Shooting Star // Eternalian Chronicles Book 1

46) .The Memory Opens.

(Edited)

.The Pandorica Opens.

~Catherine Wood~

A smile grew on River's face. Had she been waiting for this moment, the moment where I would realize everything about my past. Was this the moment where I would decide that I needed a Keeper, where I would ask River to do that for me now that Garlin was gone? I shook my head in dismissal, trying to focus my thoughts on one thing. The Doctor looked down at me in his arms, shocked. I was glad that he didn't try and put me upwards because I was sure that I wouldn't be able to stand.

"You remember everything," the Doctor muttered, though I was pretty sure it was mostly to himself. 

It was almost as if he was starstruck, remembering a time where both of us were different people. I remembered that time too. My breaths quickened as the human side of me realized that I had another life. I was a different person. That was not me. I hardly knew Garlin, and yet we had been inseparable. I had never given birth. I wasn't a mother. I hadn't fought in a war, and yet it was all me. I did all that, since the beginning of time. I was hardly ever a child. Everything seemed to minuscule now, as if this was just a blippet in time. I steadied myself, trying to let my breaths slow, but my mind was working at a hundred miles an hour and I couldn't process all of it. I was sure my mind was going to explode. River reached out, pulling me from the Doctor's arms and into hers, wrapping her arms around my neck. I wrapped my own around her waist, burying the top of my head into the crevice between her neck and her shoulder, trying to breath steadily and not panic.

"Hey, hey, hey," River said softly, patting my back gently. "You're okay. You told me this was going to happen. Your mind isn't able to handle it because humans are weak creatures." The tone of her voice was quiet and soothing and it suddenly was like a miracle, making my breathing smooth out and go back to normal just as quickly as it had begun to go haywire. "Just focus on the present. Feel the things around you. We are in the Underhenge, like you said. We're going to figure out the problem of the Pandorica and then we're going to figure out how to get your Eternality back." 

Focusing on my breaths for a moment more, I was settled, able to steady myself, plant my feet firmly on the ground, and pull away from River, looking up at her with kindness.

"Thank you." I said. "Good thing we're friends. You're really a Keeper." 

For a moment there was nothing but the cheesy smile that I gave River. Then she snorted, bursting out laughing. Chuckling as well, I pulled away completely, looking at Amelia who looked very confused and at the Doctor who looked ... annoyed?

"Can we please get to the topic at hand?" he asked. "There are tens of thousands of ships in the shy tracking our every move, made of every kind of enemy that we can possibly think of, and we have to figure out a way to stop them. So please, can we focus?" 

I frowned, glancing down at my shoes. A blush rose to my cheeks in embarrassment. This wasn't my fault. I caught the glare River threw at the man. He coughed uncomfortably. 

"Sorry," he apologized. "This is ... this is just a lot for me too. I'm glad you have your memories back." 

I lifted my eyes shyly, gazing at the Doctor through my eyelashes. He was rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, his other hand in his pocket. It wasn't a look I could refuse forgiving.

"It's alright," I promised. "And you're right. We need to focus." I looked up completely, tossing Amelia a wink that totally wasn't what I used to do but felt confident doing it. "Let's go give those monsters hell."

*~~~~~*~~~~~*

~Third Person~

It was all different. Catherine held herself straighter as they made their way back to the surface. She was more confident. She did things different than she would have done without her memories. It was like her old self was coming back to her. And though Desta had been a great friend to him, the Doctor was starting to miss the Catherine that he had grown used to. She was changing all too quickly. Where was her bubbliness? Where was the small moments of shyness that she always had? Where was the clumsiness that always seemed to follow her. She walked up the stairs with grace, almost as though she was floating. She was still her, the Doctor tried to remind himself. Catherine was still Catherine, the one he had grown used to and the one who had become his close friend. It had just been a couple minutes. Just a couple minutes since she had gained all her memories. She wasn't any different than she was before that, she had just reached untapped potential that had sprung out, yet the Doctor found that he was still doubting it in his heart.