Tw: Glad you enjoyed it. Yep.
THWA: Yes, I did know.
Still tense and worried from the ending of the last recording, the past viewers watched wearily as the next recording began,
The words 'Demon's Run' appears on the screen as an asteroid with some kind of base built into it is shown. Inside the base, a baby is seen in a glass like crib. The words 'Melody Pond' are seen on the outside of the crib.
"Melody Pond," Wilf muttered. "It's a beautiful name."
"A bit fairytale," Martha noted with a slight smile.
"Runs in the family," Mickey said, managing a smile.
Jack and Donna were silent, watching the screen tense. Still with bits of The Doctor's mind and past experiences running through her head, Donna could imagine several scenarios as to why these people may want Melody, none of them good. Jack remembered the 456, praying to whatever god existed and was listening that Melody would not be subjected to the same fate.
"I wish I could tell you that you'll be loved," Amy's voice is heard saying as she reaches out and takes her daughter's hand. "That you'll be safe and cared for and protected. But this isn't a time for lies." Amy picks her daughter up. "What you are going to be, Melody, is very, very brave." The woman with the eye patch stands behind her with various Celtic soldiers, all armed with weapons. She tells Amy she has two minutes.
"Two minutes until what?" Donna asked softly, although she had a good idea.
"Until they take Melody," Jack said darkly, having already figured out their agenda. "It's why they did all this. They want Melody."
"Whatever for?" Wilf asked horrified.
"Whatever it is, I'm not sure I want to know," Mickey muttered, all sorts of horrifying possibilities running through his mind.
"Something tells me we're going to find out no matter what we want," Martha said with a heavy sigh, a pit of dread forming in her stomach.
"But not as brave as they'll have to be, because there's someone coming," Amy says as she stares coldly at the woman before turning back to the fussing Melody. "I don't know where he is or what he's doing, but trust me, he's on his way."
"Hurry Spaceman," Donna muttered worriedly and a slight smile flashed across Jane's face.
"Who said she was talking about Dad?" Jane asked coyly, almost laughing at the look of confusion on their faces.
The words 'twenty thousand light years away' is seen as a window on a ship staring out at space is shown. A legion of Cybermen walks passed the window. Out of view of the Cybermen, someone uses the sonic screwdriver on some machinery, shutting it down. Sitting down, three Cybermen discuss an intruder on level nine before the ship suddenly rocks.
"Why is The Doctor going after Cybermen? What does that have to with Amy?" Donna asked in bewilderment.
"If they're anything like the Cybermen in the other world, Boss is there for information," Mickey mused and Jack nodded.
"If memory serves, various Cyber Legions monitor various parts of space. One of them might have Intel leading to Amy," Jack mused as he wracked his brain.
"For Amy's sake, it better," Martha muttered.
The scene flashes back to Amy at Demon's run, rocking Melody. "There's a man who's never gonna let us down," she says. Amy looks up and sees a ship fly into the hanger with various soldiers and ships inside. "And not even an army can get in the way." Amy turns back as the woman and two Clerics approach. The woman reaches out for Melody and Amy tearfully begs them to leave her but the woman ignores her, taking Melody from Amy. One of the clerics, a young woman, watches the scene sadly as two people in cloaks look down at the scene.
There was not a signal person who was not affected by the scene. Donna, Martha and Wilf both looked as though they'd been physically struck, tears falling from Donna and Martha's eyes. Mickey wrapped an arm around Martha, not looking much better. Jane sighed sadly as Jack had a look on his face that promised a very painful death to all involved.
"Bastards," Jack almost growled.
On the Cybermen ship, it rocks once more as they announce there is an intruder on level 11 and to seal levels 13, 13 and 14. At Demon's run, Melody now sits in a kind of carrier as Amy leans over her while the woman and clerics watch. "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," Amy tells the squirming Melody, reaching out to take her hand. She then leans forward and places a kiss on Melody's forehead as Melody cries. "Because this man is your father," Amy tells Melody as, on the Cyberman ship, the Cybermen prepare to engage the intruder. "He has a name, but the people of our world know him better-" the door to the room of the Cybermen opens to reveal a figure in Roman armor. They aim their guns as Rory, dressed in his Centurion uniform walks inside. "-as the Last Centurion."
"Wasn't expecting that," Mickey said as the past viewers looked at the screen in surprise.
"Guess Rory was right," Jack muttered, remembering Rory's certainty that Amy would always know he was coming for her.
"I have a message and a question. A message from The Doctor and a question from me," Rory says to the Cybermen. "Where. Is. My. Wife?" They do not answer. Rory says the Twelfth Cyber Legion monitors this quadrant, and they hear everything. Rory demands they tell him what he needs to know and he'll be on his way. "What is The Doctor's message?" a Cyberman asks. Behind Rory, a window shows a legion of Cybermen ship. They all explode as the Cybermen look over to the window. "Would you like me to repeat the question?" Rory asks calmly.
"Blimey Boss," Mickey said as the past viewers all looked stunned by this display.
"Looks like The Doctor and Rory aren't messing around," Jack noted.
"He's never been so violent before," Martha said weakly.
"His enemies have never gone after his companions in such a way before," Jane pointed out. "Dad is still the man who fought in the Time War; he just never had to really let that side out of him in full…until now."
"I see now why you said we didn't want to see Rory open that poor," Wilf muttered, shuttering at the image of the normally kind hearted nurse becoming so ruthless.
At Demon's run, a group of Clerics are talking about how The Doctor blew up the Cyber Legion to prove a point. One of them argues they're being paid to fight him, not praise him. The Two Clerics head into an elevator, which goes down a few levels. They get out as one recalls the incident with the Atraxi and the other reminds him they're here to fight The Doctor, not praise him. They pass the woman who had watched as Melody was taken from Amy. She's knitting something. At the control room, two Clerics see the woman and one asks if she's sewing. The other says she can do what she likes on her break. He then holds out two pieces of paper and tells the other Cleric to choose one. He does but the other Cleric tells him he chose the Psychic Paper and must look for the fractals. The other Cleric rolls his eyes and is told not to look bored, as they're on Yellow Alert. The Cleric argues they've been on yellow alert for three weeks.
"So it's been three weeks since Amy gave birth then," Martha noted.
"And she's been alone all that time," Donna muttered, only able to imagine what Amy must have gone through.
"It's more than enough time for The Doctor to figure out a plan to save her. He just needed to know where she was. Good luck Doctor," Jack said, fearful of what this battle would bring.
The people in cloaks are seen walking down a corridor as a woman on an intercom announces not to interact with the headless monks without divine permission. The two Cleric from earlier are seen by the monks, one stopping to stare at them as they pass. The cleric scolds him, saying they're not supposed to stare and will be killed if they try to see under the hoods. The other Cleric wonders if the monks are really headless.
"The Headless Monks. If they've signed on for this, things are bad," Jack muttered uneasily.
"Are they really headless?" Donna asked, looking ill at the prospect.
"No one knows for sure, they're a very mysterious organization, heavily religious. There was a saying that was old when my father was a boy: Not even God can protect you from the Headless Monks," Jack said and there a moment of silence as everyone digested this. "If the Monks are involved, The Doctor will need all the help he can get."
The woman cleric tells them that the monks believe the domain of faith is the heart and the domain of doubt is the head. One of the clerics recognizes her as Lorna Bucket. He introduces himself as the thin one and the other Cleric as the fat one. Lorna asks if they have names. "We're the thin-fat, gay, married Anglican Marines. Why would we need names as well?" the fat one asks.
"That's horrible," Martha said as the past viewers, save Jack, looked horrified.
"That's the church after leaving earth. It may not be perfect in our time, but the people running it when I was born made Jamestown look like a Bible Study," Jack said grimly.
"Blimey," Mickey said weakly, only imagining how horrible it could be.
The headless monks appear over Lorna's shoulder and the fat one wishes his husband goodbye before heading off with them for his conversion tutorial. Lorna smiles as the fat one walks off before the thin one accuses her of having an encounter with The Doctor. She admits she did when she was a kid. The thin one asks what he's like and Lorna says he told her to run, adding he says it a lot.
"Well, she's not wrong about that," Donna muttered.
"He seems to say it at least once a trip," Martha mused.
"At the very least, we know she's not lying about meeting Boss," Mickey noted, wondering what she was doing there.
The thin one asks if this was in the Gamma Forests, recognizing her as being from Gamma. He asks why she's there and not in the Forests, which are Heaven Neutral. She says the thirty seconds of The Doctor was the only thing that ever happened there. The fat one is led into what seems to pass for a temple by the headless monks. He remarks on all the red as one of the monks walks up to a shelf, taking off a box. The fat one inquires about the box as the monk walks back towards him. An automated voice welcomes him to the Order of the Headless and explains he's been offered for conversion. "You have been selected," the voice says as the fat one watches nervously as the monk hands the box to another monk, who approaches him. "Are you ready to make a donation?" The box opens and the fat one realizes what they intend to do.
"Bloody Hell," Mickey breathed as the past viewers all caught on.
"Oi," Donna whispered looking ill.
"I guess now we know the rumors are true, they are actually headless," Jack said grimly.
"They cut off the heads, then use some kind of chant to animate the body, turning it into another Monk," Jane explained darkly. "It's twisted, but effective recruitment, because none of the new recruits get a choice or can fight back once they're recruited."
"Takes brainwashing to a new level," Martha muttered feeling sick to her stomach.
Wilf was silent, looking at a loss for words. Not that anyone could blame him. It was a tough pill to swallow.
The thin one asks Lorna where The Doctor is if he's coming here and she points out he could be anywhere in time and space. She messes with a vent and a stream of steam shoots out. The scene then changes to a street with horse drawn carriages. The words 'London, 1888 A'D.' appears on the screen. A cloaked woman gets out of a carriage, thanking the driver as she says she won't need him again tonight. She then heads over to a house and a woman in a maid outfit walks over, noting the woman is back early. She asks if another case is cracked and the cloaked woman puts a sword on a sword rack, instructing her to send a telegram to Inspector Abberline of the Yard, informing him that Jack the Ripper has claimed his last victim. The maid asks how the woman found him and the woman lowers her read, revealing herself to be a Silurian. "Stringy, but tasty all the same," she jokes.
"I have so many questions, the first being why a Silurian is above ground in Victorian London?" Jack narrowed his eyes in confusion.
"Her name is Madame Vastra; she's part of a different cell than the one from the previous set. She's an old friend of Dad's," Jane explained.
"Of course she is," Donna muttered.
"She's not like Alaya or Restac, Vastra has devoted her life to helping humans. She was actually the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes," Jane said with a slight smile.
"Well I'll be damned," Mickey muttered in disbelief.
"I think I need a nap," Martha muttered, feeling lightheaded.
Vastra says she won't be needing dinner and the maid congratulates her before nervously telling her a matter has arisen in the drawing room. Confused, Vastra walks into the drawing room. The maid follows her, explaining it just appeared and wondering what it means. "It means-" Vastra drops her cloak on the floor before walking over to the TARDIS. "-a very old debt is to be repaid." The Silurian instructs the maid, Jenny, to pack the cases, as they'll need the swords.
"Looks like Boss is calling in backup," Mickey noted.
"He's preparing for war," Jack said darkly as they remembered the destruction of the Cyber Legion. "Even he won't be able to save Amy with just himself and Rory."
"So he's calling in old friends," Martha realized.
"So why didn't he call in any of you?" Donna wondered. "I understand why he didn't come for me, but what about you three?"
"He was going to," Jane revealed and they looked at her in disbelief. "That's actually why he originally came to see you Martha. It wasn't supposed to be goodbye, but then he found out you were pregnant."
"And he didn't want to drag us into it," Martha realized and Jane nodded.
"And me?" Jack inquired.
"You'd just gotten done with The Miracle, Dad thought you'd been through for now," Jane explained gently.
Jack nodded, easily able to see why The Doctor would think that, he had been in a dark place at the time. But he still would have helped had The Doctor given him the chance.1
The scene changes to a battlefield. The words 'The Battle of Zaruthtra, 4037 A.D.' appear on the screen as the battle rages. A soldier is see running, dodging laser blasts as he frantically calls for a nurse. The soldier then enters a tent where a woman is seen waiting. She says worriedly 'he' needs help as the soldier addresses her as Madam President, telling her they need to leave, as the enemy could be there any seconds. It's revealed she is standing watch over a young boy, who has sustained a head injury. An alien in a strange suit walks in and removes his helmet, revealing himself to be a Sontaran. "Did somebody call for a nurse?"
"A Sontaran nurse?" Martha said in disbelief as the past viewers stared at the screen in disbelief.
"Everyone, meet Strax, the universe's only friendly Sontaran," Jane said with a slight grin.
"You know, I think I heard of him," Jack said, narrowing his eyes as he wracked his brain. "It was an old legend, none of us really believed it. There was a rumor of a Sontaran that fought on the side of humans, but he vanished in the Battle of Zaruthra. I always thought it just an old Wives' tale."
"A Sontaran fighting with humans does seem pretty ludicrous," Jane noted.
"Which is why you should have known it was true. Only something that mad could be true," Donna pointed out.
Strax scans the boy with a kind of medical scanner. The boy, now conscious, asks if he'll be okay as the President watches over him. Strax assures him he'll be fine and optimistic hopes for a day they meet on the battlefield and he destroys the boy for the glory of the Sontaran Empire.
"Well that's a strange compliment," Wilf said as the past viewers all looked at the screen oddly.
"Hey, he's still a Sontaran," Jane shrugged.
The boy thanks him and Strax says it was his pleasure. Strax then walks out of the tent as the soldier follows him, asking about being a Sontaran nurse. Strax explains he is serving a penance to restore honor to his clone batch: to help the weak and sick which is the greatest punishment to a Sontaran.
"Sontarans would think that was a punishment," Martha grumbled.
"They're military and conquers, it would seem a fate worse than death to them," Jack agreed darkly.
The soldier asks who came up with that but Strax hears the sound of the TARDIS arriving before he can answer. "Tonight though, perhaps my penance is over," Strax says. Strax turns back to the solider, addressing him as Captain Harcourt and says he hopes to one day meet him on the battlefield and crush the life from him. The two bow to each other as Strax tells him to rest. Strax then walks over to where the TARDIS has materialized, barely missing a spot where a small explosive detonates.
"The Doctor's not just calling in help, he's gathering an army," Jack realized.
"Over seven centuries of traveling through space and time, half the universe must owe him a favor by now," Martha noted.
"And Boss is cashing in," Mickey muttered.
"May God help them all," Wilf said uneasily.
At Stormcage, alarms are blaring as River, dressed in a fancy dress, walks over to the phone and tells the security to turn off the alarms, as she's breaking in, not out. She announces she's back in her cell and orders breakfast at the usual time.
"Now she's just screwing with them," Mickey said with a grin as some chuckles broke out across the room.
"It's River Song, what do you expect?" Jane asked with a grin.
"Never change Dr. Song," Jack said with a smirk.
River hangs up before beginning to dance her way towards her cell. Seeing a figure in Roman armor, she asks if the guards are dressing up as Romans now. She jokes about no one reading her memos when Rory steps forward so she can see his face, addressing her as Dr. Song. Rory asks if they've met yet and River, seeming shocked to see him, confirms they have.
"She seems really surprised to see him," Donna noted and they looked at the screen, noting she was right.
"What's up with that?" Mickey wondered.
"It'll make sense at the end of this one," Jane assured with slight smile, having been confused her first time watching with River's reaction as well.
"River Song, you continue to be a mystery," Jack muttered.
River walks over to him and greets him, seeming moved to see him. Rory, bewildered by her reaction, asks what's wrong. Seeming to come back to herself, River explains it's her birthday and she had just come back from celebrating it with The Doctor, who had gotten Stevie Wonder to sing for River under the London Bridge. Rory is surprised Stevie Wonder sang in 1814 and River makes him promises to never tell The Doctor.
"The Doctor's a romantic. Who knew?" Jack said in surprise.
"He continues to be full of surprises," Martha muttered.
Rory says he's come from The Doctor as well and River knowingly says from a different point in time and Rory notes unless there is two of them. "Now, that's a whole different birthday," River says.
"My sentiments exactly," Jack said with a smirk.
"Oh God, there's two of them now," Martha said as everyone became horrified.
"Bloody Hell," Mickey breathed. "And I thought one was bad enough."
"May whatever god exists help us," Jane groaned.
River walks over to her cell and opens her diary as Rory tells her The Doctor needs her. River closes the diary, knowing this is about Demon's Run, shocking Rory. Rory asks how she knows and she vaguely says she always knows. River asks why Rory is wearing his Centurion outfit and he says it was The Doctor's idea. River is not surprised, calling it The Doctor's rules of engagement. "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." "Look ridiculous," Rory agrees. River asks if Rory has considered heels.
"A Centurion in heels. Doesn't really strike fear into the hearts of the enemy," Jack said with a grin as he and Mickey snickered at the image.
Martha and Donna would have rolled their eyes at their antics, but the image was so ridiculous they'd found themselves giggling hysterically.
River turns away as Rory explains about Amy and the baby. River's face changes to one of dread as Rory explains that The Doctor is putting an army together to go after Amy and he needs River as well River regretfully says she can't, turning to face Rory as she adds not yet. Rory is incredulous at this. "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 'til the very end," River explains. Rory asks why not and she says this is it. River walks into her cell before looking back at Rory. "This is the day he finds out who I am."
"So this is it then," Jack muttered, narrowing his eyes.
"This is when you get the other half of the answer to who River is, yeah," Jane nodded.
"And the answer is apparently so bad she won't help them find Amy," Donna muttered, a little angry at River.
"Don't be too hard on her, she has her reasons, good ones," Jane told them. "Too many timelines would have changed if River intervened. She had to stay out of it until the end."
"Regardless, she called this The Doctor's darkest hour," Martha pointed out as they watched the screen uneasily.
"Where he'll fall much further after rising higher than ever," Wilf said softly.
"Doesn't fill you with warm and fuzzy feelings, does it?" Mickey asked lowly.
"No," Jack said in a matching tone.
At the Maldovarium, Dorium is closing his bar down, preparing to flee. He puts a briefcase on a table and opens it when someone speaks up behind him. It's the woman with the eye patch. She notes that Dorium appears to be closing down the bar and asks what he's heard.
"Never seen him so scared before," Jack noted, remembering his many dealings with Dorium as a Time Agent. "He's a coward, but he's never been this terrified in my experiences."
"These guys must really be bad if they scare Dorium that much," Martha noted and Jane smiled slightly.
"Who said he was afraid of them?" Jane said vaguely.
They sit down, cleric by the woman's side and Dorium addresses her as Madame Kovarian, claiming she's pricked the side of a 'might beast' and failed to run. He claims to admire their courage but he will admire it from afar. Kovarian notes they've been waiting a month for The Doctor and he's done nothing. "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 door step. Poor devils," Dorium told her. A cleric asks if Dorium thinks The Doctor is raising an army and Dorium asks if they think he isn't. "If that man is finally collecting on his debts, God help you. And God help his debtors," Dorium says. One of the Clerics asks why. "Colonel Manton, all those stories you've heard about him, they're not stories, they're true," Dorium begins to laugh. "Really? You're not telling me you don't know what's coming?"
"Now, they just underestimate The Doctor. That'll be a mistake," Jack said confidently.
Jane tried not to grimace. While Jack was right that it was a mistake to underestimate her father, he was wrong. Her Dad had been the one to underestimate the Silence, and it had cost Amy and Rory dearly.
Manton says they're wasting their time and Kovarian agrees. As she rises, Dorium asks why the asteroid they've made their base is called Demon's Run. Manton asks how he knows the location of their base and Dorium reveals the headless monks are old costumers of his. Kovarian dismisses it as an old saying. "A very old saying. The oldest. 'Demons run when a good man goes to war'," Dorium tells her.
"He's not wrong," Jack mused. "Some of the worst events in galactic history have been the result of good people being forced to go to war."
"War is Hell," Mickey muttered. "It chips off little pieces of you until one day, you look in the mirror and you hardly recognize the person looking back at you."
"I hate to imagine what The Doctor would be like at war," Wilf said uneasily.
"He's already been at war Wilf. Now you're just going to see what he's like at it," Jane muttered as the past viewers watched the screen uneasily.
Kovarian and Manton walks out of the bar. Dorium laughs before walking into the back room. His laughter stops when he hears the sound of the TARDIS materializing. Desperately, Dorium says he doesn't need him, as he's old and fat and blue. The doors to the TARDIS open and The Doctor's shadow is seen.
"He must be desperate if he's even recruiting Dorium," Jack noted wearily.
"Knowledge is power, and no one has more inside knowledge than Dorium," Jane pointed and Jack nodded, agreeing silently.
At Demon's Run, Manton is addressing the army of Clerics, telling them that The Doctor is merely a man, in spite of what they've heard. "And as I look around this room, I know one thing: we're sure as Hell gonna fix that," Manton finishes. The army cheers.
"You wouldn't be the first to try. You'll just be the latest to fail," Donna said, almost laughing at Manton's arrogance.
"Hopefully," Jack said darkly, none of them able to shake the feeling of unease from River's warning.
Amy is watching this from the window of the room where she is being kept when Lorna walks in. Amy looks over as Lorna apologizes, saying she shouldn't be here but she has something for her. Pulling out the piece of cloth she was sewing earlier, Lorna explains its Melody's name in the language of her people. Lorna explains it's a prayer leaf and if Amy keeps it with her, her child will always come home to her.
"Which would be such a nice gesture if you hadn't watched as Melody was taken from her," Donna sneered angrily.
"They probably would have killed her if she tried," Jane pointed out.
"She doesn't seem to approve of what's going on," Wilf noted, remembering how Lorna hadn't seemed happy with what was done to Amy.
"She still helped," Jack said darkly. "Whether she likes it or not, she still did it. I've been one of those 'just follow order' types. It's an excuse to make yourself feel better."
"Maybe," Jane acknowledged, knowing Jack had a point.
Amy asks if she can borrow Lorna's gun and she asks why. "Because I've got a feeling you're gonna keep talking," Amy sneers.
"Atta girl," Jack said with a smirk.
"She may be captured, but Amy is far from a damsel in distress," Martha noted with a smile.
"Has she ever been?" Mickey asked with a grin.
"No," Donna said with a grin.
Amy turns back to watch the army, noting they're talking like The Doctor is famous. Lorna explains The Doctor meets a lot of people and they remember, calling The Doctor a dark legend. Amy scoffs at that, sarcastically asking if she's met The Doctor. Lorna reveals she has, to Amy's surprise. Lorna said she was a little girl then and Amy says so was she. Lorna asks if Amy has been with The Doctor a long time but Amy reveals The Doctor came back for her. Lorna notes Amy must be very special and Amy looks away. Amy tells Lorna that you can wait a long time for The Doctor and but he's always worth it. "Thing is, he's coming, no question. Just you make sure you're on the right side when he gets here," Amy says as she walks over to Lorna. "Not for my sake, for yours."
"You continue to surprise me Amy Pond," Jack muttered.
"To show compassion, even to someone you might consider an enemy, is a sign of utmost strength," Wilf said as they all looked at the screen in surprise.
"Well, she's a better person than me. I'd just tell her Boss was coming and run," Mickey muttered.
"As would most people," Wilf noted, surprised at the depth of Amy's compassion in such a situation.
Lorna has a fearful expression on her face and Amy holds a hand out for the prayer leaf. Lorna hands it to her and Amy thanks her. Lorna walks out and Amy looks up with a vulnerable look on her face. In the hanger, Manton declares The Doctor will fall to them and the Cleric cheer. He continues to give his speech as Lorna arrives. Manton notes some have wondered why they've allied with the headless monks and tells them they should have wondered why they call them headless. In the crowd, the thin one looks over at a monk standing away from the others as Manton says its time they learn what the monks have sacrificed for their faith.
"Sacrificed. What a poetic way to say 'were murdered'," Donna said darkly.
"Leaders such as him have a way of using half-truths to suit their narrative. Not unlike politicians," Jack said grimly.
The three monks step forward as Manton explains is a heresy punishable by death to lower the hood of a headless monk, but on this occasion, he is allowed to show them the truth. Amy watches from the window as Manton lowers the hood of a monk, revealing only a stump with a small twist of skin where the head once was.
"Blimey," Mickey muttered as they all stared at the screen uncomfortably.
They had known what was under the hood, but that didn't make it any easier to see.
The clerics are shocked as Manton explains the monks can never be persuaded. The thin one looks back at the monks in horror. Manton lowers the hood of another monk, declaring they can never be afraid. Manton moves to lower the hood of the last Monk when he does it himself, revealing The Doctor. "Surprised?" he quips.
"You always have to make an entrance, don't you Spaceman?" Donna asked with a grin.
"Except this time it serves a purpose," Jack noted and she looked at him confused.
"Boss is screwing with them, trying to freak them out," Mickey grinned, also having figured it out.
"Psychological warfare. His specialty," Martha said with a slight grin. "He shows them how easily he can get in without them noticing, making them even more afraid of him than they actually are."
"A soldier who panics is a solider that makes mistakes," Wilf added and Martha nodded her agreement.
"It's what The Doctor is counting on," Jack muttered, wondering if this plan would succeed.
Kovarian and the cleric are stunned as Amy smiles happily. The Doctor cheerfully greets the clerics and holds up his hands, saying they can aim a gun at him if it helps them relax. All the clerics except Lorna aim their guns at him while the headless monks draw a kind of energy sword. "You're only human." In the control room, Vastra and Jenny place swords at the necks of the two clerics. Vastra taunts them about being hungry as Jenny asks which button controls the lights. Manton tells The Doctor he'll come with him as he points a gun at the Time Lord.
"He really is that arrogant," Jack said, amused at Manton's delusions. "He really thinks The Doctor would go in there, without a plan?"
"He was chosen for his leadership skills, not his brains," Jane noted quietly.
"Well he clearly doesn't have much of those, does he?" Donna noted with a laugh, as amused as Jack.
"And Boss called me an idiot," Mickey said with a grin.
The Doctor says three minutes, forty seconds before shouting for Amy to grab her coat. He pulls the hood over his face before the lights go out. Amy watches in confusion before the lights come back on, revealing The Doctor has vanished.
"More psychological warfare," Jack noted.
"Show up, put them all on edge, and then let them self-destruct while he and Rory rescue Amy. It's pretty brilliant," Martha noted.
As the clerics look around, The Doctor's voice rings out, mocking Manton's earlier speech before declaring himself a monk. A cleric points a gun at a monk, declaring it's the Doctor. The other Clerics follow suit and the monks activate their energy swords. A cleric shoots a monk and it falls to the floor. Manton tries to regain control, ordering the cleric to put their weapons down. A monk raises their hand and shoots out a ball of energy, which strikes a cleric in the chest. "No!" Manton shouts as the clerics and monks draw their weapons and begin fighting each other.
"Well that worked a lot better than expected, they're already turning on each other," Martha said, surprised at easy that.
"Wouldn't you? Like Lorna said, he's a dark legend to his enemies, and they really pissed Dad off. They've probably been wetting themselves for three weeks," Jane pointed out.
"Guess I never thought of it that way," Donna admitted. "I knew he had his less than stellar moments, but I was never really afraid of him that way."
"There are always three sides to every man: how your friends see you, how your peers see you, and how your enemies see you," Jack noted as they watched the screen wearily.
Kovarian tells her cleric bodyguards to follow her before slipping out amidst the chaos. Manton shouts for The Doctor as he looks around. In the control room, Jenny and Vastra are watching this on the security cameras, the two clerics tied up behind them. Jenny notes that The Doctor is rather clever. Vastra adds he's attractive and Jenny points out The Doctor is a man. Vastra says all mammals look the same to her and Jenny sarcastically thanks her.
"Wait, are those two together?" Martha asked in surprise.
"They're married," Jane explained, to the disbelief of the past viewers.
"That's surprisingly progressive of the Victorian era," Jack noted in surprise.
"It wasn't exactly legal. Dad brought a priest from the future to the wedding so they could be married," Jane explained.
"That is…not even the least bit surprising," Donna trailed off as she shook her head.
"Now I've seen everything," Mickey muttered and Jane smiled tightly.
"Not everything. Not yet," she said ominously.
"Okay, you gotta stop that. It's freaking us out," Mickey grumbled.
In the hanger, Manton has managed to stop the fighting and orders no one to discharge their weapon. Lorna sees a monk lingering towards the back of the room and sees him pull out the sonic screwdriver before turning it on.
"Hiding in plain sight while they panic. Very clever," Martha noted and Jane fought a smile.
Oh they would be in for a surprise when they found out.
In the control room, Vastra asks if she was being insensitive again. She wonders why Jenny puts up with her as one of the clerics is inching towards a lockdown button. Vastra then whips out her long tongue, striking one of the clerics in the neck with it. He's knocked out as Vastra turns back towards Jenny, who smiles at her.
"I can think of a reason," Jack said with a smirk.
"For God's sake man, can you at least try and control yourself?" Wilf asked in exasperation.
"What would be the fun in that?" Jack joked and received five exasperated looks.
In the hanger, Manton is telling everyone to listen to him as Lorna sees The Doctor exit the hanger. She slips away, unnoticed as Manton disarms his gun, telling the monks it is a gesture of good faith before lowering the ammo to the ground, declaring he's unarmed. The clerics mutter among themselves as Manton orders they all do as he has. He explains The Doctor is trying to make fools of them, which they are not as they are soldiers of God.
"Well, say what you will about him, he's good at calming the crowd," Mickey noted.
"Which is probably why Kovarian chose him," Jack noted. "Whatever your plan is Doctor, hurry up."
One by one, the clerics disarm their weapons packs, repeating they are not fools. In the control room, the Silurian says Manton is regaining control as Jenny wonders where The Doctor has gone. Lorna is then seen running down a corridor, where she finds the cloak of a headless monk, which The Doctor had discarded. She then continues running down the corridor.
"Hurry Doctor," Martha muttered and Jane smiled slightly.
"Who said that was Dad?" she asked calmly, confusing them.
The headless monks are lowering their energy swords as the clerics echo Manton's statement that they are not fools. Amy is watching from the window as a cleric puts their weapons pack on the ground. In a flash, a group of Silurian warriors suddenly stands behind them, aiming their weapons at the clerics. Various other Silurian warriors suddenly teleport in, aiming their weapons at the clerics and monks.
"Spaceman, you are a genius!" Donna exclaimed as they all realized The Doctor's plan.
"The plan was never psychological warfare; it was to disarm the army with fear so they'd be defenseless when The Doctor's army came in," Jack grinned. "You are brilliant old friend."
"They should have known never to mess with the Boss," Mickey said with a grin as Martha and Wilf smiled, happy it was over.
Jane remained silent, watching the screen sadly. The first part was over. Now they would have to watch her father's greatest defeat.
As the clerics turn around, they are met with two Judoon, aiming their blasters at them as Silurian warriors appear behind the monks, aiming their weapons at them. Manton looks around, in shock and disbelief before Strax appears next to him, aiming a blaster at Manton as he declares the base is now under their command. Manton defiantly says he has a fleet out there and an automatic distress call will be sent to them if Demon's Run falls. "Not if we knock out your communications array," The Doctor's voice blares throughout the room. "And you've got incoming." Manton looks up to see The Doctor standing on a look out position before he radios Danny Boy, commanding him to 'given 'em Hell'. The Doctor then whirls around, making the sounds of blasters as, outside the base, Danny Boy flies in with another fighter flanking him, firing at the base. Inside, Amy smiles as the base rocks, her guards looking around in fear.
"They really thought The Doctor wouldn't think of that? They're either arrogant to the point of being daft or just idiots," Martha said exasperated.
"Maybe both," Donna added and Martha nodded.
"But if Boss is there…who was using the Sonic?" Mickey wondered as they all paused, realizing he was right.
"Spoilers," Jane quipped with a slight smile.
"Ugg, you're as bad as River," Donna complained and Jane merely laughed.
Manton looks fearful as the base rocks. Kovarian uses her surroundings to prevent herself from falling and tells her clerics she needs to get off the station now. She orders them to bring her Melody.
"Hurry Spaceman, they're getting away," Donna muttered, not seeing the sad look that crossed Jane's face.
But Jack did. And a pit of dread formed in his stomach as he remembered River's warning to Rory.
Danny Boy informs The Doctor the targets have been destroyed and he laughs. In her prison, Amy laughs as well while Manton, realizing he's been beaten, slumps his shoulder. Strax tells him that's bad for his spine and Manton gives him a dirty look. The Doctor smiles.
"I like this guy," Mickey said with a laugh. "Please tell me he shows up again."
"Not in this set, but he, Vastra and Jenny show up again in the third set," Jane told him.
Kovarian is walking down a corridor with the two clerics, the clerics holding Melody's carrier as she cries. Kovarian instructs the clerics to get back into the hanger with the others in order to trick The Doctor into thinking he's winning until the trap closes.
"It's a trap then," Martha realized.
"Makes sense. This feels too easy," Jack muttered, unable to shake the sense of dread.
"And this is The Doctor's darkest hour," Wilf reminded them in a low voice as they all watched the screen uneasily.
The clerics put down Melody's carrier as Kovarian puts in a code on a nearby panel. Kovarian says she'll take her ship from there as the cleric begin heading back towards the hanger. Lorna is listening at the end of the corridor before running off in the opposite direction. As an automated voice announces Kovarian's shuttle is ready to board, a sword is suddenly placed at Kovarian's neck. Rory walks in front of her, coldly saying no. Kovarian arrogantly says she has a crew of twenty, asking how he plans to gain control of her ship. An elevator behind her opens up and a member of Kovarian's crew is pushed out. Kovarian whirls around as Henry Avery and his son Toby walk out, Avery aiming a gun at her. "The ship is ours, milady," Avery declares as Kovarian's smirk leaves her face.
"Okay, have to admit, it's satisfying seeing that smirk wiped off her face," Donna said with a smirk. "Even if just for a moment."
"And by Henry Avery no less," Martha said amused.
"The Doctor and Rory fooled us twice," Jack noted. "Just as they fooled Kovarian and the Clerics."
And how Kovarian fooled them, Jane thought sadly as she watched the screen silently.
Strax leads Manton into the control room, Strax's blaster pointed at Manton's back as he tells The Doctor that the airlocks are sealed and all resistance has been neutralized. The Doctor turns around in his chair, apologizing to Manton that he lied, it was actually three minutes and 42 seconds. Strax tells Manton to tell his men to withdraw but The Doctor tells Manton to tell them to run away, to Manton's confusion. "Those words, 'run away'. I want you to be famous for those exact words," The Doctor explains. "I want people to call you Colonel Runaway. I want children laughing outside your door 'cause they've found the home of Colonel Runaway," The Doctor says, his voice growing louder and angrier as he gets to his feet and walks over to Manton. "And when people come to you and ask if trying to get to me through the PEOPLE I LOVE!" The Doctor snarls before lowering his voice as Vastra watches him wearily. "Is in any way a good idea…I want you to tell them your name." The Doctor takes a moment to compose himself, noting he's angry and he's not sure what's going to happen now.
"He's emotional, and letting his emotions cloud his judgment," Donna said uneasily.
"And he makes mistakes when he gets emotional," Martha agreed softly as they all watched the screen wearily.
"Control yourself Doctor," Jack pleaded softly, hoping The Doctor's emotions wouldn't be his undoing.
"The anger of a good man is not a problem," everyone looks over to see Kovarian led into the room by two Silurian warriors. "Good men have too many rules." The Doctor looks over his shoulder at her with a hard look. "Good men don't need rules," The Doctor says as he walks over to her. "Today is not the day to find out why I have so many." After a moment, Kovarian tells Manton to give the order, The Doctor smirking as she addresses him as Colonel Runaway.
"Well that was…easy," Donna said in surprise.
"Too easy. She gave in far too quickly," Jack said as he narrowed his eyes. "After all this time and effort, she wouldn't give up without a fight."
"So this is part of her plan, making The Doctor think he's won," Wilf realized.
"And then she's going to spring her trap," Mickey muttered as they all looked uneasy.
In the room where Amy is being kept, she hears someone knock on the door. She frantically searches for a weapon before pulling out a scanner, telling whoever is on the other side that she is armed, dangerous and cross. "Yeah, like I don't know that," Rory's voice says on the other side of the door. Amy lowers the scanner, asking if it was really Rory. He confirms it is as the sound of the sonic screwdriver is heard. Rory tells Amy to hang on a minute as she looks away; sadly informing him they took their baby away. "Now, Mrs. Williams," Rory says as the door opens and he walks in with Melody in his arms. "That is never gonna happen."
"At least they have Melody. Whatever else happens today, at least they have her," Martha said trying to be optimistic.
"Yeah," Jack said lowly, not able to shake the uneasy feeling that had come over him.
Amy looks on in joyed disbelief as Rory walks over to her, Melody cooing in his arms. Amy quickly kisses Melody on the forehead, fretting over what could have been done to her but Rory assures her she's fine. Rory marvels at his daughter before beginning to cry, saying he wanted to be cool but Amy laughs tearfully, saying a crying Roman with a baby is 'definitely cool' before she kisses him.
Jane stared at the screen sadly. One moment. They'd had only one moment as a family before it was all torn apart. It broke her heart.
The Doctor walks in and, uncomfortable with the intimate moment, says he'll come back later but Rory orders him in. The Doctor walks over to them and Rory introduces him to his daughter. The Doctor shakes her little hand, awkwardly greeting her as 'baby' and Amy tells him her name is Melody. The Doctor greets her as Melody Pond and Rory says Melody Williams. Amy argues that Melody Williams is a geography teacher while Melody Pond is a superhero.
"Melody Pond does have a better ring to it," Donna mused.
"And Melody Williams does sound like the name a geography teacher would have," Jack added.
The Doctor and Melody seem to have a conversation about Amy's smell before The Doctor hugs the surprised Amy, sniffing her. He apologizes for being so long to come get her but Amy says she knew they were coming. Melody squeals and The Doctor says Amy is still all hers and she should call Amy 'Mummy' instead of 'Big Milk thing'. Bewildered, Amy asks what he's doing and The Doctor claims he speaks baby.
"Really?" Mickey deadpanned as the past viewers all looked at the screen in disbelief.
"So he says. I always just thought it was the TARDIS translation Matrix and Dad was screwing with them," Jane shrugged.
"Wouldn't surprise me, that is so him," Jack said with a smirk.
Amy and the Doctor argue about this as Melody gurgles. The Doctor defensively adjusts his bowtie, claiming it's cool.
Jane suddenly let out a hysterical laugh, nearly doubling over as the past viewers looked at her oddly.
"Something funny?" Donna asked as Jane wiped the tears that had sprang to her eyes.
"I'm sorry, but that's hilarious for reasons you'll get at the end of this one," Jane said, letting out another laugh.
Jane managed to get her laughter under control as the others continued giving her odd looks. They'd understand soon. Trust River Song to make a comment about her father's bowtie even as a baby.
Vastra bursts in, telling The Doctor the clerics are leaving. The Doctor walks over to the window, watching as the clerics are marched out of the hanger with their hands over their heads and Vastra declares Demon's Run is theirs without any bloodshed. "My friend, you have never risen higher," Vastra says and Rory looks over at The Doctor with a face full of dread.
"And now he's going to fall so much further," Jack said grimly as they all watched uneasily.
"Spaceman," Donna said worriedly as Jane grimaced.
"Buckle up. It's about to get intense," Jane said softly as a tense silence descended on the room.
Later, Rory is standing outside the TARDIS when Amy walks out of it, shushing the fussing Melody. Rory asks what's wrong and Amy explains Melody doesn't like the sound of the TARDIS. "I asked him to turn it off but it was all 'But I don't want to punch a hole in the space-time continuum'," Amy says before trying to shush Melody.
"Well, to be fair to The Doctor, that is kind of a big no no," Jack said with a slight grin, amused at Amy's antics.
"Tell that to a mother of a crying baby," Martha laughed, remembering seeing many similar situations as a doctor and feeling it herself when Matthew had first been born.
Jenny and Strax then walk over, Jenny telling Rory that the Judoon have escorted the cleric out of the quadrant while the spitfires have returned to their own time. Jenny then asks if Melody is alright and Amy assures her she's just crying. Strax tells them to give Melody to him, as she needs changing. Amy says she just changed her and thinks Melody might need feeding. Strax says he will take care of it and but Rory refuses. Strax says he has gene spliced himself for all nursing duties and can produce milk.
"For God's sake!" Wilf exclaimed in horror as the past viewers looked uncomfortable, even Jack seemed taken aback.
"Strax has no understanding of boundaries or human customs," Jane explained. "He's…an acquired taste."
"Clearly," Martha muttered.
The Doctor walks out of the TARDIS, carrying a cot as he explains that Melody isn't hungry, she's tired. He apologizes to Melody that the others aren't listening as he puts the cot down. Amy looks at the cot happily as The Doctor says Melody thinks it's pretty. Rory is surprised at the cot as The Doctor gives a sarcastic response before placing Melody inside. Rory asks where The Doctor would get a cot as Amy notes it's really old. Amy asks if The Doctor has children and he says no. Amy asks if he's ever had children and The Doctor doesn't answer, instead answering Melody, telling her his hair is real.
"Spaceman," Donna said sadly as they all stared at the screen, their hearts all breaking for The Doctor.
"No parent should have to outlive their child," Wilf sighed heavily.
Amy laughs before asking The Doctor who slept in the cot. Before he can answer, Vastra speaks over the intercom, asking The Doctor to come to the control room. The Doctor says he'll be right there and tells Amy and Rory he still needs to work out what the base is for and they can't leave until they know. Before The Doctor leaves, Amy asks if she was really here the whole time she thought she was on the TARDIS. The Doctor asks Rory for permission to hug and Rory says he has a sword, making Amy laugh. The Doctor says he's aware at all times, saluting Rory before hugging Amy. The Doctor then explains to Amy that while she was on the TARDIS, her physical body was at Demon's Run. Amy asks about seeing Kovarian and The Doctor explains it was reality bleeding through and they must have taken Amy just before they went to America.
"So she's been here since before she and Rory got The Doctor's letter," Jack noted, the past viewers all being horrified by the thought.
"All that time," Donna said in horror.
"But why do it?" Wilf wondered, still not understanding and Jane smiled sadly.
"It'll make sense in a few minutes," Jane said but didn't elaborate.
Rory says that's enough hugging and The Doctor lets go as Amy laughs, amused at Rory's antics. Rory realizes if the Flesh Avatar was with them all that time, then a signal was being projected into wherever they were in the TARDIS. The Doctor says they're very clever and Amy asks who they are. Rory says whoever wants Melody and Amy wonders why they want her.
"Good question," Jack muttered, none of it making any sense to him yet.
Rory asks if there is anything The Doctor isn't telling them, as he knew Amy wasn't real and didn't say anything. The Doctor says he couldn't be sure they weren't listening before he begins to head to the control room. Amy pleads with him not to hold out on them this time, as it's their baby. Amy pleads with him to tell them something and The Doctor says it his, making both Amy and Rory pause. Rory asks what's his and The Doctor clarifies the cot is his and he slept in there. The Doctor walks off and Amy and Rory turn back to Melody. Amy notes the cot mobile has a stare on it, calling it The Doctor's first stars.
"Weird to think of The Doctor as a baby," Donna mused.
"It's kind of like thinking of your parents or grandparents as babies. You know it happened, but it was so long ago that it's hard to picture," Martha said and Donna nodded her agreement.
As Amy reaches in to pick up Melody, they are startled by Strax shouting. They turn around to see Strax leading Lorna over at gunpoint, claiming to have found her listening at the door.
"So she's back," Mickey noted as Jack narrowed his eyes.
"But why?" Jack wondered suspiciously, the feeling of unease returning to him. "What's she up to?"
The Doctor walks into the control room, where Dorium is sitting at the console while Vastra is standing behind him. The Doctor asks what they've learned and Vastra says that anger is the shortest distance to a mistake. The Doctor is confused as Vastra reminds him that he had told her that when he found her underground in London, attempting to avenge her sisters on innocent tunnel diggers. The Doctor notes she was cross at the time and she points out he was today. The Doctor nods before Vastra asks if Melody is human.
"What kind of question is that?" Martha asked as the past viewers looked at the screen in bewilderment.
"How did we go from philosophy to asking if Melody was human?" Donna wondered in bewilderment.
"Just wait for it. You wanted to know why they wanted Melody? You're about to find out," Jane said as the past viewers stared at the screen, curiosity and bewilderment on their faces.
The Doctor demands to know what she is talking about. Dorium explains Kovarian has had Melody scanned since she was born and they've found what they were looking for. Dorium brings up a model of Melody's DNA and The Doctor calls it human. Vastra tells him to look closer and Dorium brings up a closer scan. "Human plus. Specifically, human plus Time Lord," the Silurian tells the shocked Doctor.
"What the bloody Hell?!" Donna exclaimed as the past viewers all looked at the screen.
"What…how…what?" Jack stammered, at a loss for words.
"This…is impossible," Martha said in disbelief.
"Impossible is every other Tuesday with Boss, but this is another level," Mickey said in disbelief.
"How can Melody be human plus Time Lord?" Wilf said in confusion but none of the past viewers had an answer.
In the hanger, Lorna is trying to warn Amy and Rory that this is a trap, asking why she'd lie. Rory notes her uniform and Lorna said she only joined the clerics to see The Doctor again. Jenny is skeptical on why Lorna would join an army to fight The Doctor if she merely wanted to meet him. Lorna argues how else do you meet a great warrior and Amy argues The Doctor is not a warrior. "Then why is he called The Doctor?" Lorna asks.
"What?" Martha asked as the past viewers looked at the screen in confusion and Jane grimaced.
"That'll be explained in a minute. Just watch for now," Jane said quietly.
The lights suddenly go out. As the others look around in bewilderment, Lorna pleads with them to listen to her, claiming its starting.
"Oh boy," Mickey muttered as they all tensed.
"And here's where Kovarian springs her trap," Jack said grimly.
In the control room, The Doctor argues Melody is Amy and Rory's daughter but Vastra reminds him his people became Time Lords by prolonged exposure to the time vortex. The Doctor argues this was the result of billions of years of evolution, it didn't just happen. Vastra asks if Melody could regenerate and The Doctor dismisses it but Vastra says he doesn't sound sure. The Doctor says he doesn't understand how this happened. Vastra asks when it happened. The Doctor is confused and Vastra says she's trying to be delicate, as she knows how he blushes. Dorium laughs. "When did this baby…begin?" Vastra asks. The Doctor understands now and claims its private, beginning to head out. Vastra asks if the child could have begun on the TARDIS, in the vortex. The Doctor calls this impossible. "It's all blowing up sexy fish vampires and blowing up stuff. And Rory wasn't even there in 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 reality was on their…" The Doctor trails off as the realization hits him. Vastra asks on their what and The Doctor says on their wedding night.
"Of course," Jack said as the realization hit them all. "When their honeymoon was just starting."
"And their first opportunity to be alone after Rory died," Donna muttered.
"It all fits. This is why they wanted Melody," Martha realized. "The exposure to the Time Vortex changed Melody's DNA."
"Bloody Hell," Mickey breathed, summing up what they were all thinking.
In the hanger, Strax is scanning and says the only life forms still on the base are them. Lorna explains the headless monks aren't alive and don't register as life forms. Further away, a headless monk is sneaking up on a Silurian warrior.
"The monks, that was Kovarian's play all along. The Clerics were just a distraction," Martha realized.
"I should have known. The monks would never willingly work with military," Jack almost growled.
"Spaceman, get out there," Donna whispered as they all watched uneasily.
The Doctor argues you can't just cook a Time Lord. "But you gave them one Hell of a start and they've been working very hard ever since," Vastra points out. Dorium asks if it bothers anyone else that they gave in so easily as The Doctor paces. The Doctor remembers Amy's worries about the baby and Vastra sighs at the fact he ignored the instincts of a mother. "Or the instincts of a coward," Dorium adds. Dorium points out this was too easy as The Doctor wonders why anyone would want to get their hands on a brand new Time Lord. Vastra suggests for a weapon and The Doctor wonders why a Time Lord could be a weapon. Vastra points out they've seen The Doctor. The Doctor, shocked, sits down as Vastra agrees with Dorium that it was too easy to take the base.
"Just because you don't think of yourself as a warrior doesn't mean others don't old friend," Jack said with a sigh, knowing how much The Doctor prided himself on being a man of peace.
"I don't think he ever gave much thought to how people might see him beyond that of a savior or protector," Martha noted.
"Well he's about to find out either way," Jane said grimly, knowing what was coming and hoping they were ready for it.
Vastra and Dorium leave as The Doctor processes this. He remembers the girl in the astronaut suit and how she broke out of the suit. "I see you accessed our files." The Doctor jumps up, seeing Kovarian has appeared on a holographic screen. "Do you understand now?"
"I'm beginning to," Jack said quietly as the realization washed over the past viewers.
"No," Donna said softly. "It can't…she can't…"
"That girl was Amy and Rory's daughter," Martha said in shock.
"But how…why?" Mickey asked in shock.
"Does that mean that their daughter was the one who killed The Doctor?" Donna wondered, alarmed as the thought occurred to her.
"Spoilers," Jane said with a tight smile.
Kovarian assures The Doctor she's long gone but keeps tabs on him. Kovarian asks The Doctor about Melody and he asks what she is. "Hope. Hope in this endless, bitter war," Kovarian says. The Doctor asks war against who and Kovarian says against him.
"So she's an enemy of The Doctor, someone he fought against," Mickey mused and Jane grimaced.
"Not exactly," Jane explained and they looked at her tiredly. "It's complicated. A lot of things about Kovarian won't make sense until the end of this. I'll explain everything once we finish."
"I bloody hope so," Martha grumbled, fed up with being kept in the dark.
In the hanger, two headless monks walk off the elevator, pushing out the corpse of a lifeless Silurian. Suddenly, an energy field surrounds the TARDIS. Amy asks what that is and Vastra walks towards it. Placing her hand on it, she is shocked by it and declares it's a force field. Loud thuds are heard around the hanger as everyone looks around wildly while the monks are seen walking through the darkened hanger. Lorna explains the thuds are the doors locking.
"They're being locked in so they can't make a break for it," Mickey immediately realized the monks' strategy.
"It won't matter now. There's nowhere they can run where the monks won't find them," Jack said darkly, realizing this was it. "This is The Doctor's darkest hour."
Vastra notes they're not leaving as they hear the sound of chanting. Rory asks if that's the monks and Dorium realizes in horror it's the attack prayer. Rory tells Amy to come with him as Vastra calls Strax. Amy follows Rory away as Strax explains he's trying to seal off that area of the lighting grid. Vastra, Dorium, Jenny and Strax all stand side by side, Vastra declaring this will be where they make their stand. The monks approach them, their energy swords at the ready. Rory hides Amy and Melody behind a few crates and she tells him to let the others die first. Rory jokes about her being 'so Scottish' and Amy laughs before kissing him. They pull back and Rory kisses Melody's head as Vastra calls out to Rory. Rory heads over and Amy watches him go fearfully.
"Just don't die this time Rory," Donna muttered, fearfully hoping The Doctor's 'darkest hour' would not involve Rory's death.
"Rory'll be fine. Physically anyway," Jane said grimly with a look in her eyes that made the others fear what might happen next.
Lorna tells the others there should be some plasma pistols somewhere as the clerics left everything. "Then find them boy!" Strax barks. Vastra jokes that Lorna is definitely a girl and Jenny tells her to stop it, elbowing her lovingly.
While this would normally make the viewers amused, the tension was too high, the fear of what was going to happen too great. So the viewers just watched the screen silently, waiting to see what would happen next.
Dorium says they don't have to fight the monks, as they know him as a friend. Rory points out they also know he sold them out to The Doctor but Dorium insists they'll understand. Dorium heads over to the monks, ignoring the protests of the others. Amy listens to the chanting from her hiding spot and hears the sound of the monks swinging their sword and a body falling to the floor.
"So much for friendship," Mickey said dryly as the past viewers stared in shock, save Jack, who was unmoved.
"A fitting ending to a being who lacked all morality," Jack said callously.
"Little harsh, don't you think?" Martha pointed out.
"Would you say the same thing if he'd sold the wrist of a medic on the black market?" Jack snapped and Martha winced, seeing his point.
Rory and Vastra call out for Dorium but receive no answer. The monks approach the group, now joined by Dorium's body their energy swords at the ready. The group raises their weapons towards the monks, Vastra declaring they must protect the child at all costs. In the control room, The Doctor shouts that a child is not a weapon.
As the others watched the screen tense, Jack winced, thinking once more of what he had done to Steven. The Doctor was wrong about that. A child could be weapon under the right circumstances.
Kovarian coolly says to give it time and she will be. The Doctor argues Kovarian has already lost Melody and swears he will never let her anywhere near Melody again. "Oh Doctor, fooling you once was a joy, but fooling you twice the same way? It's a privilege," Kovarian sneered. Realizing the truth, The Doctor begins running for Amy. In the hanger, Amy listens to the sounds of the fighting as she attempts to comfort the wailing Melody. In the air, an opening much like the one Amy had seen opens up and Kovarian looks in. Melody stops crying, staring at Kovarian curiously.
"No," Donna breathed as they all caught on.
"Kovarian made a Flesh copy of Melody the moment they took her from Amy," Martha realized in horror.
"They're too far away to find Melody right now," Wilf whispered, already having figured it out.
"The Doctor's darkest hour. Doesn't get much darker than losing a child," Jack said darkly, realizing this was what River had meant.
Rory and the others fight off the monks, Rory using his sword to deflect the blasts of energy the monks throw at them as Strax roars while firing at the monks. "Demon's run when a good man goes to war," River's voice is heard as The Doctor is seen running down a corridor and Vastra crosses swords with a monk. "Night will fall and drown the sun when a good man goes to war." Rory, Strax and Lorna fire at the monks. "Friendship dies and true love lies, night will fall and the dark will rise," Jenny cuts a monk as she sees more approach while Rory continues fighting off the monks. "When a good man goes to war." The Doctor runs down the corridor, shouting for Amy. "Demons run but count the cost," River says as Strax fires before he's hit in the chest by a bolt of energy. "The battle's won but the child is lost." As The Doctor continues running, calling for Amy, Kovarian tells Melody sadistically to wakey wakey. The Doctor reaches a locked door, shouting for Amy as Melody explodes in Amy's arms. Amy is left holding a wet blanket as she stares in shock and horror at a glob of liquid Flesh on the floor.
Donna put a hand to face, tears welling in her eyes as Jack sighed, lowering his head. Wilf lowered his head as well, tears welling in his eyes as Martha put a hand to her mouth. Mickey wrapped his arms around her, not looking much better as Jane watched the screen sadly. For a long moment, the room was silent.
"Amy, Rory," Donna said softly, her heart breaking for both of them.
No more words were spoken. Nothing more needed to be said.
In shock, Amy screams for Rory and he turns his head towards Amy as she wails. The Doctor frantically beats on the door, futilely saying Melody is a Flesh avatar as he uses his screwdriver on the door. The Doctor opens the door and runs out, calling for Amy. Looking around, he takes in the scene around him. Rory solemnly says they know as Vastra walks the battlefield.
"He figured it out, but it was too late to do anything," Martha said with a heavy sigh.
"Even he couldn't have prevented this. He was outplayed," Jack sighed, realizing this was the first time he'd seen The Doctor well and truly beaten.
"They all were," Wilf said sadly as a silence descended on the room.
A few feet away, Strax is leaning against a crate, breathing weakly. Rory walks over to Strax and kneels down next to him. Strax notes he'd always dreamed of dying in combat but is not enjoying it as much as he'd hoped. Rory tells him not to give up but Strax assures him it's alright, as he'd had a good life, as he's nearly 12.
"12? He's only twelve? Donna asked horrified.
"By Sontarans standards, Strax would be considered an adult by now. Most Sontarans don't live passed 9," Jack explained.
"Because they're always going out to battle and dying," Jane added.
"Of course," Martha said grimly.
Rory assures him he'll be back on his feet in no time, as Strax is a warrior. Strax tells Rory he's a nurse before coughing and taking his last breath as The Doctor watches sadly.
"Strax," Donna said sadly, all of them feeling sad for him.
"You said he'd be back though," Mickey remembered as he turned to Jane, who nodded.
"Vastra and Jenny managed to bring him back to life a few days after this. He went back with them to Victorian London," Jane explained.
"They can bring people back to life?" Wilf asked startled.
"It's a risky procedure. Wouldn't recommend it," Jane shrugged.
"The laws of physics apply less the more these go on," Martha sighed tiredly.
Seeing Amy sitting on a crate while Jenny comforts her, The Doctor walks over to her. Amy looks up at him numbly, noting Kovarian had taken Melody anyway and it was all for nothing. The Doctor apologizes as Amy gets to her feet. The Doctor moves to hug her but Amy steps back.
"Ouch," Mickey muttered.
"It's not his fault," Donna muttered, unable to help but defend her best friend.
"No, it's not," Jane agreed. "But it happened because of him. You heard Kovarian, Melody is meant to be a weapon against him. It may not have been his intention, but he caused all this, without meaning to."
"We all have to pay for our sins. It's just not always us who suffer, but the people closest to us," Jack said softly, thinking of Owen, Tosh, Ianto, Steven, Alice and Esther.
The Doctor stops, hurt as Jenny tells Amy it's not his fault. Amy says she knows as Rory walks over to her. He takes Amy a few feet away as she begins to break down.
"Amy," Martha sighed as they all stared at the screen sadly.
"No one should ever have to lose their child, even like this," Jack said and no one could disagree.
The Doctor watches sadly Vastra approaches, saying there's someone who wants to speak to him. The Doctor watches sadly as Amy breaks down in Rory's arms as Vastra tells him about Lorna. Vastra takes him to Lorna, where she is leaning back against a crate, wounded. Kneeling down next to Lorna, The Doctor scans her and immediately realizes she doesn't have long. Lorna looks up at him, greeting him warmly. He thanks Lorna for helping his friends and she tells him about meeting him in the Gamma Forests. She notes he doesn't remember her and The Doctor lies, saying he does. He cuts her cheeks, saying he remembers everyone and they ran together. A tear falls from Lorna's eye before she dies as The Doctor watches sadly.
"Lorna," Donna said sadly.
Jack was silent, conflicted. While she had allowed all this to happen by not doing anything to help Amy, she had also tried to help. But Jack still found her motivations rather selfish.
"Another life lost in this pointless battle," Wilf said sadly.
"It's why war is Hell. Because innocent people get hurt in the crossfire," Mickey said darkly.
The Doctor asks the Silurian who she was and Vastra says she doesn't know but was very brave. The Doctor sadly notes they're always brave, closing Lorna's eyes before standing up. Vastra asks what now, noting Kovarian would take Melody to earth and raise her in the right environment. The Doctor agrees, saying it's already too late. The Doctor begins to walk away as Vastra argues he never gives up. "Yeah, and don't you sometimes wish I did?" He snaps. There is the sound of electricity surging before thunder is heard. "Well then, soldier, how goes the day?" The Doctor turns around to see River standing a few feet away.
"Well look who decided to show up?" Donna snapped, still angry that River hadn't tried to stop this.
"Why now though? Why show up now?" Jack wondered as he narrowed his eyes.
"Who cares? She knew this was gonna happen and let it," Donna snapped angrily.
"I'm sure River had her reasons Donna," Wilf assured her, confident of that.
"She bloody well better!" Donna snapped.
"Well let's see," Martha noted as they all turned their attention to the screen.
Amy and Rory look over at River as The Doctor storms over, demanding to know where she's been. He argues he has been there whenever she's asked, demanding to know where she was today. River says she couldn't have prevented this and The Doctor snarls she could have tried. "And so my love, could you," River says and The Doctor looks at her in confusion. River looks over at Amy, saying she knows she's not alright but promises that she's going to be. "You think I wanted this? I didn't do this. This-this wasn't me!" The Doctor snaps. "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?" River asks. "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?" The Doctor is silent as River walks behind him. "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."
"They're really that afraid of him," Mickey said, as if realizing it for the first time.
"Are you really that surprised? The Pandorica was created because his enemies were all so afraid of him that even the Daleks and Cybermen ignored all logic and imprisoned him rather than trying to work with him. Dad has given his enemies great reason to fear him, but it's not always a good thing," Jane explained as her words washed over the room.
"Puts things in perspective, doesn't it?" Donna said lowly. "Seeing how the other side sees him?"
"You never really think about how dangerous he is until you remember all the things he's done," Martha agreed with a heavy sigh.
"The longer you live, the more victories you achieve, the more fear you put into people, it's no wonder Lorna called him a dark legend," Jack said softly with a sigh.
The Doctor walks back over to her slowly, demanding to know who she is. River sees his cot and walks over to it, noting she hasn't seen it in a while. The Doctor follows her, demanding she tells him who she is. She takes his hand, assuring him she is. She places his hand on the cot, asking him if he can read. Confused, The Doctor looks over at the cot along with Amy and Rory. The Doctor looks back up at her, his expression changing as River smiles at him.
"I don't get it," Mickey said, the past viewers looking confused as Jane smiled.
"You will in a minute," Jane promised.
The Doctor smiles, saying hello and she says it back. Amy and Rory are confused as The Doctor and River begin finishing each other's sentences, both knowing what this means. The Doctor looks over at the confused Amy and Rory with a smile before turning back to River, pointing out their kiss and River says yes, causing The Doctor to laugh before looking back at Amy and Rory with an awkward look. The Doctor straightens his bowtie, asking how he looks and River says amazing. He says he better be and River agrees. The Doctor tells Jenny and Vastra he'll see them next time and tells Amy and Rory he knows where to find Melody and promises on his life she'll be safe. The Doctor tells River to get them home as he heads towards the TARDIS. The Doctor uses his screwdriver to take out the force field around the TARIDS as Amy and Rory rush over, demanding to know where he's going. The Doctor doesn't answer, opening the door, pointing at River with a smile before heading inside. Amy and Rory watch in disbelief and bewilderment as the TARDIS dematerializes.
"Oi! What are you doing Spaceman?" Donna asked, bewildered as the past viewers grew more confused.
"It'll all make sense in a minute," Jane said with a smile.
Amy angrily walks over to River, demanding to know where The Doctor is going and what she told him. Rory walks up behind her as River tells Amy to stay calm. Amy picks up a gun and aims it at River, demanding she tells Amy what she told The Doctor.
"Looks like Amy's done playing nice," Jack noted with a slight smile.
"Her daughter's been taken by psychopaths who want to turn her into a weapon. I'd probably react the same way," Martha noted.
Rory tries to calm Amy but River assures him she's fine. River explains it's the TARDIS translation matrix, which takes a while with a written word. She tells them to concentrate as Amy looks at the writing on the cot. Amy says she still can't read it, cocking the gun as she points it at River. Rory grabs her hand, lowering the gun as River explains it doesn't work with Gallifreyan. River picks up Lorna's prayer leaf and hands it to Amy, assuring her this will. River explains it's her daughter's name in the language of the forest. Amy snaps she knows her daughter's name but River explains the Gamma Forest doesn't have a word for pond because the only water in the forest is the river.
"Isn't that what the TARDIS said to Rory a few recordings ago?" Wilf wondered.
"Yeah, that's right," Martha realized as Jane smiled.
"She knew. She can see Dad's future after all. She knew this was going to happen," Jane said with a slight laugh.
"I really don't get what's so important about Melody's name," Jack narrowed his eyes.
"Wait for it Jack," Jane said not even bothering to hide the smile that crossed her face.
River assures Amy that The Doctor will find Melody and care for her, whatever it takes. Amy and Rory look down as the translation kicks in. The word 'River' appears on one side. Turning it over, they see the word 'Song' on the other.
"No!" Donna exclaimed as the past viewers stared at the screen disbelief.
"Yes," Jane said with a smile.
"How…I'm sorry, what?" Jack asked, having trouble wrapping his head around this.
"This is…I don't even know what this!" Mickey shouted, in the same state as Jack.
"It's a bloody migraine is what it is," Martha grumbled as she put a hand to her forehead. "River is…"
"Yep," Jane said still smiling, finding their reactions hilarious. "Fucks with your head, doesn't it?"
"I'll say," Donna grumbled, putting a hand to her forehead.
Wilf simply stared at the screen, not looking like he knew what to say, as he was still trying to wrap his head around this revelation.
"It's me. I'm Melody. I'm your daughter," River explains as Amy and Rory look at her in shock before the screen went black.
"What the fuck?" Jack said once the recording ended.
"Yeah, pretty much my reaction," Jane said with a smile.
"River is…this whole time?" Martha asked, still not fully processing this.
"Yeah," Jane said as she got to her feet. "And I know that's a lot to take in, so let's take a break. We can discuss this more over lunch."
And so ends an episode I've been wanting to do since I started this story. Not only is this episode my favorite of Smith's era, it's probably my favorite episode of all time. It's honestly the first time since the reboot that we see The Doctor definitely beaten, even his defeats in previous episodes had been more setbacks than anything else. It's also introduces some of my favorite recurring characters in the show and actually makes you think about The Doctor's actions. And then to top it all off, we get the River reveal. It's easily one of the greatest plot twists in history, something you only see coming in hindsight. A friend of mine had already spoiled me on this twist before they knew I was planning on watching the show, but I would have been so surprised if they hadn't told me.
1: Fun fact, Jack was originally supposed to be part of The Doctor's army in this episode but John Barrowman was busy filming the ending of Torchwood.
