Flesh and Stone: The Forest

Further into the forest, River ran to Amy's side as she stumbled against a rock, looking far too pale and dazed for anything good to be happening, "Amy, what's wrong?" she asked again, taking Amy's arm to help her sit on a rather large rock.

"Four," Amy mumbled, turning to curl up on the moss covered rock instead.

River frowned at that, seeing that Amy was very weak and the countdown was continuing, to what end, she didn't know, but she couldn't let anything happen to Amy for quite a number of reasons, "Med-scanner, now!" she shouted and one of the Clerics gave her one, stepping back as she quickly got to work scanning the girl, trying to see what was wrong with her and what she could do to help. She glanced over her shoulder, hoping that the Doctor would arrive soon, his sonic would probably be far more useful. The scanner could really only tell her what was physically wrong with Amy but there didn't appear to be anything except her heart rate going up a bit. The sonic would be able to tell her far more and, failing that, though she hated to admit it, Angel could probably take a guess at what was wrong, the psychic.

"Dr. Song, we can't stay here, we've got to keep moving," Octavian argued as he turned to her, gesturing his men to keep an eye on the perimeter.

"We wait for the Doctor," she stated, trying to run a deeper scan on Amy. She didn't even look away as she spoke, firmly believing that the men would listen to her, well, they would wouldn't they? They needed her help even now, especially now that the angels were out there and the Doctor was missing. They would need her expertise on alien matters to help them.

"Our mission is to make this wreckage safe and neutralize the angels. Until that is achieved..."

"Father Octavian," she cut in and looked at him, "When the Doctor is in the room, your only mission is to keep him alive long enough to get everyone else home. And trust me. It's not easy."

"What about Angel?" Amy whispered, looking at her, she could see it in River's eyes, hear it in her words, she held almost no love for the girl, focusing instead on the Doctor, which Amy didn't think was fair at all, but then again…she had to admit she couldn't truly talk. She had done a little of the same, focused on the Doctor, she'd done it nearly her whole life really. Oh she had dreamed of that man for so long, even more when she'd grown older, so much so that Angel really had become almost a side note in the grand scheme of things. And that wasn't fair, because Angel had been incredible from what she'd seen. She'd helped stop Zero, she had been the one to calm the Star Whale, she had stopped the bomb in Bracewell, and she had just saved two Clerics lives without them even realizing. Angel really was remarkable, and she did feel terrible about having pushed her to the back of her mind so often growing up.

But even then, she wasn't quite as short and dismissive of Angel as River seemed to be. She was at least polite, and...she'd tried to make Angel feel included and better despite how River acted around her during that adventure. She knew what it was like to be the Scottish girl in the English village, have people treat you weird and some just be mean out of spite, seeing River treating Angel the same way had reminded her of her childhood. She'd really only had Rory and her best friend Mels with her. She was ashamed of herself for having started off her friendship with Angel in the same way. If they made it out of this, she'd definitely try to get to know the woman better, know the Time Lady, instead of just lumping her into the Doctor's story as his friend.

She was a bit...worried though...that...what if she was wrong? What if the way River was treating Angel was completely justified? If something happened between the two women in the future, well in Angel's future and River's past, that made River this way...She shook her head, it didn't make sense in a few ways. Whatever Angel had done, she hadn't done yet and River shouldn't treat her badly for something she didn't know about. It was like...Angel, how River was treating her and yet Angel wasn't acting the same way in return. Clearly they knew River, clearly the future River they'd met had treated her in a similar fashion as this one, and yet Angel was treating her with courtesy and respect, despite a future River having been less than kind to her. Angel didn't hold it against this River it seemed. And...well...she really couldn't imagine Angel ever doing something so terrible that anyone would dislike her as much as River seemed to.

River tensed at the question but continued on, not answering, "Now, if he's dead back there, I'll never forgive myself, and if he's alive, I'll never forgive him. And, Doctor, you're standing right behind me, aren't you?"

"Oh, yeah," the Doctor said with a bit of a frown on his face as he picked up the same line of thought as Amy.

He and Angel had arrived at the top of a small hill only moments ago, Angel tripping a bit on the way up, him standing on a log, just about when River had started to speak about how their mission was to keep him alive. He didn't like that, and he really didn't appreciate how she hadn't answered Amy either. It bothered him, a lot, quite a lot really, to hear River blatantly ignore Amy's question and not answer. It was almost as if she were answering it without speaking, she wouldn't have to answer really because the answer was obvious in a way. He knew River didn't care for Angel, but to hear her admit (or imply) that she didn't consider Angel worth being protected as well...angered him.

Angel was sweet and kind and genuine, she'd done nothing but try to be understanding of River and polite and helpful despite how the woman had treated her in the Library. Yet here River was, unable to extend the same courtesy. His jaw tensed as he looked down at her, unnoticing of his hand clenching into a fist at his side as his eyes narrowed of their own accord. He didn't like it, he didn't like her attitude towards Angel and something inside him raged against it. It...worried him, to be honest, how powerful that emotion was, how angry he was getting over the fact that someone just didn't like Angel.

It was natural, no one could be completely loved by everyone, though he would have sworn Angel was the exception to that rule. And River was from the future, who was he to say that Angel hadn't done something to warrant River's anger, though he couldn't really imagine that ever happening. But still, they were in a the middle of a dire situation and River was acting like a child. Which, he supposed, made sense since she was younger than she was in the Library, but still, he couldn't help the feeling rising in him that wanted to march down there and get right in River's face, look her in the eyes as he told her to stay away from Angel and leave her alone or deal with him, the Oncoming Storm...

He blinked, letting out a breath, his hand unclenching as his eyes widened, feeling...alarmed. Very alarmed. That...that wasn't him, he didn't act like that, he didn't go threatening people just because they were a little rude to others. He swallowed, trying to push down the rising feelings of protectiveness, feelings that were almost as though they wanted him to jump to her defense, protect her from River, take her in his arms and just hold her, soothe her and tell her it would be ok. But why? They'd dealt with plenty of rude people in the past, and...Angel had never seemed bothered by it, more amused by them really. She'd been rather amused by his last self. The point still stood though, River, even for her treatment of Angel, hadn't done anything truly dire to warrant him threatening her like that. That was a bit extreme an action just because she was a little rude, if anyone had that reaction to the last him he'd probably be dead.

"I hate you!" River turned to him, sending him an almost playful glare, not seeming to notice his momentary anger directed at her.

"You don't," he waved her off as he and Angel jumped down and walked over, whatever his thoughts on River at the moment, it didn't matter because there was something clearly the matter with Amy, "Bishop, the angels are in the forest," he crouched beside Amy's head while Angel knelt by her side opposite River, resting a hand on the girl's arm in comfort.

"We need visual contact on every line of approach," Octavian ordered his men.

"How did you get past them?" River looked at the Doctor, sure that Angel had no hand in it, the girl wasn't that clever as to be able to trick a ship full of angels.

"Found a crack in the wall and told them it was the end of the Universe," he murmured, sonicing Amy.

"What was it?" Amy blinked.

"The end of the Universe. Let's have a look then," he checked the med-scanner as well, flashing it with the sonic to see what else it might have picked up.

"So. what's wrong with me?"

"Nothing," River said, "You're fine."

"Everything, you're dying," the Doctor shook his head

Angel winced at that, it was her fault, it was all her fault, she'd been too late. But...there was also nothing she could do to stop it. If she had told the Doctor earlier, he'd focus on Amy (which is perfectly natural), but the other humans would suffer and be in danger, and...she could feel it, there was no way to get the angel out of Amy's mind, it was stuck there, it wasn't like he could magically go in and pull it out or force it out. Not with the technology available to them. The TARDIS might be able to help, but she was sitting on the beach, waiting for them. There was always the Vortex but she did NOT trust herself enough in using it on a human's mind to fight against a sentient being within it that was as strong as an angel was.

"Doctor!" River shot him a look.

"Yes, you're right," he rolled his eyes, "If we lie to her, she'll get all better! Right. Amy! Amy. What's the matter with Amelia? Something's in her eye. What does that mean? Doesn't mean anything."

"Doctor…" Amy called.

"Busy."

"Scared!"

"Course, you're dying, shut up!"

"Ok, let him think," River whispered to her.

The Doctor got up, "What happened? She stared at the angel, she looked into the eyes of an angel for too long..."

"Sir!" a Cleric warned, "Angels, incoming!" he directed his light on an angel watching from the trees.

"And here," another agreed.

"Keep visual contact, do not let it move!" Octavian commanded.

The Doctor started pacing, slapping the sides of his head, "Come on, come on, wakey, wakey! She watched an angel climb out of the screen. She stared at the angel and…and..."

"'The image of an angel is an angel,'" Amy recited.

"A living image in a human mind. We stare at them to stop them getting closer, we don't even blink and that's exactly what they want, 'cos as long as our eyes are open, they can climb inside. There's an angel in her mind!"

"Three," she blinked back tears, hearing the scanner start to beep frantically as her vitals reached dangerous levels, "Doctor, what's happening to me?"

"Inside your head, in the vision centers of your brain, there's an angel," he sat down, "It's like there's a screen, a virtual screen inside your mind, and the angel is climbing out of it."

"Doctor, it's coming. I can feel it. I'm going to die!"

"It's not coming," Angel told her, reaching out to take her hand, squeezing it reassuringly, "It wants you to be scared Amy. It wants you not to fight because you're afraid. But you've got to fight it."

"How?" she whimpered.

"Close your eyes."

"No, no," she shook her head, "I don't want to."

"You do," Angel murmured, reaching out with her other hand to stroke Amy's hair, "The angel in your head doesn't, because it's afraid. Do it Amy. Close your eyes."

Amy hesitated.

"Trust me," Angel whispered, squeezing her hand in reassurance, giving her a nod as River and the Doctor watched.

Amy swallowed and closed her eyes, the scanner beeping, returning the readings to green, "She's normalizing," River breathed a sigh of relief.

"Brilliant!" the Doctor cheered, reaching over and hugging Angel tightly with one arm, a hug that seemed to last a moment longer than it should have, before jumping up.

Angel sighed and looked back down at Amy. She supposed it was good, in a way, the vision she'd had. Even if she'd been too late to stop it, she had at least known what was coming. She'd had ample time to work out what to do to help Amy. Oh she was sure the Doctor would have worked it out in seconds, the closing the eyes thing, but she wasn't the Doctor. She wasn't clever or brilliant or quick, but she was determined. Given enough time she could work things out for herself and that was just what she needed, time. She was really quite good with time, even better than the Doctor when it came to it. She hadn't stopped thinking about the vision, about what was in Amy's mind from the moment she realized something had happened, and she'd tried to work out how to help her. And she'd done it.

She smiled a bit at that, stroking Amy's hair once more, "You'll be ok Amy."

"Sir?" a Cleric yelled, "Two more incoming."

"Three more over here," another added.

"Still weak, dangerous to move her," River packed away the scanner.

"So, can I open my eyes now?" Amy wondered as Angel helped her sit up on the rock.

"Amy, listen to me," the Doctor crouched down before her, "If you open your eyes now for more than a second, you will die. The angel is still inside you. We haven't stopped it, Angel's just sort of paused it, rather brilliantly," he smiled at Angel a moment, or two, before shaking his head and looking back at Amy, not seeing River's eyes narrow at the gesture, "You've used up your countdown. You cannot open your eyes."

"Doctor, we're too exposed here," Octavian warned, "We have to move on."

He stood, "We're exposed everywhere, and Amy can't move, and anyway, that's not the plan."

"There's a plan?" River scoffed as she moved to sit next to Amy and comfort her...only to see Angel had already done so. The Time Lady was sitting beside Amy, her arm around the girl's shoulders, rubbing her one arm.

"I don't know yet, I haven't finished talking. Right! Father, you and your Clerics will stay here, look after Amy..."

"I'll stay with Amy as well," Angel told him.

The Doctor seemed to pause at that, looking as though he was about to argue.

"I'll be able to see the angels coming," Angel continued, "I can try to use the Vortex to distract them if anything happens."

The Doctor still seemed hesitant, actually shifting at the thought of staying (being alone) in a forest (a dark one) with the angels out there (really rather deadly angels) without him there to help (protect her).

"Doctor we don't have time to argue," River cut in, "You and I should go to the Primary Flight Deck."

Amy frowned, hearing...something, in River's voice. It was odd how much sharper your senses were when one was cut off. At first it sounded like River was genuinely determined to help find a way out, not wanting to waste time with the angels out there. But she could hear another quality in the woman's voice. She was eager to go, probably to go out there with the Doctor and without Angel.

The Doctor sighed but nodded, "The deck is..." he licked his finger, holding it up as Angel shook her head.

"A quarter mile," she cut in, nodding behind him, "That way."

The Doctor blinked.

Octavian nodded, "She's right sir," he looked at his scanner.

"Right," the Doctor agreed, he should have known Angel would guess that, "River and I'll stabilize the wreckage, stop the angels, and cure Amy."

"How?" River asked.

"I'll do a thing."

"What thing?"

"I don't know, it's a thing in progress. Respect the thing. Moving out!"

"Doctor, I'm coming with you," Octavian called, "My Clerics can look after Miss Pond and Angel. These are my best men, they'd lay down their lives in their protection."

"I don't need you," he stated, something inside him wanting as many men as possible to be there for the girls, to protect them, to keep Angel safe.

"I don't care. Where Dr. Song goes, I go."

"What?" he looked between River and Octavian, "You two engaged or something?"

"Yes, in a manner of speaking. Marco, you're in charge till I get back," and then he started off with River.

"Sir!" Marco saluted.

"Doctor...please, can't I come with you?" Amy asked.

"You'd slow us down, Miss Pond," Octavian replied from where he was waiting with River at the edge of the small clearing.

"I don't want to sound selfish, but you'd really speed me up."

"You'll be safer here with me," Angel told her, "They can't protect you on the move."

The Doctor nodded even though Amy couldn't see it, "I'll be back for you soon as I can. I promise."

"You always say that," Amy remarked.

"I always come back. Good luck everyone. Behave. Do not let that girl open her eyes. And keep watching the forest. Stop those angels advancing. And if anything," he turned to Marco, "Anything," and stepped closer to the man till he was nearly nose-to-nose with him, "Happens to her, I will hold each of you personally responsible, twice," he gave the man a hard look, watching as Marco actually seemed to swallow in fear, before he smiled and nodded, glancing at Angel a few seconds, his smile softening from pleased that Marco would take it seriously to happy to know she'd be protected. He gave her a nod which made her blink and frown as she realized he'd been talking about HER to Marco and not...not Amy.

Angel glanced past him, to River, to see the woman's eyes were narrowed at her, clearly she had noticed as well and was none too pleased with the Doctor's little threat, or at least who it was meant to protect.

"Amy, later!" he tapped Amy on the head, all smiles again, as though he hadn't even realized he'd made such a threat to a human, "Angel," he added, before he turned to River, "River, going to need your computer."

"Yeah," Amy muttered, hearing him walk off, "Later."

"It'll be alright Amy," Angel whispered, squeezing her a bit as Amy fidgeted nervously with her hands as they sat there. She looked up, about to speak...when she saw the Doctor step out of the bushes. But she knew, she instinctively knew, it wasn't this Doctor, it wasn't the Doctor who had just stepped out into the woods. He was wearing a coat again. He looked at her and made a 'shh' motion with his finger on his lips as he walked over and put his hands on Amy's, stilling her.

"Amy," he said, "You need to start trusting me, it's never been more important."

"But you don't always tell me the truth," Amy countered.

"If I always told you the truth, I wouldn't need you to trust me."

Angel closed her eyes, trust. It was tricky and rather hard to keep trusting someone who just kept hurting you and didn't even realize it. But she had to, she had to try, she had to keep it going and keep it together.

"Doctor, the crack in my wall, how can it be here?"

"I don't know yet, but I'm working it out. Now, listen. Remember what I told you when you were seven?"

"What did you tell me?"

"No, no..." he rested his forehead against hers, "That's not the point. You have to remember," he squeezed her hands once more before leaving.

"Remember what? Doctor? Doctor?"

Angel just watched him go, with not even a look back at her, not even a word to her of reassurance about the future. Nothing. She sighed and closed her eyes again, it hurt when your Mate, the one person who could provide you any comfort, didn't give you any at all. Not even a smile.

And she had to wonder, how far into the future was that Doctor? That he still hadn't remembered her? The way he looked at her just then, like he was looking through her, the way he'd focused on Amy...she knew he hadn't remembered her. How long would it be before he did? It had been months already and just...nothing. How much longer would it take beyond that? A few more months? Years? Centuries?

Her hearts stopped as one chilling thought entered her.

Would he ever?

~8~

Octavian led River and the Doctor through the forest, the Doctor grumbling quietly about how slow they seemed to be moving with Octavian leading with his scanner. Angel would have led them right to the ship, at a run, while avoiding all angels in their way. He stopped suddenly though when there was a beep on the scanner in his hand. He held it up, looking at it intently.

"What's that?" River glanced at him.

"Readings from a crack in a wall," he murmured.

"How can a crack in the wall be the end of the Universe?"

"Here's what I think. One day there'll be a very big bang, so big every moment in history, past and future, will crack."

"Is that possible? How?"

"How can you be engaged in a manner of speaking?" he asked, something about that term, engagement, marriage, wives, bothering him.

"Well...sucker for a man in uniform," she smiled, giving him a look, pleased he seemed interested in her marital status.

Octavian stalked over, the complete opposite of pleased, "Dr. Song is in my personal custody. I released her from the Stormcage Containment Facility four days ago and I am legally responsible for her until she has accomplished her mission and earned her pardon. Just so we understand each other."

"You were in Stormcage?" the Doctor looked at her, a bit unsettled with that information, when the device beeped again, pulling his attention down, Angel would have warned him about the beep, probably even guessed the date now blinking up at him too.

"What?" River looked at it, "What is that?"

"The date! The date of the explosion where the crack begins."

"And for those of us who can't read the base code of the Universe?"

The Doctor's eyes widened, seeing 26/06/2010 on the bottom, "Amy's time!"

~8~

Amy was sitting with her head resting on Angel's shoulder, "So…" she began, if just for something to talk about in the silence, "Who's this River person anyway?"

"I have...no idea," Angel sighed.

"Why do you even put up with her? I mean, she's not exactly the nicest person, at least when it comes to you, no offense."

"The last time we saw her, she…she apologized to me for everything that she did to me...um, was going to do me, would do to me in the future," she rubbed her head, "Tenses," she muttered, "My future, her past. I don't know what she's done or will do or even why she's so cross with me. But…she seemed truly sorry for whatever it was in the end."

"You are far too nice a person," Amy laughed, nudging her a bit.

"I suppose," Angel shrugged.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes before Amy spoke again, "So, what's happening? Anything happening out there?"

"The angels are still grouping," Marco responded when the lights of their torches and the area around them began to flicker, "Are you getting this too?"

"The trees?" a Cleric called, "Yeah."

"What's wrong with the trees?" Amy frowned.

"Here too, sir," another called.

"They're ripping the Treeborgs apart," Christian agreed.

"And here," one more added.

"They're taking out the lights," Angelo shouted.

"What is it?" Amy tensed, "What's happening? Tell me. I can't see."

"It's the trees," Angel told her quietly, "The angels are trying to turn the trees off."

~8~

The Doctor took the readings from the scanner and stood, looking at them outside the primary flight deck as Octavian tried to find a way back in and River kept guard, "It doesn't open it from here, but it's the Primary Flight Deck," Octavian reported, "This has got to be a service hatch or something."

"Hurry up and open it, time's running out," River remarked.

"What?" the Doctor looked at her, startled, that was like something Angel would say, "What did you say? Time's running out, is that what you said?"

"Yeah. I just meant..."

"I know what you meant. Hush! But what if it could?"

"What if what could?"

"Time. What if time could run out?"

River stared at him, uncomprehending.

He sighed and turned around, "Where's Angel when you need her," he mumbled, not seeing River shoot him a glare for that as his back turned.

"Got it!" Octavian cheered.

~8~

"The angels are advancing, sir," Christian warned.

"Over here, again," Angelo reported.

"Weapons primed," Marco took charge, "Combat distance five feet. Wait for it!"

Amy stood up, "What is it? What's happening, just tell me!"

"The angels are close," Angel told her, standing up as well and taking the girl's hand, able to see the statues peeking out of the trees.

"Keep your position and, ma'am, keep your eyes shut!" Marco ordered, "Wait!" he squinted as a bright light appeared and began to spread in the distance, "The ship's not on fire. Is it?"

"It can't be," a second Cleric turned to look, "The compressors would have taken care of it," he turned back, startled to not see something, "Marco, the angels have gone. Where'd they go?"

"What, the angels?" Amy asked.

"This side's clear too, sir," another Cleric reported, the rest making similar reports.

"The angels have gone?" Amy turned to Angel.

"There's still movement out there, but away from us now," Marco replied, "It's like they're running."

"Running from what?"

"Phillip, Crispin, need to get a closer look at that."

"No!" Angel shouted as the second and third Cleric turned to him, her voice carrying such force that the two men stopped, "Don't you dare go!"

"Ma'am…"

"No. That is a crack in the Universe. And…it's bleeding Time Energy, you get close to it, you will fall out of the Universe, you will cease to exist."

"Ma'am we need to…"

"I told Octavian not to let Christian and Angelo alone and that saved their lives. I told him to not let Bob alone, he didn't listen, and Bob's dead now. So, you are going to listen to me and that is final. No one goes near that crack, understood?"

The men looked at each other before turning to Marco, who eyed the woman closely, before nodding. She had been right both times, he was not about to risk the lives of his men now, not when they didn't know if the angels would come back.

~8~

"Cracks in time, time running out..." the Doctor murmured, "No, couldn't be. But Angel was right, how is a duck pond a duck pond if there aren't any ducks? And she didn't recognize the Daleks! Ok, time can shift. Time can change. Time can be rewritten. Ah! Oh!" his eyes widened.

~8~

"It's like, I don't know..." Marco tried to explain the light to Amy, "A curtain of energy, sort of shifting."

"Makes you feel weird," Angel added, "Sick really," she shifted, feeling squeamish already.

"And you think it scared the angels?" Amy frowned.

"What could scare those things?" the last Cleric remarked.

Amy turned nervously towards the light.

"What are you doing?" Marco asked.

"Point me at the light," she said.

"You can't open your eyes."

"Not for more than a second, that's what the Doctor said. Still got a bit of countdown left."

"Ma'am, you can't."

"Amy…" Angel began, shaking her head.

"I need to see it," Amy squeezed Angel's hand, she needed to know if it really was the same crack, "Am I looking the right way? I have to be quick."

Marco sighed and turned her the right way, "Very quick!"

"Ok," she opened her eyes and gasped, gripping Angel's hand tightly, "It's the same shape! It's the crack in my wall."

"Close your eyes!" Marco covered her eyes, "Now!"

"It's following me! How can it be following me?" she fell to her knees in shock as Angel fell with her, supporting her as Marco held her eyes closed.

"Amy are you ok?" Angel whispered, rubbing her back.

"Yeah," she nodded as Marco took his hand away, her eyes closed again, before she gripped Angel's hand and turned in her direction, "It was the same shape!"

"I know," Angel breathed.

"Marco, you want me to get a closer look at that?" the last Cleric asked.

"What did I say about that!?" Angel snapped, feeling a flash of fear race through her at the mention of another person getting close to it. Amy actually flinched at the sudden change in Angel's demeanor, her going from soothing and comforting to snapping at the Clerics.

The actual anger in her voice shocked them all.

"But it's not as though she could actually stop us," the man continued to argue before walking towards the light…only to run into golden wall that flared to life in front of him, "What the…"

"I can't stop you, can I?" Angel narrowed her eyes at him.

The men looked at her, shocked, before stepping back from the wall.

A/N: Seems Angel's getting a wee bit ticked at everyone not listening to her and taking her as seriously as the Doctor lol :) But I'm happy SHE was the one to work out how to save Amy. I think she would have been able to work it out with a little time and she managed it :) I'm really excited for the next chapter because we find out more about River and the future, we'll see Angel taking a little bit of charge, more fearful-Doctor, another memory-flash, another Angel-theory, AND! A line that might give you hope for the Doctor in the future! :) ...and then crush it moments later :(

So sad, it seems the Doctor hasn't remembered Angel by the events of the Big Bang :( Poor Angel though, that must be hard to see a future Doctor and have him still not remember her, even if that future isn't all that far away. But still, SO much happening in the next chapter :)

Also, just wanted to say that I'm going to, periodically, be putting up some covers for some upcoming stories, like the 4th Time Lady, Once Upon a Time, Star Trek, etc, on my tumblr just so that they feel like a more solid and 'gonna happen' sort of thing :) It might not be every day, but they'll be there eventually :)

Some notes on reviews...

Angel will be spending time with Jack and Torchwood in the TW crossover (that I have to rewrite, grrr, lol :)) I can't wait for Rory either, Monday can't come soon enough :)

I didn't like River's manipulations either :( Oh I think Rory's reaction to Angel treating him like a real person might be even more amazing than the Doctor or Amy's like...they already don't see him as a person (at first) but even Rory doesn't see himself as important enough...and then Angel comes along and, I think, his inner monologue is just like...'you can see me?' Awww :) I see River as an ok character, I enjoy the adventures she's in, but I think she wasn't needed in the capacity she was given in the show. It would have been better to leave her as a person who knew the Doctor in the future and he saves her and she returns the favor by saving him in the past and then just showing whatever adventure that was. Or making it a joke that she's an archaeologist who just keeps running into him and leave it there. The Silence might see her as a threat even if River doesn't, but then again River might not see her as a threat because the Silence don't. So many possibilities :)

I think River's more jealous that Angel has an exceptional power no one else can have and it makes her more special to the Doctor than really wanting the Vortex inside her. But then again, it might work differently for a 'half' Time Lord, they might not burn out like Rose did. I like that quote, I think it definitely fits Angel very well :) I think it's because the people who have power thrust on them, because they didn't want it, won't use it as often as others and therefore will treat that power with respect and only use it when needed which is nice :) So far we're not sure if the cracks were really involved in the amnesia, it's just one of many possible theories :) I think River would be happy the world (and the Universe the Doctor exists in) won't be destroyed even if it meant he might remember. Though this chapter semi-disproved that as he still doesn't remember even as the cracks are closing, but you never know what might happen after they close :) I think it'll depend who's in Utah at the time to see who River will kill, she could kill any combination of the Doctor and Angel, we'll have to wait and see :) I also think it depends on what the full picture of River ends up being, what is the root of her dislike of Angel, what will she do in the future? There are quite a few twists still to come so we won't know for sure how the Time Lords will react :) I can't see Angel refusing to help either, I can say though there is a BIG twist to the Doctor's reasons for not wanting to help the world for that episode :) Lol, I think she'd enjoy Strax a lot too :)

Nope, just 1 chapter for now :) Between work and editing and writing, I'm really only just managing 1 chapter at the moment :) And now with the TW crossover needing to be written again that'll set me behind in Merlin. Lol, seems like July/August are catch up months :) But I agree, Rory is awesome! :)

That's great! I'm glad you're dad's doing better :)

I agree with the Wedding episode. No worries about language, I hated that, it felt rushed, and wrong, and like a joke to me. Probably my least favorite moment of DW ever :( But I can say that the wedding will have a different title. Not saying it means the wedding won't happen, but I'm not saying it does either, just it'll have a different title to it :) For all we know, the new title could be...the Honeymoon of River Song...the Love of River Song...the Husband of River Song }:D We'll have to wait and see :)

Oh there'll be a few more little Thella moments popping up, not quite fluff, but still hinting that there's something there :) Unfortunately future Doctor didn't have much to say :( Which is sad, because it means, at that point, as the cracks are closing, he doesn't remember Angel still :( I'm not saying he won't remember after they're closed completely, but I'm not saying he will either :) That was one reason I was debating the Rory/OC, I sort of thought that plot up after the first few episodes with Rory (before the end of the Dream Lord), and seeing Amy and Rory together after was so sweet :) Lol, I like that quote too :)

Oh the Doctor can be very oblivious at times. There'll be a moment in The Hungry Earth where I'm sure everyone will be like...'how can you NOT figure it out after that Doctor?!' And he'll just be his oblivious old self and get distracted lol :) We'll definitely see her helping out more, I think it's sort of like, with River there cutting her off and trying to impress the Doctor, she didn't get much of a chance to do anything :( But now it's her in charge of the Clerics and she won't let them do anything stupid (like in this chapter). I don't think canon River would either, but then again, I also thought Canon River went from complete raging psychopath to completely normal WAY too quickly which didn't sit right with me and made me feel like they were ignoring her 20+ years being a psychopath. Here I'm more keeping in mind that most of her life she was a psychopath :) We saw a little bit of Angel's angry side here, she really doesn't like people ignoring her when their safety is on the line does she? Even going so far as to use the Vortex to stop the Clerics :) Lol, nope, no Thella kiss at the moment :) I can say the garden will appear before the end of this series/story :)

I won't say if the Doctor will remember Angel, all I can give is...I love Doctor/OC and I love 11, and that's all I can say :) Leaves a lot open for interpretation :) It'll get a little easier for Angel when Rory gets there, and then when she gets to see Jack again :) So it'll lighten up a tiny bit very soon, but first we have to get past the last chapter of River }:)

I don't think she loves the Doctor like Angel does either. Lol, there'll actually be a line about the differences in their 'love' for him in a later episode that, I think, sums them up very well. I'll definitely have an A/N about it though when we get to it :) I don't think she can understand it either here, mostly because this is really remembering her psychopathic roots and I can't quite see someone like that managing to grasp unconditional love :)

That is so true! At last, a good Monday! I love Rory for doing that :)