Anyone else see what Chibnall did to Doctor Who? Am I salty about it? Insanely. Am I going to include the retcon into my fics, no. Honestly, I always thought that the Master was the timeless child and that it gave credence to their anger…So, I will stop at 12. I was giving the new season a chance and…well…that's that I suppose. My disappointment aside, please enjoy the newest chapter and if you enjoyed the newest season then please enjoy it, just don't try pushing it onto me please I am allowed to not like it just like y'all are allowed to like it. Anyone else who's upset about the last season, please don't give hate to the actors and actresses they are just doing their jobs.
I wrote this chapter before the series finale and now my motivation for any of my Doctor who fics are almost nonexistent, but I'll try to keep uploading it, as it helps me focus during finals. I wanted to be somewhat started with the next chapter before posting this one.
Chapter 15
The Brain of Morbius
It had been two weeks since the androids attempted their invasion on the Earth. Two weeks of phonebooth travel was enough to bring anyone to the brink of insanity. Yet, John felt as though she would rather that happen. She was currently watching as her stomach decided to empty itself into a toilet.
"Fuck…" She gave a low groan as she finished.
Her breath smelt horrible and she felt disgusted and, oddly enough, a bit bloated. She didn't even know what had brought about the sudden bout of sickness. She flushed the toilet and slowly got up to her feet. She brushed her teeth to get rid of the horrible smell. As she was doing that, a sudden thought came to her. She grabbed her wand and gave it a wave over her head.
Her body warmed up as she did a self-scan. She waited for the results and finished brushing her teeth. While she wiped her face clean, she got her answer. She was pregnant. With twins.
Fuck.
She now knew why protected sex was something one should practice. She began to fidget with her wedding band before letting out a soft sigh. She was going to have one hell of a time telling the Doctor. Her mind didn't want to focus on that at the moment and nudged her to recheck her results. She frowned as she looked at the results once again, it was like her pregnancy was going faster than normal. This here said she was a month and a half pregnant, but it had only been two weeks. As she pondered that she blinked when her mind went back to her previous problem. Oh, she was going to have to tell the Doctor.
She was going to have to tell the Doctor.
How in the seven circles was she supposed to bring that up? The door to their shared room-she blamed the Tardis for that one seeing as the ship simply combined their rooms to form one keeping his decorations and her furniture- opened and she looked out of the bathroom. Speak of the devil and he'll appear, at least that's how she thinks that particular saying goes. He noticed her slight discomfort and uncertainty.
"What wrong, love?" He asked her with a small frown.
"Impregnantwithtwins." She said very quickly.
He stared at her for a few seconds and she slowly grew uncomfortable. There was a burning pit in her stomach, and she felt her throat constrict. She blinked when she was lifted into the air by a grinning Doctor, his hands lifting her by the hips. She smiled in relief and put her hands on his shoulders. After a few seconds, he put her back on her feet and she gave him a happy smile.
"Oh, this is brilliant, absolutely brilliant." He said as he pressed his forehead against hers before gently kissing her.
They didn't get to speak further when the Tardis lurched. Arms wrapped around her waist to keep her steady and she winced slightly. That wasn't the normal way of parking for the Tardis. She looked up at the Doctor's face and noticed the dark expression on his features.
"Those idiots." He hissed as he slowly released her.
He left the room and she quickly changed into a pair of dark blue trousers and her quidditch jersey. She followed him and when they reached the main control room, she shared a look of surprise with Sarah. He exited the Tardis and the two women had no idea what had made him so furious.
"Come out you meddlesome, interfering idiots!" He shouted outside the Tardis and they could hear a clap of thunder answer him, "I know you're up there so come on out and show yourselves! Messing about with my Tardis, dragging us a thousand parsecs off course!"
"Have you gone mad?" Sarah asked him as the two women exited the Tardis and looked around the mountain filled landscape, "Who are you shouting at?"
"The Time Lords, who else?" The Doctor told her, "Now you see? Do you see? They haven't even got the common decency to come out and show their ears."
"They're probably afraid of getting them boxed, the way you're carrying on," Sarah informed him.
"They didn't even have to common courtesy to inform you that they were going to do something, I wouldn't blame him if he did box their ears," John stated, she was staring at her husband in surprise, it was rare for him to get this worked up about something.
"It's intolerable, and I won't stand for any more of it," The Doctor continued.
"Oh look, why can't it have just gone wrong again?" Sarah asked him.
"What?" He questioned with a frown.
"The Tardis." She replied and John winced at that.
"What?" He asked her, "Do you think I don't know the difference between an internal fault and an external influence?"
"Oh no," John muttered as his frown deepened at the insinuation that he couldn't properly pilot the Tardis.
"Oh, no, no, no," He continued on his rant, "Something is going on here, there's some dirty work they won't touch with their lily-white hands. Well, I won't do it, do you hear!"
Another clap of thunder was his reply. John held a hand to her forehead and frowned when she felt something tugging at the back of her mind. She didn't know where it was coming from, and she sighed quietly. She closed her eyes to center herself. There was something wrong with this planet, and she didn't like it. She was having trouble with frequencies on this planet, they were all over the place and there was a magnetic field that was creating the bulk of the frequencies. She couldn't help but feel as though the ones that tugged at the back of her mind were familiar. Yet, she had no recollection of this planet.
"There's something wrong here," John stated as she opened her eyes.
"Something ominous," Sarah agreed before turning to the Doctor, "Where are we?"
"I don't know, and I don't care." He answered.
Sarah turned to John and the witch gave a small nod. She stepped up to her husband and placed her hand on his forearm. He turned to look at her and she gave him a worried look. He looked like he was concerned for her and she felt touched. He brought a hand up and placed it over hers. He then shook his head in response to her quiet plea and she gave him a small pout.
"You're just going to sit here?" She asked him.
"I am," He answered as he pulled out his yo-yo from one of his pockets, "I'm going to sit here and practice my double loops."
"All right then," She sighed as she moved away from him, "I'll just have to adventure with Sarah."
"That could be dangerous," He muttered.
"Don't worry about me," She huffed as she put her hands on her hips, "We witches are very sturdy even when pregnant."
Sarah looked at her in surprise and her eyes traveled to John's stomach where that was the smallest of bumps forming. She didn't want her friend to get hurt, she didn't want the small life form that was growing in her to get hurt either. She wondered why she looked so far along, she guessed it was because the child was going to be a hybrid.
"Well, do you know what this is, John?" She asked the witch as she pointed towards a piece of plastic that stuck up from the ground.
"It's an ejection bubble," John replied as she looked at a deflated plastic bubble, "A space parachute."
Sarah blinked at that and the two women began to walk around the ruins to look around. There had to be a reason why the Time Lords sent the Doctor to this unknown planet. She went to jump down from one of the larger rocks and a pair of hands helped her down. John smiled. It fell when they saw the sea of wrecked spaceships. Each one was of a different make and model. They all shared one commons trait, they all had scorch marks around the areas of impact in the metal that had been the reason why they fell to the planet in the first place.
"There must be about a dozen wrecked spaceships out there," Sarah exclaimed, "It's like the Sargasso Sea!"
"It's amazing," John stated with wide eyes.
"Fancy." The Doctor said in the background and they both shook their heads at that.
"Any idea why they would all crash here?" Sarah asked John.
"War, simply due to the damage that's been done to them," John replied as she moved down the side of a mountain to get a better look, "It's so strange."
Sarah sighed at her curious nature and turned to look at the Doctor. He had paused in his actions of playing with his Yo-yo and was keeping an ear out. She smiled softly at that and started to go after John. They came across a body, it looked like a bipedal insect.
"Oh, poor fellow," John stated as she knelt next to it, "This lad looked like he left the ejection bubble and was attacked while he was wandering around in a daze…poor mutt."
"Mutt?" Sarah asked.
"Yes, it's a mutant insect species," John replied as she stood back up, "It's widely established in the Nebula of Cyclops, the Doctor might want to know this."
"What's so important about the Nebula?" Sarah asked as John started to walk back to the Doctor.
"He was born in these parts, about a couple of billion miles away." Was the reply.
John made it to the Doctor and quickly explained what they found. He looked contemplative and eventually his curiosity won over his anger. He jumped up to his feet and put the Yo-Yo away.
"Perhaps we should head to the one point of civilization," He stated as he looked towards the distance.
Lighting crashed against the dark sky and the group let out a collective shudder. Of all things, there was a castle looming in the distance. The castle was menacing, the stonework was cracked and crumbling apart, and the flags flying were all tattered. John put her arms around herself in a subconscious way to get rid of the uneasy feeling she suddenly got. Perhaps it was also a way to protect her children.
"And then there was rain." She muttered as a drop of water hit her head.
They made their way towards the castle, the wet rocks not helping them gain any traction. The Doctor had brought out a broken umbrella, but a single flick of John's wand and they were all impervious to the rain. It simply bounced off their shoulders, though the chill in the air was still prevalent and sunk into their bones. Nothing was warming them up. They came up to the castle, the Doctor grabbed onto a rope and tugged on it. A bell went off inside the castle and within minutes the door opened.
"Can you spare a glass of water?" He asked with a slight grin.
"May we come in?" Sarah asked as he got an elbow to the side from his slightly amused wife.
"My dear sir," A man stated as he appeared at the door, he looked like a mad scientist of all things, "My dear, dear, sir, you have no idea what a pleasure this is. It's been so long since we've had guests, Condo, take their coats."
Condo, who turned out to be a giant man with a slight hunch in his back, held out his hands to take their coats as they walked into the castle. None of them relinquished their coats, there was no need as they had been able to stay dry. They did want to get warm, though.
"Well, if we could just shelter for a while," Sarah said, "That would be fine."
"Great heavens," The man said, "You can't go walking on a night like this, I wouldn't dream of letting you proceed on step further. Condo, stir yourself, our guests are cold and tired…Let me take your hat, sir."
John watched as the Doctor's hat was removed from his head, freeing the curls that had been squished down. She smiled at the sight of his hair and he sent her a small wink. Sarah rolled her eyes at the two and simply shook her head. They forgot where they were for a few seconds.
"What a magnificent head." The man said and John looked at him.
"I am so glad that you mean his head, head," She stated with a blank expression.
"Love, please," The Doctor chided her in an amused tone.
"It did sound wrong," Sarah muttered in agreement with John.
"It's a superb head." The man continued as if he hadn't heard them talking amongst themselves and John sent her husband a look.
He simply shook his head in slight amusement.
"Well, I'm glad you like it," The Doctor stated, "I have had several, I used to have an old grey model before this, some people liked it."
"I did," Sarah said, slightly raising her brows.
"I wish others would show me a picture, I have no idea what he had looked like," John stated with a slight frown.
"I think I have one somewhere," Sarah informed her and she got a hopeful expression out of the taller woman.
"What?" The man asked them.
"I said, some people liked it, but I prefer this model," The Doctor replied.
There was a hidden meaning in his words and John's face turned a light red as the implication as to why he would like his newest regeneration hit her. She was becoming more curious as to what he had previously looked like. He was a pretty hefty man in this regeneration.
"Forgive me," The man said, "What a surly host you must think of me, please make yourselves at home, sit down and warm yourselves."
They all sat at a long table. The three-time travelers sat at the end together while their host sat away from them. The Doctor felt a foot nudge him and he responded in kind, it was something that he would rather do at a nice restaurant, but this worked for him. He brought his foot up higher on her leg and he felt her tense up in surprise. He noticed that her body language had changed from flirty to slightly distressed. She was starting to pale, and he could tell that she was feeling a little under the weather.
"Are you all right, miss?" Their host asked her.
"I-I'll be okay," John said with a slightly strained smile.
What a time to get morning sickness. Sarah sent her friend a concerned look and a genuine smile in response. It wasn't just morning sickness; the frequencies were starting to converge in this area. She put a hand on her stomach in a discreet manner and felt the need to make sure she stayed safe.
"Condo, pour the wine." Their host said.
"None for me, but thank you," John immediately declined.
"Oh, it's very kind of you," Sarah said as she was given a goblet of wine, "Thank you."
"Not at all, not at all," Their host stated with a smile that sent shivers down John's spine, "It's an honor to offer you whatever comforts my humble abode can provide, as you can see the amenities here are rather antiquated."
"I think it's gorgeous, reminds me of the school I went to," John smiled, it was a genuine compliment to the home of their host.
She couldn't help but still have a softness for Hogwarts, even though most of her memories of the school had been tainted by grief and anger. The Doctor had helped her focus on the more positive ones, even if he didn't realize it. Just by accepting her as she was. No wonder she loved him.
"Oh, I'm intrigued by such a school," Their host said, "It's very rare that anyone arrives here on Karn."
"Karn, is it?" The Doctor asked, "I should have known."
"You mean you arrived here without knowing?" Their host asked.
"Oh, well, we often go on a sort of mystery tour, don't we, Doctor?" Sarah asked and both women looked to see that he was staring over his shoulder at a bust, "Doctor?"
"You seem very keen on heads, Mister…er," The Doctor faltered and wondered if their gracious host had even introduced himself.
"Solon." Their host answered.
"Mister Solon." The Doctor nodded.
"Mehendri Solon," Solon said.
"It's very good." The Doctor grinned.
John shook her head at her husband's antics and went to lean against the table. She watched as he got up to get an even closer look at the bust. She didn't like the look at it. Green eyes narrowed as she focused on it. She could feel the frequencies coming from it. That caused her some curiosity, seeing as one couldn't resonate most types of stone with certain sonic devices. She watched as their gracious host stood up from the table and walked over to the bust.
"Modelling is one of my hobbies, but unfortunately this is not a very good example," Solon informed the Doctor as he grabbed a nearby cloth and tossed it over the bust.
"Oh no, I thought I recognized the face," The Doctor said with a frown on his face.
"No," Solon stated.
"No?" John piped up.
"He made a mistake," Solon informed her.
"That could be possible seeing as there are over a billion of biologicals in the universe," She sighed.
"Talking of heads, or their absence," The Doctor said as the two men sat back down at the table, "We found a headless body lower down the mountain."
"How distressing," Solon muttered.
"It was," John's tone was blank and emotionless as she stared at their host.
He was hiding something, and she could tell. She didn't know what he was hiding, but she had a feeling it was about that bust. She placed her elbow on the table and rested her head in her hand. Armageddon was trying to get out, she could feel that part of her scratching at the surface. She closed her eyes for a few seconds to ignore it. Armageddon was a parasite, a useful one but annoyingly attached to her. It seemed stronger in her than her mother.
"It must have been from one of those crashed spacecraft, no doubt," Solon stated.
"How many of those did we find, Sarah?" John asked her friend.
"Fifteen," Sarah replied as she gave their host a skeptical look.
"The wreckage of fifteen ships all in this one area," The Doctor stated.
"There's a belt of magnetic radiation," Solon stated.
"Magnetic radiation?" The Doctor looked towards John, who gave him a small nod.
"Oh, I don't know anything about it, but I believe that is the theory," Solon stated, "In fact, Karn has become quite notorious."
Condo came back with a tray. It held goblets with bowls and plates full of food. John didn't touch the food. She reached into one of her pockets and found a small flask. She was taking a page out of one of the best of the best back at the ministry, someone who had trained her to survive. She opened the top and took a small swig of the liquid. It was just some tea with honey. She knew better than to be drinking. At her husband's surprised expression she held it out to him. With a shrug of his shoulders, he took a swig. He seemed relieved by the drink and handed it back to her.
"Let's hope that Condo has brought something special," Their host said as she put her flask back into her pocket, "Thank you, Condo, but how many times have I told you the wine must be opened and allowed to breathe."
"Oh, please," The Doctor was trying to get him to stop, a grimace on his face.
"No, no, no," Solon waved the Doctor's plea away with a small shake of his hand, "Would you please do as you've been instructed?"
Condo rushed off with the wine and Sarah looked towards John. Her body language was tense, and she was looking around with a serious expression on her face. She joined her friend in being alert. There was something wrong about this place that she couldn't put a finger on.
"He's an excellent fellow, very devoted to me," Solon informed the, "But his intelligence is not the highest."
"He's an incomplete Golem," John informed him as she focused on a spiderweb in the corner of the room, "He's missing a part of himself, what happened to his arm?"
"Oh, many years ago I dragged him from the wreck of a Dravidian starship and his arm…" Solon answered, "Well, amputation was the only way to save his life...excuse me, you said Golem?"
"Yes, a man of clay," She replied, "He must be missing the remaining pieces he needs, might've been in his arm, poor chap."
Solon nodded at that and began to serve the food. John gave him a tight-lipped smile and the Doctor reached for her free hand under the table. It was clenched into a fist under the table. Within seconds of placing his on hers, he was able to unclench her fists and intertwined their fingers.
"One never really overcomes the nostalgia for one's planet of origin," Solon said as Condo returned with the wine, "Sometimes at night I look up at the sky and I wonder if I'll ever see the Earth again."
"I know the feeling," Sarah muttered as she side-eyed the Doctor.
"What made you settle on Karn?" The Doctor asked as he took a small sip of the wine.
"Well, nobody lives here," Solon replied, "Nobody bothers me, and I can get on with my work."
"What kind of work?" Sarah questioned.
"Microsurgical techniques into tissue transplant," The Doctor answered, "It was the title of the book you published."
"You know something of my history, Doctor?" Solon questioned.
"One of the foremost neurosurgeons of your time," The Doctor stated before turning towards Sarah, "Considerably after your time, Sarah."
"Your disappearance caused quite a stir," John said as she frowned at the churning in her stomach, "Some said that you joined a cult, please excuse me for a few seconds I need the restroom."
"Condo will show you to them," Solon told her.
She gave a small nod and the Doctor released her hand. She had a glint in her eyes that meant she was taking a small leave of them for a while. He had a feeling that being pregnant and surrounded by frequencies was taking its toll on her physically. He just hoped that she would take care of herself and not put herself into trouble. She had more than herself to think about now.
John sighed as she entered the bathroom. She closed the door and went over to the sink and turned on the faucet over the marble sink. She was starting to feel a bit sick. Her stomach was churning, and she placed a hand over the small bump that was her stomach.
"I don't like it either, calm down," She muttered.
The churning stopped and she kept her hand there for a few seconds. Next time they were in modern London she was going to stop at the wizarding hospital to get some idea of what to expect from her pregnancy. Not that it was going to be normal, she was an interdimensional being with magic and the Doctor was a Time Lord. If anything, she had a feeling that's why it was progressing so fast.
She gently rinsed her face with cool water and turned off the tap. She was about to leave when a cloud covered her. Her wand was in her hand faster than one could even think about saying Quidditch. Those that took her from the castle ended up being women in red cloaks. She tilted her head and eyed them. Green eyes hardened to a dark emerald and her hair fluffed up from the energy she was emitting.
"Calm, Armageddon," An old woman softly said, "We know you."
"I fear I just know your names," John stated, "The Sisterhood of Karn."
"Why are you here?" The old woman questioned.
"Traveling, with my husband and a friend," came the truthful reply, "We were forcefully stopped here."
The old woman let out a low hum in thought. John looked at all the women with a slight frown. The Sisterhood had stood against Morbius. So, then why were they interested in her? They knew of her, yet they shouldn't. Unless she was starting to make a name for herself in the universe. She was starting to dislike that, but she wouldn't leave her husband.
"Will we sacrifice her?" A younger woman asked.
"The more bloodthirsty you are, the more problems you'll have," John stated with a frown.
"We do not sacrifice the unborn," The old woman hissed at the younger sister, "Come, Armageddon."
The old woman turned on her heel and walked through a tunnel. John sent a dark look towards the younger woman before briskly following the cult leader. She kept her wand out and clenched it in her hands. Her palms no longer got sweaty at the thought of a fight. She was slipping back into a war mentality. She had two precious bundles to protect. No wonder McGonagall was always so protective of the students in her house.
She couldn't help but smile at the memory of her head of house.
"What is your name, leader?" She finally asked.
"Maren," The old woman answered, "I'm afraid we sisters only know you by your war title."
"Johana, but my friends call me John," She said, "Even my husband calls me by my nickname."
Maren looked towards the young woman. She wasn't fooled by the relaxed voice; the woman was too tense and ready to fight. The small bump was easy to see. She would offer the woman a scry, that much she owed the great general. She began while they walked, it was an easy feat for one such as her.
"You are aware of things that your husband is not," Maren said.
"I suppose that I am," John agreed, "Yet, he has more years on me."
"You saw them," Maren continued as they entered the main chamber, "That creature."
John paused in her steps. She looked at Maren in thought, her expression blank and untelling. Eventually, the corners of her mouth twitched downwards to show the displeasure of what she knew. The particles within her fed her information in a constant stream now that everything finally settled down.
"I don't know what they are exactly," John stated with a deep frown.
"Perhaps one day you will meet them," Maren stated, "Soon, much like your children will come soon."
John was starting to get the feeling that her children were going to come sooner than later. She was going to be grouchy. She didn't even want to know how long pregnancy with the Doctor would last, she doubted that it would be the last time that they had kids. She felt a fond smile appear on her face at how ecstatic he had been.
"Do you know what the creature looked like?" Maren asked her.
"Just a face full of fire," John shrugged, "I don't have much to go on."
Maren simply nodded her head and motioned for John to sit down. John took a seat on a bench and placed her hands on her lap. Maren left her in that room. She looked around at all the torches that cast flickering shadows upon the floor. She closed her eyes for a few seconds to try and make time pass faster.
A skull made of fire flashed through her mind and her eyes snapped open.
She could hear her hearts beating a mile a minute due to her slight fear. That image had started to show up in her dreams as of late. She looked down towards her feet and brought a hand up to rub at her eyes. That image was of something so far away, something in her distant future. She jumped when something appeared in the room with her. She let out a soft sigh in relief.
"Hello, sexy," She grinned towards the blue box.
The door gently opened, and she hurried inside. The Tardis greeted her happily and she returned the greeting with a small smile. She closed the door behind her and headed towards the main console. She pressed a button and a part of the wall slid down to reveal what was going on outside of the Tardis.
"Think the others might be in trouble?" She questioned.
The Tardis gave a positive sound and she let out an amused chuckle. Leave it to them to get into trouble. She dug around her pockets for something and eventually brought out a hair tie. Within seconds her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail.
"How did you get her here, by the way?" She blinked when she heard the Doctor.
"Oh no, Theta," She muttered as she pinched the bridge of her nose, "It would be you, wouldn't it?"
"The power of the sisterhood," It was one of the younger women from earlier, "It also brought Armageddon to us."
"Really?" The Doctor asked as he finally came into view, as if he knew that she was inside the Tardis, "What, you mean that you lot still practice teleportation? How quaint."
The woman seemed to preen from the slight compliment that covered an insult. The Doctor raised his brows at that, and John couldn't help but snicker. She couldn't help but be amused by the fact that he wasn't taking any of this seriously. He had a buzz, that much was easy to tell with how large his pupils were. He shouldn't have taken the wine that Solon offered them. Leave it to him to ignore the obvious signs of a megalomaniac. Then again, he seemed to miss the signs for himself.
"Unless you lot now have a decent forklift truck?" He questioned with a raised brow.
"Doctor, you have but a little time left," Maren informed him as she came back into the room, "Will you waste it prattling nonsense or confess your guilt."
"What do you mean, I have but a little time left?" He asked with a frown.
"Before you die," She answered.
"But I'm only seven hundred and forty-nine," He informed her, "Life doesn't begin until after seven hundred."
"At the dawn of the next sun, you will die," She curtly informed him, "It has been agreed."
"When?" John questioned with a frown, but the Tardis locked the doors and gave her a low whistle of warning.
"Most definitely not by Johana," The Doctor argued in a calm tone, "I have yet to be consulted about this."
"Confess that you were sent here to steal the Elixir of Life and we shall be merciful in your death," Maren continued.
"I haven't the vaguest notion of what you're on about," He said, "The last thing I remember, I was having a glass of wine with Solon and Morbius."
That caught John's attention. Morbius? Was that who was creating those frequencies that felt so dark? They had reminded her of Sutekh. No wonder she was so tense and ready to flee. Her fight or flight reaction had insisted that she flee, those frequencies had been older than her, and far older than the Doctor. Seven hundred years, she had forgotten just how old he was. Four faces so far, but seven hundred years. That had to be a hundred and seventy-five years per face. Well, depends on how long he lasts on a face and how he dies before regeneration.
"Morbius is dead," Maren hissed.
"That's right, he's dead," The Doctor stated before pausing and turning towards the red-cloaked woman, "How did I get that impression?"
"The time lords destroyed Morbius for his crimes here on Karn," Maren informed him.
"Solon had a clay model of his head, but it was more than that," The Doctor stated and he looked towards the Tardis and John perked up and paid close attention to what was being said, "A living mental contact, I was able to feel the mind of Morbius."
"Morbius was executed for leading the rebellion," She argued, "His body was placed within a dispersal chamber and atomized to the nine corners of the universe."
"I am aware of that, but I'm telling you, Maren," He continued, "That just for a second before I passed out, his mind touched mine and I felt his burning hatred and anguish."
"Morbius is alive," John stated with wide eyes, "No wonder those frequencies had been so strong."
The Tardis gave her agreement on that and John moved around the main console. She looked around for the seats, for once wondering why they were so far away from the console, and took one. She began to think. She needed a way to beat Morbius and keep the Doctor alive. He had been able to trick the older time lord originally, but at the expense of his mind. Maren had been able to bring him back. She looked towards the window and watched as blue eyes stared forward under furrowed brows.
"I suppose you think raising these old fears can somehow help you, but I was there at his execution," Maren stated, "Morbius is dead, Doctor, and you will join him very shortly."
She turned on her heel and exited the room. The Tardis waited for a few seconds before unlocking her doors. The Doctor heard the door slowly creak open and watched a head of dark hair peeking out. He looked relieved to see her.
"Is Sarah with you?" She asked him with a worried frown.
"No, it's just the two of us," He answered her, "Why did they bring you here?"
"That's a good question," She muttered, "I have no clue, but it seemed they did it because they knew me."
"I have a famous wife it seems," He teased, and she gave his arm a light slap.
"More than you know, love," She informed him with a teasing tone of her own, "You are the only person that can call me Johana and get away with it."
He gained a grin at that and gently tapped her nose. He turned towards the entrance and gently pushed her towards the Tardis doors. He gave her a serious look and she sighed quietly and pressed a kiss to his lips before heading back into the blue box. She looked towards the opened panel and he gave her a small nod. As he was taken away she moved to the center console and pulled a lever.
"We're going to go find Sarah," She informed the Tardis, "Should also be able to get him at the same time."
The Tardis gave her a low whistle of worry and she gently patted the console as she flipped a switch. She was flying the Tardis on her own, she knew the right controls the manual was very simple in how it instructed the pilot. It was the math to keep her in the same time code and planet that was difficult. She grinned at the challenge; it had been far too long since something like this had caused her to think. Rune work was getting too simple, she welcomed the challenge of physics that differed from her universes. She pulled another lever and looked out the window, she was facing rocks. She pulled a different lever and fixed the position. She ran towards the door and ignored her heated cheeks.
She needed to work on her landing.
"Need a lift?" She grinned at the Doctor and Sarah.
"That's a welcoming voice," Sarah stated, and John frowned as she noticed the blank look on the woman's face.
The Doctor gave her one that said he would tell her later and pulled the brunette into the ship before taking the controls himself. John closed the door and gently put her hands onto Sarah's face to look into her eyes. The pupils were dilated, and she was acting as if she couldn't see. She was trying to stop herself from panicking.
"I can't see," Sarah informed her.
"I can see that," John muttered with a wince, "What caused it? Stand still pleased while I perform a simple diagnostic charm."
"It was the flash," Sarah informed her as she finally let her panic show, "If I ever make it back to Piccadilly I could always sell flowers."
"Well, the diagnostic is telling me that you simply numbed the optic nerve, it should wear off in a few hours," John informed her with an amused roll of her eyes, "What are we going to do about Morbius, last I checked people who are supposed to be dead typically are."
"Supposed to be and are, two different words, love," The Doctor informed her, and she sent him a look.
"You know what I mean," She stated, "Voldemort only kept coming back because the idiot spliced his souls into parts and stuck them in objects."
"You can do that?" Sarah asked in genuine curiosity.
"Er…Yes," She answered in a very uncomfortable tone, "It's done by willful murder after drinking the blood of a young calf on a full moon, that part is usually done for the first splice…it's dark magic."
"How do you know about it?" The Doctor asked.
"I'm an unspeakable," She answered, her voice very tired, "We have to learn about dark spells and rituals to be able to spot them when they happen or use ideas from them in our research, that's why I typically didn't take on as many research grants until the Minister asked me to do her favor."
He gave her a look and she looked away; she didn't want the pity. Being an unspeakable allowed her some semblance of privacy. Paparazzi and reporters weren't allowed in the department of mysteries. Those that fought on the light side in the war had been compensated, money and a Merlin First class award plus their names in the papers. After the first week, most of the "heroes" had fled into the mundane world helped by her and Sherlock.
They had just wanted a future where they didn't have to worry about persecution or someone turning them away from a job simply because they weren't Pure.
"John," Sarah softly muttered and reached for her friends' hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"I'm all right," She muttered back in an even softer tone.
She had been projecting, and she hadn't meant to. She raised the shields she was slowly rebuilding and let out a soft sigh before squeezing Sarah's hand with the same amount of gentleness that the brunette had shown her. Sarah perked up before nodding at the taller woman.
"Right," Sarah stated, "Where are we going?"
"Solon's." The Doctor replied.
"Are you nuts?" Sarah questioned him.
"No, sadly that would explain this madness but he's going to the right place," John stated as she smiled at her husbands slight pout, "Solon seems to be hiding Morbius, we need to take care of Morbius, the man is so angry at the universe that if he came back fully…well, it wouldn't be pretty that's all I can say."
"He'd decimate the Time Lords before moving onto the rest of the universe," the Doctor added.
"No wonder they sent you here," Sarah stated.
"They must truly be cowards if they couldn't deal with him themselves," John stated, her opinion of most Gallifreyans was very low.
Her husband not being a fan of his people didn't help with her opinion of them. If his expression was anything to go by, he could tell. That grin on his face was very different from the frown on hers. Sarah would have started to laugh at the two if she could see them.
"He does have a body in there with no head just made out of different things," Sarah said.
"Has he?" The Doctor asked.
"Yes," Sarah confirmed as John helped her find one of the seats.
"Still have the rune stones?" John asked with a slight grin.
The Doctor took his out of his waistcoat and handed it out to her. She dug around her pockets until she found her metal rod and began to scratch something into the stone. She was quick and he almost panicked her when she easily used the rod to puncture her finger and gold spewed on the runes. It started to light up in her hand and she handed it back to him. He accepted it and put it back into his waistcoat but grabbed onto her hand to check how badly she had cut herself. It was a small cut, enough to get some blood out but not enough to be fatal.
"I'm sturdier than I look," She informed him as the small cut stopped bleeding.
"Didn't even flinch," He muttered as he shot her a look.
"I've had worse," She informed him with a sad smile.
He let out a low sigh at that and released her hand before turning back to the controls. He parked the Tardis with more ease than she had and the three exited the ship. The doors became locked behind them and they sat back down at the table they had been at earlier. John held a different posture and kept her hands in her lap, a bit more prepared than before. She looked towards her family rings and twisted the silver band of the Holmes ring. The small raven that circled the sapphire was enough to make her miss her cousin, the man had to be in Ravenclaw.
He was as smart as they came and cunning, but he had always strived for greater knowledge then power over others. He had never been that ambitious, to begin with, much to the oldest Holmes chagrin. She had more ambition than him sometimes, though it was rare for her to show it.
"Doctor!" Solon exclaimed as he entered the sitting room and saw the group, "Well, what happened? Did they release you?"
"Oh, we got away," The Doctor informed him with a pleasant smile.
"Miss John, Condo had been most upset when you vanished," Solon said as he looked at the witch of the group.
"I apologize, leaving was not my intention," John said with a very soft smile.
"I did my best to save you at the risk of my own life," Solon stated, "I tried to make Maren see reason."
The stone in the Doctor's waistcoat started to grow warm and he looked towards John. She seemed to be calm, but even he could see the storm raging in her eyes. She was holding herself back to such a degree that he was amazed at her self-control. As much as she wanted to bring the man down for his crimes, she was not the judge or the jury. She would refuse to be his executioner unless it was self-defense. She pushed her hair back from her face and leaned forward to the point where her proof of ladyship was obvious. The simple wedding band on her dominant hand stood out more than the silver rings and he almost smiled at the sight of it.
"We noticed," John stated, "Yet, we've had enough of your hospitality one can only take so much drugged wine."
The Doctor was so tempted to sit back and let her rip him a new one. He could hear the anger in her tone just by how she said it. He took one of his hands and gently placed it on her lap. She barely sent him a glance, but he noticed that her shoulders relaxed just the slightest.
"Wait just a minute madam," Solon started, and she narrowed her eyes at him, and he paused.
"Your little stunt caused harm to my friend and almost got my husband killed," She hissed at him, "Please, go right ahead and tell me that I need to calm down because I am calm and that's the worst thing I could be right now."
Solon sputtered at her words and she sighed and got up from her chair. She wasn't going to give him an out, she had dealt with far too many politicians for him to be able to cow her. Mycroft would be proud if he could see her, and she was a bit conflicted about that.
"Why don't we cut the bull and you allow us into your lab," She stated, "You are hiding something you really shouldn't have."
"You come into my house," Solon started to rant and with a single wave of her hand, he went silent.
"You underestimate me, sir," She informed him, "You are not needed to get into your lab, would I like you to comply? Yes, but is it needed, no."
"John," Sarah softly said.
"Let's go then," the Doctor stated as he got up as well.
John held out a hand to Sarah and helped her to her feet. The three were going to deal with Morbius before leaving the area. John was on the warpath, and she was making sure a madman wasn't going to rise again. It was too similar to how Voldemort had come back, a monster in human form or in this case a humanesque creature into a monster form. She didn't need any reminders of that snake. They entered the lab and the atmosphere changed completely.
"Oh no you don't, you either fight on this plane or not at all you coward," John growled as she frowned at the frequency that Morbius was sending her way.
It was quiet for a few seconds, but the Doctor watched John for anything that would give away what was happening on the atomic level. Judging by the taught muscles of her jaw Morbius was starting to converge into a consciousness that they could hear on the physical plane. When the muscle relaxed he knew that the worse for her was over.
"Interesting," Morbius's voice rang out, "Never encountered anything like you before."
"I'm one of kind, for now," John stated as she crossed her arms across her chest.
"Hmm, yes, a freak," Morbius said in an offhanded tone and the blank look that John leveled at that was impressive, "You think you'll be able to fight against me?"
"I will be your opponent," The Doctor stated as he stepped up.
"He's just a brain within a case," Sarah said as she stood closer to John, her vision starting to come back.
"That's crude and could lead to a brain malfunction," the Doctor informed them, "And that spells danger."
"So, we'll just keep calm," John said, "Getting nervous gives this thing power over you, it should be easy to stay calm."
"Well, we just need his brain, that can be returned to the Time Lords and they can choose what they want to do with it," The Doctor informed them.
It sounded so simple, get the brain and move it to the Tardis to send to the Time Lords. Honestly, it should've been simple. Yet, John looked behind her with a slight frown. She felt as though they were being watched. She was starting to wonder if the sisterhood was going to try and move in to defeat Morbius like they were supposed to.
She couldn't blame them for that.
"You can't," Solon's voice floated towards them as they moved deeper into the lab, "I spent my whole life on this project."
"You spent your whole life attempting to resurrect evil," The Doctor countered, "We're removing the brain."
"He needs to be disconnected first," Solon relented.
"What's the catch?" John asked, and that surprised the two next to her, "Someone that spends their life attempting to resurrect someone suddenly complies with the demands of an outside source? Forgive me if I'm a little skeptical."
"I didn't realize it was you, lady Armageddon," Solon mumbled, "We of Karn are familiar with one of the great generals of the final battle."
Those words caused a shiver to go down her spine. That meant she was going to be pulled into war after war, didn't it? She kept her fear off her face, but the Doctor sent the man a frown.
"Final battle?" He asked.
"The one that happened here on Karn hundreds of years ago," Solon answered as he walked forward, "A woman fitting the Lady's description appeared during a snowstorm and took down several of the ships you saw, she went by the name Armageddon and raised hell during the war."
"It had to be a different Armageddon," The Doctor murmured to John.
"I sure hope so," She told him, "Even though I would rather not get in a war if it was to protect those I care about I would go to hell and back to make sure their future is secured."
He almost wanted to tell her to be more selfish and not to worry about others. It made him wonder more and more about her past and why she was the way she is. She didn't want him to go through a war, but if there was a way for her to go in his stead then she'd proudly step up. He gave the quietest sigh at that. Judging by the look that Sarah was shooting her, she was worried about the same thing.
"You have five minutes, Solon," The Doctor informed the man, "Five minutes only."
"I might make a mistake with that amount of time," Solon tried to argue.
"Would you rather I do it?" the Doctor asked as he held up a pair of wire cutters, "Or perhaps Johana, she will be far less forgiving than me."
"Yeah, I might miss," John stated as she innocently twirled her wand, "Maybe my aim isn't as good as people think it is."
"I'll do it," Solon stated.
The group went into the lab and the body of Morbius was laying on the table. It started to move, and Solon put a needle through its skin. A tranquilizer, a simple remedy for the body to stay down. He worked through the tendons and machinery that kept the body together and working, it was both biological and cybernetic. He worked fast. Yet, John had put up a sickly green timer in the air.
"I thought we had to remain calm," Sarah stated.
"I am calm, it's one of the worst things in this scenario," John replied, "It keeps Armageddon at the surface of my mind and stops me from going on the complete warpath if I wasn't then that brain and body would already be ashes."
"What exactly is Armageddon?" Sarah asked and the Doctor tuned into the conversation, "You talk as though it's not you, but at the same time you do."
"Well, Armageddon's always been with me since I can remember," John replied, "It started out as a voice I could hear constantly telling me things I should do, my emotions were highly unstable until I turned eleven and went to Hogwarts."
"You don't seem the type to hear voices," Sarah stated with a teasing smile.
"Only the one," John chuckled, "It was always so violent, and sad. I suppose children can pick up on things like that easier than adults but sometimes if I just let my thoughts wander I can hear it, just small whispers of songs and stories that have a meaning but seem to be lost."
"Have you written them down?" Sarah asked.
"I should, it still speaks them even now," John admitted, "I've just gotten better at ignoring the voice, it acts like a general sometimes and as much as it bothered me as a child I'm thankful for it now."
"I believe Solon slipped out while we were talking," The Doctor stated as he looked towards the closed door, "Luckily he botched the original operation."
"Your sonic is in the Tardis, isn't it?" John asked.
"I was hoping neither of you would point that out," He stated with a smile.
"John, you going to blast the door down?" Sarah asked.
"Of course, it's my favorite thing to do," John grinned.
She brought her wand out and easily flicked her wrist and the door went crashing into the opposite wall. She put it back up into her sleeve and motioned for them to enter the chamber where Morbius was in. She most likely ruined the operation that Solon had been attempting.
"Morbius must be dangerous," Sarah commented.
"He's the reason why the planet looks like this," The Doctor informed her, "And several others, he destroyed so much and left nothing but ashes."
"At least he left ashes," John muttered.
He shook his head at that as they entered the room. She easily stunned Solon and he fell to the ground. She looked a bit annoyed at him as she stowed the wand away. She was starting to wonder where Condo had swanned off to, if he was smart the Golem would stay away. Everything had a survival instinct even an incomplete golem.
"What an interesting way to fight," A familiar voice stated as the lumps of flesh and machinery sat up on the table, "I do not think such a way would work on this body."
"With all the different creatures that make up that body perhaps not," John stated, "But with the machinery keeping your brain alive, oh it would wreak havoc on you."
"What does it feel like to be the biggest mongrel in the universe?" The Doctor questioned Morbius.
"Solon designed this body for efficiency, not merely aesthetic purposes," Morbius said, "To be free to move again, that is all that matters."
"Free?" John scoffed and at the same time the others wondered if it was her the voice sounded different, "To cause more destruction to the universe, are you going to meet up with that creature who destroyed those planets?"
"Ah, so it is you," Morbius stated, his voice almost gleeful, "Taking refuge in another soul and mind, and yet you call me the parasite."
"Not refuge no," She replied, "More like an incomplete merging, its an annoyance but one that is easily overcome."
"Hypocrite."
"Murderer."
"Winged freak."
"Have you seen yourself in a mirror, you dolt?"
"Oh, I'm prettier than you are or ever were."
"You are so lucky that I'm not at full strength yet."
"Doctor, what's going on?" Sarah asked as they watched the two fling insults at each other, "John should have no history with Morbius."
"Perhaps it's a bit more convoluted than we first believed with a dimension traveler," The Doctor answered, "If anyone knew Morbius personally it would be Armageddon, an incomplete merging of all things."
"Merging?" Sarah questioned.
"Some species can merge with another, keeps their lifespan going or stops them from dying at the very least," The Doctor replied, "Whatever Armageddon is, it's an old species one that is older than my own and able to travel through dimensions, even universes."
"There have to be records of such a species," Sarah stated.
"She said the language was old," He muttered, "Something she didn't fully understand, and the Tardis can't translate it, very old to the point where we Time Lords don't have records of them."
"I already did my battle with you and lost," Morbius informed John.
"Well, look where it got you," John stated with a bland tone, "Barely alive and looking like a caricature of Frankenstein's monster."
"I will battle the one that your host calls a husband," Morbius informed her.
"Have you told him that?" It sounded like two people had said that when John opened her mouth.
"I doubt that he would deny me a mind-bending test," Morbius said in a tone that told of such arrogance.
"Well, we do have all the apparatus here," The Doctor said.
"I am a time lord of the first rank, what are you?" Morbius questioned.
"Oh, I don't have a rank I'm just a mere nobody," He answered with a manic grin, "But I don't think you're in the first rank anymore."
"Let us begin," Morbius hissed.
"A sporting gentleman," He stated.
"What's mind-bending?" Sarah questioned John.
"Time Lord wrestling," She answered, her voice normal once again, "Its typically a game, but like quidditch, it can end in a deathlock. Morbius is going to shoot for a death lock he's had more regenerations than the Doctor and as such has more experience."
"The Doctors quite cunning he'll think of something," Sarah muttered, "At least, I hope he will."
John couldn't help but agree with her on that one, a mental agreement from Armageddon let her know that the presence inside her agreed. She had one hell of a headache from the parasite taking control due to her anger. She had been right in that assessment, an incomplete merging and a language she couldn't understand? Whatever had attached itself to her and her family was old, very old. It wasn't as strong in her as it had been in her Grandmother and Mother, it had killed them after childbirth. She could hear the singing in her mind again, and she knew that she would survive having her children and they wouldn't have to deal with Armageddon.
That was her burden and her's alone.
Morbius and the Doctor approached a tall piece of metalwork with circular headpieces and pressed their foreheads against them. The Doctor gave Morbius a look and chanced a glance towards Sarah and John. John was back to normal and was giving him a worried expression.
"En garde, Morbius," The Doctor grinned as he flipped a switch.
Sarah and John watched as a monitor filled with circles filled with images. It appears Morbius went first and the circles filled with faces. They spilled over when the Doctor showed four different faces. A frown was on his face before it smoothed, and he began to focus a bit more.
"Your mind is going, right Doctor?" Morbius asked, "Your puny mind is powerless against the strength of mine."
"He's wrong," John said as she smirked, "He's concentrating his thoughts."
"What for?" Sarah questioned.
"Mental wrestling," John answered, "Though he has four faces -you are right the white-haired one seems lovely- he has a cunning side to him."
"So, he's thinking more to what extent?" Sarah asked.
"He's going to think him into a deadlock, the bloody idiot," John informed her with a frown as the machine started to shoot out sparks, "But if it works, it works."
"What are you, doctor?" Morbius questioned before his braincase filled with smoke and he staggered away, the apparatus exploding and shooting out sparks.
The Doctor began to fall to the side. Sarah and John quickly rushed forward and caught him before he hit the ground. Sarah was holding onto his hands as his head rested in John's lap. The two women were beginning to fret when he didn't automatically wake up and say anything witty or sarcastic. John had a hold on his coat and started to ball the fabric in her fists. She was being brought back to the war; she was holding onto her best friend as his brother began to weep. The smell of fire and ash filled her nostrils and she could almost feel the magic from the bubblehead charm she sent towards someone who had tried to attack them. It had cut off their oxygen and filled their nose and mouth.
A non-lethal used in a very violent manner.
"What has happened?" A voice brought her out of her remembrance and she almost cast a spell at one of the sisters.
"He's dying," John answered, barely able to keep her voice from cracking as she brought one hand up and ran it through his soft curls.
"Bring him to the shrine," The sister ordered.
Sarah looked at John as she moved away from the Doctor. John gave the two a nod and disappeared with a loud crack. The sister looked around for the dark-haired woman in confusion. Sarah simply gained a relieved expression.
"She's back at the shrine," Sarah informed her, "Let's go."
Maren looked down at the woman and Time Lord that had appeared in the shrine. John had one eye closed and was gripping onto her left shoulder. The white of her dress shirt was stained a brilliant gold and shimmered in the torchlight. She watched as more and more appeared and slowly started to travel up the side of her neck. The old woman began to walk towards the two and a single green eye watched her.
"You went too far into the magnetic field," Maren told the much younger woman, "Yet, you covered him and took the wounds he would have received, you genuinely care for him."
"Of course, I do," John muttered, "My husband and the father of my unborn children, I do love him quite a bit."
She left out the bit of the soul bond. She knew that if the Doctor left the world she would soon follow. To live life without the one that was made for you, it sounded like complete torture. A little bit of pain to make sure he lived was enough for her. She could deal with pain, the area in which it had manifested was the old scar tissue that refused to heal.
Werewolf scratches, she was lucky that it hadn't been a full moon.
"To have such wounds, what kind of war did you see," Maren softly said.
John didn't have an answer as Sarah ran into the shrine with other sisters following behind her. Sarah took note of the bright gold blood on the other woman and the way the long dark strands of hair seemed even darker than before, sticking to the woman's face and body, she almost looked like she had come out of a violent painting.
"Only the elixir of life can save him," Maren stated.
"And we have none," One of the sisters said.
Maren ignored that and went to a metal cover on the wall. She slowly opened it and revealed a large goblet. The sisters around them began to chant about the sacred fire and bowed their heads. She looked back towards the Doctor and John and bowed her head in respect.
"Enough has formed," Maren informed the sister, "Enough for the Doctor."
"But High One, what of your own need?" The sister questioned.
"Perhaps the Doctor was right," Maren softly admitted, "There should be an end."
Maren gave the goblet to the sister who poured it into the Doctor's mouth with some help from John. He sat up before slowly laying back down in John's lap. He looked around in a dazed fashion as he tried to figure out what had been put in his mouth.
"Nectar?" He questioned, "Stewed apricots, no custard ah!"
"Maren!" The Sisters shout got everyone's attention.
Maren was sitting within the flame. She turned into a young woman and gave them all a gentle smile before vanishing. The Doctor moved to hold onto John's free hand, and she looked down at him with a soft expression on her face, her hair moved to create a slight curtain between the two. She pressed her lips to his forehead as her shoulders slumped in relief.
"Was that the last?" He questioned as John moved back.
"Without it, you would have died," Sarah told him.
"It was ordained," The sister stated.
"And Morbius?" He asked.
"He is destroyed," She answered, "We owe you thanks, Doctor."
"Oh please, no speeches of gratitude," He said as the two women helped him to his feet, "We have an engagement we need to get to."
"We have?" Sarah questioned.
"Come along," He simply told them.
The two began to walk down a tunnel. John paused for a few seconds and gave a nod of thanks to the sisterhood. She was given looks of respect and she quickly turned on her heel to catch up to Sarah and the Doctor. The Tardis had been brought back to the caves by the sisterhood once again. Sarah was opening the doors when she finally caught up. The Doctor looked back and turned to watch the doors open, he had to do a double-take.
"How do you manage to get so injured?" He asked her.
"Apparition through a magnetic field, not my best idea I'll admit that," She answered, "Opened up old scar tissue, I should be fine."
"Should be," He muttered as he ushered the two women into the Tardis.
He twittered about outside for a few minutes before joining them. He put them into the time vortex and plugged coordinates in. Sarah went to go take a shower and catch a quick nap. John thought for a few seconds before going to do the same, she needed to attend to her shoulder and parts of her neck.
He stayed at the console and made sure their entrance into the time vortex was a smooth one before exiting and heading towards their room. He heard the gentle sound of the shower running on the lowest setting and looked around for the small potions kit she always kept out in case something wrong happened when she was fiddling with potions or runes. He knew that dittany was the potion she always turned to, but she had a paste that worked just as well and seemed to heal the wounds better. He rarely saw scars with it, but it didn't accelerate the healing rate as much as dittany.
"Oh, Circe's tit," She muttered as she opened the door to the bathroom and saw him, she had jumped a bit and was now holding onto her shoulder with a pained grimace a little bit of blood seeping into her nightshirt.
He fixed her with a look, and she huffed. He had her sit down and began to work on the gaping wound that made up her shoulder. The scars that he had seen had completely opened again. He was now privy to how deep the original wound had been. Layers of muscle had been destroyed, ripped through like a chef who was first learning how to slice meat. Deep, jagged cuts that almost hit the bone.
"It used to be deeper," She said as he started with the paste, "A couple of werewolves decided to force a change before the full moon even happened, those of us that got injured like this are lucky for that reason only thing it even influenced was the fact that our canines grew longer."
"I had been wondering about that, but didn't want to be rude," He said as he looked around for some bandages.
"It's never stopped you before, and I wouldn't have been mad at you," She muttered as he found some and began to wrap then around her shoulder.
He hummed at that and she sent him a look over her shoulder. He looked distracted and a bit worried. He eventually finished wrapping her wounds and she fixed the nightshirt back over her injured shoulder. He dragged her down onto the bed and wrapped his arms around her waist. She was stuck looking at his adam's apple as he tucked her head under his chin. She brought the hand of her uninjured arm up and clutched at his coat before maneuvering her other arm to wrap around his waist.
He had almost died and it was starting to dawn on him.
"Clever trick earlier," She quietly said.
"Very," He muttered as he tightened his grip on her.
She didn't say anything further about it, not wanting to upset him. He seemed to want to move past it and she understood. He knew that she understood that far too well. He held onto her a bit tighter and made the mental decision to not leave her. Even when she was lulled to sleep by his calm breathing, he didn't leave her. Even he fell asleep for once due to the peaceful moment after such a hectic day.
