Chapter 21 - Reunion

Amy was freezing. She was also surprised. She wasn't dead, and part of her had expected to be. Her body still felt sluggish so she didn't try to move, instead she listened. She wasn't alone, she realized, she was being guarded, but where? She was so cold and she could feel the wind on her face, blowing her hair around, she could also still hear the waves, smell the water. Opening her eyes in slits she could see the cliff rising up above her and wondered briefly if she'd actually fallen and managed to survive, but she knew immediately that wasn't the case. Though she could remember looking around and thinking she was on the cliff, she remembered having started on this very beach, and in her hazed mind, the view had changed so suddenly she hadn't even had time to realize what had happened before she was falling, succumbing to the anesthetic they'd drugged her with mid-motion. She felt numb, her fingers so cold she was surprised they were still attached, but she ignored that feeling, instead looking around at her guards. There were a handful of them, though none were paying her any particular attention. Only a few feet in the other direction was a cave, and she knew if she could just get there, that she'd be able to defend herself. Keep them all away for a time. She tried to move and her body resisted, but she gritted her teeth. She was Amelia Pond, she could do anything, she was well worth two men, and nothing would make her give up.

That was when the two shots rang out. She felt the wave of fear – could it have been Sherlock or the Doctor who'd been shot? She knew the Doctor could regenerate as long as he wasn't shot again while he was regenerating, but Sherlock wouldn't be so lucky. Her guards however, were rushing away from her to look up at the cliff.

"Did he have a gun?"

"Don't think so, but you never know with him. And with that book, well, does it matter?"

"I think its strange. A book that can bring something back to life. I think he's crazier than he used to be."

"Shut your mouth. If he were to hear you'd said that, you'd be dead before sun down."

Even as the guards argued over who might have shot who, and the outcomes of each possibility, Amy began inching her way towards cave. When she'd actually managed to get a good distance between herself and the guards, she leapt to her feet, unsteady but unwilling to give in, and raced towards the opening in the cliff.

"Oi! Watch it! There she goes! Catch her! Bring her back!" They were shouting at her and each other, but she kept running, feeling the rush of adrenaline as the first shot came and missed her, pushing the last of whatever had put her under out of her system. Even as they shouted, she couldn't help herself, this was the chance she'd been looking for; she laughed. Head pounding but clear, she ducked into the cave and grabbed the biggest rock she could lift, hiding just inside the cave. When the first man entered she knocked him over the head then dove for the gun he dropped as it skittered across the ground. She scooped it up and aimed it at the next man who came through the entrance.

"I wouldn't, if I were you." Amy said easily, scottish accent thick with the threat, and the man just sneered.

"You wouldn't shoot. You're a companion of the Doctor, and Moriarty said he couldn't properly hurt anyone. And he hates guns."

"Do I look like the Doctor do you?" Amy asked in both amusement and disbelief, and the man seemed to hesitate. "Your boss should do his research. I'm River Song's mum. We don't have as many rules as the Doctor."

"He wouldn't approve of you shooting people."

Amy just made a sound of disbelief and pulled the trigger, superior smile showing as the needle stuck out of the man's arm.

"You think that after travelling through time and space with the Doctor I don't know the difference between a real gun and a fake one?" she demanded, obviously outraged, but as he slumped she dashed forward to collect his weapon as well, yanking the extra tranquilizers off his belt. Then she hurried deeper into the cave, waiting for the rest to come after her. There were only four left, and she had no doubt that she could outsmart them in the time it would take for Sherlock and the Doctor to find her, because she refused to believe it was either of them that had been shot.

"Will he stay dead?" Sherlock asked, weapon now back in his pocket, and the Doctor shook his head, face holding it's frown though he didn't look at the body, instead bringing back the projection of Amy falling for the second time, but it gave them no extra details.

"No, though I'm not actually sure how this works. I don't know if he'll regenerate or just turn into a signal to pull the Master out of the Time Lock, or what if any of the many possibilities will come true, but I do know we can't leave him here."

"What do you suggest then, Doctor?"

It was then that they heard the shouts, followed by the bright peel of laughter and both men shared a look.

"Amelia."

"Amy."

They said it at the same time, and then they were both running, running towards the TARDIS without even a thought.

Amy heard the whir of the TARDIS and looked up, triumphant grin on her face as she sat victorious on a rock at the mouth of the cave entrance. She was freezing but she wouldn't show it, waiting instead until the TARDIS was fully materialized. Then she watched the door open, the Doctor appearing first, followed by Sherlock.

"Amy!" The Doctor exclaimed, rushing forward even as Amy slid off the rock, knowing grin plastered on her face, but even as she let the Doctor wrap her up in a hug, her arms around him as well, her eyes were locked with Sherlocks.

"I'm alright." he saw her say, though he had no idea which of them she was comforting. Then the Doctor was letting her go, watching as she approached Sherlock. Sherlock couldn't look anywhere but at her, though he itched to do so. She was here in front of him, after all this running around, and he didn't quite know how to act. He was so relieved she was safe, to the point where it was as if he couldn't properly breathe until he could touch her, but he couldn't quite reach out to where she stood before him, in all her grinning glory, looking once more as if she was waiting.

"Are you going to kiss me or just keep staring at me?" she asked, repeating words that felt like they were from so very long ago, and he closed the distance, pulling her against him, arms banding around her and holding her so tightly it was as if he wanted to crush them together so they were only one person. Her fingers dived into his dark curls and the Doctor could only stand and stare. Even with Rory he hadn't seen this sort of passion – this sort of desperation after not having seen each other. He didn't interrupt like he would've done in the past, instead he just walked around them, disappearing into the TARDIS.

When the two finally broke apart they didn't separate, hugging each other close.

"I'm glad you're alright." she told him, and he pulled back to look at her incredulously. She'd been kidnapped, buried alive, and made to feel as if she was falling to her death, and it was still him she was worried about.

"Why wouldn't I be alright?"

She just smiled at him. "I heard the gunshots, drew the attention away from me enough so I could run. I was worried you might've been shot." Carefully Sherlock pulled the gun out of his pocket and her eyes widened in surprise.

"I suppose you don't approve of killing either?" he asked, but she just rolled her eyes.

"I'll tell you about Madame Kovarian one day, then you'll know how I feel about killing."

"Whose Madame Kovarian?"

"She's the one who abducted Amy and later River. What did happen to her?" The Doctor asked, head popping out of the TARDIS, and Amy shared a look with the Doctor that had him looking away, a look that was almost regret in his eyes.

"What happened to Moriarty?" she asked suddenly, and now it was the turn of the two men to share a look. Then the Doctor was grabbing Amy's hand, who in turn linked her fingers with Sherlock's.

"Come on!"

Once on the TARDIS, Amy ran off, and Sherlock could only stare as she disappeared into one of the many corridors without the slightest discomfort.

"Where's she going?"

"Her room, if I had to guess. Knowing Amy she probably wants a hot shower and a change of clothes. Probably a pair of shoes since she's been almost barefoot this whole time." Sherlock just stared at the doorway that led from the console room.

"How big is your TARDIS exactly?" The TARDIS seemed to answer him with noise from the all around him, and after the noise quieted, the Doctor answered.

"She's Infinite."

Sherlock looked over to see the Doctor with a genuine smile on his face as he touched the centre of the console, not a smile to prove his cunning, not one of embarrassment, or threat, but a genuine, happy smile. Catching his stare, the Doctor's expression didn't change, he just continued to smile. "She's alive, my TARDIS, I met her once, in the body of a human."

"Called you her thief." Amy said, reappearing dressed in one of her many mini skirts, a sweater, knee high boots and her blue coat, face scrubbed clean but hair pinned up. She hadn't taken the time to shower, she was as anxious to get to Moriarty as they were. Then she looked over to share a grin with Sherlock. "And he called her Sexy." she said with a wink, causing the Doctor to blush. Sherlock found that interesting, but didn't comment, just reached out, without even thinking as Amy approached to stand beside him, fingers brushing against hers, and she linked their fingers together. The TARDIS landed again and Amy was first to the door this time, turning back with that flirtatious smile just as her hands landed on the door.

"Coming boys?"

The Doctor grinned and Sherlock couldn't help his smirk. He was glad she was alright, though he wasn't sure how he felt about how well she took it all, weren't people usually in shock? He shook the thought off, following the others out. At first glance, Moriarty was nowhere in sight, but Amy wasn't to be fooled and she marched towards the edge, kicking away the projector and revealing Moriarty who'd been hiding behind the projection, clearly still healing from the gunshots.

"You don't look so good." Amy noted, though Sherlock could hear the anger that burned in her voice.

"Got your boys again then have you?" Moriarty laughed, expression twitching into one that was his but not his.

"Got my boys, got my ride. And what've you got?" she asked, eyebrows lifting with the question, but there was something sharp in her words.

"All three of you in one place."

"Could've had that anyways." The Doctor nodded from Amy's right, and Moriarty glanced at him as he approached.

"True, but not exactly how I wanted. I've got the girl who waited, the consulting detective, and the Doctor all in one place, all right under my thumb. Something to be said for that."

"You're hardly in a position of power." Sherlock said, tone bored, but once again Moriarty laughed.

"No? Let me ask my next question then. What are you going to do with me now? The bullets didn't kill me-"

"Yet. You'll die on your own anyways and every time you 'die' it brings you closer to that end. You aren't immortal." The Doctor said, and once again Moriarty laughed.

"No, but you won't kill me, and Sherlock will be to busy with the lovely Amy to kill me over, and over again until I finally die."

"Oi! I don't think I like what you're implying!" Amy snapped, accent becoming harsher in her anger. She reached for Sherlock's pocket where she knew the gun was, but he stayed her hand.

"Amelia."

She met his gaze, only to find him guiding her eyes towards the Doctor. When she looked over he had that smile on his face, the scary smile that said he had a plan and the one it was for wouldn't like it.

"Maybe you'll travel with me in the TARDIS. Maybe you'll manage to get yourself killed, maybe you'll just stay locked up, maybe your whole system will revolt to being human and we'll have another master on our hands. In any case, you'll be out of the way."

Though the reply was quick, Moriarty looked distinctly uncomfortable to Sherlock's probing gaze.

"Aren't you afraid I'll hurt your precious ship?" Moriarty threatened, and the Doctor laughed, though it was a dark, threatening laugh.

"I dare you to try."

Moriarty seemed to recoil at that and Amy gave a sigh.

"This is boring. He's not really very threatening when he doesn't hold any weight, is he?" Amy complained, but that only seemed to rile Moriarty further.

"I still have the book."

The Doctor smirked at that and tossed Sherlock a look.

"Do you? I thought Sherlock had it."

Sherlock reached into his pocket, pulling out a the small square the Doctor had placed there earlier.

"You see I followed you through your whole timeline up until basically this point, do you really think I would never have thought to take the book back before it could be misused further?" Moriarty opened his mouth to speak but again the Doctor gave one of his frightening grins. "And don't worry about the computer copies. They're gone as well." the grin widened as he approached Moriarty. "So, just what should we do with you?"