Ch 55
Jack and Vastra both agreed to have the kids for as long as needed. At breakfast, the Doctor and River told the children about the change in plans, playing it off as a minor inconvenience.
Arthur and Terra didn't buy into it easily, asking what was wrong. River tried to assure it was nothing, they 'just needed to take care of some adult business'.
"Why can't it wait 'till later?" Arthur asked.
"Because we want to get it done now so we can all spend time together when your sisters get home." River offered a smile.
He sighed. "You won't be late, will you?"
"We'll try not to be." She gave him a kiss on the forehead, "Go get dressed and we'll bring you by Uncle Jack's."
Though the children didn't want to be left behind, they were excited to see their Uncle, running out the door when they were dropped off and tackling Jack when they arrived at the Hub. Jack promised to take good care of them with a tone that really meant he was going to spoil them.
Once River and the Doctor were back on the TARDIS and in flight, they let their brave faces fall a bit.
"I think you should wear a cloak or disguise or something." The Doctor murmured, setting the coordinates.
"Why? I have my perception filter, isn't that enough?" River raised an eyebrow.
He shook his head. "I don't want them remembering your face. They can't know you're my wife or have family connections with me, just in case. ...You can be my priest or something."
"Fine." She muttered, going to get a cloak from the wardrobe. The TARDIS provided a black one big enough to conceal her curls.
The Doctor came up her cupping her hands. "I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you or the baby, River."
"We'll be fine." She assured him, "I promise, the baby and I will be just fine."
He smiled weakly, kissing her knuckles. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
He pressed his forehead to hers. She pulled him into a tight hug, the baby moving between them. He pulled back after a moment, kneeling down to press a kiss to her middle.
She smiled softly, "Baby loves you too."
"Did they tell you that?" He looked up at her.
"Not with words, but the feeling is there."
"I love you, too, Baby." He kissed the bump again.
"We should go." River murmured, combing her fingers through his hair, "Let's get this over with."
He nodded, rising to his feet and going back to the controls to send them into flight. River had her blaster strapped to her thigh, the cloak managing to conceal her fairly well once it was pulled over her head.
When they landed, she gave the Doctor a final kiss before they walked out. They'd landed on a pebble beach next to a still river. The land masses around them rose high above the water in stone cliffs. Surrounding the TARDIS were humanoid men in green robes. Some of them held tall spears that ended in golden points. There were a few boats in the water as well.
"Thank you for joining us, Doctor" One wearing a wrist device spoke. "And who would this be?" The man asked, nodding to River.
"My... priest." The Doctor answered.
"Ah, very well." He gestured for them to board one of the boats, explaining the nature of the planet to them as they rowed across the river followed by the others. "The destruction of a Time Lord is a particular honor. We have summoned you here, Doctor, to carry out the execution of another Time Lord—as stated by the laws in our Fatality Index."
They were brought to the opposite bank of the river next to a castle where there was a dais. The Doctor swallowed hard, frowning with confusion. The dais had a squared pillar at each corner with a golden orb atop each one.
Rafando made a proud gesture to the platform. "This technology is precisely calibrated. As you can see, it will stop both hearts, all three brain stems, and deliver a cellular shock wave that will permanently disable regenerative ability."
"I know how it works." The Doctor muttered.
"You certainly will in a moment. Following termination, the body will be placed in a Quantum Fold chamber, under constant guard for no less than a thousand years. In case of, shall we say, relapses. Apologies for our choice, but your people are not easy to come by."
Behind the Doctor, a door opened and a familiar voice rang out, "Oh! Doctor! I didn't expect you. Thought you'd retired. Domestic bliss on some pathetic little cottage on a hill, house full of kiddos—that's the word among the Daleks."
River tensed beneath the cloak, recognizing the person immediately. The Doctor spun and stared wide-eyed at the woman who'd emerged. "You're dead."
"Am I? I had no idea! Well, you'd better let this lot know, 'cause there's no sense in executing me if I'm already dead." Missy smirked.
He took a step back.
"The prisoner will kneel," Rafando ordered, standing menacingly by the dais.
No one moved for a moment, not until two guards moved to escort Missy onto the platform, "Right, thank you." All humor was gone from Missy's voice as she kneeled in the center of the dais.
Out on the lake, a huge cube with circular panels of Gallifreyan on the faces rose from the water. "The Quantum Fold chamber is prepared." Rafando continued.
"Great," Missy muttered.
"The sentence will be carried out. Executioner?"
Stomach twisting, the Doctor glanced at River, then moved next to Rafando to face Missy. Her face was certainly one he'd never thought he'd see again. He'd watched her die, watched River take her regeneration energy. It had even been his idea to do so, yet here she was breathing and well, but perhaps not for long as she somehow had gotten herself right back into the hangman's noose.
His hand hovered over the lever.
"Please, I'll do anything. Just let me live." Missy looked up at him. Compared to the other times he had seen her, her expression wasn't as sinister or mocking, but the most sincere he'd ever seen her as if genuinely pleading for her life. It was convincing, even if it was acting.
Hearts in his throat, he hesitated, then turned to the man next to him. "I'd like a word with my priest."
"I shall seek consultation." Rafando looked down at his wrist device, scrolling through it, "There are four hundred and twelve precedents in the Fatality Index. Divine intervention, therefore, is permitted for a maximum of five minutes."
"Five minutes to live." Missy echoed with disbelief.
Ignoring Missy, Rafando added, "The executioner may now discuss his immortal soul and any peril thereunto."
The Doctor retreated quickly over to River, finding her face beneath the cloak and searching it for answers.
"You've come over here seeking my approval, but you already know what I'm going to say." She frowned beneath the hood. The frown was probably audible in her tone as was apparent on her face.
"You think I should kill her." He murmured.
"As much as I want to see her properly dead after everything she did to us, I know that killing her is not who you are. It is not what you believe." She put a hand on his chest, peering up at him. "Goodness is not goodness that seeks advantage. Good is good in the final hour, in the deepest pit without hope... without witness... without reward. Virtue is only virtue in extremis. That belief is one of the many reasons why I love you… My Doctor." She murmured.
He took a deep breath, desperately wanting to kiss her though he knew they had to maintain their roles. "There's something different about her... something's changed."
She wanted to comment, something along the lines of Many people appear to change when begging for their life. But she held her tongue. It wasn't her place to change his mind; this was his choice.
"I regret this consultation is over," Rafando called to them.
"I regret it, too. Well, take a few more minutes if you like. Knock yourself out. Actually, do. Do that. Knock yourself right out." Missy huffed.
Wishing he could stay by River, the Doctor went back over to his place by the lever, scrubbing a hand down his face.
"I'll be good, I promise. I'll turn, I'll turn good." Missy begged, close to tears now. "Please... Teach me-teach me how to be good."
He closed his eyes for a moment, looking at her when he opened them. "Without hope... Without witness... Without reward."
"I am your friend." She whispered.
"You've wrecked havoc on my family. It makes no difference." He said carefully.
"I know it doesn't. I know I'm going to die. I have to say it: the truth. Without hope. Without witness. Without reward. I am your friend." Her voice broke on the last word.
Jaw tight, the Doctor pulled the lever. Energy surged from the four columns with a bright, smoky flash. Missy collapsed where she knelt, the air going silent.
Turning away, the Doctor stared out at the lake and the Quantum Fold Chamber. His voice was thick as he said, "On my oath as a Time Lord of the Prydonian Chapter, I will guard this body for a thousand years." He could feel something in his mind: a decision being made, though he wasn't sure what he'd just decided.
On the platform, two guards went to retrieve Missy's body. "Oi! Get off. Get off! I've just been executed. Show a little respect."
The guards jumped back in surprise. Doctor reckoned that this must have had something to do with his decision as he spun around in shock. Rafando gaped. "She's-she's alive!"
"I was just a bit sleepy, all right? Let's not split hairs. Shut up. Night-night." Missy huffed, exasperated as she put her head back down and passed out.
"Of course she's not dead." The Doctor said, more to himself than Rafando, though it was loud enough for the others to hear. "She's a friend of mine... At least she used to be... I may have fiddled with your wiring a little bit. Or I will have." He added under his breath.
"You swore an oath." Rafando hissed.
"I swore an oath I'd look after her body for a thousand years." He corrected. "Nobody mentioned dead."
"You cannot do this. You will not leave this planet alive." The man threatened.
"Do me a favour." He sighed because he really had much bigger things to worry about at the moment than the Executioners. And this might just work… "The Fatality Index. Look up, 'The Doctor'."
"You have an entry, just like any other sentient being," Rafando said haughtily.
With a schooled expression the Doctor added: "Under 'Cause of Death'."
Rafando watched as the little device scrolled through the list, clicking at each new line. "You do seem to have an impressive record of fatalities credited to you." The clicking became faster as more entries poured in. "A truly remarkable record."
The guards around them dropped their weapons, starting to run, "Where are you going? He's unarmed!" Rafando yelled at the others, then turned back to the Doctor. "You are unarmed?"
"Always." He murmured.
"You stand alone?"
"Often."
The device was still scrolling, ticking off so fast now that each click blended into the next. "You're the one who should be afraid."
He glanced over Rafando's shoulder at River. "Never."
He stared at the still clicking device on his wrist and swallow. "Have a nice day, then." He ran, finally having the sense to follow the guards.
Left alone with just River and an unconscious Missy, the Doctor let his breath out. "River, could you help me move Missy to the Vault?"
She pulled back the hood, walking over. She didn't look terribly pleased, eyes on Missy. The Vault seemed to move on its own accord, gliding up to the shore. He and River went over to Missy and hoisted her up by the arms.
"She's heavier than she looks." River muttered, "What exactly do you plan on doing with her?"
"Well... I'll keep her in the vault, like I vowed. I suspect her confession dial is somewhere around here." He glanced at the castle. "If what she confessed to me was true, then I've got my work cut out for me."
River's jaw tightened as she haphazardly let Missy's body fall onto the floor of the Vault.
He sighed, looking up at her. "Do you have a better plan?"
"No." She admitted, looking away from him.
They closed the vault behind them. "River, this isn't me forgiving her." She nodded, still not saying anything. "I'm going to check for her confession dial." He said quietly. "Will you get the TARDIS?"
"Fine." She murmured, going to retrieve their ship.
Neither of them ran into any more guards, all of them having fled. River landed TARDIS in front of the vault, by now having taken her cloak off. The Doctor was waiting for her, turning a confession dial in his hands.
She opened the door, "Where are you going to keep the vault?"
"I don't want the kids finding it... maybe at the university?"
"That's still near the kids." River murmured, going back to the controls.
"There's a space underneath and out of the way of people."
"And what happens when we're away from Bristol? When we want to travel or spend a few weeks at the flat in London?"
He thought for a moment. "I'll get Nardole to help."
"Nardole won't be able to do much if she breaks out."
"Quantum fold chambers are impossible to break out of." He said, though thought about this and exactly who was being kept inside and added, "He'll call if there's trouble. "
She input the coordinates for the university, making sure the Vault was gravity locked to the TARDIS.
"River... are you angry with me?" He asked as they took flight once more.
"I'm angry that Missy is back in our life." She murmured, not looking at him.
He felt like this was close to a yes, though kept in mind her words from before. "You don't think she can change."
"I don't know, but based on her history, I'm not hopeful." She stared at the controls, "And I'm worried about the safety of our children, especially the baby." She looked up at him, finally, her expression more fearful than before. Before Missy had died, she had taken responsibility for William's death. Now, with Missy back, River was worried that history would repeat itself.
The Doctor moved closer to her. "Missy doesn't know about the baby. We can keep it that way." She nodded slowly, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I'm going to make sure you and the children are safe, River. On my oath, you'll be safe from her."
"I don't want to lose this baby, Doctor. I can't. I can't do that again." She sniffed.
He pulled her against him finally, holding her tightly. "You won't. We won't. That's not going to happen."
She was shaking in his arms, holding onto him tightly, "How do you know?"
He hesitated because he honestly didn't know for sure. "You and the baby are healthy, even more so that compared to the past. I'm not going to let Missy near you."
She nodded, "Okay... I trust you."