Ok, here's a new one for you. Enjoy!


Ember looked around as the burning faded, recognising Eleven's layout during his adventures with Amy and Rory. Said Doctor was on the other side of the console, grinning as he recognised her.

"Hello!" He cried, practically bouncing over to her. Before she knew it, he had his arms around her in a tight hug. "Where have you just been?"

"Um, London, stopping the Slitheen from starting World War Three." Ember replied. She really needed to get used to this Doctor being very hands on. Speaking of... "And before that I met Agatha Christie. Um, about what happened..." The Doctor stepped back to give her room as she spoke. "Um, Donna kinda shoved me..."

The Doctor put his hand on her shoulder. "It's fine. In all honesty, I'd rather you than Donna. Pretty sure I'd have had a double heart attack if she'd snogged me."

Ember rolled her eyes. "I know she was only a friend, but don't forget she was very special."

"That's true. But you undervalue yourself. I happen to think you're very special as well."

Ember looked away to hide the blush creeping across her face, therefore missing the knowing smirk the Doctor had in response. "Um... where are we, anyway?"

"Ah, well, we've not long rebooted the universe with Big Bang Two." The Doctor decided to let her change the subject. "And I got a message to come here, to this place and this time. You caught me as I was getting my special straw."

"Special straw?" Ember looked back at him, noticing the straw he held, and frowned. "Oh... I think I know where we are now..."

The Doctor tilted his head. "So you know who called?"

"I do, but I can't tell you yet." Ember replied. "I have to call it spoilers for now, but you'll figure it out."

There was a moment pause as the Doctor looked thoughtful, and then he nodded with a sigh. "Alright, I'll play along, for now. Come on then. Best get going."

Ember nodded as he led her to the door, though her mind was racing. Did this mean that she wasn't there when the future Doctor got 'killed' at the lake?

The Tardis turned out to be parked inside the entrance to the restrooms, which made Ember hope that no one would want to use them before they left. The Doctor opened a door to reveal an American diner.

By the bar, Amy, Rory and River turned to look at them as they entered, their expressions ranging from shocked to confused and in one case, angry.

"This is cold." River said lowly as the door closed behind them. "Even by your standards, this is cold."

"Or hello, as people used to say." The Doctor jested lightly, puzzled as to why they were being looked at the way they were.

Amy stepped closer cautiously. "Doctor?"

"I just popped out to get my special straw. It adds more fizz." The Doctor added, raising said straw. "And Ember just popped in. Isn't that lovely?"

The redhead had moved closer still, slowly circling them while staring at the Doctor. "You're okay... How can you be okay?"

The Doctor, concerned at her behaviour, pulled her in for a hug. "Hey, of course I'm okay. I'm always okay. I'm the King of Okay. Oh, that's a rubbish title. Forget that title." He pulled away to go to the husband and hug him as well. "Rory the Roman! That's a good title. Hello, Rory." Finally he addressed River, who was looking thunderous. "And Doctor River Song. Oh, you bad, bad girl. What trouble have you got for me this time?"

River's response was to slap him, hard.

"Okay..." He said, flexing his jaw a little. "I'm assuming that's for something I haven't done yet."

River stared for another moment before she replied stiffly. "Yes, it is."

"Good. Looking forward to it."

"I don't understand." Rory said. "How can you be here?"

The Doctor looked at him as he reached out and grabbed the blue envelope he'd been given. "I was invited. Date, map reference. Same as you lot, I assume, otherwise it's a hell of a coincidence."

"River, what's going on?" Amy asked.

Instead of answering, River instead said "Amy, ask him what age he is."

"That's a bit personal..." the Doctor whined, only for River to round on him.

"Tell her. Tell her what age you are."

"Nine hundred and nine."

Any blinked. "Yeah, but you said you were-"

"So where does that leave us, huh?" River cut in before Amy could continue. Ember knew why: the Doctor they'd seen earlier was 1103, so of course it was confusing to run into the younger one. "Jim the fish? Have we done Jim the fish yet?"

The Doctor smiled, amused. "Who's Jim the fish?"

"I don't understand." Amy admitted.

Rory caught on. "Yeah, you do."

"I don't!" The Doctor whined again. "What are we all doing here?"

Ember gently took the envelope from him. "They got the same invites as you did."

River nodded. "We've been recruited. Something to do with space 1969, and a man called Canton Everett Delaware the third."

"Recruited by who?" The Doctor asked, pacing away from them as he chewed on the straw.

At that River hesitated. "Someone who trusts you more than anybody else in the universe."

"And who's that?"

"Spoilers."

The Doctor huffed. "I only like it when Ember says that word."

"Me?" Ember asked, puzzled. "What's the difference between me saying it and River?"

River blinked then, looking at Ember, before she smiled almost sadly. "Judging by your face, I'm guessing this is the first time you meet me?"

Ember looked puzzled. "Um, yes?" What did she mean by that?

"Ah, then you haven't been there yet." River smiled at the even more confused look the brunette was giving her. "Sorry, Sweetie. Spoilers count for you too."


The group returned to the Tardis, where the Doctor busied himself with running around the console, flicking switches.

"1969, that's an easy one! Funny, how some years are easy. Now, 1482, full of glitches. Now then, Canton Everett Delaware the third. That was his name, yeah? How many of those can there be? Well, three, I suppose." He noticed that Amy and River had descended to the lower level of the console room. "Rory, is everybody cross with me for some reason?"

Rory hesitated. "I'll find out."

As the husband quickly left, the Doctor turned to face Ember, looking almost hurt.

"I know it's hard," she said, trying to offer support while at the same time buying the others time. "But they've seen something that you'll see later, so you can't know yet."

"I hate waiting." The Doctor muttered as he flicked more switches.

"I know." Ember tried to smile, but it was forced. "But believe me, you have to wait."

The Doctor waited for a few more seconds, and then he moved to the edge of the platform and lay flat on his front so he could lean over the edge and talk to the three on the lower level. "I'm being extremely clever up here, and there's no one to stand around looking impressed, other than Ember who already knows how impressive I am! What's the point in having you all?"

Ember couldn't help a smile as he pulled himself back up to get back to working on the console. A few moments later, Amy, Rory and River returned to the upper deck.

"Time isn't a straight line. It's all bumpy wumpy. There's loads of boring stuff like Sundays and Tuesdays and Thursday afternoons. But now and then there are Saturdays." The Doctor explained. "Big temporal tipping points when anything's possible. The Tardis can't resist them, like a moth to a flame. She loves a party, so I give her 1969 and NASA, because that's space in the sixties, and Canton Everett Delaware the third, and this is where she's pointing."

Amy looked at the monitor that showed the answer. "Washington D.C., April the eighth, 1969. So why haven't we landed?"

"Because that's not where we're going."

"Oh." Rory said. "Where are we going?"

"Home. Well, you two are. Off you pop and make babies. And you, Doctor Song, back to prison. And me? I'm late for a biplane lesson in 1911. Or it could be knitting. Knitting or biplanes. One or the other. Ember, do you know how to knit?" He didn't wait for an answer as he sat in one of the jumpseats and gave them all a flat look. "What? A mysterious summons. You think I'm just going to go? Who sent those messages? I know you know. I can see it in your faces. Don't play games with me. Don't ever, ever think you're capable of that."

"Doctor..." Ember murmured. She so badly wanted to tell him the truth, but who knew what would happen if he found out too early.

"You're going to have to trust us this time." River said.

The Doctor look unimpressed as he stood. "Trust you? Sure. But, first of all, Doctor Song, just one thing. Who are you? You're someone from my future. Getting that. But who?" River didn't back down. "Okay. Why are you in prison? Who did you kill, hmm? Now, I love a bad girl, me, but trust you? Seriously."

"Trust me." Amy cut in. The Doctor silently regarded her. "You have to do this, and you can't ask why."

"Are you being threatened?" He asked. "Is someone making you say that?"

"No."

"You're lying."

"I'm not lying."

The Doctor faced her head on. "Swear to me. Swear to me on something that matters."

Seconds went by, and Ember grew confused. Amy should have said her line by now. Why hadn't she? To her increasing surprise, the redhead looked at her.

"I know you know what's happening," she said. "Please, say something, anything."

"Oh no, don't you go making her feel worse for her foreknowledge," the Doctor cut in, moving so that he was between the two women. "You've done that before and you know how that turned out."

Ember faltered. What did he mean by that?

River caught her eye and gave her a nod. Ember took a breath, moved so that she could reach up to the Doctor's ear and whispered the first thing that came to mind.

"Theta, please."

The Doctor instantly turned to look at her in puzzlement. "What?"

"You heard me." Ember said. "You can trust them. Please."

After another long pause, the Doctor finally smiled. "My life in your hands, Ember. Just like it's always been."

He moved away, back toward the console, as Amy gave her a thankful look.

River did the same. "Thank you."

"Dunno why you're thanking me," Ember replied. "You'd have gotten through to him. You were supposed to."

"You and your show," River shook her head with a knowing smile. "You should know by now that it's not all going the same as it did on tv."

Ember shrugged. "Some of it has to stay the same, though, right?"

As Ember moved to join the Doctor at the console, River shook her head again. "Not as much as you think, Sweetie."

"So! Canton Everett Delaware the third." The Doctor called. "Who's he?"

River moved to the monitor. "Ex FBI. Got kicked out."

"Why?"

"Six weeks after he left the Bureau, the President contacted him for a private meeting."

The Doctor nodded. "Yeah, 1969. Who's President?"

"Richard Milhous Nixon. Vietnam, Watergate." River could practically feel the Doctor roll his eyes. "There's some good stuff, too."

"Not enough."

"Hippie!"

"Archaeologist."

"Flirting? Really, Doctor?" Amy called. "One isn't enough?"

Ember glanced over in puzzlement, but the Doctor ignored her. "Okay, since I don't know what I'm getting into this time, for once I'm being discreet. I'm putting the engines on silent."

He pulled a lever and there was suddenly a wailing noise. River quickly threw a different switch and it went quiet

"Did you do something?" The Doctor asked, looking around the central console.

"No, just watching." River calmly replied.

The Doctor looked at her for another moment before he continued. "Putting the outer shield on invisible. I haven't done this in a while. Big drain on the power."

"You can turn the Tardis invisible?" Rory asked.

"Ha!" A flick of the switch and suddenly bright lights shone everywhere.

River rolled her eyes. "Very nearly." She moved another lever and the lights went back to normal.

"Er, did you touch something?" The Doctor asked again.

"Just admiring your skills, sweetie."

The Doctor glanced at Ember, who shrugged, and then he smiled. "Good. You might learn something. Okay. Now I can't check the scanner. It doesn't work when we're cloaked. Just give us a mo."

He ran towards the doors, only to turn when Amy and Rory went to follow. "Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa. You lot, wait a moment. We're in the middle of the most powerful city in the most powerful country on Earth. Let's take it slow."

The Doctor stepped out of the Tardis. River and Ember waited for a few minutes, and then the whole place shook like something had bumped into it.

"He walked right into us, didn't he?" River asked Ember, who nodded. "Every time."

"Don't worry! It always does that when its cloaked." The Doctor called now that he was close enough for them to hear him. Then there was the sound of a struggle. "Ah, no! Stop that!"

River quickly grabbed the monitor and starting working on it, while Rory joined them. "He said the scanner wouldn't work."

"I know. Bless."

The scanner clicked on, showing the Doctor being wrestled to the floor by several men in black suits. "Stop that! Argh! Oh! River, have you got my scanner working yet?"

"Oh, I hate him." River muttered.

"No, you don't!" Ember replied at the same time as the Doctor, who then added "River, make her blue again!"

River rolled her eyes, but quickly hit the right switches to restore the Tardis to its familiar 'Blue Box' template.

"What the hell is that?" They heard President Nixon ask as the scanner could now run at full capacity.

"Mister President," The Doctor, now sat at the President's desk, tried a Texan accent but dropped it quickly. "That child just told you everything you need to know, but you weren't listening. Never mind, though, because the answer's yes. I'll take the case." On the screen, he looked at the suited men pointing guns at him. "Fellows, the guns, really? I just walked into the highest security office in the United States and parked a big blue box on the rug. Do you think you can just shoot me?"

River took off before Ember could stop her, running out of the door. "They're Americans!"

"Don't shoot!" The Doctor quickly called, standing up and raising his hands as Amy and Rory joined River outside the Tardis. Ember chose to wait by the door. "Definitely no shooting!"

"Nobody shoot us either." Rory added. "Very much not in need of getting shot. Look, we've got our hands up."

"Who the hell are you?" The President demanded.

Canton cut in. "Sir, you need to stay back."

"But who are they and what is that box?"

The Doctor looked at him like he was an idiot. "It's a police box. Can't you read?" He moved to sit back down in the presidential chair. "I'm your new undercover agent on loan from Scotland Yard. Code name the Doctor. These are my top operatives, the Legs, the Nose, and Mrs Robinson."

River shook her head. "I hate you."

"No, you don't." The Doctor shot back casually. "Oh, and Miss Ember is with us too. Not coming out, dear?"

Ember leaned against the door, raising her voice so she could be heard. "I really don't like the idea of having guns pointing at me. I'll wait here, thanks."

"Who are you?" Nixon demanded again.

"Nah, boring question. Who's phoning you?" The Doctor waved off the question with another. "That's interesting. Because Canton Three is right. That was definitely a girl's voice, which means there's only one place in America she can be phoning from."

Canton's interest was piqued. "Where?"

"Do not engage with the intruder, Mister Delaware." One of the suited agents said.

"You heard everything I heard." The Doctor replied, ignoring the suit. "It's simple enough. Give me five minutes, I'll explain. On the other hand, lay a finger on me or my friends, and you'll never, ever know."

Canton looked at him as he propped his feet up on the desk, gesturing to the Tardis. "How did you get it in here? I mean, you didn't carry it in."

"Clever, eh?"

"Love it."

"Do not compliment the intruder." The suit tried to cut in, but was ignored once again.

"Five minutes?"

"Five."

The suited man was insistent. "Mister President, that man is a clear and present danger to-"

"Mister President, that man walked in here with a big blue box and four of his friends," Canton pointed a finger at the suited man, "and that's the man he walked past. One of them's worth listening to. I say we give him five minutes. See if he delivers."

"Thanks, Canton." The Doctor smiled.

"If he doesn't, I'll shoot him myself."

The Doctor's smile fell. "Not so thanks."

The suited man tried one more time. "Sir, I cannot recommend-"

Apparently the president had had enough. "Shut up, Peterson! All right, five minutes."

The Doctor's grin returned as he straightened and messed with things on the desk. "I'm going to need a SWAT team, ready to mobilise. Street level maps covering all of Florida. A pot of coffee, twelve Jammie Dodgers and a fez."

Canton gave him a look as the suits slowly lowered their weapons. "Get him his maps."

"Ember! All clear!"

There was a pause as the Tardis door opened just enough for Ember to slip out without showing what was inside. To her surprise and relief, River quickly moved to hug her.


A short time later, the Oval Office was littered with maps of Florida. Most of the suits had left, leaving a few to watch the 'guests' as they carefully went over the maps.

"Why Florida?" Canton asked.

"There's where NASA is." The Doctor replied, dragging another map to the president's desk. "She mentioned a spaceman. NASA's where the spacemen live. Also, there's another lead I'm following."

"Should I tell you?" Ember asked, keeping her voice low so the others wouldn't hear her. "Who she is, where..."

She glanced to the side of the room by chance, and saw the Silent that was watching her from the doorway of the room. She expected it to do or say something, but to her surprise it seemed to take an uncertain step back, as though it were wary of her. She looked away, expecting to forget the last few seconds, but to her greater shock she found herself able to recall it clearly.

What did that mean? How could she remember the Silent when its basic ability was to make you forget you saw them? Was it because she'd seen it on the show? And why did it look wary when she saw it?

"Amy, what's wrong?"

Rory's question brought Ember out of her musings, turning to see Amy looking a bit ill.

"Amy?" River called, the Doctor adding "Are you all right?"

Amy nodded weakly. "Yeah. No, I'm fine. I'm just feeling a little sick." She looked at the suited man by the door. "Excuse me, is there a toilet or something?"

"Sorry, ma'am, while this procedure's ongoing, you must remain within the Oval office."

Canton rolled his eyes. "Shut up and take her to the restroom."

"This way, ma'am." One of the other suits said.

"Thanks." Amy followed the man out. Rory went to follow, but was stopped by the first suit.

Ember hesitated, noticing that the Silent she saw earlier was no longer in the room. It must have left before Amy did. She was tempted to follow, but decided it was better not to risk it. Besides, Amy was going to be relatively fine, and River wouldn't be here if things had changed.

"Your five minutes are up." Canton said to the Doctor, who looked up at him.

"Yeah, and where's my fez?"

Before anyone could answer, the phone suddenly rang.

Canton looked over. "The kid?"

"Should I answer it?" President Nixon asked.

"Here!" The Doctor declared, pointing to something on one of the maps. "The only place in the United States that call could be coming from. See? Obvious, when you think about it."

Canton looked at the map as Amy and the suited man returned, spotting what the Doctor was pointing at. "You, sir, are a genius."

"It's a hobby."

"Mister President, answer the phone."

Nixon reached over and pressed the button on his phone, putting it on speaker. "Hello. This is President Nixon."

"It's here!" The voice of a girl cried. "The spaceman's here! It's going to get me! It's gonna eat me!"

The Doctor leapt to his feet. "There's no time for a SWAT team. Let's go! Mister President, tell her help's on the way." He ran to the Tardis, closely followed by Ember. "Canton, on no account follow me into this box and close the door behind you."

"What the hell are you doing?" Canton called as Amy and Rory followed River into the Tardis. It was just before they left that Canton jointed them, closing the door behind him before he faced the room and saw the inside.

"Jefferson isn't a girl's name." The Doctor was saying as he ran around the console. "It's not her name either. Jefferson, Adams, Hamilton. River?"

"Surnames of three of America's founding fathers." River replied, looking at the monitor.

"Lovely fellows. Two of them fancied me."

"And two fancied Ember. You didn't like that, did you?"

Ember looked puzzled as the Doctor frowned. What was going on?

Rory noticed Canton staring with wide eyes and an open mouth. "Are you okay? Coping?"

"You see, the President asked the child two questions." The Doctor either didn't notice or didn't care about the extra guest. "Where are you and who are you? She was answering where."

Canton slowly closed his mouth. "It's bigger on the inside."

"Yeah, you get used to it."

"Now, where would you find three big, historical names in a row like that?" The Doctor asked.

Amy looked up. "Where?"

"Here. Come on." The Doctor landed the Tardis and headed to the door, stopping by Canton, who was still a little overwhelmed. The Timelord looked st Rory. "Are you taking care of this?"

Rory sighed. "Why is it always my turn?"

Amy kisses him on the cheek as she passed. "Because you're the newest."

Ember could only give him a shrug as she passed, following the Doctor, River and Amy out of the Tardis and into what looked like a disused warehouse. It was such a dingy, cluttered place that looked like it hadn't been used in decades.

Amy was looking around. "Where are we?"

"About five miles from Cape Kennedy Space Centre." The Doctor replied. "It's 1969, the year of the moon. Interesting, don't you think?"

"But why would a little girl be here?"

"I don't know. Lost me a bit. The President asked the girl where she was, and she did what any lost little girl would do. She looked out of the window."

Ember followed Amy to the closest window, looking out at the streets. In clear view was a street sign that had three plates that were engraved with Hamilton Av, Jefferson St and Adams St.

"Streets." Amy breathed in realisation. "Of course, street names."

"The only place in Florida, probably all of America, with those three street names on the same junction." The Doctor explained. "And Doctor Song, you and Ember have got that face on again."

River blinked while Ember looked puzzled. "What face?"

"The 'he's hot when he's clever' face."

"This is my normal face."

"Yes, it is." He smirked as Ember blushed and looked away.

"Oh, shut up."

"Not a chance."

Rory finally got Canton out of the Tardis. The ex-FBI looked flabbergasted at their surroundings. "We've moved. How, how can we have moved?"

The Doctor looked st Rory. "You haven't even got to space travel yet?"

"I was going to cover it with time travel."

"Time travel..." Canton breathed.

"Brave heart, Canton." The Doctor encouraged. "Come on."

"So we're in a box that's bigger on the inside, and it travels through time and space."

"Yeah, basically."

Canton blinked. "How long have Scotland Yard had this?"

Ember smiled and shook her head.

"It's a warehouse of some kind." River said, bringing them back to the situation at hand. "Disused."

"You realise this is almost certainly a trap, of course?" The Doctor asked.

"I noticed the phone, yes."

Amy looked at them. "What about it?"

"It was cut off. So how did the child phone from here?"

Ember frowned. "Who says she needed a phone? For all we know, she may have another form of communication."

Amy gave her a confused look. "Okay, but why would anyone want to trap us?"

"You're asking that, of all things?" Ember countered.

"Let's see if anyone tries to kill us and work backwards." The Doctor cut in gently.

River nodded in agreement. "Now, why would a little girl be here?"

"I don't know. Let's find her and ask her."

It wasn't long before they found a room that had some odd contents. Crates with seemingly random items surrounded what looked like a tilted autopsy table. River pulled out her scanner.

"It's nonterrestrial. Definitely alien." She said as the Doctor rummaged in a crate. "Probably not even from this time zone."

"Which is odd, because look at this!" The Doctor pulled out a spacesuit from the crate.

River moved to scan it. "It's earth tech. It's contemporary."

"It's very contemporary." The Doctor corrected her. "Cutting edge. This is from the space program."

"Stolen?"

"What, by aliens?" Amy asked.

"Apparently."

"But why?" Amy was looking more confused by the moment. "I mean, if you can make it all the way to Earth, why steal technology that can barely make it to the moon?"

"Maybe because it's cooler? Look how cool this stuff is." The Doctor putting on a helmet, unknowingly making Amy shudder at what it reminded her of.

"Cool aliens?"

"Well, what would you call me?"

"An alien."

"Oi!"

"I, er..." Rory called from the back, Canton right next to him. "I think he's okay now."

The Doctor grinned. "Ah! Back with us, Canton."

Canton nodded. "I like your wheels."

"That's my boy. So, come on. Little girl. Let's find her."

Amy and River were examining the alien tech, which had a lot of gunk and slime on it. Ember moved closer to them to listen.

"River..." Amy began, but River cut her off.

"I know what you're thinking."

"No, you don't."

"You're thinking if we can find the spaceman in 1969 and neutralise it, then it won't be around in 2011 to kill the Doctor."

"...Okay, lucky guess."

"It's only because I was thinking it too."

"So let's do it."

"It isn't that easy," Ember interrupted, gaining their attention. "For all you know, the next time you see the spaceman, it would already have done what you're trying to stop it doing."

Amy looked at her. "You know what happened at the lake, right?"

"Amy, she can't tell us," River tried to get her to drop it, but the redhead wasn't deterred.

"You can't say you agree with this! Can't you tell us something?"

Ember sighed. "All I can tell you is that what happened at the lake happened. The spaceman comes out of the lake, shoots him, and then leaves. You can't change it. River?"

The woman nodded. "It doesn't work like that. We came here because of what we saw in the future. If we try and prevent the future from happening, we create a paradox."

"And believe me, a paradox is something none of us want."

"Time can be rewritten." Amy insisted.

River shook her head. "Not all of it."

"Says who?"

"Who do you think?" River gave her a stern look and glanced at Ember. "And even then, I believe Ember when she says it can't be avoided. She knows more than me and the Doctor combined. If she says no, then it's a no."

Ember furrowed her brow. Not only was River saying things that didn't make sense, but it was also past the point where she should have seen the cables leading to the manhole by now. With a sigh, she decided that she needed to give a little push. "Um, guys? Look here."

River looked over, finally noticing the manhole cover. "What's this?"

"We can still save him." Amy tried again, but Ember just shook her head. She wanted to tell the redhead the truth, but she couldn't risk unwanted ears hearing it. She hadn't seen any Silent yet, but she knew they were near.

River also ignored Amy in favour of calling the boys over. "Doctor? Look at this."

The Doctor jogged over to them, looking at the manhole cover as River tugged the kid to one side. "So where does that go?"

"There's a network of tunnels running under here." River said, scanning.

"Life signs?"

"No, nothing that's showing up."

"Those are the worst kind." The Doctor muttered before he noticed River opening the cover and getting ready to go down it. "Be careful."

River looked up at him. "Careful? I tried that once. Ever so dull."

"Shout if you get in trouble."

"Don't worry, I'm quite the screamer." There was a mischievous glint in her eye now. "Now there's a spoiler for you."

"Too much info, River!" Ember called as the archaeologist disappeared down the manhole. Canton walked up to them.

"Tell me what's going on here." He said.

The Doctor faltered. "Er, nothing. She's just a friend. So's River."

"I think he's talking about the possible alien incursion." Rory helpfully corrected.

"Okay."

There was a slightly awkward pause before Canton spoke again, examining some surgical equipment nearby. "So, I was in a bar having a drink. Tell me, honestly, Am I still there?"

Amy shook her head. "Afraid not."

At that moment, River came back up the ladder. Ember was the only one who saw her panicked face before she calmed, forgetting what she'd seen.

"All clear. Just tunnels. Nothing down there I can see." She reported, then hesitated. "Er, give me five minutes. I want to take another look around."

"Stupidly dangerous!" The Doctor pointed out.

"Yeah, I like it too. Amy, look after him." River smiled before she went back down the ladder.

The Doctor sighed before turning to Rory. "Rory, would you mind going with her?"

"Yeah, a bit."

"Then I'd appreciate it all the more."

Rory looked like he wanted to argue, but thought better of it and went to the ladder. "Hang on, River. I'm coming too."

As the former Roman descended the ladder, the Doctor moved to Ember's side. He'd noticed her growing anxiety and the signs giving it away; she'd starting biting her thumb nail. He gently put his hand over hers to stop her. "Are you alright?"

"Huh?" Ember looked up at him in surprise. "Oh. Yea, I'm fine."

"Care to give any hints?"

Ember bit her lip and glanced away, missing how the Doctor has zeroed in on the action. "Well... there's more to this little girl than meets the eye. And... there's something else, something that didn't happen in the show."

"Such as?"

"I saw something I shouldn't have seen. I want to tell you, but it's too early. Telling you now could ruin everything."

"I know how that feels," the Doctor muttered to himself before he moved to gently pull Ember into a hug. "I know it's hard, but you're doing great."

Ember huffed, allowing the affection. "You're always telling me that. Maybe someday I'll believe it."

Amy, who was watching the couple, decided to let them have their moment and turned to Canton. "So, you were kicked out of the FBI because you had attitude problems?"

"No, I just wanted to get married." Canton shook his head."

"Is that a crime?"

"Yes." Was the short answer before he changed the subject, gesturing to where the Doctor was poking his nose into some of the crates. "Doctor who, exactly?"

"Ah. That's classified."

"Classified by who?"

Amy rolled her eyes. "God knows."

"Do you work for him?

"He's my friend, if friend is the right word. I haven't seen him in a while." Amy glanced back at where Ember and the Doctor were still hugging. "I had something I wanted to tell him, but stuff always gets in the way."

Canton gave a small smile. "Stuff does that."

Suddenly, they could hear the voice of a familiar little girl. "Help me! Help! Help me!"

"That's her." Canton took off, but Amy suddenly doubled over before she could follow.

The Doctor saw it and instantly ran to her side. "Amy?"

"Help me! Please!" The girl called again.

"Amy, What's wrong?"

Amy looked up at him in worry. "I need to tell you something. It's important."

Canton's voice came from the tunnel where he had chased the voice. "Doctor!"

"It's really, really important."

"Doctor, quickly!"

"What, now?!" The Doctor grabbed Amy by the hand and ran, grabbing Ember along the way. It wasn't long before they found Canton on the ground in the tunnel. "Canton! Canton, are you okay?"

Amy paled. "Is he all right?"

The Doctor nodded. "Just unconscious. Got a proper whack."

"Doctor, I need to tell you something. I have to tell you it now."

"Not a great moment."

"It's not ever going to be," Ember countered. Amy nodded. "No, it's important. It has to be now."

"Help! Help me! Help me!" The girl's cries were getting closer.

"Doctor, I'm pregnant."

The Doctor looked at Amy in shock, but then they heard heavy footsteps behind them. Ember was just about to turn when she felt the burning sensation suddenly build up.

"Oh no, not now!" She cried. It was quickly overwhelming her senses, but just before she jumped she was able to hear the Doctor cry out and the sound of a gun firing before all went white.

The last thing she saw was the spacesuit-wearing girl lurch back with a crack in the helmet.


And here's another two parter! Part two will be soon!

Next Time: Ember gets closer to losing it as she faces the Silence.