Chapter Text
A/N: Hello my dears. I hope you all have enjoyed the first book of this series and that you will follow me on this ride of tying together everything that has the Doctor (and readers) stumped. Enjoy! 😊
And as always, I welcome all kinds of feedback.
Few months after the wedding...
"If you keep at this, I'm going to be late." I say to the Doctor who currently has me pinned against the console kissing my neck.
"Why do you have to go?" He asks and I giggled then made him look at me.
"I told you; we're packing up mine and Amy's stuff to move into the house her and Rory are renting now."
"Why your stuff?"
"Because that way I have a place to go whenever I visit." I smiled then he steps away a bit as I pick my jacket up, "Don't worry Doctor, it's only a week."
"Fine." He says with a smile then took my hand and walked me to the doors.
"I'll see you at the end of the week, keep out of trouble and don't get sidetracked." I smirked while pointing a finger at him.
"Cross my hearts." He smiled then leaned down giving me a sweet and gentle kiss before I opened the doors seeing my house outside. I stepped out giving him one more look then he shut it, after a moment it wheezed then dematerialized as Amy walked outside.
"Where's he off to?" She asked and I smiled.
"Good to see you as well sis."
"Shut up." She laughed then we walked inside.
"Alexis!" My mom cheered as I walked in and she gave me a hug, "How have you been? Where's that boyfriend of yours? The Doctor?"
"He has other matters to deal with so it's just me."
"Well, I would still like to meet him someday." She says as me and Amy shared a look then our father and Rory walked in.
"Oh, Alexis there you are. Gosh we haven't seen you in months."
"It's only been a couple of months dad." I told him as Amy laughed.
"Come on, I have boxes all set up in your room as well as everything you need." Amy said pulling me away. It had only been a couple of months since the wedding and us explaining to our parents who the Doctor was, needless to say they were still getting used to it all, "You have no idea how stressful it's been with them constantly baggering me with questions." Amy sighed while plopping down on my bed and I laughed setting my coat down on it.
"Sorry, I did try to get back sooner but he got sidetracked a lot." I tell her and she smirked at me, "What?"
"Sidetracked huh?"
I looked down hiding a blush, "Shut up." I said then sat down next to her.
"So, how is it dating a time traveling alien?"
"Surprisingly it's pretty easy. I mean, he has moments where he frustrates me but that's only when he can't stay out of trouble, but it's... it's wonderful." I smiled
"Well, I'm just happy that you're happy, you've always taken care of me since we were kids, it's about time you took care of yourself."
"Yeah, it is, but I uh... " I started to say then paused while messing with my fingers.
"Lexi? What is it?" Amy asked and I sighed.
"I have to tell you something."
"Are you sure?" I asked Amy after I told her what was going on with me and she shared the same problem she was having.
"I'm sure, found out this morning."
"Then what is it?" I asked and she got up then starts to pace.
"He took the news so well. Why?"
"Why? Amy, he wants this life with you, why is that such a bad thing?" I asked her and she faces me.
"Because of all the stuff with the Doctor. Not exactly the ideal situation right now or for the future for that matter."
I sighed then stood up placing my hands on her shoulders, "This is a great thing Amy, be happy about it, quit looking for the bad."
"You're right. It is pretty exciting."
"It is, and as far as adventures go, there will always be safe possibilities as well." I tell her and she smiles.
"Now, about your news. Should we go?"
"Yes." I replied then grabbed my coat again and we walk out of my room heading downstairs towards the door.
"Whoa, where are you both off to?" Our mom asks and we stopped.
"Just running out to the shop quick."
"What for?" Rory asked and I roll my eyes.
"We'll be back in a moment. Just popping out quick." I tell them as Amy laughed then we walked out.
"So, how come you didn't tell the Doctor this?" Amy asks as we walked into the shop.
"Because his reaction would be completely different than the one you got." I said as we walked through the aisles taking our time but looking for what I needed.
"True, but he would be the better person to talk to about it, considering.... "
"And once I know, I will." I said while facing her then looked past her seeing the most terrifying thing ever and my eyes widened.
"Lexi? Are you ok?" Amy asked and I looked at her.
"What?"
"You look terrified, what's wrong?" She asked but I shook my head.
"I don't know," I reply then spotted what I needed, "Let's do this." I said then walked over to the counter and paid. We walked over to the bathroom, and I stopped her, "As much as I love you Ames, I can do this alone." I told her and she laughed.
"I wasn't going to follow you."
I walked out of the bathroom shocked but didn't see Amy, so I walked out into the shop, "Amy?" I asked then turned around but stopped when I saw that terrifying thing from before and I backed up, "Who are you?" I asked it but it didn't answer.
"Lexi?" I heard Amy ask and I turned to see her walking towards me, "You, ok? What did it say?"
I felt my heart racing as I stood there a little confused before looking down at the thing in my hand, "I'm not." I sigh and she pulled me into a hug.
"It's okay, you'll have it too."
"Yeah, but at least I'll get to live the life through you." I smiled, "I left my coat in the bathroom, I'll be right back." I tell her then walked back in but stopped in my tracks, "What are you?"
Amy POV...
It's been ten minutes and Lexi hasn't come out of the bathroom, I walked to the door opening it but didn't go in, "Lexi?" I called and there was a brief pause before the toilet flushed, and she walked out.
"Sorry, felt a little sick there for a moment." She says then walks over after washing up, "Ready?" She asked and I nod. We walked out of the shop making our way to the bakery to get some treats for our parents and Rory before getting everything packed up.
Now...
Lexi POV...
"I don't understand why you still have a post box." The Doctor groans as we stood and the Post Office so I could pick up my mail.
"Because sir, I like to keep at least some of my normal life around, including mail." I tell him and he rolls his eyes at me while smirking making me giggle then the clerk walked over with my mail, and I thanked them before looking through the letters, "That's weird." I say and show him two blue envelopes; one addressed to me and one to him.
He snatched the one for him out of my hand and turned it over seeing a number on the envelope, "No return, just a number." He pointed out then looks at me, "What yours?" He asked and I turned mine over then showed it to him. I opened mine up and stared at it confused then showed him.
Lake Silencio, Utah
22/04/2011
4:30 MDT
"What?" He asked and I showed him the letter. He opened his up and saw that it read the same thing.
"Doctor, what's going on?" I asked and he took hold of my hand.
"I don't know, but we should be careful." He told me and I nod.
"Fancy a trip to America?" I smiled at him, and he laughed then pulled me back into the Tardis as I giggled.
Aurora POV...
"I wear a Stetson now. Stetsons are cool." Me and River heard the Doctor say to Amy and Rory as Lexi stood next to him shaking her head while smiling after we teleported to the location. We shared a look then she pulled out her gun shooting his hat of then blew the smoke away putting her gun back in its holster.
"Hello, dear." River greeted and I chuckled.
"Right then, where are we?" River asked the Doctor as her, me, and Lexi sat at the booth, Lexi next to the Doctor and me next to River as we looked through our diaries, "Have we done Easter Island yet?"
"Er, yes! I've got Easter Island." He replies while looking at his own.
"They worshipped you there. Have you seen the statues?" I asked him and he smiled.
"Jim the fish."
"Oh! Jim the fish. How is he?" River asked in excitement as Rory and Amy walked back over with drinks.
"Still building his dam thanks to this one." Lexi says while pointing to the Doctor then looked over at him smirking and he gave her a joking glare as River, and I smiled at the two of them.
"Sorry, what are you three doing?" Rory asked while pulling a chair up to the table as Amy sat down next to the Doctor.
"The three of them are time travelers, so they never meet in the right order. They're syncing their diaries." Amy explained then looked at the Doctor, "So, what's happening, then? Because you've both been up to something."
"I've been running my whole life, now I've been running faster than I ever have. And now Lexi is running with me." He said and they share a sad smile, "Now, it's time for us to stop. And tonight, we're going to need you all with us." He tells us.
"Okay. We're here. What's up?" Amy asked.
"A picnic. And then a trip. Somewhere different, somewhere brand new." Lexi says earning a smile from the Doctor
"Where?" I ask him.
"Space, 1969."
"Salud!" The Doctor cheered raising his glass of wine in the air as we all gathered on a blanket, Lexi was leaning her back against him as he laid down leaning up on his arm while me, River, Rory and Amy all sat comfortably.
"Salud!" We replied clinking our glasses.
"So, when are going to 1969?" Rory asks
"And since when do you both drink wine?" Amy asked Lexi and the Doctor.
"I'm eleven hundred and three. I must've drunk it sometime." He says and I look at him confused, that's not how old he was the last time I saw him. He takes a swig from the bottle and spits it out behind him as Lexi set hers down while chuckling, "Oh, why it's horrid. I thought it would taste more like the gums."
"Eleven hundred and three? You were nine hundred and eight the last time we saw you." Amy pointed out to him, mimicking my thought.
"And you've put on a couple of pounds. I wasn't going to mention it."
"Don't worry, he said the same thing to me the other day." Lexi says to Amy earning a glare from him.
"I said I was sorry!" He pouts making her chuckle and she planted a small but quick kiss on his lips, and I see Amy look past me.
"Who's that?"
"Hmm? Who's who?" Rory asked and she looked at him.
"Sorry, what?"
"What did you see? You said you saw something." I said and she looked at me.
"No, I didn't."
"Ah, the moon. Look at it. Of course, you lot did a lot more than look, didn't you? Big, silvery thing in the sky. You couldn't resist it. Quite right." The Doctor points out and we glanced up at the moon.
"The moon landing was in 69. Is that where we're going?" Rory asked.
"No. A lot more happens in 69 than anyone remembers. Human beings. I thought I'd never get done saving you." He replies then looked past all of us with Lexi following his gaze. A truck pulls up nearby and an older man gets out; the Doctor stands up and waves to him as Lexi reached over giving Amy's hand a squeeze and smiled at her.
"Who's he?" Amy asked.
"Oh, my God." River says pulling our attention away from the man back towards the lake, a figure in a NASA spacesuit is standing up to its knees in the lake.
The Doctor and Lexi shared a look before he spoke, "You all need to stay back. Whatever happens now, you do not interfere. Clear?" He asked us, then him and Lexi go to meet the figure, who has stepped out of the water.
"That's an astronaut. That's an Apollo astronaut in a lake." Rory points out as we watched the Doctor speak to the figure.
Doctor POV...
"Hello. It's okay. We know it's you." I say to the astronaut, it raises its gold-plated visor, "Well then."
Aurora POV...
We watch as the Doctor says something, then bows his head before grabbing Lexi's hand, "What's he doing?" Amy asked then the astronaut shoots Lexi.
"Lexi!" Amy yelled and went to run towards her, but Rory and I held her back.
"Amy, stay back!" I tell her then it raised its arm back towards the Doctor who was looking down at Lexi's body, firing at him.
His regeneration energy starts to flow from his hands, and he looks over at us, "I'm sorry." I see him mouth then opens his arms to welcome his next face, but the astronaut shoots again stopping it.
"No!" River and I yelled running over to them with the others following.
Amy drops down to her knees next to Lexi and held her as I scanned her while River scans the Doctor, "Aurora?" She asks me through tears, but I sighed looking down, "No." She cries pulling her sister closer to her.
"River?" I asked and she gave the same answer, "No." I whispered looking at the Doctor and Lexi while Amy cried as Rory sooths her while tears formed in his eyes as well. River pulled out her gun and empties her six-shooter at the retreating astronaut, but nothing happens.
"Of course not."
"River, they can't be dead. This isn't possible." Amy cried and I rub her back.
"Whatever that was, it killed him in the middle of his regeneration cycle. His body was already dead. He didn't make it to the next one." She tells her then looked at Lexi, we shared a look in agreement.
"But why Lexi?" Rory asks and I sighed.
"I don't know."
"Maybe he's a clone or a duplicate, maybe they both are." Amy says and the old man approaches, with a petrol can.
"I believe I can save you some time. That most certainly is your sister, and the Doctor. They are most certainly dead. The Doctor said you'd need this." He says to River and held up the can.
"Gasoline?" Rory asked.
"A Time Lord's body is a miracle." I pointed out and looked down at the Doctor, "Even a dead one. There are whole empires out there who'd rip this world apart for just one cell."
"Aurora's right, we can't leave him here. Or anywhere."
Amy set her sister down and moved over to the Doctor, "Wake up. Come on, wake up, you stupid, bloody idiot." She cried but nothing, "What do we do, Rory?"
"We're his friends, her family. We do what we always do. As we're told." River says
"There's a boat. If we're going to do this, let's do it properly." Rory told us and I knelt down to Amy.
"She would want to go with him, you know that." I tell her and she choked out a sob looking back at her sister as I share a look with River again.
"Okay." She sighs and Rory pulled her into a hug.
As the sun sets, the Doctor and Lexi float out on the lake like a Viking funeral as the boat starts to burn up with them in it, "Who are you? Why did you come?" River asked the man.
"The same reason as you." He holds out his blue invitation. The same one we all got, "Doctor Song," He greets looking at her then at me, "Aurora, Amy, Rory. I'm Canton Everett Delaware the third. I won't be seeing you again, but you'll be seeing me." He says then walked away leaving all of us confused.
"Five." River says looking at the envelope.
"Sorry, what?" I asked her.
"The Doctor numbered the envelopes." She points out holding her letter and Canton's letter out for us to see. she had 4, he had 5.
"You got 3," River tells me as we walked back into the diner, "I was 4, Canton was 5, Amy and Rory were 2.
"So?"
"So, where's 1 and 0?" She asks.
"What, you think they invited two more people?" Rory asked her
"Well, they must have. They both planned all of this, to the last detail."
"Will you two shut up? It doesn't matter." Amy says leaning on a booth seat.
"He was up to something. Both of them were." I tell her.
"They're both dead."
"Space, 1969. What did he mean?" River asked us
"You're still talking, but it doesn't matter." Amy reminded her and I placed my hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, it mattered to him." Rory reminded her
"So, it matters to us." River adds
"They're dead."
"But they still need us." I tell her and she looks at me, "I know. Amy, I know. But right now, we have to focus."
"Look." Rory said and we saw two blue envelopes on a table near the back. Rory went over to the counter as me, River and Amy walked over to the table, and we saw two drinks on it, "Excuse me, who was sitting over there?"
"Just some couple."
"The Doctor and Lexi knew they were going to their deaths, so they sent out messages. When you know it's the end, who do you call?" River asked us.
"Er, your friends, family. People you trust." Rory answers and she holds both envelopes up.
"0 and 1. Who did The Doctor and Lexi trust the most?" She asked then a door to the back room opens, and we all watched the Doctor and Lexi as they walk into the diner while the Doctor held a straw in his mouth then they both looked at us as we stared at them in shock.
Moments before that...
Lexi POV...
"This isn't the spot." I told him as I looked at the screen at the console.
"I know, but I'm not sure we should go just yet."
"Why not?" I asked while turning to face him and he sighed.
"Lexi, we don't know what this is, what it could mean." He said and walked out of the Tardis into a diner with me following him. He walked over to the person behind the counter ordering two drinks while I set our envelopes down on the table before sliding into the booth. The Doctor walked over setting down two sodas then sat in the one across from me taking a sip, "No, this isn't right." He said then got up moving towards the door that led to the Tardis.
"What do you mean?" I asked him while following. We both walked in and he went to the underside of the console rummaging around in a few things then came back up with a straw in his hand.
"Special straw. It adds more fizz." He told me and I chuckled
"That's just a normal straw."
"Is not." He argued and I smirked at him.
"Yes, it is."
"Isn't." He smiled moving closer.
"Is." I said and he pulled me to him pressing my body against his.
"Keep arguing with me Miss Pond and you'll regret it."
"Oh? And how so?" I smirk at him seeing his eyes darken before kissing me deeply making me moan before pulling away, "Rude." I smiled and he chuckled then took my hand leading me back out into the diner, but we stopped when we saw Amy, Rory, River and Aurora all standing there looking at us shocked.
"This is cold." River carefully says as she stared at us. "Even by both of your standards, this is cold."
"Or hello, as people used to say." The Doctor tilted his head slightly.
"Lexi?" Amy questioned. "Doctor?" She asks looking at me like she wanted to burst into tears.
"We just popped out to get my special straw. It adds more fizz." He shrugged.
"You're okay." She frowned. "How can both you be okay?"
"Hey, of course I'm okay." The Doctor shared a frown with me before pulling Amy into a hug. "I'm always okay. I'm the King of Okay." He soothed. "Oh, rubbish title. Absolutely rubbish. Forget that title." He waved a hand dismissively before letting go of Amy and pivoting abruptly. "Rory the Roman!" He threw his arms around a very stunned-looking Rory. "Now that's a good title. Hello, Rory." The Doctor told him as Amy pulled me into a tight hug.
"Ames? Everything alright?" I asked while hugging her still and I heard her sniffle before she stepped away making me look at her confused, "Hey, what's wrong?" I asked her but she shook her head.
Rory managed an awkward pat on the back, clearly baffled, as the Doctor turned his attention to River and Aurora who stood off to the side. The Doctor shook his head at them. "Doctor River Song, Aurora" He turned to them as they just stared at him and me, River had an angry look on her face. "What trouble have you both got for us this time?"
River didn't answer. Instead, she spun sharply toward me, and slapped me, hard, across the face, "Ow!" I yelled holding my cheek while staring at the Doctor in shock.
"River!" The Doctor shouted, stepping between the two of us, and took a look at my face.
"Was that necessary Riv?" Aurora asked her.
"What was that for?" The Doctor narrowed his eyes at her.
"For allowing you to do something stupid and not tell us."
I frowned. "What are you... "
"I think she's talking about the future," the Doctor says to me.
"Oh. I probably deserved it then," I said, "and judging by her reaction it must have been something pretty stupid."
"I think it's actually a pretty reasonable reaction," Aurora chimed in, shrugging with a grin.
"I don't understand." Rory looked at me and then the Doctor. "How can you both be here?"
"We were invited." The Doctor gestured to himself and me as he picked up his blue card identical to the one that I had, "Date, map reference." He held the card up showing the number 1 and I showed mine with a 0. "Same as you lot, I assume, otherwise it's a hell of a coincidence."
"What's going on?" Amy asked.
"Amy, ask him how old he is," River ordered, her tone casual but pointed.
"That's a bit personal," the Doctor replied defensively, crossing his arms.
"Tell her." Aurora demanded.
He sighed, his posture slumping in mock defeat. "Nine hundred and nine," he said with a shrug.
Amy only frowned further. "Hang on you said you were-"
"So where does that leave us, huh?" River quickly cut in. "Jim the fish? Have we done Jim the fish yet?"
The Doctor chuckled slightly. "Who's Jim the fish?"
"I don't understand," Amy spoke up.
"Yeah, you do," Aurora replied.
"We don't!" The Doctor huffed, we clearly missed whatever the others understood. "What are we all doing here?"
"We've been recruited," River announced, her tone matter of fact. "Something to do with space, 1969, and a man called Canton Everett Delaware the Third."
"Recruited by who?" I ask her
"Someone who trusts you and him more than anyone else in the universe," River said.
"Who?" The Doctor asked her
"Spoilers," River and Aurora replied.
I stood by the console next to River and Aurora as Amy and Rory stood on the other side, "1969, that's an easy one!" The Doctor exclaimed, dancing past me. "Funny, how some years are easy. Now, 1482, full of glitches. Now then, Canton Everett Delaware the third. That was his name, yeah?" He questioned, eyes flicking over to watch as River and Amy stood quietly then shared a confused look with me. "How many of those can there be?" He continued. "Well, three, I suppose." I chuckled and the Doctor looked at Rory as Amy and River headed under the console, Aurora following a moment later. "Rory, is everybody cross with me and Lexi for some reason?"
"I'll find out." He slowly replied and quickly followed the others.
"Why do you think they're mad at you?" I asked him as Rory disappeared.
"Me? What could I possibly have done this time? River slapped you."
"Well, apparently I let you do something stupid, but that doesn't make sense. I never let you do anything stupid; you do that all on your own." I smirked at him.
"Oi!" He says and I giggled.
"Think about it, how many times do I have to stop you from 'just doing things'?"
The Doctor faltered, his lips twitching into a smile, "Occasionally," he muttered, then quickly added, "but that's entirely different!"
"If River's right, and I let you do something reckless, you would have done it anyways because you don't exactly need my encouragement to dive headfirst into chaos, do you?" I asked while smirking at him.
"Well... not entirely. Maybe a little."
"Exactly," I tell him. "It's both of us. And that slap really hurt." I said while rubbing my cheek again, he leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on it.
"Better?" He smiles at me, and I kissed him.
"I guess I just needed a Doctor." I smirk at him, and he smiled moving closer but then cleared his throat.
"This is taking too long," He sighed then went over to the edge of the floor to the underside of the console and laid down leaning his head over the side looking below, "I'm being extremely clever up here, and there's no one other than Lexi to stand around looking impressed. What's the point in having you all?" He asked then got back up moving over to me as I chuckled.
"Really?"
"I hate waiting." He grumbled.
"Oh, I know, believe me." I tell him then the others walked back up.
"Time isn't a straight line. It's all bumpy wumpy." The Doctor explained. "There's loads of boring stuff like Sundays and Tuesdays and Thursday afternoons. But now and then there are Saturdays. Big temporal tipping points when anything's possible. The TARDIS can't resist them, like a moth to a flame." He winked at me before moving around me and to another part of the console. "She loves a party, so I give her 1969 and NASA, because that's space in the sixties, and Canton Everett Delaware the third, and this is where she's pointing." He typed on the typewriter on the console before hitting enter.
"Washington D.C., April the eighth, 1969." Amy read on the screen before frowning. "So why haven't we landed?"
"Because that's not where we're going." The Doctor replied.
"Oh?" Rory frowned. "Where are we going?"
"Home. Well, you two are." He gestured to Amy and Rory. "Off you pop and make babies. Aurora can go back to wherever she was before this and, Doctor Song," he pointed at the woman, "back to prison. Lexi and I are late for a biplane lesson in 1911. Or it could be knitting." He frowned. "Knitting or biplanes, love?"
I shrugged. "I think knitting is less dangerous than flying."
He nodded then suddenly sat down in a jump seat and rubbed his forehead. "What?" He looked up at the others. "A mysterious summons. You think I'm just going to go? Risk Lexi's life?"
"To be fair that happens anyways." I told him trying to lighten the mood, but he looked back at the others.
"Who sent those messages? I know you know. I can see it in your faces. Don't play games with me. Don't ever, ever think you're capable of that." He told them
"You're going to have to trust us this time." River replied.
"I trust Lexi, Amy, and Rory? Sure." He stood up. "But you?" He asked walking over to her, "Or you for that matter?" He asks Aurora who stays silent, "Before I trust you, Doctor Song there's just one thing. Who are you?" He stepped towards her. "You're someone from my future, and Lexi's, I have a few suspensions. Most likely wrong. But who?" River stayed silent as he talked. "Okay. Why are you in prison? Who did you kill, hmm? Now, I love a mystery, me, look at Lexi for instance. She's full of mystery and then there's her..." he glanced at Aurora again. "I trust her enough, but trust you? Seriously."
Amy slowly shook her head. "Trust me, then."
The Doctor turned to her before answering. "Okay."
"Doctor, Lexi, you have to do this, and you can't ask why." She added and I shared a look with the Doctor.
"Are you being threatened? Is someone making you say that?" I asked walking over to her.
"No." Amy shook her head. "No one's forcing me to say anything."
He narrowed his eyes and stepped towards her. "You're lying."
"Doctor, I'm not lying."
"Swear to me," the Doctor said, his voice low and insistent. "Swear to me on something that matters."
Amy hesitated, her eyes flicking toward me before she sighed softly. "Alright." She met his gaze and straightened. "Fish fingers and custard." She says and I gave a small smile.
The Doctor stepped forward and hugged her, his hands gripping her shoulders. He finally pulled back, his expression softening. "My life in your hands, Amelia Pond." His voice was quiet but firm.
Then, as if flipping a switch, he clapped his hands together, the tension giving way to his usual energy. "So!" he exclaimed, darting toward the Tardis console and beginning to fiddle with the controls. Amy let out a shaky breath, but her shoulders remained stiff as she looks at me with sad eyes and I pull her into a hug, but I couldn't stop my mind from racing, what were they keeping from me? Let alone from the Doctor? "Canton Everett Delaware the third. Who's he?" The Doctor asked breaking me out of my thoughts and I moved over standing next to him as River stood on the other side.
"Ex FBI." River asked. "Got kicked out."
"Why?" The Doctor questioned looking at her.
"Six weeks after he left the Bureau, the President contacted him for a private meeting." Aurora explained with a shrug.
"Remind me, who's President?" I asked.
"Richard Milhouse Nixon. Vietnam, Watergate." River replied. "There's some good stuff, too."
"Not enough," the Doctor and I both grumbled
"Hippies!" River shot back, raising an eyebrow.
"Archaeologist," I said to her making Aurora chuckle.
"Okay, since I don't know what I'm getting into this time, for once I'm being discreet. I'm putting the engines on silent." The Doctor says and flips a switch, and the Tardis let out a loud, mournful wail.
Aurora rolled her eyes dramatically, glancing at me, I giggled as she reached over and pushed the lever back up making the Tardis fell silent, "Did you do something?" The Doctor asks her as he poked his head out from the other side.
"No," she replied smoothly, shaking her head. "Just watching."
She shot a wink at me when the Doctor turned back to the console and flicked another switch, "Putting the outer shield on invisible," he explained, his tone casual. "Haven't done this in a while. Big drain on the power."
Rory blinked, his brow furrowing. "You can turn the Tardis invisible?"
Before the Doctor could respond, bright lights suddenly flooded the room, illuminating the console, "Very nearly," River remarked, a sly smile tugging at her lips as she hits a button on the console, the bright lights flickering out almost immediately.
The Doctor poked his head around the console, his eyes narrowing suspiciously at her. "Did you touch something?"
"Not a thing," River raised her hands in mock innocence and I bit back a laugh earning a look from him.
"Hush you." He says and I stuck my tongue out at him then he turned away. "Okay. Now I can't check the scanner. It doesn't work when we're cloaked." He ran to the doors. "Just give us a mo." The Doctor spun around watching us follow behind him. "Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa. You lot, wait a moment. We're in the middle of the most powerful city in the most powerful country on Earth. Let's take it slow."
The Doctor slipped out of the doors and River looked at me. "How do you cope with him?"
"With great difficulty sometimes." I sighed while smiling and she laughs.
"Also helps that you can use your feminine wiles on him." She winked and I hid a blush.
"Too much sharing," Rory groans as Amy and Aurora nod in agreement making me and River giggle.
Minutes passed by then suddenly; a loud thud shook the Tardis making us stumble slightly. “Every time.” River sighed, shaking her head. A loud thud followed from beyond the doors, followed by the Doctor’s sharp, exasperated voice. “Ah, no. Stop that!” he barked.
Rory frowned, glancing toward Aurora, who was already pulling the Tardis screen toward herself. “He said the scanner wouldn’t work,” Rory pointed out.
She smiled, “I know. Bless.” She hummed softly, her tone entirely too calm for the situation. The scanner fizzed and then lit up an image of the Doctor lying on the ground, pinned down by multiple men in suits, “Stop that!” came the Doctor’s voice again, his frustration unmistakable. “Argh! Lexi, I showed you how to do it! Have you got my scanner working yet?” His voice cracked slightly before rising in a plaintive yell.
I rolled my eyes, "I hate him."
"No, you don't!"
"Get the President out of here. Sir, you have to go with them, now." The man on the screen says to Nixon.
"Someone, make her blue again!" He yells. River deactivated the cloaking field, and we see the men holding the Doctor down freeze.
“What the hell is that?” Nixon demanded.
“Mister President,” The Doctor began, having slipped away from the men holding him and sat in the President's chair, “that child just told you everything you need to know, but you weren’t listening.” He shook his head in mock disapproval. “Never mind, though, because the answer’s yes. I’ll take the case." The men who’d tackled him weren’t as amused. Scrambling to their feet, they aimed their guns at him, the sound of them cocking made me stiffen, “Fellows,” the Doctor said, his tone turning impatient as he gestured to the weapons. “The guns, really? I just walked into the highest security office in the United States and parked a big blue box on the rug. Do you think you can just shoot me?”
I ran to the doors rushing out, “They’re Americans!” I yell and the men face me with their guns raised.
“Don’t shoot! Definitely no shooting.” The Doctor says to them standing up as I raised my hands.
“No shooting us either please,” Aurora added dryly as she stepped out of the Tardis with her hands raised then the others followed, "I'd rather like to avoid a lecture today." She spoke.
“Look, we’ve got our hands up!” Rory said quickly, his arms shooting into the air in demonstration.
The President, still fixated on the Tardis, turned to Canton. “Who the hell are they?”
“Sir, you need to stay back,” Canton said cautiously, his tone low but firm.
“But who are they, and what is that box?” the President demanded, his voice rising slightly as he gestured toward the Tardis.
“It’s a police box,” the Doctor shot back, his tone incredulous. “Honestly, can’t you read?"
"Doctor." I groaned while closing my eyes shaking my head.
"I’m your new undercover agent on loan from Scotland Yard. Code name: the Doctor.” He motioned toward us with exaggerated flair. “And these are my top operatives: the Legs, the Nose, Things One and Two, and Mystery Girl.” He introduces us and I smiled as River and Aurora both sighed.
"I hate him." River groaned at Aurora, and I snorted.
“No, you don’t,” the Doctor replies with a grin now on his face.
“Who are you?” Nixon asked.
“Nah, boring question.” The Doctor threw back. “Who’s phoning you?” He then pointed towards Canton. “That’s interesting because Canton Three is right. That was definitely a girl’s voice, which means there’s only one place in America she can be phoning from.”
Canton frowned. “Where?”
“Do not engage with the intruder, Mister Delaware.” One of the men pointing his gun at the Doctor ordered.
“You heard everything I heard. It's simple enough.” The Doctor ignored the man and looked at the other men around the room. “Give me five minutes, I'll explain.” He sat back down in the Presidents chair and rested his feet on the desk. “On the other hand, lay a finger on me or my friends, and you'll never, ever know.”
Canton glanced towards the Tardis and pointed at it with his thumb. “How did you get it in here?” He tilted his head at the Time Lord. “I mean, you didn't carry it in.”
The Doctor smirked. “Clever, eh?”
“Love it.”
“Do not compliment the intruder.” The same man who told Canton off before spoke again.
Canton didn’t ignore him though, glancing at me and then the Doctor. “Five minutes?”
The Doctor nodded. “Five.”
“Mister President, that man is a clear and present danger to—”
“Mister President,” Canton interjected, gesturing toward the scene, “that man walked in here with a big blue box with five more of his friends inside. And yet, he’s the one they walked past like it was nothing." He indicated to the man still pointing his gun at the Doctor, "If anyone’s worth listening to, it’s him. I say we give him five minutes. Let’s see if he delivers.”
The Doctor smiled. “Thanks, Canton.”
“If he doesn't, I'll shoot him myself."
"You'll have to go through me first." I tell Canton and he smirked at me.
The Doctor face fell, and his eyes flickered to me. “Not so thanks.”
“Sir, I cannot recommend—”
“Shut up, Peterson!” The President snapped at the man in front of him. He let out a sigh and looked at Canton before making his decision. “All right.”
Canton nodded. “Five minutes.”
The guns all lowered, and the Doctor instantly straightened in his chair. “I'm going to need a SWAT team, ready to mobilize. Street level maps covering all of Florida. A pot of coffee, twelve Jammie Dodgers and a fez.” He grinned, his arms waving about as he spoke.
"Ignore that last one." I say to Canton who chuckled.
"Oi" The Doctor yelled, and I chuckled shaking my head. Canton raised a brow, glancing at me before looking at another man.
“Get him his maps.” Canton orders and men walk out of the room as I walk over to the desk and leaned against it, folding my arms across my chest.
“What do you think is going on?” I asked quietly, keeping my voice low so it wouldn’t carry to the men still watching.
The Doctor’s gaze flickered up to meet mine briefly before he shrugged. “There’s a girl out there somewhere who called the President because she’s scared, because she needs help,” he replied, his voice dropping into a quieter, more somber register. His expression darkened as he glanced toward the Tardis, where Amy and Rory were talking in hushed tones, their heads tilted close together. “But we also need to figure out why we were wanted here.”
"Can we just have a normal trip, just once?" I sighed and he chuckled while taking hold of my hand then the sound of shoes tapping against the polished floor drew our attention. A man approached the desk, carrying a large, rolled-up map tucked under his arm. He placed it on the desk with practiced precision, straightening as he waited for further instruction.
The Doctor’s demeanor brightened instantly, “Perfect!” he exclaimed, his grin breaking across his face like sunlight. “Now, you don’t happen to have any Jammie Dodgers or fish fingers lying about, do you?” He gestured broadly with his hands, looking between the man and me. “I’m feeling a bit peckish.”
The suited man hesitated, clearly unsure how to respond as I rolled my eyes, “Ignore him,” I said firmly, giving the man a reassuring nod. He blinked, nodded back, and turned to leave without a word, his shoes clicking against the floor as he disappeared through a nearby door.
The Doctor pouted dramatically, slumping in his chair. “Well, that’s just rude.”
I smirked at him, "Maybe try asking for something a little more realistic next time, love.”
The Doctor straightened, his grin returning as he unrolled the map, spreading it across the desk. “Oh, but where’s the fun in that?” he quipped, his fingers deftly smoothing the edges of the paper. His sharp eyes scanned the lines and markings, his mind clearly already at work.
I leaned over the desk looking at the map as well, “So, what are we looking for?” I asked.
The Doctor’s smile turned mischievous, the kind of smile that I both loved and dreaded because in the end it always meant he was going to get into trouble. “Answers,” he said simply, his voice laced with anticipation.
“Answers to what?” she pressed, raising an eyebrow.
He didn’t look up from the map, but his grin widened. “Everything.”
I let out a soft chuckle, shaking my head then leaned closer to him, “Just another adventure with the Doctor,” I murmured while smirking at him.
The Doctor glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, his smile softening for a moment. “Would you have it any other way?” he asked quietly.
“Never.” I smiled and he smirked then looked back down at the map as I grabbed another bringing it over to a couch.
It didn’t take long for more maps to fill the room, soon enough almost the entire floor was littered in maps, River was knelt down on the floor by one with the Aurora while the Doctor held a map of Florida in his hands and was wandering around the room, I leaned against the Tardis holding a map while Amy and Rory stood together watching the Doctor.
“Why Florida?” Canton broke the silence in the room; the President raised his eyebrows as he sat at his desk.
“That’s where NASA is.” He explained. “She mentioned a spaceman. NASA's where the spacemen live. Also, there's another lead I'm following.” He hummed.
I looked up as Rory placed a hand on Amy’s back, the ginger clutching her stomach. “Amy, what's wrong?”
“Amy?” I asked moving over to her.
The Doctor casually walked past, placing the map he had on the sofa. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah. No, I'm fine.” She waved him off. “I'm just feeling a little sick.” She moved away from Rory, towards one of the exists where a man was standing. “Excuse me, is there a toilet or something?”
“Sorry, ma'am, while this procedure's ongoing, you must remain within the Oval office.”
“Shut up and take her to the restroom.” Canton narrowed his eyes at the man.
The man nodded. “This way, ma'am.”
“Thanks.” She replied and went down the corridor. Rory went to follow but the man blocked his path and Rory sighed.
“She’ll be fine.” I reassured, patting Rory on the back.
Canton crossed his arms, standing just behind the President. “Your five minutes are up.”
The Doctor, still leaning over the map he’d just unrolled, didn’t even glance up. “Yeah, and where’s my fez?” He asked then shot me a wink and I shook my head.
A moment later, Amy walks back in, and I put my hand on her arm, "Are you alright?" I asked her and she nods.
"Yeah, just... just felt sick there for a moment and I nod then Nixon's phone rings.
"The kid?” Canton guessed.
The president looked at the Doctor. “Should I answer it?”
“Here!” The Doctor pointed to the map at the desk. “The only place in the United States that call could be coming from. See? Obvious, when you think about it.” He glanced over his shoulder at me with a triumphant grin. “Told them I’d figure out half of it.”
I rolled my eyes at him while smiling, "And here I thought modesty was your strong suit.”
Canton raised an eyebrow, looking at the Doctor with reluctant admiration. “You, sir, are a genius.”
The Doctor shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s a hobby.”
“Mister President, answer the phone,” Canton ordered.
The President picked up, his voice firm. “Hello. This is President Nixon.”
I strained as I listened to a trembling voice on the other end of the line. “It’s here!” the little girl cried, her fear palpable even through the crackle of the phone. “The spaceman’s here! It’s going to get me! It’s going to eat me!”
The Doctor clapped his hands, the sound sharp in the tension-filled room. “No time for a SWAT team,” he declared, shrugging his jacket on with quick, fluid movements. His hand found mine without hesitation, tugging me toward the Tardis. “Let’s go. Mister President, tell her help is on the way.”
He spun back briefly, addressing Canton. “On no account follow me into this box. And close the door behind you.”
Aurora had already ducked inside as River, Amy, and Rory exchanged looks before following. Canton, utterly baffled, stared after them. “What the hell are you doing?” he called, stepping into the Tardis himself.
The Doctor ran up the ramp toward the console, his voice ringing out as he began fiddling with the controls. “Jefferson isn’t a girl’s name,” he declared, tugging at levers and buttons in rapid succession. “And it’s not hers either. Jefferson, Adams, Hamilton. Aurora?”
“Surnames of three of America’s Founding Fathers.”
“Lovely fellows,” the Doctor mused, nodding thoughtfully. His grin turned smug as his gaze flicked to me. “Two of them fancied me.”
"Can't say I blame them." I smiled.
Meanwhile, Rory stood beside a slack-jawed Canton, who was still staring wide-eyed at the Tardis interior. “Are you okay?” Rory asked, raising a cautious brow. “Coping?”
Canton nodded stiffly, his gaze never leaving the glowing rotor. “It’s bigger on the inside.”
“Yeah, you get used to it,” Rory replied, shrugging.
The Doctor waved dismissively as he continued. “The President asked the child two questions—where are you and who are you? She was answering where. Now, where would you find three big historical names in a row like that?” he prompted, his gaze darting between us before settling on me.
"Wherever she saw the names. That’s where we’re going.” I pointed out and he smirks at me.
“Bingo!” The Doctor clapped his hands before grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the Tardis doors. “Come along, Ponds. Aurora, River.”
Canton stared at the Doctor as he passed him. His expression still bewildered. “Wait—what are you even doing?”
The Doctor barely slowed, addressing Rory as he walked past the man. “Ah are you taking care of this.”
Rory blinked as the Doctor didn’t stop to hear him answer. “Why is it always my turn?” he muttered as Amy patted his cheek affectionately.
“Because you’re the newest,” she replied before hurrying after the group. “Where are we?” Amy asked, stepping out of the Tardis and into the small room we had parked in, it looked much like an office but with the lack of lighting it was hard to tell.
“About five miles from Cape Kennedy Space Center,” the Doctor replied as he sat at a chair by a desk and waved a small American flag. “It’s 1969—the year of the moon.” He glanced at me. “Interesting, don’t you think?”
I furrowed my brows at him. “But why would a little girl be here?”
The Doctor shrugged, hands in his pockets as he stood up. “Lost me a bit there. The President asked her where she was, right? And what do you do when you don’t know where you are?”
“Look out the window?” I guessed nodding at the small window in the room with the blinds pulled down.
The Doctor beamed at me. “You are clever. You know that don’t you?”
“You remind me all the time, Doctor,” I replied with a chuckle.
“There they go flirting." We hear River grumble to Aurora who closed her eyes shaking her head.
The Doctor ignored her completely, walking over to the window and pulling the blinds back slightly to reveal the street signs. “The only place in Florida, probably all of America, with those three street names at the same junction.” He turned to me with a knowing grin. “You’ve got that face on again Lexi.”
I blinked, leaning against the wall with my arms crossed. “What face?”
“The ‘he’s hot when he’s clever’ face,” the Doctor teased, stepping closer.
"I always have that face.”
"I know.” he replied, his grin widening into a full-on smirk.
“They’re definitely flirting now.” Aurora says back to River.
I giggled at the Doctor, then walked over kissing his cheek, “Shut up,” I tell him in a teasing tone. I walked away past Amy, she raised her hand, and I met it with a loud high-five.
“We’ve moved,” Canton said suddenly, his voice thick with disbelief as he stepped out of the Tardis, Rory behind him. “How… how can we have moved?”
“You haven’t even got to space travel yet?” the Doctor quipped, his attention shifting to Rory.
“I was going to cover it with time travel,” Rory replied, giving an awkward shrug.
"Time travel’s where it really gets interesting.” Aurora points out and I smiled at her.
“Time travel,” Canton repeated slowly, his wide-eyed gaze bouncing between the group.
The Doctor patted his shoulder as he passed, his tone breezy. “Brave heart, Canton. You’ll get there. Come on.”
“So let me get this straight,” Canton said, his voice rising slightly as he gestured toward the Tardis. “We’re in a box that’s bigger on the inside, and it travels through time and space?”
“Yeah,” Rory replied, nodding matter-of-factly. “Basically.”
Canton stared at him for a moment, his brow furrowing in thought. “How long have Scotland Yard had this?”
Rory blinked, clearly caught off guard, before opening his mouth to respond. But the Doctor interrupted with a wide grin as he clapped his hands together.
“Ah, Canton, so many questions! You’ll figure it all out. Eventually.”
“You’re enjoying this a little too much, aren’t you?” I asked him and he faces me.
The Doctor shot me a mischievous grin. “What’s the point of time travel if you can’t blow a few minds along the way?”
I rolled my eyes, but my lips twitched upward into a faint smile. “You’re ridiculous.”
“You love it,” He replied, his voice ringing with mock smugness as he took my hand as we walked.
“Time travel,” Canton muttered again under his breath, shaking his head as he reluctantly followed the group. “Unbelievable.”
We followed after River, who was focused on her device as we moved through what looked like an abandoned warehouse. The air was thick with dust, the dim light catching on cobwebbed beams. Wooden crates lay scattered across the concrete floor, some splintered, others intact.
“What is this place?” I asked, glancing around the shadowed space.
“It’s a warehouse of some kind,” River answered without looking up. “Disused.”
“You realize this is almost certainly a trap, right?” the Doctor said to her, his eyes flicking toward the dark corners of the room.
“I noticed the phone, yes.”
I frowned but Amy voiced the question on my mind. “What about it?”
“It was cut off.” River paused, as though weighing her words, but I beat her to it.
“Then how did the little girl call us?”
River’s lips curled into a knowing smile. “Exactly, dear."
“Okay… but why would anyone want to trap us?” Amy asked.
The Doctor shrugged. “Let’s see if anyone tries to kill us and work backwards.”
"I should’ve known you’d say that.” I tell him with a smirk, and he smiled as we continued walking through, but something stops me. I glanced over at another walkway seeing a bright light shining from the wall. I glanced over at the others seeing that they were all looking around the building, so I moved towards the wall. As I got there, I saw nothing but a bright rectangular shape on it, then suddenly a face appears making me jump.
"No, she's still out." The voice said then I felt a hand on my shoulder making me jump again, I turned around seeing Aurora standing there.
"You alright?" She asks and I looked back at the wall, but the light disappeared.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I told her then moved back towards the others.
Our footsteps echoed as we approached a cluster of old electrical equipment. I squinted at the dusty machines—they resembled computers, but something about them felt off. “Now, why would a little girl be here?” River murmured, adjusting her grip on the device.
“I don’t know,” the Doctor replied, stepping past her. “Let’s find her and ask her.”
River’s torch beam landed on an almost-upright ‘bed’ near the center of the room. Wires trailed from it like veins, a strange metallic headpiece at the top end of the ‘bed’.
She moved closer. “Non-terrestrial,” she said softly, eyes narrowing. “Definitely alien. Probably not even from this time zone.”
“Which is odd, because—” The Doctor spun around and strode toward a nearby crate. “Look at this.”
He yanked something free and held it up: a spacesuit helmet, its visor gold but clearly new.
Amy frowned while Aurora pointed out, “That’s Earth tech.”
“Very contemporary Earth tech,” the Doctor confirmed, turning the helmet over in his hands. “Cutting-edge. Straight from the space program.”
“Stolen?” River suggested.
“What, by aliens?” I asked
“Apparently.” The Doctor shrugged.
“But why?” Amy asked as the Doctor attempted to fit the helmet onto his head. “I mean, if you can make it all the way to Earth, why steal technology that can barely make it to the moon?”
“Maybe because it’s cooler?” The Doctor’s voice was muffled through the visor. He flipped it up, grinning at them as River wandered off to examine more equipment. “Look how cool this stuff is.”
“Cool aliens?” Amy echoed, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, what would you call me?” The Doctor spread his arms wide in mock self-importance.
“An alien,” Amy answered immediately.
“An idiot,” I said at the same time with a smirk.
“Oi!” The Doctor shot me a wounded look.
"If the helmet fits...” He stuck his tongue out at me, and I shook my head as he pulled the helmet off and set it aside.
“I, er… I think he’s okay now,” Rory called, shining his torch at Canton, who was looking up at the ceiling of the warehouse.
“Ah! Back with us, Canton.” The Doctor clapped his hands together and strode toward the man.
Canton gestured vaguely toward the Tardis with his torch while still looking upwards. “I like your wheels.”
The Doctor gave his shoulder a brief pat as he passed by. “That’s my boy. Right, come on. Little girl. Let’s find her.”
I followed the Doctor as Amy veered off with River, Aurora caught up with us just as the Doctor peered into another crate.
“More spacesuits?” I asked, frowning as Aurora picked one up and rubbed the visor, watching it gleam under the torchlight, “Seriously?” I asked her with a smile.
“What? It’s cool,” she said defensively, still polishing the glass.
“See! Someone has taste.” The Doctor smiled and I shook my head. The Doctor’s attention snapped to River when she called his name. He headed over, me close behind, stopping beside a now-open manhole cover.
“Doctor, look at this,” she said, gesturing to the dark opening.
“So… where does that go?” The Doctor asked, crouching beside it.
“There’s a network of tunnels running under here,” River explained, checking her device.
The Doctor tilted his head. “Life signs?”
“Nothing. Not that’s showing up.”
The Doctor grumbled. “Those are the worst kind.” River gave a small nod, then tested the ladder with her foot, “Be careful,” the Doctor warned.
“It’s okay.” River smirked and looked over at me, "Lexi is coming with me.”
"I am?"
“Yes, you are.” River nodded decisively.
“Alright then.” I shrugged then moved over to the manhole as River climbed in.
The Doctor sighed. “Fine. Shout if you get into trouble.”
“Don’t worry.” River’s smirk turned sly. “From what I understand, Lexi is quite the screamer.” She says and my eyes go wide as my face got warm.
"Okay, that was too much." Aurora groans as the Doctor shifted.
“Trust me, I could have done without that bit of information as well.” River replied casually. “Come on, dear.” She turned and started down the ladder then I followed her.
After I got to the bottom of the ladder I turned to face River and froze. Standing before us were three tall figures in black tuxedos huddling in the corner. Pale, distorted faces. Wide, empty eyes that almost looked like they had just been woken up when River's torch was shone at them. My breath caught in my throat, "But…” I whispered, trembling. “I’ve seen them before.” I frowned. But where had I seen them?
River’s eyes flicked toward me. “What?”
“I feel like I've seen them before,” I murmured, voice barely audible.
River’s expression darkened. “Lexi, move. Now!” She shoved me toward the ladder, I hesitated for a fraction of a second, then scrambled up with River right behind me. We reached the surface, gasping for breath.
The Doctor turned toward us, brow furrowed. "All clear?"
River hesitated for a moment, and I frowned then watched as River forced a smile. "Just tunnels. Nothing down there we could see." She shifted her weight. "Give me five minutes—I want to take another look around."
"Stupidly dangerous," the Doctor said flatly.
"Yeah, we like it too," River replied while heading back down.
I turned to Amy. "Amy, look after him."
Amy nodded and I made my way back down the ladder. I got to the bottom then stopped as a wave of nausea hit me and I leaned against the wall.
"Lexi? Are you alright?" River asks while placing her hand on my shoulder.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Just felt a bit sick.
"Hang on, River, Lexi. I'm coming too." We heard Rory call after us then we saw him come down the ladder and looked at me concerned as I remained against the wall trying to calm my stomach, "Lexi?" He asked.
"I'm good, no worries." I waved him off then River pulled out her computer before leading the way through the tunnel.
"What do you think?" River asked.
"I don’t know what to think anymore," I frowned.
"That's interesting." River checked her device. "These tunnels are old—really old. How can they be this ancient and nobody's noticed them?"
We stopped at a metal door, "It's locked," Rory frowned testing it.
"Oh, why do people always lock things?" River muttered.
"What's through there?" Rory questioned.
"No idea." I shrugged. "River?"
River grinned. “Don’t know. Want to find out?”
I grinned matching hers. “Obviously.”
Rory sighed. “You’re really going to open it, aren’t you?”
“Well, it’s locked.” River shrugged. “How’s a girl supposed to resist?”
“Is this sensible?”
River smirked, shaking her head. “Not remotely. Keep a look out." She says to us.
"What did you mean? What you said to Amy. There's a worst day coming for you." Rory asked her.
"When I first met the Doctor, a long, long time ago, he knew all about me. Think about that. An impressionable young girl and, suddenly this man just drops out of the sky and he's clever and mad and wonderful and knows every last thing about her. Imagine what that does to a girl."
"I don't really have to." Rory sighed and I placed my hand on his arm.
"My past is Lexi and the Doctor’s future, same with Aurora.” River exhaled. “We’re travelling in opposite directions. Every time we meet, I know you both more, but you know me less. I live for the days when I see the two of you, but every time I do, you’re one step further away. And one day, I’ll find the Doctor, and he won’t even know who I am.” Her voice wavered. “I think that’s going to kill me.” She tells us and my heart broke then the lock clicked, and we head inside before hearing a small screeching sound. “That’s an alarm,” River stated. “Rory, check if anything’s coming.”
He nodded and hurried back to the door while River sighed and turned to me, reaching into her pocket before pulling out a sleek, alien-looking gun. I frowned, my gaze flicking to the one already holstered on River’s hip, “River…” I exhaled. “Why do you have another gun?”
“It's not mine dear."
“Then whose is it?” I asked
"It's yours.” She told me and I blinked at her confused.
“What? Why would I have a gun?”
River met my gaze. “Because you’re with the Doctor more than anyone. I know you’ll do whatever it takes to keep him and everyone else safe. So, take it.” I hesitated, staring at the weapon. There was something in the way River spoke, something that sent a shiver through me, “I’ve seen you use it,” River continued, softer now. “You told me I gave it to you on this day.” Slowly, I reached out and took the gun, turning it over in my hands, “You know how to use it?” River asked.
I studied it, my fingers running over the sleek surface until I found a small switch near the trigger. “This is the safety?” I guessed.
River smirked. “You’re good.”
I flicked the switch off, then back on again, testing the weight of it. A slow smirk tugged at my lips as River raised a brow, “The Doctor’s not going to like that.”
She shrugged. “Don't worry, he'll get used to it.”
"This doesn’t look like an Earth gun.”
“Because it isn’t,” River said, pointing to a small arrow and energy gauge. “No bullets. It recharges itself when not in use.” I nodded, gripping it just a little tighter, “It’s outlawed on a couple of planets unless you have authorization,” River added. “And knowing the Doctor has to have at least some perks.”
I chuckled, tucking the gun into my waistband just as Rory returned, “There’s nothing out there. At all.”
“These tunnels,” River muttered, scanning her device, “they’re not just here. They’re everywhere. Running under the surface of the entire planet. They’ve been here for centuries.”
"That can't be good.” I point out.
River nodded slightly. “Lexi, I think you should go find the Doctor.”
I hesitated, glancing between River and Rory. Something about the way they looked at each other unsettled me. Regardless, I nodded then made my way out of the room keeping a grip on the gun while shining my torch. I reached the ladder and climbed up, reaching the top and I saw Amy doubled over in pain.
“Ames?” I rushed to my sister, eyes darting between her and the Doctor. “What’s wrong?” Amy winced, clutching her stomach.
“Amy?” The Doctor’s voice sharpened, concern flaring in his wide eyes.
Then— a little girl’s cry rang out.
“Help me!”
Amy groaned, bending over further as if the pain might subside. “Doctor, I need to tell you something,” she gasped, barely getting the words out. “It’s important.”
“Doctor!” Canton’s voice cut through the air.
The Doctor hesitated, glancing between Amy and Canton’s call. Amy’s grip on her stomach tightened. “It’s really, really important.”
“Doctor, quickly!” Canton’s voice grew urgent.
“What?” The Doctor gripped my hand, pulling me along as we rushed deeper into the warehouse. Amy followed, still bent over in pain. We skidded to a stop at Canton’s slumped form on the floor, “Canton!” The Doctor knelt beside him, pressing two fingers to his neck.
“Is he all right?” I asked as I knelt down next to Amy placing my hand on her shoulder as she winced again.
“Just unconscious. Took a proper whack,” the Doctor confirmed.
“Doctor, I need to tell you something. I have to tell you now.”
“Help! Help me!” Another cry.
“Doctor… I’m pregnant.” I heard my sister say and I whipped my head to look at her shocked.
"What?" I asked her, before she could answer, we heard heavy footsteps coming towards us.
I turned, slow, almost unwillingly as a figure emerged from the shadows, clad in a NASA spacesuit of all things. It stepped closer, raising its arm lifting he visor, a little girl stared back at me terrified. “Help me!” The child’s voice rang out, raw and desperate. Then, it felt like everything slowed down.
"Get down!" I heard Amy yell then saw her pick up Canton's gun.
"What are you doing?" The Doctor asks her
"Saving your life!"
"No!" The Doctor yelled but Amy shoots at the astronaut, and screams.