Checkmate (Doctor Who fanfiction)

Miss Psycho

"Here we go, Ruby," Amy said, putting my poncho over my head. "Our boys. Our poncho boys. If we're going to die, let's die looking like a Peruvian folk band."

I giggled a little, despite the inanimate death in that sentence.

"We're not gonna die," Rory said slowly.

"No, we're not, but our time's running out. If we fall asleep here we're in trouble. If we could divide up, then we'd have an active presence in each world, but the Dream Lord is switching us between the worlds. Why? Why? what's the logic?" As The Doctor ranted and paced, suddenly The Dream Lord and Emerald appeared, walking along behind him just as thoughtfully, both wearing ponchos. Emerald was now wearing big, plastic emerald green glasses, leggings, and leather boots. She certainly did like wardrobe changes.

"Good idea veggie," The Dream Lord was saying thoughtfully. "Let's divide you four up, so I can have a little chat with our lovely companion. Maybe Emerald and I'll keep her, and you can have Pointy Nose and Miss Psycho to yourself for all eternity, should you manage to clamber aboard some sort of reality."

I was assuming that I wasn't the lovely companion he was referring to, since I'd recently discovered that I wasn't exactly considered the lovely one around here. And any way, I was most definitely a psycho. Huh. Miss Pshyco. Nice nickname.

The birds began to sing, and I stumbled.

"Can you hear that?" Rory asked Amy.

"What? No," she said. Oh no. I grabbed the console to hold myself up, suddenly desperate to stay awake and protect Amy.

"Amy, don't be scared," The Doctor said gently to her as he lay down. "We'll be back."

"Rory. Doctor. Ruby, don't leave me."

The Doctor and Rory didn't listen to her, just fell down and shut their eyes.

The idiots. Not even trying. I felt tears well up in my eyes at the fear I saw in hers. I tried to force myself to stay awake, but my control over the matter was slipping away. She noticed my struggle, and hurried over to me.

"It's okay," she assured me, obviously trying to be brave for my sake, knowing I'd be worried sick. "Go to sleep." I was too weak to fight as she lowered me to the ground. I don't think I've ever tried to stay awake that hard. What if they hurt her?

I felt her brush away a tear just before I fell asleep.

***

I struggled to my feet shortly after I woke up. It proved harder than I thought in these heels. I realized when I heard the screaming of the Eknodines on the other side of the thin metal door, that didn't have time to worry about Amy right now. The Doctor knelt down by the door and pressed his ear up to it.

"Okay... where is it..." he used his sonic screwdriver to find a frequency.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Shh, Miss Psycho," he answered quietly. Alrighty then. His light teasing was making me forget the dangerous situation we were in. He swung open the door and sonicked the light outside it. It brightened and sparked, making the old people squint and shut their mouths. No matter what creature was living inside them, old people were still old people.

He yanked me out the door after him, and soon enough, we were running down the street outside. Mr. Nainby was attacking a camper parked down the road.

"Oh you couldn't live near the shops, could you?!" The Doctor shouted. We took a sharp left turn and The Doctor yanked Mr. Nainby from where he was. When he was on the ground, The Doctor shoved the driver aside.