Disclaimer: I still own nothing...
Heads up, there is singing in this chapter and if it appears in Italics it's the crowd singing but plain text means it's Clopin.
As the Doctor expected, Frollo had said nothing to the Archdeacon about their encounter. Possibly because he didn't want to have to embarrass himself by describing the flirtatious manner in which the Doctor had spoken to him.
The Doctor watched as Paris prepared for the Festival of Fools and he turned to Quasi, "You know, with a cloak, no one would know any different and plus what have you got to lose. I know you respect Frollo for bringing you up but that doesn't mean everything he says is gospel."
"No, I couldn't defy him." He said, sadly.
"Frankly I agree with your Gargoyle friends." The Doctor grinned.
"You can see them?" Quasi was amazed
"Course, what have I told you these past days Quasi. I'm not like them down there. Anyway, better to ask forgiveness than permission. Although I wouldn't even ask forgiveness from that…" The Doctor had almost insulted the hunchback's guardian but stopped himself in time. He couldn't care less for the man himself but Quasi was a friend and was sensitive about Frollo.
Quasi still seemed unsure about going to the festival but The Doctor knew he had to escape the Cathedral, he was going stir-crazy!
As if waiting for him to have such thoughts, the Tardis key began to glow in his jacket pocket and he excused himself to see if this meant what he thought it might. Yes! It glowed bright and burned hot, a signal that she had finally decided to let him back in, but now he had people to protect. He couldn't just leave them now, Frollo would surely be baying for their blood more so than before.
When the key was no longer glowing and only just warm, he returned it to his pocket and bade Quasi goodbye for now, just as he got to the ladder he heard Quasi running up behind him. "Doctor, wait. I forgot about this. I want you to have it if you really think you won't be here much longer. To remember me by." He said.
"Quasi…" The Doctor began to tear up but blinked them back, "Thank you, but I promise that with or without this, I will never forget you." He nodded and kept going, looking down occasionally to smile at the wood carving in his hand. It looked just like him, even down to his floppy hair and bowtie.
xXx
Practically skipping towards the room in which he had been living these past few days the Doctor could feel an excitement bubbling up within him, he would soon be out of this place and Frollo nor the guards would be any the wiser! He would have to wait until night time before he could do anything. A small part of him would miss this place, if only for the kindness of the Archdeacon and the friendship of Quasimodo. A larger part of him, however, missed Clopin and Esmeralda.
Until the last rays of sunlight were gone, The Doctor waited and planned his escape. It would be safer if he took the Tardis to a mile or so out from the Bridge above the sewers that he had come out of with Esmeralda that day.
xXx
"C'mon then, old girl." He said as he held out the key, waiting and watching as the Tardis materialised around the key.
When she was there in all her glory, the Doctor grinned at her, "Were you always this gorgeous?" And as if the very flattery had done it alone, the door swung open and allowed him in. There was no particular 'smell' to the Console Room but he still took in a massive lungful of the air in it. With a jump he was up the stairs and at the console. He typed in the co-ordinates to where he needed to be and the Tardis began to thrum, oh how he had missed that sound these past five or so days!
No doubt the sound could be heard even up in the bell tower but the Doctor was too elated to care.
All of a sudden the Tardis landed and the adrenaline that had been pumping through the Doctor's veins slowed, he let out a giddy laugh and kissed the console.
He was about to exit the Tardis when she thrummed at him. "What is it?"
Another thrum and he nodded, she was objecting to his clothes. "Ah! Right you are old girl, I'll go change now."
He found the clothes he had chosen in his sixth incarnation and grinned, they would certainly fit in around the Court. The bright colours and the sheer outlandishness of it was perfect.
"Well, it's been a long time since I wore this one." He told the console as he spun around theatrically, the Tardis simply clanged. Probably objecting to the way it would surely bring plenty unwanted attention to him.
"Hush, I changed like you asked. And now I'll be on my way."
He quickly checked to make sure he had put everything he might need in the pockets of this outfit. Sonic? Check. Psychic paper? Check. That should be everything. He exited the Tardis and decided, for safety's sake, to pop her a second out of synch with the timeline so that no one might find her and think to investigate.
It was dark enough that most of the bright colours of his outfit were muted and he could sneak by without being noticed.
He walked the mile in about forty minutes and reached the bridge just as it began to rain. He had been keeping an eye out in case anyone had started following him, thankfully the emptiness of the streets meant he had gone completely undetected and so he descended into the sewers again and wrinkled his nose at the smell. He was nearly at the Court, he could hear the cheerful conversation, when someone grabbed him. "Tryin' ta sneak in and spy on us were ya?" Someone whispered in his ear, "Well, let's just see what Clopin has to say about that."
He was about to explain himself to this stranger when a hand was clamped over his mouth and he was pushed towards the Court.
"Clopin!" The man called, "I found this rat sneaking in by the Sewer entrance. What do ya wanna do with him?"
xXx
Clopin, who had been messing around with some of the young boys living in the Court, turned to see a very brightly clad man and it took him a moment to see just who it was. When his realisation dawned he shook his head, "Jacques, he is a friend. Let him go."
Jacques did as he was told and Clopin watched as the Doctor smiled at him. Clopin walked in his direction, ecstatic to see his friend safe.
"Mon ami! It is good to see you safe again but my, you are dressed rather differently now. How splendid that coat is, where on earth did you get it?"
"This old thing? Found it lying around." He grinned. "Don't you go thinking I'll be parting with it either!"
"Why, mon ami, you wound me!" Clopin joked, "Now to more serious business, how did you escape?"
"Pfft, little bit of wit and cunning was no match for the buffoons Frollo posted at each door."
"Indeed not. We tried to visit you but it's been getting more and more dangerous out there, Esmeralda and I got as close as the doors of Notre Dame before we had swords at our throat."
"Have there been any…" He didn't finish for fear of the answer but it was obvious what it was he was asking.
"Thankfully no."
The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Where is Esmeralda?"
"Ah, of course. Come, she'll be very glad to see you."
Across the main concourse of the Court, the Doctor got various looks and people could be heard whispering. He saw Etienne, who nodded almost respectfully at the Doctor. Marguerite, ran up to hug him and thanked him for his bravery.
Clopin could see that the Doctor was overwhelmed with that. He could also see a glint of happiness that wasn't there before, as if this acceptance from the other members of the Court made him feel more at ease here.
When they arrived outside Esmeralda's tent, Clopin cleared his throat. "My dear, there is someone here that wants to see you."
Esmeralda's face peered out of her tent looking quizzically at Clopin then turned to see the Doctor. She laughed and shot out of her tent to take him into an organ crushing embrace. "It is good to see you! I can't believe you made it out of there undetected! And how colourful you look now!"
The Doctor laughed with her and returned the hug, "It is good to see you two as well. I'm so glad you made it back here safely. I was so worried but I hadn't heard of anyone being caught."
Esmeralda gestured for Clopin and the Doctor to come sit with her, "So how did you get out?"
The Doctor winked, "That would be telling. I did however, meet the bell ringer. He is such a kind young man." From his coat he took the small wooden carving of himself, "He made this for me before I left."
Esmeralda took it gently and looked it over, "Oh, how beautiful and it looks just like you!"
"How did you manage not to go mad inside those cold walls?" Clopin asked.
"I very nearly did. Quasimodo was a comfort though, I was in the bell tower with him most of the days I was stuck there." The Doctor explained, he tactfully left out that he had seen Frollo on one of those days.
"Well my friend, it seems as if you've had quite the adventure these past few days. Tomorrow is the Festival of Fools, and you will be there to see it. In those clothes and perhaps a mask, no one will be any the wiser!" Clopin said in a tone so authoritarian, the Doctor didn't dare argue.
"Then I suppose I ought to get some sleep."
"Oui, you remember where your tent is?"
"I do." the Doctor smiled at Clopin and stood to walk away, Esmeralda gave him a hug and whispered 'welcome home' before retiring for the night into her own tent.
Clopin watched the retreating form of his odd new friend with a grin on his face. The man was nothing like anyone he had ever met before but still a small part of him, somewhere in the back of his mind, was wary of the man. He felt awful for these stirrings of distrust after all that the Doctor had done to show he was an ally to Clopin and his people.
Clopin shook his head and walked towards his caravan, tomorrow would be a long day and he would surely need to be well rested for it.
xXx
Morning came and the Doctor was already awake and out of his tent when Clopin came to find him. He found the Doctor sitting with Esmeralda and Marguerite, they were chatting merrily all equally excited for the days festivities.
"I've never attended the Festival of Fools." The Doctor told the girls.
"Oh! Well you are in for a treat! Clopin has endless energy." Marguerite told the Doctor.
"That I do! Are you ready mon ami?" Clopin smiled at him.
"I certainly am, I even have a mask." The Doctor grinned as he got to his feet and produced a mask from a hidden pocket in his coat.
"Well then, let's be on our way."
The pair walked towards the graveyard entrance, "So do the others participate in the Festival?"
"Oui, though mainly in small ways. They perform as per usual but we've found that people are more prone to giving at the Feast of Fools. It's really only usually me who has a large role in the day but this year Esmeralda will be dancing on the stage."
As they neared the gates leaving the graveyard, the Doctor put on his mask; lest he forget later. Once they arrived back in the heart of Paris it was obvious that the festivities were already underway but the main ceremony was not for a couple of hours yet.
Clopin and the Doctor strolled through the streets, chatting amiably and looking at stalls. They bought breakfast on the go and picked up a few trinkets too. It wasn't long before Clopin had to leave the Doctor to his own devices and get prepared. The Doctor decided then to find himself a good place in the crowd. From a distance he could see guards and he panicked a little in case they discovered him but when one walked right by him and didn't bat an eye, he felt content that his disguise was working.
Suddenly music started up so loud you could barely hear yourself think and suddenly a parade of dark hooded figures made their way towards the front of the crowd, singing as they went.
'Come one, come all!
Leave your loops and milking stools.
Coop the hens and pen the Mules.
Come one, come all!
Close the Churches and the Schools,
it's the day for breaking rules.
Come and join the Feast of...'
Then Clopin's voice rang above the rest as he came out from under the cloak of the black clad men.
"Fools!"
He stood triumphantly as confetti rained down on him and flags unfurled behind him. Marguerite had been right, Clopin was more energy than man at this point. He couldn't see who but Clopin began to dance with someone before he swung around on a pole, "Once a year we throw a party here in town,
Once a year we turn all Paris upside down,
Ev'ry man's a King and ev'ry King's a clown,
Once again it's Topsy Turvy day!
It's the day the Devil in us gets released,
It's the day we mock the Prig and shock the Priest,
Ev'rything is topsy turvy at the Feast of Fools!"
The Doctor watched Clopin as he hopped, skipped and jumped around as if all Paris was his playground for the day, so entirely concentrated on Clopin was he, that he didn't notice Quasimodo desperately trying to hide from the crowd and from Clopin himself.
'Topsy Turvy!' Chanted the crowd
"Ev'rything is upsy daisy" Clopin sang in reply
'Topsy Turvy'
"Ev'rybody's acting crazy.
Dross is gold and weeds are a bouquet.
That's the way on Topsy Turvy Day!"
'Topsy Turvy'
"Beat the drums and blow the trumpets!"
'Topsy Turvy'
"Join the bums and thieves and strumpets,
Streaming in from Chartres to Calais.
Scurvy knaves are extra scurvy,
On the sixth of 'Januervy'
All because it's Topsy Turvy Day!
By now, the Doctor had noticed that Claude Frollo had taken a seat directly opposite where he was now stood which unnerved him immensely. There was a look of sheer disgust on his face but the Doctor tried not to concentrate on him, instead he turned his attention back to Clopin who was now on the stage. Clopin gave the Doctor a sly wink and the lady beside him began to fan herself, thinking it was meant for her. In return, a small grin appeared but was hidden by his mask.
"Come one, Come all.
Hurry, hurry, here's your chance,
See the myst'ry and romance.
Come one, come all,
See the finest girl in all of France,
Make an entrance to entrance.
Dance La Esmeralda,
Dance!"
And with a puff of red smoke, Clopin disappeared but Esmeralda took his place in a stunningly seductive red dress and began to dance, The Doctor could see she enjoyed being up there and dancing.
Then she did something that worried him, something reckless. She bounded up to Frollo and all but sat on his lap and gave him a quick peck on the end of his nose. He looked like he might order her death there and then but nothing happened. She continued to dance and even used a guard's spear as a pole to dance on.
"Here it is, the moment you've been waiting for,
Here it is, you know exactly what's in store.
Now's the time to laugh until our sides get sore,
Now's the time we crown the King of Fools!
So make a face that's horrible and frightening,
Make a face as gruesome as a Gargoyles wing,
For the face that's ugliest will be crowned the King of Fools!
Why?"
'Topsy Turvy'
"Ugly folks, forget your shyness"
'Topsy Turvy'
"You could soon be called Your Highness!
'Put your foulest features on display,
Be the King of Topsy Turvy Day!'
The Doctor watched in horror as he saw Esmeralda bring Quasi onto the stage, but he couldn't do anything to interject unless he wanted to be caught. He watched in horror as between Clopin and Esmeralda they de-masked each person and threw them off the stage. The Doctor couldn't look as they came to Quasimodo and found that his was not a mask at all.
The crowd went almost quiet, there was the occasional murmur but they all seemed too shocked to say much more than that he was hideous. Frollo looked aghast when he realised that Quasimodo had defied him. Just as Quasi hid his face, Clopin stepped in and began to cheer the crowd again, and put a crown atop Quasimodo's head. Then the crowd had him on a throne and carried him as Clopin lead the way. "Ev'rybody!"
'Once a year we throw a party here in town.'
"Hail to the King!"
'Once a year we turn all Paris upside down.'
"Oh, what a King!"
'Once a year, the ugliest will wear a crown.'
"Girls, give a kiss!"
'Once a year on Topsy Turvy Day.'
"We've never had a King like this!
And it's the day we do the things that we deplore,
On the other three hundred and sixty four.
Once a year we love to stop in,
Where the beer is never stoppin'.
For the chance to pop some popinjay,
And pick a King who'll put the 'top' in Topsy Turvy Day!
Mad and crazy, upsy-daisy, Topsy Turvy Day!"
The crowd buffeted the Doctor in the same direction as Clopin and Quasimodo. When the Doctor saw what was ahead, dread filled his stomach. Surely Clopin wouldn't allow this? Surely he wasn't leading him to some form of torture device? Alas, he was. He even handed Quasi a sceptre before he pushed him on top of the wheel and left him there, The sheer joy on his face hurt the Doctor because he was aware of what would come all too soon.
Right enough, the crowd turned vile once Clopin left the stage. Perpetrated by Frollo's guards, it didn't take long for others to get involved and they seized their chance when Quasimodo slipped on a rotten tomato, tying him down. They began to spin the wheel and Quasimodo cried out to Frollo in desperation but Frollo did nothing.
The Doctor had seen enough. He barged through the crowd and made his way to the steps, as he climbed them the crowd ceased throwing things and quietened.
Frollo who had been speaking to Phoebus looked up to see a man in an sewn together shamble of rags with a mask and growled at this intervention.
The Doctor approached Quasimodo and lifted his mask slightly so that he could recognise him. "Hang on, I'm going to get you off of here."
"You! Get down at once!" Frollo shouted.
Before standing, The Doctor fixed his mask. When he stood and turned he glared right at Frollo. With a smirk he replied, "Only when my friend here is safely down." He made no attempts at concealing his voice and was sure Frollo recognised it.
"I forbid it!"
"What a shame, seems I'm going to have to defy you again Judge Frollo." The Doctor knelt again and slyly drew out his Sonic Screwdriver to untie the ropes, when they fell away Frollo drew himself to full height and spat, "How dare you! Who are you to defy me?"
"Oh my, have you forgotten me already? Well that's a pity!" The Doctor tore off his mask and threw it to the ground. "Do you remember me now?"
He helped Quasi to stand and told him to go back to Notre Dame and not to look back.
"You!"
"Hello, yes me!"
"Captain Phoebus, arrest him!"
The Doctor's brown eyes blazed with defiance, "On what charge this time?"
"Obstruction of Justice!"
"If that was Justice, then I am more than happy to allow you to arrest me for stopping it. I want nothing to do with your brand of justice you disgusting and prejudiced bastard!" He called and held up his sonic, creating a wave of white noise to discombobulate the guards, "But you will have to catch me first!"
As the Guards and Frollo tried to recover from the sound still ringing in their ear drums, the Doctor ran. Guards followed him and at certain moments ran out in front of him in attempts to catch him. He evaded them for all of ten minutes before he stumbled and was caught by Captain Phoebus. Defeated, he was pulled in front of a now scowling, 'Or is he smiling?', Judge Frollo.
"Take him to the dungeons."
In response and as a last act of defiance, the Doctor spat at the Judge, hitting him right in the eye. For that he was hit on the head by one of the other guards holding him. Dazed, out of the corner of his eye he could see Clopin and Esmeralda hiding. Watching in horror as their friend had once again stood up against Frollo only this time he had lost. He had been caught this time.
Still dazed and confused, he was thrown into a small room with a mattress on the floor and a bucket in the corner. Then the wrought iron gate was locked and he was alone in the dungeons beneath the Palace of Justice.
Ahaha! And you guys thought I wasn't gonna upload today! It's technically still Thursday here in the UK. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. I don't think this story is going to last much longer maybe another 5 chapters? I dunno.
I've been thinking actually that if they did a modern day, live action Hunchback of Notre Dame film I think Peter Capaldi would make an amazing Frollo, don't you agree?
By the way, for anyone interested copy and paste the link to see what Matt's Doctor would look like in Colin Baker's Doctor outfit: pin/293085888221688379/
Also, I've recently started watching a TV show called Peaky Blinders so watch this space for a fic there buuuut, I'm a wee bit away from that cause there is another plot bunny to come first.
So with that, I shall bid you adieu until next Thursday!