A/N: Haha, how much did The Next Doctor rawk? James Bond x5!

This is for Leticia... with an accent :D

Again with the plot building thing. (Shakes fist) Hate it... it's so dull!

Chapter 7 – The Cunning Persuasion of Captain Jack

Over the next week, the Doctor slowly began to get better.

The entire village seemed to perceive him as some kind of God anyway, Donna had observed. They left items at the doorstep of Martin's house – food, gifts – as 'offerings' to help him. He of course politely rejected them, giving them to Father Larec to dispense to the poorer families amongst the community. Martin and Elizabeth had given him round the clock care, even little Joshua entertaining him in the long, dull hours of the afternoon.

Not another word had been said about the Doctor's previous visit, and Donna's curiosity was understandably peaked. So many questions… but he still wasn't ready to answer them. Oh well, she'd get it out of him eventually. Donna Noble always did.

One night, Donna walked into the bedroom to find the Doctor had disappeared, the bed sheets scattered with Larec's remedies left abandoned on the side. She huffed a sigh, more angry than worried as she turned and exited the house, smiling to Elizabeth on the way.

She eventually found him in a grass field adjacent to the house, lying on his back with his good arm behind his head, staring at the night sky. Joshua was beside him mimicking his pose, giggling periodically at things the Doctor was saying. Donna smiled, moving forward towards them quietly, their conversation gradually getting more decipherable.

"It's complicated…" the Doctor's voice came.

"But how?" Joshua was asking.

"Very complicated."

"How?" Joshua demanded to know.

The Doctor sighed, turning over to look at the boy and propped up on his good arm, with his bad arm in a sling across his chest.

"At the centre of your planet, Earth, there's a…"

"Your," Joshua repeated.

The Doctor looked surprised. "What?"

"You said your," Joshua stated, "your planet."

"So?"

"Like it s'not your planet," Joshua said, eyes wide.

The Doctor considered him for a moment. "And if it isn't?"

Joshua's grin said it all. He turned back to the star-ridden sky and looked pointedly at the stars above. "Which one's yours?"

The Doctor smiled, turning back over onto his back. "Y'know what Joshua? This could be the start of beautiful friendship."

Joshua giggled again as Donna moved forward, dropping to sit down next to their heads.

"Havin' fun?" she asked, and both boys were instantly startled by the sound of her voice.

"The Doctor was telling me 'bout the lights in the sky 'n stuff," Joshua said. "We're made of dust from the lights, Donna!"

"Really?" Donna asked, feigning surprise. "Blimey!"

The Doctor was grinning again. "Anyway, it's getting late, you should get to bed."

Joshua pulled a face. "Don't sleep anyway."

"C'mon, else your father'll be getting worried," the Doctor said, pushing himself to his feet and taking Joshua's hand, pulling the reluctant boy upright. "And trust me, you don't wanna be in the same room when he gets mad."

Joshua giggled. "He never gotted mad with me."

"Good," the Doctor said with a genuine smile.

Flashback…

For the next few weeks the Doctor, Jack and Rose played their parts in the treatment of the wounded and the rebuilding of the village. The fires had since died, but the villagers refused to let their spirit die with them and soon everyone was helping in the efforts, turning to the Doctor, Rose and Jack for guidance.

With the effort of the villagers houses were rebuilt in hours, even better than they had been before. The work only stopped for Father Jace's sermon on Sunday, who was seemingly unperturbed by the number of injured people still in his church.

No one had yet died, due to the three travellers' efforts; they had not relented in their hard work and politely refused any gifts of gratitude offered by the villagers. They truly were Gods.

Two weeks after the raid, repair work was finally finished. The village had been completely rebuilt, and all the while Matthew Malum looked on, disgust awash on his face. The Doctor watched him for a moment, frowning, before Martin noticed.

"He has not said a word since the incident in the church," Martin murmured lowly to him. "It's very sad. He has been so deeply affected."

"By what?" the Doctor asked, Rose joining the conversation as she slipped her arm through his. "The plague?"

"Yes." Martin nodded. "It took his wife and two young children, but somehow he did not die himself. It destroyed him, he has not been himself since."

The Doctor nodded, watching Matthew as he sneered one last time at the new buildings and turned, limping away. He swivelled his head to look at Martin, smiling fully.

"How's Elizabeth?"

Martin returned the smile. "She is fine, physically recovered. But the trauma has affected her mind badly."

"And what about you?"

Martin sighed to himself. "I am a toy maker, Doctor. All the children of the village are like sons and daughters to me."

"A toy maker without his own child to make toys for," Rose reiterated.

"Mondrith's intention," Martin replied simply. "Thank you for a kind ear, Doctor, Rose. I must finished my work before the gathering tonight."

"Gathering?" the Doctor echoed to Rose as Martin disappeared around the corner.

"There's a party tonight!" Rose grinned up at him. "For rebuilding the village."

He beamed. "Aww, brilliant! A party in the Middle Ages!"


The music from the fiddles and makeshift instruments was definitely to be expected of the times.

In the evening air people were dancing and singing, seemingly not caring for their dignity as ale sloshed about in tankards from their hands, the substance spilling both on themselves, other people and the ground. On a nearby wooden table Rose, Jack and the Doctor were sat, Jack happily swigging from another tankard overflowing with ale.

"Sure you don't want one, Doc?" he was saying with a charismatic smile.

"Human drinks are pathetic," the Doctor was saying, nose in the air. "They're weak and taste awful."

"You're scared, arentcha?" Jack challenged, taking another swig. "The Doctor's scared! The Doctor's scaaaared!"

"I am not!" the Doctor insisted, arms folded in indignation. Jack merely raised an eyebrow, turning to direct his pearly-white smile at Rose.

"Well Rose, since we've discovered your Time Lord is a lightweight wimp…" He gave her a cheeky wink. "I'm single… and I work out."

Rose couldn't help it, despite knowing how worked up the Doctor would get. "Oh that's manly!"

The Doctor was seething.

Jack persisted with his inane, winsome grin. "I can also handle my drink."

"Fine!" the Doctor suddenly burst out in an explosion of agitation. "I'll drink your puny human water!"

Jack's grin spread impossibly further across his face as he poured out a pint and pushed it towards the Doctor.

"Drink up!"


"Thanks for everything," the Doctor was saying as he firmly shook Larec's hand with his heartily, before repeating this action with Father Jace. After a week Donna had (reluctantly) agreed to move swiftly on in their travels. "You both keep up the good holy work, won't you?"

Father Jace broadened a smile. "Of course, Doctor. May Mondrith bless you to heal well."

"Thanks," Donna was next in the queue to shake their hands, beaming widely as the Doctor moved next to Elizabeth and Martin, a huge smile suddenly breaking onto his face.

"Thank you," the Doctor said in a tone of voice that wasn't just thanking them, it was gratitude beyond measure. They all shook hands with each other politely, more like a formal business meeting rather than a parting of friends.

The Doctor turned next to Joshua, who was standing staring at the floor, hands clutched together in front of him. He didn't speak. The Doctor dropped to his knees, cupping the boy's chin and easing it up so their eyes would meet. They were red rimmed – he'd been crying.

"What's wrong?" Donna said, moving towards him and dropping to her knees too, brushing back his hair affectionately.

Joshua sniffed. "I don't want you to leave! You can't!"

"Joshua…" the Doctor said with a sigh, resting his hand on the boy's shoulder. "We have to move on sometime. We can't stay here forever."

Joshua didn't verbally reply to this – merely stepped forward to wrap his arms around the Time Lord. The Time Lord in question seemed a little surprised, before wrapping his working arm around the child in return and holding him tightly for a moment.

"We'll come back," Donna said as they parted. "Come and see how you're doing, right Doctor?"

The Doctor didn't reply to this, his face expressionless. Instead, Donna saw his eyes flash over to Larec and Father Jace, whose equally as plain expressions didn't give anything away.

"We would most gladly have you back!" Martin suddenly burst out intentionally before the pause became too long.

Elizabeth was also nodding. "There will always be a friend for you here, Doctor."

The Doctor's smile resumed instantly as he got to his feet, gesturing for Donna to do the same. "You've got a friend in me, as the saying goes. I hate good byes. You be good now, won't you Joshy boy?"

The child just stared miserably at the floor. The Doctor quickly turned on his heel and exited the house, Donna quickly following.

"That was a bit heartless," Donna criticised as they began walking.

"I'm not a nanny," he replied simply. Even Donna found herself concurring with his answer. It was true. It wasn't up to him. Anyway, she was sure Joshua would forget by tomorrow and be running around like a lunatic once more. Kids always did at that age.

"So where'd you wanna go next?" the Doctor asked, hands already stuffed into his pockets.

"The Infirmary?" she suggested mildly, nodding to his shoulder wound still bound in reels and reels of bandages. It had not yet healed, but the Doctor had decided it was an appropriate time to leave anyway. He rolled his eyes at her.

"Are you trying to be my mother?"

In reply, Donna simply slapped him on his working arm. He winced, deciding to shut up and be quiet.

They made their way back to the TARDIS.

But little did they know Joshua was following.