"Gentlemen, good news. My agents have procured the exact security software that you requested. The very latest upgrade. I extracted it from the memory of a Judoon trooper. Well, I say extracted. It was quicker to take the whole brain. And to be honest, I don't think he's going to miss it…Ah, ah, ah. A small matter of payment, I think. Delightful. Oh, I do enjoy sentient money, the way it wriggles. You'll find it in the frontal lobe. Should be quite easy, there's not a lot in there. But all this to imprison one child? Oh, I know what you're up to. I hear everything in this place. I even hear rumours about whose child you've taken. Are you mad? You know the stories about The Doctor, the things that man has done. He's not alone, you know. He has his Archangel. His ultimate weapon. God help us if you make him angry. He will unleash hell."
Twenty thousand light-years from Earth, a vast spaceship drifted silently through the endless void. Its corridors, stark and sterile, echoed with the heavy, rhythmic stomps of metal feet. A mass of Cybermen moved with mechanical precision through the ship's cold, gleaming passageways.
"Intruder, level nine," a Cyberman reported, its voice devoid of any emotion.
"Seal level nine," commanded the Cyberleader, its authoritative tone only marginally distinguishable from the others. The ship's hull shuddered, the vibrations travelling through the metal with a distant tremor.
"Intruder, level eleven," came the next report.
"Seal levels twelve, thirteen, and fourteen," the Cyberleader ordered without hesitation.
"Intruder, level fifteen," the Cyberman announced.
The Cyberleader's tone shifted ever so slightly as it issued its next command, "Prepare to engage."
In the midst of this cold efficiency, a human voice cut through the metallic monotony. It was firm, unwavering, and filled with a determination that stood in stark contrast to the lifeless drones surrounding him.
"I have a message and a question," Rory Williams declared, his eyes locked on the towering figures before him. He held his ground, undeterred by the lifeless stares of the Cybermen. "A message from The Doctor and a question from me. Where is my wife?"
The Cybermen remained silent, their metal faces offering no answers. Rory's gaze hardened.
"Oh, don't give me those blank looks," he continued, his words slicing through the tension in the air. "The Twelfth Cyber Legion monitors this entire quadrant. You hear everything. So you tell me what I need to know. You tell me now, and I'll be on my way."
The Cyberleader tilted its head slightly, considering the human before it. "What is The Doctor's message?"
Rory didn't answer. Instead, the silence was shattered by a series of distant explosions, reverberating through the ship. Behind Rory the vastness of space lit up with multiple explosions. The Cybermen turned their heads as one, their sensors registering the destruction of every other ship in the Twelfth Cyber Legion.
Rory's voice cut through the noise with chilling calm. "Would you like me to repeat the question?"
"A whole Cyber Legion though. He just let her blow them all up to make a point."
"We're being paid to fight him, not praise him. Praising costs way more."
"Level Minus Twenty Three Transept."
"Digger says she's actually a vengeful Goddess that he's trapped inside a body, forcing her to be his weapon of mass destruction."
"That's blasphemy."
"Reminder. This base is on Yellow Alert. This base is on Yellow Alert."
"But if she can kill all those Cybermen, what the hell are we supposed to be able to do against her?"
"Don't forget what she did to those Weeping Angels…"
"We're all going to die, aren't we?"
The Doctor was collecting.
From London, 1888, he collected Vastra and Jenny.
From Zaruthstra, 4037, he collected Strax.
She went with him to Stormcage. Rory, dressed in his full Roman garb and herself, shrouded in a dark cloak, the hood obscuring her face. They stepped through the dimly lit corridor, alarms blaring as they approached River Song's cell.
River Song herself wasn't in her cell. She was returning to it, her clothes a whimsical clash of time periods, but elegant as always. Without missing a beat, she picked up the guard's phone, her voice commanding even in the midst of the chaos.
"Oh, turn it off. I'm breaking in, not out," she said with an amused tone. "This is River Song, back in her cell. Oh, and I'll take breakfast at the usual time. Thank you."
As she moved further down the corridor, she caught sight of the two figures standing in the shadows. She narrowed her eyes, taking in the familiar Roman armour.
"Oh, are you boys dressing up as Romans now? I thought nobody read my memos," she quipped, her lips curling into a sly smile.
Rory stepped into the light, a bit awkward in his ancient garb. "Doctor Song. It's Rory. Sorry, have we met yet? Time streams. I'm not quite sure where we are."
A warm recognition lit up River's eyes. "Yes. Yes, we've met. Hello, Rory. Hally, always the flare for the dramatic."
Hally shifted, taking down her hood so the woman could see her face. There was a brief pause, the weight of something unspoken.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
River sighed, a bittersweet smile crossing her face. "It's my birthday. The Doctor took me ice skating on the River Thames in 1814, the last of the great Frost Fairs. He got Stevie Wonder to sing for me under London Bridge."
Rory blinked in surprise. "Stevie Wonder sang in 1814?"
"Yes, he did," River replied with a mischievous glint in her eye. "But you must never tell him."
Rory's expression turned serious. "I've come from The Doctor too."
River nodded knowingly. "Yes, but at a different point in time."
"Unless there's two of them," Rory offered, half-joking.
"Now, that's a whole different birthday," River responded with a light laugh.
Hally's face scrunched with distaste. "He needs you." She cut in.
River reached into her bag and pulled out her diary, flipping through the well-worn pages. "Demon's Run," she said quietly, Hally, picked up immediately on the weight behind the woman's words. She cocked her head to one side, watching River.
Rory's back seemed to straighten. "How, how did you know?"
River closed the diary, her expression softening. "I'm from his future. I always know." She glanced at Rory's attire and couldn't help but chuckle. "Why on Earth are you wearing that?"
Rory sighed, a bit embarrassed. "The Doctor's idea."
"Of course," River said, rolling her eyes affectionately. "His rules of engagement. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."
"Look ridiculous," Rory added, his cheeks flushing slightly.
River raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk on her lips. "Have you considered heels?"
The levity faded as Rory's thoughts returned to why they had come. "They've taken Amy. And our baby. The Doctor's getting some people together. We're going after her, but he needs you, too."
River's expression turned sombre, her eyes reflecting a knowing, deep apology. "I can't. Not yet, anyway."
Rory's confusion was evident. "I'm sorry?"
River took a deep breath. "This is the Battle of Demon's Run. The Doctor's darkest hour. He'll rise higher than ever before and then fall so much further, and I can't be with him till the very end."
"Why not?" Rory pressed, desperation creeping into his voice.
Hally was still watching the older woman, her own thoughts sparking behind her eyes as she silently considered her.
River looked at Rory with a mixture of sorrow and resolve. "Because this is it. This is the day he finds out who I am."
The Atraxi Bar was a notorious dive on the outskirts of the galaxy, a dimly lit haven for the universe's most unsavoury characters. The air inside was thick with the scent of bodies and the low hum of conversations in countless languages. Neon lights flickered intermittently, casting an eerie glow over the scarred and stained tables where patrons engaged in quiet dealings.
The Doctor pushed through the creaking doors, his eyes scanning the crowded room with a sharp, determined gaze. He was here for one purpose: to find Dorium Maldovar. Hally moved in behind him, her footsteps almost silent on the grimy floor. She followed The Doctor with the practised ease of someone who knew how to blend into the shadows, yet still make her presence known when necessary. As they weaved through the crowded bar, a pair of burly security guards stepped forward, intent on blocking their path.
With a swift, fluid motion, she stepped in front of him, her cloak billowing slightly as she moved. She made no sound as she placed her hands on the guards, one after the other, and with a quick twist, moved them aside with an effortless strength that belied her smaller stature. The guards, caught off-guard by the sudden display of power, exchanged bewildered glances but knew better than to retaliate. They quickly retreated, letting the pair pass.
The Doctor didn't break stride, his focus solely on the back of the bar where Dorium was known to conduct his business. They found him there, hunched over a table cluttered with various devices and datapads, his blue skin a sharp contrast in the dim light. The moment Dorium saw The Doctor approaching, a look of sheer panic flashed across his face.
"No. No, no, please. Not me," Dorium stammered, his voice trembling. "You don't need me. Why would you need me? I'm old, I'm fat, I'm blue. You can't need me!"
The Doctor didn't respond, his expression unreadable as he stared down at him. He simply stood there, an imposing figure, while Hally lingered in the shadows behind him. Cloaked in dark fabric, she leaned against the doorframe, her posture relaxed but her presence unmistakably threatening. The dim light caught the edge of her hood, casting just enough illumination to reveal the bottom half of her face, her lips set in a calm, almost indifferent line.
Dorium's eyes darted nervously between The Doctor and Hally. The fear in his gaze deepened as it settled on her. He let out a huff, attempting to mask his anxiety with bravado. "Your weapon doesn't scare me, Doctor. But she should scare you."
Hally remained silent, her eyes barely visible under the hood, watching Dorium with an intensity that made him shift uncomfortably in his seat.
"If you're going to release hell," Dorium continued, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "are you sure you can put it back?"
He glanced back at The Doctor, his expression hardening into one of wary defiance. But The Doctor still didn't speak, his silence speaking louder than any words could. The tension in the room was palpable, thickening the air with an unspoken threat.
Dorium's bravado crumbled under the weight of that silence. He sighed, shoulders slumping in resignation. He knew when he was beaten. With a reluctant nod, he conceded. "Fine. Fine, I'll come with you. But I'm telling you, Doctor, this is a bad idea."
The Doctor turned and began to walk away, not needing to look back to know that Dorium would follow. Hally pushed off the doorframe, her movements fluid and graceful as she fell into step behind them.
The Doctor. Always the solitary figure, moving through time and space with a reckless independence that bordered on arrogance. He was a man of many plans, each more intricate and daring than the last, and yet he never relied on anyone else to see them through. His companions, as much as he cared for them, were often kept at arm's length when it came to the darkest corners of his mind—where the most dangerous of his ideas took root. But this time it was different.
This time, The Doctor had a plan that required more than just himself. It required an army, a force powerful enough to stand against the darkness that threatened to consume everything he held dear. He had assembled them one by one, calling in favours and debts, gathering allies from across the universe—soldiers, warriors, friends, and even former enemies who owed him. They were all here, ready to fight, ready to follow him.
And then there was her.
She had been with him through countless battles, unwavering, her strength undeniable. There was a darkness in her, a controlled fury that The Doctor had always been wary of, knowing that it could be unleashed with devastating consequences. Yet, for all the times he had held her back, this time he did the opposite. He had looked her in the eye and asked her to stand with him, to do whatever needed to be done.
And she had said yes.
And so, she stood, at his right hand, ready to face whatever lay ahead. There was a comfort in the silence between them, an unspoken understanding that, for once, they were equals in this fight. The Doctor had his plan, and she was a part of it— he had not cowered from her power, this time, he had welcomed it. This time, he had asked.
Hally was set. Perched high above the waiting army, concealed in the shadows that clung to the upper reaches of the vast chamber. From her vantage point, she could see everything—the soldiers milling below, the Headless Monks silently standing guard, and Colonel Manton, pacing back and forth like a predator ready to strike. Her hearts pounded in her chest, not from fear, but from adrenaline. She was a spectre in the darkness, hidden from view, waiting for her cue.
This was The Doctor's plan, meticulously crafted and expertly set in motion. She watched the scene below with a calm intensity, every muscle in her body coiled like a spring, ready to snap into action the moment she was needed.
The anticipation was intoxicating, the power she held over these unsuspecting idiots a heady rush. They had no idea what was coming. The air was thick with tension as Colonel Manton began to speak, addressing the gathered soldiers with a voice that dripped with authority.
"He is not the devil. He is not a god. He is not a goblin, or a phantom or a trickster," Manton declared, his voice cutting through the stillness like a blade. "The Doctor is a living, breathing man, and as I look around this room, I know one thing. We're sure as hell going to fix that."
Hally's eyes narrowed as she observed the troops cheering in response. "Hoo-Rah!" they shouted, their voices reverberating off the cold, metal walls. They were emboldened, brimming with false confidence. They had no idea what was waiting in the shadows.
Manton continued, his tone growing darker, more resolute. "On this day, in this place, The Doctor will fall."
"Hoo-Rah!" the soldiers echoed, their shouts growing louder, more fervent.
Hally remained perfectly still, her breathing controlled, her senses sharp. She knew The Doctor was somewhere below, hidden in plain sight, ready to spring his own trap. But she had her own part to play, and she wouldn't move until the time was right. Until then, she would watch. And she would wait.
"The man who talks, the man who reasons, the man who lies, will meet the perfect answer," Manton said, his voice filled with grim satisfaction.
"Hoo-Rah!" the troops chanted again, their voices rising.
Manton paused, surveying the room with a glint of something almost akin to pride in his eyes. He was feeding off their energy, their loyalty. He needed them to believe they could do the impossible.
"Some of you have wondered why we have allied ourselves with the Headless Monks," Manton said, his voice taking on a new tone. "Perhaps you should have wondered why we call them Headless. It's time you knew what these guys have sacrificed for faith. As you all know, it is a Level One Heresy, punishable by death, to lower the hood of a Headless Monk. But by the divine grant of the Papal Mainframe herself, on this one and only occasion, I can show you the truth. Because these guys never can be persuaded."
Hally leaned forward slightly, her eyes narrowing as she watched Manton reach out and pull back the first Monk's hood. The soldiers gasped as the grotesque sight was revealed—a neck with no head, just skin grotesquely tied off where a head should have been.
"They never can be afraid," Manton intoned, lowering a second hood to reveal the same sight.
Hally smirked in the darkness.
"And they can never, ever be—"
"Surprised!" a familiar voice rang out, cutting through the air. Hally's heart leapt in response, her smirk widening. The Doctor had made his entrance.
Manton froze, as did everyone else in the room, as The Doctor, grinning with the unmistakable mischief in his eyes, pulled back the third hood himself. "Ha, ha! Hello, everyone. Guess who. Please, point a gun at me if it helps you relax."
The room erupted into chaos. Soldiers whipped around, weapons raised, aiming directly at The Doctor. The Headless Monks unsheathed their flaming swords, their silent menace adding to the palpable fear in the room. Hally remained motionless, still hidden from sight, but her fingers twitched in anticipation.
"You're only human," The Doctor quipped, his voice carrying childish lightness.
Jenny and Vastra would already be infiltrating the control room, their part of the plan unfolding simultaneously. Hally knew her cue was coming. The plan was intricate, like clockwork. And now, it was time for her to play her part. To bring the fear. The chaos.
Manton, trying to regain control, barked an order. "Doctor, you will come with me right now."
The Doctor's grin widened, his eyes sparkling with the thrill of it all. "Three minutes forty seconds. Amelia Pond! Get your coat!"
The lights went out, plunging the room into pitch-black darkness. And with it, Hally moved, silent and swift, a wraith in the shadows.
My turn.
The first notes of a song began to play, its beat throbbing through the darkened space like a heartbeat.
It's murder on the dancefloor…
The music swirled around them, wrapping the room in an eerie, almost hypnotic rhythm. Hally's smile grew, unseen in the pitch-black.
The thrill of the moment coursed through her veins as she let the darkness consume her, the music filling the air like a challenge.
But you better not kill the groove, DJ, gonna burn this goddamn house right down.
Her voice, soft yet dripping with menace, echoed throughout the room, coming from everywhere and nowhere. "Oh, I'm not a Goddess…"
"Witch!" Manton shouted into the void, his voice cracking with fear.
Hally laughed, the sound soft, almost affectionate as it echoed back to him. "I'm much more than a witch."
The music continued, the beat throbbing like the pulse of the room itself.
Oh, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, About your kind…
"Hell!" Manton's voice was desperate now, teetering on the edge of panic.
Hally's voice curled through the darkness like smoke, silky and threatening. "That really depends on who you ask."
The lights flickered on, revealing a hooded figure dressed in all black, standing behind Manton on the stage. The presence sent shivers through the soldiers, her form almost ghostly against the sudden brightness.
And so, and so, and so, and so, and so, and so, and so, I'll have to play…
Her voice continued to echo throughout the room, even as the figure stood silently behind Manton. "The bringer of death, you might call me," she whispered, her tone casual, almost conversational. "Your Archangel."
Manton whirled around, his gun trained on the hooded figure. But before he could pull the trigger, the figure vanished, dissolving into a curl of black smoke. The soldiers cried out in fear, their voices betraying their confusion as the figure reappeared meters away, down among them.
If you think you're getting away, I will prove you wrong…
In the chaos, Hally remained high above, safely hidden, watching the mayhem unfold below. These humans—they were so incredibly stupid. So easily broken. She could feel the power in her hands, the control she had over them, and it was intoxicating.
I'll take you all the way, boy, just come along…
The figure vanished again, only to reappear behind one of the Monks, sinking within him. The soldiers, terrified and unsure, trained their guns on the Monk, their fear driving them to the brink of madness.
Hear me when I say, hey…
Hally's smile widened as she watched, enjoying the spectacle. Nothing more than parlour tricks.
It's murder on the dancefloor…
The room descended into madness as the soldiers faced off against the Monks. A shot rang out, and one of the Monks fell, crumpling to the ground.
"Weapons down! Do not fire!" Manton shouted, his voice cracking with desperation.
But it was too late. Another Monk struck down a soldier, the tension in the room exploding into violence.
"No!" Manton yelled, his voice a mixture of panic and disbelief. "Do not fire. Nobody discharge their weapon in this room. Nobody! Do not fire!"
Hally watched, satisfaction growing as the chaos unfolded below her. Manton was losing control, and the fear was spreading like wildfire.
"Stop. Wait. Listen to me," Manton pleaded, his voice trembling. "I am disarming my weapon pack. Monks, I do this in good faith. I am now unarmed. All of you, discharge your weapon packs. The Doctor is trying to make fools of us. We are soldiers of God. We are not fools. We are not fools. We are not fools. We are not fools."
"We are not fools!" a soldier echoed, the chant spreading through the ranks.
"We are not fools," Manton repeated, more to himself now, his voice weak, desperate.
"Adorable," Hally purred, her voice dripping with mockery. The song began to fade, its final notes hanging in the air as backup arrived.
Suddenly, the galleries around the assembly lit up with the arrival of reinforcements. Silurians materialized, their forms imposing as they took up positions around the room. Moments later, the unmistakable forms of the Judoon appeared, their brutish figures adding to the presence of The Doctor's allies.
Strax, the Sontaran, stepped forward, his voice booming across the room. "This base is now under our command."
Manton, visibly shaken, tried to muster one final defence. "I have a fleet out there. If Demon's Run goes down, there's an automatic distress call."
The Doctor's voice, calm and unyielding, echoed over the comms. "Not if we knock out your communications array. And you've got incoming."
Manton's eyes widened as the realization of his defeat dawned on him. He had been outmanoeuvred, outplayed, and now, the endgame was upon him.
Hally moved silently through the corridors of the base, her steps deliberate and measured as she followed Strax, marching Colonel Manton into the control room.
"All airlocks sealed. Resistance neutralised," Strax reported with clipped efficiency.
Hally pulled back her hood as she stepped further into the room, finally revealing her face. The Doctor glanced at her, his eyes quickly scanning her from head to toe. Satisfied that she was unharmed, he turned his attention back to Manton.
"Sorry, Colonel Manton. I lied. Three minutes forty-two seconds," The Doctor quipped, greeting the man with a cold smile.
Strax took a step forward, his weapon still trained on the Colonel. "Colonel Manton, you will give the order for your men to withdraw."
"No. Colonel Manton, I want you to tell your men to run away." The Doctor leaned back in his chair, watching the man with an easy sense of victory.
Manton blinked, taken aback. "You what?" he sputtered.
"Those words," The Doctor pressed, his voice cutting through the room. "Run away. I want you to be famous for those exact words. I want people to call you Colonel Run Away. I want children laughing outside your door because they've found the house of Colonel Run Away. And when people come to you and ask if trying to get to me through the people I love is in any way a good idea, I want you to tell them your name."
The room seemed to shrink under the weight of The Doctor's anger. Hally watched him closely. She had seen him angry before, but this—this was different. The storm within him barely contained.
"Oh, look, I'm angry," The Doctor continued, almost to himself. "That's new. I'm really not sure what's going to happen now."
A female voice cut across them as Madame Kovarian was escorted into the control room. She spoke, her voice dripping with disdain. "The anger of a good man is not a problem. Good men have too many rules."
The Doctor turned to her, his expression hardening. "Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many."
Kovarian's eyes narrowed, a silent battle of wills between the pair. Kovarian conceded rather quickly. "Give the order. Give the order, Colonel Run Away," she commanded, her voice edged with bitter resignation.
The troops outside began to retreat, their footsteps echoing through the corridors as they left Demon's Run behind. They had Kovarian and Manton. It was over. They had won, and not a single drop of blood had been spilt in this final confrontation. Easy peasy.
The Doctor turned to Hally, his expression softening slightly as he addressed her.
"I'm going to find Amy and Rory. Stay here. Ensure they leave," he instructed. His voice held a note of something deeper, an unspoken permission that Hally immediately recognized. Do whatever you need to do. It was in his tone, in the way he looked at her. He understood now, or at least he was beginning to. In his rage, he had set her free.
Hally nodded silently, staying near the control room's entrance, watching as the last of the soldiers, including Manton and Kovarian, left the base. She remained a silent sentinel, ensuring that no one lingered, that the retreat was complete.
Vastra appeared beside her, her keen eyes scanning the scene with satisfaction. "Doctor? Take a look. They're leaving. Demon's Run is ours without a drop of blood spilt. My friend, you have never risen higher."
Power. The word echoed in Hally's mind. This was power, wasn't it? To command an entire army without a single act of violence. The Doctor had achieved what few could even imagine—victory through fear, through words alone. Untouchable. And yet, Hally couldn't help but wonder what could be done if they had incited a fight. If they had truly unleashed their full potential.
The Doctor had taken Amy and Rory back to the TARDIS. Meanwhile, Dorium, was busy hacking into the base's systems. Hally moved closer, peering over his shoulder with interest. Dorium glanced up at her, his eyes narrowing before he returned to his work.
On the screen were scans of the child—Melody Pond—from almost two weeks after her conception. Hally's eyes darkened as she realised the full extent of what had been done. They had kept Amy for that long, running test after test on her and her unborn child. But for what purpose? What could they possibly want with a human child? Was this all just to draw The Doctor here, or was there something more?
Hally's eyes scanned the DNA data on the screen, her frown deepening as she noticed something peculiar. She pressed the comm, her voice calm but urgent. "Doctor, we need you in the main control room."
Vastra looked at her with concern. "What is it?"
Hally kept her eyes on the screen, her mind racing as viewing the information on the screen. "The child… there's something wrong with her DNA."
The Doctor arrived moments later, his face a mix of concern and determination. "You've hacked into their software, then?" he asked, addressing Dorium.
"I believe I sold it to them," Dorium replied with a touch of irony.
"Ooo. So what have we learned?" The Doctor asked, his tone light but his eyes sharp as he awaited the answer.
Vastra stepped forward, her voice measured and thoughtful. "That anger is always the shortest distance to a mistake."
The Doctor frowned, caught off guard. "I'm sorry?"
Vastra's gaze softened, and she offered a small, knowing smile. "The words of an old friend who once found me in the London Underground, attempting to avenge my sisters on perfectly innocent tunnel diggers."
The Doctor's frown deepened as he recalled the memory. "Well, you were very cross at the time."
"As you were today, old friend," Vastra replied gently. "Point taken, I hope. Now, I have a question. A simple one. Is Melody human?"
She straightened up, her eyes locking onto The Doctor as they waited for his response.
"Sorry, what? Of course she is," The Doctor said, his voice almost defensive. "Completely human. What are you talking about?"
Dorium shook his head, his voice grave as he delivered the news. "They've been scanning her since she was born, and I think they found what they were looking for."
The Doctor's brow furrowed in confusion. "Human DNA."
Hally hummed softly, catching The Doctor's attention. She leaned closer to the screen, her voice low but clear. "Look closer. Human plus. Specifically, human plus Time Lord."
The Doctor's eyes widened in shock, his mind struggling to process the implications. "But she's human. She's Amy and Rory's daughter."
Vastra broke the silence first, her voice calm but probing. "You've told me about your people. They became what they did through prolonged exposure to the Time Vortex. The Untempered Schism."
The Doctor stopped pacing and turned to face her, his expression a mix of frustration and uncertainty. "Over billions of years," he replied, shaking his head. "It didn't just happen."
Hally clicked her tongue, a soft but pointed sound that drew his attention. "We both know it's not always that logical," she said, her eyes narrowing as she stared at him. There was a challenge in her gaze, a reminder that not everything followed the rules—even for Time Lords.
Vastra continued, undeterred by the rising tension. "So how close is she? Could she even regenerate?"
The Doctor hesitated, his voice faltering as he answered. "No, no. I don't think so."
Vastra's sharp eyes caught the uncertainty in his tone. "You don't sound so sure," she observed, her words cutting through the room's growing unease.
The Doctor sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Because I don't understand how this happened. They're humans! Yes, okay, you're different!" He motioned towards Hally, who stood with her arms crossed, watching him intently. "But that was human plus Time Lord plus Bad Wolf… that made sense. But this…" He trailed off, his mind racing to fill in the gaps.
Vastra's gaze softened slightly as she carefully framed her next question. "Which leads me to ask, when did it happen?"
The Doctor looked at her, confused. "When?"
Vastra's tone was measured, almost delicate. "I am trying to be delicate. I know how you can blush. When did this baby begin?"
Realisation dawned on The Doctor's face. "Oh, you mean—"
"Quite," Vastra confirmed with a small nod.
"Well, how would I know? That's all human-y, private stuff. It just sort of goes on. They don't put up a balloon or anything." The Doctor muttered, brushing her question aside.
"But could the child have begun on the TARDIS in flight, in the Vortex?" Vastra pressed.
The Doctor was quick to dismiss the idea. "No! No! Impossible! It's all running about, sexy fish vampires, and blowing up stuff. And Rory wasn't even there at the beginning. Then he was dead, then he didn't exist, then he was plastic. Then I had to reboot the whole universe. Long story. So, technically the first time they were on the TARDIS together in this version of reality was on their w—"
Vastra raised an eyebrow. "On their what?"
The Doctor's face fell as the realisation hit him. "On their wedding night."
Hally let out a low groan, the sound filled with both frustration and disbelief.
The Doctor shook his head, trying to make sense of it all. "It doesn't make sense. You can't just cook yourself a Time Lord."
"Maybe not," Vastra replied thoughtfully, "but you gave them one hell of a start, and they've been working very hard ever since."
"But how?" The Doctor's voice was laced with desperation. "Where would they get that kind of DNA? Even if you had the beginnings of a Time Lord, you can't just force the process unless you already had Time Lord DNA to splice it with!"
"I don't know!" Hally snapped, her frustration mirroring his own. "Maybe we left some lying around!"
Dorium, who had been quietly monitoring the data on the screen, suddenly coughed to get their attention. "They've got data… from Earth… 2009, 2010?" He brought up the readings on the screen, his expression grave. "Two sets… one pure Time Lord and the other… a hybrid." He glanced towards Hally, his blue face etched with concern.
The Doctor frowned, peering at the data. "That's not my DNA though…"
Hally's entire demeanour changed in an instant, ice-cold fury surging through her veins as the pieces clicked into place. "No. It's The Master's." Her voice was low, a dangerous growl building in her throat. "It was them…" The anger in her eyes was palpable, a storm barely contained.
The Doctor looked to her, noting the anger radiating from her.
Dorium, sensing the rising tension, spoke up again, his voice edged with unease. "And yet they gave in so easily. Does this not bother anyone else?"
"Amy. She worried the baby would have a Time Head. She said that..." The Doctor groaned, running his hand across his face.
"Only you would ignore the instincts of a mother," Vastra chided, her tone soft but firm.
Dorium nodded in agreement, his voice heavy with suspicion. "Or the instincts of a coward. This is too easy. There's something wrong."
Hally's anger simmered just below the surface, her mind racing. The Master. It had been them. They had hurt The Master. To create a new Time Lord.
The Doctor shook his head, trying to make sense of it all. "Why even do it? Even if you could get your hands on a brand new Time Lord, what for?"
"A weapon?" Vastra suggested, her tone cautious.
The Doctor looked at her, disbelief and frustration warring on his face. "Why would a Time Lord be a weapon?"
Vastra met his gaze, her voice steady and sure. "Well, they've seen the pair of you."
"Me?" The Doctor asked, incredulous.
Vastra nodded. "Mister Maldovar, you're right. This was too easy. We should get back to the others."
With that, Vastra and Dorium left the control room, leaving The Doctor and Hally alone in the tense silence. The Doctor noticed her silence, the way she stood there, fists clenched, breathing heavily, trying to control the rage that was boiling inside her.
"Hey…" The Doctor started, his voice soft, but before he could say more, the screen in front of them flickered to life.
Kovarian's face appeared, her expression smug and coy. "I see you accessed our files. Do you understand yet?" Her voice was dripping with satisfaction, as if she relished in the confusion and anger she had sown.
A low growl escaped Hally's throat.
The room was filled with a tension, that kind of tension that promised something inevitable. Hally stood still, her fists clenched by her sides, her eyes locked on the screen where Madame Kovarian's image flickered, a smug smile playing on her lips.
"Oh, don't worry," Kovarian said, her voice smooth and condescending. "I'm a long way away. But I like to keep tabs on you." Her smile widened as she continued, "The child, then. What do you think?"
The Doctor's voice was sharp, filled with a confusion he rarely allowed himself to show. "What is she?"
"Hope," Kovarian replied, her smile unchanging. "Hope in this endless, bitter war."
The Doctor's expression darkened. "What war? Against who?"
Kovarian's eyes gleamed with malicious delight. "Against you, Doctor."
A chill ran through the room, but The Doctor didn't back down. "A child is not a weapon!" he declared, his voice firm.
Kovarian laughed, a cold, mocking sound that sent a shiver down Hally's spine. "Oh, really? And what exactly would you call your Archangel of Death, Doctor? If not a weapon of mass destruction."
Hally froze, stunned. The words cut deep, twisting inside her like a knife. "That's not… I'm not…" she ground out, but the doubt was already there, lurking beneath her anger.
Kovarian's smile turned sympathetic, a mockery of kindness. "We might have left your little friend, Doctor. We did try other avenues. We tried to take her out. We tried to tame her. To make her ours. But you see, nothing would stick." Her gaze shifted to Hally, a sneer curling her lips. "Your indestructible little Archangel."
The Doctor was beginning to piece it together, the horror dawning on his face as Kovarian's words sank in. It had been them. All along, it had been them.
Kovarian's voice dripped with venom as she continued, "Then we realised she was pregnant. With what, hmm? Another weapon."
"Shut up," Hally hissed, her voice trembling with barely restrained fury.
"So we thought we might wait, take the child when it was born," Kovarian said, her tone casual, as if discussing the weather. But Hally's anger was burning hotter and hotter. "And even better, we had another sleeping Time Lord to use, to unlock all the secrets of regeneration, all your dirty little secrets."
Hally's rage erupted, her voice a low, dangerous growl. "Coward. You had better run. You had better keep running. Because I will fucking find you, and I will do the same to you that I did to them. I will wipe you from existence. Every. Single. One." Her voice shook with the intensity of her anger, so consumed by it that she didn't even notice The Doctor's eyes on her, concerned and wary.
Kovarian's smile didn't waver, as if she had expected this reaction. "Can't you see it, Doctor? We needed a defence. A Hybrid child would have been better… but Melody will do. Give us time."
The Doctor's voice was steel, cutting through the tension. "Except you've already lost her, and I swear I will never let you anywhere near her again."
Kovarian's laughter was chilling, filled with a twisted glee. "Oh, Doctor. Fooling you once was a joy, but fooling you twice the same way? It's a privilege."
The screen flicked off, leaving the room in heavy silence.
"Amy," The Doctor whispered, the realisation hitting him hard. "Amy!" He turned and ran, Hally followed close behind. They had taken Amy, had hurt The Master. And for what? Because of her? Because of The Doctor? All of this, to fight him?
The Doctor's voice echoed through the corridors as they ran. "Amy! Amy!"
Fighting was breaking out ahead. She blasted open the door between them and the others with a wave of her hand. "Amy!" The Doctor's voice was frantic, echoing through the room. "Amy! Amy, she's not real! Melody, she's a Flesh avatar. Amy!"
They burst into the already silent room. The Monks lay dead on the floor.
The Doctor had already rushed to Amy's side.
Hally hovered.
Across the room, The Doctor moved to where Jenny was comforting Amy. The pain in Amy's eyes was unbearable, and The Doctor's expression mirrored it.
"They took her anyway," Amy whispered, her voice thick with grief. "All this was for nothing."
The Doctor's voice was soft, filled with sorrow. "I am so sorry."
Jenny tried to comfort her. "Amy, it's not his fault."
"I know," Amy replied, her voice breaking. "I know."
Hally stood back, watching them silently, a prickling anger rising up her spine. Not his fault? Wasn't it? Isn't it? The questions swirled in her mind, mixing with the anger that wouldn't leave her alone. She wasn't a weapon. She had never been. Or had she? The doubt gnawed at her, the feeling that maybe, just maybe, she had been used. Used to find Amy.
They weren't waging a war against her or The Master. They were waging a war against The Doctor. And to them, she was just another weapon in his arsenal.
The anger swam inside her, boiling, as The Doctor moved away with Vastra. Out of the corner of her eye, something caught her attention. A cot. Wooden, old. Gallifreyan symbols etched around the outside. Her heart skipped a beat as she moved toward it, her frown deepening. It was her cot. Her name was written across the wood. For some reason, looking at it only angered her further. Why build her a cot? What had been the point? When he had left her anyway.
Not her. Not Hally. She wasn't going to be like him. She was going to find The Master and they were going to leave.
She was going to do anything to make sure her daughter never had to feel anything other than safe. Always wanted. Always loved.
Hally's gaze fell on the small, delicate cloth that had been newly nestled inside the cot, a sewn leaf. The engravings were intricate, the symbols familiar, and as she read them, certainty gripped her. The hunch she'd harboured, the one she'd been trying to confirm, was right.
Her heart pounded. Her certainty came with a bitter edge. The child would be fine. Amy would be fine. They all would be. But the urgency was suffocating. She was running out of time. Every moment spent here was just another obstacle. Just something else in her way.
Vastra's voice cut through her thoughts. "So, what now? They'd almost certainly have taken her to Earth. Raise her in the correct environment."
The Doctor's response was heavy with resignation. "Yes, they did. And it's already too late."
Hally's thoughts raced. All of this—the struggle, the battles, the pain—it was simply in her way now. She was running out of time.
Vastra's voice, tinged with disbelief, broke through her thoughts. "You're giving up? You never do that."
The Doctor's face twisted with frustration. "Yeah, and don't you sometimes wish I did?"
A flash illuminated the room, as River stalked casually towards the group. "Well then, soldier. How goes the day?" River asked, her tone light but her eyes sharp.
Hally glanced up, looking at her. The Doctor's reaction was immediate, filled with frustration and urgency. "Where the hell have you been? Every time you've asked, I have been there. Where the hell were you today?!"
River's gaze was calm but firm. "I couldn't have prevented this."
"You could have tried!" The Doctor retorted.
"And so, my love, could you," River responded, her tone laced with a quiet reproach.
Ignoring The Doctor's anger, River turned to Amy. "I know you're not all right. But hold tight, Amy, because you're going to be."
The Doctor's voice was raw with pain and denial. "You think I wanted this? I didn't do this. This, this wasn't me!"
Hally's rage flared, her voice cutting through the room with a fierce edge. "Wasn't it?"
The Doctor's face fell, his disbelief evident. "Hal… no. No. This wasn't me. Don't you turn this on me! I know you're scared and you're angry, but this had nothing to do with me!"
"They did ALL of this to fight YOU!" Hally's voice was fierce, her anger a tangible force. "How can you stand there and take NO responsibility for that?!"
"Because it's not just me, is it?!" The Doctor bellowed back.
Hally's laughter was bitter, laced with a cruel edge. "Oh, I see, so it's all MY FAULT."
"I'm not the one who murdered thousands of people," The Doctor spat back, his anger boiling over. "They see you as a weapon and THAT has NOTHING to do with me!"
"Doesn't it?!" Hally's voice was scornful. "Does it not?! Did you not ASK me to blow up three million Cybermen?! Did you not ASK me to destroy a whole horde of Weeping Angels just to find your friend?! That was YOU. You can't pretend like all this death follows only ME. YOU MADE ME. You act all high and mighty but the second you needed that power you didn't stop for a SECOND."
"That was different!" The Doctor shouted, advancing on her with barely contained fury.
"How?! How the fuck was it different?!" Hally demanded.
"Because I didn't enjoy it," The Doctor seethed, his voice cracking with emotion. "I see you. I see the way you revel in it. And I don't know how to stop you. They took her child. Because they fear what you can do."
"You're such a fucking hypocrite," Hally snapped.
River stepped in, her voice cutting through their argument with a chilling clarity. "This was exactly you! All this. All of it. BOTH of you. You make them so afraid. When you began, all those years ago, sailing off to see the universe, did you ever think you'd become this? The man who can turn an army around at the mention of his name. Doctor. The word for healer and wise man throughout the universe. We get that word from you, you know. But if you carry on the way you are, what might that word come to mean? To the people of the Gamma Forests, the word Doctor means mighty warrior. How far you've come. And her. They blame you for her. Your hybrid. And can you blame them? They watched… as she destroyed sixty-thousand lives. Took over the planet and what? What were the consequences? She killed all those people and the both of you just hopped away. You're both so loud. So seemingly indestructible. You can't release a storm and then try and fit it back into its box, Doctor. And now they've taken a child, the child of your best friends, and they're going to turn her into a weapon just to bring you down. And all this, my love, in fear of you."
The Doctor stood in stunned silence, his gaze shifting from River to Hally and then down to the floor. He looked lost, like a beaten child.
Hally's breath came in harsh, ragged gasps. The realisation was sinking in: was this all truly happening because of them? She had killed countless people. And yet, the consequences seemed so stark and empty.
The Doctor took a small step back, his movements hesitant, as he edged closer to the TARDIS. "I…"
River offered him a small, reassuring smile.
He swallowed hard. "River… take everyone home. Take…" His gaze lingered on his daughter. "Take her to Earth…" He took another step towards the TARDIS.
Hally's voice cut through, panic seizing her. "What?" Her tone was urgent and pleading. "No. Doctor!" As he moved closer to the TARDIS, she held out her hand, forcing the TARDIS doors to slam shut before he could reach them. "No! You promised! You promised me!"
"I have to find Melody…" The Doctor shot back.
"No. You don't!" Hally snapped.
"I have to find her. I have to put this right."
"She is fine!" Hally screamed, her voice raw with frustration.
The Doctor's face twisted in confusion and concern.
"You can't leave me, Doctor. You promised you would keep me safe. You promised we would find him." To her despair, water had started to track down her cheeks.
"Don't you understand?" He turned back to her, frustration boiling over. "Can't you see?! She's right. All of this. Was because of us. Can't you see what we have become? We are dangerous. And we are more dangerous when we're together. All of this. IS our fault. I can't help you. I can't help you at the expense of EVERYTHING else. We're better apart. Don't you understand? You'll be safer. Your daughter will be safer. Perhaps all this time. Don't you see, when we're together, destruction follows. The Daleks, the Cybermen…" He ran a hand over his face, his voice breaking. "Always. So much so that they stole a baby and made a weapon. Because they fear us."
Tears streamed down Hally's face, her heart aching with the weight of his words.
"I have to find Melody."
"No, you don't?!" Hally yelled back at him. "How can you be so fucking stupid? Melody is FINE. She's always been FINE."
"Hally, don't you dare…" River's voice was laced with warning and anger. "Not like this."
The Doctor frowned at his daughter. "What are you talking about? They took her! They took her to stop me!"
"She's right there!" Hally screamed, pointing towards River.
Silence fell over the room.
Hally, breathing heavily, knew she had crossed a line, but she couldn't let herself care. "She's right there." She didn't dare look back at River, Amy, or Rory.
"What…?" Amy's voice was small, lost and confused. The Doctor looked from his daughter to River and back, struggling to understand.
"She's your daughter." Hally snapped, her voice cold and accusatory. "She's always been your daughter. She lied. In 1969. She lied. What other reason would she have for not coming to help?" She spat the words out.
"But…"
"Oh, come on." Hally turned to Rory. "What did she say? To you. Idris. Back in the TARDIS? About the forest, what did she say?"
"Hally. Stop being cruel." River's voice was a harsh reprimand.
Rory's voice trembled. "She said… the only water in the forest… is the River? I don't… I don't understand."
"Melody Pond." Hally pulled the prayer leaf from the cot, sending it floating towards Amy and Rory. "It doesn't have an exact translation in the language of the Gamma-Forest. So it translates to River Song." She turned back to The Doctor, her expression dark and resolute. "She's fine. You don't need to find her. I need you. I need you…" Her voice cracked with emotion.
But The Doctor's focus was on River, Amy, and Rory. He looked to River for confirmation. River met his gaze first, then turned to her parents. She offered a small, apologetic smile and moved closer to Amy. "It's going to be alright, Amy. Your daughter… she's going to be alright."
"River…?" Amy's voice was filled with desperation.
River pulled Amy into a comforting hug as Amy broke down in tears.
Hally tensed her jaw and looked away from them, focusing instead on The Doctor. He stared back at her, his expression a mix of anger and something like disgust. He took a step back and repeated his earlier instruction, his voice louder and more authoritative this time. "River. Take them home."
"Doctor… Doctor, wait… no… Dad!" Hally grabbed him by the arm, forcing him to turn back to her. Her voice was barely a whisper, choked with tears and fear. "Don't… please don't. You promised…" Her voice broke with desperation. "I have to stay on the TARDIS. I'm safe on the TARDIS. Please… for my daughter, please… I'm sorry… I am… I'm sorry. I won't… be like that anymore. I'll stop. Whatever you want. Take away the power. Whatever. Don't leave me… please."
The Doctor's face broke momentarily, pain flashing across his features. She could see his pain, she could see how much it hurt him as he pressed her hand away, forcing the pain down, replacing it with something cold.
"You can do this on your own, Hally. You just don't want to." Cold indifference looked back at her, the expression so foreign on his face. "I don't owe you anything. I never have."
His words hit her like a physical blow. He turned and opened the TARDIS doors.
"If you go now, that's it! Do you understand!? I will never forgive you! We'll be done!"
The Doctor paused at the threshold, sighed heavily, and stepped onto the TARDIS. The doors closed behind him with a finality that echoed in the silence.
Hally barely registered the TARDIS taking off, the sound a distant hum against the ringing in her ears. River said something to the others, but Hally barely heard it. River then approached her, taking her arm gently. As their eyes met, River activated the Vortex Manipulator, and together, they disappeared.
The hum of the spaceship cut away, leaving behind the stillness of Earth. River stood unmoving, her hands still on Hally, her gaze unwavering. Hally was silent, the previous few moments replaying through her mind.
She was alone.
The Doctor was gone.
The Master was gone.
Gently, River guided Hally away from the road where they had just materialised, steering her toward the curb. It was night, although the clouds obscured most of the stars. They were on a residential street, with tall, curved houses lining one side and a park on the other. It looked like London, Hally assumed it was London. River glanced at one of the front doors, considering something, before looking back at Hally. "Wait here," she instructed, guiding Hally to a nearby bench.
River was contemplating something, and looked from Hally towards the front door again. "You're not going to go anywhere, are you?" It was only slightly a question, more a statement really.
"No." Hally muttered back.
River nodded and headed towards the front door of one of the houses. She rang the doorbell. Hally wondered how late it was. It took the occupant a while to answer. Hally couldn't really hear the conversation, it was low and muffled. She could make out River's voice, and a man's. Then after a few minutes, another man. Lower. Sharper.
Hally sat, her mind racing. The Doctor's words filtered through her mind, as did River's. The Doctor had left her on this planet—this planet where she had caused so much destruction. She wasn't angry; she had expected to be, but now she felt only exhaustion, brokenness, and a sense of being lost. Maybe The Doctor was right. They were dangerous. She was dangerous. She was. She was catastrophic. She didn't want that. Didn't want to be that. Not for her daughter. For her daughter, she wanted safe. She wanted good and kind and safe and secure. Could she stay on Earth? Could she even do that? There would be people who knew what she'd done. Would they lock her up? Should she let them? Is that what she'd have to do? Accept responsibility for what she'd done. Fix it? Finding The Master was becoming less and less likely, so she needed to focus on herself instead. Herself and their daughter. Take accountability. Atone.
River returned to the bench, clearing her throat. "Are you coming in?"
Hally looked up, nodded, and rose to follow River to the front door. She stepped through, raising her gaze, she was surprised to see Ianto. He gave her a small, tight smile and motioned her inside, closing the door behind them. River moved past Hally into the living room through a door on the right, then paused and turned back, holding Hally inside the hallway. "Are you going to be reasonable?"
She simply nodded in response, River's comment igniting a slight lick of irritation but she squashed it. What was the point in being angry? She couldn't be angry. As Hally moved into the living room, she came to understand River's comment more clearly.
Jack.
He paced restlessly, pausing as she entered, a grimace forming before he masked it with a neutral expression. His eyes roamed over her, taking in her noticeably pregnant form.
Hally couldn't suppress her huff of sarcastic laughter.
"Something funny?" Jack's voice was clipped as he looked at her.
Hally met his gaze, swallowed hard, and removed the sarcastic expression from her face. "No." She spoke sincerely. She wasn't there to provoke a fight. Not to rile him. What she needed was to be safe. To be… good.
Perhaps here was the best place to start.
River's smile widened. "Wonderful."
Ianto, sensing the heavy tension, moved into the lounge. "Shall I make tea?"
Jack's jaw tightened. River flashed a bright smile at Ianto. "That'd be lovely. Two sugars for me. Hally will have one too, won't you?"
Hally shot River a mild look but nodded in agreement.
Ianto nodded and headed towards the kitchen.
"Shall we sit?" River asked brightly, as if they were simply catching up at a reasonable hour. Hally glanced at the clock—3 a.m. Jack settled into an armchair, leaving the sofa for River and Hally. Hally followed River's lead and sat.
"Lovely house you have," River said, her smile slowly starting to soften Jack's demeanour. He returned the smile with a small one of his own.
"Yeah. Had to relocate after someone blew up our base," Jack replied.
Hally met his gaze, her expression unchanging.
"You're living in London now?" she asked.
"Uh-huh," Jack confirmed.
Hally nodded slowly. "The whole team?"
"Some of us," Jack replied.
Jack turned back to River. "She can't stay here."
River sighed softly. "This is the best place for her to be."
"I don't mean here. I mean this planet. She can't be here."
Hally sat, watching the pair converse about her as though she wasn't in the room.
"Really? I can't think of a better place for her to be," River said.
Jack scoffed. "Are you serious? Drop her off with The Doctor."
"She can't."
"Why not?"
"Because he kicked her out and told me to bring her to Earth," River replied cheerfully, ignoring Hally's tensed reaction.
Jack laughed then, a harsh, incredulous sound. "Of course, he did. He's an idiot. She killed thousands of people. She can't be here."
River sighed softly. "We need this to work, Jack."
"I don't care. She has to go."
"Where? Where should she go, exactly?"
Jack rolled his eyes. "Anywhere. It's not my problem. I don't care."
"You don't care? She's pregnant, Jack. No Doctor, no Master, and you don't care?" River's gaze was intense, locking with Jack's in a silent stare until he groaned.
"UNIT is going to find out. I can't protect her. She's a fugitive. Pregnant or not."
River hummed in soft, knowing agreement, allowing the silence to settle between them.
Ianto entered with tea, handing a cup to Jack first, then River, then Hally, before taking a seat in the other empty armchair.
"What if…" Hally's voice cut through the silence, drawing their attention. Jack looked at her as though he'd almost forgotten she was present, while River watched her with a soft smile. "… what if I handed myself in?"
For a moment, Jack and Ianto simply stared at her in silence, and Hally worried they hadn't heard.
"Sorry… what?"
Hally cleared her throat, straightening up to appear more assured. "I could hand myself in. To UNIT… or… whoever would be the most 'superior' governing body over extraterrestrial affairs." She flicked a glance at River before looking back at Jack. "Because you're right. I did kill those people and the rest of it. And perhaps… perhaps that's why here is exactly where I should be. To take accountability. To not just run away but to stay and face whatever it is."
Jack considered her, tilting his head to one side. "Hal… they could lock you away and throw away the key…"
She hummed in agreement. "They might. Although, I don't think they will. We can do it properly—a trial, I don't know. But it only works if I hand myself in. If I come to them, not as a threat, not wanting anything, just to take accountability."
Ianto observed her. "But why would you do that? What do you gain?"
She shrugged. "Nothing. But it's the right thing to do, isn't it? I can help. If I'm on this planet. If I'm going to be stuck here… If I'm…" Her words faltered. "If I'm going to have my daughter here… raise her here, then I have to do it properly. No tricks. No cheating."
Jack exhaled long and slow, considering her words. He turned to Ianto. "Is there anyone at UNIT we can call who won't immediately bring out the full force of the military?"
Fear settled in Hally's stomach. Was she really doing this? Had she thought this through? These people were her… 'friends'. UNIT wasn't. They owed her nothing. Could she be sure of her safety? She trusted Jack enough to know he'd not want her harmed. River wouldn't let her get hurt…?
Ianto thought for a moment. "There's someone… I can't remember her name, she was middle management? Science division? Hold on…" He rose to grab his phone, scrolling through it as he stood next to Jack. "Kate Stewart? We met her when we were dealing with that mud creature, thing. She might come without the fanfare? Without guns…"
Jack huffed. "I don't know… she was a bit of a stickler for protocol." He grimaced. "Plus she's hardly contained." He motioned toward Hally. "Only an idiot would assume that she's less dangerous just because she's pregnant." He shot Hally a look.
River hummed, reaching into a pocket and pulling out a silver band. "I might have something that could help with that." She offered Jack a knowing smile. Hally's gaze fell on the familiar item, her eyebrow raised in curiosity.
"How do you have that?"
"Spoilers," River replied, smirking at the roll of Hally's eyes.
Jack frowned, examining the band. "Is that what I think it is?" He eyed the silver band with interest.
Hally sighed softly. "Similar. It's not the one you saw; this one prevents the externalisation of my power. I can still heal and communicate with another Time Lord if I wanted to."
River smiled. "Plus, it has a multiple fingerprint lock system. You can program it to only lock or unlock if certain people apply their fingerprints."
Hally nodded, letting out a soft breath. "So, if we locked it together…" She glanced at Jack. "Then it would only be the two of us who could unlock it."
Jack nodded slowly. "I think I can sell that. Powerless, homeless, pregnant Time Lady, turning herself in." His eyes flashed with something less than kind. "What did I tell you?"
She sneered at him. "Go fuck yourself."
River grinned and stood. "That sounds like my cue." She handed the silver band to Jack as she rose.
Fear sliced through Hally.
Of course, River wasn't staying. Obviously.
Sensing Hally's distress, River turned and offered her a reassuring smile. "You're going to be fine."
Hally stared back, not believing her.
"I know. But you are. You're doing the right thing."
Something pooled in Hally's eyes. She looked away. This was it then.
River readied the Vortex Manipulator. "Hally…"
She looked back up at her.
"You know, he didn't mean what he said." River's voice was serious, willing Hally to believe her.
Hally ground her jaw, pain flashing behind her eyes. She swallowed. "Maybe. But maybe I meant what I said. We're done. He doesn't get to waltz back into my life after that."
River let out a breath, nodded, and disappeared.
Suddenly, it was just Hally, Jack, and Ianto.
It was almost ironic really.
A full circle.
She was back at the beginning.
Jack watched her. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
She looked at him, offering a small smile. "I don't want to do any of this. But this is where we are…"
He nodded in understanding and turned to Ianto. "Call Kate…"