I did it! I bought the rights! ...In my dreams. You know the drill by now.

Any way, more singing in this chapter and I may have tweaked the lyrics a little to fit the plot, they still flow pretty well I think but I'm no singer or lyricist so I can't say for sure.

Also, little trigger warning here just for safety's sake cause there is a wee bit of torture later in the chapter. It's also why I rated it T. Better safe than sorry, right?

Esmeralda made her way to Notre Dame with intentions to ask their God why he would let such a thing happen to a man who had done no wrong. Of course she was angry, the God that they believed in and that she wanted to believe in was supposed to be benevolent. Why then did he stand by and let her people, most of whom did nothing to deserve what resentment they were treated with, get murdered and spat at just for being different. Why did he let a good man like the Doctor who was merely standing against injustice, get dragged away to the dungeons as if he were just some common scoundrel?

Even though she was angry, she was more hurt. Saddened that he seemed not to be there for her people like he was for the others who lived in Paris. It was hardly benevolent of him to be there for one Parisian but not the other purely because one was a darker skin tone or because one preferred not to have one home all their life. By the time she actually got into the Cathedral, she was tired of questioning and tired, even, of being angry.

She had never intended to go in and yell her frustrations out loud but her own actions took her by surprise when she took a seat in a pew to the back of Cathedral and bowed her head in prayer.

"I know they say I should not talk to you, they call my kind filth and heathens but I always believed that your love was universal. So if you are listening to me now, I beg of you to watch over my friend in the Palace of Justice, please have Judge Frollo see sense and let him be. That is all I will ever ask of you, he is a good man and his punishment does not fit the crime, in fact there is no crime as far as I see it. Amen."

She had spoken it beneath her breath and tried to ignore the tutting of the higher society and even the 'common folk' as they passed her and saw her praying.

When she was done she stood to leave, she was not welcome here and she had no desire to stay if they would not welcome her as their equal. It was the steps to the bell tower that intrigued her as she made to leave. Thoughts of what the Doctor had said of the bell ringer invaded her mind, she felt a wave of guilt wash over her as she thought of the way the crowd had treated him and how it was largely her own fault. It should be her in the dungeons of the Palace, not the Doctor. It should have been her who stood against their cruelty to Quasimodo, it was her fault it happened to him at all. She would make it right.

As she climbed the steps leading to the bell tower she thought of how to word her apology. She feared he would ignore her and tell her to leave. She really had not meant to see him treated that way.

"Hello?" She called out softly.

She reached a part of the bell tower that seemed to serve as his chambers. It was growing dark from the lack of light coming from the fast approaching night sky.

"What are you doing here?" Quasimodo asked, scared, as he came out of a dark corner of the tower.

"I came to ask your forgiveness. I never meant for any what happened today, to happen to you."

He seemed shy but he stepped towards her. "What happened to the Doctor?"

"Frollo's men arrested him. I fear that Frollo will have him executed."

Quasimodo's face fell at this, "Why would he do that?"

"Because the Doctor has stood against Frollo on three occasions and that is three occasions too many where Frollo is concerned no doubt."

Quasimodo went quiet then and looked like he was about to weep until a smile came across his face and he laughed. "Frollo comes to see me every second morning and that means he will be here tomorrow! I can ask him about it tomorrow!"

"You would do that?"

Quasimodo nodded in response.

"And if I was to give you a way to find me, you would come and tell me what you know?" Esmeralda asked, excited at the prospect of having news on her friend. "No matter what Frollo tells you, you promise to find me and tell me?"

"I promise but how would I find you?"

It was Esmeralda's turn to smile now as she reached into her pocket and offered Quasi a necklace. "When you wear this woven band, you hold the city in your hand." When he took it from her and put it on she took his hand and assured him, "You will know where to find me now."

Quasimodo was still a little bit confused but he took Esmeralda's word for it that he would know when the time come.

She gave him a quick embrace and then pulled away, "I must go back but thank you Quasimodo and please know that I am most sincerely sorry for how things turned out today."

With that Esmeralda ran down the stairs and out the Cathedral, all the way home wearing an easy smile as her heart did flips knowing that she would soon know how her friend was doing. Even if she did not anticipate an altogether pleasant answer, it was still a relief to know something instead of nothing!

Frollo watched, all the while as she ran from the Cathedral, having seen her go in earlier and had her followed. The guard who had returned told him she had prayed and then gone up to the bell tower. So it would seem that even if he did not get the answers he desired from the man in the dungeons below, Quasimodo would give him the answers instead. Quasimodo was indeed a worthwhile little pet to have kept all these years.

xXx

Frollo had been down that evening to see the prisoner and try to reason with him. "Give me the Court of Miracles and you can go free."

"I don't know what you're talking about…" He had protested.

"Don't think me a fool, I know you would have had to stay there. You will give me what I want, one way or another."

That was when the man had stared him right in the eyes and smirked, "Ha! I think your men will kill be long before I say a word." and, as with before, he spat at Frollo.

With a growl, Frollo left the prisoner in the care of the Dungeon master, "Have it your way heathen."

Late that night, Frollo sat in a darkened study seething at the pure insolence of the man. As he thought over the earlier exchange and the three before it, his mind wandered to the man himself. Who was he? He was not one of the Gypsies Frollo had seen around Paris before. The tall man was a puzzle, his features and physique were obvious signs of a young man but his eyes held sadness unlike anything Frollo had seen and they betrayed an age that it was not possible to be. Yes, this man was a mystery and Frollo disliked mysteries.

'Ah, but this one is wrapped in such a handsome package, is it not?' Something in the back of his mind whispered.

The thought shocked him, horrified him but as he tried to think of something else his treacherous mind relayed only thoughts of him.

'His eyes are something to behold when he is angry, incredible pools of pure emotion. How he speaks of justice with such passion and that day in the bell tower, how he winked at you.'

"No!" He spat, "Stop this." This man must have corrupted him somehow, must have cast some spell on him to make him think in such an unholy and sodomite way!

"When he touched my hand, that day!" Frollo said to himself, realising that must have been when the spell was cast.

His mind took him back to that day, the verbal sparring and the glint in the other man's eyes. The feel of his hand on Frollo's and that wink. That wink that was both wholly seductive now as it was disgusting then.

As his mind took him to such places he stumbled out of his study and along to his chambers where upon the wall above the fire was a painting of the Virgin Mary.

"Beata Maria,
You know I am a righteous man.
Of my virtue I am justly proud.

Beata Maria,
You know I'm so much purer than
The common, vulgar, weak, licentious crowd.

Then tell me, Maria,
Why I see him standing there?
Why his defiant stare still scorches my soul?

I feel him, I see him.
The sun caught in raven hair
Is blazing in me out of all control.

Like fire,
Hellfire,
This fire in my skin.
This burning
Desire
Is turning me to sin.

It's not my fault,
I'm not to blame.

It is the gypsy,
The witch who sent this flame.

It's not my fault.

If in God's plan.
He made the devil so much
Stronger than a man!

Protect me, Maria.
Don't let this siren cast his spell,
Don't let him fire sear my flesh and bone.

Destroy Him
And let him taste the fires of hell
Or else let him be mine and mine alone.

Hellfire,
Dark fire.
Now gypsy, it's your turn
Choose me or
The noose.

Be mine or you will hang.

God have mercy on him.

God have mercy on me.

But he will be mine,
Or he will hang!"

Frollo was exhausted, he was terrified and he was certain that this was a spell that perhaps neither God nor man could lift.

xXx

Unbeknownst to the Doctor, directly above him, Frollo struggled with something he had never experienced before.

Right now, the Doctor's world was centered around pain.

Not long after Frollo had left him, the Dungeon master had returned with a wicked grin on his face and demanded that the Doctor stand. He was tired, he didn't want to stand. He wanted to sleep, he wanted the Tardis to come save him but he seemed to have misplaced the key. When he didn't stand, the Dungeon master kicked him in the stomach and repeated his order that the Doctor stand.

Winded and gasping for air, the Doctor struggled to his feet. Not an easy task given that his feet had been shackled and his hands bound tightly with rope. Once he was on his feet, two guards appeared at either side of him and gripped his shoulders and arms. The Dungeon master untied the rope around the Doctor's wrists. Before the Doctor could flex his wrists to get a little feeling back, the guards grabbed one each and almost pulled his arms out of their sockets as they thrust his arms in the air. Another, taller, guard came in and tightly wrapped fresh rope around one wrist, tied it and looped it over a beam above the Doctor's head. The rope was soon wrapped around his other wrist and again tied so that the Doctor could not let his arms down. His arms were beginning to ache already and he knew what was inevitably coming next.

The two guards that had come in first, left. Leaving only the Doctor, the Dungeon master and the tall guard. The tall guard took a dagger from a sheath somewhere on his armour and handed it to the Dungeon master. The sound of tearing fabric came next but the Doctor was too distracted by the ache in his arms to care that his coat had just been cut open. Then he felt the cold steel of the dagger against his back, meaning his shirt too was torn at the seam.

The guard gave him a cold stare, "Where is the Court of Miracles, gypsy?"

"Kill me first, then I'll think about telling you."

The guard nodded and there was a brief minute in which all was quiet. Then with only a whoosh to signal its descent, a whip came down on the Doctor's back. And again. And then again. It took all the Doctor's willpower not to scream aloud at the searing pain.

"Would you like to rethink your answer?" The guard smirked.

The Doctor ground his teeth and fixed the guard with a half demented smile, "I'm disinclined to acquiesce."

He was quite disappointed when the guard understood what he meant, he had hoped he might get to taunt the fool before another lash from the whip.

"Very well. Have it your way." And with that, he left.

The Doctor braced himself and once again, the whip came down on his back. This went on for about an hour and by then the Doctor didn't have the strength of mind to bite his tongue and he screamed freely in pain.

xXx

Frollo had been standing outside The Doctor's cell for somewhere around twenty minutes, revelling in the sound of his screams. They only served to increase this unholy desire within him but he was truly beyond caring at this point. That was when he decided to walk in and stop the Dungeon master.

"You know this would all cease if you would only tell me where to find the Court of Miracles."

The Doctor looked up and snarled, "Go to hell."

Frollo closed the space between the two men and whispered in the Doctor's ear, "You have already sent me there."

The Judge stepped back and looked at the Dungeon master in such a way that the man couldn't get out of there fast enough. Then he turned his attention to the near broken man, still suspended from the beam above him. His face covered in sweat and his chest heaving. He stalked around to the Doctor's back and reached to touch the gashes on his back. At the contact, the Doctor hissed but Frollo ignored it. Then, once again, he faced the Doctor. "On my honour, I will have you let down and someone to see to your wounds if you give me what I seek."

"Don't make me have to say it again." The Doctor said, wearily.

At this final denial, Frollo snapped and slapped the Doctor across the face and, to the Doctor's complete shock, followed it up with a kiss.

This was not a soft, loving kiss. This was domineering and bruising, and Frollo seemed to be trying to pry his way into the Doctor's mouth but that was an invasion he simply was not going to allow. As if realising this, Frollo pulled back and panted.

The Doctor was reeling in shock, the pain of his wounds were dulling now and he felt so tired, more so than before it had begun. A lone tear fell, borne of pain, exhaustion and confusion.

"If your mind is made up then so too is mine." Frollo declared and left the Doctor hanging there.

No one came to cut him down until long after the sun set.

xXx

"Captain, make sure that the Gallows are set up and ready for tomorrow morning." Frollo instructed Phoebus.

"Sir?"

"The prisoner down below has chosen not to tell me what I need to know and is of no use to us. We cannot simply allow such a menace to go free."

"Sir, I don't mean to overstep my mark but he has not been tried."

"Captain, he has had his chance to repent and he denied it." Frollo said, making clear that this discussion was over.

"Sir." Phoebus saluted and went to inform his men.

"Perhaps once your feet cease twitching your spell will be removed and I can try to salvage my soul from the Devil's claws."

xXx

Morning saw another day where Clopin had no idea what his friend going through. He'd had no time between each incident with the Doctor to learn much more about him but he already trusted him completely. The man had stood up against Frollo not just for Clopin but for Esmeralda too and now he had shown once again that he would not sit back and allow those who may be different in any way to be mistreated.

He was setting up his caravan for the day ahead and sunrise had only just passed him when he noticed them. Gallows. His face paled and his stomach dropped because as far as he knew, there was only one prisoner in the Palace of Justice which left no doubt in his mind who these were for.

He tried to put the thought out his mind and tell his stories to the children but he could hear them chattering about the gallows being set up.

"My mama says it's for the man that made a scene at the festival." Annabelle said

Clopin had stopped telling his story at that moment and another young girl, turned from Annabelle to look at Clopin, "Will you be there to watch Clopin?"

It had been asked with innocence but Clopin found his words stuck in his throat. It took a moment before Clopin could even find words that were not 'he is innocent' or 'Frollo has gone mad.'

"Non, I don't think I will be. I don't think I can watch another friend die." Clopin said and shook his head, "Apologies little ones, but I must close up for today. I am in no mood to tell stories."

Clopin could not bring himself to return to the Court and seek out Esmeralda to tell her. Instead he closed up his caravan and sat in darkness, utterly silent.

xXx

Hours later when the bells of Notre Dame tolled Noon, Clopin could hear a crowd gathering nearby. Near the gallows and his morbid curiosity took over. A vain hope, hoped beyond all reason that he was wrong and that there was indeed another prisoner in the Palace but thise hopes were dashed because just as he pushed to the front he saw the Doctor being lead up the wooden steps of the gallows.

Clad in a white, prisoner shirt and trousers; Clopin had never seen his friend look so defeated, never in the short space of time he had known him did he look so tired and so old. The Doctor, Clopin noticed, walked with a slight limp and there was a bruise across his face.

All of a sudden there was a small hand in Clopins. The girl from that morning who had asked if he would be here to watch.

"I'm sorry about your friend." She said quietly.

"He is guilty of nothing punishable by death." Clopin said quietly, "Don't you have parents watching? They will hardly approve of you standing here with me."

"Mummy doesn't like watching executions and daddy is with the angels." The girl said, so simply.

"Why are you here? This is no place for a child." Clopin said, his eyes casting quickly over to the Doctor who seemingly had not lifted his head at all.

"I thought you might want company if you did come." She told him, "No one should watch their friend die at all but if they are to see it, they shouldn't be alone. I was alone when daddy died, I didn't want you to go through the same."

This girl was wise beyond her years and Clopin squeezed her hand gently. "I thank you, mademoiselle for your thoughtfulness."

They stood silent as Frollo read charges of Witchcraft and Obstruction of Justice. They stood silent as the Doctor refused to speak when asked if he repented and when the sack was placed over the Doctor's head, Clopin spared him a prayer to whatever God was really out there. When the noose was around the Doctor's neck, Clopin picked up the little girl and turned her face away from the sight.

"Do not burden yourself with a sight such as this, for me. Thank you for your company but I would rather you not watch." He said quietly. He did this both for the sake of the girl and because he did not wish for her to see as he let the tears trail his cheek.

"Fare thee well, mon ami." Clopin whispered as his friend dropped.

xXx

Once the body has dropped out of sight, Clopin let the little girl down and told her to go home.

With no reason to stick around, the crowd soon dispersed and Clopin left too. He intended to go and tell Esmeralda the news. She would be heartbroken.

PLOT POINTS! PLOT POINTS EVERYWHERE!

I don't like to push for reviews but I am seeing a lot of people reading and no one is reviewing so I can really only assume I'm doing everything fine? Who knows but please do tell me what you think, I don't bite.

You got this one a day early cause I'm going to be really busy tomorrow and I don't know if I will have time to post it but I'm sure you'll not be complaining eh? So I will update again on the usual day next week (hopefully...)