Let's Kill Hitler
Mac looked over when an alarm started to go off on the console, slowly making her way to the monitor as it was on her side of the console for the moment. She frowned when she saw the alert the TARDIS was trying to give them. She'd had scans going, much like the projects she had running back in UNIT to alert her to when the TARDIS set down, a similar program was running now. It was meant to run scans through different areas of history, through texts and pictures and things to alert them if anyone tried to contact them, like with the Home Box. If anything out of the ordinary popped up with her name or 'Doctor' or in Gallifreyan, the TARDIS would alert them to it.
She was torn, she was so torn, between wanting to look into it, into the message, or to continue with their search for Merina. She knew that she grew to be River Song, but…SHE wanted to be the one to raise her, she wanted her baby back. Maybe…maybe they found her and she went off on her own when she was older, as all children would leave the nest eventually, and took on an alias as River Song, because of the Prayer Leaf? Like a 'code name the Doctor' but for her? She wanted it to be true, she wanted it to be true so badly but she knew the likelihood of it was slim. Because the Doctor had expressed his thoughts that the little girl in America had really been their daughter. They couldn't understand how they hadn't sensed River was a Time Lord that entire time…but…when she'd been in UNIT, when she'd likely been taken. She had looked through her lab to make sure that the others hadn't taken anything of hers and the only thing that was missing was the bracelet she herself had used to keep the Doctor from sensing her the first time they met after the War.
If the Silence had taken that and given it to River…the woman would likely have an idea of whether they knew her or not at certain points in the timeline and could slip it on. Or maybe she wore it all the time so NO ONE in the Universe knew she was really a Time Lord. That made more sense, to protect herself, to not be targeted as the Doctor's daughter, she could see her wearing the bracelet at all times.
But that really didn't matter because she just wanted to find her daughter, much like the Doctor did. They were running themselves ragged trying to find her, if not the baby (which she'd been heartsbroken about) then the little girl in the astronaut suit…but they had no idea where she was. Wherever it was, she was well hidden. She almost didn't want to go after the latest alert…but she saw the location, Leadworth, and knew she had to wake up the Doctor. For the PONDS to be calling them, knowing what they were up to…it had to be something important.
So she moved through the halls, making her way to the Doctor's bedroom to get him. He was sleeping, he'd nearly been falling asleep on his feet before and she'd ordered him to bed. He must have been more tired than she thought as he'd made a remark about her joining him in going to bed and NOT in the sense that they'd both retire to their rooms for the night but in that they retire to HIS room. So she'd shooed him off and kept up the search on her own. River might not blame her but…she did, she blamed herself, it was always her fault. Merina had been so small that she had barely been able to sense the girl even when she was lying in her arms after she'd been born. Such a small Time Lord presence that she hadn't even been able to tell when her daughter had been swapped for a Ganger. There were a thousand what-ifs running through her mind of things she could have done to help her daughter, to find out what she was before Kovarian took off, to save her…all she could do now…was wake the Doctor and see what the Ponds wanted.
~8~
And so the two Time Lords found themselves standing in the middle of a giant crop circle in the middle of Leadworth, holding up a newspaper that would print in a few days, the word 'Doctor' written out on it in cursive in the field of corn. They were standing there, before the TARDIS, and staring at an old orange car just as the Ponds got out.
"Seriously?" the Doctor had to ask as he pointed at the paper.
"You never answer your phone," Rory told them, Amy rushing past him to hug the two Time Lords, seeing them there and not their daughter too.
"You haven't found her," Amy looked at them sadly as she pulled away, "Have you?"
"No," Mac shook her head, the Doctor putting an arm around her and tugging her closer, pressing a kiss to her hair.
"But we will," the Doctor promised her, "We know she grows up to be River…we just need to find her some point between then and now."
"Hang on," Rory squinted at the paper the Doctor had tossed to the ground and picked it up, "What's this bit?" he pointed at a line running right through the word.
"That wasn't us," Amy warned.
Mac took the paper and looked at it intently, before looking around at where they were standing and walking over to the edge of the circle the others with her. They stood there a moment till they heard an engine roaring only a split second before they saw a red corvette racing towards them. Rory and the Doctor each pulled their respective gingers away and dove to the sides to avoid the car as it swerved to a stop, just barely managing to avoid the edge of the TARDIS.
The Doctor frowned, helping Mac up as a young black woman stepped out in a pink and black dress, black leggings, boots, and vest, her hair over one side of her head. She smirked at him, eyeing him, "Amy was right," she mused, "You DO look funny."
"Mels?" Rory cried, gaping at her, clearly recognizing her.
"What are you doing here?" Amy blinked.
"Following you, what do you think?" she nodded at the car.
"Um, where did you get the car?" Rory frowned at it.
"It's mine," she smiled…until police sirens could be heard in the distance, "...ish."
"Oh, Mels, not again!" Amy lamented.
"You can't keep doing this," Rory told her, "You'll end up in prison."
"Sorry, hello, Doctor not following this," the Doctor looked round at them all, "Doctor very lost. Kenzie?" he turned to her as well.
"I'm almost keeping up," Mac murmured, frowning at the woman, Mels, "Old friend, Amy probably told her about us…"
As if on cue, Mels turned to them, her eyes widening as she saw the TARDIS, "Is that the phone box?" she ran to it, confirming Mac's observations, "The bigger-on-the-inside phone box?" she turned to lean on it, "Time travel, that's just brilliant," she laughed, "Yeah, I've heard a lot about you," she added as well.
"We haven't," Mac countered, which was odd, you'd think a best mate would be mentioned more often, "You weren't even at the wedding," she recalled, which was even more odd.
"You weren't," the Doctor agreed, "I danced with everyone at the wedding. The women were all brilliant, the men were a bit shy."
Mels grimaced at the thought, "I don't do weddings," she stepped away from the TARDIS, looking in the distance, in the direction the sirens were coming from, "And that's me out of time," she spun around, pulling a gun from her vest and aiming it at the Time Lords.
"Mels!" Amy gasped.
"For God's sake!" Rory cried, though he didn't exactly seem surprised by the move.
"What are you doing?!"
Mac's reaction was just a bit more sedate, "A gun?" she scoffed, "Really?" and looked at Amy, "Does she not know about regeneration?"
"I need out of here, now!" Mels cut in, not answering or denying knowledge of that little event.
"Anywhere in particular?" the Doctor asked with a mild air.
"Well, let's see! You've got a time machine, I've got a gun. What the hell, let's kill Hitler."
"A gun wouldn't really help," Mac remarked even as the Doctor moved to open the doors to the TARDIS, "Cyanide offed him, not a gun."
"Potato, potahto," Mels rolled her eyes, "S'long as he dies when he does, what difference does it make?"
"Quite a bit really."
~8~
"Hold on!" Mac cried as the TARDIS tipped dangerously to the side moments after a gunshot went off, the gun in question still in the possession of the mysterious Mels, the bullet's target very clear as there was now a hole in the rotor casing which was expelling quite a bit of rather deadly gas out at the moment.
"You've shot it!" the Doctor shouted, rounding on Mels as she grabbed onto the stair's railing, Amy and Rory desperately trying to hold on to the rails around the console, "You shot my TARDIS! You shot the console!"
"It's your fault!" Mels scoffed.
"How's it my fault?!"
"The same way it's the sign's fault if it says 'keep out' or 'do not push!'" Mac called, "You never listen to it!"
"That's…completely different," he tried to defend.
Mels just smirked, "You said guns didn't work in this place. You said we're in a state of temporal grace."
"Very good!" Mac managed a small laugh.
"What?!" the Doctor rounded on her, "How is her shooting the console very good!?"
"Very good not to just take someone at their word," she remarked, "Where would you be if you actually listened to the keep out signs?"
He had to blink at that, "…good point."
Mac shook her head and turned, pulling out a roll of duct tape from the cardigan she was wearing, and bit off a piece, sticking it over the small hole, "It should hold for now!"
The Doctor nodded and raced over to her, but frowned as he saw the monitor, "Um…quite bad bit of news coming. Seems we're about to crash into a building."
"A building?!" Amy gaped.
"Well, actually, more like the window," he offered, trying to be reassuring, "Maybe. Possibly."
"Not helping Doctor," Rory grunted as the TARDIS bucked.
"Just…hold on," Mac looked at them, her and the Doctor grabbing the console as they felt the TARDIS break through something before it crashed to a halt, throwing them all to the floor, while also allowing them to see the massive amount of smoke that had managed to escape the small bullet hole wafting above them.
"Out, out, out!" the Doctor shouted, helping Mac up and rushing them to the doors, throwing them open and nearly pushing the others out of the box and into the room beyond, "Everybody out. Don't breathe the smoke, just get out!"
"Where are we?" Amy coughed a bit as she looked around.
"Well…" Mac began hesitantly, "I'd say Nazi Germany."
"How can you tell?" Rory frowned at her, she hadn't had time to run a scan like that.
"Could be that," Mac pointed behind them, towards the doors where there were giant swastikas on flags draped on the walls, "And then there's him…" she added, pointing to a man on the ground, his uniform distinctly WWII and German in fashion. Rory immediately ran over to check on him.
"Mels, don't go in there!" the Doctor shouted, rushing back over to the TARDIS doors where Mels was standing, looking inside. He grabbed the gun from her and pulled the doors shut, "Bad smoke! Don't breathe the bad, bad, smoke. Bad, deadly smoke, because somebody shot my TARDIS!" he shot Mels one more glare as she turned to stalk off and look at the room. He ran a hand through his hair and turned back to Mac to see her giving him a pointed look at his hand. He glanced down to see he was still holding Mels's gun and looked around for a place to put it, settling, of all places, on a bowl of fruit on a desk nearby. He'd just set it down when a man climbed up from behind it, "Ooh, hello! Sorry, is this your office? Had a sort of collision with my vehicle. Faults on both sides, let's say no more about..." he trailed off in shock when the man turned around to reveal himself to be none other than Adolf Hitler himself, "…it…"
"Is that..." Amy began, slowly making her way over to them as they stared at Hitler, Rory with her, though Mac stayed more near the TARDIS, watching Mels in concern, seeing the woman's gaze flickering towards the Doctor with a less than pleased expression on her face, "No, it can't be, Doctor?"
"Thank you," Hitler smiled, "Whoever you are, I think you have just saved my life."
"Believe me... it was an accident," the Doctor breathed.
"What is this thing?" Hitler looked past them towards the TARDIS and started to move towards it, examining it.
"What did he mean we saved his life?!" Amy hissed, "We could not have saved Hitler."
"You see?!" the Doctor snapped at Mels, "You see, time travel, it never goes to plan!"
"I don't know why you're getting all huffy," Mac shook her head.
"Um…Hitler?" Rory gave her a confused look, the man was a monster and she was acting nonchalant about saving him!
"Yes, and?"
"He's a monster!" Amy hissed, echoing Rory's thoughts.
"He did terrible things, yes," Mac agreed, "But he's still a human being."
"You're actually HAPPY we saved him?" Amy gaped at her.
"I don't feel one way or the other," Mac shook her head, "Even the most terrible people, at times, can be saved, can be offered a hand to try and help them out of the darkness."
"Right," Amy scoffed.
"Amy why don't you ask the Doctor what his last words to Davros were?" Mac crossed her arms.
"Who?"
"The man who created the Daleks."
Amy blinked and looked at the Doctor to see him staring at Mac, "I offer him my hand," the Doctor told her, "I told him I could still save him from his ship that was exploding around him, the man watching his creations dying in flames."
"If the DOCTOR can find it in his hearts to try and save Davros's life, not once, but twice," Mac continued, "I think humans should be able to look past travesties to at least acknowledge that, yes, Hitler, and others, has done the most horrendous, heinous crimes imaginable, but he IS still a human being. Not a monster. He's a man who was completely disgusting for what he did, but a man who did them because in his heart he truly thought THAT was the best thing for his country, as wrong as it may be. And it was SO wrong," Mac agreed, "But he IS human, he does have the capacity to love and fear and cry and bleed. THAT is the only thing I want you to remember Amy, he's not a monster of nightmares, he's a human being who did truly terrible things, but a HUMAN nonetheless."
The Doctor had to smile at that, humans were conflicted about war criminals. They liked to paint them as black or white, soulless individuals who were just pure evil. But that's not how it was, everyone had a story, everyone had things that made them who they were, paths and choices and experiences that made them who they were. Hitler was no different. The man was dastardly, yes, but he could also walk with a child and hold their hand, he could love a woman, and he could love his country. He didn't agree AT ALL with what he'd done…
But then again, HE had killed his entire planet for the sake of the Universe, he, to some people, like Kovarian, was just as evil and heinous for other actions as Hitler was. It was all about perception and all about how others looked at it. History was written by the winners and while there was NO way to paint what Hitler had done and would do in any sort of positive light at all…there were always two sides to every story. An invaded country would see anyone coming in as evil conquerors, the invading country would see it as trying to better other countries and help them, gain new resources and spread 'civilization' and whatnot.
"This box," Hitler called after he made his rounds around the outside of it, "What is it?"
"It's a police telephone box from London, England," the Doctor answered, starting to walk more towards Mac, not wanting her anywhere near Hitler, despite what she'd just said…he didn't trust the man around her, "That's right, Adolf, the British are coming!"
Hitler turned, seeming affronted and was ready to say something…when it died on his tongue, something over the Doctor's shoulder catching his gaze. "No, stop him!" he pulled out a gun and Mac immediately pulled the Doctor to the ground as the man fired the gun at the fallen man who had just started to pick himself up.
Rory rushed over and punched Hitler across the face, grabbing his gun as the man dropped it and aimed it back at him, "Sit still, shut up," he ordered as Hitler put his hands up.
"Are you ok?" Amy asked the fallen man as she moved to help him up.
"Yes, yes," he nodded, starting to look himself over, patting himself down, "Yes. I'm fine I think he missed."
"He was going to kill me!" Hitler shouted.
"Shut up, Hitler!" Rory huffed.
"Rory," the Doctor shook his head, "Take Hitler and put him in that cupboard over there now. Do it!" he turned to the man as Amy led him to sit on the edge of the desk, Mac watching Rory march Hitler off, making sure the man wouldn't try anything or call for any guards they hadn't had time to help 'win the lottery' for. She let out a small breath when she saw Hitler safely locked away and Rory heading back before she turned to the Doctor again, "Are you ok?" he was asking as he examined the man…only for him to faint right off the desk and onto the ground.
"I think he just fainted," Rory remarked.
"No, did he?" Mac gave Rory a sarcastic, but playful smile, before she turned to look around, frowning when she saw Mels standing there with her hands pressed to her stomach, "Mels…" she made her way over to her, moving quicker when she saw the girl sway, "Are you alright?"
Mels swallowed hard, looking at Mac with a small smirk, "Hitler's a lousy shot," was all she got out before her knees buckled, nearly taking Mac down with her as she tried to keep the girl from hitting the ground.
"Mels!" Amy rushed over to her, as did Rory and the Doctor, both men helping Mac lower her to the ground gently, "Mels!"
"No, no, no!" Rory reached out for her bullet wound, "I've got to stop the bleeding!"
"How bad is it?" Amy looked at Rory frantically, "Rory, what can we do?"
Rory swallowed hard, "Just keep her conscious! Stay with us, Mels."
"Mels," Mac looked at her, "Keep your eyes on us, sweetie," she took Mels's hand, "Just…hold on."
Mels looked at them with a small smile, "I used to dream about you two. All those stories Amy told me."
"What stories?" the Doctor tried to keep her conscious, "Tell me what stories. Vampires in Venice, that's a belter."
"When I was little, I was going to…to be your next companion."
"You still can," Mac told her, "You hang in there, and you can come with Amy and Rory and us."
"Yes, soon as you're well," the Doctor agreed, "We'll swing round your house to get your things, leave a little note for mum and dad, the fantastic Mr. and Mrs. Er…" he trailed of, realizing he didn't even know Mels's last name.
"Pond," Mels wheezed, making Amy smile. It had been one reason she and Mels had been such good friends growing up, they weren't related at all, but they had the same last name, like friends who find they share the same birthday. It had been a joke between them for years that they were both Pond girls.
Mac's smile faltered just slightly at that name, Mels was likely short for Melody…Melody Pond. Curious…it was…well, it was a lot like River Song, if the names were reversed and…and if it was translated into the Forest language as well…
But no…no that…that couldn't be…her daughter had dark red hair and green eyes and…and there was no way she'd regenerated, she couldn't have…her baby couldn't have died and regenerated…
Mels's eyes flickered to Mac's seeing the play of emotions cross her face, she'd been warned the Doctor could be quite thick at times, made sense the woman would work it out first, "Funny sort of name isn't it?" she mused, wincing as a pin hit her, "Don't have ponds in the forest either do they?"
The Time Lords stiffened at that, their hearts stopping at the words, the confirmation for Mac, the implication for the Doctor as they stared at the young woman…right when her hands started to glow…
"What the hell's going on?" Rory stared in shock.
"That's…that's the same light as the lake," Amy breathed before Mac could do a thing to silence her, not that she or the Doctor were really in the right frame of mind to realize what Amy had said.
The Doctor quickly grabbed Amy's hand while Mac shook herself and pulled Rory up by the arm, pulling the humans away, knowing just how violent regenerations could be, "Back! Back! Back! Get back!"
Mels groaned as she pushed herself to her feet, "First time this happened," she winced, "Last time actually, I ended up a toddler in the middle of New York."
"Someone…" Amy shook her head as they backed up to a desk, Mels walking to an open space across the room from them, "Explain what is happening? Please!"
"There isn't a word for waves or ponds in the forest language," Mac murmured, staring at her daughter, horrified to realize she really HAD regenerated once before…and now she was again, "The only water in the forest is the River…"
Mels smirked at that, "Took me years to find you two. Ages of growing up with the humans," she flickered her gaze at Amy and Rory, "The future companions, the key to seeing you again…"
Mac closed her eyes at that, feeling tears in them…Mels was a lifelong friend of Amy's, Amy had gotten to know her daughter more than SHE had. Hell, given the sort of personality Mels had, Amy and Rory probably raised her growing up with her. She wanted to be happy that her daughter had at least had something of a normal childhood…but it hurt so much more. Because if she'd been the little girl in the astronaut suit, as they suspected, and she'd regenerated while still in America…then she'd likely done so as a little girl…which meant that the Silence and Kovarian had found her again and brought her to England within the last 2 decades to place her there with the Ponds. She hadn't ever gotten to raise her daughter…
"The River…" Amy breathed, working it out…when Mels suddenly cried out in pain, the regeneration seizing her, exploding out of her as she threw her head back. They shied away, blocking their eyes from the light…looking up only when it faded and the woman they all knew as River Song fell out of the regeneration, still wearing Mels's outfit.
"No…" Mac let out a breath seeing THAT version of her daughter. Her 3rd incarnation…she was only on her third incarnation. All her mind could go to was the Library, THAT River being there. She hadn't even made it to her 13th self and she…what she'd do in the Library…how it would burn out both hearts of a Time Lord…
She felt ill.
"Right," River took a breath, starting to examine herself in a way that reminded her of the Doctor, though a bit less animated, "Let's see, then. Ooh, it's all going on down there, isn't it?" she felt around her waist when her hands flew to her head, "The hair!" she turned and bolted over to a mirror, staring at her hair, "Oh! The hair, it just doesn't stop, does it? Look at that! Everything changes! Oh, but I love it, I love it!" she spun around to face them, "I'm all sort of... mature!" she did a little wiggle dance at that in excitement. She put her hands over her mouth to hide a giggle and her eyes flew wide, "The teeth!" she gasped and looked back at the mirror, "The teeth, the teeth!"
"I'm starting to see you in her Doctor," Mac murmured, the way she was trying to piece together what she was like was so much like him.
"Ooh and I love this outfit!" River cried, rushing over to them, coming to lean on the side of the table beside the Doctor, poking the side of his bowtie, "Watch out! That bowtie! Excuse me, you lot, I need to weigh myself!" she spun on her heel and rushed out of the room.
"That's…your daughter," Amy blinked at the doorway as they all moved to lean on the desk, stunned.
"And River Song," Rory nodded.
"Who's River Song?" River asked, peeking her head round the door frame.
Mac looked at her sadly, "Spoilers."
Which only made River frown in confusion, "Spoilers?" she moved into the doorway, putting her hand on her hip, "What's spoilers?" before she felt something a little more behind her hip, "Hang on, just something I have to check!" and ran out of the room again.
Rory rubbed his head, "Is anybody else finding today just a bit difficult? I'm getting a sort of banging in my head."
"Yeah, I think that's Hitler in the cupboard," Amy remarked.
"That's not helping."
The Doctor looked at Mac, taking her hand as he led her to the other end of the room, seeming to talk to her privately though the Ponds followed, "She's not River Song yet," he reminded her, taking both her hands, "This is her right at the start…"
"But we know how it will end," she murmured, her hearts breaking.
Just as the Doctor went to open his mouth to try and comfort her, they heard River give an excited shout from the other room, "Ah, that's magnificent!" she stepped into the room, "I'm going to wear LOTS of jumpers!" she eyed them a moment, "Well, now, enough of all that!" and pulled out Hitler's revolver to aim at them, at the Doctor more specifically, "Down to business."
"Any reason you're pointing a gun at me dear?" the Doctor asked, not quite as alarmed as the Ponds seemed to be, Mac just growing more heartsbroken to see her daughter like that.
"Oh plenty," River smirked.
"Doctor, what's she doing?" Amy frowned.
"What she was raised to do," Mac whispered.
"Where'd she get the gun?" Rory shook his head.
"It's Hitler's," Mac remarked, "You dropped it on the arm chair right by the mirror she was looking in before."
"You noticed!" River mused, trying to fire at the Doctor, the aim moving slightly to Mac after the first fire but nothing happened.
"We both did," the Doctor nodded, "As soon as I knew you were coming, I tidied up a bit," he'd run for that chair and emptied the bullets from it.
"I know you did," River tossed the gun away.
"I know you know."
River quickly reached into her vest and pulled out what she thought was her own gun…only to see a banana in her hand, "Goodness, is killing you going to take all day?"
"Why?" the Doctor frowned, eyeing her, "Why want to kill me?" he wanted to know that, if he knew her reasons, he could better determine if they were brainwashed or the way she'd been raised or lies she'd been told just…something to get through to her. Though he was quite glad he'd turned the fruit bowl when she'd complimented his bowtie so she'd grab the banana instead. She was his daughter, and bananas were a good source of potassium.
"Like you said, spoilers," she turned to Hitler's desk and grabbed the letter opener, turning to try and swipe at the Doctor but it flew out of her hand and to a rather large magnet Mac was holding in her hand.
"You need to stop this," Mac pleaded with her though she knew it was likely pointless, she had no idea what Kovarian had done to her daughter, whether she was doing this of her own free will or if she was operating on triggers or if she was being forced to or manipulated to. She had no idea what she could say to get River to stop and listen to them.
River huffed, "You're not my mother, you can't tell me what to do," she said, turning to grab the gun from the fruit bowl, spinning around to fire at them…but it made an empty click noise, the Doctor merely holding up the clip though he and Mac were staring at her, him with a frown, Mac devastated.
The way she'd said it…it wasn't biting, it wasn't bitter, it wasn't even condescending…it was like a generalized statement, like something offhanded…like she truly had NO idea that they were her parents. And that was worrying them. They didn't know if perhaps she'd been told and waved it off, if she resented them for not being able to protect her and was masking it…or if Kovarian just hadn't told her to make this mission of hers easier to see through. There were ways to sort of 'cook up' a Time Lord, extreme exposure to the Time Vortex for one, it was why Mac had warned Amy and Rory not to get into any 'funny business' in the TARDIS while in flight in the Vortex for fear of a child they might conceive. It was possible that Kovarian had told River that she was one such child, that she'd just been exposed to the Time Vortex while an embryo and that was why she was Time Lord now.
"I don't understand," Rory shook his head, "What's going on?"
"Simple," River eyed the Doctor, stepping closer, "I was trained and conditioned for one purpose. I was born to kill the Doctor."
"Demons Run, remember?" the Doctor finally realized, "This is what they were building, my bespoke psychopath."
"But she's not," Amy frowned, "She's not a psychopath, she's your dau…"
Amy didn't even get a chance to finish her sentence when River quickly jabbed out, something clear in her hand, and stabbed the Doctor, who had made the unfortunate choice to step closer to her as she was him, in the neck before dropping the object, a syringe, to the ground.
"That saying is quite terrible," River mused as the Doctor's hand flew to his neck, Mac rushing to his side, "NEVER keep your enemies THAT close."
"River!" Mac gasped, grabbing the Doctor's arm as he fell to his knees, grabbing his chest in pain.
"What's wrong?!" Amy ran to help her.
"What have you done?" the Doctor looked at her, trying not to feel quite so betrayed that his own daughter had done this to him, "River!"
"River, River, River," River rolled her eyes, "I know you're old Doctor, but surely the memory can't be going THAT quickly."
"What have you done?!" Mac cried out, "Why would you do that!?"
"Because it was never going to be a gun for him," River smirked, "The man of peace who understands every kind of warfare, except the cruelest. They said I'd be able to get closest to you. Pity," she sighed, "I was hoping for more of a challenge," and with that she jumped out the window and into Berlin.
"What's wrong with you?" Rory ran to his side as Mac scanned him with the sonic, "What's she done to you?"
"Poison…" Mac breathed, looking at the Doctor, horrified.
He reached out and grabbed her hand, "I'm fine," he insisted, wincing as a pain hit him, disproving that, "Well, no, I'm dying, but I've got a plan."
"What plan?" Amy shook her head.
"Not dying," he winced, pushing himself up, leaning heavily on Mac for support.
"What do we do?" Rory looked at Mac.
Mac swallowed hard, hearing the 'plan' in the Doctor's head, and gave him the sonic, "Go find River," she pleaded with them, "We'll find you in the TARDIS…there might be a scan or medicine in there that we can use to help him. But you need to GO!"
"You said the smoke was deadly!" Amy reminded her even as Rory ran for the window after River.
"The smoke's fine," the Doctor waved her off, "The poison will kill me first," he almost flinched at how much tighter Mac was grabbing his hand but took a breath, "Now, get after River!" he shoved Amy after Rory and Mac helped him into the TARDIS.
"Extractor fans on!" she called and the smoke began to be sucked away through vents at the top of the ceiling.
"That works?" he looked at her.
"Bit of tweaking," she muttered, helping him over to the jump seat to sit in before she headed over to the console, running as many scans on him as she could.
"Naery…" he moaned, panting, "How am I doing?"
She stared as one of the scans beeped, her eyes wide, "The poison's from the Judas Tree," she breathed, the Doctor actually managing to stiffen in alarm at that, "The scan estimates just a little over a half hour left…"
"So, basically better regenerate?"
Mac looked over at him, "Don't joke Theta," she warned him, "You know your regeneration's been…disabled," she offered, for lack of a less final word.
"What about a cure?"
"There isn't one, you know that."
"Ok…" he nodded, trying not to let on how badly he was trembling at that, "So…half an hour to work out how to save our daughter then…"
Mac nearly felt a sob take her at that, he was dying and the only thought on his mind was saving their daughter and getting her back, well that was just very him…very parental really. She knew if it were HER in that spot, she'd think the same. She'd want to know her child was safe before the end.
She shook her head, "You're not going to die," she determined.
"Naey…" he tried to speak.
"No!" she snapped, tears in her eyes, "I don't care what it takes, we are getting our daughter back and YOU are going to live! I'm not watching you die again!" she turned back to the console, rushing around it for something that would help…not seeing the Doctor staring at her for what she'd said.
Again?
He knew she'd watched his last self die, but he got the feeling she wasn't talking about that him at all.
~8~
The Doctor and Mac practically flew out of the TARDIS the moment it landed in a restaurant when they saw Amy…or a robotic version of her…attacking River with some sort of white beam. Mac raced to a mirror and shoved it forward, right into the path of the beam, sending it bouncing back at the robot, forcing it to stop before it got damaged in the process.
River panted, looking over at them, and gaping at the Doctor, "You're dying and you stopped to change?"
The Doctor smiled, wearing a black suit, tails, and a top hat, a cane in his hand as he moved to Mac's side, sliding an arm around her waist. She'd managed to find a very, really VERY powerful pain reliever for him. Strongest in the galaxy but he knew with the poison working through him it wouldn't last quite as long as it normally would and he needed to find a way to get through to River quickly.
"You should always waste time when you don't have any," he told her, "Time is not the boss of you, Rule 408," he glanced at the robotic Amy, "Amelia Pond, judgment death machine. Why am I not surprised?" he held up the cane to it, flashing it with the end of it, "Sonic cane!"
"Are you serious?" River scoffed.
"Unfortunately," Mac murmured, staring more at River than the robot at the moment.
"Never knowingly be serious," the Doctor called, "Rule 27. You might want to write these down," he glanced at his cane, reading the results, "Oh, it's a robot! With 423 life signs inside. A robot...worked by tiny people. Love it!"
"How are they in there?" Mac glanced at it, "Not Time Lord science."
"No," he agreed, "Basic miniaturization sustained by a compression field. Oh, watch what you eat, it'll get you every time. Amy, if you and Rory are ok, signal me," he glanced at the cane as it beeped, "Thanking you…ooh!" he winced, nearly falling to the side as his one leg gave out, Mac rushing to his side to help sustain him, "Oops, sorry," he grimaced as she led him to a small set of steps that led to the TARDIS, "Leg went to sleep. Just had a quick left leg power nap, I forgot I had one scheduled. Actually, better sit down, I think I heard the right one yawning…"
"STOP!" Mac cried when River took a run for it and the robot shot a beam of light at her again. Perhaps it was her motherly instincts coming out coupled with the adrenaline of fearing for the Doctor, but the Time Lord in question was rather impressed with how Mac had been able to heft one of the chairs up and throw it across the room at the robot…it hardly made a dent, but it DID get it to stop and leave River alone. She stormed over to it, getting right in front of it, "You touch one HAIR on my daughter's head again and I will dismantle you bolt by bolt!"
The Doctor looked over, seeing River was stuck in a sort of containment field, but her eyes were wide with confusion at what Mac had said about her being her daughter.
"You should not care," the robot stated emotionlessly, "She is the women who kills the Doctor."
"She's also our daughter," the Doctor repeated, "And I'm not dead."
"You're dying."
"Meaning present tense, in the act of, not past tense," Mac argued.
"And at least I'm not a time-travelling shape-shifting robot operated by miniaturized cross people, which, I have got to admit, I didn't see coming," the Doctor sighed, before pointing his cane at River, "What do you want with her?"
"She's Melody Pond," it stated, "According to records, the woman who kills the Doctor."
"Alright, but, like we said many times, she's OUR daughter, she's ours to reprimand. What's it got to do with you?"
"Throughout history, many criminals have gone unpunished in their lifetimes. Time travel has... responsibilities."
"So you hop through time and just…stop people from doing things they haven't done yet?"
"We don't kill them. We extract them near the end of their established timelines."
"And then what?" the Doctor frowned.
"Give them hell."
"You just try it on her and see what happens," Mac threatened, her eyes narrowing.
"I'd ask you who you think you are," the Doctor called, "But I think the answer is pretty obvious."
Mac walked closer to the robot, looking at it intently, "If you think she's the one who kills the Doctor then you must have a reason for it. What information do you have in there?"
"Our records office is sealed to the public," the robot replied, "Foreknowledge is dangerous."
"You're seriously going to cite foreknowledge to time travelers?" she scoffed, "Have you any idea what foreknowledge we have of the fate of the human race?"
"And either way, I'll be dead in three minutes," the Doctor called, "There isn't much foreknowledge left."
"Don't say that," Mac called, looking at him, making him wince at what he'd said.
"Sorry," the robot cut in, "Can't do that."
Mac shook her head and turned back to it, "No. You don't understand. That girl back there, is my daughter, she's just tried to kill her father and I don't know why. So you tell me what I want to know about all this and why my Chosen is being targeted, or…"
"Records available," the robot stated, making her blink a little surprised.
She'd hoped that, because this was all a personal family matter, that access could be given. It was like how families were privy to information about their deceased loved ones, told information on how they died. It HAD to be the same there and, luckily, it appeared it was.
The Doctor groaned and pushed himself up on his cane, leaning on it heavily as he made his way over to Mac, glancing at River who looked beyond confused at everything being said around her. It both caused his hearts to clench and also gave him hope to see that expression. She'd been just a baby the last time they'd really seen HER, not 'River Song.' And, while Time Lords had fantastic memories, she'd only been a month old, she'd only known him a few hours as well, he couldn't expect her to remember who they were. It hurt because he felt like that expression meant she genuinely had NO idea they were her parents (or likely believed they were) and it meant that she wasn't doing this out of hate or spite or revenge but just…a mission the Silence gave her. It meant she just didn't know the truth and it gave him hope that, when she did, it would be different.
"Question," he looked at the robot, "I'm dying... who wants me dead?"
"The Silence," the robot stated.
"Yes, we've met them," Mac muttered, "What we don't know is WHY. Why do they want him dead? What even are they?"
"The Silence is not a species. It is a religious order, or movement. Their core belief is that silence will fall when the question is asked."
"What question? " the Doctor shook his head.
"The first question. The oldest question in the universe, hidden in plain sight."
"Yes, but what is the question?"
"Unknown."
"I swear to god," Mac muttered, "If it's something ridiculous like 'Doctor Who?'…"
"Can't be," the Doctor shook his head in thought, "It's been asked LOADS of times," he scoffed and looked at the robot, "Fat lot of use that is, you big ginge! Call yourself a Records...argh!" he nearly fell to the floor but reached out to Mac in the process, managing to keep himself up long enough for her to turn to help support him, gently settling him to the ground, "Kidneys," he winced, "Always the first to quit. I've had better, you know."
Mac opened her mouth to try and reassure him when suddenly the containment field around River turned red, causing her to scream in pain, "STOP IT!" Mac turned to the robot, "Rory! Amy!" she shouted, knowing that Amy and Rory had to be inside there for them to signal the Doctor, "Stop them!"
"What do we do?" the robot asked, as frantically as a robot could sound, "This is me. This is me actually talking. What do we do?"
"I don't care if you have to tear that place apart or hold someone at gunpoint, you STOP THEM!" Mac cried, the Doctor reaching out to take her hand, even though he didn't condone the use of violence or force…right now their daughter was in pain and suffering and only the Ponds could really help her. There was no beam to deflect, there was no way to pull the field away from her, it had to be internal. He didn't care what they did as long as it stopped hurting his daughter!
"How, how? How?"
"Just do it!" he himself nearly roared at them, the pain HE was feeling was NOTHING compared to seeing his little girl (even if she was fully grown…perhaps that was what Mac felt dealing with Teddy) in pain and hurting.
He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding when River was released, though it left the woman panting and shaking.
"Are you alright sweetie?" Mac looked at her, wanting to go to her daughter but her Chosen was now the one in the pain.
"Sweetie?" River scoffed.
"Please," the Doctor breathed, "They saved you and now you have to save the Ponds," he looked at her, "Don't run. Now, I know you're scared, but never run when you're scared. Rule 7. Please."
"Why should I?" River shook her head.
"Because that woman in there," Mac nodded at the robot as it started to speak like Amy, calling out for help, "She carried you to term, for us," she squeezed the Doctor.
"What do you mean, for you?" River eyed them.
"River…" the Doctor wheezed, "We're your parents."
"No you're not," she shook her head, "I don't have any parents. I was created in a lab with exposure to the Time Vortex and…"
"No," Mac cut in gently, "River…whatever exposure they gave you would NOT make you a full blooded Time Lord like you are. That…that can only happen when you have 2 Time Lord parents. At best…all they could do would be to make you half-Time Lord given the time of gestation and human access to the Vortex. WE," she swallowed hard, "We're your mum and dad."
River stared at them, wanting to deny it, wanting to ignore what she was being told…but…something inside her kept her from saying. Kovarian had made it clear to her that she was a FULL Time Lord and therefore the only one able to get close enough to the Doctor and Mac as they'd be looking for others of their kind who survived the war. But she had no memory of the war at all and she could remember a fair bit of her life from the age of about 2 and after. There were…distant memories, a warm embrace, a song someone sang to her…a beautiful language she couldn't grasp. But that was all it was, a distant thought. It wasn't real, it couldn't be. Kovarian was hardly a warm person nor would she ever sing to her.
It was just a dream of hers.
Mac looked down, hearing the Doctor groan and seeing his breathing getting more strained, he looked at her and she could see the pain in his eyes, the strength he was trying to hold onto. She reached out a shaky hand to his face, gently touching his cheek, her hearts breaking when he nuzzled his face into her hand before she moved it to his hair, running a hand through it. She wanted to go get Amy and Rory…but she just couldn't bring herself to leave him. If…if he died while she was off getting the Ponds, if he died without her there, without her holding him like she'd been too shocked to do at the lake…she didn't know what she'd do. She couldn't leave him…even if it meant Amy and Rory were in danger. And she hated that, that had always been her thing with the companions, doing what she had to to keep them safe, even if it meant separating from the Doctor.
And right now, when it really counted, she couldn't.
She closed her eyes tightly, doing the only thing she could think of to simultaneously block out Amy's cries for help while also comforting the Doctor…she sang an old lullaby to him, the same one she'd sung to Merina when she'd held her in Demons Run before she'd melted into Flesh…
River gasped as she heard the old song, the song she dreamed of, the song she hummed to herself whenever Kovarian or the Silence made her feel scared, "How…how do you know that song?" she breathed, looking at Mac with wide eyes.
Mac looked up at her, seeing the shock in her expression and took a breath, knowing this might be her only chance to get through to her daughter, "It's an old lullaby from Gallifrey," she said, speaking in Gallifreyan, hoping to touch another part of River's past, how she'd whispered to her in that language as a child, "I sang it to you the day you were taken from us Merina."
River felt as though she'd been punched in the gut at hearing those words, that language, that…that NAME. Something snapped inside her at it, instinctively know that it was HER name that Mac had just uttered. It was a name NO ONE but her parents knew, she…she didn't know how she knew that. She just did, like it was some sort of innate knowledge, like ideas about time and space, a sensitivity to it. She looked at Mac and the Doctor, the man struggling to look at her with…with a father's love and…and pride and happiness that came from seeing a child all grown up…and forgiveness. That was what did her in, the look in his eyes, and she took off running for the TARDIS.
~8~
Mac looked away from the Doctor, who was lying with his head in her lap, only when she heard the sound of the TARDIS coming back and saw the Ponds and River running out of the doors, River behind the humans, almost hesitant to get too close, "Doctor!" Amy rushed over, her and Rory kneeling on one side of him, "You can't die now," Amy shook her head, seeing the state he was in, "We know you don't die now."
The Doctor smiled at that, another slip there about the thing they kept hidden from him. He knew enough to make a fairly good guess about what happened that they wouldn't tell him in Utah. If he'd known all it would take is death (or he was hoping near-death, miracles could yet still happen!) to get them to let so much slip, he'd have tried his hand at spooking them ages ago, "Doesn't seem to be the case at the mo," he offered instead.
"Doctor, what do we do?" Rory asked, looking between him and Mac, "How do we help him Mac?"
"We can't," Mac whispered, "YOU can't," she swallowed hard, "Doctor…" she looked at him, "I'm going to transfer my regenerations to you…"
"No!" he cried, his eyes widening.
"I have to!" she argued.
"You want to try and burn the poison out of me like on Mars," he shook his head, "It won't be enough," he told her, "You're on your 8th self Kenzie…you've only 5 left…that's not enough energy."
"I have to try!" she nearly shouted, tears in her eyes, "Doctor…I can't…I can't lose you. I lose everyone I love, I can't lose you too…"
He reached out to take her hand, "I'm sorry Naery," he looked into her eyes, "I love you too."
"Please Theta," she nearly sobbed, knowing this would be final. Time was always in flux, for all they knew, the Doctor on the lake never happened now, because he could die before then, this could just as easily be the day he died, much like with Agatha Christie "Please don't go…"
"M…Mother?" River called, seeming to be trying to test the word and not at all comfortable using it just yet, it sounded foreign to her, "What…what do you mean, the regenerations would burn out the poison?"
Mac looked at River, seeing herself in the girl now, and shook her head, "Nothing."
But the damage had been done, River already knew what she meant. Regeneration energy was like fire and power…it could burn out an illness, she'd seen it done on herself. That was how she'd regenerated the first time, she'd been ill and it led to her regeneration, she'd been healthy after that. If the same principle applied here…the regeneration energy would burn out the poison and save the Doctor…
"Merina…" River looked down, hearing the Doctor call to her and moved to kneel on his other side, he reached out and took her hand as well, "I want you to know…I forgive you," he smiled at her, "And I'm so thankful I got to see you grow up."
It shouldn't have been possible, that she was an adult now. But it was always different. The first body was the only one that really 'grew' older, most Time Lords had it set that after they regenerated, they'd just stay the way they were. But some could be different, some could choose to have their regenerations grow if they focused enough. River had been too young when she'd first regenerated, had still been growing and had kept that notion in mind as her second self took over. She'd grown from a toddler to a lovely young woman. And he was just so glad he could see her once like this, as his daughter, before he passed.
River's eyes filled with tears as she looked down at what she'd done to her own father, the man's eyes drifting closed, her mother starting to cry. She didn't need any more proof than what they'd shown her tonight to know they really WERE her parents…and she'd just hurt one of them. She'd spent so long thinking she was a test tube baby but here they were, her parents, her biological, genuine, parents…and one of them was dying because of her.
But there was something she could do to change that.
She closed her eyes and concentrated, opening them when she saw her hands glowing with her regeneration energy, ALL of it, every bit of it that was still left. She didn't know how much this would take…but she wasn't going to take chances. If it meant using all of it to save him…she would.
And so she did…
~8~
Mac and the Doctor slowly entered the TARDIS, both solemn and quiet as the Ponds followed. They'd been in the hospital, with River. The girl had used up all of her remaining regenerations in an effort to heal her father, she'd succeeded, but it had troubled the Time Lords to know this was River's last life. It especially seemed to devastate Mac who had gone remarkably quiet. She'd sat on River's bed, the entire time, on the edge, stroking her daughter's hair as the Doctor held River's hand, fiddling with an old bracelet he recognized as Mac's from UNIT, the same bracelet she'd used to keep him from sensing her. It appeared they were correct in the assumption that the Silence had taken it for River. They were waiting for her to wake up, just wanting to say a proper thank you and goodbye. They both realized that, if River stayed with them, the Silence could target her again, the TARDIS was, surprisingly easy to track through time and space, tales of their exploits ranging far and wide.
If River got out now, hid among the humans, somewhere in time and space and blended in, the Silence might not find her. It would give them time to work out what the Silence were up to and stop them, and then they could go back for her. It was also…they saw a lot of the Doctor in her, the need to get out there and explore…to not be tied to rules. They wanted her with them, terribly, but their daughter had grown up and, when she was ready, if she wanted to, she could travel with them. For now…they knew she was still getting used to the idea of having any parents at all and they wanted to give her space to come to terms with it herself, let her seek them out and they would come running.
Always.
No words had actually needed to be said in the hospital, the Time Lords had either spoken silently, or conveyed everything through mere looks. River just smiled and fell back asleep, reassured her father was alright and she'd done a good job. They'd left her the TARDIS journal to help her with her thoughts.
Amy and Rory looked at each other, knowing not to bring up that they were leaving River in the hospital and heading off. It was hard enough for the Time Lords just to let go of her hand, leaving the room had been torture and they didn't want to bring that up. But there was still one thing they were very concerned about.
"Doctor…" Rory began, "River was brainwashed to kill you…"
"Well, she did," he shrugged, "And then used her remaining lives to bring me back."
"But that stuff that they put in her head, is that gone now? The River that we know in the future, she is in prison for murder."
The Doctor looked over, seeing Mac flinch out of the corner of his eye as she stood at her end of the console.
"Whose murder?" Amy asked, not seeing Mac, but the Doctor was quiet, "Will we see her again?"
"She'll come looking for us," he agreed, moving over to Mac.
"Yeah, but how? How do people even look for you?"
"YOU managed to do it," the Doctor winked at her, reminding them of the cornfield, before he let out a wide yawn.
"Come on," Mac took his hand, tugging him off, "You're still not fully recovered. I told you to spend one more day in the hospital."
"I hate hospitals though," he pouted, quite contradictory to his title.
"Well then you're getting rest here," she countered, pulling him off and then ended up helping him when he started to stagger, towards his rooms.
She opened the door and stepped into the spacious and rather disorganized space…wondering if there might be a carpet under all the things thrown about his room. For a man who wore the same thing every day, there was copious amounts of clothing scattered about. She led him over to his bed and sat him down, but he just turned and laid on it, rolling on his side.
"I'm too tired to get changed, I'll just take a nap," he said…peeking up at her moments later when he neither heard her speak nor heard the door open, "Kenzie?" he frowned, seeing her just standing there, biting her lip, "What is it?"
"I…" she took a breath, "Could I…would you mind if…" she let out a frustrated breath and he smiled.
"Just say it Naey."
She looked at him, her cheeks red, "Could I stay?" she asked, but her voice cracked at the end and he could hear the tears in them, "Just so I…so I don't wake up and think that you…"
He nodded, scooting back and holding out a hand to her, understanding nightmares all too well. She was afraid she'd wake up and think he was gone, that it was a dream that he'd survived. He didn't want that. Anything he could do to make her comfortable and happy he'd do. And…there WAS the added benefit of having her sleep in his arms for the first time since he'd gotten married on Gallifrey.
He couldn't help but smile widely as she settled in his arms, rolling over to face him, resting her head on his chest and shoulder, his arms locked around her. He really did have to talk to her about what he'd learned from the Teselecta, that robot that had imitated Amy, but…for now…he was content to just drift off with his Chosen in his arms and hoping, perhaps, they could make this a permanent thing.
A/N: I think my computer has followed my laptop and committed suicide on me :( I got a virus on Thursday and my entire hard drive was erased :'( I still had the stories on backup all the chapters save about 2 OUAT ones, but I couldn't get my computer to work at all and with school I had no access to a computer to fix the chapters for yesterday :( I managed to make it to the library in my town Friday though and I got a few chapters edited. My sister originally told me Friday that she'd let me borrow her laptop to post...and of course, when she tells me she'll 'let' me use it, it means after she's woken up and finished using it herself -sigh- I just got a hold of it 5 minutes ago :( And, worse yet, she's in a mood now and she's not letting me use it again so I don't think I'll be able to post a second chapter today (like I mentioned on tumblr). BUT! I'm heading out to get a new computer in about an hour so hopefully I'll have everything set to give you guys a double whammy tomorrow ;)
I hope you liked this chapter, poor River :( Poor Mac and the Doctor too :( I could see Kovarian keeping River's parentage from her to make her more agreeable to do her mission :( We'll see the fallout of this chapter in the next }:)
Some notes on reviews...
Lol, I tried to make it more no Time Tots to be a little more general, but still Mac was never pregnant and there won't be babies in the whole series growing up like the others ;)
I don't think I'd pair Teddy with Clara, just because I did that with J and Clara :)
I can't say what Clara will be to them just yet, plenty of possibilities ;)
I think Angel would be heartsbroken if the angry River she had was her actual daughter :( She already felt so terrible that her daughter was taken in the first place that having River being equally as mad and biting and bringing it up to 'punish' her for it would tear her apart :'(
I can't say if they'll save her from the Library...we'll have to wait and see }:)