Sorry it's been a bit since the last chapter. I've had a bit of trouble working up the motivation to write over the past week.
So, when we left off the Doctor found out just how good a pickpocket a Weeping Angel can be.
"I don't understand Doctor," Jarva said. "Why would the angel take the key to your time machine?"
"Weeping Angels are creatures of the abstract," The Doctor explained. "They feed off potential energy. That's how they hunt, they send you back in time and feed off all the days you could have lived. The TARDIS has a world of time energy inside it, the angel could feed itself forever. But even one angel feeding off the TARDIS would cause massive damage to its surroundings." The Doctor whipped around, facing the captain. "I have to get back to the TARDIS. Where was it parked?"
The captain didn't argue or ask questions. "This way," he said, leading them down the hall.
The angel stood before the big blue box. In its hand was a tiny, flimsy piece of metal. A key, he remembered it was called. The box before him, though it seemed innocuous in its outward appearance, radiated time energy like nothing he'd ever experienced. Even at this distance there was enough energy around to fill him to the brim. He quivered as he imagined what it would be like inside.
He took a step forward, the key reaching out. It stopped just before the keyhole, shaking in his grasp. But why, the angel thought. This worried him, as he'd never suffered from indecision before. Now though, the question seemed to be the only thing his mind would focus on. Why should he go inside? What good would it do him? Without his bothers to share in the power, would there be any point in claiming it? His hand shook harder as the questions whirled ever faster round his head.
He didn't know. He just didn't know.
"I don't get it," The Doctor said, his hands on the door of the TARDIS. "The angel had the key. Why didn't it go inside?"
"Maybe it just hasn't found it yet?" Jarva suggested.
"No that's not right. An angel could probably feel the energy coming off the TARDIS from the other end of the station. It'd be able to track it down without a problem." The Doctor stepped away from the TARDIS and ran his hands through his hair, his brow furrowed. "I really don't like this angel. It keeps pulling things I don't expect. Ugh come on, think. What could it be after? It's had its whole life torn apart, it's upset and confused – OH!" The Doctor's face lit up. "Oh stupid Doctor, I keep saying I need a bigger head."
"Doctor what's going on?" Jarva asked. The Doctor didn't seem to hear him.
"You two stay right here, I'll be right back." With that the Doctor took off down the hall, leaving Jarva and the captain looking very confused.
The Doctor found the angel exactly where he thought he'd find it; the main lab. It was staring at Jarva's quantum unlocking machine, its back to the door. The Doctor leaned against the doorframe, hands in his pockets. The angel knew he was there, he was sure. And after a while it spoke.
"How did you know I was here?" It sounded strangely calm.
"Because you did what any scared creature would do. You got angry, you got sad, you tried to feel better by indulging yourself, and now you're trying to fix whatever was broken."
"You make it sound so simple." The angel paused. "I looked over both Jarva's memories and his machine. They both agree on the fact that there is no way to change me back."
"So what will you do?"
"… I suppose I'll just fade. There's nothing left for me in this life. So I'll find some secluded corner of the universe and wait until I become dust and dreams."
"Really? You'll just… stop? It seems like a bit of a waste to me."
"Maybe. But that is my choice, Time Lord."
The Doctor was surprised. "… How did you know that?"
"Gallifreyan time capsules have a very distinct time energy signature. It is quite unlike any other form of time travel. By the way," the angel lobbed something over his shoulder and the Doctor deftly caught it. "You can have the key back. I don't think I'll be needing it."
The Doctor slipped the key back into his coat. "You know," he said, "I don't very well understand you. I was always told that Weeping Angels were psychopaths. And here we are. Having a chat."
The angel turned around, wearing a quizzical little smile. The Doctor was careful not to make eye contact. "You think us psychopaths?" The Doctor nodded slowly. The angel's smile grew slightly. "I suppose any prey would think that of its hunter. In actual fact only some of us take great pleasure in the act of hunting. All see its necessity, but most do not take pleasure from the act. That is why the ones we send back in time often end up living happily."
"Can you… choose what time you send them to?"
"We can do more than that. When we send someone, we can see all possible futures that could result from sending them to a particular time. Then it is simply a matter of choosing the time where the most often end up content."
The Doctor grimaced. "That sounds painful, seeing that much of time."
"We are creatures born from time. Looking through it cannot harm us."
The Doctor was going to respond when the station shuddered violently. The lights flickered pitifully. "What was that?" he said.
The intercom fizzled into life. "Doctor," said Jarva. "Doctor I'm not sure if you can hear this, but if you can, I need you to head to the generator room. We have a problem." With another crackle the intercom cut out.
"That doesn't sound good. Where's the generator room?"
"I could take you," the angel said. The Doctor frowned at it.
"Why would you?" he asked. The station shuddered again.
"Because Jarva is there."
"Don't hurt Jarva," the Doctor said firmly. "I know what he did to you was wrong, but killing him won't fix it and it won't make you feel any better." For a few moments the angel stared at him, its face unreadable.
"Very well," it said eventually. "I'll let him live. On one condition. He stops pursuing all research into the area of time."
"That's something you'll have to take up with him. For now I need you to take me to the generator room."
"Very well," the angel said again. "Follow me."
"What's the problem Jarva?"
"Oh thanks goodness Doctor. I really-" Jarva caught sight of the angel as it walked in behind the Doctor and let out a small squeak of terror.
"Don't worry Jarva," the Doctor said. "It's promised-"
"He."
The Doctor turned to the angel. "What?"
"He. You said 'it'. I'm a 'he'."
"Oh. Right, sorry," The Doctor said, chastened, before turning back to Jarva. "He promised that he won't hurt you as long as you stop with you time travel research."
"Fine by me," Jarva said. "The whole subject has been far more trouble than it's worth. I'm definitely ready to move onto something else."
"Wonderful. Now, quickly, what's the problem?"
"Well when you ran off I thought that I could try and fix the electricity, so I came down here and, well…" Jarva trailed off and gestured to a bunch of ripped wires lying on the floor. "I'm no electrician Doctor. I haven't the first clue where to start."
"Right, well, this shouldn't be too complicated."
"There's more Doctor. One of the things that has gone offline are the reactor safeguards. I've checked the readings and it looks like it's going critical. By my estimates we have about two minutes before it explodes."
"Oh that's not enough time. I could fix it, probably, but not in two minutes. Are any of the safeguards online?"
"No I checked every one. The only way to restore them is to restore the power. We'd need some sort of miracle-"
"Move," the angel said shortly, pushing Jarva to the side. Both hand clamped onto the sides of the Doctor face and before he knew it he was staring into the angel's constantly shifting eyes. A presence entered his mind, vast, strange and alien, shifting through information at a startling rate, dismissing each new fact as it came. The Doctor quickly realised what he was doing and pushed the information he needed to the front of his mind. In an instant the angel absorbed it all and then the Doctor was let go. He staggered away from the angel, who had immediately grabbed the wires off the floor. His hands became blurs as wires were reconnected and repaired at impossible speeds.
"A minute and a half left," Jarva called from the console. "Tell me when you've fixed it so I can start the safeguards back up.
A minute and a half will be more than enough, the Doctor thought as the number of wires in the angel's hand dwindled. Then the last one was rewired, the panel closed and the angel yelled, "Done." Jarva put a few commands into the console. For a second nothing happened. Then the lights stabilised and the worrying vibrations of the station stopped. The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the wall. Jarva leaned over the console, also relived. The angel, for his part, looked quite unruffled.
"Thank you," the Doctor said. The angel looked surprised.
"You're… welcome," he said. The Doctor noticed a small half-smile as he said it.
The angel sat in the viewing room, staring out at the black void of space through the window that took up a whole wall. He was busy picking a place to fade away. He wanted somewhere out of the way, somewhere no one would find him.
The Doctor came in and sat beside him. He didn't react and, for a while, the Doctor didn't speak.
"Jarva's packing up his things, and so are all his guards. They all look very happy to be getting off this station." The angel didn't respond. "They're going to be taking the shuttle when it gets back. Jarva's going to leave the power running so the cages keeping the angels in stay active."
"That is nice."
"…What are you going to do? Are you still thinking of waiting til you turn to dust?"
"For now, yes. I may get bored of that though. Fading takes a long time for an angel. Especially an angel that doesn't do anything. After a few decades I may end up changing my mind. Only time will tell."
There was a long pause
"… You could… come with me."
The angel looked at the Doctor. "What?"
"Travel with me. In the TARDIS. All of time and space, anywhere and any-when in the universe. You could see it all."
The angel narrowed his eyes. "Why?"
"Because you decided not to kill. You decided not to take the TARDIS when had the key. And you saved everyone's lives."
The angel looked back out the window. He didn't quite follow the Doctor's logic. "Why would you trust me enough to let me into the… TARDIS?"
"Like I said, you could have taken it, but you didn't."
"I… see," the angel said, even though he didn't. He supposed it made sense to the Doctor. "You still haven't adequately answered my question though. Why would you take me with you?"
The Doctor looked at him. "I don't know," he said. "Because you're different. Because you're extraordinary. Because I think I can help you."
"Help me?"
"Find a new purpose. Cause I don't think any creature, no matter how powerful or insignificant, should just sit around and wait to die." He grinned roguishly. "So what do you say?" He stretched out a hand. "Will you travel with me?"
The angel considered for a few moments. Then, slowly, he put his hand on the Doctor's. "Alright Doctor. I think I will."
And so the Doctor was joined by a new companion. What journeys lie ahead for the two of them? Only time, and the next chapters, will
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