A/N Hi! Thanks to Guest for the review. Sorry I haven't updated in a while, been having some school issues- mainly that I'm not sure where I'm going next year :/. This one's a double, second part will come later. Read and review please!
Day Four, cont'd: Violet Shadows
A bit of static cleared through the speakers.
"Hi! We're here on Gallifrey, and I'm starting us all off tonight, aren't I, Doctor?"
On the screen, Amy dropped the camera to where John was. Clara's stomach twisted up. Do not let me be right please oh god do not do NOT let me be right.
"John, wake up." He didn't stir. "John. JOHN." She flicked his forehead and his pale green eyes fluttered open.
"Amy, how are you not asleep?"
"Are the stars sleeping?"
"No..."
"So neither am I. Come on, Doctor, Time Lords are not supposed to sleep as much as you do. It's bad for their...er.. complexion."
Amy swung the camera back to her face and mouthed 'I don't know' and then smiled. John was right. She was radiant.
Clara looked around the edges of the video. There was the Landing, three sleeping bags- one containing Peter, one that John was curled on top of, and the edge of one that Amy was sitting on. There was a fourth off to the side, but the occupant wasn't in view– she'd guess Melody.
"Come on, John," Amy urged, flicking him again. "Let's go do something."
John muttered something that neither Amy nor Clara could hear. "What?"
"Was that an innuendo?" John said louder.
"Uh, no. I have a boyfriend."
"The Doctor says 'Bollocks to that.'"
"In fact, I have a fiancee. "
"Better tell your boyfriend. He'll be upset."
"Shut up." She playfully pushed his shoulder. "Oh, look! Rory's over there, on Akhaten. Hello! See, he's waving back. Rory?"
The camera lurched suddenly as Amy stood. There was a bit of rustling behind her. "Amy," John said, "You are not climbing Akhaten at one AM."
"Why not?"
"I'll give you three good reasons. One- it's right over Essex Creek. Two- I'm pretty sure you're half asleep and certain you had too much to drink. Three- AMELIA. GET BACK HERE."
"You can't make me. "
The camera swayed sickeningly from side to side, and John's voice grew fainter as Amelia went farther. "Amy!" he yelled.
"Yup, that's my name," Amy mumbled. "Gold star." the camera dropped a bit. "Whoops." she muttered.
"Amy, please, come back. Those branches aren't safe."
"I climbed this yesterday, John. Rory says to stop worrying."
"AMY." it was a plea now, and the camera stopped. Presumably Amelia looked back.
"Oh." Amy's voice was barely a whisper. "Shit."
"Amy?" There was a rustle to the right, and John's voice got louder. "Did you say something?"
"My ring." Amelia murmured. "My...mother's ring."
"Listen, we can go get it back. Just get off Akhaten."
There was a pause, followed by Amy's profuse swearing. A loud groan erupted from the speakers, which Clara hastily covered so she wouldn't wake up Oswin.
"Amy." John's voice was very quiet. "Come back over. It's just a few more steps."
"But the ring. I can reach it. I can still see it."
"We can get it back, Amy, just–"
But the camera had already started to move back towards the outskirts of Akhaten. John began to shout behind her. "AMY. STOP." She kept going.
The tree continued to protest, creaking and groaning like a old haunted floor. Amy suddenly shrieked, and Clara winced. "It fell! Oh, gods, it fell, John, JOHN, what do I do what do I DO?!"
He was too far away for Amy or Clara to hear the reply. Clara felt sick.
The Last Day.
"John, I'm coming back."
"Finally." he said, exasperated. The tree even seemed to approve, creaking a bit less as she stumbled over. The camera had completely fallen to Amy's side at this point, and Clara relied only on audio.
Suddenly, Amelia stopped. The camera halted, and the only sound was the groaning of the tree. Which, Clara noted, was rather loud...
"John...it's supposed to make that noise, right?" Amy took another step. "Please tell me that it's supposed to do this."
John was silent. All Clara could hear were Amy's ragged breaths.
"I'm right above the creek." she whispered, a little but in awe. "Look, there's that old angel statue we used to play with."
The tree grew louder, and Clara heard a scuffling and then a thud. "Amy? Where are you? We'll bring the ladder over." John called out.
"Weeping Angels, the silent predators...but it was only a game." The branch shuddered. "I don't think.." there was another creaking. "Doctor, I can't...oh hell."
Amy began sobbing. "I'm sorry oh god I am sorry okay John I really am."
"Amy?" John's voice finally broke a bit.
"I'm not going to make it across oh god I should have listened it was all a game for gods sakes it. was. all. a. GAME."
"Amy, you can do it, Peter and I am here to catch you-"
Clara looked back at the monitor. The camera was pointing straight down, immediately below Amelia, but all she could see was the darkness and slight movement from the creek beneath. No John in sight.
The news reports said that she'd jumped in after a thing that fell in. Shoddy cover story, Peter, Clara thought. I could have worked out something better. But everyone there that night knew that if the Last Day was given to the authorities, it would break John more than he could take. He couldn't bear the weight of her death and the heavy accusations. John could not be the boy who should have spoke louder.
The creaking noises continued, but Clara could not take it any longer. She paused the video and slumped back in her chair. She moved her hand away from her mouth- she had subconsciously begun biting her nails. Sighing, she turned off the computer and the lights, slowly moving down the hall, past Oswin's room and into her own.
But she didn't sleep that night. How could she? Clara tossed and turned until three, when her brain finally gave up. So at four oh six, she didn't notice the note that was slid under her door. She didn't notice the vaguely violet shadow that paused outside her window before departing into a cold August dawn. She didn't notice anything at all.
