"Can you bring me back for.. tomorrow morning..?" Amy's voice dies down she enters the magic blue box.
"It's a time machine. I can bring you back five minutes ago." The Doctor walked past her. "Why? What's tomorrow?"
"Just um.. stuff." The redhead looks around, astonished, before looking down at herself. "I'm in my nightie."
"Don't worry! Plenty of clothes in the wardrobe." He grabs his new screwdriver, thanking his ship. "Big room, maybe even with a swimming pool." He readies the Tardis for takeoff. "All of time and space, everything that ever happened or ever will. Where does Amelia Pond want to start?"
"Can we visit Sparrow?"
The Time Lord froze and walked around to face his newly companion. "What did you say?"
"Sparrow. Can we go and visit her home planet?" Amy asks again, curiously staring at the odd controls. "I figured you came back for her when I was a kid, without me knowing. Her being an alien and all." She shrugs.
".. Sparrow?" His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He looks around the room, expecting to see the upset Time Lady. "Spar- she uh.."
He checks the scanner for all life forms in the Tardis.
Two.
Him and Amy.
The Doctor thinks back. While Sparrow insisted on leaving, he selfishly didn't let her go. He made up excuses to make her stay, and at the time, it was somewhat fair. He was dying after all.
More importantly, he wanted to talk. To ask her so many questions about herself, about her life. Everything he had missed out on but his regeneration went a bit wrong.
Why can't he remember her? How did she survive the Time War? Clearly, the Master was involved. How did she know him? They seemed.. familiar with each other.
They ended up meeting Amelia in 1996 and the Cloister Bells rang. He jumped back into the Tardis and—
His ship gave a sad confirmation. She had closed the doors on the Time Lady.
Then he was too focused on Prisoner Zero, Amy, the twelve years, and the Atraxi, that he forgot his own daughter.
"Doctor?"
"Right, new plan." He exclaims, "How long did Sparrow stay for?"
Amy thinks. "For a week, more or less. And she really loved to mess with my aunt."
The Doctor nods. "Quick stop. About a week-ish, right after we met you." He starts the flight. "We're picking up Sparrow!"
The redhead laughs as she holds onto a part of the console.
Once the ship lands, the Doctor sprints to the doors, pokes his head out and quickly shuts the door.
"Wrong! Not Leadworth, definitely, not 1996."
"Where are we then? Or is it when are we?"
They both look at the circular view screen on the wall. "Starship UK. The United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland bolted together and floating in the sky."
Shaking his head, he runs back to the console. "Now, dear, I said Leadworth, April 1996. Not 29th century- ooo, that's interesting."
The scanner turned itself on and showed a little girl, silently crying as people walked by.
"A little girl crying, so?" Amy stands next to him. "Are we like those wildlife documentaries? Only observe and not interfere?"
On the screen, she sees the Doctor talking to the little girl and gestured for Amy to join him.
"Okay, but Doctor, what about.. Sparrow?" Amy steps out into the market. Her brain short-circuits for a second. "Huh I'm, I'm in the future. Like hundreds of years in the future." She lets out a nervous laugh, but smiles.
"Shouldn't we say goodbye?" Amy asks as they entered the Tardis. "Won't they wonder where we went?"
"Sure, they'll write songs, but never mind them. Big day tomorrow."
"But first Sparrow!" Amy said, a bit loud. She clears her throat, "I mean.. we got to pick up Sparrow first."
"Yes. Yes, we do." The Doctor makes sure he's typing the correct coordinates. "Leadworth, 1996."
And before they could take off, the phone rings.
Amy stares at it, bewildered it could ring, and picks up. "Hello? .. Sorry, who? .. Seriously, who?" She covers the microphone bit. "Says he's the Prime Minister. First the Queen, now the Prime Minister. Get about, don't you?"
He playfully rolls his eyes. "Which Prime Minister?"
"Which Prime Minister? .." This time she rolls her eyes, "Which British one? .. Winston Churchill for you."
The Doctor takes the phone. "Oh, hello, dear! What's up? .. Yes, not a worry. I need to make a quick stop and we're on our way."
The Tardis takes off and materializes as the Time Lord poked his head out the doors.
"We'll be right with you!" He closed the door, sighing heavily.
"Not Leadworth again?"
"No." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why don't you want to land?" His ship gives a low hum. "What do you mean you can't? Can't or won't?"
".. Are you talking to the ship?" Amy stood by him, arms crossed.
"Yes, she's sentient. Haven't I told you?"
"Right.. my guess is we need to deal with whatever Churchill wants, before we could leave?"
"Yeah, could, could do that. I could also overdrive-"
Knock, knock, knock
"Doctor? I know you're in there."
The Doctor looks at the console, then at Amy, who was peeking through the windows. "Alright, fine. We'll do this quick, then straight to Sparrow."
"It's a time machine." Amy reassures him. "I'm sure Sparrow's having the time of her life, tormenting my aunt."
"Okay, one more time." Amy follows her raggedy Doctor down the museum's hallways. "What's a fixed point?"
"Wrong, wrong." The Doctor briefly glanced at each exhibits. "Means sometimes we can't change the outcome, no matter how badly we want to. It has to happen. Very wrong! Wrong."
"And Sparrow staying in 1996 is a fixed point.. how?"
"It might not even be one. Ooo, one of mine. Also mine." He circled an exhibit, containing an old square box. "All we know is the Tardis doesn't want us to interfere."
Amy stands in front of the glass case with an eyebrow raised. "So, what's special about this old box?"
"It's a Home Box, from one of the old starliners."
"Like a black box? From a plane, but it homes?"
The Doctor grins at her. "You're getting good at this." The redhead beams with pride. "Though, the odd thing about this box is the graffiti." He points at the symbols. "It's Old High Gallifreyan, the lost language of the Time Lords." He leans in, "There were days, many days, these words could burn stars and raise up empires, and topple gods."
She nodded along. "What does this say then?"
The Doctor sighed, shoulders slumped. "Hey, Old Man."
[Face: Rebecca Mader]
"I asked if there were any other Time Lords, you said no." Amy watches as the Doctor gets ready for takeoff. "Now, you're telling me that woman we picked up happens to be your daughter, and- AND she's Sparrow from when I was seven?"
"Yes, what's not to get?"
"That's not Sparrow." She threw her hands up. "Sparrow had black hair and was taller and more.. I don't know, more rude."
"She regenerated, but it's still her, really." He ran a hand through his hair. "More importantly, she's the future. We don't know what happened to her from 1996 to now, but it's better we leave."
"Hang on." Amy looked over at the doors. "Five minutes? Tops."
Before he could protest, she quickly added, "That's your daughter out there. And while I'm still confused about the note thing.. let's hear what she has to say." The Doctor hesitated. "Plus it's a planet. Big spaceship, Churchill's bunker, gotta do a planet next."
"Alright, alright." He sighed, "Five minutes, but that's it. We're not staying any longer."
The two stepped out and joined the other redhead, in the emerald dress.
"What caused it to crash?" Sparrow stared at the burning ship and temple. "Not me."
"Nah, the airlock sealed seconds after you blew it." The Doctor stood nearby his daughter. He spotted a silver band with an emerald stone, resting on top, on her ring finger. "According to the Home Box, the warp engines had a phase shift. No survivors."
"Least the building was empty." Sparrow used her device to scan the building. "Aplan temple, unoccupied for centuries."
"So." Amy clasped her hands behind her, smiling. "Last time I saw you, I was seven."
The Time Lady gasped and spun to face the two. "No wonder. You're extra naggy today."
"Naggy, me!?" Her dad said, offended.
"'That's not how you fly the Tardis'." She mocked him. "Please. I passed my test." Her device made a little beeping noise. "And look, you're wrong. Ha! Something survived after all."
Sparrow walked closer to the site and made a call. "You lot in orbit yet?"
Amy laughs, nodding. "I see it now. She's definitely your kid." She looks at the Doctor and the smile fades away. "What is it?"
The Doctor sook his head. ".. nothing."
"Dad!" Sparrow called out, "Could you sonic the communicator? River needs it as a beacon."
His hearts skip at her calling him dad, making it easier to ignore the pit feeling in his stomach.
How long has it been since 1996? How did she leave, if not by him? Was he there when she regenerated? Plus she knew her way around the Tardis, and the old girl was excited to see her. That meant at some point, Sparrow.. forgave him and started traveling with him?
His companion softly scoffs as he sonics. "Don't tell me you have another kid."
"No, no. Only Sparrow."
"Who's River then?"
Not a second later, four small tornadoes appeared near the trio, leaving behind a familiar blonde and three soldiers.
The leader walked up. "You promised me an army, Sparrow."
"Get your ears checked. I said 'equivalent'." She rolled her eyes, "Meet the Doctor."
That made him stand up straighter. "Father Octavian, sir. Bishop, second class."
Sparrow took that chance to walk towards the blonde, leaning in. "He's young."
River hmmed.
"Has Sparrow explained what we're dealing with?" Octavian drew the girls' attention.
"Doctor." River responds instead, "What do you know of the Weeping Angels?"
"It's on a loop, four seconds." River shows them the screen of the single Weeping Angel. "Sparrow got it while on board of the Byzantium."
"Yeah, it's an Angel." The Doctor grimly says. "Hands covering its' face and everything."
"You're encountered the Angels before." Father Octavian stated, surprised.
He nodded. "Once, on Earth, a long time ago. But those were barely surviving. Scavengers."
Amy tilted her head, "But it's a statue."
"It's their defense mechanism." Sparrow entered the room. She had gone and changed from her dress to black pants, boots, a dark green blouse and leather jacket. "They're quantum lock. Any living creature in its' sight and they cease to exist. Thus stone. Turn you back, however.."
"Not stone." Amy shudders, "Alright."
Octavian narrowed his eyes at her. "You said you haven't encountered them."
"I read. You should try it some time."
"Where did it come from?" The Doctor wondered, feeling proud Sparrow knew enough about the Angels.
"Pulled from the ruins of Razbahan, end of the last century." River mentioned. "It's been in private hands ever since. Dormant all that time."
"There's a difference between dormant and patient."
Years ago, Sparrow made a silent vow: a threat to Amy Pond is a threat to her.
Though due to River's command to follow Octavian's orders, the Bishop did not let her out of his sights.
She wasn't nearby when Amy dealt with the recorded Weeping Angel. Luckily, the redhead turned out fine but Sparrow felt guilty regardless.
The group walked through the Alpan Mortarium, making their way to the wreckage. Sparrow spotted Amy falling behind and slowed down.
"You alright?"
"Yeah.." Amy rubs her eye. "Yeah, I'm fine. I've been wondering.. is River your mom?"
"WHAT." Sparrow squeaked out.
That reaction made the companion grin. "I'm right, aren't I? I've seen the looks the Doctor gives her and her him." She nudges the Time Lady teasingly. "She's Mrs. Doctor in the future?"
Before Sparrow could reply, River neared and cleared her throat. "Spoilers."
"I wasn't going to say anything."
River gave her a look like she didn't believe her and Amy gave her a look that read 'See? Totally a mom'.
Sparrow huffs. "Whatever."
"Here, give me your arm. This won't hurt a bit." The blonde injects Amy with the needle gun. "Ow!" "See? I lied. It's a viro-stabiliser. You'll need it once we get up to that ship."
"So, what's he like? In the future, I mean."
"The Doctor, well.." River ponders, "The Doctor's the Doctor."
Amy stared at her, deadpanned. "Great, mind if I write that down?"
The blonde grinned and replied a little louder. "Yes, we are."
"Sorry, what?"
The trio watched as River pointed her torch at the Doctor, standing not far from them. He tried to figure out the blonde's portable computer, but Sparrow saw through him. He was eavesdropping.
"Talking about you."
"I wasn't listening. I'm busy."
"Uh-huh. The other way up."
The Doctor turned the device right side-up, embarrassed. "Ah."
"You're so his wife."
"Amy, Amy. I'm not saying you're right." The blonde chuckles, shaking her head. "But you're good."
Amy studied the statues they passed, frowning. "Uh, Doctor?"
"Yeah?"
"How come the statues only have one head?"
The Doctor, Sparrow, and River froze in their spots.
"Why would the Alpans create one-headed statues?" Amy continues, "Unless it was the human colonists that put them here. But then why-?"
"Amy." Sparrow interrupted, "Shut up."
River points her torch at a statue and the Doctor does the same. "How did we not notice?"
"Low level perception filter." He says, "Or maybe we're thick. Wait here." He runs off back in the direction they came from.
"Octavian." Sparrow calls out for the bishop. "We've made a mistake. We are all in danger."
"What danger?"
"The Alpans got two heads. The statues don't."
"Every statue in this maze, every single one, is a Weeping Angel." The Doctor returned. "They're coming for us."
The Time Lady counted the soldiers and talked into her walkie-talkie. "Bob, Angelo, Christian, report."
"It's Bob, ma'am. Sorry, ma'am."
"We need to regroup. Keep an eye on the statues, they're all Angels."
"Yes, ma'am, I know. The Angels killed Angelo and Christian." Bob stated. "They're dead, ma'am."
Octavian tried to grab her walkie-talkie, but she swatted her hand. "Let me talk-" "Bob, how far away are you? I can come get you."
"No need, ma'am. I'm on my way." He said. "I'm homing in on your signal."
"Have him check their vital signs." Octavian butted in again. "We may need to-"
Losing her patience, Sparrow draws a pistol and points it directly to his face. Octavian pursed his lips together, glaring, and stepped back.
River moved in between them, taking the gun. "You know you're not allowed weapons."
The Time Lady stepped back and breathed out her nose. "How did they die, Bob?"
"Snapped their necks, ma'am."
"Angels don't do that." She shares a look with her dad. "They displace you in time." He nods, "Unless they need the bodies for something."
"Bob? .. How did you escape?"
"I didn't escape, ma'am. The Angel killed me, too."
The redhead cursed.
"Snapped my neck, ma'am. Wasn't as painless as I expected, but it was quick. So that was something."
The Doctor takes the walkie-talkie. "If you're dead, then how are we talking to you?"
"You're not talking to me, sir. The Angel has no voice." Angel Bob explains. "It stripped my cerebral cortex from my body and re-animated a version of my consciousness to communicate with you. Sorry about the confusion."
"So, when you say you're on your way..."
"It's the Angel that's coming, sir, yes." Bob corrects. "No way out."
Sparrow ordered, "Through the wreckage. Move it!" She ran up front, guiding the soldiers down the path.
"Doctor?" Amy questions. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming. Go with River."
The companion nods and follows River with the rest of the group.
"It's at least thirty feet." River looked up. "How do we get up there?"
Octavian ordered the remaining clerics to clear the exits while Sparrow closed her compass. She held out her hand to the blonde, waiting.
River gave her a frown. "You're not getting it back. You shouldn't have it in the first place."
"The only way out is up." She dropped her hand. "I'll need my gun for it."
"If you haven't noticed, we don't have the climbing equipment to do so." Octavian snarked.
"Let me spell it out, Bishop." She sassed back, "The Byzantium still has power. Chances are so does the artificial gravity. But by all means, let's die together."
"May I speak with Sparrow, please?" Bob interrupted. "There's something the Angels are very keen for her to know."
"Not interested." Sparrow reached into her boot and pulled out a secondary gun. River stepped forward but the Time Lady smirked. "Amy Pond." She faced the other redhead. "Do you trust me?"
Amy, a bit startled at the question, nodded. "Yeah. Totally."
"Good." She cocked her gun, "On my signal, jump."
"Jump where?" Octavian questioned.
"You can jump off the cliff. Everyone else, jump as high as they can."
Not waiting for an another protest, Sparrow pointed the gun at the gravity globe and fired.
A large gush of wind escaped from the globe, helping the group jump high onto the fallen ship.
They landed with a thud. "Everyone alright?" A few groans and yeses showed no real harm was done.
"Shooting the glav globe to give us an uplift?" The Doctor smiled brightly at his daughter, "Brilliant."
Sparrow gave a small shrug then protested as River, glaring, took her second gun.
"Doctor." Octavian exclaimed in shock, looking up. "The statues- they look more like Angels now."
"Of course they would. They're feeding on the radiation from the wreckage, restoring themselves. And they're turning off the lights." The Doctor sonics the hatch on the floor. "Keep looking at them. In you go, quickly now."
One by one, they entered into the corridor and the hatch closes behind them. An alarm blares out as the bulkhead door closed.
"This whole place is a death trap." Octavian exclaims.
"No, it's a time bomb." The Doctor ranted, "Well, a death trap and a time bomb. And now it's a dead end. Nobody panic."
The Angels bang against the hatch, trying to force their way in.
"We basically run up the inside of a chimney, yeah?" Amy said, distraught. "If the gravity fails, are we falling to our deaths?"
"Good, I'm not the only one thinking it." He pointed behind him. "What's through there?"
"Secondary flight deck."
Sparrow opened a small panel on the wall. "Dad, I need you to-"
The lights turned off.
Everyone stayed silent and stared at the now opened hatch. The lights flicker for a second and an arm reaches inside.
"Isolate the lighting grid." Sparrow finished, her voice in a slightly higher pitch.
"Good, good idea." He soniced the panel as she worked faster.
With each flicker, the Angels advanced inside. Once the lights stayed on, four Angels stood with arms reaching. The hatch closed once more, entrapping them all.
"Clerics, keeping watching them." The Bishop ordered.
"Not their eyes, anywhere but the eyes." The Doctor added.
"Now what?" Amy asks.
He walked to the front of the group. "There's only one way to open the door. I need to route all the power in this section through the door control."
Octavian nodded, "Fine. Do it."
"Including the lights. I'll need to turn out all the lights." He walked back to the door panel and opened it. He grabbed a wire and soniced it, placing it back. "For fraction of a second. Maybe longer - maybe quite longer."
"Maybe?"
"Doctor, we lost the torches." Amy quickly adds, "We'll be in total darkness."
"No other way." He faced Octavian, asking the silent question. "Bishop?"
Octavian stood in front of River. "Doctor Song, I've lost good clerics today. You trust this man?"
River nodded. "I absolutely trust him."
"He's not some kind of madman, then?"
Sparrow snickered. The blonde backhand slapped her on the arm. "I absolutely trust him." She repeated.
The Doctor excuses himself to work more on the door panel.
Octavian leaned in. "I'm taking your word because you're the only one who can manage him." "I disagree." Sparrow stated. He continued, "But that only works as long as he doesn't know who Sparrow is. Either of you cost me any more men and I might just tell him. Understood?"
"Understood." The blonde agreed. Sparrow glared, "I'll tell him myself." and earned another slap on the arm.
"Doctor Song, we can't stay here."
River ignored him as she attached the med scanner to Amy's arm. In the corner of her eye, the Doctor paced back and forth, often looking through the forest.
"We've got to keep moving." Octavian pushed.
"We wait for Sparrow."
"Our mission is to-"
"Father Octavian. When the Doctor's in the room, your one and only mission is to keep him alive - long enough to get everyone else home." She continued, "It's not easy when he decides to prioritize his daughter above all else, alright?"
The Doctor stopped pacing.
"Now, if she's dead back there, I'll never forgive myself. If she's alive, I'll never forgive her." Her ears picked up shuffling. "And you're right behind me, aren't you?"
"Yeah."
River shook her head. "I hate you."
"Doubt it." Sparrow crouched down next to the blonde and read the scanner.
"How'd you get passed them?" Her dad asked. He searched for any visible injures, finding none. Though he made a mental note of her missing jacket.
"Amy's dying."
"Sparrow." River warned her.
"Weeping Angels are surrounding us and you want to focus on me hurting her feelings?" Sparrow fired back.
Amy mumbles, "You're such a brat."
"Shut up, you're dying."
"Nonono, no one's dying. Amy, close your eyes." The Doctor ordered. Amy shakes her head, "No, I don't want to."
"Good, because that's not you, that's the Angel inside of you."
Sparrow and River shared a look, with widen eyes, then at the companion. "Seriously?!" "Oh, Amy.."
Amy shut her eyes, tightly, and the scanner showed her vitals were rising to normal.
"Doctor, we have to move on." Octavian exclaimed, "We're too exposed here."
"We're too exposed everywhere." The Doctor stated, "Anyway, that's not the plan."
"Does the plan involve me opening my eyes soon?" Amy chimed in.
"No." Sparrow sternly said.
"Father, you and your clerics, stay and look after Amy." He explained, "River, Sparrow, and I will find the Primary Flight Deck, which.." He held a finger up. "a quarter of a mile straight ahead. From there, we'll stabilize the wreckage, stop the Angels, and cure Amy."
The trio began to head out, however Octavian stood in front of them.
"Doctor, I'm coming with you." "I don't need you." "I don't care. Where Sparrow goes, I go."
"What, you two engaged or something?" The Doctor joked.
Sparrow shrugged. "You've met worse."
Octavian huffed and ordered his cleric, Marco, to be in charge, then followed the trio.
River read the readings over the Doctor's shoulder. "How can a crack in the wall be the end of the universe?"
"Don't know." The Doctor entered a few keys. "I think one day, there'll be a very big bang. So big, every moment in history, past and future, will crack."
"But how is that possible?" River asked again. Sparrow replied, "I can think of a few things." The blonde raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not telling you."
"So, you're engaged?" Her dad pried instead, "You and Octavian?"
The Bishop sighed deeply. "I picked these two from the Stormcage Containment Facility-"
"Stormcage?" The Doctor stared, slack-jawed. "Both of you?"
"I visit." River corrected.
"More like you're doing overtime." Sparrow sassed, "Your sentence ended years ago."
"Like I was saying." Octavian continued, "I released Sparrow four days ago, meaning I am legally responsible for her. Doctor Song is here to ensure Sparrow does her mission and determine if she'd earned her pardon."
The computer chimes.
"What now?"
"The date. The date of the explosion, where the crack begins."
Sparrow frowned. "I know that date."
"And for those of us who can't read the base code of the universe?"
"Amy's time."
Sparrow stared longingly at the sea.
"Octavian said you killed a man."
"Killed many, yet this one was important."
"I know deep down you love him." River teased.
Sparrow scoffed.
The Doctor nods along. He's worried about the supposed confession but it doesn't explain-
"You're constantly sneaking out to see him." River grinned, loving the Time Lord's shocked expression. "Don't think I don't know."
She sighed, "I hate this family."
"The Pandorica." River returned to English, "That's when you'll see us again."
The Doctor laughed, unconvinced. "Pandorica? Please, that's a fairy tale."
"Aren't we all?" The handcuffs Sparrow wore beeped. "That's our ride." River waved goodbye to Amy. "See you, Amy."
"Bye, River. Bye, Sparrow." Amy waved back.
"By the way.." With a mischievous grin, the Time Lady wiggled her ring finger. "You'lll see him soon."
"Spar-!" River scolded her as the teleport took the duo away.
You'll see him soon. Surely, Sparrow's messing with him… right? He hates waiting. He doesn't think his hearts can take another surprise.
"I want to go home."
The Doctor spun, staring at his companion, wide-eyed.
"No! Not like that." Amy swallowed hard. "It'll.. it'll be easier to show you."
The two silently walked back into the Tardis and made the short journey to Amy's room, back in 2010.
Amy ignored the wedding dress on her wardrobe door and walked to her drawers. She grabbed the ring box and sat on her bed.
"Oh."
"Yeah.."
"Congrats! That's um.. Who's the lucky fellow?" The Doctor sat next to her. "The good looking one?"
Amy playfully shoved him. "You've met him. Rory?"
"Rory, right. Rory.. yes, he's good, too."
His companion fiddled with the box. "The night we left, I was running and it ended with me almost dying. But seeing you and River-"
"We're not-"
"-got me thinking of who-"
"She's not my-" The Doctor closed his mouth when Amy glared at him.
The moment gone, the redhead walks back to her drawers and places the box on the top. She turned to the Doctor, arms crossed. "Can Rory join us or not?"
The Doctor blinked then slowly nodded. "Of course he can. If that's what you want?"
"It is." Amy smiled, relieved. "Good. I didn't know if there was a rule or something."
"No, no. It'll be fine. More than fine, it'll be great!" He stands up, smiling back. "The more the merrier, I always say."
"Let's go pick him up now. Quick stop to his stag party, yeah?"
The Doctor agrees as his companion enters the Tardis.
A little beep the alarm clock made draws his attention. The little numbers read '6/26' like the results predicted.
Filing that info away, the Doctor joins Amy to pick up her fiance.