The Doctor's Pardon

Nassau, Bahamas – 1718

The tavern was dimly lit and stank of stale rum and ale along with another few smells that Nell did not care to name. Seated at the far corner table with her back to the wall she had a full view of the room so that nobody could sneak up on her.

Nell had good reason to be alert, this was not a tavern she normally frequented and she did not know the clientele. She had a feeling however that at least some of clientele knew her, or perhaps they were intrigued to see a female in male attire. Occasionally men looked up and glanced in her direction, averting their gaze if Nell turned towards them. However, there was one watcher who did not seem to employ subtlety.

There was a man seated a few tables away who watched her and her drinking companion inquisitively. Nell gave the staring man a menacing scowl. The man, who had soft brown curls and a kind face simply smiled and winked at her.

"Bennet?"

Nell turned her attention away from the man and back to her drinking companion, an older man with mutton chop sideburns. "Hmm?"

"I've taken a big risk coming to speak to you Bennet" the man said reproachfully, "you could at least give me your full attention".

Nell gave the man an icy smile "yes of course Captain. What is it you want from me?"

"Take the King's pardon Bennet" the man replied taking a set of papers out of his coat, "leave this life behind. You can start anew. Find yourself a husband, start a family".

Nell gave a snort, "can you imagine me a dutiful little wife? I don't think so".

"If you don't want that, then sail in my crew again" the man said evenly, "you're a slight lass but you're an able sailor and worth at least ten men in a tight spot".

"Sail with you?" Nell snarled, "As a pirate hunter? Hunting down those we once called our friends? No Hornigold, you can keep your traitorous offers to yourself".

Captain Benjamin Hornigold, the pirate turned pirate hunter looked at Nell thoughtfully. "Thatch marooned you Bennet; you've no reason to be loyal to him".

"He did what was right by his code" Nell replied, "he-"

"Took the pardon" Hornigold interrupted her.

Nell looked at him sharply "what?"

"From Governor Eden" Hornigold told her.

"That snake!" Nell hissed through gritted teeth.

"Take the pardon Bennet" Hornigold repeated, almost pleadingly this time, "for once in your life, do the sensible thing".

Nell folded her arms and looked at Hornigold. She gave a slow shake of her head and a wan smile. "I don't know that I can. Perhaps I'm not intended for a different life. I'm sure there's already a place set aside for me in Hell".

The Captain shook his in dismay "and you'll be there soon enough you foolish, bull-headed child. I had hoped I could convince you otherwise. I had hoped to save you".

Nell gave him a small grim smile "no you dammed me when put a cutlass in my hand". She put her hands on the table and leaned forward. "Does it keep you awake at night?" she asked, nose to nose with the Captain, "remembering that you turned a little stowaway girl into a murderous pirate?"

Hornigold flinched "of course it does, but I am not the same person I was back then. I am trying to atone for my sins".

Nell stood up and pushed the chair back "Repent all you want Hornigold, but you cannot save me".

"I see that now" Hornigold said softly, "I'm sorry Bennet". He made a strange movement with his hand and instantly several men stood up in the tavern drawing their swords.

Nell cursed, soldiers disguised in plain clothes! Damn, Hornigold was clever! She reached for her pistols.

"Excuse me!" All heads turned to the sound of the voice, a puzzled frown came over Nell's face. It was the man with the soft brown curls. He pushed through the soldiers waving a piece of paper in the air as he did.

"I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding" he said holding the paper in front of Hornigold's face, "the young lady has already taken the King's pardon, see?"

Frowning, Hornigold looked at the paper as did Nell. It was with some surprise that Nell saw it was indeed a pardon with her own clumsy signature on it, how could that be? Hornigold looked suspiciously at the man "who are you?"

"Me?" the man asked cheerfully, "I'm just a concerned citizen". The man tucked the paper back into his coat pocket.

"Now" he said to the stunned Captain as he clapped a hand on Nell's shoulder, "seeing as everything is in order, we should be leaving. Shouldn't we, Miss Bennet?"

The man gave Nell's shoulder a gentle squeeze. She looked at Hornigold with a forced smile "goodbye Captain Hornigold".

Slowly the man and Nell turned and moved towards the door.

"Do you think we got away with that?" the man whispered, his hand still on Nell's shoulder. "Not a chance in hell" Nell murmured as Hornigold called out "stop right there!"

"Right" said the man, "run!"

Nell burst through the tavern door out on to the street with the man close behind her.

"This way!" the man said grabbing Nell's hand and pulling her down a narrow street. They rounded a corner and came to a dead end, which housed a strange blue wooden box. Taking a key from his pocket the man unlocked the door, "come along, we can evade them in here".

"Are you mad?" Nell cried, "we'll be trapped in there!" The man grinned "trust me, we won't". He opened the door and stepped inside. Curious, and with no other option Nell followed him into the box and gasped in shock as she did "it's bigger on the inside!"

The man smiled "if I had a penny for every time I heard that one". He clicked his fingers and the door closed behind Nell, she looked at it and then turned around in a full circle, taking in the view of console room. Her eyes came to rest on the man who was now standing at the console. He pulled a lever and Nell watched the shaft in the middle of the room pulse. "Is this magic?" she asked, "Are you a sorcerer?"

The man gave a slight shake of his head "magic is just science that we don't understand yet, as a nice fellow I met once said - or will say perhaps? It is rather hard to keep track".

"And the pardon?" Nell asked, "It must have been a forgery but it was perfect, down to my mark".

The man grinned "clever wasn't it?" He took a small black wallet from his pocket and handed it to Nell.

"This is what you saw" he explained as Nell opened the wallet to reveal a blank piece of paper, "the paper is slightly psychic, people generally see it as whatever I want them to see".

Nell turned the wallet over in her hands. "Imagine how much people would pay for an item like this" she murmured, "gold, silver, precious jewels... I could name whatever price I cared to".

With lightning speed the man snatched the paper out of her hands. "It is not for sale" he said looking at the young pirate disapprovingly, "and you ought to be ashamed, there is more to life than gold".

Nell shrugged "says a man who I expect doesn't need it". "Nor do I want it" the man told her, "it does not lead to happiness, perhaps one day you will understand that". He walked towards Nell and gestured to the front door "shall we?"

"Hornigold and his men could be out there" Nell said warily. The man gave her a charming smile "I rather doubt it". He led Nell back outside the TARDIS and the girl blinked and rubbed her eyes.

They were no longer in the alley. Instead they stood on a quiet, secluded strip of beach. Looking in amazement at the blue box, Nell walked around the outside, peering through its front door as she completed her circle.

Nell turned to the man; her eyes full of both suspicion and wonder "who are you? What are you?"

"I'm the Doctor" the Doctor said with a smile. Suddenly there was a shrill scream from somewhere down the beach.

The Doctor looked in the direction of the scream and then turned back to Nell "and I'm someone who runs towards trouble rather than away from it".

"Tell me Miss Bennet" he asked at the girl, who was already holding both her pistols with grim determination, "which direction do you run?"