Stella and Amy followed the Doctor as he ran through the museum commenting on the labelling of the various exhibits. Stella adjusted the straps of her jean overall shorts which hung over a burnt orange v neck peasant blouse with long belle sleeves and over her shirt and overalls she had on a knit light brown thigh length fringed vest. On her feet was a pair of calf high dark brown boots, a pair of dark brown knee high lace socks under that, and a straw cowgirl hat perched on her head, and her hair hung loose down her back in loose curls.

"Wrong. Wrong. Bit right, mostly wrong." The Doctor pointed out gleefully. "I love museums."

"Yeah, great. Can we go to a planet now? Big space ship? Churchill's bunker? You promised me a planet next." Amy whined with a pout.

"Amy, this isn't any old asteroid. It's the Delerium Archive, the final resting place of the headless monks." The Doctor smiled. "The biggest museum ever."

"You've got a time machine." Amy pointed out. "What do you need museums for?"

"I'll give you three guesses." Stella replied holding up three fingers. "And the first two don't count."

"Wrong. Very wrong. Ooo, one of mine. Also one of mine." The Doctor went on ignoring them.

"Oh, I see." Amy said in realization. "It's how you keep score."

"Hey, Stella, I see a few of yours in here to." The Doctor called out.

"Ding, ding, ding we have a winner." Stella clapped with a smile as they walked over to the Doctor who had become very taken by a square box in a case.

"Oh great, an old box." Amy rolled her eyes as they all gathered around the glass case leaning on it.

"It's from one of the old starliners." The Doctor pointed to the box.

"It's a Home Box." Stella said.

"What's a Home Box?" Amy asked.

"Like a black box on a plane, except it homes." Stella explained as she looked at the writing with a small smile that was slowly growing. "Anything happens to the ship, the Home Box flies home with all the flight data."

"So?" Amy asked resting her head in her hands.

"The writing, the graffiti. Old High Gallifreyan." The Doctor said getting excited.

"The lost language of the Time Lords." Stella told Amy.

"There were days, there were many days, these words could burn stars and raise up empires, and topple gods." The Doctor told Amy with a grin.

"What does it say?" Amy asked, but the Doctor hesitated while shooting a look at Stella who was grinning in amusement.

"Hello, sweetie." The Doctor finally said reluctantly. "I need to get this box out." The Doctor tried his sonic to no affect. "It's dead locked, who dead locks a home box?"

Stella looked around then smiled as she grabbed a stanchion and smashed the case open causing the Doctor and Amy to spring back. Throwing the stanchion to the side she grabbed the box shaking the glass from it and held it up.

"Got it." Stella smiled then an alarm broke out. "Oh, time to run." The guards ran at them chasing them through the halls all the way back to the Tardis. "You'll never catch us alive coppers!"

"Stella, do not antagonize the authorities." The Doctor playfully chastised her as he pulled her into the TARDIS.

"Yes dear." Stella replied as they closed the door behind them.

"Why are we doing this?" Amy asked following the couple up to the console.

"Because someone on a spaceship twelve thousand years ago is trying to attract our attention." The Doctor replied.

"Let's see if we can get the security playback working." Stella said as she hooked up the home box and they all looked at the screen. The playback showed River winking at the camera.

'The party's over, Doctor Song yet still you're on board.' Alistair said.

'Sorry, Alistair.' River replied. "I needed to see what was in your vault. Do you all know what's down there? Any of you? Because I'll tell you something. This ship won't reach its destination.'

'Wait till she runs. Don't make it look like an execution.' Alistair ordered.

'Triple seven five slash three four nine by ten zero twelve slash acorn.' River said as the Doctor and Stella started to work the console. "Oh, and I could do with an air corridor."

"What was that? What did she say?" Amy asked.

"Coordinates." The Doctor replied.

'Like I said on the dance floor, you might want to find something to hang on to.' River was standing in front of an airlock and blew a kiss as it opened. Alistair and his guards had to hang onto rails as River was sucked out, backwards, the TARDIS materializing in her flight path.

"Whoo!" The Doctor cheered. "Stella get the door."

"On it." Stella ran over to the door pulling it open and holding out her hand only for River Song to come sailing in landing on top of her.

"Stella?" Amy asked in concern.

"River?" The Doctor said looking around the console.

"Doctor, Amy, now that we know who everyone is could you get off, you're crushing my pancreas." Stella winced as River smiled standing up pulling Stella with her.

"If you insist." River smirked with a wink. "Follow that ship." River said and ran over to the console with Stella helping the Doctor set the TARDIS into motion in order to track the ship. "They've gone into warp drive. We're losing them. Stay close."

"I'm trying." The Doctor replied as they ran around pressing buttons and pulling levers.

"Use the stabilizers." River ordered.

"There aren't any stabilizers." The Doctor said.

"The blue switches." River said.

"Oh, the blue ones don't do anything, they're just blue." The Doctor replied.

"Yes, they're blue. Look, they're the blue stabilizers." River pressed them and the Tardis stopped shaking. "See?"

"Yeah. Well, it's just boring now, isn't it? They're boring-ers. They're blue boring-ers." The Doctor pouted as he plopped down in the captain's chair.

"Yeah, that's why we never used them." Stella nodded with a small amused smile as the Doctor pulled her down into his lap resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Doctor, Stella, how come she can fly the Tardis?" Amy asked as she came to stand next to them.

"You call that flying the Tardis? Ha!" The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"Okay. I've mapped the probability vectors, done a fold-back on the temporal isometry, charted the ship to its destination, and parked us right alongside." River said putting the scanner to the side.

"Parked us? We haven't landed." The Doctor said as he stood back up with Stella.

"Of course we've landed. I just landed her." River said.

"But, it didn't make the noise." The Doctor said.

"What noise?" River asked.

"You know, the…" The Doctor imitated the wheezing sound of the TARDIS.

"It's not supposed to make that noise. You leave the brakes on." River pointed out.

"Yeah, well, it's a brilliant noise. I love that noise." The Doctor said then ran over to the doors pulling Stella with him. "Come along, Pond. Let's have a look."

"No, wait. Environment checks." River stopped him.

"Oh yes, sorry. Quite right. Environment checks." The Doctor opened the TARDIS door and looked out. "Nice out."

"We're somewhere in the Garn Belt. There's an atmosphere. Early indications suggest that…" River started as she looked at the scanning's on the screen.

"We're on Alfava Metraxis, the seventh planet of the Dundra System. Oxygen rich atmosphere, all toxins in the soft band, eleven hour day and chances of rain later." The Doctor cut her off.

"He thinks he's so hot when he does that." River scoffed.

"He is hot when he does that." Stella smiled as the Doctor pulled her close pressing a loving kiss to her forehead.

"How come you can fly the Tardis?" Amy asked.

"Oh, I had lessons from the very best." River smiled.

"Well, yeah." The Doctor preened.

"It's a shame you were busy that day." River said to him winking to Stella who giggled at the Doctors pout. "Right then, why did they land here?"

"They didn't land." The Doctor commented.

"Sorry?" River walked over to them.

"You should've checked the Home Box. It crashed." Stella pointed out the door and River walked out.

"Explain who is that and how did she do that museum thing?" Amy demanded as the Doctor closed the door and followed Stella back up to the console.

"It's a long story and we don't know most of it." Stella shrugged leaning against the console.

"Off we go." The Doctor said.

"What are you doing?" Amy asked watching him as he worked the console.

"Leaving. She's got where she wants to go, let's go where we want to go." The Doctor replied.

"Are you basically running away?" Amy asked.

"Yep." The Doctor nodded.

"Why?" Amy asked.

"Because she's the future." The Doctor replied sharing a glance with Stella. "Our future."

"Can you run away from that?" Amy asked.

"We can run away from anything we like. Time is not the boss of us." The Doctor said looking back to the console.

"Hang on, is that a planet out there?" Amy asked suddenly.

"Yes, of course it's a planet." The Doctor answered.

"You promised me a planet. Five minutes?" Amy looked mostly to Stella, pleadingly who looked to the Doctor for his decision.

"Okay, five minutes." The Doctor relented under the two girls gazes.

"Yes!" Amy cheered racing for the door.

"But that's all, because I'm telling you now, that woman is not dragging me into anything." The Doctor called out after her.

"Famous last words before we get dragged into something." Stella said looping her arm with the Doctor's as they followed Amy.

"Well not this time." The Doctor said.

"Want to make a bet?" Stella smiled at him.

"I win you get me three boxes of Jammie Dodgers and if you win I get you three bags of lollipops." The Doctor suggested holding out his hand.

"Deal." Stella shook his hand before they left the TARDIS.

-0-

A once sleek spaceship was a burning wreck sticking out of a rock-carved building, smoke drifting up through the air from the collision. It as nothing more than wreckage now and left almost nothing of the building it rammed into.

"Because regular parking is to mainstream." Stella said sarcastically.

"What caused it to crash?" Amy asked.

"Not me." River said.

"Nah, the airlock would've sealed seconds after you blew it." The Doctor said. "According to the Home Box, the warp engines had a phase shift."

"No survivors." Stella shook her head solemnly.

"A phase shift would have to be sabotage." River said. "I did warn them."

"About what?" The Doctor asked.

"Well, at least the building was empty." River commented. "Aplan temple. Unoccupied for centuries."

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Amy asked.

"Amy Pond, Professor River Song." The Doctor replied.

"Ah, I'm going to be a Professor someday, am I? How exciting." River smiled as the Doctor flinched at his mistake. "Spoilers."

"Yeah, but who is she and how did she do that? She just left you a note in a museum." Amy went on.

"Two things always guaranteed to show up in a museum. The Home Box of category four starliner and sooner or later, him dragging Stella along with him." River remarked. "It's how he keeps score."

"I know." Amy replied.

"It's hilarious, isn't it?" River laughed with Amy.

"I think it's cute." Stella shrugged as the Doctor came up behind her resting his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm nobody's taxi service." The Doctor looked to River as Stella took his hand wrapping them around herself as she leaned against him. "I'm not going to be there to catch you every time you feel like jumping out of a space ship."

"And you are so wrong." River smiled at the couple before getting back on subject. "There's one survivor. There's a thing in the belly of that ship that can't ever die. Now he's listening."

"Ooo ominous warning." Stella looked up at the Doctor as River walked away and used her communicator.

"You lot in orbit yet...Yeah, I saw it land….I'm at the crash site…. Try and home in on my signal." River said then called out to the Doctor. "Doctor, can you sonic me? I need to boost the signal so we can use it as a beacon."

The Doctor did so, grudgingly.

"Ooo, Doctor, you sonicked her." Amy teased.

"Amy it's a long walk to Leadworth from here, just saying." Stella commented playfully…well kind of playfully.

"Sorry." Amy mumbled with an apologetic smile.

"We have a minute. Shall we?" River got out her Tardis-style diary. "Where are we up to? Have we done the Bone Meadows?"

"What's the book?" Amy asked about to take a look.

"Stay away from it." The Doctor said pulling her back.

"What is it though?" Amy asked.

"Her diary." Stella answered taking a pink and blue lollipop from her pocket and sticking it in her mouth after she unwrapped it.

"Our diary." River corrected her.

"Her past, our future. Time travel. We keep meeting in the wrong order." The Doctor said as four small tornadoes kick up the dust and turn into four soldiers.

"Oh River, not these guys." Stella whined as she glared at River who sent her an apologetic smile.

"You promised me an army, Doctor Song." Octavian said as he stepped forward

"No, I promised you the equivalent of an army. This is the Doctor and this is Stella." River replied with a smirk as the Doctor and Stella looked at each other then back at the soldiers.

"Father Octavian, Sir. Bishop, second class. Twenty clerics at my command." Octavian said. "The troops are already in the drop ship and landing shortly. Doctor Song was helping us with a covert investigation. Has Doctor Song explained what we're dealing with?"

"Doctor, Stella, what do you know of the Weeping Angels?" River asked making the two grimace.

"I thought winning the bet would feel better than this." Stella grumbled sticking her hands into the pockets of her overalls.

-0-

Night had fallen and the rest of the troops have arrived with their supplies in a small drop ship, like a container unit and set up camp around it.

"The Angel, as far as we know, is still trapped in the ship. Our mission is to get inside and neutralize it." Octavian told them. "We can't get through up top, we'd be too close to the drives. According to this, behind the cliff face there's a network of catacombs leading right up to the temple. We can blow through the base of the cliffs, get into the entrance chamber, then make our way up."

"Oh, good." The Doctor said with a large smile.

"Good, sir?" Octavian asked in confusion.

"Catacombs. Probably dark ones. Dark catacombs. Great." The Doctor went on sarcastically.

"Technically, I think it's called a maze of the dead." Octavian said.

"You can stop any time you like." Stella said as she rubbed her temples.

"Father Octavian?" Someone called out.

"Excuse me, sir." Octavian said and shot a look of disdain at Stella who stuck her tongue out back at him.

"He doesn't seem to like you." Amy commented.

"Yeah, well the church and I are not exactly simpatico." Stella replied crossing her arms as the Doctor wrapped his arm around her holding her close. It had become known that the Doctor had taken her as his fiancé and that she had become part time lord allowing for her change in appearance. "You see I didn't agree with the military attitude they had taken on and spoke out against it freely, organized some sit ins, you know, that sort of thing. They didn't take to it to kindly and called me a heretic I believe, religious jerks."

"Ok." Amy nodded then looked to the Doctor. "You're letting people call you sir. You never do that. So, whatever a Weeping Angel is, it's really bad, yeah?"

"Now that's interesting. You're still here." The Doctor said looking to the red head. "Which part of wait in the Tardis till I tell you it's safe was so confusing?"

"Ooo, you are all Mister Grumpy Face today." Amy said with a fake pout.

"A Weeping Angel, Amy, is the deadliest, most powerful, most malevolent life form evolution has ever produced, and right now one of them is trapped inside that wreckage and I'm supposed to climb in after it with a screwdriver and a torch, and assuming I survive the radiation long enough and assuming the whole ship doesn't explode in my face, do something incredibly clever which I haven't actually thought of yet. That's my day. That's what I'm up to. Any questions?" The Doctor finished his rant with a dark look.

"Is River Song your wife? Because she's someone from your future, and the way she talks to you, I've never seen anyone do that. She's kind of like, you know, heel, boy. She's Mrs. Doctor from the future, isn't she? Is she going to be your wife one day?" Amy asked making Stella shoot her a sharp glare only softening when the Doctor rubbed her arm lovingly holding her close to his side. "No, you're right, that's rubbish, Stella would kill you." Amy said thoughtfully, but her next thought was almost as bad as the first. "Oh, maybe she's your future daughter! I can see that, the Doctor's smarts, but Stella's attitude, now there is a scary combination."

"Yes, you're right." The Doctor said surprising Amy as he pulled Stella closer wrapping his arm around her when he took note of the frown on her lips and the way she wrapped her arms defensively over her stomach. "I am definitely Mister Grumpy Face today."

"Doctor! Doctor?" River called from the drop module and had changed into combat fatigues.

"Oops. Her indoors." Amy said making a face.

"Stella, you to." River called out.

"Yes ma'am." Stella rolled her eyes.

"Father Octavian." River said.

"Why do they call him Father?" Amy asked.

"He's their Bishop, they're his Clerics. It's the fifty first Century." The Doctor replied as they walked over to the capsule, his arm remaining around Stella's shoulders as she wrapped hers around his waist. "The Church has moved on."

Everyone gathered around a grainy image of a Weeping Angel with its back towards them on a monitor on the far wall of the rounded capsule.

"What do you think? It's from the security cameras in the Byzantium vault. I ripped it when I was on board." River told them. "Sorry about the quality. It's four seconds. I've put it on loop."

"Yeah, it's an Angel." The Doctor said.

"Hands covering its face." Stella nodded.

"You've encountered the Angels before." Octavian looked between them.

"Once, on Earth, a long time ago. But those were scavengers, barely surviving." The Doctor said.

"I had hoped that we'd never have to see them again." Stella said biting her lip.

"But it's just a statue." Amy said in confusion.

"It's a statue when you see it." River explained.

"Where did it come from?" The Doctor asked.

"Oh, pulled from the ruins of Razbahan, end of last century. It's been in private hands ever since. Dormant all that time." River told them.

"There's a difference between dormant and patient." The Doctor said.

"What's that mean, it's a statue when you see it?" Amy asked.

"The Weeping Angels can only move if they're unseen. So legend has it." River said.

"No, it's not legend, it's a quantum lock. In the sight of any living creature the Angels literally cease to exist." The Doctor explained.

"They're just stone, the ultimate defense mechanism." Stella added.

"What, being a stone?" Amy asked.

"Being a stone until you turn your back." The Doctor with a dark look before they all stepped outside of the capsule. "The hyperdrive would've split on impact. That whole ship's going to be flooded with drive burn radiation, cracked electrons, gravity storms."

"Deadly to almost any living thing." Stella added.

"Deadly to an Angel?" Octavian asked.

"Dinner to an Angel. The longer we leave it there, the stronger it will grow. Who built that temple? Are they still around?" The Doctor asked.

"The Aplans. Indigenous life form." River replied. "They died out four hundred years ago."

"Two hundred years later, the planet was terraformed… currently there are six billion human colonists." Octavian said.

"Whoo! You lot, you're everywhere. You're like rabbits. I'll never get done saving you." The Doctor commented with an amused smile.

"Sir, if there is a clear and present danger to the local population…" Octavian started.

"Oh, there is. Bad as it gets. Bishop, lock and load." The Doctor cut him off.

"Verger, how are we doing with those explosives?" Octavian started to walk away. "Doctor Song, with me."

"Two minutes." River replied. "Sweetie, Honey, I need you."

"Sweetie?" The Doctor mouthed.

"It's better than Honey." Stella grumbled as they followed River.

"Anybody need me? Nobody?" Amy asked rhetorically then went back into the module.

"I found this. Definitive work on the Angels. Well, the only one. Written by a madman. It's barely readable, but I've marked a few passages." River said handing a diary over to Stella who started to scan through it.

Then she felt breath on the back of her neck as the Doctor circled his arms around her reading over her shoulder. Stella smiled leaning into him continuing on with her reading then when finished handed it back to the Doctor who snatched it quickly from her hand then rapidly flipped through it.

"Not bad for a mad man." Stella commented.

"Bit slow in the middle. Didn't you hate his girlfriend?" The Doctor asked.

"So much." Stella replied. "Whiney, I hate whiney."

"No. No, hang on. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait." The Doctor sniffed the book.

"Doctor Song? Did you have more than one clip of the Angel?" Amy called out from the module.

"No, just the four seconds." River replied not looking over to her.

"This book is wrong. What's wrong with this book? It's wrong." The Doctor said still looking over the book.

"It's so strange when you go all baby face. How early is this for you?" River asked.

"Very early." The Doctor replied.

"So you don't know who I am yet?" River asked.

"How do you know who I am?" The Doctor asked. "I don't always look the same."

"I've got pictures of all your faces, Stella's as well. You two never show up in the right order, though. I need the spotter's guide." River replied easily.

"Pictures!" The Doctor and Stella said in realization at the same time.

"Why aren't there pictures?" The Doctor asked.

"This whole book, it's a warning about the Weeping Angels, so why no pictures?" Stella questioned.

"Why not show us what to look out for?" The Doctor asked.

"There was a bit about images. What was that?" River asked.

"Yes. Hang on." The Doctor started to read. "That which holds the image of an angel becomes itself an angel."

"What does that mean? An image of an Angel becomes itself an Angel." River said.

"Oh no, the video." Stella said her head snapping to the module.

"Amy!" The Doctor said as they all ran to the drop ship.

"Doctor!" Amy yelled as they tried to get into the module. "Stella!"

"Are you all right? What's happening?" The Doctor questioned.

"Doctor? Stella? It's coming out of the television." Amy called out. "The Angel is here."

"Don't take your eyes off it. Keep looking. It can't move if you're looking." The Doctor said as he soniced the keypad on the side of the door.

"What's wrong?" River asked.

"Deadlocked." The Doctor replied.

"There is no deadlock." River said.

"Don't blink, Amy. Don't even blink." Stella called through the door.

"Doctor." Amy called out.

"What are you doing?" River asked the Doctor as he worked.

"Cutting the power. It's using the screen, I'm turning the screen off." The Doctor replied. "No good, it's deadlocked the whole system."

"There's no deadlock." River argued.

"There is now." The Doctor and Stella snapped.

"Help me!" Amy called out.

"Can you turn it off?" The Doctor asked.

"Doctor." Amy said. "Stella."

"The screen. Can you turn it off?" Stella questioned.

"I tried." Amy replied.

"Try again, but don't take your eyes off the Angel." The Doctor ordered.

"I'm not." Amy said.

"Each time it moves, it'll move faster. Don't even blink." Stella called into the module as River was trying to cut through the door with her pistol torch.

"I'm not blinking. Have you ever tried not blinking?" Amy snapped.

"Yes and its very annoying I know, but you have to try." Stella replied.

"It just keeps switching back on." Amy said.

"Yeah, it's the Angel." The Doctor said.

"But it's just a recording." Amy argued.

"No, anything that takes the image of an Angel is an Angel." The Doctor said then looked to River. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to cut through. It's not even warm." River snapped.

"There is no way in. It's not physically possible." The Doctor started to panic then her turned to Stella. "Can you force it open?"

"I can try." Stella said as she rammed her hands into the crevice between the door and capsule straining to get it to budge, but nothing happened and she was forced to give up. She beat her fist against the door over and over again as hard as she could only making a shallow dent. "It's made to strong."

"Doctor, Stella, what's it going to do to me?" Amy asked fearfully.

"Just keep looking at it. Don't stop looking." The Doctor said.

"Just tell me." Amy snapped as the Doctor runs and gets the book. "Tell me. Tell me!"

"Amy, not the eyes." The Doctor said as he ran back over. "Look at the Angel but don't look at the eyes."

"Why?" Amy asked.

"What is it?" Stella asked the Doctor.

"The eyes are not the windows of the soul. They are the doors. Beware what may enter there." The Doctor read.

"Doctor, what did you say?" Amy asked.

"Don't look at the eyes!" The Doctor replied.

"No, about images. What did you say about images?" Amy asked.

"Whatever holds the image of an Angel, is an Angel." River replied then suddenly the door opened allowing the Doctor Stella and River burst in as the monitor turned off.

"I froze it. There was a sort of blip on the tape and I froze it on the blip. It wasn't the image of an Angel any more. That was good, yeah? It was, wasn't it? That was pretty good." Amy smiled both in relief and proud of herself.

"That was amazing." River praised.

"That was genius, that's what that was." Stella complimented patting Amy on the back as she ran over to help the Doctor with the monitor.

"River, hug Amy." The Doctor ordered.

"Why?" Amy asked

"Because we're busy." Stella replied, her fingers humming as they glowed.

"I'm fine." Amy waved him off.

"You're brilliant." River said hugging her.

"Thanks. Yeah, I kind of creamed it, didn't I?" Amy said proudly.

"So it was here? That was the Angel?" River asked.

"Not really." Stella said looking over the wires.

"That was a projection of the Angel. It's reaching out, getting a good look at us. It's no longer dormant." The Doctor said then there was an explosion outside sending slight tremors through the ground.

"Last one positive." A Cleric said.

"Doctor? We're through." Octavian called out.

"Okay, now it starts." The Doctor said as he walked out of the module.

"Because that wasn't foreboding at all." Stella said sarcastically as she followed the Doctor taking her hand in his kissing the top of her head. They all went over to the over to the whole the clerics had blown into the rock face that would allow them into the temple. A rope ladder was lowered down allowing them to descend down into a very large underground space carved from the dark stone.

"Do we have a gravity globe?" The Doctor asked.

"Grav globe." Octavian ordered and a Cleric hands a globe to the Doctor.

"Where are we? What is this?" Amy asked as she looked around.

"It's an Aplan Mortarium, sometimes called a Maze of the Dead." River answered.

"What's that?" Amy asked.

"Well, if you happen to be a creature of living stone…" The Doctor kicked the globe into the air, where it illuminated a vast array of mausoleums and statuary.

"The perfect hiding place." Stella finished.

"I guess this makes it a bit trickier." Octavian said.

"A bit, yeah." The Doctor replied.

"A stone Angel on the loose amongst stone statues. A lot harder than I'd prayed for." Octavian said as the continued to look around.

"Why would you pray for it to be harder? Who in their right mind does something like that?" Stella asked giving him a look, but was ignored.

"A needle in a haystack." River said.

"A needle that looks like hay. A hay-like needle of death. A hay-alike needle of death in a haystack of, er, statues." The Doctor's sentence fell apart as everyone gave him strange looks. "No, yours was fine."

"Right." Octavian said turning back to the others. "Check every single statue in this chamber. You know what you're looking for. Complete visual inspection." He looked to the Doctor again. "One question, how do we fight it?"

"We find it, and hope." The Doctor replied as they walked on.

-0-

The Doctor Stella and Amy started up the terraces, but Amy paused to rub her eye, and stone dust falling out between her fingers. She took her hand from her eye looking at it in puzzlement with a slight tinge of fear.

"You all right?" River asked as she walked up to her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. So, what's a Maze of the Dead?" Amy asked as she quickly lowered her hand.

"Oh, it's not as bad as it sounds. It's just a labyrinth with dead people buried in the walls." River said and heard Stella scoff making her grin shooting the cyborg a wink. "Okay, that was fairly bad." River raised up a gun like medical device. "Right give me your arm. This won't hurt a bit."

River injected Amy in the arm quickly causing Amy to jolt painfully as she pulled her arm away from River's with a sharp look.

"Ow!" Amy yelped.

"There, you see. I lied. It's a viro-stabiliser, stabilizes your metabolism against radiation, drive burn, anything. You're going to need it when we get up to that ship." River said with a happy smile.

"So what's he like? In the future, I mean. Because you know him in the future, don't you?" Amy asked as she rubbed her arm.

"The Doctor? Well, the Doctor's the Doctor." River replied.

"Oh. Well, that's very helpful. Mind if I write that down?" Amy asked sarcastically.

"Yes, we are." River said looking to the Doctor who was up ahead of them with Stella.

"Sorry, what?" The Doctor replied.

"Talking about you." River said.

"I wasn't listening. I'm busy." The Doctor replied.

"The other way up." River said as Stella turned the device he was over to he was holding it the right way.

"Yeah." The Doctor's ears turned red.

"You're so his wife…or their daughter." Amy said.

"Oh, Amy, Amy, Amy. This is the Doctor we're talking about. Do you really think it could be anything that simple?" River questioned with a patronizing look.

"Yep." Amy nodded.

"You're good. I'm not saying you're right, but you are very good." River laughed.

"Hey River, why don't you ever talk about me so I can pretend to not listen?" Stella questioned with a fake pout as she looked over her readings which were displayed on her eyes for her to read.

"Next time, now come here for your injection." River motioned her over.

"I don't need that." Stella waved her off.

"Stella." River said in a warning tone.

"I don't wanna." Stella grumbled petulantly.

"Don't make me come over there." River pressed.

"Fine." Stella said as she reluctantly walked over and got her injection.

"You didn't even flinch, why all the fuss?" Amy asked still rubbing her own arm.

"I just hate the feeling." Stella said rubbing her arm with a glare at River who just smiled back before forcing the Doctor to take the shot as well.

"Come on Stella." Amy said as she wondered over to the cyborg. "You can tell me, is she like your daughter or something?"

"Amy, I can safely assure you that River Song is not my daughter so could you stop bringing it up please." Stella said with a bit of bite making Amy flinch back.

"Sorry." Amy mumbled and Stella let out a sigh.

"No, it's not your fault and I'm sorry for snapping." Stella mumbled before taking in a deep breath. "Amy, I can't have kids. When I was taken and turned into this they took that ability away from me, so you see, there's no way that she could be my child."

"Oh, Stella, I'm so sorry." Amy said with a wince as she thought back to all of her earlier words.

"It's ok, you didn't know." Stella waved her off then suddenly gunfire erupted.

"Stella! Amy!" The Doctor called out as he and River ran back to them checking them over.

"We're fine, it came from the Clerics back down the tunnel." Stella said before they ran back to the main group where a young Cleric had shot up a statue.

"Sorry, sorry. I thought. I thought it looked at me." Bob said shakily.

"We know what the Angel looks like. Is that the Angel?" Octavian snapped.

"No, sir." Bob answered looking ashamed.

"No, sir, it is not. According to the Doctor, we are facing an enemy of unknowable power and infinite evil, so it would be good, it would be very good, if we could all remain calm in the presence of decor." Octavian ground out.

"Just back off him choir boy, we're all jumpy as heck and snapping at each other will not help anyone's mood." Stella glared at Octavian who glared back at her before turning back to his other men.

"What's your name?" The Doctor asked the young cleric, taking Stella's hand in his keeping her close.

"Bob, sir." Bob answered nervously.

"Ah, that's a great name. I love Bob." The Doctor smiled as he slung his arm around him.

"It's a Sacred Name. We all have Sacred Names." Bob told him. "They're given to us in the service of the Church."

"Sacred Bob." The Doctor mused. "More like Scared Bob now, eh?"

"Yes, sir." Bob nodded sending a nervous glance to Octavian.

"Ah, good. Scared keeps you fast." The Doctor said as he looked around at everyone present. "Anyone in this room who isn't scared is a moron." He looked pointedly at Octavian. "Carry on."

"We'll be moving into the maze in two minutes. You stay with Christian and Angelo. Guard the approach." Octavian ordered Bob as they went on.

"Isn't there a chance this lot's just going to collapse? There's a whole ship up there." Amy pointed out.

"Incredible builders, the Aplans." River commented.

"And boy did they know how to throw a party." Stella said with a wistful smile as she started to dance in a swirling motion.

"Had dinner with their Chief Architect once." The Doctor commented taking Stella's hand and spinning her around.

"Which one?" Stella asked, the Doctor dipping her.

"Caldurnon-et-Dalcurnon." The Doctor answered and Stella nodded.

"Nice guys." Stella said as the Doctor brought her back up.

"Yeah, two heads are better than one." The Doctor said kissing Stella on the forehead.

"What, you mean you helped him?" Amy asked.

"No, I mean he had two heads." The Doctor said then looked thoughtful. "That book, the very end, what did it say?"

"Hang on." River said as she dug it out of her pack.

"Read it to me." The Doctor said swinging his hand which was threaded with Stella's back and forth as they walked along.

"What if we had ideas that could think for themselves? What if one day our dreams no longer needed us? When these things occur and are held to be true, the time will be upon us. The time of Angels." River read leaving behind an ominous feeling that their continued surroundings did not improve.

"Are we there yet? It's a hell of a climb." Amy said as they climbed toward the ship.

"The Maze is on six levels, representing the ascent of the soul." River told her.

"Don't worry, only two levels to go." Stella added.

"Lovely species, the Aplans. We should visit them some time." The Doctor said.

"I thought they were all dead?" Amy said in confusion.

"So is Virginia Woolf. I'm on her bowling team." The Doctor said smugly. "Very relaxed, sort of cheerful. Well, that's having two heads, of course. You're never short of a snog with an extra head."

"Doctor, there's something… I don't know what it is…" River said feeling uncertain.

"Yeah, there's something wrong. Don't know what it is yet, either. Working on it." The Doctor said before going on with his story. "Of course, then they started having laws against self-marrying. I mean, what was that about? But that's the Church for you… Er, no offence, Bishop."

"Quite a lot taken, if that's all right, Doctor." Octavian replied with an annoyed look. "Lowest point in the wreckage is only about fifty feet up from here. That way."

"The Church had a point, if you think about it. The divorces must have been messy." Amy commented.

"Hey love, I just had a funny thought." Stella said as she eyed a nearby statue.

"What's that?" The Doctor asked.

"The Alpans had two heads…why do the statues her only have one?" Stella said nervously.

"Oh." The Doctor suddenly said grabbing Stella and pulling her close.

"What's wrong?" Amy asked seeing the panicked looks on Stella, River, and the Doctor's face.

"Oh." River echoed.

"This is so not good." Stella shook her head.

"Exactly." The Doctor nodded.

"How could we have not noticed that?" River asked.

"Low level perception filter, or maybe we're thick." The Doctor replied.

"What's wrong, sir?" Octavian demanded.

"Nobody move. Nobody move. Everyone stay exactly where they are." The Doctor ordered. "Bishop, I am truly sorry. I've made a mistake and we are all in terrible danger."

"What danger?" Octavian snapped.

"The Aplans." The Doctor replied.

"The Aplans?" Octavian echoed.

"They've got two heads." River said.

"Yes, I get that. So?" Octavian was still in the dark.

"So like Stella asked, why don't the statues?" The Doctor replied making everyone go tense. "Everyone, over there. Just move. Don't ask questions, don't speak." Everyone moved into an alcove away from the statues back to back. "Okay, I want you all to switch off your torches."

"Sir?" Marco said uncertainly.

"Just do it." Stella ordered.

"Okay. I'm going to turn off this one too, just for a moment." The Doctor said as he took Stella's hand in his holding it tightly.

"Are you sure about this?" River asked.

"No." The Doctor replied then the light went out then back in an instant.

"Oh, my God. They've moved." Amy yelped, all of the statues having moved much closer. The Doctor ran down the passage with Stella in tow followed by the others, and it is filled statues coming towards them.

"They're Angels. All of them." Stella said in shock.

"But they can't be." River denied.

"Clerics, keep watching them." The Doctor and Stella ran back to a vantage point of the main cavern to see that all of the statues were climbing up towards them. "Every statue in this Maze, every single one, is a Weeping Angel."

"They're coming after us." Stella breathed out.

"But there was only one Angel on the ship." River told them in a panic. "Just the one, I swear."

"Could they have been here already?" Amy asked.

"The Aplans. What happened? How did they die out?" The Doctor questioned.

"Nobody knows." River replied.

"We know." Stella replied.

"They don't look like Angels." Octavian commented.

"And they're not fast. You said they were fast. They should have had us by now." Amy pointed out.

"Look at them. They're dying, losing their form." The Doctor said. "They must have been down here for centuries, starving."

"Losing their image?" Amy questioned.

"And their image is their power." Stella pointed out.

"Power. Power!" The Doctor said in realization.

"Doctor?" Amy looked to him along with the others.

"Don't you see? All that radiation spilling out the drive burn. The crash of the Byzantium wasn't an accident, it was a rescue mission for the Angels." The Doctor told them all.

"You mean we're in the middle of an army, and it's waking up." Stella said slowly as she pulled Amy close.

"Exactly." The Doctor nodded.

"We need to get out of here fast." River said.

"Bob, Angelo, Christian, come in, please. Any of you, come in." Octavian used his comm.

"It's Bob, sir. Sorry, sir." The voice of Bob replied.

"Bob, are Angelo and Christian with you? All the statues are active. I repeat, all the statues are active." Octavian ordered.

"I know, sir. Angelo and Christian are dead, sir. The statues killed them, sir." 'Bob' replied right before the Doctor grabbed Octavian's walkie-talkie.

"Bob, Sacred Bob, it's me, the Doctor." The Doctor called out.

"I'm talking to…" Octavian tried, but the Doctor ignored him waving him off.

"Where are you now?" The Doctor asked.

"I'm talking to my…" Octavian tried again.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, shut up." The Doctor snapped at him.

"I'm on my way up to you, sir. I'm homing in on your signal." 'Bob' replied.

"Ah, well done, Bob. Scared keeps you fast. Told you, didn't I." The Doctor smiled then Stella took the talkie.

"Hey Bob, about your friends, what did the Angel do to them?" Stella asked, a nagging feeling bothering her.

"Snapped their necks, ma'am." 'Bob' replied.

"That's odd. That's not how the Angels kill you. They displace you in time." The Doctor said, his brows furrowed.

"Unless they needed the bodies for something." Stella pointed out.

"Bob, did you check their data packs for vital signs? We may be able to initiate a rescue plan." Octavian said taking the comm from Stella.

"Oh, don't be an idiot. The Angels don't leave you alive. Bob, keep running." The Doctor ordered taking the comm only for Stella to snatch it again.

"But tell me real quick, how did you escape?" Stella asked.

"I didn't escape, ma'am. The Angel killed me, too." 'Bob' replied and everyone felt dread seep into them.

"What do you mean, the Angel killed you?" The Doctor asked.

"Snapped my neck, sir. Wasn't as painless as I expected, but it was pretty quick, so that was something." 'Bob' told him.

"If you're dead, how can we be talking to you?" The Doctor asked.

"You're not talking to me, sir. The Angel has no voice. It stripped my cerebral cortex from my body and re-animated a version of my consciousness to communicate with you." 'Bob' told them. "Sorry about the confusion."

"So when you say you're on your way up to us…" Stella trailed off.

"It's the Angel that's coming, ma'am, yes. No way out." 'Bob' said.

"Then we get out through the wreckage. Go! Go, go, go. All of you run." Octavian ordered.

"Doctor. Stella." Amy called out.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we're coming. Just go. Go, go, go. Yeah" The Doctor waved them on.

"We'll be right behind you, now go." Stella urged Amy after the others, Octavian lingering as Amy nodded running after the others. The Doctor wrapped his arm around Stella holding her close as he looked to Octavian.

"Called you an idiot. Sorry, but there's no way we could have rescued your men." The Doctor apologized sincerely.

"I know that, sir. And when you've flown away in your little blue box, I'll explain that to their families." Octavian replied bitingly causing the Doctor's face to fall as his eyes filled with guilt. Stella grit her teeth so hard that it hurt as her anger spiked sharply and she reached into her pocket pulling out a sucker.

"Hey Octavian, hold this." Stella said as she jammed the sucker into his mouth which would stuck in there forcing Octavian's mouth to stay closed no matter how much he struggled with it. "Much better, now that's going to stay in there keeping your mouth shut until I've said my piece so let's get something straight." Stella's eye narrowed glaring heatedly into Octavian's eyes. She grabbed the sucker pulling down so that Octavian was forced to lean down so they were eye to eye. "Don't you dare try to pass off the guilt your feeling on losing the men under your command to my Doctor." Stella spat as she poked him in the chest with her free hand. "You're in the army, lives get lost, and if you can't handle that then you shouldn't be in command, they more than knew what they were getting into when they joined. So let's get this straight, you even try to lay this on my Doctor and I will ruin you." Octavian glared down at Stella who didn't back down, her gaze unwavering and more penetrating than the father would have liked to admit. "Got it?" Octavian nodded before Stella yanked the lollipop out leaving behind a pungent taste in the father mouth. "Good. The taste should wear off…I think."

Octavian glared sourly as he turned away from her trying not to show how bad the taste was and followed after the others. The Doctor wrapped his arms around Stella lovingly as he pulled her close with a smile.

"You're always watching out for me." The Doctor mumbled kissing the top of her head.

"Just as much as you watch out for me." Stella replied with a smile pecking him on the lips as she took the walkie. "Angel Bob, quick question, which Angel are we talking to? The one from the ship?"

"Yes, ma'am. And the other Angels are still restoring." 'Bob' told them.

"Ah, so the Angel is not in the wreckage. Thank you." Stella grinned winking up at the Doctor.

"Oh good one love." The Doctor praised as he pulled her down tunnel after the others almost passing Amy in their hasted to get away.

"Don't wait for us. Go, run." The Doctor urged.

"I can't. No, really, I can't." Amy replied fearfully causing them to stop in their tracks and double back to the Scottish red head.

"Why not?" Stella asked her in concern.

"Look at it. Look at my hand. It's stone." Amy replied and the two travelers gazed down at her hand.

"You looked into the eyes of an Angel, didn't you?" The Doctor accused.

"I couldn't stop myself. I tried." Amy replied.

"Listen to me. It's messing with your head. Your hand is not made of stone." Stella said taking hold of Amy's shoulder.

"It is. Look at it." Amy argued.

"It's in your mind, I promise you. You can move that hand. You can let go." The Doctor tried.

"I can't, okay? I've tried and I can't. It's stone." Amy snapped in fear and anger.

"The Angel is going to come and it's going to turn this light off, and then there's nothing we can do to stop it, so do it. Concentrate. Move your hand." The Doctor ordered.

"I can't." Amy roared.

"Then we're all going to die." Stella nearly yelled.

"You're not going to die, neither of you." Amy looked between the time travelers.

"They'll kill the lights." The Doctor said.

"You've got to go. You know you both have. You've got all that stuff with River and that's all got to happen. You know neither of you can't die here." Amy argued.

"Time can be re-written. It doesn't work like that." The Doctor told her.

"Doctor, they're here." Stella said taking note of the advancing statues.

"Keep your eyes on it. Don't blink." The Doctor ordered.

"Run!" Amy said.

"You see, we're not going. We're not leaving you here." Stella snapped as she kept her eyes on the statues.

"I don't need you to die for me, Doctor. Do I look that clingy?" Amy asked sarcastically.

"You can move your hand." The Doctor snapped.

"It's stone." Amy snapped back.

"It's not stone." Stella ground out.

"You've got to go. Those people up there will die without you. If you stay here with me, you'll have as good as killed them." Amy used her best argument, playing off their need to save people.

"Amy Pond, you are magnificent, and I'm sorry." The Doctor said.

"It's okay. I understand. You've got to leave me." Amy nodded both relieved and fearful that the Doctor had agreed…or so she thought.

"Oh, no, I'm not leaving you, never. I'm sorry about this." The Doctor leaned down taking her hand and biting down on it hard.

"Ow!" Amy yelped.

"See? Not stone. Now run." The Doctor started to push her down the tunnel.

"You bit me." Amy complained.

"Yeah, and you're alive." Stella pointed out.

"Look, I've got a mark. Look at my hand." Amy whined as Stella grabbed hold of her pulling her back from the angels.

"Yes, and you're alive. Did I mention?" The Doctor said.

"Blimey, your teeth. Have you got space teeth?" Amy went on.

"Yeah. Alive. All I'm saying." The Doctor said as they took off running down the tunnel toward the others.

-0-

River and the clerics arrived at the top of the temple starring up at the crashed ship hanging over head, supported by crumbling rocks and the sounds of creaking metal feeling the air.

"Well. There it is, the Byzantium." Octavian said looking up.

"It's got to be thirty feet." River said. "How do we get up there?"

"Check all these exits. I want them all secure." Octavian ordered as his clerics got into position.

"The statues are advancing along all corridors." Marco said as he as well as his fellow clerics trained their guns on the tunnels. "And, sir, my torch keeps flickering."

"They all do." Octavian replied glancing at the flickering flashlights.

"So does the gravity globe." River said eyeing the glowing orb.

"Clerics, we're down to four men. Expect incoming." Octavian ordered as the Doctor, Stella, and Amy ran into the room.

"Yeah, it's the Angels. They're coming. And they're draining the power for themselves." The Doctor said in a rush.

"Which means we won't be able to see them." Octavian said.

"Which means we can't stay here." Stella said bouncing on her toes.

"Two more incoming." Octavian said as the angels closed in.

"Any suggestions?" River asked.

"The statues are advancing on all sides. We don't have the climbing equipment to reach the Byzantium." Octavian said, everyone on high alert.

"There's no way up, no way back, no way out." River pointed out looking to Stella and the Doctor. "No pressure, but this is usually when you two have a really good idea."

"There's always a way out." The Doctor said and his words echoed through the large room. "There's always a way out."

"Doctor? Stella? Can I speak to the Doctor or Stella, please?" 'Bob' called out through the walkie talkie.

"Hello, Angels. What's your problem?" The Doctor asked into the talkie.

"Your power will not last much longer, and the Angels will be with you shortly. Sorry, sir, ma'am." 'Bob' apologized.

"Why are you telling us this?" Stella asked.

"There's something the Angels are very keen you should both know before the end." 'Bob' told them.

"Which is?" The Doctor asked.

"I died in fear." 'Bob' replied and without thought the Doctor and Stella reached out to each other lacing their hands together.

"I'm sorry?" The Doctor said tensely.

"You told me my fear would keep me alive, but I died afraid, in pain and alone. You made me trust you, and when it mattered, you let me down." 'Bob' told them.

"What are they doing?" Amy asked River.

"They're trying to make them angry." River replied.

"I'm sorry, sir, ma'am. The Angels were very keen for you to know that." 'Bob' apologized once again.

"Well then, the Angels have made their second mistake because I'm not going to let that pass." The Doctor ground out pulling Stella close to his side. "I'm sorry you're dead, Bob, but I swear to whatever is left of you, they will be sorrier."

"But you're trapped, sir, and about to die." 'Bob' said.

"Yeah. I'm trapped. And you know what? Speaking of traps, this trap has got a great big mistake in it. A great big, whopping mistake." The Doctor started to pace, Stella keeping up with him also agitated.

"What mistake, sir?" 'Bob' asked.

"Trust me." The Doctor turned to Amy.

"Yeah." Amy nodded.

"Trust me?" The Doctor turned to River.

"Always." River replied.

"You lot, trust me?" The Doctor turned to the clerics.

"Sir, two more incoming." Marco called out.

"We have faith, sir." Octavian nodded, the Doctor returning the nod before looking to Stella.

"Do I have to ask?" The Doctor looked down at her lovingly.

"Never." Stella smiled up at him with complete trust.

"Then give me your gun." The Doctor held out his hand to Octavian who did so. "I'm about to do something incredibly stupid and dangerous. When I do, jump!"

"Jump where?" Octavian asked.

"Just jump, high as you can." The Doctor jumped a bit. "Come on, leap of faith, Bishop. On my signal."

"What signal?" Octavian asked.

"You won't miss it." The Doctor told him.

"Sorry, can I ask again? You mentioned a mistake we made." 'Bob' asked as the Doctor pointed the gun at the hull of the Byzantium.

"Oh, big mistake. Huge. Didn't anyone ever tell you there's one thing you never put in a trap? If you're smart, if you value your continued existence, if you have any plans about seeing tomorrow, there are two things you never, ever put in a trap." The Doctor said as he held Stella's hand in his free on, their gazes locked as he held the gun pointing straight up.

"And what would that be, sir?" 'Bob' asked.

"Us." Stella replied right before the Doctor shot the orb at the top of the Byzantium.