Here's the next one and I've got another one sitting around that I'll post probably Wednesday. But plenty more left! Some sherlock ones, some doctor who ones. I'll try to post more if they're only a chapter but it depends on if I remember or get nagged enough by the discord, lol. Enjoy!
I bolted upright in bed, grabbing my upper right thigh as phantom pain went through it after the nightmare I'd had. Just by closing my eyes, I could hear the gunshots and shouts as bullets flew past me. Cursing, I forced myself up, teetering uneasily on my foot until I was able to balance and slowly make my way to the bathroom while bracing myself. Tired of standing already, I settled for stripping and sitting on the bench installed in the tub to shower. I hated it. I hated every second of the humiliating actions in my morning routine, made difficult due to my injuries from the dreadful war I had been in. My right leg had been crushed in the mangled mess of the vehicle that had been driven over a land mine and later amputated when infection set in. My right hand was slightly better, though still stiff even after months of therapy. I could function it without too much difficulty, however fine finger work proved difficult and my fingers would spasm if used too long doing so.
I sighed heavily, messily drying my short brown hair with a towel and frowning at the angry face staring back at me in the mirror. Pale, a little too thin, though still retaining some muscle thanks to months of rehabilitation and the jogging and weight lifting I did at home. My bright blue eyes were set in a stern expression and I idly scratched at the buzzed sides of my head as a stray strand of my hair fell before my eyes. I lazily styled my hair into a messy fauxhawk, knowing I needed to get dressed and leave soon if I was going to make it to the pub later. Once at least wearing a sports bra and some dark blue plaid boxer shorts, I hobbled my way to the bed and sat to work on putting on my prosthetic. It was a hassle that only made me feel weaker than ever to need the assistance of a plastic and metal leg to do anything, but my therapist had insisted after having visited me and catching me struggling to do the simplest things without it.
It was frustrating, but it was either that or jump around like a broken pogo stick. Once it was strapped on, I let out a sigh and walked to the closet. A pair of jeans, a dark grey turtleneck sweater, and my military boots later, and I was in the kitchen with a bowl of cereal despite the hour beginning to reach later in the evening. I glanced at the newspaper, but frowned. There was never anything interesting happening in Leadworth, but living in the noisy city had only proven worse for my health thanks to my PTSD. I'd gotten better though. Enough so that I could probably move back if I wanted to. I was off my meds and noises of fireworks didn't make me jump anymore. I still had trouble sleeping, but that was going to happen regardless. Now though, I needed to head to the pub for a friend's stag party.
Though I had only known them for the few months since I moved to Leadworth, Amy and Rory had proven to be better companions than most of the people I'd bumped into in the small town. Amy's stubborn Scottish demeanor had me caught in an instant and Rory's loyalty was worth noticing if one looked in the right places. Neither had bothered me about my leg and hand, nor about the almost constant look of annoyance on my face. They'd taken it in stride, really. Even managing to make me laugh and smile on occasion. Though they were never going to convince me to wear those ridiculous red sweaters. I mused, walking into the pub and nodding my head to the few who greeted me.
"Ash! Ashton!"
I turned to see Rory bounding up, giving me a look.
"You didn't wear the shirt."
I raised a brow as I ordered a drink. "Did you honestly think I was going to wear the shirt? And why the stag party? I'm a woman, despite first appearances. Shouldn't I have gone to whatever Amy was planning?"
"She doesn't have a bunch of girl-friends, so I don't know if she was planning anything," he said over the noise. "She told me you'd like this better."
I shrugged, sipping at my drink. "Drinks are always better."
He chuckled, obviously a little tipsy and more than happy. "Are you sure you're not Scottish?"
I snorted. "Hardly. Maybe my granddad's side."
"Ah! I'm going to call Amy!" He grinned then, pulling out his phone and walking away to call her.
I rolled my eyes at his enthusiasm but smiled slightly, glad that he and Amy were happy. I spotted a cake being rolled in and held back a groan as the men gathered around it and pushed Rory to the front with chants of "Out! Out! Out!" I stood behind Rory, just watching, before a man popped out of the cake and everyone went silent. The man turned and spotted someone then with a brilliant grin.
"Rory!"
Dear God, Rory knows this guy? I mentally questioned, moving slightly closer to Rory because I got the feeling that something was very wrong.
"That's a relief. Thought I burst out of the wrong cake again." He paused, looking around. "That reminds me, there's a girl standing outside in a bikini. Could someone let her in and give her a jumper? Lucy. Lovely girl. Diabetic," he whispered as though it was a secret and I turned to the nearest guy and nudged him, grabbing a coat off the rack and handing it to him.
Thankfully, the stunned man got the hint and hurried off to help the poor woman, whereas I turned back to Rory and the man in the cake, concerned by Rory's expression.
"Now then, Rory," the man continued, clapping a little. "We need to talk about your fiancée."
Rory grinned and looked down at his shirt, where a picture of the couple lay.
"She tried to kiss me," the man blurted out and the smile slipped right off Rory's face as the crowd let out gasps.
Oh, no. Not Rory. I looked between the two cautiously.
"Tell you what though, you're a lucky man. She's a great kisser."
Someone dropped their glass and I quickly frowned, stepping past Rory and grabbing the man by his shirt, hauling him out of the cake.
"Yeah, no. You're coming with me."
"W-What? Hello, who are you? Ah! Easy on the jacket! It's just been laundered!" The bow-tie wearing man complained and I reached out and grabbed Rory too.
"You too," I said, tugging them to the door and shoving them both out before turning to the group with a threatening scowl. "Anyone speaks a word of that, and I'll skin you. Got it?"
The group nodded and I huffed.
"Good. Barkeep, tab's on me."
Cheers rang out as I left and I glared at the bow-tie man, who flinched away.
"Where's Amy?"
"Ah, yes, well she's on my ship."
My brows furrowed. "Ship…"
"Yes! I-I can show you if you want, Miss… ah, what was your name again?"
"Ashton," I said shortly, nudging him forward. "Or Ash, now walk. Some things need to be worked out apparently and I don't know who the hell you are, but you're going to fix it. Rory, you too."
Rory nodded dejectedly and moved in front of me as I followed the man to his… ship. I had no idea what he was talking about, but I wasn't about to let Rory and Amy's marriage get ruined because some weirdo in a bow-tie decided to show up. He led us to Amy's backyard where a blue telephone box sat on the grass—him taking out a key to unlock it.
"You're joking, right?" I questioned, feeling anger building up. "You went and locked her in a box?"
"What? No! It's unlocked on the inside! And it's not just a box. I told you, it's my ship!"
"Shipping container?" I questioned, wondering now if he was foreign or something.
"No! Just, just 'ship.' You know, like a rocket ship. It's called the Tardis, which stands for Time And Relative Dimensions In Spa—"
"I don't care if it's called the S.S. Moron," I said shortly back. "Is Amy inside or not?"
"You're a rude one, aren't you…?" He grumbled, before nodding quickly when I made a step towards him. "Yes, yes! She's inside."
"Good. You first."
He went in and I nudged Rory in after him, hesitantly going in myself. I was stunned to find a ginormous interior, and stepped back outside to make sure I hadn't imagined the actual size of the box. Upon finding the box only perhaps four feet all the way around, I reentered it and slowly went up the stairs. I spotted Amy and Rory then, rather distant and not looking at one another. I scowled and went to try and knock some sense into them—the large interior of the box being pushed to the back of my mind—but the dork in the bow-tie spoke up from a lower level.
"Oh, the life out there, it dazzles. I mean, it blinds you to the things that are important. I've seen it devour relationships and plans."
Something sparked violently, making Rory and I flinch as the man below continued.
"It's meant to do that. Because for one person to have seen all that, to taste the glory and then go back, it will tear you apart. So, I'm sending you somewhere, together."
I furrowed my brows, wondering why he was going to that extreme to pay for a trip for them when all they needed to do was probably talk it out.
"W-What? Like a date?" Amy questioned, not having noticed me, apparently.
"Anywhere you want. Any time you want. One condition. It has to be amazing. The Moulin Rouge in 1890. The first Olympic Games. Think of it as a wedding present, because frankly, it's either this or tokens." He said, climbing up the stairs and patting Rory. "It's a lot to take in, isn't it? Tiny box, huge room inside. What's that about? Let me explain it's basically another dimension," he said the same time Rory dully answered.
"It's another dimension."
"What?"
"After what happened with Prisoner Zero, I've been reading up on all the latest scientific theories. FTL travel, parallel universes," Rory rattled on and the man pouted.
"I like the bit when someone says it's bigger on the inside. I always look forward to that."
"So this date," Amy piped in as I settled for looking around some more, trying to wrap my head around things. "I'm kind of done with running down corridors. What do you think, Rory?"
"How about somewhere romantic?"
The box shuddered when the man pulled a lever and I grabbed onto a railing as it grew more violent, before it stopped; my heart pounding as I suddenly realized that no one remembered I'd come with them.
"Ha! Here we are!" The bow-tie man shouted, bounding for the doors and thus, towards me. "I picked the first place I thought of and—Oh dear."
"Oh, God," Rory murmured, hurrying over as Amy spotted me as well.
"Ash? What are you doing here?"
"Me?" I exclaimed, a bit confused at everything that was going on. "What the hell were you doing kissing some weirdo history teacher the night before your wedding!"
She looked sheepish and I turned to the bow-tie man.
"And you! What do you mean, another dimension! How do you fit another dimension in a four-by-four box! Who the hell are you, anyway! Where are we even!" I demanded and he held his hands up.
"A-Ah, for the first part, it's complicated. And I'm the Doctor. As for where we are…" He paused, giving me a suspicious look. "Hold on a minute, how do you know we've moved?"
I grit my teeth, trying not to grab the Doctor by his lapels and shake him silly. "You said it was a ship. Time And Relative Dimensions In Space. You promised them a trip, but we haven't left this box. Only a moron wouldn't see that the answer's the name. Where did you get a damn time machine ship?"
He blinked, looking stunned and rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah, well, that's a first. I usually have to explain that it goes in space and time."
I finally gave in and grabbed the front of his shirt with a snarl. "Where are we?"
"Venice," he squeaked out, hands up in surrender.
"When?"
He glanced at his watch. "A-Ah, 1580. Which is good. Casanova doesn't get born for a hundred and forty-five years. Don't want to run into him. I owe him a chicken," he chuckled nervously.
"You owe Casanova a chicken?" Rory questioned.
"Long story. We had a bet."
I glared at the man, making him wince. "Doctor who?"
A smile appeared on his face at that.
"Ah, now there's a question I'm used to. Just the Doctor."
"That's it?" I questioned, slowly letting him go.
"That's it."
Rory reached over and placed a hand on my shoulder, trying to calm me a bit.
"You're bonkers," I muttered.
"Ash…"
I shrugged Rory off, moving for the doors and walking right out into the middle of a marketplace in what could only be Venice, Italy. The noise assaulted my senses, making me stiffen slightly as the Doctor and the other three walked out behind me; the Doctor chatting enthusiastically.
"Venezia. La Serenissima. Impossible city. Preposterous city. Founded by refugees running from Attila the Hun. It was just a collection of little wooden huts in the middle of the marsh but became one of the most powerful cities in the world. Constantly being invaded, constantly flooding, constantly just beautiful. Ah, you got to love Venice. So many people did. Byron, Napoleon, Casanova," he said, leading our group as we walked through sellers and buyers. "Do you believe me now, Ash?"
I looked around, brows furrowed. "They're not speaking Italian."
"Tardis translation matrix. It translates everything—"
"For me," I cut him off. "Again, the answer's in the title." I turned to Amy and Rory then. "Is this just a normal thing for you two? Just getting in some box with a weirdo in a bow-tie to go see time and space?"
"Ah, just me, actually," Amy replied with a smile. "Rory knew about the Doctor, but this is his first trip."
My frown deepened. "Well, it's no wonder you two are having issues. You're lucky he's the designated driver. I would have just locked you two in a cupboard to figure it out."
Amy looked rather stunned at my words as we continued to walk, and the Doctor came over to me curiously.
"And this is alright for you?" He questioned, looking me over. "You're not going to do that thing that humans do, with the whole… ah!" He swooned. "That thing?"
I gave him an annoyed look. "It might be hard to wrap my head around, Doctor, but I've seen things that make this look like a walk in the park."
"Ooh, tetchy," he commented, making me glare at him as we approached an entryway and a man stopped us.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Papers, if you please. Proof of residency, current bill of medical inspection."
I frowned, questioning what the Doctor was going to do as he reached into his coat and handed the man a wallet.
"There you go, fellow. All to your satisfaction, I think you'll find."
"I am so sorry, Your Holiness. I didn't realize," the man apologized with a bow as the Doctor apparently blessed him.
"No worries. You were just doing your job. Sorry, what exactly is your, your job?"
"Checking for aliens," the man commented and I caught Amy's amused look and wondered if I was missing out on some inside joke. "Visitors from foreign lands what might bring the plague with them."
"Oh, that's nice," Amy said, disgruntled, hitting him on the arm. "See where you bring me? The plague."
The man turned to her with a small bow. "Don't worry, Viscountess. No, we're under quarantine here. No one comes in, no one goes out, and all because of the grace and wisdom of our patron, Signora Rosanna Calvierri."
I was growing more confused at the sudden respect we were getting from the man in front of us and why he called us royalty, as the Doctor hummed.
"How interesting. I heard the plague died out years ago."
"Not out there. No, Signora Calvierri has seen it with her own eyes. Streets are piled high with bodies, she said."
"Did she now…"
Rory took the wallet from the man and we both looked at it as the Doctor and Amy walked off a little way.
"Uh, according to this, I'm your eunuch and Ash is your personal guard?"
"Oh, yeah. I'll explain later," Amy said, but I took the wallet and flipped it around, looking at it from different angles before passing it back to Rory.
"Now I think you're all bonkers. This thing is completely blank."
"What?"
The Doctor had been quick to sneak away from Amy and Rory, giving them time to be alone, but he hadn't expected to have been caught and followed by his stowaway, Ashton.
"So why was that paper thing blank?"
The Doctor didn't stop trailing after the man who'd tried to get to his daughter earlier.
"It's not. It's my psychic paper. It shows whatever the user wants it to show."
"But it was blank," she argued.
"Then perhaps you're either really clever or really stupid." He commented. "Now shush and let me do the talking."
She glared heatedly at him, huffing but leaning up against the stairs that he jumped on before he called out to the man.
"Who were those girls?"
He stopped and turned towards him. "I thought everyone knew about the Calvierri school."
"Our first day here," the Doctor replied. "Parents do all sorts of things to get their children into good schools. They move house, they change religion. So why are you trying to get her out?"
"Something happens in there. Something magical, something evil. My own daughter didn't recognize me. And the girl who pushed me away, her face, like an animal."
The Doctor smirked over at Ashton as he looped an arm across the other man's shoulders. "I think it's time I met this Signora Calvierri. Would you mind helping me, um…"
"Guido."
"Guido. I might be able to get in there and find out some information, but I need you to cause a distraction."
"There is a side gate," he informed the Doctor. "It's unguarded, but there are guards in the front. You wish for me to distract them?"
"Yes, if you would."
Guido nodded. "For my daughter, I would do anything."
The plan was quickly put into action and the Doctor snuck around with Ashton through the side gate with the help of his sonic.
"And that? What is it?" Ashton questioned.
"A sonic screwdriver."
They found a doorway and headed into it, only to come upon stairs heading down.
"Damn. I hate stairs."
"Why? What have they gone and done to you?" The Doctor questioned jokingly, taking them two, three at a time.
Ashton took more time though, being better at going up stairs than down while still being relatively new with the prosthetic. The Doctor was clueless though, too busy looking at his reflection in the mirror to notice her struggles.
"Hello, handsome."
He straightened his bow-tie and checked his teeth, before Ashton called out.
"Doctor, you might want to turn around."
He did, seeing five girls standing there.
"Who are you?" They asked in unison.
The Doctor looked at them and then back to the mirror, which was empty of the girls.
"H-How are you doing that?" He asked, getting excited as he looked back and forth between them and the mirror. "I am loving it! You're like Houdini, only five slightly scary girls. And he was shorter. Will be shorter," he corrected. "I'm rambling."
"I will ask you again, signors. Who are you?" The girls asked again.
"Ah, signora, in her case." He grinned, pointing at Ashton, who glared mildly as the Doctor reached into his pocket and whipped out another wallet. "And why don't you check this out?"
The girls didn't care and he glanced at it to find his old library card.
"I take it that's not a spare?" Ashton questioned. "Because Rory has your other… thing."
"Psychic paper and you're right. I do need to get a spare." He turned his attention back to the girls. "Pale, creepy girls who don't like sunlight and can't be seen. Ha. Am I thinking what I think I'm thinking? But the city. Why shut down the city? Unless…"
"Leave now, signor, signora. Or we shall call for the Steward if you are lucky." They smirked, and the Doctor smiled until they did.
Long teeth appeared as they approached and Ashton began backing up the steps carefully as the Doctor moved towards them as well.
"Tell me the whole plan!" He demanded, but they continued to hiss. "One day that will work."
"No, it won't. Now stop being an idiot and let's go," Ashton snapped as the Doctor grinned at the advancing group of women.
"Listen, I would love to stay here. This whole thing. I'm thrilled. Oh, this is Christmas."
The Doctor rushed up the stairs and grabbed Ashton, tugging her along too and missing her cringe due to the amount of strain it took to hurry up the steep steps. He released her as they caught up with Amy and Rory; Amy and him bouncing and speaking excitedly about the fact that they'd just seen vampires. Rory said the same thing a moment later when he'd completely caught up, but when Amy hung off the Doctor, Ashton stepped forward angrily.
"Enough! Alright? I've had enough!"
The Doctor hesitated. "Ashton, I can explain the vamp—"
"No. No, you shut up," she snarled, poking him in the chest. "Because I could care less about your stupid aliens, or vampires, or whatever. The only problem I see right now is the one right here in front of me."
She glared at the Doctor and Amy, who both began to look sheepish.
"You, Doctor. You came to Rory to tell him what happened, so I was assuming that you were trying to fix it. This? This is not fixing it! You two clinging to each other while he's standing right fucking there, is not fixing anything!"
Amy tried to speak up then as the Doctor took a worried step back from Ashton. "Ash, it's fine. We're just good frien—"
"I swear, if you say 'friends,' I will walk away right now and good luck finding me, Amelia Pond," Ashton snapped, silencing Amy in an instant. "I expected better from you. And I may not know you two that great, but I can see a loyalty in Rory that you will never find anywhere else. And the fact that you haven't apologized? You haven't acted like you did anything wrong since the Doctor brought Rory back. If you are that desperate to end things with him, then you might as well just damn well say it, because this has most definitely ended things between you and me." Ashton turned to Rory then, tense shoulders relaxing slightly as she reached out and pat his shoulder. "And if you ever need a place to stay, I've got a spare room you can use."
She released him as he nodded shakily and she started walking away.
"W-Wait! Where are you going?" The Doctor asked, worried.
"Back to your ship. You lot can deal with this on your own."
I soon reached the Tardis, my teeth grit tightly before I slammed my fist into the side of the wooden box. Pain went through my hand, but I ignored it as I pressed my head to the box, letting out a shaky breath. What the hell am I doing? What's even going on? I turned around and sank to the ground, stretching out my prosthetic with a cringe as I rubbed at my thigh in a vain attempt to soothe it. Space and time travel? A universe packed in a box? Venice, Italy in 1580 with vampires? Logically, this doesn't make any sense. I've been brushing it off because of Amy and Rory's problem, but Amy's being a complete idiot and this Doctor fellow isn't helping matters. I shivered a bit in the chilly night air, removing my coat and draping it over me in preparation for the night to come. Why did I even get involved? Because I hate loyalty being betrayed? I winced, remembering a smiling face from my time in the army and how easy it was for that friendly grin to become malicious.
I closed my eyes with a scowl, doing what I could to push the thought out of my mind. Something else came up though, deepening my frown. Those girls… This Calvierri person just walks in here like she owns the place, takes power and control, enough so for people to offer up their daughters. But for what? They weren't vampires before, so to change them? For what? To make an army? But why just women? Better yet, why am I even thinking about this? It's not my problem. And yet I knew that was a lie. It was 1580. One screw-up here could mean the end of the world in the future. The last thing I wanted was to return to my time to find the place run by vampires. So I begrudgingly got up with a groan and put back on my coat. I stretched my leg out a bit, knowing it didn't do well with the colder temperatures, and lightly pat the box beside me in apology for hitting it earlier. Don't know why. It's not dented or anything and… hell, I'm worried about hurting a box's feelings.
Sighing heavily, I turned away from the box and rushed back into the city in the hopes of being able to sneak back into the building through that side gate again. I was right in thinking that the gate was still unguarded, but there was no one to cause a distraction this time. I was on my own. This meant that the only way to get to the gate was via the canal. I groaned, stripping out of my coat, pants, and sweater, shivering in the cold air as I tucked my socks into my boots and wrapped them all up in my coat. It was more waterproof than anything else I had and would survive the trip across better than if I was wearing it. I had to be quick though. I didn't know how long I'd last in the cold water.
I dove into the canal a bit away from the gate so the guards at the front wouldn't hear, doing my best to keep my coat full of items out of the water as I swam. It had been a while since I was last in a pool though, and my right leg ached terribly. I made it though and climbed out shivering and teeth clattering as I slipped through the gate the Doctor had left unlocked the last time we dropped in. Once out of the open air, I shook out my slightly damp coat and pulled my outer layers back on. I was still terribly chilled, but at least I was in.
I hurried down the stairs and through a corridor, ears strained to pick up the tiniest sounds and feeling very much as though I was back in the desert towns during the war. Sneaking stealthily with my gun, waiting for voices or the crunch of sand under boots that would give the enemy away. And after a while, I did hear voices, making me slow my pace and move cautiously. It was a woman snapping at a young man, before she spoke to someone else, myself close enough now to hear.
"What are you doing in my school?"
Must be the Calvierri lady. Not good. It only got worse though, when I heard the voice of who she was speaking with.
"Okay, I'll tell you," Amy said, making my eyes widen as I ducked back around the corner, heart hammering. "I'm from Ofsted."
Calvierri laughed. "Put her in the chair."
Chair? I heard Amy shouting and struggling, but I didn't know how many people were in the room. It suddenly became a choice. A grave choice. Try to save Amy and risk getting hurt or caught myself, or wait and risk her possibly being hurt or killed. Again, loyalty was being called into play, and I wasn't about to let my friend get hurt. I reached into my coat and pulled out a pen that I'd stuck in there ages ago. I threw it down the hall, bouncing it off something and making a loud enough noise that I knew they had heard. I was grateful I'd done that before charging in too. A number of those vampire girls and some man as well, hurried out to go investigate while I slipped my army knife out of my pocket and moved into the room silently. Amy was half-strapped into a chair with a young man attempting to finish securing her while an older woman smirked and watched. Two people? I can deal with that.
"Oi, sharp-toothed morons!"
The two turned to me with hisses and I quickly stepped forward, slicing the young man across the face with my blade before stepping between Amy and the woman.
"A-Ash!"
"Yeah, shut up. Busy," I grumbled, reaching back with my left hand to work on the strap still on her arm, knowing my right hand would be unable to do it. "Stay back, or I'll do a lot worse than mess up your face, pretty boy."
The young man hissed angrily, a hand over his face where I'd cut him as Amy spoke up.
"But how'd you get in here? I thought you were going back to the Tardis!"
"Yeah, I did, then thought I'd rather not have history ruined by weirdo vampires. The Doctor left the gate unlocked too. I just had to swim through the canal to get to it this time around."
"I should have made sure my sons in the water had been let out." The woman snapped at me, making me frown as the strap finally came off and Amy got up.
"Back to the door," I grumbled, sharp eyes watching the two hissing people in front of us as Amy and I shifted slowly back.
"You won't make it out," the woman snapped and I scoffed.
"I was in the army and made it out of that. This will be easy."
I swung my leg out and kicked the odd device on her side, hoping it was some life-sustaining contraption that helped her go out in the sun or something. Surprisingly enough though, her image shifted to that of a fish, or a bug.
"Alright, fish bug thing. Not vampires," I murmured, turning to Amy. "Run!"
We bolted for it down the hall, taking corridors as they came, only for a woman to rush out. I brought up my knife, but Amy grabbed my hand stopping me.
"Don't! That's Isabella! She's safe!"
"This way!" She called out and we hurried along with her before running into two more people and the angry fish duo.
"Rory!"
"Amy! Ash!"
"Quickly! Through here," Isabella said, cutting off Amy and Rory's reunion as the Doctor hurried along with us.
"They're not vampires!" I called out to him.
"What?" He questioned, the whir of his sonic reaching my ears as he locked the door behind us and Amy interjected.
"We saw them. We saw her. They're not vampires. They're aliens."
"Classic!"
"Aliens?" I questioned, before remembering what I just saw. "Ah, well… I thought they were fish insect things, but I suppose you would only get that with aliens, huh?"
"That's good news?" Rory asked, gapping at us. "What is wrong with you people?"
"I never said it was good," I argued as the Doctor rushed us along and used his lamp to keep the vampires back.
"But you're not complaining either!"
"I thought you knew me better, Rory. I don't complain."
He scoffed, but smiled as we hurried on and were finally brought to an exit. Isabella rushed us out and I grabbed her, but she recoiled when the sunlight hit her. Vampire. Can't do sunlight. Wait! I ripped off my coat and threw it over her, covering her and tugging her forward.
"Come on! Quickly!"
I winced as something clawed at my arm, but closed the door and hurried down the steps. Guido was waiting to escort us back and the Doctor left us with him as he hurried off to do something. He didn't take long and returned to Guido's as I sneezed, bundled up in blankets and angry as he scanned me with his sonic.
"What were you thinking, taking a dip in the canal?" He scolded me and I resisted the urge to kick him in the shin with my prosthetic as he looked at the scratch on my arm.
"I was thinking that I wouldn't appreciate a future led by vampire fish creatures," I grumbled, still not pleased with him as I tugged my arm out of his grip. "And shouldn't you be scanning her?" I questioned, gesturing to Isabella. "I have a scratch and a cold, but knowing whether she'll be stuck inside the rest of her life seems a bit more important, don't you think?"
"Right. Yes, of course." He aimed the sonic her way and gave her a brief scan. "She'll be fine in about two weeks. Introduce sunlight slowly—through a veil, open a window—then she'll be able to handle it better." He began to pace then, shouting in annoyance. "Ah! I need to think. Come on brain, think, think, think, think."
He sat down beside me and I rolled my eyes as Amy spoke up.
"If they're fish people, well, it explains why they hate the sun."
"Stop talking. Brain thinking, hush," He shushed her, covering her mouth with his hand as Rory added on.
"It's the school thing, I don't understand."
"Stop talking. Brain thinking, hush," the Doctor repeated, using his other hand to reach over and cover his mouth.
This time, Guido chimed in.
"I say we take the fight to them."
"Ah, ah, ah," the Doctor chided him.
"What?"
He gave Rory a look and the man begrudgingly covered Guido's mouth with his hand. Myself, being next to the Doctor, who already had his hands full, had the full opportunity to ignore his demands and speak.
"So basically…" I started, making the Doctor glare at me, but I continued to ignore him. "…An alien fish lady is tricking the population into thinking she's great, taking in their young women, and probably planning on doing something ridiculous to repopulate the planet with her species. They're fish, and while there's decent amounts of water in Venice, there's not enough for her, so what? She'll make it rain really hard? Flood the canals? Burst a dam? Worst plan ever. I mean, it's what? Her, her son, and a dozen or so fish blokes in the canal against the whole planet? Please. They better have some mean alien technology if they think they're going to manage that."
The Doctor blinked, looking stunned, tipping Amy and Rory's heads. "Bend the heavens. She's going to sink Venice." His hands dropped from their mouths as he looked at me. "You're clever."
I scowled. "The hell did you think I was? Stupid?"
He opened his mouth and thankfully Guido cut in before I could potentially think about strangling him for what he was about to say.
"S-She's going to sink Venice?"
"And repopulate it with the girls she's transformed, as Ashton said," he repeated.
Rory turned to me. "You said blokes."
Amy nodded. "She said she had them in the canal."
"Only the male offspring survived the journey here. She's got children swimming around the canals, waiting for mum to make them some compatible girlfriends. Ugh." The Doctor grimaced. "I mean, I've been around a bit, but really that's, that's… ugh."
I sneezed just as there was a loud clatter upstairs, the others all looking up as I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose to battle the headache forming behind my eyes.
"The people upstairs are noisy," the Doctor murmured. "Either that or Ashton has phenomenal sneezing."
I glared at him as Guido pulled Isabella closer to him.
"There aren't any people upstairs."
"Do you know? I knew you were going to say that. Did anyone else know he was going to say that?" The Doctor rambled.
"Is it the vampires?" Rory asked in a whisper.
"Like I said, they're not vampires." The Doctor flicked on his UV lamp. "Fish from space."
Everyone bolted to their feet as a window smashed and the young ladies from before appeared in the window.
"Aren't we on the second floor?"
The women broke the window and the Doctor hastily got up to hold them back with the light, using his sonic to reveal the fish-like creatures they were.
"What's happened to them?" Guido questioned.
"There's nothing left of them. They've been fully converted. Blimey, fish from space have never been so… buxom. Okay, move."
We all hurried downstairs as the Doctor passed Guido the lamp to hold the fish back as we ran. I knew there was no way to stop the fish aliens from following us though and, stole the lamp from Guido.
"What are you doing?" He asked as I threw the blanket I had over his daughter's shoulders.
"Go. You have a daughter. I'll worry about them."
I shoved him out and closed the front door, hearing the Doctor calling out after me as I pushed my way back upstairs with the lamp.
"No! Ashton! What are you doing?! I'm not leaving you! What are you doing!"
I ignored him, leading the fish women towards me upstairs. I wasn't stupid, after all, though my next action might have seemed like it. I could smell the gunpowder in the barrels like a sixth sense. Alright, think, I mused, backing up towards the barrels and knocking a smaller one to the ground to dump some black powder onto the ground. Second floor, he said. I glanced briefly out the window behind me. Cobble stone pavement. Not close enough to the canal, but perhaps… I swallowed thickly, using my elbow to smash the glass behind me and starting to climb up onto the window sill. I slipped my hand into my pocket, pulling out the small silver lighter I had and flicking it open.
"Bombs away," I murmured, throwing the lighter and ditching the lamp as I jumped.
An explosion went off, heat washing over me as I tried to twist and roll when I landed, to no success. I hit hard, knocking the air from my lungs and hearing something snap, as ringing blocked out all my hearing and I was forced to give into the dark oblivion.
The Doctor stood outside Guido's destroyed home in shock as Amy and Rory came up beside him.
"Doctor, that… that was Ashton?" Amy breathed out, already choking on tears.
"I'm sorry," he murmured and Amy clung to Rory as Guido stepped forward.
"She saved our lives."
The Doctor looked at him and nodded, solemnly. "Yes… Yes, she did."
Thunder rumbled as the sky darkened and the Doctor looked up.
"Rosanna's initiating the final phase."
"We need to stop her," Amy murmured.
"No, no, no. Get back to the Tardis," the Doctor ordered.
"You can't stop her on your own," she argued, pulling away from Rory.
"We don't discuss this!" The Doctor snapped. "I tell you to do something, Amy, and you do it. I've already lost one person today; I'm not losing another."
Amy hesitated but soon stormed off as Rory looked at the Doctor.
"Thank you."
The Doctor silently turned away as Rory hurried off, muttering a "you're welcome" under his breath before taking off towards Rosanna's throne room. He felt horrible, a bitter taste in his mouth after what Ashton had done. He didn't know the woman and had simply written her off as a stubborn nobody who became a sort of stowaway on this trip. He had noticed right away that she was a soldier, which put him off getting to know her even more. He couldn't help admitting, however, that he admired her loyalty and that spark of cleverness that he'd missed the first time around. He wondered about that look in her eyes. The haunted look. As a soldier, it was understandable, but to the degree of which it had a hold of her… well, there were very few things that could get someone to have an expression such as hers. Now though, she was gone. He hadn't had a chance to do much of anything regarding her, and now he never would. The regret was stifling and it only made him angry that she had to risk herself like that for him—a stranger—because of some plot Rosanna had come up with.
"You're too late," a voice called out to him, drawing him from his thoughts as he scanned over the device in Rosanna's throne, turning to see Rosanna herself. "Such determination, just to save one city. Hard to believe it's the same man that let an entire race turn to cinders and ash. Now you can watch as my people take their new kingdom."
"Your girls have gone, Rosanna."
She stepped away from him in shock. "You're lying."
"Shouldn't I be dead, hmm? Rosanna, please, help me. There are two hundred thousand people in this city."
"So save them," the woman snapped, rushing from the room.
Seeing no other option, he hurried to find another way of shutting down the storm. He hurried upstairs and outside, spotting the source of the storm at the top of the building and rushing back in only to slide to a stop at Amy and Rory.
"Get out! I need to stabilize the storm!"
"We're not leaving you," Rory declared and the Doctor rolled his eyes.
"Right, so one minute it's all 'you make people a danger to themselves,' and the next it's 'we're not leaving you.' But if one of you gets squashed or blown up or eaten, who gets the—"
The ground quaked dangerously, knocking them off their feet.
"What was that?" Rory asked once the shaking had stopped.
"Nothing. Bit of an earthquake."
"An earthquake?"
"Manipulate the elements, it can trigger earthquakes. But don't worry about them," the Doctor mused.
"No?"
"No. Worry about the tidal waves caused by the earthquake," he informed him seriously. "Right, Rosanna's throne is the control hub but she's locked the program, so, tear out every single wire and circuit in the throne. Go crazy. Hit it with a stick, anything. We need it to shut down and re-route control to the secondary hub, which I'm guessing will also be the generator."
I woke up, groggy as something splashed lightly across my face. My entire body ached and even rolling onto my side seemed like a chore as my head pounded like the thunder in the sky. Thunder? What… I cringed, attempting to push myself onto my feet, but stumbled back against the wall of Guido's home, realizing what had snapped earlier when I fell. My prosthetic had broken under my weight and the ankle joint now hung loosely. I cursed under my breath and searched for something I could use as a crutch. I had gotten lucky and spotted an abandoned cane of some kind from one of the fleeing people. I hobbled over to it, picking it up and using it as best I could as I made my way as quickly as possible to the Calvierri school. It was slow-going and by the time I'd gotten to the building, the noise outside suddenly stopped and turned to cheers.
My body ached and my ribs throbbed with every breath, but I had now gotten lost in the vast labyrinth of the school. When I finally felt a breeze, I followed it in the hopes of finding the way I came in, only to hear voices.
"I told you, you can't go back and change time. You mourn, but you live. I know, Rosanna. I did it."
The Doctor's words hit home and I moved to the doorway to find him steadily moving towards Rosanna.
"Tell me, Doctor. Can your conscience carry the weight of another dead race? Remember us. Dream of us."
She jumped into the bubbling water then as the Doctor dove to the edge after her, but it was too late. He got up and turned away, looking devastated until his eyes locked with mine.
"Wha… Ashton?"
I glared at him, half-heartedly. "What? You didn't honestly think I'd just sit back and—"
I was cut off when he grabbed me in a hug, throwing me off balance and knocking us both back onto the ground. I groaned, not enjoying the extra pain he was putting me through.
"Thank goodness," he murmured, shutting up my complaint. "You're alright. You're okay."
"I'd be better if you weren't adding to my list of injuries," I grunted out, and he hastily pushed up off me.
"Ah! Sorry! I was just—" He stopped, spotting my twisted around ankle and immediately panicking. "Your leg! H-How have you been walking? Hurry! Let's get you back to the Tardis and—"
I shoved him off me in annoyance. "I'm fine, you moron! No thanks to you knocking me over. Now, just help me up and give me that stick."
He didn't move, standing above me and gaping as I pushed up off the wall on my own to stand. "But your leg…"
"Is busted, I know," I complained, reaching down as carefully as I could to grab the cane from the ground. "Kind of happens when you jump from a second-story window onto cobblestone roads. Now come on. If you thought I was dead, then Amy and Rory undoubtedly thought the same."
I started to hobble forward, but he stepped in front of me and stopped me.
"No, no, no. You can't walk like that!"
"Yeah, I can. And you're sure as hell not carrying me," I replied, moving around him as he caught up.
"But the pain—"
"Is at a moderate level that is easy enough to handle," I answered. "Just bruises mostly. I started to roll but didn't quite get that far, so I've got some scrapes on my palms and my ribs are bruised a bit. Maybe my back too."
"But your—"
He was cut off again as we exited the school and Amy and Rory spotted us.
"My God, Ash?"
I rolled my eyes as they hurried over; Amy being far less dangerous in her hug attack than the Doctor. "Yes, hello. Not dead, and all that. A bit disappointed you lot apparently didn't believe I would survive that. How many tours did I do?"
"Too many," Rory said, hugging me as well once Amy had pulled away, and he too noticed my leg. "Your leg."
"Yeah, as I was telling the Doctor here, I busted the ankle. Too much weight on the landing. Other than that though, bruises and a couple of scrapes."
"But you're okay!" Amy grinned and I managed a small smile.
"Course I'm okay. You can't get rid of me that easy."
"Now, hold on!" The Doctor interrupted, waving his hands about before he pointed at my leg. "Is that not important to anyone? Her ankle is all… all twisted! You should be in agony!"
It clicked then, what the problem was and I deadpanned.
"Oh, you're kidding. You've got to be kidding." I turned to Amy and Rory. "He doesn't know? How can he not know?"
"Ah, right, well…" Amy leaned over as we all gave the Doctor looks. "He's a bit dense on some aspects."
"I thought he's supposed to be the clever one?" I murmured and Rory hummed as the Doctor cut in.
"What? What is it? Why are you lot looking at me like that?"
"Should I take it off and hit him with it?" I questioned, making Amy snort before I leaned down and lifted up my pant leg to reveal to the Doctor the one aspect he seemed to have overlooked. "It's a prosthetic, Doc. I'd say it's no big deal, however, replacing it will be a pain."
"No… No." The Doctor breathed out, kneeling down and prodding the plastic and metal shin before looking up at me. "You're…"
"An amputee," I answered him, dropping the fabric of my trousers and centering my balance again. "Don't know how you missed that, clever-clogs."
Ashton sat in the jump seat, reaching down and rolling up her pant leg to remove her prosthetic as the Doctor glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes and sent the Tardis into the Vortex to drift. She didn't look pleased when she looked the appendage over, much less when she removed the shoe from off it, revealing the full view of the damage.
"Great," she grumbled, tossing the leg onto the seat next to her haphazardly. "Completely shattered. I'll never convince them to give me a replacement after only a month."
"A month?" The Doctor questioned as she folded her arms over her chest and leaned back with a huff.
"That's how long I've had the prosthetic," she replied. "Most of which was in therapy getting used to it. I've only been using it at home for a week or so. So explaining that I'd jumped out of a second-story window in 16th century Venice, completely shattering the ankle joint after only a week of use? Ha! They'd be more inclined to lock me up than replace the damn thing."
"I take it you don't care for the prosthetic," he murmured cautiously, but Amy scoffed—her and Rory having changed upstairs before returning to the console room.
"Her therapist had to practically threaten her to get her to even agree to use it."
"I didn't need it," Ashton argued, and Rory raised a brow.
"Um, last I checked, you sort of did. You kept yourself locked up in your house before she forced it on you."
Ashton glared at him and he held his hands up in surrender, but it clicked in the Doctor's head, what was going on. He knew what it was like to be a soldier, to constantly have that need to be doing something, to be useful. But Ashton had lost a limb. She couldn't do the things she wished to, the things normal people did easily on an everyday basis. She was handicapped and prideful, a terrible combination that ensured she would stay silent to her death without ever asking for help. Help had to be forced upon her, unyieldingly, just as the prosthetic had been. He could see it in her though, a deep pain. An ache that she had buried as deep as she could behind that angry mask of hers, to deter people from digging deeper; from finding out just how desperately she needed every last ounce of help she could get.
Perhaps she wasn't as bad as he thought. A soldier, yes, but a broken one that needed more than her current life was providing. He could offer her that. Hold out his hand to try and lift her out of the hole she was steadily burying herself in, but would she take it? Better yet, what would the consequences be of his taking her? Already, she had thrown herself headfirst into danger without a care as to her personal safety. He'd seen the knife and knew from experience how someone like her would choose attacking first over talking rationally. It was one of the reasons he disliked soldiers, but he'd seen that hint of intelligence that said she might be different. He might be able to convince her to be different. And wasn't that a good enough reason to try?
"Well, I suppose I should take you home," he said, seeing how Amy and Rory looked between him and Ashton in concern as he moved towards the console. "Unless… you'd like to stay?"
There it was. The bait on the hook, the hand reaching out in an offer of help. But would she take it?
"You… want me to stay?" She questioned, sounding suspicious, almost.
"Why not? You seem decent enough. Loyal, intelligent. Fixing up your leg won't be too much of a problem and it would be nice having someone to talk to when those two are being all…" He made a kissy face and Amy rolled her eyes as Ashton spoke.
"I need to go home."
The Doctor's hearts dropped and he turned away to hide the disappointment. "Alright…"
"To pick something up." Ashton continued, making the Doctor whip around hopefully as the woman looked purposefully away from him. "Then, I guess I can stay. Keep the two morons over there out of trouble."
"Who you calling a moron?" Amy complained though a large smile was on her face as she bounded over and hugged the woman. "I'm so glad you're coming."
Ashton grunted but didn't pull away from Amy and the Doctor grinned as he set the Tardis off.
"Next stop, Leadworth!"
