The Doctor scans around, "this way!" they dash towards the back of the school. They followed the trail, seeing a blue glow in the distance. "I see it!" Andrew yells. The leaves crumple under their feet. The glow stayed ahead for several minutes. "it stopped over there!" Dr. Manra huffs, "you guys go get it, I'll nap over here for a minute." he lays down. The Doctor catches up to the creature. He kneels down and scans it. Andrew and Eric lean over it. "stop! Back up, back up! Stay there, now, this is a very hungry viper." The Doctor tries to pick it up but it nips him, "ow! Not me, No nip!" it falls to the ground and squirms away feebly. The broken voice comes from it, "hun-n-gry." He takes off his jacket and wraps it up, "there now, it's okay." he holds like a baby in his arms. "can I see?" Eric asks. He tilts the bundle so he could look at it. "it's kind of cute, if you like glowing snakes." the boy comments. It looks up and squeaks brokenly, "I Ro-Ro-ger. Co-co-cold."
"wait, it thinks it's Roger?" Andrew asks.
"apparently. Let's get you home buddy." the Doctor sways it. They walk back to Dr. Manra.
"you get it?" he grunts.
They pass him, heading to the car. He grunts up and follows.
"What's that?" Eric asks over the car.
"my TARDIS, wanna peek?" The Doctor answers.
"TARDIS? Looks like a police box to me." Dr. Manra yawns from the back.
"I know. She's beautiful, isn't she?"
"she? To each his own." the car stops and they climb out.
The Doctor hands the bundle to Eric, "here, careful. It's only a baby." the boy stood frozen in place, fearful of waking it. It shivered and twisted to look at him, squeaking painfully. The door opens and they walk in. "whoa" the three marvel at the size.
"I've gone mad. It's the only answer." Dr. Manra says shaking his head.
"wait til you see where we're going." The Doctor states gleefully. He tosses leavers and the TARDIS comes to life. They wobble around and Eric panics when he almost drops it, "no, no, no." the TARDIS thumps as it lands. "Hey, be careful!" The Doctor opens the door and they walk out to see volcanic ranges. Some spat out gigantic pillars of smoke and ash. Magma flowed in rivers down the sides. A faint blue glow was moving about the top of one. Father and son stared in awe.
"I'm staying in here if you don't mind. You go melt out there." Dr. Manra said walking back in.
"do we have to go up there?" Andrew asks.
"no." The Doctor waves his sonic screwdriver in the air. The creatures turn towards the noise, coming closer. He looks at Eric, "go on. Give him back." the boy walks forward and lays down the jacket, then steps back to let them sniff. The infant squeaks weakly. The biggest one reaches out and picks it up in it's wide jaws. As it was carried off, Eric turned to the Doctor, "do you think it'll be okay?"
The Doctor sighs, "I don't know."
"why do I feel sorry for it even though I know that it killed Brandon?"
"it was just a baby. It didn't know any better."
"why did it do it?"
"what would you do if your father was threatened?"
Eric thinks, "it was protecting me? His death was my fault?" he began to cry.
"come here. No, it's not. It made a choice. You can't blame yourself for what it did." Andrew hugs him.
"would you?"
"what?"
"would you blame yourself if I killed someone?"
"honestly? Yes. Telling ourselves the truth doesn't always make us stop though."
"I want to go home."
"can we?" he asks the Doctor.
"let's take you home." the door closes behind them and the TARDIS starts up.
The TARDIS lands in the field and the door opens. The Doctor pops out to see Amy's frowning face.
"hello Amy. How long was it this time?" The Doctor smiles guiltily.
"two weeks."
"ah, and Rory?"
"he caught it."
"ah."
"excuse me. I have a paycheck to collect." Dr. Manra squeezes out. The Doctor steps aside and the men come out. Eric slept over Andrew's shoulder. "little guy cried himself to sleep. I'm going home to do the same." he looks around, "where's the car?"
"at the farmhouse. Didn't want rain to get in it."
"thank you."
Amy nods, "this way." she walks away from The Doctor with a huff. He follows like a punished puppy.
"oh the poor deary. Give him here, I'll put him to bed." the farmer's wife says, taking the boy.
"what? On my bed?" the Farmer complains.
"the way you been drinking? Not tonight it's not." she retorts.
He grumbles while Amy snickers. Rory looks at The Doctor, "where's your..." he sneezes, "jacket?"
"on fran kekaramajo."
"where?"
"why didn't you leave the bow tie?" Amy asked, tugging on it.
"because it's cool. Let go. Hey!" he yelled as she yanked it off and threw it in the fireplace. He scrambles over and digs it out. He blows it off and puts it back on.
"Rats. I thought that would work." Amy mumbles under her breath.
"now, have any soup?"
"right here. For two weeks." Amy growls.
"yes, sorry you two. Let's get going." he jumps up and drags Rory out of his chair.
Amy shakes the farmer's hand.
"you're welcome. Next time could you bring brandy instead of a cold, sweetheart?"
"I'll try to next time."
"good girl." Amy leaves and his wife walks over, smacking his arm.
"no she's not."
a lady with red hair is watching a screen. Buttons blinked on the console in front of her. she could see the Doctor and his companions squabbling as they entered his TARDIS. A door opened behind her, "mommy, I'm home."
"I know Sarah."
"did they find it?"
"yes, you did a good job. Where was the flaw? Why didn't it work?" she asked herself.
"perhaps his heart is too big?"
"he has two hearts, like you and I, sweetheart." she pauses to think, "but that could be his weakness."
"can I have an orange?"
"you may." the girl leaves. "I will have my revenge Doctor. The Rani will have her revenge." she gives an evil cackle as the TARDIS on the screen vanishes.
The end?