The sound of gunfire echoed through the school, as the glass windows shook and the birds above scattered for somewhere safe to hide. The sound was enough to set Katy's teeth on edge. It felt...too familiar almost. Her feet were moving toward the gunfire before she knew what she was doing, approaching the field where boys as young as ten were handling weapons. She flinched as the cascade of gunfire rose louder, and a dummy made of straw and a bucket for a head fell to the ground a few metres away. Running a hand down her face, Katy closed her eyes and tried to shake away her disturbed thoughts.
The gunfire around her suddenly morphed into explosions and screams from every direction. Blood-curdling cries almost deafened her when she felt someone place their hand on her shoulder.
Take it. Take it and don't look back.
A woman's voice echoed through her mind, their tone thick with fear and panic. Katy's eyes snapped open, looking around for the owner of the voice but found apart from the boys and the teachers there wasn't a soul in sight. Wonderful, she thought to herself. Now, she truly was going mad.
"Your crew's on fine form today, Mister Smith" She heard the headmaster congratulate.
"Excuse me, Headmaster. We could do a lot better. Latimer's being deliberately shoddy" Hutchinson, one of the older boys, muttered.
"I'm trying my best" Latimer retorted.
He was a small boy for his age. Weak looking, with a soft heart. And the boys at the school had no issue in making his life a living hell due to it. The teachers knew, and even encouraged them sometimes. They thought it would toughen him up. Katy thought they likely just found the bullying amusing.
"You need to be better than the best. Those targets are tribesmen from the dark continent" The headmaster pointed out.
"That's exactly the problem, sir. They only have spears" Latimer huffed, as a smirk grew on Katy's lips.
"Oh, dear me. Latimer takes it upon himself to make us realise how wrong we all are. I hope, Latimer, that one day you may have a just and proper war in which to prove yourself. Now, resume firing" The headmaster told him, in a haughty tone.
The man was a fool, that was for certain.
"Stoppage. Immediate action..." Hutchinson trailed off, when he saw that Latimer had froze.
"Didn't I tell you, sir? This stupid boy is useless. Permission to give Latimer a beating, sir" Hutchinson suggested, turning back to his teachers.
"It's your class, Mister Smith" The headmaster stated.
Katy was all but praying in her head that Mr Smith would refuse. Maybe even tell the headmaster where he could stick his suggestion. As if he could hear the thoughts in her mind, Mr Smith twisted around and found her eyes across the field, a shadow crossing his face when he saw the way she was glaring.
"I think not, Headmaster. There is little wrong with wishing for peace" Mr Smith announced, as Katy strolled forward.
"Well said, Mr Smith" She grinned at him, as the headmaster straightened his back.
"Woman on the field!" He called out, as the boys dropped their weapons, a stood to attention.
"I do have a name. You might wish to learn it one day" Katy scoffed, as the man in question gave her a look of disbelief.
"I have little need to know the names of the...junior staff at this school" The headmaster muttered, before turning on his heel to leave.
Katy glared at the balding man as he marched out of view, thinking that he was lucky that she didn't...
With a shake of her head, Katy reminded herself of her position. She could have been severely reprimanded for even talking back to the headmaster, let alone whatever her mind had begun to plan. What had gotten into her today?
"I do not think he likes me very much" Katy scoffed, as John gave her a shy smile.
"Then, I think I have found the second thing we disagreed on this morning" John replied.
"Do you require young Tim to remain here, Mr Smith, or may I put him to better use?" Katy asked, as John mulled it over.
"Uh, no. No, that would be quite alright. Timothy! Over here, boy" Mr Smith called out, as Latimer pushed himself to his feet, not looking either adult in the eye.
"The nurse's office is in need of a good clean. It might not be particularly thrilling, but at least you won't be forced to shoot at any more buckets" Katy pointed out, as Tim gave a quick nod.
"Come, then" Katy exclaimed, ushering him to start walking back toward the school.
"...Nurse Jones! May I have a word?" John blurted out, after they had started to walk away,
"Yes, sir?" Katy replied, with a teasing smile.
"I appear to have been talked into attending the dance at the Village Hall this evening with Matron. I hoped that perhaps you would join me?" John questioned, in a hushed tone.
"So, I can protect you from Matron's sordid advances?" Katy giggled, stepping closer to the teacher, who had begun to blush.
"Well, that and...I want you there" John confessed, as Katy's grin widened.
"How could I refuse such an offer?" Katy smirked, causing John's entire face to flush.
"You were right. About what you said on the field. Though you should know better than to think anyone would agree with you. If there's one thing that humans love...it's war" Katy muttered, causing Tim's forehead to wrinkle.
"You say that like you're not one of us?" He pointed out.
"I only meant...don't listen to those fools" Katy stated, as Tim nodded, slowly.
"I never have, Miss. Can I ask you a question?" Tim exclaimed, as they walked through the long hallways of the school.
"Of course" Katy replied, almost tripping over her own feet when she noticed a flash of something odd outside the window.
A red balloon was bobbing up and down, attached to the hand of what looked like a child, not even tall enough to be seen from inside. Katy wondered for a moment whether the balloon belonged to one of the boys in the school, but she found that unlikely, as they were all in lessons. Marching over to the window, she peered out into the courtyard and found no evidence of the balloon or whose hand it belonged to.
"How well do you know Mr Smith?" Tim inquired, as she turned back to him with a frown.
"Why? Has he said anything?" Katy asked, curiously.
"No. It's just...he's different, don't you think?" Tim pushed.
"Tim, there's nothing wrong with being different. You'll see that for yourself when you're older" Katy insisted, reaching out to place her hand on his shoulder.
Instantly, the young boy jerked away from her, as if her touch had burnt him. He was staring up at her with a terrified expression, stumbling back a few paces until his back had hit the wall.
"What's wrong?" Katy questioned, seeing how he had started trembling.
"Your face...it changed. And your clothes...you were wearing...trousers?" Tim mumbled, as Katy raised an eyebrow.
"Heaven forbid. It sounds truly frightening" Katy teased, when she noticed Tim clutching onto something in his pocket.
"What have you got there?" She frowned.
All the blood drained from Katy's face when Tim slowly pulled out a familiar-looking fob watch, his hand shaking as he did so. She remained frozen to the spot for a few moments before her mind caught up with her. She grabbed the fob watch from Tim's hand in the blink of an eye, feeling her heart race in her chest, and fear begin to course through her veins.
"Where did you get this? Have you been in my quarters?" Katy exclaimed, as Tim shook his head, vehemently.
"It's Mr Smith's. I...I took it from his study" Tim confessed.
"You're lying. Where did you really get this? Answer me, Tim!" Katy shouted, reaching out to grab onto his shoulders, forcing him to look at her.
"I'm telling you the truth! I swear it!" Tim cried, his eyes wide with alarm.
The boy truly did appear to believe what he was saying, but it made no sense. Why would Mr Smith have exactly the same watch as her? With her hand still gripping Tim's blazer, she started to drag him up the stairs toward the nurse's office and their quarters. As soon as they entered the room, she made a beeline for the bed where her fob watch had once been. She threw the pillow away, feeling a shiver going down her spine when she saw the strange object was still there. Blinking rapidly, she picked up the fob watch, placing it beside the one she had found on Tim and found they were completely identical.
It was impossible.
"If this is some sort of game you are playing, Tim, it ends right now" Katy insisted, as Tim shook his head, looking as if he was seconds from racing out of the room.
"...I hear things, Miss. I always have and...I heard that watch calling out to me. Where did you get yours?" Tim questioned.
"Someone gave it to me. Someone important" Katy murmured.
"Who?" Tim pushed, as Katy's brow furrowed.
"I...I don't remember" She realised, knowing it made no sense.
Forget. You must forget.
Katy jumped back in fright as the words echoed through her mind, causing her to drop the watches to the ground, as they landed against the floorboards with a thud. A smile broke out on Tim's face as he realised, she had heard the voice too.
"It's real? I'm not going mad?" Tim exclaimed.
"But that voice, it sounded...it sounded like me" Katy gaped.
How could she have heard her voice coming from the fob watch?
She watched as Tim bent down to pick up her fob watch, though how they could both tell the difference between the two objects, she didn't know. But she felt like one belonged to her. Like it was part of her. Tim held the fob watch out on the palm of his hand, ushering for her to take it.
"You might need it" Tim suggested, as Katy reached out with a trembling hand to take the object from him.
She then turned on her heel and fled from the room, with only one destination in mind. She needed to speak to Mr Smith.
John was startled when he heard frantic knocking at his door, only minutes after his last lesson. He was even more taken aback when he found Katy's panicked face staring up at him, breathing heavily. Her voice caught in her throat as she tried to speak and opted to hold out the fob watch she was clutching instead. John felt his skin prickle with a cold sweat, goosebumps rising over his entire body as he gawked at the object in her hand. His eyes darted back to his shelf where he saw the fob watch was missing from.
"Did you take my watch?" John questioned.
"No...Tim Latimer did. And this...this isn't your watch, Mr Smith. I've had this as long as I can remember. So, tell me. How in God's name can we have the same fob watch?" Katy blurted out.
"Timothy took my watch?" John frowned, as Katy rolled her eyes.
"I think you may be missing the point" Katy huffed, pushing past him and entering his study without invitation.
"Well, the answer is simple. We must have bought the watches from the same place—" He began, as Katy cut him off.
"Which was where exactly? Because I don't remember, do you?" Katy pointed out, watching as John's frown deepened.
"Perhaps it's a trick being played on us by the boys?" He suggested.
"It spoke to me" Katy announced, as a look of disbelief grew on the teacher's face.
"I beg your pardon?" He retorted.
"I heard a voice coming from the watch" Katy clarified, as John took a step closer to her.
"You are...hearing voices?" John exclaimed, as Katy let out a harsh scoff.
"God, human you is a complete idiot, isn't he?" Katy blurted out.
Her breath hitched as she realised what she had said, finding even the tone of her voice had changed. John gawked at her, seeming even more confused than she was. He couldn't help her. Only the...
His name was right on the tip of her tongue, but it stayed just out of reach. She had called John the name only the night before, why couldn't she remember it now? She clutched at her head as pain ripped through her skull as if warning her not to push any further.
"You should sit. Come" John advised, placing his hand on her shoulder and guiding her to his leather sofa.
"I feel like I'm going mad" Katy sobbed, flopping down on the sofa and hiding her head in her hands.
"I feel the same most days. As if my mind is not my own" John confessed.
"How do you bear it?" Katy asked, looking up at him with bloodshot eyes.
"I write about it. I find it helps..." John trailed off, his gaze falling on his journal on the table beside the sofa.
"You showed me. The Journal of Impossible Things. Your dreams" Katy mumbled, reaching out to touch the leather-bound book.
She began to flick through the pages of ink drawings, and frenzied words. Some pages barely had a gap between words, as if there was too much that John needed to write onto the page. The creatures grew more gruesome as the book went on until she landed on a drawing she could swear she recognised. A large dome head, with slanted animal-like eyes and tentacles where a mouth should have been. It held a white sphere in its hand, a strange cord attached to it that disappeared underneath its tentacles.
"Ood" Katy whispered, making John chuckle.
"Yes, I suppose they are rather odd, aren't they?" He stated.
Flicking forward, Katy's mouth went slack when she landed on a page that appeared to have a drawing of her own face. She could see how John stiffened out of the corner of her eye as she read some of the jumbled words on the page.
Krillitane.
She knew that word. She had heard it before, but where? Flipping over the next page, more drawings of her face, and their 'adventures' together. It seemed as if almost half the book was dedicated to her alone. Suddenly, John reached out to grab the book from her hands, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"Your character...she appears quite frequently in my dreams" John admitted, not daring to look her in the eye.
"But I've dreamt of her before. Of the man she travels with...those creatures. All of it!" Katy insisted.
"I must have told you about these fantasies before. It somehow found its way into your dreams—" John started, as Katy cut him off.
"You said yesterday you had never shown anyone that journal before. I've been having these dreams for months, I just...I kept forgetting about them" Katy frowned, wondering how that was possible.
"Katy, they're only stories. You're as human as I am" John told her, reaching out to place his hand over her own.
"...You certainly seem quite taken with this version of me. I feel almost jealous" Katy pointed out, as John ducked his head, shyly, pulling his hand away.
"I imagine it may be my own feelings being projected in my dreams" John mumbled.
"Meaning?" Katy pushed, as her lips quirked into a smile.
"I care about you. The real you, I mean" John admitted, feeling Katy's hand cup his cheek, turning him to face her.
"I feel the same, John" Katy replied, as John's eyes flickered down to her lips.
Katy's breath hitched when she felt John press his lips to hers, causing her stomach to flutter pleasantly. His hand reached up to touch her jaw, with a featherlight touch before he was pressing his lips more firmly against hers, as she kissed him back. Katy reached up to wrap her arms around his shoulders, pulling them closer together as John's own hands settled on her waist. He kissed her so softly as if he was afraid of breaking the moment the pair were sharing, and all he wanted to do was to savour every kiss. Katy smiled against his lips, feeling as if her chest was going to explode from everything she was feeling. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so safe and happy.
Suddenly, another face appeared in Katy's mind, becoming clearer with every passing second. A younger man, with big, sad eyes, and two hearts that she could still practically feel under the palm of her hands. Her own heart sped up at the thought of him.
The Doctor.
She pulled away from the kiss, her eyes shooting open as she tried to catch her breath. John stared at her with concern as she reached up to touch her mouth, as memories of her last kiss came back to her. They were with another man. A Time Lord. But he wasn't real...was he?
"Did I do something wrong?" John frowned, as Katy shook her head, quickly.
"No. No, we just shouldn't...not when you're...it's wrong..." Katy stuttered, as hurt flashed across John's face.
"That felt wrong to you?" He exclaimed, making Katy wince.
"I didn't mean it like that..." Katy trailed off, as John pushed himself to his feet, running a hand through his hair.
"I should go" Katy mumbled, as John's forehead wrinkled.
"But we...won't you at least come to the dance tonight?" John asked.
"I don't think I should" Katy admitted, with downcast eyes, before she fled from the room and slammed his door behind her.
What the hell had she done?
The sun was starting to set as Katy made her way to the servants' quarters, wanting nothing more than to tell her sister of all the crazy events of the day. She was the only person who wouldn't believe Katy was losing her mind. Maybe Martha would even be able to help her. All of a sudden, she was colliding with another body, almost being thrown to the ground had she not grabbed onto a nearby wall.
"Bloody hell. Watch where you're going, Baines" Katy muttered, straightening her dress when she saw which boy she had run into.
He gave her no reply, and instead tilted his head, his gaze dropping to her pocket when she had her fob watch. She almost flinched when he started sniffing the air, a strange look in his eyes.
"You smell...strange" Baines stated, as she raised an eyebrow.
"You don't exactly smell like sunshine and daises, pal" Katy huffed.
Baines then took a step forward, sniffing even harder this time, his eyes appearing to glaze over. Katy wasn't sure what he was doing, but she certainly didn't like it. His eyes had become watery as he looked down at her pocket again.
"Are you crying now?" She frowned, before shaking her head and going to walk past him.
In the blink of an eye, Baines's hand had shot out and grabbed her wrist, holding her in place. She attempted to tug her arm free but was surprised by how strong the boy seemed, feeling his bruising grip on her tighten.
"I suggest you let go of my arm or I'll give you something to really cry about" Katy spat out.
She all but jumped out of her skin when Baines started to laugh, throwing his head back, his eyes crinkling around the edges with amusement. Katy was relieved when he finally released his hold on her arm and immediately stepped back a few paces.
"Is something funny?" Katy scoffed, as the boy's laughter stopped instantly.
"Ah. Have I got my emotions mixed up? Was that supposed to make me sad?" Baines questioned, before pulling the corners of his lips down.
Without saying another word, Katy started backing away, freaked out by the boy's odd behaviour. She was quick to run across the courtyard and make it to the front door of the building Martha lived in, before turning around to find Baines still staring at her, a manic look in his eyes.
"Can this day get any stranger?" Katy murmured to herself, before rushing inside the building.
"—And he doesn't know where the watches came from either, Martha. I mean, did we know Mr Smith well before we came here, or...why are you looking at me like that?" Katy asked, when she noticed the way Martha was gawking.
She had burst into her sister's room and begun blurting out everything that happened, from the fob watch to Mr Smith's journal and their kiss. She had been watching as Martha's eyes grew wider with every passing moment.
"You kissed him? You kissed Mr Smith?" Martha tried to clarify.
"I just told you I might be going insane and that's what you choose to focus on?" Katy huffed.
"...Did he kiss you back?" Martha inquired, causing Katy to roll her eyes.
"Martha!" She insisted, clapping her hands together.
"Right. And everything goes back to that watch, doesn't it? Maybe you should...I don't know, open it or something?" Martha suggested.
"I can't. It doesn't open" Katy stated.
"So, you've tried opening it?" Martha asked.
"Yes. Yeah, I must have. At some point...right?" Katy mumbled, with a frown.
"I really think you should open the watch" Martha insisted.
"No" Katy replied, firmly.
"But—" Martha began, when the door to her room was thrown open and Jenny marched in.
"Jenny, give us a few minutes, yeah?" Martha exclaimed, as Jenny tilted her head.
"Why? What are you talking about?" Jenny questioned, in a strange tone.
"Family things" Katy responded, as Jenny began sniffing the air.
"Have you got a cold coming on?" Martha inquired, as Jenny continued sniffing the air.
"Yes. I must have. You were talking about a watch? What's so important about it?" Jenny pushed, as Katy and Martha gave each other a look.
The nurse. She knows something.
Katy gulped as she heard Baines' voice, her eyes darting around the room, expecting to find him in the doorway. But there was no sign of him. She watched as Jenny straightened her back, as if she had heard the voice too.
There's a trace. She doesn't fit, Mother of Mine.
Katy looked to where Martha stood beside her, seemingly ignorant of the conversation that was somehow happening in their heads. Was she really imagining voices?
Should I kill her?
Katy's blood ran cold at the words, which sounded like Jenny's, voice, but her lips had never moved. Oh, how badly she wanted to believe it was all just in her head, but the coldness in Jenny's eyes told her the truth.
"Hey, Martha? Is that tea still hot?" Katy inquired, turning to the tea set on the table beside her.
"Piping hot" Martha replied, with a shrug.
"Good!" Katy cried, before grabbing the boiling teapot and slamming it into Jenny's face.
Martha's hand flew to her mouth as she gasped, watching as Jenny staggered back, her cheek beginning to burn. Jenny let out a cry of pain, clutching at her face when Katy reached out to grab Martha's hand and began dragging her out of the room before she could protest.
"Why did you do that to Jenny?" Martha gaped.
"That wasn't Jenny!" Katy exclaimed, as they heard an angry scream echo down the stairs.
By the time they made it out of the building, Jenny had pushed herself to her feet with a snarl and made her way toward the window, shooting at the pair with her ray gun. She missed the pair by mere inches, as they disappeared into the shadows of the night with the one lead the Family had.
Katy still wasn't sure how Martha thought that Mr Smith would be able to help save them from whatever had happened to Jenny, but she had no better ideas. She could still hardly believe what she had seen. Jenny had shot at them with some sort of futuristic weapon, which Martha had told her was alien.
Katy hoped it was all a nightmare she would soon wake from. At least things couldn't get any worse, she thought to herself. Only minutes later, she found out just how wrong she was when they burst into Mr Smith's study to find him locking lips with Matron.
"What the fuck?!" Katy exclaimed, watching as John pushed the nurse away from him.
"This...this isn't what it looks like..." John stuttered, wiping at his lips.
"I just got shot at by a freaking alien and you're here making out with Florence Nightingale?" Katy cried, as Martha snorted.
"Now, that's the Katy I know" Martha grinned.
"What on earth are you talking about?" Matron frowned.
"They've found us, and I've seen them. They look like people, like us, like normal. I'm sorry, but you've got to open the watch. Where is it? Oh, my God. Where's it gone? Where's the watch?" Martha ranted, when she saw the fob watch wasn't on the mantlepiece.
"Ah, yeah. I might know where that is" Katy admitted.
"Where?!" Martha insisted.
"Tim has it" Katy confessed, as Martha let out a cry of despair.
"You gave the one thing that could save us to a thirteen-year-old?" Martha accused.
"...He's fourteen, actually. Just, you know, looks young for his age" Katy retorted, as Martha face palmed.
"I can't see how Mr Smith's personal property is any concern of yours" Matron muttered.
"But we need it. Oh, my God, Doctor, we're hiding from aliens, and they've got Jenny and they've possessed her or copied her or something, and...and I don't know what to do!" Martha told him.
A sickening feeling engulfed Katy as she realised what Martha was saying and what it meant. Martha believed that the Doctor was real...and that meant that Mr Smith's dreams about Katy would be real too. It would mean...
She wasn't human.
"Oh, I see...cultural differences. It must be so confusing for you. Martha, this is what we call a story" John said, in a condescending voice.
"Oh you complete...This is not you. This is nineteen thirteen!" Martha insisted, but Mr Smith remained oblivious.
"Good. This is nineteen thirteen" Mr Smith nodded, as Katy let out a scoff.
"Do you need me to slap some sense into you?" Katy suggested.
"Actually...that might work" Martha shrugged, before raising her hand up to slap John against the cheek.
"Martha!" Matron gasped.
"You...you hit me!" John huffed, rubbing at his sore cheek.
"Well, you were just tonguing Matron after kissing her sister an hour ago, what did you think she was gonna' do?" Katy exclaimed.
"...She does have a point" Martha agreed.
"Joan kissed me" John stated, as Katy raised her arms out in exasperation.
"Oh, it's Joan now, is it?" Katy spat out, her tone full of jealousy.
"Katy! Aliens, coming to kill us, remember?" Martha insisted.
"I will not hear any more of this madness. You are both to leave these premises, immediately!" John cried, all but shoving the pair out of his study and slamming the door behind them.
"Have fun on your date tonight, asshole!" Katy called through the door, as Martha gave her an unimpressed look.
"Now what do we do?" Martha sighed.
Katy had broken out into a sweat by the time they finally made it to the small cottage that Martha had told her would have all the answers. She had calmed down somewhat since her encounter with Mr Smith and reality was beginning to kick in. Jenny had tried to kill them, was likely hunting them down and might have not even been human. It wasn't the type of problem she could just sleep off.
"So, you really think I'm a...an alien? A, what did you call it?" Katy asked.
"A Krillitane" Martha responded.
"It sounds monstrous" Katy muttered.
"I know how hard this must all be to believe, but it's real. I swear on my mother's life" Martha stated, as Katy suddenly came to a halt a few metres away from the cottage.
"...But that would mean we aren't really sisters" Katy realised, as Martha turned to her with a look of guilt.
"I don't know why the TARDIS chose that to be a part of your backstory. Maybe it thought...I don't know. But we're friends, real friends. I couldn't have survived this without you" Martha told her, as Katy shook her head.
"You want to believe this bullshit then? You don't want us to be family?" Katy asked, as Martha's eyes softened.
"I'd love to be your sister, I would! But...I have mine our sister. Tish. Back home. Do you remember her?" Martha questioned, as a pretty face flashed before Katy's eyes.
"Just show me what's supposedly gonna' save us" Katy muttered, pushing past her and heading for the cottage door.
Martha soon unlocked the door and pushed it open, gesturing for Katy to step through first. All the air was sucked out of Katy's lungs when she saw what was inside. A blue box. The same machine she had dreamt about before. It was real.
The TARDIS.
Bile was clawing up her throat instantly, as Katy doubled over and vomited up the contents of her stomach. She leaned against the wall for support as shallow breaths left her lips, feeling how her head had started to pound again. If the blue was real...
"I'm human" Katy stated, glancing over at Martha, who couldn't hold her gaze.
"I'm not...I'm not one of those things. I'm not a monster" Katy insisted, as tears welled in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Katy. I'm so sorry. If I had known it would be like this..." Martha trailed off, reaching out to place her hands on her shoulders.
"No! No, this isn't real! It can't be!" Katy sobbed, brushing her hands away.
"You need to open the watch, Katy. I need you here" Martha all but begged, as Katy clenched her jaw.
"I'm human!" She spat out, pushing Martha away from her and running out of the door as fast as her legs could carry her.
She kept running until she ended up back in the village and her feet started to move without her mind's consent. All of a sudden, she was in the hall where the dance was in full swing, watching all the happy faces and dancing partners. It didn't take her long to find John standing in the corner of the room, a drink in his hand, looking absolutely miserable. Joan was sat a few metres away by herself, staring down at her elegant shoes.
"You look like you're having a worse night than I am" Katy huffed, as she approached him.
"Oh, Katy. I have to apologise for my behaviour earlier. I should have never—" John began, when she held her hand up to stop him.
"Where were you born?" She asked.
"Nottingham. Why?" He frowned.
"And that's where you grew up?" She pushed, as he nodded, slowly.
"Yes. Yes, it must have been. I used to play in the fields, all summer long with...with...it doesn't matter. And the citadel...you should have seen it, Katy. It was so beautiful" John went on, as Katy's face fell.
"John, there is no citadel in Nottingham. All those memories you had, I think they happened somewhere else. Gallifrey?" Katy suggested, as John flinched at the mere mention of the name.
"That was a story. Nothing more" John insisted.
"All stories start with something true" Katy pointed out.
"Is that what you want? For me to be some alien madman, with a magical time machine? Am I not enough?" John cried, in a hurt tone.
"I just want something real" Katy admitted, as he reached out to take her hand.
"What I feel for you is real" He insisted, as Katy pulled away from his reach.
"I'm sorry, John. But I don't think it is" Katy sighed.
Before Mr Smith even had the chance to reply, there was a shout from the village entrance, as a coatrack was pushed over and three people entered in haste. She gulped when she saw Baines amongst them...and Jenny.
"There will be silence! All of you!" Mr Clark, a man from the town, yelled.
"John, just stay behind me. Keep your mouth shut" Katy hissed, before placing herself in between the group at the teacher.
She could hardly believe her eyes as scarecrows began to lumber into the hall, their straw limbs crackling as they did so. She had lost count of the impossible things she had seen that night. She winced as her gaze stayed on their sharp wooden fingers, thinking that they would likely be able to kill a person if they got close enough.
"Mister Clarke, what's going on?" A man exclaimed, as Mr Clark whipped around and pulled out his raygun.
Screams echoed through the hall as the man was suddenly vapourised, leaving nothing behind but a pile of dust. Joan staggered back to stand behind Katy too, finally seeming to realise the danger they were all in.
"Now then, we have a few questions for Mr Smith" Baines announced, turning to John.
"No, better than that. The teacher. He's the Doctor. I heard them talking about how he grew up on Gallifrey" A young girl informed him, a red balloon in her hand.
"Hasn't anyone ever told you it's rude to eavesdrop?" Katy scoffed, recognising the balloon from earlier that day.
"You took human form" Baines realised, as Katy felt herself growing sick once more.
There was something otherworldly behind his eyes. Something alien. And he seemed to know that she and John were the same.
"Of course I'm human. I was born human, as were you, Baines. And Jenny, and you, Mister Clark. What is going on? This is madness!" John insisted.
"Ooo, and a human brain, too. Simple, thick and dull" Baines went on, in a mocking tone.
"But we need a Time Lord" Jenny pointed out, as Baines's lips pulled back into a smirk.
"Easily done. Change back" Baines ordered, holding his ray gun toward them.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" John cried.
"Change back!" Baines screamed, his finger itching against the trigger of his gun.
"Wait! Just stop...what if I could give you something just as good as a Time Lord?" Katy suggested, as Baines tilted his head.
"Impossible" He muttered.
"Really? What about a Krillitane?" Katy announced, as Baines' eyes darkened.
"...Now, this is something. A Time Lord and a Krillitane? Think of what the Family could do with all that power" Baines grinned.
"My thoughts exactly. Matron, do you have your matches?" Katy questioned, as the woman gave her a look.
"Why would I—" Joan started, when Katy cut her off.
"Yeah, I know about your little smoking habit. Just give me the damn matches, alright?" Katy hissed, as Matron grit her teeth and passed the matches to her.
"Do you plan to stop us with a silly little match?" Baines scoffed, as Katy shook her head, pulling out her fob watch from her pocket.
She could see how the Family leant forward, sucking in a breath as they could sense what was inside the watch. Flipping it over, Katy found what she was looking for and pressed her thumb against a small oval shape on the back of the watch. It opened up to reveal an opening, a small amount of glowing light visible inside.
"What are you doing?" John frowned, when he watched her strike one of the matches.
"See, my memories are starting to come back, bit by bit. And you know what I do remember? An old Time Lord failsafe for this biodata module. A way to destroy what's within without opening the watch. There are different ways, of course...but I've always liked fire" Katy explained, holding the flickering flame just over the opening of the watch, planning to burn it from the inside.
"But...you would destroy yourself" Baines pointed out, as a smirk grew on Katy's face.
"If it stops you from getting your hands on my DNA, then so be it. Oh, and by the way, John here has no idea where his fob watch is. In fact, I believe I am the only person on this planet who does...so no Time Lord consciousness for you bastards either" Katy grinned, only telling half a lie.
"Katy, you can't!" John pleaded, reaching out to touch her arm.
"You don't believe any of this, remember, Mr Smith? If I burn this fob watch, nothing happens, right?" Katy pushed.
"I...I don't know..." John trailed off, in a scared tone.
"Well, that's a change for you, Doctor" Katy mumbled, before turning back to look at him.
"Don't forget about me" Katy exclaimed.
The next second, she moved the match closer to the watch and heard the Family cry out. Maybe it was for the best, she thought. From what she did know, she wasn't sure if she wanted her memories back. She then shut her eyes and waited for everything to be burnt away.