Doctor Who: Series 10

The Binding of the Doctor, Part 2

The rain could still be heard attacking the courthouse from its insides. It was amazing that Mrs. Stevens managed to find a courthouse that would not only accept her lawsuit at such short notice, but also hold a trial that same night. Now, at 1:39am, coffee in hand, the Doctor awaited his verdict. The judge, a slender, African-American woman who appeared to be in her mid-thirties did not look pleased. Her cropped hair lay twisted into a short Afro, and her spotted glasses dropped from her nose, contrasting sharply with her black pantsuit.

"And now," she spoke. The jury murmurs died down. "The verdict you've all been waiting for." Judge Tandy Maddeus flashed a smile at that last part.

The waitress moaned from her seat at the defendants table, comforted by a figure who appeared to be her lawyer. He blocked what looked like a few shorter people to her left. Something about him looked off to the doctor, and now that he thought about it, the judge brought about a similar feeling as well.

Mrs. Stevens, in tears, gripped the hand of her lawyer as she eagerly awaited the verdict. The Doctor groaned and lay his head in his hands.

"I have no choice but to find the accused guilty. As such, payment in full for damages must be collected," she said justly.

The Doctor buried his hands as the judge finished her sentencing. The courtroom had gone into a deathly silence, the only sound to be heard the flicking of the lightbulb.

"Mister John Smith, you are guilty of harassment, gross violence, and attempted murder towards Miss Peri Stevens," she grimaced.

The Doctor looked over, slack-jawed at what he saw next. Standing next to his latest problem were what appeared to be two human children. But that didn't make any sense, unless... They were that damn waitress' children! He cursed under his breath, returning his gaze to the front of the court.

"Mister Smith. From this moment on, should you not be able to provide financial sympathy for the defendant, you must grant her control over your assets, be they automotive or else. Is this clear?"

12 sighed. How has this happened? He came to Cardiff on a mission to find Saturnyns that he shouldn't have taken in the first place from an organization that hadn't even helped him last time he needed him, leading him to encounter an angry waitress who had successfully tricked an entire court into sympathizing with her. Suddenly, it clicked! The judge and lawyer were the Saturnyns — no wonder they had seemed odd to him. He reached for his sonic and —

"MISTER SMITH! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?" roared Maddeus.

"Crystal." He put the screwdriver away. There was nothing he could do at this minute.

"Good. So concludes this trial." She banged the gavel against her desk and began to package the case papers. Police officers escorted the waitress, her two kids, and her victim out the side door of the courthouse. The jury and spectators filed out, and all ended up in the pouring rain, launching itself from the Cardiff sky into the blackest night.

Peri Stevens pursed her lips. She, after calling off the police, slipped into a taxi with the Doctor, who hailed it downtown.

"I must warn you," he said. "All of you," he emphasized, glancing at the children beneath her, "my abode may not be exactly what you're expecting."

Thinking quickly, he whipped out his sonic device, which was quickly sent flying out the window by the eldest of Peri's two children.

"Good job, Landon," she smiled, gazing into the Doctor's eyes. He felt as though he could see her black soul staring out at him from the back seat of the cramped taxi. "You know, Mattie," she proclaimed, "it would do you well to be more like your older brother." The two looked like demons as their eyes glowed in the night. He shivered.

I'm not so sure about that, the Doctor thought. He had faced endless aliens, from weeping angels to Cybermen, faced paradoxes and prophecies, and here he was, stuck. He couldn't handle a simple middle-aged woman.

"I know what you're thinking Doctor, but it's time to cut the crap. I want to go to the TARDIS, and you're going to take me there right now."

Suddenly, the sky erupted into a flash of light, and for a fleeting moment, the time lord thought he could see the heavens calling out to him. If only.

It looked like he had himself a new companion.