Chapter Text
“We own you.”
It’s the woman again, the one with the eyepatch glued to her ridiculously smug face.
“You made you.”
Her voice makes Mels feel like she’s drowning in oil, cold tasteless tendrils of darkness prying open her throat and clawing inside. It makes her skin crawl as if she’s covered in a million spiders, nipping at her flesh with every step. She hates the woman, she wants to kill her. She can kill her. She knows how, the woman made sure of that. So how come Mels never succeeds? She’s the best assassin in the universe, she’s Melody Pond-
“You belong to us.”
She shudders, a pitiful whimper escaping her lips as she tosses and turns, hard tiles slamming into her shaking body. It's so cold, they’re here! They’ve found her! With their twisted, warped faces, like something a child would make out of playdough and their clawed hands filling her body with electricity, making her convulse and scream.
She screams, her mouth ripping open with the force of it. It’s the Spaceman again! He’s coming, he’s gonna eat her, she can’t breath- she can’t-
“Mels!”
“You are a killer.”
“Mels!”
“We molded you.”
“Melody!”
“You will kill for us!”
Mels shoots upwards heaving, her fist flying forwards to collide with something as she collapses. Unwittingly allowing a soft pair of arms to grip her, fake nails digging into her skin.
“Mels, are you alright?” A quiet voice asks, pulling her closer as hot tears stream down her face. She’s so pathetic. She’ll never complete her purpose like this. She’s useless…
“Rose…” She moans, burrowing further into her friend’s nightshirt. She has a friend. That’s right, isn’t it? Not her parents, not the eye-patch woman or the monsters, her friend. Her Rose. That’s who's holding her now. That’s why everything smells of apples, no, strawberries and cherries. That’s why she feels ok…
“Mels..?” Rose tries again, her eastern accent breaking through the blood rushing in Melody’s ears. “You had a nightmare, didn’t ya? Do you wanna talk about it?”
Mels shakes her head, nuzzling closer to Rose, as her ragged breaths begin to slow.
“Ok… I’m here as long as you need. It's ok to cry.”
Mels gulps, trying to force the bile back down her throat as Rose rocks her. An odd warmth fills her chest, making her hearts beat faster without the fear her best mate is slowly easing away. Mels thinks that she likes it. She wonders what this feeling is? It burns… she never wants it to stop.
Finally, after what must have been an eternity, she pulls away, wiping her eyes as she sucks in a breath, falling back to her sleeping bag. “I’m sorry you had to see that.” she sighs, disappointedly. “Thank you for helping me.”
“Of course!” Rose exclaims, trying to place a hand on Mels shoulder before she flinches away from the touch. “You’re my best friend, I’m not gonna let you suffer alone. Not ever.”
Mels nods halfheartedly, toying with the dark ringlets of hair she’s had since she was nearly four. She glances up, sucking in a pained breath as she lays eyes on her friend’s face. Rose Tyler, as beautiful as ever with one big difference. A red welt the shape of a fist over her jaw, growing darker by the minute.
“I’m-I’m so sorry.” Mels stammers, confusion rising within her. She’s a psychopath, how is she sorry? Why does she care so much?
Rose shakes her head, giving her a pained smile. “It’s alright. We’ll just tell my Mum I took a fall alright? I don't want ‘er going off on you for having a bad dream.”
“I hurt you…” She bites her lip, a new wave of shame rolling through her body, seemingly turning Rose’s small pink bedroom upside down. She was born to hurt, so why is she so ashamed?
“I said, it’s fine. I know you didn’t mean to. That seemed like a pretty bad nightmare anyhow. Do you wanna get some hot cocoa and talk about it?”
Mels gulps, unable to take her eyes off the damage she did to the other girl’s face. “Sure, some hot cocoa sounds nice.”
They fall into silence as they make their way to Rose and her mother’s kitchen, each step across the cold tile floors sending shivers up Mels’ spine. Rose puts the kettle on and in just a few minutes they’re sitting at the rickety wooden table, drinks in hand. Sipping away quietly as the shadows of the early morning close around them.
“So, do you want to talk?” Rose breaks the silence gently, inquisitive honey eyes boring into Mels from across the table.
“Yeah.” She admits, setting down her mug, watching Rose’s fingers tap restlessly against the wood. “I want you to know the truth.”
“What truth?”
Melody gulps. She’s really doing this, isn’t she? She has to. She wont let Rose down again. Not tonight.
“I’m… I’m not human.”
“What do ya mean you’re not human?” Rose’s brow furrows as she scans Melody for any signs of madness.
“I’m,” Mels sucks a chilly breath, allowing the night air soothing her lungs. “I’m an alien. Sort of. My parents were human but because of where I was born I’m also not entirely human myself.”
“So, you're an alien.” Her friend sums up, taking another sip of coco. “So what?”
Mels laughs, the warmth in her chest growing with Rose’s acceptance. If only she knew… and she’s going to. “Because I’m a weapon. The people in my dreams, they were the ones who made me. They stole me from my parents and sent me back in time. They trained me to kill, and-” Mells sobs, her tears returning full force.
“And?”
“I’m a monster, a-a psychopath, Rose. I hurt you! I was literally tortured into a living weapon, I’m…”
She can hear Rose’s chair scraping against the floor and the soft footsteps across as her friend crosses the room. She can feel her Rose pulling her into a hug, and she may not know what this warm feeling is; but she knows it's replacing the ice in her hearts, consuming her; and that's ok. Maybe she even likes it.