Leap of Faith
third.
Barty walked into the bedroom where Gwen and the Doctor had stayed the night before, where the TARDIS stood, and found it empty. He glanced around the room and bit of paper on the night table caught his eye. He strolled over and picked it up, scanning over it quickly with his eyes.
Barty,
The Doctor and I went into the village. We'll be back later this afternoon and then we'll be leaving. See you later!
Gwen.
He didn't know what it was about that girl, but she intrigued him. She talked about her life with the Doctor, whom she said was not her boyfriend (though he noticed that when she'd said it, her voice had been a bit sad), and the life she had at home with her mum, dad, and two sisters. She told him that she missed them, but traveling with the Doctor was too much to give up. He didn't understand it, but he didn't go against her words either.
Gwen loved the Doctor, Barty could tell that much. The way she looked at him, even when he was staring straight back at her, was so strong. She was full of love and compassion, for him. Barty himself had once longed for that kind of relationship, but after Azkaban, he just wanted to get his master back to the way he'd once been.
***
The Doctor held fast to Gwen's hand as she pulled him through the streets of the small village. She was smiling and recanting stories of places they'd been. He laughed along with her.
"You remember the time we went to that planet that had the problem with the rain?" she asked, looking back at him. She sat down on a bench and he sat beside her. It was a welcome rest as they'd been walking for over an hour.
He nodded. "I remember it."
She rolled her eyes. "Of course you do. They were so scared. The rain just kept coming and coming. They didn't know what to do. All of them probably would have drowned if we hadn't gotten there. And by we, I obviously mean you. I hardly did anything. But you were so fantastic! You always are. Saving everyone. Just helping, because it's all you can do. What would you do with yourself if you couldn't save the world?" Gwen shook her head, pushing away stray thoughts. "What would I do with myself if I could save the world with you?"
"You would sit at home with your sisters and be safe, like a normal 18 year old girl."
"We've already established that I'm not normal, Doctor. Even Barty knows that. He told me that I'm the strangest girl he's ever met." She sighed. "Sometimes I wish I was normal, though. I could have a normal life. Live in a house, have a family. Grow old with someone. I don't think that's going to happen, though."
"And why not?"
"Because the only person I'd like to grow old with will never grow old."
***
"There are people in the house and you didn't tell me?" the voice hissed, loud in the all-but-bare room.
Barty Crouch, Jr. bowed his head. "I am sorry, my Lord. I wanted to see if they were a threat before I told you. I didn't want you to get worked up if they were simply expendable." There was a part of him that couldn't believe what he was doing, that hated himself for doing it. But he knew himself, knew what he was capable of. He wasn't going to go soft, not even for a young girl who had pulled on his heartstrings.
"Bring the girl to me. She could be useful. The man on the other hand, this Doctor. Kill him. He's too old, knows to much of the world. You said the girl told you that he likes to save the world, well, we're not going to let that happen anymore."
Barty nodded, though he wished he could just send the both of them home. "Yes, my Lord."
Barty,
The Doctor and I went into the village. We'll be back later this afternoon and then we'll be leaving. See you later!
Gwen.
He didn't know what it was about that girl, but she intrigued him. She talked about her life with the Doctor, whom she said was not her boyfriend (though he noticed that when she'd said it, her voice had been a bit sad), and the life she had at home with her mum, dad, and two sisters. She told him that she missed them, but traveling with the Doctor was too much to give up. He didn't understand it, but he didn't go against her words either.
Gwen loved the Doctor, Barty could tell that much. The way she looked at him, even when he was staring straight back at her, was so strong. She was full of love and compassion, for him. Barty himself had once longed for that kind of relationship, but after Azkaban, he just wanted to get his master back to the way he'd once been.
***
The Doctor held fast to Gwen's hand as she pulled him through the streets of the small village. She was smiling and recanting stories of places they'd been. He laughed along with her.
"You remember the time we went to that planet that had the problem with the rain?" she asked, looking back at him. She sat down on a bench and he sat beside her. It was a welcome rest as they'd been walking for over an hour.
He nodded. "I remember it."
She rolled her eyes. "Of course you do. They were so scared. The rain just kept coming and coming. They didn't know what to do. All of them probably would have drowned if we hadn't gotten there. And by we, I obviously mean you. I hardly did anything. But you were so fantastic! You always are. Saving everyone. Just helping, because it's all you can do. What would you do with yourself if you couldn't save the world?" Gwen shook her head, pushing away stray thoughts. "What would I do with myself if I could save the world with you?"
"You would sit at home with your sisters and be safe, like a normal 18 year old girl."
"We've already established that I'm not normal, Doctor. Even Barty knows that. He told me that I'm the strangest girl he's ever met." She sighed. "Sometimes I wish I was normal, though. I could have a normal life. Live in a house, have a family. Grow old with someone. I don't think that's going to happen, though."
"And why not?"
"Because the only person I'd like to grow old with will never grow old."
***
"There are people in the house and you didn't tell me?" the voice hissed, loud in the all-but-bare room.
Barty Crouch, Jr. bowed his head. "I am sorry, my Lord. I wanted to see if they were a threat before I told you. I didn't want you to get worked up if they were simply expendable." There was a part of him that couldn't believe what he was doing, that hated himself for doing it. But he knew himself, knew what he was capable of. He wasn't going to go soft, not even for a young girl who had pulled on his heartstrings.
"Bring the girl to me. She could be useful. The man on the other hand, this Doctor. Kill him. He's too old, knows to much of the world. You said the girl told you that he likes to save the world, well, we're not going to let that happen anymore."
Barty nodded, though he wished he could just send the both of them home. "Yes, my Lord."