The Doctor's Daughter (#Wattys 2014)

Chasing Karen

Melody's POV

I sat down in the living room. "Wait, she was after a TARDIS?"

"I thought you knew about this," River said.

"I wasn't even born. I only know by stories Ella told me," I said defensively.

"Okay, so what was the story?" she asked. I sighed. "When Ella and Stella were twelve, they had a stalker and a secret in their closet. One night they decided to follow the stalker, when their foster mom-Karen-revealed her true identity. They went to Kat, who was two months pregnant. Dad had landed there earlier that day and was spending the night in the TARDIS. He got the news by Kat. The unfortunate bit was the fact she can get into...." my voice trailed off as I realized what I was saying.

"She can get into what? Melody, why are you so pale?" River asked. I shook my head. "Dad, Ella told me that she can get into the TARDIS when no one's in it."

 "That's right, I-I did," Ella said. "But-oh my god...."

I stood up and brushed past Dad, fingering my TARDIS key. I heard Dad ask Ella, "What's going on?"

"No one can witness her getting into the TARDIS. She might have broken in," Ella replied calmly, although you could hear the worry in her voice.

The door slammed shut behind me, then I heard it open again. I was already pressing the down button for the lift when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up at Dad. "We have to check, Dad."

He nodded and followed me into the lift. I pressed the button for the lobby and paced back and forth impatiently. "Come on, come on, come on! Oh, why can't you hurry up? Come on!"

The elevator doors slid open and I raced out of the building, Dad close behind. I was sprinting to where the TARDIS was, then I stopped and swore. "No!"

"It's gone," Dad said. He was breathing heavily. "I can't believe it. She took-she took my TARDIS!"

"Hang on a sec," I said. "I need to get back to the apartment."

"Melody, where are you going?" Dad called after me. "Melody, you just can't go back to the apartment! Melody, wait! Come back! Melody!"

I ignored him as I threw open the building doors. I sprinted back across the lobby to the lift.

After a couple minutes, the lift doors opened and I was heading back up to the apartment. But not the one I lived in. No, I was going to the one right below mine. Mum's old apartment. 

I pressed the door bell and my best friend, Kelli's, mum opened. My heart pounded when I remember that we had accidentally left her in 1969. Her mother was crying. "Hi, Melody. Would you like a cup of tea?"

"No, thanks. Can I see Kelli's closet?" I winced at Kelli's name.

"If you can get it open," she stepped aside to let me in. It was well-known that Kelli's old closet was sealed shut. I pushed open her door. Everything was draped with black. I went over to her closet and pulled open my laser light. "Ms. Valentine, can I do this without someone watching? Please?"

"Oh, alright. Just curious of what's in that closet," she stepped out and closed the door. I soniced the closet open, and despite the situation, I stopped and marveled at what was inside.

In the middle of the closet floor was a green metal plate, which I recognized as a portal to Planet Thorn, the were-cat planet. Only someone with were-cat DNA could activate the portal. I dug around the junk, looking for something Mum had told me when I was little-"If you need help and your father isn't there, or the TARDIS, remember to look in the closet. There's a Time-Travel in there."

For what I figured out, a Time-Travel is basically a Time Vortex Manipulator. Actually, it should be a Time Vortex Manipulator was a Time-Travel, only the Vortex Manipulator was a human invention, and a Time-Travel was were-cat. I found it and put it in my pocket. I searched around, looking for a some weapons. I found a small laser gun and pocketed that, too. I shut the closet door and soniced the door shut. I opened the door and said, "Couldn't get it open. Sorry."

"What was that noise?" Ms. Valentine asked. I shrugged. "Must be hearing stuff. I've gotta go. Sorry, though!"

"Bye, Melody," she sounded so sad as I ran out of the apartment.

Now, you might be wondering, how on Earth was I gonna sneak the gun out with the metal detectors? Well, were-cat technology makes it so that we can bring our weapons on Earth without setting off the detectors, since there's so many were-cats on Earth.

I ran outside, after having already gone through the lift and the lobby. I almost ran into Dad, who was joined with River, and showed him the Time-Travel. "Is that a Time-Vortex Manipulator?" River asked.

I shook my head. "Were-cat technology. You humans just took our idea for it."

"Us humans?" she repeated in disgust, but I was already punching in the code and was walking around where the TARDIS went. "Going into track mode. Be back in a bit!"

I felt a tingle, then a flash of light and I was gone.

                                ******

The ground came really close as I fell to my knees. It took me a second to notice the red grass and the silver-leaf trees.

I was on Gallifrey.

Now, normally, I would've been excited. But these were my dad's people and Karen was just released on them. I spotted the TARDIS instantly, and Karen's blonde hair glinting in the twin suns as she ran away from the TARDIS. I realized that she had spotted me and ran for it. I ran after her, pulling the gun out of my pocket. She spun around at my footsteps. "You'd never have the guts to use that, Melody Jane Piper! You've spent too much time with that human-loving Time Lord!" 

Well, that really pissed me off. Nobody, nobody at all, will insult me or my father at all.

And she had insulted both.

I pointed the gun and said calmly, finger on trigger, "Never say anything against my father. And never, ever, use my middle name!"

She laughed, although it was shaky. "So, what're gonna do? Huh?"

I pulled the trigger. The red beam hit her in her heart and she crumpled to the ground, screaming. I walked over and gave her a good kick in the ribs. "Unfortunately, it won't kill. But it will hurt. A lot. And if you try to get up, the pain will kill. I'll be back...or not."

I gave Karen another kick and stalked back to the TARDIS.

Once inside, I leaned against the console. She had landed, but I wasn't ready to go back out. I went to hide the gun in my room.

When I came back, Dad was inside. "Well, then," I said, flopping down on the console. "That was fun. Not to mention scary."

"Yeah. Where did she go?" he asked.

I was torn between lying and telling the truth. I lied. "Couldn't really tell."

He raised his eyebrows, but I ignored it. "Where are we going?"

"Putting River back in her cell," Dad said with a glance at his wife. I had almost forgotten that River was in jail, but whenever I asked why, she refused to say and changed the subject. 

"Can we take Ella with us?"

"If she wants to. What about Stella?"

I suppressed a flinch. "She's drunk. Don't bother her." 

"Alright, then. Go ask Ella."