As soon as the barrier dropped the Doctor rushed forwards. The smell of the acid blood hit him full force, instantly telling him what it was. He stared at Elizabeth's burning flesh for a moment, running his fingers through his hair.
"What does she need Doctor?"
He barely glanced at Kathryn as he started going through his trench coat pockets. "I've got some of what I need, always carry a bit, but I need to get back to the TARDIS."
"Just fly her in."
The Doctor paused in pulling his hand from his pocket. "You want me to land a Type-40 in the middle of a lawn?"
"Doctor, these people have just seen a dullahan. Jonathan is dead and Elizabeth soon will be. Fly her in!"
By local time, the Doctor was back almost as soon as he'd left. After landing the TARDIS just inside the woods where it wouldn't really be seen, he came flying from the doors, a large jar of pink something in his hand. He dropped next to Elizabeth and started applying it. Guests were already starting to leave, likely under Kathryn's direction. He glanced up at Kathryn and then had to do a double take. Maybe it was more fear of her than obedience.
She looked horrific. Her skirt had been half torn off in the fight, and her jeans were a wreck. The bodice of the dress was in tatters. Purple blood covered her, but her sleeve was soaked with it. Weird, nearly fluorescent orange pus oozed from the wound. All over her there were almost smoking holes where the acid was trying to burn through, her ability to stand solely based on her ability to absorb energy.
Kathryn's green eyes nearly glowed, but it was a sickening glow. Something about what had happened was affecting her hearts deeply.
The Doctor felt his arm grabbed and he was pulled upright and spun around. Mr. Dixon was glaring at him, looking murderous.
"Who exactly are you, Doctor? You show up from nowhere, bring that—that—creature you call a niece with you, and now I've lost my son to another beast!"
Mr. Dixon was seized and yanked to the side. The Doctor turned in time to see Kathryn pushing his back against a tree, her arm pressed hard against his throat.
"You'll lose your daughter if you get in the Doctor's way, Dixon," she hissed. "And if I see you touch him again I'll—"
"Kathryn!"
Kathryn stayed where she was for a moment, then released Mr. Dixon and turned to the Doctor. He stared at her, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu from when she'd brandished a knife at him two days ago, when he had been the enemy.
"Kathryn, I want you to walk up to where we first landed. I'll bring the TARDIS back when I'm finished."
She nodded slightly and left.
The Doctor opened the TARDIS door once he'd landed again. Kathryn was standing, waiting for him.
"How's Elizabeth?"
"She'll live. You need to stop attacking people."
"Fine. Let me in, I need to take a shower, and then we need to find out where that headless creep went."
The Doctor stepped out, shutting the door behind him and leaning on it. "I'm serious Kathryn. I don't know or very much care what sort of life you led or how you acted when you were human, but the violence has to go. You're more dangerous now than you ever were. You can't lose it like that, whatever the circumstances."
"So I should have left Elizabeth alone?"
"No," the Doctor corrected. "You shouldn't have attacked Mr. Dixon. He hadn't done anything. As to the dullahan, you try speaking first."
"Elizabeth would have died!" Kathryn protested.
"People die Kathryn," the Doctor answered coldly. "It happens. Protecting yes. Attacking no. We clear on this?"
"Sure. Don't eat anyone and no handshakes."
The Doctor fixed her with a look. "Close enough. Now let me see your arm."
Kathryn glanced down at the infection. "Meh. I've been working on it while I waited. Lot of sunlight around here. It's good."
"No it's not. Let me see your arm."
Kathryn rolled her eyes but held her arm out. The Doctor pulled out the same goo he'd used on Elizabeth and started cleaning Kathryn's arm.
"How'd you get through that force field?" the Doctor asked.
"I don't know," Kathryn responded. "I just went through it."
"Hmmm. Must be from the energy absorption," the Doctor mused. "You just take it in, it wouldn't hurt and it wouldn't stop you. Might come in handy someday."
"Where did it come from anyway? And the storm!"
"I get the feeling that our two ghoul friends have atmospheric manipulators. The power for the force field would have been generated by the lightning. Helps with the general mood of fear."
Kathryn was quiet. "Doctor, have you ever frightened people?"
"Too often," he answered softly.
"Has it ever been a constant fear?"
"Depends on what race you speak to, Kathryn. I've met a lot of people in 900 years."
"They were terrified."
"Who?" the Doctor asked, finishing the treatment. The wound started to close, the acid removed.
"The guests." Kathryn watched the bite heal. "The Dixons. The servants."
"One of their legends came to life and killed a man, and then nearly destroyed a child. Of course they were scared."
Kathryn looked up at the Doctor. "Not of the dullahan. They were scared of me. It's been a while since people have stared at me like that." Her gaze lost its focus. "Come to think of it, they never really stopped."
She refocused on the Doctor. "So what's the goop?" Kathryn took the jar from him, looking at it.
"A neutralizer," he explained. "The acid was something called Byxzine. It attaches itself to the cells and multiples, like bacteria. In the end, it ends up ripping a person apart inside out, using their cells to do it. Most people would be dead in less than a minute, but your supply of life is rather limitless."
"So how did Elizabeth make it?"
"She's not a very healthy child. Oddly enough, the stronger someone is, the faster they die."
Kathryn shuddered. "Okay, I'm using the rest of this on my other acid burns. However, first I need a shower. So please shift."
The Doctor smiled slightly and reopened the TARDIS door. Kathryn swept inside, looking perfectly confident in herself. The Doctor watched her back for a moment, then spoke out.
"Are you alright?"
She turned around, giving him a strange look. "Yeah, I'm fine," Kathryn said slowly. "Why?"
"Just checking," the Doctor covered for himself. "It's your first major injury since shifting back into your Jahra physicality."
"I'm good, thanks." She shot him another odd look before disappearing down the hall. The Doctor leaned on the door frame, staring into the empty console room.
"Scared of her….who's the 'they' that never stopped?" he mused to himself. "Gun in the locker…" The Doctor sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if I don't choose my friends carefully enough."
Kathryn came back out dressed in her usual outfit of long-sleeved shirt, jeans, and gloves. She was completely healed, not even a scar to show what she'd done.
"How common are Jahra?" she asked the Doctor. He looked up from whatever it was he was doing and she smirked.
"You wear glasses?" she teased, lifting her eyebrows. "Seriously?"
"What's wrong with glasses?" he defended himself.
"Yeah, I suppose at your age it's common," she shrugged. "So. How common are Jahra?"
"Extremely," the Doctor answered immediately. "Every famous person has been replaced at some point in their lives by a Jahra clone, and then a good deal of people who aren't special according to history books have also been traded out. Why do you ask?"
"Headless man knew I was a Jahra. Mentioned something about coming back to finish off Elizabeth and returning me to my 'creators.'"
"That's going to cause problems."
"No kidding." Kathryn looked over the Doctor's shoulder. "What are you doing?"
The Doctor held up a pair of tweezers. They were clutching a long, thin black line.
"Pencil lead?"
"A dart, Kathryn," the Doctor corrected. "You noticed that the dullahan snapped that rather repulsive whip of his just before Jonathan collapsed? I think that this—" he gestured to the dart "—was the reason. I found in Jonathan's jugular vein."
"Whip cracks, dart flies. Name called, person dies."
"Rather vulgar rhyme, but something like that, yeah."
Kathryn blinked. "Can't say much for the results, but wow that guy has an aim."
"Unfortunately." The Doctor straightened. "Ready to face the family?"
"Are they ready for me?"
"Kathryn…"
"I'll be good. But if he doesn't let me see Elizabeth, I'm just going to climb in through the window."
The Doctor smiled. "I'll keep it in mind." His expression turned serious. "You're certain you're alright?"
Kathryn gave him an odd look. "Are you feeling alright? I haven't exactly known you for that long, but you don't seem like the person to be worried."
"Oh, lots of things worry me, Kathryn."
"Well I'm fine, so can we please go now?"
Rather than waiting for the answer, she went for the front door of TARDIS. The Doctor followed close behind, running into her when she stopped suddenly.
"What—ah. I see."
Kathryn nodded slightly. "Unexpected."
"Rather."
"Convenient."
"Very."
The banshee and the dullahan looked at them steadily. "We came to talk."
*Constructive criticism welcome, praise happily accepted, flames not wanted*