A/N: Hey everyone! Welcome to the fifth story in my third(!) OC series, the Heart of Time Saga, Mated Souls. I recommend new readers check out the four stories of the saga that came before this one (A Treasured Discovery, Meeting of the Minds, Hearts to Hearts, and Fading) to really understand my OC, her unique abilities, and her relationship with the Doctor. This will be a Doctor/OC series, featuring my OC The Angel, AKA the Time Lady Nella, a woman with quite a few gifts she's only just starting to explore.
As a treat for readers, if we ever make it through 75 reviews, for each 75 I will post a 'sneak peek' of something happening later in the Specials. If we happen to make it to 250(!)(for this story at least), then I'll give a one line teaser for something monumental that will be happening in the NEXT story for Series 5...and, can I just say, I'm literally expecting to have to flee the country for this particular teaser :)
Quick physical description: Angel, now on her 11th body as of the end of Fading, is an average-height woman (but just a bit shorter than the Doctor) with long, black hair that she tends to wear half-up, half-down, and sharp grey eyes with speckles of gold in them, which the Doctor now realizes is a part of the Vortex inside her peeking out. She tends to wear a blue (-cough- TARDIS blue -cough-) short sleeved tunic-style dress with a ruffle-trim near the round neckline which makes it seem flowy, with a thick black belt and black cowboy boots. However she loves dressing up in period style clothing for those sorts of trips :) I picture her to look something like Rachel Weisz with a theme song of For Love and Honor by Future World Music.
For this particular story, every chapter will be at the very least 4,000 words (I usually average about 5,000 though) and will be broken up into 4 chapters as the specials are longer than a usual episode. This story will also have the SJA 'The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith' episode (2 chapters for that) AND a crossover with Torchwood's Children of Earth that will appear somewhere in here :) Each chapter will have a special title to it, so the longer episode titles might be shortened to fit the title. This story will be about 24 chapters long (or 26, see note at bottom) and will be updated EVERY DAY which should make for a YEAR of DW! Woo! :) This story will be updated consecutively with my Lunar Cycle :) You get a double whammy of Time Ladies!
~8~ is a scene break
'italics' is telepathic communication between the Doctor and Angel
'...words...' or ...action... is Angel hearing/seeing the future
Disclaimer 1: I do not own Doctor Who...or I'd have a K9 of my own :)
Disclaimer 2: My OC is in no way associated with any DW story that may also have a Time Lady named The Angel.
Enjoy!
~8~
The Next Doctor: A Cyber-Shade
The TARDIS materialized under a bridge in the snow, the Doctor opening the door and stepping out, holding it open for Angel to follow. He looked at her softly, smiling as he saw her pick up the end of her dress to step out of the TARDIS. He knew how much she loved dressing up for period trips and so, to celebrate her regeneration, he had selected this one, and...it was Christmas! He was absolutely determined to see her have a good Christmas for once. No more Pilot Fish and Sycorax, no Pilot Fish and Racnoss, no crashing replica of the Titanic...just...Christmas, and everything it was meant to represent, everything she was really. He looked her up and down appreciatively, he still couldn't get used to her new appearance. She was just...adorable. If he thought she was cute in her last body, this one stopped his hearts in the best way. Her hair was so black and soft it looked like liquid midnight, her eyes grey just like...well...an oncoming storm, but one much gentler than he was known to be. Her smile was so wide that it just lit up her face and her eyes sparkled with laughter and happiness that could only come from such suffering that it made you treasure each and every day you had. Which she'd endured. She was smaller than him, both in height and size, and it just made him feel even more protective of her, he'd just gotten her back, he was NOT about to lose her to anything ever again. Not to anyone, not to anything, he'd protect her to his last breath. He swore it, he'd do better this time, he'd...
Angel took his hand, squeezing it, smiling lightly at him as she pulled him out of his thoughts. She knew her near-death had shaken him terribly and she truly wanted to help him heal from that, to remind him she was fine and alive and with him, would be with him, forever now. He lifted her hand, kissing the back of it in thanks. She beamed and closed the doors to the TARDIS, allowing him a moment to take in her period clothing. She was wearing a silver dress that brought out her eyes, it was corsetted at the top, with long sleeves that billowed a bit at the elbow, a tight waist and a wide flowing skirt that had a bit of a layer at the bottom. She had a red sash around her waist that tied in the back like a bow, with a red bow tying her hair back instead of its clip. He really loved how that carried over, her enjoyment of dressing up from time to time. It warmed his hearts to see bits of the old her in the new her.
Angel turned around, only to let out a loud laugh at the sight before her...the Doctor was standing there, with a band around his head, a stick sticking out of it, with a bit of mistletoe dangling off it from a string. She stepped closer, taking his hands, "I'm assuming this is meant to be a hint of some sort?" she asked him, gazing up at him.
"Well," he shrugged, "It might be...if I got the date right," he looked around as though trying to determine if he'd actually hit his target this time.
"Well even if it's not," Angel squeezed his hands, making him look back at her, "It wouldn't matter, I think you'd do this even if it weren't Christmas."
"Oh yes," he nodded, making the mistletoe bob.
"You'd do anything for a kiss wouldn't you?"
"Or two, or three, or four, or..."
Angel cut him off lightly by pressing her lips to his, leaving him grinning as she pulled away, "You don't need to resort to that though," she whispered, resting her forehead to his, "I would kiss you every second of every hour of every day for forever," she opened her eyes to look at him, "Sound familiar?"
He beamed at that, so pleased, a thrill going up his spine at her words, words he'd said to her in the past, "So the mistletoe hat is a bit much then?"
"Just a bit," she laughed.
He leaned back just a bit, "If I take it off, will you promise to kiss me even without it?"
"Well..." she trailed, putting a finger to her chin as though actually thinking about it, "IF you promise to keep the tie," she smirked, reaching out to slowly tug it out of his jacket, "I'll kiss you whenever you want."
He ripped the mistletoe hat off his head, "Deal," he said quickly, leaning in to kiss her before she could even tug him down, which made her squeal a bit at the suddenness of it.
She let out a happy laugh as he wound his arms around her waist and lifted her up, spinning her around, burying his face in her neck, in her dark hair, in the process, "Theta put me down!" she laughed, lightly and playfully hitting him on the shoulder.
"Never!" he cheered, spinning them both around once more till he got dizzy and they fell onto the snow, laughing.
Angel rolled over, onto her arm and looked down at him, "I love you," she told him, all the love she felt shining in her eyes.
He reached out to touch her cheek, stroking it with his thumb, "Not as much as I love you," he whispered, pushing himself up to kiss her once more, slowly working himself into a sitting position in the process. He was breathless as he pulled away, resting his forehead to hers, "I do love you Nella, more than anything."
She smiled softly at that, her hand curling around his, pressing the back of his hand to the center of her chest, letting him feel how her hearts were racing, "I love hearing you say that," she admitted, it always made her tingle.
"Then I shall have to say it for the rest of our lives."
She looked at him intently, something...stirring in her...and had to ask, "Do you promise?" she whispered.
He nodded, staring into her eyes, letting her see how honest he was, how seriously he took this promise, and every promise he made to her, "I will love you always Nella, to the end of time and back."
"Good," she smiled, kissing him, "I'll love you more though," she laughed, pushing herself up and holding out a hand to help him up, leaving him no time to argue.
He let out a happy breath and reached out, letting her tug him up as they started off along their way, smiles on their faces, eager to find out what this trip would hold for them. They soon found themselves in the middle of a busy street market, the stalls all covered in green garlands and red ribbons, mistletoe and chestnuts being hawked while carolers sang.
"You there, boy," the Doctor called to a young boy, "What day is this?" he had a strong guess, he hoped it was the right date, the date he'd picked, but he wanted to be sure, his piloting wasn't always the greatest.
'Don't worry Theta,' he heard her speak in his mind and closed his eyes a moment, savoring the sound. The last Angel had spent so much effort trying to keep him from feeling just how badly she was hurting as she died that they hadn't been able to communicate much telepathically near the end. To hear her back in his head...was incredible, 'The TARDIS wanted to give you a treat this time. It's exactly where you wanted to go this time.'
"Christmas Eve, sir," the boy replied.
"What year?"
"You thick or something?"
"Oi. Just answer the question."
"Year of our Lord 1851, sir."
Angel smiled at the boy, "Thank you Edward."
"How'd you know my name?" the boy frowned at her, eyeing her.
"I'm psychic," she winked at him, holding a finger to her lips as the boy shook his head at her and went on his way, thinking her mad.
"Right," the Doctor nodded, looking at Angel, "Nice year."
She laughed, "You know you could have just asked me what time it was."
He smiled at that, at how sure she was that she'd be able to pinpoint the time and date, "You've gotten much better at all this," he remarked, eyeing her as she beamed. She was exuding confidence and understanding, "You're…just blossoming," he stroked her cheek.
It was such a difference from her previous two selves. Her first self had been a bit...innocent, naïve in a way, not really understanding things, but in an adorable way. How she didn't understand jokes or sarcasm or turn of phrases. Her last self had been more sure of herself yet...hesitant about things and he knew that meeting River Song had only made her feel doubts about herself in comparison to him, how she'd never be as brilliant or well-suited for adventure as River seemed to be. But now...she was still that innocent, amazing woman but just...confidant and eager and excited. It was like she was ready to face the day and whatever life had to throw at her which, he knew, might be a result of having been so near death. She'd been so weak before, so ill, that now she was just...ready. She was stronger and seemed to realize it, but still had such a kindness and gentleness to her that he knew, anyone who had met her would know it was the same person inside.
"I know," she nodded, blushing slightly at his praises, something he loved. It wasn't as red as her last self had gotten, that version of her managing to match her brilliant red hair, but a faint pink that just looked too cute on her, "I think…before, I was scared of what was happening, of how my visions and sensations were getting sharper. Especially of the Vortex. I was hesitant to use it, to really let it absorb into me because I knew that it would be growing stronger inside me as my body adapted to its power and I was afraid it would corrupt me, make me into a vengeful god as you said. But, I don't fear it anymore. I understand now, it was always there, the potential to wield it, I just had to be ready for it. I just had to accept it fully."
He looked at her softly, "You could never be a vengeful god," he told her, a firm belief in his eyes that reflected his words, "You're just too good," he smiled, "It's like you said, you have no want for power or desire for revenge. Even when you had the chance to destroy the Daleks you didn't do it, you just stopped them, never killed them," he kissed her lightly, "You," he looked at her pointedly, "Are an angel."
"Your angel," she smiled up at him, love shining in her eyes.
"My psychic angel," he reached out to brush a lock of hair behind her ears, his knuckles gently stroking her cheek.
"Just like you're my thief."
He laughed, "I wouldn't want to be anyone else's."
And he wouldn't. Not ever. He had been telling the entire truth when they'd left the Library, he truly could not imagine his life without Angel in it, he couldn't imagine it with anyone else but her. She truly was his everything, his hearts, his soul, his entire Universe.
Angel beamed, hearing that when...
'...Doctor!...'
...a creature with a black, shaggy, furry body and a metal Cyberman-like mask where its face should be...
'...you idiots!...'
She shook her head and looked around, "So…1851, what do you think of it so far?"
He shrugged, "Bit dull."
"Doctor!" a woman shouted in the distance.
The Doctor looked at Angel, shocked, "You were saying?" she asked with a small, knowing, smirk.
"Oh you are good!" he cried, laughing. Oh that was just brilliant!
"Doctor!" the woman yelled again.
She laughed, taking his hand, "Shall we?" she asked, bobbing a bit on her toes, almost like she was bobbing with excitement.
"Let's," he nodded, beaming at her.
"Come on then!" she cheered and pulled him away, leading him off, letting her feelings guide her to where they needed to go.
They ran down the street and into an alley where black woman in what looked like a barmaid's dress was backing away from a pair of bolted doors nervously, "Doctor!" she called.
"Don't worry, don't worry," the Doctor said as they ran up, "Stand back, what have we got here? Oh," there was a growl from behind the doors as something slammed against it, "Ok, I've got it. Whatever's behind that door, I think you should get out of here."
"Doctor!" the woman shouted again, ignoring him.
Angel and the Doctor frowned at that.
"No, I'm standing right here," the Doctor waved, "Hello."
"Don't be so stupid," she eyed him, "Who are you?"
"He's the Doctor," Angel answered.
"Doctor who?"
"Just the Doctor," he remarked.
"Well, there can't be two of ya," just then a man in a tan yellow coat ran up, dressed for the period, and the woman rounded on him instead, "Where the hell have you been?!"
"Don't worry," the man replied, "Stand back. What have we got here, then?"
"Hold on, hold on," the Doctor frowned as he eyed the man, Angel looking just as confused as he felt, "Who are you?"
"I'm the Doctor. Simply the Doctor. The one, the only, and the best. Rosita, give me the sonic screwdriver," he held out a hand and the woman, Rosita, handed the Other Doctor something too quickly for the Doctor or Angel to see.
"What?"
"Now quickly, get back to the TARDIS," the Other Doctor ordered her.
"Back to the what?" the Doctor looked startled before glancing at Angel who could only shake her head, just because she was getting more of a handle on her abilities didn't mean she could see everything. And she HAD just been dying before.
"Stand back, sir, ma'am. This is a job for a Time Lord."
"Job for a what lord?" the Doctor gaped. The door suddenly flew open to reveal a creature with a black, shaggy, furry body and a metal Cyberman-like mask where its face should be, "Oh, that's different," he reached into his pocket.
"Oh, that's new," the Other Doctor eyed it as Angel looked between the two with a frown on her face.
And then they both aimed their sonic screwdrivers at the creature with a cry of, "Allons-y!"
The creature just looked at them as they looked at each other a moment before turning their attention back to the creature.
"I've been hunting this beast for a good fortnight," the Other Doctor said, "Now step back, sir."
The creature jumped right over them, hanging from the side of a building, "Some sort of primitive conversion," the Doctor mumbled to Angel as they watched it, "Like they took the brain of a cat or a dog."
"Well, talking's all very well. Rosita."
"I'm ready," the woman gave the Other Doctor a rope which he began to swing over his head like a lasso.
"Now, watch and learn," he called with a grin, throwing the rope up and catching the creature around the middle, "Excellent. Now then, let's pull this timorous beastie down to Earth," he pulled on the rope but the creature just climbed the wall, pulling him up too. It was apparently a very strong creature for its size.
"Or not," the Doctor sighed.
"I might be in a little bit of trouble."
"Nothing changes," the Doctor passed Angel his sonic and rushed over, "I've got you!" he grabbed the rope but was yanked up as well.
"You idiots!" Rosita yelled.
"Aren't they just?" Angel shook her head with a small smile, realizing she was more enjoying the view HER Doctor was giving her and not focusing on helping him. She looking down at the sonic in her hand and up at the rope before suddenly taking off up a set of stairs beside the building.
"Perhaps if you could pull?" the Other Doctor called down.
"I am pulling," the Doctor defended, "In this position, I couldn't not pull, could I?"
The creature climbed onto a window and stopped, looking around.
"Then I'd suggest you let go, sir."
"I'm not letting you out of my sight, Doctor. Don't you recognize me?"
"No, should I? Have we met? This is hardly the right time for me to go through my social calendar."
The creature jumped into the window, running across a floor of the building, pulling the Doctors up with him and into the room, dragging them across the floor towards a far window on the other side of the room as they refused to let go, "It's gonna jump!" the Doctor shouted.
"We're gonna fall!" the Other Doctor gasped.
Suddenly there was a whirring sound and the rope a few feet ahead of the Other Doctor snapped, making them roll around from the quick stop. The Doctor looked over as they stood, groaning, to see Angel aiming the sonic screwdriver in front of her. He grinned widely, laughing along with the Other Doctor as he was hugged by the man. Angel ran over to him as Rosita ran into the room and stalked over to the Other Doctor. Angel just pulled him down by the tie still hanging out of his coat and into a quick kiss before hugging him tightly. He smiled, burying his face in the side of her neck as he lifted her off the ground in a bear hug.
"You are brilliant," Angel smiled up at him, which made him beam down at her.
~8~
The small group walked down the stairs Angel had run up before, the Doctors still laughing. Rosita led the way followed by the Other Doctor, the Doctor behind him with his arm wrapped around Angel's waist, "Well, I'm glad you think it's so funny," Rosita spat as they reached the bottom, "You're mad. Both of you. You could've got killed."
"But, evidently, we did not," the Other Doctor grinned, "Oh, I should introduce Rosita. My faithful companion, always telling me off."
"Well, they do, don't they?" the Doctor nodded, "Rosita? Good name. Hello, Rosita."
"It's nice to meet you," Angel added, reaching out to shake the woman's hand.
Rosita nodded at them with a smile before turning to glare at the Other Doctor, "Now I'll have to go and dismantle the traps. All that for nothing. And we've only got 20 minutes till the funeral, don't forget," she walked off, still calling back to him, "Then back to the TARDIS, right?"
"Funeral?" Angel asked with a small frown, feeling the Doctor's arm slide from her waist to her hand, squeezing it tightly. Given what had nearly happened to her, the Doctor was not exactly excited to hear about funerals. She just didn't like them because she didn't like death. Funerals were like the official last moments, the final step, too...final...she got shivers thinking of funerals. It might have just been that, the first funeral she'd ever gone to...had been her mother's.
"Oh, long story," the Other Doctor shrugged, "Not my own, not yet," he bent over a bit, panting and stretching, "Oh, I'm not as young as I was."
"Well, not as young as you were when you were me," the Doctor remarked.
"When I was who?" he looked up, clearly confused.
"You really don't recognize me?" the Doctor eyed him closely, before gesturing to himself and Angel, "Either of us?"
"Not at all."
"But you're the Doctor," the Doctor argued as Angel's frown deepened, staring at the man closely, "The Next Doctor. Or the next-but-one. A future Doctor anyway."
"Oh!"
"No, no, don't tell me how it happened. Although..I hope I don't just trip over a brick," he looked at Angel, "That'd be embarrassing. Then again, painless. Worse ways to go, depends on the brick. Do I trip over a brick?"
She blinked, "I can't see everything," she shook her head, poking him in the side, "But I'm fairly certain I'd see THAT coming at least...even without 'seeing' it. Bricks aren't very deceptive are they?"
"No, I don't suppose they are," he looked at the Other Doctor, "What do you think? Bricks? Little building blocks or things with a hostile ulterior motive? Oh!" he shouted, "What if there's something hiding in the bricks, like little metal spiders or something, like with Lady Cassandra, you remember her right? Blue-eyed trampoline?"
The Other Doctor just stared at him, "You're gabbling, sir. Now, might I ask, who are you and this lovely lady, exactly?"
"No, I'm, uh...I'm just Smith. John Smith."
"And I'm Angela Jones," Angel added, reaching out to shake his hand, "Nice to meet you."
"The pleasure is all mine," the man smiled, kissing the back of Angel's hand instead.
Ok, now the Doctor wasn't quite smiling so much.
He cleared his throat, subtly taking Angel's hand and holding it in his own, "We've heard all about you, Doctor. Bit of a legend, if I say so myself."
"Modesty forbids me to agree with you, sir. But yes," he grinned, "Yes, I am."
"A legend that has a few...memories missing," Angel guessed carefully.
"How do you know that?" he stared at her, shocked.
"You've forgotten us," the Doctor remarked, before nodding at Angel, "And she's psychic."
The Other Doctor nodded as though that were perfectly normal, "Great swathes of my life have been stolen away. When I turn my mind to the past, there's nothing."
"Going how far back?"
"Since the Cybermen. Masters of that hellish wall-scuttler and old enemies of mine, now at work in London town. You won't believe this, Mr. Smith, Miss Jones, but they are creatures from another world."
"Really?" the Doctor nodded slowly, trying to seem like he didn't already know that, and failing, "Wow."
Angel nudged him, realizing he was doing that intentionally, being rude again, "Be nice," she murmured to him, squeezing his hand.
He beamed at that though, still ever the polite one between the two of them. They were still quite the pair, which warmed his hearts to know that, even regeneration couldn't keep them apart. Angel was just...special like that, she was just perfect, perfect for him.
"It's said they fell onto London, out of the sky in a blaze of light," the Other Doctor continued, not seeming to notice the Doctor's rudeness, "And they found me…" he looked down, recalling brief bits of the attack, but it was too much of a haze to make anything out, "Something was taken. And something was lost," he looked at them, "What was I like? In the past?"
"I don't think we should say," the Doctor hissed through his teeth, "Sorry. Got to be careful with memory loss. One wrong word..."
"It's strange, though. I talk of Cybermen from the stars and you don't blink..."
"Ah, don't blink, remember that?" he grinned, "Whatever you do, don't blink? The blinking and the statues? Sally and the angels? No?"
"You're a very odd man."
"You're not the first to think so," Angel assured him, before patting the Doctor's arm as she linked hers through his, "I love odd though," she smiled up at him, "Makes things interesting."
He smiled softly down at her, leaning over to give her a peck, "Good to know," he kissed her again, "Because it seems I still am," he remarked thoughtfully, quietly to her, before looking over to eye the Other Doctor again.
Angel had to nod at that, 'Something's wrong...' she began to the Doctor when...
"Oh, the funeral!" the Other Doctor exclaimed, "The funeral's at two o'clock. It's been a pleasure, Mr. Smith, Miss Jones. Don't breathe a word of it."
"Can't we come with you?" the Doctor asked.
"It's far dangerous. Rest assured, I shall keep this city safe," he dashed off, turning around while still moving to shout back, "Oh, and, er...merry Christmas, Mr. Smith, Miss Jones!" and he rushed around the corner.
"Merry Christmas, Doctor," the Doctor called as he rested his hand on Angel's looped in his arm as they both followed after the Other Doctor slowly.
"That's not you," Angel said softly.
"How do you know?" he looked down at her.
She smiled at bit, "I'm psychic," she said cheekily, seemed she'd gotten a bit of that from him as well, "I just know. That man, whoever he is, is not you, not any version of you."
He nodded, he'd thought that as well, but still…it would have been an incredible adventure to meet a future version of himself. Though a part of him was thankful that wasn't him, clearly he was traveling without Angel. For one brief moment he wondered if time might have been rewritten, like with River, how her Angel hadn't been ill apparently, but HIS was...what if THAT Doctor's Angel had truly died in the TARDIS.
He shook his head, it was impossible.
He couldn't imagine a life like that, a life without Angel and it wasn't one he would have had, because he would have joined her.
He smiled though, reminded that Angel was still with him, and dropped a small kiss on her head.
She was still with him and he'd make sure he never ever lost her.
~8~
"Report," a Cyber-Leader called to a soldier.
"Cyber-Shade 16 has made contact," a Cyberman reported.
"Then observe the enemy," he brought up a small screen where the Doctors and Angel appeared from the Shade's view, "This man is dangerous," it zoomed in on the Other Doctor, "This man is our enemy. This man is the Doctor," they watched the encounter replay, "The attack is scheduled for 1400 hours. Plans for the Ascension demand a successful intervention," he turned to look at a dark haired woman in a bright red dress that stood beside him, "Is everything in position?"
"That's rather dependent on you," she remarked dryly, "All I can promise is to do my best."
"Define the parameters of 'best.'"
"As you would say, I will operate at maximum efficiency," she smirked and eyed the metal man, "And you'll keep your part of the bargain?"
"You will be heralded, in the new age, at the Court of the Cyber-King."
"The Cyber-King will rise," a Cyberman saluted.
"The Cyber-King will rise, indeed," she scoffed, "How like a man. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a funeral to attend."
~8~
The funeral procession made its way slowly down the streets of London, black of the mourners contrasting against the pure white of the snow. The Other Doctor and Rosita watched it pass by, hiding behind a few crates and stalls, both unaware of the Doctor and Angel lurking behind them, watching from a distance.
"The late Reverend Fairchild, leaving his place of residence for the last time," the Other Doctor lamented, "God rest his soul. Now, with the house empty, I shall affect an entrance at the rear while you," he turned to Rosita, "Go back to the TARDIS. This is hardly work for a woman."
"Oh, don't mind me saving your life," Rosita scoffed, "That's work for a woman, isn't it?"
"The Doctor's companion does what the Doctor says. Off you go," he nudged her one way and turned to walk in the other, quickly making his way to the back of Fairchild's house and trying to pick the lock with his 'sonic screwdriver.'
A moment later the door opened from the inside to reveal the Doctor and Angel standing there, "Hello!" the Doctor beamed.
"How did you get in?" the Other Doctor looked between them.
"Oh, front door. I'm good at doors. Um, do you mind my asking, is that your sonic screwdriver?" he eyed the thing in the Other Doctor's hand.
"Yeah," the man held up...an average screwdriver, "I'd be lost without it."
"But that's just a screwdriver," Angel remarked, frowning at the device, "It doesn't seem very...sonic..."
"Well, er, it makes a noise," he hit it against the doorframe, "That's sonic, isn't it? Now, since we're acting like common burglars, I suggest we get out of plain view," he quickly pushed past them and into the house, Angel closing the door behind him, though casting a quick glance outside, frowning...feeling like she was being watched. They turned around to see the Other Doctor walking purposefully down the hall and into a room in the back and followed to find themselves in a library. It was decorated for Christmas, a slightly unexpected in a single, older man's home. The Other Doctor went straight for the man's desk and began to search the drawers.
"This investigation of yours, what's it about?" the Doctor began.
"It started with a murder," he answered as Angel looked around the room, just getting a feel for it.
"Oh, good."
"Doctor," Angel sent him a look over her shoulder.
He winced, "I mean bad, but whose?"
"Mr. Jackson Lake, a teacher of mathematics from Sussex," the Other Doctor murmured, "He came to London three weeks ago and died a terrible death."
"Cybermen?"
"It's hard to say, his body was never found," he sighed, not seeing the Doctor glance at Angel as she tensed at that and looked at HIM closely, "But then it started. More secret murders. Then abductions. Children…stolen away in silence."
"Whose house is this?" Angel asked, her gaze turning from him and falling on another desk in the back of the room, just knowing something was in there...
A/N: Oh we finally get a confident Angel! Yay! We'll really start to see her step up and be as awesome as the Doctor sees her in these specials :) But no worries at all! She's still going to be every bit the 'humans are amazing!' girl she's always been. I think it might make them even more aware of how great they are to have someone as amazing as Angel believing in them and constantly pushing them to see how brilliant THEY are. She won't be showing them up, she won't be smarter than the Doctor, she's just...confident, for once, and that'll help them feel confident too :) I CAN say though that this confidence will play a BIG role in the TW crossover :)
On that note...quick question. The Torchwood Crossover for this series will be Children of Earth, like a mini-series of 5 episodes. Angel and the Doctor will be in 4 of them. I'd like your opinion on how I should break them up because I'm having trouble deciding how to do it. The options are:
A. 4 chapters for the 4 episodes (1 chapter per episode, and follows everything, even scenes that don't include Angel and the Doctor) which would give us 26 chapters total for this story.
B. 2 chapters for the 4 episodes (1 chapter of 2 episodes each, which would ONLY follow Angel and the Doctor's POV because right now 1 episode with all the other scenes is about 10,000 words).
C. 2 chapters of the 4 episodes (1 chapter of 2 episodes each, and follows every scene, probably ending up about 20,000 words total for each chapter).
Just your thoughts, because I find myself liking the mystery Torchwood faces of not knowing what's happening and working it out. There would be ways for the scenes that don't involve the Time Lords to be discussed but, it's getting a bit long to put in 2 chapters only but I feel like 4 chapters might be a bit much too...not sure... :(
And I just have to say you guys are amazing! Fading is (as of posting this chapter) my second story to make it into the top 25 most reviewed stories out of the 50,000(!) DW fics on this site! I squealed when I checked the search feature to 'sort by reviews' and 'all ratings' and saw Fading right at the bottom. Thank you guys so much! I never, ever, ever thought I'd write a story popular enough to make it there, and then to have 2(!) make it! That made my entire week! ^-^ And it's ALL thanks to you! You guys amaze me, thank you so much! :')
Some notes on reviews...
Mars will still happen but there will be an EPIC twist to it }:) I can say that Donna will be more aware of what's happening than in the episode yup :) But as for what she'll do or where she'll be, we'll have to wait and see...lol, that rhymed :) I can say that Angel will have a sense of the Doctor's song ending too, but I won't say when :) And she will definitely be keeping in contact with the companions, but with time travel, the times she calls might be before the nightmares hit them. I can say that Torchwood will be largely unaffected by the nightmares, but I won't say why :)
Oh Amy...I really can't say because I have SO much planned for Series 5 that I want to be careful about spoilers. I can say...Amy will still carry a torch for the Doctor and her relationship with him and Angel will be VERY different (at first) than the ones previous companions had. You're right, the relationship with Rory will be important to Angel and there will be a reason why she's closer to him than Amy. I can say that Angel will have words with Amy about how she treats/views Rory :) Amy and River's first meeting might just surprise you though :) For the Mating, all secrets are laid open to the other, but...a really big stretch is if the truth is known but like a half-truth. The Doctor knows Angel 'died' in the TARDIS when she regenerated. He just doesn't know exactly WHEN she died, that the regeneration was just the process of her finishing dying, that she had already died before he saw her again. So, in a way, Angel didn't really lie to him about it, so...the Doctor won't be learning that because, in a way, it's not a lie or a secret, it's just...one interpretation of the truth, if that makes sense. But I can say he WILL learn about it in its entirety later on in the saga :)
If I were an animal...I'd want to be an owl. Just because I'm a bit obsessed with myths and Athena is my favorite goddess of all times and an owl was her animal :) I think Angel would be a puppy. It was mentioned a few times in reviews that the first Angel we saw (well...after that her regenerated) was so much like a cute little innocent puppy and that sort of stuck with me :)
Lol, you'd have to get past my moat and drawbridge first :) Not really, wish I had a castle. I'd probably have invited the angry mob in for tea and cookies first though :)
I can say that Angel will at some point start to have visions of the past, but there's still a ways to go for her in terms of visions of the future first. But we WILL get to visions of the past with the 11th Angel :)
Evy has not had ginger hair yet, in the stories. Possibly in her past selves, but in the story nope, not yet :) She will in the future though :) I think they could have crazy hair colors if they wanted, I'd love to see the excuses and explanations they come up with for them though :)
Jack will be appearing mostly in TW crossovers at first. But Series 6 is where it really starts to pick up where he appears for two DW episodes and then Series 7 he'll be in quite a few original ones :) He'll be a little involved and there will, of course, be drama, has to be! :) We might see a bit of innocent Angel come out here and there but her new personality will really let her grow into a mature person, but there's still aspects of her there yup :) I'm trying not to repeat the same personality with her, giving her small traits of the ones that came before but ultimately a new new Angel :) But I can say we'll see it come out particularly when animals get involved :) Jack will definitely be overprotective quite a bit in Series 7, SO over protective in one chapter that I had shivers :) And yes, there will be one time in Series 7 (so far) that Jack is there when someone flirts with Angel, but his reaction might be...unexpected. The Doctor well...we'll have to wait and see how he reacts }:) And that's perfectly fine, I love answering questions :)
Thank you for the cookie! :) Loved it! Mmm... :)
Not saying when 11th Angel might regenerate or not. She could be with us till Series 7 or she might regenerate three episodes into Series 5, you'll never know :)
Oh the uber-Moffat is still coming up. Just you wait. And yes, it is VERY cruel. And yup, the Mating will be completed before 10 leaves, won't say when though. I think here, at first it'll be more about the Doctor getting to know the new new new Angel. But it WILL happen soon :)