13 Novella 3

Touch

Naturally The Doctor confiscates your stickers upon discharge from the hospital hardly an hour later.

However, having seen this coming you are able to stuff a couple done your sock. She probably suspects you, but there's nothing she can really do- a strip search is probably a step too far.

You arrive back at The Tardis with a thumping headache that seems to be permanent these days, and The Doctor gives you some painkillers as you set off to bed. The others plan on watching a movie, so you pull the bedsheets off and curl up on the floor and are asleep within minutes.

Your dreams are jumbled and disorganised. You walk through alleyways and plummet off tall buildings. You stand by your grave and try to stop it from sinking into the ground. You can't run fast enough to stop your friends dying, but eventually the scene changes and you are staring at a man.

He has grey hair and angry eyebrows, but strong eyes. Next to you stands, to your surprise, Missy. She wears her purple dress and a careless smile that makes you uncomfortable. The man is talking to her and someone else, who also has grey hair; but his eyes look insane.

looking around you are stood in the middle of a field outside a farmhouse, and in the distance you hear the full sounds of marching metal. You shiver. Cyber men. Instinctively you step towards Missy, but of course she can't see you.

"Come with me. It's time we joined ranks." Eyebrow-man offers, but Missy and the other guy don't react.

"Thank you for trying, Doctor, but no." She says before walking away. You spin round to face The Doctor in one of her previous faces, and watch pure sadness wash over him.

So this was the day Missy hated, the day she rejected The Doctor. You want to comfort them, tell them it's alright, that it gets better, but you can't. You watch him turn away and feel the scene dissolve.

You blink, disoriented and aware of someone nearby.

"Sorry pet I didn't mean to wake you." Missy murmurs into the quiet, and you notice you are tucked up beside her in your bed.

"You didn't look very comfy on the floor" she apologises gently, stroking your forehead. "I hope you don't mind."

"So long as I'm not alone here, it's ok" you say sleepily and she squeezes you gently. "What time is it?" You ask and she shifts slightly from her position resting her head on the headboard, a book laid flat on her fully clothed lap.

"5:15, you should go back to sleep" she says, but you're awake now. You shift to sit up and she smiles, showing her teeth. You look at her hard and her smile slips.

"What's wrong my love? Another dream?" She says, and for some reason you shake your head. It was apparent now that you had seen what she had been subconsciously thinking about, but you didn't like to remind her. You knew she didn't like that day, and it hurt you that she still mulled over it after all this time.

You rise and pad softly to the bathroom, going about your business thoughtfully. Finished, you find clothes folded neatly on the hamper again. You smile. No matter what you saw of her, or heard of her past, you failed to think badly of her.

She had picked out some blacks leggings, a hoodie and boots for you; pretty much exactly what you would have chosen.

You dress carefully then do your teeth and hair with a touch of makeup before walking back out. She's made you bed and leans absently against the wall.

She spots you and holds open the door, but takes a right when you go to turn left.

"I'll see you in a bit pet" she says and you nod as she heads off, presumably to her own room. You wished she could stay. You shake your head at that thought and proceed on your own mission.

You find The Doctor in the console room as usual, but she's with Yaz. They sit cuddling cutely, not talking, simply sitting in happy content. You consider coming back later but you don't think you can wait.

You stay back so they can't see you, and hurl with all your strength a picture of the piano room at The Doctor. You can't see her reaction from your hiding place, but you hear some scufflings and murmurs.

Peeking back round, you see Yaz standing alone, reading a book quietly with The Doctor nowhere in sight.

Still surprised it worked so smoothly, you make your own way to the music room, coming out of a corridor just behind her as she walks unsurely to the door and places her hand on it.

"You know, you could have just asked" she says without turning around and you feel guilty. She turns and smiles, opening the door and letting you through. Sitting on the stool, she makes her way over and sits down too.

"What's up?" She asks in concern as you swallow. You point at her hand and raise your eyebrows in permission. She looks temporarily apprehensive before giving you her hand.

You close your eyes as she watches you carefully, waiting before you give her the dream you had of her, the strange man and Missy. She sucks in a sharp intake of breath before you drop her hand.

"Missy" you say and she nods. "Who was the other man?"

She looks at you for a long time before answering.

"The master." She mutters and you screw up your face in thought.

"But that means..."

"Yes, Missy's previous face" she says and you nod.

"The bad one" you whisper.

"Yes"

You catch an image of the third person, this Doctor thinking about him as she smiles fondly.

"Another face?" You ask and she nods.

"Yes that my previous face actually, face number 12" she says and you nod. "So you're 13?" You say and she smiles. "But you said, you told me ages ago that you were only supposed to have 11 faces" you say and she looks away.

"Yes" she confirms quietly. "Only I was a little different... Someone told me that I was the first Time Lord. It gets messy, but the ability to regenerate, and every Gallifreyan after, was based off me. I was.."

She breaks off, seemingly evaluating how detailed to go. Something in your face apparently gives her confidence for she continues, gritting her teeth.

"I was.. experimented on and tortured. The Master, not this face, a future one, showed me all this, but you can never tell Missy" she looks at you seriously and you nod "My life was a phenomenon that others wanted. All my history, it's wrong. These are just the faces I know about. My people did that to me." She says, and you understand how hard this was for her.

"I'm sorry" you whisper and she nods, wiping her face. "But I don't think it matters" she looks up, startled but you smile.

"The Doctor, who you are now. That's what's important, who you chose to become. You chose this. And look what it did for you."

You touch her hand lightly and proceed to show her galaxies and stars while she stares upwards in wonder, hazel eyes flickering in the orange light, truly seeing her life.