Doctor Who: The Beast of the Wear

Part 4: A Meeting with the Beast

12th of March, 2028
Sunderland, The United Kingdom, Earth

It was the night after Tantalos was sent back to the Bermuda Triangle and the Rani moved to London to work for UNIT. The average Mackem was still not used to the giant serpent residing in the river, even with it stopping a worldwide threat, but there was little in terms of fear. The mood in the Wheatsheaf was just the same as it was when the Doctor began her job as a bartender there. Ibrahim went to the Doctor with Jessica by his success that evening. "Two pints of mead, please." he asked.

"Okay, Ibrahim." the Doctor said before she filled two pint glasses full of mead, "Nice to see you too, Jessica."

"Thanks, Doctor." Jessica replied, "I'm getting to know Ibrahim. We might be a match."

"All the power to you." The Doctor gave both pints of mead to the budding couple. "Have a good night." Jessica and Ibrahim went to a table so that she could watch football with him and his friends. The Doctor looked in the distance and let out a small smile. "He's just about right for you."

Later on in the night, everyone had left the public house, the Doctor leaving not long after she helped clean the pub. Instead of going back to the TARDIS, like she did at the end of every day she worked, she went to the stairway  that led to the small riverside park below Wearmouth Bridge, bringing some takeaway food with her. The serpent, which seemed to show some emotion, went towards the Doctor. The Doctor decided to feed the serpent the food she brought with her and sat down on a bench. The serpent was happy with the meal it was given as the Doctor began to speak.

"I guess that makes you the closest thing to an actual pet since K-9, huh? Although, he was a good companion to me despite being a literal robot." The Doctor looked down and let out a single chuckle. "You know, I've been to this planet so many times, and have even lived here for a time, but it feels weird that I'm having a peaceful time here, aside from Tantalos having his invasion stopped by you, of course."

The serpent tilted its head while the Doctor looked back up. "I can't actually get used to it because I have something I need to do in a few weeks. Reminds me of how I wasn't that close to my mother because I had to attend the academy when I was 8. I had spent all those years in the academy, making friends and trying to be the best that I could, but then I was kicked out for leading two of my friends to their deaths. I managed to have my own family, but I couldn't stand the mundane life on Gallifrey, so I left with my granddaughter."

The Doctor became sad for a moment. "Oh, Susan. I should have seen her at least a couple more times. I should have been able to save a lot of people who travelled with me. Adric, Lucie, Amy, Clara, Bill. All of them and more. I've done a lot in my life that I should have dealt with differently, but I can't now. Too much risk there with the timeline."

The serpent purred glumly. "Oh, don't you worry... You know what? I don't even know what the Rani named you." The serpent brightened up a bit. "Let's see, you're made after a specific creature, so is it alright if I call you Lambton?" The serpent nodded. "Good. Anyway, you don't need to worry, Lambton. Your job is to protect this city specifically. Mine is to make sure that the universe doesn't fall apart. Maybe I should have stayed on Gallifrey. Be with my family more. Not get involved with any of this. But as much as it feels like I have to, I know that deep down, I want to keep doing good, big and small. I never really want to talk to any people about stuff like this because they tend to struggle with understanding my issues. I feel like I can talk to you because I can vent my feelings and frustrations out without anyone making a snide comeback at me, or a failed attempt at making me feel better."

The serpent was confused. "Anyway, sorry for dumping all of that onto you. I don't think the Rani intended for you to be something to vent to. I got to get back to the TARDIS to rest. Goodnight, Lambton."

The Doctor got back to the TARDIS after saying goodbye to Lambton. Letting her hair down, she decided to go to bed, bringing a copy of Virgil's Aeneid with her before playing some 60's-era Fleetwood Mac on her gramophone. As she was reading, she heard the ringing of the console's phone. She turned off the gramophone and put down her reading material to answer the phone. "Who's calling to interrupt my resting time?" she asked.

"Doctor," a familiar female voice said on the other side of the line, "it's me, Martha. I'm with UNIT and I think you're needed."

"Hey, Martha. What date are you calling from?"

"18th of March, 2028. Why'd you ask?"

"Well, you're calling me from last week. I can still come to you because of the whole whole time machine thing. What could be so important as to call me while I was about to sleep?"

"Because someone's claiming to be you, Doctor."

"Is Tom calling himself "The Doctor" again?"

"No, actually. A woman this time. Reeks of alcohol. And there's one more thing with her."

"And that is?"

"She has her own TARDIS, and it looks exactly like yours."