TRIAL OF A TIME LORD: THE VALEYARD

Chapter Twelve

Alan groaned as he slowly came to.

"Ugh, I'll have to keep an eye on Dark and Smelly in future, feels like a hammer hit the back of my skull," he groaned.

He raised up on his elbows and looked across at the unconscious body of Nine.

"Oh bugger, he locked me in with the mental case," he muttered.

Brother, the Doctor thought, are you okay?

Alan grimaced as he concentrated on getting past the pain and focusing on his brother's mind.

Other than a raging headache and the fact I'm locked in a small room with your volatile ninth self, I'm just peachy keen-o, he thought back.

Your mind winked out for awhile.

Well, that's because your nutter of a double planted his fist in the back of my head.

Rain's here and Hamish and Namid.

Alan blinked.

How do you know that? He thought.

Can't you feel them?

Alan concentrated and felt each of their minds. He was about to contact Rain and ask what was happening when he felt it wink out followed by his brother's anguish.

She was just knocked out...I hope, the Doctor thought to him.

Yeah, I felt her mind go out. Don't panic, Brother. The Valley Girl knows who she is and how important she is to you. She won't kill you outright like he won't kill me outright. We still have a chance to save her and...oh bugger, your former self is waking up now.

Don't antagonize him, perhaps you can work with him to escape, the Doctor thought.

Alan nodded. He told the Doctor that he needed to concentrate on the Ninth Doctor but to contact him if something changed. He cut off communication with him and sat up as Nine struggled to sit up with him. Nine leaned his head back against the bare wall, blinked a couple of times and then caught sight of Alan.

"How-do," Alan said, waving at him.

Nine frowned at him.

"Are you me?" he asked in a groggy voice.

Before he could answer, he felt Nine probe his mind before he nodded.

"You are me. Which me though?" he asked.

"Well, that's the thing, I'm you but I'm not you," Alan said.

"What's that s'posed to mean?" Nine said.

"I'm..."

He paused and Nine raised his eyebrow when he heard Alan muttering, "If I tell him will he forget when he goes back to his own time line? I mean, some things that were meant to be forgotten weren't forgotten so should I tell him or..."

"Listen here; if you don't stop rabbiting on and tell me what's going on, I'll make you tell me and I promise, it won't be pleasant."

"Okay, sheesh. I'm a clone of your tenth self but he adopted me as a brother so I don't consider myself a clone anymore. But never mind that, we have to try to find a way to get out of this before we all suffer!"

"Do you have any suggestions?" Nine said, folding his arms over his chest.

"Well, first off, I would like you to drop the whole tough persona because I do not work well with someone who is caustic and antagonistic," Alan said.

Nine unfolded his arms and waited patiently. Alan ignored his headache as he got to his feet and paced around while he tried to come up with a solution to their predicament.

While this was going on, the Doctor was trying to make contact with his daughter. It was puzzling him because he could sense something odd in his daughter's mind.

Rainbow, is that you? He thought to her.

There was some hesitation and then she hesitantly told him it was her.

Why are you here? Mi-mi, you're not old enough for this. You're only nineteen. You can't take on the Valeyard.

I'm not twenty anymore, Daddy. I'm from the future.

How far in the future?

You're on your thirteenth life.

The Doctor's eyes bugged out.

What are you doing here? The Doctor thought to her.

Hamish and Mummy and me are gonna help you escape, except...Mummy just go separated from us and I think the Valeyard has her. But don't worry, Daddy. We'll save you and Daddy Alan and the other Doctors.

But wait, why don't you feel right. I sense another presence in your mind.

The Doctor waited for her answer but Namid didn't answer back.

Mi-mi, answer me, he finally thought to her.

She still didn't answer.

Hamish, what's going on? Mi-mi won't answer me, why do I feel another presence in her mind?

Hamish didn't answer and the Doctor was about to demand an answer when suddenly the Valeyard appeared in front of his cell. He swallowed hard and his hearts raced when he saw his unconscious wife in his arms. He leapt to his feet.

"What have you done to her?" he said.

The Valeyard rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, if you hurt her, you'll live to regret it. Spare her, take me. I'm the Oncoming Storm, yada, yada, yada. Now cut the clichés and step back so I can put your sweetie in with you or else I really will hurt her."

He snorted with contempt when the Doctor quickly stepped back to the wall.

"Pathetic," he muttered as he pushed the button.

The Doctor gritted his teeth when he held his arms out and jerked them back, letting Rain fall to the floor in a heap.

"Have fun with the conjugal visit," he said as he pushed the button.

He gave him another look of contempt before he walked away. The Doctor waited till he was out of sight before he dropped to his knees and gathered his wife in his arms.

"Latara," he murmured as he smoothed her hair back out of her face, "oh love, why did you have to come for me?"

He stood up and placed her gently on the bed, arranging her body so she could be comfortable. As he stroked her face, he reached out to his daughter's mind and put a privacy block around it.

Mi-mi, your mum is in here with me. She's been knocked out but otherwise she's alright. I don't know why you won't tell me about the other presence in your mind but since you're from the future I won't press for anymore information. Just be careful, you and Hamish, my little Rainbow. I love you no matter what time period you're from.

He let go of her mind but smiled when he felt Mi-mi's love in his mind before her mind went away. He looked at his wife.

"Don't worry, my love, if Mi-mi and Hamish can't find a way to escape this, I will," he said to her.

He kissed her cheek and then settled down on the floor, keeping vigil over her until she woke up.

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