The Curse of the Black Spot (Part 1)
It was a tight squeeze, but between Evy and the Doctor they'd managed to land the TARDIS below deck of a 17th century ship. They'd picked up a distress call…which was odd as there wasn't any Earth tech in the 17th century that could reach out to the TARDIS, but they'd gone anyway. They weren't ones to ignore someone in need of help.
As they stepped out of the box they could hear a scream above deck. They rushed forward, hearing a group of footsteps sound above them, moving to check out the scream as well, "Same as all the others," someone said, "No sign of a struggle. No bones or blood."
"We're shark bait," another man said, "Every single one of us. Stuck on the ocean. Waiting."
They walked under a grate as the first man spoke again, "Until the wind changes."
They climbed onto a box, just high enough for the Doctor to bang against the grate twice.
"What's that?" the first man shouted, they could see him now, whipping out a gun as the men ran around the grating.
"It's the creature, she's returned!" the second man exclaimed.
The men hesitated touching the grating at that, so the Doctor gave a mighty shove and the grate burst open to reveal the four of them standing there. Amy and Rory looked nervous at the gun being pointed in their face by the first man but the Doctor just smiled, his arm around Evy's waist.
"Yo ho ho!" he greeted, grinning. The men just stared at him till his grin faded, turning more embarrassed, "Or does nobody actually say that?"
"I'd go with that," Evy whispered to him as they looked up at the men.
~8~
The first man they had seen, the one with the gun, whom they had learned was the captain, was leaning against a chair in his quarters, one of his crewmates beside him while the other three stood behind the quartet, blocking their escape.
"We made no signal," the captain stressed to them.
"Our sensors picked you up," the Doctor countered, "Ship in distress."
"Sensors?"
"It's the 17th century dear," Evy reminded him.
"Yes…ok!" he nodded, "Problem word."
"Our ship automatically…" Evy began, fishing for a word.
"Noticed," the Doctor supplied, trying to help, "Ish…"
Evy rolled her eyes at him before finishing, "That your ship was having some bother."
"That big blue crate?" the captain frowned.
The Doctor just snapped his fingers and pointed at the captain with a smile.
"That is more magic Captain Avery," the man beside the captain said, "They're spirits!" he pointed at them with a hat in his hand, "How else would they have found their way below decks?"
"Well," the Doctor pointed at the man before turning to Evy, "I want to say multidimensional engineering."
"Given that they don't know what sensors are," Evy countered, "You probably shouldn't."
He nodded, agreeing, before turning to Avery, "Look! We're the Doctor and Evy," he introduced as Evy nodded her greeting, "This is Amy," he pointed to her, standing on their right, and then crossed his arms to point at Rory on the other side, "Rory. We're sailors!" he stepped forward to playfully punch Avery in the shoulder before turning around to face them again, "Same as you!"
'Doctor…' Evy began, eyeing the gun that the captain had drawn and aimed at the back of the Doctor's head.
"Arg," the Doctor said, before turning to see the gun in his face, "Except for the gun thing…" and then looked up at Avery, "And the beardy-ness."
"You're stowaways," Avery stated, "Only explanation."
Evy sighed and turned to the Doctor, "Why are we always stowaways on ships? It's like the Titanic during that one Christmas…"
"I know," he nodded, stepping back beside her, "Getting rather old isn't it?"
"Eight days we've been stranded here," Avery continued, deciding to ignore the strange talk between the man and woman before him, even their companions seemed lost, "Becalmed. You must have stowed away before we sailed."
"So what do we do with them?" the man beside him asked.
"Oh, I think they deserve our hospitality," Avery smirked.
The Doctor started to smile, 'See, everything worked out just fine.'
'Oh don't say that…' Evy groaned in his mind.
~8~
"Just stop talking!" Evy called from her position on deck, being held back by a pirate, as were Amy and Rory. The Doctor was being pushed out onto the plank while the pirates laughed.
The Doctor gave her a bashful smile before mumbling to himself, "I suppose laughing like that is in the job description. Can you do the laugh?" he checked his watch, "Check. Grab yourself a parrot…" he put his arms over his head as though he were about to dive, "Welcome aboard," he shifted his weight, making the plank bounce.
Amy looked over at Evy, expecting her to be more concerned that the Doctor was about to jump into shark infested waters, only to see the woman shaking her head amusedly at the Doctor's antics. The woman in question already knew that the Doctor had no intention of jumping.
"Stocks are low," Avery told him, "Only one barrel of water remains. We don't need four more empty bellies to fill. Take the doxies below!" he turned to the two men holding Evy and Amy who began to pull the two women away.
"Hey!" Rory called, struggling.
"Wait…" the Doctor tried to turn back, but the captain and his first mate began waving objects at him, keeping him at bay.
"To the galley, set them to work," Avery ordered, "They won't need much feeding."
"Rory!" Amy shouted, "Little help!"
"Yeah, hey," Rory pointed at the man, "Listen, right, she's not a doxy…"
"I don't think she meant to just tell them off," Evy remarked as she was shoved below deck.
"But thanks anyway," Amy rolled her eyes at Rory as she too was forced under the ship.
"If you're lucky, you'll drown before the sharks can take a bite!" Avery turned back to the Doctor.
"If this is just because I'm a captain too, you know, you shouldn't feel threatened, your ship is much bigger than mine," he told Avery, "And I don't have the cool boots or a hat even. I tried to get another fez but Evy won't let me."
Avery, growing frustrated with the Doctor's stalling, pulled out his gun and aimed it at the Doctor, "Time to go."
The Doctor shuffled his feet, "A bit more laughter guys!"
The men started laughing.
~8~
Below deck Evy helped straighten Amy as she jumped down the ladder and into water that was a little more than ankle deep, "Whoa," Evy laughed, "Watch out."
"Thanks," Amy smiled at the woman, regaining her balance, "What do we do?"
Evy looked around, quickly scanning the area before smiling and rushing over to a chest. She opened it to see a mess of swords stashed away. She looked up at Amy, "Ever been a pirate when you were a kissogram Amy?"
Amy just looked at the sword before smirking, her eye catching something off to the side. Evy followed her gaze and saw a blue coat and triangular hat hanging from a nail, "First time for everything."
~8~
'Doctor…' Evy's voice drifted over to him, 'There are no crew down here.'
'None?' he frowned, stopping in his shuffling and standing straight on the plank, 'None at all?'
'No one. The ones on deck are the only ones. And this is an awfully big ship…'
He nodded and turned on the plank to look at Avery, "Where are the rest of the crew? This is a big ship, big for five yeah? I suppose the rest of them are hiding someplace and…" he pinched his nose, making his voice nasally, "They're all gonna jump out and shout boo?"
"Boo!" came a shout from two people.
The men spun around to see Amy and Evy standing behind them. Amy was wearing a blue jacket and black hat, holding a sword aimed at the captain while Evy stood behind her, dressed in her typical 'western' attire, dark blue jeans tucked in her black boots with a purple shirt under her black jacket, her sonic resting in the holster around her waist.
"Throw the gun down," Amy threatened.
The Doctor ran back down the plank to see what exactly was happening, only to see the captain toss his gun to the floor at Amy's feet. Amy pushed it behind her with her foot to Evy, who grabbed it and aimed it at the crew, while Amy focused on the captain. The Doctor couldn't help but think that he really shouldn't find the sight of his Link holding a gun as attractive as he did.
"The rest of you," Evy said, taking careful aim but also managing to look at ease with the gun despite the twisting in her stomach to even make a show of using one, which only clued the crew into the fact that this was not her first time handling a weapon, "Kneel."
"Amy, Evy," the Doctor spoke up, "What are you doing?"
"Saving your life," Evy smirked at him, "Again."
"Ok with that are you?" Amy raised an eyebrow.
"Put down the sword," Avery nearly growled, "A sword could kill us all girl!"
"Yeah, thanks, that's actually why I'm pointing it at you," Amy said, pointing the sword more at the man in question.
Suddenly one of the crew men attacked her, swatting the sword away with a stick. Amy managed to defend herself nobly, jumping back and managing to swing at the man as well.
"Oh!" the Doctor jumped forward, trying to get down off the plank, "Hang on!"
Unfortunately, as soon as he jumped onto the deck, he was grabbed by Avery and held back.
Amy stabbed at one of the men and he jumped back as the rest gathered around. One man started forward but Evy shot at his feet, forcing him back. Amy smiled her thanks at the girl before turning to another man and pointing the sword at him, nearly laughing as he recoiled.
The Doctor grinned as Amy began to swish her sword back and forth till one man lunged forward. Amy did her best to avoid being hit by the man's stick while another man ran to Evy, grabbing her wrist and managing to pull the gun away from her, but she just shoved him back into another man as Amy knocked her opponent to the ground and kicked him.
A tall black man ran forward, swinging a rope around his hands. Amy ran back onto an upper level of the deck so the man turned his attention on Evy. He threw the rope out at her, catching her around the left arm.
"Evy!" the Doctor shouted, struggling in Avery's arms.
Evy just wrapped her arm around the rope even more before pulling it towards her. The man, not expecting the motion, was pulled forward as well, straight into Evy's fist as she threw a powerful right hook at him, using his momentum against him.
The man staggered back just as Amy swung down past them on a rope she'd grabbed from one of the sails. She slashed at the man for attacking her friend, cutting his hand before landing on a barrel. She stood there, her sword brandished, just waiting for any other man to make a move, but they were all staring at the black man.
"You have killed me," he said, looking up from his hand.
"No way," Amy scoffed, "It's just a cut. What kind of rubbish pirates are you?"
"One drop," Avery said, glaring at Amy, "That's all it takes, one drop of blood and she'll rise out of the ocean."
"Come on, I barely even scratched him. What are you all in such a huff about."
Another man stormed towards her so she grabbed the rope again and moved to swing but the man grabbed her legs, pulling her off the rope. She dropped the sword and Rory ran forward to try and catch it, only succeeding in cutting his hand as well, "Ow!" he exclaimed, holding his hand, "AH!"
The men ran forward and grabbed Evy, Amy, and Rory once more, holding them back.
Rory frowned, seeing a black spot appear in the middle of his palm, "Uh, Doctor," he held up his hand and pointed at the mark, "What's…what's happening to me?"
Evy frowned, squinting as she tried to see the mark while still being held back.
"She can smell the blood on your skin," Avery told him, "She's marked you for death."
Rory tapped his ear and pointed at him, "She?"
"A demon. Out there in the ocean."
"Ok!" the Doctor grinned, managing to worm his way out of Avery's grip at the man's concern for his crew, "Groovy! So not just pirates today. We've managed to bagsy a ship where there's a demon popping in!" he started to walk towards Rory before turning to Evy, "Gotta say, I liked that much more than River with a gun."
Evy smiled, "Thanks love…but, um, Rory?" she nodded back to him.
"Right!" he nodded, snapping himself out of his thoughts, and walking back to Rory to look at his hand, "Very efficient," he looked up at him, "I mean, if something's gonna kill you it's nice that it drops you a note to remind you…" he patted Rory's cheek, when a sort of ethereal singing started to echo around them.
They all looked around, the men loosening their grips in fear.
"Quickly now block out the sound!" the black man said, putting his hands over his ears.
"What?" Rory looked at him, confused.
"The creature," Avery murmured, backing away from the ocean and towards his crew, "She charms all her victims with that song."
"Oh great, so put my fingers in my ears, that's your plan?" Rory asked incredulously, tapping the Doctor's shoulder as he looked around for the source, "Doctor, come on, let's go…" the Doctor just looked at him as Rory started to stutter, "Back to the, uh…"
"Rory?" Evy frowned, concerned, as the man staggered and swayed.
"Oh…back to the, uh…" he started to laugh as they eyed him oddly.
"That's the music," the black man smiled dreamily, laughing as well.
"It's working on them, look," one of the crew said, making his way to the captain's side.
"You!" Rory suddenly turned and looked at Amy, grabbing rope and leaning on it, "Are so beautiful!" he fell forward a bit, Evy jerking to make sure he didn't fall completely but he held onto the rope.
"What?" Amy asked, leaning back.
"Oh no, I love your get up!" Rory continued as the Doctor sent Evy a confused look which she returned, "No, it's great," he stepped back, looking her up and down, "You should dress as a pirate more often. Huh? Hey, hey! Cuddle me shipmate," he moved forward to hug her.
"Rory stop," Amy struggled to get him off her.
"Everything! Is totally brilliant, isn't it? Huh? Look at these brilliant pirates. Look at their brilliant beards!" he pointed to the pirate next to them, the one who had been holding Amy but was slowly backing away from the deranged man. Rory suddenly stepped back, his face now thoughtful, "I'd like a beard," he stumbled back, falling against the black man, "I'm gonna grow a beard!"
"You're not," Amy said firmly, though concerned and confused for her husband.
"Music turns them into fools," Avery commented to the Doctor and Evy, who both just nodded at that, as they looked at Rory and the man who were both laughing hysterically at something.
"Oh my God," Amy gasped.
They spun around to see a greenish light appear in the water off the side of the ship, the light starting to drift upwards. The Doctor stared at it curiously, his hand taking Evy's in case they needed to start running again. Rory and the black man, however, just leaned forward, staring at it in awe, when a figure suddenly shot out of the light and flew into the air. It was a woman, with black hair, wearing a white dress, bathed in the light green light. Evy watched as the black man held his hand out towards the figure as did Rory, though Amy was pulling him back, ignoring him as he swatted at her hands.
The figure landed and walked towards them, the Doctor watching with a grin, utterly fascinated as to what was happening, while Amy struggled to pull Rory back. Evy stepped closer to the woman, helping her keep her husband in check. The black man stepped past the Doctor who half-heartedly tried to pull him back, still not sure what was going on.
The man grinned like a fool as he walked towards the figure, holding her hand out and singing. He reached out to her as did Rory, but as soon as he laid a finger on her, he burst into ashes, disintegrated. The crew jerked back in fear, as did Amy, Evy, and the Doctor, though more from shock than anything. The only one not pulling away was Rory, who was still trying to get to the woman and finally managed to pull past the Doctor, Amy still hanging onto his arm.
He walked towards the woman, reaching out to her, till Amy shoved him back and over to Evy who grabbed Rory, pulling him back, while Amy stood up to the woman, "Sorry but he is spoken for!" Amy glared at the green woman.
The woman suddenly turned red and screeched at her, sending Amy flying backwards.
"Amy!" the Doctor ran to her side, helping her up, "Amy!"
The woman turned light green once more, calm.
"Everyone into the hold!" Evy shouted. The crew ran below deck just as the Doctor pulled Amy up. Evy pulled with all her might and just managed to drag Rory along with her.
"Hey!" he shouted as she tugged, "Hey!"
~8~
They clambered down, into the hold, some water around them, very similar to where Amy and Evy had been forced. There were boxes scattered around. The Doctor stepped forward, Evy along with him, after passing Rory to Amy, to look around.
"What is that thing?" Amy asked as Rory struggled to get back up the deck.
"The legend," Avery answered, "The siren. Many a merchant ship laden with treasure has fallen prey to her. She's been hunting us ever since we were becalmed. Picking off the injured."
"Like a shark," a man said, "A shark can smell blood."
"Ok," the Doctor grinned, turning to face them, "Just like a shark...in a dress...and singing...and green. A green, singing shark in an evening gown."
"Is this going to be another hay-like needle of death event?" Evy remarked, thinking back to how odd his tangents could go.
"I'll stop," he bowed his head with a pout. She just gave him a peck on the cheek, making him smile once more.
"The ship is cursed!" Avery shouted.
"Cursed, right," Evy scoffed.
"I know," the Doctor agreed, "It's big with humans," he turned to the captain, "Means bad things are happening but you can't be bothered to find an explanation."
"She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Rory said to Amy, taking her face in his hands as she held him to her.
The Doctor just patted him on the shoulder, he'd be fine soon enough, whatever happed to him would wear off eventually.
"Actually, I think you'll find she isn't," Amy told him, hugging him to her so she could talk to the Doctor over Rory's shoulder, "We have to leave, right now."
"If that crate of yours really is a ship…" Avery began.
"Well, it's not propelled by the wind," the Doctor said.
"Show me!" Avery demanded, pulling out his gun, "Weigh anchor. Make it sail."
The Doctor turned around to see the gun in his face once more, "And the gun's back. You're big on the gun thing aren't you? Freud would say you're compensating," Evy snorted at that, "Ever met Freud? No?" he then threw his head back and sighed, "Comfy sofa…"
"As I recall," Evy cut into his reminiscent thoughts, thinking back herself, "I bought him that sofa…"
"Leave the cursed one captain," a slightly plump man said as the captain turned to him, "The creature can have him."
"Yes, please," Rory nodded.
"We don't want the siren coming after us," Avery had to agree.
Suddenly the plump man started to yell, they all jumped back as he stuck out his leg to reveal a leech.
"It's a leech!" Amy yelled.
"Get out of the water now!" Evy shouted as they all scrambled back onto the crates and out of the water.
"Ah!" Rory shouted as well, clearly not knowing why everyone was yelling but doing it anyway, as Amy pulled him with her, "Ah!"
"It's bitten me!" the man complained, pulling it off his leg, "I'm bleeding," he threw the leech into the water and looked at the spot now on his hand, he held it up for them to see.
"So she wants blood?" Evy breathed, confused.
"Why does she want blood?" the Doctor asked.
"What were you saying about leaving the cursed ones behind?" Amy retorted, glaring at the plump man who had been 'cursed' as well.
"It's ok, we're safe down here," the Doctor reassured them, "No curse is getting through three solid inches of timber."
"Really?" Evy rolled her eyes, turning to glare at him, "Parasitic alien on Midnight! Finitio glass! Steel!"
"Yes but that was another planet. What could happen in the 17th century?"
"Don't say…" Evy began, before something caught her eye, "That is what could happen," she nodded behind him and the Doctor spun to see the siren appear out of the water.
"Oh!" he jumped back, turning so that he was standing in front of Evy, "Uh, hello again…"
Rory started to reach for the siren as did the plump man. The Doctors started to step back, forcing Evy back as well when the man ran past him. He reached out, trying to hold the man back but it was too late. He was only able to grab the man's hat as he touched the siren and burst apart.
The Doctor turned and started to usher everyone back towards a door, out of that room, putting the hat on his head as both he and Evy helped Amy shove Rory along. He quickly locked the door behind them and spun around.
"Safe?" Amy scoffed as she worked harder on holding her husband back.
"I have my good days and my bad days," he remarked as Evy swiped the hat off his head.
"How did she get in?" Avery asked.
Evy quickly scanned the hat with her sonic, reading the results, the only thing that was on it was water, "Bilge water."
"She's using water like a portal," the Doctor reasoned, "A door. She can materialize through a single drop."
"If that's the case, we need to find a dry place around here."
"Well, thank God we're not in the middle of the ocean," Amy rolled her eyes.
"Did you see her eyes?" Rory asked Amy as the Doctor snatched the hat back from Evy and put it on his head, "Like crystal pools…"
"You are in enough trouble," Amy warned him.
"The magazine," Avery said.
"What?"
"It's the armory of a ship where they keep the gun powder," Evy explained.
"It's dry as a bone," Avery nodded.
"Good, let's go there!" the Doctor stepped forward, only to have Avery's gun in his face…again…
"I give the orders," Avery growled at him.
"Ah…" he nodded, eyeing the gun, "Worried 'cos I'm wearing a hat now…" he quickly took it off and placed it on Evy's head.
"Oh thanks," she rolled her eyes at him, but made no move to remove the hat.
He grinned and took her hand, pulling her past Amy, who had resorted to pulling Rory along by the arm, "Nobody touch anything sharp!" he called as he led them away after the captain.
"Come on Rory!" Amy grumbled as she tugged her husband forward.
"Quickly man!" Avery shouted at his crewmate who was searching for the keys to the armory on his key ring.
"I can't…" the man shook his head, "The key, it's gone captain."
"How can it have gone?"
The Doctor tilted his head, noticing something, before leaning forward and pushing the door open. The men watched as it swung open, not even locked, "I suppose we're not the only ones who thought of this," Evy commented, whoever else it was had probably nicked the key.
The Doctor nodded along with her thoughts before stepping in, followed by Evy and then Avery and the crew, all of them looking around carefully.
"Barricade the door," Avery commanded to a man beside him as soon as Amy and Rory had entered, before turning to another man, "Be careful with that lantern," he commented. The man nodded and took a lantern down, handing it to Avery, "Every barrel is full of powder."
"Who's been sleeping in my gun room?" the Doctor wondered.
'Do you hear that?' Evy whispered to him in his mind. He listened carefully, hearing a faint coughing grow steadily louder till even the humans could hear it.
Avery turned and stormed over to a barrel, placing the lantern down and putting his gun away before he lifted the lid. A moment later he pulled a young boy out of the barrel, "You fool!" he shouted, turning to hold the boy against the wall while everyone looked over at him, "You fool boy! What are you doing here?"
"Who is he?" one of the men asked.
The Doctor glanced back, confused, "What, he's not one of the crew?"
"No," Avery answered for the man, sighing, "He's my son."
~8~
Avery was sitting on a barrel next to the boy, Toby, while the crew and the others stood back, watching, "What in God's name possessed you boy?" Avery demanded of his son, "Your mother will be searching for you!" Toby bowed his head, looking away. Avery sat back a moment later, realizing what had happened, what must have happened, "When?"
"Last winter," Toby answered, looking up, "Fever. She told me all about you. How you were a captain in the Navy. An honorable man, she said, how I'd be proud to know you," he coughed, "I've come to join your crew."
"I don't want you here."
"You can't send me back," Toby countered, earning a small smile from the Doctor, who could only wrap his arm around Evy, resting his hand against her stomach, "It's too late. We're a hundred miles from home."
"It's dangerous here," Avery told him, "There is a monster onboard. She leaves a mark on men's skin…"
"The black spot?"
The Doctor, Evy, and Avery looked at him sharply as the boy just held up his hand to reveal the spot. Avery grabbed the boy's hand in his and looked at it as the Doctor stepped forward to do the same.
Toby could only cough.
~8~
Everyone was sitting around, trying to think of what to do now. Avery was leaning by the Doctor and Amy, who were sitting on a barrel in the back. Rory was a few feet in front of them on another barrel, examining his hand, seeming far more with it than he had been.
"There's nothing wrong with the boy," Avery muttered, "He has no scars."
"Yup, ignore my last theory," the Doctor sighed.
Amy just patted him on the stomach, "He has his good days and his bad days."
"It can't be just blood then," Evy called. They looked over to where she was sitting beside Toby, her arm around the boy as he coughed, "Toby's ill so she must be coming for all the sick and injured."
The Doctor nodded, seeing her reasoning, "The wounded. Like a hunter chooses the weakest animal…"
"Ok, look, he's got a fever," Amy said, getting them back to the facts, "The siren knows it."
"Humans…" the Doctor shook his head as he looked on at Evy, sitting with the boy, "Second rate," a Time Lord's biology protected them from most diseases, the two hearts helping to burn off an illness faster if they did get sick. It was why he wasn't concerned with Evy sitting near a boy with Typhoid Fever, they were basically immune, "Damage too easily. It's only a matter of time before everyone gets bruised…" he trailed off, seeing the captain glaring at him. He cleared his throat, "My ship, it can get us all away from here. You and me, we'll fetch it," he told the captain, standing up, "Let's go…"
Avery pulled the gun again.
Evy stood up and took a step towards them, not really comfortable with a gun being aimed at the Doctor. She never was and, even though he seemed unaffected as this was probably something like the tenth time it had happened since they arrived, it twisted her stomach in knots to see it every time.
"You're not the captain here," Avery nearly growled, "Remember?"
The Doctor looked over to see Toby about to lift a lid on a barrel of water. A glowing green hand shot up out of it.
"No!" Evy shouted as she lunged towards the barrel at the same time as the Doctor, both of them struggling to get the lid back on.
"The water's dangerous!" Avery yelled at Toby, "That's how she gets through. One touch of her hand and you're a dead man!"
The Doctor frowned at the man and put a comforting hand on Toby's shoulder.
Evy, however, glared at the man and stepped forward, putting and arm around the boy, "It's not his fault! He wasn't exactly there when we discovered how she gets in. How is he to know?" she turned to Toby, running a hand through his hair, "It's alright Toby, just be careful, yeah?"
Toby nodded.
"We're all cursed if we stay aboard," the man who had the keys said.
"It's not a curse," the Doctor and Evy said at the same time.
"Cursed means game over," the Doctor continued, "Cursed means we're helpless. We are NOT helpless. Especially since we've got Evy, and believe me, if I can't get us out of here she most likely will. So, Captain, what's our next move?"
The captain looked up, shocked that the Doctor had actually gone to him for an order instead of taking charge.
~8~
Avery put his mermaid medallion around Toby's neck for protection, "Wait with the boy," he ordered his men.
"Captain, we're all in danger here," one of the men stated as he and his partner worked on unblocking the door.
"I said, wait and barricade the door after we've gone," the captain repeated, more serious than before, leaving no room for argument.
"You sure you wanna go?" Amy asked the Doctor as she, Rory, and Evy stood before him.
"We have to get Rory and Toby away," he said, "She's out there now, licking her lips, boiling the sauce bin, grating the cheese…"
"Ok…" Amy trailed as Evy just shook her head at him, "Well, remember, if you get an itch, don't scratch too hard."
"We've all gotta go sometime," he shrugged as Amy and Rory exchanged a look. He stepped towards Rory, "There are worse ways than having your face snogged off by a dodgy mermaid."
Rory laughed at that as the Doctor patted him on the shoulder and turned to Evy, "Be careful," she whispered to him as she reached forward to hug him, "I don't like it when I'm not there to look out for you, keep you out of trouble."
They had discussed it before, he was going to get the TARDIS with Avery while she stayed there. With Rory and Toby victim to the siren's spell and two obvious pirates with them, he felt better if she was with them to keep an eye out.
"I'm always careful," he said quietly in her ear, earning a laugh from her.
She pulled back, "If I find one cut on you…" she began, threatening lightly, "You'll not be getting any kisses for a week."
He pouted at that but nodded and stepped back. He leaned forward and quickly gave her a peck, "Just in case I end up getting cut off," he smiled at her before winking.
He turned and headed out of the door with Avery, the door shutting and the men barricading it as it shut behind them.
"Want to draw lots for who's in charge then?" Avery joked, though there was a serious note in his voice.
The Doctor just looked around, "Darkness, demon…you can have first go," he patted the man on his stomach.
Avery laughed as they began to creep forward. A moment later the Doctor reached out as Avery nearly tripped and almost cut his hand on a partially raised nail beside him. The Doctor managed to get his arm around the man's middle and his other hand to grab Avery's, keeping it raised above the nail. He straightened him up.
"Nearly…" Avery trailed, swallowing hard at how close he'd come to being a victim of the siren so early in their mission. The Doctor just patted him on the shoulder and they walked on again.
Eventually, as carefully and slowly as the Doctor could…which ended up being no time at all in his mad dash to the TARDIS…they were running into the control room, the Doctor heading straight for the console as Avery looked around.
"By all the…" Avery breathed.
The Doctor spun around to face him, "Let me stop you there. Bigger on the inside. Don't mind, do you, if we just skip to the end of that moment? Oh, and sorry, I lied by the way," he added, turning back to the console as Avery joined him, still looking around, "When I said yours was bigger. Kitchen that way…" he pointed to the right, "Choice of bathrooms," he turned around and pointed to the right, "There," and the left, "There," and behind him, "And there."
~8~
Toby was sitting by the back wall, sucking on a small candy Evy, who was sitting beside him again, had given him, a throat lozenge to help with his cough, while Amy paced before them. Rory sighed and walked over to her, "What's wrong?" he asked.
"The most beautiful thing you've ever seen?" Amy asked quietly. She was so used to hearing Rory only call her that, hearing him refer to anyone like that made her feel very sad.
"Tell me I didn't really say that…" he groaned, embarrassed, earning a laugh from Amy and a smile from Evy.
Amy was about to say something to her husband when she saw the two crewmen by the door, working on unblocking it, "What's going on?"
"We're not staying here to molly coddle the boy," one of the men said, "The Captain's gone soft, it's time for us to leave."
"Excuse me?" Evy demanded as she got up.
~8~
The Doctor was typing something into a keypad on the TARDIS while Avery looked around at the rest of the console, "What's this do?" he asked, pointing at something.
The Doctor popped up, "That does very, very complicated…" he dinged a bell, "That does sophisticated…" he gestured at something else, "That does whoa, amazing! And that…" he motioned at the rotor, "Does wiz-bang-far-too-technical-to-explain."
'No it isn't,' Evy remarked in his head, 'You're just horrid at doing it.'
"Wheel?" Avery asked, pointing at a ball with knobs sticking out of it.
'If you say wibbly something…' Evy threatened him lightly.
"Atom accelerator," he answered honestly this time.
"It steers the thing?" Avery frowned, trying to get his bearings about the ship.
"No!"
'It does help a bit.'
"Sort of," he amended, "Yes."
'No.'
"Wheel," Avery nodded, pointing at random things on the TARDIS, "Telescope. Astrolabe. Compass," the Doctor looked up at him, slightly impressed, as was Evy, "A ship's a ship."
'I think I'm starting to like him.'
~8~
Toby stood up and looked at the men, "He told you to wait, you dog," the men looked at him, "He's your captain. A naval officer. You're honor bound to do as he tells you."
"Honor bound?" the man scoffed, "Do you know what kind of ship this is?" Amy quickly put her arm around Toby, "Do you know what your father does?"
"Don't listen to him Toby," Amy whispered.
"We sail under the black flack, the Jolly Rodger."
Toby lunged at him, "Liar!" Amy and Evy quickly pulled him back, "He's no wicked pirate!"
"Oh you think so?" the man laughed, before growing serious, "Well I've seen your father gun down 1,000 innocent men."
Toby staggered, stunned by the man's words.
Evy glared and stepped up, "And I've killed far worse monsters than you," and she had, both she and the Doctor had. The Daleks during the war were as bad as it got, it was literally kill or be exterminated, "You think I can't take the both of you?"
The men started to laugh right in her face.
Evy's face hardened and suddenly the men were sent flying back into the door, knocking over a few barrels of powder. They quickly sobered up and looked at her in shock and horror as she wiped a drop of blood from below her nose.
"She's a witch!" the second man, the taller of the two, accused.
~8~
'Are you alright?' the Doctor asked, feeling the power surge within his Link.
'Fine,' she replied quickly, 'Let's just say Avery's men, I don't like so much.'
He nodded and got back to trying to pilot the TARDIS, "This is how the professionals do it," he said to the captain before pulling random levers.
'And here I thought you were an ancient amateur.'
The TARDIS made an echoing, groaning, grinding noise, as though it were starting to power down.
The Doctor looked around, startled, "Oh, it's stuck…not responding."
"Becalmed?" Avery asked, mildly amused.
"Year, apparently. That's new…" he glanced up just as Avery nodded and smiled smugly, "You had to gloat, didn't you?" he pointed at the captain.
"I'm not gloating," Avery defended, his hands in the air.
"I saw that look just now. Ha ha, his ship's rubbish."
"True," Avery nodded, smirking.
The Doctor opened his mouth to come up with a retort but just turned and ran around the console, trying to figure out what was wrong. He'd thought of calling out to Evy, but she seemed rather preoccupied at the moment.
~8~
"Get what treasure you can and we leave in the row boat," the first man turned to his partner as they quickly started to move the barrels, trying to get away from the supposed witch as quickly as possible.
"You're going to remain at your posts!" Toby exclaimed, grabbing the cutlass Amy had brought with her and pointing it at the men.
"I am not playing games with you boy, you put that down," the second man said seriously, eyeing the weapon now inches away from him.
"One more step and I'll use this, you blaggard."
"You don't know how to fight with a cutlass boy!"
Toby glanced at the man's hand and back up at him, "Don't need to do I?" he lunged forward and swiped at the man's hand, cutting the side of it, leaving a black spot to form in the palm of his hand.
A/N: Cuddle me shipmate :) Best line EVER!
And wow...I'm getting so nervous for TATM tomorrow. Seriously, I'm actually planning on spending today doing Government and Non-Profit Accounting AND Fraud Examination homework (and I HATE accounting) and then cleaning (and I mean cleaning) my entire room on Saturday just to keep my mind off it. That's how bad it is. I was watching the end of The Power of Three before and I noticed two things that are sort of almost worrying me even more. The first is that, there's a part where the Doctor is making his way onto a rooftop shouting 'What the hell are you doing?!' and I just noticed River was following behind him...at first I thought she was who he was shouting at. But then...the next thing I noticed was that Amy AND Rory were jumping/falling from somewhere (I thought it was Amy and the Doctor till I really watched it), so I'm thinking it's them on the rooftop. Now I'm worried that, instead of losing Rory, we'll lose both Ponds. I honestly don't know which is worse...because either way we'd lose Rory, and he's my favorite. Arg! Saturday can't come quick enough, but then again, I almost don't want to know...
Some notes on reviews...I'm not going to start posting Reproduction of the Academic Series after TATM, I have a few subplots that I have to match to the episodes (what would work best with the Ponds vs. the new companion, what works best in what episode, etc.), so I need to wait till the series is over before I can do that. I do promise that Reproduction will be up the day after series 7 ends :)
As for Space/Time, no I'm not doing that mini-episode. I'm trying to keep this series fairly even with the Academic Series in terms of the mini-eps, I did Time Crash here where I did Space/Time there. I'm doing Bad/Good/First/Last night for both though :)
Lol, there's a little tiny reference to the Academic Series in this chapter, Evy with a gun, the Doctor's reaction, had to do it :)
Next chapter...Evy's still waiting on some t-shirts. The Doctor nearly gives himself dual heart attacks. There might be something wrong with the TARDIS.