The Guardian's Secret 19/?
Title: The Guardian's Secret 19/?
Author: Hezikiah
Disclaimer: Not mine, the BBC's.
Rating: PG
Characters: Ella (OC), Donna, Eighth Doctor, Tenth Doctor, Healer Koray (OC), Healer Akakios (OC)
Warnings: None
Summary: Sequel to " Witnessing the Protector," five years on. When the metacrisis begins to unravel on its own, a desperate Ella finds the Doctor...and winds up giving up more than she bargained for to save her best friend's life.
A/N: So I actually wrote 18 and 19 together, intending for them to be one chapter. It was too long to post to LJ, so I split it into two...hence why there's two posts so close together. Also, Donna will be waking up soon, I promise! I had to get this Micah stuff sorted out, first!
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18
“Wait, what's going on?” I asked as I gave him my hands and he hauled me to my feet.
“Do you remember that large book I gave Micah a few days ago?” he asked as he dragged me out of the media room. I nodded. “It was the first of many journals I kept about my time at the Academy and it documents my friendship with his father,” he explained. “There's a place we both enjoyed...well...it's just a hunch, but if you're right, I think I know where he could be, but we need to find him before the Council does. They're still going to be extremely angry with him, but it's their own doing since they've been keeping information from him. It will go a lot better for Micah if we bring him back and not Nevisth's goons.”
“Where are we going?” I stumbled after him.
“House Oakdown,” the Doctor replied as we emerged in the control room. I expected him to go to the console and send us into the vortex, but he pulled me out the doors instead and into the foyer of the medical building. He led me to an alcove that I'd seen lots of times before, but had never bothered to look at. It contained the transmat booth that shuttled people to and from the building. I've never used the transmat before, never had a need to, and I halted at the entrance of the alcove while the Doctor stepped over to a control panel and started punching coordinates in. He gestured to one of the three transmat pads, which looked like three circles on the floor about two feet in diameter. “Hop on,” he told me. “I'll be right behind you.” I hesitated and he gave me a confused look. “What's the matter?”
“Is this safe?” I asked. “I mean, for the baby?”
The Doctor laughed, blue eyes crinkling in mirth. “I forgot you've never done this before. Yes, it's very safe. We've used this technology for centuries.”
I still didn't budge. “Why can't we take the TARDIS?”
“Because I don't want the Council thinking that I've taken you off Gallifrey,” he replied. “I need to keep the ship here for now. This is faster, anyway.” He stepped over and took my hand, pulling me onto the platform. “Come on, don't be afraid.”
“But I don't like the idea of my atoms being taken apart and rearranged all over the...” Before I could finish, I felt a massive tingling sensation and the room vanished. A dark paneled room appeared in front of me and I stumbled off the platform, feeling a little dizzy. “...Place?”
I ran smack into a wooden column about two meters high. At least, I thought it was a wooden column. Looking up and then up some more, I saw a carved wooden face with two beady black eyes looking down at me. I squawked in alarm and backed up just as a humming sound emitted from the transmat behind me.
“You were saying?” The Doctor came up behind me, still chattering, “Really, Ella, you've been watching too much Star Trek. You sound like Doctor McCoy. Are you all right?” He followed my pointing finger and chuckled. “Oh, excellent. Just what we need!” He waved at the moving wooden column, which was carved to look like it was wearing a dress. “Hello, Miss Drudge! Take us to the Kithriarch, please, or the Housekeeper if the Kithriarch isn't available.” The Doctor took my hand and gently pushed it down. “Ella, it's not polite to point.”
The column made a creaking sound and turned around, lifting what looked like a hurricane lantern into the air to provide light in the darkened room. I squeaked and the Doctor laced his fingers through mine. “It's just a Drudge,” he explained and I could hear the patience evident in his voice. “They're like the servants of the House.”
I was tugged along behind him as he strode out of the room and down a long, dark hallway after the walking statue. “But it's made of wood!”
“Yes.”
“And it's alive!”
“Well, technically it's not. They're sort of like...bio-robots...programmed to accept the telepathic orders of the..” he faltered and grimaced for a moment. “Ah, fine. It's alive, as much as alive as a carved piece of wooden furniture can be.”
“Ok, so what's a...Kith...Kin...?”
“Kithriarch,” he finished. “He or she is the head of the Family.”
That sounded awfully familiar. “Is Lord Nevisth is the Kithriarch of House Melornibinth, then?”
“Exactly, but he certainly doesn't spend much time at his House since his duties keep him away. That doesn't stop him from ordering everyone about, though.”
“So what's the Housekeeper?”
“The Housekeeper is in charge of the entire House. The Drudges,” he nodded to the clacking wooden figure in front of us, “answer to them and is only secondary to the power of the Kirthriarch. The Housekeeper actually marries the house for life, it's quite extraordinary...and sounds extremely dull to me.”
I snickered and then a thought struck me. “What is your House, Doctor?”
He sniffed. “Lungbarrow, but I don't go there very often. I'm...not well liked.”
Somehow, that didn't surprise me. “Black sheep of the Family, eh?”
The Doctor let out a short, barking laugh. “Something like that.”
We walked into a huge great hall that reminded me of some of the castles in the UK that I've visited. An enormous stone stairway led up to a second floor and the Drudge creaked and groaned its way up the stairs to the wooden banisters above. My fingers tightened in the Doctor's hand as we mounted the stairs and followed. The Drudge led us down another long, wooden paneled hallway and through a wide door with ornate carvings in Gallifreyan on its surface.
We were admitted into a comfortable office. I was surprised to see dozens of books and scrolls piled high on shelves that lined most of the walls of the room. There was a fireplace on the wall opposite the door. It held a marble mantlepiece and a portrait of a portly, bearded Time Lord in a large gilded frame dominated the space above.
To the left was a heavy desk and behind it sat a very old woman in the robes of the Prydonian Chapter, which seemed to dwarf her. She struggled to her feet as we crossed the room and I could see that she wasn't very tall, maybe about five foot two. Even in her youth, she must have been short. Her long grey hair was pulled back in a bun and she reached out a hand towards the Doctor as we stopped in front of her desk.
Lady Pallis, Kithriarch of House Oakdown
“Doctor,” she rasped. “I'm glad you are well, considering recent events. It has been too long.”
The Doctor grasped her hand and bowed. “Far too long, Kithriarch Pallis,” the Doctor replied. “You look wonderful, not a day over twelve hundred.”
The Kithriarch chuckled and wagged a finger at him. “Flatterer. You know very well I'm almost two thousand years old. I'll be regenerating soon, but I've still got three lives left.”
“I'm happy to hear that. House Oakdown has flourished under your leadership.”
“Thank Rassilon, it has.” The woman turned her attention to me. “Is this the human woman who has caused such a ruckus in the Citadel lately?” My shocked look made her laugh. “Oh, my dear. I may be old and not get out of this house much, but I do keep up with the latest gossip at Council.”
“Lady Pallis, this is Dr. Ella Porter-Steinfield,” the Doctor introduced me.
“Yes, you're carrying the human woman's child so that she might become a Time Lady.” Pallis' face was neutral. My presence didn't seem to offend her, like it does with so many of the Time Lords when I encounter them. Maybe she wasn't one of the xenophobic ones. I know not all of them are.
“That's correct, Kithriarch.”
“Please, just Lady Pallis,” she corrected me. “I am pleased to make your acquaintance. It's not often that we...willingly receive visitors from other worlds to Gallifrey.” She shooed us over to some overstuffed chairs that the Drudge had drawn up in front of the fire. Once we were all settled in, she looked between me and the Doctor. “Now, what brought you two to House Oakdown?”
The Doctor spent the next several minutes telling Pallis about Micah. I told her how he'd come to Gallifrey and how he'd disappeared from the Citadel. “Since he is the son of one the members of your Family, we thought he might come here,” he finished. “Have you seen him?”
“He did come the morning of the bombing. He seemed rather frightened and nervous and I admitted him into my office, where I heard his story of how he came to Gallifrey. I must admit that his presence disturbed me for, as you know, Koschei was been disowned by this House for his treachery against our people and the universe in general. Our laws are outdated and still reflect the time of Looming. There is no precedent for the offspring of a banished Family member, whether they can be admitted into the House or not. Then there's the fact that the child is half-human. I am still debating how to handle Micah's...well...frankly, his very existence. It is uncanny, most uncanny.”
“Everyone needs a family, Lady Pallis,” I said. “Surely you can't hold Micah accountable for his father's crimes? He never even knew the man.”
“Of course I can't.” She let out a quiet sigh and looked into the flames. “As Kithriarch, I am the closest that Micah O'Donnican has to a grandmother. I sense that the lad is bright, has a spark of his father's genius about him...and his cunning. He defied the Council's orders not to leave the Citadel to come here. This is what disturbs me.”
“Lady Pallis, I urge you to not to judge the boy so soon,” the Doctor advised, his voice quiet.
“I'm not, Doctor. I told him that I needed time to decide.” She looked up and gazed at the Doctor. “Next to his Family, you knew our wayward kin the best. I would welcome your counsel. You have spent time with Micah. Tell me, is he anything like his father?”
The Doctor steepled his fingers and leaned his elbows on his knees in thought. “I haven't spent much time with him, to be honest. Ella sees him every day and can attest to his character better than I can. However, I will tell you that Micah is nothing like his father was at this age,with the exception of being a genius. He is honest, kind, and wants to please.”
“He's also very angry and bitter,” I added, “over what the Council has done to him. Really, all he wants is to return to his time and to his studies or his mother.”
“The human captain, yes,” Lady Ava murmured.
I wasn't sure how the Kithriarch would take my next words and I hesitated before blurting out, “I think he would be an asset to your House, if you would be willing to have him.”
“Perhaps,” she mused. “I still have much to think about and need to learn more about him before I decide.”
“Of course. Is Micah at the Hermitage, my lady?” asked the Doctor.
“He is,” she replied. “I remember how much you and Koschei enjoyed your visits with old Yimmich. The Drudges maintain the cabin out of force of habit. It keeps the poor things busy these days and I don't stop them. Neither does the Housekeeper.”
The Doctor stood and bowed over her hands. “Thank you, Lady Pallis. It's been good speaking to you.”
One of his eyes turned sideways to look at me and I got the hint. I scrambled to my feet and took her other hand, inclining my head. “Thank you for your hospitality, Kithriarch.”
She squeezed our hands and then patted both of us on the shoulders. “It's my pleasure.” She hesitated and then said, “That fear that young Micah had...it was radiating off of him, Doctor. Something has frightened the boy and I doubt it's our esteemed Lord Inquisitor.” The Doctor and I exchanged a look as she added, “In any case, the Drudge will see you to the door.”
We followed the scary creaking Drudge back down the hall and into the great hall. There was a massive set of wooden double doors at the far end and I expected the Drudge to go there, but it didn't. It lead us down the stairs and through a side hall so narrow that we had to walk in single file. The Doctor went in front of me. The passage ended with a single unadorned wooden door with an iron doorknob as its only fitting. The Drudge shoved the door open and stepped outside so we could pass by.
A blast of icy wind blew down the hall and made me gasp aloud, even as the Doctor tugged me outside.
“Oh, lovely! Very bracing!” the Doctor whooped. It was obvious that the freezing temperatures didn't bother him one bit!
We had emerged to what I guessed was the back of the massive structure that made up the House of Oakdown. A forest of enormous conifer trees surrounded us. They looked sort of like pine trees, but were much larger. There was a path made of multicolored pebbles leading away and the Doctor strode down it.
“Doctor!” I called and ran after him, already shivering in the frigid air. I hadn't dressed for cold weather and was still in the sage green gauzy empire waisted top and pants that I'd thrown on that morning. That outfit was perfect for the temperate weather of the Citadel, but not for something that rivaled the tundra.
He stopped and turned and a chagrined look came over his face. “I'm sorry, I didn't realize that it was winter up here.” He started to pull off his green velvet frock coat. “Take my coat...”
I shook my head in protest. “Won't you be cold?”
The Doctor grinned. “Not at all! Time Lords have...”
I remembered. “A lower core temperature than humans. I forgot.”
He chuckled as I accepted his coat. “I love the cold. This doesn't bother me at all and I don't really need my coat, but you do. It's not far, but it's too cold for humans to travel without some kind of protection.”
The Doctor started back down the trail and I trudged after him, tugging the coat tight around my body. “How far is it to the Hermitage?”
“No more than a kilometer.”
About two-thirds of a mile. All of those years of living in the UK has taught me rough metric conversions in my head. That wasn't too terrible, but it still seemed like a good distance when you were in summer clothes and strolling in weather that was like the Peak District in January. Thinking warm thoughts of tropical beaches, I commented, “I didn't know Gallifrey got this cold. I always assumed it was a hot planet.”
“Oh no!” he called back. “Not at all. Gallifrey is much like earth, just a bit more arid. It gets rather cold in the higher mountain ranges, where we are now, and the small polar regions.” He stopped for a moment and peered up at the sky, a frown crossing his face. “I don't like the looks of those clouds.”
Following his gaze through the trees, I spotted a line of dark grey clouds tumbling over the top of the nearest peak. “Unless I'm mistaken, that's a nasty storm coming our way.”
“Yes, I agree. We'd better hurry. I think we're going to be in for a bad thunderstorm.” The Doctor began jogging down the path, his feet sending pebbles scattering into the ferns of the underbrush.
I chased after him, starting to feel a little dizzy. The cold air was sharp and bit into my lungs. I think the air must have been thinner, too, because it was a little hard to breathe. Stopping wasn't an option, though. I knew the Hermitage would at least be dry, if not warm, and the sight of those storm clouds was enough to make me forget my discomfort and soldier on.
The Doctor looked back and hollered, “I only hope that Micah isn't going to be caught out in this weather.”
“Me too!” The terrain was mostly uphill at that point and my back and leg muscles were screaming from the effort and the cold. The wind kicked up and I caught the smell of rain in the air. Ominous booms filled the darkening skies and I jumped once or twice as warning flashes of lightning stabbed through the clouds. The forest grew dark and forbidding as we struggled on for about another ten minutes. I was glad when I spotted the stone cottage with a sloping roof through a break in the trees. The cottage was dark and looked unoccupied, but there were footprints heading from the front door and back again.
The Hermitage
“That's odd. I wonder why there aren't any lights on.” The Doctor pointed at the ground in front of the low stone flags that made up the entrance to the cottage. “Someone's clearly been here. Those footprints are fresh and they don't belong to Drudges.” The Doctor banged on the door with his fist as I leaned against the wall and wheezed for air. “Micah!” he bellowed. “Micah O'Donnican!”
There was a pause and then the thick wooden door creaked open, just as there was a massive roll of thunder and the heavens opened. Cold rain poured down on us and I crowded closer to the doorway. The dark shadow of Micah stood beyond. “Doctor?” He sounded confused and a little suspicious.
The Doctor didn't wait to be invited in. He grabbed my hand and pushed past Micah into the gloom beyond.
The door shut behind us. There wasn't much light because the cottage only had two small windows placed high up in the walls near the ceiling and the darkness outside only added to the overall gloom of the interior. “Well, isn't this cozy?” I heard the Doctor remark. I caught glimpses of a large hearth in front of us. There was a doorway off to the left of the hearth and a tiny kitchen to the right. A sofa with wooden arms sat to the left side of the large room, along with a matching chair. An old table with two mismatched wooden chairs occupied the right side wall.
It wasn't much warmer inside, which I thought was weird considering that Micah had been there a few days. That mystery was explained when Micah stuttered, “Ah...um...the power died while I was exploring. I only just got back before you arrived.”
“Hmm. I'll have a look and see if there's anything I can do. But first, we're going to need some light.” I jumped a bit when I felt the Doctor's hand plunge into the left pocket of the coat and he rummaged around. He withdrew a book of matches and handed it to me, gesturing towards the hearth. “Ella, can you get a fire started while I try to access the power grid?”
I saluted with one hand, the oversized cuff of his coat flopping off the end of my fingers. “Leave it to me, sir!”
The Doctor smiled at my exuberance. “Excellent. You should find a newspaper you can use in the right pocket, but please stick to the sports section. I'll never read it, anyway.”
He and Micah moved off to the couch and I heard them grunting as they dragged it away from the wall. Fishing around, I came up with a newspaper. It felt fresh and just off the presses. Despite the poor light, I could make out the headline, “KENNEDY SLAIN ON DALLAS STREET.” I nearly dropped the paper. This was from 1963! Well, the Doctor was a time traveler. It made sense that he might have been present at JFK's unfortunate assassination. I found the sports section and began balling up the pages and stuffing them into the grate to use as starter for the fire.
I heard the Doctor explaining to Micah that the cottage's power grid could be accessed by a panel in the floor. There was a squeal of rusty hinges and the clang of a metal panel on the floor as I piled some logs on top of the paper. I popped open the matchbook and was about to rip one out, but the sight of them made me pause in surprise. Each individual match featured a tiny dancing girl. The inside featured a stylized bar scene. Curious, I turned the matchbook over and peered at where it was from: the Moulin Rouge. Peals of laughter issued forth from my mouth as I ripped a dancing girl from her cardboard perch and struck the match to hold it to the paper.
Moulin Rouge matches!
“What's so funny?” I heard the Doctor ask. Flames gobbled up the paper and caught the dry wood.
“This.” I held up the matchbook, still giggling. “The Moulin Rouge, Doctor? What were you doing there?”
He hesitated for answering, “Auton invasion. They took the form of the Moulin Rouge dancing girls and tried to invade earth via Paris in the 1920's, but I stopped them.”
I had no idea what an Auton was, but I didn't really want to ask. “Why'd you take a matchbook, though?”
“Because I can...” he replied and added, “...can.”
I groaned aloud at his bad joke and he laughed out loud.
“What's the Moulin Rouge?” Micah asked, sounding very confused. Poor kid had no idea what we were talking about.
“It's...a famous dance hall on earth that's been around a very long time,” I explained, deciding that I really didn't need to go into much more detail than that. No need to talk about racy dances, prostitutes, and Ewan McGregor singing on top of a giant elephant. Light began filling up the room, dispelling some of the gloominess.
“Lovely! Now I can get to work. Ella, hand me my sonic screwdriver, please. It's in the top left pocket.” The Doctor held out his hand.
Sitting by the fire made me a bit too warm, so I just tugged his coat off and handed it to him. He extracted the screwdriver and knelt down, waving the device over a recessed panel in the stone floor. I could tell from his expression that he wasn't happy with the results of his jiggery-pokery. “Blast,” he mumbled. “Looks like the main current overload component has melted...”
I processed what he said and interrupted, “Wait...you mean it blew a fuse?”
The Doctor looked up and me and blinked. “Ahm...yes, in a manner of speaking. The Drudges are going to have to repair it as they're responsible for maintenance. I'm afraid that means we'll be without heat and light for the night, but we've got the fire and we should be all right.”
“The night?” Micah asked. “But...” I could tell that our sudden appearance had discombobulated him. “Aren't you leaving?”
“Leaving?” the Doctor echoed. “Why? We only just got here.” He pocketed the screwdriver and slammed the panel closed so that Micah and I both jumped. “Anyway, that storm is going to last for several hours and it's unsafe for us to return to House Oakdown in that mess. And really, is that any way to treat the people who've come to help you?”
“I...I'm sorry,” Micah apologized. “But I don't understand. I don't need any help.”
“I'd say you're wrong about that,” the Doctor countered, pointing at the hearth. “Did you have the means to start a fire, Micah?”
The teen's eyes flickered between the hearth and the Doctor and he frowned. “No.”
“Which means you would have spent a very long, very dark and cold night without us.” The Doctor began dragging the sofa back to its original place and Micah rushed to help him. “But the real reason you need our help is because the Council is looking for you and I thought it would be better if we found you first.” While they replaced the sofa, he told Micah about Nevisth's suspecting me and him as the bomber because of his convenient disappearance. Micah was horrified at the news of the bombing and I could tell that this was the first he'd heard of it.
It would be an understatement to say that Nevisth's accusation upset Micah. His face turned beet red and he bellowed, “What?! Me?! Are they insane? I would never...” The anger seemed to drain from him in an instant and he sank down onto the couch. I was shocked when bright tears welled up in his eyes. I've never seen Micah cry before. “They think I'm like him, don't they? But I'm not! I wouldn't. I couldn't.”
“I know you wouldn't, lad. You're not your father,” the Doctor said in a soft voice and settled down next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Unfortunately, some people on the Council don't see a difference. I'm not sure why...perhaps it's unfamiliarity with direct offspring who weren't Loomed. Lord Nevisth is an example of the worst kind of Time Lord there is and I'm sorry. What's important is that he no longer suspects you, but he's still very angry that you've defied the restrictions he's placed on you and I fear he'll place you in prison if you don't appear soon and explain yourself.”
Micah turned even paler. “Face him? That pompous old windbag?”
“You can do it,” I broke in. “I'll go with you if you'd like.” I shot him a teasing smile. “After all, he thinks we're accomplices.”
Micah sent me a grateful look, but the Doctor replied, “Under the circumstances, I think it might be best if I accompany Micah. I suspect it's my fault that you stayed here instead of returning to the Citadel after visiting the Kithriarch, am I correct? Because you wanted to see the places that made your father so happy and you'd read about in my journal?”
“Um...” Micah fidgeted and looked a bit uncomfortable. He twisted his fingers together, something he does when he's nervous. “No. It actually had nothing to do with you, at least...not directly.”
We waited for him to explain, but he just looked down into his lap, lips pressed tight.
I came over to him and knelt down on the floor at his feet so I could look up into his face. “Micah?” I asked, keeping my voice quiet and gentle. “Something's happened, I know. It's not like you to miss school. I understand that you hate the restrictions that the Council's placed on you, but I also know you enjoy our classes despite all of that. What made you leave the Citadel the other morning?”
Micah looked up and I've never seen him so frightened. “She'll kill me if I tell you,” he whispered.
“Who?” the Doctor asked.
He swallowed once. “M...Manu. She said as much.”
The Doctor and I exchanged a look and I put my hand on his knee. “Then you have nothing to be afraid of. Manu died in the explosion, Micah. She was the bomber.”
He jerked his head up, face frozen in shock. “What? She...what?”
“Suicide, Micah,” the Doctor explained. “We think she was a Dalek plant, sent to build and detonate the bomb on Gallifrey.” He paused and continued, “I know she was your friend. If it helps, she died a long time ago. I suspect the real Manu would never have done something so heinous.”
“Manu was never my friend,” Micah growled in a quiet voice before he took a deep breath. “And I know she was a Dalek. She...” he paused and took another deep breath. “I...saw it.”
“Maybe you'd better start over at the beginning, lad,” the Doctor advised. “You're not making much sense.”
Micah nodded once and waited a moment to collect his thoughts. “After I got back from the TARDIS with your journal the other night,” he began, “I spent some time reading your entries. That's how I found out about this place. Manu showed up at my quarters, saying she wanted to discuss something. I found that strange as Manu and I don't socialize outside of class. She's always been more partial to Xenshi, even though I know their relationship has become rather strained lately because of Manu's weird behavior.” He let out a breath. “I invited her in and she told me that she was leaving soon. I asked where she was going and she just laughed.” He dropped his head into his hands and his shoulders shook for a moment in despair. “I had no idea she meant that she was going to kill herself!”
“This isn't your fault, Micah,” I tried to comfort him.
“I know,” he said in a faltering voice. “I know it's not. She said that after she was gone, she needed someone to keep up the fight against the pompous and arrogant Time Lords. 'Someone needs to teach these people that they aren't the most powerful creatures in the universe,' she said. I had no idea what she was talking about. She said she picked me because she knew how angry and resentful I felt about my confinement on Gallifrey and I was the perfect person to continue her work. I was so confused and I told her that she wasn't making any sense. I don't like the Time Lords,” he glanced at the Doctor, “no offense intended.”
The Doctor's mouth quirked up into a small smile. “No offense taken.”
“But I'd never try to harm them,” Micah continued. “And I said as much. Manu told me...she told me that I was weak and that I'd fall with the rest of them. I asked her to leave then because she was starting to scare me. Manu was facing away from me at that moment, towards the wall, and when she turned...” he closed his eyes and gestured at his forehead, “...there was this...thing...this...um...sort of rod sticking out from here. She told me that she'd kill me if I told anyone what she'd just said or what I had just seen. She started to come towards me and I just ran. I left the flat and ran.”
“To here?” the Doctor asked.
“Yes,” he replied. He was shaking in fright from the memory and I moved up to the couch to put my arms around him. To my surprise, Micah wrapped his arms tight around me and buried his face in my shoulder. He's a big boy, but at that moment I knew he wanted someone maternal.
“Why didn't you come to the TARDIS?” I asked. “You would have been safe there.”
“I didn't want her to find me and I was scared that was the first place she'd look.” He turned his head and looked at the Doctor, still shaking. “This was the first place I thought of. You and my dad were so happy here and Manu doesn't know who my family was and...and...I'd always meant to come here, but could never do it. I'm not allowed to leave the Citadel.” He closed his eyes and sighed, “And I never will again after the Council finds out what I've done.”
“I wouldn't say that, lad,” the Doctor reassured him. “Your story corroborates with what we know of Manu. I don't think the Council, or most of them, will blame you for hiding. You felt like your life was in danger and I will stand up for you.”
A ray of hope passed over Micah's face. “Really?” he asked.
The Doctor nodded. “Of course.” He looked around the Hermitage. “Yimmich would have welcomed you here. I have so many wonderful memories of this place.”
Micah knew the Doctor was trying to change the subject because I saw him frown for a moment.
“Doctor?”
“Hmm? Yes, Micah?” The Doctor seemed to be lost in memories, like his mind had drifted off to another time.
“She...she said this was only the start. I didn't know what she meant at the time, but...” Micah trailed off and his arms tightened on me. “Now with the bombing, I think she means that there's going to be a fight. Maybe a war.”
I stiffened and sucked in a breath of air.
“Between the Time Lords and the Daleks?” the Doctor asked and his face grew dark. “That would be very bad. Very bad indeed.”
You have no idea of what's to come, Doctor, I thought and tears sprang to my eyes as I remembered the images of Gallifrey destroyed and the Memorial Room that I'd seen so many years ago. It's worse than bad.
The Doctor suddenly slapped his hands down on his knees, startling me and Micah. “Enough talk of war. There's no use dwelling on the future when we don't know who was manipulating Manu. I'm sure we'll discover the truth soon enough.”
Micah finally let go of me and I moved away, lost in my own thoughts. The cottage was quiet for several long moments, until Micah's voice broke the silence. “Why was my father such a terrible man, Doctor?” His tired eyes were full of sadness. “Your journal has revealed to me that he wasn't always like that. I don't know what he's done because no one will tell me, but how did he get to be so reviled by his own people? His own House?”
The Doctor blew out a breath and raised his eyebrows. “That's...that's a loaded question, Micah. I suppose we've nothing else better to do while we wait out the storm, so...” he settled back into his chair and crossed his arms. The Doctor stared into the flames, the glowing light throwing up burnished copper and blonde highlights in his windblown brown locks. “I want you to understand that he was not always the villain and murderer that the Time Lords want you to believe he was. He was a good man once, and...and a good friend, Micah.”
The Doctor then talked for hours, more than I'd ever heard him talk before. He told us hilarious stories of growing up with Koschei on Gallifrey. I found myself smiling at first, but then frowning as the stories turned darker, more sinister. Something happened to Koschei as he grew...he became ruthless, selfish, obsessed with power. Rain pelted down on the window in a staccato rhythm that, under other circumstances, would have made me drowsy. The fire had long dispelled the cold in the room, but I felt myself grower colder at the Doctor's many stories of the death and destruction that the Master, the name Koschei took on after graduating from the Academy, brought down on the universe.
Without realizing it, I'd begun to shed silent tears. I could see the sadness in the Doctor's face as he spoke. I'd never seen him look so sad...or so careworn. For the first time since I've known the Doctor, I began to see just how old he really is. I've always known that he's an old man, but I never understood just how ancient he is.
They say that time heals all wounds and I once believed it, but no longer. What I've seen and experienced of the Time Lords on Gallifrey has changed my understanding of that expression forever.
Author: Hezikiah
Disclaimer: Not mine, the BBC's.
Rating: PG
Characters: Ella (OC), Donna, Eighth Doctor, Tenth Doctor, Healer Koray (OC), Healer Akakios (OC)
Warnings: None
Summary: Sequel to " Witnessing the Protector," five years on. When the metacrisis begins to unravel on its own, a desperate Ella finds the Doctor...and winds up giving up more than she bargained for to save her best friend's life.
A/N: So I actually wrote 18 and 19 together, intending for them to be one chapter. It was too long to post to LJ, so I split it into two...hence why there's two posts so close together. Also, Donna will be waking up soon, I promise! I had to get this Micah stuff sorted out, first!
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18
“Wait, what's going on?” I asked as I gave him my hands and he hauled me to my feet.
“Do you remember that large book I gave Micah a few days ago?” he asked as he dragged me out of the media room. I nodded. “It was the first of many journals I kept about my time at the Academy and it documents my friendship with his father,” he explained. “There's a place we both enjoyed...well...it's just a hunch, but if you're right, I think I know where he could be, but we need to find him before the Council does. They're still going to be extremely angry with him, but it's their own doing since they've been keeping information from him. It will go a lot better for Micah if we bring him back and not Nevisth's goons.”
“Where are we going?” I stumbled after him.
“House Oakdown,” the Doctor replied as we emerged in the control room. I expected him to go to the console and send us into the vortex, but he pulled me out the doors instead and into the foyer of the medical building. He led me to an alcove that I'd seen lots of times before, but had never bothered to look at. It contained the transmat booth that shuttled people to and from the building. I've never used the transmat before, never had a need to, and I halted at the entrance of the alcove while the Doctor stepped over to a control panel and started punching coordinates in. He gestured to one of the three transmat pads, which looked like three circles on the floor about two feet in diameter. “Hop on,” he told me. “I'll be right behind you.” I hesitated and he gave me a confused look. “What's the matter?”
“Is this safe?” I asked. “I mean, for the baby?”
The Doctor laughed, blue eyes crinkling in mirth. “I forgot you've never done this before. Yes, it's very safe. We've used this technology for centuries.”
I still didn't budge. “Why can't we take the TARDIS?”
“Because I don't want the Council thinking that I've taken you off Gallifrey,” he replied. “I need to keep the ship here for now. This is faster, anyway.” He stepped over and took my hand, pulling me onto the platform. “Come on, don't be afraid.”
“But I don't like the idea of my atoms being taken apart and rearranged all over the...” Before I could finish, I felt a massive tingling sensation and the room vanished. A dark paneled room appeared in front of me and I stumbled off the platform, feeling a little dizzy. “...Place?”
I ran smack into a wooden column about two meters high. At least, I thought it was a wooden column. Looking up and then up some more, I saw a carved wooden face with two beady black eyes looking down at me. I squawked in alarm and backed up just as a humming sound emitted from the transmat behind me.
“You were saying?” The Doctor came up behind me, still chattering, “Really, Ella, you've been watching too much Star Trek. You sound like Doctor McCoy. Are you all right?” He followed my pointing finger and chuckled. “Oh, excellent. Just what we need!” He waved at the moving wooden column, which was carved to look like it was wearing a dress. “Hello, Miss Drudge! Take us to the Kithriarch, please, or the Housekeeper if the Kithriarch isn't available.” The Doctor took my hand and gently pushed it down. “Ella, it's not polite to point.”
The column made a creaking sound and turned around, lifting what looked like a hurricane lantern into the air to provide light in the darkened room. I squeaked and the Doctor laced his fingers through mine. “It's just a Drudge,” he explained and I could hear the patience evident in his voice. “They're like the servants of the House.”
I was tugged along behind him as he strode out of the room and down a long, dark hallway after the walking statue. “But it's made of wood!”
“Yes.”
“And it's alive!”
“Well, technically it's not. They're sort of like...bio-robots...programmed to accept the telepathic orders of the..” he faltered and grimaced for a moment. “Ah, fine. It's alive, as much as alive as a carved piece of wooden furniture can be.”
“Ok, so what's a...Kith...Kin...?”
“Kithriarch,” he finished. “He or she is the head of the Family.”
That sounded awfully familiar. “Is Lord Nevisth is the Kithriarch of House Melornibinth, then?”
“Exactly, but he certainly doesn't spend much time at his House since his duties keep him away. That doesn't stop him from ordering everyone about, though.”
“So what's the Housekeeper?”
“The Housekeeper is in charge of the entire House. The Drudges,” he nodded to the clacking wooden figure in front of us, “answer to them and is only secondary to the power of the Kirthriarch. The Housekeeper actually marries the house for life, it's quite extraordinary...and sounds extremely dull to me.”
I snickered and then a thought struck me. “What is your House, Doctor?”
He sniffed. “Lungbarrow, but I don't go there very often. I'm...not well liked.”
Somehow, that didn't surprise me. “Black sheep of the Family, eh?”
The Doctor let out a short, barking laugh. “Something like that.”
We walked into a huge great hall that reminded me of some of the castles in the UK that I've visited. An enormous stone stairway led up to a second floor and the Drudge creaked and groaned its way up the stairs to the wooden banisters above. My fingers tightened in the Doctor's hand as we mounted the stairs and followed. The Drudge led us down another long, wooden paneled hallway and through a wide door with ornate carvings in Gallifreyan on its surface.
We were admitted into a comfortable office. I was surprised to see dozens of books and scrolls piled high on shelves that lined most of the walls of the room. There was a fireplace on the wall opposite the door. It held a marble mantlepiece and a portrait of a portly, bearded Time Lord in a large gilded frame dominated the space above.
To the left was a heavy desk and behind it sat a very old woman in the robes of the Prydonian Chapter, which seemed to dwarf her. She struggled to her feet as we crossed the room and I could see that she wasn't very tall, maybe about five foot two. Even in her youth, she must have been short. Her long grey hair was pulled back in a bun and she reached out a hand towards the Doctor as we stopped in front of her desk.
Lady Pallis, Kithriarch of House Oakdown
“Doctor,” she rasped. “I'm glad you are well, considering recent events. It has been too long.”
The Doctor grasped her hand and bowed. “Far too long, Kithriarch Pallis,” the Doctor replied. “You look wonderful, not a day over twelve hundred.”
The Kithriarch chuckled and wagged a finger at him. “Flatterer. You know very well I'm almost two thousand years old. I'll be regenerating soon, but I've still got three lives left.”
“I'm happy to hear that. House Oakdown has flourished under your leadership.”
“Thank Rassilon, it has.” The woman turned her attention to me. “Is this the human woman who has caused such a ruckus in the Citadel lately?” My shocked look made her laugh. “Oh, my dear. I may be old and not get out of this house much, but I do keep up with the latest gossip at Council.”
“Lady Pallis, this is Dr. Ella Porter-Steinfield,” the Doctor introduced me.
“Yes, you're carrying the human woman's child so that she might become a Time Lady.” Pallis' face was neutral. My presence didn't seem to offend her, like it does with so many of the Time Lords when I encounter them. Maybe she wasn't one of the xenophobic ones. I know not all of them are.
“That's correct, Kithriarch.”
“Please, just Lady Pallis,” she corrected me. “I am pleased to make your acquaintance. It's not often that we...willingly receive visitors from other worlds to Gallifrey.” She shooed us over to some overstuffed chairs that the Drudge had drawn up in front of the fire. Once we were all settled in, she looked between me and the Doctor. “Now, what brought you two to House Oakdown?”
The Doctor spent the next several minutes telling Pallis about Micah. I told her how he'd come to Gallifrey and how he'd disappeared from the Citadel. “Since he is the son of one the members of your Family, we thought he might come here,” he finished. “Have you seen him?”
“He did come the morning of the bombing. He seemed rather frightened and nervous and I admitted him into my office, where I heard his story of how he came to Gallifrey. I must admit that his presence disturbed me for, as you know, Koschei was been disowned by this House for his treachery against our people and the universe in general. Our laws are outdated and still reflect the time of Looming. There is no precedent for the offspring of a banished Family member, whether they can be admitted into the House or not. Then there's the fact that the child is half-human. I am still debating how to handle Micah's...well...frankly, his very existence. It is uncanny, most uncanny.”
“Everyone needs a family, Lady Pallis,” I said. “Surely you can't hold Micah accountable for his father's crimes? He never even knew the man.”
“Of course I can't.” She let out a quiet sigh and looked into the flames. “As Kithriarch, I am the closest that Micah O'Donnican has to a grandmother. I sense that the lad is bright, has a spark of his father's genius about him...and his cunning. He defied the Council's orders not to leave the Citadel to come here. This is what disturbs me.”
“Lady Pallis, I urge you to not to judge the boy so soon,” the Doctor advised, his voice quiet.
“I'm not, Doctor. I told him that I needed time to decide.” She looked up and gazed at the Doctor. “Next to his Family, you knew our wayward kin the best. I would welcome your counsel. You have spent time with Micah. Tell me, is he anything like his father?”
The Doctor steepled his fingers and leaned his elbows on his knees in thought. “I haven't spent much time with him, to be honest. Ella sees him every day and can attest to his character better than I can. However, I will tell you that Micah is nothing like his father was at this age,with the exception of being a genius. He is honest, kind, and wants to please.”
“He's also very angry and bitter,” I added, “over what the Council has done to him. Really, all he wants is to return to his time and to his studies or his mother.”
“The human captain, yes,” Lady Ava murmured.
I wasn't sure how the Kithriarch would take my next words and I hesitated before blurting out, “I think he would be an asset to your House, if you would be willing to have him.”
“Perhaps,” she mused. “I still have much to think about and need to learn more about him before I decide.”
“Of course. Is Micah at the Hermitage, my lady?” asked the Doctor.
“He is,” she replied. “I remember how much you and Koschei enjoyed your visits with old Yimmich. The Drudges maintain the cabin out of force of habit. It keeps the poor things busy these days and I don't stop them. Neither does the Housekeeper.”
The Doctor stood and bowed over her hands. “Thank you, Lady Pallis. It's been good speaking to you.”
One of his eyes turned sideways to look at me and I got the hint. I scrambled to my feet and took her other hand, inclining my head. “Thank you for your hospitality, Kithriarch.”
She squeezed our hands and then patted both of us on the shoulders. “It's my pleasure.” She hesitated and then said, “That fear that young Micah had...it was radiating off of him, Doctor. Something has frightened the boy and I doubt it's our esteemed Lord Inquisitor.” The Doctor and I exchanged a look as she added, “In any case, the Drudge will see you to the door.”
We followed the scary creaking Drudge back down the hall and into the great hall. There was a massive set of wooden double doors at the far end and I expected the Drudge to go there, but it didn't. It lead us down the stairs and through a side hall so narrow that we had to walk in single file. The Doctor went in front of me. The passage ended with a single unadorned wooden door with an iron doorknob as its only fitting. The Drudge shoved the door open and stepped outside so we could pass by.
A blast of icy wind blew down the hall and made me gasp aloud, even as the Doctor tugged me outside.
“Oh, lovely! Very bracing!” the Doctor whooped. It was obvious that the freezing temperatures didn't bother him one bit!
We had emerged to what I guessed was the back of the massive structure that made up the House of Oakdown. A forest of enormous conifer trees surrounded us. They looked sort of like pine trees, but were much larger. There was a path made of multicolored pebbles leading away and the Doctor strode down it.
“Doctor!” I called and ran after him, already shivering in the frigid air. I hadn't dressed for cold weather and was still in the sage green gauzy empire waisted top and pants that I'd thrown on that morning. That outfit was perfect for the temperate weather of the Citadel, but not for something that rivaled the tundra.
He stopped and turned and a chagrined look came over his face. “I'm sorry, I didn't realize that it was winter up here.” He started to pull off his green velvet frock coat. “Take my coat...”
I shook my head in protest. “Won't you be cold?”
The Doctor grinned. “Not at all! Time Lords have...”
I remembered. “A lower core temperature than humans. I forgot.”
He chuckled as I accepted his coat. “I love the cold. This doesn't bother me at all and I don't really need my coat, but you do. It's not far, but it's too cold for humans to travel without some kind of protection.”
The Doctor started back down the trail and I trudged after him, tugging the coat tight around my body. “How far is it to the Hermitage?”
“No more than a kilometer.”
About two-thirds of a mile. All of those years of living in the UK has taught me rough metric conversions in my head. That wasn't too terrible, but it still seemed like a good distance when you were in summer clothes and strolling in weather that was like the Peak District in January. Thinking warm thoughts of tropical beaches, I commented, “I didn't know Gallifrey got this cold. I always assumed it was a hot planet.”
“Oh no!” he called back. “Not at all. Gallifrey is much like earth, just a bit more arid. It gets rather cold in the higher mountain ranges, where we are now, and the small polar regions.” He stopped for a moment and peered up at the sky, a frown crossing his face. “I don't like the looks of those clouds.”
Following his gaze through the trees, I spotted a line of dark grey clouds tumbling over the top of the nearest peak. “Unless I'm mistaken, that's a nasty storm coming our way.”
“Yes, I agree. We'd better hurry. I think we're going to be in for a bad thunderstorm.” The Doctor began jogging down the path, his feet sending pebbles scattering into the ferns of the underbrush.
I chased after him, starting to feel a little dizzy. The cold air was sharp and bit into my lungs. I think the air must have been thinner, too, because it was a little hard to breathe. Stopping wasn't an option, though. I knew the Hermitage would at least be dry, if not warm, and the sight of those storm clouds was enough to make me forget my discomfort and soldier on.
The Doctor looked back and hollered, “I only hope that Micah isn't going to be caught out in this weather.”
“Me too!” The terrain was mostly uphill at that point and my back and leg muscles were screaming from the effort and the cold. The wind kicked up and I caught the smell of rain in the air. Ominous booms filled the darkening skies and I jumped once or twice as warning flashes of lightning stabbed through the clouds. The forest grew dark and forbidding as we struggled on for about another ten minutes. I was glad when I spotted the stone cottage with a sloping roof through a break in the trees. The cottage was dark and looked unoccupied, but there were footprints heading from the front door and back again.
The Hermitage
“That's odd. I wonder why there aren't any lights on.” The Doctor pointed at the ground in front of the low stone flags that made up the entrance to the cottage. “Someone's clearly been here. Those footprints are fresh and they don't belong to Drudges.” The Doctor banged on the door with his fist as I leaned against the wall and wheezed for air. “Micah!” he bellowed. “Micah O'Donnican!”
There was a pause and then the thick wooden door creaked open, just as there was a massive roll of thunder and the heavens opened. Cold rain poured down on us and I crowded closer to the doorway. The dark shadow of Micah stood beyond. “Doctor?” He sounded confused and a little suspicious.
The Doctor didn't wait to be invited in. He grabbed my hand and pushed past Micah into the gloom beyond.
The door shut behind us. There wasn't much light because the cottage only had two small windows placed high up in the walls near the ceiling and the darkness outside only added to the overall gloom of the interior. “Well, isn't this cozy?” I heard the Doctor remark. I caught glimpses of a large hearth in front of us. There was a doorway off to the left of the hearth and a tiny kitchen to the right. A sofa with wooden arms sat to the left side of the large room, along with a matching chair. An old table with two mismatched wooden chairs occupied the right side wall.
It wasn't much warmer inside, which I thought was weird considering that Micah had been there a few days. That mystery was explained when Micah stuttered, “Ah...um...the power died while I was exploring. I only just got back before you arrived.”
“Hmm. I'll have a look and see if there's anything I can do. But first, we're going to need some light.” I jumped a bit when I felt the Doctor's hand plunge into the left pocket of the coat and he rummaged around. He withdrew a book of matches and handed it to me, gesturing towards the hearth. “Ella, can you get a fire started while I try to access the power grid?”
I saluted with one hand, the oversized cuff of his coat flopping off the end of my fingers. “Leave it to me, sir!”
The Doctor smiled at my exuberance. “Excellent. You should find a newspaper you can use in the right pocket, but please stick to the sports section. I'll never read it, anyway.”
He and Micah moved off to the couch and I heard them grunting as they dragged it away from the wall. Fishing around, I came up with a newspaper. It felt fresh and just off the presses. Despite the poor light, I could make out the headline, “KENNEDY SLAIN ON DALLAS STREET.” I nearly dropped the paper. This was from 1963! Well, the Doctor was a time traveler. It made sense that he might have been present at JFK's unfortunate assassination. I found the sports section and began balling up the pages and stuffing them into the grate to use as starter for the fire.
I heard the Doctor explaining to Micah that the cottage's power grid could be accessed by a panel in the floor. There was a squeal of rusty hinges and the clang of a metal panel on the floor as I piled some logs on top of the paper. I popped open the matchbook and was about to rip one out, but the sight of them made me pause in surprise. Each individual match featured a tiny dancing girl. The inside featured a stylized bar scene. Curious, I turned the matchbook over and peered at where it was from: the Moulin Rouge. Peals of laughter issued forth from my mouth as I ripped a dancing girl from her cardboard perch and struck the match to hold it to the paper.
Moulin Rouge matches!
“What's so funny?” I heard the Doctor ask. Flames gobbled up the paper and caught the dry wood.
“This.” I held up the matchbook, still giggling. “The Moulin Rouge, Doctor? What were you doing there?”
He hesitated for answering, “Auton invasion. They took the form of the Moulin Rouge dancing girls and tried to invade earth via Paris in the 1920's, but I stopped them.”
I had no idea what an Auton was, but I didn't really want to ask. “Why'd you take a matchbook, though?”
“Because I can...” he replied and added, “...can.”
I groaned aloud at his bad joke and he laughed out loud.
“What's the Moulin Rouge?” Micah asked, sounding very confused. Poor kid had no idea what we were talking about.
“It's...a famous dance hall on earth that's been around a very long time,” I explained, deciding that I really didn't need to go into much more detail than that. No need to talk about racy dances, prostitutes, and Ewan McGregor singing on top of a giant elephant. Light began filling up the room, dispelling some of the gloominess.
“Lovely! Now I can get to work. Ella, hand me my sonic screwdriver, please. It's in the top left pocket.” The Doctor held out his hand.
Sitting by the fire made me a bit too warm, so I just tugged his coat off and handed it to him. He extracted the screwdriver and knelt down, waving the device over a recessed panel in the stone floor. I could tell from his expression that he wasn't happy with the results of his jiggery-pokery. “Blast,” he mumbled. “Looks like the main current overload component has melted...”
I processed what he said and interrupted, “Wait...you mean it blew a fuse?”
The Doctor looked up and me and blinked. “Ahm...yes, in a manner of speaking. The Drudges are going to have to repair it as they're responsible for maintenance. I'm afraid that means we'll be without heat and light for the night, but we've got the fire and we should be all right.”
“The night?” Micah asked. “But...” I could tell that our sudden appearance had discombobulated him. “Aren't you leaving?”
“Leaving?” the Doctor echoed. “Why? We only just got here.” He pocketed the screwdriver and slammed the panel closed so that Micah and I both jumped. “Anyway, that storm is going to last for several hours and it's unsafe for us to return to House Oakdown in that mess. And really, is that any way to treat the people who've come to help you?”
“I...I'm sorry,” Micah apologized. “But I don't understand. I don't need any help.”
“I'd say you're wrong about that,” the Doctor countered, pointing at the hearth. “Did you have the means to start a fire, Micah?”
The teen's eyes flickered between the hearth and the Doctor and he frowned. “No.”
“Which means you would have spent a very long, very dark and cold night without us.” The Doctor began dragging the sofa back to its original place and Micah rushed to help him. “But the real reason you need our help is because the Council is looking for you and I thought it would be better if we found you first.” While they replaced the sofa, he told Micah about Nevisth's suspecting me and him as the bomber because of his convenient disappearance. Micah was horrified at the news of the bombing and I could tell that this was the first he'd heard of it.
It would be an understatement to say that Nevisth's accusation upset Micah. His face turned beet red and he bellowed, “What?! Me?! Are they insane? I would never...” The anger seemed to drain from him in an instant and he sank down onto the couch. I was shocked when bright tears welled up in his eyes. I've never seen Micah cry before. “They think I'm like him, don't they? But I'm not! I wouldn't. I couldn't.”
“I know you wouldn't, lad. You're not your father,” the Doctor said in a soft voice and settled down next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Unfortunately, some people on the Council don't see a difference. I'm not sure why...perhaps it's unfamiliarity with direct offspring who weren't Loomed. Lord Nevisth is an example of the worst kind of Time Lord there is and I'm sorry. What's important is that he no longer suspects you, but he's still very angry that you've defied the restrictions he's placed on you and I fear he'll place you in prison if you don't appear soon and explain yourself.”
Micah turned even paler. “Face him? That pompous old windbag?”
“You can do it,” I broke in. “I'll go with you if you'd like.” I shot him a teasing smile. “After all, he thinks we're accomplices.”
Micah sent me a grateful look, but the Doctor replied, “Under the circumstances, I think it might be best if I accompany Micah. I suspect it's my fault that you stayed here instead of returning to the Citadel after visiting the Kithriarch, am I correct? Because you wanted to see the places that made your father so happy and you'd read about in my journal?”
“Um...” Micah fidgeted and looked a bit uncomfortable. He twisted his fingers together, something he does when he's nervous. “No. It actually had nothing to do with you, at least...not directly.”
We waited for him to explain, but he just looked down into his lap, lips pressed tight.
I came over to him and knelt down on the floor at his feet so I could look up into his face. “Micah?” I asked, keeping my voice quiet and gentle. “Something's happened, I know. It's not like you to miss school. I understand that you hate the restrictions that the Council's placed on you, but I also know you enjoy our classes despite all of that. What made you leave the Citadel the other morning?”
Micah looked up and I've never seen him so frightened. “She'll kill me if I tell you,” he whispered.
“Who?” the Doctor asked.
He swallowed once. “M...Manu. She said as much.”
The Doctor and I exchanged a look and I put my hand on his knee. “Then you have nothing to be afraid of. Manu died in the explosion, Micah. She was the bomber.”
He jerked his head up, face frozen in shock. “What? She...what?”
“Suicide, Micah,” the Doctor explained. “We think she was a Dalek plant, sent to build and detonate the bomb on Gallifrey.” He paused and continued, “I know she was your friend. If it helps, she died a long time ago. I suspect the real Manu would never have done something so heinous.”
“Manu was never my friend,” Micah growled in a quiet voice before he took a deep breath. “And I know she was a Dalek. She...” he paused and took another deep breath. “I...saw it.”
“Maybe you'd better start over at the beginning, lad,” the Doctor advised. “You're not making much sense.”
Micah nodded once and waited a moment to collect his thoughts. “After I got back from the TARDIS with your journal the other night,” he began, “I spent some time reading your entries. That's how I found out about this place. Manu showed up at my quarters, saying she wanted to discuss something. I found that strange as Manu and I don't socialize outside of class. She's always been more partial to Xenshi, even though I know their relationship has become rather strained lately because of Manu's weird behavior.” He let out a breath. “I invited her in and she told me that she was leaving soon. I asked where she was going and she just laughed.” He dropped his head into his hands and his shoulders shook for a moment in despair. “I had no idea she meant that she was going to kill herself!”
“This isn't your fault, Micah,” I tried to comfort him.
“I know,” he said in a faltering voice. “I know it's not. She said that after she was gone, she needed someone to keep up the fight against the pompous and arrogant Time Lords. 'Someone needs to teach these people that they aren't the most powerful creatures in the universe,' she said. I had no idea what she was talking about. She said she picked me because she knew how angry and resentful I felt about my confinement on Gallifrey and I was the perfect person to continue her work. I was so confused and I told her that she wasn't making any sense. I don't like the Time Lords,” he glanced at the Doctor, “no offense intended.”
The Doctor's mouth quirked up into a small smile. “No offense taken.”
“But I'd never try to harm them,” Micah continued. “And I said as much. Manu told me...she told me that I was weak and that I'd fall with the rest of them. I asked her to leave then because she was starting to scare me. Manu was facing away from me at that moment, towards the wall, and when she turned...” he closed his eyes and gestured at his forehead, “...there was this...thing...this...um...sort of rod sticking out from here. She told me that she'd kill me if I told anyone what she'd just said or what I had just seen. She started to come towards me and I just ran. I left the flat and ran.”
“To here?” the Doctor asked.
“Yes,” he replied. He was shaking in fright from the memory and I moved up to the couch to put my arms around him. To my surprise, Micah wrapped his arms tight around me and buried his face in my shoulder. He's a big boy, but at that moment I knew he wanted someone maternal.
“Why didn't you come to the TARDIS?” I asked. “You would have been safe there.”
“I didn't want her to find me and I was scared that was the first place she'd look.” He turned his head and looked at the Doctor, still shaking. “This was the first place I thought of. You and my dad were so happy here and Manu doesn't know who my family was and...and...I'd always meant to come here, but could never do it. I'm not allowed to leave the Citadel.” He closed his eyes and sighed, “And I never will again after the Council finds out what I've done.”
“I wouldn't say that, lad,” the Doctor reassured him. “Your story corroborates with what we know of Manu. I don't think the Council, or most of them, will blame you for hiding. You felt like your life was in danger and I will stand up for you.”
A ray of hope passed over Micah's face. “Really?” he asked.
The Doctor nodded. “Of course.” He looked around the Hermitage. “Yimmich would have welcomed you here. I have so many wonderful memories of this place.”
Micah knew the Doctor was trying to change the subject because I saw him frown for a moment.
“Doctor?”
“Hmm? Yes, Micah?” The Doctor seemed to be lost in memories, like his mind had drifted off to another time.
“She...she said this was only the start. I didn't know what she meant at the time, but...” Micah trailed off and his arms tightened on me. “Now with the bombing, I think she means that there's going to be a fight. Maybe a war.”
I stiffened and sucked in a breath of air.
“Between the Time Lords and the Daleks?” the Doctor asked and his face grew dark. “That would be very bad. Very bad indeed.”
You have no idea of what's to come, Doctor, I thought and tears sprang to my eyes as I remembered the images of Gallifrey destroyed and the Memorial Room that I'd seen so many years ago. It's worse than bad.
The Doctor suddenly slapped his hands down on his knees, startling me and Micah. “Enough talk of war. There's no use dwelling on the future when we don't know who was manipulating Manu. I'm sure we'll discover the truth soon enough.”
Micah finally let go of me and I moved away, lost in my own thoughts. The cottage was quiet for several long moments, until Micah's voice broke the silence. “Why was my father such a terrible man, Doctor?” His tired eyes were full of sadness. “Your journal has revealed to me that he wasn't always like that. I don't know what he's done because no one will tell me, but how did he get to be so reviled by his own people? His own House?”
The Doctor blew out a breath and raised his eyebrows. “That's...that's a loaded question, Micah. I suppose we've nothing else better to do while we wait out the storm, so...” he settled back into his chair and crossed his arms. The Doctor stared into the flames, the glowing light throwing up burnished copper and blonde highlights in his windblown brown locks. “I want you to understand that he was not always the villain and murderer that the Time Lords want you to believe he was. He was a good man once, and...and a good friend, Micah.”
The Doctor then talked for hours, more than I'd ever heard him talk before. He told us hilarious stories of growing up with Koschei on Gallifrey. I found myself smiling at first, but then frowning as the stories turned darker, more sinister. Something happened to Koschei as he grew...he became ruthless, selfish, obsessed with power. Rain pelted down on the window in a staccato rhythm that, under other circumstances, would have made me drowsy. The fire had long dispelled the cold in the room, but I felt myself grower colder at the Doctor's many stories of the death and destruction that the Master, the name Koschei took on after graduating from the Academy, brought down on the universe.
Without realizing it, I'd begun to shed silent tears. I could see the sadness in the Doctor's face as he spoke. I'd never seen him look so sad...or so careworn. For the first time since I've known the Doctor, I began to see just how old he really is. I've always known that he's an old man, but I never understood just how ancient he is.
They say that time heals all wounds and I once believed it, but no longer. What I've seen and experienced of the Time Lords on Gallifrey has changed my understanding of that expression forever.