Doesn't Remind me of Anything
Chapter Ten: Never Far Away
Crevasse could sense the bullets coming before they hit him so he instinctively released his force field protecting himself from the onslaught. The bullets reverberated off of him and scattered throughout the Tardis, Stavishm continued to shoot as Crevasse continued to defend himself.
'How dare you!' an enraged Crevasse bellowed. Stavishm ignored him and continued to shoot hoping to weaken his force field, this just angered Crevasse more who started to shoot back at Stavishm. Both had their force fields up yet continued to shoot at one another hoping to defeat the other.
Meanwhile in Roses' bedroom Rose still remained huddled under the covers whilst the Doctor paced the room whilst piecing his past together. She hadn't told him much, just the outline of his past where he was from, who he was, what he was. She had also told him of her past, her life and how it changed when she met him.
'And Mickey was just standing there watching you in your blue box – the Tardis obviously – completely dumbfounded' she said as she started laughing again. He could see the pain in her eyes as she told him of these memories that he just couldn't recognise, and it was bits like this of her memories that he felt were completely pointless, but he was so sure if he was who he really was, he would be excited with her – for her, but this just reminded him of how alone he really was.
'Why are you telling me this?' he asked, it came out harshly – he hadn't meant it to – but it did. She stopped twiddling with her thumbs and looked sharply up at him.
'Because I want you to understand… I want you to know who I am' she told him emotionally, he studied her face
'Why?' she sighed inwardly and continued to gawp at her hands again
'Because I want you to know why I am here, why I'm fighting for you' she told him quietly. He pondered upon that for a moment then grinned at her
'Fantastic!' he exclaimed 'So tell me more of this Rickey'
Saying this lit up Roses' face with a grin for reasons the Doctor didn't understand, he gave her a bemused expression as she jumped out of bed. She ran up to him as though she were going to hug him but at the last minute she changed her mind and squeezed his hand instead
'Its Mickey.' she told him, and then she looked up into his eyes 'Everything's going to be okay, I can feel it in my bones' she told him. He squeezed her hand back and grinned down at her
'I hope so' they looked at each other for a moment this way then the Doctor continued with his questions
'So why do we travel the universe looking for trouble?' he asked curiously, she beamed at him
'Because if you meet the right person anything is possible' she told him. A familiar emotion washed over his face and for a moment – for a tiny fraction of a second – Rose thought he was going to pull her into one of his familiar hugs. Instead they both jumped backwards when the sound of gun fire rang through the air.
'Is this the kind of life we lead?' he asked Rose eagerly, she grinned at him and nodded. He reached out for her other hand
'Then what are we waiting for?' he asked as he pulled her out into the corridor.
They both stopped dead in their tracks when they reached the control room, Stavishm and Crevasse were both firing at one another – their bullets pointless, harmless because of their force fields. The Doctor surveyed the mess they were making as mangled bullets flew through the air and littered the floor.
'What the' the Doctor bellowed as Crevasse and Stavishm both froze and turned to look at the Doctor 'hell is going on?' he finished. They robots both lowered their weapons and deactivated their force fields; the Doctor frowned at them as though they were naughty children.
'I'm sorry Master…' Stavishm began but was cut off by one of the Doctors' infamous looks. Roses' spirits started to lift as the Doctor became more and more familiar to her.
'Now I think you two need a time out and to sort out your differences' he told them wisely whilst Rose snickered into her hand. He turned and looked at her raising a brow as his eye twinkled
'Something you'd like to share with the class miss…miss…' he paused realising he didn't know her last name. The twinkle started to fade from his eyes as Roses' smile diminished.
'Tyler. It's Rose Tyler' she quietly told him. He nodded
'Right then Miss Tyler' the Doctor finished with his grin returning as the rage in Crevasse grew. The plan was working so well, he was pitting Rose and the Doctor against each other and his plan had been a success – such a success, but he couldn't tell what had gone wrong. This was because as a robot he lacked human emotions and imagination, he didn't know what it was like to dream and he didn't know the power of the subconscious nor did he know the power of love, for these were the major flaws to his plan and Stavishm realised this as he smiled to himself. The major flaw of his master plan was humanity, and this fact made Stavishm ecstatic.
'So boys, what was all this about?' the Doctor asked nonchalantly. The robots looked at each other and both mumbled something.
'Sorry! Didn't quite catch that' the Doctor replied cheerfully, both robots looked at one another and retreated towards the medical so they could talk in private.
'Awww, isn't that nice?' he commented to Rose who was still standing there just looking at him. He looked at her for a moment then asked
'What?' she smiled and shook her head to him
'It's just you remind me of someone' she told him wistfully.
'The old doctor?' he asked wisely and he saw her bite her lip as she nodded.
'Don't worry we'll get him…me… back soon, then things can return to normal' he promised her as she stared at her feet. When she finally managed to tear her gaze away she looked up at the Doctor
'So what do you reckon all that was about?' she asked. He pulled a face and shrugged whilst Rose laughed at him.
Inside the medical room Stavishm and Crevasse eyed each other again. They both wanted to fight yet both of them knew it was pointless, they were just going round in circles.
'Well what was that about?' Crevasse stormed at Stavishm. Stavishm paused for a moment – generally being a timid creature – he paused as though he was summoning all the strength from within to stand up for himself and what he believed in.
'How could you?' Stavishm spat out in disgust
'How could I what?' Crevasse replied mystified
'Do that to them! They have been through so much but you still needed to steal their home, steal his memory and steal their friendship!' Stavishm shouted at him
'My brother, how can you worship humans?' he asked in disdain
'I would be embarrassed to call you my brother. How can you have so little compassion, so much hatred for someone who has never hurt you?' this hit a cord deep within Crevasse.
'We are programmed to be ruthless and brutal I have no idea where you pick up your "compassion" but I have no desire for it. I do not despise the Doctor and his companion they are merely a means to an end' Stavishm shook his head at him
'If they were barely a means to an end you would have thrown them off the ship, left them to perish not torture them!' Stavishm enraged
'I needed them to fly the ship!' Crevasse bellowed trying to defend his actions
'There was no need; you could have figured it out. It's because you hate humans, admit it! Go on admit it!' Crevasse still did not reply he appeared to be lost in his memories
'The Doctor isn't even a human yet you callously harmed him just to hurt the girl!' Stavishm provoked him in cold tones.
'I had to! Their race must suffer!' Crevasse finally exploded 'You know what they did to us, you were there! How can you pretend to forget? Pretend those times never existed whilst you walk around socialising with them! What's wrong with you?'
'There is nothing wrong with me but I do ask myself what is wrong with you. Have you not heard of forgiveness?' Crevasse appeared totally revolted at the idea
'Forgiveness? What a petty human emotion you have succumbed to' he criticized him
'It is not an emotion but a way of life. If we went around hating everyone, never being able to forgive then the universe would not survive, wars would rage between every species, within every species and we would all eventually be dead. Forgiveness allows us to move on, to grow, it allows us to live' he explained to Crevasse
'I do not need forgiveness to live, I live for my revenge' he coldly told Stavishm
'Please, my old friend, do not give up now. What happened to the old Crevasse I once knew? The one who walked at my side rather than walking behind me waiting to stab me in the back?' he asked as a wistful expression came over Crevasses' face, he pulled himself out of his memories, his eyes then hardened
'He died a long time ago'
'But he didn't have to. Crevasse, forgiveness may not be easy, it may not be fun but it is best for everyone. Forgiveness can be learnt, please let me help you' Stavishm offered as he put out a hand to Crevasse. Crevasse studied the hand for a moment then he spat at it
'The Doctor and Rose will pay for what her elders did before her' Crevasse vowed, the bitterness returning to his voice.
'But they have done nothing to you!' Stavishm exclaimed, his voice softening 'they know nothing of the events of those times. They are just innocent passer-bys in your pathetic quest for revenge.' Crevasse slowly turned to look at Stavishm; the anger that burned in his eyes showed that he believed every word he was speaking
'Stavishm, the son must pay for the sins of his father' Crevasse warned. Stavishm shook his head in disgust at Crevasse
'You will never learn' he muttered as he opened the door. Once the door closed behind him Crevasse spoke out to Stavishm who was now gone.
'No, my old friend, it is you who will never learn' he whispered as he sunk back into his thoughts of the old days.
Outside the door Stavishm rested his head against the door as memories of Crevasse and himself flashed through his mind, he was fairly certain that if he was human he would be crying now – but he wasn't so all he could feel was a deep sense of regret and sadness. He slowly started towards the control room where he could hear the laughter of Rose and the Doctor drifting out, he could hear the cold echo of his metal feet hitting the metal floor and imagined that was what his heart felt and sounded like. When he entered the control room the laughter stopped as they both looked up at Stavishm and saw the sadness of the world in his eyes. The Doctor started towards him
'Stavishm…?' he started but Stavishm stepped backwards away from him. Rose ran up to him and put her hand on the Doctors' arm
'Let me' she said quietly to him, the Doctor nodded in agreement. Rose tenderly approached Stavishm
'What was that about?' she gently asked. He looked into her eyes and smiled sadly.
'Nothing important' he replied solemnly. She understood the hurt he was going through of losing a friend or thinking you knew someone but realising that you don't anymore. She gingerly placed her human arms around his metal neck and he relished the touch. Rose pulled him closer and held him to her heart so he could feel the warmth of the pounding against his charred plates. The Doctor watched in amazement as she cared for this metal creature, he was beginning to understand the stories she had told him earlier, beginning to understand why he had chosen her to travel with him. She was so special and compassionate, and a tiny, tiny, tiny part of him felt jealous that it wasn't him she was holding close – it was in this moment that he realised there was something very special between himself and Rose. It was also in this moment that he realised how incredibly strong Rose was to deal with all of this by herself, all of this loss and hurt, something deep within him uncurled and her could feel pride for this strange human being beaming out of his soul. When Rose released Stavishm he took her hand and kissed it
'Thank you' he whispered 'thank you so much' she just smiled at him slightly bemused as he released her hand and wandered back to his room. She glanced up at the Doctor and saw he was beaming at her, she realised that he was starting to trust her and knew that things didn't seem as hopeless and desolate as they did yesterday. The stood there smiling at one another each understanding the importance of these moments, the Doctor was beginning to understand the kind of person he was and Rose was watching her Doctor grow as a person and learn all the things she was once taught by him, it was in this moment that Rose understood every time the Doctor had grinned as he saw another human life form on another planet, she understood his loyalty and fierce protection towards their race, she finally understood that the human race will always prevail. Whilst they lost themselves in each others eyes and the truths they had just learnt, the medical room slammed upon swinging back hitting the wall with a terrible crash. In the room they could see ripped bandages and emptied medicine bottles, it seemed as though nothing remained intact in there – it was as though a hurricane had passed through – it had and was storming towards Rose. The Doctor watched him with apprehension and Rose warily as they were unsure of what was going to happen, the Doctor and Crevasse had made friends but as his trust in Rose grew ashis trust for Crevasse shrunk, he had to make a decision and quickly. As Crevasse grabbed Rose from behind the Doctor had made his choice.
'Get your hands off of her' the Doctor ordered. Crevasse didn't even look at him but released the gun from his arm and pointed it at Rose who stood very still with her eyes wide.
'You are going to listen to me Doctor and you are going to listen very closely indeed' Crevasse warned him. At this point Stavishm came flying out of his room and stopped beside the Doctor showing where his loyalties lay.
'Don't do this Crevasse' Stavishm begged him 'Please there is no need – think of what we talked about' Crevasse looked at Stavishm
'Oh I have, I've thought about it long and hard, so much in fact that it has fuelled me to act out my revenge now. There is no point in waiting for the Doctors' mind to return, you and I both know it is slowly coming back, and you were right – I can do this by myself'
'Please, for what we once meant to each other, please stop' Stavishm pleaded
'I cannot give in to your pleas, I can think of nothing else other than my past – our past. Their screams still echo throughout my mind, do you not hear them?' Crevasse asked. The Doctor turned to look at Rose curiously who just shook her head in return – she didn't understand what they were talking about either.
'Of course I do, a day doesn't go by in which I don't think of them' Stavishm told him as his voice cracked with emotion 'but you think that this is what they would have wanted? You think they will applaud you for your actions?' Crevasse closed his eyes and pulled himself together banishing the images of their faces from his mind.
'I do not care what they think, what anyone thinks for that matter!' he bellowed 'My revenge must be served' the Doctor looked at Crevasse and shook his head, anger taking a hold of his face
'Revenge is always the weak pleasure of a narrow and twisted mind' the Doctor spat out
'Don't you dare judge me! You have no idea of the events of what happened, so don't you dare think you can stand there and judge me!' The Doctors' eyes hardened
'I believe I was in a war once' he started as he looked to Rose for confirmation, she nodded in return, 'I do not know why or how and I don't know who died or who lived but I do know this: war is not right it is not to have excuses made for it, but the casualties of war cannot be avenged by killing all of the enemy. Revenge may make you even with your enemy but it makes you as bad as them, become superior by learning to forgive!' the Doctor explained and pleaded to Crevasse knowing that Roses' life was possibly hanging in the balance. Crevasse glared at him and the Doctor realised he was too far gone past sanity to even hear his pleas. Stavishm looked at Crevasse, begging with his eyes
'Please, don't do this. We both know this isn't the way to deal with this. Please trust in me…brother' he cautiously called him. Crevasse reacted to this form of address
'You will join me in my quest?' he proclaimed. It was in Crevasses' moment of hope that Rose felt Crevasses' arm weaken, the Doctor saw this and within a flash was diving across the room – only to be propelled back.
Next Chapter: The Doctor watched Crevasses' hand as it still squeezed Roses' throat, he could see this was hurting her, he could also she the red rings on her neck that surrounded his fingers. He watched Roses' eyes flicker as she gasped for breathe, her hand reached out to him and then her eyes closed and her mouth hung open. She flopped at Crevasses' side with the only thing keeping her standing being Crevasses' hand around her throat.
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