13 Novella 6

Raised

TW: mild violence and dissociation

They look between each other as you twist your hands anxiously.

"(Y/n) what-" starts Missy but you wave her words away.

"Doctor" you start and she narrows her eyes. "I honestly didn't mean to, I just, it was my first time here alone and she showed me how to fly her and I couldn't help it... I'm sorry, I shouldn't be making excuses. What I did was wrong." You say, looking up at meet her eyes. To your surprise she is smiling.

"(Y/n) I know you took her when we were in the hospital" she explains and you scowl at the ceiling. She lets out an innocent thrum and you roll your eyes.

"Well don't try and act innocent now! Snitch" you mutter and she laughs in her own way.

"Just don't do it again. I know nothing went wrong this is time but it always could" she says and you shrug.

"It won't happen again"

There is another pause as you try to prolong the minutes before you torture your friends.

"So where did you go?" Asks Missy and you shake your head.

"She took me, I didn't know where..."

"And?" Presses Jenny and you sigh.

"I'm... I'm going to have to show you" you say and they all brace. They exchange glances and nod, giving you permission. You close your eyes and feel for their minds.

You've never tried to talk to this many people at once before but soon catch all three of them. You'll explain to Jenny after. Hesitantly you play the painful memory back, the man torturing teenage Gail, the knife, the death, the cold look in his eye, all of it. Yaz gasps and you step backwards as they all blink and come back to, looking nauseated and horrified.

What you're not expecting is for Yaz to stride over and slap you hard across the face.

"Yaz!" Shouts The Doctor, pulling her backwards as your girlfriends run to you. You rub your stinging cheek and feel the suffocating cloud of dissociation trying to pull you under.

"What the fuck Yaz!?" hisses Missy as your face goes blank, emotion wiped clear and eyes unblinking. Jenny pulls you into her, shaking you worriedly as she supports your slow collapse to the floor.

"It's ok Jen she's just dissociating. She's done it before, she'll be alright in a moment" reassures Missy as Jenny bites her lip. You can vaguely hear them, it just feels like their English is broken.

"Love you're safe, you're ok angel. Look at me" soothes Missy as she pulls you onto her lap where she supports you. Your head is too heavy to hold up and you haven't blinked in a while so Jenny reaches over and closes your eyes for you. You try to time your breathing with Missy's heartbeats, fighting to remain in the moment.

"Missy is she alright?" Calls The Doctor, holding a surly Yaz.

"She'll be fine, just give her a minute."

You can faintly hear the couple talking, and possibly sobbing too. This wasn't Yaz's fault. Blinking slowly, you try to pull yourself back into the moment, the pressure on your hands from Jenny helping.

You wriggle and Missy stands, supporting you as you get back to your feet. A thin trail of sweat coats your forehead and upper back, and you gasp as though you've just been pulled from deep water.

"Control your human" hisses Missy maliciously but you place your hand in hers. She is thinking of you, you look very pale and shaky.

"She didn't mean to, she was scared!" replies The Doctor. "(Y/n) are you alright?" She asks sincerely and you shake away the last of the cloud and smile.

"Oh yeah, haven't been slapped in a while. Took me right back" you mutter sarcastically. Your girlfriends stiffen as you realise what you said. "Joke. I'm joking" you say with an eye roll an Jenny strokes your sore cheek. You close your eyes again at her touch and Yaz clears her throat.

"I'm sorry (Y/n), that was an overreaction" she mutters with wide eyes. You soften at her face and smile.

"It's ok, honestly I've had worse. And it just shows me what an amazing mother you already are" you shrug and she smiles. She approaches warily and you stiffen, making her drop her extended hand to her side. Frustrated, you close the distance and slip your hand into hers, ignoring the ridiculous pace of your heart.

"I won't hurt you. Never again" she whispers and you breathe. No need to overreact. You both grin and break away, now pressed for a solution as Missy takes your hand in hers.

"So now that we know what's waiting for discount Doctor in miniature, what do we do?" Asks Missy, glaring at Yaz from under her eyelashes. You get the feeling she isn't ready to forgive just yet.

"I think... we'll have to do it" whispers Yaz after an uncomfortable silence.

"Babe we can keep him safe-"

"No, we can't love. I don't ever want to see him getting hurt again, and if sending him away until he can be properly protected is the only option... then that's what we'll have to do" she sighs tiredly. You feel so sorry for them both.

"How would you hide him?" Asks Jenny and The Doctor leans back on the dash, face hidden by her hair.

"I've done it before. You conceal all his Time Lord traces in a single object. It won't be hard, he's only half Time Lord." She mutters as you all look at her sadly.

"Ok" says Yaz determinedly, and you admire her braveness for The Doctor. She lifts her girlfriend's hand with her chin and they look into each other's eyes.

"Then that's what we'll do"