#considers the emh doctor a friend and cares for him but

[isagrimorie]

It's so hilarious how in Renaissance Man, the penultimate episode of the whole Voyager series (WHY), we find out that Janeway would rather fall on a sword than spend extra time with the EMH Doctor.

This is the face she makes when the EMH Doctor asks if they could spend more time together when they return to Voyager after being on a Medical symposium together:

And then after the EMH Doctor screwed things up (BY NOT FOLLOWING HER DIRECT ORDER AND TELL THE CREW SHE WAS A HOSTAGE-- in the same season he put the entire crew in danger, for a bunch of holograms who ended up betraying them), and they were both in a brig, the EMH Doctor requested that they socialize more:

A brief flash of pure panic.

Janeway rebuffs with: No, thank you, I don't really socialize.

He then complains that she socializes with Chakotay having meals with him and with Seven, playing Velocity with her.

As that one popular song said: Take a hint!

(Also they're her husband and her wife!)

[sshbpodcast]

Bonk bonk on the head: Children in Star Trek

By Ames

There are myriad reasons why your hosts here at A Star to Steer Her By don’t usually care for children characters in our Star Trek, most of which are highly subjective and involve how much we dislike kids in general for being obnoxious, snotty, blithering miscreants. But that may just be me. What’s a more reasonable and less obstinate reason for disliking them so much of the time is that writers have no idea how to write for children characters, and all too frequently (especially in older shows) these youngsters just don’t have the acting chops even if the writers could give them something to do.

So let’s let the children run rampant as we go through what makes a good child character in a show like any of the classic Trek series. Which kids get a pat on the head and which get the infamous bonk bonk? Read on below for their report cards and listen to us pass notes in class over on this week’s episode of the podcast (discussion at 59:10). Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah!

[Images © CBS/Paramount]

Unruly mobs of kids

What would one call a group of children in a Star Trek show? An anomaly of children? A supermassive black hole of children? Regardless, the worst kids come in bunches. When there’s a horde of them running around, you can tell we’re going to have a bad time on this podcast because obnoxiousness is exponential and also because it means the writers are probably using the children as some kind of general plot device. We see this in “When the Bough Breaks” and “And the Children Shall Lead” when the whole point of the episodes is to save a mass of mewling children from whatever nonsense we’ve gotten messed up in. Was it worth it to save these brats? You be the judge.

We get smaller groups of children in “Disaster” and “Innocence,” but their purpose is mostly the same: to test the patience of whichever officer they’re stuck with during some kind of crisis so that they can come out the other side slightly more developed. It’s not about the kids themselves; it’s about how our hero character grows. Picard, who notoriously hates kids, is stuck in a turbolift with three pissants in scenes that might as well be torture. And Tuvok pushes his Vulcan patience to the brink, putting up with three Drayan kids who harbor the dumbest secret the show could have attempted.

But the “Miri” kids really take the cake, despite introducing us to Phil and Iona Morris, whom we still love. But dang, kids in the 60s just couldn’t act. The two lead kids were played by freakin’ adults, having to play children who were prepubescent because there was no way they could carry an episode otherwise. Aside from being utterly distracted by those two, we found the rest of the episode felt like watching the crew get put in charge of a particularly rowdy daycare. This episode gets two bonks on the head.

—

My parent is a big deal at the Starfleet factory

In your typical monster-of-the-week episodic television, these children of the week get a brief moment in the sun just because their parents are Starfleet (or uncles… or godparents… listen you try making a list like this). They don’t get to stick around long enough to really develop, and thus they get one episode to resolve whatever their conflict is, and thusly thus, they start falling into that same category in which they feel more like props than characters. Take Ian Troi from “The Child” and Clara Sutter from “Imaginary Friend” for example. Both are merely serving as the impetus to get the story to the ending. And strangely, it’s the same ending: we learn the little kid was just an alien trying to learn about our culture through the eyes of a child. Like they say: if I had a nickel for every time this happened, I’d have two nickels, but it’s still weird it happened twice in the same damn show.

Similarly, consider Belle and Jeffrey, the EMH’s holochildren from “Real Life.” They are quite literally props, first that the Doctor creates to allow him the experience of simulated parenting, and second that are used very blatantly to develop his character. I’d say they’re both acted quite well (Belle’s final scene is really quite lovely), but they are not here to be characters, but caricatures. René Picard fills a similar role in the Picard family in the episode “Family.” He doesn’t get a ton to do, but he mostly represents the conflict between brothers Jean-Luc and Robert: one part the explorer among the stars and one part loyal to the family. Which will René choose? Never mind, he burns in a fire. So much for exploring the duality of character that Jean-Luc himself struggles with. The poor thing.

Janeway’s godson Q Junior from “Q2” might be a slightly better executed example in this category, and it’s probably because Keegan de Lancie can act. And was a teen at the time. And because the episode was about him developing as a character instead of being used to propel someone else’s development or to get us to the end of a science fiction story. If it weren’t for the sorta twist ending, he’d fit well in our next mass of children…

—

Orphan boys on the airlock-step

You’d think Star Trek were a Disney movie with just how many orphaned children are running around, looking for guidance from crew members whose expertise is questionable at best. Since we get stuck with most of these kids because of some kind of accident or crisis or bad sale made by Quark, it’s a little bit understandable that they come with a big helping of emotional baggage. Which, frankly, gives them something the previous group of children didn’t have: a starting personality trait. On Deep Space Nine, for instance, we meet Rubal in “Cardassians,” the child of a gul who is raised by Bajorans to hate his biological people, and also the Jem’Hadar child from “The Abandoned” whom Odo attempts to raise to not be so bloodthirsty but fails because it’s in his DNA. These are kids we feel for because they are forced to confront the racism inherent in our societies, especially when O’Brien is around!

Next Gen is just teeming with orphans and we get a couple whose parents in Starfleet get killed in the line of duty when we meet Jeremy Aster in “The Bonding” and Timothy in “Hero Worship.” Each latches on to an Enterprise crewmember (Worf and Data, respectively) as a way to cope with their grief, and their stories are actually pretty empathetic… though they’d be more so if they weren’t child actors from the 90s.

We talked a little on the podcast this week about our keening friend Jono from “Suddenly Human” and how his story is a very thought-provoking one. Sure, the boy himself is a freaking monster I wouldn’t wish on anyone, especially Picard, but when you cut through his tough exterior and upsetting misogyny, there is a child who harbors a great deal of trauma, reforged identity, and love for his adoptive father Endar, whom you’ll remember from our Parents blogpost!

—

Girl scout troop leaders

It’s a little strange that we see so many times little kids – little girls in particular – who act as tour guides to their culture. Perhaps it’s that we can understand another complex society more easily when it’s through the innocent eyes and uncomplicated language of children, and all these young girl scouts are just so naturally sweet, caring, and empathetic that they want to help our crew members through their scrapes. Oji from “Who Watches the Watchers” and Gia from “Thine Own Self” fit this bill to a tee. Each comes from a less developed society, but their curiosity and open minds urge them to want to learn about the newcomers to their villages and also to help these newcomers learn about them in return.

We also have two young leaders in this group in Salia from “The Dauphin” and Varis Sul from “The Storyteller.” These two episodes are basically the same story: 1) young princess needs to learn how to lead her society; 2) a love interest on the ship / space station makes googoo eyes at her; 3) everyone learns a lesson in how to treat people. Are they way too young to be leading their people? Absolutely. But they’re actually the perfect age to introduce the audience to their culture and put a friendly face on a bunch of weird aliens.

One more little girl who introduces us to her culture is Hedril in “Dark Page,” who reminds Lwaxana of her late daughter Kestra so much she goes into a coma about it. Hedril herself does a good job of serving as the literal voice of her people, and her youth is actually appropriate for her role because her mind is flexible enough to adapt to new languages and new experiences that the Cairn adults struggle with. We’ll even see a couple more of these plucky gals in our next section since they’re so ubiquitous. 

—

Can we adopt these kids?

So what gets you on our list of favorite minor or one-off children from all of classic Trek? It seems to be as simple as the ability to surprise us. Good science fiction characters have layers, and the kids on our best list are all more than meets the eye. Two kids who turn out to be more than what they seem are Barash from “Future Imperfect” and Taya from “Shadowplay,” neither of whom are actually the little children they appear to be on the outside and that just makes them all the more lovable. Whether you’re a little alien boy with a holoprojector who could also fit in our orphans category and who just wants a play date, or a little hologram girl who herself is basically a walking, talking dolly, these kids can stick around.

We’re also fans of Sarjenka from “Pen Pals,” yet another from our troop of girl scouts here to put a cute face on the periled people she’s literally the voice of. Her innocence, childlike wonder, and ingenuity to basically work a HAM radio are enough to make us shatter the Prime Directive any day. We haven’t gotten to Enterprise on the podcast yet, but be prepared to really root for Sim when we hit “Similitude.” His story is so tragic and empathetic that it’ll definitely elicit some kind of emotional response, so make sure you’re following the podcast when we hit that episode for a really heart-wrenching spin on a child character.

Hands down though, our favorite kid character has got to be Mezoti, the droneling we first picked up in “Collective.” From the moment we meet her, she just screams personality. It certainly helps that she’s got the leg up on most other children because she’s also got the collected experiences of the Borg Collective to pull from, but that gives her some interesting layers of depth and adds conflict into her complex character in ways even adult characters don’t always get. Resistance to her character was indeed futile.

—

Main character kids

These kids are kinda in a class all their own because we see them enough that they’re really part of the family. Literally! They grow up in front of our eyes on their respective shows, and our connections with them vary wildly depending on their writing. Molly O’Brien and Alexander Rozhenko, for instance, are [usually] both so very young that they’re more props than characters. You can’t really expect stellar acting out of children that small and predictably we don’t get it, often to infuriating effect. Working around children’s limited abilities and scheduling regulations makes some of these episodes just a pain to watch, no matter how cute they are.

The bigger kids like Wesley Crusher and Naomi Wildman (thank goodness for Ktarian aging!) have it easier because they can actually be relied upon to do things. Some would say Wesley sucks as much as his sweaters, but I contend that it’s that the writers let the plot dictate his character instead of the other way around. They need Wesley to save the day all the time to show how he’s a child prodigy, infuriating all the adults around him who should have the run of the room. When the seasons progress and Wil Wheaton leaves the main cast, the focus on his appearances is more character based than plot based, like in some great performances in “Final Mission,” “The Game,” and “Journey’s End.” Naomi, on the other hand, just gets to be a kid! And she’s great at it! We see her in lots of settings and scenarios that are appropriate for her age, and whenever she does something clever, it’s because she’s being taught how to be clever, not showing up everyone around her. And when she’s the focus of an episode like “Once Upon a Time,” she really proves that she’s a character first and a literary device much much further down the list.

Jake Sisko is basically the poster child of how to write a child character in Star Trek, or even just in general. He’s defined by his relationships with people, not by what an episode needs from him. The father-son bond that we talked about in our Parents post is on high display, as well as his friendship with Nog, a child character who already has a leg up because he’s portrayed by a more experienced adult actor in Aaron Eisenberg, giving young Cirroc Lofton something to work with instead of against. Jake and Nog are both allowed to just be kids! To grow naturally, to get in trouble, to develop into more faceted people as children do. The science fiction nature of the show is just the setting, not the entirety of their characters and it’s a delight to watch their earnest portrayals and the people they become.

— Ollie ollie oxen free! We’re going to give everyone a time out just to get a little peace and quiet around here, so keep your eyes here for more posts, follow along as we near the end of our watchthrough of Voyager over on SoundCloud or wherever you listen to podcasts, hang out with us on Facebook and Twitter, and don’t trust those pesky grups!

[autisticburnham]

Doctor Bashir, I Presume?

I've been putting off this episode bc I have a bunch of library books to read, not bc I'm scared to watch it after getting my diagnosis. Totally

Leeta, I love you

Rom, I love you

Heeeeelllllloooooo Leeta

Leeta, baby, you can ask him out

Quark, that's a disgusting comment to make to anyone, but especially since we know she's studying sociology just for fun

Ugh, Zimmerman

It's a wonder the doctor turned out as well as he did with this fuck as a personality base

Speaking of whom, btw, @ Picard or Lower Decks, can a get a name for him please?

Honey, the original EMH program will be replaced by the time Voyager's even able to talk to the Alpha Quadrant

I know the Federation is supposed to be idyllic and all, but it's horrific negligence if they don't train doctors to work with abuse victims. There's absolutely no excuse for Zimmerman to invite Julian's parents to the station after a reaction like that

The LMH is a bitch. And no offense to Siddig, but it's way less charming on him

Jadzia, honey, he absolutely did harrass you

I love that they imply Morn is so talkative and yet he's evidently got nothing to say on Julian

Miles, idiot, tell your friends you love them

Those fanartists that draw Bajorans with big mouse like ears are so right. Leeta would be adorable and so expressive with them

LOVE the implication that Rom needs to tune his ear like a radio to hear certain things

I hate how Zimmerman looks at Leeta

Hate this

He's so uncomfortable

He's clearly just shutting down

Benjamin, I love you, but this the second time in a season when one of your employees is very obviously under emotional duress bc of the presence of their parents. How are you not noticing this shit?

Don't fucking call him Jules

He reaches for Amsha's hand so mechanically, it's clearly just something that's been drilled into him that he's supposed to do

Dax, aren't you supposed to be a people person? Why are you all smiles rn?

At least she puts an emphasis on Julian's name when she says it. Maybe she thinks he's just uncomfortable bc they're deadnaming him and it doesn't go deeper than that?

Considering what we've seen of Zimmerman combined with the EMH's behavior, this offer seems much more like he's trying to isolate Leeta from her support group and make her feel like she owes him rather than genuinely trying to help her

He has no fucking reason to trust you, bastard

IT WAS YOUR FUCKING DECISION TO MODIFY HIM! DON'T ACT LIKE YOUR POTENTIAL PRISON SENTENC MAKES YOU A VICTIM

Chase Masterson, I love you

I see the acting choices that make people read Amsha as being just as much a victim of Richard as Julian is, but considering the way she talks about Julian pre engineering, she's absolutely an Autism Mom. She may have hurt Julian in different ways than Richard, but she absolutely hurt him. And of course that doesn't change the fact that she may be a victim too, but she's nowhere near as innocent as people portray her

Fucking idiots

Of course he's not less human, he never was. The problem is that you treated him like he was before the """"enhancements""""

Is that a bird feeder on Julian's desk?

Jesus, this scene hurts so much

Why don't Federation schools have programs to help intellectually disabled students that would have noticed and help him?

At least the Federation doesn't consider Julian's Ambigious DisorderTM a "serious birth defect" that justifies genetic encoding. Although the ambiguity of that rule is still very uncomfortably eugenicist

Wishing he had accommodations for his disability instead of abusive parents who would rather rewrite his DNA than accept him as he was doesn't make him "spoiled"

Gross that the writing lowkey implies that their crime was robbing Julian of the potential to "get better" on his own and "not giving him a chance" rather than just the pure ableism and eugenicsm of doing that to any disability person, regardless of their ability to mask

Bitch, forcibly changing everything about him to fit the mold you wanted isn't love. And I don't care how much it "hurt you to see him struggling," I promise you it hurt him more to know that his parents thought he was worthless. It's so fucking disgusting how much media about disabled people focuses on the "burden" the disabled person is to their family rather than how much their family hurts them by constantly making them feel unwanted

And it works too! He hugs her! He thinks his existence was more of a problem than they way they treated him!

Fucking gross that the reason genetic engineering is outlawed is bc of the fear of there being another Khan rather than eugenics just being fucking wrong! I hate this goddamn episode and I hate how Star Trek treats disability!

Also, prisons should be obsolete in the Federation, but they somehow found a way to make that the less upsetting thing here

Disgusting that he forgives them!

Someone make a Short King Anthem amv for Rom!

I'm sorry Miles, how did you just pronounce "patronize"?

I know the darts scene is just supposed to be a meaningless funny bit at the end of the episode, but it's what! They! Should! Do! Provide accommodations for people with different ability levels!!!! Don't treat them like they're lesser or fucking restructure their DNA! Just give them a different starting point that evens things out!!!

Gross when Miles O'Brien does a better job at understanding the moral of the episode than the writers do!

Thank god for Rom and Leeta, otherwise this episode would be unwatchable. 1/10

[bhavael-song]

unexpected conversation

Lieutenant Ayala enters sickbay and the Doctor is upon him with a tricorder immediately.

“Lieutenant, I have been trying to get you in here for the past two days.”

“Sorry, Doc.”

“Lay down on the biobed. I need to make sure your completely unnecessary stab wound is healing correctly,” he sighs.

Mike nods and hops up on the bed. He makes quick eye contact with Tal Celes who occupies the main bed before he lays flat.

“I still can't believe how this happened. Have any of you even been reprimanded for your careless actions?”

Mike shrugs, “Is that any of your business?”

“Hmm, I suppose not.” The EMH puts down the tricorder and presses his fingertips into Mike's abdomen. Ayala groans. “But it is my business, to make sure you come in for regular checkups. Especially after having your large intestine punctured by a holographic d'k tahg. Lay still. I have to fix you up... again.”

The Doctor skillfully reverses the damage cause by Mike's neglect. “I want you back in here after your shift tomorrow, understood?”

Ayala nods and the doctor walks away, mumbling loud enough for everyone in the room to hear just how underappreciated he felt.

Mike directs his attention to sickbay's only other occupant.  "Hey Tal, how are you doing?"

Tal flinches back to reality at the sound of his voice and reluctantly lifts her eyes to meet Mike's.  She shrugs and mumbles something about being tired, immediately dropping her gaze again.  Under the bright lights of sickbay, the dark circles under her eyes are clearly evident.

“Okay, that was a dumb question. Have you uh, talked to anyone at all?”

Tal nodded.  "Kes just left.  And before her...the Captain was here."  The mention of Janeway is tinged with a hint of disbelief.  Feeling awkward, she added, "It was good of her to come by when she has so much more going on."

Mike tries not to think about the day and a half B'Elanna spent cleaning all the blood out of the Flyer. “The captain does tend to keep busy, but I'm sure no matter what, she would make time for you. Did talking with Kes help?"

"No...yes...I—I don't know."  Tal shivers suddenly and abruptly sits up, winding her blanket as tight around her as possible.  "I'll have to meet with her for counseling sessions as the Doctor ordered, but—I don't know how it will help.  She can't erase what happened...and I don't want to put those things in her head—"  She shook her head in a violent gesture.

“Hey, it's alright Tal. Kes wouldn't have agreed to be counselor if she didn't think she could handle it."

"I know and she is there as a friend too.  But it's not just Kes, it's also Ha—other people who want to be there.  But how do I—" she gestured helplessly before dropping her head into her hands.  

“Have you tried talking with the captain? Sometimes it's easier to talk if you feel like you don't need to explain everything all at once.” Ayala lowers his head and tries to catch her eyes. “I know this sucks and it's damn difficult. We may not know each other very well, but I've seen my fair share of terrible things. If you ever want to talk, I'm a pretty good listener.” He tries to soften his eyes and gives her a little smile.

"The Captain was here earlier to see how I was.  But she has her own trauma to deal with, much worse than mine.  Dumping mine on top of hers would be unfair and also feel insubordinate, in a way."  Tal lifts her head and attempts a smile but it looks more like she is making a face. "I feel stupid, too.  I have all these people willing to listen but I don't know how to begin...."

Mike takes a step forward and rests his hip on the far side of the bed. “Beginning can be the hardest part. Maybe you just have to jump in. Let some of the ugly truth out.”

Tal lets out a shaky sigh. "I guess that will have to be what I do when Kes calls me in for the first session."

“I'm sure you'll do fine.” Something sad flashes in his eyes and he has to look away quickly. “And I'm also sure that the captain wouldn't feel as it you're burdening her if you did want to talk to her. I think she would understand probably better than anyone else could. You don't need to be so hard on yourself. We're here for you.”

"I appreciate it. I really do.  And if I ever sound like the opposite, it's just...I'm...not used to this many people caring."

Mike needs to swallow the lump in his throat and look at his feet for a moment, something he's unaccustomed to doing. Usually he can just keep quiet, stare, speak only when necessary. It works for him. It's easy. But something about Tal sitting so sad and broken on the biobed is stirring up the paternal instincts that he though had been tempered years ago. “We have to look out for each other. When one of us gets hurt, we all get hurt. Like Captain Janeway is always saying, we're a family now.” He looks into her wide brown eyes and the innocence, though clouded, reminds him of his children, he has to look away when he speaks again, “Promise me you'll take me up on my offer to listen any time you need it.”

"Okay." Tal's voice has reduced to a shaky whisper.

"How's Harry? I haven't gotten the chance to speak with him much."

"The Doctor said he's been by a couple times, which is good of him—considering what I did to him..."  Seeing the surprise on Ayala's face, she sighs and mumbles, "I shut him out when he tried to help—and now I don't know how to fix it."

“Harry is an understanding person, Tal. He probably sees how much you're hurting and wants to help. Maybe just let him in...if you can, if you want to.”

Tal gets visibly upset again, and before Mike has the chance to say anything else, the EMH darts out of his office and over to the only occupants of sickbay. “Time for you to get going Lieutenant. Visiting hours are over.” The Doctor looks at him sternly and Mike acquiesces.

“Okay,” he takes a deep breath and faces Tal, “if there is anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to ask.”

[mayalr96]

Eve of Something New Chapter 15: To Think

Long time between updates again, sorry again, rewrote this like 7 times so I really hope you don't hate it...

Links to chapter one on Tumblr, FF.net and AO3.

This chapter is also available on FF.net and on AO3, as well as below the cut.

Eva blinked as she slowly let her eyes get used to her new surroundings. She was standing in the middle of an empty Console Room. The place was white and bright, and Eva tried to remember the Doctor to which it belonged. She looked around, her eyes landing on a cricket bat.

"Oh, dear lord," she muttered, right before somebody swept her into their arms.

"Eva!" the Fifth Doctor called, spinning her around in the air. "Hadn't seen you in a while."

"Right," Eva said, unsure what to do with her hands as the Doctor hadn’t put her down yet. "How long?"

"Not since Nyssa left," the Doctor replied, putting her down and planting a kiss on her lips. "Where did you come from?"

"The TARDIS," she replied, touching her lips. "Why did you –"

"You're always coming from the TARDIS," Tegan said, stepping towards her and pushing the Doctor aside. "Oh, it's been too long, Evie."

"Yes," Eva started. "About that –"

"Did I hear right?" Turlough's voice came from the corridor as he walked in. "Eva's here?"

"Listen, guys –"

"Come on," he said, looking at her expectantly. "I don’t get a hug?"

"Guys," Eva said, unsure of how to break it to them without hurting them. "This is my first time meeting you."

Turlough's face fell. "You don’t know us?" he asked.

"I do know you," Eva said quickly. "Of course I know you. I just..."

"Never saw us before," the Doctor completed.

"Not looking like that," she said, eyeing him up and down. "A celery stick?"

"What's wrong with a celery stick?" the Doctor questioned, frowning.

"Nothing," Eva said innocently, causing the Doctor to smile and peck her on the lips. "Why are you –" she started, but he cut her off.

"Well, we were just on our way to... well, we're not sure yet," the Doctor smiled. "But we were on our way there."

"Something interesting, he promised," Tegan said. "Let's see if he can keep his promise."

"Something interesting," the Doctor said, flying the TARDIS away with much more grace than Eva expected, considering his future regenerations. "There we go."

Turlough looked at the scanner.

"Planet Earth," he stated, looking quite disappointed.

"So it seems," the Doctor nodded.

"You didn't set the coordinates for here, by any chance?" he asked.

"No," the Doctor said.

"When is it?" Tegan asked.

"March the 4th, 1215," the Doctor said, causing Eva to freeze on her spot. If she remembered correctly...

"Is it England?" Tegan questioned.

"Yes, it is," Eva said, swallowing hard.

She didn’t want to be there – in fact, she wanted to be anywhere but there, but she also knew she couldn’t convince the Doctor to turn around and leave. The Magna Carta was on the line this time, and the Doctor had to save it.

Even if it involved Eva meeting the Master so soon after the last time.

"Could this be a Black Guardian trap?" Tegan asked.

"I don't think so," the Doctor said, looking at Eva worriedly. He had noticed her distress, and was intent to find out what's causing it. He turned to the coat rack and grabbed his hat, handing Tegan her coat as he did. "But something certainly isn't right."

"You're not going out there?" Tegan asked.

"Just for a moment," the Doctor said, taking Eva's hand.

"That man looks distinctly unfriendly," Tegan noted, looking at Sir Gilles, who was sitting on a horse.

"So he does," Eva muttered, allowing the Doctor to lead her outside, much to the shock of the crowd.

"My liege," a man said as he rode his horse past them. "I have no need of aid from Lucifer."

"Lucifer?" the Doctor asked, curious.

"Is that the King?" Tegan asked, marking at one of the men.

"Without a doubt," the Doctor replied.

"Small doubt," Eva muttered quietly, though not quietly enough so that the Doctor wouldn’t hear.

"Damn you cringing captives," the King called, looking at the villagers. "We tell you, there's naught to fear. Do our demons come to visit us? Bid them attend us."

"Demons?" the Doctor repeated. "Very odd, indeed."

"It makes a nice change for you not to take everything in your stride, I must say," Tegan commented.

"Must you?" the Doctor asked.

"Too right," Eva replied, earning a smile from Tegan.

"He even seems pleased to see us," the Doctor said, ignoring the two. "A king welcoming demons."

"Which king?"

"Oh, Tegan," the Doctor sighed. "1215, King John, of course."

Not quite, Eva commented to herself once more, though this time she was able to stop herself from saying it aloud as she turned to close the TARDIS doors.

"The one who lost something in The Wash?" Tegan asked.

"Well, could put it like that," the Doctor shrugged. "This particular shirt turned out to be the Crown Jewels. But that's next year. We're still three months away from Magna Carta."

Two guards approached, leading the small group towards the king and his men and Eva shuddered.

"Are you okay?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes," Eva nodded. "Just a bit chilly."

The Doctor smiled softly before taking off his coat and putting it upon her shoulders.

"Do I get your hat, too?" Eva asked.

"Oh no, you don’t," the Doctor muttered. "I plan to kill this habit before it grows."

At that, Eva’s eyes widened and she smirked as she opened her mouth to reply only to be interrupted by the King.

"Welcome, our demons," he told them. "Name yourselves." He looked at Tegan before wondering, "Can this be Lilith?"

"Her name is Tegan, Your Majesty," the Doctor explained. "This is Turlough. Besides me is Eva and I am the Doctor. We are not demons."

"You're too modest, Lord Doctor," the King said. "Come, rejoice with us in a trial by combat. Come," he repeated, sending chills through Eva's spine. "Make way for our demons. Let them be seated by us."

"Still cold?" the Doctor asked.

"No," Eva replied. "A bit nervous."

"Something to worry about?"

"Isn't there always?" Eva shrugged, forcing a smile upon her face as they sat to watch the combat.

The champions wore their helmets once more, going to positions. The King gave his mark and they rode towards each other, the King's champion managing to hit the other and push him off his horse. He got off his horse and neared him, sword raised and ready to hit. Eva closed her eyes and held the Doctor's hand.

"Your Majesty," the Doctor said quickly, sensing Eva's distress. "If I may make so bold..."

"Hold," the King ordered his champion before turning to the Doctor. "Lord Doctor?"

"If this is trial by combat, Your Majesty," the Doctor started, "There's clearly a victor and a vanquished. Must blood be shed?"

"We take your counsel, O Demon," the King said, turning back to his champion. "Spare him."

Eva let out a sigh of relief, leaning her head on the Doctor's shoulder while trying to ignore the fact that the King's champion was looking straight at the two of them.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Of course," the Doctor replied quietly, kissing her on the lips again before standing up to follow the King away and leaving her only more confused.

EMH

Eva followed the Doctor with Tegan and Turlough as they walked into Sir Ranulf's castle, seeing Ranulf's wife, Isabella, heading towards the losing champion, who turned out to be her son.

"I am dishonoured," he declared.

"You are alive, my friend," the Doctor told him.

"No friend to you!" he called, storming away.

"Heed him not, whoever you are," Ranulf said. "I am grateful. You are welcome at Fitzwilliam Castle."

"Thank you," Eva told him, with a slight bow of her head.

"Soon, we shall sit at meat," Ranulf told them. "Betimes you may wish to withdraw. Conduct my guests to their chamber," he ordered one of the guards.

The Doctor looked at Eva with a small smile, taking her had before following.

"Are you better now?" he asked.

"A bit better," she nodded. "Aren't you cold without your coat?"

"You need it more than I do," he shrugged.

"How can they live in such cold?" Tegan asked.

"By eating lots of food," the Doctor said, passing through yet another corridor before entering a room. "Thank you," he told the guard, before looking around. "Where's Turlough?"

"Stopped to look at something," Tegan said distractedly. "Look at the size of that bed."

"Hmm," the Doctor said, feeling the fabric. "Another way of keeping warm."

"What are we doing here, anyway?" Tegan questioned.

"We were invited for a meal," the Doctor said.

"You know what I mean," Tegan frowned, as the Doctor handed her a blanket.

"Here, put this around you," he told her, before looking at Eva. "Do you need one, as well?"

"I've got your coat, haven’t I?" Eva asked.

"How long are you planning to stay?" Tegan asked angrily.

"Do you know, it's just sunk in," the Doctor said, an odd look crossing his face. "March the 4th, 1215."

"So?" Tegan asked.

Another shiver crossed Eva's spine as she spoke. "There's something very wrong here."

"The King takes the oath today," the Doctor said, nodding at Eva as Tegan took a seat by the bed.

"What oath?" Tegan asked.

"To take the cross as a crusader," the Doctor replied. "But he did that in London."

"Who says?"

"The history books," Eva replied.

"Perhaps they got that bit wrong," Tegan offered.

"No, no," the Doctor shook his head. "Too well documented."

"Oh, who cares?" Tegan sighed.

"We care," Eva said.

"All I care about is getting back to the TARDIS, where it's nice and warm," Tegan said. "No wonder they forced him to sign Magna Carta. Bet there was something in it about under-heated housing."

"He wasn't," the Doctor commented, nearing Tegan and leaning next to her.

"Wasn't what?" she asked.

"Forced into signing Magna Carta," the Doctor explained. "He was as much for it as anyone."

"Now look, Doctor, I know my history –" Tegan started.

"Do you?"

Tegan huffed, looking at Eva as the latter stretched on the bed.

"Are you saying King John was a good man?" she questioned.

"Well, given the times he lives in, yes," the Doctor nodded.

"But don't take his word for it," Eva told her. "You'll be able to judge for yourself." She sat up and looked at the other woman. "Nobody forced Magna Carta from him. He could have crushed that rebellion as easily as that."

"How do you know so much?" the Doctor asked.

"I was doing my History Major before I met you," Eva shrugged. "I must say, though – it's far more interesting to live it."

Just as she said that, the door burst open and Ranulf ran in, pulling out his sword.

"What have you demons made of the King?" he asked, aiming a sword at the Doctor. "He is bewitched. First, he takes my whole fortune. And now he has made my lady a hostage. How can he question my loyalty? There is none more loyal than I."

"We are not demons," the Doctor said. "And we've done no harm to the King or to anyone, nor do we intend any."

"Whence come you?" Ranulf questioned.

"From an outer province," Eva replied, causing the Doctor to come stand closer to her.

"And this strange attire?" he asked, marking at the Doctor's coat, that wasn’t exactly fitting neither the time period they were in nor the woman it covered.

"Yes, well..." the Doctor started. "Please believe that we are friends. If you're in trouble, I would like to help if I can."

Ranulf hesitated for a moment before putting his sword back in its sheath. "Leave us," he ordered the guards that came with him. "And fetch warm vestments." He turned back to the Doctor, Eva and Tegan. "You were four," he noted.

"Yes, yes, we seem to have mislaid Turlough," the Doctor said before frowning at Ranulf. "How long has the King been here?"

"Since yesterday," Ranulf replied. "He is not himself. He's not as I know him."

"Why, could he be ill?" the Doctor offered.

"In rude health," Ranulf replied. "He rode from London yesterday and then to a stag hunt to bring down the only kill."

"This... Sir Gilles," Eva started, steering the conversation to the direction she knew it should go.

"I like not this man," Ranulf said.

"Oh, I can't say I care for him much myself," Eva commented before informing the Doctor and Tegan, "A French knight."

"Is he the only Frenchman with the King?" the Doctor questioned.

"I know not," Ranulf sighed, sitting on the bed. "He has never favoured Frenchmen before this. Even renegades from the King of France."

"Could Sir Gilles be bringing some pressure, some influence on the King?" the Doctor asked.

"The King is influenced by none," Ranulf declared. "The King I know is resolute and firm of purpose."

Eva swallowed hard, avoiding the Doctor’s eyes in fear that hers will show what she was too afraid to admit aloud. It is not the King he knows.

"When does he return to London?" the Doctor asked, glancing at Eva in an attempt to understand her odd behaviour.

"I know not," Ranulf replied. "And no word from the city. My cousin was summoned there by the King a week since, and he's not returned. Why?" he called out. "And why no word concerning him?"

"Your cousin was summoned to London?" the Doctor asked.

"To take the Crusader's Oath," Eva supplied.

"Aye," Ranulf agreed.

"Today," the Doctor said. "March the 4th."

"What say you, my lord Doctor?" Ranulf asked.

The Doctor looked at Eva, awaiting her nod before resuming his line of thought. "What if your guest was not the King?"

"Not the King?" Ranulf asked, standing up. "Then who?"

"An impostor," Eva said.

"But I have known and served my sovereign lord for many years," Ranulf said. "No impostor could be so like."

"I'll be vigilant, my lord," the Doctor said. "I suspect things are not what they seem."

Ranulf started backing towards the door, reaching for his sword. "You are a sorcerer," he told the Doctor before turning to Eva. "And you, a visionary!"

"No, no," the Doctor quickly said. "And we ask you to trust us, please."

"You can trust us," Tegan added.

Ranulf took a deep breath. "You will join my household at meat," he declared.

"Thank you," the Doctor said. "We would be delighted."

"When it pleases you," Ranulf added, leaving the room.

"Well," the Doctor sighed. "That could have gone better."

"I'd say," Eva muttered. "A visionary?"

"It is fitting," the Doctor mused. "Since you always seem to know what's going to happen, who can be trusted and who can be saved."

"I don’t know everything," Eva told him.

"But you know most of it," Tegan commented.

"You know almost everything," the Doctor summed, pecking Eva on the lips once more. "Sometimes, I wonder how."

"You'll find out one day," Eva said, quickly stepping away from him and touching her lips once more. Why wasn’t she angry at him? Last time he did something like that, she was – and he only kissed her once after the whole Robin Hood ordeal, she wasn’t sure how many times he kissed her since she arrived to this incarnation of him. "For now, I'd like to get ready for dinner," she declared, hoping to keep her mind off things by distracting herself.

"Get ready?" Tegan asked.

"Well, we're in 1215," Eva replied with a small smile. "I don’t know about you, but I'd like to dress up to the era!"

And with that declaration, she headed towards the closet room, leaving the Doctor and Tegan for their conversation.