"What's wrong? You're all...frowny" The Doctor exclaimed, as Katy blinked a few times, coming back to reality.
She then realised she had been gawking up at the Doctor for the last few moments, his arms still wrapped tightly around her waist. Katy staggered back a pace, closing her mouth which had been hanging open slightly, as her mind tried to catch up with the rest of her body. One moment she had been running for her life in the Elizabethan era and the next she had collapsed into the arms of the Doctor's next regeneration. She had gone so long without jumping through his timeline, that it felt strange this time.
"I just...I haven't seen you for a while. I mean...this regeneration...older you..." Katy stuttered over her words, gesturing to him.
"Oi, less of the old, thanks!" The Doctor complained, as she let out an unladylike snort.
"No Amy or Rory?" Katy questioned, noticing how quiet the TARDIS was.
"No. They're off being newlyweds. Kissing and...stuff" The Doctor muttered, with a look of disgust.
Katy couldn't help but laugh at his expression, but her face quickly contorted into pain as her palm ached again. She glanced down at her limb as if its mere existence offended her, finding the laceration on her palm had begun pulsing with black ooze. The Doctor was grabbing her hand in the blink of an eye, taking a closer look at the wound before he put two and two together.
"You've integrated recently" The Doctor frowned.
"Yeah, and it's not exactly going well. Can you do anything? Cause' my Plan B of just cutting the damn hand off is looking pretty good right now" Katy huffed, as the Doctor's eyes softened.
"Your DNA is mutating just as it should be. The integration isn't going wrong" The Doctor told her, watching as her forehead wrinkled.
"Why does it hurt then?" She pushed, as the Doctor reached up to tug his bowtie off.
"You're rejecting it. You're trying to fight against your genetics" The Doctor explained.
Katy mulled over his words, watching as he brought her palm up to his eye level, beginning to wrap his bowtie around her hand. It fit well, managing to stem the bleeding, as he tied it tightly around her palm. She knew he had dozens of bowties, maybe even hundreds but the gesture felt...tender? Sweet, even. She wondered where she had landed in the Doctor's timeline.
"But I don't want it. How can I accept becoming something like a Shade?" Katy pointed out.
"Krillitanes were the scourge of the universe not so long ago. And look at you now. All the good you've done. You don't change. You adapt. You just need to trust yourself" The Doctor went on, as Katy pursed her lips.
"Easier said than done" Katy murmured, quietly.
"I might have something to help. Let's see...where did I put it..." The Doctor trailed off, rushing down the stairs and going behind one of the walls.
Katy raised an eyebrow as different items were thrown across the room, ranging from clothes to alien devices, and even an axe. She peeked behind the corner to see the Doctor crouched beside a chest of drawers, making an 'ah' sound when he finally found what he was looking for. He then whipped around to face her, a syringe in his hand, gesturing for her to lift her shirt sleeve.
"What's that?" Katy inquired.
"Stabilising agent. That or apple sauce. Both good things, mind you" The Doctor replied, as she gave him a look.
"Where exactly did you train to be a doctor?" Katy exclaimed, making the Doctor grin, before he injected the serum into her arm, causing her to wince.
"How do you feel?" The Doctor asked, curiously.
"Well, I'm still alive so that must be a good sign" Katy teased.
She glanced toward the console when the TARDIS made a sudden humming noise, almost sounding panicked by something. The Doctor also seemed to notice as he pulled his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket, his brow furrowing.
"What do you mean? Today?" The Doctor inquired, blinding her with the light from the screwdriver.
"What's today?" Katy retorted, as the Doctor checked the results from the scan.
"She's right. It's your birthday!" The Doctor beamed, before he started rummaging around once more in his pocket, deeper than before.
Katy opened her mouth to reply when the Doctor finally found what he was looking for, holding up a party popper. She had to laugh at his ridiculous behaviour as he pulled the party popper and an array of glitter and tinsel exploded above their heads. Katy thought back to how worried she had been that the Doctor would forget her birthday, or that he wouldn't even care...it looked like she had been wrong. And for once she was glad to be wrong. Really glad.
"So, which birthday is it? A good one I hope?" The Doctor exclaimed, rubbing his hands together.
"Twenty-five" Katy shrugged, as the smile instantly died on his face.
"...Today is your twenty-fifth birthday?" The Doctor mumbled, with a stricken expression.
She liked to think she knew the Doctor well by now. He was good at hiding his true emotions, masking how he really felt, only showing micro expressions half the time that she spent far too long trying to decipher. But he wasn't hiding anything this time. It was as if he couldn't hide the hurt.
"What's wrong?" Katy frowned, confused by his reaction.
The Doctor still wouldn't reply, but instead turned away from her, his arms held up, guarding his chest as if they could shield him from the pain that was gripping his hearts in a vice-like grip. The time rotor on the console lit up for a moment, emitting a comforting light on his face, as the Doctor ran a hand over his tired face.
"Doctor?" Katy insisted, reaching out to touch his arm, so lightly he barely felt it.
"Big day..." The Doctor trailed off, before rushing forward to pull a lever on the console, sending them through the time vortex.
"Right. Birthday celebrations. We'll need to pick up Amy, Rory...maybe even River, yeah? I'll send them invitations. I should have some envelopes around here somewhere" The Doctor went on.
"It's really not a big deal, Doc. Birthdays happen literally every year. Stop stressing" Katy insisted, placing her hands on his shoulder, feeling how tense he was under her hands.
"Why don't we go somewhere first? You and me? Just us? If you wanted—" The Doctor began, as Katy cut him off.
"Okay" She answered, taking him by surprise.
"Okay? Good. Great! Where to? Your choice. Time and space. All of it. Anywhere you want to go" The Doctor grinned, racing back over to the console, and grabbing the monitor.
Katy's mind went completely blank. She had always been more than happy just being a passenger. She knew of so many planets and people...but choosing just one? How did the Doctor do it? She bit her lip, trying to think of a planet that had caught her attention at one point and suddenly she found there was only one option. Somewhere she was scared to go.
"Raviri" She announced, as the Doctor gave a slow nod, seeming happy enough with her decision, beginning to press an array of buttons on the console.
"Raviri, it is. Let's see...April, 2450? Hot out. Forty degrees. Might want to change" The Doctor advised, gesturing to the long sleeve shirt she wore, as he parked them at their destination.
"You too. You need a new bowtie" Katy pointed out, reaching out to straighten the collar of his shirt, causing a small smile to spread over the Doctor's lips.
"I'll do one better than that. New suit" He informed her, before tapping her on the nose.
"I thought you were surgically attached to the tweed" Katy teased, gesturing to his tweed jacket, watching as he rolled his eyes, fondly.
He was then sprinting down the stairs, hopping over the last few steps as he held onto the railings. She hadn't seen him so excited in a while. It was a stark contrast to the panicked expression he wore only minutes before. He disappeared from the console room, but she could still hear him opening doors further down the corridor, clearly looking for a certain room in particular.
"Is it just me or is he acting a little weird?" Katy whispered to the TARDIS, which gave her a whirring sound in response.
"Wait, was that a yes, it's just me or yes he is acting weird?" Katy frowned, but she was met with nothing but silence.
"Fine, fine. I get it. Bro's before hoes, right?" Katy snorted, as the TARDIS gave a disapproving noise.
She could hear the Doctor's footsteps approaching a moment later and twisted around to find he had already changed into a new outfit. He was wearing a white dress shirt and matching suit jacket, a black bowtie around his neck, and appeared to have added some gel to his hair. He gave her an almost nervous look as he pushed a few flyaway strands of his black hair behind his ear, before raising an eyebrow.
"Here it is. My birthday suit!" The Doctor exclaimed, holding his arms out.
Katy collapsed into a fit of laughter instantly, his innocent expression only amusing her further as she clutched at her stomach. The Doctor's forehead wrinkled as he glanced behind himself, wondering what was so funny, but her soft laughter was enough to bring a grin to his own lips. How could someone so old be so oblivious?
"You laughed the last time I said that too" The Doctor stated, as Katy bit her lip, trying to muffle the giggles that kept coming.
"What can I say? You're a funny guy" Katy smirked, strolling forward and patting him on the shoulder as she went to walk past.
"Seeing as you put in the effort, I best change. Don't want to show you up, do I?" Katy called back, as the Doctor huffed out a laugh, leaning back against the TARDIS console.
"I'm sure you wouldn't dream of it!" He grinned.
"So, it's gonna' be hot, right? Summer dress weather?" Katy inquired, stopping by the doors to the console room.
She had spotted a gorgeous red dress hidden away in the back of her wardrobe months ago and had been secretly dying to wear it ever since. She just hadn't had the occasion. A dress wasn't exactly the best attire when running for your life, Katy mused. Her comment seemed to have piqued the Doctor's attention, as he stood upright, nodding quickly.
"Yes! Definitely summer dress weather!" The Doctor answered a little too quickly, his cheeks turning a hint of red.
"Okay, I'm just gonna' go change before you send yourself into another tailspin" Katy mocked, with a fond shake of her head, marching off down the corridor.
"Yes, dear" The Doctor mumbled quietly, reaching up to touch an object hanging down from his neck, covered up by his dress shirt.
The grin on his face started to falter, as he plotted the coordinates to Raviri, knowing he needed to pull himself together. He had to pull out all the stops for Katy's birthday. It had to be perfect. He needed it to be.
"A few hours, tops. Just one more adventure" The Doctor mumbled, as the time rotor lit up again, clearly not believing him.
"I'm not avoiding it. No, this isn't like last time. I just...I want more time. Just a little more time with her. That's not wrong, is it?" The Doctor sighed, as the TARDIS stayed notably quiet.
"Am I staring? I feel like I'm staring" Katy whispered, as she walked down the boardwalk beside the beach.
They had been travelling through Raviri's capital city for the last hour, and Katy still found herself stunned by what she was seeing. The Ravirians were a younger race, only having begun a thousand or so years prior, much to everyone's amazement. They were still the talk of many solar systems.
"People made of living diamonds. I'd be surprised if you didn't stare" The Doctor pointed out.
The Ravirians were made up of hundreds of diamonds, even their vascular system somehow was constructed with gemstones. They shone in the bright sun, their skin smooth and translucent, and almost indestructible. She had heard they were a peaceful people, seeing as they had little to fear from other species. Or so they thought, Katy thought to herself.
"I'm surprised there's so many off-worlders here" Katy commented, noticing half the people she had seen weren't Ravirians.
"Popular holiday destination. It's become a bit of a tourist trap these days" The Doctor answered.
"Is that a dog?" Katy gaped, patting his arm when she noticed a smaller diamond creature racing toward them.
It had a leash attached to its neck, a slightly darker colour than the Ravirian people, with its diamond tongue hanging out of its mouth. Katy crouched down to greet the dog, who let out an excited bark and jumped up to place its front paws against her knees.
"Can I pet him?" Katy asked the owner.
"Of course, honey. He doesn't bite" The female Ravirian replied, in a slightly mechanical tone.
The dog's diamond skin was cold to the touch, and as she petted the animal's head, she could feel the slight imperfections and dips underneath her fingertips. The dog's tail wagged frantically, making a high-pitched sound everytime it touched the ground beneath them.
"Don't let him lick you though. That certainly would hurt" The owner advised, as Katy patted the dog's head once more before standing up.
"Thank you" Katy grinned, as the owner gave her a sparkling smile before walking away.
"I just touched a diamond dog" Katy murmured, in disbelief as the Doctor grabbed her hand.
"C'mon, there's a fairground on the beach. Great views. Just don't eat the food" The Doctor exclaimed, pulling her toward the fair.
"Why?" Katy frowned.
"You'll see" The Doctor winced, looking up at the bright lights that shone from the fairground.
"It's very earth-like, isn't it?" Katy mused, as they walked down some stone steps toward the beach.
"Ah, a new race like this, they're trying to adopt the best parts of other cultures. Hence, the dogs" The Doctor explained, as Katy mulled it over.
"Are you saying the best part of the human race is their pets?" Katy sniggered, as he spotted a few signs ahead.
"Ferris wheel! Oh, let's do that!" The Doctor insisted, dragging her forward, an excited grin on his face.
They slowed as they noticed the arrow for the Ferris wheel was directly in front of them, but the ride itself was nowhere to be seen. The Doctor flashed his psychic paper toward the fairground employee who ushered them forward, as Katy's eyes darted around, figuring she was missing something. The pair noticed two footprints painted on the ground in front of them and placed their feet into the positions.
"So, what happens—" Katy was cut off, as something hit her legs from behind and she fell backwards.
She was expecting to drop to the hard ground beneath her, but instead, something stopped her fall. Her mouth went slack as she realised an invisible seat had knocked her and the Doctor off their feet, as their legs hung off the edge, dangling in the air. She turned to the Doctor, only then noticing that his arm was wrapped around her waist, keeping her steady as they ascended higher in the air. She glanced up to see at least a dozen people were above them, seemingly hovering in the air. The Ferris wheel went far higher than one would on Earth, almost giving the impression that they were flying.
"Not bad, eh?" The Doctor announced, smugly.
"You knew it wasn't going to do that, didn't you?" Katy huffed.
"Maybe" He shrugged, with a slight grin.
"Show off" Katy teased, feeling how the Doctor's arm relaxed against her.
He pulled back a little, resting his hand on her hip, just a light pressure to show it was still there. Katy looked out at the sea, which glistened in the strong sunlight, noticing a group of Ravirians playing in the shallows. It was picture-perfect. Everyone seemed so happy on the planet.
"So, why Raviri?" The Doctor asked.
"What girl doesn't like diamonds?" Katy shrugged, as the Doctor raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing her.
She had hoped he wouldn't question her slightly out-of-character choice. As beautiful as the planet was, it was undeniably a tourist trap, something that wasn't really either of the pair's style. But she had needed to see Raviri for herself.
"...My parents talked about Raviri. I overheard them discussing it not long before...I think it was going to be the family's next conquest. They wanted to come here and destroy these people" Katy confessed, leaving the Doctor speechless for once.
"Everyone knows Ravirian's are almost impossible to kill. They're a Krillitane's perfect target" Katy continued, barely able to hide her disgust.
"And you wanted to come here to make sure they never went through with their conquest" The Doctor realised, as Katy gave him a nervous look.
"Or...if they had come here...at least I'd know someone survived. Kind of screwed up, huh?" Katy admitted, as the Doctor's hand on her hip pulled her a little closer.
"I'm sorry" The Doctor replied, knowing there was nothing else he could say.
"No, it's good. I'm glad. It just reminds me...maybe I'm not better off without my family but the truth is...everyone else is" Katy stated.
"Don't do that. Pretend like your life doesn't matter" The Doctor sighed, as Katy gave a half shrug.
"You are important. To...lots of people. Amy, Rory...me..." The Doctor trailed off, not noticing how Katy's lips had twitched into a smile.
"Yeah?" She questioned, as the Doctor turned to face her, words he couldn't admit to yet threatening to spill from his lips.
Suddenly, the pair were thrown forward as the Ferris wheel jerked to a halt, a horrible grinding sound coming from below. Katy frowned as she noticed the seat that had been invisible beneath them glitched to being visible every few seconds. The Doctor's hand stayed where it was, now clutching onto her shirt as he peered down below, finding a group of people crowded below, checking the mechanics of the machine. A sharp cry came from above them, as Katy's eyes darted up to find a Ravirian mother clutching her two children tightly, who had begun to sob uncontrollably.
"Trouble?" Katy guessed, as the Doctor pulled a pair of binoculars out from his jacket pocket.
"Ah. Not good. Very not good" The Doctor muttered, peering through the binoculars and finding what everyone was looking at down below.
"As in we're all about to plunge to our deaths not good?" Katy gulped.
"No, no, no...probably not. Maybe not" The Doctor corrected himself, making Katy wince.
"This is usually the part where you do something incredibly stupid and save the day" Katy stated, as the Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver.
"The machine controlling the Ferris wheel has malfunctioned, if I could just get down there, a signal from this would be enough to restart it" The Doctor theorised, leaning over the edge, as Katy grabbed his shoulder.
"If you try to jump down, I swear to God, I will strangle you with your bowtie" She warned, with a vicelike grip on his shoulder.
"Running out of time, dear" The Doctor pointed out, as Katy scrunched her eyes shut, trying to think of a solution.
"...Do you still have that slingshot?" Katy queried, as the Doctor pursed his lips and began rummaging around in his pockets.
"Never leave the TARDIS without it" He retorted, pulling out the slingshot and handing it to her.
"Lock the sonic screwdriver on the setting it needs to be and hold on tight" Katy told him, as the Doctor did as he was told, causing a whirring sound to emit from the device,
"Onto what?" The Doctor questioned, as she took the sonic screwdriver from his hands and placed it against the slingshot.
"Me" She grinned, grabbing his free hand and placing it against her waist before she was leaning forward.
The Doctor let out a startled sound as she all but threw herself off the seat, only his arms keeping her from plummeting to the ground. Now with the crowd in her eyesight, she lined up the slingshot to the computer they were all tapping away at. Saying a silent prayer in her head, she pulled her hand back and released. The sonic screwdriver went flying through the air, still buzzing away, its light shining. Katy shut her eyes, not being able to look as she hoped her aim was as good as it used to be. A moment later, the Ferris wheel jerked back to life, giving her an answer. The Doctor was quick to pull her back into her seat, landing haphazardly over his lap, as he let out a sigh of relief.
"You threw my sonic screwdriver! I love my sonic screwdriver" The Doctor grumbled.
"I'll buy you a new one" Katy shrugged.
"I made it!" The Doctor insisted, as she half turned to him, a smirk playing on her lips.
"Then it'll be easy to make a new one, won't it?" She teased, as the Doctor groaned, dropping his head onto her shoulder.
"Jesus, I thought that woman would never stop hugging me" Katy huffed, as the Doctor opened the TARDIS doors for her.
"Well, you did save her life" The Doctor pointed out, as they both walked into the time machine.
"Does that mean you forgive me for slightly damaging your toy?" Katy grinned, as the Doctor gave her a disapproving look.
"It's not a toy! It's a very complicated sonic apparatus that..." The Doctor trailed off with a sigh when he saw the look she was giving him.
"Fine. Yes, It's a toy. A very clever one!" The Doctor argued, pointing his finger at her.
"So, as good as Raviri was, I think this birthday is missing one pretty obvious thing" Katy exclaimed, as the Doctor gave her a grin, and reached out for her hand.
He was then pulling her over to the console, and placing her palm against a glowing, spongy substance that seemed to connect deep into the console. Her brow furrowed as her fingers were pulled deeper into the glowing substance, feeling something rummaging around her mind. The glow from the console got brighter as the time rotor began to rise, sending them through the time vortex.
"TARDIS telepathic interface. The TARDIS is extrapolating your entire timeline, from the moment of your birth, to the moment of your death. Looking for one moment in particular" The Doctor explained, pulling a lever down on the console.
"What moment?" Katy frowned, as the sensation of something whizzing around in her skull heightened.
"The moment you saw the perfect cake" The Doctor announced, making Katy grin.
"Ah, you know me so well. No birthday is complete without cake" Katy stated.
"Now, try to focus and don't think of anything rude" The Doctor warned.
"Why?" Katy questioned, as the Doctor pulled the computer monitor around.
"Might end up on all the screens..." The Doctor trailed off, his eyes almost popping out of his skull as an image popped up on the screen.
"Something like that?" Katy smirked, as the Doctor averted his eyes, a bright red blush on his cheeks.
He was just glad he hadn't synced the audio to the monitor yet, as he spun the screen away from him. Katy shook her head fondly at his behaviour, when the TARDIS made a thumping sound, indicating that they had landed somewhere. The pull on her fingers released instantly, as she raised an eyebrow at the Doctor.
"So, where are we?" Katy queried.
"Earth. London. 1998" The Doctor informed her.
"London? I was living in Bournemouth that year, why'd the TARDIS take us here?" Katy asked, as the Doctor was already rushing toward the doors.
"Let's find out!" He beamed, before racing through the doors, surprised to find they appeared to be outside a church.
Katy followed close on his heel, looking up at the extravagant building, able to hear music blaring from inside. It was strange, she thought she vaguely recognised the church, but she couldn't put her finger on where from. A red Rolls-Royce was parked closeby to the entrance, and she spotted a veil inside, only making her frown deepen.
"Okay, why has the TARDIS taken us to a wedding?" Katy guessed, as the Doctor gave a shrug, taking her hand in his once more.
He wasn't sure how to answer her question and instead reached out with his free hand to push the large doors to the church open. The sound of music grew louder, as Katy thought she recognised the song that was playing.
"Are you sure you haven't been here—" The Doctor was cut off, as they found they had unwittingly stepped into the middle of what appeared to be a wedding ceremony.
Almost a hundred eyes had turned to stare at the pair, all dressed up in fancy clothes and hats, as the music that had been playing was stopped. Katy's forehead wrinkled when she noticed there were dozens of large cameras all around the church, filming the ceremony from all different angles.
"Uh, we were just going..." Katy trailed off, as a man whizzed past her on a scooter.
"Can someone get these extras to their seats please?!" An irritated voice called out, as the Doctor and Katy were ushered toward the nearest pew.
"Lee, back to your starting position. Start the track again from two minutes. C'mon, people!" The same man insisted, clapping his hands together.
As the man on the scooter walked past them, Katy's mind finally put two and two together just as the music began to play again. She started hitting the Doctor's arm in excitement, hardly able to believe where they had landed.
Tragedy
When the feeling's gone and you can't go on
It's tragedy
When the morning cries and you don't know why
It's hard to bear
With no one to love you, you're going nowhere
"It's Steps! It's the freaking music video for Tragedy! Oh my God, now this...this is history!" Katy all but squealed, as an extra beside them shushed her.
They were all ushered onto their feet for the dance choreography that Katy once knew step by step. She remembered most of the dance, grinning from ear to ear as she peered down the aisle to find Claire Richards belting the song out at the top of her lungs. The Doctor did his best to keep up with the dance, but he soon added some of his own moves, waving his hands above his head.
"That's terrible!" Katy giggled, pulling his arms back down.
"I'm a great dancer!" The Doctor retorted, making her snort.
"Holy shit, there's the cake!" Katy exclaimed, spotting the three-tier wedding cake a few metres behind them.
Continuing with his embarrassing dancing, the Doctor slowly made his way over to the cake. He spun around a few times, and once he was near the cake, he swiped the top tier and pulled it close to his chest. He then swayed toward the door, jerking his head in the direction of the exit, wanting Katy to follow. With her jaw dropped open, she was quick to follow him, realising he had just stolen part of the cake they were going to use in the music video.
"I'm starting to think I'm a bad influence on you" Katy smirked, as the pair rushed out of the church before anyone could stop them.
A little while later, the pair sat by the TARDIS doors, their legs dangling below them, protected by the air bubble around the time machine. Katy peered down at the view underneath them, in awe at seeing the view of Earth from space. How many people got to see something like that? She took another mouthful of the cake they had stolen, her grin widening. It tasted just as good as she had imagined.
"So, not a bad birthday, eh?" The Doctor exclaimed, leaning back on his hands.
"Alright, alright. You did good...but don't let it go to your head!" Katy mumbled, as the Doctor's smile widened.
"Present time?" The Doctor suggested, beginning to search through his jacket for something.
Katy opened her mouth, ready to argue that he didn't need to get her anything, but the words died on her lips when she saw what he pulled out of his pocket. It was a ring box. Her mouth went slack when he opened the box to reveal an almost translucent ring, with Gallifreyan symbols carved into it.
"You should probably take me on a proper date before popping the question, you know" Katy gaped, hoping her voice didn't show the panic she felt.
"TARDIS key" He replied, pulling the ring out of the box.
"In the shape of a ring?" Katy questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, it's not just a key. It's a connection to her, a tether. With this ring, you can bring her to you. If she's in range...and she wants to, which trust me, she won't always" The Doctor explained, taking her right hand in his and slipping the ring onto her finger.
It fit perfectly, leading Katy to wonder whether it wasn't the first ring he had made for her. She watched as the ring shone a golden colour for a moment, hearing the TARDIS hum in response. She tried to read what the words on the ring were but they must have been too old for the TARDIS translation.
"You've given me the keys to your place?" Katy murmured, as the Doctor gave a slight shrug.
"It's not just my home. It's yours too" The Doctor explained, as Katy's lips twitched, surprised to find how her eyes had started to water.
"Thank you" She exclaimed, in a shaky tone.
"You're welcome" The Doctor smiled at her.
Their eyes connected then, and Katy swore she felt all the breath leave her lungs. The Doctor looked at her with such adoration it made it hard for her to breathe. Before she knew what she was doing, Katy had leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to the Doctor's cheek. She pulled away a few inches, her lips parting as the Doctor's eyes followed the movement. They stayed frozen for a few moments, neither daring to move. Then the Doctor was leaning forward, his eyes still on her lips, his hand coming up to brush against her cheek.
"We should get the others" Katy announced, in a quiet voice, pulling back ever so slightly.
The disappointment was clear on the Doctor's face as he pulled his hand away, slowly nodding. He looked more annoyed at himself than anything else as he pushed himself to his feet.
"Okay" He exclaimed, holding his hand out for her to take, which she gladly took.
"So, where are we going?" Katy inquired, as the Doctor led them back over to the console.
"America" He replied, with an almost sad smile.
She watched as he typed in a particular date and coordinates onto the typewriter, as they flashed up onto the monitor. Her birthday, a few years in her future.
22nd April 2011.
Katy leant back on the car the Doctor had 'borrowed' to drive them to the location he had invited the others to meet them at. She still couldn't understand why he had sent them invitations rather than just picking them up in the TARDIS, but she was too happy to question it. It was her first time in America, and she was planning to enjoy every second of it.
"I still can't believe you're wearing that monstrosity" Katy huffed, peeking up at the Doctor and the hat he wore.
"You love all my hats, don't pretend" The Doctor stated, tapping her nose, as they heard a school bus pull up on the side of the road.
Kat sat up on her elbows as she watched Amy and Rory jump off the bus, both with large backpacks. Rory waddled forward clutching onto a large brown box in his arms, oblivious to the two aliens' presence. Katy beamed as she slid off the car, realising it must have been over five months since she had seen her friends.
"Howdy!" The Doctor called out, as the pair twisted around
"Doctor!" Amy cried, as she and Rory rushed across the road toward them
"Ha, ha! It's the Ponds! Hello, Pond. Come here" The Doctor cheered, as he pulled Amy into a tight hug.
Rory managed to place the large box on the floor just before Katy was throwing her arms around him, almost bowling him over. A grin grew on his face as he hugged her back, thinking back to how it had been two months for him since he had seen her.
"How's my favourite human doing then? Enjoying married life?" Katy exclaimed, pulling back.
"Oh, yeah. Definitely enjoying it" He replied, as she slapped his arm.
"Rory the Roman! Ooo, come here!" The Doctor beamed, pulling the other man into a hug, swaying him from side to side.
"Have you been keeping him in line?" Amy questioned, as she and Katy embraced.
"Always" Katy smirked.
"Hey, nice hat" Rory snorted, as the Doctor flicked his hat with his finger.
"I wear a Stetson now. Stetsons are cool" The Doctor replied, as a gunshot rang out, and his hat went flying to the ground.
The group whipped around to find River Song standing behind them, a smoking revolver in her hand, and a smug smirk on her lips. Katy was just thankful the woman was such a good shot. The Doctor let out a cheer before rushing over to greet her, as Rory picked up the box he had been carrying.
"Happy Birthday!" He and Amy announced in unison, as he opened the box and half a dozen balloons came flying out.
Katy gaped at the sight, taking the multicoloured balloons in her hand before they could fly away. Her chest tightened a little at the thought of the couple not only remembering her birthday but carrying the balloons hundreds of miles along the desert.
"Twenty-eight?" Katy frowned, noticing the number on the balloons.
"Ah, yes. This is younger Katy. Twenty-five" The Doctor clarified, walking over to place his hands on Katy's shoulders from behind.
"That's one hell of an age gap" Amy teased, as the Doctor stuck his tongue out her.
"Hold on...I've got just the thing..." Rory suggested, feeling in his pockets for the permanent marker he knew was inside.
"What did he get you for your birthday this year?" River asked, as Katy held out the ring on her finger.
River's mouth went slack for a moment, before she clamped her lips together, taking a closer look at the ring. She turned the ring around on her finger as if she could read the Gallifreyan phrase. Hell, maybe she could, Katy realised. She still had no idea who River Song really was.
"There you go" Rory exclaimed, giving Katy back the balloons.
She laughed as she saw he had crossed out the eight on all the ballons and written a five instead in black ink. The others all laughed along with her. Everyone but River.
"So, birthday girl...how'd you fancy driving us to the diner?" The Doctor offered, slinging his arm around her shoulder.
"Did we die? Again?" Rory muttered, in a shaky tone as he clutched onto the doorway of the diner, needing something solid to hold onto.
"Oh, don't be so dramatic. My driving wasn't that bad!" Katy argued, glancing back at the red Elsen Villager that she had parked horizontally through two parking spaces.
She winced at the scratches along the right side of the car, as she had almost driven them into a ditch...twice. Amy followed her husband with trembling knees, looking as if she was about to vomit at any moment.
"How can you be so good at flying the TARDIS and so utterly terrible at driving a car?" River teased.
"The TARDIS helps...but you are of course an excellent driver, dear" The Doctor stuttered, when he saw the look she gave him.
He held the diner door open for and River, as they found he had brought them to a 1950's style restaurant, with booths and decorations to match the decade. The radio playing the latest Adele song was a reminder that they were still in the 21st century. Rory and Katy made their way to the counter, ready to order drinks for everyone.
"When we get back to England, I'm giving you some driving lessons" Rory informed her, as she smiled at the thought.
"Sounds good to me. And I promise I won't crash your car...probably" She smirked, watching as a look of horror dawned on his face.
"Excuse me, is your name Katy Smith?" An American voice inquired, as Katy found one of the servers approaching her.
"...Yeah, I am. How did you know that?" Katy frowned, as they pulled out a bottle from under the counter.
"This is gonna' sound really weird, but my aunt who used to run the diner...well, in 2007 she got paid $5000 to agree to give you this and a message. The whole team came in to talk to you about it" The server admitted, sliding a bottle of vodka toward her.
"How'd you know I was the right girl though?" Katy pushed.
"The guy said we were to give it to the pretty English girl on April 22nd 2011" A female server explained, as Katy slowly started to piece the puzzle together.
"What guy?" Katy questioned.
"My aunt never saw him, but he had an English accent too. Smug tone too, she said" The male server answered, as Katy let out a groan.
"Yeah, I think I know who sent this" She muttered, knowing there was only ever one candidate really.
The Master.
"Oh, don't forget the note" The male server exclaimed, handing her one sentence that had been written on the back of a napkin.
Sorry for your loss – K.
"What loss?" Rory frowned, having stayed out of the conservation until then.
"I don't know. And the guy that sent this is a manipulative dick, so..." Katy huffed, tearing up the napkin.
"Ex?" Rory suggested, as Katy did a double take.
"...God, I hope not" She mumbled, before walking over to the booth where the others had sat down.
"Sorry, what are you two doing?" Rory called out, when he noticed the Doctor and River had their diaries laid out on the table.
"They're both time travellers, so they never meet in the right order. They're syncing their diaries. So, what's happening, then? Because you've been up to something" Amy accused, but Katy's attention was firmly on the diary in front of the Doctor.
She knew her future was hidden between the pages. Secrets that the Doctor was too scared to admit to her. She glanced at River Song, feeling a wave of sympathy for the older woman. After all, she was probably the only person in the entire universe who could understand what it was like to meet the Doctor in the wrong order.
"For now? Nothing. We're to celebrate Katy's birthday. A picnic. And then a trip. Somewhere different, somewhere brand new" The Doctor replied, the sad smile back on his face
"Where?" Amy queried.
"Space, 1969" The Doctor informed them, only confusing Katy further.
First America and now the past? It all seemed so random, but it had to mean something. It always did with the Doctor.
The sun beat down on Katy's face, as she stared out at the lake they were sitting by, watching as the water glistened. The group were laid out on a picnic blanket, wine and cheese in the middle, all with a glass of wine in their hands. She wasn't sure how she had ended up laying against the Doctor's side, her head propped up on his stomach, but she was far too comfy to move. The Doctor's left hand lay close to her head, brushing through her hair every now again, not seemingly aware of his own subconscious actions.
"Salut!" The group cheered, clinking their wine glasses together.
"Since when do you drink wine?" Amy asked, as the Doctor gave a half-shrug.
"I'm eleven hundred and three. I must've drunk it sometime" The Doctor retorted, taking a swig from the wine bottle.
"And one, two, three..." Katy trailed off, just as the Doctor spat the wine out onto the sand.
"Oh, wine's horrid. I thought it would taste more like the gums" The Doctor grumbled, making Katy snort.
"Eleven hundred and three? You were nine hundred and eight the last time we saw you" Amy mumbled.
"And you've put on a couple of pounds. I wasn't going to mention it" The Doctor exclaimed, as Katy reached up to slap his arm.
"He's very sensitive about his age lately. Aren't you, old timer?" Katy teased, grinning up at him.
The conversation carried on, but the Doctor was too distracted to pay any attention, as he leaned down to rest on his elbow, bringing his face closer to Katy's. The pair were lost in their own little world for a few more moments until the Doctor forced his gaze away from her.
"Ah, the moon. Look at it. Of course, you lot did a lot more than look, didn't you? Big, silvery thing in the sky. You couldn't resist it. Quite right. A lot more happens in 69 than anyone remembers. Human beings. I thought I'd never get done saving you..." The Doctor trailed, something about his tone scaring Katy.
She was just about to question him when she noticed a truck pulling up, and an older man stepped out, one whom the Doctor seemed to recognise. Katy frowned as he pushed himself to his feet, and waved at the newcomer, sucking in a deep breath. He almost seemed...scared.
"Doctor, who is that?" Katy asked, standing up.
"Oh, my God" River gaped, as Katy twisted around to face what the older woman had seen.
She almost jumped out of her skin when she saw a figure in a spacesuit had somehow snuck up on them, half-submerged by the river. The figure didn't move, or remove their helmet. They stayed rooted to the spot.
"You all need to stay back. Whatever happens now, you do not interfere. Clear?" The Doctor announced.
He began walking forward, just as the astronaut did, almost mirroring his movements. He came to a sudden halt a second later, hearing footsteps behind him. With a sigh, he turned around to find that Katy had followed him, a determined expression on her face.
"Please, Katy. You have to stay back" The Doctor told her.
"Not until you tell me what's going on. Why are we here? Who is that?" She insisted, taking another step toward him.
"I need you to trust me. One last time" He exclaimed, watching as her eyes softened.
"You know I do" She answered, as his lips twitched into a small smile.
He twisted around to face the astronaut again, who had walked out of the lake now and was waiting for him. Not that she had a choice in the matter. Neither did he. But there was one thing he could choose, the Doctor realised. How to say goodbye.
"Last time I get to do this..." He trailed off, as he whipped around and reached out for Katy.
Katy could feel the moment her heart stopped beating as the Doctor cupped her cheeks and pressed his lips to hers. A second later, her heart was raring back to life, beating faster than ever as the Doctor's lips lingered on hers. It wasn't like the other kisses they had shared. The Doctor wasn't kissing her to save her life or because they had lost their memories. He was kissing her because he wanted to.
She reached up to touch his hands, as she returned the kiss, leaning up on her tiptoes. Her whole body felt like it was on fire as his lips moved against hers, holding onto one another for dear life. By the time the Doctor pulled back, they were both breathless, their companions completely forgotten behind them. As Katy's eyes fluttered back open, the Doctor could see the shock on her face, looking more vulnerable than he had ever seen her.
"And your first time" He realised, before he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into a tight hug.
Amy watched from the sidelines as the Doctor whispered something in her ear, a pained look in his eyes. He pulled back a little, before leaning in to give her one last kiss and then he took a step back. Katy reached for his hand, holding onto his fingers as long as she could before his hand dropped away from hers and he turned back to the lake.
"What did he say? Katy, what did he say?" Amy insisted, rushing toward her as the Doctor approached the astronaut.
Katy stayed silent, for once completely lost for words, which she had a feeling had been the Doctor's plan all along. She watched as the Doctor stopped in front of the astronaut, who pulled back their visor, but they were too far away for Katy to see who was inside the suit.
"What's he doing?" Amy questioned, as the Doctor spoke a few words, before bowing his head.
Suddenly, there was a scream. A high-pitched, sound of despair as Katy watched the astronaut shoot the Doctor, who stumbled backwards from the impact. It was only then that she realised it was her screaming. She was racing forward, her feet moving on autopilot until she felt someone grab her from behind. She fought against them, unable to do anything as the astronaut shot the Doctor again, who doubled over in pain.
"The Doctor said stay back! You have to stay back!" River begged, as Katy realised it was her holding her back.
Instead of a reply, Katy sent her elbow back colliding with River's face as she sprinted forward. The Doctor looked toward her, as regeneration energy spilled out from his hands. He knew she'd never do as he asked.
"I'm sorry" The Doctor cried, as Katy ran as quickly as she could, only a few feet away.
The Doctor raised his hands out in the air, as the regeneration energy grew all around him. Just as Katy reached out for him, inches away from his hand, the astronaut shot the Doctor once more. The shockwave that came from the regeneration being cut short was enough to throw Katy off her feet, momentarily knocking her out. As she came to, she pushed herself up onto her elbows, eyes growing wide when she saw the Doctor had collapsed against the sand. And wasn't moving.
"Doctor!" She screeched, crawling over to him and cradling his face.
"Wake up! You have to wake up!" Katy pleaded, shaking his shoulders with her hands.
River and Amy collapsed beside her as the former scanned the Doctor's body with her tricorder. Katy's eyes snapped up as she heard the familiar sound of a flatline. Nothing River's machine could do would work until the Doctor's heartbeats started again.
"River? No. No..." Amy sobbed, cradling her knees to her chest and starting to rock back and forth.
With a bitter expression, River stood to her feet and emptied her revolver, aiming her bullets at the retreating astronaut. None of them hit their mark.
"Katy, he can't be dead. This isn't possible" Amy exclaimed, as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Katy stayed where she was clutching onto the Doctor's shirt, willing him to somehow show them another miracle. They were only starting out, for her at least, they had so much more do. How could she have already lost him?
"Whatever that was, it killed him in the middle of his regeneration cycle. His body was already dead. He didn't make it to the next one" River told them, as Katy shook her head, vehemently.
"No. No, I can save him. I can still save him" Katy insisted, pushing herself up onto her knees and linking her fingers together.
She started pressing down on his chest, trying to restart his left heart, despite the way tears had started to spill from her eyes and were dropping down onto the back of her palms. After thirty chest compressions, she moved his other heart, her bottom lip wobbling as she tried to stop herself from hyperventilating. She couldn't breakdown. The Doctor still needed her. She then leaned down and tilted his head back, bringing her lips to his as she breathed oxygen into his lungs.
Nothing happened.
"Doctor, please. You have to come back. I...I need you to come back" Katy cried, wiping at her eyes before she started chest compressions again.
"Katy, he's gone" River mumbled, as Katy shook her head, pressing harder down on his chest.
"No, he's not. He's not" Katy retorted, desperately blinking away the tears that clouded her vision.
"You need to stop" River advised, placing her hand on her shoulder.
"No!" Katy shouted, shrugging her touch off, as she moved to the Doctor's other heart.
Her breath was coming out in short pants by the time she leaned down to give him rescue breaths, her tears dripping down onto his cheeks. A sob racked through her as she pulled back, finding there had been no change.
"Please...Doctor. Please just get up" Katy whispered, touching his cheek.
She dropped her head onto his chest, clutching at his jacket as her cries got worse. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. She couldn't do anything.
"You can't leave me...you can't leave me" Katy sobbed, all but collapsing against him.
"Maybe he's a clone or a duplicate or something" Amy suggested, in a pleading tone.
"I believe I can save you some time. That most certainly is the Doctor. And he is most certainly dead. He said you'd need this" The old man from before exclaimed, as Katy suddenly went deathly still.
Before anyone could stop her, she had sprung to her feet and grabbed the man's neck, hauling him off the ground, leaving his feet dangling in the air. Her face was contorted in pain and anger as she tightened her hold on his neck her fingernails digging into his skin.
"You knew. You knew he'd fucking die. And you did...nothing!" Katy screamed, ready to snap the man's neck.
"Let him go, Katy. This isn't you. Not anymore" River stated, as Katy let out a harsh scoff.
"I guess you don't know me so well, River Song. Because this is exactly who I am!" Katy snapped, watching as the man's eyes rolled into the back of his head, his lips turning blue.
"And is this what the Doctor would want?" Rory exclaimed, as her eyes darted to his.
"He's dead, he doesn't...he..." Katy stuttered, as the realisation finally hit her.
The Doctor was dead.
Her hand fell away from the old man's neck, as he dropped to his knees, barely conscious as he gasped for air. Katy staggered back a step, looking over to the Doctor. To his corpse. The man once so full of life was nothing but a shell anymore.
"A Time Lord's body is a miracle. Even a dead one. There are whole empires out there who'd rip this world apart for just one cell. We can't leave him here. Or anywhere" River Song spoke up, as Katy's face contorted.
"Wake up. Come on, wake up, you stupid, bloody idiot. What do we do, Rory?" Amy cried, crawling over to the Doctor's side.
"We're his friends. We do what the Doctor's friends always do. As we're told" River explained, picking up the gasoline can the old man had brought with him.
"No, you can't. You can't just give up! We can...there has to be something. There's always a way..." Katy trailed off, her gaze falling onto the ring on her finger.
"Don't" River warned, already knowing where Katy's thoughts lead.
"I'm saving him" Katy insisted, as she turned around and closed her eyes, holding out her hand.
The Doctor had said with the ring she could be tethered to the TARDIS, that there would be a link between them. She just had to call out to the time machine. She could hear the familiar warping sound of the TARDIS just as River grabbed her arm, tugging her toward her.
"What are you going to do? Go back on his timeline, changing these events? The whole universe could collapse!" River argued.
"Mine just did" Katy muttered, in a shaky tone.
"If you do this...I'll have to stop you" River told her, as Katy turned to face her fully, all but squaring up to her.
"Then do it. Stop me" Katy spat out, wrenching her arm free from her grip.
She was then marching over to the TARDIS, feeling more scared with every step she took. She knew what the consequences of her actions could be, but she couldn't dwell on them. She had to act now before she talked herself out of it. The light on top of the time machine glowed a comforting blue as she approached, reaching out for the doors as she went to push them open.
But they didn't move.
"Don't do this to me. Don't you dare" Katy cried, slamming her hand down against the TARDIS door.
"She knows what you'll ask of her. An army couldn't get through those doors now" River suggested.
"Don't you want him back? I could save him! Just...let me in" Katy pleaded, speaking to the TARDIS.
It was no use. The TARDIS doors remained firmly shut. Maybe it was the TARDIS knowing her intentions, or maybe the machine was already dying without the Doctor. Whatever it was, it meant that there would be no solution. The Doctor was going to stay dead.
"Let me in!" She cried, pounding her fists on the doors.
She wasn't sure how long she stayed there screaming, but by the time she felt a hand on her shoulder, her throat was hoarse, and her hands ached. She weakly attempted to push the person away, but all her strength just washed away as their arms wrapped around her shoulders. She hated the way tears began brimming in her eyes again, as she went limp in their arms.
"He's gone, Katy" Rory sighed, holding her a little closer.
"I can't lose him too" Katy whimpered, as Rory rocked them from side to side.
"I know" He murmured, cradling her head to his chest.
"Haven't I given enough?" She sobbed.
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this rollercoaster chapter! It's actually my birthday too this week, so I couldn't resist writing this chapter. And posting this update 13 years to the day of the Doctor's 'death'! Thank you for all the support:)