Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

APRIL

"Hello Ponds!" the Doctor's voice rang through the kitchen of the Pond household, blaring out from the answer phone as he left a message for the companions.

Amy and Rory leaned on the counter by their small phone, listening to the recording, they'd been at their respective jobs, just starting them really, it was...quite the change from their ordinary lives, to wake up, in their house, step outside and see grass and blue skies, and then get in a car and head to a building, working 9 to 5 and heading home for dinner. It...still didn't seem real to them, that they were back on Earth and not flying out among the stars with the Time Lords.

"Hi Uncle Rory!" Ayla giggled, which made them smile, they could practically imagine the young girl waving at the phone as though it were them, "Hi Aunt Amy!"

And then they heard Angel let out a laugh, "That's right sweetheart, hello Rory, hello Amy."

Amy smiled wider seeing Rory's own smile get bigger at not just the sound of their 'niece' but of his 'sister' as well. She really DID love how close Rory and Angel were, it was as close, she liked to think, as she and the Doctor were...though she knew he was a little closer to Ayla than she was. She'd apologized to the girl during Christmas for...for having shot at her, but Ayla had just given her a hug and said that it was ok, she was trying to protect her mummy and daddy and that her mummy had kept her safe. And she'd also informed her that the spacesuit had a minor shield to it, she wouldn't have been badly hurt at all even if the shot had hit her, the most there would be was maybe a cracked class on the helmet, but nothing bad at all.

It didn't do much to relieve her, she still had nightmares about firing and the shot hitting the girl...she...she had a lot of nightmares really, about Ayla, about River, about what the Silence had tried and succeeded to do to them. She couldn't help but think of River's words, if that timeline had never existed...what if Kovarian was still alive somewhere, what if she was still out there? Waiting?

"Checking in," the Doctor added, pulling her out of her thoughts, "That's what family does right?"

They chuckled at that, the Doctor was actually...really making an effort to be in his companions lives more than before. Not just them, they kept in contact with Jack and the others, they still did holidays with them, and they all talked about the Doctor and Angel and Ayla. The Time Lords had been popping into the last few as well, Angel's doing they were sure. If the Doctor had been piloting they wouldn't see the little family for years in between! But they were all glad for it, their family wasn't complete without the founding members of it, without their Pilots.

"How are you both doing?" Angel asked in a very...odd way.

It made them pause a moment. It was like...a cross between her hesitating to ask, because she'd had a feeling, and her genuinely being casual and asking how they were. They weren't quite sure what to make of it.

~8~

The Doctor ran through a door, Ayla's hand held tightly in his, Angel behind them with a surfboard in hand. They stopped on a bridge above a river of magma when the doors on the other end opened and Sontarans began to march through. They turned, but the other doors opened and even more entered.

"Really?" the Doctor huffed as Angel held up a hand at the Sontarans raising their weapons, a soft golden swirl appearing around them, protecting them.

This was supposed to be a nice trip! They were going to a volcano planet, it was like a natural wonder, like a preserve of sorts, where tours were given and you could watch lava flowing. It was really a wonder, the planet had DIFFERENT types of lava and magma. Some were colored, some were cold...some were even toppings on foods! It was just incredible how different the same thing was all throughout the planet and they'd thought it would be a fantastic trip for Ayla.

It wasn't every day you could touch lava and not have your hand burned off. They even sold jars of it! They'd decided that...they wanted to remember these trips, their adventures with their daughter, sort of like...one vacations (adventure) after another and that was what families did right? They took pictures and things. Well, pictures weren't really their style so they thought, perhaps, they could take little keepsakes from the planets, something to remember the adventure (vacation) by. They could make a little room that they could go to to look at the things and remember the memories of it.

And Ayla seemed to love doing it! She always took whatever they kept with them and ran into the TARDIS to show her Aunt Idris, giving her a detailed description of the adventure and what happened during it. Even now she had a little jar of cold, blue, lava to show the box.

It was SUPPOSED to be a calm, slightly educational (as Angel had insisted some be) trip...and then they'd gotten there and ended up wandering right into the middle of the Sontarans trying to take over the planet, wanting to use the magma and the other natural resources of the planet for weapons against the Rutans. So, naturally...they'd had to stop it.

And they'd succeeded too!

...and now they were being chased off the planet by the irate Sontarans who were quite cross that they'd been 'defeated' in battle...even when there hadn't really been any battle at all.

~8~

"Not much to report," the Doctor's voice went a bit squeaky, which made the Ponds smirk, and he thought Angel was a rubbish liar?

"Daddy that's rude!" Ayla chastised her father, "You mustn't lie!"

"Oh Rule 1, sweetheart," he laughed, "I always lie."

"Which is not the best lesson to teach our daughter my love," Angel commented.

There was a kissing noise, that had the Ponds shaking their heads, just imagining the Doctor kissing Angel's cheek...or hand...or forehead...or lips...or, well...he seemed very fond of kissing her anywhere he could didn't he? They honestly couldn't tell (and were quite glad they didn't know the Time Lords THAT well) where he'd kissed her just then.

"As long as I never lie to you or Ayla, I'm alright with that."

Angel laughed, "Rule 3 in play then?"

"And Amended Rule 3," he corrected, "I don't lie to you, or Ayla."

And they knew he was being entirely serious. They'd actually talked with the Doctor and Angel about a few things regarding Ayla during some past trips, the way he described some of the adventures they'd been having...it was like, even being dangerous, Ayla knew exactly what was going on. And they'd found out it was because they told the little girl what the danger was. Rory had been concerned that wasn't the best thing to do, but Angel had actually agreed.

She had lived...a sheltered life, very sheltered, while the Doctor had gone about and explored and seen the Universe. And, despite that, she'd noticed with Rose during their first actual trip together to Satellite 5, that...she had a sense of the danger, she knew EXACTLY how dangerous things were getting but Rose didn't. She'd treated it as a game at first, it wasn't till her she'd saved her father that she realized the true impact of travelling in time. They didn't want that for their daughter. Even the Doctor agreed that they wanted her to have fun, but to be responsible with time, with danger. They didn't want to alarm her, so they always kept her protected, but they did want her to know things were serious.

It was the only way to keep her from wandering off in very, VERY bad situations. She needed to know the true danger they were all in so that she would listen and stay with them and not wander as children so often did. They never flat out told her they were about to be killed or anything like that, no! They just...in their own words (and the Doctor's stutterings) made her aware there was a delicate situation at hand and that she had to be careful, stay with them, and be a good girl.

And she really was. Ayla did what her parents said, she didn't wander off when it was really serious, she listened to what they told her to do, and she was, quite clearly still alive. Which relieved the Ponds to no end. Amy herself had been a bit wary of the girl going on adventures with the Doctor and Angel. She knew they were a family, and she knew the Doctor would NEVER put his daughter in a situation like that, but...as Martha had once described it to her, things always escalated with the Doctor. Things got out of hand, things popped up, his timing was off, and they never knew what would happen wherever they went...

Till now it appeared. Angel had a very firm grasp on her abilities, her visions at least, she could sense whether a place was good to stay or not. And the Doctor actually listened to her when she requested they leave a place. It was rare...actually it hadn't happened yet...that Angel would do that, because as much as she sensed the danger she could sense the people who needed help, and she always knew...without at doubt that they would be ok in the end. And they always were, they protected each other more than ever and...Amy was actually quite terrified if anyone dared try to harm Angel or Ayla now that the Doctor was not only a Mate but a Father.

"You shouldn't lie to anyone daddy," Ayla playfully scolded her father, which made him and Angel laugh over the speakers.

~8~

"Come along, sweetheart," the Doctor took Ayla's hand, pulling the surfboard from Angel not only to toss on top of the magma below them, but so that she could focus her whole attention on the Sontarans.

He smiled as he saw a golden light appear on the bottom of the board, curving out like a bowl beneath it, one he knew would eventually expand and encapsulate the person standing on top of it in a bubble of sorts. It was a gift from the TARDIS for one of her niece's birthdays. They'd gone to the beach and Ayla had wanted to learn to surf, or at least to ride a wave, so the TARDIS gave her a surfboard infused with a bit of the Vortex, much like the extrapolator but less technological and more...a board. If anything happened to the girl, a slight shield would appear around it and bring Ayla to safety till they could get to her. It was a very thoughtful gift an done he was truly touched the TARDIS had taken the care to give.

He grinned, reaching back to take Angel's hand, only to frown, feeling her far more tense than she normally was. He looked over his shoulder to see her entirely focused on the Sontarans...and the glow of the wall surrounding them getting thicker and brighter and the Sontarans hadn't even fired yet. It usually wouldn't worry him too much, Angel's focus, he knew that it took quite a lot to be able to manipulate the Vortex into a shield as she was doing now but...she was starting to shake. And he'd seen her forming a wall in the past, it never took...this much effort or concentration.

"Angel," he whispered, squeezing her hand, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw the glow dimming just slightly, Angel blinking and looking back at him, "Time to go," he winked at her.

~8~

"Surfed the Fire Falls of Floridal 9, didn't we sweetheart?" the Doctor spoke again.

"It was an accident," Angel added, "We were lucky we had that surf board."

"You know, I thought it was odd that you thought we should bring it with us," the Doctor remarked, clearly to Angel, "I didn't think they allowed visitors to surf the magma."

"Would you have let that stop you?" Angel laughed.

"Touché," he chuckled as well.

"It was the best!" Ayla told them, "It was SO much fun!"

~8~

With a grin at his girls, and each of them in hand, the Doctor turned and jumped off the ledge of the rock, right onto the surfboard, the golden energy of Angel's Vortex fading as the shield of the board curled around them. He laughed, Ayla settling down on his lap as they sat on the board, his arm winding around Angel's shoulders as they floated away, the Sontarans firing after them.

He grinned, kissing Angel's temple, "Psychic," he murmured, patting the board that she'd insisted they bring.

"Thief," she countered, turning his head to kiss him deeply as Ayla giggled at her parents, only THEY would be kissing while floating away on magma.

~8~

"Met Mata Hari in a Paris hotel room," the Doctor added.

~8~

The Doctor was sitting cross-legged beside Ayla as she knelt before the fireplace in a quaint hotel room, with a poker in hand, a crumpet stuck on the end of it. He'd showed her how to use the sonic to start a fire in an emergency, and ONLY an emergency, and was now showing her how to properly roast a crumpet using it and a poker. He planned to show her how to make smores next, Angel seemed to love them in this incarnation, smores and coffee. Oh! Maybe they'd go camping later! The African Safari should be peaceful if they picked the right time of year, maybe took care to bring a hunter with them just to be safe. That would be a nice trip, Ayla could see a lion in real life instead of just her Aslan doll, which she still had and still snuggled with at night.

He'd just been about to Angel and ask her what she thought, when he heard her call out, "Hello Mata Hari."

He turned around to see that a woman had just entered the room, wearing a thick fur coat. Which was odd, the room was rather warm, the entire hotel was, and she couldn't still be chilled from the snow outside, there wasn't any snow on her coat so she'd been inside for a while.

~8~

"I still can't believe you DIDN'T notice," Angel laughed.

"Well why would I?" the Doctor countered, his words growing soft, "She's not you."

~8~

Mata Hari dropped her coat, now standing there before them, completely stark naked, making Ayla giggle and look away as her mother moved to get a blanket for the woman, knowing she'd be very embarrassed very quickly.

T he Doctor though just smiled politely, "Crumpet?" and held out the poker at her, as though not noticing her nudeness at all, looking the woman in the eyes instead of...elsewhere.

...which made Mata Hari blush to realize and try to cover herself just as Angel got the blanket around her with an amused smile.

~8~

"She was funny," Ayla giggled.

~8~

The Doctor stood in a sound booth, a cap on his head twisted backwards, Ayla in his arms, the girl with big sunglasses on and a rather thick 'bling' necklace as the two of them sang to some song or another that was playing, recording them. Angel stood beside two men outside the booth who were bobbing their heads, mostly to be polite and humor Ayla. Honestly, the Doctor sounded like a deaf moose, but Ayla loved it when her father sang, as much as she loved hearing him sing too. It didn't always matter how well someone sang if the words and emotion truly meant something. She knew that Ayla loved it when SHE sang to her as well, she'd found she actually had a rather nice voice this time, nowhere near opera or amazing levels, but not as terrible as she'd been, just...normal.

She couldn't help but smile as she watched them, they were both just so happy to have time with their daughter again.

~8~

"Me and my girl laid down some backing vocals, didn't we?"

"That was fun!" Ayla cheered.

"Ayla requested a copy of it made for you," Angel told them, "We'll bring it round later..."

~8~

"Probably in the next few days," Angel called as she helped the Doctor pilot the TARDIS, Ayla watching them from the jump seat, "Or maybe tomorrow," she looked at Ayla, "What do you think?"

"Can we mummy?!" she cheered, clapping, before blinking and pointing at her father, "Don't let daddy drive though."

Angel laughed, knowing the Doctor he'd get them there weeks later.

"Helmic Regulator's playing up," the Doctor sighed, struggling with a lever, proving their point, "Can't get the temporal steering right..."

~8~

Amy and Rory sipped their wine as they listed to the Time Lords.

"My love," Angel called, "We seem to be about to collide with Ancient Greece..."

"Can we go to the Acropolis mummy?!" Ayla gasped.

"Oh of course," Angel cheered, "Just let me get us out of a collision..."

"See you later Ponds!" the Doctor called and Rory hit a button to end the message.

"The Time Lords," Amy held up her glass, toasting with Rory.

MAY

Amy and Rory were sound asleep...when an odd noise sounded down the stairs, a wheezing sound…followed by someone making their way up the stairs, well…running up the stairs really. A rather heavy set of footsteps and small pitters.

A moment later the door flew open, banging against the back wall as the Doctor ran in. The Ponds gasped, sitting up in bed at the crashing sound as the Doctor covered his eyes, "Stop everything!"

"Daddy they were sleeping!" Ayla tugged on his arm.

"I DID tell you to knock first my love," Angel commented as she walked in behind him, smiling as the Doctor immediately wound his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"What's going on?" Rory looked over, resting a hand on his racing heart.

"Doctor!" Amy huffed, "Bedroom!"

"We have a RULE about the bedroom!"

"Always knock," Ayla nodded, before whispering to her father, "It's polite."

The Doctor smiled down at her, reaching out a hand to stroke her hair once, "You are most certainly your mother's daughter," he tapped her on the nose, making her beam at he praise. She was so polite, nothing like how rude he tended to be. And then he remembered why they were there, "No one on this planet is safe right now," he told the Ponds, "We have to solve this before it's too late. Get your clothes on. If we move fast enough we at least stand a chance…"

He trailed off, seeing them looking at Angel, who was shaking her head at him, amused.

"They look very confused daddy," Ayla pointed out.

He sighed, looking at them, "You have no idea what I'm talking about do you?"

"No," they shook their heads, they didn't even know what point in time the Time Lords were at either, Ayla did look a bit older though.

"Oh Helmic Regulator! Again! Too early, wrong point. Come along sweetheart," he took Ayla's hand as they turned to go, "As you were!"

"Doctor, you can't just go like that," Amy rolled her eyes, "What's happening? Don't WE need to know?"

Angel moved over to them, sitting on the edge of their bed, "We just got the order wrong is all," she reassured them, "The Doctor wouldn't let me fly and then proceeded to get into an argument with Sissy so she took us here to spite him," she laughed a bit, "Trust me though," she reached out and put a hand on their arms, "There is nothing wrong with the future, everything WILL be fine."

"Mummy!" Ayla called from down the stairs, "Aunt Idris has locked daddy out!"

Angel laughed and shook her head, getting up, "We'll be back soon enough, I'LL pilot this time. Please, don't worry about the future. Good night."

"Night," they called, though still a bit worried despite her reassurances.

They waited till they could hear Angel's laughter dying out and the wheezing fading before lying back down in bed, "I really hate it when he does that."

Amy nodded.

JUNE

Rory stretched as he walked down the hall toward the bathroom, pulling on a dressing gown as he went. He pushed the door open, jumping back out into the hall with a cry of "WOAH!" and pulling the door shut behind him

He rubbed his eyes, peeking back in to make sure what he saw was really there, before shutting the door again and leaning back against it, straightening when he saw Amy making her way down the hall again.

"Out of the way Mr. Pond," Amy called as he blocked the door, but he just shook his head, his eyes wide, "What? Why not?" he nodded at the door as though trying to convey something before sighing, and opening it.

Amy walked in, but gave a little jump…

There, sitting on the toilet, was an Ood.

"May I be of any assistance?" it asked, its orb brightening as it spoke, though its voice was high and squeaky.

Ayla, they thought, had to be. She tended to giggle at squeaky things, especially the Doctor when his voice went all squeaky. And she was rather curious, they'd seen her nab the Doctor's sonic on more than one occasion...they'd seen Angel plucking a smaller sonic out of the Doctor's hands as he tried to gift their daughter with one as a result. She must have gotten her hands on the sonic and used it on the Ood.

"Ood on the loo."

"Yeah…" Amy breathed.

JULY

The Doctor was sitting on the floor of the TARDIS, under the console's glass floor, across from Ayla, with a TARDIS blue boa around his neck. There was a small splattering of little plastic cups and plates set in front of him, his daughter dressed in an adorable green princess outfit with a little cone hat that had a cloth at the end of it, pouring make-believe tea into a cup for him. He'd offered her a small tiara from a distant planet that he'd picked up on his travels but his daughter was just like his Mate, simple and not showy-offy, even at a pretend tea party.

Angel was watching them fondly as she worked on the console, sitting in the harness, just...so touched to see it. She'd always thought that the Doctor would be the best father in the Universe, and now, to see him with a little girl...sitting there with a boa and having tea...she knew he was FAR more than the best. Words...failed her to describe how brilliant her Mate was with their daughter.

He did everything for her, he danced with her and read to her and played with her...she'd had to wash numerous drawings off the walls as a result, but it had been worth it. And he sat with her, told her about his adventures, tales of wonderful worlds and the best part was...it was all true, it all happened. The best part, her favorite part, was when they'd cook together...because it always turned into a 'flour fight' with the Doctor and they ended up a mess which meant more family time getting Ayla cleaned up and then some...very nice adult time getting themselves cleaned up.

She was starting to get suspicious that he did that more for the adult time than the family time. But she wouldn't complain, she was rather fond of that. It was...odd, how much things had changed but in a good way. With Ayla around, people might assume that they had little time together, she and the Doctor, that they'd settle down, go domestic, focus on Ayla. And they did focus on Ayla, the other things...couldn't be further from the truth.

The Doctor was even more excited for adventures, for showing his daughter the different places and wonders of the Universe, for all the running Ayla seemed to love as much as Jenny, for all the memories they made. Things were only slightly domestic, they did have a child to care for and feed and put to bed, but Ayla was just what the TARDIS needed, what THEY needed, to really be a family and they loved spending time with their daughter. Her being there had brought them all the more close to their 'family' as well, she loved seeing her aunties and uncles and the Doctor was far more willing to see them for that too, wanting them to be a part of her life as long as they could be.

The most impressive thing was...how close SHE and the Doctor had grown in all that time. They were just...on another level, such an intimate one she never really ever thought she'd reach. He was...it was like he was all too aware that, just as he was no longer just 'The Doctor, Mate of the Angel' but now also 'Father of Ayla,' she wasn't just his Mate or just 'the Angel' either but...the mother of his child. He was...different around her than he had been. She wasn't sure if it was what he would have normally been like had he never forgotten her, just his natural current personality peeking through now that the rifts and wounds had healed between them, she didn't know if this was how he was always meant to be around her but...she liked it.

He was always looking at her or talking about her or touching her. Oh he loved to touch her even in the most childish of ways, like poking her side to tickle her or his hand ghosting past her, turning his leg to rest on hers when they sat, just...always connected to her. He was always touching her and teasing her and complimenting her...even more than his last self had and that was a feat in and of itself. She'd heard that Mates, often after a child, were...different, more aware of each other because of the child.

The child was, literally, the physical manifestation of their love, a representation of it, it was...their love. Having the child around, being around it, loving it just increased their own affections even more, strengthened their bond. It was like...their bodies changed, their minds changed, became more in tune with each others after the birth of a child. She hadn't noticed it before, too hurt from everything, but she'd been telling the truth, this her was stronger than the last her. This her was...ready to let herself be happy.

And she was, for the first time in what felt like ages, she was truly happy, just sitting there, watching them, wires dangling around her everywhere, blackened goggles protecting her eyes, a headset on to talk to the Ponds, "The Ood was in your house?"

"I was wondering where he'd got to," the Doctor called, hearing her, "I thought he'd just gone for a walk in the TARDIS. Must have wandered off."

"Which is bad," Ayla nodded, knowing how her parents felt about that, "Most important rule is to not wander off, right daddy?"

"Right sweetheart," he leaned forward and kissed her head, before he got up and moved to Angel's side. He grinned, taking the boa off to wind it around her neck, tugging her in to kiss her.

She was beaming as she pulled away, remembering how he'd mentioned she should wear a boa if he ever selected an outfit that had no tie or lapels, ages ago when she and Donna had just founded Gingers United, "I think he snuck out…" she began.

~8~

Amy and Rory sat, eating breakfast, listening to the conversation over their phone. Amy reached out and stole one of Rory's sausages when he looked away, smirking as he looked back at her, noticing that.

"When the Doctor landed us there last night…"

"If it was last night," the Doctor remarked, "You know, we rescued him from the middle of the Androvax Conflict. We were taking him back to the Ood Sphere, going to show Ayla one of our more beneficial adventures."

"We freed the Ood from human control."

"Anyway, he's not being a nuisance is he?"

~8~

The Ood ambled around the house, doing all the chores someone possibly could.

Like packing Amy and Rory's lunches for them.

"Enjoy your workday experience," he offered Rory his packed lunch.

And making the beds.

And drying the laundry.

And cleaning the windows…

And...

~8~

"Doctor…Doctor?" Rory called over the headset, "He, um, seems to think that he's out butler."

"The Ood are raised to serve," Angel told them, before frowning up at the Doctor, "We really should take care of that a bit more."

He smile, nodding at her concern, "You know, the best thing at the moment is let him do just that. We'll come and pick him up tonight. Whenever tonight is. Hmm?" he looked over at Ayla and pointed at her, "What do you think of that sweetheart? Want to see your Uncle Rory and Aunt Amy again?"

"Yes please!" Ayla smiled, jumping up to go hug him.

Angel though shook her head and got up, heading up the steps as the warning bell went off, "Sorry," she called into the headset, "There's a power drain threatening to implode the TARDIS."

"What?!" the Doctor gasped, rushing up to help her, starting to race around the TARDIS, trying to fix it, frantic, worried for his family, "Oh no, that's bad. Why's it doing that? No, no, no, no, no, don't do that!"

"Calm down, my love," Angel put a hand on his arm, reaching out to tap something into the keypad and pull a lever to turn the alarms off and stop the drain, "All sorted."

He laughed, leaning forward to pull her closer, "Brilliant," he whispered, before kissing her gently as he tapped the headset off.

~8~

"Your infusions," the Ood handed Amy and Rory their coffees, "How else may I be of service?"

"I feel so guilty," Rory mumbled.

"Just eat your breakfast," she told him under her breath before they both looked at the Ood, smiling in awkward thanks.

AUGUST

The Doctor was standing on a ladder, one arm around Ayla's waist to keep her steady as she stood near the top with him on the ladder as well, eagerly watching him...change the bulb on top of the box. He really...treasured that about their daughter. He could see it, in everything she did she was so curious...like him but, at the same time, she had such an appreciation for the little things, like Angel had when she'd first regenerated. It really did warm his hearts SO much to see his daughter so like the two of them.

He tilted his head, keeping a red phone wedged between his ear and shoulder as he spoke to the Ponds, "Ponds! Us again..."

"Hello!" Ayla called, waving at the phone.

"Sorry about the gaps in communications. Dropped your Ood back home, reconnected it to the hive mind. Helmic Regulator's still not working..."

"Helmic Regulator's just fine!" Angel's distant voice called from within the TARDIS.

"It got hit by an arrow at Hastings Hill!" he reminded her with a shout so she could hear him.

"And I fixed it!" she remarked, "Better than it was, won't be acting up again, thank you very much."

"Uncle Rory I rode a horse!" Ayla reached out to take the phone, far too excited to share that bit of information, practically buzzing to tell him that, her first horse ride.

"Right through 11th century Coventry," the Doctor laughed as he took the phone back.

~8~

The Doctor, Ayla, and Angel sat before a Chinese man in a hut, noodles handing around them as they ate some, the Doctor rubbing his belly as the Chinese man laughed. He grinned widely and picked up some chopsticks, gathering some noodles before he turned to Angel, holding up a portion. She smiled and opened her mouth, letting him feed her though she laughed as she couldn't get all the noodles in and had to hide her mouth till she'd gathered them all.

The Doctor had just smiled at her and leaned in to kiss her still-munching mouth.

~8~

"Also, I think I may have accidently invented pasta…" the Doctor added.

"We came round," Angel stepped out of the TARDIS, wiping her hand off on a small rag, "I told the Doctor you were out, he didn't listen."

"I always listen to you," he countered, "I just thought, since the park was across the street there was no harm in swinging by."

~8~

The trio stood before the Ponds' door, the Doctor holding an umbrella over them, his arm around Angel to keep her close, as Ayla repeatedly hit the doorbell, excited to see her Aunt and Uncle, but no one answered.

~8~

"Which is fine," the Doctor nodded.

~8~

"Come along, sweetheart," the Doctor said he unwound his hand from Angel, taking Ayla's hand as she did, the three of them walking back, the two Time Lords swinging their girl between them over the puddles that were forming in the rain.

~8~

"Everything's alright, isn't it?" the Doctor frowned as he helped Ayla off the ladder, the three of them standing in the doorway of the TARDIS, till Ayla ran inside to tell her Aunt Idris about the brand new bulb she was wearing, "With you two?"

"Of course it is my love," Angel whispered, kissing his cheek, "They're the Ponds, they'll always be fine as long as they're together."

He nodded, resting his head to hers, "Just…just worrying unnecessarily, me. Anyway," he pulled back, "Just call us if you need us, ok? Toodle Pip," he looked down at the phone in his hands before sighing, pulling out the sonic and deleting the message.

~8~

"Message deleted," the answer phone stated as the messages went from 1 to 0, just a moment before Amy entered her house.

She stopped by the phone, checking the messages and sighed, "We need you Raggedy Man, Golden Girl. I need you."

Chapter Text

"Daddy!" Ayla screamed as she clung to Angel, the woman pounding on the glass wall that separated them from him, "Help!"

"Hold on!" the Doctor shouted, sonicing the wall, needing it to crack, needing it break, needing it to release them, but it remained whole, "No!"

"Doctor!" Angel gasped as a humming noise sounded, she and Ayla looking up, terrified.

"No!" he raged, banging on the wall with his fist, trying to break through it with his bare hands. His rational mind would have realized that it was impossible to do, that he'd do more harm to himself than good in helping them...but his rational mind had been completley consumed by the sheer panic only someone whose Mate and Child were in danger could feel.

This couldn't be happening! It couldn't! Not now, not when they were supposed to be safe! The Silence had found them, River had let it slip that the whole murder was a ruse, and word had spread, whispers of it, that he was still alive, that Angel was, that they'd found their daughter. And all hell had broken loose. The Silence had come at them in full force, and despite their best efforts, despite his mind and Angel's abilities and foresight...they hadn't seen the consequences coming. The Silence had captured Angel and Ayla, had separated them, pulled them away from him and managed to trap them in the stark white facility he was standing in, holding them in a cell of glass for observation.

He'd flown through the Universe in a rage to get back to them, not about to let the Silence harm his family again...but he was too late. Even now, even having found them, it was too late. Because he recognized that hum, he knew what it meant, he knew what was building, and he had to get them out, but the walls were strong despite being glass.

"Teleport out!" he cried to Angel.

"I can't," she looked back at him, tears in her eyes, absolutely terrified, "I tried! They've managed to add time-lock technology to the glass...I can't break through."

He looked frantic at that, the time-lock on Gallifrey, time-locks in general were impenetrable. No form of time travel could enter them and the Vortex...it was their direct link to travelling in time. It was the path they took, the energy they used to do it, to fuel it and control it...not even the Vortex could break through a time-lock. And if the Silence had somehow managed to get their hands on that sort of technology...the only person capable of knowing it, in his mind, being Torchwood and River...and Jack would rather die permanently than give that secret up...it had to be River. Would that woman never cease to ruin their lives?

He spun around to see if there was anything, anything at all, that he could use to smash the window, but there was nothing, the entire hall was deserted and dark, save for him standing there before the glass. He'd been about to run down the hall, look around a corner...when Angel groaned, and then Ayla cried out in pain. He spun back to them, his hearts freezing in his chest at the sound of their pain, to see a red light had turned on in the room, bouncing off the originally white walls and casting a disturbing image of them bathed in the red light, like blood. He flashed the sonic again, his hearts dropping, they were flooding the room with stet radiation! Far too much, far too quickly, it wouldn't just kill them...it would kill them too quickly to regenerate!

"NO!" he beat against he wall once more, forced to watch as the two girls who were his entire Universe sunk to their knees, their bodies weakening, failing, dying, before his very eyes, "Angel! Ayla!" he beat the walls harder, ignoring a crack in his one hand as he was certain his hand had broken, but he didn't care, he didn't feel it, he didn't feel anything except the blinding need to get in there and save them.

He couldn't lose them, he just couldn't! Not only because of the Mating but...even if he'd had the bracelet on him at that exact moment, he...he could be strong for his daughter, he could live for her in a way he knew Angel would want him to. But Ayla was in there too! Ayla, his little girl, was dying beside his Mate! He couldn't survive that, not losing the both of them at once, he wasn't that strong.

To have lost everything one had and be given a chance of getting it back...to lose it again...

He'd once said to Auntie and Uncle, that they had given him hope in finding other Time Lords and taken it away, had been on the brink of rage then. But this...this was real, he HAD a Mate and a daughter and a family again, he wasn't alone, he had THEM...and now they were being taken away from him. And he knew exactly what that would do to him.

Break him.

Kill him in more ways than just physically dying ever could.

He started shoving against the glass, his hearts pounding, his blood pumping ice water, his mind racing, feeling the panic of the Mating instinct and his own paternal bonds springing to life at the sight of his daughter and his love suffering so. He threw his weight against the wall, slamming his shoulder into it in a vain attempt to get them out...but...nothing.

"Doctor..." Angel breathed as she and Ayla collapsed to the floor, him sinking to his knees with them, shaking, unable to breathe, unable to really see any longer with the tears in his eyes.

No...please...he begged, he begged and pleaded with every deity, star, power-that-be, he could think of, please don't take them!

"Dad...dee..." Ayla weakly reached for him, his hand pressing to the glass where hers was heading...when her little hand fell, the two of them breathing their last, no sign of regeneration on the horizon...

~8~

"NO!" the Doctor gasped, shooting up in bed, shaking, the breeze he'd made at his sudden move chilling the sweat that had layered him. The sheets were twisted around him from his thrashing, his hearts racing, his head pounding, his breath not coming quickly enough. He felt dizzy and off balance as he pressed a hand to his head, trying to shake off the dream, trying to erase it from his mind, feeling...so...scared.

He swallowed hard, knowing what he needed to feel calm and safe and...happy...again. He looked over beside him...and saw Angel wasn't there. He leapt up, his mind on the dream, and went crashing over the side of the bed to the ground, landing hard on his shoulder, still twisted in the sheets that he frantically kicked off. He pushed himself to his feet and stumbled into the hall, shoving through the bedroom door and nearly running into the wall across from him in his panic. He stumbled more, his body too tense and agitated and shaky to really focus on walking properly as he grabbed another doorknob and opening it, his hearts stopping when he saw Ayla wasn't there either.

Had it...had it been real?

Had it been a memory?

But just as his mind went to a VERY dark place and he moved to check his wrist to see if the Dampening Bracelet was there...he heard the faint sound of Ayla giggling, of Angel laughing, coming from down the hall. Before he even realized he'd moved, he bolted down the corridor, half-running into the door frame of the kitchen, his eyes wide, his hearts slowing as he saw his girls were in there. They were actually and physically standing in the kitchen, in their pajamas, Ayla sitting on the counter as she stirred a mix in a bowl, Angel at the stove, flipping pancakes. Ayla was wearing a small green night dress while Angel seemed to prefer dark blue, baggy flannel pants and a light blue tank top to sleep in for this incarnation. He himself preferred simple bottoms and no shirt, which he very much loved because it made him feel all the closer to Angel when they cuddled at night.

"Daddy!" Ayla cheered, spotting him, not seeming to notice his flustered state, "Look what mummy and I made!" she turned and set the bowl down so she could pick up a plate of pancakes sitting beside her for him to see.

He just stood there, panting. Just...staring at them as though he couldn't believe they were there, that they were ok...that they were smiling at him given the fact he hadn't been able to save them... He closed his eyes and shook his head, it was a dream, he hadn't needed to save them because they were perfectly fine.

"Are you alright my love?" Angel asked, looking back at him over her shoulder, concerned. Not even needing to feel his rampant emotions to know something was wrong. He was...pale, he was shaking and there was a fine layer of sweat covering him, and not the good kind. He seemed...frightened and alarmed and...relieved at the same time.

"Fine," he swallowed, taking a much needed breath to try and calm himself more, "Just fine," he took a step in, still a bit shaky, but managed to walk over to Ayla without stumbling or jerking which was something given the terror he still felt in his hearts, "What have you got there sweetheart, chocolate chip?"

"Mhmm," Ayla nodded, taking one off the plate and taking a bite of it.

He smiled at that as she offered him the one she'd started eating and just...kissed her forehead instead, brushing a hand down her hair as it was out if its pigtails, just...taking a moment to revel in the fact that his daughter and Mate were ok. That thought alone had him falling back onto a chair by the small kitchen table, relieved. It had been just a dream. A terrible, awful dream, but a dream none the less, the worst one of his life, but...his girls were just fine.

"Why didn't you wake me?" he looked at Angel.

"It was meant to be a surprise," she told him, glancing at him over her shoulder, flipping a pancake, "Ayla wanted to give you breakfast in bed. And so did I," she added, "It's not often I wake up before you."

He gave a small chuckle at that, this new her was a very...deep sleeper. Unless Ayla was having a bad dream or there was some danger, then she flew awake, but she could sleep through practically anything it seemed. He did rather LOVE waking her up in the mornings when they did sleep, his favorite part of the day...well, his favorite part of the start of the day. He loved seeing her blush when she fully woke to the different ministrations of his, always different every day.

"Eat up love," Angel smiled, setting a plate of warm pancakes before him.

He reached out as she passed him, catching her hand and tugging her back, looking up at her as he took her in, just...smiling in relief that she was alive and ok. He gently pulled her down by the hand he was holding to kiss her, deepening it a little more than was probably necessary for having just woken up, but...needing it. He needed to be reminded she was there, she was ok, she was alive, and she didn't hate him.

He sighed as he pulled away, resting his forehead to hers as his eyes drifted closed, "I wish I could wake up like that every time," he murmured.

Angel laughed, "You already do," she winked at him.

He smiled, watching her walk over to Ayla, it was true. He did wake up like that every morning after they slept. Well, not with the crippling fear haunting him, but...with Angel in his arms. He would wake up and just stare at her, watch her sleep, content to let her sleep, feeling a patience and a calm he rarely ever felt when he wasn't with her. Sometimes he'd trace her face with feather light touches, or just lay his head beside her and look at the side of her face, or trace patterns on her shoulder and back, or give her little kisses, gently coaxing her awake. He loved that, he loved the little intimate moments they shared in the morning before Ayla awoke. It wasn't often that they needed sleep like that so it made the moment even more special. And Angel always gave him a kiss once she was awake, much like she always did as they fell asleep as well. According to her, that was the best note to end a day on and the best omen to being one with as well, kissing the person you loved.

He nodded to himself, yes, everything was just fine, and turned to dig into his rather delicious looking pancakes...

But...just as he was about to lift his fork to his lips...he noticed a Headless Monk was sitting right in front of him on the other side of the table where Angel usually sat, Ayla typically sitting between them...

~8~

The Doctor looked around and saw that Angel and Ayla were gone, his hearts about to stop, fearing that he'd just been dreaming before, that they had really perished...when he noticed the colors around him seemed dim...this was another dream.

Which meant the last dream was a dream and the one before that was a dream and...oh his head hurt now.

"What do you want?" he glared at the Monk, knowing he had no right to be there, that it had to be something more than a dream. The only time he dreamt of the Headless Monks was when he remembered Demons Run and what happened to Ayla. He would never EVER just dream of one sitting before him as though they were having tea and scones in a café.

"There is a woman who wants to meet you," the Monk replied, his voice deep.

"That's nice," his jaw tensed at the mention of some random woman, "I've got a Mate already. Not interested. Never will be."

"Your help is required."

The Doctor set down the fork still in his hands, leaning in to try and peer at the Monk, "Who are you?"

"A messenger."

"Whose messenger?" he leaned back, he hated that, he hated that someone had a message for him...because it meant it was someone who knew he was alive. And that was NOT a good sign at all.

"Darla Von Carlson."

"Never heard of her," he stood, about to force himself awake...

~8~

...when he saw they were now in a disused room, most certainly not in the TARDIS, "Where's the TARDIS?"

"We were never in the TARDIS," the Monk stated as he stood before the Doctor now, confirming his thoughts that the enitre thing, all of it had just been dream after dream.

"Right," he sighed, rubbing his head, "Psychic projection. Someone sending me a dream message. Well I hope I fell asleep somewhere comfy. Preferably in Angel's arms..." that was the thing about dreams, you could never really remember what your last thought or position or place was till you woke up.

"Do you recognize where you are?"

He looked around, grimacing as he hated to admit that yes, he DID know where he was. He could recognize the architecture around him, the markings on the walls, the feel of it, there was only one place in the Universe it could be, and it was NOT a place he wanted to remember or dream or even think on.

"I remember," he nodded, now tense, alert, "How do you hang up on this thing?"

"You can't."

"Oh yeah? And what if I just wake up?" he closed his eyes, concentrating, and woke up...

~8~

...on a beach, Angel beside him on a beach chair, basking in the sun, while Ayla played near the water, building a sandcastle. He smiled as he eyed Angel, she was wearing a bikini with a small sort of skirt/wrap over her hips. Oh he loved it when she wore it, it had taken him ages to convince her to. It seemed this incarnation of her was quite a bit more modest than her last selves had been as well. He doubted Martha would be able to get this her into some of the outfits she'd attempted in the past. But he'd finally managed it, with quite a few kisses thrown into the mix to distract her of course, a double victory for him. Because not only did he get kisses out of it, he got to see her looking glorious as ever. She was lying there, dozing off beside him, unworried about getting sunburn, they'd been sure to get the strongest form of sun block they could, not wanting Ayla to burn either.

"Eyes front, my love," Angel called, as though feeling his eyes on her, which she very much could.

He chuckled and held out a hand as she blinked her eyes open, taking her hand and just...playing with her fingers a moment, glancing over at Ayla as she built not just a sandcastle, no, he could see she was building a sand-TARDIS. He started to laugh at that when he heard the Monk's voice echo in his mind, "No, Doctor, the beach isn't real either. You are still dreaming."

He jerked up, looking around for the Monk, to see the beach had disappeared, the world shifting again.

~8~

They were floating in space, him and the Monk, standing there really, "What do you want?!" he demanded of the Monk.

He didn't like this, not one bit. Not just that he kept being forced out of lovely dreams about his Mate and daughter, but because this projection...it was powerful if it wouldn't let him wake till the message had been given. And anything powerful enough to get to his mind without him letting it in...besides Angel...was something he was automatically wary of.

The Monk simply waved his hand and symbols appeared in the air between them, "Space time coordinates. You will meet Darla Von Carlson here. Her daughter is in danger and only you can save her," the Monk was silent, seeing him flinch at the mention of a daughter being in danger, "You recognize the planet?"

"Yes," the Doctor swallowed hard, before glaring at the Monk, "And I will NOT take MY daughter there."

He would not, he refused. That planet, that was not a planet HE even wanted to go to. He wanted to help but...too much didn't add up. How had this woman found out he was alive? Did she even know? How was she projecting this to him? Why THAT planet? What happened to her daughter?

"You will," the Monk insisted, "But first you must say it."

"No."

"Name the planet."

"I will not say that name!"

"SAY IT!" the Monk ordered...

~8~

And the Doctor jolted awake to find himself lying on one of the sofas of Torchwood, where he KNEW he'd fallen asleep before, with a cry of, "NO!"

"Name the planet," he could hear the Monk's voice fading in his mind.

"Skaro," he swallowed, running to Jack's office, glad the man was elsewhere in the Hub at the moment, and sonicing his bottom drawer of his desk open, pulling out the man's poor old beaten down Vortex Manipulator. After all the sonicing it off and fixing it by Jack and sonicing it off and fixing, over and over, the poor thing had barely any life left. He could see Jack had tried to repair it again, but that it just wasn't working any longer, the man keeping it for the memories.

But with a little sonic help it might be able to get through two more trips...one there, and one back. He looked up as he strapped the device to his wrist and swallowed hard, he didn't want to do this. But...he couldn't risk Angel or Ayla going there, or Jack trying to stop him, he couldn't risk the TARDIS being there either and...he needed to know who this Darla woman was, how she knew how to contact him, how she knew he was alive. Because if she knew, who else did?

There were only a handful of people he trusted to know he and Angel were alive, that they'd found Ayla, and not say anything. He was hanging around one portion of them, helping to repair the Rift Manipulator that Jack had said a Weevil had managed to tear apart only a day or so ago, not trusting anyone else to repair it...except Angel, but...Angel was visiting Sarah Jane with Ayla as the girl had a playdate with her 'cousin' Sky, and he didn't want to disturb her. They'd agreed that he would be dropped off there before Angel took the TARDIS to Sarah Jane's and then she'd pick him up once more, everyone trusting that Angel would pick him up in time and not months later like he might have ended up accidently doing.

And...it was probably better that they weren't there...he didn't want to risk them. His jaw tensed, he would NOT risk them in this. He would go find out how this was possible, he'd find out how this woman knew, and then...he'd deal with it himself. He would NOT let anyone harm his family.

Never again.

And, with that, he slapped his hand down on the Vortex Manipulator...and disappeared.

Chapter Text

"First there were the Daleks...and then there was a man who fought them and a woman who stopped them. And then, in time, she died and in her death, destroyed this man. There are a few, of course, who believe they somehow survived...and that one day they will both return. For both our sakes, dearest Hannah, we must hope these stories are true."

~8~

The Doctor stood in the shadows of a rundown, disused room, watching as a woman with straight ginger hair, in a black cloak, walked to a circular window and looked out at the devastated, corroded land beyond. And he knew, she was waiting for him. He'd tracked the source of the psychic message he'd received from that Monk down to this spot, used the space/time coordinates to get there. And he wanted to leave, just setting foot on this planet felt wrong, felt...dangerous. He just wanted to see what she knew and then leave. The Vortex Manipulator had held strong enough, but he didn't want to risk it failing and needed to be quick.

"I got your message," he called to her, "Not many people can do that, send me messages."

She spun around at the sound of his voice, gasping as she saw the Doctor step out of the shadows, "I have a daughter," she told him, seeing him stiffen, she had been told to start with that, knowing the man himself had lost a daughter, it was practically gospel throughout the Universe how he had searched for 200 years for the girl before...his Mate died and he along with her. She was infinitely thankful the rumors, the whispers, were true, that he was still alive, which meant his Mate was as well. She glanced to the side of him, as though expecting her to be there but she wasn't, "Hannah. She's in a Dalek prison camp. They say you can help."

"Do they?" he sighed, "I wish they'd stop."

And he...almost sort of DID wish they'd stop.

He could never refused people who needed help, being a Doctor too far ingrained into him, not that Angel was much better, but...help meant danger. And he loved it, he did, he loved the excitement of it all and the running and the exhilaration...and he loved the very large kiss Angel always bestowed upon him when they survived. But...he was a father now. It was one thing when it was just his life on the line, it didn't matter, it was another when Angel joined him, though she was just as determined to see people saved as he was and they could protect each other because they trusted each other to do it. But it was quite another thing to have his daughter put in harm's way or in danger because of him. He was very much like an overgrown child, he knew he came across as that, but beneath that was a man who just wanted the people he cared about safe. He had someone else to think about now, to consider, and, luckily, Ayla was just as curious to get out there as he was, to see the wonders and learn on the adventures, but THIS? He was more careful about some adventures than others, not wanting to put his daughter in danger.

When people asked for help, he tried to help, but it often meant danger and the more he helped the more people knew about him still being alive, Angel being alive.

He shook his head and walked to the window, looking out at the rain falling through the dark clouds to the near-decaying planet below, "Helluva choice of meeting place."

"They said I'd have to intrigue you," the woman, Darla, explained, though he tensed at that, realizing there was more to it than just Darla, he knew there had to be but he'd been hoping it was JUST her that knew of him and now he saw there were more.

"Skaro," he muttered, thankful that Ayla and Angel were visiting Sarah Jane at the moment, they should not be there, exposed to such evil and darkness, not them, "The original planet of the Daleks. Look at the state of it," he turned to her, frowning, "Who told you about me?"

The woman blinked, "Does it matter?"

He walked over to her, "Maybe not," and pulled off her hood to look at her face intently, "But you're very well informed."

And anyone who knew THAT much about him, about how to contact him, was...either a great ally or a formidable enemy and he was sure his allies would have warned him about this, contacted him themselves. He turned away from her, he would have to do something about this. The Universe was not meant to know he'd survived past Angel's supposed death, that Angel hadn't actually died. He hadn't been about to answer the dream message either…but she'd lost a daughter, he could empathize. He couldn't just turn away from that, but now…now he was starting to grow even more suspicious of the whole thing.

"If Hannah's in a Dalek prison camp, tell me, why aren't you?"

"I escaped."

He chuckled mirthlessly, "No, nobody escapes the Dalek camps," he strode back over to her, the only ones that 'escaped' were the ones let out for a purpose. He grabbed her wrist, holding it tightly, "You're very cold," and then put a hand to her cheek, before looking around nervously.

"What's wrong?"

"It's a trap," he stated, just feeling it in his bones, spending so long with Angel had given him a better feel for the things around him, made him trust himself and his instincts more when she wasn't there. It really was remarkable how much being a father improved ones sense of self-preservation…

"What is?"

"You are and you don't even know it," he backed away from her, watching in horror as a Dalek eyestalk sprouted out of her forehead.

He quickly moved to slap his hand on the Vortex Manipulator and get out of there, but she raised her hand, a Dalek laser extending from her palm, and fired at him.

The Doctor fell back with a cry, Darla just turning and walking away, blank-faced, unfazed at what she'd done, when a Dalek ship descended by the window, a beam of light shining on the Time Lord...

~8~

'…The Doctor is acquired…'

~8~

Amy, styled and dressed to perfection, just a hint of something wild to her, extended a fist at a camera, HATE written on her knuckles, LOVE written on the other hand, as the photographer snapped pictures. She looked up when her assistant entered, waving to get her attention and sighed, "I'll just be a minute," she told the photographer, sliding down the banister of the stairs she was standing on and striding over to her the man.

"Er...your husband is here," her assistant stated.

"I don't have a husband," she remarked coldly, walking through the halls of the photo shoot, more attitude to her walk than ever before, her expression hard yet blank at the same time, emotionless.

"Well, apparently you still do."

She turned to glare at the man, who quickly backed up, as she entered the makeup room, to see Rory sitting in one of the chairs before the mirrors.

"You have to sign these," he called, seeing her reflection, not looking back at her as he held up a stack of papers.

She walked over and snatched them out of his hands, eyeing them, making sure it was really what they were meant to be, divorce papers, "And then we're not married?"

"Just like magic," he remarked stonily, very unhappy with all this.

He just...he didn't know how this had happened. Things were fine, they'd been starting their new life together but...it had been hard, to adjust. It was so weird to wake up normally, to an alarm and not to the TARDIS throwing a fit at the Doctor. It was odd to not sit down in the kitchen and have breakfast with aliens or open the doors and see stars or...go through the same day over and over. It was hard, but...they were managing. They were starting to settle in a little and...they had jobs, a house, each other, all that was really missing...were children. They had talked about it a little, but...Amy just kept getting more hostile each time so he dropped it...but it didn't stop, it just got worse and Amy kept pushing him further and further away. He just...didn't know what to do, she'd kicked him out!

"Can't chat," Amy cut him off, signing the papers promptly, not even hesitating, "Working."

He scoffed, taking them back, "Really? Thought you were just pouting at a camera," he stood up and headed for the door, ever since she'd started this whole modeling thing, she'd been different, distant, colder. Especially to him.

"Rory..." she tried to call, a note of...something in her voice, as though she was hurting to see him so upset, but he just dodged a makeup girl and headed out.

Amy sighed, turning back to the mirror as the lights around it flickered a moment.

"Sorry, love, was I interrupting?" the girl asked, moving over to Amy as she sat down, "Gosh look at you, you've gone so pale. Come on take a seat, we'll soon sort that out," she smiled at Amy, when her head suddenly dropped to her chest.

Amy frowned, seeing it in the mirror, and turned, concerned, only to see the girl lift her head, a Dalek eyestalk sticking out of her forehead, raising her hand to fire as a bright light lit up the room...

~8~

'…Amelia Pond is acquired…'

~8~

Rory sighed as the doors to a bus slid open, him ambling in, "Cheers," he called to the bus driver, heading to take a seat in the quite empty bus and look down at the signed papers, shaking his head.

Amy had signed them, yes...but he hadn't. He just...he didn't want to. Ever since he was a child he'd loved Amelia Pond, she was just...it for him. A man didn't wait 2,000 years outside a box without sleeping or anything for someone they didn't love with their whole heart. All that time, all 2,000 years he'd loved her, he'd been true to her and faithful and protected her and he was quite certain that he would love her for 2,000 more. He just...couldn't understand it, she'd been happy. They had been happy, so...what had changed?

He glanced at the papers again and rubbed his eyes, he still had to sign them before he dropped them off and yet he kept hesitating. Hoping for a miracle he was. Which made him chuckle just a bit to think on. He could only imagine how long it would be before Angel appeared, just sensing, across time and space, that something was wrong and coming to check on him. She was...amazing like that. Ever since she'd regenerated she just...knew...when he needed to talk to her. He swore it, he would be walking somewhere and just think that he could really do with a talk with his sister...and then a phone, no matter where, would ring near him and it would be her, calling for a chat.

He had to smile at that, Angel, despite her regeneration, still maintained that special something that just let her know. Psychic indeed. But...even he had to admit, she was cutting it a little fine this time. He was on his way to drop the papers off right now...so really she only had the duration of the bus ride to try and help.

He looked up suddenly, hearing a squealing as the bus jerked to a stop, to see the driver in the rearview mirror, an eyestalk popping out of his head, a bright light filling the vehicle.

~8~

'…Rory Williams is acquired…'

~8~

Angel blinked as she shook her head from the vision she'd just seen, sighing as she looked across from where she was sitting before Sarah Jane, Ayla off to the side, playing with Sky.

Sarah Jane could only smile, guessing exactly what that fond sigh was about, "The Doctor?"

Angel nodded, offering the woman an apologetic smile before standing, "Come along Ayla," she called, holding out her hand to her daughter, "It seems daddy's got himself into a bit of a situation."

"Again?" Ayla giggled, taking her mother's hand.

Her daddy was rather silly wasn't he? He was always going off and getting into trouble. Even more now than before! She had to admit, she DID love it very much, things were so...boring when it was all peace and quiet, she liked the adventure of it, the running, the way her parents saved so many people during those trips. She knew her father wasn't doing it on purpose, things just...escalated as her Aunt Martha always said. She really did love it when that happened, she knew she'd be alright, her parents would protect her no matter what, and they'd protect each other, so they would always be ok. And she liked them because she got to prove to her parents that she was a 'big girl' now.

It had been a few decades since her parents had found her. She was always getting older, but she still appeared as though a child, still thought like one at times. Children had such a capacity to learn, in every species it was remarkable how much a child could absorb. Their people tended to age slower, not just in physical appearance but also in mental capabilities too. Their brains developed slower, matured slower, to retain that ability to learn what they needed to know of the Universe and time. It's why they were so clever!

It meant she learned a lot but she was still technically a child. She knew her parents worried about her, about the danger of the adventures, but she tried to prove as best she could that she really was their daughter. That her mother's intuition would keep her safe and her father's cleverness would help protect her. Well, that and the fact that she always did what her father told her to when things got very clinchy, she wanted to prove that they could trust her to not wander off...much. She did love a good wander when the places were interesting, but she tried her best not to do it when her parents really meant 'don't wander off.'

"Goodbye Sarah Jane," Angel called, nodding her goodbye to the woman, pulling Ayla's thoughts back to her mother, "Sky."

"Bye Aunt Angel!" Sky waved, making Angel beam at how all the children of the companions had come to call her Aunt Angel and the Doctor 'Uncle Doctor,' much like Amy had when they'd entered the Signora's school, "Bye Ayla!"

Sarah Jane moved and gave them both a quick hug, "Take care," she whispered, stepping back.

Angel nodded and the two of them headed back to the TARDIS that was parked in Sarah Jane's attic. Oh she knew she shouldn't have left the Doctor in Torchwood. It was either like leaving a bull in a China shop...or a child in a sweet shop. Neither was very good and there was never any middle ground with the Doctor. She was...worried though, she could feel it inside her, that this adventure...it was going to be more a nightmare than anything.

She just...didn't now why.

~8~

Rory blinked awake, finding himself lying on the floor of a stark white room. He sat up with a start, looking over to see Amy already standing there, her arms crossed, "Where are we?" he asked but instead of answering she just jerked her head towards a large window. He stood, moving over to it to see a large number of Dalek spaceships outside and very nearly hung his head, instead settling for closing his eyes for a moment and shaking his head, "So…how much trouble are we in?"

A door opened beside them and a Dalek rolled in.

"How much trouble, Mr. Pond?" the Doctor called, following the Dalek, another following behind him, its laser aimed at him, clearly he was a prisoner too, "Out of ten? Eleven."

And he was infinitely thankful that Angel and Ayla weren't there now.

The white room...the room they were in right now...it reminded him of three places that he did NOT want to think of. Apalapuchia, when Angel had nearly died, Demons Run, when Ayla had been taken, and...his dream. The dream that had jolted him awake before coming to Skaro, that white room that Angel and Ayla had been trapped in. He just...it was too white. It was all too white and he knew, every time he saw a room as white as this he'd just end up thinking about them, about the dream and the events that had really happened.

Even now he could feel himself stiffening, afraid to turn round, afraid that if he did he'd see Angel and Ayla behind him, trapped in a room like in his dream. God it had been terrible. He felt his hearts picking up, his body starting to shake as he just thought of it and he knew he had to get himself under control, the Daleks would be able to sense and scan him and if they saw him afraid they would use it to their advantage. And now he had not just himself to worry about getting out of there alive, but Auntie Red and Uncle Beaky too.

He barely had time to take a breath though when the ceiling opened in a circular pattern, pulling their attention up to it even as the floor started to rise.

Rory quickly made his way over to the Doctor, "Doctor," he began quietly, "Angel and Ayla?"

The Doctor had to smile though at the man's concern for his Mate and daughter, "They're fine, visiting Sarah Jane at the moment."

Rory nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. Ayla…she was special to him. He had been the only one there for Angel from the moment she discovered Ayla's existence right up to and after they had lost the girl. He cherished the time he got to spend with his 'niece' for it was really the only time he got to spend around a child. Yeah, he got to spend some time with the other companions and their children, he loved it, he was like the Doctor in that regard, children always had a special place in his heart, but...it wasn't the same as with Ayla. She was his 'special girl,' she was the one he'd gotten to hold as a baby, he'd gotten to deliver her! It made the girl all the more precious to him. He'd always wanted to be a dad, to have a baby to take care of, to be there for, but…it hadn't happened for him and Amy yet. Well, it had sort of happened with River, but he really found that he couldn't count the whole 'raising Mels' thing as they'd had no idea they were 'raising' her at the time, she hadn't been their daughter either then, just Mels, Amy's friend, someone who seemed to barely tolerate him too.

It was one reason he resented Amy's modeling career. Ever since she'd gotten it, she had gone on birth control, claiming she didn't want to ruin her figure being so new to the industry. So no children for them. He'd started by just asking her to consider going off it, the two of them trying to talk about the possibility of children. Eventually though...they'd fought about it, had such terrible fights about it, but she refused to stop taking the pill, going so far as hiding them from him so he wouldn't be able to switch them with something else, not that he would ever tamper with medicine like that. But he hated it. He hated the fighting, he hated how it was driving them apart. So he'd stopped asking, he'd stopped talking about it. And, eventually, they'd both just...stopped talking to each other too. It was like every time he opened his mouth Amy expected it to be about children, even when it wasn't. It was like it was a more prominent thought in HER mind than his, but...women were complicated. He really had NO idea what was going on in her mind or why she was reacting like that.

It had to be more than just her figure. Amy was beautiful, she'd get loads of jobs as she grew pregnant for maternity, the beauty of motherhood and other such things, and she'd get her figure back…but she still refused. She knew how much he'd wanted a child, ever since he'd been one, it had been his dream to have a family, she knew it when she'd married him…yet she was refusing it now. And...it was a little unfair. He knew she wanted to travel with the Doctor ever since she was a child, and he'd...offered to let her keep doing that while he went back to Leadworth after Venice. He knew she wanted to keep seeing the Universe, keep travelling, and they had as long as they could. Everything Amy had wanted he'd tried to do for her. She wanted to be a kiss-o-gram, he, as her boyfriend, had tried to be supportive and not be hurt that she was kissing other men. She wanted a 'Doctor' so he'd gone to medical school to be one. She'd wanted adventure and excitement and interesting things so he'd grown a ponytail...alright so that last one was from a Dream World but it still counted!

He sighed, shaking his head and stepping back, he just couldn't understand it. He'd done every thing he could possibly do for her, to make her happy...and all he wanted was just...a baby of his own. That was all, he just wanted to be a father.

But he had little time to think on that as they suddenly found themselves on the level above them, in an auditorium of sorts, surrounded by thousands of Daleks of different makes and models. There was one on a pedestal to the side, out of its casing, the mutant visible to see, sitting in a protective glass.

"Where are we?" Amy asked, "Spaceship, right?"

"Not just any spaceship," the Doctor tensed, now very, VERY Angel had taken Ayla to Sarah Jane's, "The Parliament of the Daleks. Be brave."

"What do we do?"

"Make them remember you," he told her before stepping up, "Well, come on then. You've got me! What are you waiting for? At long last, it's Christmas!" he held out his arms, but was NOT about to let them take him down without a fight, "What do you want from me?" he asked them, "Why bring me here?"

"Save us," the mutant called, making him look over at it in shock, "You will save us."

He blinked, pointing at himself, utterly confused, of all the things they could say...that was the last thing he expected, "I'll what?"

"You will save the Daleks."

"Save the Daleks!" the other Daleks began to chant, "Save the Daleks! Save the Daleks! Save the Daleks! Save the Daleks! Save the Daleks!"

"Well, this is new," he commented…

When suddenly the familiar wheezing of the TARDIS sounded, cutting the Daleks off. The Doctor spun around to see the blue box fade into existence just beside them, solidifying before the doors opened moments later and Ayla ran out, right for her father, jumping into his arms with a cry of "Daddy!" and a giggle.

He hugged her close, catching her, and looked up to see Angel leaning in the doorway of the TARDIS, her arms crossed, smiling at the sight of her Mate holding their daughter, perfectly calm, as though they weren't standing in the middle of their most deadly of enemies. She was just...exhuding a confidence of sorts, an assuredness.

But he, on the other hand, was quite the opposite, "Angel!" he gasped, rushing over to her, "What are you doing here? Why did you bring Ayla here? You need to go, quickly!" he tried to pass Ayla over to her and usher them into the TARDIS...but Ayla just squirmed out of his hold and dashed over to her Uncle Rory, hugging his legs as the man laughed tensely, as though sensing the danger the girl was in as well, and knelt down to hug her, "You need to get out of here!" he turned back to Angel, about to reach out and grab Amy's hand to pull her towards the TARDIS, hoping to signal Rory to run over too, "Ay…"

But Angel just put a finger to his lips, quieting him, pulling his attention back to her, "Calm down, my love," she told him softly, stepping out of the TARDIS completely and shutting the door behind her, still not taking her finger off him, "Do you really think I'd let our daughter be here if I wasn't absolutely certain she would be fine?" she moved her finger from his lips to his cheek, gently cupping it as her thumb stroked his face, "I know she'll be fine," she tapped her head with her other hand, "I can sense it."

He calmed immensely at those words, reaching up a hand to touch hers on his cheek, holding it to him more firmly, his eyes falling closed for a moment as he leaned into her touch, his own thumb stroking her knuckles as he felt a reassurance come to him from her, her own sensation of things. And, right now, he trusted her sensations more than his own frantic thoughts, fatherhood had certainly done a number to him in another sense, whenever there was even a hint of danger to Ayla...he just panicked, which was odd for a man as collected as he was.

He smiled, opening his eyes to look at her, "My guardian angel."

"My mad thief," she countered, leaning forward to give him a peck, the Doctor quick to cup her cheek with his free hand, holding her there, needing just a BIT more reassurance from his lovely Mate, knowing that, if the Daleks needed him so badly, they wouldn't dare anger him by attacking him right now.

Ayla giggled in her uncle's arms as she watched her parents, her father was very silly. He was very amusing too, how he went from funny to serious, from intimidating to sweet, scared to calm. She wondered very much if she would be like that at times when she was older. Her mother was a very...calm presence, she seemed to temper her father very well, keep him calm and in control and...happy. Well, she supposed her mother needed to be, her daddy was even more 'all over the place' now than he was before she'd been born.

~8~

Inside a small room, just wide enough to fit a control panel, a kitchen area, and a hammock, a young woman with brown hair in a red dress listened to La Habanera while lying on her hammock, recalling her day into a small recording device, "Day 363. The terror continues. Also, made another soufflé," she glanced at the rubbish bin where she'd been forced to throw it out, "Very nearly. Checked defenses," she turned her gaze across the room to a circular door with wooden boards nailed to them, "They came again last night," she eyed a few boards that had fallen to the floor from the attempted break-in, "It's still always at night. Maybe they're vampires. Oh, and it's my mum's birthday," she smiled, "Happy birthday, mum. I did make you a soufflé, but it was too beautiful to live."

Suddenly there was a loud banging from outside the door and she could hear Daleks shouting, "You will let us enter! We will enter! We are the Daleks, you will let us enter! Enter! ENTER! ENTER!"

She quickly grabbed a control and turned up her music, putting her hands over her ears, trying to block them out.

~8~

The Doctor was currently pacing before the Daleks, who swiveled their eyestalks to watch him, as though trying to gauge if he'd attack them. Which was quite smart of them, they'd dealt with the Doctor before, they had records of what he was capable of just on his own. They had even more of what he'd do for the sake of his Mate and...statistically, logically, they could only generate suppositions as to what he'd be like in defense of his child...which was NOT something they wanted to risk at the moment..

Rory turned to Angel, who was standing beside him, Ayla next to Amy as the woman crouched down to braid the girl's hair, it having been let down when they'd gone to see Sky. It was another thing he didn't understand, Amy was just brilliant with children as well so it couldn't be her not liking them or not thinking she'd be good with them, but now was not the time, "What's he doing?" he asked the Time Lady with a nod to the Doctor who kept glancing around.

"He's picked out a place for us to hide if they attack," she explained, her eye on the Doctor, knowing that, despite her claims everything would be fine, he'd still worry a little till he did his own survey of the danger, "Counted how many Daleks are here, made a note of all the exits, and..." she glanced at HIM now, "He's noticed you and Amy aren't standing close to each other and working out how far away you are," she leaned in to whisper, "The farther away the more he worries."

"Oh, and look at him, frowning now," Amy rolled her eyes as the Doctor glanced over at her, finishing up the last of Ayla's pigtails, really...she WAS very worried about the Daleks but...she didn't want Ayla to know, if they started to freak out and doubt the Doctor and Angel, Ayla would get worried too and...it was...distracting, to focus on something else like braiding her niece's hair. She blinked oh...if...if she divorced Rory...she wouldn't be Ayla's 'Aunt Amy' anymore, would she? RORY was Angel's brother. She swallowed and shook her head, no, that was just silly...Angel would still consider her to be a part of the family, right? She cleared her throat, "Let me guess…'something's wrong with Amy and Rory, and who's going to fix it?'" she scoffed as he tweaked his bowtie, "And he straightens his bowtie!"

"Bowties are cool!" Ayla cheered, making the Doctor smile.

"We have arrived," a white Dalek announced, making them all look over.

"Arrived where?" the Doctor frowned.

"Doctor..." the mutant Dalek called.

"The Prime Minister will speak with you and your Mate now," Darla stated, gesturing for him and Angel to walk towards the mutant, the Prime Minister apparently.

The Doctor stiffened at that, not wanting Angel anywhere near any sort of Dalek, but Angel just stepped to his side, smiling at him reassuringly. She took his hand and squeezed it more to reassure him than anything. This was...new. This was VERY new to her. Normally, she could remember it, every past incarnation fo her had been...on edge to face the Daleks, even to face just one. She'd never liked it, Daleks terrified her. Having faced them in the War and then been trapped with one...she didn't ever want to encounter them again, and she just kept doing so, she'd nearly died the first time after Van Statten's when they'd seen the Daleks again.

But right now...she felt...ok. She didn't like it, at all, she hated that they had to be there, surrounded by Daleks, with Ayla right there, but...she felt...sure of herself. She felt secure in her knowledge of her abilities, what she'd be able to do and what she couldn't. She doubted she'd be able to stop all the Daleks in that room like she had before, when she'd been consumed by the power of the Vortex. But she knew what she was capable of at the moment, enough to cover them or teleport them back to the TARDIS at least, and she trusted the Doctor as well, she knew that nothing would happen to her and Ayla while he was there. He'd spent 200 years proving to her that she could trust him, that he would never ever break her trust like he had again. And she fully believed him. She believed IN him as he did her. Perhaps that was where it was coming from, this...confidence. There she was, standing in the middle of the Parliament of the Daleks, about to talk to their Prime Minister, and...for once...she didn't feel afraid.

Well, she felt a little afraid, it was natural, they were DALEKS! But she felt like she could handle this. She was glad she didn't have to do it alone, like with the Dalek she'd needed to get information from about the Silence. But she felt...better now, stronger, she knew that whatever the Daleks might try to do...she could just tell they'd be ok in the end.

'They should be more afraid of me,' she reminded the Doctor silently, still feeling his hesitation.

He had to nod at that, she did have an outstanding track record for stopping the large numbers of Daleks they came across in the past, in Satellite 5, in the Crucible, they really should be more concerned about letting her near their Prime Minister. But he knew, despite stopping them in the past, she had never killed them. It wasn't her. She wasn't a violent person, barely had a darkness in her, she was just…the light. His light in the darkness, well, one of them.

He glanced back to see Amy had pulled Ayla close, circling her arms before his daughter to keep her protected and near, and he nodded his thanks to the ginger for it before they headed towards the Prime Minister, trusting the Ponds to keep her safe while they got to work. He paused, though, when he came to Darla, "Do you remember who you were, before they emptied you out and turned you into their puppet?" he asked her quietly.

"My memories are only re-activated if they are required to facilitate deep cover or disguise," she stated.

"You had a daughter," he told her, his voice thick with emotion, Angel squeezing his hand. He felt...he wasn't sure what. It wasn't...empathy persay, he could relate to the woman's memories being taken, much like his had been blocked but...to KNOW she'd forgotten something, to know she'd forgotten her own daughter...and to not care? He knew that Angel had been terrified that, without his memories, he might deny her as his Mate if she explained the situation, worse yet that he'd deny or reject Ayla if she'd told him she was pregnant.

He knew, in his heart of hearts, that it had been an irrational fear, because even not remembering Angel, he still cared for her. It was why he couldn't empathize entirely with Darla, she'd forgotten and she didn't seem to mind her own daughter was likely dead. No one escaped the prison camps alive. He would still have cared, he'd have cared for Angel and for Ayla, even if he hadn't remembered, he would have, he knew it.

"I know," Darla merely nodded, "I've read my file."

Angel closed her eyes a moment, at hearing the woman just waving it off, speaking about words in a file as though they meant nothing to her. She was unable to imagine a mother talking so nonchalantly about the death of her child. She'd nearly lost Ayla quite a few times, both before she'd given birth and after and...it had killed her, it had literally nearly killed her the crushing guilt and sorrow and hurt...a mother, a true mother...how could they ever feel that way about their child as to not even feel a shred of pain for it?

The Doctor turned, not even needing to sense her emotions or read her mind to know where it had gone. He just knew his Mate, he knew that she was thinking of Ayla, he was too, and so he kissed her temple, silently promising that that would never happen again. They would never lose Ayla the way they had in the past, not ever, he'd make sure of it. Their daughter, their poor girl, had already regenerated, she had barely been 6 years old at the time and had died.

Never again.

He squeezed her hand again, this time being the one to lead her on as they continued up a small ramp, coming to stand before the Prime Minister, "Well?" he asked when the mutant remained quiet.

"What do you know of the Dalek Asylum?" it asked.

"According to legend, you have a dumping ground. A planet where you lock up all the Daleks that go wrong. The battle-scarred, the insane. The ones even you can't control. Which never made any sense to me..." he turned to look at the other Daleks.

"Why not?"

"Wouldn't you just kill them?" Angel remarked.

"It is offensive to us to extinguish such divine hatred."

The Doctor turned back, startled, "Offensive?"

"Does it surprise you to know the Daleks have a concept of beauty?"

The Doctor bent forward to look into the Dalek's eye, "I thought you'd run out of ways to make me sick, but hello again. You think hatred is beautiful?" he turned, taking Angel's hand to walk away, wanting to get their daughter out of there, this was not the sort of lesson she should learn.

"Perhaps that is why we have never been able to kill you or your Mate, Doctor."

The Doctor stopped at that, turning to look back at the Dalek with a hard look in his eyes at the mention of their attempts to kill Angel in the past along with him, "Let me tell you something about true beauty," he glared, "This..." he squeezed Angel's hand, "Is true beauty, not hatred, but love, kindness, compassion, THAT is what beauty is. It is not, nor will it ever be, hatred."

Angel smiled just a bit at his praise of her, knowing that he hadn't included himself in that little moment because...well, he still carried so much guilt of the things he'd done in the past, despite her best efforts to get him to release some of it. She knew that he was...actually starting to move on from the Time War, it would always be a thought in his mind, always there, always a haunting memory, but...she knew that he was starting to see what she had agreed with all along. It was necessary for the good of the Universe and no one would fault him for it. It had been an excuse he'd used on himself over the centuries, trying to convince himself that the time-lock was the right thing to do, but never quite believing it.

It wasn't until he'd met her, and told her about what he'd done, seen her own reaction to it not being hatred, but acceptance...she had accepted it more readily than he thought any of his people ever would. But it was like she'd said, she wasn't sure if it was an effect of her abilities peeking through but she'd always known the end was coming for the Time Lords. And, in a way, it had been with the Final Sanction that Rassilon was planning, the Time Lords would have all died anyway, the only difference was...the rest of the Universe didn't die as well. He was finally starting to see it wasn't an excuse he'd thought up to try and make the guilt less crushing but...a truth. It was a fact, it was reality. Slowly, he was seeing it. He'd always feel guilty about it, she knew that, but he was feeling better bit by bit.

He'd even started to feel less guilty about his companions as well. It really had killed him to drop them off on Earth, each and every one of them, for them to leave the box. Because all of them had promised him forever and none of them, except her, had kept it. So he never looked back, fearing to see them age and die, but with her insistence and the 'family' that had formed because of her, he did look back now, he looked back fondly. He got to see them living, continuing on in his name, 'fighting the good fight' as the humans would say. He got to see them being happy and making their own ways in the world, yes, growing older, but growing happier and wiser and...with children. He got to see them living on in the children, much like she had reminded Jack he could do with Stephen's children.

She knew he was starting to feel less guilty about a lot of things, but...there was one he never ever would, what he'd done to her when he'd forgotten her, especially in terms of River. THAT was something she could feel in her bones that he would never move on from. To know that HE had hurt his Mate, even not realizing it, not intending to, not ever wanting to...he'd still done it. She'd felt hurt and pain and heartsbreak and sorrow because of him, and THAT killed him more than anything. That guilt...that guilt was fueling a self-hatred he had already felt from the War. He hated himself for his amnesia and, because of that, he couldn't include himself in the 'beauty' category he was speaking of.

He seemed to have forgotten that she still hated herself for the bargain she'd made with the Universe, Ayla for him.

She was pulled out of her thoughts though when he tugged her on, leading her back to Amy and Rory, but she stopped suddenly, making him stop as well before they could reach the Ponds and their daughter. He looked at her questioningly when, a moment later, the floor opened, making them all step back to avoid falling down it, to show a planet below them, a force field around it.

"The Asylum," Darla stated, walking over to them as they looked down, Ayla kneeling on the floor to peer over, her Uncle Rory close beside her, watching her like a hawk to make sure she didn't get too close, "It occupies the entire planet. Right to the core."

"How many Daleks are in there?" the Doctor frowned at it.

"A count has not been made."

"Millions," Angel breathed, staring at the planet, her stomach twisting at the thought, now feeling just a bit more worried than before. She still felt like they'd be alright in the end but...she couldn't see everything, she had no idea what horrors might be coming between then and now.

"All still alive?" the Doctor looked at her, knowing her guesses were more spot on than anything.

"For the most part."

"The Asylum is fully automated," Darla added, "Supervision is not required."

"Armed?" Amy frowned.

"Daleks are built armed," Angel sighed.

"What color?" Rory asked as they looked at him, Ayla giggling, "Sorry. There weren't any good questions left."

"It's white," Ayla stated, pointing at the white planet, before pausing, "And…" she blinked, "It's...cold," she looked up at her mother, "Right mummy?"

Angel smiled and nodded, getting the same sensation, "Yes, very cold," she frowned after a moment and looked at Darla, "What else is down there?"

"I'm sorry?" Darla blinked, startled.

"There's something else…there aren't just Daleks down there. If something non-Dalek got in, something Dalek can get out."

The Doctor's eyes widened at that bit of information. This version of Angel, her powers had grown so much from the Angel he'd first met. That Angel had spoken in riddles, half-thoughts, cryptic words, unable to understand the power within her, the abilities she possessed. But now, she'd had centuries with them and, upon regeneration, it seemed she was even more in tune. Gone were the half-thoughts, and in their place were actual sensations, full statements, she could sense what was happening and express it completely. Now she could outright say what was coming instead of it slipping out without her realizing, something he knew she was greatly relieved about.

"There is a signal being received from the very heart of the Asylum," Darla nodded, hitting a control on a wrist device, allowing Habanera to play over the speakers.

The Doctor smiled, closing his eyes and acting like he was playing along with the music, making Ayla giggle behind her hands and grin at her silly father.

"What is the noise?" the white Dalek demanded, "Explain! Explain!"

"It's me!" the Doctor cheered over the music.

Rory frowned, "Sorry what?!"

"He's playing the triangle," Angel laughed.

"Ok, I got buried in the mix," the Doctor admitted, "Carmen! Lovely show," he pointed at Ayla, "We'll go see it some time eh?" she nodded excitedly as he spun to the Daleks, "Someone's transmitting this," he walked over to a control panel beside the white Dalek, flashing his sonic across it, "Have you considered tracking back the signal and talking to them?" he glanced up at the silent Daleks, "He asked the Daleks..." he shook his head and shut the sonic off, the music cutting out slightly as he called, "Hello? Hello, Carmen? Hello?"

"Hello?"

He blinked, hearing a young woman call back, "Come in, come in, come in, Carmen."

"Hello, yes, yes, sorry, do you read me?!" the girl shouted.

"Yes, reading you loud and clear. Identify yourself and report your status."

"Hello! Are you real? Are you actually, properly real?"

He chuckled at that, "Yep, confirmed, actually properly...real..." his smile faded as he trailed off when he saw Angel frowning, almost in confusion, staring at the controls.

"Oswin Oswald," the girl called, pulling his attention back, "Junior Entertainment Manager, Starship Alaska. Current status: crashed and shipwrecked somewhere...not nice. Been here a year, rest of the crew missing. Provisions good, but keen to move on."

"A year?"

"Are you alright?" Angel asked, concerned but with an...odd note in her voice, "Is everything ok? Are you...are you safe?"

"Some local life-forms knocking around," Oswin replied, "I've been keeping them out."

"Do you know what those life-forms are?" the Doctor asked.

"I know a Dalek when I hear one, yeah."

"What have been doing, on your own, against the Daleks for a year?!"

"...making soufflés?"

"Soufflés?!" he laughed, "Against the Daleks?"

"You have that much milk and eggs?" Angel asked suddenly.

The Doctor looked over, ok, so sometimes a stray sensation came across before she could fully understand it, but not often. If she was asking about the milk and eggs, there had to be something more about it.

"This conversation is irrelevant," the white Dalek called, moving to cut transmission.

"No, it isn't!" the Doctor countered.

"No, hello..." Oswin tried as static started to cut in, "Hello!" before cutting her off completely.

"Because a Starliner's crashed into your Asylum, and someone's got in," the Doctor continued, understanding Angel's words now, "Angel was right, if someone can get in, then everything can get out...a tsunami of insane Daleks. Even you don't want that."

"The Asylum must be cleansed," the white Dalek stated.

"Then why is it still here? You've got enough firepower on this ship, to blast it out of the sky."

"The Asylum force-field is impenetrable," Darla explained.

"Turn it off."

"It can only be turned off from within the Asylum."

"A small task force could sneak through a force-field," he decided, heading back to Angel and Ayla, frowning as he saw Angel still seemed concerned about something, she was standing in her 'concerned' position. It was one he'd noticed she tended to do when something was bothering her or she was trying to make sense of something. Mostly she crossed her left arm across her chest, gripping her right elbow, her right arm bent with her right hand in a fist pressed to her mouth as she looked down at the ground, frowning, deep in thought.

He was rather proud of himself, he'd noticed it the first time she'd done it, he...noticed a lot about this new her. He liked noticing her and getting to know her, it was like...every day he learned something new about her and, decades later, that was just...amazing to him. He loved that, he loved how captivating she was, but then again he could and HAD spent hours just watching her sleep or read, not moving for ages and just been fascinated with watching her breathe. He was just so aware of her, every detail of her, every move she made no matter how minute.

'What is it dear?' he asked her quietly so as not to alert the humans as he stepped closer to her, winding an arm around her waist to tug her closer.

Ayla looked up, not quite hearing them speaking silently, but aware that they were, she could tell from their facial expressions, how intently her father was looking at her mother, that they were speaking quietly, probably not wanting to worry her. But all it did was make her more curious about it.

'What did you hear just then?' Angel asked him in counter, 'When Oswin spoke? What did she sound like?'

He frowned, 'Like a young woman,' he shook his head as she looked down, 'What is it?'

She looked up, 'I heard a Dalek.'

He blinked, surprised at that. Angel had always been able to tell when others were lying, part of her gift at sensing things, her intuition, but she'd never actually heard things like that before, heard something other than he did. Well, she heard her visions and things, but...this hadn't been a vision.

He nodded to himself, keeping that information stored away as he turned to the Daleks, realizing they still thought he was talking to them, "Send in a couple of Daleks…" he stopped again, "Oh!" he started clapping, "Oh, that's good. That's brilliant. You're all too scared to go down there! Not one of you will go! So tell me, what do the Daleks do when they're too scared?"

"The Predator of the Daleks will be deployed," the white Dalek stated.

"You don't have a predator. And even if you did, why would they turn off a force-field for you?"

"Because your daughter will have no other means of escape."

The Doctor stiffened, Angel pulling Ayla closer as the girl gasped. The Doctor and Angel exchanged a glance, both of them rapidly going over plans of how to get Ayla out of there, from Angel teleporting them out to her trying to stop the Daleks before they attacked so they could go…

When Ayla herself tugged on her mother's arm, making them look down at her. They didn't even have to read her mind to know that she wanted to have the deciding vote, the Daleks were planning to use her after all, she should have a say even if it was a small one. And her expression…they recognized it all too well from the Doctor, it was the exact same face he had when he was determined to save someone, the exact same one.

Ayla wanted to help Oswin and she knew trying to escape the Daleks now would mean that Oswin would be trapped, the force-field around the planet would fry the TARDIS circuits if the box tried to get through.

Angel closed her eyes and rested her head on the Doctor's shoulder, shaking it, 'She is JUST like you,' she told him quietly, making sure Ayla wouldn't hear this either, 'Wanting to save everyone.'

He smiled, nuzzling her head a moment, 'She's like you as well,' he countered, 'Knowing the dangers, and STILL wanting to go through with it.'

'But not alone,' Angel decided.

'No,' he agreed.

Ayla was child, yes, but she was decades older than she appeared, she was mature enough to know the dangers of this, and while it was NOT her decision to make...while they hated the very thought of going down into the Asylum...what sort of example would it be if they turned their back on someone trapped and in danger? If Ayla wanted to do this, wanted to help Oswin, to rescue her, they would be there with her, every step of the way, protecting her.

"May I clarify..." Darla cut in, taking their silence to be confusion, "The Predator is the Daleks' word for you."

The Doctor frowned, seeing her look pointedly at HIM, "Me?! Me?!"

"You will need this," she continued, ignoring him, "It will protect you from the Nano-cloud."

Two male Dalek 'puppets' stepped over, one snapping a wrist device with a blue light on it onto Amy and Rory's arm, while the other did the same to Angel and Ayla, Darla putting the Doctor's on.

"The what?" he shook his head, "The nano-what?"

The men just moved to the Doctor, pushing him back more towards the opening in the floor, Angel and Ayla moving with him.

"The gravity beam will convey you close to the source of the transmission," Darla finished, "You must find a way to deactivate the force-field from there."

A bright beam of light suddenly rushed up through the floor, connecting the ship to the planet.

"You're going to fire us at a planet?" the Doctor glared at them, "That's your plan? We get fired at a planet and expected to fix it?"

"In fairness, that is slightly your MO," Rory remarked.

"Don't be fair to the Daleks when they're firing my daughter at a planet!" the Doctor snapped, before gesturing at Amy and Rory, "What do you want with them?!"

"It is known that the Doctor and his Mate require their companions," the white Dalek stated.

"Don't worry," Angel turned to the humans, to her daughter and Mate as well, "We'll get through this I promise. Don't be scared. Nothing will happen and everything will be ok. Have faith."

"Scared?" Amy smirked, "Who's scared?" she reached out and poked Ayla in the stomach, "Geronimo eh?"

Ayla giggled and nodded, making the Doctor chuckle…only for him to be pushed into the beam with a cry of, "Oi!"

Amy was shoved in after him, followed by Rory, Angel and Ayla, all falling towards him, towards the planet.

"Wrong way up!" Rory shouted as he ended up upside down, "Wrong way up!"

"Rory!" Amy called, seeing the beam split in two.

"Angel!" the Doctor tried to make his way back to them, fighting as hard as he could against the power of the gravity beam, but it was too strong, "Ayla!"

"Doctor!" Angel managed to grab Ayla, holding her close.

"Daddy!" Ayla yelled as the planet loomed closer, the small group getting pulled apart as the beam split...

Chapter Text

A black man in a white snow suit, stranded on the cold and desolate Asylum, looked up when he heard a powerful roar of some kind, frowning in confusion when he spotted a beam of light heading for the planet, splitting into two. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a thud from a few feet away before he spotted something black and red lying in the snow where one of the beams had hit. He dropped the tools he'd been using to work on a hatch buried in the snow and ran over, finding Amy lying on her back.

"Hello?" he asked as she slowly awoke, "Hello, who are you? Are you ok?"

Amy shot up, backing away from him in alarm, not sure if he was friend of foe before realizing she had more important things to worry about...like the fact that she was alone. She jumped up, spinning around trying to spot the others, "Rory? Angel? Doctor? Ayla?! RORY!"

"I'm Harvey," the man tried to introduce, trying to calm her down, "No..." he called as Amy walked off, "Who's Rory? Where are you going?!" he ran after her. He hadn't been on the planet for long, but he could already tell it was hostile, his scanners had picked up massive weaponry below and around the planet. He'd been trying to get into the sanctuary of the ship, to get back to the crew and warn them, help get them out of there.

~8~

In another area, a periscope that looked oddly like a Dalek eyelense popped up in the snow, swiveling around as though looking for something and catching sight of the Doctor lying a few feet away, on his back in the snow, and ducked down, popping up closer and closer.

The Doctor's face twitched as he heard the sound of the periscope going up and down and cracked an eye open to stare at the lens before lifting his head and laughing, whatever it was...it wasn't displaying any sort of hostile Dalek behavior, it was all rather comical really, "Hey! Huh?"

Suddenly Habanera began to play over the speakers before cutting off, "Sorry, sorry!" the girl, Oswin, was back, "Pressed the wrong switch."

"Soufflé girl?"

"Could always call me Oswin, seeing as that's my name. You ok?"

"How are you doing that?" he tapped the glass, "This is Dalek technology."

"Well it's very easy to hack."

He frowned and flashed the sonic on her, "No, it isn't. Where are you?"

"Ship broke up when it hit. Somewhere underground, I think. You coming to get me?"

"Doctor!" he heard Amy call in the distance.

"Hey!" he flashed the sonic across the lens as the connection started to break, "Oi! Soufflé girl! Come back…" he frowned, eyeing the Dalek stalk, thinking about what Angel had said about how Oswin apparently sounded like a Dalek to her when…

"Angel!" he leapt to his feet and looked around, he hadn't sensed her or Ayla harmed, hadn't felt them in pain or crying out to him, he could feel it in his hearts that they were ok...but he couldn't see them, and that made him even more alarmed than before. His dream came back to him, made all the worse by the white snow around him, he couldn't see his girls, he didn't know if they were even there or what had happened to them, "Ayla!" he spun, frantically looking around.

"Doctor!" Amy shouted, Harvey following her as she crested a small snowy hill and ran to him.

He spun around, "Amy!" he rushed over to her, "Where's Angel, Ayla? Have you seen them?"

She shook her head, "Have you seen Rory?"

"There was another beam," Harvey cut in, seeing the two getting frantic, and pointed back the way they came, "There, over there…" he frowned as the two took off in that direction without a moment's hesitation, "Are you the rescue team?!" he ran after them, stopping as they came to a perfectly round hole in the ground that looked like a well, Amy and the Doctor kneeling beside it, trying to peer down into the darkness as if to spot the others.

"Rory!" Amy yelled down it, her voice echoing back up, "Rory? RORY!"

"Angel!" the Doctor tried, "Ayla!"

But there was nothing.

He couldn't even hear them in his mind, and that was NOT a good sign at all. It could mean anything, that there was dampening technology down there, that they were unconscious, so many possibilities that made his head spin and his hearts hurt to think of, but he couldn't stop. It was like thinking just one possibility opened the floodgates to even more, even more ridiculous ones, but they just wouldn't stop.

"That's it," he stood, pulling his jacket off.

"What are you doing?" Amy looked up at him.

"I'm going down there," he crouched down and moved to put his leg in the hole, when Amy pulled him back, "Amy let go!"

"No!" Amy tugged him further back by his braces, "Listen to me Doctor, I know you want to get to them, I do too, more than anything, but you can't jump down that hole."

"Watch me!" he snapped, moving for the hole again…till Amy physically tackled him into the snow.

"Doctor!" she shouted as he struggled to get to his Mate and daughter, "Doctor stop it!"

"Amy get off!" he tried to shove her, every instinct he had was telling him to get to them, to find them, to protect them. Knowing the planet was infested with the worst Daleks in creation was doing little to help ease his mind. Angel had faced them before yes, stopped them, of course, but...she'd nearly died doing it, she HAD died at one point or another and...he couldn't lose her. He was determined to see her never regenerate again.

Because it was his fault, it was his fault that she kept dying. If he had been more careful in the past...if he'd insisted she stayed with Van Statten, hidden instead of facing the Dalek, if he'd not gone into the Pit, if he'd turned them around at the end of the Universe, if he'd remembered her...she never would have died all those times, every time for him. She'd warned him about the Pit, about the end of the Universe, she'd said they shouldn't be there...he'd been too curious and she hadn't fought hard enough and...she'd died as a result.

He couldn't let it happen again! Even his daughter had died, grown so sick after having made her own escape and rescue, he just...his hearts broke at the thought of either of them regenerating ever again. He knew it was natural, that it would likely happen again, one day, but he was determined to make it hundreds of thousands of millennia before that happened to them. And right now...right now they were trapped, probably unconscious, left at the mercy of the most insane Daleks, and he was stuck on the surface.

And that wouldn't do.

He knew it was daft, insane really, to try and jump down that hole, but...he wanted to be with them, as soon as possible, and that was the only direct path down there, the shortest, the fastest. There was a tickle in the back of his mind, a memory of words Angel had told him once, to stop, to think, to take the time to make a plan because she trusted him and she didn't want him hurt because of her...but that flew out the window at the moment. It always did, no matter how calm he tried to be, when his Mate was in danger...just run...just get out of his way because he would let nothing stand in the way of getting to her, to Ayla as well.

"No!" Amy shoved his hands into the snow, practically sitting on top of him to keep him from moving, "Listen! You jump down there, who knows how far you'll fall. What if you break your neck? Huh? You'd be dead too fast to regenerate!" he stilled at that, her words registering, "What then? You told me about where you put the Dampening Bracelet remember?" she watched him closely, seeing realization dawning in his eyes, "It's in the TARDIS, somewhere you can't get at the moment. Angel will die, Ayla may be trapped all alone then. And if, by some miracle, Angel survived your death, you'd be leaving Ayla without a father! Do you want that?"

He was quiet, no, he didn't.

But he couldn't help it, his hearts were racing, his veins felt like they were filled with ice water, he just wanted to get back to them. He didn't like being separated from them, the last time it had happened he'd nearly lost both of them…he couldn't…

He cut off his thoughts, he knew what it was, on top of the desperate desire to be with his child and Mate, to protect them…it was the guilt. He felt an enormous guilt over everything that had happened since he'd regenerated. His dream just before had been testament to that, it was where his mind always went when he wasn't actively thinking about something or physically with Angel and Ayla. He tried so hard not to let his mind take him back to all the times he'd let Angel out of his sight, all the times he'd let her wander into a dangerous situation he never would have done in his last body. But it rarely ever worked, because with each adventure they'd had, each danger he'd let her face...he kept thinking about how much worse it could have gone, how he could have lost her, lost Ayla, and not even realized because of how he'd forgotten how important Angel was to him. It terrified him to think that, to realize how close he really had come. So, right now...it was like his worst nightmare come to life. He hadn't been separated from Angel or Ayla since...just after they'd found her, when they'd helped the Arwells, he was always with them, ALWAYS...and now...he felt...lost and scared.

"I may be able to help," Harvey cut in, seeing the Doctor calming though no less determined, "We've got supplies in my escape pod, rope and everything."

"See," Amy turned to the Doctor, "He has rope. You can propel down then, alright?" he nodded, "You're calm?" he nodded again, "Good," she got off him and held out a hand, pulling him up, her own heart finally starting to slow, he'd scared her just then.

~8~

Rory winced as he slowly came around, blinking, wincing again as he covered his eyes, seeing a bright golden haze around him, nearly blinding him a moment. He sat up, looking around to see the golden haze was very familiar, it was the swirl of the Vortex…which could only mean…

He looked to his side to see Angel and Ayla curled up on the ground, Angel glowing faintly, maintaining the protective shield even in her unconscious state, Ayla held protectively in her arms, the little girl unmoving as well. He scrambled over to their sides, checking on them, breathing a sigh of relief to see they were both fine, just knocked out.

"Ayla," he whispered, gently waking the girl, knowing Angel would become frantic if she woke first to see her daughter unconscious, "Come on, wake up A," he murmured, adding his own special name for her, he loved calling her just 'A' at times, it was like...his own little nickname that only he called her. Jack had tried to once...Ayla had just pointed at him and said 'No,' which had made both men laugh.

Ayla squirmed a little, waking up as she rolled over in her mother's arms, "Uncle Rory?" she frowned, "What happened?"

He smiled, "Your mum protected us…again."

Ayla blinked and looked back in the direction she'd been laying to see her mother beside her, still maintaining the Vortex, "Mummy?" she called, knowing instinctively that her mother was alright, but that she also wanted her mother to open her eyes and prove it, there was a difference between sensing and seeing, sensing could just be hoping at times, seeing was believing more often than not, "Mummy, wake up," she reached out and put a hand on her mother's shoulder, gently shaking her like her uncle had done.

Angel took a breath, feeling herself start to wake...when she winced...

...a hoard of zombies waved a wrist device on a monitor, Amy gasping as she looked at her bare wrist...

...Amy wandered into a room, in a daze, staring blankly as Daleks surrounded her...

...Rory stood before Amy, pulling his own wrist device off, grabbing her hand, only to see she had one on already...

...Amy and Rory stood on a circular panel, explosions going off around them, kissing...

Angel let out her breath, her eyes fluttering as they opened, "Hey there," she smiled at Ayla, reaching out to lay a gentle hand on her daughter's cheek, trying not to let on about what she'd seen, "How's my beautiful girl?"

Ayla smiled, "I'm fine mummy," she rolled over more to hug her mother, "Because of you."

Angel smiled, closing her eyes and hugging her daughter close as she moved to sit up. She opened her eyes to see Rory sitting there, smiling softly at them and then noticed the Vortex swirling around her. She frowned just a bit at that, she'd noticed that, this body of hers had taken the Vortex in a different direction than the others. The past hers had had to really work to bring up the power at times, yet this one used it almost...instinctively. She hadn't even realized that she was using it just then, that she had been shielding them, it was like it was going without her actively thinking about it. Usually, when she was knocked out, the Vortex just...faded away, like it couldn't work when SHE wasn't working. But this new her, well...it was getting stronger. It was like it just...happened, much like how it had in the beginning but more...naturally. Before she would try to fight against it, try to keep it from happening, not having wanted the Doctor to know about it, but this new her...it just sort of drifted off her at times. Which, she had to admit, made her a bit wary to use it. The last time she had really and truly instinctively used the Vortex in a way that she had no control over had been on Mars, and that had not ended well.

But along with the instinct to use it and let it be used, her body seemed to know her limits as well, better than before. It was like...they'd merged, her mind and her spirit, in terms of how to use the Vortex. Every her had been a progression of getting her to fully accept the Vortex within her, to really learn to wield it in a way the TARDIS wanted her to. She'd always been hesitant of it, really only just starting to accept it and try to actively use it in her last body, but also while being cautious and trying to just grasp at straws in getting the hang of it. She'd had quite a few decades in this new body, she felt...like it was just a part of her now. And because it was a part of her, her body seemed to know her limits, she hadn't had to use more than necessary.

So far.

She closed her eyes at that thought, hoping it was just her being a bit wary of the power as she had right to be, and not her getting a sense of the future. She took a deep breath and let it out, the gold fading from around them, "Are you alright Rory?" she asked him, opening her eyes.

"I'm fine," he nodded, standing up to help her up as well, Ayla standing beside them, "Though, you know, it's rather unfair."

"What is?"

He smiled, "I'M the brother, I should be protecting you not the other way around."

Angel laughed lightly at that, "You've had years of protecting me Rory, and besides," she nudged him, "I'M the OLDER sister," she winked, "It's my job to protect you just as much."

"Why don't you just protect each other like mummy and daddy do?" Ayla asked Rory.

He looked down at her and nodded, "Brilliant idea," he winked at her, trying to keep her calm...not that she really seemed to be needing it. She was just looking around at the dark, dusty hall they'd found themselves in, curious as ever. Not even a hint of fear to her really, which was...not what he was expecting. The Daleks...he knew even the DOCTOR was terrified of them despite the brave face he put on for others. And if a man like THAT was scared of them...how was a little girl not?

"Where are we?" he looked around.

Angel looked up, seeing the well-like thing they'd fallen through, and reached out with her mind, 'Theta?'

'Nella!' he shouted, making her wince at the volume of the call in her mind, 'You're alright! And Kitta…'

Angel smiled at how he was using their names, he only ever really used them when he was being sweet, treasuring how sacred a secret they were, or when he was terrified, unable to help but call them the first thing he thought of them as. She reached out and took Ayla's hand, allowing her to sneak in on her mental conversation, boosting her connection to the Doctor via her own mental bond, knowing that the Doctor would only be calm when he'd heard from their daughter himself that she was ok.

'I'm fine daddy,' Ayla told him, not even needing to know what her parents were talking about to know that he was worried. She was worried about him as well.

They could both hear him breathe a sigh of relief, 'Thank the stars,' he sighed, 'Where are you?'

'I don't know,' Angel replied, 'But…' she looked around, spotting Daleks around them, unmoving, not even having picked up a trace of the Vortex, clearly out of any and all power, though she still tugged Ayla closer, 'There are Daleks here, out of power,' she added quickly, 'Though I doubt they ALL are the same.'

'Use your powers, teleport out, get back to the TARDIS and…'

'I can't,' she cut in.

'Why not?'

She looked at her wrist device, 'If I teleport out, it'll short-circuit the wrist devices…'

'But we don't need them. Our biology protects us from the nano-cloud…'

'Yes,' she nodded to herself, 'But we can't let Rory or Amy know that.'

She could almost feel him frown, she could most certainly feel his confusion at her words, his wondering of why THAT was so important, 'Why not?'

She smiled, 'Trust me, them not knowing will save their marriage."

It had been hard, to hear Rory talking of how his marriage with Amy was going when she'd call to check up. Amy always put on a happy face whenever the family was together, but they'd all noticed how...distant she was from Rory. She recognized it more than most, having been equally as distant from the Doctor. They both knew that the Pond marriage wasn't quite...what it used to be, what it should be, there was something that had come between the Ponds, something big enough to drive Amy, the woman who tore time apart to get back to her husband, away from him.

'And I'm not leaving Rory alone down here.'

He sighed, not having the faintest clue how that could work, how the little wrist devices could save a marriage, but agreeing, for the moment, he knew Rory would protect Angel and Ayla with his life and now that Angel was awake, she'd be able to navigate them safely through the maze of tunnels, he had faith in her, she'd be able to do it. He'd be a wreck till he saw her and Ayla again...but, for now, he had to trust that they'd be ok, 'Then find somewhere safe to hide. We're on our way down.'

She nodded, 'Be safe.'

'You too,' he said, and she knew he was smiling, 'I love you Angel, you and Ayla.'

'We love you too,' Ayla called, squeezing her mother's hand.

"Come on," Angel reached out and took Rory's arm, "We need to find somewhere to wait for the Doctor and Amy."

"They're coming?" Rory looked at her as Ayla ran around him to take his other hand.

"Don't they always?" Angel smiled.

Mummy wasn't the only one who would always come.

~8~

Harvey led the Doctor and Amy back to the hatch he'd been working on, kneeling down to try and work it open once more, "We came down two days ago. There are 12 other escape pods. I don't know what happened to them..." he trailed off a moment as the Doctor, with a quick flick of the sonic, unlocked it, the Time Lord actually in no mood to listen to someone ramble or struggle with a simple lock when his Mate and child's lives were on the line, and Rory's. Harvey glanced back at him, "Thanks," he muttered, popping open the hatch, starting to head down.

Amy wiped some snow away from the top of it, seeing the ship's name, 'The Alaska,' and frowned, "Alaska? That's the same ship as soufflé girl."

"Yes..." the Doctor nodded in thought, eyeing Harvey suspiciously at his reference to how long he'd been there, "Except she's been here a year."

He believed Oswin more than Harvey at the moment. Angel's words, her question about the milk and eggs came back to him. She had been confused by that, by how Oswin had had so much of it in store which...should have been impossible. Angel brought it up, because of the length of time, which, to him, meant Angel believed the Alaska had been there a year as well. So why did Harvey think it was only two days?

They quickly made their way down after the man though, needing that rope more than they needed answers, "We should have some climbing rope long enough for that hole," Harvey called over to them, heading to a small locker across from what looked like a flight room, a control room of sorts with banks of equipment and chairs set up.

The Doctor paused, staring at the crew members, in white suits, sitting in the chairs, their backs to them, not moving at their entrance, "Won't you introduce us to your crew?"

"Ah yeah, sorry. Guys, this is the Doctor and Amy," he started to frown when the Doctor saluted but the crew didn't move, "Guys?" he took a step closer when the Doctor patted one of the crew's shoulder and the man fell forward to reveal a mummified corpse, "Oh, my God!"

The Doctor pulled out his sonic, scanning the bodies, confirming what Angel believed, a year old and looking it. There were all sorts of bodies scattered throughout time and space that didn't appear their age, he was one of them, but it was more like mummies or 'bog people' the ones that were preserved remarkably well. These were not the sort, they looked just like a body left alone in a sealed room would look...unlike if...he looked at Harvey, unlike if they'd been left out in the snow to be preserved.

"They're dead," the Doctor stiffened, realizing what that meant about Harvey, he honestly wasn't sure whether he felt better that Angel and Ayla were in another part of the Asylum, with halls to roam and run down as opposed to here, trapped in a small room with a man who didn't know how dangerous he was, "All of them."

"That's not possible. I just spoke to them. Two hours ago, we were doing engine repairs!"

The Doctor pulled the hood of another body off to see they were all in the same state, "You're sure about that, are you? 'Cos I'd say they've all been dead for a very long time."

"But...but they can't have been..."

'Doctor…' Angel's voice filtered into his mind, a note of panic to it that made him tense, 'Don't trust Harvey.'

"Well, they didn't get in that state in two hours," Amy rolled her eyes.

'Why?' he frowned, calling back to Angel as he eyed the man, he was sincerely hoping that the man wouldn't realize exactly what he was.

"Oh, of course!" Harvey breathed, "Stupid me."

'Darla,' was all Angel could say, 'He's about to be activated, just like her...'

"Of course, what?" Amy shook her head, not seeing the Doctor's grip on the sonic tighten as he looked around for something to protect them with, something more...dangerous than a sonic...and spotted a fire extinguisher.

"I died outside and the cold preserved my body," Harvey started to nod, working that out, "I forgot about dying," he looked over as an eyestalk sprouted out of his forehead and he advanced on them.

The Doctor grabbed the fire extinguisher off the wall and blasted Harvey with it, "Amy! The door!"

Amy pushed a button to open the door, allowing the Doctor to shove Harvey back through it and lock him on the other side. Amy panted at that, "Explain! That's what you're good at. How did he get all Daleked?"

"Because he wasn't wearing one of these," he held up his wrist, tapping the device, there was even more proof that it affected humans at least, "Oh ho ho! That's clever! The nano-cloud. Micro-organisms that automatically process any organic matter, living or dead, into a Dalek puppet," he patted one of the bodies, " Anything attacks this place, it automatically becomes part of the on-site security."

"Living or dead?" Amy wondered.

The Doctor waved her off, "These wrist-bands protect us. The only thing stopping us going exactly..."

"Doctor, SHUT up! Living or dead?!"

"Yes, exactly, living, or..."

'Doctor, run!' Angel cut in.

He spun around, seeing the dead crew now had eyestalks as well and were starting to get up, "…dead. Oh, dear," he quickly climbed over the seats, kicking a body to clear the way for Amy to get to a door, the two of them running through it when a body grabbed Amy by the arm. He turned, yanking her free and slamming the door shut, locking it as they leaned against it, panting heavily.

He knew now, he was VERY happy Angel and Ayla were on another part of the Asylum, he did NOT want his daughter to have to see that, to see the dead corpses coming to life and trying to attack her. That was sure to give her nightmares and...she already had quite a few. There were times he'd wake up, rare though they were, it was usually when Angel was truly bone-dead tired that she slept through something like that. But he'd wake up and hear Ayla calling for them, having had a bad dream. Angel usually would sense their daughter about to have one or about to wake from one and sneak out to go check on her. It was always about Kovarian, about the Silence, about what they'd wanted her to do, what they'd hoped to raise her to do.

They had learned, much to their relief, that the Silence hadn't had a chance to do much to her before she'd escaped. They had wanted to be cautious, having no idea how much a Time Child could really be pushed before something got to be too much. They'd started with stories, tried to portray them as terrible people who needed to be stopped, but they hadn't counted on her awareness from the womb, how she'd known who they were, her parents, how she'd remembered them, how she'd cling to the bowtie he'd given her and Angel's own promises that it would be ok and that they loved her.

He'd learned though that...Kovarian had hit her once or twice, when she'd refuse to touch a weapon they tried to force her to practice with. He'd flown into a rage and wanted to fly across the Universe, track the woman down for daring to lay a hand on his daughter...when Angel calmed him, telling him that she doubted Kovarian would be a danger to them any longer. All she'd said was that she doubted anyone had taken the eye drive off the woman in the pyramid. He'd reminded her that the entire timeline hadn't existed, that Kovarian might still be alive. And then SHE had reminded HIM that if he went after Kovarian now, she'd know they were alive and it would put them in danger again. He'd been forced to swallow that, to agree, and had felt...thankful that he'd had Angel there to stop him, to think clearly when he couldn't. He knew that it hurt her as well to learn that, it killed her to know that their daughter had been hurt, that someone had had the nerve to strike a child that wasn't theirs. And he'd sworn to her, IF Kovarian survived, the next time they saw her...she'd see exactly what the Oncoming Storm was.

And then he'd held Ayla tightly, the two of them letting her sleep in their bed with them to ward off any nightmares. He'd just laid there, looking at his daughter sleeping peacefully, and hadn't been able to fathom how anyone could strike a child. It was just...terrible. Children on Gallifrey were treasured. He knew it also brought up memories for Angel as well, of the rare times her own father would strike her. And he promised himself, he'd never let anything hurt them again. Nothing at all, not even their nightmares, he'd be there for them no matter what.

"Is it bad that I've REALLY missed this?" Amy asked with a smile and laugh, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Yes," he nodded.

"Good."

"I know."

"Unauthorized personnel may not enter the cockpit," Oswin's voice came through the speakers above them.

"Shut up!" he pushed off the door, reminded that Angel and Ayla were still lost in the bowels of the Asylum from hearing Oswin speak.

"Ooh, Mr. Grumpy! Bad combo! No sense of humor and that chin."

He turned and peered at a Dalek lens, the camera, as though he might be able to see Oswin, 'Still hearing Dalek?' he asked Angel, knowing that she was keeping an eye out for them, keeping her senses open for dangers looming.

'Yes,' Angel sighed.

"Is that her again, soufflé girl?" Amy asked.

"Yeah," he answered, glancing at Amy, "Shh," and turned to the camera, "What is wrong with my chin?!"

"Careful, dear, you'll put someone's eye out," Oswin laughed.

He pouted, 'Is there something wrong with my chin?' he asked Angel.

He heard her give him a soft chuckle, 'I love your chin,' he started to grin at that, 'Just like I love the rest of you, especially your bowtie.'

His grin morphed into a smirk as he tweaked his bowtie at the mention of it, 'I rather love your eyes,' he remarked.

'You always seem to have a fascination with them, don't you?'

He nodded even though she couldn't see, 'Your eyes, your smile, your nose, your hands, your ears, your hair...'

'Are you really going to list every feature?' she asked him.

'I would,' he admitted, 'Nella...the things I love about you could fill the TARDIS library...no THE Library...and still need more space.'

She was silent for a short while and he could feel it, he could feel a rush of warmth spread through him, and he knew she was blushing, 'I think my list for you would be quite a bit longer.'

'Well, we'll have to see about that when this is over,' he challenged.

Oh he loved that, he loved it so much. It was truly one of his favorite memories when they'd do that, somehow they'd just slip into conversations about each other, sometimes brought on by a reference to a past adventure or one of the companions making a joke about how they used to be...they'd end up defending the other and...they'd talk, they'd talk about the things they loved in each other, things that surprised each of them to learn at times. But as equally as he loved hearing Angel speak of what exactly she loved about him...he loved being able to talk about her to her even more. He loved seeing her eyes sparkle with happiness, her cheeks flush, he loved the kisses she gave him when he said something truly touching to her...which he made it his goal to do each time...those kisses often led to...quite a bit more touching and intimate moments between them.

But he really did love it. He loved each her, each and every her separately, and he found he loved her more and more each incarnation, he loved her more and more each day! It really was as he'd told Joan Redfern, he really did grow more and more in love with her as time went on. And he loved expressing it, he loved being able to take her in his arms and show her how much he really did love her.

And it didn't always have to be big gestures...like the grand birthday party he'd thrown for her for her 1000th birthday, inviting all their friends and family to an intergalactic banquet hall he'd managed to get them access too...an ambasador owed him a favor...and to see her so happy, with all their family and a large cake and dancing and balloons and fireworks (supernovas really) and just...extravagance everywhere, but it was SUCH a big deal. Angel had been so close to her 1000th when he'd thought she was really dying at the Lake, everything he'd feared he'd never get to do with her came rushing to him in those mere seconds. To have her with him, alive, for her 1000th birthday...he'd gone all out.

And he loved that she appreciated everything he did for her, but even more so...he loved how it was really just the little things, the simple things that she treasured. She was so...easy to make happy, a simple smile, a touch of the hand, a whispered word, a little kiss...could make her beam and look at him with such love and adoration that...he melted. He completely melted when she did and he loved how she made him feel like he was the most magnificent man in the Universe. And those little moments where they cuddled and talked about each other...he got to hear her say it and he got to tell her how he felt for her as well.

Now he REALLY wanted to find them again, just so he could get to that part sooner than later...

"I'm scanning you," Oswin's voice broke through his thoughts, "You're on another of the escape pods from the Alaska, right? Same ship I was on."

"How can you hack into everything?" he asked her, "Should be impossible, you're in a crashed ship!"

"Long story. Is there a word for total screaming genius that sounds modest and a tiny bit sexy?"

He grinned, "Doctor. You call me the Doctor."

"I see what you did there," Oswin laughed, "Check the floor. I'm picking up a breach at floor level, there could be a way out. See you later!"

They looked over, seeing a hatch in the floor, and moved to clear the debris away from it, "Ah ha, hatch! Looks like it's been used already, and they tried to block it off behind them."

Amy glanced back at the door, hearing a banging of the zombies behind it, "Can't imagine why."

"The lower part of the pod is buried, so this must go straight down into the Asylum."

"Where Rory is?"

He nodded, "Where Angel and Ayla are too," he glanced at her, smiling a little, "They're together."

Amy nodded, breathing a sigh of relief, as much as she knew Angel would look out for Rory, keep him safe, she knew her hus…Rory, would look out for her and Ayla as well, especially Ayla. He...she swallowed hard, feeling a sense of crushing guilt filling her...he loved children.

"Speaking of Rory..." the Doctor began, flashing the sonic across the hatch, working on opening it, being so close to getting to Angel and Ayla...having the zombies behind them and Daleks below them and the overwhelming urge to want to kiss his Mate and her not being there...he needed a distraction, just a little one, just enough where he could work on automatic but keep his mind from wandering to places it shouldn't go, "Anything you want to tell me?"

"Are we going to do this now?!"

"What happened?"

"Didn't Angel tell you?" she muttered.

"She can't see everything," the Doctor reminded her with a shrug, "And Rory can't tell her something he doesn't know either."

Amy swallowed at that, feeling the guilt get stronger, Rory...he really had no clue why she had done what she did, why she'd insisted on a divorce and kicked him out, and now...if they didn't get to him in time, he'd never know, "Oh, stuff, you know," she looked away, "We just...split up. What can you do?"

"What can I do?" he asked her earnestly, "Truly Amy, is there anything, at all, that Angel or I can…"

"Nothing," she shook her head, "It's not one of those things you can fix like you fix your bowtie. Don't give me those big, wet eyes, Raggedy Man. It's life. Just life. That thing that goes on when you're not there."

She looked away, there was one thing, just one, that they could do, that Angel could do really. But…as the girl had once told her in a hotel of nightmares…she couldn't see everything. And, this was something she needed to know, be 100 percent certain of, first.

The Doctor sighed and opened the hatch, when he heard Angel in his mind, 'Have faith, my love,' he couldn't help but smile at the warmth and reassurance she was sending him. He added that to the list of things to tell her later, he loved how...hopeful and confident she was that things would get better and be ok.

He nodded to himself, trusting her intuition, before looking down the hole to see a rope ladder hanging through it.

"Ok, so someone else got out this way then?" Amy reasoned.

"Let's go and find them," he nodded, knowing this was a way into the Asylum, a step closer to finding Ayla and Angel again. As he put his foot onto a rung, there was another bang on the door. He looked over, seeing a screen displaying the zombies, waving something at them. He frowned and got up, walking over to see what it was, "Oh, hello, hello, hello? What are they up to?"

"What's that?" Amy frowned, seeing the object in the zombie's hand.

"One of these," he held up his wrist, frowning, "Where did they get it?"

Amy looked at her own wrist, breathing out in shock, "Doctor! They got it from me!"

"Oh, Amy!" he took her bare wrist, looking at it.

"Doctor? What's going to happen to me? Seriously, tell me, what?"

The bangs sounded again, the zombie's waving it, taunting them.

~8~

Angel closed her eyes, her thoughts hidden from the Doctor. This...had to happen, she'd seen it coming, she'd seen Amy's wrist device being taken, but…she hadn't told the Doctor about it. As always, she could claim she didn't see everything, but this time, this time she had. This was a dangerous game she was playing, a fine line she was walking, the last time she had seen the future and actively tried to change it, she had been kidnapped and her child taken and lost. But not this time, no, this time she was determined to succeed. This time, she was going to ensure that it worked out, it had to.

She looked over at Rory as he led them on, a small penlight out, neither of them trusting her to use the Vortex for light, the Daleks, even on low power would sense it and attack immediately, they couldn't risk it. They'd gotten lucky that they'd landed far enough away where the Dalek sensors hadn't picked them up before with the Vortex swirling around them.

They stepped into a room that was filled with Daleks, all appearing to be without power. Rory gestured for Ayla and her to keep back as he went to investigate a Dalek before him. He moved the eyestalk out of the way, peering at it...only for it to swivel back to him

He slowly stepped back...

"Rory watch out!" Angel whisper-shouted, reaching out to try and tug him to the side...but she was too late.

He hit a metal bar that rolled onto the floor, wincing at the echoing noise. Wincing again as the eyestalk lit up, "Shh," he whispered, "Shh…" but then the eyestalk turned on him, and he stepped back, Angel and Ayla stiffening behind him, "Shh, shh…"

All around them the other Daleks slowly came to life, the light of their eyestalks turning on, "Ee-ee-ee-eex..."

"What?" he frowned, "Sorry, what?"

"Eggzz, eggzz, eggzz, eggzz, eggzz…"

He looked back at Angel, "Are they saying eggs?" he looked at a small bump from the Dalek's casing on the floor, "Those things?"

"Rory…" Angel breathed, holding out a hand to him, trying to motion him back to them. She didn't like this...that pit that had formed in her stomach was growing now, twisting. She was starting to breathe heavily at the sight of so many Daleks, ones she knew were crazed, waking up, with her there and her brother and her daughter...this was not good, this was not good at all.

"Egggzzzzzzzz."

"Get back…" she called as Rory started to move back to their side, feeling her hearts pounding in her chest, her mind racing, going just the slightest bit fuzzy...as though trying to turn this into a nightmare instead of reality, "Take Ayla," she gently pushed her daughter to Rory, taking a single step before them, feeling something rising within her at the threat before them.

"Eggggzzz...term...in...ate."

"When I say run," she glanced back at them, starting to pant, starting to shake as she turned back to face their worst enemies, seeing them powering up even more, focusing on them, focusing on her daughter, "Run."

"Eggzz...term...in...ate!" the Daleks started to shouted, "Ex...term...in...ate!"

"RUN!" she cried and Rory scooped Ayla into his arms and ran back the way they'd come from as the Daleks began to fire, using their reserves of energy to attack, Angel bringing up a shield before her to shield them.

"Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!"

"NO!"

Rory looked back, hearing something...different in Angel's voice as she shouted, and his mouth fell open, his eyes widening as he watched in half in awe, half in horror as Angel began to glow with the power of the Vortex, but it was different...the force of it wasn't swirling around her like it usually did...it was raging around her. It was flying about, creating ripples in the air, brightening, increasing in its golden glow, Angel's eyes turning gold as she braced herself. He tried to call out to her when she took a step towards the Daleks...but his words died on his lips at what happened next.

Angel threw her hands out before her with force, the Vortex ripping out from her, sending a beam blasting through the Daleks, striking them, causing them to explode before him.

"Oh my God…" Rory breathed, completely stunned, as the dust cleared and all he could see were the Daleks completely and utterly obliterated. He rushed back, seeing the golden wall that had been protecting him and Ayla flickering, snapped out of his shock by Angel stumbling, his concern for his sister overriding how startled he was at what had just happened, "Angel!"

He gently set Ayla down and ran to Angel's side as the wall came down completely, the golden glow disappearing as she collapsed back, falling into his arms, him managing to catch her before she hit the ground, "Easy," he set her down gently, quickly checking her as he panted. She was...pale, very pale, and shaky, she had a fine layer of sweat on her brown and she was cold to the touch...something he didn't expect given the heat he'd felt emanating from the Vortex.

"Mummy!" Ayla called, running over to her, kneeling beside her mother, her eyes worried as she grabbed her mother's hand, scared, not of her but of what had happened.

"Angel," Rory tried to shake her awake, "Wake up."

"Please wake up mummy," Ayla pleaded.

"I'm...fine sweetheart," Angel breathed, her face scrunching as she slowly woke, blinking a bit as she came around to see Ayla watching her intently. She squeezed her daughter's hand, reaching out with her other hand to run it down Ayla's hair, before struggling to sit up...only to freeze when she caught sight of the Daleks, "What happened?"

Rory blinked, stiffening at that, "Don't...don't you remember?"

Angel shook her head slowly, though it soon grew more frantic as she realized, with horror, no...she didn't, "No…" she looked up at Rory, alarmed, all she remembered was giving Ayla to him, telling him to run and...'Exterminate!' and...she swallowed hard, "Rory…what happened?" she grabbed his hand, feeling tears in her eyes at the worried and startled look in his own, "Was..." she looked at the Daleks in absolute horror, "Was that...ME?"

Rory could only give her a small nod, not knowing at all what he could say.

Angel let out a shuddering breath, feeling bile rise in her throat, "What did I do?" she couldn't help but stare at the Daleks, feeling like she couldn't breath as she stared at their utterly destroyed casings, the mutants...some of them, pieces of them really...barely visible within they were so devastated. It was...destruction, pure and utter destruction...

She felt ill, she felt tears gathering in her eyes as she realized...SHE had done this. SHE had attacked the Daleks. SHE had destroyed them. She had NEVER used her powers to destroy something like that before. Stop them, yes, but destroy…she had never really destroyed something so...violently before, so completely...so...without mercy. Because that wasn't what the power of the Vortex was meant to be used for, it was meant to bring life, creation.

Oh God...

What had she done?

What had happened to her?!

She couldn't remember any of it!

"Come on," Rory mumbled, helping her up, "We need to go, find a safe place, and wait for the Doctor."

She nodded numbly, shaking in Rory's arms he helped her up, held her close, supporting her as she seemed weakened by what had happened, she couldn't walk without shaking or stumbling, probably would have fallen down if not for Rory's arm around her. And, as terrible as it was to think, she didn't want Rory's arm around her...she wanted the Doctor, she needed her Mate right now. She was…scared. She was truly and utterly terrified, for the first time, truly frightened of her powers, what she'd done…she couldn't remember it. Why couldn't she remember it? It was a blur. It was a nightmare, but it happened.

It just...happened.

She didn't have any control over it…and it scared her.

Ayla frowned seeing her mother so out of sorts, so...worried, and took her hand, "Come along mummy," she tugged her hand, squeezing it. She wanted her mother to feel better, she could see it, plain as day, her mother was frightened of what had happened, and for her mother to be scared, to SHOW she was scared...that was something very big and very bad, at least to her mother.

SHE wasn't scared, because it was her mummy, her mummy was the best woman ever, no matter what she would always, always, always love her. And she knew that her mother and father would always protect her too. It was why she wasn't scared of many things, because whatever she was scared of, her parents would chase away or guard her from. Like the mean old Daleks! She should be scared of them, her parents HAD told her about them...but...they looked funny. They had plungers for arms! It was hard to be scared of them when her parents had beaten them and bested them SO many times in the past. And she knew, her parents together, were the best team ever and that nothing would ever beat THEM. Why should she be scared of the weird pepper pots when her parents were there to protect her? It had been many years since they'd found her again and, even when she wandered off at times, they always managed to keep her safe. They hadn't ever let her be hurt or find herself in danger in all that time. They loved her and they protected her, from everything, even the nightmares, even the dark...that was one thing she didn't like, the dark...it was scary, but her parents had even gotten her a nightlight for that, and they always left the hall light on incase she wanted to spend the night with them so she wouldn't be scared. They just...they were always there for her, and they always would be, it was hard to think that anything would hurt her, even Daleks, when her mother and father were around to keep her safe. She had faith in them.

"There's a door at the end," Oswin's voice came over the speakers of the room, solemn, as though able to tell that Angel was severely shaken up by what had just happened.

They looked over, seeing the door start to rise and cautiously made their way over to it, crawling underneath it. Rory helped sit Angel up against a wall, Ayla immediately curling beside her mother as he sat on her other side, putting an arm around her shoulders, feeling her shaking still and wanting to be as much of a comfort as he could till the Doctor got there. Angel was in no condition to teleport out of there at the moment.

"So anyway," Oswin continued, wanting to distract them, "I'm Oswin. What do I call you?"

"Er..." Rory frowned, shaking his head, his mind too full of...stuff, to really answer, "I can't even remember. Er..."

"Rory," Angel gave a small smile, nudging him.

"Lovely name, Rory," Oswin commented, "First boy I ever fancied was called Rory."

"Ok…" he trailed.

"Actually, she was called Nina, I was going through a phase. Just flirting to keep you cheerful. And what's your name cutie pie?"

Ayla giggle, knowing she meant her, "I'm Ayla, this is my mummy!" she gave Angel a squeeze around the middle, making the woman smile and wrap an arm around her, holding her close...needing her daughter to be close right now.

"Hello mum!"

Angel actually managed a small laugh at that, Oswin was very cheerful, "Angel," she called, "I'm Angel."

~8~

The Doctor and Amy were heading down the rope ladder at a staggering pace. The Doctor had paused halfway down before freezing, his eyes widening in fear, sensing something had happened to Angel and Ayla, they were fine but...Angel was terrified now, he had to get to her, quickly, and he could sense they were close, they were so near, he just had to go a little more. He didn't know what had happened, her mind was a jumbled mess, her thoughts too frantic to really get a sense of anything...but one thought that he could see, clear as day, she wanted him there. She was scared and she wanted him to be there...

He had never been able to really deny her anything before, he wasn't going to start now.

And for Angel to be THAT scared...he could feel the Mating instinct hitting him, driving him and pushing him to move faster, to get down there, to find her, to protect her and see what was wrong and help her and comfort her and...

"So, tell me," Amy began, trying to distract him, seeing a mess of emotions play across his face, getting darker and more serious the nearer they got to the ground, the LAST thing she needed was another 'Demons Run Doctor,' a man on a rampage, because in that sort of situation...she was fairly sure he'd end up running into a Dalek in their haste and get them both shot, "What's going to happen to me? And don't lie, 'cos I know when you're lying to me and I will definitely fall on you."

"The air all around is full of micro-machines, robots the size of molecules, nanogenes," he explained quickly, now actually NOT wanting to be distracted, wanting to focus, NEEDING to focus, needing to work things out faster and get to Angel, "Now that you're unprotected, you're being...rewritten."

"So, what happens? I get one of those things sticking out my head?"

He hopped off the ladder and looked around, trying to gauge which direction to go for Angel, he could sense her in one direction, but without a map, without knowing what Daleks were ahead of them...he was unsure of what to do. He didn't want to enter a room and find it full of Daleks, he didn't want to turn a corner and find himself at a dead end that would waste his time to retrace his steps. He just...he wanted a clear and direct path to get back to her, "Physical changes come later," he took Amy's hand and led her down the corridor before them.

"What comes first? How does it start?"

"With your mind. Your feelings, your memories and I'm sorry, but it's started already."

"How do you know?"

He paused, "Because we've had this conversation four times."

"Ok," she swallowed hard, "Scared now."

"Hang on to scared. Scared isn't Dalek," he hugged her tightly but briefly, knowing that, as bad as it was to think, he'd really rather be comforting his Mate instead.

But it was ok, Amy would rather her husband be hugging her too.

~8~

"Hey there, Beaky Boy!" Oswin called as the trio made their way down a corridor, Angel having calmed enough and gathered enough strength to continue on from their brief rest, though she kept a firm hold of Ayla's hand.

"If it's a straight choice, I prefer Nina," Rory called, rolling his eyes as Ayla giggled, knowing that Jack and the Doctor seemed to LOVE calling him Ayla's 'Uncle Beaky' as well.

"Loving this, the Nose and the Chin. You two could fence and Angel-cake could referee. There's a door behind you…" they looked over as a door opened and they headed through it, "In there, quickly. Ok, you're safe for now. Pop your shirt off, Beaky Boy, quick as you like."

"Why?!" Rory exclaimed as Ayla laughed.

"Does there have to be a reason?"

Angel smiled and shook her head, looking around, spotting a circular panel in the floor, a teleport. She walked over, kneeling beside it to look at it. She hesitated a moment...before reaching out to place a hand on it, about to concentrate on it, about to use the Vortex to give it a boost she knew it would need...but she couldn't. She pulled her hand away as though she'd been burned and looked away, swallowing hard.

She just...she wanted to wait for the Doctor.

She didn't...she didn't trust herself with using the Vortex at the moment, not after what had just happened.

~8~

The Doctor and Amy stopped at a door that opened at the end of the corridor, staring through at the empty room within, not trusting it would be good to go in and find out if there were Daleks inside, because while they couldn't see them, they could hear them. Which meant it was just another room that was blocking him from getting to his Mate.

"What's that?" Amy asked.

The Doctor stepped back and the door slid shut, "Keep a lookout," he told her, "Don't open this door! Oswin?! Oswin, can you hear me?!"

Amy winced and rubbed her forehead as he turned away and headed back down the hall.

"Hello, the Chin!" Oswin called, "I have visual on you!"

"Why don't I have visual on you?" he looked around, "Why can't I ever see you?"

"Limited power, bad hair, take your pick. There's a door to your left, open it," he turned and opened a panel in the wall, "Going to send you a map to that screen. I've put those girls and your little friend somewhere safe, I can get you to them."

"Angel!" he gasped, his eyes wide, "Ayla! You've found them?"

"Is she yours?" Oswin wondered.

He breathed a sigh of relief, nodding, "Yes, she's my daughter."

"She's adorable," she giggled.

"She gets it from her mother."

"She's quite the catch," Oswin hummed in agreement.

He smiled at that, amused, "Rory's still with them?"

"I call him Nina. It's a personal thing, hush now."

He leaned forward, watching as the plans came up on the screen.

Meanwhile, down the hall, Amy looked through the doorway, frowning as she spotted a man in a suit standing there, waving her in, "Who are you?" she muttered, opening the door and stepping in. She looked around, seeing two other couples, a little girl with red hair in a white tutu spinning around.

'Doctor,' Angel called in his mind, 'Amy!'

'What about her?' he asked, squinting at the screen, more focused on the map that would lead him to her than anything.

"How many Daleks directly ahead of me, right now?" he asked, out loud, to Oswin.

"10, 20, hard to say," Oswin sighed, "Some of them are catatonic, but they do have firepower."

"How do I get past them?"

'No, Doctor,' Angel tried again, 'Amy! Help her!'

He spun around to see Amy wandering into the room, "Amy!" he shouted, rushing over

"Shhh," she hissed, seeming a bit dazed, unsteady, "It's ok. It's just people in here. It's just people."

"Amy," the Doctor shook his head, glancing at the 'people' that were slowly starting to surround them, NOT people at all, FAR from it, "It's the nano-cloud, it's altering your perception. Look again, look again, those aren't people."

Amy turned around, this time able to see the Daleks that were now standing in the place of the 'people' she'd seen and gasped.

"Come with me, take my hand," he pulled her back, "Run, run!"

They turned and ran down the hall to the ladder, but it was shaking, the zombies climbing down.

"Look, they're coming down!" Amy cried, seeing the bodies above.

"Ah, yes, they are!" the Doctor agreed, turning around only to see a Dalek coming out of the room.

"Intruder!" it shouted.

The Doctor pushed Amy into a side niche where the panel was, "Run!" he called as the Dalek approached.

"Intruder! Intruder!" it tried to fire at them, but nothing happened.

The Doctor frowned at that, "It's damaged…" he breathed, stepping out of the niche.

"Ok, but what do we do?" Amy asked, looking around, they were rather trapped.

"Identify me!" he called, moving to stand before the Dalek, "Access your files, who am I? Come on, who's your daddy?"

"You...are...the Predator," it stated.

"Access your standing orders concerning the Predator."

"The Predator must be destroyed."

"And how are you going to do that?!" he scoffed, "Dalek without a gun, you're a tricycle with a roof! How are you going to destroy me?!"

"Self-destruct initiated!"

Well...he supposed that was one way to do it.

Chapter Text

The Doctor quickly pulled out his sonic as the Dalek's words registered with him, realizing exactly what it was planning to do and, with little way out, there was only one escape he could see. He ran to the Dalek, flashing it with the sonic.

"What's it doing?!" Amy gasped.

"It's going to blow itself up and us with it," he remarked quickly, focusing more on the Dalek than her, knowing that while the Dalek was in 'self-destruct mode' it wouldn't be able to fire, even if it could, or use any of its other weapons like is sucker arm, "Only weapon it's got left," he popped open the top of its casing and flashed the sonic inside it.

"Self-destruct cannot be countermanded!" the Dalek stated.

"I'm not looking for a countermand, dear," he dropped the top back down and smirked at it, "I'm looking for reverse!"

The Dalek then started to roll backwards uncontrollably, despite its efforts to make itself roll the other way, "For...wards! For...wards! For...wards! For...wards!" it struggled and fought against the programming, only to arrive in the room with the other Daleks, colliding with one just as the timer ended and it exploded...

~8~

Rory, Angel, and Ayla looked over at the shockwave that swept through the room they were hiding in from the blast. It felt like it was only the next room over or something, they shouldn't have been able to feel it so powerfully if it wasn't that near.

"Oswin," Rory called, getting up, concerned, worried that it might have been the Daleks trying to break through, trying to get to them from another direction, and the last thing he wanted was Angel to have to confront another set of Daleks, "What was that? That was close."

Angel stood, a small relieved smiling coming to her face, knowing exactly what it was. She wasn't...happy with what it meant for the Daleks, but she was immensely happy because she knew what had caused it, WHO had caused it, "One guess," she commented, taking Ayla's hand and leading them out of the teleport room, into the room the blast had come from, it really HAD been the next room over. It was dusty, the Daleks smoking, wires exposed everywhere, debris and rubble around them from the bomb that had gone off.

"What happened?!" Rory breathed, seeing the state of it all, seeing what was left of the Daleks, not quite as destroyed as the ones Angel had faced down were, those...he shook his head, those were completely obliterated, worse than this, some were still partially there, "Who killed all the Daleks?"

Through the dust, the Doctor entered, carrying an unconscious Amy in his arms, the explosion having knocked her out, "Who do you think?"

"Amy!" Rory shouted, rushing forward to take his wif…Amy, from the Doctor, turning to carry her into the teleport room, wanting to get her somewhere safe, not knowing if more Daleks might be coming if they heard the explosion or felt it.

As soon as Amy was out of his arms, the Doctor turned to Angel and Ayla, pulling them into his arms, "You're alright," he breathed, holding them both tight.

Angel nodded, "Ayla's Uncle Rory took very good care of us."

He quickly kissed Ayla on the top of her head, "Could you go help Uncle Rory sweetheart?" he asked her, the girl nodding and rushing off to tell her uncle what had happened to her aunt.

The Doctor straightened and quickly hugged Angel tightly to him, feeling her shaking, sensing the fear still lingering in her, knowing she needed him. His Mate needed him. And he was finally able to get back to her, he was not about to let her out of his arms till he was sure he'd been able to calm her. He felt the corners of his mouth starting to quirk when he felt her pull him closer, her arms around his neck, burying her face in the side of it. He turned his head, resting the side of it to hers, moving closer to nuzzle his nose against her temple, just...breathing in her scent, taking a short moment to revel in having her back in his arms once more, his hearts starting to slow down from the pounding race they'd been speeding at since he'd woken to realize she and Ayla weren't there.

He let out the breath he felt like he'd been holding forever, winding his arms tighter around her waist, holding her closer, feeling that she needed that, she needed him to hold her and to make everything better just by being there with her. As terrible as it was to say...he was...glad...she felt that way.

She was so strong now, so much more confident, so much surer of herself. And he LOVED it, he really did, he was SO happy to see her thriving and being happy and feeling secure in herself. He loved how she was sure she could deal with situations coming up, with River, how she didn't back down, how she stood strong, she was so beautiful when she was like that, not that she wasn't always beautiful, but there was something about seeing her take charge that just...made him swallow hard and feel like he was being electrified. He wanted to kiss her and hold her every time he saw her like that, whenever she took the lead or she came up with a plan or she took charge. There was something so...attractive about that. How she was confident and how she felt like she would be ok if she had to go her own way during an adventure, split up if they had to, not that they really ever had to.

He loved how strong she was now, he did...but it was nice to know that she still needed him. It warmed his hearts to know that there was a comfort only HE could provide her. He'd felt it, he'd felt her emotions when Rory had tried to comfort her and ease her worry earlier, it hadn't really worked. It...made him feel special, to know it was ONLY HIM that could do that for her, that he could make her feel better when no one else could. It was the same for him as well, she was just...she was the only one who could ever really calm him down or reassure him or comfort him. He was strong yes, so many people had told him that over the centuries, he was clever and brave and so many other things, but...he truly felt like he was only that because of Angel, she gave him a strength he hadn't known existed just by being with him. He truly loved knowing that he gave her a strength and comfort as well.

He took great comfort in knowing that they both needed each other, no matter what, no matter how strong they got or sure of themselves or anything...they would always need each other.

He gently kissed her temple, closing his eyes as he swayed her gently, knowing her eyes were closed as well, neither of them wanting to remember they were surrounded by destroyed Daleks during a moment such as this, "What happened dear?" he breathed.

She snuggled her face into his shoulder, clutching him even tighter, feeling him hold her closer as she tried to lessen her shaking, "I don't know," she replied, "I..." she swallowed hard, unable to even talk about it. Because she really didn't know, so, instead, she pulled away slightly, resting her forehead to his, and opened her mind for him to see what had happened, what she could remember happened.

The Doctor blinked his eyes open after he saw the scattered sequence of images play out, felt what she'd felt, it really was a blur to her wasn't it? She remembered feeling...odd...at the sight of the Daleks, wanting Ayla and Rory away from them, then there was firing and 'Exterminates' and...it went black. There had been a blazing heat and just...nothing. Nothing until Rory and Ayla were waking her up.

He gently pulled back, reaching out a hand to curl a finger under her chin, lifting her face to look at him, his hearts breaking to see tears in her eyes, fear in her eyes. He moved his hand to touch her cheek, his thumb stroking it, trying to calm her more, feeling her shaking starting to lessen even if just slightly. He leaned in and kissed her forehead, "We'll figure it out," he promised her, "Together."

She let her eyes drift closed for a moment, feeling the kiss pressed to her head and his whispered words, and nodded, trusting him. He was...SO clever, brilliant really, a genius. She knew that, while it had taken her forever to try and work out what might have happened with his amnesia and how to get his memories back...she STILL hadn't been right in her thoughts on why it happened. She really wasn't all that clever in quite a few areas, but the Doctor...if he worked on it, she knew he'd always figure out the answer. She trusted him. With him helping, they'd figure it out, they'd find out what had happened to her and why.

She took a breath, "But not right now," she agreed, hearing the hidden words, right now they were surrounded by Daleks with Amy on the brink of turning into one of their puppets and their daughter trapped with them, now was NOT the time to try and work that out, "We need to help Amy."

He smiled gently at her, stroking her face one more time, "No," he whispered, "Amy will be fine," he nodded, believing that, "Nella," he whispered to her, making her look at him for use of her name, "I will always put you first," he told her, needing her to see how true that was, "You and Kitta are my entire world, you will always come before anyone else. Even Amy," he admitted, "I meant that...WE need to get out of here, all of us. I don't like us being down here any more than I like what's happening to Amy."

She gave him a small smile for that, he did want Amy to be ok, to stop what was happening to her, but his first thought wasn't that, it wasn't Amy's welfare, it was hers and Ayla's. Even if it meant getting THEM out of there would mean getting Amy and Rory out of there too.

She took his hand, lifting it to kiss his scarred knuckles, him letting out a shuddering breath at how she stared into his eyes as she did it, "Come on," she whispered, leading him back to the teleport room to see Amy lying on the teleport.

"Will sleeping help her?" Rory asked them as soon as he saw them enter the room again, Ayla having told him all that she had gleamed off her mother and father about what was happening, "Slow down the process?"

"You'd better hope so," Oswin commented, her voice echoing around them from the speakers, "Because pretty soon, she's going to try and kill you."

"She won't," Angel shook her head, looking at Amy as the girl started to stir.

"Amy," Rory turned to her, seeing that as well.

"Ow," Amy mumbled, pressing a hand to her head even if she had yet to open her eyes.

"Amy, you're still with us," the Doctor told her, crouching down on Amy's other side, by Ayla, stroking her hair gently as Ayla reached out and took her auntie's hand, Angel moving to sit beside her daughter on the edge of the pad.

"Amy, it's me," Rory added from her other side, "Do you remember me?" Amy, without looking, reached out and slapped him, "She remembers me."

"Same old Amy," Angel smiled softly, the Doctor standing and looking down at the ginger.

"Do you know how you make someone into a Dalek?" Oswin called quietly, "Subtract love, add anger. Doesn't she seem a bit too angry to you?"

"Well!" Amy huffed, moving to sit up, now glaring at the eyelense camera, "Somebody's never been to Scotland!"

"What about you though, Oswin?" the Doctor asked, seeing Angel frowning, still hearing a Dalek whenever Oswin spoke, she was leaving her mind open to him, he could hear it in her mind, how she heard the girl speaking, it was...disconcerting and quite jarring to hear the girl with the perky voice speaking like a Dalek, "How come you're ok? Why hasn't the nano-cloud converted you?"

"I mentioned the genius thing, yeah?" Oswin remarked, "I'm shielded in here."

"Clever of you. Now this place, the Daleks said it was fully automated. But look at it, it's a wreck."

"Well, I've had nearly a year to mess with them and not a lot else to do."

"A junior entertainment manager, hiding out in a wrecked ship...hacking the security systems of the most advanced warrior race the Universe has ever seen. But you know what really gets me about you, Oswin? The soufflés!" he was nodding now, Angel's inquiry about the milk and eggs starting to make sense, "Where do you get the milk and eggs for the soufflés? Seriously, has no one else wondered that since Angel brought it up?"

"No," Rory answered, "Frankly, no. Twice."

"So, Doctor," Oswin continued, "I've been looking you up. You and Angel-cake are all over the Database. Why do the Daleks call you both the Abomination and the Predator?"

The Doctor's jaw tensed at that word, abomination not predator, and he felt Angel reach out and take his hand as he stood beside her. He hated that word, so much more after encountering the Time Lords and the Master, hearing Rassilon calling her that as well...the Daleks always had, ever since they found out about what she'd done to them. But to hear their own people, the leader of their people, call her such a word, knowing that they considered the Master to be one as well...it bothered him. It...was even worse because...he'd SEEN it...the expression on the man's face.

Rassilon...he'd known who Angel was. When they'd encountered them, he'd greeted Angel as 'the Lady Angel' so he knew Angel's title. But how? Why? She had made it abundantly clear that she was just a simple TARDIS farmer on Gallifrey, truly led such a normal and quiet life that the only times she'd regenerated before the War, where most of her deaths had occurred, was stopping two Time Lords from trying to steal one of the unharvested TARDISes and when she'd been repairing another she hadn't realized was leaking poisoned gasses within. The only time she came even close to being on the High Council's radar was when she refused to adapt the TARDISes to be War TARDISes. It was nearly treason, but her father had stepped in and negotiated before it got that far. There was absolutely NO reason for the High Council to know of her.

They knew of him and the Master yes, but they'd been infamous on Gallifrey long before the War. But Angel? What reason did the Highest Council of Gallifrey have to know of a farmer? But he'd seen it...the looks on Rassilon's faces whenever he glanced at the girl...it was like...recognition. It was like...how he'd looked at the Master, like she was another failed experiment or something. And it had killed him because...he didn't know. The High Council had had a hand in the Master's insanity, a long lived plot to escape the time-lock, but Angel? He'd felt truly ill to think that, maybe...they'd had a hand in her psychic abilities as well. She'd said she'd stared into the Untempered Schism longer than was normal. That might have tipped off the High Council, that she was another potential Visionary, but she'd never been tested, never displayed any visions from what he knew of her life.

But the way Rassilon looked at her...he dreaded to think that the High Council might have manipulated her life as well. He...he knew that it was suspicious for two siblings to be stationed in the same platoon, as she and her own sister had, that it was NEVER done...unless...unless perhaps the High Council had gotten involved? He didn't want to think about that, he didn't want to think about Angel being twisted like the Master had, suffering like he had. He never EVER wanted to hear her called 'the Abomination' again, no...she was the Angel, his angel.

'My Doctor,' he heard her whisper in his mind, feeling reassurance drift to him from her.

He closed his eyes, smiling as he shook his head at that, she'd just been terrified moments ago, clearly nearly traumatized by something...and there she was, comforting HIM.

"She's not an abomination and I'm not a predator, just an angel and a man with a plan," he countered out loud.

"You've got a plan?" Oswin asked.

"Daddy's got a thing," Ayla corrected, sounding as though reciting a well learned lesson, making Angel truly smile at it.

"We're all ears," Rory rolled his eyes.

"There's a nose joke going, if anyone wants to pick that one off!" Amy added.

"I never should have showed you that picture of him," Angel actually gave a small laugh, thinking of the picture of his last last self that she'd shown the two after they'd left Utah, as promised. Rory had had a field day with the Doctor after that, never having let him live down anymore nose jokes as a result.

"In no particular order," the Doctor cut in, ignoring them, "We need to neutralize all the Daleks in this Asylum, rescue Oswin from the wreckage, escape from this planet, and fix Rory and Amy's marriage..."

"Ok," Amy deadpanned, "I'm counting three lost causes, anyone else?"

Rory just slapped his knee in frustration and got up, knowing that Amy counted their marriage among them.

"Oswin, there's a Dalek ship in orbit," the Doctor called, looking over as Ayla moved into her mother's lap, sitting down in her arms.

"Yeah, got it on the sensors," Oswin replied.

"The Asylum has a force field. The Daleks upstairs are waiting for me to turn it off. Soon as I do, they'll burn this world and us with it," he clapped, "So, Oswin, my question is this. How fast can you drop the force field?"

"Pretty fast. But why would I?"

"Because this is a teleport, am I right, Oswin?" he pointed at the pad the others were sitting on.

"Yeah. Internal use only."

He snapped his fingers, "I can boost the power, though," he knelt by the teleport and got to work sonicing it, not about to ask Angel to use the Vortex when she was still a bit...wary of it now, "Once the force-field is down, and we can use this to beam us right off this planet."

"But you said, when the force-field is down, the Daleks will blow us up," Rory reminded him.

"We have to be quick."

"Fine, we'll be quick, but where do we beam to?" Amy asked.

"The only place within range. The Dalek ship."

"Where they exterminate us on the spot?" Amy frowned, shaking her head, how was that even close to a good plan? That wasn't even a thing!

"This is the kind of escape plan where you survive four seconds longer," Rory told him.

"What's wrong with four seconds?" the Doctor looked up, "You can do lots in four seconds. Oswin! How fast can you drop the force-field?"

"I can do it from here," Oswin called, "As soon as you come and get me."

The Doctor stood up, "No, just drop the force-field and come to us."

"There's enough power in that teleport for one go. Why would you wait for me?"

"Why wouldn't we?" he countered, but Oswin was silent, "Oswin...we're only here because Ayla, my daughter," he pointed back at the girl as she waved at the camera, "Wanted to rescue you," he told her, looking up at the Dalek eyelense, "We could have left, but we let ourselves be fired at this planet, so that we could help her rescue you."

"Sending you a map so you can come get me," was all Oswin said in response.

The Doctor sighed, realizing that...Oswin had never met them before, how was she to know if they were telling the truth or not? He rubbed his head a moment, before seeing a map blink on in a screen in the wall and walked over to it, examining it.

Rory frowned, seeing him intently looking at it and realized...he was really going to go after Oswin, which he did expect, but it was still a little shocking, "This place is crawling with Daleks," Rory reminded him, concerned.

"Yeah," Oswin scoffed, "Kind of why I'm anxious to leave. Come up and see me some time."

Rory moved to the Doctor's side, looking at the map, "So? Are we going to go get her?"

"I don't think that we have a choice," he sighed, "Ok, soon as the force-field is down, the Daleks will attack. If it gets too explodey-wodey in here, you go without us, ok?" he turned and handed Rory the teleport control as Angel stood up, placing Ayla to sit on the teleport, making it quite clear who the 'us' that would be going was and who the 'you' that would go were.

"And leave you to die?" Rory shook his head, he couldn't do that! How could he be expected to just...leave them!? Pushing that button would make Ayla an orphan! He knew that Angel could teleport rather far...but from a planet to a spaceship? He wasn't sure she'd be able to get that far away!

"Oh, don't worry about us," he waved Rory off, "You're the one beaming up to a Dalek ship to get exterminated."

"Fair point, love this plan," Rory sighed, already knowing that the Doctor was joking, he'd likely set the teleport to take them up to the ship...but right into the TARDIS instead, and...he supposed he had to think about Ayla as well. If things got too bad, it would be HER life on the line sa well, "What about Amy?"

"Get her to remember, Rory," Angel told him, dropping a kiss onto Ayla's head, "Just...keep her thinking about love and happiness, and it should keep the conversion back long enough."

"What do I do?" Amy shook her head, not sure how thinking of 'love and happiness' could work.

The Doctor moved to kneel before her, taking her hand, "You heard what she said. They're subtracting love. Don't let them," he turned and kissed Ayla's head as well, "You be good for your Aunt and Uncle yeah?" he tapped her small bowtie necklace.

Ayla nodded, reaching out to tug on his bowtie, straightening it in kind, "Be careful daddy," she whispered, knowing her daddy had truly very bad luck and that he would need more of it than her mother would.

"He will sweetheart," Angel reassured her, "If anything happens, I'll teleport us both right back here in no time."

That was a small limit on her powers, they'd discovered. She could teleport anywhere, as long as she knew where she was going, as long as she had been there before or if it was close enough...like the other side of a door. Sometimes she could teleport to an exact person, no matter where they were if they were close enough...but only if she'd met them before, like in the hotel with Rita and Joe and Howie. She wouldn't be able to teleport them to where Oswin was, she didn't know where exactly it was or what it looked like, but she did know where the teleport was. She...wasn't entirely sure she'd be able to teleport into a spaceship though...that might be a bit far...she hadn't really had to teleport often the last few decades, never having really be separated from the Doctor or Ayla much.

The Doctor nodded, taking her hand and walking out with her. He smiled at her as they stepped out the door and into a corridor, holding up his wrist where he was missing his device, a device he'd slipped onto Amy just after the explosion.

"You were right," he kissed her temple, realizing now exactly HOW the little wrist device would save the Pond marriage, because Rory would do anything he could to save his Amelia, "As always," he pulled away and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, "My psychic."

"My thief," she countered, breathing out, only he could make her feel so calm while needing to leave their daughter somewhere safe, so safe even surrounded by mad Daleks, and so in control despite having just lost it...with just his presence.

They both looked up though, hearing Daleks in the distance shouting, "Emergency, emergency! We are the Daleks! We are the Daleks! We are the Daleks..."

~8~

Amy sat on the teleport pad, Ayla in her lap, absently picking at her nails, her arms around Ayla, as Rory paced, "Ok," Rory stopped, turning to face them, "Look at me," Amy looked up, "I'm going to be logical. Cold and logical, ok?" he walked over to her, kneeling before her, before them both, but looking at Amy, "For both of our sakes, for both of us, I'm going to take this off my wrist and put it on yours," he started to unfasten the wristband.

"Why?" Amy scoffed, "It'll just start converting you, that's not better."

"Yeah. But it buys time. Because it'll take longer with me."

"Sorry, what?!" Amy glared, moving Ayla off her lap, not wanting the girl to get caught in the crossfire of the fight she could feel coming.

"It subtracts love," Rory said simply, "That's what she said."

"What's that got to do with it?" Amy demanded, feeling more anger than love at the moment, "What does that even mean?!"

"It's just arithmetic. It'll take longer with me, because we both know, we've both always known..." he took a breath, looking her in the eyes, "Amy, basic fact of our relationship is that I love you more than you love me. Which, today, is good news, because it might just save both of our lives."

"How can you say that?" Amy nearly screamed at him, Ayla blinking and frowning as she watched her aunt and uncle starting to fight and yell.

He straightened, "2,000 years, waiting for you, outside a box," he reminded her, holding up his hands, "Saying it because it's true, and since you know it's true, give me your arm..." he moved to take her arm but she pulled away, "Amy!"

Amy just slapped him, "Don't you dare say that to me. Don't you ever dare!"

"Amy, you kicked me out!"

"You want kids!" Amy cried, actually crying, tears in her eyes, "You have always wanted kids, ever since you WERE a kid! And I can't…I can't do it. I can't risk having one," she sniffled and turned away.

He shook his head, completely lost, "What does that even mean?" he countered, "You can't risk having one?"

"Look at what happened!" she shouted, turning back to him and he could see the genuine fear in her eyes, "Angel was pregnant! They took her! They took her baby, the Doctor's baby! And if they could get her, if they could take Ayla..." she shook her head, her voice quieting, "What's to stop them from taking ours?" she sobbed.

She knew it was a rubbish reason, she knew that the Silence thought the Doctor and Angel and Ayla as well were dead, that they were all safe...but if they ever found out, if they ever got a hint that the trio were alive...and it wasn't even that! The Silence, the Doctor had made it quite clear, was only ONE of his numerous enemies. What if the others got a similar idea?! The Daleks clearly now knew that the Doctor was alive, that Angel was, it would only be a matter of time for word to spread. If the Doctor had never gone to meet Darla, they never would have had the proof he was alive instead of whispers to go on and they wouldn't have been captured either. It was proof though, the Daleks could easily take them out of time and space and if they ever considered what the Silence did...there would be nothing to keep her baby safe. The Doctor was rarely on Earth except to pop in and Angel couldn't see everything.

If she knew, if she just knew, completely and totally that her baby, that any baby she had would always be safe...it would be different. It was a fear she knew, possibly irrational given the other companions who had children and were safe. But...ever since the hotel, since the pyramid...having confronted her one fear and moved past it, she'd developed another one, or perhaps it had always been her second biggest fear that, now with the first taken care of, it was at the forefront more. She didn't know, all she knew as...she was scared, terrified really.

Rory's eyes widened as he saw her break down before him, realizing just how much what had happened to the Time Lords had affected her. She had been the companion longer, she felt like SHE would be more of a target, that HER child would be taken instead of his...

"Look at the daughter we do have," Amy continued, "She's a psychopath! She wants to kill one of our best friends and I can't…" she shook her head, struggling to breathe now she was so upset, "I can't let them do that to our child. Not again. I can't…" she sniffled, trying to take a breath, "I didn't kick you out. I gave you up."

"Amy..." Rory shook his head, tears in his eyes, at how deeply hurt she'd been by everything, by how scared she was and he hadn't even realized, "I didn't..."

"Don't you dare talk to me about waiting outside a box, because that is nothing, Rory," she stood up, "Nothing... compared to giving you up!"

"Just give me your arm," he said quieter, he needed to keep her alive, not only because now that he knew what was wrong they could talk about it, but...he loved her, so much, he couldn't bear the thought of her dying, of turning into a puppet like Darla had, "Let me put this on you..."

Amy yanked her arm back, "No get off me!"

"Just give me your arm!"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

"Aunt Amy?" Ayla called softly, cutting off the warring humans, reminding them both that she was there and what they were exposing her to, their fighting and anger. But Ayla just reached out and tugged on Amy's skirt.

Amy took a breath, wiping at her eyes before moving to kneel before the girl, "What is it sweetheart?"

Ayla blinked and took Amy's hand, the one Rory kept trying to take, pushing back the sleeve, to show that there already was a wristband on it.

"It's the Doctor's," Rory realized, kneeling down beside them, "When you were asleep, he must've..."

"Time Lord," Amy sighed, "What's the betting he doesn't even need it?"

"Then why didn't he just tell us?"

"Daddy's very smart," Ayla shrugged, turning to look at a screen that showed a hallway Oswin had rigged to show them the Time Lords' progress.

And there was the Doctor, tweaking his bowtie before grinning at the camera before he continued with Angel, an utterly proud smirk on his face.

Amy closed her eyes, unable to help but smile, those Time Lords, "What's betting Angel saw this coming," she added.

Rory shook his head, realizing this was their attempt at saving their marriage, getting them to talk, to admit what was driving them apart, so that they could both work on it in the future, so that THEY could know what was wrong as well and try to help. Ayla would, undoubtedly, tell her parents what Amy had admitted in an effort to get them to help her aunt and uncle too...but...it would be all the better for it, because...the Time Lords, they knew their enemies better than anyone, they'd be able to rig up some sort of protection for them, for any child they might have in the future, make it so that something like this, being taken from nowhere never happened, that no enemy could enter their home, so that their children would be safe.

He smiled down at Ayla, "Your mum's not too bad either."

Ayla just beamed.

~8~

"Oswin?" the Doctor called as he and Angel headed down the corridor, the sounds of the Daleks getting louder, "I think we're close."

"You are," she replied over the speakers, following them, "Less than 20 feet away. Which is the good news..."

"Ok. And the bad, which I suddenly feel is coming..." he smirked at Angel, "Don't even have to be a precog for that one."

She rolled her eyes at him, giving him a small smile.

"You're about to pass through Intensive Care," Oswin informed them as they approached a door that slid open.

They glanced at each other before stepping through, into a room where there were a few Daleks in individual cells, some even chained in place.

"And what's so special about this lot then?" the Doctor asked.

"Dunno," Oswin sighed, "Survivors of particular wars. Spir…"

"Spiridon," Angel began, nodding at each Dalek in turn, "Kembel. Aridius. Vulcan. Exxilon."

"Yeah, exactly," Oswin said after a moment, "Boy the files weren't kidding when they called you psychic eh? Anyway, any of them ringing any bells?"

"All of them," the Doctor nodded grimly.

"Yeah? How?"

The Doctor stepped forward, stopping before a Dalek, "These are the Daleks who survived me."

The Daleks slowly started to awaken, hearing them, "Doc...tor..." they began, "Doc...tor...Doc...tor...Doctor..."

"That's weird," Oswin remarked, "Those ones don't usually wake up for anything."

"Yeah, well, special visitor," he felt Angel tug him back to an opposite door, the door they probably had to go through to get to Oswin, "Visitors," he realized, knowing that the Daleks would likely have a running log of all Angel's achievements against them as well, possibly...possibly even what had just happened within the Asylum itself, "Ok, door, but it won't open," he flashed his sonic on it, "You can't be far away though..."

"Hang on, not quite sure…there's a release code, let me, let me just...anything happening out there?"

"No!"

"Hang on, I'm trying a thing."

The Doctor tried the door again, but nothing happened, "Let me," Angel whispered, putting a hand on his to stop him. He nodded, backing up just a step to let her to the door, knowing that she was rather good at getting things unlocked. They both were wary of her trying to teleport them into the room, if Oswin was right and it was shielded enough where not even the nano-genes could get to her, they weren't sure what sort of reaction it would have to the Vortex. It really could get through anything except a time-lock but they didn't want to risk Angel trying and it being too powerful than the amount of power she was using, or for her to use too much and end up too weak on the other side...they'd still have to be able to teleport back to the teleport room.

"Doc...tor..." one of the Daleks called, and he turned to see them advancing on them, its sucker arm twitching in Angel's direction, "And…the…An…gel! Doc...tor...An...gel..."

"Oswin!" the Doctor shouted, seeing Angel had her eyes closed the Vortex flowing from her hand as she tried to use it to get the door to open, but he could see it in her expression, the sound of the Daleks was getting to her and...soon enough, he was afraid it would be too much and...whatever happened before might happen again. Well, it would make them safe from the Daleks and he'd be able to see first hand what she was like to help her...but he didn't want to put her through that again so soon, "Get this door open! Oswin open this door!"

"I can't!" Oswin gasped.

"Oswin!" he cried, terrified of what the Daleks would do to Angel more than to him, of what their approach would do to Angel if she lost control again...he didn't think she'd be able to handle destroying them again, "PLEASE, GET THIS DOOR OPEN!"

"Have faith, my love," Angel whispered, sensing his fear was of her reaction and how she'd feel about it and not of what the Daleks could do to them. He looked over to see a spark of gold flare from her hands and the door shot up…at the same moment the Daleks stilled and simply turned away from them, heading back to their cells.

"Oh, that is cool," Oswin breathed, "Tell me I'm cool, Chin Boy, Angel-cake."

"What did you do?" the Doctor stared at the Daleks, his arm moving around Angel to steady her, she'd been using more of the Vortex than she typically did in such a short time, and he'd felt it, her struggling to keep it from overpowering her again, she was starting to shake a little again, "Tell me what you did!"

"The Daleks, they have a hive mind. Well they don't, but they have a telepathic web."

"The Path Web, yes."

"I hacked into it. Did a master delete on all the information connected with the Doctor and the Angel, even got Ayla in there too!"

"You made them...forget us?"

"Good, eh?"

"I've tried hacking the Path Web. Even I couldn't do it."

"Come and meet the girl who can."

"Doctor," Angel breathed, her head coming to nuzzle into his shoulder, but in...sorrow, "I was right…"

He tensed, feeling her sadness and looked over his shoulder at the room beyond, his eyes wide in shock at what lay within...

~8~

In her quarters, Oswin dashed around, straightening things up, gathering her supplies, the Doctor and Angel in the screen of the control panel, staring through at her, picking them up on the security feeds she'd hacked into.

"Hey!" she cheered, seeing them not moving, "You're right outside, come on in."

"Oswin..." the Doctor began, "We have a problem..."

"No, we don't! Don't even say that. Joined the Alaska to see the Universe, ended up stuck in a shipwreck first time out," she ran back over to the panel and plopped into her chair, "Rescue me, Chin Boy, Angel-cake, and show me the stars!"

"Oswin...what do you see around you?" Angel asked gently.

"What do you mean?" she shook her head, "I'm in my rooms."

"And your rooms...do they seem real to you?"

"It IS real."

Angel shook her head sadly, "I'm so sorry Oswin...but I don't think it is..."

"It's a dream," the Doctor agreed, "You dreamed it for yourself, because the truth was too terrible."

Oswin blinked, starting to feel scared at what they were saying. She looked back at the rooms, they were...the same...they were always the same, nothing had changed. She glanced at the doors, the wood had fallen off, always in the same pattern, always the same boards no matter how many nails she put in them. It was the same, it was always the same, it was...too similar.

"Where am I?" she breathed.

~8~

The Doctor and Angel glanced at each other before looking back at the lone Dalek, tied in heavy chains, stationed before them in the white, honeycombed room.

"Where...am...I?" the Dalek, Oswin, cried, "Where...am...I?!"

"Because you are a Dalek," the Doctor told her.

"I am not a Dalek! I am NOT a Dalek! I'm human!"

"You were human when you crashed here," the Doctor explained, moving to rest a hand on the casing, feeling so terribly for the girl, "It was you who climbed out of the pod, that was your ladder…"

Angel winced, a vision quite unlike anything she'd seen before playing through her mind...

...a girl with brown hair, in a white spacesuit, climbed down a rope ladder, into a corridor, coming face-to-face with Daleks...

"I'm...human..." the Dalek insisted.

'…where am I? Where am I? Where am I?!...'

"Not anymore," the Doctor continued, "Because you're right, you're a genius. And the Daleks need genius. They didn't just make you a puppet, they did a full conversion."

...Oswin was chained to a chair, hooked up to wires, electricity flashing around her as the conversion process began...

"Oswin," the Doctor sighed, "I am so sorry. But you are a Dalek. The milk, Oswin. The milk and the eggs for the soufflés, where? Where did it all come from?"

'...I'm...human...I am NOT a Dalek...I am human, I am not Dalek. I am HUMAN!...'

"Eggs…" the Dalek began, "Eggs."

...Oswin winced as a round of electricity went through her...

"It wasn't real," the Doctor sighed, "It was

never real."

'...I am a Dalek! I am a Dalek!...'

Angel gasped, the vision ending as she looked at the Dalek, tears in her eyes, "Doctor…" she called, reaching out a hand to pull him back gently. He looked over, frowning when he saw the tears in her eyes, and stepped closer to her, cupping her cheek, seeing in her mind what she had just seen and his eyes widened.

She had dreamed the future once or twice before…

But she had never really seen the past.

Until now.

"Oswin, I'm so sorry," Angel blinked, a tear falling from her eyes as she just...looked at the Dalek, knowing there wasn't a mutant within...but a girl, a poor, scared, lost girl. She felt...she didn't know, seeing that, seeing what was happening to her, what had happened to her...it was like she'd been there. It was like she could feel everything Oswin had, the panic, the terror, the...pain of the conversion. She was so scared and so lost and and...she'd built herself a dream world to escape it.

She reached out, wanting to try and comfort the girl, not the Dalek...

But it seemed it wasn't the girl any longer as the Dalek spoke, "Eggs...term...in...ate."

The Doctor quickly pulled her away as the Dalek raising its laser arm, "Oswin?"

"Eggs...term...in...ate. Exterminate. Exterminate!" the Dalek started to advance, breaking from its chains, heading right for them, on a rampage...and fired a round of blasts at them...

The Doctor's eyes widened when a golden wall of the Vortex sprang to life in front of them, he looked over to see Angel holding her hand out, stopping Oswin, but...there was something...off about it this time. Angel had often brought up a wall, but...right now...it was like she wasn't even aware of it. She was just standing there, she wasn't moving, she wasn't blinking, and her face...it was hard.

It was like all she saw was a threat and not...Oswin being scared any longer.

And he realized, this was what had happened before, and before…Angel had destroyed the Daleks, but…this was Oswin…and he KNEW she'd see it that way if whatever was happening was stopped.

"No, no, no," he moved before Angel, "Angel don't!" he held up his hands to try and calm her while shouting back at Oswin, knowing he needed to make the Dalek currently ramming itself against the wall to stop for Angel to see the threat had passed, "Oswin, Oswin listen...Oswin! You don't have to do this!"

He had to get through to her before the Vortex controlled Angel completely like it had before.

"EXTERMINATE!" the Dalek just continued to cry, "EXTERMINATE!"

"Oswin! Oswin!" he swallowed hard, looking back at Angel, knowing instinctively that she would be able to SAVE the girl, if he could just get through to her. Well this was quite a role reversal wasn't it? Usually it was HER trying to get through to him, pull him back from the darkness and the Oncoming Storm that festered within him. This...this was different, because...this wasn't exactly darkness, this wasn't an Oncoming Storm, this was...something he didn't know. This was something that had never happened before.

"Angel," he breathed, reaching out to cup her face, stroking it, needing to calm her, needing to get through to her, "Angel, let go…" he whispered, "You need to stop," he leaned in and rested his forehead against hers, knowing the comfort of his presence would get through to her, hers always did to him. He could see it, he could see her close her eyes, hearing him, "Oswin needs you…" he swallowed hard, "Not the Dalek, OSWIN. She's still in there…"

He pulled back slightly, watching her face intently, feeling his hearts start to slow, a smile forming on his face as he felt the force of the Vortex start to fade in intensity and looked up, seeing Angel coming back to him as her eyes blinked open. The gold was still present in her eyes, but he could see the blue of her in her eyes as well. She stumbled back, coming back to herself, and he caught her, as he always did, helping to guide her to the Dalek still trying to break through the wall that she'd created, the wall that was still standing.

"Oswin…" Angel breathed, reaching out a hand, the wall fading as soon as her hand touched it, letting her rest it on the head of the Dalek, making it freeze, "You can fight it…" she whispered, shaking in the Doctor's arms, "Let me help…"

She closed her eyes, trying to keep the tears in them from falling at her own terror of how she'd lost control again, how she'd nearly...she shook her head, not wanting to think about what she'd nearly done to Oswin, wanting to try and help her, needing to help her. She focused despite it all, despite her fear of what might happen, and a soft golden hue began to form around the Dalek, seeming to seep right into it…and its cries of 'Exterminate!' ceased, only for a human sounding sob to echo.

For once, a Dalek didn't sound like a Dalek, but Oswin.

"Why do they hate you so much?" Oswin began, both of them able to hear the girl within, They hate you so much. Why?"

"I fought them," the Doctor told her, resting his hands on Angel's shoulders as she sank to her knees, the golden glow fading entirely at hearing Oswin talking, the girl back in control, "Many, many times. Angel's stopped them each time they thought they were strong enough to win."

"We have grown stronger in fear of you."

"I know," the Doctor swallowed, feeling Angel shaking in his hands, feeling her panting, wanting to help her but not knowing how, "I tried to stop."

"Then run."

They both looked at the Dalek, shocked, "What did you say?" the Doctor blinked.

"I've taken down the force-field. The Daleks above have begun their attack. Run!"

The door behind them opened and the Doctor looked back at it, "Oswin? Are you..."

"I am Oswin Oswald. I fought the Daleks. And I AM...human. Remember me!"

"Thank you!" the Doctor helped Angel to her feet, leading her back through the doorway as she staggered, both of them knowing she wouldn't be able to teleport them both back to the teleport room at the moment.

"Run! Run you clever boy, you golden girl, and remember!"

~8~

In her quarters Oswin sat on her chair, tucking her legs in, smiling as she watched them do just that, and run.

~8~

The Doctor and Angel ran through the corridors, the very faint glow of the Vortex around them, protecting them from the explosions that were starting to hit the Asylum from the attack above.

~8~

Rory and Amy looked up, standing up on the teleport with Ayla sitting cross-legged in the middle of it.

"How long can we wait?" Rory asked, looking down at the control in his hand, not wanting to press it. They'd been talking, while they waited, talked about children, about protection, both had come to a sort of...unspoken agreement about the best way to protect themselves and the family they hoped to create, a family like the ones the other companions had managed to form...

But only after they'd stopped travelling with the Doctor and Angel.

"The rest of our lives," Amy smiled, taking his hand, feeling...better now that they'd talked, there had been...so many reasons she hadn't told him about her fears. Because, in her heart, she knew what it would mean, what it might mean for them and the Time Lords, their safety. She didn't want to face it, she didn't want to make Rory face it, for what it would mean for the two of them, what they'd have to give up and sacrifice to start a family.

Rory grinned at that, "Agreed!" and pulled her into a kiss as Ayla giggled, hiding it behind her hands as she watched her aunt and uncle make up...

Just as her parents ran into the room, "Right, go, let's go!" the Doctor shouted as they hopped onto the teleport pad, Angel picking her up into her arms, "We're good, let's go! Oh, for God's sake!" he grabbed the controls, seeing the couple kissing and hit it.

~8~

From above the planet, the Dalek Parliament fired one final time at the planet which exploded beneath them.

"The Asylum is destroyed!" the white Dalek announced.

"Incoming teleport from Asylum planet," another Dalek reported, "We are under attack!"

"Prepare to defend! Defend! Defend!"

"Explain, Dalek Supreme!" the Prime Minister called.

"You know, you guys should really have seen this coming," the Doctor's voice called from inside the TARDIS, "I mean, I know you aren't nearly as perceptive or intuitive as my Mate, but really? Thing about me and teleports, I've got a really good aim. Pin-point accurate, in fact. Or to put it another way..." he stepped out of the TARDIS, not about to let Angel or Ayla be a target, grinning madly, his arms thrown out, "Suckers!"

"Identify yourself!" a Dalek cried, "Identify! Identify!"

"Well, it's me! You know me! The Doctor!" but then he frowned, seeing their lack of reaction, "The Oncoming Storm? The Predator? Mate of the Angel? The Life Bringer?" he refused to say 'abomination.'

"Titles are not meaningful in this context," Darla stared at him blankly, "Doctor who?"

"Doctor who?" the Prime Minister called.

"Doctor who?" and the white Dalek.

"Oh, Oswin," the Doctor smiled, impressed, "Oh, you did it to them all! Oh, you beauty!"

"DOCTOR WHO?" the Daleks shouted, "DOCTOR WHO?"

He leaned against the doorway, "Fellas, you're never going to stop asking," he snapped his finger at them and ducked back into the TARDIS, the box disappearing moments later as the Daleks continued to call out the same question.

~8~

Amy and Rory waved goodbye to the TARDIS as it disappeared, the two of them standing before their home. Rory looked at Amy who gave him a rather inviting look before she smirked and headed inside.

He grinned widely, "Yes!" half-punching the air in victory, realizing they were going to be ok...

"I can see you!" Amy called.

"Ok!" he nodded and followed her in.

~8~

The Doctor spun around the console with Ayla in his arms, the girl giggling madly at her father's excitement, at his relief and joy at what Oswin had done for them. He'd been terrified that, because of the Daleks realizing he and Angel were alive, that the word would spread and that they'd be a target of the Silence once more. But that brilliant girl had made the entire lot of them forget him! Forget them both! Which, to be quite honest, had given him a rather brilliant idea.

"Doctor Who!" he cheered, tickling Ayla's stomach, "Doctor Who! Doc! Tor! Who!"

"Daddy!" Ayla squealed, squirming in his arms.

Angel, standing at the controls, a bit more subdued as she piloted them into the Vortex, had to laugh at that as he set their daughter down, "Go and get ready for bed Ayla," she called to her, "We'll be in in a moment to say goodnight."

Ayla nodded and dashed off up the stairs, heading into the TARDIS, excited for what her next bedtime story would be.

The Doctor waited till Ayla had disappeared before looking at Angel, knowing why she'd sent their daughter away for a moment. He walked over to her and pulled her into his arms, just...hugging her for a moment, "What happened back there dear?" he asked her gently, pulling away to cup her face, "With Oswin. You were fine when the other Daleks were getting closer," well, she was fine enough, the door had opened before things really got bad, he knew it was likely because Oswin's Dalek was in a better state than the others, had more firepower, could really have attacked them, "Show me everything."

She nodded, closing her eyes and opening her mind again, letting him feel everything she'd felt, see everything she'd seen, and remember what she remembered, which really wasn't much. She let him see both situations, hoping he might spot something in them both that would help them.

"I don't know what it was Theta," she whispered when the memory had played out, she shook her head, tears in her eyes, "That...that's never happened before. The Vortex has taken me over at times, yes, but...I've never...destroyed something like that with so little control. I've never..." she swallowed hard, "Wanted to destroy something."

And that scared her, because she HAD. When Oswin especially had been advancing, had fired at them...she had just...she wanted to stop her, yes, but...she'd felt it rising in her, she didn't JUST want to stop the girl, she wanted to...to make sure she never attacked again. In the past, she'd turned the Daleks to stone or time-locked them but...the force of it, the power of that feeling...it was stronger than even then. And she knew that the feeling of wanting to 'stop them' now didn't mean the same thing as before.

He nodded, reaching out to stroke her face, "It'll be alright dear."

But he knew she was scared, he could feel it even now, she was utterly terrified of what this could mean, of why it was happening. They'd had many adventures in the past few decades with Ayla...but none quite as dangerous as facing down Daleks. With his promise to stick to the shadows, they really had been rather calm adventures, small ones that escalated only slightly. But Daleks...they were their worst fears come to life.

He'd seen it in her expression just now as well, seen what she was thinking. She was thinking about all the other times the Vortex had controlled her, had controlled her to the point where she had no control at all, like with the Daleks on the game station, or the Beast in the Pit. It wasn't till the Crucible that she'd gained some sort of control over it, able to realize what she was doing and control it slightly, even on Mars she'd been able to feel it happening, she'd been conscious of it, aware of what was happening. And he knew she'd made the connection between how she'd regenerated last time, absorbing a bit of Donna's humanity, enough, she'd claimed, to keep her from becoming overpowered by the Vortex.

And he knew what she feared now. That, because she'd regenerated again, maybe she'd lost that, that she'd lost Donna's humanity, and that there would come a day when the Vortex would take control of her completely.

He shook his head, that was an absolutely rubbish thought though, "The TARDIS said she chose you to have that power Nella," he reminded her, "That you had a 'human soul,' right from the start, Donna's humanity only helped you accept the powers."

"But what if it happens again, and I hurt someone," she swallowed hard, tears in her eyes, "What if I hurt Amy or Rory, or...or you. What if I hurt Kitta?"

He shook his head firmly, "That would never happen and you know it."

"I can't se..."

"You don't have to see that to know it's true," he cut in, "Whatever it is that's happening to you, Nella, we'll figure it out. I promise you," he stepped back, taking her hands, holding them up between them, swearing it to her, "We'll find out why this happened," she nodded, letting him hug her again, making her feel better. He smiled, feeling that, "Have faith," he whispered in her ear.

She smiled at that, letting out just a little laugh at it as well, it was what she'd found this new her tended to say. And yes, it would be alright, because she trusted him, she had faith in him, and she knew, he had just as much faith in her, she just had to have faith in herself, in her powers, in her control, in who she was on the inside.

But...even now...in his arms, with his words of assurance, she just...couldn't help but worry, no one before her had EVER taken in the Vortex like she had. No one had ever lasted so long with that power inside them.

It...scared her to know that...not even the Doctor really knew what was happening.

Chapter Text

Jack laughed at a joke Owen told, sitting beside Ianto on a sofa in Torchwood, when there was a banging on the Hub door. He grinned, "Must be the pizza," he remarked, getting up to get it, much to the groaning of his team who had wanted to have fish and chips for their dinner. They'd made it a tradition of sorts, to have time with each other one night a week, as friends and not Torchwood, as…family. They each got to pick one week which food to order.

He looked down at his wallet as he stood before the Hub gate, waiting for it to open, flipping through his money, he could vaguely hear the rain pouring outside when the door finally rolled to the side...and he dropped his money to the ground.

"Angie?" he gaped, seeing her standing there.

It was the last incarnation he'd seen, the one who helped saved the world from the Families and Miracle, her black hair straight and damp with rain, her blue dress sticking to her, making the bump of her stomach all the more prominent as she stood with crossed arms, soaked, in the rain.

"Jack," she looked at him, tears in her eyes before they fell completely as she sobbed.

He stepped out into the rain, taking her in his arms as her legs gave out and she sank to the ground.

"Jack?" he heard Gwen call as the others came with her, none of them ever let another go alone anymore.

"Everything alright?" Ianto asked.

"Where's the pizz..." Owen trailed off when they caught sight of the scene beyond the door, Angel curled up to Jack, weeping, clearly pregnant and heartbroken.

"Oh my God!" Tosh shouted, rushing over to Angel's side. She'd always had a soft spot for the girl since she'd saved her and Owen.

"I'll get towels," Gwen ran off.

"I'll put the kettle on," Ianto nodded, knowing a warm cup of tea would help.

"Angel what happened?" Gray tried to ask her, kneeling before her.

"Later Gray, just get her in!" Owen snapped, moving to help Jack get Angel to her feet, Tosh quickly putting her own jacket over the girl till Gwen could get there with the towels.

"Tosh," Jack looked at her, "Call the others now!"

"Right," she nodded, rushing off.

~8~

It only took an hour for Donna, Martha, Mickey, and Sarah Jane to race to Torchwood, which was something considering the distance between Cardiff and them. It was a testament to how deeply they cared for Angel that they rushed to her side. Literally. Donna was sitting beside her on a sofa, her arm around her as Sarah Jane sat on her other side, gripping her cold hand on both of hers, while Martha sat on the floor before her, holding her other hand, Mickey standing at the side of the sofa with his arms crossed angry at whatever had upset her so much. She was still damp, but with a warm blanket around her, the Torchwood team gathered as well, standing around nervously, concerned. None of them had ever seen Angel look so...dead before. Not even when she'd been dying!

"Angie..." Jack began, "What happened?"

"Is it...was it the Doctor?" Martha asked gently.

"Did something happen to him?" Donna frowned. She'd gotten a little of Angel's intuitiveness, she would have felt it, she was sure.

"It's not that," Sarah Jane shook her head, squeezing Angel's hand, "Angel..." she called, the only one of the group to know what had happened between the Doctor and Angel, "What did he do?"

"What do you mean?" Mickey looked at her, alarmed that she was implying it was something the Doctor had done. The man would sooner rip out his own hearts than ever upset Angel this way.

Sarah Jane sighed, moving to stroke Angel's hair a moment, not wanting to cause her any more pain, but knowing they needed to know, "He's forgotten her."

"What!?" Gray gaped.

"He doesn't remember we're Mates," Angel spoke, her first words since she greeted Jack.

"Jesus," Jack let out a breath, running his hand through his hair, "Angie..."

"I was going to tell him," she continued, tears pooling in her eyes, "Right to his face, really tell him...I stepped out of the TARDIS..." she blinked and the tears fell, "He was kissing River Song."

"WHAT!?" Donna demanded, the only one knowing who River was.

"No..." Martha breathed, stunned.

Sarah Jane squeezed her hand.

"I couldn't stay," Angel's voice broke, "I...I couldn't..."

They crowded around her, hugging her tightly as she wept, none of them knowing what to do.

~8~

Angel had always feared that she wasn't strong enough, Jack knew, and she'd proved her fears well founded only a few months later…when Gabriella Jones, on Earth at least, none of them knew what Angel had named the girl in Gallifreyan, had been born, 7 pounds exactly, 7th of June, at 7 pm, which they had hoped would mean a good omen for them, 7 being a lucky number.

And it was, in a way, a good omen in that the girl was the first Time Baby born since the War...

But a bad in that, with her birth, came an end to Angel's old life.

It had killed her in more ways than the small group of companions could see to have her daughter in her arms, but the Doctor not there, not knowing. They could see the pain in her eyes when she looked at her daughter, whom she couldn't even name herself she was just…quiet. Eventually, after much debate, it had been the companions who had finally come up with a name, surprisingly...Mickey Smith actually. He's suggested Gabriella, the female form of Gabriel, an angel. Angel had smiled just a hint at that, the last smile they saw of her, because only she knew that Gabriella ended in 'Ella' like her own true name did. Her 'birth certificate' said Gabriella Jones, but Jack, as he did with Angel, called her Gabby Harkness. Sarah Jane had gifted her with a small star-shaped locket, inscribed with GJ which Jack complained about jokingly.

They had hoped, so terribly hoped, that Gabby would give her peace, bring her joy like they knew children did for SO many women, give her strength. But…it had only broken her all the more. None of them understood the significance of a child to a Mate, especially of a child conceived in the last process of the Mating. They were special, they were everything to the parents, they were…love. Just love. And it hurt so much more to know her daughter was conceived in love and yet that love was half gone now.

It had been too much for her.

They'd found her passed out in the attic of Sarah Jane's, a crude helmet on her head that Martha had gasped at...recognizing it. Angel had been building her own Chameleon Arch using tech from UNIT, Torchwood, and Mr. Smith. Unfortunately, the Gallifreyan component, the fob watch, was missing. Martha realized, with horror, that there was nowhere to store the Time Lord essence, it just...disappeared. They all feared to think it had died. And then they thought of Gabriella, had she turned her baby human as well?

No.

They'd found a note with the baby girl, explaining what she'd done and why, how sorry she was to not be strong enough to stick it out. It hurt her too much to remember, so she'd changed so she could forget. But she wouldn't take her daughter's heritage from her. She'd left a small video diary, much like the Doctor had for Martha, about the basics of being Time Lord. It was like…every question that her daughter might one day have about her biology, her physiology, even her culture were answered in it. The last of Angel's true psychic abilities peeking through.

Because when Angel woke up...it wasn't the Angel anymore.

Now she was Angela Jones, the widowed Mrs. Smith, who had gone back to her maiden name of Jones, minimum-wage worker, single mother, and…completely human.

…and about to be late for work.

"Jack!" Angela called as she rushed around Sarah Jane's, slipping on her shoes at the door, "I'm going now!"

"Ok!" he called from upstairs, he and the team had relocated Torchwood back to London, wanting to be closer to Angel. They'd left Gray in charge of the old Torchwood though with Gwen and Rhys, just to keep an eye on the Rift, which had gone surprisingly calm since Angel had decided to stay on Earth, probably just a coincidence though.

"Please make sure Gabby has a snack and gets her homework done! DON'T let her watch TV till she does."

"Got it."

She smiled, laughing at her brother's replies, just a second after she had called them. He liked to joke that she was psychic, but really she thought it was the opposite, especially when he did that. He knew her so well despite being only her half-brother, they had different fathers, which explained why she was Jones and he was Harkness. But they still looked alike, she and Jack and their other brother Gray who popped in from time to time, all three of them with dark hair, black hair, and light eyes, she even had his ears!

She stumbled a bit, trying to get her last shoe on, she was so terrible with balance, always had been, a clutz that was her, just another thing on her long list of faults and shortcomings. She sighed, heading for the door, digging through her purse to lock it on her way out even as she opened it…only to stop short, seeing a floppy haired man standing on the other side, dressed in a tweed jacket, with a bowtie and braces, his hand raised to knock.

"Oh!" she jumped back a bit, "I'm sorry!"

The man just stared at her.

"Are you alright?" she asked after a moment.

But he stared more, his eyes drifting over every area of her face.

"Hello?"

"Angel..." he breathed, before lunging at her and kissing her, hard.

Her eyes widened as she managed to move back, slapping him, "JACK!" she screamed, backing away from him.

Jack, noticing the difference between a call and a scream, came bounding down the stairs, pulling Angela behind him, "What is it?" he looked around...only for his eyes to land on a man in a bowtie standing there, rubbing the side of his face.

"He tried to kiss me!" Angela gasped, startled and a little bit afraid, as she pointed at the man, "Out of nowhere!"

Jack's eyes narrowed as he stared the man down, he knew it was the Doctor, Sarah Jane had told them about the new him, what he looked like, what he dressed like, "Angie," he said, trying very hard not to let her see how angry he was becoming, "Why don't you head to work, I'll deal with him."

"But who is he?" she frowned, eyeing the man who looked utterly devastated at her words.

"Jim Smythe," Jack cut in, seeing the Doctor about to introduce himself either as the Doctor, which would mean nothing to her, or John Smith, which would devastate HER and he was NOT about to let THAT happen.

He glanced at Angela, "Angie…work?"

Angela gasped, "Oh God," she looked at her watch and ran off, "Always late..." she muttered, running out of the house, giving the Doctor a WIDE berth so he couldn't try to kiss her again.

The Doctor moved to follow her, to grab her arm, but Jack grabbed him first, yanking him back and landing a hefty punch right across the man's face, sending him falling into the corner of the archway between the foyer and sitting room.

"Ow!" the Doctor snapped, rubbing his chin, "What was THAT for?"

Jack just glared at him, "What the hell are you doing here Doctor? Didn't you cause enough damage already?!"

"Jack I came to find my Mate!" the Doctor's eyes narrowed at the man, recalling the kiss on the cheek Angel had bestowed upon him before she'd run off, "MY Mate Jack," he added with a dangerous tone in his voice.

"MY sister Doctor," Jack countered, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck rise at how the Doctor was acting, the danger he could practically feel radiating off the man, but he wouldn't back down, not after everything the man had done to Angel, "And what would YOU care? Had a sudden change of hearts?"

"That isn't any of your business!"

"The hell it isn't!" Jack roared, lashing out and punching him again.

The Doctor actually twisted this time, ending up braced against the frame of the arch, panting, more than a little shocked that Jack had hit him again. He turned, resting his back on the frame, "Feel better now?"

"Not by a long shot," Jack glared, his hands clenching into fists but he didn't try to punch the man again.

"Care to explain why you suddenly want to murder me?"

"Care to explain what the hell you're doing here?"

"I came for Angel, Jack," he said quietly, his hearts aching terribly in his chest, "I had to find her and I thought Sarah Jane might help me...but...she's HERE?"

"She's been here for 8 years Doctor," Jack panted, feeling the anger rise in him again, "Do NOT tell me you're JUST noticing she's missing NOW."

"No!" the Doctor shouted, "She said she wanted to go to Earth, see all of you, get away from the adventures for a while. I dropped her off by the Hub, I didn't know she'd come to Sarah Jane's. She wasn't there when I..."

"You went to Torchwood?" Jack stared at him.

"Yes..."

"They have a 'shoot on sight' order against you Doctor."

"What?!" he gaped.

"It's been in place the last 8 years."

The Doctor frowned, "8 years...but you said Angel's been here..."

"8 years," Jack nodded, "Yeah."

He swallowed hard, "Did...did Angel..."

Jack scoffed, "Did you get to know the new her at ALL?" the Doctor winced and he could tell…Jack knew, "As though she would ever ask someone to kill, especially to kill YOU. I was the one who gave the order, with Sarah Jane, Martha, Donna, and Mickey's blessing."

The Doctor looked startled, "They agreed?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't expect as warm a welcome as I gave you from them ," he rubbed his fist, cracking his knuckles.

"What happened Jack?" the Doctor breathed, sensing something so much more, so much worse had happened.

"No," Jack shook his head, "You don't get to ask the questions Doctor. Not till you answer some of mine."

"What do you want to know?" the Doctor sighed, desperate to get the man to talk to him, right now…Jack was all that was standing in between him and finding his Mate. He could feel every instinct inside of him telling him to shove past Jack, to knock the man back, to tear through him if need be, to get to Angel…but Jack was her brother, clearly someone still very important to her.

THAT was what was bothering him, what had happened to Angel?! How could she not know who he was? He'd worked out what happened to him, had raced to Earth to find her again…but…his hearts were breaking and all he wanted was his Mate.

Jack just turned and headed into the sitting room, plopping down on an armchair, weary, "Sit," he pointed at the sofa across from him. The Doctor sat down, his hands clasped tightly together as he hunched over. Jack eyed him, long and hard for a while, "You have no idea what it was like Doctor, to hear a knock on the door and open it and see Angel, standing there, in the rain, heartbroken, sobbing. And when she collapsed in my arms, crying her heart out…you know what I had to think Doctor? Do you know what I thought? I thought something had to happen to you. I thought you had to of died or something for her to be that sad, for her to be left alone in the rain on my doorstep, but you know what she told me? It wasn't anything like I thought had happened, it wasn't something had happened to you, it was you had done something to her," he gave the Doctor a hard look, "She told us everything. How you had forgotten her, how you started relations with some River woman, how you pretty much ignored her the entire time. She told us everything and you are so lucky right now that I made a promise to Angel not to hurt you if I ever saw you again."

He was shaking, he was felt so angry talking about the situation even though it had happened nearly 10 years ago. It was still a sore spot because every day he saw Angela and not Angel, it was just another reminder of what happened, of what had driven her to this.

"Jack what did she do?" the Doctor looked at him.

Jack just shook his head, "She couldn't do it anymore Doctor. She told us how you had forgotten her, how her companion had died and you rebooted the Universe, how you kissed River…she just…there's only so much a person can take and YOU," he nearly sneered, "You pushed her past it. So she came to us, to the people who actually gave a rat's ass about her," he shot a glare at the Doctor, taking pleasure in seeing him wince, "And we took her in. All of us tried to be there for her, me, the team, Sarah Jane, Martha and Mickey, Donna…we tried out best. Angel tried too," he added, having to clear his throat at the emotion starting to choke it, "She tried to seem happy, but we knew it wasn't real. Every day we saw her trying to force a smile for us, force happiness, and it was just too much. In the end…she couldn't bear it Doctor, to have us here with her but not you."

He looked at the Doctor once more, a hard look growing on his face, "So you tell me, Doctor, you tell me right now what the hell happened?!"

The Doctor sighed and rubbed his forehead, "There's a race of aliens Jack, called the Silence. If you look at them you can remember them but as soon as you turn your back you forget they were even there," he glanced at the man, giving him a meaningful look, "And if you're looking at them as they give you a command…you have to obey it. When you turn around it's like you can't remember who told you to do something but you know you have to do it. They trick your mind, they make you do things without you even realizing it, and…"

"And let me guess," Jack scoffed, "The Silence had something to do with you forgetting Angel."

"Yes, Jack, they actually did," the Doctor cut in, giving Jack a narrowed look which the man returned, "I found the records of when I was regenerating. I didn't want to go, I didn't want to leave Angel, so I fought it with everything I had. My eyes were open, Jack, and they were staring at the ceiling."

Jack stared at him, "There was a Silence on the ceiling?"

"Silent," the Doctor corrected, "That's what one of them are called, singular…" he winced, shaking his head, "Never mind, that's not the point, the point is…there was one inside the TARDIS as I was regenerating," he glanced at Jack to see him still just staring, disbelief evident in his eyes, "I can remember it now," he whispered, "They told me to forget Angel, forget my Mate, forget my love for her…and I did," he blinked, taking a breath, trying to keep the tears from forming in there as he was forced to admit how weak he'd been, "I'm so sorry Jack but I did. I couldn't help it. But I've tried…I've tried facing the Silence, experimented on myself, tried to make myself not listen to them when they give an order," he shook his head, "It's impossible Jack, not even I can do it. I…I don't think even Angel would be able to do it."

Jack stared at him for a long while, before sighing and rubbing his eyes, "I can't believe this."

"I know it sounds ridiculous Jack but it's real," the Doctor insisted, "You could ask my current companions. You could ask…" he cut himself off, not about to risk saying River Song to the man, not that he would ever want to anyway. He didn't want to ever have any contact with that woman ever again especially after he found out her hand and it all.

Jack let out a hollow, nearly scoffing laugh, as he looked at the Doctor, "River Song?" he guessed who the man had been about to speak of.

The Doctor took a breath, "Yes, her," he had to agree, "Trust me Jack, you don't want to talk to her."

"And why not?" Jack started to glare again, that woman had been the source of more than half of Angel's insecurities, Donna had been amply clear about how the woman had treated Angel in the Library…and if she could treat a dying woman like that, well, he already didn't like her and to find out the Doctor was getting all pally and cozy with her…it made him disgusted.

"Because if you do…I would have to be there. I would have to take you to her and if I have to do that…I will kill her Jack."

This time Jack stared at him with a bit alarm instead of derision, alarmed at the promise in the Doctor's voice, "What did she do?" he had to ask. He had rarely ever seen the Doctor angry enough to threaten THAT, so whatever River had done…it had to be…big.

The Doctor closed his eyes for a moment, struggling to speak, "Angel told you about her, didn't she?" he looked at Jack, "About the obsession she seems to have with me?"

"And about the intrigue and amusement you had with her," Jack countered, NOT about to let the man off that easily. No matter what, no matter whose fault it was that the Doctor had forgotten, it didn't matter, because the man and his actions had still HURT Angel, "About how you kept getting closer to her, despite Angel warning you against it. How you ignored your Mate to put trust in a psychopath. How…"

"Yes," the Doctor cut in, "I know, and I'm paying the price for that."

Jack's jaw tensed, he would never be done paying the price for that he knew. Not with Angel being what she was now…not with her own time being limited, "What did she do Doctor?" Jack demanded.

The Doctor looked him straight in the eyes, "She was the one who came up with plan to put the Silent in the TARDIS as I was regenerating in the first place. She was the one who told them to give that order, because she knew, she knew it would push Angel away from me."

And it had.

Angel had left the TARDIS after that adventure with the Silence. She had been quiet that whole time, hadn't even gone with Amy when she'd had to use the toilet she was just…quiet and lost in thought, Rory trying to talk to her but she was just...not there. And then after she'd just…wanted to go see Jack, just…wanted to get away from it all for a short while.

He'd always intended to go back for her…but then Amy had been taken and they'd found out that she'd been impregnated, with hers and Rory's DNA of course. Apparently she hadn't been pregnant as she thought she was during that trip. And he hadn't thought much of it, he'd run a scan that had said Amy wasn't pregnant right after. So he hadn't thought on it much…but then, he'd found a pregnancy scan in the med-bay when he'd gotten bored and was cleaning it one day. He'd run another scan and found out Amy WAS pregnant! He'd gone into a frantic state, trying to find out how she was but wasn't looking it, it had been MONTHS since the Silence and Amy was still flat.

It had all led to Demons Run

"They needed Angel to be distant from me," he murmured, without Angel there there had been no warning of what happened to Amy, none at all, "They needed a wedge to be driven between us and River was all too happy to be that wedge," he let out a breath, rubbing his head, "It was River all along. She was the mastermind behind it. She was the one who began this plot," he looked at Jack, "I don't even think she realized that, in doing so, she created herself and she gave herself the history that she had. All she could see was that it was the path that would lead her closer to me. I think she was hoping, despite knowing I would eventually remember Angel, that if she tried hard enough, if she really tried she would be able to manipulate me even more than her past selves had, and that I would never remember Angel, especially without her there. But it was impossible," he shook his head, "How could I forget her for the rest of my lives? I love her too much Jack."

Jack just gave him a hard look, feeling his jaw clenching at what he was saying, "So let me get this straight. River Song, the psychopath obsessively in love with you, put a Silent in the TARDIS as you were regenerating so that you would forget Angel and so that River could get close to you and push you further away from Angel?" he shook his head, "And by pushing Angel away, she made it so she could be created to give the order to make you forget and…I'm sorry Doctor, I don't understand."

The Doctor sighed, "Neither do I Jack, I just gave up. I'm just going with 'hate River Song,' that's all I've got."

"Yeah I'm with you on that one at least," Jack remarked, "Everyone is, even Donna."

"Donna?" the Doctor looked up.

"She was the one who actually told us about River the first time, Angel only elaborated everything that happened after," he started to mutter to himself, looking at the Doctor, "You really have NO idea the mess she made in doing what she did."

The Doctor swallowed hard, "I know Jack, I do. I've lost Angel haven't I?"

Jack could only shake his head, "We ALL did," he closed his eyes a moment, having to say it out loud only made it harder on them all to realize the full affect of it, "She made herself human Doctor."

The Doctor stared at him, his eyes wide, his mouth falling open, shaking his head, not believing it, it…it couldn't be but…it explained why he hadn't sensed her when she'd opened the door, "But…but how? How could she do it? There's no TARDIS here, how did she even have the technology? I…you would NEVER let her do that…"

"Of course we wouldn't," Jack snapped, "We tried, to be there for her, to get her back to her old self. We're not psychic Doctor, we had NO idea this was what she was planning."

"Did Martha tell you about the fob watch?" he asked, frantic, "Did you find her fob watch? You could've just opened it Jack! Why haven't you opened it?!"

"Because there IS no watch," Jack said solemnly.

The Doctor stared, "What you mean 'there's no watch'?! There HAS to be a fob watch, that's how it works! You...you...you put your Time Lord self into a fob watch and make up a human life, then you open it and you become alien again. What do you mean there's no watch!"

Jack watched as he started to get frantic but he remained quiet, watching the Time Lord panting and starting to get shouty, "It means just what I said, there is NO watch Doctor," he sighed, "We all underestimated how she felt. None of us know exactly what she knows about TARDISes. She could probably build her own TARDIS not even using a chunk of coral if she really tried."

"Jack…" the Doctor cut in, looking at him pleadingly to explain.

"She built her own Chameleon Arch Doctor," he explained, "Using technology from Mr. Smith, and UNIT, and Torchwood. We didn't even realize she was doing it till she'd used it to make herself human."

"But…you said there was no watch," the Doctor's mind raced, trying to work it out, the terrible truth of what happened.

Jack nodded, seeing the man realize the true magnitude of what it all meant, "Her essence is just…gone Doctor. There was no receptacle to put it in. We aren't even sure if she wanted to put it somewhere. We found her on the floor with this helmet on her head and there was no watch. And when she woke up…she was just Angela Smith, a widow, who went back to her maiden name of Jones," he looked at the man, "I'm sorry Doctor."

The Doctor just looked down, he really had lost her, hadn't he?

"What made you remember?" Jack asked, needing to know. The man had shown up so suddenly it was like…something had to have just happened for him to be so frantic and desperate to suddenly want to find Angel.

The Doctor was silent, which made Jack stiffen, knowing it could NOT be good.

"Doctor."

The Doctor closed his eyes, his throat tightening as though he were trying to keep bile down, "I really didn't know what happened Jack," he began, "I didn't even realize I'd forgotten Angel, I still knew her, I just…I didn't remember who she was to me."

"Doctor...what did you do?" Jack asked, a hard note in his voice seeing the man trying to distract him.

"I didn't realize…until after I had married River."

Jack was on his feet in an instant, "Don't say that to me Doctor. Don't you DARE tell me that you married another woman while Angel was still your Mate!"

"I didn't remember she was my Mate!"

"That is NO excuse!"

"I know," the Doctor cut in, "I know it's not, but it wasn't a real marriage, it was in an aborted timeline that never existed. It's null, it's void, it…"

"Still happened," Jack glared at him.

"She's NOT my wife Jack, Angel is my Mate, she will ALWAYS be my Mate," he looked at Jack desperately, unable to convey how ill and disgusted he felt with the knowledge that he'd remembered only after he'd 'married' River, after he'd gone to return Dorium's head to its resting place and the man asked him how his Mate would feel when she found out, how he'd been confused, and then Dorium laughed and told him about Angel, about her being his Mate, about River's trickery, the Headless Monks were old clients of his, had been on terms with the Silence and River for ages. He didn't want to say how the head's words had driven him to his knees in pain as the memories returned and he realized with horror what he'd done, "Jack what can I do? She can't be gone."

Jack could only shake his head, "We don't know. We've been trying to work it out for 8 years. But she's human. She's completely human. She has one heart. She grows older, she gets hurt, she gets sick…we don't know what will happen when she gets too old and she finally dies. Will the essence come back?" he looked at the Doctor, this time HE was the desperate one, "Has it ever happened before that a Time Lord completely erased their essence?"

The Doctor shook his head, "No."

Jack let out a breath and fell back into his seat, "Then Angel's going to die one day."

"Don't say that," the Doctor shook his head, tears in his eyes, feeling the finality in Jack's voice.

Jack just looked away. Angel was always meant to be the one who would be there for him, who would always be with him. It was supposed to be him and Gray and Angel, forever, the Harknesses, protecting the Universe. And now...now it was just him and Gray, forced to suffer knowing their sister, the one who was meant to be with them, would be gone in only a few decades.

Jack shook his head, "And the absolute worst part about all this…she did it to escape you. She did it to escape the pain you put on her, to not have to remember you, only it made her forget all of us too."

It had KILLED the others to realize, when Angel woke up that she only vaguely remembered them. To her, Sarah Jane was her aunt, Jack her half-brother. The others, for how important they'd been to Angel in the past…they'd been left as Donna the babysitter and Martha her doctor. Mickey had been devastated when, all he was was an old friend of Angel's.

It made a bit of sense, Jack had been her brother first, he'd been around her longer than any of them, he had been the one she'd saved first with the Vortex, the one she'd spent a year straight with on the Valiant, the one who kept popping up in her life, and Sarah Jane had been a companion to the last few Doctors, through the Doctor she'd gotten to know Sarah Jane better and, without a mother figure in her life, she'd substituted her mother for Sarah Jane.

"She didn't escape it though," Jack whispered, "She's still in pain. She still has to live every day thinking that her husband abandoned her, that he died. Do you get that Doctor? She would've rather killed you in her memories than to have to keep you alive, that's how badly you hurt her and even then she still hurts for you after everything you did to her."

"I'm so sorry Jack," he whispered.

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."

The Doctor nodded and stood, "You're right, I need to find Angel."

Jack scoffed, "You can't Doctor. Angel. Doesn't. Exist. Anymore," he punctuated each word, "Because of you."

The Doctor swallowed hard, "Then I can at least apologize to Angela for what her husband did."

Jack let out a breath, knowing there would be no reasoning with the man, "Then…before you go, there's something you should know."

"What?" the Doctor frowned, looking back at Jack, wanting to go find his Mate.

But before Jack could answer, a shout echoed from the hallway as the front door opened, "Uncle Jack!"

Jack winced and looked at his watch, cursing under his breath at that, he'd forgotten what time it was!

The Doctor, though, just turned around to see a little girl, just about 8 or 9 years old, wearing a star locket, enter the room, brown hair the shade of his last incarnation, in a braid along her shoulder, wearing a uniform for the local school, a TARDIS blue backpack on her shoulders and brilliant grey eyes. She stopped dead, spotting him, and stared at him as he felt a connection spring to life. But that was impossible…

"Gabby!" Jack jumped up and walked over to her, "Why don't you go upstairs and work on your homework."

"I did it already," Gabriella looked up at him.

"Then how about your readings for tomorrow?"

"Did that last week."

"Projects?"

"Don't have any."

"Play with K9?"

Gabriella just ignored him and turned back to the Doctor looking at him. Jack sighed, "Gabby…this is…"

The Doctor had opened his mouth to introduce himself as Jim Smythe, as Jack had introduced him to Angela, but the little girl beat him to it, shocking him in the process, "The Doctor," she said, staring at him.

Jack let out a breath, hoping she wouldn't have gotten that, "Yeah."

"My father," she continued as the Doctor's eyes widened.

Jack's mouth dropped open, "How…"

"A Time Lord can always sense another Time Lord," she said as though reciting something. She looked up at her uncle, "But you can't tell mummy, she doesn't know that she's really a Time Lady."

Jack nodded dumbly, still stunned by the girl's knowledge even after knowing her 8 years.

"Sorry," the Doctor cut in, "What?"

Jack looked at him, the man white as a ghost as he stared at the little girl, "Doctor, meet your daughter, Gabriella."

"What?!" he looked at Jack in shock.

Gabriella blinked, tugging on Jack's coat to get him to look at her, "Is he going to say 'what' again?"

"What?" the Doctor shook his head, "I mean, daughter?" his mouth was gaping open as he looked at the little girl before him. A perfect composition of his last incarnation and Angel's current one as well. And her name, Gabriella, an angel combined with Nella…perfect.

"He's not quite as quick as you said he was," Gabriella accused her uncle.

"He's just in shock Gabs," Jack patted her on the back, "Why don't you go see if that upgrade you gave K9 is working."

She shrugged, "Ok," and turned, jogging off and up the stairs.

"Daughter?" the Doctor breathed, falling down into his seat again, stunned beyond belief. Of all the things he'd expected to find when he went after Angel again, her turning herself human and him with a daughter was not it.

"Now you see why it hurt her so much to not have you here," Jack looked at him. He shook his head, glancing at his watch, "Rush hour will be starting at the diner," he told the man, "Angie will be busy," he warned, "Keep in mind, when you get back, Gabby's birthday party will be starting."

"It's her birthday?" he looked at the man, shocked that his daughter was celebrating her birthday today and he didn't even know, his mind drifted back to all the parties of hers that he'd missed, all the other important moments in her life.

Jack nodded, "Martha, Mickey, Donna, everyone will be here so you may want to make yourself scarce," he watched as the Doctor tensed at being asked to not be there for his own daughter's birthday party, one of the few he would probably ever be able to come to given that Angel…er, Angela…was now aware of him and he couldn't risk being around too often and her realizing he didn't age…she didn't seem to recognize him as her Ma…husband.

He swallowed, "I understand Jack," and turned to walk out.

"Doctor," Jack called, making him pause in the doorway, "Despite everything that's happened, I am sorry."

He nodded, "I am too."

But Jack shook his head, "No, I don't think you will ever be sorry enough," before he turned to head up the stairs, "I have to check on Gabby and make sure she's not secretly trying to read every single book in the house again. She started trying to find secret codes in the phone book last time."

The Doctor watched him go sadly, that sounded like something his child would do and now…he couldn't help but wonder what else she did that was like him too. He sighed, swallowing hard as he cast one more glance at the stairs. The girl, Gabriella, she had looked at him, called him her father, and just…walked away.

He could only pray Angel wouldn't do that too.

~8~

The Doctor had gone to the diner that Angel…Angela…worked at, heading to the counter area and sitting down, ordering a coffee and just…sat there, watching her. He was sure the head waitress behind the counter had noticed his eyes following Angel/Angela everywhere, she had commented on it more than once, but he took no notice, he was just content to watch Angel/a, working with the other people. It turned out she still retained a bit of her intuition even as a human, which didn't surprise him given how Angela Smith had been in 1913. The diner had a contest of sorts going ever since Angela started working there. The patrons were asked to write down their orders on pieces of paper and fold it up, leaving it so no one could see what the order was. If Angela could correctly guess the order then they would have to pay the whole meal but if she was wrong they would get the meal for free. According to the manager who was positively raving about it, she had never been wrong yet, not that he expected her to. From what the whispers he heard said, she had a habit of answering the phone before it rang, of opening the door in the chill or the terrible weather a moment before someone would walk in trying to shut their umbrella at the same time. She just had a gift for knowing when things were happening, something that the head cook loved to exploit but it was something that seemed to make Angela very happy, to know that she was at least special in that regard.

But he saw her, every time she did it, she had such a sad smile on…like she didn't know why she could do what she did and that…well he did notice some people whispering, saying they didn't want to take part in the contest because it was rather alarming how she knew what they wanted even when they tried to be different. They didn't like it and they found her odd and that upset him a great deal because he knew that was exactly what her time in the Academy had been like. He was sure he must've looked odd himself, sitting there all day, just sipping the same cup of coffee, not even getting a refill even as it turned cold…he just…kept watching her. He couldn't take his eyes off her.

She wasn't the most coordinated person still, had to come back numerous times for plates and cups and things, wasn't ever able to pour anything out without spilling it or catch anything that fell when she walked by, and she had tripped twice and almost spilled soup on one patron…but it seems like a quite a few of the crowd were more fond of Angela than annoyed with her. He had discussed her briefly with the head waitress, apparently all they knew about Angela Jones was that times were tough, she had never graduated from school or university, she had a daughter but no husband, and she was just…trying to work to make ends meet while still paying back the friends taking care of her.

Everyone there seemed to love when Gabriella would come by, they found the little girl absolutely adorable. He expected that as she looked more like Angela than him, just really having his hair color and he thanked the stars she didn't inherit any of his qualities.

Angela smiled as she spotted him, sitting there as he had been all day, and walked over, "How are you?" she asked him, "Is there anything I can get for you?"

He smiled, "No, I'm just drinking my…coffee," he took a sip and realized it was ice cold and rather sort of tasteless and spit it back into the cup, which made her laugh.

"Sorry, would you like me to get you another one?"

"No, no, I'm fine," he waved it off, "I was just…I was…I was…um…"

She stared at him a moment, concerned, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he finally managed to get out.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded, "I'm just...I wanted to apologize for earlier, I...I was so rude and..."

"It's alright," she cut in and he gave her an amused look, "I mean, it's not alright that you randomly kissed me, but...you seem..."

"Funny?" he attempted.

"Nice," she countered, he did seem like a nice bloke, he was apologizing for it, "I'm sorry I slapped you."

"I deserved it," he reminded her, he deserved more than just a slap.

She nodded, glancing at his cup, "I can get you another cup of coffee," before she leaned in, whispering, "On the house."

He laughed at that, reminded of Astrid, "I'm fine," he repeated, "I was probably just about to leave."

She gave him a look.

"Probably," he repeated, smiling, "I was, um, I was hoping I might accompany you back to Sarah Jane's? To make up for earlier."

She smiled at that, realizing he must be a friend of Sarah Jane's if Jack knew him and he knew Sarah, Jack would never have let him leave the house and come to her if he was a danger, "I get off in about five minutes, would you be ok waiting?"

He nodded, "I would wait forever."

She laughed at that, not knowing exactly how serious he was, and turned to head back into the kitchen to see to the last of her duties, him watching her walk away sadly.

He saw her though the hole in the wall through which could be seen the kitchen, as she headed to the head chef, handing him her tips for the day. She had amused quite a few little children, managed to calm them, quiet them, distract them, which the parents were thankful for as it meant a nice meal. She was so good with children, but then he heard whispers that it was because of Gabriella, but he knew it was just her, she was good with everyone.

"Shall we?" the Doctor asked as Angela joined him back at the door to the diner.

"Of course," she smiled, thanking him when he held the door open for her, ever the gentleman around her, and they stepped out.

They walked down the street for short while in silence before the Doctor had to say what he was thinking, wanting to know exactly what she remembered and what she thought of her human life, "I just wanted to say I'm sorry, for your loss. Jack told me about your husband and…"

"He's not dead," Angela cut in.

He nearly stopped in shock at those words, "What?"

"Gabriella's father," she continued walking, forcing him to walk as well, "He's still alive."

He blinked, shaking his head, confused, "But then why…"

"Why did I lie to my daughter?" she let out a humorless laugh, "Because I'm a horrible person." she shrugged.

"I don't believe that…"

"I did it because then…I could pretend, just for a moment, I could pretend that was the reason he wasn't still with me, with us. Because it would hurt less to imagine he CAN'T be with us rather than to know that he CHOOSES not to be."

He swallowed hard, hearing the tears in her voice, "W-what do you mean?"

She took a breath, "I loved my husband very much," she began, "I…still do," she admitted and his hearts skipped a beat, "At first no one could understand how you could love that man, he was so closed off, and intimidating and...rather insulting when he wanted to be, but…he was always kind to me, always...encouraging me and protecting me. And once you got to know him, he wouldn't shut up," she laughed, "He'd gob on and on and on. And then, one day, out of the blue…he proposed," she smiled softly, the Doctor smiling as well as he heard the human version of their relationship, his transition from 9th to 10th Doctor, "And I said yes, of course I did, and we were happy for a time," her smile started to fade, "But then he changed. He just got so distant all of a sudden, barely acknowledged me, barely looked at me," his hearts clenched painfully in his chest, "I tried everything I could think of to try and reconnect with him, even told him to his face once but he didn't listen, he didn't HEAR me," she sighed, "And…when I found out I was pregnant with Gabriella, I was terrified. I had no idea what to do, I mean, we couldn't continue on like that, not when we were about to have a child."

"What did you do?"

"He'd just finished helping people," she recalled, "He was a doctor, always rushing off at the worst times to help people. I loved him for that," she shook her head, getting back to point, "And I decided I had to tell him, sit him down and tell him what I was feeling. So, I stepped outside and…" she swallowed hard, "He was standing there…kissing another woman."

He felt sick. So sick. He knew the exact moment she was talking about, just after they'd dealt with the Silence, just before Angel had told him she wanted to leave. He hadn't even thought to ask her why, he'd just let her go, he hated himself for that. He hadn't even thought, hadn't wondered, just…so that was why she'd left, it was a good reason.

"I left," she continued almost as though reading his mind, "I couldn't bear to stay there any longer, knowing that he was with another woman, and what's truly sad about that is…I didn't even confront him," she let out a bitter laugh that sounded so foreign coming from the person he knew Angel to be, he'd really done a number on her, "Because, even then, despite all that, I just wanted him to be happy. And I realized I wasn't the one who did that any longer. Can you believe that?" she looked at him, tears in her eyes, she shook her head, "He was the one who made ME happy, and I just…walked away. I didn't even tell him about Gabby."

"W-why?" his voice trembled, he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"I was scared," she admitted, "Scared that he'd turn around and not want anything to do with us…or…that he'd want Gabriella and not me," she shook her head furiously, "I can't be separated from my daughter, I just couldn't. Not when she was quite possibly the ONLY thing I had left of the man I fell in love with."

He bowed his head, so ashamed. He was beating himself up about it all, how he could have forgotten his Mate, not realized she was carrying his child…he felt sick.

"I made my way to Aunt Sarah," she kept on as they rounded the corner, "She and Jack helped me through the pregnancy, brought me to a lovely doctor, Martha Jones, found me a brilliant babysitter named Donna Noble for days when Sarah or I would have to work and the children would be in school, and before I knew it, Gabby was here, she looked so much like him," her voice broke as tears finally fell from her eyes, he couldn't see it, but apparently she saw things in Gabriella that were from him, "And as she grew up she was just…more and more like him, it's almost unbearable at times."

"What's she like?" he whispered, dying to know about his daughter, Jack wouldn't say a word more than he had to.

"She so clever," she said, a soft, proud smile making its way onto her face, "Brilliant really, just…fantastic," she shook her head, "She's in all these advanced classes and half the time Luke's the only one who can keep up with her when she gets excited. She babbles a bit, mostly about science, just like her father. And her smile…it's just so big and contagious like him. She's always trying to help out around the house, or help the others with their homework, basically anything she can do to make things better for others she'll do. And she never complains, not even when I'm so worn from work that I just fall on the sofa, she'll just snuggle up to me and turn the telly on, or when I can't give her a new gadget she wants to experiment on because money is tight…"

He frowned, "You're struggling."

She sighed, rubbing her head, "It's difficult, being a single mother. More so when you've not any skills to make yourself useful."

"I'm sure that's not true," he was near tears now, hearing her talking like she did as she was dying and unable to sense anything.

"You don't know me very well," she countered, "I really am rather useless."

He wanted to shout at her, to shake her, to tell her he did know her and that was the farthest thing from the truth there could be. But she never gave him the chance.

"I barely passed school, I'm not very good at maths or science or anything like that. I've no marketable skills short of answering the door or phone before it rings, I'm rubbish at mechanics and too disorganized to be a secretary…" he swallowed hard, her doubt in herself had really carried over into her human form, she was brilliant at fixing the TARDIS and at history and other things, but now her human self seemed to have buried that talent, "The only good I can do is manage a dinner line till lunch is over and then wait tables at a diner. Hardly enough to get by after I pay Sarah Jane room…"

"She…"

"She doesn't charge me," she cut in, answering him once more before he actually voiced his questions, still just a hint of her there then, "But I feel wrong staying with her and not contributing anything. I've been trying to save up as much as I can, to buy a little cottage for Gabby and me, but that's still months away and…it's just…hard."

They were silent as they continued on their trek, "I miss him," Angela spoke once more after a few minutes of silence, "Still, even after all that…I miss him, and I still love him," she shook her head, "And I've no idea why I told you all that. Not even Sarah Jane or Jack know half of it."

He couldn't help but smile at the fact that, even though she didn't remember him, she still trusted him, still felt connected to him. If only he'd been like that, this whole mess could have been avoided, "I've got one of those faces I suppose," he shrugged, "People never stop blurting out things while I'm around."

She eyed him a moment before noticing they'd reached Bannerman Road, "Look, Jim," he inwardly flinched at the name, "Please, don't tell Gabby about what I've said. I…I don't want her to know…I don't want her to realize…" she trailed off.

She really wasn't sure what she didn't want her daughter to know, whether it was that she lied to her or that her father was really alive and just didn't want to be with them or…she didn't know. She just…didn't want her daughter to be hurt and she knew that's what would come of it if she found out either truth. Her daughter was so perceptive, she really tried not to let on anything around her.

She sighed, settling for, "I don't like lying to her, I've always told her to tell the truth and…"

"I understand," he nodded before zipping his lips, "I won't say word," he promised, crossing his one heart, careful to not cross the other in front of her. Not only would it look odd, but he really didn't know what would spark her memories as Angel. He had been able to remember his time as the Doctor even when John Smith, all those little thoughts and feelings and emotions that fell through the cracks.

She smiled, tiredly at him, so worn, "Thank you."

"No problem," he tried to smile back but…he couldn't muster it. Here was the woman who had regenerated so strong, so confident, so full of life, beaten down, struggling and hiding and lying just to survive with a daughter she'd had to raise on her own, knowing, in some way, that he wasn't going to be there.

She turned and led the way to Sarah Jane's house, heading to the front door and unlocking it, stepping in, sighing when she heard so many people talking in the back, that would be Gabriella's birthday party, "I'm so sorry, it's Gabby's birthday and…"

"It's alright," he nodded, "Um…would you mind if I stayed? You know, I'm um…new to the neighborhood and..."

She smiled, "Of course. Everyone should be out back, it'll be the perfect way for you to meet some of the neighbors," she turned, about to head to the back, when she looked down at her waitress uniform, "I just need to get changed of this uniform," she looked at him, "Could you please let them know I'm coming?"

He nodded, "Of course," he smiled sadly, watching as she rushed upstairs to get ready, his smile fell as she disappeared.

He rubbed his head, glancing at the back door, open to let a gentle summer breeze in, he could already hear the voices, knew who was out there, even if Jack hadn't told him. He could recognize the voices of his companions easily. He heard Donna and Martha and Mickey, everyone Jack said would be there…even a few people he wasn't sure he knew, probably their husbands, maybe even their children. He wasn't sure if they were the children of his companions or possibly friends of Gabriella, he…really didn't know anything about his daughter's life and that broke his hearts.

But he gathered his courage, knowing he would have to face them eventually, and headed to the backdoor. He stepped out as Martha was speaking to Jack, a quizzical expression on her face, while Mickey, standing beside her, had his arms crossed, glaring at the man, Donna with her hands on her hips as he told them something that clearly made them unhappy.

And when Donna spoke, he knew what it was, "You're not telling me the Doctor is here are you?!"

Jack sighed, "That's exactly what I'm saying Don."

"Well tell him to leave!" Donna shouted, stomping her foot, even more protective of her 'sister' than ever, especially given what happened to her.

"He don't deserve to be here after what he did to Angel," Mickey agreed.

"I can't tell him to leave," Jack argued.

"And why not?" Martha demanded.

The Doctor closed his eyes, hearing them all, all his past companions, all of his…family, wanting him to leave, not wanting to be there. He never ever thought it would reach this point, where even his companions would turn against him, but he could understand why. He may have been there Pilot but Angel was their family.

"Why not?" Martha repeated.

"Because Angela's the one who asked him to stay," Jack said, even though he hadn't been privy to that conversation. He knew Angela, she was so like Angel it was scary at times, and Angel would have done it, invited him to stay, and he knew Angela would too. She would've wanted to be a kind neighbor, she would've wanted to invite the new man there to meet everyone. She was just sweet like that, she always tried her best to look out for others, that was why so many people in the diner and in town loved her so much, even the ones who saw her odd for her abilities still thought she was kind and sweet.

"She really did, didn't she?" Mickey sighed.

Jack rubbed his head, "Yeah."

None of them looked remotely happy about it though.

"What we do now?" Donna asked.

Martha could only shrug, "I suppose we'll just have to put on a happy face for Gabby. She wouldn't really like us killing her father in front of her, would she?"

The Doctor winced at that, he should've expected death threats. He cleared his throat and the four of them turned around to see him standing there.

"Doctor," Martha greeted coldly, Donna didn't even say a word, Mickey just stood there with his fists clenching, looking for all the world as though he wanted nothing more than to punch the Time Lord in the face.

"I asked them not to hurt you," Jack told him.

He smiled a little, "Thank you Jack."

Jack shook his head, "Because Angela's upstairs Doctor," he rolled his eyes, as though he would care if the Time Lord was physically hurt or not. He really would have loved to tell the man to disappear entirely, to leave them alone, but he had to remind himself… "Angela wouldn't be happy at all if she came down there to see all of us fighting in the middle of Gabby's birthday party. It should be a happy day," he looked at the Doctor pointedly, "Don't you think the birth of her daughter should be the happiest day of Angel's life?"

The Doctor looked down, he knew what Jack was implying, that it was, in fact, the most heartbreaking day of her life. And he knew why. He hadn't been there, her Mate, the father of her baby, hadn't been there, he'd been off with Amy and Rory and River and…not there when she needed him. The way she talked about Gabriella, how much she was like him…to hold that little girl in er arms and see HIM with him not there…it would devastate Angel.

"I'm sorry Jack," he murmured.

"Stop saying that," Jack nearly shouted, his anger returning, "Stop saying it like you mean it."

"I DO mean it," he insisted, "I never ever meant for this to happen," he looked at them all, "You have to believe me, the last thing I would ever want is to hurt Angel. I never meant for this to happen."

"Yeah well, spaceman," Donna cut in, "Have you ever noticed that a lot of things you intend never to happen, happen, and the other way around? You intend for a fun trip and we end up being in a slavery facility!"

"Or you intend to just take me on one trip and then it just keeps turning into more," Martha reminded him.

He looked at her a bit shocked, "You mean you…you don't…you didn't want to travel with me?" his hearts broke a little bit more that Donna and Martha had seemed so eager to travel with him in the past and now seemed to regret it.

"Knowing what I do now," Martha stared coldly, "I really wish you would've just rescued me in the hospital and left me alone. Because you know what? It hurts more knowing the man turned into."

"I knew regeneration would change you," Mickey spoke up as well, "I saw how it changed Angel but I never thought it would change into this," he shook his head, "I can't even look at you."

And with that, Mickey walked off, over to Sarah Jane who was trying to keep the kids entertained though throwing concerned glances over at them, having spotted him as well. She gave him a hard look and turned back to the children.

"What's wrong with Mickey?" a voice asked behind him and he looked back to see Angela had rejoined them.

The Doctor had to smile, seeing what she was wearing. A lovely TARDIS blue summer dress, which made sense. Gabriella had been conceived in the summer and born in the summer, truly a summer child, very warm and bright and sunny, just like the personality of the summer was. It seemed Angela had still retained quite a bit of her other personality and likes, he saw she had a brownie in her hand. He would have thought he was looking at her Time Lady persona if she'd been wearing cowboy boots instead of white sandals.

But it really only served as another reminder of how much she had changed.

"I um…" the Doctor stuttered, trying to think of an excuse for why Mickey was so cross with him, but Jack cut.

"He's just annoyed I got Gabs a better gift," Jack told her, walking over to Angela's side, draping his arm around her shoulders.

"Where is she anyway?" Angela looked around, not seeing the Doctor's jaw tense at how Jack was touching her.

"She's with Sarah Jane," Martha pointed, "And K9."

The Doctor looked them, startled that they were talking about K9, an alien thing, around the girl, but she seemed perfectly fine, apparently she still new aliens existed even if she didn't know she was one. It made sense, 8 years with them, she would have noticed SOMETHING was going on.

"Is she still trying to adapt K9?" Angela asked Jack as he laughed.

"When isn't she?" Jack smirked.

"She's got a future in UNIT or Torchwood if she keeps it up," Donna laughed.

"UNIT, definitely," Martha joked.

"Torchwood," Jack countered.

"University first," Angela reminded them.

The Doctor looked a little confused by all of this, and Angela seemed to realize it.

"Oh, um…K9 is…um…"

"It's ok, Angie," Jack cut on, "Jim here used to work for UNIT."

Angela nodded, "Oh, right," she smiled at the Doctor and…his hearts just broke, seeing her smiling for the sake of being polite and not because she was smiling at HIM, "K9 is our robotic dog," she explained, "Sarah Jane got to travel in time a bit with a friend of hers. He gave her K9. Gabriella's been trying to adapt him for ages."

"She's succeeding too," Jack added, looking over at his niece, SO proud, "She's getting pretty close."

"She wouldn't let any of us help her," Angela continued, "She wants to do it herself," her smile grew fond, but also very sad, "She's so brilliant, so clever."

The Doctor frowned, seeing the sadness in her smile, and he knew she was realizing or thinking that Gabriella was so smart because he was. She didn't even realize that Gabriella was clever because she was a Time Lord, well, Time Lady. She just thought her husband was smart and so their daughter had to be smart as well. She couldn't even see how brilliant she was, how much of her had rubbed off on their daughter. That little girl, just from meeting her, he could tell she had a kindness to her, that she was just so sweet and helpful and wanted to be just like her mother. And she was she was beautiful inside and out.

Angela turned to Jack, "Were you able to get the cake?"

He nodded, "Connor dropped it off," he nodded, "Top banana with banana icing."

She laughed, "Banana's Gabby's favorite," she told the Doctor.

He watched as she looked at the cake, the sadness even more pronounced, and he knew she was thinking about him, about his last self, about how banana had been his favorite. He could see it now, she loved her daughter dearly, she did, he could see it in her eyes and in her expressions, in every move she made that she loved that little girl more than anything. But that every time she looked at her all she was reminded of…was her husband, the one that everyone thought had died, the one that she knew was still alive but had left her for another woman and it killed him to know that. Anyone looking at her could see how hard it was for her to think she was human and to raise a daughter who reminded her so much of the man who would hurt her so badly. But yet she still loved that little girl unconditionally, and that was just so Angel.

He knew, no matter what species she ever turned herself into, that would never ever change.

He looked over at Gabriella as the girl, clutching her star locket, spotted her mother and ran over, "Mummy I did it!" she cried, hugging her mother tightly.

"What did you do beautiful?" she knelt down to take her daughter's hands.

"I fixed it!"

"What did you fix?" she asked, she knew K9 wasn't quite the fastest dog and Gabriella had been trying to come up with a way to make the little bot faster, so he could keep up when people were running.

"I made him faster mummy!" she cheered, "Watch!" she turned around, "K9, come here quickly!" she called.

And, before their very eyes, K9 took off from across the yard, little flames shooting out behind his wheels as he sped towards Gabriella.

"What is it, Mistress Gabriella?" he asked in his little metallic voice.

"That's wonderful Gabs!" Jack laughed, reaching out to scoop the little girl up into his arms.

"We are so proud of you!" Donna told her.

"That is genius," Martha cheered.

The Doctor looked on sadly at the small family moment, his daughter beaming in Jack's arms. They were so supportive, they were so great with her, so…close. It was a family he'd never had and always wanted, on Gallifrey, he and his wife had been civil and he loved his children but Gabriella…she was his and Angel's child, a child he'd had with his Mate, and now…he couldn't even be a part of her life. He didn't think the others would ever let him and he wouldn't blame them for not letting him be.

He…he also knew he couldn't risk coming to see them ever again.

He really couldn't, because wherever he went, danger always followed and he would not ever put his family in danger like that. He looked on sadly, feeling tears in his eyes as he realized he could never see his family again after this. Pop in once or twice maybe but…Angela would start to realize that she grew older and he did not, that something was wrong. He might be able to play it off as though he were just like Jack and immortal, if they had even told her about Jack, but he couldn't risk it. Because he was dangerous.

That was why the Silence had come after him, that was why they had done this, because they wanted him out of the picture for the danger he brought to every place he touched down. He refused to bring that to his Mate as well, especially when she was human, when she didn't have her visions or the Vortex to protect her. He would not let any harm come to her and if that meant having to stay away…he would force himself to do it and he would have to trust Jack and all of them and their advanced technology to keep her and Gabriella safe.

He nodded to himself and turned to go…when Angela saw him leaving, "Jim," she called, heading over to him as the others glanced back, before turning to head off with Gabriella, "Do you not want to stay? We have cake, we'd be happy to share."

He just looked at her, trying to keep the tears from filling his eyes, "I'm sorry Angela, I…I forgot I…I have an appointment. I forgot till Jack mentioned UNIT. I'm sorry."

Angela nodded, believing him, "Would you like to take a piece of cake with you?"

He shook his head, "No, no, that's alright, you…enjoy it with your daughter."

She smiled, "Have a good day."

He nodded, "Thanks," and headed back into the house as Angela turned to rejoin her daughter.

He'd just made it into the house when he heard someone calling him. He turned around to see Jack rushing over, "Abandoning them again?" he asked with a glare.

The Doctor winced, "No, Jack I just…realized something."

"And what was that?" Jack crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes at the man.

"I'm dangerous," the Doctor said, a defeated note in his voice, "I know I have enemies, I have people out to get me, like the Silence. I still haven't been able to stop them completely, but it's not only them. There's the Cybermen, the Daleks," he shook his head, "They'll follow me Jack, wherever I go they will always appear at some point or another and I can't…I can't let them find Gabriella and Angel. I can't. That would destroy me Jack. I can't put them in danger."

Jack stared, watching with a hard look as the Doctor started to break down in front of him. It had to be very hard for him, to realize that, in order to keep his family safe, he could never see them again. And, as terrible as it was for him to say it, he had to go.

Jack nodded, "They don't need the danger," he agreed, "Angela she can't defend herself Doctor. We can try as hard as we can to protect her, we'd give our lives for her and Gabby, but the more danger that arises, the less chance we have of protecting them and keeping them safe," he nodded again, "The more you stay away, the safer they'll be."

"I know," the Doctor admitted brokenly. He opened his mouth to say more…when laughter hit him. He looked over at a window, recognizing Angel's laugh, and walked over, looking outside to where…she was talking to a man, smiling and laughing, the man was…blonde and blue eyed and charming probably, "Who's he?" he asked, feeling the Mating instinct rising in him, wanting him to rush out there and tear Angel away from the man…

But that wasn't Angel, that as Angela.

"Connor," Jack said, coming up behind him to see, "He's a realtor, he's been helping Angela try to get a cottage for her and Gabs. He's a good man," he looked at the Doctor, seeing the man's hearts breaking on his face, and…for a single instant, he felt sorry for the man, "But he's not her husband," he added.

The Doctor looked back at him.

Jack crossed his arms and continued to look past him, at Connor, "He asked her out, once, Angie turned him down," he shook his head, "But he's a decent man, didn't let that stop him from helping her with the cottage. He'll keep trying, she'll keep turning him down," he looked at the Doctor, "Even now, after everything, she still can't be happy, because some part of her, a part she can't remember, still loves you."

They all saw it. They'd given Connor the 'protective brother' speech…with adaptations for the 'sisters' and the man was a genuinely nice guy. They were almost…rooting for him, almost. Angela needed someone who wouldn't break her heart, but she always said no, and they knew she always would.

Because Connor wasn't the Doctor.

The Doctor took a breath, sounding like he was sniffling, as he looked back at Angela, "Protect them, please," he begged the immortal, "For me Jack."

Jack looked at him, "I will always protect them, with my life, Doctor," but he shook his head, "But it will have nothing to do with you."

The Doctor nodded, "Thank you Jack," before he turned to go.

Jack bit his lip a moment, before rolling his eyes at himself, and resigning himself to do this, "Doc," he called once more, holding out a small metal bracelet to him, "Angel wanted you to have this."

The Doctor looked down at it, taking the band to examine it, his eyes widening as he saw it was a Dampening Bracelet, "Where did you get this?!" he demanded, it was sacrilege to even possess one on Gallifrey!

"It was Angel's," Jack told him, solemn, "She took it with her when she left the TARDIS. When she turned herself human, she left a video for Gabby, for what she'd need to know to be a Time Lady. But she also had a request for us. She wasn't sure what the Mating would do with her being human, if you would live on after she died as one. She wanted me to make sure that the next time you were here, that you got that," he nodded at the bracelet, "And that you wore it Doctor. You need to wear it, because Angel would not want you to die because of her."

The Doctor stared at the bracelet sadly, "I…I can't Jack…"

"Why not?" Jack scoffed, "It's not like you can feel and hear her now anyway right?" the Doctor winced, "Look…it was Angel's dying wish, literally, that you wear it," and then he added the thing he knew would get through to the man, "For Gabby."

The Doctor looked down at the bracelet and at the window, seeing his Mate and daughter by the cake, the small party starting to sing her happy birthday, and swallowed, slipping it on before he silently turned and left the house, having to get out of there, unable to bear it any longer.

~8~

Decades had passed since the Doctor had set foot on Earth or, more so, on Bannerman Road, or in Cardiff. He only stopped there, at the Rift, to refuel and only to refuel and only for a few seconds at most. It been decades since he'd seen Angela or Gabriella. He peeked in at them, from time to time, using the TARDIS data banks, to track the lives of his girls, to protect them. He hadn't set foot on Earth in nearly 50 years…except one time.

As he stood in a cemetery, looking at a young, brunette woman who appeared to be only 21, kneeling before a gravestone that broke his hearts.

In Loving Memory
Angela Jones
Aged 84

Beloved Mother
Cherished Sister

He twisted his hand around the Dampening Bracelet he wore, still wearing it for one reason and one reason alone…the girl at the grave. She still looked 21, and he knew she always would, despite being nearly 60 herself, because that was his daughter, that was Gabriella all grown up, sitting there, staring at her mother's gravestone, her back to him.

"I'm so sorry," he breathed, he'd been silent so long, standing there stoically, not sure what he could ever say to her to make up for the pain she must be feeling at seeing her mother's tombstone, to know it had only happened because the woman was human.

"Don't be," Gabriella said after a moment, her voice flat, her words hollow, "Mum was happy, in the end, I think," she swallowed hard, thinking of her mother's life, how she and Jack and Gray had had to wear shimmers around her after a certain point so she wouldn't realize they were immortal or alien, "I hope she was, otherwise it would've been a waste, turning herself human, going through all of that, dying, leaving me alone, all because of you."

He winced at that.

"Gabriella…" he began, seeing her tense at using her name, but he didn't know what to say, besides, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

They fell silent a long while, before he spoke again, "Do you want to come with me?"

"No," she said, instantly, and his hearts dropped. Gabriella didn't even look back at him as she lifted her head and shook it slowly, "You know, mum lived her entire 'life' never having truly known you, and she was happy for it. I want to go the same way," and then she finally looked at him over her shoulder, "Never having really known you."

He swallowed hard, seeing the absolutely bitter and hateful look on his daughter's face…no, it wasn't hateful, it was resentful. She didn't hate him for Angel, he knew that. He knew she didn't hate him, because it had been Angel's decision, something that had been drilled into her over the years after he'd talked to Jack and explained what happened. It was her mother's decision to do what she did, her father had no choice in forgetting her mother, her mother just couldn't cope with the pain any longer, it was a mantra that had been said more times than she could count.

She shook her head again, turning back to the grave and reaching out to trace her mother's name, "You know, mum started out so strong. Uncle Jack told me all about her, how confident she was, how brilliant, how strong, how powerful, how she'd saved all the children of Earth once…and then you broke her. You broke something in her when you regenerated and it killed her. She turned herself human to escape you, and I don't want to suffer the same fate."

He could feel tears in his eyes at how her words broke, hearing her trying not to cry.

"I don't want to have to turn myself human or anything else just to escape the memory of you," Gabriella determined, "So I'm gonna stay here, on Earth, with my family, with my uncles, with Jack and Gray," she blinked a few times, trying to keep her tears in, "You try to be this great person but Harriet Jones was right about you. You can't always be here when you go flying across the Universe and turn your back on the people who love you and need you the most," she took a breath, wiping the back of her hand under her eyes, "And I will never ever do that. I will be here for my family, for my uncles, for my aunts, for their children, I will not abandon them. I will be there guardian angel, like mum used to be."

His hearts broke at that, but…he could understand his daughter's choice. She had spent her life with the proof of how deeply he could hurt someone he claimed to love more than anything. And she was his daughter, the second woman he loved the most…if he could harm her mother so, there was no way to promise he'd not hurt her just as badly. He tried to content himself with the knowledge that she was making a good choice, the Earth would be forever defended if she were to stay, especially if she were to help Jack and Gray with her knowledge, to help Torchwood and UNIT and Sarah Jane and watch over their children as they grew, as he knew Angel had wished she could do.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, sounding like a broken record, but that was all he could think to say, "I'm sorry she's gone. And…"

"She's not gone," Gabriella cut in quietly, so quietly he almost didn't hear her. She closed her eyes and shook her head, "God, everyone does that. Everyone. Everyone always underestimated her. Her enemies, Uncle Jack, even you," she looked back at him, "But not me."

He watched, confused as she reached up and grasped the star locket around her neck, the same one she'd had as a child, as a baby.

"Mum, was brilliant," she told him, "More brilliant than anyone could've ever guessed."

The Doctor was silent, staring at her. He knew that very well. Angel was the most wonderful and amazing woman he had ever met. He knew she was brilliant even if she had been able to see it herself.

Gabriella stood up and turned to face him, gripping the locket tighter, "Everyone thought the essence was gone," she continued, "But mum would never ever leave me like you did. She was always with me," she swallowed, looking down at the locket her mother had adapted to act like a receiver, a beacon to the essence, "In here."

The Doctor stared, wide eyed at the locket, he hadn't even sensed it, but…now that he was truly focused on it…he could feel it…he could feel the essence of a Time Lord in it. A perception filter! A high leveled one!

"Mum didn't want anyone to know that her essence still existed," Gabriella said sadly, knowing that her mother wouldn't have wanted the essence back even if they could open it, they couldn't. Her mother had made sure of it, trapped the essence in the locket. It could still be used for loads of things, like battery power to some species, but...it couldn't be opened, her mother could never be a Time Lady again, "She didn't want anyone to steal it from me. She wanted to be with me as long as I needed her," she looked at the Doctor a long while, seeing his gaze fixated on the locket, before she sighed and took the locket off, holding it up to him, dangling it before him, "Take it."

He shook his head, blinking as he looked at her, "I can't…that…that was for you, that was what Angel gave you."

"And mum was psychic," she reminded him, "She knew this would come when she turned herself human. She knew she would die eventually and she didn't want to leave either of us alone," she took a breath, "But I have my family and you have no one, except the TARDIS. But I'm sure Aunt Idris is angry with you."

He didn't bother to ask how she knew about the TARDIS or how she had used a woman, Idris's, body to talk once. Angel hadn't been there for that adventure, but it was true…the TARDIS was SO furious with him, when he'd met her on House she had slapped him and yelled at him and bit him and cried and just ignored him for the most part. The box was so angry then, she still was now, she kept ranting about what he'd done to her sister but he hadn't understood who she was talking about though he did now.

"I'll let you take it," Gabriella continued, looking at him, seeing his expression, he looked like she was offering him the whole Universe, which she was, "On one condition…" he looked at her, "You leave Earth, you leave Earth alone, and you NEVER come back."

He looked between her and the locket, already knowing what he'd pick, what he would always pick in the end, and tentatively reached out, taking it, feeling it blaze warm in his hands, nearly sagging at the familiarity of it, feeling it spread through him, it…felt like Angel.

Gabriella nodded, "It turns cold when you're in danger or when someone is trying to lie to you, when they have bad intentions. It turns warm to lead you somewhere safe or wherever you need to go. It's…"

"Just like Angel," the Doctor said, running a finger along the edges of the star, tears blurring his vision as he looked at it.

Gabriella nodded, "Then this is goodbye Doctor."

He looked at her, feeling his hearts shatter completely at how she'd called him 'Doctor' and not 'Dad,' feeling his world crumble as she merely turned and walked away, truly proving she wanted nothing to do with him.

He watched her until she disappeared, till he couldn't see her any longer, not wanting his last memory of his daughter to be her walking away from him, turning her back on him, but…he wanted to memorize everything he could about her before he lost her like he had his Mate. He looked down at the gravestone and moved to kneel before it, placing a hand to it, promising himself he'd remain, he'd live as long as necessary, to make sure he protected their daughter because, clearly she was the most important thing in Angel's world by the end of her life. And he couldn't, wouldn't, abandon her either. He wouldn't set foot on Earth again, no, but he'd watch over her always, for Angel.

And that thought alone had him bowing his head, starting to sob as it hit him, "I'm so sorry," he breathed, clutching the locket firmly in his hand as the true horror of it all hit him…

Angel was gone.

~8~

The Doctor's eyes opened and he felt stiff, like his entire body had seized up, it was tingling, frozen, like he couldn't move. He let out a breath, slowly managing to lift his hand to his face, touching his cheek to feel tears on them, he'd been crying…in his sleep it appeared.

He closed his eyes once more and placed his whole hand over them, letting out a shaky breath, that dream…hadn't been quite as violent as the one before they'd faced the Daleks again, but…just as horrifying, to think of what Angel's life might have been like if she'd left after River had kissed him, if she hadn't been a Ganger, such small details and...life changing. He shook his head, trying to breathe deep, trying to not think about it, but it kept coming back to him. He tried to calm down, but he could only feel himself grow more and more upset…

Until he felt a warmth beside him.

He looked over to see that he was in bed, Angel curled up next to him, having rolled over in her sleep and wrapped her arms around his middle, resting her head on his chest, this new her was quite the cuddler. He let out a little shaky laugh at that, closing his eyes once more and taking a breath, feeling her squeeze him in her sleep. He sniffled deeply, blinking to clear the tears away, it was a dream, it was just a dream, just a nightmare really.

Angel was there, she wasn't her last self, she was still with him, she was with him in bed, curled up to him, she still remembered him and she still loved him. He could sense their daughter in the room across the hall, sleeping away as well. His girls were there, with him, they were alive and they knew who he was and the family was alright and…

Everything had been but a terrible dream.

He tilted his head forward, his hand coming to wind around Angel's shoulders, stroking her hair a moment before he pressed a kiss to the top of it, and gently laid his arm around her, squeezing her closer, her naturally snuggling into him. His other hand come up to take one of her own resting on his chest, and held it, squeezing it firmly as he laid there, staring at the ceiling.

It was just a nightmare.

Chapter Text

The Doctor hurried towards the TARDIS, stationed in the middle of a temple in Egypt, 1334 BC, pulling Angel along by the hand, carrying Ayla in his one arm as the girls giggled at the predicament he'd gotten himself into involving one Queen Nefertiti. He had to smile though, this Angel was far more confident in herself, save those odd times when the Vortex got out of hand. He meant though, she was more confident in her relationship with him, more secure, more...sure of it. It had taken nearly 300 years but he'd finally seemed to have convinced her completely that he loved her and only her and that it wouldn't be changing ever. He knew, at first, she'd had all sorts of doubts about them, about his reasons for wanting to Mate to her and that his lapse in memory had only made it worse, but if there was one thing he was, it was determined. He'd spent 200 years building up her trust in him again, proving his love over and over. And now...where HE was disgusted and uncomfortable with other women being around them, Angel found it rather amusing.

He...was very touched to see her laughing and shaking her head when another woman made eyes at him, not that he ever really noticed their eyes, not unless they were Angel's sparkling away at him. He felt his hearts swell when she'd watch, amused, because that look on her face, it was fond and trusting, like...she knew that no matter what any woman tried, he would only ever feel anything when it was HER that did the same. And he rather thought she liked seeing him squirm just a little bit. But it really meant SO much to him to know that she was more trusting of their relationship now, that she felt less threatened by other women, especially River Song. When they tried anything, instead of looking down or away, as though expecting to see him flirt back, she just gave a small laugh, because she knew it wouldn't happen. She believed him now when he said he loved her and she truly knew he meant it. Which was why she wasn't currently threatened by Nefertiti, who had been trying to throw herself at him all day.

It was really starting to bother him, so he thought, now that the danger was over, thanks to some rather amazing help from him and his girls, it was time to take their leave.

"Bye then!" he called over his shoulder as they reached the TARDIS, "Lovely meeting you. Sorry about the mess."

Suddenly the Doctor was yanked back by the coat, Nefertiti trying to pin him to the TARDIS as Angel took Ayla from him a moment before it happened so the girl wouldn't get caught, "You think I'll let you leave without me," Nefertiti started to rub her hands along his chest, murmuring seductively, "After what we've just been through?" and then through his hair.

The Doctor squirmed, very uncomfortable with the situation. That was one thing...probably the only thing...he wasn't completely thrilled about with Angel's regeneration, she found women trying to seduce him and charm him hysterical. She had that much faith in him and his fidelity now that she just thought it was funny, despite how uncomfortable it made him…and it did, ridiculously so.

Whenever any woman but Angel gave him attention like that, his mind immediately went to the dark place of thinking on what Angel had gone through when he'd openly flirted with River Song in front of her. Granted he couldn't remember the connection they had, but how much it hurt her…she still wouldn't let him feel all of it, but he knew it had to have been bad. He could remember how he'd felt when she'd mentioned the Corsair, the flash of pain, sorrow, anger that coursed through him though he didn't know why at the time. If that was even a fraction of what Angel had felt…he'd hurt her terribly.

And...his mind kept going back to one of his more recent nightmares, a dream about Angel...if she'd left because of that bloody kiss. He couldn't reconcile it in his mind, he couldn't separate the two versions of the same event, like he knew Amy had felt when time had fallen apart at the lake. It was like he remembered two events, one where Angel stayed, where she was a Ganger and they had Ayla, which really should be all the proof he needed that THAT version was reality, and another...where Angel left, where she became human, and there was Gabriella instead. He knew one was a dream but...it felt SO real that...he couldn't make himself think it without effort. All his mind kept seeing was an Angel that had been so hurt by what he'd done that she'd gone to the extremes and he'd lost her forever, worse than mere memory loss, but death, true death.

Whenever he thought back to the kiss, for one brief moment...he felt like that second 'reality' had happened, that Angel HAD left and that River had led to his Mate's death in another way, a more permanent way. For one moment...he felt like THAT was the real world and had to physically check his wrist to see if the Dampening Bracelet was still there. It was getting worse because...slowly but surely...in his mind, River was being replaced with just...women, in general, any sort of woman that wasn't Angel.

He'd noticed that, because of that, any woman that tried anything with him made him associate their attempts with his stint with River Song and he started to feel physically ill. It was almost like his mind was trying to compensate for hurting Angel so badly by making him actually hurt when other women tried to touch him in that manner, in any sort of manner that wasn't innocent or platonic. The way he physically reacted to other women now must have been psychosomatic or something along those lines.

Their touch burned in a terrible way, like he'd been touched by fire, been scalded, pained...it was quite unlike Angel's touch, it burned him in a rather...delightful way. If other women even stood too close, he felt like he couldn't breathe, whereas he felt like he could only breathe when Angel was right beside him, preferably with his arm around her or holding her hand or touching her at the very least. If women looked at him with even a hint of lust he felt like he was ill, he could feel bile rise within him and the urge to find some sort of bin somewhere, as opposed to Angel and how a look from her could make him feel perfectly fine and right as rain even if he had been hurt or weakened. It really was starting to physically hurt for women to do that…unless the women were platonic. He found he could hug Amy, he could hug some other women, he could stand to be around them and talk with them, as long as they had no intentions of trying to take him from Angel. Those women were fine, those women were friends and...not a threat to his Mate or him.

Nefertiti was NOT one of those women.

"You've got the Egyptian people to rule, Queen Nefertiti," he tried moving away from her, wanting her to stop touching him, her hands in his hair felt like his scalp was being tugged at painfully, not at all as pleasurable as when Angel ran her hands though his hair, he LOVED it when she did that, and right now...the tingles hurt, "They'll need reassuring after that weapon-bearing, giant, alien locust attack we just stopped…"

"Rather brilliantly," Angel called, seeing him starting to frown and fidget, desperately trying to get away from Nefertiti and taking pity on him to try and distract the woman, remind her that SHE was still there. Honestly, being introduced as 'this is my Mate, the Angel, and our daughter Ayla,' should have really clued the woman in that the Doctor was NOT up for grabs.

Suddenly an old-time car horn sounded, making Nefertiti jump away and the Doctor breathe a sigh of relief, "Sorry!" and pulled out the psychic paper, "Got it set to temporal newsfeed...oh, that's interesting!" he quickly moved to Angel's side, winding his arm around her, if standing a bit behind her to ward off Nefertiti at the same time, showing her the paper.

Well, that and...he rather wanting to put his arm around her since they got there, Angel looked very tempting in her outfit. She was wearing an Egyptian themed sort of dress, almost like the foundation of a toga, like a sleeveless dress, but in two pieces. It was a top that went to just below her bust, with hieroglyphics along the neckline, and a long skirt that had the similar markings down the front of it in a long line, a thick golden belt wrapped around her waist, with a light golden cape-thing on her shoulders, with golden sandals. Her hair was down but twisted back with a metal band around it that had an eye in it, which he'd found ironic given her 'second sight.' Ayla was fashioned in a similar style, having inherited her mother's love of dressing for the times, but was wearing a full dress, one that went to her knees though, with sandals laced up to her knees and golden bracelets on her one arm, with a belt that looked just slightly like a snake wrapped around her waist. She didn't have a headband on, but her hair was freely hanging and clipped back on the sides with small metal clips that looked like suns. Ayla was adorable, her mother gorgeous...truly like an Egyptian Goddess...which might have also accounted for Nefertiti's dry and rather cold reception of Angel.

He'd managed to get her to use a bit of the Vortex to attract the locusts to a certain spot and, when they turned around all the Egyptian people were bowing to her, murmuring praises and prayers to her as though she were one of their gods. She'd flushed and stuttered and tried to tell them to get up, that she was just trying to help and...then he'd just kissed her and shout that yes, she WAS a goddess, a divine spirit sent to protect them. He was rather sure that they would be praying to her for centuries to come. Angel had just shook her head fondly at him for that and he'd shrugged, responding that he was the Lonely God, it was time she was upgraded from 'angel' to 'Goddess,' as she already was in his mind, which had earned him a very nice kiss from her.

"I can't see it, my love," she reminded him.

"What about you sweetheart?" he looked at Ayla, who squinted at the paper but frowned and shook her head, "That's alright," he dropped a kiss to her head, "My girls," he whispered, smiling at them with a soft look in his eye, "My geniuses."

"Your psychics," Angel countered, poking him lightly in the chest as reminder, despite being confident, she was still well aware that she really wasn't all that clever. One could be confident in themselves if not confident in their intelligence.

He laughed, taking her hand as it poked him and holding it, before pointing at himself, "Your thief."

"What is interesting?" Nefertiti called, having tried to get a glimpse of the paper from over his arm, getting a bit too close to him for his liking.

"Nothing!" he said quickly, jerking back, "Not at…" and then he glanced back at the paper, seeing more to the message, "Oh! Never been there, exciting!" he quickly took Angel's hand and pulled her into the TARDIS to head out…

Though Nefertiti managed to slip in just before the doors shut.

~8~

A large ship that seemed to be a mess of lines with blocks on the end moved towards Earth.

~8~

In the Military Headquarters of Earth, in the year 2367, a lovely Indian woman, Indira, was explaining the situation to the Doctor and Angel, who stood before a large screen, watching the ship, Ayla before them, Angel's arms encircled around her. Both girls were back in their usual outfits, now that it was a bit more chilly than Egypt, which had made the Doctor pout and Angel laugh.

"Craft size approximately ten million square kilometers," Indira sighed, showing them the footage of the ship heading towards the planet.

"A ship the size of Canada, coming at Earth very fast," the Doctor muttered, "Any signs of life?"

"We sent up a drone craft, it took these readings."

The Doctor knelt down to Ayla's height, putting his arm around her and pointing at the information, "Crikey Charlie," he tickled her stomach, making her giggle and squirm, "Look at that! Ooh, I know someone who'd love a look. And the Ponds!" he stood up.

"Oh course," Angel laughed at his enthusiasm, "We have to have the Ponds!"

They hadn't seen them in...years really. And this would be an interesting trip, she was sure. Despite the Doctor's promise to stick to the shadows, and he had, remarkably well given his track record, he was always so eager to take Ayla on adventures, which their daughter loved dearly. The girl was so curious and so excited to see all the wonders the Universe had in store for her. And she knew that the Doctor was very...grateful for that. Neither of them could really ever see him being 'domestic' as he had said he could do and would do if they ever decided to settle down. Ever decided being the operative words, but they both knew they wouldn't.

The 200 years with the Doctor, trying to find Ayla had done more than just renew and strengthen her trust in him and her confidence in herself, it had...made her excited to see the Universe as well. At first, starting to travel with him, she was more...going along for the ride, then going with him to see what her Mate saw, then...it sort of tapered off and she was distracted by trying to get him to remember, it was more of a fond 'what happened happened' sort of thing before he'd forgotten, both of them just taking whatever adventures came. After he'd remembered, trying to find Ayla, they saw SO many sights and planets and species...but she hadn't been able to enjoy them, especially because she had been trying to learn about the Silence in the process. All those planets and times she'd missed cherishing had come back to her, with Ayla. She actually...wanted...to go out there and see the Universe now, something she hadn't ever considered on Gallifrey despite being in charge of raising the ships that would let her do it. She wanted to see what the Universe could off with the Doctor and Ayla, as a family.

"Haven't seen them in ages," the Doctor agreed, standing and putting his arm around her waist, kissing her temple, before glancing at Nefertiti and Indira, "I'm riffing, people usually stop me when I'm riffing, or carry on without me."

"Or just enjoy the lecture," Angel added.

He beamed at her, "Yes," he looked at her softly, "You know, you're the only one who's ever loved listening to ME talk," he murmured, "Most people tell me to shut up."

"I always have, and always will, love the sound of your voice my love," she told him, a playful smile coming to her face, "Even more than you do."

He chuckled, leaning in to kiss her gently, "I will always love your eyes, and your smile, and your nose and your..." he was cut off when Angel put a finger to his lips to quiet him.

"The feeling's mutual," she whispered to him.

He grinned and grabbed her hand, kissing her finger before kissing her palm, about to kiss her again when...

"Can you communicate with this craft?" Nefertiti cut in, interrupting their moment.

The Doctor sighed, dropping his head to rest against Angel's, smiling when he heard Ayla giggling at the action, and looked over at Indira who was eyeing Nefertiti oddly, "She's with us, begrudgingly," he told the woman, whispering, "Stowaway."

"It IS a good question though," Angel commented, "Indira?"

"No," Indira shook her head, "No response on any channel in any recognized language. If it comes within 10,000 kilometers of Earth, we send up missiles."

"Oh, Indira," the Doctor's face fell, reaching out to put a hand on Ayla's shoulder, not liking that, he didn't want her to learn to respond to a treat with violence, "I liked you before you said missiles. How long till the ship gets that close?"

"Six hours, nineteen minutes," Angel answered as Indira moved to answer.

"Right," he nodded, trusting her, she was spectacular with time, "Better get a shift on then! Leave it with us. Come on then, Neffy! We're going to need help."

Ayla excitedly grabbed the Doctor's hand and pulled him to the TARDIS, "Uncle Rory!"

Angel had to laugh at that, she certainly loved her uncle Rory.

~8~

On the African Plains, in 1902, a lone hunter sat at a small campfire in the middle of the night, eating his dinner.

"More stew?" the Doctor called as he popped up in the dark, startling the man.

"Where have you been, man?!" the hunter swallowed his food, looking at the Doctor as he sat down on a log to the side of him, "Seven months! You were popping out for some liquorice for Ayla! I had two very disappointed dancers on my hands! Not that I couldn't manage. Speaking of Ayla, where is my favorite little girl?"

"Right here Riddell," Angel called as she and Ayla walked up hand-in-hand.

Ayla giggled and ran over to the man, "Uncle John!" she cheered, scrambling onto his lap as the man laughed and hugged her.

The Doctor took a moment to smile at that, Ayla's family just kept growing, didn't it? Almost every friend they came across she just won the hearts of. She'd taken the idea and notion of family even further than Angel did. While Angel tended to reserve those spots in her hearts for their companions and their families, Ayla had just...well, anyone who was a friend, anyone they tended to meet more than once really, became an Aunt or an Uncle or a Cousin. It was...very in the spirit of her age, being a child, she saw friends and family everywhere. It was like how a child could go to school and come away, within the hour, having a best friend and a group of other friends. Ayla just...made family instead of friends more often than not. And they HAD run into Riddell a few times.

They'd gone to the African Plains a while ago for a campout, made smores and things, and...in his luck...attracted a lion. Luckily for them, though unluckily for the lion, Riddell had been hunting it at the time. Having seen the family there, seen Ayla, he hadn't been able to bring himself to fire at the lion in a 'kill shot' but instead fired into the air to spook it and managed to scare it away. He'd given up quite a big game for them and Ayla had latched onto the man for 'not hurting Aslan,' she really was quite fond of lions. They'd asked her why ones and she'd said because THEY were lions. She'd said that her daddy was a big old lion, he was very intimidating when he wanted to be, but could be a big softy with his 'pride' and was very protective, the king of the stars! And her mother was a very caring lioness, very regal and graceful and very determined to protect her daughter. And she liked cats and they were big cats and asked if she could get a kitty. Which had the Doctor grimacing slightly, still not a big cat person, but Angel had just said no, gently explaining that she didn't really feel comfortable having animals around.

Which the Doctor found odd given how good she'd been with so many others, like the Krafayis and the Star Whale. She'd just said that was exactly the reason. She did love animals, but she thought they ought to be free and keeping one locked up in a house or a TARDIS or training them to do things for treats was terrible. She'd likened it to him really settling down with a house and windows and doors and carpets, which he'd understood, and so had Ayla thankfully.

"I've got something for you, my dear," Riddell turned, pulling out a 'safari hat' and dropping it on her head, a bit too big for her.

"It's too big!" Ayla laughed, trying to look at her parents from under it before pushing it back a bit.

"Riddell, listen," the Doctor said as Angel moved to sit before him on the ground, her back resting against his legs, as he absently put his hands on her shoulders, "We've found...well, something."

"No, no, no, no, no, no. I shan't fall for that again," he paused, looking down at Ayla, grinning excitedly up at him, fidgeting really, and smiled, knowing that if the girl was THAT excited, it had to be something good, "What is it?"

"Not even I know," Angel told him, surprising him, the man all too aware she was psychic when she'd ended up saving his life once, "Would you like to come with us and find out?"

He smirked.

~8~

Rory and Amy stood beside a ladder, holding it steady as Rory's father, Brian, stood on it, changing the bulb of the ceiling light, "I think it's the fitting," Brian remarked.

"Dad, it's not the fitting, it just needs a new bulb," Rory sighed.

"You're wobbling the ladder."

"I'm not!" he held up his hands.

"I don't want another loft incident."

Amy smirked up at him, "How's my side, Brian?"

"Perfect as ever, Amy," he smiled down at her.

"Thank you, Brian!" she shot Rory a victory smirk.

"I don't know what he said to you to make you marry him, but he's a lucky man."

Amy and Rory looked around as a wind began to blow around them, the sound of the TARDIS getting louder.

Rory shook his head, whispering to Amy, "Not here! Not now!"

"Did you leave the back door open?" Brian asked.

"What is he doing?!" Rory looked at her, frantic, knowing it had to be the Doctor's doing, Angel wouldn't have done this.

"I'm going to kill him!" Amy muttered as the TARDIS materialized around them, three of them appearing within it.

"Hello!" the Doctor shouted from where he was working the controls, Angel sitting in the jump seat with Ayla in her lap, her arms around the girl as they both watched on, amused, at how he'd not noticed Brian, "You weren't busy, were you? Well, even if you were, it wasn't as interesting as this probably is. Didn't want you to miss it. Now, just a quick hop," he pulled a lever and the TARDIS headed off through time and space, heading for the ship, "Everybody grab a torch!"

He grabbed one as Amy, Rory, Nefertiti, and Riddell did the same, pausing when he reached Angel and Ayla getting up, "Not you though," he kissed Angel quickly, "You glow brightly enough, wouldn't want to blind the others."

Angel smiled softly at that and gave him another kiss in return, only for him to take a moment to deepen it as he often did whenever she tried to give him just a quick peck. She wasn't sure if she just hadn't noticed before or if this body was just more aware, but the Doctor was very sweet to her, all the time. But she assumed it must have had something to do with the ease he felt now, Kovarian and the Silence thought they were dead, no one was coming after them, River was locked away, and he was working on a way to keep things as quiet as they had been, erasing himself from time, inspired by what Oswin did to the Daleks. There was still that whole fall of the Eleventh thing, but it was quite a long way off, indefinitely if they chose it to be. For once, they had no true danger lingering around. No Bad Wolf following them, no Saxon watching them, no bees disappearing, no Gates popping up, no cracks through time to worry about, no Silence lurking in the corner. For once, everything was calm and safe.

Relatively safe.

The Doctor beamed as he pulled away, taking her hand and tugging the two of them on, past Brian, who just dropped his light bulb, and out into the dark corridor of the ship.

Ayla hesitated a moment, clutching at the cloth of her father's pant leg at the darkness beyond, she really REALLY didn't like the dark. It had always been too dark with the Silence, too...bad. She didn't like it because she always felt like...they were hiding there, in the shadows, out of sight, like they were in memory. Like they were just waiting, unseen, for the chance to grab her, even though she knew her parents had taken care of that and the Silence had NO idea they were alive.

She still didn't like the dark...

But luckily, something else pulled her attention as her father flashed a light around, "Charlotte!" Ayla called, dashing over, and pulling the Doctor with her, to a spider crawling on a web in the corner.

"Spiders," he nodded, realizing Ayla was talking about the last bedtime story he'd read her, "Don't normally get spiders in space."

The others stepped out and looked around.

"Uncle Rory!" Ayla cheered, turning around and running for her uncle, she hadn't seen him standing on the other side of the ladder but she saw him now and he was FAR more exciting than any old spider. And it was her uncle Rory! He had protected her even before she'd been born! If anyone could keep her safe in the dark besides her parents, it was him!

"Ayla," he laughed, scooping her up and hugging her, "How's my special girl?"

Amy had to smile at that, he was so good with children.

"Uncle?" Brian stepped out, stopping short more so at that than the spaceship he was standing in. As far as he knew, he only had one child, Amy was an only child as well...

Before Rory could explain that it was an affectionate title, not entirely off as he did see Angel as a sister, the Doctor shouted, "Don't move!" he strode over to Brian, glaring as he stepped between him and Rory-who-was-holding-his-daughter, suspicious of the man, as he always was whenever someone new was introduced to his daughter, "D'you really think I'm that stupid I wouldn't notice? How did you get aboard? Transmat? Who sent you?!"

"Calm down my love," Angel walked over, linking her arm with his, recognizing the man from the wedding, Rory had been THRILLED she was there to introduce her to his own family, "That's Rory's father."

The Doctor turned to Rory, "Well, frankly, that's outrageous."

"What?" Rory stared at him, setting Ayla down.

"You think you can bring your dad along without asking? I'm not a taxi service, you know!"

"You materialized around us!"

"Oh," he blinked, looking at Angel, "Why didn't you warn me?" he knew she knew, he'd seen her with a small smirk on her face as she graciously let him pilot this time.

"Ayla wanted to see her granddad," she shrugged simply. She did know he'd get the landing wrong and end up with Brian, but...Ayla hadn't really met the man yet and she knew from stories SHE had told the girl that the man existed. It wasn't right that she met her Granddad Wilf and others but not Brian.

"Well," the Doctor nodded, smiling, if Ayla wanted it, "That's fine then. Hello, Brian, how are you?" he turned and shook the man's hand, recognizing him now, "Welcome, welcome!"

"Nice to see you again Brian," Angel stepped forward to hug him, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Brian just stared at her, he'd never met the girl before he was sure.

"I'm Angel," she added, seeing and sensing his confusion.

"No you're not," he frowned. He'd met that Angel girl at Rory's wedding, his best friend he'd called her, from school or something, she had black hair and grey eyes and she was...a bit younger than this woman.

"Sorry," she winced, realizing that he hadn't met her again since she'd regenerated, "New face."

"New what?"

Before she could answer, Ayla darted forward, "Granddad!" and launched herself at him, the man barely having a chance to catch her as she hugged him tightly, stunning him all the more.

"What?!" he shook his head. So, so confused, Rory didn't have a child that he was aware of!

Amy nudged Rory, "Tell him something, quick," she hissed.

"Yes, thank you," he rolled his eyes, heading over to his father, who was staring at the little girl with wide eyes, then Rory and Amy, even more confused as to whether the girl was theirs and if so, why he'd never met her.

The Doctor, on the other hand, turned around and smiled at them all, "This is the gang. I've got a gang, yes!"

Angel laughed, "Haven't had that since the Krillitanes eh?" she smiled.

"Ooh," he grimaced, "Nasty chips," before he smiled, "We should get some regular chips after this. Fish 'n' chips, how's that sound?"

"Sounds lovely, but we need to sort this out first," she reminded him.

"Right then, come on everyone!" he took her hand and they headed off down the hall, trusting Rory and Brian to bring Ayla with them, knowing Rory would protect the girl with his life if need be.

"I'm not entirely sure what's going on," Brian turned to Rory, the girl still clinging to him as he absently patted her back, unsure what else to do.

"Ayla," Rory gently pried the girl out of her 'granddad's' arms, "Why don't you go help your mummy keep your dad out of trouble."

"Ok," Ayla dashed off to Angel, taking her hand and walking on.

Rory sighed, turning to his father, "You know when Amy and I first got married and we went travelling?"

"To Thailand," Brian nodded, seeming a little relieved...and even disappointed...that the cute little girl wasn't his son's.

"More the entirety of space and time. In that police box."

Brian looked behind him at the blue box, his eyes wide.

"And Ayla," Rory continued, pulling the man's attention back, "She's Angel's daughter. You remember Angel from my wedding yeah?" he nodded, "We're really close, she's almost like a sister to me so I became Ayla's unofficial uncle, makes you her granddad."

Brian nodded along with that, following.

"Well, um, she and the Doctor are aliens, they can change their faces."

"Aliens?" Brian blinked, starting to feel overwhelmed now.

"Yeah," Rory nodded, "But one of the good ones."

Brian had just opened his mouth to ask Rory to explain it again...when a loud thudding sounded, shaking the ship. Rory grabbed his arm and they hurried to catch up to the others.

"Alright, where are we, and what is that noise?" Amy gasped, turning to the Time Lords, "And hello! Ten months!"

"Orbiting Earth," the Doctor explained, "Well, I say orbiting, more like pre-crashing on a spaceship, don't know, and hello, Pond," he hugged Amy, "Ten months? Time flies. Never really understood that phrase."

"The TARDIS," Angel said simply, making him look over at her with a confused glance, she laughed, "Time literally flying."

He chuckled at that, winding his arm around her shoulder to kiss her temple, she was so clever like that, "This is Neffy, this is Riddell," he gestured to the two others following Amy, "They're with us."

"With you?" Amy frowned, feeling a bit...hurt at the thought that... "They're with you, are they the new us? Is that why we haven't seen you?"

"No, they're just people. They're not Ponds! I thought we might need a gang."

Before he could elaborate, a grinding noise began to sound as a lift before them reached their level, "It's coming down," he commented.

"What is it?"

"No idea," the Doctor said, quickly putting a finger to Angel's mouth as she opened it to tell them what she sensed within, he wanted it to be a surprise. Ayla squealed excitedly, rushing around her mother to grip her father's hand, fidgeting, wanting to see.

The doors opened and a bright light blared through, a roaring noise sounded and two large animals were visible.

"Not possible!" Brian gasped.

"Run!" the Doctor called to the others, who took off, except for the Time Lords.

"Doctor!" Amy shouted, stopping when she saw that.

"I know!"

"Dinosaurs!" Ayla cheered, squeezing his hand, jumping up and down now, dinosaurs were SO cool!

"On a spaceship!" the Doctor agreed, squeezing her hand back as two ankylosaurus stepped out, roaring.

Angel laughed and pulled the Doctor and Ayla away, running with Amy back to the others, down the corridor, Riddell in the front with his gun out.

"In here!" Nefertiti called, leading them into a small niche to the side. The Doctor slid to a stop, putting a finger on his lips, Ayla quickly doing the same as the dinosaurs roared and stomped closer.

"I could take one of them," Riddell whispered, pulling out a knife, "Short blow, up into the throat."

"But they're dinosaurs!" Ayla frowned.

"Exactly," the Doctor nodded, "We've just found dinosaurs, in space. We need to preserve them."

"And who's going to preserve us?" Riddell hissed.

"Well I've done a fairly good job preserving him," Angel nodded at the Doctor, "And no one and nothing is going to harm my daughter," she added, making the Doctor smile, motherhood really DID become her.

He felt his hearts clench painfully though as his dream came back to him yet again, Angela was...so dedicated to her daughter, like he knew Angel was and...it hurt him now to see that. The dream had reminded him of something, Angel had given birth to Ayla, the last Angel, and...she hadn't gotten to see her daughter returned. Her last self had lost her daughter and this new person had gotten her back. It...shattered his hearts to know that the last Angel had died with only the vague hope that she might live on to find their daughter, with hope that Ayla would be found but...knowing SHE wouldn't be the one to find her, to have her daughter back in her arms once more.

He looked at them now though, at his girls, Angel standing there with her arms locked around Ayla, their typical stance, Ayla's hands clinging to Angel's arms as she tried to peek out at the dinosaurs, and he couldn't help but smile at that again. They were happy now. Angel...she'd always had a different outlook on regeneration than he did. He'd always fought against them really, not wanting to go, not wanting to give up, not wanting to admit he'd been beaten, any number of reasons. He didn't want new men to take his place and be with the people he loved, until he'd forgotten Angel and realized...that was the only way to keep her happy, to not fight against it. Angel had been sound in theory when she'd tried to work out what had happened with his amnesia, it WAS possible for his mind to change things as he regenerated, and he REFUSED to let that become a reality again, he refused to let himself ever forget her willingly.

He would be a different man, yes, but he could be content in the knowledge that Angel loved HIM, Angel loved all of him, every him. She loved them all separately and in different ways and...she wouldn't love the next him any more or any less than she did the present him or the past hims. Well, that wasn't quite true, he grew more and more in love with her with each passing moment and he knew she felt the same. But...she would be happy, and that was all that mattered to him. And she was happy now, because she didn't see it as her last self not getting their daughter back, dying with the memory that Ayla had been ripped from HER arms, she saw it as...Ayla was back, simple as that. Her last self had lost her, this self had found her, and this self and all future selves would keep her safe and know that their daughter was back with them, that they were a family again.

Amy made a hush noise that reminded him the others were still talking and whisper-hissing while his mind had drifted, though they all fell quiet now, remaining still and silent as the dinosaurs continued on, their tails swinging merrily, knocking some loose tiles off the walls as their thuds shook the floor.

"Ok, so, how?" Rory asked, "And whose ship?"

~8~

The Doctor stood on a screen, a security footage playing, intruders had been detected.

"There's so much to discover," he beamed, "Think how much wiser we'll be by the end of all this."

~8~

"Sorry," Brian shook his head, "Sorry. Are you saying dinosaurs are flying a spaceship?"

Ayla giggled at the notion, "That's silly Granddad."

"Brian, please!" the Doctor agreed, "That would be ridiculous. They're probably just passengers. Did I mention missiles?"

"Missiles?!" Brian gaped.

"Which you probably shouldn't have mentioned love," Angel told the Doctor before turning to Brian, "We didn't want to worry you."

"Anyway, six hours is a lifetime..." the Doctor tried to add, "Not literally a lifetime, that's what we're trying to avoid. And we're all really clever! Let's see what we can find out. Come on."

He took Ayla's hand and headed down the hall, spotting a room filled with vegetation, covered in spider webs, with banks of computer equipment in the back. He grinned, dashing in and pulling the webs off the screen, "Eugh!" he wiped his hand off on Brian's clothes.

"Daddy!" Ayla giggled, "That's rude."

"Sorry sweetheart," he smiled at her, tapping her nose, making her crinkle it. She most certainly was her mother's daughter.

"I'm sorry about him Brian," Angel moved over to the man, helping to take the webs off him, smiling when she saw a small spider on her hand and turned, holding it up to a higher web for it to crawl onto, "The ruder and less considerate he gets, the more excited he is."

"I'm not THAT rude!" the Doctor insisted, racing over to her and winding his arms around her waist from behind, spinning her around just as she had moved to turn back around, making her laugh.

"Brian's jacket, just a moment ago," she reminded him.

He set her down and turned her in his arms to face him, his arms locking around her, "But that was Brian," he told her, leaning in to tap his nose to her, "I'm never rude to you or Ayla."

"You shouldn't be rude to anyone," she told him, reaching up a hand to touch his cheek, "We're no different than anyone else."

"You are SO different," he whispered, looking at her softly, "You're the most important things in my life."

"And Brian is important to Rory, who's important to me," she added, not about to let him distract her with his really very sweet and remarkably distracting words.

He just chuckled, "You're not going to come up with an excuse for every single person on Earth are you?"

"I just might if you keep being rude," she laughed.

He kissed her forehead, knowing she really would come up with some sort of method to that if given enough time. She'd work out how some man working a minimum wage job in a fast food restaurant in America was Amy's cousin's best friend's roommate's dog walker's uncle's third cousin's student or something like that.

'I really would,' she warned him in his mind, 'Play nice.'

'I'm always nice,' he countered.

'Says the man on the naughty list,' she smirked.

'Well,' he had to admit she'd caught him there, 'You're nice enough for the both of us,' and, before she could counter once more, he leaned in and really kissed her, thoroughly distracting her this time.

"How many dinosaurs do you think are on here?" Amy asked with a small smile, when they pulled away, resting their foreheads to each other. She had her arms crossed as she watched them, but she wasn't annoyed or irritated. Having seen how sad Angel had been for so long...she was all too happy to give the Time Lords any sort of moment she could for them to cherish.

"3,571," Angel answered promptly, till they stared at her, "At a guess."

"Brilliant," the Doctor smiled, turning to flash the sonic on the computer, turning it on. He walked over to it, Rory, Brian, and Angel with him as Ayla wandered to nearby flowers and began to look at them, Amy keeping an eye on the girl "Oh, well done, whoever you are. Looking for engines..." the screen changed, "Thank you, computer. Look at that, different sections have different engines, but these look like the primary clusters. Where are we now, computer? We need to get down to these engines..." he touched the screen and the four of them were teleported out.

"What happened?" Nefertiti blinked at their sudden vanishing act.

"Oh, great!" Amy grumbled as Ayla giggled.

Ayla shook her head, "Daddy wandered off."

Amy rolled her eyes, "Tell me about it. He ALWAYS wanders off."

~8~

The small group looked around at the beach they were now standing up, the ocean stretched out before them under a dreary overcast sky.

"...and find out how..." the Doctor finished, trailing off as he saw where they were was not where they had been moments ago.

"What?" Rory gaped.

"We're outside," Brian mumbled, "We're on a beach."

"No, I don't think we are," Angel countered with a frown as she looked around, she couldn't help but feel like they were still in the ship.

The Doctor worked it out, "Teleport! Oh, I hate teleports. Must have activated on my voice."

"Ah, yes, well, thank you, Arthur C. Clarke!" Brian snapped, "Teleport, obviously, I mean, we're on a spaceship, with dinosaurs, why wouldn't there be a teleport? In fact why don't we just teleport now?!" and with that, he stormed off.

Angel watched him go, concerned, and turned to Rory, "Rory is he ok?"

"He hates travelling," Rory explained, "Makes him anxious. He only used to go to work at the hospital before he retired. Now he just goes to the paper shop and golf."

"What did you bring him for?" the Doctor complained.

"I didn't! Why can't you just phone ahead like any normal person?"

"Can somebody tell me where we are, now?" Brain asked, coming back over, trying to be calmer, trying to work out what exactly was going on.

The Doctor moved to stick his tongue out but Angel just put a hand over his mouth, "We're still on the ship," she told him, laughing when he grinned and kissed her palm as he pulled her and away.

A large bird flying above them suddenly screeched, making Brian look up, "Is that a kestrel?"

"I do hope so," the Doctor said, before turning to Angel, "The ship you said?" she nodded, "Why don't you teleport us back to Ayla and the others?"

She hesitated, wanting desperately to do that, really NOT liking leaving Ayla anywhere they weren't, even though she trusted Amy and Riddell to protect her, but...she glanced around, "I don't think I should," she admitted, leaning forward to speak quietly, wanting Rory to be aware of it as well, "I get the feeling we're being watched."

The Doctor nodded, growing a little more serious at that, it was best not to expose their secret weapons if someone was observing them. But he didn't like how it meant Ayla and Amy were off somewhere else and they were trapped on the beach somewhere in the ship. He had a feeling Ayla would be alright, Angel wouldn't have hesitated to get back to their daughter no matter who was watching if she felt, for even a moment, Ayla was in true danger. So that calmed him, if just for the moment, that their daughter would be ok till they could get to her.

But to get to her they had to work out where they were and where she was and what path to take, they needed a map of some kind. He trusted Angel to lead them right to Ayla, but to do that she'd have to focus on that a bit more, and he didn't want her to focus so much on that that she missed if the others or they themselves were in trouble. A map would be best, that way Angel would be undistracted.

Which, sadly, also meant he should do his best not to distract her either...oh the challenges life brought.

"The beach is humming," Rory called, having knelt down to touch the sand.

"Is it?" he felt the ground too, "Oh, yes!" before standing and brushing his hands off, "Right, well, don't just stand there, you two, dig!" he took Angel's hand and led her off, "We're going to look at rocks. Love a rock."

"Dig with what?" Rory called after him.

The Doctor just held up his hands in question but kept walking.

Brian, though, pulled a collapsible trowel from his pocket, "Ah! Well!" and got to work digging.

Rory blinked and stared at him, "Did you just have that on you?"

"Of course! What sort of a man doesn't carry a trowel? Put it on your Christmas list."

Rory sighed and squatted down, "Dad, I'm 31. I don't have a Christmas list anymore."

The Doctor spun around and threw his arms out, shouting, "I do!"

Rory gave him a thumbs-up as Angel shook her head and pulled the Doctor on. He knew that Ayla, bless that girl, didn't have a Christmas list, unlike almost every other child on the planet. He'd asked Angel once why that was, when he'd tried to think of what to get Ayla for next Christmas, Angel had just smiled and said that Ayla told them she didn't need one. She had everything she wanted, her parents, her family, the TARDIS, and that was all she needed to be happy.

He really loved that little girl, that she was so content to just be with her family for Christmas, that that was all she needed to have a happy one. And he promised himself, for as long as he was around, he'd make sure that Ayla had a very happy Christmas each time.

"There's a floor under this beach!" Brian shouted, hitting metal under the sand, pulling Rory's attention back.

~8~

The screen showed Rory rushing towards the Doctor and Angel, a man lying on a bed of a cannibalized room, watching them, "Doctor! Doctor!" Rory was shouting, "Angel!"

"Did you hear that?" the man wheezed, "Did you hear what he called him? Doctor! After all this time!" he glanced over at two dark shadows in the corner, "Bring them to me."

There was a sound of thumps as the two somethings left the room.

~8~

"Aunt Amy?" Ayla asked as she walked with Amy, Nefertiti, and Riddell down the hall, holding her aunt's hand as Amy insisted she do.

"Yes?" Amy glanced down at her.

"Where did mummy and daddy go?"

Amy sighed, "No idea, but we'll find them," she squeezed the girl's hand.

"There are clearly more than just two of those creatures," Riddell commented, looking around as he sipped something from a flask.

"Hey, put that away," Amy slapped his arm, "There are children present and I need you sober."

"It's medicinal. And I don't take orders from females."

"Then learn," Nefertiti glared at him, "Any man who speaks to me that way, I execute."

Riddell grinned, "You're very welcome to try."

"Sorry, what was your name again?" Amy turned to the queen.

"Lady of the Two Lands, wife of the Great King Amenhotep, Queen Nefertiti of Egypt."

"I'll be damned..." Riddell breathed, staring at her, wide eyed.

"Oh, my God!" Amy exclaimed, "Queen Nefertiti! I learned all about you at school. You're awesome! Big fan, high-five!" she held up her hand but Nefertiti stared at her, "Yeah, bit behind on that. You're really famous."

"Shh! Listen."

They quieted, hearing a loud, rumbling snort.

Riddell lowered his torch to show a sleeping T-Rex on the ground just in front of them.

"Ok," Amy quickly moved Ayla behind her, "At a guess, T-Rex. Not yet full size. We're in the middle of a dinosaur nest."

"That's very bad," Ayla frowned, peeking out at the dinosaur from around Amy's legs, "Mummies don't like it when you sneak up on their babies."

"Exactly," Amy murmured, eyeing the dino.

"I propose a retreat," Riddell started heading back the way they'd come...till they heard more dinosaurs, "Or perhaps forwards."

"Agreed," Amy nodded, "Just don't wake the baby."

They made their way forward, Amy scooping Ayla into her arms, the girl's legs being too small to climb over the dinosaur. They carefully moved, Riddell stepping over the neck of the T-Rex, accidently stepping on a piece of paper on the other side, making it rustle.

The T-Rex snorted in its sleep...but remained asleep.

Riddell sighed and pulled his leg over, almost falling over before he regained his balance, grinning smugly at the women. Nefertiti just shook her head at him and turned to lead the way out.

"Who are you, anyway?" Amy looked at Riddell.

"That's Uncle John," Ayla told her, still in Amy's arms.

"John Riddell," he introduced, "Big game hunter on the African Plains. I'm sure you've heard of me too."

"No," Amy shook her head.

"You clearly have some alarming gaps in your education."

"Or men who hunt defenseless creatures just don't impact on history. Face it, she's way cooler than you," Amy poked Ayla in the stomach as the girl giggled behind her hand.

"And you, Amy?" Nefertiti looked over at her, "Are you also a queen?"

Amy grinned, "Yes. Yes, I am."

"Is mummy a queen?" Ayla looked up at her.

"Queen of the Universe," Amy nodded, "Which makes YOU," she nuzzled the side of the girl's head playfully, "A princess," which made Ayla beam to hear.

Amy had to laugh at that, they had a few pictures that Angel had take of Ayla and the Doctor having tea parties, Ayla dressed as a little princess. At first she had thought it odd that Ayla would dress like that, she didn't seem the sort to want to be a princess, to be 'better than anyone else' or anything. Angel had just revealed that Ayla liked dressing up like it because...princesses could be queens, and queens could help their people more than anyone. THAT made much more sense to her given what Ayla was like, of course the daughter of the Angel would think of using the title of 'princess' to help others and not as an actual title and right.

~8~

The Doctor stood before a computer in the middle of the rocks that Angel had led him too, having pulled up the engine readings, "You were right dear," he grinned at Angel, before turning to Rory and Brian, pointing at the readings, "See! Metal floor, screens in rocks. It was just a short-range teleport. We're still on the ship."

"No," Brian frowned, "We're outside, on a beach."

"No, it's part of the ship, dad," Rory sighed.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Well, it is quite ridiculous, also brilliant," the Doctor cut in, "Ayla should really be here to see this," he looked at Angel, "We can bring her later," he determined, before turning back to the humans, "That's why the system teleported us here, I wanted the engines," he turned and opened his arms, "This is the engine room! Hydro-generators."

Brian just stared at him a moment before turning to his son, "I have literally no idea what he's saying."

"Nor do I half the time," Angel admitted, "But I did catch that bit," she looked at the Doctor, "It's a spaceship powered by water, by the waves."

The Doctor moved to put his arms over Brian and Rory's shoulders, "Fabulously impossible! Oh, think of the things we could learn from this ship if we manage to stop it being blown to pieces."

"Plus, not dying," Rory added.

"Bad news is, can't shut the wave systems down in time. Takes..." he looked up.

"Too long," Angel answered.

Rory looked at the screen again, thoughtful, "If these are the engines, there must be a control room."

"Exactly," the Doctor nodded, "That's what we need to find," he stepped past them and over to Angel, winding an arm around her waist, "Which is a good thing we have you dear."

She smiled, "Walking GPS eh?" she joked about how she always seemed to know which way to go when the occasion called for it, finding a room seemed to require less focus than finding a person, a person was always moving, a room stayed the same...for the most part.

He laughed, "Now, what do we do about the things that aren't kestrels?"

The men slowly turned to see the creatures screeching and flying closer, most certainly not birds.

Brian gaped, "Oh, my Lord. Are those pterodactyls?"

"Yes," Angel nodded.

"On any other occasion, I'd be thrilled," the Doctor admitted, actually growing serious, seeing that his Mate was standing on the beach with him, "My Mate exposed on a beach, less than thrilled."

Angel blinked, "We should go, now!" she grabbed his hand and pulled him on, Rory and Brian running with them towards the cliff face.

Chapter Text

Amy, Ayla, Nefertiti, and Riddell walked through another dark corridor, Amy and Nefertiti ahead, while Ayla walked between them and Riddell, the man frowned, seeing the little girl was tense, "What's wrong cub?" he asked her, stepping up beside her, he'd taken to calling her 'cub' in secret ever since he'd overheard her telling her parents they were lions.

Ayla looked up at him and he could see tears in her eyes, "It's dark," she whispered.

He stopped, glancing at Amy and Nefertiti as they walked on, slow enough where he knew he could easily catch up with them, and knelt down before the girl, taking her hands, "Are you, my brave girl, frightened of the dark?"

She nodded, sniffling, squeezing his hands and he could feel her shaking a little, "I don't like it," she told him, "You can't see what's hiding in the dark."

He gave her a fond smiled, "Well, then it's a good thing your Uncle John is here eh?" he gave her a charming grin, wiggling her hands a bit, "I've faced scarier things than the dark," he leaned in to whisper, "Like your mum."

Ayla gave a small laugh, "Mummy isn't scary."

He whistled, "Not to YOU, she terrifies me though."

And she did, even though she hadn't done anything to make him scared. But he saw it often enough in the animals he hunted, especially the females, especially the ones with young, they were...fearsome creatures. Mothers in general were...utterly the most terrifying beings in the Universe. They were so paradoxical. They were the kindest, most loving women ever, caring for their young, raising them, cherishing them...but threaten their young...and they transformed into the most frightening figures ever. He...hadn't seen it in Angel, he doubted the woman could ever truly be frightening, she really was kind and she'd faced quite a few scares when he'd been around them, and never got to that point. But...he knew it was there, the potential. He'd learned that, often, the most docile and tender mothers were the ones to stay far away from when they were defending their offspring.

"Why?" Ayla frowned, not liking the idea of someone being scared of her mummy, her FATHER though...she knew a lot of people were scared of him. She didn't know why, he was silly.

"Because she loves you very much," he told her, "Like your dad. And...like me," he nodded, "I love you too cub," he smiled again, "And that's why you've got nothing to worry about, 'cos me, and everyone else who loves you, like Ginger over there," he jerked his head towards Amy and Nefertiti now a short distance away, "Will always protect you."

Ayla looked at him, "You won't let the shadows get me?"

"Not a single one," he promised, giving her a wink, "Now," he reached out and scooped her into his one arm, his gun held firmly in his other hand, smiling as he heard her squeal and giggle at the sudden move, knowing she'd feel better being carried and in someone's arms in the dark hallways, "Now you get to see how strong your Uncle John is!" he cheered, bouncing her in his arm a moment, seeing her smile, before he headed off after the girls.

~8~

"Where?" Brian shouted to the Time Lords as he followed them across the beach, he had no idea where they were headed but Rory and the Doctor had just taken off after Angel, following the girl as though she knew where she was going.

"Definitely away from them!" the Doctor called over his shoulder.

"That's the plan?!" Rory scoffed.

"That's the plan!" he agreed, "Amendments welcome! Move away from the pterodactyls!"

Rory glanced over his shoulder to see the pterodactyls seemed to have started to circle them and were getting closer, screeching as they started to head right for them, "I think they might be noticing!"

"Amended plan, run!" the Doctor squeezed Angel's hand, rushing ahead to take the lead, needing to get her out of there.

He could feel his hearts pounding, his mind frantically racing to try and find somewhere safe to get them. It was almost worse than the Mating instinct when he was separated from her and she was in danger, because then he'd simply imagine so many terrible things that might be happening to her. But now...now he could SEE it, now he was aware, and now he had the chance to prove himself and protect her, get her out of there. And, after the dreams he'd been having, he'd vowed to never ever let anything hurt Angel again, not that he hadn't already promised and been determined to keep it, he just...he had to get her out!

"Can't we just teleport or something?" Rory called as they ran faster.

"No, local teleport's burned out on arrival."

"What about Angel?"

"It's not safe," she told him, before looking over at the cliff face, pointing, "There!" she shouted, "Go there!"

The Doctor looked over, able to make out an opening in the cliffs, "Brilliant!" he cheered, managing to tug her closer to kiss her hand as they ran.

Rory looked back to see his father lagging, "Come on, run!"

"I'm trying!" Brian strained, he wasn't exactly used to running so much, he hadn't in ages. He preferred leisurely paces and taking his time.

They had just reached the rocks around the cave when one of the pterodactyls dove for Rory, only for the man to be pulled forward by Angel, who had sensed the attack, right into the cave with the others.

Rory panted, leaning against the wall, all of them trying to catch their breath after that run, even the Time Lords...though it seemed they'd have a bit more breath to need to catch as the Doctor was currently kissing Angel off to the side, probably in thanks or joy that they were all ok again. He didn't know and frankly, he didn't care, he just smiled seeing Angel pull away with a light blush and a wide, utterly happy grin as she looked at the Doctor. He hadn't seen her be that truly happy till very recently, well, recently for HIM at least, Angel had called him periodically as she travelled, apparently a decade or two had gone by for the Time Lords where it had only been months for them. But still, she was happy and that really meant the world to him.

He'd always felt close to Angel, more than the Doctor, and that was expected, she was like him when they'd first met, quiet, shy, trying to do good, feeling not quite...adequate compared to their significant other. Both had had other people threatening their relationship with said other, even if the Doctor hadn't actively been as threatening as River was. Both had bonded, she'd talked to him, shared secrets with him, taught him so much and just...had the most unshakable faith in him that it just touched him. He'd never had siblings and he imagined, if he did, he'd really want a sister like Angel, he'd always felt SO protective of her, finding out that the Doctor was the cause of her past sadness has eaten him up inside, made him very angry with the Time Lord for not noticing, and he'd truly hurt for Angel to see her so sad.

But not anymore, because Angel was happy again. She really was, she was happy and laughing and smiling and she just...exuded joy. Granted, he hadn't met the Angel from before the Doctor forgot her, according to Jack there had been an obvious difference between that Angel and the one who came to help Torchwood with the Miracle, ALL of them had been able to tell something was wrong. And even though he hadn't met that Angel, he KNEW, he just knew that this Angel, the way she was, how happy she was, was the Angel she was always meant to be. And to know that the Doctor was making her even more happy than he'd made her sad, tenfold really, it just...it made up for it in his mind. He'd always be a little...mistrustful of the Doctor when it came to Angel's hearts, he'd broken them once already, a 'fool me once, shame on you' sort of thing, but...he felt he could honestly say the man had come a LONG way in gaining back the trust he'd told the man he'd lost before Berlin. Because he could see it, Angel was genuinely happy now, with the Doctor and her daughter and the TARDIS and her family, just...with her life, and that meant so much to him to see.

"Are you alright?" Brian looked at his son, cutting off his thoughts, reminding him of the danger they'd just escaped.

Rory nodded and smiled, "Yeah, I'm fine, Angel's here after all," he winked at Angel who smiled in return as she turned to them, the Doctor winding his arm around her shoulders, her leaning into his embrace, "She takes care of all of us you know."

"Thanks Rory," Angel smiled at him.

Rory shrugged and turned to the Doctor, "What do we do now? There's no way back out there."

"Through the cave, come on," the Doctor nodded, heading into the caves, about to turn left.

"This way my love," Angel took his hand and pulled him to the right.

"Ah, yes," he entwined their fingers, "Thanks dear," and kissed her temple as she led them on, only for a thumping noise to sound before them, "That suggestion…" he glanced back at the men, "Was a work in progress."

"We're trapped!" Brian exclaimed, realizing that the thumping was likely a dinosaur heading for them, about to corner them.

"Yes, thanks for spelling it out."

"Doctor, Angel, whatever's down there is coming this way," Rory frowned.

The Doctor shook his head, "Spelling it out is hereditary, wonderful!"

Angel just smiled and tugged on his bowtie, "As is a love of bowties, it seems."

He had to smile at that, Ayla was rather fond of her bowtie necklace, she'd even started to use little bowties as hair bows for her pigtails. He really loved that about his daughter, that she had cherished a gift he'd given her so much that, even now, she still enjoyed them. She really thought bowties were cool, which meant, in his mind, that she thought HE was cool. And that...felt magnificent.

He blinked a moment, something Angel had said during one of their earlier adventures, all the way back when he'd first found her...when Rose had tried to save her father, at that wedding, that Sarah woman. Sarah had remarked that they didn't know what the baby was, boy or girl, and Angel...his mouth dropped open. She'd said to buy a bow, and HE'D asked bowtie or hair bow, and she'd just asked if it mattered. Ayla wore bowties AS hair bows. He blinked and looked at Angel, stunned, had she known, even back then that they'd have a daughter?! No, no, that...that was truly impossible. Wasn't it?

It was, yes, it was...just a coincidence yes.

Right?

"That sound's getting nearer!" Brian called again.

The Time Lords looked over to see two large yellow robots appear before them, "We're very cross with you!" one of the robots pointed at them.

'Dear?' the Doctor looked at Angel, a bit confused as to why she'd led them towards the robots.

'They would have tracked us down,' she explained, 'I'd rather them find US than our daughter.'

He nodded, squeezing her hand, that...made perfect sense.

~8~

Amy, Nefertiti, and Riddell, with Ayla still in his arms, stepped into another vegetated room, a computer bank in the center of it.

"Bit of weed killer wouldn't go amiss in here," Amy remarked as Ayla tilted her head at the computer and squirmed a little till Riddell set her down, Amy watching as the girl made her way to the computer.

"Whoever was running this vessel left in a hurry," Riddell remarked, glancing around the room as Amy followed Ayla.

"Maybe a plague came and took them," Nefertiti suggested.

"No," he shook his head, "There'd be corpses and bones."

"Unless the animals ate them."

"Whoa," Amy covered Ayla's ears gently even as the girl kept staring at the monitor, looking back over her shoulder at them, "Chuckle Brothers, lighten up, would ya?" she nodded down at the girl, silently telling them not to say things like that around her, giving them a look that they knew meant 'if the Doctor and Angel find out...' to which they nodded, agreeing to keep it down. She nodded, pleased, and pulled her hands away to rest them on the girl's shoulders.

Ayla pushed a button and the machine hummed to life, the lights coming on around the room as well.

"How did you know how to do that?" Nefertiti eyed the child.

"Mummy says my feelings are getting stronger," Ayla nodded, pushing another 'random' button, "That I should trust them more."

Amy smiled, running a hand absently down Ayla's hair, "Your mummy's very smart."

Ayla beamed up at her, "That's what daddy says all the time," she turned back to the computer, picking up a small sphere that was sitting beside it and placing it in a tray, pushing it in as an image appeared, greatly staticed, but the audio playing.

"One hundred and seventeen years..." a man was saying.

"Data records," Amy guessed.

"Ship's owners?" Riddell asked.

"Could be. Come on, help us out..." she reached out to hit a few keys, helping Ayla.

"...will remain cryogenic..." the voice continued, Riddell turning around, hearing a low roar, "...space sleep...I will continue to work..."

"How about a picture?" Amy paused, leaning down to put her chin on Ayla's little shoulder, knowing the girl would probably find it faster than she could and that, one wrong move and she might end up erasing the footage, "Come on beautiful, find it for me?"

Ayla giggled and reached out to push a button, hesitating before hitting the one beside it.

"...far beyond our mapping..." the voice said as the picture slowly came into focus.

"That's my special girl," Amy cheered, tickling Ayla's stomach as the girl giggled.

"Look!" Nefertiti breathed, pointing at the screen, "It's beautiful."

A Silurian elder appeared, "I can't tell how far we have come. Far enough to avoid the destructive impact forecast for our planet. Far enough for me to feel a profound sense of loss..."

"What is that?" Riddell grimaced.

"It's a Silurian," Ayla told him, "Or Homo Reptilia, or..."

Amy gently put her hand on Ayla's mouth, hearing the tell-tale signs of a 'Doctor lecture' coming on, apparently the girl had met Vastra and the Doctor and the lizard woman had told her all about the mighty Silurian race. Ayla, for being much like Angel in her consideration, was just as bad as the Doctor when a topic she knew a lot about was brought up. She'd once sat through the girl talking for 3 and a half hours about how 'time wasn't a straight progression of cause to effect' and something about wiggling balls of things.

~8~

The Doctor, his arm around Angel, was led down the corridor, walking ahead of the robots, Rory and Brian behind them, the robots in the back of them, their weapons aimed to keep them moving.

"You're going straight on the naughty step!" one of the robots stated.

"What's the escape plan?" Brian whispered out of the side of his mouth.

"Why do we want to escape?" the Doctor glanced back at them. Really, the longer they kept the robots and whoever sent them distracted, the safer Ayla would be. If they escaped now, he knew Angel was right, the robots would follow them right to Ayla and he would NOT have that.

"They have us hostage!"

Rory sighed, having already worked it out by the fact that Angel hadn't used the Vortex on the robots just yet, "They're taking us somewhere. We might learn from it."

"Oh, you see?" the Doctor beamed, pinching Rory's cheek, "So clever. I missed you, Rory!"

"We both have," Angel agreed, stepping away from the Doctor to link her arm with Rory's, making the Doctor pout at the action.

"Don't do that," Rory told the Doctor, though unable to hide his smile.

It still made him feel so happy when Angel said things like that, when she'd walk with him or talk with him. He knew the woman had an awful lot on her mind, the Doctor and her daughter's safety, River's hostility, the Silence should they learn the truth, what she'd done to the Daleks, but to see that she still cared enough to take the time to just 'hang with him' meant a lot. The fact that she'd pick walking beside him over holding hand with the Doctor at times meant even more. It meant that, despite having a family of her own, a true family instead of 'the family' as they'd taken to calling themselves, with the Doctor and Ayla, despite being with them for decades, she still thought he was important to her. And that was brilliant, to know that he wouldn't ever be 'replaced,' not as a companion, not as family. Like Mickey, he'd have a special place in her hearts and, even when she eventually took a new companion, he knew she'd talk about him (and Mickey) often and fondly.

He had to admit he was...hesitant when he and Amy had talked, really and truly talked after the Asylum, discussed their lives and their future and...children. Amy really was truly scared of the Doctor's enemies trying to take another 'child' of hers, he still couldn't call River his child, she was his...daughter, in the most literal sense of the term, biologically his daughter, and that was as far as he could bring himself to call her. She wasn't his child, his little girl, his...anything. But he really did want children, he'd always had, Amy knew that.

And that's why it was so hard.

In order to get Amy to attempt having children...she needed to feel safe, she needed to have a life like the other companions had built, on Earth. It put him in a very difficult position because...Amy was his wife, and he wanted her to feel safe and secure and happy, and he wanted children desperately, spending so much time with Ayla had just reaffirmed how much he did want a little girl or boy of his own, one he could really raise, hold as a baby, read stories to, raise properly. But, at the same time, he knew that it would mean...giving up the Time Lords and the TARDIS and everything...to build a life on Earth they couldn't keep disappearing for months on end with the Doctor's piloting.

He...was a bit suspicious that Angel might be aware of it or sense it at least, their confliction with wanting a life and a child...and not wanting to give up the life they had in the TARDIS. Earth life would mean...not seeing the Time Lords as often, like with the other companions, seeing them only on holidays some years. It meant not being able to spend time with Ayla and see her grow up, but also meant that he'd be able to watch is own child growing. He and Amy were so...it was such a hard choice because they wanted both, but they knew they'd have to choose. It was why he was suspicious of Angel, because...it felt like she and the Doctor were weaning them off of the TARDIS life, the gaps were further and farther between adventures. Yeah, they popped in here and there but the real adventures, like this one, didn't happen as frequently. It had been 10 months this last go of only having a phone call here and there.

It was like the Time Lords knew that they'd want to settle down, escape the danger in order to start a family and were trying to make it easier...but sometimes, easy couldn't be found and it was just...hard.

"What if they kill us?" Brian fussed.

"They won't Brian," Angel looked at him, "Trust me."

"How do you know?!" he continued, growing frantic.

"Because they wouldn't do that!" the Doctor agreed, turning to one of the robots and slapping his chest, not quite sure how Brian would react to finding out Angel was psychic on top of alien, "You're not going to kill us, are you, Rusty?"

"Who are you calling Rusty?!" it demanded.

"Have you seen yourself lately?"

"You try being on this ship for two millennia, see how YOUR paintwork does!"

"Halfway there and you look...fantastic," Angel whispered to him, smiling as she move to his side again, taking his hand as she rested her chin on his shoulder, "Possibly more foxy than before," she added with a wink and a mischievous smile.

"And you," he turned his head to rub his nose to hers, "Just look more and more gorgeous every day."

"Don't listen to him," the other robot turned to its partner, ignorant of the little Time Lord moment, "He's just being mean 'cos we captured them."

Brian looked around as the robots continued to bicker, his eyes widening, "Oh, my goodness..."

Rory turned around, "Whoa."

The Doctor smiled, seeing what they had, a triceratops moving around a corner towards them, "Ooh. Herbivore, Brian, don't panic. Triceratops. Ha! Beautiful."

"Hello my lovely," Angel knelt down as the dinosaur ambled right over to her. She laughed, petting it lightly as it snorted into her hand, clearly very happy with the attention.

"Shall I shoot it?" one of the robots wondered.

"We're not supposed to shoot the creatures, stupid!" the other countered.

"Stop calling me stupid!"

"'Rargh' yourself!" the Doctor moved to pet the dinosaur, but it roared at him, making Angel laugh.

"Be nice, please," Angel continued to pet it, laughing a bit at how the dinosaur made little growls when the men tried to pet it. She laughed as it reached out and licked her all over the face, "Oh stop it you," she smiled, standing up, trying to wipe her face off.

The triceratops stared at her a moment as though waiting for her to pet it again, before turning to Brian and moving closer.

"What do I do?!" he gasped, "What do I do?!" he looked down in horror as the dinosaur started to sniff him, "What's it doing?!"

"It can smell the grass on the golf balls in your pockets," Angel explained.

Brian stared at her, "How'd you know I have golf balls on me?"

"Oh, um," Rory smiled, a bit embarrassed he'd forgotten to mention that particular detail about Angel, "Angel's sort of psychic."

"What, really?" Brian looked at her.

"What're you carrying those around for?" Rory shook his head, thinking that might be a more important question.

The triceratops just licked Brian's face as it did Angel, "Urgh! Eurgh! Argh!"

"Aww," Angel smiled.

"Bless," the Doctor laughed, thinking, perhaps, they ought to get Ayla a dinosaur...

'No,' Angel cut in, making him pout till she kissed his cheek.

"Get it away from me!" Brian cried.

"May I have one Brian?" Angel held out her hand and he gave her a golf ball, "Come here," she waved it before the triceratops, pulling its attention away before tossing it down the hall, "Fetch!"

The triceratops quickly dashed down the hall after it.

The Doctor patted Brian on the back, "And breathe out," he turned to the robots, "Right! Take us to your leader."

"Really?" Rory gave him a look.

"Too good to resist," he grinned, clapping his hands before reaching out to take Angel's hand, walking off with her.

'You really shouldn't do that,' Angel remarked as they walked on.

'Do what?' he glanced at her.

'Ask to be taken to their leader, what if they want to meet YOUR leader instead? What would you do then?'

'Well then I'd introduce them to you,' he said simply and she gave him a look, 'I'd follow you anywhere Nella, you lead, I'll follow, always.'

She smiled softly at that, 'So I'm the boss then?'

'Yes, yes you are,' he winked at her, 'The boss, the president, the queen...'

His thoughts were cut off rather spectacularly as Angel leaned over and kissed him gently, neither of them noticing Rory shaking his head fondly behind them as his father looked on, confused, only Rory seeming to understand that a silent conversation had to have happened.

~8~

"Of the 50 species loaded," the Silurian Elder continued as the small group watched on, "Only one has had any difficulty in surviving. All the others are thriving and we expect them to be able to repopulate."

"We're on an ark," Amy realized, "A Silurian ark."

"Lizard people herding dinosaurs on to a space ark?!" Riddell scoffed, "Absolute tommy-rot."

"Only an idiot denies the evidence of their own eyes," Nefertiti glared at him.

"Egyptian queen or not, I shall put you across my knee and spank you."

"Oh, Lord," Amy sighed, moving to cover Ayla's ears again, knowing that the two would probably start flirting and using innuendo that the girl really didn't need to hear. She knew Ayla was likely 50 or something by now, she honestly didn't know, but she still looked like a little girl and she still acted and thought like one.

"Try and I'll snap your neck in a heartbeat," Nefertiti's glare intensified.

Amy nodded to herself, yes, Ayla did NOT need to hear that.

"Mmm," Riddell smirked, eyeing Nefertiti appreciatively, "Well, they certainly bred firecrackers in your time."

"Aw, no, no, no," Amy taking her hands off of Ayla to plead with them, "Please, don't start flirting. I will not have flirting companions!"

Ayla giggled at that, "That's what daddy says about you and Uncle Rory."

Amy raised an eyebrow, "Oh does he?"

Ayla just nodded as Amy crossed her arms. with a small harrumph.

"If the Doctor trusts Amy, so do I," Nefertiti turned to Riddell, "Stop doubting her."

"If this ship was built by..." Riddell trailed.

"Silurians," both Amy and Ayla said.

"Where are they?"

Amy blinked, "Surprisingly good question," she turned to the computer, "Display life signs for Homo Reptilia…" she frowned when 'No Life Signs Detected' came up, "But where have they gone?"

"Perhaps they found another world, left the ship," Nefertiti suggested.

"Why are the dinosaurs still onboard?" Amy countered, "And why is the ship coming back to Earth? It doesn't make sense. What's changed between then and now?"

"Aunt Amy?" Ayla asked quietly, tugging on the hem of Amy's shirt, which was quite similar to the shirt her mother wore, except her mother's was more like a poncho thing than a jumper.

Amy looked down at her, recognizing that tone, that hesitant tone she often heard with Angel when the girl was getting a bad feeling of something, "What's wrong Ayla?" she knelt down before the girl, holding her hands.

Ayla bit her lip, much like her mother's last self often did, "The bad man sent them away."

"What bad man?" Amy stiffened, but Ayla could only shake her head, not sure. Amy nodded, realizing it was a 'feeling' and glanced at Riddell who stepped up, putting a hand on Ayla's shoulder to offer the girl comfort and a sense of protection, she'd seen him comforting Ayla in the hall before. She stood and turned to the computer, "Computer, show me the ship at launch with all life signals. Now show me the ship today with all life signals. Thousands less," she murmured, and if the 'bad man' had done that, been responsible for the Silurians disappearing...if the dinosaurs were still there, maybe he was too, which meant she had to find him and warn the others, "Show me both images, then and now, side by side."

"What are you looking for?" Riddell looked at the image of the ship, little white dots scattered around for life signs, him and Ayla creeping closer to look at it.

"Ok, two images, spot the difference. What changed? Where's the bad man hiding?"

"There!" Ayla pointed to the center of the ship.

"Computer, zoom in to the center," it zoomed in to show a small rectangular image in the middle of the ship's matrix, "Oh, no…"

"What is it?" Riddell frowned.

"Another spacecraft. Ayla's right, the 'bad man' boarded this ship...and he's still here."

Riddell's grip on Ayla tightened comfortingly as the girl shrunk back against him slightly at that realization.

~8~

The robots led the group to another ship attached to that one, clearly attached as it didn't fit the make of the larger craft, a gate barring the entrance. The Doctor leaned forward, peeking in, "Love what you've done with the place down here," he called, spotting a figure lying on a cot of some sort off to the side of the room.

"Let him in," a man called from within, "Open the gate."

One of the robots pushed a button and the gate slid open but the Doctor hesitated, taking Angel's hand, "Sorry, I don't go anywhere without the boss," he was not about to let them be separated again, not after last time.

"Fine, fine," the man grumbled.

The Doctor smirked and stepped in with Angel, the gate shutting behind them.

"It's ok Rory," Angel called to Rory and Brian, "We'll be alright. All of us."

"He's not interested in YOU," the robot told Rory as he gripped the bars to the gate, watching closely.

"Look, you need to learn some manners," Rory turned to it.

"No, YOU need to learn some manners!"

"No, YOU do!"

"No, YOU do! Mr...Manners!"

"Children," Angel called, a soft smile on her face, though a slightly scolding tone to her voice.

Rory and the robot quieted as the Doctor sniggered beside her. He looked around to see the craft was most certainly quite a bit different than the one they'd been in, cobwebs covering all the machinery, dark, dank, dusty, and far more technologically advanced, smaller as well. There was a man lying on the bed, old, with long hair, dressed in black and seeming struggling to breathe or move.

"Fantasia in F Minor for four hands," the Doctor commented, hearing a song playing softly over the speakers.

"You know it?" the man eyed him.

"Know it? Say hello to hands three and four!" he grinned, holding his hands up, "Schubert kept tickling me to try and put me off. Franz the Hands. Oh, that takes me back. I think he was trying to impress you," he looked at Angel, starting to pout as he recalled the attention the man had lavished on HIS Mate.

"Which failed rather badly when Ayla bit him for trying to use his hands on me," Angel told him, with a laugh.

Truly the only time they'd seen their daughter act out was when Franz had gotten a little...too handy, with HER, and Ayla had bit him and pointed at him, chastising him in a way only a child could for being disrespectful of her mummy, which had made the Doctor SO proud to see his daughter do, get the best of the man...which had also served to temper his anger at seeing the man, albeit a bit drunk, touching his Mate like that. He'd ended up laughing all the way to the TARDIS.

"As though I'd be able to take my eyes off you anyway," she winked.

He grinned widely, winding his arm around her as they looked around, wandering about the small room to see what there was, "Well, this is...cozy."

"It's fate you came," the man rasped.

Angel frowned at that...

...a flash of light crackled as the old man appeared with the two robots, teleporting in...

'...but I had the IV system scan the entire ship and it found something even more valuable. Utterly unique...'

...missiles flew through space, heading right for the ship...

"I'm not sure it was," Angel murmured, not believing that, and when a psychic didn't believe it, it wasn't true.

"This is my Mate, the Angel," the Doctor grinned, as he always did to call her that.

"Nice to meet you," Angel said, more distracted by the room than really meaning it.

"And I'm the Doctor…"

"Yes, I know," the man cut in, nodding at a computer that had security footage up, making the Time Lords look at each other, realizing he had been the one Angel felt watching them, "I'm Solomon."

A computer beeped behind them and a blue light scanned them both.

"What's that?" the Doctor asked, tensing, if it was something that could harm Angel...

"System malfunction, ignore it."

'He's lying,' Angel warned him.

He nodded, he'd wagered that, "What happened to you?" he asked the man.

"He was attacked," Angel said, "By…three raptors. They cornered him, the robots rescued him."

Solomon stared at her, wide eyed, "That's correct…" his eyes roved over the girl, wondering how she could have possibly known that. Had she hacked into the ship's security footage like he had?

"Ah, yes," the Doctor glanced back at the robots, subtly moving in front of Angel to block the man's gaze, not liking it, "The robots. They're...unusual."

"I got them cheap, from a concession on Illyria Seven. The robots did as best they could with my legs, but...you can help me so much more."

"Oh, a 'doctor' doctor!" he nodded, "I see," he breathed into his hands, "Let's have a look," he moved over to the bed, lifting a blanket that had been draped over the man's legs as Angel wandered around, looking at the machinery, already knowing she didn't want to see the mess of the man's legs.

"They chewed through part of the bone in my legs."

"Yes, very nasty."

"But you can repair them."

He looked at Solomon, "If you tell me how you came by so many dinosaurs."

"Inj…"

"Don't you dare finish that order," Angel turned to the man, a firm tone in her voice, "Hurt Brian, and none of us will help you."

The man stared at her again at how she had known he was going to order them to hurt the older man and not the younger, "Then I'll have them kill you," he glared, "That should be more than enough incentive for HIM," he smirked at the Doctor, "To…help."

The Doctor tensed.

"But you won't," she stated, not at all concerned he'd follow through.

His eyes narrowed, "And why not?"

"You've been watching us," she shrugged, putting her hand on top of the surveillance feed, "So you know that if you hurt me, the Doctor, and Rory, as much as I hate to say it," and she did hate to say it, she hated death, "They'll kill you."

But she knew it wouldn't come to that.

The man tensed though, clearly HE didn't know it.

"And I'm harder to kill than I look, apparently," she murmured, she'd always come close...but no one ever really managed to kill her permanently.

'And no one EVER will,' the Doctor swore, a vehemence in his thoughts as he turned to Solomon, "I don't respond well to violence, Solomon," the Doctor stated, neither agreeing with, nor denying Angel's statement.

"And I don't like questions, Doctor," Solomon snapped, but didn't give an order like he'd been about to again, "You boarded without my permission. Now, fix me."

The Doctor let out a breath but stepped forward to help the man, just the threat that the man could have the robots attack Rory or Brian was enough. He knew Angel would probably sense it coming and try to stop them, but he couldn't risk her getting hurt in the crossfire and he knew she was still a little hesitant to really use the Vortex at the moment, what happened in the Asylum had really shaken her.

Rory sighed, watching the Doctor work, when Angel glanced over at him. He gave her a small thankful smile, knowing the man had been about to order the robots to hurt his father and that she'd stopped him. She gave him a nod in return before holding up her hand to her ear in a 'phone' motion.

...a moment before his mobile rang, making him roll his eyes playfully at that and her smirk.

"What's that?" one of the robots asked.

"Your phone's ringing," Brian stared at the mobile as Rory pulled it out, "In space!"

"You get used to it," Rory shrugged, looking at the ID, "I have to take this. The wife. Hello, Mrs.," he answered.

"Where are you?" Amy asked immediately.

"Still onboard. Met some pterodactyls and some rusty robots, that I'm going to melt down," he replied nonchalant as the robots glanced at each other, he was not pleased that the robots had kidnapped them.

"Rory, this is a Silurian ship…"

He glanced back at the Doctor and Angel through the gate, Angel handing the Doctor some surgical tools he'd need from across the room, trying her best not to look at Solomon's legs in the process.

"How did you get onboard?" Solomon asked them.

"Oh, we never talk about ourselves with a gun pointed at us, I'm not a very talkative person when there are guns around my Mate," the Doctor waved him off, "Let's talk about you. Your cozy, little craft embedded in a vast, old ship," he started working on Solomon's legs.

"Very observant."

"I'm a Sagittarius. Probably."

"I'm transporting it to the Roxborne Peninsula."

"The commerce colony," he nodded, working it out, "You're a trader."

"I search out opportunities for profit across the nine galaxies."

"Ah, the purple light," he realized, "That's what it was. An IV system, Identify & Value. The database of everything across space and time, allocated a market value. Argos for the Universe. You were trying to find out how much we're worth."

"Would you like to know?"

They turned to the computer to see that 'No Identification Found' was flashing across it, making the Time Lords smile. They had been very, very thorough, Oswin had inspired the Doctor with making the Daleks forget them, and he'd wanted to take that across the stars. Make sure no one would be able to track them down in space and time...which, Angel was suspicious, might have also been to try and prevent River from popping up as well. Sadly it hadn't worked, she had only appeared once or twice though which was a blessing. They had both wanted to ensure that no one would read about them, and think them a treat and come after them. Luckily Ayla was too young to be included in a majority of the stories and they were careful, if ever they had an adventure, to make sure that those they helped didn't make a big deal of it or write down much about it.

The Doctor was finally trying his hand at modesty.

"You don't exist," Solomon eyed them suspiciously, "Either of you. It's never done that."

"That's us," the Doctor remarked, "Worthless."

Angel shook her head and walked over to his side, kissing his cheek, "Priceless," she corrected quietly, making him smile as he rested his forehead to hers a moment before returning to Solomon's legs.

"Like these creatures you have onboard," he continued to the man, "Very valuable...given they're extinct," the device in his hand whirred and Solomon groaned, "Done, sit up. Very slowly," he moved to help Solomon up.

"Doctor?" Rory called, stepping up to the gate, "Angel? It's Amy," he held out the phone.

"I need to take this," the Doctor told Solomon, taking the phone, "Amy. Is Ayla alright?" he could feel that she was, both of them had that connection with their daughter now that they had found her. But still, he wanted the spoken reassurance.

"She's fine, yeah," Amy told them, "This is an ark, built by the Silurians. They were looking for another planet."

"Where are they now?"

"None onboard. I mean, thousands of stasis pods, all empty. And…"

"What?" he frowned.

"Ayla's been...feeling something," Amy admitted, "She says the bad man sent them away."

He nodded, tensing, knowing who that bad man was, "We'll see you soon."

He looked at Angel, who nodded back at Solomon, having heard them. He turned and gave her the phone. She walked over to Rory, handing it back, "Get ready," she whispered with a meaningful look.

Rory nodded, stepping back to speak to his father quietly as the Doctor turned to see Solomon standing, using a rather sharp looking cane, "The pain in my legs…" the man began, "It's gone. I can move them. Thank you, Doctor."

"What did you do to the Silurians?" he demanded.

He smirked, "We ejected them. The robots woke them from cryo-sleep a handful at a time, and jettisoned them from the airlocks. We must have left a trail of dust and bone."

The Doctor closed his eyes and shook his head, now wanting more than ever to get his daughter and Mate away from the man.

"Because you wanted the dinosaurs," Angel stated as the Doctor sat down dejectedly.

"Their ship crossed my path," he nodded, "I sent out a distress signal. They let me board. But when I saw the cargo, things became more...complex."

"Piracy and then genocide," the Doctor spat.

"Very emotive words, Doctor."

"My Mate is an emotive man," Angel defended.

"The lizards wouldn't negotiate. I made them a generous offer."

The Doctor scoffed at that, "The creatures onboard this ship are not objects to be sold or traded."

"I feel like you're judging me."

"You said Roxborne Peninsula, so why are you heading to Earth? You're on the wrong course. Oh," he blinked, working it out as well, "You don't know how. Ha! Brilliant. You couldn't change the pre-programmed course. Without instructions, the ship defaulted, returned home. Oh, dear. The Silurians outwitted you, even after you'd massacred them. So now you're a prisoner on the ship that you hijacked."

"Not now you're here," Solomon's eyes narrowed, "You're going to help me to where I want to go, Doctor."

"Little bit of news, Solomon. You're being targeted by missiles. Get off this ship..." he stood up, taking Angel's hand, "While you still can," before leading her away.

"You think I believe that? You just want them for yourself. You won't profit from me, Doctor."

The Doctor paused at the gate, "Don't ever judge me by your standards," he turned and flashed the gate with his sonic, stepping out, "Well, don't just stand there, Rory!" he looked at the robots, "Hey, he wants to see you," he told them before pulling Angel off quickly.

"Dad, come on!" Rory grabbed his father's arm and they rushed off after the Time Lords, following them down the corridor.

"This way," Angel shouted, leading them down a corner, right to the triceratops.

"Brilliant," the Doctor grinned, running for the dino.

"What're we doing?!" Brian asked.

"Just do exactly as I do!"

"Doctor, no!" Rory called.

The Doctor just ran up some stacked crates and leapt onto the back of the dinosaur, "Geronimo!" he laughed, waving his arms for them to do the same as he held out a hand to help Angel up, Rory and Brian rushing to scramble onto the triceratops.

~8~

"Did you call?" one of the robots asked as they stepped into Solomon's room.

"What're you doing?!" the man demanded, "Stop them!"

"Alright!" the second grumbled, as they turned to leave, "Don't shout."

"Useless machines!" he snapped.

~8~

"Hold on," Angel called to the men as they made it onto the dinosaur.

"Go, Tricey!" the Doctor commanded lightly, "Run like the wind!"

The triceratops bellowed, but remained stationary, even as laser bolts flew at them from the robots behind them, though that was understandable as the bolts bounced effortlessly against a golden wall that sprung up behind them, courtesy of Angel, one of the blasts had shot out the security cameras, she was safe to use the Vortex for the moment.

"How do you start a triceratops?!" the Doctor grumbled.

"There they are!" a robot shouted.

"I know!" the second snapped, "I saw them before you."

Brian pulled out his second golf ball and tossed it down the hall, repeating what Angel had said, "Tricey, fetch!"

The triceratops was off after it.

"Ha ha!" the Doctor laughed, beaming as Angel wrapped her arms around his middle from behind, squeezing him tight as she held onto him, "That-a-boy! Yee-hah! Come on, Tricey! Woo-hoo!"

"They've stolen a dinosaur!" the robot shouted, rushing after them.

"I can see that!" the second remarked.

"Come on, Tricey!" the Doctor urged, "Faster, baby!" they shifted as the dinosaur ran around a corner, "Whoa!"

"They're turning off, we're losing them!"

"Which way did they go?" the other robot looked around.

"I thought you were looking!"

"No! Now they've got away."

"We definitely used to be faster."

Angel laughed as the voices of the robots faded the farther away they went.

Chapter Text

"I'm riding a dinosaur!" Brian gasped as they all clung to each other, the triceratops taking off at breakneck speed, making them bob up and down from the force of the run, "On a spaceship!"

"I know!" Rory whooped with a laugh, grinning widely.

This was why it was SO hard to give up TARDIS life. He'd never thought he'd feel that way, having started in the TARDIS rather shakily, having not really been one for the adventures and the danger and how much the Doctor made people want to impress him...but then...he'd really gotten used to it, and stated to like it, and then love it. He was sure it had a lot to do with Angel though, because every issue he had with TARDIS life, she was always a counter for. She made sure he understood the adventures and made things interesting by taking time to enjoy them with him, talking with him, showing him things, even small things, that were just incredible. She'd even asked him where HE wanted to go at times, anywhere in time and space and she gave HIM the choice. He never really felt like he was in danger because, the more he was around Angel, the more he saw of the incredible things she could do, the more he trusted her to protect him, the way he tried to protect her. It was never so dangerous that he was truly ever afraid because, Angel was always in the back of his mind and he had the...not faith but knowledge...that she'd do everything to save him and protect him, keep the danger from really hitting. And...he couldn't really blame the Doctor for making people want to impress him with their bravery because, even though it wasn't the same, he sort of did the same with Angel. He was always trying to be braver and prove himself, but it wasn't to impress her it was more...to live up to the man she knew he could be. And THAT was why it was harder still, Angel...the man he was today was because of her, she made him a better man.

"I only came round to fix your light!" Brian added, shaking Rory from his thoughts.

"Come on, Tricey!" the Doctor patted the dinosaur, wanting to slow it down when they saw the dead end ahead of them, the dinosaur still running, "Where are the brakes?!"

"Whoa!" they shouted as the dinosaur stopped, sending them flying off it and tumbling to the ground. The Doctor landed with an oomph on his back, his arms wrapped around Angel as she landed on top of him. She should have hit the ground first, but he'd managed to twist them mid-air so that HE landed more painfully than her. And that was fine with him, more than fine really, it was hard to notice the pain in his back when his Mate was in his arms, lying on top of him basically.

He grinned cheekily at her, "Still falling for me then?"

She laughed, dropping her forehead to his chest a moment, "Never stopped," she looked up at him with a cheeky grin of her own, "We always seem to end up like this don't we?"

He flushed bright red but couldn't help the laugh that came out of him, his hearts racing away. He knew she was talking about all the other times they'd fallen and he'd hit first so to protect her, but his mind, in the dark room with her so close and warm...his mind had gone somewhere...not quite there on the ship. He really...liked this about Angel, she flirted back a bit. He wasn't sure she even realized she was, but she did. Sometimes her comments were very flirty and charming and just...made him melt, yes made HIM melt. But, in a way, it was SO like her too. The first her he'd travelled with had been completely uncomfortable with the attentions of other men and their flirting, the next her just lost, all the innuendo going right over her head from other men, her third self, a bit flirty but more in a confident personality way, more teasing than anything, stopping the flirting of others with a tease back at them. And this her, it seemed like she didn't notice when others flirted with her, she didn't even seem to notice when her comments came across as flirty, but he was grateful it only ever happened when directed at HIM.

He loved flirting very, VERY much.

He reached up and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, "It's a very comfortable position," he smirked.

"Really?" she nearly scoffed, "Because it seemed like you hit the floor rather hard my love."

He shrugged as best he could with her still on top of him, something he was loving a bit too much given they were on the run from robots, "Not really."

"Are you sure?" she gave him a small, disbelieving look, "Are you hurt?"

"Not with you right..." he squeezed her in his arms, "Here I'm not."

She smiled, leaning in to give him a peck, sensing he was being completely truthful, he really didn't feel much pain when she was with him. It was like she numbed it, erased it, soothed it, just by touching him or holding his hand. She...liked that, that she had that ability to comfort him on another level, a level no one else could.

"As long as you're with me," he whispered to her, "I can endure anything."

Her smile froze as she moved to stand and help him, his words...striking something in her. It was like...that would be tested, one day, sooner than she would hope. His thoughts that he could survive anything with her there...it...alarmed her, quite a bit. She didn't know what it was but...she felt like...it had something to do with Rory and Amy. She hoped, beyond hope, that it was merely the day that the two decided to stay on Earth permanently, like she and the Doctor both knew they were starting to lean towards. She really did hope it was that but...something told her it would be much worse.

She glanced at the Doctor, hoping he hadn't noticed, not wanting to distract him with the missiles around, and, luckily, he seemed to be distracted by the triceratops now that he was standing, he was over beside it, petting it, "Good Tricey!" he cheered as it plopped down to sit before them, the golf ball in its mouth, "Ok," he looked around, Angel doing so as well, spotting a small monitor in the wall and heading over to it, "Where are we now?"

"Doctor," Angel called, standing by the screen. She pushed a button but it was dead, and...she'd noticed that this new her was rather...terrible with anything that wasn't the TARDIS. It was odd, she could usually muddle her way through technology of other species, trying to find similar qualities to a TARDIS...but she'd realized very early that, when she'd accidently broken the computers operating the moving platform in the Androzani forest and sent the platform crashing to the ground, she wasn't exactly able to do that anymore. It was almost like...if it wasn't a TARDIS she was just completely lost. She knew she'd used to be able to make her way, make it up as she went at times, but in that particular area, even her intuition and senses failed her. She was just terrible with computers and all manner of other tech.

Which wouldn't be very good if she ever found herself alone and needing to work one.

'Which will never happen,' the Doctor called as he headed over to her with the sonic, flashing the monitor to try and switch it on, 'I will always be there with my trusty sonic.'

She smiled, 'Unless you break it...again.'

He pointed at her playfully, as though he were going to counter, when the screen of the monitor flashed to life and they could see Indira, "Incoming message from Earth," he turned back to it, "Hello, Earth! How are things?"

"Doctor, the ship's coming through the atmosphere," Indira told him, "I have to start the missile program."

"No. No, no, no, don't do that, everything's under control here, turning round any moment. Need a bit of wriggle room on the timings..."

"I can't do that."

"You can," Angel argued, "Indira, please believe me, we WILL stop this."

"Tiny bit more time, Indira, please," the Doctor added, "This ship contains the most precious cargo...and I'm not just talking about my Mate and daughter," which really WERE the MOST precious cargo in any ship ever.

"My only responsibility is the Earth's safety," Indira frowned, "I'm launching the missiles. Goodbye, Doctor, Angel."

"No Indira!" he called as the image disconnected, "Hey, come back! Please!"

~8~

In the military HQ, the crew solemnly looked at the countdown that was commencing on the computer screen.

"Target identified," it announced, "Navigation systems locking on to target. Missile launch procedure initiated. Estimated impact: 30 minutes."

~8~

Ayla frowned as she stared at the computer, poking random buttons, trying to get a feeling of which ones to press to get more information, as Riddell sifted through a cabinet behind them.

"Now these are what we need," Riddell found some rifles, "Dinosaur protection!"

"No weapons!" Amy grabbed the gun from him, not willing to expose Ayla to that sort of violence, "There's a little girl..."

"I'm well aware," Riddell cut in, with a hard look, clearly offended that Amy would think he'd shoot something in front of a child, especially not dinosaurs, especially not when she'd gotten upset when he'd first mentioned taking care of one of them, "If you would care to look before jumping to conclusions?" he handed her the magazine, showing her what the rifles were used for.

Amy blinked, "Anesthetic," she realized, "These are stun guns," she looked at Riddell, "You're almost clever. Sorry."

He merely nodded, "Enough to make a dinosaur take a nap," he added, one more little dig at the assumption she'd made. Just because he was a hunter didn't mean he killed every single thing in front of him. Hunters knew you didn't attack mothers with young, you didn't leave an animal wounded and suffering, and so many other things, "Even Angel couldn't object to that."

Amy had to nod at that, Angel would have had FAR more of an issue with anyone shooting anything than the Doctor. Not only because of what had happened in the Asylum, Rory had told her, but because she just didn't like violence in general. The Doctor, she knew, would do whatever was needed to protect the people he loved, whether that meant taking up arms, like under the Byzantium or when they'd been dealing with the Pandorica, or releasing his 'darkness' to get what he wanted, like when they'd been searching for Demons Run. He would truly do whatever it took to keep Angel and Ayla safe, even if it meant stopping the dinosaurs in a more permanent way. He'd regret it immensely, but he'd do it if there was no other choice. Angel wouldn't want them harmed at all, no matter what. She'd want them safe but equally she'd want the attackers to not be harmed. Luckily, most of the time, she possessed the means to do so in a non-lethal way. But she felt like Angel would be more ok with the dinosaurs merely going to sleep than being seriously harmed.

"The Doctor would encourage it, of course," Riddell had to say as well, "To protect Ayla," he winked at the girl letting her know that he was very serious about protecting her.

He was fairly certain that was one of the reasons the Doctor had taken him along, because he would protect the people around him with his life...and possibly to distract Nefertiti from her advances on the man. He'd noticed, first getting in the TARDIS, that Nefertiti had been quite taken with the Doctor and it was truly bothering the man, and well...Nefertiti, even before he knew who she was, was...intriguing and he'd be more than happy to take the lady off the Doctor's hands.

"You and the Doctor, Amy..." Nefertiti eyed her, "Are you his queen as well?" she was almost certain the other woman, Angel, was the Doctor's queen, he had a child with her after all, but she knew many kings with more than one wife, and if he had more than one...perhaps he'd like to add HER to his list as well...

"No, no," Amy grimaced at the thought, whether from the question of being the Doctor's 'wife' also or being anyone but Rory's no one knew, "I'm Rory's queen. Wife," she corrected quickly, "I'm his wife. Please don't tell him I said I was his queen, I'll never hear the end of it."

Ayla just giggled, "Mummy's daddy's queen," she told her aunt with a short glance over her shoulder, "Daddy says it all the time."

Nefertiti eyed the girl before glancing at Amy again, "And the Doctor, does he have more than one queen?"

"No," Amy laughed at that, truly actually started to laugh heartily at it, at imagining the Doctor even glancing at another woman, well...not counting that mess with River, but he'd been amnesiatic at the time, now though...oh she'd seen SO many women making eyes at him and he'd just get all flustered and uncomfortable and try to leave, it really was quite funny, "It's just Angel for him. Only Angel. And I thought you had a husband."

"A male equivalent of a sleeping potion," Nefertiti said dryly.

"You clearly need a man of action and excitement," Riddell commented, "One with a very large weapon," he cocked the rifle and headed for the door.

"So, human sleeping potion or walking innuendo," Amy muttered, hoping that had gone over Ayla's head, even Jack toned down his innuendo when Ayla was around, which greatly amused the Torchwood team to see him floundering in attempts to cover up the ones that slipped through, "Take your pick," she shared a smile with Nefertiti.

"Mummy!" Ayla cheered suddenly, "Daddy!"

They looked over to see the Doctor, Angel, Rory, and Brian had appeared on the screen, standing in a corridor, Ayla having managed to hit the right button.

"That's very bad indeed," the Doctor was saying, "Completely unhelpful."

~8~

Rory frowned, eyeing the screen as the Doctor paced, not quite sure what the man was going on about, though, given the search he'd begun running of weapons that might be able to take out the oncoming missiles, he had a good idea, "Doesn't this ship have any defense systems installed?"

Angel shook her head, "Doesn't seem so."

"What ship doesn't have weapons?" he scoffed.

"Quite a few of the ancient species don't," she smiled, "They were...as full of hope as the humans are."

"So that's where you came from," he muttered.

"What?" Angel looked at him, not quite having heard him.

"Well, it's just..." he shrugged, "You've always been the most hopeful person I know."

The Doctor smiled, wrapping his arm around Angel's shoulders, "That she is, the light in the dark," he kissed her temple.

It was SO true too. Not just because of the Vortex, not even because of her hopeful nature, but...the pair of them. They always joked they were opposites, Smith and Jones, Naughty and Nice, Lies and Truth, Destroyer and Creator, and, he knew, in the scope of the Universe, his...nature was far more dark than hers. She really was the light in his dark, the one that held it at bay, kept it back, kept it from consuming him. She was the light he clung to so as not to fall into the darkness that lurked inside him. So, in yet another way, Dark and Light. And he'd never been more glad of it, because, like the humans loved to say, opposites attract, and she was...very attractive.

'Focus,' Angel called, but he could see her blushing as his thoughts, rather on purpose, filtered over to her, letting her feel exactly how attracted he was to her, because words failed him to describe it.

"What about the control deck?" Brian asked, walking over to join them, "You said we should go to the control deck next."

"It's too late," the Doctor sighed, reminded of the danger, and turned away from the computer, "It won't make any difference."

"We could at least try," Rory argued.

"It won't work, Rory. The missiles are locked on."

"So, what? We're just giving up?"

"I don't know. I don't know."

"Actually…" Angel blinked, "We should go there."

The Doctor frowned and turned to her, "Why?"

She opened her mouth to answer, actually having an idea about it, when there was a flash of light and Solomon appeared with his robots, teleporting in, "You were telling the truth, Doctor," he replied, "Earth has launched missiles. This vessel is too clumsy to outrun them, but I have my own ship."

"You won't get your precious cargo onboard, though," he countered, "It'll just be you and your metal tantrum machines."

"We do not have tantrums!" a robot shouted.

"Shut up!" Solomon snapped, before walking over to the Doctor, hobbling on his canes, his legs healed but still a bit shaky, "You're right, Doctor. I can't keep the dinosaurs and live myself. But I had the IV system scan the entire ship and it found something even more valuable. Utterly unique. I don't know where you found it or how you got it here, but I want it."

"I don't know what you're talking about," the Doctor stiffened, fearing that the machine might have picked up their daughter. It was a ridiculous notion, she was just a little girl, quite older than she appeared, but still just a wee girl. She couldn't have been picked up by the system, they had been SO careful to make sure word about her spread nowhere, so careful to keep themselves hidden and if THEY didn't appear on the system, why would Ayla?

But it didn't stop him from fearing the worst.

...until Solomon spoke, "Earth Queen Nefertiti of Egypt."

~8~

Nefertiti tensed at that as they watched, Ayla reaching out to take the woman's hand, seeing her a bit frightened that the 'bad man' wanted HER. Nefertiti looked down, startled to see Ayla holding her hand, comforting her, given how...unseemly she'd been with the girl's father. But there she was, a little girl, scared, away from her parents, knowing the bad man was with them, and yet...wanting to comfort HER.

"A face stamped across history," Solomon grinned.

Nefertiti squeezed Ayla's hand back in thanks.

~8~

"Give her to me and I'll let the rest of you live," Solomon finished.

"No," the Doctor whispered, leaning in.

Solomon glared, "You think I won't punish those who get in my way? Whatever their worth?" he nodded at a robot and it stepped forward, shooting Tricey repeatedly before any of them could react, the men watching in horror, Angel closing her eyes in sorrow at how she hadn't seen that.

~8~

Ayla gasped, tears in her eyes and turned around, letting to of Nefertiti's hand a moment to hug her Uncle John, feeling safer with him at the moment, burying her face in his legs as he put his hands on her shoulders to comfort her.

Amy turned and quickly knelt beside the girl, "Shh," she soothed, rubbing the girl's back as she cried quietly at what had happened, "Shh, it's alright," Amy swallowed hard, feeling terrible that the girl had been exposed to that.

~8~

The Doctor walked over to the dying dino and knelt down, Angel eyeing it a moment, "Doctor," she breathed, moving to kneel beside him, "Let me…" she whispered.

He looked at her, nodding as he moved to the side.

"There, there," she murmured, stroking the dinosaur's snout as it eyed her in such terrible pain.

She closed her eyes a moment, turning her back on Solomon, and focusing as much as she could, knowing she couldn't afford Solomon to see what she was doing. If the man knew, if he saw her using the Vortex...he'd demand her instead, and NO ONE would be prepared for the hell the Doctor would unleash to keep her at his side. She and the TARDIS were of the same agreement, when he was angry and upset was when the Doctor made mistakes, and now that they had a daughter to think of, she was even more determined to do all she could to keep him calm and rational. Her eyes drifted open, the Doctor able to see the faint golden swirl in them, knowing she was doing all she could to keep the power contained and unnoticeable.

~8~

"Ayla look," Amy breathed, turning so the girl could see her mother performing her latest miracle, she could see the signs of what was coming even if the others couldn't.

To them, it looked like Angel was merely trying to comfort the dinosaur, but she knew better.

~8~

Angel laid a hand on the dinosaur's head, a dim golden swirl wafting over from her hand to its snout, blocked by her body so Solomon wouldn't see. Thankfully, it was dark enough where the man couldn't make out the wounds slowly starting to close, healing.

"Shh..." she whispered to it, lowering her voice so Solomon and the robots wouldn't hear, "Play dead."

The triceratops opened its eyes to look at her, and she SWORE she could see gratitude in them, relief from the pain, before they gently fell closed, the dinosaur doing as commanded and trying its best to appear unmoving and lifeless.

Angel smiled at that, that was a VERY smart dinosaur...before she pulled her hand away, swaying a bit till the Doctor steadied her. He knew she was hesitant to use the Vortex but hadn't wanted the dinosaur to suffer. He had tried to encourage her to use the Vortex, to use it in the TARDIS, practice with it, believing, perhaps it was just another level of her power that her body was able to handle but her mind was not that had been the result of the Asylum. This was really...her first self to ever truly feel confident in using the Vortex. Her last self had started the same way but, with all that happened, her confidence in even THAT had been chipped away. He didn't want to see that happen again and tried to gently urge her to keep using it, to try and gain more control. With everything finally calm, she had more than enough time to practice her powers. It was his theory that what had happened to the Daleks had been because she wasn't in complete control just yet, and only practice would help.

She had been a bit hesitant to believe that, though, seeing her using it now to help...maybe that was just what she needed to remember that the Vortex was truly more good than bad.

"Well done dear," he whispered, kissing her temple, "But…are we going to have an immortal dinosaur running around now?" he joked lightly, recalling the last time she'd brought something to life using the Vortex, Jack was still living his life with Torchwood. Not that the dinosaur had died, she'd merely healed it, but still, he wanted to lighten the mood.

"No, no," she smiled, resting her head against his a moment, "I've gotten better since then."

He nodded, helping her up as he turned to Solomon, the man still sneering at them, thankfully having not noticed Angel's feat. He quickly passed her over to Rory to check on her as well, moving to stand before her, blocking her from Solomon's view, not wanting the man to grow suspicious as to why she was suddenly so tired, "You must be very proud," he began, playing along that the triceratops had died.

"Bring her to me," Solomon demanded, "Or the robots will make their way through your corpses. Bring her now."

"No."

There was a flash of light and Amy, Ayla, Nefertiti, and Riddell teleported into the room.

"Mummy!" Ayla ran to her mother, who knelt down to hug her daughter tightly, "You saved Tricey!" she whispered in her mother's ear excitedly, being careful not to be too loud, she was just...so happy it was alive and well again. Her mother was amazing like that and she couldn't wait till she was the same one day, able to help and heal and protect, to make people better and make them...grow into themselves, into the people they were meant to be.

"What are you doing?" the Doctor turned to the adults.

"I demanded to be brought here," Nefertiti told him, stepping forward.

The Doctor grabbed her arm, stopping her as she continued to try and make her way to Solomon, "No, no, no, no, no way."

"It isn't your choice, Doctor. It's mine."

"Listen to me, if you go with him, I can't guarantee your safety."

"You saved my people. I am in your debt."

"No," Angel stood up, weary from use of her powers.

She had learned long ago not to use too much of them in dangerous situations, never knowing what was lurking, waiting to attack once the danger seemed to have passed. The last time she had been so tired she couldn't even muster the Vortex Ayla had been taken from her, never ever again. She refused to ever let herself become that exhausted until she was safely back in the TARDIS, with everyone, and they were all safe. But she was tired, she had never healed anyone so...completely before or from such extreme or numerous wounds. A gunshot here, a cut there, but never so many, so severe wounds, and never before with a dinosaur, she may have used more than she ought to have. As a result, she couldn't really get a true sense of what was coming at the moment, nothing except her own exhaustion.

"You don't owe us anything."

"Then I do it of my own will."

"Neffy, Neffy, Neffy..." the Doctor shook his head, but Nefertiti just walked over to Solomon.

"No!" Riddell shouted, cocking his rifle and aiming it at Solomon, "Take her, I shoot you."

"Put your weapon down," Nefertiti held up a hand, "Let me make my choice."

"Do it, boy," Solomon sneered, a robot stepping forward and lifting its arm till Riddell lowered his, "My bounty increases. And what an extraordinary bounty you are," he reached out and touched Nefertiti.

But she shoved his hand away, "Never touch me."

Solomon merely pushed her against the wall, the sharp edge of his cane pressed to her neck, making Ayla gasp as he smirked at the queen, "I like my possessions to have spirit. It means I can have fun breaking them," the woman glared and pushed the cane away, "And I will break you in, with immense pleasure. Thank you, Doctor. Computer? Take us back to my ship."

With a flash, Solomon, Nefertiti, and his robots were gone, teleported away.

And then an alarm went off, making Angel groan softly and rub her head, she could already feel a headache coming on and this was NOT helping.

"Hostile targeting in progress," the security system announced, "Hostile targeting in progress. Hostile targeting in progress. Hostile targeting in progress. Hostile targeting in progress."

The Doctor looked over at Angel, about to check on her, when he remembered that she wanted to go to the control deck before Solomon appeared...and he realized why, "Bingo," he grinned as the idea struck him as well, "You are fantastic!" he murmured to Angel kissing her forehead.

"What is it?" Rory asked, "Doctor?"

Ayla just smiled as her father grabbed the sonic, ready to teleport them out, knowing her father had just come up with a brilliant idea to save them all.

~8~

The small group teleported, via the ship's systems, to the control deck to see two piloting chairs facing each other, covered in cobwebs, with a small post between them.

"Ok," the Doctor clapped, "Control deck," and ran to the post, looking inside it as Riddell took a guard position at the door.

"So, what's the plan?" Rory asked.

"Come on. The missiles are locked on to us, we can't outrun them, we have to save the dinosaurs and get Nefertiti back from Solomon. Isn't it obvious?!"

"It's sort of the opposite of obvious," Rory remarked as Ayla giggled.

"We have 17 minutes before the missiles reach us," Angel murmured, moving to swipe the cobwebs off a chair and sitting down, rubbing her temples, her headache had struck, "We need to control the ship, turn it around."

The Doctor nodded, "Exactly," and soniced the post, Ayla coming up to it and standing on her tip-toes to look inside it.

"You said it was too late, there wasn't any time," Rory reminded him, though his glance kept turning to Angel as she massaged her head.

"Ah, yes, but I didn't have this plan then, did I?"

"And you've got a plan now?" Amy gave him a look.

"A thing Aunt Amy," Ayla corrected, though her voice was muffled from how she was speaking into the post she was looking down.

Rory shook his head and looked at Angel, making his way over to kneel before her, "You alright?"

Angel gave him a tired smile, "Just a little headache," she laughed, "Who knew healing a dinosaur would take so much out of me."

He gave her a small laugh as well, "I know just what you need..." he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small kit of some kind, opening it and rooting through it, his father coming over to see what he was doing, "There," he held out a small purple pill to her.

"What's that?" Brian asked as Angel took the pill and swallowed it.

"Medicine," Rory shrugged, "You carry a trowel, I carry a med-pack," he wiggled the packet before putting it back in his pocket, "It's all about the pockets in our family. It's a pill that ought to help with her headache, completely safe for Time Lord biology."

"Thank you Rory," Angel smiled, "I feel better already."

"It heals headaches instantly?" Brian blinked, "Never seen one of those."

Rory shrugged, "I pick up cool stuff wherever we go. For some people it's cars and hardware, for me it is nursing supplies."

"He's amazing Brian," Angel looked up at him, "He actually made a few medicines in the past. Invented them himself."

"Yeah well," Rory started to blush at her praises, seeing his father looking at him with a bit of awe, "It's hard to find pre-natal vitamins for aliens when the medicine you usually take isn't available."

Angel shook her head, "Oh hush," she told him, turning back to Brian, "He took the best care of me when I was pregnant with Ayla," she informed the man, "He ran all my tests and mixed vitamins just for me and made sure I always ate right and got enough rest and didn't overdo anything," she reached out and took Rory's hand, "He even delivered Ayla."

"He did?" Brian breathed, looking at his son with...quite a good deal of respect, quite impressed, "That's..."

"It was nothing," Rory tried to brush it off, as uncomfortable with praise as Angel was.

"It was everything," Angel told him, squeezing his hand, "You were my doctor," she winked.

"Did somebody call?" the Doctor popped over, crouching down to rest his elbow on the armrest of the chair, "What are we all talking about?" he whispered, as though doing so would mean he hadn't interrupted the moment but merely joined it.

"How remarkable Rory is," Angel told him.

"Ah yes," he nodded, "Rory the Remarkable Roman," he patted the man on the back, Rory smiling at hearing the Doctor finally admit that he was deserving of compliments too, "Well done Rory," he added before getting up and heading back to the post, "Riddell? Keep an eye out for dinosaurs," he ordered, getting back to work.

Riddell grinned, "I was rather hoping you'd say that," he handed a gun to Brian, who was still slightly shocked learning how...outstanding his son was, well...he'd always known how impressive Rory was, he really was remarkable, but to hear other people...like the Doctor and Angel...say the same, he knew it meant a lot to his son, and it meant a lot to him as well because of that.

"Don't hurt them!" Angel called after them as the two headed out of the room.

"Rory, Amy, get rid of the cobwebs," the Doctor nodded at the second chair.

~8~

Solomon smirked as he pressed a button on his ship's control computer, ready to leave...but the ship didn't move. He frowned, "Come on, come on. We're not moving," he pressed it again but the sound of metal clanging resounded, "He's magnetized us. We can't move away!"

~8~

Riddell stood in the doorway, a nervous Brian beside him...when they heard growling in the distance. He looked around as raptors began to emerge, "Keep walking, big chap," he called to one, when another one appeared. He swung his gun between them, only for even more to join them, "Hell's teeth, that's really not fair!"

~8~

Indira sighed as she and her team watched the screen in their base.

"Missile target will be reached in 11 minutes," the computer announced.

They could only hope the Time Lords and the others made it off the ship before then.

~8~

The Doctor stood up from the floor, slamming his hand on the computer before him that he was examining, "No! Don't be like that! Really unhelpful."

"What's the matter?" Amy asked from where she was standing by Angel, Ayla in the woman's lap.

"Parallel pilot compartments, bio-configured, needs two operators of the same gene chain. That's why Solomon couldn't change the ship's course and neither can we…"

"Of course we can," Angel called and he turned to face her, she just squeezed Ayla in a little hug, "Me and Ayla, she's my daughter, we ARE of the same gene chain. Our core DNA is the same."

While Time Lords could change their faces, change their DNA with each regeneration, they always retained echoes of it deep in their DNA, buried, but there, remnants of the people they were. It was what allowed them to remember their past selves, even though both she and Ayla had regenerated, there still shared DNA as mother and daughter, and that was on a very specific level. 'Gene chain' merely meant of the same family, the remnants in their DNA meant just that as well.

The Doctor shook his head, walking over to her, "I should do it," he said softly, moving to kneel before her and Ayla, concerned, she was rather tired.

She smiled and reached out to cup his cheek, "I think Nefertiti needs you more right now my love," she told him.

He smiled, turning to kiss her palm before standing, scooping Ayla up into his arms in the process, "How about that sweetheart?" he asked her, actually a bit...happy that Angel was insisting he go after Nefertiti, he did not want his Mate anywhere near the man, not at all, "You want to try your hand at piloting a Silurian ship with mummy?"

"Can I?!" Ayla nodded, excited, she'd learned quite a lot about how to pilot a TARDIS between her Aunt Idris and her mother's teachings...and her father's examples of what NOT to do...she was certain she could do this, help save the world as her parents so often did.

"Here we go," he set her down in the second chair.

"What are they doing?" Amy frowned, worried.

"Ship does all the engineering," he explained quickly, "The controls are straightforward, simple enough to use. Two eye-line screens, velocity and trajectory. Try to steer away from Earth, sweetheart," he dropped a kiss to Ayla's head, "Try not to bump into the moon otherwise the races who live there will be livid."

"I know daddy," Ayla nodded.

"What?" Rory gaped, surprised there were species living on the moon by then...and feeling like he really shouldn't be that surprised at all.

"Primary controls in the arms of the chairs, principle's the same as any vehicle. Eight minutes, 45 seconds," he stood back and soniced the chairs, turning them on. He walked to Angel, crouching beside her, "Get us as far away as you can dear," he told her as she nodded. He grinned, kissing her cheek a few times till she turned her head to give him a peck, making him beam instead and stand, looking at the post again, "Right, phase two sorted. Now for phase one."

"Phase two comes after phase one," Amy reminded him.

"Humans, you're so linear. Did Ayla not teach you about cause to effect?" he smirked, he and Angel had been highly amused to hear their daughter had rambled about time for hours on end, what was even more impressive was that Rory, who had actually paid attention to every word the girl said, had understood her and learned something from it. It seemed she'd inherited both his ability to ramble but Angel's ability to simplify what she knew, "Shine a torch in here."

Amy leaned forward, shining her torch while Rory walked up to them, "What're you doing?"

"Mixing my messages," he pulled a handful of wires out, "How's the job?" he glanced at Amy.

"We're about to be hit by missiles and you're asking me that?" she gave him a look.

"Daddy likes to multi-task," Ayla called, swinging her legs as she waited for him to finish activating the rest of the ship, Angel just resting with her head back against the chair, her eyes closed.

She was trying to sense what would happen, if the plan would work but she was just...a little distracted at the moment, knowing she'd have to pilot the Silurian ship with her young daughter...she really only had experience piloting a TARDIS and was hoping it wouldn't be too difficult. She really didn't know what the Doctor would do to stop the missiles, perhaps he'd go into Solomon's ship and use HIS weapons to target the bombs.

He nodded, "Keep talking. How's the job?"

"I gave it up," Amy sighed.

"You gave the last one up."

"Yeah, well I can't settle. Every minute, I'm listening out for that stupid TARDIS sound…"

He scoffed, "Right, so it's my fault now, is it?!"

"She just means we can't not wait for you," Rory explained, "Even now."

Amy nodded, "And they're getting longer, the gaps between your visits."

"Are they?" the Doctor glanced up, trying to act innocent, reaching his arm into the post.

"We think, um," Rory began, "You might be trying to wean us off you."

"Would that be bad?" the Doctor glanced at them, "To give something up little by little instead of suddenly?"

Wasn't that what his companions always complained about? That it was so much harder to adjust to life on Earth after seeing everything he helped them see? He was...trying to be more considerate this time, make up for his past mistakes, he wanted to be...better, a more...responsible adult in some ways. He wanted to make the transition easier for them. And...it was hard, equally as hard for him to give them up completely.

It was easier for him to drop them off on Earth and run away, knowing they were safe, and knowing that he wouldn't have to see them again and hurt all over to say goodbye once more. It was a coward's way out, he knew, but he was trying to be stronger, for Ayla, for Angel, because neither of them wanted to give up Rory or Amy either. But each time it was harder to say goodbye, so the gaps became longer...and...it was getting easier, with the longer gaps. He was finding he could go longer and longer without needing fiercely to see the Ponds. And...that was a good sign, it meant, one day it would be easy to pop in, say hello, stay for dinner, and leave again.

He really DID want to keep his companions in his life, all of them.

He smiled at that, Angel had done a number on him hadn't she?

"It's not just that, I promise," the Doctor looked at her, "Really promise. You're Ayla's Uncle Rory, her Aunt Amy, we couldn't just give that up instantly."

"But you and Rory," Angel called, making them look back at her as she smiled at them, "You have lives. Each other. You'll have so much more than that, I can tell," she winked at them, "And...your lives are on Earth, we have lives in the TARDIS too, we have each other," she smiled at the Doctor, "We have a family of our own too, and..."

"And you're just spending time with each other," Rory nodded, getting it. They were trying to give them the best of both worlds, weren't they?

Amy smiled at that, "We just worry there'll come a time when you never turn up, that something will have happened to you and we'll still be waiting, never knowing."

"You'd know," the Doctor said quietly, rubbing his chest absently.

The humans frowned but nodded, understanding what he meant. They could recall what they'd felt the moment Angel had 'died' at Lake Silencio. They had felt it. They had known. Even the family, from what they'd heard when they first got together after that event, the family had known and they hadn't even been there. So, if that day ever came, they would know...and that was almost scarier, to live each day wondering if you'd wake up and feel...that.

"Come on Ponds," the Doctor shook his head, grinning at them now, "You'll be there till the end of us."

"Or the other way round," Rory murmured quietly.

The Doctor looked down sadly, knowing there was some truth in that, it had happened before. And, hadn't he told Rose Tyler once that humans aged, they would eventually die, and he would live on? He could only hope that, for the Ponds' sake, it would be the fact that they lived out very long and extraordinarily happy lives instead of some danger that got the best of them.

"Beep," Angel called.

He looked up at her a moment before his sonic beeped, finished. He smiled at her, "Done," he nodded, pulling some more wires out of the post and resting it on the rim.

"Doctor?" Riddell called, rushing in, "We need more help…" he trailed off as Amy grabbed a stun gun, "What're you doing?"

"Helping," she smirked, striding past the men and into the hall with Riddell, knowing Rory would he harder pressed to leave both Angel and Ayla.

The Doctor looked at Rory before snatching up a crystal he'd pulled from the post, "Rory," he called, "Keep an eye on them for me," he nodded at Angel and Ayla, whose chairs had begun to move, the piloting program kicking in.

"Of course," Rory nodded as the Doctor tossed the crystal in his hand, "But what are you going to…"

He teleported out.

"...do?" Rory finished with a sigh and a roll of his eyes.

~8~

Amy and Riddell quickly joined Brian, holding another stun gun, in the doorway, the man having kept watch as the raptors grew closer.

"Quickens the blood, doesn't it?" Riddell smirked.

"The sooner this lot go back to being extinct, the better," Amy commented.

"You know what I want more than anything?"

"Lessons in gender politics?"

"A dinosaur tooth to take home," he shot a raptor, "Dinosaurs ahead, lady at my side, man behind, about to be blown up. Not sure I've ever been happier."

"Shut up and shoot," Amy nudge him, both of them firing at the dinosaurs.

"Duck!" Brian shouted as Amy dropped down and Riddell fired over her head at a raptor.

"Come on man!" Riddell nudged Brian, "Shoot!"

Brian swallowed hard and fired at a raptor.

~8~

Angel and Ayla laughed as they piloted the ship to safety, "How do you like it sweetheart?" she called to her daughter, she was actually struggling just a little bit to fly it but Ayla seemed to be doing fine enough.

"I'm flying am alien spaceship!" she giggled, swinging her feet excitedly, bouncing in her chair.

It wasn't as fun as piloting the TARDIS, but she wasn't old enough to really do that, she was still a little short, but it was fun enough.

~8~

"The ship's trajectory is changing," a man said in the headquarters, watching as the ship started to veer away from Earth.

"It makes no difference," Indira sighed, "The missiles have locked on. How long till target?"

"Seven minutes."

Indira closed her eyes, knowing what the veering meant, the Time Lords were still onboard.

~8~

The Doctor teleported into Solomon's ship with a wide, though very dangerous-looking, grin, "Hello! Having trouble leaving?" he turned and stepped out of the teleport, grabbing two live wires and pressing them to the robots' chest, blowing them backwards.

"Daisy, Daisy," one of the robots began to sing in a daze, "Give me your answer..."

Solomon stood, glaring, as the Doctor patted the robot on the chest as it powered down, "Ship's still magnetized, couldn't bear to lose you."

"Release my ship, Doctor," Solomon moved to hold a cane to Nefertiti's neck, "Or I kill this precious little object."

Nefertiti, seeming to have had enough of the man, kicked his other cane out from under him, knocking him to the floor at the sudden imbalance. She grabbed the one that had been aimed at her and pointed it at his neck this time, "I am not your possession now, nor will I ever be. Now stay there."

The Doctor sauntered over and peered down at the man, "Don't mess with Egyptian queens, Solomon, or Time Lords. I hope you've learnt that now," he walked over to the controls.

"What're you doing?!" Solomon demanded as the man fiddled with them.

"Disabling this ship's signal and replacing it with the one from the Silurian ship," he said simply, really...quite eerily calm as well, which was never a good sign for him, he was either explosively angry or furiously calm...and right now...he was furiously calm, because of this man and his greed, missiles were being sent at the ship his Mate and daughter were currently trying to steer off, "I send this craft off emitting the signal they're looking for, the missiles will follow," he turned around, "Hopefully Silurian ship safe, dinosaurs safe, everybody safe," he checked his watch, "Bit tight for time though, sorry, don't have my Mate here to keep me on track, shouldn't really be chatting. Neffy, let's go," he clapped his hands and headed for the teleport, pausing a moment to look back, "How remiss of me, almost forgot, the thing about missiles, very literal, this is what they latch on to," he set the crystal down and pulled out his sonic, "Now, one press on this and the ship's demagnetized."

"Doctor, whatever you want, I can get it for you, whatever object you desire."

"I already have all I desire," the Doctor waved him off, before pausing to think, "Did the Silurians beg you to stop?" he wondered, glancing at the screens around them, displaying the missiles, headed towards THEM now and he smirked, knowing that the others were safe, "Look, Solomon. The missiles. See them shine. See how valuable they are. And they're all yours," he turned and followed Nefertiti to the teleport.

"You wouldn't leave me, Doctor..."

The Doctor simply closed the gate and held up his sonic, looking at it contemplatively, "I would do anything to protect my Mate, to protect my daughter," he murmured the words so similar to what he'd once told Angela Smith, he really would do anything. And the man...even just knowing his name, Doctor, knowing of Angel and Ayla, being a trader, he was bound to ask the wrong question to the wrong people and it would only be a matter of time before the Silence tried to hunt them again. Solomon was not a man who would ever stop until he got what he wanted and, having lost the dinosaurs and now Nefertiti, he wouldn't stop till he'd gotten him and his girls, and that...as terrible as it was to say...wouldn't do. He looked at the man solemnly, "I'm sorry," he murmured, before pressing the sonic on, the crystal starting to glow. He eyed Solomon, "Enjoy your bounty," before forcing himself to press the teleport button and beam out, hoping Angel wouldn't be too cross with him for what he'd done, if she had seen this coming she would have stopped him.

"DOCTOR!" Solomon shouted as the ship took off, heading away from the Silurian ark and out into space. He gaped, watching the missiles following him, "DOCTOR!"

But the missiles hit and everything exploded.

~8~

Amy, Brian, and Riddell stood in the middle of the corridor, surrounded by sedated raptors, "Well done," Riddell clapped a slightly shell-shocked Brian on the back.

~8~

The Doctor cheerfully led the way to the TARDIS, Ayla beside them, riding on Tricey's back as Angel led the dinosaur on. He was in rather good spirits because...Angel wasn't mad at him!

Well, she'd been at first, very mad and quite disappointed, which had broken his hearts to see. She hadn't liked the fact that he'd left Solomon there to the missiles, but he'd explained to her that it had been for Ayla. He'd asked her if the sense she'd gotten off the man was different than the personality he'd described, the scenario he'd pictured in his mind of what would happen if Solomon escaped, the Silence and the threat of them finding out about their family. He'd reminded her that, if they hadn't gotten involved, Solomon would have been on the ship, unable to move, unable to leave, unaware of the missiles till they hit, he would have died on the ship anyway, the only change was that the dinosaurs didn't die with him.

When he'd reminded her about Ayla's safety she'd hesitantly and begrudgingly agreed to let this one go for the moment. Her daughter's safety was truly one of the most important things to her. She wouldn't ever want a trader like Solomon to learn about their daughter and come after her or inadvertently set the Silence on them as well. It was...terrible, it truly was, she hated death, but then...he'd reminded her that 'everything, all things, must die,' used her own words against her as he brought up the original fate of Solomon and his ship in regards to the missiles. Reminding her that they'd saved all the dinosaurs on the ship, the innocent creatures that the Silurians had given their lives to protect. And for that...she couldn't stay too mad at him for long, so...all in all...he was rather chipper she didn't hate him and that he wasn't 'sleeping on the sofa' as the humans would say.

"So, dinosaur drop-off time," he grinned, scooping Ayla off Tricey's back and setting her down, taking her hand as he led her to the TARDIS where Angel was opening the doors.

"Actually, we think home for us," Rory commented.

The Doctor paused and looked down at his daughter, grinning up at him, home, yes, as much as he loved travelling with the Ponds, with anyone really, he loved spending time with his family as well.

"Of course," Angel nodded.

"Not forever," Amy added as Nefertiti and Riddell stepped up to join her, Rory, and Brian, "Just a couple of months."

"Right, yes, we're pretty busy anyway," the Doctor agreed, "I mean, we've got to drop everyone back."

"About that," Brian began, "Can I ask a favor? There's something I want to see."

The Doctor looked at Angel, who smiled and nodded.

~8~

Brian sat in the doorway of the TARDIS, his legs dangling out the side, Ayla beside him, both of them sharing a sandwich as they hovered above the Earth. Brian took a sip of tea from a thermos as Amy and Rory came up behind them, enjoying the view.

Angel and the Doctor stood by the console, smiling as they watched their daughter among her family.

~8~

In the African Plains, in 1902, Riddell stared up at the night's sky, a dinosaur tooth hanging from a cord around his neck. He glanced over as Nefertiti stepped out of the tent, her hair loose, a rifle in her hands as she smirked at him.

~8~

Rory was standing on the ladder in his home one day, looking at the light fixture, blowing on the end of it before inserting the bulb.

"MORE postcards from your dad," Amy called as she entered with a handful of cards.

"Do you know what?" Rory remarked, stepping down the ladder, "I think it is the fitting."

He walked over to where Amy was standing near a wall of photos, tacking up the new ones. They were all of Brian in amazing locations, like Pisa, Rio de Janeiro, Egypt and more. But the latest one, that was of the TARDIS, in a prehistoric land, the dinosaurs running around, with the three Time Lords standing before a sign that read 'Siluria.'

~8~

Angel looked over from where she was turning down the sheets, having just come from putting Ayla to bed as the Doctor took a shower. The girl had taken a little longer to sleep than normal, had needed an extra story and the 'night light' to be set on a slightly brighter setting, all the wandering in the dark hallways, despite her Uncle John being there, hadn't set her very at ease. She knew the girl was afraid of having a nightmare and so she'd done everything she could to help her feel safe and comfortable, snuggled up with her 'Aslan' and with the stars above her, the door opened a crack to let in the light of the hallway as well. She'd sung her a little song as she'd slept, helped lull her to sleep and she couldn't help but smile. She got the feeling Ayla would be just fine and have a good night's rest.

She'd been surprised though, with how long it had taken her to get Ayla to bed, that when she'd entered the bedroom the Doctor still wasn't there but in the shower. She'd gotten ready for bed when she'd heard the water turn off, just turned down the duvet when the door to the bathroom had opened and the Doctor stepped out. He was wearing his typical bottoms, his hair wet, with a white towel draped over his shoulders, his chest bare. He smiled when he saw her but she frowned when she spotted him.

"Theta what happened?" she asked, moving over to him, his skin was...slightly red, more like splotchy red, and it felt warm under her touch.

"Nothing," he shrugged, taking her hands to hold them, absently playing with them, examining them as he had her last self once.

"Are you trying to break Rule 3 my love?" she asked jokingly.

"No!" his eyes widened as he looked at her, "No, not at all," she gave him a look, "Nothing happened, honestly," he crossed his hearts, "I just...took a shower."

"With volcanic water?" she guessed, eyeing the red of his skin.

"It was...warm, yes," he nodded.

"Theta, it was scalding," she countered, it...wasn't like him, to like a shower that hot, "What's wrong?" she asked him gently.

He sighed, smiling at her softly as he reached out to trace her cheek with a finger, "Can't hide anything from you can I, psychic?"

"No you can't, thief," she countered with a laugh, "Now please, my love, tell me what's wrong?"

He nodded, "I just...Nefertiti...and it was...and she kept..." he grimaced, not really knowing how to phrase it without it sounding embarrassing, so he just gestured at himself.

"Oh," Angel nodded, understanding him perfectly.

"Yes," he looked away.

She stepped closer, draping her arms around his neck, resting her forehead to his temple, seeing his eyes fall closed and him start to smile, "Well then," she whispered in his ear, "Since she made you feel so uncomfortable touching you," she let her one hand trail gently back over his shoulder and tapped his chest, just over his heart, in time with it, smiling herself as she felt the heartbeats pick up, "I think I know just what you need."

"You do?" he murmured, feeling her lift her other hand to play with the hair at the nape of his neck, making his breath hitch.

"Mhmm," she nodded against his head, "To replace the bad with the good."

His eyes blinked open, half-lidded, as he looked at her, "You know, I think that's just a...fantastic...plan," he smiled at the word. He glanced at the bedroom door, "Ayla's to bed?"

She nodded, "And she will be for quite a while I think."

"Brilliant!" he laughed, suddenly winding his arms around her waist and jumping towards the bed, landing on his back, pulling her down with him, on top of him as she laughed heartily at his sudden action, making him beam at the sound...only to cut if off quite soon after with his lips.

He reached up, his hand moving to the back fo her neck as he kissed her deeply, before rolling them both over. Yes, this was a touch he most certainly preferred.

Chapter Text

Angel groaned as she woke up, her head was pounding from the lingering affects of the gas from the glass coffin she'd found herself in. She shook her head, shaking her black locks out of her vision, only to find she was standing upright against an examining board, her arms and legs clasped down against it. Feeling far too much like she was back in Van Statten's museum and the other hospitals she'd been held at she struggled, trying to get out, about ready to use the Vortex when...

"Don't struggle," someone whispered, startling her. She looked over to see a man in a similar predicament beside her, his shirt opened, "Close your eyes and don't struggle."

"Why?" she breathed, "What going to happen?"

"Decontamination, they call it. They did it to me. While I was conscious."

"Did what?" she swallowed, feeling herself starting to shake at what might be coming.

"Dissected me," he looked down at his stomach where there was a long, straight, healing scar.

"No…" Angel gasped, looking down at her stomach, the tiny bump invisible under her blue flowy dress, her baby there, and it was so small...she'd just found out about it a short while ago...

Oh dear God no...

"He's coming!" the man tensed, hearing footsteps approaching, "I'm sorry. I wish I could help you."

Angel looked over as one of the reptilian creatures, a Silurian she could make out, approached her, a surgeon's mask over his nose and mouth, and she knew it was the same man that she'd seen through the glass of the coffin before. Now though, he was wearing an operating apron and holding up a large syringe, which made her hearts freeze as he drew even nearer.

"Please," she eyed the really rather sharp cutting tool in his hands, "Don't…"

She was terrified, beyond terrified, of the sharp object getting closer and closer to her stomach. She...she wanted to use the Vortex, she could feel it thrashing inside her, wanting to be released, wanting to throw the doctor back and break apart the restraints, free Mo as well, and get them both out of there. But she wasn't letting it. She was stronger than the last time the Vortex had lashed out, more aware of why it was reacting so instantly to her danger, and...she was scared. The Vortex had damaged her often in the past. Using too much of it had nearly made her regenerate on Mars, HAD made her regenerate on Kroptor. It left her weak, it left her hurting, and...she couldn't risk it, not with the baby. The Vortex was similar to regeneration energy in how truly powerful and devastating it could be. It could heal, yes, but equally it could injure.

She couldn't risk the baby.

She was probably incredibly lucky that she hadn't lost the baby during the dealings with the 456, or on Mars, or when she'd fallen through a ceiling into Naismith manor, or when the Vortex had flared up in the Calvierri school...she couldn't believe she'd done all that while pregnant. It terrified her more than she could say to think she might have lost the baby and not even realized because of those events. But now that she knew, now that she was aware, everything was different. Until she knew exactly what affect the Vortex would have on the baby...she couldn't risk huge displays of it, she just...she couldn't. If she lost the baby...

And that cutting tool was getting even closer.

"Please!" she begged, squirming, trying to push herself farther back into the examination board, away from the device.

"Leave her alone!" Mo shouted, hearing the tremor of fear in her voice and struggling in his own restraints to try and stop the doctor, "You got me!"

The doctor just pulled down his medical mask to reveal his scaled face and pushed as small button in his hand, locking her in place by the wrists painfully, wincing as she gave a small cry of pain, the angle of the restraints making it awkward and likely to bruise, "Commencing dissection," he reached for her.

"Silurian!" Angel called in a last ditch effort to buy time, for what she honestly didn't know, her mind was racing too much to make sense of anything, fear clouding it, but she felt it, if she could just make him wait a moment longer...maybe the Doctor would come, "You're a Silurian."

He eyed her in shock, his mouth falling open at her knowledge, "How do you know our race?"

"I'm not human," Angel breathed, panted really, "Your tests will be contaminated if you use me as a subject. I'm not human."

The doctor's eyes widened, startled, "Yet you appear similar to that specimen," he nodded at Mo.

"He appears similar to me," she countered, "Time Lords came first."

The doctor frowned, suspicious that the woman might be lying and about to open her up to see if she was...

~8~

Mo closed his eyes, clenching them shut tightly at the sounds of the person sobbing beside him. Angel had begged the Silurian doctor to stop, to not come any closer, to not try and hurt her, that he couldn't dissect her or decontaminate her as he had called it, to get back. She had pleaded, she had told him she wasn't human, that she would contaminate his tests if he were to dissect her, but it seemed it only made him more intrigued, the Silurian doctor couldn't pass up the chance to dissect and examine someone who looked so much like a human yet apparently was not one. She had cried and screamed as she felt it, as she felt the instruments cut into her, the Silurian doctor couldn't give her any medications, not knowing how they would react to someone who was not human, so they had all had to listen to her screaming and begging him to stop, screaming bloody murder when the man got to her stomach, curious to see what an 'alien' ate.

And now he knew why.

The doctor had been very excited to find out she was with child and now he would have an infant to study as well, instead of just a child or adult like the humans. Even if it was an alien, it was a prime specimen.

It killed him to hear the beeping of the heart monitor the doctor had hooked up to the woman, beeping twice as fast because apparently she had two hearts, catching the baby's heartbeat as well as it raced and increased what he knew was to a dangerous level...before going flat. It was even worse to see the doctor...he grimaced and flinched to remember...pull the fetus from the woman beside him, covered in blood, taking the baby away despite the fact that she...it looked like a little girl from what he could tell...had died. It seemed he did not even care.

He'd glared at the doctor through tears as he turned, his back to the woman who sobbed brokenly, weakly, to place the baby on a smaller examination board on a desk, covering it with a small, splotched red, cloth...when...

"Area 17 incursion, species diagnostic requested," came over the speakers, "Area 17 incursion, species diagnostic requested."

The Silurian doctor sighed and turned to go...leaving Mo trapped and her nothing more than a sobbing, crying wreck stuck to the board, scarcely able to breathe as she tried to work past her pain, both physical and emotional, at the loss she had just suffered, to see her baby taken from her and killed before her eyes.

He struggled in his restraints, wanting to murder the doctor for doing that to her, for seeming about to leave her there, bleeding on his examination table, "Get back here!" he shouted at the doctor, "Get back here! How dare you do that her?! You need to fix her!"

But the doctor just ignored him and walked out the door as Mo tried, struggled as hard as he could, to break free of his restraints. He could hear the girl beside him whimpering, her breathing labored, trying to get enough air to her lungs, but she was growing weaker. She was tied to a board, blood seeping out of her, the doctor hadn't tried to staunch it, too excited about the...smaller specimen.

He looked over at Angel as the doctor left, "Hold on," he begged her, he didn't even know her name, "Hold on please, just a little longer. I'm...I'm...I can get out of here, I can..." he struggled with the restraints around his wrist, trying to break them open, needing to get to her because he could see it...she was barely hanging on as it was. Apparently the doctor didn't understand how blood worked to aliens, he barely understood humans. He was a reptile, of course he wouldn't understand. And she was getting worse, "Please, please just hold on," he called, trying to keep her awake, trying to keep her conscious, "I can...I'm almost out, I'm almost out!" he squeezed his eyes closed, crying out in pain as he managed to pull his one hand through the small hole, "Finally," he muttered, "Just a little more," he started to pull at the restraint on his other wrist, glancing frantically at Angel, seeing her head starting to lull forward, "Hold on," he wheezed, turning to the side, twisting the binds, trying to break the other restraint on his arm open...and managing to do it. He pushed the strap across his chest away, leaning down to unhook his legs, both coming open easier with two hands on them, before he fell out of the examination board, onto the floor. He scrambled to his feet despite his weary muscles and new-weak nature, and rushed to her side, lifting her head but she was far too gone. She could barely open her eyes, she was sweating.

He looked at the restraints around her, they were completely locked down, there would be no way he'd be able to open them without the key and only the doctor had that, "I'm sorry," he whispered, "I'm so sorry. I can't get you out!"

"Go," Angel whispered, so softly Mo almost missed it. She was just...so tired...she couldn't feel the Vortex any longer.

He looked up at her, startled, "What?"

"Go," she struggled to breathe, tensing at the pain, "Just...go."

He started to shake his head, how could he just leave? She was far too pale, unnaturally pale, from all of the blood she was losing, if he left now...he knew he wouldn't be able to find help in time. If he stayed though...

"Go," she repeated, "Please," she stuttered, and he could see her shaking as she tried to keep up her strength, enough to give him a message, "Go," she urged him.

"I can't," he shook his head, "How can I leave? You need help!"

"It...won't come," she breathed, feeling her hearts shattering to know that.

She'd hoped, vainly it seemed, that the Doctor would try to get her back. She knew it was a far cry, he didn't seem to care about her anymore, but...she'd hoped he'd care enough, as the last of their species, to rescue her, to focus on getting her back, not knowing what danger she was in, that he'd just...come for her. It seemed she'd been wrong to hope, hope got you nothing but pain, and she'd been weak, too scared to use the Vortex in time, and with the first cut...she'd been in too much pain, too distracted, and now her baby had suffered for it.

She deserved this.

To die there, alone.

But Mo didn't.

She blinked her eyes open at him...and he saw it. She was terrified, there was a fear in her eyes but there was also resignation and sorrow, unbearable loss, and...death. He let out a breath at that, no matter what, no matter if he managed to get her out, he...he wouldn't be able to save her. He couldn't imagine what she had felt, to see her baby being torn from her the way it had, it would have traumatized any woman at all...and you didn't recover from something like that. He could tell if he didn't get her out soon...the bloodloss alone would kill her, but it seemed like she was all too willing to let it happen. She looked so weak, she could barely keep her head up.

"I can't," he whispered, but she just looked at him pleadingly.

"Please," she managed to breathe out, he could hear the strength in her voice fading, "Go."

He swallowed hard and nodded, standing, "I'll bring help," he swore, "I'll come back, just...hold on."

Angel could only shake her head, "Tell him..." she swallowed, "I'm sorry," she struggled to get out, her voice shaking so bad he could barely understand her.

Tears filled Mo's eyes as he stepped back, "I'll be back, promise," before he dashed out of the room, rushing down the halls, trying to find someone, anyone at all, any sort of human, that could possibly help. There had to be more humans there. Not only had the woman told him to tell someone something, but...that alert that had led the doctor out, it was the same alert he had heard when he'd been dragged underground.

Angel watched him go through fading vision, disappearing down the dark hall. She closed her eyes, feeling tears in them again, it was too much. She hurt so much more than just the baby...dying, more than just the Doctor forgetting her, she physically hurt and she couldn't...she just couldn't...she just couldn't hang on any longer. What was the point of it?

She looked at the door, staring at it till her vision blurred and black dots appeared in her sight, before her head lulled to the side as her eyes fell closed...

~8~

The Doctor shifted uncomfortably as he stood in the lush vegetation with Amy and Nasreen, following their Silurian guards towards a large gleaming building.

"What is it Doctor?" Amy asked, seeing his expression grow more to discomfort than the interest that had just been on it.

"I...I don't know," he admitted.

He felt...off, odd, out of sorts. It was like he was moving through thick water, sluggish. Yet his hearts were racing, his head was pounding, he felt like he was tingling but not in a good way but in a way as though you were going cold but he didn't know why. It was actually rather warm in the center of the Earth and yet...he was shaking.

"Are you ok?" Nasreen looked at him, "You look as though you're about to faint Doctor."

He shook his head, "Faint? Who's going to faint? I don't think I faint. No, far too girly and I'm not a girl, not a human either, just a madm..."

Amy rolled her eyes, "She means you don't look well Doctor, and you really don't," she eyed him, concerned, "You really do look pale. Are you sure you're ok? You're starting to sweat."

And indeed he was, which was even more odd because he felt rather chilled, but he shook his head, "I'm fine. I'm fine. I'll be fine. Fine. I'm fine."

Amy watched him cautiously as he started to stutter, this was not like the Doctor at all. This was what he did when he was getting frantic, when he was worried and didn't know what to do, but...it couldn't be their situation, he'd seemed fine and calm a moment ago, "If you're sure..."

"Yes, quite," he nodded, though Amy could see a jerkiness to it as they walked on, following Restac and Malokeh down the vast vegetation once more.

But it was clear to everyone that something was very wrong with the Doctor, he'd started rambling about the moon to distract them, or attempt to, but his words were slurring a bit, he was stuttering and getting his thoughts jumbled, had started talking about moon cheese. It was like he was distracted or something.

And he was.

It just...didn't seem important, the moon, not it all. Something else was there, lingering in his head, something in his hearts and his soul, something else that was so much more important than just the moon...but he couldn't figure it out. He swallowed hard, his mouth was going to dry, it was like he couldn't breathe anymore, his chest was tightening ,his lungs felt starved of oxygen. What was it? What was happening to him?

He didn't know but whatever it was...he hoped he figured it out soon so he could stop it.

~8~

Mo ran down the halls, looking around wildly, frantically peeking around every corner, trying to make sure there weren't any lizard men there. He ducked back as two passed, before rushing out, down the opposite hall. He came to a vast corridor with glass on either side of it, like windows on alcoves of some kind. He walked up to one of them, hoping it would be weapons stored behind it, and press the button on the side...jumping back as he saw two lizard men standing there, with weapons in their hands. He leapt forward to turn the lights off, hoping they hadn't seen him...but they didn't move even as they were encased in darkness once more. He frowned, hitting the light one more time and turning them on, staring at the lizards that didn't move even now, even as the glass window slid open, even as he stood right in front of them.

"Hello?" he frowned, looking at them, waving his hand in front of their masks, but they still remained immobile. He let out a breath, realizing that they must be asleep, and snuck forward, grabbing the guns out of their very hands, two of them, as many as he could take, before he hit the button again, sealing the window and turning the lights off.

He glanced down the hall, before he continued on, rushing down it, he had to find those other humans, he had to, he needed help! That girl needed help terribly and quickly. He didn't even bother waiting until he could make sure there were no lizard people around a corner, didn't bother checking the corners any longer, not now that he had weapons. He just...he wanted to find help all the sooner.

He remembered what it was like when his wife had been pregnant with their son Elliot. He would do anything, anything at all, to protect her, no matter what, no matter from what. Even though this girl was not his wife, she was pregnant...she had been...she was with child and the child has died. He knew there had to be a man out there somewhere that the child belonged to as well. And that man needed to know what had happened. He would do all he could to protect that girl, even now, just...trying to get her help that maybe, in the future at least, she could be saved and healed, maybe...maybe have more children.

But to do that...he had to make sure she survived.

~8~

"Doctor, maybe you should sit down," Amy suggested as they entered a large citadel-like room.

She was really starting to get worried now. The Doctor was...even more unbalanced than normal. He was wobbling quite a bit, he was unsteady on his feet, he was sweating and shaking and unnaturally pale and he didn't even look as though he was even there. His words were barely coherent at the moment, and he didn't seem focused either. He was looking around in a jerky motion, as though scarcely able to control his bodily movements, and he seemed weak, like he was slumping, like he could barely stand straight any longer. He seemed to be having trouble breathing as well, he was panting and rubbing his chest as though his hearts or lungs hurt, but she didn't know why.

Neither did he, it seemed.

The Doctor bit back a groan, feeling his insides twist painfully, barely understanding Restac as she spoke about their execution, how they were going to make an example of the apes...when suddenly a man ran in with guns in hand, shouting for them to stop...but he didn't even notice it really. He couldn't really focus on anything. He knew the man had to be Mo, he had to be, he had been taken there before. But he didn't understand why he couldn't focus, why it was so hard for him to make connections.

What was this...this pressure building inside of him? Why was there this pain starting to throb in his very soul?

Restac advanced on Mo but Mo seemed to be beyond angry at the moment, he didn't even bother to try and let the woman speak as he fired the Silurian weapon at her, striking her in the gut, sending her falling backwards, wounded, the other soldiers that had accompanied them quickly rushed to her side, knowing they could not attack while he had a gun in his hand, knowing that the humans could be volatile.

"Mo!" Nasreen shouted, completely startled and horrified that he'd fired a gun at another person...even if it was an alien, or an earthlian as the Doctor had said.

Mo didn't even bother to apologize as he ran over to them, "Please," he begged, "You have to help me!"

"What happened?" the Doctor looked over, knowing instinctively that something had happened.

"Oh my God," Amy gasped, seeing the lines marring his skin, the dissection lines, and...some fresher blood as well.

Mo just shook his head, "That's not important, please I need your help. She's hurt."

Amy jumped as the Doctor lunged forward, grabbing the edges of Mo's collar, startling her, "What do you mean she's hurt?!"

And then she realized...the only other person there...was Angel.

"What happened?!" the Doctor demanded, feeling a fierce protectiveness, a fierce anger, rise up in him that he'd never felt before. He didn't know where it was coming from, all the knew was that the fact that Angel was hurt had registered in his mind and that he had to find her, that he had to help her. It didn't matter what he was feeling or how terribly weak he was becoming for some reason, he had to find Angel...

He had to find her, he had to find her, hehadtofindher, hehadtofindher, findherfindherfindher...

He fell to his knees as the mantra kept repeating his mind, help Angel, find Angel, save Angel, save his...Mate...and then he gasped, grabbing his head as pain shot through him, memory upon memory upon memory piling into his mind, overwhelming him.

All those little moments he and Angel had shared restored to his mind, and now...all he could think about was that they had taken his Mate, that she had been taken beneath the earth and, according to Mo, she had been hurt terribly somewhere, "They took her..." he muttered, "They took my Mate," his expression hardened and he turned to Mo, grabbing him by the front of his shirt again, "Where is she?" he demanded, a dangerous tone in his voice, a murderous and desperate look in his eyes that had Amy jumping back at the sheer change in him.

"This way," Mo pulled back and led him off.

They rushed through the halls, Mo firing at any Silurian that appeared before them, not caring that Amy was shocked...though more so at seeing the Doctor not saying a word about it as she would've expected him to be angry with Mo for shooting down the innocent reptiles. But she could see it on his face, he looked like he would've done it himself if he had the strength, but he was stumbling into walls, falling to the side, falling to his knees and struggling to get up, more determined than she had ever seen him to keep going. So she ran to his side to help him up, to support him, as they continued on.

"Doctor, what is it?" Amy asked as he stumbled again, just outside the door to some sort of examination room, one Mo had been in, "What's happening to you?"

The Doctor didn't answer, just looked at Mo as he tried to open the door...but it was locked again, "No! No, no, it's locked! I can't get in!" he shouted, pounding on the door, looking through a small window in it at Angel, lying there, still attached to the board, the girl was slumped over, her black hair falling half in front of her very very pale face, the blood was everywhere, still dripping though slower than before. And he knew...she wasn't moving, she scarcely looked like she was breathing, and that was not good at all. He pounded on the door once more, "Open up!"

"Move!" the Doctor shoved him aside, grabbing the sonic and flicking it at the door, unlocking it, opening it, and running in, "Angel!" he nearly fell to the ground, seeing the state she was left in, hanging there on the examination board, her dress torn, blood everywhere, cuts still open, clearly having been dissected...and she wasn't moving. She wasn't breathing. He could feel it inside him, he could feel it now, exactly why he'd been reacting and growing weaker...

Angel was dying.

She was probably very nearly dead at the moment.

He ran to her side, struggling to get her unlocked, forgetting he'd dropped the sonic on the floor in shock of what had happened to her, "No, no, no, no, no..." he strained, trying to pry the bonds open himself with his bare hands, "Open up! Open!" he felt tears pricking at the corners of his eyes as he started to cry, struggling with the restrains, his mind becoming more disjointed...all he could see was blood, was Angel covered in blood, his Mate's blood. She was dying and he had to get her out but he couldn't.

"Doctor move!" Amy cried as she ran over with the sonic, having picked it up, flashing it at the bonds...but it didn't work, "How does this work? How does this work Doctor? How do you work the thingy?"

He just grabbed it from her, pointing it at the restraints, opening them as Angel fell off the board and into his arms as he sank to the ground with her, his hearts nearly broke as he collapsed at catching her because he could feel it...the last of her life was leaving her even as they spoke, "What...what...what did he do to her?" he started shaking his head, "Why did he do this?!" he couldn't understand why the Silurian doctor would dissect Angel!

Even if she looked like a human she wasn't. She was an alien and that would've contaminated the tests that he knew the doctor had been running.

"Why would he just leave her like this?!"

"He likes to collect the young," Mo said solemnly behind him, having heard the reptile talking about it far more than his studies on him and other adults, "And he had a better test subject this time," he swallowed, tears in his eyes, "A baby, straight from the mother's womb."

The Doctor froze at that, looking down at Angel's stomach, not having wanted to look at more of her, afraid of what he'd see if he took his eyes off her face but...there it was...her stomach was even more deeply red from the blood than the rest of her. He reached out a shaking hand and tugged the torn part of her dress to the side gently, the tears in his eyes finally falling as he stared, horrified, at the red, ugly cuts across her stomach.

"Baby," he struggled to get that word out, his mind completely shutting down on him.

A baby.

There had been a baby.

But it wasn't there anymore.

He couldn't see it...where was it?! Where was it? He flinched, he didn't even know the gender and...he knew...he knew the baby was his. It had to be, it was the only way. His son or daughter...where was it? Where was the baby? Where was his child?

He froze even more, his hearts breaking at the thought that not only was his Mate was dying in his arms but his child...his child was taken right out of her. He knew that Angel was too far past the point of being able to be healed with regeneration energy...at least not his...and he could feel it...she was purposefully NOT regenerating. She...she was choosing to die. It had to have been unbearable...to lose their son or daughter like that and...he realized, thinking back on time, the only time it could have happened...the baby was too young, it couldn't have survived the extraction.

"Where is it?" he looked around, frantic, "Where is it? Where's the baby? Where's the baby? Where's my child?"

Amy gasped, hearing him claiming the child as his, she hadn't thought he and Angel were together like that, he'd said they weren't!

Mo looked at the other side of the room, where he'd seen the Silurian carrying the baby, and closed his eyes. The Doctor saw it however, followed his gaze, and saw the lump that was covered by a small white cloth. Amy looked between them, before spotting it herself. She walked over, hesitantly lifting the cloth, checking underneath it...and gasped, tears in her eyes, and she looked away, letting the cloth drop back down.

It was the baby.

But it wasn't a baby yet, it was...such a little thing. It looked barely even three months old it was so small, but she reached out gently and picked it up with the cloth, wrapping it around it like a shroud, as she carried it to the Doctor. He took in his arms, unable to bring himself to lift the cloth and peek beneath, knowing what it would look like, knowing it wouldn't look like a baby, and that was NOT how he wanted to remember his child. He had wanted to remember any child of his and Angel's as a full grown baby, as a toddler, as a child, a teenager, and adult, and old man, anything at all but just...alive. With the baby clutched firmly to him he turned to Angel, speaking softly as he stroked her face, but she didn't move, she wasn't even breathing anymore.

Amy stood there, watching, with tears in her eyes, as the last whispers of life left the Time Lady.

"Angel?" the Doctor kept talking, as though she were still there, as though his words could bring her back, remind her he was there, let her know he was back, get through to her, spark a regeneration. Something, anything, he just...he couldn't lose the baby AND her after having just remembered, and...he couldn't lose her not knowing that he was her Doctor once more, "Angel look, it's our baby, it's our little baby," he nearly choked on his words, he couldn't even say what it was, he just...couldn't bring himself to look, but he knew what he was hoping for, "Our little girl," he whispered, "Look, Angel, she's so beautiful," he sniffled, struggling to hold on, to keep going, torn between needing her to wake up and wishing his body would go faster and follow, "Please, you need to wake up. Angel you need to look at her. She needs her mum."

But Angel didn't move, she didn't stir, he could feel in his own hearts slowing to join hers and he knew, he was going to join her very soon and that was all the better.

"Please Angel," he begged, "Please just open your eyes. Please just once more," he looked at her, but she didn't open her eyes, she didn't move, she didn't stir, she didn't breathe, her hearts had stopped beating. He couldn't...he couldn't deal with this any longer. He'd failed her, he'd just wanted her to open her eyes, see him there, see that he loved her, that he had always loved her, even when he'd forgotten...but he'd been too late.

He closed his eyes, holding her tightly, "Don't worry," he whispered, kissing her hair as he cradled her to him, "I'm coming. I'm coming."

Amy just shook her head, not knowing what was going on, "Doctor what are you talking about? What's happening? What's happening to you? What's wrong?" she could see it in him, he was getting paler by the second, it seemed like he was having trouble breathing as he just sort of faded away in front of her.

"She was my Mate, Amy," he told her, his voice trembling as he spoke, and he hadn't remembered her, "She was my Mate."

Amy looked at him, "Yeah, I know, you said she was your mate, she was your friend," it was true, he said that a lot.

He winced, recalling Liz 10, how he'd denied it, how incredibly he had proclaimed that they were only friends to everyone who brought it up, but they weren't just friends. He could see it, in his mind, Angel wincing, her flinching, the pain in her eyes, every time he said that, especially that last time, with the Dream Lord, how he had said that his memories couldn't be that important if he could forgot them.

If he forgot her.

Oh God.

It hit him fully just then, to realize, to know that she had died not knowing he remembered. He fell ill, he felt like he could be sick all over the floor, right at that very moment when he realized that she had died not knowing that he did love her, truly and deeply loved her, with everything he had. She was gone, and she didn't even know, he couldn't even tell her, she wouldn't hear him. His hearts broke all over again, realizing still that he would never know why he had forgotten her in the first place. He didn't know why it happened. How could it have possibly happened?! She was his world and he would never know...and that was probably better because he just wanted to be with her now and that was all he wanted.

"No Amy, you don't understand," he shook his head, staring down at Angel's pale face, "She was my Mate," he emphasized.

Amy frowned, sensing the context of Mate was different than mate, "And what's that?"

He flinched, shaking, and looked up at her, tears in his eyes...and Amy gasped, seeing the heartbreak and the pain radiating from his gaze, "She's my life Amy and now...she's gone."

Amy shook her head, "No, there must be a way we can help her. There has to be something we can do to save her! What about the TARDIS?"

The Doctor shook his head and looked back to Angel, "It's too late. She's gone."

Amy frowned, "But what about that regeneration thing you said?"

"We can force our regenerations to not take effect," he murmured brokenly, "What was the point, you must of been thinking that," he looked at Angel, squeezing her cold hand.

That had to be what she was thinking, what was the point of going on when the last thing she had to hold onto had been taken from her? The baby was gone, she was gone...it was the same for him now. What was the point anymore? He wasn't even sure if she realized that in her dying he would too. Angel would never ever be that selfish...but she was in such incredible pain, he could feel it even now, he could feel every single aspect of it, of what she'd felt, and he just...wanted her to be happy and not feel pain anymore.

He knew what had happened, she didn't want to go on any longer, without him, without the baby, what else was there to live for? How any woman could survive an experience like that he wasn't sure. He knew he didn't know how Angel would either and apparently she didn't as well. She just couldn't go on any longer, it was why she hadn't let the regeneration happen, why she'd held off on it like the Master had. And he couldn't blame her. He only wished the Mating would hurry up and that he could join her quickly, because right now, sitting on the cold ground, with his Mate and child in his arms, knowing both were gone...it was too much, it was his worst fear playing out before him. And he just wanted to be with her again, with her and their child in whatever afterlife was waiting for them. He had to believe there was an afterlife, even for a man like him. He used to be so afraid that there would be, that he would end up in the Gallifreyan version of hell because of all that he had done, not just to his own planet but to others. In knowing Angel though...he had started to believe in the Gallifreyan version of heaven as well, started to dare to hope that he might be worthy of it, especially with an Angel vouching for him.

But he didn't care where he ended up, as long as he was with Angel and their child and that he could be with them forever.

"Doctor, what is it?" Amy called, her voice sounding further away than it was, distant, "You're scaring me."

But the Doctor didn't even take his eyes away from Angel, "Don't be frightened," he whispered, "I'm not..." he closed his eyes, pressing his forehead to Angel's, steeling himself against the pain, against the Mating trying to pull him along with her. He longed to just...let go, let himself be with her...but he knew, even in death...there was still something Angel would want him to do first. And, after everything he'd done to her...he could at least do this one last thing.

"Don't worry Angel," he pressed another kiss to her hair, "I'll take care of everything," he swallowed hard, placing the baby in her arms, before he struggled to his feet and he ran out of the room, rushing down the halls, trying to keep going as Amy, Nasreen, and Mo ran after him. He looked back when he noticed them, "Get out of here!" he nearly growled at them from the effort and the torment he was feeling at having to leave Angel, at fighting against the feeling he'd been welcoming moments ago.

"Doctor what are you doing?" Amy tried to move to help steady him.

But the Doctor shoved her away, falling against a door, peering through the window to see a control room on the other side. He soniced it open and spun around to face them, "Go!" he half-snarled at them, slamming the door shut, blocking them out. Mo, seeming to be the only one who realized what the Doctor was doing or planning to do, grabbed Amy and Nasreen's arms and pulled them away.

"Go, go, go!" Mo shouted, pushing them on, running through the halls till they reached the alcoves, still with a mess of Silurians standing stationary within. He pressed a button on the wall, opening the glass walls, pushing the frozen Silurians out, "Get in!" he ordered, jumping onto a circular pad he'd noticed earlier, looking up to see a sort of tunnel thing, the same tunnel thing he'd seen on they way down, "Get on!"

"Get on what?" Amy shook her head.

"What are we doing?" Nasreen had to ask.

Mo just reached out and grabbed them, yanking them onto pads of their own before he hit a button on the wall and they shot up through the tunnel, racing through the layers of earth, the transport pods taking them back to the surface...

~8~

The Doctor worked frantically in the control room, muttering under his breath, thoughts disjointed, cursing in Gallifreyan as his hands shook and his vision blurred as he raced to get it done before he couldn't go on any longer. Angel was counting on him, he had to make sure he did this last thing, for her, he HAD to. He winced, struggling to hold on, he needed just a little bit longer, just a little bit longer to make sure the Silurians wouldn't ever do this to anyone else, another moment longer to make sure he could join Angel and that everyone would still be safe...like Angel would want.

And that was the point in fighting now.

Angel would want the humans to be safe, she would never want anyone to experience what she had at the Silurian hands, and he could do this for her, with his last moment and his last breath and the last of his strength, he could do this for her.

He looked up, watching as the teleports reached the top of the planet on a monitor, before he grabbed the sonic, flicking it on, turning the light on the end red.

Just one more second.

He took a breath, closing his eyes, and activated the sonic...sending off a massive amount of explosions throughout the entirety of the sub-city, shattering all the holding cells, releasing toxic gas, burying the Silurian civilization in tons of rubble that they would never ever escape from.

They would never harm a human again, they would never ever hurt Angel again.

He...smiled...as the room around him began to cave in from the blasts, burying him underneath the debris, though he didn't mind...he could finally be with Angel once more...

~8~

The Doctor gasped awake with a jolt, looking around the dark room he was in, feeling as though he were choking, as though he were still there in the sub-city, being buried alive despite the fact he was lying on a rather comfy bed. He could almost feel the bumps and bruises all over him, even though none marred his skin.

He sat up, letting out a breath as he hunched forward, burying his face in his hands as he heaved, feeling like he couldn't get enough breath in him. It was...another dream, yet another nightmare. He should have expected it, they'd been...plaguing him for...quite a while, quite a very long while. He took a breath, closing his eyes, steeling himself, feeling that brief flash of fear he always felt when he woke, the fear that it wasn't a dream, that it had happened, that one mistake in his past...like taking longer than he had to protect the humans, like putting more effort and focus on them instead of listening to the instinct that he needed to get back to Angel...had taken the woman he loved more than anything from him. Worse still, that dream had taken Ayla from him in the most horrific way imaginable.

He looked over, feeling the weight lift off his shoulders as he saw Angel sleeping beside him, Ayla was actually between them, having had a bit of a nightmare earlier and come to seek comfort only her parents could give. He knew sometimes it wasn't even that, sometimes she just wanted to have a sleepover with them and they were always more than happy to have her, but this time...it was a nightmare. He leaned over, brushing a strand of Ayla's hair behind her ear, before he dropped a kiss onto her hair, and tugging 'Aslan's' bowtie for good measure. He looked over at Angel, lying there on her side, facing him and Ayla, and gave a small smile.

It was...the greatest relief in the Universe to wake up and see both his girls lying there beside him, reminding him that they were there. He took a deeper breath, looking at how she was sleeping, the TARDIS had warmed the room, Ayla hated being cold, and it was a bit too warm, their thinnest blanket was over them, but Angel had kicked it down to her knees. He reached out and hesitantly took hold of the edge of her tanktop shirt, he tugged it up slowly...letting out an even more relieved breath at seeing the flawless, perfect skin, not red, not cut, not...anything short of just perfect.

He leaned over, careful not to wake Ayla or Angel, and pressed a soft kiss to her stomach. He tugged her shirt back down and rested his forehead on her belly for a moment before pulling back, looking at his girls, so innocent in their sleep, so happy, so...safe and alive and alright.

"I'll protect you," he whispered to them, though being very careful to be quiet enough where they wouldn't wake, "I swear I'll protect you both, forever. I will NOT fail again. I promise you, I won't fail either of you again."

He blinked rapidly, feeling tears in his eyes as the nightmare hit him again, replaying itself over and over in his mind, and he...started crying. He wouldn't fail. He would make sure they were safe always, if it was the last thing he ever did, he would not let that happen, his nightmares would NEVER come to life. He would never ever ever let that happen again.

Ayla would NOT be taken from him.

Angel would NOT be harmed.

Neither of them would be studied or poked or prodded or tested or manipulated or...anything that had been done to them before. He would protect them both with his lives, he had made the mistake once before, failed once before when it really mattered, and it would NOT happen a second time. Not ever. Not again. He had been telling the truth in what he'd told Amy about sticking to the shadows, he was slowly learning his lesson on the mistakes he'd made in the past.

He would not put his family in danger again.

He looked at them once more, wiping at his eyes before he laid back down, reaching out to take Angel's hand across Ayla, looking at both his girls, content to watch over them as they slept because he knew he wouldn't be sleeping any time soon, "I'll protect you," he whispered again, "I'll protect you."

Chapter Text

"When I was a child, my favorite story was about a man who lived forever, but whose eyes were heavy with the weight of all he'd seen, a man who fell from the stars."

~8~

A futuristic drone flew over the ground, zigging and zagging, trying to escape something...only to be targeted and shot down mere moments later. As it fell, a man with a squiggling blue tattoo on the side of his face fell from it as well, rolling to kneel on the ground as he crashed into it. He panted, groaning as he laid there, pain shooting through ever part of his body. But still, he forced himself up, kneeling, only to tense, hearing a whirring behind him and footsteps. And he knew what that meant.

The man closed his eyes, "I knew you'd find me eventually."

A larger man in black stomped closer, lifting his arm to reveal a futuristic weapon was fused into the flesh of it. He looked down at the man, a black Stetson on his head, the rim of it just barely masking his robotic eye, a metallic red scanner in place of what should have been a normal eye. He stared at the man kneeling before him, "Make peace with your gods," he rumbled, his deep voice overlaid with a metallic quality, lacking emotion as he spoke.

"Once they were your gods too," the man remarked.

The larger man's expression hardened at the reminder, "Not anymore."

The man turned and slowly tried to crawl away, reaching for a gun lying on the ground...but the larger man merely shot him for it. He fell backwards onto the ground with a groan, staring up at the stars as the larger man walked over to him, appearing in his vision above him, raising his weapon-arm again, "Am I the last one?" he whispered.

The larger man simply stared down at him, "There's one more. The doctor," before he fired the killing shot.

~8~

The Doctor stood in the middle of a road that led to a desert town, his arms around Angel as she stood before him, her back to his front with his chin on her shoulder. It was probably...odd...he hadn't really let go of her since a rather nasty nightmare about the Silurians.

Literally.

He hadn't really let go of her. He'd found this new him loved to touch her, very much so, but...it was a bit more than that. It was like that was the only way he could convince himself she was there, that she was ok, that she hadn't been harmed by Malokeh. There were times he had to physically remind himself of how much care Malokeh had shown Elliot, how much compassion he'd shown in trying to help the humans, how that particular Silurian wouldn't have EVER done what he had in his dream. He hated how his mind had taken Malokeh's natural curiousity, taken what Mo had suffered, and applied the harsher qualities of it to the Silurian and Angel. He still felt just...ill, to even think of what he'd dreamt. He wasn't sure if Angel had noticed the semi-desperate quality that had arisen in his need to touch her constantly, but...he found he preferred that. He didn't want to worry her and...he didn't want to talk to her about the nightmares. For the first time in...ever really...he didn't want to share those dreams with her. And it had nothing to do with their terrible nature, with forcing her to see the things he imagined happening to her, but...it was just...him. He didn't wan to share the dreams because he knew what she would try to do about them. She'd...

His train of thought was cut off when Angel turned her head, her nose brushing against his cheek as she kissed it, "Bit off again, my love," she murmured.

He smiled, "But a very...good off," he remarked, glancing down at her attire. He liked this FAR more than the other outfit she would have worn if they'd gotten where they'd intended to go. He'd rather see her dressed like this than a skeleton. She was wearing tight black pants, tucked into black boots, with a white button up, long-sleeved shirt, a black vest over it, with a little bolo tie, completing her look with a black Stetson...he'd thrown her blue one into a supernova.

On accident, of course.

Yes, entirely on accident.

They just happened to be floating near a supernova at the time.

And it wasn't like he'd seen it there, run like a chicken with his head cut off through the TARDIS to the wardrobe, dug through all the hats till he found it, and then raced back to kick it out the door.

Not at all.

But the best part of her outfit...her hair was down, completely down, not even clipped on one side. He loved her hair, he always had, every version of it, along with everything else about her. Everything was very fitted, and it gave her a true 'western' feel. He should have expected that they weren't in Mexico given she and Ayla had disappeared into the wardrobe and come out looking like western heroes instead of dressed and painted like skeletons...which he was very thankful for. The LAST thing he wanted was to imagine them...dead.

He swallowed hard and kissed her temple, glancing back at Ayla who was standing with her Uncle Rory and Aunt Amy, dressed in a small cowgirl outfit. She had a blue denim skirt that went to her knees, brown cowboy boots on that looked remarkably like a miniature brown version of the ones Angel had worn in her last incarnation, a white shirt and a brown vest, a red Stetson on her head, though more dangling behind her neck at the moment. Her hair was still in pigtails though. It seemed she had inherited her mother's love of dressing for the times, something he was pleased they could share and enjoy together.

"'Mercy," Angel read from the sign above the town as she turned back to it, pulling his attention back as well, "81 residents.'"

The sign for the town was also accompanied by various others with numerous warnings to keep out. That particular sign was for the population of 80, but with the 0 crossed out to add the 1.

"Look at this," Amy called, nodding at a ring of rock and branches that circled the town, "It's a load of stones and lumps of wood," she looked up at the Doctor, rolling her eyes slightly to see his own were closed and he was swaying Angel lightly, seeming to be humming in her ear, not paying attention at all, "Doctor!"

He blinked and looked over, "Let me guess, you want me to take a look?" he sighed, "But I'm comfy!"

Angel laughed and reached up to pat his cheek, "And your daughter is curious too," she nodded over to where Ayla had skipped up to the ring to take a closer look.

He smiled and dashed over, flashing the sonic at it, "Ooh..."

"What is it?" Amy asked.

"A load of stones and lumps of wood," he stated, reaching back to take Angel's hand, tugging her on to step over the line with him, not seeing her glance back, feeling as though they were being watched, to see a man in black, in the distance, staring at them before he disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"Er, the sign does say, 'Keep out,'" Rory called when Ayla went to follow her parents, worried for the little girl.

He knew that the Doctor and Angel were VERY protective of Ayla, very very protective, but...sometimes he couldn't help but feel like he worried more. With the Doctor's confidence and Angel's senses...he knew it was likely they knew it would be a relatively safe trip. But as the Doctor's confidence had gotten him into trouble with the Silence and Angle couldn't see everything...he DID worry. He knew how quickly things could escalate around the Time Lords.

"I see keep-out signs as suggestions more than actual orders," the Doctor waved behind him, "Like dry clean only."

"Come on Uncle Rory!" Ayla ran back to grab Rory's hand, tugging him on. Rory laughed, scooping Ayla up and moving her to his back in one fell swoop, giving her a piggyback ride into town. She giggled cheerfully, lightly nudging his sides with her little cowboy boots, "Giddyup!"

He let out a bellowing laugh and mock-neighed, making a snorting horse noise as he trotted a bit, bobbing Ayla up and down as though riding a horse, making Amy smile and shake her head as she stepped over the line as well, following the others down the street. She knew Rory was worried for Ayla, but was also amused by the girl's eagerness.

Her smile faded though when she saw various people watching them from behind windows and doorways, keeping a distance. One woman even pulled her own daughter closer, watching them with narrowed eyes as though they were unwanted.

"My love?" she heard Angel say and looked over to see the woman had stopped, her hand on the Doctor's arm, staring at a street light across from them with a frown.

"That's not right," the Doctor muttered, seeing it spark, clearly running on electrical power instead of candles or oil, which was very not right. He pulled out the sonic to scan it, eyeing the results with a mix of amusement and curiosity.

"It's a street lamp," Rory shook his head, not seeing the point. There were lost of street lights around, but...then again, there were lots of phone boxes, none quite like the TARDIS though...was that it? Was the street light not a street light? Was it like...a giant antenna? Or a beacon! Or maybe some sort of communicator ray? Or...

"An electric street lamp," the Doctor said, unknowingly answering Rory's questions, "About ten years too early."

"It's only a few years out," Rory shrugged, laughing slightly as Ayla started to pet him like he was a real horse.

Angel smiled, glancing back at him, "Isn't that what you said about leaving your phone recharger in Henry VIII's bedroom?"

"Right," Rory winced, glancing at the Doctor to see him frowning about it, "Still cross about that?"

The Doctor just shot him a look as if to say, 'what do you think?' That adventure had been...an experience, which had ended up in Angel nearly being married off to Henry VIII (who had mistaken her for Anne of Cleaves, who had run off with a case of cold feet), him being thrown in the Tower of London...again...for sorcery (who knew the sonic lighting a candle counted as that?!), and Amy and Ayla off to try and find the wayward Anne while Rory tried to break the Doctor out of prison. All because they'd gotten caught by Henry VIII since they'd had to go back for the device.

"It all worked out in the end," Angel reminded him.

He sighed and nodded, "And we STILL didn't get married."

He'd offered to get married just after Henry VIII had, the wedding had been lovely...once it wasn't his Mate set to be walking down the aisle...and it had made him think about their own, really making her 'Angela Smith' again. She'd just pointed out, very...brilliantly really, that Henry VIII was the epitome of why she didn't want to marry him. Which had confused him, and...hurt slightly because he thought it was still lingering fears of him forgetting her again, that he'd 'replace' her with River like Henry VIII did with his wives. But she'd elaborated, reminded him that he HAD a wife already. He'd argued that it was on Gallifrey, that it wasn't his choice, and that the 'to death do you part' thing that humans had had already come to pass.

She'd just smiled and told him that that woman was his WIFE, but SHE was his Mate. And he'd blinked and stared at her, not understanding. She'd laughed and kissed him, whispering that she didn't want to be a replacement wife like Henry's were, she didn't want to be his 'second wife' but his first and only Mate. And THEN he'd understood it. Mate really was a FAR more unique and treasured term among their people. And really...he didn't want a second wife either, he hadn't thought of it in that context. He hadn't even wanted a first wife (well...unless it was Angel). But he understood now, he'd already been married, he could marry again, to use a title like 'wife' which was generic to their people...it was easily broken and replaced at times. But Angel, she was his Mate, she was and would always be his ONLY Mate.

And THAT was why the term and title was special to her, why she didn't want to lose it and replace it with 'wife.'

He'd kissed her rather deeply for that, which had actually shocked a nun or two, and he hadn't even had to eat his hat to do it.

"Still your Mate," Angel countered, giving him a peck.

He just grinned and reached up to touch her cheek, gently bringing her back for another quick kiss, and another one...a bit more slow...

"Doctor, um..." Amy began, seeing people starting to close their doors and windows and hide inside and the Doctor just getting more distracted.

The Doctor smiled happily at Angel as he pulled way, "Anachronistic electricity, keep-out signs, aggressive stares..." he tapped her nose, "Has someone been peeking at my Christmas list?"

She smiled, "Don't need to peek, my love," she whispered, tapping her own head, "I know what you want."

He laughed, knowing it wasn't just from being psychic or having a connection to his mind, she just...knew him, inside and out, the same way he knew her. He stepped back, taking out a toothpick from his jacket and putting it in his mouth to chew on.

"Doctor!" Amy sighed as he strode on with Angel, towards the saloon as Ayla giggled, Rory setting her down.

The saloon was rather crowded, very lively too, a man was playing a tune on the piano as men sat around, drinking, playing poker, the women chatting away. At least until the Doctor pushed the bat-wing doors open, everything stopped and everyone stared at him, watching as he sauntered over to the bar. He put his hand, the one that was not holding Angel's still, down on the counter, adopting an American accent, "Tea. But the strong stuff. Leave the bag in," he tried to flip the toothpick around with his mouth...only succeeding in it getting stuck and him nabbing it out of his mouth, trying to play it off.

"What you doing here, son?" the female bartender asked, eyeing him oddly, it wasn't much they got company of the like...not at all really, not since that circle appeared around the town. No one got in or out of Mercy since then.

He grinned, laughing, "Son? You can stay."

"Sir," a black man dressed in a neat black suit and white shirt, which made Angel glance at herself in amusement, stood, a cross on him, "Might I enquire who you is?"

"Are," Ayla corrected promptly, "Who you are."

The man looked at her a moment, shaking his head, before looking up at the Doctor for an answer.

The Time Lord turned and leaned against the bar, tugging Angel closer, taking her hand in both of his, playing with it absently, examining her fingers and her palm and whatnot, "Of course. I am the Doctor, this is my Mate..." he trailed off as the other men stood, "No need to stand," he grinned at Amy and Rory, "You see that? Manners."

"Um, dear," Angel cut in, reaching out to pull Ayla closer, just knowing the simultaneous stand was not a good one, "I don't quite think they're being respectful…"

Another old man stepped forward and began to measure the Doctor's shoulders. He turned, frowning, "Oh, thank you, but I don't need a new suit…"

"I'm the undertaker, sir," the man introduced.

"I got a question," a young man stepped forward, "Is you an alien?"

"Are you," Ayla corrected again, making her parents smile, all those bedtime stories seemed to be catching up to their little girl. They'd just finished reading her Sherlock Holmes and a few others, it seemed she'd developed a fondness for language.

'Who knows,' the Doctor remarked to Angel, 'Maybe she'll be 'the Author' when she's older.'

Angel smiled, getting a sense it wouldn't quite be that, 'Or the Poet,' she joked, though she knew neither quite...fit with their daughter. She DID love creating things of her own, making things for people, she always had a card made for Rory or Amy or all their other companions when they stopped in to visit on a holiday or birthday. She and Sky would often make sock puppets and rag dolls when they'd play together. Their girl had tried her hand at drawing with Clyde once...and realized quite quickly she was just like her parents, couldn't manage even a stick figure. Though the Doctor LOVED the stick-him with its little square fez and triangular bowtie.

They really didn't know what Ayla would call herself, if she would even want to choose a title or another name, she seemed to like Ayla. But whatever she chose they knew it would fit her perfectly. It would have to, you didn't pick a title or name that you'd want to be called the rest of your lives on a whim. It took an enormous amount of thought and consideration. And they weren't putting any pressure on her to choose one, she still had a few decades left to go before that point.

Angel glanced over at the humans, a bit...surprised that they knew about aliens. They could tell the boy hadn't meant simply foreigners but true and actual aliens. Though the Doctor looked between her, Ayla, and himself, more amused, "Well, um..." he began, "Bit personal. It's all relative, isn't it? I mean, we think YOU'RE the aliens. But in this context, yes. Yes, I suppose I am…"

Suddenly all the men rushed at the Doctor, yanking him away from Angel and lifting him up, and carrying him outside.

"Daddy!" Ayla shouted as she and Angel ran out after him.

Angel frowned because...well...they were humans. She never liked using her powers against them, it never felt right, she never saw them as much of a threat. And, given the way they reacted to finding out the Doctor was an alien, she didn't think they'd appreciate seeing how much of an alien they really were if she used the Vortex. And...she was still a bit concerned about using it. She used it for small things, yes, teleporting if need be, minor healing, maybe make a wall to protect them, but...she didn't use it more than that because...she was still a bit afraid that if she really tried to use it, or exercise it like the Doctor would say, that it would just...overwhelm her. He kept trying to get her to practice in the TARDIS, with it being the safest place in the Universe, but she just...couldn't. Ayla was there, HE was there, it was their home, if she ever lost complete control...she didn't want to think about what could happen to them all in the box. She did NOT want another Pandorica incident.

Amy and Rory ran up to them, trying to get the men to let the Doctor go, only to find themselves being restrained as well, Angel keeping Ayla close yet off to the side with her, not about to let anyone lay a hand on her daughter.

"Doctor!" Amy struggled, "Put him down!"

"Don't think we won't kill you," the man holding her threatened.

"Doctor!" Angel called.

"Leave her alone!" Rory yelled, seeing the men holding his wife back.

"Don't worry!" the Doctor called back, "Everything is completely under control!"

"Get off me!" Amy struggled more.

"Guys!" the Doctor tried to talk to the men, "Guys! Oh, dear," he muttered as he was thrown over the town line, "Whoa!" he rolled over, Angel and Ayla immediately at his side, Ayla hugging him as he sat up, worried, "It's alright sweetheart," he whispered, "I'm fine," and hugged her back, holding her to him as Angel helped him up, checking on him as he stood there with Ayla in his arms.

"Are you alright my love?" she asked, frowning. She could tell he likely was, maybe a bit bruised, though alright, but...she always wanted to make sure he was ok and not just base it on sensations.

He just gave her a quick peck, "Just fine dear," he told her, moving to step back over the line...when the men all drew their guns on him. He tensed, holding Ayla tighter to him as Angel stepped closer. He could feel her stiffen beside him and he knew she was getting ready to use the Vortex if she had to. He knew she wouldn't want to, with them being humans and with her fears of her control of it getting to her, but she would if it needed. Now that the town knew they were aliens...well, they might be more open to something like the Vortex popping up.

"He's coming," the preacher breathed, staring at something over their shoulder, "Oh, God. He's coming."

Angel turned, seeing the man in black she'd spotted before walking towards them, flashing nearer via a teleport.

"Preacher..." the young man called, "Say something."

"Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done..."

The Doctor slowly turned to see the man in black coming nearer still and turned back to the line, wanting to get Ayla across it, but the men still didn't drop their guns.

Angel spun back around and quickly reached out, touching the Doctor and Ayla's shoulder, the three of them disappearing in a flash of gold, right before the eyes of the entire town. The men's eyes widened as they stared around, trying to see where they went. The man in black stopping and disappearing now that they were no longer outside the town line.

"That's very rude you know," Angel's voice said behind them.

They all spun around to see Angel and the Doctor standing there, Ayla standing between them, her little arms crossed, frowning at them too, looking as cross as a little girl could at what they'd done.

"That was mean," the girl stated.

Someone whistled, impressed, and they turned to see a man with a 'marshal' badge pinned to him standing there, his gun out, having been about to stop the madness. He glared at the townspeople, "You wanna tell me what y'all were thinking?"

"Isaac, he said he was a doctor...an alien doctor," the young man whispered.

"That a reason to hand him to his death?" Isaac glared, "That man's also someone's husband," he nodded at Angel, assuming from how the man was acting around her that she was his wife, "Clearly someone's father," he gestured at Ayla, "And you were gonna leave them widowed and fatherless?"

"But, Isaac, it could be him!"

"You know it ain't," he snapped before turning to walk away, nodding at Angel, Ayla, and Amy respectfully, "Ma'ams."

The Doctor nodded at the men, before taking Ayla's hand, his arm around Angel's waist as he turned and led them after Isaac, Amy and Rory following cautiously after.

"Just let him go like that?" one of the men grumbled.

"Be seeing you, boy," another called.

~8~

Isaac stepped into his office, basically into the town's jail, walking over to a desk off to the side of the room and sitting on the corner of it as the others stepped into the jail after him.

"What was that outside?" the Doctor demanded, stalking right over to the man, a hard expression on his face.

He was not at all pleased that little display of human hysteria. Not only had he been held at gunpoint, but his daughter inadvertently had as well, simply because she was in his arms at the time. What sort of men did that? He could tell that at least half the men who had tried to keep him out had been older men, old enough to have at least one child, why would they ever consider forcing a man 'to his death' as Isaac had implied? Why would they continue to hold him at gunpoint and refuse to let him back in even with his daughter in his arms?

No, he knew why. Fear. He'd seen it come into play in that shuttle on Midnight. He could remember quite clearly what had happened to Angel as a result of it. Fear led to savagery, and he was starting to think this trip wasn't a good one if it would expose Ayla to that sort of nonsense. In his mind, there was nothing that couldn't be calmed or subdued through words. When humans refused to listen was when things got terribly dangerous. But thankfully at least one person in the town, the most powerful person it appeared, WAS listening to them and able to still see reason in that he'd been about to stop everything before Angel had seen to it herself.

"The Gunslinger," Isaac sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"The man in black?" Angel frowned, not quite sure if that's what the Doctor was talking about. He was more outraged at what the men had been doing as opposed to curious who the man-in-black was. But it seemed the two were interconnected anyway.

Isaac nodded, "Showed up three weeks back. We've been prisoners ever since. You see that borderline, stretching round the town? Woke up one morning, there it was. Nothing gets past it, in or out. No supply wagons, no reinforcements. Pretty soon, the whole town's going to starve to death."

"But...he let US in," Rory shook his head.

"You ain't carrying any food, just five more mouths to feed. We'll all die even sooner now."

"What happens if someone crosses the line?" the Doctor asked, not liking the direction this was going.

Angel just picked up a Stetson that was sitting on a small table nearby, a hole in it, "This," she handed it to him.

The Doctor frowned as Isaac nodded, putting a finger through the bullet hole, "He wasn't a very good shot then."

"The hat was his target," Angel told him quietly.

"How'd you know that?" Isaac eyed her.

"Psychic," the Doctor commented, nudging her.

She smiled, "Thief," she countered playfully, elbowing him lightly in the side, making him squirm and retaliate by poking her in the ribs, making her jerk away, ticklish, him grinning like a madman, a very proud madman.

The Doctor turned to Ayla, putting on a laugh, wanting to make her less scared, "Look at that sweetheart," he crouched down and held the hat up for her to see, "He shoots people's hats!"

"I think it was a warning shot," Amy hissed to him.

The Doctor winced, "Yes, I gathered as much," he told her, standing as he nodded at Ayla. Amy winced, realizing what he'd been trying to do, try to play it off so as not to alarm the little girl who was now playing with the hat, sticking her finger in it and wiggling it, spinning it around her finger.

"What does he want?" Amy asked, turning to Angel instead, which made Isaac curious as to just how psychic she was, well...if she WAS psychic. He'd seen many, MANY strange things recently, but psychics? That was a bit out there, "Has he issued some kind of demand?"

"I think...he's after an alien doctor," she stated, gently reaching down to take the hat that Ayla was animatedly showing to Rory from her to hand back to Isaac, "Isn't he?"

Isaac nodded, startled.

Angel just smiled, glancing at the Doctor mischievously and he grinned, seeing what she had done. She hadn't really gotten a sensation just then. It was just...obvious, what the Gunslinger was after. The way the townspeople had reacted to finding out the Doctor was an 'alien doctor' was key. They had been fine when he was just a 'doctor' but only after they'd found out he was an alien as well...and given that he'd implied she and Ayla were aliens too (not his most brilliant moment he realized now) and the girls had been safe, it was ONLY him they'd wanted.

An alien Doctor.

'You are just...brilliant,' the Doctor whispered to her in her mind, his arm snaking around her shoulders.

'It was simple is all,' she shrugged, modest.

It was a first though, one she was rather proud of. She hadn't...really had many things that were simple to her. TARDISes, yes, time and space, of course, her love for the Doctor and Ayla and her family, very much so, but everything else...she tended to struggle with. To have something actually be simple, to make sense to her, to pick up on without her feelings guiding her...THAT was just incredible. She liked to think it was a small sign that she might possibly be getting a tiny bit clever, or at least learning more.

'You are already the MOST clever woman I have ever known,' the Doctor murmured, turning his head to rest his forehead to her temple, 'You truly are, you see things in ways I don't, you offer a new perspective, and that is just...fantastic.'

'Maybe I imprinted a bit of you when I regenerated then,' she smiled, mimicking the words she'd said so long ago, making him beam to hear again, 'You're rather fantastic too.'

He let out a small laugh at that.

"But that's you," Amy turned to the Doctor, unaware of the silent conversation, "Why would he want to kill you? Unless he's met you."

"And how could he know we'd be here?" Rory frowned, "We didn't even know we'd be here…well, except Angel and Ayla…"

"We were going to Mexico," Ayla informed Isaac.

"The Doctor and Angel were taking us to see the Day of the Dead Festival," Amy added.

"Mexico's 200 miles due south," Isaac offered.

The Doctor looked up as the light flickered, there was that electricity that shouldn't exist there yet, "Well, that's what happens when people get toast crumbs on the console. Anyway, I think it's about time we met him, don't you?" he moved to sit on a railing by the door, crossing his arms as he watched Angel glance behind her at the jail cell in the back.

"Who?" Isaac stiffened, as though he knew exactly who the Doctor was speaking of.

The Doctor smiled, "The chap outside said I could be the alien doctor, but you said I wasn't. So you already know who it is. Two alien Doctors! We're like buses. Resident 81, I presume. So beloved by the townsfolk, he warranted an alteration to the sign. Probably because he rigged up these electrics," he pointed up at the lights, "And I'm guessing he's in here because, if half the town suddenly wanted to throw me to my death, this is where I'd want to be," he hopped off the railing and turned to the cell behind them.

"I don't know what you..." Isaac tried to stop him.

"It's alright, Isaac," a man called, and the humans (for the Time Lords were already facing that way) turned to see a well-dressed man sit up on the cot in the cell, "I think the time for subterfuge has passed," he stood and walked to the cell doors, spectacles on his nose, a squiggling tattoo on the side of his face that made Angel frown, "Good afternoon. My name is Kahler-Jex. I'm the doctor."

...a young man screamed on an examination board, his arm up as sparks went off, a blaster being fused to it...

'...test subjects ready for activation...'

...a line of people stood still, metal welded to their faces and body, looking up as a red light activated in their eyes...

Angel let out a breath as the vision hit her, and she knew, she just KNEW, it had been one of the past. She...recognized the boy on the examination board, one of the men in the line of people she'd seen...it was the Gunslinger. She felt ill thinking about that, the screams she'd heard echoing in her mind. She closed her eyes, shaking her head, trying to ward off that memory.

The Doctor, on the other hand, stared at the alien with wide eyes, seeing the tattoo, a mark of the Kahler and, at first, thought it was completely incredible to meet one! However, he could feel his excitement diminishing when he glanced back to share his excitement with Angel, only to see her backing away from the cell, pulling Ayla closer as though to keep the girl away from the man.

Something wasn't right.

'What is it dear?' he asked, moving over to her as Isaac went to unlock the door and release the alien doctor.

She shook her head, staring at Jex in horror, 'He's not a good man,' she warned him, swallowing hard, 'He's done something terrible…'

'What?' he frowned, reaching out to take her hand, seeing her truly becoming upset by this.

She looked at him, tears in her eyes, not wanting to show him the vision she'd seen, 'The Gunslinger.'

His eyes widened, realizing what she meant, this man…whatever the Gunslinger was...Jex had created him.

~8~

The Gunslinger stood on a bluff, overlooking the town, waiting, watching.

~8~

"The Kahler," the Doctor remarked as he eyed Jex, who now sat behind Isaac's desk, the marshal beside him, "You know, I love the Kahler. One of the most ingenious races in the galaxy, seriously. They could build a spaceship out of Tupperware and moss," but he continued to eye the man with suspicion, which made the Ponds tense.

"How did you get here?" Amy asked Jex, seeing a difference in the Doctor. Normally he'd be over excited to meet someone like he'd just described, over the moon really...but he was...oddly subdued about it all, and when he was being careful about something...it was usually very bad.

"My craft crashed about a mile or so out of town," Jex explained, "I would have died if Isaac and the others hadn't pulled me from the wreckage."

"And you stayed?" the Doctor frowned, the man seemed good enough, kind enough, but he knew better than to doubt Angel's feelings about anything, "As their doctor?"

"On my world, I was a surgeon, so it seemed logical and it gave me an opportunity to repay my debt to them."

"Listen to him," Isaac laughed, "Talking like it was nothing. Tell them about the cholera!" he slapped Jex on the back.

"Now, Isaac, I'm sure our guests aren't..."

"Two years after he arrived, there was an outbreak of cholera. Thanks to the doc here, not a single person died."

"A minor infection we'd found a treatment for centuries ago," Jex added modestly.

"No, no, no. What do you call them?" Isaac pointed up at the lights, "The lectricks?"

"Using my ship as a generator, I was able to rig up some rudimentary heating and lighting for the town."

The Doctor leaned forward, "So why does the Gunslinger want you?"

He knew, of course he knew, he knew that Angel had seen the man's past, even if she wasn't sharing that particular vision with him, one of the very, VERY few things she wasn't sharing with him these days. He knew, from her insight, that Jex had done something to the Gunslinger, far worse than making the man. He didn't know if the Gunslinger was a robot or a cyborg or something else, but Jex had had a hand in it, and something he'd done had warranted the Gunslinger to come after him with a vengeance.

Unfortunately, he also knew that trying to convince the other humans to believe her word, that Jex was not a good man, that he'd done something horrible, would be far more difficult without either the man's own confession or other evidence, physical proof of what had happened, of how Jex was involved.

"It don't matter," Isaac waved him off.

"I'm just saying, if we knew..."

"America's a land of second chances. We called this town Mercy for a reason. Others..." he sighed, "Some round here don't feel that way."

"Now, Isaac, we've discussed this," Jex sighed.

"People whose lives you saved are suddenly saying we should hand you over!"

"They're scared, that's all. You can hardly blame them."

"Them being scared, scares me. War only ended five years back. That old violence is still under the surface. We give up Doc Jex, then we're handing the keys of the town over to chaos."

"Did you try to repair your craft?" the Doctor cut in, still trying to get the man to admit his inconsistencies, "Surely someone with your skills..."

"It really was very badly damaged," Jex remarked, unable to meet the Doctor's eyes.

The Doctor didn't even need Angel to tell him that Jex was lying just then either. He stood, "We evacuate the town. Our ship's just over the hills. Room for everyone," he sat on the desk, turning to face Angel and Ayla, the girl in her mother's arms as Angel seemed reluctant to let her too close to Jex, "I'll pop out, bring it back here. Robert's your uncle."

"No," Ayla shook her head, "Rory's my uncle. And Jack. And Gray. And Mickey. And John. And..." she started to tick off the uncles in her family on her hand till Angel put a finger on her lips gently, amused. It was...true, Ayla didn't have an uncle Robert just yet.

Rory frowned, however, and looked at the Doctor, "Why doesn't Angel go?" he asked, "She could just pop right into it yeah?"

The Doctor tensed, "We don't know if the Gunslinger will start to attack the town," he countered, even though it was a rather large lie.

There were...quite a few reasons that he should go and Angel stay, even though he was absolutely against her being anywhere near Jex not knowing what the man had done to make Angel wary of him and deem him 'not a good man.' The first was...if he was left there with Jex...he wasn't sure what he'd do once he worked out what the man had done. He was quite sure he'd have worked it out by now but...his mind was a bit sluggish lately, little sleep tended to do that to you. He really would rather have Angel in the town, with other people there to protect her, than out in the desert where the Gunslinger was. And...he knew, one of them, him or Angel, would have to go, which meant the Ponds would likely be left with Jex and he knew that he and Angel would want them to be protected. Angel really was the most protective woman in the Universe, and with her foresight she'd be able to tell when Jex was becoming a threat and teleport out. It would be easier to teleport out than to teleport back and forth between the TARDIS and the jail instead of going in one go.

"If anyone gets hurt, it would be best for her to be here," he added, reminding Rory of her healing abilities, "She could warn of the attack at the very least."

The humans who knew of her power nodded at that.

Ayla frowned, 'Mummy?' she looked at her mother, pulling her attention away, 'Why is daddy lying?'

Angel smiled softly at her daughter, 'He doesn't want to frighten the humans, and he wants to get evidence for himself so they'll believe what we tell them later.'

"Take Ayla with you," Angel called to him, he turned and looked at her, nodding as she set the girl down.

"Come along sweetheart," he held out a hand and Ayla ran over to him, he knew why Angel had said it. She wanted their daughter as far away from Jex as possible. Between him and the Gunslinger, they knew the Gunslinger wouldn't harm an innocent.

"Really?" Amy scoffed, eyeing the Doctor, "Simple as that? No crazy schemes? No negotiations?"

"I've matured," he defended, "I'm 1,200 years old now. Plus, I don't want to miss 'The Archers,'" he stood, picking up the Stetson and headed for the door.

"Oh, so you're not even a tiny bit curious?"

"Why would I be curious?" he sighed, "It's a mysterious space cowboy assassin. Curious? Of course I'm not curious."

Angel just smiled, 'Liar.'

'Tru...truther,' he attempted countering back at her, which just made her shake her head at him.

But her smile slowly faded, he...should have been able to come up with a better comeback than that, she'd seen him do so with less to go on, 'Are you alright my love?'

'Of course,' he nodded, turning to go with Ayla, 'Just fine.'

"Son?" Isaac called as the Doctor paused, "You've still got to get past the Gunslinger. How you going to do that?"

He put the Stetson on, "With a little sleight of hand," he grinned at Angel, letting her see his plan, "Dear?"

Angel sighed as he stepped out with Ayla before turning to Rory and Isaac, "You may want to sit down for this…"

~8~

Rory and Isaac ran through the desert, Isaac wearing Jex's coat and hat, "You ok?" he called to Rory.

"Yeah, fine. Yeah. Keep moving."

"Next time...you get to wear Jex's clothes."

From the opposite ridge the Gunslinger stood, zooming in on Isaac, about to fire, when Rory ran past, the man lowering his weapon, not wanting to harm Rory, an innocent.

~8~

The Doctor walked up to the preacher as he hitched his horse to a post, "Can we borrow your horse, please? It's official Marshal business," he placed Ayla onto the saddle before hopping on after.

"He's called Joshua," the preacher smiled, "It's from the Bible. It means 'The Deliverer.'"

The horse neighed, making Ayla giggle, "No, he's not."

"What?"

"We speak Horse," the Doctor told the man, grinning, "He's called Susan. And he wants you to respect his life choices," he turned and galloped the horse out of town.

Chapter Text

Rory and Isaac carefully made their way along a ridge in the cliffs, trying to both keep out of the Gunslinger's direct line of sight so as not to be targets but still keeping within his attention so that he would be distracted enough to not go after the Doctor as he left town. Rory had surprised Isaac when he'd volunteered to go with the man, to keep him safe, even if it meant that the Gunslinger would likely target him as well.

Isaac had joked that if he got hit by the Gunslinger, thinking he was Jex, then Rory could put on the coat and hat and continue on...which had made Amy throw her shoe at him for thinking that way.

It had surprised them all when Rory had said that was his reason for wanting to go. Shocked them all, really, it did. Rory had just shrugged and reminded them that he'd...matured...over all that time. He knew the dangers of travelling with the Time Lords, he accepted them, he understood the necessity of thinking of the worst case scenario in order to be prepared for it from his time as a Roman. He'd just looked at Angel and said that, if Ayla was going with the Doctor...then...he wanted to make sure that absolutely EVERYTHING was being done to keep the Gunslinger away.

And he did want to help look out for Isaac, to make sure the man wasn't going it alone, to make sure he had an extra set of eyes to help keep back from the blasts that were likely to come. He had a few reasons for wanting to go with the man, but to know that Ayla was a large part of them, that he loved his niece so much, touched them all.

The duo had just taken a step forward, when the ground beneath them exploded, the Gunslinger firing at them.

"I, uh...I think he's seen us," Rory panted.

Isaac grabbed his arm, "This way."

~8~

In the marshal's office, Jex was standing by the window, look out it, as though he'd be able to see the Doctor racing through the desert or Isaac rushing about behind the rocks. Really, all that could be seen were the buildings across the road and the sky. Amy sat at the desk with Angel standing beside her, though the Time Lady's eyes on Jex, her arms crossed, shifting back and forth slightly.

That man...she just...how could he do something so terrible? She knew the Doctor had done many bad things in the past, but it was always when there was no other option left, absolutely none, and...he'd never done what Jex had. He'd never stood over someone, experimenting on them, taking everything good about them and hollowing them out to turn them into soldiers just like...just like the Daleks had in New York. THAT was why she'd felt so uncomfortable around the man, she realized. To her...he was just like a Dalek, he'd done exactly what they had, taken someone and hollowed them out into a warrior they could control and force to kill.

She and the Doctor had managed to save those soldiers in New York...perhaps there was still a chance to save the Gunslinger too. She...she knew, she got a terrible sense from her vision that the other soldiers, well...that they weren't there any longer. She truly feared that it could mean Jex and the other scientists had done exactly as the Daleks had tried to do as well and...exterminated them, or whatever the Kahler called it. The others like the Gunslinger weren't there any more, she knew that, and she sincerely hoped it wasn't like New York, because...to do that to the others...what difference was there between Jex and a Dalek?

"When this is all done, do you want us to take you home?" Amy asked him, not seeming to notice Angel's hesitation with the man.

"That's not really for you to decide Amy," Angel murmured absently.

"What, I'm asking him aren't I?" Amy smiled, "The Doctor would probably just trick him into the TARDIS and whisk him off home as a surprise or something."

Angel glanced at her, "I meant, it's not for you to decide who we take in the TARDIS," she corrected, "Rose did the same once, a boy named Adam, invited him along instead of asking the Doctor first to invite him, we nearly lost the TARDIS because of him."

It had been...different with Donna asking Jenny, she'd more implied it but Jenny was their daughter. It was even different with Rory, when Amy had asked the boy to stay, because SHE had been about to ask him to be her companion at the same time, Amy had just beaten her to it. With Mickey, the man had asked himself it he could come. She didn't know why but it just...bothered her when companions assumed that, because they travelled in the TARDIS, they had a right to invite other people to travel with them as well. She knew that the companions often came to look at the TARDIS as their home but...to be completely honest...they were still 'guests' of the Time Lords, if that was even the right word. In the grand scope of it, the humans were invited in by them, making them guests, and guests, to be polite, shouldn't invite other guests.

"Sorry," she looked at Amy, offering her an apologetic smile for what she'd said. She'd found that...she was really rather more protective of the TARDIS than she used to be. Ever since Idris really, since realizing that the TARDIS was even more alive than she'd ever dreamed, and then...when she'd regenerated...being able to hear the box talking in her mind, she was even more aware she was a living, sentient thing, and...she was important to her. She was very much protective of the old girl, of her sister, and she just...didn't want to risk another Adam incident.

"No, you're right," Amy countered, "It's not my place to ask," especially not when she and Rory were slowly trying to not get so attached to the TARDIS and the Time Family every time they appeared. They were trying to wean themselves off, help the Doctor in that regard, and really...if they weren't permanent residents of the TARDIS, she didn't have a right to ask that of Jex. Even if she knew that Angel and the Doctor would likely ask the man that very same question, it wasn't her place to ask it.

"Thank you for the offer," Jex remarked, "But I have already given everything I have to the Kahler," he sighed, "My skills, my energy...all that was good in me. But here...I could start afresh. I could remember myself and help people. That's all I ever wanted to do. End suffering."

Angel sighed, it was harder to listen to him talking about that, how he wanted to end suffering, yet...he'd made so many people suffer. Not just the soldiers, like the Gunslinger, but...their families as well. She couldn't imagine, never ever wanted to, because she had already experienced it in a way, a child being taken from her and raised to be something else, something dark, something destructive. It was worse because...Jex hadn't just done that, he'd operated on them, he'd fused weapons and metal to them, he'd reprogrammed their brains and controlled them.

And it was hard because...she could sense he was repentant for what he'd done. So, in one small way, that was where he DID differ from the Daleks, even if it wasn't by much. She got up, "Here," and picked up a jacket Isaac had left when he'd switched for Jex's, draping it over his shoulders, seeing him shiver a bit. Kahler was actually quite a bit warmer than Earth at this time and for this place, to him it was a bit chilly.

"You know, had I not seen you with your daughter, I would still know you were a mother," he smiled at her, "There's kindness in your eyes. And sadness. But a ferocity too."

"That was Angel before the kid too," Amy laughed, getting up to come and lean on the desk, half sitting on it as she faced them, "What about you? Are you a father?"

"Yes. In a way, I suppose I am."

~8~

Isaac and Rory hid against the base of a rocky ledge, "So, we wait here till the Doctor comes to pick us up in your ship," Isaac breathed.

"Yes, I know. I was there when we agreed it."

"Yeah, I said that more for my benefit more than yours."

~8~

The Doctor galloped Susan along a dirt road, his one arm firmly around Ayla's middle to keep her safe and secure, when the girl called out, "Daddy, what's that?" and pointed to something in the distance.

He led the horse over and slowed, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," Susan neighed, "Yeah, I know we're in a hurry. I just want to check something out," he hopped off, "Stay there sweetheart," he pointed at Ayla, not that she could really get off the horse without his help, "Two ticks," Susan snorted, "Yes," he knelt down and looked at the dirt, "Yes, it could be important," Susan whinnied, "Oi, don't swear, my daughter's right there!" he warned the horse as Ayla giggled, making him smile.

He brushed off some dirt that seemed to be making a small mound and found what looked like a tube of some sort, some kind of hose, running along the ground. He frowned, looking at it closely, before he sniffed it, standing. He tugged it more, loosening it from where it had been half buried in the dirt, revealing an entire line of it down further into the desert, the other end leading towards Mercy.

~8~

The lights in the marshal's office flickered as Jex looked up at it, worried.

Angel eyed them as well, before silently calling out to the Doctor, the two of them keeping their minds open, confirming that what he'd found was connected to the electrics.

~8~

The Doctor dropped the line and ran back to Susan.

~8~

Jex's expression grew more concerned as he eyed the light, Angel watching him carefully.

~8~

The Doctor had Susan follow the line to where it ended, sparking, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," he tugged Susan to a stop as he dismounted, "Yes, I wear a Stetson now," he called as the horse snorted. He headed over to the mound in the dirt that had a tarp on it, where the line was connected. He pulled the tarp off, seeing an oval pod beneath it, perfectly intact, which Susan snorted to, "Yes, good point, Susan," he examined the capsule, "Where IS the damage?"

He glanced over at the horse and walked back, petting Susan's snout, "Now, you stay here," he told the horse, "If anything happens, you take my daughter back to town as fast as you can, you run and you don't stop, understand?" Susan nodded, "Thank you," he kissed the horse's nose before looking at Ayla, taking her hand, "I'll just be a minute sweetheart, Susan will take care of you ok?"

"Ok daddy," she nodded, taking the reins and wiggling to get comfortable.

He smiled, "That's my girl," he dropped a kiss to her hand before turning to examine the pod.

~8~

The Gunslinger walked to the edge of a ridge and looked down, trying to find Rory and Isaac. Isaac reached hand out to keep Rory back, to keep them out of sight, however the Gunslinger picked up their heat signatures and raised his gun, ready to fire…

~8~

The Doctor climbed on top of the pod, knocking on it, tapping it to see it was hollow. He pulled out the sonic and flashed it, popping the top off, which only served to set the alarms off. He winced, covering his ears as Ayla did, the horse whinnying in discomfort, while the door slid open.

~8~

The Gunslinger looked up as the piercing noise of the alarm reached him and lowered his arm, turning away. Isaac and Rory leaned over, watching him go before rushing in the opposite direction back to town, they could just tell something had gone wrong in the plan and they knew...no matter how hard they tried...the Gunslinger wouldn't be distracted by them any longer.

~8~

Amy opened the doors to the marshal's office and stepped out with Jex and Angel, staring out at the desert as the alarms reached them even there.

"That's the alarm on my ship!" Jex exclaimed.

"The one that was so broken it couldn't be repaired and was barely powering the town?" Angel eyed him, hoping he would pick up on how odd that sounded, that the alarms still worked yet everything else had been 'destroyed.'

But Jex was too focused on the alarm.

"Maybe the Doctor wants to get it working again," Amy shrugged, at least SHE had been paying attention, though she failed to pick up the hidden meaning in Angel's words as well.

"But that wasn't the plan!" Jex fretted, "He's not following the plan."

"That's the Doctor in a nutshell," Angel commented, eyeing Jex as he turned and hurried back inside.

~8~

The Doctor dropped into the pod, falling right into a seat as the computer sprang to life before him, "Security breach. You have ten seconds to enter the pass-code or this vehicle will self-destruct," he flashed his sonic on the panel, "Thank you for choosing Abaraxas Security Software. Incinerating intruders for three centuries. Nine, eight, seven," he flashed it again and the computer program shut down, "Self-destruct over-ridden."

He breathed out a sigh of relief, "This is an awful lot of security for a titchy spacecraft..."

"Awaiting command."

He sighed, steeling himself, knowing, from Angel's reaction, that he wouldn't like what he found in the databanks, "Tell me everything you can about the Gunslinger."

"File not found," it stated as he groaned, "Please choose from...Technical Specifications, Flight Recorder, Personal Files, Maps and Charts."

"Personal Files of Doctor Kahler-Jex."

Jex's face appeared, "Names of deceased subjects can be found on the drop-down menu," he began as information began to scroll across the screen, footage of people screaming in pain accompanying it.

"No..." the Doctor breathed, shaking his head, "No, no, no, no, no..." but as he stared, as he watched the footage continue, the experiments, the operations, the weaponry attachment, the...programs downloaded into the test subjects...he couldn't deny it any longer, he couldn't deny what he was seeing.

And it disgusted him.

"No!" he shouted, starting to push buttons, any buttons he could, needing to turn the screen off, not wanting to see it any longer, "No. No. NO. NO. NO!" and when that failed...he reached out and punched the screen in front of him, hissing as he felt his knuckles bruise, but not break, the screen crack and turn to static, but not cut his hand, thankfully, Angel would kill him if he came back injured.

Angel.

He let out a breath, closing his eyes as he hunched forward, burying his face in his hands, shaking his head, it was...too much. It was too much like his dream. Seeing the Kahler doctors, seeing Jex, standing over the subjects, cutting into them while they were still alive, more for adapting the weaponry to them than scientific research, but just as horrifying to witness. All he could see as he watched were flashes of Angel, his dream playing out, replacing them with her, seeing her lying there, being poked and prodded by the doctors.

It made him sick to think of because he knew she'd endured similar treatment before, with the owners before Van Statten, that she would have endured the same if he hadn't reached her in time. As terrible as it was to say...he hadn't seen her being cut into before he'd found her, but that dream...dreaming about it happening, seeing it in his mind's eye, hearing her screaming, seeing the blood...even in a dream...it was the most terrible sight ever. And to know that Jex had done the same to so many others, none of them could possibly be as important to anyone as Angel was to him, but they WERE important to other people. They were husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, sons and...daughters.

And it made his hearts drop into his churning stomach to think on that as well. Ayla...she had nearly been what the Gunslinger was now, had Kovarian and the Silence gotten their way. His daughter, his precious, innocent, daughter, would have been a murderer. She would have been twisted and essentially programmed to fight him and kill him, kill Angel, just like the Gunslinger had been. The man had had terrible things done to him, had harmed others, had had his entire life erased and replaced with nothing but the drive to kill the enemy...which would have happened to Ayla as well. His daughter had come so close to being the Gunslinger, and he didn't even know what sort of tactics Kovarian would have used, he knew it would be more terrible than what the Gunslinger endured. But it didn't change the fact that what the man had been through was, in itself, a travesty and a heinous crime.

His girls...both of them had suffered...he shook his head, reminding himself it was a dream...could have suffered the way the Gunslinger had. The fact that it was at Jex's hands didn't make a difference, it was the same terrible crime in his mind. He opened his eyes, a fierce quality to them, a darkness burning in their depths as he glared at the cracked and staticing screen as he steeled himself for what he knew was coming.

Because now...now he had his proof.

~8~

Amy and Angel stepped back into the marshal's office when the alarm stopped, closing the doors only to turn and see Jex with a gun aimed at them, "I'm sorry. He really should have followed the plan."

~8~

The Doctor stood up in the entrance to the pod, only to see the Gunslinger teleport before him. He heard Susan whinny and move to turn and rush Ayla back to town when he held up a hand, "Susan, wait!" he called as the horse stopped, he turned to the Gunslinger as he lifted his gun, but held his ground, "Don't shoot."

"Daddy!" Ayla shouted, seeing the man aiming a weapon at her father.

"I know who you are," the Doctor continued, far too calmly to be a good omen to anyone, "And who Jex is too," his jaw tensed, "I know what he did you," the Gunslinger eyed him a moment, hearing a...dangerous note in the Doctor's voice, a disgust at what had happened, a sympathy for HIM, and lowered his weapon, "What I don't understand...is why you haven't just walked into the town and killed him as he deserves?"

The Gunslinger blinked at that, seeing a potential ally, "People will get in the way," he stated.

The Doctor nodded, that was...exactly like something he could see Angel saying. No matter what was done to her, he knew that she would always want to protect the innocent. He eyed the Gunslinger, seeing a man who had likely volunteered into that program Jex's records talked about, as a way to protect other people, and been tricked and mutilated in order to do so. He vaguely considered if that might be the man's past, even though he wasn't psychic like Angel was...he saw a...kindredness in this man, his words just then, having had such a horrible thing happen to him, wanting his revenge, yet still retaining that soundness of mind to realize that other people, innocents, children, would get hurt if he lashed out...well, he had a newfound respect for the Gunslinger.

"You want justice," the Doctor nodded, "And you deserve justice. If we bring Jex back to Kahler," he began, knowing that, despite wanting to give the man the chance to face his torturers, he couldn't expose his daughter to that, "We can put him on trial and..."

The Gunslinger raised his weapon again, "When he starts killing YOUR people, you can use YOUR justice."

The Doctor looked him in the eye, nodding, knowing that nothing would stop the man from seeing his revenge handled. And he found...he was rather torn.

All he could think about was what he'd want if Jex had done what he did to the Gunslinger to Ayla or Angel, and he felt fury rise in him at the thought, felt the need to hand the man over to the Gunslinger overwhelm him. Yet, at the same time...he knew that Angel, even having endured what the man had, wouldn't want another life to be taken. She would be of the belief that the war had ended, too many lives had been lost, too much blood spilled already.

So what did he do?

~8~

Amy and Angel stood there as Jex put his personal items in his pocket, his gun still trained on them, Amy glancing at Angel who, despite having literally obliterated the Daleks, was standing there calmly, as though she were sure the man wouldn't fire at them, as though he wasn't a threat, "Isaac says he doesn't care about my past. But things may have been uncovered that even he might struggle to forgive," he moved to the door, "So it's best we beat a hasty retreat."

"We?" Amy scoffed, "We're coming with you?"

"It's unlikely the Gunslinger will shoot if I'm with you. As far as I can tell, he's programmed to take innocent lives only if absolutely necessary."

"We're not going Jex," Angel told him.

He cocked the gun…only for a golden spark on the metal to force him to drop it. He stared at Angel as her eyes dimly glowed gold before fading.

"Doc, what are you doin'?" Isaac called, having stepped into the office with Rory only a moment earlier, just in time to see Jex cock the gun.

~8~

The Gunslinger lowered his weapon, "No more warning shots. I'll kill the next person to step over that line. Make sure it's Jex," he warned, before turning to walk away.

The Doctor let out a breath and hopped out of the pod, rushing back over to Ayla and Susan. He could feel it, that darkness in him, that part of him that actually...wanted...to hand Jex over starting to get the best of him. And when the darkness in him rose, he knew the only way to push it down again, to gain control of himself, to clear his mind of the shadows and whispers, was to find his shining light once more, to check the darkness.

He needed Angel.

~8~

Jex stood in front of the back wall of the room, Isaac, Rory, and Amy facing him, Angel, although in the middle of the room, had her eyes on the door.

"It was stupid of me, I realize that now," Jex sighed, "I just thought I'd put you all in enough danger, perhaps if I left..."

"He's lying," Angel said, not even bothering to look over at him, not needing to see his expression or anything to just KNOW he was lying. He wasn't afraid of their safety, he was afraid they'd find out the truth.

"Every word," the Doctor agreed as he and Ayla entered, the girl running to her mother, who scooped her into her arms, hugging her tightly, relieved that the girl was ok and also that...that she could hug her again, being with Jex had...worried her more than she let on, "Everything he says, it's...all...lies," the Doctor glared at the man, "This man is a murderer."

"I am a scientist!" Jex sounded offended.

"Sit down," the Doctor strode over to him but Jex refused, glaring right back at the Doctor with his chin up, "SIT DOWN!" he nearly snarled, making Jex quickly sit, startled by the once childish man transformed into a rather...intimidating force right before his eyes.

Angel made her way to his side, reaching out to rest a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it lightly. The Doctor looked over at her, feeling a sense of...calm wash over him, feeling himself smile at the sight of his Mate holding their daughter in her arms, both of them smiling at him, 'Be calm my love,' he heard her whisper in his mind, 'Anger is always the shortest distance to a mistake,' she reminded him.

He nodded, placing a hand on hers, before he let go of her and looked over at Jex, "Tell them what you are," he said, trying to be calmer when faced with a man who had committed such an atrocious deed.

"What am I?" Jex repeated, "A war hero."

"Ok, somebody want to tell me what's going on?" Isaac asked.

"The Gunslinger...he's a cyborg," Angel told them, taking a few steps back with Ayla, having gleamed as much from the Doctor's mind. He'd...blocked her slightly, when he'd entered Jex's shuttle, and afterwards, all she could hear was that he was coming back, that he was rushing to do so, and confirming a fear she had had, that the Gunslinger was originally human, not just a machine.

"A what?"

"Half man, half machine," the Doctor explained, "A weapon. Jex built it. He and his team took volunteers, told them they'd be selected for special training, then experimented on them," he could feel his anger rising once more, just talking about it...it was taking all his focus NOT to let the dream surface enough for Angel to sense it or see it, he couldn't let that happen, "He fused their bodies with weaponry and programmed them to kill!"

"Ok, why?" Isaac frowned and looked at Jex, almost...betrayed, "Why would you do that, doc?"

"We'd been at war for nine years," Jex sighed, "A war that had already decimated half of our planet. Our task was to bring peace, and we did. We built an army that routed the enemy and ended the war in less than a week. Do you want me to repent? To beg forgiveness for saving millions of lives?!"

"And how many died screaming on the operating table before you had FOUND your advantage?!" the Doctor snapped.

He was absolutely disgusted with the man, disgusted at himself as well that he had exposed his daughter to that sort of darkness by bringing her here. She knew what cyborgs were, she knew how they were created, and to find out that this man had FORCED that on someone else...it was horrible. And, no matter how long the war lasted, no matter how long the cyborgs were used for, or how long it took them to be successful in making them...the Gunslinger...he was younger than Ayla. He was someone's son, someone's little boy, he was a child compared to the Time Lords and he'd suffered, been tortured, forced to kill...

"War is another world," Jex countered, "You cannot apply the politics of peace to what I did, to what any of us did."

"Doctor," Angel called, seeing him getting worked up.

He took a breath, shaking his head at the man before walking to the other side of the room, where Angel had moved with Ayla, having set the girl down. However repentant the man was or might be, the fact that he had still harmed others the way he had...it upset her. He could see it in her mind, it too had gone to the fate Ayla could have had, a fate so similar to the Gunslinger's, to be programmed and brainwashed to murder others. He put his arms around her, Ayla burying her face in their legs as she hugged them as well, sensing her parents were upset but that they weren't telling her absolutely everything they'd seen and discovered about the man. She knew cyborgs, she could guess what happened, but they weren't being specific and she knew that, because of that, for them NOT to tell her something...it had to be very bad.

"But what happened then?" Rory shook his head, "How come you're here?"

"When the war ended, we had the cyborgs decommissioned," Jex replied, not seeing Angel wince.

'What is it?' the Doctor asked her, feeling it as she was in his arms.

'It's...it's just...rather a bit too much like the Daleks in New York,' she murmured in his mind.

He blinked, feeling his jaw tense at that, he hadn't even thought of it that way but now, knowing what Jex had done, it was EXACTLY like the Daleks. Well, that just cemented it in his mind that Jex...he truly deserved whatever was coming for him.

Now he just had to work out what that was. The Gunslinger deserved justice...but to do so would mean exposing Ayla to even more violence.

"But one of them must have got its circuitry damaged in battle," Jex shrugged, "It went offline and began hunting down the team that created it, until just two of us were left. We fled and our ships crashed here."

Rory looked over at the Doctor, to see the man quietly speaking with Angel and turned back, "So what do we do with Jex?"

"What do we do with him?!" Isaac asked, shocked the question was even asked.

"Yeah, I mean...he's a war criminal."

"No, he's the guy that saved the town from cholera, the guy that gave us heat and light."

"And no matter what good they do, sometimes the bad outweighs it when it comes to criminals like them..." he winced, "Like Jex," he corrected.

Finding out what Jex had done, seeing the Doctor and Angel's reaction, how far away they were keeping Ayla, it didn't take a genius to work out where their minds had gone. His own mind had gone to the same place, or thereabouts. He...was thinking of River. The same thing had happened to her and...he was torn. Because, in a way, River was both Jex and the Gunslinger, she embodied both of them. She was like the Gunslinger in that she'd been 'programmed' to kill Time Lords, that, in the end, she was using her knowledge and her training to CHOOSE to kill someone, but...she was also like Jex. She WAS Universally recognized as a war criminal, and she HAD done truly terrible things.

Amy had told him about a conversation Angel had had with her in some forest when Weeping Angels were attacking, how she'd asked about River. Angel had said that, one day, River would do something truly good for them and that she would honestly apologize for what she'd done to Angel. So he knew that, one day, River would do something good but, in his mind...he didn't see how it could possibly outdo ALL the bad she'd done to Angel as well. Sometimes...sometimes doing one good thing at the end of your life didn't make up for all the evil things done during the entirety of ones life.

"Look, Jex may be a criminal and yeah, kinda creepy..." Amy cut in.

"And still in the room!" Jex scoffed.

"But I think we should put aside what he did and find another solution."

"Another solution?" Rory gaped, "It's him or us!"

"When did we start letting people get executed? Did I miss a memo? Doctor, tell him," she looked over at the Doctor with the others.

"Hmm?" the Time Lord looked over, distracted, "Yes. I don't know."

Angel smiled, "I'm sure whatever Amy said is what he'd agree with," she answered.

Jex absently began to clean his monocle, seeming FAR too casual and...confident in his decision...to really seem alarmed or concerned about what the Doctor might do, "Looking at you, Doctor, is like looking into a mirror…"

Angel stiffened, "Jex, don't…"

"Almost," he continued, not seeing that Angel wasn't warning him not to be rude, but warning him away from baiting the Doctor, who, despite her efforts, was still on the brink of handing the man over, "There's rage there, like me. Guilt, like me. Solitude. Everything but the nerve to do what needs to be done."

"Jex you really have no idea..." Angel tried again, feeling the Doctor tensing, getting angrier and angrier.

But Jex was too far gone in his self-righteousness, "Thank the Gods my people weren't relying on you to save them..."

The Doctor turned and suddenly rushed at Jex, "No. NO!"

"Daddy!" Ayla gasped.

But the Doctor just grabbed Jex and yanked him up, "But these people are!" before shoving him to the door, "OUT! OUT! OUT!"

Angel and Ayla quickly ran out after him as he pushed Jex out of the office and down the road. Isaac rushed after them, pausing to give Rory and Amy a look. Rory moved to follow, before turning to stop Amy a moment.

"Oh, you're really letting him do this?" Amy scoffed.

"Save us all?" he nodded, "Yeah, I really am," he turned to leave, Amy heading after him, the three of them catching up with the Doctor as he shoved Jex through town.

"MOVE!" he roared.

"No!" Jex struggled.

"Doctor," Angel ran after him.

"MOVE!" and, with one firm shove, he pushed Jex over the line of town and into the dirt outside it.

Jex fell into the dirt, scrambling back up, trying to get back, but the Doctor grabbed a gun from a man's holster and pointed it at Jex, forcing him to stay back, his hands raised.

"You wouldn't," Jex stated.

He cocked the hammer, "I genuinely don't know..."

"I do," Angel called, her voice cutting through the darkness that had swarmed through his mind. It was just like Demons Run all over again...that one single small power in the Universe that could stop him dead in his tracks, quite possibly one of only two things that had the power to do that.

The Doctor tensed and looked back, seeing Ayla...frowning at him, worried for him and what this would mean for him if he did this, if he let his anger consume him. Angel was standing behind her, calm as ever, her arms encircling their daughter as the girl clutched her mother's arms...the same position as the angel pendant he wore around his neck, under his clothes. He could see it in her expression, she really did know exactly what he'd do, didn't she?

And the answer was no, he wouldn't do it.

Because he was the Doctor, it was his job to make people better, not hurt them, not KILL them...if he killed Jex now...if he left him to the Gunslinger...how would he be any better than that man?

Amy though, didn't seem to have as much faith, for she grabbed another gun and fired into the air, before lowering it to aim at the Doctor, "Let him come back, Doctor!"

"Or what?" he scoffed, "You won't shoot me, Amy!"

"How do you know?! Maybe I've changed," she cocked the gun as Angel shook her head, humans, so irrational, "You've clearly been taking stupid lessons since I saw you last," she waved the gun around...and accidently shot the ground, "I didn't mean to do that!" before doing it again, Angel quickly bringing up a golden shield around her and Ayla.

"Amy DROP the GUN!" the Doctor rounded on her, an expression of complete danger on his face.

Amy dropped it immediately at the command, actually jumping back from the near snarling quality of it.

"Not the best thing to do Amy," Rory muttered to her, reaching out to take her hand, tugging her back, "What happened last time you had a gun around them?"

Amy's eyes widened and she looked over at Angel and Ayla, both safe within the wall of the Vortex but...oh she was SO stupid! She understood the Doctor's tone now...the...the last time he knew of her having a gun, a real gun and not a stun gun or anything...was when...when...when she'd...shot at Ayla. And for Angel to bring up the Vortex to protect them and with HER holding a gun and...

She knew EXACTLY where the Doctor's mind had gone, and she didn't fault him for snapping at her like that.

"Sorry," she whispered, looking down, horrified because...she really COULD have hit Ayla on accident, she'd been careless.

"Ok," Isaac cut in, "Everyone who isn't an American," he gave the Doctor a look as well, "Drop your gun."

"That means you as well my love," Angel called.

The Doctor looked over at her, lowering the gun, but not exactly dropping it as he made his way over to her, Angel lowering the wall that was protecting them, "We could end this right now," he whispered to her, "We could save everyone RIGHT NOW!"

"And we can save everyone in scores of other ways as well," she reminded him, "This is just one option," she eyed him, "But...could you tell me when killing someone DID become one?"

He swallowed, not having an answer, "Jex HAS to answer for his crimes though."

"Yes, he does," she agreed, "But an eye for an eye is never the way," she reached out to touch his face, "Sound familiar?"

He let out a breath, and squeezed his eyes shut tight, he'd said the same to Ambrose...which was just another reminder of Silurians and his dream, "They keep coming back," he whispered to her, his voice almost...broken by that knowledge, by how utterly a never-ending cycle it was, "Don't you see?" he looked at her, reaching up to press her hand more to his cheek, holding it, curling his fingers around it, "Every time I negotiate, I try to understand. And people...they get hurt. They always get hurt. Why can't I honor the victims first? His, the Master's, the Daleks', all the people who died because of my mercy?"

"Because your mercy keeps you from becoming him, or the master, or a Dalek," she told him quietly, startling him, "Your mercy makes you better than all of them, your compassion, your hearts, if you lose that...what would you be then? The Doctor?" she shook her head, before looking down at Ayla, "Or is this something you want Ayla to see?"

He looked down at his daughter as well, the little girl looking up at him with wide eyes, she...learned so much from watching him. And this...this wasn't something he wanted her to see, he didn't want her to see him take someone's life, or give someone's life over to someone else.

"If we could choose who lives and who dies," Angel whispered, "That would make us monsters."

He nodded, he knew it was why she always tried to save everyone she could. If she succeeded, that was fantastic, but...even if she failed...at least she had tried, at least they hadn't died because she refused to help them.

"My angel," he murmured, looking her in the eye with a soft smile, "My light in the dark."

"My madman," she countered with a smile of her own.

"My daddy!" Ayla cheered, leaping forward to hug the Doctor's legs as he laughed, that was...exactly who he wanted to be, her father.

He turned, handing the gun to one of the men, "We think of something else," he decided, "But frankly," he had to add, "I think I'm betting on the Gunslinger just a little."

Angel blinked.

'...you'll chase me to another planet...And another race will be caught in the crossfire...'

...the Gunslinger looked back, hearing the explosion, spotting smoke rising above the buildings from the desert...

'...he behaved with honor at the end. Maybe more than me...'

Before she shook her head, "You should know by now not to bet against me my love," she smiled secretively.

The Doctor let out a small laugh and turned to Jex, his eyes widening as he saw the Gunslinger FAR too close to the man and waved him over, "Jex, move over the line. Now!"

The Gunslinger had appeared, moving closer until he was right behind Jex, his gun raised. Jex turned to face him, "Make peace with your gods."

"Kahler-Tek, isn't it?" Jex eyed the man, "I remember all your names, even now. Please. I'd never hurt anyone again. I'm even helping people here."

"Last chance," Jex repeated, "Make peace with your gods."

Jex merely closed his eyes as the gun powered up.

"No!" Isaac shouted, rushing forward to push Jex out of the way just as the Gunslinger fired...

But suddenly a golden wall appeared, keeping Isaac back but also protecting Jex from the Gunslinger's shot.

The Gunslinger lowered his gun, seeing Angel with her hand out, her eyes glowing gold as the wall faded. She blinked a few times, the gold in her eyes fading as well, "This has to stop Kahler-Tek," she whispered.

He nodded, "You are right," he turned to the Doctor, "You've got until noon tomorrow. Give him to me, or I'll kill you all," he glanced at Angel, "You won't be able to protect everyone."

And with that, he teleported away.

The Doctor shook his head, 'You won't be able to protect everyone?' he repeated to Angel, 'He clearly doesn't know you at all.'

She blushed slightly at that, at his faith in her, it was...nice to have someone believe in her as wholeheartedly as she did them.

Isaac let out a breath of relief, helping Jex up, brushing off the dirt on the man's clothes, glancing out into the desert where he knew the Gunslinger was waiting, watching. He looked at the Doctor, shaking his head before walking over, handing over his badge, "This…" he shook his head again, "This is so far beyond anything I've dealt with before," he sighed, closing the Doctor's hand around the badge, "A good leader knows when to ask for help. You've got to stay, you've got to look after everyone. Protect Jex. Protect my town, in a way I can't," he reached out and put his hand on the Doctor's shoulder, "You and Jex…you're both good men, you just forget it sometimes."

The Doctor opened his hand to see the marshal's badge in it as Isaac moved back to Jex's side. Angel smiled and walked over, taking the badge and pinning it to his lapel.

The Doctor sighed, how did he always get into situations like this?

'Because you exude confidence and intelligence,' Angel remarked, hearing his question in his mind, 'And people naturally think you're in charge.'

He scoffed, 'Says the boss.'

He looked over at the humans, "Take Jex to his cell," he told Isaac, knowing that was the safest place for the man, before looking at the crowd that had gathered around them, "If anything happens to him, you'll have my daughter to answer to," he nodded at Ayla, who crossed her arms and nodded, a serious expression on her face, "And you don't want to underestimate her," he leaned in to whisper loudly, "She's a biter!"

The men and Isaac gathered around Jex and led him back as the Doctor turned to Amy, who gasped, spotting the star now pinned to him, "Oh, my God, you're the marshal."

"Yeah," he let out a breath before kneeling down, "How would you like to be my deputy sweetheart?"

Ayla grinned and tipped her hat.

Chapter Text

That night, Jex stood in his cell as the Doctor sat just outside it, watching him intently, as though expecting the man to attack or something, while Isaac stood beside the cell as though to guard him from the Doctor who was waiting for the attack to come. Rory and Amy sat back by the desk, keeping out of it, while Angel sat on a few crates off to the side, between the two factions, though equal with the Doctor, Ayla was beside her, the girl curled up to her side, starting to doze against her mother's shoulder as it was already night out and it had been an exciting day.

"You can come in," Angel called quietly a moment before a knock just barely sounded, having hoped to prevent him from waking Ayla, though the girl stirred anyway.

They all looked over at the door to see the preacher enter, pulling his hat off in respect, "Isaac..." he greeted, before turning to the Doctor, "Marshal," and nodding at Angel, Ayla, and Amy next, "Ma'ams," then hesitated on Rory, "Fella," before turning to the Doctor, "You need to come outside."

"Why, what's wrong?" he frowned.

"Just...come outside. And you should put that on," he nodded at a holster hanging from a hook.

The Doctor frowned, standing, and looked at the holster before turning to Angel in question. She sighed, offering him only, "Frightened people," as explanation.

He nodded, before sighing and taking the gun, he wouldn't use it, they both knew that, but...frightened people often needed some excuse to hold back. And seeing someone with a weapon, as terrible as it was, was often reason enough not to start firing themselves.

He turned, holding out a hand to her as Angel stepped closer, Ayla getting off her own crate to move to stand with her Aunt Amy and Uncle Rory behind her parents, knowing without having to ask that that was where her parents wanted her, out of the direct fire, still close, but protected. And her Uncle Rory had proven, even before she was born, that he'd protect her.

They followed the preacher out to the porch, Isaac remaining behind with Jex as he was unsure if anyone might try to sneak in while the new marshal was distracted, only to see a group of townsfolk standing there, the bartender and the young man seeming to lead two separate factions of them.

"What's going on?" the Doctor asked.

The young man stepped forward nervously, "He in there?" he glanced at the door to the jail as the Doctor nodded, "Leave the keys and take a walk with the kid and the missus. Time you get back, this'll all be done."

He shook his head, "I promised Isaac I'd protect him, and you'd have to get through him to do it too."

"Protecting him almost got Isaac dead," the boy countered, Ayla not correcting him as she didn't like death as much as her mother did, she didn't want to have to correct him with 'killed' or another terrible world, "Tomorrow it's going to get us all dead. We can deal with Isaac, he can't stop all of us"

"We thought Isaac was right to fight," another man stated, "But it's different now. We've got to say, 'Alright, we lost,' and give that thing what it wants."

The Doctor walked to the edge of the porch with Angel, "What it wants is to kill our friend!" the bartender exclaimed.

"Look," the young man sighed and turned to her, "We don't got ill feelin' toward the doc, we just thinkin' 'bout our families. Hand him over and we all safe again."

"I'm sorry you feel that way, but...we can't just hand Jex over," Angel told him gently.

"Then we got us a problem," the boy pushed back his coat to expose his own gun.

The Doctor tensed at the sight, pushing back his own coat to show his gun as well, "Don't play games with me," he told the young man, an edge in his voice, knowing the boy was trying to intimidate not only him but Angel as well.

"Why? Reckon you quicker than me?"

"Almost certainly not," the Doctor admitted, "But this? Lynch mobs, the town turning against itself? This is everything Isaac didn't want you to become. This is what he put me in charge to prevent."

Angel stepped down even as the young man drew his gun, which nearly gave the Doctor dual heart attacks, "How old are you Joseph?" she asked, startling the boy at how she knew his name, it didn't seem like something to randomly come up in conversation with Isaac, who some random little boy was.

He blinked, eyeing her warily the closer she came, the Doctor tensing more and more as the boy didn't lower the gun, yet Angel seemed calm, as though she knew he wouldn't use it and he was trying his level best NOT to react and to trust her on this. He...he really did love when Angel took control, when she...handled things. It was truly an incredible thing to behold.

He'd always...well, he'd always been the one to handle most dangerous situations, the negotiations and the crowds of people, the one to take charge. The first Angel he'd travelled with had been...a bit too innocent to really do that, to try and get through to a frantic crowd, the next her needing a bit of encouragement, like with the Sontarans. The last her...wonderful at coming up with plans like with the Trickster or the 456, it had...slowly tapered off, the quieter and more hurt she'd become because of him. But...this new Angel. She was back! This new Angel seemed even more in tune with what others felt, with their fears, with what needed to be said to calm them down. And...she hadn't been lying (not that she ever really did lie) when she said that she felt stronger, strong enough to face things.

It didn't just mean River, it meant enemies, threats...scared people...as well. So he tried to hold off, wanting to see what she was capable of, because he knew she was capable of SO much and...he really wanted Ayla to see that her mother was truly a miracle worker at times. Angel always claimed she wasn't clever (though he argued against that every time) and, if that were true, (which it wasn't), then their daughter could also see that...it didn't matter how smart you were, you could still change the world by being just...a good person. He loved all his companions dearly, in terms of Human and Time Lord, they weren't as clever as Time Lords, but they were always so outstanding, he took them more for the adventure, had taken them for companionship, but Angel...especially with Rory and Mickey (though she did have an influence on his companions as well) took them for potential. She saw people who didn't think they were clever and she showed them they really were, she showed them their strengths, she showed them their true brilliance.

It always touched him...to see her do that for her companions (and his) and yet still thing she was nothing special, because that was a part of her charm. While he'd love for her to realize how exceptional she was, her modesty and her humility...they made her unique and they made her...a fitting vessel for the Vortex, incorruptible, he knew. He could do with a bit of that, with being humble and modest, perhaps it would have kept the Silence away if he had been.

"Nearly 19, I'd guess," Angel continued, eyeing Joseph, pulling the Doctor's attention back, "That's too young to have fought in the war, which means you've never shot anyone before."

He narrowed his eyes and cocked the hammer, turning his gun on her, "First time for everything."

The Doctor's hearts froze, seeing that, seeing the gun aimed at Angel's face, heard Ayla gasp behind him...but Angel just gave the boy a soft smile.

"I meant that as a compliment," she told him, surprising him, "That's a good thing Joseph. A very good thing. Ayla's great-granddad was much the same, though he DID fight in the war, but he never killed."

'You do know Ayla's going to want to see Wilf now that you've brought him up,' the Doctor remarked to her quietly.

She gave a small smile, feeling him smile, feeling him calm from how she was handling the boy, how he seemed very nearly about to lower his gun, 'Which is all the better, I miss Donna.'

She eyed Joseph carefully, "Having shot someone, Joseph, that's not something to brag about, it's certainly not something to be proud of. Because that means you, using your own power, ended someone's life," Joseph looked down and she continued, "That's what Jex did," Joseph looked up at that, startled, the townspeople hadn't been privy to what had been revealed in the jail house, all they knew was that Jex...was somehow responsible for the Gunslinger, "He took someone, and he turned them into a weapon. Everything the Gunslinger was, he destroyed in order to make the one you think is a monster. Do you want to be like that Joseph? Do you want to become a killer too?" Joseph's eyes actually started to fill with tears as she stepped closer and put a hand on his shoulder, lowering the boy's gun with her other hand, "Don't become the monster you're fighting," she whispered to him, before stepping closer and giving him a warm hug, "Violence is never the answer," she whispered to him, but everyone could hear her, "Evil begets evil."

The Doctor smiled softly at that, that was just like Angel, calming, comforting, she truly was the 'woman of peace' that River had once called her. He felt a tug on his hand and looked down to see Ayla had taken it and was smiling with pride at her mother.

'Mummy's VERY good,' Ayla commented quietly.

He nodded, 'That she is,' he looked back at the woman, holding the boy as he hugged her tightly back, likely needing just that, just...one comforting, motherly hug to help ease his own fears, 'She's an angel.'

Joseph sniffled as he pulled back, the fight in him gone though, "There's kids here," he glanced at Ayla, "YOUR kid's here."

"We know," the Doctor said, squeezing Ayla's hand, "But they are all people we can save, if you'll let us."

Joseph took a breath, "He really worth the risk?"

"I don't know. But you are."

Joseph nodded and turned, waving the men off as he led them away, the bartender waiting till they'd gone before her own faction left as well.

"Frightened people," the Doctor sighed, "Give me a Dalek any day."

"Oh hush my love," Angel smiled and walked back to him, putting her arms around his neck, "Frightened people just need to feel safe."

It really...wasn't all that hard at all. At least to her. To calm them down. They were all so...scared, all of them, even the bartender and the women, they were fearful of the same thing. And with all of them being so frightened...it was almost like she could feel it herself. It was like she felt what they were, and she just knew exactly what they were scared of. It wasn't just the Gunslinger, it was...everything, it was learning Jex had done something to make the man, it was what the Gunslinger would do when he entered town tomorrow, it was what would happen to them after Jex was gone, and so many other things. And she'd just...wanted to make them feel better.

He smiled softly back at her, leaning in to give her a kiss, "And they're safest when you're here dear," he gave her a longer kiss, "The guardian angel of the universe you are."

She just smiled and took Ayla's hand, walking with her back into the marshal's office with the Doctor, Amy and Rory remaining outside to make sure the groups wouldn't be coming back for a surprise attack. Not that Rory thought they would, he'd experienced more than enough of Angel's words of comfort over the years, he knew better than anyone once she got to you, your entire outlook changed.

"Everything alright out there?" Isaac asked, concerned.

Angel nodded, "Just fine."

"Mummy sorted it," Ayla added.

"That she did," the Doctor agreed, stepping over to a desk, putting his leg up to take the holster off when the undertaker walked over with a cup of coffee.

"Fresh coffee, marshal," the man offered him the cup, "For what it's worth, I know you're going to save us," he nodded back at Isaac, "Isaac made you marshal for a reason, and if you're good enough for him, you're good enough for me. Reckon you should know that."

He smiled and toasted with the cup, "Thank you," before sipping it, hanging up the holster and putting it on the hook again…when the undertaker started to measure his shoulders once more, "Oi! Get out of it!"

The undertaker held up his hands and left as Angel and Isaac laughed a bit at that.

"Let me guess," Jex sighed, "The good folk of Mercy wanted me to take a little stroll into the desert. You could turn a blind eye. No one would blame you."

"The hell we wouldn't," Isaac grumbled.

"Even you could admit Isaac," Jex countered, "If he had...he'd be a hero."

"But I can't, can I?" the Doctor argued, walking to the cell, "Because that is NOT something I want to teach my daughter about, murder is never the answer."

He knew that better than anyone, he'd destroyed his planet to stop the Daleks, and they just kept coming. There could have been options, there might have been, but he'd been...too devastated, too horrified, to see them. He honestly didn't know what would have happened if he'd tried another option. All he was left with was his family, the TARDIS, a destroyed planet and a burdensome guilt. It was something he would have to live with every single day of his life, the knowledge of what he'd done to Gallifrey for the sake of the Universe. It was something he wanted to spare his daughter ever experiencing. If he could teach her that...that murder wasn't the answer, wasn't any answer, then he hoped he might prevent her making a mistake like he had, if she never even ever considered that as a possibility, she'd never have to experience that guilt.

Angel eyed the man a moment, her head tilted, "Do you want us give you to Tek?" she kept getting flickering sensations from him. At one moment he seemed like he wanted to be safe, to flee, at another it was like his guilt was overwhelming him and he wanted to face his punishment.

"Is that what you want?" the Doctor asked, "Do you even know?!"

"You think I'm unaffected by what I did?" Jex stood up, "That I don't hear them screaming every time I close my eyes?" Angel turned and gestured Ayla over to Amy and Rory as they entered the room, hearing the shouts, hoping the Ponds might distract her so she wouldn't hear Jex talking about that, "It would be so much simpler if I was just one thing, wouldn't it? The mad scientist who made that killing machine, or the physician who has dedicated his life to serving this town. The fact that I'm both bewilders you."

"Doc…" Isaac began.

"Oh, I know exactly what you are," the Doctor cut in, turning back to him, "And I see this reformation for what it really is. You committed an atrocity and chose this as your punishment," he started to pace, "Don't get me wrong, good choice. Civilized hours, lots of adulation, nice weather. But...BUT...justice doesn't work like that. You don't get to decide when and how your debt is paid! That is something only the people you wronged, or the people who you owe a debt to, can decide."

Jex was silent for a moment, "In my culture, we believe that when you die your spirit has to climb a mountain, carrying the souls of everyone you wronged in your lifetime. Imagine the weight I will have to lift," he looked at the Doctor, "The monsters I created, the people they killed," he glanced at Ayla, who was in fact being entertained by Amy and Rory, "The children," the Doctor tensed at that, making his way back to Angel, standing beside her to block the man's view of the girl, "Now their souls will be in my arms. Can you see now why I fear death? You want to hand me over. There's no shame in that. But you won't. We all carry our prisons with us. Mine is my past, yours is your morality," he turned to lie back on the bunk, turning his back to them.

"We all carry our prisons with us," the Doctor scoffed, "Ha..."

"Doctor," Angel called, shaking her head.

He sighed, nodding his head. This was quite the pickle they'd found themselves in. He moved over to the chair he'd been sitting in before, and fell down onto it with a huff, rubbing his face when he felt someone lightly running their fingers through his hair, smiling as he knew it was Angel.

'Why is this bothering you so much my love?' Angel had to ask.

They had met...as bad as it was to say...worse people in the past, people who had done much more heinous crimes, and he hadn't reacted quite as violently as just now. The nurses on New Earth had experimented on the New-Humans, the Cybermen had tried to control the humans, even the Daleks, who had acted just like Jex, he'd...tried to help at one point or another, had tried to stop but never kill and had forgiven after a time. Yet with Jex he was...it was alarming how quickly he'd snapped, how easily he'd risen to the bait.

He hesitated in speaking, which made her frown, 'The Gunslinger, Tek, he...he was someone's child,' was all he said.

Angel's frown deepened because...she could sense it...he wasn't telling her everything. She let out a soft breath knowing that...she...she didn't have a right to ask him to speak more on it, to tell her everything. Despite being his Mate...she had done the same to him when he'd been trying to make it up to her after his amnesia. She had kept something rather big from him, quite a few things and...if it was like it had been for her...it would take time before he was willing to talk about it.

She had always been more open than he was. She could only hope it wouldn't take something as extreme as with her for him to let her in and let her know what was wrong.

~8~

The next day, the Doctor stood with Angel in the center of town, right in front of the bank. He cracked his neck as the clock moved nearer to noon, squeezing Angel's hand.

~8~

The preacher knelt before the altar of their small church, a group of parishioners behind him, "Help me. Help me to..." he began, leading them in prayer.

~8~

The bartender wiped down the bar, glancing out the window at the street, waiting.

~8~

"It's almost noon Aunt Amy," Ayla called, standing on her tip-toes to peer out the window at the clock, just able to see her parents standing there, waiting. She wanted to be with them, but she knew they wanted to protect her, so they'd asked Amy to watch her, keep her there, while Rory went out to help them.

Amy nodded and looked at Isaac, "Get ready," she told him, and he picked up a set of keys, waiting as well.

~8~

A loud displacement of air signaled the arrival of the Gunslinger, echoing throughout the town, the man himself stepping over the ring around town just as the bell rang noon. He walked to the center of town, stopping before the Doctor and Angel. He hesitated, seeing the woman there, despite his threat, he truly did not want to take innocent lives.

The Doctor's hand twitched by his holster as the bell finished tolling the hour.

The Gunslinger raised his arm with a grunt, ready to fire, when the Doctor quickly drew his sonic and turned it on above his head, the high-pitched note making the Gunslinger groan in pain as windows around them were blown out.

The cyborg started shooting wildly, Angel grabbing the Doctor's hand, the two of them disappearing in a flash of gold, the Gunslinger looking around for his target once they had disappeared.

The Time Lords reappeared only a few feet away, but covered and out of sight, "Thank you dear," the Doctor kissed her quickly, knowing she was still rather...hesitant to really use the Vortex but he'd talked her into using them for this, because with the Gunslinger reaching his end, it was only a matter of time before he started to take innocent lives, and he knew Angel would never EVER want that to happen if she could stop it.

"I'll be watching," she whispered to him, kissing him once more before disappearing in a flash of gold, leaving him to run off for the saloon.

~8~

"Now!" Amy called to Isaac.

The man rushed over to Jex in his cell, unlocking the door, "You ready for this Doc?" he opened the door and let him out.

"He better be," Amy remarked.

~8~

Rory and Joseph stood by one of the buildings, each with a copy of Jex's tattoo painted on their faces courtesy of the bartender, "Ready?" Rory asked.

Joseph looked a little sick and shook his head.

"Hey," he reached out to put a hand on his shoulder, "Trust me, Angel will be protecting us."

Joseph swallowed and nodded, rushing off around the corner.

~8~

The Gunslinger strode through town, spotting a figure running through the shadows. He zoomed in, seeing the tattoo on its face and raised his gun.

~8~

Jex ran through the back alleys of the town, making his escape. The Doctor and Angel had debated whether the woman should teleport him to his ship…but, in the end, they determined she should stay in town. For their plan to work, the Gunslinger had to think Jex was running around right in front of him, he'd fire at innocent people and neither of them wanted anyone to get hurt just for Jex's sake. So Angel was to be stationed on the roof of a building, using her powers to protect the other targets while he made his escape.

~8~

The Gunslinger zoomed in on a figure as it dodged behind a building, frowning when he realized it was the former marshal and not Jex.

~8~

Jex, on the other hand, ran around a corner, through the back of town.

~8~

The Gunslinger spotted another figure on a balcony, but the scan couldn't match the tattoo…

He grumbled at that, "Disengage. It's a trick."

~8~

A little girl sitting in the church got up and peered out the window as the Gunslinger walked past.

"Save us, oh, Lord," the preacher continued to pray.

The girl backed away into a table, knocking over some books, wincing as the Gunslinger stopped.

The preacher was on his feet and at her side, hugging her protectively, when the Gunslinger blasted down the doors, the women inside screaming...

~8~

The Doctor, sitting in the saloon, getting his own face painted with Jex's tattoo, turned, hearing the explosion and the screams.

'Angel! he called, dashing out of the saloon, his hearts pounding, both with fear that she had been there and gotten hurt, or Ayla had, or that someone else had.

'Already on it,' she replied, telling him that she was alright and that so would the others be as well.

~8~

Jex stopped, and turned around, hearing the children screaming, reminding him so much of the test subjects, their screams, remembering they WERE the children of his people, their sons and daughters, that HE'D harmed...

~8~

The Gunslinger stepped into the church, lifting his gun, ready to threaten them to tell him where Jex was…when there was a flash of gold and Angel appeared before him.

~8~

Jex hesitated, when the Doctor ran into him on his way to the church to help, "Go!" he urged the man, "Just GO! We can't save them while you're here!" he turned and ran as Jex headed to the desert.

~8~

"He's not here," Angel stated, her hand up, a golden wall between her and the Gunslinger, protecting the others.

The Gunslinger took a scan of the faces before him, not seeing any with a tattoo and headed out, Angel slowly lowering her hand before she disappeared.

~8~

Jex ran through the desert, to his pod, pulling off the tarp and jumping into it, hurriedly pressing the keys, "Nine, eight, seven...self-destruct overridden."

~8~

"Deactivate automatic targeting," the Gunslinger commanded as he made his way through town, on a warpath, "Switch to manual," he zoomed in on the Doctor's heat signature as the man ran into the open, worried for his Mate, and walked to him, his gun raised.

The Doctor raised his hands in surrender, when a golden swirl surrounded him. He looked over to see Angel standing beside the clock tower of the bank, watching over the town.

'Thanks dear,' he smiled at her.

"Where is he?" the Gunslinger demanded, lowering his weapon, knowing the shield was impenetrable.

"He's gone."

"WHERE?! ANSWER ME!"

The Doctor took a step back, further into the street, "Away from here. Look up. Any second now you'll see the vapor trail of his ship. This is their home, not the backdrop for your revenge! Look up. Go after him, take this battle away from..."

There was a loud radio feedback as Jex's voice came over the speakers, "Kahler-Tek. Kahler-Tek."

"Jex..." the Gunslinger spun around, "Coward! Where are you?!"

"I'm in my ship."

The Doctor frowned, "Jex, what are you doing? Just GO!"

Angel closed her eyes, realizing what was about to happen, recalling her vision, and shook her head before teleporting out.

"Where are you from?" Jex continued, "Where on Kahler?"

"Now?" the Doctor cried, not even noticing the golden swirl disappear, "You're asking him this NOW?!"

"Gabrean," the Gunslinger stated.

"I know it," Jex sighed, "It's beautiful there. When this is over, will you go back?"

"How can I? I am a monster now."

"So am I."

"Just go!" the Doctor shouted, "Finish this!"

"I will find you," the Gunslinger threatened, "If I have to tear this Universe apart, I will find you."

"I don't doubt that," Jex agreed, "You'll chase me to another planet...and another race will be caught in the crossfire."

"THEN FACE ME!"

~8~

Jex closed his eyes, pushing a button on his ship, "Countdown to self-destruct resumed," the computer announced.

He winced as the Gunslinger shouted through his comms., "FACE ME!"

"No," he swallowed hard, "You've killed enough. I'm ending the war for you too."

"Countdown to self-destruct resumed."

"What's going on?" the Doctor called, "That countdown! What's going ON?! JEX!"

"Thank you, Doctor," Jex offered a small smile, "But I have to face the souls of those I wronged. Perhaps they will be kind."

"Three, two, one. Zero…"

Jex closed his eyes tightly…and a brilliant blast of gold appeared behind his eyelids as the ship exploded…

And then…

He opened his eyes, stunned. He looked over to see the ship torn to pieces, but that he was alive…a swirl of gold had surrounded him. He gasped as it faded to reveal Angel standing there, her hand out, golden winds gently flowing around her till it faded.

She smiled.

~8~

The Doctor and the Gunslinger looked back, hearing the explosion, spotting smoke rising above the buildings from the desert. Ayla, Rory, and Amy ran out along with a few other townspeople seeing it a well.

The Gunslinger sighed and bowed his head, "He behaved with honor at the end. Maybe more than me."

"We could take you back to your world," the Doctor offered as Ayla moved over to his side, looking between her father and the Gunslinger, "You could help with the reconstruction."

The Gunslinger simply started to walk away, "I will walk into the desert and self-destruct. I am a creature of war. I have no role to play during peace."

Ayla frowned, watching the man walking away and looked at her father, seeing the badge on his lapel sparkle in the sun...and tugged on the edge of his coat.

"What is it sweetheart?" he looked at her.

She rolled her eyes, tugging on his coat more, "Kneel down daddy," she gave a small huff, her father was a bit slow sometimes.

He gave her a small confused look and knelt down, watching as she quickly managed to get the badge off him and turned to run after the Gunslinger, "Mr. Tek!" she called, the large man stopping short at hearing his name being called...hearing it being called with such...and innocent quality to it, "Mr. Tek wait!" he looked down as Ayla ran up to him, "Don't go Mr. Tek, Mercy needs you."

He blinked and looked at her, "Mercy does not need me."

"Yes it does," she insisted, holding up the badge to him, the 'marshal' glinting in the sun, "You'd be the best marshal," she told him, leaning in to whisper, "Maybe better than Isaac," she added, which made the townspeople glance at each other, not quite sure about that.

"Why do you think that?" he frowned at her, utterly confused. Here was a child, in a town full of people he'd just threatened to kill the entirety of...and she was telling him he'd be a good marshal for them.

"Because you'd protect them other things, like you tried to from Jex," she said simply.

The Doctor frowned, not quite sure about that either, "What do you mean sweetheart?"

Ayla rolled her eyes, "If he was a bad man...like with the dinosaurs, he would have gotten Jex already," she explained, "If he really did it because of the thingy on his arm, he wouldn't have waited," she looked at her father, inadvertently telling him that she had worked out what happened to the Gunslinger, what Jex had done, even if she didn't know all of the details of how bad it had been, "He didn't want to hurt anyone. If he didn't want to hurt anyone, and the only one he did was Jex...doesn't that mean he wanted to protect them from Jex?"

The Doctor blinked...that...made sense. If the Gunslinger had truly been bent on revenge...he wouldn't have let anything stop him, nothing at all would have kept him from Jex, from seeing his revenge seen. The fact that he didn't want to hurt anyone...it meant he still cared, it meant he was...trying to protect them from the crossfire. Perhpas...perhaps the Gunslinger hadn't been after Jex for revenge on what he'd done to HIM...but as a way to protect the people of Mercy from Jex doing what he believed the man would do, to protect them from Jex harming THEM like the man had him.

He let out a soft laugh, his daughter was...insightful. Remarkable really. Sometimes...children could see what adults missed. Angel often saw more than he did even if she didn't realize it. It seemed his daughter was exactly the same, but in a different sense.

"He just thought Jex was going to hurt you," Ayla looked at the townspeople, "He was a doctor on Kahler too. He was supposed to help, but he hurt Mr. Tek instead. He was afraid Jex would do it to you too," she turned to the Gunslinger, "He won't do that to anyone ever again though," she crossed her hearts, "I promise," before she looked at her father, "He just wanted to protect them...isn't that what a marshal does?"

"Yeah it is, Deputy," Isaac nodded, smiling.

"Then protect the peace, while he protects their health," Angel's voice said. They looked over to see her standing there...with Jex, having appeared in a flash of gold. She walked over to the Gunslinger, who seemed stunned to see Jex alive, "As Isaac said," she reached out and put a hand on the man's heart, still human, still pumping blood, still beating, "You're both good me. You just forget that sometimes," she looked down at Ayla, reaching out to run a hand down her hair, "And sometimes you just need someone to remind you of that."

Ayla beamed at that and stepped closer to the Gunslinger, tugging on the edge of his black shirt. He looked down at her but didn't move...till she rolled her eyes again and just beckoned him down with a finger, she was starting to think that maybe it was just boys who were slow at times.

The Gunslinger hesitated a moment, before he knelt down, Ayla reaching out to pin the marshal's badge to his front, smiling, "Black and silver go really well together," she told him, smiling, she liked...matching things, colors especially.

The Gunslinger looked down at the badge attached to his front now, reaching up a gentle hand to touch it, feeling the cool metal against his fingers. He looked up, however, when Jex slowly approached, standing, cautious around the man who had hurt him so terribly yet...truly and deeply was repentant about it.

"I AM sorry," Jex whispered, tears in his eyes that the Gunslinger could see, "So, so sorry. And I will NEVER ever hurt anyone again," he held out a hand to the cyborg who eyed it.

He'd wanted Jex dead for so long, but…when he'd thought the man had died, he'd realized all that his mission had done was turn him into a monster just like he'd viewed Jex to be. This town, Mercy, it was offering them both a second chance, a chance to be better men than they had been in the past.

He...found himself looking over at Ayla, at the little girl who had...had faith in him first, to see her beaming, positively beaming, at him, and nodding her head, excited.

The Doctor smiled as he watched the Gunslinger reach out and shake Jex's hand.

His girls were amazing.

~8~

The Doctor burst out of the saloon with Angel, Ayla swinging in their arms between them as Amy and Rory followed, the TARDIS now parked before them in the middle of the street.

"Ok, so, our next trip," the Doctor began, "You know all the monkeys and dogs they sent into space in the '50s and '60s?" he tickled Ayla's stomach, "You'll never guess what really happened to them!"

"Er...could we leave it a while?" Amy asked, "Our friends will start noticing that we're aging faster than them."

"Another time!" the Doctor nodded, clapping his hands, actually...ok with that, this had...actually really meant to be just a...one adventure trip, really. He'd just gotten a bit caught up in it at the end there, seeing Ayla so excited, Angel beaming, the Gunslinger and Jex resolved, he'd been a bit...overexcited, "No worries!"

Amy and Rory waved goodbye to the townspeople as they headed into the TARDIS, the Time Lords hesitating in the doorway. Joseph and the Doctor shared a small smile and laugh, before playfully 'drawing' on each other, the Doctor getting him with his air gun. Joseph straightened and tipped his hat at them, Angel nodding as Ayla tipped her own hat back, the Doctor saluting before they entered the TARDIS and disappeared.

~8~

"By the time the Gunslinger arrived, the people of Mercy were used to the strange and the impossible. Where he came from didn't matter. As a man once said, 'America is a land of second chances.'"

~8~

The little girl from the church waved at Jex as she stepped out across the boundary around Mercy, into the desert, knowing she was protected both in the town, with the Deputy watching out for them, and in the sand with the Marshal overlooking the entire town.

~8~

"Do I believe the story? I don't know. My great-grandmother must have been a little girl when he and the doctor arrived."

~8~

She smiled, seeing the Gunslinger standing on a ridge, watching over the town.

~8~

"But next time you're in Mercy, ask someone why they only got a Deputy and don't have a Marshall or a Sheriff or policeman there. Why no disease seems to touch them and the children look forward to a trip to the doctor's. 'We got our own arrangement,' they'll say. Then they'll smile, like they got a secret. Like they got their own special angels watchin' out for them. Their very own angels who fell from the stars."

~8~

The Gunslinger smiled, the marshal's badge glinting in the light.

~8~

"Mummy?" Ayla asked as Angel tucked her in, "Will you tell me a story?"

"Of course," Angel laughed, kneeling beside Ayla's bed, resting her arms on the edges of it, resting her chin on them, "What do you want to hear about tonight?"

It was...fun, how different their stories were. The Doctor loved reading Ayla actual stories, he love doing all the little voices and acting out the scenes for her, sometimes he'd give her a tale of his own, when it was an adventure that was more amusing than dangerous...which weren't many. She, on the other hand, loved to tell Ayla stories about her adventures with the Doctor, her life on Gallifrey, her family.

"Will you tell me about Sir Uncle?"

Angel smiled at that, 'Sir Uncle,' while it would make sense for it to be the Brigadier, was actually Ayla's special name for the Corsair. She didn't know why her daughter called him that, she thought, perhaps, it was because 'Sair' sounded a little like 'sir' if said right, but she honestly wasn't sure. She found it amusing though.

She nodded, "Hmm..." she hummed thinking of one as Ayla laid down to listen, "Alright...one time, on Gallifrey, I was working away in a TARDIS, just...repairing it. The Time Lord who owned it was having issues with it, the steering seemed to be off and it kept landing by...crashing into walls and trees and things like that. Turns out," she leaned in to whisper, "The steering was just fine, but the Time Lord was a bit cross-eyed which threw off his piloting quite a bit," Ayla giggled at that, "So I was trying to rewire the steering so that it would land just a bit to the side...when someone started to knock on the doors."

"They didn't open?" Ayla asked, the TARDIS always opened for her and her mother.

"The TARDISes are very protective of us," Angel reminded her, "All of them were," she got a bit sad before shaking her head, "They never let anyone in when I was in them, not even their pilots at times."

"They liked you best," Ayla smiled.

"I think they liked that I talked to them, like you do your Auntie," she nodded, "But anyway, I asked the TARDIS to open the doors and...in walks the Corsair. More like he ran in. Didn't even give me a chance to greet him before he grabbed me. He literally picked me up over his shoulder and ran out of the TARDIS, carried me all the way through the fields and back to my house, set me down on a chair and threatened to glue me to it if I tried to get up."

"Why'd he do that?" Ayla frowned.

"Because he wanted to give me something," she told her, "A box."

"What was in it?"

"A book," she smiled, remembering it, "He'd been knocking around the Universe, exploring, like your dad. But...causing a bit more chaos, if you can imagine that," she laughed, "But...he was on Earth and he saw something that he wanted to give me. It was a book, like a journal, but with pictures in it, different pictures and notes and bits of things. A 'scrapbook' he called it. And inside that book were pictures of me, of me working in TARDISes and with my mum, your grandmum, my family, with him too. And, just after I'd looked through it...my sister and my father walked it, with a little cake that he'd seen on Earth as well. Turns out," she smiled, "It was my birthday and I'd completely forgotten."

"Mummy that's silly!" Ayla giggled, her parents always remembered HER birthday.

"I was a very silly girl," she shrugged, "I still am."

"Do you still have the book?"

"No," Angel's smile turned sad, "I don't," she couldn't bear to add that it was because the book had been in her home on Gallifrey, that everything she had had been left there when she'd ended up with the Dalek, everything except the Dampening Bracelet really, "But it's alright," she nodded, "It's all in here," she tapped her head.

"Can...can we make a scrapbook one day mummy?" Ayla asked, sensing it was both a sad and very happy memory for her.

"I think that is a brilliant idea," Angel smiled, "But not right now because someone," she gave Ayla a pointed look, "Is supposed to go to sleep."

Ayla rolled her eyes at that but snuggled into her bed, cuddling 'Aslan' to her as Angel pulled the duvet up a bit more, smiling as she headed for the door, turning on the star projection before she shut the door a crack and stepped out into the hall.

"And you say I'M brilliant with her?" a voice said from behind her.

She smiled, not even jumping at the Doctor's voice as she turned to face him, "We'll, she's as curious as her father, makes it very easy," she mimicked the words he'd said to her.

He laughed, reaching out a hand to take hers, the two of them walking not to their room but to the library, not exactly needing sleep right just then. They found the same plush chair they'd sat in ages ago, before the fireplace, the fires springing to life as they sat. The Doctor smiled, winding an arm around her shoulders as they sat, Angel taking his hand as it danged over her shoulder, snuggling into him as he pulled a small blanket over them, making them all the more cozy.

"Do you miss him?" the Doctor asked.

"The Corsair?" she wanted to clarify as he nodded, "At times yes," she nodded.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, even though the Corsair had been lost on House, he still felt like it was his fault. They didn't know why he had been there. It likely had nothing to do with him, but...he just...couldn't help it.

"I miss him more because...I can't help but wonder..." she trailed off, trying to work out how to phrase it.

"What?" he looked at her.

She looked up at him, "How he'd react to this," she squeezed his hand, "To us, as Mates. He was...a little protective of me."

He smiled, "I think he would have rather liked me. He did like me in quite a few incarnations."

"Really?" she smirked playfully, "He never mentioned you."

"Oi!" he laughed, poking her, making her laugh as well, "He never mentioned you either!"

She smiled at that though, "He knew I didn't like him talking about me."

"And he probably knew if he told you even one thing about me...you'd go running for the hills if you ever saw me."

Angel shook her head, "No...I think..." she blinked, because...it WAS a little odd that the man had known the both of them and yet never mentioned one to the other in all that time, "I think he wanted me to make my own opinion of you. I...trusted his opinion. If he told me you were the most remarkable man ever, I'd have believed it," she reached up and gently traced his cheek, "I like the fact that I got to discover that for myself."

His gaze softened as he leaned in and kissed her, he was glad he'd gotten to learn how wonderful she was for himself as well.

One of the most remarkable and treasured discoveries of his life.

Chapter Text

The Doctor stood on at a lake side, on a red and white checkered picnic blanket in Utah, the Ponds and River behind him, an older Canton farther back by an old car. He stood there…staring at a spacesuit, a NASA Astronaut suit to be exact as it walked out of the lake.

"Just…stay back," he muttered to the Ponds, glancing at them a moment, his gaze not even drifting over to River before he walked towards the suit.

He had been…lucky. So lucky, that he'd gone back to the TARDIS when Angel had tried to drop him off at the museum. Something hadn't…felt completely right with Angel's parting words to him. They had seemed too final. So he'd gone back, wanting to explore the museum together instead of wandering himself in a bid to trick her and not let her find him.

Really? What had he been thinking agreeing to that in the first place? As though he'd ever want Angel not to find him. As though he'd ever want to be parted from her. He'd gone back…just as the TARDIS had started to disappear and ran for the doors, managing to make it inside just as the box left. He'd been…rather furious to find her at the console…an image of her on the monitor, dressed like she was now, with a 'death date' below her, a fixed point in time apparently. He'd been fuming to find that she'd known, all that time, she'd known that her death was coming, and she hadn't said.

But, as angry as he was that she'd kept something like that from him…he'd been scared. Terrified really, to find that Angel had to die it seemed. Permanently. Why else would River be in prison for it? He'd realized that his hopes for Berlin, his hopes that, because River HAD killed Angel for a moment or two, that it would be enough to condemn her to Stormcage.

He'd been wrong.

He realized it now. He realized that River hadn't committed her true crime yet, she hadn't killed Angel. And he was scared because they regenerated, that was the point of their dying, to regenerate. And if River was in prison for murder…the murder had to be completed, the person had to truly be dead. The Universe would recognize Angel as still living if she regenerated, so…the only thing to be concluded was that…Angel was going to truly and permanently die.

No regeneration.

Well, he wasn't about to let that happen. And so…he'd done a rather…underhanded thing, one he'd sworn never to do to her again. He'd made her go to sleep. He'd done what he had in the Library and made her sleep, he'd kissed her, looked into her mind and saw all that she had learned about her death date, about the Silence, about everything…and made her sleep.

He'd gone to track a Dalek, to meet the Teselecta, to find Gantok and Dorium and all of the little bits that Angel had yet to find about her death. And he'd made a choice. He would stop it. He didn't know how. He didn't know how he'd do it. His mind was too jumbled, too much in shock, he'd given the Teselecta the blue envelopes Angel had taken from Craig to deliver and walked away, his mind racing, trying to think of a way to alter the fixed point, to…to do something to save Angel. To do anything he could think of…

And only one thing came to mind.

He had to take her place. He didn't care what it meant, timelines be damned, fixed point be damned, HE would be the one at that lake. HE would be the one River killed and if she refused he'd just force her hand. She would have to kill him, because he wouldn't let her kill Angel. He'd found the Dampening Bracelet on River, in the hospital after Berlin, had found that the woman had tried to steal it away and took it back. He'd slipped it onto Angel before he left, kissing her forehead before he stepped out of the TARDIS and into the desert, just as a yellow school bus had dropped off Amy and Rory.

He'd met them, and River unfortunately. It had taken all his self control, what little there was after having known Angel, to not strangle the woman upon sight. Her smirk grated his nerves, her veiled slights against Angel set him in a rage that had him squeezing his drink too tight and shattering the glass when she'd mentioned that Angel had 'brought a plague' upon a peoples. He knew it had been River that had done it and he hated hearing the woman talking about Angel like that. It made him sick to think of how he'd just let her continue to do that when he'd forgotten Angel, how he hadn't stopped her. He should have realized, should have heard her, but he hadn't.

He'd led them to the lake, and just…waited. And soon enough, the astronaut was there, and his time had come. River had tried to stop him, a crack in her mask appearing, revealing that she knew what was going to happen, that she knew who the true target of the fixed point was. But he'd shaken her off, told her it was her fault, before turning to head to the lake.

"I know it's you River," he said as he came face-to-helmet with the astronaut, a bite to his words, River's name coming out more like a vile curse than anything, "No point in hiding. If you're going to do this, you face me, you watch," but the astronaut just stood there, "Well? What are you waiting for? Can't face me?"

Slowly the astronaut lifted its hand, raised the visor…

And his hearts stopped.

It wasn't River in the suit…

It was Ayla.

"What…" he breathed, his eyes wide as he stared at the face of his daughter, he KNEW it was her, she looked like his last self and Angel far too much to be anyone else, "No…" he shook his head, seeing her blank expression, the bags under her eyes, her pale face, the…pain in her eyes…oh dear God no.

This couldn't be happening!

Angel had said that Ayla escaped Kovarian! Which meant…the Silence had found her first. They'd gotten her back, they'd completed her training…no wonder why River hadn't been hunted down by the Silence. He'd listened vaguely as River told Amy and Rory that she'd gone to Luna University for archaeology on the way to the diner, truly that should have been a clue that River hadn't been locked away for killing Angel.

"Ayla…" he breathed, "No…"

Ayla just stared at him, impassive, not a shred of emotion on her face…before she raised her blaster arm and fired, not even hesitating, the Time Lord too startled and shocked to do anything to defend himself…

Until River shoved him out of the way…and a bright white light encompassed them…

~8~

The Doctor strode through the Great Pyramid, having just arrived there on the Orient Express. He didn't bother to stop and talk to Rory, barely listened to Amy from the moment he'd woken up. It was a mess, all of it, all of time was falling apart because River had tried to rescue him. And it disgusted him to know that, had it been Angel standing there before…before Ayla…that River would have likely just stood there, smirking her bloody smirk, as Angel was shot by their…their daughter.

And now it was all just a complete and utter splattering mess on the carpet of the Universe. All of time was happening at once, the past, the present, the future, everything. There were cars being moved about by balloons, the War of the Roses still going on, with Charles Dickens writing his classics. Churchill was the Holy Roman Emperor, had a Silurian doctor and his own personal Wooly Mammoth! It was all falling to pieces and, of course, he'd tried to fix it, to get someone to realize it was wrong…and been thrown in jail for it.

He had no idea what to do. Angel was trapped in the TARDIS, the TARDIS was…somewhere he didn't know, Ayla had disappeared before his very eyes because of River, Amy and Rory were wearing eye patches like Kovarian did, and the Silence had attacked! He'd been shot at by Amy, held hostage on a train, and now they kept trying to hold him back from getting where he needed to go. He was NOT about to let them stop him, he wasn't going to answer any questions about the Silence, not till he got answers himself.

No…he was on a mission.

Which Amy, thankfully, seemed to realize quite quickly and had rushed to take the lead, heading further into the pyramid…till they entered the King's Chamber, the control center it appeared. And he stopped dead. Because there…in the center of the room…was Ayla.

His little girl wasn't quite so little anymore.

She was older now, as though a teenager, like Jenny was. And she was standing there in a black outfit, a black shirt, black pants, black shoes, black everywhere…a color that was so dark he'd never wanted to see that much of it on his daughter unless they were playing spy. But he knew they weren't. She was standing there…with an eye patch on, her face blank, her hands cuffed before her. Kovarian was in a chair beside her, her arms tied behind her, smirking widely as she saw him enter, saw his gaze land on Ayla. Not even River, who had been working at a computer off to the side with a scientist could pull his gaze away even as she walked into the center of the room, nearly blocking his path of vision.

"Doctor…" River began.

But the Doctor just shook his head, stepping past her, his gaze locked on Ayla, "Ayla…" he whispered, before leaping forward to hug her tightly, wincing as he felt her stiffen…and then grunted when he fell back against the ground from the knee that had just been rammed into his gut…by his daughter.

Kovarian's smirk widened considerably, seeing the devastated look on his face at how his daughter had reacted to him, how she'd physically hurt him to shove him away, not wanting him to touch her, "Do you like her Doctor?" she asked, "It took us quite a while, she had quite the spirit, but I think she turned out rather well, don't you?"

The Doctor looked at Kovarian for only a moment, before her words registered, the hidden meaning in them clear and he leapt to his feet, lunching for Kovarian, grabbing the lapels of her black dress, "What did you do to her?!"

He knew, he KNEW what she'd done. He'd seen it in the plans Rory had found, in the tests the Silence had run on Ayla and Angel. They had already begun drawing up a training program, creating an obedience system, a method of punishment for when Ayla grew too old to be controlled and they needed a way to control her.

"Oh Doctor," Kovarian laughed, "If we told you…it would break your hearts. And you thought we were harsh with Melody's training?"

The Doctor stumbled back, shaking, looking between the stoic Ayla and…a River who actually appeared guilty as she looked down. He knew that River's training had been harsher than Ayla's was meant to be. When Ayla had escaped, River's training had to be harder, longer, more deep conditioning, to ensure that River wouldn't do the same. And with Kovarian being human, she knew the limits of the human body, she knew how far to push River…something they hadn't known with Ayla, something they'd tried to be careful with at first.

And now it seemed that, in River failing to kill him (or Angel) in Berlin…the Silence had doubled their efforts to find their prime test subject…and they'd found her. And they'd been…harder on her than River. Seeing her in that suit, KNOWING it was his daughter…he recognized her now. SHE had been the little girl in the warehouse and in the orphanage, it had been Ayla all along. And he hadn't even realized. He SHOULD have, he'd felt…something, when he'd seen her in the warehouse, Angel had too. The two of them had stared at the girl, feeling something different about her but hadn't known what. Neither had expected her to be their daughter, neither had expected her to be Time Lord, they hadn't made the connection that what they felt wasn't just the familial bonds but…the sense of a Time Lord as well.

And now she was there, she was back, she was standing in front of him…and had never been so far away. He shuddered, feeling tears in his eyes as he looked at his daughter, his little girl, his baby girl, the one he'd failed to protect, just like he'd failed her mother. He couldn't even die properly and spare Angel the danger of being hunted down. If he died at the lake, they'd think Angel had died as well. He'd left her with a psychic message for when she awoke, asked her to go find Ayla, to keep the bracelet on, for him. And now to see Ayla there…it all just hit him.

It was all his fault.

Everything was his fault.

If he'd just been stronger, beaten the Silent's command in the TARDIS, he would have remembered Angel. He NEVER would have allowed her to wander on her own, to be captured by the Silent in the bathroom of the White House. She wouldn't have been taken, Ayla wouldn't have been taken, she wouldn't have had to wander the streets as a lost child, she wouldn't have been captured once more and turned into…this. If he hadn't spent so long fretting over Amy, if he'd just NOTICED that Angel was the one who was pregnant, he'd have done whatever he could to get her back. He would have moved faster, thought harder, found her sooner. Ayla would have been with them, she would have been safe. If he'd just STAYED with Angel in the hanger of Demons Run, with her and Ayla, the Monks wouldn't have gotten close enough to grab Ayla. He would have fought them tooth and nail to protect her. He'd fought off a Sycorax with a sword, a Headless Monk would be nothing in defense of his family.

But he hadn't.

He hadn't remembered. He hadn't noticed Angel. He hadn't protected her. He hadn't been there to keep Ayla safe. And because of him…his daughter was standing before him an emotionless shell essentially programmed to do the bidding of the Silence, to obey their commands.

He could recognize the signs in her face and her stance, the conditioning behind it. Whatever the Silence had done…it had made her obedient. She didn't care if he was her father, she didn't care if killing him would mean killing her mother as well, she didn't care if the Silence would likely kill her after her mission was successful, unwilling to risk another Time Lord losing control. All she cared was doing as the Silence bid and following her orders.

Her orders to kill Angel.

To kill HIM.

"It's a pity you had to see this, isn't it?" Kovarian continued, not sounding sorry at all, "Just think…if you'd just died at the lake, we wouldn't be here."

"I was there," he looked at her, his voice quiet, far more quiet and defeated than Amy had ever heard it, worrying her, "I was willing. But your resident psychopath disrupted your plans."

"You see now why she was the failed test subject," Kovarian sighed as River winced at that.

All her life she'd been compared to Ayla, she'd been raised living in the shadow of a missing prime subject. Everything she did was compared to the estimates of what AYLA could have done. Every achievement was reminded that Ayla would have done it faster, done it better because she was smarter and faster and stronger than HER. She had striven to be better than the girl and yet…in the end…her humanity had been her undoing. It made sense now why they had wanted an alien to kill an alien. Humans…felt too much. She had fallen in love with the Doctor…she hadn't been able to kill him.

And as a result she was deemed a 'failed experiment' and left alone while they redoubled their efforts to find their first subject.

"It was such a basic mistake, wasn't it, Madame Kovarian?" River looked at her trying to defend herself, "Take a child, raise her into a perfect psychopath, introduce her to the Doctor. Who else was I going to fall in love with?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Kovarian shook her head, "Ayla," she glanced at the girl, making the Doctor look at her as well, "What are your thoughts on love?" she sneered the word as though it were a disease.

"Love is a weakness," Ayla said.

The Doctor's hearts broke all the more, Ayla…she sounded just like Angel, like her first self had. To hear that voice, his Mate's voice, to hear it saying those words, to know his own daughter, a girl conceived in the most encompassing love among their people…felt that way…it was…it killed him inside.

It hurt worse because he knew what had to be done to make someone say that and truly believe it. The hell that his little girl had had to endure to actually say those words without a shred of emotion, to say them and believe them to be true. He looked at her eyes, her grey eyes, Angel's eyes…and he saw it. There, lurking in the dark, was…pain. It was unimaginable pain, and for a moment he thought he was actually looking at Angel, at the girl that had looked at him just after they'd taken Amy aboard, when he'd said they were only friends and she'd broken before him.

She was suffering, even now, she was in pain and she was hurt and…

Oh God, it was JUST like Angel.

Those eyes…they were full of death. They were full of a longing for the suffering to end.

He felt tears coming to his eyes, pricking the corners, threatening to spill at that realization. His daughter, his baby…she wanted to die. Like Angel had. Like Angel might still feel. Like he knew she'd feel again when he was gone, when Ayla was gone because he knew that the Silence would kill her as soon as they thought both him and Angel were dead.

And it was all his fault.

The pain both his daughter and Mate had suffered were on him.

And now there was only one thing he could do…he could end it, he could stop their suffering.

He looked at River, "River give me your hand."

But River shook her head, her eyes wide as she stepped back, "No," she knew what that meant, what touching him would mean…and she couldn't! She'd risked her life to SAVE him not let him die!

"Reality is fatally compromised," he muttered, not having the heart to truly care about that, "Now give me your hand."

"Doctor what's wrong?" Amy frowned, not sure why he kept asking that.

"As long I'm alive, time is dying," he said softly, "Because River stopped us at the lake."

"It's not my fault!" River defended, "Doctor this would have happened even if I hadn't, it's not meant to be YOU at the lake, but Angel! The only thing that would have happened was time falling apart and YOU dead!"

"Good."

The room fell quiet at that, Kovarian smirking as she realized…she'd won. The Doctor, the almighty Doctor, the man who continuously fled from death…wanted to die. Oh it had taken them AGES to get to this point, infinite planning, intricate plots, but they'd done it. They'd managed to break the Time Lords, all three of them, to the point where the fight left them, where they wouldn't run, where they wouldn't fight, where they'd let it happen. Dear God it had taken forever for their plans to come to a head! But they'd done it. The Doctor would fall, he would stand there, unmoving as his own daughter shot him. His Mate, despite it being a fixed point, despite HER being the intended target, the fixed point would actually maintain itself as Angel WOULD die when the Doctor did, so, in a way, the fixed point would still happen. And then Ayla would activate her self-destruct button on her astronaut suit and that would be the end of the Time Lords, the end of the threat they posed to the Universe.

Oh she couldn't wait.

"Doctor…" Amy breathed, shaking her head, hearing a hollow quality to his voice.

But the Doctor just looked at River, "Did you ever consider, River, that I WANT to die?" River started shaking her head, "Or that I would rather I die than have seen this?" he gestured at Ayla, still remaining stoic, "To see my daughter turned into this?" his voice broke at that and the tears started to fall, "I would rather die a thousand times over than to have let this happen," he shook his head, "I wish you HAD killed ME in Berlin," he took a breath, "Now give me your hand."

"I can't," River shook her head.

"Why does he keep asking that?" Amy asked River quietly.

"It's the only way," the Doctor answered instead, "We're the opposite poles of the disruption. If we touch, we short out the differential. Time can begin again."

"And you'll be by a lakeside about to be killed!" River shouted.

"Yes," he nodded, "And that's good."

"Please Doctor," River took a step closer to him, "There are so many people out there who love you, who wouldn't want you to die, who NEED you," she shook her head, "Like me. Please…" she whispered.

The Doctor looked at her and she gasped, seeing the same dead look in his eyes as in Ayla's, "What about what I need?" he countered, "All I need…is my family. My daughter, and my Mate."

"And Angel will die too though," Amy tried to argue with him, "You do this, Angel will die Doctor!"

"And so will your precious daughter," Kovarian laughed.

The Doctor looked at Ayla a moment before walking over to her, standing before her and staring her in her empty eyes, "I'm sorry…" he whispered to her, reaching out with both hands to touch her face, "I'm so sorry," he hesitated a moment before kissing her forehead, pulling back quickly to make sure she wouldn't head-butt him or something, "I truly am so sorry Kitta," he whispered to her in Gallifreyan, not even sure if she'd recognize the language.

He didn't know his daughter at all. He'd missed so much of her life, he'd missed everything. And worse yet…he couldn't protect her, he hadn't protected her. But…he could protect her now. She had been hurt, so terribly hurt, as had Angel, and now…him as well. There was nothing that would be able to heal them from this. Nothing at all. All he could do…was ensure nothing hurt them again.

…was this what Angel had felt when she'd started to wonder how long it would take him to remember? Was this…hopelessness…what she'd felt? That moment when you started to think that it would be better to not be in the world any longer than to keep with it and feel nothing but pain and despair.

Probably.

She'd probably felt worse.

Which only served to make HIM feel worse as well.

Everything was his fault.

"What is that?" Amy frowned.

The Doctor stepped back and looked over to see Amy touching her head, looking up…where water was leaking through the ceiling.

"What's happening?" River stared.

"The Silence are escaping," the Doctor said, turning to walk to River, "We have moments," he told her, "We need to do this now!"

"They're out!" Rory shouted as he ran into the room, "All of them."

"River," the Doctor held out his hand, "A fixed point has been altered. Time is disintegrating. And I…can't do this anymore," he admitted to her quietly, his voice so…broken and tired that it brought tears to her eyes, "I cannot bear the thought that my family is suffering…because of ME," his face hardened, "So you either take my hand…or I take yours off your arm."

River swallowed hard, seeing it in his eyes, the Oncoming Storm rising, the threat, the darkness…the promise. He really would tear her arm off if he had to, anything to set time moving once more.

"I am…suffering River," he added, "More than you can possibly understand. So please…help me."

River looked down at his hand and then up at his eyes…seeing the honesty in them, the pain…the torment…he truly was in an unendurable hell dealing with the knowledge of all that had happened because of him. Because he hadn't been strong enough or fast enough or smart enough to protect his own family.

She took a breath and grabbed his hand…

~8~

The Doctor opened his eyes to find himself at the lake once more, standing across from Ayla, her arm raised.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to her once more, "I'm so sorry Kitta."

Ayla just powered up her weapon, holding it right at his forehead, "Make peace with your gods," she said, her voice cold and emotionless.

He frowned at that, at those familiar words…

When she fired…

~8~

The Doctor half-jumped up and onto his side in bed, shaking uncontrollably as he panted, looking at the floor of the bedroom he and Angel shared. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard, before shaking his head and scrambling out of the bed, his leg getting caught in the sheets a moment before he tugged it out. He stumbled back, his shoulder hitting the wall, before he glanced at Angel, lying on her side, facing his side of the bed, her head half buried in her arms and pillow, sleeping. He let out a breath, thankful he hadn't woken her, not wanting to explain why he was so shaken, before he turned and, as quietly as he could, made his way out of the room, needing to check on Ayla, needing to make sure she was…still a little girl and sleeping alright.

The moment the door closed behind him, Angel's eyes slowly opened. She eyed the door, frowning, "Oh Theta," she whispered to the empty room.

Chapter Text

"Life in the TARDIS was like this…excitement everywhere, running around, facing enemies, rescuing planets, saving civilizations! Real life was like this…"

~8~

Amy and Rory stood in their kitchen one July morning, sifting through their things, through all the things that they'd let go and left unattended from the last time they'd run off with the Time Lords. It was getting a bit...annoying, to have to sort through their refrigerator each time, to throw out all those groceries. Luckily they hadn't been in the process of cooking anything yet and left the stove on or something. Their answer phone was in the process of playing all 59 messages that had been left during their last trip, some of them had to be important they knew, and they'd missed it.

Rory sighed as he sifted through the clothes in their suitcases, tossing them into the washing machine while Amy checked the items in the fridge.

"It's Lane's Opticians," the next message played, "Just reminding you your reading glasses are ready for collection. Bye!"

"Milk two months out of date," Amy tossed it in the garbage, "Yogurt…" she opened it and let out a little scream at what was growing inside it before dropping it into the bin as well, "Eek! Don't ask."

"We've run out of washing tablets," Rory called with a sigh, rubbing his head.

~8~

Sitting out in their back garden a few months after returning to Earth would find the Ponds enjoying a cup of tea, Amy and Rory just discussing how their lives were going, how it was getting more and more difficult to keep them both up. It was hard, to just...say goodbye. They could understand why the other companions were almost glad that the Doctor had just...dropped them off and left. It was hard, it was a shock, it was trying to get back to life on Earth without all the adventure and danger and excitement...but at least they knew that they could go throughout their day without the Doctor popping back in and wanting to whisk them off. They KNEW that the next day they'd be on Earth and the next, unlike for them.

All the past companions had said how hard it was to adjust to that sudden departure. They were encouraging of the Ponds and the breaks between adventures the Doctor was trying to give, clearly weaning them off the TARDIS life. But...they'd almost rather he'd just dropped them off. Because...each time, they weren't sure if the next day would be the day he popped in again. They never knew when they'd be coming back. What they'd be missing. It was even harder to give it up, because...giving up TARDIS life, meant giving up the Time Lords untill holidays. And they weren't sure they were ready for that.

Rory especially, how could he just abandon his niece?

Amy smiled as she sipped her tea, thinking on that, it was such a...change, such a reversal of how it had been. At first SHE had been the one excited for the TARDIS noise, for the adventures and the wonders of the Universe, having to practically drag Rory along, the man preferring Earth to the TARDIS. But slowly they'd both grown in opposite directions from what they once were. Now it was RORY who eagerly listened for the TARDIS's wheeze, because it meant spending time with Ayla and SHE was the one who was starting to want just the Earth life, to start a family with her husband and really...finish building the life they'd started to create and had to keep putting off because of the adventures.

"We have two lives," Rory said, "Real life and TARDIS life. Except real life doesn't get much of a look in."

"What do we do?" Amy frowned.

Rory sighed and shrugged, "Choose?"

He didn't want to. He really didn't. Choose real life and have a chance to start a family with Amy, a nice safe, peaceful life. But…then he'd see Ayla less than they already did. And he loved that little girl, she was his niece in every way that counted. He'd been there from the start, since Angel had learned of her pregnancy, been there when they'd gone to rescue the girl, helped deliver her, been there for Angel when she'd been taken, he just had such a special connection to the little girl. To lose that…he wasn't sure he was ready to give that up, he wasn't entirely sure Amy was ready to start a family either.

But then…they heard the sound of the TARDIS materializing.

"Not today, though," Amy said quickly.

"Nah, not today," he grinned and they set down their cups, running for the blue box.

"Uncle Rory!"

He smiled, hearing that little voice shout out, excited, when he opened the doors to the box.

No, not today.

~8~

"Every time we flew away with those Time Lords, we'd just become part of their lives. But they never stood still long enough to become part of ours. Except once. The year of the slow invasion. The time the Time Family came to stay."

~8~

As Amy and Rory slept soundly one night in their home on Earth, a black box appeared out of thin air, floating around a moment before it settled itself on a shelf.

~8~

"I just don't know what to do Jack," Angel sighed as she stood before the monitor of the TARDIS console, speaking to Jack on the video.

"What exactly is wrong with him Ang?" Jack frowned, all he'd really gotten out of Angel calling him up was that there was something going on with the Doctor and it was starting to worry her, but she hadn't said exactly what that 'something' was.

"I don't know," she admitted.

"YOU don't know?" he gave her a disbelieving look.

She sighed, "I think he's having nightmares."

He shook his head, still a bit confused, "You think?" she was his Mate, she had that direct link to his mind, how did she not know?

She shrugged, "It's like...he's blocking me, even in his sleep there's something there, in his head, he doesn't want me to know about."

Whatever it was...it had to be serious for him to be able to block her even asleep. There was something rooted so deeply that even his subconscious was keeping her from seeing it. She'd felt him wake up the other night, well a few other nights ago...the last time they'd slept really, and she'd felt he was alarmed and worried and...sad. SO sad. But she hadn't known why. The fact he'd been asleep moments before made her think it was a nightmare but...she hadn't seen it, at all. She hadn't sensed it coming or glimpsed it or been able to spot or find it in his mind. It was like there was a door that he was keeping firmly shut and locked, but against HER.

"I don't think it's the first time either," she murmured, "And...he's hiding it from me Jack."

Jack let out a breath, "I hate to say it Angie, I do but..."

"I did the same to him," she cut in, nodding, "I know, I have no right to ask him about it and ask him to tell me when I didn't tell him everything either. I'd be a hypocrite."

She HAD kept a lot from him after he'd remembered, so many things that had been bothering her, so many fears and concerns and, of course, the largest being her death date and plan for it. She had hidden so much it was like...now it was her turn to have things hidden from her. She truly hoped she hadn't hurt the Doctor half as much as she was hurting right at that moment to know he wasn't telling her everything.

It hurt so much to know he was in pain, he was scared, and he was having nightmares and...she didn't know how to help because she didn't know what was wrong or what they were about.

"Just a little," Jack had to be honest. It was true, Angel had hidden some really important things from the Doc in the past, and now he was returning the favor, though he was sure it wasn't like that at all. Knowing the Doctor it was either something he was trying to protect Angel from, or something he wasn't talking about because he felt like he deserved to have nightmares, in this case probably both.

He'd talked to the man, about the Time War, when he'd travelled with him the first time. He'd walked into the console room to see the man wake but clearly tired and had asked. The Doctor would just say he couldn't sleep, but he'd recognized the signs of a nightmare anyway. He'd been able to gleam enough to know that the Doctor felt like he'd deserved those terrors of the War replaying itself in his dreams, because it had been his fault. He couldn't say if this was exactly the same, not knowing what the nightmares were about, but...he got the feeling it might be close.

"What should I do Jack?" Angel asked him, completely lost for the first time in a long time.

"I can't tell you Ang," he sighed, "It's different for everyone. Whenever Ianto has a nightmare and wakes up, I don't really ask unless he's willing to tell me. Though sometimes I can persuade him to give some details by..."

"Jack," Angel cut in with a small smile, "I don't need to know."

He let out a laugh, "I was going to say bribing him with food in bed," he told her.

"I'm sure you were," she smirked, "You can't lie to a psychic Jack."

He chuckled a little more, "All I can say Angie is to just be patient. The Doc'll come around, you know he can't keep anything from you for long. He just needs to brood and be all dramatic first."

Angel nodded a bit, "I hope so."

"And if he doesn't, I'll just rough it out of him next time I see you both," Jack winked.

Angel laughed at that, "Ayla will bite you," she warned him.

"Yeah, tell me something I don't know," he rolled his eyes, "I've still got the scars from last time!"

"You called her A," Angel reminded him, knowing full well he had no such scars, "Only Rory can call her that. Like," she added when she saw him open his mouth to argue, "You are the only one who calls me Angie."

He pouted, having to concede to that point. He opened his mouth to speak again when Gray's voice called from somewhere to the side, "Jack come on! Trickster's Brigade!" he reminded his brother of their latest enemy that had popped up.

"Sorry Ang," Jack turned back to her, "I gotta go."

"It's ok Jack," Angel nodded, "Thank you."

"Any time," he grinned before turning off the monitor...only for Angel to frown seeing a scan pop up on it in his place, like a beacon of sorts...many, many flashing lights...and all of them from Earth.

"Doctor?!" she called, turning to rush into the TARDIS to find them, Ayla was currently playing dress up in the wardrobe with him, but...though she hated to do it...she'd have to cut it short.

For so many signals to appear so suddenly...it was NOT good.

~8~

Brian stood at the front door of his son's home, ringing the doorbell repeatedly. He looked up when he heard a window on the second floor open to see his son and daughter-in-law look down through it, "Dad, it's half past six in the morning," Rory complained.

"What are you doing lying around?" he called up to them, "Haven't you seen them?" he held up one of the black boxes, watching as Amy and Rory looked out at the street to see they were scattered around everywhere, as though they were like a single layer of large, black, square snowflakes.

They quickly closed the window and made their way downstairs and outside, "What are they?" Rory asked, taking the box from his father.

"Nobody knows. They're everywhere!"

"Well, where have they come from?" Amy shook her head, before something caught her eye, "Wait…" she stepped out onto the sidewalk, "Doctor?!"

There, across the street, sitting on the top of a child's climbing frame in the park, examining a black box, was the Doctor, "Invasion of the very small cubes," he smiled, "That's new."

Angel laughed, standing at the bottom of the slide that was attached to the frame as Ayla slid down it, right into her mother's arms as she scooped her up, "Daddy's curious Ayla."

Ayla giggled and beamed, "Fantastic!"

She was curious too.

~8~

Matthew Amroliwala of BBC news was broadcast on the telly as Angel watched on the TARDIS monitor, the Doctor beside her with a small controller, Ayla playing a stacking game with Brian with a few cubes they'd brought in, "World leaders are appealing for calm."

Joanna Gosling popped up as well, "The global appearance of millions of small cubes. Despite official warnings, people have been taking the cubes from the streets into offices and homes."

"What are they?"

"Where do they come from?"

"And why are they here?"

The footage cut to Professor Brian Cox holding up a cube, "Well, they're certainly not random space debris. They're too perfectly formed for that. Are they extra-terrestrial in origin? Well, you'll have to ask a better man than me."

Angel smiled, turning off the feed and turning to the Doctor, holding a cube up in her hand, "Are they extra-terrestrial in origin?" she asked with a small smirk.

He grinned widely at that and nabbed the cube out of her hand but held it up to her, "What do you think dear?"

"I'm not a 'better man' my love," she laughed.

He just leaned in and kissed her quickly, cutting off her laugh, "You're better than me," he whispered to her.

She smiled softly, "That's still only one half of the equation," she reminded him, taking a magnifying glass out of his pocket and holding it up to him too, "YOU, on the other hand are both better and a man."

He laughed at that as well and gave her another peck before spinning around as he took the glass from her in the process, and started to examine the one in his hand, Angel moving to lean against the console to watch, absently picking up another one to fiddle with, "All absolutely identical," the Doctor stated, "Not a single molecule's difference between them. No blemishes, imperfections, individualities…"

"What if they're bombs?" Brian asked, drawing all their attention to him sitting on the floor with three in his hand, Ayla beside him, making a small tower with her cubes, "Billions of tiny bombs? Or transport capsules maybe, with a mini robot inside. Or deadly hard drives. Or alien eggs? Or messages needing decoding. Or they're all parts of a bigger whole. Jigsaw puzzles that need fitting together..."

"Very thorough, Brian," the Doctor smiled, "Very, very thorough. Well done."

"I see where Rory gets his brilliance from," Angel remarked, making Rory blush and Brian beam, "But they're not bombs, per say," she murmured, staring at one, "Not now. Or transport. Not eggs, or hard drives, or a message…there's more to them than we think though…"

"What do you think they are dear?" the Doctor asked, walking to her side.

She frowned, "I'm not sure…they're just…there. At least for now."

He nodded, taking comfort in the fact that whatever the cubes were, they wouldn't be a threat for quite some time. Angel's gifts were remarkable, but as she often said her sight was limited, she couldn't see everything, usually either events that were very close to them personally, or events that were close temporally. For now, the cubes were safe enough, but he still wanted to know what they were.

He frowned though, seeing her face scrunching as she glanced back at the monitor again, "What is it?" he asked, knowing that look.

"It's just...did that report say the humans were taking the cubes from the streets into offices and homes?" she looked at him, concerned.

"Yes," he nodded.

She looked down at the cube till the Doctor put his hand over it, 'What is it Nella?' he asked her silently, being sure not even Ayla could hear them.

'Do you remember the ghosts?' she asked him, 'With Torchwood? The Cybermen?'

He nodded, 'What about them?'

'When that was happening, when Jackie was telling us about them...' she hesitated, 'I couldn't help but think that the ghosts being 'there' wasn't a good thing. That the humans would take them in and sort of adopt them if they were there long enough and just passive,' she looked at the cube again, 'I felt like...they didn't see the danger in a slow invasion.'

The Doctor looked down at the cube as well, he remembered that, he remembered her thoughts as they'd sat in the Powell Estate with Rose and her mother, Angel...she HAD likened the Cybermen-ghosts to a slow invasion, saw the danger in the humans getting too comfortable around them. And she wa completely right, humans never saw a slow invasion coming. And if the cubes were like the Cybers, which Angel clearly feared they were...

He needed to know what as in them, now.

"Stay here Brian," he called, "Watch these," he handed him the cubes he and Angel had been holding, "Yell if anything happens," before heading to the door with his girls, "Come along sweetheart," he called to Ayla as he took her hand.

"Doctor, is this an alien invasion?" Amy asked, following with Rory, "Because that's what it feels like."

"There couldn't be life-forms in every cube, could there?" Rory frowned.

"It's happened to him before," Angel remarked, recalling the stories he'd told her of the spiders on Platform One with Jabe and Cassandra and Rose.

"I don't know," the Doctor sighed, "And I really don't like not knowing," he pulled open the doors and stepped out into the lounge of the Pond house, before heading to the kitchen, "Right, I need to use your kitchen as a lab. Cook up some cubes. See what happens."

"Right," Rory nodded, looking at his watch, "I'm due at work."

"What?" the Doctor turned to him, "You've got a job?"

"Of course I've got a job. What do you think we do when we're not with you?"

Ayla giggled, "Daddy thinks you and Aunt Amy kiss a lot."

Amy smiled at the girl, "I write travel articles for magazines and Rory heals the sick just like your parents."

"My shift starts in an hour," Rory added, "Do you know where my scrubs are?"

"In the lounge," both Amy and Angel said, making the other laugh.

"Where you left them," Amy added as Rory headed out after his uniform.

~8~

In an alleyway nearby a group of military men in black uniforms with red caps piled out of black cars, "Approaching site," one soldier called, "Quite strong likeness detected. Target unconfirmed. May be hostile."

"Approaching source now," another further ahead reported, "Area will be secure in sixty seconds. Ultimate force available."

The men ran towards a lovely blue house with a dark blue front door.

~8~

Ayla sat on the kitchen counter, swinging her legs as she watched her father assemble some sort of device, her mother handing him different components of it before he asked, her father giving her mother a kiss each time as her Aunt Amy playfully rolled her eyes at them being so sweet.

"All the Ponds," the Doctor commented, "With their house and their jobs and their everyday lives. The journalist and the nurse. Long way from Leadworth," he soniced the device.

"We think it's been ten years," Amy said quietly, "Not for you or Earth, but for us. Ten years older. Ten years of you, on and off."

"Three and a half total," Angel corrected, "If you add up the adventures."

"Feels like ten," Amy sighed, "And still...that's a long time for adventures."

"Look at you now," the Doctor smiled, "All grown up."

"My love," Angel called, stiffening, "You may want to consider turning in your papers at UNIT."

He frowned, looking at her, knowing he was still technically listed as working for them, "Why?"

She just pointed to the doors as the front one was smashed down, men in black rushing in, "Clear!" one shouted, "Trap One, kitchen secured."

"Trap Three, back garden secured," another called from behind them.

The Doctor had immediately gone to Ayla, picking her up off the counter and holding her close, realizing that this was UNIT, that they wouldn't hurt them, but none too comfortable with all the guns the soldiers were carrying around his daughter and Mate.

Seriously, what was with humans and guns?!

And the uniforms...if their caps were black instead of red he might have mistaken them for the army Amy had gathered in the aborted timeline, in the Great Pyramid. He closed his eyes tightly, his mind immediately going to his latest nightmare, to Ayla, the first Ayla, older and empty, shooting him. He let out a breath and opened his eyes, his grip on Ayla tightening slightly, keeping her all the closer as he tried his best not to glare at the men. It wasn't their fault and even in the other timeline, the men in black had been on THEIR side, not the Silence. But he couldn't help but associate the sight of them with the dream, with the men in the pyramid, with the people and creatures they were guarding, with the fate Ayla had endured.

"There are soldiers all over my house," Rory grumbled as he was led in by the men, only the top half of his uniform on, "And I'm in my pants."

Ayla giggled at the sight, turning to bury her face in her father's shoulders, trying not to laugh. The Doctor turned and kissed her head, trying to reassure himself his daughter was still there, she was fine and alive and safe, her second incarnation, yes, but still with them and still their daughter.

"My whole life I've dreamed of saying that, and I miss it by being someone else," Amy smirked at her husband.

"All these muscles, and they still don't know how to knock," a woman with a deep voice called. They looked up to see a woman with short blonde hair step into the room, "Sorry about the raucous entrance. Spike in Artron Energy reading at this address. In the light of the last twenty four hours, we had to check it out," she glanced at a soldier, "And the dogs do love a run out. Hello," she smiled, putting a hand to herself to introduce herself, "Kate Stewart, head of scientific research at UNIT. And with dress sense like that..." she held out a scanner to the Doctor, seeing two hearts in his chest, "You must be the Doctor..." and then her eyes widened, seeing that the girl in his arms also had two hearts as did the woman beside him, "Oh," she blinked, before eyeing the woman, "Are you…the Angel?"

"Yes," Angel nodded, perfectly calm despite the soldiers around them, "Nice to meet you Kate."

Kate nodded as well, "Must update those files," she muttered before smiling apologetically, "Sorry, we hadn't realized you'd regenerated," and then her glance was pulled towards the little girl, "And had a child. Is she…" she gestured between the two Time Lords who nodded, "Hmm…" she hummed, "I'll have to speak with our team about that. Very out of date it seems…" she eyed the girl who had to be at the very least 8 years old.

"Time travel," Angel called, sensing where the woman's thoughts had gone, and even with time travel, Kate would never guess how old Ayla really was. Despite looking like a child, she was likely older than the woman herself was.

"Ah, yes," she nodded, with those two whizzing about in their TARDIS it was hard to keep track of just when the child had been born. For all she knew, the girl could have been born on Earth last month and then, with the travelling, popped in a month later as a child. Oh time travel certainly was hard to keep straight.

"Tell me, since when did science run the military, Kate?" the Doctor asked, wanting to get the topic away from their files.

He glanced at Angel who nodded, they'd have to take care of that. They hadn't spent nearly a century flying through the Universe erasing themselves just for Earth to be the only one with a file on them. And they certainly weren't going to risk any of their enemies learning that their daughter was alive and with them or that Angel was alive. No, they'd have to keep a close eye on the UNIT files and have the TARDIS hack in to erase them later.

He was not about to let the Silence especially find out about Ayla, he would NOT let them do to her what they had in his dream. They would NOT take his daughter away from him, no. They'd have to pry her from his cold lifeless fingers before he let anyone harm his daughter. That dream...it had been terrible, truly heartsbreaking to see Ayla there and so...not her.

"Since her," Angel nodded at Kate.

"UNIT's been adapting," Kate agreed, smiling, the files were certainly right about that at least, the psychic Time Lady, "Well, I dragged them along, kicking and screaming, which…which made it sound like more fun than it actually was."

"What do we know about these cubes?" the Doctor continued.

Kate sighed, "Far less than we need to. We've been freighting them in from around the world for testing. So far, we've subjected them to temperatures of plus and minus two hundred Celsius, simulated a water depth of five miles, dropped one out of a helicopter at ten thousand feet and rolled our best tank over it. Always intact."

"Wow," Ayla blinked.

The Doctor nodded, "That's impressive," before tickling Ayla's stomach, "But we don't want them to be impressive do we sweetheart?" she shook her head, squirming as he put her down, "We want them vulnerable with a nice Achilles heel."

"We don't know how they got here, what they're made of, or why they're here," Kate shook her head.

"And with everyone everywhere bringing them home, around their families and children," Angel glanced at Ayla, letting her sentence trail, not wanting to think about what the cubes could mean.

"Like iPads have dropped out of the sky. Taking them to work, taking pictures, making films, posting them on Flickr and YouTube. Within three hours, the cubes had a thousand separate Twitter accounts."

"Twitter?" the Doctor scoffed.

"I've recommended we treat this as a hostile incursion. Gather them all up and lock them in a secure facility. But that would take massive international agreement and co-operation."

"We need evidence. The cubes arrived in plain sight, in vast quantities, as the sun rose. So, what does that tell us?"

"They want people to notice them," Angel stated.

"Or more than that, they want to be observed. So we observe them. Stay with them round the clock. Watch the cubes, day and night. Record absolutely everything about them. Team cube, in it together!" he turned and high-fived Ayla, making her giggle and Angel smile.

~8~

The Doctor sat upside down on the sofa, between Amy and Rory, Ayla dozing in her Uncle Rory's lap, curled up to his chest as Angel slept on a smaller armchair to the side, "Four days," the Doctor muttered, "Nothing! Nothing! Not a single change in any cube anywhere in the world. Four days, and I am still in your lounge!"

"You were the one who wanted to observe them," Amy muttered.

"Yes, well, I thought they'd do something, didn't I? Not just sit there while everyone eats endless cereal!"

"You said we had to be patient," Rory added.

"Yes, you!" he sat up, hissing quietly so as not to wake the others, "You, not me! I hate being patient. Patience is for wimps. I can't live like this. Don't make me. I need to be busy."

"Doctor are you alright?" Rory frowned at him, he was...agitated, far more...all over the place...than he normally was, and THAT was saying something. It was like his mind was jumbled and...he could actually see bags under the Doctor's eyes starting to form, "Why don't you take a rest then?"

"No!" the Doctor shouted for a moment, before falling completely quiet, hoping he hadn't woken Angel or Ayla, but the girls slept on, both seemed to be equally deep sleepers. He sighed, "No," he rubbed his head, "I'm fine Rory, I'm fine..."

It was a blatant lie. He was NOT fine. He...had been trying not to sleep recently. The nightmares were starting to get to him. It was becoming a problem because, in a way he didn't want to sleep and risk having another one, they were scattered and so he rarely ever knew when they were coming, after what adventure they'd appear. But in another way...he...almost welcomed them.

Oh there was something seriously wrong with him if he WANTED to have nightmares, wasn't there?

"Are you sure?" Rory had to ask, concerned, "You look about ready to keel over..."

"I'm fine Rory," the Doctor insisted, "Just...bored. Bored, bored, bored! There's nothing to do! This is almost as bad as Dream-Leadworth! I need to do something! Anything! I need to be busy!"

"Fine!" Amy whisper-shouted, "Be busy! We'll watch the cubes."

The Doctor grinned and jumped off the sofa, rushing out of the room, it was more than just wanting to be busy...being busy meant being distracted. Being distracted meant not thinking about the nightmares.

~8~

The Doctor got right to work painting the garden fence white, before playing a little football, mowing the lawn, working on the car…

He played keep-away with the ground, not letting the football fall as he kicked it, "Ninety eight, ninety nine, one hundred. Angel!"

He also vacuumed the house, having soniced the device to operate silently as Angel and Ayla were still sleeping. It seemed Ayla had inherited her mother's ability to not get annoyed when things were boring...but just fall asleep.

Before getting back to his football round, "…four million nine hundred ninety nine, five million…" he grinned, catching the football.

And plopped back on the sofa, "That's better. Nothing like a bit of activity to pass the time. How long was I gone?"

"An hour," Angel told him, putting down a cup of tea Amy had made for her and Ayla once they'd woken.

"I can't do it. No!" he got up and hopped over the sofa again, heading for the TARDIS, "Come along Ayla!"

Angel laughed, getting up and following him with their daughter.

"Where are you going?" Amy called, her and Rory going with them.

"Brian, you're still here," the Doctor called, seeing the man sitting on the jump seat.

"You told me to watch the cubes."

"Four days ago."

"Ah," he smiled, "Doesn't time fly when you're alone with your thoughts?"

"You can't just leave, Doctor," Rory called.

"Yes, of course I can," the Doctor nodded, "Quick jaunt, restore sanity. Ooh, hey, come if you like."

"They can't just go off like that," Brian shook his head.

"Can't they?" he looked at them, "Can't you? That's how it goes, isn't it?"

"I've got my job," Rory reminded him.

"Oh yes, Rory. The Universe is awaiting, but you have a little job to…"

"It's not little my love," Angel cut in, taking his hand, "And it's clearly very important to Rory."

"What you do isn't all there is," Rory agreed.

He sighed, "I never said it was. Alright. Fine. We'll be back soon."

"Can you keep an eye on the cubes for us Brian?" Angel asked, knowing that the man was retired, he'd have more time on his hands than Amy or Rory.

"Yes," the Doctor agreed, "Monitor the cubes. Call us."

"I'll have Sissy keep an eye on the news stations too," Angel added, stroking the rotor of the TARDIS before getting to work on bringing up the monitor, wanting to contact Mickey and Donna and Sarah Jane and Jack and warn them about the cubes, ask them to run some tests and see what they thought.

"Bye Uncle Rory," Ayla hugged him, before moving to hug Amy as well, "Aunt Amy," and Brian, "Granddad."

The Ponds smiled, hugging her as well before heading out.

~8~

"At the end of a week of cubic questions and theories, but no answers," Joanna spoke on the BBC new station as the Ponds watched, "Could this be the greatest stealth marketing campaign in business history? And if it is, will those behind it ever come forward and explain exactly what it's for?"

~8~

Amy stood outside a party one October night with one of her friends, "I'm so pleased for you two. It's about time you made an honest woman of her."

"Amy, about bridesmaids," her friend began hesitantly, "You've missed quite a few things the last year or two…"

"I'm so totally there," she promised, "Whatever you need."

~8~

"Everyone here loves you," one of Rory's coworkers said as they walked through the hospital, "The nurses, the doctors. You're a life-saver, mate, literally."

"Ah, well, thanks," Rory smiled.

It was probably because he kept so calm when everything seemed to fall apart. One good thing about travelling with the Doctor, you got so used to dangerous and high-risk situations that you were able to keep a cool head elsewhere. After staring down a Dalek, what else was there to be worried about? What else couldn't you handle? And there was Angel, she always made them feel so safe and reassured during it, he'd calmed down so much from the nervous wreck he'd been when he'd first started travelling with the Time Lords because of her. He liked to do the same for others, calm them down, reassure them, and they seemed to love him for it.

"But there are months when we don't see you. And we can't do without you. I want you to go full time."

"Full time?" Rory's eyes widened, "Blimey. Er…"

~8~

"...I said yes," Rory shook his head as he and Amy sat up late that night, in bed, "I committed."

"And I committed to being a bridesmaid," she added, "Months in advance. Like I know I'm going to be here."

"You will be," Rory nodded, he just knew that Angel would likely sense Amy's plans and manage to land them AFTER the wedding was over this time, "So the Doctor's God knows where with Angel and Ayla, the cubes aren't doing anything at all. Did real life just get started?"

"I like it," Amy smiled.

As did he, "So do I," they clinked their tea cups together and took a sip.

~8~

Brian sat in the lounge of his home, a video camera set up before him, "Brian's Log, day sixty seven…"

"You, er, you can't call it that," Rory commented from off to the side, having visited his father, "Brian's Log?"

Brian just continued, "Brian's Log, day sixty seven. Cube was quiet all night, once again. Cube was quiet all day, as per previously. No movement. No change in measurements. End of entry."

Rory frowned as he turned the camera off, "You stay up and watch it all the time?"

"I film it while I'm asleep. When I wake up, I watch the footage on fast forward. I email the result to UNIT. My middle name is diligence."

"Wow. I can't wait to see day sixty eight."

"Don't mock my log. I'm doing what Angel asked."

Rory had to smile at that, he'd have done the same if she'd asked it of him.

~8~

That December Rory stepped out into the waiting room of the hospital, decorated for the holidays, Noddy Holder singing 'Merry Christmas Everybody' over the speakers, "That's it. Er, Mr. Ryan, please…" he looked over to see a young man with his foot stuck in a toilet bowl, "Again?" he sighed and wheeled the man away.

A young girl sat there stoically, her eyes flashing blue, as did the cube in her hands.

~8~

An old man was lying on a bed in another wing of the hospital, reading a paperback book, when a male nurse entered, a mask over his mouth, pulling the curtain closed around the bed.

"I'm fine," the man waved him off, "I've been done."

"What seems to be the matter?" the orderly asked.

"I'm just waiting for a prescription."

"Where does it hurt?"

The man frowned as a second, identical, orderly entered too, "I said I'm fine. Will you tell your colleague here that I…stop!" he cried as the men swarmed him and started to push him down on the bed. He pulled one of their masks to see they had snouts with grills across it in a square pattern instead of a mouth or nose.

The cube by his bedside glowed red as he screamed.

Chapter Text

All across the world the cubes were becoming commonplace, sitting in offices, being used as paperweights, post-it note locations, targets for other playful shenanigans, piles of them even sitting in waste bins. No one giving them a moment's notice any longer.

Except for a few select humans who were more wary of the cubes than anyone had right to be. Cardiff was completely empty of the cubes, due in large part to the collective efforts of Torchwood, going on a sensation and warning from Angel to remove the cubes. They had been rounded up throughout the course of nearly a year and locked away in a secret location. A few remained with the team however, being subjected to tests and observation. So far, nothing.

One Sarah Jane Smith had refused to allow the cubes anywhere near her or her home and family the moment she saw them. She'd had FAR too much experience with aliens to know that they couldn't be good. She had warned Clyde and Rani and had Luke warn Maria as well to get rid of the cubes. She'd even managed to convince the head teacher of the local school to have the cubes banned from the premises so at least she knew Sky and the other children were safe. She had, under the advice of the Doctor who had called to check in, had Mr. Smith run scans of the boxes before removing them, had even sent out a call to all the companions she could find to warn them not to collect the cubes either.

Donna and Martha and Mickey had already known of course. Donna had sensed something off about the cubes and ordered Shawn to remove them, had gotten her gramps to get rid of his as well, even her mother had listened to her which was a blessing. Last Sarah Jane had heard, Donna was working with Mickey and Martha to try and work out what the cubes could be. Martha and Mickey had been the first that Angel had checked into, the girl wanting to make sure her first ever companion was safe...only to find out Mickey had, upon sight of the cubes, managed to not only get them away from his home but convince everyone on their street to do the same, which had impressed the Doctor quite a bit and just made Angel smile, proud, Martha beaming beside him to see her husband puffing out his chest at the praise and also knowing that the Time Lords really did still care about them that they were willing to check in on them.

Apparently, they'd tried to check in with Amy and Rory too at one point but ended up there a few months too early, the Doctor running into the Ponds in their bedroom or something. Ayla had delighted to tell them ALL that story as her father blushed and rolled his eyes playfully. Angel was just happy that the companions, the family, were all ok and taking precautions.

Now they just had to work out what those cubes were...

~8~

Amy smiled at her friends and family as she held her phone to her ear, standing in her back yard that June as she and Rory hosted a barbeque, "Hey!" she called, surprised that the answer phone had picked up. Actually, surprised it had even rung at all, usually Angel would answer before the first ring could even finish, "It's me. Hello. So, the UN classified the cubes as provisionally safe, whatever that means, and Banksy and Damien Hirst put out statements saying the cubes are nothing to do with them. And the cubes, well, they're just...here. Still. What's it been, nine months? People are just taking them for granted. Maybe we'll never know why they came. But anyway. I got to Laura's wedding. It was great. She's here tonight, being as it's our wedding anniversary. We thought you might have dropped by. I left you messages…"

"We know!" the Doctor called from behind her. She spun around to see a large bouquet of flowers in her face instead of the madman in the bowtie, before they were dropped to reveal Angel and Ayla standing with the Doctor, Ayla with a little daisy behind her ear.

"Happy anniversary Amy," Angel hugged her.

Ayla rushed right over to her Uncle Rory, hugging him quickly before taking his hand, "Come on!" she tugged him off, "Come on Uncle Rory! Come on!"

Angel laughed at her daughter's excitement, she was SO much like the Doctor at times in her curiosity and her excitement that it was almost scary. Ayla and the Doctor had started one of their 'special father-daughter projects,' coming up with the perfect anniversary gift for the two Ponds and Ayla was very proud of herself for having been the one to think this one up. She had wanted to give her Uncle and Aunt a treat and had spent the better part of a week thinking on what would be a good gift. She'd finally decided on an adventure that was a getaway but also just an anniversary thing, custom made for the Ponds.

The Doctor was very proud as well, it was just perfect and he knew, because Angel had sensed it, that they'd love the adventure.

"Go on Amy," Angel nodded the ginger on as the girl took the bouquet of flowers out of the Doctor's hands, "You won't want to miss this."

Amy gave her a look but headed after her husband, taking the flowers with her, only for the Doctor to reach out and snatch a lily as Amy passed. He smiled at it before he turned, holding it up to Angel, "A flower for the lady?"

She let out a soft laugh at that, "Why thank you, my lord," she joked, taking the flower and sniffing it, the Doctor just smiling as he watched her smiling, seeming so...pleased that she was happy, "What is it?" she asked, seeing an almost...gratefulness, a relief, that she was happy in his eyes.

"Nothing," he shook his head, before reaching out to take the flower.

"You cannot lie to me my love," she reminded him.

"I'm not," he crossed his hearts, "It's just...I think the flower would look better somewhere else," he remarked, and it was true, he really DID think that...even if what he really had been thinking was that he was so thankful that Angel was alive and there and that he remembered her and knew her to be his Mate, with their daughter with them and happy as well.

"And where should I put it?" she asked.

He grinned, leaning in, "I think..." he murmured before pressing his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. He lifted his free hand to touch her cheek, pulling her closer gently, deepening the kiss as his other hand lifted to her hair, moving his fingers through it, tangling in them, before pulling away slightly to look at her, "There."

She blinked before she saw it in his mind, her, standing before him, with a flower tucked behind her ear, much like Ayla's was, but a bigger flower that actually contrasted her hair quite nicely with its pink quality.

"Beautiful," he breathed.

"It is," she nodded, reaching up to gently touch the petal of the lily.

"I wasn't talking about the flower dear," he gave a soft chuckle, leaning in to kiss her again...

"Oi!" they heard Amy call and looked over to see her hanging out the doorway of the TARDIS, "You coming or not? We DO have guests to entertain you know, we need to be back soon this time."

The Doctor sighed, he was starting to get the feeling that the times he really wanted to kiss Angel, well...more than most other times...well, actually just randomly if he was being honest because he always wanted to kiss her, someone always seemed to interrupt. Well that wouldn't do at all.

"Yes, yes," he waved her off, "Give us a mo," he told her, waiting till Amy had disappeared back into the TARDIS before grinning and turning to kiss Angel once more, they only had a 'moment' after all.

~8~

The Doctor threw open the doors to the TARDIS, stepping out into the Savoy hotel with Angel and Ayla behind him. Angel was dressed in a lovely evening gown. It was black, embroidered in golden floral patterns, corseted on the top, with a flowing skirt, and tight sleeves that went to her elbow but with a golden cloth draped on her shoulders, flowing down them. Ayla, was wearing the cutest little light blue dress, similarly tight on the top, with a flowing skirt, but with two puffs on the shoulders and no sleeves. She was adorable.

"It's the 26th of June, 1890," Angel explained to Amy and Rory as they stepped out, dressed for the period as well.

"The recently opened Savoy Hotel," the Doctor held out his arms, "Dinner, bed and breakfast for two," he nodded at the maids and chef bringing in food, "Bonjour, bonjour. Merci, Auguste."

"Do you like it?" Ayla looked up at her Aunt and Uncle, taking each of their hands, bouncing in excitement, this had been the gift she picked out. Humans seemed to like vacations, staying in hotels and things, and this was the best hotel on Earth in her opinion, "Do you?"

"We love it," Amy told her, kneeling down to kiss the girl's cheek and hug her.

"We'll get you back in just a minute after leaving," Angel promised them.

"They won't even notice you went," the Doctor agreed, "No complications, I promise," he crossed his hearts.

Rory walked over and kissed each of the Doctor's cheeks in thanks, making the man laugh before the Time Lords headed into the TARDIS to give the Ponds some time alone...only to see one of the alarms going off by the monitor, alien technology detected in a time there weren't many aliens to speak of.

~8~

Still dressed for 1890, Amy and Rory sat in the snow, out on the street outside the hotel, wrapped in blankets, looking a bit singed. Angel and the Doctor sat under one blanket between them, Ayla in their lap.

"Bit of a shock," the Doctor muttered, "Zygon ship under the Savoy, half the staff impostors. Still, it's all fixed now, eh?" he smiled.

Ayla turned on their laps to tug the Doctor's lapel, "Daddy, I think we need a new gift," Ayla whispered to him.

He smiled at her, "I think we do too," he agreed in a whisper.

Angel could only shake her head, she had a feeling she knew what was coming next.

~8~

"Gentlemen, open the doors!" King Henry VIII ordered as the Time Lords and Amy and Rory scrambled to find a place to hide in the room they'd run into.

"I thought we were going home?" Amy hissed.

"You can't miss a good wedding," the Doctor argued, "Under the bed. Under the bed!"

They all scrambled under the bed, Ayla giggling behind her hand at how the adults were acting so childishly.

"Shh sweetheart," Angel held a finger to her lips as Ayla quieted.

"It wasn't my fault!" Amy snapped quietly.

"It was totally your fault!" Rory pointed at her.

"Somebody was talking, and I just said yes."

"To wedding vows! You just married Henry VIII on our anniversary."

"And because of that he spotted Angel!" the Doctor added in a loud whisper.

They'd been trying to head back to the TARDIS when they realized they were back in Henry VIII's time, given what had happened or nearly happened last time, they had wanted to make a hasty retreat. Unfortunately Amy had ended up running right into the middle of the wedding ceremony, said yes to vows, and then old Henry saw Angel and thought he was seeing a ghost. Apparently it was just before he'd married Katherine Howard. The Doctor knew that Henry had likely just seen Angel and wondered what 'Anne' was doing there, but he wasn't going to risk the man wanting to 'marry' her again so they'd run.

The doors were thrown open, cutting off the Doctor's thoughts as a man entered, all of them falling quiet.

The Doctor moved to open his mouth, about to sneeze…when Angel put a finger under his nose, stopping him.

'Thanks dear,' he smiled at her, kissing her hand as she pulled it away, 'My psychic.'

'My thief,' she smiled back.

~8~

Back at the Ponds' lounge, that June at night, Amy and Rory were standing before their friends, cutting up a cake to distribute. True to her word, Angel had gotten them back within a minute of them leaving and they'd been able to meet and mingle with their friends again with renewed gusto having been away for so long.

Brian frowned, eyeing their clothes, different than earlier, before walking over to the Doctor, Angel, and Ayla as they stood off to the side of the room, watching, "How long were they away?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Brian," the Doctor replied, trying to seem innocent.

"Because they're wearing totally different clothes from earlier."

"Seven weeks," Angel told him.

Ayla tugged on his pants to get him to look down, "Daddy got side-tracked, granddad," she whispered to the man as though sharing a secret, as though she were being quiet enough for the Doctor not to hear despite being right next to him, "Daddy does that a lot."

"Oi!" the Doctor laughed, running a hand down Ayla's hair.

"What happened to the other people who travel with you?" Brian asked them after a moment.

He didn't like the fact that his son could just disappear for weeks with him not even realizing it. What if something had happened during those weeks and, for him, it was only a few minutes? What if Rory went to get milk or the post one day and just...never came back because of that? What if he spent the rest of his life thinking it was just the Doctor getting the timing wrong when really it was that something had happened to his son?!

Angel took the Doctor's hand, squeezing it as she turned to Brian, knowing he hated talking about it, about the time before he'd found her, before she started travelling with him, keeping not just him but their friends safe, "Some decided to leave," she told the man, "Others he had to leave instead. Some," she sighed, "Some…did die."

"Not many," the Doctor added quickly, "None since I found Angel," he smiled at her, unable to help but think of the many people they'd met on adventures that most likely would have died if she hadn't been there, if her gifts hadn't been what they were, "And not them," he nodded at the Ponds, "Not them, Brian. Never them."

"Mummy's very good at protecting people," Ayla told her Granddad Brian, "Daddy says she's a real angel."

"That she is," the Doctor nodded, kissing Angel's temple as she smiled, "My guardian angel."

"I promise you Brian," Angel reached out to squeeze the man's hand, "Rory and Amy…they'll live to a ripe old age, together, and happy, I promise."

She would see to that too. She had promised Rory that once, and now she had promised his father the same thing. She didn't like breaking promises, it made her feel like she'd lied to someone to do that and she didn't lie. She would protect the Ponds, with everything she had, she would do her best and then some to make sure they'd be alright in the end.

But...she couldn't help but frown as she thought on that, she felt like she would have Rory and Amy live out their entire lives, that they'd die as little old people and just have a magnificent and full life...so why did she feel so sad about that?

~8~

"Can we stay here?" the Doctor asked Amy as they stood in the back garden that night after the party. Angel and Ayla were standing in the yard with Rory, Ayla excitedly pointing out the stars that they could see, eager to share her lessons with her uncle, adding in some stories of the stars she'd actually gotten to go to as well, "With you and Rory, for a bit? Keep an eye on the cubes. However long that takes."

"I thought it would drive you mad," Amy said quietly.

"No, no, no. I mean, I'll be better at it this time," he promised, Brian's words getting to him, "We miss you."

Amy smiled and nodded, heading over to tell Rory as the Doctor watched, his small smile fading. It was more than just that. He was...starting to see a pattern in his nightmares. Often the really bad ones seemed to have something to do with a particular adventure, usually the ones they shared with the Ponds. It was like they were...triggered...by something that happened. Like Darla forgetting her entire life or the Silurians or how Jex had turned the Gunslinger into what he was. Everything seemed to have been some effect of a dangerous adventure and...maybe he just needed peace.

Maybe that was what he needed, just a quiet adventure, a normal day, some sort of...calmness.

What could a cube possibly make him dream about?

~8~

"Brian's Log," Brian began, sitting in his lounge at the start of July, "Day 361. 8:50pm. No movement. And I am cream crackered," he yawned and leaned back, slowly drifting off as the cube sat before him, the camera recording it.

~8~

The Doctor sat in the middle of the Ponds' sofa, Ayla in his lap, the girl holding a bowl of custard that he, Amy, and Rory were dipping their fish fingers into, the girl happily munching on her own as Angel sat on the floor before them, her back resting against the Doctor's legs, all of them watching Lord Sugar on the telly.

"I sent you out to sell as many cubes as you could in 24 hours. And look at you, you've made a right hash of it, haven't you? Well, Craig, you're fired."

The Doctor smiled, licking his fingers, "If I had a restaurant, this'd be all I'd serve."

"Yeah, right," Amy laughed, "You running a restaurant."

"I've run restaurants," he defended.

"He accidently invented Yorkshire pudding," Angel added.

"He didn't," Rory's eyes widened.

"Pudding, yet savory," the Doctor grinned, "Sound familiar?"

"He was trying to make me a sandwich," Ayla told her Uncle, making the humans laugh.

Only the Doctor could start making a sandwich and end up inventing Yorkshire pudding.

~8~

Brian was dozing away when the cube jolted a little, waking him. He looked around a moment, blinking blearily, before falling asleep again…only to jump awake when it rattled and started to spin.

"Do it again," he whispered to the cube, grabbing the camera, ready for it.

~8~

Amy smiled as she stepped over to Rory, who was washing the dishes, winding her arms around him from behind, "Good job, mister. Civilizations saved, surfaces wiped. What more could any woman ask for?"

"Ha, ha," he smiled.

"I mean it," she told him sincerely, kissing him.

"Where're the others?"

"On the Wii again," Amy laughed, "Ayla's playing tennis. I'm going for a bath," she turned and headed out, past a cube on the table.

The cube, though, opened its lid and snapped it shut again, making Rory look over.

~8~

"Oh, yes!" the Doctor cheered as he and Angel watched Ayla playing the Wii and winning her round, "Second set, Kitta!" he whooped, getting up to hug her, spinning her around as he lifted her into the air, "Ha ha! Oh," he tapped her nose, "If Fred Perry could see you, eh?"

"He'd want you to return his pants," Angel laughed, clapping, just so happy with her small family.

The Doctor laughed and looked at Angel, 'What do you think?' he asked, ''The Athlete?'' he nodded at Ayla.

Angel gave him a fond smile but shook her head, 'I don't think so my love.'

He pouted but set Ayla down, he had developed a sort of habit lately, whenever Ayla displayed some sort of quality that might hint at a possible title or name, he'd ask Angel her thoughts, see if she might be getting a feeling about it. So far, no luck.

~8~

Amy had just turned the water on for her bath...when she spotted the cube in her bedroom glowing. She frowned, walking over to it, about to pick it up when she pulled her hand away with a gasp, having gotten stuck with something. She looked at the box to see 25 small needles sticking out of it, and then at her hand, the same cube-like pattern pricked into her palm.

"Ow," she muttered, rubbing her hand, when the needles disappeared back into the cube and a heartbeat line appeared in the middle of it.

~8~

Rory knelt by the table, watching the cube, when it suddenly opened and closed again. He rushed to try and see what was inside it but it had closed too quickly.

~8~

"Third set decider," the Doctor set Ayla down, "Come on, then sweetheart, you show them who's…"

"Doctor," Angel stiffened, quickly getting up off the sofa, "Go, now!" she grabbed Ayla's hand and pulled her out of the room, the Doctor rushing with them, trusting that something was likely coming for Angel to react like that, the three ducking around the corner to the room when they saw the cube within start to rise off a small side table, hovering in the air before flying through the room.

The Doctor motioned for the girls to stay back as he stepped cautiously into the room, the cube turning on him, as Angel watched him closely, ready to bring up a shield if necessary, "Whatever you are," he began, "This planet, these people, are precious to us. And we will defend them to our last breaths," he frowned when the cube just hovered there, "Is that all you can do, hover? I had a metal dog could do that…" he eyed it as it opened, a sort of tube pointed at him, "Ooh, ooh, that's clever. What's that?"

"Get down!" Angel shouted, dashing in and tackling him to the floor as the cube fired at them.

"Mummy!" Ayla yelled from the hallway, knowing not to rush into the room, her parents silently shouting at her to stay back, "Daddy!"

The Doctor pulled Angel behind the sofa, ducking down as the cube followed them. He knelt up, peering over the back of the sofa when the cube fired again…only for a bolt of golden light to fly at it, destroying it.

The Doctor let out a breath of relief and rested his head against Angel's a moment, squeezing her tighter when he felt her shaking in his arms, "Thanks dear."

She nodded, when Ayla ran into the room and threw herself at them, hugging them tightly, "There there," she hugged their daughter close, "We're fine sweetheart."

The Doctor stood, helping Angel, with Ayla still in her arms, to her feet as they stepped out of the room.

"Doctor?" Rory called as he dashed in from the kitchen, "Hi. Er, the cube in there, it…it just opened."

"The cube upstairs just spiked me and took my pulse!" Amy shouted as she ran down the stairs.

"Ha!" the Doctor laughed, rubbing Ayla's back, trying to make her feel better, "Really? Ours fired laser bolts!" he turned to Ayla, "No match for your mum though eh?"

Ayla sniffled but started to smile, nodding, her mummy took care of everyone and everything. She hoped that, one day she would be as strong as her mother was. It was really...amazing to see her mother in action. She was often so calm and trusting in her father that it wasn't often her mother got to be the 'star' so to speak. Her father was brilliant and just had an air about him that he was meant to be respected and listened to and that he knew what he was doing...even though she knew he really only made it up as he went, even if he was brilliant at doing it. He was always very take charge and making sure that people did as he said. But her mother was very calm and had a quiet authority to her, she managed to get people to listen not by being impressive or intimidating but by being understanding. She got people to do things by simply asking them to, explaining things to them, and she always kept them safe.

Her mother's abilities were just incredible, the Vortex that she had inside her, which she knew SHE also had inside her though nowhere NEAR as strong as her mother's at the moment. Her visions which she knew were progressing not just to dreams and visions of the future but also of the past too. Her intuition, that was the only thing she and her mother shared at the moment in terms of abilities. She seemed to know, sometimes at least, what someone was feeling or thinking or if they were lying. Sometimes she got sensations like her mother had, like on the Silurian Ark with the 'bad man' but they were still very weak and very scattered. She knew that one day she would be as amazing as her mother, but it would take a while, but that was alright. She was a Time Lord, they had all the time in the world.

"You're never going to believe this," the front door opened and Brian rushed in, "My cube just moved. It rattled."

Rory rolled his eyes as his mobile rang, answering it quickly, "Hello?"

"Rory, mate," one of his co-workers called, "I'm desperate for help. People are saying they've been attacked by the cubes. It's going to be a long night."

"Ok, I'm on my way," he clicked the phone closed.

~8~

Back in the hospital, the little girl with the cube remained calm, sitting there with the cube in her lap.

~8~

"I have to get to work," Rory turned to Amy, "They need all the help they can get."

"Let me come, help out," Brian offered, it had been a while since he'd practiced medicine actively, but he would still be able to help in an emergency. Even if he couldn't tend to the patients he could still gather supplies and prepare things to be used, help organize things.

"Take your dad to work night, brilliant!" Rory smiled, before looking at Amy, "Ok, are you going to be alright here?" he laughed to himself, kissing her, "Course you will," he pointed at Angel, "Keep an eye out?"

Angel nodded, "Of course."

"Keep away from the cubes," Amy warned him as he grabbed his keys.

"Right," he nodded.

"Rory!" Angel called as they reached the door, "Watch out for the lift too, ok?"

He nodded, the stairs it would be, the lift was probably shut down for the emergency. He and Brian headed out as the Doctor pulled out his psychic paper.

"What are you grinning about?" Amy asked, seeing a wide smile blooming on his face.

"We're wanted at the Tower of London," he waved the paper at them.

"Still can't see it my love," Angel remarked as Amy took it to look closer.

~8~

A car pulled up to the Tower of London, the Doctor, Angel, Ayla, and Amy stepping out to see Kate waiting for them, "Every cube across the whole world activated at the same moment," she began, the matter urgent.

"Now we're in business," the Doctor grinned as he and Angel each took on of Ayla's hands, swinging her between them as they walked, "You sent us a message to my psychic paper. You know what? I'm almost impressed."

"Secret base beneath the Tower?" Amy guessed as they entered, "Hope we're not here because we know too much."

"Yes," Kate nodded, "I've got officers trained in beheading. Also...ravens of death."

"I like her."

Kate gestured them on, leading them to an area with quite a few individual booths with cubes inside them, seemingly very thick and very padded, "There are fifty being monitored, and more coming in all the time. I don't know how useful it is. Every cube is behaving individually. There's no meaningful pattern. Some respond to proximity. Some create mood swings…" she gestured at a woman sitting in a booth, weeping.

Angel frowned and looked at one cubicle, reaching out to rest a hand on it...the cube inside it shooting flames out of it.

Ayla tilted her head and rushed over to another booth that had no windows, just heavily armored, "What's this one?"

"Try the door," Kate nodded at it. Amy walked over and opened it for Ayla, 'The Birdie Song' starting to play loudly, making the girl giggle, "On a loop!" Kate shouted above it as Amy quickly shut the door, "This is the latest," she led them over to a large computer station.

"Oh dear," the Doctor frowned, seeing the information on the various screens, "Systems breach at the Pentagon, China, every African nation, the Middle East…"

"I've got governments screaming for explanations and no idea what to tell them. I'm lost, Doctor. We all are."

"Have faith Kate," Angel smiled, putting a hand to the woman's shoulder, "Your father always did," Kate stared at her, wide-eyed, as the Doctor smiled behind her, "Kate Stewart? Taking over UNIT, showing them how to run things, with science instead of violence? Who else could you be but the Brigadier's daughter?"

"Great-Uncle Al?" Ayla's eyes widened as she stared at the woman who was now another Auntie of hers in her mind.

Angel nodded, kneeling down beside Ayla, "Say hello to Aunt Kate sweetheart."

"Hello Aunt Kate!" Ayla smiled, rushing forward to hug the still slightly stunned woman, but one who did hug her back, smiling softly at the notion that she was as much a part of the Time Lords' family as her father had been.

"Why did you drop Lethbridge?" the Doctor asked her.

"I didn't want any favors," Kate explained, "Though he guided me, even to the end. 'Science leads,' he always told me. Said he'd learned that from an old friend."

The Doctor smiled, "We don't let him down. We don't let this planet down."

"We have faith," Angel nudged him.

"That we do," he agreed, he really loved this new her, how confident she was, how sure of things working out, of her faith in not only him but herself.

"They've stopped," a male researcher in glasses called, "The cubes, across the world, they just shut down."

Kate frowned, "Active for 47 minutes, and then they just die?"

"They're not dead," Angel replied instantly, shaking her head, "They're...dormant."

"Then why shut down?" Amy asked.

The Doctor sighed and rubbed his head, "I don't know. I don't know. I need to think. I need some air, come along sweetheart," he took Ayla's hand turning to head out of the room, "Who has an underground base? Terrible ventilation!"

Angel laughed as she and Amy rushed after him.

~8~

The small group was sitting by the bank of the Thames, Ayla between her parents, Amy on the other side of the Doctor, the Time Ladies just looking at the beauty of the stars while the Doctor looked at the magnificence of the humans' ingenuity in the structures up and down the bank.

"The moment they arrived," he sighed, "I should have made sure they were collected and burned. That is what I should have done."

"How?" Amy scoffed.

"No one ever listens to the mad old soothsayer my love," Angel reminded him, knowing that first hand.

"They should have though," Ayla stated firmly, "Daddy's always right."

The Doctor smiled at that, dropping a kiss onto the top of her hair at her faith in him, in the end he was usually right, took him a while to get to it though at times. Took him a bit less with Angel there to sort of nudge him in the right direction with her comments and sensations.

Angel looked over at Amy thoughtfully, "Amy..." she began after a moment, "You and Rory...have you decided if you want to stop travelling with us?"

Amy glanced at her, a bit startled that Angel knew that she and Rory were discussing that even though they hadn't exactly flat out said it yet, but knowing she shouldn't have been so surprised, "No," she said quickly before sighing, "I mean, no, we haven't made a decision."

"You're still considering it."

"Maybe. I don't know. We don't know. Well, our lives have changed so much. But there was a time, there were years, when I couldn't live without you both. When just the whole everyday thing would drive me crazy. But since you dropped us back here, since you gave us this house, you know, we've built a life. I don't know if I can have both."

"Why?" the Doctor frowned.

"Because they pull at each other. Because they pull at me, and because the travelling is starting to feel like running away."

"That's not what it is."

"Oh, come on," Amy smiled, "Look at you, four days in a lounge and you go crazy."

"I'm not running away. But this is one corner of one country in one continent on one planet that's a corner of a galaxy that's a corner of a Universe that is forever growing and shrinking and creating and destroying and never remaining the same for a single millisecond," he put his arm around Ayla as she looked up at him in wonderment, everything he was describing sounding so beautiful, "And there is so much, so much to see, Amy. Because it goes so fast. I'm not running away from things, I am running to them before they flare and fade forever."

"And it's perfectly ok if you do want to stop," Angel added, wanting to reassure her that, no matter what, they would all still be family to her, to Ayla, even to the Doctor, "Life in the TARDIS, life on Earth, they both run at different rates. And we know that going between them can be...taxing. One day, maybe sooner than we know, you're both going to…stop. I've sensed that for a while now."

"Me too," Ayla said sadly.

She loved her Uncle Rory and Aunt Amy so much, she didn't want to lose them. With everything there was to see in the Universe she didn't get to see her aunties and uncles as often as she'd like. It could be years for them, decades even before they came back to Earth to find it was only a month since they'd left. That's decades without seeing her family...and then to find out, to them, they'd only seen her a short while ago. With her Aunt Amy and Uncle Rory, she saw them more and...she didn't want to give up her Uncle Rory, he was her favorite uncle in the whole world!

"Then why do you keep coming back for us?" Amy eyed them.

"Because time is precious," Angel explained, "Human lives are so incredible, because you only have one of them. You live them to the fullest and that is an incredible thing to witness," she reached out and put a hand on Amy's arm, "We don't want to miss a minute because we know, better than most, how fast that time can go and how little of it can be left."

"And because you were the first," the Doctor nodded, "One of the first faces this face saw. And you're seared onto my hearts, Amelia Pond. You always will be. I'm running to you, and Rory, before you fade from me."

"And because we love you," Ayla told her, crawling over her father's legs to curl up by her Aunt Amy and hug her.

Amy smiled at her, running a hand down Ayla's hair before moving her arm around the girl's shoulders, "Don't be nice to me," she looked at the girl's parents, "I don't want you to be nice to me."

"Yes you do," Angel smiled knowingly.

"And you always get what you want," the Doctor nodded...before something dawned on him, "They got what they wanted."

"What?" Amy frowned, "Who did?"

"The cubes. That's why they stopped. Come on!" he helped Angel up as Amy and Ayla ran after them back to the Tower, "Kate?" he called, dashing down the stairs, "Before they shut down, they scanned everything, from your medical limits to your military response patterns. They made a complete assessment of Planet Earth and its inhabitants. That's what the surge of activity was…" they looked up as the power cut off, the Doctor flashing around with his sonic, "Problem with the power?"

"Not possible," Kate shook her head, "We've got backups."

Angel closed her fist, making it glow before throwing it up into the air, a ball of light, like a miniature sun, hovering in the air above them, giving them light.

"Doctor?" Amy called, noticing something, "Look."

They turned to see all the cubes now had a blue '7' glowing on them.

Chapter Text

The Doctor frowned at the sight of the number, his stomach immediately dropping, knowing that any sort of number randomly appearing on anything was NOT a good sign, and he didn't have to be Angel to tell that, "What?" he muttered, whipping out the sonic and flashing it at the box.

"Why do they all say seven?" Kate asked, looking around at all the cubes flashing the same number.

"Seven. Seven, what's important about seven?" he looked at Angel

"Seven wonders of the world," Ayla answered first though, saying the first thing that popped into her head.

He nodded at her, smiling, "What at trip that was eh?" he winked, they'd taken her to all the wonders of the ancient world when they hadn't been quite so...ancient, "Seven streams of the River Ota," he added.

Angel eyed the cube, tilting her head...

...a lid popped open on a black cube sitting on a table...

'...daddy what's wrong with them?!...'

'...we have to find the wormhole, but the attacks could still happen...'

Angel blinked, "...seven sides of a cube."

"A cube has six sides," Amy frowned.

Angel looked over at her before turning to the Doctor, "There's always the inSIDE," she reminded him meaningfully.

He stiffened at that and, a moment later, there was a clunk as the numbers on all the cubes dropped to '6,' "It has to be a countdown," he determined.

"Not in minutes," Kate argued.

"Why would it be minutes?"

"Kate," Angel turned to her, feeling a pit forming in her stomach, that vision...what she'd heard, whatever was in the cubes, it wasn't anything good, "Is there anything we can do to get the humans away from the cubes? Or get the cubes away from them?"

"Why?" her eyes widened.

"There's something in them…" she frowned and shook her head, frustrated at how her visions were so...spotty at times. Sometimes she saw things clearly, solid visions of what danger was coming, other times she only heard or saw vague hints of what it could be. She wasn't sure if she'd ever have enough control over them to, as she had them, make them clearer, hold onto them and follow them more, but for now...this was all she could do, "But…not quite…look, that's not important, what's important is that we get the word out any way you can. You need to warn them that the cubes are dangerous."

"Ok," Amy cut in, "But why is this starting now? I mean, the cubes arrived months ago. Why wait this long?"

"Because they're clever," the Doctor realized, "Allow people enough time to collect them, take them into their homes, their lives."

"It's like when the Cybermen invaded," Angel added to Kate, knowing she would remember best what had happened with that, "The 'ghosts' and Torchwood, they were around for MONTHS and people got so used to them they didn't even worry about them."

"Till they attacked," Kate nodded.

"Humans, the great early adopters," the Doctor sighed, "The cubes followed the same principle, a slow invasion and then, wham! Profile every inch of Earth's existence."

"Discover how best to attack us!" Kate gasped.

"Get that information out any way you can. Go!"

"Right," Kate rushed off.

Ayla looked at her father and tugged on his coat till he looked down, "Is this also like the bees with Aunt Donna?" she asked, recalling a story her Auntie had told her, about how, slowly, the bees had disappeared and no one really thought much on hit, chalking it up to some sort of environmental thing, "The bees all went somewhere and you were able to track it daddy."

The Doctor blinked and beamed, "Oh my little genius!" he cheered, scooping her up and spinning her around as Ayla giggled, before he settled her in his arms, braced on his side, and turned to the researcher at the computer before them, "Every cube was activated. There must be signals, energy fluctuations on a colossal scale, there must be some trace. There can't not be. We need to think of all the variables, all the possibilities, ok? Go, go, go, go, go!"

"Please," Ayla added, patting the man's semi-poofy hair, which made Angel laugh.

~8~

"This is a national security alert," a BBC new station reporter began, "The Government advises that members of the public dispose of all cubes. If there are cubes inside your house, remove them immediately."

~8

Rory looked at the cube in his hand as it dropped from '5' to '4' before handing it to a nurse with a basket full of them, others rushing around to collect more of them, "Get them out of the building. Away from here, as far as you can, and get back here before it hits zero," he paused, spotting his father checking a saline drip, "Dad, could you go and get me a box of tape for dressings? It's just the cupboard round the corner."

Brian smirked, "Yes, boss," and rushed off around the corner, stepping into a long hallway. He looked over, jumping back as twin orderlies rushed by, pushing a trolley, nearly running into him, "Sorry. Er, excuse me?" he called as they stopped, "I'm looking for the supplies cupboard," it had been ages since he'd been there for work, they'd changed some rooms up since then and he wasn't quite sure. But...the orderlies didn't move, "I said, I'm looking for the supplies cupboard…"

They slowly turned around and advanced on him, with syringes.

~8~

The little girl continued to sit stoically in the waiting room, her cube in her hand.

~8~

Rory rushed over to a nurse, "Have you seen my dad?"

"No, sorry," she replied.

He looked around before heading to the corridor he'd pointed to earlier, stepping into it...just in time to see the two orderlies pushing his father, unconscious on the trolley, down the hall, "Hey. Dad! Hey! Hey!" he ran after them as they entered a goods lift at the end of the hall, 'Do not use' tape all over it.

The door shut before he could reach it and he quickly pushed the button. The doors opened but there was no one inside. He frowned and stepped in, pushing the floor buttons but they didn't work either, but the doors closed. He looked around, starting to feel the walls...when one wibbled. He reached out and touched it, making it wibble more before stepping through it and into a spaceship, Earth visible just outside the window.

~8~

"Doctor, please," Amy began, "You don't have to do this."

"She's right," Kate agreed, "You don't have to be in there."

"Angel tell him," Amy turned to Angel,, who was standing with her arms around Ayla beside the Doctor, who was standing at the door to one of the booths that held a cube.

"Everything will be ok Amy," Angel nodded, sounding more like she was trying to reassure herself than anyone else, not...entirely happy with this decision he'd made, "Trust me, there's nothing in there that I can't handle or protect him from."

"We can do this remotely though," Kate tried again.

"Remotely isn't my style," the Doctor shook his head.

"Good luck daddy," Ayla hugged him as he kissed her head.

"Thanks sweetheart," he whispered, standing to kiss Angel quickly, "See you after," he gave her another kiss...or two (three).

Angel nodded and took a breath before opening the door to the cubicle for him. The Doctor paused in entering to turn to her and kiss her one final time, winking and pointing at her before stepping back in and shutting the door, the number on the cube sitting on a small table changing from '2' to '1' as he made his way to a chair set up before it.

He sat down casually, waiting, watching is it moved to 0 before switching off and the lid popped open, "Geronimo," he smirked.

"What's happening?" Kate called as they watched from the other side of the window.

"Well?" Amy asked, "What's in there?"

"What is it daddy?" Ayla stood on her toes, trying to peer into the room till Angel picked her up.

The Doctor glanced at Angel, "Like you said dear, there is nothing in here."

"Er, well, that's good," Amy frowned, seeing the Doctor starting to pout, "It's not...it's not bombs, it's not aliens."

"Why?" he stood, "Why is there nothing inside? Why? It doesn't make any sense," he moved to the door and stepped out, heading over to the researcher at the computer again, "Glasses, is..."

"Clark," Angel cut in as she and the other women joined him, Ayla still in her arms.

"Clark is it the same?" the Doctor amended, "Is it the same all around the world?"

"They're empty," Kate shook her head, "We're safe, right?"

"They're not exactly empty," Angel shook her head, unable to shake that feeling.

"But there's nothing in there, you said it yourself," Amy argued.

"Nothing you can see," Angel corrected.

The Doctor groaned at that, the last few times Angel had said something to that effect, bad things happened. Why did it always have to be something they couldn't see that was after them? He winced at that thought, his mind falling back to the last dream he'd had, yes the Silence could be seen...but the fact that they couldn't be remembered afterwards by most was the same as saying they were unseen most of the time. He couldn't help but glance back at Ayla, just...wanting to make sure that she was still there, that she was ok and still...still his little girl. He felt a smile come to his face as he saw her there in Angel's arms, resting her head on Angel's shoulder, smiling, she was always smiling, she was always happy and that meant the world to him, to know that he must be doing something right that she was always smiling. It...it meant that his dream had just been a nightmare, his little girl wouldn't ever look that expressionless, not ever.

"No," he agreed, getting back to point, "We are very far from safe. All along, every action has been deliberate. Why draw attention to the cubes if they don't contain anything?"

"Daddy what's wrong with them?" Ayla called, pointing to a screen where people had begun clutching their chests in pain and falling to the ground around the cubes.

"They're CCTV feeds from across the world," Clark stated, "They're showing the same."

"People are dying!" Kate's eyes widened.

"What?" the Doctor scoffed, not seeing Angel set Ayla on the ground as she stared at the people falling like flies, "They can't be dying. How? How are they dying?"

"I want information on how people are being affected," Kate ordered Clark.

"The cubes brought people close together. They opened and then argh…" the Doctor suddenly doubled over, clutching his chest exactly like the various people had, before falling back into a chair.

"Daddy!" Ayla cried, frightened.

"Doctor, what's the matter?" Amy gasped.

"Argh," the Doctor winced as Angel knelt before him, his hand immediately taking hers, clutching it as waves of pain hit him, "Ah, I don't know!"

"Hospitals are logging a global surge in heart failures," Clark called, "Cardiac arrests."

"That's it," he pointed, "Oh! Oh! Oh! Only one heart," he looked at Angel, alarmed, her eyes widening at his declaration, "Other one's not working."

"Ok, I'm going to get you to the hospital!" Amy moved to step closer, fully intent to grab his chair and wheel him out.

"Oh, no, no, no, no," he tried to wave his other hand at her, only to clutch his chest again, "Just a short circuit," he struggled to get that out, looking over at Ayla, "Stay with her," he nodded at his daughter, knowing that, with how tightly he was clutching Angel's hand and how he couldn't seem to make himself let go, she couldn't comfort their daughter the way she needed to be. Amy nodded and rushed to Ayla, who seemed to have tears in her eyes at the sight of her father in such pain, and hugged her close. He closed his eyes, grunting a moment, before turning to Clark, "Tell me, show me. Ten seconds after the cubes opened, show me the patterns in their electrical currents," a heartbeat appeared on screen, "See?"

"No!" Kate gasped.

"Yes, the power cut. They zapped the power and then argh!" he winced as a pain struck him, Angel squeezing his hand tightly, "They're signal boxes. People leaning in, wham. Pure electrical surge out of the cube targeted at the nearest human heart. The heart, an organ powered by electrical currents, short-circuited. How to destroy a human? Go for the heart," he breathed as Angel reached out and placed her hand on his chest, rubbing it slightly, trying to help as her mind raced at trying to think of something to do, feeling panic setting in already, making her slower than normal, "Ow. Crikey Moses."

"Doctor, the scan you set running," Kate called, pulling his attention back, "The transmitter locations. It's found them."

"And look at them all," he stared at the screen, at the Earth with lines of energy connecting it to something in space by seven strands, "Pulsing bold as brass. Seven of them, all across the world," he beat his chest seven times, "Ow! Seven stations, seven minutes," he looked at Angel, "Why is that important? Argh!" before another pain hit him, "Ow, ow," he glanced at Amy, "How do you people manage? One heart, it is pitiful."

Angel just gave him a strained smile, knowing he was trying to joke to make Ayla feel better, "Let me my love," she reached out and placed a hand over his left heart.

He watched her closely as her eyes faintly began to glow with the energy of the Vortex before a spark travelled from her hand to his chest, no, not a spark, a jolt...a rather painful, rather large jolt, one that actually had him wincing. He sucked in a large gulp of air and jumped up, "Whoo! Ooh. Ooh!" he did a little dance, pointing at Ayla, doing it more for her benefit than because he felt that good, that really hurt! "Welcome back, lefty!" he smiled when he saw Ayla start to giggle, happy her father was alright, "Woohoo! Two hearts! Woo! Back in the game. Ah," he spun to Angel and pointed at her, "That hurt!"

"Well it was that or let you wander through the streets of London in pain with one heart failing in front of our daughter!" Angel snapped.

...which made the Doctor blink and stare at her, she didn't really...snap at him much. Granted she'd snapped and gotten snarky a little bit during her pregnancy (which he'd been unaware of), and when she'd been dying, but right now she was neither of them, "Angel...are you alright?" he frowned, he'd been sort of joking a bit...but she'd just gotten all shouty at him...and then he saw it, tears in her eyes, "Angel..."

"Don't do that," she whispered, and he knew it was bad because she'd done so in Gallifreyan, "Please don't do that again."

He blinked again and glanced at Kate, "Just a mo..." he murmured, taking Angel's hand and pulling her to the side, yes, he knew the humans lives were at stake, he knew that they had to get out of there quickly and get to one of the wormholes, but...this was ANGEL, this was his Mate, and she was upset and...he couldn't. He just couldn't bring himself to worry about others before her. He'd done that too many times before and she'd suffered for it, she'd been dissected for...he winced, shaking his head, no. No she HADN'T been dissected, that had been a dream, a terrible dream, it hadn't happened...but he could admit there were too many times he'd put the humans first and she'd suffered, even when SHE had been the one to insist he focus on them. He just...couldn't anymore.

They were humans.

Angel was his MATE.

"Aunt Amy?" Ayla tugged on her aunt's arm as she looked down from watching the Doctor pull Angel off, worried for the woman as well, "Why's mummy shouting at daddy? Are...are they fighting?" she whispered quietly at that, knowing that when parents fought it wasn't good.

"I don't think so," Amy smiled at her reassuringly, "I think your mum's just worried."

Ayla frowned, confused, "But why was she yelling?"

Amy gave a soft laugh, "Sometimes when people, girls usually, get really worried about something we get a bit loud, because we're upset that someone did something to make us that worried. They scared us and we don't like it."

"Oh..." Ayla nodded, that made sense, her mummy was very protective, she WOULD worry more, and she knew her mummy always worried about her father.

Just a few feet away, the Doctor was asking nearly the same thing as his daughter, "Angel...what's wrong?" he whispered, reaching out to touch her face, stroking her cheek with the back of a finger.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, tilting her head to lean into his touch as he opened his palm to rest it on her cheek entirely, "I just..." she closed her eyes, "An enemy I can see...I'll stand beside you as you face them, an attack, I'll be there and face it too. But that..." she glanced at the cubicles, "I...couldn't see it, there was something invisible, hurting you. It wasn't something I could protect you from or try to stop before it happened, it was something inside you that was hurting you Theta. It wasn't something I could see and...that scared me," she looked at him, "It struck your heart," she reached up to place her hand on his chest, over his left heart, "I was...scared."

He smiled softly at that, "And yet you still saved me in the end," he reminded her, "Im fine now, because of you. My guardian angel. Lighting my way."

She smiled as well, "Just...please don't do that again," she pleaded.

He nodded, he understood the notion of something you couldn't see or control hurting you and attacking you, his...nightmares seemed to be doing the same. It wasn't something he could control or stop, they just...happened and he couldn't see them or ward against them. He didn't want to put her through that, he didn't want to do something that would give HER nightmares, she'd already lived through one because of him and his amnesia, "I promise," he crossed his hearts.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He just leaned in and kissed her in reassurance, pouring his promise into it, he wouldn't go off and do something like that again. If her visions couldn't see what was coming, he wouldn't put himself in a situation like that either. Oddly enough, Isaac's words came back to him, reminding him he...he was a father, if anything happened to him, if Angel managed to get the bracelet in time...he'd be leaving Ayla fatherless...and he couldn't do that, he wouldn't ever do that.

"Come on," he murmured, pulling away, resting his forehead to hers a moment, before pulling back entirely, taking her hand and leading her back to Clark and Kate, Amy and Ayla, "A wormhole," he began again, "Bridging two dimensions. Seven of them hitched onto this planet, but where's the closest one? Clark, zoom in."

"Please," Ayla called, pointing at her father, "Manners daddy!"

"Sorry sweetheart," he chuckled.

"No need," Angel smiled at them before she turned and hurriedly led him out, Kate and Amy, with Ayla in her arms, following.

"Where are we going?" Amy called, as they reached the car Kate had sent for them in.

"Rory's work," Angel replied...and Amy dashed ahead of them.

~8~

Rory crept through the spaceship as quietly as he could, till he entered a room with a circle of men and women lying on slabs, spotting his father on a portable one, "Dad," he gasped, rushing forward, "Dad!" but then the two orderlies appeared, "Just get away from him," he threatened.

But the orderlies simply drew their syringes and advanced.

~8~

"How many deaths have been recorded?" the Doctor asked Kate as they quickly made their way through the hospital, Angel in the lead, Ayla jogging beside Amy as the two followed them.

"We don't know," Kate shook her head.

"About a third of the population," Angel answered, before rubbing her head, "Just like the Sycorax."

"Oh best day of my life!" the Doctor cheered, to which Kate looked at him as though he'd gone mad.

"If the reports are correct..." Kate frowned, "Didn't you nearly crash the TARDIS into a building before fall into a post-regenerative coma that nearly killed you, become hunted by robotic pilot fish, then become prisoner of a species that threatened to have all the A-positives jump off buildings before dueling them in a sword fight, having your hand cut off, and then watching as Torchwood blew up their ship?"

"Your reports are amazingly accurate Kate," Angel remarked.

"How was THAT the best day of your life?" Amy shook her head, completely at a loss for that.

Ayla just giggled, "That was the day mummy said yes," she told her aunt.

"Yes to what?"

"To being my Mate," the Doctor positively beamed at Angel, love and adoration shining in his eyes, it was the day that had started it all and was the reason why it was only slightly (very, VERY slightly) more important than the day Ayla was born, because without it their little girl wouldn't be there.

"As much as I love knowing that was the best day of your life my love, the humans?" Angel gestured around at the various humans on the ground, clutching their hearts, and those were the lucky ones, the ones who hadn't been close enough to the cubes to be fully affected.

"Right, yes," the Doctor spun around and stopped, looking at Kate, "Kate, we have to find the wormhole, but the attacks could still happen. Tell the world. Tell them how to deal with this. The world needs your leadership right now."

"I'll do my best," Kate nodded.

"Of course you will. Good luck, Kate," he called as she dashed off, "Now," he clapped his hands, turning to Angel as he pulled out his sonic, wanting to help her find it, "We need to locate the wormhole portal…" he trailed off as the sonic picked up something else, "Hello. Hello!" he turned it to a little girl that was just standing there with a cube in her hands, a blank expression on her face, "You are giving off some very strange signals," he brought the sonic closer and her face glowed blue.

"Oh, my God," Amy gasped.

"Outlier droid," he muttered, "Which…" he pointed to Ayla.

"Monitors everything," the girl replied promptly.

"Exactly," he grinned as she beamed at getting the question right, "If I shut her down, I can…" he flashed the sonic on the girl again and she collapsed, "It's alright, it's alright," he lowered her down, effectively cutting off the surveillance to the ship.

"Come on," Angel called, taking his hand and they were off again, her leading them down the corridor, around a corner, and right to…a goods lift. She paused, staring at it, "I did warn him," she murmured, before she pushed the button and the bell dinged.

"Ah, portal to another dimension...in a goods lift?" Amy eyed it warily.

"The energy signals converge here," the Doctor agreed, seeing the readings on the sonic as the doors opened, "Does seem a bit cramped though," he muttered as they stepped in.

Angel just reached out and touched the back wall, making it wibble.

The Doctor grinned and looked down at Ayla, holding out his hand, "Through the looking glass, sweetheart?"

Ayla grinned and took his hand, the four of them stepping through it and into the ship Rory had found himself on earlier.

"Where are we?" Amy looked around as they saw a light in another room and made their way to it.

"We're in orbit," the Doctor explained as they entered the room with the slabs, glancing out the window of it, "One dimension to the left."

"Rory!" Amy gasped, rushing towards him.

"Ah," he tossed her a vial, "Soborian smelling salts. Outlawed in seven galaxies."

Amy waved it under Rory's nose and he jolted up quickly, only for a golden shield to erect around them, someone firing at them.

"Whoa!" the Doctor ducked down, "Whoa! What kind of a welcome do you call that?" he looked over to see an old man with a pale, worn face standing there, dressed in black, he turned to Amy and Rory, handing Amy Ayla, "Get them out of here," he told them, "You too. Now!"

Rory quickly woke his father with the salts, "What are you going to do?" Amy called, pulling Ayla closer.

"Absolutely no idea," he called.

"Get to the portal!" Angel shouted and they watched in awe as the shield split in two, one surrounding them as they wheeled Brian away, the other remaining on the Time Lords as the alien shot at them again, Angel doing her best to keep her focus on both of them, on maintaining the golden walls.

It was...hard...she could feel the Vortex raging through her, trying to take out what was shooting at them but, at the same time, knowing that they were only being fired at because Amy and Rory, humans, were there and not subjects that had been taken. As soon as they were out of there with Brian, she knew that the firing would stop.

"So many of them," the man stated, glaring as the Humans...and Ayla...left, "Crawling the planet, seeping into every corner," he disappeared, the lasers stopping as he reappeared by a bank of monitors in the shape of seven hexagons.

"The Shakri," Angel breathed, the golden shield fading as the firing stopped, just as she thought it would.

"It's not possible," the Doctor shook his head, taking Angel's hand as the stepped closer, now realizing why she had wanted Ayla out of the room, that was NOT a story they wanted their daughter to know about, she had enough nightmares about the Silence and the dark as it was, they did NOT want to add the Shakri to that, "I thought the Shakri were a myth. A myth to keep the young of Gallifrey in their place."

"The Shakri exist in all of time and none," the man stated, "We travel alone and together. The Seven."

"The Shakri craft, connected to Earth, through seven portals and seven minutes. Ah, but why?"

"Because of the Tally," Angel whispered, recalling that tale from Gallifrey, she'd always been better at remembering stories than lessons, the man nodded.

"Why the cubes?" the Doctor looked at her, "Why Earth?"

"Not Earth," she shook her head, "The Humans."

"The Shakri will halt the human plague before the spread!" the Shakri stated.

The Doctor nodded, working it out, "Erase humanity before it colonizes space. We thought the cubes were an invasion. The start of war."

"The human contagion only must be eliminated."

"Who are you calling a contagion?" Amy demanded as she and Rory walked back in, Ayla safely left with Brian, the man, of course, refusing to let the little girl into the room he'd been shot at before.

"Oi!" the Doctor turned, "Didn't we tell you two to go?"

"You should have learned by now," Rory remarked.

Angel smiled, "Well, I knew you'd be back."

"Psychic," the Doctor poked her in the ribs.

"Thief," she countered, flicking his bowtie.

"Oi," he laughed, smiling at her and tweaking his bowtie to straighten it.

"What is this Tally anyway?" Amy asked, getting back to point.

"Some people call it Judgment Day, or the Reckoning," the Doctor sighed.

"Don't you know?"

"I've never wanted to find out."

"Before the Closure, there is the Tally," the Shakri replied, "The Shakri serves the Tally."

"The pest controllers of the Universe, that's how the tales went, isn't it?"

"Wow," Amy shook her head, "That's some seriously weird bedtime story."

"You can talk. Wolf in your grandmother's nightdress?" he turned back to the Shakri, "So, here you are, depositing slug pellets all over the Earth, made attractive so humans will collect them, hoping to find something beautiful inside. Because that's what they are. Not pests or plague, creatures of hope, forever building and reaching. Making mistakes, of course, every life form does. But...but they learn. And they strive for greater, and they achieve it. You want a tally. Put their achievements against their failings through the whole of time, we," he took Angel's hand, "Will back humanity against the Shakri every time."

"The Tally must be met," the Shakri stated, "The second wave will be released."

"What does that mean?" Amy asked, concerned.

And the pit in Angel's stomach dropped, "They're going to open more cubes," she glanced at Amy, "They're going to open the cubes again and try to hurt more people."

~8~

"Tell the Secretary General it's not just hospitals and equipment, it's people," Kate called as she ordered her men around in the hospital, "Our best hope now is each other."

"Aunt Kate!" Ayla shouted, rushing over to her down the hall, poor Brian panting as he struggled to keep up with the little ball of energy as she half-flew at Kate, hugging her tightly.

"Oh hello dear," she picked the girl up, "Where are your parents?"

Ayla just shook her head and hugged Kate more, she knew what it meant when her parents kept her away, it was really dangerous. And when it was THAT dangerous...it was a situation where even her parents were concerned about getting themselves out alive.

And that worried HER.

~8~

"The human plague breeding and fighting," the Shakri wheezed, "And when cornered, their rage to destroy. You're too late, Doctor, Angel. The Tally shall be met."

And with that, it vanished.

"He's gone?" Amy looked around.

"I don't think he was actually here," Angel shook her head, "He's like the TARDIS's voice interface, a projection."

The Doctor nodded, "Like a talking propaganda poster," he ran around to the other side of the monitors, "I can stop the second wave," he soniced it, "I can disconnect all the Shakri craft from their portals, leave them drifting in the dark space."

"Good," Angel nodded, looking at the monitors and the codes he was putting in, she had...no idea what he was doing. The controls and codes...she'd never been in a ship like the Shakri's, she had been lucky enough just to realize that the projection was just an interface.

"Ah..." the Doctor frowned, "But all those people who were near the cubes, so many of them will have died..."

Amy turned to Angel, "You restarted one of the Doctor's hearts…"

"You'd need mass defibrillation," Rory shook his head, "Could you do that?"

Angel hesitated only a single moment, not...entirely sure if she'd be able to control that much of the Vortex given what had happened in the Asylum, she was...afraid that maybe she could use the power for little things, teleports or walls but...to use too much of it might make her lose control of it. But...she reminded herself, the humans were in danger, they were in pain and they were hurt and...if she could help the Doctor help them...it would have to be worth it, she would have to try.

She nodded, "Leave it to me," before closing her eyes and touching the edge of the screens, the edges starting to glow golden as a pulse went out through the system, following the Doctor's commands to go along the access points, splitting and amplifying as the cubes had the original pulse.

"Thirty seconds," the Doctor beamed as Angel opened her eyes, the pulse having been sent, "But…oh dear. All those cubes. There's going to be a terrible wave of energy ricocheting around here any second, now twice as powerful because of the Vortex...run!" he grabbed Angel's hand and off they went.

"I'm going to miss this," Rory laughed as they dashed after the Time Lords, jumping through the wibbly wall and into the lift just as the Vortex energy returned back to the ship, blowing it up.

~8~

All around the world there was a flash of golden light as people started to pick themselves up again, looking around, thoroughly confused by what had happened but infinitely thankful they were alive.

~8~

"Emergency hospitals and field units are working at full capacity around the world, as millions of survivors of cardiac arrests are nursed back to health after an unprecedented night across the globe…" a news reporter announced.

~8~

"You, er, you really are as remarkable as dad said," Kate smiled at the Doctor as she stood before the small Time Family outside the Tower. She looked at Angel, "And you…the files don't do you justice."

"I'm sure they made me out to be better than I am," Angel smiled modestly.

"Other way around dear," the Doctor whispered, kissing her temple.

"Thank you," Angel nodded at the woman, "For taking care of Ayla while we dealt with the Shakri."

"No," Kate leaned in and hugged Angel before kissing the Doctor's cheek, not seeming to notice him tense at it, "Thank you both."

"My!" the Doctor gave a small laugh, feeling himself relax as Kate pulled away. Even though he knew the kiss was platonic...a kiss was far too intimate for him to feel comfortable with anyone besides Angel or Ayla giving him one. Though, he hadn't exactly seemed to tense when Rory had kissed his cheeks earlier, probably because he was just Angel's brother and Kate was, well, a companion's daughter...which he could feel his mind connecting her to another daughter of a companion, one he was FAR less comfortable around, "A kiss from a Lethbridge-Stewart! That is new," he looked at his watch, "Oh dear, we're late for dinner."

"Bye Aunt Kate," Ayla hugged the woman.

"Goodbye dear," Kate smiled, hugging her back before the Time Lords walked over to the car, the Doctor saluting her before they piled in.

~8~

Ayla sat on her Uncle Rory's lap as he sat beside his wife, the Doctor and Angel across from them, Brian at the end of the table, in the kitchen, eating Chinese with chopsticks, Ayla not quite managing to use them till Amy had tied one end together with a rubber band to help.

"Dear me," the Doctor smiled, clapping his hands, "We'd better get going. Things to do, worlds to save, swings to…swing on," he got up, helping Angel up as well as Ayla gave Rory and Amy a quick hug before hopping off of Rory to walk with them.

Angel paused and turned back, moving to kneel beside Rory to look at Amy and him, "Rory, Amy...I just want you to know that we DO understand that you have amazing lives here. The most fantastic human lives that are just getting started. And it's important to you, your jobs, your home, your time with each other, we understand. That's something we're trying to give you too, it's not something we want you to give up just to travel with us."

"Actually, it's you they can't give up," Brian called, "The three of you. Not a day goes by Amy doesn't mention you Doctor, or Rory talks about you Angel, or the two of them think about Ayla…they can't give you up. And...I don't think they should," he smiled at his son, "Go with them. Go...save every world you can find. Who else has that chance? Life will still be here."

Angel smiled at him, "Would you like to come too, Brian?"

He shook his head, "Somebody's got to water the plants. Just bring them back safe."

Angel nodded and stood, walking back to her family, the Doctor having adopted her typical stance with Ayla for a moment, the girl resting against him with his arms locked around her, Ayla gripping his arms with her hand, before they headed to the TARDIS, Amy and Rory hugging Brian goodbye before following.

~8~

"So that was the year of the slow invasion, when the Earth got cubed, and the Time Family came to stay. It was also when we realized something the Shakri never understood. What cubed actually means. The power of three."

~8~

Amy paused at the door to her house, her and Rory looking at the three Time Lords waiting for them before the doors to the TARDIS, the most unbeatable team they'd ever met.

"Come on Uncle Rory!" Ayla cheered, pushing the doors to the magic box open, "Hurry Aunt Amy!" before she ran inside, shouting to her Aunt Idris about their new 'more permanent' guests.

The humans laughed and followed the Time Lords into the blue box which disappeared moments later.

Chapter Text

The Doctor grinned as he danced with Amy, inventing a funny old dance of his own, just wanting to make her wedding more lively, especially when Rory seemed to have gone surprisingly serious since he'd arrived. It had been…quite the adventure, what with the Pandorica opening and the TARDIS exploding and time collapsing and him having to reboot the entire Universe. But it was all in a day's work really.

He'd woken up in the TARDIS just after it had all been over, the box humming frantically at him, what he felt might be anger or concern but really, he thought it was probably excitement to be back. He could hear Amy's voice projecting over the speakers, her talking about the story he'd told her, of the old blue, brand new stolen box, how she was essentially remembering him into existence once more.

And he realized that for her to be thinking of old-new-borrowed-blue she HAD to be at her wedding…and he was NOT dressed for such an occasion. He'd run off to get changed and popped out the door to see her staring at him. It had been wonderful to see her again, Rory though had been a bit more frowny which didn't suit a man on his wedding down. He looked confused, like there was something he'd forgotten and was struggling to remember, but it couldn't be that important if Amy hadn't remembered it either, Amy was the one who had remembered him back after all. But Rory had just gotten all quiet, not even Amy could seem to get him to engage in the party after he'd appeared.

He glanced around for the wayward groom, but Rory was nowhere to be seen, "Where's Mr. Pond got to?" he called to Amy over the loud music.

"He wanted to go to the TARDIS," Amy told him, trying to speak through her laughter at his moves.

"The TARDIS?" the Doctor frowned, not sure what Rory could need in there, he'd only set it down just outside, "What's he need in there?"

"I don't know," Amy rolled her eyes, "He just asked for the key, said he had to check something."

"What?"

Amy opened her mouth to speak when she caught sight of something out the corner of her eye, "Ask him yourself," she jerked a thumb to the side where Rory was entering the room, a deep frown on his face.

"Ah, Rory!" the Doctor cheered, grinning as he walked over to the man, putting an arm around his shoulder, "Now…"

"Don't touch me," Rory snapped, yanking the Doctor's arm away.

"Oi," Amy made her way over, seeing the action, the hurt look on the Doctor's face, the rather…angry expression on her husband's, "What's the matter with you?" Rory just shook his head and Amy frowned, seeing…tears in his eyes, "Rory?"

Rory swallowed hard, "You both need to come with me. This is your fault," he told them, turning without another word to head out of the room.

Amy and the Doctor exchanged a glance before rushing after him, leaving the guests to the party. They followed Rory out of the room, down the halls, and outside, back to the TARDIS which seemed to be…glaring at them…which was daft because it was a box and boxes couldn't glare.

"Rory what's wrong?" Amy ran up to him as he shoved the doors opened, leading them into the TARDIS.

"You forgot her Amy," Rory turned to throw a glare at HER over his shoulder, "THAT's what's wrong. YOU were the one who could bring her back and you didn't!"

"Bring who back?" Amy shook her head, not understanding at all who he was talking about.

Rory just made his way up to the monitor, the duo following him, coming on either side of him to see that the screen was broken up into four boxes, Jack and Torchwood in one, Sarah Jane Smith and her family in another, with Martha and Mickey in one on the bottom, and Donna and Wilf in the last one on the right.

"How did you DO that?!" the Doctor looked at Rory, alarmed he'd been able to turn the monitor on and put out a call, HE hadn't taught the man to do it.

"Seriously?" Rory scoffed, "Your past companions are on-screen, glaring at you, and THAT'S what you worry about?!"

The Doctor blinked and looked at the monitor again to see that…the companions WERE glaring at him, Jack even had his arms crossed and Gray looked positively murderous. Martha seemed disappointed, Sarah Jane in tears, and Donna…well…her lips were pursed and he knew from experience that that was the WORST sign ever.

"Hello everyone," he tried to laugh, but it came out a more nervous chuckle than anything, "How are we all doing?"

"Doc…" Jack began, a tremble in his voice that could not be mistaken for anything BUT barely contained anger, "Where the hell is Angie?!"

The Doctor blinked, "Who?"

The companions stared at him.

"Angie," Jack repeated, "Angie Harkness."

"Angela Jones?" Martha tried.

"The Angel!" Donna shouted.

"I have no idea who you're talk…" he began.

"You Mate, Doctor," Sarah Jane cut in, "Your Mate, Angel, a Time Lady."

"MY Pilot," Rory ground out.

"Oi!" Mickey called, "She was mine first!"

"Well she's MY sister," Jack argued.

"And MINE," Donna cut in, "So don't you dare try to pull that one BoeBoy."

Amy frowned as the companions started to argue amongst themselves over that, when she glanced at the Doctor to see him staring at the with his eyes wide and mouth open, looking completely shocked, "Oi!" she snapped at them, making them fall quiet, "What are you talking about?!"

"…Mate?" the Doctor breathed, shaking his head, blinking rapidly, "I…I don't…I don't have a Mate," he argued weakly, though something inside him stirred uncomfortably at that declaration. He glanced up as the TARDIS herself hummed in what could be nothing but anger, "I'm the only one left…"

"Doctor…what happened?" Gray asked, "We…we couldn't remember her for a minute, and then…slowly it came back to us. But…she's not there."

"We were calling the TARDIS," Sarah Jane explained, "Rory finally answered."

"I didn't know who they were talking about either," Rory admitted, "Till Jack called me his brother, said that Angel told him about me…and I remembered," he looked at the Doctor and Amy, "But Angel's not here. She's not anywhere."

"Angel?" Amy shook her head, the name…sounded familiar…

"My Pilot Amy," Rory looked at her, his voice pleading, "A Time Lady, please you HAVE to remember her."

He could only guess that Amy hadn't…remembered enough of Angel to bring her back, but she HAD to. He needed her to. Angel was…so important to him and…she was pregnant. It wasn't just Angel that would be lost but that little baby and he had promised, he'd sworn to Angel that he'd protect them both. Because clearly the Doctor was failing to do that.

"I…I think I do," Amy nodded, thinking on it hard, "Black hair…" she began, "Grey eyes…"

"Blue dress," Jack called.

"Black cowboy boots," Martha added.

"Black belt," Sarah Jane nodded.

"Not anymore though," Donna remarked with a knowing look at Rory.

"Yeah," Amy breathed, "I DO remember her…"

And as soon as the words were out of her mouth, the Doctor fell to the ground with a grunt, a hand to the side of his head, landing hard on his knees, bracing himself on the console with his other hand as he let out a strangled scream.

"Doctor!" Amy gasped, rushing to his side, "What's wrong?"

But Rory knew exactly what was wrong. He was remembering Angel, he was…likely remembering EVERYTHING. He had worked it out, the moment he had remembered Angel himself. Seeing that even the other companions had forgotten her. Angel had once asked him what he'd do if the person he loved forgot who he was to them. He wasn't as stupid as the Doctor sometimes made him feel. He was as clever as Angel believed him to be, he'd worked it out.

Something, maybe to do with the Pandorica, he didn't know nor did he care exactly what it was, had made the Doctor forget Angel even before the rest of them had. The man had forgotten Angel was his Mate, as Jack had briefly explained to him when he'd asked why the Doctor wasn't there freaking out when he said Angel wasn't there. And now…he could tell, the man was remembering everything, every single thing he'd forgotten about her.

And now…he was honestly afraid of what would be coming, because he'd seen the Doctor worried for Angel before…and that was only seeing her as a Time Lady.

"Doctor what's wrong?" Amy put her hand on his back, looking at Rory, "Rory what's happening?!"

But before Rory could even answer, the Doctor's hand fell away from his head, his eyes wide, tears in them, "Angel…" he breathed, shaking his head, "No…no, no, no, no, no…" he leapt to his feet and ran to the monitor, "Sorry!" he shouted at them, ending the connections as he frantically tried to search for something on the datacores, on the trackers and tracers and all the other scans he could find.

Amy frowned, seeing him wincing and flinching with each mistake he made, assuming that he was making mistakes as some symbols she couldn't read were removed as he typed, before going on again, "Doctor what are you doing?"

"Finding her," he muttered, feeling his chest constrict painfully…he'd been hit with…memory after memory, so many things, so many he'd…forgotten, and following that was a crippling guilt. All his mind could see was all the things he'd done, that he'd let Angel do, that had put her in a danger he NEVER would have let her be in before. The Daleks, the Weeping Angels, the Silurians and the Krafayis and the time loops and...

And now…one of them was coming back to haunt him.

The Pandorica.

He'd let her in the Pandorica (after she'd been in an exploding TARDIS nearly six billion times and then gotten shot by a Dalek…which made him ill to think about). He'd let her go with him into the heart of the explosion…and now, because of that…she was gone. She'd been forgotten even more deeply than he had.

Amy had remembered HIM, her Raggedy Doctor, but forgotten Angel. Oh she knew of the girl now but vaguely…which he knew meant…Angel was out there, somewhere, but he didn't know where and he HAD to find her! Amy had no idea of how Angel had come to be a part of his life, Amy didn't know her well enough to bring her back entirely, to bring her back to THAT particular point…and he was terrified of where she might be in her timeline now.

He had to find her, he had to find her and get her back! He frantically input commands into the TARDIS, praying to every star he could think of that the old box would still be able to pick up a trace of Angel. If HE was back then there was a chance that the connection Angel had, the bond to the TARDIS as a designated Pilot, might have stuck. He hoped beyond hope that it had.

"Yes!" he cheered, when a small dot popped up on the monitor…and then his hearts stopped seeing the coordinates, "No…"

Van Statten's Museum.

~8~

The TARDIS set down on the same floor it had ages ago, so many years ago when the Doctor had first found Angel. He ran out of the TARDIS, looking around to see that the museum…was NOT filled with concrete, but it was deserted. He knew what had happened, why it was still there.

Amy didn't know about this adventure, not fully. She hadn't known and so, it was impossible for her to remember. So the museum was there, it was as if he had never gone there, it was as if he'd never been there, because Amy didn't remember him being there. But…he HAD been there, so when she'd remembered him back the timelines got all wonky. It was like…a mixture of his presence there, that the museum was abandoned like it ought to have been because of him and a result of his appearance. But…everything hadn't happened the same, this was the result of him being there in one timeline but an echo and alteration of it to adapt to what Amy knew of it in this timeline…

And Angel was still there.

"Where are we Doctor?" Amy asked as she and Rory stepped out after him.

"Oh my God," Rory breathed, his eyes widening, "Is this Van Statten's museum?!" he turned to the Doctor, alarmed.

"Who's what?" Amy gave Rory a look.

"Angel told me about it," Rory explained, seeing the Doctor flinch at that, knowing the man was realizing just HOW much Angel had come to rely on HIM and not the Time Lord himself, that she'd told him intimate details of her life and bonded with him.

"And what's Van Statten's Museum?" Amy looked at Rory.

"It's where I rescued her," the Doctor muttered, before stalking off down the dark halls, all of the displays were empty, which he should have found odd, that all that alien tech had been taken by someone, but he didn't care, he truly didn't, he just…he had to get to Angel, she was STILL there...and he was honestly afraid of what he'd find when he reached her.

He led them to a lift, sonicing it open and the power on enough to get them to the floor that the Cage was on, knowing that Angel was close to it. He barely waited for the doors to open before he was half running out of the lift and down the halls. He passed the Cage, not even wanting to know if the Dalek was still in there, for all he knew, it could be and he was NOT going to make the mistake of baiting it again, or of letting Amy or Rory touch it and restore it like Rose had.

He reached a heavy thick door and put a hand on it, just…knowing Angel was behind it even if the sonic hadn't led them there. He frowned, closing his eyes as he realized something…terrible. He couldn't feel Angel, he couldn't hear her in his mind or in his hearts and…he knew it was one of two things.

He knew she likely still had that bloody mental dampener on that Van Statten had forced on her, but…he should have been able to feel her. Which meant…she must have had a Dampening Bracelet with her…which killed him to know she had one in her possession, to know she could have, at any time since he'd forgotten, put it on and he wouldn't have realized it. Or…and this was the part that truly terrified him…or they…weren't Mated any longer.

He had insisted SO much to Amy that Angel was just a friend, a mate and not a Mate and…if Amy remembered Angel, but remembered her as just a friend and not his Mate…he was disturbed to think that it might mean that the Mating had been forgotten along with everything.

It would break his hearts if that were true.

He pulled his hand away and flashed the door, unlocking it…the three of them stepping in, only to stop short at the sight before them. He…hadn't known what Angel had been restrained like before, he'd assumed she'd been in a cell, left there, unchained, but in a small cell, with a cot to sleep on or something…some sort of comfort.

He'd been wrong.

He had access to that memory in Angel's mind but had shied away from it, not wanting to intrude and study memories she herself didn't want to remember.

He should have.

He would have been more prepared in that case.

Because Angel was still there, the first her he'd ever met, the one with the dark, dirty hair, the dark eyes, the pale face and chapped lips and bags under her eyes. The weak woman who had been neglected for so long and forgotten about unless she was needed. The one who had been forced to listen to the screams of the Dalek as it was tortured.

She was there, chained to a harness, to an examination board like he had been, like the one Van Statten had strapped him to to scan his hearts. Her arms were out on either side of her and up slightly above her head, by chains around her wrists. Her legs were strapped to the bottom of the board, slightly apart, her ankles bowed by metal clamps that reminded him a little too much like the ones the Silurians had used. Her head was bowed, her hair falling before her as she slumped as much off the board as she could. He could see the metal band around her head, a monitor beside her with some sort of recording still powered up, monitoring her brainwaves. There was only one blip on it, from what he could see, that had spiked only moments before the TARDIS had appeared.

"Angel," he breathed, his eyes filled with tears.

"Don't stand there!" Rory shouted, shoving him forward as he ran for the board as well, "Get her out!"

The Doctor snapped himself out of his shock and ran over to Angel with the human, flashing the sonic everywhere he could to try and unlock the restraints…managing to do it as Angel fell forward with a gasp, her body unused to moving having been stationary so long. The Doctor nearly felt his hearts shatter when Angel fell more towards Rory and into his arms than his own. He reached out, seeing her panting, her eyes closed, and ripped the mental dampener off her head…

Angel screamed and started to scramble back from him, from all of them, staring at them with wide, fearful eyes, shaking. She swallowed hard, as though trying to speak but unable to after so long alone.

"Angel!" the Doctor tried to move towards her, but she flinched back, pushing herself further into the wall, making him stop and stare at her heartsbroken at the move…she was scared of him.

Amy gasped and covered her mouth with her hands, tears in her eyes to see Angel in such a state.

"It's ok," Rory said, holding up his hands, crouching before her, shooting a glare at the Doctor for scaring her, "We're nice…" he began, turning back to her but not making a move to get closer.

Angel looked between them, her eyes darting around, as though a frightened animal that was being cornered, "W…who…" she tried to get out, struggling, her voice so unused, "Are…you?" she managed to rasp out, panting, trying to gain her breath, eyeing them distrustfully.

Rory swallowed hard, feeling tears in his eyes at that, hearing the Doctor stumble back at that, his back hitting the other wall as he slid down it, in utter shock, devastated his Mate had forgotten him. The Doctor closed his eyes, no…Angel hadn't forgotten him, this Angel had never met him before. His hearts hurt so badly, it felt like they were being torn apart, seeing the distrust in her eyes, the fear, the way she didn't want to get close to him…knowing she didn't know who he was…if this was even a fraction of what Angel felt…he couldn't bear to think of how much he'd hurt her.

"I'm Rory," Rory tried again, seeing the Doctor was too shocked at the moment, "Rory Williams, I'm…well, I was…your companion."

Angel shook her head.

"It's true," Amy moved to kneel by Rory, feeling tears threatening to fall at how Angel shied back further as more people got in front of her, "In…in another timeline. Which sounds crazy but it's true. I'm Amy…I'm your friend," some friend she was if, in forgetting Angel, she'd been the one to condemn her to this fate, "And that…" she glanced back at the Doctor who was staring at Angel with a hollow look, utterly killed at how this had happened, "That man, the Doctor…is your Mate."

"I…don't…have…a Mate," Angel insisted.

The Doctor closed his eyes at that, feeling a tear fall from his eyes, hearing her say that. He'd said it SO many times, and it was killing him now to hear her insist so. He couldn't imagine what she'd felt when HE had done it.

There was only one thing he could think of that might convince her, "I'm sorry," he whispered, in Gallifreyan, making her head snap over at him, "I'm so sorry Nella."

Angel let out a breath, blinking at that before shaking her head. No…no this couldn't be right, it couldn't be. That man…he couldn't be her Mate. She didn't have one! She'd been left on Earth, hearing her people die in the War, she'd been poked and prodded and cut into by humans, she'd been left alone in an abandoned museum for too long and…

Why?

If she'd had a Mate, if she'd had a man who was supposed to love her more than anything…why had he abandoned her there?

The Doctor winced, hearing that in her mind. She was right. From her perspective, she'd been alone and his claims of being her Mate…he'd failed her. He'd failed her in forgetting her, he'd failed her in not remembering her when the Pandorica had happened, he'd failed her in leaving her there for even a single moment. How could he claim to be her Mate, to love her that much, if he really had abandoned her? Not in the way she saw it but in a different way. To her he'd never been there, to him…he HAD and he'd left her which was worse.

Rory shook his head, this wasn't the time for all that, whatever the Doctor had said to her…Angel as FAR too thin and weak, she needed help or none of them would have a Time Lady much longer, "Can we help you?" Rory asked, reaching out to her, "Can we take you to the TARDIS and get you better?"

Angel just flinched back, closing her eyes, "Don't!" she gasped, "Don't…hurt me…"

"We wouldn't ever," Amy shook her head, feeling her own heart break at that, at how…scared Angel was of them.

"Always…do," Angel shook her head, glaring at them, "Humans…lie…"

The Doctor squeezed his eyes closed, seeing in her mind what had happened. Without him there in some sort of skewed timeline…they'd grown tired of the Dalek…Van Statten had ordered the scientists to move onto Angel…she'd been cut into and studied as Malokeh had done to Mo.

"I don't," Rory promised her, "Angel…look at me," he pleaded, feeling tears in his eyes as she cast a hesitant glance at him, "I care about you. You're my Pilot, and I promised I'd take care of you and…" he cut himself off, clearly she wasn't pregnant any longer, "…and I just want to help. Please."

Angel looked between them, the Doctor starting to feel hopeful that she might see their intentions were good…only for Angel to look at Rory, "I…trust YOU," she told him.

And his hearts broke all over again, shattered. Angel didn't trust him, he let out a scoffing laugh at that, because she had every right not to. He'd betrayed her in more ways than one. It was his own fault. HE had forgotten her, HE hadn't tried to help Amy and Angel have a closer relationship, he'd just focused too much on his companion, on a human, once more and now his Mate was suffering for it once more.

Rory though just nodded, "We need to get you out of here," he moved closer to her, holding out a hand to her, letting HER make the choice to accept his help.

Angel stared at his hand and then him, keeping her eyes firmly off the Doctor. The man had claimed he was her Mate, had known her name, but…where had HE been? If he was truly her Mate, she should have felt safe with him, should trust him, but that was the farthest thing she felt. She could see him flinch and knew he might know what she was thinking, and she was…happy he was. He needed to know that just because he said he was someone to be trusted, people shouldn't do it just because he said so.

The man though…Rory, he'd said…him she DID trust. He didn't try to force her, he didn't get too close too fast, he just…was patient, he was kind, she could tell that…she could trust him. Even if he was human, she could trust that HE wouldn't hurt her, not like the other two.

She hesitantly reached out and took Rory's hand, the man smiling as he moved to slowly help her up, considerate of her weakness. They'd just turned to head out, the ginger girl having gone to drag the Doctor to his feet…

When there was a blast at the wall that sent them flying back.

"Exterminate!" a Dalek shouted as it rolled through the debris of the fallen wall.

The Doctor stared at it in horror, how had it been powered up!? It had been nearly dead when Rose had restored it, it should have been even lower on power than that! It should have been powered down completely! And there it was firing the most powerful blasts he'd seen a Dalek do.

"Run!" he cried, turning to whip out the sonic, trying to something, anything, to give them the time to flee, to give Rory time to get Angel out of there…

But just as he turned, just as he'd flicked the sonic on…the Dalek sent a blast at Angel and Rory, at Rory specifically…probably seeing a target that he needed to eliminate to get a clear shot at Angel but…

Oh he should have known that Angel, in any incarnation, was the same genuinely carrying person…

She shoved Rory away with what little strength she had left…sending him falling to the ground as she took the blast right to the chest…flying backwards into the back wall and sinking down.

The Doctor stared in horror as he saw the blast hit her, "NO!" he screamed, but it was too late, the blast…it was too powerful, it was too direct…it had killed her before she could even begin to regenerate, she'd been too weak before, she hadn't been able to survive that blast, "Angel!" he ran to her side, ignoring the cries of the humans behind him as Amy scrambled to Rory's side, helping the stunned and clearly traumatized man to his feet, calling for him to run…but all he saw was Angel on the ground.

He'd abandoned his Mate once…he couldn't do it again. He didn't know if he was still fully Mated to her or not…he had heard her in his mind even when the mental dampener had been removed, something that hadn't happened last time, he'd felt her emotions but…he didn't feel himself dying with her.

And he ought to have.

Because he wanted to.

"Angel, no…" he breathed, gathering her in his arms, his back to the Dalek, just…cradling her, praying for a regeneration he knew wouldn't come.

"Doctor!" Amy shouted, though he barely heard her, the world was going deaf around him.

"Exterminate!"

He DID hear that one, he could hear the whir of the Dalek's laser powering up, and…smiled, closing his eyes…welcoming the blast that struck him in the back and sent him into darkness…

~8~

Angel hummed lightly to herself as she stood in the bathroom of hers and the Doctor's bedroom, having just come from a lovely shower, a white towel wrapped around her as she began to brush her hair…only to jump when she spotted the Doctor's reflection in the mirror. That was…odd in itself, it was surprisingly hard to sneak up on her, but…he was also standing there in his pajamas, just…hanging half in the doorway, staring at her.

She would have been flattered…if it wasn't for the absolutely terrified expression that had been on his face for a single moment before it morphed into relief, the man even letting out a breath of it as she turned to him, a concerned look on her face, "Are you alright my love?"

"What?" he looked at her, before nodding, "Oh, yes. Yes, yes, I'm…I'm fine."

Angel tilted her head, "Theta…"

"I'm fine Nella," he smiled at her, stepping into the bathroom and just…walking to her and taking her in his arms, holding her close, his chin resting against her still damp hair.

She blinked, but hugged him back, not…quite believing him, but…not wanting to push him either. She could tell, as she'd left him sleeping like a log on their bed to get ready for the day, not having the hearts to wake him when she knew he'd been having difficulty sleeping and staying asleep, that he'd likely had a nightmare again. She trusted Jack's opinion on this, sometimes…it took time for another person to tell you what was plaguing their subconscious as it was far more personal a fear usually.

She hadn't told the Doctor what had been bothering her for…quite a while, till she'd felt comfortable and, though it killed her to know he didn't seem at that point yet, she had to respect that as he had respected her. So all she could do, for the moment, was try to be as much of a comfort as she could be, to let him know in as many ways as she could that she was there for him when he was ready.

She felt him relax in her arms as she hugged him back, felt him breathing easier it appeared. She offered him a smile as he pulled away and began to lightly touch her cheek, cupping it with his hand, his thumb stroking her cheek, tracing just below her eyes with a look in his own that told her he was searching for something or checking for something. She didn't know what it could be, there was nothing under her eyes.

She watched his expression carefully, the gentle smile on his face, as he moved to brush a damp strand of her hair behind her ear, taking a moment to twirl it around his finger in the process, looking very much as though he were studying the color of it. And then his hand was back on her cheek, gently tracing over her lips with his thumb before he leaned in and kissed her.

She wound her arms around him, returning the kiss as deeply as it was given, but feeling an almost…desperation seeping off of him. She could sense that he…truly needed this moment, this intimate moment between them of her in his arms and returning his affections tenfold, "What was that for?" she murmured as he pulled away, resting his forehead to hers.

"Just…because I love you," he told her, opening his eyes to look into hers, smiling softly at her, "And because I'm so…thankful that I found you when I did, that I have you with me, and that…I can't imagine my life without you," he whispered, "If I'd never met you Angel…" he couldn't even finish. He knew why he'd had this nightmare, the cubes, the little boxes no one could break into, like little prisons, like smaller, darker Pandoricas.

"Well," she cut in, with a gentle smile, "It's a good thing you did," she reminded him, tapping his nose, making him laugh and smile in a way only she could, with the simplest of gestures and words, "I'm rather glad you found me too."

He nodded, "Most important day of my life."

She gave him an amused look, "I thought that was the day I said yes to Mate with you."

He laughed lightly, "That was the BEST day of my life," he tapped her nose in return, "The most important…was the day I found you. My Angel."

She smiled as he pulled her closer once more, "My Doctor," she countered as he began to sway her, the two of them just…dancing in the bathroom, to no music at all.

Though the Doctor couldn't see, as he held her, the small frown that was making its way onto Angel's face as her concern for him grew.

Chapter Text

"New York. The city of a million stories. Half of them are true. The other half just haven't happened yet. Statues, the man said. Living statues that moved in the dark…"

~8~

A rather plump, well-dressed, older man stood before his desk in his rather lavish home in New York City, eyeing a young man in a suit and trench coat, fashionable dress for the 1930s, but quite commonplace among private investigators, such as the one he had hired, "So, will you take the case, Mr. Garner?"

"Sure," the man, Garner, shrugged, a New York accent to his words, "Why not?"

"Because you don't believe me," he smirked.

"For twenty five dollars a day plus expenses, I'll believe any damn thing you like."

"But you don't believe that statues can move," the man countered, "And you're right, Mr. Garner. They can't. Of course they can't. When you're looking," he turned to look out the window of his home, at a statue of a woman and her child stationed just across the street, facing him.

Garner scoffed, "Good night, Mr. Grayle," he offered before turning to leave the house.

Grayle watched him go a moment before turning back to the window to see that the statue of the woman...had vanished.

~8~

"The address Grayle gave me was an apartment block near Battery Park. He said it was where the statues lived. I asked him why he didn't go look himself. He didn't answer. Grayle was the scariest guy I knew. If something scared HIM, I kinda wanted to shake its hand."

~8~

Garner stepped up to the Winter Quay apartments, staring at the building, at the statues all over it, two Weeping Angel statues on either side of the steps that led to the main double doors. He glanced around, observing the area...when he noticed a little girl in a window, covering her eyes then peeking out, before covering them again. His gaze moved to an old man staring him down from another window, before a creaking sounded.

He looked over to see the doors opening, seemingly on their own, and he headed inside, not noticing the Weeping Angels had moved their hands away to reveal their snarling faces.

"Hello?" he called, looking around at the empty foyer, "Hello?" for an apartment complex, it sure was empty. He turned to the lift as it came down all on its own, moving much like the doors had and opening. He stepped inside and looked up as it elevated, missing the Weeping Angel that had appeared in the foyer below him.

"What the…" he breathed as the lift stopped and opened. He stepped out onto a red-carpeted hallway, wandering till he spotted something odd on the nameplate for room 702, 'S. Garner' was inscribed there. He frowned, trying the door to find it unlocked and pushed it open.

"Hello?" he called, stepping in, "Anyone home?" he spotted his hat and coat, the same hat and coat he was currently wearing, hanging on the rack, along with his PI's ID card in the wallet on a small table by the door, looking older and faded, but the same as the one he carried with him.

His head snapped to the side, hearing a grunt from behind him in the darkness, "Hello?" he moved towards a back room, the bedroom, to see an old man lying in the bed, gasping, "Who are you?"

"They're coming for you," the old man rasped, "They're going to send you back."

He frowned, "Who's coming? Back where?"

"In time. Back in time. I'm you. I'm you!"

Garner's eyes widened, a flash of light from outside falling on the man, illuminating him, and it was true, it was himself, as an old man! He turned and fled the room, stopping only when he saw two of the angel statues outside the door, he ran to the stairs, but even more were there below him. So he ran up, right to the roof…only to hear a thump behind him that shook the building.

He spun around...seeing the Statue of Liberty snarling at him.

"You gotta be kiddin' me…" he breathed.

~8~

"Whoa, I'm an alien," were the lyrics to the Sting song softly playing over the speakers set up through Central Park, New York, "I'm a legal alien. I'm an Englishman in New York."

Near a duck pond in the middle of the park, a small group of tourists sat, having a picnic. The Doctor was sitting on a large rock, Ayla in his lap as he held a book before her, reading to her, his one arm wound around her middle, tickling her periodically as he read, doing voices to match all the characters in the book. His back was to Amy, the ginger behind him, resting her back to his own as she read a different book, round reading glasses on her nose. Rory and Angel sat a foot or so away, playing a game of chess, Angel swearing not to peek ahead at Rory's next move...which was honestly the only way to win against her. She really was rubbish at chess and if it wasn't for her little gift, she was sure she would have lost that game against Gantok earlier.

"'New York growled at my window, but I was ready for it," the Doctor read to Ayla softly, his chin on her shoulder, quietly reading in her ear, his voice high and squeaky as it was a female character talking, "My stocking seams were straight, my lipstick was combat ready, and I was packing cleavage that could...um... fell an ox at twenty feet," he stumbled on that last part.

Ayla giggled, "Daddy," scrunching her face at the imagery and sticking out her tongue.

The Doctor smiled at that, infinitely pleased she'd reacted that way. He loved his daughter more than anything, she and Angel were the most important women in his lives, and he didn't want his little girl to grow up too soon...despite being older than Amy was, older than Brian was even, she was still so like a little girl, he just...he'd missed so much of her life already. He'd missed her first words and steps and so many other things, he just...wanted to cherish the time he had with her as his little girl before she got too old to need her daft old dad.

'That will never happen my love,' Angel called to him in his mind, though she didn't look up from her chess game, 'A child, a daughter, will always need her daddy.'

He smiled at that, he liked that idea, of Ayla needing them always. She may grow older but she would always be their little girl, their child. Even Jenny needed them at times and she'd been born an adult near enough. He was happy Ayla wasn't old enough to want to dress up (he loved her little floral frock) or want to be left on her own to babysit herself in the TARDIS at times (he loved spending as much time with her as he could) or...like boys (he was fairly sure he'd have a conniption as the humans would say the day Ayla started to take an interest in them). But he shook his head, for the moment, his little girl was just that, a little girl, and this...was story time.

"Doctor, you're doing it again," Amy told him.

"I'm reading to my daughter!" he defended.

"Aloud. Please could you not?"

"Well how else would you like me to read to her then?" he countered.

"Telepathically," she shot back just as quickly.

He glanced back at her, "There's something different about you, isn't there?"

"What's the book?" Rory looked over, smiling as he moved his queen.

"Melody Malone," Angel answered, frowning at the chess board in concentration, clearly stumped by Rory's last move.

"She's a detective Uncle Rory, in Old New York," Ayla added, "Not New New York though."

"New New York?" Rory frowned.

Angel moved her bishop, "Don't ask, too long of a story to tell, too many visits there to name."

He nodded, before smirking and seeing something, moving his queen again, "Check mate!"

"Well done Rory," Angel smiled with a laugh, not at all cross about losing the match.

Rory grinned, that was what he loved about playing games with Angel, she was never a sore loser. The Doctor would pout and sulk and claim cheating (even when HE had been cheating himself) but Angel just congratulated him on a game well played. It made him feel...proud. She let him have his victory, small though it was (even though she always made a bigger deal of it than he did, praising him), and enjoy it. She never made him feel bad about besting her or made him feel like she'd only let him win. She genuinely was happy when he won, and would remind him that not all victories had to be epic ones, small ones counted for SO much.

"So Melody Malone?" Rory glanced at the Doctor.

"She's got ice in her heart and a kiss on her lips, and a vulnerable side she keeps well hidden," Amy answered instead.

"Oh, you've read it?" the Doctor looked back at her.

"You read it. Aloud!"

"I'm just reading it," he defended, "I like a good mystery, detective stories are rather good."

"Detectives are cool!" Ayla cheered, making the Doctor smile and wonder if she might choose the title 'the Detective' one day, before shaking his head, no...he could tell that didn't suit her.

"He's already read through all the Agatha Christies," Angel called, resetting the chess board for another match, "And met the woman."

"You've met Agatha Christie?" Rory looked at them, wide-eyed.

"Oh, can we go meet her?" Amy turned around.

"It's your hair!" the Doctor pointed at her, "Is it your hair?"

Angel smiled softly at that, knowing why he'd changed the topic, she had been ill and dying during that adventure. It was...the first real adventure they'd had after having time to process that fact. It was the first one they'd really had a danger to it, a mystery, and been one where it was all too obvious something was wrong with her. Agatha herself had pointed it out numerous times. No matter how interesting the adventures during that point had been, she knew the Doctor didn't like thinking on them because they reminded him of the time he'd nearly lost her.

Well, one of them.

But that had genuinely been the longest and most terrifying instance. All the other times it was sudden, or there was hope. The Valiant hadn't been so bad, as they hadn't been together as much, he hadn't had to watch her every single day get weaker and weaker. Not like when they'd been in the TARDIS for that year, with her just...fading away before his eyes, with no knowledge if there would be a regeneration after. That was an entire year he'd had to suffer with that, all the adventures, even the ones from before realizing she was ill, had taken a darker look in his mind, were less...amazing than they should have been.

"Oh, shut up," Amy rolled her eyes.

"She's wearing reading glasses, my love," Angel called.

The Doctor frowned at them, "I don't like them. They make your eyes look all liney."

"Daddy," Ayla laughed, hiding her giggles behind her mouth at how rude her father was.

"No, actually, sorry," he winced, realizing it wasn't the glasses, "They're fine. Carry on."

"Ok," Rory stood up, "I'm going to go and get us some more coffee. Who wants more coffee? Me too. I'll go!"

"Rory, do I have noticeable lines on my eyes now?" Amy called as Rory headed off, making him pause.

"Yes," the Doctor said promptly.

"No," Rory replied, his back still to his wife.

"You didn't look," Amy caught him out.

"I noticed them earlier," he winced, "Didn't notice them. I specifically remember not noticing them."

"You walk among fire pits, Centurion."

He smiled and turned around, "Do I have to come over there?"

"You can if you like," she smiled.

Rory smirked and walked over, "Well, we have company."

"I'll get a babysitter," she laughed, leaning in to kiss him.

Ayla giggled even more as the Doctor covered her eyes with a hand, the girl squirming and pulling his hands off, she knew her Uncle Rory loved his wife very much and there was nothing bad about seeing that play out. Her mother and father kissed all the time around her, it was...sweet. She hoped, one day when boys were less icky to her and smarter in general, she'd find someone like that. Her parents had found each other, despite the odds, for all they knew there might be other Time Lords out there.

Her mother had a way of reminding them to have faith in things like that.

"Oh, do you know," the Doctor called as they broke apart, "It is so humiliating when you do that."

"Pot, meet kettle," Amy rolled her eyes at him, which only made the Doctor stick his tongue out at her.

Rory laughed, straightening, "Coffee?"

"Coffee," Amy nodded.

"Can I go with Uncle Rory?" Ayla asked her parents.

Angel smiled, knowing Rory would take good care of her, "Go on."

"Keep an eye on your Uncle Rory for us sweetheart," the Doctor laughed as Ayla smiled and jumped to her feet, giving her parents a kiss on the cheek before rushing over to her Uncle who held out a hand for her to take, the two of them walking off.

"Can I have a go?" the Doctor turned to Amy, taking her reading glasses and putting them on, "Oh, actually, that is much better. That is exciting."

"Read to us," Amy said, before motioning for Angel to bring the chess set over, the two women starting a game in Rory's place.

"I thought you didn't like my reading aloud."

"Shut up, and read us a story," she smirked, "Just don't go yowzah."

The Doctor rolled his eyes, "Unless it's Angel, not happening."

Angel smiled softly at that, when the Doctor pulled out the last page of the book.

Amy frowned, "Why did you do that?"

"He doesn't like endings," Angel explained, moving her pawn, "As much as I don't like death."

He nodded, "I always rip out the last page of a book because then it doesn't have to end," he put the page in the picnic basket and began to read, "'As I crossed the street, I saw the thin guy and his daughter, but they didn't see me. I guess that's how it began.'"

~8~

Rory walked through the park with Ayla, one hand in hers, the coffees stacked in a four-part cup holder in his other hand, as the girl swung his arm with a wide smile as she munched on a small cookie he'd gotten her. He laughed as she excitedly chattered about the next trip her parents were thinking of taking them all on, before making him promise not to mention it as it was supposed to be a surprise.

Her chatter faded away though as they passed a fountain with small cherub statues carved into it, "What is it A?" he asked, using his own secret nickname for her, knowing that, at times when she was hesitant or worried it helped remind her he was there.

Ayla frowned, "I don't like those statues," she pointed at them with the last bit of her cookie.

He smiled, "Yeah, cherubs are rather creepy," he squeezed her hand, "But don't worry, Uncle Rory's here."

She smiled at that, squeezing his hand in return, knowing nothing serious would hurt her while her Uncle Rory was around, he was the last Centurion after all! And he'd taken very good care of her mother and father over the years, and her too. They turned and continued on, but she couldn't help but feel uneasy when she looked back to see one of the cherubs...was gone.

"We should hurry Uncle Rory," she murmured, starting to tug him on faster, there was only one species she knew of where the stone winged-creatures could move and move that fast.

They stepped down under a bridge, when they heard the sound of a child laughing, the giggling moving closer and closer as Rory looked around, tugging Ayla closer.

~8~

"'I followed the skinny guy and the kid for two more blocks before they turned and I could ask exactly what they were doing here," the Doctor read as Angel looked over the side of a bridge, Amy watching the ducks swim from one side to the other, "He looked a little scared, the girl confused, so I gave them my best smile and my bluest eyes…'"

"Beware the yowzah," Amy joked when the Doctor trailed off "Do not, at this point, yowz," but he still remained silent, too silent for the Doctor, "Doctor?" Amy turned to see him staring at the book, "What did the skinny guy say?"

Before he could answer, Angel gasped, a vision hitting her painfully…

...a cherub statue giggled in the dark, looking down at Rory and Ayla...

'...we just went to get coffees for the Doctor, Angel, and Amy. Hello, River...'

...a man stepped up, pointing a gun at Rory and Ayla...

"Angel," the Doctor jumped off the ledge of the bridge he'd been sitting on and ran to her side, "What is it? What's wrong?"

"'He said, 'We just went to get coffees for the Doctor, Angel, and Amy," she breathed, reciting what the book was about to say, "Hello, River,'" she looked up at him in alarm and spoke the words that made his hearts freeze in terror, "Ayla's with him."

~8~

"Hello, dad," River smirked, lifting her fedora-clad head, dressed for a 'gangster' woman of the times.

Rory swallowed hard and clutched Ayla even closer to him, the girl hugging his legs, she wasn't the most comfortable around River, for a number of reasons, and neither was he. Biological daughter or not, he still didn't consider her his child, "Where are we?" he demanded of her, "How the hell did we get here? River what did you do?!"

"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about," River shrugged, though her eyes narrowed at his accusation, as though SHE had had anything to do with this, "But you'll probably want to put your hands up," she added, her smirk back.

A man stepped up behind them, pointing a gun at Rory and Ayla, Rory immediately pushing the girl behind him to protect her, shielding her from the man as another stepped up behind River, holding a gun at her as well, the woman pursing her lips to see her own father defending the little brat...the little girl, instead of his own daughter. But she swallowed hard, reminding herself she was older, she was wiser, she was stronger...

A little girl did need to be protected more.

And the Doctor would truly hate her more than he already did if she let his daughter come to harm.

"Melody Malone?" the burly black man grumbled.

Rory looked back at her, "You're Melody?!"

A black limousine pulled up and the black man gestured to it, "Get in."

~8~

The Doctor, Angel, and Amy ran into the TARDIS, the Doctor helping Angel to the jump seat as she rubbed her head, that last vision had been...painful, a killer, far more painful than any she'd had in the past, which confused her as to why. She didn't know if it was because her daughter had apparently been teleported back decades in time and she was seeing THAT far back, or...if it was something else happening. She got the feeling it was both. She DID know though, that she wasn't strong enough to teleport back decades, having been practicing in her powers before the Asylum happened, managing only a few minutes at most, so they'd run for the TARDIS.

"What's River doing in a book?" Amy asked, "What're Rory and Ayla doing in a book?"

"They went to get coffee!" the Doctor snapped, his hearts pounding at the thought of being separated from their daughter again, at knowing she was being left at the mercy of River Song, psychotic assassin who had tried and succeeded in killing the girl's mother.

He wouldn't put it past River to have done something to get his daughter trapped back in time. He didn't know what, maybe she'd been aiming for kidnapping him or Angel and Rory had been in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong person but...he just wanted her back. He winced, his nightmares gripping hold of him a moment, flooding his mind with visions of his daughter growing up without him, of Ayla's expressionless face as she aimed a blaster at him, of his daughter being erased from time, all the instances where he could have lost her...and now she WAS lost again, with River!

"Pay attention Amelia!"

"They went to get coffee and turned up in a book. How does that work?"

"I don't know. We're in New York!"

Angel winced again as a flash hit her, an image of a cherub statue, "The Weeping Angels," she gasped, clutching at her head, her hands pressed to her temples.

~8~

"What is going on?" Rory asked as he held Ayla in his arms, the girl sitting on his lap in the limo, curled up to him as River sat beside them, the woman calmer than he was.

He honestly wasn't sure what was bothering him more...being trapped back in time somehow...or being trapped back in time with the woman who had killed his sister, his niece in his arms utterly terrified of the woman.

~8~

"Where did you get this book?" Amy asked, rubbing Angel's back, as the woman sat hunched over on the jump seat, the Doctor racing around the console to put in commands and coordinates.

"It was in my jacket," he called over the TARDIS's angry humming...which was NOT helping Angel's head any to hear her sister frantically demanding why they'd let the girl wander off when it was the most important rule!?

"How did it get there?"

"How does anything get there. I've given up asking."

"Not even I can answer that," Angel took a breath, before straightening.

"Date, date. Does she mention a date? When is this happening?"

"1938," Angel called, pushing herself up to go help him get their daughter back, "April 3rd."

~8~

"You didn't come here in the TARDIS," River remarked, "Obviously."

"Why?" Rory frowned.

"He couldn't have."

~8~

"Couldn't have?" the Doctor looked up, his fists clenching at the fact that his daughter was trapped somewhere with River Song, and said Song was making snide comments about his piloting, "What does she mean? Couldn't have?"

"Calm down Sissy!" Angel stroked the rotor as the TARDIS herself grumbled at the slight against her and her concern for her niece, "We'll get her back, I promise…"

~8~

"Daddy can do anything," Ayla insisted.

River scoffed, "This city's full of time distortions. It'd be impossible to land the TARDIS here. Like trying to land a plane in a blizzard. Even I couldn't do it," she let out a smirking laugh, "Angel certainly couldn't. Sorry sweetie," she glanced at Ayla, who frowned at her, "Mummy's not coming this time."

~8~

"Like hell I'm not!" Angel shouted, having ceased her ministrations in calming the TARDIS in favor of fuming with her sister.

"Don't you two fall out, she's only in a book!" Amy reminded them.

"And I'm only going to slap her after that remark!" Angel huffed, the Doctor...staring at her with wide eyes for that little loss of control and decorum. He knew Angel felt more confident when it came to River, but he had no idea she felt THAT confident.

He liked it.

"Angel..." he began.

"How dare she tell my daughter I wouldn't try my hardest to come after her!?" Angel continued to rant, half-stalking around the console, hitting buttons, pulling levers, twisting knobs as she went.

"Angel," the Doctor tried again, following her.

"She had no right to say such a thing," Angel kept on, "Ayla's already scared enough and..."

"Angel!" the Doctor finally managed to cut in, taking her hand as she moved to pull a lever, holding it tight.

Angel took a breath, "What?" she asked him softly, seeing amusement in his eyes.

"I really, really love this new you," he murmured, leaning in to kiss her, partly because he wanted to calm her down and keep her from accidently blowing up the TARDIS like he tended to do when he was cross and distracted...not that he thought she'd ever reach THAT point.

Mostly though it was because she was bloody captivating when she was angry. He'd never seen her really and properly angry before, not quite on the level of Time Lord Fury, but...motherhood truly did suit her. And he loved it, so much, seeing her getting worked up and feeling more than just peace and calm. He LOVED that about her, how she could calm him, but he knew she was only...well...Time Lord but the expression 'only human' was the point of it. She couldn't be calm all the time, and now...it seemed he'd found exactly what set her off.

Whether it was River or slights against her ability to be a proper mother he didn't know...but he was loving this.

He rested his forehead to hers as he pulled away, blinking his eyes open to look into hers, lifting a hand to touch her cheek, gently stroking it, "Feel better?"

"That may not always work," she murmured against his lips.

"I think I'll enjoy seeing how long it'll last though," he winked at her pulling away, "Just...keep calm dear," he grinned, kissing her hand, "Have faith," she smiled at that and he turned to the controls, "1938," he agreed, now feeling slightly less...frantic than before, the shock of having seen Angel 'lose her cool' had sort of calmed him, "Easy one!" he pulled a lever...and everything went to hell.

The TARDIS jolted violently, lights flashing, sparks flying from the console, equipment banging free, warnings flashing on the scanner. 'Temporal Distortions Detected,' flashed on the monitor before 'No Signal' appeared and the monitor went dark, the TARDIS thumping to a halt.

"What was that?" Amy gasped.

"1938," Angel frowned.

"We just bounced off it," the Doctor agreed, now concerned again.

~8~

"So how did you get here?" Rory changed the subject, his hand rubbing Ayla's back, trying to comfort her. Despite him being Uncle Rory, the little girl really did hate to be away from her parents when there was something dangerous going on. He knew she was likely thinking of the Silence and how they'd taken her from the Time Lords, he just wanted to be as much of a comfort to her as he could be.

"Vortex Manipulator," River held up her wrist, "Less bulky than a TARDIS."

Rory rolled his eyes at her tone, he recognized it, he'd used it himself on more than one occasion. It was the tone someone used when trying to convince others that what they thought was cool wasn't really as cool as they thought because of some shortcoming or another. He'd used it often enough on Amy when talking about the Doctor. Like when the Doctor had tried to steal clothes from the hospital, he'd tried to remark that it wasn't good or cool or right to do so, tried to make himself seem morally better, but all Amy had seen was a man she'd dreamed of undressing before her...till Angel had turned her away. He could hear it now, River's tone, trying to make it out like the TARDIS wasn't all that amazing and that a little space hopper was. He'd met Jack, he knew Vortex Manipulators bounced.

"A motorbike through traffic," River finished, "You?"

"I'm not sure," he sighed.

"It was the baby," Ayla tugged on his shirt, "The baby angel."

He frowned, "The cherub?"

Ayla nodded, "A Weeping Angel."

~8~

The Doctor and Angel stepped out of the TARDIS, both flashing extinguishers inside to put the fires out. Amy paused, noticing they were in a graveyard overlooking Manhattan.

"The Weeping Angels?" Amy frowned.

"It makes sense," the Doctor nodded.

"It makes what?"

"That's what happened to Rory, what took Ayla," Angel told her, "That's what the angels do Amy, remember? How they attack? They send you back in time and..." she swallowed hard, "Let you live to death."

"It's also why your vision hurt you, dear," the Doctor took Angel's head in his hands, gently massaging her temples as he looked into her eyes, searching them, "All those time distortions interfered with your sensations, like...like...like static. Only the really powerful ones made it through."

She nodded, "And too late. They're stuck in 1938."

"Well, we've got a time machine," Amy cut in, "We can just go and get them!"

"Well, tried that," the Doctor turned to her, "If you've noticed, and we are back where we started, in 2012."

Amy gestured at the graveyard, "We didn't start in a graveyard. What are we doing here?"

"Don't know."

"It's causally linked," Angel waved her off, rubbing her temples, she could tell that much at least.

"Doesn't matter," the Doctor nodded, turning back to the TARDIS, "Extractor fans on!" he called inside, turning the fans on.

"Well, we're going to get there somehow," Amy commented, flipping through the book, "We're in the rest of the book."

"Doing what?"

"Page 43, you're going to break something."

"I'm what?"

"'Why do you have to break mine', I asked the Doctor, 'Do you hate me that much?'" Amy read, "'Oh, I do hate you," he nodded, glaring, "And that's the difference between you and I. I don't like to hurt anyone, even those I hate.' My eyes narrowed at that. 'Amy read it in the book,' Angel cut in, 'And now we don't have a choice.'"

"Amy no!" Angel ran over and grabbed the book out of her hands, wincing as even more images assaulted her at touching the book that held the future within…

...the TARDIS shook terribly as it broke through time, sparks and flames shooting up from the console...

...the Doctor reached out as Rory and Amy fell towards the ground, having jumped from the top of a building...

...the ground shook as orbs of white energy began to appear, glowing brighter and brighter...

The Doctor quickly snatched the book out of Angel's hands and the visions faded. He wrapped his arms around her as she sunk to her knees, comforting her as the pain in her mind filtered through to him, "Shh," he whispered, leaning his head to hers, kissing her temple. He looked at Amy, "You can't read ahead. You mustn't. And you can't do that."

"But we've already been reading it," Amy argued.

"When it was parallel to us," Angel shook her head, moving back slightly to sit on her legs, but with a hand to her head, "That's all we can read."

"But it could help us find Rory!"

"And if you read ahead and find that Rory dies?" the Doctor said, tears filling his eyes as another thought hit him, "Or that your daughter does something to Ayla? What then?" he took a breath, he couldn't think like that, he had to be strong for Angel, he had to have faith that it would work, that they'd get there, that Rory would keep her safe and protected from his daughter till then.

'Have faith in Rory my love,' Angel called to him silently, sensing his thoughts, 'He'd sooner die than let anyone harm Ayla.'

He nodded, knowing it was true, "This isn't any old future, Amy, it's ours," he added.

"When we know something like that," Angel gestured at the book, "Is coming...it's fixed. It's why my abilities are so dangerous. They come when I least expect them, I never know what I'll be seeing. This book...it's not a hint at the future, it IS the future, it's permanent, it's fixed, it's solid. It's events that already happened, written by a time traveller."

"I'm going to break something, because you told me that I'm going to do it. No choice now."

"Time can be rewritten," Amy swallowed.

"Not once you've read it. Once we know what's coming, it's written in stone."

Angel nodded, her gaze trailing around the graveyard, till it fell on a tombstone she couldn't see the engraving of from that side. She shook her head, closing her eyes tightly.

She had said it.

Rory would rather die than let anything harm Ayla.

She could only pray it was just that, a random saying, and not a glimpse of the future that often sneaked past her.

Chapter Text

Ayla clutched her Uncle Rory's hand tightly as they followed River into Mr. Grayle's home, they looked around at the various antiques and other ancient items on display. Ayla started to shift uncomfortably beside Rory, making him look down to see the little girl frowning at the artifacts, "What's the matter A?" he whispered to her, he hadn't seen her very shifty like that, at least not when they were somewhere dark, he knew she hated the dark.

"He collects things," Ayla whispered to him, though River could still hear her.

"Yeah, I got that," Rory frowned, not sure what that meant.

"He collects alien things too," she informed him, her glance drifting to a small door frame that led into another room, them able to see a curtain draped closed from there.

Rory nodded, straightening, NOW understanding what she was frightened about. Ayla knew all about how her parents had met, about Van Statten's museum, Angel had told him all about it. For the man to collect so many ancient things, to clearly be a collector and yet want RIVER's help...it had to mean that River's expertise was needed...and he doubted it was for archaeology. Which left only one option and explanation, the man had something he couldn't explain. An alien thing, as Ayla had said.

And whatever it was he'd bet it was behind that curtain. Ayla was...so much like Angel in that, her senses were growing stronger everyday. Mostly they were random, sporadic, not very clear, like he imagined Angel's had been when she'd first begun to explore her abilities. But Ayla was a child, naturally more intuitive, and he knew Angel had been less willing to explore her own abilities when she was younger, something the Time Lords were trying to make up for with Ayla, something Ayla seemed very proud of whenever she got a proper feeling about things.

He gently tugged Ayla closer to him, his eyes on Grayle, now more wary of the man than before, "Don't worry A," he murmured to her, squeezing her hand. He wouldn't let Grayle 'collect her' like Van Statten had her mother. Over his (permanently) dead body.

River paused at a china vase, eyeing it, "Ah. Early Qin dynasty, I'd say."

"Correct," Grayle called, making his way down the steps, "Are you an archaeologist as well as a detective?"

~8~

"Ok," the Doctor nodded as he and Angel ran around the console, "Landing a plane in a timey wimey blizzard. We could push through…" he looked at Angel, deferring the decision to her, knowing she would know, better than him, what the TARDIS could handle and do, and this was FAR too important a matter to try and play up his own intelligence, he would NOT risk getting to his daughter for the sake of showing off.

Angel shook her head though, "If we're out by a single nanosecond, the engines'll phase and we'd end up destroying the planet with Ayla on it."

"Right," he sighed, rubbing his head, before snapping his fingers as an idea hit, "We need landing lights!"

"Landing lights?" Amy frowned.

"Yes, we need a signal to lock on to."

Angel nodded, her mind racing as she thought of what could work, and turned to Amy, "What dynasty was it? Early what?"

~8~

"Early Qin, just as you say," Grayle nodded, "You're very well informed."

River smirked, "And you're very afraid. I don't need to be psychic to know that," she nodded over her shoulder, "That's an awful lot of locks for one door," she glanced at his front door with at least 10 different locks on it.

"Um, I'm translating," Rory called, eyeing a vase as the Chinese symbols rearranged themselves.

"It's Aunt Idris," Ayla explained, moving over to the small table, pushing herself onto her tip toes to peer over it and stare at the symbols. It...didn't really matter to her, she could read the symbols easily, but she could see them shifting too, making sense to others as well, "She likes to help."

"This one," Grayle called, nodding at Rory, "Put him somewhere uncomfortable."

"With the babies, sir?" the burly black man stepped up.

"Yes," he smirked, "Why not? Give him to the babies."

"No!" Ayla shouted, "Uncle Rory!" and tried to rush to his side as the black man hauled him out, but another man grabbed her arm.

She struggled, trying to break free, not because she was scared and wanted her Uncle Rory, not because she didn't want to be left alone with the River Lady (whose hair still seemed like it was trying to eat her), not even because it was a strange collecting man...but because she knew the babies were the baby angels, the man was going to give her uncle to a Weeping Angel, and she had to help him! He was her Uncle Rory, he was in danger, and it was her job as a Time Lady to help...but she was just too small still, too little and too young, she wasn't strong enough to break out of the man's hold.

"It'll be ok!" Rory called back as he was led out of the room, "Ayla, it'll be alright!"

"And what about this one?" the man held her back, yanking her arm up to indicate Ayla.

Grayle eyed her a moment, "No, she can stay. She's rather a cute one," he nodded, she was just a child after all.

He wasn't THAT heartless.

~8~

The black man shoved Rory down the stairs to the basement, making him half-stumble, half-fall down them, "The lights are out. You'll last longer with these," he threw a box of matches down to him.

"What do you care?" Rory glared up at him.

The man smirked, "It's funnier."

And with that, the man shut the door, leaving Rory in the dark. He quickly fumbled for the matches, hearing a childish giggle, a very familiar giggle, the same one he'd heard just before he and Ayla appeared in the past.

"Hello?"

~8~

The Doctor and Angel rushed into a decorating workshop in China, in 221 BC, "Ah, hello, yes," the Doctor called, drawing the workers' attention, holding up the psychic paper, "Special commission from the Emperor."

"We need you to inscribe a message," Angel cut in, rushing over to a particular vase, the Doctor watching, knowing she might have guessed or felt that it was THAT vase that would end up with Grayle in the future.

He watched her take one of the brushes and paint something on the side of the vase...couldn't help but smile. This was her idea, to use the vases, to use the message and the TARDIS translating and get through to Ayla. They needed to know where that vase would end up, so they could target it and track it and know just where to land. She was...brilliant and she never gave herself enough credit about it. He would have tried to send some sort of message into the past, used the TARDIS to cross the phone lines or something, like when River had gotten a call from Winston Churchill, or when HE had gotten the psychic paper message about the Library instead of his older self. He would have used it to call around till he found Grayle and gone that way...but it would take too long to run that sort of search.

And Angel, if there was one thing she knew, it was TARDISes.

~8~

Grayle helped River take her mackintosh off as he led her and the girl into his study, Ayla moving over to a small armchair and sitting down, more like kneeling on it to look around the room over the back of it, just her eyes peeking up. River barely managed to contain an eye roll at that, trying to remind herself the girl wasn't a coward and weak like her mother, but...strong, like her father...until she remembered the Doctor often ran away and called himself a coward.

"Daddy, mummy," the girl breathed, seeing the Gallifreyan version of her name appear on a Chinese plate before her, no one else seeming to notice. She smiled and closed her eyes, thinking about her parents, knowing what that meant.

"Let's see," River walked around the room as Grayle watched her, "Crime boss with a collecting fetish," she spotted a curtain draped low, hiding an alcove, "Whatever you don't let anyone else see has got to be your favorite," she walked over to it, "Or possibly your girlfriend," and pulled the curtain down to reveal a Weeping Angel, manacles and chains around it, badly damaged, "So, girlfriend, then."

~8~

The Doctor knelt before Angel as she sat on the jump seat of the TARDIS, her eyes clenched closed tightly in concentration, holding her hands, "Come on dear," he breathed, encouraging her, his thumbs stroking circles on the back of her hands, trying to help her, the two of them focusing on their daughter, across time and space, now with the landing lights to guide the way and the TARDIS helping her psychically...they just needed confirmation.

A moment later her eyes snapped open, "Got it!" she leapt up and ran to the console, putting in the coordinates for the vase that they'd inscribed Ayla's name onto.

"Landing lights!" he cheered "We have a signal. Locking on."

~8~

Ayla closed her eyes a bit tighter, trying her hardest to sense things like her mummy could, to get a sense of how close they were. Because they knew she was there, there wouldn't be a reason to put her name on that vase if they didn't know. Now she just had to...wait...and hope her mother was driving this time.

"These things are all over," Grayle was saying to River, "But people don't seem to notice. It never moves while you're looking."

"Oh, I know how they work," River remarked, eyeing the statue.

"So I understand. Melody Malone, the detective who investigates angels."

"Badly damaged," she observed.

"I wanted to know if it could feel pain."

"You realize it's screaming? The others can hear. Is that why you need all the locks?"

Grayle just smirked and turned out the lights, flicking them back on to see that the angel had grabbed River's wrist, "You're going to tell me all about these creatures. And you're going to do it quickly," he turned the lights off again.

Ayla scrunched her eyes closed tighter, seeing it go darker behind her lids, she...really didn't like the dark. Too many things could hide in it. And her mummy and daddy weren't there to protect her this time...but they were on their way.

~8~

Rory lit a match, looking around every which way at the sound of the childish laughter, the sounds of small feet running on the floor, "Hello, is someone there?" he called. He frowned, seeing small cherub statues in front of him.

But the match burned out.

He lit another one to see they were closer, backing away from them, the statues getting closer each time the match flickered. It went out once more as he stumbled back.

"Come on, come on," he lit one more, only to gasp, seeing a cherub right beside him, its mouth puckered as though to blow the match out...which it did.

~8~

"The angels are predators," River struggled to get her wrist out of the angel's hold, "They're deadly. What do you want with them?"

"I'm a collector," he shrugged, flicking the lights back on, "What collector could resist these? I'm only human."

"That's exactly what they're thinking."

Grayle frowned when all the lights suddenly went out, "What's that? What's happening?" and the room began to shake, "Is it an earthquake?"

Ayla's eyes snapped open as a wheezing noise filled the air, papers starting to blow around them as a wind picked up, a beam appearing on her face as she sprang up onto her knees and looked over the chair at the hall, at the stirs where a faint light bulb was appearing in midair.

"What is it?" Grayle gasped, looking around, not seeing the blue box appearing behind him.

"Oh, you bad boy," River smirked, able to spot it, "You could burn New York."

"What does that mean?"

"It means mummy and daddy are coming!" Ayla cheered, hopping off the chair and running out of the room just as Grayle was knocked over by a quake, the china breaking around him.

~8~

"Come on!" the Doctor yelled, taking Angel's hand, the two of them running out of the TARDIS as soon as it touched down, throwing the doors open and stepping out just as something jumped into their arms.

"Mummy!" Ayla called, hugging them tightly, "Daddy!"

"Ayla!" the Doctor breathed a sigh of relief, before peppering her face with kisses till she squealed with laughter and covered her face.

"Daddy stop!" Ayla laughed.

"Oh my little girl," Angel hugged Ayla tightly, pressing a kiss to her hair, so, SO relieved she was alright.

"Rory?" Amy ran around them, placing a hand on Ayla's back for a moment before dashing up the stairs to try and find her husband, "Rory? Rory?"

"We're so sorry we're late, sweetheart," the Doctor apologized, holding Ayla close.

"It's alright daddy," she hugged him tighter, "I knew you were coming," she turned to her mother, hugging her tighter as well, "Mummy always comes."

"Yes she does," Angel kissed her head again...when something past Ayla caught her eye, "No matter what River," she added with a slight edge to her voice, catching sight of River staring at her through the doorway to a study with narrowed eyes. She stepped away from the Doctor, shifting Ayla into his arms completely as she headed to the study, the Doctor following her with Ayla in his arms, not about to let the girl go for a moment. She paused at Grayle's side for only a moment, kneeling down to look at him, unable to bring herself to just ignore the fallen man because of River, and...she found she felt only slightly less angry with River now that Ayla was back with them and safe again, "He's just in shock," she called to the Doctor, tilting her head, "But he'll be fine."

"Not if I can get loose," River grumbled.

The Doctor tightened his grip on Ayla but took a breath, trying his best to remember and only remember that River would die for them in the Library, really the only redeeming quality he could see in her right now given what she had tried to do the last time they'd really had an adventure together, "So where are we now, Dr. Song?" he asked, trying to be civil, but had to throw in, "How's prison?"

She smirked, "Oh, I was pardoned ages ago. Been out and about and free, wandering the Universe," she felt her smirk widen seeing his expression sour at the realization she was free to do what she wanted with no supervision and he hadn't known, "And it's Professor Song to you."

He nodded, feeling just a bit guilty at how his hearts skipped a happy beat to know she was one step closer to the Library even if she was free, "Pardoned?"

"Mmm," she glanced at Angel, "Turns out the person I killed never existed in the first place. Apparently, there's no record of her or her…" her jaw tensed, "Mate. It's almost as if someone's gone around deleting themselves from every database in the universe. Now no one's ever heard of you. Didn't you used to be somebody?"

"Weren't you the woman who killed the Angel?" the Doctor countered, his eyes narrowing as he started to rise to his full height, not about to let River even attempt putting Angel down ever again.

"She's holding you very tight," Angel frowned, cutting into their little spat, eyeing the angel statue.

She was still very cross with River at the moment, especially for what she'd said to Ayla. Honestly, who tells a little girl that her parents aren't coming to get her?! But right now...there was a bigger problem, that grip the angel had on her...it really was tight. There would be no way to free her without breaking her wrist, like in the book, and if that happened...then it meant everything else in the book would happen as well and...given they didn't know what it was, there was still a chance to change it. But only if they managed to get River out without breaking her wrist.

"At least she didn't send me back in time," River muttered.

Oh she knew why the Time Lords were there, to save Rory and their precious Ayla. If it had been HER to be sent back and only her…they wouldn't give a flying fig about it. They'd just leave her there. And while she knew that to be true, she didn't want to experience it actually happening. Especially because she knew Angel would at least make an attempt to get the Doctor to rescue her, she'd show her compassionate side and he'd cave and they'd come to get her. And then the Doctor would fawn all over Angel for her 'goodness' and fall more in love with her and it was all rather disgusting. If that were the case, she'd rather just be left there instead of seeing Angel try to rescue her.

"She's not strong enough anymore," Angel glanced at the statue, "She's been too cut off for too long."

"Well, I need a hand back," River rolled her eyes, "So which is it going to be?" she looked at the two of them, "Are you going to break my wrist or hers?" but the Doctor's face said it all, "Oh, no. Really? Why do you have to break mine? Do you hate me that much?"

"Oh, I do hate you," the Doctor nodded, glaring, "And that's the difference between you and I. I don't like to hurt anyone, even those I hate."

River's eyes narrowed at that.

"Amy read it in a book," Angel told her, "And now we have no choice."

The Doctor looked over his shoulder to where Amy had stepped up from the hallway, "You see?"

Amy nodded, giving River an apologetic look, she, at least, was on better terms with her daughter than Rory was or ever would be.

River, though, frowned, "What book?"

The Doctor sighed, holding it up for her to see, "Your book. Which you haven't written yet, so we can't read."

"I see," she eyed it, "I rather like the cover," she smirked, "What do you think Doctor? Did you enjoy it?"

"I enjoyed picturing Angel in this get up," he shot back at her, making River's lips purse at that.

"If River's going to write that book," Amy cut in, seeing the Doctor and River about to get loud and shouty and with Ayla in the Doctor's arms that wouldn't be good, "She'd make it useful, yeah?" Amy asked, hopeful, she already knew that Angel's sensations would be distorted being within the time distortions, she wouldn't be able to sense much while they were there.

Ayla reached out and took the book from her father, looking at the first few pages while her mother continued to observe the Weeping Angel.

"I'll certainly try. But we can't read ahead, it's too dangerous."

"I know, but there must be something we can look at."

"What?" the Doctor scoffed, "A page of handy hints, previews, spoiler free?"

"Daddy," Ayla held up the book, open to the table of content, "What about the chapter titles?"

He smiled widely, "Brilliant!" he kissed her head twice, "Oh, my little genius!" Ayla giggled as he set her down and took the book, quickly reading through the titles.

Chapter 9 - Calling the Time Lords
Chapter 10 - The Roman in the Cellar
Chapter 11 - Death at Winter Quay

"He's in the cellar," the Doctor called to Amy.

"Gimme!" she held up her hand and the Doctor tossed her the sonic.

He moved to follow, when he caught sight of something else in the book, the last title.

Chapter 12 - The Ponds' Last Farewell

He let out a breath, stunned.

River frowned, "Doctor? Doctor, what is it? What's wrong? Tell me. Doctor? Doctor, what is it, tell me…" she started to plead with him, recognizing that face, the face of him getting angry and upset...which was NEVER a good sign, "Doctor, please..."

"What is it my love?" Angel whispered, walking over to his side, River watching as it only took Angel a single question to have him handing her the book to see for herself, the man dropping his head onto her shoulder, shaking it, an...intimate gesture she knew he would never do with HER, "Oh…" Angel whispered.

"What is it mummy?" Ayla blinked up at them, "Daddy? What's wrong?"

The Doctor swallowed hard, "Nothing's wrong sweetheart," he told her, not wanting to have to tell her what they both thought that title might mean, that little girl's family was everything to her, "Everything WILL be fine," he promised that to himself, it would be, it had to be, he...couldn't do that to his daughter. No. He had to find someway to save Amy (and probably Rory too). He looked back at River, "Get your wrist out. You get your wrist out without breaking it."

"How?" River raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know. Just do it. Change the future!" he turned and walked off with Ayla, taking her hand, not about to leave her with River now that they were there, leaving River to eye the statue.

He had to get out of there, being around River...knowing that Ayla had been taken from them and River was somehow involved (even if it wasn't her personally taking Ayla away) it just kept bringing up his dreams. He couldn't help but think of Ayla in the spacesuit, taken instead of River. He was an inch away from blaming River for this, for telling her it was her fault Ayla had been taken from them and threatening that if the Silence were involved there would be worse than hell to pay. But this wasn't a nightmare, the Silence still had no idea they were alive, Ayla was safe, and it had been the angels not River who were responsible this time. The dreams were just...they were starting to get to him, they were starting to blur the lines of reality and dreams, he honestly didn't know which was real anymore, the dreams were so vivid and real it was like...they truly could both be reality.

River glanced over once he'd disappeared after Amy to see Angel though was still there, "What do you want?"

Angel was silent for a moment, before speaking, "Don't ever tell my daughter that the Doctor and I aren't coming for her again," she warned River, a firm tone to her voice even if it wasn't a threatening one, but she certainly meant no nonsense.

River's eyes narrowed, "Or you'll what?" she challenged, "Use the Vortex on me?" she scoffed, "You don't have the stomach to use it the way it's meant to be used."

Angel shook her head, a sliver of guilt hitting her at River's words, at how...Rory's daughter had been twisted into this woman who thought the power of the Vortex was meant to fight and battle and destroy others, "That's not what the Vortex is meant for," she countered, knowing where River's mind had gone, "And that is NEVER how I will use it."

"Have you gone to the Dalek Asylum yet?" River called out just as Angel turned to go, making the Time Lady stop and stiffen, River's smirk returning when he saw her reaction, knowing that yes...they had, "Tell me you'll never use it like that now."

"That was a mistake," Angel turned to look at her over her shoulder.

"That was YOU," River argued, "That was all you, completely you."

"I lost control, it won't happen again."

River let out a laugh, "That was you IN control," she tsked.

"That's not true," Angel shook her head, she had felt it, she hadn't had control at all.

"Denial will only get you so far Angie," River mocked, Angel frowning at her use of the nickname, at how River could take something Jack always said with affection and make it sound like a curse, "Just wait, there WILL come a day Angel, where you'll 'lose control,'" she rolled her eyes at the word, "And then everyone...your family, your friends, your daughter, the Doctor...will finally see you for what you really are."

"And what's that?" Angel challenged.

River smiled, "An abomination," she laughed, "Like me."

"I don't think you're an abomination River," Angel said sadly, more hurt about what River thought of herself than of the words directed at HER. She'd been called an abomination more than once, and by the leader of her own people to boot. The ONLY one it would hurt to hear it from would be the Doctor and he'd NEVER ever call her that, he wanted to murder those who did call her it, "I think you're just a scared child. And that it's my fault you're like that."

River frowned as she watched Angel, completely unaffected by her words unlike she'd been hoping, continue to walk out, leaving her to her thoughts, shaken though they were, and realizing...she might be losing her edge and bite when it came to Angel and...maybe that was a good thing.

She was just...tired.

~8~

"Rory?" Amy called as she tried to run down the stairs into the cellar.

"No!" the Doctor ran after her, grabbing her around the middle and pulling her back, stopping her, "They're angels," he nodded at the cherub statues in the basement.

"Baby angels," Ayla added from the top of the stairs, holding onto the doorknob to keep the door open, letting the light down the stairs.

"Did they get Rory?" Amy asked as they backed away, "Where is he? Did they take him?"

"Yes, I think so, yes," the Doctor pulled her back up the stairs.

~8~

Rory looked around as he stood in the middle of the road outside the Winter Quay apartment complex before heading into it.

~8~

"So, is this what's going to happen?" Amy paced as they gathered in the entrance hall of Grayle's home, "We just keep chasing him and they keep pulling him further back?"

"He isn't back in time," Angel told her, "I know that much."

"I'm reading a displacement," River called, stepping into the room with her scanner in one hand, her mackintosh back on, her right arm hanging at her side, "But there are no temporal markers. He's been moved in space, not in time, and it's not that far from here by the look of it."

"You got out," the Doctor turned to her, eyeing her closely.

"So, where is he?" Amy asked.

"Well, come on, come on, come on, where is he?"

River smirked and looked at Angel, "Can't you sense it?"

"River," the Doctor warned her.

River rolled her eyes, "If it was that easy, I'd get you to do it," she tapped the scanner.

"How did you free your wrist without breaking it?" Angel asked, eyeing her, something in her, not quite her sensations, but just her gut, telling her not everything was as it seemed.

"He asked, I did," River shrugged, glancing at the Time Lords and holding in a comment about how she'd do 'anything' the Doctor asked, it was like an automatic reaction, to say something to try and get to Angel, but...she could control it, "Problem?"

"You just changed the future," the Doctor told her, "I've only ever seen Angel do that," he smiled at the woman in question.

"It's called a Mating, dear," she smiled in return, she'd do anything for the Doctor, and she had.

All those people she'd saved over her life with him...had been for him, in a way. She'd saved the ones he couldn't, because she knew what that would do to him to lose so many people like that. All those people who had fought for him and because of him and to help him, who had been hurt...it would haunt him forever, she knew, to lose them. He'd blame himself and it would eat away at him. So...she did what she could. She changed their lives, gave them back their lives, in little ways. Dodge a bullet here, duck there, stop shorter, and everything was just fine.

"Hush," River cut in, "I'm working," before her scanner beeped, "Ah, wherever it is, it's within a few blocks. There's a car out front. Shall we steal it?"

The Doctor nodded and took Ayla's hand, rushing forward to get outside, when he bumped into River's arm, the woman hissing in pain and gripping her wrist. He stopped, turning to see that her wrist was broken.

Angel closed her eyes and shook her head.

The future had not been changed.

~8~

Rory stepped cautiously into the lift of Winter Quay, just a bit wary as the doors had all opened for him.

~8~

The Doctor flashed River's scanner with the sonic as they stood in the entrance hall once more. Amy was leaning on the wall beside the TARDIS, River sitting primly on the stairs, Ayla was sitting on the stairs as well, but with quite a bit of distance between her and River as Angel stood by the TARDIS, silently checking on the box.

"Ok," he nodded, tossing Amy the scanner, "When all those numbers on both units go to zero, that's when we've got a lock, ok? It's how we find Rory."

"Got it," Amy nodded, looking at the scanner.

"Why did you lie to us?" the Doctor asked River after a moment, making his way to the stairs to stare her down.

River took a breath, knowing he'd hate to hear it, but she was going to say it anyway, "When one's in love with an ageless god who insists on the face of a twelve year old, one does one's best to hide the damage."

The Doctor stiffened, uncomfortable with that, and looked at Angel, who seemed almost sympathetic to the woman, and he realized...she truly could empathize with River about that. There had been a point where she herself had loved him, and he hadn't seemed to return the sentiment, those years she had been with him, never letting on how badly she'd been hurting, keeping it from him because she knew it would hurt him to see her hurt and know he was the cause of it. Even now he didn't know the full extent of how much his loss of memory had killed her, especially when she had learned of her pregnancy, all for love of him, to bring him peace and not pain.

Angel stepped over and knelt beside River, reaching out as though to examine the woman's hand. And that was what it seemed like she was doing…until a golden glow began to shine from the wound.

"No," River tried to pull her hand away, not wanting Angel, of all people, to heal her.

She wanted to keep hating the woman, and it just...got harder and harder the more the girl forgave her and tried to help her. Every time she saw Angel, the woman did something monumental to help her or save her, over and over, all the time. From staying with her mother in a forest to protect her from Weeping Angels or teleporting her from an exploding TARDIS or taking her out for her birthday, and all these little things. She didn't raise her voice or shout or...anything really, well...there was one time Angel had threatened her, but...to be honest with herself for the first time in a long time...she'd deserved that one. She just...every time Angel didn't rise to the bait or helped her or saved her...it made it harder and harder to keep hating her. And she didn't want that, she didn't want to see Angel for 'who she truly was' because...she might not be able to hate that woman if that was really who Angel was and not some sort of ploy.

"No, stop it! Stop!"

But Angel continued, using the Vortex, to heal River, because she knew the Doctor wouldn't. She smiled softly, setting the woman's arm down, "Is that better?"

River just glared at her and got up, stomping out of the room, Amy rushing off after her 'daughter.'

Angel frowned and moved to sit on the steps, the Doctor immediately at her side, his arm around her, smiling at her for her effort, she truly was an angel wasn't she?

Angel sighed and watched River storm outside, "She'll never forgive me, will she?" she asked quietly, resting her head on the Doctor's shoulder. She knew River would one day apologize to her for the things she had done/would do, and she had forgiven the woman. But it didn't seem like the opposite would ever be true.

He frowned, "For what?"

She looked up at him, "For loving you, being with you."

He had to smile at that, dropping a kiss to her head, "That's not something you need to apologize for dear."

She gave a small smiled, "I know."

~8~

Outside Grayle's home, Amy caught up to River, "Ok, why did you storm out?"

River just turned to her, "I didn't want her to heal me!"

"Why not?" Amy shook her head, when River looked away and she realized, she wanted the DOCTOR to heal her. She swallowed, changing the subject, not even about to entertain that discussion, "Why did you lie?"

River looked back at her, "Never let him see the damage."

It hurt, badly, to know that she had mucked up her chances with him so much by what she'd done to Angel in the past, what she knew younger versions of her would do to her in the future. She wanted so badly to at least be a part of his life, but he wouldn't ever let her in, because of her past and the things she'd done. And that was just it wasn't it? He had done equally as terrible things, maybe worse, but...he kept trying to make up for it, to be a better man...whereas she just kept trying to get what she wanted and hurting others to do it. She hadn't learned, till it was too late. And she wasn't sure, but she felt it, her future was going to end sooner than she thought, and she would be left wondering what it was like to just have him in her life.

~8~

"Beep," Ayla called a moment before the scanner Amy had left by the wall beeped.

Angel smiled and let out a little laugh, her daughter, it seemed, having been transported via Weeping Angel, was a bit more in tune to the sensations around her than coming by TARDIS.

"That's my girl," the Doctor kissed Ayla's head before getting up to nab the scanner, "There you are," he grinned, seeing a blinking dot for Rory, "Come on," he called as Angel and Ayla ran after him out of the house, "Got it," he called to Amy and River, "He's at a place called Winter Quay. The car, yes? Let's go."

Angel hesitated as he dashed to the limo parked before the house and flashed the sonic across it, unlocking and starting it. She glanced at the door to the house and rushed over, closing it, snapping her fingers to lock the locks with the Vortex before rushing into the car, watching the mother and son statues as they drove off.

She glanced back to see they had disappeared, standing in front of Grayle's doors, unable to get in, and smiled.

No one deserved to die that way.

~8~

River frowned as they pulled up to the Winter Quay apartments, "Why would they send him here? Why not zap him back in time, like they normally do?"

"We'll know that when we know what this place is," the Doctor determined as they got out.

"Winter Quay," Amy read the sign at the top of it. They ran in and looked around at the empty foyer before the lift dinged and opened. They hurried in, taking the lift up to the 8th floor, "Rory?" Amy called as the doors opened.

"He's close," River said as she looked at the scanner.

"Uncle Rory!" Ayla ran out with Amy.

"Where is he Ayla?" Amy turned to Ayla.

Ayla frowned and spun around before running to apartment 802, the door open.

"Rory!" Amy gasped, seeing him standing inside and ran to him, hugging him.

"Amy," he pulled her in, sighing in relief.

"Brilliant work sweetheart," the Doctor cheered, scooping Ayla into his arms, " That's my special girl," he hugged her, so proud, as she giggled and smiled, pleased to have been able to help.

"Doctor, look at this," River called, spotting an angel at the end of the hall, grinning, "Why is it smiling?"

The Doctor tensed, noting the angel's pleased appearance.

"Because of that," Angel breathed, pointing to a nameplate reading 'R. William's on the door.

"Amy!" the Doctor's eyes widened as he ushered them all in, "Rory!" Angel shut the door behind them as the Doctor ran to the Ponds, "Get out of here! Don't look at anything. Don't touch…"

"Who's that?" Amy frowned, spotting an old man lying in the bed in the next room in the dark. He pointed at them, wheezing.

"Amy," he breathed, struggling to hold his arm up, "Amy, please. Amy, please. Please…"

Amy walked forwards slowly, stepping to the side of the bed where the light was stronger to see exactly who the man was, "Rory?" she gasped, taking his hand as he smiled, before looking at her husband, "He's you."

"Amy," Old Rory let out a happy breath as his head lulled, dying.

"Will someone please tell me what is going on?" Rory asked as Ayla hugged his legs, tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry Rory," Angel breathed, putting a hand on his shoulder, "But...you just died. Again," she really was doing a rubbish job at not letting that happen wasn't she?

"This place is policed by angels," the Doctor explained, "Every time you try to escape, you get zapped back in time."

"So this place belongs to the angels?" Amy shook her head, "They built it?"

"In order to move someone in time, takes energy, it creates energy," Angel turned to them, "It's like dinner to the angels."

"But normally, it's a one off, a hit and run," the Doctor nodded, "If they could keep hold of their victims, feed off their time energy over and over again. This place is a farm. A battery farm. How many angels in New York?"

"It's like they've taken over every statue in the city," River cut in, answering before Angel could.

"The angels take Manhattan because they can, because they've never had a food source like this one. The city that never sleeps…" he trailed off, hearing heavy, large, footsteps outside the window.

"What was that?" Rory asked as the Doctor stepped over to the window to look out, but unable to see anything.

"I don't know. But I think they're coming for you."

Chapter Text

"What does that mean?" Rory shook his head, staring at the Doctor, alarmed, not knowing what was coming for him exactly. He knew the angels seemed to be gunning for him, but what was the thing outside, and why did they want HIM so badly? "What is going to happen to me? What is physically going to happen?"

"The angels will come for you," the Doctor sighed, rubbing his head, "They'll zap you back in time to this very spot, thirty, forty years ago. And you'll live out the rest of your life in this room, until you die in that bed."

Was he a terrible person for being thankful Ayla hadn't been caught in that as well? Yes, his daughter had been sent back in time with Rory, but the 'baby angels' were the ones who sent him there, HE was the one with the name on the door. Ayla had been safe in Grayle's home, she hadn't been taken and trapped in the apartment complex like Rory had. And...being a Time Lady...it would be impossible for her to live out her life and die there, not that he even wanted to imagine that happening, he did NOT want his daughter to die ever. But being a Time Lady meant she couldn't be used by the angels either, so she was safe, they couldn't feed on her because she'd live on, there was no potential life to eat up if her life was still going.

"And will Amy be there?" Rory glanced at his wife.

Angel frowned, "No Rory, I'm sorry."

Amy turned to her, "How do you know? Do you feel that?"

"Because that man," she nodded at Old Rory, tears in her eyes to see his unmoving body.

She had...a hope that, in the future, she would be able to be there for all the family when their time came and they passed on peacefully, old and loved in their homes, surrounded by family. She had been with them through the most terrifying moments of their lives, she was not going to abandon them near the end either. She wanted to be there for them, to let them know they were not nor would they ever be forgotten by her. To hold their hand and offer them comfort was something she wished to do...but in the future, in the very far from now future, when they'd lived out full and happy lives, not like this, never like this. She didn't want Rory to have lived this particular life, trapped in the complex, alone, without Amy, and to die in front of her when, only moments ago he'd been a young man...it was wrong, it was SO wrong.

"He held on for that long just to see you Amy."

"Ok," Rory swallowed hard, not liking the quiver in Angel's voice, when her voice shook like that he knew something was very, very wrong, beyond perhaps even what she could do to fix it, "Well, they haven't taken me yet. What if I just run? What if I just get the hell out of here? Then that never happens."

"It's already happened," the Doctor shook his head, "Rory, you've just witnessed your own future."

"He's right my love," Angel looked at him, her eyes wide, recalling the bright orbs from her vision earlier, knowing something had to have happened for them to be there, she got the feeling it was a paradox at work. She remembered seeing the Ponds falling and...maybe Rory and Amy escaped. Maybe, if they were quick enough, they could get the Ponds out of there before that event happened and they wouldn't have to jump, they just...had to get out of the complex.

"No, he isn't."

Angel shook her head, "If Rory got out, it would create a paradox."

"What is that?" Amy glanced at the window, hearing the footsteps again.

"This is the angels' food source," River spoke, biting her tongue fat the fact she was agreeing with the woman, but...if it would save Rory, then...maybe he would be a bit...less distant with her.

She...had been trying the last few times she'd seen her parents, visiting them, to be more...of a daughter to them. Amy had accepted her well enough, still treated her with caution though, which she didn't blame her for. But her father...he was harder to get through to. He truly did care about Angel and Ayla, more than her probably. She...understood, in a way, women became mothers when they found out they had a child, men...didn't become fathers until they were holding their child in their arms...something her father hadn't been able to do. That connection she should have had with her parents, had she been born naturally, had been stripped away, hadn't even had the chance to form. She understood why her father was so short with her and distant and seemed to endure her presence more than enjoy it, she had shot and murdered his 'sister' in front of him, but...it actually...hurt a little to know, especially to know that she'd brought it on herself by choosing to act as she had in the past.

"The paradox poisons the well. It could kill them all. This whole place would literally unhappen."

"It would be almost impossible," the Doctor spoke.

Angel just smiled knowingly, "Almost."

"I love impossible things!" Ayla cheered too, getting excited at the thought that her Uncle Rory would be alright again.

The Doctor smiled at Ayla briefly before shaking his head, looking at the adults, "But to create a paradox like that takes almost unimaginable power. What have we got, eh? Tell me. Come on, what?"

"We have Amy," Angel said simply.

Amy nodded and stepped up, taking Rory's hand, "I won't let them take him. That's what we've got."

Ayla tugged on the Doctor's coat till he looked down, "Aunt Amy can be REALLY scary when she wants to be," she whispered to her father, knowing her auntie sometimes scared him and even Rory, never her mummy though, but that was because her mummy was the bravest woman ever.

"Don't I know it," the Doctor murmured, glancing at Amy as she smirked (he would have said) evilly at him.

Rory glanced at the window as the thudding got louder, "Whatever that thing is, it's getting closer."

"Rory," the Doctor stepped over, "Even if you got out, you'd have to keep running for the rest of your life. They would be chasing you forever."

"Well, then," Amy nodded, "Better get started," she ran to the door, throwing it open to see an angel standing there, she shoved Rory to the side but there was no room to squeeze past...the lights flickered within the room, forcing the Ponds back as the angels drew closer.

Angel looked around, trying to find a way out for the Ponds, knowing they needed to get past the angels, she, the Doctor, and River could distract them, keep them froze, but Amy and Rory HAD to get out first. She swallowed hard, thinking up a rather mad idea she wasn't even sure would work, before she ran to them, placing her hands on their shoulders and focusing. The Doctor watched as, a moment later, there was a flash of gold, as though Angel had teleported, but SHE was still there. He looked past her, seeing the same flash appear in the hall...the Ponds appearing there after disappearing from the room. His eyes widened, well that was new...Angel had never teleported someone else without going with them before...but then again it was just a few feet away...

He leapt forward though when he saw her stumble back, clearly that had taken a bit of doing on her part. He knew she always did that, put too much of the Vortex behind her when she tried something new, something she wasn't sure would work. He knew that if she disappeared then the angels would get closer, using her disappearance as a distraction for them inside the room...so she'd stayed, but sent the Ponds away.

"Run!" he shouted to them, helping Angel stagger back, his eyes on the angels, "GO!"

The Ponds hesitated, Rory looking at Angel, "Thank you," he whispered.

She nodded, "Go," she urged and they took off down the hall.

The Doctor swallowed hard, stepping back with Angel more, reaching back to take Ayla hand, pulling her closer, all of them with their eyes on the angels, "I'm not sure this can work," he admitted out loud.

"Daddy?" Ayla tugged on his arm.

"Yes, sweetheart?" he called, not looking down though.

"Be quiet," she told him, with the most adorable pout on her face that no one saw.

He smiled and nodded, focusing on the angels as the lights flickered again and the angels entered the room...

~8~

Amy and Rory ran to the stairs, looking down them to see the angels on their way up, "Up!" Amy shouted, pushing him up the stairs.

"What good's up?" Rory scoffed.

"Better than down!"

~8~

The Doctor soniced the lights to keep them on, Angel creating a small glowing ball of Vortex energy to help as the angels surrounded them.

"We can't keep doing this," the Doctor said, starting to grow a bit frantic at the enemy encroaching on him and his family, this was...not good, not good at all. They were essentially trapped in a very small room with no fire escape, the door blocked, the lights flickering, and River Song, with Weeping Angels getting nearer and nearer.

He didn't know how it could get any worse!

"Any ideas?" River snapped.

And it did, River had to speak didn't she?

"I have one," Angel nodded, thinking more about what she'd just done for the Ponds, how much energy it had taken.

"What?" the Doctor asked.

Angel just put her hand on the Doctor and River's shoulders, knowing that the Doctor had a firm grip on Ayla as well, and the four of them disappeared in a flash of golden light, appearing on the fire escape Angel had noticed outside the building, the one attached just outside the hall window.

"Brilliant!" the Doctor cheered, kissing her quickly for having managed to teleport all of them.

True it had only been about two rooms down and on the other side of a wall, but that was 4 of them she'd teleported. Oh his Mate was getting stronger every day and...it seemed, she was slowly starting to get back into using the Vortex again. The last few adventures had been calm, hadn't involved her losing control the way she had earlier. It really did seem like it was just that one time it had happened. They were both hoping it was just a reaction to Daleks and not something more serious, he'd managed to convince her to try and practice in the Vortex more and while it hadn't exactly happened, she was more ok with using the Vortex again.

"Go up!" Ayla called, starting to climb, knowing that's where her Uncle Rory had gone and...feeling like it was a BAD place for him to be.

~8~

Amy and Rory made it to the roof, staring in shock at the statue of Liberty, now a Weeping Angel statue, snarling at them just behind the building.

Rory let out a breath, "I always wanted to visit the Statue Of Liberty. I guess she got impatient," he looked around before noticing the ledge and running for it.

"What?" Amy asked, not turning her back to see what he was doing, not willing to risk it with the statue able to move, she wasn't going to let it grab him, "What is it, what?"

"Just keep your eyes on that," he looked over the ledge.

She glanced back, only for a moment, before snapping her head back"Is there a way down?"

"Er, no," he swallowed hard, "But there's a way out," he took a breath and climbed onto the ledge.

"What are you doing?" Amy called, feeling her heart freeze at his words, feeling her veins pumping ice water at how she couldn't look back, couldn't see what stupid thing her stupid husband was doing now, "Rory, what are you doing?" she couldn't take it any longer and turned around, ignoring the statue and running over to him at the sight of him standing on the ledge, staring at the statue, FAR too close to the edge of it for comfort, "Rory, stop it. You'll die!"

"Yeah," he nodded, his eyes on the statue, "Twice, in the same building on the same night. Who else could do that?"

"Just come down, please."

"This is the right thing to do. This will work. I've learned a lot from Angel you know, the Doctor's not the only clever Time Lord around," he reminded her, "If I die now, it's a paradox, right? The paradox kills the angels. Tell me I'm wrong. Go on, please...because I'm really scared," he admitted, he really and truly was. He...hadn't faced anything like this without...without Angel there to reassure him it would be alright, "Oh, great," he mock-scoffed at Amy's silence, "The one time you can't manage it. Amy, I'm going to need a little help here," he took her hand and put it on his chest, waiting for her to push him.

"Just stop it!" she cried, curling her fingers around the fabric of his shirt instead, holding him there.

"Just think it through. This will work, this will kill the angels."

"It'll kill you too!"

"Will it?" he honestly had to wonder that, "They said that this place would be erased from time, never existed. If this place never existed, what did I fall off?"

"You think you'll come back to life?" Amy stared at him.

"When don't I?" he laughed.

"Rory…"

"And anyway, what else is there? Dying of old age downstairs, never seeing you again? Amy, please," he looked at her, "If you love me, then trust me, and push."

"I can't," she sobbed, shaking her head, tears in her eyes blurring her vision...the Statue of Liberty appeared frozen despite them not having their eyes on it, one wrong move and the boy would jump.

"You have to!"

"Could you? If it was me, could you do it?"

"To save you, I'd do anything," he whispered to her.

Amy nodded to herself, making a decision and getting up on the ledge next to him, "Prove it."

"No," he shook his head, tears in his eyes, "I can't take you too."

"You said we'd come back to life. Money where your mouth is time."

"Amy, look…"

"Shut up," she cut in and he could hear her voice shaking, "Together, or not at all."

"What the hell are you doing!" the Doctor's voice shouted as he and the others reached the top of the roof.

"Uncle Rory!" Ayla cried as they ran over to them.

"Changing the future," Amy smiled at Rory, "It's called a marriage," before hugging him to her as they fell off the roof.

"Rory!" Angel ran to the ledge, the Doctor beside her reaching out towards the humans as they fell, "Amy!"

She'd been too late.

River gasped as orbs of white energy began to gather and flicker on the roof as the humans fell, "Doctor! What's happening?"

"The paradox," he breathed, his eyes wide, "It's working! The paradox is working!" he quickly grabbed Angel and Ayla's hands, holding them close, as the white light enveloped everything…

~8~

Amy and Rory gasped, sitting up, back in the graveyard in 2012.

"Where are we?" Rory looked around.

"Uncle Rory!" Ayla shouted, running over and launching herself at him, nearly tackling the man back to the ground as she hugged him, Rory laughing as he hugged her tightly back, looking up over her shoulder as her parents walked over.

"Right back at the beginning," Angel smiled, her hearts finally slowing down from the fright of seeing her companion, her brother, and his wife falling to the ground, "You did it. The timeline collapsed on itself."

The Doctor nodded, "We all pinged back where we belong."

"What, in a graveyard?" Rory asked as he got to his feet, Ayla in his arms, the little girl literally clinging to him with her arms and legs wrapped around him. He could have literally let go of her and she would still be where she was. He held out a hand though and helped Amy up too.

"This happened the last time," Amy commented, "Why always here?"

"Does it matter?" the Doctor laughed, "We got lucky. Which is to be expected with the most powerful good luck charm ever around," he winked at Angel as she playfully shook her head at him, "We could've blown New York off the planet."

"We won't be able to take the TARDIS there again though," Angel reminded them sadly, her head still a bit fuzzy from all those time distortions, "All those paradoxes made the timelines far too fragile."

"We could have lost you both," the Doctor pulled them into a hug, Angel as well, Ayla squirming her way to let go of Rory so she could hug all of them at once, she loved group hugs, "Don't ever do that again."

"What did we do?" Rory smiled, proud of himself for working out a way to stop the paradox and get them all out, "We fixed it. We solved the problem."

"I was talking to myself," the Doctor pulled away, taking Angel's hand as they headed back to the TARDIS, which had quite a bit of fire extinguisher damage to the outside.

Ayla jogged ahead of her parents, hugging the box before dashing inside to tell her Aunt Idris what had happened, making her parents laugh, the TARDIS already knew of course, she could see practically everything, but Ayla could be quite the chatterbox with the TARDIS and the old box loved hearing her niece's stories.

River stepped out from behind the box with a bucket of water and a rag, making them pause, "It could do with a repaint," she commented, eyeing the box.

"She's beautiful," Angel countered.

"Does the bulb on top need changing?"

The Doctor rolled her eyes, "We just changed it."

"So. Rory and Amy, then."

"Yes. We know, we know," the Doctor rubbed his head, feeling a migraine of his own coming on with River STILL there. He had hoped she might just be transported to wherever her Vortex Manipulator had first deposited her, but noooo...she had to be taken along with them for the ride.

"I'm just saying," River defended, "They're going to get terribly bored hanging round here all day."

"Doctor," Rory called as he and Amy walked over.

"Ha!" he turned and pointed at him as Angel began to wipe off the white damage with a rag.

"Look, next time, could we could just go to the pub?"

"I want go to the pub right now," he nodded, "Are there video games there? I love video games."

"Me too!" Ayla called from inside, "Can we go daddy!?"

"Yes we can sweetheart," he called back.

"Right," River nodded, "Family outing, then."

The Doctor tensed at that, but forced himself to remember that River was technically Amy and Rory's daughter, biologically speaking at least, and that if the parents were coming, the child would too...even if the child was an adult and a murderous assassin. He had to remind himself again that Ayla was likely older than River and would have had the same fate if she hadn't escaped the Silence when she had...which made him wince, recalling one of his nightmares. He sighed but Angel just took his hand and squeezed it, pulling him into the TARDIS, he knew why she was so eager to get inside the box. That little bit of home, that temporal energy of the TARDIS might set her head right, get rid of all those fuzzies still lingering in her noggin, help clear her mind to be back in a temporally stable place.

Rory paused as he followed Amy, spotting something written on a tombstone, "Amy, come and see this."

"What?" she turned, already at the doors to the TARDIS.

"There's a gravestone here for someone with the same name as me."

"What?" she frowned, when suddenly Rory blinked and...vanished, a Weeping Angel behind him, her arm outstretched, having touched him, "Doctor! Angel!"

The Time Lords ran out of the TARDIS with River, Angel gasping and pulling Ayla back towards her at the sight of the angel, not wanting her to get taken again.

"Where the hell did that come from?!" River gasped.

"It must have survived the paradox," Angel called, her eyes on it, "It'll be weak, but...dangerous, everyone keep your eyes on it."

"Where's Rory?" Amy asked her.

The Doctor held up a hand to the women, telling them to stay back as he carefully stepped closer to Amy, till he was before her and able to see the tombstone the angel was standing before, for Rory.

In Loving Memory
Rory Arthur Williams
Aged 82

"I'm sorry," he breathed, looking at Amy though he could hear Ayla gasp and see her out of the corner of his eye putting her hands to her mouth, her eyes wide with tears in them as Angel hugged her back to her, "Amelia, I'm so, so sorry."

"No," Amy shook her head, swallowing hard, "No, we...we can just go and get him, in the TARDIS. One more paradox…"

"Would rip New York apart."

"No, that's not true," Amy started to cry, "I don't believe you."

"Mother, it's true," River said quietly, tears actually coming to her eyes at this. Yes, her father, a man who hadn't exactly been close to her, had just been taken by an angel, but...he was still her father. Oh how far she'd come from how she'd first felt about them, that they were just the genetic source for her creation and unnecessary...now she...she thought more of them and felt more for them, even her father.

"Aunt Amy don't!" Ayla cried, tears streaming down her face as her Aunt Amy started to make her way to the angel. She was shaking in her mother's arms as she realized her Uncle Rory was...gone. Just like that, her most favorite, best uncle ever...was gone. That he was...dead...if the tombstone was to be believed. And he couldn't be! She hadn't...she hadn't gotten a chance to hug him, to say she loved him, to...to say goodbye...

"Amy, what are you doing?" the Doctor asked, halfway back to trying to get to his daughter, to comfort her as Angel knelt down to hug the girl from behind.

"That gravestone, Rory's, there's room for one more name, isn't there?" Amy asked.

"What are you talking about? Back away from the angel. Come back to the TARDIS. We'll figure something out."

But Amy just shook her head, getting closer to it still, "The angel, would it send me back to the same time? To him?"

"I don't know," the Doctor told her, desperate, not wanting to lose her, his companion, but not wanting his Mate to lose her 'sister-in-law' or his daughter her auntie either, "Nobody knows. Angel can't sense that with the lingering distortions!"

"But it's my best shot, yeah?"

"No!"

"Doctor, shut up," River snapped before turning to her mother, "Yes. Yes, it is."

"Amy…"

"Well, then...I just have to blink, right?" Amy let out a shuddering breath, now only two feet away from the angel.

"No!"

"It'll be fine. I know it will. I'll be with him, like I should be. Me and Rory together," she nodded, "Ayla?" she called, smiling sadly, knowing she couldn't turn back just yet, but needing to say goodbye, for her and Rory, knowing that this would hurt the little girl terribly but...she just couldn't leave Rory alone, she couldn't, not for anything, not even for that sweet little girl, "I'm going to miss you, so much."

"I'll miss you too Aunt Amy," Ayla sobbed quietly in Angel's arms, bringing tears to her mother's eyes at hearing her little girl's hearts breaking all over again, "Give…give Uncle Rory a hug, for me, ok?"

"No problem," Amy nodded, her own heart breaking for the little girl, forcing her to experience this, with Rory it had been a shock, but now...Ayla knew where her aunt was going, what would happen if she chose to do this. She took a breath, steeling herself, she had to be strong, she had to give her husband the biggest hug in the world, but to do that...she had to get to him, "Melody?"

"Stop it," the Doctor cried, shaking his head, seeing Ayla turning to Angel and clutching her tightly as she cried, not wanting to watch her Aunt Amy disappear too, "Just...just stop it!"

River stepped over and took Amy's hand, kissing it, "You look after them," she told her daughter, a firm note in her voice, "You be a good girl," she ordered lightly, "And you look after them all."

River closed her eyes and nodded, knowing what her mother was asking. Her dying wish essentially, that she give up her mad hope that the Doctor would be hers and just…be good, be a good person. To him, to Ayla, especially to Angel. Just...be someone her father would be proud to call his daughter.

"Of course," she whispered, promising her that.

She was...so old now. She had spent so much of her life so focused on the Doctor and claiming him and battling with Angel over him that...she'd missed a lot. Her entire life had been consumed with him, being with him, finding him through time and space, learning about him. She'd even managed to teach herself how to read and write in Gallifreyan from fragments found all over the Universe, that's how desperate she was to prove she was clever enough for him, more clever than Angel. Everything she'd done in her life had been for him...so much of her anger and her bitterness because of Angel. So much so that...she'd lost herself, she'd lost who she was in basing her life so much around theirs, she hadn't lived it for herself.

She was just...tired. Of hoping for something that wouldn't happen with the Doctor, she'd seen it, more so the last few years, how happy he was with Angel, how proud he was of Ayla, how content he was with his life. She DID see it but she denied it over and over, looked for any detail that might hint he wasn't as happy as he appeared. And there was never any. She was tired of working to hate a woman that hadn't truly ever done anything to her but try to be a good person. It was becoming a job more than something she actually felt. If she didn't hate Angel...then who was she? So much of who she was, or had been, was based on her dislike of the Time Lady, what would she be if she didn't have that hate anymore?

Well, she supposed she'd find out. She...did still hate Angel, but it had...faded, over time. She hated that Angel got the Doctor, got the Vortex, got the attention and affection and love of the most wonderful man ever. But...at some point, she'd realized that, in hating her and acting as she did, all it did was push the Doctor away. And...if she absolutely couldn't have him in her life as a 'Mate' then...she just didn't know. She didn't wan to picture her life without him there in some context at least. She knew she would always hate Angel, deep down, but...she was just tired of trying to actively express it.

Anger...took a lot of work.

"Amy," Angel called, standing up, squeezing Ayla's hand, "You need to know...you'll be creating fixed time...that's not something we'll ever be able to break through. We...won't be able to see you ever again."

"I'll be fine," she nodded, "I'll be with him. And you'll be fine, you have each other. Please, just..." she sniffled, "Remember that. And...goodbye Angel."

"Goodbye Amy," Angel let out a breath.

"Amy, please," the Doctor begged, he just...he couldn't do it, not like this. He...he hadn't lost a companion to death in...centuries, he...never wanted to go back to that, to losing them like that, and it was happening all over again, "Just come back into the TARDIS. Come along, Pond, please."

"Raggedy Man," Amy sobbed, before spinning around, "Goodbye!" she called out, a moment before the angel touched her, sending her back in time as well.

The Doctor looked at the tombstone now with a new line...

And His Loving Wife
Amelia Williams
Aged 87

"No!" he fell to his knees, Ayla running over to her father, hugging him tightly as he rocked her back and forth, knowing she was suffering as well, having lost not just her Uncle Rory but her now Aunt Amy as well. He tried to be strong, but he could feel tears in his eyes as well as he hugged her, "I'm sorry," he whispered, feeling Ayla shaking in his arms, "I'm so sorry sweetheart."

"They're gone," Ayla cried, unable to say anything else...it just...hurt too much. Her family was supposed to be there forever, all of them, all her uncles and aunties and now...two were gone.

"Angel," the Doctor gasped, watching as his Mate took a step towards the Weeping Angel, its arm still outstretched from where it had just taken Amy, "What are you doing?"

"I have to stop it," she whispered, her gaze fixed on it, keeping it in place, "I can't let it infect the city, not again, they are not getting Rory again," she stepped right up to the angel, reaching out her own hand towards it, "You will leave my companion alone!" she warned it, feeling the power gather and surge within her, before touching her finger to the statue's.

There was a blinding golden light, the Doctor forcing his eyes to remain open even as River and Ayla shielded theirs, watching in amazement and utter shock as the Weeping Angel literally disintegrated into ashes before his very eyes. The power of the Vortex had tapped into the lingering effects of the paradox, contradicted it, countered and cancelled the one that the angels had created, and used its energy to turn it to ash.

"Angel!" he shouted as she swayed and collapsed to the ground, him scrambling over to her with Ayla.

"Mummy!" the girl cried, terrified she would lose her mother as well.

River knelt at Angel's side, and held out a scanner, "She's fine," she told them as the Doctor cradled the woman in his arms. She swallowed hard, "She's just exhausted herself…too much power in one go."

The Doctor nodded, scooping Angel into his arms and carrying her into the TARDIS, Ayla rushing ahead to hold the doors open for him. He glanced at River, telling her to stay there in the console room, silently telling the TARDIS to keep an eye on the woman, as he carried Angel through the halls, to their room. Ayla pushed the door open and followed her father to the bed where he gently laid her mother down.

"Will mummy be ok daddy?" she asked, frowning, worried.

He tried to smile reassuringly at her, even though he honestly wasn't sure himself, kissing her head, "Yes, of course, this is mummy eh? Mummy's the strongest woman ever."

Ayla smiled, "She's very strong."

He nodded, scooping her up and placing her on the edge of the bed, "I'm going to drop River off, will you watch mummy for me?"

She nodded and turned to do just that, watch her mother.

He smiled softly at that before quietly leaving the room, shutting the door behind him before leaning against it, rubbing his head, before wiping below his eyes. This was far too close, far too much like his nightmares for his hearts to slow down. Seeing her fall from using the Vortex…it scared him. He knew there were times the Vortex got the best of her, times where she had no control and it did worry him. But...it was the times when she was in control and knowingly used too much of the Vortex...those times scared him so much more. Because he never knew if it was lingering feelings from her last body, one he knew she had actively considered suicide in, or just her trying to help and overestimating the power needed.

And...it was...alarming yet, very...her, for her to have done what she had to the statue. In the Asylum she had lost control, destroyed the Daleks, and just now...she'd been IN control and destroyed the Weeping Angel. She hadn't...ever really done that. Destroyed something and been aware she was doing it. He knew it should have worried him, to see her use the Vortex like that but...she'd done it to protect Rory and Amy. That angel...all it would take was one Weeping Angel to start to infect New York again, to make them stronger to go back in time and hunt down Rory once more. And she was stopping that, she was protecting not just him but everyone else in New York from it ever happening again. It wasn't Angel turning into a vengeful god, but just...being a guardian angel, like she always was, watching over the people she loved.

He took a breath, shaking his head, unwilling to think any more on the subject before heading to the console room to see River already at work setting coordinates to take somewhere else.

"River," he began, despite his dislike for the woman, he could see she truly was upset at what had happened to Amy and Rory, he winced, her parents, "They were your parents. I'm sorry, I didn't think…"

"It doesn't matter," she cut in, shaking her head.

"Of course it matters," he frowned, he could...see it, a change in her, a change in her tone. She'd implied much the same in Berlin, that Amy and Rory truly didn't matter to her, at all, but...he could see it now, that they...DID matter to her, quite a lot.

"What matters is this," she turned to him, "Doctor, don't travel alone. You…" she swallowed, "Angel, and Ayla, you need someone with you."

He nodded, before something slipped out of him before he could stop or think about what he was saying, "Travel with us, then."

The TARDIS's lights turned red and the old box began to hum angrily at that, making him wince, rather glad that Angel and Ayla weren't there to translate what he was sure were death threats against him.

River glanced at the rotor though, "Oh hush," she rolled her eyes at the box, "All of space and time and you can't see my answer?" a moment later the lights turned normal and the humming quieted slightly. She sighed, turning back at the Doctor with a frown. She knew what he was doing, letting his guilt get the best of him. On any other day he'd NEVER make her that offer, he just...felt terrible for the loss of her parents and thought it would make up for that. She shook her head, "I can't," she said quietly, looking down.

She may have agreed to be good for her mother, but to see them every day, to see him and Angel and Ayla being a happy little family…it would kill her. It would put thoughts in her head that would make it hard to keep her promise to her mother. She cleared her throat and looked up, "This book I've got to write. Melody Malone. I presume I send it to Amy to get it published?"

"Yes," he nodded, "Yes."

She nodded, pulling a lever, landing, "I'll tell her to write an afterword. For you. Maybe you'll listen to her," she turned and headed to the door, stepping out and leaving him alone.

A moment later, his eyes widened, "The last page!" he quickly got to work setting the TARDIS on another trip.

~8~

The Doctor ran through the TARDIS, having gone to modern day Central Park to get the last page out of the picnic basket, the last page that was currently clutched tightly in his hand. He slowed though, nearing his bedroom and quietly opened the door. He smiled at Ayla as she looked over from where she was still watching over her mother before walking in. He knelt at the bedside and brushed a piece of hair from Angel's face, gently waking her.

She blinked and spotted the paper, smiling and nodded.

He put Amy's glasses on and read the Afterword aloud to them, "'Afterword, by Amelia Williams. Hello, old friends. And here we are, you and me, on the last page. By the time you read these words, Rory and I will be long gone. So know that we lived well, and were very happy. And above all else, know that we will love you three, always. Sometimes I do worry about you, though, Doctor. I think once we're gone, you won't be coming back here for a while, and you might be alone, which you should never be. Don't be alone, Doctor. Angel will need a companion again. And Ayla's family deserves to grow even more. And do one more thing for me. There's a little girl waiting in a garden. She's going to wait a long while, so she's going to need a lot of hope. Go to her. Tell her a story. Tell her that, if she's patient, the days are coming that she'll never forget. Tell her she'll go to sea and fight pirates. She'll fall in love with a man who'll wait 2,000 years to keep her safe. Tell her she'll give hope to the greatest painter who ever lived and save a whale in outer space. Tell her this is the story of Amelia Pond. And this how it ends.'"

Angel smiled, reaching out to cup his face, brushing a tear from his cheek, "Go," she whispered, "Find Amelia, and tell her."

He nodded, kissing her palm and standing, Ayla reaching out to take her mother's hand as she fell back asleep, too weak to go with him, and...knowing this was something he had to do for himself. She wasn't happy with what happened, she was deeply hurt by the loss of Rory, but...she was content in knowing that he would survive and thrive in 1938.

Her companion was strong.

And she had helped him become so.

~8~

The Doctor sat in the lounge of the Pond house, Brian across from him, the man hunched over, his hand pressed to his mouth as he learned about what had happened to his son, to his daughter-in-law, all because of this alien sitting before him. He closed his eyes, feeling angry tears building behind them, he'd promised they'd be ok! He'd promised to bring them back! He'd failed, and now…now he'd never see his child again. It wasn't fair. It wasn't…

"Daddy?" Ayla called, opening the door to the TARDIS and peeking out at them.

"What is it sweetheart?" the Doctor turned, his voice quiet.

"Mummy's awake," she told him, "She said I should bring you and granddad to the TARDIS. She wants to show you something."

And with that, she stepped back into the box.

The Doctor sighed and looked at Brian, "We should…" he nodded at the box.

Brian just sighed and got up, not wanting to enter the box that had stolen his son from him, but needing to know what Angel had to say. He and Rory had talked quite a bit about the woman once he'd learned she was an alien and a psychic, how she'd always offered Rory reassurances and strength and hope, perhaps…she could give him some as well.

"Brian," Angel walked over to him as he stepped up to the console, hugging him tightly, "I'm so sorry," she told him, "But…I think I can help just a bit."

"How?" he shook his head, the Doctor had said that it was impossible for them to go back and bring Rory or Amy to the present.

She just took his arm, leading him over to the monitor. She stepped beside it as the Doctor came over with Ayla in his arms. She put her hand to the side of it and closed her eyes, her hand starting to glow gold as the screen flickered on, a golden hue around the edge of it, and then…images began to flicker across the screen, scenes playing out before their eyes that reminded the Doctor of Apalapuchia.

Of Amy and Rory.

They watched as the lives of the Ponds played out, a combination of Angel's abilities and the TARDIS helping her show them what was of the Ponds. They watched as key moments popped up, blending into one another. They'd married again, bought a house, Rory even took up gardening, Amy…pregnant. They smiled as they watched the family grow, four children in all, grandchildren, great grandchildren even. They watched them grow older, grow more loved, grow closer, lead successful lives as an author and a doctor, and just...living. Living a happy life, full of so much love…

Angel blinked as the last image, the two Ponds surrounded by their family shortly before Rory would pass faded out. She smiled at the Doctor, "I told you it would be alright," she told him, "Look how they lived…happily…" she swayed again, stumbling as he caught her.

He sighed, but smiled, leave it to her to tax herself with using the Vortex again after having used too much of it earlier, just to give them comfort.

"Thank you," Brian said softly, reaching out to take Angel's hand.

"You're welcome," she breathed, leaning on the Doctor, resting her forehead to his shoulder, weary and spent, as Ayla walked over and hugged her granddad, knowing he needed one terribly, knowing she needed one too...it wasn't a Rory hug, but it was close.

As Brian held her, he started to cry, sad he'd lost his son, but happy he'd been happy in the end.

Chapter Text

Angel was silent as she watched the Doctor examining the distress beacon that Amy and the others had built on top of the great pyramid, Area 52 as it was now called by the United States. She just…watched, seeing the smile on his face, seeing how impressed he looked with the beacon, the beacon that River had created. She felt her hearts breaking at the sight, at his grin, at the…sparkle she saw in his eyes as he looked at River. He was impressed with her, more so than he normally was, he was proud, or he seemed proud for only a moment before he realized what the beacon actually was and what the message that was being sent out said.

She…didn't know what to do.

She was just so tired, of everything, of River and travelling and danger and…fighting for a man who clearly didn't want her. She had gone to see Jack after the Pandorica incident, her nightmares of all her family forgetting her having been confirmed by them was just too much for her and she just…wanted to be with them for a while. Apparently her time with them, while only a few days for her, ended up being months, nearly a year for the Doctor in his time travel machine. She'd been walking through Cardiff with an ice cream one day, barely a week after the Doctor had dropped her off, to see him pop up before her, taking her hand and pulling her to the TARDIS as he frantically explained that apparently Amy and Rory had experienced their honeymoon, their wedding night, aboard the TARDIS, in-flight, through the Vortex and now Melody Pond, none other than River Song, was part Time Lady…and he was so happy about it that it just tore her hearts out.

He'd only come to get her because he thought her abilities would help lead him to the woman…apparently she'd been kidnapped a second time. Amy had been taken and replaced with a clone until she could give birth. She'd had Melody, and the Doctor had launched an attack to get her back with her baby, but the baby had been taken anyway. She wasn't sure what hurt more, to find out he hadn't even considered coming to her for help in rescuing Amy, or that he hadn't even thought to have her help him find River till Rory had remarked he'd wished she was there at Demons Run to warn them…and THAT was what set the Doctor off.

She'd been with him for a short time, only till after Berlin where they'd met the youngest River they'd met yet. She hadn't been able to do it, to stay there, because not only had she learned from Rory that River had kissed the Doctor after some adventure in America…which she tried to ignore because she hadn't been there and she hadn't seen it and it shouldn't kill her as much as it did but it really did kill her…but…the Doctor had been poisoned, River had poisoned him…and then she'd kissed him, giving up her regenerations to bring him back.

She couldn't stay after that, the Doctor hadn't even tried to push the woman away like he had with Amy…he'd just…let it happen. She'd asked to go back to Jack after that. Not just because of the kiss, but because she knew River would be a part of his life even more after that and she just…didn't want to deal with the woman and the stress she'd put on her. She didn't want to be there in the TARDIS either with Rory or Amy, it hurt her too much because she feared she'd look at them one day and just see River's Parents instead of her companion and his wife. She'd also had a wakeup call about Berlin, it could have easily been HER that River targeted, but she'd gone to poison the Doctor instead. That could have been her, that could have been her lying on the ground, poisoned, while pregnant, her baby could have been lost and she was NOT going to risk that. So she'd gone back to Jack.

It wasn't till time had fallen apart and she'd used Torchwood's resources to make her way to Area 52 that she worked out what had happened. And now there they were, standing on top of the great pyramid, after the Doctor had flirted with River below and now seemed so impressed with what she could do with physics and creating things, two things he loved.

She was just…tired. In all that time, she'd held on to hop that the Doctor would remember her, that he'd come back for her. That he'd wake up one day and realize she wasn't there and come rushing to Torchwood to whisk her away…and it never happened. The only time he'd whisked her off was to track down his beloved River. And now…his life was on the line and he was still flirting with River and arguing with her and didn't even realize SHE was right there, that she was pregnant with his child, granted she hadn't had all that long on Earth to grow much since the last time he'd seen her.

She was tired of the running and the stress and the pain and just…everything.

She was too tired to think and…if the Doctor kept on the path he was headed, a path that led to River, she…wouldn't be able to stay with him ever again, not just him but the TARDIS as well. She was dealing with far too much stress as it was. Amy had even started to resent her a bit, the ginger understood that Angel hadn't been present at Demons Run, but she was of the impression that Angel should have sensed it and warned them, that she should have been there for Demons Run and helped. When she had shown up with the Doctor after the Ponds called him back to Earth via crop circles, Amy had set in on her when there was no baby present. She had questioned why she hadn't shown up to the final battle, disregarding no one had told her to nor would she have a means to get there. Amy had just said she should have found Melody by then then, since she was a psychic, she should be able to find her daughter…but she'd reminded Amy her powers didn't work like that, at times it was difficult. Which had led Amy to scoff and wonder if she was really a psychic…which had made Rory put his foot down and chastise Amy for blaming Angel for something she didn't even know was happening, that they couldn't expect her to see everything and he couldn't expect her to focus with all the stress Amy was putting on her.

Rory had taken her back into the TARDIS to check on her own baby, not wanting her to lose that like he had lost his own, the only one there who was aware she existed. It was a girl, the baby, little girl still growing within her stomach and the Doctor, the oblivious fool that he was, still hadn't noticed . True, her stomach was not very much bigger than what it was when she left the TARDIS, she was a small girl and the baby was equally as small, it was easy to hide with her dress and a jacket and strategically placed objects at times. The Doctor barely even looked at her stomach anyway, he was always too excited by everything else going on around him that he hardly ever noticed her…but he did notice River.

She stood to the side, watching as the two spoke to each other, the Doctor trying to get River to give up and take his hand and reestablish the chain of events, while River argued that she was trying to save him. Both of them seemed to have forgotten she was even standing there. She looked over when Rory and Amy ran up, shouting about how they had barricaded the doors. She watched as the Doctor told River he was embarrassed by her and River countered with her own proclamations of love…

And then the worst thing she could ever have imagined…happened.

The Doctor took off his bowtie and instructed River to wind it around her hand as he was doing himself. Her hearts froze, recognizing what he was doing, the ceremony he wanted to give a shortened version of. She knew the ceremony, a marriage ceremony on Gallifrey. The Doctor clearly didn't think River was Time Lady enough to be a 'Mate' and it would take far too long to be able to claim her as one, hence the hurried and rushed 'wedding' he was about to perform. Her hearts were pounding in her chest, she felt like she couldn't breathe as she watched the man she loved about to marry someone else…and she couldn't even bring herself to get her voice to work, too stunned by what was happening.

The Doctor looked over at the Ponds, turning his attention to Amy, "Amy, repeat after me, I consent and gladly give."

"I consent and gladly give," she repeated, "Why?" she asked after she had said it, trusting him up to that point still even after the hotel, but he didn't answer.

Instead he turned to Rory, "Captain Williams, I need you to say it as well, father of the bride."

Rory shook his head, blinking rapidly, his mouth opening and closing though no words came out. The bride? He wasn't sure what was going on, who was getting married? Well, it appeared River was, to the Doctor, but something inside him kept telling him that that no, no the Doctor couldn't marry River, he couldn't, he just couldn't. He started to stutter, trying to get something out, " don't…I don't…I I can't."

The Doctor looked at him, "Now is not the time for big ceremonies and proclamations," he told Rory, "You need to say it."

"No Doctor you don't understand," Rory looked at him, "I…I can't say it. I'm trying but I just, I can't bring myself to say it."

He really didn't know why he couldn't…but then, as he thought on it, he found his gaze turning to Angel, seeing the girl standing off to the side, her eyes closed, so pale, shaking her head, as though she were trying to ward away a nightmare. He could see it in her expression, how…how heartsbroken she was, how shattered, and something inside of him churned at the sight. And he knew…SHE was the reason he couldn't do it, he didn't know exactly why, but he knew that for her to be so…upset and clearly NOT crying happy tears…this whole situation had to be wrong, it had to be stopped.

"Angel?" Rory asked.

The Doctor frowned and spun around to look at Angel as well, his frown deepening as he saw her expression and how she was shaking, "Angel what is it?" he asked.

He didn't understand why she was reacting in such a way. It was a simple marriage ceremony, it wasn't like he was condemning himself to…oh, well, actually he was from her point of view condemning himself to die by doing this. But there was nothing he could do to reassure her that what he was planning was not what they all thought it was. And he felt alarmed to see her seeming so upset, he felt…a need to stop the tears, but…he didn't know why she was crying in the first place.

"Angel it'll be alright," he tried to reassure her, "Please trust me. Everything will be fine."

But Angel just looked at him, tears in her eyes and his hearts broke for some reason, seeing it, seeing the pain radiating in them, the loss, the devastation, and…it seemed like…she had lost the will to fight, like she just…she was giving up. She shook her head and looked past him to River, the woman smirking victoriously at her, and she just shook her head, moving her gaze to Rory.

"Go ahead Rory," she said, her voice barely a whisper on the wind though everyone stiffened, hearing the absolute heartbreak in her voice. She turned her gaze back to River, looking utterly…defeated, "I give up," she murmured, "You win River. You win. Just…" she couldn't even bring herself to speak as she turned away, "Just do it," she whispered, closing her eyes, "Just do it."

The Doctor looked at Angel, not understanding why she seemed so upset by this. She should be…well…normally it would be a happy occasion, to have a marriage or something to that effect. True this was being done under quite a bit of duress and stress and threatening danger but it should still be a happy occasion. He felt happy about it.

He gave Angel one more concerned glance before he turned to Rory, "Rory if you will?"

Rory looked at Angel once more, but she was looking away. He sighed, "I consent and gladly give," he repeated, his voice flat.

Amy looked at him, quite a bit confused as to why he sounded so even though he had only just found out River was their daughter and she was apparently getting married. Shouldn't that be something to be happy about?

The Doctor turned to River, nodding, "Now River, I'm about to whisper something in your ear, and you have to remember it very, very carefully, and tell no one what I said," he looked at her meaningfully before leaning in to whisper something in her ear, pulling away as River stared at him, stunned, "I just told you my name."

Angel glanced over for only that, she knew there was NO way he'd told River his name. Not even he, with all the laws he'd broken and traditions he'd warped and customs he'd ignored over the years would EVER tell someone who was not his clear-cut Mate his name. She knew what he'd whispered to River, that he'd revealed he was actually the Teselecta to her, but still…why did it have to be THIS way that he'd done it? There were so many other ways this could have played out, so many other options to get to his end goal…why marriage? Unless…

She closed her eyes, feeling her throat closing on her at the emotions hitting her.

"Now, there you go, River Song," the Doctor smiled at her, "Melody Pond. You're the woman who married me. And wife, I have a request. This world is dying and…"

Rory looked over at Angel, ignoring what the Doctor was saying as he spoke to River, when he saw Angel let out a shuddering breath and a quiet sob, seeming to be the only one who could hear her actually starting to cry at this. And it wasn't a good cry, he could see the emotion on her face, the expressions filtering across her…she was absolutely devastated, completely shattered and destroyed by what was happening before her. They were NOT happy tears at all.

He quickly but quietly made his way over to her, focusing on her instead of his apparent daughter getting married behind him, "Angel what's wrong?" he whispered to her but she could only shake her head, barely able to breathe.

She winced when she heard the Doctor mentioning a kiss and watched as he leaned in, getting closer and closer to River, about ready to kiss her…

She felt her world falling apart around her. She should have done something. She should have stopped him when she had the chance. She'd had so many chances to tell him he was her Mate, to remind him, to do something to bring his memories back…but she wasn't all that clever and she had no idea how she could accomplish that. She wasn't brave enough to face him and have him deny her, deny the truth she spoke, even if he knew that she didn't lie, to have him deny her even for a moment would've killed her more than what she was witnessing at this very moment. Because this…this was something she couldn't stop.

There were so many options he could've taken to make the situation go the way he wanted, to get himself close enough to River, to get her to touch him and have the time continue. This…THIS was something he was choosing to do. With all his last knowledge this was the only conclusion he was coming to. What else could be determined but that this was something he wanted to happen? That he wanted to marry River Song. Marriage was NOT something to be taken lightly, it wasn't something he would do just to try and gain River's helping hand, it was something he'd do because he meant it…he…he really did want to marry her.

She blinked, barely able to see through her tear-blurred vision as she watched the Doctor grow closer and closer to River, the man seeming to frown a little bit the closer he got. But she shook her head and looked away, despite having just witnessed him marrying the woman she did NOT want to see this happening, see this kiss that would seal the ceremony, see the last lingering remnants of the love they had shared completely crumble before her eyes as he took another woman to be his wife. She had never wanted to be his wife, she wanted to be his Mate, but to see him choosing another woman to replace her…hurt her deeply. And she just…she couldn't take it anymore. She rested her hands on her stomach and turned away, leaning into Rory's arms as he held her as she cried.

The Doctor frowned as he got closer to River, not understanding why he was starting to feel so…hesitant to do this, why he was pulling away at the last moment. He should want to kiss River, she was his wife now, he had just married her! So…what was wrong with him? Why was he hesitating, why wasn't he kissing her already, why did he feel like pulling away and getting as far from her as possible?

He shook his head minutely and closed his eyes, screwing up his courage, brushing it off as just 'premarital jitters' or something what with the Silence approaching and him having this one chance to save the people he cared about you. He leaned in and pressed his lips to River's, their lips just barely touching before he gasped, his eyes widening as a flood of images flew through mind…

~oOo~

"We promised to take care of each other, I will never leave you," he reached forward and gently pulled her into his arms, carefully leaning down and kissing her...

"Of course, yes!" he quickly reached out and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply, savoring the experience, committing evert facet of it to his considerable memory, every emotion, every thought (few though they were), every sensation...

"The moment I saw you, I knew you were special. I knew you were for me, my own personal angel," and with that, he kissed her gently, deeply, reveling in this moment he could share with his wife...

"YOU are my Mate. My ONLY Mate. EVER. I don't want another one. I won't, no matter what. Because I LOVE you and only you, forever," he leaned forward and kissed her deeply, pouring all his feelings and promises into it...

The energy flowed to his face and down the length of his body. He held out both his hands looking at them before squeezing her hand one final time and leaning in to kiss her quickly...

~oOo~

The Doctor yanked himself away from River, his hearts clenching in pain as memory after memory assailed him from the few memories that had only just started to hit him, growing more powerful and profound as they race through his mind. He remembered…he remembered everything! He remembered Angel, kissing her and telling her he loved her and asking her to be his Mate and…

"What have you done?!" he glared at River.

River just smirked, "It wasn't just me, husband," she added the last word with a hiss.

And his hearts stopped.

He'd just kissed another woman in front of Angel…this was not like it was with Cassandra, this is something he'd chosen to do and…worse yet…he'd just…married her. He spun around with a gasp, to see Angel crumble to the ground in Rory's arms, sobbing her hearts out for what had just happened in front of her.

"Angel…" he reached out for her, but River grabbed his hand…

And time resumed…

~8~

The Doctor ran into the TARDIS, parked right behind him within the Teselecta's head, leaving the control of the robot to the crew he'd borrowed it from, before he raced in, his mind whirling with the rampant thoughts, the pain in his hearts threatening to crush him as he saw Angel wasn't there. He ran to the console, trying to bring up a scan to find her…but the controls sparked. No, not just sparked, flames shot up to prevent him from touching anything. The lights turned red as the box began to hum angrily at him.

He shook his head, "I'm sorry," he whispered to the old girl before he dashed out of the room, into the halls, trying to find Angel, NEEDING to find her…

He ran down a hall, heading for her room, wincing as he thought of that, HER room…she hadn't been sharing his room the last few years and that…he felt ill. Because that room had been THEIR room, she had essentially been 'kicked out' of their room and forced back into her old one and…god he just needed to find her!

He finally reached her door, the TARDIS thankfully not making him lost, and ran in, not bothering to knock, shoving the door open with such force that it swung back and hit the wall. Though it didn't startle the woman within as she stood staring out a false window, the landscape beyond a memory of Gallifrey.

"Ang…" he began, running into the room.

"Go away," Angel called, making him stop in his tracks, staring at her turned back as though he couldn't believe what she'd said, how she'd said it…so…hollowly, so…empty.

"Angel…"

"I said go away Doctor," she repeated.

He winced, knowing she should have called him Theta, she always called him Theta when they were alone, she loved calling him by his true name as often as she could. This was wrong, this was SO wrong, and this was all his fault, "I'm sorry…"

"You don't need to apologize to me," Angel murmured, still not turning around, giving him no indication that an advancement towards her would be welcome.

He let out a breath, starting to smile, hoping that meant that she was forgiving him…when she continued.

"You should apologize to your wife though," she added, a…bitter note in her voice, "You ran off in the middle of your wedding."

He swallowed hard, feeling tears pricking his eyes at that, "Angel I didn't…"

"Stop," she cut in again, "Just…stop," she pleaded, shaking her head, "I just…don't care."

"What?" he breathed, feeling his hearts shatter at that, that was…so unlike Angel, she cared about everything, about him most of all, more than herself and…she just…

What had he done?!

"I don't care anymore," she repeated, before she turned around and he could see the tears in her eyes, the weariness on her face, the hopelessness in her expression she had…given up, just…given up. She shook her head, "And I can't do this anymore."

He watched as she stepped away from the window and moved to her bed where a small bag was resting, already packed, her bag, her things…he looked around the room to see all her belongings were missing.

"Angel please," he moved in front of her, blocking her way, reaching for her, "Don't…"

"Don't touch me!" she snapped, backing away from him, making him feel as though he'd been punched in the gut, the air leaving him at her snap, Angel didn't snap like that, "You CAN'T touch me anymore."

"But you're my Mate!" he argued.

"And your WIFE will have your head," she shot back at him, her tears turning angry now.

He let out a breath, realizing just how far he'd pushed her, "Mates are more important."

"Really?" she scoffed, "I seem to recall someone saying that things forgotten can't be important if they are so easily erased from one's mind."

He winced, knowing that HE had basically said that, after the Dream Lord, he'd mentioned all those memories that were fuzzy, that he'd forgotten about, that couldn't be so important if he could forget them, "I didn't mean…"

"You did," she didn't let him finish, "Those memories, were of ME. They were of our time, our Mating, our love…and by your own words they aren't important," she shrugged, "So that must mean your wife is more important to you than your Mate," she let out a bitter laugh, "And who am I to stand in the way of your happiness? I'm no one important."

"Don't say that!" he nearly shouted, jumping to the side to block her as she tried to leave again, "You are my entire Universe! Nella please…"

"Don't call me that," she blinked, looking down, "Don't you DARE use my name."

He swallowed hard at her demand, the names were…sacred, the most powerful secret a Mated pair could share and she was…essentially denying their bond…which was only fitting, he'd denied it so often before.

She sniffled, pulling his attention back to her, "Why don't you just tell your wife your name as well," she whispered, her voice breaking, driving a nail further into his hearts, "We both know you will one day, might as well get it over with."

"Angel…" he shook his head, he…didn't know what to say. He truly, for the first time in his long lives, had no idea what he could say to make this better. That he was sorry?

For what? There were too many things to name. Too many things he'd done to her that would take too long for him to list and make up for.

"The worst part," she continued to look down, "Is that I actually hoped…I hoped that, maybe, you really did love me enough to fall in love with me again even after you'd forgotten me," she looked at him now, the heartsbreak in her eyes killing him, "But you never really did love me in the first place did you?"

"Of course I did!" he insisted, wanting to reach out and shake her, show her, prove it to her, but he held back, she didn't want him to touch her.

"And yet you married River Song," Angel shook her head, "The anti-me, isn't she? Dangerous and clever and beautiful and daring and…dark. And THAT's who you truly are, aren't you Doctor? You did it, you managed to fool even psychic ME into thinking you were a good man, but you're not," she felt a tear fall from her eye as she realized that, "You're not. And you never will be. I was an anchor, I was a…restraint. I was holding you back, I get that now. You needed River to unlock your potential. To be who you truly are. The Oncoming Storm."

He blinked, feeling tears falling from his own eyes at her words, not only was she putting herself down…but she was…she honestly believed…the one person in all of space and time who truly had believed he was capable of being a good man…didn't anymore.

She'd lost her faith in him.

And that…hurt second only to the fact that she seemed to have lost her love for him as well.

"I…" he couldn't speak, what could be said to that.

"I actually thought you loved me," Angel continued, letting out a scoffing laugh, as though someone who had found out that something they had believed in with all their heart was a sham, "I thought I could trust you."

"You can!" he swore.

"I DID," she reminded him, "I trusted you…more than I ever trusted anyone. More than Jack, more than Mickey, more than Rory…more than I trusted my own family," he watched, feeling his hearts breaking all over as she grew more upset and angry, "I trusted you! I trusted that you would be the one person in all the Universe who wouldn't HURT me! I trusted you with everything, with things I'd NEVER told anyone before and…" she shook her head, "And…and…you threw it all away for River Song! Do you know how it feels to know you can't even tell your Mate who you are to them because you KNOW they won't believe you!?" she was…beyond angry now, she had FELT it, she'd sensed it, the moment she brought up who she was to him, he'd deny it, he'd stutter and deny it and he wouldn't believe her, "I trusted you…and you betrayed me."

He swallowed hard, "Angel…I'm…I'm so sorry," his own voice cracked at that, at hearing how completely he'd destroyed the only good thing in his life.

"I am too," she took a breath, as though steeling herself, "I'm going back to Jack, to my family…DON'T come after me, Doctor," she warned him, "Don't come see me. Don't contact me. Don't…do anything. Just…don't," she shook her head, placing a hand on her stomach, drawing his attention to the…the bump of it, his eyes widening before they shot back up to her own eyes, "I don't want her to become YOU."

He staggered back at that, feeling himself grow light-headed, feeling the breath leave him. Angel…she was pregnant, his MATE was pregnant, with a little girl…and…and…he sunk down the wall to the ground, staring at her, openly crying now as he watched her walk to the door of the bedroom, the light in his darkness about to go out and leave him in the bitter black.

And he'd brought it upon himself.

"Please…" he begged, "Please don't leave me…"

Angel paused in the doorway, he could see tears in her eyes though he knew the emotion behind them was just…gone, they were tears for her own pain and not for his, "If you want company," she glanced at him, "You know where to find your wife."

And with that, she walked out the door…slamming it behind her…

~8~

The Doctor shot up in bed with a bang, hearing something slam…well, not slam exactly, more like gently close. Angel…the real Angel…didn't slam things. He looked over at the door to the bathroom, before falling back down onto the bed for a moment, putting a hand over his face and dragging it down till it rested on his mouth. He closed his eyes, feeling tears behind them as he remembered that dream. He…hadn't been expecting it.

He'd come to expect nightmares now, as though they were something normal he was meant to endure, as though…as though there weren't any dreams any longer just…nightmares. But he hadn't expected that one, to dream of what might have happened if he'd not remembered Angel till the very end…

He shook his head and stood, getting out of bed to walk to the false window the TARDIS had left in the room, a window that actually showed him what was outside. He looked out at the white landscape, the smoking ground and the frosty scenery that lay beyond. They were on a cloud, high above Victorian London, in the winter. He let out a breath, closing his eyes as he rested his head against the cool glass, feeling like he was both overheated and far too chilled.

That dream…he'd expected a nightmare about the Weeping Angels or something, about the Byzantium, given they'd just dealt with the statues once more. But…he supposed he could see the reasoning behind this dream, River. River was a nightmare in and of herself, and to see her, to encounter her and then lose the Ponds, his mind had gone to the last time he'd 'lost the Ponds' and River had been there. He let out a shuddering breath, reaching up with his other hand to rub his eyes, bags were starting to form beneath them from lack of sleep.

He opened them however and turned his head when he felt arms wrap around him from behind, a chin rest on his shoulder as he saw Angel appear in his peripheral vision, "Are you alright my love?" she asked him, tilting her head to look up at him.

He smiled at the concern in her voice, the love in her eyes, hearing her call him 'her love,' reminding him the dream was just a nightmare, that she DID still love him, that she was his Mate and always would be. That he had NOT married River but revealed his quite-opposite feelings to the woman. He leaned over and rested his forehead to hers, "I'm fine," he smiled at her, "Now."

She gave him a small smile in return, she was…trying so hard to be supportive, to be there for him, to let him know he could talk to her about his nightmares. But…trying also not to push him, she knew how he could get. If he was pushed too much he shut down and didn't talk. So, instead, she tried to get his mind off it, glancing out the window at the light snow that was falling, "It's nearly Christmas," she murmured.

He nodded, looking out the window as well though he tilted his head to the side, resting his temple to hers, "Yes."

She nudged his head with her own, "What do you want for Christmas, my love?"

"Nothing," he said, "Absolutely nothing."

She frowned, "Why not?"

He just looked at her, turning in her arms to wrap his own around her, "Because," he reached up to gently stroke her cheek, "I already have everything I could ever want," he told her, leaning in to kiss her deeply before he pulled her closer, just…holding her, hugging her tightly, his chin on her shoulder as he closed his eyes.

She and Ayla (and the TARDIS) were all he needed, all he wanted, he just…as long as he had them…he would be happy, he would be fine, he…he'd be a good man.

As long as he had them.

He swallowed hard, closing his eyes, swearing to himself he would never ever put them in harm or give them a reason to leave, not like in the dream, he would be a better man than he was, he would protect them, keep them safe, be…the best Mate and father he could be. And, maybe, just maybe, if he did that…

They'd stay.

Chapter Text

"In London in the time of Queen Victoria, there were many tales of a remarkable personage known as The Great Detective. I refer, of course, to Madame Vastra , the lizard woman of Pater Noster Road, and her extraordinary adventures. Her beautiful assistant, Jenny Flint, and the mysterious henchman, Strax, whose countenance was too abominable to be photographed. There were also accounts...of a fourth member of the Pater Noster gang. A shadowy figure whose assistance was only sought in the direst emergencies."

~8~

Snow was lightly falling over the streets of Victorian London, people ambling past as they prepared for Christmas. All of them happy and laughing, unaware of the dangers that had been stopped on the ground by a rag-tag bunch of detectives or even of those who watched over them from above, hidden among the clouds. No, this was of no concern to them as they went about their business, readying things for the holidays.

A human inspector, however, was one of the few who was aware of a great danger that had been thwarted by the efforts of a rather...unique woman. He stood in a home, staring out the window at the people passing for only a moment before a reflection caught his eye and he turned, spotting a rather disfigured, dark-skinned man with no visible neck, dressed in a butler's uniform, leading a handcuffed man out of the house.

"Prepare for obliteration, Earthling scum!" Strax declared, the very same no-necked individual the man had been watching.

"Actually, Mr. Strax," the man, an Inspector for Scotland Yard, cut in, "If you could just...take him aside for a moment, I have some officers on the way."

"As you wish. Humans," he muttered the last word, leading the man out, muttering under his breath about how they were too soft and 'even worse than the glowy girl,' whoever that was.

"Sorry," a lovely young woman with dark hair stepped over, dressed in black, "He's new."

"Funny looking fellow," the man remarked to one Miss Jenny Flint, "Turkish, is he?"

"He is a genetically modified clone warrior from outer space," a green woman stepped over, her face scaly and visible for him to see, "Saved by one of our good friends," she added, "As such he feels a sense of debt and is hoping to 'restore his honor' by helping the species she would wish protected."

"Ah," the man nodded, not understanding a word of that but going along with it, "Makes sense. Well, what a case," he grinned, "Identical twins, poison undetectable to science, an ancient Egyptian curse. Once more Scotland Yard is in your debt, Madame Vastra," he gave her a polite bow, "Where would we be without you?"

She smiled, before making quite the sassy remark for the period, "Quite some distance from a clue, one imagines."

"You might be right," he nodded.

"I am quite certain I am," Vastra countered, "A child could have solved this case, and indeed, she rather did," she smiled, thinking of Ayla.

The girl had been visiting them when the case had come up and she'd had to be returned to her parents. Before she'd left, having heard the vague details of it from the flustered and stuttering officer the Inspector had sent to brief them on the case, the girl had hugged her and said 'watch out for his Ganger and don't drink the funny water.' Truly she had had no idea what the girl was speaking of, but it all made sense later, which only served to make her think of another young woman she knew who had spoken such nonsense at times yet was so important to heed her words. Ayla was becoming more and more like her mother every day in terms of her psychic abilities, even when she was wrong her little feelings still somehow related to what she was speaking of. It was quite lovely to have the chance to see Ayla growing up, she was becoming more like the Doctor as well in her curiosity, ever so intrigued by all that was around her, seeing the wonder in everything, finding it all so wonderful to learn about. For a first child, the Time Lords had done remarkably well in spawning a child that seemed to have their best qualities while also having their negative ones more tempered and balanced.

The Inspector nodded politely at that again, before taking a step back...only to step right on a squeaky little teddy bear. He frowned, leaning down to pick it up, holding it before the women questioningly.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that," Jenny blushed, taking the bear from the man and holding it gently in her arms as though it were a treasure to be taken care of and not just a scrap of cloth and buttons, "Our niece comes to visit us at times, she's jus' a little girl."

"Yes," he glanced at the bear, before turning his gaze around the room where he could see quite a few other toys and child-like objects...though he wasn't quite sure about the toy soldiers in the corner that seemed to have just played out an epic battle and were lying in pieces with a baked potato sitting on top of a pile of them...that particular spot did not make a shred of sense to him. But he shook his head, realizing he was being rude, and returned his attention back to Vastra...though even THAT gaze could be considered rude as he had to ask, "Does it ever hurt?"

"Does what hurt?" Vastra asked, unsure of what he was speaking of.

"Your skin condition. Always wondered..."

Jenny glared at him, crossing her arms, offended, "It's not a condition, Inspector. It's just skin."

"Are you sure?" the man frowned, leaning in a bit closer as though to try and examine Vastra's face.

The woman rolled her eyes at the typical human reaction, well one of 2 typical reactions, at least this time the person in question wasn't running screaming from the room or fainting, "I am, as I may have failed to mention, an intelligent reptile from an ancient civilization long preceding mankind," Vastra sighed, "Many of us slumber under the Earth's crust."

"Madame was accidentally awoken by an extension to the London Underground," Jenny nodded, "She was rescued though by those friends we mentioned.

"Well, that would account for it," the Inspector nodded, taking it all in remarkably well for the moment.

"I was not initially keen on the society of apes," Vastra admitted, "But I had very good friends who helped me see the true nature of the humans above, their kindness, their bravery and indomitable spirit, their...heart," she looked at Jenny softly, "And then I made the most elementary of errors," Vastra reached out to touch Jenny's face, "I fell in love."

"What, with the Turkish fellow?" the Inspector grimaced at the thought, not even seeming to notice Vastra's gesture to Jenny.

"No," Vastra hissed, "Not with the Turkish fellow," she put her arm around Jenny purposefully, the young girl smiling and blushing at the point Vastra was trying to make.

She loved how possessive the woman could be at times. It warmed her heart to see that Vastra cared that much, that she wasn't afraid of people knowing that they were together. She had noticed though that...Vastra was a bit more fond and open with her lately, since the Time Lords had come to stay in their box on the cloud. They would visit at times, they'd go up to the TARDIS and spend time with the Time Family, the Time Lords rarely ever came down but when they did they tried to avoid any dangerous situations or investigations. They would let Ayla play and stay at the house, they would have dinner together at times...but the moment a case came up, they left. It was...worrying Vastra a great deal, worrying her too how little the Time Lords...well, the Doctor really...seemed to care for the humans and the dangers to them any longer.

It was...so unlike them.

They kept trying to talk to him, to get it out of him what was wrong and what had changed in him. They knew from Ayla, how quiet and sad she would get when they asked her, when she'd talk about how her Uncle Rory and Aunt Amy went away, that something had happened to the Ponds, that they had been lost, and that the Doctor and Angel were hurting from it. Angel...was having a hard time, and the Doctor seemed to react to that even more so, double the amount of him reacting to the loss of the Ponds as well. His Mate was upset and in pain and it hurt him twice as badly to know that.

It had made him twice as attentive to her, twice as determined to see her happy, and twice as hard against getting involved in dangerous situations. They could guess that he blamed himself for what happened to the Ponds, even if they didn't know the whole story. They could probably say that he was trying to avoid losing Angel or Ayla in the same way. He had, quite literally, lost both of them at one point or another, and he was...well...he seemed out of sorts as well. He seemed jittery and agitated and jumpy and scattered, but as though he were having trouble focusing, as though he were worrying too much. It was like he was expecting something awful to happen even though Angel hadn't sensed anything of the sort. He was even more unwilling to place them in a situation where they could be taken from him or lost or hurt.

But...when they were together, they saw it, they saw how much he cared for and loved his little family. It was what had made Vastra more open, to see him expressing his love for Angel, to see how happy it made the Time Lady...it had made her want to make Jenny that happy as well, and she was very happy. They felt almost an...obligation to the Time Lords, to get the Doctor back up to par and saving the Earth, to get him off his cloud. The Time Lords had done SO much for them, for all the humans, that they just...wanted to help in some way, wanted to help return his fighting spirit, the spirit that truly made him the Doctor.

"Good lord!" the Inspector gasped, NOW startled and staring at them, more alarmed that they were two women then a lizard woman and a human, "Good lord."

"Come along, my dear," Vastra smirked at Jenny, she did so LOVE getting that reaction from the humans.

"Yes, my darling," Jenny put on an extra show of taking her arm and following her.

The Inspector stood there, still sputtering, "Good lord!"

~8~

Vastra and Jenny laughed as they settled into their carriage, Strax acting as the driver as they pulled away from the house that the twin brothers had been in, when Jenny sighed, "Still no word from the Doctor, then?"

"No, my dear," Vastra frowned, "And there won't be."

"Not even from Angel?" Jenny pouted, she was rather fond of the woman.

Angel had always been kind to her, she had helped save her when Vastra had attacked her shortly after waking from her slumber, not knowing that she was an innocent person who hadn't had a thing to do with what happened to her people. She always liked Angel and the Doctor because they didn't treat her like she was inferior, like most others did, but like she was remarkable, and that...meant a lot to her.

"I'm afraid not," Vastra shook her head, "They are both...rather preoccupied by their progeny."

"They can't stay in that box forever. Angel won't let him though. And Ayla loves us."

"Family is a wonder to us all. And he has lost more than he can bear my dear. He will wish to take comfort in this for as long as he can."

Jenny fell silent, understanding that. Her family hadn't been...very fond of her life choices, nor had they been supportive, but...she did still love them, they were family. They truly were a treasure that could never be replaced and to lose them...it hurt. She could empathize slightly with the Doctor in not wanting to lose them and wanting to cherish the time he had with them. She glanced out the window of the carriage, looking up and starting to smile, "It's starting to snow."

"But it can't be," Vastra frowned, leaning over to try and see for herself.

"Well, it is nearly Christmas. Ayla was wishing for this."

"But the clouds..."

"What about them?" Jenny shook her head.

"There aren't any," Vastra frowned and reached up, tapping the side of a sort of ear-horn that was sticking down from the roof of her carriage, truly it was really a communication device fitted to look like something commonplace in Victorian London. She started to speak, not even waiting to hear who had picked up the other end once it connected, "There is something you should see," she called to the person listening, "Something important, a danger..." she glanced at Jenny who nodded encouragingly, "Please, we must meet."

She closed the comm. and looked at the device, tapping coordinates into it before she looked at Jenny once more, taking her hand and holding it tightly, hoping that the fourth member of their group would agree to meet them.

~8~

Strax, the Sontaran general, peered around a corner of an alley a short while later, waving back at Jenny and Vastra to call them over when he saw the coast was clear.

"What?" Jenny hissed as they reached him, honestly the potato was far too paranoid for his own good, he saw enemies everywhere!

They turned, hearing the snow crunch to see a figure, a man, standing in the shadows of the alley behind them, seeming to be dressed for the times with a top hat on his head. He didn't move closer, he didn't reveal himself, but they knew who it was.

"I'm so glad you came!" Vastra breathed, though she was disappointed to see that two others were not with him, "We have news, I think, of particular interest to you. There was a meteor shower in the south-west," she began, throwing everything she had at him besides just the snow with no clouds, she needed to intrigue him, they all did, for the sake of the Earth, and...well...snow without clouds was possible, now that she thought about it, the Time Lords had done the same trick before they'd left her with Jenny, had sent a ball of light into the sky from their TARDIS and made it snow, it could have been that, it probably was that, Ayla had wanted a white Christmas, so now...realizing that...she needed to use something, anything, to gather his interest and make him curious, "Unexpected timing and density. I have calculated there is a 34 percent chance it is the result of alien intervention," the man was silent, "24 percent," she corrected, but still he was silent, "Well it could JUST be meteors but it's worth looking into! There is a very pleasant tea room in the area. I'm sure you and your Mate and daughter would love it."

The man stiffened.

"Also," Jenny tried, seeing that the stiffening wasn't good, that he would NOT be open to the idea of exposing the two girls in such a way, "There's a professor, Erasmus Pin, who's claiming he's gonna split the world open with a giant drill through the thinnest part of the Earth's crust! I think we should investigate!" the man turned his attention to her silently, "I mean, he doesn't actually have a giant drill," and continued to be silent, "And he's not really a professor," and quiet, "And he was a bit drunk at the time and singing a bit but you know it's never too early to…investigate a drill?"

Strax eyed the women a moment before pointing up, "I've declared war on the Moon!"

"Do be quiet Strax!" Vastra sighed, exasperated.

"Too long the Moon has hung unmonitored and unsuspected in the sky! It is gaining enormous tactical advantage!"

"There's no one living there!" Jenny told him.

"Then it is CLEARLY time to act! They won't suspect a thing!"

"WHO won't suspect a thing?"

"MOON-ITES!"

The man, the Doctor, stepped out of the shadows, dressed for the times, and looked at them, serious, "Why do you keep doing this? What is the point? I have told you. I KEEP telling you! I don't do this anymore. I've retired. I just want to spend time with my family. What is so wrong about that?"

Truly that was all he wanted to do, just...be with them. The Ponds...to lose them like that, it was hard, on all of them. They hadn't lost a member of their family in...SO long that it hurt, it hurt even worse than all the times before. Especially for Angel, she blamed herself, that she should have seen the angel there, that she should have been able to pull Rory away. Why could she save so many others yet not the people most dear to her? He just...wanted to get her mind off it, wanted to try and go somewhere that they could just...be as normal of a family as possible...for being practically immortal and living in a time machine. The Ponds had hit him as well, had made him realize how...easy it really was to lose family and he just...couldn't bear the thought of losing any member of it again, especially Angel and Ayla, he wanted to spend as much time as he could with them just being a father and a Mate.

"There's a man on Praid Street with an invisible wife!" Jenny attempted to intrigue him, but the Doctor just shook his head, "Maybe he...just...doesn't have a wife..."

"You're wasting your time," he told them, striding past, "Leave me alone, leave Angel alone, and leave our daughter alone. I will not put them in danger again!"

"Merry Christmas!" Jenny called as he disappeared as a carriage passed, "You think he means it?" she asked Vastra quietly.

"Yes, my dear," she sighed, putting her arm around Jenny, "I rather think he does," before leading her off, starting to think it would take a Christmas miracle to get the stubborn man off his cloud.

Strax though, just looked up at the moon, "Damn Moon!"

"Strax!" they called and he sighed, clambering after them to their carriage, getting up to drive it as the women settled in back.

"Oh dear Vastra," Angel's voice rang out from a communication horn sticking out of the roof, making the women look up, "One must always have faith."

The women looked at each other...and smiled.

Maybe they would get their Christmas miracle after all.

Chapter Text

The Doctor smiled as he looked at Angel, curled up and sleeping on one of the new seats in the TARDIS, the old box had decided to archive the other console room and create a new one. An early Christmas gift for her niece who hadn't seen the TARDIS change overnight before. The little girl had woken up from the excited calls of her 'Aunt Idris' and gone into the control room to see it had been completely changed. It looked far more high-tech, more alien, more like the brilliant machine the old girl was. She'd squealed excitedly and raced to wake them up as well, to show them the present she'd been given. Apparently the TARDIS had also changed as a way to try and cheer Ayla up from the loss of Rory and Amy, which had hit them all hard. Angel had smiled a small, knowing smile that told him either Idris had mentioned the idea to her or that she just knew what was coming. But still, they'd only been asleep for an hour or so, not needing as much as Ayla, who was still growing, but being woken up so roughly had made them a bit tired.

He had been...torn between being thankful and sad that he'd been woken up, thankful because he'd felt the stirrings of another nightmare setting in and...sad because...he'd felt another nightmare setting in. He truly was a mess of a man wasn't he? The nightmares plagued him and haunted him, starting to encroach upon his waking hours but...he...welcomed them, in a way. He...wanted them to happen. He wanted them to be terrible and horrifying and kill him little by little inside. It was a terrible, truly a horrifying thing to wish but...he...

He deserved them.

Angel had let him off entirely too easily for what he'd done to her, for what he'd let happen to her and Ayla. It was all his fault, everything that had happened to his girls. From the moment he'd regenerated to the moment Angel regenerated and they got Ayla back it was HIS fault. And...Angel had forgiven him. Ayla had forgiven him. Hell, the family had forgiven him...but he just...couldn't. He couldn't forgive himself for what he'd done, for all the hurt he'd caused. Everyone had let him off too easy, he was sure of it, and he...he needed to be punished. He'd hurt the people he loved and cherished more than anything and he'd merely been let off with a slap on the wrists. It wasn't right, it wasn't fair that Angel and Ayla had suffered so terribly and he was just left to skip off with a merry tune.

The nightmares were his punishment. The nightmares were his own suffering. And that was why he couldn't tell Angel about them. Yes, he didn't want her to know because he didn't want her to see half the things he'd dreamed of, like Ayla becoming River in the spacesuit at the lake or her being cut into by Malokeh, the truly gruesome quality of his nightmares was something he wanted to protect her from. But...it was also because she'd do everything she could to make him feel better. She would try her hardest to make them go away, to comfort him, and be there for him, and be the light in the dark of his mind. And he...

Didn't want that.

He didn't deserve that.

He deserved to suffer. He truly did believe he deserved a worse hell than what the Teselecta sentenced Melody to, worse than anything he could ever imagine. But sadly...all he had was the nightmares. They were all he had to try and ease his guilty mind, to try and subconsciously make it up to Angel and Ayla for all they'd endured because of him. And it would never be enough. It never ever would.

And for that reason alone, he needed them to continue as long as they could without Angel finding out, he...needed this punishment.

His Mate, his daughter, had been hurt because of him, he had failed them, it was only fitting he be hurt in return.

And this, the nightmares, were the only way that could happen because it was the only thing Angel and Ayla wouldn't be able to see coming as an attack or try to comfort him about if they didn't know about them. It was the only thing he could do where he could be tortured as painfully as they had been without them seeing it to stop it.

So he had been a bit disheartened that he'd been awoken before the nightmare could set in, but...seeing Ayla's beaming face, seeing Angel smiling, seeing his girls happy...it was enough to make up for that. If they could be happy, that was all he wanted, that was all he ever wanted, them to be happy. And even now Angel was smiling softly in her sleep, she'd drifted off on a small comfy black chair that was set up in the middle of the controls along the edge of the room. There was a small path from the front doors to the console, now a more defined hexagon, with a ring of technology banks around it with a small break in both sides to fit a chair. There were a set of steps in the back that led to the other halls and a set of steps to the side that led to the lower levels near the doors.

He didn't have the hearts to wake her so he'd let her continue to sleep as he tried his hand at showing Ayla more about the TARDIS…which, given by how she'd look up at the rotating Gallifreyan symbols above the rotor and giggle from behind her hands, he was doing a poor job of. He was quite sure the TARDIS was making fun of him to Ayla, but that was alright, he wanted his little girl to be happy. He couldn't help but smile, he liked the fact that he made his daughter giggle and smile like that, even if it was indirectly with the TARDIS undoubtedly poking fun at him.

He put a finger to his lips though, signaling for Ayla to try and be quiet, to let her mummy sleep. Angel had had a difficult time losing Rory. While he had had so many companions over the years, had left some, been left by some, lost some, it never did get easier but...having so many had helped him heal when it happened next. He'd been devastated as it was happening, yes, he hadn't lost any in the way he lost the Ponds since Angel had joined him. But, afterwards, seeing their life play out, seeing them live a full and happy life had made it easier to let go. Angel, though, she'd only had Mickey who had left her to save the world, a noble cause, but come back and married one of her best friends, and Rory…who had, for all intents and purposes, died. It killed her that she hadn't seen it coming, hadn't been able to stop it, to save him. All those time distortions had severely hindered her abilities and Rory had been lost because of it. She blamed herself and Rory wasn't just a companion, not that Mickey was just a companion either, but…Rory had been there longer, done so much for her and Ayla, been there for her when she'd needed someone most. He'd truly become like a brother to Angel and to lose him...it killed her.

He wanted her to sleep as long as she needed when she finally managed to drift off, she'd been having more trouble getting to sleep than he had the last few times they'd slept since the incident with the Ponds. Unfortunately, the Universe didn't seem to get the memo.

Angel's small smile soon turned into a frown as she slept, her head starting to twitch in her dreaming...

...a young boy stood before a mound of snow with a large snowball on top of it, staring at it in a mixture of fright and curiosity, walking closer to it...

...a tall man with a long face stood above a group of men, watching as they were devoured, attacked by snowmen...

...a snowglobe stood in a laboratory, lights flashing around it, snow swirling within as the long-faced man stood stoically before it...

...a pond lay, frozen, before a dark house, ice spreading unnaturally fast across the top of it, a hand pressing against the top, cracking it, trying to break through...

...the long-faced man leapt up from the ground, his skin startlingly pale, his eyes vacant and cloudy, ghoulish in appearance as he hissed and lunged...

Angel gasped, jerking awake, panting, her eyes wide in fear.

"Angel?" the Doctor ran to her side as Ayla came around the console to look at her mother in concern, kneeling before her, taking her hands in his, "What is it? What happened?"

She took a few deep breaths, blinking, shaking her head as she tried to make sense of her dream, wincing as a whisper of words came to her…

"Winter is coming," she breathed, looking at him with wide eyes.

~8~

A shower of snowflakes with teeth in their center drifted softly towards the Earth, having coated England in a blanket of white in the year 1842. A young boy stood in the yard of a large manor, other children running around, having a snowball fight, while he concentrated on building a more human-shaped snowman, more like a mound of snow with a head, none of that three snowballs rubbish.

"Walter," his governess called, stepping up behind him, "Don't you want to go and play with the other boys and girls? They're very nice."

"I don't need anyone else," the boy muttered, patting his snowman into shape, the other children were silly and childish.

The woman sighed as Walter's father walked up to her, "He never talks to anyone. He's so alone. It's not right. It's not healthy."

The man nodded grimly and led her back into the house.

"I don't want to talk to them," Walter told his snowman, "They're silly."

"They're silly," the snowman replied, its voice deep, "Don't talk to them. They're silly."

Walter stepped back, alarmed at the voice coming from the pile of snow, before turning to run away.

"Don't need anyone else," the snowman called after him, making him pause, "I can help you."

Walter slowly turned around, looking around at the snow, trying to see if it was some sort of trick, but he didn't see anyone. Slowly he inched his way back to the snowman, his eyes on it, as he hesitated to ask, "How?"

~8~

50 years later...

1892, at a time only a short while before Christmas, would find an older Walter, who now was known as Dr. Simeon, standing as an old man with a long expression, watching various men scraping portions of snow off the sides of human-shaped snowmen that had popped up throughout the town, all of them looking like mounds with heads. The snow was gathered into small jars and loaded into his small carriage to be taken back to his house, which he'd adapted into a magnificent institute, the Great Intelligence Institute.

He wandered through the halls, carrying a jar with snow in it into a study, partially a laboratory of sorts. There was a platform in the middle of the room with a large sphere standing on four legs in the center, with snow blasting around inside it, electricity flashing around it. He took the three steps up to the dais, holding up the jar, "The last of the arrivals have been sampled."

"The great swarm is approaching," a voice, the snowman's voice, echoed from the sphere, "As humanity celebrates, so shall it end. Will the final piece be ready?"

"It's in hand. I serve you in this, as in everything else," he opened a small latch on the sphere and began to spoon the snow out of the jar and into it.

"And do you keep my secrets, those men who helped us tonight?"

"It won't be a problem," he smirked, "I promised to feed them."

~8~

Dr. Simeon stepped out onto a balcony that overlooked his yard, which looked exactly as it had when he'd been a child, a ring of shrubs around it, a large tree in the middle. But now there were men standing there, waiting, looking up at him.

"Beg pardon, Dr. Simeon," one of the men called, "It's been a long day. I don't see any food here."

Simeon just looked down, right at them, "I do."

Suddenly snowmen, all with toothy, dark, grins and looking like human-shaped mounds with a head on top, popped up from the ground, surrounding them.

"What is this?!"

Simeon watched, undisturbed, as the snowmen began to attack the men, tearing into them, unaffected as they screamed "I said I'd feed you. I didn't say who to."

And with that, he turned and walked back into his house, leaving the men to their fate.

~8~

A young woman with brown hair, rather lovely, walked through a crowded pub, dressed in red, gathering empty tankards from the tables and putting them on a tray to take to the washhouse outside. She turned around, gasping as she saw a little girl standing before her.

She blinked, eyeing the child as she merely grinned up at her. She was young, probably 10 years old at most, with light strawberry-blonde hair and bright green eyes. She was dressed in a small, emerald dress that went to her ankles, a little black coat over it. It looked very much like a miniature dress she often saw the women wearing, fitted on top, slightly high-collared, but with buttons down the center and it went to her waist, she had a small black belt around her waist that seemed to mark the start of her skirt. She had the most adorable miniature bustle to complete the outfit as well, truly looking like a 'little lady' of the times. The girl's hair was hanging mostly free, held back by one clip so half of it was back and the rest fell around her shoulders. She had her hands behind her back and was swaying side to side as though either shy or excited.

"Hello," the girl smiled.

"'ello," she greeted.

"I'm Ayla," she reached out a hand to shake hers.

She laughed a bit, balancing the tray of tankards in one hand as she returned the shake, "Clara," she looked around at the men and women, none seeming to be concerned with the girl, "Are you lost?"

The girl shook her head, "No, mummy and daddy are outside," she pointed to the door, "I wanted to come inside."

She smiled a bit, "Well, 'ow abouts we get you back to your parents eh?" she asked, reaching out to take the girl's hand, "Betcha they're goin' out of their mind with worry."

"No," the girl shook her head again, "Mummy knows exactly where I am," she leaned in as though to tell her a secret, "Mummy's psychic. Daddy says so. And daddy's always right about everything," she nodded as though, by saying it, it had to be true.

Clara smiled and gave an amused nod, not quite sure she believed that, "Don't matter to a parent. They'll always worry, come on," she led the girl back to the door, opening it to let her out, stepping out after her, only to blink at a snowman just a few feet away. She could have sworn it wasn't there when she'd opened the door but only when she'd looked up.

"Ayla," a woman called.

"Mummy!" Ayla shouted, running over to a woman and hugging her.

Clara looked over to see a woman, with the same hair as Ayla though it was pulled into a twist of some sort, kneeling down to hug the girl. She was dressed in a pale blue dress, it was long sleeved, very fitted, not quite as high collared as many other women's would be, but it was more because she appeared to have a white shirt on under it that was high collared. The sleeves and the slightly corsetted top fit her and came down to just below her waist. The skirt, while lacking the bustle that was typical of the time, was flowing and embroidered with golden flowers along the bottom, a few vines of them creeping upwards along the natural folds of the fabric. It trailed a bit behind her, but not by much. There was a man beside her in a typical Victorian suit, an old top hat on his head, crouched down to hug the girl as well, must be the parents.

"What did I tell you about wandering off young lady?" the mother asked, sounding a cross between amused and exasperated, as she pulled away and put her hands on Ayla's shoulders.

"Not to," Ayla pouted, before speaking quickly, "But you knew where I was mummy."

The woman smiled, "Be that as it may, I'd rather KNOW you're right beside me."

"Yes mummy," Ayla nodded with a small sigh, as though she'd been told this many times before, quite the common conversation it appeared to be, "I'm sorry."

"And I'd rather SEE you with us," the father added, reaching out to take the girl's hand, "You know I'm not nearly as special as your mum."

Ayla's eyes widened as she quickly hugged her father, "You're brilliant daddy! Very special!"

Clara could see the man practically beam at the praise his daughter had given him, quite clearly very touched that the little girl thought so much of him. A bit more touched than she thought a father would usually feel, but then again, to each his own.

"Oh," the woman called, noticing Clara standing there, "Hello. Sorry…"

"This is Clara!" Ayla took their hands and pulled them over to her, "She brought me back."

"Well then," the Doctor reached out a hand, "Thank you Clara."

"No trouble at all," she smiled, shaking their hands, "Mr.…"

The Doctor hesitated a moment, "Smith," he answered, not noticing Clara frown at that, as though sensing the lie, "John Smith."

"Right," she nodded slowly, "Well then, Mr. Smith, Mrs. Smith…"

"Please, call me…Angela," Angel cut in, going along with the Doctor's cover, "It's nice to meet you."

"Angela," she eyed the woman, before something pulled her attention away, "Sorry but um, that snowman," she nodded at it, making them look over their shoulders at it, "Did you make it?"

"No," the trio replied.

She blinked, "Did you see who did? Because it wasn't there a second ago. It just appeared, from nowhere."

The Doctor frowned and turned to the snowman, moving over to it as he put on a pair of familiar round reading glasses to eye it closely. Angel stepped up beside him, reaching out to touch the snow, frowning at it, getting an odd sensation off it.

"Maybe it's snow that fell before?" he guessed, looking at Angel, "Maybe it remembers how to make snowmen?"

"Or maybe someone else does," she added quietly to him, giving him a look that meant there was something wrong there but not wanting to say it out loud for fear of Clara hearing. She couldn't really speak to him in his mind either as Clara might find it odd that they were silent for so long.

He nodded, understanding.

"What, snow that can remember?" Clara smiled and gave Ayla a small tickle, making her giggle, "That's silly."

"What's wrong with silly?" the Doctor smiled.

"Silly's the best!" Ayla laughed.

"Nothing," Clara agreed, "Still talking to you, ain't I?"

Angel smiled at that, "Thank you for bring Ayla back to us Clara."

"Come along sweetheart," the Doctor held out a hand and Ayla ran over to take it.

"Clara," Angel murmured, looking back at her as they moved to leave, "It's a lovely name."

"Goodbye!" the Doctor called as they walked off.

"Where are you going?" Clara frowned at their sudden departure, running to catch up to them, "I thought we was just getting acquainted."

The Doctor sighed, shaking his head, those were the days. Any other time, he'd be thrilled to meet someone new, to make a new friend. He'd been hurt to see the Ponds leave, but…River had actually made him realize something as much as he was loathe to admit it. Amy and Rory were her parents, she barely got to see them as it was and now she wouldn't be able to again much. She'd lost them in a split second and…he didn't want that to happen to Ayla. They'd lost her already, lost six years with her from the girl's timeline, nearly 200 in their own. He didn't want that to ever happen again. He wanted to spend as much time with his daughter as he could, as he'd told Vastra, Jenny, and Strax when they'd tried to get him to investigate silly little things like meteor showers (which he'd set off for Ayla) and a man with an invisible/imaginary wife. Why would he be interested in anyone else's wife when he had a Mate as fantastic as Angel?

He just wanted to be with his family as a family for a while, spend all the time he could with them, not miss anything that they already had when Ayla had been taken. He wanted to be the best father he could be. And he felt like he couldn't do that with everyone trying to pull him away from his Mate and daughter. Things were dangerous when he got involved, situations escalated (he'd been told enough times), and he didn't always have a plan or even a thing to work with. He was realizing just how dangerous it was to be him, how right the Silence were to come after him for it. He didn't want that to bleed in to his family as well, he wanted them safe, he'd lost them too many times already. They were still there, yes, but he didn't want to risk his luck finally running out. Angel was an angel incarnate, he was sure of it, she was his good luck charm, his Christmas angel, but...luck could only last so long.

He refused to risk his family, not for anything, not again.

They kept walking, towards a small brougham carriage where Strax was sitting as the driver in the front. He smiled, opening the door for Ayla to get in, and then Angel, snatching her hand as she passed and pressing a kiss to it, making her smile and blush and lean in to kiss his lips in return. He...rather loved it, he did love this time with his girls very much. He had to admit, as he took a moment to look at his girls, he rather liked Angel's thought to dress for the times on their adventures, he loved seeing her in dresses like that and Ayla was adorable. It made him appreciate them all the more, those little things that shaped their personalities, that made them just...wonderful.

"Come on daddy," Ayla smiled, patting the seat next to her which she'd left open for him to sit.

Angel smiled, she loved sitting across from them when there was no room to sit with them, according to her, she'd had Ayla all to herself nearly 3 years, the Doctor deserved some father/daughter time too. And her hearts always warmed to see them together, whether it was working on a 'super secret special surprise' or just playing together in the TARDIS. She'd fallen even more in love with the Doctor when she saw him with Ayla, playing dress up, letting the girl give him 'makeovers' and cooking with her, reading to her, tucking her in, holding her when she had a nightmare. He was such a natural parent it just...warmed her hearts. And Ayla, she certainly was a 'daddy's girl,' the Doctor was as wrapped around her little finger as possible.

He laughed, getting in and taking his place beside his daughter and across from his Mate.

~8~

Meanwhile, Clara headed back to the pub, only to stop, thinking about what she was about to do, walk away from what was probably the most interesting encounter of her life, before smiling. She pulled off her apron and threw it on the ground with determination, hiking up her skirts as she ran for the carriage.

~8~

"How refreshing to see you taking an interest again," Vastra's voice sounded in the carriage, making them look up at a small metal horn-like thing stuck out of the top of it, "Was she nice?"

"We had a small chat Vastra," Angel laughed, knowing Vastra was 'getting her hopes up' and seeing possibilities and signs everywhere. Honestly, one time the Doctor had picked up a newspaper that a man had dropped and Vastra, somehow had known about it, and spent an hour commenting on how the Doctor was so kind and concerned and should help more than just picking up a paper and it was a sign he cared.

"And made your usual impacts, no doubt."

"No, no," the Doctor shook his head, "No impact at all. Those days are over."

"You can't help yourself," Vastra teased, "It's the same story every time. And it always begins with the same two words."

"She'll never be able to find me again."

"Oh I wouldn't say that," Angel shared a secret smile with Ayla.

She knew exactly where her daughter had gone earlier, and...why. She'd told Ayla to trust her feelings, unlike she had done as a child, she'd encouraged her daughter to let her self feel, no matter what that feeling was, and to explore those sensations, to try and let them lead her wherever they might take her. Ayla had just started to get the feelings that led her to safe places or places she needed to go. It was...truly incredible to see her daughter growing like that, it made her wonder what she would be like now if she'd not pushed her sensations and feelings aside when she'd been growing. But she had the chance to not make that mistake with Ayla and the girl had taken her words to heart is seemed, had walked straight to what Angel was certain would be, the Doctor's next companion.

"She doesn't even have the name 'Doctor,'" the Doctor continued.

"Wait for it," Angel's smile became more smirk like.

He frowned, "What two words?"

'Doctor who,' Angel mouthed before pointing up just a second before there was a thump.

"Doctor?" Clara's voice called above them a moment before the hatch in the top fell down and Clara popped in, looking at them upside down as she hung there, "Doctor who?"

~8~

A carriage pulled up to a large manor house, dropping off a well-dressed, middle-aged man with a trimmed beard, "Good evening, sir," a maid called, meeting him at the door, having heard the carriage.

The man however was looking at a small pond just a few feet away, sighing, "Pond's frozen over. Hasn't frozen since the night..."

"Since the night your children's governess died," Dr. Simeon stated dryly, stepping out of the house behind the maid, "A year ago."

The maid gave her master a tight smile, "Dr. Simeon, sir. He insisted on waiting."

"She drowned in this very pond," the master of the house eyed it sadly, that had been a horrific incident for his children to experience. His son had dismissed decorum for a brief period and 'celebrated' that his governess was missing, yet when they'd found her, his daughter had never been the same, nightmares plagued her of the old governess.

"Which then froze," Simeon nodded, "You didn't find her till a month later, when the ice finally melted."

The man turned back, glaring at Simeon, "I recall the incident. It is the sort of thing one remembers."

"The ice remembers too."

"Who are you? What do you want here?"

Simeon just turned to him, handing a business card labeled 'The Great Intelligence Institute' to him, "The pond is yours, Captain Latimer, but what is growing inside it, when it is ready, is ours. Good evening," he tipped his hat, barely, and walked off into the night, leaving Latimer to frown after him.

~8~

Simeon had just turned round a corner into a dark alley...when a woman in trousers, dressed all in black, jumped into his path, her hands on her hips as she smirked at him, "Well, Dr. Simeon, you're out very late tonight," Jenny remarked, eyeing something behind him.

Vastra stepped into the alley, dressed in a black dress, a black lacy veil over her face, "Almost makes you wonder what you've been up to. But then, I have often wondered about the activities of Dr. Simeon and his exceptionally secretive Institute."

"Well, I am honored this evening," he said though he looked anything but, "The veiled detective and her fatuous," he sneered at Jenny, "Accomplice."

Jenny just tipped herself into a curtsey, not at all perturbed by his slight against her, "At your service."

His eyes widened at the audacity before he turned to glare at Vastra, "You realize Dr. Doyle is almost certainly basing his fantastical tales on your own exploits? With a few choice alterations, of course. I doubt the readers of 'The Strand' magazine would accept that the great detective is," he stepped closer to her, throwing her veil off her face, "In reality a woman."

Vastra's eyes narrowed at how calm he was at her appearance. He didn't flinch, he didn't recoil, he didn't stare or gape or ask her what was wrong with her. He merely...saw her as a woman instead of a lizard. There was nothing else to be concluded save that this man clearly had experience with the alien already. Just another thing to make her more suspicious of him than she already was.

He turned his glance back at Jenny, "And her suspiciously intimate companion."

Vastra strode towards him, "I resent your implication of impropriety. We are married."

Jenny smirked, moving to join her mistress, "More than can be said for you, eh dear?"

"Now then," Vastra calmed herself, "This snow is interesting, don't you think?" she reached out and took a handful of it, "The ice crystals seem to have a low-level telepathic field. Almost as if it can detect and respond to the thoughts and memories of the people around it. Memory snow. Snow that learns."

Simeon rolled his eyes, "How fascinating."

"I hope it's listening to the right people. It could be a terrible weapon in the wrong hands, don't you think?"

"I think winter is coming," he responded, a dangerous tone in his voice that made Vastra and Jenny frown and stiffen to hear, "Such a winter as this world has never known. The last winter of humankind. Do you know why I'm telling you all this?"

"I am intrigued."

"Because there's not a single thing you can do to stop it," he answered, before pushing past Jenny, continuing on his way.

"Perhaps I can't, but I know of three who can!"

He didn't even stop as he walked out of the ally, just shouting back, "I look forward to meeting them."

Jenny frowned and turned to Vastra, "Do you mean the Doctor and Angel? They won't help us. Well, Angel would, she's been trying to get the Doctor helpin' but he never helps anymore, you know that."

"Yes, my dear, I do," she put an arm around Jenny, "So pray Angel can work another one of her miracles, because I think we are going to need him."

~8~

Strax stood at the mouth of an alley, the carriage beside him, watching as Dr. Simeon returned to his Institute across the street through his advanced binoculars. The Doctor was behind him, laughing as he played with the snow, watching as Angel taught Ayla how to make a snow angel as her 'Auntie Donna' had taught her, or as Ayla had chosen to call it, a 'snowmum' much to Angel's amusement.

They'd just had a snowball fight, Strax had joined in...until he realized it wasn't an actual fight and went to sulk by the carriage where he'd noticed Simeon. The Doctor had been left at a disadvantage, girls vs. man & Sontaran. Though, he supposed, no matter what he'd always be at a disadvantage, he couldn't ever fight his girls on anything. The only thing he and Angel disagreed with was the topic of River Song (as Angel still blamed herself for River's fate and wanted to try and show her kindness in getting her out of Stormcage at times), pets in the TARDIS, and his retirement. Angel just...loved helping people too much to ignore them, but she tried to respect his wishes, she wanted family time as much as possible as well though she was of the belief he'd come to lose faith in that it was possible to have both, that they could have family time saving the world.

"They've taken samples from snowmen all over London," Strax called, heading over to them.

Vastra had assigned him to protective duty over the Time Lords, she was afraid that, with the Doctor's retirement, many of his old enemies would come after him, after his Mate and child…though they all doubted anyone would be so foolish as to try that again given what happened last time. Still, he was more than happy to guard the woman who had saved his life. Had she not shouted to him during the battle of Demons Run, he'd have been killed and, while it was his dream to die in battle for the glory of the Sontaran Empire, he was proud to have survived in order to fight another day.

"What do you suppose they're doing in there?"

"This snow is new," the Doctor laughed as he grabbed a pile of snow and tossed it up, letting it shower down on Angel and Ayla as they completed their snowmen, making his daughter giggle, "Possibly alien."

Angel shook her head, getting up, "Definitely alien."

He nodded, reaching out a hand to help them up so there wouldn't be handprints in their work, "When you find something brand new in the world, something you've never seen before, what's the next thing you look for?" he tickled Ayla as she stood, before she dashed off to her mother who had knelt in the snow a few feet away and called her over.

Strax thought on it a moment, before pointing at the Doctor with the answer, "A grenade!"

The Doctor brushed his hands off and shook his head, standing, "A profit. That's Victorian values for you."

Strax stiffened, "I suggest a full frontal assault with automated laser monkeys, scalpel mines, and acid."

The Doctor just shook his head, "Why?"

"Couldn't we at least...investigate?" Strax wondered.

The Doctor sighed and looked at the Sontaran, "Why do you keep insisting on that? You, Vastra, Jenny…I've told you, repeatedly, I don't do that anymore. I'm retired. I'm not going to start gallivanting all over the Universe just because you want me to. There are more important things in my life now," he sighed, looking over at Angel, kneeling in the snow with an excited Ayla beside her, the two of them working on a secret project of their own it seemed, "Things I care deeply about and will not see harmed by my adventures and the people I make enemies of during them," he smiled sadly.

The nightmares had not gone away at all. If anything, they'd gotten worse with the loss of Amy and Rory. They were always different, some were of when he'd forgotten Angel, losing her and not realizing what he'd lost, some were of when she'd been in that bad state where she'd almost willingly given her life for others due to the loss of her daughter, and some…some were of their more recent trips, of al the things that could have gone wrong if he hadn't remembered her by then…he shook his head, swallowing hard. He was a bit suspicious that Angel might know he was keeping those dreams from her, but he NEEDED this punishment. In his mind, he'd done so much to hurt her and she'd forgiven him far too easily, but that was Angel in a nutshell, really and truly an angel. This was his way of making it up to her.

He looked at Strax again, "Stop calling me down to help and leave me alone."

"Sir, permission to express my opposition to your current apathy?" Strax requested.

The Doctor gave a short laugh and shook his head, leave it to the potato to ignore everything he'd just said, but he supposed he could understand, Sontarans were clones, they had no parents, no true siblings, had never formed a connection like love, created a child from it, he would never know the lengths a father, a Mate, would go to for his loved ones, nor the depth of that love and what it could make him do in the name of it, "Permission granted."

"Sir, I am opposed to your current apathy."

"Let me out!" Clara shouted from inside the carriage, banging on it.

The Doctor just ignored her for a moment, not noticing Angel and Ayla turn around behind him with small grins, "Thank you, Strax. And if ever I'm in the need of advice from a psychotic potato dwarf, you'll certainly be the first to know."

"But if the snow is new and alien, shouldn't we be making some attempt to destroy it?" Strax asked, "Be reasonable!"

"Let me out!" Clara huffed, starting to shake the carriage.

"Strax," the Doctor sighed, "I have lived for over a thousand years, saved the Universe a good portion of it," he shook his head, "I've done so much and still the Universe has taken things from me that I loved dearly," his planet, his people, his TARDIS, his memories, his Mate, his daughter…it had truly taken everything from him at one point or another, "The Universe doesn't seem to care…"

"Now!" Angel shouted.

The Doctor turned around at the shout...only to be pelted with snowballs. He laughed, leaning down to scoop more snow, tossing it into the air above his girls in retaliation, making them smile and laugh. He just...watched them, standing together under the now-falling snow, and his hearts warmed. They were so...beautiful, inside and out, so incredible, Ayla was truly her mother's daughter in every single way, from the size of her hearts to her sensations. He didn't doubt, one day, she might even surpass Angel in her abilities. Angel had spent centuries ignoring her feelings, trying to bury them, only starting to accept and practice in them when she'd met him, because he had been the first to accept all of her. She hadn't had to hide around him. But Ayla, they were raising her to embrace her uniqueness right from the start. She was already able to sense things in a way similar to when he'd first met Angel, and she was only just barely over a century old.

Angel laughed and reached out, pulling the Doctor to her as the snow continued to fall, taking his hand and Ayla's as they moved in a circle, just enjoying their family moment, till they'd gotten so dizzy they'd fallen on their bums, Ayla between them, laughing.

"I love you daddy," Ayla whispered, rolling onto her side to kiss his cheek and hug him.

The Doctor looked at Angel, who smiled, reaching out to take his hand, "You may have lost some things, but you've gained so much more," she reminded him, having sensed his thoughts before, that being the reason for the sudden snowball attack.

He smiled at that, and there she was, making him feel better again. He'd lost his planet yes, but he'd found a home on Earth. He'd lost his people, but discovered so many unique and special friends that he'd not trade for anything. He'd lost the TARDIS only for her to come back better than ever each and every time. His memories had returned, and with it, centuries of creating new memories. His Mate had made them safe from a deadly enemy, protected them, proven her love for him over and over. And his daughter, he'd lost her, but found her and got to be with a new her, experience firsts with her as she saw the world through new eyes. And she loved him, they both did, so much.

Yes, he HAD lost a lot, but he had gained EVERYTHING that matter to him in return.

Chapter Text

"Now," Angel squeezed the Doctor's hand, pulling him out of his thoughts, "I don't think we should keep Clara locked up too much longer my love," she smiled, "We only kidnap possible companions in the TARDIS not a carriage."

He shook his head, "She's not a possible companion."

Angel just gave him a smile that clearly meant 'we'll see about that' before she got up and helped him up as well, brushing off the snow from their clothes and straightening Ayla's jacket, laughing as she tried to button the girl's coat up, she was just like her father in never buttoning her coats.

"…in this cab!" Clara banged on the door as they approached, "Oi, Doctor! Let me out! Are you listenin' to me?"

"Would you like to do the honors sweetheart?" the Doctor asked as Ayla giggled.

"Let me out!" Clara shouted as Ayla stepped forward and opened the doors, "Oh!" she gasped, nearly falling out from where she'd been pushing against the doors.

"Hello Miss Clara!" Ayla cheered, clambering into the carriage to sit beside Clara.

"It's alright Clara," Angel reassured her, as she and the Doctor stood in the doorway, "We're not going to hurt you, I promise," she crossed her hearts, before holding out a hand, "I'm Angel, by the way," she reintroduced herself, "Nice to meet you."

Clara blinked, reaching out to shake the woman's hand, though her gaze was on Strax as he came to stand behind them, "What is that thing?"

"Silence, boy!" Strax glared.

"That's Strax," the Doctor laughed, "And, as you can see, he's easily confused."

Strax eyed Clara a moment, not seeing what was so confusing.

"She's a girl," Ayla leaned forward to whisper to him.

"Ah," he gave a short body-nod, "Silence, girl. Sorry, lad."

"Sontaran," the Doctor explained to Clara as he leaned on the side of the carriage, turning and taking Angel's hand, absently playing with her fingers despite how she was wearing gloves, "Clone warrior race. Factory produced, whole legions at a time. Two genders is a bit further than he can count."

"Sir, do not discuss my reproductive cycle in front of enemy girls. It's embarrassing."

"Typical middle child of six million," the Doctor shrugged before he turned to Angel, opening his mouth.

"No," she shook her head, cutting off his question...or proposition.

She was NOT going to be the mother of six million children.

She...she wanted to make sure they could manage to keep at least one child safe to adulthood first. What happened to Ayla, how easily SHE had been captured and hadn't known it, it shook her even still. Being confronted with River so often, seeing the fate her own daughter might have had every single time she looked at the woman. It got to her, it truly did frighten her to see River because she ended up thinking of Ayla being in her spot, being forced to kill and become an assassin, a psychopath. She wanted to be sure that she could keep her daughter safe, that she and the Doctor could protect her despite their enemies. Maybe, one day, when Ayla was older, there could be another child, but, until then, she just wanted to spend time with her daughter.

"Who are you?" Clara eyed them, the way they talked, the way they acted, the things they said…it didn't sound like anyone she'd ever heard before.

"It doesn't matter," the Doctor shook his head, waving her off, letting go of Angel's hand with one hand, still holding it with his others, "Because you're about to forget that the four of us ever met," he looked at Strax, "We'll need the worm."

"Sir," Strax marched off to go get it.

"You'll need the what?" Clara's eyes widened as she tried to peer around them at where Strax was going, "The worm? What worm?"

"It's ok," Ayla took Clara's hand, squeezing it, "A Memory Worm can erase one hour of your memory it if touches your bare skin," she recited, "Right daddy?"

The Doctor looked at his daughter with a smile, "Exactly sweetheart," he winked and pointed at her.

"Must we use it?" Angel asked him with a frown, she truly was against using the worm, both because she didn't want to use the animal in general but also because of the effect it had, "I hate keeping it locked up like that."

He smiled at her, reaching out to pull her closer, winding his arm around her waist as he dropped a kiss to her hair, she was so kind like that. Animals especially, he'd noticed since her last regeneration, seemed to respond to her better than to him or others. The calm she always gave off, the empathy, seemed to translate to them as well, making them feel safe, that she'd take care of them as she did so many others, that she wouldn't hurt them. But it wasn't just that, she just loved them in return. She hated seeing animals locked up, it was one of the reasons why, despite Ayla's many Christmas wishes and birthday hopes over the last century, Angel had argued against getting a puppy or a kitty or a gold fish or any other sort of animal Ayla had hoped to have as a pet. She felt no animal, even those bred for domestic life, should be confined. Collars, leashes, doors and walls and cages, it made her feel like they were trapping and trying to control the animals.

He supposed it was a lingering effect of Van Statten's treatment of her. She'd been caged basically, locked up, restrained, kept from getting help, barely fed…basically been treated like an animal instead of a human, well, human-looking-alien, even though Time Lords came first. And he could never bring himself to argue against that sort of logic. That time had been hard for her. She'd regenerated upon hitting the Earth, been knocked into a healing coma that lasted days. Stuck in a crater with a Dalek, then knocked out, only to wake up a new person, their people gone, and held captive by different handlers to be tested and studied for 50 years before he'd found her. And then she'd regenerated again. The only life that body had known for decades was captivity.

No, no pets for them. Not even a goldfish.

He supposed it was a bit unfair to Ayla, every child longed to have a pet to look after, but Ayla seemed to understand her mother's feelings on the subject. It didn't stop her from asking at least once a year, at Christmas, for some pet or another, mostly a puppy, but a few others snuck through. It was so hard for him though, because he could never say no to either of his girls yet he had to agree with Angel there. Perhaps one day there would be a pet for Ayla, but at the moment, it was just too much for Angel to consider, and that was ok. Some scars took longer to heal than others, he knew that better than anyone.

He was about to answer Angel when Strax stepped up behind them, just standing there, waiting, "Where is it?" he asked.

"Where's what, sir?" Strax blinked.

"I sent you to get the Memory Worm."

"Did you? When?" and then he noticed the human beside Ayla and tensed, ready for the enemy, assuming she might be a threat to the little girl...

He still remembered her, from Demons Run, the little screaming bald thing she was that had been hungry. She was small and pink and...weird. But she was small and, having been a nurse for many years, he had seen many children, none so small as her, never a 'baby' as they'd called her. Sontarans were meant to fight, and he had fought that battle for her, she had given him a new sense of honor and he felt a bit indebted to the girl and she was always respectful to him, treated him like a proper warrior and she was...small. She needed protecting.

And she called him Mr. Strax too.

"Who's he?" he pointed at Clara, "What are we doing here?" before his attention wandered to the sky, getting distracted by small bits of white that were floating down, "Look, it's been snowing!"

"You didn't use the gauntlets, did you?" the Doctor sighed.

"Why would I need the gauntlets?" Strax frowned, before seeming to realize it, "Do you want me to get the Memory Worm?"

The Doctor looked over, hearing a faint giggle to see Angel smiling, "Did you know he was going to forget the gauntlets?" he asked her, pouting.

"Yes," she nodded.

"And you didn't say anything?"

"No."

"Why?"

She smiled, taking his hands in hers, "Because I know what's going to happen next, and it's funny. I don't want Ayla to miss it."

He shook his head at her fondly, "Psychic," he gave her a peck.

"Thief," she countered, giving him one in return.

Clara blinked, watching them, watching as the Doctor gently tugged her in for another, longer kiss, Ayla had said it before but she hadn't believed her, but…perhaps that girl really WAS psychic…

~8~

Ayla was kneeling in the snow beside the carriage, watching as Strax lay under it, trying to get the worm which had escaped into the mechanics of the carriage's frame. The Doctor and Angel stood beside her, watching from above. Clara was there still, standing back against a small shop, watching them in amusement.

She could guess what was about to happen next, Angel had gauntlets hiding in her hands behind her back.

"Well, can you see it?" the Doctor called.

"I think I can hear it," Strax struggled.

Angel glanced back at Clara, winking at her, making her giggle.

"Oi," the Doctor turned to point a warning finger at the human, "Don't try to run away. Stay where you are."

"Why would I run?" Clara smirked, "I want to see the funny bit. Not that it's not already funny," she eyed Strax's feet, "Your little pal...'e's an ugly little fella, isn't 'e?"

The Doctor turned to glare at her for the comment, "He nearly gave his life for my Mate and daughter!"

Clara blinked, surprised at the anger in his voice, "Sorry," she murmured, watching as Angel took his hand, smiling at him reassuringly as he calmed before she frowned, "Wait, I thought you said she was your wife!"

"Wife, Mate," the Doctor waved her off, still staring into Angel's eyes, "She's mine, that's all that matters. My wife, my Mate, the mother of my children."

"Child," Angel corrected, "So far," she reminded him, before looking at Clara, "Where we come from, we use the term Mate where you would use wife."

Clara blinked, hearing a human, or what looked like a human since she was fairly certain they were nothing of the sort anymore, talking about Mates and probably mating…made her think of animals. But, more so, made her think of wolves or penguins, the way those two looked at each other during their little moments…it was a mate for life sort of thing. It was sweet, in a weird way.

"How did he nearly give 'is life?" she asked, "What 'appened?"

The Doctor tensed, turning away from Angel, a look of guilt on his face that made Clara frown, "Have you got it yet?" he changed the topic, calling out to Strax instead.

Clara looked at Angel questioningly, but even she shook her head sadly. Clearly it was a touchy and rather heartbreaking topic.

"I see it!" Ayla pointed, "There it is Mr. Strax."

"Can you reach it?" the Doctor asked the Sontaran, "Have you got it?"

There was a tiny squeal from the worm before Strax froze and called back, "Got what, sir?"

The Doctor hung his head, shaking it as, yet again, the worm escaped and Strax was affected. He was starting to get a bit concerned for the alien, what if it was like with the Silence and the repeated memory wipes were frying what little brains he had to begin with?

"These might have helped," Angel reminded him, holding up the gauntlets she'd hidden.

"Are you trying to make sure she remembers?" the Doctor asked her, taking the gauntlets away. He was slightly suspicious of that, their time spent getting the worm so that Clara would forget was running out, it had nearly been an hour, and Angel was being...surprisingly unhelpful in the endeavor.

"Yes," Angel said simply, startling Clara but not seeming to surprise the Doctor.

"Why?" Clara asked, she'd just met the woman and she seemed like she was trying to protect her. Maybe it was because she'd returned Ayla to them? She didn't know, if that was the case, wouldn't the Doctor have been equally as willing to let her go?

The Doctor, however, already knew the answer, because Clara would forget them. Angel had been more affected by his brief bout of amnesia than she often let on. Anything that involved memory tampering didn't sit right with her. He hated using the worm too because of that, but…if it came down to an hour of human memory or the safety of his family, he'd pick his family any day. The more people who knew about him, who knew he'd survived Angel's 'death' or that Angel had survived her own 'death,' the more that word might get out to the Silence and they'd be back.

"Sir!" Strax called, pulling him from his thoughts and cutting off Angel's answer, "Emergency! I think I've been run over by a cab."

Ayla giggled and crawled forward to reach out and take Strax's hand, "You're alright Mr. Strax," she told him, helping him wiggle out from under the carriage, "See?" she helped tug him up and brushed off the snow from his uniform.

The Doctor crouched forward and dropped a kiss onto her head at her actions before he gently took the gauntlets from Angel, kissing her quickly on the nose. He turned and made his way around to the other side of the carriage, putting a large glove on and reaching down into it, pulling out the worm.

"Little help sweetheart?" he called as the worm struggled. Ayla grabbed a small jar and ran around to help her father, holding it up to him as he managed to slide it in, flipping the lid closed, "There you go. One touch and you lose about an hour of your memory. Let it bite you and you could lose decades," he glanced over at Clara who was still standing there, watching, "And you're still not trying to run?"

"She wants to know about the snow," Angel remarked absently as she turned around, starting to frown, a pit forming in her stomach. It was like...she felt like there was something there but she just...couldn't see it yet.

Clara nodded, "I don't understand 'ow the snowman built itself. I'll run, once you've explained."

The Doctor eyed her, "Clara who?"

"Doctor who?"

Angel smiled, "Careful, that can be a very dangerous question."

The Doctor blinked and looked at her, her words striking him. And he realized…she'd said the same thing to Nancy ages ago, centuries ago, back two incarnations, the first few adventures he'd had with her. He hadn't thought anything of it then…not even now, it being so long ago, but she'd said it. Had it been a sensation? Just a joke? He didn't know, but now he was curious as to other things she had said…

"What's wrong with dangerous?" Clara nudged Angel, whose attention was focused on something over Clara's shoulder. Clara glanced over when she saw Angel not responding, frowning as there was nothing there...only for a snowman to appear the moment she blinked.

"The snow emits a low-level telepathic field," the Doctor began to explain.

"My snowman..."

"It seems to reflect people's thoughts and memories."

"Daddy?" Ayla tried, spotting the mound of snow as well.

"And because it's unusual, somehow it carries a previous shape and…"

"No, my love," Angel took his hand and gently tugged him over to the alley, "The snowman."

"Ah!" he nodded, stepping closer to it, "Interesting," he smiled down at Ayla, "What do you think sweetheart?"

Ayla looked over at Clara, "Were you thinking about it Miss Clara?"

Clara blinked, "Just Clara's fine," she told the girl, "And yes."

And then another one appeared beside it, and another, and another.

"Clara," Angel began, stepping closer to the girl, taking her arm in a hand, tugging her back as the Doctor backed up with Ayla, moving her behind them, "Please...stop thinking about them."

They turned to run, only for more to spring up behind them, one moving to breathe snowflakes with what looked like teeth in them at them, only for a golden wall to spring up around them.

Clara gasped, looking around at the golden sphere that had appeared, swirling in a heavenly light, protecting them from the snowmen's icy breath. The snow breathed hitting the wall and the breath just...melted off it.

"Mummy!" Ayla called.

Clara looked over to see Angel beside her, her hand out, her eyes golden, her hair billowing around her as she was clearly the source of their protection. She was spun to the side suddenly, the Doctor grabbing her arms, "Clara, listen to me," he began, his voice frantic, a note of worry in it as he glanced between her and Angel, "The snow's feeding off your thoughts."

"I don't understand!" she cried.

"You're caught in their telepathic field. They're mirroring you. The more you think about the snowmen, the more they appear," he looked at Angel, seeing the golden glow getting brighter, knowing that this was one of those moments that they feared happening, that she wasn't in complete control of the Vortex, "Imagine them melting. Picture it. Picture them melted!"

Clara closed her eyes tightly and did her best to do that even with him shouting in her ear...and a moment later...there was a splash as the snowmen melted, the four of them remaining dry within the swirl.

The Doctor looked over at Angel as the barrier remained up, not falling with the snowmen, now even more certain that this was a moment where her control was slipping, where she'd reacted first without realizing it.

Ayla walked over to her, taking her hand, "It's ok mummy," she told Angel softly, squeezing her hand, "The bad snow's gone."

Angel blinked a few times, the gold dimming till it disappeared, Angel swaying a bit till the Doctor stepped to her side and took her in his arms, strengthening her. She looked at him with wide eyes, fearful. She'd lost control for a moment then…the instinctive use of the Vortex taking her over for that brief moment at the sudden appearance of the snow with teeth. But thankfully their daughter had gotten through to her.

"Good," he whispered in Angel's ear, "Well done dear," he kissed her temple.

She closed her eyes a moment at that, nodding though she was still very shaken from that. It...hadn't happened often, hadn't happened recently. She'd been starting to hope that, perhaps it was just the Daleks, just...something about them that had caused the Vortex to control her but...this was snow. This was just...snow.

"What did you do?" Clara asked, her eyes wide, "'ow did you do that? What was that light?"

Ayla just hugged Angel's legs, "Mummy's just special."

The Doctor smiled down at her, "Very special."

Clara glanced around the small alley, before she noticed the area just under their feet was entirely dry, literally dry, like a circle in the snow that showed the cobblestone, "Is that going to 'appen again?"

The Doctor just tucked a strand of hair behind Angel's ear before he turned to Clara, "Well, if it does, you know what to do about it," he put his arm around Angel's shoulders both for the closeness and the offered support.

"Unless I forget," Clara glanced at the worm.

Ayla giggled at that, "I like her."

~8~

The Doctor opened the carriage door, helping Clara in, "Don't come looking for us," he told her, pointing a finger in her face, "Forget about us. You understand?" Clara frowned at him and he grew serious, the safety of his family was at stake, he was not about to risk sounding even remotely playful or joking or take that risk with their safety because a human was throwing a tantrum, "Do you?"

Clara sighed and nodded, "But what about the snow? Shouldn't we be warning people?"

The Doctor shook his head, "I'm retired," he told her, not noticing Angel's sad expression behind him.

Ayla took a breath and rushed over to shake Clara's hand, "Merry Christmas!" she smiled at the woman.

"Merry Christmas," she offered before the Doctor closed the door.

"Take her back where we found her," he told Strax.

Strax sighed, "Sir," and whipped the reins, leading the horses on as the Doctor and Angel took Ayla's hands and walked off.

Angel glanced over her shoulder as the carriage departed, smiling softly when she saw Clara standing behind it, having snuck out the side. Clara gasped, her eyes wide, when she saw she'd been caught. But Angel just winked before turning to continue on, a secret smile on her face as she kept that little detail from the Doctor.

Clara beamed and dashed after them.

~8~

The Doctor hopped over a railing around a small park, turning to reach over it and pick Ayla up, carrying her in his arms as he held out a hand to help Angel over as well, the three of them walking down a snowy path towards a tree that was growing right in the middle of the area. He grinned and spun around, making Ayla squeal before he held her up in the air. Ayla reached out, grabbing something in the darkness of the sky and the Doctor slowly lowered her to the ground, the girl bringing a ladder down with her.

Angel glanced back, as though to make sure the coast was clear, before smiling as she caught sight of Clara hiding behind a tree on the other side of the gates.

"Off you go sweetheart," she heard the Doctor say and turned to see Ayla climbing up the ladder, the Doctor behind her, making sure she wouldn't fall. He paused on a rung and held out a hand to her. She smiled and took it, making her way to the ladder and up it as well, the three of them vanishing into thin air from Clara's point of view.

Clara ran forward, into the park, just as the ladder gave a clunk and started to lift again, disappearing into the darkness once more. She walked around, looking up but didn't see anything. She frowned, jumping to try and catch the bottom rung, only to fall to her back on the snow. She huffed, glaring up at the sky, before pushing herself up. She brushed her skirt off, clapped her hands together, readying herself, before taking a running leap…and hanging mid-air as she caught something.

"Come on," she murmured before the ladder gave way and started to lower for her.

She smiled, bringing it down before looking up it. She took a breath and started to climb, making her way onto a sort of platform in the air, the ladder rising beside her as she stepped off it. She looked down at the people walking past, not seeming to notice her.

"'ello," she called, waving at them, but they didn't see, "Invisible," she murmured, looking around, only to look up when she heard something above her. There were footsteps slowly climbing up the spiral staircase beside her.

"An invisible staircase," she nodded, that was new.

She turned and started to climb, watching the rooftops grown more distant with each step till she reached the top, a cloud, with an old, worn, blue police box in the middle of it. She looked down at the cloud, wary, before gently resting her foot on it, testing it. When she didn't fall through she stepped onto it, gasping as she threw her arms out wide, tentative, as she took a few more steps, growing more confident. She cautiously walked over to the door, raising her hand to knock when she heard the latch inside unlock.

Her eyes widened and she leapt to the side, hiding behind the corner of the box as the doors opened.

"I'm telling you someone is out here," Angel called from within.

"Well I don't see anyone," the Doctor replied, stepping out.

"Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it isn't there," Ayla stated wisely.

The Doctor smiled and looked back in the console room where his girls were, "Has your auntie been giving you lessons again?"

Ayla blinked and shook her head, walking out of the TARDIS to hug him, "No daddy, YOU taught me that."

He smiled down at her as he moved to crouch before her, "I did, did I?"

She nodded, smiling up at him, "You love me very much."

"That I do sweetheart," he nodded, taking both her hands in his, squeezing them.

"You can't SEE love, but it's always there," Ayla nodded resolutely, putting her little hand on the center of her father's chest.

"That it is," the Doctor agreed, looking into the TARDIS, 'You CAN see love though,' he called to Angel as she watched them softly.

'Oh?' she asked.

He looked down at Ayla, 'SHE is our love, in physical form.'

Angel beamed at that, so touched at how he viewed their daughter, it truly warmed her hearts so much to look at Ayla that way, and it was true, the girl was the result of their Mating, truly the last step in pledging their love to each other, 'That she is my love.'

"Well, come along sweetheart," he took Ayla's hand, "Let's see what's out here then. Your mum's not been wrong yet."

Clara's eyes widened as she heard him heading towards her spot and moved behind the TARDIS, making her way around the old box till she could dash off to the stairs while he was behind it.

She didn't even notice Angel had moved to the doorway to watch her run. She stepped out of the TARDIS as Clara ran down the stairs and walked over to the red shawl the woman had dropped.

"What is it dear?" the Doctor called as he and Ayla made their way around, to see her standing there with a red cloth in her hands.

"Curiosity at its finest," she smiled, turning to take his hand and lead him, a bit confused, into the TARDIS once more.

~8~

Simeon stood before the sphere, spooning snow samples into it, "Tonight the thaw," it called to him, "Tomorrow the snow will fall again, yet stronger. The drowned woman and the dreaming child will give us form at last. Tomorrow the snow will fall and so shall mankind. She is coming!"

~8~

Clara slowly blinked awake the next morning in a quaint bed at the pub, sitting up and smiling as she saw sunlight streaming through her window. She looked over at her bag with a new outfit in it and smiled wider, getting up and dressing before she made her way out of the pub.

"Look at that," she remarked, eyeing the little snow left over from last night, "Must 'ave thawed in the night."

"I'm begging you, Clara," the owner followed her out, "I'm on my knees."

She laughed, "Elsie is back this afternoon, and I was only 'elping out. I've got my own work to get back to."

"What work? Why won't you ever tell us?"

She smirked at him, heading for a carriage, "You'd never believe me," she laughed, getting in as the carriage left. She turned and pulled down the blinds, opening her bag to pull out a rather prim dress before starting to change her clothes.

~8~

The carriage pulled up to a large manor, Captain Latimer's home, the Darkover House, Clara stepping out of it, her hair tucked in, dressed as a high-class woman, as a maid with red hair stepped out to greet her, "Alice, how smart you look today," Clara smiled, even her accent had changed.

"The governess should enter by the back door, unless accompanied by the children," Alice remarked.

Clara gave her a knowing look at the jest, "And how are the children? Excited about tomorrow?"

"Francesca, same as ever. Digby said he missed you every day. Captain Latimer wants to see you."

"Of course," she nodded, moving past Alice, only to pause a few feet in and look back at her, "Every day?"

Alice smiled, "Twice on Saturdays."

She nodded, pleased, "That's better."

~8~

There was a knock on the door to the study as Clara entered to see the master of the house standing within, "Captain Latimer."

"Ah. Miss Montague," he turned to smile at her, "You're back."

"In time for Christmas. Apologies for my brief absence. Family illness is so unpredictable," she couldn't help but think it was quite lucky that the man didn't frequent the pubs else he'd certainly know she was lying, "You wanted to see me?"

"Francesca has been having nightmares."

"Young girls often do," she clasped her hands before her.

"Every night this week, she says. Won't tell me about them."

"Perhaps if you asked her in the right way, there's no one she'd rather tell."

"Children are not really my area of expertise," he admitted uncomfortably.

"They are, however, your children," she reminded him.

He nodded, moving to lean against a fireplace, "You have, if I may say, a remarkable amount of wisdom in these matters, for one so very pretty, Miss Montague…" she gave him a smirking look and he realized what he'd said, "Young! I mean."

She nodded, not at all perturbed by his slip, she was...aware of his fancy for her, yet he was her employer and that would be highly improper, even for a barmaid, and...to be honest, he wasn't quite her type, "I'll see to the children now," before making her way out of his office and down a hall to a door to the courtyard, stepping out to see two children, a girl and a young boy playing chase out in the snow.

"Miss Montague!" Francesca shouted, spotting her.

"Miss Montague, you're back!" Digby called, rushing over to her with his sister.

"Ah, ah, ah!" she held out her hands to stop them.

Digby sighed, "Good morning, Miss Montague."

"Good morning, Miss Montague," his sister repeated.

Clara nodded, reaching out to shake their hands, "Good morning, Francesca. Good morning, Digby. Christmas Eve is the most thrilling day, don't you think? Now, what have you two been up to while I've been away?"

"I did seven drawings and we saw a dead cow," Digby said excitedly.

Clara blinked, "Well…" she wasn't quite sure what to say to that, "How exciting."

Digby glanced at his sister before leaning into speak quietly, "Do your secret voice."

Clara glanced around before leaning forward, "'Ello, mates."

The children giggled, pleased they were the only one who knew her secret of who she really was, that she was the local barmaid. Their father never stepped foot in the pubs, he had no idea, but they'd caught her out a few times, when her accent slipped, gotten the tale out of her and promised to keep her secret. They really did love her, she was the best governess they'd ever had!

~8~

"They're not exactly nightmares," Francesca told Clara later that morning as they sat on a bench, talking, Digby playing in the snow, "Just dreams."

"About our old governess," Digby added, "The one who died. She's haunting Frannie from beyond the grave."

"Haven't you spoken to your father about this?" Clara turned to Francesca.

"You can't talk about things like that to daddy," the girl said sadly.

"You could try," she offered, thinking, actually, about Ayla.

It was quite clear that that little girl had one of the best relationships with her father and the Doctor himself loved that little girl more than anything. He struck her as the sort to always be there for his daughter, to be the one tucking her in when she had a nightmare, to lull her to sleep with stories. She hoped to try and help Latimer and Francesca build the same sort of relationship, she could tell the girl truly loved her father but he was having a bit of difficulty connecting to his children after his wife had passed.

Perhaps...if she could find the Doctor again, she could persuade him to speak to the captain? The man clearly knew exactly how to handle children and, she rather thought, the children might enjoy playing with Ayla. Angel seemed like a lovely person and she wouldn't mind being able to speak with her longer than she had the night before.

"Do you want to see where she died?" Digby grinned, ever the boy.

Clara gave him a curious look but nodded. He took her hand and led her around the side of the house, dropping it to walk closer to a small pond in the front of the house, Frannie and Clara walking behind him.

"She fell in there," he pointed, "And then it froze. She was in the ice for days and days. I hated her. She was cross all the time. In Frannie's dream she's still down there, waiting to come back."

Clara moved closer to the pond, leaning over to tap the froze surface, frowning, "Everything else has thawed, but this pond is still frozen," she looked down, recalling what the Doctor had said the night before. 'The snow is feeding off your thoughts. The more you think about the snowmen, the more they appear.' She turned around to sit on the edge of the pond, taking Frannie's hands, "Frannie, this is important. You dream about her. What do you dream?"

"She's cross with me," Frannie said quietly, "She says I've been bad, and she's going to come out of the pond and punish me."

"When?"

"She said she'd come back for Christmas. Tonight."

"I think Frannie's gone mad, don't you?" Digby called, though the concern for his sister was evident in his voice, "I think she needs a doctor."

Clara's eyes widened, that was JUST what she needed. A Doctor to help her…and a guardian Angel to protect her dreams.

~8~

Clara strode through town, back to the park, walking right to the tree the box had been above, looking up only to see the ladder was gone, "Doctor!" she called up, "Angel!"

"What's she looking at?" a man wondered as a small crowd drew together to watch Clara jumping, trying to grasp the air.

"She's asking for a doctor," another remarked as Jenny passed by.

"Doctor!" Clara jumped.

Jenny rushed into the park, "Now then, that's enough noise," she called to the woman, walking closer so they could speak quietly, "We don't want to attract attention, do we?"

"I'm looking for the Doctor," Clara turned to her, sensing something in Jenny's words, "Do you know about him? The Doctor? Angel? Ayla? Any of them."

Jenny just gave her a knowing smile, "Doctor who?"

Clara grinned, "Thank you."

Chapter Text

Clara blinked as she saw that brown fellow, Strax the Doctor had called him, standing before her in a lovely home only a short while later, "Do not attempt to escape or you will be obliterated!" he told her, before holding out his arm, "May I take your coat?"

Clara nodded slowly, handing it over, before Jenny led her into a small sunroom just beyond the foyer, the room warm and inviting despite the cold chill outside, a lizard woman in a dress sitting on a peacock chair with plants around her, sipping red liquid from a glass, was within.

"Sit," Jenny gestured at the chair across from the woman.

"There are two refreshments in your world the color of red wine," Vastra commented, setting her glass aside, "This is not red wine."

"Madame Vastra will ask you questions," Jenny began, "You will confine yourself to single word responses. One word only, do you understand?"

"Why?" Clara frowned, glancing at Jenny, but it was Vastra who spoke.

"Truth is singular," Vastra remarked, "Lies are words, words, words and as we do not have the benefit of a psychic present, it is up to us to determine the truth. I have found this to be the best method for it," she eyed Clara a moment, seeing a hint of recognition in the girl's eyes, that she knew exactly what 'psychic' she was talking about, "You met the Doctor, didn't you? His Mate, the Angel, and their daughter, the young Miss Ayla?"

Clara nodded, "Yes."

"And now you've come looking for them again," Vastra's eyes narrowed, "Why?"

She was very...protective of the family. They had done so much for her over the years, not only in keeping her from attacking innocents, the very same innocents she now strove to protect, but also in...helping her heal. Her sisters had been lost during that extension of the Underground being established, cave-ins and collapses had been terrible and she'd been the only one to escape. It had been a terrible loss, to look back and see all her sisters and her people gone in an instant, she had been filled with a terrible rage and just wanted revenge...hadn't cared who she took it on. But then...she'd run into the Time Lords, quite literally, tried to attack them too and...she honestly had no idea how it happened, it was all just a blur of pain to her.

But...the next thing she knew she was sobbing on Angel's shoulders, the woman trying to comfort her as the Doctor sat before her, speaking quietly of their own loss, of how it had happened in an instant to them as well. He talked of his rage and his anger, but how it had been HIS fault that their people were gone. He'd smiled at Angel and taken her hand, telling her that there was always hope, that if one branch had been in the Underground, then there had to be others out there somewhere, that no one was meant to be alone. To see the two of them, to learn their story, to find that they had both thought themselves alone and found one another, found another in such an impossible way had given her hope that her people still existed. And for that she was eternally grateful to them, for them to restore her hope like that.

And she owed them, very much, for she had failed them. She owed the Doctor and Angel a debt, a debt which had not been repaid as far as she was concerned. Yes, she and Jenny had gone to Demons Run, they had fought, they had survived and rescued Angel, but only part of their target had been saved. Ayla had been lost, their debt was unpaid in full. And they were not going to let anything harm that little girl again, not when they had failed to protect her the first time. And the girl...she called her and Jenny her aunts despite her being a lizard. It was like...having a family again, that little girl seeing not a lizard but a woman who cared for her. It made her even more protective over that little girl.

Clara looked down, trying to think of a word to express what she was thinking and why she needed to find them.

"Take your time," Jenny called, "One word only."

Clara looked up, feeling a thought come to her, "Curiosity."

"About?" Vastra tilted her head.

"Snow."

"And about them?"

"Yes."

"What do you want from them?"

"Help."

"Why?"

"Danger."

"Why would they help you? Why would the Doctor?"

"Kindness," Clara breathed, shaking her head a little, why would someone NOT help another in need?

Vastra gave a small scoff, "The Doctor is not kind."

"No?" Clara nearly scoffed as well, something inside her, a niggling in the back of her mind, telling her that wasn't like the Doctor at all.

"No," Vastra said with finality, eyeing Clara intently as she spoke, "The Doctor doesn't help people. Not anyone, not ever. He stands above this world and doesn't interfere in the affairs of its inhabitants. He is not your salvation, nor your protector. Do you understand what I am saying to you?"

Clara nodded, "Words."

Vastra smiled at that, at how Clara had seen through her little ruse. If she was going to get in contact with the Time Lords, if she was going to relay a message to them for Clara...she needed to know that Clara was worth it, that she was worth risking the Doctor's ire in calling him off his cloud again. And the only ones worthy, in her mind, were the ones that believed in the Doctor more than anything. To see Clara believing that everything she'd just said about him were false...it meant she believed he was a good man, believed that he would help. And if enough people believed that, then maybe they could get him to believe it as well.

"He was different once," Vastra sighed, turning thoughtful, "A long time ago. Kind, yes. A hero, even. The saver of worlds. But he suffered losses which hurt him. Losses which made him realize just how fragile life can be, how quickly the losses can come, how close they can strike. Now he desires to spend only time with his Mate and daughter, in the hopes of protecting them. Kindly choose a word to indicate your understanding of this."

"Family," Clara said softly.

"We are the Doctor's friends. We assist him in his isolation but that does not mean we approve of it, nor does it mean his Mate supports him in it," she eyed Clara a moment, "She warned me that you would be coming," she added, thinking of a small message that Angel had given her over the phone, "So, a test for you. Give me a message for the Doctor and Angel. Tell them all about the snow and what fresh danger you believe it presents, and above all, explain why he should help you," she reached out to stop Clara speaking, putting a gloved finger to the woman's lips, "But do it in one word," Clara's eyes widened, "You're thinking it is impossible such a word exists, or that you could even find it. Let's see if the gods are with you," she pulled back, waiting.

Clara looked down, her eyes darting back and forth as she thought…when suddenly…a word came to her…

~8~

"Pond," Angel smiled, her hand resting on the rotor of the console, the TARDIS humming in time with her, the telepathic circuits helping her connect psychically to the girl Clara, as she had been doing all along.

~8~

Clara blinked and looked up, "Pond."

Vastra smiled.

~8~

"Mummy that's cheating," Ayla told her mother, though she was smiling and excitedly kicking her legs as she sat on the side chair, she rather liked Clara and she was very eager to see the girl again, but she knew her daddy was still hesitant about that.

"No, that's helping," she moved to kneel before her daughter, taking her hands, "We both know your daddy can be a bit slow, don't we?"

It wasn't that she was cheating per say, more...giving Clara nudge. There were so many words that could be used to get to the Doctor, but it needed to be one that would really get him off the cloud and keep him fighting. She knew the Doctor better than anyone, and, knowing what she did, she just...wanted to help Clara help him. There was something...odd about the girl, odd yet familiar and...she couldn't help but feel like Clara really would be his next companion. She had meant waht she said when they had lost Rose, that they would both have companions before and after they lost one, but that they had to keep going and keep living and keep their hearts open otherwise they'd miss out on the most fantastic people. And she could tell Clara would be good for all of them.

Ayla giggled, "I think that's just boys mummy."

Angel laughed, "Oh I think so too," she squeezed her hands, "Boys will always need our help won't they?" Ayla nodded, "For instance...why don't you go help your father pick a book to read to you?"

Ayla grinned and dashed off to the library where her father was, he'd promised to read her a story but it seemed he'd gotten lost...or distracted, two things he could easily do in a paper bag.

Angel smiled and got up, moving to stroke the rotor again, "Thank you for helping me Sissy."

The TARDIS hummed, pleased.

"Yes," she nodded, "I rather like Clara too."

~8~

"Or I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house down!" the Doctor imitated a wolf, though breaking character to tickle his daughter as she sat beside him, on the floor of the console with their backs pressed to the console, him reading Earth fairytales to her.

Ayla giggled as Angel sat across from them, smiling at the sight, just so...happy to see her family together, her Time Family at least. The sight of the Doctor and Ayla together, father and daughter, smiling and laughing and being so happy just...touched her deeply. She would never ever get over how much she loved them both.

Her thoughts were cut off, however, when the phone rang.

The Doctor sighed, already guessing it was either Vastra, wanting them to come down, or...well, Vastra. The other companions hadn't called them lately, they...hadn't told them about the Ponds. It was just...too hard. They knew they would have to tell them, especially for Christmas, but...with a time machine they could go a little longer before they had to tell anyone the Ponds wouldn't be hosting Christmas or attending the other holidays again.

Ayla though, just jumped up to answer it, "Hello! This is the TARDIS and I'm Ayla! How can I help you?"

The Time Lords laughed at their daughter's greeting. He'd noticed that Angel always tended to say 'nice to meet you' even if it wasn't all that nice, their daughter had seemed to inherit that, though mixed with his own sense of chivalry, she always asked how could she help someone, it was endlessly sweet to see her caring about others so much.

"Uh huh," Ayla nodded, listening to the voice on the other end. The Doctor looked at Angel who mouthed 'Vastra' before he nodded, "Uh huh, yep!" she turned and held the phone out to the Doctor, "It's Aunt Vastra, daddy, she wants to talk to you."

He smiled and reached out, taking the phone as he stood, "Yes? What? We were in the middle of storytime."

"Miss Clara and her concerns about the snow," Vastra replied, "I gave her the one word test."

He sighed, "That's always pointless you know."

"What did she say?" Angel called as Ayla moved to curl up in her lap, winding her arms around her daughter as they both looked up at him.

He smiled at the sight, his annoyance at the interruption curbed at their smiles, and turned back to the phone, "What did she say?"

"Pond," was Vastra's reply.

The Doctor froze, slowly pulling off his reading glasses, Amy's round reading glasses, to look at them. Angel shifted Ayla to the side and stood, moving to his side, hugging him round the middle from behind. He held the glasses in his hand as he put his one arm over hers, patting her hand and squeezing it in thanks.

"Strax has already suggested where to start investigating," Vastra added before hanging up.

~8~

Dr. Simeon sat at his desk, writing away, checking his notes about his very important and very secret project...when the lights started to flash, "Danger!" the sphere called, "Danger!"

He was on his feet in an instant, rushing over to it, "What's wrong?"

"There is danger here. An intelligence. An intelligence beyond anything else in this time and place!"

"Dr. Simeon, sir!" a young man bust into the room, "There's someone demanding to see you."

"No callers, not in here, not ever," he called, not even looking away from the snow, "Did he leave his name?"

"Sir," the man breathed, "It's Sherlock Holmes!"

The door behind the servant opened and the Doctor stepped in, dressed in a deerstalker hat, a tan cape, with a walking cane and a Meerschaum pipe stuck in his mouth, alone. He and Angel had agreed to this one separation. She felt that going to confront the man responsible for the odd winter wasn't dangerous, that she and Ayla could come with him and observe, but he'd insisted that, if it wasn't dangerous, then he could handle it himself. He was not about to risk them, not for anything. Anything that he could possibly do himself, without dragging them along, he would do his best to take care of and ensure that they wouldn't be in danger should anything go wrong. He'd pointed out that they could split up, him meeting with Simeon, them meeting with Vastra and Strax and Jenny for more information and...he would rather have them around the people willing to protect them rather than the man who seemed to be ready to destroy the world somehow.

Well, it wasn't set in stone that the man was trying to destroy the world, but what else could it be? It was the go-to reason to come to Earth wasn't it? It seemed like every enemy either wanted to destroy the Earth or enslave it. Even Luke Rattigan and his ATMOS, under the guise of benefiting the world and helping was a trap and meant to poison the humans. Why couldn't any other alien just want to come to Earth to help them, like he did, for no other reason than to be kind and helpful?

"Oh, nice office," he looked around, spotting the snow-sphere, "Big globey thing. Now, shut up, don't tell me!" he pointed his cane at Simeon, "I see from your collar stud you have an apple tree and a wife with a limp. Am I right?"

"No," Simeon deadpanned.

"Do you have a wife?"

"No."

"Bit of a tree? Bit of a wife? Some apples? Come on, work with me here," he mock-pleaded, though he couldn't help but think, if Angel were there, she'd have known the answers and stopped him from talking, known JUST what to ask to make it seem like he really was Sherlock Holmes.

"I enjoy 'The Strand' magazine as much as the next man, but I am perfectly aware that Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character," Simeon stated, before pointing violently at the doors, "Get out!"

The Doctor just turned to the young servant who had rushed in earlier, "Do you have a goldfish named Colin?"

The servant looked up a moment, actually seeming to need to really think about it, "No."

"Thought not," he grinned at Simeon before turning to the desk behind him, picking up a small card, "Now, ooh. I see this is one of your business cards. It says so on the front."

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" Simeon glared, waving the other servant off as the man dashed out of the room, closing the doors behind him.

"This," he ran at the sphere, "Wakey, wakey!" and started to bash his cane against it.

"That is highly valuable equipment!" Simeon rushed to stop him, "You must step away now."

"We are the Intelligence," the sphere spoke.

The Doctor looked over at it a moment, "Ooh. Talking snow. I love new things," and he couldn't help but think Ayla would have loved it too...perhaps he should have let them come.

"You are not of this world."

"Takes one to snow one."

No one laughed.

Ayla would have.

Angel would have smiled.

"Right," he shook his head, already feeling the pings of pain he always felt whenever he was away from Ayla or Angel too long.

It had only been a few minutes, just a few minutes, a collection of measly seconds and...he already felt the desire rising in him to get back to them, the pain and clenching of his hearts to know he wasn't right by their side, protecting them. The nightmares, every time he left them for only a moment something terrible happened. And even though he knew they were safe with Vastra, it didn't help calm him, because HE should be there with them, HE should be the one protecting them. If anything happened to them, it would be his fault for not having been there to keep them safe.

He should have let them come.

"Let's see," he cleared his throat, looking at the globe now more seriously than before, the sooner he got this done and dealt with the sooner he could return to his girls, "Multi-nucleate crystalline organism with the ability to mimic and mirror what it finds. Looks like snow. Isn't snow."

"You must leave here now!" Simeon glared.

"Shut up, I'm making deductions," the Doctor said, moving around the sphere, "It's very exciting. Now, what are you, eh? A flock of space crystals? A swarm?" Simeon ran for the bells to alert the servants to his need of them, "The snowmen are foot soldiers, mindless predators. But you, you're the clever one. You're Moriarty. So, you turn up on a planet, you generate a telepathic field to learn what you can, and when you've learnt enough, what do you do?" he slowly pulled the sonic behind his back and flashed it at the doors, locking them, "You can't conquer the world using snowmen. Snowmen are rubbish in July. You'll have to be better than that. You'll have to evolve."

"Sir, it appears to be stuck!" a servant shoved against the main doors.

Simeon looked at them and back to the Doctor, "What have you done? Have you locked the doors?" before rushing over to jiggle the handles.

"You need to translate yourself into something more, well, human," the Doctor continued to speak to the Intelligence.

"Kick it down!" Simeon shouted through the door.

"To do that you'd need a perfect duplicate of human DNA in ice form. Where do you find that?"

"Sir?" the men called.

"Get in here, quickly!" he hissed.

"I've got a master key somewhere, sir..."

The Doctor just ran for the desk, sifting through the papers, "Now, let's see. Most opened file, most viewed page," he picked up a small book and dropped it, letting it fall open to the most creased page, a newspaper clipping stuck to it of the 'Darkover House' and how a governess had died there, "You know, you really should delete your history. Governess frozen in pond. Gotcha!" he turned and dashed off.

"Got it, sir!" the servant called as the doors flew open.

"Get in here!" Simeon turned to stalk into the room, "Take him downstairs..." he frowned, seeing the Doctor had already escaped, the French doors open.

~8~

"What are you doing here?" the Doctor asked as he strolled up to the pond outside of the Darkover House, only to see Angel and Ayla were already there, Ayla sitting on the edge of the pond while Angel knelt down to touch the ice coating it, her eyes faintly glowing gold as though testing it for its ability to melt.

"I'm psychic, my love," she called, pulling back to smile at him, moving to sit beside her daughter, "Pond. Clara. Not very hard to deduce," she gave him a small knowing smirk, "I used the TARDIS datacore to track Clara to this home where she's governess."

He laughed at that, at the small joke about his brief time as Sherlock Holmes. He walked over to her, leaning down to kiss her, "So what did we learn?" he asked his girls, sitting across from them, not caring that he was sitting in snow, Angel had seemed to have melted a small area where they were sitting.

"The ice," she nodded back at it, "Everything thawed by this morning, but this pond is still frozen solid. The ice...it feels like the snow, but more concentrated, it isn't melting as easily as when I stopped the kept the snowmen away."

He nodded, pulling out his sonic, about to scan the pond before flipping it in his hand and holding it out to Ayla, "Care to do the honors sweetheart?"

Ayla beamed, "Can I?!"

He laughed and nodded, "Of course."

Ayla leapt up, taking the sonic and scanning the pond as she carefully walked around its edge and back to her father, handing him the sonic back as he checked the readings, "Did I do ok daddy?"

He smiled at the results, kissing her head as he hugged her to his side, "You did just perfect sweetheart!" he moved to sit beside Angel, Ayla plopping down on his other side as he held the sonic out, explaining the results to her, "Body frozen in a pond. The snow gets a good long look at a human being, like a full body scan. Everything they need to evolve. Pond. Good point, Clara."

Ayla cast a sly smile at her mother, who put her finger to her lips, winking, before the woman called out, "Hello Strax," a moment before the Sontaran appeared around a corner, walking towards them with a rather large alien gun in hand.

"What are you doing here?" the Doctor eyed him.

"Madame Vastra wondered if you were needing any grenades?" he replied.

"Grenades?"

Ayla giggled, Strax was SO funny, he always amused her whenever she would visit Vastra and Jenny. When her parents would go talk to the other women, Strax would play with her. He always wanted to play battle games though, with his little soldier figurines, which always ended up with him using the little 'him' she'd made out of a baked potato, sitting on top of a pile of conquered humans. She'd managed to talk him into playing chess though, she loved it! Her daddy had taught her all about it, how to play it, and she thought Strax would like a game that could be seen as being about strategy and anticipating what your opponent (enemy, he called it) would do. He seemed to like it well enough, though he always got cross and pouty when she won...which was quite a lot of the time. So she always tried to give him a hug to make him feel better.

He always complained about the hugs, how it was 'embarrassing for a warrior to be held by a child' but he always hugged her back, so she thought he secretly enjoyed them.

"Or did she wonder if we needed help?" Angel asked with an amused smile.

Strax thought a moment, nodding, "She might have said help."

"Help for what?" the Doctor shook his head.

"Well, your investigation."

"Investigation?" he rolled his eyes, scoffing, "Who says I'm investigating? Do you think I'm going to start investigating just because some bird smiles at me? Sorry but she's just not Angel. And even if I did decide to take a look around, why would I need your help when I've got my girls?" he put his arms around Angel and Ayla, "What better team eh?" he smiled at them, "Smith and Jones and..." he blinked, glancing at Ayla, not quite sure which surname she'd want to use...which might be something to know for the future.

"Harkness!" Ayla cheered, making them both laugh, "Or Smith-Jones."

The Doctor shook his head at that, too many surnames, they'd have to work it out later. He glanced back at Strax, remembering exactly what he'd been about to say, "But that doesn't mean I'm investigating. Who do you think I am?"

Strax was silent a moment, "Sherlock Holmes?"

He shook his head as the girls laughed, "Don't be clever, Strax. It doesn't suit you," he pouted.

"Sorry, sir."

"I'm the clever one, you're the potato one, she's the little one," he nodded at Ayla, "And she's the special one," and then at Angel.

"Yes, sir," Strax sighed.

"Now," he made a shooing motion, "Go away."

"Yes," Strax turned to leave, "Mister Holmes."

"Oi! Shut up. You're not clever or funny and you've got tiny little legs!" Ayla giggled at that, when the area around them lit up in a warmer glow. They looked over their shoulders to see Clara at the window of the house, the curtain pulled back. She smiled and waved a them, the three waving back.

"Ok, just tell her we're leaving," the Doctor looked at the girls, who rolled their eyes, "We're not going up. Leaving. Not going up."

And then all three of them held up a 5 and a thumbs up.

"What was that about?" he looked between them, "Five minutes, where did that come from?"

Ayla giggled, "You did it too daddy," she told him, poking him on the nose, before getting up and skipping off towards the house.

The Doctor had to smile and take Angel's hand, helping her up, "You are no Sherlock Holmes," Angel remarked.

"I know," he sighed, he was rather rubbish at deductions if he couldn't even deduce where his own hand signal had come from.

"Because that's not who you are."

He looked at her, "And who am I dear?"

She smiled, "Well my love, the Oncoming Storm, John Smith, the Doctor, Ayla's father, my Mate, my Theta...and the madman with the box," she kissed him quickly, "Much more impressive a resume than Sherlock Holmes could ever hope to have."

He beamed at that, winding his arm around her waist as they headed to the house after Ayla.

~8~

Just outside the walls around Darkover House, Strax, Jenny, and Vastra stood, peering around a corner, watching a carriage pull up to the gates, "It's the human male from the Institute. What's he doing here? Suggest we melt his brain using projectile acid fish and then interrogate him," Vastra and Jenny looked at him, "Other way round?"

They just shook their heads and returned to watching.

~8~

Clara turned away from the window, satisfied the trio were on their way up, and returned her attention to the children, "Am I going to have the nightmare tonight?" Frannie asked, moving to sit on her bed.

"Definitely not," she shook her head.

"How do you know?"

"Because," she smiled, "I've sent for someone to come and help."

"Who?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she patted Frannie's bed and Digby jumped beside his sister.

"Is it one of your stories? Your definitely true ones?"

"Ha!" she laughed, "All my stories are true."

"Like how you were born behind the clock face of Big Ben?" Digby smiled.

"Accounting for my acute sense of time."

" And you invented fish," Frannie added.

"Because I dislike swimming alone."

"So what's this one?" Digby asked.

She smiled, "There's a man called the Doctor who's married to an Angel. They live on a cloud in the sky with their own little girl," she tapped Frannie's nose, "And all they do, all day, every day, is to stop all the children in the world ever having bad dreams."

"I've been having bad dreams," Frannie said.

"They've been on holiday for Christmas. But I am confident they have decided to make an exception to help," she glanced at the lit candles as it flickered in a draft of the door opening, "And as a matter of fact, they're right here," she turned to the door as it opened more, expectant, "Aren't you?

Unfortunately, it was not at all the Doctor or Angel who entered, but a woman made of ice, the former governess!

"Bloomin' 'ell!" Clara jumped up as the children screamed, her accent slipping away.

"The children have been very naughty!" the governess reached for them.

"Get back. Now. Quickly!"

"You're doing your other voice," Digby told her as she ushered them back, around the governess.

"Yes love, did you notice?"

"Naughty, naughty children!" the governess screeched.

Clara grabbed their hands, "Run!" and pulled them out of the room, leading them into the schoolroom, shutting the door behind them as the children ran to the back of it.

"What do we do?" Digby cried, frightened.

Clara took Frannie's hands, "Frannie, Frannie, imagine 'er melting."

"What?" Frannie gasped.

"In your 'ead. Melt 'er."

"I can't!"

"I'm getting impatient!" the governess shouted through the door, shoving it open, half-breaking it down to get inside, "You have been very naughty!"

"What about the man and woman?" Digby tugged on Clara's skirt as she tried to keep them behind her, "You said they were here, the cloud man and his angel."

"Well, they're not, are they?" Clara gasped as the governess drew closer.

"Where's the Doctor?"

"I don't know!"

"Doctor?" a squeaky voice called, a little girl's. They looked over to see two puppets pop up in their hand puppet theater, a little princess, "Doctor? Doctor who?"

"Doctor me!" another one popped up, a Punch Puppet, aiming the screwdriver at the governess, shattering her.

The children and Clara lifted their arms to protect themselves from the shower of sharp ice shards about to rain on them, when a voice spoke beside Clara, a warm hand resting on her shoulder, "It's alright," Angel said and they looked up to see a golden wall before them, her eyes faintly glowing, protecting them from the ice as it fell to the floor.

"That's the way to do it!" the Doctor appeared in the theater beside Punch, who turned and kissed him, "Oi!" then slapped him, "Ow!"

So the little princess whacked Punch, "You're being mean!" she told the puppet before she stood, Ayla appearing next to her father who laughed and took her hand, setting down the puppet to step out as Angel lowered the golden barrier.

~8~

Simeon stepped before a device on the back of his carriage, turning it on and blasting snow right at the house.

~8~

"Where did she go?" Frannie looked around, seeing the ice on the floor, "Will she come back?"

"Don't worry Frannie," Angel reassured her, moving to kneel on the floor, holding out her hand which started to glow, melting the ice chunks into puddles of water. Much easier to melt in pieces and now that she knew how much power and energy would be needed to do it.

"My Mate is seeing to it that she drains through your carpet," the Doctor added, flipping the sonic in his hand, "New setting. Anti-freeze," before he put it into his coat, smiling at Clara, "And you're very welcome, by the way."

"I'm very grateful," she nodded, "I knew you'd come."

"No, you didn't, because you're not psychic, and I don't. Because this isn't the sort of thing I do anymore. Next time you're in trouble, don't expect me to..."

"Dear?" Angel cut in, standing and brushing off her hands.

"What?" he looked at her, his tirade cut off and forgotten upon her call.

"Come here my love," she held out a hand to him which he immediately took and walked over to her, she simply turned him to face the mirror hanging on the wall, "Who is that man I see?" she asked, leaning to rest her chin on his shoulder, "Staring straight back at me?" Ayla grinned, hearing a bit of her favorite Disney movie in her mother's words, "I'm starting to wonder where my Mate's got to."

"He's right here," he told her, moving to rest his hands on her arms as she draped her own around his chest.

She smiled and straightened his bowtie from behind him, "He's getting there," she kissed his cheek.

He smiled softly at that and gently ran his thumb over her arm before he turned to rest his forehead to the side of head.

"It's cooler…" Clara breathed suddenly, her gaze on the window where a frost was forming.

"Yeah," he nodded, patting his bowtie, "It is, isn't it sweetheart?" he looked at Ayla.

"Very cool," she nodded, tapping her little bowtie clip that she still wore as a necklace.

"Bowties are cool," he smiled at her.

"No, the room," Clara cut in, "The room's getting colder."

"Come on!" Angel suddenly took the Doctor's hand and Ayla's rushing for the door as a bulge started to form in the carpet.

"She's coming back!" Digby cried as they followed.

"What's she going to do?" Frannie asked, "Is she going to punish me?"

The Doctor paused in the doorway, trying to flash the reforming ice clumps, "Er, er, she's learnt not to melt. Of course, she's not really a governess, she's just a beast. She's going to eat you."

"Run," Angel took his hand again and pulling him out of the room. They dashed down the hall, the adults pushing the children ahead of them.

Frannie and Digby held hands as they hurried down the stairs, Ayla just behind them, when the children's father stepped out of his study at the sound of the trampling down the steps, "Children, what is the expla…" he frowned, seeing the other two and another child with Clara, "Who the devil are you? What are you doing in my house?"

"It's ok," the Doctor held up his hands, "We are your governess'…"

"Friends," Angel cut in, stepping down the rest of the stairs and holding out her hand to the man, "Nice to meet you Captain Latimer."

"Um…" the man shook his head, shaking her hand as well, not quite sure what to make of her, she seemed polite enough.

"I'm Angela," she introduced, "And this is my husband John, and our daughter Ayla."

"Captain Latimer," Alice, the maid, ran in, frantic, "In the garden, there's snowmen! And they're just growing out of nowhere, all by themselves. Look!" she ran to the front door as someone started knocking on it.

"Good evening," Vastra, sans veil, greeted when the door had been opened, "I'm a Lizard Woman from the Dawn of Time, and this is my wife," she nodded at Jenny.

Alice just screamed and turned to run…

"This dwelling is under attack!" Strax deemed, stepping out of a back room, having snuck in as he secured the back entrances, "Remain calm, human scum."

Alice just screamed…and then fainted this time, Angel standing right behind her to catch her, as though knowing that was going to happen.

"So, any questions?" the Doctor smiled, clapping his hands together.

"I do!" Ayla raised her hand, eager and excited for answers to them.

He gave a little laugh, "About the snow sweetheart."

"Oh," Ayla blinked and lowered her hand, pouting.

"Vastra," Angel turned to her, "What's happening?"

"The snow is highly localized, and on this occasion not naturally occurring," she replied.

"It's coming out of that cab parked by the gates," Jenny called from the window, keeping a lookout.

"Sir," Strax stepped up, "One pulver grenade would blow these snowmen to smithereens."

"They're snow Mr. Strax," Ayla tugged on the Sontaran's sleeve, "They're made of smith...smidder...little bits."

"See, Clara?" the Doctor smiled fondly, "Our friends again."

"Clara?" Latimer frowned and turned to Clara, "Who's Clara?"

"Your current governess is, in reality, a former barmaid called Clara."

"That's the way to do it!" the ice governess called from up stairs, making her way to them, Angel turned and held out a hand, bringing up a golden wall, keeping the woman back for the moment as she reached the landing just above them.

"Meanwhile your previous governess is now a living ice sculpture impersonating Mr. Punch," the Doctor added, before turning to Jenny, "Jenny, what have you got?"

Jenny pulled a small box from her bag and tossed it up the stairs. As soon as it hit the golden wall it crackled red and Angel stepped back, lowering her hand as the new red force field took the golden wall's place.

"That should hold it," Jenny smiled.

"Thank you," Angel turned to her.

"Sir, this room," Strax called, nodding back to the study Latimer had been in, "One observational window on the line of attack and one defendable entrance. Safest place for the child," he turned his glance at Ayla, knowing that was the one tactic he could use against the Doctor to get him to agree.

The Doctor nodded, putting a hand on Ayla's shoulder, "Right, everyone in there. Now. Move it," he looked back at Latimer as he led Ayla to the room, "You, carry her," her jerked a thumb at the fallen maid, "Come along sweetheart."

Vastra smiled as she and Angel watched him go, "Nice to see him off that cloud and engaging again," she commented, looking up at Angel as she stood on a step.

"He has missed this," she admitted to the woman. He loved saving the world, creating a legacy and a hero for his daughter.

They glanced back at the governess as she beat against the force field.

Chapter Text

"We'd best go," Angel told the lizard woman, linking arms with Vastra's and heading into the study as well, shutting the door behind them.

"Strax, how long have we got?" the Doctor turned to the Sontaran once he was sure they were all inside and safe for the moment.

He was standing with Ayla close, mimicking a stance he had often seen Angel take with their daughter, her before him, his hands clasped but his arms resting in front of her over her shoulders, around her, Ayla with her own little hands hanging on his arms. It was a protective gesture, one he knew made Ayla feel safe, even if she didn't require being reassured (she seemed to have a touching amount of faith in him and Angel) it made him feel better to have her so close, to know and feel she was safe and alright. It made it all...more bearable, to deal with the danger when he knew HE was there and that his little girl was safe in his arms for the moment.

He worried for Ayla especially, even a bit more than Angel. With Angel, he knew her visions and sensations and the Vortex could keep her safe till he managed to get back to her if ever they were separated. Even with her hesitancy to use the Vortex lately, he knew she would still be able to protect herself or get herself out of there. Ayla...god help whoever tried to take her from him or Angel. She was his...his baby, his little girl, she...she was so small and she needed protecting. He was her father, her daddy, it was his duty to make sure she was always protected...

And he'd failed.

He'd already failed at that, his daughter, barely six years old at the time, had regenerated. It was like a slap in the face, to see her regenerate, a dagger to his hearts to know he'd been too late, to know he hadn't made the connection that it had been HER in the warehouse. He should have, he ought to have. He and Angel, they'd both...felt it, felt something off when they'd seen her for the first time after Canton had been knocked out. They'd just...stared at her, both of them just...feeling a pull towards her, like they were in a daze. They hadn't been able to look away, it was like the world faded from them...and Ayla had been there, reaching out to them, begging for help...and he'd run away.

He winced, recalling...he'd run away after Amy had shot at her. If it hadn't been for Angel...he didn't even want to think about that, not ever. Not while he was awake at least. He was trying very hard not to let the nightmares get to him and affect his waking life, but...it was getting harder. He was sleeping less, his mind wasn't able to hold onto the fact that it was just nightmares at times. He would walk past a pond on some distant world and have to look back and make sure Ayla was still there, that she wasn't standing before him in a spacesuit. He hadn't been able to look at Vastra for the first few days of being there as all he saw was Restac and his mind went to Malokeh and that terrible ungodly dream. He was starting to see bits and pieces of his nightmares in little things around him and it was getting harder to focus on that, on the fact that they were nightmares and weren't real and that his family was still with him.

"They're not going to attack," the Sontaran replied, cutting into the Doctor's thoughts, "They made no attempt to conceal their arrival. An attack force would never abandon surprise so easily, and they're clearly in a defense formation."

He laughed, shaking his head more to clear it from the thoughts, moving to noogie the potato dwarf, "Way, aye, aye. Well done, Straxie. Still got it, buddy," before he kissed Strax's head, making a disgusted face after that had Ayla giggling from behind her hand.

"Sir, please do not noogie me during combat prep," Strax muttered.

'I am NOT kissing you, my love,' Angel called as he looked at her, still trying to wipe his mouth off on the back of his hand, 'Till you brush your teeth.'

He smiled a bit at that, feeling a sort of...challenge...rising, 'Oh...is that so?' he walked over to her as she nodded, 'I seem to recall,' he reached out and gently took her hand, tugging her closer, 'Quite a few times where you refused to kiss me for tasting something awful,' he smirked, 'I believe you failed to hold true to that almost every time.'

'Is someone keeping track?' she laughed in his mind.

But he just smiled softly at her, lifting his hand to touch her cheek with the back of his finger, 'Oh yes,' he nodded, 'I have.'

She blinked, 'Really?'

He let out a soft, breathy laugh, 'I do,' he leaned in to give her a peck, 'Every single time,' and another, 'Because every single one,' and one more, 'Is worth remembering,' before tilting her head up to kiss her deeply, a true and proper kiss.

Ayla shook her head at her parents, and her father used to complain about her aunt Amy! She looked over to see the other humans were staring at the Time Lords oddly. She could understand why. There was an Ice Lady on the stairs, the house was surrounded by snowmen, there were lizard people and walking potatoes in the room...and her parents were kissing in the middle of it, as though they'd forgotten the danger. She knew they hadn't, they seemed to be even more aware of it when she was there, but she knew that, sometimes they needed a bit of comfort before they could deal with the enemy.

"What the devil is going on!?" Captain Latimer shouted, the Time Lords slowly parting, not quite jolted out of their kiss from the sudden yell...almost seeming used to someone doing that to them.

Angel sighed, "They want the ice woman."

"Why's she so important?" Jenny shook her head.

"Because she's alive?" Angel shrugged, of everything the Doctor had rambled before that was all she had managed to gather, "Living ice with human DNA."

The Doctor nodded, draping his arm around Angel's shoulders, "She's a perfect duplication of it in ice crystal form. The ultimate fusion of snow and humanity. To live here, the snow needs to evolve and she's the blueprint. She's what they need to become. When the snow melted last night, did the pond?" he looked at Angel.

But it was Clara that also spoke, "No," they answered.

"Living ice that will never melt," the Doctor breathed, moving to brace himself on the edge of a desk, "If the snow gets hold of that creature on the stairs, it will learn to make more of them. It will build an army of ice. And it will be the last day of humanity on this planet."

"Oh that will never happen," Angel said as the doorbell rang.

He turned around, "And why's that?"

She smiled and walked up to him, tugging his bowtie, straightening it, "Because my Mate would never let his daughter's favorite planet, the planet that holds all our family on it, go that way," she smiled at him, "And when he gets here, I'm sure he'll have something to say about it all."

He looked up as the doorbell rang again, before he took her hand and led her to the door, glancing back at the others, "Stay here."

"Jenny, Vastra," she called as she followed, "Look after Ayla," she smiled at the girl, "You be good for your aunties."

"Yes mummy," Ayla nodded.

She knew what it meant when they did that, when they left her somewhere, it meant her parents were about to fight someone they weren't sure about, that they wanted her to be safe so they could be safe too. She didn't like it when her parents left her to fight someone else, because she never knew if they would be ok or if they might get her. Her feelings were getting stronger yes, but she wasn't anywhere near as strong or sure in them as her mother was. She knew it had taken her mother centuries to get to this point, where she almost felt the future as it was happening, a sensation of the world turning around her that the notions and feelings were nearly ever-present. And...she wasn't at the point of knowing if her feelings were true sensations or just wishful thinking. She didn't want them to get hurt, she liked to think they'd be ok, but she knew that if she went, the bad men would try to hurt her to hurt them or that she might distract them in them trying to protect her and they would get hurt!

She didn't ever want her parents hurt because of her. Not ever.

The Doctor smiled and pointed at her, winking before they slipped out of the room, Clara, of course, immediately following.

"Clara we told you to stay in there," Angel remarked, not even turning around as they left.

The Doctor, though, paused and looked back to see Clara had indeed followed them, "Oi!"

"I know," Clara nodded, "But I didn't listen."

"I can tell you do that a lot," Angel laughed.

Clara smiled, "It's why you like me."

"Who said we like you?" the Doctor eyed her.

"So you don't like me?" she pouted.

His eyes widened, seeing her looking like she was about to cry. It was...actually rather...odd. There was only one woman he'd ever known who did that expression, that exact expression and who always followed him wherever he went no matter how many times he told her to stay put. But she was long gone and it was...really rather...startling to see that look on Clara's face because it was SUCH a match to the expression that often made him cave so long ago, "N-no," he stuttered, actually fearing he may have hurt her feelings, "Of course we like you…"

She beamed, "Gotcha."

"But...I...you..." he shook his head at being caught like that, "Shut up!"

"Come on my love," Angel pulled him towards the front door with a laugh once more.

It was...highly amusing to see Clara get the best of the Doctor like that, so few could. But it was more than that, he seemed...comfortable around her. A comfort she hadn't seen him display around many women except Amy really, at least not since his memories had returned. She had seen how uncomfortable and distressed he'd been when Nefertiti had tried to 'seduce' him, even seen him stiffen when Kate who, for all intents and purposes, was essentially like a niece to him by now, had kissed his cheek. He wasn't very accepting or interested in being around other women besides her or the past companions. It just made her believe all the more that Clara was meant to be a future companion. The Doctor clearly felt comfortable enough around her, and that meant a lot to her, because she really rather liked Clara and Ayla found the woman amusing.

The Doctor opened the doors to see Dr. Simeon standing on the other side, his face as long and grim as ever. Angel squeezed his hand, the two of them staring the man down for a good long while, making it clear, without words, that they would not allow him into the house.

"Release her to us," the man spoke, "You have five minutes," before he turned and walked away, the Doctor closing the door behind them.

The Doctor turned to Angel, "We need to get her out of here but keep her away from them."

"'ow?" Clara asked.

The Doctor watched as Angel's glance flickered to an umbrella stand a few feet away. He grinned, walking over to it and scooping one with a hooked end out, "With this. Do I always have to state the obvious?"

"Those creatures outside, what are they?" Latimer asked as he left the study after them, he really did want to know what was going on, it was getting to be a bit much and that stumpy brown man kept staring him down, muttering something about protecting the women.

"Nothing to worry about," Angel reassured him, stepping to his side and putting a hand on his shoulder, "If we can keep them away from the ice woman, you'll all be safe. So please," she nodded back at the study, "Go protect the children till we get back."

Latimer nodded, heading back to the study as the Time Lords turned to the stairs, the Doctor sonicing the force field.

"What are you doing?" Clara followed them.

"No idea," Angel smiled.

"I thought you were psychic!" Clara poked her playfully.

"I can't see everything," she replied.

"And between you and me," the Doctor added, "I can't wait to find out!"

He loved Angel's visions very much, they had gotten them out of a number of tricky spots and saved more people then he could count in the centuries they'd been together. He loved that they were growing stronger, that she was seeing more, seeing farther into the future, truly starting to exercise her gift as he knew it was always meant to be used. But...he had to admit, he'd been a bit truthful in speaking to Lucius Petrus Dextrus in Pompeii, sometimes it had to be rather boring, to see every single thing coming, it took the mystery out of life. He loved the moments Angel couldn't quite see coming, because it made the moments all the more special and thrilling (and heartbreaking at times) when they did happen.

It made it more meaningful, even the ones that hurt them both deeply to endure, like losing the Ponds. Because it was something they could go through together. It was something that neither of them were prepared for, that neither of them had the 'upper advantage' over the other in terms of time to ready themselves. He'd hated it when he'd learned that Angel had known of her death date for nearly 200 years and not said anything. Granted it had been for the most important reason in trying to keep him safe while also allowing herself to trick the Silence, had gotten a bit clinchy because of his interference though, but still...he hadn't liked that she'd known about it for so long. She'd been so calm about it, having had 200 years to get used to it, while he'd been a right old mess. He lived for the moments they could get through together, on equal ground.

His attention was pulled back to what he was doing when the force field suddenly cut off and extended behind him and Angel...him not seeing Clara step into its vicinity just in time, "Right," he nodded, "Clara, if you look after everyone here, then we can…"

"She's trapped in the force field with us, my love," Angel cut in, not even needing to look back again to guess what Clara had done, she was...rather like she imagined Ayla would be when she was older, a bit adventurous, a bit not listening to the rules or them, a bit protective.

"Clara!" the Doctor shouted, turning to face her, exasperated, and finding himself sincerely hoping that this wasn't how Ayla would be when she was older, not listening to them and all.

"Doctor!" Clara countered in the same way, that actually had Angel smile for a split second at how much that reminded her of Donna and the Doctor's human-metacrisis self in the TARDIS, sounding like they were bickering, before she quickly grabbed their arms and pulled them down, ducking under the governess as she swung at them, pulling them up the stairs.

"That was stupid," the Doctor continued to chastise Clara.

"You were stupid too!" the girl countered, actually sticking out her tongue at him.

"I'm allowed! I'm good at stupid."

"That's the way to do it!" the governess mimicked Punch, turning to them, heading back up the stairs.

"Why does she keep saying that?" Clara frowned.

"Water is a reflection," Angel shrugged as they reached the top landing, looking back down at the ice woman, taking a moment to catch their breath.

"Mirroring," the Doctor agreed, unable to help shifting, thinking about the siren and captain Avery, yet another moment he'd let Angel wander into danger in...not that the siren had actually turned out to be dangerous though, "Random mirroring."

"We need to get on the roof," Angel murmured, before grabbing their hands, "This way!" and led them off, the Doctor laughing at Clara's confused expression.

~8~

The Doctor helped Angel up and over the ledge of the window that led to a small portion of the roof they could stand on, hopping out after her, having insisted she go first to get her out of the way of the ice woman, before turning to Clara, "Come on, quickly!" he frowned, seeing her just kneeling in the window way, "What are you doing?"

Clara struggled in the middle of the window, stuck, "My bustle is stuck."

"Your bustle?" he gaped.

"Come on," Angel stepped to the girl's side, taking a hand as the Doctor did the same, the two of them tugging till she fell through the window and landed on top of the two of them, right between them.

"You may need a change of clothes Clara," Angel remarked, moving to get up, reaching out to help them up as well.

"I know," Clara sighed, "Always 'ated these dresses," she brushed some snow off her skirt and turned to them, "Now, what's the plan?"

The Doctor smirked, "Who said I've got a plan?"

"Course you've got a plan. You took that," she pointed at the umbrella.

"Maybe I'm an idiot," he shrugged.

"You're not. You're clever. Really clever."

"Are you?" he tossed the umbrella to her, starting to smirk, both at being called clever and at the chance to see just how clever Clara herself was, he was starting to feel like Angel, seeing...potential in others instead of just someone who would enjoy a trip in the TARDIS. He shook his head, no, he...he wasn't thinking of Clara as a potential companion, nope, not at all, no...but...he supposed he could see how clever she was, he liked clever, "If I've got a plan, what is it? You tell me."

"That's the way to do it!" the governess called, reaching the window.

Clara glanced back at her and then at the Doctor, "Is this a test?"

"Yes," Angel answered, smiling as she watched.

Oh she KNEW this would happen, she didn't even need to be psychic to know it either. The Doctor...he always did that, get caught up in the danger and excitement and forget what he was cross or upset about. All he needed was someone to challenge him and be...unexpected, like Clara. He just needed to find someone willing to keep up with him or try to and needed some excitement to get his mind racing so fast he forgot he was 'retired.' And this was just the thing. The moment she'd seen Clara teasing them in the alley she knew the girl had 'spunk' as Donna would probably call it. She had a confidence Martha had grown into, an interest like Rose, sass like Donna, and an air of a challenge like Amy. She was quite certain that was really what the Doctor needed. To lose Amy the way they had, it had only served to remind him how all his other companions had left him as well. She felt like he just needed someone that could remind him of all of them to really make him comfortable again.

"What will it do to us?" Clara glanced back at the governess.

"Kill us," the Doctor shrugged.

"That's the way to do it!" the governess shouted, slowly starting to turn into snow to get herself through the window, slowly reforming on the roof.

"So, come on then. Plan. Do I have one?"

"Oh, I know what your plan is. I knew straight away," she tossed the umbrella back.

"No, you didn't," and he did the same.

"Course I did," and back.

"Show me," and back.

"Why should I?" once more.

"Because we'll be dead in under thirty seconds. Do I have a plan?" and one final time.

Angel couldn't help but laugh at the tennis match of umbrellas, she really did rather liked Clara, she was quick and sharp and clever, just like the Doctor.

"If we'd been escaping," Clara explained, "We'd be climbing down the building. If we'd been 'iding, we'd be on the other side of the roof. But no, we're standing right 'ere."

"Because..."Angel asked.

Clara just smirked and turned the umbrella upside down, reaching into the air and hooking it on the bottom rung of the ladder to the cloud, pulling it down just as the governess nearly entirely reformed.

"After you," she gestured at the ladder.

"After you," the Doctor shook his head.

Angel laughed, "While you decide, I'll meet you there," and disappeared in a flash of gold.

"Where'd she go?" Clara's eyes widened, spinning in a circle to try and find the girl.

"Up there, so after you," the Doctor bowed at the ladder, he knew why Angel had done that. She had wanted to get up the ladder quickly, something her dress might hinder her in doing. For all his bickering with Clara and back and forth, they were both very aware that time was of the essence. Simeon hadn't given them much time to try and stop the statue and every second counted. One of them would have needed to remain below, to lead the ice woman up and neither of them were about to leave Clara to do it alone.

Clara shook her head, "After you, I'm wearing a dress. Eyes front, soldier!"

He laughed, moving to climb up it, "My eyes are always front!"

Clara smirked, oddly enough...hers were too. It was weird. She'd seen the man outside the pub and thought he was cute, but, seeing him with Ayla and Angel, how could she see him as anything but the Doctor? He was clearly 'married' or something, he had a daughter! And she was NOT the sort to go after happily married men thank you very much! Having spent the little time with him that she had, even learning more about him from Vastra, it made her feel...more like he was a friend and she just...didn't see him like that. And really...a bowtie? It did suit him, she had to admit, but he just wasn't...her type.

She looked back to see the governess was fully formed now and moved closer to the ladder, "I understand you're the previous governess," she slipped her posh accent back on after clearing her throat, "I regret to inform you the position is taken. Goodnight," she stepped onto it and tapped it with the umbrella, lifting into the air with it, the Doctor and Angel helping her onto the platform.

"No," Angel cut in as Clara opened her mouth, "We can't control clouds, we just...shifted the wind a bit. And yes, I can teleport places in a flash of gold. No, it isn't magic."

Clara blinked, the woman really was psychic it seemed, that had been exactly what she'd been about to ask. She opened her mouth to comment when the platform shook, the ladder pulled back down as the governess moved to follow them, "She's following us."

"That's the idea," the Doctor nodded, taking Angel's hand and pulling her up the spiral staircase, Clara behind them, "Keep her away from the snow. So...barmaid or governess, which is it?"

"That thing is after us, and you want a chat?"

"That's the Doctor in a nutshell," Angel smiled.

"Well, we can't chat after we've been horribly killed, can we?" he reasoned.

"'ow did we get up so 'igh so quick?" Clara asked, having wondered about it when she noticed how far up they'd gone in only what felt like a few steps.

"The staircase is taller on the inside," Angel answered as they reached the cloud.

"What am I standing on, what's this made of?"

"Super dense water vapor," the Doctor turned to kneel in it, flashing the staircase after Clara hopped off the stairs, blocking them with more cloud, "Should keep her trapped for the moment."

Clara turned to see the old blue box still sitting there as the two headed for it, "Do you actually live up 'ere, on a cloud, in a box?"

"We have done for a long time now," the Doctor nodded.

"Ayla loves clouds," Angel added, their daughter was going through a sky phase.

Apparently she loved flying and whizzing about as much as the Doctor did. Her room had changed to reflect that as well, the walls a soft blue with gentle wisps of white. The TARDIS had even animated the clouds to drift past as though she were truly floating on a cloud. It was a lovely gift and they were just happy to see their daughter enjoying something as simple as a cloud. It truly spoke to the sort of girl she was that she was happy with such simple things. It meant, they liked to think, that they were doing a good job in raising her, in knowing that she appreciated the small things in life and treasured even the most ordinary of things.

"Blimey, you really know 'ow to sulk, don't you?" Clara muttered, not having heard Angel's comment in her awe of actually being on a real cloud, she'd thought it was some sort of trick or platform last time.

"We're not sulking," he defended.

"You live in a box!"

"It's not just a box," Angel defended lightly this time, "It's home."

The Doctor nodded, moving to unlock the doors, "That's no more a box than you are a governess."

Clara frowned, "Oh, spoken like a man. You know, you're the same as all the rest. Sweet little Clara, works at the Rose & Crown, ideas above her station," she followed them into the darkened room beyond, "Well, for your information, I'm not sweet on the inside, and I'm certainly not…"

She cut herself off suddenly when the lights turned on and the TARDIS hummed, illuminating, letting her see the magnificent machine before her.

"Little," she finished, staring at the huge room within the tiny box.

"She's called the TARDIS," Angel told her, "Officially that is. We tend to call her girl, or sexy, or Sissy at times."

"It can travel anywhere in time and space," the Doctor added, moving to put an arm around Angel's waist, "And it's ours."

"But it's…" Clara shook her head, "Look at it, it's…"

"Go on, say it. Most people do."

Clara just bolted out of the door, rushing around the outside of the box, feeling it, checking its size, before she ran in again, staring at them a moment, "It's smaller on the outside."

"Ok," he nodded, blinking, "That is a first."

Angel smiled as Clara wandered around the TARDIS, her and the Doctor moving to work at the controls, "Is it magic?" Clara asked, staring in wide-eyed awe, "Is it a machine?"

"She's both," Angel laughed, pulling a lever, "And she's so much more."

"It's a ship," the Doctor told her.

Clara giggled and dashed onto a small flight of steps, "A ship?"

"The best ship in the Universe," Angel reached out and stroked the rotor, the box humming lightly. She glanced at Clara as the girl dashed back to their side, "And she likes you."

Clara beamed at that, for some reason both oddly pleased that the ship liked her and confused as to how a ship could like someone if it was a ship. But she just shrugged, if it was an alien ship then maybe it could like someone, and that was all fine. She was glad the box seemed to like her, "Is there a kitchen?"

"Another first," the Doctor laughed, getting to work on the controls.

"I don't know why I asked that," Clara shrugged, poking a button, "It's just...I like making soufflés."

"Soufflés?" the Doctor looked over at the girl, frowning as Angel tensed, in thought, eyeing Clara closely for it.

"Why are you showing me all this?" she turned to them, not having heard them.

"You followed us, remember? We didn't invite you."

Clara raised an eyebrow, "You're nearly a foot taller than I am. And you," she looked at Angel, "Could 'ave just brought us all 'ere in that yellow light. You didn't need this," she held up the umbrella that was still in her hand, having held onto it through it all, "You took it for me," she tossed it to the Doctor, "Why?"

Angel looked at the Doctor, a hopeful look in her eye as she smiled at him. He just sighed, giving her a smile and a nod, before passing her something. She beamed and turned to Clara, moving to take the girl's hand, "I honestly don't ever know why," she told the girl, moving to open her hand, "I only know who."

"Who what?" Clara blinked.

"Who would be just what we need," she told Clara, "What HE needs," she nodded back at the Doctor.

He smiled softly at her, she'd always sort of had a...knack for knowing which companions he NEEDED to take, much like the TARDIS seemed to know where he needed go to. She hadn't said a word against Rose after he'd regenerated, because she knew how much Rose meant to him as a companion, as his first one after the war, how important she'd be to the both of them that she HAD to come with them, that she didn't ask him to not let her come, that she hadn't said anything when she knew he was debating refusing to let the girl join them for how she'd been treated by Rose because she hadn't wanted to be the thing that made him say no. He hadn't been about to take Martha along, till Angel set him straight. Had been about to warn Donna off, till Angel reassured him. She hadn't pushed him to take Christina as a companion after San Helios, because she knew he wasn't ready. And Amy...well, she'd known that to get Amy to a good place, to give him the friendship he had with the ginger, that Rory had to come too. She'd just...always known what he needed and who he needed to heal and to be a better man.

And right now...it seemed like it was Clara. And even if he wasn't sure he was ready, Angel seemed to think he was. It was like with Rory and Mickey, neither man had thought themselves strong enough or ready for what was coming, and she'd helped them prove themselves wrong. She'd helped them see how much stronger they really were than what they thought they were. He might not see it, but she did. He was...ready for a new companion, and if she thought it was Clara...well, he'd learned to never bet against the psychic.

Angel smiled, hearing his thoughts as she held up a key to the TARDIS to Clara, "Psychic," she added, before putting it in Clara's hand.

"What's this?" Clara breathed.

"Me," the Doctor called from where he was leaning against the console, "Giving in."

Clara smiled, her eyes looking all around as they filled with tears, "I don't know why I'm crying."

"I do," Angel smiled, reaching up to cup Clara's face, wiping her tears with the pads of her thumbs, "This is a moment to treasure Clara, crying when you're happy? Best tears ever," she glanced back at the Doctor, "The only tears we allow in here eh?"

He chuckled, stepping closer and holding out a hand to Angel, tugging her over to him, "Oh yes," he nodded, tapping her nose, before smiling at Clara, "Because this is the day, this is the day. This is the day everything begins!" and with that, he pulled Angel back to the console, the two of them excitedly getting the commands in when…

Angel stopped suddenly, her hand gripping her stomach as a terrible pit formed in it. She looked up, gasping when she saw the governess just behind Clara!

"Clara watch out!" she cried, trying to run around the console, not trusting the Vortex not to harm Clara in an attempt to stop the ice woman.

But she was too late, the governess grabbed the girl and pulled her back, dragging her out the TARDIS, startling her into dropping the key.

~8~

Ayla gasped as she sat beside Jenny on a chair, "Oswin!"

~8~

"Clara!" the Doctor shouted as they ran after her, "Clara!"

"Get off of me!" Clara half growled as she twisted in the grip of the governess, but she couldn't get free.

Angel looked at the Doctor in concern, she couldn't risk using her powers and striking Clara, that would devastate her, but if she didn't and something happened to Clara...

"Water vapor doesn't stop ice," the Doctor said as he scanned the cloud and the governess, "I should've realized..."

"Get off!"

"Let her go!" Angel begged, starting to glow golden, hoping to frighten the governess into releasing Clara, "Let her go now! Now!"

"Get off of me!"

But it was too late, the governess reached the end of the cloud.

"No," the Doctor ran towards them, the golden glow fading from Angel as she ran with him, "Clara!" he dropped to his knees, Angel stumbling beside him, as Clara fell off the cloud, pulled down by the governess, reaching up towards them.

"Clara!" Angel cried, tears in her eyes as the girl fell, knowing she wouldn't be able to teleport and save her without hitting something with the same force as the fall herself upon teleporting out, knowing that they wouldn't be able to make it into the TARDIS and get below her before she hit the ground...

~8~

Vastra was kneeling beside Ayla as the girl sniffled, clearly very upset by something that none of them knew what it was...when suddenly there was a thump from outside as something hit the ground. They all looked over, Vastra and Latimer making their way to the window where Jenny was keeping look out, the woman staring stunned through the glass, "What was that?" Vastra asked her wife.

"It's Clara," Jenny breathed, seeing Clara lying out in the snow, surrounded by broken bits of ice.

Vastra pulled out a small scanner, holding it up to the window, getting a read off Clara...

"Dear God!" Latimer gasped, "Oh, dear God. Where did she fall from? We have to get her inside," he turned, about to leave.

"Those things will kill you!" Vastra called.

"She's hurt."

Vastra looked at her scanner, at the reading, no life signs detected, "She's dead."

Ayla gasped and leapt up, rushing to the window, pushing herself on her tiptoes to look out of it, "Mummy! Daddy!"

They turned when the sound of the TARDIS reached them to see the box dimly appearing around Clara.

"What is that?" Latimer asked, "What is happening?"

Ayla just took the man's hand, knowing he liked Clara quite a lot and that he was very worried, she was too, "They're bringing her home."

~8~

Angel knelt by Clara as the Doctor finished the materialization, the girl appearing on the floor of the console room just beside her, "How could I have not sensed it?" she wondered quietly, feeling so SO guilty, feeling tears in her eyes threatening to spill.

How could she NOT have? There hadn't been a clue, at all! No sensation, no feelings, no visions, nothing till it had been too late. She hadn't...there was...it...there was nothing. And now...Clara was gone. She could feel it, the girl was...was dead. It was too late for her to heal her, it was too late for her to do anything to help. The last time she'd done something like that, she'd created Jack, and she knew what his life had been like, what it would lead to, she...she didn't want anyone to suffer like that. Jack was...special, he was cut from a unique cloth, he could handle the life that he'd been blessed with. But she wasn't sure others could. And...she doubted she had enough control, she doubted she ever would, to do something like that, to bring someone back from the dead and not make them immortal for it. She...didn't want to risk doing that and losing complete control of the Vortex either.

The Doctor paused in what he was doing, in bringing the box into the manor, before he headed over to kneel beside her, knowing she needed comfort, she needed to be able to focus for them to stop what was happening and help Clara, "You've said it yourself, you can't see everything dear."

She shook her head, "No...it's not that..." she frowned, trying to find the words to describe it, to describe what she'd felt and why it was so...wrong, "It was like...I COULDN'T sense it. I wasn't meant to sense it," she blinked, another sensation hitting her gut, a startling and staggering realization of why she'd felt absolutely nothing till the very end, "I wasn't supposed to save her," she frowned, shaking her head again, "But why?" she looked at the Doctor, "Why shouldn't she have been saved?"

"I don't know," he murmured, reaching out to brush a lock of hair behind her ear, "But we need to get her back, and we need to get back too."

She nodded, taking a breath as she stood, moving to help him bring Clara home.

~8~

Vastra stood by the door to the TARDIS, looking at Clara, lying on a table in the study with a faint red light falling over her as Strax used his full nursing abilities to try and revive her. He'd succeeded, but barely. And, unfortunately, it was only his technology that was keeping her alive, and only for a short while. It was like a...data ghost, but still in the body, a consciousness that could exist a bit beyond death, but wasn't really there. Doing what Strax was...it was making it impossible for Angel to heal the girl, because she'd already died, her life had already ended. It was like a human being on life support, the machines were keeping her alive and not Clara herself. There was no life to heal.

"That green woman said she was dead," Latimer commented, standing beside Clara as Strax worked on a small device, "How can she be alive now?"

"This technology has capacities and abilities beyond anything your puny human mind could possibly understand," Strax remarked, before offering an odd smile, "Try not to worry."

Vastra shook her head and turned to enter the TARDIS, immediately spotting Angel sitting on the side chair, Ayla on her lap as the girl rested her head on her mother's chest, clutching her mother's shirt as she had tears in her eyes for the pain Clara must've been in, Angel stroking her hair, her arms wrapped around her daughter, as she watched the Doctor working away at the console, scanning the remaining bits of the governess they'd collected from around Clara.

"Isn't the creature still a danger?" Vastra asked as she walked up, "It could reform."

"No," the Doctor sighed.

"She can't in here," Angel added.

"Aunt Idris is very protective," Ayla chimed in.

Vastra smiled at the girl, before looking at her parents, "Then you should be with Miss Clara."

"She's going to be fine," the Doctor cut in, "I know she is. She has to be," he paused and looked at Angel, 'Will she be?'

Angel frowned and looked down, trying to get a feel for it…but…it was so weird, it was like Clara was invisible to her at times, like she could sense her one moment but then the next...just...nothing, 'I don't know,' she admitted sadly, 'I think…' she nodded, 'I think she will be but…' and frowned again, 'Not in a way we expect.'

And that was all she could say for certain, and even that was fuzzy at best. This was...so frustrating! She'd never had that happen before. She'd never met someone invisible to her senses one moment and then so clear the next. It was like...a ripple or something. When it struck the water it was so strong in the center but faded the further out it went. Or...like an echo, strong at first but fading. She...didn't understand it.

"Doctor," Vastra shook her head sadly, "Her injuries are severe," she glanced at Ayla before adding quietly so only he, and by extension Angel in his mind, could hear, "That equipment will bring back anyone for a while, but long term…"

"It was my fault," he cut in again, "I am responsible for what happened to Clara. She was in my care," and so it was his fault, because HE had been the one to give in, to accept her as a companion, as HIS companion, and look where that had gotten him.

"Oh my love," Angel smiled softly and stood, Ayla in her arms as she walked over to the Doctor, reaching out to cup his cheek, "It was OUR fault, WE are responsible for what happened to Clara, she was in OUR care," she stroked his cheek as his gaze softened, "You are not alone."

He had to smile, able to remember now, the same words she had spoken to him when they'd first met, when they'd gone to Satellite 5 to face the Daleks. He leaned into her hand a moment, reaching out to hold it to his cheek a moment longer before pulling it away and kissing her palm, "Thank you dear," he whispered.

She just leaned in and kissed him, "You've got me now," she reminded him, another meaning to her words evident, he had her back, she had him back, they were together again, and no force in the Universe would tear them apart ever again.

"And me!" Ayla added, leaning over to hug her father, half-moving out of her mother's arms and onto him as he wound an arm around her waist to hold her to him, Angel taking the sonic from him to put in his pocket so he could hold their daughter, "Don't forget about me daddy!"

He smiled at her softly, his free hand absently patting his shirt where the angel pendent Angel had given him for Christmas was safely nestled around his neck, beneath his clothes, his girls, his angels, "Never ever," he promised her.

She held up her pinky to him, "Promise?"

He laughed, pinky swearing to it, before adding, "Cross my hearts," he crossed one over his right heart.

Vastra had to smile, the Doctor had come very close to blaming himself as he always did, but there was Angel, doing what she always did and pulled him out of it.

"Are we going to save Clara now daddy?" Ayla asked him, her eyes wide, "And the town…and the world too!"

He nodded, "Yes sweetheart," he looked at Angel who smiled at him again, "Yes we are."

She held up a small lunchbox with the London Underground on it that she'd placed the ice shards in as he took her hand and they headed out and into the study with Vastra.

The Doctor set Ayla to the floor as they looked sadly at Clara, before the girl tugged his hand and led them over to the woman.

"Hello," Angel breathed, reaching out to stroke Clara's hair as she stood nearest to it, the Doctor beside her, Ayla on the other side of the small table, clutching the woman's hand as she knew people did that to make others feel better.

Clara slowly blinked awake, seeming very weak as she cast a glance at the others around her, "They all think I'm gonna die, don't they?"

"Well we know you're going to live," the Doctor told her.

"'ow?"

Angel just smiled, "I never really know how," she repeated, "Just who."

Ayla turned Clara's hand over and put the key she'd scooped off the floor of the TARDIS back in it, knowing that was Clara's key, "Mummy's psychic," she whispered as a reminder.

Clara smiled softly at the girl before looking at the Time Lords, "The green lady," she looked at the Doctor, "She said you were the saver of worlds once," she smiled, thinking of Angel's name as well, "The guardian angels of the Universe. Are you going to save this one?"

"If we do," the Doctor began…

"You should come with us after," Angel finished.

Clara gave a weak nod, "I'd love to."

The Doctor nodded, standing up taller, tweaking his bowtie to straighten it.

Angel smiled and stepped closer to him, reaching out to tug it perfectly right, patting it down before she smiled at him, "THERE'S my Mate," she leaned in and kissed him quickly, "Welcome back."

He just grinned and kissed her in return before turning to snatch the lunchbox from Jenny as he headed to the front door, Ayla remaining behind with Clara, intent to watch over her as her parents watched over everyone, while Angel made her way into the TARDIS to prepare her sister for their trip.

The Doctor took a breath before shoving the front door open, holding up the lunchbox before Simeon could even speak, "I have, in my hand, a piece of the Ice Lady. Everything you need to know about how to make ice people. Is that what you want? See you at the office," he turned and shut the door in Simeon's face, dashing back into the TARDIS, to see Vastra waiting with Angel, who pulled a lever and sent them off.

"So then, Doctor," Vastra looked at him, a bit surprised at the smoother ride, but owing it to Angel piloting, "Saving the world again? Might I ask why? Are you making a bargain with the Universe? You'll save the world to let her live?"

"Yes and no," he nodded, moving to kneel beside the console, opening the box as he shuffled around with some items, "Yes, because, after all this time and everything I've ever done, I am owed this one. And no, because my girls would never forgive me if I let the Earth down. All three of them," he smiled up at the box, which hummed in what he knew as agreement with his words.

"I don't think the Universe makes bargains," Vastra remarked.

"I think it does," Angel smiled softly, reaching out to take the Doctor's hand, squeezing it. He knew what she was thinking of, how they had lost everything but found each other again, how she had bargained for Ayla being safe if he never remembered, and so many other little things.

"Well then," Vastra laughed, "Better save the world."

Chapter Text

Simeon sat in his carriage as it sped through the streets of London, his face impassive as he barely paid any heed to the buildings passing him, only looking out to keep track of how near to the Institute they were getting. The carriage pulled to a stop just within the gates and he stormed out of it, striding down the halls, till he reached his study, throwing the doors open...to see the Doctor sitting at his desk, his feet up, with Vastra on one side and Angel on the other, her arms crossed as she stared at the snow swirling in the globe with a frown on her face.

"You promised us something," Simeon glared, walking right up to him, "Have you brought it?"

"Big fella here's been very quiet while you've been out," the Doctor didn't answer, just nodded at the Intelligence, "Which is only to be expected, considering who he really is. Do you know what this is, big fella?" he stood up and held out a hand to Angel who handed him the lunchbox for him to hold up to the Intelligence.

"I do not understand these markings," it replied, speaking, something it hadn't done since they'd arrived, despite the Doctor whacking it with a fire poker to try and test a theory, but it had been quiet.

"A map of the London Underground, 1967. Key strategic weakness in metropolitan living, if you ask me, but then I have never liked a tunnel."

"Enough of this. We are powerful, but on this planet we are limited. We need to learn to take human form…"

The Doctor frowned, watching as Angel stepped closer to the globe, the girl moving to kneel beside it before she put her hand on its edge, tilting her head as a faint golden energy drifted out of her, making it faintly glow gold as well for a moment. He looked at the globe instead when it's voice changed pitch, becoming more child-like.

"The Governess is our most perfect replication of humanity."

"What's happening to its voice?" Vastra frowned.

"It was a disguise," Angel murmured, stepping back from it, alarmed that it sounded like a little boy now, her mind immediately going to Ayla as she realized the horrible truth.

The snow, whatever it was that was using the snow as a telepathic field, had been manipulating Simeon his entire life, since he was a boy. She couldn't help but think of their daughter, of River as well, how close Ayla had come to River's fate, to being manipulated and used her entire life. That was not the sort of childhood anyone was meant to have.

"You stripped it away," the Doctor nodded, taking her hand and pulling her back to him, "Let's see if we can't make it permanent…" he flashed the Intelligence with the sonic.

"No, stop!" it cried, its voice fluctuating for a moment before it became a child permanently, "Stop that. Cease, I command you."

"It sounds like a child," Vastra commented.

"That's because it IS," Angel nodded, turning to look at Simeon, "It's Simeon, when he was just a little boy."

"The snow has no voice without him," the Doctor agreed.

"Don't listen to them!" the Intelligence called as Simeon fell back against his desk, sitting on the edge, looking completely flabbergasted and startled at what was being said, at hearing his own voice reflected back at him, "They're ruining everything!"

"How long has the Intelligence been talking to you?" the Doctor wondered.

"Since he was little," Angel answered, tilting her head as she eyed the man, reading him, "His snowman started to talk to him...didn't it?"

'…they're silly…'

"But snow doesn't talk, does it?" the Doctor countered, "It's just a mirror."

'…I don't want to talk to them. They're silly…'

'…they're silly…'

"It just reflects back everything we think and feel and fear."

'…I don't need anyone else…'

'…don't need anyone else…'

Angel blinked, shaking her head as she seemed to see into Simeon's past. It was like her dream earlier, but...more. There was the sweet little boy, the lonely little boy, playing with the snow, making a snowman. The snowman speaking as he rushed off...only to be lured back by what the snowman was saying. That little boy was so...innocent, and now he'd become so twisted. It broke her hearts.

The Doctor winced, seeing her thoughts, his nightmare of Ayla coming back, of her suffering the same fate as River had, of her being twisted by the Silence into a murderer. It was much like Simeon was, the poor boy growing up into this. And they knew that the man had indirectly killed others, there were reports of men going missing all over the town, last seen working for Simeon. He shook his head, firmly reminding himself that this man...was NOT Ayla, "You poured your darkest dreams into a snowman and look," he gestured at the globe, "Look what it became!"

"I don't understand," Vastra took a step towards them, eyeing the globe.

"Whatever's infected the snow is a parasite," Angel explained, staring at Simeon sadly, "It clung to a lonely little boy and twisted it into the sickness of an old man."

"Carnivorous snow meets Victorian values and something terrible is born," the Doctor nodded.

"We can go on and do everything we planned!" the Intelligence called, trying to reach Simeon again.

"Oh yes, and what a plan. A world full of living ice people. Oh dear me, how very Victorian of you."

Simeon glared, seeming to find his strength again at the slight against the plan he'd spent decades working towards, "What's wrong with Victorian values?" and snatched the box from the Doctor.

"Are you certain you should open that?" Angel frowned, seeing the man move to do just that.

"I have always been certain," he sneered at her, before tearing the lid off…

Only for the Memory Worm to pop out and bite him instead.

Angel watched sadly as the man fell to his knees, the worm sucking his memories from him. She really did hate to use the worm, memories, good and bad, made you who you were. Pain and love defined them in ways that nothing else could, what else were they but a condensation of all their experiences? The Doctor...when he'd forgotten her...had been like a different man, and not just because of regeneration. He...acted differently, reacted to threats differently, especially when River got involved. Forgetting her and all he felt for her, all she'd done for him, had made him...different. Remembering that he was stronger in general, more resolute in his decisions more...kind and merciful. Memories made personality and made you...you.

Though, she supposed, she had to see the Doctor's reasoning, who Simeon was a danger to all of humanity, the man would not be able to be reasoned with or talked out of this plan. The Intelligence had been whispering in his ear for far too long.

"Good," the Doctor knelt down before the man as he stared, wide-eyed, his gaze growing vacant as everything he was was pulled from him, "I'm glad you think so, since your entire adult life is about to be erased. No parasite without a host. Without you, it will have no voice. Without the governess, it will have no form."

"What...what...what's happening?" the Intelligence called, the lights flashing around them as the snow swirled furiously, "What's happening? What did you do?"

The Doctor turned and stood, facing the snow, "You've got nothing left to mirror anymore. Goodbye."

"What did you...did you..."

The Doctor smiled as the lights faded, the snow stilling. He reached out to take Angle's hand, only to see her staring at the globe with a frown, "What is it dear?" he asked, knowing that she was far too tense to just be sad.

"Winter is coming," she repeated in a whisper.

And then the lights went out and the snow started to fly within the sphere at a startling rate, "Did you really think it would be so easy?!" the Intelligence cried, its voice deeper, more menacing.

The Doctor looked over at it, stunned, "That's not possible. How is that possible?"

"Doctor?" Vastra frowned as the Doctor stepped closer, making her way to Angel's side as the Time Lady rubbed her head.

~8~

"Aunt Jenny…" Ayla called, standing on her tip toes to peer out the window, "Look!"

Jenny moved quickly to Ayla's side, looking out and gasping, "They're growing! The snowmen are growing!"

"What should we do?" Latimer asked, frantic.

~8~

"But you were just Dr. Simeon!" the Doctor shook his head, "You're not real. He dreamed you. How can you still exist?"

"Now the dream outlives the dreamer and can never die!" the Intelligence shouted, "Once I was the puppet…"

Angel let out a little shriek as Simeon jumped up behind them, grabbing her arm in a frigid grip, seeming to be partially frozen, his skin unnaturally pale, his eyes ice blue, his skin cold to the touch, "Now I pull the strings!" Simeon added, his voice echoing with the Intelligence, "I tried so long to take on human form. By erasing Simeon, you made space for me. I fill him now."

Vastra moved to attack the man, to free Angel, but Simeon just pushed her aside, shoving Angel to the floor as he grabbed the Doctor when he too attacked.

"More than snow, more than Simeon. Even this old body is strong in my control!"

"Argh!" the Doctor cried as he was pushed to the floor by Simeon, the man unnaturally strong for being a puppet.

"Doctor!" Angel yelled as Simeon pressed a hand to the Doctor's face, freezing it.

"Do you feel it?" Simeon/Intelligence grinned, Angel closed her eyes tightly, feeling the power starting to swirl within her, fighting it, trying to keep it from attacking without her command, but...it was uncontrollable, "Winter is coming!"

The Doctor screamed as his skin started to freeze.

"Winter is coming!"

Angel's eyes snapped open as the Doctor screamed in pain, swirling with fierce gold...

~8~

"No…" Ayla breathed, blinking, "Mummy…"

~8~

"Winter IS coming!" the Intelligence/Simeon laughed.

"No," Angel stated, her voice strong.

Simeon turned to see her standing right behind him, glowing gold, wind and energy blowing her hair around her, the power of the Vortex emitting from her, the heat he could feel rolling off her making him cringe, the immense power making him tremble in actual fear.

"No!" he shouted as she reached forward.

She reached, power and energy gathering in her hand, as though about to attack...when her face scrunched, seeming pained, before she staggered forward and knelt down with a gasp, the power fading from her hand as she appeared to struggle with herself. She placed a hand on his shoulder, the golden starting to seep into him instead, making him cry out in pain before he fell back onto his side, peach colored again.

Angel looked down at the Doctor, panting with effort, seeing him struggling to move, nearly entirely frozen, before she offered him a small smile and leaned down to kiss him, sharing the warmth flowing through her with him.

He gasped as he was released from the Intelligence's frost, reaching up a hand automatically as soon as he could move to her cheek, his hand drifting back to curl in her hair as he deepened the kiss, slowly starting to sit up. He was breathless by the time they parted, resting his forehead to hers...

"What have you done?!" the Intelligence, only in the globe this time, cried.

The Doctor watched as Angel's expression seemed to...fade, turning blank as her gaze turned to the globe. She stood and made her way to the Intelligence itself, him eyeing her warily, still weak from what had happened but more concerned with her and what she would do than anything.

"No!" it cried, feeling the heat radiating off her the nearer she stepped, the power of the Vortex flaring out from her more and more the closer she got, "No, stop! Stay away."

"You tried to kill my Mate," she told it, the Doctor frowning as he heard a sort of...edge creep into her voice, "You attacked my daughter. You nearly destroyed the world with an endless, bitter winter…" she stepped up the platform, the Doctor watching her, concerned at what she might do. He could tell, right at that moment she was consumed in the Vortex, what she'd do next, he honestly didn't know, even though it was Angel, and that...worried him.

She stopped before the globe, staring at the snow frantically swirling within, small droplets of water already forming in the front where she as standing, melting it with just the warmth of the Vortex's energy.

"You are cold and bitter, and evil," she told it, before reaching out to place a hand on the globe, the snow screaming in sheer and utter pain within, "I am warm and kind and…" she smiled, "Good," she blinked, "And I will protect this world to the end. You cannot have it. Winter will pass."

The Doctor watched, wide-eyed, as the snow started to melt into water within the globe, before drying up.

~8~

"No," Strax shouted suddenly, making them all look at Clara as she struggled to breathe, "You must fight. Hang on and fight, boy."

Ayla ran to her side, "You can do it Miss Clara!" she tried to encourage.

"Captain Latimer," Clara gasped, looking at him as he knelt beside her, "Your children. They're afraid," he looked at them, at his son and daughter, standing with Alice, tears in their eyes, "Hold them."

"It's not really my area…" he murmured.

"It is now," she breathed, a single tear running from her eye as Ayla leaned forward to wipe it away.

Outside, the snowstorm that was raging...turned into rain.

~8~

The Doctor pushed himself to his feet and slowly made his way over to Angel as she just...stood there, her hand lowered, but her still glowing, the Vortex still swirling through her and around her. He could see her shaking, see the power actually starting to build up once more. He was...worried, terrified really, that she might try to melt the snow throughout the entire town, make sure that all traces of the Intelligence's control was gone...and with the power building up...he was truly frightened it would be too much for her.

He had to stop her, before she ended up killing herself.

"It's alright dear," he whispered, reaching out to place hand on her shoulder, feeling her trembling and tense beneath his hand, before he slowly turned her, lifting her head to look at him, staring into her eyes, feeling her start to relax as she gazed upon him, "You've stopped him, the Intelligence is gone for now and Simeon," he looked back at Vastra as she checked the body to see her nod, a small smile on her face as he too grinned, "He's alright too...you've saved all of us..."

Angel closed her eyes, her face scrunching in pain as she concentrated as she tried to war with the force within her for control of herself once more. He smiled softly and stepped closer, not worried at all about himself, no matter what he knew she wouldn't ever hurt him, putting a hand on her cheek, "Come back to me dear," he said softly, stroking her cheek with his thumb.

A moment later...Angel's eyes fluttered open, the gold fading, managing to offer him a small, relieved smile...before her legs gave out and he caught her, helping to steady her as she stumbled. That had taken too long, it never took that long to call off her power before, not even when she'd attacked the Daleks, according to Rory, she'd just sort of passed out once it had finished. He...he was actually starting to truly worry now...because this...this wasn't Daleks, this wasn't a supreme enemy, it was...snow. And she'd nearly lost control of the Vortex, she...she HAD lost control. He'd seen her struggling with it, when she'd stopped Simeon, he'd seen her about to attack the man, openly attack him, and only manage to hold back at the absolute last second.

And that...that wasn't Angel.

"The snow," Vastra called, interrupting his thoughts, her gaze on the window, "Look..." they looked over to see that it was turning to rain now and slowly made their way over, "What's happening?" she looked at Angel, "I thought you stopped the Intelligence."

"I did," she nodded, "That's..." she winced and rubbed her head, "I don't know," her mind was...fuzzy, her head pounding, a severe headache striking her.

"The lingering telepathic web," the Doctor explained, "The snow mirrors, that's all it does. It's mirroring something else now. Something so strong, it's drowning everything else..." he pushed the window open and held out a hand as did Vastra, "There was a critical mass of snow at the house. If…if something happened there..."

Vastra tasted the rain, grimacing, "It's salty. Salt water rain."

Angel looked out sadly, "Not rain...tears."

The Doctor stiffened at that, "The only force on Earth that could drown the snow. A whole family crying on Christmas Eve," he quickly turned, helping Angle back to the TARDIS. They had to get back to Ayla...now!

~8~

Ayla stood beside Clara, her hand holding the woman's, trying to be a comfort to her. Her other arm was tucked beside the woman, her head resting on it as she watched over the woman...till she stood up straight and looked over at the back of the room, "They're back," she called a moment before a wheezing sounded.

Everyone turned to see the TARDIS slowly appear, the Doctor and Angel stepping out moments later.

"I'm sorry," Strax told them, "There was nothing to be done. She has moments only."

The Doctor nodded as they headed over to Ayla, standing on either side of her, "Did you watch over her sweetheart?" Angel asked her daughter, running a hand through the girl's hair.

"She needed an angel here," Ayla nodded, "And you're my mummy."

The Doctor smiled, "Yes she is, and you are so her daughter," he dropped a kiss to her head as Clara slowly blinked awake, hearing them speaking in hushed tones, "We saved the world, Clara, you and us. We really, really did."

"Are you going back to your cloud?" she asked, her voice weak and soft.

"No," Angel smiled, knowing that it was true, "We won't, never again."

"Why not?"

"Children were crying," she whispered, leaning forward to kiss Clara's forehead, seeing the tear line down her cheek, not just speaking about Digby and his sister but her as well, being so old...everyone was a child to them.

A tiny spark leapt from Angel to Clara as the woman gasped, even though Angel couldn't heal her, the only think keeping her alive being Strax's equipment, she could give her a small boost, the last boost her body could take. And she needed that, needed just that little bit of energy to say what she NEEDED to say to the Time Lords, "Run. Run, you clever boy, you golden girl. And remember."

The clock struck midnight just as Clara died, leaving all in the room heartbroken.

"It's Christmas," Digby sniffled, "Christmas Day," before he turned and hugged his father and sister tightly, the man taking Clara's last request to heart and holding his children in his arms.

Ayla leaned forward and kissed Clara's cheek, "Goodbye Oswin," she whispered, so quietly that her parents couldn't hear.

"Goodbye," the Doctor squeezed the woman's hand before gathering his girls to him to hug them tightly.

~8~

The Time Lords stood, dressed darkly in respect, in the graveyard, watching as Latimer, Frannie, and Digby paid their respects to Clara's grave.

"And what about the Intelligence?" Vastra had to ask as she stood beside them with Jenny, "Melted? Along with the snow?"

"No," Angel sighed, "I may have stopped the physical form, but I think it learned to survive beyond that."

Jenny shrugged, "Well, we can't be in much danger from a disembodied Intelligence that thinks it can invade the world with snowmen."

"Or that the London Underground is a key strategic weakness?" Vastra looked at the Doctor.