"Doctor, are you sure about this?" Rory murmured, as the Doctor frantically began pressing buttons on the TARDIS console.
"Have you ever known me to be sure about anything?" The Doctor huffed, tugging on one of the levers.
"But you always said that this was too dangerous. Pulling Katy through the timelines..." Rory trailed off, with a shake of his head.
"Rory. We can't do this without her," The Doctor exclaimed, as he pulled a device out of his jacket pocket, one he had hidden away for some time.
"This is what he would have done," Rory pointed out, as the Doctor let out a sigh, running a hand over his tired face.
"I need her here. We both do," The Doctor retorted.
"...I'll get the medical kit," Rory muttered, knowing the Doctor's mind was already made up.
And maybe he was right. They were going to war, and he knew Katy was the best fighter of them all. She would help them fix things. She had to. Biting his inner cheek, he rushed down the steps away from the console and began searching for the med kit through the nearby drawers. He glanced back at the Doctor, who was still glaring at the device in his hands, a haunted expression on his face. The TARDIS hummed loudly, appearing to goad him onto what he knew they had to do next.
"Bad memories for us both," The Doctor nodded, pressing a button at the top of the device.
The laser screwdriver came whirring to life, and old commands were still set on the device, making it easy for the Doctor to program it. A part of the TARDIS console that was usually concealed opened up, a port for a device to be inserted. His hands hovered over the console, shaking slightly as he heard Rory walking back up the stairs, the bulky med kit in his hands. It was one thing talking about it, and another thing actually putting Katy's life in danger.
"For Amy?" Rory spoke up, as the Doctor gave a slow nod.
"For Amy," He agreed, before he pressed the laser screwdriver into the port.
Sparks flew off the console, as the TARDIS lurched from one side to the other, spinning recklessly through the vortex. Suddenly, the time machine seemed to collide with something as both the Doctor and Rory were thrown off their feet, the lights in the console room dimming for a moment. As the room became illuminated again, the Doctor found a figure lying beside him, motionless.
Far too still.
"Katy? Katy!" The Doctor cried, crawling over to her, and gripping onto her shoulder.
"Doctor, the kit," Rory exclaimed, sliding the med kit toward him.
The Doctor jumped into action immediately, ripping open the kit and pulling out a syringe with a needle attached. He primed the needle before grabbing Katy's arm and pulling up the sleeve of her shirt, feeling for a vein. Rory crouched down on her other side, his heart beating quickly in his chest, tears beginning to well in his eyes. He couldn't lose his wife and best friend on the same day. Just as the Doctor inserted the needle into Katy's arm, her eyes suddenly shot open, a yelp leaving her lips.
"Ow! What was that for?" Katy cried, sitting bolt upright and slapping the Doctor's arm.
"I thought you were dead!" He huffed.
"Maybe check my pulse next time, idiot," She muttered, punching his arm this time, none too gently.
Despite his sore arm, a broad grin soon grew on the Doctor's face, his hands hovering over Katy's shoulder. He wanted to hold onto her, to not let go of her again if he could help it, but he knew he couldn't. He didn't know where he had pulled her from yet. She might not have even known him yet.
"How do you feel?" Rory asked, still concerned.
"Like I just go run over by a goddamn truck. What happened?" Katy complained as both men held out a hand to her.
"I brought you here. Honed in on the vortex energy, magnetised it to the TARDIS," The Doctor trailed off, as the pair helped haul her up onto shaky feet.
"How did you..." Katy trailed off, spotting the Master's laser screwdriver in the console.
The Doctor followed her gaze, gaining somewhat of an answer to how well this Katy knew him. She clearly had some understanding of who the Master was from the concern brimming in her eyes when she realised what it would mean for him to have lost the screwdriver.
"We had to bring you here. It's Amy. She's been taken," Rory informed her, as Katy's eyes snapped to his.
"Taken?" She echoed; her mind still fuzzy from being dragged through the timelines.
"Her and the baby," Rory stated, as Katy's jaw dropped open.
"Baby?! As in a chubby-cheeked, probably ginger, shitting machine?" Katy gaped, making Rory snort.
"I'm not sure I've ever heard anyone describe a baby that way...but yeah. She's having a baby. Might have had it already..." Rory realised, looking sickened at the thought of not being there.
"What happened?" Katy frowned.
"It doesn't matter right now. What does, is getting them back. Rory, I'm sending you to intercept the Cyber-fleet, find out what they know. We'll start picking up the others," The Doctor announced, as Rory nodded, quickly.
"I'm glad you're okay," Rory said, squeezing Katy's shoulder for a moment, before racing off into the TARDIS to get changed.
"Doctor, what's going on? Who's taken Amy?" Katy insisted as he let out a small sigh.
"I'm not sure, not really. And even if I did know, I'm not sure I'd be able to tell you. God knows what bringing you here might change," He mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Then why do it?" She questioned, as he gave her a soft look.
"Because I'm selfish. And I wanted you by my side," He explained, as she looked down at their hands that were still intertwined, her lips twitching into a smile.
"Well, who could blame you? I am pretty awesome," Katy smirked, giving his hand a squeeze.
With a growing smile on his own face, the Doctor leaned forward to press a soft kiss to her forehead. His expression faltered immediately as he pulled back to see blood beginning to drip down from her nose, and Katy's eyes became unfocused. His arms were around her waist instantly, just before she collapsed, falling against him. Panic gripped the Doctor, only slightly subdued when he heard the soft breaths leaving her lips rhythmically. She had only passed out. She was still alive.
"Doctor, stop fussing. I told you a million times, I'm fine," Katy complained, wiping at her bloody nose with a handful of tissues.
She had awoken to find herself in the Doctor's room, blood having dripped down onto her top, staining it red. The Doctor had been pacing around his bedroom ever since, a ball of anxiety at what other affects his actions could have. Katy had made her way into the large bathroom, cleaning up the dried blood on her top lip. As she turned around, she found his sonic screwdriver immediately shone in her face, scanning her intently.
"And let me guess? The screwdriver also says I'm fine," Katy huffed.
"Your heart rate's elevated," He replied, as she rolled her eyes.
"Doc, you're being ridiculous. Just relax," Katy insisted, placing her hands on his shoulders, which slumped in response.
"Sorry. I'm worried about Amy. You. Rory. The baby—" The Doctor began, as she cut him off, placing a finger to his lips.
"Well, I'm worried about you. We need that brain of yours in working order if we're gonna' get Amy back. So, stop panicking and grab me a shirt," Katy suggested, as he gave a quick nod.
She watched as instead of leaving the room, he simply went over to one of the two large wardrobes in the room, and opened the doors, revealing a whole array of clothes. Some of which Katy recognised as her own. She leaned against the doorway of the bathroom; her arms crossed as he pulled out a new shirt from the wardrobe.
"Is this our bedroom?" She spoke up, as the Doctor froze on the spot.
"No?" He responded, his words sounding more like a question than a statement.
"So, you just keep my clothes in here because...?" She pushed, as he winced.
"I have more space," He murmured, wandering back over to her, and holding out the shirt.
"Hmm. Just like you have the better mattress? Probably better water pressure in the shower too, huh?" She teased, watching as a slight blush grew on his cheeks.
"I need you to get River. I'm calling in all my old favours," The Doctor stated, completely ignoring her question, causing her to quirk an eyebrow.
"You're making an army?" Katy suggested, as the Doctor's face fell at the fault.
"We need to save Amy," The Doctor retorted, as Katy gave a quick nod, twisting around, placing the new shirt against the basin.
"Hey, I'm always up for a fight. I'm just saying you've got to be ready to follow through," Katy explained, before pulling her stained shirt over her head, her back still to the Doctor.
"I...I, uh...I'll just leave you...to it..." The Doctor stuttered over his words.
"You sure? I was thinking of testing out that water pressure?" Katy smirked, when she heard a loud thump from behind her.
She twisted around with a frown to find the Doctor sprawled out on the floor, rubbing at his forehead. It took her a few seconds to realise that he must have been in such a hurry to race out of the room that he collided with the doorway before he got too far. Biting her lip to stop herself from bursting out laughing, she went to begin closing the bathroom door.
"You good?" She asked, as he sat bolt upright, running a hand through his messy hair.
"Yes," He nodded, jumping to his feet.
"Got a concussion?"
"Most likely," He mumbled, as she shook her head fondly.
"Don't ever change, Doctor," She laughed, before closing the bathroom door, missing how her words had the Doctor grinning from ear to ear.
A storm brewed outside the window to River Song's prison cell, who was laid back against her bunk, a book in her hands. She had read that particular book at least ten times already, but she would do anything to stave off her boredom until the Doctor's next visit. The sound of echoing footsteps caught her attention, as she glanced up to find one of the guards bringing her supper. The metal bars opened automatically as the figure placed a bowl of some sort of stew on the metal table by her bed.
"I'm not feeling particularly hungry this evening," River mumbled.
"I think you'll find you have an appetite for this," A familiar voice stated, as River's head shot up to find Katy grinning down at her.
In the next moment, she was putting her hand into the bowl and fishing out a set of keys. River remained staring at her, mouth gone slack as Katy gestured for her to hold out her cuffed hands. With all her recent escape attempts, the guards had decided it best to cuff her to chains on the floor. But it seemed that Katy had been expecting this, as the keys she had instantly unlocked the cuffs.
"Time to go, River," Katy exclaimed, but River made no move to follow.
"You look young. When are you from?" River inquired, as Katy's forehead wrinkled.
"We have about sixty seconds until the guards figure out why the cameras suddenly stopped working. The Doctor needs you...so, come on," Katy pushed.
"Demon's Run."
"...Yeah. That's the base we need to find. Hold on, this has already happened for you then?" Katy realised.
"Katy, I'm sorry. But I can't come with you. Not yet, anyway," River informed her, as Katy's gaze turned cold.
"Well, I wasn't really asking actually," Katy retorted, reaching out to grab River's wrist, hauling her to her feet.
"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," River explained, wrenching her wrist free from Katy's grip.
"Look, I know you love riddles and this whole mystery vibe, but Amy and her baby are in danger. And I am not taking no for a goddamn answer," Katy insisted, coming to stand toe to toe with River.
"Don't you understand? This is the day you find out who I am," River admitted, as shock flashed over Katy's face.
"River, the Doctor has always been there for you when you needed help. Don't let him down. Not today of all days," Katy argued, as River gave her a sad smile, and reached out to hold her hands.
"Maybe you should stay here with me. They can handle this fight on their own," River suggested, as Katy gave her a look of disbelief.
"If there's one thing I am not, it's a coward. Not like you," Katy huffed, taking a step back.
"You'll understand. I swear, soon you will understand," River pushed, as Katy shook her head.
"I'd never understand turning your back on your friends," Katy snapped, before turning on her heel and storming away from the prison cell, hearing the sounds of guards racing down the long corridor.
Typing in her coordinates onto the vortex manipulator on her wrist, she sent them through to the TARDIS, and in the next second, the time machine was materialising all around her. The Doctor stood at the console, a hopeful expression on his face, as he looked around the room for River. She could see something break in him when his friend was nowhere to be seen. She had abandoned them.
"Doctor—" Katy began, when a small, stout figure stepped out in front of her.
"I am detecting high levels of anxiety and sadness. This will not do on the eve of battle."
Katy looked down at the short Sontaran in front of her, a blue device in his eyes, scanning her chest. She glanced away from him to find the Doctor rushing down the stairs, running away as usual. With a groan, Katy went to follow him, but the Sontaran raised up a hand to stop her.
"Your stress levels are concerningly high. We must rectify this," The Sontaran told her.
"How'd you plan to do that?" Katy scoffed, as he suddenly lurched forward with a yell, freaking her out rather than scaring her.
"Uh, what was that for?" Katy frowned.
"A scare is an old remedy to stop stress," He informed her.
"I'm pretty sure that's supposed to be for hiccups."
"Why would scaring someone stop hiccups? Your nurse training was clearly substandard," The Sontaran accused, as Katy placed her hands on her hips.
"Your height is substandard," She retorted childishly, as the Sontaran gave her a scandalised look.
"I will have you know I was the tallest out of my six millionclone siblings, boy!" He insisted, as she quirked an eyebrow.
"Oi, I am very clearly a girl!" Katy huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
"No, no. Your chin is far too prominent to be a girl," The Sontaran shook his head, as Katy gaped at him.
"Strax, we've talked about this. I'm a boy, remember? She's not," Rory interjected, marching over to the pair, clad in what appeared to be a Roman outfit.
"Are you sure? You both have rather big noses," Strax continued, as Katy held her hands out in exasperation.
"What's he here for, to make the enemy feel so self-conscious they give up?" Katy pouted.
"Something like that. Where's River?" Rory questioned.
"She's not coming," Katy sighed, as Rory's shoulders slumped with disappointment.
"Do not worry, boys. I have a record of ninety-one per cent accuracy with my plasma gun. I will melt our enemies to ash, and with luck, only kill perhaps fifty per cent of civilians too," Strax announced, before walking away with a grin on his face.
"I better make sure he doesn't try to blow the toaster up again," Rory sighed, following quickly after him.
Katy watched them go, able to hear frantic talk from down the corridor, from all the Doctor's recruits. Without River and her knowledge, she was worried about how their plan would now work. Pulling out her phone from her pocket, she brought up the Master's phone number, her fingers hovering above the keys. She knew he was the last person the Doctor would want help from, but this wasn't about them. It was about Amy. And there were few beings more powerful than Time Lords.
Need your help.
She stared down at the words she had typed out before hitting send. She looked over to the laser screwdriver that was still attached to the TARDIS console, and a horrible realisation hit her. Was it possible that her message could be the very thing that led the Master to...
Dying?
Why else would he give the Doctor the device? For whatever reason, there was just as much hatred between the two Time Lords as any other emotion. As for her, somehow the Master had become her friend. At least she hoped he was. A second later, her phone was beeping as a message lit up on the screen.
You need my help, or the Doctor does?
With a huff, she debated not even bothering to text back. They both knew what the answer was already. If the Doctor needed help, that meant Katy did too. They came as a pair now. She sent him the coordinates of Demons Run, and a date, not sure what she could say to convince him to help.
Please, Master.
"Are you ready?" The Doctor's voice broke through her thoughts, as she twisted around to face him, startled.
"...What are you wearing?" She frowned, noticing the mauve cloak he had donned.
"We're going undercover," He grinned, passing her a slightly smaller cloak.
"I'm not gonna' like this, am I?" She guessed, making his grin grow wider.
An hour later, Katy stood on a stage in the heart of Demons Run, staring out from under her hood at the army that seemed determined to kill the Doctor. A mix of Anglican marines and headless monks, ready to go to war. Katy knew she was missing some pretty vital information, but she supposed it didn't truly matter. They wanted to hurt the Doctor, and she and her friends were not going to let them. Her eyes moved to the back of the large base, finding a medical pod illuminated, and a familiar face peeking out from one of the windows.
Amy.
She was alive. Katy sagged in relief, turning ever so slightly to see the Doctor had also noticed their friend's presence. Slowly, Katy reached out to touch the Doctor's hand, interlinking their fingers for just a moment. All she could do was hope his plan would work.
"Some of you have wondered why we have allied ourselves with the Headless Monks. 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," The Colonel spoke, as Katy dropped the Doctor's hand, knowing they had to keep up their act.
"Because these guys never can be persuaded," The Colonel continued, lowering one of the Monk's hood, revealing there was no head underneath, just the skin of the neck tied off.
Katy couldn't help but gape at the sight, having already figured out the headless monk title was probably more literal than most would think, but it was still a horrific sight to see. She tensed as the Colonel turned to the next monk, knowing her identity would soon be revealed.
"They never can be afraid," The Colonel stated, removing the monk's hood, before turning to the next figure, who was secretly the Doctor underneath. "And they can never, ever be—" The Colonel was cut off, as the Doctor pulled his hood back, with a smug smile.
"Surprised! Ha, ha! Hello, everyone. Guess who. Please, point a gun at me if it helps you relax," He smirked, as every soldier held up their guns, and the monks raised their electrified swords.
"You're only human," The Doctor huffed, as Katy noticed the Colonel reaching for his gun.
In the blink of an eye, she had lunged forward, pressing a knife to the man's neck, who instantly went still. With her free hand, she ripped off her hood, hearing a few gasps ring out from the room. With their commander in mortal danger, half the soldiers began to lower their guns.
"Three minutes forty seconds. Amelia Pond! Get your coat!" The Doctor announced, as all the lights in the base went dark, just as planned.
With their eyesight better than the average human, Katy and the Doctor were able to find each other in the darkness, rushing off the stage before any of the soldiers had a moment to realise what was happening. Panicked cries erupted, as the pair continued rushing away, knowing they needed to make it to the control centre before the lights came back on. The Doctor's friends, a Silurian called Vastra, and her girlfriend, Jenny were waiting for them, flipping the power back on as soon as they spotted them. The Doctor instantly went to the loudspeaker, planning to goad the soldiers on.
"I'm not a phantom. I'm not a trickster. I'm a monk!" The Doctor explained, watching from the control room, as the soldiers and monks turned their weapons to each other.
The base instantly fell into chaos, with the army blindly firing their weapons into the crowd, killing their allies without a thought. The Doctor's plan was working perfectly. Katy glanced at the man in question, noticing the conflicted expression on his face. He hated killing. Even if it was his enemies who were the ones to die.
"They chose this," Katy reminded him, placing her hand on his shoulder, as he looked away from the bodies that began to litter the floor.
"Does anyone choose to die?" The Doctor retorted, as she squeezed his shoulder.
Before the army had a chance to regain control, a group of Silurians teleported onto the base, their weapons raised. And a few seconds later, a platoon of Judoon followed, ready to take the marines into custody for their crimes. Katy knew she would have to be careful to keep her head down, knowing all too well what the Judoon would do if they found her. The Doctor soon ordered Strax to bring the Colonel to him in the control centre as Rory left to go find his baby.
"All airlocks sealed. Resistance neutralised," Strax announced, his plasma gun raised at the Colonel's back.
"Hey Strax, how about we find out just how accurate your aim really is with that gun?" Katy suggested, from where she was leaning against the control console.
"Sir?" Strax questioned, looking to the Doctor who was sitting in the control chair.
"Sorry, Colonel Manton. I lied. Three minutes forty-two seconds," He exclaimed, with a grin, that didn't reach his eyes.
"Colonel Manton, you will give the order for your men to withdraw," Strax instructed.
"No. Colonel Manton, I want you to tell your men to run away," The Doctor announced, the grin on his lips beginning to turn more into a snarl.
"You what?" The Colonel gaped.
"Those words. 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..." The Doctor shouted, marching over to the Colonel, who had the sense to shrink away in fear. Katy had pushed off from the console and taken a step forward, which the Doctor noticed. She was readying herself to stop him from doing something he would regret. "Is in any way a good idea. I want you to tell them your name."
"Oh, look, I'm angry. That's new. I'm really not sure what's going to happen now," The Doctor smiled, and somehow that was even more frightening than his anger.
"Still unsure, Colonel? I can think of some ways I can loosen your tongue," Katy suggested, coming to stand by the Doctor's side, watching as the older man gulped.
"The Doctor and the Nurse. So quick to turn to violence," A new voice that Katy didn't recognise announced, as she whipped around to find a woman, in a black suit-dress and an eyepatch glaring at them.
There was clear hatred on her face, as well as fear. She had caked her face with makeup, not one hair out of place in the tight bun she wore. She looked confident, but as soon as the Doctor turned to catch her eye, Katy could see that confidence wavered.
"The anger of a good man is not a problem. Good men have too many rules," She continued, as the Doctor slowly walked over to her, his hand twitching at his side as if he wanted to reach out and hurt the woman.
"Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many," The Doctor warned, his tone cold enough that it even put Katy on edge.
The woman stared down the Doctor for a few seconds, her lips pressed together in a tight line before her expression faltered. Her mask of impassiveness fell away, and the fear became clear.
"...Give the order. Give the order, Colonel Run Away," She commanded, as the Doctor seemed taken aback for a moment, before a cocky smile grew on his face.
With a sigh, the Colonel nodded, as Vastra led him over to the control panel microphone. Katy stayed where she was glaring at the newcomer, before she took a step forward, standing now just inches away from her.
"So, you're the one who kidnapped my friend?" Katy guessed.
"Madame Kovarian. I'd say it was a pleasure, but I had rather hoped to see you dead, so you'll understand my disappointment," Kovarian explained, as Katy's lips pulled back into something akin to a smile.
"You were right, I think. The Doctor is a good man...but I am certainly not," Katy retorted.
Before anyone could do anything, Katy sent a hard slap to the woman's face, with enough force to send her staggering to the floor. Coming to loom over her, Katy crouched down in front of Kovarian, as the Doctor debated whether to intervene. His friends were surprised when he chose not to, allowing Katy to take whatever path she wished.
"I think I'm going to kill you one day, Madame Kovarian. I just wanted you to know that," Katy spat out, before waving Strax over.
"Get her out of here," Katy muttered, as Strax began poking Kovarian with his gun.
"I think you would make a good Sontaran," He grinned.
"I thought I was going to kill her," Katy admitted, as she and the Doctor walked through the long halls of the base, desperate to get to the medical pod and see Amy.
"So, did I," The Doctor replied, causing her forehead to wrinkle.
"You didn't try to stop me," Katy stated, as he shook his head.
"I trust you. Completely," He pointed out, as she gave him a slight smile.
"Why didn't you? Kill her?" The Doctor inquired, as she mulled it over a moment.
"I guess I don't...feel that anger I used to. I've changed," She realised, her eyes widening a little.
"I worry sometimes I've changed you too," She confessed, as the Doctor came to an immediate halt.
"Hey, you have changed me. For the better," The Doctor insisted, reaching out for her shoulders, as she raised an eyebrow. "That anger I have, that was there long before you," He explained, as she reached out to cup his cheek, before leaning forward.
"Oi, do you two want to meet our baby or what?" Amy called out, as the pair sprang apart.
Katy rushed over to the pair in a daze, hardly being able to wrap her mind around the sight of a tiny baby in Rory's arms. It wasn't so long ago she had met the pair, still only fiancés and now they were married with a child. If Katy thought she felt protective over the three adults in the room, it was nothing compared to how she felt about their child. She knew instantly she would lay her life down for them.
"Your goddaughter. What do you think?" Rory questioned, as Katy gave him a look of disbelief.
"You're serious?" She gaped, as Rory gave a firm nod.
"You've always been part of this family. Now, it's official," He grinned, as Katy could feel tears pricking her eyes.
"No, no. No more tears, don't set me off again," Amy insisted, as bit her lip, trying to blink her tears away.
Knowing she wouldn't be able to talk, she instead reached out to pull Amy into a tight embrace, finding her friend hugging her back even tighter. She had no idea what Amy had been through, but she knew she would make sure the perpetrators would pay. Amy dropped her chin onto Katy's shoulder, her fingers clenched around the fabric of her shirt, trying to convince herself that the events of the day were real. That she was safe.
"I knew you were coming. With our boys," Amy smiled, as she pulled away.
The pair turned to the Doctor, who was pointing excitedly at the little girl that Rory was rocking back and forth in his arms. He had an almost proud expression on his face. He couldn't believe his best friends had made something so perfect.
"Hello. Hello, baby," He exclaimed.
"Melody," Amy clarified.
"Melody? Hello, Melody Pond," The Doctor grinned, shaking her tiny hand.
"Melody Williams."
"Is a geography teacher. Melody Pond is a superhero," Amy argued, as Katy came to stand beside Rory.
"I think it's time for you to hold your goddaughter," Rory suggested, holding Melody out to her.
"What? Uh, yeah, maybe when she's like five and not so...breakable," Katy panicked, making the Doctor laugh lightly.
With a nod from Rory, he took the newborn from his arms, and without giving her a chance to run in the other direction, he slotted Melody against her chest. Katy held onto the baby tightly, clearly terrified of somehow hurting her, but as the baby began to settle in her arms, Katy's nerves began to fade away. Almost naturally, she started rocking Melody in her arms, who let out a content sound. An excited smile spread over her lips, as she glanced up at the Doctor, who she noticed had a sad expression on his face.
A loud, wet sound rang out in the room a moment later, as an unpleasant smell wafted up to Katy's nose. With a grin, she held out the baby back to Amy, who rolled her eyes in response, but gladly took Melody back.
"I think this is yours," Katy teased.
"Doctor?" Vastra called out, rushing toward them, as they heard the sound of ships taking off. "They're leaving. Demon's Run is ours without a drop of blood spilled. My friend, you have never risen higher," Vastra stated, as a shiver ran down Katy's spine, remembering what River had said.
Was she trying to warn her?
"Right, here we go," The Doctor said, passing up the object that he had spent the last twenty minutes searching underneath his bedroom floor for.
"It's a cot," Katy frowned, as the Doctor emerged from the crawlspace.
"Very observant," He mumbled, tapping her nose as he went to sit beside her.
It was old, impossibly old. The wood had worn down over time, and the once light green paint ha faded. She reached out to touch the stars that hung down from the top of the cot, hand-carved in the form of stars and planets. Katy focused intently on the writing on the back of the cot, knowing it was Gallifreyan. A word. One that she recognised from the ring on her finger.
"Was this yours?" She realised.
"My first stars," He murmured, playing with one of the dangling stars.
"What happened here?" She grinned, noticing that one of the planet's rings had been broken in half.
"Ah, yes. That was..." He trailed off, a haunted look in his eyes, as a memory washed over him.
Katy stayed quiet, knowing better than to push him on the subject further. The Doctor's family was gone, and that hurt too much to talk about. She knew that better than anyone. He didn't have to tell her about his past—
"My daughter was always a little curious. Even when she was young," He admitted, touching the broken part with a sad smile.
Katy was taken aback at the confession, thinking of how he had probably not even told Amy and Rory he once had children. But he had opened up to her, and that meant more than she could explain. Dropping her head onto his shoulder, she slotted herself right next to him, pushing a few of the stars around.
"Just like her dad then," Katy pointed out, as the Doctor turned to rest his chin on the top of her head.
"Doctor. We need you in the main control room," The TARDIS played Vastra's message over the loudspeaker.
The Doctor sighed, reluctantly pulling away from Katy, who pushed herself to her feet, placing her hand on the Doctor's shoulder. He knew he needed a moment to compose himself.
"I'll go. You give that to Melody," She suggested, as he nodded, before leaning down to press a quick kiss to her hand.
Katy turned around to make her way out of the TARDIS when the Doctor spoke up just as she made it to the doorway. His tone was so hesitant, it seemed he could barely force the words out of his mouth.
"Would you...if things were...I mean, one day..." The Doctor stuttered over his words, but Katy already knew what he wanted to ask.
"Some people aren't meant to have kids, Doctor," She stated, as he opened his mouth to argue, but quickly clamped his lips shut, before nodding.
"...Then again, people also change, don't they? The universe's full of impossible things," She replied, as a lopsided smile grew on his face.
"It certainly is."
Katy scrolled through the dozens of scan results on the screen, all taken from Melody Pond. Some were from before she was born and some were after, but they all focused on one thing. Her DNA. Katy knew better than anyone what mutated DNA strands looked like, and Melody's was certainly a mixture. Of human and Time Lord. How the hell had that happened?
"Oh, she's gonna' be trouble that girl. Mark my...what's wrong?" The Doctor frowned when he noticed the expression on Katy's face when he entered the room.
"We've got a problem. A big one," Katy sighed, bringing up a 3D image of Melody's DNA on the screen, as the Doctor's jaw dropped open.
"But she's human. She's Amy and Rory's daughter," The Doctor exclaimed, as Katy gave a slight shrug.
"Plus Time Lord. Jesus, no wonder they kidnapped Amy."
"You've told me about your people. They became what they did through prolonged exposure to the time vortex. The Untempered Schism," Vastra pointed out, as the Doctor shook his head, vehemently.
"Over billions of years. It didn't just happen," He scoffed, turning away from her.
"Look at me, I'm evidence enough that you could cook up a Time Lord. But...I mean, do you think she could regenerate?" Katy pushed, as the Doctor waved off her concerns.
"No, no. I don't think so."
"Well, her DNA's fluctuating. I think Kovarian was experimenting on her in the embryo, trying to increase whatever happened to Melody," Katy went on.
"Which leads me to ask when did it happen?" Vastra inquired, as Katy had to hold back a laugh from the way the Doctor's face paled.
"I am trying to be delicate. I know how you can blush. When did this baby...begin?" Vastra insisted.
"Oh, you mean..." The Doctor trailed off, straightening his bow tie, a look of horror on his face.
"I think she's talking about sex. Should I draw you a diagram?" Katy teased, as the Doctor crossed his arms, childishly.
"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," He huffed, turning away from them, trying to hide the way his cheeks had reddened.
"But could the child have begun on the Tardis in flight, in the vortex," Vastra suggested, as Katy let out a scoff.
"Hell yeah, it could have. I mean, the pool, the kitchen, the...oh, you didn't know that?" Katy realised, as the Doctor twisted around, his jaw dropped open.
"They've done what in the kitchen?!" He exclaimed.
"Okay, definitely not gonna' tell you about the time I found them in the library," Katy snorted.
"But it doesn't make sense. You can't just make yourself a..." He trailed off, before turning to Katy, eyes narrowing.
He then pulled out his sonic screwdriver, taking a quick scan of her, before letting out a sigh of relief when he saw the readings. It took Katy a few moments to realise why he had done so, her eyes almost popping out of her head.
"Hold on, have we—" Katy began, when he clamped his hand over her mouth.
"Evidently not," He mumbled, the tips of his ears now turning red.
"Not in flight at least," Vastra huffed, as the Doctor gave her an unamused look, removing his hand from Katy's mouth.
"Okay, we're definitely discussing this later. But I think I ought to have a word with this Madame Kovarian. And you know I'm right, Doctor, we need to find out what she's done to Melody," She explained, as the Doctor reluctantly nodded.
"Be careful," He warned, as she gave a mock salute.
"Always am!" She called back, rushing out of the room.
The base was quiet as Katy made her way to where the prisoners were being held. Most had been taken away by the Judoon, but Kovarian and the Colonel had been kept behind for questioning. Katy came to a sudden stop when she noticed it. The base wasn't just quiet. It was silent. Racing forward, as she turned the next corner, she found Strax on the ground, and for a moment she was worried he was dead. Turning him onto his side, he stirred a little as she let out a sigh of relief. The feeling was short-lived when she found at least a dozen Silurian either dead or unconscious lying close by. So, where was—
A sudden sharp pain had her letting out a cry before she collapsed onto the floor. She found sparks of red engulfing her body, as she tried to move, but it was no good. In only a few seconds, she couldn't even move a finger. Her eyes snapped up to find two headless monks stalking toward her.
"A shot from a headless monk can either kill or paralyze," Kovarian's voice exclaimed, as a hand grabbed Katy's shoulder and she was roughly thrown onto her back. "You're going to wish we had killed you, Krillitane," Kovarian spat out, before she slammed her heel down onto Katy's head.
White was all that Katy could see as her eyes fluttered open. She was freezing cold, and as she tried to move her arms, she realised they were restricted by something. Lifting her head up, she realised that she was tied down against a table, face down, staring at the floor. She tried to look up again, to see what room she was in, but realised her neck was restricted by a strap, just as her wrists and ankles were. Black shoes came into view, as a bitter laugh echoed through the white room.
"Not so strong now, are you?" Kovarian mocked.
"Says the bitch who shot me in the back," Katy muttered, as she felt something sharp poke her arm.
A man in white clothing was taking a sample of her blood, his face obscured by the table she was strapped down on. She could see half a dozen feet all around her, and though the paralysis seemed to be wearing off, she still wouldn't be strong enough to break free of her bonds.
"You got a kidnapping kink or something? Amy and now me? Get a fucking hobby," Katy huffed.
"You know what I think? You're all bark and no bite? Prep her," Kovarian ordered, as a cold gloved hand was suddenly touching her hip.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Katy yelped, feeling how her trousers were pulled down over her left hip.
"The hip has the largest bone marrow pocket I've been told," Kovarian explained, as Katy went cold with fear.
"No. No, no. Don't," Katy cried, as she felt something cold being applied to her hip.
"Your adventures with your Time Lords have made you a very interesting specimen, Katy. You have something we need. Time for us to extract it," Kovarian informed her, as Katy began desperately straining against the straps holding her down.
"No! Let me go! Stop!" Katy yelled, as she felt an extra strap being placed around her waist to keep her still.
She was close to hyperventilating when Kovarian crouched down so she was face to face with Katy, clearly enjoying the fear evident on her face. Katy couldn't help but wince as she felt something sharp cut into the skin just above her hip. An incision. Fuck, they were really going to go through with this, she realised.
"You would have been better off staying dead," Kovarian stated.
"No. Don't...don't!" She screamed, hearing how a drilling instrument was turned on.
She was shaking with fear as the drilling sound grew closer, knowing the pain would have been beyond anything she had ever felt. Tears welled in her eyes as she could do nothing but hope she would pass out from the pain. Just as she felt something cold against her hip, a voice spoke up.
"Wait! Her blood...look at her blood," One of Kovarian's henchmen exclaimed, as she watched the woman's feet disappear from view.
"That's not...no!" Kovarian shouted, as Katy could see her shove a tray of medical equipment to the ground.
A moment later, the table she was lying on was being twisted around so that she was now facing the ceiling, her hip still dripping with blood. Kovarian grabbed a fistful of her hair, forcing Katy to meet her eyes.
"How old are you?" Kovarian asked, as Katy remained silent, simply glaring up at her. "How old?" Kovarian yelled, slamming her head down on the table.
"Twenty-five. I'm twenty-five, what the fuck does it matter?" Katy retorted, as Kovarian let go of her hair with a snarl.
"It hasn't happened yet. He brought her here before it happened!" Kovarian exclaimed, looking as if she was on the verge of a breakdown.
"Before what happened?" Katy frowned, as Kovarian's one visible eye narrowed.
"...Kill her," Kovarian announced, as the rest of the group turned to her in shock.
"But we...the plan was never to kill her. The Doctor will...we won't survive this!" Colonel Manton gaped, as Kovarian shook her head.
"No, we won't. But neither will the Doctor survive losing her," Kovarian pointed out, reaching out for the Colonel's gun.
"I'd also rather not die here, thanks. Look, let's just..." Katy trailed off, as the speakers in the room suddenly blared to life with static.
Where have all the good men gone, and where are all the gods?
Katy gaped up at the sound coming out of the speakers, recognising it instantly. The rest of the soldiers in the room also appeared just as speechless as she was as the song continued playing.
Where's the street-wise Hercules, to fight the rising odds?
"What on earth is that?" Kovarian questioned, as a look of disbelief dawned on Katy's face.
Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?
"It appears to be from a soundtrack of an old Earth movie," The Colonel murmured, looking at the lyrics which appeared on all the screens in the room.
Late at night toss and turn and dream of what I need?
"Shrek 2, to be exact," Katy said, with a laugh.
All of a sudden, the cooling ducts on the floor opened up and litres of coolant ran across the ground, drenching the soldiers shoes. Katy was the first to realise what was about to happen, quickly followed by Kovarian, who jumped up onto one of the nearby counters.
"Hit it!" A distinctive Scottish voice exclaimed, as a spark came off from one of the computers, hitting the fluid on the ground.
Katy winced at the bright flashes that blinded her as most of Kovarian's henchmen were electrocuted, falling to their knees, most likely dead before they hit the ground. Kovarian's eyes darted around in shock before she reached into her pocket for something.
"No!" Katy cried, but in the blink of an eye, Kovarian had vanished, teleporting away before she could stop her.
I need a hero, I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night! He's gotta' be strong—
"No, no. That just won't do. I'm always forgetting I'm not a woman now," A familiar voice exclaimed, as Katy's turned her head as the song came to an abrupt halt.
"Missy?!" Katy gaped, as she stepped over one of the dead bodies on the ground.
"Hello, poppet. Did you miss me?" Missy grinned, coming to loom over her.
"If I say yes, will you untie these?" Katy replied, gesturing to the straps over her wrists.
"Oh, I thought you like a bit of bondage," Missy smirked, as Katy rolled her eyes.
"We can flirt later, just get me out of here," Katy insisted.
"Is that a promise?" Missy grinned, excitedly, but began to pull the straps away from her wrists, nonetheless.
"You need to get after that bitch. We can't let her get away," Katy suggested, reaching up to begin removing the strap around her neck.
"Later, dear. I came to help you, not go on a wild goose chase," Missy informed her, moving down to free her ankles.
"How did you know I was here anyway?" Katy frowned, rubbing at her sore neck.
"You sent me that silly little message. Took me a while, but I came eventually," Missy explained, only making Katy's forehead wrinkle further.
Katy gave her a grateful smile, as Missy then wrapped her arms around Katy and helped to pull her up to the edge of the table. Katy's vision swam for a moment, a mixture of paralysis and blood loss causing her to become dizzy. Missy reached out to pat her cheek a few times, keeping her awake.
"Saving me really is a hobby of yours, huh?" Katy mumbled, as Missy gave her a subtle wink.
"You are such a pretty damsel in distress," Missy stated, playing with a lock of Katy's hair.
"I need to get to my friends..." Katy grimaced, as she pushed herself to her feet, causing pain to rip through her hip.
With a sigh, Missy walked over to one of the trays laid out on the counter, picking up some sort of medical instrument. Katy eyed the device warily, watching as it sparked in the older woman's hands.
"Turn around," Missy smirked, as Katy reluctantly did so.
"That gonna' hurt?" Katy inquired, as she felt Missy's hands touching the waistband of her trousers, which were stained with blood that was still seeping out of the wound on her hip.
"Now, don't ask stupid questions. Just bend over and let me do all the work," Missy teased, as Katy rolled her eyes yet again.
"Is everything an innuendo with...ow!" Katy cried, as Missy pressed the device against her skin, which burnt the wound closed in half a second.
"There we go, all better," Missy exclaimed, giving her backside a pat before turning her around, and standing far closer than Katy was expecting.
"Why did you come to help me?" Katy asked, as Missy cocked her head to one side.
"Darling, I just committed mass murder for you...again, I might add. Doesn't that tell you enough?" Missy continued, as Katy mulled it over.
"It tells me you're a little psychotic with a thing for me," Katy answered, as Missy pursed her lips.
"Just your type then," Missy smirked, leaning forward so that she had Katy pressed up against the table.
"Missy...I'm not exactly available, you know," Katy mumbled, watching as Missy pouted.
"What the Doctor doesn't know won't hurt him," Missy suggested, leaning forward until her lips were almost touching Katy's.
Her eyes dropped down to Missy's lips for a moment, before she forced them to snap back up to the woman's sharp blue eyes. Her mind came to a grinding halt, forgetting completely why she was even on the ship in the first place.
"...The Doctor...he's, uh..." Katy murmured, her words escaping her as Missy's hand came to rest on her hip.
"Your sort of boyfriend. And I'm your sort of girlfriend. But don't worry, poppet, I don't mind sharing," Missy grinned, leaning forward to press a kiss to her nose.
"Okay, hold up. I'm pretty sure I have a concussion or something so...no more kissing right now, okay?" Katy stated, as Missy immediately backed off, with a curt nod.
"Of course. We'll kiss later," Missy agreed.
"That's not what I—" Katy started, but Missy cut her off.
"Besides, we need to get you back for the big reveal," Missy huffed, with a mocking tone, as Katy opened her mouth to question her.
"...And before the Doctor blows up half the universe looking for."