TRIAL OF A TIME LORD: THE VALEYARD

Chapter Eight

"Nobody knows the trouble I've seen..."

The Doctor smiled, lying on the uncomfortable bed in their cell while he listened to his brother singing.

"Doing your I'm in prison routine, Brother?" he said.

"Well, there's nothing else to do in here so I might as well," Alan said. "I s'pose we have to sit here until the seventh Doctor sets us free."

"Unless we become a part of his plans before then," the Doctor said with a grimace.

"Even so, we still get set free so until then..."

Alan reached into his pocket, brought out his wallet and took out a picture of Rose. He put it against the wall.

"Got any pins or something that I can use to put up my pin up girl?" he said as the Doctor chuckled.

The Doctor reached into his pocket, took out a biro and used it to put a single line on the wall.

"Day one of our captivity," he said while Alan snickered.

"What is the meaning of this? Unhand me at once!"

Both brothers paused, their ears pricked up when they heard an elderly man yelling in the distance. Alan swallowed hard.

"I know that voice," he said.

"So do I, it's my first life," the Doctor said. "Which means whatever the Valeyard is planning is beginning."

"And that means there's only eight more to go before we get to see what it is," Alan said grimly.

The Doctor put a hand on Alan's shoulder when he turned his eyes back to the photo of Rose. He raised an eyebrow when he heard his brother chuckle.

"What?" the Doctor said as Alan traced around Rose's face.

"Hard to believe this little ol' lady once came between us," he said as he stared at the photo.

"She didn't come between us; you destroying the Daleks came between us."

"But...you have to admit that even though I did commit genocide we haven't seen the Daleks in this universe."

"True but...they're like bad pennies, you know."

"So's tall, dark and smelly out there," Alan said, jerking his head at the Perspex wall that allowed them to see out into the corridor.

"Yes, well, even though Imiko eliminated him from reality, she had to leave this here since it affected our past selves which is why we're stuck here."

"No, unhand me, you brute!"

"And there goes number two," Alan said when they heard his voice. "What will happen to me, after all, I'm not really a part of this. I'm the odd man out."

"I'm sure he has something in mind," the Doctor said as he stared up at the ceiling.

He patted his shoulder when he saw the anxious look on his face.

"Everything'll be okay, Brother, you'll see," he said. "I..."

He trailed off and both him and Alan got odd looks on their faces. The Doctor cursed under his breath.

"Whatever he's doing is beginning to affect the rest of us. I hope our seventh self hurries up and hares it over here before we all end up dead."

Compassion cursed under her breath as she flew through the vortex. She could feel the Doctors starting to weaken and she knew that she had to hurry before they ended up dead. She checked the time line and smiled. The Valeyard might have been able to shield himself from her family but he couldn't hide himself in the time line and she could see exactly where she was. She made a beeline for his location hoping that she, Hamish and her mother would be enough to save them.

Meanwhile far in the future, Alan and Adam were suffering while their family members looked on helplessly. Adam had been moved to the sofa while Alan was moved upstairs into the Doctor's bedroom. By this time the other family members had come over and had been updated on what was going on. They waited anxiously while Rose and Marion stayed by their spouse's sides. In the Doctor's bedroom, Alan lay under a dark blue duvet while Rose lay beside him. He was pale and his skin was clammy and damp with sweat. Alan swallowed and gave his wife a brave smile as she looked on helplessly. He reached up and stroked her cheek.

"Starlight," he said softly," if this is the end, don't be sad. We've had several lifetimes of memories and fun together."

"But this can't be the end, we have more things we have to do," Rose said as she laid her hand in his damp hair. "Namid has to succeed; I can't bear to be without ya."

"Yeah, I gotta regenerate until I become wacky again," Alan said with a wink.

"No thanks," Rose said.

"Aw, come on, don't you wanna hear me talking about kicking a giraffe's arse again?"

Rose giggled as Alan stroked her cheek. Years and regenerations had calmed Alan down. He still liked to joke around but he wasn't quite as manic as he used to be. Rose had to admit she did miss the old silly Alan who wasn't afraid to be spontaneous and speak his mind. She knew part of it was his maturing and growing up but sometimes she wanted him to be wacky again. But right now, more mature Alan or not, she would give anything just to have him alive and well. She put her hand on his chest when he let out a ragged sigh.

"Oh Starlight, it's my fault. Adam's downstairs dying and it's all because of my mind link with him."

"No, Alan, it's not your fault."

"Yes, it is, because of me I'm going to deprive Marion and their children of their father. He isn't even involved, he's just hooked up to me," Alan said. "I'm going to murder my best friend."

Tears streamed down Rose's cheeks as Alan pulled her close and kissed her face. She whispered her love for him and he smiled, nuzzling her hair before he closed his eyes and breathed in her scent as he drifted off to sleep.

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