Rose held onto the Doctor as the Tardis shook and shuddered violently. She wasn't sure how, but Ornias was working the controls and trying to undo whatever the Doctor had done before they crashed.
"What the bloody hell did he do to screw it up this badly?" Ornias complained, wincing when a jolt from the ship tried to throw him off his feet.
Rose was honestly surprised he was still on his feet. The demon had abandoned his shirt when he'd stitched his injury earlier, so she could plainly see how bad the wound was with torn stitches already. No human would be conscious of how much blood he'd lost and was currently losing.
"Oh, don't start being sassy now," Ornias grunted at the ship—yet another thing that surprised Rose. "I would have stopped him earlier if I wasn't hurt because of that damned—" He jerked when a control sparked. "Don't defend her! She nearly killed me and actually killed your precious Doctor!"
The ship lurched dangerously, and he groaned, fighting to hang on.
"All right! All right! I'm sure she was only trying to do what was best by nearly killing me, now tell me what switch to pull!"
The Tardis seemed to grumble but Ornias was soon back at the controls and moving as quickly as he could.
"C-Can you stop it?" Rose asked.
"Nope. It's already on a flight path and she's being stubborn about changing it. Something about her connection with the Doctor means she's lacking power. She's got enough to get us to Earth, but once we materialize, I'm going to have to land her," Ornias explained.
"I-I thought she just lands on her own!"
"Not exactly! The Doctor basically lands her like a plane then she appears. Problem is, way this is going, we're going to appear first, then land."
Another control sparked and Ornias cringed as a part of the console caught fire. He ignored it though, acting as if it wasn't even there despite the obvious pain on his face when he reached through it to flip a lever. Wanting to be helpful, Rose grabbed a fire extinguisher and put it out before Ornias shouted.
"Hang onto something! We're materializing and I've got minimum control! We might not crash, but it's going to be bumpy!"
Rose grabbed a hold of a railing and wrapped an arm around the Doctor to keep him getting hurt as well. And it was good that she did. The Tardis managed to hit at least two buildings and a van before Ornias got it to land on the ground. When the ship finally shuddered to a halt, Ornias fell to his knees, breathing heavily.
"N-Never again. Lucifer. No wonder his driving is shit."
"W-We're here?"
Ornias nodded, pulling himself up and leaning back against the controls. "The last coordinates he put in. London, Powell Estate, Earth, Christmas Eve, somewhere in the twenty-first century. I didn't check."
"I'm home…" she breathed, standing and hesitating on leaving. "What about him? And you?"
"He'll be unconscious until more stable," Ornias sighed out. "I need to fix my stitches but then I need rest. I'll be as useless as him for a few days at least. Right now, I'm barely hanging on. I'm technically mortal."
"M-Mortal?" She breathed, eyeing his injury in concern.
"Mostly. I won't die just yet unless someone tries to kill me now. I'm weak though. I'll get hurt easily and feel it. And while I'm healing, it'll be as if I am ill, but you can't take me to the hospital. They probably will kill me." He cracked a small grimace of a smile, and she smiled back.
"Well, I can't just leave you both here. I'll get Mickey. The Doctor can take our spare bedroom."
"I'll take the couch," Ornias hummed, eyelids drooping in exhaustion already as he waved her off. "Go. Take him first and I'll do my stitching again until you return."
She nodded, heaving the Doctor up as best she could and pulling him out the door. She'd never been more happy to see her mother and Mickey waiting for her.
"Mum! Mickey!" She nearly cried as Mickey rushed forward to help her with the Doctor.
"Who's this? Where's the Doctor?" Jackie asked. "Doctor who?"
"Look, mum. I-I don't have time to explain. Just help me get him inside. Ornias is in the Tardis and needs help too."
Mickey nodded, but Jackie was confused.
"Who?"
Rose grimaced. Right. She hasn't met him yet. "A-Another bloke the Doctor picked up. Look, mum, I'll tell you later, all right?"
Jackie huffed but gave in and once the Doctor was settled, Rose and Mickey went to get Ornias.
"Yikes, mate. You look like shit." Mickey grimaced at the sight of Ornias as the demon waved them over.
"As pleased as I would be to endlessly tease you, I need assistance with bandaging myself. My movement's limited if I don't want to tear my stitching."
Mickey headed over and helped as Rose gathered the medical supplies to take with them.
"So, how come you've been run through, but not the Doctor?" Mickey asked.
"It's an old sword wound," Ornias hummed. "It had healed long ago, but something occurred, and it was torn anew." He glanced at Rose. "Am I still to keep secret what I am?"
"Yes."
"I may let loose while ill the next few days. Would you not like it best if I were awake to assist in explaining?"
Rose bit her bottom lip, giving Mickey a look before sighing. "Fine, but only because explaining to my mum is going to take forever."
"Pleasant. I'll do my best to remain conscious for as long as I can then."
Rose nodded and soon, Mickey had Ornias's arm draped over his shoulder as they slowly hobbled up to Rose's flat. Upon entering though, they were surprised by Ornias's groan.
"Oh, no."
"What?"
Jackie rounded the corner then and pointed at him in shock. "You!"
Rose blinked in surprise. "You two know each other?"
"We've met briefly," Ornias grumbled as Mickey helped him onto the couch.
"He saved me from those mannequin things!" Jackie exclaimed though Ornias sighed.
"I attacked one out of curiosity and it happened to have been going after her."
"We had tea!"
"She refused to release me until we had tea."
"R-Right. Well, um… O-Ornias has something to explain, and please don't go mental," Rose started.
"Why would I go mental?" Jackie huffed as Rose hesitated.
"He's, um, not human."
Jackie turned to him. "Are you like the Doctor then?"
Ornias snorted. "No. I'm a demon."
"Oh, come off it," Jackie scoffed. "You're just having me on."
Ornis raised a brow at Rose for silent permission and she begrudgingly gave in with a sigh. Jackie and Mickey weren't going to believe him otherwise. So, Ornias let out his wings with a toothy smirk and brilliant golden eyes.
"Believe me now?"
Jackie opened her mouth… and let out a scream.
It took some doing to calm Jackie down and finish explaining that I wasn't about to take her soul or send her to hell. After it all, I was exhausted and soon slipped into a restless sleep. I was riddled with pain no matter my position and my temperature seemed to just keep rising. So, it wasn't surprising that I'd be easily confused in my dazed state. And when a wet cloth dabbed at my brow, my hand snapped out and grabbed the wrist of the person caring for me as I propped myself onto my elbows.
"Janette?"
My vision was slow to clear, changing the vibrant caramel hair to Jackie's dirty blonde. I slowly released her, silently glad she hadn't screamed again when I took hold.
"Apologies," I muttered, lying back down with a heavy sigh. "I thought I was dreaming."
"About a woman?" She questioned with a dubious look. "Some… demon lady or something?"
"A human," I corrected, peering over at her with tired eyes. "Not all demons are like your myths."
She huffed, dunking the wet cloth again and returning to wiping away my sweat, much to my surprise. "I've seen a lot of things since this Doctor bloke took my girl off traveling, but I don't know about you. You don't make sense. A good demon?"
"Says the human caring for me," I scoffed. "I'm the only demon in this universe, as was my punishment. So, you needn't worry about more."
"Well, whatever you are, how do I know my daughter's safe? That you're not gonna just up and eat her soul or something?"
"She's too bright for my tastes," I said, closing my eyes. "I go for darker souls. And despite the Doctor dissolving our contract, if I wish to continue traveling with him, your daughter must be safe in return. Eating her, as you put it, would have no merit."
She rolled her eyes, gathering the water bowl and cloth. "I don't understand you."
"You're not meant to," I mused, feeling myself starting to doze off again.
"Yes, well… I suppose you at least give more answers than the Doctor. You better keep her safe."
It's not my job to keep her safe, though I suppose I don't have much choice. And it felt like my eyes had only just closed before they snapped open and flared bright gold as I pushed myself upright. Something's wrong. Very wrong. Dangerous. I should be resting but my body's refusing.
"Ornias, what's wrong?" Rose asked—her, Jackie and Mickey standing in the kitchen. "Hold on. Mum. Where'd you get that tree?"
My eyes snapped to the green tree that had once been smaller and white.
"I thought it was you," Jackie replied.
"How can it be me?"
"Well, you went shopping. There was a ring at the door, and there it was!"
"No, that wasn't me."
"Then, who was it?"
The tree lit up ad I pushed myself onto my feet, backing away from it.
"Oh, you're kidding me," Rose muttered. "Ornias?"
"I can't do anything," I informed her as the tree started to spin dangerously quick. "I'm not healed yet. I can't use my abilities right now. I told you, I'm practically mortal. We need to leave."
Rose though, ran for the bedroom where the Doctor was. "We've got to save the Doctor! We can't just leave him!"
The rest of us hurried in after her but I was getting nervous—a first for someone like me. We had no way out with Mickey and Jackie barricading the door and already, I was out of breath with red starting to seep through the bandages wrapped around my torso. I sank onto the edge of the bed as a bead of sweat slid down my face. If I try to force my powers, it won't be good. And what can I do against a mechanical tree? My eyes shifted to the Doctor. He could stop it. The tree burst into the room.
"Oh, I'm really going to regret this," I grumbled, moving to lean over the Doctor. "You're gonna owe me big."
"W-What are you doing!" Rose cried out as my eyes flared bright gold.
"Waking up a soon-to-be unhappy Time Lord," I replied, focusing what energy I had into my hand before pressing it to the Doctor's chest. "Help us."
Gold disappeared into him and my body sagged as he lurched upright, catching me and aiming his sonic at the tree. Said tree burst into flames as he hummed.
"Remote control, but who's controlling it?" His honey-brown eyes met mine with a hint of concern. "Ornias, what did you do?"
"I-I couldn't stop it. Not now, like this," I panted, clouded eyes trying to focus on his face.
"What did you do?" He pressed, shifting to lay me on the bed and check my temperature. "You're burning up."
"I-I gave you some of that soul," I murmured, trying to explain. "I'd turned it into energy and… gave you what I hadn't used yet."
"Are you—"
"D-Don't be stupid," I scoffed. "I won't die. You'd just stop me and ruin it."
He cracked the slightest of smiles. "You'll be okay then?"
"In a few days…" I sighed, eyes slipping closed and body falling limp. "Y-You can deal with this mess. I'm… tired."
His hand rested briefly on my head. "Don't worry, Ornias. I'll keep you safe now."
Maybe… I could get used to having someone like him… a friend…
The Doctor couldn't believe his luck. Less than twenty-four hours into his new regeneration, and he'd already faced an alien invasion, lost his hand, got it back and killed a man. Admittedly, said alien had tried to kill him after vowing peace, but it didn't weigh any lighter on the Doctor's hearts. He'd wondered for a moment if Ornias's presence might have changed anything. The demon would have undoubtedly reacted faster than he had, but it made him question if he would have tried to convince the demon to let the Sycorax leader go. Would there have been one more creature alive in the universe because of a demon, of all things?
These were the things he questioned as he settled down beside the bed the demon was resting on in the Tardis med bay. Here he was all decked out in a new suit, new body, new persona, but he still felt very much like that man who'd killed his entire race and stepped out of a war. And now he would be shadowed by a demon who could taste everything he tried to hide. Who was he to try and turn a demon good? And what did it say about him as a person when a demon had chosen to stick around?
"If you brood for much longer, I might very well take a bite."
The Doctor blinked out of his daze to see tired but curious caramel eyes peering at him from the bed. Ornias had finally woken up and, while not looking one hundred percent better, he was at least trying to sit up.
"What is bothering you?" He questioned, looking over his injury with cautious eyes. "Because if you say it's me, I will definitely bite."
The Doctor smiled, resisting a chuckle. Same old Ornias. "Well, it partially was."
Ornias show him a sharp look, eyes flickering gold as the Doctor raised his hands in surrender.
"A lot happened while you were out, you know. There's a lot to think about."
Ornias licked his lips. "You're guilty. What have you done this time?"
The Doctor winced, having hoped the playful banter would have distracted the demon. "Well, you saved me, for one thing."
Ornias scoffed. "And you're proud of that, for whatever reason. It's not what's making you guilty though." His gaze flickered then. "What happened to your arm?"
"What?"
Ornias's hand snapped out and grabbed his wrist, looking it over suspiciously. "It's new. Newer than the rest of you."
The Doctor blinked in surprise. "How can you tell?"
He dropped his wrist. "Your body is reflected in your soul. A piece of it is shining differently than before. Did you change it?"
"Ah, well, you see the regeneration process takes some time to settle. About fifteen hours, to be exact. So, in that time, if anything were to physically harm me, my cells are able to overcompensate, using all that extra energy to heal quickly."
Ornias gave him an unamused look. "I'm asleep for a few days and you got your hand cut off?"
"Aliens were invading! So, it was either give in to eternal slavery and death or… have a sword fight for the planet?"
Ornias rolled his eyes like an annoyed mother as he started to rise from the bed. "I don't know why I expected anything less from you."
The Doctor smiled, puffing up proudly.
"I'm assuming you killed him then?" Ornias asked calmly, making his smile fall sharply. "Thus, explaining why you felt guilty a moment ago."
He didn't bother trying to argue. The demon would know it was a lie anyway.
"Hm? No lecture? No trying to justify your actions?" Ornias questioned almost patronizingly. "I can taste your remorse, you know. There's no point in hiding it."
"What do you want me to say? That he deserved it? Because he didn't," the Doctor said sharply, standing as well with Ornias mere inches away.
And somehow, the demon still felt threatening despite now standing a few inches shorter than him.
"I don't want you to say anything," he purred, reaching out and straightening the Doctor's tie. "I want you to ask yourself, what would have happened if he'd lived?"
The Doctor was stunned by that, not having expected such a loaded statement to come from Ornias, of all people.
"Then, come back to me and tell me if it was worth it," Ornias finished, giving him a smug look. "Believe it or not, God is willing to look past justified deaths, so long as the killer understands what they've done."
It took a second for those words to sink in before the Doctor turned and bounded after him.
"How would you know what God thinks?"
"I don't, but I was an angel once. That amounts for something, doesn't it?"
And for a second, the Doctor swore the demon had glowed just long enough to make the feathered wings on his back appear white.
"It's the year five billion and twenty-three. We're in the galaxy M87 and this? This is New Earth."
I eyed the skyline with a hint of amusement as I gave the Doctor a sideways glance. "You certainly have a thing for the human species, don't you?"
"You're one to talk."
I scoffed, folding my arms over my chest and letting out my wings. "I had no choice, thank you. If there were alien creatures in my universe, they were never made known."
"That's amazing," Rose breathed out, making us both turn to her in confusion. "Not you two. This. I'll never get used to this. Never. Different ground beneath my feet, different sky. What's that smell?"
The Doctor picked a few blades of grass. "Apple grass."
"Apple grass," Rose repeated as Ornias wrinkled his nose.
"It's a tad strong."
"For you, maybe. Let me guess. Superior sense of smell?" The Doctor asked.
"Yes, though scents don't typically bother me." I lightly poked my chest where a healing pink scar lay under my clothes. "I still won't be in top form for another day or so. So, I'll be a bit more sensitive."
"You? Sensitive?"
Rose chuckled at our banter, stepping between us and taking the Doctor's hand. "Can I just say, traveling with you, I love it."
"Me too." He smiled. "Come on."
I watched the two as they got settled on the ground nearby, as though we were having a picnic. According to the Doctor, I'd missed out on quite a bit and any of Rose's previous hesitations about this new Doctor had been dealt with. On the surface anyway, I mused as I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out an apple—something Rose had caught onto as my favorite fruit. There's still slight uncertainty between them both. The Doctor's concerned she'll change her mind and she's worried he might still have hidden quirks she can't handle. As the two chuckled though, my nose wrinkled in distaste. And yet, they're growing even closer than before. She's appreciative of his new look, as a woman, and while he has his hesitations, there's something there akin to love and it's really rather disgusting.
"I miss Jack," I murmured under my breath, knowing the other man would have kept me entertained while the other two worked on their puppy-love.
"What'd you say, Ornias?" The Doctor asked, his slightly better hearing having caught some of what I'd said.
"Are we just going to sit here gossiping?" I questioned, setting my apple core aflame in my hand as a slight measurement of how much power was available to me. "If we are, I'd like permission to search for some appetizing people."
Rose shot me a look. "You're really going to eat people?"
I shrugged. "I'll return to full strength if I can find a bad enough soul."
The Doctor rolled his eyes, standing and helping Rose up as well. "No soul hunting today, Ornias. I thought we might go there first, before exploring."
I glanced at the building he pointed out in slight annoyance. "A human dwelling?"
"Nope. It's some sort of hospital. Green moon on the side. That's the universal symbol for hospitals. I got this. A message on the psychic paper."
That drew my attention and I eyed the wallet he pulled out as a message scrawled over it.
"Ward 26, please come," I hummed. "A paper that draws thoughts into words?"
"Yup. Has to be a strong telepath to have reached me in the Tardis though. Someone wants to see me."
I frowned, taking the paper from him and eyeing it. "It's familiar."
"The paper?" Rose questioned.
"The mind," I corrected, licking the paper until the Doctor snatched it back.
"Oi! Don't lick it!"
I ignored him, working the taste around in y mouth. "Very familiar. I should take better care on remembering people's tastes."
"Uh, Doctor?" Rose pointed at the paper in surprise as it began to drip black ink.
"W-Wha… Ornias, what did you do!" He balked, flicking it to try and get the ink off, but it kept flowing out.
"Oh, dear," I purred. "It tried to read my mind. I did tell you technology dislikes me."
"You didn't mention psychic technology," he complained, and I rolled my eyes, taking the paper back from him.
"Honestly, no reason to be so flustered." I flicked the paper once and the ink splattered on the ground, leaving the previous message on the paper. "There."
He took it back hesitantly. "What did you do?"
"Erased its memory of my mental signature." I gave the confused Rose a look. "I literally never touched it in its mind. Or databank. Whichever you prefer."
The Doctor put it away with a small frown. "Yeah, you're not allowed near my workshop, sonic, or Tardis controls."
"But he's already flown the Tardis," Rose pointed out as we headed towards the hospital.
"What!"
"After I knocked you unconscious," I replied, putting my wings away for now. "You left your ship to crash. I made a deal with your ship. She helped me land her safely in return for a favor in your foreseeable future."
"What favor?"
I shrugged. "Don't know yet. Though when it comes time to pay up, I will have to follow it." I lifted my right hand where a black band was now wrapped around my ring finger, much like the one I'd had with the Doctor.
"You made a contract with my ship?" The Doctor gaped.
"She was very adamant. Whatever she has planned, she wants no one interfering with my actions. This includes you."
A hint of worry went through the Doctor at those ominous words, but he was quick to turn the conversation away as we entered the hospital.
"I hate these places."
"Bit rich coming from you," Rose pointed out, willing to drop our previous conversation as well.
I've made them uncomfortable, it seems, I realized, not entirely sure why they felt that way.
"No shop. I like a little shop," the Doctor complained, whereas my attention was on the wimple-wearing cats.
"I thought this far in the future, they'd have cured everything," Rose mused as she looked around.
"The human race moves on, but so do the viruses. It's an ongoing war."
Rose must have then noticed the nurses. "They're cats."
"They're religious," I grumbled, earning a raised brow from the Doctor.
"Now, don't stare. Think what you look like to them, Rose, all pink and yellow. And they don't worship your God, Ornias."
"Doesn't matter," I frowned, dragging a hand through my hair. "Belief is a powerful thing and believing in any God holds power over me."
"Will you be okay?" He asked, suddenly concerned.
I nodded. "It's a mild irritant. It's worse than if I were completely healed, but not nearly as potent as the church. I'll be irritable, have a headache, my eyes will show, and I'll be sore. My injury especially," I informed him, touching my chest lightly as my eyes flared gold and stayed. "I was wondering why it felt hot."
"I thought you don't feel heat," Rose countered. "And won't he get noticed because of his eyes?"
"Nah. There are enough species with yellow eyes, believe it or not." The Doctor waved off as I gave her a look.
"And a holy enough building can burn me. That's what I meant by 'heat.' If I were barefoot, I may very well be leaving scorch mark footprints. Skin contact is required usually, though thin clothes provide little protection. I still feel it though. This building is warmer than what you're feeling. Like sitting in a car in the summer."
Rose wrinkled her nose, not wanting to be me at the moment which I understood. It was then though, that we noticed the Doctor running off towards the lifts. Rose rushed to catch up, but I took my time, arriving as she huffed and moved into the next lift. When I didn't move to join her, she frowned.
"Aren't you coming?"
I gave her a look. "Do you want me to? As a being who tends to cause technology to malfunction, would you honestly want me to join you in a lift?"
"Point taken," she said as the doors closed. "Have a nice walk!"
I rolled my eyes and headed over to the front desk where I flashed a pointed smile at the sister behind it, earning flushed cheeks. "Hello, sister. I seem to have a bit of a problem."
The Doctor raised a brow when Ornias finally joined him up in Ward 26. For one thing, he was without Rose. For another, the cat who had led him up had a few whiskers out of place, matching Ornias's slightly rumpled clothing. The cat was reluctant to leave the demon's side but was soon shooed away once Ornias spotted him.
"What did you do?"
Ornias immediately raised a brow at his accusation. "Why must it always be me who's done something?"
"Oh, don't play coy with me. That sister looked as though she couldn't figure out whether to stay or run."
Ornias smirked devilishly. "Well, if you must know, demons take a lot of pride in ruining any form of religious order. Though, it was she who forced me into a storage room on the way up the stairs."
"Oh, Ornias. You didn't."
"I did," he hummed pridefully, straightening his coat.
"With a cat?"
He shrugged. "It was something new, though again, she made the first move. There was no hypnotism involved."
"I… I honestly don't know what to say, though I feel I should be upset with you," the Doctor admitted, earning a chuckle from the demon.
"Please, Doctor. It wouldn't be the first time I've made a woman mewl."
He grimaced with an exaggerated shiver. "Yeah, well, I really didn't need to know that. Could you at least try to keep your hands to yourself on our trips?"
"If I must, though I make no promises. Around you, however, I will try. On my own? Not so much."
The Doctor sighed. "And I think that's the best I'm going to get out of you."
"Nevertheless, have you found who we're to meet?"
The Doctor nodded, gesturing to the Face of Boe in the back of the ward. "See the large head in a jar? That's the Face of Boe. He's asleep, so I was getting the nurse and I some water. Did Rose not come with you?"
Ornias's gaze was locked on the Face of Boe. "No. She took the lift, whereas I felt it best not."
The Doctor snorted. "With you breaking technology? Good idea."
The two headed over and Novice Hame smiled softly at the Doctor as he handed her the cup of water.
"That's very kind. There's no need."
"You're the one working," the Doctor replied, watching Ornias curiously as the demon crouched beside the head with a smile.
"There's not much to do, just maintain his smoke. And I suppose I'm company. I can hear him singing, sometimes, in my mind. Such ancient songs."
"Are we the only visitors?"
"The rest of Boe-kind became extinct long ago. He's the only one left. Legend says that the Face of Boe has watched the universe grow old. There's all sorts of superstitions around him. One story says that just before his death, the Face of Boe will impart his great secret, that he will speak those words only to ones like himself."
"What does that mean?" The Doctor asked, now fully interested.
"It's just a story."
"Tell me the rest."
"…It's said he'll talk to a wanderer. To the man without a home and the one who was forced from his home. The lonely God and the Fallen Angel."
The Doctor glanced at Ornias, who eyed him in return. They both know who the story spoke of but only the demon knew the truth behind who the Face of Boe was.
I eyed the Doctor as he called Rose, speaking to the Face of Boe who was pretending to sleep.
It's been a while, I take it?"
"More than a while," he hummed, voice ancient and tired. "Though, you do take the time to visit me when you can."
Of course. It's a shame I didn't recognize you. I should have paid more attention to the nuance of your soul, especially as the first human to entertain me in so long, Jack.
He chuckled, a small smile appearing on his face. "I'm honored, though I have changed a lot."
Not your soul, I mused, casting him a sideways glance. It's mostly the same. I hadn't expected the Wolf to have altered it to this extent though. Humans should not live so long.
"No one should live so long," he corrected. "You and the Doctor included."
I'm not technically alive, but I suppose I see your point.
Rose stepped out of the lift then and the Face of Boe gave me a mental nudge.
"You better go. I'll speak with you again later, my angel."
I snorted, tucking my hands in my pockets and ignoring Novice Hame's questioning gaze. Don't call me an angel.
He chuckled, not seeming to mind and I strolled over to where the Doctor was dragging around Rose to look at the various patients. He'd told me there was something he wanted to check and the Face of Boe had confirmed with me that something was wrong. People were being cured from diseases too advanced for the current medical technology. And as a demon, I loved a conspiracy as much as the next guy, even more so when a religious order was involved.
"I need to find a terminal," the Doctor announced, giving Rose and me a look. "I've got to see how they do this. Because if they've got the best medicine in the world, then why is it such a secret?"
"I can't Adam and Eve it," Rose said, making my skin crawl.
"Excuse me?" I questioned with a bit of bite to my tone.
I wasn't normally so sensitive to those names, but my headache flared with the thought of them. And when my golden eyes flared, Rose took a fearful step back, alerting me to something. Something's wrong. Her taste is off. I ran my tongue across my lips briefly. Very wrong. There are two souls.
"What's, what's, what's with the voice?" The Doctor questioned her, and she was quick to step up to him and away from me.
"Oh, I don't know. Just larking about. New Earth, new me."
The Doctor, oblivious as always and loosened his tie with a smile. "Well, I can talk. New New Doctor."
"Mm, aren't you just—" Not-Rose took that opportunity to snog the Doctor senseless. "The terminal's this way," she murmured when she pulled away.
"Yep, still got it," the Doctor squeaked out as Rose stepped away, but I stopped him from following.
"I do hope you haven't become human enough to not realize the obvious."
"Hm?"
My bright golden eyes flickered to him. "There are two souls in that body right now. One is being held back by the other and Rose is not the one in control."
He sobered up at that. "I thought she was acting a little off. Is there anything you can do?"
I hummed, eyeing Not-Rose's back. "I've only removed demons from possessing humans and it tends to not turn out well. Should the other soul fight back, they may damage Rose's soul, body, or may even drag her out as well. And I only accomplished a successful exorcism as an angel. Doing so as a demon may add complications."
"So, I need to find a way to reverse it or convince them to leave.
"It's for the best, though I will try as a last resort." I tasted the air. "I may be able to weaken the bond slowly over time, maybe loosening its hold within a few hours."
He nodded. "Start doing that then, just in case. For now, play along."
I shrugged, letting him do as he wished. If I was being honest with myself, I would have admitted I was actually rather angry with this other soul. Rose and the Doctor were mine. Some measly soul jumping in and trying to take one of them from me made my blood boil. I knew a part of this anger was due to the holy building I was stuck in though and was doing my best to not act out my aggression as we stepped into a hidden passage towards the supposed ICU.
What we stepped into was a bit of a surprise and I tipped my head curiously as the Doctor opened one of the thousands of pods around us. My intrigue grew as the Doctor's quiet anger boiled at the sight of the sickly man trapped inside.
"That's disgusting," Not-Rose spat, nearly making me groan in pleasure as the Doctor became angrier. "What's wrong with him?"
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he apologized to the ill man, confusing me.
"You feel guilt for something so far out of your control?"
"I knew something was wrong, but I remained idle, and even now, I don't know what I can do to help."
"Why is it solely up to you to help?" I questioned, earning a glare and flash of rage before the Doctor noticed my genuine confusion towards his actions.
"It's not," he muttered quietly, opening another pod to reveal and equally sick woman.
While his anger still boiled hot, there was a hint of light stirring in his soul. Yet, try as I might, I wasn't disgusted by it. That worried me. As a demon, bright souls were terrible, disgusting things. Though the more I hung around the Doctor and Rose, the more I seemed to be drifting away from what a demon was. The Wolf's words came to mind and I pushed them out of my head quickly, resisting a shiver.
"What disease is that?" Not-Rose asked.
"All of them. Every single disease in the galaxy. They've been infected with everything," the Doctor bristled.
"What about us? Are we safe?"
"The air's sterile. Just don't touch them."
I stopped the Doctor closing the pod, stepping forward and reaching for the woman, making Not-Rose panic.
"Weren't you listening!"
"I'm not like you," I mused, reaching for the ill woman's cheek.
"What are you doing?" The Doctor asked.
"You've made me curious. They are dying, but there's something there. Something buried deep. If they were made to serve this purpose—the purpose of a cure—then they should be lifeless, unfeeling, empty flesh." My golden eyes flared bright and my hand pressed to the woman's cheek. "Oh."
"What? What is it?"
The woman's eyes closed with a soft sigh, her cheek pressing into my hand. I felt an urge to pull away. As a demon, being so close to something like this was almost as bad as being with an angel. There was just a primal instinct to be as far away as possible. But then, I couldn't. It had been so long since I'd seen one so clearly, been so close to one.
"Ornias?"
"It has a soul," I breathed out, unable to hold back the awe in my voice. "Such… Such a pure soul. So… new. They're like children. Newborn babes. Untouched, Unspoilt, bright and… innocent."
My hand finally flinched away, uncupping the woman's cheek as it throbbed. Boils on my palms were quick to vanish with my abilities, but it took a moment for my body to stop the aching infection that had attempted to fall over me. In my daze, the Doctor closed the pod, not sensing how the woman's pain seemed to have gone at my touch, leaving her in peace.
"Are you okay?" He asked, giving me a once-over as I nodded slowly.
"Yes, I just…" My brows furrowed slightly. "It's been a while since I've been near a new-born soul. It's unexpected."
"How many patients are there?" Not-Rose asked, looking at me warily.
"They're not patients," the Doctor replied, voice calm but that fury still just below the surface.
"But they're sick."
"They were born sick. They're meant to be sick. They exist to be sick. Lab rats," he spat. "No wonder the Sisters have got a cure for everything. They've built the ultimate research laboratory. A human farm."
"Why don't they just die?"
"Plague carriers are always the last to go," I replied for the Doctor. "They are dying, but very slowly."
"It's for the greater cause," a voice spoke up, drawing our attention to Novice Hame.
"Novice Hame," The Doctor muttered, stepping towards her. "When you took your vows, did you agree to this?"
"The Sisterhood has sworn to help."
"What, by killing?"
"But they're not real people. They're specially grown. They have no proper existence."
It was my turn to frown at that. "They have souls," I pointed out. "Bright, newborn souls."
I could feel some hesitance from her at that before the Doctor snapped at her.
"What's the turnover, hmm? Thousand a day? Thousand the next? Thousand the next? How many thousands? For how many years? How many!" He shouted, anger strong enough to draw me forward with a low rumble in my throat.
As bright and distracting as the newborn souls were, there was something about the Doctor's anger that drew out the darkness in me. And as Novice Hame tried to justify their actions, his anger only grew, making my hands twitch in eagerness. And something primal in me ached at the meal so tantalizing close that I kept purposely out of my reach. Then, the anger fizzled out, being shoved back by forceful calm, pulling me out of my hunger-induced haze.
"…And the only reason I'm being so very, very calm is that the brain is a delicate thing. Whatever you've done to Rose's head, I want it reversed."
"We haven't done anything."
Truth.
"I'm perfectly fine," Not-Rose said.
False.
"These people are dying, and Rose would care."
Debatable.
"Oh, all right, clever clogs," Not-Rose sighed, sauntering toward the Doctor as I bristled. "Smartypants. Lady-killer."
"What's happened to you?"
"I knew something was going on in this hospital, but I needed this body and your mind to find it out."
"Who are you?"
Not-Rose leaned close, whispering in his ear. "The last human."
"Cassandra?"
"Wake up and smell the perfume," Cassandra said, pulling out a bottle to spray in his face if I hadn't grabbed her hand, stopping her with a sickly-sweet smile.
"Oh, dear. Looks like your bottle's broken."
I squeezed my hand around hers, making her wince before the small bottle shattered, littering the floor with pieces.
"Ornias," the Doctor warned but I didn't care.
"Apologies, but I think you'll find that I don't care for anyone trying to butt in on my souls," I purred, eyes flaring even brighter at Cassandra, who took a hesitant step back. "And attempting to mess with either the Doctor or Rose is a bad choice on your part, especially when I'm a bit… tense. Religious buildings really don't agree with me."
"W-What are you going to do?" She stuttered out as the Doctor gave me another warning.
"Ornias, don't."
I flicked in front of Cassandra then and smiled. "This."
My finger touched her forehead and the woman collapsed into my arms.
"Ornias! What—"
"She's asleep." I rolled my eyes at the Doctor. "Nothing more."
"Mistress! You have hurt my mistress!" A new figure wailed, rushing forward with hands hovering over Rose in a panic.
I raised a brow, tongue flicking over my bottom lip. "Another newborn? One with strings attached. A lacky of this Cassandra woman then?"
"You have hurt her," he accused.
"I've done no such thing. She is merely resting for the next few minutes. Although…" My gaze shifted to the Doctor. "How desperate are you for Rose's mind to be freed?"
His eyes narrowed. "I thought you couldn't remove Cassandra without harming Rose in the process."
"Exorcism involves more than just removing the soul. It includes cleansing or damning it. However, I may be able to broker a deal with it to have it remove itself."
"What's the catch?"
"The soul will need somewhere to go."
His eyes widened. "In you? We can't have her in control of you!"
I scoffed. "How weak do you think I am? She will have no control, though I will undoubtedly have to offer her a voice and possibly some movement. None of my abilities or thoughts will be available. A human soul would shrivel and die if it even gets a glimpse of my mind."
"And you can do that? Safely?"
I nodded. "Though she will not be able to stay more than a day before my essence will start to eat away at her soul." I nudged Rose's limp body in my arms, stirring the woman. "Is that an adequate deal for you, Cassandra? My body and voice will be shared for the day, and in return, the Doctor and Rose will be unharmed in order to solve the current problem."
"Fine," Cassandra huffed, rubbing her head as I smiled.
"Then, so be it," I hummed, placing a finger on Rose's chest and slowly drawing Cassandra's soul from it, placing it into mine.
Rose stumbled, getting steadied by the Doctor. "What… What happened? Doctor? Where's Cassandra!"
"Ornias took her."
"What!"
"Oh, stop your sniveling," Ornias—No, Cassandra huffed. "Honestly, it was hormone city inside you. At least this body has some taste."
"Y-You're kidding." Rose breathed out. "But isn't she going to be worse now?"
"Hardly." Ornias hummed, surprising her. "I am in full control. She only has access to what I allow."
"And it's very annoying," Cassandra replied, folding Ornias's arms over his chest with a pout.
"That… That is so weird," Rose murmured. "So, you're both in there?"
"Yup."
"Unfortunately."
Someone cleared their throat then, drawing everyone's attention to Matron Jatt and Casp, who'd been called by Novice Hame.
"Is there any way we can help you?"
Cassandra stepped forward. "Straight to the point, whiskers. I want money."
Ornias took over with a groan. "Oh, not stupid monetary gain. Broaden your horizons. I want entertainment."
"Will you let me talk for five minutes?" Cassandra argued with him.
Only a little perturbed by the argument, Ornias appearing to be arguing with himself, Matron Casp spoke.
"The Sisterhood is a charity. We don't give money. We only accept."
"Oh, the flaws of religious societies," Ornias drawled. "Are your worldly possessions really so tempting?"
"Shut up!" Cassandra hissed. "You know what? Forget it. Chip? Plan B."
Chip—the man who'd joined them earlier—pulled a lever to release the captive New-Borns on that level.
"What've you done?" The Doctor gaped.
"Gave them a shot of adrenaline, just to wake them up. See you!" Cassandra chirped, leading them to a catwalk only to spot all the pods opening. "Oh, my Go—"
"Ah! Don't even think about speaking His name with my mouth." Ornias cut her off. "Honestly, I have a big enough migraine to begin with without you speaking His name in vain."
"Can you stop arguing with yourself for a moment?" Rose called out anxiously as more New-Borns began to head their way. "What do we do?"
"We've got to go down," the Doctor said, leading the way as the rest scrambled behind him.
They soon ended up in Cassandra's lab in the basement, only Chip getting left behind with the oncoming horde.
"We're trapped! What am I going to do!" Cassandra wailed, earning an eye-roll from Ornias.
"Honestly, if anything, I'll be fine."
"Oh, who asked you?" She huffed, before sliding a hand down Ornias's body. "Although, I wouldn't mind staying in here a bit longer. So many parts, and hardly used. Slim and rather easy on the eyes. You've thought so too." Cassandra smirked at Rose. "I've been inside your head. You've been looking. You like it."
"Mm, who doesn't?" Ornias purred himself, and the Doctor sighed with an eye-roll.
"We can all check you out later. We need to get out of here."
"Promise?" Ornias chirped, getting a smack on the arm from Rose, who couldn't help smiling.
"Stop it."
The Doctor pointed out a ladder just as the New-Borns burst into the room. "Going up!"
They all hurried up the ladder with the Doctor taking the lead and Ornias at the bottom since he was the least susceptible to dying should the New-Borns catch up. Upon reaching the top, the Doctor was quick to pull out his sonic to open the elevator doors blocking their way. The pause though gave Matron Casp time to catch up and grab hold of Ornias's ankle.
"Oh, hello, cat," Ornias hummed, not really bothered.
"All our good work. All that healing. The good name of the Sisterhood. You have destroyed everything!" Casp hissed.
"Oh, go and play with a ball of string," Cassandra huffed.
"Oh, that was nice," Ornias mused.
"You think?"
"Absolutely. I was thinking more along the lines of 'Don't you have a mouse to go catch' but that was infinitely better."
"Mm, well, aren't you a charmer?"
The Doctor groaned from up above as he reached down to help Rose through the doors. "You're flirting with a ghost, Ornias."
"And doing a good job at it," Cassandra mused before Casp screamed.
A New-Born had caught up and infected the Matron, causing her to break out in boils and fall to her death.
"Move!" The Doctor called out and Ornias hurried up to join him and Rose.
Dusting himself off, Ornias gave the Doctor a look as they started back towards Ward 26.
"Do you have a plan to deal with the New-Borns?"
"Is that what you're calling them?"
Ornias rolled his eyes. "I am simply curious as to whether you believe you can save them. The other humans will undoubtedly get rid of them if their mere touch can kill."
"I have an idea, yeah."
"Then, you should know something about the New-Borns. Souls that new need sustenance. They need to grow and in order to do so, they need someone to teach them. Someone to touch their souls. It's why they continuously reach out, much like the needy newborn children on Earth. They yearn for contact any way they can get it."
The Doctor gave Ornias a surprised look. "You're…. You're being rather fond of them for a demon."
Ornias glanced away, surprisingly, acting almost embarrassed. "As I said, it's been a while since I've dealt with New Borns. As an angel, they were… miracles, in a sense. All angels only ever dreamed to see a New-Born and interact with it. Your human myths would dub them guardians. Becoming one was one of the highest honors."
"Were you one?" Rose asked, curious.
Ornias tilted his head. "I… do not remember. Perhaps? I do recall a single soul as bright as a New-Borns's."
"Can adults be New-Borns?"
Ornias scoffed, waving a hand. "Absolutely not. The moment a New-Born is let into the world, they begin to dim. They are easily influenced. All creatures have darkness in their hearts. Whether they allow it to consume them or not, is up to them and the demons who tempt them…" He trailed off slightly though, drawing the Doctor's attention.
"What?"
"Nothing," Ornias brushed off—a lie if the Doctor ever saw one.
And what he didn't know, was the image of a smiling brown-haired woman had slipped into Ornias's mind. Her soul blindingly bright.
The Doctor had lied about having a plan, though one eventually came to mind when he'd remembered the so-called "cures." Surely with a bit of jiggery-pokery he could work up a solution to cure the sick—or New-Borns, as Ornias called them. He was starting to worry though. Said demon had gone quiet not long after they'd reached Ward 26, and not long after the demon seemed to have some sort of epiphany earlier. While the demon had been rather vocal about his heavy dislike of pure and heavenly things, he sure did know a lot about them.
And sure, he'd mentioned being an angel before, but it made the Doctor wonder if he regretted falling from grace. Retaining information like that seemed like something one would only do if they were questioning what they were missing. And with his worry over the demon came a concern for the woman currently inhabiting his body. While Cassandra wasn't the kindest person, she had technically been trying to help. And he wouldn't wish death on anyone, despite what Ornias might say.
"Doubting your plan?"
Speak of the devil. "What makes you think that?" He questioned Ornias as the demon eyed his getup in mild curiosity.
He was, after all, decked out in various bags of solution in preparation for trying to help the sick downstairs.
"I can taste your concern, but I am no mind-reader. Well…" Ornias brought a finger to his chin. "Not without hypnotism."
"If you must know, I was worrying about you."
"Me?" Ornias raised a brow. "The safest person here?"
He shrugged. "You went quiet for a while. It's odd, considering your usual habit of jumping in with some snarky comment. I was just curious what caused it." The Doctor waved at him. "And a little worried about Cassandra."
Said woman flew to the front of Ornias's mind, rolling her eyes. "Oh, joy. Now, he cares."
"You were in Rose," Ornias mused. "He's a little territorial."
"A little?"
"Oi," the Doctor grumbled in complaint, but Ornias waved him off.
"She will be fine for the next few hours, as will I. Now, go deal with the New-Borns."
The Doctor raised a brow. "You're not worried about them? You seemed rather attached earlier."
Ornias shrugged. "A passing fancy."
"He's lying," Cassandra chimed in with a smirk before Ornias shoved her back.
"Don't do that."
"What? You can do it to me, but I can't do it back? That's hardly fair."
"I'm a demon. My life goal is to be unfair."
"Weirdest demon I've ever heard of."
The Doctor smiled fondly, almost willing to admit he'd miss Cassandra, if only for how amusing it was to watch Ornias bicker with her—and therefore, himself. He went to walk off and get his plan in motion only for Cassandra to call out to him, making him turn.
"He's not worried about them, because he knows you would never hurt them."
Ornias returned with a huff, turning away from the Doctor and heading to the Face of Boe. "I neither said nor thought any such thing."
The Doctor chuckled though, knowing himself that the demon was lying judging by the pink that had tinted his ears. And he began to wonder if Ornias had been capable of that before, or if the demon was beginning to change, perhaps into something more human. No… That'd be impossible… Wouldn't it? Yet, the more he thought about it, the more he began to wonder.