Down Time Part 4/5
Down Time Part 4/5
An old friend of Jack’s shows up on Torchwood’s doorstep, but why is he in such bad shape?
Jack/Ianto, a little Jack/Doctor
Rated Teen (No worse than an episode of Torchwood)
Approx 12,000 words
Betaed by c_woodhaven. Any mistakes are my own.
This is dedicated to C_Woodhaven.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
The Doctor sighed and tried to run his hand through his hair, but it got tangled. “That’s it, I’m cutting my hair,” he grumbled as he extracted his fingers from the tightly woven locks.
Jack followed the Doctor down some familiar and several unfamiliar corridors. He glimpsed rooms both new and old. They ended up in the salon, a place Jack knew well from his travels on the TARDIS. Traveling alone, the Time Lord had to keep up his appearance and his companions had to look good, too.
The Doctor sat in a red leather barber’s chair. Carefully arranged mirrors allowed the Doctor to see the front and back of his head. He opened a drawer and pulled out a straight razor.
“You want to do the honors?” he asked Jack.
Jack came up behind him, stroking the Doctor’s eight inch pony tail. “Seems a shame,” Jack murmured. “You have beautiful hair.”
“It’s just not as expressive this way.” He tilted his head to one side. “My head feels trapped.”
“We can’t have any part of you trapped,” Jack said with a grin. He lifted the razor and tested the edge. "It's not gonna turn into a banana, is it?"
The Doctor chuckled.
Jack hesitated and ran his fingers through the soft locks again.
The Doctor met his eyes in the mirror.
“You can keep it,” the Doctor said knowingly. “I have to admit the last sample of my DNA you kept around did come in handy.”
Jack shook his head at the pun. “Here goes.”
The Captain made a swift upward cut. The sharp edged blade coolly kissed the nape of the Doctor’s neck as it cut through the tight ponytail. Almost instantly, the Doctor’s remaining hair fell forward into his eyes. Jack tucked the tassel of hair into his pocket.
The doctor sat up and shook his head. “That’s better already. Have a seat, Jack, I’ll get the rest.”
Jack settled himself in the other chair and watched as the Doctor picked up a comb and scissors. “It’s been a lot longer than a month for you since we parted ways, hasn’t it?” Jack ventured after a few minutes.
The Doctor paused for a second. “Yes. Much longer.” With heavy heart, the Doctor spoke of how he parted ways with Donna, Rose, and his other self.
Jack listened quietly, just asking a few questions as the Doctor cut his own hair with practiced ease. He made the last few clips, put down the scissors, leaned over, and scratched his head vigorously. His hair happily stuck up in odd clumps and peeks.
“Much better!” he grinned. “Shall we go somewhere more comfortable?”
A few corridors and doorways later and they were settled in another room Jack knew well. The library was one that could have been plucked from the halls of Oxford. The walls were lined with shelves of books and curiosities. An original Monet landscape hung on one wall. It showed the TARDIS in rich blues beside a peaceful garden path. A fire crackled happily on the hearth.
The Doctor poured them each a glass of amber liquid and they sat on the green velvet couch.
The Time Lord took a sip and looked down into his cognac. “Richard was young. I met him at a 50th anniversary reunion of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. California.”
“What's Buffy the Vampire Slayer?” Jack asked with a frown. Then his expression smoothed. “Oh wait, I remember, that was the show with the hot blonde vampire, right? I remember thinking that I wanted to track him down.”
“Yes, well. I found it quite entertaining. There was a troop of Malovics in the area.”
“Psychic vampires?” Jack shivered.
“That’s the ones. They were drawn to the atmosphere and were able to blend in with the crowd, being all pale and humanoid. They claimed two souls before I caught on. I needed some help and Richard was there.”
++++
The Doctor was torn between his excitement at seeing Joss Whedon again and the feeling that something was terribly off. Well, truth be told the off-ness was exciting, too.
The crowd was varied with young and old fans. There was a good smattering of people dressed like characters from the long-canceled show. Their dark clothing and dated looks stood out from the glowing and blinking fashions of the day. He caught a glimpse of a tall, terribly skinny man dressed in a long shabby black coat and tensed. It looked to be a predatory creature from the planet Rickom. Then he turned and the Doctor could see the man was holding what appeared to be a heart in a jar and an old fashioned doctor’s bag. Human in costume, then. Clearly a gentleman.
"Greetings," said a voice beside him.
"Hello.” The Doctor smiled down at the young, blonde man. His holobadge flashed images of the male Buffy characters and the name Richard. “Nice night for standing in line, isn't it?" said the Doctor.
The Richard’s man's eyebrows rose and his blue eyes widened.. "Um, yeah. if you like that sort of thing."
"Well, California on a warm spring night, what's not to like. Now that they finally cleared up all the smog. That led to some nasty nights."
"Smog?"
“You know, smoky fog." The Doctor wiggled his fingers about. “Pollution.”
"Um, yeah. There hasn’t been any smog for thirty years. My grandfather talks about it. But, you're English, right."
"Yeah, yeah, could be.” The Doctor pulled on his earlobe, keeping his tone vague. “Yes. British. Can't expect me to know about the weather here.”
"You visiting?" Richard asked.
Smiling, the Doctor rubbed his hands together in excitement. "I am. I am. I heard about this event and couldn't pass it up."
"I saved up to get a ticket. It sold out in no time. Homed on my com all night so I could possess one as soon as they were available. I wish I could have gotten a Platinum Pass."
The Doctor quirked an eyebrow. "What’s that, then? Besides heaver than paper?"
"Up front seats, extra gifts, the good stuff." Richard said, looking to the VIP entrance where a handful of people were being escorted in. “Cost about three times as much as the copper seats.” The Doctor heard the yearning in the young man’s voice and how much it would mean to him.
The line started to move.
The Doctor pulled out his psychic paper wallet and flipped it open. "You mean one of these?"
Richard's eyes widened. "It's for two? Where's your date?"
"Date?" Thoughts of Rose sitting across from him, eating fish and chips came to mind. He quickly pushed away the grief which threatened to well up inside him. He smiled brightly at his new friend. “I guess that's you. I'm the Doctor."
"Richard Grimwood." They touched the backs of their hands to their foreheads in greeting.
“Nice to meet you Richard Grimwood. Shall we go in?"
Richard laughed and boldly took the Doctor’s arm. “Let’s get in the right line, then.”
The Doctor’s psychic paper easily got them through the VIP line and seated near the front of the auditorium.
The Doctor tried to enjoy the question and answer, but something was wrong. He heard some whispers of someone missing and caught sight of the security guards ghosting about the edges of the crowd. He waited until Richard was completely engrossed in the event before he slipped away.
On his way out, he noticed a young girl dressed as the Buffybot eyeing the forgotten gift bag he was still carrying with longing.
“Here,” he whispered as he handed it to her.
She looked at him with wide eyes. “What?”
“For you. I’m not much of a collector. Just promise to be generous to others in the future.” Before she could overcome her surprise, the Doctor slipped out the nearest exit.
++++
Richard scanned the crowd again. Joss Whedon and the other surviving celebrities were long gone and the Doctor had still not returned. He’d thought they were hitting it off. While the Doctor (and what an odd nick name was that?) was eccentric, he was also intelligent and damned fine looking. With a sigh Richard went up to the Platinum member’s only buffet.
“Nice shirt.” He turned to find a good looking, sharp featured man dressed up like Spike. His hair was cut shirt, dyed blonde and slicked back. His long leather coat was so perfect it had to have been custom made.
Richard glanced down at his black shirt. It said “Vampires Suck and So Do I” in red letters. “Thanks,” he said. “I’ve been looking for a good reason to wear it.” Now a bit embarrassed, he glanced around for the Doctor again.
“Looking for your friend?” Spike said in a plausible imitation of the vampire’s accent. “I think I saw him leave through the lobby.”
“Oh. Well, we’d just met, so it wasn’t like he ditched me.” Richard piled cheese and nuts on his plate, trying to hide his hurt. Sure the man had brought him in on an expensive ticket and hadn’t even hinted at wanting anything in return, but it sucked being ditched.
“He’d be foolish to,” Richard’s new friend said, giving him a steady look and tonguing his teeth suggestively. “If he doesn’t come back by the third season, I’ll keep you company. Wouldn’t mind finding out if your shirt is right.”
Richard took another look around. It looked like the Xander wanna be with the nice ass he had been scooping out before he met the Doctor had paired up with a curvy Buffy. Damned if he was going to be alone all weekend.
“Sure, I’d like that,” Richard said, standing up straighter. “I’m Richard.”
“You can call me Spike,” he said with a practiced leer and then tipped his head. “Later.”
Spike strode back to his friends, coat swishing, looking every bit a cocky vampire.
The all-night marathon of select episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in retro hi-def had started. Things had run pretty much on time, and apart from whispers of two people gone missing, everyone was having a good time. Richard attributed the rumors to publicity and settled in to watch the show.
He was very glad he’d come. It was great fun seeing people his mother had been fans of when she was a girl. The gift bag held some things he would treasure, and a few more he could sell.
Several hours later, he was resigned to the fact the Doctor was not returning. He caught the eye of Spike again. The bleach blonde licked his lips and nodded toward an exit at the side of the auditorium. Richard grinned in agreement and shot a thumbs up.
Spike left with a quick glance back at him. Richard watched the end of the scene where Faith took Xander’s virginity - mostly because you got to see him in his underwear. Once the scene faded to black, he his way through the doors. The fifty foot hallway ended in a tee. As he neared the corner, he heard a moaning and a wet, sucking sound.
“Damn,” he cursed quietly. It sounded like his chosen rendezvous partner had found another playmate.
He rounded the corner to find Spike wrapped in the arms of someone else, but Richard was certain it was not by choice. His companion had his hands on either side of Spike’s face and he while the man’s back was to him, there was something not right in his appearance. Spike was gasping and clawing at the other man’s hands.
“Oi! Put him down!” Richard stepped back into the hallway and turned to see the scowling Doctor running down the corridor. He held out what looked like a small silver flashlight before him. “Drop him! I’m warning you!”
What Richard had taken for a man whirled around, its mouth opening abnormally wide. It hissed in the Doctor’s direction but didn’t pause in what it was doing. An oscillating whine started up and the end of the man’s device lit blue.
The creature dropped Spike, cringing away from the sound, and took off. The bleach blonde dropped to his knees, drew in a great lung full of air,and then proceeded to vomit.
The Doctor eyed him for a second before turning an intense gaze to Richard. “Richard!” he snapped at him. “Can you sing?”
Richard blinked. This was the last thing he’d been expected to be asked. “Uh. Yeah. Very well. I’ve been on…”
“Excellent, a professional,” The Doctor interrupted. “Come with me!” the Doctor grabbed his hand and all but dragged him down the hall.
“But Spike,” Richard tried to protest.
“Your friend will be fine; we’ve got to catch that thing before it hurts someone else!”
They ran after the creature down a corridor. It stopped at a door and grabbed the knob. Richard’s kidnapper, or maybe new friend, dropped his hand and held up the silver device again. The was a whine and a light. The door before the creature refused to open. It turned on them, snarling, eyes glowing.
“One last chance,” the Doctor declared. “Leave this place. Leave these people in peace.”
It hissed and took a step toward them.
“I’m Henry the eighth I am,” the Doctor sang. “Henry the eight I am, I am,” He motioned to Richard who joined in.
“I got married to the widow next door, she’d been married seven times before,” they sang together.
Richard watched in wonder as the creature shook its head and fell to its knees.
“And every one was a Hen-ery. Hen-ery!” The creature began to vibrate. “She wouldn’t have a Willy or a Sam!” The man put his arm around Richard’s shoulder and sang with great gusto. “I’m her eighth old man I’m Hen-ery.” The creature vibrated faster until it was a blur. “Henry the eighth I am!” The creature let out a high pitched whine and burst into dust.
The Doctor took Richard’s hand and pumped it. “Well sung, my good man!”
Richard blinked. “Thank you. What exactly just happened? It was rather like Hush, so I’m confused.”
The Doctor tossed the silver device into the air with a flip, caught it and slipped it into a pocket. “That,” he pointed to the dissipating cloud of dust motes, “was a Malovic, a psychic vampire. It was trying to make a meal of your friend back there. He should be fine, by the way, but he’ll have a hell of a hangover. Two other people weren’t as lucky. And before you ask, Mr. Whedon did meet one once upon a time. When he was twelve to be exact.”
Richard blinked, absorbing all this information. “But it’s gone now and everyone’s safe?”
“Yeah.” The Doctor frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, no. They travel in family units. There’s at least ten more lurking about.”
“So let’s find them and sing at them.”
“Not so easy, my friend. Unless they’re feeding, they blend in remarkably well.”
“Okay.” Richard thought for a moment. “What if we get everyone to sing?”
“That would be brilliant! But how?” the Doctor asked.
“If you can just stop the vidshow, I can take care of the rest.”
The Doctor gave Richard a smile that was like the sun coming from behind cloud after a week of rain. “Deal!”
+++
“I used my sonic screwdriver to shut off the projector,” the Doctor said, rolling the empty snifter between his hands. “Richard jumped up on stage and roused everyone to sing along to the musical episode, ‘Once More With Feeling.’ Bunnies! Bunnies! It must be bunnies!” he sang and laughed. “I sill liked that episode better than his Broadway musical. Oh, sure it was a commercial success, but OMWF had heart!”
Jack remained silent at the Doctor’s exuberant display. He knew his friend well enough to know he was cover for his deep emotional attachment to Richard,
The Doctor got up and refilled both their glasses. “He had a beautiful voice. And charisma!” The Time Lord sipped his drink.
Jack studied the Doctor. He had that enthusiastic, mournful, proud expression that only the Doctor could master.
“Then what happened?” Jack prompted.
“It didn’t take him long before everyone was singing. It worked. The Malovics fled. Well, after a couple went to dust. The crowd thought it was part of the show.”
+++++++++
“So where do we go from here?” Richard asked, singing it like in the musical episode. He was still hoping for some action this weekend.
The Doctor stuffed his hands deep in his pockets and tilted his head to one side. “What if you could go anywhere?”
++++
“I think I’d been alone for a little too long.” The Doctor sighed. “I didn’t find out if he had family or anything. I just took him.”
+++++
The library was inspired by the delightful Doctor Who artwork shared by aimeekitty . Thank you for the smiles, my fine lady.
Part 5 and final chapter . Feed back, please?
An old friend of Jack’s shows up on Torchwood’s doorstep, but why is he in such bad shape?
Jack/Ianto, a little Jack/Doctor
Rated Teen (No worse than an episode of Torchwood)
Approx 12,000 words
Betaed by c_woodhaven. Any mistakes are my own.
This is dedicated to C_Woodhaven.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
The Doctor sighed and tried to run his hand through his hair, but it got tangled. “That’s it, I’m cutting my hair,” he grumbled as he extracted his fingers from the tightly woven locks.
Jack followed the Doctor down some familiar and several unfamiliar corridors. He glimpsed rooms both new and old. They ended up in the salon, a place Jack knew well from his travels on the TARDIS. Traveling alone, the Time Lord had to keep up his appearance and his companions had to look good, too.
The Doctor sat in a red leather barber’s chair. Carefully arranged mirrors allowed the Doctor to see the front and back of his head. He opened a drawer and pulled out a straight razor.
“You want to do the honors?” he asked Jack.
Jack came up behind him, stroking the Doctor’s eight inch pony tail. “Seems a shame,” Jack murmured. “You have beautiful hair.”
“It’s just not as expressive this way.” He tilted his head to one side. “My head feels trapped.”
“We can’t have any part of you trapped,” Jack said with a grin. He lifted the razor and tested the edge. "It's not gonna turn into a banana, is it?"
The Doctor chuckled.
Jack hesitated and ran his fingers through the soft locks again.
The Doctor met his eyes in the mirror.
“You can keep it,” the Doctor said knowingly. “I have to admit the last sample of my DNA you kept around did come in handy.”
Jack shook his head at the pun. “Here goes.”
The Captain made a swift upward cut. The sharp edged blade coolly kissed the nape of the Doctor’s neck as it cut through the tight ponytail. Almost instantly, the Doctor’s remaining hair fell forward into his eyes. Jack tucked the tassel of hair into his pocket.
The doctor sat up and shook his head. “That’s better already. Have a seat, Jack, I’ll get the rest.”
Jack settled himself in the other chair and watched as the Doctor picked up a comb and scissors. “It’s been a lot longer than a month for you since we parted ways, hasn’t it?” Jack ventured after a few minutes.
The Doctor paused for a second. “Yes. Much longer.” With heavy heart, the Doctor spoke of how he parted ways with Donna, Rose, and his other self.
Jack listened quietly, just asking a few questions as the Doctor cut his own hair with practiced ease. He made the last few clips, put down the scissors, leaned over, and scratched his head vigorously. His hair happily stuck up in odd clumps and peeks.
“Much better!” he grinned. “Shall we go somewhere more comfortable?”
A few corridors and doorways later and they were settled in another room Jack knew well. The library was one that could have been plucked from the halls of Oxford. The walls were lined with shelves of books and curiosities. An original Monet landscape hung on one wall. It showed the TARDIS in rich blues beside a peaceful garden path. A fire crackled happily on the hearth.
The Doctor poured them each a glass of amber liquid and they sat on the green velvet couch.
The Time Lord took a sip and looked down into his cognac. “Richard was young. I met him at a 50th anniversary reunion of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. California.”
“What's Buffy the Vampire Slayer?” Jack asked with a frown. Then his expression smoothed. “Oh wait, I remember, that was the show with the hot blonde vampire, right? I remember thinking that I wanted to track him down.”
“Yes, well. I found it quite entertaining. There was a troop of Malovics in the area.”
“Psychic vampires?” Jack shivered.
“That’s the ones. They were drawn to the atmosphere and were able to blend in with the crowd, being all pale and humanoid. They claimed two souls before I caught on. I needed some help and Richard was there.”
++++
The Doctor was torn between his excitement at seeing Joss Whedon again and the feeling that something was terribly off. Well, truth be told the off-ness was exciting, too.
The crowd was varied with young and old fans. There was a good smattering of people dressed like characters from the long-canceled show. Their dark clothing and dated looks stood out from the glowing and blinking fashions of the day. He caught a glimpse of a tall, terribly skinny man dressed in a long shabby black coat and tensed. It looked to be a predatory creature from the planet Rickom. Then he turned and the Doctor could see the man was holding what appeared to be a heart in a jar and an old fashioned doctor’s bag. Human in costume, then. Clearly a gentleman.
"Greetings," said a voice beside him.
"Hello.” The Doctor smiled down at the young, blonde man. His holobadge flashed images of the male Buffy characters and the name Richard. “Nice night for standing in line, isn't it?" said the Doctor.
The Richard’s man's eyebrows rose and his blue eyes widened.. "Um, yeah. if you like that sort of thing."
"Well, California on a warm spring night, what's not to like. Now that they finally cleared up all the smog. That led to some nasty nights."
"Smog?"
“You know, smoky fog." The Doctor wiggled his fingers about. “Pollution.”
"Um, yeah. There hasn’t been any smog for thirty years. My grandfather talks about it. But, you're English, right."
"Yeah, yeah, could be.” The Doctor pulled on his earlobe, keeping his tone vague. “Yes. British. Can't expect me to know about the weather here.”
"You visiting?" Richard asked.
Smiling, the Doctor rubbed his hands together in excitement. "I am. I am. I heard about this event and couldn't pass it up."
"I saved up to get a ticket. It sold out in no time. Homed on my com all night so I could possess one as soon as they were available. I wish I could have gotten a Platinum Pass."
The Doctor quirked an eyebrow. "What’s that, then? Besides heaver than paper?"
"Up front seats, extra gifts, the good stuff." Richard said, looking to the VIP entrance where a handful of people were being escorted in. “Cost about three times as much as the copper seats.” The Doctor heard the yearning in the young man’s voice and how much it would mean to him.
The line started to move.
The Doctor pulled out his psychic paper wallet and flipped it open. "You mean one of these?"
Richard's eyes widened. "It's for two? Where's your date?"
"Date?" Thoughts of Rose sitting across from him, eating fish and chips came to mind. He quickly pushed away the grief which threatened to well up inside him. He smiled brightly at his new friend. “I guess that's you. I'm the Doctor."
"Richard Grimwood." They touched the backs of their hands to their foreheads in greeting.
“Nice to meet you Richard Grimwood. Shall we go in?"
Richard laughed and boldly took the Doctor’s arm. “Let’s get in the right line, then.”
The Doctor’s psychic paper easily got them through the VIP line and seated near the front of the auditorium.
The Doctor tried to enjoy the question and answer, but something was wrong. He heard some whispers of someone missing and caught sight of the security guards ghosting about the edges of the crowd. He waited until Richard was completely engrossed in the event before he slipped away.
On his way out, he noticed a young girl dressed as the Buffybot eyeing the forgotten gift bag he was still carrying with longing.
“Here,” he whispered as he handed it to her.
She looked at him with wide eyes. “What?”
“For you. I’m not much of a collector. Just promise to be generous to others in the future.” Before she could overcome her surprise, the Doctor slipped out the nearest exit.
++++
Richard scanned the crowd again. Joss Whedon and the other surviving celebrities were long gone and the Doctor had still not returned. He’d thought they were hitting it off. While the Doctor (and what an odd nick name was that?) was eccentric, he was also intelligent and damned fine looking. With a sigh Richard went up to the Platinum member’s only buffet.
“Nice shirt.” He turned to find a good looking, sharp featured man dressed up like Spike. His hair was cut shirt, dyed blonde and slicked back. His long leather coat was so perfect it had to have been custom made.
Richard glanced down at his black shirt. It said “Vampires Suck and So Do I” in red letters. “Thanks,” he said. “I’ve been looking for a good reason to wear it.” Now a bit embarrassed, he glanced around for the Doctor again.
“Looking for your friend?” Spike said in a plausible imitation of the vampire’s accent. “I think I saw him leave through the lobby.”
“Oh. Well, we’d just met, so it wasn’t like he ditched me.” Richard piled cheese and nuts on his plate, trying to hide his hurt. Sure the man had brought him in on an expensive ticket and hadn’t even hinted at wanting anything in return, but it sucked being ditched.
“He’d be foolish to,” Richard’s new friend said, giving him a steady look and tonguing his teeth suggestively. “If he doesn’t come back by the third season, I’ll keep you company. Wouldn’t mind finding out if your shirt is right.”
Richard took another look around. It looked like the Xander wanna be with the nice ass he had been scooping out before he met the Doctor had paired up with a curvy Buffy. Damned if he was going to be alone all weekend.
“Sure, I’d like that,” Richard said, standing up straighter. “I’m Richard.”
“You can call me Spike,” he said with a practiced leer and then tipped his head. “Later.”
Spike strode back to his friends, coat swishing, looking every bit a cocky vampire.
The all-night marathon of select episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in retro hi-def had started. Things had run pretty much on time, and apart from whispers of two people gone missing, everyone was having a good time. Richard attributed the rumors to publicity and settled in to watch the show.
He was very glad he’d come. It was great fun seeing people his mother had been fans of when she was a girl. The gift bag held some things he would treasure, and a few more he could sell.
Several hours later, he was resigned to the fact the Doctor was not returning. He caught the eye of Spike again. The bleach blonde licked his lips and nodded toward an exit at the side of the auditorium. Richard grinned in agreement and shot a thumbs up.
Spike left with a quick glance back at him. Richard watched the end of the scene where Faith took Xander’s virginity - mostly because you got to see him in his underwear. Once the scene faded to black, he his way through the doors. The fifty foot hallway ended in a tee. As he neared the corner, he heard a moaning and a wet, sucking sound.
“Damn,” he cursed quietly. It sounded like his chosen rendezvous partner had found another playmate.
He rounded the corner to find Spike wrapped in the arms of someone else, but Richard was certain it was not by choice. His companion had his hands on either side of Spike’s face and he while the man’s back was to him, there was something not right in his appearance. Spike was gasping and clawing at the other man’s hands.
“Oi! Put him down!” Richard stepped back into the hallway and turned to see the scowling Doctor running down the corridor. He held out what looked like a small silver flashlight before him. “Drop him! I’m warning you!”
What Richard had taken for a man whirled around, its mouth opening abnormally wide. It hissed in the Doctor’s direction but didn’t pause in what it was doing. An oscillating whine started up and the end of the man’s device lit blue.
The creature dropped Spike, cringing away from the sound, and took off. The bleach blonde dropped to his knees, drew in a great lung full of air,and then proceeded to vomit.
The Doctor eyed him for a second before turning an intense gaze to Richard. “Richard!” he snapped at him. “Can you sing?”
Richard blinked. This was the last thing he’d been expected to be asked. “Uh. Yeah. Very well. I’ve been on…”
“Excellent, a professional,” The Doctor interrupted. “Come with me!” the Doctor grabbed his hand and all but dragged him down the hall.
“But Spike,” Richard tried to protest.
“Your friend will be fine; we’ve got to catch that thing before it hurts someone else!”
They ran after the creature down a corridor. It stopped at a door and grabbed the knob. Richard’s kidnapper, or maybe new friend, dropped his hand and held up the silver device again. The was a whine and a light. The door before the creature refused to open. It turned on them, snarling, eyes glowing.
“One last chance,” the Doctor declared. “Leave this place. Leave these people in peace.”
It hissed and took a step toward them.
“I’m Henry the eighth I am,” the Doctor sang. “Henry the eight I am, I am,” He motioned to Richard who joined in.
“I got married to the widow next door, she’d been married seven times before,” they sang together.
Richard watched in wonder as the creature shook its head and fell to its knees.
“And every one was a Hen-ery. Hen-ery!” The creature began to vibrate. “She wouldn’t have a Willy or a Sam!” The man put his arm around Richard’s shoulder and sang with great gusto. “I’m her eighth old man I’m Hen-ery.” The creature vibrated faster until it was a blur. “Henry the eighth I am!” The creature let out a high pitched whine and burst into dust.
The Doctor took Richard’s hand and pumped it. “Well sung, my good man!”
Richard blinked. “Thank you. What exactly just happened? It was rather like Hush, so I’m confused.”
The Doctor tossed the silver device into the air with a flip, caught it and slipped it into a pocket. “That,” he pointed to the dissipating cloud of dust motes, “was a Malovic, a psychic vampire. It was trying to make a meal of your friend back there. He should be fine, by the way, but he’ll have a hell of a hangover. Two other people weren’t as lucky. And before you ask, Mr. Whedon did meet one once upon a time. When he was twelve to be exact.”
Richard blinked, absorbing all this information. “But it’s gone now and everyone’s safe?”
“Yeah.” The Doctor frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, no. They travel in family units. There’s at least ten more lurking about.”
“So let’s find them and sing at them.”
“Not so easy, my friend. Unless they’re feeding, they blend in remarkably well.”
“Okay.” Richard thought for a moment. “What if we get everyone to sing?”
“That would be brilliant! But how?” the Doctor asked.
“If you can just stop the vidshow, I can take care of the rest.”
The Doctor gave Richard a smile that was like the sun coming from behind cloud after a week of rain. “Deal!”
+++
“I used my sonic screwdriver to shut off the projector,” the Doctor said, rolling the empty snifter between his hands. “Richard jumped up on stage and roused everyone to sing along to the musical episode, ‘Once More With Feeling.’ Bunnies! Bunnies! It must be bunnies!” he sang and laughed. “I sill liked that episode better than his Broadway musical. Oh, sure it was a commercial success, but OMWF had heart!”
Jack remained silent at the Doctor’s exuberant display. He knew his friend well enough to know he was cover for his deep emotional attachment to Richard,
The Doctor got up and refilled both their glasses. “He had a beautiful voice. And charisma!” The Time Lord sipped his drink.
Jack studied the Doctor. He had that enthusiastic, mournful, proud expression that only the Doctor could master.
“Then what happened?” Jack prompted.
“It didn’t take him long before everyone was singing. It worked. The Malovics fled. Well, after a couple went to dust. The crowd thought it was part of the show.”
+++++++++
“So where do we go from here?” Richard asked, singing it like in the musical episode. He was still hoping for some action this weekend.
The Doctor stuffed his hands deep in his pockets and tilted his head to one side. “What if you could go anywhere?”
++++
“I think I’d been alone for a little too long.” The Doctor sighed. “I didn’t find out if he had family or anything. I just took him.”
+++++
The library was inspired by the delightful Doctor Who artwork shared by aimeekitty . Thank you for the smiles, my fine lady.
Part 5 and final chapter . Feed back, please?