The Oncoming Storm ²

A Good Man Goes To War pt.3

"It's ok. She's still all yours. And really, you should call her mummy, not big milk thing" I mutter.

"Ok, what are you doing?" Amy asks looking at me.

"We speak Baby" I say.

"No, you don't."

"We speak everything, don't we, Melody Pond" Melody coos again "no, it's not. it's cool" I say fiddling with my bowtie.

"Seer? Doctor? Take a look. They're leaving. Demon's Run is ours without a drop of blood spilled. Seer my friend, you have never risen higher" Rory and I share looks.

*Outside the TARDIS*

Amy carries Melody out of the TARDIS.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Rory asks.

"She doesn't like the TARDIS noise. I asked them to turn something off, but it was all, but I don't want to punch a hole in the space-time continuum. Shush" Amy says holding the crying Melody close to her.

"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. Is she all right?" Jenny asks.

"Yes, she's just crying" Amy replies.

"Give her to me, human fool. She needs changing" Strax says.

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

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

"Er, I really don't think you will, actually" Rory replies.

"I have gene-spliced myself for all nursing duties. I can produce magnificent quantities of lactic fluid" Strax says, the Doctor comes out of the TARDIS with a wooden cot that has an array dangling over it, I follow close behind.

"She's not hungry, she's tired. Sorry, Melody, they're just not listening" I say.

"What's this?" Amy asks.

"Very pretty, according to your daughter" I respond.

"It's a, it's a cot."

"No flies on the Roman. Give her here, hey" I say, Amy hands Melody to me.

"There we go," Amy says.

"Hello" I say holding Melody in my arms.

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

"It's old. Really old" I place Melody in the cot "Alex, Doctor, er, do you have children?" Amy asks, the Doctor and I go silent for a second.

"No" the Doctor replies.

"Have you ever had children?" Melody holds my finger.

"No, no, it's real. It's my hair" I say.

"Who slept in here?" Amy asks.

"Seer, Doctor, we need you in the main control room," Vastra says.

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

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

"Er, Centurion, permission to hug?" the Doctor asks.

"Be aware, I do have a sword" Rory responds.

"At all times" the Doctor replies as he and I hug Amy.

"You were on the TARDIS, too. Your heart, your mind, your soul. But physically, yes, you were still in this place" I say.

"And when I saw that face looking through the hatch, that woman looking at me?" Amy asks.

"Reality bleeding through. They must have taken you quite a while back. Just before America" the Doctor says.

"That's probably enough hugging now," Rory says, the Doctor and I pull away

"so her Flesh avatar was with us all that time. But that means they were projecting a control signal right into the TARDIS wherever we were in time and space."

"Yeah, they're very clever," the Doctor says.

"Who are?" Amy asks,

"Whoever wants our baby" Rory replies.

"But why do they want her?"

"Exactly" I say.

"Is there anything you're not telling us? You knew Amy wasn't real. You never said" Rory responds.

"Well, we couldn't be sure they weren't listening," the Doctor says.

"But you both always hold out on us. Please, not this time. Doctor, it's our baby. Tell us something. One little thing."

"It's mine" I say.

"What is?" Rory asks.

"The cot. It's my cot. I slept in there" I respond, as the Doctor and I walk off.

"Oh, my God. It's Alex's first stars"

"She's..." Rory starts, Amy wipes Melody's dribble with the prayer leaf.

"Drop your weapons. State your rank and intent. I found it listening at the door" Strax says, It's Lorna.