KIND OF WOMAN THAT'LL HAUNT YOU
Chapter Six The Ban’shi paused to rest on top of a building in the middle of the bustling city. So far, so good. The Eternals hadn’t detected her presence. Perhaps with a little luck she could find a way to free her trapped brothers and sisters from their prison and they could finally rule the universe. She crouched near the edge of the building and looked over into an alley. There was a peculiar blue box below her but otherwise it was all clear. She sat there while she considered her options and tried to come up with a plan. The Doctor directed the limo to pull up near the alley where the TARDIS was located. “This is it,” he said to them. “James, wait for us here,” Stevie said to her limo driver. “Yes, Ms. Nicks,” he replied. Stevie opened the door and all of them climbed out. “Okay,” she said looking around. “I’m assuming this ship of yours is very, very tiny since this is a busy city block and I don’t see any UFO’s anywhere.” “Just follow us,” he said. He led them into the alley. Stevie stopped short when she saw it. “The phone booth from your dreams,” Lindsey said. She nodded. “Actually, it’s a police box,” the Doctor said. “And as for your assumption that my ship is teeny tiny…” He opened the door and gestured into the interior. “Take a look see,” he said. The Ban’shi, hearing the conversation, leaned over and studied the strangers intently. Stevie and Lindsey looked at each other and entered the TARDIS. Their jaws hung open when they saw the interior. “No way, man. This has gotta be a joke,” Lindsey said. He stepped outside and looked around the side while the Doctor and Rose snickered. He walked back inside and took a tentative step forward feeling around in case it was a hologram. “Oh my God, Steves, this is real,” he said. “How is that possible?” “Magic?” Stevie said, shrugging. “Actually, no,” the Doctor said, poking his head in. “Not magic at all. It’s all science. Time Lord science.” The Ban’shi perked up at that. “Time Lord?” she said, leaning further over the edge. She waited until the Doctor and Rose went inside before she drifted down and landed on the top of the TARDIS. She perched there and listened to their conversation. “My people developed a way to build ships that straddled two dimensions. The police box is my front door and that’s sitting in your dimension. The rest of the TARDIS here is in another dimension.” “You mean, we’re in another reality right now?” Lindsey said to him. He nodded. “Whoa!” he said as he and Stevie exchanged a look. Stevie walked over to the console and stared at it. “What’s this?” she said. “That’s my console. It’s my controls for the ship.” She raised her eyebrow as Lindsey came up behind her. “How do you even figure out what control does what? Looks like a bunch of junk to me,” she said. “Well, like I said, she’s a very old ship. I kinda had to substitute worn out parts along the way with whatever I could find,” the Doctor said as he and Rose came up beside them. She walked around and stared at the jump seat then took a look at the monitor. She frowned when she saw the concentric circles on the screen. “Odd patterns,” she said. “Actually, that’s my language, Gallifreyan.” He backed up when Lindsey came around and looked with her. “Wow, that’s interesting,” Lindsey said. “What’s does it say?” Stevie said pointing to it. “Just giving our current location,” he said, shrugging. “And you can go anywhere in time?” Lindsey said. “Time and space,” the Doctor said, proudly. He smiled. “Would you like a quick ride somewhere?” he said. They stared at him. “My driver, James,” Stevie said, pointing to the door. “He’s waiting on us.” “No worries, I can have you back here at this exact same spot and he’ll be none the wiser,” the Doctor said. “Um…weren’t you the one who said you were trying to go to our concert in 1977?” Stevie said. Rose snickered when the Doctor shifted uneasily. “Yes, well…that was a slight miscalculation on my part. But I promise I will bring you back here so you can get to your concert tonight and your driver won’t have to wait a thousand years for ya. So, how ‘bout it? Fancy a trip through time and space?” The two musicians glanced at each other and nodded. “Brilliant. So where d’ya wanna go? We can go anywhere, anytime in the whole universe.” Both of them stared at each other. “Um…where do you wanna go, Linds?” Stevie said. “How ‘bout we go find you so you can tell yourself not to start using cocaine and save us and the band years of misery and hell,” Lindsey said. “Nope, sorry, can’t do that. Let me amend my statement. Anywhere, anywhen except back on your personal timelines because there’s a danger you could mess up your futures or cause a paradox that’ll destroy all creation.” “Oh, well on second thought, we won’t go see Stevie’s younger self then,” Lindsey said as Stevie rolled her eyes. They looked at each other. “Where do you wanna go, Linds?” “I don’t know. Pick something.” “Do you wanna go back in time or to a planet?” He thought and shrugged. “I’d really like to see another planet. There’s nowhere in time that I really want to go to. At least nothing comes to mind right now.” Stevie looked at the Doctor. “Do you have any good ideas for planets we could go to?” “As a matter of fact I do.” “Well, you pick then. You’re the expert. Just take us to a planet.” “You got it. Just have a seat and rest your feet cause I’m gonna take you someplace neat,” the Doctor said, bounding towards the door. The Ban’shi quickly flew back up to the rooftop and watched while the Doctor closed the doors. “Time Lord and his TARDIS,” she murmured. “I could use him to free my brothers and sisters.” She watched while the TARDIS dematerialized and waited for their return. Stevie and Lindsey both gasped when the TARDIS rocked back and forth. Rose sat down next to them and they watched while the Doctor danced around the console flicking switches and pressing buttons. Stevie looked at Rose. “Bit bumpy,” she said. “Yeah, you get used to it, trust me!” she said, nodding. “How long have you been traveling with him?” Lindsey asked. “A little over a year,” Rose replied. “Does he know what he’s doing?” Lindsey said. The Doctor paused. “Course I know what I’m doin’, Lindsey,” he said with a hurt look. “Just relax. I’ll get you there and back, I promise.” The TARDIS stopped moving and powered down. “There we are, all safe and sound,” the Doctor said, happily. “Yeah, but where are we?” Lindsey said. “Ariarellis.” Both of them frowned. “I’ve never heard of that planet,” Stevie said. “Ooooh, it’s waaaaay beyond the Milky Way galaxy cross the known universe. You lot have no way to discover it yet. But I wanted to show it to you because I think it’ll interest you, being musicians and all. Ya see, the citizens of the planet adore any form of music and they love to sing and perform for others every chance they get. Perfect environment for a pair of singers like yourselves.” Lindsey and Stevie grinned at that and got up from the jump seat along with Rose. The Doctor grabbed his coat from the nearest support column and put it on while they walked to the door. He threw it open and the sounds of harmonious singing wafted through the door. Stevie’s breath caught in her throat when she heard the angelic voice. “Follow me,” the Doctor said. They stepped outside and looked around. They were standing on a white marble street while all around them were pristine marble structures that mimicked Roman architecture. Nearby there was a large marble amphitheater and that was where the singing was coming from. They walked over to it and sat down on the top row of marble benches. The inhabitants had sky blue skin with long white hair that was shoulder length on the men and went down to the middle of the back and further on the women. All of them were wearing white togas and roman type dresses and the audience sat and listened to a woman singing a love song while a couple of males sat behind her playing a lyre and a flute. Both musicians sat and listened, spellbound, with the audience while the Doctor nudged Rose and they shared a grin. They applauded when the woman finished singing and bowed. “Thank you, everyone,” she said, “and now my latest composition. I hope you like it.” She stared another song. It was at that moment that Stevie realized she was speaking English. She pointed this out to the Doctor who chuckled. “My TARDIS has translation circuits that’ll translate anything into English for us and their native language for them. Right at the moment we’re speaking Ariar.” “Really?” Lindsey said. “Oh yes, that’s what they’re hearing whenever you speak.” The musicians shared a look. “You are just amazing,” Stevie said to him. Rose rolled her eyes when a smug grin spread over his face. “That’s it, stroke his ego and make him feel even more important,” Rose said as they laughed. They listened to the woman sing and clapped when she finished her song. She bowed and left the stage. Stevie looked over at the Doctor when he poked her in the side. “Go up there and sing something,” he said, nodding at the stage. Her eyes widened. “Would they let me?” “Oh yeah, they’re music lovers. They don’t care what species you are as long as you can sing. Go ahead.” Stevie glanced at Lindsey. “Go on, Steves,” he said. “I dare ya.” Stevie rolled her eyes. Hesitantly, she stood up and the Doctor stood up with her. “Are you gonna go through with it?” he asked her. She nodded. “Everyone, can I have your attention, please?” the Doctor said, clapping his hands to get their attention. “I have a friend who is an excellent singer and she’d like to sing for you. So could you please give her your support? My friend, Stevie Nicks!” Everyone applauded including Lindsey, the Doctor and Rose. Stevie smiled and walked down the steps to the stage. She got up to the front. The applause died down and the Doctor, Rose and Lindsey sat back down. Stevie cleared her throat and began to sing an a cappella version of Rhiannon. The audience listened enraptured and when she finished everyone gave her a standing ovation and called for more. Stevie beckoned to Lindsey and he came down and stood beside her. They both did an a cappella duet of Big Love and again the performance was greeted with thunderous applause and cheers. Both of them bowed deeply and walked back up to their friends while everyone congratulated and complimented them on the way up. “That was amazing,” the Doctor said as he and Rose stood up. “Thanks, Doctor. Thanks for doing this for us,” Stevie said. “Except I don’t think the rest of the band will believe us when we tell them.” He chuckled. “Would you like to see around the city a bit more?” They nodded and the Doctor led them away from the amphitheater. After walking around the city and sampling some of the local food, they headed back to the TARDIS and the Doctor took them back home. “Earth is gonna seem small now after seeing that,” Stevie said to Lindsey while they sat on the jump seat. “I just hope the rest of the band will believe us and don’t throw us in the loony bin,” Lindsey replied. The TARDIS stopped and the Doctor bounded towards the door. He threw it open and looked over his shoulder when everyone followed him. “There ya go, said I get you back just after we left and here we are,” he said, stepping away from the door. They stepped outside and Stevie laughed when she saw the limo. She walked over and looked at James who was sitting and reading a magazine while he waited. She walked back over and took the Doctor’s hand. “Thank you for that, Doctor,” she said. He beamed and squeezed her hand. “My pleasure,” he said. “Consider that our payment for the concert tonight.” She smiled. “No payment is necessary. It’s an honor to know you both,” she said. “But, now if you’d like to come with us, we can go rest up in my house before the concert starts.” The Doctor nodded. He shut the TARDIS doors and they followed Lindsey and Stevie back to the limo. Up above, the Ban’shi watched them intently. She waited until they got inside the limo before flying up into the sky and following them.
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