Chapter 5: Flesh and Stone

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who:

PREVIOUSLY

Angel Bob asked over the radio, "Sorry, can I ask again? You mentioned a mistake?"

The Vixen snarled, "Oh, big mistake. Huge. 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 is one thing you never, ever put in a trap."

Angel Bob asked, "And what would that be, ma'am?"

The Vixen growled, "Me!" She fired at the gravity globe and it exploded.

Everyone recovered from the jump. Amy was sitting on the ground. The Doctor stood up and pulled the Vixen up, who said, her eyes now perfectly normal, (Pity, they were the only lights that weren't flickering out.) "Up! Look up!"

River asked Amy, "You OK?"

Amy held her head and asked, "What happened?"

River replied, "We jumped."

Amy asked, "Jumped where?"

The Vixen said again, "Up, up, look up!"

Amy asked, "Where are we?"

River replied, "Exactly where we were."

Amy argued, "No we're not."

The Doctor ordered, "Move your feet!" He and the Vixen sonicked an indentation on the floor.

Amy asked, looking around, "Vixen, what am I looking at? Explain."

The Vixen sighed, "Oh, come on, Amy, think! The ship crashed with the power still on, yeah? So what else is still on?" Suddenly, it came to everyone that they were standing on the bottom of the Byzantium. "The artificial gravity. One good jump and up we fell. Shot out the grav-globe to give us an updraft, and here we are!" She returned to sonic the indentation.

Octavian reported, "Doctor. The statues, they look more like Angels now."

The Doctor explained, "They're feeding on the radiation from the wreckage, draining all the power from the ship, restoring themselves. Within an hour, they'll be an army!"

The indentation opened up into the ship just as the lights started going out. The Vixen said, "They're taking out the lights. Look at them, look at the Angels. Into the ship, now, quickly all of you!" She slipped into the hole.

Amy asked, "But how? Vixen!" She peered into the hole to see the Vixen standing upright.

The Doctor hopped in and said, "It's just a corridor. The gravity orientates to the floor. Now, in here, all of you, don't take your eyes off the Angels. Move, move, move!" He used his screwdriver on a keypad.

Octavian ordered, "OK, men, go, go, go!" He joined the Doctor and the Vixen. "The Angels, presumably they can jump up too?" The door closed once everyone was inside.

The Vixen said quietly, "They're here. Now. In the dark, we're finished. Run!" A large door behind them closed, blocking their only escape.

Octavian said, "This whole place is a death trap."

The Doctor replied, "No, it's a time bomb. Well, it's a death trap and a time bomb. And now it's a dead end. Nobody panic." The Angels tried to come in the exterior door. "Oh, just me then. What's through here?"

River said, "Secondary flight deck."

Amy asked, "OK, so we've basically run up the inside of a chimney, yeah? So what if the gravity fails?" River and the Vixen began to work on bypassing the power, using the Vixen's sonic and Manipulator and River's device.

The Doctor said, "Vixen's thought about that."

"And?"

The Vixen looked up and replied, "And we'll all plunge to our deaths. See. I've thought about it. The security protocols are still live. There's no way to override them, it's impossible."

River asked, "How impossible?"

The Vixen whispered, "Two minutes." The hum of the engines powered down and their way in had reopened. They could see the cavern outside.

Octavian said, "The hull is breached and the power's failing." The lights went out. The arm of an Angel could be seen through the opening.

A cleric reported, "Sir! Incoming!"

Amy shouted, "Doctor! Lights."

The Doctor used his sonic to help River and the Vixen. The lights came on briefly and they saw an Angel making its way inside. The lights went out again and came on brighter to show four Angels inside the corridor with them. Octavian ordered, "Clerics, keep watching them."

The Vixen added, "And don't look at their eyes. Anywhere else. Not the eyes. I've isolated the lighting grid. They can't drain the power now."

Octavian said, "Good work, Vixen."

The Vixen snarled, her eyes glowing again, (Well, at least they had some light.), "Yes. Good. Good in many ways, good you like it so far..."

Amy asked, "So far?"

The Vixen sighed, "Well, there's only one way to open this door. I guess I'll need to route all the power in this section through the door control. And it only works with my Manipulator and sonic."

The Doctor said, "I'll help. Two screwdrivers are better than one."

"Doctor, yours won't work. It isn't synced to the Vortex Manipulator. I'm the only one who can do this. I'll have to do it all by myself."

Octavian said, "Good, fine, do it."

The Vixen said, "Including the lights. All of them. I'll need to turn out the lights."

Octavian asked, "How long for?"

The Vixen replied, "Fraction of a second, maybe longer. Maybe quite a bit longer."

The Doctor asked, "Maybe?"

The Vixen snapped, "I'm guessing. We're being attacked by statues in a crashed ship, there isn't a manual for this!"

Amy said, "Vixen, we lost the torches. We'll be in total darkness."

The Vixen whispered, "No other way. Bishop?"

Octavian said, "Dr Song, I've lost good Clerics today. You trust this woman?"

River replied, "I absolutely trust her."

Octavian asked, "She's not some kind of madwoman then?"

River said again, "I absolutely trust her."

The Vixen said, "Excuse me." She went back to work on the door. The Doctor tried to help as much as he could.

Octavian said to River, "I'm taking your word, because you're the only one who can manage this child. But that only works so long as she doesn't know who you are. You cost me any more men, and I might just tell her. Understood?"

"Understood."

Octavian said, "OK. Vixen, we've got your back."

The Vixen nodded, "Bless you. Bishop."

The Doctor whispered, "Good Luck."

Octavian ordered the Clerics, "Combat distance, ten feet. As soon as the lights go down, continuous fire. Full spread over the hostiles. Do not stop firing while the lights are out. Shot gun protocol, we don't have bullets to waste."

The Vixen said, "Amy, when the lights go down, the wheel should release. Spin it clockwise, four turns."

Amy said, "Ten."

The Vixen replied, "No, four, four turns."

Amy nodded, "Yeah, four, I heard you." She took position at the door.

The Vixen called, "Ready!" She placed her sonic into the circuit and got her Vortex Manipulator at the ready.

Octavian said, "On my count then. God be with us all. Three... two...one." The lights went out. "Fire!" The clerics opened fire on the Angels. The Vixen, Amy and River tried to get the door open. The Doctor tried to hold back the Angels with his sonic.

The Vixen ordered, "Turn!"

River hissed, "Vixen, quickly!"

Amy said, "It's opening, it's working." She and River slipped through the opening.

Octavian ordered, "Fall back!" The Clerics moved through the doorway followed by Octavian and the Doctor. The Vixen pulled her sonic back out and slipped through the door.

They moved down a similar corridor to another door. The Vixen held the door open with her sonic and Vortex Manipulator as the others went through, led by the Doctor. River called, "Vixen, quickly."

Amy shouted, "Vixen!" The Vixen ran to join them as the door closed quickly behind her.

The flight deck was in major disrepair with exposed wires all over the console. The Doctor and the Vixen immediately went to one of the controls. Amy called, "Doctor!" The hatch lock spun shut and Octavian placed a device on the door. "What are you doing?"

Octavian replied, "Magnetized the door. Nothing could turn that wheel now."

The Vixen asked, "Yeah?"

The wheel began to turn behind him. Octavian breathed, "Dear God!"

The Doctor said, "Ah, now you're getting it! You've bought us time though, that's good. The Vixen and I are good with time."

"Doctor!" Another door wheel was spinning.

Octavian ordered, "Seal that door. Seal it now!" A cleric placed a magnetic device on the second door.

River said, "We're surrounded!"

The third door began to spin open. Octavian ordered, "Seal it, seal that door." A second cleric placed a device on the door. "Doctor, how long have we got?"

The Doctor replied, "Five minutes, max."

Amy said, "Nine."

The Vixen looked at Amy. "Five."

Amy repeated, "Five, right yeah."

The Vixen asked, "Why d'you say nine?"

Amy replied, "I didn't."

River said, "We need another way out of here."

Octavian said, "There isn't one."

The Doctor replied, "Yeah, there is, course there is. This is a galaxy class ship, goes for years between planet-falls. So-" He snapped his fingers. "-what do they need?"

River and the Vixen said in unison, "Of course." The Doctor snapped his fingers again.

Amy asked, "Of course, what? What do they need?"

Octavian asked, "Can we get in there?"

The Vixen replied, "Well, it's a sealed unit, but they must have installed it somehow. This whole wall should slide up." She pressed against the rear wall. "There's clamps. Release the clamps!" The Doctor used his sonic on the clamps.

Amy asked, "What's through there? What do they need?"

River replied, "They need to breathe." The door slowly rose up.

The Doctor and the Vixen smiled and Amy was awestruck. "But that's... That's a..." The door opened fully and they saw lush vegetation and trees.

River said, "It's an oxygen factory."

Amy said, "It's a forest."

"Yeah, it's a forest, it's an oxygen factory."

The Doctor said, "And, if we're lucky, an escape route."

"Eight."

River asked, "What did you say?"

Amy replied quickly, "Nothing."

The Vixen asked, "Is there another exit? Scan the architecture, we don't have time to get lost in there."

Octavian replied, "On it!" He stepped into the forest. "Stay where you are until I've checked the Rad levels."

Amy said, "But trees! On a space ship?"

The Doctor replied, "Oh, more than trees, way better than trees. You're going to love this." He and the Vixen stepped into the forest. "Treeborgs..." He opened a section of peat moss to reveal circuitry. "Trees plus technology. Branches become cables, become sensors on the hull. A forest sucking in starlight, breathing out air. It even rains. There's a whole mini-climate. It is an eco-pod running through the heart of the ship. A forest in a bottle, on a space ship, in a maze. Have I impressed you yet, Amy Pond?"

Amy chuckled, "Seven."

The Vixen asked, "Seven?" She joined Amy back on the flight deck.

Amy asked, "Sorry, what?"

The Vixen replied, studying Amy's face, "You said seven."

Amy said, "No. I didn't."

River replied, "Yes, you did."

The Doctor said, "You did."

Octavian called, "Doctor! There's an exit, far end of the ship, into the Primary Flight Deck."

"Good, that's where we need to go."

Octavian reported, "Plotting a safe path."

The Vixen said, still studying Amy, "Quick as you like!"

Angel Bob said, over the radio, "Doctor? Excuse me. Hello, Doctor? Angel Bob here, sir."

The Doctor took the radio and sat in the command chair. "Ah. There you are, Angel Bob. How's life? Sorry, bad subject."

Angel Bob said, "The Angels are wondering what you hope to achieve."

The Doctor asked, "Achieve? We're not achieving anything. We're just hanging. It's nice in here, consoles, comfy chairs, a forest. How's things with you?"

Angel Bob replied, "The Angels are feasting, sir. Soon we will be able to absorb enough power to consume this vessel, this world, and all the stars and worlds beyond."

The Doctor said, "Well, we've got comfy chairs, did I mention?"

Angel Bob said, "We have no need of comfy chairs."

The Doctor grinned, "I made him say comfy chairs!"

Amy laughed, "Six."

The Vixen's eyes glowed slightly as she snatched the radio. "Okay, well, enough chat. Here's what I want to know: what have you done to Amy?"

Angel Bob replied, "There is something in her eye."

The Vixen snarled, "What's in her eye?"

"We are."

Amy asked, "What's he talking about? Vixen, I'm five." Everyone stared at her. "I mean, five. Fine! I'm fine."

River noticed, "You're counting."

Amy asked, "Counting?"

The Doctor replied, standing up quickly, "You're counting down. From ten. You have been for a couple of minutes."

"Why?"

The Doctor answered, "We don't know."

Amy asked, "Well, counting down to what?"

"We don't know."

Angel Bob said, "We shall take her. We shall take all of you. We shall have dominion over all time and space."

The Doctor took the radio and sat back down. "Get a life, Bob. Oops, sorry again. There's power on this ship, but nowhere near that much."

Angel Bob said, "With respect, sir, there is more power on this ship than you yet understand." There was a loud, horrible screeching.

River asked, "Dear God, what is it?"

Octavian said, "They're back."

Angel Bob said, "It's hard to put in your terms, Dr Song, but as best I understand it, the Angels are laughing."

The Vixen snatched the radio again and the Doctor walked over to Amy. "Laughing?"

"Because you haven't noticed yet. The Doctor and the Vixen in the TARDIS haven't noticed."

Octavian said, "Vixen!"

The Vixen said, "No, wait, there's something...I've..." She slowly turned to see a glowing crack high in the wall. "-missed." She and the Doctor ran back to the wall.

Amy said, "That's... That's like the crack from my bedroom wall from when I was a little girl."

The Doctor replied, "Yes."

Octavian declared, "OK, enough, we're moving out!"

River said, "Agreed." The Doctor walked back over to them alone. The Vixen didn't move. "Vixen?"

The Vixen replied distractedly, "Yeah. Fine!" She used her sonic on the crack.

River asked, "What are you doing?"

"Right with you."

River declared, "We're not leaving without you!"

The Vixen replied, "Oh, yes you are. You too, Doctor. They need one of us and I need to check something. Bishop?"

Octavian said, "Doctor, Miss Pond, Dr Song, now!"

River grabbed Amy and pulled her to the forest, followed by Octavian, the Doctor and the Clerics. Amy called, "Vixen, come on!"

The Vixen whispered, "So, what are you?" She looked at the readings from the screwdriver. "Oh, that's bad. That's extremely very not good." She pressed her ear against the wall and when she turned back, she was surrounded by Angels. "Do not blink." She climbed over the console to get past them and was grabbed by her jacket collar.

The Vixen was still in the grip of the Angels. "Why am I not dead then?" She turned nervously and saw the Angels had their hands up to the crack as if worshipping it. "Good, and not so good. Oh, this isn't even a little bit good. I mean, is that it? Is that the power that brought you here? That's pure time energy, you can't feed on that. That's the power, that's the fire at the end of the universe. I'll tell you something else..." There was a loud rumbling. "Never let me talk!" She ran into the forest wearing just her white tank top, leaving her jacket in the hands of the Angels.

Octavian and the clerics were walking slowly through the forest, keeping River and Amy safely in the center, the Doctor leading them. Amy began to walk slower and had a strange, almost sickly look on her face. River noticed something was wrong, "Amy?" She walked over and gripped Amy's arms. "Amy, what's wrong?"

The Doctor walked over them. "Amy, what's wrong?"

Amy whimpered, "Four." She curled up on a moss-covered rock ant the Doctor scanned her with his sonic.

River ordered, "Med-scanner, now!" One of the clerics gave it to her.

Octavian said, "Dr Song, we can't stay here, we've got to keep moving."

River snapped, "We wait for the Vixen." She used the scanner on Amy and the Doctor went to check the coast.

Octavian said, "Our mission is to make this wreckage safe and neutralise the Angels. Until that is achieved..."

River growled, "Father Octavian, when the Vixen is in the room, your only mission is to keep her alive long enough to get everyone else home. And trust me. It's not easy. Now, if she's dead back there, I'll never forgive myself, and if she's alive, I'll never forgive her. And, Vixen, you're standing right behind me, aren't you?"

A voice replied behind her, "Oh, yeah."

River faced the Vixen. "I hate you!"

The Vixen smirked smugly, "You don't."

The Doctor came back and reported, "Bishop, the Angels are in the forest." He kissed Vixen softly as she wrapped his arms around his neck. She pulled away and went to check on Amy.

Octavian said, "We need visual contact on every line of approach."

River asked, "Vixen, how did you get past them?"

The Vixen replied, "Found a crack in the wall and told them it was the end of the universe."

Amy asked, "What was it?"

The Vixen replied, "The end of the universe. Let's have a look then." She checked the med-scanner.

Amy asked, "So, what's wrong with me?"

River replied quickly, "Nothing. You're fine."

The Doctor and the Vixen said in unison, "Everything, you're dying."

River hissed, "Vixen! Doctor!"

The Doctor snapped, "Yes, you're right, if we lie to her, she'll get all better! Right."

The Vixen asked, "Amy? Amy. What's the matter with Amelia?"

The Doctor asked, "Something's in her eye. What does that mean? Doesn't mean anything."

Amy whimpered, "Vixen."

The Vixen hissed, "Busy."

"I'm scared!"

The Doctor said, "Course you're scared, you're dying, shut up!"

River saw Vixen with her fingers on her temples, her eyes glowing softly. "Both of you shut up. OK, let her think."

The Vixen asked, "What happened? She stared at the Angel, she looked into the eyes of an angel for too long..."

A cleric reported, "Sir! Angel, incoming!" An Angel was watching from the trees.

Another cleric spoke up, "And here."

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

The Vixen paced. "Come on, come on, wake up, wake up! We watched an Angel climb out of the screen. Amy stared at the Angel and…and..."

Amy said, "The image of an Angel is an Angel."

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

The Vixen whispered, "There's an Angel in her mind." She put her hand over her mouth.

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

The Doctor said, "Please just shut up, Vixen's thinking. You don't want to disturb her then. I learnt that the hard way."

The Vixen said, "Now counting, what's that about? Doctor, radio." The Doctor tossed her the radio. She caught it and spoke into it. "Bob, why are they making her count?"

Angel Bob replied, "To make her afraid, ma'am."

The Vixen asked, "OK. But why. What for?"

"For fun, ma'am."

The Vixen growled in frustration and threw away the radio, eyes glowing even more. The Doctor and River flinched. One of the clerics watched them and turned back to look at the Angel when he heard a branch crack.

Amy asked, "Doctor, what's happening to me? Explain!"

The Doctor said, "Inside your head, in the vision centres of your brain, there's an Angel."

The Vixen sat down by Amy. "It's like there's a screen, a virtual screen inside your mind, and the Angel is climbing out of it, and it's coming to shut you off."

Amy asked, "Then what do I do?"

The Doctor said, "If it was a real screen, what would we do, we'd pull the plug. But we can't just knock her out, the Angel would take over!"

River asked, "Then what? Quickly!"

The Vixen muttered, "We've got to shut down the vision centers of her brain. We've got to pull the plug, starve the Angel."

River looked at her scanner, "Vixen, she's got seconds."

The Vixen asked, "How would you starve your lungs?"

River replied, "I'd stop breathing."

The Doctor said, "Amy, close your eyes!"

Amy said, "No, no, I don't want to."

"Good, because that's not you, that's the Angel inside you, it's afraid! Do it! Close your eyes!" Amy hesitated but closed her eyes when the Doctor nodded his head.

The scanner beeped and the readings returned to green. River sighed, "She's normalising. You did it! You did it!"

A cleric called, "Sir? Two more incoming."

Another cleric reported, "Three more over here."

River said, putting away her scanner, "Still weak, dangerous to move her."

Amy asked, sitting up, "So, can I open my eyes now?"

The Vixen bent down in front of Amy. "Amy, listen to me. If you open your eyes now for more than a second, you will die. The Angel is still inside you. We haven't stopped it, we've just sort of...paused it. You've used up your countdown. You cannot open your eyes."

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

The Doctor snapped, "We're exposed everywhere, and Amy can't move, and anyway, that's not the plan."

River asked, "There's a plan?" She sat next to Amy, comforting her.

The Doctor replied, "I don't know yet, I haven't finished talking. Right! Father, you and your Clerics will stay here, look after Amy. If anything happens to her, I'll hold each of you personally responsible, twice. River and Vixen, you girls and me, we're going to find the Primary Flight Deck which is..." He licked his finger and held it up to test the air. "-a quarter mile straight ahead. We'll stabilise the wreckage, stop the Angels and cure Amy."

River asked, "How?"

The Doctor replied, "I'll do a thing."

The Vixen asked, "What thing?"

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

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

The Vixen snarled, as the Doctor watched her and Octavian, "We don't need you."

Octavian replied, "I don't care. Where Dr Song goes, I go." River came over to them.

The Vixen asked, "What?" She looked at River and then back to Octavian. "You two engaged or something?"

Octavian replied, "Yes, in a manner of speaking. Marco, you're in charge till I get back." He started off with River and the Doctor.

Marco called, "Sir!"

Amy pleaded, "Doctor... Please, can't I come with you?"

Octavian said, "You'd slow us down, Miss Pond."

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

The Vixen sat next to Amy, "You'll be safer here. We can't protect you on the move. The Doctor and I'll be back for you soon as we can. I promise."

Amy pouted, "You always say that."

The Vixen said, "I always come back." She stood up. "Good luck everyone. Behave. Do not let that girl open her eyes. And keep watching the forest. Stop those Angels advancing. Amy, later!" She tapped her on the head. "River, we're going to need your computer." She left.

Amy whispered, "Yeah. Later." She fidgeted nervously with her hands.

A pair of hands gripped hers. It was the Vixen, but she was wearing a jacket. "Amy. You need to start trusting me and the Doctor, it's never been more important."

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

The Vixen whispered, "If we always told you the truth, we wouldn't need you to trust us."

Amy said, "Vixen, the crack in my wall, how can it be here?"

The Vixen replied, "I don't know yet, but we're working it out. Now, listen. Remember what I told you when you were seven?"

Amy asked, "What did you tell me?"

The Vixen rest her forehead against hers. "No, no... That's not the point. You have to remember." She kissed her on the head and left.

Amy asked, "Remember what? Vixen? Vixen?"

Octavian was leading the Vixen, River and the Doctor through the forest. The Vixen and River walked side by side at the back. There was a beeping and the Vixen checked the device. River asked, "What's that?"

The Vixen replied, "Readings from a crack in a wall."

River asked, "How can a crack in the wall be the end of the universe?"

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

River asked, "Is that possible? How?"

The Vixen asked suddenly, "How can you be engaged in a manner of speaking?"

River said, "Well...sucker for a man in uniform." She smiled and the Vixen thought River's eyes flashed. She got that feeling again. Like someone else was in her mind.

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

The Doctor walked over and asked, "You were in Stormcage?"

The device beeped in the Vixen's hand. River asked, "What? What is that?"

The Vixen stammered, "Th-that's impossible! The date! The date of the explosion where the crack begins."

River asked, "And for those of us who can't read the base code of the universe?"

The date appeared on the bottom as 26/06/2010. The Doctor and the Vixen said in unison, "Amy's time!"

The Doctor took readings from the handheld device as Octavian looked for a way in. River and the Vixen stood guard. Octavian said, "It doesn't open it from here, but it's the Primary Flight Deck. This has got to be a service hatch or something."

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

The Vixen asked, "What? What did you say? Time's running out, is that what you said?"

River replied, "Yeah. I just meant..."

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

River asked, "What if what could?"

The Doctor replied, "Time. What if time could run out?"

Octavian reported, "Got it!"

The Vixen said, "Cracks in time, time running out... No, couldn't be. How is a duck pond a duck pond if there aren't any ducks? And she didn't recognise the Daleks! OK, time can shift. Time can change. Time can be rewritten. Oh! Oh!"

Octavian said, "Dr Song, get through, now." He helped River through hatch. "Doctor? Vixen?"

The Doctor said, doing calculations in the air, "Time can be unwritten."

The Vixen smacked her forehead, "Doctor, we're being thick! It's been happening and we haven't even noticed!"

Octavian said, "Doctor, we've have to move."

The Vixen said, "The CyberKing! A giant Cyberman walks over all of Victorian London and no-one remembers."

"We have to move it! The Angels could be here any second." He put a hand on the Doctor's shoulder.

The Doctor shrugged off Octavian's hand. "Never mind the Angels. There's worse here than Angels!"

The lights went out and the Doctor and the Vixen turned to see an Angel had its arm around Octavian's neck. "I beg to differ, sir."

The Vixen and the Doctor pulled out their sonics. The Vixen snarled, "Let him go."

Octavian said, "Well, it can't let me go, ma'am, not while you two are looking at it."

The Doctor snapped, "We can't stop looking at it, it'll kill you."

Octavian said, "It'll kill me anyway. There's no way out of this. You have to leave me!"

The Vixen asked, "Can't you wriggle out?"

"No. it's too tight. There's nothing you can do. Sir, there's nothing you can do."

The Doctor said, "You're dead if we leave you."

"Yes, yes, I'm dead. Doctor, give us a second." The Doctor walked out of earshot. "And before you go..."

The Vixen snapped, "I'm not going!"

Octavian hissed, "Listen to me. It's important! You can't trust her."

"Trust who?"

Octavian replied, "River Song. You think you know her, but you don't. You don't understand who or what she is."

The Vixen said, "Then tell me."

"I've told you more than I should. Now, please, you have to go. It's your duty to your friends."

The Vixen asked, "Just tell me why she was in Stormcage?"

Octavian replied, "She killed a woman, a good woman, a fearsome hero to many."

The Vixen asked, "Who?"

Octavian said, "You don't want to know, ma'am. You really don't."

The Vixen growled, "Who did she kill?"

"Ma'am, the Angels are coming. You have to leave me."

"You'll die."

Octavian said, "I will die in the knowledge that my courage did not desert me at the end. For that, I thank God and bless the path that takes you to safety."

The Vixen sighed, "I wish I'd known you better."

Octavian replied, "I think, ma'am, you know me at my best."

The Vixen waved the Doctor over. "Ready?"

Octavian closed his eyes. "Content."

The Vixen and the Doctor ran for the hatch and closed it behind them.

River said, "There's a teleport! If I can get it to work, we can beam the others here. Where's Octavian?"

The Vixen said, "Octavian's dead, so is that teleport. You're wasting your time. I'm going to need your communicator." River tossed her the communicator.

Amy's voice came on, "Really what? Hello? Really what? Hello? Hello? Hello? Please say you're there. Hello? Hello!"

The Vixen asked, "Is that you?"

Amy asked, "Vixen?"

The Vixen asked, "Where are you? Are the Clerics with you?"

"They've gone. There was a light and they walked into the light. Vixen, they didn't even remember each other."

The Doctor muttered, "No. They wouldn't."

River asked, "What is that light?"

The Doctor replied, "Time running out."

The Vixen said into the radio, "Amy. I'm sorry. I should never have left you there."

Amy asked, "Well, what do I do now?"

The Vixen replied, "You come to us. Primary Flight Deck, other end of the forest."

"I can't see! I can't open my eyes."

The Vixen used her screwdriver on the communicator. "Turn on the spot."

Amy asked, "Sorry, what?"

The Vixen replied, "Just do it. Turn on the spot. When the communicator sounds like my screwdriver, you're facing the right way. Follow the sound. You have to start moving now. There's time energy spilling out of that crack and you have to stay ahead of it."

Amy said, "But the Angels, they're everywhere."

The Vixen said sadly, "I'm sorry, I really am, but the Angels can only kill you."

Amy asked, "What does the Time Energy do?"

"Just keep moving!"

Amy snapped, "Tell me!"

The Vixen explained, "If the Time Energy catches up with you, you'll never have been born. It will erase every moment of your existence. You will never have lived at all. Now, keep your eyes shut and keep moving!"

River said, "It's never going to work."

The Vixen growled, "What else have you got? River, tell me!"

There was a loud whooshing and clanging. River asked, "What's that?"

The Doctor replied from his seat, "The Angels running from the fire. They came here to feed on the time energy. Now it's going to feed on them."

The Vixen said into the radio, "Amy, listen to me. I'm sending a bit of software to your communicator. It's a proximity detector. It'll beep if there's something in your way. You just manoeuvre till the beeping stops. Because, Amy, this is important. The forest is full of Angels. You're going to have to walk like you can see."

Amy asked, "Well, what do you mean?"

The Vixen put her hands behind her head and the Doctor took the communicator as she paced about. "Look, just keep moving."

River asked, "That time energy, what's it going to do?"

The Doctor replied, "Er, keep eating."

River asked, "How do we stop it?"

The Doctor replied, "Feed it."

River asked, "Feed it what?"

The Vixen snarled, her eyes glowing again, "A big complicated space-time event should shut it up for a while." That other presence in her mind was really starting to annoy her.

River asked, "Like what, for instance?"

The Vixen snarled, "Like me, for instance!" River and the Doctor backed away, alarmed and shocked. The Vixen realized what she had done and said, "I'm sorry. Sorry." A high-pitched beeping echoed through the flight deck.

Amy asked on the radio, "What's that?"

The Vixen snatched the communicator and said, now somehow completely calm, "It's a warning. There are Angels 'round you now. Amy. Listen to me. This is going to be hard but I know... you can do it. The Angels are scared and running and right now they're not that interested in you. They'll assume you can see them and their instincts will kick in. All you've got to do is walk like you can see. Just don't open your eyes. Walk like you can see. You're not moving. You have to do this. Now." She banged her head against the instrument panel and all River and the Doctor could do was watch. "You have to do this!"

Amy's voice came on after a few moments, but it was muffled and faint. "Vixen, I can't find the communicator! I dropped it! I can't find it. Vixen! Doctor... Vixen! Vixen..."

There was a bright light in the room and Amy appeared on the flight deck. River was supporting her. "Don't open your eyes. You're on the Flight Deck, the Doctor and the Vixen's here. I teleported you." She said to the Vixen smugly, "See? Told you I could get it working."

The Vixen smirked. "River Song, I could bloody kiss you."

River scolded, "It's not nice to kiss family." The Vixen's mouth dropped open. "Spoilers." An alarm blared. "What's that?"

The Doctor said, "The Angels are draining the last of the ship's power, which means... the shield's going to release!" The shield to the forest opened and they were confronted by a large number of Angels. The Doctor stepped forward. "Angel Bob, I presume."

Angel Bob said, "The Time Field is coming. It will destroy our reality."

The Vixen walked forward and hissed, "Yeah, and look at you, all running away. What can I do for you?"

Angel Bob said, "There is a rupture in time. The Angels calculate that if you and your mate throw yourself into it, it will close and they will be saved."

The Doctor said, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Could do, could do that. But why?"

Angel Bob said, "Your friends would also be saved."

The Vixen shrugged, "Well, there is that. They've got a point."

River stepped up to them, "I've travelled in time. I'm a complicated space/time event, too. Not as big as the Doctor, and certainly not as big as the Vixen. Throw me in."

The Vixen said, "Oh, be serious! Compared to me and the Doctor, these Angels are more complicated than you and it would take every one of them to amount to me, so get a grip."

River said, "Vixen, I can't let you do this."

The Vixen said, "No, seriously, get a grip."

River protested, "You're not going to die here!"

The Vixen grinned mischievously. "No, I mean it. River, Amy, Doctor, get a grip."

River realized her plan and said, "Oh, you genius!" She pulled the Doctor back to Amy.

Angel Bob said, "Ma'am, the Angels need you to sacrifice yourself now."

The Vixen said, "Thing is, Bob, the Angels are draining all the power from this ship, every last bit of it. And you know what? I think they've forgotten where they're standing. I think they've forgotten the gravity of the situation. Or to put it another way, Angels..."

River whispered to Amy and the Doctor. "You hold on tight and don't you let go for anything." She placed Amy's and the Doctor's hands on a handle attached to the panel before gripping one herself.

The Vixen smirked, "Night-night." As the gravity failed due to the loss of power, the Vixen casually turned to grip a handle herself. The deck turned to its side and she, the Doctor, Amy and River hung on for dear life as the Angels were sucked into the crack. There was a burst of light and the crack in the secondary flight deck closed.

Amy was leaning on a rock, wrapped in a blanket. The Vixen sat next to her as the Doctor stood beside them with a cleric behind them. Amy groaned, "Ah, Bruised everywhere."

The Vixen said, "Me too."

Amy said, "You two didn't have to climb out with your eyes shut."

The Doctor replied, "Neither did you, I kept saying. The Angels all fell into the time field. The Angel in your memory never existed. It can't harm you now."

Amy asked, "Then why do I remember it at all? Those guys on the ship didn't remember each other."

The Vixen smiled, "Amelia Pond. You're a time traveller now, Amy. Changes the way you see the universe forever. Good, isn't it?"

Amy asked, "And the crack. Is that gone too?"

The Doctor replied, "Yeah, for now. But the explosion that caused it is still happening... somewhere out there, somewhere in time."

The Vixen looked out at the ocean before walking over to River, who sighed, "You, me...handcuffs." She held out her hands encased in cuffs. "Must it always end this way?"

The Vixen asked, "What now?"

River replied, "The prison ship's in orbit. They'll beam me up any second. I might have done enough to earn a pardon this time. We'll see."

The Vixen said, "Octavian said you killed a woman."

River replied sadly, "Yes. I did. A good woman. The best woman I've ever known."

The Vixen asked, "Who?"

River said, "It's a long story, Vixen, can't be told. It has to be lived. No sneak previews. Well, except for this one: you'll see me again quite soon, before the Pandorica opens."

The Vixen scoffed, "The Pandorica, ha!" She whispered in her ear. "That's a fairy tale."

River laughed, "Oh, Vixen, aren't we all?"

The Vixen laughed as well. She asked, "Before, you said it's not nice to kiss family. How are we family?"

River said somewhat sadly, "I'll see you there."

The Vixen laughed, "I look forward to it." She hugged River and murmured, "Till the next time, River Song."

River said, "I remember it well." The Vixen chuckled and walked away.

Amy and the Doctor walked up to River. The Doctor said, "Goodbye. River."

Amy said, "Bye, River."

River nodded, "See you. Amy. You too, Doctor." Her handcuffs beeped. "Oh! I think that's my ride."

The Vixen called, "Can I trust you. River Song?"

River replied, "If you like, but where's the fun in that?" She laughed and was teleported away.

The Vixen suddenly felt the other presence in her mind disappear as well. She turned and looked out at the ocean. Amy asked, "What are you thinking?"

The Vixen whispered, "Time can be rewritten."

Captain Jack Harkness was in his office when he heard the TARDIS materializing. He ran out to the water tower and waited. The TARDIS materialized and the Doctor, the Vixen and Amy stepped out. Jack smirked, "Vixen!"

The Vixen laughed, "Hi, Jack." Jack scooped her up in a hug and spun her, laughing.

Jack finally noticed Amy. "Captain Jack Harkness. And who are you?"

The Doctor hid Amy behind his back. The Vixen warned, "Jack. You know the rule. We established it after you met Martha."

Jack said, "I know. I know." He paused. "What was it again?"

The Vixen rolled her eyes. "You're not allowed to hit on anyone who travels in the TARDIS." Jack's eyes shifted to the Vixen. He opened his mouth but got cut off. "Including me!"

The Doctor glared at him. Jack just shrugged and moved his eyes to Amy's. But they weren't Amy's brown eyes. They were the Vixen's glowing electric blue eyes, glaring at him. This time he did back away. The Doctor smiled smugly.

The Vixen said, "Jack, this is Amy Pond. One of the people you're forbidden to go near. Amy, this is Captain Jack Harkness. He's immortal."

Amy shook Jack's hand. Jack stammered, "S-so. Who wants some coffee?"

Later, Amy and the Doctor sat at the table in Torchwood while Jack and the Vixen made some coffee. In the kitchen, Jack asked, "So, have you and the Doctor, you know?"

The Vixen asked dryly, "You can't for once talk about something that's not sex?"

Jack chuckled, "Have you, though?"

The Vixen asked, "In this form? No. I mean, we've gone far enough as making out. But I think we just…"

Jack asked, "Need a boost?"

"No! God! Jack, no."

Jack muttered, "We'll see about that." He bumped into her while she was getting the cups, causing her to drop them on the floor. Naturally shattering them. "Oh God. I'm sorry, Vixen. I am so sorry. I tripped."

The Vixen said, "No, Jack. It's fine." She started to pick the pieces up. "Ow!" Blood oozed out of the wound.

Jack said, "Let me see that. Come on into the light." He pulled a handkerchief out and cleaned the wound. He wrapped a bandage around it and pocketed the handkerchief.

The Vixen reached into the cupboard and pulled out two cups which had vines on them, but different to the first two, which were plain white. Jack sneakily crushed a pill and slipped it and a few drops of the Vixen's blood into one of the white cups.

Jack announced as they walked into the room, "Coffee's ready."

The Vixen placed the two white cups in front of Amy and the Doctor. Amy caught sight of the bandage and asked, "What happened to you hand?"

The Vixen replied, "I sliced my hand on one of the broken pieces. Jack cleaned up the wound and bandaged it for me."

"Okay."

Later, by the TARDIS, the Vixen, the Doctor, Amy and Jack stood saying their goodbyes.

The Vixen said, "See you soon, Jack."

Jack said, "Yeah. It was nice to just hang out without some mad alien intent on taking over the world. We should do this again sometime." He saluted the Doctor and kissed Amy's hand.

Jack watched as they went inside the TARDIS and it dematerialized.

The Doctor and the Vixen were at the console while Amy sat on the jump seat, arms crossed. She said, "I want to go home."

The Doctor and the Vixen looked at each other. The Vixen said quietly, "OK."

Amy smiled and joined him. "No, not like that! I just… I just want to show you something, Vixen. Girl to girl, remember? You're running from River. I'm running too. Doctor, don't follow us."

The TARDIS had materialized in a corner of Amy's room. The Vixen and Amy were sitting on her bed, looking at the closet where her wedding gown was hanging. The Vixen said, "Well!"

Amy replied, "Yeah!"

"Blimey!"

Amy asked, "I know. This is the same night we left, yeah?"

The Vixen checked her watch. "We've been gone five minutes."

Amy leant over, got a ring box and opened it. "I'm getting married in the morning."

The Vixen took the box. "Why did you leave it here?"

Amy asked, "Why did I leave my engagement ring when I ran away with a strange man and woman the night before my wedding?"

"Yeah."

Amy smiled, "You really are an alien, aren't you?"

The Vixen asked, "Who's the lucky guy?"

Amy replied, "You met him."

The Vixen asked, "The good looking one or the other one?" She mimed a large nose.

Amy hit her on the arm. "The other one."

The Vixen rubbed her arm and shrugged. "Well, he was good too."

"Thanks. So, do you comfort a lot of people on the night before their wedding?"

The Vixen asked in confusion, "Why would you need comforting?"

Amy whispered, "I nearly died. I was alone in the dark and I nearly died. And it made me think."

The Vixen said, "Well, yes, natural. I think sometimes. The Doctor does too. Well, lots of times..."

Amy went on, "About what I want. About who I want. You know what I mean?"

The Vixen nodded, "Yeah... No."

Amy said again, "About who...I want."

The Vixen said, "Oh, right, yeah... No, still not getting it."

Amy breathed, "Vixen, in a word, in one very simple word even you can understand..." She practically climbed on top of the Vixen.

The Vixen nervously pushed her away and clambers over the foot rail. "Uh...! You're getting married in the morning!"

Amy walked around the bed. "The morning's a long time away." She pushed the Vixen back against the TARDIS. "What are we going to do about that?" She tried to pull off the leather jacket.

The Vixen pulled her jacket back up. "Listen to me. I'm 880 years old. Do you understand what that means?" She tried to push Amy away.

Amy asked, "It's been awhile?"

The Vixen said nervously, "No. no. no! I'm 880, and look at me. I don't get older, I just change. You get older. I don't, and I love the Doctor. This can't ever work. Plus, we're girls! We are two girls." She pushed Amy away from her again, her back to the TARDIS.

Amy smirked, "Oh, you are sweet, Vixen. But I really wasn't suggesting anything quite so...long term. You can stay with your Doctor. And just cos we're girls, nothing changes." She kissed the Vixen. Well, actually she shoved her tongue down the Vixen's throat.

The Vixen pushed her away. "But you're human! You're Amy! You're my best friend. Besides River. And you're getting married in the morning!" Her eyes widened in realization. "In the morning."

Amy pulled back. "Vixen?"

The Vixen said, "It's you. It's all about you. Everything. It's about you."

Amy whispered, "Hold that thought!" She lay down on the bed.

The Vixen whispered, "Amy Pond... Mad, impossible Amy Pond. I don't know why, I have no idea, but quite possibly the single most important thing in the history of the universe is that we get you sorted out right now."

Amy said, "That's what I've been trying to tell you!"

The Vixen pulled her off the bed. "Come on!"

Amy kissed her and said, flirtatiously, "Vixen!"

The Vixen pushed her into the TARDIS and straightened her jacket before turning to look at Amy's clock. It changed from '11:59 6/25' to '12:00 6/26'.

The Doctor said, as the Vixen entered the TARDIS, "Call from Jack, he wants to talk to you."

The Vixen took the phone and snarled, "Jack? Amy tried to kiss me." The Doctor gaped. "And somehow I feel that's your fault."

Jack explained sheepishly, "I may have added a sort of aphrodisiac pill and some of your blood into a cup of coffee. It was meant for the Doctor. You must have handed him the wrong cup."

The Vixen growled, "Jack, why would you do that?"

"To give you two a boost!"

The Vixen snapped, "I don't care. Tell me how to cure Amy."

Jack replied, "You need to give her some alcohol."

The Vixen turned to the Doctor, "Get some alcohol. Anything'll do." The Doctor nodded and dashed out to get what she asked. As soon as he left the room, Amy kissed the Vixen, who pushed her to the jump seat. "Amy, sit down."

Amy obeyed and the Doctor ran in with a bottle of gin and a glass. The Vixen poured some out and asked Jack, "Anything else?"

Jack said, "Yeah, you need to put in some of your blood. It'll work faster that way."

The Vixen took off the bandage and used a sharp piece of metal lying on the console to reopen the wound. The Doctor winced as blood gushed out but the Vixen didn't seem to feel anything. She squeezed her hand into a fist and blood dropped into the glass, turning the drink red.

The Vixen gave the glass to Amy. "Amy, drink this, you'll feel better."

Amy, who was in a daze, just took the glass and drank. Her eyes cleared up and she realized what she was drinking. "What the hell? Vixen, is this your blood?"

The Vixen snarled in a deadly whisper while the Doctor bandaged her hand up again, "Captain Jack Harkness. You better watch out next time I'm in town. I will kill you in such a way, you will not come back." Jack squeaked, terrified, and hung up.

The Vixen rubbed her good hand on her face and explained, "Jack thought we needed a nudge in the right direction for our sex life, Doctor." The Doctor blushed. "He made a brilliant plan and gave a shove. He added an alien aphrodisiac pill in one of the cups of coffee, with my blood so you would be more attracted to me. Amy accidentally drank your special coffee concoction and apparently got the idea in her head that she needed to have comforting sex." She paused. "With me."

It was Amy's turn to blush and she turned as red as her hair. As did the Doctor. Amy asked, "So, I tried to… seduce you?"

"Yep. Then we made an antidote of my blood and alcohol."

Amy asked, still very red, "So, I drank your blood the first time and I wanted to have sex with you. Then I drank your blood the second time and I was cured?"

The Vixen replied, "Pretty much, yeah."

Amy gaped, horrified. "I am so sorry. I didn't even know what was happening after we got out of the TARDIS."

The Vixen waved her hand dismissively. "It's fine, you weren't in your senses. But right now, we need to meet your fiancé."

The Doctor asked, "Oh, you're getting married? Who to? Is it-" He mimed a big nose, much like the Vixen did.

Amy punched his arm and said tightly, "Yes."

The Vixen grinned as she set the coordinates. "Alright then. Let's go meet Rory Williams."