Surprise!
Thought I'd give you all the next chapter as a nice surprise for being so awesome. So, things are going to get possibly very confusing with this chapter. If anyone does not understand things because I messed up in conveying it all, please don't hesitate to send me questions through PM or a review. I'm always happy to answer any and all questions. :)
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Chapter 50: A Wanderer's Creation
"Slow down, would you?" Ember called out to the rushing group, trying to keep up.
The Doctor led the way with River, Amy, and Rory swiftly walking after him. They mostly were just following the Time Lord, uncertain on what he was going to do next. The moment they had realized where they were and what this world was, the Doctor stormed out of Magpie's shop in a rush. Leaving the others confused by his sudden departure for a moment before the companions and current tour guide went after him.
"How can this be real? How can any of this be real?" the Doctor began ranting quickly, stopping in the middle of the street as he took in the sights around him. The mixture of the architect in buildings, all from different time periods of Earth. The countless of faces from his life, even those whom he had not really known all that well. The technology, all jumbled together as he saw either electronic devices from the far future or the far past. Even a few androids were seen walking around, doing daily activities. All of this . . .
"All of this is impossible," he breathed.
"Yet it's here," Ember said as she walked up beside him, staring at him carefully as if worried he might break down or something.
"How?" the Doctor asked her. "How are you all . . . alive? How does this place exist? All this time of Wanda talking about her world, I always assumed that—."
"That she made it up?" Ember responded, eyeing him sternly.
"That she dreamt it up," clarified the Doctor evenly. "I thought maybe it might have been a dream she created when going through her past . . . A way to cope with everything. I never believed that this place would have ever existed."
Ember sighed, gazing around with him. "She did dream it up in a way. Her dreams made it real. Made us real."
"I don't get it, though," Amy spoke up, stepping up to Ember. "I get that it's real. But if Wanda lived here, wouldn't she have remembered people here being the same as people from our universe?"
"I did say she dreamt it up," Ember replied, shifting on her feet as it began to become uncomfortable for her to answer so many guarded questions. "I . . . don't know how to explain it. Shelly would, though. She'd know what to tell you."
"You said that name earlier. Shelly," the Doctor said suddenly, snapping his fingers as he pointed at the Soufflé girl. He was about to speak, opening his mouth wide, then his face slowly fell as the name rang sharply in his head. He stared at Ember, who appeared cautious of him now, eyes widening in awe as he swallowed thickly. When he spoke this time, it was in a breathless whisper. "Shelly . . . She's here?"
"Yeah. She's here," Ember replied softly, understanding why he was stunned with a sad demeanour crossing over him.
"Shelly? Wasn't that Wanda's good friend from this world?" voiced Rory, staring at the Doctor in confusion as to why the Time Lord appeared so taken back by the mentioning of that name.
"Yeah," Ember answered him. "Shelly is the one in charge of . . . well, of everything, basically."
"Take me to her," ordered the Doctor, his voice low in tone. "Take me to her now." Ember let out an aggravated sigh, rolling her eyes as she walked around the Time Lord, heading down the street.
"I was doing that in the first place, you know," she retorted in frustration. "And stop bossing me around."
"He'll never stop. Trust me," River responded, keeping up more with Ember than the others were as they all followed along the young woman. River smiled and winked at Ember knowingly. Ember could not help but snicker under her breath.
"It's weird how much you're like Tina," Ember commented lightly. Then, she frowned in puzzlement. "Or is it Tina is like you? I'm not sure which is which."
"Tina? Wanda's sister?" River asked, glancing back to see the arched brows of the Doctor as he stared back at her. "Are you saying that I'm—."
"Replicated here, too, yes," answered Ember, beaming as she seemed to get a sudden idea. "Would you like to meet her?"
"Oh, I'd love to," River responded happily.
"No, no, no, no," the Doctor spoke rapidly, pushing his way between the two and glaring at them both. "We don't have time for mingling. We need to find Wanda."
"Relax. She's perfectly safe and sound. She's asleep at the moment, actually," Ember explained, patting the grumpy Time Lord on the shoulder lightly in reassurance.
"And how do you know that?" retorted the Doctor crossly.
"Because . . . it isn't raining," Ember replied quietly, her face falling as she stared up at the bright blue sky overhead. The others glanced up with her, their brows furrowing as they were puzzled by this statement.
"Hang on, I remember Wanda mentioning something about rain once," Amy brought up in thought as she recalled a moment with Second Wanda so long ago. "She said how it never rained in her world."
"It used to never rain," Ember explained solemnly as she kept her eyes on the sky, waiting for the white clouds to turn gray. "The sky she created was to give us cleaner air than what the world had before, and to give us a night and day cycle. There was never a need for rain since the world already had an eternal supply of water flowing underground in the town and in streams out in the fields. But now . . ."
They all looked up when the sunlight began to dim. The white clouds began to swirl in mass, changing into a dark gray as all of the rich blue was covered, leaving the day hazy in sunlight. A drop fell. Then another. Soon, there was a light shower sprinkling all around them. The Doctor, River, Rory, and Amy, did not think much of the rain itself, as it was merely (for the most part) typical rain. It was, however, how the people of the world reacted as the rain fell. All at once, everything halted. The people who were walking down the walkways came to an abrupt stop in their steps. The few cars that had been driving around slowed down and stood still in the middle of the roads. Others who had been in buildings slowly walked out of their homes or shops. Even more from the tall apartment buildings or skyscrapers opened windows and stuck their heads out. Every single one of the citizens of this strange world dropped everything they had been doing to stare up sadly towards the tearful skies over them. As though all were in mourning of some kind. Then, a second later, all continued on as though they had never stopped in the first place. Though, each one of them kept the same sad expression on.
"She's awake," Ember murmured sadly. The group beside the young woman glanced at each other warily, concerned by what they had just witnessed.
"Who's awake?" River decided to ask. "Is it Wanda?"
"Yeah," Ember mumbled, starting to walk forward once more, having them continue along with her. The rain went right on around them, with water trailing down their cheeks, wetting their clothes. "Whenever she wakes up, she cries. And when the Wanderer cries, Alpha makes it rain. It helps ease both of their pain, I think."
"Wanda's in pain?" the Doctor asked quickly, worried for his wife.
"I meant mentally, more than anything. We would never let her lie around in physical pain. Doctor Jones patched her a while back with a large batch of nanogenes when she first got here. So she's perfectly healed . . . physically," Ember told them.
"And mentally?" questioned the Doctor in suspicion. The woman did not answer him, remaining quiet. "You said 'a while back.' How long has Wanda been here?"
"Two months . . . so far," Ember replied quietly. "She stayed asleep for the first month. More like kept asleep by Alpha, really. But now, she keeps waking up regularly. Alpha puts her back to sleep shortly after each time, but I think it's getting harder for either of them to cope." The rain around them abruptly stopped, making them all look up to the sky, seeing how the clouds cleared, turning white once more and allowing the blue sky to appear. "She's asleep again. That's good."
"How is she being forced to sleep a good thing?" River questioned, outraged at the idea of Wanda constantly being put to sleep by some unknown person.
"What gives this Alpha person the right to do that?" retorted Amy, give as irked as the others as she crossed her arms strictly. The only ones who were not angered by this news were Rory and, surprisingly, the Doctor. Each male understood how beneficial sleep could be for those who needed healing. But, for the Doctor, in knowing that his wife needed such sleep, it only made his hearts twist in the fact that he was not by her side, helping her to heal from whatever pain she was going through.
"It's the only thing we can do," Ember defended, narrowing her eyes in annoyance at the two woman. "What would you do if one of your best friends or loved ones went through something like that, huh? Would you let them stay awake in misery?"
"'We.' You keep saying that. 'We.' Who is 'we'?" the Doctor asked the young woman suddenly.
"She means us."
The group suddenly stopped short in the walkway when they heard a female voice speak up. A very familiar voice. None in the group had realized that they were getting closer towards the edge of the town. There were no longer any large, massive buildings. Or even large apartments. Now it was mostly only a few small shops and many homes with yards scattered around. Farther ahead down the way, they could see the smooth dirt road continuing onwards like before, with a few more houses down the way and many more fields of either apple or green grass. Next to them, they saw a doctor's office and a café placed together beside the street. The café had tables on the outside, with many people enjoying lunch together under umbrellas. Sitting at one of the tables outside of the café was a group of people sipping drinks together.
"All of us," continued the one woman who spoke up from the group. Tina, the replicate of River Song in the pocket universe, smirked lightly at the group standing across from the café. She sat there, wearing a black evening dress and matching pair of black high heels, looking her best in a very sexy manner, and having the very same physical features as River currently standing beside Amy. Beside her sat the double of Captain Jack Harkness, who wore something similar to what the Doctor remembered Jack from his universe having on. The old World War II outfit and military overcoat. Across the table from those two sat the pocket universe's Martha Jones in her white doctor coat, this world's Sarah Jane Smith in a 1970's outfit, and the double of Donna Noble, who had a very odd choice of clothing, with fingerless gloves, long, purple scarfs around her neck, a bright blue overcoat, multi-coloured shirt, bellbottom pants that were yellow, and a pair of goggles on her head as a hair band.
"Hmm, that's a good cup of cocoa there, Astrid," the Jack double commented after sipping his drink, smiling at the waitress who came over to the table. The Doctor recognized the waitress to be Astrid from the spaceship Titanic. She even wore the same waitress outfit as from the Astrid from his universe.
"I do my best," replied Astrid. The waitress smiled politely at those gawking across the street. "I can get you all a table if you'd like. I think this would be a nice spot to gather your thoughts before having to go help her."
"I'll get a table moved over for you all," responded Jack, standing up to go over to another empty round table, beginning to pull it over to be next to the other.
"Oh, no, let me, Jack!" spoke up this world's Donna in excitement, bouncing up from her seat. "I've been meaning to try out something." She pulled out a hand-held device that made many beeping and buzzing noises as she began fiddling with it. A multiple of colours lighting up on the device.
"Oh-no, not another experiment," groaned the Martha replicate.
"Oh, shush," responded Donna as she fiddled with her device. "I'm certain I've gotten the subatomic calibrated just right. No departicle escalation this time around." Aiming the buzzing device at the empty table and chairs, a wavy light beam shot at the objects. Then, once the light was down shining around the tables and chairs, she pointed the device next to the occupied table, making the same exact tables and chairs that she had scanned appear next to them. Perfectly aligned for the newcomers to sit.
"Lovely job, Doctor-Donna," Tina said in delight, clapping her hands lightly as Donna, or rather Doctor-Donna, gave them a silly bow.
"At least nothing exploded this time," teased the double of Sarah Jane, making Doctor-Donna roll her eyes. Jack came around the table, walking outside of the café section and over to the group still standing in the middle of the walkway. He smiled politely and held out his hand.
"Jack Harkness. It's nice to meet you all in person," he said to them, ready to make introductions.
"No flirting," the Doctor said, as though more of an automatic response whenever it came to being around the man. Jack raised a brow, frowning for a bit.
"I didn't think I was flirting," he responded, then smiled in understanding. "Oh, right. You're used to Captain Jack's mulitsexualism, right? Don't worry. I'm asexual myself, so not much flirting from me."
"Flirting is more of my specialty," came the flirtatious Tina as she slid right next to Jack, hanging up against him as she smiled coyly at the Doctor. "I have to say, you're much hotter in person." The Time Lord's face heated up as he made a face of disgust.
"Oh, please, not in front of me," groaned River, shaking her head at her counterpart. Tina merely winked, grinning cheekily. Jack cleared his throat awkwardly, stepping forward to shake the newcomers' hands strongly.
"Don't mind her. She flirts when she's worried. It's a good distraction for her," Jack told them as he shook hands. He stepped back, nodding to the table. "Please, we'd really like if you'd join us." The companions all looked to the Doctor for a response, seeing what he wanted to do. Letting out a long breath, the Time Lord seemed to accept the invitation.
"Why not. I have some questions, anyway," he stated, walking over to join the strange group of familiar faces. Plopping down in a seat next closest to Martha, he stared around at the people, folding his hands together as he observed the scene. River sat down across from him with Amy sitting next to her. Rory went to sit next to his wife, but the moment he sat down, the chair under him disappeared in a sparkling light. He fell in a yell, pulling himself up with the table in front of him as he stared at where his chair had been in disbelief. Doctor-Donna hummed thoughtfully as she looked down at her device in hand.
"Interesting. I think I need to adjust how much matter is needed for stabilization," mumbled the ginger woman as she sat down in her seat, fiddling with her device. Disgruntled that his chair had vanished on him, Rory moved over and grabbed another empty chair, sitting down without much more incident.
"Your name is Doctor-Donna?" the Doctor asked curiously once they had all settled at the table.
"Yes, it certainly seems like it," Doctor-Donna spoke up in delight, beaming away at the Time Lord. "I find that I am quite possibly a recreated image of the moment Donna Noble became part Time Lord within the Meta-Crisis state. Though, thankfully, it seems my mind is stable enough to handle such a Time Lord-like mind. No burning up just yet. Though it would be fascinating to see what sort of side effects I would go through in such an event. I'd have to take notes on that." The ginger woman pulled out a notepad and pen from her coat pocket, beginning to write down her thoughts in excitement.
"Only you would ever find it fun to watch your own mind burn," laughed Sarah Jane. The woman turned to the Doctor, holding out her hand kindly. "I'm Sarah Smith. Just 'Sarah Smith.' No 'Jane.' Didn't really think it suited me."
"Hello, Sarah," nodded the Doctor as he shook her hand. He looked at Martha Jones sitting next to him. "Did you change your name as well, or is it still Martha?"
"I just call myself Doctor Jones," replied the doctor who smiled lightly at the Time Lord. "Thought it would make things easier just to stick to a title." Nodding to the doctor, the Time Lord glanced over at Tina, who still smirked at him.
"And you're Tina, right?" he asked the woman.
"Correct," Tina replied smoothly, sitting back in her seat as she took a sip of her champagne. "And you're sexy-bow-tie-man. Glad we've gotten that covered." She winked at the Time Lord again, smirking when seeing him clearly uncomfortable by this.
"I'm Astrid, and I'll be your server today," the waitress spoke politely to the newcomers. "I'll just get each of you a nice cuppa for starters. Be back in a jiffy." She walked away, leaving them there to begin their discussion.
"Right, then, since you all know us already and we've gotten introductions out of the way," the Doctor began to speak rapidly, getting down to business, eyeing the strange group sharply, "do any of you care to explain all of this. I'm all ears." The pocket universe friends (expect for Doctor-Donna who was still writing notes) glanced at each other warily before addressing the Doctor fully.
"We can't really explain everything that you might want to know. But we can try our best," Jack explained to the Time Lord.
"As long as you hear us out, of course," Ember said, who was currently sitting down between Tina and Sarah.
"The first thing you must be wondering," Doctor-Donna spoke up quickly, beaming away at the Time Lord when she finally snapped her notepad shut, "is how do we get all of our supplies here. It would be the first thing that I would wonder. Well, it's simple enough to explain really. It's the same principle of what my device here does. I call it Jumbly Bits."
"'Jumbly Bits' is how you get your supplies?" Rory interrupted in question.
"No, silly, that's what I call my device," Doctor-Donna laughed, waving her device at him. "No, no, the way we get supplies, such as clothes, cars, electronics, even nanogenes, is with this replicating nanos. They are like nanogenes, only they replicate anything non-organic of our desire. As long as we still have an object for them to replicate, of course. And they can repair things as well. If a building gets too old, the little nano-builders get right to work on restoring it. So we never have to worry about construct failures. But this is all non-organics, of course. If we want food, that's something we have to work on our own. Which we do just nicely. Have whole crops and irrigation systems, thanks to yours truly. And there are a variety of fields with their own climates. We've got tropical, moderate, continental, and dry. All of which came preloaded with all crops that we needed. Though not meat, sadly. There weren't any animals created. But I did manage to invent a meat substitute that I think works just as good." Doctor-Donna beamed, looking very proud of herself for the fast explanation she gave and from what she had accomplished.
"Basically, she created tofu," Doctor Jones said with a snicker.
"I did not invent tofu. It is a meat substitute," countered Doctor-Donna with a pout, defending her creation.
"There really aren't any animals here?" River questioned curiously, leaning forward as she and the other two companions of the Doctor were interested in how the world around them functioned.
"But how does—?" Amy began to quiz the people in the table next to them.
"Yes, that's all fine and dandy," interrupted the Doctor, holding up a hand to stop the companions from asking any more questions, "but how is this going to help me figure out what is actually going on here and how to get my wife back?"
"You'll get her back. Trust us," Jack replied calmly, trying to ease the Time Lord who appeared ready to burst in his frustration of not having Wanda there already.
"Trust you? I don't even know you," retorted the Doctor, slamming his hand on the table.
"No, you don't," Ember replied evenly, sternly gazing back at the Time Lord. "But you can get to know us if you took a minute to try."
"And you have to understand, we truly are just as upset in Wanda's . . . troubles as you are," Tina stated curtly, tapping her fingers on the glass table as she too eyed the Doctor. "I can barely stand just sitting here, doing nothing. Do you know how much I've been trying to get into that damn room to see my sister but that stupid door won't even budge an inch! And Shelly won't do a bloody thing—!" Tina slammed her fist on the table, opening her mouth to begin yelling. However, she was stopped when Jack swiftly put his hand on her mouth.
"Tina . . . breath," he whispered gently. The woman closed her eyes for a second before letting out a long breath, seeming to relax. Nodding her head to show that she was all right, Jack looked at the Doctor and others. "We're all troubled by what's happened recently. All of us. Not just we few here."
"None of us are at peace in what's been happening," came the voice of Astrid beside the new table. The Doctor, River, Rory, and Amy all looked at the waitress, seeing how she held a tray of different drinks for them. She held a sad expression as she laid the drinks on the table. "We're all connected to her, in a way. When she feels pain and sadness, then we feel a bit as well. Like . . . a telepathic connection. That's why you saw us all in mourning a moment ago when it rained. We can't help it. It's just an instinct for us."
"Shelly explained it's because of how we were born," Ember began to explain. "The Wanderer . . . she needed friends. She needed love. She needed a family. And that's what we became."
"All of us were created for what she needed," Sarah added thoughtfully, shifting in her seat as she crossed her legs. "She dreamt of what she needed, what she wanted. In sort of a . . . lucid state. Wasn't really aware of anything back then."
"But Alpha was," Tina spoke up, calmer this time than she had been before. "Alpha was very much aware. And . . . over time . . . she wanted to make Wanda happy again. So, Alpha, without really meaning to, I believe, created the very first home of this world. Then, came the sky and the plants in their own climate. Then, there was the village in its unsystematic order. And lastly, came the people for this world. For Wanda."
"We don't really think Alpha had planned for it," Doctor Jones added in with her own take on the situation. "Her powers of creation are sort of . . . unpredictable. Even for her. She's more used to destroying than creating. But as she saw the opportunity, she took advantage of it. Used the cracks in the universe to take bits and pieces of what she needed in moments in time in your universe, of the people through your timeline, Doctor, and she put in what she calculated what Wanda would need to live a perfectly normal life here."
"Cracks in the universe?" River questioned, frowning for a moment before blinking in realization. "Do you mean when the TARDIS exploded?"
"Yep, that would be it," Ember replied, popping the 'p' in her word. She sat there with her chin resting in her hands, staring the group of newcomers from the other universe while tapping her toes lightly together under the table. "Don't get us wrong, even though we're copies like Gangers of people, we're not exact copies from your universe. As you've probably already noticed. We do have our own separate thoughts and feelings and all that."
"But you're forced to be 'connected' to Wanda, right?" Amy quizzed the other group. "Like . . . forced to be there for her? Is it kind of like forcing someone else into loving?"
"What? No!" Ember scoffed, glaring at that remark.
"They're more like implied thoughts. We don't have to feel that way if we don't want to," Doctor-Donna commented, smiling while she spoke. "They were basic imprints on us when we were first brought into existence. Basic facts in our heads on what we were in this world to her. Whether that be a friend, peer, guardian, teacher, doctor, neighbor, etc. Just something there to give us a head start on where we stood in this world. We don't necessarily have to follow in what's been put into our minds on how to feel about her. Some didn't at first because of anger or confusion on how they came to be. But, over time, in each of our own way, we grew fond of her, or came to love her like family."
"I see her as a valued customer, myself," Astrid gave an example, smiling kindly as she thought about all the times Wanda would bounce into the café, eager to try something made by the workers there. "Which I need to take care of a few more. Excuse me." She nodded to them, walking away to continue her work.
"But how did it work, being 'created'? What was it like for you all?" River asked, extremely curious at this point.
"Simple, really. Atom construction out of the matter subparticles which Alpha used of the surrounding environment of the old vegetation, add a few bits from the cracks, a few bits from the people she wanted to make, a pinch of Time Vortex, and there you have it," Doctor-Donna answered brightly. "Each one of us became conscious right in front of her. Wanda would be there, smiling at us, as though we had always been there by her side, and she would talk to us as though we had already been having a conversation. Which, in her state of mind during those years, we had been to her."
"Either we pretended to know what she was rambling about, or we just stood there dumbly," Doctor Jones included in her own take. She gave a lopsided smile. "I stood there just nodding on that day."
"Then, Shelly would be there shortly after. Explaining everything to us once Wanda had walked away," Jack finished explaining. "We sort of already knew, though, on what was happening and who we were. Of course, we all had some main memories of our counterparts in the other universe. But, other than that, we were basically clean slates."
"Was Shelly the first one created?" Amy asked curiously. She and the other two companions were leaning slightly forward on their seats, finding all of this fascinating. The only one who was not paying attention much was the Doctor as he merely stared at his fingers tapping on the glass table in front of him. He stiffened, however, upon the mention of Shelly. Glancing over, he saw the uncertain expressions on the other group's faces.
"Shelly's . . . a different case," Tina explained carefully.
"And what about this Alpha character? Ember said Shelly was in charge, but from the sounds of it, this Alpha person is the real one in control of this world," River remarked, crossing her arms as she had some suspicion as to who this 'Alpha' was.
"Now that I think about it, haven't we heard you and Wanda mentioning that name 'Alpha' before, Doctor?" questioned Rory, making it so he, Amy, and River looked at the Doctor in interest, finding how the Time Lord had a hard expression set on his face. The others within the group of universe counterparts glanced at each other warily before Jack cleared his throat.
"Ember, I think it's time you take them to the cottage," Jack instructed the young woman.
"Right," mumbled Ember as she stood up. "Come on, you lot." The Doctor shot up from his seat, swiftly leaving the table as he had already been eager to get moving again. River, Amy, and Rory stood up slowly, as though wary to leave without receiving more answers. Jack met them at the walkway as he shook each of the Doctor's companions' hands in goodbye. The man had tried shaking the Time Lord's hand as well, but the Doctor did not notice as he began walking off after Ember down the way.
"It really was nice meeting you all. And I say that for all of us," Jack said to the companions. "It's good to know that Wanda's in good hands. We all wish you luck on helping her."
"And who is it we're supposed to be helping? Is it Wanda?" River asked the man.
"Well, obviously her, too, yes," spoke up Tina who did not really look at them as she swirled her drink around absently. "Good luck with Alpha. Hope she actually listens to you."
"Or Alpha might just combust everything around her," Doctor-Donna commented thoughtfully, tapping her pen against her chin. "It would be interesting to study the outcome."
Soon, the three companions, Time Lord, and tour guide were off again. Walking at a steady pace down the smooth dirt road, heading out of the main town as now the only buildings they saw were for farming. There were countless patches of land made up of just as Doctor-Donna had said. In some spots, there were jungles to the left of the road, with many kinds of tropical fruits growing and thick humidity that the group could feel blowing at them in the wind. Then ahead of the jungles, still on the left, were wetlands with many vegetables grown in pools of water. To the right of the road, were fields of wheat, corn, potatoes, carrots, lettuce, etc. The world around them truly did have its own support for itself when it came to food.
"And we don't have to worry about if there's a fail in our crops. Doctor-Donna already came up with a storage facility for all kinds of different seeds. So if we ever run into trouble, at least we won't lose a chance to grow certain plants again," Ember spoke up as if answering a question that the group behind her had been thinking.
"This is all . . . rather amazing," River stated as she gazed around. "I would have never imagined a place like this could sustain itself."
"I have to agree," mumbled the Doctor as he too were impressed. In fact, if he weren't so tense and worried about his wife at the moment (possibly even his unborn child if it were the right Wanda) then he would have been more pleasant and praising everyone around this world. He would have even liked to have explored it and see just how the people of this world were able to function in such normal lives. Though, even in his anxious state, he still had a few more questions. "So, Ember, is everyone here people from my timeline? Not just those I've known personally, but even many who I might have bumped into at one point?"
"Yeah, pretty much," Ember shrugged in response.
"But I still don't get it. Is everything here created because of that show? Was the show here to begin with?" Rory brought up.
"No . . . the 'show' itself was merely . . . sort of . . . You see, she saw the timelines . . . and liked one . . .," Ember let out a sigh when unable to really get her explanation out properly. "You know what? I'll just let Shelly explain it."
"You all seem very happy to just let Shelly do all the explanations," the Doctor muttered, staring carefully at Ember as he walked beside her now. Seeing how she refused to meet his eye, he felt as though something was not quite right with the person the people kept mentioning. "Ember, who is Shelly supposed to be in this world?" Instead of answering him, Ember stopped abruptly, making them all halt in the middle of the road. She looked at them, smiling as she backed up a bit.
"And this is where we make our separate ways. I was only supposed to walk with you to a certain spot, and we've just reached it," she explained to them. She pointed up to the inclined hill in front of them. A small cottage could be at the very top of the rounded hill. "When you get to the top, it'll actually make the town look like it's in a valley. It's really pretty, once you see it at night."
"What's in the cottage?" Amy asked.
"Not 'what.' 'Who,'" Ember replied, backing up away from them even more now. "You'll see soon enough. Just . . . be careful, all right?" She went to turn around but was stopped by the Doctor's next question.
"Ember . . . I just have one more thing in mind," he said, needing to know something important from her.
Ember turned back, smiling softly. "You're wondering why I have the same name as what you were going to name your daughter?"
The Doctor nodded. "Yes."
The young woman shrugged lightly. "I don't know why I choose the name. It just felt . . . right. Like I was meant to have it. But then again, anyone here will tell you the same on what names they choose or kept. And . . ." Ember stared down at the ground in thought before gazing back steadily at the Time Lord. "And I thought it might make her happy when this day came." She smiled grimly, sadness in her brown irises as she stared back at them. "Goodbye. As Jack said, it really was nice meeting you. I just wish I could have met Wanda, too."
"Didn't you know her like the others did?" River asked the woman, confused as she assumed every person in this world interacted with Wanda at some point.
"No, I was different than the rest when showing up here. Shelly actually found me in the woods not too far from here. Just popped out of nowhere. I don't even think I was supposed to be created, actually," Ember explained. She paused for a moment, humming in thought. "I always wanted to meet her, though. Being born like the way we are, we're kind of like kids in our first years. And seeing her, being all brave and adventurous on the telly . . .," Ember blushed and grinned lightly, "you could say I became a huge fan of her. She was my role model in a way." The woman laughed lightly, shaking her head. "Anyway, goodbye for now. I hope we might meet again someday."
Waving in farewell, the young woman turned and finally left them. It was a few minutes of simply standing there quietly, watching the woman depart from them, before anyone made a move in the group. The Doctor turned first, walking at a steady pace up the hill towards their destination. River caught up beside him. Then Amy and Rory next on the other side of the Time Lord. The crunching of dirt under their shoes was the only sound made for a bit before Amy finally broke the silence.
"So, in this world: River is Tina, Wanda's 'sister,'" Amy stated, still trying to wrap her head around the entire, bizarre situation.
"And everyone else is a certain 'character,' or has a certain position here, too," Rory remarked, as though agreeing with his wife in just how mental the whole day felt to them. Amy grinned lightly in humour, bumping her elbow against her husband.
"Makes you wonder who we are here," she joked. None gave her a smile back, seeming too focused on whatever they might have to face next. Frowning a bit, Amy turned her gaze to the Time Lord next to her. "What about you, Doctor? Who do you think you are in this world?" Not answering his companion for a second, there was only a brief contemplation made by the Doctor as he gazed around the grassy surroundings.
"I don't think another me is walking around in this world," he finally answered. "Time Lords . . . aren't necessarily welcomed by Alpha." River blinked upon hearing this, her brows furrowed as she looked at the Doctor.
"What makes you say that?" she asked him. "Wasn't that one man a face of your past?"
"Yes, during my time as a human," explained the Doctor, nodding to her. "He would be an acceptation to the non-Time Lord policy, I think."
"Then why does 'Alpha' not like Time Lords?" Rory questioned, confused as to why that would be. Again, the Doctor did not answer right away, staring hard at the cottage that they were slowly getting closer to.
"If my thoughts are correct, I think you'll see for yourselves soon enough," replied the Doctor lowly, his voice on edge of what they might come face to face within a moment. He was beginning to prepare for the worst. Bracing himself of things to turn gruesome or barren. But still, the day was sunny, slowly turning into evening with the sun lowering, and no sign of anything villainous around them. The companions sort of glanced at each other without the Doctor noticing, their brows raised in suspicion once more.
"Doctor, are you going to tell us who Alpha is?" River began questioning the Time Lord, strict in what answers she wanted to receive. "What are they to Wanda?" Once more, there was a long moment of silence from the Doctor as he appeared very much hesitant to tell them anything.
"There are . . . a few things that I might not have told you about Wanda," he said low in his breath. He glanced up, seeing how they were only yards away from the cottage now. "As I said, I believe we'll soon see just for yourselves on Alpha's presence."
The many patches of a variety of flowers could be seen scattered around the small home. The cottage itself appeared very old, yet new at the same time. Most of the structure was made out of a white-gray stone, with a dark gray, curved roof, and brick chimney on the side. Glancing behind him, the town appeared small in comparison from where they stood with the village's lights twinkling like stars.
"Doctor . . . I've been wondering, who are Wanda's parents?" Amy spoke up as they drew even closer to the cottage. "She talked about them all the time. Who could they be in this world?"
"I think you know the answer already, Amy," the Doctor said carefully as they saw a person crouched down in the front garden of the home. A woman, with her back turned to them, wearing a large sun hat and denim dungarees with long flowing red hair, was working in the garden, messing around with a row of sunflowers. The group came to a stop just a ways from the woman. River and Rory blinked in both shock and curiosity as they recognized the figure from behind. Amy's mouth slowly fell open as the woman stood and turned to them. Only the Doctor had not been fazed by the sight of the woman before them.
"Hello, there!" greeted the pocket universe's Amy. She smiled kindly at the group standing before her, with lines crinkling under her eyes in a kind aged face. The woman did not seem all that old compared to Amy in the group. Only by a few years or so in age. But still, the two women were identical.
"Are they here?" came the voice of Rory from the cottage. The door opened, revealing this world's Rory Williams. Just as the other Amy appeared, this Rory was a few years older from his counterpart. The man wore a plaid shirt, denim trousers, and had a bit of longer hair than Rory himself. The other Rory and Amy stood beside each other, facing the group with sad smiles on their faces.
"Hey," the other Rory nodded in greeting. "I'm Rory. But you probably already knew that."
"And I'm Amelia," introduced the other Amy, nodding her head politely. "Come on inside. We've already made some drinks for you." The couple turned together, going inside the cottage, leaving behind the group. Amy, completely dumbfounded, slowly shook her head as she looked at the Doctor for answers.
"Doctor?" she said as if hoping he would be just as confused as she felt. "Did . . . Did Wanda make copies of us as her parents?"
"What did Wanda always say? 'Best parents in the universe'? Who else would she ever pick as her guardians?" replied the Doctor steadily. He walked into the home with River right behind him. Only Amy and Rory hesitated before eventually giving in to following after the other two. Inside the cottage, the first room they walked into was a small kitchen. Everything had a wooden surface of some kind, from the counters to the dining table to the cabinets. The cabinets had a light-blue colour to them. There were light-brown wooden carvings hanging around as decorations. Many of which either were designed in butterflies or flowers. The table had dark coloured wood and chairs that matched. The stove and kitchen utensils had an old, fashioned appearance. Even the cups Amelia poured warm tea into looked to be from the 1940s.
"Go ahead take a seat," the other Rory said to the group, nodding his head to the table while he grabbed a plate of biscuits. After glancing at each other, the time travelling group sat down at the table, watching as the couple from the pocket universe gave them all a biscuit and cup of tea.
"We know you didn't really drink Astrid's tea at the café, so we decided to give you a chance to have another cuppa," Amelia told them all kindly. She and her husband sat down across from the group at the end of the table, staring at them with sad, tired eyes. "We're very glad you're finally here."
"We didn't know if we could take much more of her not getting the help she needed," the other Rory added in. The Doctor noticed how the couple held onto each other's hands in a tight grasp, appearing very much uneasy and fretful.
"You knew we were coming and that we didn't drink our tea earlier?" the Doctor questioned carefully, raising a brow at the couple.
"We all knew this day was coming," Amelia explained.
"And what was going to happen in certain moments," added the other Rory.
"We've all watched it a hundred times on the telly," finished Amelia. The faces of the couple fell, turning solemn. "It was always painful to watch."
"So you all have seen ahead into Wanda's timeline?" River asked, curious as to what this world's people knew about Wanda's future.
"Of course," Amelia responded. "It's just as we've seen the Doctor's timeline in the Classic Episodes."
"Have you seen everything?" the Doctor questioned them carefully as his mind began to wonder if he could look into this 'show.' Maybe . . . maybe it might show him something he could use for future . . . points in time. He watched as Amelia and other Rory's faces fell even more, gazing down at the table.
"Up until a certain point. Then . . . it just ends," Amelia whispered.
"Though Shelly does think it might start up again soon in another season. In another story," the other Rory pointed out, nodding as though having some hope of seeing such continuation of the show.
"And I'm assuming you both won't tell me what is supposed to happen today or what happened to Wanda?" the Doctor asked, receiving a sad shake of the head from the couple down the table. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he sat there gripping his hands harshly together, glaring at the table in frustration. River, glancing at him, knew how he was feeling in only wanting to get to Wanda. At the same time, however, she felt like he was missing out on a huge opportunity in getting to know everything about this world. So, she took this moment to continue on in asking questions that she knew they were all wondering.
"We . . . have some questions for you both," River started, glancing at Amy and Rory who also seemed to also want some answers.
"Of course," Amelia replied, nodding kindly. "We wouldn't have expected otherwise."
"We'll answer all you want to know," the other Rory added. "Well, all that doesn't involve spoilers." Before River could move onto the questions she wanted to ask, Amy blurted out a quick response.
"Why, out of everyone Wanda could have chosen from, are we, meaning you two, Wanda's parents?" Amy asked, staring the two people down the table up and down skeptically. It was still hard for her to wrap her mind around Wanda wanting her and Rory to be parents for her. Sure . . . they may have acted like adult figures for the Time Lady in her younger years. But . . .
"Aren't you and Rory already somewhat parents to Wanda?" Amelia responded, raising a brow at her counterpart.
"Of course not . . .," Rory countered, pausing when he felt uncertain about this, turning to his wife, "Right?"
"No," scoffed Amy, shaking her head. "Wanda . . . she's . . . she's just a friend."
"It may not have been the same in you two being motherly and fatherly figures to Wanda as you were to River as she grew up," spoke up other Rory. He waved a hand towards River, indicating back to the time when she was merely Melody to Amy and Rory during all those years growing up. "But you were parents to Wanda . . . in a way."
"We understand you both feeling confused and conflicted in thinking about that," added Amelia, smiling in understanding at Amy and Rory. "We were, and still are sometimes, not really sure on the whole 'be parents for Wanda' job that we've been given. In the very beginning of this world, we were actually the very first to be 'created.' Neither of us was certain on how to be parents for her, or even if we should at all. We weren't even sure who we were. We weren't exact copies of you two. Sure, we had your memories of your two's relationship and abilities, but it doesn't mean we still instantly felt those same connections."
"It took us a while to finally grow in love ourselves," other Rory explained. "In love with each other, and to learn to love Wanda as our own child. Because, really, in those first few decades—."
"Decades?" River asked suddenly, shocked by this statement.
"Oh, right, no one's explained that," other Rory said, shifting in his seat. "Ah, Wanda lived here for ninety-five years before she sort of wandered away. Time here runs about the same as Earth time, too. So we keep up with Earth calendars and all that." The companions were stunned by this information, shocked to see the other Amy and Rory in front of them to not appear to be the age they were supposed to look like. The Doctor, on the other hand, was not all fazed by this news.
"So you don't age as normally as normal humans," the Doctor more or less concluded in thought.
"More like we didn't age at all during those ninety-five years," Amelia explained. "Shelly thinks Alpha might have been influencing how time affected us during the beginning. We were all stuck in the same age when we were born, and we couldn't really get sick, or die, or have children. Anything normal, really. Though, the moment Wanda left, about six years ago, that's when we finally started to age and when time sort of started for us all." Amelia smiled, pointing at a few light grey strands of ginger hair on her head. "Look. I've even gotten gray hairs recently."
"And my back has been killing me lately," other Rory laughed. Amy and Rory across the table looked at each other with raised brows, bewildered in how their counterparts could seem so excited about growing old. Then again, it might be a bit understandable from being stuck in the same age for decades. Other Rory continued onwards from his earlier explanation after clearing his throat. "So, in those first few decades, our roles were sort of seen as something we just had to do. Not something we really wanted to do. Wanda in those first years . . . she was so broken. Not only in body and spirit but her mind as well. From her memories being erased, she had to learn everything again."
"She was like a child," Amelia finished for her husband. "She didn't know how to read, or talk, or really walk, or anything. And she was so terrified of everything, too. God knows how often she would end up hitting us if we tried to touch her, or how often she would have night terrors every day, screaming every hour whenever she'd have a relapse. Neither one of us knew how to take care of her in such a state. But . . . over time, we just grew into the roles. The more she healed, the more we came to love her."
"She's our child. No matter how it seems. No matter how it started, or how messed up the whole situation might be. She's our daughter. Just like Tina is, too," affirmed other Rory. Then, as he held a firm gaze with Amy and Rory across the table, both the man and woman from the pocket universe grew soft smiles. "And we are very grateful for what you both have done for Wanda."
"Us? What did we do?" Rory questioned skeptically.
"We helped Wanda grow up," said Amelia.
"We gave her the childhood she never had," added other Rory.
Amelia smiled as she continued on, "But you two . . . you helped her grow into adulthood. You both played a part in who she is today." The mother turned to Amy. "Amy, remember that time, not too long ago, when Wanda was sick in the morning while pregnant. You were the one holding back her hair for her from the toilet, then afterward you made her warm tea and gave her some biscuits, telling Wanda stories of all those times you remembered your own mother doing that for you when you were little."
Other Rory turned to his counterpart, stating, "And, Rory, when Second and Third Wanda were both confused on how romance could work, or even wanted to know more about being an adult, you gave her all those books for her to learn from. Heck, you even read through most with her, explaining things to her like a nurse would. Like a dad would."
"You both have done even more than that for her. Things that any parent would for their child."
"And we thank you, really thank you, for being there for her as parents when we couldn't."
Amy and Rory were stunned, to say the least. They glanced at each other, seeming to silently think about what they had done for Wanda, and what she had done for them, over the many years they spent with the Time Lady. Rory cleared his throat as he and Amy looked back at the soft smiling couple, replying, "You're welcome . . . I think. So, ah," there was a pause as Rory tried thinking of something else to say, "when you say you're not exactly the same as us, what do you mean?"
"Well, you've seen for yourself how people of this world can be a bit different. For us, we think there might have been a few . . . traits from Wanda's original parents," Amelia answered. "Even though she doesn't remember them, we think the few memories that she does have were sort of placed into us. Like, I'm really good at gardening."
"And I'm good at woodworking," other Rory said, smiling as he lifted his hand and wiggling his fingers. "I'm good with my hands, something that I think is a trait passed down from you, Rory, in being a nurse and all that. Though, I'm completely terrified of blood, so nursing wasn't an option for me."
"And what is Tina like? What does she do?" River asked the couple curiously. "I remember Wanda saying she went on adventures. That can't have happened here in this world."
"No, she stays with us and works in town with Jack. It was just another illusion of this world to Wanda," Amelia answered, gazing solemnly down at the table. "It was hard for Tina, for every time she came home from work Wanda would believe as though they hadn't seen each other in months. Tina kept having to come up with new stories to tell her to keep her from having a relapse from realizing the truth." River nodded with a hum. Then, she glanced over at the Doctor with a frown, realizing that, from someone who normally would be asking so many questions and demanding answers, he was being awfully quiet. He merely sat there, leaning back in his seat with his fingers folded in thought as he stared at nothing in particular.
"Don't you have anything to ask them?" River questioned the Doctor sternly. He shot a glance at her, then looked away, giving her a small grunt. Amelia smiled, leaning over to pat the Time Lord's arm kindly.
"He already knows most all of this. Right, Doctor?" the woman said to him. Feeling the companions glancing at him with demanding looks, the Doctor glanced at them then sighed heavily.
"In the past, Wanda explained most of what she had dreamt up. The world she had imagined for herself to forget of what had happened in her past," he whispered, voice somber as he stared at the table in front of him. Then he straightened in his seat, turning to the two adoptive parents of Wanda. "But I didn't realize when she spoke of her dreams that they would be real. I never imagined there be real people or a place of her wishes. Never would have imagined that I find myself here, either. Or what faces made up of Wanda's imaginary friends and family."
"I don't think anyone would have thought of this world possible," other Rory added, nodding in understanding to the Time Lord. The door to the home suddenly gave a loud slam. The Doctor and companions turned their heads quickly towards the noise. They all looked in surprise to see a young boy, possibly five or six in age, with ginger hair and freckles on his face. He was rather small, wearing a red jumper, denim dungarees, and red wellies. He carried a bag over his shoulder, clutching it close to his side while staring at the guests in the house with a wary gaze.
"Hey, sweetie," Amelia said brightly, walking over to pick up the boy (who had his arms out and open for her) and hold him at her side. The woman smiled at the newcomers, letting them see in astonishment just how similar she and the child were in appearance. "This is our son, Anthony. He was one of the very first to be born after Wanda left." Amelia looked at her son, smiling in encouragement. "Do you remember the people we told you that were coming? Your sister Wanda's friends from the other world?"
"Yeah," Anthony mumbled shyly, cuddling up his face to Amelia's shoulder as he peeked at the newcomers with one eye. "Sissy Wanda's helpers. Billie told me she saw them."
"Do you want to say hi?" Amelia offered gently. Anthony pulled back a little from hiding his face, staring very curiously at Amy and Rory, who sat there staring dumbfounded at the child. He waved a small hand at them, and then at the Doctor and River.
"Hi," he muttered.
Amelia smiled, patting her son on the back. "Why don't you go wait in your room for a bit? Your sister Tina will be home soon." Once Anthony nodded, Amelia sat him down, letting him run off into the cottage.
"You have a son?" the Doctor remarked curiously with a brow arched high upon seeing the sight. "Are there many children born here? I can't imagine there would be enough room for many in this small world if everyone started having kids."
"The world grows around us every day. It was so small in the beginning, but with each new person, the land expanded. Shelly even believes that the world might begin to curve and form into its own planet one day. It has something to do with what Alpha did with the cracks and the Time Vortex. Though none of us are quite certain on how she did it. Don't even think Alpha even knows how she accomplished it," Amelia explained. Amelia and other Rory then shard a look, seeming to grow sad again before the ginger woman addressed her guests. "I think it's time for you all to meet Shelly. She's waiting upstairs in the lounge for you. You'll see the door already open. She'll lead you to Wanda."
The Doctor was up before Amelia even finished her statement, walking out of the kitchen and down the small hallway, disappearing around a corner in a hurry to get to his wife. The three companions glanced at each other, all equally frustrated by the Doctor being overly emotional and rude. The three stood up, nodding to Amelia and other Rory before walking towards the small hall. But they stopped when the Time Lord suddenly walked back into the kitchen, looking at the two adoptive parents of Wanda.
"Sorry, normally I would have loved to stay and chat. But, as you both know, I'm in a bit of a hurry," he said to the couple, trying to apologize for his rude behavior. After all . . . these two were technically his in-laws.
"Don't be sorry. We completely understand," Amelia responded kindly, smiling empathetically at him.
"And it was nice to finally meet our son-in-law," other Rory stated, holding a sincere expression as he and Amelia gazed at the Time Lord. Clearing his throat awkwardly, the Doctor nodded and turned back around, marching down the hall once more with the companions right behind him.
"'Son-in-law'? Now that's the most bizarre thing I've heard today," Rory muttered under his breath.
"Does this mean, since Wanda is sort of 'our daughter,' then the Doctor is our 'son-in-law,' too?" Amy mumbled with her husband. The husband and wife glanced at each other before shaking their heads quickly in dismissal to that notion. They saw how River was nodding her head to get their attention. The woman indicated towards the Time Lord in front of them, who walked so stiffly up the stairs, yet whose hands shook each time he lifted one up to grab the railing of the stairs to help him up towards the upper floor. The tension in the air was great as the companions felt, and knew, that the Doctor was ready to burst with emotions.
"Doctor," River tried calmly, hoping to keep him from becoming too emotional, "now I know you're worried about Wanda and Ember—."
"Of course I'm worried," gnashed the Doctor through his teeth as he stopped abruptly in the middle of the stairs causing the others to halt right behind him. "I'm out of my mind in panic at the moment. But I know that it can't be too serious . . . for Ember." He said this as though trying to convince himself that everything would be fine in the end for his daughter. The same as the companions were trying to do as well. "I already know what this day most likely is for Wanda. However, if anything had happened to Ember, I know Wanda would have told me."
"How do you know?" River countered with a shake of her head. "You know Wanda can't give spoilers to your life. You can't assume that if something were to happen that Wanda couldn't tell you."
"Do you think it was the Silence?" Amy questioned in uncertainty, beginning to worry that this day might be a repeat of what happened to her and her own daughter.
"They could have figured out about the perception filter and taken—," Rory began to offer in thought. But all three companions stiffened when the Doctor suddenly spun around, standing above them on the step and glaring down in fury at them daring mention such an outcome. The Oncoming Storm clearly there with them now as the turmoil the Doctor had been trying to hold in was bursting forth.
"Nothing happened to Ember," growled the Doctor, his voice dark with his rage. "And if something had, then whoever dared to do such a thing to our child better run far and fast. I won't rest until they've known the true meaning of a Time Lord's fury and that no one messes with the ones I love." He then swiftly turned and stormed up the stairs. River sighed and shook her head, going after him quickly. Yep, over emotional again. But, at the same time, she completely agreed with him. If anyone dared go after Wanda, Ember, Amy, Rory, or even the Doctor, then River herself knew that she would make others pay just as harshly.
They finally reached the top floor of the cottage. It was odd how high the stairs seemed to go when on the outside the house only appeared to be two floors high. It must be bigger on the inside. The window on the left of the hall showed them that night had fallen. The large town down from the large hill did indeed seem to be settled within a valley, with soft glowing lights from all the buildings glittering in the darkness. To the right, the first door of the hall, in a sea of many doors, was open. It had a soft, yellow, flickering light casting on the wooden surface of the door. Warmth could be felt coming from the doorway as well, making it obvious that someone inside had a fire going. Approaching the door, the Doctor stood there for a moment, staring inside with a blank look. Then he chuckled in a humourless tone and shook his head slowly.
"I should have known," he spoke quietly before stepping into the room. It was small. Not really roomy. It mostly only consisted of a colourful sofa sitting across from a stone fireplace that appeared neoclassical French from the 18th century. A ticking clock sat on top, though with a broken face oddly enough. The Doctor slowly walked around the sofa, standing beside the fireplace to stare at the woman sitting on the sofa, lounging around in wait for them. The face of Rose Tyler stared calmly back at him, raising a sly brow at his presence.
"Took you long enough to get here," said Rose. She leaned back on the sofa, sitting her hands on her knee that was cross over her leg which was bouncing lightly in the air. She had on a strange outfit. Sort of jumbled and mix-matched like Doctor-Donna's had been and ragged at the same time. The whole outfit was dull in white and light-tan colours. Save for the black, holey leggings that she wore underneath a crooked, long skirt that hung longer on one side of her than the other. She had a tan, long vest over a long-sleeved, ripped up, white shirt. Her hair appeared in a mess as though she had been running wild through a forest, or maybe had a large fan blowing at full blast right into her face.
"We kept getting sidetracked," the Doctor explained evenly. He gazed at the fireplace, noting it looked exactly like Reinette's back when he had met the French girl. "Interesting fireplace you've got."
"Thanks," Rose, or rather Shelly, as the Doctor knew she would be called in this world, replied lightly. "Thought it might be ironic, given the circumstances we're currently in. Though, not ironic enough, I think." The girl glanced over towards the companions who walked slowly into the room, raising a brow at them curiously.
"Doctor, who is this?" River asked the Time Lord curiously, wondering why the man was talking to the young woman as if they have always known each other. She knew it must be this 'Shelly' that everyone kept mentioning, but River wondered whose face this woman might represent from the Doctor's timeline.
"Are your companions always so slow at things?" Shelly remarked offhandedly as she looked back at the Doctor. River immediately frowned at her while Amy and Rory seemed offended.
"Oi!" Amy retorted.
"I'm Shelly, obviously," replied the young woman with a sigh. "As represented through the face of Rose Tyler. Who else would I have picked to be the face of her best friend?" She glanced at the companions again, arching a brow even higher. "Really, who else?"
"The one face Wanda trusted most. Even more than me," the Doctor mumbled as he kept his cool gaze on Shelly.
"No, I don't think Wanda could have ever trusted anyone more than you," Shelly replied with another sigh, as though disappointed in this conclusion. "She didn't really trust Rose with everything, per say." Shelly stared at the Doctor with a pause, seeming to gaze right into his soul at the way she looked into his eyes. "I, on the other hand, was someone who she trusted even before you. Someone she loved before you." She smiled coyly, leaning forward while tilting her head as though curious for his response. "Now, can you guess who that is?"
The room remained silent as the Doctor stared back at the young woman with unease. River, glancing between the two, suddenly realized what Shelly had said. River looked at the woman with keen interest, speaking, "Wait . . . did you say that you picked your face? I thought Wanda was the one who made everyone here."
"I was here first. How could Wanda have made me if I came before she was even brought to this world?" Shelly replied, turning her even gaze to River now.
"Then who are you?" River asked, growing suspicious of the woman now.
"I don't know. You tell me," countered Shelly lightly, smiling even as she stared at River.
"But . . . you can't be," the Doctor spoke up, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. He stared at the blonde woman in pure disbelief, slowly shaking his head. "Shelly's . . ."
"Dead?" replied the blonde, raising a brow once again at him, as though waiting for him to say something else. After a long silence in the room, Shelly leaned back in her seat, folding her hands together as she stared at the fire. "I guess you could say, like Amy did for Rory, my soul was kept close by. I did not want to leave, and she didn't want me to, either. Her powers kept me around even after death, though she never realized herself. But you're right. I'm not really Shelly anymore." She stood up swiftly standing tall as she addressed the room. "I go by a different name now. For the Shelly I once was is long gone."
"What do you mean?" the Doctor asked carefully.
"I gained this form when I realized there was someone out there similar to me," Shelly explained. "I saw her in the future. Wanda's future. I saw what she would become, and what part I played in the making."
The Doctor appeared stunned for a moment, his eyes widening as his mind clicked at what the blonde was talking about. "You don't mean . . . No . . . Right, yes, I see. You gained a physical form that way, didn't you?"
Shelly nodded slowly. "Yes."
Looking between the two, Amy huffed and said, "Okay, seriously, what are you two on about?" Shelly straightened somewhat, turning to look at the companions with a thoughtful gaze.
"I suppose I should explain," Shelly replied, humming for a moment to gather her words. "You see . . . I was a friend to . . .," she paused, shutting her mouth quickly as though she had almost said a name she did not wish to say out loud, "Wanda, in the very beginning. When she and I were still Time Lords. We were together, through so much. We . . .," she glanced at the Doctor, suddenly seeming uncertain to say a particular word out loud, "were close to each other. But then . . . I died.
"I couldn't leave her, though," she continued on softly, staring sadly at the fire. "I just couldn't. I made her a promise, and I never break my promises. So, I stayed with her. Invisible, unseen. Nothing more than my lingering consciousness floating around her like a ball of energy, unable to do anything more except give her comfort from the shadows. Kept around in such a way because of the strong energy she had. As time dragged on, I began to sense . . . everything. Even more than she does." Shelly closed her eyes, as though letting herself sense all. She smiled softly for a moment then her face fell into deep sadness as she opened her eyes once more. "I sensed the coming time where she would explode into rage and destroy everything. I knew I had to stop it. So, peaking into her timeline, I saw what must be done.
"I left her behind, going into the future where she would be with the Doctor. And with a certain someone else. Rose Tyler. A mere human, but someone special who I knew I could use, as I saw what the human would do to save her precious friends. To look right into the heart of a TARDIS, absorbing the Time Vortex in such a way, how stupid can a person get? It was perfect, really. But I had some adjustments I needed to make. To keep her alive long enough so she wouldn't burn up right away on me, and to allow me to take control of her during that moment." She glanced cheekily at the Doctor. "You could say I might have . . . 'influenced' on how Rose felt towards Wanda. A little too much of my personality leaked onto her than I intended, but I worked with it. I guess you could say that was why Rose almost instantly felt a bond with Wanda. Rose took in a bit of me, and vice versa, I took in a bit of Rose Tyler. It changed us both, in the end. Then, when that moment finally came, I took control of her body utterly and completely. A lot like Cassandra would have done on New Earth.
"And . . . when that moment finally happened . . . I changed entirely." Shelly walked over, leaning against the side of the fireplace while she stared at everyone. "I gained a physical form again. It was mine of what I could do. I could have kept Rose Tyler's body, chuck her consciousness out. But," Shelly sighed heavily, "I couldn't do that because I knew Wanda wouldn't like it. And, truth be told, I sort of liked Rose, too. The human had spunk. So, I played the part I needed to play for her and even you, Doctor, on that day on Satellite Five. And when I placed out the message of 'Bad Wolf,' I also sent out another part of me back in time to the moment where I was needed. So when the Time Vortex was taken out of Rose, I could still live on in another form and place."
"And so, you came here, am I correct?" the Doctor asked her, keeping his hands clasped tightly behind his back as he stared at the entity in front of him. "You came to this world, knowing Wanda would show up."
"I came here because if I didn't, I would have disappeared into nothing," Shelly clarified, eyes staying steady with the Doctor's. "My form is nothing more than a projection from that particular moment in time. My form is made up of Time Vortex energy, and without that energy, I cannot live. This world, though small and weak in comparison to others, is the perfect place for me. It's surrounded by the Time Vortex, with even some of that energy flowing into the soil beneath us. This world keeps me alive and gives me enough power to send out other projections of myself to be seen only by those I want to communicate with. Whether this be through visual means or simply communicating through the mind. I can also keep track of certain timelines from back in the old universe, such like yours, Doctor. And, maybe, even a couple other universes."
"I still don't get it. What moment in time with Rose are you talking about?" Rory voiced in question, clearly at a loss. Amy was similar in confusion as her husband, though River seemed to suddenly understand what Shelly was trying to say. The Doctor gazed at the blonde in front of them, seeing how Shelly smirked lightly, her eyes glowing a slight golden hue.
"The moment of Bad Wolf," the Doctor said, his voice low as he spoke. "She's Bad Wolf. The one who came of Rose absorbing the Time Vortex."
"The one and only," Bad Wolf replied smugly, even giving them a small bow in cheek. "I mean, really, who else could have contacted you in such a clever way? Spreading messages through time and space? I figured you would have spotted my normal means of communication a mile away."
"You're the one who sent us the messages about Wanda?" Amy blurted out in disbelief.
River raised a brow, stating, "I have to say, I'm impressed."
"Thank you," Bad Wolf replied, graciously giving another bow. Then, straightening, she stared at the Doctor who still stared at her in disbelief. "Come on, you've got to be just a little impressed that I'm still alive and kicking."
"You're Shelly's consciousness, mixed into an alternate entity that came from Rose's mind mixing with the heart of the TARDIS. Of course, I'm amazed. But that doesn't change in just how . . . convoluted this all appears to be," stated the Doctor, voice stern as ever.
Bad Wolf scoffed lightly. "You say that as though situations in your life are not convoluted already."
"Not really the weirdest thing we've ever been through," Rory spoke up in agreement. The man cleared his throat when the Doctor sent him a side glance.
"So, tell me," Bad Wolf spoke suddenly, tilting her head in interest as she kept her eyes on the Doctor, "what have you gathered already of this world? You have that brilliant Time Lord mind of yours. What have you already figured out? That way I can fill in the gaps of what you're clearly missing."
Staring at the smiling blonde for a moment, the Doctor gritted his teeth, feeling frustrated in her trying to change the subject, but decided to move along. Yes, this person standing before him was somehow the entity known as Bad Wolf. Alive and seemingly in charge of this world around her. For the most part. He was certain that with Alpha around, she had the real say in what occurred in this world. However, there were still far more questions that had his mind reeling in what this all meant. The idea of Bad Wolf being a mixture of Shelly's lingering consciousness and Rose's human heart seemed bleak in comparison to what he wanted to know of Wanda and her past. Yes, he knew most of his love's past. But this only extended to her past in her memories that she showed him of Gallifrey and what had happened to her. The past of in between then and coming into his life, however, was still blank.
"For ninety-five years Wanda lived in this world," the Doctor began to list off in what he concluded a while ago from what they all had seen and had been told. "A world that I assume was once barren, with the only life being a large forest at the time or something like that. With her powers of reverting atoms into matter that can be manipulated to reform anything she wanted, just as I once noted when inspecting the dust of Cybermen she had destroyed, she used those cracks in time that were peeking into my timeline to take a bit of everything from my travels. Whether that be people or buildings or plants. Then, you, Miss Bad Wolf, once Wanda, or Alpha, was all done making this world, you kept her all happy and carefree. Completely in bliss of living in her own perfect, normal, dream. But things went wrong about six years ago, I assume."
"Nothing went wrong. It was just . . . time for her to go," Bad Wolf countered, shaking her head lightly. Her eyes grew sad in remembrance. "We all knew it was coming. We tried telling her advice that might have helped her. She was beginning to wake up from her dreams, you see. It was harder for Alpha to keep Wanda unware of what was around her as the powers grew . . . restless." The blonde leaned heavier into the fireplace, seeming to get herself more comfortable as she went on explaining. "See, Wanda can only stay in one place for so long until the buildup begins. Her powers build stronger and stronger from not being used. Time Vortex energy . . . it's not something any true physical form can handle or contain. It has to be 'leeched' in some ways. Travelling through time and space in her wanderings is the best way to do so. But, if she fought it, if she stays in one place too long, letting the buildup occur, then she would explode from the power. Not literally. More like . . . the Time Vortex would have leaked out of her in a fury, killing any around her until the buildup died down once again."
"You sound as if you've seen that happen before," River commented as she stared at the blonde in interest, becoming wary of the indications of Wanda's so-called powers. She, as Amy and Rory, already knew of the Time Vortex living inside of Wanda. They also knew what sort of power a person could have with that kind of energy. However, it still did not mean it was hard for them to grasp that Wanda, so small and sweet, could ever unleash such a force against others.
"I have. In the past. Though, not from Wanda herself," Bad Wolf stated. She glanced at the door behind the others, seeming to realize her time in speaking with them was soon drawing to a close. For now, at least. Closing her eyes, she sighed heavily. "I think . . . it's time for you all to move on. Wanda . . . she's waiting."
At that moment, they heard a piercing scream echo from down the hall. The Doctor sucked in a sharp breath, eyes widening as he recognized the scream. It was Wanda calling out for him. He rushed out of the room in a flurry with River right at his heels and Amy and Rory tailing right behind. Bad Wolf strolled more slowly out of the room, eyes heavy as such a weary expression crossed her face.
The Doctor sprinted down the long hall, feeling as though it kept growing as he rushed to the call of his beloved. A white door was open at the end of the hall. The cries rang from there as he heard Wanda's sobs from within the white room. Just as he finally reached the door, it slammed shut just as his outreached arm went to go through. He snarled as he slammed into the wooden door, ramming himself into it repeatedly in efforts to break it down. But it held on too strongly. It refused to let him through to the other side where he heard the weeping of his wife. Abruptly, the door changed from white to dark brown, crackling as it shifted into a different design. It turned from modern into ancient with Gallifreyan writing engraved across the doorframe. The cries of Wanda disappeared altogether, making the Doctor stare at the door, stunned by the change. It did not matter to him in the strange occurrence, however, as he merely felt infuriated in being kept at bay from his wife. He turned and pushed past the shocked companions behind him, storming right up to the calm Bad Wolf.
"What are you doing?! I thought you said—!" he began to shout at her. But Bad Wolf swiftly held up a hand, glaring back at him.
"Did you really think Alpha would let just anyone get to her?" Bad Wolf retorted. "She's been keeping Wanda away from everyone, except for those few chosen. Doctor Jones when needed, and me. No one else. Just me. If anyone else tries to visit Wanda, Alpha puts up a test. To see if you're worthy enough to see her and Wanda."
"Alpha's activated?" the Doctor questioned tensely, fearing the worst if Alpha was in control of Wanda again.
"In this world, Alpha can do the same as I am. She can project herself out in a physical form . . . sort of. Think of it more like a ghost. This is her domain, after all. She can do as she wants without consequences to her body," Bad Wolf explained, walking around him in ease as she stood next to the door, facing the four. Her eyes held no emotion as she seemed to hold everything in. Her tone monotone as she held up a hand to the door. "This is the moment, Doctor. The moment of remembrance. The Day of Sorrow. The barriers are all loose, free for Wanda to remember everything. And if Wanda has to relive that hell," Bad Wolf reached over, turning the knob of the door and opening it, allow them to see what lied on the other side, "then so do we all."
The Doctor sucked in a breath, eyes staring at the doorway in horror while the companions gazed on in alarm. On the other side, they saw a war going on. People wearing tattered red outfits, men, women, children, were running, screaming in panic. Beams fired off by Daleks that chased after them. Soldiers fired back, seeming to be losing a pointless battle. Fires erupted everywhere around crumbling buildings. Ruin and chaos ran ramped in every sight to behold. In the middle of the chaos sat a little girl, with chestnut hair, wearing a red dress and cloak, rocking as she held herself, sobbing out for her parents. Acting fast, the Doctor marched over and slammed the door shut. The screams were abruptly cut off, leaving them in heavy silence. The Time Lord stood there with his head pressed to the wood, shaking as he knew what sight they had just witnessed.
"What was that?" River breathed, her voice strengthening as she looked at Bad Wolf with sharp eyes in demand. "What the hell was that?" Bad Wolf merely keep her calm gaze on the Doctor. He glanced at her in return, eyes wavering as he knew what that was.
"No. I'm not reliving that again," he whispered, as though pleading for Bad Wolf to help him find another way around this.
"I'm sorry. But there's no other way," Bad Wolf replied softly, appearing to pity him for what he and the others would have to face now. "Alpha won't back down from this. I've already tried to reason with her. She just won't."
"Then take them away," ordered the Doctor, pointing sharply at his confused companions. "Take them back downstairs. If I have to go through this, then I don't want them anywhere near here."
"We're not leaving," Amy scoffed, staring sternly at the Doctor while crossing her arms. "Do you think we've come all this way just to let you do all of this on your own?"
"No!" barked the Doctor, turning to give Amy his anger expression. The Oncoming Storm trying to remain firm in his order. "I am not making you all live through that kind of hell. No one should."
"Doctor, you're going to need all the help you can get," Bad Wolf disputed, tapping the Time Lord on the shoulder to get his attention. "Trust me, they need to see this. They need to understand. Everyone does." The blonde held her golden eyes firmly with the Doctor's stormy green irises, staying steady in her stance. "No more lies. No more avoiding the truth. No more pretending that everything will be all right in the end." She patted him on the shoulder as she began to walk away. "We can't always live in our perfect, happy world. Sometimes, it's just time for a reality check." She waved over her shoulder as she walked down the hall and away from them. "See you in a little while."
They waited until the last steps of Bad Wolf receded down the hall. The companions turned to the Doctor, who held a hand up to his mouth as he stared back at them. Fully wary, uncertain, and conflicted in what they all had to go through shortly.
"Are you all sure about this? This isn't something for the faint of heart. Trust me, I know," the Doctor said slowly once lowering his hand.
"I've dealt with worse," River said in full determination, standing tall and at the ready. "I want to get Wanda back, so I'm ready."
"So are we," Amy agreed, nodding firmly along with a curt nod from Rory. "Time we get back our Wanderer, right?" Staring at his companions for a second longer, admiration was felt by the Doctor as he knew he could have never asked for such the perfect family. But his hearts weighed heavily on him as he knew what they had to pass through. He had seen this before, a long time ago, when Wanda reluctantly showed him. It was not something he wanted to relive again. But if it meant saving Wanda . . .
He turned, going up to the door and gripping the door handle tightly in a shaking grasp. Eyes brimming with turmoil, he swallowed dryly and said, "Get ready. What we're about to see . . . it won't be pleasant." With this warning given, he opened the door.
XxXxXxXx
I hope this was a good read. :) Please let me know if there is anything still uncertain about what is going on with the Wanderer's world and all that in a review. Again, happy to answer any questions you all have!
Reviewers:
Wicken25: Aww, thank you! Love you and all readers, too! So glad you're enjoying it so far! Hope that it is all conveyed well. :) Also hope to see you in the future!
Key: lol I'm sorry. Things are just got crazier in this chapter. Hopefully, you liked it at least. :) Until next time!
Crow: Yep! They are going to be two parts and very long chapters. Coming up in the next update. I hope that you will like them. :)
normandy1701: Yay! So glad you liked it! Hope you like this one just as much. :) Agreed, very much meta. Until next time!
Whovianeverlark17: I understand completely. Hopefully this chapter was a little more enjoyable for you. :) I will always be here to help readers with anything. Can't wait to see you again in the future! Take care!
DanaBugg: I know. I'm the worst. :( I hope that these chapters will make up for that somewhat. Have the most wonderful day!
bored411: Nope. Definitely not good. Also, sorry if it was not conveyed well in the last chapter. This is actually a pocket universe where they are right now. Again, apologizes for any confusion. Hopefully this chapter helped with all that. :)
AGBreads: Hopefully not was much confusion in this chapter. If you have any questions, just let me know. :) Always happy to answer any and all questions sent my way. Also, yay for sticking around! Can't wait to see what you think of the rest to come. :)
FictionalBoysAreBetter: lol Glad I was able to surprise you. :) Sorry, it was always too late for Wanda in that moment. Also, sorry for more pain to come. :( So sorry. Just so glad that you'll still enjoy this story. Can't wait to see you in the future! :D
X-Lisa-Anne-X: . . . I'm just going to say spoilers for now. I hope that you'll still enjoy the read until the end. Until next time!
Momochan77: Yep. The origins of Wanda. Well, sort of. It's complicated. But you'll see soon enough on what that means. I hope that you'll like it all! Yeah, as explained in this chapter, Oswin just choose the name because of what she knew happened to poor Ember and Wanda. Sort of as a remembrance in a way. Hope you enjoyed!
NerdWithAPencil: Yep! Hope the twist is good and believable. :) Hopefully it's not too confusing of a read. I know I'm not the best at conveying things like this. Yep, definitely total Alpha involved creation. Until next time! Can't wait to see what you think of it all. :)
grapejuice101: Woot! So happy that you liked it! :D
Authora97: Yay! I'm so happy to be forgiven! :)
TheGirlWhoWept: Oh, most definitely. I cried like a baby and still am when I have to edit over the chapters. ;-; Especially cry when I see my readers so upset. I hate doing this to you all, but . . . fixed point in time. Nothing I could change about it. So glad you enjoyed the new update though! Hope that this one as just as enjoyable. :) The TARDIS just traveled there herself because she knew of where Wanda needed them. Though if she stays there too long, she'll be in trouble. So hopefully they can get to Wand soon. Until next time!
mjahappy: So glad you liked it!
Miss Amarillys Ren Harasakai: I hope I answer this correctly. My French isn't the best and I had the help of google translate which isn't really the best. Wanda is not lost. Just kept away for safety and because of fear of something else happening to her. Not certain about whether Wanda will be pregnant again. Suppose we'll just have to wait on that one. The Doctor . . . will find out soon enough. I'm sorry. Welp, I hope I answered all your questions! Take care and have a wonderful day/night. :)
All of you are amazing. Always and forever. *hugs*
~Tinker~
