The Curse of the Black Spot: Stranded

Avery and his son were sitting down in the magazine, the boy coughing as the rest of the group watched, "What in God's name possessed you, boy?" Avery demanded, "You're mother will be searching for you…" the boy looked down solemnly and he sighed, realizing what must have happened to the woman, the only thing that would explain the boy being there, "When?"

"Last winter," he whispered, tears in his eyes he refused to let fall in front of his father, "Fever. She told me all about you. How you were a captain in the navy. An honorable man she said, how I'd be proud to know you," he coughed, "I've come to join your crew."

"I don't want you here."

"You can't send me back," the Doctor smiled at that, the boy was sharp, "It's too late. We're a hundred miles from home."

"It's dangerous here. There is a monster aboard. She leaves a mark on men's skin…"

"The black spot?" the boy looked at them, the Doctor and Avery turning to him sharply as Angel looked on sadly, the boy lifting his hand to reveal the spot. Avery grabbed it as the Doctor stepped forward to examine it, both alarmed that a child would be hunted by the Siren and that he was ill enough for the Siren to come after him.

~8~

Everyone was sitting around, Avery leaning by the Doctor and Amy as they sat against the back wall. Amy was watching as Rory sat on a crate beside Angel, seemingly released from whatever the Siren had done, with Angel holding his hand, trying to get a sense of the spot and what it could mean. The Doctor though was, despite Avery speaking to them, was staring intently at Angel, his jaw tensing as his eyes locked on Rory holding her hand. He knew what she was doing, she was just trying to see if she could sense anything off it, but...his mind just couldn't get past the fact that she had to hold Rory's hand to do it.

He crossed his arms as he stared at them, feeling his eyes narrowing ever so slightly with each passing second, especially when Angel started whispering to Rory and smiling at him and squeezed his hand before...letting go! Finally! He didn't know what it was but...he hated other men around her now, hated it. Well, he'd always disliked it, always felt like pulling her away from them, like with Vincent, and it had always been growing more powerful a sensation over time but now...now it was almost unbearable! There they were, surrounded by pirates, the least honorable men ever, and Angel was sitting there in a lovely dress that made her fit in and still revealed her legs and he'd caught one or two of the men eyeing her, and it set his blood on fire in a rather bad way.

He'd hurt Angel terribly with what he'd agreed with River to do with the Silence, the genocide, he was fairly certain she wouldn't be fond of attempted homicide either. He took a breath, trying to calm himself, what was this? Why did he feel so...alarmed and angry when other men were around her?! It had started after they'd dealt with the fish who WAS-Her Majesty...when Angel had nearly threatened to leave. Well, not threaten, more like warn, Angel wasn't one to threaten anyone. Maybe that was it?

His reaction had been so instant, so powerful that it had really shocked him how quickly he'd tried to keep her from walking away from him, believing she was going to leave. After that...well, it had scared him quite deeply he supposed. So much so that he just...he tried everything he could think of to get her to stay, not that she was really leaving at the moment. He'd let her pick the last few adventures, he'd kept River away from her for the most part when they'd helped her Majesty, he'd made fish fingers and custard for her to snack on and brownies too! He just tried to do little things to let her know that he cared for her, a lot, more than a lot really. He'd actually surprised himself as he went about that little mission of his, with how much he'd actually noticed of Angel, her likes and dislikes. Though...half of them were things he wasn't quite sure he knew but he just...did.

But what he found he did quite a lot of was...keeping men away from her. Everyone but Rory he was wary of. Even Toby, who was leaning against Angel for comfort, he had an issue with! Why he was so...disturbed and irritated by men around Angel he didn't know. He just...he didn't want them to take her away from him too. It was like all he saw were things everywhere, situations or people or things that could pull her away. And he just...he didn't want her to go.

It...hurt...to think of her leaving him.

"Doctor!" Amy nudged him, hard, shaking him from his thoughts to see that Avery had been talking to him the entire time.

"Sorry, what?" he looked at the captain, bashful.

Amy though was smiling a bit, knowing what he'd been staring so intently at.

"There's nothing wrong with the boy," Avery repeated, "He has no scars."

"Yup, ignore my last theory," the Doctor sighed. He didn't like this, this not knowing what the Siren was, or how she worked. What if she got Angel too!? Or Amy, or Rory...

Amy patted him on the stomach, "He has his good days and his bad days."

"It's not just blood. She's coming for all the sick," he looked at the boy who was sitting on the other side of Angel, leaning on her, he'd seemed to gravitate towards her warmth and kindness, which it appeared was something he desperately needed.

He did have to smile a bit when Angel put an arm around him, rubbing his arm, she was so kind and compassionate. Such...a mother, really she was, she was fantastic with children, just so natural. He was sure he got children to like him because he was like them, energetic, a bit odd, funny as Amelia had called him, but Angel was just...genuinely kind and concerned for them, she took care of them and protected them. The Guardian Angel of the Universe she was...

He shook his head, seeing that Avery was still staring at him, waiting for him to make his point, "The wounded. Like a hunter chooses the weakest animal…"

"Ok, look, he's got a fever," Amy shook her head, "The Siren knows it."

"Humans…second rate. Damage too easily. It's only a matter of time before everyone gets bruised…" he glanced at Angel again, not Angel, not her, she was the strongest woman he knew, "My ship it can get us all away from here. You and me we'll fetch it," he stood up, "Let's go…"

Avery pulled his gun again, "You're not the captain here. remember?" he glared.

"Don't!" Angel shouted and they looked over to see Toby pulling a lid off a barrel of water and a green hand shoot up out of it. The Doctor ran forward and struggled to get the lid back on, Angel moving too slow to get up.

"The water's dangerous!" Avery rounded on his son, "That's how she gets through. One touch of her hand and you're a dead man."

Angel just walked over and put a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder as he looked down at his father's shouts.

"We're all cursed if we stay aboard," one of the crew remarked.

"It's not a curse!" the Doctor shouted, "Cursed means game over. Cursed means we're helpless. We are NOT helpless. Captain, what's our next move?" the captain looked up, a bit shocked.

~8~

Avery put his medallion around his son's neck for protection, which made Angel smile to see, she could see how much that boy loved his father, before turning to the crew, "Wait with the boy."

"Captain, we're all in danger here," one of the two remaining crew members said as the other worked on unblocking the door.

"I said wait and barricade the door after we've gone."

"You sure you wanna go?" Amy asked the Doctor as she, Rory, and Angel stood before him.

"We have to get Rory and Toby away," the Doctor replied, "She's out there now, licking her lips, boiling the sauce bin, grating the cheese…"

"Ok…" Amy gave him a look for that analogy, "Well, remember if you get an itch don't scratch too hard."

"We've all gotta go sometime," he shrugged as Amy and Rory exchanged an uneasy look, trying not to give anything away by looking at Angel either, though the girl did notice them stiffen at the Doctor's words. The Doctor stepped up to Rory, "There are worse ways than having your face snogged off by a dodgy mermaid," Rory laughed as the Doctor patted him on the shoulder and turned to Angel, "Will you be alright keeping an eye on them?"

He had wanted to ask her to go with him and Avery, but...he'd rather her safe in the tiny room where the only danger was opening that one water barrel as opposed to wandering the ship and getting hurt. He didn't like it, he could already feel his chest tightening at the thought of leaving her alone (especially with two pirates) but he had to. The sooner he got the TARDIS there, the sooner they'd all be safe.

"I still say I should go with Avery," Angel remarked, unable to ignore the pit in her stomach that told her she'd be needed, "I could sense the Siren and you might need me in the TARDIS."

"Despite everyone's assumptions, I do actually know how to pilot the TARDIS," the Doctor rolled his eyes playfully, "We'll be fine."

Angel sighed, "If you say so."

The Doctor reached out as she looked down and away, taking her hand in one of his and lifting her chin to look at him, "I will be fine Angel, I promise," he crossed his hearts, "Even if you don't see it yet, believe it. B-believe in me," he whispered, feeling like this was important, that it was crucial that she believed in him, that she had faith in him, "Please."

Angel looked at him, not quite sure why he was asking her to do that...and not quite sure why she was having such a hard time speaking the words that yes, of course she believed in him. She bit her lip and nodded, making him grin widely at that.

He nodded, pointing at them before turning and stepping out of the room with Avery, "Want to draw lots for who's in charge then?" Avery asked as he put his gun away.

The Doctor looked around, "Darkness, demon…you can have first go," he patted the man on the stomach.

Avery laughed and they crept forward only to nearly trip and cut himself on the partially raised nail on a board beside them. The Doctor reached out and grabbed him and his arm, stopping him, "Nearly…" he breathed with a nervous laugh as the Doctor patted him on the shoulder and they walked on.

~8~

The Doctor and Avery ran into the TARDIS, the Doctor heading straight to the console as Avery looked around, "By all the…"

"Let me stop you there," the Doctor spun to face him, needing to stop the man without Angel there to help explain while he set the controls, "Bigger on the inside. Don't mind, do you, if we just skip to the end of that moment? Oh, and sorry I lied by the way," Avery turned in a circle, "When I said yours was bigger. Kitchen that way," he pointed right, "Choice of bathrooms…" he turned behind him and pointed right, left, and back, "There, there, and there."

~8~

Toby sat by the back wall of the magazine, beside Angel, leaning on her as he coughed, Angel offering him a sad smile, she still wasn't very good at healing diseases yet and it pained her every time a cough struck him to see him suffering so silently with his illness, "I'm sorry," she whispered to him, "About your mum, I...I lost my mum too."

Toby looked up at her, "You did?"

She nodded, "When I was about your age, give or take a few decades," she nudged him playfully, getting him to smile a bit, "You're lucky though, you've still got your father and I can tell he loves you very much."

Toby sighed, looking down, "No, he doesn't."

"Oh," she squeezed him by the arm around him, "I think he does."

Toby shook his head, "He keeps trying to send me away."

"To protect you," Angel told him.

"From what?"

"The Siren, for one," she laughed, before sighing, growing more serious, being careful with her words, "Everyone, Toby, everyone has a secret, something they hide from everyone else. A weakness, a curse, a burden...something they're ashamed of, something they never ever want anyone else to know," she knew Avery hadn't said anything about being a pirate because he was embarrassed, his son looked up to him so much, to find that out would crush the boy, and he was ashamed of it, that he'd turned pirate, that he wasn't the honorable man his son had come to know any longer, and he was trying to protect Toby, "The important thing Toby, is that when you learn a secret like that about someone else...if they are truly embarrassed by it, ashamed of it, guilty for it...if they can still feel guilt and true sadness for what they've done...then they deserve our forgiveness," she smiled sadly, "Because people like that, who have that terrible secret, to still be capable of feeling sorrow and guilt, it means they're still a good person inside, that they can care for others, and that they want to do better."

It was one of the very many reasons why she loved the Doctor even still. By rights, his secret about what he'd done on Gallifrey, about the Time Lock, it should have scared her away. It should have made her hate him. But she had seen it, such unbearable guilt and sadness, such devastation in his eyes, such determination to make up for it...that she knew it hadn't been an easy decision to make. That he had to be a strong man to do what he had and to keep living afterwards, to try and make amends and try to help others all he could. He was still a good man, despite what he'd had to do.

His actions had saved every single life in the Universe.

"People like that," Angel continued, her gaze growing distant, not even seeing Amy and Rory look at her knowingly, understanding she was thinking of the Doctor as well as she spoke, "Are the ones who need love and forgiveness the most."

Toby eyed her for a long while, "What's your secret?" he had to ask.

"What makes you think I have one?" she blinked and looked at him.

"You said people with a secret like that are sad," he said simply, "Your eyes are sad."

Angel had to smile at that, he was a very perceptive little boy wasn't he? She nodded, "My secret," she sighed, leaning back against the wall, "My secret is...how weak I really am."

Toby frowned, "What do you mean?"

She couldn't look at him, she couldn't look at anyone really, she knew, no matter how quiet she was, everyone in the little room would hear her. Amy and Rory had, and had stopped, and she knew they were staring at her, probably alarmed and confused to hear her talk like that, but it couldn't be helped. An innocent boy had asked an innocent question, he deserved an answer.

"I used to think I was strong," she back tracked, "Stronger, getting stronger. That I was becoming a strong person but..." she shook her head, sighing again, "It turns out, I wasn't that strong at all."

"Angel..." Rory began, stepping towards her, completely stunned she would EVER think herself weak! Look at what she had done, what she had endured! She had survived her Mate forgetting her, gotten through nearly her entire pregnancy by herself, saved the world and the Universe multiple times over, saved him and Amy, put up with River, had vision, had the Vortex, had all this power and yet still remained one of the kindest, most genuine, caring people in the Universe!

Toby, though, beat him to it, taking Angel's hand, "I think you're wrong," the little boy told her.

Angel looked at him, a tear in her eye, "Why's that?"

Toby squeezed her hand, "I think you're very strong," he told her, "And the Doctor thinks so too."

Angel frowned, not sure how he had come to that conclusion, "How do you know that?"

Toby gave her a small smile, "He wanted you to stay here," he shrugged, "With me and him," he nodded at Rory, "Both with the black spot, and those two," he nodded at the pirates, "And a woman," Amy rolled her eyes behind his back at that, "He must think you're awfully strong to be able to protect all of us!"

Angel blinked and started to smile, shaking her head fondly at him, "You are truly a brilliant boy Toby," she told him as he beamed at that, "And you know, your mum would be SO proud of you."

Toby's beam softened as he nodded, turning to snuggle a bit against her again as Angel lightly ran a hand through his hair, the frown returning to her face when she felt how warm the boy was. His illness was getting worse. She closed her eyes as she rested her head on top of Toby's a moment, listening to the silence of the magazine, hearing a soft thudding as Amy started to pace.

Rory sighed at Amy's actions, turning away from watching Angel, having hoped she'd open her eyes so he could speak to her about that, before he walked over to her, wanting to make sure she was ok as Angel seemed to be alright for the moment, "What's wrong?"

"The most beautiful thing you've ever seen?" she asked.

"Tell me I didn't really say that…"

Amy laughed but stopped when she saw the men unblocking the doors, having been distracted by Angel before, "What's going on?"

"We're not staying here to mollycoddle the boy," one of the men said, "The captain's gone soft, it's time for us to leave."

~8~

The Doctor typed into a keypad quickly, really wanting to get the TARDIS back to the others, as Avery looked around at the various instruments on the console, "What's this do?"

The Doctor popped up and looked over, "That does very, very complicated…" he dinged a bell, "That does sophisticated," he gestured to something, "That does whoa, amazing. And that…" he gestured at the rotor, "Does wiz bang far too technical to explain."

Avery pointed to a small ball with spikes on it, "Wheel?"

"Atom accelerator."

"It steers the thing?"

"No! Sort of. Yes."

"Wheel. Telescope. Astrolabe. Compass," the Doctor looked at him slightly impressed as the man listed off the instruments, "A ship's a ship."

~8~

Toby stood up and walked over to the men, "He told you to wait, you dog," the men looked at him, "He's your captain. A naval officer. You're honor bound to do as he tells you."

"Honor bound?" one of the men scoffed as Angel pushed herself up and walked over, "Do you know what kind of ship this is?" Angel put an arm around the boy, "Do you know what your father does?"

"Don't listen to him Toby," Amy whispered, all of them aware of what the pirates were about to tell him.

"We sail under the black flag, the Jolly Rodger."

He lunged at the man, "Liar!" but Amy and Angel held him back, "He's no wicked pirate!"

"Oh, you think so? Well I've seen your father gun down 1,000 innocent men," he gave the boy a look as he looked down, stunned.

~8~

"This is how the professionals do it!" the Doctor started to pull levers and the TARDIS echoed a grinding noise before settling down, "Oh, it's stuck…not responding."

"Becalmed?" Avery asked, amused.

"Yeah, apparently. That's new…" he looked up at Avery as he nodded, gloatingly, "You had to gloat didn't you?"

"I'm not gloating."

"I saw that look just now. Ha ha, his ship is rubbish."

"True," he smirked.

The Doctor tried to come up with a retort but could only turn and head around the console, starting to think he really should have let Angel come.

~8~

"Get what treasure you can and we leave in the rowboat," the man ordered the one at the door.

Toby grabbed a cutlass and stepped forward, "You're going to remain at your posts."

The man turned around, "I am not playing games with you boy, you put that down."

"One more step and I'll use this you blaggard."

"You don't know how to fight with a cutlass boy."

He glanced at the man's hand, "Don't need to, do I?" and lunged forward, swiping the man's hand, cutting the side of it.

~8~

"…can't get a lock on the plane," the Doctor mumbled as he rushed around the console to the monitor.

"The what?"

"Space we travel in," he ran around, "The…ocean!" he looked at Avery, "Sort of ocean, but not water. The TARDIS can't see, it's sulking because it thinks the space doesn't exist. Without a plane to lock on to we're not going anywhere."

"I'm confused…"

"Yeah, well it's a big club, we should get t-shirts," the TARDIS jolted and the grinding noise started up again. The Doctor looked around, confused, "What's happening?"

Ok...Angel should have definitely come.

~8~

"You little swabber!" the man glared as he looked at the black spot on his hand.

"Congratulations, made it to the menu," Amy said, a small smirk on her face, "Probably shouldn't go out there now."

"You scurvy ape!" he grabbed his gun, aiming it at Toby only for Angel to move in front of him, pushing him behind her as he lowered the sword.

Rory leapt forward to grab the man's gun, "Don't shoot! The powder will blow and kill us all."

"Mulligan!" the man gaped as the second man swiped the keys off his bet, "What are you doing?"

But Mulligan just left and shut the door behind him.

"I suppose the pirate code is more a guideline?" Angel remarked, knowing the men had no sense of honor.

The man nodded and lowered his gun, going to the door to rebarricade it, as Angel turned to Toby, "Are you alright Toby?"

Toby swallowed, staring at the pirate a moment before looking at her, "Dad's a pirate, isn't he?" he asked her quietly, she nodded, "That's what you meant about secrets."

"I'm sorry," she had to nod again.

Toby just walked over to the back wall and sat down against it again, curling his legs up and wrapping his arms around them as he coughed into his knees. Angel sighed sadly and went to go sit beside him, knowing he just needed quiet but also someone to be there for him.

~8~

"Well it's had a little sulk," the Doctor shouted as the grinding noise got worse and the TARDIS shook, "Now we're heading for the full on, screaming tantrum!"

"Can you fix it?"

"Ah…" he moved to shoo Avery away from some controls to check, "The parametric engines are jammed. Orthogonal vector's gone, see!" he cheered, "I told you I knew how to pi..." he looked over to the other side of the console with a grin that quickly faded, recalling Angel wasn't there with them, "Right," he sighed, wincing as he closed his eyes, shaking his head, "I'm almost out of ideas," he knelt down to look under a panel.

"Almost?"

He popped up, "Well we could try stroking the rotor and singing a song."

"Would that help?"

"It only seems to work for Angel!" he shouted, before shaking his head, realizing something, "Oh she knew she should have come!" the TARDIS jolted, throwing them back, "I've lost control of it. We're about to dematerialize. We could end up anywhere."

"That sounds bad."

"Yes it is! Out now!" the console sparked, "Abandon ship! Abandon ship!" they ran out and into the storage room to see the TARDIS glowing green and disappear, "Ok, ok, uh, uh, ok. TARDIS runs off on its own…that's a bit of a new one," his eyes widened, "Bang goes our only hope of getting them out of here."

"Not much of a captain without a ship are you?"

~8~

Avery was leading the Doctor back towards his cabin...when Mulligan popped up, treasure in a pack strapped around him, and two guns aimed at them. They stopped short, hands up, "Mulligan!" Avery shouted, "What are you doing?" Mulligan just inched forward, forcing them back, "This is mutiny!"

"She doesn't want me," he made his way past them, "She only wants Toby," till he was behind them, "And the scrawny looking fella," and with that, he turned and ran.

"He's got the last of the supplies," the Doctor remarked, "We should go after him."

"Never mind the damn supplies what about my treasure!" Avery cried, running after the man with the Doctor. They ran around a corner as Mulligan fired at them twice, forcing them to duck down as he ran off.

The Doctor shook his head, nope, no, VERY glad Angel wasn't there now, "Don't get injured! Don't get injured!"

They chased Mulligan back to the hold where the man locked the doors behind him. Mulligan turned and used a flint, lighting a small fire in a handheld paddle only to drop it when the flame burned his hand.

"Come out of there you mutinous dog!" Avery pounded on the door.

Mulligan winced, shaking his hand, "Ow!" he dropped the paddle and the lights went out.

The Doctor flashed the sonic on the lock, when they heard the Siren singing. He backed up, both him and Avery checking each other for injuries when they saw the light under the crack of the bottom of the door, "She's inside!" the Doctor realized.

"She's come for Mulligan," Avery agreed. There was a scream from within which made the Doctor jump up and sonic the lock, running inside and looking around as Avery picked up a fallen piece of treasure, a crown, "No water in here. How did she take him?" the Doctor looked down and around, "You said she uses water like a door. That's how she enters a room."

And then the Doctor spotted the crown in Avery's hand. He stepped forward and looked at it closely, "I was wrong," he looked at Avery, "Please ignore all my theories up to this point."

"What, again?"

He snatched the crown and looked at it, "We're in danger. The water's not how she's getting in," he looked back at Avery again, "When we were down in the hull, think what happened. You me, Amy, Rory, Angel. Leeches."

"She sprang from the water."

"That's only when it grew still. Still water. Nature's mirror."

"So…you mean…"

"It's not water…" he pointed at the crown, at their faces in it, "Reflection."

~8~

Toby sighed as he sat against the wall in between Amy and Angel before looking at the medallion around his neck.

~8~

"The Siren legend, the curse!" the Doctor realized.

"You said curses weren't real."

"Folk lore springs from truth. She attacks ships filled with treasure. Where else would she get a perfect reflection?"

"Polished metal!"

"Hmm?" he looked up as Avery checked his chest for his medallion, both of them realizing the danger the others were in.

"We must warn them!" they ran out of the room.

"Angel!" the Doctor cried, panicked.

~8~

Toby sat, polishing the medallion, rubbing the back of it and looking at his reflection.

~8~

"Angel!" the Doctor shouted as they reached the door, "Open the door!"

"Toby open the door!" Avery shouted, "Toby!"

"Open the door!" the Doctor banged on it as he heard the barrels moving within, nearly ready to break it down, needing to see if Angel (and Amy and Rory) were alright, his hearts racing, the desperate need filling him to make sure she was safe.

"Toby!"

The door opened and the Doctor ran in, right to Toby...

Only to see Angel was sitting there beside the boy, wrapping the medallion with a torn piece of her skirt.

He stopped short and looked at her with his mouth open, "Psychic," he muttered, trying to calm his hearts.

"Thief," she remarked, tossing him the medallion now wrapped in a black cloth.

The Doctor smiled at it before realizing something and running out of the room, leaving three very confused humans and one very amused Time Lady. Avery dashed after him, following him into the captain's cabin where he started to smash out the windows with the butt of a gun, "We've got to destroy every reflection. Gold, silver, glass, she could spring from any of them," he turned and broke the mirror on the wall and looked to see Avery staring at it, "Yes, yes, I now, I know, very bad luck to break it but look at it this way," he put the gun against the wall, "There's a stroppy, homicidal mermaid trying to kill all."

Avery considered his words and nodded, "How much worse can things get?" he shrugged.

"Yup," he nodded, before running over to the box of treasure, "Help me lug this lot out."

"Where are we taking it?" he moved to help.

"The ocean."

"No!" Avery lunged forward, "No! This is the treasure of the Mogul of India!"

"Oh, good, for a moment there I thought it was yours," he moved to shove it again.

"Doctor!" Avery stopped him, "Wait. Must we do this?"

The Doctor stood, "Any reflection, any mirror, and the Siren will attack," Avery looked away, "We have to protect Rory and Toby," Avery nodded, "Go get the crown from the store room," Avery turned and left as the Doctor started throwing the treasure out the broken windows and into the sea.

~8~

With a sigh, Avery took the crown off the store room floor and left.

~8~

"Just...wait?" Rory frowned as the Doctor stood before the four of them with Avery in the magazine a few minutes later.

The Doctor spun to face them, "Not my most dynamic plan I realize…"

"TARDIS?" Amy suggested.

"It's gone," Angel replied, shaking her head at him, "And let me tell you Doctor, I don't think she'll be at all happy about it."

"Sorry," the Doctor winced, "We might be stuck here for a while."

"So you're saying we should all just wait here below?" Rory shook his head.

"The sea is still calm, like a mirror," Avery said as the Doctor nodded, "If you go out on deck, she's rise up and attack you."

"It's ok," the Doctor added, "The calm won't last forever, when the wind picks up we'll all set sail."

"Until it does we have to hide down here."

~8~

Rory was stretched on his back, asleep in the magazine, while Amy laid on her side beside him, facing the back wall where Angel was sitting, her legs curled up, her arms around them loosely, the angle hiding her stomach from Amy, "So…" Amy began, eyeing the woman, "Exactly what were you to the Doctor before he forgot?"

She'd had quite a few suspicions, but she hadn't wanted to ask, more like Rory refused to let her ask. Apparently Rory knew quite a bit about what had happened, what was going on, which she knew she ought to feel angry at, that he'd kept it from her, but she knew that there were some things that, if the Doctor asked her, she'd keep from Rory too. She'd tried to get more information out of him as he refused to let her speak to Angel about it, fearing it was too soon after the River/Doctor kiss thing and that talking about it would upset Angel, but Rory wouldn't say. All he told her was that it wasn't his story to tell and that he probably didn't even know the half of it. She did know that Angel had to have been very close to the Doctor if her familiarity with him and the devastating look that had been on her face after dealing with the Silence was anything to go by.

Angel sighed, "I'm his Mate."

"But I thought you are friends? He said you were."

"Not that sort of mate," Angel looked at her pointedly. Amy's eyes widened at that, guessing what sort of other 'mate' they could be, "There's a process on Gallifrey in which three things must be done to be 'Mated' to someone. You have to create a mental bond, establish an emotional connection, and…a physical union."

Amy blushed, catching onto that last part easily, "And you both…you know…"

Angel nodded, "Before he regenerated though. I don't know what happened," she shook her head, "I can still hear the Doctor in my mind and feel him in my hearts, I still remember everything but he...it's like all the moments between us, no matter how big or small, anything that wasn't platonic is just...missing," she rubbed her head, "And I really...I don't know how much more I can take of that..."

"Angel," Amy reached out to take her hand, "We'll find a way to get his memories back," she promised, "You can't leave."

"I didn't say anything about leaving," Angel murmured, though she looked away.

"I know," Amy sighed, "The Doctor told me about it, something about that fish he thought was the Queen."

"He did?"

Amy nodded, "Angel, don't go. Not only would the Doctor be a mess without you, but..." she hesitated to say it, "Wouldn't that be like letting River win?" she didn't know why but...the more she looked at River, at all the adventures she'd had with the woman, she kept getting the sense, more and more, that River was playing some sort of game with them all, with the Doctor and Angel especially, and not a good one.

Angel was silent a moment, "There might be more than just that that makes me leave Amy," she told her, "Did Rory ever tell you what he felt when he realized you didn't remember him?"

Amy looked away, "It was the worst experience of his life," she murmured, still feeling horrible that he'd felt that way because of her, because of something she did.

"He only had to deal with you looking through him for an hour at most Amy," Angel reminded her, "Me...it's been almost 3 years," she let out a breath, "I've had to put up with nearly 3 years of him looking at me but not seeing me," she glanced at Amy, "Mickey, my old companion, he loved movies, we watched them together, I even took him into the future to see some movies that hadn't been made yet. He loved alien ones especially, seeing how humans portrayed us, loved sci-fi ones. There was one I remember, Star Wars," she said as Amy listened intently, knowing Angel wouldn't be bringing up a random movie if it wasn't important, "They had this thing, this sort of little belief. Fear leads to Anger, Anger to Hate," she shook her head, there was more but she couldn't bear to think of it, how hate led to suffering, and not just her own suffering but the suffering of others as you took your hate out on them, that was not a thought she even wanted to entertain especially because...

"I'm terrified Amy, I'm terrified that the Doctor won't ever remember, that he'll leave me for River, that..." she swallowed hard, that she'd lose the baby, "I'm already starting to get angry, at him, and it might not even be his fault, at River, and it might not be hers either. I don't know, I just don't. And I don't want it, that anger, to lead to hate, because that's a Dalek, Amy. That's how you make a Dalek, you subtract love and add hate and I..." she shook her head, tears filling her eyes, the Daleks had taken everything from her, she blamed them more than the Doctor for what happened to Gallifrey, they took her sister from her, and the last thing she EVER wanted to be like was them, so she tried so hard not to let it get her to that point, not to let it hurt her or make her angry or hateful...she didn't want to be that, "I don't want to be a Dalek. I don't want to lose my love and only have hate left and I'm so scared that will happen if I stay."

"Angel," Amy blinked quickly, feeling tears in her own eyes at seeing the Time Lady getting so upset, she remembered what the Doctor had said about the Daleks being the epitome of hate, and she couldn't ever imagine Angel being anything like that, but she could see how scared the woman was about the possibility. Everyone had a breaking point, everyone had a moment where they were pushed too far, and she had learned early on that the kindest people, when they hit that point, could be the most terrifying. Not only that, Angel had the Vortex at her disposal, which had to make her doubly scared, "That will never, EVER happen."

"You can't know that," Angel whispered, her voice shaking, "Every day Amy my hearts break more and every day I feel more lost to what I can do to fix everything. I'm not like the Doctor, I'm not clever, I've got no idea what is happening and what will happen and..."

"He will remember Angel," Amy squeezed her hand tightly, needing to cut in, needing her to know that it would all be ok, needing to comfort her like Angel always did everyone else, hoping she was doing a good enough job, "I know it, you can't forget someone that important to you forever. I remembered Rory and I've just got a tiny human brain, the Doctor's mind is more...complex, it's just taking him a little longer. But he will remember, his mind and hearts just need time to catch up to each other."

Angel nodded sadly, "I hope so. Because it hurts Amy. It hurts so much."

Amy tugged her hand, seeing the tears filling Angel's eyes, and the girl moved to lie down on the floor across from her, clutching Amy's hand as she tried to comfort the Time Lady as best she could.

A/N: :( Learned a little bit more of Angel and her thoughts on it all here, got a tiny bit of bonding moments though :) And we'll have a tiny bit of Thella breaking through in the next chapter! Woo! ^-^ And then we just have Good Night (with some rather important Doctor-thoughts in it) and IDRIS! I'm SO excited for her! We'll really find out SO much about Angel and the Doctor and the TARDIS in that episode ;)

Was anyone else freaked out by that glitch on the site yesterday where it wouldn't let you review? FF really needs to get on top of putting alerts or something about things like that on the main site as it's happening lol :)

Just wanted to say...did anyone else notice how that one crewmember just disappeared? Lol, he and Mulligan were in the magazine, Mulligan runs off, then the pirate is missing till the very end of the episode. Where'd he go? Lol :)

And yay! Sorry, I'm just really excited, I'm going to the NY Renaissance Faire this Saturday with my sister for their ASL weekend :) I'm VERY excited, I haven't been there in...3 years? I love Medieval/Renaissance things ^-^

Some notes on reviews...

I'm not sure if there'll be a part like that, mostly because I think Angel's really trying to avoid thinking of River or talking about her unless she's confronted with her. Like a...if I pretend she's not there, she's not there, sort of thing :) The Doctor could be doing that yup, I think it also has to do with a bit of maybe if he's nice to her and she's in a good mood she'll be nicer to Angel too ;)

Oh we'll get a very flustered Doctor at least twice in the next chapter ;)

I'm glad you liked the chapter :) There's definitely even more to come about the Doctor's reaction to Angel ;) Oh that sneak peek was SO hard to pick because there's SO much happening in that episode and so much we'll find out about the TARDIS and the Doctor and Angel ^-^ But I can say…it won't be called the Doctor's Wife ;)

Lol, I liked that part too, he's almost so desperate for her to notice how nice he's trying to be. The very sad thing is...Angel's probably so used to him not noticing her that, by now, she just...doesn't notice when he actually DOES notice her because she's thinking 'he can't possibly be talking about me' :( Oh he'll have some pretty big work to do when he remembers }:)

I'm really glad the chapter could cheer you up! :) It was SO hard to pick a sneak peek for that, because there's SO much happening, but I thought you'd all enjoy that little moment and that it might bring a smile to your faces :)

If we make it to 1000 reviews, I will flat out tell you guys exactly what episode the Doctor remembers Angel in ;) And that includes if it's the 50th or Christmas special :) I can say I have it written out, but I'm not saying if it's in an actual chapter yet or a scene that can be adapted to the specials }:)

Lol, thanks! I completely missed that typo, I went back and changed it as soon as I saw the review! Thanks so much! :)

Oh the Doctor will pay for quite a while given all he's done to Angel :) I think, if Angel forgave him, if it wasn't his fault he forgot, she would definitely NOT forget what happened easily, if ever, there will be quite a few things they'll have to work out and build up once more when he remembers }:) We'll have to see what River tells, if she's even the one to have that scene with Amy at the end of TWORS }:) Oh cold Doctor will not even begin to describe how he'll be around River once he remembers ;) And there's a twist in TNOTD that'll kill River just a little bit inside, which she'll deserve given all she's done ;) I agree, if Angel ever trusts him again, it'll be a hard road to it, he's the one person who promised (and who she trusted) not to hurt her and he did :(

I can't say exactly how he remembers, but I can hint that it won't involve him overhearing anything or something insignificant or small :) But that's all I can really say :) Oh there'll be quite a Thella moment from the pricking to draw the Siren in ;)

I can say Idris might be sticking around a while longer, but maybe not in the way you'd think ;)

I'm glad you're liking the story so much! ^-^ I think this is definitely more angsty than the Professor's, mostly because the really bad things that happened to her were in the past but here we really see Angel suffering through it. I'm glad I could offer a new POV on River, I try to do that with the characters I'm iffy about (like Rose). Martha/Mickey/Donna/Rory/Clara will always be the awesome ones to me. Amy needs to prove herself sometimes ;) And thank YOU! I'm really just glad you're enjoying the story and that it brightens up your day a bit to get an update, that means a lot to me :) I don't think there's a way, no :( But I can say she won't die in the same chapter. The Angel at the lake remembered carrying the baby to term, then losing it, and she was about 200 years older than the Angel we see here, so she's been in mourning for about 200 years after losing the baby :( So they won't die in the same chapter, but it'll still be hard :( Lol, I'm very excited for Idris too :)

I'm glad you're enjoying the Doctor's reactions :) I'm looking forward to the Merlin story too ;)

:) I have been to the Black Hills yup, about...8-10 years ago, I was in High School at the time I think :) Mostly for Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse and the Hot Springs :)