Wanderer of Time: Darkness Within

by Tinker16

The powers within have been steadily growing, buying time until the moment of remembrance. The moment swiftly approaches. Wanda's fears are coming to a head as she realizes what has been living inside her has only one purpose in the universe. And it holds no qualms in destroying any who gets in its way, even those who Wanda loves. (Part Three of the Wanderer of Time trilogy)

45. Ch 45: Invasion of the Cubes

Surprise!

Couldn't help myself. I just had to surprise you all with another chapter today. ;) I hope everyone enjoys!

XxXxXxXx

Chapter 45: Invasion of the Cubes

"Are you sure he's going to show up?" Amy asked Wanda again for the hundredth time that day. Wanda ducked as someone passed by her with a large plate of food. Everything in the Pond house was busy and bustling with friends and family from all around showed up to celebrate Rory and Amy's wedding anniversary. There was a grill going on outside, with many tables scattered around the backyard. Tons of food was being passed around that smelled all so good. It was a very special day indeed.

"Yes, Amy, he will be here soon," Wanda sighed, rolling her eyes as the companion merely gave her a skeptical. "You have no faith in him."

"I have faith in him. I just don't have faith in his driving skills," Amy scoffed. Both of them laughed at this, agreeing upon this statement of the Doctor's infamous timing with the TARDIS.

"Oi, I can drive just fine, thank you," they heard the Doctor retort just behind them. Turning around, they saw the Doctor poke his head over a large bouquet made of many wildflowers. Many which appeared too exotic for planet Earth. The Time Lord smiled brightly, stuffing the flowers into Amy's arms, who blinked in shock at the gift. "Happy anniversary!" He grabbed Wanda's hand, beginning to pull her towards the house to go back inside. "Come with us and bring your husband."

Rory, who had been munching on one of the party treats outside with the other guests, looked over in surprise when seeing his wife holding a large (and very strange) bouquet. With the indication from her head, Rory followed Amy into their home. The Time Lords were standing by the TARDIS inside the lounge, waiting for the arrival for their Ponds. The Doctor clapped his hands merrily together.

"Ready for your anniversary present?" he asked, excited to show the Ponds what he had cooked up this time.

"Where are we going?" Amy questioned.

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you," the Doctor responded, turning to go into the TARDIS. Amy and Rory followed in quickly. Though one particular person remained behind in the lounge. The Doctor poked his head back out of the ship, frowning in confusion when seeing Wanda still standing there, not making a move to join them. "Come on, Wanda. We don't have all day. Though, technically speaking we do. But I still like to keep to my own schedules."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm coming with you. Just not this me," Wanda said, smiling knowingly at him. "I'll show up about the same time you lot arrive in the Savoy Hotel."

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, letting the door shut behind him as he walked up to his wife. "Which face?"

"Second me."

The Doctor pouted, looping his arms around her waist as he held her close. "But I was going to make this day our anniversary, too. I realized, after listening to Amy's calls, that we've never taken the time to celebrate the first day we met. The Savoy Hotel would have been perfect for that. There's a very exclusive couples' suite I've arranged just for us. Even Amy and Rory wouldn't have been able to get into it. Let's say the owner owed me a favor or two. It would have been our own anniversary."

"Well, now you can celebrate our anniversary with the very first face you've met." Wanda giggled at the puppy eyes he gave her. Clearly disappointed that he could not spend time with current her as his wife. "We can always plan another anniversary for us somewhere else. Maybe even after Ember is born. I'm certain at some point we might need a break after taking care of a baby all day. How does that sound, sweetie?"

"Oh, yes, I suppose that's fine." He smiled warmly, giving her a loving kiss. He then stepped back, going into the TARDIS once more.

Wanda waved lightly at the ship as it dematerialized from the room, disappearing with an after draft of wind sweeping through her hair. Once the room had stilled, she let out a long sigh, placing a hand over her mouth as she yawned. Boy, was she exhausted. A feeling she had become quite used to over the two months she and the Doctor had been living with the Ponds. She had been getting more and more sleep lately. Almost having a regular human night schedule of eight hours each time. Something that she was not really fond of as she felt each day was wasted away from her constant need of sleep. The Doctor agreed on this, of course, as he too wanted to be up more often in them having adventures together. But he also made her sleep whenever she grew tired, knowing she needed as much rest as she could get. It was normal, after all, for Time Ladies to sleep such long periods of time while with child.

Walking over to one of the lounge's chairs, she sat down, waiting patiently for when the TARDIS would arrive again. She knew it would not be that long. The Doctor planned on only arriving a few minutes after he and the Ponds left. Even if it did take them seven weeks in their time to get back. She smiled softly, enjoying the calm atmosphere in the quiet room, away from the loud guests outside. It had become sort of a change in character for her during her pregnancy. Yes, she was still giddy and hyper during many moments. But now she had a very calm streak to her. Growing a habit of simply sitting in a nice spot and enjoying the peace. Carrying a baby, trying to always keep stress away from her and the child, really did wonders in settling her very active body.

Glancing around the room, she made certain no one was in sight and that the lounge door was tightly closed before she allowed herself to take off her necklace. Her thin body changed in an instant to show her round belly. She smiled tenderly as she rubbed the swollen stomach, basking in the glow of feeling her little Ember within. Seven months and three weeks. She could not believe it was arriving so soon. The due date of Ember's birth. There had been so much planning going on for it, too. The Doctor had the nursey in the TARDIS all made up. Ready for a baby to sleep and grow in. Amy and Rory made arrangements for a place in their home, too. For whenever Ember needed a safe place to stay in case the Time Lords needed to travel somewhere too dangerous for a child. And there were school arrangements, play dates with certain friends, and so forth. Yes, little Ember was going to have a quite busy life. A life filled with loved ones and cheer.

Wanda sighed softly, relaxing into her chair more. She could also not believe that she had been able to stay for such a long time with the Ponds without wandering off. Well, stay without the Doctor always present, more or less. Usually, without him nearby, she would have been gone in a blink. Even if he was to return later in a few hours. The Doctor theorized that perhaps her wandering slowed down in the conservation of energy for the baby. It has been a blessing, really. She was having such a wonderful time with her family . . .

Her hand tightened over her belly as her mind began wandering for certain thoughts she had been trying to avoid thinking lately. Questions that have been plaguing her mind. One in particular stood out from the rest. When exactly Ember would be born. As in what stage of the Doctor's timeline. She knew Ember was not going to be born in the past. That much was obvious. But just how far into the future would Wanda appear to give birth? Future Eleven never really mentioned it. Of course, he could have been hiding the truth from her in fear that it would be spoilers. But . . . there should have been at least some hints that she could have picked up on. Nothing had been out of the ordinary, nor had she seen any indication whatsoever of a child being raised on the TARDIS. Could it be the Ember would be born even farther into the Doctor's timeline? Even farther than Wanda herself had seen on the show? Maybe even during the incarnation after Eleven. That old face with the big eyebrows. . . Huh . . . Now that Wanda really thought about it, she wondered if she would ever meet the future, much older, Doctor to come someday.

"Wanda, have you seen Amy or Rory?"

Wanda glanced up when seeing Brian walking into the room. She hurriedly placed back on her necklace in case anyone else was following behind him. Thankfully, he was alone. He frowned as he gazed around the room, seeing scattered papers in the indication of a departed TARDIS.

"Has the Doctor been here?" he asked the Time Lady.

"You just missed him, actually," Wanda replied. "The Doctor took Amy and Rory off to an anniversary present. We're going to have our own little anniversary, too. But only more of for friends instead of for a husband and wife. We're not married yet for me during that moment, you see. And Spaceman's going to be even more disappointed when he sees that it's Second Wanda before the time when we finally got together as a couple. She's really not all into the whole 'relationship thing' with the Doctor when believing him to be married to another woman. She'll stop each one of his advances through the whole thing. It's funny now that I'm remembering it. The pouts he gave me that day. Oh, how naïve I was back then." She laughed quietly, shaking her head fondly as she stood up stiffly from her chair, holding one hand on her back and the other over her stomach. Man, did she hate these backaches.

"Will they be back soon?" Brian questioned, appearing anxious for his son and Amy.

"Of course. They'll only be gone ten minutes at the most," Wanda assured the worried father. She walked by Brian, patting him gently on the shoulder. "And they'll be safe. I promise."

"Is that one of your special promises. The ones you never break?" He replied lightly.

"Any promises I make are those I'll never break. I promise." She gave him a wink, going towards the stairs. "When they get back, just tell them sorry that I'm not around for the rest of the night. I'm kind of all partied out, and the bed upstairs is calling my name."

Brian waved her goodnight as she traveled up the stairs. The babbling chatter from the guests below grew muffled through the floor as she made her way into the room that had been hers and the Doctor's over the past months. It was a small room. Very cozy in the white walls with light yellow designs. She sat down awkwardly on the queen bed, holding her stomach as she slowly sank into the comfy mattress. Lifting the white cover, she wrapped it around herself as she scooted into the bed and lied down on her side. Taking off her necklace again, placing it on the small table next to the headboard of the bed, her eyes slowly began to drift shut as sleep crept over her.

It was only about ten minutes after Wanda had fallen asleep when the door to the room slowly creaked open. The Doctor walked in as carefully as he could, not wishing to wake his love. Closing the door behind him, he inched he way around the bed, sitting down to take off his jacket and shoes. Undoing his bow tie and pushing his braces off his shoulders, he scooted into the bed, letting his shoes, jacket, and tie lay on the ground at the bed's feet. Grabbing the cover, he lifted it over himself and moved more into the bed, pressing his chest into his Wanderer's back. The covers fell around them both as he snaked an arm around her stomach, holding a gentle hand over the feeling of his child.

"She has the hiccups again."

The Doctor stiffened in surprise, blinking when seeing Wanda still had her eyes closed yet seemingly awake.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" he questioned in a soft whisper, sounding disappointed that he had been too loud getting into bed.

"It's fine, Theta. I don't sleep as deeply as I used to," Wanda mumbled, yawning as she turned over on her back to face him. She gave him a sleepy smile. "How was the trip?"

"Fun, fun," the Doctor said, trying to sound casual. Upon Wanda's snickering, he rolled his eyes. "But of course, you already know what happened."

"Zygon ship under the Hotel with most of the staff staged as humans, at the ready as an attack unit. Fond memories," she sighed as if recalling a great adventure. She giggled again as the Doctor poked her in the side.

"Well, things could have gone better in the next adventure if someone didn't say 'yes' to marriage proposals," he retorted crossly.

"Actually, it was both me and Amy who said 'yes' to Henry there. And as if it was either me or Amy's fault that we couldn't hear what old Henry was saying over the loud party in the first place."

The Doctor popped her on the nose lightly. "I blame your sassy charm for seducing him in the first place."

Wanda stuck out her tongue, giggling as he began nuzzling his nose into her neck. They both sighed as they held each other. The Doctor's arm laying across her middle while she had her arms wrapped around his shoulders as he lay with his head on her chest, listening to her hearts beating. She absently ran her gentle fingers through his hair while he, in turn, rubbed her stomach in soothing circles.

"Can you sense her mind yet?" Wanda asked after a moment of peaceful silence.

"No, not yet," muttered the Doctor, frowning as he still felt irritated that he could not feel their child's mind. It was the one thing any Time Lord parent looked forward to. The first time they could communicate in such a way. The first moment the Time Lord bond between all of them could be established and grow. Yet, Ember remained as silent as ever. It was what human pregnancies were like. All that waiting for so long to see their child. He hated waiting.

"Maybe she's just shy," Wanda offered in thought.

"Or maybe she's stubborn like her mother," the Doctor replied lightly without thinking.

Wanda poked him in the head lightly. "Rude. And besides, you are just as stubborn, Spaceman."

He chuckled under his breath for a moment before his face fell once more. Though, unseen by Wanda. Truthfully, not being able to sense their child properly worried him. Back on Gallifrey, when this happened it usually meant warning signs for the growing babe. Either that the child's mind was not developing properly, or that they were going to be weak upon birth. And then there was the fact that Wanda's belly was not much bigger than what she had been during the late fifth month. Though, this did not worry him too much as he remembered his mother once tell him of just how small he was when he was born. That could just be hereditary in some ways. However, he still had that proper bond, so why could he not sense Ember then? All of the worries on his mind he did not share with Wanda. He was afraid he might make her worried and stressed if she feared for the growth of their child.

"Maybe she'll need help with mental abilities like I did?" Wanda offered in thought. "Remember, I wasn't able to communicate with you properly until you unblocked my mind for me."

"Hmm . . . Maybe," he mumbled, frowning as he thought that over. Shaking his head, he merely patted and rubbed her stomach tenderly. After a moment longer, he finally spoke, "I'm . . . I'm going to stay. Permanently this time around."

Wanda raised her head to stare curiously at him. "What do you mean?"

Not answering for a moment, he continued to watch his hand as he rubbed it around on her stomach. "I've realized that . . . we're slowly losing touch with Amy and Rory. After Ember is born . . . it might not be too long before Amy and Rory themselves might want to settle down in their normal lives. Maybe even adopt a kid of their own. Give River a younger sibling. Besides you, of course."

"I'm not really River's sibling."

"You are to her, though." Pausing for a second, he gave a kiss on her belly. "I . . . I want to spend as much time with them as I can. As much time as I can with all of us together."

"Of course. Whatever you want, Theta. And, truthfully, these past months have been the happiest I've ever had with you and our family. I wish it could last forever."

"Nothing lasts forever, Wanderer."

Wanda let out a heavy sigh as images of the future to come for the Ponds went through her mind. "Yes. Don't I know it."

The Doctor smiled softly, forlornly as he scooted up, pulling her close to have her head press against his chest. "But we'll make the most of it. Until forever ends, we will have the best of times with our Ponds."

Wanda matched his smile, giving him a tender kiss. "The best," she said in agreement.

XxXxXxXx

It was July. Exactly one year since the cubes arrived. Exactly eight months and two weeks of Wanda's pregnancy. It started like any other day in the Ponds house. But of course, as life would be for them, things never stay normal.

"Twenty-six. I start with twenty-six knits, just like I'm supposed to. But every bloody time I reach the end of making the scarf, I end up with forty-eight knits. How the bloody hell do I manage that?" Wanda complained loudly, huffing as she sat the knitted scarf she was trying to make down on her lap. She glared at it, cross that it dare play a trick on her like this, ending up wider at one end than the other. It looked like some kind of strange scarf made for aliens. Well, not that she wasn't trying to make it for aliens in the first place. But that's beside the point!

"I still don't understand why you took up knitting in the first place," the Doctor replied. He did not even look over his shoulder at her as she sat on the sofa. They were both currently occupying one of the lounges in the house. He played tennis on the Wii, while she sat there knitting and watching his funny antics.

"Because, while you were away during the days a while ago, I got bored. I tried a number of hobbies to keep me distracted until you got back," she told him.

"And you found that you enjoy knitting?" he questioned skeptically, swinging the Wii controller wildly as he kept up with his fast pace game.

"No, I despise knitting. It's the most boring thing in the world," Wanda huffed, crossing her arms and pouting at the knitted mess in her lap.

"Then why do you still knit?"

"Because I'm damn determined to get this scarf right! I know I can do it, it's just being difficult." Saying this while she grabbed the scarf and shook it in the air to show the Doctor just how frustrated she was with it.

The Doctor suddenly gave a loud cheer as he scored on his game, earning the win. He threw his arms up into the air, jumping back on the sofa to celebrate his victory. Wanda scoffed, pulling him down to sit on the sofa instead.

"Don't put your feet on the furniture," she scolded him playfully.

"Look who's talking. You used to jump on any bed you'd come across," the Doctor responded, bopping her on the nose as he grinned at her in a teasing manner.

Wanda took the game remote from his hand and tapped him on the top of his head with it. "Yes, but not on Amy and Rory's furniture. We're the guests. We have to obey their rules. Many of which you love breaking, I've noticed."

"Only because most of their rules are boring. No fireworks in the house? Really? They were perfectly safe fireworks."

"You almost burnt down the kitchen."

Shrugging, the Doctor stood back up. "Okay, fine. I'll have to work on the whole 'safe' factor when it comes to my fireworks." He swung the gaming remote around once more as another tennis game started on the Wii. "Third set decider, come on, then."

Wanda giggled lightly, loving the boyish grin and funny antics of his. Continuing to knit her failed scarf, she thought on what else they could do for that day. Maybe go strolling through the park? That had become a routine for them to do lately during the evenings. It was always something she looked forward to do with the Doctor. She gave a small sigh of content, truly enjoying the normal, slow life they were living. She wished it could last forever. Blinking, she stared at a black cube that now hovered in front of her face. Her face dropped in pure disappointed. But sadly, nothing ever truly lasts forever.

"Oi, what are you doing in the house? I thought I threw you all out," Wanda whispered crossly at the cube that hovered in front of her. The cube turned at an angle as if to point. She looked over her shoulder with the cube, seeing the open window. Her and the cube both face each other squarely once more. "You cheeky thing." The cube whizzed around her head in a couple circles, coming up to her face once more. She glared at it. "Well, you'll be happy to know that you won't succeed. Ever. The human race will stand for they are defended. You can count on that."

"Wanda, who are you talking to?" the Doctor asked, still keeping his sole attention on the television screen before him.

"The cube," Wanda answered. "It's being a nuisance." The cube turned, seeming to take the Doctor in interest. It hovered over to be in his face this time, blocking his view from the game.

"Out of the way, dear, I'm trying to . . .," the Doctor began to say, not even fazed at first by the cube, merely thinking it was Wanda teasing him again, but upon a closer look he took in the floating black square. "Whatever you are," he gave the cube a very cool gaze, "this planet, these people, are precious to me, and I will defend them to my last breath." He frowned as he watched the cube, seeing how it still merely floated there, humming in a strange way as it hovered. "Is that all you can do? Hover? I had a metal dog that could do that." The cube's side facing the Time Lord suddenly slid open, showing a small metal tube at him. "Ooh, that's clever. What's that?"

"Doctor, duck!" Wanda cried as she grabbed her husband by his collar and jerked him down to the ground with her as fast as she could. The cube then began firing a laser beam around the room. Smashing vases, destroying paintings, and anything else that its deadly beam hit. The Doctor covered Wanda in protection, immediately running her out of the room. They stood just around the corner of the doorframe, letting out a breath as the firing from the cube ceased. They peeked back inside the lounge once nothing more was heard, seeing that the cube now began downloading the internet off of the television.

"Ooh, you really have woken up," the Doctor remarked as he stared at the hovering cube curiously.

"Damn cubes," Wanda murmured as she and the Doctor backed away from the door.

"Doctor! Wanda!" Rory called out to the two Time Lords, rushing up to meet them in the hall. "Hi, uh, a cube showed up in the kitchen, it just sat down on the table and began opening up."

"Did it sneak through a window, too? Ugh. The nerve of those cubes!" Wanda gashed in aggravation. And the day had been going so well . . .

"A cube upstairs just spiked me and took my pulse!" Amy yelled as she came downstairs to meet them all in the hallway. "I don't even know where it came from. I thought Wanda threw them all out except for Brian's cube."

"She what?" responded the Doctor. He turned in confusion to his wife. "You did what?"

"Hadn't you noticed all the cubes in the house suddenly missing?" Rory questioned the Time Lord.

"No, not really. I assumed UNIT had taken them or something," commented the Doctor. He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "A cube in there fired laser bolts and now it's surfing the net."

"You're never going to believe this," Brian said as he quickly joined the group, coming out of the smaller lounge area where he had been studying his only cube under the large glass case that Wanda had made for it. "My cube just moved. It rattled."

At the moment, Rory's mobile phone began to ring. It was his work call him in. Apparently, there were countless numbers of people being hurt by cubes throughout the city. The hospital was now swamped, needing as much help as they could get. Rory assured them he would be there, hanging up and leaving them to figure out the cube mess soon after. Then, just when Rory left with his father, the Doctor received a message via psychic paper requesting their presence at the Tower of London.

It was UNIT. Or, more specifically, Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, Chief Scientific Officer of UNIT, daughter of Alistar Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart (very old friend of the Doctor's). She needed their help as quick as possible. Even sending them an escorted ride in her urgency.

"And where do you think you're going, missy?" Amy scolded Wanda, pulling the Time Lady back into the house when she tried leaving with them in the escort from UNIT.

"Um . . . I thought I was going to UNIT," Wanda replied, frowning at Amy. This had become a normal thing for Amy. If anyone was more protective than the Doctor during the Time Lady's pregnancy, it was the ginger companion. That, and Rory at times, too. The irony of Amy and Rory getting onto the Doctor for being overprotective. Wanda swore they were just as bad as her parents back in her old world. Or, possibly as bad as Shelly at times.

"No, you can't. You've got to stay here where it's safe," Amy told the Time Lady.

"Actually, I would be much safer by staying with you two. The cubes have already broken into the house once. What's to say they won't do it again?" Wanda disputed, holding her hands on her hips in her stance, determined to go with Amy and the Doctor.

"How would you be safer running around with us to god knows where. So, you can't. Doctor, tell her she can't." Amy turned to the silent Time Lord, holding a cross demeanour as she stared at him.

"Uh . . ." the Doctor uttered, glancing between the two females. He was sort of at odds. Not with them, but himself. A part of him agreed with Amy heavily, believing his love would indeed be safe indoors and away from the danger. But then again, another part of him agreed with Wanda, realizing that she was right and the danger just might come here for her. Being in numbers was always safer, so . . .

"She can come with us," the Doctor told Amy, earning a stern glare from the companion. So, in the end, both the Doctor and Amy (reluctantly) agreed Wanda could come, but she would have to be watched carefully in case of anything. So, they left with the escort, arriving later into the evening to the Tower of London. They were led straight into the secret headquarters of UNIT. Kate met them immediately.

"What's the situation, Kate?" the Doctor asked as they walked through the halls leading deeper into UNIT.

"Every cube across the whole world activated at the same moment," Kate explained. The Doctor grinned in enthusiasm.

"Now we're in business," said the Doctor almost cheerful, excited for a development finally happening with those mysterious cubes. He then stared at Kate curiously. "You sent a message to my psychic paper. You know what? I'm almost impressed."

"Well, I know that I'm completely impressed," Wanda said, grinning in giddiness as she walked up from behind the group and shook Kate's hand. "I'm so glad to finally meet you, Kate."

"I'm pleased to meet you as well," Kate responded politely, smiling kindly at Wanda. "I've heard and read many stories about 'the Wanderer,' the Doctor's one constant companion."

"Besides the TARDIS. She's the true constant companion," Wanda countered.

"And Wanda is more than just a companion to me," the Doctor spoke up, grabbing Wanda around the waist and pulling her close to him. "She's my wife."

"Oh?" Kate responded, raising a curious brow, appearing shocked by this news. "I'd never have believed the day that you would finally be tied down, Doctor."

"I'm not tied down. With Wanda by my side, I'm always on a new adventure," replied the Time Lord with a boyish grin, giving Wanda a kiss on the cheek which made her giggle in delight. They were lead into what appeared to be a tight security, highly armoured, experimental room. Each black cube had been placed into a large thick metal cube. Undergoing a variety of monitored tests. Watching what each strange action the cubes were doing.

"There are fifty being monitored," Kate explained to them as they walked into the room, "and more are coming in all the time. I don't know how useful it is. Every cube is behaving individually, there's no meaningful pattern."

Amy and Wanda trailed off from following the Doctor and Kate, looking through a heavy glass case where one cube was blowing out fire. Wanda saw another where it was shooting out a scalding steam of water. Another had a woman within the room with a cube, which caused her to either laugh or cry at random. There was a different cube that lit up with an assortment of colours. Then one that Amy inspected played the Chicken Dance on repeat. Kate directed them over to a large desk of computers running diagnostics of system hacks that have been occurring throughout the world. Apparently, the cubes were getting into every nations' tight securities and top-secret government facilities. Kate appeared to be at a loss on what to do, but the Doctor assured the woman there was nothing to fear. He (along with his Wanderer and companions) was on the case. Then, the monitors began to beep.

"They've stopped," one of the scientists who sat the computers told them. "The cubes, across the world, they just shut down."

"Active for forty-seven minutes and then they just die?" Kate said in disbelief.

"They're dormant maybe," the Doctor offered in thought.

"Then why shut down?" Amy countered. The Doctor hummed as he gazed around, looking at all the different cubes close by.

"I don't know. I don't know, I need to think. I need some air," murmured the Doctor. He frowned as he shook his head, beginning to hate the UNIT headquarters. It felt so . . . cramped down here. "Who has an underground base? Terrible ventilation."

"I think it's a tradition for secret human organizations," Wanda said as she followed alongside her husband who walked away from the others. "Torchwood, H.C. Clements, Area 51: just to name a few." Reaching out, Wanda grabbed the Doctor's hand, halting him in place. She then began speaking in his mind. Doctor, I know you want to talk to Amy, discuss your fears of losing her and Rory with her. But at the moment, we have to work fast on stopping the cubes.

Can you tell me what they're up to? he asked in response, raising a brow.

Not . . . exactly. I can tell you that the reason they've stopped is because they've got what they needed. she replied. They glanced up when the room suddenly went dark. The power disappearing from the building entirely. And they've begun their plans of action.

"Problem with the power?" questioned the Doctor as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver.

"Not possible, we've got backups," Kate told him as she and everyone else took out torches.

"The cubes got what they were searching for," Wanda told the Doctor again, urging him into action. They needed to act fast for she knew things were only going to get worse from here if they did not move swiftly enough.

"That means before they shut down, they scanned everything, from the Earth's medical limits to military response patterns. They made a complete assessment of planet Earth and its inhabitants. That's what the surge of activity was," mentioned the Doctor, walking up quickly over to the computers to check to see if he could find out what was happening somehow. Amy happened to glance over, seeing one cube inside a glass case had a glowing number seven.

"Doctor? Look!" she called to the Time Lord, making him come over to inspect the cube as well. The group crowded close to the case, then glanced around towards the other cubes, seeing the same thing with them.

"Why do they all say seven?" Kate wondered aloud.

"Seven. Seven, what's important about seven?" the Doctor mumbled to himself. "Seven wonders of the world. Seven streams of the river Ota. Seven sides of a cube."

"A cube has six sides," Amy countered.

"You're forgetting the inside of the cube," Wanda told the companion.

The lights suddenly snapped back on, with the cubes changing to the number six exactly at the same moment. The Doctor flipped his sonic in the air, placing it back into his inner jacket pocket before walking in a fast pace out of the room. Amy, Kate, and Wanda hurried on after him, trying to keep up. He concluded that the numbers must be a countdown of some kind. Something that would lead to an attack on the humans all across the Earth. It would be easy for the cubes to attack, after all, since so many humans had taken cubes into their homes and lives. So, he told Kate to spread the word to all higher authorities, telling the world to get people as far away from the cubes as they could. All the while the Doctor himself would search through UNIT's computers to see if he could find a trace of the signal controlling the cubes.

Wanda sat next to him by the computers, patiently waiting for what he would do next. Though, with her one leg constantly bouncing anxiously as she repeated glanced over to the larger room with a certain cube. The one that had been causing mood swings to one of the workers for UNIT. She knew what would happen next . . . what must happen next . . . But it still did not mean that she liked it. Not one bit.

"Countdown is getting closer to zero," the Doctor stated after a long while had passed. He turned, taking in the site of where he could be closer to a cube without having anyone else be in harm's way. Clapping his hands and rubbing them together, he made his way quickly over to the observation container. "Right. Better get a closer look." Wanda stood up swiftly, as Amy and Kate tried to stop him.

"Doctor, please, you don't have to do this," Amy pleaded for the Time Lord to change his mind.

"She's right. You don't have to be in there," Kate agreed. "We can do this remotely."

"Remotely isn't my style," disputed the Doctor, waving a hand in dismissal to their worries. He glanced towards Wanda, seeing her anxious expression, yet lack of stopping him. "As long as Wanda tells me I can, then I will. Right, Wanda?"

"She can't agree to this," Amy scoffed, turning to the Time Lady. "You can't agree with this." Wanda gave an exasperated sigh, crossing her arms as she averted her eyes with the others. She hated what she was about to say, but . . .

"I . . . agree with the Doctor," she told them, forcing the words out. She winced after she said them, peaking at the Doctor in the corner of her eye. "But I won't say that I like it. You better be careful, Spaceman."

"Will I be in any danger?" he asked.

"Yes. But it's not like I don't know how to save you in the end," she sighed, shaking her head lightly.

The Doctor beamed, going over and giving her a kiss on her forehead. "Then I know I have nothing to fear."

With that said, he turned and went inside the small room. He made certain the room was sealed tight behind him, not wanting the cube to get at anyone else. Sitting down at the table which held the cube, he stared hard at it, waiting and anticipating for its move. The number continued down, now landing on two as the Doctor watched it. Wanda, Amy, and Kate watching the Time Lord anxiously. The Time Lady even began pinching her thumb. A habit that she thought she had broken a while ago. But in knowing what was about to happen to her husband, her love, and the father of their child, it almost drove her out of her mind in worrying over him. The only reason she kept her cool was in reminding herself repeatedly that she would save him in the end. She would always save him.

Eventually, the cube's countdown ended, leaving them all staring intently at the small object. The top of it suddenly slid open, revealing pure blackness inside the cube.

"Geronimo," they heard the Doctor murmur before leaning over to stare inside the cube.

"Well, what's in there?" Amy asked.

"There is nothing in here," stated the Doctor, sounding both disappointed and cross in the lack of something not happening.

"Um, well that's good. You know, it's not bombs, it's not aliens," Amy offered in thought.

"Why? Why is there nothing inside? Why? It doesn't make sense," spoke up the Doctor, not paying attention to what Amy was saying. He even banged his hand on the table in his frustration. Looking in the corner of his eye, he saw the very anxious expression on Wanda's face as she continued to stare at the cube, as if waiting for something to happen.

He stood up, quickly leaving the small room as he went back over to the UNIT computers. The one scientist from earlier was still monitoring the situation around the world, seeing what the cubes were doing. All around the planet, the cubes had done the same thing as what the Doctor's had.

"They're empty," Kate said, relieved that perhaps all of this might just be a false alarm. But she would not let herself feel that everything was fine until the Doctor said so. "We're safe, right?"

"No, no, no, we are very far from safe," the Doctor said rapidly. "All along, every action has been deliberate. Why draw attention to the cubes if they don't contain anything?"

"Because they've just haven't gotten what they're built to contain just yet," Wanda bit out gruffly. She glanced at the Doctor, going over to him and giving him a very strong hug. He blinked in surprise, slowly putting his arms around her.

"Wanderer?" he asked, hesitant to know what was making her act so worried.

"I'm so sorry, Doctor. But it's going to hurt . . . a lot," she told him in apology.

"What do you mean?" he questioned her, staring at her in confusion. He looked up quickly when the scientist at the computers got their attention, showing them video feed from across the world. People on screen were seen stopping in the middle of walkways or streets, clutching at their chests before they suddenly collapsed to the ground.

"People are dying," Kate declared in dismay. The Doctor hurriedly moved Wanda away from him, getting closer to the screens.

"What? They can't be dying. How? How are they dying?" he queried, staring at the videos in disbelief. In observing the images . . . it almost looked like the people were all having— Out of nowhere, the Time Lord gave a shout in agony, clutching at his chest. Wanda rushed over, helping to hold him on his feet. Amy came over, helping as well as she knew Wanda would not have the strength to keep the Time Lord up.

"Doctor, what's the matter?" Amy asked quickly in concern.

"Heart attacks," Wanda stated. "That's what the cubes are doing. They're making everyone's hearts fail all at once. Everyone who had been in contact with the cubes when they opened were targeted for their hearts."

"Ah! Ah! Only one heart," the Doctor managed to ground out through his pain as he groaned. He started to bang on the left side of his chest, trying to get the dead heart to start up again. "Other one's not working."

"We've got to get you to a hospital!" Amy exclaimed in fear, pushing him onto a rolling chair and began to push him towards the door.

"No, no, no, no, no, no! Turn around, turn around, turn around!" the Doctor ordered the companion, trying to get her to take him back to the computers so that way he could figure out what the cubes were doing or where they originated from. Wanda came up and steered him back around to the computers in a rush.

"Okay, glasses guy, show ten seconds after the cubes died down," Wanda ordered the one scientist at the computers. The man quickly ran the program she asked for, showing them all the great pikes on the scans of the cubes. Wanda patted the Doctor's shoulder. "See? Signal boxes, cut the power, targets the nearest heart that had looked inside, and steals the electrical current from the heart. Okay. Now your scans from earlier of the cubes' transmitted signal just finished." As she said this, the complete scan popped up on screen. "Seven places, seven minutes, all of it tied, and I know where the first one is. Okay, now, let's go!" Wanda spun the Doctor back around and began pushing him back towards the entrance.

"Wasn't that all spoilers? You didn't even let me figure it out," pouted the Doctor, though giving another cry of horrible pain as his body tired keeping up with only one heart. Wanda knew just how painful that could be having felt that pain first hand quite a few times.

"I can give a damn about spoilers when my husband is dying. Now shut up. I'm getting you to the hospital. Stat!" Wanda declared as she and Amy pushed the groaning Doctor along.

XxXxXxXx

Kate had helped them get to Rory's workplace in record time. Along the way, she estimated that about a third of the world's population had died from the cubes. The Doctor instructed her to keep charge and spread the world on how to avoid any more deaths on this day. Once Kate left them to do their part in the hospital, Amy, Wanda, and the Doctor went as quickly as they could. Going through the panicking and rushing crowd inside the hospital in hopes to find what they were looking for. In hopes that they would succeed in getting to one of the seven portals, stopping whatever or whoever was behind all of this. The Doctor gave another painful groan, stumbling as he clutched at his chest, panting out in breath as he struggled to breathe. Amy placed one of his arms around her shoulders, helping to keep him on his feet.

"Okay, how long are you going to last with only one heart?" Amy asked.

"Not much longer," uttered through his wheezing breaths. "I need to locate the wormhole portal." He pulled out his sonic, scanning for where the portal might be hidden in the hospital. The screwdriver quickly began to alert him of something not of this world close by. Turning, he saw a young girl with pretty melanin-rich skin, holding a black cube in her hands while staring off at nothing in particular.

"Hello, hello. You are giving off some very strange signals," commented the Doctor as he walked away from Amy and over to the young girl. The girl did not even give the Time Lord a glance as she continued to stare off towards nothing. Almost appearing in a trance of some kind. As the Doctor scanned the child, her eyes glowed the same shade of blue as the cubes had before. Then her whole face showed blue, underlining electronic designs. It made it quite clear that this girl was nothing like the simple human girl as she was designed to appear as.

"Oh, my god!" Amy gasped in shock upon seeing the girl's change in face.

"Outlier droid monitoring everything," the Doctor told the companion, explaining the strange girl's existence. He continued on to do scans on the droid. "If I shut her down, I can . . ." Concentrating, he aimed the sonic right at the droid's neck. There was a strange electrical warbling noise coming from the girl as her blue features lit up brighter. The droid began to sway. The Doctor tried holding the fake girl up but grunted as his body began to go through a fierce ache. "I can't! I can't do it." He fell against the wall, leaning heavily on it as he began sliding to the floor. "I need both hearts."

"Um, okay, okay," Amy muttered, scanning the area around them in a desperate search for something that could help her save the Doctor. She blinked as she suddenly noticed someone was not with them. "Where's Wanda?"

"What?" The Doctor jerked up for a moment in panic of his pregnant, vulnerable wife being gone, but yelled out in agony again as he gripped at his chest. "Did Wanda get lost in this mess?" He pointed to all the commotion happening in the hospital.

"I don't know," Amy said, shaking her head in confusion. She could have sworn Wanda had been right beside them just a moment ago.

"Clear the way!"

They suddenly heard the cry of the Time Lady. They both looked over, seeing her rushing over to them with a defibrillator in its bag, slung over her shoulder, while holding both paddles in hand. She ran right up to the Doctor lying on the floor, coming beside him.

"What?! No! No, no, no!" the Doctor yelled, waving his hands wildly as to stop her. Wanda ignored his fearful rambles, surprising both him and Amy by ripping his shirt open, sending buttons flying everywhere. She then started up the defibrillator and, ignoring the Doctor's protests, thrust the electrified paddles against the Time Lord's bare chest. The Doctor made a loud exclamation as the electricity coursed through his system, making both of his hearts stutter and got a boosted jolt. He sat up from the ground, sitting there for a moment panting as his body adjusted back to the normal two hearts beating and pumping through his system.

"Ooh!" the Doctor yelled in cheer as he stood back up. "Welcome back leftie!" He gave a shuffled dance in his happiness, grinning at the two females watching him.

"Sorry to do that to you," Wanda apologized as she left the defibrillator on the floor. She went over to him, giving him a strong hug. "I knew I needed to find that defibrillator in time to save you. I know it hurt, but I'm just so glad that you're alive." She held the side of his face as she gave him a big smacking kiss. Then, she helped him button up his ship with the last few remaining buttons on his shirt. Looking at him with big, sheepish eyes, she held a small sad face. "I hope you're not angry with me in using the defibrillator on you."

"No, I'm not angry about that," the Doctor chuckled, kissing her on her nose. But then he held a stern look with her. "I'm cross that you had ran off like that—."

"And ran around with a defibrillator!" Amy finished, waving a finger at the Time Lady.

"But," the Doctor interrupted the companion before she could begin scolding, "you saved me just like you always do. Thank you." He kissed Wanda once more, smiling as they held their lips together in a tender embrace. I love you.

Love you, too, idiot. Wanda replied softly in his mind.

Why am I an idiot this time? he responded, sending her a pout as he pulled away from their kiss.

Because you're always an idiot. Wanda said, sticking out her tongue coyly at him. He rolled his eyes as he grabbed her hand, pulling her along as they sped through the hospital. Eventually, though, he was stopped short by Wanda. She halted in the middle of the hallway, pulling him back abruptly. He turned, curiously staring at her and wondering why she suddenly gave him such a look of disappointment.

"What's wrong?" he asked her in concern.

"Is everything all right?" Amy questioned next.

"Looks like it's my time to leave," Wanda said, pouting as she stared at her and the Doctor's clasped hand. The white light slowly spreading around her hand and through the rest of her body. It even began to become a bit difficult to see everything with the blinding white light that was forming around her eyes. Warmth went in waves through her as well.

"Already?" Amy responded in surprise. The Doctor walked closer to Wanda, pulling her in for a hug.

"Well, wherever you wander to next, just make certain to stay safe," he said softly.

"Of course. I did promise you, didn't I?" Wanda replied warmly, kissing him on the cheek as she hugged him in return. She tightened her hug as she pressed her face into his shoulder, breathing in his jacket's smell one last time. "The next time we meet, I'm certain will be the moment our daughter arrives. And it'll be eccellente."

"You bet it will!" the Doctor beamed as he held her at arm's length, making her giggle as he gave her an excited kiss just before she disappeared.

XxXxXxXx

Welp, that's the end of that. Did you all enjoy it? Hate it? Was it terrible? Let me know in a review. It always helps me keep on the right track for all you lovely readers and for the story. :) Also, will love to see what you all think of where Wanda will be going to next. I can't wait!

~Tinker~