Here's dragora-kun!
OK So now it's my go to write the next chapter! Brace yourselves guys! Angsting on its way, ok so I won't be sticking completely to true history, gotta shake things up a bit you know?
Anyway try and enjoy ^_^
America leaned on the console looking at all the buttons and levers, how the Doctor knew how to drive this thing he didn't know, but he knew he could do it to! Though not right now, they were landing after all. He looked oddly interested when he heard their next stop.
Romano on the other hand looked frustrated "Fuck the frog legged bastard! We should go find Spain!" he shouted. He stamped his foot childishly, the usual frown on his face.
The Doctor seemed less than surprised by the outburst but tapped the screen shrugging "There is nothing I can do about the order I find you all, the TARDIS knows what she's doing" he stated simply. Romano kicked a nearby box which sent over a box of junk metal scattering around the floor.
"Hey! Take it easy dude! You almost got me with that spinny thing!" he said jumping out of the way.
The Doctor sighed and picked up the 'spinny thing' that had rolled past America, "This is a hub cap America, and kicking things won't help, we are here anyway so relax and just come on" He said, a little sterner then before.
Roman grumbled in mild protest, he supposed the sooner they found the Frenchman the quicker they could get on with finding Spain. As the Doctor approached the doors America followed close by, the thrill of adventure still with him somehow.
"Hey dude I remember hearing France boast about his place ages ago, he said it was like all pretty and flowery and stuff" he said, his eyes still filled with an odd childish wonder, though frustrating for most people, it certainly wasn't a bad trait to have.
The Doctor frowned "Well conside-" he was cut off by a Romano storming past him and pushing the doors open
"Let's just go already!" he said walking out onto the ground.
America just stared at his surroundings with confusion, not what he had expected at all.
(French) "Francis! Francis open the door! Wake up you layabout!" cried a female voice, it was like a ringing sound to France's ears. He groaned and sat up rubbing his head, he was home on his bed. Wait, was this home? France looked around, it was smaller than his home…wait no, this definitely was his home. He looked down at himself, young and still in his white shirt and brown work trousers. He hadn't dressed before passing out asleep again, goodness he knew he'd get a lecture from… wait, who would he get a lecture from? France rubbed his head, why did it hurt so much? "FRANCIS!" cried the enraged voice again.
Jumping and falling clean off the bed with a thump, France groaned and stood up "Who ze hell is zat?" he questioned himself, he was confused to why he didn't know, a part of him knew but it was like the name was clouded from his memory. He went to open the door but it rattled and stood in place, locks adorned the door and France had to undo four different locks. 'Why am I so well locked in?' he wondered.
"Hurry up! I am still stood out here!" shouted the voice again.
France blinked and opened the door after undoing the locks, his entire body froze up "Joan, I…" his mouth was agape his entire body wanted to fall to the ground.
Joan blinked "What? You didn't forget did you?" she said walking past him without a second thought. France turned a little slower 'of course Joan… I was supposed to… I was supposed to…' he couldn't remember, he was racking his brain but something was making it completely shut down.
Joan stood there looking at him, her eyes changed from infuriated to those soft eyes he loved so much. "Francis is there something wrong?" she asked looking at him.
France couldn't do or think of anything, he just moved forward and wrapped his arms around her tightly.
Joan blinked and looked at him "Francis?" France didn't know what was wrong, something inside of him told him that he couldn't let go, that if he did he'd regret it forever. But this feeling was soon snapped as Joan pushed him away ever so gently, "Francis are you drunk or something?" she said crossing her arms, her voice turning sterner. She was wearing a dress, an ordinary farming dress, for work mostly but he did so love her in it, nothing regal or fancy, she didn't need it. "Francis" she snapped watching his eyes as the seemed to look her up and down and then he shook himself out of it
"Désolé, I have been just stressed I suppose, I feel like the world has stopped" he said looking out the window frowning.
Joan moved behind him, her voice clear and confident, "Don't think like that Francis, we can do this. We have pushed back much of the English already." a triumphant smile adorning her lips.
France rubbed his head "Can we go outside for a breath of air… I just need to walk" he said and Joan nodded and followed him out.
America couldn't believe it "But… he said it was always so beautiful…"
The Doctor sighed "It was, at one point… but after the English moved in they destroyed the fields to try and starve out the resistance."
America looked over the barren, burnt land with wide eyes "But he deserved this?" he questioned looking over at the Doctor who only glanced at America
"Well, that… like all wars can be very much argued America ..." America looked towards the land again, not the answer he had wanted to hear. There was a horrid twist in his stomach though; England had never done anything like this to him, could England be this ruthless?
Romano grumbled again "Well, at least it's warmer here, can we get on with this!" he shouted walking ahead, not giving them room to argue, though neither of them felt the need to. The Doctor just shrugged and walked after them.
They reached a small mound where a tree stood alone and mighty, surrounded by a small amount of grass. Something he didn't see often, but he still felt like something was deadly wrong, like every one of his senses could feel danger. He kept shrugging it off; it was making him feel sick. He fell to a lying position beneath the shade of the tree and she sat beside him, she looked at him with a worried look
"Are you getting sick?" she asked but france shook his head and smiled at her
"It's nothing, mon cheri… I am just … I do not know actually it is confusing"
She leant on her arms and nodded "If so then you may keep it to yourself… The troops are ready, we leave in two hours,. It took a while but I pushed myself in so they would finally tell me something! It worked and now we just need this final push and we'll finally be in calmer waters" she said her eyes glittering with excitement and courage. France suddenly though his heart was going to beat out of his chest.
"You can't!" he shouted sitting up; his heart hurting as it beat hard against his chest and he had his fists clenched.
She just stared at him; the glittering stopped and was replaced with confusion "What are you talking about? This was the plan… you were excited yesterday" she said looking a little aggravated. Francis didn't understand why, he didn't know why he had shouted, she was right, he was all for this. She was amazing and had gotten them this far, nothing could happen to change that-
'No, something does, did change…' he grabbed his head in pain. "Gah, this headache!" he nearly shouted. She sighed and touched his forehead with her hand
"You have no fever, you need more sleep, Come on we will head back" she went to stand but he grabbed her hand staring up at her, deep into her eyes. "Francis, what?" she said looking back at him, those words were in the back of his throat but his mouth wouldn't move, nothing but breath after breath came out and she slipped through his hand 'I love you', it rang clear in his mind but never reached the air "Come now, we have to go, we must be ready for the offensive tomorrow" she said with a small smile.
"But… that is still three hours away can we not… just enjoy ourselves" he said looking up to her.
She looked at him and he waited for a curt nod and that beautiful smile to make him feel at ease, his dreams were crumbled as she shook her head "You can stay here but I must go and prepare. I will come to get you when it is time and then we can pick up the troops oui?" she said smiling and before France had a chance to say another word, she was gone. Walking with a beauty that no one could master; However as her beautiful face disappeared from sight, he felt despair set in and he just sat there, he didn't understand why he felt like this was the end.
"Maybe I am just scared… oui, zat has to be it" he went to stand when he heard voices and froze, he didn't recognise the voices at first but he did recognise one, it was Italian. Just the accent brought back painful days of Rome and immediately he squashed against the tree peeking around to see the strangers in sight. He recognised the voice but not the face, both Italy and Romano were still only children nowhere near that size and the other two, he didn't know but they spoke English and immediately he was alert. He stood there and waited, they hadn't spotted him, one was obnoxious and his English was unlike what he had heard and the Italian had a temper, while the one that actually did sound English seemed proper and knew what he was doing, either way they could be spying! Though if they were… they really sucked at it, they were being so damn loud! As they approached France reached into his pocket holding his breath, he did not look around and when he saw an arm he grabbed and pulled the male against his chest revealing a pen knife and holding it to the captive's throat.
"HOLY HELL!" screamed a whining crying Romano. France kept his grip; he glared at other two, the ones that he was most suspicious of. Luckily Francis had learnt English due to living with the other for such a long time, however that really didn't help
"Who are you? What are you doing around here?" he asked with his strong accent that seemed stronger then America had ever heard.
Romano was shaking and staring at the knife that was gliding to his throat "HELP ME!" he shouted only squeaking into silence when Francis pushed the knife down slightly, not drawing blood however.
America had never seen the Frenchman so… animalistic, like a backed up animal he was watching there every move, every twitch. Francis saw them as strangers but as he looked at his captive he squinted his eyes slightly, the man really did look like Romano, had the same attitude as well but Francis shook his head concentrating on the other two. However he couldn't shake the feeling he knew them, it didn't make sense; an Italian and two English speaking men walking through what of France he owned without a care, they didn't seem armed either; it was baffling to the Frenchman.
America, being the big mouthed dolt that he was, took a step making the Frenchman tighten his hold, "Hey dude, don't you know me?"
The Doctor hit America over the back of the head whispering "Of course he does no-" he was interrupted by France, but what he said for a moment made him stop
"Am-er-i-ca" he sounded out like he was spelling in his head. France looked baffled by his own words but America just nodded
"Yeh dude that's it!" he said grinning "Alright it is France! Come on lets get him back, yo dude you can let go of Romano, nice try you almost had me, pretending not to know us-"
"America be quiet!" The Doctor cut in, trying to shut him up
France was staring at them but he was plain confused, the American's speech was so bad he could barely understand what he was saying, he knew English but this man was speaking with something else mixed in, like a shoddy version. "I do not know you… that word just came into my head, now explain yourselves why are you here… how do you know me? Are you spies for zat bastard?" he eyes glared at them before they finally rested on the shaking Italian. "No… you couldn't be… Romano… you couldn't be... him" he said staring down at Romano.
The Doctor figured they had to find him some way, so at least they knew where he was "Please Francis, we need to talk to you… we are not here to cause you harm, I am not with the army that has turned this once beautiful land into a waste land". The eyes staring at him were untrusting however Francis felt like the Doctor was trustworthy, something was right about this man, something that fit and didn't seem dangerous, yet seemed out of place.
"Who are you?" Francis asked the Doctor, their eyes connected showing the honesty in the Doctor's eyes.
The Doctor smiled "I am the Doctor "
Francis sighed "My English iz not zat bad, I asked WHO you are not WHAT you do" he said irritably.
The Doctor laughed, feeling relief as he felt the TARDIS' translator circuits finally click into gear. He switched his dialect into French and began to speak "(French) I apologise I should have spoken French sooner, my name is the Doctor, just the Doctor, we are not here to cause anymore harm. You can feel it, can you not? You do not belong here, you know you do not. All we need you to do is come with us" he smiled, America stared at the doctor and then at Francis. Francis' grip had loosened considerably, English soldiers didn't know French like that, never that fluent either. Everything the Doctor had said was right and he let go of the knife, allowing it to fall to the floor, he did not belong there and he did know it. The feelings he was having, he couldn't ignore them. Romano ran out of the Frenchman's grasp shaking, and he didn't turn around until he was behind America.
Francis gritted his teeth and before another word could be spoken he ran. The Doctor's eyes widened, he was sure Francis had seen sense!
"Quickly, we cannot lose him!" but even as he spoke France was disappearing from sight. He ran towards a bunch of abandoned and destroyed buildings, climbing through a window and disappearing completely. The Doctor looked through the window but it was too late, there was no sign of him. The Frenchman would know this area like the back of his hand, there was no chance of a chase! "Damn it! We need to find him, we need to-" he turned as he realised something was wrong. The two he was supposed to be talking to were not there! He rubbed his head and jogged back the way he came and as he had guessed the two of them were stood there, Romano still holding his throat and America…being America. "What part of 'we can not lose him' did you two not understand!" he asked frustratedly.
America smiled "I thought you got it, didn't realise it was so hard that you would need the hero's help" he said looking at Romano who still hadn't gotten over his ordeal
"I could have died! Thanks for the fucking sympathy you bastards!" he shouted
Through the window, down an alley cut through the back fields, well, what used to be fields. There were no fields nearby anymore; he did miss laying there with his beloved. He shook his head; it was really hurting, like it was burning. He couldn't ignore this feeling anymore he had to do something! He just couldn't put his finger on what! He hadn't stopped running but his legs had quickly carried him to his home. He saw the small cottage like building, the only place that seemed safe in such a time, but he saw a boy? No… not a boy, it was Joan, she was already here! He stopped as he got to Joan, she was in front of his door and looked a little mad
"I thought I would get here early, why are you not getting ready?" she asked, the ordinary farming dress was gone and cold sharp armour now hugged her body, why did he think such horrible things about the clothing that would protect her? Maybe because deep down he knew, it would do a bad job. He had just been staring, he hadn't yet said a word, his heart beating in his mouth again with panic but it wasn't for himself, for once he felt like he might scream and cry and break down.
"Joan… I….I…" those words again trapped in his throat, it was like he was not meant to say them, and maybe he wasn't.
Joan's look hardened "Francis, we have no time for you to daydream! Come on, we have to get you ready before they get here! She pushed open his door which he apparently forgot to lock and walked inside "Where do you keep your armour Francis?" she asked as Francis followed with slow unsteady steps
"In the…" Where did he keep his armour? In his room of course "ze basement" he found himself saying, without a second thought she nodded and was down the stairs in the dark basement
"Where about is it Franci- FRANCIS!" she screamed as the door shut and clicked. The basement was now pitch black and France stood against the door, his body was shaking, panting heavily
"D…desole" he whispered feeling like he might cry. What had he done!
A constant array of swear words were the only things heard as the Doctor pretty much pulled along a shivering Romano and an idiotically childish America who was still claiming 'It was not the hero's fault'. The Doctor came up onto a high hill, it was a bit of a trek but they made it, below he could hear cries of horses and shouts of men. He looked on at the clash below, the clash that was getting closer but had not yet started, they were close enough to see faces but thankfully not close enough to be seen. He slowly descended down the hill and glanced at his watch just kind of expecting the other two to fall down at there own pace however when he turned around Romano was cursing and slipping every few steps and America… was still at the top on a phone. The Doctor sighed
"America hurry up!" he called but America just waved his hand, a confused and frustrated look on his face and the doctor jogged back up not taking long to run out of breath and get beside him "W...what is it America? Is it Canada?" he panted and America again just waved his hand
"Mattie? Mattie I can't understand a damn word you are saying dude! Quit it, it's annoying, you sound like the frog it's kind of weird" he said.
The Doctor tensed immediately snatching the phone, beginning to speak French, America just stared as, to the Doctor's disbelief Matthew kept asking why his brother was speaking so weird, unable to understand English anymore. The Doctor hung up the phone.
"He's done something… that idiot has done something!" he said tossing the phone through the air to America, who only just caught it,
"What are you talking about, Doc?" he said, placing the phone back in his pocket. He was lost, not that it was anything knew. The Doctor had a bad hunch about what had happened and he looked over the troops, they still had two hours till the time of the fight, if his internal clock was right.
"Wait, where is Joan? She was known for doing a long speech before the fight and was always at the field with her troops… that's it!" he said clicking his fingers. "That idiot…America wait here, I need to find out where France lives" he began to take off his coat and untuck his shirt, quickly making his way down, looking a little less gentlemen like now. America stood there bewildered and picked up the Doctor's coat looking it over, he then grinned and taking off his awesome jacket, put on the English looking one
"Oh quite yes" he said putting on a really lame British accent, Romano had been stood at the bottom and was making his way back up, but seeing the American he just stopped and stared
"You're a fucking idiot" he said flatly looking back over, watching the Doctor approach some marching French soldiers, Romano figured the Doctor must have given up and decided to commit suicide "Bastard" he muttered and sat down in the grass.
"Francis, open this door now!" she screamed in French and after taking at least 30 minutes to get up the stairs in the pitch black, had proceeded to hit the door. Where was France? He had gone upstairs to get his armour and weapon, his stomach was swimming and he was sure he was going to be sick. He knew what he was doing, he was stopping it from happening, he couldn't watch it twice, his heart couldn't take it. There was no buts or ifs, he wouldn't stand by and let it happen! He sheathed his sword and adjusted the armour glancing at the mirror as he passed; his hair up, fear on his face, anger in his eyes. He was ready, he went to the basement door, the banging had continued, she was still screaming, but he couldn't even explain, she could never know. He touched the door and closed his eyes
"Desole… but I can not let you fight" he murmured barely audible by her or anyone. He then went outside to saddle the horse but was met by a sight he did not want to see "You again!" he snarled and without hesitation unsheathed his sword "Go away, I have a battle to fight" he glared at the three. Romano leapt back a mile and was still backing away whereas America stayed next to the Doctor who looked at Francis coolly, unbothered by the steel pointing straight his chest.
"I know she is in there, you can not keep her here-"
"Shut up!" snarled France in response to the doctor "You know nothing, I will not let her go just to fight to her death! It's not right!" he said glaring at the Doctor, but the Doctor took it all without a flinch
"You see it, don't you? You see her face every time you shut your eyes in this place? You can not change time, without her the universe with relapse on itself, everyone will be destroyed now and forever… what about Matthew, he is young as well, is it fair if he is destroyed?"
Francis just stared, what the Doctor was saying was right, he knew it. The blade shook gently as his hand shook, "You do not have to watch France, only let time have its way, she would never forgive you if you stopped her, you know that" France just looked at him then sheathed his sword
"Go around back… I will… let her go" he said turning away, a frown on his face, was he crying? They couldn't see properly but the doctor would not pry, that wasn't fair. France walked back into the house, the thumping on the door had slowed down but was still going on, he took a deep breath and undid the lock, she came barrelling out of the door and was caught by France, she fell into his arms and she stared up at him before she started to beat his chest
"What the hell were you doing!" she screeched but before she could continue he forced his lips onto hers
"Desole mon cheri… I… I was wrong" he whispered to her, she just kind of stared a little shocked,
"F…Francis we're going to be late, come on. I left the troops there alone to get you" he said, a blush spreading across her cheeks and she headed out to get her horse as well
"I will meet you there… just be careful" he said as she went out the front door.
He headed for the back door, unfortunately they were there.
"It is done" he said looking away with angry eyes, he let time win, but it did not mean he was happy about it. The Doctor just smiled and nodded
"Thank you… but we must go, please follow me, we're not far" he said and walked on.
America and Romano had walked fast on ahead, America was on the phone to Matthew telling him how daft he sounded only speaking French, Matthew obviously having no idea what America was on about. But the doctor was slower, watching France who was walking behind them. The look on his face was heartbroken, no one could blame him, he'd lost her again but the other him still had to do it once.
The blue box came into view and it didn't take long before France was on the floor, holding his stomach like he was going to puke. He looked like he was sweating and the images were starting to split, Francis young and older were finally splitting, one in armour, the other in his military clothes. The process was less then comfortable and the doctor shouted for Romano to come and help him drag the man into the TARDIS, he was awake but dazed, like he'd been hit with a frying pan. France looked terrible and the Doctor sat him on a chair in the TARDIS but when France got slightly more awake he hit the Doctor's hand checking his temperature away
"Just leave me be" he said sourly turning away from them. He was in no mood to talk it seemed, the Doctor sighed but nodded, he then moved over to the control panel and the familiar whirring sound occurred.
Romano moved to the doctor and crossed his arms "OK so we got the frog, now can we go and get Spain!"
The Doctor looked sick of saying it but did so again "I can not choose the order in which I fin-"
" I DON'T GIVE A CRAP" he snapped and the Doctor just sighed
"we will see Romano" was all he could think of saying as the blue box went back through time once again.
"Ugh, what hit me?" he muttered rubbing his head. Francis looked left to right looking completely confused, looking down at himself then the sun he gasped "Oh goodness I must go, Joan is going to start without me!" he thought running back the way he had came, not that he knew how he got there.
So this is back! Hope you enjoyed dragora-kun's chapter, if so go check out her stuff (Especially if you like Yu-Gi-Oh!)
I'm writing again for the next chapter (So my other fic may slow down now) all I'm gonna say is that it is a time period covered in official strips this time!
Also, Doctor Who is back (on British TV at least...idk if everyone else has to wait :/ ) and well...it's certainly looking like it's going to be explosive!