The Shakespeare Code.
)0(
The Doctor grinned up at his latest travelling companion, Martha Jones, as she gripped the console to hold herself upright while he turned a wheeled control; trying to even out the flight.
"But how do you travel in time?" Martha questioned, "What makes it go?"
"Oh, let's take the fun and mystery out of everything." He exclaimed, "Martha, you don't wanna know. It just does. Hold on tight!" he moved up the console, having to wrap his foot around to reach the next control he needed to make their landing.
The TARDIS landed roughly, tossing the Doctor off the console and Martha to the floor.
Martha stood.
"Blimey! Do you have to pass a test to fly this thing?"
"Yes," he answered, jumping to his feet, "and I failed it." He grabbed his coat, "Now, make the most of it." He picked up her jacket and handed it to her, "I promised you one trip and one trip only. Outside this door..." he stopped with his back to the door and facing her, "Brave new world."
"Where are we?" Martha asked excitedly.
"Take a look." He opened the door and stepped to the side to let her pass him, "After you."
Martha grinned and all but ran down the ramp.
)0(
Tory sighed as she placed a withered piece of parchment back onto the shelf she had taken it from; she was researching. Back in her time U.N.I.T had dug up some files claiming that a man known only as 'Doctor' was a sworn enemy of Elizabeth 1st but didn't give a reason why. And so, as anything Doctor related did, it had passed into Jordan's department and then to Tory's desk with orders to find out just what the Doctor had done this time. And this was what led Tory to London 1599 searching through wanted posters and written reports of the last year.
"No luck again!" Tory whined to herself, "Why me?" she rested her forehead against the shelf in front of her.
She'd gotten herself a room at The Elephant Inn around a month ago, which she was surprised to find out, was on the same floor as an up and coming Shakespeare! Tory had managed to avoid him and his advances for a day before he tracked her down and tried to use charms on her. She had refused him, obviously, but he'd hardly been discouraged; in fact he'd invited her to his performance tonight.
Tory glanced out of the window, the sun was already setting, it would take her an hour walking to get back to the Elephant never mind over to the Globe!
"Sorry Will." Tory whispered, not really sorry at all before turning to leave; she'd just have to come back tomorrow to continue the search.
)0(
Martha stepped out of the TARDIS doors with a massive, amazed, grin on her face.
"Oh, you are kidding me." She muttered as she looked up and down the Elizabethan street in front of her, "You are so kidding me. Oh, my God! We did it. We travelled in time." She exclaimed happily before turning to face the Doctor who was standing behind her, "Where are we? No, sorry. I gotta get used to this whole new language. When are we?"
The Doctor glanced up as he heard the sound of a window opening and just managed to pull Martha back in time, preventing the contents of the bucket from landing on her.
"Mind the loo!" the owner of the bucket called before retreated back into their house.
"Somewhere before the invention of the toilet." The Doctor answered her question, "Sorry about that."
"I've seen worse." Martha waved him off, "I've worked the late night shift at A&E." the Doctor stepped over the mess on the floor and started to walk away, "But are we safe? I mean, can we move around and stuff?" he turned to stare at her, confused.
"Of course we can." He answered, "Why do you ask?"
"It's like in the films." Martha explained herself, "You step on a butterfly; you change the future of the human race."
"Well, tell you what then, don't step on any butterflies." He turned away to keep walking before turning back, "What have butterflies ever done to you?" he started walking away again and Martha stepped over the mess on the floor to follow just behind him.
"What if, I dunno, what if I kill my grandfather?" Martha asked, grinning at everything that was happening around her.
"You planning to?" the Doctor asked, slightly concerned.
"No."
"Well, then." He waved her off.
"This is London."
"I think so. Right about 1599." He agreed with hidden glee. Hey, if Tory told him where she was going and that it was a mission he'd follow her! She had to know that! Sure all she said was London 1599 but he could still have a look around and knowing his TARDIS Tory would be nearby.
"Oh, but hold on." Martha asked pulling him to a stop, "Am I all right? I'm not gonna get carted off as a slave, am I?"
"Why would they do that?"
"Not exactly white," she pointed at her face to prove her point, "in case you haven't noticed."
"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 time." They started walking again, "Look over there." He pointed at a man shovelling manure, "They've got recycling." They passed two men talking over a water barrel, "Water cooler moment."
"And the world will be consumed by flame!" a man yelled as they passed him.
"Global warming." The Doctor smiled making the man back off in confusion, "Oh, yes, and... entertainment! Popular entertainment for the masses. If I'm right, we're just down the river by Southwark right next to..." he grabbed Martha's hand and ran around the next corner, "Oh, yes, the Globe Theatre! Brand new. Just opened. Through, strictly speaking, it's not a globe; it's a tetradecagon, fourteen sides, containing the man himself."
"Whoa, you don't mean... is Shakespeare in there?" Martha asked in amazement.
"Oh, yes." He held out his arm, "Miss Jones, will you accompany me to the theatre?"
"Yes," she linked her arm in his, "Mr. Smith, I will."
"When you get home," he told her as they started to walk, "you can tell everyone you've seen Shakespeare."
"Then I could get sectioned!" Martha answered with fake enthusiasm.
)0(
After the performance, inside the Elephant Inn
"Here ya go, Will." Dolly Bailey, the owner of the Elephant Inn, spoke as she leant over Shakespeare's writing desk between two of his actors, "Drink up. There's enough beer in this lodgings house to sink the Spanish." She gave out her three tankards, one to each man.
"Dolly Bailey, you've saved my life." Will praised.
"I'll do more than that later tonight." She flirted before turning to a maid in the corner of the room, "And you, girl, hurry up with your tasks. The talk of gentlemen is best not overheard."
"Yes, ma'am." The maid answered quickly, "Sorry, ma'am." As Dolly walked back out of the room.
"You must be mad, Will." Dick, one of the two actors exclaimed, ""Loves Labour's Won"? We're not ready. It's supposed to be next week. What made you say that?"
"You haven't even finished it yet." The other, Kempe, added.
"I've just got the final scene to go." Will reassured them, "You'll get it by morning." He lifted his tankard and took a swig.
"Hello!" the Doctor knocked on the open room door before taking a step inside, "Excuse me! I'm not interrupting, am I? Mr. Shakespeare, isn't it?"
"Oh no, no, no, no." Will put down his drink, "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..." he spotted Martha peering around the Doctor's arm, "Hey, nonny nonny. Sit right down here next to me." She walked closer as Will turned to his two actors, "You two get sewing on them costumes. Off you go."
"Come on, lads." Dolly Baily spoke as she re-entered the room, "I think our William's found his new muse." The three left leaving the Doctor, Martha and Will with the unnoticed maid still in the back corner.
"Sweet lady." Will complimented as Martha sat in one of the recently vacated seats, "Such unusual clothes. So... fitted."
"Um, verily, forsooth, egads." Martha answered trying to blend in.
"No, no, don't do that. Don't." the Doctor muttered to her before pulling out the psychic paper to Shakespeare, "I'm Sir Doctor of TARDIS and this is my companion, Miss Martha Jones."
"Interesting," Will commented, "that bit of paper. It's blank."
"Oh, that's... very clever." The Doctor complimented as Martha leant over to read the psychic paper, "That proves it. Absolute genius."
"No," Martha objected, "it says so right there. Sir Doctor, Martha Jones. It says so."
"And I say it's blank."
"Psychic paper." The Doctor explained to Martha as he put away the paper, "Um, long story. Oh, I hate starting from scratch."
"Psychic." Will repeated, "Never heard that before and words are my trade. Who are you exactly? More's the point, who is your delicious blackamoor lady?"
"What did you say?" Martha asked in shock.
"Oops. Isn't that a word we use nowadays? An Ethiop girl? A swarth? A Queen of Afric..." Will looked between the two.
"I can't believe I'm hearing this." Martha muttered.
"It's political correctness gone mad. Um, Martha's from a far-off land." The Doctor tried to excuse her, "Freedonia."
"Excuse me!" a fat white haired man exclaimed as he entered the room, "Hold hard a moment. This is abominable behaviour. A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, Mr Shakespeare. As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and examined by me before it can be performed."
"Tomorrow morning, first thing, I'll send it 'round." Will answered.
"I don't work to your schedule," the fat man, Lynley, scoffed, "you work to mine. The script, now!"
"I can't." Will argued.
"Then tomorrow's performance is cancelled." Lynley announced as the maid slipped unnoticed from the room.
"It's all go, 'round here, isn't it?" Martha muttered to the Doctor.
"I'm returning to my office for a banning order. If it's the last thing I do, "Love's Labours Won" will never be played." Lynley stormed out the room barely avoiding Tory as she slipped passed him into the room.
Tory stared after the unpleasant man as she started to speak.
"Sorry I couldn't make it to the performance Will." She turned to smile at him when her attention was caught by the Doctor's smirking face, "No," she moaned, "I gave you a year and a city how did you find me?"
"Luck." He answered. Tory huffed at him.
"Hey Martha." She greeted the other woman.
"What are you doing here?" Martha asked, sounding slightly annoyed.
"Work."
"Yes," Shakespeare agreed, "Victoria has been boarding here whilst she does some research at the Palace records."
"The Royals, huh?" the Doctor muttered thoughtfully.
"Oh no you don't!" Tory warned him, "Don't even think about it."
The Doctor looked playfully wounded.
"What are you talking about?"
"Leave my work alone." She warned pointing a finger in his face warningly.
"Okay." He agreed but not looking very agreeing at all.
Tory sighed before turning back to Will.
"What was he doing here?" she jerked her head back towards the door to indicate the man who had just left.
"He's stopping my play." Will moaned.
"Well, then... mystery solved." Martha commented to the Doctor making Will and Tory give her confused looks, "That's "Love's Labours Won" over and done with. Thought it might be something more, you know... more mysterious."
Outside a woman screamed.
"Oh, this always happens when you're around." Tory moaned at the Doctor before turning and sprinting, as best she could in a dress, back outside Martha, the Doctor and Will at her heels.
The rushed out onto the street to see Lynley staggering towards them spitting water out of his mouth.
"It's that Lynley bloke." Martha pointed out.
"What's wrong with him?" the Doctor questioned before speaking louder to the gathered people, "Leave it to me; I'm a doctor." He moved to the man's side.
"So am I near enough." Martha went forwards as well.
"Don't look at me," Tory exclaimed when Will turned to her, "I don't have a medical degree!"
"Tory!" the Doctor called her over as Lynley grabbed his chest and fell to the ground.
Tory darted over and took his place opposite Martha as he stood and ran a short distance away to look back down the street Lynley had come from.
Martha put her ear on Lynley's chest, listening for a heartbeat, before moving to his face and trying to find any trace of him breathing.
"Gotta get the heart going." She muttered to herself, "Mr Lynley, c'mon, can you hear me? You're gonna be all right." She opened his mouth to start CPR just as the Doctor returned and jumped back slightly as water poured out of the man's mouth, "What the hell is that?"
"I've never seen a death like it." The Doctor muttered, "What you got Tory?"
Tory placed her hands on Lynley's chest, either side of the heart.
"His lungs are full of water," she listed, frowning as her TARDIS side scanned the body, "he drowned, on dry land I might add, and then... a blow to the heart, but with no marks outside the body, an invisible blow." Her head drooped at the amount of power she had just used.
"Are you okay?" Martha asked, moving to her side and helping her stand, putting aside her resentment for now.
"Fine," Tory gave her a tired smile, "Just used too much power."
The Doctor stood and spoke to Dolly Baily who was standing beside Will on the side lines.
"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."
"Yes, sir." She agreed, about to move when the maid from Will's room walked up.
"I'll do it, ma'am." She offered and walked away.
The Doctor moved and crouched back down beside Tory and Martha.
"And why are you telling them that?" Martha asked.
"This lot still have got one foot in the Dark Ages. If I tell them the truth, they'll panic and think it was witchcraft." The Doctor explained as he pulled a packet of Skittles from his trench coat and handed them to Tory, he shrugged at her questioning look, "Jordan told me to always have some on me." Tory smiled in thanks before opening the packet and digging in.
"Okay, what was it then?" Martha asked, accepting the offer of sweets from Tory.
"Witchcraft." The Doctor answered darkly.
)0(
They walked back up to Will's room in silence.
Tory, having regained her energy, realised that if the Doctor was here she was going to have to step up her research and sighed; she hated pulling all-nighters.
"I got you a room, Sir Doctor." Dolly Baily spoke from the door way, "You and Miss Jones are just across the landing." She walked away.
"Poor Lynley. So many strange events." Shakespeare spoke from his seat behind the desk, "Not least of all, this land of Freedonia where a woman can be a doctor?"
"Where a woman can do what she likes." Martha defended.
"And you, Sir Doctor. How can a man so young have eyes so old?" Will asked.
"I do a lot of reading." The Doctor answered seriously.
"A trite reply. Yeah, that's what I'd do." Will turned to Martha, "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."
"I think we should say good night." Martha turned and left the room.
"I must work." Will announced, "I have a play to complete. But I'll get my answers tomorrow, Doctor, and I'll discover more about you and why this constant performance of yours."
"All the world's a stage." The Doctor told him from the doorway, pulling Tory out of the room with him.
"Hm, I might use that." Will mused, "Good night, Doctor, Victoria."
"Nighty-night, Shakespeare."
"Night Will."
They left.
Martha was examining the bedroom as Tory and the Doctor entered.
"It's not exactly five-star, is it?" she commented.
"You can have my room if you want Martha," Tory offered, "I'm not sleeping there tonight."
"Thanks." She gave her a grateful smile.
"It's next to Will's." Tory pointed to the closed door of her room before being pulled into the Doctor's room by her sleeve.
"Oh, it'll do." The Doctor argued, "I've seen worse."
"I haven't even got a toothbrush." Martha pointed out.
"Ooh." He patted down his pockets before pulling out a toothbrush, "Contains Venusian spearmint." He handed it to her and flopped down onto the bed, letting go of Tory's sleeve but leaving her standing beside him.
"So, magic and stuff. That's a surprise. It's a little bit "Harry Potter"." Martha spoke up.
"Wait till you read Book Seven. Oh, I cried."
"Spoilers!" Tory cried, slamming her hand down over his mouth.
"But is it real, though?" Martha asked ignoring Tory and the Doctor as he licked her hand to make her remove it, "I mean, witches, black magic and all that, it's real?"
"'Course it isn't!" he scoffed.
"Well, how am I supposed to know? I've only just started believing in time travel. Give me a break." Martha defended herself.
"Looks like witchcraft, but it isn't." the Doctor mused, "Can't be. There's such a thing as psychic energy but a human couldn't channel it like that. Not without a generator the size of Taunton and I think we'd have spotted that." He turned on his side to face Martha, "No. There's something I'm missing, Martha. Something really close, staring me right in the face and I can't see it. Rose would know. A friend of mine, Rose. Right now, she'd say exactly the right thing." He laid back down on his back turning away from her, "Still, can't be helped. You're a novice, never mind. I'll take you back home tomorrow."
"Great!" Martha snarled, turning her back on him and storming out of the room and into Tory's.
Tory sighed.
"You just gonna stand there all night?" The Doctor asked her.
"I really do have to work." Tory tried to argue.
"Oh no you don't!" he reached up and grabbed her arm, pulling her down onto the bed beside him before promptly rolling them both onto their sides and wrapping an arm around her stomach so she couldn't escape.
"You are such a child." Tory moaned.
"Yep." He agreed brightly.
Tory sighed in defeat.
"Take my hair out will you?" she asked, "It's a pain to sleep in."
"Sure." He agreed and pulled out his sonic, pointing it at her hair. The pins she was using to hold it up fell out and rolled off the bed.
"That's cheating." Tory muttered, closing her eyes.
The Doctor leaned over and kissed her cheek before lying back down behind her.
)0(
Tory rolled over and tucked her head under the Doctor's chin as she tried to get comfortable on the hard bed. She felt him shift as her hair tickled him and grinned.
"Minx." He muttered.
"Always." She whispered back sitting up slightly to kiss his chin. Their moment was interrupted by a woman's scream.
They shot to their feet and were out the door in moments, meeting Martha on the landing and charging straight into Will's room.
Dolly Baily's body was lying on the floor just in front of the door and Will was asleep at in his seat, his head on the desk.
The Doctor and Tory knelt beside the body while Martha darted passed them to the only other exit in the room; the window.
Will woke up with a start.
"Wha'? What was that?" he asked sleepily.
"Her heart gave out." The Doctor informed the rest of the room, "She died of fright." Tory leant forwards and closed the woman's eyes.
"Doctor?" Martha asked hesitantly her eyes fixed on something out of the window. He jumped to his feet and joined her.
"What did you see?"
"A witch." Martha answered.
)0(
It was dawn.
Tory, the Doctor, Will and Martha were sitting in Will's rooms; Dolly's body had been taken.
The Doctor and Martha were sitting opposite Will while Tory perched on the arm of the Doctor's chair.
"Oh, sweet Dolly Bailey." Will moaned, "She sat out three bouts of the plague in this place. We all ran like rats. But what could have scared her so? She had such enormous spirit."
""Rage, rage against the dying of the light."" The Doctor recited.
"I might use that." Will mused.
"You can't." the Doctor warned him, "It's someone else's."
"But the thing is," Martha spoke up, "Lynley drowned on dry land, Dolly died of fright and they were both connected to you." She nodded at Will.
"You're accusing me?" Will asked shocked.
"No," she reassured him, "but I saw a witch, big as you like, flying, cackling away, and you've written about witches."
"I have?" Will asked, "When was that?"
"Not, not quite yet." The Doctor told her in a low voice. Tory grinned behind her hand.
"Peter Streete spoke of witches." Will spoke up suddenly, Tory's grin fell.
"Who's Peter Streete?" Martha asked.
"He was the architect." Tory sighed, "He sketched the plans to the Globe. What?" she demanded as Martha and Will gave her an amazed look, "I paid attention in history…sometimes."
The Doctor snorted in amusement before speaking quickly to avoid Tory's glare.
"The architect. Hold on. The architect! The architect!" he slammed his fist down on the table, making everyone jump, before jumping to his feet, "The Globe! Come on!"
He ran from the room with the others following.
)0(
They were in the Globe, Martha and Will where sitting onstage while the Doctor was in the pit and Tory was sitting up above in the stands.
"The columns there, right? Fourteen sides. I've always wondered but I never asked... tell me, Will, why fourteen sides?" the Doctor asked.
"It was the shape Peter Streete thought best, that's all. Said it carried the sound well." Will shrugged.
"Why does that ring a bell?" the Doctor mused, "Fourteen..."
"There are fourteen lines in a sonnet." Martha suggested.
"So there is." He agreed, "Good point. Words and shapes following the same design." He started pacing, "Fourteen lines, fourteen sides, fourteen facets…Oh, my head. Tetradecagon... think, think, think! Words, letters, numbers, lines!"
"This is just a theatre." Will protested.
"Oh, but a theatre's magic, isn't it?" the Doctor argued, stopping his pacing and turning to walk up to the stage. "You should know. Stand on this stage, say the right words with the right emphasis a the right time... Oh, you can make men weep, or cry with joy, change them. You can change people's minds just with words in this place. And if you exaggerate that..." he trailed off.
"It's like you're police box." Martha exclaimed, "Small wooden box with all that power inside."
"Oh. Oh, Martha Jones, I like you." He grinned at her, "Tell you what, though. Peter Streete would know. Can I talk to him?" he directed the question to Tory.
"No." Tory frowned, "He disappeared from the records."
"Records?" Martha repeated.
"Yeah, that's what I've been doing the past month; looking through records."
"Why?" Martha asked.
"For him." Tory jerked her thumb towards a silently watching Doctor.
"What did I do?" he asked hurt.
"We don't know yet," Tory growled, "That's why I'm here."
"Sorry?" the Doctor offered tentatively.
"You'd better be. Anyway," she turned to Will, "Peter Streete?"
"You won't get an answer." Will explained, "A month after finishing this place... lost his mind."
"Why?" Martha asked, "What happened?"
"Started raving about witches, hearing voices, babbling. His mind was addled." Will answered.
"Witches huh?" Tory called down before turning to walk down the stairs.
"Where is he now?" the Doctor asked.
"Bedlam." Will answered.
"What's Bedlam?" Martha asked this time.
"Bethlem Hospital." Will explained as Tory joined the Doctor in the pit, "The madhouse."
"We're gonna go there." The Doctor announced, turning and heading for the door, "Right now." He grabbed Tory around the waist and pulled her with him, "Come on." He walked out, Tory pulled with him and Martha following, Will following her.
"Wait!" he yelled, "I'm coming with you. I want to witness this at first hand!" two actors entered, "Ralph, the last scene as promised. Copy it, hand it round. Learn it. Speak it. Back before curtain up. Remember, kid, project. Eyes and teeth. You never know; the Queen might turn up." He walked out the door, "As if. She never does."
)0(
They walked down the streets of London away from the Globe, the Doctor and Tory in the lead arm in arm while Martha and Will followed behind.
"So, tell me of Freedonia," Will asked Martha, "where women can be doctors, writers, actors."
"This country's ruled by a woman." Martha pointed out.
"Ah, she's royal." Will excused, "That's God's business. Though you are a royal beauty." Martha stopped walking Will following suit.
"Whoa, Nelly!" she held up a hand, "I know for a fact you've got a wife in the country."
"But Martha, this is Town." Will pointed out. The Doctor noticed the other two having stopped moving and turned.
"Come on." He yelled at them, "We can all have a good flirt later."
"Is that a promise, Doctor?" Will asked.
"Oh, fifty-seven academics just punched the air. Now move!"
)0(
Inside of Bedlam was disgusting. Tory held her hand over her mouth and tried desperately not to really see what was going on around her; people screaming, rattling chains.
"I hate it here." She whispered, trying to back out of the door, the Doctor caught her and pulled her face into her chest.
"It's okay," he soothed, "It's okay."
"It's so horrible." Tory muttered into his shirt.
"I know, I know."
The jailer walked towards them.
"Does my lord, Doctor, wish some entertainment while he waits?" he asked, "I'd whip these madmen. They'll put on a good show for ya. Bandog and Bedlam!"
"No, I don't!" the Doctor snapped pulling Tory closer.
"Wait here," the jailer instructed, "my lords, while I make him decent for the ladies." He walked away.
"So this is what you call a hospital, yeah?" Martha demanded from Will, "Where the patients are whipped to entertain the gentry? And you put your friend in here?"
"Oh, and it's all so different in Freedonia." Will scoffed.
"But you're clever!" Martha protested, "Do you honestly think this place is any good?"
"I've been mad." Will answered, "I've lost my mind. Fear of this place set me right again. It serves its purpose."
"Mad in what way?" Martha asked.
"You lost your son." The Doctor spoke up softly.
"My only boy." Will agreed, "The Black Death took him. I wasn't even there."
"I didn't know. I'm sorry." Martha apologised.
"It made me question everything." Will explained, "The futility of this fleeting existence. To be or not to be... oh, that's quite good."
"You should write that down." The Doctor advised making Tory make an amused sound.
"Hm, maybe not." Will mused, "A bit pretentious?" the Doctor made a 'maybe' gesture with his head, Tory giggled.
"This way, m'lord!" the jailer called from the end of the row. The group of four followed him to the cell door.
The jailer moved and unlocked the door, letting the party of four walk in in front of him.
"They can be dangerous, m'lord." The jailer warned, "Don't know their own strength."
"I think it helps if you don't whip them!" the Doctor snapped back, "Now get out!" the jailer left, closing the door behind him. Tory moved away from the Doctor and towards a small dirty looking man curled up on the wooden cot in the centre of the room.
"Peter?" Tory asked gently, "Peter Streete?"
Martha and Will stayed by the door while the Doctor walked forwards so he was just behind Tory.
"He's the same as he was." Will spoke up, "You'll get nothing out of him."
The Doctor stepped around Tory and put a hand on Peter's shoulder.
"Peter?" he whispered.
Peters head jerked up, he started at the Doctor his eyes wild and glassy. His mouth moved as he mumbled but nothing either Time Lord could understand.
The Doctor reached forwards and placed his fingertips against Peters face.
"Peter, I'm the Doctor." He spoke soothingly, "Go into the past, one year ago. Let your mind go back, back to when everything was fine and shining. Everything that happened in this year since happened to somebody else. It was just a story. A winter's tale. Let go. Listen. That's it, just let go." He laid Peter down on his coat, "Tell me the story, Peter. Tell me about the witches."
"Witches spoke to Peter." Peter muttered, "In the night, they whispered. Got Peter to build the Globe to their design. Their design! The fourteen walls, always fourteen. When the work was done," he laughed, "they sapped poor Peter's wits."
"Where did Peter see the witches?" Tory asked urgently, "Where in the city?"
"All Hallows Street." He answered.
"Too many words." A croaky woman's voice scolded from behind the Doctor and Tory. The Doctor shot away from the source of the voice, pulling Tory with him, placing himself next to Martha and the cot in-between them and the woman.
The woman who looked exactly what you would expect from a stereotypical witch; long raggedy black cloak, withered saggy skin, long lank black hair and pointed uneven teeth.
"What the hell?" Martha yelled in shock.
"Just one touch of the heart." The witch gloated, reaching out a single finger and placing it on Peter's chest.
"Don't!" Tory screamed.
"Noooo!" the Doctor shouted, trying to dart forward but was pulled back by Martha grabbing his arm.
"Ahhhhh!" Peter screamed as he died.
"Witch!" Will spoke amazed, "I'm seeing a witch!"
"Who would be next, hmm?" the witch continued to gloat, "Just one touch. Oh, oh, I'll stop your frantic hearts. Poor, fragile mortals."
Martha turned and rattled at the bars of the door.
"Let us out!" she shouted, "Let us out!"
"That's not gonna work." The Doctor told her casually, "The whole building's shouting that."
Martha stopped and turned back to watch the witch and the Doctor interact.
"Who will die first, hmm?" the witch questioned.
"Well, if you're looking for volunteers." The Doctor offered stepping so he was just out of easy touching distance for the witch.
"Die, and I'll kill you myself." Tory warned him, he silver hands hidden behind her back.
"No! Don't!" Martha yelled.
"Doctor, can you stop her?" Will questioned.
"No mortal has power over me." The witch scoffed.
"Oh, but there's a power in words." The Doctor told her, "If I can find the right one, if I can just know you..." the witches face fell.
"None on Earth has knowledge of us." She tried to reassure herself.
"Then it's a good thing I'm here." The Doctor commented as he leant away from her reaching hand, "Now think, think, think... Humanoid female, uses shapes and words to channel energy... ah, fourteen! That's it! fourteen! The fourteen stars of the Rexel planetary configuration! Creature, I name you Carrionite!"
The witch wailed and vanished.
"What did you do?" Martha asked in amazement.
"I named her." The Doctor answered as Tory moved over to him, raised herself on her tiptoes and pressed her forehead against the back of his neck; to comfort them both, let her scan him without being accused of witchcraft and opened the bond between them, "The power of a name. That's old magic."
"But there's no such thing as magic." Martha protested, remembering what the Doctor had said the night before.
"Well, it's just a different sort of science." He explained as Tory moved from his back and over to Peter, closing his eyes, "You lot, you chose mathematics. Given the right string of numbers, the right equation, you can split the atom. Carrionites use words instead."
"Use them for what?" Will asked.
"The end of the world."
)0(
The walked back to the Elephant Inn in silence; Martha and the Doctor walking together while Tory and Will led the way.
They went back into Will's room; Will sitting on his side of the desk with the Doctor and Martha taking the seats opposite while Tory sat on the floor by the Doctor's legs and lent her head back on his knee.
"The Carrionites disappeared way back at the dawn of the universe." The Doctor was explaining, "Nobody was sure if they were real or legend."
"Well, I'm going for real." Will snarked.
"But what do they want?" Martha questioned.
"A new empire on Earth." The Doctor answered, "A world of bones and blood and witchcraft."
"But how?" Martha asked.
"I'm looking at the man with the words." The Doctor nodded to Will.
"Me?" Will straightened in his chair, "But I've done nothing."
"Hold on, though." Martha held up a hand, "What were you doing last night, when that Carrionite was in the room?"
"Finishing the play." Will answered.
"What happens on the last page?" Tory asked.
"The boys get the girls." Will answered, "They have a bit of a dance. It's all as funny and thought provoking as usual, except those last few lines. Funny thing is... I don't actually remember writing them."
"That's it." The Doctor realised, "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," he said to Will, "you can have that."
)0(
The Doctor was standing over Will's desk which was covered in street maps of London, Will and Martha beside him.
"All Hallows Street. There it is." He pointed to a point on the map, "Martha, we'll track them down. Will, you get to the Globe. Whatever you do, stop that play!"
"I'll do it." Will agreed, shaking the Doctor's hand, "All these years I've been the cleverest man around. Next to you, I know nothing."
"Oh, don't complain." Martha laughed.
"I'm not. It's marvellous." Will exclaimed, "Good luck, Doctor."
"Good luck, Shakespeare." He headed for the door, Martha following, "Once more unto the breach!"
"I like that. Wait a minute... that's one of mine." Will realised.
The Doctor stuck his head back around the door.
"Oh, just shift!" he pulled his head back around the door and turned to run again catching sight of Tory, dressed in her usual jeans, boots and checked shirt, waiting beside Martha.
The Doctor snorted in amusement as Tory made a 'don't you dare say a word' glare.
"Let's go!" he cried instead and sprinted for the exit.
)0(
They entered All Hallows Street and it was empty, almost abandoned. The Doctor looked around the street.
"All Hallows Street, but which house?"
"The thing is," Martha spoke up, "though... am I missing something here? The world didn't end in 1599. It just didn't. Look at me, I'm living proof."
"Oh, how to explain the mechanics of the infinite temporal flux?" the Doctor asked himself.
""Back to the Future"." Tory suggested, "That's how I explained it to Jordan." She shrugged.
"The film?" Martha asked.
"No, the novelisation." The Doctor answered before snapping, "Yes, the film. Marty McFly goes back and changes history."
"And he starts fading away." Martha continued before realising what he meant, "Oh my God, am I gonna fade?"
"You and the entire future of the human race." He looked up and down the street desperately, "It ends right now in 1599 if we don't stop it. But which house?"
A door in the house opposite the group creaked open.
"Ah," the Doctor continued, "make that witch house."
They walked inside.
Inside a young girl was waiting, a very familiar girl.
"Aren't you a maid at the Inn?" Tory asked with a frown. The girl smirked.
"Sometimes." She answered.
"I take it we're expected." The Doctor spoke up as he eyed the girl suspiciously.
"Oh, I think Death has been waiting for you a very long time." The girl answered.
"Right then, it's my turn." Martha stepped forwards, "I know how to do this." She pointed at the young witch, "I name thee, Carrionite!" The girl just stared. "What did I do wrong?" Martha asked turning back to the Doctor, "Was it the finger?"
"The power of a name works only once." The witch explained, "Observe." She pointed at Martha, "I gaze upon this bag of bones and now I name thee Martha Jones." Martha started to fall but the Doctor caught her and lowered her to the ground.
"What have you done?" the Doctor demanded as Tory scanned Martha.
"Only sleeping, alas." The witch commented, "Curious, the name has less impact. She's somehow out of her time." Suddenly the witch looked up and pointed at Tory, "And you woman who creates such phantasmagoria I name thee Victoria!" Tory fell back a few steps and hit the wall before slumping to the floor, "And as for you, Sir Doctor!" she pointed, expecting a reaction, "Fascinating. There is no name. Why would a man hide his title in such despair? Oh, but look. There's still one word with the power that aches." The Doctor moved over to Tory's side, blocking her face from the witches view as Tory opened her eyes and winked at him before closing them again.
"The naming won't work on me." The Doctor warned over his shoulder.
"But your heart grows cold." The witch answered, "The north wind blows and carries down the distant... Rose." The Doctor stood.
"Oh, big mistake 'cos that name keeps me fighting! The Carrionites vanished! Where did you go?" he demanded.
"The Eternals found the right word to banish us into deep darkness."
"And how did you escape?" he questioned.
"New words." The witch explained, "New and glittering from a mind like no other."
"Shakespeare." The Doctor breathed.
"His son perished. The grief of a genius. Grief without measure. Madness enough to allow us entrance."
"How many of you?"
"Just the three." The witch answered, "But the play tonight shall restore the rest. Then the human race will be purged as pestilence. And from this world we will lead the universe back to the old ways of blood and magic."
"Hmm... busy schedule... but first you gotta get past me." They were standing face-to-face.
"Oh, that should be a pleasure considering my enemy has such a handsome shape." She spoke seductively as she ran her fingers over his face.
"Now, that's one form of magic that's definitely not gonna work on me." The Doctor commented.
"Oh, we'll see." She cut a piece of his hair off the back of his head and moved away from him quickly.
"What did you do?" he asked running his fingers over his head.
"Souvenir."
"Well, give it back!" he ordered darting forwards but the witch threw out her arms and flew out of the suddenly open window, levitating outside.
The Doctor stood at the windowsill.
"Well, that's just cheating." He muttered.
"Behold, Doctor. Men to Carrionites are nothing but puppets." She pulled a doll out of her pocket and slowly wrapped his hair around it.
Tory started to inch along the floor towards the window.
"Now, you might call that magic... I'd call that a DNA replication module." The Doctor told the witch.
"What use is your science now?" the witch gloated as she pulled a pin and stabbed the doll. The Doctor cried in pain and fell to the floor. The witch cackled and flew away. Martha jumped to her feet and rushed to his side while Tory shot a burst of Meridian Particles out of her hand and after the witch.
"Oh my God!" Martha cried, "Doctor! Don't worry, I've got you." He rolled her onto his back and listened for a heartbeat, "Hold on, mister. Two hearts?"
"You're making a habit of this." The Doctor commented from the floor before attempting to stand and all but fell if not for Martha and Tory catching him, "Aahh! I've only got one heart working. How do you people cope? I've got to get the other one started. Hit me! Hit me on the chest!" Martha hit him, "Aahh! Other side!" she hit him again on the other side, "On the back! On the back!" she did so, "Left a bit!" and again, "Ahh, lovely." He stood, "There we go! Ba-da-boom! Well, what are you standing there for? Come one! The Globe!" Tory grabbed him by his jacket collar and kissed him on the lips.
"Now we can go!" she winked at him before running out the door, Martha following.
The Doctor stood for another moment before grinning.
"Still got it." He muttered to himself before running out of the door after his mate and his companion.
)0(
The Doctor was leading Tory and Martha at a run through the streets of London.
"We're going the wrong way!" Martha yelled at him.
"No, we're not!" the Doctor yelled back.
Tory stopped and waited.
The Doctor ran back passed her.
"We're going the wrong way!"
)0(
They turned a corner, finally able to spot the Globe in the distance, and could see a red glow of energy pouring over the top of the theatre and hear the screaming. The man that was talking about the end of the world when Martha and the Doctor first arrived walked passed them happily.
"I told thee so!" he cried triumphantly, "I told thee!"
"Stage door!" the Doctor yelled and rushed off again.
Tory rolled her eyes but followed anyway.
"Just like a man," she muttered playfully, "I could get us there so much faster."
)0(
They burst in backstage to see Will siting in a chair rubbing his head.
"Stop the play!" the Doctor told him, "I think that was it. Yeah, I said, "Stop the play"!"
"I hit my head." Will explained.
"Yeah, don't rub it, you'll go bald." He commented before listening to the screams from the stage, "I think that's my cue!" he ran out. Martha grabbed Will's hand and pulled him after with Tory behind him.
"Now begins the millennium of blood!" the witches cackled as the group rushed on stage.
The Carrionites, freed from their prison, flew around the Globe, in and out of the red waves of power.
The Doctor reached behind him and grabbed Will, pulling him forwards.
"Come on, Will!" he yelled, "History needs you!"
"But what can I do?" Will asked.
"Reverse it!"
"How am I supposed to do that?" Will demanded.
"The shape of the Globe gives words power," the Doctor explained, "but you're the wordsmith, the one true genius. The only man clever enough to do it!"
"But what words? I have none ready!" Will protested.
"You're William Shakespeare!" the Doctor yelled.
"But these Carrionite phrases," Will protested again, "the need such precision!"
"Trust yourself." The Doctor reassured him, "When you're locked away in your room, the words just come, don't they? Like magic. Words of the right sound, the right shape, the right rhythm, words that last forever! That's what you do, Will! You choose perfect words. Do it. Improvise!" the Doctor stepped back and Tory took his hand.
"Close up this den of hateful, dire decay!" Will yelled, "Decomposition of your witches' plot! You thieve my brains, consider me your toy. My doting Doctor tells me I am not! Foul Carrionite spectres, cease your show! Between the points..." he looked back to the Doctor.
"7-6-1-3-9-0!" he yelled.
"7-6-1-3-9-0! And banished like a tinker's cuss, I say to thee..." he stopped and looked back again but the Doctor was at a loss.
"Expelliarmus!" Martha yelled.
"Expelliarmus!" the Doctor and Tory yelled together.
"Expelliarmus!" Will repeated.
"Good old JK!" the Doctor grinned as the Carrionites screamed and got sucked back into the cloud. The doors behind them banged open and the copies of the play blew out.
""Love's Labours Won". There it goes." Tory announced.
The cloud and the witches were gone.
The audience sighed and started to applaud. The Doctor ducked out as Tory and Martha were pulled into taking bows with the actors and Will.
"They think it was all special effects." Martha realised.
"Your effect is special indeed." Will answered her.
"It's not your best line." She returned with a laugh.
)0(
The next morning Tory walked into the Globe, sighing as she did so.
"Any luck?" Will asked her from where he and Martha were sitting on the stage.
"No," Tory sighed again, "the records were closed, something about the guards being needed to escort the Queen somewhere."
The Doctor walked onto stage from backstage wearing a ruff collar and carrying some kind of animal skull.
"Good props store back there!" the Doctor complimented, "I'm not sure about this though," he held the skull up, "Reminds me of a Sycorax."
"Sycorax. Nice word. I'll have that off you as well." Will grinned.
"I should be on 10%." The Doctor commented, "How's your head?"
"Still aching." Will answered.
"Here, I got you this." He removed the collar and put it around Wills neck, "Neck brace. Wear that for a few days till it's better, although you might wanna keep it. It suits you."
"He's right." Tory agreed as she climbed onto the stage.
"What about the play?" Martha asked.
"Gone." The Doctor answered, "I looked all over, every single copy of "Love's Labours' Won" went up in the sky."
"My lost masterpiece." Will moaned.
"You could write it up again." Martha suggested.
"Yeah, better not, Will. There's still power in those words. Maybe it should best stay forgotten." The Doctor advised.
"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."
"Hamnet?" Martha repeated.
"That's him." Will confirmed.
"Ham-net?" Martha repeated again.
"What's wrong with that?" Will asked defensively.
"Anyway, time we were off." The Doctor announced, "I've got a nice attic in the TARDIS where this lot," he held out a crystal, "can scream for all eternity and I've gotta take Martha back to Freedonia."
"You mean travel on through time and space." Will corrected casually.
"You what?" the Doctor stared at him in surprise.
"You're from another world like the Carrionites and Martha is from the future. It's not hard to work out." Will shrugged.
"And what about me?" Tory asked.
"You my dear," Will stood and took her hand before kissing it, "are exquisite."
The Doctor moved forwards and pulled Tory away from Will, wrapping an arm around her waist possessively.
"We're alike in many ways, Doctor." Will told him, "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..."
"Will!" one of the actors called as he entered the theatre, "Will! You'll never believe it! She's here! She's turned up!"
"We're the talk of the town." The other one spoke, "She heard about last night! She wants us to perform it again."
"Who?" Martha asked.
"Her Majesty! She's here!"
There was a fanfare as Elizabeth 1st entered.
"Queen Elizabeth I!" the Doctor exclaimed happily.
"Oh shi-" Tory was interrupted as Elizabeth recognised the Doctor.
"Doctor!" Elizabeth growled.
"What?" the Doctor asked.
"My sworn enemy!"
"What?" he repeated.
"Off with his head!" she ordered.
"What?"
"Never mind "what", just run!" Martha ordered, "See you, Will! And thanks!" Tory, Martha and the Doctor ran out the back door to Will's laughter.
They ran back down the streets until they got to the TARDIS, the Doctor unlocked the door and Martha ducked under his arm to reach the inside while Tory raised a silver wall of Meridian Particles to act as a shield between the Doctor, herself, the TARDIS and the arrow a guard had just tried to shoot them with.
"Inside!" she ordered as the Doctor glanced over his shoulder at her. He winked and darted inside where Tory quickly followed him.
"Wow," Martha gasped from her place by the console where she was bent over hands on her knees, "Is their always running with you?"
"Oh yes!" he confirmed happily, darting up to the console and pulling the dematerialisation leaver. At the same time Tory used her Meridian particles to push down the stabilisers and turn off the handbrake. The Doctor looked put out as the TARDIS entered the vortex without a sound or a bump and glared at Tory playfully.
"Backseat driver." He muttered.
"Always darling." She winked at him before walking up the ramp, passed both him and Martha and walked further into the TARDIS proper. "Going to get changed!" she yelled back to him, "And feed Martha!"
)0(
"What was that?" Martha asked as she stared at the console.
"What was what?" the Doctor moved to stand next to her, "Martha are you alright?"
"Fine." She answered, "What was with the silver light thing? I've never seen it do that before!"
"Oh that was Tory," the Doctor answered as he moved back to the console and turned off the stabilisers and turned on the brakes, "She's special."
"What do you mean 'special'?" Martha asked curiously as she followed him around the console.
"Well, she's not just a Time Lord," he explained, "she's part human and part TARDIS."
"Okay…..hang on!" Martha realised something, "the TARDIS is your ship! How can Tory be part TARDIS?"
The Doctor paused in his circuit of the console, Martha almost walking into him.
"I've never asked." He realised.
"What? You not ask questions." Martha teased.
"When we met she just showed me what happened to her to make her realise what she was but never told me how….it's not even possible."
"Why don't you ask her then?" Martha suggested.
"I will." the Doctor decreed with a grin, "Come on," he led her into the TARDIS, "I'll drop you off in the kitchen on the way."
)0(
Tory walked around the TARDIS wardrobe, lost. She was fully dressed in a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt but had no idea how to get out of the room.
"Come on old girl," Tory pleaded as she rubbed the nearest wall with her hand, "show me the way out." Tory gave up when the lights in the room flashed cheekily. "Oh I really hate you sometimes." Tory muttered as she walked away and back into the many aisles and floors of clothes.
"I hope you're not talking about me!" the Doctor spoke as he stepped out of a random aisle. Tory jumped.
"Don't do that!"
"Sorry." He chuckled.
"No you're not." She glared at him as he continued to chuckle.
"You're right." he agreed. Tory rolled her eyes.
"Well once you're done laughing at me would you mind showing me the way out?"
"Sure," he agreed offering her his arm, she took it and they started walking, "So I was just wondering," the Doctor started.
"Yeah?" Tory asked, glancing over at him.
"How do you exist?" he asked in a rush like he was afraid of insulting her.
Tory pulled them to a stop and stepped in front of him so they were face to face.
"Well when a mummy and a daddy love each other very much," she giggled.
"That's not what I meant!" he rubbed the back of his neck.
"I know," she told him, "my mother was genetically human and my father was genetically a Time Lord."
"So where did the TARDIS part come from?" the Doctor prompted her.
Tory frowned.
"My mother." She held up her hand, "I don't know how." She fell silent, just staring over his shoulder at nothing. "I've never knew my real parents," she continued, "I was adopted 1986, Christmas day." she smiled sadly as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug.
The Doctor kissed the top of her head.
"I'm sorry for bringing it up." He whispered into her hair.
"It was years ago." Tory tried to wave him off.
"That doesn't make it any less painful." He contradicted.
Tory didn't answer, just burrowed her head deeper into his chest.
They didn't move for what felt like hours but was more like minuets.
Tory pulled back first, gave the Doctor a grateful smile and tried to move away but the Doctor pulled her back into his arms and met her lips with his.
)0(
Me: the M rated part of this chapter has been removed and placed in The Lost Chapters under the title 'Inside the Wardrobe'.
)0(
Tory traced patterns along the Doctor's bare chest lazily as she and the Doctor relaxed on the pile of clothes they'd managed to knock off the hangers during their, ehm, activities.
Her phone made a chiming noise from the pocket of her discarded jeans. Tory looked up and over at the pile of clothes.
"Go away." She moaned making the Doctor chuckle.
The phone chimed again.
"I'm coming, I'm coming." Tory muttered crawling over to her clothes, giving the Doctor a view of her naked behind. "It's Jordan," Tory explained as she read the two text messages, "she needs me."