Thanks to mariee98, MoonlightDragonEmperor for following/faving my story.
time-twilight: you'll have to wait and see what the Doctor told Melanie.
NicoleR85: thanks! Glad you liked it.
frosty600: thank you.
Even with Orion leading them, both Melanie and Amy still stumbled along as they walked through the forest. Orion gripped Melanie's hand tighter as he noticed that they were surrounded by Angels. He knew they were more interested in getting away, rather than the three of them. At the moment at least. "Elle keep hold of Amy's hand", he instructed as he squeezed between two Angels.
Carefully he manoeuvred his way through the Angels, Melanie clinging onto his hand and Amy clutching hers tightly. Suddenly, the brunette let out a yelp as she tripped over a partially buried root pulling down both Orion and Amy. The ginger haired man quickly got them both back on their feet but it was too late. The Angels had taken notice of them.
"Doctor we're in a bit a trouble", Orion reported looking from Angel to Angel trying to stop their advance but he was only one person. He couldn't look at them all at the same time. "We could do with some help, right now". Orion pulled the girls closer to him as the Angels closed in, arms stretched towards them.
There is a bright flash of light and the trio vanished.
~Primary Flight Deck~
Almost immediately the Doctor pulled Melanie away from Orion and gave her a tight hug. "I'm so sorry Elle. I shouldn't have left you there", he said apologetically feeling his hearts calm down now that she was in his arms.
"It's not your fault", Melanie said. She didn't blame him at all. How was he to know that a crack was going to open up in the forest? And that when the clerics went to investigate, they would never come back? They were all together now and that's what mattered.
"See? Told you I could get it working", River spoke up. The Doctor looked over to see the curly haired woman smiling at him with her arm around Amy.
"River Song, I could bloody kiss you!" the Doctor cheered.
River made a face "think you should just stick to kissing your Bonded", she said pointedly looking at Melanie whom he was still holding.
"Good point", the Doctor agreed dropping a kiss on top of Melanie's head. An alarm suddenly blares throughout the room.
"What's that?" Orion asked.
"The Angels are draining the last of the ship's power, which means…the shield's going to release!" the Doctor exclaimed. He passed Melanie off to Orion as the bulk head rose up to reveal a line of Weeping Angels. One of which had a radio.
The Doctor stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the Angel with the radio "Angel Bob, I presume", he said. Here was the Angel that had caused Melanie all that pain. His hearts had started to race at that thought.
"The Time Field is coming", Angel Bob said "It will destroy our reality".
"Yeah, and look at you all, running away" the Doctor said glaring at Angel Bob "What can I do for you?"
"There is a rupture in time", Angel Bob replied "The Angels calculate that if you throw yourself into it, it will close, and they will be saved".
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Could do, could do that. But why should I?" the Doctor asked "You caused my Bonded a lot of pain", he added angrily.
With those words, Amy's heart sank. She'd really hoped that she was the Doctor's Bonded. But the Angel's only made her see things…forced her to count down. Melanie was the one who had to endure increasing amounts of pain in her head. Her friend Melanie Hannigan was the Doctor's Bonded.
"Your friends will also be saved. Your Bonded as well", Angel Bob pointed out.
"Well…there is that", the Doctor agreed.
"I've travelled in time", River spoke up "I'm a complicated space time event too. Throw me in". That made Orion throw her a look which she ignored.
The Doctor glanced at her "Oh, be serious! Compared to me, these Angels are more complicated than you, and it would take every one of them to amount to me, so get a grip", he said.
"Doctor, I can't let you do this", River said. She knew what pain that would cause Melanie if he was to throw himself into the crack.
"No, seriously, get a grip", the Doctor repeated trying to convey what he wanted her to do. Orion understood what he was trying to say.
"You're not going to die here!" River exclaimed.
"Oh River, get a grip", Orion said harshly. River looked sharply at him and then it hit her.
"Oh, you genius", she breathed. River moved Amy over to a panel and put her hands on a bar. "Hold on tight and don't let go for anything", she said firmly. Orion said a similar thing the Melanie as he put her hands on a bar.
"Sir, the Angels need you to sacrifice yourself now", Angel Bob said.
"Thing is, Bob, the Angels are draining all the power from this ship. Every last bit of it", the Doctor explained "And you know what? I think they've forgotten where they're standing. I think they've forgotten the gravity of the situation. Or to put it another way, Angels…." Orion grabbed a bar as did River. "Night, night", the Doctor said causally turning to grip a bar himself as the gravity started to fail.
The moment it completely failed, the deck turns to its side. Everyone held on for dear life as the Angels are sucked into the crack. There is a burst of light and the crack closes.
~Beach~
Amy and Melanie sat side by side on the beach, both wrapped in a blanket. "Ah… bruised everywhere", the ginger groaned.
"Me too", Melanie agreed.
"Same", the Doctor put in.
"Well you didn't have to climb out with your eyes shut. Amy and I did", Melanie countered.
"You didn't have to Elle. Neither of you had to, I kept saying. The Angels all fell into the Time Field. The Angel in your memory never existed. It can't harm you now", the Doctor said.
"Then why do we remember it at all? Those guys on the ship didn't remember each other", Amy said.
"You're both time travellers now. It changes the way you see the universe, forever", the Doctor explained with a smile "Good, isn't it?" he asked.
"And the crack, is that gone too?" Amy asked carefully.
"Yeah, for now", the Doctor answered "But the explosion that caused it is still happening...somewhere out there, somewhere in time". He looked out at the Ocean before walking over to River and Orion.
"You, me, handcuffs. Must it always end this way?" River asked teasingly holding up her encased wrists.
"What now?" the Doctor asked.
"The prison ship's in orbit. They'll beam me up any second. I might have done enough to earn a pardon this time. We'll see", River said.
"I recon you will this time River", Orion assured her.
"Octavian said you killed a man", the Doctor said.
"Yes, I did", River confirmed.
"A good man"
"A very good man", River corrected "The best man I've ever known".
"Who?" the Doctor asked.
"It's a long story Doctor", River replied "It can't be told, it has to be lived. No sneak previews. Well, except for this one. You'll see me again quite soon, when the Pandorica opens".
"The Pandorica", the Doctor laughed "That's a fairy tale".
River smirked "Doctor, aren't we all? I'll see you there", she said.
"I look forward to it", the Doctor said.
"I remember it well", River said as Amy and Melanie approached them, still wrapped in their blankets. Both girls said their farewells to River and Orion.
"See you, Amy. Elle", River said. Then her handcuffs start beeping "Oh! I think that's my ride".
"Can I trust you River Song?" the Doctor asked quickly.
"If you like, but where's the fun in that?" River laughed and is teleported away in a swirl of sand.
"Orion I meant to ask you earlier about your glasses. Why were you wearing them?" the Doctor asked. Melanie and Amy looked at the Doctor thinking it was a strange thing to ask.
Orion took them out of his pocket "oh, these old things? I get them from my Dad, he said they would really suit my current face", he explained and gave the Doctor a wink. The watch on his wrist beeped "that's my ride. See ya Amy, Elle", he said and then was teleported away in a swirl of sand.
"That was a strange thing to ask him about", Melanie remarked. She frowned at the slightly shocked look on his face "Doctor? What's wrong?"
"Nothings wrong", he replied.
"Then why do you look shocked?" Melanie asked.
"Didn't realise I was. Got nothing to be shocked about", the Doctor answered "now, come on. Back to the TARDIS". Without waiting for a reply he walked off. Amy and Melanie exchanged looks, shrugged and followed after him.
As the Doctor walked over to the TARDIS, a smile grew on his face.
~TARDIS~
"I want to go home", Amy declared the moment the trio had entered the TARDIS.
"Okay", the Doctor said. He was disappointed but understood. She had nearly died after all. He didn't blame her for wanting to go home.
"No, not like that", Amy said quickly "I just, I just want to show you something. You're running from River. I'm running too".
~Amy's bedroom~
As soon as the TARDIS appeared in Amy's room, Melanie quickly left mumbling something about wanting to freshen up. While she was gone, Amy showed the Doctor her wedding dress.
"Blimey", the Doctor commented looking at it.
"I know. This is the same night we left, yeah?" Amy asked.
"We've been gone five minutes", the Doctor replied.
Amy sat down on her bed, reached over to the bedside table and picked up a ring box. She opened it and showed it to the Doctor. "I'm getting married in the morning"
"Why did you leave it here?" the Doctor asked.
"Why did I leave my engagement ring when I ran away with a strange man the night before my wedding?"
"Yeah", the Doctor said.
"Hmm. You really are an alien, aren't you?" Amy remarked.
"Who's the lucky fellow?" the Doctor asked.
"You met him, Rory Williams", Amy replied.
"Oh! Nurse Boy", the Doctor nodded.
"So…do you comfort a lot of people on the night before their wedding?" Amy asked.
The Doctor frowned "Why would you need comforting?"
"I nearly died today Doctor. I've never been so scared in my entire life", Amy said "and as much as I'd like you to comfort me, your Bonded needs you a lot more".
"You know?" the Doctor asked.
Amy nodded "I do. Go Doctor, be there for her", she said. The Doctor gave Amy a smile before he got up from the bed and left the room.
~Melanie's room~
Melanie was startled when her bedroom door suddenly opened and the Doctor entered. "Doctor!" she exclaimed quickly turning around cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the fact that he'd seen her with her shirt off. She had been getting changed at the time but still! "Would it kill you to knock?" she asked reaching back and grabbing the green shirt she'd been about to put on. "Honestly what were you thinking just walking in like that?" Melanie asked hastily doing up the buttons. She frowned when she didn't get a response.
"Doctor?" she asked
Silence.
Confused as to why he wasn't saying a word, not even an apology, Melanie turned around. The Doctor was standing there but he didn't look embarrassed that he'd just walked in on her changing. No, he looked almost…angry. "Doctor? What's wrong?" she asked.
"You tell me", the Doctor replied trying to remain calm. He didn't want to scare her with his anger, especially when wasn't meant for her. Not directly at least. It was meant for whomever had hurt her bad enough to leave that scar across her stomach.
"I don't understand", Melanie said genuinely confused.
"You have a scar across your stomach", the Doctor stated.
"Oh…that", Melanie said quietly, her confusion gone. She didn't even think about her scar. Of course he would've seen it. The Doctor watched as she slowly sat down on the bed, his anger fading at the look on her face, the pain in her eyes.
He sat down next to her. "What happened?" he asked softly.
"My uncle happened", Melanie replied quietly "it was a year after the Prisoner Zero. Somehow he found me. I tried to stop him getting in but I couldn't. I tried to run but he grabbed me and shoved me to the floor. H-he had a knife…" Melanie touched her stomach, tears welling in her eyes "he laughed as he did it…laughed while I screamed…" the Doctor put an arm around her as she started to tremble, tears now running down her face "if Amy hadn't come when she did…" Melanie broke off with a sob unable to continue. The Doctor hugged her, his hearts heavy with guilt. If only he hadn't been late. If only he just taken her with him…none of this would've happened.
"I'm so sorry", the Doctor said.
"It's not your fault Doctor", Melanie sniffled "it's that monster's".
"Elle I'm not going to let anyone or anything hurt you like that ever again", the Doctor said.
Melanie looked up at him "you promise?" she asked.
"I promise", the Doctor said and she gave him a small smile. The Time Lord returned her smile. Green eyes gazed into warm brown ones. Slowly the Doctor bent his head down and softly kissed her.