Watching the Doctor

by RedRobyn2

The Doctor is stranded in prison, dealing with the revelations of the Timeless Child and the memories of her time travelling, all alone. Until the Tardis decides enough is enough and gathers her and some of her more recent companions to help her deal with her past and make some amends by watching her adventures. Characters watch the show, set after Timeless Child/Pre-Resolution.

19. A Good Man Goes To War

Hello everyone!

Here is the highly anticipated A Good Man Goes to War - I hope it lives up to expectations (please let me know what you think!)

Next up will be Let's Kill Hitler, then maybe The Time of the Doctor? Your choice. So let me know, keep the suggestions coming, I do keep track of them I promise.

As always, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!

Keep the comments and suggestions coming, I honestly live for them.

Thank you!
Robyn

---

The group had gathered back in the kitchen, split into small groups and happily chatting away over food and hot drinks. They were enjoying the chance to calm down and discuss stories from their adventures without the pressure and tension of seeing it on screen. River, Jack and the Doctor had strolled in late and immediately grabbed some tea that had been left out for them, River nodded at Rory who had been watching them with a small smile, before joining the group. The conversation was purposely kept light as it had been a long day full of realisations and horrible stories – the last time they'd had a long break and chance to sleep was after the Timeless Child video after all and they were all glad for the chance to relax.

It didn't take long before the group started dispersing, giving their apologies as they left for their rooms. It had been a long day and they were all tired, having not realised how tired they actually were until they took a break. The Doctor and River were the last to bed, River having to almost literally drag her wife to her room to stop her thoughts spiralling as she contemplated the videos of the day.

The next morning, the group slowly congregated back in the kitchen, grabbing coffee and tea to try and wake themselves up. The chatter was quite and almost subdued compared to the laughter and loud chatter from the night before, all still too sleepy and apprehensive about what they were going to watch today – they'd seen several 'calm' videos and it felt like there was a big video coming shortly so they were all worried about what it would ensue and which of them would be involved.

The Doctor hesitated in the doorway, having noticed her wife talking with her parents in one corner of the room, there was still only half the group in the kitchen, everyone taking the chance to enjoy a calm start to the day. She knew she had to talk to several people in the group still with varying urgency but she really needed to talk to River, especially after some of the videos they'd watched yesterday. She just didn't want to take away her wife while River was enjoying time with her parents, it wasn't often that happened and she knew how much River loved her time with them. The conversation couldn't really wait but still, she hesitated.

The decision was taken out of her hands when River glanced up mid-conversation and noticed her hovering in the doorway. River smiled softly at her before turning back to her parents and muttering something before getting to her feet and moving towards where the Doctor stood.

"Morning Sweetie, how about we take this to the garden?" River grabbed the Doctor's arm and led her down the corridor without giving her a chance to answer.

The Doctor tried to organise her thoughts as River led her through the garden and towards a bench, hidden away amongst the greenery. They settled on the bench; bodies turned to face each other as much as they could when sitting next to each other. They sat in silence for several minutes, both tying to figure out where to start and what to actually say.

Surprisingly it was the Doctor who actually broke the silence. "Where are you from River?"

River squared herself, sighing but putting on a smile, "Does it really matter?"

"It does to me. Please, River I need to know." River remained silent so the Doctor continued, voice quiet and pleading. "Are you from after the library?"

"Why does it matter?"

"River." The Doctor looked into her eyes, "You know why it matters."

"I'm not sure I do."

This time it was the Doctor who paused, noticing how River was avoiding her eyes. She'd thought they had dealt with all these issues on Darillium but clearly their time apart and time in the room had given River some reservations. The Doctor waited until Rover finally met her eyes, smiling softly. "Because you matter to me."

"And yet you keep putting yourself in danger without a care about surviving." River countered.

"Why is that relevant?"

"Don't think I didn't notice how you didn't deny it." River started, narrowing her eyes at the Doctor who just kept her face blank. "It's relevant, Doctor, because you matter to me, but you don't seem to matter to you. You keep putting yourself in danger as if there aren't people that cared about you!

"You do the same thing River! How many times have your parents and I run into you in trouble?" The Doctor exploded, arguing back with hands waving in the air.

"That's different!"

"No, it's not. I'm who knows how old, and have practice with this. I know what I'm doing! You don't. I've failed your parents enough; I can't fail you anymore!"

"Oh, so this is about you again!"

"No, you're missing the point River!" The Doctor flinched back, realising suddenly that the conversation had taken a turn.

"Am I?! You could never look past my parents, it's always about my parents!" River continued arguing, not noticing how the wind seemed to have been taken out of the Doctor's sails. She was breathing heavy as she finished shouting, taken a moment to centre herself. She hadn't expected this when she'd gone to talk to the Doctor but she'd gotten so caught up in the argument that it had run away from her.

The Doctor's next words were quiet, as she stared out into the garden, slouched over. "Do you really believe that?"

River hesitated before answering, copying the Doctor and staring into the garden. "No."

The Doctor frowned, eyes still not looking at River beside her, staying quiet. Neither of them believed her and both were just waiting to see which of them would admit it first.

River broke first with a small sigh. "I used to, and I think a part of me still does, but I know you love me. Darillium made that clear, it's just hard sometimes."

"I love your parents, but in a different way to how I love you. Your parents are my friends and I love them dearly and miss them still, but you're my wife and I adore you. It took me decades to even start to come to terms with your loss after Darillium. You saw your picture on my desk." The Doctor pointed out with a vague wave of her hand.

"I know, Sweetie. I love you too, even when I wasn't supposed to." River answered back softly.

"My bespoke psychopath." The Doctor smiled, turning to face River again. Silence reigned for several minutes, listening to the fake bird song that the room used to make the garden feel more real.

"Do you really want to know?" The Doctor scrunched her face up in confusion at River's words, gaining a small exasperated smile from her wife. "Where I came from."

The Doctor's face turned blank again, as if to ward off the hurt she felt was inevitable. "Will you tell me?"

"I think you already know."

"I'm an idiot, make it clear for me." The Doctor muttered, hope rising as if to choke her.

"After the Library." River smiled softly at the Doctor who barely managed to hold back a choked sob, chest bursting with joy and hope as she looked up at River who was watching with understanding shining in her face.

"How?" The Doctor managed to choke out, questions speeding around her head so fast she couldn't vocalise them.

"You forget how much practise I have escaping different prisons." River smiled almost smugly, "Not met one that could contain me yet."

"That doesn't explain anything." The Doctor complained but couldn't stop the smile from overtaking her face.

River grinned, definitely smug this time. "You'll have to work that one out yourself, Sweetie. I promise we'll meet again though. The universe is big but not big enough to keep us separated for ever."

"Just let it try." The Doctor grinned back. The couple grinned at each other, relishing in each other's presence. They sat in joyful and pleasant silence for several minutes, neither wanting to move. It was who know how long later that Amy strolled into the room, looking around until she spotted them sitting on the bench together.

"Are you two done canoodling or do you need some more time alone?" Amy grinned at the pair.

"Amy!" The Doctor said scandalised.

River just chuckled, smiling. "We're done for now mother." She turned to the Doctor as she stood up. "Come on, we have a day of more videos to gather blackmail from."

The Doctor smiled as she stood up and the three of them strolled through the garden towards the exit, glad for River dodging the matter of their conversation around River. "I knew letting you all meet would only lead to my doom."

Amy smiled, "I think it was inevitable that we would meet. After all, someone needs to keep you in line."

The Doctor grumbled, seeing matching mischievous grins on both mother and daughter, "I hate this."

The duo laughed, "No you don't Sweetie. You love us."

"Debatable."

The trio kept chattering away as they moved out of the garden and Amy led them to the cinema room where the rest of the group had already congregated. They separated to take their normal seats, settling in as the rest of the room kept chattering away quietly, ignoring their entrance. (Well, Jack wiggled his eyebrows at River and the Doctor but the Doctor ignore him while River just grinned).

It took a few minutes for the group to quieten down, looking towards the Doctor expectantly. The Doctor smiled, glancing around the group of some of her closest friends and family (and the Master who was a category of his own), her own thoughts questioning what videos would be shown today, but she persevered.

"Well, let's see what's up next." She turned expectantly to the blank screen, waiting impatiently for the video title to appear for that would at least give her a clue as to what they would be starting the day with.

The words, 'A Good Man Goes to War' appeared and immediately her hearts plummeted in her chest. There was only one thing this title could really refer to. Her gaze snapped to Amy and Rory, feeling River shuffle closer to herself on the sofa. The pair's expressions had hardened, both making the same realisation as the Doctor had, their own eyes moving to lock onto River as if to reassure themselves she was still there.

The majority of the group were looking around to see if anyone else had any idea of what the video would be about. None of them missed the way the Doctor was watching Amy and Rory or how the couple were watching River.

"Erm, I'm guessing you know what this video is about?" Graham asked, glancing between the four of them apprehensively. Their expressions weren't promising that this would be a nice calm video to start the day.

"Unfortunately." The Doctor muttered, expression dark. This and everything leading up to Demons Run wasn't exactly her proudest moments. It was her fault that Amy and Rory had lost their child, and her fault River had suffered the childhood she had (not that it could really be called a childhood). She'd definitely given in to her darker side at points and she knew the Master would enjoy that, because of that she purposely avoided glancing in his direction.

The whole room was now glancing between the four, apprehensive at the dark looks they all shared. Nothing about this video was going to be good then.

Rory sighed, these weren't fond memories but it wasn't like they were getting a choice in watching it or not. He nudged Amy to try and stop her spiral of thoughts and 'what ifs'. He knew logically the group was going to need some context to fully understand the video, and clearly none of the others were going to give it, which meant that task fell to him. "For contexts sake, Amy was pregnant and was kidnapped by a group known as the Silence. What the Doctor and I had been travelling with was a kind of plastic avatar known as a ganger, known of us knew this until just before this video is set, I think. When we found that out, the Doctor and I gathered allies and readied an attack on their base to get Amy and the bay back. From the title, we think this is the attack."

The group listened to Rory's explanation with widening eyes, this was a whole new level of terrible and they were staring to understand why the four of them had reacted like they had. None of them were quite sure what to say to that. Clara, however, had scrunched up her face thoughtfully.

"The Silence?" She asked the Doctor, drawing the room's attention to her. "Like on Trenzalore?"

Amy and Rory's eyes had snapped to the Doctor expectantly, they'd never gotten a full answer on who the Silence were or why they'd needed to stop the Doctor and they hadn't been focussed on that – far too focussed on getting their daughter back.

The Doctor nodded at Clara but here eyes were focussed on Amy and Rory. "Yes. The cracks in space – like in Amy's bedroom – there was one more which went to Gallifrey. They wanted to come back to their proper place in space-time but needed confirmation that this was the right place, they wanted me to say my name to confirm it. The Silence was put together to stop me doing that, not that I would have anyway, as Gallifrey coming back would have restarted the Time War. This group branched off and went back in time to stop me getting to this point but-." The Doctor shrugged; expression still dark despite her deceptively nonchalant attitude. "Timey-wimey."

Amy and Rory's eyes had never left her as she explained, eager for the explanation now that River wasn't in actual danger. The explanation didn't make up for what had happened though, nothing ever would. Clara nodded along, thinking back to her time on Trenzalore, the whole 'adventure' had been overshadowed in her mind by the Doctor's regeneration but there had certainly been several comments that had made no sense to her at that point. As horrible as this video seemed like it was going to be, she couldn't deny her curiosity to get some background for both the Doctor's history with the Silence and River.

The Doctor glanced around the room again, taking in the mix of confused, horrified and apprehensive expressions. This video was going to be interesting. "Let's just watch." When no one contested her, the video started.

[Online Prequel - Space Bar backroom]

DORIUM: Gentlemen, good news. My agents have procured the exact security software that you requested. The very latest upgrade. I extracted it from the memory of a Judoon trooper. Well, I say extracted. It was quicker to take the whole brain. And to be honest, I don't think he's going to miss it.

"Ah, Dorium." Jack nodded in recognition of the black-market salesman.

"You know him?" The Doctor asked before shaking her head, "Of course, you do."

"Who is he?" Ryan asked, "You know, for all of us unaware."

River and the Doctor shared a glance before River answered, "Dorium runs a bar in the 52nd century but he's most well known as a salesman on the black market." The group nodded at the explanation, realising why the trio knew him (they didn't always stick to the straight and narrow – Jack and River seemed to make a game out of crime even). It also explained how casual he was discussing extracting a brain.

(A cloaked figure holds out its hand for the small box.)
DORIUM: Ah, ah, ah. A small matter of payment, I think.
(A pouch is held out, and he snatches it.)
DORIUM: Delightful. Oh, I do enjoy sentient money, the way it wriggles. You'll find it in the frontal lobe. Should be quite easy, there's not a lot in there. But all this to imprison one child? Oh, I know what you're up to. I hear everything in this place. I even hear rumours about whose child you've taken. Are you mad? You know the stories about the Doctor, the things that man has done. God help us if you make him angry.

The Doctor glowered at the screen; eyes furious in remembrance of what the Silence had done. Saying they had made her angry was a vast understatement. She made a mental note to keep a close eye on River, while she wasn't around for most of the attack on Demon's Run it might bring back some bad memories from her childhood. Amy and Rory were also glaring at the screen while the rest of the group glanced between the screen and the trio concerned. Several of them had seen the Doctor angry, and hurting one of their companions was certainly one guaranteed way to anger them.

The Master raised an eyebrow at that comment, he'd been listening to the Doctor's explanation for the video with excitement bubbling. He'd only heard rumours about the Silence but from everything he'd heard he may get to see the Doctor give into her darker side, which he always loved to see (it meant she wasn't as different from him as she claimed she was). He watched her glower at the screen, and knew she felt his eyes on her but was just refusing to look at him (to his annoyance).

[White room]

(On Demon's Run, an asteroid modified into a habitation, a baby has been born. Her name is Melody Pond.)
AMY: I wish I could tell you that you'll be loved, that you'll be safe and cared for and protected. But this isn't a time for lies. What you are going to be, Melody is very, very brave.

"And you are, no matter how much I wish you didn't have to be." Amy smiled sadly at her daughter, Rory holding her close to comfort them both and offer protection from the memories this video was going to induce. "But you are also very loved, always."

River smiled softly at her mother, she (obviously) didn't remember her time on Demon's Run as a baby and couldn't deny her curiosity to see this side of it. The fact that those were her mother's first words to her gave her conflicting feelings, but Amy's reassurances now lifted her heart. She didn't often get to spend time with her parents with all of them being aware of her identity, but she always savoured that time.

"Wait, that's River?" Rose asked, confused like several others in the room. They knew River was Amy and Rory's daughter but it was another thing to connect this new born baby with River (who was older than her parents).

"Yes." Rory answered, glancing between his wife and daughter. Her birth name is Melody Pond but she took the name River Song. We'd met River before this but didn't know she was our daughter." He explained, realising that might get confusing later. The parent-daughter trio gained several bewildered looks from the group, the situation just kept getting weirder.

(The Eye Patch Lady steps forward from the line of armed guards.)
KOVARIAN: Two minutes.
AMY: But not as brave as they'll have to be. Because there's someone coming. I don't know where he is, or what he's doing, but trust me, he's on his way.

Amy turned to smile at Rory, who sat up just that little bit straighter, aware that Amy was talking about him, even as some of the group glanced between the Doctor and him unsure. He'd been frantic trying to find Amy and his baby, and the Doctor had for once given up on their morals and rules so they could storm Demon's run. Knowing both his daughter and wife were safe now was the only reason he wasn't on edge, though this was likely to induce a reoccurrence of his old nightmares.

[Cyberspaceship]

(Twenty thousand light years away, non-Cybus Industries logoed but otherwise identical cybermen stomps through the corridors.)
CYBERMAN: Intruder level nine.
CYBERLEADER: Seal level nine.

The group watched the chance of scene, confused by the sudden appearance of the Cybermen, as it seemed unrelated to the matter with Amy. Even Amy and River were watching the screen confused, while Rory and the Doctor exchanged a look and small nod.

[White room]

AMY: There's a man who's never going to let us down, and not even an army can get in the way.
(Madame Kovarian comes to take the baby.)
AMY: Leave her. Just you leave her. Please leave her! Please, leave her!

The room watched, split between heartbroken and furious as they saw baby Melody/River taken from Amy. Rory's hands were clenched while Amy's eyes were locked on River to reassure herself.

"How dare they!" Donna declared, furious and not ashamed to show it. Everyone agreed with her even if none of them spoke up, far too furious to actually verbalise it and aware that they couldn't do anything as this was the past as horrible as it was to just watch.

[Cyberspaceship]

(The ship is shaking.)
CYBERMAN: Intruder level eleven.
CYBERLEADER: Seal levels twelve, thirteen and fourteen.
CYBERMAN: Intruder, level fifteen.

[White room]

(Melody is in a high-tec Moses basket.)
AMY: He's the last of his kind. He looks young, but he's lived for hundreds and hundreds of years. And wherever they take you, Melody, however scared you are, I promise you, you will never be alone. Because this man is your father.

"Wait, hold up a second." Bill spoke up, holding a hand up to emphasise her point. Her gaze turned to Rory. "Hundreds and hundreds of years?" The rest of the group made the same realisation as Bill, all turning questioningly to Rory. Anyone who had any doubts over who Amy was talking about, were completely sure in it being Rory now.

"Long story involving the cracks in space and time." Rory sighed, even while Amy and River grinned proudly. "Long story short, I spent about two thousand years as a Roman Centurion."

"I have so many more questions." Bill muttered, mind immediately jumping to her own experiences with Romans (and their fate). No one asked any further questions though, reading between the lines and realising that Rory wasn't likely to answer any questions they asked.

[Cyberspaceship]

CYBERLEADER: Prepare to engage.

[White room]

AMY: He has a name, but the people of our world know him better

[Cyberspaceship]

AMY [OC]: As the Last Centurion.

"Why are you being so dramatic?" Rory asked her wife. The one good thing about this video so far was finding out what had happened when he wasn't around, and getting to see baby Melody for real (so two good things really but he didn't want to give the bad-memory inducing video that much credit).

Amy shrugged with a small smile, "I wanted to scare them, plus reassure myself and Melody." She answered softly, gaining a small frown from her husband. It wasn't often Amy admitted weaknesses, but it showed how affected she had been by the whole mess (though who wouldn't be at having your daughter taken from you?)

RORY: I have a message and a question. A message from the Doctor and a question from me. Where is my wife? Oh, don't give me those blank looks. The Twelfth Cyber Legion monitors this entire quadrant. You hear everything. So you tell me what I need to know. You tell me now, and I'll be on my way.

The room turned to look at Rory who shifted uncomfortable under all the silently watching eyes.

"What?" He finally asked, unsure why they were all watching him.

It was Yaz that answered, "Nothing, just wasn't expecting that from you. I mean you are kind of a -." She trailed off with a wave of her hand.

"A what?" Rory asked again, expression revealing how he was only more confused now.

"A dork." Bill finished for Yaz, with an apologetic shrug.

Rory's face scrunched up as if he was about to protest, but Amy interrupted him chuckling, "They're right."

CYBERLEADER: What is the Doctor's message?
(Outside, all the other ships in the Legion explode.)
RORY: Would you like me to repeat the question?

Jack whistled, "That's certainly a message Doc."

The Doctor glared at him, more for the nickname then the comment. Amy, however, rolled her eyes. "Neither of you can call me dramatic." She pointed a finger at both the Doctor and Rory who held up their hand sin mock surrender, neither wanting to invoke Amy's wrath.

[Docking bay]

(Two Cleric soldiers are walking along.)
LUCAS: A whole Cyber Legion though. He just blew them all up to make a point.
DOMINICUS: We're being paid to fight him, not praise him. Praising costs way more.

"Seems you have some admirers even amongst the enemy." Mickey commented, with a raised eyebrow at the screen.

Amy, Rory and the Doctor all shared a glance, thinking about the young soldier that had helped them but died in the end. They didn't know why most these people worked with the Silence and they didn't really care, after all the trouble they'd caused them, the answers wouldn't change anything.

(They get into a lift.)
LUCAS: Level Minus Twenty Three Transept.

{Level -23]

LUCAS: Digger says he once chased the Atraxi off a planet, then called them back for a scolding.
DOMINICUS: Fight him, not praise him.

"I mean, he's not wrong." Clara smiled, the whole group thinking back to the video they'd watched yesterday where Chinny had first met Amy and Rory. Despite the horrible situation, they couldn't deny they were (at least) mildly entertained by the idea that these soldiers had heard stories about the Doctor and admired them in some way even though they were enemies.

TANNOY: Reminder. This base is on Yellow Alert. This base is on Yellow Alert.
(They pass a young woman doing some sewing.)

Amy, Rory and the Doctor exchanged another look and held a silent conversation. This video would at least give them a chance to learn more about this young woman, alongside how baby Melody had been stolen. They didn't like having to relive everything but it may actually answer some of their questions about the events of that time.

[Control room]

(The two Clerics have her on CCTV.)
LUCAS: Is she sewing?
DOMINICUS: She's on a break. She can do what she likes. Now try again.

Amy narrowed her eyes at what the young woman is actually sewing, realising that this was when she's made the prayer leaf with River's name on it.

(He holds up two pieces of paper.)
LUCAS: That one.
DOMINICUS: No, that's the psychic. You've got to look for the fractals. Don't look bored, we're on Yellow Alert.
LUCAS: We've been on Yellow Alert for three weeks.

"They're expecting you." Martha noted, catching the Yellow Alert comment. She was broadly ignoring the remark about identifying psychic paper as she knew far too well why they were learning that and didn't like the implications.

"They had been for a while." The Doctor nodded; eyes dark. It was times like this she hated her reputation, it hurt just as many people as it seemed to help and nothing ever changed, not really. Sensing her wife's spiralling thoughts, River nudged her in the side as a silent message of 'stop it'. The Doctor looked up to her wife who just smiled softly down at her, eyes reminding her of several of their conversations on Darillium. River held no blame for her childhood (bar Madame Kovarian) just like how the Doctor didn't blame River for trying/succeeding in killing her.

[Corridor]

TANNOY: Reminder. Do not interact with Headless Monks without divine permission. Do not interact with Headless Monks without divine permission.

"Headless monks?" Graham asked, looking like he already regretted asking.

"Exactly as it sounds." The Doctor answered with a grimace, "But you'll see."

Everyone largely ignored Ryan's comment of, "Ominous." The apprehension settled deeper in their bones.

FAT ONE: You're not supposed to stare at them. And if they think you're trying to see under their hoods, they'll kill you on the spot.

"Sounds like lovely fellows." Most people ignored Nardole's comment even though they largely agreed with the sarcasm.

THIN ONE: But why are they called the Headless Monks? They can't really be headless?
LORNA: They believe the domain of faith is the heart, and the domain of doubt is the head. They follow their hearts, that's all.

"Wouldn't a balance between the two be better?" Yaz asked, face scrunched up at the thought of being headless and in thought.

"Absolutely." The Doctor smiled proudly.

THIN ONE: You're Lorna Bucket, aren't you?
LORNA: Yeah.
THIN ONE: Hello. I'm the Thin One. This is my husband. He's the Fat One.
LORNA: Don't you have names?
FAT ONE: We're the thin fat gay married Anglican marines. Why would we need names as well?

That drew a few snickers from the group. They were all conflicted as on one side, this group of soldiers hadn't really done anything yet and the video focussing on them was unexpected but mildly entertaining, but on the other this was still the group that had kidnapped Amy and stolen baby River.

(Three Headless Monks are 'looking' at them.)
FAT ONE: Oh, looks like I'm off. Time for my conversion tutorial. See you in a bit. Do you lot have Lent? Because I'm not good at giving things up.

There was another break out of snickers at the comment. Though the group was a bit apprehensive about seeing him leave with the Monks who were giving them the heebie-jeebies.

(The Fat One leaves with the Monks.)
THIN ONE: Lorna Bucket. You've had an Encounter, haven't you? You've met him.
LORNA: I was just a kid.
THIN ONE: But what's he like? The Doctor.
LORNA: He said run.
THIN ONE: Just run?
LORNA: He said it a lot.
THIN ONE: And this was in the Gamma Forests, yeah? Because you're a Gamma girl, aren't you? What are you doing here? The Forests are heaven neutral.
LORNA: Yeah, and thirty seconds of the Doctor is the only thing that ever happened there.

"She's met you?" Rose asked, despite the video literally saying that. She just wanted the Doctor's clarification on the mater, taking the soldiers' words with a grain of salt.

"Apparently." The Doctor answered.

The group narrowed their eyes at the Doctor, reading between the lines – a talent they'd all picked up during their travels with the Doctor. "You don't remember her, do you?" Donna raised her eyebrow accusingly.

"No, I don't." The Doctor sighed, answering reluctantly. "I vaguely remember the incident she was talking about but there were several people there and I don't remember everyone I've ever met." She'd met a lot of people over the years (and that was only those she could actually remember without the memory issues) but she couldn't remember them all, no matter how much she wished she could have at least remembered Lorna.

[Conversion chamber]

(Red light.)
FAT ONE: Oh, this is nice, I like this. I mean, quite a lot of red. I hope it's not to hide the stains. What's in the little boxes?
VOICE [OC]: Welcome, applicant, to the order of the Headless. It is traditional for visiting armies of other faiths to offer individuals for conversion to our order. You have been selected. Are you ready to make a donation?
(A Monk brings forward an empty box.)

"That's not good." Mickey muttered. The whole group now knowing that the Fat One's fate wasn't pleasant. Even though he was the apparent enemy from what they'd seen he didn't deserve that.

[Corridor]

THIN ONE: So, what do you think? If the Doctor's really coming here, where is he?
LORNA: He's the Doctor. He could be anywhere in time and space.

The group smirked at that. Again, they were conflicted – for once it was satisfying to see no one was underestimating the Doctor but that was usually one of their advantages, one they'd clearly lost. The group was curious to see where the Doctor actually was though - surely, they couldn't try to storm the base when it was just the Doctor and Rory?

[London, 1888 A.D.]

(A horsedrawn cab pulls up and a woman gets out. She references Lady Penelope from Thunderbirds.)
PARKER: Whoa!
VASTRA: Thank you, Parker. I won't be needing you again tonight.
PARKER: Yus, my lady.

"Vastra." Clara smiled, looking at the Doctor for confirmation despite how sure she was in her deduction. The Doctor grinned back nodding, thinking of her old friends, she should definitely visit the Paternoster gang some point soon and see what they thought about her latest face.

"She's a friend of yours?" Martha asked, curious. Clara, River and the Doctor exchanged a glance and a mischievous smile, knowing they hadn't properly seen Madame Vastra yet.

The Doctor nodded at Martha; a fond smile prominent on her face now. "Yes, a dear friend that has helped me several times when I desperately needed it." Her mind immediately went to her time staying with them after losing Amy and Rory, the time on Trenzalore and then her time after regenerating again. Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax were dear friends that she should definitely visit more.

[Vastra's home]

(The lady goes into her house and is greeted by her maid.)
JENNY: You're back early, ma'am. Another case cracked, I assume?
(The mysterious lady puts a Samuri sword back on its stand.)
VASTRA: Send a telegram to Inspector Abberline of the yard. Jack the Ripper has claimed his last victim.
JENNY: How did you find him?
(The lady throws back her hood to reveal that she is a Silurian.)
VASTRA: Stringy, but tasty all the same. I shan't be needing dinner.
JENNY: Congratulations, ma'am. However, a matter has arisen in the drawing room.

"A Silurian?" Jack asked, blinking. Then he shook his head with a small smile. "You have the weirdest friends."

"Madame Vastra woke up in the 1880s and I ran into her in as Ears, I managed to convince her to integrate into society and she became a detective, alongside her maid and wife Jenny. Strax later joined them. They're also the inspiration for Arthur Connon Doyle's Sherlock Holmes." The Doctor explained, proud of her friends.

The group just listened before shaking their heads at the Doctor's antics, that was all just typical Doctor friendship making.

"I guess we know what happened to Jack the Ripper then." Bill muttered, that was one mystery solved, and not in the way most people believed. Conspiracy theorists would never think that an ancient lizard species found and ate Jack the Ripper after all.

[Drawing room]

JENNY: It just appeared. What does it mean?
VASTRA: It means a very old debt is to be repaid.
(It is the Tardis.)
VASTRA: Pack the cases, Jenny. And we're going to need the swords.

"You're calling in the cavalry." Yaz noted, a bit excited to see some more of the Doctor's friends. The ones they'd met (in the room and on screen) so far had been great and the way the Doctor had talked about them made them seem like they would be good to meet.

"Yes." The Doctor said, expression turning darker in memory of the attack.

[The Battle of Zaruthstra, 4037 A.D.]

HARCOURT: Nurse! Nurse! Damn it, where's the nurse!
ELEANOR: He needs help.
HARCOURT: Madame President, I'm sorry, but we have to go now! Those things could be here any second.
(A little boy is lying on a bed in the tent. He is very still. A Sontaran warrior enters.)
STRAX: Did somebody call for a nurse?

"That is a potato." Ryan remarked, pointing a finger at the screen. Several people, those that had never met a Sontarans and even some that had, nodded their heads in agreement.

The Doctor smiled but shook her head, "That's Strax, he's a Sontaran. They aren't potatoes but they have about the same brain cells as one."

"I'm hoping he's friendlier than the ones we met." Donna crossed her arms with a pointed look at the Doctor. The Doctor winced slightly at the reminder of the Atmos mess but nodded with what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

She purposely ignored Ryan's last whisper to Yaz of, "A potato." To which Yaz patted his shoulder comfortingly.

(Strax tends to the boy.)
ARTHUR: Will I be okay?
STRAX: Of course you will, my boy. You'll be up and around in no time. And perhaps one day, you and I shall meet on the field of battle, and I will destroy you for the glory of the Sontaran Empire.
ARTHUR: Thanks, Nurse.

"Erm, he has an … interesting bed manner." Rose said hesitantly, at least the young boy seemed comforted by the Sontaran's comment.

"That's Strax." The Doctor smiled, thinking of the memory worm incident with the second splinter of Clara in Victorian London.

(Strax leaves, and Harcourt follows him.)
HARCOURT: Commander Strax. I just have to ask. A Sontaran nurse?

"That is a good question. The ones we met were definitely not the type." Martha raised an eyebrow at the Doctor, the ones they'd met had been all about ending Human life in favour of a new clone world, not acting as nurses.

The Doctor shrugged, "If it doesn't explain on screen, I will in a minute." Martha nodded her consent to that and allowed the video to continue.

STRAX: I serve a penance to restore the honour of my clone batch. It is the greatest punishment a Sontaran can endure, to help the weak and sick.
HARCOURT: Who came up with that one?
(The sound of the Tardis materialising.)

The group turned to look at the Doctor all recognising the sound immediately. "So, you're the one who came up with that and you're there to get him." Amy said, it was interesting to actually see this part of the attack as she'd only been around the last half and Rory and the Doctor and only told her the vague details. The Doctor nodded, frowning in thought of why it had been necessary. At least one good thing came out of Demon's Run – Strax met with Vastra and Jenny to become the group/family they were now.

STRAX: Tonight, though, perhaps my penance is over. Captain Harcourt, I hope some day to meet you in the glory of battle, when I shall crush the life from your worthless human form. Try and get some rest.

The group smiled at that, starting to recognise that was Strax's way of showing concern which was certainly entertaining to watch.

[Stormcage]

(River Song is returning from a Regency era Frost Fair, by the looks of her clothes. The alarms are blaring. She picks up the guard's phone.)
RIVER: Oh, turn it off. I'm breaking in, not out. This is River Song, back in her cell. Oh, and I'll take breakfast at the usual time. Thank you.

"You're in prison?!" Yaz asked, sitting up straighter in her chair. She'd known that River didn't always stay on the right side of the law (as seen in the Husband of River Song video) but it was something else to see her breaking in and out of prison. Her police sense was whirling around trying to figure out why she was in there.

Amy, Rory, the Doctor and River exchanged a glance before River turned back tot eh expectant eyes watching her with a sad smile, "Yes."

"Why?" Yaz couldn't help but blurt out when River didn't elaborate. She didn't miss the silent conversation River and the Doctor seemed to have.

"I killed someone but they didn't stay dead, it was just necessary for everyone to think they were for a while." River tried to remain vague but the way she glanced at the Doctor and from the hints they'd already heard several of them put together that the one she'd 'killed' had been her wife.

Bill, however, had narrowed her eyes at the screen, taking in River's outfit. The Doctor had mentioned to her once that she'd taken River to the Frost Fair and had Stevie Wonder sing for them, was that where the River on screen was from?

(She sees a figure standing in the corridor.)
RIVER: Oh, are you boys dressing up as Romans now? I thought nobody read my memos.
RORY: Doctor Song. It's Rory. Sorry, have we met yet? Time streams. I'm not quite sure where we are.
RIVER: Yes. Yes, we've met. Hello, Rory.

Rory's eyes and entire expression softened, realising now why River had been so off during that meeting. Of course, she knew who he was, he was her father. Knowing River, it was also possible that this was after Manhattan for her, after she'd already lost them. "I'm sorry River." Rory muttered quietly to River, mourning the loss of his daughter's childhood and his time with her.

"It's okay, dad." River smiled sadly.

"No, it's not." Rory's entire face was sad and mourning, so much that it left River speechless and unable to answer back.

RORY: What's wrong?
RIVER: It's my birthday. The Doctor took me ice skating on the River Thames in 1814, the last of the great Frost Fairs. He got Stevie Wonder to sing for me under London Bridge.

"Aha! I knew it." Bill declared to herself, drawing the room's confused attention. The Doctor was smiling and chuckling softly, knowing what Bill was taking about while everyone else was confused. Bill finally noticed the wait of the room's eyes on her and she smiled sheepishly. "Oh, eh, the Doctor took me to the Frost Fair later and mentioned he'd been before. When I saw River's clothes I kinda guessed she'd come from there." The group grinned at the young woman.

RORY: Stevie Wonder sang in 1814?
RIVER: Yes, he did. But you must never tell him.
RORY: I've come from the Doctor too.
RIVER: Yes, but at a different point in time.

"Like always. Your timelines are a tangled ball of string." Amy complained with a sigh, eyeing the Doctor and River who smiled unrepentant, the pair were holding hands.

RORY: Unless there's two of them.
RIVER: Now, that's a whole different birthday.

"Sounds exciting. Remember to invite me next time." Jack flirted, with a wink.

"Jack!" The Doctor protested.

"I'll think about it Handsome." River then winked back at Jack to her wife's embarrassment.

"River!"

RORY: He needs you.
(River checks her diary.)

The group all recognised the diary as the one they'd seen with River and Eyebrows in the video they'd watched yesterday. Clearly it was how River used to keep the time lines straight.

RIVER: Demon's Run.
RORY: How, how did you know?
RIVER: I'm from his future. I always know. Why on Earth are you wearing that?

"That's a good question." Mickey said, glancing at Rory who just looked a bit embarrassed.

"Blame the Doctor." Rory rolled his eyes.

"We always do." Martha smiled, giving the Doctor a glance to make sure she knew she didn't mean it (the Doctor had a very big guilt complex for the wrong things and she didn't want to set her off).

RORY: The Doctor's idea.
RIVER: Of course. His rules of engagement. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.
RORY: Look ridiculous.
RIVER: Have you considered heels?

The father-daughter duo grinned at each other, enjoying the small time together, bantering away.

Amy grinned, happy to see her husband and daughter getting along. "At least you admit it." She remarked in reference to Rory's costume (although she had enjoyed it on their Christmas cruise before the ship failed and the Doctor had to pull a 'Christmas Carol' scheme to save them).

RORY: They've taken Amy. And our baby. The Doctor's getting some people together. We're going after her, but he needs you, too.
RIVER: I can't. Not yet, anyway.
RORY: I'm sorry?
RIVER: This is the Battle of Demon's Run. The Doctor's darkest hour. He'll rise higher than ever before and then fall so much further, and I can't be with him till the very end.

"You can't be with them because you're already there as the baby, right?" Yaz asked, trying to piece the clues together.

River nodded with a sigh; she'd hated having to turn Rory away when he'd asked for her help but her hands were tied for once. "Yes, but none of them knew that yet." Several people winced thinking about how Rory and the Doctor were going to take the refusal, and unnerved by River's words.

RORY: Why not?
RIVER: Because this is it. This is the day he finds out who I am.

"I guess the dramatics run in the family." Jack grinned in an attempt to diffuse the tension. The comment about the battle of Demon's Run was not promising in anyway, and he could only imagine how Rory and the Doctor were going to react to River saying no. The group mostly ignored him.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there." River muttered to the Doctor who smiled softly back at her.

"Don't be, I understand now. You couldn't be."

[Space bar]

(A large blue skinned alien is packing a small case.)
DORIUM: Goodbye.

"He's running scared." Rose said, with a raised eyebrow at the Doctor. It was likely she either knew or was the cause. The Doctor just waved at the screen, expression blank.

KOVARIAN: You appear to be closing down, Dorium. What have you heard?
DORIUM: That you pricked the side of a mighty beast, Madame Kovarian, and entirely failed to run. I admire your courage. I should like to admire it from afar.

"Oh, he's a smart one." Donna said, thinking back to her own experiences with the Doctor going darker – mainly her first meeting under the Thames. The Doctor's expression just turned darker at the reminder, all she wanted to do was travel the universe and yet she'd built up a reputation – one that could scare people to this extent and more. She could feel the wait of the Master's eyes on her alongside the familiar tapping on their mental link but she ignored it for now.

KOVARIAN: We've been waiting a month. He's done nothing.
DORIUM: Do you really think so? There are people all over this galaxy that owe that man a debt. By now, a few of them will have found a blue box waiting for them on their doorstep, poor devils.

"He knows you well." Mickey noted, after all Dorium was correct and they'd all seen it.

The Doctor shrugged, face deceptively blank (she wasn't liking this conversation). "We've had a few run-ins."

Amy, Rory, River and the Doctor shared a look at the reminder that they'd had Amy and baby Melody for a month before the attack. It had been part of the plan – as it gave Rory and the Doctor a chance to gather allies and to lull Kovarian into a false sense of security.

MANTON: You think he's raising an army?
DORIUM: You think he isn't? If that man is finally collecting on his debts, God help you, and God help his debtors.
MANTON: Why?
DORIUM: Colonel Manton, all those stories you've heard about him, they're not stories, they're true. Really. You're not telling me you don't know what's coming?

"I'm a bit scared to ask what kind of stories he is referring to." Graham said, eyeing the Doctor. There had been a few occasions where they'd run into people that recognised the Doctor, but not often, and it was always a mix bag of why they recognised her. The Doctor didn't meet anyone's eyes, her own gaze locked on the screen with a dark frown.

Jack and River, the two that had spent the longest travelling space-time and had heard most of the stories, shared a glance and silent conversation. It was River that answered, "There are a lot of stories about the Doctor across the universe. Honestly? They're a mix of good and bad, some told by those she saved and others by those she'd defeated. But we see the Doctor better than anyone else does, we know them better than those that listen to the stories. Trust what you already know." River squeezed the Doctor's hand in comfort, she knew how much her wife hated her reputation and she really didn't need any of her friends doubting themselves or her at this moment – the video was going to be hard enough.

MANTON: We're wasting our time here.
KOVARIAN: Agreed.
DORIUM: The asteroid, where you've made your base. Do you know why they call it Demon's Run?
MANTON: How do you know the location of our base?
DORIUM: You're with the Headless Monks. They're old customers of mine.

"You're going to get his help too, aren't you?" Martha said, more a statement then a question but the Doctor nodded in conformation anyway. Dorium had owed her a debt too and he knew lots of useful information, she would have been stupid to not get him involved.

KOVARIAN: It's just some old saying.
DORIUM: A very old saying. The oldest. Demons run when a good man goes to war.

"Que title sequence." Bill declared with a wave of her hands, trying to put some levity into the quickly darkening atmosphere of the room. She succeeded partially, drawing a few smiles from those uninvolved with the video.

(Kovarian and Manton leave. Dorium is about to leave when the Tardis sound is heard.)
DORIUM: No. No, no, please. Not me. You don't need me. Why would you need me? I'm old, I'm fat, I'm blue. You can't need me!

"Why would being blue mean he couldn't help?" Ryan asked confused, was there some space etiquette he was missing here?

The Doctor smiled slightly, recognising where Ryan's thought process had gone. "I think he was just grasping at straws for why he shouldn't be involved."

"You weren't going to listen no matter what he said." Yaz remarked, a bit unsure.

The Doctor sighed, "He was part of the start of this mess and owed me several debts, the least he could do was help clean it up." She tried to explain, knowing this side of her was always going to frighten her newest companions who hadn't had much time to see it yet (outside of interactions with the Master) and hadn't been travelling with her/known her as long as the others.

[Demon's Run]

(Colonel Manton addresses his assembled troops.)
MANTON: He is not the devil. He is not a god. He is not a goblin, or a phantom or a trickster. The Doctor is a living, breathing man, and as I look around this room I know one thing. We're sure as hell going to fix that.
(The troops cheer.)

Now the whole group was scowling at the screen, decidedly unhappy to hear how excited/determined the army was to kill the Doctor, their friend/family. It was also disheartening to see how drastically outnumbered the Doctor was from the small collection of people they'd seen him collect on screen, though he'd managed to win with worse odds before. Admittedly though, they were slightly entertained by the rumours that had apparently been going around about the Doctor – they had good reasons to be scared when they'd hurt one of his friends.

"Wait a second. Is that everyone?" Jack asked, head whipping around to face the Doctor as a thought occurred to him. "Why didn't you call me in? I would have loved to see you and you know I would have helped the moment you said one of your friends was in danger."

"I won't lie and say I didn't consider it." The Doctor started their explanation. "But you were busy with your Torchwood and I didn't want to pull you away from everything. Besides you didn't owe me anything Jack."

Jack's expression turned serious, reading between the lines. "I don't need to owe you for me to help you Doctor, you're my friend." He gave her a hard stare that told her he didn't believe her nonsense (likely it was only partially the truth) and they would be discussing it later. The Doctor avoided meeting his eyes which only served to make him more confident in his assessment.

[White room]

(Amy is watching the rally from her window. Lorna enters.)
LORNA: Sorry. I shouldn't be here. I'm meant to be at the thing. I brought you something. Your child's name in the language of my people. It's a prayer leaf and we believe, if you keep this with you, your child will always come home to you.

Amy's expression softened, she knew now that Lorna had ben genuine and had only joined to meet the Doctor again not kill him. Knowing her fate only made it worse. Rory took her hand, and smiled softly at her, "She was right, River always came home just not the way we expected most of the time." Amy nodded quietly, that was certainly true and she loved River but she couldn't help but mourn for her little Melody who she hadn't gotten to raise.

(It is what she was sewing earlier.)
AMY: Can I borrow your gun?
LORNA: Why?
AMY: Because I've got a feeling you're going to keep talking.

"Amy!" The Doctor exclaimed, shaking her head at the Scot's antics. At least being kidnapped hadn't dampened her normal attitude. Rory just sighed at his wife while River grinned proud, she had certainly got some of her attitude from her mother even if she hadn't been entirely raised by Amy and Rory.

(She turns back to the window.)
AMY: They're talking like he's famous. The Doctor isn't famous.

"You're an idiot. A semi-famous idiot, but an idiot al the same." Clara declared, staring the Doctor down. The Doctor just shrugged unable to argue and far too focussed on the screen to try.

LORNA: He meets a lot of people. Some of them remember. He's sort of like a, I don't know, a dark legend.
AMY: Dark? Have you met him?
LORNA: Yeah. But I was just a little girl.
AMY: So was I.

"But then he was late because he can't fly his ship!" Amy stared pointedly at the Doctor.

"I said I was sorry! Besides do you know how hard it is to hit the right century let alone day?" The Doctor argued, glad for the distraction.

"You've said before." Amy raised an eyebrow disbelieving; the interaction drew a few snickers from the group while the Doctor just pouted (which she would deny if anyone ever pointed it out).

LORNA: You've been with him a long time, then.
AMY: No. He came back for me.
LORNA: You must be very special.
AMY: Hey. You can wait a long time for the Doctor, but he's worth it, okay? The thing is, he's coming. No question about it. Just you make sure you're on the right side when he gets here. Not for my sake, for yours.
(Amy takes the prayer leaf.)
AMY: Thank you.

Amy frowned at the floor, Lorna had chosen their side in the end and she'd paid with it with her life. Rory squeezed her hand in comfort, understanding why Amy had trusted the young woman now. The Doctor was also frowning at the floor, mourning the young woman who'd waited for him and yet they couldn't even remember her.

The rest of the group watched, unaware of Lorna's fate, but happy to see at least one decent person in the group, they were hopeful she chose the right side and helped the Doctor in the end, but for now at least she was being kind to Amy when she was all alone.

[Demon's Run]

MANTON: On this day, in this place, the Doctor will fall.

"Not going to happen." Rose stated, they all knew this wasn't where the Doctor died (she was in the room with them to start with) or even regenerated (as Clara had been with Chinny when she regenerated) which was a small bit of comfort as the tensions started to rise in the room.

ALL: Hoo Rah!
MANTON: The man who talks, the man who reasons, the man who lies, will meet the perfect answer.
ALL Hoo Rah!
MANTON; Some of you have wondered why have we have allied ourselves with the Headless Monks. Perhaps you should have wondered why we call them Headless. It's time you knew what these guys have sacrificed for faith. As you all know, it is a Level One Heresy, punishable by death, to lower the hood of a Headless Monk. But by the divine grant of the Papal Mainframe herself, on this one and only occasion, I can show you the truth. Because these guys never can be persuaded.
(Colonel Manton lowers one Monk's hood. It has no head, just the skin of the neck tied off..)

"That is wrong … on so many levels." Bill declared, waving at the screen with a scrunched-up face. The rooms expressions revealed they agreed with her.

"I guess that explains the name." Yaz muttered, remembering Graham's earlier question.

MANTON: They never can be afraid.
(A second hood lowered.)
MANTON: And they can never, ever be
(The third hood reveals -)
DOCTOR: Surprised! Ha, ha! Hello, everyone. Guess who. Please, point a gun at me if it helps you relax.

The group all grinned at finally seeing the Doctor appear and surprise the army – the attack had begun and clearly the Doctor had a plan (for once).

"Guess they can be surprised." Martha smiled; the Doctor seemed in good spirits on screen but she had a feeling everything was only going to go downhill as River's words were echoing in her head.

"Sweetie, you really need to stop telling people to point weapons at you. It's not good for your or my health." River berated but the Doctor looked unrepentant.

"You really can't say anything about that." The Doctor argued back.

(The army takes aim, except for Lorna. The Monks get their flaming swords ready.)
DOCTOR: You're only human.

The group smiled at seeing Lorna not aim at the Doctor like the rest of the army. She certainly seemed to be choosing a side and it wasn't the Silence's. The group had mixed emotions at seeing the Doctor like this – on one hand it was good to see them confident and with a plan to rescue Amy and baby Melody but, on the other they couldn't forget River's ominous words.

[Control room]

(Lucas and Dominicus have very sharp swords at their throats.)
VASTRA: Go on, resist. I am ever so hungry.
JENNY: Now, dear. Which button controls the lights?

The room grinned, glad to see the Doctor's allies arriving and taking care of things while the Doctor held the main group's attention. Vastra and Jenny certainly seemed skilled in what they did, Clara was smiling thinking back to their time with the Paternoster gang when the Doctor had just regenerated and they needed help to survive those clockwork people. The Doctor smiled at seeing her old friends again, at least this video would allow her to see everything that had happened during the attack, including what she'd missed.

[Demon's Run]

MANTON: Doctor, you will come with me right now.
DOCTOR: Three minutes forty seconds. Amelia Pond! Get your coat!

Amy grinned at the Doctor, remembering the elation she'd felt when she'd seen and heard the Doctor arrive, knowing that Rory was on his way as well. The Doctor smiled softly back; thoughts too caught up in where everything had gone wrong to really appreciate this part.

(The lights go out for a few seconds.)
DOCTOR [OC]: I'm not a phantom.
MANTON: Doctor?
DOCTOR [OC]: I'm not a trick.
MANTON: Doctor?
DOCTOR [OC]: I'm a monk.
MANTON: Doctor, show yourself.
MAN: It's him! He's here! It's him!
(The army faces off against the Monks. A shot is fired.)
MANTON: Weapons down! Do not fire!
(A Monk kills a soldier.)
MANTON: No!

"You're turning them against each other." Donna realised, "They were already wary about the Monks and now you made it so they don't know who to trust and will be too distracted against each other to really stop you."

The Doctor nodded, smiling proudly at her. "And you say you aren't brilliant Donna Noble."

KOVARIAN: Follow me.
MANTON: Doctor! Doctor!

Amy, Rory, River and the Doctor scowled at Kovarian, all aware that she was taking baby Melody away with none of them the wiser until it was too late. Poor Rory had never gotten to actually hold his baby, only a ganger. The video would give them the chance to see the swap and everything they had missed the first time at least, even if it brought back all the bad memories associated with it.

[Control room]

(Lucas and Dominicus are tied up and sitting on the floor.)
JENNY: Clever, isn't he?
VASTRA: And rather attractive.
JENNY: You do realise he's a man, don't you, ma'am?
VASTRA: Mammals. They all look alike.
JENNY: Oh, thank you.

River looked the Doctor up and down, assessing which only served to make her nervous. It was rarely good when River looked at her like that.

"What?" The Doctor cracked and asked her wife.

"Hmmn?" River hummed, faking distraction. "Oh, nothing Sweetie. Just wondering how Vastra would react to you like this." The Doctor warily turned back to the screen, keeping an eye on her wife out of the corner of her eyes – she had a terrible feeling River was planning something.

[Demon's Run]

MANTON: Do not fire. Nobody discharge their weapon in this room. Nobody! Do not fire!
(A sonic screwdriver is in use.)

"He's not completely stupid at least." Clara muttered; the Colonel at least recognised that if his soldiers kept firing, they would be killed. She couldn't blame the Doctor for their actions here – the Silence had taken Amy and stolen their baby and she'd seen (personally) the lengths the Doctor would go to protect their friends from harm, especially when they felt it was their fault. She'd also seen the start/end of the Doctor's interactions with the Church/Silence and she couldn't help but blame them for this as well as the Doctor's regeneration on Trenzalore so she wasn't feeling particularly sympathetic to the soldiers, even if she did feel slightly sorry for some of the foot soldiers who were just following orders.

[Control room]

(Lucas is eyeing the door lock control.)
VASTRA: Was I being insensitive again, dear? I don't know why you put up with me.
(She turns and lashes Lucas with her extendible tongue.)

"That is gross … but at least she stopped him before he could do anything." Bill grimaced, she was glad to see a pair of happily married lesbians on screen and made a mental note to ask the Doctor to introduce her to them, even if one was a lizard that liked to eat people – clearly those documentaries she'd watched on Netflix hadn't been too far off.

[Demon's Run]

MANTON: Stop. Wait. Listen to me. I am disarming my weapon pack. Monks, I do this in good faith. I am now unarmed. All of you, discharge your weapon packs. The Doctor is trying to make fools of us. We are soldiers of God. We are not fools. We are not fools. We are not fools. We are not fools.
SOLDIER: We are not fools!
MANTON: We are not fools.
SOLDIERS: We are not fools.
MANTON: We are not fools.
SOLDIER 2: We are not fools.

"You are absolutely fools, as that is clearly what the Doctor wants." Martha shook her head, "You're now unarmed and distracted."

"You do know they can't hear you right?" Mickey gained a glare from his wife for his comment.

[Control station]

VASTRA: Colonel Manton is regaining control.
JENNY: Where's the Doctor gone?

"That is a very good question." Rose said, glancing back at the screen who smirked purposely mysteriously and waved to the screen in answer.

[Demon's Run]

(Lorna has left the assembly and found a discarded habit in a corridor. She runs on.)

"She wasn't stupid enough to stick around." Yaz muttered. The group watched the young woman curious to know what she was going to do as she'd clearly chosen her side.

ALL: We are not fools. We are not fools. We are not fools.
(Silurians beam in to the galleries around the assembly. Some Judoons appear, too)
STRAX: This base is now under our command.

"The cavalry has arrived." Jack grinned, the Doctor was suddenly no longer outnumbered and Demon's Run had been taken with remarkably little bloodshed (so far). "Still feeling left out Doctor." The Doctor pointedly ignored him (just as she was ignoring the Master's continuous attempts to talk to her through the mental link).

MANTON: I have a fleet out there. If Demon's Run goes down, there's an automatic distress call.
DOCTOR [OC]: Not if we knock out your communications array. And you've got incoming.
PILOT [OC]: Danny Boy to the Doctor. Danny Boy to the Doctor.
DOCTOR: Give 'em hell, Danny Boy.
(The Spitfires strafe the asteroid's communications array.)

"Am I seeing things or are those Spitfires?" Clara remarked, blinking as if to ward away the 'illusions'.

"No definitely seeing those too." Ryan answered back, looking equally disbelieving. The group all turned to the Doctor who was grinning wildly at seeing the Spitfire planes attacking the asteroids.

It was Amy who explained however, she hadn't gotten the chance to actually see them the first time and was enjoying seeing them attack the asteroid's communications. "Winston Churchill phoned us when I was travelling alone with the Doctor shortly after leaving with him. There was a problem with some Daleks and we beat them with the Spitfires in space so they've had practise."

"That explains so much and yet so little at the same time." Bill muttered. Amy and the Doctor were just grinning but refused to answer anymore questions while both Rory and River rolled their eyes at their wives.

[Corridor]

KOVARIAN: I need to get off this station now. Bring me the child!

The mood in the room instantly plummeted. Amy, Rory and the Doctor scowled at the screen remembering how Kovarian had succeeded in stealing baby Melody. The Doctor squeezed River's hand in an attempt to comfort her, recognising the brave face her wife was putting on, she knew how much her childhood haunted River some times and this was only bringing up bad memories she'd done her best to bury.

[Demon's Run]

PILOT [OC]: Target destroyed.
STRAX: Don't slump. It's bad for your spine.

[Outside the airlock]

(Madame Kovarian's guard have brought Melody in her sealed up Moses basket.)
KOVARIAN: Get back in there with the rest of them. Remember, the Doctor must think he's winning, right until the trap closes. I'll take my ship from here.

The room was all scowling at the screen, they'd already hated Kovarian from the little they'd seen of her but now they outright despised her – here she was so causally staling little baby Melody from her parents, one of which she'd kidnapped. They were also nervous at the mention of the trap, all thinking that must be what River's words ere referring to earlier.

(Lorna has overheard her.)

"She's going to tell you, right? Please tell me she's going to tell you." Martha sighed; if Lorna told them, they would at least have a chance to be prepared for the trap. By the dak expressions on the group's faces she could only guess that even if Lorna had told them, they'd still gotten caught in the trap.

COMPUTER: Airlock engaged. Shuttle ready for boarding.
RORY: No.
KOVARIAN: I have a crew of twenty. How do you expect to gain control of my ship?
(The airlock opens. A pirate captain and his young son step out.)
AVERY: This ship is ours, milady.

"Pirates? When did you meet pirates?" Rose asked curious. The Doctor's friends were always weird people but this was certainly an extreme example of it.

"Don't forget the siren." Amy added in, purposely trying to sow seeds of chaos in an attempt to distract herself from the horror she knew was coming.

Rory sighed at his wife while the Doctor shook her head at her antics, both aware of what she was trying to do. "It wasn't an actual siren." She ignored Amy and Rory's mumble of 'it certainly looked and acted like a siren'. "She was a computed generated doctor trying to care for an injured crew but her settings went a bit wrong. We managed to save Captain Avery and his son Toby and they took over control of the spaceship in the end." She explained, getting some hesitant nods of understanding but generally more confused looks than anything else.

[Control room]

(Strax marches Manton in at gunpoint.)
STRAX: All airlocks sealed. Resistance neutralised.
DOCTOR: Sorry, Colonel Manton. I lied. Three minutes forty two seconds.

"You're getting cocky." River remarked quietly to the Doctor who only scowled in remembrance of what was about to come. She'd been so confident they'd won but still fallen right into the trap Kovarian had set for them.

STRAX: Colonel Manton, you will give the order for your men to withdraw.
DOCTOR: No. Colonel Manton, I want you to tell your men to run away.
MANTON: You what?
DOCTOR: Those words. Run away. I want you to be famous for those exact words. I want people to call you Colonel Run Away. I want children laughing outside your door, because they've found the house of Colonel Run Away. And, when people come to you, and ask if trying to get to me through the people I love is in any way a good idea, I want you to tell them your name. Oh, look, I'm angry. That's new. I'm really not sure what's going to happen now.

The room shifted uncomfortable at seeing the Doctor like this, if there was one thing guaranteed to set of their anger it was hurting/taking one of their companions and Kovarian and Manton had certainly done that but this was the Doctor on the edge which was never a good thing to see.

The Doctor watched ashamed of her past actions, and even more ashamed that she still didn't really regret them. Getting over confident, yes? Making a point with Colonel Manton, not really. In her distraction she let the Master finally slip thought he cracks and open their dormant mental link.

"Nice to see you give into your darkness, dear. Do you think your latest pets will still stand by you, knowing what they know now?"

"Shut up." She scowled at him, pushing a feeling of annoyance-anger-frustration-sadness across by accident, which probably didn't help her case. "Yes, I gave into my anger, but unlike you it was to protect people I care about. You allow your anger to rule you and destroy everything for no reason. That's the difference between us."

"No reason! No reason! All these millennium and you still believe that? Your pets are right, you are an idiot." She could feel the fury radiating off him, both through the mental link and through the scowl he was aiming at her from across the room.

"And what reason could you possibly have? You revel in the destruction and chaos. What reason could you have to justify everything you've done. Nothing matters to you bar yourself."

"If you don't know by this point, I doubt you ever will."

"And what does that mean?" Now it was her frustration that was permeating through the mental link. She had reached her limit with all his riddles and justifications for hurting her and her friends.

"You. It is and always been you. For you, because of you, all you." With that final declaration, the Master closed of the link again, fortifying it on his side to prevent any emotions leaking out and across to her. That was fine with her, she was stunned speechless by the turn that conversation had taken.

KOVARIAN: The anger of a good man is not a problem. Good men have too many rules.
DOCTOR: Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many.

Clara and the Doctor exchanged a look, both thinking about their time in the graveyard with the Cyber-army. She was no good man (woman? Person?) but neither was she bad. She had rules for a reason but they didn't stop her getting back at those that hurt her own, as was being showcased.

KOVARIAN: Give the order. Give the order, Colonel Run Away.

"Shots fired." Bill muttered quietly, the tension almost suffocating as the room was on edge. It seemed like Kovarian was surrendering and they'd won, but River's words still lingered making them all doubt that. There was still something to come and it wasn't going to be good.

[White room]

(Someone is hammering at the door. Amy rummages in a drawer and finds what might be an electric toothbrush.)
AMY: Who's that? Who's there? You watch it, because I'm armed and really dangerous, and cross.

"Amazing weapon, mother." River smiled teasingly at Amy. Even though the baby wasn't actually her, her heart was soaring at seeing her mother so ready to defend herself despite having no proper weapons.

"She doesn't need any." The Doctor remarked with her own smile. "A cross Amy is a scary Amy."

RORY [OC]: Yeah, like I don't know that.
AMY: Rory? Rory, is that you.
RORY [OC]: Yeah, it's me. Look, hang on a minute.

The group was grinning widely, the tension lessening for a few minutes at seeing the reunion between the married couple. The pair smiled at each other, not quite ready to celebrate yet as they knew the worst loss was still to come.

(It sounds like Rory is trying to sonic his way in.)
AMY: They took her. Rory, they took our baby away.
(The door opens. Rory is carrying Melody.)
RORY: Now, Mrs Williams, that is never, ever going to happen.

While the majority of the group smiled at seeing the reunion between parents and baby, but none of them noticed the dark scowls my, Rory and the Doctor were sporting. River was just watching sadly; her parents had been so elated to have 'her' back and it had all been a trap. Rory was especially furious, the knowledge he'd never gotten to hold his baby girl had always haunted him and here it was being shoved in his face again.

AMY: Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Where's she been? What have they done to her?
RORY: She's fine. Amy, she's fine. I checked. She's beautiful. Oh God, I was going to be cool. I wanted to be cool. Look at me.

"There was never any chance of you being cool, Stupid Face." Amy muttered quietly to Rory, uncharacteristically softly. The pair holding each other to comfort them through their grief.

The rest of the group was watching quietly, aware that this was a very private (and heart touching) scene that they shouldn't actually be privy too. The Doctor was doing her best to offer Rover comfort, knowing she never actually got the love of her parents in the way she should have.

AMY: You're okay. Crying Roman with a baby. Definitely cool. Come here, you.
DOCTOR: Urgh. Kissing and crying. I'll, I'll be back in a bit.
RORY: Oi, you. Get in here, now. My daughter. What do you think?
DOCTOR: Hello. Hello, baby.

"You're part of the family, Doctor. There was no way you were getting out of that." Rory smiled softly at his son/daughter/child in law who was cuddled up close to his daughter. The Doctor smiled softly back, unable to repress her guilt for being the cause of the situation and reason they had lost baby Melody.

AMY: Melody.
DOCTOR: Melody? Hello, Melody Pond.
RORY: Melody Williams.
AMY: Is a geography teacher. Melody Pond is a superhero.

"It's a beautiful name." Martha offered quietly, smiling softly as she watched the lovely scenes on the screen.

Amy looked at her assessing for a minute before smiling back knowingly, "You're a mother too, aren't you?"

The room whipped around to face Martha. Rose, the Doctor, Jack and Donna especially curious to hear the answer. Martha and Mickey smiled at each other before Martha smiled back at Amy nodding, "Yes, we have a son – August. He's only a toddler at the minute."

"Congratulations!" Rose exclaimed, earnest smile shinning on her face. Though the look she gave Mickey told him she would be interrogating him on why he hadn't told her later. "But, aren't you worried about him?" She finished cautiously.

Mickey shook his head, with a soft reassuring smile. "He was staying with Martha's sister Tish when we got teleported to the room. And the Tardis said no time would pass." He shrugged, it was more the case that they were confident in the Tardis and knew August was safe that let them be so calm. There was a bit more chatter, mostly congratulations, before the group quietened down and the video continued to play.

DOCTOR: Well yes, I suppose she does smell nice. Never really sniffed her. Maybe I should give it a go. Amelia Pond, come here.

Half the room turned bewildered to the Doctor, confused by what they were saying. Amy and Rory just rolled their eyes, turning to their daughter who was looking slightly embarrassed by what she'd been saying as a baby.

"What are you going on about this time?" Donna asked, with a dramatic sigh.

"I speak baby." The Doctor replied, only to receive even more bewildered looks.

"You're pulling my leg now Doc." Graham blinked.

"Nope, complete truth Graham." The Doctor smiled. Amy and Rory nodded along in confirmation, stopping any more questions but not the confused and entertained looks.

AMY: Doctor.
DOCTOR: I'm sorry we were so long.
AMY: It's okay. I knew you were coming. Both of you. My boys.

Amy grinned at the pair, who grinned back. They were certainly her boys, even if the Doctor now looked female. That would never change.

DOCTOR: It's okay. She's still all yours. And really, you should call her mummy, not big milk thing.
AMY: Okay, what are you doing?
DOCTOR: I speak Baby.
AMY: No, you don't.
DOCTOR: I speak everything, don't I, Melody Pond. No, it's not. it's cool.

"That's our daughter." Amy smiled at River, "Already judging the Doctor's fashion sense." The Doctor pouted while the rest of the group started chuckling. It confirmed the Doctor spoke Baby, despite how disbelieving it sounded.

VASTRA: Doctor? Take a look. They're leaving. Demon's Run is ours without a drop of blood spilled. My friend, you have never risen higher.

"And now all that is left is the fall." The Doctor muttered quietly, unheard by anyone outside of River and Jack who shared a concerned look over her head. Things only unravelled from here.

[Outside the Tardis]

(Amy carried Melody out of the Tardis.)
RORY: Hey, what's wrong?
AMY: She doesn't like the Tardis noise. I asked him to turn something off, but it was all, but I don't want to punch a hole in the space-time continuum. Shush.

Amy narrowed here eyes at the Doctor, before pointing a finger at him. "Lies! All you had to do was turn the brake off."

The Doctor held her hands up in mock surrender, "The Tardis wanted to talk to her, it's not my fault baby Melody didn't like the sound. Amy only narrowed her eyes further but didn't make another comment.

JENNY: Rory! The Judoon have escorted the Clerics out of the quadrant. Spitfires have returned to their own time. Captain Avery and his men are going. Is she all right?

"All your back up is leaving." Jack muttered nervously, edging a glance at the Doctor who shared her own exchange with River, Amy and Rory which did not reassure him.

AMY: Yes, she's just crying.
STRAX: Give her to me, human fool. She needs changing.
AMY: I just changed her. I think she might need a feed.
STRAX: A feed, of course. I'll take care of everything.
RORY: Er, I really don't think you will, actually.
STRAX: I have gene-spliced myself for all nursing duties. I can produce magnificent quantities of lactic fluid.

"That was something I never wanted to hear." Bill declared, pulling a face.

(The Doctor comes out of the Tardis with a wooden cot that has an orrary dangling over it.)

The Master's head snapped around to stare at the Doctor who refused to meet his eyes. He recognised that crib – it had been the Doctor's, and then the Doctor's children and grandchildren. He hadn't known that the Doctor kept it, although he should have known, she was very sentimental and kept most of her stuff, albeit hidden away from human eyes in the Tardis.

The rest of the room noticed the interaction but didn't quite know what it signified, outside of Amy and Rory who gave the Doctor sympathetic looks. If anyone could understand the Doctor's pain of losing children it was them, although the situation was entirely different in many ways.

DOCTOR: She's not hungry, she's tired. Sorry, Melody, they're just not listening.
AMY: What's this?
DOCTOR: Very pretty, according to your daughter.

"It is Sweetie." River murmured to the Doctor, recognising the significance of the crib. "Thank you." The Doctor could read through the lines, River was thanking her for looking after baby her, looking after her parents and for bringing out the crib despite its significance.

RORY: It's a, it's a cot.
DOCTOR: No flies on the Roman. Give her here.
AMY: Hey, there we go.
RORY: But where would you get a cot?

The room all turned to the Doctor, all a bit hesitant to ask as they knew the Doctor had had children and grandchildren at one point. Donna was the one brave enough to ask, voice deceptively soft, "Was that your children's crib?" Donna's mind was thinking back to the video they'd watched the other day, thinking about the revelations made due to Jenny's existence.

The Doctor hesitated, face openly showing grief and wistfulness as she glanced at the crib. Taking a deep breath, she looked around the room, registering all the sad and concerned looks she was being shot. "Yes." She answered quietly. "It was my crib, my sibling's crib, my children's crib and my grandchildren's crib. And now my wife's."

The group was quiet at that revelation, eyes not meeting the Doctor's. Whenever her past on Gallifrey or family was brought up it left the group unsure about what to say, as there wasn't really anything they could offer for comfort.

AMY: It's old. Really old. Doctor, er, do you have children?
DOCTOR: No.
AMY: Have you ever had children?
DOCTOR: No, it's real. It's my hair.
AMY: Who slept in here?

Amy eyes the Doctor sadly, knowing she'd been pushing questions and he'd been avoiding them. She did feel a bit guilty for pushing the questions when he so clearly didn't want to answer, especially as she knew the pain of losing her children. The Doctor met her gaze, understanding and grief shining in her eyes, but she managed a small shaky smile – she understood why Amy was desperate for answers.

VASTRA [OC]: Doctor, we need you in the main control room.
DOCTOR: Be right there! Things to do. I've still got to work out what this base is for. We can't leave till we know.

Amy, Rory, River and the Doctor shared a knowing glance – they knew now what the base was for and why they wanted baby Melody and they hated it. "I'm sorry." The Doctor murmured to River, knowing it was her fault that River had been raised as a weapon. "It wasn't your fault, Sweetie. Blame Kovarian if you want to blame anyone." The Doctor looked doubtful but didn't argue for the moment.

"Why did they want your baby?" Yaz asked, her police sense coming to the front of her brain. Then she winced at how the question sounded, mouthing 'sorry' to Amy and Rory.

"For nothing good." Amy scowled at the screen, unprepared to answer any more questions. The group eyed her nervously but recognised that she wasn't going to say anymore.

AMY: But this is where I was? The whole time I thought I was on the Tardis, I was really here?

"Wait what?" Mickey asked, utterly bewildered.

The four exchanged another look before the Doctor sighed and started to explain, "They replaced Amy with a ganger sometime before the incident with the Tardis being put in a human body, but for Amy it felt like she was with us the entire time until she went into labour and we discovered it wasn't actually her." The group frowned at that, realising Amy must have been kidnapped for quite some time.

DOCTOR: Er, Centurian, permission to hug?
RORY: Be aware, I do have a sword.
DOCTOR: At all times. You were on the Tardis, too. Your heart, your mind, your soul. But physically, yes, you were still in this place.
AMY: And when I saw that face looking through the hatch, that woman looking at me.
DOCTOR: Reality bleeding through. They must have taken you quite a while back. Just before America.

"America?" Martha asked, curious despite how she was frowning as the Doctor painted a picture of Amy's time as a ganger.

"Don't ask." Rory groaned.

"We really don't have good luck with America." Amy sighed; their first trip to America had been the mess with the Doctor 'dying' and then the next trip they had 'died' and gotten sent back in time by the Angels.

Rory seemed to consider that for a second before sighing in agreement, "We really don't, do we."

RORY: That's probably enough hugging now. So her Flesh avatar was with us all that time. But that means they were projecting a control signal right into the Tardis wherever we were in time and space.
DOCTOR: Yeah, they're very clever.
AMY: Who are?
RORY: Whoever wants our baby.

"The Silence were unfortunately clever but very stupid." River said with her own sigh.

"Aren't those the same thing?" Ryan asked unsure.

"No, they are not mutually exclusive. Like how the Doctor is a genius but also an idiot." Ryan nodded at River's explanation, while the Doctor pouted.

AMY: But why do they want her?
DOCTOR: Exactly.
RORY: Is there anything you're not telling us? You knew Amy wasn't real. You never said.

"You knew! You knew and didn't tell them?!" Donna exclaimed, furious for the young couple as she turned on the Doctor.

The Doctor winced at Donna's anger but didn't even try to muster any excuses just waving to the screen. That action only drew a more furious glare from Donna who reluctantly turned to the screen after a minute. The Doctor did however, mouth a 'sorry' to Amy and Rory.

DOCTOR: Well, I couldn't be sure they weren't listening.
AMY: But you always hold out on us. Please, not this time. Doctor, it's our baby. Tell us something. One little thing.
DOCTOR: It's mine.
RORY: What is?
DOCTOR: The cot. It's my cot. I slept in there.
AMY: Oh, my God. It's the Doctor's first stars.

Rose looked at the Doctor with narrowed eyes, "You told them something you know they wanted to know and technically did follow their request while also avoiding the main argument."

"It's a skill the Doctor's unfortunately mastered after all these years." River answered for her, while the Doctor schooled her face blank. The crib was still bringing back memories both good and bad and that wasn't a distraction she could afford at the minute.

The rest of the group eyed the crib with a new light, Amy's comment echoing in their heads. Although there was also the thought of it may have not been her first stars if the Timeless Child thing was to be considered.

RORY: She's
(Amy wipes Melody's dribble with the prayer leaf.)
STRAX: Drop your weapons. State your rank and intent. I found it listening at the door.
(It is Lorna.)

"Good." Martha muttered; Lorna had managed to find the group so she could tell them about the trap. The tension immediately rose in the room again, as there was still the possibility of the trap Kovarian mentioned.

[Control room]

DOCTOR: You've hacked into their software, then?
DORIUM: I believe I sold it to them.

"He's definitely helpful then." Mickey whistled, earning a nod from the Doctor.

DOCTOR: Ooo. So what have we learned?
VASTRA: That anger is always the shortest distance to a mistake.
DOCTOR: I'm sorry?
VASTRA: The words of an old friend who once found me in the London Underground, attempting to avenge my sisters on perfectly innocent tunnel diggers.
DOCTOR: Well, you were very cross at the time.

"That's how you met Vastra?" Clara asked, she'd never got the full story from either the Doctor or Vastra but it would certainly make sense.

"Yes." The Doctor smiled, thinking of her friend, Vastra was very wise and willing to speak up and deal with her nonsense even when others wouldn't. River was smiling as well, there was a reason she liked Vastra after all (several actually) but her ability to call the Doctor out on her nonsense was one of them.

VASTRA: As you were today, old friend. Point taken, I hope. Now, I have a question. A simple one. Is Melody human?
DOCTOR: Sorry, what? Of course she is. Completely human. What are you talking about?
DORIUM: They've been scanning her since she was born, and I think they found what they were looking for.
DOCTOR: Human DNA.
VASTRA: Look closer. Human plus. Specifically, human plus Time Lord.

"You didn't know?" Nardole asked.

The Doctor sighed, "I didn't have any reason to expect otherwise. Both her parents were human and I'd never had a married couple in the Tardis before." Amy and Rory exchanged a glance, Rory's face was a bit red as they realised what was going to be discussed.

[Outside the Tardis]

LORNA: I heard her talking. This is a trap. Why would I lie to you?
RORY: Well, you might want to take a look at your uniform.

"I mean you don't exactly have any reason to believe her, you hadn't met her before." Martha tried to reassure Rory noticing his guilty face. Rory smiled at her in thanks to which Martha smiled back – medical professions had to stick together after all.

LORNA: The only reason I joined the Clerics was so I could meet the Doctor again.
JENNY: You wanted to meet him, so you joined an army to fight him?
LORNA: Well, how else do you meet a great warrior?
AMY: He's not a warrior.
LORNA: Then why is he called the Doctor?

"What does that mean?" Rose looked taken aback by that comment, as did several others in the group.

River, Jack and the Doctor shared a glance before the Doctor sighed and started to explain, "The word Doctor means different thing to different places. Where Lorna's from recognises the word differently to how you do." Some of the group nodded in understanding while the rest of the group have her assessing looks – they had more questions they just weren't going to ask them now.

(The lights go out.)
LORNA: It's starting. Please, listen to me.

The tensions immediately rose again at the reminder of the trap – things weren't over then.

[Control room]

DOCTOR: But she's human. She's Amy and Rory's daughter.
VASTRA: You've told me about your people. They became what they did through prolonged exposure to the time vortex. The Untempered Schism.

"You told her about the Time Lords?" Jack asked, curious. The Doctor must really trust Vastra to tell her that much, usually it was like pulling water out of a stone to get information out of the Doctor about the Time Lords and Gallifrey (for understandable reasons).

"Yes, I've known Vastra a long time, longer than I've known you even. She's trustworthy and has helped me on several occasions." The Doctor smiled wistfully, she really needed to visit Victorian London again and soon.

DOCTOR: Over billions of years. It didn't just happen.
VASTRA: So how close is she? Could she even regenerate?
DOCTOR: No, no. I don't think so.
VASTRA: You don't sound so sure.
DOCTOR: Because I don't understand how this happened.

"It turns out she can regenerate." The Doctor muttered, eyeing River. From the look on Amy and Rory' faces they were also thinking about Mel's regeneration in Berlin. The rest of the group gave both River and the Doctor curious looks, secretly wondering how many times River had regenerated.

VASTRA: Which leads me to ask when did it happen?
DOCTOR: When?
VASTRA: I am trying to be delicate. I know how you can blush. When did this baby begin?
DOCTOR: Oh, you mean
VASTRA: Quite.
DOCTOR: Well, how would I know? That's all human-y, private stuff. It just sort of goes on. They don't put up a balloon, or anything.

The group was chuckling at how red the Doctor's face was turning in the room and how flustered they seemed on screen, it was definitely one guaranteed topic to fluster the Doctor. Rory's face was also turning red while Amy shook her head at the pair of them, honestly both her boys were easily embarrassed.

VASTRA: But could the child have begun on the Tardis in flight, in the vortex.
DOCTOR: No! No! Impossible! It's all running about, sexy fish vampires and blowing up stuff. And Rory wasn't even there at the beginning. Then he was dead, then he didn't exist, then he was plastic. Then I had to reboot the whole universe. Long story. So, technically the first time they were on the Tardis together in this version of reality, was on their w

"I have so many questions about all of that." Bill declared, eyeing Amy, Rory, the Doctor and River as she waved at the screen. Several others were also doing the same thing, there was so many concerning things in the Doctor's rambled rant.

"Don't ask." Rory sighed, rubbing his forehead as if to ward of a headache. "Please, don't ask."

VASTRA: On their what?
DOCTOR: On their wedding night.

"And you expect them not to have some fun?" Jack asked, wiggling his eyebrows at both the Doctor and the married couple in question. It only served to make Rory blush harder and the Doctor hide her face in her hands.

[Outside the Tardis]

STRAX: Confirmed. No life forms registering on this base, except us and the Silurians.
LORNA: The Headless Monks aren't alive. They don't register as life forms.
(And one is creeping up on a Silurian warrior.)

"That's not good. That's really not good." Ryan muttered as they watched the Headless Monk come up behind the Silurian warrior.

"At least Lorna's warned them." Yaz sighed, she could feel that this was going to go bad any second.

[Control room]

DOCTOR: It doesn't make sense. You can't just cook yourself a Time Lord.
VASTRA: Of course not. But you gave them one hell of a start, and they've been working very hard ever since.
DORIUM: And yet they gave in so easily. Does this not that bother anyone else?
DOCTOR: Amy. She worried the baby would have a time head. She said that

"And I was right." Amy crossed her arms, giving the Doctor a mock glare.

"Not really." The Doctor argued.

Amy's glare intensified, "I. Was. Right." The Doctor held her hands up in surrender, she really didn't want to get on the wrong side of the angry Scot.

VASTRA: Only you would ignore the instincts of a mother.
DORIUM: Or the instincts of a coward. This is too easy. There's something wrong.
DOCTOR: Why even do it? Even if you could get your hands on a brand new Time Lord, what for?
VASTRA: A weapon?
DOCTOR: Why would a Time Lord be a weapon?
VASTRA: Well, they've seen you.
DOCTOR: Me?

The tension of the room skyrocketed, most of the group started shooting River concerned glances – it would certainly explain her attitude and antics that they'd already seen. The Doctor was scowling at the screen, both in memory of what the Silence did to baby Melody/River and also at the comment of her being a weapon – she resented that, she wasn't a weapon. Dangerous? Yes, but a weapon, no.

VASTRA: Mister Maldovar, you're right. This was too easy. We should get back to the others.
(Vastra and Dorium leave.)
DOCTOR: Me?

"You realised why they wanted a weapon." River noted, more a statement then a question. The Doctor nodded, still frowning. Amy and Rory were scowling while the rest of the group watched the interaction confused but nervous about the answer.

(The Doctor thinks back to the warehouse in 1969.)
RIVER [memory]: I'd say she's human, going by the life-support software. She climbed out of the suit, like she forced her way out. She must be incredibly strong.
KOVARIAN [on screen]: I see you accessed our files. Do you understand yet? Oh, don't worry, I'm a long way away. But I like to keep tabs on you. The child, then. What do you think?
DOCTOR: What is she?
KOVARIAN [on screen]: Hope. Hope in this endless, bitter war.
DOCTOR: What war? Against who?
KOVARIAN [on screen]: Against you, Doctor.

"First of all – what is that from?" Clara asked, turning to the Doctor as the memory and subsequent scene on screen ended. "Second, this was to stop you from bringing back Gallifrey right? The Trenzalore mess?"

The Doctor nodded, face blank as the memories of Trenzalore resurfaced (and here was a lot of them, 900 years in fact). "That is from America, long story, don't ask. But for your second question – yes, they wanted to keep the silence and stop Gallifrey and then the Time War's return. They thought the only way to do that would be to kill me, hence River as a weapon. Need a Time Lord to kill a Time Lord." She sighed.

The group listened to the explanation with growing horror at the convoluted lengths the Silence/Church had gone through to stop everything. Amy and Rory were scowling at the screen, hating the whole mess even more the they already did and they weren't sure that had even been possible.

"Would you have?" Rory asked.

"Would I have what?" The Doctor asked, face furrowing in confusion.

"Would you have brought Gallifrey back?" Rory asked, face hard.

It was Clara who answered before the Doctor got a chance to. "He spent 900 years fighting a war single handed. The Church wanted to destroy Trenzalore where the crack was and he spent 900 years defending Trenzalore, knowing he would die there. He refused to bring back Gallifrey but also refused to allow the planet to be destroyed and all the innocents killed."

The Doctor offered a weak smile to Clara for the defence, she didn't really feel like she deserved it as River had still been taken because of her in the end. River gave the Doctor a concerned look, she hadn't heard that full story (no one had outside of Clara) and she could almost feel the Doctor heading towards a guilt spiral.

[Outside the Tardis]

(The Monks are on the move. A white light cone appears around the Tardis.)
AMY: What's that?
VASTRA: A force field.
LORNA: And those are the doors locking.
VASTRA: Apparently we're not leaving.

"Really not good. Why does everything always go wrong?" Mickey bemoaned their lives. Several people nodded along, sympathetic with Mickey's complaints.

RORY: Is that the Monks?
DORIUM: Oh, dear God. That's the attack prayer.
RORY: Quick, come with me.
VASTRA: Commander Strax!
STRAX: I'm trying to seal off this area of the lighting grid.
VASTRA: This is where we'll make our stand. Clear lines of sight on all approaches.
(Rory hides Amy and Melody behind some boxes.)

The group smiled at seeing Rory so ready to defend his wife and baby daughter, looking brave in the face of incoming danger. Despite that the tension was high in the room as danger was imminent and the trap was about to be snapped close around them.

AMY: Rory, no offence to the others, but you let them all die first, okay?
RORY: You're so Scottish.

"And don't you ever forget it, Stupid." Amy grinned at her husband, putting on a brave face as she realised what was about to happen.

VASTRA: Centurian, you're needed!
LORNA: There should be some plasma pistols somewhere. They left everything.
STRAX: Then find them, boy!
VASTRA: She's definitely a girl.

"Oh, Strax." The Doctor shook her head at the Sontaran.

Clara smiled softly, "He's never been good with gender, has he?"

JENNY: Oh, stop it!
DORIUM: We don't have to fight them. I'm friends to the Monks. They know me.
RORY: Yeah, and they know you just sold them out to the Doctor.
DORIUM: Oh, they'll understand it's only me. Only silly old me. You understand, don't you?

The Doctor grimaced, remembering what was about to happen. Dorium was a lot of things but he hadn't deserved this, but at least it wasn't his final death. The rest of the group watched apprehensive; things were going too well so they had to go horribly wrong any second.

VASTRA: Mister Maldovar, get back here!
STRAX: Arm yourself, fool!
RORY: Dorium!
(Dorium walks into the darkness, arms outstretched. There is a swish of metal, and something falls to the floor.)
VASTRA: Mister Maldovar?
RORY: Dorium?
(Two Monks escort the headless Dorium back into view.)
VASTRA: The child. At all costs, protect the child!

The group winced at the sight of the headless Dorium and at the sound of the sword swinging. They gave him a moments silence; he'd been helpful despite his reluctance to start with. It was also a sign that things were starting to go wrong – the Doctor was starting his fall.

[Control room]

DOCTOR: A child is not a weapon!
KOVARIAN [on screen]: Oh, give us time. She can be. She will be.
DOCTOR: Except you've already lost her, and I swear I will never let you anywhere near her again.
KOVARIAN [on screen]: Oh, Doctor. Fooling you once was a joy, but fooling you twice the same way? It's a privilege.
DOCTOR: Amy. Amy.

"No." Jack's eyes widened as he released what had happened, eyes darting to Amy and Rory. There was no way they were going to react well to that.

As it was, Amy, Rory and the Doctor were scowling furious at the screen, although Amy and Rory's scowls were tinted with grief. The majority of the group hadn't made the same connection but had realised something was drastically wrong.

[Outside the Tardis]

(The fight is on as the Doctor runs. Madame Kovarian appears through a hatch behind Amy.)
RIVER [OC]: Demons run when a good man goes to war. Night will fall and drown the sun, when a good man goes to war. Friendship dies and true love lies, night will fall and the dark will rise, when a good man goes to war.

"That is a horrible nursery rhyme." Bill declared, frowning at the screen.

"Aren't all nursery rhymes?" Yaz countered.

"Fair point." Bill consented. "Still hate this one."

"I think we all do." Rose added.

DOCTOR: Amy!
RIVER [OC]: Demons run but count the cost. The battle's won, but the child is lost.

The group was glancing at River, recognising her voice. The last line had them all on edge though, they thought they'd save baby Melody but clearly the trap had been snapped and the Doctor had missed something else. The Doctor squeezed River's hand tightly in attempt to comfort and ground both of them. River gave her a strained smile.

DOCTOR: Amy!
KOVARIAN: Wakey, wakey.
DOCTOR: Amy!
(Melody suddenly goes splat in Amy's arms.)

The room gasped out loud upon seeing the 'baby' splat into goo. Several people held their hands up to cover their mouths unable to verbalise the shock and horror of seeing it. Jack gave the couple sympathetic and understanding looks, he understood the pain of losing children (although not as young as they had).

Said couple were holding each other tight, not meeting anyone's gaze even as their own eyes were locked on River to reassure themselves that their daughter was alive and well even if they hadn't gotten to raise her like they'd wanted to. River watched in her own kind of mute horror of seeing the 'baby' splat, it was one thing to hear about it but entirely another to see it in and have to watch her parents' reaction to her loss. Sometimes she struggled with connecting their love of their missing baby to their love of her.

AMY: Rory? Rory! Rory!
(The Doctor is behind a locked door.)
DOCTOR: Amy, she's not real! Melody, she's a Flesh avatar. Amy!

"You're too late." Someone mumbled but the group largely ignored it, watching as the story continued. Things weren't quite done yet although no one knew what else the video could possibly show.

(The Doctor runs in. Everything is quiet.)
DOCTOR: Amy! Amy.
RORY: Yeah, we know.

Amy and Rory were holding hands so tightly their knuckles were white. That scene had haunted their nightmare for years and it wasn't something they'd ever wanted to see again. Even knowing River was now safe didn't offer them much comfort as they knew what kind of childhood she'd been forced through, even before she'd managed to make hew way to them and became Mels.

(The Monks are dead, and Strax is wounded.)
STRAX: It's strange. I have often dreamed of dying in combat. I'm not enjoying it as much as I'd hoped.
RORY: Come on, Strax. Don't give up.
STRAX: It's all right. I've had a good life. I'm nearly twelve.
RORY: Listen to me. You'll be back on your feet in no time. You're a warrior.
STRAX: Rory, I'm a nurse.

The group looked stricken at the possibility of yet another ally dying especially so soon after losing the reason they were there in the first place. Though they were quietly proud of Rory immediately buckling up and trying to help Strax even after his loss.

Clara, however, looked confused. "But I've met Strax? He isn't dead." That gained hopeful looks form the rest of the room.

The Doctor smiled softly, "Yes, Vastra and Jenny managed to save him. He works and lives with the pair of them now in Victorian London." The group let out audible breaths at knowing Strax at least survived.

(The Doctor goes to where Jenny is comforting Amy.)
AMY: So they took her anyway. All this was for nothing.
DOCTOR: I am so sorry.
JENNY: Amy, it's not his fault.
AMY: I know. I know.

Amy smiled sadly at the Doctor who offered her own smile back, both recognising the other as a parent that had lost their children. Amy at least had been lucky enough to have her child come back while the Doctor had lost her entire family a long time ago. She hadn't really blamed the Doctor but she'd lashed out with the pain of losing her baby.

VASTRA: Doctor, there's someone who wants to speak to you. Her name is Lorna. She came to warn us.
(Lorna is also dying.)

"Oh God." Graham muttered, it seemed this video was determined to kill as many people as it could, it was also the rare occasion of the Doctor losing. Their goal of rescuing Amy had succeeded but their main goal of saving the baby had failed and it seemed the cost was Dorium and Lorna.

DOCTOR: Hey. Hello.
LORNA: Doctor.
DOCTOR: You helped my friends. Thank you.
LORNA: I met you once, in the Gamma Forests. You don't remember me.
DOCTOR: Hey, of course I remember. I remember everyone. Hey, we ran, you and me. Didn't we run, Lorna?
(Lorna dies.)
DOCTOR: Who was she?

The group looked down at the floor for a moment of silence for Lorna, her death made all the worst by the fact she's achieved her goal of meeting the Doctor again and he didn't even remember her. Amy and Rory glanced at each other, neither of them had (rightfully) trusted the young woman to start with but the video had shown more about her then they'd ever known, she hadn't deserved her fate (they never did).

VASTRA: I don't know, but she was very brave.
DOCTOR: They're always brave. They're always brave.

The Doctor scowled at the floor, Lorna was yet another death on her conscience and she couldn't even properly remember their first meeting. Those that died, her companions, friends and those that helped her on her adventures were always brave, but being brave doesn't mean you get to live as so many of them had found out.

VASTRA: So, what now? They'd almost certainly have taken her to Earth. Raise her in the correct environment.
DOCTOR: Yes, they did. And it's already too late.

"You're just giving up?" Donna asked, scandalised and furious. The Doctor usually never gave up and for them to do so now was just insulting.

The Doctor's whole body radiated sadness and regret. "We'd already met a young Melody, not that we knew it at the time. It was too late. This was our only chance to get her back." She tried to explain which only served to break the groups hearts more.

VASTRA: You're giving up? You never do that.
DOCTOR: Yeah, and don't you sometimes wish I did?

"Sometime yes but often no. It's part of who you are Doctor." Jack whispered quietly to her, trying to break her out of the funk she'd fallen into. He succeeded based on the small smile he sent her.

(There is a flash of lightning.)
RIVER: Well then, soldier. How goes the day?

"Ooh, the Doctor's not going to take that well." Jack winced. As far as the Doctor was aware River had refused to show up for basically no reason at all when he had possibly needed her more than he ever had.

The Doctor winced, that was putting it lightly. She was about to apologise but River squeezed her hand and smiled down at her softly, predicting the apology. She didn't blame the Doctor for her reaction, stars know she would have reacted similarly if it had been her in the Doctor's place.

DOCTOR: Where the hell have you been? Every time you've asked, I have been there. Where the hell were you today?
RIVER: I couldn't have prevented this.
DOCTOR: You could have tried!
RIVER: And so, my love, could you. I know you're not all right. But hold tight, Amy, because you're going to be.

The Doctor went back to scowling at the floor, removing her hand from River's, she'd just remembered what River was about to say and it was the exact worst thing she could have been told in that moment. She knew River didn't really blame her but her little speech had only made her feel terrible when she thought she couldn't feel much worse.

Amy and Rory smiled softly at their daughter. Her calm attitude and absence made a lot more sense in retrospect, when she'd rocked up late after refusing to help and been so nonchalant and calm in the face of their loss, they had been annoyed but River's reveal had changed everything.

River smiled back at her parents before frowning as the Doctor retreated in on herself and away from her. She maybe hadn't been the most delicate about the matter upon her arrival but she hadn't lied and the Doctor's reaction had been amazing (it wasn't often she got to pull one over her).

DOCTOR: You think I wanted this? I didn't do this. This, this wasn't me!
RIVER: This was exactly you. All this. All of it. You make them so afraid. When you began, all those years ago, sailing off to see the universe, did you ever think you'd become this? The man who can turn an army around at the mention of his name. Doctor. The word for healer and wise man throughout the universe. We get that word from you, you know. But if you carry on the way you are, what might that word come to mean? To the people of the Gamma Forests, the word Doctor means mighty warrior. How far you've come. And now they've taken a child, the child of your best friends, and they're going to turn her into a weapon just to bring you down. And all this, my love, in fear of you.

The group shifted uncomfortable as they listened to River's speech. Shed delivered it so matter of fact, leaving no gaps for arguments and the worst thing was they all knew it was true, as horrible as it was, she only spoke the truth. The Doctor's reaction on screen just made it worse, as he was at such a low point only for River to give him a shovel and tell him to dig down further.

The Doctor only shrunk further in on herself, her mind jumping to her own 'childhood' or rather what she'd seen of the Timeless Child's childhood – River and her were apparently a lot more similar than they'd thought. The fact that because of a group fearing what she could do (but wouldn't) they'd stolen her friend's child and made her into a weapon both horrified and terrified her. She'd never wanted any of this, all she'd wanted was to travel the universe (initially with her granddaughter) and yet she'd become this legend that people both feared and revered and she hated it.

River glanced at her concerned. At the time the Doctor had been too hyped up on what had happened and desperate to know her identity to really descend into a spiral of depressive thoughts, but that wasn't the case now. She had seen how broken he'd looked as she'd done her speech but it hadn't lasted long due to her reveal, seemingly it was hitting her wife hard now. She hated that she couldn't do anything about it, but it showed that they apparently still had issues to resolve.

DOCTOR: Who are you?
RIVER: Oh look, your cot. Haven't seen that in a very long while.
DOCTOR: No, no, you tell me. Tell me who you are.
RIVER: I am telling you. Can't you read?

The group watched as the atmosphere in the room bounced rapidly from depressive to hopeful, they all knew who River was but the trio on screen didn't and this was apparently how they were going to find out.

(The Old High Gallifreyan on the cot.)
DOCTOR: Hello.
RIVER: Hello.
DOCTOR: But but that means
RIVER: I'm afraid it does.
DOCTOR: Ooo. But you and I, we, we, we, er (kiss kiss)
RIVER: Yes.

It was like watching a switch flip as the Doctor's attitude did a complete 180. The group was glad for the break from the tension and the reveal of secrets when the trio needed them most. They didn't think Amy and Rory would have stayed composed much longer if River hadn't told them.

"You just realised that your wife was also your friends' daughter, didn't you?" Martha sighed at the Doctor's antics, although it was good to see them in better spirits. The question also served to get the Doctor in the room out of their funk at least for the moment.

"Technically we weren't married back then. But yes, it's a bit awkward to find out the woman you've been kissing is your friend's daughter." The Doctor answered, glancing at her parents in law.

"Everything about you is awkward, Sweetie." River rolled her eyes, but only grew concerned when the Doctor didn't glance at her.

"That sounds so wrong out of context." Yaz muttered, cringing. So may of their adventures sounded weird or wrong without context but that was just bad.

(The Doctor is getting all excited with anticipation.)
DOCTOR: How do I look?
RIVER: Amazing.
DOCTOR: I'd better be.
RIVER: Yes, you'd better be.
DOCTOR: Vastra and Jenny, till the next time. Rory and Amy, I know where to find your daughter, and on my life, she will be safe. River, get them all home.

"You could have at least explained something." Amy complained with Rory nodding along.

"You just disappeared and got all excited all of a sudden. It was very confusing and frustrating." Rory added in. The Doctor winced but offered a sheepish smile at them, she may have gotten a bit excited and then carried away in that excitement.

RORY: Doctor!
AMY: No! Where are you going?
(The Doctor takes down the forcefield around the Tardis and goes inside.)
AMY: No!
(The Tardis dematerialises.)

"Doctor!" Rose exclaimed upon seeing him disappear without explaining anything. It was bad enough for them watching and they knew why and who River was, she could only imagine how Amy and Rory felt after losing their daughter.

"Sorry! I'm sorry!" The Doctor put her hands up in surrender, cringing. "I got excited, okay?" She tried to explain only to meet a wave of exasperated and disbelieving glares while her wife chuckled next to her. She threw a betrayed look at River, who looked far too happy to just have her paying attention to her.

AMY: Where's he going and what did you tell him?
RIVER: Amy, you have stay calm.
(Amy picks up a gun.)

"Woah, that is not calm." Bill's eyes widened upon seeing Amy grab the gun. Many of the room edged away from the trigger happy red-headed Scotswoman. Amy looked unrepentant, so most of the group decided to never get on the wrong end of her wrath. River clearly got it from her more than Rory.

AMY: Tell me what you told the Doctor.
RORY: Amy, no. Stop it!

"At least someone in the family is reasonably sane." Donna snorted.

"Can't argue that." Amy agreed with a shrug while Rory just sighed.

RIVER: It's okay, Rory. She's fine. She's good. It's the Tardis translation matrix. It takes a while to kick in with the written word. You have to concentrate.
AMY: I still can't read it.
RIVER: It's because it's Gallifreyan and doesn't translate. But this will.
(The prayer leaf.)
RIVER: It's your daughter's name in the language of the Forest.
AMY: I know my daughter's name.
RIVER: Except they don't have a word for Pond, because the only water in the forest is the River. The Doctor will find your daughter, and he will care for her whatever it takes. And I know that. It's me. I'm Melody. I'm your daughter.

"Dramatic." The Doctor muttered; she'd missed that part after all but she shouldn't have expected anything else from her wife. Amy and Rory were both still watching their daughter, everything made more sense now but they didn't appreciate how River had taken so long to tell them (even though they knew she couldn't have told them before that point).

The group did feel a bit sorry for Amy and Rory. They'd gone through a lot that day only to lose their daughter then find out River, a friend, was their daughter all grown up. It was certainly a roller-coaster of emotions.

"That's what the Tardis said." Clara realised; face furrowed in thought. "The only water in the forest is the river. She knew."

"The Tardis is technically my third parent and can see all of time, of course she knew." River answered with a shrug. She hadn't realised the Tardis had said that back then but it made sense, her parents had had all the clues but hadn't put it together (which was understandable in their state).

Silence reigned in the room for several minutes before the Doctor broke it with a clap and false smile. "So, what did you think of that?"

"Terrifying."

"Enlightening."

"Horrifying."

"Heart breaking."

"Traumatising."

"All of the above."

Shouts came out from across the room. The Doctor grimaced in understanding, it was hardly her favourite moment either, especially knowing that they'd ultimately failed their goal and what River had been put through as a consequence. "You ready to keep going?" She asked, personally she was hoping that the next video was less tense and dramatic. She knew she had some nice calm adventures (not many, but they definitely existed) and she'd quite like to watch one of them instead of another like this, but knowing her luck that wasn't likely.

There was a murmur of agreement from the room, all of them too tense after the dramatic end to that video to really have any arguments. "Okay, here we go."