CHAPTER 19

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A NEW PRESIDENT AT LAST

Karen finished regenerating to reveal that she had transformed into a new woman entirely. She now had long strawberry blonde hair and large almond eyes, but when she spoke she still had a Scottish accent. Some things it seemed never changed.

"What's happened?" Karen asked in an extremely disoriented voice.

"That's what I'd like to know," Rory said as he stared at her in shock.

Oisin, however, had a look of recognition come over his face as he said, "Cliodna?"

Rory's head whirled around to look at him at lightning speed as he said, "I thought that Amy was Cliodna."

"I am but now so is she," Amy said as she made her way up onto the stage.

The assembled Time Lords all gasped and started to talk among themselves as they saw a second Cliodna appear among them. What was going on here?

This was exactly what Rory wanted to know as well. Amy smiled as he sounded just like her when she would ask questions of the Doctor as he said, "Amy, explain."

"The Matrix through the Crown of Rassilon on her head detected immediately that Karen was human and since Gallifrey has only ever been ruled by Time Lords it must have decided to fix that. It used the power of the Sash of Rassilon that she's wearing which is connected to the Eye of Harmony to reshape her body into a Time Lord's. It probably used my Biodata Extract to fix her with because she now seems to be a complete copy of me except for her outward appearance. For some reason, the Matrix decided to change her appearance when it transformed her. That's a look that I've never had before. I wonder if that's what I'll look like the next time that I regenerate," Amy speculated.

Rory looked at her sadly, and she knew that it was because he didn't want her to ever change. He didn't want to lose Amy Pond in any way, shape, or form. Not that even a regeneration could do that. She would always be Amy from now on no matter what she looked like.

"That probably won't happen for a very long time though," Amy reassured him out loud.

Finally one of the Time Lords in the audience rose to his feet in anger as he asked Amy, "If you are Cliodna, then who is she? What are you trying to pull here?"

"She is Cliodna too. She is me and I am she," Amy said and she couldn't help smiling at the nonsense that she knew was coming out of her mouth.

"I'm glad that you find this so amusing, Lady Cliodna, but I do not. I want to find out exactly who has been crowned the Lady President of Gallifrey immediately. Guards, arrest both of them!" another of the Time Lords shouted.

"Wait! I remember now. I am Cliodna just as she said. We both are," Karen said.

The guards now looked confused as they all recognized her as the exact same woman who they had been guarding earlier. She had regenerated and changed her appearance, yes, but that happened quite often on Gallifrey and was not a crime. Perhaps she had wished to change her appearance to go along with her new position. Such things had happened before.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" the Time Lord who had given the order before said.

"I am your President. You will take your orders from me, and I command you to stand down. Nothing is wrong here," Karen said.

The guards all obeyed her without question, but many members of the audience were still murmuring amongst themselves. They were clearly not as satisfied as the guards were.

"Are you alright?" Oisin asked Karen.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I remember everything now, and I do mean everything," Karen said as she smiled at Oisin.

"How much of you is still Amy?" Rory asked curiously.

Karen and Amy briefly exchanged glances as they both realized that he was more worried about how his own Amy would change one day instead of her. Karen smiled at Rory as she said, "I'm still as much Amy as I ever was. That doesn't go away even with a change in appearance and personality, Mr. Pond, if that answers your question."

Rory smiled back at her, and Amy was pleased to see that he looked more reassured about things now. She was really going to have to explain more about regeneration to him sometime. She knew that neither he nor Julia understood it completely, and Brian didn't understand it at all as far as she knew.

Heldrin now came up onto the stage and said, "Allow me to explain what is happening for the benefit of those who do not understand."

"Yes, please do," one of the Time Lords in the audience called out.

"This is indeed the same Cliodna that the High Council nominated as President earlier. The other Cliodna that you see is also her. They are both Cliodna. The Cliodna on the stage though is the original Cliodna's clone. Many of you are clones of your original selves who died in the Time War created with the help of your Biodata Extracts in the Matrix. Would those of you who are clones say that this woman is any less Cliodna than you are who you are?" Heldrin argued.

Amy smiled as she could see that many of those murmuring in discontent in the audience before were now suddenly silent. They didn't have a leg to stand on, and they knew it.

After that, there was no further opposition; and the swearing in ceremony quickly became official. The new President of the Time Lords was now Amy Pond. Well, one of her anyway.

After everything was over with, the new Lady President retired to her chambers along with Amy, Rory, and the rest of their crew. Now that Karen had been officially proclaimed President, the guards stayed outside of the chamber now and finally gave her and the others some privacy at last.

As soon as they were sure that no one could listen to them, Amy said to Karen, "Are you sure that you want this? I'm the one who agreed to it not you. I can still switch places with you."

"No, Amy. You have a family who need you. You don't need all of this dumped on top of you too. You have enough to worry about just saving the universe, taking care of the kids, and looking good doing it," Karen said with a grin.

"Kids? You'd better not be including me in that number," Selene said indignantly.

"I was talking about Julia and Sirona of course. Sirona is still my child even if she is hundreds of years old," Karen said with a wink at Amy.

Then she realized what she had just said about Sirona and looked back at Amy in embarrassment as she said, "I mean that she's your and Oisin's child of course."

"It's okay. She's your child too. You are me in every way now," Amy said.

"Thank you," Karen said in a voice filled with heartfelt emotion.

"I don't understand. Are you still my aunt now or my mum? Do I have two mums?" Julia asked in confusion.

The two Amys looked at each other for a moment and smiled. Amy signaled to Karen that she should answer this one so it was Karen who said, "I'm still your Aunt Karen if that helps you any, and Amy is your mum. I think of Sirona as my daughter though because I remember raising her now. I remember all of my past at last. It's wonderful."

"I'm not quite sure what to say about all of this. Maybe I still think too much like Amber, but I only think of you as my aunt. I'm so sorry. I don't want to hurt you, but that's just the way that I feel," Sirona said to Karen.

"Sirona! She's me too," Amy said in a disapproving tone.

"It's okay. I understand," Karen said as she tried to hide the hurt in her voice.

Sirona hugged Karen and kissed her cheek as she said, "You don't understand. I still love you, and I recognize you as my mother too. I just have a stronger connection to her. I think this is the part of me that still thinks like Amber talking, but I would just feel like I was betraying her if I called you Mum too. I'm sorry."

Karen smiled at her as she said, "The part of me that's Amy understands what you're trying to say. This is confusing for our human sides to comprehend, isn't it? It's okay, Sirona. Don't worry about it."

"I'm still a bit confused to be honest. At least you don't look alike anymore though," Julia said with a grin.

"Well, my hair is still kind of red. That's good at least. I just don't feel like me if I'm not a redhead," Karen said.

"Well, the original you was a redhead too so I guess it's just you being overly sentimental," Selene said.

"I didn't know that. I mean I saw a mental image of another you that was a redhead, but I didn't know that was the first you," Rory said.

"Yep. I'm just a natural redhead I suppose. It explains my fiery temper, doesn't it?" Amy said.

"What temper?" Rory said.

"Good answer, Mr. Pond," Amy said as she kissed him.

Oisin suddenly cleared his throat as he said, "I'm going to stay here on Gallifrey with Karen. If she'll have me, that is."

"Of course I will. I am your wife after all. Or at least I'd like to be once again," Karen said.

"You would?" Oisin asked.

"Yes. I would. Would you marry me . . . again?" Karen asked.

"I'm supposed to ask that," Oisin said with a laugh.

"I've never been accused of being traditional," Karen said.

"That's true. Yes, I will. I will marry you or remarry you. Whatever," Oisin said happily.

As the two of them embraced, Amy squeezed Rory's hand and shared a smile with him. She was happy that Oisin finally had gotten his Cliodna back. Part of her wondered if Rose had planned this all along and had manipulated the whole thing somehow from the moment Karen appeared. She was a notorious matchmaker after all, and it would be just like her too.

"You'll have to invite us to the wedding," Amy said.

"I will. I'm going to miss all of you," Karen said as she began to tear up.

She began to hug all of them and when she got to Julia she wouldn't let go as she said, "I think I'll miss you most of all."

Julia smiled as she said, "I know. I'm just too cute to let go of. I'll miss you too, Aunt Karen. Or is it Cliodna? Are either of you using that name now?"

"We both are but for convenience's sake I'm Karen and she's Amy. I'll tell you a secret though," Karen said.

"What's that?" Julia asked.

Karen leaned over and said to her in a low voice as if she was telling her a secret, "I still think of myself as Amy not as Cliodna or Karen. Weird, huh?"

"Confusing is more like it," Julia said as she hugged Karen.

"If you ever need my help, all you have to do is ask. I hope that you find every one of the C.I.A. and tear them apart once and for all," Amy said to Karen.

"I will. Goth is just going to be the start. I won't rest until I've rooted them all out of every part of Gallifrey. I'll do it for Sirona," Karen said.

"I'll bring her by to see you as much as I can," Amy reassured her.

"I know you will. Thanks. I don't really want to go. I was really enjoying traveling with a Time Lord again especially since that Time Lord was me. I guess I have to now though. You and your dumb ideas," Karen said with a grin.

"It won't be forever. Then you can get your own TARDIS and go traveling on your own. You can use the Presidential TARDIS right now as a matter of fact," Amy said with an evil gleam in her eye.

"I can, can't I? Maybe I should take a little trip in it," Karen said.

"Wait until we leave. Then no one can blame me. Well, they probably still can, but at least I won't be around to hear it anyway," Amy said.

After they had all said their goodbyes and left in Amy's TARDIS, Julia said to Selene, "You don't have a clone around, do you?"

"Thankfully, no. There's only one of me," Selene said.

"One's enough. I don't think that the universe could handle two of you," Julia said with a giggle.

Selene frowned and rolled her eyes at her, but she still patted her on the head anyway. Amy smiled as she watched them play this game with one another. She remembered when Selene had done similar things with her when they were younger only she had been the one in Selene's place back then, and Selene had a personality just like Julia's was now. That seemed like another life now. She was literally another person back then and so was Selene.

"So I guess I'm going back home now then," Brian said.

"Why? Do you want to?" Amy asked as she tried to hide the smile that was trying to come up on her face.

"No, but I'm sure that you won't want me along as a constant companion all of the time. I'd just be in the way," Brian said.

"In the way? You're never in the way, Dad. I've enjoyed having you come with us," Rory said.

"I have too. You can stay as long as you want to, Brian. You're always welcome," Amy said.

Brian smiled and started to take them up on their offer until he had a sudden thought. "If I'm gone for too long, won't the flowers start dying? Also people would notice and think that something's happened to me," Brian said.

"This is a time machine, Brian. I can get you back five minutes after you've left," Amy said.

"Why did the Doctor always keep you two away for so long then?" Brian asked confused.

"That's because if it wasn't for me he would have failed his driving test and gotten thrown out of the Academy. I sometimes worry that the Universe is really angry at me for doing that. He's a terrible driver, Brian. I, however, am not. I passed my driving test at the top of our class. Have we been gone a long period of time in the last few months?" Amy asked.

"No, you haven't. You always seem to be at home when I come to call on you now. I had wondered about that. I thought that maybe you had stopped traveling so much," Brian admitted.

"Actually since I've gotten my own TARDIS I've probably started traveling more, but yet I always come back not long after I left. I'm just that good. Trust me, Brian. I'll get you back way before anyone misses you," Amy said.

"Well, alright then. I guess I'm yours for a while then," Brian said happily.

"So where would you like to go on your first trip? All of time and space are at your disposal," Amy said as she gestured at the console.

"Well, I did always want to meet Winston Churchill," Brian said.

Amy broke out into a huge grin as she traded glances with Rory. "Luckily for you then, I happen to be a close personal friend of his," Amy said.

"You're kidding," Brian said in disbelief.

"Nope. I've done a few favors for him in my time. In fact, I only recently did a job for him where I helped save the world from a Silurian super weapon. He owes me one. So do you want to see Winston?" Amy asked.

"You're on a first name basis with Winston Churchill?" Brian asked.

"I certainly am. Vincent Van Gogh too. You know he even asked me to marry him once," Amy said proudly.

"Please don't bring that up," Rory said.

"He's still just a little bit jealous. I thought that he and Vincent were going to beat each other up when I took him to meet him. That's the last time that I make that mistake," Amy said.

Brian started laughing as he said, "I never would have believed that your lives were this exciting. You seem to be having more fun now than you did with the Doctor."

"Well, I wouldn't say that. It is always better to be in the driver's seat yourself though," Amy said.

"At least I haven't died since I started traveling with you. That's a definite improvement for me," Rory said.

"What?" Brian asked as he gave Rory a funny look.

"It's a long story, Brian. I don't think you'll have to worry about him dying while I'm in charge though. Or you either for that matter. I'm much more careful with my passengers than some people are. So is that a yes or no for Winston? " Amy asked.

"That's a yes. Let's go see Winston Churchill," Brian said in an excited voice.

"Wait a minute. Just let me call ahead and make sure that he's not busy or something," Amy said as she pulled out her cell phone.

"She can call Churchill on a cell phone?" Brian asked Rory.

"It's got universal roaming. It lets you call anywhere in time and space. I don't understand it either, but it works somehow," Rory said.

"Hey, Winston! I just wondered if I can come by and visit. My father-in-law would really love to meet you," Amy said as soon as Churchill answered the phone.

"Amy, I'm so glad that I managed to get ahold of you. You're just the person that I need for this job," Churchill said.

"Job? I just did a job for you, Winston. I was hoping for a simpler trip this time," Amy said with a sigh.

"That was months ago, Amy," Churchill said.

"It was only a week or so ago for me. Time travel's a funny thing, Winston. So what's the job this time? Not Silurians again. Please don't say Silurians," Amy begged him.

"No, not reptile men this time as far as I know. This time we're being attacked by vampires if reports can be believed," Churchill said.

"Vampires?" Amy asked as her blood ran cold. She remembered the last time that she had come across vampires in Venice.

"These aren't like the kind that you see in the movies though. They're more like giant fish from what I've heard about them, and they like to be near water. They're fish vampires I suppose. I guess it takes all kinds of strange beings to make up outer space," Churchill said.

"Oh, that's just great. Just great," Amy said.

"You know them I take it?" Churchill asked.

"I think I do. If they're who I think they are, I am not looking forward to this," Amy said with a sigh.

"Please come as soon as you can, Amy. Several young women have been disappearing lately, and it needs to stop. We have enough to worry about with the war," Churchill said.

"I'm coming, Winston. Don't worry," Amy said as she hung up.

"It's the sexy fish vampires again, isn't it?" Rory asked.

"Yep, I think so. I have a score to settle with them too," Amy said.

"Sexy fish vampires?" Brian asked.

"Yes, that's right. I know that's hard to believe but it's true. I thought that they were all dead though," Rory said.

"Yes, but it's possible that our adventure with them in Venice has been undone now since the cracks in time caused by the destruction of the TARDIS were fixed with Big Bang Two. It could be that it's just like they never happened in the first place now so the fish vampires are popping up in England in World War II this time instead of following one of the cracks into Venice. At least, they might be anyway. I hope that I'm wrong, and that these are different vampires," Amy said.

"I didn't understand a word of that," Brian admitted.

"Stick around long enough, Brian, and we'll catch you up to speed in no time," Amy said.

"Either that or we'll confuse you so much that you'll go home screaming in terror," Selene joked.

Amy rolled her eyes at her as she set the coordinates and said, "Alright then. Fish vampires it is. They'd better watch out if it is the same ones. I'm definitely not the same girl as I was back then anymore."

"That's right. Now she's even scarier," Rory joked to his father.

"I'll go along with that," Selene said.

Next: Is it the fish vampires or something else? Find out in the next chapter.