Hey hey! Sorry it took me so long to update, but I was finishing off one of my other stories while I could. But now it's finished and I'm back! So here we are. So without further stalling let's get on with it.

Disclaimer: For this and all future and previous chapters I do not own Doctor Who or it's many characters.


Chapter 8 – The Villain Coalition

Little Amelia gazed up at the magical Mr Smith with her big eyes shining. "So…was the Twelfth Doctor dead then?"

"What?" Twelve looked down at her, a heavy set scowl on his face. "No! Of course not – I mean wouldn't that be a bit weird considering…" he trailed off when he realised he was about to reveal he was the Twelfth Doctor, and began fidgeting with his tie when his nerves sprang into action. "Shut up. Let's just say he's a slippery fish that old, old man."

Amelia frowned up at him, unable to shake the notion that he was hiding something from her. "I don't believe you."

"Get used to it."

She shook her small head, her bushy strawberry hair flinging all over the place. "Whatever. When is my raggedy man getting back anyway? We've been waiting for ages now."

"Yeah, yeah I know," His voice had softened rather abruptly, feeling that immense guilt stab at him once again. But he knew he couldn't tell her. He could only keep her company on one of the worst nights of her life and hope it eased it somewhat. "Well he's a very busy man, but I'm sure he's doing everything he can just to get back and see you."

She looked up at him once more, the whispers of a smile dancing across her cheeks. "Do ya really think?"

"Oh absolutely – not a doubt in my massive mind," he responded with a giant grin, the slight breeze playing with the ends of his jet black hair. "Where's he going to find someone else as wonderfully ludicrous as Amelia Pond?"

Amelia full out grinned this time, and leaned over to rest her little head on his shoulder. "Thank you," her small voice croaked.

"You're most welcome," he replied back in mostly the same tone, before wrapping his right arm around her considerably smaller frame and planting a small kiss to the top of her head. "You just have to be tough for the days ahead. Your dreams will come true one day Amelia, I promise."

Amelia sighed into his coat. "It doesn't seem like it."

"Well things are rarely how they seem, Pond," Twelve muttered back. "In fact the sooner you get used to that the better, because believe me, things can sometimes get a little…weird."


Amy was fairly certain this was the weirdest situation anyone had ever been in.

Her deep olive eyes had a mind of their own as they bounced around the hall, moving from one bodice to another without a hope in the world of stopping anytime soon. This was odd. She flew around the universe in a time travelling blue police box with a 908 year old bow tie wearing alien and her Roman Centurion husband and even by her standards, this was odd. At first her gaze fell upon the back of the Ninth Doctor, watching as his shoulders swung with conviction despite the situation at hand. In fact she noticed that he walked quite similar to Twelve. The only difference was that Nine seemed almost aggressive in his demeanour, whereas Twelve sauntered about the place with an air of certainty – fully confident that he could handle anything that came his way.

Her scrutiny then moved over to the Tenth Doctor, who was walking behind her with Rose and Eleven. Ten seemed to be a whole different animal altogether. He bounced around with his hands slipped snugly in his pockets, his long brown coat sweeping along the ground behind him. He seemed cheerful enough to the naked eye, but even Amy could see that his dark brown eyes weren't missing a thing as they moved through the underground facility. And then of course, there was her Doctor. She had often teased him on his particular brand of movement. Often she would compare him to a diseased giraffe, as his limbs seemed to fly around of their own accord and his feet sprung out at awkward angles sometimes. Naturally his shoulders were no different. They tended to give off the impression that he was, for want of a better word, forcing himself forward and through the odd twists his wild limbs would throw out.

Of course on their own this wasn't too strange. It was the fact that the three men around her were all the same man that made poor Amy's brain crackle and pop. What was perhaps more concerning though was the air of hostility burning between them, as if the mere presence of their own incarnations made them physically ill. Both she and Rose would occasionally shoot each other wary looks when engulfed by the uncomfortable aura, the silence alone enough to force the most awkward of small talk. But then, of course, there was the delight that walked along beside her that made this moment almost bearable.

"I don't think we've officially met," Jack brought up, offering her his hand to shake and a grin to melt her bones. "Captain Jack Harkness, a true pleasure."

She felt her smile grow on its own as she gladly took his hand. "Amy Pond-"

"Stop it," Sounded Eleven from behind them, his glare fixed on the two.

Amy turned bemused eyes onto her Time Lord, her lips in a thin line. "Sorry, which batch of crazy is this?"

"He's right," Ten backed up his future self. "It's just – just no, just don't. Just…" He blinked a few times. "Just don't."

"He was just saying hello…" Amy sulked.

The two turned back to each other, Amy pouting slightly whereas Jack was still grinning. "It's their Time Lord instincts," The captain explained when met by her confused eyes. "They have this sort of sense of Time, what's wrong and what's right, and having three of them in the same room at the same time is their version of a colonoscopy."

"Oh, now that's just rubbish," Eleven moaned, missing Amy's smile. "Always with the inappropriate and the horrible mental imagery – and by the way it's because if we let him, good old captain Jack would chat up an apple, never mind the legs, lips and burning orange," he finished with a shiver. "I hate apples."

"I remember," Amy added with a bounce of her eyebrows, although her gaze remained on him suspiciously at his words. She may remember his hatred of apples, but she also remembered what Twelve had said whilst he was still in his crazy regeneration phase.

Amy scoffed. "Trust me, you have no strange appeal when it comes to women."

"Actually I do, always thought it was a curse – all these beautiful available women falling for me but I can't seem to summon the memory of why that was a bad thing - OH!" The Doctor grabbed his head. "No I'm a Time Lord! I'm going to live for a very very long time – exposing them to a life of danger – it would be selfish so I lie and tell them they need to find someone else! It's all there Amy, it's all coming back slowly but surely. I am STARVING! Are you starving? I'm thinking egg whites with rice pudding…"

"That's wonderful," she responded in a dry voice, before realising something. She glanced back at Rory to make sure he couldn't hear and leaned in to whisper to him. "Wait, that isn't what you did to me is it? Lie and tell me to find someone else?"

His eyes snapped up to look at her in a blind panic. Their gazes locked for what felt like an eternity, dread slowly pouring into her. "No, of course not, don't be silly Amelia – Rory! Is there any blood in those coughs of yours?"

"Oh my God," Amy breathed out. She took a miniscule step away from him when he looked back at her. "That's what you did wasn't it? It wasn't that you didn't like me at all. You lied and then took me and Rory to Venice so I would have someone else, didn't you?"

"No, Amy, I didn't. You were too clingy and other stuff people say-"

"Swear to me," she interrupted him with a fierce hushed voice.

His new ice blue eyes rolled. "I swear on my life, now can we move on?"

"Swear on fish fingers and custard," She demanded. "Swear on them and bare in mind I will never forgive you if you lie this time."

He hadn't sworn on fish fingers and custard. She was no idiot. She knew he was all too familiar with lying, but he would never lie over fish fingers and custard. He wouldn't dare. So was it therefore possible, even minutely, that the Doctor truly did have feelings for her? She inwardly scoffed at herself. It didn't matter anyway. He had made his decision and had missed his chance, never mind the fact that she was married now…if Rory still even wanted to be married to her anymore.

"Amelia?" She looked up at Eleven at the concern in his voice. "What's wrong?"

As quick as she could she wiped the misery from her face, replacing it with a smile she was sure he would be able to see straight through. "Nothing, nothing. I'm fine," She attempted, but his stare remained utterly unchanged. "Really Doctor I'm fine…though I do need to talk to you, at some point, whenever – no rush."

"You can talk to me now Amy, tell me what's wrong," Eleven quickly responded, eyes burrowing into her own. "I…the Tenth me…Ten told me that you were with another Doctor but he didn't know which one," he murmured gently when it didn't seem she was going to answer, and took great care when he cupped her face in his hands. "Did he hurt you?"

Amy scowled at him, almost annoyed by his question. "What? No! In fact if anything it was the opposite, we…" She trailed off here, suddenly very aware that she was about to tell the Doctor and everyone listening around them that she had basically claimed Twelve as her own not so long ago. She cleared her throat. "Well, let's just say we actually got on well. Really, really well. Maybe a little too well…even."

Eleven recoiled from her, eyes wide with questions. "Is this one of those moments where you get all subtle and not even Rory can understand you? I believe he called it typical and then rolled his eyes."

"No," She replied with a small laugh, lightly patting him on the chest.

"Right. Ok. Good. Are we sure though? It's just that last time I ended up cowering in the corner clutching a fez whilst you were yelling something about compassionate men," he reminded her, paling slightly at the memory. "I didn't know you could be so loud."

She couldn't hide the smile that stubbornly remained on her face. With an amused shake of her head she abruptly threw her arms around her imaginary friend, squeezing him to her with all her strength. "God I've missed you."

"Normal," Eleven breathed out, eyes darting all over the place, before he finally relinquished and hugged her back.

It was clear that Rose was beginning to find this all highly confusing. "What's wrong with apples?"

"Nothing," Ten supplied, allowing Rose to relax somewhat. "Now pears! Pears are what you have to look out for. Always dryer than you'll think they'll be – kinda stale too. How are they always stale?"

"Look, I have no idea what any of you are all talking about but I do know that we're wasting time," Nine finally spoke up, sauntering over to the complicated group of people.

"Oi, leave them alone," Ten jumped to the defence of the now separating duo. "Hugging's nice," He clicked his neck. "Well, most of the time. The point being who put you in charge? If anything you – what's your name? – should be the boss," The tenth incarnation of the Time Lord suggested, pointing at Eleven.

Nine only offered them a frustrated smile. "Are you always this stupid or is today a special occasion?"

"Nah today's pretty special I guess," Ten yawned out. "Oh no! No no no no no – don't worry, I always yawn when I'm interested."

Jack buried his face in his hands. "This is going so well."

"Pears?" Rose murmured to herself, beginning to feel overwhelmed. "Nah right, because I can handle slitheen and all that but pears?"

Amy scowled. "So Ten doesn't like pears, my Doctor doesn't like apples," she turned to Nine. "What about you?"

Nine shrugged. "Not too keen on peaches," he offered. "Who wants hairy fruit anyway?"

"I'm not one for mangos," Jack was kind enough to offer his opinion, earning him a parade of confused stares. "Just in case anyone's wondering…"

"Alright, alright! Everyone just shut up!" Eleven finally called out, lifting his hands up in the air to halt them before things got out of hand. "Now clearly we're not going to be getting on anytime this millennia – and I know that, I'm a Time Lord."

Ten grinned. "Yeah you are."

"D'ya hear that?" Nine asked Rose, shooting her a pointed look. "Lord. Time Lord."

Rose arched a brow. "I heard him, calm down."

"Now!" Eleven clapped his hands together. "What we can all agree on – a fact that still amazes me exists – is we need to find this Melody, the other Doctor and Donna before they finally stop letting us run around this place."

Amy frowned. "Wait, they're letting us walk around?"

"Yes of course they are, Pond," He stated, stepping into her personal space and flicking her forehead. She merely looked back at him with wide eyes. "Keep up. I've already ran into them, though yes I'm still not quite sure who they are."

Nine gave a sharp nod. "Human?"

"Of course."

"Brainwashed?" Ten enquired.

"Naturally," Eleven croaked out, now shoving his own hands in his pockets.

"How'd you know that?" Rose had to ask, staring right at Ten. "How'd you know they'd be brainwashed?"

Ten's gaze was suddenly very solemn and fixed on his eleventh self. "It's the most common invasion strategy used when infiltrating a planet."

"Especially when you don't want to be detected, and considering they're underground it's the most obvious answer," Nine added on. "I don't suppose you know anything about this Melody girl?"

Eleven shot a subtle look in Amy's direction before she could see it. However Jack did. "I had a chance to talk with her. She said we had all been brought here for the experiments by the monster – which by the way the hypnotised people called the alien – and as they took her away she told me to find the Twelfth Doctor," Eleven seemed to pout slightly. "She called him the real Doctor. Children can be so silly – or in this case just plain thick."

"The Twelfth Doctor?" Amy was quick to intervene, lowering her brow to display her confusion. "That's the Doctor I was with, but how could she know him? He'd only just regenerated."

As one all three Doctors whirled on her, Nine and Ten looking slightly alarmed whereas Eleven seemed almost guilty. "He's only just regenerated?" Nine finally asked.

"Yeah," Amy answered, before a slight smirk formed on her pretty features. "He had just started calming down when we got separated, but he really was wild. Donna will tell you when we find her."

Eleven bowed his head somewhat, hands still in his pockets as he slowly strode toward her. "Amy, did you see him regenerate?" The tiny smirk on her face fell faster than a boulder through water, her eyes beginning to glisten with moisture as she nodded. Eleven sighed. "I'm sorry, Amelia. That can't have been easy to watch."

"No, it wasn't," She was quick to respond, before offering him a hesitant smile. "But you're here now, and to be honest once I stopped hating Twelve he was actually quite nice. Bit of a flirt but what can you do right?"

"I saw him on the monitor when he arrived with Donna," Rose spoke up, smiling slyly. "He was nice. Very nice."

Instantly Eleven and Jack shared a look of equal worry. So far the theory that this Melody was somehow the daughter of Amy and the Doctor was holding strong, and frankly the fear was evident on Elevens features. However he didn't get to mull over the notion for much longer, because Donna Noble shot around the corner like a bat out of hell. All eyes turned to her with immediate concern. The middle-aged red head was greedily trying to catch her breath, clutching a TALT to her chest, as her wide eyes landed on the unfortunate looking group.

"Donna!" Ten cheered, his grin one of jubilance as he charged over to his distressed looking companion.

Donna released a breath of absolute relief at the sight of her Doctor, and melted into his embrace the moment he offered it to her. "Oh thank God," She exhaled out into his brown coat.

Eleven seemed frozen to his spot on the ground as he drank in the sight of Donna Noble, a silly grin spreading over his face. "Donna…" he whispered to himself, missing the look Amy sent him. She lowered her brow for what felt like the millionth time. It was almost the exact same smile Twelve had given when he had first seen her…if a little goofier this time.

"Twelve…the Twelfth you…he – he…the angels they…" Donna feverishly tried to explain, pulling back so she could look up at her Doctor. "You have to help – you have to-"

"Donna, slow down," Ten attempted to soothe the frantic woman.

"Twelve?" Amy muttered to herself, earning Donna's abruptly mournful gaze. "Is he ok?" The former temp just stared at her, having no idea what to say. Amy's lips thinned at the look, panic flooding her system like a wave. "Oh no."

Jack stepped forward. "Did you say the Twelfth him? As in the Twelfth Doctor?"

"Yes! Yes he-" She quickly did a double take of the once time agent, her eyes boggling a little. Rose smiled in understanding before Donna composed herself. "Me and Twelve – we were following the signals on the TALT and we walked into this room – and the statues! Doctor the statues!"

"Donna, you have to listen to me and calm down," Ten urged, lowering his gaze so he could convey his concern. "Take a deep breath and try again-"

"No!" She cried, now prying herself away from him. "No you don't understand! The statues they moved! They moved so fast and they wanted to kill us – we were trapped! But the Doctor, the twelfth Doctor person, he threw me out the room to save me! But he stayed in there himself so I would be safe! Come on, we have to go, right now Doctor. There's no more time! He's going to die unless you save him! Come on!"

Ten shook his head. "Wait, Donna what are you talking about? What statues?"

"The Angels!" She screamed at him…and just like that everything she had said made sense. Ten allowed his lips to part, Eleven lost his stupid smile and adopted a look of fear, all the colour in Amy's face drained as if being sucked out with a hoover.

Nine took a shaky step forward. "The Angels? As in the Weeping Angels?"

"Yes!" Donna yelled once more, moving back the way she came in an effort to make them follow her. "He told me – Twelve – he told me to tell you that they were protecting something called the eye of harmony?"

The moment her words hit the air Ten's eyes drew back into his skull, his bottom lip physically trembling at the revelation. Eleven's eyes had flooded with thick moisture and he hurriedly shot Nine a terrified look. Amy studied her Time Lords features. Never before had she seen him so shocked, so utterly horrified. Not even when he had been in the Pandorica about to ride it into the event horizon had he looked so scared. She didn't even know the Doctor could look scared. Ten spiralled round to face his two other incarnations, the exact same look on his face.

"Hang on, who are these weeping angels?" Jack had to ask, put off by the looks the Doctors were all sharing.

Rose stood next to him. "And what's an eye of harmony?"

Like a shot ten turned back to Donna, ignoring his friends' questions completely. "RUN!"

And just like that they were off, Ten and Donna leading the charge as they sprinted down the corridors at ferocious speeds. No one questioned the order. Three Doctors. Captain Jack Harkness. Donna Noble, Rose Tyler and Amelia Pond – all charging down the pathways as one, and all with one thought.

To save the newest bizarre incarnation of the Time Lord.


Little Melody awoke with fatigued enthusiasm, she having to peel her eyes open. This first thing she noticed was that her arms and legs were bound by thick, heavy chains – though this was not new to her. She had awoken many times to this recently. It was, however, the second thing that surprised her the most. This time she wasn't alone.

Her dreary gaze travelled up the man chained up next to her, and instantly her eyes widened. It was the twelfth Doctor. Only he didn't seem to be entirely…healthy. His black jeans and big white trainers were still thankfully intact, but they appeared to be alone in that respect. The only semblance of clothes remaining on his upper body was an incredibly shredded white shirt that had been burnt black. In fact so had his skin. Almost his entire upper body was smothered in searing burns, red raw deep open wounds that she could only imagine were even more painful than they looked.

Her lips parted when she looked up at his beautiful new face. He was barely conscious. Heavy, wheezy laboured breaths heaved up through his strangled throat, his chest shuddering each time he tried to breathe. A small gasp escaped her when she noticed the tiniest waves of golden energy rising from his skin, like golden smoke rising from a candle.

A silent grimace passed over her face. "Oh no."

And yet, immediately after she'd said it, the Twelfth Doctor threw out his chained arms and exploded with raw regeneration energy – his loud cry sounding from somewhere within the immense golden eruption. Melody firmly shut her eyes and tried to recoil as much as her own chains would allow. Her thin strawberry hair whipped about in the fierce gale, her scrunched up face attempting to hide behind her arm and her whole body had to fight in order to keep her footing.

Of course the thing with regeneration was that it always ended as suddenly as it began, and with one magical puff of air the Twelfth Doctor gave a final little yell and collapsed into his restraints. His ice-blue eyes were now wide open, mouth sucking in as much oxygen as was possible without asphyxiating himself.

"Oh sweet chimichanga – now THAT hurt – that definitely hurt," he breathed out, sweat dripping from his forehead. "Now then," he smacked his lips together, wriggling his hands in the chains above his head. "So yep, those would be titanium. Excellent. Soleado. Unbreakable then. Why not just bend me over and take me over the rainbow!"

Melody finally opened her eyes and gawked at him. "But…you look the same."

At the sound of her small confused voice he snapped his head in her direction, noticing her for the first time. "Um, yeah, still within the first fifteen hours of my regeneration cycle. Just used up the last of my residual cellular energy to heal myself – sorry, are you…? Are you…?" His eyes squinted at her, watching as her features solidified before his very eyes. His lips quirked. "Melody? Melody Pond – River Song – what in the nariz are you doing here?" He suddenly recoiled with a suspicious glare. "Did you tie me up?"

"What's a Nariz?" She asked, baffled. "And who's River Song?"

He made an odd movement with his lips. "Oh, right, spoilers. Forget River Song – I never mentioned her. Instead I said Silver Bong only you probably shouldn't know that either so in actual fact I said Ginger thong – Ooh. Well, this isn't going well. I think this is when people usually blame the schools, isn't it?" When young Melody simply continued to look at him, bored by his rant, he was forced to sigh. "Eleven was so much better with kids, then again he was basically a kid himself so…"

"And a Nariz?" She sighed. "Gonna explain that one, Doctor?"

He nodded. "The Nariz. A species of humans who have evolved to have upside-down noses, moved to a new planet when their solar system collapsed, and then lived happily ever after," he sniffed. "Until it rained one day and they all drowned because of the upside down noses. Tragic really. Ever so sad – why are you trying to distract me?"

She knew it was coming but it always surprised her. The way his face and his tone seemed to shift so abruptly from the cheerful rambling clueless alien to the alarmingly perceptive and almost scary Time Lord. It was a speciality Twelve himself was best known for. He lured you into the trap of thinking you had actually tricked him, and then he pounced on you when you weren't ready for it.

She swallowed down her surprise and fixed him with a look equalling his intensity. "Because you're scary when you're angry."

"Why would I be angry, Melody?" He asked her quickly, eyes fixed on her and never blinking. "Who is it? Who brought us here? Why are we chained up? Who wants Time Lords? Why do they want Time Lords? How are they controlling the angels? Where did they get the eye of harmony? How did they even activate it? And basically, why bother?"

Somehow the young girl was unfazed by his tirade of questions, instead only sparing a brief glance at the shadows all around them. "You have to promise that whatever they do to me, you won't get angry. I've seen what this version of you can do when you're angry."

"This version of me? What are you talking about?" He whispered urgently back at her.

Melody's cold gaze diverted from his at this. "Apart from today when I met Eleven, you were the only Doctor I'd ever met so far. And I know it hasn't happened to you yet since you must have only just regenerated to be able to heal like that, but you need to try and keep calm," She focused her stare back on him again. "Because this new you has a temper, and when you lose it…"

"What?" Twelve asked softly when she hadn't spoken in a while, entranced by her words. "What happens? What do I do?"

She shook her small head, clearly trying to find the right words without revealing anything. "The Doctor always shows mercy but when you're mad, when you're pushed, you either forget that or you just stop caring. Either way you become more dangerous than anything you've ever stopped before, including them."

His eyebrows flicked curiously, though his eyes betrayed how concerned he was by her words. "Them? Them who?"

"She is referring to us," Came an all too familiar voice from the darkest shadow. A voice that sent a chill right down the Doctors spine and into his gut, making him feel that horrible nausea that always followed suit. Slowly he craned his neck round, glistening icy-blues desperate not to find the source of the interruption, and then turning wild with fury as they did.

The Supreme Paradigm Dalek rolled out from the darkness in all his white bodice glory, blue eye stalk shifting between Melody and the Twelfth Doctor. "Power the lights!" It commanded, the lights flickering on upon his command. The dull rays revealed the dozen or so hypnotised men and women all in the room, all of them wearing damp and torn clothing.

Twelve nodded. "Naturally, hypnotised," he breathed out before his eyes sprung up to glare down the Dalek, a small humourless scoff escaping him as he did. "Supreme Paradigm. Daleks and Weeping Angels. Of course. I should have realised – I should have known."

"Yes Doctor," The Supreme Paradigm Dalek ground out in that chilling, rumbling robotic voice. "The Alliance has returned!"


Ten and Donna were the first to round the corner, charging into the room where the red head had last seen Twelve. Soon all the others followed, but when Amy's desperate gaze fell on the pure state of it, her eyes morphed from desperate to outright terrified. The walls had been scorched black, tiny flames still hissed at them from various places on the floor, and all the furniture had been blown away and scattered randomly around. But the most troublesome part by far…were the solidified remains of numerous weeping angels that had clearly been blown to pieces.

In short, the room was a warzone.

"Oh my God," Donna quietly gasped to herself, bringing her hands up to her mouth as she surveyed the damage.

Eleven immediately withdrew his sonic and began waving it around, scanning the room for answers he had yet to ask aloud. Jack shook his head. "What the…what could have done this?" The former time-agent queried the group as a whole.

Nine looked down at his feet when a gleam caught his eye. With a heavy set scowl he squatted down and grasped the small object with his hand. "I think I know," he began, earning everyone's attention. With a purse of his lips he lifted up his hand, a small key in it. "This is a key to the TARDIS."

Ten's expression tensed. He could remember making those keys, back when the master had become prime minister and they had to go unnoticed. There was only one thing that could have happened here. "We did it," the tenth incarnation sighed, taking another look around at all the damage. "Well, the Twelfth version of us anyway."

Rose finally stopped looking around to notice Amy's rather frenzied expression, and almost immediately became concerned. "Hey, you alright?" The blonde asked gently, placing her hand on the other woman's shoulder.

Amy shook her head silently, moisture flooding the base of her eyes. "There's no way he could have survived this," she croaked out, unable to stop looking at the devastation surrounding them. "Why would he do this?"

"He must've been pretty desperate," Jack answered from his position on the floor, examining the ash on the ground. "It's still hot. It can't have happened that long ago."

"It didn't," Eleven re-joined them, sparing one last look at the results on his screwdriver. "It happened exactly thirty-seven minutes ago and was caused by an abrupt release of radiation – hawking radiation from a source of singularity."

Rose blinked, eventually having to turn to Nine. "What did he just say?"

"He said radiation similar to that of a black hole was unleashed," Nine answered with a distinct note of caution in his tone.

Ten nodded, hands in pockets. "The eye of harmony, but it's not possible – it just isn't."

"I know that," Eleven responded sharply, the slightest of scowls on his face. "But unless you know of another power source that can harness the raw power of a black hole then it's obvious."

Donna for some reason felt the need to raise her hand before she spoke. "The twelfth you was pretty sure it was this eye thingie."

"Yeah well I don't like the sound of this twelfth me," Eleven angrily fired back. "He sounds angry and flirty and he's done something to my Amelia."

Amy's eyebrows hit her hairline in spite of her utter dejection. "Your what?"

"When will you tell me what he did to you?" Eleven demanded, stepping right up to her with his scowl deepening with every second. "Why are you so worried about someone you've only just met, hmm? Where's Rory? Why do your eyes look like your constantly trying not to cry?"

She offered him a sad smile, trying her very best to look as cheery as she could. "It's nothing-"

"Your skin is pale," he threw back at her before she had finished.

She shrugged. "My skin's always pale."

"Your pulse is elevated."

"I've been running," She bit back. "My new raggedy man is probably dead and I'm surrounded by dead angels and different Doctors. Why wouldn't it be?"

He took one step closer to her, now fully invading her personal space. "Then why do you look terrified?" He whispered in slow, fierce bursts. Her lips formed a tight line at his words. "My Amelia Pond, the girl who could step right up to a Dalek without flinching, and you look terrified. Why? Why would you-?"

"I'm pregnant," she interrupted her raggedy man, her legendary temper flaring to new heights at making her admit it out loud, and taking extreme pleasure at the mix of emotions battling for possession on his face. At first there was shock, followed by sodden guilt, then anger, briefly overjoyed before returning once again to guilt. "Oh but it gets better, because Ten here with his lovely spikey hair and pointy face told me it was a Time Lord baby. Yeah."

Eleven could only gawk back at her, watching as she was fighting to remain looking furious and not to break down in tears. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to do. All he could do was remind himself to keep breathing over and over, because he was fairly certain he was going to pass out.

"What'd you mean pointy face?" Ten moaned like a three-year-old girl. "What's wrong with my face?"

Donna rolled her eyes. "Oh do shut up."

"Amy…Amelia, you're…" Eleven stammered, suddenly breathless. "But…with a Time Lord baby I mean…how? We haven't…I mean we didn't, you know, with the balloons and the…growling?"

She scrunched up her features and shook her head. "Balloons and growling? Are you talking about sex or baby bears' birthday party? Because no, we haven't done either."

"You haven't?" Nine intervened once more, like everyone else there having assumed they had. "Well then how did this happen?"

Jack grinned. "I can think of a few ways-"

"Stop right there!" Ten interrupted, fiercely growling at the former time agent.

"We need to find Twelve," Eleven nodded with fervent need. "He's from my future – our future – he'll know how this happened."

Nine scoffed. "He won't tell you anything."

"Then I'll MAKE him tell me!" Eleven growled. "There has to be a benefit to having a paradox machine even if it is the eye of harmony!"

Ten rolled his eyes. "Oh that's great, so what's your plan? Other than to run around looking for a dead man."

"He's not dead and you know it as much as I do," Eleven fumed at him. "And my plan is simple. Donna will take Jack and Rose back to the TARDIS – the one with Rory in it – and wait for us there. Nine and Ten will cause a distraction so big it will give me a chance to escape earlier after I've saved Melody and this new Doctor. Amy stays with me."

"What?" Rose chirped. "Why does the pregnant woman stay with you and we have to run away?"

Ten shrugged. "She's right. Amy goes with Jack-"

"I said she stays with me," Eleven dead-panned, sending them all the glare of death. Amy was oddly touched by his command, even if she did find it odd that he wanted to keep her safe by taking her with him into the heart of all the trouble surrounding them. She mentally shrugged. She would have fought to go with him anyway.

She smiled at them, it lingering over Rose just a smidgen longer than the rest, before turning to her raggedy man. "Can't Jack come with-?"

"No," Answered all three Doctors simultaneously.

"I'm starting to sense a pattern," Donna sighed.

"So, go on then," Eleven urged. "Disperse! Move or whatever," And with that he grabbed Amy's hand and charged from the room, the red headed woman having to skip to keep up.


"Even the leader of the Daleks has to be white. Why is that? Why not green? Personally I'd love to see a pink one," The Twelfth Doctor spat at the supreme Dalek, his words as hollow as anything Melody had ever heard. "Would you like that, Dalek? Would you like to be all pink and pretty? Perhaps a rainbow on your back so people would find you more approachable? Or special needs…"

The Supreme Paradigm only remained silent, clearly deeming the question unworthy of his time.

"A political Dalek, who knew?" He joked, though it both felt and sounded void of all humour. "I met your friends the angels, and now you're here let's just get the obvious out of the way shall we? One, you're ugly. There's no getting around it now and far too late to suggest anti-rust cream. Two, you're terrible hosts. I haven't been offered a drink once since I arrived and let's not forget you still owe me a cup of tea – not that I hold grudges – and three…how long has the alliance been under the control of a single entity?"

The Dalek glided toward him somewhat. "The Alliance is under no-ones control."

"Then why would you do all this?" The Doctor questioned, baffled. "Last time you tried to trap me in the pandorica whilst – and I quote – you saved the universe from me, from the cracks in the skin of the universe. So what is it now? What else could possibly bring you all together other than your own selfish need to save…yourself….?" He suddenly trailed off as realisation slapped him across the face.

Melody looked between the Doctor and the Dalek, waiting for him to explain himself. "What is it?" She finally relented.

"They need help. Something must have scared them so much that they need my help," he mumbled, before turning piercing eyes back on the Dalek. "Help with what?"

"The alliance requires protection," The Supreme Dalek answered. "We require a Time Lord."

The Doctor shook his head slowly, wishing for the millionth time that he wasn't able to figure things out so quickly. "Protection from what?"

"From you," It was quick to respond, earning himself the confused stares of the two.

"So," Twelve began. "You captured me to get my protection...from me?" He abruptly laughed. "Oh wow, I'm confused. I'm never confused. It's all new and tingly."

"Incorrect," The Dalek stated in that ever chilling, robotic voice. "We require the protection of a Time Lord from you. If it was not for the Doctor every member of the alliance would be victorious."

The Doctor shook his head. "A fact I'm rather proud of – but, no wait. None of this is making any sense. If you want a Time Lord then I am your only option. There's no one else."

"We obtained information from the silence," It spoke. "They believed you were dead due to Melody Pond, but we know of the Doctor. We know he could not be defeated so easily. We learned of their primitive experiments to create a Time Lord to kill the Doctor. Their experiment was flawed! We will succeed!"

Melody recoiled into her chains, feeling suddenly uncomfortable.

Twelve allowed a long, drawn out sigh to escape him. "Oh, so you're going to create a Time Lord are you? Just like that? And then what? Release me and let your creation kill me? Not only is that ridiculous but it's been done before, and it didn't work-"

"Melody Pond was a foolish trial," The Supreme Paradigm interrupted. "The Silence are a primordial order. They should have foreseen that Melody Pond would love the Doctor as her mother did!"

"Careful, Dalek," Twelve warned, cold eyes glaring out at it from under his brow and feeling his new rage begin to bubble in his gut. In fact he was so lost in his own head he didn't even notice Eleven and Amy sneak in above them, silently crawling out onto the platform and shifting over to the railing to watch. "I suggest you leave the Pond girls out of this," Twelve continued, oblivious to the new arrivals.

Amy's face lit up like a child on Christmas at the sight of the twelfth Time Lord. "He's alive," she breathed out, wiping away the tears that gathered in the base of her eyes. A small muffled cry escaped her. She had been so sure he was dead after Donna's story that seeing him again made her want to believe in a higher power, but even with this joy she had still heard what he had said. "Pond girls? Doctor, what does he mean Pond girls?" She whispered.

The Eleventh Doctor shook his head, looking a little stunned. Amy recognised it as his Dalek face. "I don't know," he whispered back. "So that's my next regeneration?" He asked her, watching as she nodded to confirm his theory. A puff of air escaped through his nose at the revelation. "A bit pretty isn't he?"

Amy smiled despite herself. "I guess. Hadn't noticed."

"Amy?"

"Yes?"

"You're a terrible liar."

Her smile turned into a grin. "Ok so he's easy on the eyes. Personally I prefer floppy hair and stupid walks." He shot her a confused look at her words, though she kept her gaze fixed on what was happening below. "Is that this Melody girl everyone's talking about? The one who calls Twelve her Doctor?"

Slowly he looked away from her to gaze down himself. "That's her. Now all we need to do is find a way to get them out from under a Daleks nose. It should be as easy as taking candy from a baby, though I wouldn't suggest trying the latter," He abruptly turned to look at her, eyes focused. "A Mothers' instincts are always there after all, always, even if the mother herself doesn't even know they're there."

Amy nodded, oblivious to his perceptive gaze. "That'll teach you for muggin' a baby then."

He gave a slow nod of his own. "Hmm."

They watched as the Dalek moved forward slowly. "Such loyalty to the girl who was created to kill you, Doctor," It continued, causing the two onlookers to recoil.

"That is not her purpose," Twelve fiercely threw back, earning himself young Melody's innocent wide-eyed stare. "That is just what the Silence used her for. Now you need to know – it is VITAL in fact – that I will do whatever it takes to ensure she is safe. Basically, you should let her go right now. Because Melody here informs me that this incarnation has a temper, and it would be in everyone's best interest that I not lose it," his voice was low and menacing, his smirk appearing dangerous to all those who looked on. "Let her go, Dalek, before things get out of control."

Amy turned to Eleven from their position up on high. "Created to kill you?" She urgently hissed. "Doctor what are they talking about?"

"Amy, this is all in my future – I know just as much as you at this point," he answered back in a rushed manner. "What I do know is that we shouldn't be listening, we should be getting them out. I need you to leave, I was wrong to bring you with me."

"What!?" Amy urgently whispered. "Doctor, the dalek just said that she was made to kill you! I'm not gonna just leave you here all alone."

Eleven gave her a warning look. "You need to trust me."

She shook her head. "But if she's-"

"Amy, listen to me," He cut her off, looking right into her eyes now. "And if not me then listen to Twelve. That is not her purpose. Now she's a little girl who needs our help, and you know my rule. I never interfere…"

She deflated somewhat at his words, releasing a heavy sigh. "Unless there's children crying," she finished for him.

"See? You know, so stop wasting time," he scolded the attractive red head. "Now get out." She huffed at him, before spinning on her heel and charging from the room. Eleven sighed and turned back to the Dalek, watching as Twelve continued his futile attempts to get Melody released.

"Impossible," The Supreme Dalek continued below, shamefully unaware of the two moving above them. "We need what she is to create The Dream Lord vessel-"

"Whoa, hold on," The Twelfth Doctor took his turn to interrupt the conversation. "Dream Lord Vessel? What Vessel? What are you talking about?"

"Using the regeneration energy we just captured from you we will create a Time Lord Vessel for the one foe the Doctor cannot defeat," The Dalek sang, its tone one of impending victory. "The Valeyard!"


Ok so there we are, hopefully some of what's happening is beginning to come clear, even if the majority is still baffling. In the next chapter: Doctors' Nine and Ten prove to work well as a team, Eleven and Twelve finally meet and don't work quite so well, and the new Doctors' rage is finally unleashed when he is pushed too far.