Chapter 4

The Enemy within?

Raven was suddenly awoken by a shuddering as the TARDIS landed more violently than usual. Something was wrong, she could feel it. The Doctor was panicking and he rushed from the TARDIS. But there was also something else, something inside the TARDIS. It slithered around like a blind snake. Pain, the Doctor was in pain and the snake followed him outside.

Raven felt cold. Had her enemies tracked her down?

She rushed to the console room nearly knocking over a candelabra of candles as she went. Near the console room she found a small box shattered and some slimy goo sticking to the inside of it. A slime trail as if left by a slug snaked into the console, back out again and out the door.

Raven activated the scanner controls and saw what was outside. Nothing. It was Earth, a dark alley and by the sound of it an ambulance had just left. There was no sign of the Doctor but she could sense he was still alive and a lot calmer so maybe he was okay. She considered going out to find the Doctor and help him, but she was sure he was going to be fine. But what about the force she felt? The evil? It was as if it had just faded out, she couldn't sense it. Maybe it was her imagination? She shrugged and she turned to go back to her room.

Like all the Doctors adventures events unfolded while she remained safely in the TARDIS reading, meditating, eating or sleeping. When she wanted to return to the console room however for two days she could never find it. The TARDIS kept her going around in circles and back to her room. What was this stupid machine playing at? It must be malfunctioning!

Or was it protecting her from something? She felt that evil force return a number of times before the Doctor did. There was the sound of a very large and dull bell ringing somewhere deep within the TARDIS. It didn't sound like an alarm but the way it rang felt like it should spell doom.

The bell stopped when the TARDIS took off. It landed again then shortly took off again. The Doctor was now at the helm of the TARDIS again but something felt different about him.

She did eventually find her way back to the console room later that day and she stepped back when she saw a man at the console. But this wasn't the Doctor. This man was taller, had shoulder length, unkempt hair and wore a long dark, velvet frock coat over a double breasted waistcoat, white shirt and a silk cravat with a pin in it.

Raven watched, maybe he was an intruder? Or a spy? or something. Cautiously she walked towards him and she used her powers to throw a cloak of perception over her so though this man would see her, but he wouldn't acknowledge her.

She barely made it two steps before the man, without turning to look at her said "Ah, decided to come out from hiding have you?!" His voice was more gentlemanly than the Doctors, he had an English accent that lacked the Scottish tones of the Doctor and he didn't roll his R's. He walked around the console adjusting dials and gauges, his face was thinner, his body skinnier, and his face paler. "We Time Lords are telepathic, we don't just rely on our eyes to see." So this man was a Time Lord?

"Who are you?" Raven asked dropping her shield.

"Oh, we've met before." the man said "I first met you when you were barely, oh... so big." he said holding out his hands as if cradling a baby. Raven took a step back, she didn't remember this man from her childhood.

"Though keep in mind" he said "I had a completely different face back then, all teeth and curls." This caught her off guard. "Did you keep the name Raven?" he asked "I thought it was a rather pretty name, it suited your hair, and I see now you've cut it to match." he said referring to her hair style that kind of resembled the wings of a Raven.

Raven's eyes started to glow and she raised her hands ready to cast a spell. "What have you done to the Doctor?" she asked.

"What?" the man said confused "Oh, I'm sorry, of course, you knew me as I was before. Short, umbrella, silly hat." he wasn't making any sense at all. "Allow me to introduce myself, or re-introduce myself, rather." He said holding out his hand to her from around the console. "Hello, I'm the Doctor."

Raven took another step back "No you're not." She glimpsed the 900 year diary and saw it was open on a fresh page, there was a pencil near it and this new man was half sketched onto the page with the words "Me, model eight" written under it. Raven's eyes glowed more intensely, "Don't take me for a fool. I've seen the Doctor, you look nothing like him."

"Neither did the previous model." the man said mysteriously. "Oh come now, you're a smart girl aren't you? Surely you've read up on the Time Lords. Who in the higher dimensions hasn't? There must've been some mention of our ability to regenerate and rebuild our bodies on the brink of death."

Raven was silent, she lowered her hands but kept her guard up. She had heard of 'regeneration' but she assumed it was just the body rebuilding itself in the same form. It never occurred to her 'regeneration' might result in a drastic change. She didn't automatically believe this man however. He could still be lying.

"It was a really messy business" the man explained, "involving an old enemy of mine, and you missed all of it as always. But the long and short of it is that I was shot, and after a botched surgery by surgeons not familiar with my Gallifreyan biology my last body died. Then the miracle of the Time Lords happened. My body exploded with new life. The process unfortunately causes the genetic code and brain patterns to be corrupted resulting in my change in appearance, and personality. But I am still the Doctor."

Raven said nothing to this whole explanation. There was nothing to contradict it but there was also nothing to support it either.

"I guess its academic now though" the man said "since you'll slink away back into the bowels of the TARDIS, like some ghost haunting the ship."

"How long have you known I was in here?" Raven asked, she was sure the Doctor didn't know.

"Oh, since the start" the man -she still refused to call him the Doctor- said "I knew where you were but I knew you wanted to be left alone, so I left you alone" he said as he continued to adjust switches and dials "and with what's weighing you down I can imagine why you'd want to run away."

"Huh?" Raven said raising an eye brow.

"'Ah, now, you're not going to destroy the universe, are you little Rae-Rae?'" the man said. A cold chill went down her spine. The scarfed Doctor had said that. This man knew far too much than just he, himself should know. Either he knew those people very well... Or he 'was' those people. Reaching out with her mind and sensing this mans psychic signature again confirmed it.

"You... are the Doctor?" Raven asked, unsure if she should trust her own senses. This was the most bizarre twist on a regenerative ability she'd ever heard.

"Same man, new body, different groove as they say." the Doctor said with a kind of youthful energy Raven found both interesting and irritating.

She looked at the Doctor up and down, he seemed to be telling her the truth. He could still be lying, and even if he was this man was still no threat to her. "I'm glad..." Raven paused, she was not used to socialising "I'm glad you're okay." she paused again before saying "Can I go now?"

"Shame, I thought you were coming out of your shell at last." The Doctor said. "Perhaps we could share a pot of tea, exchange books, I notice my library is looking a bit bare recently and I want to repopulate it again with books." Raven could tell the Doctors intentions were strictly platonic. He was harmless to her, its not as if he could force her to do anything if he tried after all, she could use her powers to turn his intestines into balloon animals if she so wished.

"I don't 'do' friends, Doctor." Raven said simply. The Doctor smiled and nearly laughed. "What?!" Raven asked, irritation creeping into her voice.

"Oh, nothing. Just nostalgia from a childhood long gone." His eyes became distant but only for a second. "Okay, the room that's third on the left, second right, fifth left, fourth left, past the kitchens and sixth door on the left will remain yours while you're on board."

"Thanks." Raven said with sarcastic bile as if the Doctor would not have had any choice in this. She would stay regardless of if he tried to throw her out.

"If you ever want to step outside..." the Doctor began.

"No thanks," Raven cut across him.

"Well, I just thought that..." but Raven cut across him again.

"You thought wrong. You know precisely why I'm here, Doctor. If you really ARE the scarf-wearing Doctor."

"Some four regenerations removed." The Doctor said.

"If you really ARE the Doctor, then you know what I am, you know my destiny, and you know I am a danger to everyone. I'm not adventurous, I'm not kind, and I don't help people, period! I am an evil monster, and I am NOT going back to Azarath. Got it, Time Lord?! I didn't run away because I wanted attention. I ran away because I just want a place to be left alone to die in peace!" With that, Raven turned on her heel and walked out, her cloak billowing behind her. She meant every word.

For the next few weeks Raven went about her business while the Doctor went on his adventures. She eventually bumped into the Doctor in the kitchen where he had excitedly told her about the adventures he's been having. It turns out the Doctor wasn't just a researcher, he was an adventurer. He went from planet to planet, from time zone to time zone helping people out, fighting evil. This didn't impress Raven, the kind of evil she knew couldn't be fought.

She left him in the kitchen while he was still talking about Daleks, or something as he cooked.

Later that day there was a knock on her bedroom door. Raven tried to ignore it but it came again, and again, and it kept coming until she threw open the door, but no one was there. On the floor was a tray with a dish covering a plate, along with a cup of herbal tea. She lifted the dish and there were steamed vegetables and steak. Next to this dish was a folded note which read "Don't fight your destiny on an empty stomach"

I can't fight my destiny Raven thought and picked up the paper. The folded piece of paper unfolded down and the words "Yes you can, even yours"

Cute, Raven thought and the paper unfolded in her hands again and said "I'm serious" the paper unfolded again.

How much of this shit is there? Raven thought. The next message read "And don't swear!" What the hell?! "Bon apatite."

Raven found the Doctors attempt to interact with her increasingly irritating, he was leaving things for her, checking up on her, shouting into the control room before he walked out the doors "I'm going out now, no parties and no boys!" he'd joke. God, they were irritating.

What was the term for them? Dad jokes?

The attention he was giving her. What was it about? It was like the Doctor was trying to be a protector or a guardian for her while she stayed on the TARDIS.

Well, she didn't need a guardian, she didn't need anyone, she just wanted to be left alone, forever.

To Be Continued...

Authors notes: The events of the TV movie basically happened during this chapter here.

The reason why Raven couldn't make it to the console room for two days is because the TARDIS sealed her off in order to keep her from the Master. You could imagine what plans the Master might've had for her if he ever found out the powerful daughter of a destructive demon was on board the TARDIS. He'd try to manipulate her the same way he did Chang Lee.