Authors Note: Thank you so much for being patient, I will be updating when I can, but the situation has been handled. A family member was in an accident but luckily, they were able to receive help and are now in the process of healing. This is going to be a short chapter, but I will be adding more content when I can. My birthday is tomorrow so I wanted to post something.
The Doctor and Amand run to the room where a possessed Ashton was high jacking the keypads.
"That's enough!" Amanda shouted at the possessed man.
"What do you want? Why this ship? Tell me." the Doctor demanded, though he almost froze as Ashton decided that the only option left was to punch the keypad.
Once he was done breaking the keypad, he strides to the Doctor. Amanda jumped on his back in hopes of stopping him from attacking the Doctor but was shoved by Ashton. Amanda harshly landed backwards but that did not stop her from trying to attack him.
"Come on. Let's see you. I want to know what you really are." the Doctor ordered, trying to keep Ashton attentions on him and not Amanda.
Ashton stands nose to nose with the Doctor, as Amanda struggles to push him back Ashton raises his hand to the visor before stopping. He then walks past the Doctor and Amanda, going back down the ship. The Doctor uses the moment to run over to the intercom as Amanda looks for Martha.
"McDonnell? Ashton's heading in your direction. He's been infected, just like Korwin!" the Doctor warned the others.
"Korwin's dead, Doctor." Scannell informed them as they moved over to the window. Amanda pressed herself at the window, watching Martha who was desperately trying to tell her something.
"Talk slower! I can't hear you." Amanda shouted slowly. Martha quickly nodding in understanding before slowly saying that they were stuck. Amanda looked at her alarmed before going to the keypad, hoping to somehow override the system but it was no use as it was completely destroyed. Amanda ran back to the window to tell Martha but before she could say anything the computer had an announcement.
"Airlock decompression completed. Jettisoning pod." It said as the escape pod set off, causing Amanda to scream in horror as her friend gets jetted off into space.
"Doctor! Amanda!" Martha mouthed to them.
"I'll save you!" the Doctor shouted as Amanda tried to look brave for her. She knew that if Martha saw the panic look in her eyes, then she would lose hope. She then shouted, "We will get you back!"
"Amanda! Doctor!" Martha mouthed back.
"I'll save you!" the Doctor shouted again as he grabbed Amanda's hand, clutching it so that she knew that he would do anything to get Martha back. They saw that Martha mouthed something again yet this time it took Amanda a bit longer to understand.
"We'll get you back!" Amanda shouted as the pod leaves the side of the ship and floats towards the sun.
"Impact in seventeen oh five." the computer voiced, causing Amanda to kick the wall in frustration. She was close to a melt down and the timer was pissing her off. The Doctor was quick to pull her into a hug, hoping to calm her down a bit. Amanda slumped into his arms, finally letting her tears fall. The Doctor comforted her as she cried into his arms, letting all her emotions out before pulling away. "We have to save her Doc. We have to get her back." she pleaded, pulling on his chest, clutching the soft material.
The Doctor was quick to smash the intercom button. "Scannell! I need a spacesuit in area seventeen now!" the Doctor demanded. Amanda was quick to shoot him a look as she let go of him.
"What for?" Scannell asked over the intercom.
"Just get down here!" the Doctor shouted.
"You better not be planning what I think you are." she said as she held his hand. "There has to be another way." she said, biting her thumb as she paced back and forth.
"You know there isn't, there isn't enough time." he said as they waited for Scannell.
An idea popped into her head. "What if I use it?" she asked the Doctor.
"No." he rejected immediately, shaking his head.
"But she's my best friend! I should use it." She insisted angrily.
The Doctor shook his head. "I said no." he told her.
Amanda scoffed at his words. "You're not the boss of me! I can do it! I-"
"I already lost you once and I am not doing that again." He interrupted her, not letting her continue. "I am never putting you in danger, especially when I can do it." he told her in a sincere tone.
Before Amanda could protest, Scannell had arrived with a space suit. The Doctor was quick to snatch it up and put it on.
"I can't let you do this." Scannell said as he watched the Doctor.
"You're wasting your breath, Scannell." Amanda said as she too watched the Doctor. "I tried. There's no way he's backing down." she said with a shake of her head.
"You want to open an airlock in flight on a ship spinning into the sun. No one can survive that." Scannell told him.
"Oh, just you watch." the Doctor commented as he walked over to the airlock latch.
"You open that airlock, it's suicide. This close to the sun, the shields will barely protect you." Scannell warned him.
"Stop talking." Amanda said as she walked over to the Doctor, looking him over. She was so close to charm the Doctor and take his place but knew that he would be extremely upset if she were to do that. Plus, she was not yet capable of using her abilities at their full potential and with the stress that she was feeling, there was zero telling what might happen if she were to use them.
"If I can boost the magnetic lock on the ship's exterior, it should remagnetize the pod. Now, while I'm out there, you have got to get the rest of those doors open. We need those auxiliary engines." The Doctor said as he did the final touches on his suit.
"Doctor, will you listen! They're too far away. It's too late." Scannell voiced but the duo did not care for his words.
"I'm not going to lose her. I made a promise." The Doctor said determinedly as he puts on the helmet and goes into the airlock.
Amanda turned to Scannell. "Is there any way we can maintain communication with him? There has to be something we can do." Amanda asked him.
Scannell nodded. "The suit is connected to the intercom of the ship, we will be able to communicate with him and the shuttle once it comes closer to the ship. Other than that, all we can do is wait." he told her.
"Decompression initiated. Impact in twelve fifty-five." the computer said. Amanda nervously watched the Doctor, digging her nails into her palms.
"Impact in eleven fifteen. Heat shield failing. At ten percent." the computer said as the Doctor opened the outer airlock door and the unfiltered sunlight streams in. Amanda and Scannell could hear the Doctor grunt as they watch him climb on the ship and reach for the row of four buttons on the ship's hull. He presses the two closest buttons but struggles for the others.
"Come on! Go on, my son!" the Doctor shouts as he stretches further to press the other buttons.
"Doc, how're you doing?" Amanda asked worriedly.
"I can't, I can't reach! I don't know how much longer I can last." He admits to her as he attempted to reach the buttons.
"You can do it! I know you can, you impossible man. Come on, don't give up now." she said to him. "I believe in you Doc. Martha believes in you as well. Don't give up." She told him with urgency.
She watches as the Doctor rips off the cover of the box and with no hesitation, pulls the lever down. Amanda jumps with joy as she sees the shuttle moves backwards, now heading back to the ship.
"Oh, I can just kiss him!" Amanda shouted excitedly as she watched the Doctor get back into the airlock. She ran to greet him but stopped when he started shouting.
"It's alive. It's alive. It's alive!" The Doctor screamed as he entered the ship, crawling in pain from whatever he saw. Amanda ran over to him and helped him take off his helmet.
"Doctor, close the airlock now!" Amanda heard Scannell say through the intercom before cutting out. She barely even noticed Martha and Riley docking and running over to them as she was too busy worrying about the Doctor's refusal to open his eyes.
"Doctor! Doctor! Are you okay?" Martha asked as Amanda fretted on him.
"Doc, please tell us what's wrong." she pleaded but the Doctor couldn't answer as he was in too much pain to respond. "What did you see out there? What's causing you all this pain?" She questioned him worriedly.
The Doctor opens his eyes briefly. A white light shine from them. Fearing of whatever was trying to possess him, Amanda was quick to use her hand to block his eyes. She bit her lip as she felt the hot light began to burn her hand.
"Stay away from me!" He ordered, not wanting Amanda and the others to get hurt.
"What's going on?" Martha asked but Amanda just shook her head. She didn't even know what was happening to him, but it all had to be connected with the others who were possessed.
"What's happened?" McDonnell asked them.
"It's your fault, Captain McDonnell!" the Doctor screeched.
"Riley, get down to area ten and help Scannell with the doors. Go!" McDonnell ordered. They watch as Riley runs off to complete the order.
"You mined that sun. Stripped its surface for cheap fuel. You should have scanned for life!" The Doctor shouted. Amanda snapped her neck to McDonnell and sent her a fierce glare her way, causing McDonnell to jump slightly at the sight.
"I-I don't understand." McDonnell stammered, making sure to avoid meeting Amanda in the eyes.
"Doctor, what are you talking about?" Martha asked him.
"That sun is alive. A living organism. They scooped out its heart, used it for fuel, and now it's screaming!" The Doctor shouted as he began to spasm more and more.
"What do you mean? How can a sun be alive? Why is he saying that?" McDonnell questioned him.
"Because it's living in me." He told them, the pain becoming too hard to handle.
"Doc." Amanda whimpered slightly at the sight of him in pain.
"Oh, my God." McDonnell said, cupping her mouth in shock.
"Humans! You grab whatever's nearest and bleed it dry! You should have scanned!" The Doctor yelled at her.
"It takes too long. We'd be caught. Fusion scoops are illegal." McDonnell said, trying to defend her and her actions.
"I wonder why, you stupid c-!" Amanda began to yell but stopped once she noticed the Doctor's face.
"You've got to freeze me, quickly." The Doctor said, causing Amanda to look at him worriedly before nodding at his request.
"What?" Martha asked.
"Just trust him." Amanda answered, figuring out what the Doctor's plan was.
"Stasis chamber. You've got to take it below minus two hundred. Freeze it out of me! It'll use me to kill you if you don't. The closer we get to the sun, the stronger it gets! Med-centre, quickly! Quickly!" The Doctor ordered.
Martha and Amanda shared a look before nodding. They position the Doctor between them and help him walk to the med bay with McDonnell showing them the way.
"Impact in seven thirty." the computer overheard announced.
As gently as they could, Martha and Amanda placed the Doctor on the table. Martha quickly went to look for an instruction manual. Amanda went to follow her but stopped once the Doctor gave out a small scream, causing her to hesitant from her spot.
Martha looked back and shook her head. "I can do it!" she said before finally founding it and beginning to flip through it.
"Amanda. Love, where are you?" The Doctor cried out for his Siren.
Amanda lightly caressed the Doctors face, trying not to pull away from how hot is skin was. "It's all right Doc, I'm right here." she tried to sooth him, offering as much support as she could.
"Just help me get him up. Stasis chamber, minus two hundred, yeah?" Martha asked her.
"You got it darling." Amanda responded.
"No, you don't know how this equipment works. You'll kill him. Nobody can survive those temperatures." McDonnell protested.
"We're not human. Well, he's not human. Well, it's complicated. " Amanda corrected herself before focusing back on the Doctor. "If he says he can survive, then he can." she said, sure of the Doctor's will.
"Let me help you, then." McDonnell said, stepping closer to Amanda and the Doctor.
Amanda hissed at the woman, scaring her. McDonnell stepped back, afraid on how Amanda seemed to stand over the Doctor protectively, her eyes just like a beast that was just waiting to attack. "You've done enough damage." Amanda said angrily before focusing back to the Doctor.
"Ten seconds. That's all I'll be able to take. No more. Martha!" The Doctor shouted, in pain. Amanda held in a scream of her own when the Doctor grabbed onto her hand. She could feel her skin blistering from the contact but just continued letting him hold her hand and pet him, causing him to relax slightly.
"Yeah?" Martha called out.
The Doctor let go of Amanda's hand before spasming harshly. "It's burning me up. I can't control it. If you don't get rid of it, I could kill you. I could kill you all. I'm scared! I'm so scared!" The Doctor said, panicking. "Go love, please. I can feel it, it wants to get out. Please go, I don't want to hurt you." he pleaded to her.
"I'm not going anywhere." Amanda whispered to him, grabbing his hand back. "I'm going to be right by your side, just like how I promised." she told him soothingly.
"Just stay calm. You saved me, now I return the favor. Just believe in me." Martha said to him.
"It's burning through me. Then what'll happen?" The Doctor questioned aloud.
"That's enough! I've got you." Martha scolded him.
"There's this process, this thing that happens if I'm about to die." The Doctor said.
"Doctor, shush. I will tell her as much as I remember. You should be focusing on yourself." Amanda interrupted him.
"Amanda's right. Shush. Quiet now. Because that is not going to happen. Amanda come here." Martha ordered.
"As much as I love your demanding tone darling, I don't want to leave him." Amanda responded hesitantly.
"Amanda Now!" she ordered sternly.
Amanda felt the Doctor pat her hand, causing her to look down at him. He gave her a weak nod, telling her to go with Martha.
Amanda nodded. "Yes darling!" Amanda went to go but paused. She quickly leaned down and place a quick kiss on top of the Doctor's head before going to stand next Martha.
"Are you ready?" Martha asked the Doctor.
"No." he whimpered. Martha uses the joystick to roll the Doctor completely into the chamber, then types 200 into the keypad and presses the green button. The Doctor screams as his body temperature falls. Amanda digs her nails into the palms of hands to stop herself from running to his side.
"Heat shields failing. At five percent." The computer said as the power gets cut at minus 70 degrees, the Doctor covered in frost.
"Shit." Amanda groaned at what had occurred.
"No! Martha, you can't stop it. Not yet." The Doctor shouted.
"What happened?" Martha asked them. Amanda looked at the dashboard and tried setting it backed up but cursed once more when she noticed the lack of energy.
"Power's been cut in Engineering." She told them, banging the dashboard in frustration.
"But who's down there?" Martha asked.
"Leave it to me." McDonnell says before leaving them behind.
"Impact in four forty-seven." the computer announced.
"Come on. You're defrosting." Martha spoke, as the woman noticed the ice melting from his body.
"Martha, Amanda, listen! I've only got a moment. You guys got to go!" he told them.
The girls automatically rejected his words. "No way." Martha responded.
"Don't be an idiot Doc." Amanda shot back.
"Get to the front. Vent the engines. Sun particles in the fuel, get rid of them." The Doctor ordered but they once again rejected.
"I am not leaving you." Amanda told him.
"You've got to give back what they took." he told them.
Amanda thought for a split second before taking off her ring and putting it in her pocket. "Martha," she said, getting her friends attention. "Go, I'll stay here."
Martha shook her head. "Let me stay he-"
"Martha." Amanda said firmly. "Don't worry. We will be fine, but we need you to do this please!"
"Alright, I'll go. I'll be back for you." Martha said before running off.
"Please go Amanda!" The Doctor begged her. Amanda shook her head before running to his side.
She held his face between her hands and started humming to him, easing the pain a bit. "I'm not going to leave your side, especially now. I am not leaving you alone anymore." she told him.
"Impact in four o'eight." the computer said.
The Doctor grunted as the pain started to build once again. "Amanda, please love, you need to leave." he begged her.
Amanda felt the ship lurch and move, causing her to trip and fall backwards, landing away from the Doctor. The Doctor falls out of the stasis chamber and crawls across the floor.
"Amanda!" he cried out in agony.
"Doctor! What are you doing?" she asked as she moved to get closer to him.
"I can't fight it. Give it back or burn with me." The Doctor ordered, his voice becoming darker. Amanda felt a chill run through her, stopping her from getting closer to him. "Burn with me, Amanda." The Doctor began to way closer to the dark-haired girl, him almost glowing as he let the entity take over.
Amanda back away further from the Doctor. 'Please Martha, hurry.' she thought to herself.
"Impact in one twenty-one." the computer said.
'I'm sorry Martha.' Amanda thought before giving the Doctor a teary-eyed smile. She then met halfway with the Doctor, who grabbed her waist harshly before pulling her into him.
"I'm here Doc. Your Amora's right here." she whispered lightly to him, slowly going up to caress his face. The Doctor began to open his eyes, though there was an internal battle that the entity was winning.
"It's okay." she told him. "It's going to be okay." Amanda felt the tears that escape begin to fizzle out once they fell but she did not care. She closed her own eyes, accepting her fate.
"Life support systems reaching critical. Repeat. Life support systems reaching critical. Impact in one oh six." the computer announced before the light goes out; shocking the Doctor, who then let go of Amanda. Amanda and the Doctor fell to their knees, glad that the entity was no longer possessing him.
"Thank God for Martha." Amanda preached before launching herself at the Doctor, who was quick to accept her comfort and held her tight.
"Never do that again." he murmured into her skin. Amanda just took the moment to place countless of kisses on his forehead, not accepting his request.
"Doctor! Amanda!" Martha shouted as she ran down the body of the ship and pulled Amanda into a tight embrace.
"Oh darling!" Amanda said as she held Martha tighter.
"What about me? I was the one possessed by the sun; I should get a hug!" the Doctor said before being pulled into a hug by the girls.
<Later, in the safety of interstellar space.>
"This is never your ship." Scannell said in disbelief as he stared at the undamaged Tardis in front of them. Amanda softly patted the Tardis, who gave her low, warm humming; telling her that she enjoyed her touch and attention.
"Compact, eh? And another good word, robust. Barely a scorch mark on her." The Doctor said as he also patted the Tardis happily, proud of his ship.
"We can't just leave you drifting with no fuel." Martha said concernedly to the crew.
"We've sent out an official mayday. The authorities will pick us up soon enough." Riley informed them.
Scannell shrugged. "Though how we explain what happened-"
"Just tell them. That sun needs care and protection just like any other living thing." Amanda said before taking the Doctor inside the Tardis. She sent him off to the infirmary to wait for her while she waited for Martha to join them inside. The Tardis turned on the overhead screen to show Martha kissing Riley.
"Oh you get it girl!" Amanda said, happy that Martha got some action. She beamed at Martha, who walked into the Tardis and at first did not understand why Amanda was so happy until she saw the screen.
"You saw all that?" Martha asked, a bit embarrassed but Amanda just ushered her into a hug.
"How was it? Was he a good kisser?" Amanda questioned her till a hand pulled her back. She looked up to see the Doctor.
"I thought I told you to stay in the infirmary." She chided him before moving closer to him, checking him out to make sure he was alright.
"I'm fine love." He said, calming her down a bit.
"So. Didn't really need you in the end, did we? Sorry. How are you doing?" Martha asked the Doctor while Amanda asked the Tardis to prepare everything, she would need to give the Doctor a proper check-up. She also requested that the Tardis pulled out more scans and lab work of her DNA as to see the progress of her genetic makeup to determine how much of her abilities she could use without it harming or affecting her and everyone around. It seemed as though the stress of everything had quicken the process, she would need to tinker more with her ring to be able to handle the upcoming changes.
"Now, what do you say? Ice skating on the mineral lakes of Kur-ha. Fancy it?" the Doctor asked.
"Whatever you like." Martha said happily with a shrug.
"Not before you are cleared for travel mister." Amanda said to the Doctor before turning to Martha. "Plus, we have a date at the pond later remember." She gave Martha a wink.
"Can you please stop flirting with everyone?" the Doctor pleaded to the girl, who seemed unbothered by his request.
Amanda rolled her eyes and put out her left hand. "Until there is a ring on this finger, I will be flirting with whoever I like."
The Doctor huffed before turning to Martha. "By the way, you'll be needing this." He said, as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a key on a chain.
"Really?" Martha questioned excitedly.
"Frequent flier's privilege. Thank you." The Doctor said, handing her the key.
Martha gave them a quick smile before it seemed as though something had dawned on her, turning her smile into a panicked expression. "Oh, no. Mum." She said before racing out of the room.
Amanda turned to the Doctor and gave him a pout. "Why haven't you ever given me a key?" She asked, trying to hide how upset she actually was. She understood that when she first started traveling with him and Rose that she wasn't going to stay long to be given a Tardis key but now she really wanted one. She wanted to stay in the Tardis and continue traveling with the Doctor.
'And Martha." She quickly thought.
"You deserve more than a key." The Doctor said before turning away from her, heading towards the infirmary. "Plus the Tardis loves you, she will always be open for you." he told her.
Amanda could feel her face heat up as she followed behind him. "That's true, Gorgeous loves me more than you." she teased. The Tardis hummed in agreement, causing the Doctor to look up; fake offended by the sentient ships response.
"Oi! This is my ship. I should be number one!" he said though he knew that Amanda would always be number one to him and the Tardis.