Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who
Hi guys! Hope you're well. You know what I've been thinking lately? It would be really cool, fantastic, brilliant etc. if this story, 'The Doctor's Wife AU', had a TV Tropes page. For those who don't know, TV Tropes is like the Wikipedia of story tropes and idioms, and it has every trope (an idea used commonly, sometimes incessantly, in fiction) for every book, movie, TV show, cartoon etc. that you can think of. The thing is that I don't know anything about how to make a TV Tropes page or what kind of tropes I could put in it. Now the first part I can probably figure out myself, but if any of you awesome people are TV Tropers, can you think of any tropes this story fits into? Oh, and if you're wondering, fan-fictions are allowed their own pages on TV Tropes. Well, that's enough about that. On with the story!
The Teaching of River Song – Part Three
The Time Lords were led in single file, flanked by soldiers (which the Doctor wasn't exactly happy about, since it meant he couldn't walk with Romana) through the Pyramid of Giza, which in this topsy-turvy world was Area 52. They'd all been instructed to wear the eye-patches, and so far, all of them but the Doctor had conceded to putting them on. "You have to put it on, sir" Rory insisted. "An eye patch, what for?" asked the Doctor.
"It's not an eye-patch" Amy told him for what felt like the hundredth time. "It's an eye drive, sir" explained Rory, "It communicates directly with the memory centres of the brain, acts as external storage". They walked into a corridor lined with water filled tanks, each holding a Silent captive. "Only thing that works on them" Amy pointed out, "Because no living mind can remember these things". The Doctor walked up to one of the tanks, staring at the alien within, and Romana pulled a face. She'd never seen them before, but Amy had mentioned they were ugly, and she wasn't wrong.
Then again, perhaps she was just biased because they wanted to kill her lover. "The Silence. We've captured over a hundred of them now, all held in this pyramid" explained Rory. The Doctor said he'd seen them before and always wondered what they looked like. "Well, put your eye drive on and you'll retain the information, but only for as long as you're wearing it" Amy told him. "The humans who work for the Silence wear these, don't they?" asked the Corsair, and Amy nodded. "They'd have to" she pointed out, as Melody began fussing. "We should move on, she hates being near them".
"This way" motioned Rory, leading them down the corridor. The Doctor put his eye-drive on. "They seem to be noticing you" Rory commented, as all the Silence he passed turned to stare at him. "Yeah, they would" he said, faking nonchalance. He glanced over his shoulder at Romana, who gave him a small smile. "So why aren't the human race killing the Silence on sight anymore?" asked Amy. Romana frowned slightly at that, wondering what Amy meant. "That was another reality" explained the Doctor, before adding "What are the tanks for?"
"They can draw electricity from anything, it's how they attack. The fluid insulates them" explained Rory, "And I really don't like the way they're looking at you four" he added. "Us neither" the Doctor admitted. Rory turned to Amy and said "Ma'am, I'm sure it's nothing, but I should really check this out. They haven't been this active in a while. You lot, upstairs" he told the other soldiers. "Check all the tank seals. Then the floors above. Get everyone checking" he ordered. "Sir" the nearest stood to attention, before they strode off. "You go on ahead ma'am" Rory told Amy, who smiled and nodded.
"Thank you, Captain Williams. This way, all of you" she beckoned. "Captain Williams, nice fellow" the Doctor commented, "What's his first name?"
"Captain" Amy replied bluntly, "Just through here" she gestured. The Doctor hesitated; "Just give us a moment. Just need to check something, Ma'am" he saluted her, before going back to Rory. Amy rolled her eyes slightly and pressed a hidden comm. device in her ear. "We're in, he's on his way" she said, tugging her lapel out of Melody's hand. The toddler was attached to her front in a black papoose, which Amy somehow made look almost stylish. "What?" she asked, noticing the Corsair eyeing her with an amused smile on his face.
"I don't think your captain's first name is actually 'Captain'" he pointed out, "for someone who you 'couldn't live without', you don't know much about him". Amy gave him a dry stare. "I know plenty, okay? Besides, I'm his boss, and he's my soldier. That's all it is" she insisted. "Dabba" Melody announced solemnly. Meanwhile, the Doctor was talking to Rory. "Your boss, you should just ask her out. She likes you. She said so" he lied, but hey, the Ponds obviously needed a push to get them to remember each other.
"Really, sir" Rory said doubtfully, "what did she say?" The Doctor waved his hands about vaguely. "Oh, she just sort of generally indicated…"
"What exactly did she say?" Rory inquired more specifically. The Doctor wasn't sure what to say. "She said that you were a Mister Hottie-ness, and that she would like to go out with you for texting and scones" he tried with a hopeful smile. Rory stared at him. "You really haven't done this before, have you?" he asked bluntly. "No, I haven't" the Doctor admitted. The two of them just stared awkwardly at one another for a little bit longer. "See you in a moment, sir" Rory said at last. The Doctor nodded, and clapped him on the shoulder. "Yes, yes".
He went back to the others. "Come on, Doctor. Time for you to meet some old friends" Amy smirked, adjusting Melody's position on her chest and leading them into a room. Behind them, Rory spoke into his radio. "Attention all personnel. Attention all personnel. Please check all assigned containment units" he ordered, his voice echoing over the speakers as the Time Lords were led into the Kings Chamber, which was filled with soldiers and scientists monitoring computer screens.
A lady in a lab coat, with her hair tied back in a bun, was talking to a familiar woman with wild, curly hair. "You were right" she was saying, "Just his presence in the building caused the loop to extend by nearly four chronons". A screen showing the time read '05:02:57', then 58, then 59 and repeating. "Doctor Song, long time no see" the Doctor greeted coolly. River turned to face them and quirked an eyebrow. "Well, well, for Time Lords you're not very good at being on time. We've all been waiting" she scolded playfully, waving sheets of paper at them.
River stepped aside to reveal Madam Kovarian tied to a chair. "The death of time; the end of time. The end of us all. Oh, why couldn't you just die?" she asked sourly. Romana scowled at her. "Did my best, dear, I showed up" said the Doctor, walking over to Romana. "You just can't find good assassins these days. Love what you've done with the pyramids, by the way. How did you score all this?" he asked River, absently putting an arm around Romana's shoulders. "Hallucinogenic lipstick. Works wonders on President Kennedy. And Cleopatra was a real pushover" answered River.
"I always thought so" agreed the Doctor, before smiling at Romana. "You remember that trip?" he asked her. "I remember you falling out of the canoe into the Nile" she replied.
"Yes, but then you performed that daring rescue".
"No, I tried to help you and you pulled me into a crocodile infested river".
"But there weren't any crocodiles around, and besides, you look gorgeous when your hair's wet". Romana went a bit pink and smiled in spite of herself. Behind them, Madam Kovarian pulled a face. "Ugh, they're flirting. Do I have to watch this?" she complained. "I'd be grateful if I were you" the Corsair remarked, "you'd wish that was your only irritation if I were in charge round here". Kovarian just glowered at him. "Made a bit of a mistake, didn't you, Madam Kovarian?" said River, "if you're going to raise a weapon, make sure you know who you're aiming at".
The Doctor decided they'd wasted enough time on idle chit-chat. Unless it was Romana he was chatting with, then it wasn't idle, but anyway. "River, reality is fatally compromised. Tell me you understand that" he said firmly. She gave him an innocent look that fooled no one, and suggested, "Catch-up?"
"We don't have the time. Nobody has the time, because as long I'm alive, time is dying. Because of you, River" the Doctor snapped, but River was unfazed. "I don't want to kill a friend" she insisted, and he smiled. "Oh, I'm a friend to you, am I? Oh, that's sweet of you. Isn't that sweet. Come here, you"; he walked towards River, but Amy called out "Get him!" and two shoulders seized the Doctor, holding his arms. "I'm not a fool, sweetie. I know what happens if we touch" River informed him.
Romana frowned slightly. "I think he's my sweetie" she pointed out; she knew she didn't have any reason to be jealous of River, but… River smiled and laughed slightly. "I know; that's why I call him that. I just like to annoy him- ah!" she cried in alarm, as the Doctor took advantage of her distraction to lunge and grab her wrist. "Get off me. Get him off me! Doctor, no, please, let go!" she cried, struggling. Melody began to cry. "Melody, shush" Amy tried to sooth her; she was starting to regret bringing the baby here. The Corsair stepped over quickly and pressed a finger to his lips. "Shh" he said, and Melody quieted.
"It's moving" one of the scientists said in disbelief, "time's moving!" Romana's hearts leapt to her throat, making it hard to breathe as she watched the Doctor grip River's wrist tightly. "Get him off me!" she cried again. "I'm sorry, River, it's the only way" he apologised, glancing over at Romana, meaning the apology for her as well. The Time Lords sensed time moving forward, events falling back into their rightful places; for a few brief moments, they were back on the TARDIS, watching on the monitor as the Doctor stood before the astronaut at the lakeside.
Then the soldiers finally pulled the Doctor back, and Romana tried not to feel grateful for that. "Cuff him" River ordered breathlessly, and he sighed. "Oh, why do you always have handcuffs? It's the only way, River" he insisted, "We're the opposite poles of the disruption. If we touch, we short out the differential. Time can begin again".
"And I'll be by a lakeside killing you".
"And time won't fall apart. The clocks will tick. Reality will continue. There isn't another way" the Doctor maintained. River stared at him for a long moment. "I never said there was" she replied finally. In the tank lined corridors, one of the imprisoned Silents suddenly pressed their hand to the glass of their tank. The glass began to crack beneath its finger tips. Rory walked down some steps into a lower level, and began checking the seals on the tanks down there. He noticed water dripping from the ceiling above him.
/
"River, please" Flavia implored her, "none of us want the Doctor to die, but it's the only way to stop reality from disintegrating" she said firmly. "Well, you're not the one who's supposed to kill him" River pointed out, and the Doctor groaned in frustration. "River, stop being stubborn, what part of 'it's the only way' do you not get?" he demanded. "I would have thought you'd be more grateful" she replied instead. The Corsair tried to get through to her. "River, listen to me. We don't blame you. If that's what this is about, none of us are going to blame you for killing the Doctor" he promised.
"I know. I suppose you're going to tell me the same thing as them?" River guessed, looking at Romana, who was twining the ends of her grey scarf around her hands. "No" she replied quietly, "I don't want him to die". Amy felt a drop of water fall on her head and frowned, puzzled. "None of us do, but we have no choice" Flavia pointed out sadly. "She's right, and you know it, River" the Doctor insisted. "Doctor, what's that?" asked Amy, looking up at the ceiling. Water was dripping down. One of the Silents near Rory pressed its hand to the glass of its tank, which began to crack. Another crept towards him…
"Err, Scottie? How many Silence do you have trapped in this place?" asked the Corsair. "None" Kovarian smirked, and all eyes turned to her. "They're not trapped. They never have been. They've been waiting for this, Doctor. For you" she sneered, just before Rory burst into the room. "They're out! All of them!" he warned, as cries of agony filled the air from the tunnels outside. The soldiers were shooting desperately at the Silence, who simply struck them down with electricity without a second thought.
Rory barred the doors. "No one gets in here!" Rory ordered, before looking at Amy. "Ma'am, my men out there should be able to lock this down. We have them outnumbered" he assured her, aiming his gun at the door as the soldiers on either side of him did the same. "And you're wearing eye drives based on mine, I think. Whoops" she smirked. "What do you mean?" the Doctor demanded. The scientist, Kent, who had been talking to River screamed suddenly as electricity crackled through her eye drive. "Help her, help her!" the Doctor jolted Amy into action, and she rushed to Kent's side.
The soldiers, both inside the chamber and out, yelled in pain as their eye drives were electrified as well. "She's dead" Amy realised, and unconsciously hugged Melody closer to her. Suddenly Romana was hit by fiery pain, emanating from her eye drive, and screamed. "Romana!" the Doctor cried, "Eye drives off, now!" He prised Romana's off of her and flung it aside, just before he and Amy were targeted.
As River and Romana rushed to help them, Kovarian said "The Silence would never allow an advantage without taking one themselves. The effects will vary from person to person - either death, or debilitating agony. But they will take you all, one by one" she laughed…then her eye drive began to spark. "What are you doing? No, it's me. Don't be stupid. You need me. Stop it. Stop that!" she cried. The Doctor rounded on River. "We could stop this right now, you and I" he reminded her. "Get it off me!" Kovarian cried, but everyone ignored her. "Amy, tell her" the Doctor instructed.
Rather than try to dissuade River, Amy turned to the Doctor and explained "We've been working on something. Just let us show you" she begged. "There's no point. There's nothing you can do. My time is up" the Doctor insisted, and Amy snapped at him, "We're doing this for you!"
"Then people are dying for me. I won't thank you for that, Amelia Pond!" the Doctor retorted angrily; then he felt Romana's hand on his shoulder and his ire melted. "Doctor, we should at least let them show us" she persuaded him. River nodded emphatically, as did Amy. "Please, Doctor. Captain Williams, how long do we have?" she asked Rory, who was still aiming his gun at the door. "Err, a couple of minutes" he replied.
River gave a decisive nod. "That's enough. We're going to the Receptor Room right at the top of the pyramid. I hope you're ready for a climb" she told the Time Lords, leading the way out of the room. Amy made to follow them, when Rory said "I'll wait down here, Ma'am. Buy you as much time as I can". She paused and reminded him, "You'll have to take your eye drive off". He readjusted his weapon and replied "Can't do that ma'am. Might forget what's coming".
"But it could activate any second"
"It has activated, ma'am" Rory admitted, his fist tightly clenched and trembling, "But I'm of no use to you if I can't remember. You have to go now, Ma'am!" Melody began to cry again, and Amy nodded, her throat dry. "Yes…Yes, thank you, Captain Williams" she nodded. Then she left, trying to comfort Melody. "Shh, baby, shh" she whispered, but Melody wriggled and wailed and cried – "Dada!"
Amy froze.
Rory struggled to keep his gun steady even as the electricity coursed through him, watching as door was rammed against again and again. Just as the heavy wooden beam finally split apart, and the doors were thrown open, the pain became too much to bear. He screamed and gripped his head, falling to his knees as three Silents entered the room. Rory Williams, the man who dies and dies again" the lead Silent mocked, raising its hand to kill Rory, "Die one last time and know she will never come back for you".
Machine gun fire filled the air as Amy, glaring fiercely at the Silence, shot them down. Rory screamed, and she quickly went over to him. "Come on, you. Up you get. You all right?" she asked as she helped him to his feet and pulled his eye drive off. Rory just stared at her, and realised something was missing – or rather someone. "Where's Melody?" he asked. "She's safe, come on" said Amy. As they made to leave, Kovarian weakly called out, "Amy, help me".
Amy paused, and went over to Kovarian. Her eye drive was hanging off, and she looked afraid. "You took my baby, and you hurt her. Now I have Melody and River is all grown up, but I will never see the baby I gave birth to again, thanks to you" she told the woman. "But you'll still save me, though. Because he would, and you'd never do anything to disappoint your precious Doctor" Kovarian pointed out. Amy's eyes narrowed. "Ma'am, we have to go, now" Rory reminded her.
"The Doctor is very precious to me, you're right. But do you know what else he is, Madame Kovarian? Not here" Amy pressed the eye drive back onto the shocked Kovarian's face. "River Song didn't get it all from you, sweetie" she said darkly, before walking away without a backwards glance. She scooped Melody up from her hiding place and walked down the corridor with Rory. "So, you and me, we should get a drink sometime".
"Okay"
"And married"
"Fine"