Author's Note: Hello there! Bet no-one expected me to update this one tonight, did you? Full of surprises, me.

Thanks very much to everyone who reviewed since the last chapter was posted, much appreciated: Romana2, TardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel, mericat, Aietradaea, Theta'sWorstNightmare, E.S. Beckett, Heartwing, 3LWOOD, KlinicallyInsaneKoschei, Riddle Wraith, M Elizabeth Penn, SawManiac211, EDZEL2 (x 12), gallifrey calls now, Shannon the Original and MountainLord-92 (x 4).

I'll do you a deal - if you guys all review this chapter too, I promise I'll finish this story before Christmas! ;)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"Keep watching it!" Sam bit out, instinctively taking command of the situation, despite the fear churning in his gut. "One of us has to have our eyes on it at all times. If you have to blink, say so, out loud. We need to make sure we don't all do it at once."

"A good plan, Detective-Inspector Tyler," the Angel said, a smirk evident in its calm voice. "But how long can you keep doing it? The three of you are only human and I'm sure it's been a long day for you all. You must all be so tired. How long before one of you makes a mistake and blinks at the wrong time? How long before the heat of the fire makes you drowsy and you nod off, just for a second? Because you know that's all I need...just a second...and one of you dies. Which one will I take first? You, Detective Inspector? No...from what I've seen of you, I think it would be more fun to leave you until last, to allow you to watch the other two die first. The charming Miss Pond, then, her body brimming with delicious temporal energy. Or perhaps you, Detective Chief Inspector Hunt, since this is, as you so succinctly put it, your patch."

"Think yer so bloody clever, don't yer?" Gene snarled, rising to his feet, his face tight with anger. "Think yer got us bang to rights?"

"Have I not, Detective Chief Inspector?" the Angel replied. "There is nowhere for you to run, nowhere for you to hide. There is only the challenge of your endurance against mine. And I can wait a very long time."

Even from this distance, Sam could sense the fury and frustration roiling inside his DCI. Gene was a man of action. When he found himself in an impossible situation, he tended to react like a cornered rat, and come out fighting. A stand-off like this was the one thing that was guaranteed to make him lose his cool, and that was the last thing they needed right now.

"Guv..." he began warningly.

But before he could say anything further, he felt Amy touch his arm. "Sam, I need to blink," she said in a low, tense voice.

"Fine, I've got it covered," he returned, fixing his stare on the Angel, even though his own eyes were suddenly starting to ache.

"Done," she said softly.

"Right, my turn. Guv, you too!" Quickly, he closed his eyes, assuming Gene was taking the opportunity to do the same. His sight was enveloped in blessed darkness for just a few seconds. The temptation to leave them closed, to block out the terrifying reality of the Angel, was frighteningly strong. Stubbornly, he forced his reluctant lids open again. The flames from the bonfire reflected redly across the pure white stone of the unmoving Angel, dancing across the creature's wings in a weird tangle of light and shadow, like a messenger of damnation, as if they had all fallen into some weird, biblical pit of hell.

"Not so easy, is it, Detective Inspector?" The Angel was smiling again, a fanged leer that sent cold shivers up his spine. "It looks like it's going to be a very long night. Which of you will fail first, I wonder? Which one of you will get the others all killed?"

Sam didn't answer. Instead, without shifting his gaze, he methodically tossed another heap of files on the fire, sending the flames leaping high in the air in silent defiance. It didn't take a genius to figure out what the Angel was trying to do. Concentrating on not blinking was difficult enough, especially with the heat of the fire drying out their eyeballs, without complicating things by trying to respond to the Angel's taunts. He could only hope that Gene also saw through the creature's tactics and didn't let his famous temper get the better of him.

"So let me make sure I got this straight, Tyler," the DCI spoke up, ignoring the Angel altogether. "While we're watching, this thing's an ordinary statue, like any other, right? Apart from the fact that it can natter on like a bloody old woman, of course."

"It's called 'quantum-locking'," Amy replied tightly. "My friend, the Doctor, says it's the perfect method of defence."

"Is that right? Well, your friend obviously 'asn't met me," Gene told her. "OK, you two, 'old the fort. I'll be back."

With that, he strode around the bonfire, heading straight for the Angel.

"Guv!" Sam shouted. "Where are you going?"

"Like I said, Sammy-boy, I'll be back!"

For just a few, brief seconds, Gene was face to face with the Angel. "Say your prayers, Angel-breath!" he said grimly. "You're gonna need 'em!" Then he ducked under the creature's frozen, outstretched arm, and disappeared out the door into the dark corridor beyond.

"Where's he going?" Amy demanded, panic rising in her voice. "Sam?"

Sam just shook his head. "I've got no idea."

"Oh, Miss Pond," the Angel chided gently. "It's perfectly obvious, isn't it? He's running away because he's scared. DCI Hunt is nothing more than a coward. He's left you and DI Tyler to face me on your own. But no matter, I'll catch up with him soon enough. Just as soon as I've killed the two of you."

But Sam had travelled a long, hard road learning to trust Gene Hunt. Whatever the other man was up to, he knew well enough that the last thing he would ever be was a coward. If he said he would be back, then he would be back. However, until then, without that extra pair of eyes, they were now horribly vulnerable.

"I need to blink again, Sam," Amy said.

"OK, do it."

That's when things started to go very, very bad, very, very quickly. A choked noise of distress came from the Scottish girl's direction. "Amy?" he called. "Amy, are you all right?"

"It's the sand," she gasped. "It's coming faster from my eye, more and more of it. It hurts so much, Sam. I can't keep my eyes open."

Horror arced through Sam's brain like a charge of electricity. He wanted to glance around at her, but he knew that he couldn't. Right now, his gaze was the only thing holding the Angel at bay. "Amy, no! You have to try! I can't do this on my own."

Amy was crying now, great ragged sobs of fear. "I am trying and I can't! I can't!"

"I told you, Detective Inspector. We are in her eye," the Angel smirked. "She belongs to the Angels. You really should have given her to me when I gave you the opportunity. Now it's too late for all of you."

"It's not too late," Sam growled, forcing himself to focus, trying desperately to fight back against the film that was forming over his eyes, wanting to blink more than anything in the world. "You haven't won yet."

"Forgive me for saying so, but Detective Chief Inspector Hunt has run away. Miss Pond is unable to help. You are the only one left, Detective Inspector Tyler," the Angel reminded him silkily. "It's you against me. And your eyes must be getting so very heavy by now."

A wave of despair flooded over Sam. The creature was right. It was physically impossible for him to hold the blink back for much longer.

"Amy!" he called frantically, already feeling his eyes starting to close. "AMY! Listen to me! You have to run, NOW!"

"There's too much grit, I can't see anything!" she shrieked. "I can't see to run! I'm blind!"

Sam took a deep, ragged breath, knowing they had both just reached the end of the line. "Then get behind me. I'm going to have to blink, I don't have a choice. The only thing I can do is to make it as quick as possible. If it takes me, you might still have a chance to escape."

"No!" she said fiercely, and he felt her hand slip into his as she stood bravely beside him. "The Angel's right, it's too late for that. If we go, we go together."

"So noble and yet so futile," the Angel mocked. "Goodbye, Miss Pond. Goodbye, Detective Inspector Tyler."