CHAPTER 12
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Amy smiled at the sight of Karen holding Anthony. Anthony seemed to be able to tell that she wasn't his original mother because he looked at her questioningly, but he didn't cry or yell. He eventually smiled at Karen and began to laugh when she talked baby talk to him.
"He's adorable. I was afraid that he would cry at first, but he seems okay," Karen said as she lightly kissed Anthony's forehead.
"He's okay. He knows that you won't hurt him. He knows that I would never hurt him in any form, don't you?" Amy asked Anthony.
Anthony smiled at Amy and giggled as Karen handed him over to her. After she put him to bed, the two of them quietly went out of his bedroom and walked back into the Console Room where they waited for everyone to come back from their shopping.
Amy knew that the rest of her family would be surprised when they saw two Amys greeting them as they came back from shopping on Barcelona. She was dreading their reactions and was visibly nervous while she waited for them to return.
"Why are you nervous for? At least you know that they accept and love you. I'm the one that has to worry about being rejected," Karen said.
"I'm worried for you, Karen. You're a part of me after all," Amy said.
"Thanks. I'm glad that you're not as anti-Ganger as I once was. That's ironic, isn't it? A Ganger who's anti-Ganger! The Doctor must have had a good laugh on the inside at that one," Karen said sadly.
"Stop that. That's in the past. Think about the future, Karen," Amy said as she put her arms around her to comfort her.
"Thank you again, Amy. It's so weird to call someone else that. I still think of myself as Amy Pond even now you know," Karen admitted.
"That's okay. You are me. I freely admit that. It doesn't bother me," Amy said.
"Since when did I get so mellow? I was sure that you'd start yelling at me or something," Karen said.
"I think finding out that I'm not who I thought I was kind of knocked that kind of thing out of my system already," Amy admitted.
"That's what's really strange. Everything I am or thought I was is a lie," Karen said.
"No, it's not. We are Amy. Nothing about Amy Pond is a lie. She's our true self. Man, it's weird to be talking about myself in the third person!" Amy said.
Karen laughed as she said, "Yeah, you're starting to come across as someone pompous and full of themselves."
"Like the Doctor!" they both said at the same time.
They both burst out laughing just as Rory walked back into the Console Room. He had been moving some of Amy's clothes into a room for Karen. Amy had been going to do it, but he had volunteered to instead. He wanted the two Amys to get to know each other better. It sounded like they were getting to know each other a little too well now though as he looked at them with a nervous grin.
"Who are you laughing at?" Rory asked as he feared it might be him.
"Oh, don't worry so much! It's not you, Rory. It's the Doctor," Amy reassured him.
"Good. Seeing two Amys laughing together was making me nervous," Rory admitted.
"You act like we're about to knock you unconscious at any minute or something. Stop being so silly!" Amy said.
"Yeah, we only do things like that when we're angry. Right now we're in a good mood," Karen said with a mischievous grin.
As Rory continued to look at the two of them warily, the others slowly started coming back in. Selene appeared first and quickly did a double take as she saw the two Amys standing there.
"What's going on here? This is either Rory's dream come true or his worst nightmare. I'll let Rory take his pick on that one!" Selene joked.
"You're a barrel of laughs, Selene. Why don't you save it for the improv?" Amy said.
"Who are you?" Karen asked.
"You don't know me?" Selene asked.
"She's a clone of the human me. She has no memories of Gallifrey," Amy explained.
"Oh. I'm her sister. Well, your sister now too I suppose," Selene said.
"I always wanted a sister. For a long time, I never even had a family," Karen said as she slowly moved toward Selene.
Selene looked at Amy uncomfortably as she didn't know what to do. Karen meanwhile knew what she wanted to do but wasn't certain if she should or not.
"Go ahead, Karen. She won't bite. I don't think," Amy said with a grin.
"Funny! Maybe you should be at the comedy clubs instead of me," Selene said sarcastically.
Karen finally gathered up her courage and overcame her fear of rejection as she wrapped her arms around Selene and hugged her tightly. Selene smiled as she hugged her back. It was strange at first, and then she felt extremely happy about it. She had three sisters now.
"Thank you. Thank you for not pushing me away," Karen finally said after she let go of Selene.
"Oh, please. I was never going to do that. Once you get to know me better you'll find that out. We're going to be the best of friends, Karen. You'll see. Maybe we can even team up against Amy and Rory together sometimes. I mean who better to ask how Amy thinks than you," Selene said with a malicious grin on her face.
Karen looked confused at first until she realized that Selene was teasing her. At least she hoped she was. The two sisters seemed to love each other a lot from what she had already seen of them so she was sure that she didn't mean what she had said at face value. She decided to laugh along with Selene.
"She's the comedian of our little group," Amy said confirming this.
Julia stepped inside the TARDIS then followed by Amber. Amber and Julia had become very close since Amber had joined Amy's crew, and they were now almost inseparable. They were like sisters at this point, and Amy couldn't be happier about that. She was also a little worried about it at the same time though. She didn't want Amber to teach Julia any of her bad habits after all.
Julia looked from Amy to Karen and back again in confusion as she asked, "Mum?"
"Julia, this is Karen. She's my clone who was made back when I was still human. I thought she was dead, but I'm happy to say that she's not. Karen, this is my daughter Julia and my friend Amber," Amy said.
"Your daughter? I wasn't gone that long, was I?" Karen asked in shock.
"I adopted her. She lost her parents," Amy explained.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Karen said to Julia.
Julia looked confused as if she didn't know what to think for a minute. Then she finally started to smile as she ran to hug Karen. Karen hugged her back gratefully.
"You can be my Aunt Karen. This is fun. I have an aunt! It's going to be a little confusing though. How am I going to tell you apart?" Julia asked.
"I've been wondering that myself," Rory said.
"I don't know yet. Maybe one of us could change their hair color or get shorter hair?" Amy suggested.
"Uh, no! The hair's staying the same. No one's touching my hair," Karen said firmly.
"Okay, okay! It was just a suggestion," Amy said with a frown.
"Hello," Amber said hesitantly.
Karen could see that she was just as nervous about this as she was so that made her feel a little more at ease as she said, "Hi! It's nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you too. So you're just human then not a Time Lady?" Amber asked.
"That's right. It's kind of weird to find out that I was a Time Lady all along, but to know that I'll never be one," Karen admitted.
"I have to admit that it's kind of weird to see a human version of my friend. I've only ever known her as Cliodna. You're the same more or less as her, but you do feel different somehow. Not in a bad way though," Amber said as she tripped over herself at the end.
"You're just as nervous about this as I am, aren't you?" Karen asked with a smile.
"Yeah, figured that out, did you?" Amber admitted with a nervous laugh.
"Don't worry about it. I think we're going to become good friends. I like you already," Karen said with a warm smile.
That was when the final member of Amy's crew arrived as Oisin came out of his room at last. He had hadn't gone outside onto Barcelona for obvious reasons but had decided to spend the time alone as he tried to decide what to do with his life. He had been about to tell Cliodna that he was going to leave when he saw Karen and stopped in his tracks.
Karen saw him and immediately became alarmed. She moved back toward the TARDIS doors in fear until Amy stopped her.
"It's okay, Karen. This is Oisin. He's . . . well, it's complicated. He used to be my husband back on Gallifrey until I thought that he died at the hands of the Cybermen, and now he's my friend I guess you could say for lack of a better word. He's so much more than just a friend though," Amy said.
"He's a Cyberman," Karen said as she continued to look at him in terror.
"Yes, but he's not like the rest of him. I've restored his original personality. He won't hurt you I promise," Amy told her.
Karen calmed down somewhat after Amy's reassuring words, and she tried not to be too nervous as she said to Oisin, "I'm Karen. I'm Amy's clone from when she was human. It's beyond strange to me to be saying that about myself."
Oisin looked at her in complete silence for a while and then said, "Hello, Karen. It's so nice to meet you."
"Hello," Karen said as she pushed past her fear and made herself walk towards him.
She held out her hand to Oisin, and the Cyberman hesitantly shook it as lightly as he could. He was terrified of breaking her hand or worse.
"Did I hurt you?" Oisin asked in what Karen could somehow tell was a scared voice even if it was in a monotone.
"I'm fine. It was a little bit of a tight grip, but it was okay," Karen said as she smiled warmly at him now.
"He's harmless. We play together all of the time," Julia reassured her.
"You're not frightened at all?" Karen asked in surprise.
"No. I never have been really. He's a great person. We look out for each other. He watches out for me, and I watch out for him," Julia said as she wrapped her arms affectionately around Oisin.
Karen giggled as she totally relaxed around Oisin now. Amy breathed out a sigh of relief now that the last hurdle had been overcome between Karen and her crew.
Oisin continued to stare at Karen and thought that maybe he had a reason to stay here after all. Even if he couldn't have Cliodna maybe he could still have at least part of her. Could he ever dare to hope that she might one day develop feelings for him as well?
He knew that it was probably just a dream, but it gave him hope. The hope that maybe life had given him a second chance to be with the only woman that he had ever loved after all. She was a lot like his Cliodna in so many ways even if she wasn't a Time Lord and had no memory of him. It didn't really matter to him that she wasn't a Time Lord at this point because neither was he anymore.
Amy saw the way that Oisin was looking at Karen, and she instantly knew what was on his mind. She hoped that he wasn't setting himself up for a fall here. She didn't want his heart to be broken a second time. He deserved so much better than that.
Then again maybe Karen might come around and actually fall for him too. She was Amy more or less after all. She could only hope that this whole thing didn't wind up blowing up in everyone's faces.
As the day passed by, Amy was glad to see that everyone was very accepting of Karen and had already made her feel like a part of the crew. She seemed to gravitate towards Julia the most. Amy noticed that she felt more at ease with her than the others. Maybe it was because Julia was so excited to have her on board. She knew that Julia was feeling like she had hit the jackpot right now and had gotten two mothers.
Amy had also noticed something else. She had noticed that Amber had an upset look on her face. She kept trying to smile and act like nothing was wrong, but she could tell. She had known Amber for years and knew how to read her moods. She knew when something was bothering her.
Amy took Amber outside of the Console Room and into the main corridor of the TARDIS where no one else could hear them. She needed to talk to her in private, and she knew that Amber would open up to her much easier if it were just the two of them by themselves.
"Amber, is something wrong?" Amy asked.
"I don't know if I can explain it to you or not. It's going to sound crazy," Amber said hesitantly.
"It's okay. Go ahead. Tell me what's bothering you," Amy said as she looked at her in concern now.
"I keep having memories of this woman. She looks different from either version of you that I've ever met, but somehow I know that it's you. In these memories, I'm a little girl, and this woman is like my mother which doesn't make sense if she's supposed to be you. She's taking care of me and playing with me. I just keep having these memories appearing in my head over and over again, and they're as clear as day to me as if I actually lived them. Am I losing my mind, Cliodna?" Amber asked.
Amy's hearts skipped a beat, and she wondered if what she suspected could possibly be true. Or maybe it was just her wishing that it were true because of the special place that Amber held in her past. It would explain why the two of them had bonded almost immediately when they had first met though.
"No, I don't think so. There could be something else making you have those memories. Maybe some kind of alien influence or trauma from your past. When did they start?" Amy asked.
"When I met Karen is when I first started having them. It wasn't just nervousness that was making me act funny when I was trying to talk to her. I was trying to stay in this moment and keep these memories from taking over my brain. They're so real, Cliodna! I'm afraid that I'm losing it," Amber said in an upset voice.
Amy then noticed that Amber's hand kept going into her pants pocket as if she was touching something inside there. This only served to convince her even more that what she suspected about her earlier was the truth. It would certainly explain everything if it were.
"Amber, what's in your pocket?" Amy asked.
"Nothing. Why do you ask?" Amber asked.
"Your hand keeps going in your pocket as if you're touching something inside of it," Amy said.
"It does? I guess it's just a nervous habit," Amber said.
"I lived with you for years, Amber. I've never seen you do that before," Amy pointed out.
"I don't know why I did it. I guess that's just another symptom of me losing my marbles," Amber said as she became more and more upset.
"You're not insane, Amber. I think that it's something else entirely," Amy said.
"Like what?" Amber asked.
Amy took a deep breath and went out on a limb as she said, "Do you know the name Sirona?"
Amber's face went pale, and she began to shake violently. Amy became very concerned for her, and she instantly wrapped her arms around her as she said, "It's okay. You're alright, sweetheart."
Images bombarded Amber's mind now until her brain threatened to explode. She screamed as thousands of memories flooded her brain at once, and she couldn't process them all.
"Mum, help me! Please help me!" Amber screamed in pain.
"Open the watch, Sirona. It's the only way to stop this. Open it!" Amy commanded.
"I don't want to die, Cliodna. I want to stay me," Amber said.
"You will. You're going to be alright," Amy said.
"It won't be the same. Karen's not the same as you are. Not completely. I'll be dead, and this other person will replace me," Amber worried.
"No, she won't. Don't you understand, Amber? You came from Sirona. You won't die. You're just going to become your true self," Amy pleaded.
"No, you just want her back. You don't care about me," Amber said.
"You know that's not true. I should have seen it all along, Amber. I didn't realize it though. That's why I liked you so much because you reminded me of my daughter. I should have known that it's because you were her. If anyone should have, it should have been me. It's the only way to stop the pain, Amber. If you don't open the watch, the memories are going to destroy you. Open the watch, please," Amy said.
"I'm afraid," Amber said.
"I'm right here. It's okay. Open it," Amy said in a soft voice.
Amber pulled a fob watch out of her pocket and opened it. Amy stood back from her now as energy surrounded Amber, and her eyes glowed with energy for a moment.
"Mum?" Sirona said once the process was finished.
"Hello, Sirona. Yes, it's me. Are you okay?" Amy asked.
"Yeah, I think so. It's kind of like I just woke up from a dream though. It feels like Amber's life wasn't real even though I know that it was. I remember being her. I was so scared of dying a minute ago, but I didn't understand. I wasn't dying. I was just becoming whole again. It's weird. I felt like I was searching for something all of my life. I never knew that it was right at my fingertips all along," Sirona said as she looked at the watch.
"Come on, Sirona. Let's tell everyone the news," Amy said with a huge smile on her face.
"Wait. That means that Dad is a Cyberman. Oh, this is terrible! When did that happen, Mum? I remember you telling me when I was Amber, but my memory is kind of fuzzy," Sirona said.
"It happened not long after you disappeared. It was when I had lost both of you right after losing Arkytior that I just lost it. That was the final straw that just sent me on a mad quest for vengeance against the Cybermen for a long time. I just wanted to take out all of the bad things that had happened to me on them and blame them for them all. It was much easier than having to face up to the pain that was in my hearts," Cliodna said sadly.
"I'm so sorry. I never meant for any of that to happen. It was all my fault," Sirona said with tears in her eyes.
"No, it wasn't. None of what happened was your fault. That's all long ago anyway. It's in the deep past. It's finally over now and we're together again at last. I can't believe it. It's really you!" Cliodna said as she hugged her tightly.
She had been numb until now. It had only just hit her that this was real. It was really happening. She had really gotten her Sirona back, and it had been Amber all of the time.
The two Time Ladies went back into the Console Room, and Oisin immediately looked at Amber in shock as even in his Cyber state he still recognized her as his daughter now. Amy smiled at him as she realized that he knew. Selene also looked at Sirona with a mixture of shock and joy on her face as she immediately recognized her niece as well.
"What is it, Selene? Is something wrong?" Julia asked as she noticed that Selene was staring at Amber oddly but couldn't understand why.
"No, it's something right, Jules. Something very right," Selene said cryptically.
"Rory, Julia, I know that you're not going to believe this because I still don't, but it turns out that Amber isn't who we thought that she was. She was a hidden Time Lord. This is my and Oisin's daughter, Sirona," Amy said proudly.
"What?!" Rory said in complete astonishment.
Next: The story of Sirona. What happened to her? How did she wind up as Amber?