Six hours.
The Master had left Katy on the couch in his bedroom six hours ago and she still hadn't moved. He doubted whether she had even blinked. All she did was stare at the ground, hunched over, hands shaking in front of her. If it wasn't for the occasional sob that left her lips, he wouldn't have even known she was breathing. She made no sign of being aware of his presence, as he made his way over to the decanter of whiskey on his bedside table, quick to pour out two glasses. As he slowly approached her, he noticed how her palms had become blistered by the Krillitane oil, red and bleeding. Thrusting a glass in her face, Katy finally blinked and took the whiskey from his hands with trembling fingers. The Master perched beside her, watching as she swallowed down the contents of the glass in a matter of seconds. With a huff, he took a swig of his own drink before handing what was left to her.
"You said I could save them. How?" Katy questioned, in a hoarse tone, finishing the whiskey.
"All in good time. Convince me you're not about to jump off any more buildings first," The Master retorted.
"You should have let me," She muttered.
"And have to deal with the Doctor's moping for the next thousand years?" The Master scoffed, shuddering at the thought.
"He'd get over it," Katy stated, as the Master grabbed the empty glass from her hands, peering closer at her injured palms.
"If you really believe that then you're more stupid than you look," The Master told her, as Katy gave him an unimpressed look.
"You're not very good at this whole comforting thing you know," Katy huffed, as the Master stood to his feet and wandered over to one of his oak drawers in the corner of his room.
"I don't do...comfort. If you want to kill yourself, be my guest, but don't pretend it won't affect your little earthling friends," The Master explained, crouching down as he began to rummage through the drawers.
His bedroom wasn't exactly homely, Katy mused. Surprisingly neat, all the furniture and paintings likely having come with the building. Nothing personal at all. She peered closer at what he was dragging out of the drawers, finding a jar of translucent goo in his hands. There were numerous contraptions and devices locked away in the drawers. All hidden from view. It reminded Katy of what it had been like inside his head. So many locked doors.
"If you're planning to trick me into—" Katy began, as the Master twisted around to face her.
"A paradox machine," He answered, pulling himself to his feet and walking toward her.
"A paradox machine?" Katy frowned.
"Is there an echo in here?" The Master retorted, as he flopped down beside her on the couch.
"I think you might be forgetting the fact that you're on Earth. They barely made it to the moon last century. Where do you think you'll get the materials to make a paradox machine?" Katy pushed, as the Master reached out for her hands, the jar of goo on his lap.
"I'll worry about that. You focus on making it," The Master told her, as she quirked an eyebrow.
"It's impossible," Katy murmured, with a shake of her head.
"Didn't you make a quantum forcefield from a radio?" The Master pointed out, removing the lid from the jar.
"The amount of Artron energy I would need would—ow!" Katy cried, as the Master slapped a blob of the jelly-like substance onto her palms.
"Stop whining. I'm going against all my morals and actually trying to help you," The Master snorted, as he rubbed the goo over her hands.
Katy grimaced as she watched her palms begin to steam, her nerve endings feeling as if they were on fire and then...the pain was gone. The goo sunk into her skin, slowly piecing her skin back together, as Katy watched on in amazement. Her skin shone a bright golden before returning to its usual pink colour, all the blisters fading away. Pulling away from the Master, she straightened her fingers out, a soft sigh of relief leaving her lips when she found the pain didn't return.
"Nanogenes?" She guessed.
"Liquid nanogenes. My own creation," The Master confessed, placing the lid back on the jar as Katy rubbed her hands together.
"Could they..." Katy trailed off, but the Master already knew what she wanted to ask.
"They only work on living tissue," The Master informed her.
Katy gave a solemn nod, the familiar feeling of hopelessness returning to her in an instant. Her sister was gone. And her whole race with her. She was the last of her species again. And now she had no one to turn to. It was only 2007, she barely knew Rose or Jackie yet. And she was yet to meet Martha or any of the Doctor's future companions. She was back to having no one. At least before meeting the Doctor, she felt she had nothing left to lose.
Katy stiffened as she felt a hand touching her hair before it moved to begin patting her head none too gently. She turned to face the Master, a look of disbelief on his features as he ruffled her hair until it was a frizzy mess, appearing thoroughly amused.
"The fuck are you doing?" Katy exclaimed.
"Petting you, obviously," The Master replied, as Katy had to bite her inner cheek to stop that laugh that almost escaped her lips.
"You do realise petting has a double meaning, right?" Katy responded, unable to stop the grin that grew on her face.
"Well, I can't keep up with all the ape's silly little words," The Master huffed, as Katy hid her face in her hands.
"I think that was almost a laugh then," The Master stated, as she shook her head.
"More of a wince, really. I mean, I thought the Doctor was socially awkward, but you're something else," Katy snorted, watching as the Master rolled his eyes.
They stayed in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. Or at least, Katy did. From the way the Master was subconsciously tapping a rhythm of four against his knee with his fingers, it was clear the drums were still deafening him. She had felt how loud they were in his mind and wondered how he could ever focus on anything else.
"A paradox machine, powerful enough to maintain bringing my sister back to life...it would encompass most of this solar system. You could do...pretty much anything with it," Katy pointed out.
"I suppose," The Master grinned.
"What would you use it for?" Katy pushed, as the Master gave a slight shrug.
"Oh, I could think of a few things" He replied, ominously.
"Like getting rid of the drums?" Katy asked, tapping his forehead with two fingers.
All the humour drained from his face instantly, replaced by something far more vulnerable that he masked just as quickly. She realised that almost all the times she had met him previously, were in his future. Fighting the Elemental Shade, Lazarus and his experiments...none of it had happened for him yet. But somehow, he knew at least vague details of what was to come. Did she tell him?
Spurred on by her curiosity, she moved her hand to grip his wrist, and instantly the drumming returned to her mind. With every beat, she could feel the thunderous sound piercing through her thoughts deeper and deeper, until the fear that they would never leave started to overwhelm her. Her face contorted in discomfort, a stark contrast to the almost peaceful expression that the Master wore. With a sigh, she eventually pulled her fingers away from his skin, able to still hear the echo of the drumming in her mind, but even that lessened after a few seconds.
"How can you bear it?" Katy questioned, pained after just a minute of the sound.
"I don't remember what silence feels like," He answered.
"You've never been without them?" Katy mumbled.
"Children of Gallifrey, were taken from their families at the age of eight to enter the Academy. As a novice, we were taken for initiation. To stand in front of the Untempered Schism. A gap in the fabric of reality through which could be seen the whole of the vortex. You stand there, eight years old, staring at the raw power of time and space...sometimes you see things. Or hear them," The Master explained, in a haunted tone.
"I always thought that was just a myth...why would they do that? Torture you like that?" Katy queried.
"Only the best were to join the Academy. It sorted through the riffraff," The Master shrugged, dismissively.
"But you got in. So, did the Doctor," Katy added.
"Well, it took a little while before they deemed me mad," The Master smirked.
"...I'm sorry," She exclaimed, as the Master let out a harsh scoff.
"I don't need your pity," He snarled.
"It's not pity. I just...I don't think any eight-year-old deserves that," Katy pushed, as the Master pursed his lips, leaning his elbows against his knees as he hunched forward.
"Have you ever...spoken to the Doctor about it?" Katy asked, as the Master looked up at her as if she was the mad one.
"You think the perfect Doctor ever wanted to listen to stories of my madness? He ran. Just like he always did," The Master muttered.
The Time Lord froze as Katy suddenly reached out to place her palm against his hand, with just a light touch. The drumming in his head immediately lessened, only a distant call in his mind. It was strange. It ignited something akin to hope inside him, a desire that perhaps one day the sound would leave him.
"What're you doing?" He snapped, expecting she was acting out of sympathy, something which twisted his guts.
"I forgot. About all of it. The drums are so loud, how can you ever concentrate on anything else?" Katy frowned, as she closed her eyes.
"Practice," He murmured.
"I just need to forget. Just for a little bit," Katy insisted, as her grip on his wrist tightened.
"Sounds like you want to use me," The Master stated.
"Isn't that what you're doing with me?" Katy huffed, as her eyes fluttered open to find he had turned towards her.
"Hmm. Touché," He smirked, before leaning closer, bumping their foreheads together gently.
And just like that, the drumbeat was fading from his mind. Quieter and quieter with every beat, as he tangled their minds together with ease. The doors in her mind were left ajar for him to easily walk through, leaving echoes of drumming behind in his wake. The further into her mind he delved, the further away the drumming felt until...silence.
There was no sound. Nothing at all. Just the sound of Katy's soft breathing close to his ear. He couldn't remember the last time he had so much space to think. No interruptions. Just his own intentions.
He hated it.
Katy let out a groan as he suddenly pulled away from her, cutting the psychic contact painfully quick. The drumming rang in her ears still, but everything else was quick to return. All of the despair and guilt, until she felt like it would swallow her whole.
"I thought you'd appreciate a little silence after all these years," Katy exclaimed, rubbing her aching temples.
"I don't want the drums to leave, I just want them to not hurt," The Master confessed, as Katy pursed her lips.
She held out her hand to him, waiting for him to be the one to initiate contact again. He had sifted through her thoughts and memories so easily, stepping through more doorways than he could count. But a door could be stepped through from either side. And the last thing he wanted was to have her of all people in his head.
"Lie down," He ordered, as she raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, I bet you say that to all the girls," She teased, but did as she was instructed, nonetheless.
Tucking her legs up on the couch, she lay down with a huff, hearing the sound of fabric ruffling behind her. The Master was quick to follow suit, slotting himself in behind her, despite a bed being only metres away from the pair. Katy winced as he slung his arm around her, intertwining their fingers as the drumming came whirring back to life in her head. It still wasn't enough to drown out her other thoughts, something which the Master became acutely aware of as his mind mingled with her own. Manoeuvring them around a little, he pushed his arm through the gap between her shoulder and the couch. He then brought the arm up to rest against her chest, his fingers lying across her collarbone, deepening the contact between their minds. Now, the drums were only a soft echo for him, still there but far out of reach.
"Better?" He murmured, as he felt her nod.
"Tell the Doctor about this and I'll wring your neck," He warned, as she hummed, already half asleep.
"And if your hands start wandering, I'll cut them off," She retorted, earning an amused laugh in response.
"Did I just see Sharon Osbourne walking out of here?" Katy questioned, hauling a metre-long cable behind her.
"Another supporter for Harold Saxon," The Master grinned, as she crouched down to attach the cable to the mains supply to the house.
"Did you hypnotise her?" Katy exclaimed.
"Won her over with my natural charm," The Master retorted, pouring over dozens of promotional photographs of himself on the glass table beside him.
"That'll be a yes then," Katy mocked, pushing herself to her feet, and dusting off her clothes as she did so.
She had been staying with the Master for almost three weeks and it surprisingly hadn't been terrible. Sure, he was a dick with some pretty dubious morals, but she found his presence almost comforting in a way. She'd never admit it to him, but he reminded her in so many ways of the Doctor. It wasn't exactly a startling revelation, they were from the same race after all, but she was pretty sure the Master would chuck her out of the window if she ever made the comparison.
"You know, I could do with some help with the paradox machine. If you can pull yourself away from your important political meetings, of course," Katy scoffed, wandering over to him.
"Running for Prime Minister isn't an easy thing..." The Master trailed off, as she raised an eyebrow.
"Fine, fine. Taking over this country is embarrassingly easy. The humans do whatever I tell them to," The Master admitted, as she flopped down on the couch next to him.
"I still don't understand why you're so invested in this," She muttered.
"I'm the Master. The motivations in the name," He retorted.
"You could take over a much more advanced planet and we both know it. Why Earth?" Katy pushed, as he gave her a look.
"Messing with the Doctor's favourite pets is something of a hobby of mine. Why do you think I keep you around?" He huffed.
"Because I'm the only one who can deal with your insufferable personality" Katy suggested, when he suddenly grabbed her hand and hauled her to her feet.
He had been doing that a lot lately. Sometimes there would be a psychic connection and other times, it seemed like he just liked having someone around to touch.
"I have a surprise for you," The Master announced, as a bad feeling grew in her stomach at his excited look.
"I hate surprises," She groaned, as he continued pulling her through the mansion toward the front entrance.
"You'll like this one," He grinned, bringing them to the landing above the front door.
Katy's frown deepened as she saw three men shoved into sight, all with bags covering their heads, dressed in prison overalls. The Master clapped his hands manically, before rushing down the steps to meet their 'guests'. His guards made a swift exit once the men were pushed to the ground, appearing to leave little threat to them. Katy cautiously approached the Master, still at a loss at what was happening.
"Who the hell are these guys?" Katy called out, as the Master grabbed the collar of the nearest man and tugged off the bag covering his head.
The man had tape covering his mouth, and a bruise over his left eye, which was wide with fear. Grabbing the man by the hair, the Master dragged him toward her, dropping the man who Katy assumed was a prisoner to her feet.
"Wife beater...rapist...and last but not least...a child killer. Satisfies your precious morals?" The Master exclaimed, pointing to the three men.
"...What?" She gaped, even more confused.
"The Doctor's stupidity has been rubbing off on you, hasn't it?" The Master sighed, before going to stand behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders.
"You let me into your head, remember? You're better at closing those doors now, but I still saw those terrible little impulses you hide from the Doctor. Beat them, kill them, I don't care," The Master shrugged, pushing her forward.
"You're welcome" He grinned, as she turned to him in disbelief.
"I don't want this," She stated, as the Master let out a long groan.
"Katy. They're just humans. Insects, really. So...have at it," He pushed, as she glanced at the man on his knees, his wrists tied together in front of him.
"You really don't get it, do you? I like humans. Sure, I dislike these ones, but I'm not...I don't want to be like my family," Katy explained, as the Master gave her a look of scepticism.
"Why? Afraid to disappoint your beloved Doctor?" The Master retorted.
"Not everything I do or think is because of him, you know. Unlike you," Katy told him, as the Master gaped at her.
"Take that back," He huffed, as she shrugged.
"I'm just speaking the truth. Only one of us has an obsession, and it ain't me," Katy continued.
Just as the Master opened his mouth to scold her, one of the men still wearing a bag over their head, made a run for it. With a roll of his eyes, the Master pulled out his laser screwdriver and shot toward the man, hitting him square in the back as he flopped to the ground.
"Why did you become so boring?" The Master mumbled, as she raised her middle finger at him.
Neither had noticed how the man by their feet had taken notice of the weapon in the Master's hand, a plan instantly formulating in his head. Lunging forward, he suddenly bit the Master's leg, causing the Time Lord to let out a yelp, and lose his grip on the laser screwdriver. Jumping up to his feet, the criminal tried to grab the screwdriver from the Master's hands and might have succeeded had Katy not intervened. In the blink of an eye, her hands had wrapped around his neck and with one hard tug, she could feel his spine snap underneath her fingertips. As the man's body slumped to the ground, the Master quirked an eyebrow in her direction.
"Feel better?" He asked, as she glanced down at the corpse by her feet.
"No," She answered, firmly.
"Then why'd you kill him?" The Master huffed, as Katy pinched at the bridge of her nose.
"You're such a fucking idiot" Katy sighed, before turning on her heel and beginning to walk away.
"Uh, sir. What would you like us to do with the last one?" One of his guards called out, as they re-entered the room when they saw Katy leaving.
With an annoyed expression, the Master turned back to the rapist still on his knees and debated his options before glancing at his sonic screwdriver. Twisting the end of his device to increase the precision, he made a gesture for the guard to tug the man to his feet.
"We'll return him to the prison...minus one appendage," The Master smirked, aiming the laser screwdriver toward the man's crotch.
Returning to the guest bedroom that she had taken for herself, Katy could hear a beeping sound coming from her bedside table. Picking up her flip phone, she found a missed call and a voicemail had been left. And she knew there was only one person who would have called her. Lowering herself to the bed, she brought her knees up to her chest, biting at her thumb as she debated whether to listen to the message. Instinctively, she pressed play on the voicemail and brought to phone right up to her ear and closed her eyes.
Hello. It's me. The Doctor. Ah, I suppose you've realised that. Right, so I'm not really sure how these things work...
There was a strained cough then, followed by a few moments of silence.
You left. And I let you. I thought it would be better for you. I hope it is. Not sure where you went. I think you're still on Earth. I hope you are.
Another moment of silence, and then the sound of fabric ruffling, as Katy guessed the Doctor was pulling at his tie.
The thing is...I...well, I miss you. The TARDIS does too. And Rose. I've stayed in London since...but I'm thinking maybe you're not coming back. Which is fine. I mean, it's not fine but...I understand. I'll stay away. I'm good at that...
"Yeah, tell me about it," Katy mumbled, as she continued listening to the message.
The TARDIS is restless. She's not good at staying in one place for long. Neither am I. We're leaving in the morning, me and Rose. You don't have to come with us. Or call me back. I was just...
A long sigh could be heard from the other end of the call, as the Doctor's breathing became muffled like he had pulled the phone away from him.
Send a message back. Anything. I need to know you're still out there.
The message ended abruptly as Katy dropped her head onto her knees, feeling more conflicted than ever. It was nice staying with the Master, she could avoid everything. Pretend all the terrible things had never happened. With the Doctor...how could she think of anything else? The pain would return worse than ever.
But she would be with him. And maybe that was worth the pain.
Biting her lip, she pulled up her contacts and began to type out a message to the Doctor. She deleted the words the first few times, not sure what to say. But eventually, one sentence came to mind.
I miss you too.
"How sweet," The Master's voice sneered from the doorway of her bedroom, as Katy's head snapped up.
"I replied, that's all. It doesn't mean anything," Katy dismissed, dropping her phone onto the bed.
"Always ready and his beck and call, aren't you? It's pitiful," The Master snapped, angrily.
"It's not like I can stay here anyway. Another month and you'll be meeting a past version of me. Can't exactly shake hands with her, can I?" Katy pointed out, as he stormed into the bedroom.
"And what about the paradox machine? Saving your sister?" The Master insisted.
"You know exactly how to make a paradox machine. You don't need my help," Katy responded, as the Master grit his teeth together.
"Maybe I want it."
Katy's eyes softened a little at the confession, as she pushed herself onto her feet, slowly coming to stand in front of him. Whilst the Master seemed to think her mind was already made up, she was still debating her next actions.
"Okay. Tell me one thing, the truth, and I'll stay here," Katy announced, as the Master's brow furrowed.
"Just like that?" He questioned.
"You're not the worst company in the world," She shrugged, as he gave her a smug grin.
"Alright then. Ask me," He pushed.
"When you have the paradox machine, are you gonna' hurt the Doctor?" Katy asked, staring up at him intensely.
"What kind of stupid question is that? Of course, I am—" The Master began, as she cut him off by placing a finger against his lips.
"That wasn't the question. If I asked you not to hurt him...would you do it?" She exclaimed.
"I hate him," The Master retorted, as she cocked her head to one side.
"That's not an answer," She insisted.
"Why should I do what you want me to?" The Master argued, as Katy found herself tongue-tied for a moment.
"Because we're...we're friends," Katy answered, as the Master took a step forward, now looming over her.
"I don't do friends," He huffed, as she let out a groan.
"Yeah, that's pretty fucking obvious. Alright, you wanna' know what I really think? All of this has just been about pissing the Doctor off. And you wouldn't care so much about someone you just hate," Katy explained, watching as the Master's expression grew cold.
"I think I'm starting to hate you," He retorted.
"Yeah? Well, right back at you," Katy snapped, childishly.
An amused expression flashed across the Master's face then, as even Katy couldn't stop the laugh that left her lips. She definitely didn't hate him. But she couldn't leave the Doctor. Not on bad terms. It would eat away at her. Pursing her lips, she turned around to grab her flip phone and through it toward the Time Lord, who caught it in one hand, his face etched with confusion.
"Have it. I have like five others. Call me sometime," She suggested.
"Why?" He frowned.
"Because we're friends," Katy told him, as his nose shrivelled up in disgust.
"No, we're not," The Master scoffed.
"We definitely are. In fact, I think I'm the best friend you've ever had," Katy exclaimed, poking him in the chest with her finger.
"You know, I usually kiss my friends goodbye," The Master murmured, grabbing her wrist, his eyes dropping to her lips.
"Like I said. You're insufferable," She teased, a smile spreading over her face.
Raising his eyebrow expectantly, Katy leaned up on her tiptoes, until their lips were almost touching. At the last second, she veered to the right to press a kiss to his cheek, grinning at the disappointed look the Master wore.
"Bye, Master," She exclaimed, as he reluctantly dropped his hold on her wrist.
"I'm not calling you," He stated, as she made her way out of the room.
"Yes, you will," She replied, sending him a quick smile over her shoulder.
2015
Katy sat atop the windowsill in the nursery, looking out at the miles of fields beyond, letting her forehead rest against the cold glass. A peaceful life had never been something she had been expecting. Nor, was it something she was sure she wanted. But she didn't have a choice. Hearing soft humming from downstairs, followed by the sound of a timer running out, she picked herself up and forced a smile on her face. She still had Amy and Rory, and that was all that mattered. Though their little makeshift family was soon to grow in the next couple of months.
"More baking?" Katy called out, entering the spacious kitchen to find Amy taking yet another tray of cupcakes out of the oven.
"I'm hungry," Amy pouted.
"You're always hungry," Katy pointed out, as a spoon was quickly thrown in her direction.
"I am eating for two, remember," Amy stated, as Katy's smile grew as she reached out for Amy's swollen stomach.
"How is little Katy doing this morning?" She exclaimed, as Amy rolled her eyes, a fond expression on her face.
"We're not naming our daughter after you," Amy retorted, as Katy held her hands up in mock defence.
"Rory already agreed to it," Katy admitted, in a hushed voice.
"He did what?" Amy gaped, as the man in question entered the room, a stack of post in his hands.
"Ah, yes. About that...it's a nice name, don't you think?" Rory chuckled, nervously, avoiding Amy's glares.
"You don't think it'll get confusing having her name be the same as her Godmother's?" Amy pointed out, as Rory and Katy shared a look.
"Nah," They both replied, simultaneously.
"Oh, the nurses from home told me to say congratulations, by the way. They're all expecting invites to the big day," Rory exclaimed, grabbing one of the warm cupcakes from the tray.
"How'd they find out so quickly?" Katy frowned.
"You know nurses, worse gossipers there are," Rory huffed, taking a bite of the cake.
"You do remember it wasn't so long ago you were a lowly nurse just like me," Katy teased, taking a cupcake from the tray herself.
The cake never made it to her lips, instead ending up crumpled on the floor when a familiar sound made her lose her grip on the treat. She slowly twisted around as the humming sound continued, and a police box materialised just outside the window of their cottage.
"I knew. I just knew," Amy smiled, as Rory's jaw dropped open.
In the next second, Rory was racing out of the kitchen, with Amy following him as quickly as her swollen legs could carry her. Katy remained in the room, her arms crossed over her chest as she peered out of the window. The Doctor was swinging the TARDIS doors open a moment later, stepping outside and cracking a brick underneath his feet as he did so. He staggered forward, realising the TARDIS had landed directly on top of a flowerbed, a sheepish expression flashing across his features. One that caused a familiar fondness to swell in Katy's chest, which she quickly pushed down.
"You've swallowed a planet!"
Katy could hear the Doctor's voice echo as she reluctantly made her way to the front door, seeing Rory and Amy already greeting the Time Lord, grinning like old times. Katy remained in the doorway, not wanting to make her presence known yet.
"I'm pregnant," Amy told him, rubbing her hands across her baby bump.
"You're huge!" The Doctor replied.
"Yeah, I'm pregnant," Amy nodded, but the Doctor still appeared oblivious.
"Look at you. When worlds collide," The Doctor smiled, before pulling Amy into a quick hug, barely being able to get his arms around her due to her massive belly.
"Doctor, I'm pregnant," Amy repeated.
"Oh, look at you both. Five years later and you haven't changed a bit, apart from age and size..." The Doctor trailed off, the realisation finally appearing to hit him.
"Oh, it's good to see you, Doctor," Amy admitted.
"Are you pregnant?" The Doctor asked, as Amy couldn't help but laugh.
"And the penny finally drops," Katy huffed, watching as the Doctor's shoulders suddenly became rigid.
Nervously, he turned to face her, his eyes averted to the ground as he did so. Katy still didn't move out of the shadowy doorway, anger bubbling up inside her. After so long...and now he turned up. He barely looked a day older. Dressed in his usual tweed jacket, his black hair maybe a few inches longer, and familiar puppy dog eyes.
"Doctor," She greeted, coldly.
"You look..." The Doctor murmured, not sure how to finish the sentence as he instinctively stepped forward to get closer to her.
Her once-long brunette hair had been cut short around her shoulders, framing her face in a way the Doctor wasn't used to. Dark eyeliner was curled around her eyes, emphasising the blue of her eyes in a way that caused the Doctor's hearts to thump a little harder. She was dressed in light blue scrubs, reminding him of what she wore the first day they met. He found himself wondering for not the first time, how he had managed to stay away from her for so long.
"Pissed off?" Katy suggested, as Amy sent her a look.
"Why don't we all go inside, eh?" Rory interjected, all but pushing himself in between the pair.
"If he's staying, then I'm going," Katy stated.
"Oh, Katy. Don't," Amy sighed, knowing that her friend wasn't bluffing.
"What, say the truth? He runs away to God knows where, not a bloody word from him since 2007 and then just when we're finally happy, he turns up and expects it all to be good just like that?" Katy snapped, angrily.
"...I didn't think I'd be welcome," He mumbled, as Katy's face scrunched up.
"Don't you dare try to put this on me. I...I sent you that message. I fucking ran to Rose's place, expecting you to be there and...nothing. You were already gone. And everytime you came back to Jackie's, you'd be gone again by the time I found out."
"That was a pretty shitty move, Doctor," Rory added.
"And then you leave them too? He was fucking right about you," Katy spat out, as the Doctor's forehead wrinkled.
"Who?" The Doctor questioned.
With a shake of her head, Katy went to storm away, but the Doctor grabbed her arm before she could get far. He opened his mouth to call out his name, but no sound left his lips when he saw what was on her ring finger.
"What's this?" He asked, moving his hand to her fingers, looking closer at the jewelled ring.
"Never seen an engagement ring before?" Katy retorted, roughly pulling her hand from his.
"You're getting married?" The Doctor mumbled, in a voice barely above a whisper.
"End of the year. And in case it wasn't fucking obvious, you're not invited," Katy huffed, before shoving past him and heading toward the village.
The four walked in a tense silence down the country roads, all having to slow their pace to accommodate Amy. The Doctor continued glancing at Katy's ring every few seconds, noting how ridiculously large the diamond looked on her finger.
"It's not going to disappear by you glaring at it," Rory murmured to him.
"A little flashy, isn't it?"
"Jealous?" Katy scoffed, as the Doctor pursed his lips.
"Overcompensating, is he?" The Doctor mumbled, under his breath.
"God, would you two just quit it?" Amy complained, in an irritated tone.
"So, we're back in Leadworth. Vibrant as ever," The Doctor exclaimed, as they made it into the town, without seeing a soul in sight.
"It's Upper Leadworth, actually. We've gone slightly upmarket," Rory informed him.
"Where is everyone?" The Doctor asked, his eyes darting around the silent courtyard.
"This is busy. Okay, it's quiet, but it's really restful and healthy. Loads of people here live well into their nineties" Amy explained, as Katy grimaced at the thought.
Her life span was already far longer than she wanted it to be, the last thing she wanted to increase it further. She noticed the Doctor appeared to share her sentiment.
"Well, don't let that get you down," The Doctor replied, as the four headed toward a nearby wooden bench.
"It's not getting me down," Amy huffed, lowering herself onto the damp wood.
Katy groaned inwardly as she watched Rory slot in beside her, leaving her to sit next to the Doctor who had left a space for her. She debated for a while about being petty and remaining standing, but the Doctor's hand was back on her wrist, dragging her down beside him. It was a tight fit, as Amy took up most of the space on the bench, leaving the others pressed up against each other.
"So...look at this bench. What a nice bench. What will they think of next? What do you do around here to stave off the, you know—" The Doctor continued, as Amy cut him off.
"Boredom?" She guessed.
"Self-harm," The Doctor finished, earning a glare from the ginger.
"We relax," Rory told him, as the Doctor turned to Katy.
"Relax?" He mouthed silently, in a comical way, that her lips twitching into an almost smile until she caught herself.
"We live. We listen to the birds," Rory added, as the Doctor raised an eyebrow at Katy.
"And you enjoy...listening to the birds with your...fiancé?" The Doctor questioned, the last word sounding like a curse from his tone.
"Well, we're more into the birds and the bees if you catch my drift," Katy smirked, as a blush rose over the Doctor's cheeks.
"Stop teasing him," Amy called out.
"Should I start slapping him instead?" Katy offered, as her words were followed by silence.
"...The teasing's fine," The Doctor exclaimed, knowing how hard she could slap.
"We didn't get time to listen to birdsong back in the TARDIS days, did we?" Rory pointed out.
The birdsong around them suddenly became deafening, as Katy could swear the sound was coming from her mind rather than the trees. A wave of exhaustion hit her a moment later, as her eyes grew heavy, her head beginning to slump forward. Even the Doctor could feel a tiredness setting into his bones.
"Oh blimey, my head's a bit...er, no, you're right, there wasn't a lot of time for birdsong back in the good old..." The Doctor trailed off, as he felt Katy slump against his shoulder.
"Days!" He announced, his eyes snapping open and finding he was back in the TARDIS.
"No, yes, sorry, what?" The Doctor stuttered, stumbling to his feet as he saw Katy slowly walking up the stairs with a dazed expression.
"Oh, you're okay. Oh, thank God. I had a terrible nightmare," The Doctor sighed in relief, rushing over to her without a second thought.
"That was scary. Don't ask. You don't want to know. You're safe now," The Doctor insisted, cupping her face in his hands for a moment, before pulling her into a bone-crushing hug.
"I have no idea what's going on right now...hold on, I didn't say stop hugging me," Katy said, when she felt the Doctor pulling away from her.
He laughed lightly, as she wrapped her arms around his back, swaying from side to side for a moment. Hugs with the Doctor always made her feel better, not that she'd openly admit it. She felt like she hadn't touched him in years. But that was just a dream. He was there with her.
"What, uh...what happened? My head's all...jumbled," Katy admitted, resting her chin on his shoulder.
"Not sure. Blimey. Never dropped off like that before. Well, never, really. I'm getting on a bit, you see. Don't let the cool gear fool you," The Doctor exclaimed, reluctantly pulling away from her embrace, tapping her nose as he did so.
"Now, what's wrong with the console? Red flashing lights. I bet they mean something," The Doctor frowned, wandering over to the lights, making Katy snort.
"Er, Doctor, I also had a kind of dream thing," Rory confessed, having stayed quiet whilst the pair had one of their 'moments'.
"Yeah, so did I," Amy admitted.
"Not a nightmare, though, just, er, we were married," Rory smiled, as Katy's grin faded.
"Yeah. In a little village."
"A sweet little village, and you were pregnant," Rory added, as Amy rubbed at her now flat stomach.
"Yes, I was huge. I was a boat."
So, you had the same dream, then? Exactly the same dream?" Rory frowned.
"Are you calling me a boat?" Amy huffed, as Rory gave her a look.
"And you were living with us and...oh. You were engaged," Rory gaped, as Katy held her hand up to her face, glad to see only the Doctor's ring was present.
"You had a nightmare about us. What happened to us in the nightmare?" Amy questioned, as the Doctor also peered at Katy's hand, looking just as relieved as she was.
"It was a bit similar, in some aspects," The Doctor shrugged.
"Which aspects?"
"Well, all of them," The Doctor confessed, as Amy crossed her arms over her chest.
"You said it was a nightmare," Rory scoffed, as the Doctor scratched at his face, awkwardly.
"Well, be fair, my...I mean, Katy was getting married. That's terrible!" The Doctor pointed out.
"What, cause' someone could never love me enough to pop the question? Is that what you're saying?" Katy snapped, as the Doctor let out a groan.
"Look, it doesn't matter. We all had some kind of psychic episode. We probably jumped a time track or something. Forget it. We're back to reality now," The Doctor dismissed, knowing he had well and truly pissed off all his companions in the space of a minute.
"Doctor? If we're back to reality, how come I can still hear birds?" Amy announced, as Katy realised she was right.
It made no sense. Unless...were they still dreaming? A dream inside a dream?
"Yeah, the same birds. The same ones we heard in the..." Rory trailed off, as he suddenly collapsed to the floor.
"Dream!" Rory said, as Katy blinked and found she was no longer in the TARDIS.
Her eyes grew wide as she found she had fallen asleep against the Doctor's shoulder, his chin resting atop her hair. The pair pulled apart in an instant, both their faces red. The Doctor looked around in confusion, slowly piecing together what was happening.
"Oh! Sorry. Nodded off. Stupid. God, I must be overdoing it. I was dreaming we were back on the TARDIS and...you had the same dream, didn't you?" Rory guessed, when he saw how Amy was staring at him.
"Weren't we just saying the same thing?" Amy frowned, as the Doctor jumped to his feet before crouching down on the ground.
"But we thought this was the dream, didn't we?" Rory asked, as Katy gave a quick nod.
"I think so. Why do dreams have to fade so quickly?" Amy groaned, pushing herself up onto her aching feet.
"It's not a dream. Not a normal dream at least," Katy informed them.
"How'd you know?" Rory inquired.
"I can read that street sign. You can't read words in your dreams, they just jumble up," Katy explained, pointing to a sign in the distance.
"Is this because of you? Is this some Time Lordy thing because you've shown up again?" Amy suggested, as the Doctor inspected some of the gravel on his palms.
"Listen to me. Trust nothing. From now on, trust nothing you see, hear or feel," The Doctor warned them, standing upright.
"But we're home," Amy retorted, as a wave of discomfort washed over Katy.
She really didn't want their life in Leadworth to be a reality, no matter how selfish it was of her. She could vaguely remember a different life where she had continued travelling with the Doctor, where he had waited for her. She needed that to be real.
"Yeah, you're home. You're also dreaming. Trouble is, Rory, Amy, Katy, which is which? Are we flashing forwards or backwards? Hold on tight. This is going be a tricky one," The Doctor exclaimed.