Last time: Rory stared at the Doctor with a peculiar expression on his face while Rose looked away. She was staring down at the retreating soldiers trying to compose herself as she tried to forget about the events that were going to happen in the next few minutes.
~Forward In Time~
Amy was carrying a crying melody away from the Tardis. Rory quickly walked up to her, "Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, concerned, looking Melody over.
"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." She said, in a poor imitation of the Doctor. She rocked her gently while softly saying, "Sh."
"Rory! The Judoon have escorted the Clerics out of the quandrant. Spitfires have returned to their own time. Captain Avery and his men are going. Is she alright?" Jenny asked while Strax followed.
"Yes she's just crying." Amy answered.
"Give her to me, human fool. She needs changing." Strax said.
"I just changed her. I think she might need a feed." She said, continuing to rock her.
"A feed, of course. I'll take care of everything." He said, holding out his hand.
Rory stepped in front of Strax, "Er, I really don't think you will, actually." He objected.
"I have gene-spliced myself for all nursing duties. I can produce magnificent quantities of lactid fluid." Strax said, putting a hand on his chest in outrage.
"She's not hungry, she's tired." The Doctor said, walking out of the Tardis holding a wooden cot. "Sorry, Melody, they're just not listening." He said, placing it down on the floor.
"What's this?" Amy asked, in excitement.
"Very pretty, according to your daughter." The Doctor said, pointing at Melody in Amy's arms.
"It's a- It's a cot." Rory said, staring at the Doctor.
"No flies on the Roman." The Docto said, slowly with a smile. "Give her here." He said, reaching for her.
"But where would you get a cot?" Rory asked as the Doctor set Melody in the cot.
"It's old. Really old." Amy examined. "Doctor, um, do you have any children?" Amy asked.
"No." The Doctor answered, keeping his eyes on Melody.
"Have you ever had children?" Amy asked, a twinge of nervousness in her voice.
"No, it's real. It's my hair." The Doctor said, running a hand through his hair.
"Who slept in here?" Amy asked bluntly.
Then Rose's voice over the intercom interrupted the breif interrogation, "Doctor, we need you in the main control room."
"Be right there!" He screamed into the air. Things to do. I've still got to work out what this base is for. We can't leave till we know." He said rapidly while walking away.
"But this is where I was? The whole time I thought I was on the Tardis, I was really here?" Amy asked.
"Er, Centurion, permission to hug." The Doctor asked hesistantly.
Rory nodded his head, "Be aware I do have a sword." He said causing Amy to smile.
"At all times." The Doctor said saluting him. He walked over and pulled Amy into a hug, "You were on the Tardis, too. Your heart, your mind, your soul. But physically, yes, you were still in this place." The Doctor explained.
"And when I saw that face looking through the hatch, that woman looking at me." She asked.
"Reality bleeding through. They must have taken you quite a while back. Just before America." The Doctor added.
Rory stepped forward, "That's probably enough hugging now." He said. The Doctor gave him a thumbs up and backed off. "So her flesh avatar was with us all taht tim. But that means they were rojecting a control signal righ tinto the wherever we were in time and space." Rory said.
"Yeah, they're very clever." The Doctor said.
"Who are?" Amy asked.
"Whoever wants our baby." Rory answered.
"But why do they want her?" Amy asked.
"Exactly." The Doctor said immediately after.
"Id there anything you're not telling us? You knew Amy wasn't real. You never said." Rory asked.
"Well, I couldn't be sure they weren't listening." The Doctor explained starting to walk away.
"But you always hold out on us. Please, not this time. Doctor, it's our baby. Tell us something. One little thing." Amy begged as he walked away.
"It's mine." The Doctor said with a smile.
The two paled, "What is?" Rory asked worried.
"The cot. It's my cot. I slept in there." He said pointing at it.
Amy scoffed and looked down at it, "Oh my god. It's the Doctor's first stars." Amy asked, taking one in her hand.
"She's-" Rory said, pointing at Melody.
Amy took out the prayer leaf and wiped the dribble Rory was pointing at.
"Drop your weapons. State your rank and intent." Amy and Rory turned to see Strax marching someone in at gunpoint. "I found it listening at the door." He added. The person was Lorna.
The Control Room...
The Doctor walked in and saw Dorium sitting at the computer with Madame Vastra. Rose was hanging out at the back with her arms crossed. The Doctor didn't notice the grim look on her face, "You've hacked into their software, then?" The Doctor asked, walking towards Dorium and putting his hands on his shoulders.
"I believe I sold it to them." Dorium said, typing something out on the keyboard.
"Ooo. So what have we learned?" The Doctor asked excitedly.
"That anger is always the shortest distance to a mistake." Vastra snapped at him.
"I'm sorry?" The Doctor asked, turning to her.
"The words of an old friend who once found me in the London Uderground, attempting to avenge my sisters on perfectly innocent tunnel diggers." She explained while the Doctor walked over.
"Well, you were very cross at the time." The Doctor replied, remembering the time when he first me Vastra.
"As you were today, old friend. Point taken, I hope." She said. The DOctor nodded and turned away. His gaze fell on Rose who was leaning against the far wall, staring at the scene with a far off look in her eye. Before the Doctor could ask her what was wrong Madame Vastra asked a question that completely threw off the Doctor, "Now I have a question. A simple one. Is Melody human?" She asked.
The Doctor spun around in shock, "Sorry, what? Of course she is. COmpletely human. What are you talking about?" He asked confused.
"They've been scanning her since she was born, and I think they found what they were looking for." Dorium said, staring at a string of DNA on the screen.
"Human DNA." The Doctor argued.
"Look closer." Vastra said, walking over. "Human plus. Specifically, human plus Time Lord." She said sharply. Rose furrowed her eyebrows and walked over to look at the screen. She knew the Doctor hadn't done anything with Amy to make a Time Lord baby like what everyone was assuming. But if she didn't act as the others did the Doctor would know something was up. Besides the Doctor knew how jealous she could get.
So she walked over and peered at the screen with a stern face and then turned to the Doctor with an accusing one, "What have you been doing since I've been gone?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
The Main Room...
Strax hit Lorna with the back of his gun and she started talking, "I heard her talking. This is a trap. Why would I lie to you?" She asked desperately.
"Well, you might want to take a look at your uniform." Rory snapped.
Strax it her again. "The only reason I joined the Clerics was so I could meet the Doctor again." Lorna explained.
"You wanted to meet him, so you joined an army to fight him?" Jenny questioned,
"Well how else do you meet a great warrior?" She scoffed.
"He's not a warrior." Amy reasoned.
"Then why is he called the Doctor?" She asked, genuinely confused. A second after the lights went out. "It's starting. Please listen to me." Lorna begged.
The Control Room...
"But she's human. She's Amy and Rory's daughter." The Doctor explained.
"Is she?" Rose asked, raising an eyebrow at the Doctor.
The Doctor stared at her with a disbelieving look, "Of course she is. I think of Amy as a daughter. I wouldn't do... that with her." He said, throwing his arms in the air.
Rose narrowed her eyes at him but didn't say anything else. "You've told me about your people. They became what they did through prolonged exposure to the time vortex. The Untempered Schism." Vastra explained.
"Over billion of years. It didn't just happen." the Doctor said pacing throughout the room.
"So how close is she? COuld she even regenerate?" Vastra asked.
With a silent yes in Rose's mind she sighed, "No, no. I don't think so." The Doctor answered.
"You don't sound so sure." Vastra argued.
"Because I don't understand how this happened." The Doctor said, loking between all the people in this room.
"Which leads me to ask when did it happen?" Vastra asked.
"When?" The Doctor repeated, confused.
"I am trying to be delicate. I know how you can blush." Vastra said. Rose held down a laugh as she looked at the Doctor's disgruntled expression. "When did this baby... begin?" She asked pointedly.
"Oh you mean..." He siad quickly.
"Quite." She said before he finished.
"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." He said, starting to walk down the hallway.
"But could the child have begun on the Tardis in flight, in the vortex." Vastra called after.
The Doctor spun around, waving his arm at her, "No! No! mpossible! 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." He said, as he walked back toward Madame Vastra. "So, technically the first time they were on the Tardis together in this version of reality was on their w-" He cut himself off as he realized something.
"On their what?" Vastra asked cautiously.
The Doctor gulped, "On their wedding night." He said gravelly. Rose sighed heavily and face-palmed. "It doesn't make sense." The Doctor said. "You can't just cook yourself a timelord."
Rose cleared her throat and gestured to herself, "What about me?"
"You don't count. You were practically bathed in the Time Vortex. I didn't know something like you was even possible." The Doctor said, gesturing to her.
"And you didn't know something like R-" She cut herself off. "Melody was even possible either but here she is." She said, hoping no one heard her slip up. Thankfully no one did.
"That's because it's impossible!" The Doctor said throwing his hands up in the air. "You can't just do that."
"Of course not. But you gave them one hell of a start, and they've been working very hard ever since." Vastra argued.
"And yet they gave in so easily. Does this not bother anyone else?" Dorium asked.
Rose glanced at him, a gleam of hope in her eyes. Maybe they'll notice, she thought.
"Amy. She worried the baby would have a time head. She said that-" Vastra cut him off.
"Only you would ignore the instincts of a mother." Vastra said.
"Or the instincts of a coward. This is too easy. There's something wrong." Dorium said again.
Yes just listen to Dorium. For God's sake, listen to Dorium. Rose pleaded inside her head.
Her pleas were in vain, "Why even do it? Even if you could get your hands on a brand new Time Lord, what for?" The Doctor asked.
"A weapon?" Vastra suggested.
"Why would a Time Lord be a weapon?" The Doctor asked thoroughly confused.
"Well, they've seen you." Vastra explained.
"Me?" The Doctor asked, sitting down.
"Mister Maldovar, you're right. this was too easy. We should get back to the others." Vastra said, heading out the door with Dorium and Rose following. Rose looked back at the Doctor and a quick thought passed through her mind, It's too late. Then she turned and followed them.
"Me?" The Doctor asked again to no one in particular.
Suddenly Kovarian's face appeared on the screen, "I see you've 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?" Kovarian asked.
"What is she?" The Doctor asked immediately.
"Hope. Hope in this endless, bitter war." Kovarian said
"What war? Against who?" The Doctor asked.
"Against you, Doctor." Kovarian spat out.
The Main Room...
The Monks were forcing there way towards them and suddenly a white light cone appeared around the Tardis. "What's that?" Amy asked.
Vastra approached the Tardis and gently touched the cone. Her hand was thrown back. "A force feild." Vastra answered.
The sounds of door shutting filled the room and Lorna spoke up. "And those are the doors... locking." She said, staring at Rory.
"Apparently we're not leaving." Vastra said.
"Is that the Monks?" Rory asked, talking about the loud chant.
"Oh, dear God. That's the attack prayer." Dorium said terrified.
"Quick come with me." Rory said, dragging Amy towards the back. He gestured for Rose to come with him. She nodded and walked over Cleric issued gun in hand.
"Commaner Strax!" Vastra called.
"I'm trying to seal off this area of the lightning grid." He answered.
"This is where we'll make our stand. Clear lines of sight on all approaches." She called out.
Rory hid Amy and Melody behind some boxes. "Rory, no offence to the others, ut you let them all die first, okay?" She said, ignoring Rose's presence. She merely smiled and looked out at the coming Monks.
"You're so Scottish." Rory said. Amy laughed and they kissed. It almost made Rose want to cry, They don't deserve this. She thought, pushing back tears. They deserve PTA meetings and white picket fences. She added.
"Centurion, you're needed!" Vastra yelled.
Rory turned to Rose, "You protect her and our baby with your life. You understand?" He said, pointing to them.
Rose nodded, "I'll do everything to make sure they're safe." She confirmed. "Now go Centurion. Go be a badass." She said with a smile.
He scoffed and with a last kiss to Melody ran up front. Rose took the time to tell Amy the one ting she had been needing to tell her, "Amy," She started, looking at her. Amy looked back at her, clutching at Melody, "I'm so sorry." She said, and then she turned to stare ahead at the fight that was about to unfold.
"There should be some plasma pistols somewhere. They left everything." Lorna said.
"Then find them boy!" Strax yelled at her.
"She's deifinitely a girl." She said to Jenny.
"Oh stop it." Jenny said, elbowing her.
"We don't have to fight them. I'm friends to the Monks. They know me." Dorium said, walking up.
"Yeah and they know you just sold them out to the Doctor." Rory added.
"Oh, they'll understand it's only me. Only silly old me. You understand, don't you." He said walking towards the Monks.
"Mister Maldovar, get back here!" Vastra screamed.
"Arm yourself fool." Strax yelled.
"Dorium!" Rory warned.
Dorium walked into the darkness, arms outstretched in peace and with a swish of metal, something fell to the floor.
"Mister Maldovar?" Vastra questioned.
"Dorium?" Rory asked into the dark.
A headless Dorium appeared in the view of the light along with two monks. "The child. At all costs, protect the child!" Vastra called out to everyone.
The Control room...
"A child is not a weapon!" The Doctor screamed.
"Oh, giv us time. She can be. She will be." Kovarian said confidently.
"Except you've already lost her and I swear I will never let you anywhere near her again." The Doctor said intensly.
"Oh Doctor. Fooling you once was a joy, but foolin you twice the same way? It's a privilege." Kovarian said sharply.
Realization hit the Doctor, "Amy." He muttered, turning to the Door. "Amy!" He screamed as he ran.
In the main room Melody was crying and Rose knew time was running out. She silently repeated the old nursery ryhme River had taught her, Demon's run when a good man goes to war.
The Doctor was running, screaming Amy's name.
Night will fall and drown in sun when a good man goes to war.
Rory was fighting, Strax was shooting and Rose was on the verge of loosing it.
Friendship dies and true love lies, night will fall and the dark will rise, when a good man goes to war.
"Amy!" He screamed as he ran down the corridor.
Demon's run but count the cost. The battle's won, but the child is lost. And with that last thought, Rose turned just in time to see Melody turn into flesh before her eyes.
"Rory?" Amy said quietly, clutching the blanket her child was in, "Rory! Rory!" She screamed hysterically.
Amy looked toward Rose who looked just as shocked as she was, "I'm sorry." Rose said again, looking into Amy's eyes. "I'm so sorry."