The Doctor paced back and forth, a spring in his step as he excitably relayed his tale. "…And then we discovered it wasn't the Robot King after all—it was the real one! Fortunately, I was able to re-attach the head."
Rory scoffed, looking from his wife to The Doctor and back again, his brow furrowing as he leaned in closer to Amy. "Do you believe any of this stuff?"
Amy chuckled, shooting The Doctor a wayward glance. "I was there."
Suddenly, a series of flashing lights caught the Doctor's attention. "Oh, it's the warning lights. I'm getting rid of those. They never stop."
Rory and Amy exchanged hushed whispers, their conversation blending into the background hum of the TARDIS. The ship's familiar, comforting noises were interrupted by a sharp rapping sound.
Rat tat a tat tat.
Amy's eyes widened as she turned towards the door. "What was that?"
"The door." The Doctor replied nonchalantly. "It knocked."
Rory frowned. "Right. We are in deep space."
"Very, very deep." The Doctor confirmed, his voice tinged with curiosity. It had been a couple of weeks since they'd left the Silence and 1969. Initially, The Doctor had been keen to enforce 'relaxation', after their ordeal. Hally was pretty sure it had been for her benefit. He'd piloted them to a spa planet for a few days rest, which, of course, had turned into a few hours rest as The Doctor had quickly gotten bored. Hally, predicting this to be the case, had used the brief opportunity to finally get her hair cut.
"And somebody's knocking." The Doctor murmured, his interest getting the better of him. He strode over to the doors and flung them open. Hally tilted around the console so she could see out through the doors. Outside, a small glowing box hovered in the void of space.
The Doctor bristled with excitement. "Oh, come here. Come here, you scrumptious little beauty." He cooed. The box swiftly accepted his invitation, flying inside, bumping him square in the chest.
Rory raised an eyebrow. "A box?"
"Doctor, what is it?" Amy asked, her curiosity piqued.
Hally let the pregnancy book she'd been pretending to read drop fully onto the console as she rose to her feet, moving closer to the huddled trio. She peered at the glowing object as The Doctor took it in hand.
"I've got mail." He announced with a grin. "Time Lord emergency messaging system." Hally's ears pricked up as she moved over to him, examining the box with a discerning eye.
"In an emergency," The Doctor explained for the benefit of the humans, "We'd wrap up thoughts in psychic containers and send them through time and space." His face split into a hopeful grin. "Anyway, there's a living Time Lord still out there, and it's one of the good ones."
Hally's face fell as her eyes narrowed at her father. "Ehh… excuse me?"
"You know, a good one…" The Doctor repeated swiftly, curling around the console specifically away from his daughter.
Hally followed him. "As opposed to a…'bad' one…" There was a dangerous edge to Hally's voice that had The Doctor quickly trying to backpedal.
He cleared his throat nervously. "Bad one… like… uh… Rassilon? Yeah. Rassilon. That kind of bad one… not… nothing else. Just Rassilon."
Hally's eyes narrowed, but she said nothing. The Doctor took that as a win, as he let out a low breath he'd been holding.
Rory glanced at The Doctor, confusion etched across his face. "You said there weren't any other Time Lords left."
The Doctor nodded, his expression serious. "There are no Time Lords left anywhere in the universe. But the universe isn't where we're going." He pointed to a symbol etched on a nearby surface. "See that snake?" It was an Ouroboros, a snake swallowing its own tail.
"The mark of The Corsair," The Doctor explained. "Fantastic bloke. He had that snake as a tattoo in every regeneration. Didn't feel like himself unless he had the tattoo. Or herself, a couple of times. Ooo, she was a bad girl."
Hally's face pulled into a grimace. "She was a bit of a snob..."
The Doctor had piloted them out of the universe, crashing through the barriers and into the outskirts. Wordlessly, Hally and The Doctor had agreed—they had to check. The prospect of other Time Lords was too significant to ignore. Although Hally's concern was singular: she was only looking for one.
Although, upon landing, it became immediately clear to her that there was no trace of The Master on this armpit of a planet and to make matters worse, the TARDIS mainframe had disappeared. The Doctor remained hopeful, leaving the TARDIS with the assumption that she'd simply power back up again due to the plethora of rift energy.
"Well, there's a rift…" The Doctor was explaining again for the humans. "Now and then, stuff gets sucked through it. Not a bubble, a plughole. The universe has a plughole, and we've just fallen down it."
"Lovely." Hally quipped. "You always take us to the best places."
He turned, striding backwards as he cocked his head towards her, knowingly. "Time Lords."
Hally sighed. "He's not here. I'd be able to feel him."
"Okay... but maybe other Time Lords." He suggested.
Before Hally could respond, a voice rang out.
"Thief! Thief! You're my thief!"
A woman with wide eyes and wild hair ran up to The Doctor, she was followed cautiously by an older woman. "She's dangerous. Guard yourselves."
The woman rushed to The Doctor, looking him over with wild eyes. "Look at you. Goodbye. No, not goodbye, what's the other one?" She gave up trying to use her words and instead pulled The Doctor into a desperate kiss.
Rory hummed with amusement. "Okay..."
Another figure, male, approached watchfully. "Watch out. Careful. Keep back from her. Welcome, strangers. Lovely. Sorry about the mad person."
"Why am I a thief? What have I stolen?" The Doctor pulled back, pealing the woman's hands off him politely, bewildered.
"Me. You're going to steal me. No, you have stolen me. You are stealing me. Oh, tenses are difficult, aren't they?" She turned on her heel, landing on Hally, her eyes narrowing with recognition. "And you. YOU! I know you. One, Two, Three. Isn't it? There you are. All grown up."
The older woman apologized again. "Oh. Oh, we are sorry, my dove. She's off her head. They call me Auntie."
"And I'm Uncle," the man added. "I'm everybody's Uncle. Just keep back from this one. She bites!"
"Do I? Excellent!" The madwoman exclaimed and with a mischievous glint in her eye, she promptly bit The Doctor's ear.
"Ouch! Ow!" He yelped.
She reeled back, a satisfied look on her face. "Biting's excellent. It's like kissing, only there's a winner," Idris remarked, moving quickly to grab Hally's arm. She sniffed up it until she reached her shoulder, then moved Hally's hair away to reveal the light scar of The Master's teeth on her skin. "See…. Not a winner." She pouted sympathetically at Hally.
"Hey!" Hally exclaimed, pulling her arm back.
Uncle sighed. "So sorry. She's doolally."
The woman's eyes gleamed with a peculiar light. "No, I'm not doolally. I'm, I'm... It's on the tip of my tongue. I've just had a new idea about kissing. Come here, you." She turned her attention back to The Doctor.
Auntie stepped forward, concern etched on her face. "No, Idris, no."
"But now you're angry. No, you're not. You will be angry. The little boxes will make you angry," Idris said cryptically before her gaze shifted to Hally. "Oh, it's you and me. Oh, you're all so stupid. Locked away. Happy Grandparent Day. We should do that."
The Doctor's brow furrowed in confusion. "Sorry? The little what? Boxes?"
Idris giggled. "Oh, ho, no. Your chin is hilarious. It means the smell of dust after rain."
Rory, completely lost, asked, "What does?"
"Petrichor," Idris replied, nodding as though every word from her mouth made perfect sense.
Hally clocked Idris with a questioning look.
Idris nodded again, more emphatically this time. "Yes. Important word, isn't it? What's a coincidence that isn't a coincidence?"
Rory looked even more puzzled. "Petrichor?"
"You asked," Idris said.
"No, I didn't," Rory protested.
"Not yet. But you will."
Auntie interjected, worry evident in her voice. "No, no, Idris. I think you should have a rest."
"Rest. Yes, yes. Good idea. I'll just see if there's an off switch." Idris immediately collapsed, her body crumpling to the ground.
Idris was 'removed' by an Ood and Auntie and Uncle led the group deeper into the planet, 'House'.
The Doctor had attempted to shepherd the humans and Hally back to the TARDIS, not that it had worked on her. Even with a new face, she knew when he was lying.
He'd motioned impatiently towards Amy. "My screwdriver. I left it in the TARDIS. It's in my jacket. Take the pregnant one."
Hally glared. "Oi!"
"You're wearing your jacket." Rory noted.
"My other jacket." The Doctor swiftly corrected. Hally didn't mute her urge to roll her eyes.
"You have two of those?" Rory asked incredulously.
Amy stepped forward decisively. "Okay, I'll get it. But Doctor, listen to me. Don't get emotional because that's when you make mistakes." She threw him her mobile phone before taking Hally's hand in hers.
"Yes, boss..." The Doctor replied with a small smile.
"I'll call you from the TARDIS. Rory, look after him," Amy instructed, pulling an unwilling Hally along with her.
"Rory, look after her," The Doctor echoed.
"Yeah." Rory nodded, immediately moving to follow Amy.
As Amy and Rory bickered on their way to the TARDIS, Hally split from them, sneaking away. She knew what The Doctor was doing and she had her own questions she wanted answering.
Idris.
There was something about Idris that was… interesting.
Familiar?
"There you are. Quite quick. Always drawn to trouble. Like me, I suppose. But you shouldn't be on your own. No. No. Not then. Not now. Naughty. Naughty. Oh… there's another big word. It makes you sad, or happy… I'm not sure." Hally heard Idris before she saw her, moving around the corner to find the woman sat, crossed-legged in a cell, staring at her.
"Okay… Hi." Hally responded cautiously.
"Hi… yes… that's it. Hi. Welcome."
"Welcome?" Hally moved closer, crouching down in front of the bars to bring herself level with Idris.
"Welcome to the universe."
"Yep…" Hally frowned. "How long have you been here?"
"Here? Where's here? I'm so old. I've been everywhere. Or I will go everywhere…" Idris's eyes seemed to lose focus as she spoke, a weary smile plastered across her face. "It's scary, isn't it?" Idris suddenly asked.
"What?"
"This. Growing. Caring. Mother. You're so scared. The flower and the pinstripes and my heart. One. Two. Three. The more you use it, the bigger it gets." Idris cocked her head to one side, her eyes surveyed her, but she didn't look at her. No, Idris somehow seemed to be looking through her.
"Right…" Hally's face scrunched with unnerved confusion.
"But I'm here. Always here. Always watching." Idris held out her hand towards Hally's chest, stopping just short of the bars that separated them. "You won't find him. She'll find you. Oh dear. It's a loop. A sad loop. Timey Wimey, isn't it?"
A deep frown creased Hally's face. What Idris was saying made very little sense, and yet… "These things you're saying… where do they come from?"
"I know them. I am them."
"Who are you?"
"Oh… that's a word. Your sad, happy word. You know who I am. I have always been. Here." Idris wound hand through the bars, placing it against Hally's chest, between her two hearts.
"Okay…"
Idris laughed. "Look, we're glowing."
Hally frowned and looked down at her chest. Indeed, the place where the woman's hand pressed against her ribs was glowing, tendrils of golden light trickling out of her chest. She looked back up at Idris, confusion still etched on her face.
Idris huffed.
At that moment, The Doctor came barging in. "How did you know about the boxes? You said they'd make me angry. How did you know?"
Idris beamed, her hand dropping from Hally's chest. "Ah, it's my thief."
The Doctor noticed Hally and his face furrowed. "I told you to go back to the TARDIS," he scowled.
"No, you didn't," Hally replied, crossing her arms over her chest as she rose back to her feet.
"Yes, I did." The Doctor pouted.
"No… you told Amy to take me back to the TARDIS. There's a difference."
Idris giggled. "Parenting. You'll have to be more specific."
The Doctor looked exasperated. "Yes… No… wait. Who are you?"
"It's about time." Idris said cryptically.
"I don't understand. Who are you?" The Doctor's voice was tinged with frustration.
"Do you not know me? Just because they put me in here? Really? Both of you?"
"They said you were dangerous."
"Not the cage, stupid. In here. They put me in here. I'm the… Oh, what do you call me? We travel. I go…" From Idris came a sound, not a human sound, but the sound of the TARDIS. The noise of the TARDIS dematerialising.
Silence fell over the pair of Time Lords as realisation dawned on them.
"The TARDIS?" The Doctor whispered.
"Time And Relative Dimension In Space. Yes, that's it. Names are funny. It's me. I'm the TARDIS."
"You're the TARDIS…" Hally echoed, incredulous.
"No, you're not. She's not. You're a bitey, mad lady. The TARDIS is up and downy stuff in a big blue box." The Doctor protested.
"Yes, that's me. A Type 40 TARDIS. I was already a museum piece when you were young, and the first time you touched my console you said—"
"I said you were the most beautiful thing I had ever known…" The Doctor finished softly, realisation melted over his features.
"And then you stole me. And I stole you."
"I borrowed you." The Doctor corrected, a sternness to his words.
"Borrowing implies the intention to return the thing that was taken. What makes you think I would ever give you back?" Idris said, her eyes twinkling with a mixture of mischief and sincerity.
The Doctor stared at her, astonished. "You're the TARDIS?"
"Yes."
"My TARDIS?"
"My Doctor. Oh. We have now reached the point in the conversation where you open the lock."
The Doctor complied, using the sonic screwdriver to open the cage, and Idris stepped out, her gaze flicking between the Doctor and Hally.
"Are all people like this?" Idris asked, curiosity in her voice.
"Like what?" Hally responded.
"So much bigger on the inside. I'm, oh, what is that word? It's so big, so complicated. It's so sad."
As Hally watched Idris with a mix of fascination and concern, The Doctor paced around, his mind racing. "But why? Why pull the living soul from a TARDIS and pop it in a tiny human head? What does it want you for?"
"It doesn't want me," Idris said matter-of-factly.
"How do you know?"
"House eats TARDISes."
"House what? What do you mean?"
"I don't know. It's something I heard you say."
"When?"
"In the future."
"House eats TARDISes?"
"There you go. What are fish fingers?"
"When do I say that?"
"Any second."
The Doctor's eyes widened in sudden realisation. "Of course. House feeds on rift energy and TARDISes are bursting with it. And not raw, all lovely and cooked. Processed food. Mmm, fish fingers."
"Do fish have fingers?" Idris mused, loudly.
The Doctor shook his head, pacing again as he thought. "But you can't eat a TARDIS. It would destroy you. Unless, unless..."
Idris offered him a small, knowing smile. "Unless you deleted the TARDIS Matrix first."
Hally cocked an eyebrow, looking between the two. "So it deleted you."
Idris hummed in agreement. "But House can't just delete a TARDIS' consciousness. That would blow a hole in the universe. So he pulls out the Matrix, sticks it in a living receptacle and then it feeds off the remaining Artron energy. Oh..." She looked to The Doctor apologetically. "You were about to say all that. I don't suppose you have to now."
The Doctor's face turned pale. "I sent Amy and Rory in there. They'll be eaten." He pulled Amy's phone from his pocket, dialling. "Amy! Amy? Rory? Get the hell out of there. It's House. He's after the TARDIS. Just get out, both of you."
There was a tense pause, The Doctor held up his screwdriver, pressing down on the button. "But I've unlocked it." The Doctor tried the screwdriver again. Then, they ran. Back out into the junkyard to the TARDIS doors. The Doctor snapped his fingers desperately. "Open! Open this door!"
The TARDIS dematerialised before their eyes.
House had stolen the TARDIS, with Rory and Amy inside.
The Doctor, ever resourceful, had the genius idea to make a TARDIS from the bits and pieces around them, working frantically with Idris and Hally.
"Bond the tube directly into the Tachyon Diverter." Idris instructed confidently.
"Yes, yes, I have actually rebuilt a TARDIS before, you know. I know what I'm doing." The Doctor replied, a touch of irritation in his voice.
Idris sighed softly. "If only the genius one was here."
The Doctor paused, confused. "Genius one? I am the genius one?"
"Oh, you are a clever one. But you see, if he was here, we would already be done." Idris shrugged her shoulders.
Hally snorted, looking between the pair of them. "Sorry, who?"
"You should know, you are rather entwined," Idris said, giving Hally a look that suggested she had asked a stupid question.
Hally barked a laugh. "The Master? Are you talking about The Master?"
Idris frowned slightly, looking between them. "Yes. The cleverest one."
The Doctor stopped what he was doing, his face a picture of indignation. "No, no, no… you can't refer to HIM as the cleverest one?! He's not… well okay… he might be but he's bad…" He quickly backtracked at the glare he received from Hally. "No… not bad… like… well… he… you don't like him!" The Doctor rounded back on Idris. "He turned you into a paradox machine."
"Is genius directly in proportion to likability?" Idris asked, cocking her head to one side in curiosity.
Hally laughed again, this time a happy bark, as she pulled the tube from The Doctor's hand and finally plugged it into the correct spot.
"But I'm clever, I'm clever and you actually LIKE me." The Doctor whined.
"You're like a nine-year-old trying to rebuild a motorbike in his bedroom. And you never read the instructions."
"I always read the instructions." The Doctor insisted, petulantly.
Idris huffed, hands on her hips. "There's a sign on my front door. You have been walking past it for seven hundred years. What does it say?"
The Doctor scoffed. "That's not instructions."
"There's an instruction at the bottom. What does it say?"
"Pull to open."
"Yes. And what do you do?"
The Doctor pulled a face, shrugging. "I push."
"Every single time. Seven hundred years. Police Box doors open outwards." Idris's exasperated tone was almost affectionate.
"I think I've earned the right to open my front doors any way I want." The Doctor declared with a mix of defiance and self-assurance.
"Your front doors? Have you any idea how childish that sounds?" Idris countered.
Hally couldn't help but laugh at their bickering.
The Doctor rounded on her immediately. "I don't know what you're laughing at."
She smirked. "See, I thought it was just me, but it's nice to know I'm not the only one who finds you utterly irritating."
"Oh, don't you start." He clipped, irritation stamped across his face.
"I'm not starting. You asked me."
He ground his teeth, shooting her a silencing glare. "Can't you behave for five minutes?"
"No." Hally offered him a sickly sweet smile.
Idris chuckled. "Oh, my thief. How can you possibly expect her to behave? Have you met her parents?"
The Doctor huffed and turned to Idris. He paused and his face dropped with a sudden realisation. "Oh..." A small smile curved the corners of his mouth upwards. "Oh… well... yes."
"The flower and the pinstripe and my heart." Idris mused.
Hally's eyes moved between the pair as a hum of understanding vibrated in her chest and she repeated what Idris had said to them earlier. "One, two, three…"
"Oh... I'd not really thought of it that way…" The Doctor admitted.
A warm smile crept over Idris's features as she shot Hally a grin. "Welcome to the universe."
Hally let out a soft exhale of amusement before turning back to the Doctor. "Well then, it looks like you only have yourselves to blame for my terrible life choices."
The Doctor clicked his tongue against his teeth, looking to Idris. "Don't encourage her."
"Perhaps encouragement is what she needs?" Idris suggested. A moment later, Idris buckled at the knees. The Doctor caught her just in time.
"You okay?" He asked, concern etched on his face.
"One of the kidneys has already failed. It doesn't matter. We need to finish assembling the console," Idris said, her voice steady despite her weakening body.
"Using a console without a proper shell. It's not going to be safe." The Doctor warned.
"This body has about eighteen minutes left to live. The universe we're in will reach Absolute Zero in three hours. Safe is relative." Idris gasped.
"Then we need to get a move on. Eh, old girl?" The Doctor said, a determined look on his face.
Somehow, it worked. They crashed back into the TARDIS, and with a little old-fashioned bluffing, The Doctor managed to return Idris to the console room. The TARDIS escaped and burned House out of her systems, returning to just being a big blue box.
The Doctor was obviously upset, even the humans could tell. They were both flitting around him as he tinkered before eventually heading to bed.
Hally lingered in the console room, watching The Doctor as she resumed her pretend reading. Finally, the human pair headed off to find their new room and after around half an hour, The Doctor came up from below the console. He offered her a small smile, which she returned.
He went to the console and, as he seemed to do most days, scanned Amy. The result was still the same. Endlessly fluctuating. Then he scanned Hally.
The screen blinked with information, and The Doctor studied it intently. Hally watched him over the edge of the book as a frown slowly fell into place across his features. His unease palpable.
A low, unhappy hum vibrated audibly in his chest.
"What?" She interrupted, lowering the book.
His gaze flicked towards her. "You." He replied, his voice laced with concern.
"Oh. What about me?" She set the book down and walked over to him.
He moved the screen and showed her the schematic of her DNA. "Look."
The screen displayed the breakdown: 46% Time Lord, 31% Human, 23% Unknown.
Hally gave him a pointed look. "Yeah, and?"
"It's gone up." The Doctor said, his voice tinged with unease.
"What has?" He asked, leaning in closer to the screen.
"You… this…" He motioned to the 'Unknown' element. "Since I scanned you last, it's gone up."
"Yeah, it goes up. It fluctuates." Hally shrugged, looking back at him with no concern on her face.
"No… no, no, no. It's increasing. Look." He brought up the data from previous scans. "The first time I scanned you, the first time we looked. Look."
She offered him a soft, impatient sigh, but followed his lead, reading from the screen.
The first scan read: 50% Time Lord, 35% Human, and 15% Unknown.
She shrugged. "Ok… but I'm fine. I'm the same. I know it goes up, but it doesn't make much difference."
"The more you use it, the bigger it gets…" The Doctor muttered to himself.
Her face creased with a frown, her eyes landing on him.
He'd repeated something Idris had told her earlier…
She shook her head, clearing her throat. "Not necessarily, it might just be increasing over time. Evolving? Plus, I feel the same. I am the same."
"No… no…" The Doctor insisted. "The first time I scanned you, you were what? Mid three-hundreds? It's been less than a hundred years and it's gone up by over 50%. The rate of change has increased but so has the frequency with which you release the power."
Hally offered him a reassuring look. "Dad… I am fine. We can just keep an eye on it. But I'm fine. I'm still me. Totally me. Nothing has changed."
"You're more powerful now…" He pointed out, raising a knowing eyebrow.
She huffed. "Yes, but that's because I've worked on it. Purposefully."
He hummed in thought. "It's evolving. Growing stronger."
"Yes…" She agreed. "Plus, it looks more ominous than it is. 'Unknown'. It's not unknown. We already know it's from the heart of the TARDIS, Time Vortex energy. Bad Wolf, blah, blah, blah. We've known that for ages. It's not a bad thing." She offered him a smile. "Like I said, maybe it just fluctuates."
He looked back at her, clearly unconvinced.
"You can keep an eye on it, if it makes you feel better." She offered.
He hummed, his mind still churning with possibilities and concerns. "Alright. But promise me, if you ever feel different—"
"I'll tell you." She interrupted, her smile turning genuine. "I promise."
The Doctor nodded, a hint of a smile touching his lips. "Alright then."
Amy and Rory were currently avoiding her.
They were being vaguely subtle about it, but Hally knew.
She didn't completely blame them, she imagined that she was becoming insufferable.
The Doctor, after the danger of House had banned her from leaving the TARDIS if they landed on a planet with an 'imminent threat' rating higher than a 0.3 and considering the TARDIS only ever seemed to whisk them away to planets or ships in very immediate, mortal danger, Hally had barely left the TARDIS over the last two weeks.
Then there had been two days ago, when she'd burst into hysterical tears in the console room, because she was too full to finish the packet of half-eaten Oreos.
The Doctor, bless him, was really trying to pretend like his daughter wasn't maddening.
But she was.
She knew she was.
Hally didn't blame the humans for avoiding her.
She would avoid her too if she could.
The crying seemed to be an everyday occurrence now.
And she couldn't sleep.
Even when she managed to fall asleep despite her whole body discomfort, for some reason she was waking up barely three hours later.
Rory had made some offhand comment. "It's actually evolutionary, your body is preparing you to be awake for the baby."
She had promptly and sternly bitten his head off for that… so yeah. The Ponds were nowhere to be found.
Her father had decided that the best way to keep her spirits up was to spontaneously bring her random gifts. Sometimes, from the planet he, Amy and Rory had just inevitably saved, or sometimes he'd bring her things from around the TARDIS.
A week ago he'd flown them to Earth to buy her a mobile phone.
Which had only reminded Hally that she probably should have tried to contact Armitage. Let him know she wasn't dead. Something like that.
But, staring at the brand new phone, she realised that she didn't know his number.
Of course, she could find Jack's number within the TARDIS memory, but she definitely couldn't give him a call.
Oh, yeah… Hi, Jack. No. I know you're mad and I totally turned the whole human race into clones but… do you have Armitage's number?
Yeah, no.
She thought about reaching out to Alina.
God knew, she would love a chat…
But that would probably get back to Jack too.
It wasn't that she couldn't talk with The Doctor.
He was being very accommodating, but some things just didn't feel…. Right.
Alina would know what to say.
Never mind.
Yesterday, The Doctor had proudly presented her with a TARDIS key.
Again.
She really needed to work on not losing them so often.
She was crying again.
At least this time she was doing it in private, in her bedroom. It was better to cry alone, anyway. The Doctor always made such an unnecessary fuss.
The feeling had crept up on her this time, in contrast to the usual tidal wave of unbearable emotion. She'd caught sight of that photograph again. The one with her, Rose and The Doctor. Although this time, she'd become strangely enraptured by The Doctor's face.
Regeneration had never really bothered her all too much before.
But now she was crying.
Staring at the photograph of her father.
Her, actual father.
His stupid spikey hair and lopsided grin.
He was gone now.
One moment he'd been there, the next he had been new.
It was bothering her.
With a gentle push, the door to her bedroom swung open and Hally let out an indignant huff.
"Why do you always find me when I'm crying? For fucks sake…" She rubbed a palm angrily across her face, begrudgingly accepting as The Doctor flung himself into the room at the sight of her tears.
"Hey… hey, what is it? You're ok… it's ok…" His fingers brushed away the remaining water as he sank into a kneeling squat in front of her as she sat on the edge of her bed.
"What is it… you can talk to me…" The Doctor pressed gently. Hally shot him a glare.
"I am fine. I'm just crying."
"I know. I know you're fine. But… what's with the tears?"
Her face scrunched. "It's stupid."
"No!" He protested. "It isn't. Whatever it is, it isn't stupid. Crying is never stupid." He shot her a hopeful smile. "Do you know what's best about being almost one-thousand years old?"
She cocked an eyebrow at him. "What?"
"I means…" He shifted, settling into a cross-legged position on the floor in front of her. "…that I've got loads of time, for listening."
She exhaled a snort and considered providing him with a list of occurrences where that statement certainly hadn't wrung true but she conceded.
"I was just thinking about him…" Her gaze moved towards the photograph.
"Me?"
"Well… yeah… but he's not…" Hally let out a loud, thoughtful sigh. "I know he is you. I know you're the same but at the same time… you aren't. You aren't him at all. He's gone and you're here. He was my Dad and now he's gone."
"I'm your Dad…" The Doctor in front of her rebuked.
Tilting her head to one side, she surveyed him. "I know. I'm not saying that you aren't but he was my Dad. Like… the Dad."
The Doctor caught on and offered her a soft chuckle. "Right…" He nodded. "But, he's still me…"
"I didn't get to say goodbye." She muttered.
"Oh…" A frown fell across The Doctor's face.
Her voice cracked as she began to choke up again. "And I know that's stupid because I shouldn't need to say goodbye because you're right in front of me but… I don't know!" Giving up, she pressed her face into her hands.
"You miss him…" There was something sad in his tone, guilt immediately wracked through her.
"Not like… Well. Yes. I miss him. I miss his ridiculous face and his grin and the way he hugged me, but - "
"I hug you all the time…" Hurt passed across The Doctor's face, she let out a soft laugh.
"I know you do. But they're different. You're all one person but at the same time you're many different people and each of you have a slightly different place in my hearts. I can love you, wholly and I can simultaneously miss him. Even though… he was you…is you." She offered him a small, sad smile, hoping he'd eventually start to understand.
The Doctor gave her a slow nod, eyes round with concern as he watched her.
"Mmm… you didn't get to say goodbye." He repeated her words softly, musing through them.
She shook her head. "And… well… we didn't exactly leave things wonderfully. So, I feel weird, I feel sad. Even though you're here… It feels like something didn't end properly…"
The Doctor's face softened. "But… you know… you know we're alright. We've moved past that. You're forgiven." His words were so earnest, she didn't have the heart to rebuff him again. Instead, she nodded, pulling him into a silent hug.
He had come to her.
He'd found her alone in the kitchen.
The Ponds were AWOL again.
Although she suspected that he had specifically waited for the Ponds to go to bed before finding her.
But despite the fact that he had come to her, he was sulking. He was silently pacing, pretending to make himself a tea. He was far too impatient to drink tea so she knew he was stalling. Brooding.
"Doctor?" She cut across his gloomy mood, his pacing becoming irritating.
He turned to her, immediately trying to mask the dark expression with a bright smile. "Yeah?"
She cocked an eyebrow in his direction, signalling to him that she didn't believe his sudden sunny disposition one bit. "You've got something you want to say?"
He huffed. "No." Turning himself back around to the kettle, he continued his slightly aggressive pottering.
"Right. In that case… I'll go to bed…" She began to push herself up from the table.
"I've had a thought." He cut across her.
Hally smothered the slightly smug smile before she turned back to him, her face open in an invitation for him to continue.
"About Amy."
"Oh?" Her interest piqued and she leant herself back against the table. "What's the thought?"
"What if, Amy isn't Amy." He clocked her with a look, before immediately beginning to pace.
Hally hummed softly. "We've already considered that she could be an imposter? But that wouldn't explain the fluctuating pregnancy. She'd have to be Amy, but not Amy but maybe linked to Amy?"
The Doctor stopped and levelled her with a look. "Exactly."
Hally took a moment to consider it. "Like a clone?"
"A linked clone." The Doctor pressed.
Her face furrowed with a deep frown. "But she isn't lying Doctor, a clone would know it was a clone right? Amy, whether she's Amy or not, believes she is Amy."
"So, there's a link. You have a clone that is biologically and mentally linked to the body. Like… like a remote control car."
"Except… the car doesn't know it's remote-controlled?"
"Exactly!"
Hally crossed her arms over her chest, shifting her weight. "I mean, that technology must exist somewhere I guess. But then who has the original?" A thought trickled through her, a cold thread of dread tugging at her insides. "And when did they do the swap…"
The Doctor's face dropped into grave contemplation. "Not on the TARDIS. It must have been on Earth at some point."
A heated chill was sticking against her skin. "But… Doctor, if someone does have the real Amy, then that would suggest that the real Amy is pregnant."
His gaze met hers, unsaid fears hanging between them.
"I've scanned you every single day, you're fine. You're you."
"I know I'm me."
"Would you?"
She raised her hand, forcing a small globe of golden energy to form in the palm of her hand. "Could you clone this?"
The Doctor hummed and shook his head. "No. No, you couldn't." He ran his hand across his face. "But it doesn't…" He considered her. "It doesn't make any sense…"
She frowned, raising her eyebrows in question.
He continued his train of thought. "Alright… let's say there's two of you… pregnant at the same time… but they take Amy? A human… although I guess it's easier to steal a human…" He was rambling, muttering to himself rather than talking to her. "We'd be less likely to notice, they'd have more time, plus…" His gaze stopped on her.
"What?"
"Containing you would be a lot more difficult."
"So, they're what? Afraid?"
"Cowardly." The Doctor murmured, anger seeping into his voice.
"Perhaps they took her before I arrived?"
The Doctor hummed in disagreement. "If they have the technology to maintain a linked clone they're not likely to be constrained by linear time."
"So… what do we do?"
Something dark passed across her father's face. A deep, unforgiving anger simmered behind his eyes. A moment later it had gone, replaced by a mask of determination. "We need to be sure. If the technology exists we have to find it. Understand it. Then we can use it to find Amy."
Amy, Rory, and The Doctor had just returned through the TARDIS doors, much to Hally's relief. It was so incredibly boring when she was left on her own. Life in the TARDIS was continuing as normal, at least until The Doctor found anything that might lead them to Amy. It felt strange, having a secret with him for once.
Hally had been confined to the TARDIS again. She felt he was being slightly overprotective; she didn't even look that pregnant yet. Although, given what was happening with Amy, she supposed he was being cautious. And she was too tired to fight him, although she also acknowledged her own steady thrum of fear, and uncertainty. She wanted to keep herself safe too; it wasn't just about her anymore.
She hung around in the console room, listening to The Doctor relay their entire adventure to her excitedly. "Oh, we were brilliant. Who would have known we'd find the diamond inside her head!"
Rory offered Hally a small, semi-apologetic smile.
Amy flopped down beside her on the sofa, looking from her to The Doctor. She let him prattle on for a bit before interrupting. "Can I ask a question?"
The Doctor paused and turned to his companion. "Of course."
"Well… you never really answered our questions, and we… well… we made a list." Amy looked towards her husband, who took out his phone and handed it to his wife, awkwardly hovering.
Hally looked at the pair with intrigue.
"A list of questions…" The Doctor hummed, looking to Amy expectantly. "About what?"
"Since when have you had a daughter?"
Hally let out a soft laugh as The Doctor looked between his companions in amusement. "She's been with us for months now!"
Amy huffed. "I know! But you brushed over it, and we were in the middle of saving the world, so you both got away with being unbearably cryptic!"
"I wasn't cryptic!" The Doctor denied. "I told you… I have a daughter. I didn't tell you because I thought I'd lost her."
"How old are you?" Amy turned to Hally, fixing her with a look.
"Uhh… 400-ish?"
She turned back to The Doctor. "Do you have more children that are going to pop up?"
The Doctor let out a soft sigh. "No… not anymore."
"So, she survived?"
"Yes."
"But no one else?"
The Doctor shrugged. "More or less."
Hally let out a soft laugh, seeing how her father's vague answers were infuriating the redhead. "I ended up with him just after the Time War ended," she offered. "I travelled with him for a while until…" She trailed off slightly.
"Until what?" Amy asked, looking between the pair.
Hally exhaled a soft laugh, her mouth curving into a smile. "Until we… ran into The Master. My husband."
Rory's face scrunched. "The Master?"
"Yep."
"Like The Doctor but The Master?"
"Mmhmm…" Hally hummed, smirking, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
The decision not to ask passed across Rory's face, so instead he said. "And then, what? You've just been travelling with him ever since then?"
Hally looked back to The Doctor. "More or less…" She repeated cryptically.
The Doctor exhaled a short, almost disapproving snort and shook his head, leaning against the console to fix her with a look.
Amy caught it immediately and frowned at him. "What?"
He chuckled, shaking his head, he seemed to concede, either realising that it wasn't possible to lie to her or deciding that he didn't want to. "Me and The Master, we… disagree."
"Disagree?"
Hally snorted. "They mainly spend their time trying to wipe the other from existence."
Amy's eyebrows raised high into her hairline as Rory hummed an, 'oh'.
The Doctor scoffed, immediately on the defensive. "No… no he keeps trying to kill me. I have to stop him from destroying the planet!"
A wry smile curved at Hally's mouth as she turned to Amy. "See."
"No, no, no." The Doctor pushed off the console, pointing a warning finger at her. "Don't make me out to be the unreasonable one here. He took over the Earth. Twice!"
Amy hummed, nodding slowly. "So it's just a classic case of 'Dad doesn't approve of husband', 'no one's good enough for my daughter', style thing?"
Hally barked a laugh. "Oh, totally."
The Doctor huffed loudly. "Don't you dare, young lady." He fixed her with a glare.
Her incessant giggling only annoyed him further. "Ok, ok!" She grinned at him. "The Master has a… penchant for… shall we say… global enslavement? He's morally grey."
The Doctor scoffed.
"And I helped him take over the planet that second time, Dad, don't gloss over that bit just because it's convenient." She shot him a resolved look.
Amy and Rory fell silent, turning to meet one another's gaze for a moment.
"Umm… would we not remember that? Just… sort of… pointing out the obvious here, I don't remember being taken over twice." Rory looked to Amy as though for reassurance. She nodded firmly.
The Doctor sighed softly. "The first time, it was a paradox. So we broke the paradox, and everything reset. Then, the second time…"
"The second time we turned the entirety of the human race into clones of him. So you wouldn't remember it; you'd have just lost a few hours over Christmas." Hally offered them a smile, not meeting their eyes.
"So, you're dangerous then," Amy said, eyeing Hally with a newfound sense of uncertainty.
"We're all dangerous."
"I mean… morally… are you one of the good guys or the bad guys?"
"It depends," Hally offered her a smile.
"Depends on what?" Rory asked.
"Well, it tends to depend on if you're in the way of what I want." She smirked, amusement twinkling behind her eyes.
The Doctor huffed at her. "Stop it."
"I'm only messing with her."
He crossed his arms again and rested back on the console. It was clear he'd moved into thought, frowning. He let out a long breath, looking to Amy. "We are dangerous, Amy. Time Lords. The both of us. We are dangerous. That is why… why I try so hard to do good. To be honest. To be kind. But to never go too far."
"Too far?"
"Some things are fixed. Some things have to happen. There are rules."
Hally snorted. He looked at her. "I'm not the other side of the coin. I make mistakes. I do damage. I fly through this universe imagining that I'm leaving it better than when I found it, but the truth is, sometimes I don't." His jaw twitched, and his gaze settled solely on her. The intensity of his stare made her shrink slightly, feeling like a scolded child somehow. "There was a time… after the Dalek ship, after Davros, when you'd both disappeared, and I left you on Earth." He shook his head. "I thought about what you'd said. What you'd done to the Daleks. I thought maybe you'd been right… maybe I was wrong. No consequences. It went to my head. All that power, and I… I became something else. But I did some things… things I'm not proud of. I was wrong. We're not gods."
His words landed on her, sparking a mixture of intrigue and understanding.
"And I know you understand the weight that comes with that power… I know you carry that guilt with you. You recognise what happens when we don't use that power with good intentions." His eyes remained fixed on her. She knew what he was hinting at. He didn't have to say it, but she understood.
He wasn't wrong.
Amy cleared her throat, and the moment disappeared.
Hally offered him a small smile. "I know."
Loud music reverberated through the TARDIS. "Forty-six. Rubbishy, rubbishy, rubbish," Amy declared, her voice tinged with frustration as she pulled the dart from the dartboard, knocking into Rory's shoulder petulantly.
Rory, unfazed, grinned and retorted, "Hello? It's a double top."
"Wrong side of the wire, mister," Amy shot back, clearly annoyed.
"You're on the oche, Red," Rory said with a teasing edge.
Hally's attention moved from them, over towards her father who was on the other side of the console, the screen tilted away from the humans. Not that they were looking his way anyway. He had up the scan of Amy. Hally could feel something like determination radiating off him, before, in a moment, he shifted. He quickly hid the results and, with a flick of his wrist, turned off the music. Hally watched the Doctor closely, noting how he first caught her eye before turning his attention to Rory and Amy.
"Who wants fish and chips?" the Doctor asked with an air of casual nonchalance.
Hally muttered under her breath, "Same old tricks…"
Rory raised his hand eagerly. "I'll take some."
"I'll drop you both off," the Doctor said, his tone suggesting a hint of urgency. "Take your time. Don't rush."
Rory looked puzzled. "Er, and you? Things to do. Things involving other things?"
"Well, we'll stay with you," Amy interjected, determined. "We'll do the other things."
"Nope," the Doctor replied firmly.
"Whatever you're up to, I'd personally like to be a part of it." Amy pressed, before she scanned The Doctor's unreadable face. "What?"
Before the Doctor could respond, a loud klaxon blared, and the TARDIS lurched violently, throwing the three of them off balance. Hally let out a soft huff, thankful that she was already seated. Although she had to grab onto the side of the sofa to keep herself upright.
"Solar tsunami," the Doctor shouted. "Came directly from your sun. A tidal wave of radiation. Big, big, big."
"Oh Doctor, my tummy's going funny," Rory pulled a face.
The Doctor glanced at the control panel with a frown. "Well, the gyrator disconnected. Target tracking is out."
As the TARDIS hurtled towards a crash landing, the Doctor called out, "Assume the position!"
Amy and Rory scrambled to the floor, tucking their heads between their knees as the TARDIS shuddered and rocked. The turbulence gradually subsided, and The Doctor's voice broke the silence.
"Textbook landing."
Hally offered him a look of mild annoyance.
Getting to their feet and led by The Doctor, the four emerged from the TARDIS. They stepped out onto grass. Hally took in their surroundings quickly, they appeared to have landed on some sort of small island. Grass underfoot and in front of them a grey brick build building, like a castle.
The Doctor did the same as her, sweeping across their surroundings with his gaze, before he gleefully noted, "Behold, a cockerel! Love a cockerel." He gestured to a weathervane on a distant rooftop. "And underneath, a monastery. 13th century," he added.
Amy looked around, puzzled. "Oh, we've gone all medieval."
"I'm not sure about that," Rory said, his tone uncertain.
"Really? Medieval expert, are you?" Amy challenged.
"No, it's just that I can hear Dusty Springfield," Rory replied.
The Doctor was now inspecting a hole in the ground, peering at a pipe labelled "Danger Corrosive." "These fissures are new," he explained. "Solar tsunami sent out a huge wave of gamma particles. This is caused by a magnetic quake that occurs just before the wave hits."
Amy glanced at the monastery. "Well, the monastery's standing."
The Doctor pulled a snow globe from his pocket, giving it a shake. "Yeah, for now."
Rory, still distracted, mentioned, "My mum's a massive fan of Dusty Springfield."
The Doctor turned his attention back to Hally, noticing that she had taken a few steps outside the TARDIS, intent on following them. "What are you doing? Back inside. Solar flare. Danger. Bad things."
Hally rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, are you serious?"
"Yes! We'll be quick. In and out," The Doctor insisted.
"Will we?" Rory asked, a note of doubt in his voice.
The Doctor gently pushed Hally back inside the TARDIS, offering her a wink before he backed out and left with the humans. She could hear him wittering, "Right, let's go. Satisfy our rabid curiosity."
Hally huffed, heading to the console and opening what he'd found. She examined it—technology, the beginnings of something. Oh, he was going to find it. Scan it. See if the sonic screwdriver could identify it. Perhaps track the signal? Or block it?
Hally hung around in the console room for at least twenty minutes before she grew bored and left to mooch around the TARDIS. She pottered, tidied her room, picked up a snack from the kitchen and sat for a while in the library, trying and failing to choose a book to start.
It was taking the Doctor longer than she anticipated.
She dropped herself onto the slightly scruffy chaise in the library. Was the TARDIS getting warmer, or was she just having a hot flush? Hally sighed and headed back to the console, checking the screen. Huh. She couldn't see outside anymore; the screen had gone black.
That was worrying.
She moved over to the doors, giving them a pull. The wood didn't budge. Locked. No light was coming from outside. The TARDIS made a gentle warning noise.
Then, just as Hally was about to turn back to the console, there was a sudden jolt. Hally staggered, grabbing hold of the railing to keep herself from falling. The TARDIS whined in apology as the door swung open, revealing The Doctor.
"Everyone move," The Doctor ordered over his shoulder.
"Go, go, go," echoed his voice.
Hally moved towards the door, her mind racing. "We moved?"
The Doctor turned back to her, caught her expression and offered her a lopsided grin. "Yes, but you're all fine." He patted her on the top of her head.
"Did you find it?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
The Doctor laughed and glanced over his shoulder towards something. "Oh, just a bit."
Behind him, she saw… The Doctor. Another Doctor.
"Oh…"
She looked around the small group gathered around the TARDIS, noting the two identical women who were arguing with each other.
"Get on board. Go." One of them urged.
"I'm not leaving." The other replied, her tone resolute.
Amy was standing near the other Doctor. "Hey, hey. Now's our chance." She urged.
"I have to stay. Hold this door closed. Give you time to dematerialize." He replied to her.
"What's going on…" Hally muttered, eyes moving from Amy and The Doctor, to the locked door that they were holding closed to The Doctor next to her.
"It's called the Flesh, it grew a conscience." The Doctor threw back at her, as if that explained everything.
"Right…" She looked from him to the other Doctor, unsure why Amy was having such a heated conversation with the Flesh version. The Doctor caught her gaze and offered her a knowing smile.
"Oh, don't be crazy," Amy pleaded. "Okay, what happens to you?"
"Well, this place is just about to explode." The Doctor responded. "But I can stop her."
Amy's voice grew more desperate. "Both of you can survive this, okay? There has to be a way."
The Doctor nearest Hally turned to Amy. "Or perhaps you think I should stay instead? Mister Smith."
"No, of course not," Amy replied, her voice tinged with worry. "But look, this man, I've flown with him, you know? And you are amazing and yeah, I misjudged you, but you're not him. I'm sorry."
Hally's brows moved together into a frown.
"Amy, we swapped shoes." The Flesh Doctor revealed.
"I'm The Doctor," said the one nearest to Hally.
"And I'm the Flesh," the other Doctor added.
Amy's mouth dropped open, gaze shifting between both Doctor's in disbelief. "You can't be. You're the real him." She looked back to The Doctor by her side.
"No, I'm not, and I haven't been all along," the Flesh Doctor confessed.
"What?" Amy's voice was barely a whisper.
"I'm the original Doctor, Amy," The Doctor took a tentative step towards Amy. "We had to know if we were truly the same. It was important, vital we learn about The Flesh, and we could only do that through your eyes." He offered her an apologetic smile. "But one thing you can't do… is mimic an already present telepathic bond." The Doctor offered a look back over his shoulder towards his daughter.
Amy looked from The Doctor's to Hally, searching for confirmation. Hally gave the human a small smile and nodded, tilting her head towards The Doctor nearest her. "He's the original."
Amy, overwhelmed with emotion turned and pulled the Flesh Doctor into a tight hug. "I never thought it possible," she murmured.
The Flesh Doctor stared at Amy, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "What?" he asked.
Amy's voice softened as she met his gaze. "You're twice the man I thought you were."
The ceiling shook with a tremor, reminding everyone that danger was imminent and they needed to move. The Doctor guided everyone into the TARDIS, Rory forcing Amy away from the Flesh Doctor. The Doctor's hand guided his daughter back into the TARDIS, the others following closely behind. Hally let herself follow him towards the console. She had very little clue what was going on, but she trusted that he had things under control. They were seemingly leaving whatever danger there had been behind them.
"The energy from the TARDIS will stabilize the Gangers for good," The Doctor explained to the small group, his hands moving expertly over the controls. "They're people now."
The woman, now singular, asked, "And what happens to me? I still have this." She gestured to her head.
The Doctor didn't miss a beat. "Ah, that's not a problem. I have something for that. It's small and red and tastes like burnt onions. Ha. But it'll get rid of your blood clot." With a flick of his wrist, he tossed a small vial to Cleaves, then out of nowhere produced a red balloon.
"Happy endings." He declared with a stupid grin.
It took a few moments to drop the remaining humans and Gangers off where they needed to be. The Doctor was offering smiles and confidence but Hally could sense the tension sifting underneath. He was tense. Something was coming. Moving back towards the TARDIS, Hally brushed against him, using the contact to send a flurry of questioning towards him. He didn't respond to her, simply fixing her with a grave look as Rory and Amy started to follow behind them.
Amy glanced at The Doctor, evidently also picking up on his strange mood. "You okay?"
The Doctor's voice was steady, but there was an underlying urgency in his tone. "I said breathe, Pond. Remember? Well, breathe."
"Why?" Amy asked, her confusion evident.
"Breathe," The Doctor repeated firmly.
Suddenly, Amy doubled over in pain. "Oh!" she gasped, clutching her stomach.
Rory rushed to her side, panic rising in his voice. "Whoa. What's wrong with her?"
"Get her into the TARDIS," The Doctor ordered, his voice calm but leaving no room for discussion.
Amy moaned again as Rory helped her inside. "Oh."
The four of them crossed through the threshold into the TARDIS, Amy grasped onto Rory, pain wracking through her.
Rory's voice was frantic as he turned to The Doctor. "Doctor! What is happening to her?"
The Doctor's response was clipped, focused. "Contractions."
"Contractions?" Rory echoed, the word not fully registering.
"She's going into labour." The Doctor clarified, moving quickly around the console.
Hally swallowed, turning to look at Amy, empathy written across her face.
Oh.
Amy's voice trembled with pain and fear. "Did he say? No. No, no. Of course, he didn't." She clutched Rory's arm, her voice wavering. "Rory, I don't like this. Ow."
Rory's eyes darted between Amy and The Doctor, desperate for answers. "You're going to have to start explaining some of this to me, Doctor."
"What, the birds and the bees?" The Doctor quipped, though his usual levity was strained. "She's having a baby. I needed to see the Flesh in its early days. That's why I scanned it. That's why we were there in the first place. I was going to drop you off for fish and chips first, but things happened and there was stuff and shenanigans." He paused, his voice softening briefly. "Beautiful word, shenanigans."
Though the Doctor kept talking, his words tumbling out in a seemingly endless stream, Hally could see the raw emotion simmering beneath his surface. His anger, his pain—it was all there, barely contained, like a tsunami waiting to break.
"It hurts," Amy whimpered, her voice pulling The Doctor's attention back to her.
"But you're okay?" Rory asked, his worry clear.
The Doctor's eyes locked onto Amy's, his voice a steady command. "Breathe. I needed enough information to block the signal to the Flesh."
"What signal?" Amy asked, her voice laced with fear and confusion.
"The signal to you," The Doctor replied, his voice now tinged with a heaviness that wasn't there before.
"Doctor. Doctor," Amy's voice wavered, panic beginning to take hold.
The Doctor turned to Rory, his expression hardening. "Stand away from her, Rory."
Rory looked at him, incredulous. "Why? No. And why?"
"Given what we've learned, I'll be as humane as I can, but I need to do this, and you need to stand away!" The Doctor's voice left no room for argument, the intensity in his eyes enough to make Rory slowly step back.
Hally watched, her hearts aching for the human standing, alone and terrified in front of them.
"No. No," Amy whimpered, her voice small and terrified. "Doctor, I am frightened. I'm properly, properly scared."
The Doctor's gaze softened, his voice a tender promise. "Don't be. Hold on. We're coming for you. I swear it. Whatever happens, however hard, however far, we will find you."
Amy's voice was thick with confusion and fear. "I'm right here."
The Doctor shook his head, his voice filled with a heavy sadness. "No, you're not. You haven't been here for a long, long time."
With a final look, The Doctor raised his sonic screwdriver at her.
"Oh… no." Amy muttered, realisation dawning too late.
The Doctor pressed on the sonic screwdriver and the Flesh that had been Amy dissolved.
Amy was gone.