from being thrown around so much. His arms and legs had been thrashed from road rash. Whatever skin hadn't been covered, stung with small burns and the shrapnel in his back was like a thousand knives stabbing him constantly. Theta groaned and fell to his knees.
"Lizzy," Mrs. Bentley said urgently. "Run down to the cellar and tell David to get the first aid kit out and ready. Mr. Smith needs help." Lizzy jumped down from her mother's arms and raced down to the cellar with little Toby trotting close behind her. Mrs. Bentley helped Theta to his feet and half carried him down the stairs to the cellar, where an older boy, about sixteen or seventeen was waiting with the first aid kit. But to be honest, calling it simply a first aid kit was an understatement. It was more like an entire hospital had regurgitated its supplies and equipment into a small case. Mrs. Bentley's son, David, helped get Theta to a large blanket that had been laid out on the floor. "We're going to need you to lay down on the blanket, Mr. Smith." Mrs. Bentley said. Theta did so willingly. "David, the burns and shrapnel are our first priority." The young man nodded as his mother produced a pair of scissors from the bag and cut off Theta's shirt.
Mrs. Bentley and her son worked quickly. David treated the burns, spraying them with a mixture of resorcinol and other ointments and then wrapping them tightly with cotton bandages. Theta couldn't help but wince each time David applied the mixture. It stung like the devil. And after he had finished with the burns, he went on to dress Theta's thrashed skin on his arms and legs. David would clean the wounds with a disinfectant and then dress them, in a similar manner to the burns. It stung even more than the burns. But at the same time, he noticed how professional David was going about it all. His eyes never left the burns and he worked with surprising precision for someone so young and with doubtedly no medical training. And while he worked on the burns, Mrs. Bentley removed the shrapnel from his back. She would hold a pair of tweezers and a small scalpel up to a burning candle to sterilize them, and then went about making small incisions along his back to make sure to get every piece of metal, wood and stone out of his skin. Every time, after she removed something, she would hold the tweezers and the scalpel up to the candle again to make sure they were clean. It was very slow work.
After a long time, David and Mrs. Bentley were both working on stitching up the incisions in Theta's back. They worked with great care to make sure he would be alright. And it made Theta wonder, why would these people care so much about a complete stranger? Was it because he saved their daughter? Did they feel indebted to him? He had made a point to say that he didn't need anything. But they still took him in and patched him up. It didn't make sense to him.
Finally, they were done. Theta was covered with bandages all along his arms, legs and torso, but the stabbing sensation and the constant stinging had gone away. "That should do it." Mrs. Bentley said. "But you need to rest."
"Here." David said, handing him a spare shirt. "Sorry we had to cut the other one off, but we couldn't risk making your wounds worse."
"Thank you." Theta said, looking around the dimly lit room. Including David and Lizzy, there were four children in the room. "Are these all yours?"
Mrs. Bentley nodded. "David is the eldest at seventeen, then Michael is fourteen, Joseph is ten and Lizzy is four."
Theta strained his eyes and tried to get a good look at them all. David had brown shaggy hair that covered his forehead and almost down to his eyes. He was tall, even for his age and was very skinny. Theta thought that if David turned to the side, he would disappear and if you gave him a hug, you'd get a papercut. His face was very stoic, but his green eyes shone in the dim light with a glint of curiosity.
Michael was slightly stockier and had red-brown hair that stuck out in all directions. He also had green eyes, similar to his older brother but, unlike David, had perfectly round glasses that made his eyes look slightly larger than they actually were. Michael's appearance reminded Theta of Harry Potter, but with red hair. So more like if Harry Potter had been born a Weasley.
Joseph was considerably smaller than both of his brothers. Never mind the age gap, he seemed short for his age. Joseph's dark hair cast a shadow over his face and his blue eyes darted wildly around the room, giving him a slight look of insanity. But from the way he smiled, Theta could see that he was just filled to the brim with energy and life.
Lizzy was moving so fast that Theta could hardly get a good look at her. Her short sandy blond hair bounced around around her face as she ran around the small room, playing with her puppy. And when her Mother finally caught her in a big hug and began to clean the dust off of her face, Theta noticed that Lizzy's blue eyes sparkled with joy and excitement despite the grim situation they were in. Her mother let her go once the dirt and grime had been cleaned off her cheeks and she ran around the room, tackling her brothers with hugs and trying to get them to play with her. David immediately scooped her up and swung her around, making her giggle with delight.
"Thank you again, Mr. Smith." Mrs. Bentley said so just he could hear. "I'm indebted to you."
"Don't worry about it." Theta said. "But I was wondering, how did you know how to treat my injuries?"
"I was a nurse at a local hospital." She explained. "But the hospital was destroyed a few days ago in a bombing raid."
"And what about your son?"
Mrs. Bentley smiled gently and her eyes were full of pride. "David wanted to become a doctor before the war started. But once his father left, he quit his schooling and started working to help provide for the family."
"What does he do?"
"A family friend gave him work fixing things. Fences, buildings, automobiles, factory equipment, watches, you name it. He has become very good at working with his hands and learning new things."
"How come he didn't enlist?" Theta asked.
The room suddenly became very quiet and everyone had their eyes fixed on Theta as if he had just said something horrible. They all looked like they had seen a ghost. "Because my father made me promise not to." David said firmly. "He made me promise to stay home and protect my family until he comes home."
"What about you, Mr. Smith?" Michael inquired. "How come you didn't enlist? Surely you're old enough."
Theta thought about it for a moment. He had to come up with something believable. Telling them that he had just appeared here only a few hours ago in an alien spaceship, from the future, wasn't going to cut it. While they all waited for his answer, it was so quiet that he could hear his hearts beating in his ears. Then he had an idea, his hearts. "I have a heart problem." He told them plainly.
"Then how did you end up here?" Michael asked. "Don't you have friends or family?"
Theta shifted uncomfortably and didn't say anything. He just sat there staring at the floor. The numb feeling in his chest returned at he started to feel the pit in his stomach again. "Michael." Mrs. Bentley said sternly. "It's not polite to pry. Now apologize to Mr. Smith."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Smith." Michael said.
Theta nodded in acknowledgement but continued to stay silent as he watched the Bentley family interact with each other while the raid continued. It then occurred to him to look in the bag that the TARDIS had left him. He found it sitting next to the blanket that he had been sitting on and opened it up. Inside, there were a few small things. A journal, a pencil, a swiss army knife, about five pounds, a red hat, and a note saying: Write in the journal everyday. And don't spend the money until the time is right.
"Do you have anywhere to stay, Mr. Smith?" Mrs. Bentley asked. That's when it dawned on him that he didn't. He didn't have a place to stay, he didn't have food, or even a way to get those things. "No, I don't." He said. "But I'll be alright."
"You could come stay with us."
Theta shook his head. "Thank you, Mrs. Bentley, but no. I can manage on my own."
"What about food or money? Is there anything you need?"
"Mrs. Bentley." Theta said, more sternly than he probably intended. "I appreciate your generosity and willingness. But I really do not need your help. I am perfectly capable of handling things on my own."
Mrs. Bentley was taken aback and her eyes widened slightly. "Very well." She said quietly. There was a slight tone of disappointment in her voice. "But you will keep the shirt and the blanket. I have to insist on that."
Theta took an exasperated breath and nodded as Mrs. Bentley walked back to her children and Lizzy toddled over to him. "Are you leaving, Mr. Smith?" She asked with curious eyes. Theta simply nodded, his face showed absolutely no emotion. "Are you still going to come to supper tomorrow?" She asked. Theta shook his head. "No. I can't."
"Well why not?"
Theta sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying not to become frustrated with the little girl. "I just can't, alright?" He told her. "Now go and play with your little dog or something."
Lizzy crossed her arms and began to pout. "You said you would."
"I actually did not."
"Did too."
"Did not."
"Did too!" Lizzy said, stomping her foot against the ground.
They continued going back and forth until it caught David's attention and he walked over. "Is everything alright?" He asked, pickup Lizzy up and resting her on his hip.
"Mr. Smith said that he would come to supper tomorrow and now he said he can't." Lizzy pouted, with her bottom lip quivering.
"Well," David said, trying to come up with something that would make his little sister feel better. "I'm sure Mr. Smith has his reasons. But tell you what. After supper tomorrow, I'll play with you and Toby in the garden. We can play whatever you want. And…" David looked around to make sure no one was listening and lowered his voice as if to tell her a big secret. "I'll let you have some of the sweets that Mrs. Young let me have for fixing her clock."
Lizzy's face lit up and she smiled from ear to ear. She also started whispering to play along with David. "Can I have one of the chocolates in the purple wrapping?"
David nodded. "But don't tell Mummy." He said with a mischievous smile. "It has to be our little secret."
Lizzy put a finger to her lips to show him that she wouldn't tell anyone. "There's a good girl." David said, putting her down. "Now, if I were you, I'd go and play with Toby. I think the sound of the planes is frightening him." She quickly went to the far corner of the room and picked up the puppy, who immediately started licking her face as she told him exactly what David had told her.
"You're a good brother." Theta said to David.
David shrugged. "I just don't like to see her upset." He said simply. "It's my job as her older brother to keep her happy."
Theta watched as Lizzy played with Toby and raised a curious eyebrow. "Where'd she get the dog?"
David chuckled. "Toby was a birthday present from a neighbor. Their dog had just had puppies and more than anything, Lizzy wanted one. My mum kept telling her no, but the boys and I went behind her back and got the puppy for her anyway."
"And your mother wasn't upset?"
"Oh she was furious." David laughed. "But after a few hours of watching her play with him, she changed her mind."
Theta nodded and leaned back against the wall, but immediately regretted that decision as pain from his mini surgery shot through his back. So instead, he hunched forward and silently waited out the rest on the bombing raid with the Bentley family. He watch as Lizzy played with Toby for a long time until she had fallen asleep on the floor right next to him. Toby curled up next to her and fell asleep too. David had taken out an old, worn out book and read for the rest of the time while Mrs. Bentley played a game of marbles with Michael and Joshua. Things were quiet and content for the moment. But Theta could still hear the air raid sirens and the planes that were flying in the distance. Seeing how the raid wasn't going to end anytime soon, Mrs. Bentley eventually had Michael and Joshua lay down on a few cushions and get some sleep.
The sirens continued going off until the early hours in the morning and then the all clear sounded. Mrs. Bentley woke up Michael and Joshua and David scooped up Lizzy and carried her out of the cellar while Michael carried Toby. Theta cautiously followed the family out of the cellar and into the street. "Are you sure there isn't anything we can do for you?" David asked as Lizzy stirred slightly in her sleep.
Theta shook his head for what seemed like the millionth time. "I'm sure."
"Alright then." David sighed, shifting Lizzy so his right arm was free. "Thank you for saving my little sister, Mr. Smith." He said, extending his hand out to Theta. "I wish you luck." Theta hesitated for a moment then shook David's hand. "And I, you." Theta replied. With that, he turned and walked down the street. He had no particular destination in mind, in fact there wasn't much on his mind at all. As he walked down the road, he saw some people starting to peek out of destroyed buildings, covered with soot and dust. Others were rushing to a burning building with buckets of water in a vain attempt to but the fire out. The smell of smoke and explosives was still thick in the air and the sounds of people shouting and wailing were bouncing off the buildings and into his ears. But even with all the commotion around him, it all seemed muted and slowed.
He had started to feel numb again and he felt something pressing down on his chest. Exhaustion began to plague him and more than anything, at the moment, he just wanted to lay down and sleep. Theta kept walking until he reached a small park that had been seemingly untouched by the bombing raids. He scanned the area and located a small shed. "This will have to do." He thought, making his way towards it. He took out the blanket that Mrs. Bentley had given him and placed it on the ground, with the knapsack at one end of it. Theta laid down on his side and pulled his coat over him. "This is all just a bad dream." He thought. "I'm going to wake up in the morning next to Cleria and everything is going to be alright."
But when morning came, Theta found himself cold, aching and still in England. This wasn't a dream. He was trapped.
Hey everyone, it's me JJ. I just wanted to say thanks for reading my story. Please leave a comment or review to tell me what you liked and what you think I could do better. I love feedback. Also, I am currently looking for someone to do cover art for my stories. Like real cover art. And if its good and I like it, I'm willing to pay for you to do it for me. If anyone is interested, just shoot me a message. Thanks a ton! :)