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)

49. Ch 49: A Wanderer's World

Hello, readers. :)

Again, still nervous in how everyone will take these next chapters. I hope it's at least a somewhat good read!

XxXxXxXx

Chapter 49: A Wanderer's World

Bright and cheerful laughter was made by Amy, Rory, and Brian around the dinner table. All of them were listening merrily to the bow tie loving Doctor as he made wild gestures in the air, telling them all a story of one of his and Wanda's many adventures. A Wanda from the far future in her timeline. Not as giggly as she had been during the beginnings of her Third face. But still just as loving as ever. Currently, they all sat around the kitchen table in Amy and Rory's home, celebrating after the success of stopping the Shakri from wiping out all humans on the Earth. The Doctor, after finishing his delightful story, glanced at his watch. He hurriedly took another bite of his food and sipped on his drink.

"Forgive me. I'd better get going. Things to do. Worlds to save, swings to . . . swing on," he apologized to the group for leaving so suddenly. But, since Wanda had left, there was no real reason for him to stay put in one place. After all, he needed to make certain Wanda did not appear anywhere else out there without him there to protect her. He bounced up from the table, missing the disappointed look that Amy and Rory gave him.

Just then, before anyone could say anything else, there was a crashing sound and bright light that appeared outside where the TARDIS was parked. The Doctor paused in mid-step, and the next thing anyone knew, River came bolting inside the house. The woman, with hair as wild as ever, wearing a white jumper and jeans that appeared to have been just thrown onto her, panted as she stopped right before the shocked Doctor.

"Have you gotten it, too?!" River asked in a panic.

The Doctor blinked, replying, "Hello, River. To what do I owe the pleasure?" River's expression hardened as she suddenly slapped him.

"Stop with the games! This is serious!" she yelled. Amy and Rory, getting out of their shock in seeing their daughter there (nervous by Brian being around since he was never told about his strange granddaughter), stood up to address the panicking woman.

"Melody, what's wrong?" Amy asked the woman, concerned by her daughter's clear distress. While Amy and Rory looked over their daughter with worry, the Doctor grumbled under his breath, pouting at the group and rubbing at his cheek.

"She's mad as ever. That's what's wrong," the Time Lord complained, earning himself a shush from the others. River stuffed a hand into a pocket, pulling out a crumpled letter.

"I received this in my cell. Just a few minutes ago. It has no sender. No address. Just a white piece of paper with one line," River explained to them quickly, unfolding them to see the writing.

The Wanderer's end draws near.

At the exact moment they finished reading the note, Amy and Rory's mobile phones went off. They pulled out their mobile's in bewilderment, seeing that they received a text. Then, upon seeing what the text said, they were stunned.

"Doctor, look," Amy said, handing the Time Lord her phone. The Doctor stared at it in shock, reading the same thing that River's note said.

"What does it mean?" Rory questioned. "Is it talking about Wanda?" Opening and closing his mouth for a moment, the Doctor frowned and shook his head.

"Nah, it—it couldn't be," he tried dismissing, though in the back of his mind, he knew better.

"Who else could it be about, then?" retorted River crossly. Just then, Rory's mobile started ringing. He answered it quickly, his brow furrowing in an instant.

"Uh, yeah, sure, thanks," he mumbled to the person on the line before hanging up and starting towards the lounge.

"What is it, Rory?" Amy asked, following along after him with the Doctor and River trailing not too far behind.

"A bloke from work just called. Says to watch the news and that he might call back again if things get messy at the hospital with more of those cubes," Rory stated, turning on the telly for them to see a breaking news broadcast going on.

"—and as reports are coming in, it seems the messages are spreading all across the UK," the female reporter stated on air. "The same message seems to be appearing, so far, over phone lines, computers, televisions, tablets, music players, digital watches, and has been repeatedly surfacing over electronic billboards at a variety of shopping centres. No statements have been made by officials yet—." The rest of the report went unheard by the group as they merely watched in a daze of the news showing of the messages that had been seen streaming across the billboards of Piccadilly Circus in London. The same words over and over again.

The Wanderer's end draws near.

The Doctor jumped when his inner tweed pocket began to burn. He hurriedly stuffed his hand inside his jacket, pulling out his psychic paper. He flipped it open, reading it hastily.

Do I have your attention now?

"Doctor?" River spoke up when seeing the dazed alarm expression on the Time Lord's face. All jumped when they heard the cloister bell of the TARDIS begin to ring, sounding the alarm of something dreadful about to happen. It was only a second of stunned disbelief for the Doctor before he bolted into action, running through the home and to the backyard of the house. The others rushed after him, running through the kitchen and passing the still confused Brian as he sat there at the table.

"Um, I guess I'll just water the plants, then?" he offered to the group just before they left the house.

Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor rushed around the console as the others just stepped inside to see him in a flurry of motion. The cloister bell continued to toll as the TARDIS herself seemed just as anxious as they all were.

"What is it, Doctor? What does the message mean?" Amy asked him.

"The better question is what are we going to do about it," River countered. "Obviously, it has something to do with Wanda. Who else do we know called 'the Wanderer'?"

"Doctor, what are we going to do?" Rory quizzed the Time Lord. The Doctor spun after hitting a lever, beginning to have the TARDIS dematerialize from the Ponds' backyard.

"How should I know? How should I know what any of this means? All I do know is that Wanda might be in trouble and that we have to save her," he said crossly, not appreciating in how rapid they all seemed to bombard him with questions and demands. Then, abruptly, they all stumbled and fell when the TARDIS gave a sudden jolt. The cloister bell changed to a loud groan as the ship flew wildly out of control. The Doctor pulled himself up the best he could at the console, trying to steer the old girl properly.

"What's happening now?" Rory shouted loudly over the massive sparks and groaning, grinding engine.

"I don't know!" yelled the Doctor over the noise. "It's like the TARDIS is being pulled in by something! Or is driving herself!"

"Obviously you're driving her wrong again!" yelled River as she stumbled over to the console, trying to undo whatever was happening.

"I did no such thing, obviously," retorted the Doctor.

"Well, obviously, you did!" disputed River as they both glared crossly at each other. The TARDIS spun and threw them all on the ground once more.

"Would you two quit fighting and figure out what the hell is going on?!" Amy shouted at them both.

There was a massive, thunderous slam made by the TARDIS and they were all thrown across the room. Everything came to an abrupt halt as the ship seemed to settle. Then, there was a low hum as the lights dimmed and everything appeared to power down within the ship. The Doctor stood up hurriedly from where he had fallen, running to the console, flipping levers, switches, and turning knobs. He pulled the scanner over in front of him. In bright Gallifreyan, he saw the same message as before. The one warning of the Wanderer's end. Then, the screen blinked away to another image, showing him what was happening to his ship.

"What happened to the TARDIS?" Rory asked while helping up Amy from the ground. His wife groaned as he checked over the bump on her head.

"She's receded, conserving power," the Doctor explained, flipping a few more switches as he glanced repeatedly at the scanner. "She's put herself on lockdown for a while until she can gain her bearings back."

"And what does that mean?" Amy asked.

"It means we're stuck here for now," River said as she walked over to the console, looking at the scanner as well.

"So, um, where is here exactly?" Rory wondered aloud. They all sort of looked at each other, hesitant to find out. But, in seeing the scanner flashed back to its earlier message, the Doctor moved swiftly towards the TARDIS doors. Reaching out, he opened it slowly, cautious in case of there being any danger on the other side. But what he was met with was a peaceful, beautiful sight.

He blinked as he stepped out into a light-tan grassy field. Soft whispering winds blew through the area, making the grass sway and rustle, sounding almost like an ocean. The sky above was as blue as ever, with clouds so white and fluffy like that of a painting. A perfectly laid dirt road sat not too far away from where they were parked. He clasped his hands together, rubbing them as he took in the sight of it all. The others walked out slowly behind him, seeming just as bewildered as he felt.

"Well, at least it isn't somewhere gloomy," Amy spoke up sarcastically. She then crinkled her nose slightly as she gave a sniff. "Hang on. Do you smell that? Smells like . . ."

"Apples?" Rory offered in thought.

"It does smell like apples," River agreed, sniffing the air as well. The Doctor bounced lightly on his feet, testing the gravity and how the ground beneath felt. Normal Earth gravity, but the ground was off. Like . . . new, freshly laid dirt. Frowning, he bent down, plucking a few strands of grass off the ground, sniffing and licking them. He stood back up.

"Apple grass," he muttered as he observed the blades of grass carefully.

"Sorry?" Amy replied, blinking as she felt as though she had miss heard him.

"Apple grass. That's what we're smelling. It's grass that smells like apples. Tastes like it, too," the Doctor explained, handing Amy the strands that he held without looking at her. "Here. Have a taste if you like." Amy made a face of disgust as she let the grass blades drop.

"Okay. Apple grass. That's new," Rory responded, frowning as he looked around back of the TARDIS. He blinked in astonishment at what he saw. "Uh . . . Am I seeing this right?"

The Doctor and the other two walked fast over to where Rory was looking. The scene before them was of the sky, circling downwards like a dome, meeting the grass below in a straight line. The road even ended right at the line. It was like someone had painted the sky and ground together. Yet when they looked at the white clouds that were close to the ground, they saw that the fluffy masses were still clearly moving in a normal weather pattern, carried by the winds. By all effects, it looked like the horizon, but it was far too close to be real.

"Now that can't be right," muttered the Doctor as he walked around his companions, marching straight towards the line that was only a few feet away from the TARDIS. They gathered just behind him as he stood a few inches away from the blue sky that hung right in front of his face, scanning the anomaly with his sonic screwdriver.

"Is it some kind of hologram, or shield?" River asked as she gazed at the sight in interest.

"No, it's real . . . in its own way," remarked the Doctor in interest as he looked at his sonic's readings. "It's giving off oxygen and has air movement the same of any old atmosphere. It just . . . ends here. The whole world ends here." He frowned as he looked at the ground meeting the sky. He cautiously brought his hand up to touch the sky in front of him, but then pulled his hand away quickly when sensing what was wrong with it. He saw Rory reach out to touch it as well, but then slapped the nurse's hand away. "No touching."

"Why not?" huffed Rory, annoyed that the Doctor had slapped his hand. Bending down, the Time Lord picked up a small rock from the ground. When tossing it, the rock bounced off the sky, creating a ripple effect. The rock rolled by their feet, smoking as it had become charred upon touching the peaceful blue sky.

"That's why," the Doctor stated, pointing at the blackened rock. "The whole thing is made up of Vortex energy. One touch and you'd be reduced to a smoldering lump."

"But why would a sky be made up of the Vortex energy?" River questioned, concerned now by where they were at.

"Because this whole place is just sitting in the Time Vortex, on the edge of nothing and everything," the Doctor stated, running his hands together as he frowned in thought.

"Does that mean we're in a pocket universe?" River responded, baffled by this as she gazed at their surroundings. "That can't be. Pocket universe's look nothing like this. They're mostly just barren wastelands. And they certainly don't have a sky. They would just have a mass of whirling air around them."

"Well, apparently, this one has a sky," the Doctor said crossly, rolling his eyes as he turned on the spot and marched along.

"Where are you going?" Amy called out to him as she and the other two walked quickly over to catch up with the Time Lord.

"I'm not going to stand around all day when my wife might be in trouble," grounded the Doctor, frustrated that they had not already found Wanda. Every second away from his side meant the more chances of her being hurt. And neither Time Lord could afford to have her hurt in the current condition she was in. Or might be in, considering which Wanda it was. "The TARDIS brought us here for a reason, so we need to find out why."

"Why would the TARDIS bring us into a pocket universe?" Amy questioned. "Didn't you say earlier that something was pulling the ship to here? It couldn't be another House, could it?"

"No, I don't think so," mumbled the Doctor as he began fiddling with his sonic screwdriver, trying to see if he could pick up a signal from the tracker on Wanda's screwdriver. But the device was only buzzing uselessly. "Damn it, why does this never work when I really need it to?!" He slapped the sonic harshly against his palm. They all jumped when a loud bang echoed off, like a gunshot or backfire of a car. The Doctor blinked, staring cautiously at his sonic. "I didn't hit it that hard, did I?"

"Actually, I think that came from up head," Rory said, pointing out down the road that they were currently walking on. Up ahead, they could see a distant figure bending over the hood of an old 1920s car, with the roof of it down. Each one in the group glanced at one another with raised brows. An odd sight to see in a place where they knew none should exist. Continuing onwards, they drew closer and closer to the person who worked tirelessly with the old model vehicle. A vehicle which appeared new in looks, though, which was very strange.

"Damn this thing. I knew I shouldn't have pushed it going so fast," they heard the person say, obviously a male in his twenties with light chocolate skin. "Keeps backfiring on me."

"Uh, excuse us," Amy said, the first one to speak up for the group. The man at the car looked up from his work, appearing not even fazed by their presence. The Doctor's mouth opened in astonishment.

"Mickey?" the Time Lord stuttered in pure disbelief. Sure enough, it was Mickey Smith, just as the Time Lord remembered him when seeing the man last. Mickey was even wearing his mechanic outfit from when he used to work at the repair shop back in Powell Estate.

"Can you give me a hand? I can't quite reach the cable I need to connect to the engine line," the strange man, who appeared to be Mickey's clone or double, asked them. He looked back at his work, messing around with whatever he was trying to fix under the hood. The companions glanced at the Doctor, who still stood there stiffly as he stared wide-eyed at the man in front of them. Shaking his head quickly, the Time Lord stepped up to the hood, looking in to see what the problem was. Seeing that it was an easy fix, he merely pulled out his sonic and aimed it at the cables that were frayed. The wires attached again, making the engine as good as new.

"Thanks. That sure does save time," said the strange Mickey double as he smiled in gratitude at the Doctor. "I would have done it myself, but I was a moron in forgetting my own screwdriver back home."

"Well, no ordinary screwdriver would have done that. See, mines sonic," the Doctor said smugly, waggling his screwdriver a bit at the man. Mickey (still strange to consider him that but the Doctor had no choice as the man clearly was) rolled his eyes at the Time Lord as he shut the hood of the car.

"Yeah, and so is mine," laughed Mickey as he shook his head. "Everyone has a sonic screwdriver. It's a standard tool that we're all given from the shops. If we want one, that is. But then again, who doesn't need a sonic screwdriver handy?" The man was oblivious to the Doctor and the others' stunned expressions as he walked around and hopped into his car. He smiled and gave them all a salute. "Well, see you." Starting the engine, he drove off, leaving them in the dust of his vehicle. They all sort of stood there in stunned silence.

"Did . . . did he just say he has a sonic screwdriver?" Amy asked, frowning as she pondered this. She had thought that only the Doctor and Wanda were the only ones to carry such a device around.

"Doctor, do you know that man?" River asked carefully, staring at the Doctor in question.

"I don't think so. Just someone who looks an awful lot like him," muttered the Doctor, shaking his head as he tried getting his head around this. He frowned as he stared up at the sky once more. "Pocket universe . . . with an exact copy of Mickey Smith? Now that is odd."

"Who's Mickey?" Rory questioned.

"Old friend of an old friend. He was dating my companion Rose before they sort of broke it off. My fault, you see. I didn't let domestics on my ship back then, so . . . they didn't have time to work things out," explained the Doctor in regret. "He married another companion later, though. So, that worked out, at least." He and the rest looked ahead when hearing the car from behind returning. The vehicle backed right up next to them as Mickey stared at them in embarrassment.

"Sorry. I forgot to ask if you needed a ride. We don't really get guests here . . . at all. So I'm not used to anything normal for hosting and all that," he said to them. "Town isn't that far ahead. If you want to walk, that's fine. But it'd save you some trouble if I drove you." Upon the mentioning of a town, they all looked at each other skeptically. Then, the Doctor gazed at Mickey once more.

"Sure. We'd love a ride," he replied, smiling away in thanks. The Time Lord hopped in the passenger seat beside Mickey, while the other three got into the long back seat, sitting rather comfortably for a car that seemed smaller on the outside. Mickey shifted the engine once more and then they were off. The wind blew through their hair as they drove right down the smooth road, with the grassy fields swaying as peaceful as ever.

"Name's Ricky, by the way. Not Mickey," the man, Ricky, told them as they drove. "I thought it would be more decent if I took that name." The three in the back were bewildered by this statement, while the Doctor gazed at the man driving carefully in observation.

"And what makes you say that? You choose your name?" the Doctor asked him.

"Yeah. We all had a choice on what names to keep and what to change them to," Ricky replied, shrugging as if it were no big deal. "Most kept to their original names, only changing them a little bit. And after seeing what happened to Ricky, I thought it'd be nice if I kept his name as sort of remembrance to him. I don't know, sounds mad now that I'm saying it out loud."

The Doctor raised a brow at the man, asking, "Do you mean Ricky from Pete's world?"

"Yeah, that one," Ricky replied, nodding and giving the Time Lord a small smile. "Decent in what he did, trying to fix things with them Cybermen and all. Too bad what happened to him. Shame, really."

"And how exactly do you know about all of that?" The Doctor waited for an answer, but Ricky seemed to not wish to answer this. Or rather, the man was distracted as he smiled and pointed out ahead of them.

"There's the town. Real nice, isn't she?" he said to them all. Looking to where the man was pointing and where the others were gawking at, the Doctor was stunned when seeing the sight before them.

It appeared as if someone had taken certain buildings, landmarks, and roads from a variety of significant locations of the Earth, placing them in random assortment in the so-called 'town.' There was a mixture of dirt, brick, and black-top roads crisscrossing around the town. Quite a few large skyscrapers from either London, New York, and New New York had been established firmly in the centre of the place. While all other buildings were either shops or houses of a variety of colours. A few large apartment complexes from many time eras were surrounded into the mix, and one particular funhouse/mini-golf/pizza place could be seen squeezed between two glass skyscrapers. The Doctor recognized two of the massive buildings to be the tower Torchwood One had been in at Canary Wharf, and the other appeared to be the Empire State Building. He looked at the streets of the town, seeing how all the cars that moved around or were parked on the side of the road were those from all different eras in time. Whether they be old in style like Ricky's, or new and sleek like that of what the Time Lord had seen of Earth's future technology.

"Here you are," Ricky said as he came to a stop right at the edge of town. "Welcome to the Wandering Village." The Doctor, River, Amy, and Rory all looked at each other in stunned silence for a moment before slowly getting out of the car. Awkwardly standing there while Ricky smiled and waved goodbye to them. "I hope you find her soon enough. She really needs your help."

"Who needs our help?" asked the Doctor, frowning at the man. But he received no answer as Ricky gave him a grim smile before nodding and driving off, leaving them there standing on the sidewalk.

"Doctor, this place . . . this shouldn't be possible," River breathed in a rush as they looked ahead towards all the tall and short buildings that had been mixed together. "Nothing like this can possibly exist in a pocket universe."

"And yet here we are, standing right in it," countered the Doctor, shaking his head as he started forward. "Come on. We're not going to get any answers just by standing here gawking."

As they walked into the town, they began to notice the people walking about in their day. Some people were wearing suits going in and out of the larger buildings as though heading to and from work. Others wore normal day clothes walked around on the walkways, seeming to be shopping at the different shops the town appeared to offer. Trees with lush green leaves had been planted here and there around the area, along the walkway or beside buildings. They could see a large park down the way that a few people were lounging in. It was strange how many fountains the group counted from the park. While all of them were taking in the sights, the Doctor's frown deepened more and more by the second. The more he stared at the strange people who walked about in the so-called village, the more he felt like déjà vu. As though . . . he had seen many of these faces before.

"This is just too weird," Amy mumbled aloud, speaking what was on all of their minds. "It's like . . . a completely normal . . . sort of normal, city back on Earth." Rory stopped in mid-step as the others kept walking on. He blinked as he stared at two people strolling down the walkway on the other side of the road.

"Ah, I don't think they'd be normal back on Earth," he spoke up, earning the attention of the others.

They all stopped when looking over to where the Roman pointed, shocked to see two Silurians strolling with arms linked. The two seemed to be laughing about something or another, cheerful in their walkabout. The two even nodded in greeting to other humans who walked by them, as other people nodded in return. The stunned group on the other side realized in disbelief that the two Silurians they were watching were the since gone Alaya and Restac, the two the Doctor, Amy, and Rory had encountered back in one of their very early adventures as a trio. The two sisters were wearing the very same clothes as they had been on that very day they had died. Frowning, the Doctor pulled out his sonic and did a wave in the two sister's direction. Upon seeing the readings of the screwdriver, he was even more baffled than before.

"That's . . . unusual," said the Doctor slowly, uncertain by what they were seeing as the sonic said they were completely normal.

"That's the understatement of the century," grumbled River as she shook her head, not knowing who the two Silurians were, but she did know that it should not be a normal occurrence. The Doctor began shifting his eyes about, looking for anything not human. Again, he spotted different humanoid species, creatures from outside normal 21st century Earth. One caught his eye, leaving him breathless.

"Jabe?" he blurted, blinking as the tree woman passed right by him. She wore a woman's maroon business suit, holding a briefcase in hand, and smiled at the Doctor as she passed him and his companions.

"Good morning," Jabe said politely. "I wish you all luck in helping her." The Doctor did a wave of his sonic once more. Again finding nothing out of the ordinary of the person before them.

"Her? Who's her? Who are we helping?" Amy asked aloud, blinking as the tree humanoid passed by them and continued onwards as though going about a normal day. All three companions turned to the blank staring Doctor. "Doctor?" The Time Lord opened his mouth for a second before snapping it shut, shaking his head quickly as he turned from watching Jabe walk away and practically ran down the walkway. The others sped after him, trying to keep up.

"No, no, no. This can't be right. None of this can be right," grumbled the Doctor as he jogged into the green summer park, placing back his sonic into his pocket. He looked around wildly, searching for where more familiar faces might be. Quick laughter came to his right just before someone bumped right into him.

"Oh! So sorry, sir," said a young teenager who had run into the Doctor by mistake.

"No, you can't be. Timothy?" the Doctor gaped at the boy. Sure enough, it was Timothy Latimer, a bit older than what the Doctor remembered looking, but still the same schoolboy who he had taught back in 1913. It was an odd sight, though, seeing Timothy wearing normal 21st century clothing of that of a growing teen.

"Just Tim, actually," replied the boy. He nodded to the Doctor in apology as he backed up. "Again, sorry about that. I'll let you get back to helping her."

"Come on, Tim! We're going to be late!" came a cry, surprising the Doctor again when seeing another familiar boy, Elliot Northover from the Welsh village of Cwmtaff, wearing a more futuristic Earth outfit. Tim ran off and caught up with his friend as both ran through the park, obviously in a hurry.

"That can't have been Elliot," Rory said as he, Amy, and River walked up beside the rigid Doctor.

"How can it be him? Elliot is back with his family in that village, isn't he?" Amy wondered aloud. Rory threw his hands up into the air, giving up on asking questions at this point. The Doctor made them all jolt when he gave a loud shout.

"You're here!" yelled the Time Lord as he ran off towards a large fountain. The three companions gave each other raised brows before running after him. The Doctor ran around the fountain, tailing after someone who had been strolling by leisurely. The person turned, allowing the companions to see a rather tall, skinny man with messy brown hair, wearing glasses and an old English suit that seemed fit for a professor during the early 20th century.

"You're here. Good, good, good. Excellent!" the Doctor said rapidly to the bewildered man who he had stopped. He patted at the man's face in delight with both hands on each cheek. "I would kiss you right now, if you weren't, well, me. So I'll just let Wanda do the kissing once we find her. Now," the Doctor let go of the blinking man's cheeks as he started to ramble, "what have you found so far? Have you come across any past faces as well? Done any scans? I think we should start with the ground. This all might be some kind of psychic projection of some kind, one big honking prank that someone wants to push my buttons with. Well, our buttons, since," he waved a finger between him and the man, "anyway, who's with you? Rose? Martha? Donna? Are you on your own? I can't recall doing this in the past, paradoxes and all that. General erasing of memories to preserve the timelines. Doesn't matter, though, as we just need to focus on getting Wanda back. Have you come up with any ideas yet? Is your TARDIS on lockdown, too? If not, we might be able to . . . to . . ."

The Doctor stopped rambling once it finally dawned on him who exactly he was talking to. It was not his Tenth self, as he had assumed at first. Though, easy mistake to make, since this man did appear exactly like his Tenth incarnation. No, for the Doctor realized who this man was when seeing the 20th century suit. A suit that he had worn as . . . John Smith.

"Sorry . . . but I don't think I'm who you were hoping for," John Smith apologized to him. The man smiled kindly. "Though, I don't think I was who I had been hoping for, either." John pulled out a fob watch from his pocket, clicking it open to inspect the time. "Ah, look at the time. I'll be late if I don't hurry." He began walking away from the group, but then stopped to turn back to them, smiling sheepishly. "Oh, uh . . . I do suppose it's customary to wish others luck on a tough task ahead. So, ah . . . good luck, then. Give a greeting to my old pupil for me, please, if you would."

With a nod, John turned back around and continued onwards. Leaving behind a dazed Doctor as he stood frozen, watching the man he had once been walking away as though nothing troubling had ever happened to him. As though he had never died to become the Doctor once again in the past, giving up his love. And speaking of John's love, the Doctor spotted Joan, in her Matron outfit, standing there by a fountain up ahead. The woman smiled, holding out her hand to John. The man took it graciously, entwining his fingers together with Joan's as they both strolled together through the park. It seemed, even in this world, John still loved Joan.

"So . . . care to explain who that was?" River asked the Doctor, staring curiously at the retreating man. She frowned as it came to her. "No, that isn't him, is it? Is that your Tenth face?" She smirked slightly. "I must say, he's a real pretty boy. Do I get to meet him later?"

". . . Once. In your future. First time for me," muttered the Doctor in a daze as he stared off at the man he had once been.

"That's your Tenth self?" Amy quizzed the Doctor, finding it odd to see a past face of the Time Lord.

"No. That's not me, though he does have the same face as I had," murmured the Doctor as he continued to watch the distant John and Joan. "I . . . was a different man. I became a man, that man, called John Smith. It was a long time ago. The man . . . is someone who I'll never forgive for breaking my Wanderer's heart and hurting her in the worst way."

"Hurt Wanda? How?" River demanded to know, her eyes hardening at the idea of someone daring to touch her sister.

"He . . . fell in love with another woman . . . and ended up making Wanda, in her human identity, an outcast . . . He even hit her," the Doctor explained gruffly, hating in remembering what he had done in the past. He glanced at River when seeing the look of pure outrage on her face. "Like I said, I was a different man back then."

"You hit her?" River growled as she glared at him.

"I didn't say I was proud of it. And I received my punishment for it, too," the Doctor retorted, not wanting to discuss this any longer. His anger began to boil. Not only whoever was behind this all was forcing him to relive through past mistakes, to see people who he had failed and let down, but they were deliberately keeping Wanda from him. They had her, toying with him, and they were probably laughing at him this entire time. The Doctor gnashed his teeth together as he let out a frustrated snarl, storming over to the large fountain in front of them. He jumped onto the ledge of the fountain, turning to face the many people who were sitting or walking in the park.

"Okay! You have my attention now!" he bellowed out in a flourish, raising out his arms wide as he turned, staring at them all. "What do you want, huh? The satisfaction of seeing me go through my old guilt? Are you testing me to see just how angry you can get me? Well, I've got good news for you, I'm a beyond furious at this point! So, show yourself!" He looked around the park, waiting to see how the people would react. But none really gave him much attention. They either glanced up at him curiously for a brief moment before continuing on with a shrug. Or some never even bothered looking up at him in the first place as they were either busy reading or writing or listening to music on players or continuing with other park activities. The Doctor snarled again. "Come on, enough with these games! Show yourself! Who are you?! Dalek?! Cybermen?! The Silence, Sontarans, Terileptil, Slitheen, Chelonian, Nestene, Drahvin, Sycorax! Come on! I! Am! Waiting!"

"You know, there's no reason to shout," spoke up a female voice. Looking down to see someone standing there, staring up at him from the ground as he stood on the tall ledge, the Doctor blinked as he saw a young woman, with long, dark-brown locks, olive toned skin, and wearing a tight, red dress with a loose belt around her hips that held a few tools at the ready for use. She stared back at him, with her arms crossed and a stern look given to him. "No one gets anything in life by shouting." The Doctor frowned heavily, looking over at Amy, Rory, and River, who all shrugged lightly.

"She showed up about a minute ago," River stated casually. Hopping down from the fountain's ledge, the Doctor glared at the new woman, towering over her as he found her to be rather short. Even shorter than Third Wanda by a few inches.

"You're new. You're a new face that I haven't met before," he said, his voice low and hard. "So, tell me, are you behind this? What's going on here? Where are we? What have you done to my Wanderer?"

"She's not your Wanderer. She's not anyone's. You can't just go around treating people like they're your property," the woman said sternly, not even backing down as the Oncoming Storm fumed right at her.

"My wife, then!" retorted the Doctor, becoming more and more frustrated by him not receiving any clear answers.

"That's better, I suppose. Not by much," the woman said, smiling knowingly at him. She held out her hand to him in greeting. "I'm Ember. Just Ember. Though, in your world, I think you met me once by the name of Oswin Oswald."

The Doctor was taken back by this, his anger deflating somewhat as he stared at the woman in shock. "Soufflé girl?"

Ember grabbed his hand that still hung limply at his side, giving it a firm shake. "The very one. Though, I shouldn't say that 'cause I'm not the one that you know. I'm someone else. Sort of. It's hard getting to know yourself when you already have a you out there. And I'm still new, so there's that. Only been here for six years now. Arrived the day before she left." She dropped his hand, letting him blink dumbly at her while she smiled brightly. "Shelly sent me to get you. Said that someone better come calm you down before you get too emotional. I'm supposed to give you the tour. I got the tour once. So, being the rookie here, I guess it's my turn to guide newcomers around."

With a bit more blinking from the Doctor, his face grew hard as he whipped out his sonic, giving the woman in front of him a scan. Soufflé girl raised a brow as she smirked at him in amusement.

"Checking to see if I'm a Dalek?" she asked him calmly.

"Yes," grounded out the Doctor as he flipped up the screwdriver to look at the readings.

"And? Am I in the clear?" Ember responded, her voice coy as it had been on the day the Doctor remembered her helping him through the Dalek Asylum.

The Doctor stared at her begrudgingly. "For now."

"Good. Now that we've got that covered," she stepped back, waving a hand out back towards the main part of the city, "shall we?" She started off without them, bouncing in step as she walked right out of the park.

"Is that really Oswin?" Rory questioned the Doctor once he got closer to the companions.

"It seems like it. Sounds just like her," the Doctor commented, carefully observing the female ahead of them.

"Do you think we should follow her?" Amy wondered aloud in the group.

"I think we should, since she seems like our best bet in finding Wanda," River offered in thought. "She doesn't seem like she's out to get us. None of these people do. They're all just . . ."

"Living," the Doctor finished for her. He gazed around, watching all the people in such ordinary routines of the day. "They're all just living completely normal lives." They all glanced skeptically at each other before walking off to follow after the woman ahead of them.

Before they knew it, they were walking down the main walkway of the town once more. Skyscrapers towering over them, with houses, apartments, shops, vendors, and grassy lots mixed in between. Ember continued onwards, waving a hand around as she began to explain to them, "I'm sure you figured it out already, being as smart as you are, that this is a pocket universe. Created by her in the image of her favourtie timeline. It's a bit mixed up here and there. But we all get used to it after a while."

"And who is her?" questioned the Doctor as he sped up, matching Soufflé girl in step.

"You'll find out soon enough. I can't explain all of it, as I don't know all the answers myself," Ember replied. She suddenly beamed and giggled as though realizing something funny. "Oh, this is nice being the one to give a tour. Makes you feel like an adult. I've felt like a child compared to everyone else here forever now. They all know everything already while I'm still getting used to a few things. Granted, I am better adjusted than what I was in the very beginning."

Pondering her words, the Doctor stared at her curiously, asking, "Who are you, then? Ember, was it? Are you a clone of Oswin Oswald? Is everyone here clones?"

Ember hummed, gazing upwards in thought. "You could think of it like that, yeah. I like to think of it as we're a different 'incarnation.'" She winked at the Doctor when saying this. She bumped her elbow lightly against him as if waiting for him to laugh. "Get it? 'Cause you know, you . . . and your faces. . ." But the Doctor did not laugh, making her pout. "Oh, never mind."

"This isn't a time to be funny. This is serious," grounded the Doctor.

"I was just trying to help. What would you do if you knew someone was going to face something horrible later?" Ember stomped forward, appearing frustrated with the emotional Time Lord.

"You could start by explaining to me on how is it that all of you here look, talk, and behave exactly like people that I've met before." The Doctor jogged forward to keep up with the woman in red. "How do you even know about the others from our universe? And what of the Daleks? You mentioned them as well. You already knew what I was scanning you for."

"Who doesn't know about the Daleks? And of course we know about the other universe. How couldn't we? We all watched the show." The Soufflé girl glanced over at the Time Lord and others, seeing hard confused stares given back to her. She halted in step, making the whole group stop as she stared wide-eyed in realization. "You don't know about the show? But I thought you would have realized by now . . . oh, dear." The young woman began biting her thumb nervously for a second as she thought over this quickly before dropping her thumb, huffing at the Time Lord. "I didn't think you wouldn't have already figured it out. You're supposed to be a genius. Why haven't you figured it out already? Don't you realize where you're at?"

The Doctor waved his hands out, holding a sharp gaze with the woman. "Enlighten me. Where are we?"

Ember sighed in aggravation. "Oh, why did she send me for this?" Pondering for a bit, the woman snapped her fingers as her face lit up. "Magpie's. That will be the place. I'll take you to Magpie's. You'll see it there." She sped up in pace, practically running down the way, in a clear rush to show them something important. Along the way, they passed more shops and people that the Doctor recognized. He even swore he saw a few old companions in the corner of his eye. But he refused to look at them. Too many memories, too much guilt. He heard River, Amy, and Rory begin pointing out people they recognized as well. He did not pay attention as he only focused on keeping up with the pocket universe Oswin.

"Here we are. Magpie's," said Ember once they came to a corner of a street. The Doctor stared in surprise, though, by this point, he knew that he should not have been shocked by the sight. But there it was, the very same Magpie's Electrical shop as he had visited when Wanda had her face stolen by the Wire. How strange to see it again.

"Why did you bring us to a radio and television shop?" Amy asked skeptically to Ember.

"'Cause Magpie always has the show running," Ember explained, walking towards the shop. The others followed after, getting closer and closer to the front of the building. There was just one simple telly from 1953 in the front window, rolling a dark screen with credits from a show's ending across the screen. Growing even more frustrated now by this young woman seeming to be leading them on a meaningless trip, the Doctor turned to Ember, shooting her a look of annoyance.

"Why did you bring us here?" he questioned her crossly. "What does any of this have to do with Wanda?"

"I thought it might help seeing it. Especially since I don't think you would have believed me if I just told you," Ember replied, standing her ground firmly against the irritated Time Lord. He stormed right up to her, towering over her once more.

"How do I know that you're just here to send me on a goose chase, hm? How do I know that you're not keeping Wanda captive somewhere, hurting her in some way?" he growled.

Ember scoffed in disbelief. "We would never hurt her!"

The Doctor jabbed her in the shoulder. "Enough with this 'tour,' I want you to take me to my wife, now. Right now!"

"Doctor," River spoke up evenly, slowly as she and the other two companions stared at the telly in the window, completely stunned by what they were seeing. She tapped the Time Lord on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Not now," grumbled the Doctor, pushing the woman's hand away as he continued on with his anger towards Ember. He pointed a finger right up to Ember's face. "Tell me, who—?"

"Doctor, you need to see this," Amy added in.

"In a minute!" retorted the Doctor, not bothering to look over his shoulder as he kept fixated on the Oswin double in front of him. "Who sent you and why—?"

"No, Doctor, you really need to see this," spoke up Rory this time.

"Agh! What?!" shouted the Doctor, turning around to his companions.

"It's us," River said, glancing at him and then nodding to the window from of her. With a deep frown forming on his face, the Time Lord looked to see what exactly the three were talking about. Rapid blinking was made by him at the sight he saw.

"I've got Easter Island," he watched himself say on the telly, holding a black journal filled with notes on adventures he had taken.

"They worshipped you there," River on the black and white screen practically purred as she leaned on the table she and the Doctor on the telly were sitting at. The woman on the television smirked cheekily. "Have you seen the statues?"

The Doctor, outside of the television, walked up closer to the window of Magpie's shop, in complete disbelief of what he was seeing. He recognized where the people on screen were at. It was the diner in 2011, Nevada, where he had brought everyone to come meet him before he faked his own death. He continued watching as the Doctor and River on telly laughed about Jim the fish. Then, Amy and Rory slid into the picture, sitting across from each other next to the time travelers.

"Sorry, what are you two doing?" Rory on screened asked.

"They're both time travelers—," television Amy explained.

"—so they never meet in the right order," Amy outside the shop said alongside her counterpart on the telly. The ginger blinked, shaking her head slowly as she kept her eyes glued to the screen. "This is just . . ."

"Bizarre," Rory finished for his wife as he saw himself listen to the Doctor on screen as the Time Lord began his speech of needing help. Facing his 'death' had been the underlining message that day, but Rory on screen seemed obvious to the truth that current Rory knew now.

"Was someone recording us that day?" Amy questioned, becoming concerned by the idea of people following her and the rest around in such a way.

"I don't think so," River stated, shaking her head as her brows furrowed. "Something's not right. Doesn't it seem . . . off somehow? Like something's missing?"

"Wanda. She isn't there," said the Doctor in a low tone. He only just noticed a moment ago, realizing that his Wanderer had not been right next to him as she had been. The companions around him frowned.

"That's right. Second Wanda had been there with us," Rory commented, pointing to the screen where Amy and the Doctor sat next to each other talking. "She had been sitting right there. Why doesn't it show her, too?" They all stared at the telly in surprise when the screen suddenly cut to a musical intro. With a swirling storm of some kind surrounding a flying TARDIS that kept getting hit by lightning for a bit before a title shot across the screen, reading: Doctor Who.

"Is . . . is this some kind of television show?" Amy spoke up first, turning to the quiet Ember who watched them all patiently.

"Yes. Isn't that obvious?" Ember responded. She nodded to the telly. "These are Classic Episodes. That's why the Wanderer isn't there." Walking to the shop's door, she opened it for them, nodding into the building. "Come on, there's more to watch."

The group stepped inside the shop, seeing the walls lined with all kinds of televisions from different eras of Earth's history. Some from the past, others from the future. A few were holographic even. But all had the same show playing, though with different people on the screens.

"Well, I might just have something to say about that, Spaceman," they saw Donna Noble on one sassing the Tenth Doctor while they stood in the middle of the streets in Pomepii, shown on a holographic projection.

"Rose! I've just remembered! I can dance! I can dance!" they watched the Ninth Doctor say while doing a jig for a bit before grabbing the hand of Rose Tyler and beginning to dance with her around the TARDIS. This moment being shown on another black and white telly.

"You see, this is what happens when you travel alone for too long. Well, listen to me, Doctor. We can't be like him. We have to be better than him," Amy on one flat screen was saying to the Doctor at Mercy, Navda.

"Would you like a jelly baby?" the Fourth Doctor said to a man while grinning on a television in the corner.

"If you could touch the alien sand and hear the cries of strange birds, and watch them wheel in another sky, would that satisfy you?" the First Doctor retorted at Ian in the centre of the many tellies.

"This is too weird," Rory muttered beside the group while they took in the sight of all the different screenings of the Doctor's life. Both recent and past, there was so many images of the Doctor and his companions flying by for them to watch. It was like a documentary, but with dramatic music playing during scenes for show.

"It can be a bit weird at first, seeing yourself and all. But once you get used to it . . .," Ember shrugged as she stood in the centre of the room, arms crossed as she watched a few screens. She looked over her shoulder towards the counter. "Magpie, did you make sure to only show older episodes?"

"I've prepared for their arrival. No spoilers here," said an older man behind the counter. The Doctor glanced over, seeing that it was indeed the same Magpie that he had met during 1953. The Time Lord did not even bother allowing himself to be surprised by the sight. It was occurring so often now that it did not even faze him anymore.

"If this is supposed to be a show of my life, then where is Wanda in my recent years?" he questioned aloud, intently watching a television that showed him as his Tenth self running with Rose away from something or another. No Wanda to speak of at all as he knew that she should have been there.

"The Wanderer is in the New Episodes," Magpie answered politely, stepping around his countered and walking over to them. He grabbed a remote from a shelf below one flat-screen telly. "Here. I think I can set up a comparison viewing." A certain number of screens changed, showing them familiar moments they had in the past with Wanda. Even some events that the companions had not been there for.

"So the show without Wanda, is that some kind of—?" River began to ask.

"Alternate timeline? Yes," Ember explained immediately.

"Alternate . . . timeline," muttered the Doctor quietly.

The Doctor found it interesting in seeing the changes of one show over the other. Two images in particular stood out from the rest. The first was of him and Third Wanda at Amy and Rory's wedding. It showed the two Time Lord's dancing, smiling away so softly at the other as they swayed around the room, looking similar to that of what Amy and Rory were doing. Then, to the side of this showing, he saw the alternate of himself standing in the corner of the reception room, alone, watching Amy and Rory in their own loving dance, as this Doctor had almost a sad smile while gazing at his companions. The second difference he spotted was that of the moment of his wedding. One had him and Second Wanda kissing (as they should, of course), while the other had him and River sharing this embrace happily instead. It made him shiver for a bit, knowing he was not going to get this image out of his head anytime soon. In the corner of his eye, he saw River had a similar reaction at seeing herself on screen kissing the Time Lord. And the more he watched the different events on screen, the more it began to dawn on him. River seemed to realize it, too, as she looked at the Time Lord quickly.

"Doctor, you had said it all those years ago, remember?" River said, waving a hand out to the screen. "Wanda's show. This is it. This is what she had been watching."

"Wait . . . if this is the show Wanda had watched, then . . . does that mean . . .," Amy affirmed slowly, hesitant to even say it as the idea was beyond bizarre.

"No. We—we can't be . . . Can we?" Rory reacted in shock, his mouth opening in astonishment.

"But, think about it, it makes sense," River countered, she walked up, pointing at a screen that had a moment with Martha and the Tenth Doctor during Shakespeare without First Wanda. "The show. The people. The town. We're in—."

"We're in Wanda's world," breathed the Doctor as his eyes grew wide in shock. His mind did not wish to believe it. It had been in denial since they arrived there. But it was true. He realized that now. He, River, Amy, and Rory all looked at Ember in a daze, seeing how the Soufflé girl smiled back knowingly. Even Magpie smiled in understanding to the stunned expressions of disbelief of the group.

"Welcome to the world of the Wanderer," Ember and Magpie greeted in unison.

XxXxXxXx

So . . . what did you all think? Good? Bad? Horrible? Please let me know what you think in a review so that way I can do better in the future for you all. :)

Reviewers:

grapejuice101: I'm very, very sorry. :( Our only hope now is that Wanda is all right. Please let me know what you think of these next chapters to come. I hope they're good.

TheGirlWhoWept: I felt the same thing when the chapter was written up. :( You have no idea how much I've cried with all these chapters coming up. Again, in advanced, I'd like to say sorry. Please don't die on me. Because there's probably going to be more crying for the both of us. The perception filter did work, it just . . . couldn't stop that moment of time from happening. Not ever. *sigh* Welp, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Even if it is all just leading up to more sadness. Take care!

All The Stories Are True 24601: I know, I'm the worst. But I'm glad that you still liked it. Even if it is rather cruel. Suppose you can call it a Midwest accent. Not sure either as I don't notice it but my friends and family say that's what I sound like. Or rather that I sound like Donna when I get angry. haha. Cool fact! Until next time!

Stephanie: I know, I really am. But you're right, always meant to happen. Nothing could have prevented Ember becoming lost to us. Oh, Wanda. It breaks my heart just thinking about her. I suppose we'll find out why Eleven and others were sad. Though most likely, yes, it was because of this reason. It always takes something horrific to happen to remember lost memories of horrific things. No matter what, this was meant to happen. :( I hope the rest of these chapters are still good because it's going to get rather, um, crazy from this point. I hope it will at least be believable coming from the Whoverse and all. Aww, thank you! But really, it was because of all of you that this story turned out so good. :) Happy Woman's Day!

bored411: Well, that's really just another mystery all together. But I'll just keep saying spoilers. Don't want to ruin things for you. :) Yes, that really was the worst day for her. And it's only going to get worse from here, unfortunately. :( Until next time!

FictionalBoysAreBetter: I feel you on that. Yep, she remembers. Everything. You might want to keep a whole stack of tissues ready, then, because things are just going to keep getting worse from here. Glad that things are working for you now though! That's good to hear. :) But I'm so sorry. Though, so glad you still like me. Hope these chapters will still be enjoyable for you. Take care!

silverhawk88: Ah, Aleena. The great mystery still just out of our reach. Yep, this is the reason why everyone was so sad. It's only going to get worse from here. :( Again, so sorry. I hope it will be a good read at least.

Silently Resigned: It could be, or it could not be. But yes, this story isn't really going to end 'happy.' Though I do enjoy happy endings it's not really always what most people consider 'happy'. Usually, I just like things to end on a positive note. Not everyone has to live. Just has to have a window of light for a possibility of there being hope for the future. It's why I enjoy the show so much, really. :) It truly will change Wanda forever. She won't be the same person, but she won't be entirely different either. We'll just have to wait and see what becomes of her. Hope you will like how it all ends and to see you again in the future! Take care!

katraj0908: I'm sorry. :( But the reason why the Doctor never thought of something like that happening because of assuming Ember would have been born in his future. He never thought of something so horrible happening to his daughter. No parent would.

Wyvernhandler: I know. I'm sorry. :( Maybe. Or else the stress she felt was so great that it finally began effecting Ember. Oh yes, Alpha is beyond pissed. We'll see how the Master will be when they finally meet again. Hope you enjoyed the new chapter! Take care!

swimmjacket: Yep, the Master ruined so much for them. Both their child and now Wanda's mind. :( I hope you enjoyed the new chapter at least. Things are just going to get more crazy from here I'm afraid. Hope to talk to you again soon!

4EverFallen: I feel you there. I love to suffer, too. haha. Also have done that before in the past. Sometimes it's just hard to get time to write for your stories. I'm certain you'll get back your story soon though. And I bet it will be even more brilliant than this one. :) Hope you enjoy and to see you again in the next update!

Guest(a): So glad you're enjoying it so far! Hope the enjoyment continues through the rest to come. :)

Authora97: I'm sorry. :( There's still more to come, too. Hope that you'll be able to forgive me once it's all over.

alwaystherereading: I'm so sorry. :( Nothing could have stopped this from happening. Nothing. Yep, much, much more backstory. We're finally going to learn who and what Alpha is, and of Wanda's past. Nope, no resetting. What is done, is done. No going back. The Day of Sorrow has only just begun. Things are going to get much worse and crazy from here on out. We are friends! I'm just the friend who always seems to make everyone suffer. *sigh* Probably because I secretly enjoy suffering when it comes to stories and shows. But I hope it will still be a good read at least. And that you have a fantastic day/night. :) Take care!

Momochan77: Always for a reason, yes. And oh, do we ever got Alpha to deal with. She is beyond pissed at the moment, but that's spoilers for now on how she's doing. ;) See you next time!

Guest(b): Glad I'm doing a good job at making people hate me. lol ;) Hope you like the new chapter!

QuirkyKim: I'm so sorry. :(

normandy1701: Sorry. haha. They are my guilty pleasure. That, and suffering. I love to suffer when it comes to stories and shows. Though I suppose that shows now, doesn't it? Hope you enjoyed the new chapter!

X-Lisa-Anne-X: I'm so sorry. :( Ember is now lost to us. Since it happened before the paradox machine was set, there is no turning back time for Wanda or anyone else. Again, so sorry.

LegandsOfTime: I'm so, so sorry. :(

AGBreads: haha. I don't blame you there. But glad to know that I'll still get to see you around. :)

Isanxd: It really was emotional. Especially more so with finding out what happened to poor Wanda. :( No one deserves something like that to happen to them. No one. And it's only going to get crazier from here. I hope it will still be a good read, though. And that you have a wonderful day/night. :) Take care!

NerdWithAPencil: I feel you. Just poor everyone. :( I cried as well. If you need any spare tissues, just let me know. I'll send you some. Keeping my fingers crossed that you'll still enjoy the rest to come. Even if there might be more crying involved. Take care!

heroherondaletotherescue: I know. I feel the same way. :( Cried so much when these chapters were written up. ;-; Oh, yes. There will be hell to pay for the Master. Though from who, that still remains to be seen. Glad you still enjoyed it though. Hope this one was just as enjoyable to read. :)

Guest(c): I know, I'm the worst. :(

Whovianeverlark17: I'm very sorry. :( Welp, it's probably just going to get worse from here. So I'll make certain to pay for all the therapy. I hope that the future chapters might soothe us all. Though I doubt it. :( Again, very sorry. But I hope your day/night will be fantastic at least. :)

ramble-on-melody: I'm so sorry. :( I know, I'm the worst. I don't think any of us were ready for that. Glad you still like me and the story though. :) Can't post every day, but I will try to be very consistent with the updates. Hope that you'll still enjoy the rest to come. Take care!

HMM: I know. Poor Wanda. Poor Doctor. Poor Ember. And just everyone else, too. :( I hope that you'll enjoy the new chapter. It's going to get crazy from here.

Thank you so much everyone! Let's all have a box of tissues with us for the next few chapters to come. Things are going to get . . . sorrowful.

~Tinker~