Chapter Text
Tara was in her library, flipping through some pages of an old book. “This may need a new binding.” She told herself, she pulled from her thoughts when she heard growling.
“Beschützer?!” She called out.
He was staring at a closet door, bristling with anger. When Tara approached him, she placed a hand on his back.
“What’s wrong boy?”
He continued to growl inching closer to the door as he did.
“Beschützer stop, there’s nothing in there.” Tara grabbed the handle, opened the door, and flipped on the lights. “See, nothing.”
Beschützer’s growling paused, he looked up at her a confused look on his face. Tara gave him a small smile. “It’s okay.” She turned off the light and closed the door, but left it opened a crack. “Come on, I made a garden about a month ago. Let’s go see how it’s doing.” She patted his head and turned to leave.
After she was gone, through the crack in the door a pair of glowing yellow eyes blinked out of the darkness, followed by a low, primeval growl.
A few months later, after a long day of nothing but running, Tara had walked into the Tardis and down to her room. Once she shut the door and turned around, she saw a woman standing near the middle of her bedroom.
She frowned and asked her. “Okay, really stupid question. Are you really here or am I just imagining things?”
“No Tara, I’m not real.” The woman titled her head. Her back was turned to Tara. “Then again, maybe I am. But I’m still in your head.”
“Okay, well I don’t have time deal with this, so bye.”
Before Tara had a chance to even try to get rid her, the woman told her. “You can’t just push me out dear. Like I said, I’m in your custard.”
“Who are you?” Tara moved towards the woman.
“Me?” She turned her head around, so that Tara could see her face. “You know me.” She smiled mischievously.
Tara frowned a little. “You look a little like my sister.”
“Catherine?” She frowned. “Mmm…no, I’m just taking her form.” She gestured down herself. “Easier for you to let me in that way, using someone you know.”
“What are you doing in my head anyway? Whatever you are, you shouldn’t have gotten in that easily. Even the people I know very well can’t get in that easily.”
“You know who I am, you’re just not remembering. Also, I’m in here because you let me in. Granted, you probably don’t remember.”
Tara shook her head a little. “I don’t know anything about you. If I did I wouldn’t be asking who you were now would I?”
The woman shrugged. “That’s fine with me, plenty more things I can use.” Smiling, she turned back around and sat down on Tara’s bed.
“What are you doing anyway? Why are you bothering me?”
“I have nothing better to do, thought you would’ve figured that out by now.”
Tara rubbed a hand down her face. “I still don’t even know who or what you are.”
The woman made a face. “I don’t care.” She answered nonchalantly.
Tara let out a huff. “Well you said it yourself. You’re in my head, and I can get rid of you in a matter of seconds.”
“Well, I suppose you could, but not for very long. And I doubt you’ve figured out how.”
“Please, it’s my mind I can do what I want. I know how to get rid of things I don’t want around.”
“Perhaps with other things, but you underestimate me. I’ve been here for awhile.”
“Watch me.” Tara closed her eyes and focused.
The thing in Catherine’s form flickered but didn’t disappear. “Now that’s not very polite.” She chastised her.
Tara growled in frustration and swore a little in Gallifreyan.
“Don’t be upset, it’s hardly your fault. I do have the upper hand, you see I’ve had plenty of time to weed my way in, firmly implant myself. Also.” She pulled a mocking frown. “Sadly, I’m more powerful than you.”
Tara growled a little more and spoke more in her native tongue.
“That’s hardly necessary.”
Tara glared at her. “It’s amazing I can speak it at all.”
“What do you mean?” She threw Tara a questioning look.
“Well you should know. You’ve been in my head.”
The woman shrugged. Tara sighed a little. “I guess I could tell you. I mean who are you going to tell? I was born on a planet called Gallifrey, my dad took me to Earth when I was only eight years old. I lived there until I was fourteen. So I really didn’t time to learn my native tongue, that’s why I find it amazing I can speak it at all.”
The woman only shrugged again and began to move around the room.
“Life of a Time Lord, slight insanity even if you didn’t stare into untempered schism.”
“Oh you’re not going crazy. Well, I suppose that’s up to you.” She was picking things up and putting them down, sometimes messing with them for awhile.
“Please leave my things alone.” Tara sighed in slight defeat. “I must be going crazy, this has never happened before.”
The woman stopped at the dresser and Tara noticed her picking something up out the corner of her eye. “What do you have? Put it back now.” She ordered.
The woman turned around, Tara’s necklace dangled from her left hand. “What’s this? I don’t remember this.”
Tara rushed to snatch it out of her hands. “It’s the necklace I’ve had since I’ve been on Earth, stupid.”
She moved it out of Tara’s reach, her fist curling around the stone. “No, there’s something else.” Her eyes narrowed.
“Why should I tell you? You’re not even real!”
“That hurts my feelings.”
“Well you’re not! In the whole universe, full of many planets, with several types of aliens to go insane, why me? What did I ever do? I saved my second home so many times I’ve stopped counting. What did I do wrong?” Tara fell to the floor and tried to figure out what she did.
“You didn’t do anything wrong. I saw an opportunity and I took it.”
Tara looked up. “Why? Why couldn’t you just leave me alone?” Her voice shook a little.
The woman’s expression suddenly darkened and became very dangerous. “You and your family destroyed my vessel I had very few options.”
“Vessel? I don’t understand.”
“I suppose you might call it a host. Then again, the original occupant was long gone by then.”
“Which was who?” Tara rose to her feet.
The woman set the necklace back on the table. “Don’t remember.” She said. “It was too many years ago.”
Tara frowned a little. “If you need a host, then what are you?”
“I suppose you would call me a parasite, but I’m not completely harmful. Also parasites such a strong word.”
“So then what are you? Why did you crawl…” Tara stopped and shuddered a little. “Into my head?”
“I didn’t, crawl, into your head. You destroyed my form, and I was released into the air. You inhaled me, of course you wouldn’t have noticed, you were too busy running at the time.”
“I still have no idea what it is you were. I just want to know what the hell is going on.”
“I just needed a new host. You were close, and I was short on time.”
“Well, hm.” Tara paced around her room in thought.
The woman shrugged. “Well enough of this meet and greet, I’m going to take a little siesta. We’re going to have so much fun together.” Her form flickered, then disappeared.
“Wait hold on.” Tara called.
She didn’t get an answer, she gave a frustrated sigh. “This is going to be so much fun.” There was a touch of sarcasm in her tone. Later, Tara was still in her room, and hadn’t seen much of the parasite that took the from of her sister. After fixing a few things, Tara let out a big yawn.
“How long has it been since I’ve slept?” She questioned herself, Tara thought back as far as she could and came to her conclusion. “About five months ago, new record.” Tara smiled to herself and shook her head. “Life of a Time Lord, not sure when you need sleep, and have very low metabolism, hope you don’t mind that parasite.” Tara didn’t get an answer, but she wasn't really expecting one. She changed, and laid down for the night.
A few hours after Tara had gone bed, the parasite had woken up and was ready to mess with Tara’s head. When she saw Tara wasn’t up, she tried waiting for her. But after less than twenty minutes the parasite was done waiting. The parasite had gone into Tara’s museum, and found a room marked Escape Room. The parasite grabbed the handle and opened the door. The room was empty, obviously Tara hadn’t been there yet. The parasite smiled as an idea played through her head. She walked into the room and quickly closed the door behind her as she heard Tara coming down the hall.