FIC - The Planet of Lost Souls
Title: The Planet of Lost Souls
Author: wheelie47
Rating: PG
Pairing: Luke and Noah.
Word count: 4,049
Disclaimer: Don’t own characters, am not associated in any way with ATWT, Van and Jake. No offence intended.
Summary: Luke and Noah have an encounter with Doctor Who.
Written for Sarahsezlove’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Sarah!
“Where are we?” the young blonde man asked over the Doctor’s shoulder as he was staring intently at the TARDIS’s instrument panel.
Getting no response, he asked again. “Doctor?”
“What?” the Doctor asked distractedly as he suddenly straightened, tugged at his bowtie and ran a hand through his unkempt hair.
A million questions ran through his mind, all vying for prime position, not least of which was the name of his newest companion.
What was his name again? Liam? Lance? Larry? He wasn’t usually so remiss at remembering people’s names. But, in his defence, he hadn’t intended to take any passengers on this trip. He had intended to head the blue box to Brighton for a weekend by the sea. It had been an age - well several ages actually - since he’d been to Brighton and he’d had a sudden whim to see it again.
But the TARDIS, it seemed, had other ideas and the old girl had taken him to a different place entirely. She’d had a desire to see Oakdale, Illinois and a pond… apparently.
Stepping out of the small front door, the Doctor had been tempted to turn around and step right back in again. But there had been something so incredibly sad about the way the young blonde man had sat, all alone, on the small wooden jetty over the pond, his legs swinging aimlessly, that he hadn’t been able to resist going over to talk to him.
Much to his surprise, and to cut a long story short, the young man had looked up at him with tear-filled eyes, announced he hated his life, was going nowhere in this suffocating town and nobody understood him or his feelings and, oh, he was going to be alone for the rest of his life.
Never one to abandon anyone in distress, the Doctor had promised a quick adventure to lift his spirits and to have him back home for tea. Or before they had even left, if that’s what he wanted - which had raised a quizzical eyebrow.
The young man had looked at him with hesitation in his eyes before - again much to the Doctor’s surprise - he’d agreed with a quick nod of his head.
The Doctor never understood some people’s willingness to step into the unknown so readily with him. But it appealed to his sense of adventure and his love of the human race.
So he had nodded back excitedly and led the other man to the TARDIS, calling over his shoulder, “Prepare to be amazed!”
“Ah Luke! That’s it!” He gestured triumphantly, pleased with himself that he’d remembered the man’s name, as he pivoted around him to get to a console on the other side of the TARDIS’s control panel.
“What’s it?” Luke asked impatiently. “Where are we, Doctor?” He was beginning to regret stepping inside this blue box that was ridiculously larger on the inside and was seemingly piloted by a madman. What on earth had possessed him to take a risk like this? His mom and dad were going to kill him when they found out.
“That,” the Doctor replied as he momentarily turned from the display screen to point at Luke, “is a very good question!” He turned back to the screen, frowning at what he saw. This wasn’t where he had intended to take Luke. He had intended to take him to one of the most spectacular sights he had ever seen - the Cascading Twilight Falls in the Rybak system.
But it seemed, yet again, that the TARDIS had other ideas. “What are you up to, old girl?” the Doctor muttered under his breath as he stared at the screen. This wasn’t the Rybak system. This was somewhere completely different… somewhere he hadn’t been in a very, very long time.
‘Oh great!’ Luke thought to himself. ‘Now this guy is talking to himself!’
He took a deep breath and asked again. “Where are we?”
The Doctor straightened and pulled down the lever to open the front door before adjusting his tweed jacket. “We are here.” He gestured with a flourish towards the front door. “The Planet of Lost Souls. Coming?” he asked as he strode outside.
“The where?” Luke asked after the retreating form. “What kind of name is that for a place?!” Looking around, he found that he too was now talking to himself and he decided to hurry after the Doctor because he didn’t want to spend a second on his own in this creepy old blue box.
“What kind of name is that for a…?” Luke breathlessly began again when he caught up with the Doctor only to stop short when he saw the scene before him. This place was like nothing he had ever seen before. They appeared to have walked straight into the middle of a busy marketplace awash with a splendid array of colours and a confusion of noise. There was movement everywhere and Luke didn’t know where to turn or what to look at first.
It took him a moment or two to realise the other man was talking to him.
“… means in English. The dialect and the wandering race that eventually settled here have long since faded into time except for the name of the planet. The new inhabitants of the planet kept the name because it sounds nice in the original tongue. I doubt they know it’s meaning. Now…” the Doctor paused as he turned on the spot, arms out wide, “… it’s a weekend retreat for…”
“… for loved up couples. Great! Just great!” Luke added bitterly as it dawned on him that he was seeing couples everywhere he looked - just what he needed right now! Some were obviously male and female, some male and male, and some female and female…and some he couldn’t recognise as either sex or recognise them as humanoid for that matter.
“OK, I get it. I’m dreaming, right? I’ve dozed off at the pond and this is all in my tortured imagination. Come on, this guy doesn’t even look real!” He grabbed the protruding snout of a passer-by and yanked hard, expecting the mask to come off in his hand.
He sprung backwards when he was growled at.
The Doctor stepped in front of Luke and held his hands out stretched. “Please forgive this youngling. Too much sun.”
He spun around to face Luke. “You must never yank on a G’nask’s snout, especially not when they are with their mate!”
“I’m sorry,” Luke apologised, a blush of embarrassment spreading up his neck.
He spun to apologise to the departing G’nask and it’s mate but they were already disappearing beyond a bend.
Luke turned back only to discover, with a growing sense of dread, that the Doctor was nowhere to be seen.
He stood on the spot, uncertain what to do next.
There was a sudden break in the crowded hustle and bustle of the busy marketplace to reveal a lone, dark-haired, humanoid male sitting on a nearby bench with his head in his hands.
Luke paused only for a second before approaching. There was something about the lonely figure that reached out to him…
…
Noah sat with his head in his hands. Man, he was in so much trouble. His day was going from bad to worse. First off, his dad had caught him in an embrace with Gabe. It had been a fairly innocuous embrace; there hadn’t been any kissing or frantic touching. But his dad would’ve had to been blind not to realise that Noah wanted the two of them to be more than just good friends.
His father had thrown Gabe out without a word to the young man before he’d turned back to face his son with barely controlled fury.
And what had Noah done?
He’d turned tail and ran. He felt like a coward; he wished now that he had stood up for himself and for Gabe. But the look on his father’s face had terrified him.
Then the events that had led Noah to be sat here on this bench, God only knew where, with the hangover from hell were a bit blurred… to say the least.
He remembered running, then feeling incredibly light followed by a definite sense of falling and, then, he had found himself sat here drinking a sweet tasting orange liquid from an ornate earthenware cup.
But now he had the worst hangover his short life had ever experienced so far. “That’s some fast acting alcohol,” he groaned. Even the sound of his own voice hurt his head.
“Sitting here feeling sorry for yourself is getting you nowhere, Mayer,” he chided himself. It was time he faced his father. He couldn’t run from who he was for the rest of his life, could he? Time to man up.
Now, if he could only find his way back home. There had to be a bus stop around here somewhere, right?
Noah looked up, intending to take stock of his surroundings but, instead, he found himself looking into an uncertain dimpled smile and into the green-flecked hazel of the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen.
“Hey, you OK?” the cute blonde-haired guy asked him.
“You’re American!” Noah brightened at the familiar accent. It was the first time he’d been able to understand anything anybody said to him here.
“So are you!” the blonde replied as he sat down on the bench next to Noah. “I’m Luke. What’s your name?”
“Luke,” Noah repeated with a small smile, he liked the way the name sounded on his lips.
“I’m Noah. Noah Mayer,” he replied as he held out his hand.
Luke had to smile at the way the man introduced himself, like he was reporting for duty or something. “Well hi there, Noah… Noah Mayer.” Luke replied as he took the offered hand and shook it.
He didn’t feel anything at first; only the pleasant warmth of Noah’s hand in his. But then he was aware of a soft tingling radiating out from where his finger tips touched Noah’s skin, travelling along his palm and up his arm.
Luke didn’t let go of his hold as he stared down at their joined hands. He’d never felt anything like this before and, he had to admit, it was an enjoyable experience. It was almost as if Noah’s touch was caressing his skin; memorising all the fine details.
But then the tingling feeling grew rapidly in intensity and he snatched his hand away as if it had been burned.
“Tell me you felt that too?” Luke asked, looking up at Noah as he rubbed his sore hand.
As he locked eyes with Noah’s intense blue gaze, he thought he caught a sliver of something light shimmering in the corner of his eye. He blinked and looked again only to find it was gone.
“What the hell was that?” Luke asked in concern and he wasn’t sure if he was talking about the strange tingling sensation or what he thought he had seen in Noah’s eye.
Before either man could say anything else, they were startled by an English voice. “Well hello there boys!” the Doctor exclaimed jovially as he stepped in front of the two seated men. He thought they would actually look quite cute sitting there together if not for the apprehensive expression on both of their faces.
“Who’s your friend, Luke?”
It took Luke a moment or two to tear his gaze away from Noah. “This is Noah… Noah Mayer,” he replied when he eventually turned to face the Doctor. “And he’s American.”
“Well, I’m very pleased to meet you, Noah… Noah Mayer. American, you say? Hmmm. What are the chances of that? Where in American are you from?” the Doctor asked excitedly; he just loved meeting new people.
Noah stared up blankly at the new arrival for several moments; he was still trying to get his head around what he had felt when he had shaken Luke’s hand. “Um… I…” He shook his head. Why in the hell couldn’t he remember where he was from? “I… don’t remember,” he managed to stutter out before an intense pain seared through his head.
“Argh!” Noah cried out and grasped his head with both hands. What was happening to him? It felt like entire sections of his memory were being blocked from him. No… not just blocked - they were being methodically deleted, he realised in growing panic.
“Noah, are you OK?” Luke asked in concern as he laid his hand gently on Noah’s bare forearm, momentarily forgetting what had happened the last time they touched.
Noah jumped back as if he’d been burned. “DO. NOT. TOUCH. ME!” he screamed as he stood unsteady.
Luke rubbed at his hand again as he looked at Noah, searching his eyes for a sign of what he had seen before. Yes, it was definitely there. Only this time the shimmering silver glow did not disappear. Instead it seemed to grow and surround the pupils.
“What’s happening to him, Doctor?” Luke was really worried now. He’d only just meet the guy but he was already concerned for Noah.
The Doctor delved in his pocket and produced a slim cylindrical object. He flicked a switch and pointed it at Noah. The tip of the object glowed green and several small levers flapped open as the device emitted a pulsing electronic sound. It lasted for only a few moments before the object beeped woefully and shut down.
“Oh great!” the Doctor exclaimed as he tapped the device on his palm. “What a time to pack in!”
The object emitted a feeble chirp and then remained stubbornly silent and dark.
The Doctor looked frantically about him and spied the half empty bottle of orange liquid and the wooden two-lipped cup on the bench beside where Noah had been sitting. “Tell me you didn’t drink that,” he pointed to the bottle, “in that cup on your own?”
Noah looked at him with eyes that were struggling to focus as he rocked slowly from side-to-side, still holding his head in his hands.
“Um… yeah. I think so,” Noah mumbled as he tried to remember. “I’m guessing that’s not good?”
“Where did you get them from?”
Noah gestured unsteadily to somewhere behind the other men. “From that stallholder.”
Both Luke and the Doctor turned to see nothing but an empty space amongst the stalls.
“Ask him his name,” the Doctor commanded as he looked at Luke.
“What?” Luke replied in exasperation, with both arms crossed over his chest. “You already know his name; I’ve just told you. It’s Noah.”
“Don’t tell me! Ask him! Hearing another American voice will help him keep himself for as long as possible,” the Doctor replied equally as stubbornly. This new companion was turning out to be a right handful!
“Help him keep himself for as long as possible?” Luke repeated. “What are you talking about?”
“Just ask him!”
With a deep breath, Luke turned to face Noah, trying to keep the rising panic from sounding in his voice as he saw that shards of the shimmering silver had penetrated the crystal blue now. “What’s your name?”
Noah’s face creased into a frown as he tried to pull the information from his unresponsive brain. “Noah?” he eventually asked uncertainly. “Noah… Why can’t I remember?”
“It’s OK, Noah. Try to stay calm. We’re gonna help you.” He had to fight the urge to reach out and touch Noah reassuringly.
Luke turned to the Doctor, his eyes wide in panic. “Help him!”
The Doctor appeared to reach a decision. He turned abruptly and called over his shoulder as he raced through the crowds. “To the TARDIS. Her force field will help slow the process. Hurry!”
“Process? What process?” Luke asked as he put his arms around the increasingly unsteady Noah, careful not to touch any bare skin whilst helping him to follow the other man.
Once back inside the blue box, the Doctor led them through a mind-blowing array of different corridors and rooms. “The Zero Room, I think! Follow me.”
“Just how many rooms are here?” Luke asked, blowing out an exhausted breath. Helping the taller man down all these corridors was sapping his strength.
“Lost count,” the Doctor replied, running a tender hand down the wall as he hurried on. “Ah, here we are. Just past the garage.”
Noah groaned as he stumbled a little and held onto the wall and Luke to stop himself from sliding to the floor.
“Almost there, Noah. Hang on!” Luke stared into Noah’s eyes and was horrified to see the pupils almost completely silver now; there were just thin slivers of blue left.
The Doctor flung open the door and led them in, closing it shut behind the younger men and gesturing to the slim bed. “There. Quickly now,” he instructed as he grabbed Noah’s other arm and helped Luke get him onto the bed.
He grasped Noah’s chin and turned his head to face him so he could look at his eyes.
“His touch didn’t burn you?” Luke asked as the Doctor never even flinched when he touched Noah’s skin.
The Doctor tutted at what he saw in those eyes. They were running out of time. “No, it doesn’t work like that. There has to be a connection,” he replied enigmatically over his shoulder.
Making his mind up, the Doctor spun to face Luke. “You have to kiss him!”
“What?!” Luke asked in shock.
“You have to kiss him. Oh come on, you know? Kiss? Lip-lock? Snog? Smooch?”
Luke held up his hands. This was madness. “OK! Stop right there. Look, I barely know you and I know him even less.” He gestured to Noah. “Why should I kiss him?” He was not going there. It was displays of affection to other men that had gotten him into this in the first place. He shuddered at the painful memory of how Kevin had reacted when Luke had revealed his feelings. It was that encounter that had sent him to the pond to reflect on just how disastrous his life was.
“Because Noah will die if you don’t!”
“What?” Luke was getting pretty tired of asking that question. He looked over at Noah who was lying still on the bed, his long legs overhanging the end slightly. He wasn’t groaning anymore and the silver hue wasn’t so bright but it was still there all the same.
“Why?”
“Will you just kiss him?” The Doctor’s voice held a mixture of frustration and worry.
“You kiss him!”
“I can’t. It has to be someone of the same species.”
Luke had had enough. “OK. I’m not kissing anyone until you explain right now what’s going on.”
The Doctor raised his eyebrow. Really? They were going to do this now?
“Right. OK then. Pay attention,” he instructed as he spoke in a rush. Time was of the essence. “The cup Noah drank out of was a Bonding cup. The Alterai - the original inhabitants of this planet - used them in their mating rituals. Both mates drank out of the cup so their souls became one.
The orange liquid - D’arak - was used to ease the passing of the soul into the other’s body so that they could truly unite. But, as in Noah’s case, if you drink from the cup alone you open your soul to the wandering spirit of a dead Alterai who was not bonded in life. The spirit takes over its host’s body and makes it their own so they can live again to mate with another soul, destroying the original inhabitant. The only way to draw it out of the body is through the kiss of another who claims an interest.”
The Doctor paused for breath.
“Got it? Good. Now pucker up if you want to save Noah’s life!”
Luke looked at the Doctor then at Noah, trying to work out if what he had just been told was true. It sounded so far-fetched that it might just be. Noah’s body looked incredibly still and, although the room seemed somehow to be slowing the process, there was very little blue left in those eyes now.
Luke suddenly had a desire to see that vibrant colour again. So, taking a deep breath and not really believing he was about to do this, he stepped up to the side of the bed.
Noah looked at him with unfocused eyes and a blank expression on his face.
Luke sensed he should hurry.
Leaning down, he pressed his lips to Noah’s. Luke hadn’t been prepared for how cold the other man’s lips felt. But he deepened the kiss all the same, tilting his head to find just the right angle so they fitted together perfectly as he tentatively passed his tongue over Noah’s lips.
Noah’s eyes widened and the silvery glow shone brightly as his fingers gripped the bed sheet tightly.
Then Luke felt the familiar tingling sensation on his lips, growing in intensity as if the wandering spirit was attempting to push him away.
But he held on and deepened the kiss further, pressing his tongue between Noah’s lips.
Noah groaned loudly. He felt like there was a war raging inside his head. Part of him wanted to sink into the kiss as he felt the warmth of Luke’s lips against his. But part of him, the part of his mind that he could no longer reach, was trying to repel Luke’s kiss.
“Noah, come back. Come back to us,” Luke breathed against Noah’s mouth as he fought to keep his place despite the burning sensation on his lips.
Luke felt an unstoppable force pushing him backwards and he had no choice but to break the kiss.
He watched mesmerised as silvery tendrils poked out of Noah’s mouth followed by a small ethereal glowing ball of constantly shifting light.
The whole form hovered momentarily before floating up and disappearing through the ceiling.
“Luke.” Noah’s breathless whisper caught his attention. “Has it gone? I could feel it in my mind, trying to take over. It was awful.”
Luke looked over to the Doctor, who nodded gently, before turning back. He smiled softly when he saw swirls of the crystal blue slowly returning. “It’s gone. You’re safe now.” Luke couldn’t resist reaching out to stroke Noah’s cheek gently, hoping that he wouldn’t mind. His smile widened into a full dimpled grin when he felt no repelling force. He felt only the normal warmth of Noah’s skin.
Tearing his eyes away from Noah’s, Luke turned to the Doctor. “Will he be OK now?”
The Doctor pushed himself away from the wall where he’d been watching the proceedings with interest. He stepped over to the other side of the bed and examined Noah’s eyes. “Yes. It will take time for his memory to return. But he will be just fine, I think,” he answered as he looked between the two men.
“But what happens now. We can’t just leave him here,” Luke asked as he gazed at Noah who had a happy if slightly bewildered smile on his face.
“Hmmm,” the Doctor thought about the question “He needs somewhere to recover. Somewhere he feels safe and cared for.”
Luke looked at Noah for long moments before replying. “I think I have just the place.” He hoped his parents and Grandma Emma wouldn’t object to a stranger staying with them. But the Snyders never turned away anyone in need…
….
The blue box materialised with a rhythmic whooshing sound and three men stepped out into the late afternoon sunshine.
Luke looked about him. The Doctor had been right, they had returned to exactly the same scene as when they had left.
Only now there was one addition.
“Come on, Noah,” Luke said as he eased an arm around Noah, helping the man - who was still weak from his ordeal - walk toward the rambling farm house.
Both men paused and turned, waving their thanks before continuing on their way.
The Doctor leant against the door of the TARDIS as he watched the two men leave.
He had a feeling that those two were going to be just fine.
“You clever old girl, you,” the Doctor murmured as he smiled and ran a hand over the edge of the TARDIS before stepping back inside.
The End.
Author: wheelie47
Rating: PG
Pairing: Luke and Noah.
Word count: 4,049
Disclaimer: Don’t own characters, am not associated in any way with ATWT, Van and Jake. No offence intended.
Summary: Luke and Noah have an encounter with Doctor Who.
Written for Sarahsezlove’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Sarah!
“Where are we?” the young blonde man asked over the Doctor’s shoulder as he was staring intently at the TARDIS’s instrument panel.
Getting no response, he asked again. “Doctor?”
“What?” the Doctor asked distractedly as he suddenly straightened, tugged at his bowtie and ran a hand through his unkempt hair.
A million questions ran through his mind, all vying for prime position, not least of which was the name of his newest companion.
What was his name again? Liam? Lance? Larry? He wasn’t usually so remiss at remembering people’s names. But, in his defence, he hadn’t intended to take any passengers on this trip. He had intended to head the blue box to Brighton for a weekend by the sea. It had been an age - well several ages actually - since he’d been to Brighton and he’d had a sudden whim to see it again.
But the TARDIS, it seemed, had other ideas and the old girl had taken him to a different place entirely. She’d had a desire to see Oakdale, Illinois and a pond… apparently.
Stepping out of the small front door, the Doctor had been tempted to turn around and step right back in again. But there had been something so incredibly sad about the way the young blonde man had sat, all alone, on the small wooden jetty over the pond, his legs swinging aimlessly, that he hadn’t been able to resist going over to talk to him.
Much to his surprise, and to cut a long story short, the young man had looked up at him with tear-filled eyes, announced he hated his life, was going nowhere in this suffocating town and nobody understood him or his feelings and, oh, he was going to be alone for the rest of his life.
Never one to abandon anyone in distress, the Doctor had promised a quick adventure to lift his spirits and to have him back home for tea. Or before they had even left, if that’s what he wanted - which had raised a quizzical eyebrow.
The young man had looked at him with hesitation in his eyes before - again much to the Doctor’s surprise - he’d agreed with a quick nod of his head.
The Doctor never understood some people’s willingness to step into the unknown so readily with him. But it appealed to his sense of adventure and his love of the human race.
So he had nodded back excitedly and led the other man to the TARDIS, calling over his shoulder, “Prepare to be amazed!”
“Ah Luke! That’s it!” He gestured triumphantly, pleased with himself that he’d remembered the man’s name, as he pivoted around him to get to a console on the other side of the TARDIS’s control panel.
“What’s it?” Luke asked impatiently. “Where are we, Doctor?” He was beginning to regret stepping inside this blue box that was ridiculously larger on the inside and was seemingly piloted by a madman. What on earth had possessed him to take a risk like this? His mom and dad were going to kill him when they found out.
“That,” the Doctor replied as he momentarily turned from the display screen to point at Luke, “is a very good question!” He turned back to the screen, frowning at what he saw. This wasn’t where he had intended to take Luke. He had intended to take him to one of the most spectacular sights he had ever seen - the Cascading Twilight Falls in the Rybak system.
But it seemed, yet again, that the TARDIS had other ideas. “What are you up to, old girl?” the Doctor muttered under his breath as he stared at the screen. This wasn’t the Rybak system. This was somewhere completely different… somewhere he hadn’t been in a very, very long time.
‘Oh great!’ Luke thought to himself. ‘Now this guy is talking to himself!’
He took a deep breath and asked again. “Where are we?”
The Doctor straightened and pulled down the lever to open the front door before adjusting his tweed jacket. “We are here.” He gestured with a flourish towards the front door. “The Planet of Lost Souls. Coming?” he asked as he strode outside.
“The where?” Luke asked after the retreating form. “What kind of name is that for a place?!” Looking around, he found that he too was now talking to himself and he decided to hurry after the Doctor because he didn’t want to spend a second on his own in this creepy old blue box.
“What kind of name is that for a…?” Luke breathlessly began again when he caught up with the Doctor only to stop short when he saw the scene before him. This place was like nothing he had ever seen before. They appeared to have walked straight into the middle of a busy marketplace awash with a splendid array of colours and a confusion of noise. There was movement everywhere and Luke didn’t know where to turn or what to look at first.
It took him a moment or two to realise the other man was talking to him.
“… means in English. The dialect and the wandering race that eventually settled here have long since faded into time except for the name of the planet. The new inhabitants of the planet kept the name because it sounds nice in the original tongue. I doubt they know it’s meaning. Now…” the Doctor paused as he turned on the spot, arms out wide, “… it’s a weekend retreat for…”
“… for loved up couples. Great! Just great!” Luke added bitterly as it dawned on him that he was seeing couples everywhere he looked - just what he needed right now! Some were obviously male and female, some male and male, and some female and female…and some he couldn’t recognise as either sex or recognise them as humanoid for that matter.
“OK, I get it. I’m dreaming, right? I’ve dozed off at the pond and this is all in my tortured imagination. Come on, this guy doesn’t even look real!” He grabbed the protruding snout of a passer-by and yanked hard, expecting the mask to come off in his hand.
He sprung backwards when he was growled at.
The Doctor stepped in front of Luke and held his hands out stretched. “Please forgive this youngling. Too much sun.”
He spun around to face Luke. “You must never yank on a G’nask’s snout, especially not when they are with their mate!”
“I’m sorry,” Luke apologised, a blush of embarrassment spreading up his neck.
He spun to apologise to the departing G’nask and it’s mate but they were already disappearing beyond a bend.
Luke turned back only to discover, with a growing sense of dread, that the Doctor was nowhere to be seen.
He stood on the spot, uncertain what to do next.
There was a sudden break in the crowded hustle and bustle of the busy marketplace to reveal a lone, dark-haired, humanoid male sitting on a nearby bench with his head in his hands.
Luke paused only for a second before approaching. There was something about the lonely figure that reached out to him…
…
Noah sat with his head in his hands. Man, he was in so much trouble. His day was going from bad to worse. First off, his dad had caught him in an embrace with Gabe. It had been a fairly innocuous embrace; there hadn’t been any kissing or frantic touching. But his dad would’ve had to been blind not to realise that Noah wanted the two of them to be more than just good friends.
His father had thrown Gabe out without a word to the young man before he’d turned back to face his son with barely controlled fury.
And what had Noah done?
He’d turned tail and ran. He felt like a coward; he wished now that he had stood up for himself and for Gabe. But the look on his father’s face had terrified him.
Then the events that had led Noah to be sat here on this bench, God only knew where, with the hangover from hell were a bit blurred… to say the least.
He remembered running, then feeling incredibly light followed by a definite sense of falling and, then, he had found himself sat here drinking a sweet tasting orange liquid from an ornate earthenware cup.
But now he had the worst hangover his short life had ever experienced so far. “That’s some fast acting alcohol,” he groaned. Even the sound of his own voice hurt his head.
“Sitting here feeling sorry for yourself is getting you nowhere, Mayer,” he chided himself. It was time he faced his father. He couldn’t run from who he was for the rest of his life, could he? Time to man up.
Now, if he could only find his way back home. There had to be a bus stop around here somewhere, right?
Noah looked up, intending to take stock of his surroundings but, instead, he found himself looking into an uncertain dimpled smile and into the green-flecked hazel of the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen.
“Hey, you OK?” the cute blonde-haired guy asked him.
“You’re American!” Noah brightened at the familiar accent. It was the first time he’d been able to understand anything anybody said to him here.
“So are you!” the blonde replied as he sat down on the bench next to Noah. “I’m Luke. What’s your name?”
“Luke,” Noah repeated with a small smile, he liked the way the name sounded on his lips.
“I’m Noah. Noah Mayer,” he replied as he held out his hand.
Luke had to smile at the way the man introduced himself, like he was reporting for duty or something. “Well hi there, Noah… Noah Mayer.” Luke replied as he took the offered hand and shook it.
He didn’t feel anything at first; only the pleasant warmth of Noah’s hand in his. But then he was aware of a soft tingling radiating out from where his finger tips touched Noah’s skin, travelling along his palm and up his arm.
Luke didn’t let go of his hold as he stared down at their joined hands. He’d never felt anything like this before and, he had to admit, it was an enjoyable experience. It was almost as if Noah’s touch was caressing his skin; memorising all the fine details.
But then the tingling feeling grew rapidly in intensity and he snatched his hand away as if it had been burned.
“Tell me you felt that too?” Luke asked, looking up at Noah as he rubbed his sore hand.
As he locked eyes with Noah’s intense blue gaze, he thought he caught a sliver of something light shimmering in the corner of his eye. He blinked and looked again only to find it was gone.
“What the hell was that?” Luke asked in concern and he wasn’t sure if he was talking about the strange tingling sensation or what he thought he had seen in Noah’s eye.
Before either man could say anything else, they were startled by an English voice. “Well hello there boys!” the Doctor exclaimed jovially as he stepped in front of the two seated men. He thought they would actually look quite cute sitting there together if not for the apprehensive expression on both of their faces.
“Who’s your friend, Luke?”
It took Luke a moment or two to tear his gaze away from Noah. “This is Noah… Noah Mayer,” he replied when he eventually turned to face the Doctor. “And he’s American.”
“Well, I’m very pleased to meet you, Noah… Noah Mayer. American, you say? Hmmm. What are the chances of that? Where in American are you from?” the Doctor asked excitedly; he just loved meeting new people.
Noah stared up blankly at the new arrival for several moments; he was still trying to get his head around what he had felt when he had shaken Luke’s hand. “Um… I…” He shook his head. Why in the hell couldn’t he remember where he was from? “I… don’t remember,” he managed to stutter out before an intense pain seared through his head.
“Argh!” Noah cried out and grasped his head with both hands. What was happening to him? It felt like entire sections of his memory were being blocked from him. No… not just blocked - they were being methodically deleted, he realised in growing panic.
“Noah, are you OK?” Luke asked in concern as he laid his hand gently on Noah’s bare forearm, momentarily forgetting what had happened the last time they touched.
Noah jumped back as if he’d been burned. “DO. NOT. TOUCH. ME!” he screamed as he stood unsteady.
Luke rubbed at his hand again as he looked at Noah, searching his eyes for a sign of what he had seen before. Yes, it was definitely there. Only this time the shimmering silver glow did not disappear. Instead it seemed to grow and surround the pupils.
“What’s happening to him, Doctor?” Luke was really worried now. He’d only just meet the guy but he was already concerned for Noah.
The Doctor delved in his pocket and produced a slim cylindrical object. He flicked a switch and pointed it at Noah. The tip of the object glowed green and several small levers flapped open as the device emitted a pulsing electronic sound. It lasted for only a few moments before the object beeped woefully and shut down.
“Oh great!” the Doctor exclaimed as he tapped the device on his palm. “What a time to pack in!”
The object emitted a feeble chirp and then remained stubbornly silent and dark.
The Doctor looked frantically about him and spied the half empty bottle of orange liquid and the wooden two-lipped cup on the bench beside where Noah had been sitting. “Tell me you didn’t drink that,” he pointed to the bottle, “in that cup on your own?”
Noah looked at him with eyes that were struggling to focus as he rocked slowly from side-to-side, still holding his head in his hands.
“Um… yeah. I think so,” Noah mumbled as he tried to remember. “I’m guessing that’s not good?”
“Where did you get them from?”
Noah gestured unsteadily to somewhere behind the other men. “From that stallholder.”
Both Luke and the Doctor turned to see nothing but an empty space amongst the stalls.
“Ask him his name,” the Doctor commanded as he looked at Luke.
“What?” Luke replied in exasperation, with both arms crossed over his chest. “You already know his name; I’ve just told you. It’s Noah.”
“Don’t tell me! Ask him! Hearing another American voice will help him keep himself for as long as possible,” the Doctor replied equally as stubbornly. This new companion was turning out to be a right handful!
“Help him keep himself for as long as possible?” Luke repeated. “What are you talking about?”
“Just ask him!”
With a deep breath, Luke turned to face Noah, trying to keep the rising panic from sounding in his voice as he saw that shards of the shimmering silver had penetrated the crystal blue now. “What’s your name?”
Noah’s face creased into a frown as he tried to pull the information from his unresponsive brain. “Noah?” he eventually asked uncertainly. “Noah… Why can’t I remember?”
“It’s OK, Noah. Try to stay calm. We’re gonna help you.” He had to fight the urge to reach out and touch Noah reassuringly.
Luke turned to the Doctor, his eyes wide in panic. “Help him!”
The Doctor appeared to reach a decision. He turned abruptly and called over his shoulder as he raced through the crowds. “To the TARDIS. Her force field will help slow the process. Hurry!”
“Process? What process?” Luke asked as he put his arms around the increasingly unsteady Noah, careful not to touch any bare skin whilst helping him to follow the other man.
Once back inside the blue box, the Doctor led them through a mind-blowing array of different corridors and rooms. “The Zero Room, I think! Follow me.”
“Just how many rooms are here?” Luke asked, blowing out an exhausted breath. Helping the taller man down all these corridors was sapping his strength.
“Lost count,” the Doctor replied, running a tender hand down the wall as he hurried on. “Ah, here we are. Just past the garage.”
Noah groaned as he stumbled a little and held onto the wall and Luke to stop himself from sliding to the floor.
“Almost there, Noah. Hang on!” Luke stared into Noah’s eyes and was horrified to see the pupils almost completely silver now; there were just thin slivers of blue left.
The Doctor flung open the door and led them in, closing it shut behind the younger men and gesturing to the slim bed. “There. Quickly now,” he instructed as he grabbed Noah’s other arm and helped Luke get him onto the bed.
He grasped Noah’s chin and turned his head to face him so he could look at his eyes.
“His touch didn’t burn you?” Luke asked as the Doctor never even flinched when he touched Noah’s skin.
The Doctor tutted at what he saw in those eyes. They were running out of time. “No, it doesn’t work like that. There has to be a connection,” he replied enigmatically over his shoulder.
Making his mind up, the Doctor spun to face Luke. “You have to kiss him!”
“What?!” Luke asked in shock.
“You have to kiss him. Oh come on, you know? Kiss? Lip-lock? Snog? Smooch?”
Luke held up his hands. This was madness. “OK! Stop right there. Look, I barely know you and I know him even less.” He gestured to Noah. “Why should I kiss him?” He was not going there. It was displays of affection to other men that had gotten him into this in the first place. He shuddered at the painful memory of how Kevin had reacted when Luke had revealed his feelings. It was that encounter that had sent him to the pond to reflect on just how disastrous his life was.
“Because Noah will die if you don’t!”
“What?” Luke was getting pretty tired of asking that question. He looked over at Noah who was lying still on the bed, his long legs overhanging the end slightly. He wasn’t groaning anymore and the silver hue wasn’t so bright but it was still there all the same.
“Why?”
“Will you just kiss him?” The Doctor’s voice held a mixture of frustration and worry.
“You kiss him!”
“I can’t. It has to be someone of the same species.”
Luke had had enough. “OK. I’m not kissing anyone until you explain right now what’s going on.”
The Doctor raised his eyebrow. Really? They were going to do this now?
“Right. OK then. Pay attention,” he instructed as he spoke in a rush. Time was of the essence. “The cup Noah drank out of was a Bonding cup. The Alterai - the original inhabitants of this planet - used them in their mating rituals. Both mates drank out of the cup so their souls became one.
The orange liquid - D’arak - was used to ease the passing of the soul into the other’s body so that they could truly unite. But, as in Noah’s case, if you drink from the cup alone you open your soul to the wandering spirit of a dead Alterai who was not bonded in life. The spirit takes over its host’s body and makes it their own so they can live again to mate with another soul, destroying the original inhabitant. The only way to draw it out of the body is through the kiss of another who claims an interest.”
The Doctor paused for breath.
“Got it? Good. Now pucker up if you want to save Noah’s life!”
Luke looked at the Doctor then at Noah, trying to work out if what he had just been told was true. It sounded so far-fetched that it might just be. Noah’s body looked incredibly still and, although the room seemed somehow to be slowing the process, there was very little blue left in those eyes now.
Luke suddenly had a desire to see that vibrant colour again. So, taking a deep breath and not really believing he was about to do this, he stepped up to the side of the bed.
Noah looked at him with unfocused eyes and a blank expression on his face.
Luke sensed he should hurry.
Leaning down, he pressed his lips to Noah’s. Luke hadn’t been prepared for how cold the other man’s lips felt. But he deepened the kiss all the same, tilting his head to find just the right angle so they fitted together perfectly as he tentatively passed his tongue over Noah’s lips.
Noah’s eyes widened and the silvery glow shone brightly as his fingers gripped the bed sheet tightly.
Then Luke felt the familiar tingling sensation on his lips, growing in intensity as if the wandering spirit was attempting to push him away.
But he held on and deepened the kiss further, pressing his tongue between Noah’s lips.
Noah groaned loudly. He felt like there was a war raging inside his head. Part of him wanted to sink into the kiss as he felt the warmth of Luke’s lips against his. But part of him, the part of his mind that he could no longer reach, was trying to repel Luke’s kiss.
“Noah, come back. Come back to us,” Luke breathed against Noah’s mouth as he fought to keep his place despite the burning sensation on his lips.
Luke felt an unstoppable force pushing him backwards and he had no choice but to break the kiss.
He watched mesmerised as silvery tendrils poked out of Noah’s mouth followed by a small ethereal glowing ball of constantly shifting light.
The whole form hovered momentarily before floating up and disappearing through the ceiling.
“Luke.” Noah’s breathless whisper caught his attention. “Has it gone? I could feel it in my mind, trying to take over. It was awful.”
Luke looked over to the Doctor, who nodded gently, before turning back. He smiled softly when he saw swirls of the crystal blue slowly returning. “It’s gone. You’re safe now.” Luke couldn’t resist reaching out to stroke Noah’s cheek gently, hoping that he wouldn’t mind. His smile widened into a full dimpled grin when he felt no repelling force. He felt only the normal warmth of Noah’s skin.
Tearing his eyes away from Noah’s, Luke turned to the Doctor. “Will he be OK now?”
The Doctor pushed himself away from the wall where he’d been watching the proceedings with interest. He stepped over to the other side of the bed and examined Noah’s eyes. “Yes. It will take time for his memory to return. But he will be just fine, I think,” he answered as he looked between the two men.
“But what happens now. We can’t just leave him here,” Luke asked as he gazed at Noah who had a happy if slightly bewildered smile on his face.
“Hmmm,” the Doctor thought about the question “He needs somewhere to recover. Somewhere he feels safe and cared for.”
Luke looked at Noah for long moments before replying. “I think I have just the place.” He hoped his parents and Grandma Emma wouldn’t object to a stranger staying with them. But the Snyders never turned away anyone in need…
….
The blue box materialised with a rhythmic whooshing sound and three men stepped out into the late afternoon sunshine.
Luke looked about him. The Doctor had been right, they had returned to exactly the same scene as when they had left.
Only now there was one addition.
“Come on, Noah,” Luke said as he eased an arm around Noah, helping the man - who was still weak from his ordeal - walk toward the rambling farm house.
Both men paused and turned, waving their thanks before continuing on their way.
The Doctor leant against the door of the TARDIS as he watched the two men leave.
He had a feeling that those two were going to be just fine.
“You clever old girl, you,” the Doctor murmured as he smiled and ran a hand over the edge of the TARDIS before stepping back inside.
The End.