Beta read by the wonderful mcibb
Rory watched the brief flicker of confusion come and go over the Doctor's face when the sound of the TARDIS was barely audible. He imagined if he hadn't been so close to the stairs he'd never have heard it himself. As it was, Jack and Amy didn't seem alerted by it at all. The former was using River's scanner on the Pandorica, the latter still sort of mulling about the cavern.
Maybe he should ask, but then again maybe the Doctor didn't know. Maybe his immortal wife just ran off like Amy had on him. Well, that wasn't really fair. He could tell they likely had some sort of telepathic talk before Rose and River left, maybe he asked her to leave. Maybe he asked her to take River, too. Maybe River was telepathic and heard the escape plan. It did sound bad, after all. All the enemies of the Doctor coming to this single point in time, and he threatened them.
And what was it with this alien? The Doctor was one guy, one human looking Time Lord guy, and he was supposedly a big enough deal to take on, what? The Psycho Pepper Pots? The Murderous Robots? That eye thing that came for Prisoner Zero? He didn't want to know what a Zygon or Sycorax was, but was sure it wasn't good. And yeah, sure, okay, so maybe he stopped the Atraxi before and did so by asking "Is this world protected?" But Rory still had to wonder what he had, or what he had done, to draw such attention. The Doctor said he was known as the Destroy of Worlds, but why was that?
"You're awfully quiet." Amy said, startling him as she came up beside him.
"Yeah. Just, you know, thinking." Rory replied.
"About what?" She asked, bumping his hip with hers. She seemed to notice he was watching the Doctor. "You don't think he can pull this off."
"I don't know what to think, Amy." He said quietly. "We barely know him."
"You barely know him," She countered with a bit of a pout.
"Like a couple more days and an obsession lasting your childhood grants you so much more knowledge of him." He countered. "You know what I know, just likely learned it faster." He huffed, watching the Time Lord as he moved to Jack, looking over the Captain's shoulder at the scanner. "I'm just a little worried we won't make it out of this. I remember the invasion with the robots and the pepper pots." He said, his throat growing tight.
He swallowed around the lump in his throat as he remembered being terrified. Remembered wondering what in the blazes was happening as he hid with a few other students while the "ghost" on that floor went searching for people to upgrade or delete. One moment they were terrified as a robot stood over them with its hand extended, the next it blinked out of existence. The next thing he did was call his parents, who he knew were visited by one of those things regularly. His Dad hadn't been home. His Mom….
"Rory," Amy said gently, squeezing his shoulder. "The Doctor will get us out of this." She assured him.
He nodded, then leaned his head against hers.
"Hey, Rory." Jack got his attention. "Mind going for a little walk with me?" He asked, pointing above ground.
Rory didn't really want to. There were deadly aliens up there.
"Go on," Amy said, giving him a slight push and an encouraging smile. "Not like there's much going on down here. Doctor just poking at the box with the sonic, waiting for Rose and River."
"Are you sure?" He asked. Amy just nodded, eyes wide as if maybe he was somehow embarrassing her by asking. He turned to Jack. "Lovely night for a stroll." He said, flopping his arms against his legs before gesturing with both hands to the stairs. Jack snickered but said nothing as they headed up the stairs and out into the night where homicidal aliens waited in the sky to strike them all down.
~DWDWDW~
"No, no, no, no, what're ya doing?" Rose cried to the ceiling as ran for the controls.
"I didn't touch anything," She heard River say softly. The poor thing was stunned, staring at the controls with her hands by her head.
"I know you didn't, River. I wasn't asking you." She half growled as she looked at the ceiling with a glare. "The Doctor needs me, turn around!"
The TARDIS didn't listen, her hum almost a plea as if she was begging Rose to just listen to her. When the TARDIS landed with a shudder, Rose peeked at the monitor.
"Leadworth, 1998." She said softly in confusion.
"Where … Amy and Rory grew up." River said, seeming to catch herself from saying something else.
"Why would she take us here?" Rose asked quietly, moving for the doors. She heard River following as she opened them and peeked outside.
It was a sunny day, sometime in the afternoon, and the smell of chips filled the air. Rose looked about, noting children and adults moving up and down what looked like a small main street, going in and out of shops and heading to a small park to sit in the warmth and have a treat.
One particular little girl caught her attention as she seemed to see Rose for a moment. She did a double take, her red hair slapping against her face as her little head whipped around. The woman with the dark hair that walked beside her but didn't hold her hand hadn't seemed to notice.
"It's Amy." River said with awe.
"Amy?" Rose watched as the woman took her into a chippy. The TARDIS hummed in encouragement. "I'm feeling like a nibble. Fancy, some chips, River?'
She didn't wait for an answer before Rose checked for traffic then darted across the road.
It hadn't really been the case, but once inside, Rose couldn't help moving right from the door to the counter. With a quick glance over her shoulder, she caught a glimpse of wild curls and knew to get two orders of chips.
As she waited for their order, Rose watched where Amelia sat with the older woman. She strained to hear what they were talking about, but found she was still too far away.
River stood nearby, nervously watching the young version of Amelia, chewing her lip. When the chips came up, the booth beside the little ginger's freed up.
It would have been risky for Amy to see either of them, but Rose still opted to sit with her back to her. Rose watched the way River slid in across from her, bowed her head but could barely keep herself from staring at Amy.
"And Melody, she just stood up and told those jerks 'you don't know about the Doctor'." She heard the little Scotswoman say. "'S nice to have her, and Rory. They believe me, or at least pretend to. Maybe when he comes back he'll take them, too."
"Amelia," The woman said kindly. "Remember, there is more to the Universe than the Doctor. What have you been learning in school? What have you been reading?"
"Well," Amelia replied, a pause as though she was thinking about it. "We recently started learning about Greek Mythology. It's very interesting. My favorite is Pandora's box."
"Pandora's Box?" The woman asked curiously.
"Oh yeah. It's about a woman who opened a box she shouldn't have, and let out all sorts of bad stuff." Amelia paused. "Maybe the Doctor could take me to it one day."
The woman chuckled. "Maybe he will."
Rose picked at her chips, watching River as she barely touched hers. She seemed lost in thought, staring off into the distance.
"Miss Smith," Amelia started, her voice lower than it was before. "Why do you believe me about the Doctor? No other grown up does. Really, it's Just Mels and Rory that do, so why do you?"
"Let's just say, Amelia, that you aren't he only one waiting for him to show up." Miss Smith replied, a strange sort of edge in her voice that Rose couldn't place and didn't like. It made the hairs on her arm rise, her fight instincts tickle. She tried to look over her shoulder in hopes to maybe get a look at the woman who accompanied Amelia, but the brunette slid away. "Come on, Amelia. Why don't we go talk in the park? Tell me more about the box."
Rose caught Amelia shrug, take the remainder of her chips, and followed the woman out the chippy. The door closed behind them with a chime, and Rose watched through the window until the disappeared into the park.
"Her favorite story." River said softly, pulling Rose's attention. "Amy's favorite story as a child, Pandora's Box. Something that held all the evils in the world. Maybe the Universe…."
Rose's mind ran the possibilities as River spoke. "And Romans were her favorite topic."
"Is it just me or does it seem like maybe something or someone knew Amy well enough to possibly use her interests to lure us all there."
"Not us," Rose realized with a bolt of cold fear. "Him. The Doctor."
She bolted, chips forgotten as she ran out the chippy and across the street, ignoring the angry protest of the horn from the car that almost hit her. She moved into the park, looked around, but couldn't spot Amelia or the woman anywhere.
Miss Smith.
How could she be so stupid? And who was to say that Amy wasn't helping this mysterious woman in some way?
All her protesting, trying to get the Doctor to bow to her whim, wanting all of his attention. She didn't complain about being left at Stonehenge with him despite the deadly threats that loomed above them. Maybe it was because she simply wasn't in any danger.
Not if this was all a trap for the Doctor.
"Rose!" River called to her, and Rose turned to see her standing by the TARDIS.
"We're going back." She said firmly, hands curling into white-knuckled fists as she moved back to the time ship. She managed to uncurl one hand long enough to snap her fingers with a loud click, and she stormed inside.
"What's going on? What are you thinking?" River asked as she followed Rose inside.
"Same thing you are, River. That the Doctor's in danger. Been a long time since we took a weasel on board, only this time it's not 'cause she got a bloody door in her head."
"What are you going on about?" River asked as Rose angrily inputted controls and ignored the TARDIS's attempts to calm her.
"Amy and her leading the Doctor to that bloody box." Rose said as she flicked a switch hard enough to hurt. She gritted her teeth through the pain as she moved to the coordinates.
"We all encouraged him. You, me, Jack, we all wanted him to go, too." River tried to reason.
"Yeah, but who loved those stories as a child? Who made enough of an impression on him that he went back for her?" She asked as she paused by the dematerialization switch.
"He went back for you, too." River countered like a small child. It made Rose pause. "He goes back for the ones who matter. He went back for you, he gave Tim a second chance, Donna, Jack. He goes back for the ones who matter, who are entwined with his time stream whether or not he realizes it. Those who are going to be or are important to him he always goes back for, and Amy is one of them."
Rose met River's pleading gaze, trying to see it her way, but could only manage a partial understanding.
"Which is why she would be the perfect bait and lure for someone who's been hunting the Doctor." Rose countered.
"But why do you think this is all a trap for him?" River asked. "The Pandorica is said to already contain the greatest evils in the universe."
"And right now, in 102 Ad, there are armies of the Doctor's enemies all getting ready to take the box. The greatest evils in the Universe, River, share a common enemy. And do you remember how the story of Pandora's box ends?"
River seemed taken aback, thought about the answer as her mouth moved silently. "The only thing left in the box was hope."
"Hope, River. With all those evils out there, who all think the Doctor the enemy, what does he bring those who the evils wish to destroy? Hope." She flipped the switch, and the engines of the TARDIS roared to life as she moved around to River. "Sorta ironic, yeah? They think they're containing the bad, when really their just going to trap the good."
"So we go back, get him, and run." River said with a confident nod.
"No, we're going to go there and make sure they know not to mess with him like that again."
River scoffed. "That's mad. Armies, Rose, of everyone who's ever hated the Doctor. We can't win this, let alone fight it."
"We have to try." Rose asserted kindly, putting a hand on River's shoulder. "Where would we run?"
"How would we fight?"
"The Pandorica may be opening up in 102 AD, but that doesn't mean they can't try it again at any point in time in the future, or move it to the other end of the Universe if they have to. And as long as Amy's with us, the Doctor will find his way to it, I'm sure of it."
"Rose." River gripped the hand resting on her shoulder, pleading with her eyes once more. "I know you don't properly know me, I know that it's still very early for you, and no matter how many times you visited Jenny and spoke to me you still don't really know me. But trust me when I say that Amy is not the enemy."
"I'm not sure I can." Rose replied gently. "It's all too coincidental."
"Rose, please." River asked with a squeeze, and Rose felt herself slowly giving in.
A second later, the two women were tossed to the floor, sparks flying from the console, and the TARDIS screeching a pained and frustrated hum.
Rose scrambled, grabbing hold of the console to pull herself up and keep her balance as the Old Girl was tossed about. "What is it? What's going on?" She asked as she scrambled as best she could over to the monitor. She read the findings, only partly translated from Gallifreyan as the TARDIS fought against whatever was pushing at her.
"What's happening?" River asked as she used the rail to pull herself up.
"Somethings preventing the TARDIS from landing." Rose replied, shaking her head as she frowned, trying to understand. She could feel her mind searching the database of her memories and knowledge for a possible clue, and when it came to her, her stomach lurched. "Matter lines." Rose muttered.
"What?"
"The Doctor, he said the Pandorica's internal security had matter-lines. Prevention of matter to leave the range of its security. Likely made to prevent anything from materializing inside that range as well."
"Okay." River said.
"He was gonna expand the range before we left." She said, bowing her head. "Think he did it."
"Alright," River said with a confident nod. "So we land outside the range and ride to him. Get some horses and get there. Or we land the day before all this and hide out, wait for us to get there."
"We're already part of events, River." Rose reminded her. "We didn't feel another TARDIS. Not to mention if we stepped foot anywhere at all near where our other selves were, brushed them by accident, we'd have reaper bringing consequences."
"So what do we do?" River asked.
Rose huffed a sigh, closed her eyes, and took a moment to consider. "We keep trying. Said it would only buy him half an hour. Has to end at some point, yeah?"
~DWDWDW~
The wind wasn't quite as bad away from Stonehenge, but then again there weren't alien space ships flying over their heads.
"Here," Jack said, and Rory whipped around to look at the Captain, then down to his extended hand and the gun he was offering.
"Seriously?" Rory asked, hesitation preventing him from reaching for the offered weapon.
"Honestly, it won't do us any good if we meet a Dalek or a Cyberman, but it's better than nothing." Jack said with a nonchalant shrug before offering the gun again. Rory took it gingerly, looking it over. The metal was cool against his hand, felt heavier than he expected. "Only has five rounds in it."
"Right." He said, adjusting his hold on the gun before lowering it to his side.
"And don't get too trigger happy." Jack said. "I read we had something like twelve heading our way, split in two parties."
"Okay," Rory said, following Jack as he kept moving. "Wait, twelve what?"
"Not sure." Jack admitted. "But they're on foot heading toward the Pandorica, and they're alien."
That caught Rory up short, and he stopped and gaped at Jack until the other man also paused and turned to see why Rory wasn't moving.
"You asked me to come up here knowing we were going to face deadly aliens head on, and you didn't tell me?"
"Would you have come?" Jack asked. Rory didn't answer.
Would he have? Not bloody likely, no matter how much Amy egged him on to go. At least until she volunteered to go herself. Then he would have insisted she stay behind with the Doctor, where she at least stood a chance of being safe.
Jack smiled like he could read Rory's mind. "She's worth dying for, isn't she?" He asked.
"Yeah." Rory replied. Because to him, Amy was. She was worth everything, even if his own value in her eyes didn't quite equate. Taking a deep breath, he closed the distance between he and the captain, and the two of them continued onward.
Rory scanned the horizon, looking for the trouble Jack picked up, and noted a small cluster of silhouettes.
"Are those the Romans?" He asked, pointing toward them with the hand not holding the gun.
Jack shrugged. "Could be."
"But they're human. They look human." He tried to reason.
"The Doctor looks human." Jack reminded him.
That was true.
The closer they got, the more Rory could make them out in the moon light. Romans, definitely the Romans. Relaxing a bit, Rory held the gun a little looser in his hand.
"Gentlemen," Jack said with a wide, disarming grin. "Wonderful night we're having here. What are you doing way out …."
Bang!
The Roman in front, because that was how Rory was still thinking of them, shot Jack in the head with his hand. His hand. Fingers dropping off, barrel in the center, shot Jack dead.
"Oh, God." Rory said, tightening his grip on his gun.
It sort of happened in a slow motion. He turned to the Roman thing that shot Jack just as it turned to him. He raised his hand and fired, hitting it in the head. It dropped. He shot at the others just as they turned, surprised by his own speed as they would sort of stagger back and fall. He tried to fire, keep firing, only to find that he was out of bullets and the Roman things were just getting back up. He was ready to face his end, bringing Amy to front of his mind, when a blast sounding suspiciously like a laser fired at one of them, and it turned into a pile of goo.
Rory looked around frantically to see the previously dead but now very much alive Jack Harkness firing a space gun at the Roman things and essentially melting them, leaving only piles of the uniforms and swords remaining.
When the scene went quiet except Rory's panting, he walked up to Jack and put his hands over his chest.
"If you wanted to cop a feel, all you had to do was ask." The Captain said with a grin probably used to get people in bed. Admittedly, Rory might have actually been charmed by it if it weren't for the fact that this guy was dead just a moment ago.
A heart, just one, beat within Jack's chest, pulse steady. Rory looked up where Jack had been shot, finding nothing wrong with him.
"Okay." He said, taking a step back. "Does the Doctor only travel with immortals, or do you become one after a certain amount of time in the TARDIS?"
"Actually, it was Rose that did this to me." Jack replied with a casual shrug. "But that's a story for another time. Come on, the rest of the Autons are going to be coming here soon. They're a stupid bunch, all we have to do is drop trou and put on these, they'd never know the difference."
Rory watched as Jack shrugged off his jacket, pushed off his suspenders. He looked about to see if there was any form of coverage and saw none.
"You're serious? Out here?" Rory asked as Jack started undoing his belt.
"Nothing you got that I ain't seen before, even if you had two." He said with a wink.
"I'm normal down there, thank you." Rory said as he pulled his vest off roughly. "And exactly how undressed do you think you need to be in these things?"
"Sorry," Jack said as he undid the cuffs of his shirt. "I often forget that not everyone goes commando."
At that, Rory promptly turned around. He didn't need to see that. Nurse or not, there was absolutely nothing about Jack that made Rory think he could keep his decency. The Captain, he was sure, likely didn't have any left.
The uniform was heavy, smelled of burnt plastic, but was oddly warm. He had chosen a thing with a smaller build, which was smart because the helmet might have flopped around a bit if he tried to pick a larger one. He only lost his jeans and vest, keeping his plaid shirt and t-shirt on underneath. It was also a great way to ensure he kept his mobile, wallet, and medi-pack on him for when they got out of this mess.
"So what do we do now?" He asked Jack as the two of them put on their helmets.
"We head back, but move slow. With any luck, the Autons heading our way now won't ask questions." Jack said, turning on his heel and heading back to Stonehenge.
Rory jogged to catch up. "We're letting them? Letting them head right to Amy? To the Doctor?"
"My blaster's outta juice, and we don't have any anti-plastic, so we don't have a lot of choice. Add to that, the Nestene is actually above us. Can't very well stop it from down here. You saw what happens when you shoot them, and I can melt those ones down but River and I were at that Roman camp and there are hundreds of soldiers, most of them are probably plastic."
"So the Romans that invaded Britain were actually just … plastic aliens?"
"No." Jack replied. "I imagine the Autons killed or captured the Romans they're copying. History says there were Romans who survived this. Whether that's because they're alive somewhere else and are just receiving the same memories the Autons would have living as them, or that there are actual humans among the crowd coming up behind, I don't know. What I do know is that we have to get back and warn the others that time is up, and tell Rose to get the Doctor out of here."
Rory reached over, grabbed Jack's arm, stopped him. "Rose is gone, I heard the TARDIS leave before we did. She and River went out to get something and the TARDIS left."
"Well then we need to hurry up. Go on ahead, warn the Doctor." Jack said, giving him a nudge.
"What about you, will you be alright?" Rory asked, only to receive and amused smirk from Jack. "Ah, right. Part of the immortals club." He said before he turned around and ran ahead.
It was easier to move once he got going, though he did worry if he was going to be able to slow his momentum enough at the end. At least if he didn't and he somehow crashed into a wall he'd have a helmet.
Stonehenge was coming quickly in his sight, the lights Jack started up helping guide him right where he needed to go, and Rory moved down the stairs with ease.
And he had no problem stopping when he reached the stairs and saw Amy on the ground, crawling backward toward a wall in an attempt to escape a metal robot of death as it moved toward her.
Rory felt the hilt of the sword at his waist resting against his palm, his hand having naturally rested against it. He drew it, heart pounding as he moved swiftly but quietly up behind the robot. He could die. He didn't earn whatever immortal card Rose and Jack had, and he was aware that one wrong move could mean the end of his existence.
But he went for it anyway. Because not doing anything meant losing Amy.
He thrust the sword forward with all the strength he possessed from lifting heavy patients, and was oddly pleased at the light tickle he felt on his skin as the metal man sparked before him. On the tip of his sword, he could see what he would guess was the thing that made I function. Angling the sword as he pulled it out, Rory dislodged the heart of the robot from the tip of his blade, and the body dropped as he sheathed it.
Amy watched it fall, then looked up at him with glossy eyes. "Love a Roman." She mumbled.
"Good to know, was feeling a little second place as of late." Rory said as he took off his helmet. "Hello, Amy."
"Rory?" Amy asked, eyes widening for a moment before they rolled back and she passed out.
"Amy?" The Doctor's voice came from the other side of the Pandorica, thick with grog and confusion. "Amy!" It came again, clear and panicked.
"Over here," Rory called as he knelt down in front of his girlfriend, caressing her cheek and dropping his hand to check her pulse. Steady and even.
The Doctor was standing beside him a moment later, and when Rory looked up he noted the Doctor frowning down at him.
"Why are you a Roman?" He asked.
"Disguise. Well, was supposed to be, but then matters became a bit more urgent than blending in with plastic." Rory replied, standing to look the Doctor in the eye.
"Plastic?" The Doctor countered. "Autons? The Romans are Autons? And Jack knew, good ol' Jack. Well, maybe that's a stretch. Why did you need to blend in?"
Rory shrugged. "There were more heading this way, and whatever Jack did to the first lot he couldn't do to the next. Something to do with his blaster." At that, the Doctor rolled his eyes. "But the more pressing part is that Rose and River are gone. The TARDIS left."
The Doctor looked as if he were about to challenge that, then resignation came over him. "They're both so far away, I can feel them but can't connect to them. I didn't notice."
"Huh?"
"My bond with Rose, she's too far away for me to use it. Hand me your mobile."
"Umm, I would, but it's a bit … behind armor." Rory replied.
The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Fine, give me Amy's." He said, beckoning for Rory to hand it over.
Rory turned back to Amy, looked her over, and guessed where she'd keep her phone. It was a tight fit, wriggling it out of her pocket. "Are you at all worried about her?" He asked when she didn't so much as stir as he roughly tugged at the phone.
The Doctor shuffled behind him, and the whir of the sonic cut through the silence. "Figured as much. She's sedated, will come around in a little bit, just give her time." He replied as Rory freed the device and handed it back to him.
The Doctor punched a long string of numbers on the pad, then brought it to his ear.
"Umm, that's a lot of …." Rory started to protest but realized it was falling on deaf ears. He managed to get the phone company to reverse the charges that one time the Doctor used his to call the Atraxi. All he had to do was prove there was no such Earth based number. He could do it again for Amy's if need be.
"Rose, where are you? What hap-" The Doctor stopped mid word, his eyes growing stormy as he listened to whatever Rose had to say. His eyes darted to where the unconscious Amy remained propped up against the wall. "I can't believe that." There was another long pause as he listened. "Then try to get back here. Quickly." He hung up and tossed the phone to Rory before turning abruptly and moving to the Pandorica.
The Doctor looked at it, half circled it as he would an adversary.
He pounded at it, screaming with every hit, rage like Rory had never seen in a living creature unleashed against this inanimate object. It startled him, made him pull Amy to his chest and hold her against him as the Doctor let one final shout out. From a distance, Rory could see the broken skin on the alien's knuckles, momentarily fascinated that the open wound was red.
The Doctor pushed his hand through his hair, letting it flop unruly against his forehead.
"It was a trap," He said with exasperation. "Using the interests of my companion against me, and there's nothing I can do." He then looked down at Rory. "Where's Jack?"
"Up above, pretending to be a plastic Roman." Rory replied.
"Take Amy, go up, get him to take you back to your time with his Vortex Manipulator. Have a good wedding, a good life, call Tim and tell him …."
"We can't." Rory interrupted. "That's why River went with Rose, to get the manipulator out of the TARDIS."
"Of course," The Doctor said with a sigh, throwing his head back. "Rose can't land the TARDIS. My extending the matter lines worked too well."
"Well … can't you just reverse it?" Rory suggested.
The Doctor's eyes lit up, and it became clear to Rory that this poor alien would probably be quite lost if it weren't for his wife or anyone else he traveled with. The Doctor darted back over to the Pandorica, screwdriver drawn and ready to wield. He stopped short as all those inscriptions, or whatever the symbols on the sides were, all began to glow green.
"Doctor?" Rory asked, momentarily distracted as Amy groaned and stirred.
"Rory?" She said, face screwed up as she held her head. She looked him over, growing more confused. "Why are you a Roman? Don't get me wrong, it's hot, but why are you …?"
"Not now, Amy. Doctor, what's happening?" Rory tried again, watching the Time Lord scan the box with his sonic.
He swallowed hard, turning to Rory with apologetic eyes. "The final phase: it's opening."
"Doctor!" Jack yelled as he came running down the stairs in Roman uniform, helmet missing. "Doctor! The Autons …."
Jack was cut off by a bullet.
"Stay back," Rory said to Amy, gently moving her off his chest and back against the wall again. He stood, unsheathed his sword, and stood in front of Amy, facing down the Roman things as they came into the cavern. Their fingers were dropped, gun barrel revealed.
"Do not resist." One Roman guy said.
"Do not resist what?" The Doctor asked.
"Do not resist." It repeated.
"Listen," Rory said, stepping forward, both arms extended toward the Roman. It turned, there was a shot, and an intense pain filled his chest.
"Rory!" Amy shouted as his knees went weak and he fell back. Breathing was hard, getting harder, and as he felt Amy's hands grip his arms he looked down at the whole in his armor. Oh, well, at least it didn't hit his heart. "No," Amy said, squeezing his arms. "No, no, you don't die, you hear me?"
"You were always too big for him, anyway, Amy." An oddly familiar female voice said. "You'll move on."
"Miss Smith?" Amy asked behind him, confused.
"Miss Smith." The Doctor said in confusion. A blurred version of him crossed he room, stood before the woman who entered behind the Romans. There was a shuffle, had the Roman's grabbed a hold of the Doctor? Rory blinked, forced himself to focus.
His eyes fell on Jack first, saw the man peeking out of one eye but otherwise playing dead. He turned his gaze to the woman and the Doctor. Yes, Romans did have him. Vision fading, Rory turned his head using the last of his strength to look at Amy, his Amy, one last time.
~DWDWDW~
"Miss Smith." The Doctor confronted the woman dressed in a dark top and khaki pants. He forced himself to ignore Amy's quiet pleas and sobs, Rory dying in her arms, Jack trying his best not to move until it was the right time. "The therapist."
"Amy's, yes. Someone had to guide her after she was forced to learn the hard way what terrible, dishonorable people Time Lords were." She countered with a smile victoriously.
"IT WAS AGREED YOU WOULD NOT SPEAK." A Dalek voice came from behind, and the Doctor looked over his shoulder just as three Daleks appeared.
"How?" He asked. "How, when my own TARDIS couldn't land above?"
"BECAUSE THE MATTER LINES HAVE BEEN REVERSED." The Dalek replied.
"Reversed?"
"Yes." Miss Smith said. "You may have extended them, but you do not control them."
"DO NOT SPEAK! DO NOT SPEAK!" The Dalek cried out, and Miss Smith looked complacent in an instant.
"How is it possible that the mighty Dalek is working with a being they would feel beneath them?"
"THE FEMALE PROMISED THE END OF THE DOCTOR."
"How?" He asked, knowing he should be more afraid than curious but he couldn't himself.
"The ultimate prison." A Cyberman replied, and a small group of them materialized into the cavern. A moment later, Sontarans did the same, as did a few Sycorax, Zygons, and a pair of Slitheen. "We have come together to bear witness to the imprisonment of our greatest enemy."
A bright, white light came from the direction of the Pandorica, and the Doctor turned to see it opening from one of the corners.
A pair of Autons grabbed his arms, their unnaturally strong grip holding him up and in place. They started walking toward the Pandorica, and the Doctor did his best to dig his heels in the ground and resist. He glanced over his shoulder again, seeing through the blinding light and in to the prison beyond. He watched as clamps at various parts of the chair inside opened and readied for him.
"You know if you reversed my work of the matter lines the TARDIS can return."
"The TARDIS will not." A Sontaran replied.
"Technology found within Torchwood of Earth. TARDIS proofing has been implemented around the stone structure." A Zygon replied. "We who did not stay learned before we left."
He didn't have time to dwell on Zygons being in Torchwood, and the thought gave him a headache anyway. He tried to resist even as they dragged him up the small steps, heels hitting the edge each time.
The Doctor tried to think, tried to figure out how he would get out of this with his wife unable to save him.
But he wasn't going to die in the cube, not for a long time. She would be alright; she'd never have to worry about the end. They'd have their bond, maybe, and with any luck she'd be able to communicate with him if she were on Earth. He'd be trapped, but she would be okay.
And River. River was safe too. She could go with Jenny, stay safe and away.
It was just Amy he was worried about now. Amy and what would happen now that Rory was dead and time lines were ….
Not shattered.
He was forced into the chair, the clamps coming around him, but he could hardly protest. He stared at the ginger girl his wife had said was a traitor, watched as she sobbed over a completely still Rory, and noted that their time lines were sill completely entwined.
Just as the Autons who dragged him inside stepped away, the sound of the TARDIS engines echoed through the cavern, and the Doctor was filled with a sense of both relief and dread.
~DWDWDW~
Rose was starting to get a headache from her mind working overtime, trying to figure out a way to get around the matter lines. No matter how appealing River's idea of the horses was, there was no way Rose could guarantee that they'd land at exactly the right time, arrive when they need to. She needed to get back essentially when they left, not much longer after that, and she couldn't afford to miss the mark. If something happened to the Doctor, Rory, Jack, well …. Rose knew what would happen if she attempted to rewrite time in too big a capacity, or at the very least the possibility.
River sat on the jumpseat behind her, playing with a strand of her curly hair, somehow knowing better than to ask anything at the moment.
"What should we do?" Rose asked the TARDIS softly. The Old Girl hummed a regretful lament. She was a creature of time as well, but she had little ability to bend it to her will. Go anywhere in time and space, know where they should or should not be, but sometimes it was out of even her metaphorical hands.
Rose's phone on the console rang and she absently reached for it. She didn't recognize the number but at least knew it came from England. For a moment, she considered letting it go to voice mail, but something stopped her.
"Hello?" She answered.
"Rose," Her husband said, and she straightened up. "Where are you? What hap-"
"TARDIS took off." Rose interrupted him, turning to lean with her back against the console. "She brought us back to Leadworth, 1998, and Doctor … She was with Amy. Young Amy. Little girl Amy. She was out having chips with her and chatting about Pandora's box. I know it was her, Doctor, the woman who's been following you about, and I think Amy's been part of a trap. Think she's been made, or conditioned, or something to lure you exactly where you are right now."
"I can't believe that," The Doctor replied with conviction.
"'Course you wouldn't. Handpicked her, didn't ya? Batted her … you know what, 's not fair. That was old you. Doesn't matter how she got you to take her, point's that she has a connection to this She, and I'd bet she has something to do with the Pandorica. Doctor, you're in danger. When it all comes down to it, the Pandorica was a trap and Amy was the bait to lure you there."
"Then try to get back here. Quickly." The Doctor retorted before hanging up.
"Bloody hell!" Rose said as she biffed the device across the console room. The TARDIS grumbled but quickly turned her hum soothing. "Bloody git hung up before I could tell'im his mucking about with the Pandorica is preventing us from getting there."
"Rose," River said calmly. "Maybe he knows now? Maybe … maybe he'll lower them."
"You're supposedly close to us, River. When've you ever known the Doctor to actually think of a sensible solution on his own? Leave that man alone to solve his own issues he'd likely blow up the TARDIS in the process."
The TARDIS hummed a regretful agreement to that.
"He's not alone, though." River said. "He has Jack, Rory, Amy."
"Amy's not to be trusted." Rose snapped back as she turned back to the monitor.
River sighed. "I was never told how it was between you two in the beginning, though I'd have never imagined you two would be so cold to one another."
"Yes," Rose said as she scanned the time period they'd come from one more time in hopes of finding a break for them to squeeze through. "Been told she stays around. Can't say I'm pleased 'bout that." She turned around, ready to offer River a grin when her heart dropped into her stomach.
River was partly fading in and out before her.
Something was happening and whatever it was meant River might not exist.
"This is getting worse than we thought." River said, clearly trying to be brave while her voice shook and her eyes watered.
"We will break through." Rose assured, turning abruptly back around and pounded on the key boards a little firmer.
A smile broke over her face as the traces of matter lines vanished from her scans, and she moved to the switch to materialize them back where they were. The engines whirred, the rotor bobbed, and Rose began to laugh.
Then she was tossed to the floor, sparks flying from the console as it felt as though they crashed into something.
"What was that?" River asked as Rose pulled herself up and moved to the monitor.
"You've got to be kidding me." She said in quiet disbelief as she read the reason they couldn't get through. "You've got to be kidding me!" She yelled, pounding her fist on the console. "She's thoughtof everything, hasn't she? It's impossible to land there, TARDIS can't do it. Shielding around the bloody thing to make it so we can't swoop in." She pushed the monitor hard out of the way, causing it swing around the console a few rotations before finally slowing down.
Rose sat on the steps, digging the heel of her hands into her eyes. "He's there, alone, surrounded by his enemies and I can't do a bloody thing to save him." She said, looking up at River, trying to assure herself that the reason River was so hard to see was because of the tears blurring her vision and not that River was somehow fading out of existence.
"You're a legend," River said, her voice even losing some of its volume. "You're the Bad Wolf, there has to be something you can do."
The TARDIS hummed with determination, and Rose scoffed at it.
"Bad Wolf," She mumbled. "Fat lot of good it's doing be now."
A moment later, Rose heard a long, quiet groan of creaking metal, and a click. She could hear the TARDIS louder in her mind, the Time Ship nearly having a proper voice of her own. Its musical voice echoed in Rose's mind, repeating the same notes over and over. Gallifreyan, of course. It only made sense that that was what the TARDIS spoke if she were to have her own voice. It took a few moments for Rose to decipher what she was saying, but when it translated, her eyes went wide as her head shot up.
"You sure?" She asked the ceiling, and the TARDIS gave a confident, affirmative hum.
"Mum," River said softly, getting Rose's full attention. She didn't comment on the title, especially when the woman using it was once again fully formed, voice strong. "What are you going to do?"
"Something drastic." She told River with resignation. "Turn around, darling, and close your eyes."
~DWDWDW~
Rory was dead, and Amy felt as though her heart had been ripped from her chest and fed to the Pepper Pots. She wanted to be terrified that her childhood therapist was involved in a trap for the Doctor, that it was highly likely that if she was still alive when all this was over she was going to be stuck here. But grief overwhelmed her, and even as she watched the Doctor forced into the box she was too numbed to care. Her imaginary friend, her best friend, and all she wanted beyond all wants was to go back to before all this happened and avoid it all together.
The grinding of the TARDIS engines made the gaping hole where her heart had been constrict with hope until she looked over at the Doctor and noted the fear in his eyes. She blinked, trying to see through the tears and understand why everything in the room with a face that could express were either angry or confused.
The TARDIS fully formed, the doors opened, and a golden light spilled out, illuminating every nook and plane of the cavern. And in the middle of that light was Rose.
"You will step away from him." She stated firmly, her voice eerie and ethereal. Amy could feel how powerful she was but was not afraid like her mind said she should be.
"IT IS THE ABOMINATION!" One of the Dalek's said, only adding to Amy's confusion. She held Rory's body closer to her protectively while watching the scene before her.
"The what?" Miss Smith asked, confusion and intrigue there in equal parts.
"I am the Bad Wolf," Rose corrected, her tone making Amy shrink back even if the words were not directed at her. "I am a being of time."
"You are a human." A Cyberman corrected.
Rose turned toward it, and in turn gave Amy a better view of her face.
Her heart stopped a moment from fear as she saw Rose's eyes were entirely golden and glowing. There was no iris, pupil, anything other than light.
"I am so much more than your simple processing can comprehend." Rose stated. "You will leave here, and be spared."
"We will not leave a fight that has been won!" A potato man said, aiming his gun at Rose. "Sontarans do not retreat, do not surrender, do not …."
Rose turned toward the speaking potato and lifted her hand as he rambled, her eyes glowing for a second. His gun was the first to turn to golden dust and disappear into nothingness. Amy could see his beady eyes stretch wide before he shared the same fate as his weapon. His comrades looked on in horror as he turned to nothing.
"You will all run." Rose said again, more forcefully this time. "You will all flee back to your ships and return to where you came from. That is my mercy, take it now." She said before turning that raised hand toward the Doctor and the Pandorica.
Amy watched with terror, admiration, and a healthy dose of respect forming in her chest as the prison made for the Doctor went the way of the potato man and turned to golden dust. The Doctor stood as his upper body was freed, and once his legs were as well he crossed the room in five steps to stand in front of Rose.
He looked about as those who tried to detain him all disappeared one group at a time, his gaze lingering longer on Miss Smith and the two men dressed like her before she vanished as well.
The Doctor cupped Rose's cheek trying to look into her eyes. "You can let it go now, Sweetheart." He said with a shaking voice he tried to mask as calm.
"Almost," She said.
Amy gasped, choking back a yelp as Rose turned to her. Those golden eyes pierced into her soul, and Amy could feel the invasion of it. Memories from her childhood long forgotten resurfaced for a moment, and Amy could almost picture a long life with Rory in the same instance.
Rory, who was no longer able to live that out.
"No," She heard the Doctor say firmly. "No, Rose, you can't do this."
"I'm in control this time." Rose replied, lifting a hand toward them.
"No," Amy tried to shout but it only came out as a whisper. She clutched Rory to her protectively, screwing her eyes shut. If he was going to disappear, she wanted to disappear with him. She would turn to dust as well.
Rory gasped for air in her arms, his whole body seeming to expand with the effort. Amy's eyes flew open and she looked down into his wide blue eyes.
"Amy," He gasped out, and she started crying for a whole other reason.
Her smile stretched wide, and she looked to Rose to thank her but stopped, smile fading.
Rose turned back to the Doctor, and he cupped her face with both hands.
"Are you going to die now?" He asked her, the words soft and quiet but heard clearly in the empty cavern.
"Yes," Rose replied. "But not for long."
"Does it hurt?" He asked.
"Of course." Rose said gently. "I'm burning from the inside. But I won't gone long, my Doctor." She replied, placing both hands on his chest before tilting her head back and closing her eyes. Rose exhaled like she was blowing out a candle, and Amy was mesmerized as she watched the gold light move from Rose through the air, and into the TARDIS.
For the first time, Amy noticed River standing just outside it, watching everything silently.
Rory shifted, seeming to watch the same thing Amy was, sitting up on his own.
As the last of the light left Rose, she collapsed against the Doctor, knocking him backward while he made sure to hold on to her the whole time. The TARDIS doors closed as the last of the golden light entered it, and the room was silent.
Jack moved, and Amy let out a yelp and covered her mouth as Jack got up on his feet. "She alright?" He asked the Doctor.
The Time Lord nodded. "Heart beating again, breathing steady, mind active. I think she'll be out for a bit, though maybe not as long as when I regenerated."
"What just happened?" Rory asked. "I was dead, and now … now I'm not. I saw the light, and I dunno, black, and then I was back and Rose had gone all … something. And, well … does this mean I'm part of the immortals club now? Because I'm quite content to only live about eighty or ninety years. Anything beyond that seems excessive."
"No," The Doctor said with a gentle smile and a shake of his head. "You're not immortal. Rose just fixed an important time line, one that involves you." The Doctor met her eye. "You and Amy."
Amy leaned against Rory, wrapping her arms around his neck, holding him fiercely.
"We should get in the TARDIS," The Doctor said as he adjusted his hold on Rose and lifted her bridal style while he got unsteadily to his feet. "Rose needs a proper place to rest, and you two …."
"Need to get married." Amy said immediately, cutting off and surprising the Doctor. She turned to look at the very confused but not at all reluctant-seeming Rory. "You died. You actually died in my arms and … I wanted to die to. I couldn't imagine my life without you. Haven't been able to since we were kids but this? This was real. This was the sign I should never have needed. I love you, Rory Williams, and I want to marry you right now."
"To Leadworth then," The Doctor said with a smile in his voice, though Amy didn't see it.
She was too busy kissing Rory. Her Rory. Feeling his relief, his devotion, and everything she meant to him with every brush of his lips against hers. She was undeserving, but she swore to herself then and there she would try to be. Because Amy Pond was not going to lose him again.
~DWDWDW~
"Here we are," The Doctor said as he landed the TARDIS. "Leadworth, a minute after we left the second time, Amy. Still well before midnight so you can adhere to the silly human custom of not seeing the bride before the wedding."
"You'll be there, won't you, Doctor?" Amy asked as she and Rory lingered by the door, the latter changed back into the clothes he was wearing when he was originally picked up. "You and Rose? Can't often invite your imaginary friend and his wife to your wedding, but I've never been one for normal."
"I'm sure we will be." He replied. "Might be a bit before Rose wakes up, though."
"And you've got a time machine." Amy countered, eyebrow twitching as the corner of her mouth threatened to turn up.
"And look how well it's worked for me when it comes to you. First twelve years, then two," The Doctor reminded her.
She shrugged. "You'll be there. I know you will." She said with confidence as Rory opened the doors. "So we'll see you tomorrow. Dress up."
He nodded, waving as they stepped out into the night. When the doors closed, he turned to Jack and River. "Would you like me to bring you somewhere? Or are you going to use that shoddy piece of technology and risk missing your mark?"
"This shoddy piece of technology saved our lives a couple times." Jack reminded him.
"That it has." The Doctor said with a nod, looking at the console, running his fingers along the edge of it. He could barely look at Jack, knowing what Rose had done this time. She was in control, as she promised him, and she made a minor tweak to Jack's time line. One in which he was no longer eternally immortal, that there would be a point in his life when he could choose to pass on instead of bouncing back. And the Doctor had been there, when Jack would finally choose his end. He'd wonder how it could happen before, and now he knew.
"I've heard the stories, growing up." River said, drawing his attention. "The Bad Wolf. I knew, of course, that it was Rose's other name, but I didn't quite believe its origins."
"Its origins started a long time before this." The Doctor replied.
"Yes," River nodded, "But I didn't quite believe that the actual Bad Wolf was a combination of the two females that love you most in the Universe."
The TARDIS hummed a happy little confirmation, poking his mind with affection. The Doctor chuckled, shaking his head. Of course they would team up, bend time to alter an impossible situation.
"So a lift back with me, yes or no?" He asked once again.
"We'll be fine," Jack said. "We have a table on hold for us back at the Maldovarium, and I don't think they like any sort of space or time craft landing inside."
"Right, yes, well … keep her safe, Jack." The Doctor said with a gesture to River.
He nodded, then headed for the doors.
River moved to follow then paused. "I'm sorry." She said.
"Don't be," The Doctor waved it off. "I can't even say I'm properly angry with Rose or the TARDIS."
"No," She shook her head. "I mean for all that's about to come." At his clear confusion, River stepped closer to him, wringing her fingers. "You see, this event … I was only ever told a watered down version, to protect the time lines, but I know what comes next. And I'm sorry, because in a small way, it is my fault." She got on her toes and kissed his cheek before darting out the doors before the Doctor could ask her anything more.
Sighing, the Doctor put the TARDIS into the Vortex, then headed down the corridor.
Entering the bedroom he shared with Rose, he crossed the room and climbed on to the bed next to his dormant wife.
"Shall I read to you, Sweetheart? I feel like perhaps I'm more of Orwell man this go around." He said, reaching for the book that he knew would be on the table by the bed.
"Just do it quietly." Rose replied softly, eyes still closed.
"Of course," He adjusted his voice, smiling so wide it hurt. He placed a tender kiss on her forehead, noting her lips twitching in a smile for a brief moment.
He then opened the book, and began to read.
A/N: I didn't want to make you all wait for the weekend for the conclusion. That, and the next post will be very short.
Thank you to all the readers, favoriters, followers, and of course the reviewers.
BadWolfGirl, Darkelvoriplorelliom Tyler, CupcakeFlake, PanoramaGirl, Trowa'sDancer, Insane Bookeworm (Didn't have to wait too long!), WaitingformyDoctorintheTardis, pyro-pixiechik, Eagle Hawke, Dreamcatcher56, Shadow Eclipse, DemigodDaughterOfTheTARDIS, Esto, greeneyesCutie, and Loca8892. As always, thank you all for leaving word.
A couple people asked about the other companions making an appearance. I'm honestly not sure if they will. I have an idea for a Donna cameo, but it's a bit off and I'm not sure if it's going to get put in.
And before anyone asks, no, no major coma. Rose is going to be back to it next chapters.
Oh, and when I said this was about half way through? I lied. Still a bit more before we get to that point.
Until next post.