Here you go! I was going to try finishing it last night but got hooked on a historical fiction short story I had to write for my fiction writing class. Enjoy!
Chapter 5: The Shakespearan Code
"I still don't understand. How do you travel in time? What makes it go?" Martha asked. She was gripping the TARDIS tightly. Freya was holding on tightly as well, and James was just scoffing at everything. The Doctor himself was flitting about as he usually did.
"Oh, let's take the fun and mystery out of everything. Martha, you don't want to know. It just does. Hold on tight," the Doctor said, roping an arm around Freya's waist to secure her in place.
"Blimey!" James shouted as the TARDIS screeched to a stop, knocking both him and Martha to the floor.
"Blimey's right. Do you have to pass a test to fly this thing?" Martha wanted to know.
"Yes, and I failed it. Now, make the most of it. I promised you one trip and one trip only. The sooner you go back, the sooner we get rid of James. Outside this door, brave new world," the Doctor said, a grin growing on his lips. Freya couldn't help but grin too. She was excited to see Martha and James's reactions to it.
She was starting to understand why the Doctor liked showing off to people. If everyone acted so amazed, she'd want new people all the time as well.
"Where are we?" Martha asked eagerly.
"Take a look. After you," the Doctor said, gesturing for the door. Martha moved quickly towards the door, James following hesitantly behind her. He kept glancing over his shoulder at Freya. Nonetheless, he quickly followed Martha out the door.
"Where are we really?" Freya wanted to know. The Doctor grabbed a syringe that the TARDIS just shot out to him and stuck Freya in the arm quickly.
"Sorry. TARDIS immunizations. In case we come in contact with something unsavory. I'm not risking you getting sick when we could easily prevent it. Shakespearan England," the Doctor said with a grin.
"And you just let them walk out wearing their clothes? What happened to 'You'll cause a riot. Go change,'?" Freya wanted to know. The Doctor shrugged.
"I hadn't thought about it," he said.
"You'd bettered hope this is a memorable trip for them. I'd hate to disappoint them. I like Martha. She's been a real help to me while you were gone. And so was James," Freya pointed out. The Doctor's expression soured at her words. He sighed and nodded, allowing Freya to pull him towards the door.
"You've changed," the Doctor admitted suddenly.
"I'm sure you have too. It's been a few months," Freya told him gently. Freya stepped out of the TARDIS alongside the Doctor.
"Oh, you are kidding me. You are so kidding me. Oh, my God, we did it. We travelled in time. Where are we? No, sorry. I got to get used to this whole new language. When are we?" she asked, turning towards the Doctor. James grabbed her by the jacket, pulling her back quickly.
"Somewhere before the invention of the toilet. Obviously," James said in disdain as a man threw out a bucket of stuff, only narrowing missing Martha and James.
"Sorry about that," the Doctor said awkwardly.
"I've seen worse. I've worked late night shift A & E. But are we safe? I mean, can we move around and stuff?" Martha wanted to know.
"Of course we can. If we couldn't he wouldn't have brought us here," James said.
"Be nice," Freya told James sternly.
"Why do you ask?" the Doctor asked, staring at her.
"It's like in the films. You step on a butterfly, you change the future of the human race," Martha said.
"Tell you what then, don't step on any butterflies. What have butterflies ever done to you?" the Doctor asked Martha seriously.
"What if, I don't know, I kill my grandfather?" Martha asked.
"Are you planning on killing people?" Freya asked in alarm, gripping the Doctor's hand automatically at her words.
"No," Martha said.
"Well, then," the Doctor said with a nod.
"And this is London?" Martha asked.
"I think so. Round about 1599," the Doctor said.
"Round about 1599. Couldn't be more precise, could you? Show off," James grumbled, but Freya noticed that even he was glancing about in awe.
"Oh, but hold on. Am I alright? I'm not going to get carted off as a slave, am I?" Martha asked in alarm.
"Why would they do that?" the Doctor asked, truly puzzled.
"Not exactly white, in case you haven't noticed," Martha pointed out.
"I'm not even human. Just walk about like you own the place. Works for me. Besides, you'd be surprised. Elizabethan England, not so different from your own time. Look over there. They've got recycling," the Doctor said, pointing to a man who was shoveling house manure into a bucket. Freya's nose scrunched up automatically at the sight.
"Water cooler moment," James suggested, pointing towards two men talking at a water barrel.
"And the world will be consumed by flame," a man was saying from the street. Freya grinned.
"And global warming, right?" Freya asked with a grin. Both James and the Doctor beamed down at her with her words.
"Oh, yes, and entertainment! Popular entertainment for the masses. If I'm right, we're just down the river by Southwark, right next to," the Doctor stopped talking, pulling Freya along as he took off running. Freya could hear feet pounding behind her and assumed James and Martha were on their heels.
"Oh yes, the Globe Theatre! Brand new, just opened. Strictly speaking, it's not a globe, it's a tetradecagon. Fourteen sides. Containing the man himself," the Doctor said with a grin as Martha and James caught up.
"Patrick Moore?" Freya teased. The Doctor rolled his eyes at her.
"Why does it always come down to Patrick Moore?" he wanted to know.
"Whoa, you don't mean….is Shakespeare in there?" Martha asked in awe.
"Oh yes. Miss Jones, Mr. McCrimmon, would you care to accompany Mrs. Doctor and I to the theatre?" the Doctor asked. Freya could only roll her eyes at his words.
"Why, Mister Smith, I will," Martha said.
"The dramatics," James said in disdain, only for Freya to grab his hand with her free hand, eliciting a frown from the Doctor.
"When you get home, you can tell everyone you've seen Shakespeare," the Doctor told Martha, obviously recoiling from James's lack of impressed attitude.
"Then I could get sectioned," Martha said with a grin. The Doctor shot a look at James.
"Why James, you should go out and proclaim it to the world, when you get home, where you were," the Doctor suggested cheekily.
"That, husband, is rude," Freya reminded him.
"Wife, he was rude first," the Doctor said with a pout.
"You're like a child, you know that right? An overgrown child," James protested.
"Boys, I won't have this fighting. You can get along or I'll separate you and you can spend a week in separate rooms of the TARDIS, alone," Freya threatened.
"You can't threaten to separate me in my own ship," the Doctor protested.
"Yes I can. I think she likes me better," Freya said with her own grin as they made their way towards the theatre.
The performance was amazing. Freya had only had the pleasure of watching a Shakespeare play once, and her prior experience paled in comparison to the real deal. Freya had no problem joining in with the clapping alongside the rest of the audience.
"That's amazing! Just amazing. It's worth putting up with the smell. And those are men dressed up as women, yeah?" Martha asked.
"London never changes," the Doctor said before turning to Freya.
"What did you think?" he wanted to know.
"Absolutely fantastic," Freya said with a smile. The Doctor grinned right back at her as James let out a dramatic sigh from their other side.
"Where's Shakespeare? I want to see Shakespeare. Author! Author! Do people shout that? Do they shout Author?" Martha asked.
"They didn't," James informed her just as a man behind her started shouting Author. The rest of the crowd quickly jumped in, causing James to roll his eyes and the Doctor to laugh.
"They do now," Freya said with a grin. Her grin stayed in place as a man made his way on stage, bowing dramatically to the applause.
"I take it that's him?" Freya asked.
"Oh yeah," the Doctor said, staring intently.
"What gave it away, the massive ego?" James asked. Freya giggled at his words as the crowd's cheering died down a bit.
"He's a bit different from his portraits," Martha said uncomfortably.
"Genius. He's a genius. The genius. The most human human there's ever been. Now we're going to hear him speak. Always he chooses the best words. New, beautiful, brilliant words," the Doctor said, staring intently at Shakespeare.
"Ah, shut your big fat mouths!" Shakespeare shouted. Freya turned to the Doctor, watching as his excited expression faded immediately to one of disappointment.
"Oh well," the Doctor said.
"Which is why you should never meet your heroes," James pointed out. On stage, Shakespeare continued talking, having not a care in the world.
"You're got excellent taste, I'll give you that. Oh, that's a wig," he said, pointing to a man in the audience. The crowd continued to laugh.
"I know what you're all saying. Love's Labour's Lost, that's a funny ending, isn't it? It just stops. Will the boys get the girls? Well, don't get your hose in a tangle, you'll find out soon. Yeah, yeah. All in good time. You don't rush a genius," Shakespeare announced.
"Isn't that true," Freya teased the Doctor. His only reaction was to wrap an arm around her waist and give her a quick squeeze. Freya glanced back on stage to see Shakespeare suddenly stand up straighter and his expression blank.
"When? Tomorrow night. The premiere of my brand new play. A sequel, no less, and I call it Loves Labour's Won," Shakespeare announced, his voice barely above monotonous. The Doctor quickly pulled Freya towards the door, James and Martha struggling to keep up with them. As soon as they made it to the street, Martha moved up so she was in step with the Doctor and Freya. James also moved up, standing next to Freya rather than the Doctor.
"I'm not an expert, but I've never heard of Loves Labour's Won," Martha said slowly.
"Exactly. The lost play. It doesn't exist, only in rumors. It's mentioned in lists of his plays but never ever turns up. And no one knows why," the Doctor said ominously.
"Have you got a mini-disc or something? We can tape it. We ca flog it. Sell it when we get hom and make a mint," Martha suggested.
"Don't be stupid. That's why humans don't have time travel," James scoffed at her.
"That would be bad?" Martha said slowly.
"Yeah," the Doctor agreed.
"That's not important. What's important is why it disappeared in the first place. That's what we need to figure out. When we figure that out, we'll figure out what's going wrong here. I reckon it has something to do with aliens," Freya said.
"Oh? How do you reckon that?" Martha asked, staring at her in confusion.
"The Doctor's here. That's how I reckon it. Even if aliens weren't originally involved, they will be now," Freya said, winking at the Doctor.
"Oh, that's not fair. I don't always muck things up," the Doctor whined.
"No. You don't muck it up. But you're really good at attracting trouble," Freya pointed out.
"I attracted you," the Doctor reminded her.
"I guess that makes me trouble," Freya teased right back.
"Enough with the flirting. I think I'm gonna hurl," James said as he rolled his eyes once more.
"You're fine. You're just jealous," the Doctor dismissed. The Doctor pulled them along, down the streets.
"Where are we going?" James asked.
"To the pub. To get some authentic food. And then to find Shakespeare. The odds of finding him immediately after a play isn't good. We'll pop in for a quick bite to eat and then track him down at his hotel," the Doctor explained.
"So in the meantime, we're just supposed to sit back and relax?" Martha wanted to know.
"Pretty much, yeah," the Doctor nodded in agreement.
"I thought it was all excitement and running with you," Martha complained.
"Thank goodness it isn't. I'd never be able to keep up if it was!" Freya complained teasingly. The Doctor led them to a small, less noisy pub than what Freya would have expected.
After eating, the lot of them made their way towards a hotel. They passed a disgruntled man as they entered the room where Shakespeare was.
"I've just got the final scene to go. You'll get it by morning," Shakespeare shouted after the man. The Doctor grinned, waving slightly at Shakespeare.
"Hello! Excuse, us, not interrupting, are we? Mister Shakespeare, isn't it?" the Doctor asked.
"Oh no. No, no, no. Who let you in? No autographs. No, you can't have yourself sketched with me. And please don't ask where I get my ideas from. Thanks for the interest. Now be a good boy and shove….hey, nonny nonny," Shakespeare's eyes widened as they landed on Martha. Freya was standing behind the Doctor and not in sight of him yet.
She was glad she wasn't.
"Sit right down here next to me. You two get sewing on them costumes. Off you go," Shakespeare ordered the servants in the room. Martha made her way over to Shakespeare. James shifted as well, leaving Freya in view. She automatically slipped her hand into the Doctor's.
"Come on, lads. I think our William's found his new muse," the one servant said before leaving. Shakespeare was too enameled with Martha to notice it.
"Sweet lady," Shakespeare began, examining Martha.
"Dear lord," James muttered in irritation as Martha giggled slightly at the interest being shown to her.
"Such unusual clothes. So fitted," Shakespeare murmured.
"Er, verily, forsooth, egads," Martha began attempting.
"No, no, don't do that. Don't," the Doctor said immediately. He then pulled out his psychic paper and held it up to Shakespeare.
"I'm Sir Doctor of the TARDIS. This is my wife, Dame Freya of the TARDIS, our companion, Miss Martha Jones, and our servant, James McCrimmon," the Doctor said. James shot the Doctor a glare, of which he artfully avoided.
"Interesting, that bit of paper. It's blank," Shakespeare said. The Doctor pulled it back and looked at it as he sat down. Freya remained awkwardly standing behind him.
"Oh, that's very clever. That proves it. Absolute genius," the Doctor breathed.
"No, it says so right there. Sir Doctor, Dame Freya, Martha Jones, James McCrimmon. It says so," Martha said.
"And I say it's blank," Shakespeare countered.
"Psychic paper. Er, long story. Oh, I hate starting from scratch," the Doctor complained.
"It takes what you want it to say and makes people see it. It doesn't work on geniuses, from what the Doctor has said," Freya tried explaining in the most simple terms she could.
"Psychic? Never heard that word before and words are my trade. Who are you exactly. More's to the point, who is your delicious blackamoor lady?" Shakespeare said, eyes glued to Martha. Freya let out a quiet giggle as movement caught the corner of her eye. She turned quickly to see a girl in red standing in the doorway, watching with wide eyes.
Lil' Red.
Freya quickly moved towards the door. When the little girl spotted her, her eyes widened but she stayed in spot. Freya bent down in front of her.
"Lil' Red?" Freya asked for clarification. The little girl's eyes widened and the threw her arms around Freya.
"I was hoping you knew me. I hate it when you don't know me. Bad Wolf said I could come see either Shakespeare or Charles Dickens but he said you'd possibly be here if I said Shakespeare," Lil' Red gushed. Freya smiled and started to pick her up only to wince.
Lil' Red wasn't that big. She couldn't have been more than seven. But she was too big for Freya to lift. Freya frowned at the realization but Lil' Red smiled nonetheless, slipping her hand inside of Freya's.
"Well then, let's go meet Shakespeare," Freya said, pulling her into the room.
"Shakespeare, I would like to introduce my daughter to you. She adores your writing and was hoping to meet you," Freya said, drawing everyone's attention.
"That's Shakespeare?" Lil' Red asked in awe as she stared at him.
"Yes. Go say hi. He's just a normal person, like you and me. Only he's brilliant. Like Daddy," Freya said with a grin as she gave the girl a little push forward. Lil' Red held out her hand to Shakespeare, who kissed it and winked at her.
"What a beautiful shade of hair you have, my dear," he said as Lil' Red turned as red as said hair. Before another word could be uttered, a man stormed into the room.
"Excuse me! Hold hard a moment! This is abominable behavior. A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, Mister Shakespeare. As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and examined by me before it can be performed," the man said with an air of importance.
"Tomorrow morning, first thing, I'll send it round," Shakespeare said, waving him off as he released Lil' Red's hair.
"I don't work to your schedule, you work to mine. The script, now!" the man demanded.
"I can't," Shakespeare said simply.
"Then tomorrow's performance is cancelled. I'm returning to my office for a baning order. If it's the last thing I do, Love's Labours Won will never be played," the man said before storming out.
"Well then, mystery solved. That's Love's Labours won over and done with. Thought it might be something more, you know, mysterious," Martha said sadly as a man's scream came from the street, echoed by a woman's. The Doctor was on his feet in a second, rushing out the door. Martha and James followed closely behind as Freya gripped Lil' Red's hand and tugged her along. Shakespeare followed alongside Freya, even going as far as to help her down the stairs in their rush.
They got downstairs and out in time to see the man that had been shouting in Shakespeare's office fall to the ground. Martha was hovering over him, as was the Doctor. Martha went to clear his airway when water started gushing out of his lungs. Freya quickly pulled Lil' Red to her, not wanting the girl to see the sight.
"What the hell is that?" Martha asked in disbelief.
"I've never seen a death like it. His lungs are full of water. He drowned and then, I don't know, like a blow to the heart, an invisible blow," he said, standing up and spinning around.
"Good mistress, this poor fellow has died from a sudden imbalance of the humours. A natural if unfortunate demise. Call a constable and have him taken away," the Doctor said.
"Yes sir," said the woman.
"I'll do it, ma'am," a younger girl volunteered before scampering off, a wide grin on her face.
A grin much too big for someone that just watched a man die.
"And why are you telling them that?" Martha asked.
"You can't just tell people in this age the truth. They'll think it's witchcraft. They still have at least one foot in the Dark Ages," James pointed out.
"And what is the truth?" Martha asked him.
"Witchcraft," the Doctor said simply before turning to Lil' Red.
"I don't think we've met before. At least, not officially with me knowing who you were. I'm the Doctor," he said. Lil' Red giggled.
"Yes I know," Lil' Red said. The Doctor looked affronted and huffed, only making Lil' Red giggle even more.
"Are you getting sassy with me?" the Doctor asked her, causing her giggles to increase.
"We should probably move this inside before we get suspicious looks. This is technically a crime scene," James said, crossing his arms. Lil' Red turned to James and threw herself at him, hugging his knees tightly. Freya's eyebrows furrowed together at the sight. James awkwardly picked the girl up, shooting both Freya and the Doctor a confused look.
"Uncle James!" she cried out happily.
"I don't know if I should feel happy about the greeting or offended that you only just noticed me now," James said as Lil' Red's arms wrapped even more tightly around him.
"Wait. You said that was Lil' Red. Do you mean the same Lil' Red that was just a baby?" Martha asked as they entered the hotel.
"Time travel. It's a bit confusing," Freya said.
"Time travel," Shakespeare murmured. Freya turned, giving him what she hoped was a soothing smile.
"I do hope we aren't confusing you too dreadfully. I'd feel awful if we were," Freya said. Shakespeare glanced up at her and shook his head quickly.
"Oh no, of course not. It is refreshing to have to think about such things," Shakespeare said with a smile as he opened the door to his room, allowing them all inside.
The woman from earlier made her way in the room.
"I was able to get you a room, Sir Doctor. You and your party are just across the landing. It's a bit small for the five of you, but I brought a few extra blankets," the woman said.
"Thank you. Your kindness is appreciated," Freya told the woman warmly.
"Poor Lynley. So many strange events. Not least of all, this land of Freedonia where a woman can be a doctor?" Shakespeare said.
"Freedonia?" Lil' Red asked in a giggle.
"Your father isn't great at making up names," James told the girl, causing her to giggle once more. He sat her down and she had her hand in Freya's instantly.
"Where a woman can do what she likes," Martha corrected.
"And you, Sir Doctor. How can a man so young have eyes so old?"
"I do a lot of reading," the Doctor said, his expression blank.
"A trite reply. Yeah, that's what I'd do. And you? You look at him like you're surprised he exists. He's as much of a puzzle to you as he is to me," Shakespeare said to Martha before glancing at James.
"You're so incredibly jealous of him, it rolls off of you in waves. You wanted Dame Freya, if I am reading it correctly. Dame Freya, who has a child of seven although she cannot be more than twenty herself. A child who appeared from nowhere," Shakespeare said.
"I think we should say goodnight," the Doctor said suddenly.
"I must work. I have a play to complete. But I'll get my answers tomorrow, Docotr, and I'll discover more about you and why this constant performance of yours," Shakespeare said.
"All the world's a stage," the Doctor quoted.
"Hmm. I might use that. Goodnight, Doctor," Shakespeare said.
"Nighty night, Shakespeare," the Doctor said.
"Don't stay up too late. You need your rest as well," Freya told him automatically. Shakespeare gave her a smile as the Doctor tugged her out of the room and into their own room across the landing.
A room with a single twin sized bed and a chair. Martha had a candle that she was using to examine the room.
"It's not exactly five star, is it?" Martha asked.
"Oh, it'll do. I've see worse," the Doctor said with a shrug.
"Worse for five people?" James wanted to know.
"I haven't even got a toothbrush," Martha said to herself as the Doctor started digging in his jacket. He whipped out a toothbrush, handing it to Martha without a second's delay.
"Contains Venusian spearmint," he told her.
"That's all nice and dandy, but how are sleeping arrangements?" James wanted to know. He picked up the lone blanket that had been left in the room for them and glanced about the room once more.
"Lil' Red and I can curl up on the blanket on the floor," Freya volunteered.
"No. You can go on the bed," James said automatically.
"I'm not overly comfortable lying down at all anymore, not with my stomach," Freya said, motioning towards her stomach. It had gotten much larger over the last few months, becoming more of an inconvenience than anything else.
"I can sleep down there with you two," James offered, only for the Doctor's eyes to narrow.
"Um, I'll sleep with my wife and child. Not you," the Doctor said, eyes flashing.
"Who do you think she had to share a bed with to sleep properly at night while you were gone?" James asked, his own expression turning dangerous.
"She's MY wife. Not yours. The sooner you realize that, the better off you'll be," the Doctor said.
"I was the one taking care of her when you abandoned her. I made sure she ate, got checked up, and slept. Not you," James shot back angrily.
"Please don't fight," Lil' Red said quietly, her eyes watering. Freya wrapped her arms around Lil' Red and the boys continued glaring at each other.
"Well I'm back now. We have no need for you," the Doctor spat.
"Speak for yourself. You've had her back for what, two days? Three? And you've already lost her and almost got her killed by the Shadow Proclamation. You didn't even manage to rescue that. Your SON did," James pointed out angrily.
"That's it. You're going home tomorrow. I'm not having you anywhere near us anymore," the Doctor declared.
"Just STOP! Please!" Lil' Red cried before bursting into tears.
"Boys. Please. You're upsetting my daughter, and I don't appreciate it," Freya told them. Both men still glared at each other but shot her a clearly chastised look.
"Now, I think we need to work this out right now. Otherwise, you two will wait until we're in the middle of some sort of chase and try hashing it out then. And I am not having you put my daughter or Martha in danger because of your jealousy and incompetence. Doctor, sit on the bed. James, sit in the chair," Freya ordered. Both men slowly moved to sit where she'd ordered them to. Freya slowly lowered herself to the ground. Lil' Red, still sniffling, sat down next to her. Martha stood awkwardly until Frey patted the ground next to her. Martha sat gratefully next to her.
"Now, we clearly have some problems. James, I am not your Freya. I hate to say it, but I am not her and I will never be her. I am married to the Doctor. You are my friend, one of my dearest friends outside of Donna, but you are only my friend. You are not my husband," Freya told him sternly. The Doctor looked positively giddy, shooting James a superior grin. Freya turned to catch his expression and her frown grew.
"And you. You're acting like a child," Freya told him. The Doctor's grin vanished.
"But Freya!" the Doctor tried whining, only for Freya to glare at him.
"No. No buts. James is one of my best friends, and despite what you think, he is important to me. He did take care of me when you weren't there. You can't deny that. He sacrificed everything to save my life and then stayed around to take care of me when I felt too broken to take care of myself," Freya said.
"You are both important to me, and will stay that way if Lil' Red's reaction to James is anything to go by. I will not have the two of you fighting and acting like this. It's unacceptable, especially in front of my children. This is supposed to be a fun trip for Martha. Remember? Martha, who helped save our lives. And you two are acting like children. Martha will sleep down here with Lil' Red and I. You two can share the bed," Freya decided. Both men paled at her words.
"No we can't!" James protested.
"We won't fit!" the Doctor added, eliciting a glare from James.
"You should have thought about that before you made my daughter cry. Now turn out the lights and we'll get some sleep. James, toss us that blanket," Freya ordered. James grabbed the blanket from where it had been sitting by the chair and threw it to Freya. Martha spread it out as the Doctor put out the candle.
They hadn't been laying long before a scream sounded from the room across from them.
Shakespeare's room. The Doctor and James were out the room in a heartbeat, with Martha trailing quickly behind them. It took Freya a bit longer to sit up as Lil' Red rubbed the sleep from her eyes. They both entered the room just as Martha spun around from the window, eyes wide.
"Doctor?" Martha said.
"What did you see?" the Doctor asked.
"A witch," Martha whispered.
"You have got to be kidding me," Freya whispered. First there was Charles Dickens and the ghosts and now Shakespeare and witches? The irony was not lost on her.
"Oh, sweet Dolly Bailey. She sat out three bouts of the plague in this place when we all ran like rats. But what could have scared her so? She had such enormous spirit," Shakespeare said. Freya glanced out the window to see the sun slowly coming up.
Another sleepless night. Lil' Red was rubbing her eyes next to them.
"Rage, rage against the dying of the light," the Doctor quoted.
"I might use that," Shakespeare said thoughtfully.
"You can't. It's someone else's," the Doctor said slowly.
"But the thing is, Lynley drowned on dry land. Dolly died of fright. And they're both connected to you," Martha said to Shakespeare.
"It does look a bit suspicious," James agreed.
"You're accusing me?" Shakespeare asked in disbelief.
"No, but I saw a withc, big as you like, flying, cackling away, and you've written about witches," Martha said.
"I have? When was that?" Shakespeare asked.
"Not, not quite yet," the Doctor drifted off.
"Peter Streete spoke of witches," Shakespeare said thoughtfully.
"Who's that?" Lil' Red asked with a yawn.
"Our builder. He sketched the plans to the Globe," Shakespeare explained.
"The architect. Hold on. The architect! The architect! The Globe! Come on!" the Doctor shouted cheerfully, pulling them along.
As they entered the theater, Lil' Red was dragging a bit behind.
"Have you been here before?" Freya asked Lil' Red. She shook her head, staring about in sleepy awe.
"Doctor, I think I'm going to take Lil' Red back to the TARDIS for a nap. She's exhausted," Freya said. The Doctor turned, looking confused.
"Tired? A kid of mine?" the Doctor asked in disbelief.
"Yes. Tired. She is a child, and children do need their sleep. They aren't built for this sort of life," Freya pointed out.
The moment the words left her lips, she realized she shouldn't have said them. The Doctor's expression melted into a mask of indifference as he nodded.
"Do what you want," he said, turning away. Freya thought about saying something, or amending her statement. But she had nothing to apologize for. It was the truth.
Freya led Lil' Red back to the TARDIS. Lil' Red offered little resistance, her eyes drooping even farther down with each step.
"Darling, how did you get here? Is there anyone I need to contact for you?" Freya asked as she pushed open the door to hers and the Doctor's bedroom. Lil' Red shook her head.
"Bad Wolf dropped me off. Said I'd be fine. I wanted my own adventure," Lil' Red said with another yawn as she crawled into the bed. Freya smiled at her and tucked the blankets around her, kissing her forehead as Lil' Red's eyes slid shut.
"I'm going to go keep your father out of trouble. If you need anything, I've got my cell on me. The TARDIS'll give you a phone and the number to get ahold of me. I'll do my best to make sure we're back by the time you wake up. Please don't leave the TARDIS without telling me," Freya begged. Lil' Red nodded sleepily, eyes already closed.
"I love you," Lil' Red murmured sleepily.
"I love you too, darling. Get some rest," Freya said, slinking out of the room.
She made it to the console room before she realized she was crying. She made her way to the console, quickly pulling up the screen. The Gallifreyan words stared back at her.
"Please. I need to know what's wrong with her," Freya begged the TARDIS. Slowly, the words on the screen started shifting around on the screen.
Not yet.
Freya stared at the words.
"Please. Why can't I know? Is there anything you can tell me?" Freya begged.
She is fully human. One heart. Her body couldn't handle the Time Lord consciousness. It was disposed of. But her body needed more than a human's abilities. Her body can only run on a limited time without the Time Lord consciousness, and the method used to separate her from the consciousness did not allow for a reconnection.
Freya felt sick at the words. She shook her head.
"We can change that. We can change the future. We can save her if we start early enough," Freya argued.
You know you can't.
Freya stepped back from the screen and sank down into the chair.
And began to cry.
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She must have fallen asleep. When she woke up, she was still alone in the TARDIS console room. She quickly rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and made her way out of the room.
She hurried towards the motel where they had spent the night, hoping she could find some clue as to where they were if she made it there. She quickly made her way up the stairs and tumbled into the room to find them all there, none looking too happy.
"The Carrionites disappeared way back at the dawn of the universe. Nobody was sure if they were real or legend," the Doctor said grimly.
"Well, I'm going for real," Shakespeare said.
"For once, I'm going to agree with Shakespeare," James said.
"But what do they want?" Martha asked.
"Probably what all aliens seem to want. Earth," Freya supplied, drawing their attention to her. The Doctor had her in his arms immediately.
"Where have you been?" he asked worriedly.
"I fell asleep while putting Lil' Red down for bed. Sorry. I just woke up," she said.
"You've been crying," James observed.
"Don't we have something more important to be doing?" Freya asked, hoping to draw their attention from her.
"Nothing's more important," the Doctor contradicted.
"Um, I'm pretty sure the Earth is more important," Martha said carefully, earning herself a glare from the Doctor.
"She's right. So these Carrionites are the witches Martha saw?" Freya asked. The Doctor nodded, releasing her.
"They do want Earth. A new empire on Earth. A world of bones and blood and witchcraft," the Doctor said ominously.
"But how?" Martha asked.
"You saw them. They use words. We're with one of the greatest men of words of all time," James said, gesturing towards Shakespeare.
"Me? But I've done nothing," Shakespeare said in disbelief.
"Hold on, though. What were you doing last night, when that Carrionite was in the room?" Martha asked.
"Finishing the play," Shakespeare said, confused.
"And at the end, something happens. Something that will allow the Carrionites to take over the world," Freya guessed. Shakespeare started to shake his head but paused.
"I don't actually remember writing the last few lines," Shakespeare said suddenly.
"That's it. They used you. They gave you the final words like a spell, like a code. Love's Labours Won. It's a weapon. The right combination of words, spoken at the right place, with the shape of the Globe as an energy converter! The play's the thing! And yes, you can have that!" the Doctor shouted.
He hopped around the room, selecting a map from a pile of papers and examining it carefully.
"What are you looking for?" Freya asked.
"All Hallows Street. Peter Streete said that that was where the Carrionites were. At least, he said it before they killed him," James said grimly.
"The Globe creator?" Freya asked. Martha nodded.
"All Hallows Street. There it is. Martha, you and James go with Shakespeare and get to the Globe. Whatever you do, stop that play," the Doctor ordered.
"Shouldn't one of us go with you?" Martha asked.
"Freya is," the Doctor said, puzzled.
"But shouldn't one of us who can actually help you go?" Martha asked. Her words were met with silence as everyone stared at her.
"I can help him," Freya said, puzzled.
"But, with the baby. You can't run. And you can't lift anything. You really can't do much," Martha pointed out.
"It hasn't been an issue before," Freya said, getting irritated.
"Martha, we can handle it. Now, go!" the Doctor ordered.
"All these years, I've been the cleverest man around. Next to you, I know nothing," Shakespeare said in awe.
"Oh, don't complain," Martha said, irritated.
"I'm not. It's marvelous. Good luck, Doctor," Shakespeare said.
"Good luck, Shakespeare. Once more unto the breach," the Doctor quoted.
"I like that. Wait a minute, that's one of mine," Shakespeare said in disbelief.
"Oh, just shift!" the Doctor complained. The three of them took off running out of the room. The Doctor slid his hand into Freya's and pulled her along as well, dashing down the stairs and into the street. He pulled Freya along through the streets until they reached the right street.
"Was Lil' Red still sleeping when you left?" the Doctor asked.
"I believe so. She hadn't come out and the TARDIS didn't lock me in," Freya pointed out.
"Good. She could probably use the sleep," the Doctor said, glancing at the houses on the street.
"Here we are. But which house?" the Doctor asked as a door slowly opened in front of them. Freya gripped the Doctor's hand tighter.
"Ah. Make that witch house. Come on," he said, pulling Freya in after him. They entered and made their way up the stairs to the main room, where a girl was waiting on them.
"I take it we're expected," the Doctor said slowly as they entered the room. The girl nodded, smiling eerily at them.
"Oh, I think Death has been waiting for you a very long time," she said sweetly.
"How are we supposed to do this? Are we giving her a chance?" Freya asked the Doctor. She wasn't sure what all she missed.
"No. She's already killed a man in front of us," the Doctor said coldly.
"Funny. She wasn't there for the naming. Should I show her? See, we have a gift. Our power is words, and names are powerful. Observe. All I see is someone weary, a girl I will name Freya O'Leary," the girl said. Freya felt consciousness fade from her and she fell forward quickly. Her mind was pushed back to Bad Wolf, who effectively freaked out at the sudden intrusion. Freya proceeded to calm him before fighting her own way back into consciousness.
She was able to wake herself in time to see the Doctor fall over as the witch flew away. Freya threw herself upward and towards the Doctor, falling over his body. She quickly felt his chest. One heart. The other wasn't beating.
She'd stopped his heart without realizing he had two. She quickly listened, trying to figure out which heart wasn't working. He sucked in a sudden breath as she did, startling her.
"How do I restart your other heart?" Frey asked him.
"Hit me on the chest? I've only got one heart working! How do you people cope?" the Doctor complained as he stood. Freya hit his chest as hard as she dared.
"Harder, and other side!" the Doctor ordered. Freya did as he asked.
"Lovely! There we go. Badda booma! Well, come on! We've got to get to the Globe!" the Doctor ordered, grabbing Freya's hand and pulling her along quickly behind him. Freya stumbled behind him, still feeling the effects of whatever the witch did on her system.
He started pulling her down the streets in the opposite direction from which they'd come.
"I think we're going the wrong way," Freya said.
"No, we're not! Wait! We're going the wrong way!" the Doctor shouted, turning abruptly and pulling Freya along in the opposite direction. They made their way to the Globe just as a red glow seemed to form over it.
"I told thee so! I told thee!" the preacher they'd heard talking about the world end the day before shouted.
"Stage door!" the Doctor shouted to Freya, who was doing good just to tag behind him. They enter to see Shakespeare slowly waking up.
"Where's James and Martha?" the Doctor asked.
"I don't know," Shakespeare said hazily.
"I told you three to stop the play! That's all you had to do," the Doctor shouted at him.
"I hit my head," Shakespeare said, rubbing his head.
"Yeah, don't rub it, you'll go bald. I think that's my cue," the Doctor said, pushing his way on the stage. Freya followed shakily behind him. Shakespeare steadied her and the two made it on the stage too. From there, Freya could see the witches from before in the balcony. Two of them were fighting with Martha. James was slumped over by them. The witch they'd seen held some sort of crystal ball up and a ton of witches started flying about the theater.
"Come on, Will! History needs you!" the Doctor shouted at him.
"But what can I do?" Shakespeare asked in grief.
"Reverse it!" the Doctor shouted.
"How am I supposed to do that?" he asked.
"You can," Freya promised him.
"The shape of the Globe gives words power, but you're the wordsmith, the one true genius. The only man clever enough to do it," the Doctor said.
"He'll never be that modest again," Freya joked to Shakespeare, who let out a nervous giggle at her words.
"But what words? I have none ready," Shakespeare said to Freya.
"Make them up. That's what you're good at. And we're here, if you get stuck," Freya reassured him. Shakespeare stared at her for a moment before looking up.
"Close up this din of hateful, dire decay, decomposition of your witches' plot. You thieve my brain, consider me your toy. My doting Doctor tells me I am not!" Shakespeare shouted. The witch from before looked horrified.
"No! Words of power!" she shried.
"Foul Carrionite spectres, cease your show. Between the points," Shakespeare drifted off, glancing to the Doctor.
"Seven six one three nine oh!" the Doctor shouted.
"Seven six one three nine oh! Banished like a tinker's cuss, I say to thee," Shakespeare stopped once more.
"Expelliarmus!" Martha shouted from the balcony.
"Expelliarmus!" the Doctor repeated happily.
"Expelliarmus!" Shakespeare finished.
"Good old JK!" the Doctor cheered as the Carrionites screamed.
A massive tornado appeared, sucking in all of the Carrionites and the pages of the play, sucking it all upward before disappearing completely.
"Love's Labours Won. There it goes," the Doctor said as someone in the audience slowly began clapping. The rest of the audience immediately joined in.
Martha made her way down to them, helping a dazed looking James.
"They think it was all special effects?" Martha asked in disbelief.
"Stupid apes," James said with a shrug.
"Your effect is special indeed," Shakespeare said to Martha.
"It's not your best line," Martha said with a shrug. The lot of them bowed before making their way backstage. Freya sank gratefully down onto a bench, James sitting quickly beside her.
"Are you okay?" she asked James.
"I think I should be asking you that," James pointed out, but he nodded nonetheless.
"I'm fine. They used my name on me," James said.
"Ah. They did that to me too," Freya said. She glanced over to see Martha and Shakespeare talking. As they were, the Doctor entered wearing a small stiff ruff and carrying an animal skull.
"And that is your husband," James said drily.
"He's not keeping either of them," Freya informed James.
"Good props store back there. I'm not sure about this though. Reminds me of a Sycorax," the Doctor said, showing it to Freya. He was right. It did sort of resemble a Sycorax head, if she squinted and tilted her head sideways….and closed her eyes.
"Sycorax. Nice word. I'll have that off you as well," Shakespeare said.
"I should be on ten percent. How's your head?" the Doctor asked.
"Still aching," Shakespeare admitted.
"Here, put this on," the Doctor said, pulling the neck piece off and wrapping it around Shakespeare's neck.
"You are not the reason he wears that," Freya said in disbelief as the Doctor winked at her.
"Neck brace. Wear that for a few days till it's better, although you might want to keep it. It suits you," the Doctor said.
"What about the play?" Martha asked the Doctor.
"Gone. I looked all over. Every single copy of Love's Labours Won went up in the sky," the Doctor said.
"You sure got a lot done in a short amount of time," Freya pointed out with a grin.
"Time Lord," the Doctor said, grinning as well and pointing at himself.
"My lost masterpiece," Shakespeare said sadly to himself.
"You could write it up again," Martha said reassuringly.
"Yeah, better not, Will. There's still power in those words. Maybe it should best stay forgotten," the Doctor recommended.
"Oh, but I've got new ideas. Perhaps it's time I wrote about fathers and sons in memory of my boy, my precious Hamnet," Shakespeare said.
"Hamnet?" Freya asked, staring at him.
"That's him," Shakespeare.
"Hamnet?" Martha repeated.
"It's a lovely name," Freya said quickly.
"What's wrong? That's the name of the play," James whispered.
"Not in our dimension it's not," Freya hissed back.
"Anyway, time we were off. I've got to drop both Martha and James off in Freedonia," the Doctor said.
"You mean travel on through time and space," Shakespeare said casually. Every head jerked up to stare at him in disbelief.
"You what?" the Doctor asked, gaping.
"You're from another world like the Carrionites, and Martha is from the future. James is from another reality. And Freya's with you always. It's not hard to work out," Shakespeare said with a shrug.
"That's incredible. You are incredible," the Doctor finally managed to say.
"We're alike in many ways, Doctor. Martha, let me say goodbye to you in a new verse. A sonnet for my Dark Lady. Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate…" he drifted off as two of the actors ran back stage.
"Will!" they shouted excitedly.
"You're never going to believe it. She's here. She's turned up!" the one said.
"We're the talk of the town. She wants us to perform it again," the man said.
"Who?" James asked curiously.
"Her Majesty. She's here!" the actor said happily. The Doctor pulled Freya and the others out onto the stage in time for a queen to walk into the room.
"Queen Elizabeth the First!" the Doctor exclaimed happily.
"Doctor?" Queen Elizabeth said sharply.
"What?" the Doctor asked, staring at her in shock.
"Freya?" the queen asked in anger. Freya jumped.
"What?" Freya repeated the Doctor's sentiments.
"Part of my sworn enemies!" she cried.
"What?" Freya cried out, staring at the Doctor in alarm. He shrugged, also appearing just as shocked as her.
"Off with their heads!" she shouted.
"WHAT?" the Doctor shouted, his voice going squeaky.
"Never mind what, just run! See you, Will, and thanks!" Martha shouted.
"Stop that pernicious couple!" Queen Elizabeth shouted angrily. The Doctor started laughing as he pulled his entourage after him and back to the TARDIS.
"What have you two done to upset her?" Martha asked as they approached the TARDIS.
"How should we know? Haven't even met her yet. That's time travel for you. Still, I can't wait to find out what we did," the Doctor said, winking at Freya.
He threw the TARDIS door open and shoved them inside quickly.
"That's something to look forward to!"
Sooo...what do you guys think? I'm going to try to get you a chapter every two weeks. I literally just finished this, so I apologize for any errors. I didn't have a chance to reread over it. I just wanted to give it to you guys. I hope you enjoyed it! Leave a review!
Andi