Disclaimer: I own nothing, all rights are reserved to Victor Hugo, The Walt Disney Company and the BBC. Usual drill, y'know.
Frollo's study was a very sparsely decorated room, there was a desk and a chair. On the wall there were torches scattered to keep the room lit at all corners and the fireplace, which Frollo never lit. Above said fireplace a cross adorned the wall. Frollo was working most fervently when there was a knock on the door.
"Enter." He intoned and didn't even look up.
His captain of the guard walked into the room and stood to attention, waiting patiently for the Minister to look up from what he was doing.
"I'm listening Captain." He said, still not looking up.
"Sir. I have received word of a fracas in the streets yesterday involving two of our guards and a gypsy." At that, Frollo rose his head.
"I hope you are coming to tell me you have caught the trouble maker and it is now in the dungeons down below…" Frollo said, his tone dangerous.
"Unfortunately my Lord, they got away."
"They?"
"Yes, sir. There was one gypsy, Clopin to be exact, and another man. One the guards say they have never seen before."
"Will you be getting to the point of this narrative any time soon Captain?" Frollo snapped.
The Captain gulped and nodded, "Of course, my apologies my Lord. According to the guards who were there two gypsies, a woman and a young boy were caught stealing and they tried to apprehend them. Alas they fought with the guards and my men felt their lives were in danger so they took the only course of action available to them. When Clopin and this other man appeared they took the sides of their fallen. Clopin, I am told, rose with intentions to do harm to my officers so they prepared to do the same to him as to the other two when this man stepped between Clopin and the sword and declared that they would have to slay him first. My officers claim that they put away their swords because the man's actions had drawn a crowd and they did not wish to be seen to kill a member of the public for seemingly no reason. They also tell me that he did not look like a gypsy, that is to say he wasn't dressed like one. They say he was dressed in odd clothes but not the sort you would expect a gypsy to wear."
Frollo had heard enough, he rose from his seat with a face like thunder. "Find this man and bring him to me. I will not have any citizen in my city protect such heathens!"
"Yes sir." He saluted and left the room with an imaginary tail between his legs.
'Spineless idiot' Frollo thought as he watched him all but run down the corridor. Frollo sat back down to continue what he had been doing before that buffoon interrupted with tales of his men's incompetence. However his concentration had been shot and now, in the back of his mind, as he worked all he could think of was this fool who dared to protect these heathens so brazenly.
xXx
As the trio made their way through the catacombs before they came to the main concourse of the Court, Clopin lead the way and Esmeralda carried Djali. The Doctor felt as if he was intruding on them and their people, 'I may have saved his life but I would rather they not go to such troubles. Threats aside, that is…' The Doctor thought to himself.
However when the Doctor laid eyes on the sheer beauty of this makeshift home, keeping so many safe, he felt a swell of happiness to have been accepted by Clopin and Esmeralda.
"Hey, Clopin! Who's this?" A gruff man yelled.
"He is our newest member. He is a friend and ally to our people." Clopin declared.
A few came to see this 'friend and ally.'
"How do we know he is an ally?" That same gruff man challenged Clopin.
"Well since you ask, he saved Clopin's life." Esmeralda snapped.
At that many of the people who had been gathering, drew closer as Clopin began to recount the tale with some embellishment.
"The tip of the blade was very close to impaling him as he declared that they had better kill him first." Clopin told the crowd that had now gathered.
Many moved forward to shake the Doctor's hand and some, like Esmeralda had, hugged him briefly.
The gruff man stepped forward to shake hands with the Doctor, "If Clopin can trust you, so can I. Etienne Cartier, at your service." He said
"Pleasure, Etienne." He replied, "I am the Doctor. Most just call me Doctor though."
"Oui! I meant to ask, mon ami." Clopin said, laying a hand on the Doctor's shoulder, "That can't be your real name, surely!"
"It is the one I chose." He smiled.
"So it was not your name at birth then?"
"No, Clopin. Where I come from, when my people come of a specific age they are sent to school and…" The Doctor tried to think of the best way to describe the ceremonies performed on Gallifrey. "initiated into the, er, Church. Then we are expected to take a title. I chose The Doctor."
"How boring your city must have been if all of you were clergymen!" Clopin declared with a hoot. "Who baked the bread or sold the meat?"
"Well, it's a strange set up I grant you but it sort of worked… At least until it didn't." The Doctor said sadly.
"Let us say no more on it." Clopin said, sensing the delicateness of the topic. "Let me instead, guide you to your bed for the night."
With his hand still upon the Doctor's shoulder he led him to a tent in the corner of the Court. "It is not much but it will be better than sleeping on the cold cobblestones of the street."
"This is more than I would ever expect Clopin, I am grateful."
"Nonsense!" He told the Doctor with a tut. "Now, if you need me I am in that caravan over there." He said, pointing to the purple caravan to his left.
"Thank you Clopin." He said, suppressing a yawn.
Not too long after Clopin had left him to get settled, Esmeralda stopped by with a bowl of soup for him.
"Nettle and garlic." She said as she handed it to him, "How are you settling in?"
"I can not complain, you have all been most kind." He smiled up at her and took a spoonful, the flavours burst on his tongue. The garlic was not too overpowering and the nettles added a certain kick that the Doctor couldn't help but grin at. "This is exquisite!"
Esmeralda laughed as the Doctor lapped up the last dregs of his soup. "I shall be sure to tell Marguerite that our resident hero loved her soup."
"Is there anything I can do to help in the Court tonight?"
"Not tonight my friend. Most of the washing has already been done but I shall bear your eager attitude in mind when I want to get out of doing any chores around the Court." She told him in jest.
"Name it, Esmeralda and consider it my pleasure." He smiled back at her.
She took his bowl and stood to leave, "Have a pleasant night Doctor."
"And you Esmeralda."
When she left the Doctor brought the covers over his fully clothed body and lay down to sleep with a contented sigh.
xXx
Early the next morning, the Doctor felt someone nudge him gently. Esmeralda stood above him with a grin on her face. "I thought you might like to come out with me today and dance?"
"It would be a honour, I warn you though my dancing has been called many things. Downright awful being one of the most common." He chuckled as he rose to his feet and smoothed out his clothes.
"I am sure that is not true." She replied with a giggle.
"Well you shall soon see." He winked.
Clopin and many others had already left the Court for the day but out of the corner of his eye, the Doctor spotted Etienne and he waved. In reply he got a curt nod.
Esmeralda skipped through the Court and took a different route out this time than the way they had come the previous night.
"You must be careful up ahead as it gets quite slippery." She told him.
They journeyed through deeper parts of the Catacombs of Paris until they came to the sewers. The smell of the raw sewage made the Doctor gag and his eyes water but he kept up with Esmeralda and Djali who had trotted on ahead, both seemingly unaffected.
The Doctor was thrilled when he saw a ladder up ahead, excited to be almost out of there. He let Esmeralda go up first and waited until she was out so that there was no chance that he might accidentally find himself looking up her skirt. He took a hold of Djali and began to climb up with him, halfway up he saw Esmeralda lean in to take him from the Doctor so that he can use both hands to pull himself up.
"I apologise for taking you that way but once the morning is truly under way it is too dangerous to have streams of us coming from the Graveyard entrance."
"I understand, no need for you to apologise." He assured her.
They came up underneath a bridge and, as with the day before, the early morning sun beat mercilessly down on the Doctor. Djali ran away in front and both the Doctor and Esmeralda slowly ambled along the streets before they found a place bustling enough that she might earn some silver from the passers-by.
She handed the Doctor a small musical instrument that he hadn't even noticed she had. While he had no idea how to play it, he was lucky that he had brought his Sonic Screwdriver with him the day before. He slyly aimed the sonic at the instrument and it began to play, he moved his fingers deftly over the instrument to make it look as if it were actually him playing it. That was when Djali dropped a small cloth sack on the ground for people to drop their coins in. Then Esmeralda began to dance. No one could fail to appreciate the way Esmeralda danced as they passed.
Hours went by and Esmeralda seemed to never tire, people would ocassionally drop small amounts into the cloth sack. It was around noon, signalled by the bells, that a shrill whistle was heard and Esmeralda hurried to scoop up what she had made and run to hide. Confused by this at first, then the Doctor caught a glimpse of one of the guards from the day before and followed close behind Esmeralda.
In the shadows of an alleyway, the trio stood stock still and utterly silent. From where they stood they could see a man in a different suit of armour approach one of the guards.
"Captain!" The guard hastily saluted.
"At ease soldier, have you located the man from yesterday?"
"Not as yet, he is nowhere to be found. It's almost as if he has disappeared into thin air sir!"
A sudden realisation washed over Esmeralda that this must have been one of the guards who had threatened Clopin's life and she made to storm out of her shelter when a surprisingly strong arm wrapped around her waist, "Stay here Esmeralda." the Doctor whispered to her.
The Captain and his officer trotted away at this point. When the Doctor could no longer see them or even hear the clip-clop of hooves, he stepped out of the shadows and waved to Esmeralda to show it was safe.
"That was close." Esmeralda remarked.
"That was quite exciting!" The Doctor said.
She turned to smile at her strange new friend and they walked to another street to begin her dance again.
xXx
"Minister Frollo, I'm afraid there are no signs of this man. My officers have been searching since late last night."
Frollo, who had again been working his way through paperwork, rose to his feet and stormed out of his study. "Incompetent fools! How hard is it to find one man that your officers still haven't managed?"
As he neared the stables he prepared to saddle his horse, "Whatever men you have to spare, gather them and come back here in exactly 15 minutes!"
"Yes sir!" He saluted and hurried off in the direction he presumed he thought gave the best chance to find some slacking officers who would be better off helping them. God knows that when Frollo sets his mind to something, he gets his way and clearly he had intentions of capturing this man today no matter the cost.
The Captain did find it odd that this man in particular should receive the majority of the Minister's scorn this day. In fact, more often than not, he didn't even hunt Clopin this doggedly.
True to his word, he returned with seconds to spare and 20 men.
Frollo was already on his horse and waited patiently for each guard to get on one of their own.
'Hapless, pathetic fools' Frollo thought as they scurried around under the scrutiny of his gaze.
"Be warned, should I find him in an area any of you men were supposed to be patrolling; There will be consequences." And with that, he rode out of the courtyard and into the streets of Paris.
Every lower class man, woman and child never failed to dip their heads in fear when they saw Frollo. None dared hold his gaze and this knowledge sent a shiver of sadistic pride up the man's spine. They rode at a decent pace, the Minister had no intentions of making such a noise that they would scare off this man, wherever he may be hiding.
xXx
The Doctor and Esmeralda had been dancing and playing for almost an hour when, by chance, the Doctor glanced up to see guards in the distance. At least a dozen of them plus their Captain and one other. A tall, austere and hawkish man clad entirely in black robes. The man looked just like the puppet of Judge Frollo that Clopin had produced to aid the telling of his story and with this realisation the Doctor ceased playing.
Esmeralda stopped dancing and turned to him, "Doctor? What is it?"
"I think it's time we left again." He replied, nodding towards the group heading their way. They had not been noticed yet, but the Doctor had no doubt that if they didn't move now, they would be in trouble.
Without a word, she swept up Djali and made to gather the meager earnings of the afternoon. The Doctor stood slowly and told Esmeralda to walk away quietly, not to draw any attention to themselves.
They so nearly made it to a safe hiding place when the Doctor heard someone call out, "Judge Frollo, over there sir!"
"Run!" He told Esmeralda.
They were quick but so were the horses, the Doctor barely managed to get his words out, "Go on ahead, get to safety. Tell Clopin what happened and tell him I swear not to breath a word to Frollo about the Court!"
Esmeralda didn't get a chance to tell the man not to be so foolish because the Doctor skidded to a halt and turned to face the approaching guards and Judge.
Esmeralda's feet wouldn't let her stop, they wouldn't allow her to turn back and stand with the Doctor. Instead she hid not far from where the Doctor now stood and she could hear every word.
The horses hooves all clattered to a stop and the Doctor stood tall and proud.
"I suppose you've been looking for me then?" He taunted, "Took you long enough."
"Captain, arrest this man." Frollo said as a terrifying smile graced his features.
This shook the Doctor from his bravado, "For what?" He yelled as he ducked out of reach of the Captain.
"Treason."
"This is wrong!" the Doctor cried as he ran from the grips of another guard. "This is madness!"
"Stop him!" Ordered Frollo.
Esmeralda watched in horror as her friend took off as fast as his legs could carry him, he ran in the direction of Notre Dame. She took a shortcut to beat him there in the hopes of seeing him safely inside.
xXx
Hooves hit the pavement in a furious flurry of noise and Frollo was leading the charge.
The Doctor ran faster than he ever had before, faster than he could ever remember needing to. As he was within reach of the Cathedral, Frollo drew by his side and went to snatch him. The Doctor made a move in haste to evade the man's claw-like hands. He leapt sidewards and hit the cobble stones, rolling twice and springing back to his feet as though nothing had happened even though his muscles all screamed in protest at the continued strain. He was met with a large wooden door and, in pure terror, he pounded on the door crying out for Sanctuary.
The Captain of the Guard caught up with him moments before the Archdeacon could open the door.
As the door drew open the Archdeacon was met with the sight of a sword, the sound of a cry of pain and the smell of blood. The Captain had drew his sword on the man and swung it, striking the man's shoulder.
This man, who had moments before claimed sanctuary, fell backwards into the arms of the Archdeacon. Sweating, bleeding, and shivering with exhaustion this poor man passed out. The Archdeacon drew himself to his full height, which granted was not particularly tall but did so nonetheless, and the Captain shrank back. Claude Frollo was now climbing down from his horse and approaching the Archdeacon.
"Minister Frollo! What is the meaning of this?" He asked.
"This man is a fugitive, I mean to have him arrested." The Minister replied coldly.
"This man has claimed Sanctuary within these walls yet still your Captain drew his sword against him."
Frollo stared down at the Archdeacon and growled. With a flick of his wrist he signalled for the Captain to follow him and leave the man to his Sanctuary.
When the Judge was gone, the Archdeacon returned his attention to the injured man, crumpled on the floor of his church. "Fetch the physician to bind this man's wound." He said to one of his Monks.
Outside, Esmeralda let out a sigh of relief that her friend was safe now and turned to head back to the Court and tell Clopin of the days events.
xXx
When Esmeralda returned alone and looking ruffled and out of breath, Clopin dashed to her side. He could get next to nothing of sense from her besides the odd word. "Frollo… Sword… Doctor… Notre Dame…" She babbled breathlessly.
"Is he okay?" Clopin asked.
"He is hurt but safe." Esmeralda told him.
"Are you okay?"
Esmeralda nodded and sank to the floor, trying to catch her breath still.
"Tell me exactly what happened."
As she regaled the story of running from the guards the first time and successfully hiding then for the Doctor to tell Esmeralda to run from them a second time and letting himself be caught. She went on to tell her friend how the man had resisted his arrest and evaded the guards in hopes of gaining sanctuary, how he made it to Notre Dame but moments before the door was opened the Captain's sword met the Doctor's shoulder. "And he swore not to breathe a word of the Court to Frollo should he get caught. Thankfully he was not but I don't doubt he would take the location to his grave."
At that that Clopin involuntarily flinched and thought of how the man had saved not just himself but now his closest friend too, however he was developing an unhealthy habit of getting on the wrong side of a guards sword.
"Say no more, we will visit him when it is safe to do so." Clopin assured Esmeralda, kneeling down to pull her into a tight embrace.
xXx
As the Doctor groggily awoke, it took him a moment to remember where he was and what had happened. In fact, it was a sudden shot of pain coming from his shoulder that reminded him.
"Ah! You are awake." The Archdeacon said.
"Hmm, and sore." The Doctor chuckled hoarsely.
"That stands to reason."
The Doctor, now a little more compos-mentis, sat up and realised that he was in what looked to be a bedroom. 'Well, I am certainly on a bed, isn't that the definition of a bedroom? I suppose you could have a bed in a living room but…' His thoughts ran in a different direction from him and he silently cursed his brains ramblings.
This room was not exactly what one would call elegant but it was comfortable. Large windows allowed in plenty light, of course it being night now the torches on the wall provided the room with a warm glow of light and the fireplace on the other end of the room had a roaring fire going. As must be with each bed chamber in the Cathedral, a cross hung above the bed and the bed itself was relatively comfy even if the mattress was a little harder than the Doctor would like but beggars can't be choosers.
The silence between the Doctor and the Archdeacon was broken only when the Doctor remembered that Esmeralda had been with him and that he had told her to run ahead to safety.
"I have to go!" He exclaimed but the Archdeacon stood to stop him.
"You lost a lot of blood Monsieur it is better you rest and we cannot protect you from Frollo once you set foot outside."
"No you don't understand, my friend, she was with me. I told her to run. I have to make sure she is safe!" The Doctor tried to stand but his legs disobeyed him and fell out from under him.
"That is as may be but Frollo has guards at every entrance. You can barely stand, let alone run from them. You would be caught and then what? How would you know that your friend is safe?" The Archdeacon said kindly as he helped the Doctor back onto the bed. "Rest for tonight."
The Doctor was about to protest but his heart simply wasn't in it at that precise moment. The bed seemed to call for him to stay there and he couldn't help himself but oblige, the exertion of even just standing had tired him considerably. It took moments before he was dead to the world, snoring lightly. At this, the Archdeacon smiled and made his way back to his duties.
xXx
Two days of rest saw the Doctor back up and on his feet as if nothing had happened. The Archdeacon had given the Doctor the grand tour when he didn't have to attend to his duties but the Doctor's interest lay primarily with the bell tower. When the Archdeacon was called away to perform something or other, the Doctor hadn't been paying much attention, it was to the bell tower he skipped.
At the base of the stairs he steeled himself, by no means a prejudiced man or likely to judge Quasimodo for his deformities be still felt he should remember that this man may have a shyness born from the deformities he had. It was for that reason the Doctor took a moment to make sure he looked presentable and kindly.
When he was without doubt ready, he began to climb the steps. At the top he entered a hallway sort of room and saw a ladder, "Hello?" He called so as not to startle anyone.
"He heard footsteps and walked towards the ladder, "Do you mind if I come up and speak with you?"
As he began to climb the ladder he heard yet more footsteps, seemingly running in a different direction from him. "I mean no harm, I just wanted to meet you personally. I heard you ringing the bells these last four days and I couldn't help but want to know you."
Now that he was up he could see that the dark bell tower was in fact showered in light.
"I'm here under the protection of the church, unfortunately there isn't an awful lot to do besides sleep and wander but I'm afraid I've had my fill of both."
Then, slowly, he heard footsteps approaching him and Quasimodo came into view. He stopped a little away from the Doctor, as if expecting the Doctor to see his face and run away in fright. When the Doctor did no such thing, Quasimodo walked a bit closer. He stopped by a desk with a miniature of Paris upon it. To show he meant no harm or ridicule, the Doctor closed the space between them in a few small strides and smiled down at him. "Hello." He said again.
"Hello." The boy answered timidly.
"I'm the Doctor."
"But we have a physician and besides, I don't need a doctor." Quasimodo said, looking confused.
"Oh no, sorry. I mean that's my name… Well, my title at least." He smiled again at the boy and offered a hand for him to shake.
"Oh, I understand now. Pleased to meet you Doctor." Quasi said and shook the man's hand eagerly. "Wait! Aren't you the man who claimed Sanctuary?"
"Yes. I certainly am."
"I saw what you did a few days ago. You're not like other gypsies."
"I'm not a gypsy, Quasimodo."
"How do you know my name?" He gasped. "Are you one of their psychics?"
"No, not at all. Clopin told me about you."
"Is that the man you protected from the guard's sword?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why did you save him?"
"Well, he had done no wrong. No one should have a sword drawn on them for no reason. They would have killed him over nothing and justified it because he is a gypsy and I wasn't going to allow that."
"You are a good man." Quasimodo beamed up at him.
"Oh, Quasimodo. I am so far from good these days, but I try to right the wrongs of others as I go to atone for my own sins."
"Then you are selfless and good. A bad person would have just let the guard kill Clopin."
"Your argument is compelling to say the least." The Doctor conceded. "Did you carve these?" He asked as he picked up one of the Blacksmith.
"Yes!" Quasi grinned, eager to tell this new face all the people he had carved, "I could make one of you if you like?"
"I don't think I'll be around long enough to see it to be honest." The Doctor admitted sadly, thinking of how the Tardis may soon come out of her bad mood and let him back in.
"You don't mean you are going to let them arrest you?!" Quasimodo cried.
"What? No! I'd like to see them try and catch me!" The Doctor grinned and winked.
"Well we certainly have you cornered…" A cold voice cut through the otherwise cheerful tone of the conversation.
"M-master!"
"Quasimodo, what is he doing up here? What have I told you about Gypsies?"
"But Master, h-he isn't a Gypsy."
"He would tell you that my boy."
Quasimodo, who had looked happy and vibrant in the Doctor's company, had shrunk and was almost cowering in the presence of Frollo.
"Cornered but not caught, dearest Frollo." The Doctor quipped.
"Only while you stay in here. Oh, and I am not your 'dearest' anything." He spat.
"Well a man can dream." He joked, a hint of venom noticeable in his tone.
"A Gypsy and a Sodomite!"
"I prefer the term 'free spirit'."
Quasimodo had set the table for him and his master in haste but now watched as his new friend and his master verbally sparred, observing each movement in each other and deciding just how long a rope to hold one and other on.
"I hope you haven't been corrupting my young ward." Frollo commented offhandedly and with, what the Doctor suspected to be, a hint of glee.
'Is he enjoying this?' He wondered. "No Frollo, I'm sure you can manage that on your own but while I'm here, I look forward to dismantling all the wrong ideologies that you have forced upon him." And with that, the Doctor flounced away. Making sure before he left, that he lightly touched Frollo's hand and that Frollo caught the wink he sent him.
As could be expected, Frollo flinched away from the touch as if he had been burnt.
'Oh yes. While I am here, I will have quite a lot of fun teasing you.' The Doctor thought with a mischievous grin.
Yes! Chapter 2 is complete after like three straight days working on it! As a result of that, Chapter three will come in about a weeks time and will probably be a little shorter than this one.
So I've crafted a little bit of plot and I know the general direction this story is going to take and I also have the finalised main pairing(s). I am still happy to consider any ideas you might have though. This chapter sees the introduction of a mischievous!Doctor and later you'll probably see a little bit of a dark!Doctor but I'm getting ahead of myself...
Quick couple of notes about this story:
1) I am not entirely sure what the PC term for 'Gypsy' is so in order to stick to the safest term I could find the Doctor will most often call them Romani (or by name) but if I have gotten this wrong please do let me know.
2) Thank you to Ivy1t412 & efhb1994 for following the story, it means a lot!