A/N: new chappie! enjoy!
Chapter 27: Twenty-seven Circuits
Olivia glanced around the small cell Talik had locked her in. She knew the Doctor was coming for her, along with Sherlock and Vastra, but she had to try meeting him halfway, or at least gather more intel on Talik's new lair. Maybe she could even convince Mary Kelly to escape with her. She knew the girl couldn't be here of her own free will. Something was controlling her, despite what Talik had said about her being there of her free will.
She jumped from her reeling thoughts when the door opened and she looked up to see Mary entering with a tray of food.
"Jack thought you'd be 'ungry," Mary smiled, sweetly as she made her way to the bed where Olivia sat and sat next to her. "It isn't much."
"That's alright," Olivia nodded as Mary placed the tray on her lap. "I think I could eat anything right now."
Mary smiled as Olivia grabbed a piece of the pathetic looking chicken and started chowing down. After a moment, Olivia slowed and looked up at Mary, who was still there and starting at a plate of her own food she'd brought on the tray as well.
"Mary?" Olivia called, wiping her mouth as the red-head looked to her in wide-eyed wonder. "Can I…ask you a few things?"
"Well…Jack told me not to talk much to ya," Mary confessed, glancing down at her food before sighing and looking up at Olivia again. "But…I'm a bit lonely 'ere. You won't tell 'im, will ya?"
Olivia placed her food down and wiped her hands off before taking one of Mary's hands in hers, looking her in the eye.
"Of course I won't tell him," she replied, honestly, making Mary smile, widely. "You can tell me anything you want. All about your life before and after you met Jack. I'm actually dying to know how you met up with him."
"Oh, that's no secret," Mary smiled, waving Olivia off. "Jack was a customer for a lot of the girls. But 'e started coming 'round more to me. Said I understood 'im better than the other girls. Whatever that means."
"I think I know what you mean," Olivia muttered, picking at her food. "So…what exactly do you do for him?"
"Oh, listen to 'im," Mary shrugged. "Do whatever needs doin'. Whatever 'e asks, really."
"And you just do it?" Olivia wondered. "Without questioning him? Without a second thought?"
Olivia watched Mary stop what she was doing with her food and look ahead in faraway thought. Olivia knew it. She'd known Mary couldn't have been doing any of this of her own accord, and the look in her eyes was a dead giveaway. Mary Kelly was under hypnosis.
"I don't know, really," Mary admitted in a distant voice. "It's somethin' about 'is voice. Sometimes I think maybe I shouldn't, but then…I end up doing it anyway. Almost like…it's not really me doin' it, ya know?"
"Mary, I know exactly what you're talking about, and you need to know that you're completely right," Olivia insisted, moving hers and Mary's trays of food aside to take the other girl's hands in hers and look her in the eyes. "He's controlling your mind with some kind of hypnosis, and you need to fight it. It'll be hard, but I can help you…if you trust me."
Mary frowned in confusion as she thought hard on what Olivia was telling her. Olivia kept Mary's gaze, watching something shift in her eyes before the red-head nodded, if hesitantly and Olivia burst into a grin.
"Alright, now just close your eyes and open your mind, and we'll work this out," Olivia explained, releasing Mary's hands to lift her own toward her head. "It won't hurt a bit. I promise."
Mary nodded, obeying Olivia's order to close her eyes as Olivia placed her hands on her head, closing her eyes as well.
"I learned this trick from a time agent friend of mine," she smiled.
"Ey?" Mary frowned in wonder.
"Nothing," Olivia shook her head, dismissively. "Just hold still, ok? Open mind."
Mary nodded as Olivia placed her hands on either side of Mary's head, closing her eyes as well.
"Mary!"
Both girls jumped at the sound of Talik's shout and looked to the door with wide eyes each.
"I told you not to talk to her!" Talik growled, marching from the door to grab Mary's arm and drag her away from Olivia, shoving her toward the doorway.
"I'm sorry, Jack!" Mary shuddered when she stumbled to the floor, trying to scramble to her feet as Talik loomed over her. "I didn't mean it! I only—!"
"Quiet!" Talik snarled, feigning as if he would back-hand her while Olivia watched carefully, preparing to make a run for it when she was able, and possibly get Mary out of there as well. Talik grabbed Mary's arm again and dragged her to her feet, snarling, "You were given orders, and you will obey me! Now get back to the study and finish that postcard! I need it sent today!"
Olivia slowly made her way toward the two as Talik scolded Mary, catching the red-head's eye.
"Don't ya think it's too soon?" Mary asked, making Talik stare at her in disbelief, not realizing that she was trying to distract him while Olivia inched closer. "We don't want the police onto us too quick, do we?"
"You're not here to give your opinion!" Talik snapped, gripping her arm a little tighter and Olivia noticed something in his tone change when he snarled, "Now go do as I say!"
That was it! Had Olivia not put her guard up, she probably would have given in to that altered tone as well, the way Mary was right now as she stopped resisting him and relaxed. He must have been using the same technique he had used before but perfected and made smaller for easy use and portability.
Olivia watched Mary turn to head down the hall to do what she was told, but before Talik turned to scold Olivia, she pounced with a battle cry. Something around his neck dug into her arms as he grabbed at her arms and spun around, trying to free himself from her grasp. She released one of her hands and grabbed the thing around his neck, hidden under his collar, and yanked it off just as he rammed her back into the nearest wall and she released him as she slid to the floor.
"Wretched woman!" Talik snarled as Olivia shook the rattling from her brain away, still holding onto the device, and Mary seemed to come to her senses as well, returning to the room in time to see Talik pull a knife from his belt. "You've foiled my plans for the last time!"
"Leave her alone!" Mary shouted, racing toward Talik to knock his knife from his hand as Olivia staggered to her feet.
Talik back-handed Mary, sending her spinning with the impact to the floor, and Olivia marched up to give him her hardest right hook. He was instantly knocked out as she winced from the pain in her hand, trying to shake it out before she spotted Mary struggling to sit up.
"Mary!" she gasped, kneeling to help her sit up while the red-head rubbed her cheek. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," Mary sighed before looking to the thing in Olivia's hand, frowning, "What's that?"
Olivia frowned in return before looking to the piece or technology in her hand and replied, "I think this is what he was using to control you. We have to get this to the Doctor so he can examine it. Come on!"
Olivia grabbed Mary's hand to drag her to her feet and out the door, leaving the still unconscious Talik on the floor. Olivia pushed the door closed and reached into her bodice—
"Damn!" she hissed, making Mary frown in confusion. "He has my Sonic!"
"Sonic?" Mary echoed as Olivia looked around for something to bar the door. The red-head looked up in thought before shuffling around her skirts and finding one of the pockets. She reached in and pulled out a silver wand, holding it up with a grin, making Olivia's wide-eyed stare. "You mean this?"
"Yes!" Olivia cheered, grabbing the Sonic and using it to lock the door. "Oh, Mary Kelly, you're brilliant! Now, get us out of here!"
Meanwhile...
"I think we should tell the Doctor we are here," Watson confessed as he walked with his friend through the fog of the park where they knew Talik was hiding.
"He's busy trying to come up with a plan to rescue his wife," Holmes replied, using his magnifying glass to look closely at the ground, tracking the group's steps from earlier. "I tried to explain my plan to him but he was not of a listening frame of mind. Madame Vastra could hardly get through to him on eating and resting."
"What do you plan to find here, Holmes?" Watson wondered, glancing around the fog as the lookout.
"Perhaps another way into his lair," Holmes replied, not looking from what he was focused on. "Perhaps nothing. But I couldn't stay at the inn any longer while the Doctor tortured himself."
"Why, Sherlock, I didn't realize you admired him so much," Watson smirked. "You plan on finding Ms. Olivia to spare him any more sadness, don't you?"
Holmes stopped and was about to reply when something caught his ear, making him shoot his gaze ahead and strain his hearing.
"Holmes—?"
"Hush," the detective cut into Watson's call, then amended, "Listen."
They both stood stalk still and soon they caught the faint sound of panting and footsteps crushing leaves underfoot.
"Talik?" Watson whispered.
"No," Holmes shook his head. "There's two of them. Two…women."
Just as they realized who it could be, two feminine figures appeared from the fog and stopped several feet away from the two men to catch their breath.
"Ya think Jack's followin' us?" one of the women panted.
"I don't doubt it," the other woman replied, out of breath as well. "And we're gonna have to get you straightened out on a few things you think you know."
"Olivia Felton!" Watson called as the two began making their way toward the figures and they both looked up at them.
"John!" Olivia called, grabbing the other woman's hand to pull her toward them as she ran. "Sherlock! Thank God you found us!"
Olivia flung her arms around Holmes first, making him lift his arms in confusion as to what he should do before she released him and hugged Watson next. Sherlock then looked to Mary and glared at her, making her shrink back as she recognized him.
"What exactly is Miss Kelly doing here?" Sherlock questioned Olivia, his gaze still on the red-head.
"And what is that you've got?" Watson asked her as well of the thing in her hand.
Olivia looked to Sherlock first before looking to the thing in her hand then back up at Mary to begin her explanation.
"This is what Talik was using to control Mary," Olivia reported, handing it to Holmes and he instantly began examining it. "Yes, she was being controlled. He's perfected the technique. We need to get that to the Doctor so he can examine it. Where is he?"
"He's at Backer Street," Watson reported. "He's been working every second on a way to rescue you since you were captured."
"Well, we'd better get back then," Olivia nodded.
"What about her?" Holmes asked, nodding to Mary who glanced between them with wide eyes, making Olivia frown at him.
"She'd coming with us," Olivia replied. "She helped me escape. She doesn't want anything more to do with Talik. Not to mention she may have valuable information we could use."
"Olivia—"
"Don't you dare," she cut into Holmes' warning, knowing exactly what he was going to say. "Time is in flux. Nothing is fixed, so don't you dare try to tell me anything the Doctor might, because if I argue with him, I will certainly argue with you. Now, let's just get back to the inn, alright?"
Holmes smirked at her before nodding and offering his arm to her, asking, "Shall I escort you to the carriage? Strax is waiting for us."
Olivia smiled and nodded in return, taking his arm as Watson looked to Mary and did the same to escort her behind Holmes and Olivia.
Baker Street...
"How could they go there without me?!" the Doctor snapped at Vastra as he grabbed his jacket from Mrs. Hudson.
"Dr. Watson did try to let you know, Doctor," Vastra replied, calmly as he yanked his jacket and raced down the stairs toward the front door. "You were engrossed in your repairs."
"Well he should have tried harder!" the Doctor called, irritably. "She could be hurt or disoriented, and they won't know what to do with her!"
"I'm certain they're quite capable of taking care of her if something's wrong," Vastra assured him as he reached the door. "After all, John Watson is an actual doctor."
He stopped and turned a glare at her as she stood at the top of the stairs, smirking at him.
"I'm the only one that knows how to take care of Olivia properly," the Doctor retorted before turning and yanking the door open, only to stare ahead in wide-eyed shock at what he revealed.
"Theta!" Olivia grinned before throwing herself into his arms and hugged him close as he let out a sigh of relief, hugging her tightly in return. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you back at the park. I should have—"
"It's alright, Liv," the Doctor sighed, kissing her head. "You're safe now, that's what matters."
"We'd best get inside," Holmes, standing with Watson, Mary and Strax outside.
"Oh, sorry guys," Olivia smiled, pulling back from the Doctor to head up the stairs, but when he refused to release her waist from his grip she looked up at him with a frown. Realization instantly dawned on her, making her smile sweetly at him and take his hand to hold onto it as they all made their way up the stairs. "Doctor, I know you've met Mary. Oh, and this is for you to have a look at."
The Doctor frowned as she handed him the machine she'd pulled off of Talik to him and he instantly became curious, dragging her up the stairs and meeting Vastra, Jenny and Mrs. Hudson at the top.
"Is that Mary Kelly?" Vastra frowned in wonder as Watson still escorted her up the stairs behind Holmes as Olivia and the Doctor sailed past her toward the panels in the flat. "I thought she was Talik's accomplice."
"This machine was what he was using to control her," Olivia explained as the Doctor finally released Olivia's hand to use the Sonic on the device.
"Olivia explained everythin' to me on the way 'ere," Mary explained, solemnly.
"Like I said, she was being controlled," Olivia reminded them, meeting Mary's gaze to comfort her before pointing to the device in the Doctor's hand. "She couldn't fight off his mind control."
"How did you escape?" Jenny wondered, wrapping a blanket around Mary as she still held onto Watson's arm.
"We were able to gang up on Talik and get out," Olivia explained, watching Watson walk Mary over to his armchair and Mrs. Hudson brought her a cup of tea. She smirked when she noticed Watson take the cup from Mrs. Hudson to hand it to Mary. "She led the way out."
"Oh, this is gorgeous," the Doctor whispered, still staring at the device Olivia had given him. "Twenty-seven circuits in all…but they're all connected to this tiny chip with all the data he accumulated from his experiments on mind control. This device sorts through the information and allows him to use it on anyone. Portable mind control, and all you need is the sound of your voice. Beautiful."
"Try not to admire it too much, my love," Olivia smirked as Sherlock and Vastra stepped up to them to look at the device the Doctor held. "Do you think he's got another one of these?"
"Oh, that's very possible," the Doctor replied.
"Who do you think his next victim will be?" Holmes wondered.
"Ms. Olivia said his final victim was Mary," Vastra recalled.
"Yes, but Ms. Felton has also made it perfectly clear that time is in flux, which means it could be anyone now," Holmes added, making the Doctor look to Olivia with a chiding glare.
"History has a way of evening itself out," the Doctor replied, making Olivia lower her gaze before looking to Watson as he distracted Mary from the conversation they were having.
"Is it fixed?" Olivia asked, looking back at him and making him frown at her in confusion. "Is her death a fixed point?"
"No, but—"
"Then we don't know what will happen," she cut in, making the Doctor sigh in exasperation. "We should concentrate on stopping Talik before he finds another victim to dissect."
"I have to agree with Ms. Felton," Holmes nodded as the couple glared at each other. "Our more pressing issue is stopping Talik. How do you propose we do it this time, Doctor?"
The Doctor sighed once more, setting the device he'd been studying down again and ruffling his hair before replying, "Well, talking will do no good, we know that much."
"He'll be looking for another victim," Vastra reported.
"Well, then maybe we should give him one," Olivia chimed in, making all eyes in the room shoot to her in shock and confusion. She glanced between them before shrugging, "I say…we give him the victim he really wants."
"Are you bloody insane?!" the Doctor snarled as everyone stared at her in disbelief.
"I'm used to being bait," she insisted.
"Not on my watch," he retorted.
"I'm afraid I have to agree with Olivia on this," Vastra chimed in, making him stare at her in disbelief. "He will be more inclined to try coming after Ms. Felton than anyone else. He may even go after you as well, Doctor."
The couple looked to Vastra in wonder as she stepped toward Jenny to take her arm and pull her toward Holmes where he stood with Olivia and the Doctor. Vastra stood Jenny and Holmes next to each other before glancing between them and Olivia and the Doctor then nodded in satisfaction.
"Yes, I do believe that will do quite nicely," she smiled, making the four frown and glance at each other. The Doctor and Holmes instantly realized what Vastra meant, but it took everyone else in the room a bit longer to figure it out as Vastra asked, "Mr. Holmes, might you show us where you keep the supplies for your disguises?"
"Right this way, Madame Vastra," Holmes smiled, leading her toward his room.
"Strax, take Jenny and Mrs. Hudson home as quickly as possible," Vastra ordered. "Jenny, find a dress that Olivia might wear and have Mrs. Hudson help you get dressed, then get back here as quickly as you can. Draw the curtains on the carriage so no one sees you and stop for no one."
Strax and Jenny obeyed without argument as Jenny waved at Mrs. Hudson to follow them. She looked to Watson, still sitting with Mary, who only nodded that she could go before she turned to follow the two toward the stairs. Vastra and Holmes made their way to his room as Olivia and the Doctor watched the room empty before looking to each other.
"Liv—"
"Oh, now what have I done?" she sighed, stepping toward one of the armchairs to sit, but he caught her wrist to pull her into his arms and hug her tightly, making her completely break down. Everything caught up to her as she began shaking with silent sobs, shuddering, "I was alright until now."
"I know," he whispered into her hair, hiding his face in the tousled locks of her raven hair. "Me too."
"So that's 'er Doctor, eh?" Mary smiled over her teacup, holding her saucer in the other hand as she and Watson watched the Doctor and Olivia embrace as if they were the only two in the universe. "Must be nice to love someone like that."
Watson looked to her in wonder at her solemn tone as she gaze into her teacup.
"You mean to tell me a beautiful woman such as yourself has never been in love?" he wondered in disbelief.
"In love? Aye," she nodded before looking back at the Doctor and Olivia just as they pulled back enough to kiss, deeply. "Been in love like that, and been loved back?"
Mary shook her head, turning her gaze back to her tea as Watson glanced at the Doctor pull Olivia toward an armchair, sitting in it before pulling Olivia into his lap to hug her again. Watson looked to the red-head again and place a gentle hand on her forearm with a warm smile which she met in wide-eyed surprise.
"Don't worry, my dear," he nodded, reassuringly. "I'm certain you'll find someone who sees how beautiful you are on the inside as well as the outside."
Mary's face turned almost as red as her hair as she swallowed hard then looked back at her now empty teacup.
"More tea?" he asked, to which she only nodded and he stood from the arm of the chair she sat in to reach for the teapot and serve her.
Olivia and the Doctor watched the two before she looked back at him, playing with the collar of his dark blue shirt.
"They make a nice couple," Olivia noticed, making him look at her with a chiding gaze and she rolled her eyes. "Time is in flux. We may save her before Talik can even think to get to her."
"You're right, time is in flux, but it also has a way of evening itself out," he reminded her in a hushed tone.
"Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Olivia replied, defiantly. "In the meantime, if she doesn't turn out to be the last victim, I know someone that can spare us a body to fake her death."
The Doctor frowned at her in disbelief and questioned, "How do you have a contact like that in the nineteenth century?!"
"Well…I know him, anyway," she shrugged before pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Try not to wrack your brain. You'll find out soon enough. Maybe we should find out what's taking Sherlock and Vastra so long."
"Alright," he sighed, but before releasing her, he pulled her back for a proper kiss, making her giggle as she pulled away and stood to drag him from the chair.
A/N: I'm sure you all know what's coming, but i'm gonna keep you in suspense anyway! lol! reviews?