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FANFIC: The Blood Red Rose...PG-13 Part 17-20/20

2007-09-19T14:05:50Z

Chapter Seventeen

“Right,” the Doctor said as he landed with a thump on an office building. “I think this is a good place to make a stand. It’s early in the morning and most people are asleep now so I don’t think there’s a chance anyone will get hurt.”

“Except us.”

The Doctor looked at Rose.

“Sure you wanna do this, Rose?” he asked. “I can take you back—“

Rose held up her hand.

“I said I’m in it with ya, and I mean that.” She said.

The Doctor shrugged.

“Okay,” he said slapping his hands together. “How do we lure the little bugger to us?”

The Doctor nearly jumped out of his Converses When Rose screamed out “HEEEEEEEEEEEEEY, WE’RE OVER HEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE!” behind him.

“Um…Rose?”

“Yeah?” Rose said turning around.

“I don’t know if you know this or not; but vampires have extremely sensitive hearing and thanks to you, I have a tremendous headache now.”

“Sorry.”

“Besides, I doubt if that wor…”

He looked behind Rose and his eyes widened.

“On second though, here he comes.” He said. “Hide now!”

Rose looked around and noticed a shadowy area in the far corner of the building. She ran to it and crouched down low. The Doctor nodded satisfied that she could not be easily detected and turned his attention to his adversary who was fast approaching the building.

“Evening.” The Doctor said. “Nice night for flying. The air is unseasonably warm this time of year.”

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and casually rocked back and forth as Ian landed in front of him.

“Very cute, Doctor. You won’t think it so funny when I rip your head off your body.”

He glanced around.

“So, where’s Rose?” he asked him.

“Dunno.”

Ian raised his eyebrow.

“Don’t give me that. I heard your little lover screaming at the top of her lungs a moment ago.”

“Oh! That! That was me.” The Doctor said proudly.

“You?”

“Yeah, I’m great at mimicry. And what better way to lure you over here than to imitate your future bride. And what’d you know, your need to do the mattress mambo with my Rose led you right into my trap. Oh my! This must just be so embarrassing for you, eh? A man who’s only been a vampire for a couple of hours outwitting a 200-year-old bloodsucker. Guess it’s something to tell the boys at the office, huh?”

He scratched his ear.

“Come to think of it, do we even have an office?” the Doctor asked. “I mean, do we all get up at the crack of dusk, report to our workplace to punch in and get our schedules; and then after a hard day’s night, we all gather around the plasma cooler and swap amusing anecdotes?”

“You think you’re cute, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do, actually. Well, at least, Rose says I am. I’m not a judge of beauty by any means, but she seems to prefer this body over the last one. Of course, the last body had these enormous ears that put elephants in Africa to shame, but on the plus side, it did provide lots of shade for Rose wherever we went and…”

“ENOUGH!”

The Doctor frowned.

“What? I’m answering your question.” He said. “I’m only trying to answer your question. I’m just being polite and I…”

The Doctor ducked out of the way as Ian leaped at him.

“Enough talking, let the battle begin!” he screamed.

Chapter Eighteen

“Oh no, that was just rude.” The Doctor said. “No one interrupts me when I’m talking. Even Rose knows that.”

He dodged as Ian made a grab for him.

“I will kill you, Doctor,” Ian said. “And then I will convert Rose and enslave and torment her for all eternity while you watch helpless from the afterlife.”

“Are you sure I’ll be helpless?” the Doctor said. “I mean did you see Ghost with Patrick Swayze? He was dead and he still managed to protect his girl. How do you know I won’t be able to do the same? You don’t, do ya? Yeah, cause you’ve never been officially dead so you don’t know what it’s like and…”

He ducked when Ian flew at him. He grabbed his leg as he went past and hurled him across the roof.

“I said don’t interrupt me! Why is it I have to keep repeating everything to stupid apes like you? Do you even listen--?”

Ian roared and flew at him. The Doctor fell onto his back and when Ian was over him, he raised his leg and kicked him in the gut. He leapt back up as Ian grunted and stopped himself in mid-air. He glared at the Doctor who was giving him a smug look.

“Something wrong, vampy poo?” he said. “Am I winning, is that it? Is that the reason for the sour face?”

Ian floated to the ground. He regarded the Doctor for a moment and then with a smirk closed his eyes.

“Oh, are we playing hide and seek then?” the Doctor asked.

“No, Doctor, I am calling your pet to me.”

“Oh, well, about that whole mind control thing. I think you’ll find that I’ve taken care of that now. I…”

The Doctor trailed off when he saw Rose rise from her corner and start slowly towards Ian.

“Oh no.” he said softly. “No, no, no.”

His hearts sank when Ian opened his eyes and saw Rose staring up at him.

“Hello, my dear. I’m glad you could join us.” He said running a finger down her cheek.

He smirked at the Doctor.

“I knew your little girlfriend was hiding in the corner, Doctor. Do you think I’m so blind that I can’t make out a human figure crouching in the shadows?”

“Let her go, Ian. This is between us.”

“Oh no, Doctor, not while I have the advantage. You see, I can send Rose after you and you won’t stop her. Not without hurting her anyway.”

“You coward!”

“Just like you, Doctor, I seize every advantage I can get.” Ian said.

He looked at Rose.

“And now my dear, I have something for you.” He said pulling a small, wooden stake out from under his coat. “You know what to do with it.”

“No, Rose, don’t!”

Rose took the stake from Ian and turned towards the Doctor. The Doctor started to rise into the air when he noticed Rose winking at him. His eyes widened in understanding and he let his shoulders droop.

“You’re right, Ian. I won’t fight Rose. You win.” He said.

He glanced at Ian and saw that he was frowning at him in confusion.

“You, Doctor, giving up so easily?” he muttered to himself. “There’s something wrong here.”

“Rose, turn around.” Ian said.

Rose stared at the Doctor and smiled at him. Raising the stake, she turned around quickly and with one swift motion plunged it into Ian’s chest.

“OH YES!” The Doctor said. “WELL DONE, ROSE!”

“See, I told ya, I could help.” She said as the Doctor laid a hand on her shoulder.

They both looked over at Ian who was laughing hysterically.

“Little fool!” he said. “It only works if you pierce the heart, and you missed it.”

He pulled the stake out of his chest and flung it out of reach. He looked down and smiled when the gaping hole in his chest closed up.

“Nice try, Rose, now it’s my turn.” He said.

The Doctor yelled as he punched Rose in the jaw. He caught her when she sailed back into him and stared down at her unconscious body.

“YOU BASTARD!” he said.

“I’m impressed, Doctor.” Ian said as the Doctor cradled Rose in his arms. “I was hoping you wouldn’t think to block her mind from me. You’re smarter than I thought.”

He smirked.

“Let’s see if your smarts will be enough to save you from me.” He said.

The Doctor flew backward when Ian took a swing at him. He quickly laid Rose on the ground and balled up his fists.

“Alright, no more mister nice Time Lord!” he said. “It ends here and now!”

Ian grinned.

“Come on, Doctor, show me what you got!” he said.

With a roar of rage, the Doctor flew towards him. Ian fell on his back and kicked him directly in the face.

“That’s for kicking me in the stomach!” he said.

The Doctor let out a grunt and hit the roof. He shook his head and quickly rolled out of the way when Ian dove for him. Jumping to his feet, he sailed up in the air. Ian gritted his teeth and followed him. The Doctor glanced over at Rose.

“Got to get him away from her.” He muttered.

He turned and headed away from the office building at full speed. As he flew over London, he looked back and saw Ian was following close behind him. Looking down, he saw he was flying over a park.

“Aha, cover.” He muttered.

He angled himself down into the trees and flew through them looking for a hiding place. He found a large limb partially hidden in the tree tops and flew up to it. Perching on the limb, he hunkered down and receded into the shadows watching Ian as he flew in and out of the trees looking for him.

“You can’t escape, Doctor.” Ian said. “I know you’re in here somewhere and sooner or later I’ll find you.”

He paused in mid-air and looked all around him. The Doctor moved back further towards the tree trunk keeping his eye on his adversary. He looked around and noticed another study limb a few meters away in another tree. He watched Ian and when his back was turned, he nimbly leapt over onto it and settled back down into the shadows.

“Show yourself, Doctor, before I decide to go back to your precious Rose and deal with her instead.” He said. “And I’m sure you don’t want me to do that!”

The Doctor looked around and noticed another limb near him. He looked back at Ian.

“Come and get me, coward!”

He quickly flew to the other limb as Ian turned his head and went towards the sound of his voice. Perching on the limb, he looked down at Ian who was busy inspecting the limb he had just left. Seizing the opportunity, he quietly left the limb and headed back the other way. As he headed towards another tree, he looked down and noticed a large limb lying on the ground. Smiling, he angled down, quietly snatched the limb up and turned back towards Ian who was busy inspecting the rest of the tree.

“You might as well surrender, Doctor!” Ian said. “You can’t keep up this hide and seek forever. Sooner or later, I will see you.”

“True, but I think it’ll be awhile before you “see” anything.”

Ian turned and grunted as the Doctor smacked him across the face with the limb as hard as he could. Ian smacked into the tree trunk and fell to the ground, dazed.

“Blast, didn’t knock him out. Ah well, at least I made the boy see double.”

He paused for a moment and then flew down to Ian. Holding him with one hand, he quickly searched through his coat and smiled when he located his sonic screwdriver in an inside pocket.

“Thanks for keeping this with you.” He said. “I can’t tell you how much of a pain it is to make these things.”

He flew out of reach when Ian made a grab for him. Pointing his sonic screwdriver at a limb directly above him, he turned it on, and smiled when the branch gave way and fell onto Ian’s head knocking him out cold.

“Oh little sonic screwdriver, I missed you so much!” he said kissing it. “I feel naked without you!”

He looked down at Ian and looked up at the sky.

“About time for the sun to rise.” He said. “Good. Because I have one last offer to make before I let the little bastard roast.”

He flew down and pulled the limb off of Ian.

“Come along, Ian.” He said gathering him in his arms. “You and I need to talk.”

Chapter Nineteen

Holding Ian in his arms, the Doctor flew back to Rose. As he neared her, he was relieved to see she was up and walking around. He smiled when Rose caught sight of him and let out a squeal of joy. He touched down on the roof beside her, quickly lowered Ian to the ground and enveloped her in his arms when she flung herself into them.

“Oh God, Doctor, am I glad to see you!” she said. “I woke up and I didn’t see you and I was so afraid Ian had done something to you!”

The Doctor kissed her cheek.

“I’m sorry I scared you, Rose, but I had to get Ian away from here before he killed you.”

She looked down at him sprawled out on the roof.

“Why did you bring him back here then?” she asked.

“Because I need to talk to him, and I want to do it before the sun comes up.”

Rose frowned.

“Talk? About what?” she said.

The Doctor started to speak when he suddenly noticed Ian beginning to stir.

“No time, just get behind me.” He said.

He glanced up at the sky as Rose moved around him and noticed it was beginning to lighten.

“Good, almost time for sunup.” He said.

He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at him as Ian opened his eyes.

“Welcome back.” The Doctor said.

He held up his hand when Ian leapt up and started to attack him.

“Wait!” he said.

“Why should I?”

The Doctor took hold of Rose and they moved to the side. Ian’s eyes bulged out of his head when he saw the sun starting to rise. He started to lift off into the air.

“Stay where you are!” the Doctor said.

“We’ll finish this later!”

“No! We’re gonna finish this now! If you fly off, I’ll follow and I’ll make sure you stay out in the open until the sun rises and kills you!”

“But you’ll die too, Doctor.” Rose said.

The Doctor shook his head.

“Sunlight doesn’t kill a new vampire. It won’t kill me until after the next full moon when I become immortal permanently. All the sunlight can do at the moment is give me sunburn, which is more than I can say for Ian here.”

Ian glared at him. He threw his arms open.

“You win then, Doctor. I’ll just stand here until the sun takes me.” He said.

“Or…you can listen to my offer instead.”

Ian frowned.

“What offer?” he said.

“I offer you a chance to live, Ian. Unlike you, I am capable of showing compassion even towards people who don’t deserve it.”

“You’re letting me go?”

“I will, if you do as I say.”

“Yeah, and what do I have to do?”

“Relocate.”

“What to another city? Another country?”

“Another planet!”

Ian stared at him.

“What?”

“I know a planet that has no people on it, but does have plants and animals. One plant in particular is known as the Bleeding Corianthus and the reason it is called that is because it uses blood to attract insects and animals for its meals. It’s not human flesh but at least you will be sustained and you can live out your immortal life in peace.”

“But, Doctor, if you let him live you’ll be a vampire forever.” Rose said.

“Not necessarily. There’s always a solution to every problem and I’m sure as clever as I am I could find a way to reverse the vampirism.” He said. “After all, I’m practically a vampire anyway. All I would need to do is reverse the two percent genetic difference between Time Lords and vampires.”

He looked at her.

“In the meantime, I could get used to this. Flying is pretty cool.” He said.

He looked back at Ian.

“So, how about it, Ian? Do you take my offer and live out your life on another planet or do you force me to kill you?”

Ian looked over the Doctor’s shoulder and noticed the sun just beginning to peek over the top of the buildings. He looked at the Doctor.

“What about the rest of my kind? Are you going to take them to this planet as well?” he asked.

“If I run into any others, I will make the same offer to them. But I will not go actively hunt them out. The only reason I’m dealing with you is because you decided to threaten Rose.”

He glanced back over his shoulder and saw the sun was rising quickly into the sky. He looked at Ian.

“So? My offer or death.” He said. “Your choice.”

Ian hesitated for a moment and then snarled at him.

“I won’t be the one to leave this planet, Doctor. You will!” he said.

With a roar, he lunged at the Doctor and Rose. With lightning quick speed, the Doctor pushed Rose away, sidestepped Ian and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck as his momentum carried him past.

“Oh, why do they always have to do things the hard way?” he said.

Holding Ian in a death grip around his neck, he rose several meters into the sky and held him out as the sun rose higher in the sky. He stared ahead impassively while Ian kicked and flailed in an attempt to get away.

“You’ll pay for this, Doctor! You haven’t seen the last of my kind!” Ian said.

“Nope, probably not.” The Doctor said. “But I have seen the last of you.”

He watched as Ian’s body began to smoke. He tightened his grip on his neck when Ian let out a scream and desperately tried to break free.

“Hate to have to do this.” He said to Ian. “But I offered you a chance to get out of it. I can’t let you hurt Rose anymore.”

He floated down to the roof as Ian’s body burst into flames. Touching the ground, he let go and stepped back while Ian writhed and screamed in agony.

“I will be avenged, Doctor! You have not seen the last of the immortals!” he said as flames consumed his body.

With one last scream, Ian’s body broke apart and quickly disintegrated into ashes. The ashes continued to disintegrate until only a fine powder remained. Rose wrapped her arm around the Doctor as they watched the powder blow away into the morning sky.

“It’s over, Rose. We’re free.” The Doctor said.

He turned and embraced Rose as sunlight washed over their bodies.

Chapter Twenty

“Oh, Rose, you’re alright!” Jackie cried out as she and the Doctor walked through the door.

The Doctor smiled when the two of them hugged one another tightly.

Jackie looked up at him and pulled him into the embrace.

“Oh, come here you!” she said hugging him tightly.

The Doctor hesitated and then hugged her lightly around the waist. Jackie broke out of the embrace and looked at him and Rose.

“So, is Ian taken care of?” she asked.

“Yup, Ian is no more. Rose is free.”

Jackie squealed with delight and planted an enormous kiss on her cheek. The Doctor stiffened and resisted the urge to run while Rose giggled.

“I’ll make you both some breakfast.” She said heading towards the kitchen. “I bet you two are starving after all that happened last night.”

“Famished.” The Doctor said. “But I think I’ll skip the bacon and eggs and just have a nip at your neck instead.”

Jackie paused in mid-step. She turned and looked at him.

“What was that?”

“I said I wanted a go at your neck. Sorry, Jackie, but Ian bit me and I’m feeling a bit peckish for blood so can I have some of yours?”

“Oh, you had better be kidding, Doctor.” Jackie said.

“I’m not actually. Ian did convert me, didn’t he, Rose?”

“Yeah, he did, mum. He did it to save my life.”

Jackie looked at them trying to decide if they were kidding or not.

“So, you’re a vampire for real.”

“Sure am and now, sadly, Rose is in my power. See, watch this.”

He closed his eyes. He opened them slightly and stifled a laugh when Rose’s face went blank and Jackie stared at her, panicked. He opened his eyes all the way and gestured to Rose.

“See? Under my thrall.” He said casually.

“Well get her out from under your thrall then.” Jackie said.

The Doctor shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know how. Ian made me do it in the first place. I have no idea how to undo it.”

“I’ll undo it then when I get my big frying pan and cause you permanent brain damage!” Jackie said starting towards the kitchen.

“Slave, stop Jackie!” the Doctor said pointing at her.

“Yes, master!” Rose said. “I hear and I obey!”

Jackie gasped as Rose seized her wrist.

“Sorry, Jackie, guess you’re not getting that frying pan now.” The Doctor said walking up to her.

Jackie raised her hand to slap the Doctor’s face; she paused when she noticed Rose giggling.

“Wait a moment, you’re not hypnotized.” She said.

“Nope, just playing along with the Doctor.” Rose said.

Jackie glared at the Doctor when they both started to laugh.

“Oh ha, ha, really funny.” Jackie said as Rose let go of her wrist. “You’re a laugh a minute, you are.”

“Actually, Jackie, I was a vampire for a couple of hours. I wasn’t kidding about that. But as soon as Ian died, I returned to normal.”

“Yes, thankfully, he was gonna let Ian go and remain a vampire forever.” Rose said.

“And that was a bad thing?” The Doctor said.

“Yes, I would have been traveling with a walking corpse.” Rose said.

“Yeah, but think of the advantages of being the girlfriend of a walking corpse. I could have sped you around the mall and let you get the clothes you wanted before anyone else got to them. We could have had romantic moonlit flights and necking would have taken on a whole new meaning. The only drawbacks would have been me having to hide in the TARDIS doing the day and you cramming into a tight little coffin with me.”

He paused.

“Actually, I would put that bit over into the plus column.” He said. “The point is I would have been a better, stronger Doctor if Ian hadn’t been so obstinate. We would have had to come back here more frequently so I could feed on your mother but isn’t that worth it?”

He backed away when he saw Jackie giving him a look of death.

“Then again, maybe not.” He said.

Jackie rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen as the Doctor nudged Rose and grinned at her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Oh, at last we can be on our way again.” Rose said as she sat on the captain’s chair and watched the Doctor punched in the coordinates.

He grinned at her.

“Why, Rose Tyler, is my aversion to the Tyler flat rubbing off on you at last?”

“No, it’s just that I wanna go somewhere where I won’t run into any vampires. At least not for awhile.”

She paused a moment.

“Doctor, do you think other vampires will get revenge for what you did to Ian?” she said.

The Doctor stared off into space.

“Who knows? I’m not sure how well connected the vampires are to one another and if they notice if one of their own go missing. I told you I was 98 percent vampire and I said that Time Lords can feel the presence of other Time Lords, so maybe the same is true for vampires.”

“So, there’s a possibility that the next time I go home, there could be other vampires lying in wait for us?” Rose asked.

“Well, if that’s the case, there’s a simple solution to that.”

“And that is?”

The Doctor grinned at her.

“Never go home again.”

Rose raised her eyebrow.

“I’m sure you’re just waiting for me to say yes to that.” She said.

The Doctor gave her a look of innocence.

“No, I enjoy my visits with your mum. I just love eating semi-burnt and inedible food while the smell of cheap perfume lingers in the air above me. I can’t imagine how I ever survived 900 years without Jackie Tyler in my life.”

He giggled when Rose slapped his back. He put his arm around her and pulled her close to her.

“Anyway, if there are vampires waiting for us when we get back, we’ll take care of em like we did Ian.”

“We?”

“Yes, Rose, we. You and I are a team even if you don’t think that sometimes and I know that whenever I get in a bind.”

He paused.

“Which isn’t often, mind you.” He said, his eyes twinkling with laughter. “I know I can rely on you to save my gorgeous butt.”

Rose looked behind him.

“Mmmm, gorgeous butt. I agree with that.” She said pinching it.

The Doctor laughed and kissed the top of her head.

“Now, my bride,” he said imitating Dracula. “You vill accompany me to another planet vere ve vill save the universe again and then I vill suck your blood aftervards!”

“Nah, not my blood. You can suck other things though.”

The Doctor’s eyebrows raised almost to the top of his head.

“Well, let’s hurry up and get to the next destination then and get that baddie dispatched.”

Rose giggled and leaned against him. She let out a contented sigh as she laid her head against the Doctor’s chest and listened to the quiet rhythmic beat of his two hearts.

THE END.

FANFIC: The Blood Red Rose...PG-13 Parts 12-16/20

2007-09-19T14:01:49Z

Chapter Twelve

“Here we are, Doctor.”

The Doctor looked up at the crumbling, Victorian house standing before them.

“What, no castle?” he said.

“Mmmm, how amusing, my little pet.” Ian said, stroking his cheek. “I’ll enjoy that wit of yours along with this handsome body you have.”

The Doctor snorted.

“Come along, I’m dying to meet you.”

He paused and let out a little giggle.

“Dying to meet you. How droll. I’m extremely witty as well, don’t you think?”

“Oh yeah, you’re just a laugh a minute.” The Doctor said.

He took the Doctor’s hand.

“This way, Doctor.” He said.

He led him up the front steps.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor looked around while Ian led him through the house. He recognized much of it from Rose’s dream. He looked down at her and wondered if she was aware of anything that was happening. She had been strong enough to break Ian’s hold on her mind so it could be possible she was observing events and was powerless to act. Hoping that was the case, the Doctor laid a hand briefly on her shoulder hoping that Rose could feel it and gain courage and strength from knowing he was still near her. Enough he hoped that she might be able to mount another defense against him. He knew without her help in driving him from her mind, there wasn’t much he could do.

They stopped in the middle of one of the rooms and the Doctor noticed a door off to his right. Ian smiled at him and opened it. The Doctor blinked when light from the room blinded him momentarily. Ian looked back at him and pointed down the stairs.

“This way.” He said.

The Doctor sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets while he followed Ian down the steps. They neared the bottom and he looked around and noticed they were in a large, dusty basement. He glanced around behind him and caught sight of Ian’s coffin resting just behind the stairs. There sitting on top of it was Ian. Ian smiled and rose from the coffin.

“Doctor.” He said.

“Ian! How are ya, ya bloodsucking bastard? Been a long time! How’s the wife and kiddies?” the Doctor said.

He paused.

“So, have to ask ya since we’re now that we’re face to face. Why Ian? Why not Lestat or Bloodrein or Moondroppings or some other Goth name like that?”

Ian chuckled.

“I am not pretentious, Doctor. I know vampires who have renamed themselves with silly names like that, but I prefer my own name. I happen to like it.”

The Doctor shrugged.

“Fair enough.” He said.

He glanced at Rose and noticed she was still in a trance.

“So, what happens to her then? Are you gonna release her now that we can see each other face to face?” he said.

Ian stared at Rose who was staring back at him blankly.

“Depends, Doctor.”

“On what?”

Ian looked at him.

“Depends on if you’re thinking of escape. Because if you are, I’m going to keep her under my thrall to keep you in line. However, if you and she decide to accept your fates, I will release her mind so she can see what’s going on.”

The Doctor sighed.

“We won’t try to escape.” He said.

“Is that a promise, Doctor, or are you just saying that so I’ll release my hold on Rose?” Ian said.

“No, I promise we won’t escape. You win.”

Ian studied his face for a moment before nodding. He closed his eyes and Rose let out a gasp when he withdrew from his mind. The Doctor quickly took her hand and she looked up at him.

“Doctor?”

“It’s okay, Rose.” He said. “Ian’s let go of your mind and you and I are in his…”

He looked around the basement.

“Lair, if you can call it that.” He said.

He looked at Ian.

“Seriously, why would a vampire want to live in a rotting house in the middle of London? Wouldn’t you like to live somewhere a little more exotic; say, Transylvania?”

“That’s been done to death!” Ian said. “London is much more interesting. Besides, Transylvania is full of superstitious people who still believe in the undead. Londoners, for the most part, think vampires are a load of rubbish so it’s easy to get a meal without worrying about getting a stake through the heart. Not to mention the fact that most of the undead don’t think of setting up shop here so there isn’t much competition for food.”

He smiled at them.

“Of course, after tonight, there will be two new immortals, but we will be working together, not in competition.”

“How do you know? Maybe after we become vampires, Rose and I will want to get a home of our own.” The Doctor said.

Ian chuckled.

“I doubt that. I think Rose will prefer to stay here. Won’t you my dear?”

Rose backed up closer to the Doctor, when Ian tried to stroke her cheek. The Doctor put a hand on her shoulder.

“Not a chance in Hell.” She said.

Ian smiled.

“I think you’ll change your mind about that.” He said.

He closed his eyes and the Doctor gasped when Rose got a glazed look in her eyes and began to walk towards him.

“Damn you!” he said.

The Doctor started walking towards Ian.

“Ah, ah, I warn you, Doctor. I can make Rose suffer again and I’m sure you don’t want that.” Ian said.

The Doctor stopped in his tracks and glared at him while Ian embraced Rose.

“There, she’s much more agreeable, don’t you think?”

“So, this is going to be Rose’s fate then?” the Doctor said. “Spend eternity as your puppet?”

“Oh no, once I convert her and you; you won’t ever want to leave.” Ian said.

He looked down at her and stroked her cheek.

“She’s so beautiful, Doctor. I can see why you love her so much. Of course, her beauty will be enhanced once she’s immortal, as will yours.”

The Doctor watched in disgust while Ian lowered her mouth to Rose’s and kissed her passionately. Seizing on the distraction, he reached into his pocket and slowly brought out his sonic screwdriver. Keeping his eye on Ian, he slowly raised it towards him. He aimed it at his head and gasped when suddenly with lightning quick speed; Rose broke out of the embrace, snatched the screwdriver from his hand and handed it to Ian.

“Thought you might try something with your little toy.” He said. “I see you’ll have to be secured until after your conversion.

The Doctor gasped when Ian moved swifter than thought and grabbed him around the neck. The Doctor grunted as Ian lifted him off his feet and held him aloft.

“You’ll never get away with this.” The Doctor said. “I’ll stop you somehow.”

Ian smirked at him.

“Try to stop me when you’re out cold then, Doctor.”

He flung him as hard as he could and watched as the Doctor smacked against the back wall and fell to the ground, unconscious.

“There, that’s better.” He said.

He looked over at Rose who was standing beside him. She had remained impassive through the whole thing. He stroked her cheek.

“Come, my bride, let’s get the Doctor tied up so the blood ritual can begin.”

Chapter Thirteen

The Doctor groaned and slowly opened his eyes.

“Note to self.” He said. “Next time you try to use your sonic screwdriver on a vampire throw a bag of garlic in his face first.”

He winced at his throbbing head and tried to raise his hand to rub the back of his head. He sighed when he couldn’t and looked down to see that he was tied up and sitting on the floor of the basement. He looked down at the rope tied around his legs and ankles.

“Wonderful.” He said.

He looked around and noticed Rose was sitting by herself on top of Ian’s coffin. She had a flowing white gown on and was staring at the wall impassively.

“Rose. Rose!”

He got no response from her.

“Bollocks!”

He glanced all around hoping to see his sonic screwdriver and let out a curse when he couldn’t find it. Gritting his teeth, he tried to pull his legs apart hoping that the ropes were old enough that he could snap them. He let out a frustrated sigh when they held fast.

“Okay, Doctor, time to use the old noggin.” He said. “You’re tied up in a rotting basement without your sonic screwdriver and Rose is in a trance. What do you do?”

He stared at Rose while he tried to formulate a plot. He had no idea where Ian had gone, but he was sure he wouldn’t be absent for long. He took a breath as he began to talk to himself.

“Let’s see…what are my options right now?” he said. “Rose is under his spell and so far she hasn’t been able to break free like she did earlier so I’m betting the closer in proximity she is to him, the stronger the hold. If I can get her away from him, maybe she would have the strength to fight.”

He stared down at the ropes binding his legs.

“Of course, I have to get these buggers off of me first. No sonic screwdriver to burn through them and Rose isn’t any help so what to do?”

He butted his head back against the wall gently.

“Think, think, think. Come on, Doctor. You don’t want to end up a vampire, do you?”

He paused and his eyes widened as he suddenly thought of something.

“Wait a moment.” He said. “Why didn’t I think of it before? That’s exactly what I’ll do! I’ll become a vampire and beat Ian at his own game.”

He looked at Rose.

“Rose! There’s hope for us yet!”

She made no response.

“Rose, I know some part of you can still hear and understand me. Just hold on and have faith in your Doctor. I’ll get us out of this, I promise.”

She said nothing, but deep down inside the Doctor knew she understood him and he took comfort in that.

He jerked his head up towards the top of the stairs when he heard a woman’s shrill scream echoing down to him. He gritted his teeth and stared at Ian, enraged, when he saw him coming down the stairs dragging a screaming woman with him.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. I needed to feed before we started the ritual and I brought along a meal for you.” He said. “I figure after this is all over, you’ll be hungry.”

The Doctor fought to restrain himself while he looked into the terrified woman’s eyes. It wasn’t bad enough that he and Rose were caught up in all this, now he had to pull an innocent woman into it with them.

“Let her go, Ian.” He said. “We don’t need her!”

“On the contrary, you’ll want her after your conversion. You see, Rose is going to go first and after she’s converted, I will let her drain you before I convert you and by the time you wake up, you’ll be feeling awfully peckish, Doctor, trust me.”

He sighed and rolled his eyes as the woman screamed at him and tried to wiggle out of his grasp.

“I’m not putting up with this in the meantime.” He said.

The Doctor’s eyes widened in horror. He watched Ian picked the woman up and throw her against the basement wall.

“No!”

He yelled when the woman let out a grunt and fell like a stone to the basement floor.

“There, that’s better.” Ian said. “Less noise in here now.”

The Doctor looked the woman over as she lay unconscious beside him. Satisfied that she was still alive, he turned his attention back to Ian who was slowly walking towards Rose. He stroked her cheek.

“I see my bride has been behaving herself while I was gone.” He said.“Good. I would have hated to punish her again. It’s a shame to see such a beautiful creature writhing in pain.”

He smiled at the Doctor who was staring at him, enraged. Ignoring the look of death he was giving him, Ian turned back to Rose.

“Stand.”

Rose stood up. She made no movement while Ian ran his hand through her hair.

“She’s such a lovely vision in this frock, don’t you think, Doctor?” he said. “I picked it out just for her. I knew she would look gorgeous in it.”

He glanced over at the Doctor.

“I didn’t pick out anything for you, because I actually like your choice of outfit.” He said. “You look handsome in that suit and trench coat.”

His eyes filled with lust.

“You’ll look far handsomer without it on though, I’m sure.”

Ignoring the Doctor’s loud snort, he turned his attention back to Rose. He smiled and ran his hand down her cheek.

“Almost two centuries, Doctor.” He said. “That’s how long I’ve been alone, and in all that time I’ve hungered for someone to share my lonely nights with.”

He glanced at the Doctor.

“Ah, but you, Doctor, you’ve been alone for far longer, haven’t you?”

He nodded to himself when the Doctor said nothing and turned his attention back to Rose.

“Yes, you know what it’s like to be alone. To spend all your life searching for that special someone who will make your life complete.”

He smiled and ran his finger down Rose’s jugular vein.

“And you finally found someone, didn’t you, Doctor? A beautiful, little lass that fell in love with you and brought meaning to your empty existence. Suddenly, there she was shining a bright light into the darkness of your soul and even though you knew it was foolish you fell head over heels in love with her and she became your everything.”

He glanced back at the Doctor.

“Didn’t she? She is your sweet, innocent angel. A selfless little saint who took a damaged, beaten, broken-down alien and restored him.”

He looked back at Rose.

“Shame that such a lovely creature has a very limited time on this Earth though. It must make you ache inside, Doctor, to know that one day her life will end and all the color and warmth will fade from this soft, milky white, skin. And then this little goddess, who loves you so completely, will be laid in the cold, hard ground where her beauty will be hidden and slowly rot away.”

He glanced back around and saw the anguish in the Doctor’s eyes as he stared at Rose.

“Yes, Doctor, it will be painful when that day finally does come.” Ian said. “The day when you hold Rose in your arms and she breathes her last breath will be the day your world ends, won’t it? Because that’s what she is now. Your whole world.”

He looked back at Rose and stroked her side.

“I wonder Doctor, will you be able to keep her with you until the very end or will you let her go as you did all the others to avoid the pain of seeing your true love wither and die in front of your eyes?”

He stayed silent for a moment and stared at Rose.

“I can help you, Doctor.” He said. “I can give your beloved angel immortality. I can stop death in its tracks and keep her forever young.”

He looked at him and smiled.

“That is my gift to you, Doctor. Because I sense a kindred spirit in you. A lonely wanderer who longs for someone to shares his adventures with him for all eternity. And that is what I will give to you after tonight. Your beloved will never die. She will never age and you and she can be together forever.”

“As your slaves.”

Ian sighed.

“No, Doctor, not as my slaves. If I wanted you to be my slaves, I wouldn’t convert you. I would simply hypnotize you into mindless zombies. We do not choose just anyone to become immortal, Doctor. Only the best and the beautiful are given that precious gift. That is why you are here along with Rose. Originally, I was going to have her kill you and that would be that. But once I saw you and saw into Rose’s memories, I realized how unique you are and how much of a credit you would be to the immortal race.”

“What if I don’t want your “gift”?” the Doctor said “What if I’m happy with Rose being just the way she is?”

“You want her to grow old and die?”

“Yes! I want her to grow old and die! You’re right about everything, Ian. Rose is my life, my angel and my hearts will break into the day she dies. But, I’d rather she did die than live forever as a bloodsucking monster preying off innocent people!”

Ian’s face twisted in rage as he walked over to the Doctor.

“Is that what you see when you look at me, Doctor? A monster? If I’m a monster, than what does that make you? You destroyed your own people, your own planet. That’s more than I’ve ever done.”

“Damn you for saying that.”

“Well? It’s the truth, Doctor. You’re as much a murderer as I am. More so, since you’ve killed far more people than me. I and other immortals take what we need to exist, Doctor, no more, no less. We don’t kill just for the fun of it.”

“I don’t either.”

Ian stared at him.

“No, you don’t. You’re right, Doctor. You kill only when you need to, just like I do. I’m sorry for saying what I did, but I get so tired of mortals negative perception of my kind. We are not monsters, Doctor. We are living beings and deserve our place in the universe just as much as you and Rose do.”

“Then let Rose and I exist in our place in the universe.” The Doctor said. “We don’t want to be vampires. We don’t want this so called gift of yours. Go find someone who is willing and convert them. Let us go.”

Ian ran his finger down his cheek.

“I’m sorry, Doctor, I can’t do that. Just like you, I’ve searched all my undead life for the right person or persons to share my life with and now that I’ve found them I won’t let them go. Believe me, everyone is fearful of the change, but once they become immortal and see what it’s truly like, they quickly change their minds. You and Rose will be no different.”

“Then, if there is no choice for us. I have one last request.” The Doctor said.

“Yes, Doctor.”

The Doctor looked into his eyes.

“Let me go first.”

Chapter Fourteen

Ian gave him a wary look.

“Why?”

“Because I want to go first. I want to be the one to convert Rose. I want to make sure she feels no pain during it.”

“I won’t cause her any pain.” Ian said. “No one feels any pain when I do it. I’m careful, Doctor. I’ve had almost two hundred years experience. I think I know what I’m doing.”

“Nevertheless, I want to be the one to do it. She is my lover, not yours and if she’s going to die and be reborn, I want her to be in my arms when it happens.”

He leaned forward and looked him in the eyes.

“Besides, don’t you want to taste my blood for yourself?” he said. “Alien blood, you know, aren’t you curious about the flavor?”

He smirked when he saw the look of hunger on Ian’s face.

“Come on, Ian. Take a taste of the old Time Lord and sample a time traveler.” He said. “I’m sure it’ll be an experience you won’t forget.”

Ian nodded.

“Yes, I want you, Doctor. I want your blood.” He said. “I will give you Rose in exchange for that honor.”

The Doctor smiled.

“Tuck in then.” he said.

Ian paused and stared at him suspiciously as the Doctor laid his head to the side and exposed his jugular vein.

“Well, what ya waiting for? Get to it!” the Doctor said.

“I’m just curious about this sudden change of heart, Doctor. Why are you so eager for me to convert you now? What are you planning?”

“What do you mean, what am I planning? I’m not planning anything, Ian. I’m tied up with nowhere to go and you have a grip on Rose’s mind. I’m not a patient person. I never have been. I’m tired of sitting here on this hard, cold floor listening to you go on and on. If my destiny is to become a vampire, then get on with it!”

Ian stared at him a moment more and then looked back over his shoulder.

“Rose, come here.”

The Doctor looked at Rose who was walking towards them. Panic gripped his hearts.

“What are you doing now?” he said.

“I want Rose to witness this. I want her to see what it’ll be like when you take her.” He said.

Rose stopped behind him and stood motionless.

“No! Please, let her alone.” The Doctor said. “Normally, I would ask you to release your hold on her mind, but not now. I don’t want her to see us.”

“Kneel.”

Rose obeyed without question.

He turned back at the Doctor who was staring at him with hate.

“You bastard. You’re doing this to torture us, aren’t you?”

“Not at all. The blood ritual is a beautiful thing, Doctor. Besides, Rose should be a witness to your rebirth.”

The Doctor’s hearts stopped when he saw Ian close his eyes. He felt his hearts sink when Rose blinked her eyes and stared around confused.

“Doctor?”

“Rose! Run away! Get away from here now!”

Ian chuckled.

“She can’t move, Doctor. I only withdrew from part of her mind. I’m still controlling her movements.”

“What are you doing to the Doctor?” Rose said.

“He is going to go first.”

Rose frowned at him. She mouthed “Go where?” Then, her eyes widened and the Doctor’s hearts sank as he watched realization set in.

“NO! You can’t do this!” she said. “Don’t hurt him. Take me!”

The Doctor’s eyes shone with love.

Ian chuckled.

“How noble of you, my dear, but the Doctor volunteered to go first so I’m afraid you’ll just have to wait your turn.”

Ian lowered himself to the Doctor’s neck. The Doctor kept his eyes on Rose and saw she was straining to get up off the floor and get to him.

“Doctor.”

The Doctor gave her a loving smile.

“It’s alright, Rose. I’ll be fine, trust me.” He said.

He winced when he felt Ian sink his fangs into his neck and then felt that area go numb as Ian began to feed.

“Oh God…” Rose said.

The Doctor gave her a brave smile.

“It doesn’t hurt, Rose.” He said. “Once I become a vampire, I’m going to be the one to convert you, so you have nothing to be afraid of.”

Rose felt the tears began to fall as she saw the Doctor began to weaken and his eyelids begin to droop.

“I…love…you…Rose. Soon…it’ll…all…be…over…and…we’ll…be…together.”

“Doctor, I love you too.” Rose said.

She wept quietly when she saw the Doctor’s breathing become more and more erratic. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to her, Ian finally stopped and leaned back up.

“You monster!” Rose said.

Ian looked back at her.

“I don’t understand why everyone calls me a monster.”

“Because you are! You killed him!”

“No, I didn’t. It’s true he’s barely alive at this point and if I let him alone, he would die, but I’m about to give him life, Rose. A life fuller than any he’s ever had.”

Turning from her, he ignored her and brought his wrist to his mouth. He bit down hard on his vein. Turning his bloodied wrist over, he brought it down on top of the Doctor’s mouth. He smiled as the blood dripped into his mouth.

“Drink, my Doctor. Live forever!”

“No, Doctor! Don’t swallow! Spit it out!”

Ian smiled and he watched the Doctor’s Adam’s apple bob up and down as he drank the blood.

“It’s too late, my dear. He’s already feeding on me.”

Ignoring Rose’s anguished wail, he pulled his wrist away and shifted his body so Rose could see.

“Behold, my bride. The Doctor is becoming an immortal!” he said.

Rose shook her head in disbelief while she watched the Doctor’s breathing become more and more erratic and finally stop.

“Doctor. No.”

After a moment, the Doctor opened his eyes and looked around.

“Hello.”

“Hello, my immortal lover.” Ian said. “Welcome to your new life.”

The Doctor smiled. He rose slightly and met Ian’s lips in a kiss while Rose sobbed. They stayed that way for a moment and then broke apart.

“I feel incredible. You’re right. This is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I feel like I can do anything.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that, my love.” Ian said.

He untied the Doctor and looked over at Rose.

“And now, why don’t you show Rose how wonderful being undead really is?”

The Doctor smiled and sat up.

“No, Doctor, don’t do this.”

“But Rose, there’s nothing to be afraid of.” The Doctor said. “I’ve never felt more alive in my life and now we can be together for all eternity.”

Rose wept when he laid a hand against her cheek.

“I’ll be gentle, my Rosebud, I promise.” He said. “I know instinctively what to do. You’ll be safe with me.”

He kissed her forehead.

“Trust me, Rose. You do trust me, don’t you?”

Rose bit her lip and nodded.

The Doctor laid his head against her forehead.

“Good, I’m glad you trust me because you know what?” he said.

Rose swallowed the lump in her throat.

“W…what?”

The Doctor looked into her eyes and grinned.

“I’m not under Ian’s control, and the sorry bastard is about to pay for what he’s done.”

Chapter Fifteen

Ian did a double take.

“What?” he said.

The Doctor gave him a triumphant grin.

“That’s right, Ian, I’m not your willing love slave. Sorry.”

“But I gave you my blood. You should be converted.”

“Oh, I am.” The Doctor said opening his mouth and showing him his elongated canines. “But there is one essential fact about me that you didn’t know about. You see, the whole spiel you were making about us being alike is very true. It turns out that my people’s DNA is 98 percent compatible with vampire DNA. Rassilon, who is considered the god on my planet, defeated the Great Vampire back in the beginnings of the universe, but not before he was bitten and changed into a vampire himself. He created the rest of us and wouldn’t you know it, we’re cousins! So, that combined with the fact that I have a superior mind that far surpasses any human makes me resistant to vampire control.”

“So, why did you let me do the blood ritual?”

“Oh, well see, the problem is I’m only 98 percent compatible. I’m missing the 2 percent that comprises a vampire’s powers such as super strength and speed. Your conversion supplied me with that missing 2 percent which means I can do everything you can do while keeping my identity intact.”

Ian gasped when the Doctor snatched him by the throat. He stood up and held Ian aloft in his hand.

“Congratulations, Ian, you just enhanced my natural abilities ten fold and leveled the playing field between us. So…WELCOME TO HELL, VAMP BOY! THE ASS WHOOPIN’ IS ON!”

Ian yelled when the Doctor flung him across the room. He smacked against the wall so hard he made a dent and, with a groan, fell forward on his face.

“Rassilon, that felt good!”

He reached down, picked up the unconscious woman and put her over his shoulder. He bent down to pick up Rose.

“Doctor? She said.

“Yes, Rose?”

“Is…is…it true? Are you really a vampire now?”

“Yes, I am.”

He saw the anguish in her eyes and stroked her cheek.

“But…I know a way to become mortal again.”

“You do?”

“Course I do. I wouldn’t have allowed myself to be converted if there wasn’t a way out of it.” He said. “I love food too much to spend the rest of my life living off blood.”

He looked over and saw Ian was slowly getting up.

“Now hurry, Rose, put your arms around my neck. I gotta get you and this woman to safety.”

“But I can’t move.”

“Yes, you can. When he was knocked out, his hold over you was broken.”

Rose tested her arm and saw that it moved freely. She smiled and flung her arms around the Doctor’s neck. He wrapped an arm around her back and held her tight as he stood up.

“Hang on, Rosebud,” the Doctor said. “I’m still getting the hang of my new abilities.”

He looked over at Ian who was nearly to his feet. He winked at him.

“Catch us if you can.” He said.

Rose gasped as the Doctor tightened his hold on her and jumped up the stairs. Her eyes widened when he cleared the twenty steps in one huge leap and landed nimbly on his feet.

“Wow, I could get used to this.” He said.

He grinned down at Ian who was now at the bottom of the stairs.

“What’s wrong, Ian? Don’t like the new improved me?”

“I will kill you, Doctor. I will kill all of you.” He said.

The Doctor pouted.

“Aw, lover’s tiff so soon? That doesn’t bode well for our relationship.”

He smirked when he heard Ian roar with rage and leap up the stairs toward them. He calculated his trajectory and speed quickly and waited until he was almost upon him before he raised his foot and kicked him hard in the chest, sending him back down the stairs.

“Get back down there, vampy boy!” he said.

Ian smacked into the wall at the bottom of the stairs. He looked over at Rose.

“This is brilliant. Maybe I’ll stay a vampire after all. I can just imagine myself kicking an army of Daleks out of my way.”

He paused for a moment.

“Nah, still isn’t worth it trading my mortality for an insatiable blood lust.” He said.

“Doctor!”

The Doctor looked down and saw Ian was about to leap up the stairs again.

“Hmmm, maybe it’s time to take this battle outdoors.” He said.

He tightened his grip around Rose.

“Hang on, Rose. I’m gonna go really fast.” He said.

Rose gasped when the Doctor took off running through the house and reached the front door before she could blink.

“Yup, there are definite advantages to being a vampire.” He said.

He flung open the door and ran down the stairs to the street. He turned to see Ian was at the door.

“You think you’re so clever, Doctor.” Ian said.

“I am clever, actually.” The Doctor said. “I figured out a way to beat you at your own game and I kept my individuality. Go me!”

He smirked.

“And now the one new skill I’ve been…dying to try out.”

He let out an insane giggle and began to imitate Ian.

“Oooo, I said dying to try out. How droll. I just made a witty little pun. Aren’t I fantastic?”

Ian snarled at him.

“Ah, what’s wrong? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, you know.”

“I will pull your hearts from your chest and stuff them down your throat!” Ian said.

“Ooo, nasty and a bit messy. I’ll pass.”

He sped backwards a couple of meters as Ian made a grab for him.

“Hold on tight, Rose.” The Doctor said.

Rose looked at him.

“Why?”

He grinned at her.

“’Cause I’m gonna do THIS!”

Rose screamed when the Doctor leapt into the air and became airborne. Rose threw her arms around his neck in a death grip. The Doctor winced at the pressure on his throat.

“Boy, it’s a good thing I’m not breathing at the moment.”

Rose relaxed her hold slightly and looked down at Ian who was following close behind. She looked at the Doctor.

“Why hasn’t he done anything to me?” she said.

The Doctor glanced down while he flew horizontally, and saw Ian was closing the distance between him.

“I caught him off guard when I kicked him and I think he’s been too preoccupied with killing us to concentrate on your mind right now.” He said. “I need to keep him occupied so he won’t take that advantage.”

He looked back down and saw they were flying over an office building.

“I’m gonna set you and this woman on the top of this building, Rose, so I can have my hands free to fight. As soon as I touch ground, let go and grab the woman when I lift her off my shoulders. I think she’s okay for now, but she’ll probably need medical attention.”

Rose nodded. She hung on tightly while the Doctor lowered himself to the roof. When he landed, she quickly let go and helped the woman off the Doctor’s shoulder. When she was lying safe on the roof, the Doctor looked up at Ian who was quickly lowering himself to the roof.

“Here goes nothing.” He said.

“Be careful, Doctor.” Rose said.

The Doctor managed one quick smile at her before he jumped into the air and sped towards Ian. Rose knelt beside the woman and watched as the two men connected mid air and began to pummel each other with their fists. She winced when Ian finally got in a strong enough punch and knocked the Doctor back towards the roof.

“Doctor!” Rose said.

The Doctor stopped himself moments before he connected with the roof. He craned his neck back and looked at her.

“Yeah?”

Rose rolled her eyes.

“Never mind.” She said. “Thought you were gonna hit the roof for a moment.”

“Me? Never!” Him, on the other hand…”

He quickly righted himself and pushed off again. Ian tried to dodge, but the Doctor anticipated his movement and landed a haymaker on his jaw. The force of the blow sent Ian flying backwards and the Doctor stood in mid-air with his hands in his pockets watching him.

“Ooops, on second thought, I guess he’s gonna miss the roof.” He said. “Maybe he’ll hit Mars instead.”

Ian finally managed to stop himself, turned himself head first toward the Doctor and dive bombed him.

“Drat, didn’t make Mars. Guess I’ll have to try harder next time.”

Rose’s eyes widened. She watched the Doctor stand perfectly still while Ian came at him at top speed.

“Doctor!”

“I know, Rose, I see him!”

He waited a moment more, and then at the last minute flew upwards into the sky. He turned around and grinned when Ian’s momentum carried him into one of the office building’s windows. His grin widened when he crashed through the window and smacked head first into a desk with an enormous ‘BANG’.

“Ow, that had to have hurt even for a dead person.” He said.

As Ian groaned and tried to get up from the middle of the destroyed desk, the Doctor quickly flew down to Rose and the woman. He picked the woman up and quickly slung her over his shoulder.

“Hop on again, Rose. While he’s recovering, I’m gonna move you to safety and then I’m gonna amp things up significantly.”

A/N: I’m basing some of the vampire stuff and the Doctor’s conversion on what occurred in the Doctor Who Missing Adventure, Goth Opera, where Five and Nyssa became vampires for awhile. It’s a very good novel, if you are able to find it.

Chapter Sixteen

The Doctor touched down in front of a hospital. Rose let go and followed him as he walked into the emergency room entrance.

“This woman needs medical attention!” he said.

Two nurses wheeled a gurney up to him and he laid her on it.

“Are you relatives?” one of the nurses said.

The Doctor shook his head.

“No, we found her lying out on the street and brought her in here.” He said.

The nurse shook her head.

“Do you know what happened to her?”

The Doctor glanced at Rose.

“Um…no, I have no idea.” He said.

The nurse nodded.

“Take her to room 3.” She said to the other nurse.

The nurse took the gurney and wheeled it off to a nearby exam room.

“Thank you for bringing her in. We’ll take care of her.” The other nurse said to them.

The Doctor smiled and nodded. He waited until the nurse went back behind the desk before turning Rose towards him and putting his hands on her shoulders.

“Stay here, Rose, where you’ll be safe.”

“No way.”

The Doctor sighed.

“Rose—“

“Doctor, this is just as much my fight as it is yours. I’m going to help you.”

The Doctor folded his arms over his chest.

“How?” he said. “Ian is a powerful vampire with abilities far beyond any mortal not to mention the fact that he still has a hold on your mind. He’ll be able to take control of your mind before you get within ten meters of him. So how are you going to do it?”

“Change me.”

“Change you?”

“Yes, make me a vampire so I can fight alongside you.”

“Rose, be sensible.”

“I am being sensible. You allowed Ian to change you into a vampire so you could fight him and you told me you have a way to change yourself back to a mortal so do the same to me.”

The Doctor looked around and pulled Rose into the corner. He leaned down and lowered his voice.

“This won’t work, Rose.” He said. “I can’t turn you into a vampire.”

“Why not?”

“Because in order to become mortal you have to kill the vampire that changed you and do it before the next full moon. If I change you…”

Rose’s eyes widened in understanding.

The Doctor nodded.

“So you see, Rose. The only way you could become a vampire safely is if Ian turns you and I’m not about to do that.”

“But I want to help you.”

“Rose, you can help me by staying here and staying out of harm’s way.” The Doctor said. “I’ll be able to concentrate on defeating Ian if I know you’re safe.”

The Doctor’s eyes widened in shock when Rose suddenly turned and stomped away from him.

“Rose…” he said starting after her.

“Leave me alone.”

“Rose.”

He took a hold of her shoulder.

“Rose, please, don’t be angry at me.” He said.

Rose turned around and put her hands on her hips.

“When are you gonna stop treating me like a child and let me be a part of the team?” She said.

The Doctor let out an exasperated sigh.

“You are a part of the team, Rose.” He said. “If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be here.”

“Then let me help fight Ian.”

“Rose, it’s too dangerous!” the Doctor said through gritted teeth. “I care about you more than anything and I will not see you get hurt!”

“What about me? I care about you more than anything and I don’t wanna see you get hurt either!”

The Doctor ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

“I don’t have time for this now, I really don’t” he muttered as he headed for the front entrance. “I have a vampire to stop and I’m not going to waste valuable time arguing with you. If you feel you’re not a team player then you can stay with your mum when all this is sorted out.”

He looked back when Rose gripped his arm.

“Doctor, don’t be angry. I just want to help, okay?” she said. “I don’t understand why you don’t have faith in me. I’ve never let you down. I’ve fought the Daleks, the Slitheen, The Cybermen and a ton of other monsters and I’ve come out of it alright. I’m not weak, Doctor.”

“I never said you were, Rose.”

“Then why do you constantly try to put me on the sidelines?”

She gasped when the Doctor seized her arms and stared at her with an intense look in his eyes.

“Because, Rose, I care about you more than life itself and I’m scared half out of my mind I’m gonna lose you!” he said. “I’ve lost too many people in my life and I’m sick of going through the pain and the grief. Every time we step onto a planet I’m taking a risk that you might get hurt or killed. I play Russian Roulette with your life every time we go somewhere.”

“No, Doctor, it’s me who is risking my life.” Rose said. “I love what we do. I love being with you and I want to help you defeat bad guys and save the universe. I can’t do that if I’m stuck in a hospital. There are a lot of things I can do to help you if you’d just trust me.”

The Doctor sighed.

“Please, Doctor, please trust me.”

“And what happens if he takes control of your mind and turns you against me?” he said. “I don’t think my trust in you will do much good when I’m trying to fight both you and him at the same time.”

“Well, you’re a vampire now. Can’t you do something about that?”

The Doctor paused. His eyes widened as realization hit him.

“Of course.” He said. “I’m more powerful than he is now. I can just block your mind and prevent him from accessing it. Why didn’t I think of that be…”

He paused when he saw Rose fold her arms across her chest and raise her eyebrow.

“Okay, I admit it, you do help me out a lot.” He said.

“Oooo; that must have been really hard for you to say.” Rose said.

She giggled as the Doctor eyed her. He looked out the front entrance and back at Rose.

“Alright, you can help me, BUT, you will follow my orders. If I tell you to fall back, you will do that, is that clear?”

“Crystal.”

The Doctor nodded. He put his fingertips on her temple.

“I hope this works.” He said closing his eyes. “If I’m wrong, I’m pretty sure he won’t hesitate to send you after me.”

He opened one eye.

“Rose, if this does fail and he makes you fight me; are you prepared to accept that risk? Because if I’m forced to knock you out to get to him, I will.”

“I accept that risk.”

The Doctor nodded and closed his eye. He took a deep breath and concentrated. Rose stood quietly and waited for him to finish. After a moment, the Doctor opened his eyes.

“Okay, I think that’s done it.” He said. “I can’t be sure though. Never done anything like this.”

He put his hands on her shoulders.

“Stay back out sight.” He said. “Don’t let him see you unless it’s absolutely necessary. I’ll try to keep him busy so he won’t have time to think of you and if he sees you he might try to take over your mind. Like I said, I’m not sure if I was successful with the mind block so I’d rather not take any chances. Okay?”

Rose nodded.

The Doctor sighed. Taking her hand in his, he gave it a squeeze before walking out the door.