Helloooooo, readers!
I hope today will be a fantastic day for you all! I have a surprise for all of you. A two chapter update. ;) Mostly because these chapters I feel aren't that great and are rather short. Plus, I probably won't have time to update until later next week because going to be busy with school and birthday stuff this week. So I hope everyone will enjoy both chapters!
XxXxXxXx
Chapter 40: The Siren's Curse
Wanda spurted and coughed as she reached the surface of the large body of water she had appeared in. She blinked around, trying to gain back her senses of where the heck she had arrived to now. Once her vision cleared of the normal white spots of travelling, she saw she had wandered into the ocean in the dark of night. A completely still, silent, and quiet ocean. Oh, how lucky she was to wander into the middle of the ocean. Cold ocean. Really cold. Okay, any other time she would not have mind swimming around, even in cold waters. But this time she feared the coldness might not be so good for the baby. Best get to dry land and fast.
Beginning to swim, she made fast way towards a distant dark shape that sat on the waters. As she drew closer she saw that it was a 17th-century ship pirate ship. Big sails. All kinds of ropes dangling around. And the name of the ship, Fancy, was painted in gold lettering on the side. She heard shouting and a struggle of sorts going on the deck up top. All she could do was float there by the side of the ship, wondering what the heck was going on. Frowning, she wondered if she should look into a possibility real quick to see where she was at. Soon, the noise above her stopped. Everything went very quiet once more.
"Hello! Permission to come aboard?! Am I saying that right? That is the right term, isn't it?!" she yelled to whoever was on the ship. "Yo-Ho! No, no, no one really says that. Well, maybe the Doctor, but he's a different case. But, no, seriously, can you let me up?! It's freezing in the water!"
"It's the demon!" a man above shouted in fear. She guessed that it must be one of the pirates of the ship.
"Don't be stupid. She's never spoken before," retorted another voice. Another pirate. There were hurried footsteps on the deck above as Amy poked her head over the side to stare down at Wanda in shock. The companion was currently wearing a pirate hat and coat.
"Wanda? What are you doing down there?" the ginger companion called out to the blonde.
"Oh, you know me. Like to wander around anywhere and everywhere," Wanda replied in humour. A rope was suddenly tossed over the side, with the knotted end falling just into the water in front of her.
"Grab on!" she heard Eleven shout from above. She did as instructed, holding the rope tight in hand as she began pulling herself up out from the ocean. With some help from the Doctor, Amy, and Rory who worked together in hoisting her out of the cold waters below. Finally, on the dry deck, Wanda let out a sigh of relief in being out of the ocean. Though she then began shivering as her maroon coat weighed heavily on her in being soaked from the chilly ocean water.
"Brr. Chilly," she laughed as her teeth chattered lightly. The Doctor immediately hugged her, hoping to warm her up as he rubbed her arms up and down. Wanda felt embarrassed as he took off her coat and put his own around her. Still hugging her to him. "I'm gonna get you wet and cold, too, if you keep this up."
"Then we'll just be wet and cold together," he replied with his boyish grin. Wanda could not help but giggle, grabbing her coat off the wooden deck and placing it in a more secure place on the deck.
"Who is this? Another stowaway friend of yours?" barked the one pirate, the Captain of the ship, Henry Avery. Wanda beamed, glad to be meeting Avery again. She had met him, his son, and the rest of his crew very briefly during the battle on Demons Run. It had been a blast being able to talk with the space pirates. Though, in the future, they were not much of pirates anymore. More of they were simply just wanderers of space in their new ship, exploring around and such. Almost like she herself in a way.
"You could say that," Wanda told the Captain, walking up to give him a delighted shake of the hand. "I'm the Wanderer. A pleasure to meet you." Avery sort of stared at her warily as she backed up and stood by the Doctor once more. "So, I'm guessing Rory just got his hand cut, yeah?"
"Uh, yeah, I did," Rory replied, glancing down at the cut on his fingers. He blinked in surprise to see a strange, large black dot centred in the middle of his palm. "What's—what's happening to me?" The other pirates around Rory looked wary, backing up somewhat from him. Another pirate, Dancer, who had also gotten cut earlier, stared down at his own hand in alarm, knowing what the black spot meant.
"She can smell the blood on your skin," Avery explained gruffly. "She's marked you for death."
"'She'?" Rory questioned in uncertainty.
"A demon—out there, in the ocean," Avery stated, pointing a finger out to the still waters surrounding the ship.
"Okay! Groovy. So not just pirates today. We've managed to bagsy a ship where there's a demon popping in," the Doctor chortled in merriment. Excited in the turn of events. Always fun with adventures like these. He walked up, taking Rory's hand to examine the black spot. "Haha! Very efficient. I mean, if something's going to kill you . . . " He glanced over when he saw Wanda lifting a hand to reach for Rory's, also wanting to examine the black spot. The Doctor swiftly snatched her hand, turning it over to show him her palm.
" . . . it's nice that it drops you a note to remind you," he finished in an undertone mutter. He narrowed his eyes as he saw the black spot in the middle of her palm. Wanda shifted, surprised by the sight. But at the same time, not truly shocked by its appearance. It made sense in knowing what the Siren was, and, given her current situation, why the Siren would wish to mark her. Then again, this might complicate a few things for later in being marked for the taking. Would she be able to keep her mind and stay safe enough on this adventure?
All on the ship stiffened when an eerie voice began singing from the waters below. It echoed like a haunting melody. The crew and Captain of the ship began backing up from the side near the water, making it so they were all bunched into a tight group. The Doctor swiftly placed Wanda behind him, with his protective hand right on her. Ready to defend her from whatever wished her harm.
"Quickly, now. Block out the sound," Avery instructed to his one crew member with the black spot. Dancer did as he was told, slapping his hands over his ears in hopes to keeping his head from the incoming song. Rory, Amy, and the Doctor merely looked bewildered as to what was going on. Wanda knew it was pointless in trying to block out the song as the Siren's melody would be too powerful. Either way, those marked would be affected by the song.
"What?" Rory questioned the Captain.
"The creature—she charms all her victims with that song," explained Avery in a rush.
"Oh, great. So put my fingers in my ears—that's your plan?" muttered Rory as his thoughts were along the same mindset as Wanda, knowing it would be pointless against something like this. Years in travelling in the TARDIS had taught him that. Rory moved around, patting the Doctor quickly on the shoulder. "Doctor, come on, let's go. Let's get back to the, uh . . .," the nurse's eyes suddenly went out-of-focus as a silly grin began appearing on his face as he wobbled on his feet, "oh, back to the—." He could not finish his sentence as he started to giggle along with Dancer.
The Doctor blinked at the sight of Rory now stumbling over to Amy. Practically leaning all over her in a giggling manner of drunkenness. Amy could only stare at her husband in confusion, looking to the Doctor as if asking him what should she do. The Doctor was unsure on how exactly to help Rory at the moment when a strike of fear went through him as he heard Wanda beside him beginning to giggle like mad. Leaning on him the same way Rory sagged against Amy.
"Oh, look at that bow tie," Wanda spoke up in a sing-song voice. She batted playfully at the red bow tie on his neck. "I like bow ties. Love them. They're so—so silly. They remind me of—of—oh, I forgot." She giggled even more in a slurred manner. "Look, look! A hat! You need to wear hats. They're a tradition!" She stumbled away from the Doctor, not hearing his protests as she caught Amy by surprise in grabbing the pirate hat from her. Wobbling over back to the Doctor, Wanda placed the hat on his head. "Oh! Look! Another hat to add to the collection. Fez, stetson, and now pirate! Say yo-ho! Say it! It'll be great!" She snorted at her own words, closing her eyes as she slumped with the Doctor trying to hold her steady.
"Wanda, snap out of it," he tried telling her.
"I love you! And your big chin!" Wanda abruptly exclaimed. She threw her arms around his neck, kissing him. He pushed her back sternly, grabbing her chin to keep their eyes level.
"Wanda, focus. All right? Focus on me," he tried instructing her, but he saw it was useless as the Time Lady's eyes were hazy and not even looking straight at him. Almost as if she were under the influence of a heavy drug.
Wanda tried focusing on him. She really did. But the more she tried, the more her mind lost focus and went all . . . wibbly-wobbly. Giddiness went through her in waves, making her vision go out of focus as the song floated all around her. She blinked dully while everyone turned their attention to the glowing ocean waters just beyond the ship. A strange vapor of steam seemed to rise off from the still, glass-like reflection of the ocean.
The haunting melody increased in volume as a woman suddenly flew out of the water and floated over gracefully to the ship. The singing woman had dark hair that drifted around her face as she stared at them. Her whole body glowed an eerie green colour, with wisps of light dancing around her as she walked towards them. The white dress she wore swayed as though she were swimming through water. A Siren of the Sea.
Everyone was pushed aside as Dancer made his way quickly towards the woman in front. The Siren continued to sing, holding out her hand to the man as he edged closer and closer. Her melody egging him on to touch her hand. Dancer held out his hand, too lost in his trance to do anything other than what the Siren commanded him in her haunting melody. The moment Dancer barely brushed his fingertips against the Siren's, he screamed in a burst of black smoke, seeming to turn to ash an instant death. Everyone's eyes (except those who were affected by the Siren's song) widened in alarm and horror. Amy struggled to keep Rory back as he tried doing the same as Dancer had, wanting to go to the Siren and touch her hand. When Amy yelled at the Siren to leave her husband alone, the glowing woman let out a shrieking hiss. Turning blood red in the light around her, her skin, and even her eyes as her face contorted into sharp features that made the Siren look vicious. A wave of energy flung Amy back, right into the Doctor. The Time Lord caught her, making certain the companion was all right. Now his mind raced, fearing on what sort of enemy they were up against and trying to process everything with great speed so that he might solve their predicament as fast as possible.
"Everybody, into the hull!" the Doctor shouted in command. The rest of the ship's crew did not argue nor hesitate as they rushed to the hatch on the deck, going swiftly down into the belly of the ship. The Siren turned the eerie green once more as she started to sing her melody, trying to draw in the last two she had marked. The Doctor pushed Amy to go after the pirates as he turned to gather up Rory and Wanda. He was surprised to see Wanda was not trying to go up to the Siren like Rory was. Instead, she stood there in a dreamy state, just smiling away at everything. The Doctor grabbed both her and Rory, dragging them back to the door leading to the hull.
"Bye-bye, singing doctor!" Wanda giggled as she waving to the Siren. "You'll have to catch me later!" The Doctor wrapped his arm around the blonde's waist, keeping her locked at his side as he pushed Rory down the steps first and into the darkness below. Then, following soon after, the two Time Lords landed their feet into the shallow waters within the messy storage of the hull.
"What is that thing?" Amy began quizzing the Doctor and the pirates as soon as they were all gathered in the hull.
"A legend. A siren," explained Avery. "Many a merchant ship laden with treasure has fallen prey to her. She's been hunting us ever since we were becalmed, picking off the injured."
"Like a shark," said one pirate, the boatswain. "A shark can smell blood."
"Okay, just like a shark, in a dress and singing and green!" noted the Doctor, trying to keep track of everything he would need in saving them all. Though, there was a hint of excitement in his tone as he still found it all rather fun in facing such an unusual creature and adventure. "A green, singing shark in an evening gown."
"The ship is cursed!" retorted Avery in spite, finding the Doctor's clear excitement to be appalling. The Time Lord rolled his eyes lightly.
"Yeah, right, curses, big with humans. It means bad things are happening, but you can't be bothered to find an explanation," he mumbled in a grumble. He glanced over as Wanda leaned against him, slowly blinking as she seemed to be getting past whatever effects the Siren had on her. Though Rory seemed to still be in his funny state as he kept muttering to Amy on how beautiful the green woman had been. And the pirates began muttering amongst themselves on getting to the Time Lord's ship in escape from the Siren. Turning more to his Wanderer, the Doctor gently touched her face in concern. "Are you feeling okay? No sickness? Any headaches? Have you had enough sleep lately? Enough to eat? Do you need to rest or—."
"Ssshhhh," Wanda shushed him, slowly placing a finger over his lips as she giggled groggily. "Spaceman, you worry too much." She shook her head, taking a deep breath as she knew she was being too silly. She needed to focus her mind, snapping herself out of the haze the Siren had put her under. "I'm all right. Just a little woozy from that siren song."
He nodded, smiling as he grabbed her hand that still held up a finger, kissing it tenderly. "Where did you just come from?"
Wanda smiled as she thought over the many weeks she had been with Ten and Donna. "We just finished the sonogram, and were beginning to discuss names." A bright smile formed on her face, unable to keep her giddiness away when seeing the largest boyish grin grow on the Doctor's face. They both kissed as he gently rubbed a hand over her stomach.
"Leave the cursed ones, Captain. The creature can have them," they heard DeFlorres, another pirate, speak up. The Doctor whipped around to glare heatedly at the man who had said this.
"I don't think so," he growled as he kept a protective arm around Wanda.
"We don't want the Siren coming after us," countered Avery as he pointed his gun at the Doctor. Moving Wanda to be behind him, the Doctor made certain to shield his love as the raging storm in his eyes was directed at the Captain.
"We are not leaving behind my wife or my friend!" barked the Doctor, jabbing a finger at the Captain. Avery was about to retort in anger when DeFlorres began to shout in panic.
The man hurriedly pulled his leg out of the water they were all standing in, showing them that a leech had attached itself to his calf. Everyone then swiftly jumped out of the water, standing on dry crates or indents of the ship's interior that were high enough out of the dirty water. DeFlorres was able to yank off the leech, but not without causing a trail of blood to leak out of the wound the leech had caused. Breathing out unsteadily, the man showed them the black spot that had appeared on his palm.
"She wants blood. Why does she want blood?" the Doctor remarked, trying to understand on why the Siren was doing this. Was she hunting in some strange way? Was it some kind of ritual?
"But Wanda didn't get cut, did she?" noted Amy, still holding onto the loopy Rory.
"Nope. No cuts," concluded Wanda, holding up her arms to show them she had not been injured externally whatsoever.
"Okay, so, forget that theory," muttered the Doctor as he thought of another reason why the Siren would mark them.
"So why did she mark you?" Avery questioned the Time Lady, becoming suspicious now as the only reason the Siren had ever gone after someone was when they were injured, leaving alone everyone else who were fine.
"Ah," Wanda hesitated, unsure as to how to explain of why exactly the Siren would mark her. Should she trust these humans with delicate information during a panicked situation like this? At the moment, perhaps not. So, she decided to give them a plain and simple answer. "Reasons." Noticing how both companions and pirates wanted to push for answers from the Time Lady, the Doctor hurriedly distracted them.
"It's okay. We're safe down here," he assured them all, wanting to keep the humans calm. "No curse is getting through three solid inches of timber." All jumped when the next instant the Siren shot out of the still water behind the Time Lord, shocking him and the rest of her sudden presence. Her singing filled the room, making both Rory and Wanda fall under into an unbalanced state again.
"You jinxed it!" Wanda giggled in a sing-song voice as she leaned against the Doctor. She smiled and waved to the Siren. "Hello again, pretty lady! Come to play tag? You're 'it' still, right?" She let out a series of drunken giggles as she let the Doctor drag her along to the other side of the hull, away from the Siren. She watched as DeFlorres stumbled towards the Siren, holding out his hand, completely under the spell of her song. While everyone yelled 'no,' Wanda was actually jealous of the man. She wanted to be taken away in pretty lights to a nice bed where the Siren promised for them. She wanted to always be cared for, and for her child to always be safe. The Siren's song said she would do all of that and more. Why not go to the Siren if that were true?
"Wanda, don't!"
The Time Lady was jerked back slightly by the Doctor who held firmly onto her. She had been reaching out her hand to the Siren, stepping towards the singing woman the same way Rory was. But when seeing the fearful expression on the Doctor's face, she backed up as her mind focused more on him than anything else. The bond between them helped to keep her mind clear enough to know that she should not go to the Siren. To stay with the Doctor and stay safe. She stumbled in a run as with the Doctor and everyone else. Being dragged along again by the Time Lord who held a death grip on her arm. Once in the next room, away from the Siren and the water, the Doctor locked the door behind them.
"'Safe'?" Amy said sarcastically to the Doctor about his earlier comment. The remark that had clearly jinxed their luck.
"I have my good days and my bad days," the Doctor replied in dismissal. He adjusted the hat on his head, actually letting a small grin out as he rather liked wearing the pirate hat. Or any headwear for that matter. Wanda was right, he should wear hats more often.
"How did she get in?" Avery demanded in question.
"Water, obliviously," Wanda said, shaking off once again the effects of the siren song. "She's a Siren of the sea. How else do you expect her to move about?"
"Then, she could easily even materialize through a single drop," concluded the Doctor in thought as he adjusted the pirate hat on his head, staring around as he searched for another escape for them. "We need to go somewhere with no water."
"Well, thank god we're not in the middle of the ocean," Amy remarked with high sarcasm.
Avery ended up suggesting the armoury section of the ship. The place where the gunpowder was stored. The driest and safest location for them. With the Doctor leading the way (though Avery still claimed charge of the ship), they went down many corridors of the ship until they finally reached the armoury. The boatswain tried finding the right key for them to unlock the door to the powder room but found in disbelief the key gone from the collection of other keys. Walking up to the door, the Doctor tapped the door lightly, making it creak open to show them someone else had already gotten inside. They all cautiously walked into the room, looking for who might have already hidden themselves in the room. A cough alerted them to the presence of a person. Young by the sound of the cough. Avery stormed around everyone, going to where the cough had come from an empty barrel. Opening the lid of the barrel, the Captain grew enraged upon the sight of a young boy crouched down within the wooden holding.
"You fool! You fool, boy!" Avery shouted as he yanked up the child from the barrel, pushing the frightened, shaking boy up to the wall as the man gripped the front of the boy's coat. The boy stared at Avery with wide eyes filled with fear as the Captain glared at him. "What are you doing here?"
"Oi! That is no way to treat your son!" Wanda suddenly yelled, storming over to Avery as she felt a strong rise in her temper. Her protective instincts for children kicking right in. Especially in seeing how a father would treat his own child. Pushing Avery off of the boy, Wanda shot the man a sharp, piercing gaze of scolding. "Instead of just yelling at him, why don't you ask him why he's here? And if he's okay? Geez, just jump to yelling and not even bothering to comfort your son, your only child, at all."
"And how do you know he's my son?" Avery barked in return, giving Wanda a skeptical and suspicious gaze. The Time Lady paused for a second, realizing her mistake.
"Well, . . . I mean, just look at the family resemblance," she replied easily, trying to dismiss she slip of future knowledge as she waved between Avery and his son, Toby. Really, there was a small similarity in appearance between father and son. But not by much. She cleared her throat as she knew it was a weak explanation on her part. Especially in seeing just how Avery (and the rest of his crew for that matter) clearly did not believe her. She turned to Toby, smiling kindly. "So, are you feeling okay?" The boy nodded as he began coughing loudly, hoarsely. "That's a nasty cough you've got there."
"I'm fine," Toby murmured quietly, keeping his eyes averted from her and the rest. He scooted away from the wall where his father had pushed him, sitting on the floor in front of the barrel he had been hiding in. When seeing Avery made no moves to comfort his child, Wanda placed her hands on her hips, giving him another sharp gaze as she jerked her head to Toby. Indicating crossly that the Captain should begin talking with his son. The Captain let out a small huff before going to sit on a crate next to the child.
"What in god's name possessed you, boy?" Avery quizzed Toby gruffly. "Your mother will be searching for you." Upon seeing the dejected solemn eyes of Toby, Avery realized the reason why the boy had come here in the first place. Why he had no other choice than to come aboard the ship. The Captain felt his heart sink, at a loss in knowing the boy's mother was gone. "When?"
"Last winter. Fever," Toby explained, his tone hushed in his sorrow. The boy lifted his eyes to meet his father's finally, appearing hopeful now in being there with his father. Finally having a parent again. "She told me all about you. How you were a Captain in the Navy. An honourable man, she said . . . how I'd be proud to know you." Toby started coughing again, missing the ashamed expression on his father's face. After coughing, Toby smiled in hope at his father. "I've come to join your crew."
"I don't want you here," Avery said in curt fashion immediately. Not even bothering to think twice in having his son join him in this life. The life of a pirate. There were much better places out there for his son. Being a pirate was the last thing Avery ever wanted for Toby.
"You can't send me back. It's too late. We're a hundred miles from home," Toby countered, knowing that whether his father liked it or not, he would be a part of the crew. A crew that he had no idea the truth behind.
"It's dangerous here," Avery argued, wanting to convince his son otherwise in joining life on board the ship. "There is a monster aboard. She leaves a mark on men's skin." Toby suddenly became hesitant and fearful, seeming uncertain about what his father had said. Thumbing at the palm of his hand while not letting anyone else see. Wanda walked over to the boy, crouching down while gently touching his shoulder.
"You have the black spot, too, don't you?" she asked softly. Toby nodded, showing his palm to everyone, letting them clearly see the black mark on him. The Siren had claimed him for the taking as well. Avery's eyes went wide in fear, hurriedly going over to his son to see where the boy had been injured to be marked. But Wanda halted him by placing up a hand to stop. "He's like me. Doesn't have an external injury. It's more internal."
"It's not just blood," the Doctor concluded in thought, nodding as he understood what the Siren was after now. "She's coming for all the sick and wounded, like a hunter chooses his weakest animal." The child seemed fearful then from the Doctor's words.
"Am I going to die?" Toby questioned, coughing in hacks as he shook from the pain in his chest. Wanda smiled and gave him a hug around the shoulders.
"Of course not. You're going to be just fine. I promise," she replied warmly, winking in reassurance. She stood up, shooting the Doctor as look that said 'way to go,' while he shrugged, realizing his mistake in not discussing this quietly with the others.
"I don't understand. Wanda, are you sick?" Amy asked the Time Lady in a whisper when the blonde walked over to her, Rory, and the Doctor. The pirates stay over on the other side of the room, seeming to discuss over with Avery about what to do, and even questioning the Captain about his son. Toby remained where he was, coughing and shivering from the clear fever he was suffering from.
"No, I'm not sick like Toby," Wanda whispered, keeping her tone quiet as she did not wish the pirates to overhear what she would be telling Amy and Rory.
"Then what's wrong?" Rory questioned the Time Lady, now back to normal as the effects from the Siren song had worn off for him. He went into nurse mode, wanting to quickly check up on Wanda in case there was something severely wrong. Amy and he both looked skeptically at the Doctor, who surprised them by not seeming all that worried over Wanda at all. Normally, he would be frantic, constantly checking over his love. Now, however, the Time Lord simply held an arm around the blonde's waist, smiling affectionately as both held small grins at the companions.
"Actually, this might be a good time . . . to ask you both something," Wanda began hesitantly. Seeing the raised brows of Amy and Rory, she glanced in uncertainty at the Doctor. Should I ask them?
Ask them what? the Doctor replied curiously. When Wanda explained to him what she wanted to do, he beamed and nodded enthusiastically. That's a marvelous idea! I was actually thinking the same thing earlier. Wanda smiled eagerly, turning her attention back to the perplexed companions.
"Well, we were both wondering if you two . . . would like to become godparents," Wanda suggested, giving big hopeful eyes to the two. Amy and Rory sort of blinked in unison for a second. Their minds trying to process what Wanda had just said.
"Huh?" Rory replied, at a loss for words.
"W-what? You're joking," Amy stuttered in a laugh. Seeing the elated, yet serious faces of the Time Lords, Amy's light smile vanished as her eyes widened. "Oh, my god, you're not joking." Rory was still at a loss, not seeming to let his mind come to a logical conclusion.
"Godparents for who?" he asked. The Doctor grinned while Wanda smiled and patted her stomach. Rory's went as wide as Amy's. "No way. Seriously? You're seriously telling us . . . How did that happen?"
"'How did that happen'? Really, Rory? How do you think, stupid?" Amy scoffed while slapping her husband in the chest. "And you call yourself a nurse?"
"I know how, it's just . . . I mean . . . What?" Rory responded. "Since when?"
"Since three months ago . . . for Wanda, that is," the Doctor explained, hugging his love close to his side.
"Three months, two weeks, five days," Wanda added, smiling as brightly as ever. Together, Rory and Amy glanced down at the Time Lady's stomach, expecting to see the all clear signs of being pregnant for three months. But she appeared the same as ever. Skinny and small in appearance compared to the way the Doctor's tweed blazer covered her.
"But you don't look—," Rory began to point out but was interrupted when Avery stomped over to the group.
"We've had enough time chatting," the Captain said gruffly to them. "We need to get off this ship. We need to get to your ship, Doctor." The Time Lord nodded in agreement, kissing Wanda briefly on the forehead before stepping away from her as he and Avery came up with a plan to get to the TARDIS, bringing it back to save everyone else. The Captain walked up to his sick son, placing a silver medallion around the boy's neck as a symbol of lucky and caring.
"Wait with the boy," instructed Avery to his crew before turning to the door of the room.
"Keep Wanda safe," the Doctor ordered the two companions, pointing a firm finger at the three of them. Before either Amy or Rory could say anything more, the Captain and Time Lord were gone, leaving the other last two crew members of the ship to close the door and barricade it with different barrels in the room. Amy and Rory scooted closer to the blonde girl sitting in the corner of the room on the floor, watching as she smiled merrily, having her legs straight out from her and tapping the tips of her shoes together lightly as she wiggled her legs back and forth.
"So . . . you're really—," Amy began to question, keeping her tone hushed so that only the trio would hear.
"Pregnant? Yes, I am," Wanda answered in a quiet tone as well, grinning in delight. "It's a girl, by the way. If you're wondering."
"Isn't it a little soon to know the sex already?" asked Rory, following the girl's whispers, curious as to how she found out. But then he had to remind himself of the advanced technology of the TARDIS. "Right, the TARDIS figured it out, didn't it?" The Time Lady nodded, smiling away as bright as ever. It seemed to hit the two companions just then of what exactly this meant. For both Time Lords. Amy smiled as well, dropping down to give Wanda a hug.
"Congrats," Amy said, holding Wanda by the arms after the hug. "I really can't believe it. I mean . . . I'd never really pictured something like this would ever happen. But I guess this means the Doctor and you both get the family you've always wanted."
"We do have a wonderful family already," countered Wanda. But she smiled softly, rubbing at her stomach. "But now . . . we have another addition to the family. A spark lighting a new future for the Doctor and I." Her eyes grew warm as she thought over what Ten kept saying during their weeks together. Always fondly calling the growing child 'their future.' Their future to come together in a family that he has been wanting to have together for so long now. Signifying their bond, their love, and in showing that only an entirety together awaited them. Suddenly, Wanda's mind sparked as she beamed with an idea. "Oh! I just got a brilliant idea for a name. But you'll both have to wait on what it is till later." She winked at them, giggling at the loss looks on their faces.
"I don't understand, though," Rory spoke up, still needing a few questions answered. "You don't look like you're . . . you know. And why would you want us to be godparents?"
"One: the Doctor and I will answer that later once we've gone somewhere . . . more private." Wanda glanced over at the two other pirates in the room. She figured they probably already heard everything they had been saying in the small room they shared. So she did not wish to freak them out in explaining what exactly her ring did. Or to make them all assume she was some kind of 'witch' or something. Superstitions did run very high during this age. "As for you being godparents, was it even really a surprise? You're both the Doctor's and my best mates. Why wouldn't we ask for you to be closer for our child? Plus, you two are the best parents in the whole universe. Perfect for being there for our child. If you want to, of course."
"Of course we do, it's just . . .," Amy suddenly frowned after trying to gratefully accept such an honour, realizing what Wanda had said. "'Best parents in the whole universe'? We're not parents, Wanda. . . Right?" Amy immediately appeared nervous at the thought of being an unexpected parent while Rory simply seemed surprised.
"No, no . . . Not yet, anyway," Wanda responded, giving them both a sly wink. There was a humourous giggle by Wanda as both companions either appeared alarmed by this or just plain lost in what the Time Lady was indicating to. In the end, both Amy and Rory seemed to dismiss this, believing it was Wanda being silly as usual.
"So, the Siren marked you because you're pregnant?" Amy wondered aloud. "Why would she do that?"
"Well, those who are carrying a child are seen as the weakest link in groups," Wanda remarked thoughtfully. "Animals like to take down the pregnant ones for easy prey. Though, in other times, in many cultures, young mothers are seen as the ones who need the most protection. The ones who need the greatest medical care." She gave them a side look, hoping they would get her hint. But neither one seemed fazed as each seemed to merely assume the Siren was out to kill. Sighing, Wanda glanced up from where she was sitting, seeing the other pirates in the room beginning to get rid of the barricade from the door. Amy and Rory noticed as well.
"What's going on?" Amy asked the men.
"We're not staying here to molly-coddle the boy," the boatswain told them with a strict voice, shooting side looks at the coughing Toby and sitting Wanda. "The Captain's gone soft. It's time for us to leave." Toby, who had been close to falling asleep from exhaustion in his body fighting off high fever, jerked out of his light daze, standing up to face the pirates angrily.
"He told you to wait, you dog," the boy barked at the boatswain. "He's your Captain, a naval officer. You're honour-bound to do as he tells you." The boatswain sneered at the boy.
"'Honour-bound'? Do you know what kind of ship this is? Do you know what your father does?" the man retorted at the boy. "We sail under the black flag, the Jolly Roger." With eyes going wide, utterly stunned beyond belief, Toby narrowed his eyes as anger bubbled in him.
"Liar! He's not a wicked pirate!" the boy shouted, starting to go towards the men to confront them head-on. But he was halted when a strong, firm hand grabbed his shoulder. He glanced up, seeing the blonde girl standing stiffly by him as she held a strange mystical, piercing gaze at the men by the door.
"Leave them, Toby," she said steadily. "If they want to get caught by the Siren, then let them. It's their funeral either way." The boatswain sneered at her as well before both him and the other man, Mulligan, left the room in a hurry. Her grip on the boy's shoulder tightened as she felt him trying to protest and go after the men, refusing to let him go.
"Is it true? Is my father really a pirate?" Toby asked the blonde girl as soon as the men were gone. Seeing how upset the boy truly was by this new information on his father's work in life, Wanda felt sympathy for the boy and wished she could assure him otherwise. But sometimes, the truth was the better than lies.
"No, of course not. Don't listen to them," Amy tried lying to the boy.
"Yes, he is a pirate," Wanda told him. Rory and Amy shot the Time Lady looks of alarmed disbelief.
"Wanda," Amy hissed out in a breath, "you can't tell him that."
"What, you want me to lie to his face and let him live in a world of dishonesty?" Wanda replied, rolling her eyes as she could not believe, after so long with travelling through time and space, the companions still wished to pretend the harshness of the world does not exist. Or to keep others from realizing these unforgiving truths. Crouching down to make herself move level with Toby, she held a kind smile for the boy, hoping to ease his woes in learning of the reality of his father's life.
"Toby, I know that your father isn't exactly what you wanted him to be all your life." She paused, thinking over the right words. "Sometimes . . . people lose their way. Sometimes they become or turn into something they did not intend to be, or they just . . . don't know what else to do. They're simply so . . . lost." Pausing again, she hummed in thought before smiling and patting the boy on the shoulder, letting go. "Just be there for him when he falls, brush him off, and remind him that he has something far more important than gold."
"What's that?" Toby asked her curiously, finding it odd that some strange woman who barely knew him seemed so willing to try and comfort him.
"You, of course," Wanda replied, sending him a cheery wink. The door of the armoury suddenly flew open, showing Avery and the Doctor running inside. Each appearing panicked as the Time Lord rushed towards Toby, grabbing the silver medallion off of the boy and began to rapidly breathe on it, fogging up the reflective surface. Giving the Captain a thumbs up, the two rushed off again, leaving them behind like nothing had happened.
Rory was the one to speak up first. "Uh . . . what? What was that all about?"
"It's not water the Siren teleports from," Wanda explained to the confused humans. "It's reflection. She comes through any reflections. Which I'm guessing they discovered when Mulligan and the boatswain were taken by the Siren. Tsk. Told them they were going to get caught by her if they left here. But does anyone ever listen to me? Nope!" She sat down with a huff onto a crate, waiting patiently for when the Doctor and Avery would arrive again after smashing all the windows, mirrors, and dumping the treasure into the ocean, keeping all reflections away from the ship at all costs.
"So . . . what do we do, then?" Rory asked the Time Lady. "What happened to getting the TARDIS? Did something happen?"
"The TARDIS left," Wanda explained to them. "She got confused on which plain of transport she needed to be in and ended up materializing away before the Doctor could stop her. So . . . we're kind of stuck here until anything else happens."
"We're just going to wait here? Doing nothing?" Amy scoffed, not wanting to be on the ship any longer than they had to be.
"Nothing more we can do, unless you want to swim all the way to land. Or we could just let the nice doctor lady finally take us in like she wants to," Wanda offered, holding a smirk as she stared pointedly at them. The Doctor and Avery came back into the room, distracting Amy and Rory before they could question Wanda on what she meant about her last comment. The Time Lord ended up explaining the same thing Wanda had, assuring all that soon things would change and they would get out of this situation. Once the winds picked up again, that is.
Eventually, as the hours wore on, Amy and Rory curled up together on the floor, falling sleep in each other's arms. Toby sat with his back against a barrel, seeming to try and stay awake, but he kept nodding off. When seeing the boy shivering, his face flushed from the fever, Wanda got up from the floor, taking off the Doctor's tweed blazer that she still had on her and gently placed it around Toby. The boy jerked awake at the sensation of someone placing something on him. Glancing up briefly before snuggling into the warm jacket, he sent the blonde a smile in thanks. Wanda smiled, nodding and going back over to sit on the floor. Though not before patting Toby's head gently as a gesture of comfort for his sickness. The jacket seemed to help the boy for he fell asleep in mere seconds afterward.
"Aren't you cold without a jacket?"
Wanda glanced up, smiling as the Doctor came over and sat beside her. Immediately, he placed an arm around her, pulling her close to him while she snuggled into his side. He even shifted, allowing her to sit directly on his lap as he looped his arms around her, keeping her right up to his chest. They both cuddled each other, holding warm smiles on their faces as they always did when being able to hold the other so close.
"I'm fine. Toby needed it more," she told him quietly, trying to keep her voice down, not wishing to wake the boy or the companions. She smirked, flicking the pirate hat on the Doctor's head affectionately. "You're still wearing the hat."
He smirked, tilting the hat slightly towards her. "I like the hat. I think it makes me look silly." They both snickered, leaning their foreheads tenderly against each other. He sighed as he thumbed her cheek absently. "You know . . . I really miss being able to do this at times. When your younger selves are around and I can't . . . I can't hold them like I want to." His hold around her tightened. "I can't kiss them as I please." He pressed his mouth deeply against her own, causing them both to let out a groan in pleasure. "And I can't say 'I love you, Wanderer. Oh, how much I love everything about you.' It's hard sometimes. It's hard holding myself back."
"I know. I'm sorry," she whispered, gripping his hand. Her eyes stared at him tenderly, kissing him softly.
"It's not all bad. I get to fall in love with you all over again. Being with Young Wanda and Sexy Wanda . . . I can't help but fall for them both. And then, I get to be their best mate, their role model, their companion. I get to start from the very beginning, experiencing new relations between us every day. It's exciting." He grinned like an elated schoolboy, making Wanda giggle at his statement.
"I could say the same thing. I get to go to the past, be there with Nine: My best mate. Ten: my best mate and my lover. And then you: my best mate, my lover, and my husband. Now, also, father of our child." She giggled as he beamed proudly, kissing her rapidly all over her face before finishing with a searing kiss to her lips. She hummed in delight, bringing up a hand to caress his face. However, he suddenly caught it, halting in his loving gestures as his eyes hardened upon seeing the black spot on her palm.
"I swear, on my life, I won't let her take you," he growled as though faced with the Siren at that moment. Ready to fight her off. Wanda rolled her eyes as she smiled lightly.
"Yeah, well . . . what if I want her to take me?" she responded cheekily. She patted his hand in reassurance. "Theta, there's a storm coming soon, and I'm going to have to be taken by her. We all are if we want to survive through this. But I promise you, we will be all right. For today, everyone lives." Motioning over her chest, she crossed over both hearts. "Cross my hearts."
"Are you certain?" he asked, hesitant to believe something such as this would be fine. That she would be fine. He wanted to stick with his instincts on being aggressively protective of her. To not even let her out of his sight. To lock her up somewhere, where they could hide away from the universe. A perfect spot to protect her and their unborn child. But . . . he knew that she would not let anything happen to herself or the babe, either. She would not go anywhere where their child's life would be threatened. If she said she would be okay, that they would all be all right, . . . then he needed to trust her. He did always trust her, of course. It was simply . . . hard fighting against his natural, fatherly instincts of a Time Lord. To fight against his desperate longing for a family to have with the love of his life.
"All right. If you say so," he finally gave in unwillingly. He kissed her forehead again, smiling tenderly as she began to yawn, sleepily rubbing at her eyes. "Get some rest. I'll wake you if anything changes." She nodded, smiling as he shifted to lay her down. He scooted a very large white cloth over, bunching it up like a pillow on one end and laying it across her with the rest. That way she would at least be somewhat comfortable.
"Love you," he whispered into her ear.
"Love you, too," she replied softly, smiling as she drifted into slumber.
XxXxXxXx
Welp, that was the end of the first chapter update. I hope everyone enjoyed it and will like the second one just as much. :) If you wish to, please leave a review in what you thought of the chapters. As always, each time I get to hear from you lovely readers, it just makes my day all the better. :D
Reviewers:
Authora97: Woo! I'm just so happy to see how much you enjoyed it. :D I'm so sorry that your day was bad, though glad to hear that the last chapter made it feel just a little bit better. Thank you for always giving the story such wonderful support. You're the best! :)
swimmjacket: I'm just so overjoyed that you liked it so much! Agreed, it was very cute. :) Nah, the ring really is merely there for the baby. There's nothing that can be done about Alpha, really. Just Eleven in this new chapter, but Nine just might be around the corner. ;) Will also have to wait for other reveals for Wanda and the baby. But I will say that eventually everyone knows about the little babe. Thank you! I really hope that I can keep bringing you and all others such joy with the story. :)
Momochan77: haha I feel the same way. They are just too cute sometimes. ;) Nine, huh? Might be seeing him sooner than you think. ;) Thank you! I'm feeling much better. I think the flu has finally passed. Thank goodness I can actually breathe again. haha. See you next time!
HowFunny: Yay! I'm glad that made you so happy. :D haha You could still totally do it. And I bet you could definitely do it better than what I could ever do. :) Thank you so much! Hope you'll continue to enjoy it throughout the rest to come. Take care!
Victoria: Oh no! I'm so sorry you cried. Don't worry, I promise we will get a nice goodbye with all companions. Including Donna for sure. But I'm glad that you had some laughter there with the Doctor's reaction. :) Eleven thought of everything when it came to Wanda's pregnancy. He doesn't want a repeat of Amy for one thing. And for the next, he's just very protective. Hmm, funny you should mention Nine. ;)It really helps making timelines to keep track of things. It was the very first thing I made before the story began. Yep, exactly why he acted that way. The Lodger and Closing Time will exactly be adventures in passing. Won't actually be in the story, but will be mentioned. Unfortunately, did not see for them to be in the story. Perhaps an outtake story or something in the future. :) In chapter 13 was actually where Wanda explained that to the Doctor. Though it was not something outright stated, more again just in passing or implied. Sorry if it was not conveyed good enough. :( Again, I could always put it in later in an extra story or something. Hope that helps! Can't wait to see what you think of the new chapters!
All The Stories Are True 24601: Aww, I'm so glad you liked it that much. :) I'm always so nervous with every chapter I post. I know I'm being silly about it. So happy to hear that your life it going so great! Oh man, if those are anything like the SATs here in the U.S., then I wish you the best of luck. Keeping my fingers crossed for you! I feel silly, but I've actually never heard of Agatha Christie until I watched the show. Where I grew up, our library was very small and very limited. But I've been meaning to finally read all her stories soon. I really hope you had a great time at the play and had a wonderful birthday! My birthday is actually this Tuesday. So yay for both birthdays! Nah, no worries, I never strain myself. :) Until next time!
QuirkyKim: XD I'm squealing, too! So excited to see what you think of the rest!
X-Lisa-Anne-X: You're very welcome! Thank you so much for leaving such a wonderful review!
LegandsOfTime: haha I've been there before. It's so hard holding in the laughs sometimes. So glad you enjoyed it!
SakuraRcoa: I hope I can. :) So happy that you're enjoying the story so much. I really hope your enjoyment continues! Well, the ending is still up in the air, so no idea on that. Sorry. :( Can't wait to see what you think of the rest to come!
N7SpaceHamster: Oh yes, much better now. :) Hope you will always have perfect health. I will always respond to all reviews. Yours included! Yeah, my own mother said she did not realize she was pregnant with me until she started to show at four months in. Happens more often than people realize, I think. So glad you liked all of that. I was worried many would be angry with just how much I changed it. But glad to see it was not the case. :) Yep! Time Lords can most definitely go into a coma by their own choosing. They mostly do it to help themselves heal or protect themselves from dying. There's a whole bunch of things Time Lords can do with their bodies and minds. If you ever get interested, you should definitely look up Time Lord anatomy and physiology. You'll be surprised in all that they can do. :) Good theories on Aleena. I will say, as a sneak peek, she is definitely very connected with the companions. But spoilers for now on the rest. Oh, yes, definitely feels like a lifetime ago for Wanda. I love continuity, so I will always try to do it as much as I can. One of my favorites, too. It just had to be that exact moment I think. lol ;) Well, it was either that reaction or a faint, haha. Though, as he explained with how Time Lords are when having children, I think it came as more than a shock to him as he explained that he would have felt it almost right away once the baby began to develop. Oh, my gosh, if Nine ever found out I know for certain he would faint. XD Just a chapter of sweetness. So happy you enjoyed it all. :) Hope to see you again in the next time! Take care!
bored411: Agreed. Very sweet, but also dreading that day. Hope you liked the new chapter just as much as the last. :D Hmm, well, unfortunately, no Twelve for pregnant Wanda in this trilogy. Hope that's okay. :( But I agree, I think it would be very cute as well. :)
Ruby Slippers: So glad you liked it! :D
alwaystherereading: Welp, here's another two chapter for you. ;) Hope you liked it just as much as the last! Ten and his 'what's haha. They are also very cute, too. They have a more small wedding. Sort of off-screen. Maybe I'll do a chapter on it in an extra moment or something. Hmm, funny you mentioned Jack. ;) Welp, until next time!
Whovianeverlark17: He is most certainly very adorable when being overprotective. ;) Agreed, very cute! I think Eleven would probably bubblewrap the whole place if he could. haha.
Vivi: Hmm, maybe. Good theory. Guess we'll just have to find out for later. Hope your day/night is going good!
ramble-on-melody: Hello! It's so good to see you again! I hope the story was just as good for a re-read as it was the first time. :) I'm just so happy that you're still enjoying the story so much after all this time. Nah, you're the one who is absolutely fantastic! Until next time and have a wonderful day/night! Take care!
deadflowerseverymorning: Yeah, the website has been messing up lately with updates and reviews. Let's hope things will be fixed for now on. Fingers crossed! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, though. :) Oh yes, she will most certainly do her damndest to keep that promise. Thank you so much for reviewing! It always means so much to me. :) It helps writing in advance so that way I have time to edit over chapters later to update. Always works out that way. Can't wait to see you again in the future!
NerdWithAPencil: He is very excited. Oh? I think you might be onto something there. ;) Might be even revealed in the next chapter after this one. Can't wait to see what you think of the rest. Looking forward to seeing from you again!
V: Aww, thank you so much! Truthfully, I haven't even been paying attention to how many reviews there has been. That's so awesome though! Thank you again! You deserve even more than me in happiness and joy! :D
Thank you everyone for giving so much support to the story! I was so happy to notice 900 reviews for the story now! It brought a few tears to my eyes in seeing just how much everyone has been enjoying the story. You all are absolutely the best! Can't wait to see you in the next chapter. :)
~Tinker~