Evy tapped her fingers nervously on her lap, her mind racing a hundered miles per second.
"Doctor, we've got to do something more," she finally spoke up, "Closing her eyes will delay the Angel, but it will realize it's just a trick."
The Doctor turned to her. "I know, I know. But right now, I'm blank as a sheet. I've got nothing. Have you?"
"Well... we've got to take the Angel out completely, which is not possible at the moment," she suggested, glancing over at Amy. "We can create barricades in her mind until we can get it out."
"Barricade what?" Amy asked, her eyes still closed.
But no one seemed to pay her any attention. Hearing Evy's solution, River simply shook her head.
"Even so, creating a barricade in someone's mind would take days and months for something that powerful."
"And I've had years," Evy corrected before kneeling down in front of Amy, who was completely unaware of the situation due to her lack of sight.
"What? What do you mean?" She asked in a slightly panicked voice as she felt hands cup her cheeks. "What are you doing?"
Evy had brought up her hands to press her two fingers gently unto Amy's temples. The Doctor, realizing her plan, came up beside her and spoke,
"Amy, you have to trust us. Just clear your thoughts and take a deep breath. I promise, this won't hurt one bit."
Amy paused, giving a hesitant look before following, inhaling deeply as Evy slowly entered her thoughts. It was soothing, but sort of... ticklish.
"If you don't want me to see anything, just think of a door and close it," she heard Evy say into her mind.
Cool, she thought and much to Amy's surprise, Evy replied back, I know.
The Doctor just eyes the two quite impatiently as he started to pace around, tossing his sonic from one hand to the other.
"Doctor, we're too exposed here. We have to move on," Father Octavian instructed.
"So, Evy will delay the Angel long enough for us to get out," he stated, "But we need to maintain their neural link. We can't move them. Anyway, that's not the plan."
Evy raised a brow despite her closed eyes. "There's a plan?"
"Right! Father, you and your Clerics will stay here, look after Amy and Evy. If anything happens to them, I'll hold each of you personally responsible, twice," he growled before turning to River.
"River, you and me, we're going to find the Primary Flight Deck which is
We'll stabilize the wreckage. stop the Angels, and cure Amy."
"Doctor..." Evy called out, but no one paid her any attention.
"I'll do a thing. It's a thing in progress," he rambled on.
"Doctor."
"Respect the thing."
"Doctor!" Evy finally snapped and turned to him, opening her eyes widely.
"What?"
Looking closely, he noticed her wide eyes some kind of darkness to them. Something was wrong. Horribly wrong.
"I've made a terrible mistake..." He managed to breathe out, "The Angel... It's-"
Her body suddenly jerked forward as she clutched tightly at her head in pain. She snapped her eyes shut as the Doctor immediately came to her side.
"Evy?" Amy asked, panicked though she still kept her eyes shut. "Evy, what's wrong?"
"The A-Angel. It's- it's- Argh!" Was the only thing she managed to say until a growl tore through her throat, tightening her grip on her head.
The Doctor let River care for Evy as he stood up and angrily grabbed the comm. "Bob! What have the Angels done this time?"
"They saw an opportunity, sir," Angel Bob replied, almost a snicker in his voice.
"An opportunity for what?"
"With her power, they can take out all of you on sight. They thought it was just easier this way, sir."
The Doctor growled before tossing the comm to the ground, earning the attention of River.
"What is it? What have they done?"
The Doctor kneeled down beside them and scanned Evy with his sonic. "Once she opened Amy's mind, it became a two-way connection. Like a mind tunnel. The Angel managed to slip through there."
"Oh my god," Amy breathed out as she opened her eyes, only to be greeted by her shaking, dying sister.
"Evy! Evy, listen to me, do not let it pull through!" The Doctor commanded, though it didn't seem to be working.
"R-River..." She called out and the said woman came immediately to her side.
"Yes, darling, I'm here."
There was a pause. "Cuff me."
"What?"
Evy groaned, "Oh for Christ sake, just cuff me! Before you get hurt."
River shared a hesitant look with the Doctor before reaching into her pack to grab a pair of metal handcuffs. She sat her up and put her hands behind her back, sealing them in place with the cuffs. Ever since then, the red-head spoke not one word nor spared any of them a glance. Everyone took a step back just to be safe, but not the Doctor. He stared at her worried and spoke up,
"Evy, you've got to hang on. Please, I can help you, but you've got to hang on. I swear on my lives, I will get you out of here and-"
"On your lives?!" Evy repeated, louder than she would have wanted to. It was almost like a growl, accompanied by heavy, ragged breathing. The Doctor looked down at her; shaking and panting with her red hair covering her pale face. He knew she was barely holding on.
"E-Evy..." He tried to call out, but the only response he got was a spine-chilling, menacing laugh coming from Evy. No, the woman who used to be Evy.
She slowly lifted her head up, her hair falling to her shoulders to reveal an oh-so but not-quite-familiar scenery. Evy's face was white as a sheet with a few droplets of sweat over her brow. Her eyes were no longer the bright hazel brown ones the Doctor came to know, but a jet black, complimented by a sickeningly evil smirk tugging at her dry lips.
"Oh, Evy, Evy!" She taunted, "She's not here anymore."
Her voice- no, voices were a symphony of loud and soft, high and low, making the most blood-curdling sound the Doctor had ever heard. And the fact that they were coming from the woman he loved with both his hearts only made it - at least a million times - worse.
As not-Evy laughed, the Doctor motioned for everyone to stay behind him. Amy looked at him, face etched with worry, but he gave her a small nod of reassurance. Slowly, he began to walk over to Evy while still keeping a safe distance.
"No? Then where is she? What have you done to her?" He demanded, and not-Evy quickly stopped her giggling to turn to him.
She frowned, pretending to ponder. "Hmm, let's see... We've taken over her mind. Or rather, expanded it."
"But why choose her? You had Amy. Why transfer to her?"
"Oh Doctor, Doctor, do your homework! Your little Evy is part-Time Lord, part-TARDIS, are we not wrong? So what does that make her?"
The Doctor swallowed thickly. "...A god."
"Ding-ding!" She sang out, only making the Doctor flare up with rage. "Correct, a god! We just inhabited a god. So, guess what news I have for you?"
Amy stepped up beside the Doctor, gaze not faltering from her sister. "Doctor... What are they gonna do?"
Evy's head perked up in Amy's direction, hearing her concerned whispers. Although, they only flared up not-Evy's ego.
"Ah, you must be little Amelia! Evy's step-sister. How sweet."
"Leave her out of this," the Doctor growled, but she paid him no heed.
"Well, Amy darling, we're going to wipe out species and planets of all kinds and feast on this universe. But with your sister's abilities, we will take down this entire galaxy like wheat in a field."
Amy's blood ran cold. She knew Evy was incredibly strong physically with unique abilities, but she couldn't never have expected this. Not from her. Not from Evy.
"And once you've won," the Doctor asked instead, snapping Amy out of her thoughts. "Once you're kings of the universe, what happens to Evy?"
Angel Evy snickered. "...Is this love, Doctor?"
The Time Lord immediately froze. Not-Evy's words repeated in his head like a broken cassette tape. Was it love? Do I love her? Everyone - especially Amy and River - looked at him anxiously, waiting for an answer. Although, the Doctor just stared at Angel Evy, trying to ignore the fact that the tips of his ears were scarlet.
"Enough! Stop it," he demanded instead, walking over to not-Evy to glare at her in the face. "Let her go now and I might just spare you."
A pause. And then, "Are you really that stupid?"
There was a loud CLANG as Angel Evy yanked against her metal bonds, getting as close as she could to the Doctor's surprised face. He could feel her hot, ragged breaths on his face and he hated the fact that he was blushing.
"We won't harm a hair on her," Angel Evy whispered into his ear, "Not until we make her kill you. Slowly. Intimately. And in every way she knows you fear. And when she screams, we'll split her hearts into four new ones."
He couldn't take it anymore. The Doctor stood up immediately and walked back over to Amy with eyes wide and jaw clenched. He just stayed like that, silent and staring at the blades of grass beneath his feet. After what felt like hours, he finally decided on a word. One word.
"No."
Angel Evy frowned. "No...?"
"No. You won't rule the galaxy, devour planets and stars, you won't kill me and will most definitely not use Evelyn Paris to create mass destruction because I won't let you."
His voice was calm but direct, soft but serious, dark but filled with determination. Amy rarely saw this side of the Doctor, but one thing she knew is that when he did get like that, everyone should start running. The Oncoming Storm was coming.
"You think you can stop us?" Not-Evy scoffed, "Our host is a god."
"No, your host is Evelyn. And Evy would never ever hurt anyone. I know she's still in there. I just need to find her," he said before dashing back to a confused Angel Evy and scanning her with his sonic.
"Evy? Evy, it's the Doctor," he called out, "You can't let them do this. You've got to come back."
Although, Not-Evy was annoyed by his attempts. "Stop it! She's not here."
"No, I know she can see and hear me. Evy? Evy! I know you can take these guys. Come on!"
"You're asking for it, Time Lord," she growled and before anyone could react, the handcuffs keeping her in place disintegrated into dust. Amy and River backed up and the clerics raised their guns at Angel Evy as she stood up. And there they were. Her wings. But unlike the shining, golden ones before, they were ash black, similar to a raven's.
Her black irises began to glow and the Doctor knew this was it. He braced himself for impact as Angel Evy lifted her hand, strong gusts winds blowing around them. A dark, sand-like energy began to form around the palm if her hand, ready to destroy entire races.
"What a shame," she muttered to the Doctor specifically, "I think she was starting to like you."
The sentence lingered in his head for a few moments before snapping back to reality. The wind was blowing harshly and ash-like energy was forming around them. This was it. With his last sight being Evy, he slammed his eyes shut, bracing himself for impact. But... there was none.
Slowly, he opened his eyes and but they quickly widened at the sight before him. Angel Evy's left hand gripped her right wrist tightly, as if preventing her to do so. Her left eye was now the familiar honey brown. Immediately, he knew that there could only be one person responsible for this. Evy.
"T-this... universe..." She managed to choke out between ragged breaths, "Under my... pro..tection."
Angel Evy struggled to be free from Evy's grip. "W-what? No! How?!"
"You... may have my mind... B-but you don't have... my spirit."
And with that, all dark matters glowed a shimmering gold and the winds became as strong as a hurricane, making the Doctor barely keep his feet on the ground. The light around Evy got brighter, and brighter, and brighter until everything suddenly turned white.
~x~
The Doctor's eyelids fluttered open as he regained his senses. He looked around him and saw Amy, River and the clerics slowly beginning to open their eyes as well. That's when it clicked. Byzantium. Angels. Evy. Right.
He stood up and quickly went over to Evy, who was lying on the grass, completely stable. He whipped out his sonic and scanned her completely before gently shaking her and brushing the red hair off her face.
"Evy? Evy, you alright?" He asked and earned a soft moan from the red-head.
Slowly, her eyes opened and began to look around, only that the Doctor's grinning face was covering everything else.
Evy exhaled loudly. "Am I in heaven...?"
"Haha! Evelyn Pond!" The Doctor laughed nervously, but also in relief and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. "You. Are. A. Star!"
"Well... I do try," she muttered into his shoulder before pulling away. The Doctor happily helped her up to her feet, only for Evy to groan and collapse once more.
He immediately went to her side. "Evy? Evy, are you okay?"
The red-head looked up at him to reveal that her right iris had turned black once more. Evy slapped her hand over her eye, muttering a curse under her breath. Once she put her hand down, her eye was back to the same brown color it was before.
Being the Doctor, he pointed his screwdriver at her once more before analyzing the data on it.
His face fell. "Evy, the Angels are still in there. They're dazed, but... they can, and they will come back."
Suddenly, Father Octavian's voice called out to the two Time Lords. "Doctor, we have to move now. Before that quick setback, you said had a plan."
The Doctor stomped back over to him, anger flaring up quickly. "Setback?!" He yelled at him, "I'm sorry, was my companion a setback?"
"Doctor," River came up to him, attempting to calm him a little. "That's not the point. Bishop's right. We need to leave."
The Doctor seemed to pipe down a bit, but judging by his expression, Amy knew he was still upset.
"...Alright. Follow the plan before. River, Bishop and I, to the Flight Deck. Clerics, Amy and Evy, stay."
Although, Amy had different ideas. "No, Doctor, I'm coming with you."
"No, you're going to stay here and watch your sister," he corrected, gesturing over to Evy, who was sitting on a rock, visibly weak. "Make sure she doesn't go berserk again."
After a hesitant pause, Amy slowly nodded and went over to her sister, helping her up to lean on one of the trees. Well... oxygen-making robot trees. The Doctor went to kneel down in front of Evy, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Evy, we can't protect you on the move. You'll be safer here."
"More like you'll be safer without me," Evy joked, pointing out the fact that the Angels could still be unleashed and cause serious damage as long as she was there.
The Doctor chuckled before instructing, "Try not to get cross. You could try close your eyes, might delay the Angels long enough till we can get to you. And I promise we will."
"...You always say that," she whispered softly, remembering the 12-year Leadworth accident.
"I always come back," he reasoned, making Evy manage a small smile. He wasn't entirely wrong. Doing as he instructed a few moments ago, she closed her eyes.
With a quick kiss on the forehead - and a blush from Evy - the Doctor stood up and went in the middle of the group, gaining everyone's attention.
"Good luck everyone. Behave. Do not let that girl open her eyes. And keep watching the forest. Stop those Angels advancing. Amy, later!" He called out, quickly tapping Amy on the forehead before turning to River. "River, going to need your computer."
Evy was entirely sure - as her eyes were closed - but she could tell by the sound of footsteps fading and the silence, the Doctor and River had already left. Although, just when she thought they were alone, the Doctor's voice called out,
"Amelia Pond! Come here."
There was a few sound of footsteps and in audible voices - belonging to the Doctor and Amy, no doubt - but other than that, she had no clue what was going on. She thought the Doctor had already left with River.
After a few minutes of muffled talking, a voice belonging to Amy called out,
"...I don't understand! Doctor! Doctor?"
She lifted her head, the pain having subsided a bit, as Amy quieted down, now convinced that the Doctor had left. But Evy knew otherwise. She could feel a distinct rush of adrenaline in her system and her hearts were beating faster than they had been before.
She whispered hesitantly, "I know you're there."
There was a deep, throaty chuckle that sounded like it was coming from in front of her.
"You always know," the Doctor said.
Evy heard him shift and he was kneeling in front of her. She smiled, beginning to open her eyes, when she felt a hand cover them.
"Don't," the Doctor ordered. Evy stiffened at the edge in his voice and nodded slightly. She heard him sigh.
"Sorry," he whispered, removing his hand. "Just... worried."
"You don't need to be worried about me," Evy assured him. "But you might wanna worry about yourself."
"And why is that?"
"The Angels are trying to break out of their cage. I can feel it. You wouldn't want to be around me if they do."
"...What if I do want to be with you?"
Evy just hope he wouldn't notice the pink blush painted across her face. What if he did want to be with me? No, no, stupid! He probably just meant something else.
"Heh, other blokes would have gone scurrying away by now," she joked instead, pushing away any romantic thoughts.
"Well, I'm not other blokes," he reasoned and Evy chuckled. "But, why would they run from you? Beautiful, brilliant, brave Evy."
Evy swallowed thickly. She had been trying to abandon the thought of having a relationship for years. Most especially from the Doctor.
"They're afraid," she answered softly, "Of me. Men have been trying to get to me for 12 years, but I... push them away."
"Why?"
"...Because I'm different. You know how that feels, don't you, Doctor? I can't ever be with someone because they will be afraid... Although, I don't blame them," Evy joked, trying to break the serious conversation.
But the Doctor didn't laugh. "...Evy... I'm not afraid."
"I-I don't... understand."
The Doctor reached out and tucked a piece of Evy's hair behind her ear before gently grabbing her both of her hands, clutching them closely to his chest.
"I'm not afraid to try, Evy. And I know I may seem like I am when I hide from things or run away from the future, but it's not the monsters or you I'm afraid of... It's myself. There's something in me that I'm hiding from you. That I've always been hiding."
Evy frowned. "Doctor... what are you talking about?"
"But I can be brave. Teach me how and I can be brave for you. I promise."
As he spoke, the Doctor's voice was shaky and his grip on Evy's hands tightened. Evy felt him lace his fingers with hers before gently opening them and placing them on his chest. And, there they were. His hearts. On her palm, she felt a light, but fast thudding and...
Evy stopped as she felt a familiar material beneath her fingertips. It was a tweed jacket, the one the Doctor always wore. But he had lost his to the Weeping Angels a few minutes ago. So…how was he wearing this one?
"Doctor..." she said, running her fingers over the material. "Where did you get-"
But Evy was cut off by the Doctor as he immediately put a finger to her lips, silencing her. After he shut her up for good, his hand slowly made their way to Evy's cheek before tracing her jawline with the pad of his thumb.
She heard the Doctor shift closer and Evy's breath hitched when she realized that his face was merely a hair away from hers. In fact, she could feel his breaths on her skin, his chin was resting on hers, their noses brushing against each other and their lips oh-so close. At this moment, Evy was completely frozen from his touch. They grew closer, and closer, and closer until the Doctor's soft lips were merely ghosting over hers.
But just when the Doctor was about to close the gap, he stopped. Dead silence. And then,
"...I-I have to go," he said softly but firmly. Before Evy could react, he removed his hand that held her cheek and moved out of her reach. Although, she felt his lips on her forehead and then, like a ghost, he was gone once more.
She heard shuffling beside her and nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a hand - a feminine one this time - touch her shoulder.
"Don't worry, it's me," a voice reassured. Amy. The Scottish red-head helped Evy up and led her to sit down on a log nearby. "Did he talk to you? Was that the Doctor?"
"... I don't know," Evy half-lied. She was pretty convinced it was the Doctor, but something told her it was not him. She shook her head, pushing aside thoughts of the paradox.
"Okay..." Amy nodded slightly, "What did he tell you, then?"
"I don't know."
Amy sighed. "Is that all you're going to say?"
"Mm… Probably," Evy joked earning an eye roll and a whack on the arm from her Scottish sister. They burst into a fit of giggles, and Evy could feel the clerics' eyes on them. She didn't care much though.
Amy's chuckles began to become less and less clearer to her, slowly fading as Evy's smile fell. What did the Doctor say to me? What did he mean by 'wanting to try' and all of that? For some reason, Evy was convinced that it wasn't only his usual rambling, but a hint for something important. Or something that will be important. But... what?
~x~
"What's happening?" Evy asked, clanging the chains when there was no response. "Oi!"
For the past 30 minutes - that flew by like hours - Amy and the clerics had been watching Evy closely like a hawk. A few couple of times, Evy would suddenly snap and blurt out some angry words in the Angels' voice they couldn't understand. After the second time, she firmly instructed them to tie her up on one of the trees and use metal chains... just in case. So now with her movement and eyesight robbed from her, Evy had to say, she felt a bit uneasy.
Amy hesitated for a moment, unsure. "I think….I think the Angels are going after the trees."
"The trees?"
"Mhm. All the electric trees are going out," the red-head confirmed, trying to see exactly what was happening. "The Doctor will fix it. He said he could fix it from the primary flight deck."
The clerics around them were shouting things to each other, but Amy and Evy couldn't make them out. The cleric who seemed to be in charge pointed into the trees, two of the others following his finger until they disappeared from sight. Marco and Pedro – the two remaining – began to speak again, still too low for Evy to hear.
"What ever is happening, I would like to know," she asked, her voice high and nervous from missing her sight an lack of movement. "What's going on?"
"Just keep your eyes shut and keep still, ma'am," one of them called back to her.
Evy's temper flared at being dismissed so quickly, but kept her cool. Best to be on the safe side and not snap, as the Angels might take over once more.
Amy pulled her arm up to shield her eyes as a blindingly bright light flooded through the forest.
"Is the ship on fire?" she asked incredulously, trying to squint to see.
The cleric nearest her - Pedro - said that it couldn't be because the compressors could've fixed it.
"The Angels have gone," Marco noted once the light had faded a bit.
"What?" Evy screeched, gripping the chains tighter, "Where've they gone?"
She was restrained, robbed of her eyesight and surrounded by creatures that only move when you can't see them…she had to admit, she was in a bit of a sticky situation.
"Are they coming after us?"
Amy stepped back and put a hand on her arm, showing that she was right by her side. "Don't worry. We're gonna be alright."
Evy jerked her arm back. "Don't touch me! Please, I told you to stay away. Just- just tell me what's going on."
"There's movement farther on," Marco told them, "Looks like the Angels are running."
"Running from what?" Evy asked, her brow scrunched up in confusion. The Weeping Angels didn't seem the type to run and hide.
Marco walked to the trees at the edge of the clearing, looking off to where the bright light was coming from.
"I dunno. There's this….thing here…maybe they're running from the light?"
"It's like a curtain of energy, sort of shifting," Marco tried to explain, "Makes you feel sick to look at it."
"You wanna go check it out?"
"Nah. You go, Pedro," he replied, still looking out at the light. "Just be careful."
"Alright. Keep an eye on these two," Pedro added with a jerk of his head towards the Pond sisters, who gave an indignant "Oi!"
Amy squinted at the light, her eyes struggling to make any sense of the scene. When they finally adjusted to focus on the source of the light, her jaw went slack.
"But that's…" she breathed, her eyes widening despite the intense light. "That shouldn't be..."
"Sorry, ma'am? Do you know something about it?"
Amy blinked, still staring at it. "Yeah, but it shouldn't….he got rid of it," she mumbled absentmindedly.
"Sorry," she said, jerking back to reality and tearing her eyes away from the light. "It's just... It's the crack on my bedroom wall. Then the Doctor came and the prisoner came out and then the Doctor saved the earth set it all right again. It was gone. So why is it back?"
There was a pregnant pause. And then, "Do you want me to go have a look?"
"Pedro will be back soon," Evy chimed in, "Don't want to risk anyone else."
"Pedro?"
"Yeah, Pedro, the cleric you just sent," Evy thought for a moment. "Come to think of it, the other two've been gone for quite some time now."
"The other two? I'm sorry ma'am, but there's only ever been the three of us here," Marco said and Evy shared a confused look with Amy.
"No! There was Pedro and Philip and…Crispin!" Amy cried, hoping for some sort of reaction from him. Nothing.
"Crispin?" Marco said after a while, as though he'd been thinking over it. "I don't think I know a Crispin."
"You sent him away not even an hour ago!" She waited for a response, but there was none.
"You've forgotten," Evy said quietly. "I don't know how, and I don't know when, but you've forgotten all about Crispin, Pedro, and Phillip. Like they never even existed," she finished in a terrified whisper.
Marco made a noise and Amy jerked her head up to see him staring at the light with a sort of….she could only describe it as lust etched onto his face.
"I've got to go and see what it is," he told them, his voice raspy and rather desperate. "I can't explain it, I just….I need to check it out. Just gimme two minutes," he said, pulling a communicator from his bag and handing it to a doubtful Amy.
"Here's the spare. I'll be back in a moment, it's just in case."
She hesitated. "I…I dunno. Maybe the light's doing something funny with our heads."
Evy sighed loudly. "Yes, thanks, sis! See, finally you lot get it."
Amy, who had looked down at Evy when she'd begun to speak, looked back up at Marco, about to agree with Evy. That light wasn't natural. But the cleric had already stood and was making his way toward the edge of the clearing.
She jumped up, the communicator slipping to the soft forest floor at her feet, and rushed after him, catching his arm to stop him.
"No! What if it's gonna kill you or something? You've completely forgotten Phillip, Crispin, and Pedro, which to me seems a lot worse than dying! Just wait a bit and see what the Doctor has to say, please."
Marco yanked his arm out of her grip, meeting her eyes with a half-crazed sort of smile, and then turned and ran toward the light.
"He's gone?" Evy asked, her voice quivering slightly beneath the condescending mask. "Suicidal nutter," she mumbled, though Evy could tell she was worried sick.
The communicator by her feet beeped and she fumbled around for a bit before grabbing it. "Hello?"
"I'm still alive. Haven't forgotten me yet, have you?" It was Marco. "I'm here. Looking at it….'s really weird. Kinda like a --" static.
"Hello? Hello?" Amy tried again, clutching it so hard she feared it might break. Please answer, please answer, please answer…..
There was only static.
~x~
"Amy? Evy? Are you there?" The Doctor asked, praying to anyone who was listening that one of them would pick up.
"Doctor?" It was Amy; she sounded overjoyed. "Oh my God, it's you!"
His face fell at the franticness of her tone. "What's wrong? Where's Evy? Has she snapped?"
"She's fine, she's here, but Doctor, the clerics, they –"
"It's the crack, Doctor," Evy cut in. "The crack in the universe, like on Amy's wall."
He drew in a sharp breath. "Yeah. Change of plans. Transporter's dead, so I'm gonna need you two to come back here yourselves. We're on the other end of the forest right now."
"….What about Evy?" Amy asked in a worried tone. The Doctor was clueless for a moment, but then it clicked. The Angels were still with Evy. She was like a ticking time-bomb, ready to snap any moment and kill. Getting her out of those bonds would be a big risk to Amy.
He paused for a moment. "Amy... Do you trust your sister?"
"Of course."
"With your life?"
A hesitant pause. "…Yes."
"Good. Then take her with you," he instructed, "Lead her to the right direction."
"And... how would we know the right direction?"
The Doctor's mind was racing a hundred miles a minute. He scrambled for an idea, and it was already in motion before he'd formulated it. He had to keep Amy and Evy safe.
"Alright, the communicator. It's going to buzz, just turn around until it sounds like my screwdriver. Just turn on the spot. When it sounds like my screwdriver, you're facing the right direction."
"Thank you. Come on, Evy," she said. He could hear the click of the cuffs and the sound of grass rustling. After a moment, she spoke again. "Got it."
"Doctor," Evy began, probably taking the communicator as they began to walk. "When the clerics left, Marco couldn't even remember who they were. Is that….is that going to happen to us?"
"No," he said firmly, "I'm not going to let it."
"The Angels are going to get them," River – the ever positive – pointed out. At least she was quiet enough that the comm didn't pick up her words. "They won't survive."
The Doctor spun to her, his face red and his jaw strained. "What else can I do, huh? Have you got a better idea? Because I'd love to hear it!"
He was screaming by the end of his sentence, and he should've felt bad as she flinched away but he didn't. River Song was afraid of him and he didn't care.
"Doctor, there's Angels," Amy said in a panicked tone, "I can see them, coming around the trees."
His attention was back on them in an instant. "Don't blink, Amy. Whatever you do, don't blink. They might be a bit distracted, might ignore you, but I don't want to take any chances. Don't blink. I can't lose either of you," he mumbled, almost too quiet for the comm to pick up on.
They were silent for a few minutes, save for terrified heavy breathing and the occasional startled shriek, generally followed by a sheepish apology. The Doctor and River worked at their respective computers, putting everything they had into rewiring the internal mechanisms of the communicator from miles away. The Doctor anxiously bit at his thumbnail, a habit that seemed to be new to this body. They just need to hold on for just a few…more...
CRASH
...seconds.
He caught Evy as she stumbled back, River catching Amy.
"You're safe," he told them. "Evy, don't open your eyes and don't get cross. "
You're back on the flight deck. The Doctor and I got the teleport working, you're fine," River explained, still holding onto Amy.
"Actually, River and I rewrote the entire system makeup for the communicator and created a new teleport. But what's the difference, really?" the Doctor asked absently, his eyes never leaving Evy as he held her to him. "As long as it worked."
"Told you," River replied with a smirk and the Doctor nodded rather mindlessly, still staring at Evy, who was starting to get quite uncomfortable.
"Um..." Evy bit her lip, "Doctor?"
"Hm..?" He answered dreamily, unable to wipe the goofy smile off his face.
"...You can let go of me now."
His eyes widened as he felt the heat creep up to his cheeks. His hands had subconsciously moved their way onto Evy's hips, making their faces merely an inch or two away. Even without her sight, she was able to tell by the closeness of his breath.
"Ah! Y-yes, right! Sorry... I just- um..." He immediately pulled away before awkwardly patting her on the head. "I'm, uh, glad you're back safe."
A shrill alarm rang throughout the deck made the Time Lords snap right into attention.
"What's that?" Amy asked. "That a fire alarm or something?"
"The Angels are draining the last of the ship's power," the Doctor said slowly, going over to the wall with the shields. "Which means these are going to release."
Sure enough, within moments, the bulkhead lifted to reveal a dozen, if not more, Angels staring back at them. There was one Angel closer than the rest, and the Doctor stepped right up to it.
"Angel Bob, I presume."
"The Time Field is coming, sir. It will destroy our reality," the statue said in Bob's voice. Its mouth never moved.
"Yeah, and look at you all," the Doctor said, gesturing at them, "You're running away. What can I do for you?"
"There is a rupture in time. The Angels calculate that if you throw yourself into it, it will close, and they will be saved."
Amy and River shared a look before giving him a glare, pleading for him not to do anything stupid.
"Yeah, I could do that. But why?" He asked calmly, giving the two a wink of reassurance.
"Your friends would also be saved, sir," Bob told them, and he sounded more sincere in this sentence.
The Doctor seemed as though he were actually considering it for a moment, but River cut him off before he could say anything.
"I'm complicated! I've travelled in space and time – throw me in instead!"
The Doctor rolled his eyes, but stepped a bit in front of River, as though he were protecting her.
"Oh, be serious. Compared to me, these Angels are more complicated than you, and it would take every one of them to amount to me, so get a grip."
"I can't let you do this, Doctor."
He turned to her. "No seriously, get a grip."
She was persistent. "I can't let you die here, it's too –"
The Doctor turned to Evy instead and laced his hands in hers. "All of you need to get a grip."
Although she couldn't see his expression, something in the way he said it proudly made it click with Evy.
What had he said earlier, about the artificial gravity? If the Angels were killing the power, then that meant….
He smiled as he moved her hands towards a desk in front of them, motioning for her to grip tightly onto it. River mirrored them, telling Amy to do the same on the other desk.
"You genius," Evy breathed, looking up at the Doctor with a smile while still keeping her eyes shut.
"Hold tight to that," he whispered to her, who just sort of whole-heartedly followed directions, focusing on trying to understand the scene with only her ears.
"Sir," Angel Bob began, "I'm sorry, really I am, but there isn't another option. We need you."
"Oh, and I'm sorry, Bob, but I think the Angels have forgotten who they're dealing with. Thing is, the Angels are draining all the power from this ship. Every last bit of it. I think you've all forgotten the gravity of the situation. Or, to put it in other words…"
He grabbed the railing beside him on the wall. "...night, night."
Evy was reminded vividly of being sucked into the Void at Canary Warf as the gravity failed and their bodies were lifted into the air, clammy hands struggling to keep a hold on the desk.
The Angels fell back into the searing light the way water drips – one or two and then all of them at once.
Evy had to admit, she felt guilt. For Bob, at least.. She heard screaming to her right and she wrapped an arm around Amy's, trying her best to keep her sister secure.
All of a sudden, they all crashed to the floor in a heap, the silence after the deafening wind ringing in their ears.
Before she could even stand up, the Doctor hugged her in a protective manner and she could feel his hearts beating like mad.
"That was a bit to reminiscent for my liking," he pulled back to chuckle nervously and she had to bite back a laugh.
"Tell me about it," she gave a short laugh, thinking back to that event. Canary Warf. Doomsday. She was pulled in, but the breach closed in the nick of time. Although, she suffered a few broken bones from hitting the wall with massive impact.
"Anyways, I'm fine, Mister Worry-wart."
She heard him groan and could already imagine him rolling his eyes. "Ah, and, Evy?" She heard him call, "Open your eyes."
Slowly but surely, her eyes fluttered open before wincing slightly at the sudden brightness of everything. Then before her, she saw a blurry figure grinning widely at her.
"Oh. Hello..." She said breathlessly, "Doctor."
"Hello!" He waved his hands at her before the two burst into laughter. For what reason? None that they knew of.
They were like that for a while, looking like two daft alien idiots, laughing their brains out. After a minute or two, River cleared her throat, and the Doctor looked over his shoulder to see the woman standing next to Amy, looking a bit impatient.
Evy coughed embarrassingly before straightening her clothes and striding past the Doctor and through the corridor. She was later joined by Amy, who said a series of words that were in audible, but upon hearing them, River could've sworn she saw Evy blush.
The Doctor, on the other hand, just sat there for a moment, staring at her fondly, not noticing that a smile began to tug at his lips. River watched him in amusement before coming over to help him up.
"So... Having fun, are we?" She waggled her eyebrows, making him blush a light pink.
"Ye- No! I mean- I... S-shut up..."
~x~
The Doctor had been jogging to catch up to River and the Ponds. A few minutes later, he climbed up the ladder and out onto the sand once more. Father Octavian and his remaining clerics formed a huddle a few yards away. Amy and River seemed to be having a meaningful conversation and sitting on a rock was Evy, who had a blanket over her.
He walked over to her, sitting on another rock beside her and greeted, "Hey."
"Hey," she smiled before slipping the blanket off her shoulders. "They keep putting this blanket on me. What's this for?"
"It's a shock blanket," he explained, eyeing the red fabric, "It's for people in shock."
Evy just raised a brow before folding the blanket neatly and handing it to a cleric. "Shock? What do you mean shock, I'm not in shock. Why would I be?"
"You just got mind-controlled by an alien to destroy the universe," The Doctor stated, "You nearly died. I think normal people would be in shock. Well... I guess we're anything but normal."
Evy chuckled before looking over her shoulder to see two figures nearby. River and Amy. She turned back to the Doctor before standing up.
"I'll be right back," she told him and he gave a slight nod and a smile. She started to walk away and then turned to gave Amy a hug.
"I'm glad you're okay," she told her sincerely.
Amy laughed. "I'm glad I'm okay, too," she admitted. "But seriously, thank you. For taking the Angel for me. You always were a protective older sister."
Evy rolled her eyes but smiled before walking over to River.
"Hey. So I heard you're in prison right now," she said, earning a chuckle from River.
"Yeah. Hoping this might be enough for an official pardon," she said with a sigh, looking down at her cuffed hands.
"I don't know what to say to you," she admitted with a breezy little laugh. "I've met the Doctor who doesn't know me before, but I've never met the you that doesn't. It's weird."
Evy gives her an apologetic little smile. She doesn't know what to say either. "Who are you, in the future?"
"Oh, I can't tell you that." She winked. "Spoilers."
Evy grinned. "I might have to steal that word off of you, it's brilliant. So... are we friends, then? In the future?"
River gave a sort laugh and threw her a wink. "The best."
Something beeped on her arm and she looked down at it. "I think that's my ride. I'll see you later, darling. When the Pandorica opens. Tell that to the Doc, would you? I'm a bit busy at the moment."
Evy smiled weakly and waved goodbye just as River disappeared with a flash. She had called him Doc. Nobody called him Doc. The said man – the Doctor – and Amy walked up behind her.
"I think I like her," Amy commented, "Nice dramatic exit."
The Doctor laughed, slinging one arm around her shoulders and was about to do the same with Evy, but she stepped forward and missed his arm completely. Not saying that was a complete accident, though.
"She said to tell you she'd see us at the Pandorica. When it opens. Now, why does that sound familiar?" Evy questioned, looking back as she began to walk ahead.
"You see, my dear girls, the Pandorica is a fairytale," he whispered as they headed back into the TARDIS, the doors having been opened by Evy's key.
"But I suppose," he drawled, dropping his arms from their shoulders and swaggering up to the console, "that pretty much everything's a fairytale before we come along and prove it wrong."
The sisters laughed and grabbed onto things as the ship shook and rocked beneath their feet,
unsteadying them.
~x~
The TARDIS materialized in a small, familiar room in Leadworth. The Ponds sighed in relief as they stepped out of the doors to finally be somewhere safe and secure for once. Amy and the Doctor sat at the edge if Amy's bed as Evy headed straight towards the door.
"I've got a splitting headache. I'll just pop the kettle on," she told them before heading out, leaving the two alone.
Evy exhaled loudly, leaning on the wooden door for a moment to rest her physically and mentally exhausted body. She didn't realized she was tired until now, actually. Gathering her strength, she managed to bring herself downstairs and grab a metal kettle from underneath the cabinets. It was a bit rusty, but it would do.
She reached up to the shelf and grabbed a small box, opening it to find little packets of tea. Though her eyesight was a bit blurry at the moment, she was able to read, 'Golden Flower tea'. She smiled. Her favorite.
She was snapped out of her thoughts by a shrill whistle. The kettle. Slowly, she poured the hot water into her mug and dipped in the tea bag, bobbing it up and down.
Ten minutes later, Evy still had the mug in her hand. She hadn't bothered how it was starting to burn her palm, but she was instead pondering about the Doctor back in the oxygen factory. It was something she couldn't get out of her mind so easily.
'There's something in me that I'm hiding from you. That I've always been hiding.'
Something about him was so different...
'But I can be brave. Teach me how and I can be brave for you. I promise.'
Yet... something made her completely, honestly, truly trust him.
But there were several things wrong with what had happened. First of all, where had the jacket been on the primary flight deck? It was still glaringly absent from him there and he still hadn't explained it yet.
She had been about to ask the Doctor where he had gotten a new tweed jacket from, but he shut her up by putting a finger to her lips. Something he did often. But this time it was different. It seemed he had another intention than just to silence her. Was he going to…?
No, no, no. He couldn't have.
Evy leaned back against the chair, taking a sip from her tea. It was pointless while she was trying to work all this stuff out, not to mention the fact that she would probably be called in pretty soon to clarify anything Amy said about her engagement to Rory.
~x~
Amy and the Doctor sat on the edge of her bed, neither of the two having any clue of what to say to the other. They had just nearly died in the Byzantium, after all. There was not much to say. But thankfully, after what felt like hours, Amy broke the silence between them.
"You don't know what's happening, do you?"
The Doctor snapped right into attention and frowned. "What do you mean? Of course I know, I'm the Doctor."
"You're totally clueless." Amy laughed, "You've fallen in love with my sister, and you don't even know it."
"I have not!" The Doctor protested indignantly, straightening up, even as his face flushed red. "Evy is amazing, but I'm not… In love with her."
But Amy was anything but convinced. "Oh, please. You're all 'googly-eyes' for her!" She insisted and the Doctor gave her a confused look, but she swore she saw him blush.
"What I-I don't..." He trailed off, realizing that Amy was, in fact, right. Ever since he had regenerated into his 11th face, he seemed to look at Evy in a... 'different way'. Hoping Amy wouldn't notice his scarlet ears, he quickly tried to compose himself. But his regeneration's stuttering habit betrayed him.
"I-It's just the way I, um, look at all of my companions."
Amy eyed him suspiciously as he began to fidget on the edge of her bed, clearly nervous. "So, whatever way you 'look at' Evy," she began, leaning in closer to him and lowering her voice.
"Can I be looked at in that way, too?"
If the Doctor wasn't as red as a cherry, he sure as hell was now.
"W-wha- what?!"
He scooted slightly away from Amy, as the red-head gave a short laugh and pointed at him triumphantly.
"A-ha! So you do look at Evy in 'that way'," she grinned, emphasizing the last words by gesturing quotation marks with her fingers. The Doctor just looked at her in shock, eyes wide and jaw dropped. Did he just give himself away? Stupid, stupid Doctor!
"You can't fool me now, Doctor. You're in love," Amy revealed, "with my sister."
~x~
After a couple of minutes, once Evy finished the warm tea, there came a significant thump from upstairs. Specifically, Amy's room.
Evy frowned. What was that? Are those two trying to bring down the house or something?
She grabbed her mug and slowly walked up the stairs, holding into the railing so she wouldn't suddenly collapse. She still felt faint, after all. As she grew closer and closer to the bedroom door, she began to her muffled voices and faint footsteps.
Curious, Evy leaned her head against the door and tried to make out whatever they were saying.
"…nine hundred and seven years old. Do you understand what that means?"
"It's been awhile?" Amy remarked, her voice sounding to Evy, almost seductive.
"Ye- No, no, no! I'm nine hundred and seven, and look at me; I don't get older, I just change. You get older, I don't, and this can't ever work!"
What's he going on about? Evy wondered, deciding to take hold of the door knob.
"Oh, you are sweet Doctor," Amy coyly remarked. "But I really wasn't suggesting anything quite so…long-term."
That was it. She turned the knob and quickly opened the door to find the Doctor pushed helplessly against the TARDIS and Amy pressed against him as she... kissed him?!
Evy's eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped. What the hell was Amy thinking?! Kissing the Doctor on the night before her wedding?! Evy's hearts sped up and her hands gripped on the doorframe tightly. Although, the other hand did the opposite. Unnoticeably, her fingers failed to keep their grip on a certain glass mug.
As the loud CRASH came to their ears, the duo's lips broke apart with a smack. They turned to their witness with wide eyes.
"E-Evy! There you are!" The Doctor said, pulling up one of his suspenders. "T-this was just- um... N-nothing!"
"Evy? I-I thought you were downstairs," Amy tried but the said woman didn't even seem to process any of it.
She was still in complete shock, only barely following what her brain told her to do. And at present, it was telling her to get out. Now.
So, her eyes still wide and expression blank, she slowly closed the door without saying a word. Evy just stood there for a moment, staring daggers at the wooden door. But once she regained her senses, she decided to listen some more.
"...But you're human!" the Doctor objected, "You're Amy! You're getting married in the morning!" He stopped suddenly before musing, "In the morning…"
"No, no, do not sleep with her!" Evy whispered.
"Doctor?" Amy's voice sounded hopeful and Evy felt her teeth clench at it.
"It's you, it's all about you, everything!" the Doctor rambled excitedly, "It's about you."
"Hold that thought," Amy suggestively ordered. Evy heard a bed creak.
"Amy Pond. Mad, impossible, Amy Pond. I don't know why, I have no idea, but quite possibly the single most important thing in the history of the universe is that I get you sorted out right now."
She heard his voice and footsteps come closer to the door and she immediately straightened herself up. The bedroom door opened and Evy saw the Doctor jump slightly at the sight of her.
"Oh, 'sorted out'?" she asked him, disgusted. "Is that what we're calling it now?"
"Evy, please. I-I can explain!" He tried.
"You better," she told him before stepping into the room to face a flustered Amy. "And you. I'm... disappointed. I know you can do better than this."
The Scottish girl's face fell into guilt as she stared at the floor, not bearing to look at her sister's face. The two guilty convicts followed Evy and stepped into the TARDIS, neither of the three saying a word.
~~~~~CHAPTER 2 END~~~~~
I am SO SO SORRY! I just came home from vacation and ad to edit this story A LOT. Anyways, I'm going to do a double update and I made this chapter EXTRA long to make up for it. I hope you guys forgive me ;-;
Anywho, hopefully you like this chapter and the next one! Vampires in Venice was definitely ne of my favorite episodes, so I'm hoping I did justice to it.
Thanks, sorry again, please favorite and/or follow this story if you liked it, and leave a review coz I really love to hear your comments and suggestions.
Good day!
-Anj :)