Doctor Who fic: The Trial of Ten, 13/20
Banner made by 'D', my talented RL artist friend.
Characters: Eleventh Doctor, Metacrisis Doctor, Rose (Also: Martha, Jack, Amy, Rory, Gwen, John Hart)
Genre: Drama; some action and h/c
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Up to/including A Christmas Carol
Summary: When the Metacrisis Doctor returns with Rose from the other universe, he is captured and put on trial for various crimes including genocide. Can Rose and Eleven save him? How does the case affect Eleven who is also, in effect, on trial? How does the unexpected return to the Tardis and to the original Doctor affect Rose?
Chapter 13: In which Amy is curious, Eleven is a goof, Jack is determined, and Francine is in the witness chair. But will the next court session bring another clue to light?
Disclaimer: This story takes place within the Doctor Who universe. This story is a way of re-interpreting concepts and ideas already present in Doctor Who. All characters within belong to the BBC. This story is for fun and for sharing, but not for profit.
The Trial of Ten
Chapter 13: A Mother's Accusations
Criss-crossing lines of light wavered, broke and reformed on the ceiling. Small sounds of drops splashing into water echoed throughout the room. Rose gazed out over the glassy, calm surface of the water. Ripples leading away from her idly moving legs smoothed out before they reached the middle of the pool.
The light, as with everywhere else in the Tardis, was golden here. It reminded her of lazy summer evenings when the low sun tinged everything a soft gold, when dust motes hung in the air, and a hush settled over the countryside. Even in the city, she had seen it in the small parks near the estate. She saw it on the Earth in her father's universe.
A noise behind her made her look around. Amy stood at the doorway. 'Mind if I join you?'
Rose shrugged. 'Why not.'
Amy crossed the tiles and sat beside Rose. Pulling off her shoes, she too dangled her legs over the edge and in the water.
'Rory and I are leaving for a bit. Post-honeymoon holiday, since the honeymoon didn't exactly work out.' She swished her legs back and forth and then looked sideways at Rose. 'Sorry about earlier,' she said.
'S'all right,' said Rose. 'Though, any other time, I'd've taken you on. Just so you know.'
'You don't like it here anymore,' Amy said. 'I can see it. The Doctor's moved on and you don't belong here.'
Rose searched Amy's face for animosity but found none. Amy's eyes were candid.
'Yeah,' Rose said reluctantly. 'I should have expected it, but I didn't. My mate Shareen came back from a year abroad once and her parents moved while she was gone. The new house was nice, but it wasn't hers anymore. Never felt like hers again.'
'I get that,' said Amy. 'What did the Tardis look like before?'
Rose rested her palms flat on the floor behind her and tilted her head back. She gazed up at the ceiling. 'More like it had grown. Kinda like coral in the sea. Branches. Alive. More green. A bit darker. Not so bright and gold. I like the gold, but I miss the coral. Even the pool had coral in it, from the bottom right up to the roof. I could sit in the water on one of the branches, or climb up higher and jump off... Sort of like it asked you to play. You should've seen the Doctor. He loved it. Like a kid he was, doing crazy stunts.' Rose looked sideways at Amy and found her grinning.
'I want to see that,' Amy said. 'Maybe he can grow some of that coral for this pool.'
Rose frowned. 'I don't think it works like that. The Tardis has a mind of her own. She makes her own decisions. This is what she built and that's how it'll be.' She paused for a moment and then, very softly, she said, 'I think she's happier now. The Doctor too. Eleven, I mean. At least, a little bit.'
'And Ten?' asked Amy. 'I mean, before this crazy trial thing.'
Rose went still. 'I don't know. We only had one year after he... he came from your Doctor. Only one year different from Eleven. Half that time he was trying to being human, the rest... he was starting to...die. He never had a chance to be... just him. And...and now I don't know if he ever will.' She blinked furiously but it was no good. Tears welling in her eyes spilled over.
'Shit,' said Amy. 'I'm sorry.' She pulled her legs out of the water, jumped to her feet and ran from the room before Rose could say anything. The slapping of wet feet on the tiles echoed briefly and then was gone.
Rose hung her head and let her tears fall into the pool. Small circles spread outward, colliding with her knees or spreading further out only to smooth out into nothing. Her hair hung like a curtain around her face. All she could see was the gently undulating glassy surface. Drip, drip went her tears, and the centres spreading into circles. Two drops fell and the expanding rings rippled against each other with a brief confusion of lines and then all smoothed out again. The water seemed like her universe, and the light danced on it.
The sound of soft footfalls approached her and she raised her head. It was Eleven.
'Hey,' he said gently. 'Amy told me you were here.' He pulled off his own shoes and sat down, stretching his long legs in the water.
'Goof,' said Rose between sniffs. 'You're getting your trousers wet.'
Eleven regarded the wet cloth with mild interest. 'They'll dry. Come here, you.' He put his arm around Rose and she leaned her head on his shoulder.
'Martha analyzed the latest sample of Ten's blood,' he said softly. 'He's still improving, physically.'
'But mentally?' Rose asked.
Eleven was silent.
'Has Jack come back yet?' she asked. 'Any news?'
'He hasn't left,' said Eleven. 'He's just standing outside, waiting for Gwen to come, to pick him up on her monitors. The less he has to do with Cardiff, Wales or Earth, the better.'
Rose raised her head. 'Why are we back here,' she asked angrily. 'Back where it started. Gwen doesn't know anything. She told us so.'
'Not anything then,' said Eleven. 'But maybe now. And the clue may not refer to her.'
'I know,' said Rose. 'It's just... I feel like things are spinning out of control. We really hoped we could get back to this universe, and we did. Everything was going to be okay. And now they're talking 'bout a death penalty.'
Eleven tightened his arm around her.
'What happened,' said Rose, 'to the days when we just had adventures. Everything seems broken now. Jack, my Doctor. Me, I suppose. The Tardis is so different.'
With his free hand, he very gently tucked loose strands of her hair behind her ear. 'The Tardis is the same. She hasn't changed. Just the window dressing. Not the heart of her.'
'That's what he said,' whispered Rose. 'Right at the beginning. I'm just a stupid human, I s'pose. Only see the surface.'
'Never,' said Eleven. 'You are very perceptive... for a human.' He winked at her. 'Don't let anyone know I said that, though. They'll think I'm becoming soft.'
Rose giggled in spite of herself. 'Can't have that. Though I know better.' She burrowed her face against the front of his shoulder. The now familiar tweed gently scratched her cheek. 'You big, soppy softie.'
'Hm! Secret's out then?'
'Yeah,' she mumbled. 'You and him both.'
Eleven sighed as if in resignation. 'We are. Can't help it. All in the genes, you know.' He let go of her and got up. He held out his hand. 'Come.'
Rose slipped her hand into his and he pulled her up.
'We will save him, Rose. I promise you that. We will save him.' He squeezed her hand and led her out of the room.
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
They had not long reached the console room when a knock came at the front doors.
'Knocking?' mused Eleven. 'Who could be knocking?' He bounded down the steps and pulled open a door.
'Hey, Doc,' said Jack. Behind him stood Gwen, trying to peer into the Tardis. 'Mind if I bring in a visitor?'
'Hmmm...' said Eleven. He turned to Rose. 'Shall we allow her in? Does she pass muster?'
'Yeah,' said Rose. 'Why not.'
Jack moved aside and Gwen came hesitantly forward. When she crossed the threshold, her eyes widened.
'Oh!' she said. Hurriedly, she backed outside and cautiously ran her hand over the one closed door of the Tardis. She moved to the corner, felt it and peered around. Returning to the open door, she stuck her head inside and then, very slowly, felt the inside of the closed door. She walked past the entrance and into the room. When her hand felt the walls widen, she slowly nodded.
'Okay. Yes. I see.'
Jack chuckled. 'What? No "It's bigger on the inside"?' You disappoint me, Gwen.'
'I'd have thought that'd be self-evident,' she said, but she grinned at the look of disappointment on Jack's face. 'All right, Jack. It's bigger on the inside.'
Eleven clapped his hands. 'I'm glad that's sorted. Now, I presume Jack's told you why we've come back.'
'He wants to know if I've seen John since you lot left a few days ago, and, yes, I have.' Gwen's gaze continued to roam around the interior.
'What'd he say?' asked Rose eagerly.
Gwen looked at her and shook her head. 'Nothing much. He just appeared on a street corner, grabbed my arm and said, "Watch the mother." That was it. Then he disappeared before I could ask him anything.'
'"Watch the mother"? Nothing else?' Rose pressed.
'No,' said Gwen. 'Nothing else.'
'The mother,' mused Eleven.
'He wouldn't be telling me to watch myself though,' said Gwen. 'That would strange, even for him.'
'No. It isn't you,' said Eleven. 'I think he's talking about Francine.'
'Martha's mum,' said Jack. 'Of course!' He scowled. 'That means he really does know a lot about what's going on--has inside information if he knows what she's going to do or say.'
'Or he's jumping back after the sessions to leave us warnings,' said Eleven. 'Mucking about with the timeline. Dicey. Either way, I think it's time to return to court.' He turned to Gwen. 'The invitation still stands.'
'Thank you, Eleven,' said Gwen formally, 'but I need to get back to my family. However,' and here she waggled her finger at Jack, 'I want you to come back. You hear? You have friends here in Wales, always.'
Jack scowled but nodded. 'Maybe. Some day.'
'At least,' Gwen continued, 'to tell me what happens. I want to know what happens, if the Doctor is safe. All right?'
'The Doctor?' asked Jack. He looked at Eleven.
'The trial,' prompted Eleven gently.
'Oh! Ri-ight,' he drawled. Gwen looked at him quizzically.
'Someone'll let you know,' said Rose hurriedly. 'I promise you.'
Gwen smiled. 'Thank you, Rose.' She stood on tiptoe and hugged Jack. 'Come back,' she whispered.
With one last glance around the interior, she quietly exited and closed the door.
'Right,' said Eleven. 'First drop off Amy and Rory--it's time they had a couple of months of nice, boring Earth life--and then back to the Shadow Proclamation. Jack? Are you with us?'
'I'm with you,' said Jack.
'Excellent,' said Eleven. 'Off we go.'
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
'You like to cut it close,' said the Woman. 'Everyone else has already gone in. I only have a few minutes.'
The hall was quiet. No shouting crowds greeted them on their return. Only a few, scattered hangers-on drifted around the doorways.
'Doctor...' said Rose.
'Sorry,' said Eleven. He looked at the Woman. 'I have a new witness for you if you'll have him. Jack Harkness. He can talk about his experiences on the Valiant. He too was imprisoned and tortured.'
'And I can tell the difference between the Doctor and the Master,' said Jack.
'Hey!' said Martha.
'Good,' said the Woman. 'Come with me. We don't have any time to lose.'
Once the Woman and Jack had disappeared down a side corridor, Eleven took Rose's hand and then looked around and also grasped Martha's.
'Ready?'
'Yeah,' said Martha. 'Watch my mother. I still don't know why she's doing all of this, but since that John fellow said to watch her, if that's what he means, it makes me think even more that something's really wrong.'
Rose let go of Eleven's hand and crossed over to Martha. She gave her a quick hug and took her other hand. Quietly, they entered the ampitheatre.
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
The court was already in session. As soon as Rose was seated and no longer picking her way down the dark stairs, she peered at Ten. Although he still sat slumped in his chair, his eyes were open and he was clearly following the proceedings. The shadows under his eyes were slightly less pronounced.
'Maybe he slept all night,' she said.
'I hope so,' whispered Eleven.
The Voice was speaking. 'The charges of aiding and abetting imprisonment and torture have been moved up in the proceedings by request from the victim and her counsel. Prosecution, call your witness.'
The outline of the back door glowed and Francine walked through, clearly ill at ease. Behind her, the Woman came through and quietly slipped to her chair.
The Man came forward and escorted Francine to the witness chair. She sat down, resolutely staring forward and ignoring Ten who was watching her.
'Francine Jones,' the Man said. 'You spent a year on the UNIT ship Valiant in servitude to the Master. Can you briefly describe to the court the conditions in which you lived?'
Francine sat bolt upright. 'We were kept like animals. My daughter, my ex-husband and I were kept in a cage--a room, but cage doors. No beds. Just benches. Always on display to the guards. We performed menial tasks on the ship, served food and drink to the Master and his wife, Lucy. Sometimes we had to stand for hours as an audience if the Master felt like it, whenever he wanted to gloat over killing more people or destroying more countries. If we did anything wrong, we were punished.'
'Physically?' asked the Man.
'Yes,' whispered Francine. 'And sometimes we were not allowed food or drink.'
Beside her, Rose felt Martha wince and she took her hand. She felt an answering squeeze.
Francine continued. 'We were also made to watch another prisoner being tortured and killed over and over. He couldn't actually die, for some reason, and the Master loved that. He made us watch again and again and ask us to rate the most creative ways to make him suffer.'
Rose swallowed.
'As the court can see,' said the Man, 'conditions on the Valiant were intolerable. Ms. Jones, you have identified the Doctor as an accomplice to the Master. You gave me several reasons why you believe that he is guilty. Let's start with his giving the Master access to Earth. By fusing the coordinates of his ship, the Tardis, to Earth, he created the conditions which allowed the Master to land there in 2007 and insinuate himself into the British political world and consciousness. The Doctor also provided the Master with the Tardis which gave him the technology to further his aims. This in fact has been reported by others in addition to yourself. Is this your understanding of the matter?'
Francine nodded.
'Now that that has been established, let's look at the three complaints that you personally wish to raise. You told me that the Doctor either enticed or coerced your daughter, Martha, into travelling with him.'
'Hey!' cried Martha, but the dampening field hushed the noise and no-one on the dais heard her.
Francine nodded.
'Thus,' said the Man, 'the Master focused on you and your family specifically because of your connection, through Martha, to the Doctor.'
'Yes,' said Francine. 'If he had left my daughter alone, we would never have had to endure what we did. I hold him directly responsible for what the Master did to us.'
'Oh, Mother,' whispered Martha.
Rose looked at Eleven. He was leaning his head on one hand and his face looked older, drawn. On the dais, Ten still watched Francine, but like Eleven, he looked guilt-ridden.
'Two,' said the Man. 'At the end, when the effects of the year had been reversed, you claim that despite cries for justice, the Doctor refused to hand the Master over to appropriate governments on Earth, or to allow you, your family, or others to take action.'
'Yes,' said Francine angrily. For the first time since the session started, she looked directly at Ten. 'He didn't care about how we felt, or anyone's right to bring the Master to justice. I would have at least been content if the Master had been handed over to courts on Earth, but, no. That wasn't acceptable to the Doctor. He was just going to take off with him, go galavanting around the galaxy.'
The Man nodded slowly. 'Can you please tell the court exactly what happened at that time?'
Francine looked around her and out to the audience. She jutted her chin out defiantly. 'I found a gun. I aimed at the Master. He had killed so many and took such pleasure in it, I knew that he had to be killed to save my family, to save everyone. If it meant me going to jail, so be it. At least everyone would be safe. The Earth would be safe. But then he came up behind me. The Doctor.'
'What did he do,' asked the Man.
'He told me to be better than him. Better than that monster. Comparing me to the Master? How dare he! I wanted justice for all that he did to my family, to everyone. I couldn't do it in the end and he knew that. He took advantage of it and took the gun away from me. And then he apologized to the Master when his wife shot him. "I didn't see her," he said. Apologized! Here we are, having suffered at his hands for a year, and the Doctor is crying because the Master's own wife shot him. The Doctor doesn't care about humans. He doesn't care about how we feel. He was going to take his best friend off with him in his spaceship. He didn't do a single thing to help us. He just forgave the Master. Just like that. Did nothing for us. If it weren't for my own daughter--she was the one who did the hard work. She was the one who saved the world.'
'Yes, yes,' said the Man. 'Can you be very specific. Did the Doctor at any time say that he would let the Master be put on trial for his actions?'
Francine glared at Ten. 'No. Never. We were all crying out for justice, but he dismissed us. Didn't even consider it.'
'So,' said the Man, 'he was obstructing Earth's reasonable expectation of justice.'
'Yes,' said Francine. She looked away from Ten. 'He was.'
'Thank you,' said the Man. 'And I believe that brings us to your final complaint--his motivation for keeping the Master away from Justice.'
Francine laughed, a short, sharp, bitter sound. 'They were friends from childhood, I gather. The Doctor loved the Master. I don't know what kind of love, and I don't care. But he was crying over the Master's body when the wife, Lucy, finally had the good sense to kill him. Crying! Babbling all sorts of nonsense. The Doctor wasn't thinking of justice at all. Saying that he'd keep the Master imprisoned in his ship was just for show. He abandoned that thought soon enough when his best friend lay dying in his arms. After that horrible, horrible year, all he could do was cry. He was never going to bring the Master to justice. He was just planning to escape with him and leave us humans to clean up the mess. Try to recover. Try to survive.'
'And who helped you in the end?' asked the Man
'Not the Doctor, that's for sure,' said Francine. 'He had the good sense to stay away after that, and my daughter finally escaped from his clutches. Even she could see that he was no good.'
'Oh, Mother,' whispered Martha. Tears left tracks down her cheeks.
Francine shook her head. 'Not even UNIT helped. Their psychologists were worthless. It wasn't until the Emergency Measures Psychological Services outfit sent their people did I get any real help.'
'The what?' muttered Eleven. He sat straighter. Martha leaned forward, a puzzled frown on her face.
The Man nodded. 'I'm glad to hear that you were not left alone. I want to thank you, Francine Jones, for being here today and bringing some much needed light to our understanding of the Doctor's character and the legacy of his actions--a legacy, sadly, that has caused you much suffering. I have no further questions.'
The Woman leapt to her feet. 'I wish to cross-examine the witness.'
The Judge nodded.
The Woman approached Francine. 'You have made a series of complaints about the Doctor. However, at any time during this year on the Valiant, did the Doctor ever help the Master carry out any of his plans?'
Francine frowned. 'Not directly, no. At least, not that I saw.'
'Not directly,' mused the Woman. 'I see. Now I understand that you feel the Doctor may have had a role in the Master's arrival on Earth, and at the very end may not have helped you bring the Master to justice. But answer me this. Did the Doctor himself help the Master carry out his crimes against humanity. Did he help the Master come to power? Did he help him imprison people or create the stockyards and weapons? Did he lift so much as a finger to help the Master subjugate you or any member of your family?'
'Well, no,' said Francine. 'But he allowed the Master to come to Earth. He allowed everything to happen.'
'"Allowing" can mean anything from approving to being unable to stop someone,' said the Woman. 'But I will explore that at a later time. Another question: did the Doctor indicate in any way that he would not, in fact, keep the Master imprisoned in his Tardis?'
Francine looked at the Man but he said nothing. She looked back at the Woman. 'No. But the way he was carrying on, crying, pleading with the Master to stay alive and be with him... It was obvious he cared more about the Master himself than about bringing him to any kind of justice.'
'Someone can care deeply about a person but still be resolved to sanction their behaviour,' said the Woman. In a gentle voice, she added, 'Any mother can recognize that.'
'Objection,' said the Man. 'The counsel is resorting to emotionalism.'
'Overruled,' said the Judge. 'It's a valid comparison. Continue, Counsel.'
'I only wish to ask two more questions,' said the Woman. She turned back to Francine. 'You mentioned a man who was killed repeatedly. Did you come to know him during the year?'
'Yes,' said Francine. 'We all gave each other support. He wanted to escape as much as the rest of us.'
'What was his name?' asked the Woman.
'Jack Harkness,' said Francine. 'A nice, young man, even if he did travel with the Doctor.'
'Thank you,' said the Woman. 'That is all I wanted to know. You may leave the court.'
Francine looked at the Woman uncertainly and then, briefly, at Ten, but rose and slowly walked out without looking back.
'I now wish to call another witness--in fact, the very person that Ms. Jones just named--Mr. Jack Harkness. He too was a victim of the Master and arguably the recipient of the most psychological and physical torture during the year on the Valiant.'
Rose could see Ten straighten suddenly in his chair. 'Surprise,' she whispered.
To be continued
Chapter 14: His Last Link and Anchor
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