Central Park, New York City. April 3rd, 1938.
'You're stressed. Why are you stressed?'
'Because, [Y/N], I'm going to be early bringing these coffees back to Amy and the Doctor. About seventy years too early, if we're being specific!'
'Seventy-two, actually. Now hush.'
He was taking this surprisingly well. After being escorted into a taxi at gunpoint, you were actually quite surprised at how easily Rory was adjusting. As far as he was concerned, you hadn't left the limbo. For three weeks.
'Where have you been anyway?'
'New York. 1938. I thought I told you to hush.'
He glared at you, and you sighed. Reluctantly, you gave him a summarised explanation of your time since the Dream Lord. There wasn't a lot to say, really- just that you had woken up on the other side of the planet about seventy years before everyone else and were now assuming the role of a fictional detective in the hopes that somehow, the Doctor could find you and bring you home. You were surprised it'd taken him this long to find you, and you were still confused as to why he sent Rory as the TARDIS representative.
'Thanks.' he muttered sarcastically as you were forcefully guided from the taxi and into the grand building ahead of you. Met immediately by a large staircase, you wriggled out of the grasp of the man who had abrasively goaded you into the room.
'Early Qin dynasty, I'd say.' you comment observing a vase on your left.
'How on Earth do you know that?' Rory questions in a hushed tone.
'You learn a lot from three weeks unattended in New York, brother mine.'
'Correct.' a voice sounds from the top of the stairs. It came from a relatively large man with patchy grey hair framing the bald spot on the top of his head. He wore a pinstripe suit, and carried himself exactly as you expected a man of his calibre to. 'You're very well informed.'
'And you're very afraid. That's an awful lot of locks for one door.'
You look back to the door you came through, taking careful notice of the seven locks it bore. Your new persona of Melody Malone was something you admired. She was like your inner confidence projecting outwards and into the fedora placed gently on your head. You were more observant as Melody, more assertive- and you liked it.
'This one,' the man you had now learnt preferred to be referred to as Mr Grayle, spoke to one of his henchmen as he indicated to Rory. 'Put him somewhere uncomfortable.'
'With the babies, sir?'
'Yes, why not. Give him to the babies.'
You didn't know who 'the babies' were, but you assumed they were not pleasant company. As the man forcibly clasps hold of your brother's shoulders, you offer him a sympathetic smile with a look in your eyes that you hoped reassured him that you would get him out of whatever situation he found himself in when he was discarded.
Attempting to maintain composure, you strutted confidently around the hall, and analysed what you saw in front of you as you imagined the Doctor would in your situation- only with a touch less flamboyance. Listing off components of the apparent nature of Mr Gayle's pompous personality, you spotted a vase with a familiar phrase painted on the bottom.
Come along, Darling
You didn't outwardly address the message, but the knowledge that the Doctor was on his way was enough to motivate you.
'Let's see,' you start. 'Crime boss with a collecting fetish. Whatever you don't let anyone else see has got to be your favourite. Or possibly your girlfriend.'
With a knowing tug, you pull down hard on the rope next to the area of the room framed by a closed curtain. It opens without a hitch, and reveals a statue. Not a statue you had ever explicitly seen before, but it had an intriguing tinge of familiarity. And that's when you noticed it.
It was the symbol on the wax seal.
Recognising it now from a picture you had seen, the Angel was snarling, arms poised and ready to attack. You wondered why the statue had shackles around their wrists, but whatever the reason was, you didn't really want to know.
Remembering the Doctor's attempt at contact, you subtly tapped at the article on your wrist that you had woken up with three weeks ago. A vortex manipulator, or something similar, the Dream Lord had said. You didn't really care for the specifics, but figured relaying the message and pressing the send button labelled 'TARDIS' would do something of value. It was worth a try anyway.
'These things are all over, but people don't seem to notice.' Grayle says from behind you. 'It never moves while you're looking.'
'Oh, I know how they work.' you reply flatly. It was true- you did. Going undercover as Melody Malone had allowed you to reap the benefits of her library.
'So I understand. Melody Malone, the detective who investigates Angels.'
'Badly damaged.' you note.
'I wanted to know if it could feel pain.'
'You realise its screaming? The others can hear. Is that why you need all the locks?' you say with a hint of realisation. Turning back to Mr Grayle for an instant, you watch as he flicks the light switch down, and rapidly back up again. That was all the time it needed. While you had had your back turned, a cold, stone hand had clasped itself around your right wrist.
'You're going to tell me all about these creatures,' Grayle spits. 'And you're going to do it quickly.
Maintaining eye contact with the statue as best you can, you begin to speak.
'The Angels are predators. They're deadly. What do you want with them?'
'I'm a collector. What collector could resist these? I'm only human.'
'That's exactly what they're thinking.'
As you spoke, the lights in the room began to flicker, and a familiar wheezing filled the room. Mr Grayle began spouting a stream of confused sentences, and soon enough they were answered by the appearance of a familiar, blue, Type 40 TARDIS.
The Doctor appears at once, allowing Amy to rush past him as she shouts for her husband.
'Sorry I'm late, honey.' he says, adjusting his bow tie. 'Traffic was hell.'
'Took you long enough to get here.' you reply as he walks over towards you. 'Three weeks I've been impersonating this detective.'
'Well, I must say, your adventures make an interesting read.'
'I'm glad my pain is amusing for you, Doctor. Wait, read? How have you read what's happening?'
'She's holding you very tight.' he says, pointing his sonic screwdriver at the Angel's closed fist.
'At least she didn't send me back in time. I'm come back far enough, I think.'
'You learn fast. I doubt she's strong enough.'
'Well, I need a hand back, so which is it going to be? Are you going to break my wrist or hers?'
The Doctor offers you a sympathetic glance, and you know what's about the follow.
'Oh, no. Really? Why do you have break mine?'
'Because Amy read it in a book, and now I have no choice.'
You both turn your attention to Amy, who was standing in the doorway with her head bent guiltily.
'What book?'
'Your book. Which you haven't written yet, so we can't read.'
'But if [Y/N]'s going to write that book, she'd make it useful, yeah?' Amy says with a sudden burst of enthusiasm.
'I'd certainly try.' you reply. 'But we can't read ahead, it's too dangerous.'
'I know, but there must be something we can look at.'
'What, a page of handy hints, previews, spoiler free?' the Doctor quips back sarcastically.
'Chapter titles.'
You could see a look in the Doctor's eye that indicated he was trying to find a fault in her suggestion. When he fails, he flicks to the start of the book.
'He's in the cellar.' he announces quickly, promptly throwing Amy his sonic screwdriver upon her request and standing to follow her to the cellar. He walks past rapidly, stopping only to place a brief kiss on your cheek as he passes. He stops in the doorway.
'Doctor? What is it, what's wrong?' you ask as he pivots himself, and reaches out a stabilising hand that makes heavy contact with a nearby chair. 'Tell me. Doctor, what's wrong?'
You couldn't see what troubled his gaze, but it was a concept that had plagued him for weeks. The Doctor was still unable to describe the feelings he had for you, but it was something he wanted to explore, rather than shy away from. Chapter 12 threw a spanner in the works.
Chapter 12 ....... [Y/N]'S LAST FAREWELL
A/N
hey besties
if you missed my lil update earlier, i've made a writing instagram! @petrichorpaperbacks if you wanna give it a cheeky follow (also lil face reveal if you want- plus previews of chapters before they're released :))
OKAY THANKS LOVES
sorry in advance for the next few chapters. it'll hurt.
- laura :)