(Sorry! The readers should know my biggest flaw is procrastination! XD If I take forever to upload, I've not given up. It also doesnt help that I have no computer at home so I have to rely on my local library. Anywho, I'm working on chapter 3, but I've got a bit of writer's block. :P Expect the next chapter... um... soon? XD Thanks to the reviewers who seemed interested enough for me to continue. Also, thanks to Melissa for the support, and a huge thanks to Susan for the Beta Reading and the support. I would be nowhere without my sisters. I love you.)
After River arrived and scared the hell out of Lyra, the five made their way to a diner. Lyra, River, and the Doctor sat, while Rory and Amy got drinks for everyone. Both the Doctor and River pulled out identical blue books, and Lyra looked at the design, intrigued.
"Alright, then. Where are we? Have we done Easter Island yet?" River asked, looking at a page in the blue book.
The Doctor flicked through the pages of his book. "Um... yes! I've got Easter Island." he told her.
River smiled at the memory of Easter Island. "They worshipped you there. Have you seen the statues?"
The Doctor didn't answer, instead he continued to scroll through the pages of his book. "...Jim the Fish!" he exclaimed.
River looked up from her book, grinning. "Oh. Jim the Fish! How is he?" asked River, remembering Jim with a certain fondness.
"Still building his dam." replied the Doctor as Amy and Rory joined them with the drinks. Lyra smiled as Amy handed her the milkshake she had ordered.
"Thanks." she said, taking a sip through her straw. "Er, I hope you don't mind me asking, but what's with the books?"
"They're both time travellers. They never meet in the right order. They're syncing their diaries." explained Amy.
Lyra almost choked on her milkshake. "What? Time travellers?" she asked, turning to look at the Doctor. "Time travellers?" she repeated with even more emphasis.
"It's... complicated." Amy said. "So what's happening then?" she asked, addressing the Doctor. "'Cause you've been up to something."
The Doctor's expression fell, and Lyra could see a great sadness in his eyes. "I've been running." he began. "Faster than I've ever run. And I've been running my whole life. Now it's time to stop. And tonight I'm going to need you all with me."
A cold chill ran down Amy's spine. He looked like the Doctor, even sounded like him, but the Doctor Amy knew, her Doctor, wouldn't give up. Despite being unnerved, she put on a brave face. "Okay. We're here. What's up?"
"A picnic." the Doctor replied. "And then a trip. Somewhere different. Somewhere brand new." he told them, smiling, though Lyra could still see the sadness in his eyes.
"Where" Amy asked.
The Doctor's smile grew, his eyes shining with excitement, and in a second he was the Doctor again. "Space. 1969."
After the group finished their drinks, the Doctor led them back to the lake and set up the picnic he had promised. "So," Rory began as they sat down, "when are we going to 1969?"
"And since when do you drink wine?" Amy added as the Doctor picked up the bottle of wine he had brought.
"I'm eleven hundred and three. I must've drunk it sometime." he told her, sounding a little offended. Lyra stared at the Doctor, wondering if she'd heard right. Looking at him, she guessed he was no older than about 25. The Doctor took a swig of the wine, and spat it right back out.
"Wine's horrid! I thought it would taste more like the gums!"
Lyra smiled, laughing a little. She honestly didn't know how to feel. The Doctor, Amy, Rory, and River seemed perfectly nice. But then one of them would say something that would make her think they were all crazy.
Amy looked at the Doctor in confusion. "Eleven hundred and three? You were nine hundred and eight last time I saw you." she said.
"And you've put on a couple of pounds!" exclaimed the Doctor, definitely sounding offended this time. "I wasn't going to mention it."
Amy, about to retort, stopped before any words could pass her lips. She looked into the distance and saw a tall figure on a hill. It wore a black suit and was emitting a sinister rattling noise. Amy couldn't make out any key features, but she was sure it wasn't human. "Who's that?" she asked, trying to draw the group's attention to the creature.
"Hm? Who's who?" enquired Rory.
Amy tore her eyes away from the creature to look at her husband, all memory of the creature seemingly disappearing. "Sorry, what?"
"What did you see?" he pressed. "You said you saw someone."
"No, I didn't." Amy insisted.
A look of worry crossed Rory's face. He had been told of the time Amy had looked into the eyes of a Weeping Angel. She had been counting down from ten without realising. He wondered if something similar was happening now.
The Doctor smiled up at the sky, completely ignoring the interaction between Rory and Amy. "Ah! The moon! Look at it! Of course you lot did a lot more than just look, didn't you? Big silvery thing in the sky. You couldn't resist it." he smiled softly. "Quite right."
Lyra thought over all that had been said and suddenly worked out where they were going. "The moon landing was in '69." observed Lyra. "Is that where we're going?"
The Doctor smiled at her, pleased she seemed to finally be okay with the situation. "Oh, a lot more happens in '69 than anyone remembers." he told her. "Human beings. I thought I'd never get done saving you."
Amy and Lyra watched as a car arrived, and a man got out. The Doctor, noticing that Lyra and Amy were looking at someone, stood and turned. He waved at the old man, who waved back. The Doctor knew it was time and sighed quietly.
"Who's he?" asked Amy, getting a bad feeling about the entire situation.
River and Rory both stood, looking towards the lake rather than at the man. "Oh my god!" River breathed.
Everyone's eyes now on the lake, they all watched as an astronaut walked out of the water. "You all need to stay back." the Doctor warned the four. "Whatever happens now you do not interfere. Clear?" he asked. Not bothering to wait for an answer, he walked over to the astronaut.
"That's an astronaut. That's an Apollo astronaut in the lake!" Rory stated in disbelief.
"Look!" murmured Amy as she watched the Doctor begin talking to the astronaut calmly.
"Hello." he said sadly. "It's okay, I know it's you." he assured the astronaut, who opened its helmet. "Well, then." The Doctor bowed his head, whilst the astronaut lifted its arm.
"What's he doing?" Lyra whispered nervously, hoping someone could explain.
Suddenly the astronaut shot a bolt of some kind of energy at the Doctor. "Doctor!" Amy screamed in horror, trying to rush to the Doctor's rescue, but River and Rory stopped her.
"Amy, stay back!" urged River. Lyra stood frozen by fear and confusion.
The Doctor was shot again by the astronaut, the force of the blast knocking him to the floor. The group watched as the Doctor began to glow in regeneration energy. The Doctor looked at his friends. "I'm sorry." said the Doctor, holding his arms out in preparation for a regeneration. However, the astronaut shot one final time during his regeneration and he was blasted back, his body motionless on the sand.
