"Wait with the boy," Avery ordered his two remaining crewmembers as he placed the silver medallion he'd been wearing around Toby's neck.

One of the men frowned. "Captain, we're all in danger here!" he argued as the other man unbolted the door.

Avery merely gave the man a look that reminded him in no uncertain terms who was in charge. "I said wait. And barricade the door after we've gone."

"So," the Doctor said, him and Alex leaning against the wall near the door, "if I told you to stay here where it's safe, would you?"

Alex thought for a moment. She really did want to go with the Doctor, but she knew she wouldn't be much use. He'd just be worrying about her the whole time, which wouldn't help them get to the TARDIS fast enough. Nor did she know how to fly the TARDIS, so she wasn't any help there.

Alex glanced at the other two pirates. And someone should keep an eye out here, she thought. Amy was too busy worrying over Rory, and Toby was too ill to do much. Plus, one of the pirates had objected to Avery's order. With all of that occurring at once, anything could happen.

"Yes," she nodded. The Doctor raised his eyebrows, taken aback. He had expected Alex to put up more of a fight. Seeing his shocked expression, Alex burst out laughing. "Well, I wouldn't be much help. You'd just be worrying over me the whole time, terrified that I might trip or something."

He couldn't really argue with that. "That is true," he admitted. "I just want to keep you safe, Ally."

"I know, and thanks, but I'll be fine here. I can help Amy with Rory, look after Toby, and. . ." She trailed off and glanced around, checking that no one was listening before leaning in and murmuring in his ear, ". . .keep an eye on those pirates. They're scared and I remember what you said about when people get scared."

"Fear generates savagery." He considered the crewmen, taking in their big, burly physiques. "Be careful, Alex," he cautioned. "Don't fight them if they try to escape."

"I won't," Alex promised. "But you can't tell about the others." He shrugged, conceding her point.

"Sure you want to go?" Amy asked behind them, interrupting their conversation. The two looked at each-other and rolled their eyes before turning to face her. Amy Pond had horrible timing, especially when it came to interrupting moments between them.

"We have to get Rory and Toby away," the Doctor answered. "She's out there now, licking her lips, boiling a saucepan, grating cheese—"

"Okay!" Amy cried, cutting him off before he could finish that slightly disturbing analogy. "Well, remember, if you get an itch, don't scratch too hard."

The Doctor shrugged. "We've all gotta go sometime." He didn't notice how the girls tensed at his words, remembering all too vividly his demise at Lake Silencio. He stepped over to Rory. "There are worse ways than having your face snogged off by a dodgy mermaid." He patted Rory on the back as the latter laughed.

The Doctor went back to Alex. "Sure you'll be okay?" he asked.

Alex nodded firmly. "Doctor, you're acting like you haven't left me alone before. I'll be fine." She gave him a gentle shove towards the door. "Now shoo. Go get the TARDIS and save the day as usual."

The Doctor smirked and nodded. Rassilon, he wished he could kiss her right now. Of course, there was nothing really preventing him. He didn't have to try and fool Amy and Rory. He could easily swoop in right now and put his lips on hers, suck on them till he left bruises. The Ponds would be pretty stunned, but Alex could easily explain it.

Yes, he thought, his mind practically purring. That is a good idea.

But just as he was about to do that, a hand grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room. He turned around, ready to tell the person off, but it was Avery, looking ready to end the Siren's reign of terror once and for all. The Doctor inwardly sighed. He would kiss Alex later.

They stepped out into the mess deck. Behind them, the magazine door was shut and bolted. "Do you want to draw lots for who's in charge then?" Avery asked, pocketing his gun.

"Darkness? Demon?" The Doctor patted him on the stomach. "You can have first go."

Avery laughed and the two started forwards. They hadn't even gone five steps when Avery suddenly stumbled, his arms bracing out, palms flat . . . one of them right over a sharp, partially raised nail on a board beside him. The Doctor hurriedly grabbed his arm and steadied him before the captain could make himself another Siren victim.

Avery looked down at the nail and breathed a sigh of relief. "Nearly," he chuckled nervously. The Doctor snorted, patting his shoulder before pocketing the nail and continuing on.

It took them only a few minutes to reach the TARDIS. The Doctor hastily unlocked it while Avery studied the police-box exterior with a bemused expression. This changed into one of shock and wonder when the Doctor pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Avery gaped at the bigger-on-the-inside control room. He spun around, trying to take everything in all at once. "By all the—"

"Let me stop you right there," the Doctor interrupted, already up by the console. As Avery slowly headed up to join him, the Doctor began explaining the ship while he set the controls. "Bigger on the inside. Don't mind, do you, if we just skip to the end of that moment? Oh, and sorry I lied, by the way, when I said yours was bigger. Kitchen that way," he pointed right, "choice of bathrooms there, there, there." He pointed right, left, and back.

All Avery could do was nod dumbly.

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

Back in the magazine, Alex lounged against the wall, feeling rather bored. The pirates didn't seem to be doing anything, Amy and Rory were cuddling, and Toby was sitting beside her, coughing quietly. There wasn't much to do but wait for the Doctor and Avery to get back, which would probably take a while, considering the Doctor's piloting of the TARDIS and all.

Alex sighed and tucked several strands of hair behind her ear. She wondered how the two were doing. No doubt that Avery was dumbfounded by the inside of the TARDIS. Everyone who first saw it was. The Doctor was likely being forced to explain several features of the time machine. He was probably doing so irritably and snippily, not realizing he was doing it that way as he furiously worked the TARDIS controls, trying to get back to her – them.

Wow, Alexandria, less than two hours together and you're already fixated on him and only him. Alex wrinkled her nose. She hated girls like that, the ones who forgot and dropped their friends whenever a guy entered their life. Hillary Westcott had done that. Not that Alex and her had been friends, but Alex had seen how Hillary's wannabees looked whenever this happened, all lost and forlorn and confused. Granted, they had the intelligence of tap water, but the point still stood.

Alex glanced at Amy and Rory. She did not want to be that girl. She wanted to be there for her friends, help them and encourage them and make them laugh whenever need be. A relationship that she'd been waiting so long for could not, should not, change that.

And it won't, she vowed. I won't let that happen.

"What's wrong?" Rory suddenly asked.

Alex jolted, thinking he was talking to her. She turned to face him, trying to think up some viable excuse, only to see that he was talking to Amy. The redhead was pacing the floor, mulling over something.

Amy turned to him. "The most beautiful thing you've ever seen?" she repeated, one of her eyebrows arching.

Rory groaned. "Tell me I didn't really say that."

"Okay, I won't."

"I will," Alex jumped in. She smirked at Rory. "You did. And you said you would buy her that necklace she wants."

Rory frowned. "I did?" He scratched the back of his head, thinking this over. "Really? I don't remember that. . ."

Alex nodded seriously, forcing herself to look away from Amy, who was silently laughing behind her poor husband's back. "Yes, you did. The Doctor can confirm it too, if you want." The Doctor enjoyed tricking Rory almost as much, if not more, than the girls did. He'd more than happily go along with them if Alex asked him to.

"Miss Alex," a voice rang out. Alex turned to see Toby eyeing her curiously. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course. But don't call me miss. It makes me feel old." She cracked a smile at him, hoping that it would make him laugh.

It did. Toby laughed, but his amusement was cut off a second later by a coughing fit. Alex watched him sadly. She wished she could do something to cure his illness. A moment later, Toby cleared his throat and faced her again. "What's that mark on your ear?" he asked. "You didn't get a black spot too, did you?"

Alex jumped and pressed a hand to her ear, the one the Doctor had nibbled and sucked on. She inwardly cursed. Oh, shit.

Amy and Rory knelt down in front of her. Rory gently slapped her hand aside and peered at the blue-black marks now decorating her earlobe. "Alex!" he gasped. "How'd you do that?"

"Don't tell me it was a curling iron," Amy said dryly. "Alex, how on Earth did you do that?"

Rory leaned closer to peer at the lobe. "Are those teeth-marks?" he marveled, squinting at them.

Oh, hell, how am I getting out of this?! Alex frantically searched her head for a plausible explanation – would the Ponds buy that she'd been attacked by a crazed dog in between the time they'd gone to bed and came back to the console room four hours later? – but, fortunately, she was saved by a sudden racket. The group turned to see one of the crewmen removing the boxes and barrels they'd stacked in front of the door.

"What's going on?" Amy demanded.

"We're not staying to mollycoddle the boy," the crewman replied irritably. "The captain's gone soft. It's time for us to leave."

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

"What's this do?" Avery inquired. He pointed to one of the various instruments on the console.

The Doctor took a quick glance before going back to typing into a keypad. "That does very, very complicated," he answered quickly. He didn't have time for these questions. He needed to get back to Alex and the others. His hearts raced at the mere thought of Alex landing in trouble. He had to get back there to protect her.

This in mind, he swiftly dinged a bell on the console, sending the coordinates he'd typed into the navigation system. Knowing Avery was going to ask what that did, he said, "That does sophisticated," he pointed to another doohickey, "that does whoa, amazing, and that," he pointed to the big glass rotor in the center of the console, "does whizz, bang, far too technical to explain!"

"Wheel?" Avery guessed, pointing to a small ball with several spikes on it.

"Atom accelerator."

"It steers the thing?"

"No!" the Doctor objected, then paused to consider this. "Sort of. Yes."

Avery scanned the console for a moment before pointing to the atom accelerator again. "Wheel," he stated, then pointed to another instrument. "Telescope. Astrolabe. Compass." The Doctor gawked at him. He'd never met someone who could so easily guess what the TARDIS controls did, aside from River. Seeing his dumbstruck expression, Avery shrugged and said, "A ship's a ship."

The Doctor just nodded, too stunned to really say anything other than, "Oh."

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

"He told you to wait, you dog," Toby snapped, storming over to the men. Alex, Amy, and Rory hurriedly got to their feet to stand behind him, ready to protect him in case one or both of the pirates tried to do something to him. "He's your Captain, a Naval Officer. You're honor-bound to do as he tells you!"

"Honor-bound?" one of the men scoffed. "Do you know what kind of ship this is? Do you know what your father does?"

"Toby, don't listen to him," Alex said quickly. She glared at the pirate, hoping that her eyes would intimidate him into shutting up. But the man wasn't even looking at her.

"We sail under the black flag," he revealed, his voice low, like he was divulging a great, fantastic secret. He was revealing a secret alright, but not a great, fantastic one. "The Jolly Roger."

Toby was silent for about three seconds before he suddenly leapt forward. "Liar!" he yelled as Amy, Rory, and Alex pulled him back. "He's no wicked pirate!"

The man rolled his eyes. "Oh, you think so? I have seen your father gun down a thousand innocent men."

Toby stared at him, completely floored and speechless. After a moment, he turned and buried his face in Alex's shirt. Alex wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. It was the only comfort she could think of to provide him.

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

"This is how the professionals do it!" the Doctor exclaimed. He pulled down some levers, intending to fly them into the vortex before landing in the magazine room. However, this had quite the opposite effect. A grinding noise rang out, the glass baubles inside the rotor rising for a moment, only to fall a second later, rather like a car engine failing to start.

The Doctor frowned and flicked a few switches. "Er . . . it's stuck. Not responding."

Avery watched him, a smirk threatening to crop up from the corners of his mouth. "Becalmed?" he suggested.

"Mmm-hmm. Yeah, apparently. That's new." The Doctor looked up to glare at him. "You had to gloat, didn't you?"

"I'm not gloating." The corners of his mouth turned up even more.

This didn't go unnoticed by the Doctor. "I saw that look just now. Ha, ha, his ship is rubbish!"

Avery shrugged, the smirk now wide and gleaming in amusement. "True."

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

"Get what treasure you can," the crewman ordered the other. "I'll meet you in the rowboat."

But at that moment, Toby snatched up a cutlass that somebody had left in the magazine. He pointed it at the wayward men. "You're going to remain at your posts."

The men eyed the cutlass with a mixture of anger and dread. "I am not playing games with you, boy," the one giving the orders warned, the sinister effect ruined quite a bit as he stuttered. "You put that down."

"One more step and I'll use this, you big blaggard."

"You don't know how to fight with a cutlass, boy."

Toby smirked and took a quick glance at the man's hand. "Don't need to, do I?" And then he thrust the weapon forwards, swiping the side of the man's hand, and cutting into the skin.

The man looked at his injury in horror. "No," he breathed, hurriedly flipping over his hand. Sure enough, a black spot was now in the center of his palm.

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

The Doctor ran around the console like a chicken with its head cut off while Avery looked on, confused and more than a bit uneasy at his behavior. "It can't get a lock on the plane," the Doctor mumbled as he studied the scanner.

Avery stared at him blankly. "The what?"

"Space we travel in," the Doctor babbled, resuming his running. "The ocean. Sort of ocean, but not water. The TARDIS can't see. It's sulking because it thinks the space doesn't exist. Without a plane to lock onto, we're not going anywhere."

"I'm confused."

"Yeah, well, it's a big club. We should get t-shirts."

Right at that moment, the TARDIS jolted to the side, sending the Doctor and Avery stumbling. The grinding, failed engine noise started up again, the sound echoing all around them. The Doctor whirled around and stared at the console in bafflement. "What's happening?"

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

"You little swabber!" the man yelled, glaring daggers at Toby.

Toby, however, failed to be fazed be the insult. Instead, he looked at the man with an expression akin to one of satisfaction.

"Congratulations," Amy sarcastically complimented. "You made it to the menu."

Alex smirked a little. "I wouldn't go out there if I were you," she remarked, nodding to the black spot.

The man continued to scowl at Toby. Suddenly, he pulled out a pistol. "You scurvy ape!" he screeched, pointing it at the lad. Rory sprang in front of Toby while Alex and Amy hurriedly pulled the boy behind them, Alex taking the cutlass away and sticking it behind some barrels.

Rory attempted to grab the gun. "Don't shoot!" he cried. "The powder will blow and kill us all!"

Taking advantage of this distraction, the second crewman jumped forwards and swiped the keys off the first man's belt. "Mulligan!" the man gasped as the latter unlocked the door. "What are you doing?"

But Mulligan didn't answer. He merely opened the door and took off.

"No honor among pirates," Amy stated.

Amy, Alex, Rory, and Toby silently watched the dejected man lower his gun and go over to re-barricade the door.

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

"Okay, she's had her little sulk!" the Doctor shouted over the grinding noise, which was now louder than ever. The TARDIS was shaking harder too, like it was being affected by an earthquake . . . again. He could just imagine Alex's retort to this. You call this a little sulk?! "Now she's heading for the full-on screaming tantrum!"

"Can you fix it?" Avery questioned.

The Doctor pushed past him to examine the console. "Argh!" he growled in frustration. "The parametric engines are jammed! Orthogonal vector's gone. I'm almost out of ideas."

"Almost?"

"Well, we could try stroking her and singing a song."

Avery eyed him strangely. "Will that help?"

"Hard to say. Never has before." The TARDIS jolted, sending the two stumbling backwards. The Doctor looked up at the rotor, his eyes wide and panicked. "I've lost control of her!" he cried. "She's about to dematerialize. We could end up anywhere!"

"That sounds bad!"

"Yes, it is!" The Doctor leapt away from the console as a section of it sparked and barreled down the stairs. "Out! Out now! Abandon ship!"

The two sprinted out of the TARDIS. Just a few seconds after they escaped, the whole TARDIS exterior started to glow green. A moment later, it disappeared. The Doctor stared at the now empty spot for a few seconds before starting to pace.

"Okay, okay, okay. TARDIS runs off on its own. That's a bit of a new one." He came to a stop and stared at the vacant spot forlornly. "Bang goes our only hope of getting them out of here."

"Not much of a Captain without a ship, are you?" Avery observed.

The Doctor didn't bother to try and retort to this. Instead, he started back to the magazine. As they entered the mess deck, a figure suddenly popped out in front of them. It was one of the crewmen, Mulligan. A bunch of priceless riches and treasure was in a pouch strapped around his chest and a jeweled crown hung from his wrist. Upon seeing the two, he aimed two guns at them.

"Mulligan, what are you doing?!" Avery yelled as he and the Doctor put their hands up. "This is mutiny!"

Mulligan inched his way around them. "She doesn't want me. She only wants Toby and the scrawny looking fellow." By this point, he had made his way around them. Without another word, he took off.

"He's got the last of the supplies," the Doctor observed. "We should go after him."

"Never mind the damned supplies!" Avery snapped. "What about my treasure?"

Being that this was coming from a pirate, the Doctor couldn't really retort. The two raced after Mulligan. They ran around a corner, only for two gunshots to ring out. BANG! BANG! The Doctor and Avery ducked down, which allowed Mulligan the opportunity to run off.

"Don't get injured, don't get injured," the Doctor chanted to himself. That wouldn't be good. Alex would kill him, and he'd have to get down on his knees and grovel for her to kiss him again. And he did not do groveling.

Once they were sure that Mulligan wasn't going to try and shoot them again, the two continued their pursuit. They chased the man into the storeroom, Mulligan locking the doors behind him.

Avery banged his fist against the door. "Come out of there, you mutinous dog!"

No response. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and began buzzing it over the lock. But then a familiar sound rang out from the other side of the wood. It was the Siren.

The Doctor and Avery jumped back and immediately checked themselves for any injuries. Seeing nothing on either of them, they turned their attention back towards the door. A blue-green light slipped out from the crack at the bottom. "She's inside!" the Doctor realized.

"She's come for Mulligan," Avery deduced.

At that moment, a scream came from the other side. The Doctor sprang into action, flashing the sonic over the look until it loosened. The two rushed inside and were not at all surprised to find that Mulligan was no longer there. As the Doctor ran around the room looking for any water, Avery bent down to collect the dropped bejeweled crown.

"No water in here," Avery said. "How did she take him? You said she uses water like a door, that's how she enters a room."

The Doctor surveyed the room once more, hoping that Avery was wrong and that there were just a few drops of water in the room. Seeing none, he turned back to Avery. Then he spotted the crown in his hand.

The Doctor crept closer and leaned down to look at it more closely. His worried reflection stared back at him. "I was wrong," he murmured. "Please ignore all my theories up to this point."

"What, again?" Avery scoffed.

The Doctor grabbed the crown and examined it even more closely than he had a few seconds ago. "We're all in danger," he insisted. "The water's not how she's getting in. When we were down in the hold, think what happened. You, me, Amy, Rory, Alex, leeches."

"She sprang from the water."

"Yes, only when it grew still. Still water. Nature's mirror."

Avery's eyes widened in realization. "So, you mean—"

"Yes! Not water." He pointed to the crown, their reflections perfectly visible in the polished metal. "Reflection. That Siren legend. The curse."

"You said curses weren't real."

"Folklore springs from truth," the Doctor argued, still fixated on the crown. "She attacks ships filled with treasure. Where else do you get a perfect reflection?"

Avery glanced down at the crown. "Polished metal!" he exclaimed.

"Hmm?" The Doctor looked up to see Avery checking his chest. For a moment, the Doctor was puzzled as to why he was doing that, until he noticed a startling lack of a medallion hanging from the captain's neck. He gave it to Toby, the Doctor recalled. And Toby's in the storage room . . . with Alex!

The men looked at each-other, both realizing the danger the others were in. "We must warn them!" Avery cried, immediately running off towards the magazine. The Doctor sprinted alongside him, determined to get to Alex. His hearts were racing at the thought of her getting hurt and being disintegrated by the Siren. He didn't think he could survive if that happened.

Still, he thought, she's not in any real danger. It's not like she's bleeding or has any bruises. . . His eyes widened. Alex's hickeys! They weren't harmful and would disappear in a few days, but the Siren might not think so. It was highly likely she would mistake some bruises for a horrible, life-threatening condition.

Oh God, the Doctor thought, panicked. What have I done?! In the exhilaration he felt in finally, properly kissing Alex, he had barely been able to control himself. And thanks to that, Alex might be marked for death right now.

It felt to the Doctor like several months had passed before he and Avery finally reached the magazine door. Once it was in sight, the Doctor barreled up to it and began hitting it like crazy. His hearts were beating a thousand times a minute and his blood was pounding in rhythm alongside them. He knew he wouldn't calm down until he got to Alex and made sure she was okay. "Alex!" he yelled, continuing to bang on the door. "Alex, open the door!"

"Toby, open the door!" Avery called out. "Toby!"

"Open the door!" Inside, the sound of barrels being pushed aside could be heard, but the Doctor still felt like he could bust down the door at any second.

"Toby!"

After what seemed like an eternity, the door opened. The Doctor wasted no time in running straight over to Toby. Grabbing the medallion from the boy, he began breathing on the gleaming silver surface. Amy and Rory frowned at him, wondering what the hell was going on, while Alex gave him a contemplative look. The Doctor knew that brilliant brain of hers was going five miles a minute trying to figure out the purpose of his actions. A moment later, he saw the glimmer of realization in her eyes.

He checked the medallion and was relieved to see that the surface was cloudy. Pocketing it, he gave a thumbs up to Avery before running out of the room. Avery followed him and a few moments later, they were in the captain's cabin.

The captain's cabin was a large room with several glass windows overlooking the dark blue waters. Piles of books, papers, treasure chests, and artifacts littered the room. It was clear that this was the place Avery spent the majority of his time in. Without breaking his stride, the Doctor snatched up a gun from a nearby sideboard and commenced smashing out the windows. Glass shattered into several pieces, falling out into the calm waters below.

"We've got to destroy every reflection!" he said over his shoulder to Avery, who was standing in the doorway, watching him bewilderedly. "Gold, silver, glass, she could spring from any of them." Whirling around, the Doctor slammed the gun against a mirror hanging on the wall. The glass shattered into several large pieces. Avery looked at the shards, and then at the broken mirror with alarm.

The Doctor barely managed to restrain himself from rolling his eyes. Honestly. Why did humans insist on believing in ridiculous, petty curses? There was no scientific proof that any of them even worked. "Yes, yes, I know, I know. Very bad luck to break it. But look at it this way. There's a stroppy homicidal mermaid trying to kill all."

Avery chuckled slightly. "How much worse can things get?" he said wryly.

"Yep. Help me lug this out." The Doctor nodded to a large chest of treasure sitting against one wall.

Avery nodded and helped him lift it. "Where are we taking it?"

"The ocean."

"No, no!" Avery shouted, his eyes wide and panicked. "This is the treasure of the Mogul of India!"

"Oh, good," the Doctor remarked snidely. "For a moment there I thought it was yours."

"No, no! Doctor, wait! Must we do this?"

"Any reflection, any mirror, and the Siren will attack. We have to protect Rory and Toby." And Ally. "Go and get the crown from the storeroom."

Avery sighed but nodded. He turned and headed out the door while the Doctor dumped several bars of valuable gold out the broken window.

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

"Just wait?" Rory said incredulously.

He, Amy, Alex, Toby, Avery, and the Doctor were all in the magazine. After the Doctor's bizarre breathing on Toby's medallion, no one had really understood what was going on, save Alex. According to her, the Siren was appearing not out of water, but reflection. This made sense, but it seemed to be the only thing that was actually clear-cut today.

Rory watched as the Doctor clutched Alex closer to him. His arm was wrapped around her shoulders and had been since he and Avery came back. The Doctor's face was also contorted in worry, and he kept looking down at Alex as if expecting her to sprout wings or something. It was incredibly strange, and Rory had no idea why he was doing that. The Doctor was protective of Alex, but nowhere near this level.

"Not my most dynamic plan, I realize," the Doctor admitted, his eyes on Alex once again.

Alex glanced up at him and frowned when he gave her a reassuring smile. What's up with him? she wondered.

"TARDIS?" Amy suggested.

The Doctor winced. Alex closed her eyes and shook her head at him. "You lost her, didn't you?"

"It's . . . been towed."

"What?" Amy cried, giving him a look.

"Sorry," the Doctor cringed. "We might just be stuck here for a while."

"So, you're saying that we should all just wait here below?" Rory asked.

"The sea is still calm," Avery informed them. "Like a mirror. If you go out on deck, she'll rise up and attack you."

"It's okay," the Doctor assured them. His hand traveled down to settle on Alex's waist. He pressed her even closer to him, as if by doing that he could somehow push her inside him. At least that way, she'd be protected from the Siren. "The calm won't last forever. When the wind picks up, we'll all set sail."

"Until it does, you have to hide down here."

Amy and Rory sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing. "Come on, then," Amy ordered, dragging Rory to where a bunch of flour sacks sat. "I'm exhausted. We might as well rest before we face that green sea-devil again."

The Doctor shuddered at her words. "Trust me, Pond, if you ever actually met a Sea Devil, you wouldn't be saying that. At least the Siren is much prettier."

Alex frowned, her jealousy automatically flaring up. Logically, she knew that there was no reason to be jealous; she very much doubted the Doctor was interested in the Siren. But still, hearing him call someone other than her pretty was just upsetting. "Really?" She attempted to keep her voice neutral, but it came out sounding very high-pitched and accusatory.

This didn't go unnoticed. Amy and Rory turned to give her identical frowns while the Doctor seized onto her jealousy like a lion on its prey. "Ally, can I talk to you in private for a minute?"

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Sure," she agreed.

She hadn't even taken two steps out of the magazine when the Doctor pushed her up against a wall and immediately started checking her skin. Alex frowned as he worriedly turned over her palms. "Doc, what in the world are you—" But she stopped talking when the Doctor held up the palm of her left hand. Smack dab in the center of it was a dime-sized black spot.

Alex gawked at it. "H-how. . . W-when. . ." she stuttered awkwardly, her vocal chords unable to form any words due to her shock.

The Doctor's face fell, regarding the mark with hatred, horror, and anguish. "Oh, Ally," he breathed. He lightly ran his thumb over the spot. He had been so worried that this would happen. It was all his fault! If he hadn't practically lost control of himself on Alex's body, she'd be safe and fine right now.

"How long has that been there?" Alex wondered, finally regaining her voice.

The Doctor continued inspecting the spot. "Probably since we first got here," he mused. "Your. . ." He trailed off and caught Alex's eye, glancing down meaningly at her hickeys.

"Oh." There really wasn't anything else she could say, but damn if she wasn't going to try and think of something. "Well, that Siren really is an idiot if she thinks a couple of bruises are going to hurt me."

The Doctor tried to laugh at her quip but couldn't find it in himself to do so. Why was she being so lighthearted about this? It was his fault those hickeys and that spot were there! She should hate him right now. She should be pushing him away and never speaking to him again.

Noticing his silence, Alex titled the Doctor's chin up so she could look into his eyes. "Doc?" she murmured, peering into the dark green depths. They looked so raw and guilty. They looked that way most of the time, but there was a greater intensity in them now. "Doctor, what's wrong?"

"Ally, how can you be so calm?" the Doctor blurted.

Alex stared at him. "What?"

"Alex, that spot on your hand is my fault. You shouldn't be standing here acting all mild-mannered with me!"

"Oh, good lord, Doctor," Alex sighed. "It's not as if you meant for me to get a black spot. We didn't even know that anything other than blood summoned her until a little while ago."

"Still, if I hadn't lost my control, you wouldn't be in danger right now."

"I wasn't exactly complaining when you lost control."

"Alexandria, I'm serious."

"So am I!" Alex crossed her arms and glared at him. "Doctor, you cannot blame yourself for this. I won't let you. I certainly don't blame you, and if I did, you'd have a lot more to worry about than a blood-thirsty sea siren. I don't regret a single thing that happened in that control room, and I know for a fact that you don't as well. Correct?"

The Doctor shifted a little. "Correct," he mumbled.

"Then that settles it. No more blaming yourself. Besides," she lowered her voice an octave, "I was really hoping you'd give me more marks. I have this really cute sweater I want to wear, and your bites would be the perfect excuse."

Despite himself, the Doctor laughed. Alex was always able to pull him out of his dark moments of self-loathing and hatred and back into the light. It was like she was the yin to his yang, the light to his dark, something that no other companion had ever been, at least not on Alex's level. It was hard to describe just how right this seemed, as though it was meant to be or some other sort of divine intervention. Regardless, the Doctor knew he never wanted it to change or be like this with someone other than Alex. Now, he smiled at her. "Thank you, Ally."

Alex beamed. He was no longer in that deep, dark space inside him that he reserved for the inner disgust and hatred he felt he deserved. That was the one thing she hated about him, absolutely, positively hated. He could never see how wonderful and brilliant and extraordinary he was. Instead, all he could focus on were the scars and bloodshed on his hands, things he had done in order to save the lives of millions. She wished he would realize that. Maybe, just maybe, now that their relationship had deepened, she could help him see it.

"No problem, Doc," she giggled before immediately looking back at the black mark on her hand. It was small, much smaller than Rory's, which explained how she hadn't noticed it before. Also, the thought of her hickeys being a red flag to the Siren hadn't crossed her mind, since it was filled with so many other things at the moment. Alex mentally kicked herself. She was much more observant and intelligent than that. Kissing the Doctor didn't require the energy of all her brain cells!

Okay, just focus, she drilled to herself. "So, you think this has been here since we first stepped out of the TARDIS?"

"Most likely," the Doctor guessed. He grasped her palm and ran his calloused fingertips over the mark. Even though she was trying to stay focused, Alex couldn't help but shudder a little.

"So. . ." she said slowly, forcing herself to think. "If it has been there ever since we arrived, that means I had it whenever the Siren popped out at us. But I haven't been affected."

The two looked at each-other. "Brilliant mind, Ally," they said together.

Alex giggled. "Jinx. You owe me a Coke."

"I'll give you way more than that when we solve this thing and leave," the Doctor promised. "But we're both right. Your mind repels things that try to trick or influence it. The Silence couldn't make you forget them, so it's doubtful that the Siren can hypnotize you and make you want to get yourself cremated."

At these words, the Doctor's eyes widened and his grip on her hand grew tighter. He had seen three men turn to dust today, and there had been plenty more before that too. The thought of his Ally becoming that. . . It was too horrible to consider, yet his mind insisted on playing cruel scenarios of Alex somehow getting lured over to the Siren, touching her, and bursting into ash. He felt his hearts tighten.

Calm down, he ordered himself. That's not going to happen. Ally is too smart to get tricked by the Siren. You're worrying for nothing. Still, the thought that she could get disintegrated was terrible and refused to leave him.

Alex immediately saw where his mind was going. She reached out and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Doc, don't worry," she soothed. "Nothing's going to happen to me. I know for a fact that you'd die before you let that happen." She mentally winced, remembering Lake Silencio and her almost murder. For all she knew, the Doctor had given up his own life to save hers. No! Don't think about that, Alexandria!

"You're not wrong, Ally," the Doctor confirmed, unknowingly causing Alex's inner panic to rise as she continued to remember Lake Silencio. "The Siren would have to go through me before she could get to you."

Alex smiled, even though she didn't really feel like it after hearing what sounded like a promise he would take to Utah. Needing comfort, she reached out to hug him. The Doctor quickly reciprocated the hug, tightening his arms around her protectively, as if he was shielding her from any oncoming dangers.

"So, what happens now?" Alex questioned into his shoulder.

"Now. . ." The Doctor sighed and pulled back to look at her, though he kept his arms wrapped around her. "Avery and I go up top to wait for a storm and you, Amy, Rory, and Toby stay down here where it's safe." Alex opened her mouth to argue, but he silenced her with a glare. "No arguments, Alexandria," he warned. Alex quickly shut her mouth. "I'll worry a lot less if you're down here where nothing can try and get to you."

Alex sighed. She really wanted to stay with the Doctor, and probably could convince him into letting her come with him if she tried hard enough, but she knew he was right. There was too much risk, and the Siren would come after her, regardless of whether or not she was affected by the song. Sighing again, she stretched up on tiptoe and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. "Fine. I'm not happy about it, but I'll do it. Please be careful though, okay? I don't want the Siren getting you, too."

The Doctor smirked at her, and his eyes turned dark. A low thrum of heat rushed through Alex's veins upon seeing the expression. There were definitely a lot of benefits in being with the Time Lord romantically. "You do realize that if the Siren did get me and she sang that song, I'd be fawning all over you, right? I'd be positively enamored of you, more so than now."

Alex felt her knees buckle at the implications of such an event but forced herself to remain in control. "Save it for the TARDIS, Doc. That's what I'm doing."

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

Alex twisted over onto her side. Only a few seconds passed before she immediately rolled over onto her other one. Try as she might, she just couldn't get comfortable. Stupid hardwood floor, she thought as she flopped over onto her stomach and readjusted her head on the flour sack.

Her eyes fluttered. She was exhausted, but she couldn't seem to fall asleep. Either she was nervous about falling asleep on a ship or the hard floor beneath her was making it impossible. Frankly, she was betting on the latter, though the first option required a little consideration as well.

She glanced over at Avery and Toby. The two were deep in conversation, discussing Toby's mother. Alex sighed and watched the boy. He didn't know how lucky he was. He had known his mother for years and had wonderful memories of her. She had known her parents for five years and couldn't recall much about them.

Alex shut her eyes, trying to fall asleep before her vague New York City memories could push at her brain. However, it didn't work, and Alex found herself mentally reviewing her life pre-Bristol. An extravagant Disney Princess themed birthday party, with a Cinderella cake and a trip to see Beauty and the Beast on Broadway. Getting forced into her preschool uniform, consisting of a white button-down, a blue sweater with a golden emblem on it, a blue plaid skirt, white socks, and blue Mary-Jane's. Running through the Barbie doll aisle at FAO Schwartz. Playing hopscotch in Central Park with a black-haired girl around the same age as her. Her name started with an M. Melody? Marnie? Mallory? Melina? No. . . Melinda! Melinda Clarke! She had been in her preschool class.

A few more memories pressed into Alex's brain. The smell of Stetson cologne, which she knew her dad had to have worn. Ode to Joy being played on the piano by a red-haired woman in a white cocktail dress. A glass of red wine sat on top of the piano, the liquid inside bouncing every time a key was struck. Though she couldn't see the woman's face, Alex knew this to be her mother.

After this, her memories started getting fewer and fewer, sometimes containing only a word or sound of some event. A cork of champagne being popped, probably at a party her parents had thrown when she was supposed to be in bed. The sound of a car-horn blowing. A loud explicative being said before a phone was slammed down. Her mother complaining about the weather the night of the boating accident, her words wrapped in a Scottish accent thicker than Amy's. Murmurs of I love you's, along with the vaguest recollection of an autumn wind, though Alex had no idea if that was real or not.

Everything became more or less clear after the boating accident, something she remembered in incredible detail. She could still recall Marigold's old car, a burgundy Saturn she'd had until Alex was ten, along with the purple and gray radio Lacey had in her bedroom back in the '90s, which had been driven to near abuse from constant playing of Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears CDs.

Alex sighed. She wouldn't trade her life as it had turned out for anything, otherwise she probably wouldn't be here with the Doctor and the Ponds right now. Still, she couldn't help but wish that she had known her parents just a little bit more. She wanted to know why that loud curse word had been said to someone on the phone and if her mom could play the piano amazingly or if she only knew just that one song. But she would never know.

Stop thinking about that, Alexandria, a voice in her head halfheartedly scolded. Alex knew the voice was right. Thinking about those memories and all those what-ifs made her upset, occasionally leading to crying. And she hated crying. Besides, she'd already used up her tear quota sobbing over the Doctor's death at Lake Silencio.

Stupid Utah, she thought as she squeezed her eyes shut. After what seemed like an eternity, but was actually fifteen minutes, Alex finally fell asleep.

Meanwhile, just a little ways away from her, Amy's eyes twitched and fluttered. She could just vaguely hear a voice. At first, she figured it was Alex, telling Rory to shut up with his snoring, but then she realized. . . Rory wasn't snoring, the first time in months. And the voice wasn't Alex's.

"It's fine," she heard an older female voice say. She sounded soothing and calming, as if she were someone you could rely on. But Amy wasn't so sure. Hearing voices was never a good thing. "You're doing fine. Just stay calm."

Amy lifted her head and forced her eyes all the way open. She looked around confusedly for a moment before finally seeing something on the wall in front of her. Right above Alex's sleeping figure was an opening in the wall. A woman with piled up curly brown hair, dark red lips, and an eyepatch over one eye was looking out. She was smirking slightly, as if she knew something Amy didn't. But before Amy could do anything, a panel on the opening slid shut, turning into wood once more.

Amy shivered and sunk back down on the makeshift bed. That was the same woman she'd seen in Graystark back in Florida. She glanced over at Alex, wondering if she should wake her. She had told Alex about the woman and her friend probably should know that she had seen her again. But Amy dismissed the idea. Alex was resting, as she should be. This trip hadn't been easy on her, what with taking place within spitting distance of water and all.

Amy scrunched herself closer to Rory and closed her eyes. She needed to get some rest. She had to, before they dealt with the storm and the Siren. Worrying about mysterious eyepatch ladies wouldn't accomplish anything today.

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

The Doctor stood outside on the deck, admiring all the stars above him. When he'd been a very, very young Time Lord, he'd been fascinated by the stars and had promised himself that he would visit them one day. And he had. Sometimes, he was still a little amazed that he'd done it.

As he was gazing up at the heavens, he heard footsteps coming up behind him. At first, he thought it was Alex, ignoring his instructions of staying down in the magazine – Alex was horribly stubborn, especially when it came to his orders that she stay put – only to look over and see Avery instead.

The Doctor turned back to the stars and pointed to one of the brightest ones. "It's not one star, it's two," he explained. "The Dog star, Sirius. Binary system."

"I use it to navigate the ocean."

"I've traveled far, like you. Space can be very lonely, and the greatest adventure is having someone share it with you." It probably wasn't the most subtle of arguments, but the Doctor knew how lonely it was traveling on your own and he didn't think Avery needed to suffer that. Besides, Toby was his son. They needed each-other.

Avery didn't look away from the sky. "If we get out of this, I'll take him back to England. He can't stay with me. I'm not the father he needs."

"Who are you?" the Doctor asked, turning to face him. "Henry Avery? Respected naval officer, wife and child at home. How did you end up here, wandering the oceans with a band of rouges?" What made a man give up such a nice life for one of thievery and danger?

"I've set my course now," Avery said firmly. "Nothing I can do to alter it."

The Doctor looked back up at Sirius, studying it for a moment. It gleamed down at them, a point of light echoing out of the heavens. "People stared at it for centuries and never knew," he told the pirate. "Things can suddenly change, when you're least expecting." Having said that, he turned and walked off deck, leaving Avery alone with his thoughts.

The Doctor went through the ship and back into the captain's cabin. As he placed the pirate's hat down on the desk, his gaze was drawn over to the glass-shattered window behind it. He gazed out at the dark waters, seeing nothing but blackness in the distance. But there was something there. He could sense it.

He was still staring out the window when Amy came in. She stood in the doorway, watching him. After failing to go to sleep – Rory had started snoring again, preventing everyone in that room from sleeping – and thinking about it for several minutes, she finally decided to come and tell the Doctor about the Eyepatch Lady, as she had now taken to calling the strange woman. The Doctor would probably tell her it was only her imagination or something her subconscious had created just before she woke up, but at least it would be reassurance, something she was craving right about now.

She stared at him, his tweed-clad back to her. "Doctor?"

"Shush," he ordered, not even turning around to look at her. He continued staring out the window.

Amy slowly approached him. "What can you see?" she asked. He had to be looking out the window for some reason.

"Feels like something's out there," the Doctor murmured, "staring straight at me." But before he could elaborate, a sudden flash went off in front of the window, followed by a loud rumble of thunder. Finally, a storm was coming.

"Man the sails!" the Doctor shouted as he raced out of the room. Amy ran out a second later, rushing off to wake Rory . . . and to prevent Alex from murdering him.

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

A/N: So Alex has a black spot! I hope it came across as believable on how they found out. The Doctor and Alex initially thought that the Siren wanted blood, so they never considered her hickeys might be a concern to the Siren. Plus, their minds were occupied with other things. :} As I said in the last chapter, if this sucks, it's all on me. I tried to give it my best shot. :)

Notes on reviews. . .

secretlyanalien - I'm so glad you're happy about Dalex FINALLY getting together! Yeah, they do seem like they might try and pull away from each-other. Not saying if they will though, we'll just have to wait and see. :) Yes, the organ-shifting thing. We'll be getting more into it in the next couple of chapters. The Silence did something to stop Alex from experiencing the mind twinges she was having throughout 'The Impossible Astronaut'/'Day of the Moon' (sorry if that wasn't completely clear in the story). And you're right, what she was trying to remember from the twinges is pretty significant. We'll see what it was later in the story. :) The Silent in New Orleans said that she was supposed to be the one at Lake Silencio, though it never specified as to whether she was supposed to be in the Doctor's position or River's. Don't worry, all will be revealed eventually. :) I'm so excited to explore how the marriage in 'The Wedding of River Song' goes down! If the Doctor and River do get married, Alex will certainly not be happy about it, but the Doctor might not be so thrilled about it either. :} Glad you're enjoying 'The Curse of the Black Spot'! I tried really hard on this episode, even though it's not one of my favorites. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)

NicoleR85 - Thank you! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)

Sam Fraser - Yes, I know it. If I read it, I'll consider those ideas. :)

KaFaraqGatri - That's good to hear! Glad you enjoyed it! :) Lol, yeah, the Dalex shenanigans were my favorite parts to write. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)

funwithstark - I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who's not a fan of this episode. I agree, the Dalex parts make it much better, lol! Aw, thank you! That's so sweet! I hope I can continue to update everyday, especially when the semester starts back, but we'll have to see. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)

bored411 - Oh, yeah, my money's on Amy to figure things out pretty quick. We'll see Alex reacting more to being on a pirate ship (in the middle of a storm, no less) in the next chapter. To go ahead and tease, she will not be happy. :} Hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)

Jojo - I'm glad to hear that! I really wanted to try and convey that, while they get into the relationship pretty well, there is still some nervousness between them because they don't want to screw it up. I'm not quite sure how I managed it. I just tried to write it that way and did rewrites when necessary if I thought they weren't corresponding to my vision. :) Alex is not a virgin. She's had sex before (I have it in my notes that she lost her virginity when she was 15). Having had experience, she is pretty confident in regards to the physical side of things, but there was always an emotional disconnect between her and her boyfriends, which, when she met the Doctor, her reactions to him were new and intense and scared the hell out of her, because she's never felt like that for another person before. I think Alex was intimate with past boyfriends in an effort to be more emotionally intimate with them, but it never worked out. During the two years after the Doctor's appearance in 'The Eleventh Hour', Alex didn't date at all. Some guys did ask her out, but she turned them down because she was waiting for the Doctor and also too focused on her friends and her job. It's really only been the Doctor for her, even in the time before they met. :)

Serena - For me, I think it was because the Siren turned out not to be an antagonist. I'm not big on episodes where there isn't a clear antagonist. There have been some episodes that I found to be boring ('Kill the Moon', 'Empress of Mars', 'The Eaters of Light' to name some) but I didn't find 'The Curse of the Black Spot' boring, just anti-climatic. I agree, Doctor Who does seem to cross into fantasy more than sci-fi. I think that's when the show gets a bit too ridiculous for my taste. I'm not really into fantasy and the show was meant to be science-fiction, so it's pretty annoying to me when they step out of that genre and into something that, in my opinion, they just don't do well. But, having said all that, I'm glad you're enjoying this version of 'The Curse of the Black Spot'! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)

Thank you to everyone that reviewed, followed and/or favorited this story! Please review and see you tomorrow! :)