Katy's eyes darted around the dim tunnel she, the Doctor and Rory had rushed through, desperate to get Amy back before any harm could come to her. She felt relief wash over her when they found the trapdoor had been unlocked, meaning their plan was working. Until she realised that the human girl was nowhere to be seen. She wouldn't have left on her own violation, not when she knew they would be waiting for her. Katy watched on as the pair beside her struggled to push open the metal grate above their heads, both too short to reach it. After a few moments of squabbling, the Doctor ended up climbing onto Rory's shoulders and hauling himself up to grab onto the slimy metal grate. Once he had pulled himself out of the tunnels, he twisted around and held his hands out to help them.
"Katy, you next" The Doctor exclaimed, ushering her to jump up.
"Alright, just don't drop me, yeah?" Katy insisted, standing up on her tiptoes, straining to take hold of his hands.
"Never" The Doctor grinned, leaning down further to link their hands.
Giving a hard tug, he managed to pull her off the ground, allowing Katy to use her now dangling legs to climb up the slippery wall beside her. Once she was halfway, he let go of one of her hands to grab onto her waist, dragging her up over the trapdoor. Throwing her legs over the edge, she found herself pulled flush against the Doctor's chest, who still had one hand lingering on her waist.
"Huh. You're not as scrawny as you look" Katy murmured, as the Doctor quirked an eyebrow.
"You're welcome" The Doctor replied, in a flirtatious tone.
"Uh, I'm still stuck down here, you know?" Rory called up to them, as the Doctor stepped back a pace, dropping his hand from Katy's waist.
"I've got you" Katy replied, turning around and leaning over the edge to offer Rory her hand.
She managed to pull him up to the top of the metal grate with ease, only needing one hand to hold his entire body weight. Rory gaped as she dragged him onto the edge, twisting around to give the Doctor a smug look.
"Show off" He teased.
"Say's you" She mocked, ignoring the way Rory was looking her over, clearly trying to figure out how she could be so strong.
Katy then reminded herself why they were there in the first place. For Amy. Where the hell was she?
"I can't see a thing" Katy complained, squinting in the dim light.
"Just as well I brought this, then" Rory exclaimed, pulling out a tiny penlight no bigger than his palm.
In response, the Doctor pulled out an ultraviolet torch, that had a strange likeness to a lightsabre. Katy tilted her head as she stared at his tweed jacket, wondering how exactly the 'bigger on the inside' deal worked.
"Yours is bigger than mine" Rory mumbled, making Katy snort.
"Let's not go there" The Doctor stated, quickly.
"Hey, don't stop on my account. I bet you've got measuring tape hidden in there" Katy teased, watching as the Doctor's cheeks flushed red.
"Amy? Amy! Where is she?" Rory hissed, looking around the strange courtyard, which had half a dozen doorways.
"We'll find her, Rory. I promise. We just need to figure out which way..." The Doctor trailed off, racing around the courtyard.
"You okay?" Katy questioned, placing her hand on Rory's shoulder, noticing his despondent expression.
"...If we cancel now, we lose the deposit on the village hall. The salsa band—" Rory began, as Katy cut him off.
"You say that like it's a bad thing" Katy huffed.
"Everyone likes salsa!" Rory insisted, as Katy shook her head.
"No, Rory. Just no" She repeated, squeezing his shoulder.
Katy then turned her attention back to the Doctor who had wandered over to a chest, with something that looked disturbingly like a hand poking out of it. Katy's eyes widened when he flipped the lid to reveal a desiccated corpse inside, its fangs on display, mouth open in a scream.
"Gross" Katy mumbled, crouching down beside him to take a closer look.
"What happened to them?" Rory frowned.
"They've had all the moisture taken out of them. Every last drop" The Doctor explained, shining his light over the corpse.
"That's what vampires do, right? They drink your blood and replace it with their own" Rory theorised.
"Yeah, except these people haven't just had their blood taken, but all the water in their entire bodies" The Doctor pointed out.
"Humans are seventy per cent water. It would explain why they came here" Katy suggested, as the Doctor clicked his fingers.
"Good point. Brilliant, actually" He grinned at her.
"Why did they die? Why aren't they like the girls in the school?" Rory pushed.
"Maybe not everyone survives the process..." The Doctor trailed off, watching how Rory's face fell.
"Hey, Amy's only been here for a few hours, okay? Whatever they're doing to the girls, it won't have been long enough to complete...whatever the hell this is" Katy told him, trying her best to reassure her friend.
"We hope" The Doctor murmured, more to himself than anyone else.
"You know what's dangerous about you? It's not that you make people take risks, it's that you make them want to impress you. You make it so they don't want to let you down—" Rory said to the Doctor, when Katy cut him off, pushing herself to her feet.
"This isn't his fault" Katy insisted.
"Amy told me what happened on the Byzantium. How you tried to sacrifice yourself. You tried to do it again today by offering to take Amy's place. Was that who you were before you met him? Or is that what he's made you?" Rory accused, as Katy opened her mouth to argue, but the words died on her tongue.
Because he was right.
Ever since she had met the Doctor, she had gone back on everything she had been taught, everything she believed in. Her family would have stepped on humans as if they were nothing more than insects. They would have never sacrificed themselves for such an insignificant species. So, why did she feel so differently now? Was it really all just to impress the Doctor?
"You have no idea how dangerous you make people to themselves when you're around" Rory muttered, as guilt flashed over the Doctor's face.
His eyes snapped up to Katy's, memories washing over him, reminding him of how true Rory's words were. He couldn't lose anyone else. Not after last time—
"Who are you?" Multiple voices spoke up, causing the three to whip around, finding the creepy girls had appeared once again out of nowhere.
"We should run. Run!" The Doctor exclaimed, waving his UV torch around, ushering his companions to make a run for it.
They raced through the never-ending corridors, with the girls hot on their heels until they all but collided with who Katy assumed was Signora Calvierri. Katy backed up a step, only to see the group of women they had been running from had caught up. They were completely surrounded.
"Cab for Amy Pond?" The Doctor announced, shining his UV light up to stop them from advancing.
"This rescue plan. Not exactly watertight, is it?" Signora Calvierri mocked.
"We like to make it up as we go along" Katy muttered, as the Doctor took hold of her arm, pulling her behind him before she could argue.
Suddenly, a familiar face was rushing toward them, dressed in a flowing white gown, with two red marks on her neck. Katy noticed another girl was ushering them down a flight of stairs, who had a striking resemblance to Guido.
"Quickly, through here!" Isabella exclaimed, as Amy grabbed Rory's hand and pulled her fiancé along with them.
Katy and the Doctor stayed at the back of the group, doing their best to stop the creepy girls from advancing on them. From their sharp teeth, Katy figured they would likely be able to rip them all apart in mere minutes. She had never been so glad to feel the sunlight on her skin as Isabella opened one of the side doors, leading to the canal at the back of the grand building. Isabella ushered them all out, coming to a halt when the sunlight started to burn her skin. The smile on Guido's face at seeing his daughter again instantly dropped when he saw her stumble backwards.
"Isabella!" He called out, as the Doctor twisted around to see the girls grabbing Isabella's arms, and dragging her back inside.
Without a second thought, he was racing back, just as the heavy door was slammed shut. He bashed his fists against the metal on the door, hopelessly trying to find a way to get back in. Suddenly, the metal bars on the door began to spark, causing the Doctor's body to seize and spasm as electricity ran through him. Katy let out a scream, sprinting forward to catch him as his body flopped to the ground, his body still trembling.
"Doctor?" Katy cried, carefully lowering him to the ground.
His head lolled against her thigh, as she reached down to feel for his pulse, a sound akin to a sob leaving her lips when she felt rapid beats under her fingers. She moved her hand to his chest, comforted to feel the double beat of his hearts, and watched as his chest slowly rose and fell.
"Will he be alright?" Amy asked, in a panic.
"Yeah. Yeah, he's just unconscious" Katy mumbled, pulling him a little closer to her.
She then looked down to see Guido had slumped down against the wall, knowing in his heart there was no way to get his daughter back now. He had seen enough of the world to know what they would do to her. He was all alone.
"You should have let me do this alone. You should be resting" Katy insisted, as the Doctor tapped his fingers against Calvierri's throne.
"I'm fine" The Doctor retorted, despite the way his head still ached and the scorch marks that remained on his palms.
"She could have killed you, Doctor. God only knows what she's done to Isabella...we should have gone along with Guido's plan in the first place. Blown these bastards up" Katy muttered, as the Doctor gave her a look.
"That's not the way we do things. Everyone gets a chance" The Doctor told her.
"Isabella didn't" Katy said, coldly.
The Doctor was thankful when Calvierri stepped into the grand room a moment later, meaning he didn't have to find a way to argue Katy's point. Because deep down...he knew that maybe she was right.
"Long way from Saturnyne, aren't you, Sister of the Water?" The Doctor announced, as Calvierri's footsteps faltered, taken aback by his knowledge.
From what Amy had been able to tell them about their almost fish-like appearance, the Doctor had been able to narrow down their species. There weren't that many who would be smart enough to so perfectly infiltrate Venice.
"No, let me guess. The owner of the psychic paper. Then I take it you're a refugee, like me?" Calvierri suggested as the Doctor gave a slight shrug.
"I'll make you a deal. An answer for an answer. You're using a perception filter. It doesn't change your features but manipulates the brainwaves of the person looking at you. But seeing one of you for the first time in, say, a mirror, the brain doesn't know what to fill the gap with, so leaves it blank, hence no reflection. So, why can we see your big teeth?" The Doctor questioned, as Calvierri laughed sharply.
Self-preservation overrides the mirage. The subconscious perceives the threat and tries to alert the conscious brain" Calvierri explained.
"Where's Isabella?" Katy spoke up, but her words were almost instantly dismissed by the older woman.
"My turn. Where are you from?" Calvierri asked, curiously.
"Gallifrey" The Doctor replied, as Calvierri's smile faltered for just a second, realising the danger she was in.
"You should be in a museum. Or in a mausoleum. But your little friend here...she's no Time Lord. I can see it. You're like us. A predator. Where are you from?" Calvierri mumbled, tilting her head to one side.
"Krillia" Katy answered, watching as Calvierri's eyes widened further.
"Now, this is something else. A Time Lord and a Krillitane standing side by side? How...wrong" Calvierri grimaced, her nose upturned.
"Why are you here?" The Doctor pushed.
" We ran from the Silence. There were...cracks. Some were tiny. Some were as big as the sky. Through some we saw worlds and people, and through others we saw Silence and the end of all things. We fled to an ocean like ours, and the crack snapped shut behind us. Saturnyne was lost" Calvierri informed them, in a haunted tone.
"So, Earth is to become Saturnyne Mark Two?" The Doctor guessed.
"And you can help me. We can build a new society here, as others have. What do you say?" She exclaimed, excited at the prospect.
"Where's Isabella?" Katy interjected.
"Isabella?" Calvierri frowned, as the Doctor pushed himself to his feet, coming to loom over her.
"The girl who saved my friend" The Doctor clarified.
"Oh, deserters must be executed. Your friend here would know all about that" Calvierri pointed out, as Katy grit her teeth.
She had faint memories of what her people would do to 'traitors'. It was seen as a good thing. Something to relish in. Now, it just made her feel sick.
"I need an answer, Doctor. A partnership. Any which way you choose" Calvierri smirked, in a flirtatious tone.
"Yeah, that's not gonna' happen" Katy muttered, all but pushing herself in between the pair.
With a huff, Calvierri turned away from the pair, her mood soured by their rejection. She waved over one of her servants, wanting them out of her sight.
"Carlo? You're right. We're nothing alike. I will bend the heavens to save my race, while you philosophise" Calvierri spat out, in a mocking tone, as Carlo approached the pair.
"This ends today. I will tear down the House of Calvierri, stone by stone" The Doctor warned, as Carlo reached out to grab his jacket.
"Take your hands off me, Carlo" The Doctor exclaimed, in a low tone, as he roughly pushed away Carlo's hands.
He hadn't raised his voice. He hadn't struck the man. But the way the Doctor looked at Calvierri's henchmen was enough to have the other man freezing on the spot. There was a coldness to the Doctor's eyes that Katy had never noticed before. Something dark that he liked to lock away most of the time. Maybe that's why he understood her. Maybe they were more similar than Katy had realised.
"And you know why? You didn't know Isabella's name. You didn't know Isabella's name" The Doctor muttered, as he stormed out of the throne room.
"I'd run if I was you, Signora Calvierri" Katy announced, before going to join the Doctor, leaving their newfound enemy pondering over her choices.
Katy leant against the wall in Guido's kitchen, glancing over at the Doctor who was taking a reading from Amy's neck, stating that there would be no lasting damage. He popped a sweet in her mouth, before beginning to pace around the room, trying to figure out their next move. Katy's eyes then flickered over to Guido who was hovering over the fire, his hands balled into fists at his sides. She had seen that look before.
"You want her dead?" Katy murmured, walking over to the man.
"She killed my daughter. I will stop at nothing until she feels a loss like mine" He told her.
"I know you don't want to hear this, but you can go on. Your life...it doesn't have to end now" Katy insisted.
"You're right. But why would I want to without my daughter?" Guido pointed out, as Katy's eyes softened.
"Because she would want you to live on" Katy replied.
"It's the school thing I don't understand" They heard Rory speak up, as Katy turned around to see the Doctor placing his hands over both Amy and Rory's mouths.
"Stop talking. Brain thinking. Hush" The Doctor stated.
"Her planet dies, so they flee through a crack in space and time and end up here. Then she closes off the city and, one by one starts changing the people into creatures like her to start a new gene pool. Got it. But then what? They come from the sea. They can't survive forever on land, so what's she going to do? Unless she's going to do something to the environment to make the city habitable. She said, I shall bend the heavens to save my race. Bend the heavens..." The Doctor trailed off, his brow furrowing as he tried to decipher what she meant.
"That's why she came here...think about it. All the flooding, dozens of times a year" Katy added, the realisation hitting her.
"She's going to sink Venice!" The Doctor and Katy announced at the same time.
"And repopulate it with the girls she's transformed" The Doctor gaped.
"You can't repopulate somewhere with just women. You need blokes" Rory suggested.
"She's got blokes. In the canal. She said to me there are ten thousand husbands waiting in the water" Amy remembered, clicking her fingers.
"Only the male offspring survived the journey here. She's got ten thousand children swimming around the canals, waiting for Mum to make them some compatible girlfriends. Ugh. I mean, I've been around a bit, but really that's, that's eugh" The Doctor shivered, disgusted by the idea.
A loud thump from upstairs had them all looking up, followed by the sound of wood creaking as if someone was tearing the ceiling apart. The clattering continued for a few more moments, as a thought popped into the Doctor's head.
"The people upstairs are very noisy" The Doctor mumbled.
"There aren't any people upstairs" Guido retorted, as a grin formed on the Doctor's lips.
"Do you know, I knew you were going to say that. Did anyone else know he was going to say that?" The Doctor said, smugly.
"Only anyone who's ever watched a horror movie. C'mon, get up. Go, go, go!" Katy insisted, ushering them all out of their seats.
Suddenly, the window in the kitchen was being smashed open, revealing the four of the creepy girls snarling at them. Katy looked behind them to see the rest of the girls walking down the stairs from the floor above, their hands raised out, ready to attack. The Doctor grabbed his UV light, spinning around to try to stop the women from advancing.
"Aren't we on the second floor?" Rory gaped, as the Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver, shining it on the girls.
"What's happened to them?" Guido asked, as they watched the girls transform in front of their eyes.
They were covered in scales and spikes protruding from their back, horrible sharp teeth snapping together. Wide, fish-like eyes blinked in unison, as their spindly arms clawed at the windows, trying to force themselves in. They looked like a nightmare.
"There's nothing human left in them" Katy stated.
"Okay, move. Go, go. Run!" The Doctor insisted, ushering them all out of the room and down the stairs.
"Give me the lamp!" Guido exclaimed, staying at the back of the group, as the Doctor handed him their only defence without a thought.
Amy and Rory were the first ones to make it out of the building, running out of the courtyard without looking back. The Doctor followed close behind them, as Katy came to a stop in the doorway, glancing back at Guido. She knew what he was planning. It looked like she was about to break the Doctor's martyr rule once again.
"What are you doing? Katy!" The Doctor cried, as she slammed the door shut, with her and Guido still inside.
"Stay away from the door!" Katy advised, as the Doctor banged his fists on the wood.
"Don't! Don't do this again!" The Doctor shouted, taking out his sonic screwdriver, and trying to unlock the door, but it was no good.
"Don't worry, I'll be back. Always am, right?" Katy called back, as she pushed her way through over to Guido.
"What are you thinking? You should have left with them!" Guido gaped, as she shook her head.
"I might not have been able to save your daughter, but there's not a chance in hell I'm letting you die too. Now, come on!" Katy insisted, grabbing his arm and dragging him up the stairs.
Once they made it back into the kitchen, Guido picked up a candlestick and headed toward the barrels of gunpowder, as the converted women followed him. Pulling out her pocketknife, Katy reached out to slice the candle in half so only a small amount of wax remained. She then placed it on top of one of the barrels and pulled Guido toward the back window, smashing the glass with her elbow.
"It's a far jump" Guido gulped, peeking out of the window, seeing there was only a cart of vegetables beneath them.
"Hey, you're the one who wanted to risk your life. You ready to live a little?" Katy replied, holding out her hand for the older man to take.
Guido glanced back at the girls who could be not much older than his daughter, and then to the candle that had almost burnt away entirely. Even if he did die, at least he could take away from Calvierri what she had taken from him.
"I am" He announced, as they joined hands and stepped up onto the windowsill.
"Jump!" Katy cried, as she felt the girls reaching out to grab them.
Closing her eyes, she jumped off the building, and began to freefall, as Guido held onto her hand tightly. They continued hurtling toward the ground for what felt like hours, but in reality it could only be seconds. The impact came, and suddenly everything went black all around her. She felt someone shaking her shoulders, as pain ripped through her body, hearing her name being called. She opened her eyes to find Guido staring down at her, a line of blood running down from his forehead.
But he was alive.
"Ouch" Katy huffed, trying to pull herself up, feeling pain radiating down from her shoulder.
She glanced up to find smoke billowing above them, her clothes and hair already stained with the ash that drifted down. None of the creatures could have survived the explosion. Hell, she was surprised she and Gudio had survived the fall.
"Thank God for potatoes, huh?" Katy grinned, looking beneath her to see what the cart was filled with that had cushioned their fall.
"I think we better show your friends we're alive" Guido suggested.
Minutes later, she and Guido were staggering into the courtyard, bruised and cut but their worst injury appeared to be Katy's shoulder, which she assumed was dislocated and a sprained ankle from Guido. She had offered for him to sling his arm over her shoulder, allowing him to continue limping toward his newfound friends. Katy stopped when she saw the Doctor on his knees, staring off into the distance, a heartbroken expression on his face.
"Don't look so glum, I'm sure Guido has insurance" Katy joked, as the Doctor's head snapped up at the sound of her voice.
He was stumbling to his feet a moment later, as Katy noticed how his eyes were red-rimmed, his mouth gone slack. Before the Doctor had a chance to say anything, Rory was racing forward, and pulling Katy into a bone-crushing hug. His fiancé was following suit a moment later, as the three hugged tightly, despite the pain that felt radiating through her shoulder.
"We thought you were dead!" Rory muttered, from where he had one arm wrapped around Katy and the other around Amy.
"Just trying to keep you on your toes" Katy shrugged, as they pulled away from the embrace.
"I think you're gonna' be in some deep sh..." Amy trailed off, spotting the Doctor walking toward them out of the corner of his eye.
He was looking her over for injuries, noting how her shoulder was slumped down, and spotting a deep cut on her cheek. Katy looked away from his intense gaze, feeling guilty for what she had put him through once again.
"I had to save him" Katy told him.
"Yeah. Yeah, you always do" The Doctor muttered, in an angry tone.
"Calvierri will be going forward with her plan. We need to stop her—" Katy started, as the Doctor cut her off sharply.
"No. You're going back to the TARDIS" The Doctor exclaimed.
"You can't stop her on your own" Katy retorted, as the Doctor took a step forward, catching her eyes.
"We don't discuss this! I tell you to do something, Katy, and you do it!" The Doctor insisted, in a harsh tone.
Katy's face crumpled in response, hating how much it hurt to have forced such a reaction from him. She had rarely seen him so angry. She wanted to argue, to insist that she could still help, but she knew he wouldn't hear it. He wasn't above carrying her back to the TARDIS kicking and screaming and they both knew it. Guido was reaching out to take her hand then, giving a slight tug to start guiding her away, feeling he was at blame to some degree.
"Are we really going back to this...TARDIS?" Guido asked, in a hushed voice.
"No. We're going to stop Calvierri from getting away" Katy answered.
The pair had managed to sneak back into the Calvierri school in the chaos that soon erupted, as the clouds above them rained down on them, quickly beginning to flood the city. She knew the Doctor would find a way to save them. He always did. And he wouldn't appreciate her getting in his way. Instead, they managed to track Calvierri down to the canal at the back of the school, finding her walking down toward a plank over the water.
"Not so fast!" Katy called out, as the older woman came to a halt.
"Where do I have to go, Krillitane? I'm stuck in this form thanks to your friend" Calvierri admitted, as she removed her leather gloves.
"Do you expect us to feel sorry for you?" Guido shouted, angrily.
"One city to save an entire species. Was that so much to ask?" Calvierri exclaimed, as she began to undo the ties of her extravagant gown, as it dropped to the ground, leaving her in a simple white slip.
"We could have helped you. Found an unhabituated planet, somewhere you all could have lived. But you chose this" Katy retorted, as Calvierri whipped around to face her.
"A predator cannot live without its prey. Wherever you sent us, we would have died out eventually" Calvierri pointed out.
"Everything has its time" Katy muttered, as Guido took a step forward.
"You took my daughter from me. My world" Guido accused, through gritted teeth.
"And you returned the favour. So, go ahead. Finish me off" Calvierri announced, holding out her arms.
Guido came to a sudden halt, his face contorting in pain, too many conflicting thoughts rushing through his head. Calvierri watched with a frown as a tear rolled down the older man's cheek, and his shoulders slumped.
"I...I cannot. Help me?" Guido asked, turning around to look at Katy.
"I do not have the strength to kill her. But perhaps you do" Guido suggested, as Katy's eyes widened when she realised what he was asking.
"Can your conscience carry the weight of another dead race?" Calvierri questioned, as Katy's gaze turned cold.
Taking out her pocketknife, she extended the blade and began to walk toward Calvierri, every step feeling heavier than the last. The woman did little to resist as Katy took hold of her hair, wrenching her head back, and placing her blade to Calvierri's neck. She thought of Isabella and the pain she had seen Guido already forced to go through. She thought of all the other people she knew Calvierri had killed. Would kill. She deserved to die. But...
"No. Whatever you think I am, that's not me. Not anymore. I'll kill...but only when I need to. And you...the last of your kind...hopeless, alone...what threat are you anymore?" Katy spat out, throwing the woman to the ground and taking a step back.
She turned around, ready to try to explain herself to Guido when she spotted someone standing right behind him. A small smile spread over the Doctor's lips, as he gave her a proud nod, before placing his hand on Guido's shoulder.
"Remember us" Calvierri mumbled, in a hushed tone before Katy heard a splash.
"No! No!" The Doctor screamed, racing forward as Katy twisted around to see the canal bubbling, a horrific screeching sound echoing from the depths.
She had jumped.
Rather than carry on without her family, she had ended her own life. Katy and Guido took a step forward, coming to stand beside the Doctor at the water's edge, realising that they understood the impulse better than anyone. They were alone too without their family.
"So, what now?" Katy asked, as she and Guido walked through the all-but-destroyed market toward the TARDIS.
"I know things now that few will ever know. People from other worlds exist. And I think this may not be the last that visit us. I will look for them. Stop those that mean us harm. Isabella would have liked that" Guido suggested, as Katy's lips twitched into a smile.
"I think she'd be really proud of you, Guido" Katy stated.
"As is your Doctor proud of you" Guido replied, as Katy gave a slight shrug.
"I'll see you around, my friend" Katy exclaimed, patting the man on the shoulder.
"Signora? I just wanted to say that...no matter where you are, if you are ever in need...you only have to ask and I will be there. I owe you my life" Guido offered, as Katy nodded.
"Careful. I might just keep you to that" Katy grinned, before walking off toward the TARDIS.
Her shoulder was still killing her, and she was pretty sure half her body was covered in bruises, but somehow she found herself feeling lighter than she had before. She was changing. And she thought that was a good thing.
"Now then, what about you two, eh? Next stop Leadworth Registry Office. Maybe I can give you away" The Doctor announced, as he came to a stop in front of the TARDIS.
"Now, that's something I'd love to see" Katy giggled, approaching her friends.
"It's fine. Drop me back where you found me. I'll just say you've..." Rory trailed off, with a sigh.
"Stay. With us. Please. Just for a bit. I want you to stay" Amy pleaded, as Rory turned to the Doctor, looking for his permission.
"Fine with me" The Doctor replied.
"And I'd love it" Katy smiled, causing Amy's grin to widen.
"Nice one. I will pop the kettle on. Hey, look at this, Katy? We've got our spaceship, got our boys. Our work here is done" Amy teased, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the TARDIS.
"Er, we are not their boys" Rory huffed, as the Doctor patted him on the shoulder.
"Yeah, we are" The Doctor stated, as Rory gave a curt nod.
"Yeah, we are" Rory agreed, as the pair entered the time machine.
"Just be gentle, okay?" Katy begged, as the Doctor placed both his hands on her shoulder.
"Alright, on three. One..." The Doctor trailed off, suddenly wrenching his hands back, snapping her shoulder back into the right position.
"Son of a bitch. You bloody enjoyed that!" Katy complained, rubbing her aching shoulder.
"Maybe you'll think before trying to sacrifice yourself again next time" The Doctor scolded, tapping her nose.
"You're still angry about that, huh?" Katy murmured.
"Of course, I am. It was stupid, dangerous, and...you saved someone's life. So, I suppose I'll let you off. Just this once" The Doctor exclaimed, pointing his finger at her, as she held her hands up in mock defence.
"How're you feeling anyway? You did get electrocuted today, remember?" Katy insisted, reaching out to take one of his hands in hers, seeing his fingertips were still blackened.
"Ah, it'll heal" The Doctor shrugged, as Katy linked their hands together.
Whatever he was planning to say was lost as he looked down at their intertwined hands, a few stuttering words leaving his mouth before his brain began to work once more.
"Lessons! Yes, lessons. That's what you need. River said you taught her how to fly the TARDIS, well there's no time like the present" The Doctor announced, beginning to jump around the console, excitedly.
"Seriously? You're gonna' let me take your ride for a spin?" Katy gaped.
"What do you say, girl? Think she can handle it?" The Doctor grinned, stroking the edge of the console, as the TARDIS gave an unsure hum.
Katy raced around the console, turning one of the dials to six, as the machine lurched to the left. Reaching up, she pulled up one of the red buttons, feeling the TARDIS stabilise somewhat, as they continued whizzing through the vortex. It all seemed to be going well until Katy was almost thrown off her feet, as sparks flew above her head.
"Uh, that wasn't me?" Katy mumbled, turning to look at the Doctor for help.
"Time Winds. Use the throttle" The Doctor advised, as Katy sprinted to the other end of the console and pushed the throttle up halfway.
She could feel how the TARDIS spun faster through the vortex, worried she hadn't set the throttle high enough when the machine let out a calm hum. The light at the centre of the console shone a little brighter and then they stabilised in flight once more, as Katy let out a sigh of relief.
"I did it. I...actually flew a TARDIS" Katy gaped, hardly able to believe it herself.
"Not bad. For a beginner" The Doctor sniffed, as she nudged him with her elbow.
"I was great! In fact, I'm gonna' get Amy and Rory. And you can show me how to park her!" Katy called back, as she started rushing down the stairs, hearing the Doctor laughing behind her.
Suddenly, her footsteps faltered just as she exited the console room, feeling her vision blurring. She dropped to her knees with a groan, looking up to find her surroundings had changed. Rubbing at her eyes she realised she had jumped, recognising the interior around her as the previous Doctor's.
"Guess I'll have to wait until next time" Katy sighed, pushing herself to her feet, still feeling dizzy.
She almost tripped over again as she walked into the console room, feeling how the TARDIS was spinning all over the place. She frowned as she saw the Doctor's back was to her, seemingly not noticing the way he was flying the machine.
"Why haven't you got the stabilisers on?" Katy questioned, walking over to the TARDIS and flipping the switches, earning a soft hum from the TARDIS.
"Doctor?" She called out, as he finally turned around to face her.
Her frown deepened as she noticed the tears rolling down his cheeks, his hair dishevelled, and flat. What shocked her more was the anger in his eyes when he looked at her. It was more than the look his future self had shown her. This was more like...hate.
"I told you to leave" The Doctor muttered, coldly.
"What are you talking about?" Katy questioned, as he stormed over to her.
"I don't want you here, how do you not understand that?" The Doctor spat out, as she stumbled back a step.
"D-doctor, whatever I've done...we can...I can make it right..." Katy stuttered over her words, feeling like a child being scolded for the first time.
The Doctor's brow furrowed as the realisation slowly hit him. The Katy in front of him wasn't the one he had been shouting at minutes ago. She wasn't the one he blamed.
"I'll drop you off back on Earth. 2007?" The Doctor suggested, walking over to the console.
"You can't just...if we're too far apart, I'll just end up being thrown through time again—" Katy started, when the Doctor cut her off.
"I want to be alone. I'm better alone. I should have some time before you stumble into this timestream again" The Doctor explained, flipping one of the levers.
"No" Katy announced, as he raised an eyebrow.
"No?" He repeated, as she marched forward and flipped the lever back.
"Look, whatever some future version of me has done, that's not me. Not yet at least. So, you don't get to treat me this way. I don't even know what I've fucking done!" Katy exclaimed, as the Doctor's eyes softened somewhat.
"Rose" He mumbled the name, as if it hurt him to even speak it.
"Did you know what would happen? About Torchwood?" The Doctor questioned, watching her reaction closely.
"What the hell is Torchwood?" Katy replied, seeming to cause the Doctor some relief.
"What do you know?" The Doctor inquired.
"That she disappears at some point. You lose her. You've never told me anything else. I swear" Katy insisted, as the Doctor gave a curt nod.
"Doctor, is this when she..." Katy trailed off, spotting something impossible behind the Doctor.
"What the fuck?" Katy cried, as a woman in a wedding gown twisted around to face them, looking as stunned as they felt.
"Who are you?" The ginger woman asked, as the Doctor's face contorted in disbelief.
"What?" The Doctor gaped.
"Where am I?" The woman questioned, insistently.
"What?" The Doctor repeated, his mind having come to a complete halt.
"What the hell is this place?" The bride pushed, growing angrier by the second.
"What?!" Katy and the Doctor exclaimed.