It wasn't long until they landed. The companions gingerly let go of the various parts of the TARDIS they'd grabbed, just in case the time machine had tricked them and was getting ready to throw them to the side. It wouldn't be the first time.
But the Doctor was the only one who didn't seem to be worried about such a thing, even though the last time it happened, he'd nearly been launched right off the platform. "Right!" he beamed as he examined the scanner. "Right place, right century. I did it!"
Alex stepped up beside him. "First time for everything," she quipped. The Doctor turned and gave her a put-out expression, but Alex just smiled mischievously. He grinned back at her. Thank Rassilon that their bantering wasn't gone despite the fact they had kissed so spectacularly.
He blushed remembering it. Normally, he was never so . . . vocal and expressive in his desires. In the past, whenever women kissed him, he'd just stood there, his body shaking and his hands flapping around, not sure what to do. During some of the times he and Rose kissed (even though it was always something that had possessed Rose kissing him) he hadn't reciprocated, even though he was thrilled at the very thought that he was kissing her.
But with Alex, it was different. She brought out something in him that made him want to tell her his desires and made him want to show her how good she was making him feel. That necking he did with her? As far as he could remember, he'd never done that with anyone. But something in him strove to do that to Alex, to suck and lick her neck, putting marks on her that let everyone know she was his.
Speaking of marks. . . He looked down and noted with quite a bit of pride the several hickeys decorating the sides of Alex's neck. Going to be a bit hard hiding those from Amy and Rory, he thought with no small amount of smugness.
Seeing where he was looking, Alex casually tossed her hair over her shoulders, hiding the hickeys on the sides of her neck. The ones on her collarbone were still visible, but her sonic necklace hid some of the bigger ones. "Burned myself with the curling iron," she lied, an impish look appearing in her topaz-colored eyes.
The Doctor nodded and pursed his lips. "Better be careful, Ally," he commented, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at their new antics. "You're far too precious to me."
"What, value of me goes down if I get injured?"
"Actually, no. Your value goes up. I can't stand seeing you hurt."
Alex giggled while behind her, Amy and Rory looked at each-other in confusion. Normally, when Alex burned herself, either through trying to curl her hair or attempting to cook, the Doctor would whisk her off top speed to the medical bay and fuss over her until each and every burn was gone. But now, he didn't seem at all concerned. It was as though he knew exactly how the marks had gotten there and was relishing in the opportunity to flirt with Alex.
And Alex was only too happy to reciprocate. "I'll try to be careful then," she promised. "Can you do the same?"
The Doctor placed a hand on the console, the other one going to his hip. He knew Alex's words had a double meaning for Amy and Rory's benefit: she was really talking about him controlling himself on her body. "Can't promise anything," he admitted. Alex truly was his kryptonite. He found himself bending to her every will . . . except on letting her keep a cat, but that was pure logic that took over on his part. "Although, in the past, my not being careful has led to some very pleasant things."
Alex blushed and giggled. Amy and Rory just stared at them. "Do you have any idea what's going on?" Rory whispered.
"No idea," Amy replied, shaking her head. "But look at the marks on Alex's neck."
Rory looked. Though Alex had covered most of them with her hair, he could still make out the numerous funky-shaped bruises adorning her skin. "Are those—"
"Yes," Amy hissed, cutting him off. "At least, I think so. There's no way she did all that with a curling iron."
"But then who. . .?" The two slowly swiveled their heads in the Doctor's direction. They stared at him for a moment before turning back to face each-other.
"Nah," they dismissed. The Doctor and Alex were so stubborn and hard-headed. There was no way they would ever start making out like that. It'd take the Jaws of Life to get them to do that, and even then, they'd just dismiss it and never speak of it again.
"Now!" the Doctor declared, rushing across the platform and down the stairs, Alex in tow. "Let's find out where we are!" He and Alex rushed out the door. After a moment, the Ponds followed them.
They found themselves in a dark, wood-lined room. Barrels and trunks were everywhere, cluttering almost every inch of available space. Alex started to survey the room, only to suddenly stumble when the floor moved. She yelped and gripped onto the Doctor's jacket. The Doctor ran a hand through her hair, trying to calm her down, and cautiously led her further into the room.
"Where are we?" Amy questioned. At that moment, a bunch of footsteps sounded from above.
"Lower levels of someplace," Rory guessed as he ran a hand across the dust-covered lid of a trunk.
The Doctor sniffed the air. "It smells like the seventeenth century. Along with brine and . . . salt-water. . ." His eyes widened and he glanced over at Alex. Thankfully, she was too enraptured in studying a birdcage to really notice the smell of the air or his words. But when she did notice, he knew she wasn't going to like it one bit.
Amy and Rory took whiffs of the air and then immediately looked at Alex. "You mean we're on a pirate—" Amy started, but the Doctor shushed her. He did not want to tell Alex that they were on a pirate ship in the middle of the ocean, the last place she'd want to be, just yet. Or ever, he silently amended.
He looked around for something else to talk about, finally spotting a grate just overhead. "Aha!" he cheered. He quickly reached up and started shaking the grate. Above them, the footsteps stopped. The Doctor banged on the grate twice, knowing from experience that people usually tended to get irritated the longer and harder you rattled things.
It was at that moment that Alex got a good sniff of the air. The floor gently rocked again, and the dots connected in her brain. "Oh no," she gasped, turning to give the Doctor a dark look.
He gulped at the anger in her eyes. So much for more kissing tonight.
The grate finally came undone and, to keep from looking at Alex, he gave it a good push. It clattered to the ground above, allowing the four to see the night sky overhead . . . and several sailors crowded around the hatch, one pointing a gun at them.
The Doctor wasn't even deterred. Instead, he grinned. "Yo-ho-ho!" he greeted as Alex continued glaring at him. "Or does nobody actually say that?"
"I will kill you," Alex told him, an ominous tone in her voice.
"No, you won't," he laughed.
At least, he hoped she didn't.
~The Pros and Cons of Silence~
A few minutes later, the four found themselves in the captain's cabin. They were standing before the captain at his desk while a few sailors stood behind them so as to make sure they didn't try to escape.
The captain was a big, burly man with a graying beard and stern eyes that had clearly seen their fair share of hardships. At the moment, he was giving the Doctor a very doubtful look as the Time Lord tried to explain just how they had gotten onto a pirate ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
"We made no signal," the captain retorted once the Doctor had finished his explanation.
"Our sensors picked you up," the Doctor explained, glancing sideways at Alex to see that she was still shooting daggers at him. Her arms were crossed, and she was standing with all her body parts very close together, as if she were afraid of spreading out. Reluctantly pulling his gaze away from her, he added, "Ship in distress."
The captain frowned at him, confused. "Sensors?"
"Yes," the Doctor winced. "Okay, problem word. Seventeenth century. My ship automatically, er, noticed-ish that your ship was having some bother."
"That big blue crate?"
The Doctor snapped his fingers in confirmation.
"That is more magic, Captain Avery," the sailor standing beside the captain said. He pointed at the TARDIS crew with his hat. "They're spirits! How else would they have found their way below deck?"
"Well, er," the Doctor stuttered. Not for the first time since this conversation started, he wished that Alex would help him out, though he knew that wasn't likely going to happen at this point. "I want to say multidimensional engineering, but since you had a problem with sensors, I won't go there. Look, I'm the Doctor. This is Amy, Rory, Alex. We're sailors, same as you." Avery's response to that was to pull out a gun and aim it at him. The Doctor sighed. "Ooh, arr, except for the gun thing. And the beardiness."
"You're stowaways," Avery decided. "Only explanation. Eight days, we've been stranded here, becalmed. You must have stowed away before we sailed."
"Now what do we do with 'em?" the crew member beside him asked.
Avery smiled at the four, but it wasn't one that spelled good intentions. "Oh, I think they deserve our hospitality."
The Doctor grinned, ignorant of the fact that things were only about to get worse. Beside him, Alex groaned.
"Okay," she declared, "I really will kill you now."
~The Pros and Cons of Silence~
Less than two minutes later, the Doctor was pushed out onto the plank of the ship. He warily eyed the dark blue water a few feet below him and silently thanked God that Alex wasn't on this. She'd have a coronary. Behind him, the pirates were laughing their heads off, some of them holding back Amy, Rory, and Alex.
"I suppose laughing like that is in the job description," the Doctor remarked as the pirates continued cackling at his predicament. "Can you do the laugh? Check. Grab yourself a parrot." He put his arms over his head, like he was an Olympic swimmer ready to jump off the diving board, and bounced up and down on the plank a few times. Behind him, Alex's eyes widened, and she prayed that the plank wouldn't fall. "Welcome aboard."
"Doctor, be careful!" Alex called. She couldn't lose him to a freaking walking of the plank for crying out loud! Not after she finally got together with him! And really, pirates actually did that? She thought it was a bunch of junk made for Hollywood movies just to get the audience riled up. Apparently not.
"Stocks are low," Avery informed them, looking quite calm considering the circumstances. "Only one barrel of water remains. We don't need four more empty bellies to fill." He turned to the crewmen holding Amy and Alex. "Take the doxies below to the galley. Set them to work. They won't need much feeding."
"Like hell!" Alex screeched. She dug in her heels as her captor tried to drag her off.
"Rory? A little help?" Amy cried as she was pulled over to the grate-covered hold they'd all come out of earlier.
Rory struggled against his captor. "Yeah, hey!" he shouted. "Hey, listen, right? They're not doxies!"
"I didn't mean just tell them off!" Amy retorted, rolling her eyes as she was shoved under. "Thanks anyway."
"Doctor, help!" Alex yelled. She kicked at her captor's shins, but he kept ducking out of the way. Alex squirmed and pulled against the crewman's grasp, but it was no use. He had a tight grip on her. He yanked her over to the hold section, where Amy was trying to jump out. "Doctor!"
The Doctor immediately turned around, ready to rush off the plank and to her rescue. However, before he could take a single step in that direction, Avery whipped his gun out and aimed it directly at him. The Doctor put up his hands and reluctantly turned back around, listening as Alex was finally forced down into the hold with Amy.
"If you're lucky, you'll drown before the sharks can take a bite," Avery told him.
Yes, that's very lucky, the Doctor thought. Aloud, he said, "If this is just because I'm a captain too, you know, you shouldn't feel threatened. Your ship is bigger than mine. And I don't have the cool boots. Or a hat, even."
Avery cocked the gun. "Time to go."
The Doctor shuffled forward to where he was on the very edge of the plank. "A bit more laughter, guys?" he requested, noticing that the pirates had gone quiet. They immediately obliged and snickered away at his doom.
~The Pros and Cons of Silence~
Meanwhile, Alex stumbled back into Amy's arms as she toppled into the hold.
"Whoa!" Amy cried. She hastily caught her friend and set her back on her feet.
"Thanks." Alex brushed the sleeves of her sweater, as if by somehow doing this she could get rid of the salt-water stench now buried in the fibers. She glanced up above them, hearing the jeering and howling of the pirates as the Doctor stood on the plank. She felt a surge of protectiveness rise in her, something that was quite new for her. She'd never really been protective of boyfriends in the past. Now though, she wanted to keep the Doctor safe and out of harm's way, much as he did for her. "We've got to get up there."
Amy nodded and looked around the hold. "There's gotta be something down here we can use." She rushed over and lifted a trunk-lid to reveal piles and piles of jewels. She frowned. "Pretty, but not useful."
Alex snorted and made her way over to another trunk. "Well, we're on a pirate ship, so they have to have some weapons lying about," she reasoned as she fumbled with the trunk's lock. A second later, the lock gave way and she pushed open the lid. Her eyes widened at the sight inside. The trunk contained several dozen swords, all long and shiny and sharp. Alex reached in and pulled one out, brandishing it carefully. She had never used a sword before, unless you counted the foil she'd used during the brief fencing unit in ninth grade gym.
Amy sped over to the trunk and pulled out a sword of her own. "Why are they all locked up down here?" she wondered. "I didn't see any on the men, did you?"
"No, but that means their stupidity is our gain," Alex said, shutting the trunk. When she turned back around, she found Amy now wearing a blue frock coat and a black triangle-shaped hat. Alex shook her head, amused. "Better not let the Doctor get his hands on that," she warned, tapping her head. "We'll never hear the end of 'pirate hats are cool'."
Amy chuckled in agreement before eyeing the sword in Alex's hand. "Have you ever used a sword before?"
"No, unless you count the unit I did in ninth grade gym on fencing. I was relatively good. What about you?"
Amy shook her head, but grinned nevertheless. "First time for everything! Now, let's go get our boys."
~The Pros and Cons of Silence~
"Where are the rest of the crew?" the Doctor asked, turning on the plank to face Avery. "This is a big ship. Big for five of you. I suppose the rest of them are hiding and," he pinched his nose and turned back around, the rest of his sentence coming out in a nasally voice, "they're going to jump out and shout boo."
"Boo!" a familiar Scottish voice cried.
Everyone spun around to see Amy and Alex standing at the head of the ship, both brandishing long, pointy swords. Amy was decked out in a blue frock coat and a tricorn hat, looking very much like a pirate. Alex, on the other hand, looked more like a pissed-off, worried young woman. She glanced over at the Doctor and gave him a reassuring wink, her grip on the sword tightening when she saw that he was still standing on the plank.
The girls aimed their swords at Captain Avery. He seemed rather terrified of the objects in their hands, the complete opposite of how you would expect a pirate to look when faced with such weapons. "Throw the gun down," Amy ordered. Without a word, Avery took out his gun and tossed it to the ground. Amy kicked it over to Alex, who quickly picked it up and tossed her sword overboard. She could handle a gun much better than a sword.
"The rest of you," she said, sliding a bullet into the chamber, "on your knees."
The Doctor ran back up the plank and onto the deck. "Amy, Alex, what are you doing?!"
"Saving your life," Amy retorted.
"Okay with that, are you, Doc?" Alex added, winking at him again to try and calm him down. But based on his distressed expression, it didn't do a lick of good. The fact that she was holding a gun probably didn't help matters.
"Put down the sword," Avery requested. He eyed the weapon with quite a bit of apprehension. "A sword could kill us all, girl."
"Yeah, thanks. That is actually why I'm pointing it at you." Amy continued aiming it at him until one of the crewmembers suddenly attacked her.
"Amy!" Alex cried, immediately turning and tossing the gun to the other side of the ship. She had seen enough movies and episodes of General Hospital to know how it would go if she and a crewmember started struggling over the gun. She was not about to risk that happening here.
She needn't have worried though. Despite never having handled one, Amy was doing remarkably well in defending herself. As one of the men tried to hit her with a long wooden staff, Amy simply stepped back and began using her sword to dodge the blows.
While this went on, Alex started inching her way to the other end of the ship, pressing herself against the railing to avoid getting a stray blow from the fight. She looked over her shoulder and glanced down at the dark, almost black waters. She shuddered and turned back to watch the fight, all the while praying that she didn't accidentally get shoved over.
The Doctor's eyes widened upon seeing her predicament. Alex couldn't go anywhere unless Amy and the others moved their fight elsewhere. The only place for her to go was overboard. He immediately started forward, wanting to get to her and pull her back as far as possible from the edge, only for Avery to grab him and hold him against some of the sail ropes. The Doctor thrashed and pushed against Avery, but the captain had a good grip on his wrists, preventing him from going anywhere. With a low growl, the Doctor managed to crane his head far enough to look at Alex. "Hang on!" he called to her.
Meanwhile, Amy was still fighting. She stabbed at one of the men, causing him to jump back a good three feet. The rest, a bit braver, gathered around her. Amy merely smirked and stabbed the sword at one of the men. He, too, recoiled. She swished her sword around, getting this reaction out of all of them. They were all positively terrified of getting even a scrape!
Alex observed this, her brow furrowed. The men were clearly afraid of getting injured, so they'd locked up all their swords as a precautionary measure. But why had they done so? There had to be a specific reason for this newfound sense of caution.
She was pulled back to the present when she saw one of the men charging forward at Amy, armed with a wooden stick. Before she could call out a warning though, Amy spotted him. She easily knocked him back, kicking him down for good measure. At that moment, another crewmember ran towards her, a rope in his hands. Amy whirled around and hurried to another deck. She grabbed a rope and jumped off the deck, swinging past the crewmember and slashing him in the hand.
Everyone froze, gawking at the man, as Amy safely landed on top of a barrel. The man stared down at his hand before looking up at her. "You have killed me," he gasped.
Amy rolled her eyes at him as Alex hurried forwards and helped her down. "No way. It's just a cut," she scoffed. "What kind of rubbish pirates are you?"
"One drop, that's all it takes," Avery said grimly. "One drop of blood and she'll rise out of the ocean."
"Who?" Alex questioned. But before Avery could answer, Amy cut in.
"Come on, I barely even scratched him! What are you all in such a huff about?" Right then, another man came at her. Amy grabbed the rope and swung down again, but the man grabbed her legs, making her drop the sword.
Rory darted forward to try and catch it, but only succeeded in scratching himself. "Ow! Argh!" he hissed. Two crewmembers came up behind him, one of them already holding Amy while the other took hold of Rory. Alex was dragged up to them by another crewmember.
"Er, Doctor?" Rory suddenly called out. "What's happening to me?" He lifted his scratched hand. A black spot the size of a quarter was now in the center of his palm.
"She can smell the blood on your skin," Avery cryptically explained. "She's marked you for death."
"She who?" Alex questioned.
"A demon, out there in the ocean."
"Okay, groovy," the Doctor nodded, grinning as he walked up and examined Rory's hand. "So not just pirates today. We've managed to bagsy a ship where there's a demon popping in. Very efficient. I mean, if something's going to kill you, it's nice that it drops you a note to remind you."
Great! Alex thought. Now not only do I have to worry about being on a pirate ship surrounded by water, but I also get to worry about a homicidal demon! Just fantastic!
But before she could vocalize any of these thoughts, or possibly hit the Doctor upside the head for bringing them here, a strange, ghostly voice started to echo all around them.
As the Doctor, Amy, Rory, and Alex looked around, the crewmembers began covering their ears. "Quickly now!" the one Amy had slashed shouted. "Block out the sound!"
"What?" Rory asked, confused.
"The creature," Avery elaborated. "She charms all her victims with that song."
Rory's eyes widened and he glanced down at the spot on his hand. "Oh, great!" he groaned. "So put my fingers in my ears, that's your plan?" He turned and headed back towards the grate. "Doctor, come on. Let's go. . ." Rory trailed off suddenly, his voice slurring, and he stumbled. He shook his head and tried to move forward again. "Let's get back to the . . . er. . ." He staggered around, swaying like a drunk person as the Doctor, Amy, and Alex worriedly watched. "Oh . . . back to the . . . er. . ." Then, as if things couldn't get even more bizarre, he suddenly burst out laughing.
"The music," the other crewman chuckled, looking just as amused as Rory did. "It's working on him. Look."
Rory swirled around and stumbled over to Amy. He leaned against a rope as he looked at her with an expression that could only be described as love drunk. "You," he gasped, "are so beautiful!"
Amy frowned at him. "What?"
"I love your get-up! That's great! You should dress as a pirate more often." He moved to hug her while the Doctor and Alex watched him with identical frowns on their faces. "Hey, hey, cuddle me, shipmate."
"Rory, stop!" Amy ordered, pushing him away.
Rory didn't seem too deterred though, for he planted his hands on her shoulders. "Everything is totally brilliant, isn't it?!" he cried. "Look at these brilliant pirates! Look at their brilliant beards!" He pointed to the pirate standing next to them to illustrate his point, his other hand still holding on to Amy. "I'd like a beard. I'm gonna grow a beard."
"You're not," Amy deadpanned.
"The music turns them into fools," Avery explained.
"That certainly explains a lot," Alex remarked when Rory and the other pirate started laughing hysterically at something known only to them.
It was then that something caught her eye. Alex looked over at the water and stared, stunned, as a section of it started turning green. "Oh my God," she gasped, attracting the Doctor's attention. He turned just in time to see a light drift up from the green bit of water. He and Alex watched, curious, while the pirates and Amy eyed it with extreme trepidation. Rory and the other pirate's eyes widened, their mouths dropping open in wonder.
A figure flew out of the light. It was a tall, very attractive woman with green skin and long dark hair. She wore only a white strapless dress, her feet bare. Her mouth was open, the haunting song coming out of it. Immediately after landing gracefully on the deck, she began walking towards them.
His hand outstretched, the pirate headed over to her. He was grinning like a madman, his eyes practically glazed over. Rory was in a similar state, his own arm stretched out, but Amy was holding him back. Seeing that she was struggling, Alex darted over to help, gripping Rory's other arm in as tight a hold as she could manage.
The injured pirate continued to approach the green woman. He stretched his hand out towards her. The moment his fingertips met hers, the pirate burst into ashes.
The crew, the Doctor, Amy, and Alex all jumped back in shock. All gawked at the spot where the pirate had been. The only evidence he'd been there at all was a small pile of gray ash and dust.
Rory, however, didn't seem alarmed by what had just happened. In fact, it only seemed to make him more determined to get to the woman. "I have to touch her," he declared, straining against Amy and Alex's holds. "Let me touch her!"
"Yeah, that's not happening," Alex told him as Amy released one of his arms to go and confront the green woman, who was edging closer to them, trying to make Rory's wish come true.
Amy stepped right in her path. "Sorry," she glared, "but he is spoken for."
This did not go over well with the green lady. Within the blink of an eye, her skin switched from calm, soothing green to a harsh, violent red. Her eyes did the same, resembling those of someone possessed in a Devil horror film. She angrily screeched at Amy before suddenly sending the redhead flying backwards by some invisible force.
"Amy!" Alex cried. She wanted to dart over and check on her friend, but it was vitally important that she keep Rory back. She looked over and saw that the woman had turned green again. There was no evidence of her previous anger in her calm, beckoning appearance. It was as though she'd flipped some internal switch.
"Amy!" the Doctor shouted, rushing towards the Scot. He bent down, giving her a quick glance-over before helping her up. Amy seemed a little dazed, but otherwise okay. As he tugged her up, he yelled, "Everybody into the hold!" The pirates hastened to obey him, Avery pausing only to retrieve his gun from the spot Alex had thrown it. After ushering Amy down after them, the Doctor rushed over to help Alex pull Rory down.
He grabbed Rory's arm and, with Alex, started tugging him over to the hold. "Rory, come on!"
"Hey!" Rory protested, straining to get over to the green woman. "Wait!" But the Doctor and Alex ignored him, instead dragging him into the hold.
The three dove inside. Alex grimaced as water splashed over her ballet flats, soaking her feet and a few inches of her jeans. Once one of the crewmembers shut the grate, she glanced at the Doctor and nodded at Rory, silently asking if it was okay to let him go now. The Doctor nodded and Alex released him.
Amy came forwards to take hold of him. "What is that thing?" she demanded.
"The legend," Avery said. "The Siren. Many a merchant ship laden with treasure has fallen prey to her. She's been hunting us ever since we were becalmed, picking off the injured."
"Like a shark," one of the crewmembers added. "A shark can smell blood."
"Okay," the Doctor nodded, processing this. "Just like a shark, in a dress. And singing. And green. A green singing shark in an evening gown."
Alex's brow furrowed. "I think it's something a bit simpler than that," she said, not unkindly.
The Doctor smiled, relieved that she was talking to him again, even if it was only about the Threat-of-The-Day. "You're definitely right, Ally," he complimented, giving her a wink.
Though she tried not to, Alex smiled a little.
"This ship is cursed!" Avery protested.
The Doctor sighed and inwardly cursed Avery for interrupting their moment. "Yeah, right," he scoffed. "Cursed is big with humans. It means bad things are happening, but you can't be bothered to find an explanation."
"She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Rory murmured wistfully, clearly talking about the Siren even as he took Amy's face in his hands.
"Actually, I think you'll find she isn't," Amy argued calmly.
"She is!"
In an effort to keep her amusement in check, Alex bit down on her lip. She leaned over and whispered to Amy, "Now would be a great time to get him to buy you that necklace I saw you dog-ear in Vogue."
"I would never take advantage of my husband when his mind has obviously been messed with," Amy retorted loud enough for the others to hear. But then, once everyone looked away, she gave Alex a conspiratorial wink. Alex winked back. Poor Rory. He was going to pay greatly for this little adventure.
Amy wrapped her arms around her clingy husband's body and leaned over his shoulder so she could talk to the Doctor. "We have to leave right now."
"That thing of yours is really a ship?" Avery asked.
The Doctor cocked his head, wondering how best to explain the TARDIS in terms the man could understand. "Well, it's not propelled by the wind. . ."
Once again, Avery pulled out his gun and pointed it at the Doctor. "Show me," he ordered as the Doctor moved Alex behind him, not wanting her in the potential line of fire. "Weigh anchor. Make it sail."
"And the gun's back," the Doctor noted, trying to keep calm even though he was utterly terrified about it being around Alex. It seemed as though ever since he properly kissed her, his concern and protectiveness for her had gone into overdrive. Actually, really thinking about it, it had started after she came back from her break in Leadworth. It seemed he was terrified of losing her again, whether to a break or a bullet. "You're big on the gun, aren't you? Freud would say you're compensating. Ever met Freud? No? Comfy sofa."
"Leave the cursed one, Captain," one of the pirates suggested. "The creature can have him."
Rory nodded eagerly. "Yes, please!"
Avery tilted his head, considering this. "We don't want the Siren coming after us," he agreed.
Alex glowered at him. No way in hell is that happening, she vowed.
But before she could object to this plan, the pirate that suggested it started shouting. He held out his leg, everyone backing away when they saw the small black creature on it. "It's a leech!" Alex exclaimed.
"Everyone out of the water!" the Doctor yelled. Everybody immediately scrambled up onto the crates lining the room. The Doctor pulled Alex into his side on their crate, wrapping an arm around her waist to keep her from falling off and into the water. The contact made his fingertips and Alex's side tingle, a feeling they had long gotten used to whenever they came into close contact.
"It's bitten me!" the crewmate bemoaned. He reached down and yanked the leech off, tossing it back into the water. It was too late though. A trickle of blood oozed out of a wound and down his leg. "I'm bleeding!" he cried and held up his hand to show them the new black spot adorning it.
The Doctor examined the man's wound. "She wants blood," he mused.
Alex leaned into his touch. "Why does she want blood?" she wondered.
Amy glowered at the injured man. "What were you saying about leaving the cursed ones behind?"
"It's okay, we're safe down here," the Doctor assured them. "No curse is getting through three solid inches of timber."
A nice thought . . . until the Siren suddenly popped up behind the Doctor and Alex. She screeched at them, presumably for the fact that they'd taken Rory away from her.
The duo spun around and gaped at her. "Oh!" the Doctor gasped as he shoved Alex behind him. "Ah . . . hello again."
Almost immediately, Rory's madman expression came back, and he reached out to touch the Siren. While Amy struggled to keep him back, the leeched man walked past her, arm outstretched and his eyes glazed over. All the while, the Siren sang her haunting melody.
A chorus of 'no's' rang out from everyone as the pirate got closer to her. The Doctor leapt forwards to try and snatch him back, but he was too late. The man touched the Siren's hand and immediately disintegrated. The only thing left of him besides ash was his maroon and gold tricorn hat. The Doctor had managed to grab it before he met his demise.
The Doctor quickly sprang into action. He pushed Alex ahead of him before proceeding to do the same to everyone else in the room, ushering them forwards and further into the ship. The remaining group dashed out of the hold and into what appeared to be the mess deck, based on the sacks of food lying all around, along with an awkwardly placed hammock. Once seeing that everyone was out, the Doctor slammed the door shut and locked it.
"Safe?" Amy shrilly repeated, somehow finding the energy to give him a look even as she held Rory back.
As he turned to face her, the Doctor put the tricorn on. Behind him, Alex sighed. So much for preventing 'pirate hats are cool'. "I have my good days and bad days," he shrugged, pulling off the hat.
"How did she get in?" Avery wondered.
"It was probably the water," Alex hypothesized as the Doctor began sonicing the hat with his screwdriver.
"Bilge water," he reported a moment later. He turned and tapped Alex on the nose with the end of the screwdriver. "And I think Ally's right. She's using the water like a portal, a door. She can materialize through a single drop. We need to go somewhere with no water."
Alex rolled her eyes. "Oh, gee, well, it's a darn good thing we're not in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean right now!"
"Did you see her eyes?" Rory babbled to Amy as the Doctor put his hat back on, only for Alex to immediately snatch it off again. "Like crystal pools. . ."
"You are in enough trouble," Amy told him before glancing over at the Doctor and Alex. Alex had a hold of the Doctor's new hat and was shaking her head, refusing to give it back to him. The Doctor pouted at her. Alex just gave him a dry look. The Doctor leaned in close to her. Amy squinted, trying to make out what he was saying since she couldn't hear them over the pirates' discussion of what area of the ship was driest. To her untrained lip-reading eye, it looked like he was saying, "I bet I can make you." Alex arched an eyebrow. "Oh, really?" her lips challenged. The Doctor smirked at her and pulled back a little. But before Amy could see what was about to happen, Rory suddenly tried to dart forward. Growling to herself and making a mental note to make him get her that necklace after this whole thing was over, Amy yanked him back.
Meanwhile, the Doctor murmured, "Yeah," at Alex. He looked around. Avery and his crew were busy debating which area of the ship was driest while Amy was struggling to keep Rory from going after the Siren. After affirming that no one was watching them, the Doctor craned his head down and used his finger to tilt Alex's chin up. Then he swooped down and licked the bridge of her ear up and down, pausing on her earlobe to briefly suck and nibble at it.
Alex gasped and pushed him away. "Doctor!" she breathed, her eyes darting around anxiously. She was relieved to see that no one had noticed, though her heart skipped a beat at the thought that they could have been caught. Normally, she wasn't one to do things like making out in public, but it seemed that the Doctor was bringing out new desires in her.
The Doctor chuckled, reached down, and snatched the hat out of her now loose grip. "Told you I could make you," he teased.
Alex pouted at him. "That was completely and totally unfair, Doctor." She paused and then asked, "Will you do it again?"
He beamed and popped the hat back on his head. "Oh, does this mean I'm forgiven now?"
Alex pursed her lips in consideration. "I think," she said slowly, "if you do that ear thing again when we get back to the TARDIS, you will be." She bit her lip enticingly, causing the Doctor to growl lowly in his throat.
"Stop that, Ally," he warned, leaning down to murmur in her ear. "Or I might just do that and more right here, right now."
"Promises, promises," Alex giggled and bit down on her lip a little more. The Doctor gave her a look, one of his hands creeping around to cup the small of her back. Alex gasped and released her lip, blushing fiercely when the Doctor smirked at her and released his hold.
"The magazine!" Avery suddenly exclaimed, yanking the two out of their moment.
"What?" Amy questioned as the Doctor and Alex sprang apart.
"He means the armory where the powder's stored," the Doctor explained. To his relief, his voice came out much more steadily than he'd thought it would.
"It's dry as a bone," Avery assured them.
The Doctor nodded approvingly and grasped Alex's hand. "Good. Let's go there." The two stepped forward, but before they could get very far, Avery's gun was aimed at them.
"I give the orders," he informed them.
The Doctor glowered at the weapon. He wasn't worried about it being pointed at him, but he was worried that it was being pointed at Alex. All I have to do is snatch that gun out of his hand and point it at him. He'd resolved to do just that when a hand crept up to his shoulder, causing the muscles he didn't even know were tensed to relax.
Alex kept a steady eye on Avery while she clutched the Doctor's hand, squeezing it tightly. She knew exactly what he'd been thinking of doing. She could see it in his eyes and in how his whole body had tensed up when the gun came out, the barrel just barely pointing at her. He had been fully ready to grab it and point it at Avery. Alex shuddered slightly, remembering the Doctor's reaction when he found out she'd been dissected by a Silurian scientist. He would have ripped Malohkeh's head off if she hadn't told him to stop.
Naturally, she had to do something. "Worried just because he's wearing a hat now?" she joked, laughing lightly as she reached up and pulled the hat off. "I can solve that rather easily." She placed the hat on her own head, then led the Doctor past the gun barrel and the flabbergasted Avery. "Come along, Doctor!" she called over her shoulder. "And no one touch anything sharp!"
The Doctor waited until they were a little bit ahead of everyone before leaning down to whisper in Alex's ear. "Very impressive, Ally."
Alex shrugged. "Had to do something before you tackled him for the gun."
"Alex—"
"No, I understand. And I quite admire it. Makes me l—" She cut herself off, wincing at her almost slip-up. While she'd admitted to the Doctor that she had feelings for him, she wasn't about to risk everything she'd been hoping for and potentially scare him off by telling him those three big words just yet. Besides, who knew if he loved her as well? As far as he was probably concerned at this point, they were operating on mutual attraction and chemistry, nothing more, nothing less.
"What was that?" the Doctor asked when Alex stopped talking. He could have sworn she'd been about to say 'love', though perhaps he was mistaken. She couldn't really love him . . . could she?
Alex wracked her brain for something to say, coming up with it 2.5 seconds later. "I was about to say that it makes me like you more than I already do. A girl likes feeling protected, you know, even by a man in a bowtie."
"Oi! You couldn't let one go by, could you?"
Alex giggled in reply, pretty much answering that question. "But I can take care of myself, Doc. Besides, I seriously doubt he was going to shoot. He was just doing that to intimidate us, showing us his masculine power."
"I suppose you're right," the Doctor conceded.
"Of course I am," Alex smirked. "I'm brilliant, aren't I?"
He laughed and slung an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. "And so modest too." He studied her pirate hat. "And also very pretty in a pirate's hat."
"Should I dress up as a pirate more often then?" she murmured.
The Doctor gulped as he caught the meaning behind her words. "Yes!" he blurted before he could even think about it. Then, realizing what he'd said and how she could potentially be offended by that, he babbled, "No! Er, I mean . . . n-not unless you wanted to or. . ." He trailed off, blushing furiously as Alex giggled. "Oh, shut up," he muttered.
"Most girls would be quite offended and outraged by that," Alex mused.
"You're not going to slap me, are you?" the Doctor asked worriedly.
"No, I only do that when you really anger me." She reached up and pulled off her hat, messing with her hair a little to get it to straighten back out. "But, just to keep your libido in check. . ." She plopped the hat on his head.
The Doctor snorted and adjusted the tricorn, not bothering to protest her remark about his libido. "So you're not going to roll your eyes and sigh if I say pirate hats are cool?"
"No, I'll still probably do that. But I know you've been eyeing it for more than the fact that it looks good on me." She smiled up at him. "Have a little fun, Doc."
He grinned at her. He loved that she was trying to cheer him up and please him, even though she really didn't have to. That was just the kind of person Alex was; selfless, loyal, and caring. He ran his hand along the back of her head and bent down to press a kiss to her hairline. "Thanks, Ally."
Alex giggled louder than she normally did, attracting the attention of Captain Avery, Amy, and a slightly more alert Rory. Avery raised an eyebrow at the two. "She his doxie or something?" he asked.
Amy glared at him. "Alex is not a doxie!" she snapped. "She's a librarian. And no, they are not . . . like that." But even as she said this, she couldn't help but feel like something in the Doctor/Alex relationship had changed. They seemed much closer and more protective of each-other than normal, and the Doctor leaning in so close to Alex and telling her that he could make her give him that hat back. . . That still puzzled Amy. Could they really have admitted their feelings to one-another after denying them for so long?
Alex glanced over her shoulder, seeing Amy eyeing her strangely. She turned back around and snickered. "We're not doing a good job hiding our new relationship from the Ponds."
"Amy, you mean. I think Rory's still a little loopy from the Siren to really notice anything at the moment."
Alex shrugged, conceding to his point. "Still, we could be a little more subtle."
"I think that might be easier said than done, Ally."
"How come?"
He smiled at her and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Because now that I know you feel the same way about me as I do with you, I can barely restrain myself. I don't have an excuse for holding myself back anymore."
Alex gazed up at him, astonished that she had such an effect on him. She knew that she could convince him to do whatever she wanted, but she didn't know that she practically made him lose control around her. It was very exhilarating.
But before she could ponder this any longer, the group reached the door to the magazine. One of the crewmen pulled out a large collection of keys and began searching through them. Alex swallowed a yawn as he went through them once, then again. It was a very tedious process.
Avery, thinking the same thing, snapped, "Quickly, man!"
"I can't find the key!" the man exclaimed as he rifled through the keys for the third time. "Tis gone, Cap'n."
"How can it have gone?!"
The Doctor and Alex frowned and turned to eye the door. They looked at each-other and arched their eyebrows, thinking the same thing. After a moment, the two turned to the door and pushed on it. To everyone else's surprise, the door swung open, revealing a small room packed floor to ceiling with barrels of gunpowder.
"Someone else had the same idea," the Doctor and Alex murmured as they stepped into the room. The Doctor, predictably, was ahead of Alex, wanting to make sure it was safe before he allowed her – and the others – to enter.
After nothing immediately leaped out at him, Alex went further into the room. She waved over her shoulder for the others to come in. They obeyed and looked around nervously as they all piled in.
"Barricade that door," Avery ordered one of the men. "Careful of that lantern," he cautioned another as the man passed him a lantern. "Every barrel is full of powder."
The Doctor continued to look around for whoever might still be in here. "Who's been sleeping in my gun room?" he said aloud, part joking, part serious.
As if in reply, a faint coughing rang out.
Avery went dead still, listening intently. A second later, another cough sounded out, and Avery stormed across the room over to a barrel. He put down the lantern and jerked the lid of the barrel up. He then reached inside and, much to everyone's shock, pulled out a young boy with light brown hair and brown eyes.
"You fool!" Avery shouted, lifting the boy up and pushing him against the wall. "You fool, boy! What are you doing here?!"
"Who is he?" one of the pirates asked.
"Obviously not part of the crew," Alex deduced.
"No," Avery confirmed as he continued to glare at the poor kid. "He's my son."
~The Pros and Cons of Silence~
A little while later, Avery and his son sat against one of the magazine walls. The boy coughed into his hand every few seconds, causing the Doctor and Alex to look at each-other worriedly. They both knew that illnesses quite treatable in the future were basically a death sentence here.
Still, Alex thought, trying to reassure herself, at least he doesn't have any blood coming out of him. He's safe from the Siren.
She and the Doctor were sitting in front of the door. Alex had resisted the overwhelming urge to rest her head on his shoulder so that she could try and keep Amy and Rory in the dark for as long as possible. It wasn't that she didn't want them to know about her and the Doctor finally getting together; she just wanted to keep it between herself and the Doctor for a little while. Also, it was rather humorous watching the Ponds, who had been trying to push them together for ages, being oblivious to the fact that they'd gotten together.
Or not, Alex thought, remembering the doubt in Amy's voice when she told her the lie about the hickeys on her neck, and how the redhead had been watching them on their way in here. Amelia Pond was smart, and Alex had no doubt that she would eventually figure out that the two were together. But for now, Alex had to restrain herself from giving more fuel to the fire and just let Amy puzzle it out on her own.
"What in God's name possessed you, boy?" Avery demanded now, pulling Alex back into the conversation. Though everyone around them was trying to act like they weren't, they were all eavesdropping on Avery and his son's conversation. This was probably the most exciting thing to happen on this ship since the Siren, and no one wanted to miss it.
"Your mother will be searching for you," Avery continued, eyeing the boy significantly. The boy, however, just looked down at the floor. Alex glimpsed a small tear in his eye. She frowned sadly, knowing immediately what had happened to the boy's mother. Avery apparently knew it too, for he sighed and asked, "When?"
"Last winter," the boy whispered. "Fever. She told me all about you. How you were a Captain in the Navy." Everyone in the room shifted uncomfortably at this, none more so than Avery. Thankfully, the boy didn't notice. "An honorable man, she said. How I'd be proud to know you." He coughed a little. "I've come to join your crew."
"I don't want you here."
"You can't send me back. It's too late. We're a hundred miles from home."
"It's dangerous here," Avery insisted. "There is a monster aboard. She leaves a mark on men's skin."
"The black spot?" Avery, the Doctor, and Alex stiffened and stared at him. Not noticing their looks, the boy raised his hand.
On his palm was a large black spot.
~The Pros and Cons of Silence~
Shortly after Toby, as they'd come to learn his name was, revealed the black spot on his hand, Avery began checking him for any scars or cuts that might have attracted the Siren's attention. The Doctor and Alex leaned against the back wall next to Amy and watched them. After a moment, Alex lifted the charm of her sonic necklace.
The Doctor eyed her. "What are you doing?" He knew Alex liked to keep her necklace hidden and didn't bring it out unless she was planning on using it.
"Just checking something," Alex murmured back. She glanced around real quickly, making sure no one was watching her. She aimed the charm towards Toby and began scanning him, the topaz in the lightbulb part of the police-box exterior lighting up. There was no buzzing however, Alex having turned it off so that no one would hear the necklace going. A second later, she lowered the charm.
The Doctor scooted closer to her, leaning over her shoulder to read the results. "Ooh," he grimaced and glanced at Toby sadly.
"Typhoid fever," Alex mumbled, her words audible only to the Doctor. She dropped the necklace back to her collarbone and turned to face the Doctor. "He'll die from it, won't he? He's in the early stages but. . ."
The Doctor nodded grimly. He reached out and pulled her to his side, a hand running up and down her arm. "I'm afraid so," he confirmed.
Alex didn't say anything. Instead, she rested her head on his shoulder like she'd wanted to do earlier.
Avery came over and leaned against the wall next to the Doctor. "There's nothing wrong with him," he reported. "He has no scars."
"No, but he does have a fever and a cough," Alex pointed out. She decided not to tell him about Toby's fatal illness. It would just bring up too many awkward questions and that was something they had no time for right now.
The Doctor sighed solemnly. "Yep. Ignore my last theory."
"Ours actually," Alex corrected. She had initially agreed with him that the Siren was going after blood. She smiled apologetically at Avery. "Sorry. We have our good days and our bad days."
"It's not just blood," the Doctor summarized. "She's coming for all the sick and wounded, like a hunter chooses the weakest animal."
"Okay, look, he's got a fever," Amy piped up beside them. "The Siren knows it."
"Humans," the Doctor lamented. "Second-rate. Damage too easily. It's only a matter of time before everyone gets bruised." Like Ally, he thought. No, he couldn't let that happen. Over his dead body would the Siren get her.
That thought in mind, he declared, "My ship, it can sail us all away from here. You and me, we'll fetch it." He nudged Alex off him and stood. "Let's go."
But before he could so much as open the door, Avery had his gun on him again. Alex sighed and shook her head. Now this was just getting ridiculous. "You're very reliant on that, aren't you?" she observed dryly.
Avery ignored her. "You're not the captain here, remember?"
But before the Doctor could think of a smart-alec retort, Toby, who had gotten up at some point, raised the lid on one of the water barrels. The Siren's green hand shot up out of the water. The Doctor quickly darted past Avery and over to the barrel, snatching the lid and slamming it back down over the Siren's hand.
"The water's dangerous!" Avery snapped at Toby. "That's how she gets through. One touch of her hand and you're a dead man!"
"He didn't know, did he?" Alex reminded him, going over and placing a comforting hand on Toby's shoulder.
"We're all cursed if we stay aboard," one of the remaining crewmembers remarked.
"It's not a curse," the Doctor and Alex insisted.
"Curse means game over," the Doctor continued. "Curse means we're helpless."
"And we are not helpless," Alex added, giving the Doctor a significant look.
The Doctor smiled, glad that she believed in him so much, before turning to Avery. "Captain, what's our next move?"
~The Pros and Cons of Silence~
A/N: Not gonna like, I really don't like this episode and I struggled with writing it, so if it sucks, that's on me. Still, we did get to see more Dalex fluff and shenanigans! And Amy and Rory are suspicious. . . How do you think it'll take them to figure it out?
Review Replies:
NicoleR85 - Thank you! I, too, am so happy they're finally together! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)
Percabeth Jackson - Aw, thank you! Yes, FINALLY! :D
Ery Smith - Yes, they finally kissed! :D Glad you liked the chapter! Hope you enjoyed this one! :)
TheSlayerofGallifrey - Lol, I'm pretty sure a LOT of people weren't expecting the Doctor and Alex to get together! Glad you enjoyed the chapter and hope you enjoyed this one! :)
funwithstark - I'm so glad to hear that! I really tried (and am still trying) to make the Doctor and Alex's relationship as realistic as possible so it's nice to hear that I'm doing well. I can't wait to get into 12's episodes! His dynamic with Alex will be really fun to explore. :)
Guest - Thank you! I'm glad to hear that! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)
KaFaraqGatri - So far, Alex is dealing with the Siren pretty well but there's another surprise in store for this episode. :}
SopherGopherroxursox - YES, YAY! :D
Jojo - Haha, I'm glad to hear that I surprised you (and probably quite a few people)! :D
whitedwarf - So glad to hear you enjoyed the chapter! Yeah, I think a lot of people were expecting to get together much later and for them to do so in the last chapter was probably quite a shock for a few. :) The title is a pun on something that will become much more apparent later in the story but, as seen in this chapter, it also stands for Alex deciding whether or not to tell the Doctor she loves him, with the Doctor possibly debating the same vice-versa... :)
ehluvr3 - I know, YAY! :D
Sam Fraser - I probably won't revise the last chapter, but I'll definitely consider those points for future stories. :)
Lunar Dragon Emperor - Thank you! I'm SO glad to be back! Glad to hear you liked the first few chapters! I, too, can't wait for 'The Doctor's Wife'. It was such a fun episode to write. :)
bored411 - Lol, yeah things did get a little steamy there. :} Oh, yeah, I can't wait to delve more into that too. Just to tease, it won't be long until we get there. :)
ShadowTeir - Yep, she's forgotten something, specifically the mind twinges she was having. Exactly how and why the Silence did that will be revealed later. :) Glad you liked the chapter! I so enjoy writing the Doctor's dark side, especially when it comes to Alex. True, not on the scale in the last chapter as the Silurian incident, though I think the Oncoming Storm moment in this chapter comes close. :) Yeah, the chapter was pretty similar to the episode, which I understand can be tedious to read, so I try to switch it up with character interactions and delving into their thoughts whenever I can. The Rory/WWII flashback is interesting and we'll actually be exploring more of it in a future story. Yeah, I really wanted to delve into that period of his life as the show never specifies what he went through during that time (as it does with other things, like Clara's memories of the Doctor's timestream. That's never explored in the series, though it's implied she forgot it all.) In regards to the Locke family, there is a possibility you could be right but you'll have to wait to find out what it is. :) Lol, hope your parents weren't too worried! I'm glad to hear that you thought those moments were believable. I agonized over that section, trying not to make it sound like it was rushed or anything. Yeah, I thought the Doctor's interaction with River was a good jumping off point for that moment to occur. He's just been kissed by a woman that's not the one he admires and I think that kind of thing makes you think quite a bit about what you're doing and why. :) Sorry, no original chapter, though we will be getting some in this story! The Silence will only feature in the episodes they feature in so while Alex will always remember them when she sees them, we won't be seeing them outside of their canon appearances. :)
Thank you to everyone that reviewed, favorited and/or followed this story! Please review and see you tomorrow! :)