The sun had begun to set as Katy waded through the lake's shallow waters, a can of gasoline in her hands. She glanced back at Rory and his bloodshot eyes and gave him a quick nod. He had offered to do the deed himself, but she had turned him down. It had to be her. Her free hand clutched the wooden boat floating in front of her as she forced herself to look down at the Doctor's corpse. She felt a sob crawl up her throat as she took in his skin's waxy appearance and the stillness of his features. Biting her lip, she reached out to straighten his bowtie, allowing her fingers to linger for a moment.
"I'm sorry I couldn't save you" She mumbled, in a voice just above a whisper.
She blinked away the tears that had started to form again in her eyes and slowly leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead. She scrunched her eyes shut as she pulled away and began to pour the gasoline over his motionless body, knowing she had no choice. Wars would start and people would die to get their hands on just one cell of a Time Lord's body. As she pulled a box of matches out of her pocket, a sickening realisation hit her.
The Last of the Time Lords.
That was what the Doctor called himself. She found it unlikely after all those years, he still hadn't learnt about the Master's true identity...did that mean he was gone too? Had she watched the astronaut commit genocide? Shaking the thoughts from her head, she struck a match and sucked in a painful breath. A tear rolled down her reddened cheek as she threw the lit match onto his body and watched as the flames engulfed the Doctor. There was no turning back anymore. He was gone.
She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to find Rory ushering her back toward the shore. Amy stood a few metres away, staring out into the water, a devastated expression on her face. River was to her right, whilst the mysterious stranger who had gifted them the gasoline and matches bowed his head as they approached.
"There's room, you know" Rory exclaimed, as Katy turned to him in confusion.
"What?" She asked, in a shaky tone.
"At our place. We have a spare room. You should come home with us" Rory offered, as Katy's frown deepened.
"And what? Go back to how my life used to be? Try to get my old job back? Pretend to be human again?" Katy muttered, bitterly.
"It's what the rest of us do" Amy pointed out, having overheard what she had said.
"You don't get it, I can't...I can't stay here on Earth..." Katy trailed off, looking away from her friends.
Without him.
"You shouldn't be on your own—" Rory began, as Katy cut him off.
"I'm better on my own. I always was" Katy insisted, her mind already made up.
She planned to do what the Doctor always did. Run away from her problems before they could overwhelm her. And that meant ridding herself of any reminders of the Doctor. No matter how much it hurt.
"Who are you? Why did you come?" River inquired, marching over to the mystery man.
"The same reason as you" The white-haired man replied, pulling out an envelope in TARDIS blue.
Katy's eyes narrowed as she noticed his envelope said five on the back. The Doctor had said he was planning to send out invitations for her birthday...but now it seemed it was for his own wake. She watched as River pulled out her own invitation, with the number three written on the back.
"Doctor Song, Katy, Amy, Rory. I'm Canton Everett Delaware the third. I won't be seeing you again, but you'll be seeing me" Canton informed them, pulling his blue cap on as he went to turn away.
"And Katy? I just wanted to say...good luck" Canton added, giving her a firm nod before he started to walk back to his jeep.
She felt a slither of guilt as she watched him hobble away, still clearly hurt from when she had attempted to kill him not an hour earlier. The way he spoke to her, as if he knew her as if he knew all of them...
"Five" River announced, turning to her with wide eyes, tinged with hope.
"Sorry, what?" Rory frowned.
"The Doctor numbered the envelopes. You got four, I was three, and Mr Delaware was four. So, where are two and one?" River pointed out, as all eyes turned to Katy.
"I was with him. He didn't exactly need to send me an invitation to see him get murdered" Katy muttered, before storming off over the sandy shore.
Katy looked down at the bottle of vodka on the glass table in front of her, a bitter laugh leaving her lips as she unscrewed the cap. Her gaze fell onto the note on the napkin beside it, as she grabbed the bottle with enough force that she was surprised the glass didn't shatter.
The Master knew.
The bastard knew that was the day the Doctor died. And instead of trying to save him, or warn her, he had sent his condolences. Well, she thought to herself, she wasn't going to waste them. Bringing the bottle to her lips, she began to drink, as the alcohol burnt at her throat, but it didn't deter her. By the time she placed the bottle back down on the table, half the contents were already gone.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" River sighed; her face contorted with concern.
"It is my birthday, after all. Getting blackout drunk seems like the best idea I've had all day" Katy muttered, holding the bottle up in a cheers gesture before drinking from it again.
"You'll need more than just that bottle to do that" River stated, as Katy chugged down the last remnant of the vodka.
"Good point. Hey, I'll have another...six? Yeah, six should do it" Katy announced, waving over to the employee at the counter.
"Six shots?" The man guessed.
"Six more bottles" Katy retorted, fixing the man with a dark look, watching as he gave a quick nod and began to grab the alcohol from behind the counter.
"Hey, we need to focus right now. River, you were saying you think he invited someone else?" Rory exclaimed as the employee placed the first bottle in front of Katy.
"Well, he must have. He planned all of this, to the last detail" River stated, making Katy wince.
She tore off the cap on the vodka, and began to drink once more, hoping that it would be enough to start to drown out her thoughts. Just how much did the Doctor despise her to plan his own death to coincide with her birthday? There was cruelty and then there was just...pure hatred.
"Will you two shut up? It doesn't matter" Amy murmured, the first words she had spoken since she had watched her best friend's body burn.
"He was up to something. Space, 1969. What did he mean?" River insisted.
"Who the fuck cares, River?" Katy spat out, slamming the bottle onto the counter, a little surprised to find she had already drunk it.
"I do. And I know you do too" River Song told her, as Katy shot her a spiteful look.
"Aw, so loyal, aren't you? To a dead man. I've seen it, you know. The way you look...looked at him. You think he, what? He cared about you? He didn't give a shit about you. About any of us. And he certainly never looked twice at you" Katy mocked, striding over to the older woman, staring her down.
"I never understood it. What his obsession was with you. But I think I'm starting to" River replied, with a cold look in her eyes.
"Did you not just hear what I fucking said? The Doctor didn't care about me" Katy snapped, having to hold herself back from raising a hand to River.
"I wasn't talking about the Doctor. All that spite. That hatred you have. No wonder the Master liked you so much" River muttered, watching as Katy froze.
Katy almost wished that River had slapped her. She reckoned it would have hurt less than her words. She wasn't a fool. She knew what the Master was. A bad person, through and through. And as much as she tried not to be, her true nature would always lead her back to that type of darkness. She was made to destroy and conquer. Maybe it was time to stop thinking she could be anything else.
"Alright, enough! I know you're both hurting but this is just...it's stupid. Childish. I'll...I'll bang your bloody heads together if you don't stop" Rory interjected, physically pushing himself in between the two women.
"Sorry, Dad" Katy huffed, in a mocking tone, returning back to the counter, where another bottle of vodka was waiting for her.
River Song grimaced at the words she chose but decided not to comment on them. Instead, she watched as Katy picked up her third bottle of the night, realising just how committed she was to getting drunk. She supposed she would do anything to take the pain away.
"Look!" Rory exclaimed, pointing to where another blue envelope was laid out on a back table.
"The Doctor knew he was going to his death, so he sent out messages. When you know it's the end, who do you call?" River questioned, as she rushed over to pick up the envelope.
Meanwhile, Katy had finished her third drink and was busy chugging down the next bottle, her head beginning to feel pleasantly fuzzy. She tried to ignore the chatter of her friends, but even her interest was piqued.
"Er, your friends. People you trust" Rory stated.
"Number two. Who did The Doctor trust the second most?" River questioned, holding up the envelope.
Katy's head snapped up as she heard an impossible sound. One she thought she would never hear again. She staggered toward the group, her eyes set on the back door, as the sound got louder.
The double beat of two hearts.
All the blood drained from her face as the door swung open, and warm green eyes connected with her own. The Doctor stood only metres away from her, a straw hanging from his lips, all dressed up in his usual bowtie and tweed jacket. He grinned at the four of them, an excited twinkle growing in his eyes. Looking so alive.
Katy felt like she was about to throw up.
"This is cold. Even by your standards, this is cold" River mumbled, trying to keep her voice level.
"Or hello, as people used to say" The Doctor replied, his eyes flickering to Katy's, expecting to gain something akin to a laugh from her.
Instead, she continued staring right through him, clutching on so tightly to the bottle of vodka in her hands that her knuckles turned white. She didn't move, she didn't even blink. It was like something inside her had just...snapped.
"Doctor?" Amy exclaimed, cautiously approaching him.
"I just popped out to get my special straw. It adds more fizz" The Doctor answered, as if they would explain everything.
"You're okay. How can you be okay?" Amy cried, circling him for a moment, a ghost of a smile growing on her lips as her mind tried to wrap around what was in front of her.
"Hey, of course I'm okay. I'm always okay. I'm the King of Okay. Oh, that's a rubbish title. Forget that title" The Doctor ranted, noticing the pain in her eyes and bringing her into a quick embrace.
"Rory the Roman! That's a good title. Hello, Rory" The Doctor smiled, marching over to his friend, and wrapping his arms around his shoulders.
"And Doctor River Song. What trouble have you got for me this time?" The Doctor grinned, not noticing how tightly her jaw was clenched.
A loud slapping sound echoed across the room, as the Doctor stumbled back a pace, his cheek aching from where River had slapped him. And none too lightly either.
"Okay. I'm assuming that's for something I haven't done yet" The Doctor murmured, as River glared up at him.
"Yes, it is" She retorted, looking angrier than he had seen her for a long time.
"Good. Looking forward to it" The Doctor huffed, rubbing at his aching cheek.
The sound of glass shattering against the floor had the group all twisting around to face Katy, to find the bottle she had been clutching had been dropped to the floor. The look in her eyes was almost enough to make the Doctor recoil. He had never seen such sadness behind anyone's gaze, and certainly not Katy's. She stumbled back a pace, swallowing thickly, as tears pricked at her eyes. She was racing out of the door before any of them could stop her.
"River, what's going on?" Amy questioned.
"Amy, ask him what age he is" River Song advised.
"That's a bit personal" The Doctor mumbled, barely paying attention to them, his eyes not having left the front door Katy had rushed out of.
"Tell her. Tell her what age you are" River insisted.
"Nine hundred and nine" The Doctor stated, hearing as Amy let out a soft gasp.
"What's happened? Why are we all here? What's wrong with Katy?" The Doctor pushed, beginning to grow impatient.
"She...she's received some bad news. We all have. And we were...recruited, something to do with—Doctor, wait!" River exclaimed, as he started to walk toward the door.
"I'm sorry, but...I don't think she'll want to see you right now. Best to leave her be" River suggested, as the Doctor turned to look at her in disbelief.
"She's crying" He replied, thinking it absurd that River would even think that he wouldn't run after her.
As far as he was concerned, a whole Dalek fleet wouldn't be able to stop him.
Katy sunk to her knees at the back of the dinner, clutching at the brick wall behind her, needing something to anchor her. Suddenly, all the alcohol she had consumed in the past few minutes didn't seem like such a good idea from the way bile was clawing up her throat. She pulled her knees up to her chest and looked down to see her hands shaking uncontrollably. She felt like she couldn't breathe. Because she was the first one to work it out. The Doctor, the version that had been grinning at her and embracing his friends, was a younger Doctor. And that meant that he was still dead. His corpse was probably still burning on Lake Silencio. One year. One fucking year she had been with him. And she knew she had years left of travelling together. She would always know. When and where he was going to die. And she couldn't even tell him.
She tried to muffle the cry that left her lips with the back of her hand, but the awful sound still echoed in the night. God, she couldn't do this. It was too much.
Soft footsteps had her head snapping up, finding the Doctor slowly approaching her, raising two hands up in a surrendering position. She couldn't even bear to look at him. As soon as she saw him reaching out to her, she jumped to her feet, looking as if she was going to bolt at any moment.
"Hey, hey. It's okay. Whatever's happened, I'll fix it. I promise" The Doctor exclaimed, his hand still raised out, desperately trying to reach for her.
"You can't" Katy muttered, her voice thick with emotion.
"Tell me what's wrong. Please, just...tell me how I can help you" The Doctor insisted, reaching up to cup her tear-stained cheek.
"You want to know what's wrong? You are!" Katy snapped, shoving him away from her, roughly.
"I wish I'd never met you!" She cried, watching as the Doctor froze.
He didn't look like a mighty Time Lord anymore. He looked more like a little boy who had just had both his hearts crushed. His face contorted in pain as he kept his eyes firmly on the ground as if he was scared to even look at her. He ran a shaky hand over his face, letting out a trembling breath as Katy realised he was...crying. The tears that had spilt from his eyes were quickly mopped up by the back of his hand, but the hurt remained on his face.
She didn't think it was possible, but she somehow felt even worse than she had earlier.
"...I didn't...I didn't mean it like that..." Katy trailed off, as the Doctor nodded, slowly.
"Quite right though" The Doctor replied, his tone full of self-loathing.
Part of her wanted to do nothing more than to pull him into a hug and never let him go again, but the other part, the part that she knew would win out, was begging her to run. She needed to get away.
"I want to leave" Katy announced.
The Doctor looked up at her with bloodshot eyes, his lips pressed firmly together, as she could tell he wanted to argue with her. Maybe to beg her to stay even.
"I know I'll jump again soon, but even for just a little while, I need some...space" Katy insisted, as the Doctor nodded.
"Okay. Where do you want me to take you?" The Doctor asked, as she mulled it over.
"Take me to Jackie's" Katy answered, thinking of how much she could really do with a hug from the older woman.
"Everything okay back here? No, uh...physical violence occurring?" Rory called out, peeking out from behind the wall, having half expected to find Katy beating the shit out of the Doctor.
"You said we'd been recruited. Who by?" The Doctor asked, quick to change the subject.
"Spoilers" River Song announced, appearing from out of the shadows behind Rory.
Yeah, Katy thought to herself, she was definitely going to throw up.
Katy sat on the last step of the staircase leading under the console in the TARDIS, her leg bobbing up and down nervously beneath her. She kept her hands clasped firmly in front of her as she heard Rory walking down the stairs to join their not-so-secret meeting to discuss the events of the day. He patted her shoulder as he walked past, and she gave him a grateful smile.
"Explain it again" Amy exclaimed.
"The Doctor we saw on the beach is a future version, two hundred years older than the one up there" River stated.
"But all that's still going to happen. He's still going to die" Amy pushed, making Katy grimace, as she pushed herself to her feet.
"It's like River said, the Doctor must have arranged all of this" Katy muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I'm not so sure. Yes, the Doctor invited us here but...the date..." River trailed off, not wanting to meet Katy's gaze.
"Killing himself on my birthday, you mean? Yeah, I noticed. We don't know what kind of relationship I had with him two hundred years in the future. Maybe he hates me now. It'd explain a lot" Katy scoffed.
"Hey, the Doctor would never hate you. None of us would" Rory insisted.
"We have to tell him" Amy suggested, as they all looked at her as if she had grown another head.
"We've told him all we can. We can't even tell him we've seen his future self. He's interacted with his own past. It could rip a hole in the universe" River warned, as Katy nodded in agreement.
"Yes, but he's done it before" Amy retorted, making Katy's brow furrow.
"And in fairness, the universe did blow up—" Rory started, as Katy raised a hand to stop him.
"I'm sorry, the universe did what now?" Katy gaped.
"Uh...forget I said that" Rory winced, rubbing at the back of his neck, awkwardly.
"I'm being extremely clever up here, and there's no one to stand around looking impressed! What's the point in having you all?" The Doctor exclaimed, peeking down from the floor above them.
"Couldn't you just slap him sometimes?" River huffed, making Katy snort.
"I frequently do" She murmured, as River's lips twitched into a smile.
"River, we can't just let him die. We have to stop it. How can you be okay with this?" Amy cried, in a panicked tone.
"The Doctor's death doesn't frighten me. Nor does my own. There's a far worse day coming for me" River replied, ominously before walking up the staircase, leaving the rest of them confused.
"Not exactly reassuring, is she?" Katy sighed, following quickly on her heels.
The Doctor was busy pulling on different levers on the console, as the group approached him, but despite the way his hands were flying around his time machine, his gaze remained firmly on Katy. He was just glad her eyes were no longer bloodshot, and her cheeks had returned to their normal colour.
"Time isn't a straight line. It's all bumpy wumpy. There's loads of boring stuff like Sundays and Tuesdays and Thursday afternoons. But now and then there are Saturdays. Big temporal tipping points when anything's possible. The Tardis can't resist them, like a moth to a flame..." The Doctor trailed off, somehow having found himself standing beside Katy without even meaning to.
He blinked a few times, trying to remember what he was rambling on about, but her sad blue eyes had distracted him too much. He was grateful when Amy pulled the monitor down to see where they were going to land.
"Washington D.C., April the eighth, 1969. So why haven't we landed?" Amy inquired.
"Because that's not where we're going" The Doctor informed them, turning away from Katy and putting the brakes on his time machine.
"Oh. Where are we going?" Rory replied.
"Home. Well, you two are. Off you pop and make babies. And you, Doctor Song, back to prison. Katy's going back to the Tyler residence in 2007. And me? I'm late for a biplane lesson in 1911. Or it could be knitting. Knitting or biplanes. One or the other" The Doctor explained, before flopping down on one of the console chairs, running a hand through his hair.
His smile had tightened, clearly tired of keeping up the facade they were all struggling to keep going. Something had happened to them, something awful and they were hiding it from him. And whatever it was, had led Katy to wanting to leave him.
"What? A mysterious summons. You think I'm just going to go? Who sent those messages? I know you know. I can see it in your faces. Don't play games with me. Don't ever, ever think you're capable of that" The Doctor warned them, in a low tone.
"You're going to have to trust us this time" River Song told him, as he glared up at her.
"Trust you? Sure. But, first of all, Doctor Song, just one thing. Who are you?" The Doctor questioned, his teeth bared for a moment, barely able to contain his anger.
"You're someone from my future. Getting that. But who? Okay. Why are you in prison? Who did you kill, hmm?" The Doctor insisted, but River still didn't reply.
"Now, I love a bad girl, me, but trust you? Seriously" The Doctor scoffed, cruelly.
River's eyes snapped over to Katy's for a split second, her eyebrow raising a fraction, but it was enough for Katy to understand. She recognised the Doctor's behaviour. Hadn't it been how she had been acting for the last hour?
This was what they were like without each other.
Too powerful, too angry, to be on their own. And just like that, her mind was made up. Because even if the Doctor was going to die, even if there was no way she could stop it...she still had years left with him. She had to make that mean something.
"Trust me" Katy announced, as the Doctor turned to her and watched the anger drain from his features.
"I thought you wanted to leave" He pointed out, as she let out a long sigh.
"So, did I. But...it looks like you idiots still need me" Katy shrugged, watching as Amy gave her a small smile.
"Now, you listen up, Doctor. You have to do this, and you can't ask why. You'll just have to trust me —" Katy started, when the Doctor cut her off instantly.
"Okay" He replied.
"...What? Just like that?" Katy frowned, in disbelief.
"I trust you with my life. I always have" The Doctor confessed, as his hands twitched at his sides, clearly wanting to reach out for her, before deciding better.
He gave her an almost shy smile before turning away, missing the way Katy's bottom lip wobbled as she realised what they could mean. Was that why he had died? Because he had trusted her when he shouldn't have?
"So! Canton Everett Delaware the third. Who's he?" The Doctor exclaimed, rushing toward the monitor to find out what he could about the mystery man.
"Ex FBI. Got kicked out. Six weeks after he left the Bureau, the President contacted him for a private meeting" River murmured, reading the information off the monitor.
"Yeah, 1969. Who's President?" The Doctor questioned.
"Richard Milhous Nixon. Vietnam, Watergate. There's some good stuff, too" River shrugged, as the Doctor made a face.
"Not enough" The Doctor retorted, as River nudged him with her elbow.
"Hippie!" She accused.
"Archaeologist" The Doctor huffed, as Katy quite literally pushed herself in between the pair.
"Alright, enough flirting you two" Katy muttered, earning scandalised looks from the pair, as she flipped a lever on the TARDIS.
"We don't want to attract any unnecessary attention, so putting the engines on silent. Okay...I think that made it worse..." Katy trailed off, grimacing as a screeching sound echoed through the TARDIS.
River leaned forward and flipped the lever in the other direction as the usual hum from the TARDIS was muffled, alongside the screeching. Katy pouted, as River gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder, thinking of how it was Katy in the first place who had shown her how to fly the TARDIS.
"Putting the outer shield on invisible. I haven't done this in a while. Big drain on the power" The Doctor exclaimed, flipping a few switches in front of him.
"You can turn the TARDIS invisible?" Rory gaped, as the Doctor gave him a wide grin, before twisting a lever, as the group were blinded by a bright light.
"Very nearly" River mumbled, flipping a red switch to his left.
"Er, did you touch something?" The Doctor frowned.
"Just admiring your skills, sweetie" River replied, innocently, making Katy snort.
"Okay. Now I can't check the scanner. It doesn't work when we're cloaked. Just give us a mo...Whoa! You lot, wait a moment. We're in the middle of the most powerful city in the most powerful country on Earth. Let's take it slow..." The Doctor trailed off, as he watched Katy march over to him, giving him a pointed look.
"And you're coming with me whether I like it or not, aren't you?" The Doctor guessed, as she gave him a smug smile and a nod.
Before the Doctor had a chance to argue with her, she had swung open the TARDIS doors and stepped through...right into the Oval Office. Her jaw dropped open, as she found two men with their backs to her, one of whom she was pretty sure was a long since dead President.
"Shi—" Her curse was cut off as the Doctor clamped his hand over her mouth, having followed immediately behind her.
She was quick to brush his hand away a few seconds later, once the shock had worn off. The Doctor twisted around, his hands raised in the air as he desperately tried to feel for her TARDIS doors. Katy pinched the bridge of her nose at his ridiculous actions, wondering how the hell they always managed to get in such situations.
"I'm scared, Mister President. I'm scared of the spaceman" A little girl's voice cried, as Katy whipped around, feeling all the air leave her lungs.
The sound of a tape recorder playing caught her attention, as they realised the two men were listening to a recording. Was the spaceman the girl talked about the same astronaut that had shot the Doctor?
"What spaceman? Where are you phoning from? Where are you right now? Who are you?" The President insisted, from the recording as the Doctor quietly pulled out a notebook and began writing what they were talking about.
"Jefferson Adams Hamilton" The child replied.
"Jefferson, listen to me—" The President began, as the tape recording came to a sudden stop.
"Surely this is something the Bureau could handle, sir" The other man spoke up, as Katy thought she recognised the voice from somewhere.
"These calls happen wherever I am. How do I know the Bureau isn't involved? I can't trust anyone..." The President trailed off, as he twisted around and finally spotted the Doctor and Katy.
Katy's eyes widened as the other man jumped up from his seat, his mouth slack as she realised where she knew him from. It would be hard to forget after she had tried to strangle him only a few hours earlier.
Canton.
As oblivious as ever, the Doctor continued scribbling away on his notepad until Katy elbowed him in the ribs, causing his head to snap up.
"Ow! What was...Oh. Hello. Bad moment. Oh look, Katy, this is the Oval Office. I was looking for the er, Oblong Room. We'll just be off, then, shall we?" The Doctor laughed, nervously before turning around...and smacking his face against the TARDIS doors.
"Don't worry! It always does that when it's cloaked" The Doctor muttered, pushing himself onto his feet, rubbing at his sore cheek.
Katy watched as Canton charged at him, planning to wrestle him to the ground if he had to, but he never made it that far. Instead, Katy's hand shot out and wrapped itself around his neck, pulling him off the ground for the second time that day. For her at least.
"Katy! Put him down!" The Doctor scolded, as she gave him a look of disbelief.
Suddenly, half a dozen men were racing in, who Katy assumed were a part of the Secret Service. The Doctor watched as a slight smirk grew on her face, knowing it wouldn't mean anything good for Canton.
"Okay" She shrugged, before chucking the older man across the room, as he collided with the agents, sending them all sprawling to the floor.
"Come on, admit it. You've missed me" Katy exclaimed, glancing to the groaning pile of men.
"Your trouble, you are. But yes...I suppose I did" The Doctor confessed, as a grin grew on her lips.
Just as the agents were crawling up onto their knees, the TARDIS shimmered into the visible spectrum. The Doctor crossed his arms over his chest, smugly, leaning back against his time machine, as every jaw in the room dropped open.
"What the hell is that?" Nixon gaped, as the Doctor strolled past the agents and went to sit in the President's chair.
"Mister President..." The Doctor trailed off, as the Secret Service agent all raised their guns directly at his head.
"That child just told you everything you need to know, but you weren't listening. Never mind, though, because the answer's yes. I'll take the case. Fellows, the guns, really? I just walked into the highest security office in the United States and parked a big blue box on the rug. Do you think you can just shoot me?" The Doctor huffed, as Katy knocked on the TARDIS doors, guessing things were about to get out of hand.
"They're Americans!" River pointed out, rushing out of the TARDIS, as Katy couldn't help but laugh at her comment.
"Don't shoot. Definitely no shooting!" The Doctor exclaimed, raising his hands up in the air.
"Nobody shoot us either. Very much not in need of getting shot. Look, we've got our hands up" Rory insisted, as he and Amy marched out of the TARDIS.
"Who the hell are you?" Nixon questioned, as the agent's eyes darted around the room, unsure of who to aim their weapons at.
"I'm your new undercover agent on loan from Scotland Yard. Code name the Doctor. These are my top operatives, the Legs, the Nose, Mrs Robinson" The Doctor informed him, as River rolled her eyes.
"I hate you" River muttered, with a shake of her head.
"No, you don't" The Doctor retorted, strolling over toward Katy.
She quirked an eyebrow in his direction, noticing she had been left out of the lineup. He slung his arm over her shoulder, bringing her close to him, a broad grin on his face.
"And this would be my very good-looking partner, Miss Smith. Code name, Gorgeous—" The Doctor began, as Katy slammed her foot down on his.
"Now, who's flirting" River snorted.
"So, the question is...who's phoning you? That's interesting. Because Canton Three is right. That was definitely a girl's voice, which means there's only one place in America she can be phoning from" The Doctor stated, still not pulling his arm away from Katy's shoulder.
"Where?" Canton questioned.
"Do not engage with the intruder, Mister Delaware" One of the agents scolded.
"You heard everything I heard. It's simple enough. Give me five minutes, I'll explain. On the other hand, lay a finger on me or my friends, and you'll never, ever know" The Doctor warned, his arm tightening just a little around Katy as he spoke.
"How did you get it in here? I mean, you didn't carry it in" Canton pointed out.
"Clever, eh?" The Doctor smirked.
"Love it" Canton replied, giving the Doctor an appreciative glance.
"Do not compliment the intruder! Mister President, that man is a clear and present danger!" The agent spoke again, as Canton interrupted him.
"Mister President, that man walked in here with a big blue box and three of his friends, and that's the man he walked past. One of them's worth listening to. I say we give him five minutes. See if he delivers" Canton explained.
"Thanks, Canton" The Doctor nodded.
"If he doesn't, I'll shoot him myself" Canton added, as the Doctor's face fell, and he pulled his arm away from Katy.
"Not so thanks" The Doctor grumbled, walking back over to the President's desk.
"Alright, five minutes" Canton agreed, as the Doctor sat down onto the chair, excitedly.
"I'm going to need a SWAT team, ready to mobilise. Street level maps covering all of Florida. A pot of coffee, twelve Jammie Dodgers and a fez!" He exclaimed, as Katy ran a hand down her face.
"Get him his maps" Canton huffed.
The Doctor pouted in a way that was far too adorable for a man who was almost a thousand years old to manage. For the next hour, they all poured over multiple maps of Florida, as the Doctor expected that would be where he would find the mysterious 'spaceman'. Katy watched as he bent over the President's desk, flattening out a large map, whilst her gaze remained firmly on his tight trousers, her cheeks reddening when she realised what she was doing.
"I remember" Amy gasped, as Katy twisted around to face the younger woman.
She had a strange look on her face, her eyes were out of focus, and she was clutching at her stomach. Katy was instantly on her feet, rushing over to her friend, and reaching for her arm.
"Amy? What's wrong?" Katy asked, causing Amy to blink rapidly.
"I don't know. I just..." Amy trailed off, as her hand flew to her mouth, feeling as if she was about to be sick.
"Are you alright?" The Doctor called out, noticing how pale Amy had become.
"Yeah. No, I'm fine. I'm just feeling a little sick. Excuse me, is there a toilet or something?" Amy questioned, marching up to one of the agents.
"Sorry, ma'am, while this procedure's ongoing, you must remain within the Oval Office" The agent retorted, as Katy pushed herself in front of him.
"Or she could, you know...puke all over your shoes. If that's what you want" Katy insisted, as the agent's jaw clenched.
"Take her to the goddamn restroom, Peterson" Canton huffed, as the agent reluctantly nodded to one of his colleagues.
"Hey, you want me to come with? Us girls gotta' stick together, right?" Katy suggested, as Amy gave her a grateful smile.
"I'm fine. Seriously, you stay with the Doctor. Keep an eye on him" Amy replied, reaching out to take her hand, giving it a squeeze.
Katy's smile instantly faded, her eyes darting down to Amy's stomach as she heard something she hadn't been expecting. There were two heartbeats coming from Amy. One far quicker and more muffled than Amy's usual heart rate.
Was Amy pregnant?
The younger girl remained oblivious to Katy's realisation, as she followed the Secret Service agent out of the room. A slight smile grew on Katy's lips as she turned around, her gaze falling on Rory who was looking at a map upside down. They would make good parents; she was sure of that. But why hadn't they said anything yet? Jesus, did they even know?
A wave of dizziness suddenly washed over her, as Katy felt her hand twitching in a way that was becoming far too familiar. With all the awful events of the day, she had almost forgotten about her latest integration. With a sigh, she walked over to the cream-coloured sofa and collapsed against it. She leaned forward, feeling a shiver rock through her body, suddenly feeling freezing cold. She clasped her hands out in front of her, watching as her fingers trembled.
She felt something being placed around her shoulders a moment later, as she looked up to find the Doctor wrapping his tweed jacket over her shaking form. She frowned at his actions, ready to shrug off the jacket, despite how warm it felt around her shoulders when he knelt down in front of her.
"Doctor, I don't need you fussing over me" She scolded.
"I need to focus. I think I know where the little girl called from, but I can see you shaking from over there, so now that's all I can think about so just...keep it" The Doctor informed her, watching as her gaze softened.
"It's not really my colour" Katy argued, but she still pulled the jacket over her arms.
"Everything's your colour" The Doctor retorted, with a fond smile.
"I, uh...I have something for you..." He trailed off, before gesturing to the jacket.
He then reached inside the left-hand pocket, delving in deep before he pulled out a bulky wristwatch. It was made mostly of leather, but as he flipped back the strap, she saw a monitor screen, with dozens of different languages popping up on the screen.
"A Time Agent's scanner. I made some modifications. Less weapons, more microwaving food" The Doctor grinned, as he began to tie it around her wrist.
"Time Agent's aren't known for sharing their toys" Katy pointed out.
"Well, this one owed me a favour" He stated, finishing strapping it around her wrist.
"It...I was going to give it to you for your birthday" The Doctor confessed.
"I didn't know if you realised what the date had been" Katy shrugged, freezing as the Doctor reached up to cup her cheek.
"I'd never forget something that important" He insisted, as his thumb brushed over her skin.
She still hated him a little for what he had done, but with the version in front of her, touching her cheek, everything else seemed to melt away. She could barely remember what they were doing in the Oval Office in the first place or even cared. Not with the Doctor so close to her.
"Your five minutes are up" Canton's voice announced, causing the Doctor to purse his lips, as he reluctantly pulled his hand away.
"Yeah, and where's my Fez?" He retorted, rocking back on his heels.
"So, how're you coping?" Katy questioned, placing her hand on Canton's shoulder.
The little girl had called again and the Doctor had sent them all flying off in the TARDIS to find her, with a new guest. Canton's eyes had been darting around the interior of the time machine, likely wondering whether they had slipped something into his drink.
"It's..." He trailed off, as she waited for him to finish on the sentence.
Bigger on the inside, she guessed.
"A bit flashy, isn't it?" Canton exclaimed, making her snort.
"You know what? I almost regret strangling you twice now" Katy murmured, as Canton's brow furrowed.
"Twice?" He questioned, as she grabbed Rory's arm, pulling him over to Canton.
"Rory, you're more of a people person. Socialise" She insisted, as she felt the TARDIS land.
"Why is it always my turn?" Rory groaned, as the rest of the group marched over toward the doors.
"Because you're the newest" Amy grinned at him, as the Doctor grabbed Katy's hand and dragged her out of the TARDIS.
It was dark where they had landed, as Katy's eyes took a moment to adjust, as did her nose. The building stank of damp and mould, and it didn't fare much better visually. They appeared to be in a disused warehouse, with filling cabinets and chairs strewn over the floor, looking as if they had been abandoned a long time ago.
"Where are we?" Amy questioned.
"About five miles from Cape Kennedy Space Centre. It's 1969, the year of the moon. Interesting, don't you think?" The Doctor stated, picking up a miniature American flag and waving it in Katy's face, who swatted his hands away, playfully.
"But why would a little girl be here?" Amy pushed, as Katy wandered over to a nearby telephone.
Her forehead wrinkled when she heard no dialling tone when she lifted up the phone and noticed the wires had been cut. So, how did the little girl call them? Pulling up the sleeve of the Doctor's jacket she still wore, she tapped a few buttons on her new scanner and started attempting to try to find any signs of life. Her frown deepened when no life signs were received. Instead, she scanned for any waveformat, her eyes widening when she found a signal.
"I don't know. Lost me a bit. The President asked the girl where she was, and she did what any lost little girl would do. She looked out of the window..." The Doctor explained, pulling back to blinds to reveal the street names of Hamilton Av, Jefferson St and Adams St.
"Streets. Of course, street names" Amy realised, as a slight smirk grew on Katy's lips.
"The only place in Florida, probably all of America, with those three street names on the same junction. And Katy, you've got that face on again" The Doctor announced, as she raised an eyebrow.
"What face?" She asked, innocently.
"The 'he's hot when he's clever' face" The Doctor teased, as Katy rolled her eyes.
"This is my normal face" She huffed, despite the way her cheeks had flushed.
"Yes, it is" The Doctor said, in a smug tone.
"Well, I've just found the signal the little girl was probably using to call the President. So, who's hot when they're clever now?" She challenged, as the Doctor strolled toward her with a smirk.
"You are" He answered, watching as her cheeks reddened further.
"We've moved. How, how can we have moved?" Canton called out, as Katy was glad for the interruption.
"You haven't even got to space travel yet?" The Doctor scoffed, turning to the other man.
"I was going to cover it with time travel" Rory stated, as Canton's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his skull.
"Brave heart, Canton. Come on" The Doctor insisted, grabbing Katy's hand and pulling her further into the warehouse, as she looked down at her wristwatch to find which way they should go.
"So, we're in a box that's bigger on the inside, and it travels through time and space" Canton murmured.
"Yeah, basically" Rory nodded.
"How long have Scotland Yard had this?" Canton questioned, as Katy bit her lip to stop herself from bursting out laughing.
"Now, this...this tech!" Katy exclaimed, rushing toward what appeared to be an operating table of some kind.
She looked in fascination at the different cables and tubes that hung from the slimy device above their heads, as she used her wristwatch to scan it. The device was leaking radiation, not enough to be harmful to them, but it was far too advanced for 1969. She began plugging the tubes back into the cavernous device, wondering if she could get it working again.
"It's Non terrestrial. Definitely alien" River pointed out, as Katy gave her a look.
"What gave that away?" Katy snorted, jumping up onto the table and fiddling with the slimy device.
"Which is odd, because look at this!" The Doctor called to them, finding a crate full of spacesuits and other old pieces of equipment.
"It's earth tech. It's contemporary" River mumbled, taking out her tricorder and scanning it over.
"It's very contemporary. Cutting edge. This is from the space program. They must have stolen it" The Doctor guessed, grabbing a large space helmet.
"What, by aliens?" Amy frowned.
"Apparently" The Doctor shrugged, before placing the helmet over his head with a grin.
"But why? I mean, if you can make it all the way to Earth, why steal technology that can barely make it to the moon?" Amy pushed, as Katy jumped down from the operating table.
"Maybe because it's cooler? Look how cool this stuff is!" The Doctor beamed, pulling back the tinted visor.
She was starting to think he had a kink for anything hat-related. First Stetsons, then a Fez, and now a space helmet? He had a problem, that was for sure.
"Cool aliens?" Amy scoffed.
"Well, what would you call me?" The Doctor grinned.
"An alien" Amy and Katy answered at the same time.
"Oi!" The Doctor grumbled, as Katy reached up to pull the helmet off him, with a giggle.
Her smile faltered a moment later, as she cursed herself for falling into old patterns so quickly. The man in front of her was dead, and she was acting like nothing had happened. But maybe they could stop it. They had gone so far back on the timeline, that maybe they could stop the astronaut from ever making it to 2011. Katy gave the Doctor the helmet back and went back over to the operating table, scanning once more for the signal.
"I know what you're thinking" River exclaimed, snapping Katy out of her thoughts.
"You're thinking if we can find the spaceman in 1969 and neutralise it, then it won't be around in 2011 to kill the Doctor" River guessed, as Katy gave a half shrug.
"I would change the word neutralise, to snapping the bastard's neck...but yeah, pretty much" Katy huffed, as River reached out to grab her arm.
"It doesn't work like that. We came here because of what we saw in the future. If we try and prevent the future from happening, we create a paradox. And you know how bad those can turn out" River explained, as Katy pursed her lips.
"Then I'll figure something else out. Cause' no matter what I have to do...I'm not letting him die again" Katy muttered, noticing the tubes from the operating table leading away.
"That's what I'm worried about" River sighed.
"Doctor? Look at this" Katy called him over, noticing the wires seemed to lead toward a manhole cover, that was only half covering a dark tunnel below. Katy raised out her arm, scanning it for a schematic of the tunnels.
"Life signs?" The Doctor questioned, as Katy' eyes widened.
"Holy crap. Yeah, like twenty, and they're fast too and...ah. I think I may be picking up rats" Katy snorted, realising she hadn't quite worked out the scanner yet.
"Rats?" Rory squeaked, as Katy gave him a grin.
"And seeing as the manhole cover was left off, it's definitely a trap. A rat-filled trap...well, wish me luck" Katy exclaimed, before she swung her legs over the edge.
"You're not going on your own. No. No way" The Doctor insisted, as she reached out for the ladder, and stepped onto it.
"I'm not a damsel in distress, Doctor. I can handle myself. I do it a lot, if you haven't noticed" Katy argued, leaning up to rest her chin on the top of the ladder, as the Doctor crouched down in front of her.
"Yes, well, I still worry about you. I'll go first" The Doctor pointed out, as she swatted at his hands as he tried to follow her down.
"And give you the chance to look up my dress? I don't think so!" Katy mocked, as the Doctor's cheeks reddened.
"I...that wasn't...stop it!" He insisted, as she grinned at him more.
"I'll be five minutes tops. Promise" She stated, as she started lowering herself down the ladder.
"Shout if you get in trouble!" The Doctor exclaimed, leaning over the manhole to keep an eye on her.
"Oh, don't worry, I'll scream...loudly!" She teased, winking up at him before she disappeared from sight.
"So, what's going on here?" Canton inquired, as the Doctor twisted around to face him, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.
"Er, nothing. She's just my...Katy, have you stopped?" The Doctor scolded, realising he could no longer hear her footsteps.
Katy winced as she realised, she had been caught out, left wondering what the Doctor was about to say. She made a gagging sound as the smell wafting around the tunnels hit her. It smelt like rotting...something she didn't want to think about.
"What the hell am I doing? I don't walk into traps, and I definitely don't flirt with Time Lords. I'll scream loudly...embarrassing!" Katy muttered to herself, as she reached the bottom of the ladder and shone the light from her wristwatch down the slimy tunnel.
"It was a bit much" A voice agreed from behind her, as she let out a screech, whipping around.
Rory let out a less than manly scream as she shone the light in his face, having managed to spook themselves. She slapped his arm roughly, trying to calm her frantically beating heart.
"What are you doing here? I told the Doctor, I don't need a bloody babysitter" Katy grumbled.
"He didn't send me. I just didn't want my best friend walking into danger on her own" Rory explained, as Katy did a double take.
"Best friend?" She questioned, with a slight smirk.
"Well, yeah. The Doctor is Amy's best friend and you're mine. That's how it's always been, right?" Rory shrugged, as Katy's smile grew.
"So, do you have a friendship bracelet for me then? Ooo, I know, let's braid each other's hair" Katy teased, as she linked their arms together.
"Maybe I should start searching for a new best friend" Rory snorted, as Katy reached up to ruffle his hair, as he brushed her hands away.
"Found anything yet?" A voice exclaimed, as the pair jumped out of their skin.
"Jesus! Can everybody stop doing that?!" Katy cried, as they watched River marching over to them.
"I thought you were staying up there with Amy and the Doctor" Rory pointed out, not liking the thought of Amy with fewer people protecting her.
"The Doctor asked me to come down to keep an eye on her" River admitted, as Katy crossed her arms over her chest.
"I'm so slapping him later" Katy huffed, as the three of them started marching into the tunnel directly in front of them.
"River, you know all this slime and biological matter on these wires...have you noticed it looks a little bit like—" Katy began, as River cut her off, not wanting her to finish the sentence.
"Yep. Trying not to think about it" River retorted, as she led them further into the dark tunnels.
"Oh no. I don't like that look. I hate that look. What is it? What is this stuff?" Rory insisted, shining his light on the slimy substance.
"Nothing. It's fine. Everything is all good" Katy answered, a little too quickly, grabbing his shoulder and ushering him further on.
"That's interesting. These tunnels are old. Really old. How can they be really old and nobody notice them?" River wondered aloud, as they noticed a door in the distance.
"It's a maintenance hatch" Rory frowned, as River rushed over to the hatch and crouched down in front of it.
"Look, at the rock. It's been carved around the hatch. Whatever's inside there has been here for a very long time..." Katy trailed off, placing a finger against the rock and then bringing it to her lips.
"At least a few thousand years by the composition of this rock. Also, gross" Katy winced, making Rory laugh.
"You and the Doctor. I can kind of picture it" Rory snorted, watching as Katy's forehead wrinkled.
"Keep a look out" River interjected, as she started trying to unlock the lock on the hatch.
"What did you mean? What you said to Amy. There's a worst day coming for you" Rory inquired.
"When I first met the Doctor, a long, long time ago, he knew all about me. Think about that. An impressionable young girl and, suddenly this man just drops out of the sky and he's clever and mad and wonderful, and knows every last thing about her. Imagine what that does to a girl" River sighed, as Katy caught her eye.
"I don't really have to" Katy murmured, as the pair shared a sad smile.
"The trouble is, it's all back to front. My past is his future. We're travelling in opposite directions. Every time we meet, I know him more, he knows me less. I live for the days when I see him, but I know that every time I do, he'll be one step further away. And the day is coming when I'll look into that man's eyes and he won't have the faintest idea who I am. And I think it's going to kill me" River confessed, as Katy kneeled down beside her.
"I think I know a little about what you're talking about. Last time I saw his previous regeneration he was just...so in love with Rose still. It's like his whole world revolves around her memory" Katy told her, as River nodded, slowly.
"I might have never met Rose Tyler but...I know exactly what that feels like" River murmured.
"I'm sorry, you know. About what I said in the diner. I wanted to hurt you. I didn't actually mean it. Whatever your relationship is with the Doctor in the future, I'm not planning to get in the way of that" Katy went on, as River's eyes doubled in size.
"You honestly mean that don't you?" River sighed.
"You and him...you'd make a good pair" Katy suggested, as River looked as if she was about to slap the younger girl.
"Damn you" River snapped, surprising Katy.
"What?" Katy frowned.
"I'm trying to save you, Katy, put you onto a different path. We all are! But you're so bloody determined to sacrifice yourself, aren't you?" River muttered, only confusing Katy further.
"Uh, River. I think that's a spoiler. A very big, very we shouldn't be talking about it, spoiler" Rory hissed.
"Okay, you know what? Fuck this" Katy huffed, pushing River out of the way before reaching out for the glowing red lock.
River Song and Rory's eyebrows shot up as Katy ripped the lock of the door with one hard tug, and the metal hatch swung open with a creak. Dusting off her hands, she stepped forward, her mouth going slack when she saw what was inside. It was a cold, clinical room...that appeared far bigger on the inside.
"A Timeship. Someone's tried to build a TARDIS" Katy gaped, as a klaxon sound began ringing.
"That's an alarm. Check if anything's coming" River instructed Rory, who stayed by the hatch.
Katy wandered over to what she assumed was meant to be the time rotor, though there appeared to be little vortex energy coming from the machine. It was more like a glorified vortex manipulator.
"There's nothing out there" Rory called back to them, though he appeared out of breath.
"These tunnels, they're not just here, they're everywhere. They're running under the surface of the entire planet. They've been here for centuries" River frowned, taking out her tricorder and scanning the room.
"Okay, time to go" Katy insisted, as she rushed toward the hatch door, ready to drag the pair out if she needed to.
She let out a shriek as she saw a tall humanoid, around seven feet tall, with a bulbous head and grey, mouthless face creeping toward her. Her hand flew to her mouth as she glanced down at its hand, which had four large, spatulate fingers, that were crackling with some sort of electricity.
"What the fu..." Katy trailed off, as she twisted around to run away.
And then she forgot.
Her breath was coming out in short pants, and she could feel her heart racing, but she had no idea why. Wait, hadn't she just been about to leave the ship?
"What's wrong? Katy, look out!" River called out to her, as Katy turned around.
"Holy shit!" She cried, coming face to face with one of the creatures and their creepy miniature eyes.
"I...I saw them a minute ago but...I forgot. How did I forget that?" Rory gaped, as they watched another two of the aliens crouch down to enter the Timeship.
"If you look away...you forget" River warned them, as Katy backed up a step.
"How'd you know that?" Katy frowned.
"Lucky guess" River muttered, grabbing Rory and Katy's hands and pulling them back toward the time rotor.
"You...will be...neutralised!" One of the creatures exclaimed, in a raspy, rattling voice, despite the way it had no lips.
"No thanks," Katy muttered, raising out her hand and scrunching her eyes shut.
A horrible screeching sound echoed around the ship a moment later, before Katy felt her knees buckle from underneath her. She felt herself black out momentarily before hands grabbed her shoulders and pulled her upright. Once she opened her eyes again, she found the three creatures had collapsed against the floor, black, shadowy tendrils wafting over their motionless forms.
She had killed them. She barely even had to raise a finger.
"Rory, get back!" River cried, dragging him away from Katy, who slumped against the time rotor behind her.
"Oh, shit..." She trailed off, watching as wisps of shadowy essence drifted out of her palm, heading toward her two friends.
"You need to stop. Katy, stop this now" River insisted, as the shadows twisted together before reaching out to them in the shape of a clawed hand.
"I don't know how!" Katy cried, staggering backwards.
She gasped as she watched as the shadows began to creep up her arm, completely engulfing her skin in a matter of seconds. Panic coursed through her as the dark substance trailed further and further up her arm until she couldn't feel anything.
"Oh my God, what's happening? River!" Katy screamed.
"You're becoming a Shade" River gaped, as Katy's terror-filled eyes darted up to hers.
"No, no, no...stop it. Stop!" Katy screeched, reaching out to try to pull the shadows away with her other hand, but it only started to attach itself to her other palm.
"What did we do? River, come on!" Rory insisted, as a flashing light grew behind them.
Katy watched as half a dozen of the creatures started to march toward them, their hands raised out, their intention clear. Katy collapsed onto the ground, helplessly watching as they advanced on her friends. She glanced down to see the tendrils of darkness creeping up her other arm which had become numb.
"...Go" She exclaimed, as Rory turned to her.
"Just go! Get out of here! I'll...I'll hold them off" Katy insisted.
"No, not without you!" Rory cried, as River grabbed his arm.
"She'll be alright, Rory. I promise. I know she will" River said, before dragging him toward a hatch on the other side of the room.
"Katy!" Rory called out, trying to wrestle out of River's group.
"Go! Please, you have to get to the Doctor and Amy!" Katy argued, as Rory's face fell.
If the creatures had found them, they had likely already found the rest of their group. And they all knew it. Reluctantly, Rory allowed River to pull him through the hatch which wasn't locked, as the pair disappeared from sight. Katy sucked in a shaky breath as the aliens all turned toward her in unison.
"Come on then..." Katy exclaimed, struggling to her feet, watching as both her arms became engulfed in the shadows seeping out of her.
All of a sudden, the creatures appeared to all but disintegrate, in a blue mist. And it hadn't been from her hand. Before Katy had time to even breathe a sigh of relief, she felt the shadows wrapping around her throat, causing her to start choking as she fell to her knees. Then black boots, with four-inch heels were coming into her line of sight, just as she collapsed against the ground, struggling to breathe.
"Oh, poppet. Look at the state of you" A female voice sighed, before they kneeled in front of her.
"Help...me..." Katy gasped, as she felt the shadows crawling up her chin.
She glanced up at the woman, as her vision grew blurry, only able to focus on her piercing blue eyes. Katy reached out for them, her hand clutching onto their purple skirt when she felt the shadows growing over her lips. A hand then stretched out to her, as she felt a finger brush against her cheek.
"I'm always saving you, aren't I? It's quite a hobby of mine actually" The woman exclaimed, as she leant down to Katy's eye level.
Katy's forehead wrinkled as the woman tilted her head closer, and for a split second, Katy thought she was going to kiss her. Then suddenly, she turned to the side and bit down roughly onto Katy's hand that the shadows were seeping out of.
"Ow! What the fuck?!" Katy cried, flinching away from the mad woman, clutching her hand close to her chest.
Her hand which had returned to its usual pale colour, with no sign of what had just been engulfing her arm in sight. She pushed herself onto her knees, blinking rapidly as the woman's face came into view. She was around her mid-forties, her lips painted a bright red and she was dressed in a purple Edwardian coat, looking completely out of her time.
"It's like a phantom limb. You only needed to be reminded that your hand was still there to stop the process. Simple" The woman informed her, in a Scottish accent.
"...Thanks" Katy murmured, realising the woman had most likely just saved her life.
"You're welcome, darling" The woman answered, hooking her finger under Katy's chin.
The strange woman simply stood to her feet then and walked toward the hatch door, leaving Katy utterly confused. She was sure she had never seen the woman before...but there was something familiar there.
"Woah, woah. Hold on! Who are you?" Katy called out to her, as the woman turned around to face her, with an eccentric twist.
"An old friend" She replied, before picking up her skirts and exiting the ship.
"...What the hell does that mean?" Katy groaned, dropping her face into her hands.