The reptile doctor stepped up to Star, "Please," she cried, "Don't you dare!"
"Leave her alone!" the man yelled, hearing her fear in the girls' voice, "You got me!"
The doctor pulled his mask down and took a small device from his pocket and pressed a button, locking Stars wrists into place, "Decontamination complete. Commencing dissection."
"Silurian!" Star shouted, "You are a Silurian!"
He blinked in surprise, "How did you know that?"
"Because I'm not human."
"Yet you appear similar to him." he nodded at the man.
"He looks similar to me," she countered, "I'm a Time Lady. I have two hearts, checks your scans."
He eyed her; before turning to the monitor, "Two hearts. Interesting." He turned back to her, "Let's see how different you are."
Star froze, wide eyed as he approached her again. "No…"
~.~
She didn't scream, but merely let out the odd gasp as her skin was cut open.
She was glad to know that from his records she knew she was a very healthy Time Lady.
"Area 17 incursions, species diagnostic requested," called over the speakers, "Area 17 incursion, species diagnostic requested."
The doctor sighed and stopped cutting Star, leaving the lab.
Star let out a breath of relief, she pressed the button on the device that was hovering near her hand and release herself for the resistances before helping the man.
"How did you do that?" the man gaped as the device was floating there, in mid air, as though she was controlling it.
"Like I said. I'm not human." she helped him out of his restraints, "Come on, let's get out of here."
"That creature, is it an alien as well?" the man winced as he moved, "Any more of them do you think? Do you think the Earth been invaded?"
"It's a Silurian," she explained, wincing at the movement from her freshly cut skin, "It's lived on Earth as long as humans have, but they went into hibernation. There's a whole species of them. We need to find my old man, he can help. My names Star, by the way."
"Mo," he greeted.
She stopped at a door, "Ooh. What's in here?"
"Maybe it's a way out of here." Mo suggested.
Star out her hand on the panel next to the door. The lights came on and they saw a young boy attached to wire, I some sort of statis.
"Oh, my god, no." He tried to force the door open, "It's my son. What've they done to him?" he tried the panel, trying to open the door, "No! He's in there! We have to get him out! Eliot! Eliot, its dad!"
"Access denied," the computer called, "Unauthorised genetic imprint."
"Mo," Star tried to calm the man down as he panicked, and she knew as well as anyone that panicking didn't help, "Calm down, he's fine."
"That's my boy in there!"
"I gathered, but he's fine. See these screens," Star pointed at the screens, "They're monitoring him. I'm assuming they don't dissect the young and just scan them."
"But they dissected you." he frowned.
"In my species terms I am actually an adult, only just though." She had to admit, she was very glad that Silurian's saw her as the adult she was and not the child everyone else saw her as because of how old she looked.
"All right. We find weapons, get that creature from the lab, and force it to release Elliot, yeah?"
"No. Silurian's are mostly a peaceful race. We try talking to them first. But you have to trust me. We will get him back and he will be safe. I promise." she crossed her hearts.
They walked through the tunnels and came across a chamber with glass-cover alcoves on either side. "These are everywhere," Star muttered, as she put her hand over a senor and it lit up, showing Silurian warriors inside each one.
Mo stepped back in surprise, "Uh! Turn it off quick!"
Star did so, "Its ok, they're in a suspended animation, sort of like hibernating."
"Can we have another look?"
Star turned the light on again and stepped inside.
"Star, what are you doing? Get out of there."
"It's fine. I can defend myself."
Mo looked up as he cautiously stepped inside, "Hey, look."
Star followed his gaze to see a chute above them, "It's their transport."
"Even better, weapons." Mo took a gun from the Silurian. "Come on, now we can fight back." He held one out to her.
"No. no guns. No weapons."
Mo looked at her before taking the gun for himself. "Which way now?"
"Door at the end." She decided.
"Are you sure?"
"Im just following my sense." She shrugged.
They continued down the tunnel and through another sliding door. Below was a large chamber filled with soldiers in suspended animation.
"Wow." Mo breathed.
"Okay…"
"We don't stand a chance."
"Come on. We have to find the Doctor."
They left and continued on. Mo following Star as the girl seemed to know where to go.
~.~
That's when they heard voices from a room. They entered and Mo aimed his gun at one of the female Silurian's.
"Let them go." Star demanded calmly.
"Mo!" Nasreen gasped.
"Star!" Amy smiled.
"Star!" the Doctor breathed, feeling as though a heavy wait had been lifted as he saw she was okay. He ran to her, "Are you okay?" he had been so worried, he'd panicked and fretted and if Amy hadn't be able to calm him down, who knows what measures he would have gone to, to get her back.
"Im fine." She reassured him, and noticed someone important wasn't there, "Where's Rory? Why isn't he here? Is he okay?"
"He's fine. He's up top with Ambrose, Tony and Alaya."
Star nodded, guessing that Alaya had to be a Silurian, Rory being the only one the Doctor trusted enough, besides Amy, to stay up there. She recognised Tony to be the man from the lab.
"Let them go, or I shoot." Mo threatened the female Silurian as she moved closer, "Im warning you!" she took the guns off him and shoved him to the ground.
"All right, Restac." the Silurian doctor said, "You've made your point."
Restac walked up to him, "This is now a military tribunal. Go back to your laboratory, Malohkeh."
One of the soldiers shoved their gun against his back, forcing him to walk, "This isn't the way," Malohkeh sighed before being forced to leave.
"Prepare them for execution"
The soldiers forced the Doctor, Star, Amy, Nasreen and Mo to the pillars.
"I had hoped that this wouldn't have happened." Star whispered as she and Amy were tied behind the Doctor. Mo and Nasreen across from them on another pillar.
"I'm just glad your ok." He smiled at her.
"Me too," Amy added, "Lizard men, though!"
"Homo reptila...they occupied the planet before humans."
"They just want their home back." Star sighed.
"After they've wiped out the human race." Nasreen called as the soldiers lined up waiting for orders to fire, "Why are they waiting? What do you think they're going to do with us?"
Restac stood before them; a holographic screen appeared, showing Rory, Ambrose and Tony standing in the church basement.
"Oh my god!" Ambrose gasped, spotting them.
"Who is the ape leader?" Restac demanded.
"It's them. How are they doing that? How do they know that were in here?"
"Who speaks for the apes?"
The humans looked at each other and Tony whispered something to Rory who then spoke up, "I speak for the...humans. Some of us, anyway."
"Do you understand who we are?"
"Sort of. A bit. Not really."
"We have ape hostages."
Rory's eyes widened and they assume he could see them, "Star! Amy! Doctor!" he rushed towards the screen.
"Mo!" Ambrose cried, "Mo, are you ok?"
"I'm fine, love!" Mo assured her, "I've found Elliot, I'm bringing him home!"
"Star!" Rory breathed, "You're ok!"
"You were worried about me?" Star blinked, she had to admit she was more than glad that Rory had been concerned for her. She really did like the boy.
"Course I was."
"Tony Mack!" Nasreen beamed.
"Having fun down there?" Tony joked.
"Not to interrupt," the Doctor cut in, "But just a quick reminder to stay calm."
"Show me Alaya." Restac hissed, "Show me and release her, immediately, unharmed, or kill your friends...one by one."
"No!" Ambrose shouted.
"Ambrose..." Rory muttered to her.
"Steady now, everyone." the Doctor called.
"Ambrose, stop it!" Tony warned.
"Get of me, dad!" Ambrose cried. "We didn't start this!"
"Let Rory deal with this!" Star said to the woman.
"We're not doing what you say. Now, give me back my family."
The Doctor and Star exchanged a glance.
"No." Restac replied. "Execute the ape-girl."
"No!" Rory pushed Ambrose side of the screen, "No, wait!"
"Rory!" Amy cried.
"She's not speaking for us!"
Amy was pushed into the centre of the room in front of the soldiers.
"There's no need for this…" the Doctor began.
"Listen!" Rory shouted, "Listen! Whatever you want…we'll do it!"
"Aim." Restac ordered.
"Amy!"
"Rory!" Amy screamed.
"Don't do this!" the Doctor struggled.
"Fire!" Restac commanded.
Amy closed her eyes as the screen went blank.
"What is this trickery?!"
Amy hesitantly opened her eyes only to see the soldiers' guns being flung across the room. She looked as Star as she frowned in concentration, she gasped as her eyes were red. That was really freaky.
Restac realised that Star had done that and stormed over, ready to strike her…
"Stop!" A mans voice called, Malohkeh entered with a Silurian elder. "You want to start a war, while the rest of us sleep, Restac?"
"The apes are attacking us!" Restac defended, gesturing to Star who dropped the weapons, not even realising what she had done until she had done it. she didn't think, she just saw Amy, the Doctor's companion in danger, about to die and didn't think, she just did it.
"You're our protector, not our commander, Restac. Unchain them."
"I do not recognise your authority at this time, Eldane."
"Well, then, you must shoot me."
Frustrated, Restac approached Malohkeh, "You woke him to undermine me."
"We're not monsters," Malohkeh argued, calmly, "And neither are they."
"What is it abut you apes, you love so much? Mmm?"
"While you slept, they've evolved. I've seen it for myself." His gaze drifted to Star, even though she technically wasn't an ape.
The Doctor frowned at his gaze as he noticed it laid on Star and then he realised…he'd dissected her! And she hadn't even said anything!
"We used to hunt apes for sport." Restac sneered, "When we came underground, they bred and polluted this planet."
"Shush now, Restac." Eldane said, "Go and play soldiers, I'll let you know if I need you."
"You'll need me, then we'll see." She glared at him as she left.
The soldiers released them and the Doctor dashed to the monitor to get it working.
"Rory," he grinned, "Hello!"
"Where's Amy?" he asked in reply.
"She's fine, look, here, she is." He moved to the side so Rory could see her.
"Oh, thank god."
"Keeping you on your toes!" Amy winked.
"We haven't got time to chat." Star cut in, "Rory, you need to get down here…"
"Go to the drill storeroom," the Doctor continued, "There's a large patch of earth in the middle of the floor. The Silurian's are going to send up transport discs to bring you back down using geothermal energy and gravity bubble technology. Its how they travel and frankly pretty cool. Bring Alaya. We hand her over; we can land this after all. All going to work promise. Got to dash! Hurry up!" he cut the signal off.
Amy and Nasreen sat on one end of the table in the Silurian court room, Eldane sat on the other side as the Doctor, Star, Mo and Malohkeh stood around.
"I'd say, you've got a fair bit to talk about." The Doctor remarked.
"How so?" Eldane looked at him.
"You both want the planet. You both have a genuine claim to it."
"Are you authorised to negotiate on behalf of humanity?"
"We're not." Star admitted, "But they are!" she pointed at Amy and Nasreen.
"What?!" Nasreen gaped.
"No, we're not!" Amy shook her head.
"Course you are!" the Doctor laughed, "Amy Pond and Nasreen Chaudry, speaking for the planet!" he stood behind them, "Humanity couldn't have better ambassadors. Come on, who has more fun than us?" he moved to stand at the opposite end of the table.
Amy walked over to him, "Is this what happens, in the future, the planet gets shared? Is that what we need to do?"
Nasreen over heard them and walked over, "What are you talking about?"
"You haven't told her that we're time travellers?" Star shook her head at him.
"Right, yes," he nodded, "Probably worth mentioning at this stage, Amy, Star and I travel in time, a bit."
"And Rory."
"And Rory, too."
"Anything else?" Nasreen demanded.
"There are fixed points through time, where things must always stay the way they are. This is not one of them. This is an opportunity, a temporal tipping point. Whatever happens today, will change future events; create its own timeline, its own reality. The future pivots around you. Here. Now. So do good. For humanity and for Earth."
"Right," Amy nodded, "No pressure there then." he headed back to the table.
"We can't share the planet" Nasreen shook her head, "Nobody on the surface is going to go for this idea. It is just too big of a leap!"
"Come on, be extraordinary." the Doctor smiled.
"Oh...you..." She smiled back, joining Amy at the table
"Ok," the Doctor slapped the table, "bringing things to order, the first meeting of representatives of the human race an homo reptilian is now in session."
"Bet you've never said that before," Star nudged him.
"No, haven't actually, ha! That's fab! Carry on!" he pointed at Mo, "Now, Mo, let's go and get your son," he, Star and Mo walked to the door, "Oh, you know, humans, and their predecessors, shooting the predecessors. Never thought I'd see it."
~.~
The Doctor, Star, Mo and Malohkeh stood outside the small chamber where Elliot was held in.
"Elliot, there you are," the Doctor murmured, seeing the boy in some sort of statis.
"If you've harmed him in anyway..." Mo threatened as Malohkeh punched in the code to thaw him.
"Of course not!" Malohkeh exclaimed, "I only store the young."
"As I told you," Star added.
"But why?" the Doctor asked.
"I took samples of the young," Malohkeh explained, "Slowed their life cycles to a millionth of their normal rate. So I could study how they grew, what they needed, how they lived on the surface."
"You've been down here, working by yourself, all alone?"
"My family, through the millennia...for the last 300 years, just me," he turned to Mo, "I never meant to harm your son."
"Malohkeh, I rather love you," he fist bumped the reptile, "Besides the fact that you dissected my daughter."
"And I'm fine," Stat rolled her eyes at his concern.
"Yes, I apologise, it is a curiosity as a doctor." Malohkeh apologised.
"It's fine, I've been through a lot worse than dissection."
The panel beeped, "Its safe. We can wake him." Malohkeh entered the chamber and beckoned Mo to follow, "Come."
Mo stood in front of his son as he slowly blinked, "Elliot? Ell, its dad."
"What...?" Elliot blinked, "dad."
Mo hugged his son, "You're safe now."
"Where are we?"
"Well, I've got to be honest with you, son. We're in the centre of the Earth...and there are lizard men."
Elliot looked over at Malohkeh, "Wow."
The Doctor entered, "Elliot, I'm sorry. I took my eye off you."
"It's ok. I forgive you." he shook the Doctors hand.
"Oh, and this is Star..."
"Hi." Star smiled at the boy.
Elliot grinned at her, "Hello."
"You go on Doctor," Malohkeh said, "I'll catch up."
The Doctor nodded at him, and he, Star, Mo and Elliot continued down the corridor back to the courtroom. The Doctor motioned them to stay quiet as the listened in at the doorway.
"...you give us space, we can bring new sources of energy, new methods of eater supply, new medicines, scientific advances, we were a great civilisation. You provide a place for us on the surface; well give you knowledge and technology beyond humanity's dreams. We work together, this planet could achieve greatness." Eldane finished.
"Ok. Now I'm starting to see it." Nasreen smiled.
"Oh, yeah." Amy agreed.
The Doctor and Star clapped as Mo and Elliot smiled.
"Not bad for a first session." Star nodded at them.
"More similarities than differences." the Doctor smiled.
There was a whooshing sound and Eldane looked up, "The transport has returned. Your friends are here."
Moments later the door opened and Rory walked in, "Here they are," the Doctor waved.
Elliot ran forwards as Ambrose walked in, "Mum!"
"Rory!" Amy cried. Rory opened to mouth but struggled to find the right words.
"Rory..." Star breathed before whispering to the Doctor, "Something's happened."
"Something's wrong..." he agreed.
Tony entered carrying a body in a shroud that could only be Alaya.
"Doctor." Amy tensed, "What's he carrying?"
"No," the Doctor shook his head, "Don't do this. Tell me you didn't do this."
Tony laid the body in the flier and the Doctor squatted next to it and pulled the cloth away from Alaya's face. He put it back over but not before everyone had a good look.
"What did you do?" Star stormed over to the man.
"It was me." Ambrose spoke up, "I did it."
"Mum?" Elliot looked up at her.
"I just wanted you back." But Elliot shook his head and walked away from her over to his dad as everyone looked at her in pity and shame.
The Doctor walked up to Eldane, "I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"Please believe us, they are better than this." Star told him, sincerely.
"This is our planet!" Ambrose shouted.
"That is not helping!" Star snapped at the woman.
"We had a chance here." the Doctor told her.
"Leave us alone!" Ambrose cried.
The Doctor walked over to her, "In the future, when you talk about this, you tell people there was a chance but you were so much less than the best of humanity."
Armed soldiers entered the room with Restac, "My sister..." she began as she ran over to uncover the body, she wailed in despair before covering back up again, "And you want to trust these apes, Doctor?"
"One woman," he argued, wagging his finger, "She was scared for her family. She's not typical."
"I think she is." Restac turned to Ambrose.
"One person let us down." Star pleaded with Eldane, "But there's a whole race of humans, all dazzling and peaceful."
"You were building something here..." the Doctor added, "Come on...an alliance could work."
"It's too late for that, Doctor." Ambrose shook her head.
Tony ran a hand through his hair in frustration as Star whipped around to face the woman, "Why?"
"Our drill is set to start burrowing again in." she checked the stopwatch, "15 minutes."
"What?" Nasreen gaped.
"What choice did I have?" Tony countered, "They had Elliot."
"Don't do this," the Doctor shook his head, "Don't call their bluff."
"Let us go back." Ambrose began, "And you promise ever to come to the surface ever again. We'll walk away, leave you alone."
"Execute her!" Restac ordered.
"No!" the Doctor pulled Ambrose down as the soldiers fired.
"Everyone to the lab!" Star shouted, "Run!"
They ran out the room.
"Execute all the apes!"
The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and caused the guns to explode, "This is a deadly weapon, stay back!" one of the soldiers approached from the seats and whipped her tongue out, Star pulled the Doctor out of the room down a tunnel.
"Take everyone to the lab," Star told Rory, as she dodged a beam from the gun, "The Doctor and I will cover you!"
Rory hesitated a moment, not wanting to leave as they were getting fired at.
"Go!" she nudged him on; "Go!" the humans ran on.
The Doctor and Star waited as Restac and the soldiers arrived, the Doctor used the sonic again on the guns, "Ah-ah!" he shouted, "Stop right there! Or I'll use my very deadly weapon again. One warning, that's all you get. If there can be no deal, you go back into hibernation. All of you. Now. This end here."
"No," Restac sneered, "It only was with our victory."
"Like I said...one warning." he disabled the last few guns and he and Star ran off to the lab as Restac growled, chasing them.
He soniced the lab doors shut behind them.
"Mo, you and Elliot keep an eye on that screen." Star pointed to the monitor, "Tell us if any Silurian's arrive."
"Amy," the Doctor tossed her the stopwatch, "Keep reminding us how much time we haven't got."
"Ok, 12 minutes till drill impact." Amy reported.
Tony sat down, Nasreen standing over him.
"Tony Mack, sweaty forehead, dilated pupils, what are you hiding?" Star turned to him.
Tony opened his shirt to show green veins spreading from his neck to his chest.
"Tony!" Nasreen gasped, "What happened?"
The Doctor used the sonic as a scanner and scanned him.
"Alaya's sting," Tony panted, "She said there's no cure. I'm dying, aren't I?"
The Doctor moved to the control panel and checked the readings, "You're not dying, you're mutating. How can we stop it? Decontamination program! Might work, don't know, Eldane, can you run the program on Tony?" he nodded and moved Tony to the chamber.
"Doctor," Mo called, "Shedloads of those creatures coming our way! We're surrounded in here!"
"So, question is, how do we stop the drill, given we can't get out in time?" The Doctor questioned, "Plus also, how do we get out, given that we're surrounded?"
Star frowned in thought for a moment before turning to Nasreen, "Nasreen, how do you fell about an energy pulse, channelled up through the tunnels to the base of the drill?"
"To blow up my life's work?" She exclaimed.
"Yes, sorry," the Doctor nodded, seeing Stars plan, "No nice way of putting that."
"Right, well, you're going to have to do it before the drill hits the city, in..."
"11 minutes, 40 seconds..." Amy reported.
"Yes!" the Doctor grinned, "Squeaky bum time!"
"Yes, but the explosion is going to cave in all the surrounding tunnels so we have to be on the surface by then." Nasreen pointed out.
"But we can't get past Restac's troops," Rory shook his head.
"I can help with that," Eldane said, "Toxic Fumigation, an emergency fail safe meant to protect my species for infection. A warning signal to occupy cryo-chambers. After that, citywide fumigation, by toxic gas. Then the city shuts down."
"You could end up killing your own people." Amy frowned.
"Only those foolish enough to follow Restac."
"Eldane," Star eyed him, "Are you sure about this?"
"My priority is my races survival. The Earth isn't ready for us to return yet."
"No." she sighed. Earth really wasn't ready.
"10 minutes." Amy called.
"But maybe it should." The Doctor remarked, "So here's the deal. Everybody listening? Eldane, you activate shutdown…I'll amend the system, set your alarm for 1,000 years, time," Eldane went to do so, "1,000 years, to sort the planet out. To be ready. Pass it on. As legend, or prophesy, or religion, but somehow, make it known. This planet is to be shared."
Elliot smiled at that, "yeah. I get you."
"9 minutes, 7 seconds." Amy stated.
"Yes, fluid controls, my favourite!" the Doctor joined Eldane at the controls, "Energy pulse timed, primed and set. Before we go, energy barricade, need to cancel it out, quickly." he soniced the control and barricade came down.
"Fumigation pre-launching." Eldane reported.
"There's not much time for us to get from here to the surface, Doctor!" Rory cried.
"Ah-ha, super-squeaky bum time!" the Doctor cheered, "Get ready to run for your lives. Now…"
"But the decontamination program on your friend hasn't started yet." Eldane cut in.
Everyone looked at Tony in the chamber.
"Well, go." He shooed them off. "All of you! Go."
"No." Ambrose shook her head, "We're not leaving you here!"
"Granddad!" Elliot ran to him and they hugged.
"8 minutes, 10 seconds." Amy called.
"Now, you look after your mum." Tony spoke to Elliot, "You mustn't blame her. She only did what she through was right."
"Im not going to see you again, am I?" Elliot asked him.
"I'll be here," he touched the boys' heart, "Always. I love you boy." He hugged him tightly, before turning to Ambrose, "You be sure he gets home safe!" Elliot moved to he father who pulled him close.
"This is my fault." Ambrose breathed.
"No, I can't go back up there. I'd be a freak show. The technology down here's my only hope." He hugged his daughter.
"I love you, dad."
"Go. Go. Come on. Go on."
Eldane actived the fumigation. "Toxic fumigation initiated," the computer called, "Toxic fumigation initiated…"
"They're going!" Amy glanced at the monitors, "we're clear!"
"Ok. Everyone follow Nasreen." The Doctor told them, "Look fo a blue box. Get ready to run." He opened he door with the sonic, before turning to Eldane, "Im sorry."
Eldane looked over at him and Star, "I thought for a moment, our race, and the humans..."
"Yeah. Us too."
"We've got less than 6 minutes!" Amy shouted.
"Go! Go!" the Doctor ushered them on, "Im right behind you!"
Everyone else ran off, leaving the Doctor, Nasreen, Tony and Eldane in the lab.
They ran down the tunnels and Amy looked back I see the Doctor hadn't followed, "Oh, for goodness sake!" She ran back.
"Amy!" Star yelled after her. They continued on with Star following her senses as to where the TARDIS was.
The fumigation announcement repeated as the humans stopped and stared, Star letting out a groan in frustration, "Let's go!"
"Come on!" the Doctor called as he and Amy passed without Nasreen.
They arrived in the corridor the TARDIS was. The Doctor opened the door, "No questions, just get in! And yes, I know it's big!" he ushered the family in, "Ambrose, sickbay up the stairs, left, then left again...get yourself fixed up. Come on. 5 minutes and counting..."
"Doctor..." Star cut him off as she stated in horror at the wall opposite with the crack from Amy's bedroom wall, "It's getting bigger."
"Not here. Not now." he shook his head.
"The crack from my bedroom wall." Amy breathed.
The Doctor squatted in front of it, "and the Byzantium. All through the universe, rips in the continuum. Some sort of space-time cataclysm. An explosion, maybe. Big enough to put cracks in the universe. But what?"
"4 minutes, 50," Amy looked at the stopwatch, "We have to go!"
"The Angels laughed," Star muttered as she ran her hand down the crack, the tips just inside it, "When we didn't know. Prisoner Zero knew, everyone knows, but not us!"
"Just leave it!"
"But where there's an explosion," the Doctor pulled out a red hankie from a pocket inside his jacket, "There's shrapnel."
"Doctor, you can't put your hand in there!" Rory cried.
"Why not?" he countered, reaching in, he cried in pain as the light got brighter, "I've got something!"
"What?" Star asked, intrigued.
He fell to the ground, clutching something inside the hankie. It sizzled with heat and energy. "I don't know."
"Doctor!" Rory warned as Restac crawled into the tunnel. The Doctor jumped of the ground as Star watched the Silurian.
"She was there," Amy realised, "When the gas started...she must've been poisoned."
"You!" Restac spat.
"Get into the TARDIS." Star told the humans.
"You did this!" she aimed her gun.
"Star!" Rory jumped in front of her as Restac fired and he was shot.
"Rory!" Star and Amy cried as he grunted in pain.
"Rory," the Doctor scanned him with the sonic, "Can you here me?"
"Rory..." Star whispered.
"I don't understand." Rory groaned.
"Shh Shh, don't talk," Amy stroked his face, soothing him, "Doctor, is he ok? We have to get him into the TARDIS!"
"We were on the hill. I can't die here."
"Don't say that!"
"You're so beautiful..." Rory weakly looked up at her, "I'm sorry..."
He let out his last breathe as Star sniffed.
"Doctor, help him." Amy demanded.
"Amy, move away from the light," the Doctor stood up seeing the light surrounding Rory's legs. "If it touches you you'll be wiped from history. Amy, move away now."
"No! I am not leaving him! We have to help him!"
"Amy!" Star gently pulled her by her shoulders, "The lights already around him, there's nothing we can do."
"I am not leaving him!"
"I don't to want to either, but we have to!"
"No!"
The Doctor lifted her up and dragged her into the TARDIS, "Sorry."
"No!" Amy struggled against his hold. "Get off me!"
Star locked the door behind her as Amy pounded in them wanting to get back to Rory.
"Let me out!" she cried, "Please let me out...I need to get to Rory!"
The Doctor walked determinedly to the console as Star shakily followed, leaning against it, heartsbroken. Rory was her friend, she'd made a promise to herself she wouldn't let anything happen to the companions and she had failed!
"That light," Amy gasped, struggled to breathe through her tears, "if his body if absorbed I'll forget him. He'll never have existed. You can't let that happen."
The Doctor pulled a lever on the console.
"What are you doing?" she ran over, "Doctor! No! Star, please..."
The TARDIS dematerialised as Rory was covered by the light.
Amy beat her hands into the Doctor chest as he hugged her, "No! No! Doctor, we can't just leave him there!"
"Keep him in your mind." The Doctor told her, "Don't forget him. If you forget him you'll lose him forever."
"On the Byzantium, I still remembered the clerics because I am a time traveller, now you said."
The Doctor held her head in his hands, "They weren't part of your world. This is different…this is your own history changing."
"Don't tell me its going to be ok. You have to make it ok."
"It's going to be hard, but you can do it, Amy." He took her to the jump seat and he knelt in front of her as Star tried to keep the TARDIS steady, "Tell me about Rory. Fantastic Rory, funny Rory, gorgeous Rory. Amy, listen to me. Do exactly as I say. Amy, please. Keep concentrating. You can do this."
"I can't." she whimpered.
"You can. You can do it. I can't help you unless you do. Come on. We can still save his memory. Come on, Amy. Please…"
"Don't let anything distract you." Star added, "Please. Do this for Rory. Remember him, keep remembering him."
With no one at the console, the TARDIS jolted as they landed, knocking the trio to the floor. The box with the engagement ring fell in front of the Doctor.
"What were you saying?" Amy asked brightly, completely forgotten Rory.
Star choked on her tears and walked around the console before kicking it.
"What was that for?" Amy laughed.
She whipped around to the ginger, glaring at her, but before she could do anything the other three came down the stairs.
"I have seen some things today," Mo remarked in awe, "But this is beyond mad."
Amy looked at the stopwatch, "5 seconds till it all goes up!"
They stepped outside into the graveyard and watched at the drill site exploded.
"All Nasreen's work, just erased."
"Good job she's not here to see it." Mo chuckled, "She's going to give Tony hell when they wake up."
"You could've let those things shoot me." Ambrose said quietly, "You saved me."
"An eye for an eye." The Doctor replied, "It's never the way. Now you show your son how wrong you were. How there's another way. You make him the best of humanity…in the way you couldn't be." He smiled gently at her as the left to go back home.
"You're very quiet." Amy looked at the pair, "Oh! Hey! Look! There I am again! Hello, me!" she waved to her future self.
"Are you ok?" the Doctor looked at her.
"I thought I saw someone else there for a second. I need a holiday. Didn't we talk about Rio?"
"You go in. just fix this lock, keeps jamming. Star, I might need your help." The Doctor unlocked the door for Amy.
"You boys and your locksmithery." He closed the TARDIS door behind her.
The Doctor unwrapped the item from inside the hankie. He held it up to reveal it to be a perfect match as part of the TARDIS.
They glanced at each other in shock and horror.
~.~
Star sat in her room in her bed, her knees tucked into her chest as she shook.
She lost so many people.
Her mother,
Her friends,
Her siblings
And now Rory. Rory was like a companion, and now he was gone.
It hurt so much to lose so many in a short amount of time.
There was a knock in her door and the Doctor entered, "How are you doing?"
She'd kept it bottled up for too long; she couldn't keep it back and more.
She burst into tears.
"Hey…" the Doctor soothed her, "It's ok…its ok…"
