TRIAL OF A TIME LORD: THE VALEYARD

Chapter Fourteen

Rain slowly opened her eyes and focused in on a very familiar face that was sitting beside him. She smiled at him but the smile quickly faded when he saw the angry expression.

"Thete, please don't be angry," Rain said. "I had to come."

"Why, Rain?" the Doctor said angrily. "I'm going to be rescued. Maybe not by my seventh self but someone will…"

"No, you don't understand. Time is changing and you're in danger of dying now, you and Alan. Namid came from the future to get Hamish and I happened to run into them and I asked to come with her so I can help. I know you're angry but I'd rather be here than sitting at home worrying about if you and Alan are going to live or not. Please don't be angry. I did all of this out of love."

The Doctor sighed.

"I just wish you'd stayed at home. I know you can take care of yourself now but the Valeyard is nothing to sneeze at."

"I know that but if something happens to you, I want to be with you," she said, touching his right arm.

The Doctor sighed.

"I s'pose it wouldn't do to get angry at you now. Especially since we need to concentrate on getting out of here in one piece. All of us, you, me and Namid. And Namid, why did she come here with just you and Hamish, that was irresponsible…"

"But she's different," Rain said, interrupting him.

"How is she different? I feel something in her mind but she wouldn't tell me what it was. What's wrong with her?"

Rain explained to him about Compassion. The Doctor sat beside her in a stunned silence.

"A living TARDIS," he said when she finished. "Our TARDIS made her into…"

He trailed off and shook his head.

"Why her?" he said after a moment's silence. "Why did they pick her?"

"I don't know, Thete. I guess because she was able to handle becoming one," Rain said.

"But why do that to her?" the Doctor said angrily. "Why would the TARDISes need to evolve? For what purpose? I can't believe I would consent to that, turning my daughter into some kind of freakish half Gallifreyan/ half TARDIS. What about Soki and Chas…or Hope…or my other children. Did she say anything about them?"

Rain shook his head.

"I s'pose the TARDIS had a reason but still…how is she able to function?"

"I think she can turn it on and off somehow, Thete."

"And you traveled inside her?"

"Yeah, she converted us into energy and me and Hamish rode inside her."

The Doctor sighed and shook his head.

"I s'pose my future self trusts her enough to send her here and maybe I should too but I just can't get over the fact that my little Rainbow is now half TARDIS. This whole ordeal is getting weirder by the minute. And Hamish? What does she need him for?"

"She didn't say. But that's why she went back in time…to get him."

"But he's blind. I mean, I know Mi-mi was blind once but he's gonna fight the Valeyard? The Valeyard is ruthless and since he's me, he'll know how to exploit his blindness even if he does fight back."

He shut up when he heard the sound of scuffling in the distance. Rain rose up on her elbow and they watched through the Perspex barrier while they waited to see what was happening. Then about two minutes later they saw the Valeyard forcing one of the Doctors to walk past them. The Valeyard had his arms pinned to his sides and was directly behind him breathing in his ear. The Doctor's eyes widened when he saw it was the eleventh Doctor. Eleven glanced over and his eyes bulged.

"Doctor, Rain, it's Amato!" he said, trying to fight the Valeyard's iron grip.

"Let him go!" the Doctor said, springing to his feet.

"Come along before Weepy has a nervous breakdown," the Valeyard said.

He grinned at the Doctor as Amato struggled to get free.

"Too bad this wanker's dressed in leather; I rather like the outfit you came up with when you briefly became him. After all, BOW TIES ARE COOL, AREN'T THEY, MATE?" he said, sneering at Eleven.

"What are you planning to do to us?" the Doctor said.

"Um…not gonna tell, sorry, I'm gonna be difficult and just let you find out on your own. So if I were you, I'd get to shagging the tart on the bed. Toodle loodle loo, MOVE OR I KILL THEM AND YOU!" he snarled at Eleven.

Go with him, Brother, we'll find a way out of this, the Doctor thought to him after putting up a privacy block.

Amato nodded. He stopped struggling and Valeyard snickered.

"Good show, old man. Don't know what you said to him but I appreciate the making him as docile as a lamb maneuver. Now move!"

The Doctor and Rain gave him a sad look as the Valeyard herded him past the cell.

"That leaves my twelfth and thirteenth self," the Doctor said, sitting back down. "Then he'll come for me."

"I don't think so. I think either we'll find a way out of this or Namid and Hamish will help us out," Rain said. "I'm choosing to remain optimistic because I can't bear to think of the alternative."

The Doctor sighed. He laid his head on the bed next to Rain's chest and Rain stroked his hair.

Nine leaned back against the wall, watching while Alan tried to find a way to open the cell door. He was running his hands all over the Perspex but couldn't find any hidden catches or anything that would open the door from the inside.

"Don't you think he's thought of that already?" Nine finally said. "I seriously doubt there's some magic lever that's gonna open that wall from the outside."

"Well at least I'm looking and not leaning against the wall while I wait for Valley Girl to come back," Alan said, turning to him.

Nine chuckled.

"Valley Girl, I like that," he said. "As for leaning up against this wall, I'm conserving my energy. I figure he's gotta slide back that wall sometime and when he does…"

"Gee, don't you think he's already thought of that already?" Alan said in a snotty voice.

Nine leaned up and gazed at Alan with malice in his eyes. Alan snorted.

"I'm not afraid of ya," he said. "I was just like you once which is why my brother chose to leave me with Rose on some Godforsaken beach in Norway."

He turned and smirked when he saw the confused look on Nine's face. Nine was about to ask him to clarify who his brother was and why Rose was left with him on some beach but he decided he didn't want to know and leaned back against the wall again. Both men froze when they saw the Valeyard walk up to the barrier.

"Why, hello, trying to escape?" the Valeyard said to Alan. "You didn't think I'd forgotten you, did ya? I'm sorry if I stuck you in here with the Halfling. I'm sure the smell is positively intolerable. But I'll get you away from him."

The Valeyard started to push the button to open the wall and saw Nine tense his muscles.

"Friendly warning," he said, eyeing him. "If you decide to act macho again and attack me, I'll guarantee that you'll be screaming in non-stop agony and believe me, I will make good on my threat."

"How can you be here? You were trapped in the Matrix back on Gallifrey," Nine said.

The Valeyard chuckled.

"My dear, dear boy. I'm you, remember? You have an uncanny ability to escape from tight spots, what makes you think I don't have the same talent. Now…I'm going to open the wall and both of you will come along quietly or…"

He grinned.

"I'll go pull Rose out of time and space and force you to watch while I torture her."

He chuckled when both men stiffened and glared at him.

"See, I got your attention. And once again, I remind you that I'm being deathly serious about making good on my threats. Now step back so I can open the door."

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