PARENTHOOD

Chapter Fifty Five

"YOU BASTARDS, I'LL MURDER YOU ALL!"

Doc was bellowing, near insane, as he was held to the wall by a force field that pressed him up against it and rendered him immobile. Ever since he heard what they were going to do to his daughter, ever since he saw her ashen face and heard her screams for him, Rain or the Doctor to save her, he had lost all his composure and was now nearly a wild animal. His mind was so filled with rage, he knew he was approaching the line that he once crossed to become the Valeyard but he didn't care. If they succeeded in burning his daughter alive, he would embrace the darkness again and welcome it.

"IF SHE DIES, SO DO YOU!" he howled at the guards who were understandably frightened of this near wild man who was separated from them only by a bluish force field.

The door opened and Zod entered. Doc instantly turned his wild gaze on him.

"LET MY DAUGHTER GO! YOU SON OF A BITCH, SHE'S NOT A PIECE OF WOOD. SHE'S A LIVING BEING AND I SWEAR BY ALL HEAVEN, IF SHE DIES..."

He gasped when Zod aimed a shock stick at him and shot several bolts of electricity that went coursing through his body. He screamed in agony and Zod smirked as he fell quiet for a moment.

"That's better, you're making too much of a ruckus."

The guards flinched when Doc opened his eyes and they were nearly impenetrable coal black. The look of pure hate made their blood run cold and they inched towards the safety of the door.

"Let me see my daughter," Doc growled at Zod. "Give her to me."

"She's being prepared for incineration."

"You can't do that! She's blind, that's all."

"Blindness is a defect. We do not tolerate defects," Zod said dispassionately.

"Not having a heart is a defect too yet no one's burned you alive," Doc snarled at him. "You don't know Namid. Namid is a beautiful, innocent girl and if she dies, I guarantee my sanity will die with her and you'll have one angry, out of control nutter on your hands! Now let me go!"

He cried out when Zod shot more electricity at him. He raised his head and gazed at his captors with pleading tear-filled eyes.

"Please, I'll do anything you ask. I'll marry this princess, just let Namid and the others go," he said, his voice quavering.

"When the ship lands, we will bargain for the other's lives."

"Including Namid," Doc said desperately. "Spare Namid until then please!"

"Why do you want her? She can't see you."

"No, you're wrong. She can see me and do far more than that," Doc said. "She is one of the most wonderful beings in the whole of creation and burning her would be a crime against nature. Please spare her life until I can talk to the princess, I beg you!"

"No, we proceed as planned. Defects are not allowed on Mackus."

"Then your princess will be marrying the darkest, most dangerous being known to man," Doc said. "Because the moment, my daughter's mind leaves my own, it will snap and heaven help you all when it does."

Zod snorted at that and Doc screamed curses as he turned and left the room. He noticed that the guards followed him and quickly left the room only to stand guard outside. Doc calmed himself; he could sense his family's anguish at his emotional outbursts especially Namid who was beyond hysterical and he realize he was making things worse. He calmed himself, forced himself to see reason so he could help his daughter calm down. He took deep breaths and when he was calm; he reached out to his daughter and stroked her mind.

Ya'nala, I will find a way to rescue you, I swear that, he told her even though at the moment he had no way to break the force field.

Dada, help me, they're hurting me. They're hitting me and tying me up, help me!

His family's anguish increased upon hearing that and he tried futilely to break free of the force field before he reached out to the Doctor.

Doctor, please help us. Namid...

I hear you, Brother. I hear you all. Namid, my love, we're coming. Me and Dex and Uncle Alan. We're coming so be brave for us.

Daddy, they're hurting me.

I know, baby, I can feel it. I'm nearly there. I'm coming, Rainbow, I'm coming. Stay calm like a good Time Lady, yeah?

I'll try, Dada.

Everyone talk to her and keep her calm. I'm coming, the Doctor thought to the others.

Doc breathed a sigh of relief as he listened to everyone talking to Namid, sending love into her mind and telling her how much they loved her and how she would be safe in a moment. Listening to her and feeling her fear, half of him wished that the ship would have been bio-dampened since it was agony listening to her and not being able to move or help. He took comfort in the fact that the Doctor, Alan and Dex were free and coming to her aid but just the same, he wanted to help save his only daughter from a fiery death.

The Doctor let out a sigh of relief when the TARDIS finally powered down.

"Chas, in the other room, just in case," he said to his son.

Chaska ran to the back room.

"TARDIS, shield him in case they start shooting at us," the Doctor said. "Protect him with your life."

I will, Beloved, rescue poor Namid, she thought to him.

"I won't lose her, that's a dead cert," he said through clenched teeth.

He, Alan and Dex positioned themselves at the front door. The Doctor opened it a crack and noticed they were in a storage closet. He relaxed a bit but kept his guard up as he and the others stepped outside and shut the door.

Namid, baby, we're coming. Hold on, the Doctor thought to her.

Daddy! She shrieked in his mind. They're punching me and tying me up, help!

The Doctor's hearts nearly stopped. He turned around and ran back into the TARDIS.

TARDIS, run a quick scan on her signature, he yelled as the others ran back in behind him and shut the doors. Search for her mind and then take us to the room she's in, there's no time for us to navigate corridors.

Hold on, my precious, the Doctor thought as Namid screamed in his mind. I'm coming, baby, I won't let you die.

Daddy, they're putting me on something and I can hear the fire! I don't wanna die, Daddy!

The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief when the TARDIS powered up and quickly moved them to Namid's location. He, Alan and Dex ran to the front door as Chaska ducked further out of sight. They tensed up.

"Let loose, hold nothing back. Namid's counting on us. I don't care what you have to do, get her away from that fire!" he said to his brother and son.

They nodded and when the TARDIS powered down, they heard someone yelling in shock. The three men let out enraged screams, flung open the door and darted out. They were in an incinerator room. The room was made of iron and filthy with ash and dirt. A long conveyor belt was set up in front of a furnace and garbage was being fed into a roaring fire. On it amid the garbage was Namid, bound and screaming.

Alan and Dex took on the man loading the garbage while the Doctor made a beeline for Namid. She was just inches from being loaded headfirst into the fire and he flung himself onto the belt, landing on top of her and snatching her away right at the furnace opening. He and Namid rolled onto the floor and the Doctor clutched her to him, heading for the safety of the TARDIS while Alan and Dex subdued the man and punched him out. They took him into the TARDIS to prevent anyone finding him or him waking up and raising an alarm. So far they had gone undiscovered but they still had to find the others. For the moment, Namid was safe and both Alan and Dex were relieved. When they entered the TARDIS, they stopped in their tracks when they saw the Doctor. He had cut through Namid's bonds and was kneeling on the floor, Namid clutching his neck while he pressed her against him. Both of them were hysterically crying as the Doctor rocked his daughter back and forth. Dex and Alan pulled the man up the ramp, laid him on the floor and the TARDIS put a force bubble around him, imprisoning him while both men went to the Doctor's side. The Doctor by this time was trying to calm them both down, murmuring in English and Gallifreyan his love for her and that she was safe now. Alan knelt down on the other side of Namid. She was filthy from the trash but he didn't care. He kissed the back of her head while Dex knelt down beside her. The three men managed to calm her down but Namid refused to let go of her father. Alan glanced over and saw Chaska peeking into the room, his face frozen in fear. He beckoned to him and Chaska came over, fell to his knees and kissed his sister while the Doctor gazed at him with love.

"Sissy, I'm glad you're okay," Chaska said.

"Don't leave me, Daddy," Namid whimpered.

"Baby, I have to leave for a bit."

"No! Don't let them get me!"

Alan and Dex came closer to her as the Doctor held her tighter.

"I won't let anyone hurt you. You're safe now. You're on the TARDIS and there's no way they're getting in here. But I have to get your mum and sister and everyone else. So, I'll tell you what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna put you to sleep so you can rest, okay?"

"Will you come back, Daddy?"

"Course, love."

"Mi-mi, do you want me to stay with you while you sleep?" Alan said.

Namid nodded.

"Let me stay here, Brother. I can look after her and Chas and keep them calm."

"Do you want to be awake or go to sleep while we're gone?" the Doctor asked Namid.

"If...if Uncle Alan's here, I wanna be awake."

"We'll get you a bath and I'll get you something to eat, yeah?" Alan said, gently rubbing her back. "Sound good?"

Namid nodded and the Doctor gave him a grateful look.

"Then you'll have to let go of me, Mi-mi so I can go get the others, okay?"

She nodded and the Doctor kissed her cheek as she slowly let go and transferred her arms to Alan's neck. Alan picked her up and supported her with one arm as he took Chaska's hand.

"Thank you, Daddy, for saving me," Namid said.

The Doctor held back the tears and kissed her cheek.

"We'll do something fun to make up for this, okay?" he said as she nodded.

They watched as Alan took them into the back. Once they were gone, the Doctor and Dex walked over to the console.

"Once this is over and done with. I'm laying Namid down and I'm taking all the memories of this event out of her head for good," he said to Dex who nodded. "I can tell she's already incredibly traumatized and the last thing I want is for her to wake up screaming for the rest of her life after having constant nightmares of burning alive. I was generous with my assistance to these people before but by doing this, all of them have made themselves my enemies and they're about to find out what happens when you muck with the Oncoming Storm."

He and Dex stood side by side and waited while the TARDIS found more of his family and moved towards them.

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