A/N: Sorry to give you another A/N at the start of the chapter, I usually wait till the end, but I just wanted to start by saying, thank you all so much for your support in the latest incident of plagiarism of one of my stories. It really means a lot to me to know you all have my back and that you care about my writings enough to let me know and report it when it happens :') You all are the best readers in this Universe and any/all bubble and/or pocket Universes as well :) I had also been informed that the author had put out an 'apology' that lied to the readers, claiming they had no knowledge of a story like theirs existing...even though they had copied the existing story for their chapter. I contacted the author late yesterday after calming down both about the plagiarism and the lie and let them know I had been made aware of their story and confirmed it was plagiarism, that I had requested help in reporting it and had reported it myself, and that I was sorry to have to do it but that I will not accept blatant plagiarism like that after it happening so often. I am not sure if the author removed the story and deleted their account themselves, or if the reports of abuse had been heard by FF, but the story and the author's account 'do not exist' anymore on this website. I am sorry that the account was removed when only the story needed to be. Whatever the case may be, I really want to just thank you all again for your support. I hope you enjoy this Rory chapter as thanks :) I love you guys! ^.-^
~8~
The Vampires of Venice: The Sunlight
After the Doctor and Angel had introduced Amy and Rory to Isabella's father, Guido, the man set down a map of Venice on his table while they sat around in his home that night. The Doctor and Amy were standing at the table, looking it over with Guido, as Rory sat on some barrels off to the side, Angel beside him.
"As you saw, there's no clear way in," Guido gestured at the map, "The House of Calvierri is like a fortress. But there's a tunnel underneath it, with a ladder and shaft that leads up into the house. I tried to get in once myself, but I hit a trapdoor."
"You need someone on the inside," Amy started to smile, feeling the usual excitement thrumming through her.
"No," Angel called from her place beside Rory.
"You don't even know what I was going to say," Amy frowned.
Angel blinked, "Really?" she pointed to herself, "Psychic," she reminded the woman, before sighing, "You were going to say, 'Why don't we pretend I'm an applicant for the school to get me inside and tonight I can come down and open the trapdoor to let you in.'"
"Oh," Amy gave a small chuckle, Angel was usually so quiet she sometimes forgot the girl really was psychic, that was exactly what she was going to say, word for word really, "So you do know what I was going to say..."
"Are you insane?" Rory gaped at Amy, completely alarmed that she would even consider doing that! They'd just been told that something terrible happened in that school, that the girls were being turned into vampires or something, and she wanted to go waltzing in there? Thank God Angel had said no. He'd seen it, the Doctor had been about to say yes, he'd seen the man starting to nod along, till Angel called out no, and then the Doctor started to shake his head in agreement with her that Amy should NOT go in there.
"We don't have another option," Amy turned to him.
"Angel said no, Amy," Rory said firmly, "Listen to her. She's psychic, if she said no then there's probably a damn good reason why!"
Was this always how it was with them? He had to wonder. He'd had it done to him plenty of times in the past, he'd say something and be ignored in favor of what seemed like 'fun.' Especially when it came to Mels. 'Mels don't punch that teacher.' 'Mels don't take that laptop.' 'Mels don't steal a bus.' And did she listen to him? Nope, never. And every time she got into trouble for it. He always felt like he had to look out for her, she got in trouble so much, and she was Amy's friend, but she never ever listened. He could understand it though, he wasn't all that impressive or intimidating or gave the air of someone who knew what they were talking about. But Angel? She was psychic! She was a Time Lady! She was trying to protect Amy and Amy was ignoring her.
He'd noticed that the Doctor had seemed to ignore her a bit during Zero as well, less so now though...
Actually...it seemed like the Doctor was noticing Angel quite a bit more now really. He seemed especially noticing when she spoke with HIM, which was odd. Why would the Doctor have an issue with that? But still, even with the Doctor seeming to notice Angel more, he wondered if this was how it was with them? Angel told them not to do something and they did it anyway? Why would they ignore her? She was remarkable. She deserved to be listened to. And it...it bothered him, rubbed him the wrong way, to see her being cast aside like he so often was. He could understand when it happened to him, but not Angel. And he wasn't going to let that happen. Nope, he'd dealt with it enough at himself, he wouldn't let it happen to others. He was sort of like Angel in that way, they both tried to include other people and not leave them feeling left out or ignored.
"There is another option," Guido pointed at Rory and Angel, "I work at the Arsenal. We build the warships for the navy."
The Doctor walked beside them, sniffing the barrels, "Gunpowder," he put a hand on Rory's shoulder, "Most people just nick stationery from where they work."
Rory slowly moved off the barrel and backed away, almost right into a dead rabbit when Angel reached out from where she was still sitting on the right side of the barrels and grabbed his hand, pulling him forward a bit with a nod behind him. He looked back and stepped closer to Angel, standing between it and the barrels, nodding at her in thanks for keeping him from walking into it.
"Look, I have a thing about guns and huge quantities of explosive."
"What do you suggest, then?" Guido demanded, "We wait until they turn her into an animal?!" he spun around and grabbed a fire poker, shoving bits of wood around in the fireplace, an air of anger about him.
"I'll be there three, four hours tops," Amy remarked.
The Doctor had to smile, nodding his head in amusement, Amy was rather adventurous, but still, "No, no, no, no, no, no. Angel's right, it's a bad idea. It can't keep happening like this. This is how they go," he sat on Guido's bed and put his head in his hands, Angel biting her lip to keep from moving beside him and trying to comfort him, not sure how he'd react to that and not wanting to be pushed away for it, before taking a breath and sitting back, "But I have to know," he looked at Angel apologetically, before turning to Amy, "We go together. Say you're my daughter."
"What?!" Rory gaped, spinning to Amy, "Don't listen to him!"
But Amy just scoffed, "Your daughter? You look about nine."
"Brother, then," the Doctor shrugged.
"Too weird," she shook her head before grinning, "Fiancé."
"Which is Rory," Angel reminded her gently.
She couldn't help but frown at that, could Amy really not see how much Rory loved her? After everything she'd been through since the Doctor regenerated, she'd give anything for the Time Lord to look at her the way Rory did Amy. The boy was so sweet, and he didn't deserve to have to be confronted with his fiancé openly flirting with another man and claiming said man to be her fiancé. It almost sounded like she wished the Doctor was her fiancé instead and she could see the hurt in Rory's eyes at the remark. She'd had to say something...in fact, she was rather sure she'd have to have some words with Amy later about all this.
Rory nodded, thanking her for that reminder, "I'm not having him run around telling people he's your fiancé."
"No," Amy agreed, with a small frown, realizing how that had come across, "No, you're right."
"Thank you."
"I mean, they've already seen the Doctor. You should do it."
"Me?"
"Him?" the Doctor's eyes widened a bit, reluctant.
"He'll be just fine Doctor," Angel called, smiling encouragingly at Rory, "He can do it. I know he can."
Rory wasn't sure whether to be pleased she had faith in him or alarmed that he was being set up to basically hand off his fiancé to a school of vampires.
"See!" Amy cheered, "You can be my brother," and noogied him.
"Why is him being your brother weird, but with me, it's ok?" Rory tugged away with a frown, still hurt by her remark.
"Actually, I thought you WERE her fiancé," Guido commented to the Doctor.
"Yeah, that's not helping," the Doctor frowned.
"This whole thing is mental!" Rory cried.
"Yes it is," Angel agreed, before sighing, "Which means I'm gonna get dragged into it," she looked over at the Doctor, "I'll go with Amy," Amy opened her mouth to argue when Angel continued, still speaking to the Doctor, "I'll be able to sense the trouble before it happens, I can protect her in there while you three work out here. I'll go too, in fact..." she turned to Rory, who was still beside her, taking his hand and swinging his arm a bit, "Why don't we say you're MY brother and Amy's our cousin."
Rory blinked at her, "Your brother?"
"Yeah," she smiled, not seeing Amy and the Doctor start to frown at how she was getting that much closer to Rory, "I've already got two older ones, I've never had a younger brother before. It'll be fun!"
"You...want to be my older sister?" Rory stared at her still.
Most people didn't really want much to do with him, mostly because of his obvious love for Amy, they thought him a love-sick puppy most of the time. He had mates yeah, a few from University and the hospital, but he'd mostly hung around Amy and Mels, which hadn't done much for him where other boys were concerned. To them, he was just another girl he hung out with them so much. And here was Angel, probably one of the most remarkable aliens he'd ever met, wanting to claim she was related to him? Him?
"Sure," she nodded, squeezing his hand, "And we look more similar than you and Amy do," she added, there was more chance that two children would be born with brown and black hair than brown and red in a family, at least in her mind, and then there was Amy's obvious accent, which she could likely hide, but if she slipped for even a moment they'd know she wasn't related to Rory, "And it really would be weird to go around calling her your sister wouldn't it?"
"Yeah, it would," he had to agree, before nodding, "Alright then, we'll be siblings," and then he blinked, actually feeling a flash of sibling protectiveness hit him, surprisingly sudden given that they'd just agreed to play siblings only moments ago, "Will you be ok with vampires around though?"
"We hope!" the Doctor called, pulling Rory and Angel's attention over to him, they'd both been having their own conversation as the others listened in, making plans and things without consulting the others...which, made them wonder if that was how the two felt when they made plans and didn't usually include others in making them.
Amy seemed rather irritated that Rory was now so onboard because of Angel rather than because of her. SHE was his fiancé, she should be the one who knew how to get him to go along with what she wanted, not...not Angel. Even being psychic she should still have some issues convincing the man. Unfortunately though, Amelia Pond had never had any siblings, she didn't know just how much sway a sister could have over her brother.
"We hope what?" Rory frowned, confused as to what the Doctor was going on about.
"We hope they're vampires," the Doctor shifted, feeling...uneasy about this.
He and Angel...they hadn't been separated throughout their adventures, not since the forest, but even then she'd had Amy and the Clerics and guns around her to keep her safe...now it would just be...Rory...and Amy. It would be her and Amy alone, trapped in a school he wouldn't be able to enter without their help or alerting the guards. And...vampires. He didn't like it, he didn't want them to go, what if something happened? What if they couldn't open the trapdoor? What if Angel got hurt? What if they were discovered?
"So if they're not vampires..." Amy began, looking at him, not having considered they might not be actual vampires.
"Makes you wonder what could be so bad it doesn't actually mind us thinking it's a vampire?" the Doctor asked, sighing as he rubbed his head, looking at Angel, he knew that determined look. She'd only offered to go to protect Amy.
Now he was regretting agreeing to let Amy go.
~8~
Amy stood beside Angel, who was to the left of Rory, the man petitioning to have the girl enrolled in the school. Rory had switched clothes with Guido, the man also bestowing some outfits from his daughter to Amy and Angel, mostly just simple brown skirts and plain white blouses. They had been concerned that the girls might recognize Angel, well, the Doctor had pointed it out really. But she'd reminded him that he'd stepped in front of her almost immediately so she hadn't been seen by the girls. The most they'd seen was a flash of blue and black as she had pulled him to the stairs, they wouldn't recognize her, she was sure. Which had left him quite pouty.
"So, basically, our parents," Rory gestured between him and Angel, "And our Aunt and Uncle," he nodded at Amy, "Are dead from getting the plague," he tried desperately not to stutter, to not mess it up.
He was beyond stressed and scared and trying his best to prove to the Doctor that he could do it even though the man doubted him, he'd been quite...vocal in his doubts that Rory would be able to get through this little performance. Had tried to argue with Angel about the different ways it could go wrong with a human at the helm, but Angel had just told him to have a little faith. The Doctor still doubted him, hell he doubted him too, but…every time he glanced at Angel she always had a little smile and nod for him, encouraging him and…he really didn't want to let her down, she'd gone out on a limb trusting him with this, he'd do it, as best he could.
"I'm a gondola...driver and our other...uncle...hasn't managed to find employment...so...money's a bit tight...so having my sister and our cousin go to your school for special people would be brilliant. Cheers."
Francesco glanced at Amy and moved to stand in front of her, "Have we met?"
"I've just got one of those faces," Rory cut in, hoping the man wouldn't recognize them from that moment on the streets.
"I wasn't talking to you."
"She's got the same face...which is because she's my cousin! You know, family resemblance and all..."
The Signora turned to a man standing beside her throne-like chair, "Carlo, explain yourself. Why have you brought me this imbecile?"
"Signora, they have references from the King of Sweden," he stated.
"What?! Let me see," she held out her hand and Rory walked to the throne, handing over the psychic paper, Angel frowned, watching her closely, seeing something flash in the woman's eyes that made a pit form in her stomach, "Well, now I can see what got my steward so excited," she gave the paper back to Rory, "What say you, Francesco? Do you like them?"
Francesco finished circling Angel, who was doing her best not to breathe through her nose as she was getting a rather strong smell of...fish just then that was bothering her. Fish fingers and custard were delicious, but the actual smell of fish was making her sick...why did they smell so much like fish?!
The man just walked over to Amy, "Oh, I do, mother. I do."
"Then we would be delighted to accept them. Say goodbye to your family," she called to Rory.
Rory and Amy grabbed each other's hands just before Carlo led Rory away, "Tell Uncle...Doctor...we'll see you both pretty soon, ok?" Amy told him, "I'll be fine."
Behind Amy, Francesco bared his teeth, but Angel just pulled Amy closer to her, portraying family sticking together and nervous so as not to cause any more suspicion, Rory let out a breath of relief at that, having seen the fangs.
~8~
Carlo led Amy and Angel through the school as the girls watched Carlo head upstairs and down a hall, towards a room they would be sharing with other girls, "There are clothes on the bed," he told them, "Get changed and wait here."
Amy looked at the opulent, domed room, rather impressed with the sight, "Blimey. This is private education, then?"
All the girls simply left with Carlo, all except one.
"Isabella," Angel whispered as she walked over to the dark-skinned girl, kneeling before her and taking her hands, startling her, "Are you alright?"
"How do you know my name?" Isabella looked up, frowning.
"I'm psychic," she smiled, "Angel, nice to meet you," she introduced, "And this is Amy, your father sent us to help."
"Listen, we're going to get you out of here," Amy promised, walking over, "But we need you to tell us what's going on. What is this place? What are they doing?"
"They, um...they come at night," Isabella said, "They gather around my bed and they take me to a room...with this green light and a chair with...with straps, as if for a surgeon."
Angel frowned, recognizing the room from her vision.
"What happens in there?" Amy asked.
"I wake up here. And the sunlight burns my skin like candle wax."
A bell tolled, pulling Angel's wary gaze away from the girl to look around, that pit growing larger in her stomach.
~8~
The Doctor and Rory sat back in a gondola as Guido, still in Rory's clothes, guided them down the canal, getting them closer and closer to the school's waterway entrance.
"She'll be fine," the Doctor whispered to Rory, seeing the boy tense and concerned, "Amy I mean," he added, incase Rory was thinking of Angel instead.
He frowned, why would Rory be worrying about Angel more so than Amy, the woman he was about to marry? He didn't know why he'd said that, possibly because he was worrying about Angel. And Amy. But, thinking of the school, the first one his mind went to was Angel. So, he supposed, it was natural for him to assume Rory might be thinking of Angel too. He was thinking of Amy along with Angel.
"You can promise me that, can you?" Rory muttered, clearly not believing him.
"Angel's there. And believe me, she's saved more people than I have. Most of them were ones I couldn't save. So yes, I can."
Rory though, despite what he was sure was the Doctor's attempt to reassure him, frowned. Why was it up to Angel to save everyone? Why did it seem like...she always had a hand in people being saved? And, while she was off saving all those people...who was saving her? Who was protecting her? Clearly it wasn't the Doctor, he'd let her go in there.
That unsettled him.
Under the ploy they'd enacted, Angel was his sister. So, he supposed, it was his job to protect her from now on. He nodded to himself, Angel had kept him, and Amy, plenty safe, she deserved to be looked after and worried about a little. The Doctor, he wasn't sure if it was the man's confidence in Angel, or just a general...lack of regard for her wellbeing (he sincerely hoped it was the first because the Doctor didn't seem like the sort of man to not care about someone), but he should worry more for Angel. There was just...something...about her.
There was a sadness in her eyes that no one else seemed to notice.
~8~
Angel carried a small oil lamp as she and Amy, dressed in white gowns, made their way downstairs to try and find the room Isabella had told them about.
Amy stopped, hearing a moan and a cry of pain before taking off after it. Angel shook her head before running off after her, every time, ALL the Doctor's companions, always had to wander off didn't they?
"Amy!" she hissed as she ran after her, "Amy stop! Wait!" she reached out quickly as soon as she caught up to the girl and pulled her back, "Shh," she mouthed, hiding the oil lamp under a small bucket on the floor, putting them in darkness as two of the other girls walked past the end of the hall Amy had been about to rush around.
They waited a moment later, till the girls had passed, before Angel picked up the oil lamp again, "Thanks," Amy whispered.
"You really shouldn't wander off Amy," Angel told her, "It's one of the Doctor's most important rules."
"Oh please," Amy laughed, "The Doctor doesn't even listen to his own rules."
Angel had to nod, that was rather true, "But still, Amy please, be careful. I know how exciting it can be, how much fun it can be, but...you can't get hurt," she reached out and touched Amy's arm, "Rory will be devastated if anything happens to you here."
"He'll be fine," Amy tried to shrug it off, about to move on.
But Angel frowned and tugged her back by the arm she was still holding, "Amy..." she shook her head, "You shouldn't do that."
"Do what?" Amy stared at her, confused, and a bit...defensive as well, as though she knew exactly what she shouldn't do.
"Just...brush Rory's feelings aside like that," she explained, "He really does love you and he's probably going mad with worry right now. You shouldn't make him worry any more by rushing off into things. He cares about you Amy, so much, I can see it," she whispered the last part, honestly a blind person would be able to see how much that boy loved her, "And this...can you imagine how it makes him feel?"
"How what makes him feel?" Amy crossed her arms, now entirely defensive. She'd met Angel once, for a few hours as a child, then again, for a few hours, as an adult before travelling with her and the Doctor. In all that time Angel had spent, maybe, five minutes around Rory, she had no right to tell her how to go about her relationship with her fiancé.
Angel just looked at her sadly, "You can't see it, can you?" she sighed. It would be that much harder to get through to Amy if the girl herself couldn't see how much Rory loved her, how far he'd go to make her happy and keep her safe.
"See what?!" Amy huffed.
"He loves you Amy," she told her, trying not to cry as she spoke about it, the love Rory had for Amy, it reminded her so much of (though it was not quite at the same level as) the Doctor's love for her, or the love he'd used to have for her, "More than anything."
"I know," Amy said firmly, of course she knew, they were getting married. You only got married if you really loved the other person.
Angel stared at her a moment, seeing that, even though Amy had said it, almost able to sense where her thoughts had gone in terms of marriage, that Amy hadn't quite grasped that two people made a marriage, not just the husband.
"Then you can't keep treating him like he doesn't mean anything to you."
"I do not treat him like that!" Amy stared at her, completely stunned she'd say such a thing to her.
"Amy you ran off on the night before your wedding, with a strange man," Angel continued gently, not willing to back down about this, not about Rory, she had suffered with broken hearts, she would NOT let Rory's heart break any more than it already was, "A man you didn't know. You didn't even tell us you were getting married till you nearly died. If you had died Amy, can you imagine what would happen to Rory? We wouldn't have known to tell him, he'd be standing at the altar, thinking you'd run, thinking you don't love him. And if we had known to tell, him, he'd be crushed that he hadn't been there to protect you, because you didn't want him there. And then you tried to kiss the Doctor, you tried to seduce him, Amy...you had a fiancé, you were getting married and you were willing to throw that all away. For what? A man you could never ever be with? You would give up Rory for something that could never happen?"
Amy blinked a bit, starting to grow more concerned for Angel the longer the girl spoke. This was the longest she'd ever heard Angel speak. This was the most passionate she'd ever seen Angel grow. And...this was the first time she was actually seeing Angel start to cry. Sure, she'd seen hints of it and glimpses...but Angel was legitimately starting to cry over this. Something about it all was really getting to her, "Angel..."
"Amy I lost the man I love," Angel cut in, her hearts breaking to have to talk like that, like the person she loved was in the past tense, when he was very much in the present. But, in a way, the man she loved was lost, he was in the past. She did love the man he was in the present, but the man who loved her back only seemed to exist in the past, "I lost a man who...loved me more than anything, who would have done anything to protect me and keep me safe and see me happy. A man who was so...wonderful," tears started spilling from Angel's eyes at that, "And he loved me. He really did. He risked so much for me, he endured so much for me, and he gave up so much...for me. I was his world Amy, like he was mine...and he's gone. I might never get him back."
And that, THAT killed her to admit, because for all her abilities she couldn't see far enough ahead to a time where the Doctor might remember her, she truly didn't know if he would.
"I'm sorry," Amy whispered, her heart breaking for the clear pain Angel was in. It was...startling, how well she hid it at times if she felt like this all the time. She hadn't even noticed how much the girl was hurting.
"I would give anything Amy," Angel took a deep breath, trying to calm down, needing Amy to listen and to understand and not just focus on how she was crying, "Anything, to have him back. I would give anything to have him look at me just once more with that sparkle in his eyes. To hear him say he loves me," she let out a small laugh, "I'd even say yes if he asked me to marry him again," who would have thought that would ever happen, she must miss him more than she thought, "And Amy..." she looked at her, her tears subsiding though her eyes were watery, "You have that. All of it. In Rory," she quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve, taking a breath, "Don't take it for granted."
Amy opened her mouth, about to speak though she didn't have a clue what she could say to that, when the bell tolled again.
Angel sighed, shaking her head, disappointed in herself that she'd let herself get so distracted, "We need to hurry," she murmured, turning to lead the way back down the hall they'd come from, Amy pausing a moment to watch her go before following, Angel's words ringing through her head.
~8~
"We're here," Guido said as the gondola pulled up to an underground port. The Doctor grabbed a lit torch and opened the creaking gate, Rory following him while Guido moved the gondola away to wait for them.
"Right," the Doctor murmured as they walked down a passage, "Ok, I'll go first. If anything happens to me, go back..."
"What happened?" Rory looked at him, "Between you and Amy? You said she kissed you."
The Doctor stopped by a wooden door, "NOW?! You want to do this NOW?!" he turned and walked up the wooden steps towards it.
"I have a right to know. I'm getting married in 430 years."
~8~
Amy walked up to a well in the center of the courtyard, Angel holding the lamp up for more light as Amy released the bar locking the gate.
"Amy, we need to leave, now," Angel whispered to her, sensing that their time was running out.
Amy nodded and turned to head back inside with her, when she heard something behind her. She turned and looked over, going to investigate...only to walk right into Carlo. She shrieked as he grabbed her, Angel about to run to her when Francesco grabbed her as well, dragging them off.
~8~
The Doctor and Rory quickly made their way down a narrow passage, the only light coming from the Doctor's torch, "She was frightened, I was frightened, but we survived, and the relief of it...and so she kissed me."
"And you kissed her back?"
"No. I kissed her mouth."
"Funny."
"Rory..." he stopped, "Rory, she kissed me because I was there. It would have been you," he patted him on the shoulder, "It SHOULD have been you."
"Yeah."
"Exactly. That's why I brought you here," well, that and Angel seemed to have enjoyed his company last time, "And besides, it…it just felt…wrong…to me. Kissing Amy," he shook his head, it really and truly had, it...almost hurt to kiss her, like he physically couldn't stand the fact that she'd kissed him, everything inside him had screamed at him to push her away, to never ever let it happen again, that it was just...so wrong, "It felt wrong," he whispered to himself.
They were silent, when a strong gust of wind blew out the torch, leaving them in the dark.
"Can we go and see the vampires now, please?" the Doctor asked.
~8~
Amy gasped as Carlo shoved her down a set of stairs and into what seemed to be the room Isabella had mentioned, "Control yourself, child!" Carlo growled as Francesco pulled Angel along, the Time Lady more focused on trying not to gag due to the truly wretched smell of fish lingering on Francesco than in trying to bring up the Vortex to save them.
"Get your hands off me!" Amy twisted, seeing that the Signora and the girls were already in the chamber.
"Psychic paper," the Signora remarked, "Did you really think that would work on me?"
There was a hum for a moment before green lights switched on.
~8~
The Doctor pushed the grate at the top of a well aside and quickly scrambled out, using poor Rory as a ladder, "Push..." he managed to get out and reached in, pulling Rory out too, "Come on. There we are," he whispered quietly, "Amy! Angel! Where're they? I can't see a thing."
"Just as well I brought this, then," Rory pulled out a small penlight.
The Doctor just pulled out a larger torch from under his jacket, "Ultraviolet. Portable sunlight."
"Yours is bigger than mine."
"Let's not go there."
~8~
The Signora slowly made her way around Amy and Angel as Carlo and Francesco held the girls back, as though a hunter observing her prey, "Where are you from?" she asked them, "Did you fall through the chasm?"
"Mother this is pointless," Francesco replied, "Let's just start the process."
"Hold your tongue, Francesco! I need to know what this girl is doing in a world of savages with psychic paper," she eyed Angel, she could already tell the ginger one was human, she could practically smell it on her, the perfectly ordinary human blood, but this one…she was special. Two girls carried a wooden chair with straps dangling off it into the room, "Who are you with? I scarcely believe your idiot brother sent you," Angel was silent though, watching as one of the girls attached a hook on an eye socket above the chair, "What are you doing in MY school?" the woman demanded as another girl dangled an IV bag off the hook.
"Why would I tell you?" Angel returned her gaze to the woman, "You're hardly being polite. You didn't even say please."
The Signora laughed at how absurd it was that SHE should be expected to do so, "Put her in the chair," Francesco pushed her forward and into the chair, the girls strapping her down as Carlo pulled Amy back and tied her to a set of manacles tied around a pillar.
"No!" Angel struggled, actually starting to feel a bit alarmed, "Let me go!"
"Oh, make sport of me, will you?" she sneered, "Tease me as if I were your dog? Well, this dog has a bite, girl," she bared her fangs.
~8~
"If we cancel now, we lose the deposit on the village hall, the salsa band..." Rory mumbled, glancing over as the Doctor opened a chest on the ground to reveal skeletal remains, "What happened to them?"
"They've had all the moisture taken out of them," the Doctor scanned them quickly.
~8~
The Signora hissed at her as Angel glared right back, a protectiveness flaring in her that reminded her of the Clerics in the forest...only with an anger she hadn't felt before rising with it, "Get back," she threatened.
~8~
"That's what vampires do, right?" Rory grimaced at the bodies, "They drink your blood and replace it with their own."
"Yeah, except they haven't just had their blood taken," the Doctor countered, "But all the water in their bodies."
"Why did they die? Why aren't they like the girls in the school?"
"Maybe not everyone survives the process."
Rory walked away in frustration before stopping to point at the Doctor, "You know what's dangerous about you? It's not that you make people take risks. It's that you make them want to impress you. You make it so they don't want to let you down. You have no idea how dangerous you make people to themselves when you're around."
He glared at the Doctor for good measure, why couldn't the man be like Angel? Already he'd seen her express actual concern for HIS wellbeing and not just Amy's. He'd seen her watch out for him, for them. Yes, he already felt like he didn't want to let HER down but she…she didn't make him feel like he NEEDED to impress her because it felt like she was already impressed by him simply being him. She nudged him and had faith in him for whatever reason he couldn't begin to fathom, but…she made him feel like he could do better, that he could be better, gave him the courage to try it for himself, to do things for himself.
The Doctor, he just made people want to impress him. He made them want to show off and earn praise from him for their daring deeds. Angel just...praised you for doing the simplest things. Angel didn't need to be impressed, she worried for you when danger arose, she didn't expect others to go rushing into danger, nor would she want them to without her there to help them. That was the thing, the Doctor made people want to go off on their own and try to wow him, Angel made people feel safe and like they could do the things that scared them, because they wouldn't be alone. She didn't expect you to be more than you were, she just...was there for you as you grew to be more than you were.
In just a few hours with the Time Lady, he'd...hugged her, even knowing it bothered Amy a little. He hadn't cared (...well he had, but he hadn't stopped), he'd done what he wanted to do for once. He'd told Amy off, in his own small way, told her to listen to Angel instead of just nodding along. He'd stood before an alien vampire thing, despite being nervous, because...he knew he wasn't alone. And THAT was what, to him, made Angel more remarkable than the Doctor. She didn't let you go it alone, she was there for you when you really needed her, and she seemed to truly want the best for you.
"Who are you?" a chorus of female voices called behind them.
The Doctor spun around and held up the ultraviolet light to them as they got closer, holding them off, "We should run. Run!" they took off, followed by the girls.
~8~
"This is how it works," the Signora told Angel, "First, we drink you until you're dry. Then...we fill you with our blood. It rages through you like a fire, changing you until, one morning, you awake and your humanity is a dream...now faded. "
"Or you die," Francesco smirked, "That can happen."
"What happens to the ones who survive?" Angel swallowed, feeling herself starting to pant, feeling an almost...need to get out, to free herself, hitting her, most likely left over from her time chained up with the Dalek.
"Then there are 10,000 husbands waiting for you in the water," the woman replied.
"I think you're wrong. I don't think I'll lose my humanity."
"And why's that?" the Signora leaned in, ready to bite her, ready to make her part of her collection.
"I'm not human," she clenched her hands into fists, the golden power of the Vortex surrounding her, "And I am NOT in the mood!" and with that, the Vortex crackled around her before exploding out of her, knocking all the aliens back.
The Signora fell to the ground on her side, on her hip, looking up at the girl, her eyes glowing golden, the golden wind swirling around her, when she felt a painful zing. She looked down at her hip and flung back part of her dress to see a device clipped there. Her image flickered to an insectoid creature with a fish's head before her human image returned.
"What are you?" she gasped at the Time Lady, before her son helped her up and they fled the room.
Instantly the golden energy died down and the straps holding Angel to the chair burst open with a small spark of gold.
~8~
The Doctor and Rory ran along a corridor, stopping short as they ran into the Signora, Francesco, and Carlo, "Cab for Amy Pond and Angel?" the Doctor smiled.
~8~
Angel ran over to Amy's side just as Isabella burst into the room. She grabbed the manacles and the same small golden spark made them burst open, releasing her, "She almost bit you!" Amy gasped.
"Time to go!" Angel just grabbed her arm and pulled her out into the hallway, Isabella running after them.
~8~
The Doctor looked over as the school girls approached from the other end of the corridor, blocking their escape, "This rescue plan, not exactly watertight, is it?" the Signora smirked.
The Doctor brandished the UV light, holding the girls back, "Ha ha!"
Just then Amy, Angel, and Isabella ran into the corridor, "Rory!" Amy called.
"Amy!" he smiled, thrilled to see her and, "Angel!" he beamed, both of them ok.
"Quickly, through here!" Isabella ran back the way they came, the small group following her, the girls after them.
"Seal the house!" the Signora ordered.
~8~
"They're not vampires!" Amy told the Doctor as he soniced a door closed behind them, locking the others out.
"What?!" he gaped.
"I saw the real her," Angel told him, "She was a...insect thing, with a fish head, not a vampire."
He laughed at that, "Aliens. Classic!"
"That's GOOD news?!" Rory stared at him, "What is wrong with you people?!"
The Doctor looked back as the aliens tried to break through the door and urged Rory on, into the passage after Isabella, "Come on, move!" the Doctor shouted as Francesco and the girls broke through, following after them with a torch. The Doctor waved the UV light like a weapon, causing the man to hesitate, "Keep moving! Come on, guys!"
Francesco merely sent the girls forward.
~8~
Isabella opened the doorway to a canal by the school, ushering the others forward and down the stairs where Guido was waiting, "Quickly," she called.
The Doctor ran on when, just as he passed, Angel pulled off his jacket, startling him into spinning around.
"Get out. Quick!" Isabella turned to follow but stopped, shielding her face as the sunlight hit her.
Angel turned and threw the Doctor's jacket over her head, quickly helping her down the stairs and out of reach of the girls who had just reached the door, only to pull back from the sun as well. They ran down the rest of the way, the Doctor and Angel helping Isabella into the gondola as Guido quickly steered them away the moment they were all in.
"You are brilliant," the Doctor smiled at Angel, realizing what she'd just done as he glanced back at the girls in the doorway, hissing at them as they made their escape, and Isabella, hidden under his coat.
~8~
The Signora walked out onto a ledge of the canal, looking down into the water as it bubbled at her proximity, "Mother!" Francesco called, dashing out after her, "Change your form...or my brothers will think they are about to be fed."
The Signora just smiled down at the water, "Not long now. It's not long."
True, the appearance of those two girls and the escape of that other had put a bit of a fault in her plans, but her smile morphed into a smirk, it only meant that the plans had to be advanced. Oh yes, the girls were ready, but Venice, Venice would not be ready at all for what was coming.
A/N: Awww :) Do you like the little twist in the Rory/Angel dynamic :) I could so picture him as her younger brother of sorts, how he's so insecure and his older sister is there to protect him. It's such a change from Angel being the innocent one who needed Jack to protect her and be the big brother at first and now she's got a little brother too :) That will...play a VERY big role in Cold Blood and Torchwood as well :)
I hope you liked the Amy/Angel discussion about Rory. I hope everything made sense and was in character. I couldn't think of a better time for Angel and Amy to have that talk. Angel doesn't strike me as the sort to let others being put down fester but someone who will really do something about it as soon as she can. And, I like to think, her words might help Amy in Amy's Choice too :) I could see it really getting to her like...Amy has this incredible love and she's throwing it away, whereas Angel would give anything to have her love back :'(
And...Angel saved Isabella! Woo! I felt SO bad when she died, like Guido went through so much to get her back and he lost her :( Good thing there was a psychic around to help out this time ;) We also got to see a little bit of Angel's fury, not much, not a lot, but just...well, really more of a survival instinct I think :)
Also, just wanted to put here, for the Angel Fanfic Challenge. If you have an entry you'd like to submit, if you have a FF account, feel free to post it under your profile and just shoot me a PM or a review with the title/link and I'll check it out and put an announcement up on tumblr/FF about it :) If you don't want it under your profile but still want to submit, you can PM it to me and I can put it up for you (with complete and total credit to you) :) The plagiarism thing had me a little shaken up, yeah, but I won't be cancelling the challenge because of it, nope :) I think you all want your fluff fixes and an outlet for it and since all submissions would be a response to the challenge for this story I don't count it as plagiarism since it's me giving permission to write it only for this challenge and for that purpose :) If you'd like, you can put in the summary for the story, 'For LizzeXX's HOTS Challenge' if it fits and possibly a 'disclaimer' before the chapter/one-shot starts about it too :)
Some notes on reviews...
Lol, I could see him being a goldfish too, he does do a lovely fish impression doesn't he? Just staring open mouthed with his eyes wide :)
Rory's finally here yup :) Anyone notice the 'Rory the Roman' remark in Flesh and Stone? ;) I agree, he definitely stole the show, which is impressive given the Doctor being there :) Oh there will be plenty of little jealous moments to come, especially when Rory and Angel start to bond as 'siblings' on top of companion/pilot ;) Lol, I noticed the apples thing, I think it would be great if they put it in just for that :) I thought it was ironic that he hated apples in Eleventh Hour...but then ate one in God Complex :)
I agree, he's definitely like a male Angel :) I think he'll make Angel happier too, it's like, there are times you just need that ONE person to be there for YOU to make your day better :) And that's Rory! Oh Cold Blood tore my heart out, especially the end. If you thought Angel considering the Dampening Bracelet was bad, wait till you see what happens at the end of that episode }:) That's awesome, just send me a PM or tumblr or review or whatever you'd prefer and let me know and I'll definitely check it out :)
It would probably be devastating if she was pregnant, but then again Angel always seems to try and find the good in the bad :) We'll have to see though if she might one day be pregnant :) And thanks :) I don't see the point in plagiarism -sigh- but thanks again :)
Lol, Angel will probably have mixed feelings about the fez, but I think it might grow on her eventually, like the bowtie :) I didn't know that! That's awesome, you learn something new every day :) Now if only we could learn who the 12th Doctor is lol :)
That's perfectly ok :) And Angel will definitely have a few more theories coming up ;) Oh the next few episodes will be packed with friendship fluff :) I'll try my best to keep it up :)
I agree, that was something that bothered me about Amy, even though she realized she really did love Rory, the fact that (even at that point of not realizing it) she was going to sleep with (at least how I interpreted the scene) with the Doctor on the night before her wedding was just VERY wrong :( Bad Amy. Good thing Angel gave her a little talking to :)
We don't know for sure if Angel's pregnant, she could be, she could not be. If she is I think the TARDIS might try to kill him again lol :) I think that's a great idea though, I could see that happening in the Big Bang episode :) IF she's pregnant, well, I suppose it would depend if she wanted anyone to know. I've seen people hide their entire pregnancy and NO ONE knew they were pregnant. I think she stays with the Doctor because of that yeah, almost like if she leaves him alone and he gets hurt she'd never forgive herself. I will say that Angel will visit Jack and Ianto and the TW team in this series for the crossover, though I can't quite see her staying with them :) But that's me talking about her not being pregnant. All I can say about a miscarriage is that, pregnancies were very difficult for her family, it happened to her mother many times, her sister a few times. If Angel was ever pregnant in the that would probably be a very real possibility/danger/fear of hers. It's a depressing thought and completely understandable :)
Aww thanks :) I'm glad you like the stories so much :) I'm going to do my best to keep the suspense with Angel up ;)
Lol, jealous Doctor is amazing, especially when he doesn't even know why he's so jealous :) I could see her as a future Angel, one of them would have to be able to sing at some point since she hasn't quite managed it just yet :) Well, that and freckles :) And that's great! I'm glad you're interested in the challenge :)
I know! Yay Rory! You make Angel feel better :) I think Mels and Rory had a...tense relationship yeah. I can say that this story will still follow the show, River will still be the daughter of her parents, nothing's changing there :) I can see Amy like that too, rather flirty with everyone but possessive of her own boyfriend. I sort of see her a little more flirty in the show actually lol, but that's probably because of her kiss-o-gramming that she was kissing all these random people while Rory was forced to sit in the background :( That's sort of how I felt Rose was, going off travelling and leaving Mickey behind because, as Mickey said himself, he'd just wait for her to come back and still be there waiting :( Which wasn't fair to either boy, good thing they had Angel :)
Thanks :) And no worries, ask away :) I might not answer solidly, but I can give vague ones :) I think Angel is definitely going to see if Rory can help her with the Doctor, and maybe Amy once she gets over the Doctor. I think she'll want a different perspective on the situation :) Lol, I loved the little dress moment too, but nope not a couple for Angel/Rory, hopefully this chapter made that a bit more clear lol :) Oh Vincent and the Doctor will be great, I won't say just what'll happen though :) I definitely tried to make Angel more human and relatable, to really let the readers see her growing as an amazing person :) I think the only OC I had that copied the Doctor's lines was the Professor, but she had known him for so long and was so close to him it was almost like they shared a brain :) And no worrie at all, I love answering questions :)
I completely understand on trying to not make something too complicated :) I think you have very good ideas that could go either way :) I'm sure whichever you choose will work out beautifully :)