Work Text:
The Doctor was on a verge of a panic attack. U.N.I.T was down. The Dalek had rebuilt its shell and it was on it’s way to the most powerful and advanced Head Quarters on Earth's soil. She cursed to herself, pacing in annoyance. One hand clutched her forehead. She needed to think, fast. But she was running out of ideas. She was running out of time. Most of her ideas were dangerous and could possibly put her friends' lives on the line. If she tried to go alone to stop the Dalek, they would refuse and most certainly follow her, especially Yaz. The last thing she wanted was to put her companions in danger again. She had put Yaz in so much danger. The witch trial, in Punjab, with the Uks and Tim Shaw , the last thing she needed was a Dalek attacking her or holding her hostage. The Doctor shuddered at the thought, shaking her head. No. She would never let it come to that. She couldn’t.
“You got any ideas?” Mitch asked, holding Lin protectively close to his side.
The Doctor looked over at her team and her extended friends. All eyes were on her, wide with worry. She noticed Yaz’s worried gaze and turned away. She shook her head. "I might have a couple. But I don’t know if they’d work.” She murmured. “The Dalek has rebuilt it’s case-“
“Doctor!” Yaz growled. “Are you kidding me?!”
“I know what I did!” She snapped back at her. “I’m trying my best alright? It’s not easy.”
“We can help.” Ryan offered.
“No. Absolutely not.” The Doctor’s voice was stern but there was worry behind it. She was pressing buttons on her console, typing things into her scanner. “I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“Well we don’t want you getting hurt either.” Yaz walked towards her. “You’re family to us. And family help each other.”
“Better my life than yours.”
Yaz grabbed her shoulders, pulling her away from the console so The Doctor was forced to look at her. “Your life is valuable.” She snapped. “I don’t ever want to hear you say that ever again!”
“I’ve dealt with the Daleks before I know-“
“I don’t care, if you’ve dealt with this creature before.” Yaz pressed on. The Doctor knew she hated when they fought. She hated it too. But she needed Yaz to be safe. She needed everyone to be safe.
“Stop being so stubborn. I’m helping you. We’re all helping you." Yaz let go of her, stepping back towards the rest of their friends.
The Doctor shifted her jaw. Rage boiled inside of her, along with fear and relief. She needed the help. She needed her friend's support but their lives mattered more. She could regenerate. Or was this her last life? She didn’t remember. "Mitch do you still have those documents from the excavation site?” She asked in the coolest tone she could muster. As much as she wanted to prove her point there wasn’t any time for another argument.
“Uh yeah, yes I do which documents do you need?” Mitch asked, slowly letting go of Lin.
“Any of them. Anything that tells us how The Custodians destroyed the Dalek.”
The Doctor could feel Yaz’s gaze on her shoulders, hot with rage yet warm with satisfaction. She tried to ignore it but she couldn’t. She couldn’t ever ignore Yaz. The Doctor slowly looked up at her as Mitch rummaged in his backpack for the documents. Yaz’s gaze softened and The Doctor felt a stab of guilt in her chest. Though Yaz seemed to understand. She always did. She was always so good to her. She was gentle and patient, two things The Doctor needed the most in the universe from someone. But herself? She was reckless. Oblivious. Gullible. She never did anything for Yaz, or it felt that way at least. She knew better. Hell, she could do more. So why didn’t she? Why was she so self conscious? Why did Yaz stay with her when all she caused was trouble? The Doctor turned her gaze towards Mitch who set down a stack of documents next to her on the console. She carefully shuffled through them, scanning quickly for any important information. Her console’s alarm went off and she cursed in Gallifreyian, checking her scanner.
“It’s almost at the headquarters. We dont have much time and I still don’t have a plan!” She growled.
“Hey take a look at this picture.” Mitch leaned towards The Doctor with the document in his hand. The Doctor looked at it closely, slowly holding it in her hands.
The document showed a picture of rather large troops of men with swords and shields charging at a massive bonfire in the middle of the battlefield.
“Oh yes. Yes of course!” She handed Mitch the documents, pacing for a moment. “They melted the Dalek. That’s how they defeated it. They melted it!” She grinned. “Ryan’s Dad can I borrow your microwave? I can use the spare parts to create a heat bomb.”
“Uh yeah. Sure.” He shrugged, gesturing towards the box.
The Doctor knelt down, about to open a box but Ryan stopped her.
“We can help you.” She beckoned Ryan, shooting The Doctor a look. The Doctor tensed but gave a slight nod. That feeling of guilt burned in her stomach again. "I need you two to break apart the microwave and pull out the circuits. Don’t separate the heater from the main frame. Graham, Mitch, I need you to look at the documents to see if there’s any more information or tactics The Custodians used to destroy the Dalek. Lin, I need you to help me track the Dalek." She stood, walking over to her console and began asking Lin questions about the Dalek’s programming system.
It was nice to see other people in her TARDIS working side by side with one another. She felt a surge of accomplishment, smiling to herself and typed information into the console.
“Doc we got the parts out.” Ryan called over.
“Oh excellent!” The Doctor was about to run over but stopped herself in mid stride. “Lin, keep an eye on that red dot and how close it’s getting to those Head Quarters."
Lin nodded, trading places with The Doctor who knelt beside her friends. “Right. Thank you. I-I’ll connect them together.” She glanced at Yaz while Ryan handed her the parts. Yaz was smiling at her again. She looked proud. The Doctor gave her a soft smile back but said nothing. What could she say? Was it even the right time to say anything?
“The Dalek is in the headquarters!” Lin shouted. The Doctor was over in an instant, Sonicing the parts together. She locked in on the Dalek’s coordinates and pulled the lever, the TARDIS roaring in response. She ran towards the door, turning quickly to face her friends once the TARDIS landed.
“I’m going out there alone-“
“No you aren’t.” Yaz cut her off.
“Let me confront the Dalek first.” The Doctor growled. Yaz held her glare for a moment while The Doctor tried to compose herself. “On my signal, I need you to help me place the bomb on the Dalek’s shell.” She turned around to face the door, inhaling a deep breath, and stepped out.
There was the Dalek, staring directly at the TARDIS. "EXTERMINATE!” It howled, blasting at the TARDIS only to have it’s laser shot be reflected.
“You really think that I’d stand here without shields?” The Doctor waltzed away from the TARDIS. “You’ll have to try harder if you want to get rid of me.”
“YOU CANNOT STOP ME. THE DALEK FLEET WILL BE SUMMONED ON MY COMMAND.”
“No they won’t.” The Doctor said sternly. “You’ll have to get through me first.”
“EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!” The Dalek began to open fire and The Doctor ducked, skidding on the ground quick enough towards the Dalek, just missing a blow to the head.
"Now fam!”
Ryan Graham and Yaz came bursting through the TARDIS doors, helping The Doctor attach the bomb to the Dalek’s shell. The Doctor stepped back, sonic screwdriver out and turned the heat and electrical signals of the past microwave on as high as they could go.
"Get back!" The Doctor pushed them away towards the TARDIS. In an instant the Dalek shrieked, the bomb exploding in a burst of sparks resulting in a melted Dalek shell.
“You did it!" Lin's face was bright with astonishment. "I-It worked!"
Yaz turned towards her with a grin. "Course she did. She's The Doctor. She can do anything."
“Did you guys see my skid?” The Doctor was also grinning. “Think it was my best one yet. Thankfully no skid marks this time."
A disoriented laugh interrupted their brief celebration.
“It’s still alive?!” Graham looked around frantic.
“But that’s impossible...” The Doctor shook her head. “That bomb should have killed it. It should have burned it!”
“Should we start looking?” Ryan asked.
“No. Get back in the TARDIS. Please. I don’t want another one of you getting corrupt-“ The Doctor stopped mid sentence, her face growing pale.
“Doctor? Doctor what is it?” Yaz asked, moving forward but The Doctor stepped back.
“I should have taken control over you a long time ago.” The Dalek growled. Slowly it crawled up The Doctor’s back, locking itself in place.
“Oh hell...” Ryan murmured, stepping back.
“Get in the TARDIS. All of y-“
“Silence!” The Dalek ordered and The Doctor roared in pain, bending forward as the Dalek tried to enter her conscious.
“Doctor!” Yaz tried to move towards her but Ryan grabbed her hand, pulling her back.
“You heard her. Get in the TARDIS!”
“And leave her alone with that monster?!” Yaz looked up at him, her eyes full of worry. “She saved my life. The least I can do is save hers.” Another cry of pain from The Doctor made her tense.
“You know how to think like a Dalek, Doc-tor. So why fight it?” The Dalek chuckled. “Why fight something you already know?”
“Because it’s wrong!” The Doctor hissed. “It’s horrible what you did! To all my past and current friends, to... to Gallifrey!”
“But Gallifrey was also your doing. Do not forget that. You were the one who helped us and The Master burn it to the ground the first time."
“Shut UP!” She slammed herself into one of the monitors in attempt to get the Dalek off her back. But The Dalek's grip only tightened in response.
“Do not bother.” The Dalek purred. “You cannot escape my control, foolish timelord.”
“Yes I CAN!" The Doctor screamed in agony. Tears welled in her eyes. The pain was almost unbearable now. The Dalek was possessing her mind, her beautiful, fragile mind. Her ultimate weapon. She was losing control. No matter what she did to try and block the Dalek out or throw it off her back it was stronger than her. The Dalek pushed past any mental barrier she put up, digging deep into her memories. She was forced onto her knees, her fingers scratching against the tiled floor. So much pain. There was so much pain... It wasn’t just her mind that felt excruciating pain, but her entire body. She could feel her chest tighten with each ragged inhale, gasping for more air but whatever oxygen she received wasn’t enough to fully expand her chest. The Doctor had felt almost any kind of pain imaginable in the universe but this pain was different. Vaguely familiar, but different. She clutched her chest. One of her heart beats was off. This wasn’t just an invasion of her mind. The Dalek was trying to kill her. The Doctor’s entire body grimaced at a sharp pain in her gut. She weakly lifted her head up. Her vision was getting blurry, the room was spinning. She could vaguely make out Ryan and Yaz- were they arguing? The rest of their friends were inside the TARDIS watching her. Graham looked as if he was guarding the door. The Doctor felt her body curl up as it contracted with pain. She blinked her eyes, trying to keep them open.
“Y-Yaz...” she gasped, gritting her teeth. Her arms shook as she tried to keep herself upright from fully collapsing on the floor. “Y-Yaz.!” She didn’t know if her lover could hear her. Her head was aching. Her vision was fading. The room was spinning. The world felt as if it was falling beneath her. The Doctor felt the Dalek’s grasp tighten around her back that forced her down to the ground with a grunt. Paralysis. Neurological paralysis. The Dalek had gained access to her peripheral nervous system. In minutes it would reach her central nervous system. She tried to move, tried to cry out for help but her muscles wouldn’t move. Nothing would move. If she was breathing she couldn’t feel it. If her hearts were still beating she couldn’t feel it. She couldn’t hear anything. Not even her own thoughts. Except for one thought. No, one thought was screaming at her. What was it saying? She could barely hear it. It wasn’t her own voice, she knew that much. She had heard that scream before. But where? And who did it belong to? The scream was getting louder- was that because she was focusing on it? It was a word. A single word. Two syllables; she could hear the rhythm. It was fast, but it was there. A name? It sounded like a name. Most names were two syllables and single words. But why would someone be screaming a name at her? Unless...
Doctor!
There was a ringing in her ears. Something warm was pressed against her body, particularly her forehead. When she opened her eyes the world was still spinning around her. The lights were too bright and she groaned at the unbearable pain in her head, closing her eyes shut.
No no no don't close your eyes, Doctor listen to me! Follow my voice!
The Doctor inhaled a ragged breath through her nose. She knew that scent. It was soft and sweet and one that she’d always remember.
Y-Yaz..?
She felt her body contract in pain again when she thought of her lover's name. The Dalek was trying to pull her back. She could hear it in her thoughts, feel it in her aching limbs. The Doctor forced herself to move, gritting her teeth.
Don’t move. Don’t you dare move. You're mostly paralyzed you could break something!
The Doctor could feel Yaz pull her closer into her warmth and she shuddered, her eyes fluttering shut.
How are you in my head..?
Touch telepathic connection. I’m getting you out of this just follow my voice, please Doctor follow my voice...
The Doctor hissed as the Dalek’s mental grip tightened on her once again. She leaned into Yaz’s warmth and despite Yaz telling her not to move she moved closer to her, swallowing back a pain filled cry.
Damn it Doctor I told you not to move!
I wanted to! I-I needed to. I’m sensitive to touch telepathy remember? The more contact-
There was a ringing in her ears again, followed by a wave of darkness and the Dalek’s laugh echoing in her mind. The Doctor felt Yaz’s hands grip her shoulders, holding her close to her body.
Tell me what to do. Tell me what you need.
H-Happiness. Yaz I need happiness, anything please... I-I need something else to focus on...
The Doctor could feel Yaz’s conscious invade her own. It was painless- unlike the Dalek’s, it was a flow of warmth and soft shades of violent and maroon before it formed a solid image. She shivered in relief.
It was sunny out. There was a slight breeze in the air, not a cloud in the vast blue sky. Earth. The Doctor knew that sky from anywhere. The trees gently swayed in rhythm with the breeze. Graham was to her left, Ryan to her right. And there was... herself. Standing with Yaz’s grandparents. A bright, small flower was tucked neatly in The Doctor’s hair, the breeze causing a few strands of her golden locks to gently brush against her slightly flushed cheeks. She looked beautiful. Radiant. There was a smile on her face that exposed her dimples and the age lines on her forehead and around her mouth, way her nose gently scrunched up when she chuckled softly. The Doctor was shocked at the sight of herself.
A-Am I really that beautiful?
To me you are.
Damnit did I think that out loud?
The Doctor could hear Yaz chuckle.
Yaz.. Why are you showing me a memory of... Of me..?
Because this is my favorite one so far. My favorite one of you at least...
This is my happiness. You make me happy Doctor. No matter how clueless you can be, despite our little arguments, you make me so happy...
The Doctor could hear her ears ringing again. She could feel the Dalek’s conscious squirm, hear it’s shrieks echoing in her thoughts. She could feel Yaz’s grip on her shoulders tighten again. The ache in her back instantly faded and the mental strain in her thoughts released. She gasped for air, her body spasming for a brief moment. She could feel Yaz hold her back from falling back onto the floor, pulling her deep into her warmth.
There was another shriek outside of The Doctor’s head that made her jolt. Ryan had stabbed the Dalek with a piece of scrap metal laying around.
The Doctor leaned back into Yaz’s arms, leaning her head against Yaz’s upper chest. She slowly closed her eyes-
Yaz shook her.
"Gentle, gentle please." The Doctor rasped.
“Sorry I-“
“Yasmin Khan there is nothing to be sorry about.” She weakly looked up at her. “You saved my life. I don’t know how to thank you.”
Yaz smiled down at her. The Doctor could see the relief in her gaze. “We’re even now.” She gently pressed a kiss onto The Doctor’s forehead.
“Is that because I saved your life before?” The Doctor asked. It sounded painful for her to even talk.
“Yes now hush or you’re gonna hurt yourself even more."
“Too late for that.” The Doctor murmured, nuzzling her face into Yaz’s neck.
“Can you stand?”
The Doctor shook her head. "Without falling over no.” She murmured. "I don't trust myself to even try."
Yaz shifted herself, careful enough to make sure she wasn’t hurting The Doctor, and slowly lifted the blonde up into her arms. The Doctor cringed.
“Sorry..”
“Would you stop doing that?”
“Doing what?”
“Apologizing.” The Timelord mumbled. “You have nothing to be sorry about.” “How are the others going to get home? You’re not fit to control the TARDIS.”
“She can fly herself. She’s touch telepathic too. Put your hand on the console and think of home. She'll take you there.”
Ryan’s Dad looked over at Graham.
“Could I speak with you when we get home?” He asked. “It’s nothing bad.”
Graham shrugged. “Sure.” He flashed a smile. The TARDIS roared to life as Lin and Mitch placed their hands on the console following The Doctor’s instructions. When the TARDIS landed they said their goodbyes and thanked The Doctor once again for her help before walking out into the streets of London. When Graham placed his hand on the console the TARDIS roared once again. She barely noticed the three men walk out. The Doctor was trying her hardest to keep her eyes open but the lights in the TARDIS were too bright for her. She was exhausted. Drained. She could fall right asleep in Yaz’s arms but didn’t want to show how much pain she was in.
“Doctor?”
Except Yaz always knew.
"I'm not going." She murmured into her ear. "I'm staying with you. Until you get better."
The Doctor smiled softly. She weakly pulled Yaz's head down to her level, weakly pressing a kiss onto her lips.
"Good. I was starting to worry about who would give me my evening cuddles."