"Bye River!" Avalon waved at the curly-haired brunette inside her prison cell.
River waved back with a smile, "Take care and be safe."
"I will honestly try my best," Avalon smirked and headed into the TARDIS where the Doctor quickly de-materialized before commotion started outside in the prison due to River's latest escape, "That was fun," Avalon remarked as she skidded back to the console.
"Definitely looks like it," the Doctor glanced at Avalon when she plopped down on the console chair.
"It was, and you know, River did get me thinking about the whole writing career..." Avalon fiddled with her fingers, "...she said I could start writing a story of my own - a real one."
"Oh, so the ones about me weren't real?" the Doctor raised an eyebrow and turned for her, mocking offense.
"They were child stories," Avalon corrected with a sheepish smile, "What River means is that maybe I don't need school right now. She gets why I don't want to apply cos of the whole favoritism thing and stuff. She proposed I just start writing a book on my own and then when I finish I try to get it published on my own. Like a freelance gig."
"What do you know, that's not that bad of an idea," the Doctor admitted, a little disappointed he hadn't thought of it on his own. He had just kept insisting that Avalon try out the enrollments for universities. It never occurred to him that she could do the writing on her own like she did for Leadworth. It was just a simple expansion.
"Yeah... she's always coming up with good ideas for me..." Avalon ran a fingers along the chair's armrests as she started to distance herself.
"You alright?" the Doctor was not surprised to see Avalon quieting down after talking about River. It always happened whenever they talked about the woman or after they'd gone on some trip together with her.
Avalon quietly nodded and raised her head to show off a dim smile as proof, "It's just the usual things, you know," she shrugged.
"Ava, we've talked, you've talked with her...she really doesn't mind."
"I know," Avalon sighed and leaned on her chair, "but I can't help feeling bad cos I know she's trying. She's really, really trying to..." she paused, even the word feeling soapy and strange to her, "...be a mum."
And as crazy as it seemed to the Doctor to actually picture the chaotic, wrecker River Song as a mother...Avalon was right. No longer did River go blankly into situations whenever Avalon was around. She made sure perimeters were safe for her daughter before they did anything. She first and foremost protected Avalon even if it meant her triggering her own regeneration in the process. And most importantly, River tried having talks with Avalon like a mother would, about important things in Avalon's life.
Sometimes it was just too strange.
"And how's she doing?" the Doctor cautiously asked. He leaned off the console and moved to Avalon, "What's the grade?"
"She's doing just fine," Avalon admitted and nodded, "She's doing what my step-mum did. But I just...I can't see myself actually calling River 'mum'...but I also don't want to go throughout life without calling her that. I'm so confused!" she covered her face with her hands and groaned in frustration.
The Doctor gently pulled her hands off her face and kissed her nose, "Don't fret, the time will come when you call her 'mum'. For now, simply enjoy the time you spend with her."
"But it bothers her, I know it does. She says there are other me's she's seen that actually call her mum."
"Yeah, but this is just how timeliness are, especially River's," the Doctor sucked in a breath, "But you allowing her this time together makes up for it. Cos she knows that every minute you spend with her gets her that much closer to getting you to call her 'mum'."
Avalon released a big sigh and looked at him hopefully, "Think so?"
"Know so," he nodded, "And before you get far too into this, why don't we wake up your grandparents and go somewhere fun?" he took her hands and pulled her off the chair. "Keep the Ponds in the TARDIS."
"Can't believe the're still asleep," Avalon mumbled as they headed for the corridors.
"To be fair, for them it's technically night time," the Doctor pointed out. It had been one of those nights Avalon didn't feel tired along with the Doctor and so it prompted for a trip out the TARDIS without grandparents Ponds.
"Well..." Avalon turned in front of him, a smirk spreading across her face as she spoke, "...if they're still asleep I see no point in waking them only to get scolded. so...how about we do something fun on our own?"
"What did you have in mind?"
"I think you know," Avalon leaned up and kissed him. Unfortunately, their kiss lasted about a minute before they heard clearing of throats.
"Some people greet 'good morning' to their visitors," began Rory who was staring at them with displeasure, "but no, my granddaughter prefers to greet me with a little snogging show."
Avalon groaned and glanced back, clearly displeased herself, "Well I know absolutely no granddaughter who actually likes having her grandparents living with her and her husband. So clearly, none of this is normal."
"Don't be rude," Amy wagged a finger at her while chewing on a piece of toast.
"And don't talk when you're eating," Avalon countered.
"When did you both wake up?" the Doctor curiously asked, also discreetly trying to move around the argument.
"About an hour ago," Rory shrugged, "We came around and saw you were gone so we decided to have a nice breakfast."
"And you didn't leave anything for us?" Avalon pouted.
"Sorry, but normal granddaughters stay in their time traveling box until their grandparents are awake," Amy smirked and swaggered off with her toast.
"Rory—" Avalon began to whine but Rory simply kissed her forehead and moved on as well. With a huff, she turned to the Doctor and found him trying not to laugh right there and then, "I'm sorry, did I tell a joke or something?" she put a hand on her hip.
"How's about we get you some good breakfast at - oh I don't know...the day of the dead festival?" the Doctor had ransacked his mind in a new speed record. Usually arguments ensued with him being unable to move on from problem-related topics.
"You're all rude!" she declared and looked to the side.
"Where do you think you got it from, love?" he took her hand and pulled her to him, "You inherited it from your mother's side and then I just rubbed off you."
"That you did," she smirked and pressed a kiss to his lips, "Now let's go before we end up doing just that..." the Doctor laughed as she pulled him towards the console room where the rest of the Ponds awaited.
~ 0 ~
Day of the Dead festival had been exchanged for...an old western town in the middle of a desert. The Doctor stood in front of its entrance with arms crossed and a studious face on as he gazed at the 'kept out' sign nailed to the post.
"Mercy, 81 residents," he read off the sign.
"Weird name," commented Avalon who kicked dust around her shoes. She was not the least bit interested in the town. She didn't even understand why they were still there in the first place. She had been promised a festival and instead she got a desert. No thank you.
Amy stood a bit to the side with Rory, and had become interested with the line of stones and branches that made a ring around the town, "Look at this. It's a load of stones and lumps of wood," thinking it could perhaps be more than just stones and branches, the Doctor pulled out the sonic to scan it, "What is it?"
"What do you think it is?" Avalon over up to the ring and picked up a stone, "Just stones and lumps of wood."
Amy glanced at the Doctor for the correct answer. The Doctor took a look at the readings on the sonic and opened his mouth as if he were going to say something important, "It's...a load of stones and lumps of wood."
Avalon shot a smirk of pride at Amy who rolled her eyes in response. The Doctor stepped over the line into the towns.
"Er, the sign does say, "Keep out," Rory pointed to the sign beside them.
"I see keep-out signs as suggestions more than actual orders," the Doctor explained casually, "Like dry clean only."
"Which explains why my favorite pink sweater is no longer in use," Avalon rubbed her temples in irritation. The Doctor could be amazing at pretty much everything...except laundry. Never let the Doctor do laundry because things will go pop!, shrink, change colors and the occasional burst into flames.
The group walked further into town and noticed the startled people staying inside buildings, like they were afraid. When a streetlamp sparked, the Doctor froze and pointed at it, "That's not right," he declared and used the sonic on it.
"But it's a street lamp," Avalon put her hands on her hips and studied the lamps that looked in perfect condition.
"An electric street lamp about ten years too early."
"It's only a few years out," Avalon shrugged, still not understanding the conflict.
"That's what you said when you left your phone recharger in Mary's en-suite."
"But she's like, from the 50s, no?" Rory recalled Avalon's relationship with her favorite actress.
"Mary Queen of Scots," the Doctor corrected and left Rory to ponder on that situation. He took a general observation of the entire town afterwards, "Anachronistic electricity, keep-out signs, aggressive stares...has someone been peeking at my Christmas list?" he pulled a toothpick from his jacket and stuck it in his mouth then headed for the Saloon across them.
"Doctor!" Amy could see the trouble in that and hurriedly went after him with Avalon and Rory.
The Doctor entered the saloon and stopped the cheerful atmosphere inside. Music stopped playing and all heads turned to him and the group. He strode to the bar counter and took on an American accent as he ordered, "Tea. But the strong stuff. Leave the bag in," when he tried to flip the toothpick in his mouth it ended up getting stuck.
The bartender watched him for a minute or so in his struggle before cutting in, "What you doing here, son?"
"Son?" the Doctor lightly laughed, "You can stay."
"Oh I think the one being kicked out is going to be you," Avalon sighed and leaned her back on the counter.
As if on cue, one of the men in the bar stood up, apparently a preacher, and spoke up, "Sir, might I enquire who you is?"
Avalon looked at him with a frown, "Um, it's who are you," she corrected, "Or who you are. Which ever one, but pick one."
The Doctor turned around and patted her arm in comfort. As a writer she detested grammatical errors both written and spoken.
"I am the Doctor," the Doctor gestured to himself and began on the others, "this is..." suddenly all the men stood up, putting the group on edge. The Doctor, trying to downplay growing tension, put on a smile and looked at his companions and wife, "You see that? Manners."
"I don't think they're doing it for manners," Amy mumbled to Rory and Avalon.
There was an elderly man who had come up to the Doctor with a measuring tape, "Oh, thank you," the Doctor grinned, "but I don't need a new suit."
"I'm the undertaker, sir."
A younger man stepped towards the group, "I got a question. Is you an alien?"
"I swear to God," Avalon frowned, "'Are you an alien?' Is that too hard?"
"Not the important thing you should be focusing on," Rory nudged her towards the rest of the saloon. No one seemed any happier.
"Well, um...bit personal," the Doctor began answering the question, "It's all relative, isn't it? I mean, I think you're the aliens. But in this context, yes. Yes, I suppose I am."
That, apparently, was the trigger for the men to rush for him and carrying him outside. Several others took Avalon, Amy and Rory by the arms as well and dragged them out.
"What the hell are you doing!?" Avalon shouted and struggled for freedom, "Put him down!"
"Don't think we won't kill you," one of the men holding her warned her.
Avalon scoffed, "I'd like to see you try!"
"Don't worry!" called the Doctor, "Everything is completely under control!"
"Liar!"
"Guys! Guys! Oh, dear," the Doctor was promptly thrown over the ring line. He rose up and cracked his back, "Woah! Aargh. Ow," he turned around but the men drew their guns at him to prevent the return to town. He raised his hands in defeat.
"What the hell...?" Avalon breathed in awe as a figure began approaching them through teleportation.
"He's coming. Oh, God," the preacher said in terror, "He's coming."
"Preacher... Say something," the young man quietly asked.
"Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done..."
The Doctor glanced back to see the figure and terrified he tried to get back into the town. The men drew their guns once again. Suddenly, a gunshot was shot to the sky and made everyone look back to a new man.
"You. Bow tie," the man pointed at the Time Lord, "Get back across that line," he showed the marshall pin he wore, 'Now."
The Doctor quickly jumped over the line and just like that the mysterious man outside disappear.
The young man moved to the deputy, 'Isaac, he said he was a doctor... an alien doctor."
"That a reason to hand him to his death?"
"But, Isaac, it could be him!"
"You know it ain't," Isaac dismissed him and turned away. He walked away and nodded to Amy and Avalon, "Ma'ams."
Confused, the two gingers nodded back for politeness. The Doctor brushed himself off after that turmoil and returned to his friends. Avalon greeted him with a big hug while muttering curse words to the rest of the town for what they had done. Wanting to avoid further tension with the townsfolk, the Doctor hurriedly moved them after Isaac and prompted for Amy and Rory to follow them.
~ 0 ~
Isaac led the group into his office where it would probably be more safe.
"Can you explain what the hell was that all about?" Avalon got straight to the point, making it clear she was still angry.
Isaac sat on the corner of his desk, unperturbed of the attitude of the ginger. She was right to, "The Gunslinger. Showed up three weeks back. We've been prisoners ever since. You see that borderline, stretching round the town? Woke up one morning, there it was. Nothing gets past it, in or out. No supply wagons, no reinforcements. Pretty soon, the whole town's going to starve to death."
"But... he let us in," Rory pointed out in confusion.
"You ain't carrying any food, just three more mouths to feed," Isaac shrugged and made them feel slightly worse, "We'll all die even sooner now."
"What happens if someone crosses the line?" the Doctor curiously asked. His answer came in the Stetson Isaac flung at him, "Ah, well..." he put a finger through the bullet-size hole on top of it, "He wasn't a very good shot then."
"He was aiming for the hat," Isaac clarified.
Startled, the Doctor exclaimed, "He shoots people's hats?!"
"I think it was a warning shot, idiot," Avalon shook her head.
"Ah. No. Yes. I see," the Doctor felt embarrassed for not realizing that sooner, "Hmmm," he passed the hat to Rory."
Amy took the hat from Rory and studied it, "What does he want? Has he issued some kind of demand?" she passed the hat to Rory who passed it to the Doctor and then Avalon.
The ginger looked at the hat and flung it to Isaac, "He says he wants us to give him "the alien doctor," Isaac answered.
"But that's you," Avalon glanced at the Doctor, "At least we would think. What have you done?"
"What!? I haven't!" the Doctor frowned at the accusation so easily given to him.
"Then why would he want to kill you? Unless he's met you," Avalon crossed her arms. "Wouldn't be the first time that happened."
"You're lack of faith in me is really alarming," he pouted.
"I don't do faith," she reminded dismissively, "Now how would he know we'd be here? We didn't even know we'd be here."
"We were aiming for Mexico," Amy elaborated for Isaac, "The Doctor was taking us to see the Day of the Dead Festival."
"Where I was promised a delicious breakfast," Avalon added and huffed of disappointment.
"Mexico's 200 miles due south," Isaac pointed to the left.
"Oh look at that," Avalon smacked the Doctor on the arm, "And now I'm starving."
The Doctor would've commented quicker if he hadn't noticed the lights in the room flicker, "Well, that's what happens when people get toast crumbs on the console," he shot a look at Amy who quickly looked away, "Blame your grandmother. Anyway, I think it's about time I met him, don't you?" he looked at Isaac.
"Who?" Isaac blinked.
"The chap outside said I could be the alien doctor, but you said I wasn't," the Doctor reminded, "So you already know who it is. Two alien Doctors!" he turned to the others, "We're like buses. Resident 81, I presume. So beloved by the townsfolk, he warranted an alteration to the sign. Probably because he rigged up these electrics. And I'm guessing he's in here because if half the town suddenly wanted to throw me to my death... this is where I'd want to be."
Isaac stood up from his desk as the Doctor went for the holding cells, "I don't know what you..."
"It's all right, Isaac," a new man's voice entered the conversation, "I think the time for subterfuge has passed," the man was inside the holding cell, sitting on the bunk, "Good afternoon. My name is Kahler-Jex. I'm the doctor."
Isaac went to open the cell to alow the man out. The Doctor entered a state of excitement as Jex came out, vigorously shaking his hand, "The Kahler. I love the Kahler. One of the most ingenious races in the galaxy, seriously. They could build a spaceship out of Tupperware and moss."
Though amused, Avalon pushed the Doctor to sit down on a chair before he broke Jex's hand, "Okay then, time to get to business," she declared, "I'm Avalon, that's Amy, that's Rory and this is the Doctor. Can you tell us how did you got here?"
Jex took a seat behind Isaac's desk before answering, "My craft crashed about a mile or so out of town. I would have died if Isaac and the others hadn't pulled me from the wreckage."
"And you stayed?" the Doctor raised his eyebrows, slowly gathering himself, "As their doctor?"
"On my world, I was a surgeon, so it seemed logical and it gave me an opportunity to repay my debt to them."
"Listen to him. Talking like it was nothing," Isaac shook his head, "Tell them about the cholera."
"Now, Isaac, I'm sure our guests aren't..."
Isaac ignored Jex and explained to the group, "Two years after he arrived, there was an outbreak of cholera. Thanks to the doc here not a single person died."
"A minor infection we'd found a treatment for centuries ago," Jex dismissed casually.
"No, no, no. What do you call them? The lectricks?"
"Using my ship as a generator, I was able to rig up some rudimentary heating and lighting for the town."
The Doctor thought that was all good and fine but there still remained one important detail, "So why does the Gunslinger want you?"
"It don't matter," Isaac quickly shot down the question.
"Well when that reason is going to kill every person in the town..." Avalon leaned closer and whispered, "...it kinda does matter."
"America's a land of second chances. We called this town Mercy for a reason," Isaac explained, "Others... Some round here don't feel that way."
"Now, Isaac, we've discussed this," Jex began but Isaac cut him off.
"People whose lives you saved are suddenly saying we should hand you over."
"They're scared, that's all," Jex shrugged, trying to seem like it was normal, "You can hardly blame them."
"Them being scared, scares me," Isaac frowned, "War only ended five years back. That old violence is still under the surface. We give up Doc Jex, then we're handing the keys of the town over to chaos."
"Did you try to repair your craft?" the Doctor looked at Jex curiously, "Surely someone with your skills..."
"It really was very badly damaged," Jex assured.
The Doctor stood up and looked around, "We evacuate the town. Our ship's just over the hills. Room for everyone. I'll pop out, bring it back here. Robert's your uncle."
"Just like that?" Avalon raised an eyebrow, Amy and Rory giving him the same suspicious looks.
They really were all related.
"Yes, just like that," the Doctor imitated her tone.
"No crazy schemes or anything? No negotiations?"
"No, I've matured," the Doctor waved off, "I'm 1,200 years old now. Plus, I have to deliver that breakfast I promised you," he moved over and pecked her lips with a smile.
"You're not even the least bit curious?" Avalon smirked, wanting to test out just how far his curiosity abstention would go.
The Doctor headed for the doors, "Why would I be curious? It's a mysterious space cowboy assassin. Curious? Of course I'm not curious."
"Son?" Isaac called before the Doctor left, "You've still got to get past the Gunslinger. How you going to do that?"
The Doctor grabbed the stetson and put it on, "With a little sleight of hand," he smirked.
~ 0 ~
"Doctor! Doctor!" Avalon called while running towards the Time Lord who had neared the preacher at a hitching post with a horse.
"What are you doing here?" the Doctor barely turned around when he bumped into Avalon.
"I decided you can't go alone," she stepped back and fixed her hair from the crash.
"What?"
"Yeah, you cannot go alone. You'll get into trouble."
"I will not," the Doctor frowned, (slightly) offended she would think that.
Avalon laughed and moved around him to the preacher, "Can we borrow your horse?" she asked politely.
"No, Avalon," the Doctor turned around and tried to stop her by pulling her back - at least attempting to do so.
Avalon swatted his hands from her while she continued talking, "It really is official business having to do with the Marshall."
"Ava!"
"No!" she successfully pushed him away enough for her to climb onto the horse.
The Doctor rubbed his face while he sighed. Avalon just smiled and petted the horse, "What's the horse's name?" he asked.
"He's called Joshua. It's from the Bible. It means "The Deliverer."
The Doctor listened to the neigh of the horse and shook his head, "No, he isn't."
"What?" the preacher looked at him with confusion.
"What are you doing?" Avalon smiled in amusement at the Doctor.
"I speak horse, remember?" the Doctor shrugged as he climbed onto the horse behind Avalon, wrapping an arm around her waist while the other reached for the reigns, "He's called Susan. And he wants you to respect his life choices."
Avalon laughed as they galloped out of town. They ran into the direction of the TARDIS, thankfully with no Gunslinger nearby. It seemed like Isaac and Rory were managing to distract the Gunslinger perfectly. Everything was going fine...until the Doctor spotted a hose running on the ground.
"What are you doing?" Avalon frowned as they came to a slow stop, "We're kind of on a tight schedule, remember?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," the Doctor hopped off the horse, "I know we're in a hurry. I just want to check something out."
"Did you just 'yeah, yeah, yeah' me?" Avalon raised an eyebrow, a small frown starting on her lips.
"Two ticks, promise love," the Doctor shot her a smile and wink, "Breakfast is on the way."
"I'm going to leave you and get the TARDIS myself," Ava warned and watched him distastefully as he lifted up the hose from the ground and sniffed it before tugging it loose.
"Coming!" he dropped the line and ran back for her and the horse.
"You saw something wrong," sighed Avalon, not surprised, "So what happened to that crap of 'I've matured'?" she asked while the Doctor climbed back on the horse.
"I have," the Doctor insisted and made the horse gallop on again.
Avalon scoffed, "If that's true then I guess I've never kissed anyone."
"Well that's only partially true," shrugged the Doctor, looking straight ahead. Avalon looked up at him in confusion, "You've never kissed anyone before me, right?"
Avalon made a face and scoffed, "What!? Don't you remember I had like 3 boyfriends before you—"
"You've never kissed anyone before me, right?" the Doctor repeated the question again, giving her a pleading look to just go with it.
Avalon caught on and smiled, "Right. I've never kissed anyone before you, fairy-tale man."
The Doctor smirked with pride, "Exactly," he kissed her ginger locks. He didn't care if it wasn't true, he just liked hearing it. His wife never kissed anyone before him, period.
"But if we're on that chapter, then you never kissed anyone before me either," Avalon said a couple minutes later, making him tense behind her. She smirked and glanced up at him, "What's the matter? Is it not true?"
"Y-yup, completely true," the Doctor nodded and fast.
The horse neighed and though Avalon couldn't 'speak horse' like the Doctor could, she pretty much understood, "Susan thinks you're lying."
"I've lived far longer than you, Ava," the Doctor sighed, seeing no point in lying to her.
"Yes, far before I was born," Avalon nodded and laughed, "Got it, fairy-tale man. I was just kidding with you," she leaned back on his chest and contently smiled, "The past doesn't matter. We have each other now and we'll have each other forevermore. Right?"
"Yes," the Doctor agreed with a nod. He kissed her cheek and held her tighter, silently thanking the heavens he had been gifted with such a woman for a wife.
"Doctor, what's that?" Avalon had stopped the horse while he'd been thinking. She had her finger pointing to a mound covered in a tarp. Without waiting for him to answer, she hopped off and hurried towards it.
"Woah, woah, woah, Ava!" the Doctor shouted for her as he scrambled to get off the horse, "Ava, wait! We don't know what it is!"
Avalon had reached the mound and swiftly chucked the tarp off it, "What do you think is under it?" she gawked at the bright, white ovoid in front of her, "A dinosaur?" she touched the ovoid and started studying it. When the Doctor reached her, she was frowning with confusion, 'That's weird, it doesn't look very damaged to me," the Doctor began to check the ship for himself, going as far as climbing on top of it and jumping on it. Avalon raised an eyebrow, "And how is jumping on it supposed to help?"
"Don't know," the Doctor dropped to his knees and slapped the ovoid.
"And slapping it?"
"Shush, Ava," the Doctor shot her a smirk as he pulled out the sonic, "Let's just get inside of it."
Avalon leaned forwards and while he used the sonic on it, she crawled on top of it. Unfortunately, as soon as the Doctor used the sonic it activated the alarm system. They both covered their ears while the alarms blared.
"Fix it! Fix it! Fix it!" Avalon shook the Doctor frantically. The Doctor scrambled into the pod and once again tried using the sonic, "Yes, because the sonic isn't what caused it in the first place!" Avalon held her hands to her ears again as she watched the Doctor from above.
"Security breach. You have ten seconds to enter the pass-code or this vehicle will self-destruct," the computer went on while the Doctor insisted with the sonic across the controls, "Thank you for choosing Abaraxas Security Software. Incinerating intruders for three centuries. Nine, eight, seven. Self-destruct over-ridden."
Avalon lowered her hands from her ears and released a big sigh, "Well," she frowned, "that was quite a ruckus for some stupid little ship."
While the Doctor would have normally scolded her for being a tad rude, he agreed with her this time, "Something's not right..."
"Awaiting command."
"Access files on the Gunslinger," Avalon suggested, "Help me down, please."
The Doctor reached up and helped bring her down, "I think it would be better if you stayed outside," he remarked as she got comfortable sitting in front of him.
"Yeah well maybe I'll say that to you tonight," she countered with a smirk and patted his arm, "and then tell me how you like that."
The Doctor accepted that counter easily, "Gotcha then, shall we access files?"
"I thought you might see it that way," Avalon studied the controls in front of them, "So, computer, tell us everything you can about the Gunslinger."
"File not found," the computer responded, "Please choose from – Technical Specifications, Flight Recorder, Personal Files, Maps and Charts."
"See this is why I write all my things on a journal," Avalon rolled her eyes, "I'm old fashioned. Computers are stupid."
"I know," the Doctor agreed then spoke to the computer, "Personal files of Doctor Kahler-Jex."
The computer displayed a picture of Jex on one side of the screen with his information on the other side, "Names of deceased subjects can be found on the drop-down menu."
Neither knew what they were getting into when the Doctor reached to press a button that would show them the entirety of the files.
~ 0 ~
"Out, out, out!" Avalon was the first to climb back out o the ovoid, nearly to the brink of vomiting, "I cannot write a story about that - ever."
The gruesome videos were still replaying in her mind along with the horrible screams of agony from the 'subjects'. She couldn't ever imagine what kind of pain they must have all been in. Her first story would never include things like that.
The Doctor came up behind her, equally disturbed as she was. There were no words to describe the feelings nor to comfort her, but the Gunslinger took care of that by interrupting with a threatening weapon powering up behind them.
"Don't shoot!" the Doctor exclaimed and pushed Avalon down for safety purposes, "Don't shoot! We know who you are! And who Jex is too!" the Gunslinger lowered his weapon after that.
Avalon slowly rose back up and stared at the Gunslinger, unable to see him as the villain Jex had painted him to be, "You know what?" she began quietly, "Why haven't you just gone into town and killed that man already? Just do it."
"People will get in the way," the Gunslinger responded.
"Look, you want justice, you deserve justice, but this isn't the way," the Doctor shook his head, "We can put him on trial, we can—"
The Gunslinger raised his weapon again and startled the two, "When he starts killing your people, you can use your justice."
"Why are you going to kill us?" Avalon frowned, no longer afraid, "We're not the ones who did all those awful things to your people. You kill us, who wins there?" she scoffed, "You definitely don't."
The Gunslinger seemed to ponder on those words as he lowered his weapon from them, "No more warning shots. I'll kill the next person to step over that line. Make sure it's Jex," he then left the couple to consider their next move.
~ 0 ~
By the time Avalon and the Doctor returned, it seemed like a conflict had risen inside Isaac's office. They could heard their friends asking questions to Jex. The answers given were no where near the truth.
"It was stupid of me, I realize that now. I just thought I'd put you all in enough danger, perhaps if I left..."
"He's lying," the Doctor interrupted as he and Avalon entered the room, "Every word. Everything he says, it's... all... lies. This man is a murderer."
Jex clearly knew they were up to date with his background but didn't look as if it mattered, "I am a scientist."
"You are a murderer," Avalon corrected with a glare, "A vile murderer who deserves to be chased down by that man outside of town - because he is still a man."
"Sit down," the Doctor pointed Jex to the chair behind him, but Jex refused to move, "SIT DOWN!" he yelled and successfully made Jex plop down on the chair, "Tell them what you are," he ordered afterwards.
"What am I?" Jex raised an eyebrow, "A war hero."
"OK, somebody want to tell me what's going on?" Isaac looked between the Doctor and Avalon questioningly.
"The Gunslinger is a cyborg," the Doctor answered but received confused stares.
"A what?"
"The Gunslinger is half man and half machine," Avalon put it into simpler terms and sighed, "A weapon, basically. And he—" she pointed at Jex, "—built it. He lied to that man and turned him into a weapon for war!"
"It was necessary," argued Jex.
"No!" she exclaimed, "Getting an entire team to lie to honest volunteers about some special training was not necessary! Experimenting on people is never necessary!"
"Back up," Rory pointed at her then glanced at the Doctor, "What?"
The Doctor sighed and this time cleared up Avalon's words, "He—" he jerked a thumb at Jex, "—and his team took volunteers, told them they'd be selected for special training, then experimented on them, fused their bodies with weaponry and programmed them to kill!"
"Okay, why?" Isaac looked at Jex, "Why would you do that, doc?"
"We'd been at war for nine years. A war that had already decimated half of our planet," Jex began to explain, flinching when Avalon scoffed loudly, "Our task was to bring peace, and we did. We built an army that routed the enemy and ended the war in less than a week. Do you want me to repent? To beg forgiveness for saving millions of lives?!"
"And how many died screaming on the operating table before you had 'found' your advantage?!" the Doctor glared at him.
"War is another world," Jex waved off the situation, "You cannot apply the politics of peace to what I did, to what any of us did."
The Doctor thought the man was insane. He stormed to the other side of the room and leaned against a wall with his arms crossed.
"But what happened then?" Rory stepped forwards, "How come you're here?"
"When the war ended, we had the cyborgs decommissioned—"
"Decommissioned!?" Avalon stopped him right there, incredulously staring at Jex. "Listen to yourself! You can't 'decomission' people! They were PEOPLE!"
"Ava," Rory took Avalon's hand and motioned for her to allow Jex to continue.
"Murderer," she muttered before staying quiet.
Jex sighed but continued nonetheless, "One of them must have got its circuitry damaged in battle. It went offline and began hunting down the team that created it, until just two of us were left. We fled and our ships crashed here."
"It should get you," Avalon muttered afterwards, making Rory sigh. When Avalon got angry, there was really no stopping her from commenting on everything, no matter how wrong it was.
"What do we do with Jex?" Rory turned for Amy after a failed attempt of getting the Doctor back into the conversation.
"What do we do with him?!" Isaac repeated in confusion.
"Yeah, I mean he's a war criminal."
"No, he's the guy that saved the town from cholera, the guy that gave us heat and light."
"Nooo," Avalon drew out the word with emphasis, "He chose this as a punishment for what he did on his own planet. That's not a hero."
"Look," intervened Amy, raising a hand to stop Avalon from continuing, "Jex may be a criminal and yeah, kinda creepy..."
"And still in the room," Jex added, garnering looks from Avalon.
"God forgive us if the murderer gets offended," she mocked.
"But I think we should put aside what he did and find another solution," Amy looked at Avalon, warning her to stop commenting like that.
"Another solution?" frowned Rory, "It's him or us!"
Amy looked at him with surprise, "When did we start letting people get executed? Did I miss a memo? Doctor, tell him."
The Doctor looked at them confusedly, having been tuning out most of the conversation, "Hmm? Yes, I don't know. Whatever Avalon wants."
Jex polished his monocle and glanced at the Doctor, "Looking at you, Doctor, is like looking into a mirror. Almost. There's rage there, like me. Guilt, like me."
"You better start talking..." Avalon warned the man, her eyes flickering to the Doctor. She didn't have to read minds to know he was about to explode. She might do it before him just on his behalf.
"...solitude. Everything but the nerve to do what needs to be done." Jex let out a low, condescending laugh. "Thank the Gods my people weren't relying on you to save them..."
The Doctor was having it no more, "NO!" he shouted and stalked over to Jex, "No!" he grabbed the man by the arm and yanked him up from the chair, "But these people are!" he pushed Jex out the door and into town, towards the entry, "OUT! OUT! OUT!"
The others ran out the office and as Isaac left, Rory turned to stop Amy while Avalon went ahead. Amy gawked at Rory for a moment, "Avalon!" she started calling and made the ginger look back. Amy looked at Avalon with a warning look, "You can't be seriously supporting this."
Avalon looked around as she thought, "...I don't know."
"You can't!"
"He's trying to save us," Rory tried to argue.
"That's not how we do things," Amy shook her head then looked at Avalon again, her warning expression fading, "Is this how you pictured it?" Avalon raised an eyebrow, "See the Avalon I knew in Leadworth would never be supporting this. She could be what ever you wanted, but she always spoke about those wonderful fairy tales where the good guy saves the day without harming anyone. Ponder on that, will yah?" Amy hurried after the Doctor and Isaac, leaving a silent Avalon to do just that and think.
Meanwhile, the Doctor had finally reached the entry line of the town. Some of the townsfolk had gathered after the incident and watched as the Doctor shoved Jex over the line. While Jex was getting up, the Doctor returned to town and grabbed a gun from a man's holster to aim it at Jex.
"You wouldn't," Jex said as his hands raised from the gun on his head.
"I genuinely don't know," the Doctor admitted and cocked the hammer.
Isaac neared the Doctor with caution, "Doctor? Doctor?"
The Doctor whirled on the human with the gun aimed but was startled when a shot was fired into the sky. Everyone looked over to see Avalon holding a gun...at him.
"Ava?" he said, astounded at the action.
"You can't do this," she said quietly, and though her voice was meek her face was hard and straight.
The Doctor lowered his gun, the thought of aiming a gun at her completely out of the question, "Or what? You'll shoot me?"
"Of course not," Avalon finally lowered her gun as well but aimed it at her thigh instead, making him stiffen instantaneously, "I'll just shoot myself, that oughta get you riled up."
"Don't you dare," the Doctor pointed at her, "You wouldn't dare! No!"
"You know I can make the shot," Avalon expressed a small smirk at the corner of her lips, "I am River Song's daughter, after all. I'll make the shot, hurt myself and we'll finally get to see if I can regenerate or not."
The Doctor felt his hearts race as the gun she held stayed perfectly still against her skin. Of course she would make the shot perfectly; she had training. He walked over to her and panicked even more when she clicked the gun. "Ava, Ava, please, don't do it. Ava!"
"I won't if you won't," she challenged, smiling sarcastically.
"But we could end this right now. We could save everyone RIGHT NOW!"
"But we can't, not like this at least."
"Jex has to answer for his crimes!"
"I know, and believe me when I say I am all for him paying for what he's done," Avalon assured the Doctor then sighed, "but not like this. If we do this, it's going to become one more regret for the list."
"They keep coming back, don't you see?" the Doctor said, exasperated, "Every time I negotiate, I try to understand. Well, not today! No! Today I honor the victims first! His — the Master's, the Daleks', all the people who died because of MY MERCY!" the Doctor quieted down for a moment and looked at Avalon in the eyes, "Your own mother paid for something that was my fault and you..." his voice broke as he recalled her terror and fear back in Berlin, the stories that Avalon had told him about her time with Kovarian, "...they took you too. They hurt you. You were one of the people I let down."
"You did not let me down," Avalon smiled softly, "My fairy-tale man saved me. And you know what?" she finally lowered her gun to her side, relieving the Doctor monumentally, "When I wrote stories about that man...they were always about him saving people, like a hero. He was no killer in my book and he most certainly wouldn't be doing all this. Be that fairy-tale man again, no? Be my fairy-tale man? Promise I'll be better too."
The Doctor rubbed his face with resignation and nodded, "Avalon Pond..."
"Not my name," Avalon chuckled lightly and handed her gun to the nearest person, as well as the Doctor's, "But just this time," she wagged a finger at him, "I'll let it slide."
The Doctor looked back to Jex and motioned for him to come back, "Jex, move over the line. Now."
However, no one had noticed the Gunslinger had been coming closer and closer, to the point where Jex could no longer take the step back into town, "Make peace with your gods."
Jex slowly turned around to face his creation, "Kahler-Tek, isn't it? I remember all your names, even now. Please. I'd never hurt anyone again. I'm even helping people here."
But the Gunslinger did not care, "Last chance. Make peace with your gods," he raised his gun to fire.
When he did, it wasn't Jex who was shot...it had been Issac who pushed him out and took the fire, "No!" and he fell to the ground with a thud.
"Isaac!" the Doctor ran to him and dropped to his knees beside the man, "Isaac, Isaac, it's OK, it's OK. It's OK, we can get you to Jex's surgery, he can save you."
"Listen to me," Isaac began and gripped the Doctor's hand, "you've got to stay, you've got to look after everyone."
"It won't come to that, Isaac," the Doctor shook his head, trying to make the argument but Isaac knew better.
"Protect Jex. Protect my town. You're both good men...you just forget it sometimes..."
After dying, the Doctor removed his hand from the man and found the Marshall's badge on his palm. He pinned it to his jacket's lapel stood up, sensing everyone's eyes on him, "Take Jex to his cell. If anything happens to him, you'll have me to answer to," he then turned for the Gunslinger, "This has gone on long enough."
"You are right," the Gunslinger agreed then threatened him with a gun on the head, "You've got until noon tomorrow. Give him to me, or I'll kill you all."
The Doctor sighed when the Gunslinger teleported away. He turned around and faced the townsfolk, hearing the small gasp of Amy, "Oh, my God, you're the marshall."
"Yeah," he nodded then looked between her and Avalon, "Which Pond will be my deputy?"
"Go with the one without the criminal record," Avalon coughed discreetly and looked around, making Amy roll her eyes. Sometimes Avalon was too careless revealing her own bad past.
~ 0 ~
Later in the night, the travelers had retreated back to Isaac's office - Jex back in his cell and awaiting the next plan. Outside to guard him was the Doctor who refused to leave three steps from the cell. The Ponds, however, resided by the desk, still all pretty shaken up though.
A knock on the door made everyone snap out of their trance, "Come in," called the Doctor.
It was the preacher who walked in, looking nervous as he greeted everyone, "Marshall... Ma'am's. Fella. You need to come outside."
"Why, what's wrong?" the Doctor raised an eyebrow, already standing to his feet.
"Just come outside. And you should put that on," the preacher motioned to the holster on the hook by the door.
When the preacher left, the others stood up. Hesitantly, the Doctor walked to the hook and reached for the holster.
Outside was a group of the townsfolk, including the young man and bartender from earlier. Sensing more trouble was coming, the Doctor motioned for all Ponds to stay put while he took care of it - there was one specific Pond who wasn't quite pleased with that plan.
"What's going on?" the Doctor questioned the group as he leaned on the rails of the porch, slightly closer to them.
The young man stepped forwards and cast a quick glance at the office window, "He in there?" he asked in a shaky voice, "Leave the keys and take a walk. Time you get back, this'll all be done."
The Doctor straightened up as he saw the potential for great trouble, "I promised Isaac I'd protect him."
"Protecting him got Isaac dead. Tomorrow it's going to get us all dead."
Another man in the group spoke up, "We thought Isaac was right to fight. But it's different now. We've got to say, "All right, we lost," and give that thing what it wants."
The bartender shook her head in disagreement, "What it wants is to kill our friend."
"Look, we don't got ill feelin' toward the doc, we just thinkin''bout our families," the young man clarified the situation, "Hand him over and we all safe again."
The Doctor sighed and inched closer to the edge of the porch, "You know I can't do that."
"Then we got us a problem," the man pushed back his coat to reveal a holster, trying his best to be bold.
The Doctor was less than amused and so lifted his jacket to show he also had a holster, "Please don't do this."
"Why? Reckon you quicker than me?"
"Almost certainly not. But this - lynch mobs, the town turning against itself - this is everything Isaac didn't want," the young man, however, ignored the Doctor and drew his gun. The Doctor avoided doing the same by asking, "How old are you?"
"Nearly 19," the man shrugged.
"That's 18 then," the Doctor concluded as he went down the porch steps, "Too young to have fought in the war, so I'm guessing you've never shot anyone before, have you?"
The man deferred a direct answer with the cock of his gun, "First time for everything."
"But that's how all this started. Jex turned someone into a weapon. Now that same story is going to make you a killer too," the Doctor pointed at him, feeling like he was scolding a child - in his terms the man WAS a child, "Don't you see? Violence doesn't end violence, it extends it. I don't think you want to do this. I don't think you want to become that man."
Finally, it seemed like the man was coning around, "There's kids here."
"I know, who I can save, if you'll let me."
"He really worth the risk?"
"I don't know. But you are."
Semi-convinced, and frankly defeated, the man lowered his gun and withdrew from the group. Seconds later the rest followed in suit. The Doctor shuddered and turned around, "Frightened people. Give me a Dalek any day."
"I don't think I'd want that," Avalon made a face at the thought, "At least with humans you can discuss - Daleks don't even know the meaning of that word."
The Doctor smiled at her and kissed her head before returning them back to the office, along with Amy and Rory. A couple minutes later, the undertaker entered with a cup of coffee, "Fresh coffee, Marshall. For what it's worth, I know you're going to save us. Isaac made you Marshall for a reason, and if you're good enough for him, you're good enough for me. Reckon you should know that."
The Doctor took the cup and gave the man a small toast, happy to hear that, "Thank you," he took a sip then rested the cup on the desk. He was a bit irritated to find the undertaker trying to measure his shoulder with tape, "Oi! Get out of it!" startled, the undertaker rushed off
"Someone's tensed," mumbled Amy with amusement.
The Doctor offered a dim smile as he took off his Stetson, rubbing his forehead. Jex made a small scoff from his cell, making everyone stare at him, "Let me guess. The good folk of Mercy wanted me to take a little stroll into the desert. You could turn a blind eye. No-one would blame you. You'd be a hero - all of you."
"You know we can't do that, so shut up," Avalon rolled her eyes, pretty much done with the man's lack of appreciation for their actions towards him. They'd spent the entire afternoon making sure no one came to harm him even when he should be punished for what he'd done, "Because then Isaac's death would mean nothing! Me almost shooting myself would mean nothing."
The Doctor sighed and rubbed his face, "Do you even want to be saved, Jex?" he asked the question that had been burning in his mind all afternoon, "Is that what you want?! Do you even know?!"
"You think I'm unaffected by what I did," Jex declared to them all.
"Well you're not giving us much to go by..." Rory mumbled but was still heard by the alien.
"You think I don't hear them screaming every time I close my eyes? It would be so much simpler if I was just one thing, wouldn't it? The mad scientist who made that killing machine, or the physician who has dedicated his life to serving this town. The fact that I'm both bewilders you all."
"You give yourself an awfully high place," Avalon remarked, even more irritated with him, "The truth is this entire town is the setting for your redemption. You chose this as your punishment - don't get me wrong it does make for a good story, but..." she tapped her fingers along the armrest of her chair, "...but it doesn't work for justice."
Jex sighed and sat up on his bunk, "In my culture, we believe that when you die your spirit has to climb a mountain, carrying the souls of everyone you wronged in your lifetime. Imagine the weight I will have to lift. The monsters I created, the people they killed. Isaac. He was my friend. Now his soul will be in my arms, too. Can you see now why I fear death? You want to hand me over. There's no shame in that. But you won't," he directed that to the Doctor, "We all carry our prisons with us. Mine is my past, yours is your morality.
""We all carry our prisons with us." Ha..." the Doctor scoffed and turned away, ending the conversation indefinitely.
~ 0 ~
The next day a plan was devised for the town - hopefully it would be enough to keep everyone safe with zero casualties. Jex was to escape and take the fight somewhere else or simply choose to hide - what ever it was it just needed to not be in Mercy town. The Doctor would distract the Gunslinger along with several other of the townsfolk using Kahler symbols painted on their faces to deceive the Gunslinger. It was simple, really simple. The Gunslinger would be distracted enough time for Jex to make an exit. When the Gunslinger realized the trick he would then follow Jex out of the town...and hopefully out of the planet.
Everything was that simple.
It could have worked...if it hadn't been for Jex who decided to delay his escape and instead speak to the Gunslinger via speakers of the town and his ship's.
The Doctor, who was mere inches from the angry Gunslinger in the middle of town, was less than pleased, "Jex!?" he shouted, "What are you doing! Just GO!"
Jex was busy asking questions to the Gunslinger, personal ones, "Where are you from? Where on Kahler?"
The Doctor rubbed his face in frustration before shouting again, "Now? You're asking him this NOW?!"
"Gabrean," the Gunslinger answered Jex's question.
"I know it. It's beautiful there. When this is over, will you go back?"
"How can I? I am a monster now."
"So am I."
The Doctor was itching to get them moving along, "Just go! Finish this!"
"I will find you," promised the Gunslinger before anything else was said, "If I have to tear this universe apart, I will find you."
"I don't doubt that," Jex sighed, "You'll chase me to another planet...and another race will be caught in the crossfire."
"THEN FACE ME! FACE ME!"
"No," Jex responded, "You've killed enough. I'm ending the war for you, too."
Countdown to self-destruct resumed.
"What's going on? That countdown!" the Doctor managed to hear the countdown in the background, "What's going ON! JEX!"
"Thank you, Doctor," Jex said calmly, "But I have to face the souls of those I wronged. Perhaps they will be kind."
Three, two, one. Zero.
It wasn't long before the Doctor and the Gunslinger were able to see the smoke from the explosion rising up to the sky. The Gunslinger hung his head, "He behaved with honor at the end. Maybe more than me."
"We could take you back to your world," the Doctor offered, "You could help with the reconstruction."
The Gunslinger began walking towards the exit of the town, "I will walk into the desert and self-destruct. I am a creature of war. I have no role to play during peace."
The Doctor looked about as the townsfolk were coming out. Avalon, Amy and Rory also came out and crowded around the Time Lord, "Except maybe to protect it?" he suggested the brand new idea that had sparked in his mind seconds ago.
~ 0 ~
Later on, the Doctor burst out from the saloon with the Ponds behind him. He'd brought in the TARDIS and was definitely ready to continue on with the adventures, "OK, so, our next trip. You know all the monkeys and dogs they sent into space in the '50s and '60s? You'll never guess what really happened to them!"
"Erm..." Amy looked at Rory with uneasiness. Avalon recognized the looks and quietly sighed to herself, "...could we leave it a while? Our friends will start noticing that we're ageing faster than them."
The Doctor showed no one his disappointment then swiftly turned to them with a fake smile ready to go, "Another time! No worries!" he clapped his hands.
Thankful, Amy and Rory waved and stepped inside the TARDIS. On her way to the TARDIS as well, Avalon stopped by the Doctor, "Next time they'll stay longer," she promised.
"It's alright," he assured her and sent her inside anyways.
No, everything is not okay, Avalon thought to herself. She knew Amy and Rory didn't mean to upset the Doctor when they refrained from taking too many trips. It was normal, they clearly enjoyed their human life and wanted to spend equal times in both sides. Still, Avalon wished it wouldn't affect the Doctor so much. Today had been such a bad day...couldn't there be happiness for one moment?
~ 0 ~
"Avalon?" the Doctor called as he entered their bedroom, "Ava? Are you in here?" he closed the door and went further inside, scanning the area for his wife. He noticed her journal was flat open on her side of the bed, "Ava? C'mon," he insisted and went for the bathroom, "I thought we could take a trip on our own," he knocked on the door but received no answer back, "Ava?" he opened the door a crack and poked his head inside, "I had a perfect place in mind - perfect setting for a story you know."
He heard the bedroom door opening up and shutting, "I thought we could stay in here instead," Avalon was leaning against the door with a sly smile on her face.
The Doctor was more than disappointed to see her changed into a brilliant red, silk robe - clearly intending to sleep. He shut the bathroom door and sighed, "Are you sure?" Je was failing miserably to hide his disappointment.
"Aha," Avalon nodded, trying not to laugh at his disappointment.
"You're tired," the Doctor sighed deeply and went towards her.
"You really are thick," she playfully rolled her eyes and leaned off the door just as he reached her.
"What?" the Doctor frowned at the insult. What had he done that time?
Avalon placed her hands on his arms and smiled softly, "I am so sorry for today. I'm sorry for pointing the gun at you, having to hear all those awful words Jex said...and for my grandparents."
"What? None of that is your fault," the Doctor moved his hands to her waist.
"I think the gun part might be," Avalon quipped and chuckled lightly, "But I have a perfect way to cheer you up," she tapped her fingers along his arms, "Cos I don't like it when you're upset."
"What are you up to, Ava?" the Doctor raised an eyebrow and looked at her suspiciously.
"Sooomething," Avalon drew the word out with a laugh. She took the Doctor's hands off her waist to remove the robe's rope and therefore shook off her robe.
"O-o-oh," the Doctor froze with his wife's new clothing - it was definitely not intended for sleeping.
Her robe's red brilliant shade had been the matching piece of her lingerie dress. It boasted a deep v-neckline and a see-through lace falling down to form the top piece and give a partial view to the red underwear underneath.
"I'm not tired," Avalon declared with a wide smirk on her face as she draped her arms around the Doctor's neck. She leaned up and kissed him. He barely had time to react with such a kiss, not that Avalon minded. She laughed and pulled away, only to push him onto their bed.
"I should get upset more often," the Doctor blinked in partial daze as his mind raced to catch up on what was happening.
Avalon rolled her eyes and crawled over him, "Shut up," she warned, "I'm trying to be seductive and you're ruining it!"
"Mission accomplished, love," the Doctor grinned and settled his hands on her hips, "Feel free to try this any time you want - wait," he flapped a hand trying to reach her journal which still laid opened not too far from them.
Avalon watched him take it and chuck it to the floor, "Wha—hey! That's my journal!"
"Seduce me princess," the Doctor motioned he was waiting for her.
She gave him a look but the blush on her face made him laugh, "I hate you," she smacked his arm. Before he was able to laugh she captured his lips with her own.
First attempt or not, she achieved her goal: the Doctor never once remembered his troubles that night.
A/N:
Okay, I know it's been almost a whole year since I updated so let me explain myself here **puts fingers together**. I was offered a training course from my job and that eventually spiraled into a heavy course load (and honestly such a toxic school environment) while juggling a full time job. I literally just finished 3 days ago and I'm so happy to be free. I'm finally getting my time back to write and edit again!
As always, I have a tumblr account dedicated to my fanfic works! It's a place where anyone can comment about a story or even just talk to me! I often drop aesthetic work belonging to my stories too! Feel free to check it out, my URL is "saiilorstars"