"I wouldn't do that," Thea warned quietly as the Doctor flashed his sonic on the hatch above their heads. They had landed in a dark storeroom of some kind, given the fact that there was water on the floor she had guessed a ship of some kind. The TARDIS had picked up a distress call and the Doctor instantly followed it. He never could resist a distress call. Thea had caught a quick glance at the location and giving the time period it was either a Navy ship they were on, or a pirate ship. She couldnt get a sense yet.
Oh, please be pirates.
Ever since Clyde showed her Pirates of the Caribbean, she had been fascinated with them, even took a small fencing club just to hold a sword, unfortunately the swords were not allowed out of the studio and Sarah Jane refused to allow her one in the house. So, no sword for Thea, yet.
The Doctor banged on the hatch, trying to get it to open seeing as it was wood and the sonic wouldn't work on it, "its fine." The Doctor assured her. "what's the worse that could happen?"
She raised an eyebrow at him. Every time someone said something like that something bad happened, "you could end up walking the plank."
He just laughed, waving off what he assumed to be a joke, giving the water on the floor.
Only for the hatch to be pulled open by a handful of pirates looking down at them, one them, the captain, they assumed, pointed his pistol down at them.
"Yo ho ho!" The Doctor grinned up at them, "or does nobody actually say that?"
"Pirates." Thea bit her lip to prevent herself from squealing at the excitement of meeting actually proper pirates, "yay."
~.~
The captain leaned against a chair in his quarters, his second in command beside him as the rest of the small crew stood behind the quartet, preventing them from escaping.
"We made no signal." The captain eyed them.
"Our sensors picked you up." The Doctor told him, "Ship in distress."
"Sensors?"
"17th century." Thea sighed.
"Yes, problem word." the Doctor nodded, "My ship automatically, er, noticed...ish that your ship was having some bother."
"That big blue crate?"
The Doctor snapped his fingers and pointed at him, "That is more magic, Captain Avery." The man besides the captain said, "they're spirits. How else would they have found their way below decks?"
"Well, er, I want to say multidimensional engineering." the Doctor began.
"But given sensors is a problem word, you probably shouldn't." Thea countered.
He nodded his agreement, looking at the captain, "Look, I'm the Doctor." he introduced, putting his arms on Thea shoulders, giving them a squeeze in reassurance, "This is my daughter Thea. This is Amy and Rory." he pointed as they stood on either side of them, "We're sailors, same as you." he lightly punched the captains arm, and turned to the pirates behind them, "Arr!" He turned back to see the captain pointing a gun at him, "Except for the gun thing. And the beardiness."
"You're stowaways." the captain declared, "Only explanation. 8 days, we've been stranded here, becalmed. You must have stowed away before we sailed."
Thea opened her mouth to call out that in 8 days one of them must have seen them wandering around or the blue box, if they'd been on-board the whole time they'd been at sea. She slapped her mouth shut, shaking her head, not about to call the captain out and forced to walk the plank.
"What do we do with 'em?" the second looked at the captain.
Captain Avery smirked, "Oh, I think they deserve our hospitality."
The Doctor smiled, as Thea shook her head.
Pirates didn't have the best hospitality.
~.~
The Doctor was pushed out into the plank, the pirates laughing behind him as Thea, Amy and Rory back.
"I suppose that laughing like that is in the job description." The Doctor commented, "Can you do the laugh?" he checked his watch, "Check. Grab yourself a parrot." he raised his arms above is head, as though ready to dive, "Welcome aboard." he lightly bounced on the wood.
"Stocks are low." Avery told him, "Only one barrel of water remains. We don't need four more empty bellies to fill. Take the doxies below to the galley."
One of the pirates 'escorted' Thea and Amy to the stairs leading below deck.
"Hey!" Rory struggled against the pirates holding him back.
"Set them to work. They won't need much feeding."
The Doctor raced forwards only to stop, hands up, as Avery raised his gun at him. Him getting shot and regenerating wouldn't help anyone.
"What's a doxy?" Thea asked.
The Doctor pointed around them all, "no one answer that."
"Rory?" Amy shouted, "a little help!"
"Yeah. Hey, listen, right?" Rory struggled as he looked at Avery, "They're not doxies."
"I didn't mean just tell him off. Thanks anyway." Amy stumbled as she was shoved below.
"Should have stolen a sword." Thea huffed as she followed after Amy.
~.~
"If you're lucky you'll drown before the sharks can take a bite." Avery focused back on the Doctor as he backed up.
"If this is just because I'm a captain too, you know, you shouldn't feel threatened." the Doctor remarked, "Your ship is much bigger than mine. And I don't have the cool boots. Or a hat, even. I'm pretty sure Thea knows when I go searching for the fez and moves it to another hiding place."
"Time to go."
The Doctor shuffled forwards, "A bit more laughter, guys!"
The men started laughing again.
~.~
"Urgh, wet socks." Thea pulled a face at the ankle deep water below deck.
"What do we do?" Amy asked.
Thea looked around, feeling drawn to a chest, opening it to reveal a collection of swords, Amy grabbed one, looking up to see Thea had found a triangular hat.
"What do you think?" she smirked, "does it suit me?"
"No." Amy shook her head, grabbing a blue frock coat and putting it on.
Thea sighed, putting the hat on Amy's head, "maybe one day." she frowned, glancing around, "where are the crew?" she wondered.
~.~
"Where are the rest of the crew?" The Doctor turned on the plank, "This is a big ship. Big for 5 of you. I suppose the rest of them are hiding some place, and they're going to jump out and shout boo."
"Boo!" Thea shouted, grinning madly as she as Amy jumped out, startling the pirates. Thea with a baldric over her chest and Amy wearing the coat and hat, holding a sword.
"Throw the gun down." Amy threatened.
The Doctor ran back to see what was happening to see Avery dropping the gun as Thea picked it up, holding it at him, trying to look more confident than she felt. Like the Doctor and Sarah Jane, she hated guns. She was much more a sword kind of girl.
"On your knees boys." Thea ordered, twirling the gun on her fingers.
"What are you doing?" the Doctor demanded.
"Saving your life." She smirked.
"Okay with that, are you?" Amy raised an eyebrow.
"Put down the sword." Avery nearly sneered, "A sword could kill us all, girl."
"Yeah, thanks. That is actually why I'm pointing it at you."
"Why were your swords locked away?" Thea wondered, "you're pirates, swords are a big part of your lifestyle."
One of the crew jumped forwards with a wooden stick, trying to get her to drop the sword but Amy quickly defended herself, jumping back and swinging her sword at him.
"Go on, Amy!" Thea cheered, clapping as she moved to sit on a barrel, enjoying the show.
"Oh, no!" the Doctor rushed forwards but Avery grabbed him.
Amy stabbed a man and he jumped back. Another moved forwards but stopped hearing the click of the gun as Thea pointed it at him, not even bothering to look at him. She wouldn't shoot, but she knew having the gun pointed at him would be enough to stop him.
Amy smirked at her in thanks, pointing the sword at another man who recoiled as she swished it around. Another man lunged at her with a wooden sword, Amy ran back on deck, grabbing a rope and swinging past, nicking his hand as she landed on a barrel near Thea
"You have killed me." the black man looked up from his hand.
"No way!" Amy scoffed, "It's just a cut." the man stared at his hand in horror, "What kind of rubbish pirates are you?"
"One drop, that's all it takes." Avery glared, "One drop of blood and she'll rise out of the ocean."
"Who will?" Thea frowned at that.
"Come on, I barely even scratched him." Amy rolled her eyes, "What are you all in such a huff about?"
"Rory, leave it!" Thea called, jumping off the barrel, discarding the gun as another man hurried to Amy, grabbing her legs as she tried to swing away causing her to drop the sword as Rory tried to catch it, only to end up cutting his hand.
"Ow!" he cried, only to frown as a black spot appeared on his hand, "er, Doctor," he held up his hand, "what's happening to me?"
"She can smell the blood on your skin." Avery answered, "She's marked you for death."
Rory tapped his ear, "she?"
"A demon, out there in the ocean."
"There's a demon here as well as pirates!" Thea grinned, almost squealing in excitement, "oh, this day keeps getting better and better."
"Very efficient." the Doctor had to admit as he walked over to Rory, examining the spot on his hand, "I mean, if something's going to kill you, it's nice that it drops you a note to remind you...besides I'm sure if anything comes to try and kill you, Thea will see it coming won't you?" he turned to her, only to see her gaze put to the ocean, "what it is?"
She didn't answer as a soft ethereal singing began, but they couldn't see the source.
"Quickly now, block out the sound." the black man covered his ears.
"What?" Rory looked at him.
"The creature." Avery backed up, "She charms all her victims with that song."
"Oh, great. So put my fingers in my ears, that's your plan?" Rory huffed, tapping the Doctors shoulder as he followed Theas gaze out to the ocean, "Doctor, come on. Let's go..." Rory looked at him as he started to stutter, "Let's get back to the er..."
"Rory?" Thea frowned at him.
"Oh...back to the..." Rory started to laugh as they all stared.
"The music." The black man laughed, dreamily.
"It's working on him." another man called, "look."
"You are so beautiful..." Rory leaned on a rope, gazing at Amy.
"What?" she leaned back.
"I love your get up. That's great. You should dress as a pirate more often. Hey, hey, cuddle me, shipmate." he moved forwards to hug her.
"Rory, stop." She pushed him back.
"Everything is totally brilliant, isn't it? Look at these brilliant pirates. Look at their brilliant beards. I'd like a beard." he stumbled back, "I'm going to grow a beard."
"You're not."
"The music turns them into fools." Avery stated as the Doctor and Thea watched as Rory and the other man laughed hysterically.
"Oh, my God!" Amy gasped at something behind them.
They turned to see a green light in the water before a figure rose out of it with dark hair, in a dress and barefoot as she landed on the ship.
Thea frowned as the figure, the siren, the demon, whatever she was, walked towards Rory and the pirate, who held their hand out to her, grinning like a fool.
She stared, unblinking as the pirate touched the siren and burst into aches. Her frown deepened.
The crew moved back, scared, as the Doctor and Amy stared in shock, Rory taking the chance to try and slip from their grip.
"I have to touch her." He mumbled, "let me touch her."
The siren turned to Rory, but Amy moved in front of him, glaring, refusing to give up her husband, "sorry, but he is spoken for."
The siren turned red, screeching at Amy, sending Amy backwards by an invisible force.
"Amy!" The Doctor rushed to her side, "Everybody into the hold." The siren turned light green again, calm, "Thea, bring Rory!"
Thea hesitated, glancing between Rory and the siren before whacking him with the butt on the gun and half carrying, half dragging him down with her.
"You didn't have to knock him unconscious!" Amy exclaimed, wrapping an arm around her husband and taking his slumped form from Thea.
"You still have him don't you." She defended, "if I kept him awake he might keep going on about beards. Beards are bad!" she glanced at the pirates, all with beards, "no offence."
"What is that thing?" Amy demanded, as she leaned Rory on a chest against the wall.
"The legend." Avery answered, "The siren. Many a merchant ship laden with treasure has fallen prey to her. She's been hunting us ever since we were becalmed, picking off the injured."
"Like a shark." the second in command added, "A shark can smell blood."
"Ok." the Doctor nodded, "just like a shark, in a dress. And singing. And green? A green singing shark in an evening gown."
"The ship is cursed!" Avery shouted.
"Curses are only bad things that you haven't found the explanation out yet." Thea explained.
"She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." Rory mumbled as he came back around.
"Actually, I think you'll find she isn't." Amy countered.
"That's why I knocked him out." Thea commented.
"We have to leave right now."
"That thing of yours really is a ship?" Avery eyed the Doctor.
"Well, it's not propelled by the wind." the Doctor said, distractedly as he watched Thea lightly splashing in the water.
"Show me." He pulled out the gun he had grabbed on the way in, "Weigh anchor. Make it sail."
"And the gun's back." The Doctor turned, eying the gun pointed at him, "You're big on the gun thing, aren't you. Freud would say you're compensating. Ever met Freud? No? Comfy sofa."
"Leave the cursed one, Captain." one man stated, "The creature can have him."
"Yes, please." Rory eagerly agreed.
"How about no." Thea shook her head, hoping onto a crate, kneeling on it as she peered into the water, swirling her finger to make ripples.
"We don't want the siren coming after us." Avery sighed his agreement.
"Get out the water." Thea blinked.
"What?" Amy turned to her as she tried to pull Rory out the water.
The man suddenly cried out, lifting up his leg to see a leech.
"It's a leech!" Amy yelled.
"Everyone out of the water!" the Doctor shouted as they all scrambled up on the crates and out the water.
"It's bitten me." The man stared in horror as the black spot appeared on his hand, "I'm bleeding."
"She wants blood." The Doctor mused, "Why does she want blood?"
"What were you saying about leaving the cursed ones behind?" Amy glared at the man now 'cursed' as well.
"It's ok, we're safe down here." The Doctor assured them, "No curse is getting through three solid inches of timber."
"Dad..." Thea began, seeing the green glow in the water behind him, the siren appearing out the water.
He spun around, "Oh! Ah. Hello again." he held back the man bitten by the leech, as he reached for her, Amy and Thea keeping Rory back.
The man reached out for the siren, touching her and disintegrating as the Doctor only managed to grab his hat.
The Doctor turned and pushed them all out of the room, putting the hat on his head, slamming the doors behind them and locking the siren out.
"Safe?" Amy looked at the Doctor as Rory struggled in her arms.
"I have my good days and my bad days." he sighed, removing the hat.
"How did she get in?" Avery asked.
The Doctor flashed the sonic over the hat, "Bilge water. She's using water like a portal, a door. She can materialise through a single drop. We need to go somewhere with no water."
"Well, thank God we're not in the middle of the ocean." Amy rolled her eyes.
"Did you see her eyes?" Rory asked Amy, "Like crystal pools..."
"You are in enough trouble." Amy warned him.
"The magazine." Avery decided.
"What?"
"The armoury where the powder's stored." Thea explained.
"It's dry as a bone." Avery nodded
"Good. Let's go there." The Doctor stepped forwards only for Avery to put the gun to his face.
"I give the orders."
"Ah. Worried because I'm wearing a hat now?" he removed the hat again, "Nobody touch anything sharp!" he set the hat on Theas head.
She laughed, lifting it up as he dropped over her eyes, "I can't see!"
"It suits you." he smiled.
"Not yet."
"Come on, Rory." Amy pulled him along with them.
"Quickly, man." Avery ordered as a crewmate searched for the key.
"I can't find the key. Tis gone, Cap'n." the man replied.
"How can it have gone?"
Thea eyed the door, "you don't need it. Someone else came here first." she pushed open the door.
The Doctor carefully stepped in first, wanting to make sure it was safe, finding it empty as the others followed in.
"Barricade the door!" Avery ordered, "careful of that lantern. Every barrel is full of powder."
"Who's been sleeping in my gun room?" the Doctor wondered.
Avery stiffened, hearing a faint coughing, striding over to a barrel, lifting up the lift and hauling out the young boy hiding, "You fool!" he held the boy against the wall, "You fool, boy. What are you doing here?"
"Who is he?" one of the crew asked.
"What, he's not one of the crew?" the Doctor looked over.
"No." Avery sighed, "He's my son."
~.~
Avery son, Toby, had snuck aboard because his mother had passed and he heard he was an honourable Captain and wanted to join his crew. They'd seen the black spot on the boys hand, examining him for any cuts, but couldn't find any, apart from his cough he was fine.
"So its the weak ones." Thea reasoned, as she sat besides the boy, "the sick and the wounded."
"Its just a bit of a fever." Amy argued.
"Humans." the Doctor scoffed, "second-rate. Damage too easily. It's only a matter of time before everyone gets bruised. My ship, it can sail us all away from here. You and me, we fetch it." he stood up, "Let's go."
Avery pulled the gun out again, "You're not the Captain here, remember."
"Keep pulling out that gun and i'll take it from you." Thea threatened, only to reach out and pull Toby arms back as he reached to lift the top of the barrel of water, "let's not set the siren out."
"The water's dangerous!" Avery shouted, "That's how she gets through. One touch of her hand and you're a dead man."
"Well, if no one tells him how's he too know." Thea countered, sending him a glare as she wrapped an arm out the boy as he looked down at his fathers shouts.
"We're all cursed if we stay aboard." One of the crew remarked.
"It's not a curse!" the Doctor huffed, "Curse means game over. Curse means we're helpless. We are not helpless. Captain, what's our next move?"
Avery looked up, startled he had asked him.
~.~
Avery put his medallion around his sons neck for protection, before turning to the crew, "Wait with the boy."
"Captain, we're all in danger here." One of the remaining crew said.
"I said wait. And barricade the door after we've gone."
"Sure you want to go?" Amy asked.
"We have to get Rory and Toby away." The Doctor replied, "She's out there now, licking her lips, boiling a saucepan, grating cheese..."
"Okay.." Amy gave him an odd look, "Well, remember, if you get an itch, don't scratch too hard."
"We've all got to go some time." he shrugged, oblivious to the shared look between Amy and Rory, "There are worse ways than having your face snogged off by a dodgy mermaid." he patted Rory's shoulder. "While were gone, Thea is in charge. Don't start a mutiny." he tapped her nose.
"Can I knocked them out?"
"As long as you don't stab them."
"What if someone else stabs them?"
The Doctor looked over at Amy, "don't stab anyone." She rolled her eyes at his accusation.
"Do you want to draw lots for who's in charge, then?" the man asked as they stepped out the room.
"Darkness...Demon..." the Doctor looked around, "You can have first go." he patted the mans stomach.
Avery laughed, creeping forwards only to trip, his hand almost landing on a raised nail besides him. The Doctor reaching out and grabbing him, stopping him.
"Nearly..." He chuckled nervously as they slowly continued on back to the TARDIS. the Doctor quickly unlocked the doors and ran inside.
"By all the..." Avery breathed, as he stared around the room.
"Let me stop you there." the Doctor spun to him, "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 down a corridor, "Choice of bathrooms there, there, there." he pointed in different directions behind him.
~.~
Rory smiled as he watched Thea sitting next to Toby, rubbing his back as he coughed, trying to comfort the boy. She was so much like that Doctor in that retrospect, she was always happy to help, never hesitated to do what she believed was right.
He was glad she and the Doctor had found each other. They deserved it.
His smile faltered as he turned to Amy as she paced, "What's wrong?"
"The most beautiful thing you've ever seen?" she asked quietly.
"Oh, tell me I didn't really say that?" he groaned.
Amy was about to respond, only to catch sight of the two crewmates removing the barricade, "What's going on?"
"We're not staying here to mollycoddle the boy." one of them said, "The Captain's gone soft. It's time for us to leave."
~.~
The Doctor typed at the keyboard, as Avery looked around the console, "What's this do?"
The Doctor looked up, "That does very, very complicated." he dinged a bell, "that does sophisticated..." he gestured to something, "That does whoa, amazing, And that," he motioned to the rotor, "does whizz, bang, far too technical to explain!"
Avery pointed to a small ball with spikes, "Wheel?"
"Atom accelerator."
"It steers the thing."
"No. Sort of." the Doctor sighed, ,"Yes."
"Wheel." Avery pointed to random things, "telescope. Astrolabe. Compass." the Doctor looked at, slightly impressed at his knowledge, "A ship's a ship."
~.~
Toby stood up and walked over to the men, "He told you to wait, you dog. He's your Captain, a Naval Officer. You're honour-bound to do as he tells you."
"Honour-bound?" One of the men scoffed, "Do you know what kind of ship this is? Do you know what your father does?"
Amy put her arm around the boy, "Don't listen to him, Toby."
"We sail under the black flag. The Jolly Roger."
"Liar!" Toby shouted, "He's no wicked pirate!"
"Oh, you think so? I have seen your father gun down a thousand innocent men."
"My dad's destroyed an entire planet." Thea shrugged, "think of how many innocents he's killed."
~.~
"This is how the professionals do it." the Doctor told Avery as he began pulled some levers only for the TARDIS to give a grinding noise, "Er, it's stuck. Not responding."
"Becalmed?" Avery asked, amused.
"Mmm hmm. Yeah, apparently. That's new." he looked up to see Avery smiling smugly, "you had to gloat, didn't you?"
"I'm not gloating." Avery held his hands up in defence.
"I saw that look just now. Ha, ha, his ship is rubbish."
"True." Avery smirked.
~.~
"Get what treasure you can." the first man ordered his crewmate, "I'll meet you in the row boat."
Toby grabbed a cutlass and stepped towards them, "You're going to remain at your post."
"I am not playing games with you, boy. You put that down."
"One more step and I'll use this, you blaggard."
"You don't know how to fight with a cutlass, boy."
He glanced at the mans hand, "Don't need to, do I?" he lunged forwards, swiping the mans hand, cutting the side of it as a black spot appeared on his palm.
~.~
"It can't get a lock on the plane." the Doctor muttered as he rushed round to the monitor.
"The what?" Avery frowned.
"The space we travel in. The ocean..." he looked at Avery, "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." the TARDIS jolted, the grinding noise starting again, "What's happening?"
OK, so maybe he should have a small glance at the manual.
~.~
"You little swabber!" the pirate glared.
"Congratulations." Amy remarked dryly, "You made it to the menu. Probably shouldn't go out there now."
"You scurvy ape!" he pulled his gun out as Thea stepped in front of the boy.
"Don't shoot!" Rory cried, "The powder will blow and kill us all."
"Mulligan!" The man gaped as his crewmate swiped the keys from his belt, "what are you doing?"
Mulligan left, shutting the door behind him.
"No honour among pirates." Amy sighed.
Thea took the cutlass from Toby, "a captain should always go down with their ship."
~.~
"Okay, she's had her little sulk." The Doctor shouted over the grinding noise as it got worse, "Now she's heading for the full-on screaming tantrum."
"Can you fix it?" Avery called.
"Argh!" He shooed Avery away to check the readings, "the parametric engines are jammed. Orthogonal vector's gone. Thea would probably know what to do but I'm almost out of ideas." he dropped to his knees, checking under a panel.
"Almost?"
He popped back up, "Well, we could try stroking her and singing her a song."
"Will that help?"
"Probably for Thea, never has for me before." the TARDIS jolted, throwing them back, "I've lost control of her. She's about to dematerialise. We could end up anywhere!"
"That sounds bad!"
"Yes, it is! Out! Out now!" he ushered Avery back to thebdoors as the console sparked, "Abandon ship! Abandon ship!"
They ran out, looking back at the TARDIS materialised in a green light. "Okay, okay, okay. TARDIS runs off on its own. That's a bit of a new one. Bang goes our only hope of getting them out of here."
"Not much of a Captain without a ship, are you?" Avery remarked, turning to lead the Doctor to his quarters when Mulligan, treasure in a pack on his back, two guns aimed at them.
"Mulligan, what are you doing?" Avery demanded, "This is mutiny."
"She doesn't want me." he stated, moving past them, "She only wants Toby and the scrawny looking fellow." he turned and ran off.
"He's got the last of the supplies." The Doctor said, "We should go after him."
"Never mind the damned supplies. What about my treasure?" Avery shouted as he ran after his crewmember.
"Don't get injured!" The Doctor warned as Mulligan fired at them twice, "Don't get injured!"
They chased Mulligan into a storage room, "come out of there, you mutinous dog!" Avery shouted as the Doctor tried to sonic the lock...when they saw the green light under the door, the siren singing.
"She's inside." the Doctor realised.
"She's come for Mulligan." Avery agreed, when the man screamed.
The Doctor quickly got the door unlocked, rushing inside to find the man gone, a solid gold crown on the floor.
"No water in here." Avery remarked, picking up the fallen crown, "How did she take him? You said she uses water like a door, that's how she enters a room."
The Doctor frowned at the crown, "I was wrong. Please ignore all my theories up to this point."
"What, again?"
"We're all in danger. The water's not how she's getting in. When we were down in the hold, think what happened. You, me, Thea, Amy, Rory, leeches."
"She sprang from the water."
"Yes, only when it grew still. Still water. Nature's mirror. Thea had a feeling." he murmured, she had been splashing in the water creating ripples so the siren couldn't get through and she hadn't even realised it herself.
"So, you mean..."
"Yes. Not water, reflection." the Doctor nodded. "That siren legend. The curse."
"You said curses weren't real."
"Folklore springs from truth. She attacks ships filled with treasure. Where else do you get a perfect reflection?"
"Polished metal." Avery reached to his chest, for his medallion, only to realise he had given it to Toby.
The Doctor looked up, blinking, his eyes widening as he realised he had left Thea in a room with two people under the siren's spell and a clear way in.
"We must warn them!" Avery yelled as they quickly ran off.
"Thea!" the Doctor cried, not even caring to be careful as they ran back to the magazine, "Open the door!"
"Toby!" Avery called, "open the door! Toby!"
The door opened and Thea stood, highly amazed by the panicked dads, as she held the medallion wrapped in a bit of cloth.
The Doctor let out a long sigh, seeing she was fine, his hearts slowly from the duel hearts attack she was constantly giving him as he pulled her into a tight hug, "you are brilliant!" he kissed her forehead.
"I saw Toby trying to polish it," Thea looked at him, "and I..."
"Got a bad feeling?" He joked.
"Exactly." she nodded, serious, "you do realise that's not the only gold on this ship?"
The Doctor eyes widened at that, quickly rushing off again to the captain quarters, grabbing a rifle and smashing the window as a confused Avery followed him.
"We've got to destroy every reflection." the Doctor told them, "Gold, silver, glass, she could spring from any of them." he turned and shattered a window, catching sight of Avery staring at him, "Oh, 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." he leaned the gun against the wall.
Avery considered his words before shrugging, "How much worse can things get?"
"Yep." he nodded, running to a chest of treasure, "Help me lug this lot out."
"Where are we taking it?"
"The ocean."
"No!" Avery shouted, "No. This is the treasure of the Mogul of India."
"Oh, good. 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. He is your son." he turned to the man, serious, "what's more important a bit of gold or your own child? Go and get the crown from the storeroom." he ordered.
Avery nodded, heading off to get the crown as the Doctor began throwing the gold overboard.
~.~
"Just wait?" Rory frowned as the Doctor stood besides Avery in the magazine a few minutes later.
"Not my most dynamic plan, I realise." he replied.
"TARDIS?" Amy suggested
"Siren took her." Thea sighed.
"What?"
"Sorry. We might be stuck here for a while." The Doctor remarked.
"What kind of captain are you?" Thea laughed, "a captain always goes down with their ship."
"I'm not a captain." He countered, tapping her nose.
"Head pilot then." she shrugged.
"So you're saying that we should all just wait here below?" Rory shook her head.
"The sea is still calm, like a mirror." Avery said, "If you go out on deck she'll rise up and attack you."
"It's okay." The Doctor added, "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."
~.~
The Doctor sat on a crate on deck, staring up at the night sky. Thea curled up on a crate besides him, a hat under head like a pillow, his coat over her like a blanket.
He had very quickly learnt that she slept better when she could see the stars. She claimed it comforted her, knowing that there was more to life than she had been told. More than the life that was expected off her. He had quickly changed her room interior so that the ceiling looked like the night sky from the Earth, something he thought she might have liked giving the years she had seen it while on Earth. He hadnt stopped grinning for days when she had squealed in delight at it, had not stopped thanking him.
He glanced back as Avery approached, before turning back to the stars, "It's not one star, it's two." he pointed up, "The Dog star, Sirius. Binary system."
"I use it to navigate the ocean." Avery shrugged.
"I've travelled far, like you. Space can be very lonely, and the greatest adventure is having someone share it with you." he smiled, stroking Thea hair, thinking of all the wonders he had seen and showed, not only her, but all of his companions.
"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, Henry Avery? Respected naval officer, wife and child at home. How did you end up here, wandering the oceans with a band of rogues?"
"I've set my course now. Nothing I can do to alter it."
The Doctor glanced up once more, "People stared at it for centuries and never knew. Things can suddenly change, when you're least expecting." he offered a man a small smile as he picked Thea up, on his back, his coat over her shoulders as he sat the hat on his own head, carrying her down to the captain quarters.
He gently set her down in the captain chair as she shivered. He readjusted his coat around her shoulders, setting the hat on the table as he frowned at the window.
"Doctor..." Amy began quietly, seeing Thea napping in the captains chair.
"Shh." he hissed, "what do you see?" he didn't need to look back to sense Thea awake.
"Somethings out there." Thea breathed, startling Amy as she stood silently, moving to stand before the windows, "staring right at me..." she reached out, her hand hovering over a broken panel, "A storms coming." she blinked, a moment later thunder rumbled across the sky.
"Man the sails!" The Doctor shouted, running out the room.
~.~
The rain came heavily, the winds howling as Avery hung off a rope as Amy and Rory ran into the middle of the ship, "To the rigging, you dogs!" he shouted down to them, "Let go the sails." he jumped on deck, "Avast ye! Put the bunt into the slack of the clews." they ran of to the sails on the other side as Avery worked on his own.
"I swear he's making half this stuff up!" Amy shouted to her husband as she pulled on a pulley.
"Well, we're going to need some kind of phrase book." Rory called back, stumbling from the wind.
The Doctor stood at the wheel, trying to keep the ship steady, but was unsuccessful, Thea before him, between him and the wheel, his arms on the wheel either side of her to keep her from stumbling around getting injured.
She complained a bit about him being over protective, but could understand his reasoning's, who knew what loose nails or other sharp objects were poking out ready to mark them.
"Toby!" Avery shouted, seeing his son making his way over, "find my coat. My compass is inside it, boy." Toby nodded, making his way to the crate as Avery looked at Amy and Rory, "Heave ho, you bilge rats!"
"Rats was all I could hear!" Rory yelled back.
Suddenly there was a clang, as something metal hit the wood floor, the golden crown rolling away from Toby as it fell out the coat he held. They could only watch in horror as it came to a stop a few feet away from the boy and the siren flew out of it, singing, as she landed before Toby, reaching out to him.
"Don't let her take you!" Avery struggled to make his way over to Toby as he held his hand out, "No!"
Toby reached out, touching the siren and disintegrating.
Avery dropped to his knees in horror, "No!"
Amy held Rory back as the Doctor leapt forwards, kicking the crown into the ocean, the siren disappearing as it sunk.
"Let go!" Rory cried, struggling to get out of Amy's hold.
"I'm sorry," Avery wept, "I'm sorry."
"You couldn't give up the gold, could you?" the Doctor snapped at him, "that's why you turned pirate. Your commission, your wife, your son." Avery looked down, "Just how much is that treasure worth to you, man?"
"He's not dead!" Thea called as she ran over.
"What?" the Doctor looked at her.
"I just...I don't think they're dead."
Suddenly one of the sails broke free, swinging round and hitting Rory, knocking him overboard.
"Rory!" Amy screamed, rushing to the side, "Rory! I can't see him! Doctor? I'm going in."
"No!" Thea cried, pulling Amy back as she began to take her coat off.
"He's drowning. He's drowning!" The Doctor told Amy, putting his hands on her shoulders, "You go in after him, you'll drown too. There's only one thing that can save him now."
"What are you talking about?" Amy shook her head.
"The siren wants him." Thea reasoned, "if we release her..." she pulled the top of a barrel and the siren flew into the air, "he's drowning!" she shouted to her, "go get him!"
The siren dove in after Rory.
"What did you do?" Amy demanded.
"If he stays in there he'll die." the Doctor told her.
"But she'll destroy him."
"That thing isn't just a ravenous hunter. It's intelligent. We can reason with it. And its more than likely Theas right and they're still alive somewhere. We have to follow."
"Are you mad?" Avery exclaimed, joining them.
"If we ever want to see them again, we have to let the Siren take us." the Doctor stated, pulling a nail from his pocket, "We'll prick our fingers. All agreed? Yeah?"
After a moment Avery agreed, "Aye."
"Aye." Amy followed.
The Doctor looked at Thea, "with me?"
"Aye, captain." She nodded firmly.
He smiled kissing her finger, as he pricked it with the nail, doing the same for Avery, Amy and then himself.
Instantly the siren appeared before them, singing, they reached out for her and disappeared in a bright light.
~.~
The Doctor came to on the floor, twisting to see Thea on her side, slowly rousing herself.
"Where are we?" Amy groaned as she rolled onto her back.
The Doctor pushed himself up, "We haven't moved. We're in exactly the same place as before." he stood, staring out the window to see the ship during the storm.
"We're on a ghost ship." Avery breathed.
"No," Thea shook her head, "just a space ship trapped in a temporal rift."
"How can two ships be in the same place?" Amy frowned.
"Not the same." the Doctor began explaining, "Two planes, two worlds, two cars parked in the same space. There are lots of different universes nested inside each other. Now and again they collide, and you can step from one to the other."
"Okay, I think I understand."
"Good, because it's not like that at all. But if that helps."
Amy rolled her eyes, "Thanks."
"All the reflections have suddenly become gateways." he picked up a piece of metal, throwing it through the window where it landed on deck. "Ever look in a mirror and think you're seeing a whole other world? Well, this time it's not an illusion."
They turned as a beeping noise sounded behind them.
"The signal?" Amy guessed.
"Yes." the Doctor nodded.
"The distress call?"
"Uh huh."
"There was a second ship here all the time."
"And the Siren is on board." Thea added, hearing the singing.
The Doctor hit a button, the door sliding open. They jumped back in surprise seeing a dead, decaying body in a spacesuit.
"By the stars!" Thea breathed as Avery lowered the gun he pulled out from his shock.
"Dead." the Doctor stated, eying it closely. It looked like the cross between a rat and a beaver with a fin out the back of its head.
The Doctor took Theas hand, squeezing it as he led them into the main control room. Another alien sat in the captains chair looking out to Averys quarters. The Doctor crouched down to examine the alien.
"You were right." Amy remarked as she Avery and Thea stared out the window, "There was something staring at us the whole time. How long has this ship been marooned here?"
"Long enough for the Captain to have run out of grog." Avery reasoned.
"I don't understand. If this is the Captain, then what's the Siren?"
"Same as us." the Doctor soniced the body, "A stowaway."
"No..." Thea shook her head.
"She killed it?" Amy guessed.
"No."
"Human bacteria." The Doctor looked at the results.
"What?" Amy looked at him.
"A virus from our planet. Airborne, travelling through the portal. That's what killed it. Didn't get its jabs." he leaned over, putting his hand on the slime on the console, pulling back looking at it, disgusted, "look..."
"What is it?" Amy asked.
"Sneeze! Alien bogies."
"Ew!" Thea pulled a face.
The Doctor flicked his hand to get the slime off. When that didn't work, he wiped his arm on the back of Amys coat.
Thea stuck her tongue out in disgust as Amy looked unimpressed as they followed the Doctor into a large, white open area.
A dozen people laid on the tables, the shoes and shirts off with tubes around the throat, arms and abdomen, monitoring them.
"McGrath!" Avery pointed to one, "He's one of my men."
"He's alive." Thea assured the man, moving to check on him.
"My entire crew is here." Avery looked around, recognising them, "Toby!" he ran to his sons side.
"Rory!" Amy spotted him and ran to him.
"The TARDIS!" The Doctor rushed through the plastic sheets and kissed the box, thankful it was okay.
Thea frowned in the middle of the room, looking around at the men (and boy) on the beds.
"We have to get them out of here." Avery determined.
"Wait." the Doctor rushed over, quickly scanning the boy, "His fever's gone."
"He looks so well." Amy remarked.
"She's keeping him alive." Thea murmured.
The Doctor nodded, "His brain is still active, but all its cellular activity is suspended." he picked up a black block with a yellow dot, "it's not a curse, it's a tissue sample. Why get samples of people you are about to kill?"
"She's not killing them." Thea commented.
"Then what is she doing?" the Doctor looked at her.
"Nevermind" Amy called, "Help me get him up?" the Doctor moved to help un strap Rory only for Thea to pull them away.
"She's coming." She hissed, the sirens song reaching them as they hid behind a panel, "Avery!" she quickly gestured him to hide with them.
They watched as the siren entered the room and walked over to the now awake Rory. He struggled but the siren placed a hand over him, singing him back to sleep.
"Anaesthetic." Thea breathed.
"What?" Avery looked at her.
"The music." the Doctor realised, "The song. So she anaesthetises people and puts their body in stasis."
The siren moved over to Toby, her hand over him. Avery stepped out with his gun.
"Avery!" the Doctors eyes widened, "no!"
Avery shot at her but she could only turn red, advancing on him, screeching.
The Doctor ran out from the other side of the panel and sneezed.
The siren turned on him, creating fire between her hands.
His eyes widened, "Fire...that's new. What does fire do?" he ran his hands through his hair, "Burn? Yes. Destroy? What else?"
"Sterilise!" Thea called, "you sneezed."
"Yes," he agreed, "I've brought germs in." he pulled a hanky from his pocket, blowing his nose into it and tossing it a few feet before him. The siren immediately directed the fire to it, burning it.
"Amy stop!" Thea cried as Amy ran to Rory's side.
"Don't interfere." the Doctor agreed, "Don't touch him. Anaesthetic, tissue sample, screen, sterile working conditions. Ignore all my previous theories!"
"Yeah?" Amy scoffed, "Well, we stopped paying attention a while back."
"She's not a killer," Thea stepped up besides Amy, "she's a doctor!"
Amy stepped back, dropping the tubes and the siren turned to her, green again, calm.
"This is an automated sick bay." the Doctor explained, "It's teleporting everyone on board. The crew are dead, and so the sick bay has had nothing to do. It's been looking after humanity whilst it's been idle. Look at her. A virtual doctor able to sterilise a whole room."
"Able to burn your face off." Amy muttered.
"She's just an interface, seeped through the join between the planes, broadcast in our world. Protean circuitry means she can change her form, and become a human doctor for humans. Oh, sister, you are good." he pointed at her, impressed.
Amy tried to remove the collar around Rory but the siren hissed and turned red.
"She won't let us take them." Avery called as he stood at his sons side.
"She can keep them alive but she doesn't know how to heal them." Thea remarked softly.
"I'm his wife, for God's sake." Amy muttered, "Why can't I touch him?"
"Tell her, Amy." the Doctor said as she looked at him, confused, "Show her your ring." he reached Amy's hand out besides Rory's "She may be virtual but she's intelligent. You can't do anything without her consent." he turned to the siren as she stared at the matching rings, "Come on. Sophisticated girl like you. That must be somewhere in your core program."
"Look, he's very ill, okay?" Amy looked at her, "I just want to look after him. Why won't you let me near my husband?"
The siren seemed to realised something, tilting her hand out, a golden ring around it.
"Consent form." the Doctor whispered, "Sign it. Put your hand in the light. Rory's sick. You have to take full responsibility."
Amy did so and a moment later the siren disappeared. She quickly ran to the other side to get him free, pressing a button as Rory jerked awake, gasping for breath.
"He can't breathe!" Thea cried, "Turn it back on!"
Amy quickly did so, "what do we do? I can't just leave him here."
"He'll die if you take him out." Avery called.
"Rory?" Amy stroked her fingers through his hair, "Rory, wake up."
Rory blinked, slowly waking up, "Where am I?"
"In a hospital." Thea said.
"If you leave, you might die." the Doctor added.
"But if you don't, you'll have to stay forever." Amy told him.
"You're saying that if I don't get up now..." Rory trailed.
"You can never leave."
"The Siren will keep you safe." the Doctor added.
"And if I come with you?"
"Drowning, on the point of death."
"There's always CPR." Thea shrugged, not concerned in the slightest to either leave Rory here or let him drown.
Rory blinked, turning to Amy, "I'm a nurse."
"What?" Amy shook her head.
"I can teach you how to save me."
"Whoa...hold on..."
"I was drowning. You just have to resuscitate me."
"Just?"
"You've seen them do it loads of times in films. CPR. The kiss of life."
"Rory, this isn't a film, okay?" Amy blinked back tears, "What if I do it wrong?"
"You won't..." Thea assured her.
Amy looked back at her, seeing her smiling knowingly. She had said before that she and Rory would grow old together, but she always assumed it was just hope. The hopeless romantic that Thea was. She had already lost him before, she couldnt do it again. "Okay, what if you don't come back to life?" she questioned, "What if..."
"I trust you." Rory said softly.
"What about them?" Amy nodded to the Time Lords, "I mean, why do I have to be the one? Why do I have to save you?"
"Because I know you'll never give up." Rory reasoned as Amy nodded. He took a breath as began to explain the process as the Doctor and Thea walked over to Avery.
"We have to send this ship back into space." the Doctor told him, "Imagine if the Siren got ashore. She would have to process every injured human."
"What about Toby?" he asked.
The Doctor shook his head, sadly, "I'm sorry. Typhoid fever. Once he returns it's only a matter of time."
"What if I stay with him, here. The Siren will look after him. I can't go back to England. And what home does he have now, if not with me?"
"Do you think you can sail this thing?" Thea smiled.
"Just point me to the atom accelerator."
The Doctor laughed, patting his shoulder, glad he had finally realised the real treasure as they made their way back to Amy and Rory.
"I know you can do this." Rory was telling her, "Of course, if you muck it up I am going to be really cross...and dead."
"Again." Thea said, instantly holding up her hands as they all looked at her, "sorry! Slipped out!"
Amy swallowed hard, hoping that wasn't a feeling from Thea as she stroked Rory's cheek, "I'll see you in a minute."
Rory nodded, preparing himself as they all quickly ripped of the restraints and he gasped, unable to breath as they quickly hauled him into the TARDIS, laying him in the floor.
Amy dropped to her knees besides him, doing 5 compressions and a breath.
Nothing.
She tried again. 5 compressions and a breath.
Nothing.
"Come on, Rory." Thea breathed, rubbing her arms, "please..."
5 compressions and a breath.
Nothing.
"He trusted me!" Amy started to cry as Rory remained unmoving, "He trusted me to save him."
"You still can." the Doctor encouraged, "You can still do this. He believes in you. Come on, Amy. Come on!"
"Pease, please, please wake up." Amy begged as she worked, "Wake up. Wake up. Come on. Come on."
Amy leaned back, looking at Rory as he didn't move, the Doctor fell back on his heels as Thea, buried her face in his coat.
When Rory starting choking, coughing and gasping. He rolled on his side as they looked on, stunned.
"Amy..." Rory breathed as she helped him sit up, "Amy, you did it. You did it!" he hugged her tightly as she cried into his shoulder.
~.~
"I thought I was an excellent pirate." Amy commented as she and Rory headed up the stairs. Rory now in a blue bathrobe.
"I thought you were an excellent nurse." Rory smiled.
"Easy, tiger." she grinned, "Goodnight, Doctor! Night Thea!"
"Don't let the bed bugs bite!" Thea called.
"Goodnight, Amelia." The Doctor added as he stood at the monitor.
Amy frowned at him, "you only call me Amelia when you're worrying about me."
"I'm always worrying about you." the Doctor defended.
Amy looked at him, glancing quickly to Thea, the girl silently shaking her head behind the Doctors back, "feelings mutual."
The Doctor looked at her, "Go to bed, Pond."
The Doctor watched as Amy and Rory left and turned back to the monitor, the scan he had running on Amy. The test still coming up positive/negative.
"Oh, Amelia." the Doctor sighed.