Thank you readers for any corrections you suggest, such as the name of the Chameleon Arch and the color of the 11th Doctor's sonic screwdriver! I really appreciate your feedback, and I always make the corrections when they are needed. Thanks for helping me keep my writing, for the most part, as true-to-plot as possible. :)
So things are starting to wind down... Or are they? And should I continue Hero's adventures with the Doctor in this same story, or should I begin a sequel soon? What do you think? Let me know in the comments section!
Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who. Waaaaaa lol
P.S.: the watch photo on my profile is actually what I think of when I picture Hero's silver pocket watch... Enjoy :)
"So, what exactly has happened since we got separated?" I asked, glancing from Amy to Rory and back again. The Doctor and I had just finished a brief account of what I'd had to do to rescue the Doctor, and then how he'd carried me to safety. Everyone's mouths had hung open slightly when I'd mentioned that I was now apparently a Time Lord, a very young one, and I had displayed my broken pocket watch. I couldn't help but smile, however, when Amy and Rory had recovered from their shock rather quickly (they seemed used to this sort of thing), and had both jumped on me and hugged me nearly to death. "You brought him back to us," Amy had whispered in my ear, and she gave me an extra squeeze. Rory had simply patted me on the back as be hugged me, then briefly met my eyes before pulling away. His gaze told me what he was feeling, and I smiled back gently.
And now, Damon, Amy and Rory, the Doctor and I, and several other of Damon's people were seated in a circle around one of the encampment's fire pits. Now that I was no longer on my feet, I felt distinctly grateful for the hard wooden stool I was perched on since my head had started to spin a bit. Clearly I would need some serious rest later.
"You disappeared down the other side of the corridor," Rory began, sitting up a bit straighter, "and when we tried to follow you that... rat thing..." "urg..." Amy added, looking faintly disgusted, "yeah, um," Rory went on, "It kind of charged at us properly, all bitey teeth and claws, and... well..." He paused, looking rather pleased with himself.
"We kicked its arse," Amy finished calmly, smiling demurely at us all.
I grinned, glad to hear they hadn't been hurt or anything. "Awesome! So, what happened next?"
"We decided that it would be best to retrace our steps back to Damon's cave," Amy replied, nodding to the alien leader, "He was able to let us back in, and kept us from freakin' out because we didn't know what had happened to you..." The thin trace of residual fear in her eyes told me quite a lot; she and Rory had felt responsible for me, and I'd been taken away. Kind of how I'd felt when the Doctor had been spirited away from us by the DakTar, except I don't think that Amy felt like... Never mind...
"So, why exactly are the DakTar so eager to release me now?" the Doctor asked Damon, looking serious, "They were so consumed with justice and for punishing me for protecting another race from them many centuries ago... What could possibly be going through their minds?" While my mind latched onto his use of the word "centuries," the Doctor's gaze remained fixed on his friend Damon's. The alien had a ghost of a smile on his face, and he nodded very faintly at the Doctor as if he were answering an unspoken question.
The Doctor's eyes grew wide. "Ah... I see..."
"Wait, what is it?" Rory asked, clearly just as confused as I was.
Smirking, the Doctor replied, "They lost their own game, it seems; they set up their best rituals, designed to punish me, hoping that at least one of them wouldn't be completed. But they were, and so according to their honor laws they had to acknowledge that their punishment, keeping me alone for all eternity, would be impossible."
Even though I'd heard every word, the meaning made my mind go a bit blank. "What?" I managed, feeling myself go a bit cold.
"Three rituals," the Doctor repeated, not meeting my gaze, "one which reveals the true nature of things, one to prove resourcefulness and daring, and one which – if survived – would prove the searcher's worth."
Amy and Rory's mouths opened into identical "oh"s as they realized what the Doctor was implying. The tests had been for me, and me alone; somehow, the DakTar had been aware of my true nature, and were intent on waving in front of the Doctor like a prize before snuffing me out.
"The DakTar's own rules of punishment," Damon added, "allowed for one mercy, much like how many planets grant the accused representation in court. The DakTar seem to have a rule which allows for one member of the perpetrator's species to prove themselves as capable of rehabilitating the accused. Which means," he chuckled, looking at me, "one of your party, Doctor, is now fully responsible for your behavior in the future. At least, according to DakTar law..."
We all laughed at that, and I caught the Doctor's eye, finally, and began, "Well, then..." The look he gave me was intense and deeply vulnerable all at once, and I nearly lost my train of thought. After a split second, and unsure whether anyone else had noticed, I continued, murmuring, "I'll do my best..."
"I think it's time for us to go home, Doctor..."
The four of us were once more on the bridge of the TARDIS, feeling the time machine vibrate beneath our feet as we headed away from the planet below. Rory stood with his arm around Amy, and they both smiled at the Doctor. He smiled back, though a bit sadly, and replied, "Of course, you're married now, you can't spend all your days running around with me, doing crazy things..."
"Ah now, Doctor," Amy reassured him, smiling fondly and patting him on the arm, "we'll be sure to visit again soon, okay? That's always a promise."
"Yeah," Rory added, "we just need to get some things in order and... perhaps next time we'll stay with you longer, hm?"
"I would be delighted," the Doctor said, holding out his arms to the pair of humans before him and enveloping them in one of this signature bear hugs. If he could have lifted them both at once and spun them around, I'm pretty sure he would have.
After a quiet moment, the three of them stepped apart, and Amy briefly met my eyes, her own a little misty. "Well..." she stated, and then the Doctor moved towards the control panel in the center of the room and began flicking switches and pulling levers here and there.
"Off we go!" he cried, smiling for real this time as the TARDIS hummed into full life and we began the spin slightly as we sped off towards Earth once more. Turning back to Amy and Rory, the Doctor asked, "The usual?"
"Yup, three days," Amy relied, laughing a little, "easiest amount of time to explain away to friends, nosy relatives..." I laughed, realizing that she was talking about how much time the TARDIS needed to give them to be gone on this crazy adventure of ours.
"I'll go get our stuff," Rory said, and he hurried from the control room as the Doctor revolved around the flashing lights and spinning wheels, moving around to the far side of the panel from where Amy and I were standing.
"So, um," Amy whispered, and I realized what she was going to ask right before she did, "Will you be... going home... as well? Let the Doctor take you back? Or..." The word she trailed off made me suddenly hope for something hadn't let myself think before this moment.
"What, you mean stay with him? Travel the galaxy? Be a... companion?"
"She smiled knowingly at me, then murmured, "Oh come on, I know he's a bit thick in this area, but perhaps you're something more than the usual companion at this point, know what I mean?" She raised her eyebrows at me, but my poor stubborn mind wasn't letting me understand just yet. I shook my head.
She sighed, grinning at me, "You're a bit alike, you and him, both Time Lords, both good at making the best of everything, who knows..." I suddenly understood what she was getting at, and I blushed, smiling in spite of myself.
"So... you've noticed? Was I that obvious? God..."
"No! No..." Amy looked quite serious as she finished, "He was. He doesn't hold hands with just anybody, you know..." I blushed more, looking down at my feet. Goodness, I was 22 years old, well, to be honest I may be much older than that, but I my insides were all melting together like I was still 13 and finding out that a boy had a crush on me. I managed to meet Amy's eyes once more, and smiled as Rory came tumbling back into the control room, backpack in hand.
"Think about it, hm?" Amy whispered to me, winking very subtlety, and then she turned to her husband and acted as if nothing odd had been said.