THE MASTER, THE DOCTOR AND THE WOLF

Chapter Twenty

Twelve stood with the others while they waited for Sheila to come out. While they were doing that, Susan gave him a hug and kissed his cheek. Clara noticed that the Doctor stiffened slightly when she did that but to his credit he tolerated it because he knew it would hurt her feelings if he told her he wasn't a hugger and pushed her away.

Meanwhile, Eleven was still giving his older counterpart the onceover. Clara could tell he was a bit distressed at seeing himself older. But she figured that once he was gone, he would forget everything the way the War Doctor and Ten supposedly did when they left the Gallery. She also wondered if he was surprised that there would be more lives to come since she now knew that he was on his last life. She wondered if perhaps subconsciously he would remember this meeting and that would give him some comfort as he aged on Trenzalor.

When Sheila finally came out, she was dressed in long black trousers and was wearing a black jacket. Her long blonde hair had been tied up in a bun and she was carrying a heavy rucksack on her back.

"Sorry everyone, wanted to dress properly for this and get a few supplies. Grandfather wasn't too keen on me doing this but I'm twenty so he really can't stop me. Oh, you found someone else then?" she said, noticing Twelve for the first time.

Eleven debated for a few seconds on whether to tell her the truth, then just decided to tell part of the truth and leave out that this was a future version of himself.

"This is one of the people that escaped the Valeyard," Eleven said to Sheila.

"Well, I really haven't escaped," Twelve said, pointing to his collar. "I've been sent to find you and if I don't bring you back to the Valeyard, Rose dies."

"So what are we going to do then?" Clara said.

"Well, I need to think of a way to satisfy the Valeyard without seeing you all imprisoned," Twelve said.

"Let me go then," Clara said. "Maybe that'll be enough. Does he know about…"

"Him?" Twelve said, pointing to his counterpart, "yes. And he suspects Susan is here as well. He wants all of us."

"Take me then," Eleven said. "Leave them and take me, maybe that way we can stall for time until a solution is found. I'm sure I'm the biggest prize here."

"And then what?" Twelve said. "Because then he'll put a collar on both of us and send us out."

"Yes, but hopefully by that time, a plan will be formed," Eleven said. "Look, I know it might not work but I'd rather take the chance of being tortured than watch everyone else be in pain. Just take me and tell Crabby Clone that everyone else ran away."

Twelve thought it over for a moment before nodding.

"Alright, I'll go back with him and we'll try to work from the inside to set everyone free. You lot think of a way you can infiltrate from out here," Twelve said.

"But what if we need one of you," Clara said. "A Time Lord would know how to get inside the TARDIS."

"You have a Time Lord…well, Lady," Eleven said, pointing to Susan. "She's my granddaughter, she can help you."

"But, Grandfather…ers," Susan said, correcting herself as she pointed to the Doctors. "Are you sure you'll be alright?"

Eleven started to go towards her when Twelve stepped up and put his hands on her shoulders.

"We'll be fine, Susan," he said. "Just worry about this lot here and keep them safe and me and myself will be handling things inside the TARDIS. We can manage and so can you, yeah?"

"Yes, Grandfather."

Twelve smiled and put his hand against her cheek before he turned and looked at Eleven.

"Right, shall we?" he said to Eleven.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Eleven walked in front of Twelve as they made their way back to the TARDIS. After some debate, they decided to walk this way to make it look like Eleven was Twelve's captive. As they walked, Eleven's heart began to beat faster at the thought of seeing Rose again. At first he kept his thoughts to himself but then he decided to make some small talk to pass the time.

"How is Rose?" Eleven said to Twelve as they walked.

"Fine. She's the same as always."

"Looks the same?"

"Yes but I found something troubling in her DNA."

"Oh?" Eleven said, looking over his shoulder. "What did you find?'

"Traces of Time Lord DNA."

Eleven stopped short and turned to him, stunned.

"What?" he said to Twelve. "How can that be?"

"Maybe…the TARDIS mutated her DNA when she took it into her body," Twelve said, shaking his head. "Maybe there really is some sort of mystical Bad Wolf thing inside her. All I know is I watched the Valeyard stab her and her body healed itself and saved her. I made a small incision with a scalpel on her palm and that healed back as well. There's a golden glow that surrounds the wound and I thought it might be nanogenes that got into her system but I can't see any sign of them."

"The Valeyard stabbed her?" Eleven said, his fists clenched.

"Yes. He had us in a forcefield prison which is why the bastard is still breathing," Twelve said darkly.

Eleven forced himself to remain calm.

"Okay, so we have to sort that out as well as stop the Valeyard," he said.

"Seems so. So if you'll turn and walk, we can begin the sorting out process," Twelve said, pointing over his shoulder.

Eleven turned and the two of them continued walking. They reached the TARDIS ten minutes later and Eleven stood patiently by the door while Twelve pounded on it and announced that he had a prisoner. The Valeyard opened the door and gazed at Eleven while Eleven gave him a look of death. Then, ignoring the death look, he looked around before looking at Twelve.

"What's this?" he said to Twelve as he pointed to Eleven.

"A prisoner, what does it look like?" Twelve said condescendingly.

"Where are the others?" the Valeyard said, matching his condescension.

"They escaped from me, he surrendered," Twelve said, gesturing to Eleven.

"Okay, so go and get the others. I will put this one somewhere…pleasant, as per your instructions," the Valeyard said with a mocking tone of voice on the last bit. "Go now, run along before I do something to Rose. You, Chinny Chin Chin, inside!"

"Why is everyone always making fun of my chin?" Eleven said in exasperation.

The Valeyard, hearing that, backed up mockingly as Eleven entered the TARDIS.

"Wow, I nearly got rammed by the battering ram on your face," the Valeyard said as a forcefield surrounded Eleven the moment he was inside and away from the door. "So, Gramps, go on and be a good doggy and fetch the others. Go on, that's a good boy," the Valeyard said.

Before Twelve could retort, the Valeyard grabbed the door and slammed it.

"Cor blimey, I thought Gramps was ugly but you…where the fuck are your eyebrows anyway?" the Valeyard said, getting a good look at his prisoner.

"They're delicate," Eleven said annoyed.

"Mm. Well, anyway, Chin Chinny Eyebrowless, let's go for a ride now."

Eleven was taken aback by that.

"You're leaving?" he said to him.

"Momentarily. I have an idea. Just stay there and mind your chin. Don't want it punching a hole in the forcefield."

Eleven glowered at him as the Valeyard chuckled.

Meanwhile, Twelve was walking away, intending to head back and give the others an update on the situation when he suddenly heard the TARDIS start up. He spun around and his mouth fell open as he watched his TARDIS dematerialize in front of him.

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