Lady A: Hey everyone and welcome back to Soul of the Doctor! This is a special treat for Valentine's Day, so much love to all those who faved, followed, and reviewed this story! Make certain to check out my Supernatural story called Chosen, which has three new chapters!
Warning: Some Clara bashing in this chapter. Seriously, it's like 'Wake up, Clara. He's still the Doctor'.
Brief Recap: A Whovian from another reality suddenly appeared in the Tardis which was apparently crashing and being chased by a dinosaur. Artimes found the Doctor's ranting to be quite amusing and Vastra was able to knock him out properly so he could rest. Things got a little tense when Clara pissed off the ginger haired woman, but the lizard woman detective managed to calm her down.
Looking Forward: Artimes thinks about how she came to be in the world of Doctor Who, trying to understand what is happening to her. She takes a nap next to the Doctor and the two thousand year old time traveler starts scribbling all over the walls and floor. Then the pair end up climbing out a window and racing across rooftops. The dinosaur they accidentally brought with them is engulfed in flames and dies. They make their way to the bridge and a lot of talking ensues, ending with the Doctor jumping into the Thames, Artimes going after him, and Clara getting a piece of the ginger's mind.
Now on with the show!
Chapter Two: Rooftop Scramble
Artimes limped her way back towards the room the Doctor was resting in, her mind a buzz of thoughts. How did she get here? She had died in her world yet she was alive here in this world. How did that happen? Why did it happen? Was this supposed to be her afterlife? Her version of Heaven? She'd admit that that she was a total Whovian, but if she had to choose a Doctor to be with then it would have been Ten not Twelve. She had watched almost every single episode of Doctor Who, both the Classic and the reboot. She had even watched the movie with the Eighth Doctor and listened to countless audio books to fill in the gaps.
For her whole life, she had watched the Doctor. She had seen it all from the very beginning with Ian, Barbara, and his granddaughter, Susan, and she had seen all the way through Clara. She wouldn't be who she was today without that impossible mad man and his magical blue box. She had lived her life by honoring the promise he made when he chose his name, the Doctor; never cruel or cowardly, never give up, never give in. Now here she was…in the world of her favorite television show.
The pain she was feeling told her that it was not a dream or a hallucination and she highly doubted that you were supposed to feel pain in Heaven. Perhaps something brought her here; her mind, her heart, her soul. She honestly didn't know and she didn't like not knowing, but the questions that were burning in her mind were not important right now. She needed to focus solely on the Doctor. She knew without a shadow of doubt that he was real, very real, and he needed her because Clara was in the midst of an emotional crisis. She was actually rather pissed at the brunette companion because of how she was treating the two thousand year old Timelord.
Think of her and she will come. Clara passed her while she was on her way to Vastra's chambers, but paused to ask the ginger a question. The potato dwarf known as Strax huffed in annoyance.
"Aren't you coming, Artz?" The brunette asked her tone light, almost like she was speaking to a long time friend.
That only sparked the red head's temper again. Clara didn't know her and this was the first time they had ever met. The brunette had no right to talk to the ginger like she knew her.
"Nope. Lizard lady said I should keep the Doctor company and to catch some Z's while I'm at it. Now if you don't mind, I'm exhausted, banged up, and emotionally drained." Artimes snapped rounding the corner quickly and not seeing how the brown haired woman had winced, her brown eyes filled with pain and hurt.
The ginger haired woman was simply too tired and hurting so badly that she just couldn't deal with the Impossible Girl right then. If she had stayed any longer, she probably would have slapped the brunette. She staggered into the Doctor's room, leaning heavily on the door as she entered. She whimpered in pain as she knelt down next to the radiator and retrieved the chalk hidden underneath it.
She rose to her feet, biting her hand as a few tears leaked out from her eyes. The pain in the right side of her body was excruciating and she honestly wondered if she would be able to move at all for the next few days. She made her way over to the bed and crawled onto it. She laid on her left side, curling up next to the Doctor. She rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes sliding close against her will and within moments, she was asleep. If she had stayed awake a little longer, she would have noticed how the Doctor's hand glowed with an orange gold light as he placed it on her injuries.
She awoke a little while later when the Timelord had sat up suddenly, looking around in confusion. She sat up as well, expecting pain, but felt absolutely nothing. She examined her right arm, side, and thigh and was pleasantly surprised to discover that the deep bruises that had once decorated her skin were gone, not a trace to be found. She looked up at the Doctor and he smiled at her, his eyes soft and warm. She smiled in return, figuring that he had something to do with her miraculous recovery.
She raised her left hand and opened it, revealing a long piece of chalk. She giggled as his eyes lit up with happiness. He took the chalk and sniffed it appreciatively before placing a quick kiss to her forehead. He scrambled off the bed and began scribbling on the walls, failing to notice how the ginger's cheeks had turned rosy as she touched her forehead in disbelief.
Artimes watched the two thousand year old Timelord scribble all over the walls. She had no idea what any of it meant, but she found it rather intriguing when he wrote some sort of equation that somehow equaled to Artz. She was rather curious about his behavior towards her as well. It was almost like she was important to him, but how could that be? Had he met her before or should she say a future version of herself? It was hard to tell considering that he was still within the first fifteen hours of his regeneration cycle and he was still very confused and disoriented. After all, everything about him was still untested. He didn't really know who he was right now or more importantly, who he was meant to be…he just was.
She giggled when he would glance over at her, muttering incoherently, and his eyes connecting with hers. His face would light up like an idea had just occurred to him and he would go back to scribbling. This process went on for some time and when he ran out of wall space, he started in on the floor. The dinosaur roared, getting both of their attentions. He dropped the chalk and raced over to the bed. He grabbed her hand and dragged her over to the door, opening it.
"Door. Boring. Not us." He commented while shutting the door, hurrying over to the window, opening it, and sticking his head out like an idiot, "Us!"
She laughed at his child like behavior and he grinned at her, his eyes alight with excitement and amusement. The Timelord climbed out first, making it look incredibly easy. She gulped slightly when she noticed the height, but ignored it and attempted to follow him. As she reached for the roof, her hand slipped. The time traveler caught her hand and pulled her onto the roof with him. He held her close a moment, making certain she was alright. He looked into her eyes, worry dancing within his own. She smiled slightly, letting him know that she was fine.
He took her hand once more and the duo raced along the rooftops in the general direction of the tyrannosaurus rex that still walked the Thames. As they got closer, the Doctor began waving his arms like the idiot he was and probably always would be, trying to get the dinosaur's attention.
"Oi! Oi! Oi, big sexy woman! Oi! Sorry, it's all my fault. Our time machine got stuck in your throat. It happens. We brought you along by accident, that's mostly how I meet girls, but don't worry. We promise we will get you home. I swear whatever it takes. We will keep you safe. You will be at home again." The Doctor shouted.
Artimes was surprised that he was using the word 'we' and not the word 'I' though he was still taking the blame solely on himself. She was the one who took control of the Tardis and got them stuck in the dinosaur's throat, so technically, it was her fault. The dinosaur erupted into flames, the poor creature wailing and moaning in pain. The red head knew that there had been no way to save the dinosaur once they had gotten lodged in her throat, but it still hurt like hell to watch another living creature die and being incapable of doing anything to stop it.
"Stop that. Who's doing that? No, don't do that." The Doctor ordered running off as the T-rex collapsed out of view.
The crimson haired woman followed after him, trying not to cry. Now really wasn't the time for a breakdown though she was beyond due for one as it was. So many things had happened in such a short amount of time and it was a miracle that she hadn't descended into an emotional mess. She watched the Timelord ahead of her as he scurried across the roofs and she realized that the reason she was being so strong was because of him. He needed her in the here and now, not wallowing in her past or what could have been.
She literally face palmed when he jumped into a tree. He missed the limb he had been reaching for and fell through the branches, hitting several on the way down. She gauged the distance properly and then jumped into the tree herself, but she was able to get a good grip on one of the branches and was able to safely traverse down the tree without incident or injury...unlike a certain idiotic, two hearted alien with patience issues.
"Halt!" The time traveler yelled stopping a carriage and its driver, "Sorry, I'm going to relieve you of your pet!"
The driver tried to refuse but the Timelord then said that he had been talking to the horse. She giggled slightly at that before jumping from the tree and landing directly in the saddle. Once properly situated, the two thousand year old alien joined her. He flung his arm back, using the sonic screwdriver to cut the reins. The horse bolted forward at the Doctor's command and Artimes let out a squeak of surprise, clutching the horn of the saddle tightly.
They galloped through town at an alarming speed, but the two thousand year old Timelord was having some trouble directing the steed to where they wanted to go.
"Left! No, no! Right, right, right, right! Sorry, it's my new hands. I can't tell them apart." He directed.
"Give me those before you get us killed!" The ginger commanded grabbing the reins from him.
The Doctor wrapped his arms around her waist to keep from falling off the horse. She blushed deeply, feeling the firmness of his torso and abdomen pressed against her back. He may have looked older, but he still had a Timelord body, strong and very, very masculine. She tried really hard to ignore how amazing it felt to be so close to him and she redirected her attention back to the matter at hand.
"Watch it on the corners; it's a bit slippery up here!" The Doctor complained nearly sliding off.
"Then hold on tight, Spaceman! Hyah!" Artimes countered urging the horse to go faster.
The Timelord's arms wrapped even more firmly around her, but instead of being around her waist, they were directly under her breasts. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from reacting.
"Any excuse to be closer to me, eh Artz?" He teased whispering in her ear.
The ginger blushed scarlet at his suggestive tone, her mouth running dry, but still smirked nonetheless, rather happy with his blatant flirting. She hadn't expected it from his twelfth regeneration, but it was like she was seeing a bit of Eleven still in there. The climbing out a window thing was definitely a Ten move and jumping into tree was so Nine.
After a few more minutes, they finally reached the bridge. She slowed the horse into a trot before pulling back on the reins to stop the steed completely. They dismounted and hopped up onto the stone railing that overlooked the still burning remains of the dinosaur.
"Sorry, sorry. I'm sorry, sorry, sorry." The Doctor apologized the guilt evident in his voice.
The red head took his left hand in her right, entwining their fingers and offering him support as best she could. Vastra's carriage arrived like the ginger knew it would and the trio of passengers along with the potato dwarf all wore similar expressions of surprise upon seeing the Doctor and Artimes.
"The Doctor! Artz! What are they doing here?" Clara asked both confused and slightly frustrated.
"There is trouble. Where else would he and his Artz be?" Vastra countered using a remote to close and alarm the carriage.
Artimes found it odd that the lizard woman detective would refer to her as the Doctor's Artz, but she put that aside at seeing the look of sadness and guilt on the Timelord's face.
"She was scared. She was scared and alone. I brought her here and look what they did." The Doctor rambled looking at the ginger haired woman with remorseful eyes.
"It's not your fault. You didn't know that this was going to happen, so you must not blame yourself." The red head placated squeezing his hand gently.
"Not your fault either. You tried to save her before we dematerialized." He mumbled looking back out at the flaming carnage, "I messed that up. Not your fault."
That was something she hadn't known. She had been so focused on the controls that she wasn't entirely sure of everything she had done. The fact that he said that she had tried to save the dinosaur before they had dematerialized made her feel a little better, knowing that she had at least tried to protect her, but was annoyed that he was blaming himself.
"Who or what could have done this thing?" The prehistoric lizard woman queried.
"No." The Timelord stated making a small smile appear on her lips.
"I'm sorry?" Vastra asked confused by his statement.
"He means you're not asking the right question." Artimes answered glancing back at the green scaled woman briefly.
"The question is how." Strax started making the ginger roll her eyes, "The flesh itself has been combusted…"
"Shut up, Strax." The red head interrupted effectively silencing the potato dwarf with her curt tone.
"What do you all have for brains…pudding? Look at you. Why can't I ever meet a decent species? Planet of the pudding brains!" The Doctor ranted insulting the human race like Nine used to do frequently.
"Oi, rude! I'm trying not to be insulted!" Artimes snapped playfully, no real heat in her voice.
The two thousand year old alien smiled cheekily at her, instantly reminding her of both Four and Ten at the same time.
"Not you, Artz, because you know the question and have a highly advanced cerebral construct that is a rival to my own. You are intellectually superior to the pudding brains." The Timelord replied a bit of pride in his eyes along with humor.
The ginger beamed at him, quite pleased by his praise. It made her slightly giddy, knowing that he thought so highly of her and believed her to be quite intelligent. There was a bit of Five and Six when he had said that and she was just loving it. She could see so many different aspects of his past selves and it was wonderful. It meant that he was like everyone else, constantly growing, evolving, and maturing…though he would always have that rude and childish streak in there.
Clara walked towards the stone railing, garnering the red head's attention immediately. The way she was looking at the Timelord reignited her anger. The brunette was staring at him like he was some sort of wounded and wild animal that needed to be soothed and calmed. It was infuriating and insulting. The Doctor felt it when her body tensed and noticed her agitated state. He squeezed her hand gently, her eyes flickering to his instantly. She calmed a little, seeing the worry in his eyes.
"Doctor, I know you're upset, but you need to calm down and talk to us. What is the question?" Clara placated softly, making Artimes twitch slightly.
Dear God, she wanted to slap the brunette just then, but became distracted when the Doctor looked over at her, their eyes meeting and conveying his silent request. It would appear that the two thousand year old Timelord wanted her to take the lead which she had no problem with. She nodded before releasing his hand and hopping off the railing, onto the bridge.
"A dinosaur is burning in the heart of London. There's nothing left but smoke and flames, so the question you need to ask is this: have there been any other murders similar to this one?" Artimes postulated.
Vastra's eyes widen as realization dawned on her face.
"Yes! Yes, by the Goddess, there have!" The prehistoric lizard woman exclaimed.
The crimson haired woman returned to the railing, resting her arms on the cold stone and gazed towards the embankment. People were gathering to watch a creature's remains being burned into ash. It was rather sickening how they all stood around gossiping.
"Look at them all…gawking." The Doctor stated his voice mirroring her emotional state in regards to the people watching the fire.
Artimes allowed her eyes to roam over the people on the embankment, looking for something in particular…more like someone and it was a someone she found rather quickly. Off to the side was the half man/half droid from the crashed SS Marie Antoinette and he was showing no emotion whatsoever.
"Question number two: if all these people are gossiping and gawking like idiots then why isn't he?" The ginger questioned pointing to the half droid that had started walking along the embankment.
"He seems remarkably unmoved by the available spectacle." The detective woman commented as Clara turned to face the prehistoric lizard woman.
Artimes sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose, as the Doctor jumped off the bridge and into the cold waters of the Thames. She walked over to their borrowed horse while the others ran to the railing to check on the Timelord and asked the steed if he would help her find the wayward time traveler. The horse nodded and nuzzled her hand affectionately. She quickly hauled herself back onto the saddle and took a hold of the reins firmly with her hands.
"Vastra, take Clara back to your place. I'll go in search of the Doctor. I have a pretty good idea of where he might be heading." The ginger informed preparing to leave.
"You can't just go swanning off!" The brunette exclaimed very unhappy with the idea of the red head leaving.
"Yes, I can. This is me, swanning off…unless you're suggesting that we leave the Doctor all alone? I know that man very well, Clara Oswald, and he should never be left on his own. He becomes extremely reckless and is more inclined to do something incredibly stupid when left to his own devices. That's why he needs a companion who understands him, to keep him from going too far." The red head replied a bit of her anger seeping through her cool exterior.
"I understand him just fine and I'm his companion!" The brunette snapped.
"Then act like it! Because right not, you're not." The ginger responded coldly, her sapphire eyes containing a glacial fury.
Clara stared at her in astonishment, her mouth hanging open slightly. It was like the crimson haired woman had just slapped her across the face and hard too. The brunette's eyes reflected the hurt that she was feeling as tears began to form in those pain filled, brown eyes. The ginger did not regret her words, because the brown haired woman needed to understand that this man was still the Doctor and he needed them, now more than ever. She needed to see him for who he truly was and yet the red head knew that it would take a phone call from Eleven, who would be phoning mere minutes before he regenerated inside the Tardis at Trenzalore, before she could actually accept that he was still the Doctor.
"Do be careful, Artz." Vastra stated garnering the woman's attention, her blue eyes losing their previous rage when she looked at the female detective.
"Aren't I always?" Artimes replied smirking slightly.
She urged the horse to turn around and nudged him into a trot before breaking into a full gallop.
"When it comes to safe guarding that impossible man, you become just as reckless as the Doctor…if not more so. Great Goddess, watch over her and protect her from harm." Vastra said softly, offering up a small prayer for the crimson haired woman that sought her missing Timelord.
The prehistoric lizard woman detective and her wife ushered the now fully crying brunette companion back into the carriage, trusting the ginger haired woman to find and protect the two thousand year old, time traveling alien. Perhaps solving the mysterious murders along the way.
Lady A: Tada! Chapter Two: Rooftop Scramble is complete! Totally awesome right! I actually added in quite a bit more to this chapter than I had originally intended but it's all good. The next two chapters will be even more awesome than this one, so leave tons and tons of reviews and be on the lookout for Chapter Three: The Doctor's Artz! Stay tuned!