Checkmate (Doctor Who fanfiction)

Who's Who?

"Hey, what's wrong?" Rory asked as Amy carried a crying Melody out of the Tardis.

"She doesn't like the Tardis noise. I asked him to turn something off, but it was all, 'but I don't want to punch a hole in the space-time continuum.' Oh, Shh, Shush."

"Rory! The Judoon have escorted the Clerics out of the quadrant. Spitfires have returned to their own time. Captain Avery and his men are going-" Jenny, a spunky girl about my age with dark hair and eyes said. She paused. "Is she all right?" She noticed Melody.

"Yes, she's just crying," Amy assured her.

"Give her to me, human fool, she needs changing," Strax demanded.

I stepped between her and Strax.

"I just changed her. I think she might need a feed."

"A feed, of course. I'll take care of everything."

"I really don't think you will, actually," I said, putting my hand on the handle of the sword Vastra (the lizard woman) and Jenny had given me.

"I have gene-spliced myself for all nursing duties. I can produce magnificent quantities of lactic fluid!"

I drew my sword.

"She's not hungry, she's tired!" The Doctor called, emerging from the Tardis holding a wooden cradle with an array of little wooden stars dangling over it. Something about it was familiar. Amy transferred her daughter to my arms once I'd put away my sword. "Sorry, Melody, they're just not listening."

"What's this?" Amy asked Melody sweetly, tickling her nose. I smiled down at her.

"Very pretty, according to your daughter," The Doctor said.

"It's a... it's a cot," noticed Rory. I smiled at him.

"No flies on the Roman. Give her here," The Doctor said, holding out his arms. I carefully lay the little girl in his care, refusing to look up at him. He gently lay her down in the cradle. "Hey, there we go," he said gently. I didn't know The Doctor was good with kids. It wasn't something that ever crossed my mind. I assumed he'd accidentally break the child until about an hour ago, when he first met Melody.

"But where would you get a cot?" Rory asked.

"It's old. Really old," Amy noted. "Doctor, er, do you have children?"

This question made both The Doctor and I tense. I could see the pain in his eyes. It made me shift positions, though, because of the conversation The Doctor and I had had about two weeks ago on the beach.

"No."

"Have you ever had children?" She pressed. I saw the truth in his eyes. The answer was yes.

"No, it's real. It's my hair," he said. Something told me that he was trying to make us believe his brain was wandering from the conversation, when he was in fact, right there with us.

"Who slept in here?" She asked.

"Doctor, we need you in the main control room!" Called Vastra.

"Be right there! Things to do. I've still got to work out what this base is for. We can't leave till we know."

"But... this is where I was? The whole time I thought I was on the Tardis, I was really here?" Asked Amy.

"Er, Centurian, Psycho, permission to... hug?" The Doctor asked.

"Be aware, we do have swords," Rory warned.

"At all times. You were on the Tardis, too. Your heart, your mind, your soul. But physically, yes, you were still in this place."