Sneaking through the corridors of an underwater research facility and trying to evade ghosts was another thing Agnes could add to her list of crazy sentences that now described her daily life. Yeah, just, you know, normal teenage girl stuff, peace sign and all.

Despite her knowledge that she was pretty much untouchable unless she decided to take a little trip to the spaceship and check out the writing on the wall, she was anything but calm. The air was so warm and humid she had to stop and pull her green crewneck over her head and wrap it around her hips, leaving her in a slightly less warm green shirt with a turtleneck. She didn't know why the temperature had suddenly increased or if she was just imagining it. Maybe it was because of adrenaline...

The corridors of the facility were dimly lit, some parts were so dark she could barely see anything but silhouettes and Agnes had to force herself to move forward instead of going back and just finding another way. She was bad with directions, she always had been and on their quick run to the Faraday cage she hadn't paid much attention to her surroundings but more to Clara, Cass and Lunn. And even if she had, the corridors seemed much darker now than they had before and Agnes hands were shaking, too. Which was distracting.

But the worst part was the silence. Nothing but her shaky breaths and a thumping in her ears were audible, and her steps, too. Agnes tried to push her fear aside. She wasn't in danger, she knew that. Then why did she feel like she was?

She rounded a corner and stopped dead in her tracks (how ironic) when she caught sight of the ominous ghost figures, the five of them standing close enough she would have bumped into, or rather through, the ghost of the big black man, Moran, if she hadn't reacted as quickly as she did.

"Bloody fu-" she cursed, flinching back, eyes moving to the other ghosts standing behind him, facing her. Agnes swallowed hard and grimaced as the only thing that was staring at her were black gaping holes.

"You're fucking revolting, do you know that?" She asked, wrapping her arms around herself as she narrowed her eyes at the five, her eyes getting caught on the fake ghost of the Doctor a little longer.

Moran cocked his head at her, stepping closer and the other three followed his examples, lips moving in the silent words they were all programmed to say.

Agnes stood still, letting the ghosts surround her and get in her space, bowing and…she didn't know if sniffing was an appropriate way to describe it, but it almost seemed like they tried to see if her smell was mingled somehow with the coordinates. Actually, how did they know whether someone has seen the writing?

The lights started flickering, the corridor grew darker and Agnes felt the walls closing in on her, but she held her head up high, staring directly into the dead face of Prentiss and clenching her hands into fists at her side.

"I don't have your stupid coordinates inside my brain so don't waste your time with killing me."

Agnes knew they probably didn't understand her but using her voice took away a little bit of her fear… not that she had to be scared. She was totally fine.

Finally, the ghosts stepped away from her, clearing her way and Agnes gave them a last suspicious glare before walking off, and around another corner.

After getting a little bit of distance between them she let out a sigh, unclenching her hands and rubbing her palms on her jeans. At least she had managed to get past the ghosts, one step over, several more to come.

There were a few more problems she had to figure out before she could grab the phone and get back to Clara and the others. One of them was: How would she evade the ghosts trap?

Because when it was Lunn instead of her in the episode he was trapped in the main hall by the ghosts when he went to bring back the phone. They probably hacked the systems…or something.

Agnes might not be completely stupid when it came to computers but she wasn't any near hacker stuff. Neither were the others, though. The only person who could have helped was O'Donnell….but that wasn't a possibility anymore.

Okay, she needed a plan. How could she get the phone without being captured? Maybe if she grabbed a chair and moved it into the way of the door so it couldn't close? But the ghosts could easily grab the chair. Making a run for it wouldn't work either, she doubted she was fast enough to get the phone and get out.

In moments like this, a sonic screwdriver would really be of help…

Agnes saw the entrance to the main hall come into sight, warm and brighter light greeting her as she stopped in front of the open entrance. Her eyes fell to the phone, which was placed on the table in the middle of the room. Very conveniently right where she could see it the best.

She wasn't stupid though, she knew exactly what would happen if she went inside the room without a proper plan of escape. Turning to glance around, and then inside, she saw that she was alone. Not for long, though, so she needed to think of something.

"Okay, Agnes, think. Don't be an idiot now," she mumbled to herself, letting her eyes wander in search of something that could help her. That was when her eyes fell on a knife lying on a half-finished tray of food.

This gave her an idea.

Didn't Moran grab an axe to kill Cass with in the episode? When she went after Lunn? Her eyes fell to the walls, wondering if an axe was sharp and hard enough to go through the metal.

It was worth a try.

Turning she ran back to where she'd come across the ghosts, hoping she hadn't already been gone long enough for Clara to get worried and go after her. While running she searched the walls, hoping that if she didn't find another axe she'd at least find a fire extinguisher. Just something heavy would be nice...and destructive.

The lights grew dimmer with every step she took but she tried to ignore the feeling of dread that made her chest feel warmer and tighter.

Agnes came to a skidding halt when she caught sight of exactly what she had been looking for. An axe, leaning against the wall…that was weird.

She looked around sceptically, wondering why ghost Moran had discarded it like that, because when it wasn't his…whose was it? Taking careful steps towards the weapon, she bent down and grabbed for the handle. One last swift look over her shoulder and then she picked it up… and fell forward, the axe hitting the ground with a thump.

"Why is it so damn heavy?"

Agnes tightened her grip, trying to pick up the axe once more and barely managing to keep it over the ground.

On the way back to the main hall Agnes had to pay a lot of attention to not accidentally chop her own leg off or let the axe slip from her grip and chop off her feet but luckily the way wasn't too long. Faster than she'd thought, she was standing in front of the entrance again, the axe in her hands.

If the Doctor could see her right now he would be so disappointed. Probably call her reckless again and irresponsible and maybe an idiot. Maybe she was an idiot, maybe no sane person would have thought of an axe first. But Agnes wasn't exactly the most practical thinker and she was new, too! So she thought she deserves to be cut some slack.

Raising the axe to her shoulders, and yes she was weak she could admit that, she eyed what she could see of the mechanics of the door. There was some room between the door and the doorway and maybe if she hit hard enough she'd be able to destroy some cables.

She couldn't be sure of course but it was worth a try. There would be no important mechanism right by the door so even if she damaged something she wasn't supposed to the facility should survive…she hoped.

"Okay," Agnes mumbled, stabilising her stance, "This is a stupid idea but we're going to roll with it. Confidence and pretence!"

She aimed, took a swing and sent the axe flying towards the gap, letting out a huff when the two metals collided. Sparks were sent out and Agnes turned her face away to protect her eyes.

It worked, sparks meant that whatever she was doing was working, so the girl started swinging at the door once more, and again, and again. Not stopping until she saw broken cables peeping through the wall.

Okay, that must be enough.

Agnes didn't waste much time on the other door and ran inside the main hall, rushing towards the table with the phone and picking it up. Phone secured!

When she turned around again, ready to rush back outside and towards the Faraday cage she was stopped by the five ghosts appearing in front of her. Or rather in front of the door and between it and her.

Her grip around the handle of the axe tightened and she looked between the ghosts, awaiting, expecting, ready for something to happen. But they just stood there, turned towards her, lips moving in silence.

…Was that how they tried to make up for the failed plan?

A chuckle escaped her, bubbling from her lips. They were making it hard to hold back a laugh.

"Is this how you are planning to stop me? What? I broke the door and you have no better idea than to stand in my way?" She asks, throwing her hand up and gesturing between them and her. The Ghosts didn't answer, of course, but they remained stood and that is all the answer Agnes needed.

She didn't have time for their stupid games, she wanted to get back to Clara and wait for the Doctor to call or come back or whatever.

"I'm not a scaredy-cat, so don't treat me like one," she barred her teeth before she started walking forward again, axe in the one and phone in the other hand, knuckles standing out white from how strong her grip was.

The ghosts watched her, not moving and Agnes hadn't expected them to. She knew they wouldn't move, they had a mission after all. Too bad for them that she had as well. She didn't stop, or turn or walk around, instead, she walked right through Pritchard's ghost form.

She felt like throwing up. It was cold, freezing. There was an invisible mass around her, almost as resistant as water. When she came out at the other end (which could really have been one step maximum) she shivered. But Agnes didn't leave herself any time to shake off the feeling of dread, she just started running. Running back towards the Faraday cage with the phone secured in her grip. She glanced back, seeing the ghosts followed her but they were slower than her, she'd get back to the cage just in time for Clara to open the door and close it again before they could get inside. She ran past the hangar, stumbling when she caught a glimpse of the chamber, hearing the metallic sounds coming from its direction.

Shit! It was almost time.

Doubling her speed she came skidding down the corridor of the cage, seeing Clara's face peeking through the glass of the window. She was smiling as she noticed Agnes and as the girl glanced back over her shoulders to see why the woman didn't seem too worried about the ghosts, she saw that she wasn't followed anymore.

Clara opened the door and Agnes ran in, skidding to a halt in front of Cass and Lunn who were looking at her in relief. She smiled at them, before falling forward to brace herself against the wall to catch her breath.

"Are you okay, Nes? Did you get the phone? Why are you holding an axe?" Clara asked from behind, a hand circling her shoulder.

She held the phone up for Clara to see, nodding wordlessly and ignoring the last part of the question. In response, she felt arms embrace her in response.

"Thank you, you're amazing," Clara said and Agnes waved it off.

Clara gabbed the phone, holding it against her chest before she took a glimpse at the screen, maybe expecting a "missed call" notification, but Agnes knew the Doctor hadn't called yet. Wouldn't either anymore. She was sure now. The chamber was about to open, which meant he was right before going inside in the past...Oh!

"What are we doing now?" Lunn asked, just as Agnes remembered, looking between the three women in the room.

"The ghosts, they're in the hangar," Agnes told them, "The chamber, it's about to open! We have to go there!"

They exchanged glances as the teenager already ran towards the door again to open it up. This was too much running for Agnes' liking but she guessed with being a part of The Doctor's life now, she had to manage.

"Agnes! Hold up, we can't just-" Clara started, rushing after her to stop her and talk it through again.

But Agnes didn't even hear her out, she just grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the open door, motioning behind her for Lunn and Cass to follow. They both looked sceptical, Cass' eyes wide and confused.

"Come on!" She called and despite everything, they followed after them.

Together they were running towards the hangar, Clara had grabbed Agnes hand and was now running with her instead of letting the girl pull her along. When they arrived at the hangar the ghosts were standing around the chamber, a few feet away and looking down at it expectantly. There was beeping and Agnes' saw red lights blinking and then the doors of the chamber slid open, steam pouring out as a figure emerges from within. It was The Doctor, sunglasses covering his eyes. They all stared at him as he removed the sunglasses and stared up at them with his usual cocky grin.

"Don't kiss me. Morning breath," he joked, waving his hand in front of his mouth.

Clara let out a breath.

"Doctor?"

He leapt out of the chamber, eyes glancing between the four of them, and falling down to your hands. His face scrunched up and he gave Agnes an irritated look. She glanced down to see she was still holding the axe…oops.

She gave him an innocent smile. The Doctor shook his head in reply, not wanting to talk it out now. But she was already some kind of "Do not hold an axe in front of me" talk later when they were back in the Tardis.

"Follow me." He turned and ran off and the four of them ran after him, dodging past the ghosts who were standing there motionlessly.

They were heading towards the bridge, Agnes stumbled into the room behind Clara and the Doctor, watching with anticipation as he puts the earpiece of his sunglasses into a handy socket on the console. A loud roar filled the air. The roar of the fisher king.

"What's that noise?" Clara asked.

"It's The call of The Fisher King. The call of their master."

They watched the ghosts through the glass, seeing them turn at the sound and walk off. Agnes smiled, turning to look at The Doctor who had turned to the monitors already, busy with watching the Ghosts. Clara joined him with that twinkle in her eyes.

"Where are they going?"

The Doctor didn't answer, motioning towards the screen and they watched in anticipation as the Ghosts walked towards and into the Faraday cage where the Doctor's hologram was standing mouth wide open. The noises come from him.

The Timelord reached down to shut the door's of the cage and as soon as he did the Ghost Doctor disappeared.

—

Agnes had finally put the axe down, propping it against the wall she had first found it in. Giving a small nod towards it in appreciation (and yes travelling with the Doctor really did this to someone, didn't it) before she turned. She had snuck out of the room when The Doctor was too busy with Cass and Clara, wiping the memory of the writings. She already heard the explanation of the hologram and of the whole Ghost at least twice so she didn't really feel like sticking around to hear it a third time.

She came to a halt behind Bennett, following his eyes that were focused on the four Ghosts walking around the Faraday Cage. The girl smiled sadly as she saw the look in his eyes whenever O'Donnell walked past the window.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Bennett," Agnes told him, following Ghost O'Donnell with her eyes as well.

"Did you know?"

"No," she lied easily.

They stood there in silence for a while, facing towards the glass and away from each other. Sometimes Agnes thought that silence was a lot more expressive than words could be.

"What do I do?"

Agnes looked up at Bennett in surprise. Not because he had spoken, no because that was the question he asked that Clara in the episode. She hesitated, trying to remember what the brunette had told him but she couldn't.

She was so not good with pep talks.

"You keep going," she started, awkwardly looking away from his face and towards the ghosts again. "She would have wanted that for you. It's hard. Moving on. The hardest thing you'll ever have to do, but it's worth it. Because…you'll never forgive yourself if you don't. I'd know."

The man nodded as he fixed his glasses. He still looked crestfallen, Agnes didn't know if her little attempt at advice had worked at all. But then, the pain of loss was still fresh.

The sound of approaching steps echoed through the hall and Agnes turned her head to see the others with The Doctor and Clara walking in the front. One glance at Bennett at the situation and he knew what was happening. They slowed down, stopping a few feet away from them.

"What will happen to them?" Bennett asked.

"UNIT will cut out the Faraday cage with them inside and take it away. Then the space-hearse will be destroyed, so the writing doesn't infect anyone else."

Bennett let out a sigh, adjusting his glasses once again before he straightened his shoulder. He turned around, fully, eyes finding Lunn.

"Lunn, will you translate something to Cass from me?"

Lunn agreed immediately.

"Tell her that you're in love with her and that you always have been." Bennett's voice was firm and Agnes was sure if Lunn had been drinking something in that minute he would have either choked on it or spit it all over the place.

"What?"

"Tell her there is no point wasting time because things happen and then it's too late. Tell her I wish someone had given me that advice." Agnes felt a stung in her chest at his words. She could have been that person…

The man swallowed thickly before he started signing to Cass, who looked more and more puzzled before she looked towards Bennett in question. Lunn panicked at her reaction.

"Oh, god, no. I was just passing on what he said. Please don't feel-"

And then Cass grabbed him by the shirt and kissed him.

—

Agnes felt a warmth in her chest when they finally returned to the Tardis, the ship greeting her with a soft hum. She smiled up at the ceiling before she let herself drop on the flight of stairs leading up to the reading area.

The Doctor rolled his eyes at her exhaustion, but his lips had tugged up in a soft smile. Clara sat down next to Agnes, leaning back as she let out a sigh, a wide smile on her lips.

"So, what will UNIT do to the Ghosts?" Clara asked.

The Doctor moved towards the console.

"Drag the cage into space, away from the Earth's magnetic field. With nothing to sustain them, the ghosts will eventually fade away."

Clara hummed and crossed her arms.

"Here is what I don't understand. You did change the future. You stopped the Fisher King from returning."

Agnes decided to butt in, waving her hand.

"Not really, the Fisher King has been dead before The Doctor travelled to the past. It already happened. But when he travelled back with Bennett and O'Donnell he became part of the events."

The Doctor nodded in agreement and leaned back against the console, hands buried in the pockets of his trousers.

"But here's the thing. The messages my ghost gave, they weren't for you, they were for me. That list. Everyone after you was random, but you being the next name, that's what made me confront the Fisher King."

Agnes perked up at his words, remembering something.

"Yeah, speaking about that, come here." She gestured to him.

"What for?" He furrowed his brows.

"I want to punch you for adding me to the list, but my legs hurt."

The Doctor grinned and he raised his eyebrows in a mocking manner.

"And saying the chamber will open?" Clara asked unbothered.

"That was me telling me to get inside and when to set it for," he explained.

Clara looked impressed, smiling a little as she gave him an appreciative nod. "Smart." The Doctor grinned at her.

"Except that's not why I said them."

Clara straightened, looking between The Doctor and Agnes.

"How do you mean?"

"I programmed my ghost to say them because that's what my ghost had said. I added Agnes to the list because my ghost had added her to the list." He gave her a pointed look and Agnes rolled her eyes. Of course, blaming everything on others, that's what he loved to do. "And the only reason I created my ghost hologram in the first place was because I saw it here. I was reverse engineering the narrative."

Clara frowned, not understanding what the Timelord was insinuating.

"That's still pretty smart."

The Doctor shook his head, taking a step towards them.

"You do not understand. When did I first have those ideas, Clara?" He glanced at Agnes who started smirking.

"Well it must have been…" she hesitated, and when Agnes looked towards her she could almost see the gears moving as she tried to figure out. When she realized she breathed out softly. "Wow."

"Exactly! Who composed Beethoven's fifth?"

Agnes laughed.

"Bootstrap Paradox!"

"Yes! Well done, Agnes."

—

Life in the Tardis with Clara and this Doctor was different than it had been with Eleven, Amy and Rory. It was less chaotic, The Doctor wasn't bouncing around like a hyperactive puppy all the time, going in between activities like he was trying to break a new record. No, twelve was quieter, calmer. Clara, on the other hand, was pushing The Doctor and her to go on new adventures every other day. It was fun. It really was. Being dragged from one new place to the other. The brunette had the widest smile on her face whenever they came across a new creature, a new dish, a new culture. And the Doctor, too, seemed to enjoy bragging to Agnes.

It barely left Agnes any time to do other things. Or think about other things. Which wasn't so bad. Not bad at all.

"Oh! I know, we'll go meet up with Jane Austen. You're going to love her, Nes! She's so funny...and pretty!" Clara suggested excitedly, as they stood around the console.

They had been discussing where to go next, the Doctor being awfully quiet after he told Clara to choose a destination. And the brunette has been wrecking her mind for places Agnes could possibly like. Even though the girl already told her she'd be happy going anywhere. She was still new to this and she felt like The Doctor could show her a big rock on an alien planet and she'd be absolutely enamoured.

Agnes laughed at the way Clara wiggled her eyebrows, giving her a light push, already pulling her oversized black denim jacket on in preparation to leave.

"You want me to meet Jane Austen just to watch you and her snogging in the corner?" She asked innocently and Clara grinned, her cheeks a little pinker now.

The Doctor snorted and Agnes gave him a pointed look.

"Okay, right. But you'd love her! Promise!" Agnes leaned back against the console and listened to Clara go off on a rant on what it is Agnes would love so much about the author.

There was a dull ache in her stomach and Agnes was just thinking about how weird that was because she didn't get stomach aches normally and then she was already doubled over.

"Fucking liar," she cursed, wheezing around the suffocating feeling in her chest.

"Agnes!" Clara called and then two hands grabbed her shoulders, trying to help her stay upright. Agnes tried to straighten her back but a shiver racked her body and made her bend over again.

"Deep breaths," The Doctor's voice was calm and loud enough so she could hear it over her own heartbeat.

"I am trying!" she cried, closing her eyes and trying to take deep breaths in through her nose. Without sight she quickly lost her balance, swinging and almost fell backwards.

"Take care." She heard Clara say quietly and then she was pulled back.

Falling falling falling.

Differently to last time Agnes didn't land on her feet. When she fell, she fell on her back, all the air getting punched out of her lungs. She kept her eyes tightly shut, trying to remember how to breathe. Her ears were ringing this time, too, the high-pitched tone hurting her head. But there was another sound relatively close to her ear, a loud click, irritating. There was screaming right after, even more irritating. Blinking open her eyes Agnes looked up and was met with the barrel of a rifle.

"What the fu-"

Heyooo, this time I am putting the a/n at the end of the chapter because a) I think it's probably better and b) I wanted to tease you because of that cliffhanger hehehe. Don't worry, I am planning to return to my weekly/bi-weekly posting schedule so you don't have to wait too long until the next chapter. I have Christmas holidays and maybe I'll even write some extra chapters in advance in case I am too busy with uni again in January! But what do you think? What Doctor is Agnes going to meet next? Any companions you have in mind? Any episode you think I'll do next? 👀 I am curious of what you think!

Thank you for the comment and favoriting/subbing this story! And please leave a comment if you have the time! I love getting them ehhehe.

Love, Maze