Katy stared at the array of buttons and levers in front of her, as panic began to course through her. She was stuck on a ship she had no idea how to control, likely on the other side of the universe, with no one for company apart from her mysterious saviour who seemed content at watching her fall apart. Crossing her arms over her chest, she turned to face Missy who was perched up on one the nearby desks, her legs splayed out in front of her, the frills at the bottom of her purple dress poking out.
"A little help?" Katy exclaimed, as Missy quirked an eyebrow.
"And put an end to our date?" Missy retorted, as Katy huffed out a laugh of disbelief.
"This is a rescue attempt, not a date," She pointed out.
"Isn't that the way all our dates start, poppet?" Missy grinned.
With a groan, Katy walked over to the older woman, who swung her legs off to the counter. Leaning down slightly, Katy brought herself level with Missy's face, as a glimmer of excitement crossed her face.
"Are you really gonna' make me beg?" Katy questioned, watching Missy's gaze grow mischievous.
"Well, if you insist," Missy grinned, gesturing for Katy to kneel.
"Or maybe I'll just start crying. You know, real snotty and definitely not sexy," Katy stated.
"Is this your rather poor attempt at manipulating me? It needs some work," Missy told her, as Katy's lips upturned into a smirk, leaning closer so that she was only inches from Missy's lips.
"Actually…" Katy trailed off, cocking her head to one side, allowing her lips to brush against Missy's for a second, noticing how she stilled at the action, clearly not expecting Katy to be so bold. "I was just distracting you," Katy winked, before tugging away the vortex manipulator that Missy wore.
"Cheat," Missy pouted, as Katy waved the vortex manipulator in the air.
"Oldest trick in the book. And you totally fell for it," Katy teased, looking over the controls of the device. Her forehead wrinkled as she pulled her sleeve up to reveal her own vortex manipulator, which she was still getting the hang of using. Last time she had tried to use it she almost sent herself into the nearest sun. But there was something odd, which she only realised as she placed the two devices side by side. "It's the same."
Suddenly, Missy was in front of her, grabbing the vortex manipulator, all the humour having drained from her face. Katy knew she was right, there was the same tear on the underside of the device, in exactly the same place. That was no coincidence. But Missy's manipulator was more worn, with a few added controls on the panel. A future version, Katy realised.
"I gave you that in the future?" She guessed.
"Something like that," Missy murmured, in a strained tone.
Katy remembered what Missy had said in the diner back on Earth. That she just wanted to look at her. Because for whatever reason, Katy didn't appear to be around in Missy's time. Was that why Missy kept coming to save her?
"I can't get used to the damn thing. The coordinates are always off," Katy stated, gesturing to her wrist, as Missy rolled her eyes.
"That's because you don't count in time displacement. Give it here," Missy insisted, beckoning her over with two fingers.
Katy watched with a small smile as Missy typed in the coordinates of Demons Run and the right time and date. She added new figures that Katy didn't even understand, likely to make the jump easier on her.
"You're clever. Really clever," Katy pointed out, as Missy raised an eyebrow. "You knew I was going for the manipulator didn't you?"
"I had hoped to get a kiss out of it," Missy replied, as Katy shook her head, fondly.
"So…I'm actually your girlfriend in the future? I mean, we're you know…together?" Katy pushed, a little nervously.
"I don't know how I put up with you either, dear," Missy teased.
"You're evading the question."
"We were together. For a time. I did something bad. Worse than usual. And now I have this horrible emotion sometimes, all disgusting and human," Missy explained.
"Regret?" Katy suggested, as Missy made a face.
"That's the one," She muttered, pressing a button on the vortex manipulator, which whirred to life.
"And now you come to see me whilst I'm still alive?" Katy guessed, as Missy's expression grew cold. "Why? It must hurt," Katy continued, as a bitter laugh left Missy's lips.
"It's my punishment," Missy admitted, as the vortex manipulator began beeping. "Go on then, run off to your floppy haired wuss," Missy huffed, attempting to sound teasing, but it fell flat, her tone only appearing sad instead.
In Katy's twenty five years of life, she had never really made an impact on anyone, as far as she was concerned. No one would miss her. No one wanted to be with her. But then recently, she found so many friends and…maybe more than friends. And it was all mgoing to be ripped away from her soon enough.
"Missy?" Katy exclaimed, reaching out to touch the older woman's hand, whose sharp blue eyes snapped up to hers. Her mouth had grown slack, as Katy realised that as much as she tried to hide it, Missy was taken aback that Katy would actually initiate contact with her. "Thank you," She smiled, before leaning forward to press a kiss to Missy's cheek.
Missy blinked a couple of times, a vulnerable expression on her face, which she quickly masked. Sucking in a breath, she forced a teasing grin onto her face.
"You call that a kiss?" Missy huffed, making Katy laugh.
With an amused smile, Katy reached down to press the button on the vortex manipulator that would send her back to Demons Run. But she hesitated. Missy's life seemed so…sad, despite the front she put up.
"Maybe…maybe it's time to let me go. Don't waste your life chasing after a ghost, Missy," Katy advised, her mind going to her late family.
Before Missy had the chance to argue, Katy pressed the button and with a fizz of energy, she disappeared from the room. Missy's jaw clenched, feeling something wet against her cheek as she pressed a finger to her skin to find a tear had escaped her watery eyes. Why was she doing that so often lately? She never used to.
"You won't be a ghost for much longer."
Katy staggered forward, her head feeling like it had just been put through a blender and her legs threatening to give way underneath her. Just as she was about to let the exhaustion overwhelm her she heard a sob echo through the cavernous base, recognising the voice instantly. It was Amy. Pushing forward, she held onto the walls to steady her as she rounded the corner and saw the devastation in front of her. Almost a dozen headless monks lay on the floor, dead and motionless. She had missed one hell of a battle. The sound of crashing had her head snapping up, to find the sound was coming from inside the TARDIS, sparks appearing from inside. It sounded like someone was ripping apart the console.
"Katy," Rory's voice broke through the sound, follow d by a few moments of silence.
The Doctor's head appeared from behind the TARDIS door almost immediately, looking like he was about to collapse in relief when he spotted her. He leant forward to rest against the door for a moment, scrunching his eyes shut and muttering something under his breath. Before Katy could even get a word out, he was racing in over to her, a shaky hand reaching out to touch her shoulder.
"Are you okay? Did she hurt you?" The Doctor asked, in a panic.
"I'm…I'm fine," Katy murmured, looking to Amy behind his shoulder, who was hunched over on the floor, clutching at the blanket Melody had been wrapped in.
She winced as the sonic screwdriver was suddenly shone in her face, and the readings it gave clearly upset the Doctor. His fingers clenched her shoulder a little tighter, beginning to look her over for injuries.
"It's nothing. I told you, I'm fine," Katy insisted, as the Doctor shook his head a little.
His arms were wrapping around her waist a second later, his breathing uneven and shaky. And maybe Katy was a little glad to see he had been so worried about her. Circling her own arms around his shoulders, he tipped them back a little, shutting his eyes and simply enjoying the feel of her in his arms again. He relaxed his grip on her after an awkward cough from Vastra, but still his hands stayed resting on her hips, reluctant to let go completely.
"You didn't find her," Amy exclaimed, as Katy twisted around to face the younger woman.
"…What happened? Where's Melody?" Katy questioned, releasing she hadn't heard the baby's cries.
"They took her. All this was for nothing," Amy cried, as Rory was back by her side in an instant, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
"But we…I thought…" Katy shuttered, eyes full of panic.
"The Melody we found was a flesh avatar. Kovarian took the real baby," The Doctor confessed, as Katy shook her head, vehemently.
"I should have…God, I almost had her!" Katy insisted, as the Doctor opened his mouth to try to soothe her when there was a bright flash that blinded them.
"Well then, soldier. How goes the day?" River's voice called out, as the pair slowly turned around to face her.
Katy could see how the Doctor's eyes narrowed, anger coming off him in waves. He was marching toward River before anyone could stop him, in the way a sergeant would stare down their officer before dismissal.
"Where the hell have you been? Every time you've asked, I have been there. Where the hell were you today?" The Doctor accused, the hurt clear in his tone.
"I couldn't have prevented this."
"You could have tried!" The Doctor snapped, feeling Katy reaching for his arm, pulling him back a step, not wanting him to do something he might regret.
"And so, Doctor, could you," River suggested, as Katy had to bite down a scoff, watching as River turned her attention to Amy. "I know you're not alright. But hold tight, Amy, because you're going to be."
"Alright?! Are you fucking kidding me, River? She just lost her baby, don't you dare act like that means nothing!" Katy shouted, causing River to flinch at her choice of words.
"You think I wanted this? I didn't do this. This, this wasn't me!" The Doctor argued.
"This was exactly you. All this. All of it. You make them so afraid. When you began, all those years ago, sailing off to see the universe, did you ever think you'd become this? The man who can turn an army around at the mention of his name. Doctor. The word for healer and wise man throughout the universe. We get that word from you, you know. But if you carry on the way you are, what might that word come to mean? To the people of the Gamma Forests, the word Doctor means mighty warrior. How far you've come. And now they've taken a child, the child of your best friends, and they're going to turn her into a weapon just to bring you down. And all this, in fear of you," River explained, as bitter tears welled in the Doctor's eyes.
"Bullshit," Katy announced, as everyone turned to her. Even River appeared surprised by her outburst. "He didn't make them choose any of this. People do bad things, they always have. And they always find someone else to blame it on. Their parents, the state of the world, God…it's all bullshit. Everyone has freewill. The only one to blame is Kovarian and her followers."
"I should have known better than to scold you with the missus present," River smirked, as Katy rolled her eyes.
"You said today was the day we find out who you are. You owe us that," Katy pushed, as River's eyes flickered over to the cot by the TARDIS.
"Oh look, your cot. Haven't seen that in a very long while."
"No, no, you tell me. Tell me who you are," The Doctor pushed, as he reached out to grab River's wrist.
"And more importantly, why couldn't you fight with us?" Katy added, as River gave her a small smile.
"I couldn't cross my own timeline," River stated, before looking to the Old High Gallifreyan on the cot.
"Can't you read?" She grinned at the pair.
It took Katy a little while to piece the words together, her Gallifreyan far rustier than the Doctor. But soon enough the words merged, and the pieces of River's life finally connected for her.
My darling child.
The reason River couldn't be at Demons Run…was because she was already there as a baby. Rory and Amy's baby.
River was Melody.
"…What?!" Katy gaped, slapping the Doctor's arm a couple times as the realisation dawned on his face.
"Hello," The Doctor greeted, a small smile growing on his lips.
"Hello," River replied, feeling like the weight of the world had finally been taken off her shoulders.
"Wait but…that means that I'm your…" Katy trailed off, her jaw dropping open
She was River Song's godmother. Damn, she was in for one hell of a ride trying to keep her in line. And that was why Katy had been the one to teach her how to pilot the TARDIS. To shoot a gun. And probably a hundred other things her parents wouldn't approve of.
"Vastra and Jenny, till the next time. Rory and Amy, I know where to find your daughter, and on my life, she will be safe. River, get them all home," The Doctor announced, with a grin, before turning to Katy.
She knew what he was about to do. It was what he always did when things became 'domestic'. He ran.
"I'll look after them," Katy exclaimed, as the Doctor leant forward to press a quick kiss to her forehead before rushing off to the TARDIS.
"Doctor!" Rory called after him, as he disappeared into the Time Machine.
" No! Where are you going?" Amy cried, as the TARDIS began to dematerialise leaving Katy to pick up the pieces.
Amy stood still, feeling abandoned once more by the man who was supposed to be her best friend. That was until she felt someone wrap their hand around hers. Katy gave her a reassuring look, before she tugged Amy and Rory in the direction of River Song, who sucked in a deep breath.
"You ready?" Katy asked, as River gave a slow nod.
"I'll leave you guys to it," Katy suggested, as River took a step forward, clearly wanting her to stay.
"This is a family matter. A family that you're included in," River reminded her, as Katy couldn't stop the beaming grin that rose on her lips.
"Can someone explain what's happening right now before I become violent?" Amy insisted, as Katy have her hand a squeeze.
"This is your daughter's name in the language of the Forest," River began, displaying the prayer leaf on her palm that read Pond.
"I know my daughter's name."
"Except they don't have a word for Pond, because the only water in the forest is the River. The Doctor will find your daughter, and he will care for her whatever it takes. And I know that," River explained, as the word changed to River. Amy slowly turned the prayer lead over, a sob escaping her lips when she saw the word Song. "It's me. I'm Melody. I'm your daughter."
"…Congratulations?" Katy exclaimed, looking in between the shell shocked looks on Amy and Rory's faces.
"How do you think they're coping?" River questioned, peering through the hatch in the kitchen at her parents.
"Well, Rory's stopped dribbling his tea so I reckon that's a good sign," Katy snorted, coming to stand beside River.
They had transported Rory and Amy back to their home back on Earth and prescribed them to very British cure of gallons of tea. The pair had barely said a word, unable to wrap their minds around the fact that their daughter was an adult who they had met numerous times before.
"Why did you never tell me who you were? I'm pretty good at keeping secrets, you know."
"Exactly. You didn't need something else to hide," River pointed out, taking a sip of her own tea.
"Jesus, I've said some super inappropriate things in front of you seeing as you're my goddaughter. Oh, fu…fudge. I probably shouldn't swear in front of you either," Katy panicked, as River laughed.
"I have been married twice already you know, it's a little late to protect my innocence," River teased, watching as Katy's eyes almost popped out of her skull.
"What?! To who? Do I approve? Well, probably not seeing as you've divorced them and…wait, how old are you exactly?" Katy frowned.
"I stopped counting after a hundred," River shrugged, as Katy's mouth went slack.
"Yeah, maybe don't tell…your parents that. God, that sounds weird."
"Should we go see if they still have any brain function?" River suggested, as Katy nodded.
"I'll take Rory and you take Amy?" Katy replied, as the pair put down their mugs of tea and went to work.
"Hey Rory, this dishwasher is on the blink again. Mind giving me a hand?" Katy called out, as Rory seemed to come out of his trance.
"Dishwasher. Yep. Washing up the mugs I'm using with my daughter. Totally normal day," Rory mumbled, stumbling toward the kitchen as River went to sit beside Amy, placing her hand on her shoulder.
It took a few seconds for Rory to put two and two together, as he whipped around just as Katy shut the kitchen hatch, giving them some privacy.
"Uh, we don't have a dishwasher," Rory realised.
"Glad to see your one brain cell is still functional," Katy teased, as Rory huffed out a laugh, leaning back against the kitchen counter.
Suddenly, Katy was pulling him into a hug, able to feel just how tense his shoulders were. It took him a few moments to relax, before he brought his arms to wrap around her back, resting his chin on her shoulder.
"You're not a hugger," He pointed out.
"I make an exception for my best friend," She retorted, causing a smile to emerge on his face.
"You can break, Rory. I know you're trying to keep it together for Amy and Melody…River…your daughter. Yeah, still not sure exactly what to call her," Katy huffed.
"Try suddenly being a dad to a grown woman," Rory stated, as Katy pulled away, with a grin.
"Hey, look on the bright side, you didn't have to deal with the teenage angst."
"…I never got to see her grow up," Rory realised, to his own horror.
"Hey, remember what the Doctor says. Time isn't a straight line. It's never too late to change things. He'll be out there right now looking for your baby. And he's one stubborn bastard," Katy pointed out.
"You really believe that?" Rory asked, as she mulled over it, knowing better than to give him false hope.
"I believe in the Doctor."
"Then so do I," Rory nodded, as she patted his cheek lightly.
"Right. Then I think it's time we upgrade you to coffee," She exclaimed, turning around to grab a new mug, as Rory ran a hand over his face.
She refused to show him the bitterness that grew on her face. Truth be told, she was pissed at the Doctor. He had left her to pick up the pieces once again. Was this what he would do if they had problems in their relationship, just run away and ignore them? She wasn't sure she could live like that.
"I'm really glad you're…" Rory trailed off, as he heard a smashing sound, opening his eyes.
"Here," He sighed, finding a broken mug on the floor, and the empty space Katy had just been occupying.
Katy awoke with a spluttering gasp, finding darkness all around her, and a chill in the air. She rubbed at her eyes which slowly adjusted to the moonlight illuminating the damp room she found herself in. Pushing herself onto her knees, she found vines and insects crawling around by her feet, as she let out a sound of disgust. She froze at the sound of shuffling on the floor above her. Crawling toward the wall, she waited to see if anyone emerged but was only met with more silence. What the hell was going on?
She flinched at the sound of something smashing against the other side of the wall she had pressed herself against. Peering out from behind the doorway, she found a young blonde woman racing away as fast as her legs could carry her. Katy's eyes narrowed as the girl turned around to cast one last quick glance back, spotting Katy finally.
"Was that you? Are you trying to scare me?" The woman yelled over to her, as Katy's frown deepened.
"Hey, I just turned up here…wherever here is. What year is it?" Katy called out, as the blonde gave her a look of disbelief.
"What, are you drunk?" She huffed.
"Totally hammered. So…month and year?" Katy pushed.
"May, 2007."
Katy's jaw clenched at the information, knowing that was the one year she wanted to stay as far away from as possible. She tried to rationalise that unless she had lost half a year, she still wasn't twenty six yet. She hoped that would mean she was safe.
"Was this Kathy? Did she put you up to this?" The blonde continued.
"Mate, I don't even know where I am right now, whatever's going on has nothing to do with me," Katy replied, as the other woman seemed to buy her story.
"You're in Wester Drumlins. Sorry, I didn't mean to…I'm Sally. Sally Sparrow."
"So, Sally…why were you just running like your life depended on it?" Katy inquired, walking over to the blonde.
"I thought it might," Sally admitted, looking a little embarrassed.
"Don't suppose you've seen a guy running around here? In his thirties, spiky hair, kinda' hot?" Katy exclaimed.
"Your boyfriend?" Sally asked, as Katy pursed her lips.
"That's the million dollar question, Sparrow," Katy sighed, as she heard the sound of stone scraping from upstairs.
"You alone?" Katy frowned.
"Yeah. You?"
"I thought I was," Katy gulped, feeling goosebumps rising over the back of her neck.
The sound of a door slamming from the top of the stairs had the pair jumping out of their skin, as Katy reached out to clutch Sally's coat. Her predatory instincts were going into overdrive…warning her that she was about to become something's prey.
"Tactical retreat?" Katy whispered, seeing Sally nod quickly from the corner of her eye.
They took off in a sprint a second later, neither looking back until they made it to the large gates at the edge of the property. The sun was beginning to rise in the sky, much to their relief. Did they really just ran away from the wind?
"Come on, we have to go over the…gates…" Sally stuttered, watching as Katy reached out and broke the chains apart that were keeping the metal gates closed.
"Oh, I, uh…I work out a lot," Katy shrugged, walking through the gap she had created.
"Who exactly are you?" Sally friends.
"Just a random drunk. Nice meeting you," Katy said, planning to make a run for it but Sally was quick on her heels.
"Wait! You can't just leave…you still haven't told me what you were doing there!" Sally pushed, as Katy stuffed her hands into her pockets and gave an exaggerated shrug.
"Trust me, if I told you the truth your head would quite literally explode," Katy told her, when Sally shot her an unamused look.
"I'm not stupid and I've seen a lot more than you'd think so tell me," Sally insisted.
"…Okay, you asked for it," Katy exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air in exasperation. "I'm a time traveller," She confessed, watching as Sally rolled her eyes.
"Sure, and I'm the Queen of England," Sally huffed, sarcastically.
"Maybe you will be one day, Sparrow," Katy shrugged, with a grin, before she rushed off into the shadows and this time Sally didn't follow her.
Katy cursed under her breath as she felt rain beginning to drop down from the sky and in a matter of minutes, her clothes were soaked through. She had walked around London as the sun rose, following the most recent trace of Time Lord tech on her vortex manipulator. She tried to quell her panic at not being able to pick up any actual trace of the Doctor, but something that belonged to him remained in the bustling city. Her concern only grew when she found herself directed to a police station. God, she was going to kill the Doctor if he had somehow got himself arrested…again.
"Hi. Might do a little strange, but have you had any sightings of a blue box? Says Police Public Call Box on the front?" Katy asked, with a hopeful look as the officer at the front desk gave her a sucpicious look.
"You're serious?" He deadpanned.
"Deadly," Katy retorted, as he swivelled around on his seat and waved over to his colleague.
"Oi, Billy! Think we might have found the owner of your box!" The officer yelled, as an attractive man dressed in civilian clothes wandered over to her.
"Well, well. Where have you been all my life, pretty lady?" The cop flirted, as Katy raised an eyebrow.
"On another planet. Box. Where is it?" She insisted, desperate to find a clue to the Doctor's whereabouts.
"Straight to business. I like that. So, the blue box is yours?" Billy questioned.
"My boyfriend's…he's a little eccentric," Katy began, thinking it was the understatement of the century. "Bet you haven't been able to get in it, have you?"
"Ordinary Yale lock but nothing fits."
"That's because I have the key," She stated, waving around the ring on her finger.
"Ah, fiancé then? I knew there was a reason you were immune to my charm," Billy suggested, making her snort.
"Hmm. Keep telling yourself that, mate," Katy smirked, as Billy ushered for her to begin walking with him.
"Don't suppose your fiancé is missing?" Billy inquired, as Katy's brow furrowed.
"Why'd you say that?" Katy pushed, as he opened a door for her, heading towards a sign that read 'garage'.
"Because no one makes it out of Wester Drumlins," Billy advised, as Katy's footsteps faltered.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Katy frowned, as he pushed open the door that led to the garage, revealing row after row of cars.
"All in the past two years. Some even had their motor still running," Billy explained, as Katy winced when she noticed the dust that settled on the windshield of the closest car.
Just how long had the Doctor been missing? She had no idea of knowing. Had he been waiting for her to come after him? Billy tapped her shoulder and gestured over to a comforting sight. The TARDIS was in the corner of the garage, somehow appearing despondent. She rushed over to her home, placing her hand on the door, as it creaked open, a fine dust dropping off from the doorway.
"Holy shit, it really does open," Billy gaped.
A moment later, Billy's phone was beeping as he picked up the call, mumbling something about a gorgeous blonde and that he would be back. Katy nodded in his direction before entering the Time Machine, feeling her chest tighten at the sight. Only emergency lighting illuminated the console, which was as still as has ever seen it. Martha's red leather jacket hang on a nearby rail, suggesting that she was the Doctor's current companion when he had disappeared.
"He's not here either, is he?" Katy sighed, walking over to the console.
"Talk to me, girl," Katy pleaded, stroking her hand over some of the switches but she was offered no response.
If she wasn't sure that something had happened to the Time Lord, now it was a certainty. And Martha was likely dragged into his mess too. With a sigh, she looked down at the ring on her finger, attempting to banish all doubts from her mind.
"I'll find him. And I'll give him a slap from both of us," She told the TARDIS, before turning on her heel and walking toward the doorway.
But where to start? Wester Drumlins seemed the logical option but every instinct she had urged her to run in the other direction. Had there been something—
"Jesus Christ!" Katy yelped, as she opened the doors to find herself face to face with the Master, who had successfully managed to scare the hell out of her.
"I prefer the Master," He snorted, as she punched his arm roughly, as he cried out in pain.
"Don't creep up on me like that!"
"Well, answer your bloody phone then!" The Master retorted, rubbing at his sore arm, with an indignant expression.
It took her a few moments to remember the last time they had spoke was just before she was flung through the Void, and subsequently their call had dropped. She cringed, realising she had just informed him about her impending death too.
"…Would you believe that I fell into a parallel world?" Katy exclaimed, as he let out a huff.
"Such a Doctor excuse," He muttered.
"What're you doing here, anyway? Stalking me again?" Katy accused, as he took a step closer.
"Just checking you're still alive. Still hollow, I see," He teased, knocking on her forehead, as she let out a sarcastic laugh.
"So, not because you're worried about me?" She suggested, as his nose shrivelled up in disgust.
"Definitely not," He stated, before turning around to walk away, but Katy was quick to jump in front of him, holding her hands up.
"Woah, woah. Hold on…I need your help," Katy admitted, as he crossed his arms.
"With what?"
"The Doctor's sort of…missing and…" Katy trailed off, as the Master gave her a scowl before pushing past her.
"Not interested," He called back, as she rolled her eyes.
"Okay, how about I make it your while? Like an I.O.U?" She suggested, rushing forward and beginning to walk backwards to keep in front of him.
"Tempting—" He began, as she cut him off instantly.
"But nothing perverted. Or any murder. Arson. GBH, ABH…" She started to list off, as he gave an exaggerated groan.
"You know how to make everything boring, don't you?"
"Oh, come on. I've been walking through the city all morning, I haven't eaten in like fifthteen hours, I'm soaking wet—don't even say it!" She scolded, holding up her finger when she noticed the mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Give me your arm," He announced, as Katy's forehead wrinkled.
"Why?" She asked, as he simply gestured for her to hurry up.
"Don't you trust me?" He grinned, baring his teeth.
"No," She stated, but offered her arm to him, nonetheless, which only caused his grin to widen. Her eyes narrowed as he pulled up her damp sleeve to above her elbow. "I want the arm back, you know," She insisted, concerned he might be about to chop it off.
"Now, this won't hurt a bit," He told her, pulling out his laser screwdriver, giving it a flick as the head opened up to reveal a needle-like device.
"Ow!" Katy cried out, as he slammed the device into the crook of her elbow, which felt like it was burning through her nerves.
He kept a firm grip on her arm in case she pulled away, but she made no such action, simply gritting her teeth and bearing the pain. She grimaced as he finally pulled the device away from her skin, a thin line of blood dripping down her arm.
"Dick. That hurt a lot," She pouted, as he took a closer look at the laser screwdriver, looking for some sort of data.
"Need me to kiss it better?" He smirked, as she flipped him off, rolling her sleeve down.
"What was that?"
"Just a tissue sample," He shrugged, as her eyes narrowed.
"So that's how the damn thing drags me through the timelines," She huffed, as his eyes shifted to the TARDIS behind her.
"She's sleeping," The Master informed her.
"Since when does a TARDIS sleep?" Katy frowned.
"When it's pilot is out of range," The Master replied, running a wide range scan with his screwdriver.
"No signs of a binary vascular system apart from yours truly. Hey, knock on wood, maybe the old man's finally copped it," The Master shrugged, as she glared at him.
"You don't mean that. I've been inside that head of yours, remember?" She pointed out.
The Master gave no reply, both of them knowing she was right. If the Doctor really was dead, what would be the point to his plans…to anything?
"You!" A familiar voice cried, as Katy whipped around to find Sally Sparrow marching over to her.
"Small world, huh?" Katy mumbled, as Billy rushed in after Sally.
"This your fiancé?" Billy guessed, eyeing the Master up and down.
Just as Katy was about to vehemently deny the idea, the Master grabbed her by the waist, pulling her close to his side, a smug grin plastered over his lips. She resisted the urge to elbow him in the face.
"I most certainly am. We're just besotted with each other, aren't we, sweetheart?" The Master smirked, his hand coming to rest on her hip.
"We sure are, honeybunch," She retorted, sarcastically.
"Aren't you a politician?" Sally frowned, thinking she recognised him from the telly.
"We're keeping our relationship out of the papers. Whirlwind romance and all that," Katy shrugged, as she began to nudge the Master toward the exit.
"This is all just some big joke, isn't it? Kathy's disappearance, that message on the wall, the weeping angel. Someone's having me on, aren't they—" Sally started, as Katy cut her off immediately.
"Did you just say Weeping Angel?" Katy gaped, feeling the Master's hand fall away from her waist, any humour having drained from both their faces.
"I've had enough of this! I've had a bloody long day and I'm not going to be taken as a fool any longer!" Sally huffed, rushing out of the room before anyone could stop her.
Katy was taking off in a sprint after her a second later, reluctantly followed by the Master. If the Weeping Angels were involved things were more dire than she realised. She could only remember bits and pieces from the Byzantium, knowing that for whatever reason the Doctor had hid parts of the mayhem that enfolded from her. God, had he been touched by an Angel?
"Sally! Wait!" Katy called after her, but the blonde was quick on her feet and had managed to race out into the rain before Katy could make it to the front of the station.
"Sally!" Katy cried, her eyes darting around the crowd outside, finding Sally had disappeared from view.
"Dammit, we need to go after her…Master?" She questioned, noticing how he had stopped in the doorway, staring up at the sky.
It took Katy a moment to register the emotion on the Master's face, not sure if she had ever seen it from the usually confident Time Lord. He was scared. No, terrified even. She twisted around to follow his gaze and instantly wished she hadn't. Two Weeping Angels were perched on top of the roof of a nearby church, holding their faces in their hands. She staggered back a step, until her body almost collided with the Master, who instantly reached for her arm. Rain continued pattering down on her face, her heart stammering when a droplet caused her to blink. Fear seized her when she spotted that one of the angels had disappeared. Without a word, she grabbed the Master's hand and dragged him down the stone steps towards the pavement, his eyes never leaving the lone Weeping Angel.
"Plan?" He questioned.
"Car theft," She muttered, grabbing a nearby brick that had fallen away from the police station wall.
She had chucked it at the nearest car, breaking the window with ease, as a few heads turned in their direction. She tugged the Master in the direction of the vehicle, reaching inside and unlocking the door.
"Keep looking at it," She advised, before she climbed into the car and crawled underneath the dashboard.
"More worried about the one I can't see," The Master huffed, as she began to hotwire the car.
"You sure you know what you're doing?" The Master inquired, hearing shouts from behind him.
"I built a quantum force field from a radio, remember?" She retorted, just as the car's engine started.
"Get in," She insisted, grabbing his arm and hauling him inside.
She glanced up at the station, noticing an officer rushing toward them, likely having seen her blatant vandalism. The Master ducked down trying to see if the Weeping Angel was still above them but the rain made it impossible to tell.
"Go then," He exclaimed, as Katy pulled herself into the drivers seat, placing her hand on the steering wheel.
"…I can't drive."
"You mention that after you steal a bloody car?" The Master huffed, as she gave him a glare.
"I live in a Time Machine, learning to drive isn't exactly a top priority! C'mon, you take the wheel," She retorted, wiping at the condensation on the window, peeking outside. When she received no reply from the Master, she turned to find him giving her a sheepish expression. "Seriously?" She yelled, realising he too didn't know how to drive.
"I have a chauffeur!" He pointed out, as she dropped her head down onto the steering wheel.
"Oh, great! Why don't we give him a call and see if he knows a way to kill living stone?" Katy sneered.
Thump.
The pair glanced up at the sound of metal creaking above them. With a wince, Katy slowly cranked the window down and adjusted the side mirror, the blood draining from her face.
"Weeping Angel?" The Master guessed.
"Nope," She sighed, adjusting the mirror back to the normal position and gripping onto the steering wheel. "Two Weeping Angels," She clarified, before slamming her foot down on the accelerator and sending them veering off into the road.
They heard a crashing sound a moment later, suggesting someone had their eyes on the angels, who had fallen off the top of the car as Katy sent them hurtling forward. She didn't take her foot off the accelerator as they whizzed through the traffic. It was only as she reached the end of the road, she realised an issue.
"Uh, any idea which pedal is the brakes?"
The sun was just starting to set in the sky as Katy paced around the landing of the rickety Wester Drumlins house. The building looked in a far worse state in the light, full of mould and mildew, the wood having rotted long ago. She had wanted to survey the house fully but the Master had retreated to one of the bedrooms and she knew it would be stupid to search with only one set of eyes. She opened her mouth to insist he come with her, but the sight in front of Katy had her lips clamping shut. He was hunched over, holding his head in his hands, fingers pressed against his temple so hard she thought they might bruise.
"They're getting worse, aren't they?" Katy said, walking over to him quietly.
"Louder than ever," He muttered, through gritted teeth.
"Look, I have a plan to defeat these guys but I need your help. Well, your eyes specifically. You up for it?" She questioned.
"Don't have much of a choice, do I?"
With a soft sigh, Katy lowered herself onto her knees in front of him. Reaching out to touch his hands, she slowly forced him to lose his grip on his head. Bringing her chin forward to all but rest on his knees she glanced up at him, putting on her best doe-eyes.
"C'mon, I could really do with some of your evil genius…ness," She pointed out, as he met her gaze.
"That's not a word," He huffed, as she rolled her eyes and hauled herself up to sit beside him on the bed.
From the off focus look in his eyes, she could tell he was barely in the room. The drums must have been so loud he could hardly hear her. Instinctively, she touched his hand, just a gentle brush of her fingers, but it was enough to have the beat deafening her momentarily.
"You're helping me…why don't I return the favour?" She said, this time wrapping her fingers over the back of his hand.
It hurt, but it wasn't all bad. Everything else just became numb. It drowned out all her thoughts and feelings. There was rustling of fabric as the Master turned to face her, and then a warm palm was on her shoulder, fingers trailing up to the nape of her neck. The Master slowly leant forward until their foreheads touched and the drums stretched over every inch of her mind. She heard him let out a sound of contentment, imagining it was the first time he had heard silence in months. The drums caused pressure to begin building in her skull, with every beat threatening to crack the very foundation of her being. She winced, reaching up to clutch onto his jacket, her fingers bunching up the fabric. Now, it really hurt. Katy wasn't sure if the moan of pain was only in her mind or whether it fell from her lips, but regardless, the Master seemed to hear it. Then, there was a different pressure. She was so lost in her own mind, the drums affecting all her senses, that it took her a moment to long to realise what it was.
The Master's lips on hers.
Sure, there was the time that he had pretended to be the Doctor and they had kissed, but there was no false pretence this time. He had chosen to kiss her. Something the Doctor's regeneration in 2007 had certainly never done—
"Stop thinking about him," The Master murmured against her lips.
"Sorry…," She trailed off, pressing her lips back to his. That was until her eyes shot open, coming out of the trance she had fallen into. "Uh, hold on. Not sorry. Why are you kissing me?" Katy exclaimed, pulling away from him.
"You kissed me back," He huffed.
"No, I didn't…oh, shit," Katy gaped, the realisation hitting her that she had in fact done just that.
"What will the Doctor think?" The Master smirked, as she held up a warning finger.
"You did a weird…mind thing. The hypnosis," She insisted, as he shook his head, leaning back on his hands.
"That was all you, pet," The Master scoffed.
"Look, I'm confused, okay? I go from one minute, the Doctor acting like I'm his bloody fiancé, to the next minute, watching him make heart eyes at Rose. And don't even get me started on my future girlfriend," Katy muttered, collapsing back against the dirty mattress, very dramatically.
"You're future what now?"
"And he flirts with everyone! And do you see me getting jealous? N—okay, maybe I do a little. And then there's you who—" Katy started, but before she could finish her sentence, the Master had leant down and sent their lips crashing together once more.
The kiss was slow this time, and instead of bringing the drums, she felt the Master working to keep them at bay. Still, he bared his mind to her, trickling through her mind, like a liquid fire until it felt like he had seeped into her body. It was an odd feeling, like her chest was about to burst with something she couldn't put her finger on. She felt his hand dip under her shirt, causing the telepathic connection to increase, as his fingers brushed over her skin. Reaching up, she ran her hands through his hair, tugging him closer to her as their lips started moving at a feverish pace. He was smug. She could somehow just sense it, their minds having melded together. She nipped at his bottom lip with her teeth, feeling him laugh rather than hearing it. His lips moved to continue peppering kisses down her jaw and lower. She was pretty sure the moan had left her lips this time when he sucked on a particularly sensitive part of her neck.
"I'm not running," He mumbled against her skin.
Then Katy's eyes shot open.
She found herself pressed up against the Master's side, their foreheads touching and his lips brushing against hers. The drums echoed around her, but the beating of her own singular heart managed to drown them out from how hard it was beating.
"What an imagination you have," The Master mocked, as she realised the Master had simply projected those images into her head.
"You goddamn asshole! Stop getting into my head!" She exclaimed, shoving him away from her.
"You practically invited me in!"
"Well, now I'm shutting up shop! God, why do you always have to take things too far?" She huffed, pushing herself to her feet, crossing her arms defensively.
"…I don't hate you," He stated, making her frown.
"Good for you?" She retorted, ushering for him to continue.
"I hate everyone. And everyone hates me. But, you don't," He told her.
"God, you have some serious issues," Katy stated, with raised eyebrows.
"Says the Doctor's third wheel," The Master huffed, as her jaw dropped open.
"Says the guy who is clearly obsessed with the Doctor! You couldn't go five minutes without bringing him up!" Katy mocked, poking his chest with her finger.
"Neither could you!"
"So…we both like the Doctor and don't totally hate each other. Sounds like the start of a brilliant relationship," Katy said sarcastically, making the Master snort.
She shook her head, before flopping back down onto the mattress, feeling more confused than ever. If she could just figure out a way to stop jumping through the timelines, maybe she could actually work out how she felt. The mattress dipped beside her a moment later, a tense silence following, as they were both too stubborn to talk first.
"Guess all that did help with the drums, after all," Katy pointed out, as the Master gave a slight shrug.
"I meant it, you know," He exclaimed, in a quiet tone, as if he wasn't sure he should continue. She reluctantly turned to look at him. "I'm not the one who runs. You are."
She cursed the way he was able to get under her skin so easily. But he was right. She was picking up the Doctor's bad habits of running away from his problems. She had a bad feeling eventually she was going to have to choose between the two Time Lords, and not for the first time, she wondered how her life had become such a mess.
"Angel," He whispered, bringing her out of her thoughts.
"I think I prefer your other nicknames—" Katy scoffed, as the Master grabbed her chin and turned her head toward the doorway.
Two Weeping Angels stood there, their eyes peeping out from behind their hands. Katy let out an audible gulp, knowing things had just gone from bad to worse. She really hoped her plan was going to work.
"You winged-dicks really know how to spoil a moment, huh?