TTV Series Episode 13: Till Death Do Us Part

“Tim!” Chelsea yelled. “Get the hell into the ambulance now!”

Tim Harris stomped down the stairs, locking the door behind him. He climbed into the back of the ambulance, looking nervously at his stepdaughter Chelsea and his girlfriend Zoe, who was in labour.

“Drive!” Chelsea cried.

The ambulance shot off the estate, and hurled down the road. Zoe cried in pain, almost tearing Tim’s arm off.

“Watch my arm!” he protested.
“Watch your bloody arm?” Zoe yelled. “I made my daughters take your surname, I’m having your child, my Crystal’s dead and my uterus feels like it’s about to burst! Watch your bloody arm? You’re lucky if I don’t kick you in the bloody bal –”
“He gets it, mum,” Chelsea smiled.

***

The Doctor ran to help Crystal, but was thrown off his feet. The Doomsworld became increasingly clear in Crystal’s mind, and suddenly, she heard a voice in her ear.

“I’m gonna send you to the Doomsworld,” the Inquisitor spat. “And then I’m gonna go to your house, and kill your sister. And them I’m gonna go to the hospital, and kill your mum and your brother. And them I’m gonna go to Tesco, and I’m gonna kill your dad.”
“That’s a bit violent,” Crystal frowned. “And he’s not my dad!”

She swung her foot at the Inquisitor, and he dropped her in pain. The Doctor climbed to his feet and pulled Crystal from the room, the door appearing in the glass once more.

“What did he mean, my brother?” Crystal asked as they ran along the nearest corridor.
“Your mum’s pregnant, don’t you remember?” the Doctor replied. “What did you mean about leaving me?”
“I forgot how much I needed you,” Crystal laughed. “And I guess I kind of felt… I felt that you killed me.”

The Doctor pulled her into a room leading off from the corridor. He held her hand, and smiled at her.

“Madame Rene did it to save the world,” he explained. “Without you, I wouldn’t be able to cope. Without you, I’d be lonely.”
“Without me the world would be destroyed,” Crystal realised. “We really are the dream team, aren’t we?”
“Yup,” the Doctor grinned. “Now, let’s find the TARDIS and go!”

He pulled the Sonic Screwdriver from his pocket, and raised it into the air. A familiar grating noise filled the room, and the TARDIS materialised in front of them.

“Can we go and see my brother?” Crystal asked as they entered the TARDIS.
“Of course,” the Doctor smiled. “That’s where we’re headed now!”

A few minutes later, the TARDIS materialised in the waiting room of the hospital. Crystal stepped out, and was immediately confronted by Chelsea.

“What are you doing here?” she cried. “What if mum and dad see you?”
“I wanted to see our brother,” Crystal frowned. “Is he okay? Is mum okay?”
“They’re both fine,” Chelsea smiled. “I’ll ask to hold him – wait here.”

She left the room, as the Doctor emerged from the TARDIS. He and Crystal sat down in some chairs, ignoring the shocked glances of the patients as they stared at the TARDIS. The Doctor concentrated on the television, which was blasting The One Show out at full volume, until Chelsea reappeared.

“Awww!” Crystal cried. “He’s so cute! He’d better not be bald like Tim…”
“He’s our stepbrother,” Chelsea grinned. “And he’s called Tom. Tom Harris.”
“Tom and Tim?” Crystal raised her eyebrows.
“Oh, oh yeah.”

Crystal laughed at Chelsea’s frown, and held her baby brother. He looked up at her with wide eyes, and a brilliant smile. Crystal held out a finger, and Tom’s little pink hand wrapped around it.

“He does loads of cool tricks,” Chelsea said. “If you touch his cheek, he turns to look at you! Weird, huh?”

Before Crystal could reply, the hospital lights flickered. The Doctor immediately abandoned his seat, casting one last glance at Christine Bleakley. Crystal followed him, handing Tom back to Chelsea. Chelsea followed them, carrying Tom, as they stepped out into the corridor.

“This corridor’s empty,” the Doctor muttered. “Perhaps we’d better go back to the…”

Before he could finish, the Inquisitor appeared out of thin air.

“TARDIS,” the Inquisitor finished, laughing. “You’ll regret the day you messed around with me.”

He stepped forwards, knocking the Doctor sideways. Crystal slipped to the floor, and Chelsea screamed as the Inquisitor picked up Tom and began walking down the corridor.

“No!” she yelled.

Zoe looked up from her hospital bed as a skeletal figure entered the room. He handed her Tom, ignoring her shakes of fear.

“Get over yourself, woman,” he sighed. “I’m not the Grim Reaper. You can’t give someone their baby back without getting funny looks these days…”

He turned to leave the room, and was almost immediately confronted by Chelsea. He threw her sideways and headed over to Crystal, who was still on the floor. Grabbing her, he disappeared from the hospital, and the lights flickered on once more.

“Crystal!” the Doctor cried.

He skidded over to where she had vanished, and almost slipped over. Looking under his left foot, he saw Crystal’s locket. Presumably, she had slipped it off in order to remain safe. Chelsea looked up from her place on the floor, but the Doctor was gone, replaced with the sound of the TARDIS dematerialising.

“Why are you taking me here?” Crystal asked as the Inquisitor appeared back in the room behind the glass. “What’s so special about here?”
“It’s my new base,” the Inquisitor snarled. “The Death Collectors saw fit to exile me from our realm. Are, here comes our gate.”

Crystal screamed as a golden gate began to grow up the side of the wall. The Inquisitor dropped her as the gate opened, and white light poured out. Crystal crawled over to the glass wall, but she couldn’t find the door.

“Say hello to the Doomsworld!” the Inquisitor cackled insanely.

He picked Crystal up, and began to drag her to the gate. Suddenly, the sound of the TARDIS filled the air, and the Doctor emerged, behind the glass. He banged his fists, unable to find the door, as Crystal came closer to the gate.

“Please, Doctor!” she sobbed. “Destroy my locket! Please! Do it!”

The Doctor hesitated – it would mean Crystal’s death. But it was the Salvation Realm or the Doomsworld. He sighed, and crushed her locket in his fist. Just as the Inquisitor stepped through the gate, Crystal disappeared. There was a flash of light, and the gate disappeared.

“Sorry Crystal.”

The Doctor sunk to the floor, and began to cry.

***

Crystal looked around, as the white light almost blinded her. She stepped forwards, and found herself standing in front of a gate. The man standing beside the gate smiled at her, and looked at his clipboard.

“Name?”
“Crystal Harris,” Crystal replied.
“We were expecting you a little earlier,” the man frowned.
“I was a little delayed,” Crystal admitted, thinking of her immortal days.
“Ah,” the man smiled. “We had another one like you recently.”
“Is she okay?” Crystal grinned.
“Go and see for yourself,” the man said, turning to face the gate.

The gate opened, and Crystal stepped through it. Before it could close, she stepped back through it.

“You’re Saint Peter, aren’t you?” she asked.
“No I’m not.”

Saint Peter grinned, and beckoned towards the gate. Crystal headed through it, and looked around. It was very white, and there were people all around in white robes.

“Crystal!” a familiar voice called. “It’s me, Catherine Howard!”

Crystal headed towards Catherine, and let out a small smile.

“Perhaps death isn’t so bad.”

The End