Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2006 11:16:13 EDT From: J Subject: DOCTOR WHO, JESSE AND JEREMY 43 Note: this episode is a bit more spiritual than usual. Not religious but spiritual. If you don't like reading about God and Jesus, then you might want to skip it. I'm sorry if you do skip it. DOCTOR WHO, JEREMY AND JESSE 43 He was blond and blue eyed. Dressed in white leather jacket with black piano key designs along the collar, sides, and arms (borrowed from his friend and lover Jesse no doubt) and at this meeting, his hair was very long. He also had on white leather pants and white boots...so it was not to anyone's discredit that he could be mistaken for an angel. In a moonlit garden. Aura of innocence. He hid behind a bare thin tree. Moonbeams shone across the garden and him. Just as he was sure it was safe for him to step out, Roman soldiers arrived from the other side of the hedges, swords drawn. They carried lanterns, torches, swords and clubs. Jeremy squinted. He saw one man, who moved with the Romans, who was not a Roman, but a Jewish man, move to one of the men who was already there, and kiss the other on both cheeks. "Rabbi, Rabbi." Jeremy moved closer, hiding behind a smaller bush. "I am He." The other man turned and in the moonbeams, Jeremy saw Him. There was no mistaking Him. Jesus. "Jesus!" Jeremy covered his mouth. "It must be like 30 AD. Oh Doctor, you messed up again!" Judas must have been the one who kissed Jesus, to identify him to the Roman soldiers. Simon Peter just cut off a soldier's ear. "Malchus!" Another soldier called out. Malchus was also servant to Caiaphas, one of the Israelite High Priests. Malchus held his bleeding head, where his right ear used to be. Jesus immediately but unhurriedly took the ear off the ground, and held it back to the head of Malchus. He healed it back into place on the soldier. Jesus turned to the man who cut the ear off, Simon Peter, his apostle, as Jeremy watched, wide eyed. "All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." "Who are these other men?" Jesus looked at Judas, who looked down. "I'm n to gonna let you guys do it. You're not gonna take him. You're not gonna take him. I'm not gonna let you!" Jeremy whispered, "No way!" The Roman soldiers were about to turn on the apostles but then they turned toward Jeremy, who ran at them full force. "You will not be seen..." As the apostles ran off, with cries of "Angel" on their lips, Jesus put his hands up. The Roman soldiers had swords toward Jeremy but then they stopped. Still. "That's why I was hiding behind the trees. I wasn't going to be seen but... hey, they're...they're not moving?" "I prefer that you not be seen. They must take me." "If you can do that..." "I'm sorry. I must go to do this." "But you're..." Jeremy tailed off, is voice in disbelief, "...God." "Yes." Jeremy bowed on one knee, "I'm so sorry. I'm such a sinner..." "Humans are." "Not you." "No. I was always that way. Always will be that way. I love you the way you are. And I understand. The temptation, the passion..." "I'm sorry. Is...Is being gay..." "You think of the two cities, more, that were destroyed." "Sodom and Gomorrah..." "You will find out exactly what happened there. You are as you are. You love. Imperfectly. I go now to take your places..." "I don't understand." "You do. I can see it. I will go to hell so that you do not have to go there. None of you." "I wish there were some other way." "Thank you. You have a good heart. And...I should warn you..." Jeremy stood up as Jesus motioned for him to. "Warn me?" "The Doctor believes in me now. Believes in God and supernatural events and beings...this he just found. It was not always his belief. His newfound faith is fragile. There will be difficult times ahead for him, for you, for your friend Jesse...you will need each other...very much. Don't hesitate. You can do what needs to be done. I will forgive you." Jeremy got down and kissed the top of Jesus's feet, tearful. "Thank you, thank you so much..." Jesus took him by the shoulders and raised him up. "Where I go, you cannot now follow..." "Can I come to the...the..." "Event? Yes, if you must..." "I don't want you to be alone." "My child, I am never alone." "I love you." "I know. Goodbye." He waved his right hand. The soldiers began to move again and put their hands on Jesus. Jeremy, unseen by them, could only watch, tears streaming down his face. Jesus stared at him and smiled. The Roman soldiers manhandled him roughly but then as they passed Jeremy, they felt a chill. Henceforth on the way to the father in law of Caiaphas, a man named Annas. Exiting the TARDIS, the Doctor just faltered and almost crashed his back into Jesse's front. "Doctor? What just happened now?" "I don't know." The Doctor looked at his wrist watch. "Time just froze for a few moments." "You felt that? Time Lords must be able to feel things like that, right? Something big's going on here...something to do with your time that you're always talking about...something good but something..something really, really bad, too, isn't it?" Jesse swallowed, "Oh, Doctor. I don't like this. I don't like it at all. Can't we find Jeremy and get the hell out of here? I've got a bad feeling something bad is going to happen here, tonight or tomorrow...morning ..." "Yes. Come on." Jeremy watched John and Peter sneaking about the bushes and follow Jesus and the Roman soldiers. Of the eleven that fled, only John and Peter followed. John wore only a linen around his body. When one of the young soldiers grabbed it off, naked, John fled. Soon, Jesse and the Doctor found Jeremy there. Jeremy was standing there praying and not sure what to do. "I'm going." "What?" "Don't tell me what I can and cannot do. I'm going." "You know where we are?" Jesse asked. "The Garden of Gethsemane. Isn't it obvious." The Doctor said. "There's the Brook Kidron, over there, and there's the Mount of Olives." "I'll meet you both back at the TARDIS..." "Oh, no, you mean this is where Jesus will be taken...?" Jesse asked. "Just was, if I have my timeline correct," the Doctor looked at his watch. "Stopped time to have a chat with you, did he?" "Yeah," Jeremy forced a smile, "How'd you know?" Together they all three said, "Because when something's interfering with time, I can feel it because time is my business..." "I have to hurry though..." Jeremy said. The Doctor nodded, "We're going to go with you..." "Do what you want!" Jeremy said. He ran toward the direction the men took Jesus. Then he stopped, whirled around and ran back to them. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to sound the way that it did but this...this is important to me, know what I mean?" "Yes," the Doctor said, simply. Jesse nodded that he understood. "Me, too." "I'm not afraid. Besides, no one can hurt me or rather see me. They can't really see me. Jesus...my God, it really is Him, you know? I'll be fine. He did something so that they can't see me at all." Jesse nodded. "Go, we'll catch up with you, okay?" "Yeah," Jeremy said and sprinted. "Why not stay with him?" "I want to talk to you." "Me?" "Yes. Are you alright?" "Yes, I've told you that over and over again." The Doctor began to walk at a brisk pace, "What could possibly be wrong?" "That whole crying thing back..." Jesse shut his eyes, "Forward...back...at the movie theater in December 2003..." "Jesse, I've been through a lot. I've told you both...Adric...Katarina...Sara Kingdom...dear sweet Claire. Claire died as Hitler's wife. Talk about sad." "Doctor, I know you've been through, like what? 38 lives as the Doctor and maybe more as the Other..." "Possibly over 100 more..." Jesse went wide eyed, "Wow. That many?! Wow. Point is...this death thing..." "Katarina, for example," he turned to Jesse and made motions to explain what he was saying with his hands, "Couldn't be changed. Her death was final. I suppose she's in the afterlife, like she always talked about. Adric...I mentioned him several times now. He's...complicated....died, undied, died, undied, never died...time can sometimes be changed like that. Cheated. Skirted around, reversed even, made to be skipped. Some people get lucky that way. Others live out their whole lives to the very end and die at a ripe old age. Sarah Jane for example. Jo Grant. Nothing ever had to intrude on that. And others...must stay dead and buried, well, to the extent that it is their body there and their spirit elsewhere." "I'm glad you believe," Jesse smiled as they walked, quickening up his pace to stay with the Doctor. "Didn't always." "Well, you were a rational scientist..." "But even I could not deny 1000s and 1000s of years of evidence that God exists and the words of God are true. Science had not disproved things that cannot be proved." "Ohhh...kay..." Jesse stopped to think about that. `But do you handle death well?" "I bear it. It...death...is a large part of my life." "But it doesn't have to be." "You, for instance, could be killed at any one of our stopovers. Chronologically speaking, out of time. It almost happened in 1813. In December 2003, you could have been run over by a car or a trolley or something and then what?" "Are you trying to tell me my time is short?" "No, No, no, no, no, no. Nothing like that. Just that I have to live on... with those..." "Doctor," Jesse pulled the Doctor's arm closest to him and put his arm around it and stopped their progress, "We all have to live with that. Like that. You just a bit longer, that's all." The Doctor nodded in acknowledgement. Jesse smiled and put his head on the Doctor's shoulder. "Let's go find Him and him." The Doctor nodded, tears almost in his eyes. Almost. They moved on. They caught up to Jeremy at Annas's place, a huge cement affair. Before they could say anything to him, Jeremy took off, sneaking past the guards to watch Trial One. It was here that he witnessed the initial physical abuse done to his Lord. It was about 2:30 am. Jeremy could only watch but often he turned his head in horror and sadness. "No." Jesus, bloodied at the second Trial, at the current High Priest's Palace, looked at him. "You must not speak often. They might hear you. I can take care of that." "No, I'm okay. I won't try to change what you will do." "Thank you." "I'm sorry that you have to do this." "It...was meant to be." "And that's why I'm sorry." The Sanhedrin Court. 5to 6 pm: they decided to ask the Roman government to kill Jesus. "those..." Jesse, watching with the Doctor from afar, stopped himself. "Ahh, I was thinking the same thing," the Doctor said, "My place and time here, seems to make me want to forbid myself from cursing." "I know what you mean." 6am to 7am: the trial before Pilate. "I can find no guilt in this man." 7am to 7:30 am: the trial before Herod of Antipas. Jesus refused to answer any questions and was quickly returned to Pilate. 7:30 am to 8:30 am: Pilate beats Jesus and has him tortured. He tries to release Jesus. Jeremy is crying now. The crowd wants him to free Barabbus. The Doctor and Jesse are calling for Jesus to be freed. The Doctor wondered if doing so would change time. It would not. 8:30am to 9am: the crown of thorns. 9am to 12 Noon: Jesus forced to carry his own cross. At one point, a boy moves to help him and does help him. The boy beats out Jesse, who wanted to help him, also. Jeremy is carrying the back of the cross but Jesus looks at him and he stops. He bows his head in shame. 12--3pm: the cross. Darkness over the land. Jesus talking to the two thieves that were crucified next to him. Jeremy is at the foot of the cross with Mary, Jesus's mother and Mary Magdalene. The women cannot see him. They are all crying. Jesse pointed, "Doctor, what is that?" "I...I don't know. And I've never seen anything like it in my lifetimes. And I've seen and been through quite a lot." Jesse squinted, "He...he doesn't even look human anymore!" "I would say...there's no logical explanation...certainly the torture was horrific but that..." "I think I know." Jesse said, "All of man and woman sin...he took it on himself...he bore all sins so that we didn't have to...every disease, every sin, every horrible thing that could happen to us..." "And then he went to hell," the Doctor said, "For us for 3 days and 3 nights...taking our place there so we would never have to go there. Tortured again without having committed any sin. Wrongly there. Righteous he then ascended." "That's right. First he descended." "But that..." "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" Jeremy found a sponge and wine and before he could use a long pole to get it up to Jesus, a Roman soldier took it from him. At first, Jeremy thought the man was going to prevent it. Then, to his amazement, the man offered it to Jesus, who refused it. Indeed, as the Doctor and Jesse noted, Jesus's features were darkened by the sins of mankind. Then there was an earthquake. The Doctor held onto Jesse. Rocks and graves were split open. Jeremy put his arms around both Marys to steady them. The old Jewish Temple was split down he middle. The Temple veil was split in two from top to bottom. "It is done." Jeremy returned to the Doctor and Jesse. "It's over. Let's..." "I know where to take you." The Doctor said, putting his arms around Jesse. They all breathed out. "Please, no pleasure jaunts. I just couldn't." Jeremy said. "I'm not callous." The Doctor said. "No?" Jeremy asked. "No, he's not," Jesse insisted. "Don't..." "Just...lets' get out of here." They walked away as Joseph of Arimathea began to make preparations to take the body away. It was still dark but the light was beginning to shine. The land seemed both godless and God filled. Jesus was in hell... The TARDIS soon vanished from the Garden of Gethsemane. It appeared soon enough elsewhere... Jesse, wearing the white piano key outfit Jeremy had worn in 2003, came out of the doors. Jeremy followed. He was wearing a blue denim jacket, blue denim pants, and black boots. He seemed sad. "I know the Doctor said this is when ..." Jesse pointed, "And where." "But he's been so wrong before..." The sun was coming up and there was a huge tomb with a huge boulder in front of it. There were two guards there. The boys approached him. "Halt, young one ...you...you are an angel." "They do see you then," Jesse said. "No," Jeremy moved closer to the scared men. He waved his hand in front of one of their eyes. "They mean you. They still can't see me." Mary and Mary approached. "An angel," one said. Jesse was not sure which one. Jesse turned, "Oh no, I'm no angel. I can't...move that boulder." Jeremy tapped him on the shoulder, "No, but HE can!" A huge angel had floated down from above. He had on white robes, glistening in sunshine and sparkling. He had long flowing hair. He looked pretty and male and female at the same time. He pushed the boulder. The ground shook. The TARDIS shook and almost fell over but some force kept it up and stopped it from falling over. The two guards shook with fear and passed out, falling like stones, white faced. Graves shook and dead people rose up out of their graves, nearby. Jesse grabbed onto Jeremy, "Holy...!" "Yeah, exactly" Jeremy said. The dead people shook with happiness and shook each other's arms and hands. They laughed. They went toward town. "Two angels." "Come on," Jeremy said. He and Jesse moved inside. They tired as the went in and sat down on the ground, where Jesus's body had been. The two women moved to the hole by the tomb. The angel came in and told the women that Jesus had risen. Jesse and Jeremy fell asleep. The women moved to leave but when they turned to the exit, there was a man there. At first, they did not recognize him. Then they knew it was Jesus. "Where I go, you cannot now follow." Later... The Doctor came running out of the TARDIS and ran to the hole where Jesse and Jeremy were just coming out. "Thank God...you're both okay?" "What happened?" Jesse asked. "The TARDIS doors. I couldn't get them open. I don't know why. I couldn't get out to you both..." "He's risen," Jeremy said. "Yes." "It...it really is over." "Yes," the Doctor said, "And now, if you one believes, the Holy Spirit shall be sent forth among the world...to..." "Wait a minute. Wait a minute," Jeremy put a hand up, "Don't you believe it?" The Doctor opened his mouth to speak. Jesse nodded, "Yeah, he does. He told us, remember?" Jeremy stared at the Doctor, "I'm talkin to him. Answer me?" "Of course. Of course, I do." The Doctor said, "It's just tough to believe in something that...good." "Yeah," Jeremy said. "Can we go now?" Jesse asked. "I don't see why not," Jeremy shrugged. "TARDIS." The Doctor said. They returned to it silently. Jesse and Jeremy went in first. The Doctor remained behind. He went into the doors and then came back out, looked back at the hole in the tomb. He was sad faced. Then he smiled. A great big smile of belief.