Things were looking up, which I was loathe to admit. It felt like if I did, then something terrible would happen just to rub it in my face. Still, after the disaster that was the Ice Warrior in a submarine, things had significantly improved… sort of.
The trip to get to the Tardis was long and awkward. The Doctor rambled almost constantly and kept his gaze firmly pointed at anything but me. I myself had trouble not thinking of the kiss and had settled in a corner of the ship in awkward silence. Clara, of course, watched it all in fond amusement. Upon reaching the Tardis, things hadn't really changed in that aspect and surprisingly enough I was the first one to approach him, though very much not to talk about the kiss.
After a good while rehearsing what I wanted to say, I went over and got his attention—he was surprised as well—and asked him if there was a better way for me to prepare for popping off someplace early. He looked both relieved and disappointed by my question but I tried not to let it get to me as he gave me some solutions.
He still suggested I keep some things on me should I end up somewhere less civilized, but otherwise, I now had a card I could use that would help ensure I had whatever currency I needed; alien or otherwise. It wouldn't work for times earlier than ATMs but it was a start and he'd informed me that the Tardis would ensure I didn't lose it. Thankfully, I didn't have to worry about it for a few days and those were spent relaxing in the Tardis until I tripped on the way to my room after spending some time in the gym.
London was not made for walking around in gym wear, so with my new card, I was quick to buy some proper clothes. Then, day turned to night and I reluctantly booked a hotel room to stay in for an indeterminate amount of time. I was never one to be frivolous with money but I knew I had my moments where things could become a bit tempting. I struggled to curb my spending and when hours turned into days and weeks, I had to do something.
A haircut was first. Mine was longer than I liked and the blue was so faded that I didn't care for it anymore. So, I switched it up. I dyed my hair a dark violet and had it trimmed into a short, messy-styled undercut. I also purchased a smartphone in order to give me something to do and keep up to date with any alien activity that might tell me when I was. Then, I got a little something for me. It had been a while since I'd gotten a tattoo and I spent a few sessions getting a new one that even the Doctor would approve of.
Even now, almost a month later, the swirling colors of galaxies and planets on my new half-sleeve tattoo made me smile fondly and think of the Doctor. And the kiss, as much as I'd been trying to brush past it. It was hard to though, when every little thing reminded me of him and what happened. I tried doing what Clara said and think about it a bit but my mind spun around every mixed emotion it could find and made it all more confusing.
Did I like the Doctor? Sure. Yes, I did like him. More than a friend? I-I wasn't sure. Trying to work out where the line was between friends and more than friends wasn't easy for me. Then, add the whole mess of him being the Doctor—someone played by various actors in my world, a Time Lord aged anywhere between 900 and beyond, who I meet in the wrong order, who's supposed to love other people—and everything was so much harder to work out. And that's not even considering the fact that I've never dated anyone and don't have the confidence to figure that out.
I sighed lightly as I walked back to my hotel with a bag of takeout in my grip; having been thinking about it yet again. Not even the podcast in my headphones could get past the memory that continued to rattle around in my head. Mildly frustrated, I took my headphones out and turned the podcast off when a car pulled up beside me. I frowned over at it, suspicious but also knowing how stupid drivers could be when they wanted to be, and simply stepped further away from the road as I continued on my way.
The doors opened though and two men in suits stepped out, which only made me more anxious when they hurried over toward me. I stopped when one grabbed my shoulder, turning and brushing his grip off with a scowl as he spoke.
"Miss Watkins?" He questioned, lightly surprising me with my name given I wasn't exactly someone who existed here.
"What?" I questioned sharply, uneasy and already looking for the quickest way to get away if needed.
"We're told to pick you up. Your assistance is needed."
"Yeah, I'm not getting in some stranger's car and if you try to force me, I won't hold back," I warned. "Who the Hell is 'we'?"
"UNIT, ma'am. Kate Lethbridge-Stewart has asked that you come as quickly as you can. There's been a situation." He glanced upward and I followed his gaze to look at a plane in the sky.
I wasn't sure why he was looking until I realized it wasn't moving. Oh, that rings a bell but I don't remember what episode this is. Something with Twelve with Kate involved but what? Still, this meant they at least knew me and were less dangerous than I expected so I reluctantly sighed.
"Fine. Can I eat in the car or…?"
"If you wish, ma'am," the man replied, leading me back to the car and opening the back door for me.
"Don't call me ma'am. Asher is fine," I lightly complained, settling in the back of the car and wondering what I was getting into now.
No Doctor, no real direction either, I silently mused as we drove off and I opened my food and began to eat from the little Chinese paper box my food was in. I don't like this. It's easier with the Doctor around. Least then I know I've got someone there if things get screwed up somehow. I don't know what UNIT would do other than… Well, lock me up. I don't want another Torchwood situation. I frowned at the thought, dropping some rice from my chopsticks in my distraction before shaking it off. No point worrying about it now. It's a bit late for that and I can't rely on him all the time. I need to figure this out myself carefully.
I was still midway through my lunch when I was brought into where Kate was and, thankfully, there was a familiar face as well.
"Oh, thank god," I mumbled around a mouthful of rice. "Least I'm not completely alone here."
"Ash!" Clara grinned, stopping to raise a brow as I continued eating. "Were you interrupted or something?"
"On my way back to a hotel with my lunch… Or, well dinner? Not sure what time it is. I slept in," I offered with a shrug.
"A hotel? Are you early then?"
"Just a bit, yeah. Been a few months I think? I don't know, really. Can't keep track with all the bouncing around. Do I have a flat?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I think UNIT actually keeps track of it for you."
I looked over at Kate. "Well, that would've been nice to know. I don't like spending money."
"We're well aware," she sighed. "Though, it's not exactly easy for us to keep track of you either. Have you been able to contact the Doctor? He's not answering his phone."
"You're welcome to give me his number and I can try. I'm early so I just got this phone."
I handed her my phone and she tried to call him using that but shook her head as she handed it back.
"Nothing."
"We don't know enough yet," Clara pointed out. "He doesn't appreciate gossip."
"Gossip?" Kate questioned, lightly offended as I raised my hand.
"I don't even know what's happening if that helps."
"The planes have stopped," Clara explained, glancing at Kate as we walked further into the building. "How many planes?"
"4,165 aircraft currently airborne," another woman replied as we looked at a map with the planes highlighted in red.
"That's a lot of passengers," Kate noted as Clara saw it from another angle.
"That's a lot of fuel."
"Oh, dear God. Yes, it is."
I raised my hand again, making Clara eye me with a small amused smile.
"You don't have to raise your hand, you know. We're not in school."
"Just feels polite," I replied, pointing my chopsticks at the map. "Thing is, it'd be easy to just crash them all. Why show off that they can stop them? What message are they trying to send? Who's attention are they trying to get?"
"Ours?" Kate asked as Clara hummed.
"The Doctor's? What's actually happening to the planes? What are the pilots saying?"
"W-We can't contact them," Kate admitted as the other woman spoke up.
"The planes haven't stopped. They're actually frozen. Like, frozen in time. Pardon my sci-fi, but this is beyond any human technology."
"Okay, so we need the Doctor," Kate agreed before I lifted my hand again.
"Actually, I think I might have an idea?"
"You know something about this then?"
I winced. "Uh, well, my memory isn't the greatest but if this is someone manipulating time, then there's only a few people who can do it. People like the Doctor."
"You're saying the Doctor did this?"
I shook my head, putting down my food on a nearby desk. "No, no. This is a threat but also showing off, also using time technology."
"Oh," Clara breathed, drawing Kate's attention.
"Oh?"
A man called out then. "We've got a message. The Doctor channel."
"Sorry, what?" Clara questioned as Kate went over toward the man in confusion.
"He never uses it. I doubt he remembers it even exists."
"He probably does but you know him. Doesn't like the government," I mused, pulling a soda can out of my food bag and snapping it open; apologizing at the various gazes that snapped to me when I did. "Sorry."
"Then, who is it?" Clara asked, heading over as well while I stayed where I was.
I wasn't about to get close to technology with a soda in hand. I'd seen far too many computers get wrecked that way and as it was, I felt uneasy being here. Obviously, UNIT is friendly with me but it's still weird. I'm trying to help without giving away too many things and I don't know how much they'll listen to me, especially now that I've told them I'm early and not as experienced.
"We're getting text through, I think," the worker announced as Clara made a face.
"Texting? Definitely not the Doctor. Or, well, not unless it's for Asher."
"I get my thoughts through better in writing," I grumbled, silently trying to push past the hint of embarrassment and warmth that flooded my chest at hearing he did something like that just for me.
Stop. I said I wasn't going to think about it and now is the worst time to think about the kiss or our relationship. This is an episode with the Master, isn't it? Or, Missy? I don't even know how this will go, how we get on. I could be walking straight into the hands of someone who would love to use me as Doctor bait. I downed some more of my drink as the text started to show up on screen.
You so fine.
You blow my mind.
Hey Missy, you so fine.
You so fine, you blow my mind.
Hey, Missy!
The text switched to a video of a familiar woman and I winced when her face somehow popped out through the screen.
"Today, I shall be talking to you out of the square window."
"What the hell was that? How did she do that?" Kate questioned.
"Dunno. Some sort of psychic projection, or something," a woman offered.
"Oh great, thanks."
"Okay, cutting to the chase. Not dead, back, big surprise, never mind. I'm in a lovely little square in one of your, oh, I don't know, hot countries. There's a light breeze coming from the east, this coffee is a buzz-monster in my brain, and I'm going to need eight snipers."
"Eight what?" Kate questioned Missy's demands.
"Three for each heart, and two for my brain stem. You'll have to switch me off fast before I can regenerate. How fast can you get here? Ooh, I'll need to arrange you a flight corridor."
"Why do you need snipers?"
"Because it's the only way she'll feel safe enough to talk to me. Shall we say four o'clock?"
The screen went dark and I spoke up.
"Yeah, could we not with the snipers? I don't like guns."
"Ash, this is Missy we're talking about," Clara argued. "Have you met her?"
"Nope," I replied. "But I know of her. Her, the Master, and uh… God, I can't think of the name he used for the other one—"
"Knowing of them isn't exactly reassuring," she lightly argued.
"Nobody gets hurt," I offered instead, eyeing her as confidently as I could. "And… well, I don't think she'd do anything to me unless the Doctor were there."
"Yeah, that doesn't help."
I frowned lightly. "If I'm going I don't want any guns or any agents."
"You can't expect us to let you go alone," Kate argued.
"I think I'm old enough to not need a babysitter, thanks," I complained. "Either I go with Clara alone or you lot have fun and I'll go back to my hotel room to watch YouTube videos while eating the ice cream I left in the freezer there. Your choice."
"People's lives are at stake!"
"And more people's lives will be at stake if you send them with us. Now, last chance because I'm done arguing. You want my help, then no guns, no agents," I said shortly, turning away and grabbing what was left of my food. "I'll be outside."
Once outside, I wrinkled my nose and trashed the rest of my food in a bin. I wasn't in the mood to try and eat now and the argument had made me jittery. I didn't handle arguments well. Living in a house full of siblings, grandparents, and parents who all bickered near constantly only made things worse. I would try to explain myself but people would talk over me so shouting ensued and eventually it was obvious they weren't going to listen to any discussion—no matter how wrong they were—so I would just repeat myself and walk away. It was easier than sticking around and I often couldn't explain myself the way I wanted anyway, which occasionally added to the arguments when I got misunderstood. The feelings of bitterness stuck around though.
Now was much of the same. I felt flushed, heated from arguing and my hands quivered with the adrenaline rush. My mind raced with complaints and questions—I don't even know her and we were fighting. Why can't they trust me? Because I'm early? Because I said I can't remember everything? Because I'm worth nothing without the Doctor there with me? If they decide not to listen, then what? I wait in my hotel room feeling guilty because I didn't help? What was I supposed to do? I sat down on the steps and pulled out my phone, putting my earbuds in with a frown as I turned up my music to try and drown out the frustration that settled in my mind. It didn't take long before there was a tap on my shoulder and I pulled an earbud out to glance up at Clara who had an apologetic smile.
"They agreed to have us dropped off and the agents would leave after. Sorry for… you know. I know you don't like confrontations."
"I don't like arguing with people who can't see reason," I clarified, getting up off the ground as she led the way to whatever helicopter or plane we'd be using.
"So, most people," Clara teased, trying to lighten things up.
I grunted in agreement and upon approaching a helicopter, I hesitated, drawing her attention.
"What's wrong? You're not afraid of heights, are you?"
I shook my head but still eyed the craft. "Never been in a helicopter. Shouldn't we have like… a safety presentation or something?"
She snorted, making me frown lightly before she grabbed my hand and tugged me onboard. "Come on. I'll walk you through it."
Turns out, I wasn't a fan of helicopters. It was far more open than planes and with how easily maneuverable it was, it made my stomach churn uncomfortably. I get car sick easily but I've always been fine with planes. This is just—I groaned, leaning on the back of the car we were supposed to be getting into as Clara rubbed my back.
"Is she…"
"Travel sick," Clara informed the agent who was supposed to drive us. "Give us a second."
He nodded and climbed into the driver's seat to wait as I glared at Clara in annoyance.
"Never again."
She smiled, chuckling slightly. "I'll make sure UNIT updates their records to state you don't like helicopters. Can you handle the drive?"
I nodded, grumbling as I climbed in with her following. "Just don't drive like a maniac and let me nap."
"You heard her. Take your time," Clara told the driver, who nodded and started driving.
I let out a soft sigh, leaning against the car door and closing my eyes. My stomach still churned uncomfortably but soon settled by the time Clara had to nudge my shoulder to let me know we'd arrived. I got out and stretched with a groan as Clara eyed the person sitting calmly and drinking tea at a set of empty tables nearby. Missy spotted us and lifted her cup in greeting before we headed over. I surprised myself by taking the lead but Clara was more than comfortable when I did, given Missy had suggested the snipers for her sake and not mine.
"Go on, then," Missy urged, gesturing to the seats at the table and I took the one on her left while Clara sat across from her. "How's your boyfriend? Still tremendously dead, I expect."
"Still dead, yeah," Clara answered coldly. "How come you're still alive?"
"Death is for other people, dear. Would you like to sit in the shade? I know how you humans burn," Missy offered, using a controller to move a jet to block the sun. "Better?"
"Honestly, yeah," I replied, fanning myself with a hand. "Why here? Couldn't you pick someplace cooler?"
"Not everyone likes the rain, sweetie," she cooed, giving me a once-over. "You look young."
"Babyface," I lightly joked, somehow at ease with her other than her probing gaze.
It's weird. I feel like I should be more afraid or bothered by her but I'm not. Is it because I know she won't kill me without the Doctor around? Is it because I've never met her before? I couldn't figure it out. It's not that she wasn't terrifying. Missy was still the Master and both had no qualms about killing or tormenting whoever they pleased. Yet, there was some odd dynamic going on between us that I didn't understand. What happened with my future self to get us to this point?
"I expect you've tried to contact him by now," Missy hummed, glancing between me and Clara. "Well, you should know, I can't find him either. No one can."
"That happens, now and then."
"Not like this," Missy replied, pulling out a golden disk etched with Gallifreyan. "It's a confession dial."
"A what?"
"In your terms, a will. The Last Will and Testament of the Time Lord known as the Doctor, to be delivered—according to ancient tradition—to his closest friend on the eve of his final day." Missy glanced over to me and held it out.
I eyed it cautiously, looking at her as she raised a brow.
"Well?"
"But you said…"
"Oh, you must be early then if you're not even trying to take it," Missy drawled with a roll of her eyes, waving it slightly. "Go on. It may have been delivered to me but you're a hard one to find. The Doctor's wife gets priority over the Doctor's oldest friend."
I still hesitated but lightly took it, expecting a shock like the one Clara should have gotten if she'd tried but there was nothing. Just a cool disk of metal now settled in my palm that felt like it held the weight of the universe within it.
"I'm not his wife," I muttered, making her smirk.
"Yet. It still counts, you know. Time means nothing to a Time Lord."
"Hold on," Clara interrupted. "Since when do you care about the Doctor?"
"Since always. Since the Cloister Wars. Since the night he stole the moon and the President's wife. Since he was a little girl. One of those was a lie. Can you guess which one?"
"Since always," I replied, earning a smug grin from the woman as Clara went on.
"He's not your friend. You keep trying to kill him."
"He keeps trying to kill me. It's sort of our texting. We've been at it for ages."
Clara wrinkled her nose. "Like flirting?"
"Oh, don't be disgusting. We're Time Lords, not animals. Try, nano-brain, to rise above the reproductive frenzy of your noisy little food chain, and contemplate friendship. A friendship older than your civilization, and infinitely more complex. Asher at least has a clue."
"I try," I offered, knowing that whatever relationship I was supposed to have with the Doctor probably didn't hold a candle to the friendship he had with the Master and Missy.
And while they're close, I don't think I would ever be jealous of Missy. What they have is amazing. That sort of friendship doesn't happen often and if anything I'm jealous that they have a friendship as complicated and complex as theirs. It's something I don't think I could ever have; longer life or otherwise.
"So the Doctor is your bezzy mate and I'm supposed to believe that you've turned good?" Clara questioned and I winced as Missy scoffed.
"Good?"
"She's not," I muttered, rubbing at my eyes as Clara looked between us in confusion.
"What?"
"She's not good. She might never be good and most definitely won't turn good just because she can't find the Doctor," I explained making Missy point at me.
"See? She gets it. I take it you were the one who refused the snipers?"
"You would've killed them," I replied, lowering my hand and staring at her seriously as she smiled.
"Course. You were always quick to understand how I work. Clever little Ash. This early and infinitely smarter than these little goldfish swimming around you. My offer's still available, you know."
"Offer?" I questioned, having no idea what she meant.
"To join me, of course. All of time and space without all the fussing about with the Doctor and his rules. Oh," she hummed, seeing my confusion. "Have we not met? Early indeed if I've not yet given you the offer before. And still able to see right through me. Impressive."
"She would have killed them?" Clara cut in, looking at me in shock. "That's why you didn't want anyone here?"
"I don't remember what was supposed to happen," I admitted, still eyeing Missy and trying to figure her out. She can't seriously think that her offer is tempting in any way, can she? "But Missy—the Master—they never cared about the little people. They only cared about the Time Lords and the Doctor. Everyone else just isn't worth their time. Like ants to a lion."
"Excellent analogy. You are always so good with words when you can keep your nerve," Missy hummed, impressed and I was silently glad that I was keeping my nerve.
People were still in danger here and there was no Doctor to back me up.
"Why did you come here?" I asked quietly as her smile fell slightly.
"The Doctor's in danger."
"Okay. Release the planes and I'll help. I already ensured there were no snipers. Show me you can offer the same in return."
She wrinkled her nose. "You don't even care about them, do you? They're not people from your world. They're total strangers."
"They're still lives," I countered. "It's the one thing about your offer that makes me refuse. I know you will kill people in your way, for fun, for the Hell of it, to make a point. I won't and even if I don't know them or hate them or whatever, a life is still important and irreplaceable."
"You've been around the Doctor too long," she huffed as I cracked a small smile.
"He does tend to rub off on you."
She swiped at her controller and the planes moved as she propped up her feet on the chair to her right. "Yes, well, it's annoying."
"Plane trick was neat," I offered her as she shrugged.
"It's only a basic Time Stop. Parlor trick. Couldn't have done anything with them anyway." She glanced at me as Clara sat surprisingly silent during our exchange. "Question. If the Doctor has one last night to live—if he's certain he's facing the end of his life—where, in all of space and time, would he go?"
"Here," Clara answered easily as Missy rolled her eyes and moved behind us.
"Well, yes, Earth, obviously! But where? When?"
I lifted my phone, calling up UNIT, and putting it on speaker. "Hope you guys have a computer ready."
"Already on it. We have an algorithm that generates probabilities based on crisis points, anomalies, anachronisms, keywords," the woman from before answered as Kate spoke up.
"Such as?"
"Blue box, Doctor. There we go. San Martino, Troy, multiples for New York, and three possible versions of Atlantis. It's easier than you'd think. The Doctor makes a lot of noise and he loves to make an entrance."
"But which one is the one? Where is he now?"
"Guys, you're not looking in the right place," I cut in. "The Doctor doesn't avoid death by going to help other people. He wants to make noise but without responsibility."
Clara's eyes widened. "We're looking for a party."
"Found him. Essex, 1138AD."
" 'Do not go gentle into that good night,'" Clara quoted before Missy hummed, offering me a hand that I blinked at but took, before placing her other hand on Clara's wrist—strapping something on—just as both devices beeped and it felt like my stomach had been jerked right up into my throat.
"Whoo, whoo, whoo! Mummy, do it again! Vortex manipulators. Yours is slaved to mine. Cheap and nasty time travel," Missy replied as she released me to groan; lightly patting my face before I swiped at her hand. "Come on then, I know you feel terrible but up you get."
"Terrible?" I grumbled as she helped me up onto my feet. "You're lucky I haven't thrown up my lunch all over your dress."
"Yeah, well, that's hardly important now, isn't it? According to you, this is where the Doctor is," she said, gesturing to the cheering crowd below where we were standing in a castle's ramparts.
"Okay, how do we find him?" Clara asked, having to shout over the noise. "How do we know what we're looking for?"
"H-He's going to make noise," I reminded her, a hand draped across my churning stomach. "Best way to do that—"
There was a loud riff of an electric guitar as I sighed, watching the Doctor roll through the castle gates on a tank while playing his guitar.
"—is by being an idiot. God, how the human race wasn't fucked from the start with him doing stupid shit like this."
Missy leaned over toward Clara. "Ooh, she's cursing. Somebody's in trouble~"
"Dude, what is that?" The Doctor's opponent complained.
"You said you wanted an axe fight," the Doctor chimed as I groaned, dropping my head onto the stone wall.
"Not the puns."
"Oh, come on. In a few hundred years, that'll be really funny. It's a slow burner," the Doctor chimed, getting down off the tank.
"A musical instrument is not an axe," his opponent argued.
"Yes, and a daffodil is not a broadsword but I still won the last round!"
The crowd cheered as I lifted my head to glare down at him.
"What do you think of my tank? Don't worry, it isn't loaded."
"I don't like it."
"No, neither do I. I bought it for my fish."
"Your fish?"
"I may have ordered online. Oh, come on. Fish? Tank? Honestly, this stuff will be hilarious in a very few hundred years. Do please stick around."
There was still silence as I lightly groaned, not seeing I'd drawn his attention as Clara complained.
"What's the matter with him? He's never like this."
"Oh, you really are new, aren't you?" Missy hummed. "Even Asher understands what he's doing."
"He's being a nitwit, is what he is," I huffed, seeing him looking at us now. "And I hope he heard that."
"Did he hear that?" Clara asked, seeing he was looking. "He doesn't know we're here, does he?"
The Doctor started playing "Pretty Woman" as he addressed the crowd and I nodded toward the stairs.
"Come on."
Missy grinned as she bounded after me. "Are you going to smack him? Oh, I hope so."
"I don't hit people," I grumbled.
"We both know that isn't true. If he annoys you enough, he deserves a good smack, I think."
"Then, you can hit him. I give you permission."
Her smile widened as we heard the Doctor whiling up the crowd.
"Now, you lot. I have been here all day, and it's been a great day!"
"You've been here three weeks," his opponent argued as I muttered under my breath in a mocking tone.
"Time doesn't matter to a Time Lord."
"Three weeks? It must be nearly bedtime. Well, we've partied," the Doctor chimed, getting cheers. "Yes! I helped you dig a well, with a first-class, child-friendly visitor's centre! I've given you some top-notch maths tuition in a fun but relevant way. And I have also introduced the word 'dude' several centuries early. Let me hear you!"
"Dude!" The crowd cheered as we watched near an opening to the courtyard.
"Are you a Renaissance?"
"Dude!"
"Are you Medieval?"
"Dude!"
"I am a dragon slaying?"
"Dude!"
"We are all the young?"
"Dudes!"
"I like it. But I've got some sad news for you, dudes. Tonight, I'm going to have to leave you," he said, spotting me as I lightly frowned at him and the crowd moaned complaints at his announcement. "But before I do, I'd like you to meet a couple of friends of mine."
He lowered his glasses, giving me a look but I shook my head. I hated attention on a normal basis, much less being the center of it in an open courtyard full of a crowd of medieval peasants and knights.
"Come on," he ushered, waving for me to come out.
Clara nudged me and I frowned at her. "You're not going?"
"No. I don't like crowds and if he wants my attention he can come over here and talk."
"Suit yourself," she said with a shrug, heading out to meet with him instead.
They had a short conversation that I couldn't hear with the noise of the crowd and their hushed tones before he abruptly pulled her into a hug. My frown deepened and Missy cooed beside me.
"Ooh, jealous are we?"
"No. Not in the slightest," I replied back. "This Doctor doesn't do hugs."
The two pulled apart and I begrudgingly headed over, ignoring the crowd's murmurs as best I could as Clara lifted up his sunglasses and I could finally pick up on their conversation.
"What is this? This isn't you."
"I spent all day yesterday in a bow tie, the day before in a long scarf. It's my party, and all of me is invited," he said, pulling the sunglasses down and stepping away to riff on his guitar.
The crowd cheered as I hunched my shoulders a bit, reaching him and glaring.
"You did that on purpose."
"What?" He asked teasingly.
"Started playing again once I came over."
"I would never," he lied, spotting Missy behind me and adjusting his song choice to "Mickie" as she did a little head wobble and eyed him.
"What the hell are you up to, man?"
"It's the wicked stepmother! Everyone hiss!" The Doctor told the crowd who did that as she bowed and waved a handkerchief.
"Apparently, you think you're going to die tomorrow," she said, gesturing to me as I reluctantly pulled out the confession dial.
"Well, I've got some good news about that."
"Oh, yeah?" She questioned.
"It's still today!"
"Oh, that's very good."
He played a little more before we noticed his opponent from before suddenly beginning to choke behind us.
"Bors. Is it a marble again? Did you swallow one of the marbles I gave you? Don't swallow marbles!" The Doctor said, heading over quickly and putting his guitar down before suddenly throwing a snake away from him.
It slithered under the robes of a man who'd suddenly appeared in the courtyard and I flinched when the Doctor's arm came around to lightly push me behind him.
"Doctor," the new figure hissed. "Your friends have led me to you. You will come."
"Says you and whose army?" The Doctor challenged.
The man's face shifted and split, revealing a large pale snake and several others from under his robes. The Doctor stormed forward angrily as the crowd scattered.
"Nobody dies here. Not one person, not one of my friends, do you understand?"
The snake faced him, ignoring his command but no longer hissing threateningly.
"Davros, creator of the Daleks, dark lord of Skaro, is dying."
"So I hear," the Doctor replied.
"He would speak with you again on the last night of his life."
"Then you will harm nobody in this place. Not one person. Are we very, very clear?"
The snake shifted and coiled back up into its humanoid form, smirking. "Are you so dangerous, little man?"
"You want to know how dangerous I am? Davros sent you. You know how stupid you are? Huh! You came!" The Doctor mocked him, making him hiss as he returned to where we were all standing. "Is that supposed to frighten me? Snake nest in a dress? Now, explain, politely. Davros is my arch-enemy. Why would I want to talk to him?"
"No, wait, hang on a minute," Missy complained. "Davros is your arch-enemy now?"
"Hush!" The Doctor shushed her as she scowled.
"I'll scratch his eye out."
"Davros knows. Davros remembers," the man hissed, holding out a familiar sonic and tossing it to the ground near the Doctor.
"That's yours," Clara said, recognizing it as even Missy glanced at the Doctor at the change of events.
"Uh, it was," the Doctor replied solemnly.
"Was?"
"I don't have a screwdriver anymore."
"Ooh," Missy cooed then. "Never seen that before. Doctor, the look on your face. What is that?"
"Shame," Clara said, eyeing him cautiously. "You're ashamed. Doctor, what have you done?"
"Nothing," I said, ignoring the glances she and Missy offered me as I came over to the Doctor and eyed him myself. "Nothing that the Doctor wouldn't have done."
"Ash—"
I shook my head, staring up at him with a stern frown. "No. I know what it is. My memory of things might not be great but I remember this and what you did is nothing to be ashamed of. It might be something stupid and anyone would have turned around, but it was kind in the end and that's the only thing that matters."
He didn't look convinced, which was understandable, and I stiffened slightly when he reached up and held a hand to my cheek. "You look young."
"And you look old… and Scottish," I returned, earning a small smile as he lowered his hand and looked at the robe full of snakes.
"Is your ship in orbit?"
"It's a trap," Missy informed him, though he already knew and stepped past me to approach.
"Prepare yourself for teleport," the snake hissed as I moved up with Missy as well.
"Doctor, listen to me. I know traps, traps are my flirting. This is a trap," she warned him again.
"I am prepared."
"You sent me and your wife your confession dial. You threw yourself a three-week party. You know what this is," she pressed as he took a step back and she circled him.
"Yes. Goodbye." He turned to Clara as well. "Goodbye, Clara." He looked over at me then, eyes sad and he reached out to hold my face in his hands.
I instantly remembered the kiss with his younger self and those waring emotions cropped back up as I looked at his solemn blue eyes. He must have seen my unease too and instead of doing what he wanted to, he pressed a long kiss to my forehead; muttering a goodbye as he pulled back. I grabbed his wrist though, stopping him and he frowned.
"No," he said sternly.
"That's not up to you," I countered, knowing he'd seen my determination to go with him.
"Asher, for once, just listen to me."
I scoffed. "30 years of older people telling me what to do under the assumption that they think they know what's best and you think I'll listen to you as you go off with a literal snake to punish yourself for something that wasn't even wrong?" I turned. "Snake man. I'm going with you."
"Us too," Clara said, gesturing to Missy. "Both of us, her and me."
"No! No, no, no. Under no circumstances!" The Doctor argued but we all stepped over to him and held our hands behind our backs as snakes slithered up as make-shift handcuffs. "What are you doing now?"
The snake had shifted in his robes before humming.
"Voting. We are a democracy. It is agreed."
"No, no, no! I forbid it, no! No! No! No! No!" The Doctor protested before the teleport was activated.
We were on a ship then and the Doctor frowned at us all.
"Stupid, idiotic decision," he spat. "What were you thinking?"
I huffed, leaning back against the metal wall calmly, fingers idly running over the scales of the snake around my wrist. "I was thinking that only an idiot walks into a trap knowingly, assuming he's going to die, without asking his future wife what she thinks. I hope your first wife hit you upside the head as much as I want to right now."
He winced as Clara raised a brow.
"First wife?"
"Long story," the Doctor muttered, eyeing me. "I thought you were young."
"I am young and your younger selves can't keep their mouths shut but that doesn't mean I want you ditching me every time you think you're going to die out of some stupid notion that that's what I want," I said shortly. "I'm sure my future selves have made this clear before too. I'm not leaving you to be stupid on your own. And seriously? Davros? A crazed old man in a wheelchair and he's the biggest threat in the world come to kill you? That's bullshit and you know it."
He frowned at my curse but I didn't care and he glanced at the others. "Davros is the child of war, a war that wouldn't end. A thousand years of fighting, till nobody could remember why. So Davros, he created a new kind of warrior, one that wouldn't bother with that question. A mutant in a tank that would never, ever stop. And they never did."
"The Daleks?" Clara concluded in surprise.
"How scared must you be to seal every one of your own kind inside a tank?" He asked before his expression shifted. "Davros made the Daleks, but who made Davros?"