Chapter 46

You're not getting a car.

The ground rocked again as the giant turtle snapped forwards and wrenched the forward mast from the ship as easily as snapping a match.

Raven instantly wanted to act, but hesitated, instead waiting for instructions from the Doctor; like a good little companion.

"Barriss." Why was he addressing her? "Do your powers work on other creatures in this world?"

"Yes, they should." She confirmed.

"Good, I want you to pacify the creature."

"As you wish." and instantly she sped off, running up the neck of the turtle.

Tired and now really annoyed Raven sharply pushed to the front of the Doctors view and hovered in front of him.

"Why are you asking her? Don't you think I can do it?" She asked sharply and grumpily, her eyes as focused as laser beams. The Doctor looked at her as if remembering she existed. "I'll show you!" and she turned around and sped off after Barriss.

"No, Raven, NO Wait!" But she had already sped off up the neck of the turtle after the space monk.

Barriss was using her powers to put extra speed behind her limbs, and when she jumped she jumped over five times her own height. But Raven could just glide up there easily. It had now become a race up to the top of the beasts head.

Raven knew what spell to cast to pacify this creature, she just had to beat Barriss to its head.

The green alien girl gave the pale demon girl a look which said 'What are you doing?' Raven gave her a look she hoped said, 'Being better than you!'

Barriss leapt up, around the back of the turtles head and landed as poised as a ballerina on its crown, and Raven landed not long after.

Barriss placed both of her hands at the top of the creatures head and with a sharp intake of breath she began to use her powers. The turtle instantly started to calm down, but Raven wasn't going to let Barriss get all the glory.

Raven hovered near the head and focused on the creatures brain. Her eyes glowed, she muttered her chimes and sent cool, calming waves into the creatures head. Raven will prove her powers were better than any of this 'Force mumbo-jumbo' Barriss believed in.

Instantly however, the turtle was no longer pacified, it was aggravated. Its shook its head. A massive flipper emerged from the sea and came down near the ship forcing it to drift back towards its head. At first the turtle didn't notice and just shook its head trying to throw off what fluence was on it. But upon seeing the boat again it snapped forwards and ripped off the main mast.

Screams now echoed from the ship.

"What are you doing?" Barriss shouted, "You're aggravating it."

"Stop what you're doing and go back. I've got this." Raven insisted giving her a cold look from under her hood.

"We can't pacify it together, we're making it angry." The screams of the crew were clear on the air. "Why are you doing this? What have I done to you? Why have you become hostile? Weren't we friends?"

Raven didn't answer, at first. "You're not stealing from me." She said, being mysterious because she just couldn't bring herself to admit it.

"Steal what? You have nothing I want!" She shouted over the waves and the roar of the creature.

"You're not..." Raven began, but she stalled before trying again, "You're not coming with us."

"I don't know what you mean!" Barriss sounded desperate. "Whatever grudge you hold. Please, can't it wait?!" She pleaded, the screams of the crew still all around them. "Listen, do you hear them? You're putting them all in danger over this feud!"

"They're fictional, they're not even alive."

"They're alive to me!" Barriss shouted. "Please, they're my friends. They helped me grow beyond my cannon into who I am. I know you don't see them as people..."

"I DO see them as people... ish." Raven corrected.

"Then please, stop!" She pleaded. "You're killing them. Help me save them. Don't condemn 'them' over this!"

Raven caught sight of the boat, now totally mast-less and obviously taking on water. It wouldn't last long. The desperate cries of the crew were going unheard by Raven, who could help them, but was choosing not to because she didn't consider them alive enough to care about.

Then Raven looked down at the Doctor, but he wasn't looking at her, nor Barriss. His attention was on the ship, worry over his face. He turned and looked up at them. The look on his face... it was haunting, and it made Raven feel something, but she didn't know how to describe it.

The rage which drove Raven ebbed away and her eyes became normal again, the gravity of her selfish act begun to ring. The turtle was now being pacified by Barriss's powers, and only her powers.

Raven took a deep breath. Without looking at Barriss the demon girl turned and raced towards the stricken ship as it began listing to its starboard side. At any moment it could capsize.

Hovering over the vessel Raven held out her hands palms up and imagined herself feeling and cupping the entire keel of the ship in her two hands. Darkness spread around the ship, shrouding it.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" She raised her hands up to face level as if lifting her imaginary object, and the entire ship lifted up clean out of the water and hovered in the air. Water now pouring out of the holes it had been entering through.

Moving her hands she forced the ship to correct its list so the deck was level, and as she floated backwards towards the turtles shell she dragged the boat with her. It was taking every ounce of concentration left within her to pull this off and already she could feel her brain struggling to remain focused.

Her dark powers flickered a little, but she redoubled her efforts and kept it there. Only when the ship was safely dragged ashore did Raven release her powers. The ship landed on the shell more sharply than she intended. But the crew still cheered, thankful for her intervention.

It would've made her swell with pride, but unfortunately the effort to move this ship just made her brain flake out. Not only did her powers cease holding the ship up, they also ceased holding her up; and she was at least fifty feet up in the air when she lost her powers.

She didn't care, she just wanted to sleep; and she fell towards the ground.

Something caught her before she slammed into the hard shell and she felt herself being forced onto her unsteady feet.

She saw Barriss waving her hands around, using her own powers to catch Raven. The turtle she could see was totally pacified now and looked like it was gently swimming through the ocean.

Raven nearly fell forwards but the Doctor grabbed her and steadied her.

"Raven what were you...?" He was going to ask something, he was clearly upset at how she ran off; but then a look of worry crossed his face. "Raven, what's wrong?" Her tired head lolled onto his shoulder.

"I want to go home. D... D... D..." her encroaching subconscious was trying to say a word, a powerful word to her that her conscious mind refused to use. What was the word? It was three letters. "D... Doc." She settled on. Her body collapsed but the Doctor caught her. She closed her eyes and blackness began to cloud her mind.

"Not yet, just rest for now." Her Dad said, scooping the tired Raven up in his arms.

'"Not yet, just rest for now." Her Dad said, scooping the tired Raven up in his arms.'

Rachel pressed save and rubbed her eyes, then stretched out her arms and legs. She'd been at this for a while and had gotten quite a lot established in that time. The Doctor now had a way to escape the censored zone, but it wasn't going to be by the method she had established. She was going to be a little devious and she thought clever about it. But she felt she had done enough writing for now. Her detention must be over soon, surely.

Rachel then placed her face in her hand as she had an idea about what to write next. But she was unsure about it. For some reason it felt 'right' but at the same time it felt a little out of character for what Raven was supposed to be like. She thought about it for a couple of seconds before deciding she'd leave it out for now and put that moment somewhere else later in the story. Perhaps during another adventure. Yet, strangely some part of her was telling her. 'No, that's how it happened.' She must be tired.

She looked at Doctor C. Baker, who had been knitting little socks and shirts for something much smaller than a human, even smaller than a human baby. Glancing at his book she saw a picture of a cute kitten in a pink sweater. She didn't know Doctor C. Baker liked cats. She didn't even know he could knit so well.

"Are you finished?" The large man asked.

"As much as I feel I could do." Rachel replied twisting her neck to loosen the muscles.

"Jolly good." He checked his watch. "Your father should be outside by now. In fact..." He held his hand up for silence, and in the air Rachel could hear the loud clatter of that old cars air cooled engine.

"I guess we can finish detention early, so I can go home and try these on my little pretties." He held up the sweaters. He then scratched behind his ear to suggest Rachel to be discrete. "Lets not mention this to Mister Vale the Undertaker, or the Head Mistress. Or we'll both be in trouble."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Rachel asked quizzically as she started packing her things away.

"I'm not. I want to get home and feed my cats. Come on, pack away and off with you." He tried to hurry her.

Rachel was out of the class and back into the school grounds shortly. The sun was still quite high and as she approached her Dads beetle car she climbed inside and settled into the passenger seat.

Neither of them spoke at first. Rachel was too nervous about what her Dad now thought of her after hearing about her detention.

"So, mind explaining why you're late?" he asked in a scolding voice as they pulled out of the car park.

"Because I had detention. Didn't Doctor Hartnel tell you?" She snapped at him.

"Actually, it was Mister Vale who told me. Do you want to tell me your side of the story?" He asked as the car turned onto the main road.

God this old car was noisy!

"A new kid, Dolores tried to steal my laptop; and in the struggle I broke her nose." Rachel said quickly.

"Did you tell Mister Vale that?" Her Dad said.

"He thought I was lying." Rachel sighed, "Doctor Hartnel believed me though."

"I believe you." Rachel's heart leapt for joy at this. "Doctor Hartnel telephoned me after Mister Vale to explain you were defending your property, and that Dolores pulled your hair."

Rachel felt where that missing strand would usually sit. What a bitch!

"Are you going to punish me too?" Rachel asked a little apprehensively.

"I think detention with Mister Vale is punishment enough." He laughed, "You do know it's not good to hit people?"

"Oh no, I never learnt that lesson before." She rolled her eyes. "Dolores is irritating, but I'd never strike her and give her an excuse." Rachel said, not looking at her Dad, but out the window. "I only hit her because she grabbed my hair first."

"Then why should I punish you? You've already had your punishment and your actions were in self defence." He laughed. "Anyway, I think I saw her storm out of the school. She's a pretty big target and difficult to miss." He joked.

Rachel couldn't really appreciate that attempt at humour, because she was still angry with Mister Vale for being a total arse hole. She was almost seething; and Dolores! God she hated her.

"Don't let Mister Vale spoil the rest of your day." The Doctor... She meant, her Dad said. "Leave the past in the past."

Rachel explained what happened with Dolores and what kind of person she appears to be. Her Dad listened to everything as she poured out her frustration to him. She then asked what he would do about it if he was in her shoes.

"Hmm..." he mused, "You'll find in life there will be those who'll paint you as the bad guy so they can appear to be the good guy."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because some care a lot about their social image." He replied. "Because its all they've got and is the only thing they're proud of. If it means dragging you down so they can climb on top, they will."

"But Doc... Umm... I mean Dad, how do you deal with such people?" Rachel asked.

"I don't think I have an answer you'll like." He said. "The only thing you can realistically do is ignore it. But..." he said before she could interrupt. "They say actions speak louder than words, so no matter what she says about you. Continue being yourself and don't fall for her bait. The people around you will eventually click that what Dolores is saying about you, and how you act aren't the same thing."

Rachel just moaned and sank into her chair. How could she make her Dad understand the frustration this caused her? She wanted a better solution to it; a final one to stop it.

"I understand perfectly well where you're coming from. I was once a spotty teenager too at some point." Her Dad said, "I went through similar playground politics as you are. Such people are always difficult to deal with, especially if they can get the ear of the Teachers. But by the sound of it, the teachers are wise enough to see through her deception."

Rachel again didn't speak, she just tried to mull this over. A scary idea entered her head. What if all the teachers weren't wise to Dolores? What if they all acted like Mister Vale and believed her without question. God, that would be utter hell.

"You don't have to be friends with her. In fact I'd recommend against it. She sounds like someone who is so used to fighting an enemy and getting a pat on the head for it that she'll seek out and invent an enemy out of anyone; because they want that pat on the head."

Rachel could see how this would fit Dolores. When the bitch had introduced herself to the class she had listed off a load of agreeable qualities she believes in rather than introduce 'who' she was. So she was saying it in hopes of getting a pat on the head from her peers and the students, and she probably got angry she wasn't getting the reaction she wanted. So she instantly started seeking an enemy to fight against, to establish herself as a good person, and that enemy was now Rachel.

Oh god, it's the School of Azarath all over again! This is what Rachel feared more than anything now. That the School of Arcadia would become like the School of Azarath, and she'd be the bad guy, again.

"Don't let her change you." Her Dad said, "Whether its to be on her side or to be her enemy. Do not let her define you."

That sounded like good advice, but Rachel didn't understand how she could implement it. At least her Dad sounded like he understood what was happening and what she was feeling, so at least she felt like she was understood.

Dinner that night was a little awkward.

Rachel's mother wanted to ask questions like "Where have you been?" Rachel wanted to lie and tell her she'd been with friends. But her Dad had already talked her into telling the truth.

"That's scandalous!" Her mother said. "Who does Mister Vale think he is?"

"Calm down, dear." Said Dad. "It's all sorted now."

There was a brief pause before her mother asked. "I hope you learnt your lesson about hitting people."

"Yes mother." Rachel said in a bored tone. She didn't feel like explaining why she felt her actions justifiable.

"Was it a good shot, though?" Her Dad asked with a smirk, knowing full well what mother was going to say. He wasn't condoning the action, Rachel knew that, he was just trying to be humorous.

"Don't encourage her!" Mother shrieked. A pause.

"Was it though?" He laughed.

"PAUL!" That was her Dads name; and he giggled like a mischievous boy who hadn't grown up as mother playfully threw that days paper at his head, and he ducked out of the way.

After the meal Rachel helped mother dry and wash the pots and plates. Rachel didn't know why, but this made her feel happy, as if she didn't spend any time with her mother at all. But she knew she did. So why did she feel this way?

When the pots were cleaned and Rachel was allowed to leave the kitchen, she quickly wrapped her arms around her mother in a loving hug.

"Oh, what's this in aid of?" mother asked.

"Nothing special."

"What do you want?" mother questioned. "For the last time, you can't have a car for your birthday."

"No, it's not that." Rachel smiled. "I just wanted to let you know that I... I... I... lo... I... love you... mother. I love you, mom."

Her mother gently wrapped her arms around her, lowered her head so her mouth was level with her ear and said very firmly.

"You're still not getting a car." Rachel laughed.

She then retired back to her bedroom. Dropped her bag off. Went into the shower. Came out and just got dressed in a T-shirt and she sat down at her laptop and began writing out the notes she'd made for her stories previous chapters. The ones she dreamt about but never wrote out, the ones she skipped over. It didn't take her long. Just a few hours to catch up, and quickly she posted another update to her story. Just the parts leading up to the Doctor and Raven entering the Censored Zone. That was a good place to stop for now. What she had written after that event she'll post up later.

Rachel heard a buzzing from her jacket pockets, which was discarded on the bed. She reached into the pocket and extracted her mobile phone. No. 'cell phone.' It's called a cell phone in this country, she remembered.

She opened it up, putting in her pass code and she saw she had several notifications from Stella, Garfield and one from Richard. Stella was just worrying about how Rachel was feeling after detention. Richard wanted to know if Mister Vale tried anything underhanded or cruel, she told them not to worry and that Doctor C. Baker actually took over the detention last minute.

Then she came to Garfield's message. It was just a picture, a 'meme', a 'funny'. It did raise a smile from her face but she wasn't going to give him that satisfaction.

When she'd first met Garfield he seemed a shy and naive little boy. He'd made one sarcastic joke which made Rachel laugh. Since then he'd tried making her laugh with countless, childish jokes, hoping to get the same reaction from her. But rather than making her laugh, it was making her irritated. The only jokes she laughed at were ones he clearly hadn't come up with himself, but had forwarded onto her.

She never replied to such messages, but that didn't stop Garfield sending them. Weirdly he never sent these kind of jokes to Stella, Richard or Victor. He did send jokes to Richard and Victor, but they were more vulgar than she liked so she was glad he didn't send them to her.

They're still funny though. She silently admitted to herself. But she wondered why she got the 'Dad jokes.' The only person she wanted to hear Dad jokes from was her own Dad.

Rachel then noticed she had a friend request on social media and moved to see who it was. The name that showed up was not one she expected to see.

It was Dolores! She wanted to 'friend' her? Why did she want to be friends with her after everything she'd done?

Quickly Rachel clicked 'deny' on the friend request. She didn't want to grant Dolores access to her profile.

-Dolores just tried to 'friend request' me. -_-

Rachel text to Stella.

-She requested a friendship from me also! :D

That smiley face emoticon made Rachel groan from the inside.

-You didn't accept, did you? -_-

-Of course, she wants to be my friend, after the offence I gave her.

-Stella, seriously. Don't get involved with her. She's more trouble than she's worth; and I think she only wants to be your friend to dig dirt up on us.

-But she's behaving so sweetly online. :)

-That's only because you can't see how insincere she is. Don't tag me in any of your activities. Nothing personal. I just want nothing to do with Dolores.

-I shall respect your wishes, friend Rachel.

-Don't tell her anything about any of us, either!

There was a fresh notification. Another friend request from Dolores. Instantly she pressed cancel. It came again! She pressed cancel.

Quickly Rachel checked her privacy settings so Dolores couldn't see her profile, and then instantly put a block on her so she couldn't send this request anymore.

-I shall see you tomorrow at school.

-Yeah, see you tomorrow, Stel.

-Nighty Night Rachel

-Night Stel.

There was a knock on her door now. "Are you decent, Raven?" Her Dad asked using her preferred pen name, and he opened the door before she answered.

Rachel grabbed the pillow from her bed and instantly threw it at him before his head appeared through the door. He retreated back out.

"No, I'm not!" She said and quickly pulled on some discarded trousers from the floor to cover herself. "Okay Dad. Come in."

He came in and he had a knife with a yellow block on the end.

"I know how you like to try new things." He said, "So try a taste of this. Its absolutely delicious."

"What is it?" Rachel asked, plucking it from the edge of the knife and popping it in her mouth. It tasted cheesy but spicy.

"It's peppered cheese." He said.

"It's a little spicy." She swallowed it.

"They say eating cheese at night promotes good dreams." Her Dad said.

"I thought they caused 'nightmares'." she corrected.

"Well." He laughed. "You can tell me which is correct tomorrow."

"If I dream about killer robots, demons and vampires again. I swear, I'll kill you in the morning." She said pointedly but with a jokey edge.

"Fair deal." He joked, and Rachel smiled.

"Dad, come here." She said gesturing for her Dad to come closer.

"Yes, daughter?" and she flung her arms around his neck and hugged him. She didn't know why, but she felt like she needed to hug him. "What's this in aid of?"

"Nothing." She said. "I just... I... I... I love you, my Daddy."

"I agree with mum, we're not getting you a car for your birthday."

"Forget a car." Rachel said happily "I'm just happy I have you and mom in my life."

"That's very sweet of you." Dad said sceptically. "What is it you're really after?"

"I just wanted to tell you that I love you. Because I don't think I say it often enough to you."

"You tell me all the time. You told me this morning." Her Dad corrected.

"One more time isn't going to hurt." She hugged him tighter. Then cheekily said with a smirk, "But a car would be a good birthday present."

"Yeah, nice try. You devious, little manipulator." Laughing her Dad made her break the bonding hug and he gently pushed her backwards so she landed back on her bed. It was worth a try. But Rachel got the feeling she was going to get a car for her birthday, but knowing her Dad he'd probably get her a toy car to make fun of her. "Look at the detail. The doors and bonnet open and everything, it's perfect." He'll probably say while she'd scowl at him. She laughed at that prediction.

"Night, night. Rae Rae." He'd said, using her other name, and he turned to leave her room.

"Night, Dad." She'd said in reply.

"Beware the demon Trigon." and he made a comically, spooky noise to mock the idea while waving his fingers. Rachel smiled. Mocking the bogey-man like that always made her happy.

After shutting down her laptop and climbing into bed Rachel was in a very happy mood, and as she slipped under the covers her mind went back to the next part of her story. The part she had felt was out of character for Raven. But now it didn't sound as crazy to write; and as she drifted to sleep she began to imagine what played out in that new part. Maybe to get around it Rachel could write it like it was a dream of Ravens, or that Raven wasn't fully awake.

As sleep took over her it was as if the story came to life again in her head. And it just felt... right.

As Ravens conscious mind faded in and out she was aware she wasn't on board the TARDIS. Through her barely open eyelids she could tell she was in one of the beds back on the pirate ship. She just felt so tired.

Beside her she saw the figure who had disturbed her. The Doctor. He was't aware she was half awake and aware of him herself.

He placed a cup of tea beside her on a table and looked a little concerned. She groaned softly, but only because she had been disturbed.

He looked at her with concern and he placed a hand to her forehead to check her temperature. Just like a concerned parent would of their child.

"I'm proud of you, Rae Rae." He said, probably thinking she couldn't hear him.

Satisfied the Doctor removed his hand and pulled his arm away. But as it passed her face Raven reached out and grabbed his wrist and she made it settle next to her face. She moved her head to gently rest the side of her face in his palm. His hand was quite cold, but not enough to snap her from her semi-conscious daze.

"Doctor," her voice said softly and sleepily, "please..."

"Rae Rae?"

"Please..." she half snored, "Please... please... please don't leave me."

Gently the Doctor stroked her hair. She could feel his emotions were mixed, but what rang clear was the parental like protection he was affording to her. Upon detecting this Raven grabbed his arm to stop him pulling it away.

"Rae Rae," he said gently, "You're going to have to let me go." She refused to and indicated it by gently shaking her head. "I won't go far. I promise I'll come back."

"I promise, I'll come back." It echoed in her head. "I promise, I'll come back."

Satisfied with this Raven's soft grip released and the Doctor gently allowed her to settle back onto the beds pillows. "I promise, I'll come back."

Her consciousness faded again, and she curled up under the cover to get comfortable.

"Nighty Night, Rae Rae." He said softly as he moved away.

She found herself tiredly muttering three quiet words to the Doctor, probably too low for him to hear. "Night Night, Dad."

To Be Continued...

Authors notes: If Raven was fully awake at that point I'd imagine she'd be blushing so much with embarrassment you could see it from space. lol

I couldn't come up with a better title for the chapter, but I thought 'You're not getting a car.' Just works, considering its a running misunderstanding of Rachels parents.