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Wishing on the Stars

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Prompt - Y/N, the Princess of Vathea, has spent her whole life wishing on the stars, waiting for a life of adventure and excitement. The stars answer in the form of the Doctor.

Inspired by - this post by @cxnnorussy

Zaliri was a beautiful planet full of the brightest greenery and beautiful sparkling stretches of water. For most children growing up on such a planet was exciting, there was never a dull moment, so many secret spots just waiting to be discovered, mountains to climb, hills to roll down, lakes to swim in and beaches to explore. There was always something happening, the many towns were always full of life, whether it be from stalls filled with beautiful things or the nicest of foods, celebrations thrown or fun days hosted. 

Most people couldn’t complain much about life on Zaliri, it was a good life. 

For you however it was anything but. For you as Princess of Vathea, the Kingdom that your father ruled, filled by many towns spreading all the way to the eastern border where the Kingdom of Thavis started, life wasn’t as good.

You hadn’t always lived a life so sheltered, one where instead of joining the festivities in the closest town, you had to watch from the windows of your bedroom, envying how the children danced and ran around together, hating how people hugged and laughed, sharing stories and food without a second thought.

It was all you wanted, to live a life away from the castle, one where you could laugh freely and explore the lands. 

But that wasn’t the life you led. Instead you were confined to the castle and its grounds, hardly allowed to leave and on the rare occasion you were granted permission to venture beyond the castle walls you were surrounded by guards and never allowed to stray from them. 

It hadn’t always been this way, you couldn’t remember much of your life before your mother died but you could remember her taking you outside, the Queen joining her people as they celebrated, you and the other children playing together as if you were no different from them.

It was only after her death that your father had sheltered you away, ignoring your cries and pleas to go back to the village. Your father was a fair ruler, the people liked him well enough though they had loved their Queen. It didn’t matter that the King didn’t come down to the villages and give his time to the people as his wife had once done, he kept them safe and they were happy.

You had grown used to your life, you might not have liked it, feeling as though you were wasting it, but you had accepted this was how things were. It wouldn’t matter for much longer anyway, soon a time would come when your father would let you go.

The day after your next birthday you were to be married and you would leave Vathea behind to live in whatever Kingdom your future husband would come into power of. You weren’t all too thrilled to be married to a complete stranger, you hadn’t liked it from the moment you’d found out your marriage would be decided for you but the thought of leaving the castle was enough to keep you from protesting too much.

Silently you mourned though, mourned a life that could have been, one of adventure and excitement, one of travelling to far off places and never having to be trapped again, being able to go wherever you wanted and fall in love with somebody who you truly wanted to marry.

You knew it was an impossible dream, even more ridiculous than the fairy tales you had read as a child and yet you still found yourself wishing and pleading to the stars that shone high above the castle, begging for them to save you, to show you the life you wanted.

Your wish was never answered though. Instead you watched from your window as carriage after carriage pulled up within days of each other, Princes and Kings coming to convince your father they were the best suited to create an alliance with, each leaving with dejected looks on their faces.

You couldn’t say you were too disappointed but as your birthday grew closer and closer you couldn’t help but worry your father would decline every suitor that pleaded their case. 

“I have met with Zaliri’s best and finest and I have yet to decide who you will marry.” Your father started that evening, his eyes narrowing as you slumped in your seat. “That is why a ball will be thrown, there you will meet the men I have picked out and you can choose whom you marry.”

You weren’t sure how to feel, of course the thought of marrying anybody you didn’t know was a wretched one but you feared that this was your one chance at freedom. Your father wasn’t concerned by your silence, focusing on his own meal and missing the way you pushed at your food with your fork, an action that if he had noticed would have had him lecturing you on the proper manners expected of a Princess and future bride.

The rest of the meal passed in silence, your thoughts on the upcoming ball with a feeling of dread.

“The ball will be hosted the day of your birthday and the wedding will be planned for the day after.” Your father told you before leaving the room and you sighed, heading up to your own bedroom to stare up at the stars, wishing for a miracle.

The castle was filled with life over the next few days, the workers were busy with the impromptu ball and as the day drew nearer royals from all over the planet starting arriving at your castle.

You did your best to avoid the men but unfortunately they were on a mission to win you over, finding you all over the castle no matter where you ran off to. It was exhausting and you found yourself debating whether a life with one of these dull men was worth it. 

Each one you encountered was more boring than the last, all of them were prim and proper, fussing over every little detail and seemed only capable of talking about themselves and their Kingdoms. You weren’t quite sure a single one of them had enquired about you yet, if they did ask questions they were about your father.

You sighed as you ducked out of the castle and out onto the grounds. There was plenty of room, though it didn’t feel that way when you were confined to them, but right now you were grateful for the chance to escape the madness inside, taking a breath of fresh air as you tried to avoid anyone else.

You had been walking for some time, lost in your own thoughts, before you were startled out of them by a body colliding with yours. You let out a yelp, waiting to feel the cold, hard ground, frowning when you felt a pair of arms around you instead, helping you back upright.

“Sorry about that!” The man before you said, a grin on his face as his arms fell back to his side. “You alright?”

Your eyes widened at the man, something about him was…odd. Different in a way you couldn’t quite put your finger on. He was so different to the other men in the castle, his brown coat that seemed so very unlike anything from Vathea, the way he smiled at you and addressed you so informally. 

“Miss?” The man prompted and you shook your head, unable to stop yourself from smiling back at him.

“My apologies, I’m quite ok, thank you.” You answered and watched as his smile widened even more, his eyes seeming to light up but you couldn’t say for sure why they would.

“Well I’ll let you carry on with your walk then, my lady.” He grinned, stepping out of your way and holding a hand out for you to walk past him.

You hesitated for a moment, every other suitor had taken up as much of your time as they could before you could politely slip away and this one was leaving you be, not even introducing himself or telling you how well off and important his Kingdom was. 

“Thank you, kind sir.” You laughed softly, stepping past the man, pausing to look back at him and shaking your head fondly as he waved at you.

You decided you quite liked the man.

That night the evening meal was a dreadfully boring affair, you had contemplated if you would be able to sneak out when your suitors continued to go on and on about why you should pick them. You looked around the long table, wondering where the man from the gardens had gotten off to, sighing as you realised you had never gotten his name to ask about him.

Hours passed before you were finally able to leave, forcing smiles and laughs as you excused yourself, nodding as you backed away from two men who refused to take a hint before simply turning and walking away from them.

On the way up to your room you suddenly stopped, the hallway was freezing and the lights were dimmed. A shiver went up your spine as you took a step back, unable to explain what it was exactly that had you so unsettled. You couldn’t get to your room any other way and contemplated taking one of the many guest rooms as you took another step back.

When your back collided with something hard you let out a small shout and turned around quickly, turning to see the man from earlier with his hands raised.

“It’s alright, it’s alright, it’s just me.” The man said softly, your chest raising and falling quickly as you struggled to catch your breath. “That’s it, you’re alright.”

“My apologies, I didn’t mean to-”

“No need for apologies, my lady.” The man said, smiling at you, even as his eyes shifted around the hallway, looking past you at something.

When you went to turn around he caught your hand in his, pulling a gasp from you as you turned your gaze back to him but he was still looking over your shoulder. It was only when you cleared your throat did his eyes meet yours and you watched as they widened, your hand falling from his.

“Sorry about that. Won’t you let me walk you to your room?” He asked and any other time you would have declined but something about the hallway scared you so you nodded, watching as the man lifted his arm for you to take.

You couldn’t help but smile as you wrapped your arm in his and let him lead the way down the hall, your gaze darting around the room like you were waiting for something to pop out but you made it through without anything happening and breathed a sigh of relief when you came to a stop at your door.

“There we are now,” The man grinned, “safe and sound.”

You couldn’t help but frown slightly as you looked back towards the direction you had come from, a feeling of dread still weighing on you.

“Did something feel…wrong to you?” You couldn’t help but ask, dragging your gaze back to him just in time to see his eyebrows knit together.

“Wrong?” He prodded and you shook your head, unable to put it into words. “Trust me, nothing’s going to harm you.”

Your frown deepened at that and you looked towards the man, curious about his words, curious about who he was and where he had come from but the man just smiled and took his arm from yours.

“I’ll let you get some sleep, Princess, busy days ahead and all.” He dismissed himself, turning back towards the hallway and leaving you staring at his back.

How improper. One never turned away from a Princess, especially not a suitor who was trying to win her favour and yet this man was so peculiar. You sighed softly and entered your room, shoulders losing some of their tension at the warmth.

It took a while for you to change from your dress and into your sleepwear, turning the main light off and leaving only the soft orange glow of the lamp to light the room, as well as the moonlight that shone through the window.

You walked past your bed and sat on the seat that rested against the window, looking out at the lit up gardens before your gaze lifted towards the stars. You thought back on the strange man, his words, a promise that nothing was going to harm you.

What had he meant? It was a strange thing to say to somebody but mixed with the uneasy feeling you had it made you suspect he knew something you didn’t. He seemed so unlike anybody here and yet you found yourself doing as he requested.

You found yourself trusting him.

So far he had been different but charming and he had been pleasant towards you, something you couldn’t say for anybody else. As much as you hated that your only options were marriage or confinement, you couldn’t help but think you wouldn’t have minded much marrying that man. He seemed anything but dull, he seemed like he was ready for something exciting and you wanted to join him.

The next two days passed without much happening, you didn’t feel that horrible, cold unease you had felt days before and almost wished for it when compared to how bored you were listening to the men drone on and on. 

By the time Sunday came, the day before the ball and two days before the wedding, you were just about ready to damn it all and run far, far away. You had noticed your strange man had been absent from all meals and you hadn’t bumped into him again, only catching passing glances at him, unable to stop the smile that pulled at your lips as he grinned and waved at you before running off to do whatever it was he did.

That night you couldn’t find sleep, instead you spent hours staring out of the window from your place in your bed. There was a feeling in the pit of your stomach, not unlike the one you had felt the other day in the hallway. You felt on edge, every little creak making you jump until you sighed and sat up, hesitating before climbing out of your bed and shrugging a coat on.

You slipped your feet into a pair of shoes and opened your door, holding your breath as you waited for something that never came. When you stepped out you couldn’t help but shiver, hesitating for a moment as you debated whether you should just go back to your room.

You shook your head and practically ran through the hallway, making your way out of the castle and avoiding the guards as you snuck outside. You let your feet lead the way, not paying too much attention to where you were going, not until you came upon a tree that towered over you. The tree was always in shades of reds and oranges, never green like every other trees, no matter the season it never lost its leaves or colour.

Underneath it was a gravestone, one that you hadn’t visited for a long time, one that hurt every time you so much as thought of it. Still you let yourself fall to your knees, brushing your fingers along the stone.

You didn’t say anything, what was there that could be said? Everything that would happen from tomorrow was as set in stone as your mother’s name was on the stone before you. Nothing could change it, no amount of wishes to the stars could change what your life was going to be like.

You couldn’t say for sure how long you sat there but a sudden cold breeze had you shivering, the air had been still and warm not a second earlier and you lifted your head to see a mist that had come from nowhere.

You felt your breathing start to quicken as you stood up, looking around the gardens and feeling cold to your bones. A noise form above had your head snapping up and your eyes widened at the figure that watched you.

It was hard to make out exactly what it was, the sky dark behind it but you could see the wings, black and red giant things that flapped ominously as the thing stared at you with cold, unblinking eyes. 

Your heart raced, beating so loud you were afraid it would beat right out of your chest. You couldn’t move either, frozen as still as a statute, only able to stare at the beast in the sky. You gasped when a phantom pressure tightened around your neck and you felt yourself struggling to breath, pained gasps escaping you.

You closed your eyes, unable to fight back and knowing you were going to die. That was until a warm hand took yours, seeming to break whatever had been holding you in place and when your eyes snapped open you turned to see your mystery man.

“Run.” He commanded and pulled you along after him.

You wasted no time and followed after him, letting him drag you all the way back to the castle and only stopped when the two of you arrived at your doors.

“Come on now,” He said, opening your door and gesturing for you to step inside. “In you go, that’s it.”

You entered your room and he followed in after you, an act that if it had been any other suitor and any other time would have had you calling the guards but right now he was where you wanted him to be.

You couldn’t explain it but you felt the safest place for you right now was wherever this man was.

“What was that thing?” You asked, hurrying over to your window and staring out at the night sky, not seeing anything there but the moon and stars.

“A creature I haven’t seen for a very long time.” The man said and you turned to look at him with wide eyes.

“You know of such beasts?” You exclaimed, moving over to the man. “Just who are you? You’re unlike any man I’ve ever met before.”

“Thank you.” He grinned before seeming to remember the beast and sighed. “Right now I’m the man who’s going to come up with a plan to save your life.”

“Save my life? What in the stars are you talking about?” You asked, feeling more confused and frightened than you had ever felt in your life. 

“That creature out there, it’s a Lonix. It’s a very old and very dangerous creature and for some reason it’s locked onto you.” He said causing you to frown, the man might as well have been speaking another language for how much of it you understood. 

“You’re mad.” You told him, watching as his face softened and he smiled sadly at you. “Completely and utterly mad, talking such nonsense.”

“I wish it was nonsense, Princess, believe me I do but right now you’re in a lot of danger and I don’t know how to stop it.” He told you, his words so brutally honest that you couldn’t even try and deny them any longer.

“Who are you?” You finally asked, eyes filling with tears that you struggled to keep at bay.

“I’m the Doctor and I’m going to help you.” He promised and you let out a sob, the Doctor pulling you into his arms and you let yourself cry into his chest.

“You said you don’t know how to stop it.” You finally managed to say, the words barely a whisper but you were close enough to the Doctor that he heard the words just fine.

“I don’t.” He told you, his voice matching yours. “But I’m going to stop it, that much I can promise you.”

You nodded into his chest before pulling away, rubbing at your eyes with the sleeve of your coat, taking a seat on the bed and looking towards the Doctor.

“You said it,” you said, shaking your head in disbelief before trying again. “You said this thing, this Lonix had locked onto me. What does that mean?”

“The Lonix is a creature that keeps itself alive by feeding off others but it can only do that by making deals.” The Doctor started, coming to take a seat next to you on the end of the bed as he continued. “It promises something and takes a life, then it comes back years later and takes another life.”

“I have never made such a deal.” You told him, looking at him and hoping he knew you were being honest.

The Doctor easily saw how scared you were and he took your hand in his, stroking the back of your hand with his thumb softly.

“I believe you but somebody did make a deal. What about your mum and dad? The deal could be years old, it could have been for anything.” The Doctor asked and you glanced away from him only for your head to snap up, wide eyes looking at him.

“You said the creature takes one life and then another years later.” You said, watching as the Doctor nodded. “My mother died when I was five years old. My father, he, he never told me how she died, only that she had passed in her sleep.”

“If they made a deal then the Lonix should be after your father, not you.” The Doctor murmured, more to himself than to you.

“Is it going to kill me too?” You asked once the silence became too much and the Doctor focused back on you again.

“No, listen to me, I am not going to let it get you, do you understand me? You’re going to be just fine.” He promised and you took a shaky breath before nodding, forcing yourself to believe his words because what other choice did you have. “I’m going to fix this, I promise.”

The Doctor left that night despite your protests and somehow you managed to get some sleep, though your dreams were filled with monstrous beings and the Doctor not being quick enough. 

It was strange waking up the next morning, knowing danger was close by and yet having to go about your morning as if nothing had changed. You spent most of the day preparing for the ball later that evening, no chance to see the Doctor as you were pulled this way and that, into one gown and then another. 

You wanted to see him though. He was the only suitor that you wanted to see, you hoped he was able to figure out how to deal with this Lonix, hoped that afterwards it could be him you married. 

Your thoughts stayed on the Doctor all day. Such a peculiar man, you were still not certain which Kingdom he came from and what a strange name, the Doctor, he had offered no more, nothing other than the Doctor. 

Last night had changed something in you, not just seeing that terrifying beast but the way the Doctor held you in his arms, the way he held your hand and promised you everything would be ok. Marrying the Doctor didn’t seem like such a chore the way it did when you thought about marrying any of the other men who thought they had a chance. Marrying the Doctor seemed like a lifetime of excitement and you had a feeling he wouldn’t keep you locked away from it but instead he’d introduce you to a world you could only dream of.

It seemed as though the stars, after all those years of wishing on them, had finally heard you and decided to answer your pleas in the form of the Doctor.

You walked into the ballroom after all the guests had arrived, standing at the top of the stairs and immediately scanned the busy room for the Doctor. Every other time you had tried to find him he had seemed to disappear but tonight he was here, gone was his brown coat and bizarre shoes and in their place was a black suit, a white shirt and black tie along with a shiny pair of black shoes. 

Your eyes stayed locked to his, a smile spreading across your face as he grinned at you, standing off to the side as you walked down the stairs. 

Immediately you were surrounded by suitors but you only had one person in mind. You pushed your way through the crowd, ignoring the shocked and offended gasps, coming to stand before the Doctor who’s smile softened as he looked at you.

“You look beautiful, Princess.” He murmured and you laughed softly, a blush coming to your cheeks.

“Thank you. You look rather handsome yourself, Doctor.” The Doctor opened his mouth to say something but the sound of music coming from the band interrupted him, the men around you talking over themselves as they tried to be the first to dance with you.

“May I?” The Doctor asked and you grinned at him, slipping your hand into his, the two of you laughing as the others complained amongst themselves.

You and the Doctor joined the dance floor, his hand going to your waist and yours resting on his shoulder as your other hands entwined with each other and the Doctor took the lead.

“Doctor, I hate to ruin such a moment but I must know-” You began but the Doctor cut you off.

“The Lonix. There’s a way to stop it.” The Doctor told you, still moving the two of you to the beat of the music, dancing together like you’d been doing it your whole lives. “The only way to stop it is to trap it. If it doesn’t kill you by the time the day ends then it dies.”

“How do we trap it?” You asked, staring at the Doctor with a mix of hope and fear in your eyes and the Doctor squeezed your hand softly.

“It’ll be easier if you’re with me. It’s you it wants, it’s you it’ll follow.” The Doctor told you and you took a deep shuddering breath. “You can stay here though, if you’d like, I can find another way to trap it. This thing is pure evil, feeding off people’s weakest moments and destroying them, I’d understand if you didn’t come.”

“I’m helping you.” You told him, trying to be firm even as your voice shook. “This creature, this monster killed my mother and it wants to kill me. No other family will suffer because of it.”

“I like you, Princess.” The Doctor murmured, a smile pulling at his lips and you chuckled softly.

“I like you too, Doctor. I can honestly say you’re the most exciting thing in my life.” You said and watched as he looked at you in disbelief.

“Come on now, you’re a Princess on a planet that’s full of exciting things.” You couldn’t help but laugh at his words, watching as his eyebrows knitted together.

“For most that’s true, for me though my father never lets me leave the castle. I haven’t left the castle grounds more than a handful of times since my mother died.” You told him softly, unsure why you trusted him to tell him things you’d never told anybody. “I wished for so long for something to change, for a life of adventure and excitement, one where I could explore and never be stuck in one place ever again. I’m just not sure the universe wants me to have that sort of life.”

“Oh I don’t believe that.” The Doctor grinned. “I think we were meant to find each other, Princess.”

You blushed at his words, looking towards where your hands were still tangled together before forcing your gaze back to him.

“I think I’d rather like that.” You murmured, both you and the Doctor pressing closer to each other, your eyes shifting from his down to his lips.

Before either of you could move there was a loud screeching sound and the whole castle seemed to shake. People around you started to scream, all looking around as they tried to figure out what was happening but your gaze stayed locked on the Doctor’s.

“Allons-y.” He grinned at you and before you had time to question the strange word he was pulling you along with him, his hand still tangled with yours.

He led you out into the grounds and didn’t stop running until the creature was in view. There was a determined look on his face as he suddenly stopped, the creature roaring and flying down towards you.

“Doctor.” You called, voice shaking as you gripped his hand tightly in yours. “Doctor, what are you doing?”

He turned to face you, pulling your gaze away from the Lonix as he cupped your cheeks in his hands, forcing you to look at him.

“Do you trust me?” He asked seriously and you didn’t even hesitate, it should have been a silly question, you’d only known the man for a few days and yet they had been the most memorable days of your whole life.

“Yes.” You answered honestly, without the slightest bit of doubt and the Doctor smiled at you.

“Good. Now remember what I said, I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” The Doctor promised and you nodded, putting your life in his hands.

Your breath caught in your throat as the creature flew towards you, your hand still holding the Doctor’s like it was your lifeline. The creature roared as it started its descent towards you and you held your breath, eyes scrunching shut as you waited for something to happen.

When nothing did happen you opened them and gasped at the creature in front of you, it was even bigger from up close. The Lonix thrashed against an invisible barrier, trying to break free but it was no use. 

“Told you I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.” The Doctor said, drawing your attention back to him and you turned towards him with a deep breath.

“That’s it? It can’t hurt me?” You asked, wincing as it shrieked in its cage.

“Nope, it can’t hurt anyone ever again.” The Doctor told you and you couldn’t stop yourself from throwing your arms around him, pulling him into a hug and letting a few tears of relief slid down your face.

“Thank you, Doctor.” You whispered into his chest as his arms came around you, holding you close to him and resting his head on top of yours.

“You’re most welcome, Princess.” The Doctor held you until you pulled away, his hands coming up to cup your cheeks again, wiping the few tears that had fallen. “You should probably get back to your party, wouldn’t want anybody to come looking and find this.”

“That would be difficult to explain.” You laughed softly. “Won’t you join me?”

The Doctor hesitated, looking over his shoulder before turning back to you.

“Of course, Princess.” The Doctor agreed softly, taking your hand back in his and leading you back to the ball which seemed to have continued, forgetting all about the events from before.

The Doctor let you pull him back out onto the dance floor, the two of you talking softly over the music, blocking out all the other suitors who desperately tried to pull you away from the Doctor but most had realised it was no use.

The night went on, you and the Doctor alternating between dancing and sitting alone at a table with drinks in your hand, the alcohol slowly working and making you feel tipsy and you let yourself lean into the Doctor, the Doctor not complaining in the slightest as he pulled you closer.

It wasn’t until a member of the staff finally broke through your bubble that you realised it wasn’t just you and the Doctor in the room. The woman nervously interrupted the two of you and told you your father wanted to see you. 

You excused yourself from the Doctor, letting the woman lead you to where your father stood frowning at you.

“Is everything ok, father?” You asked and watched him shake his head.

“Who is that man you’ve spent the entire evening with?” He demanded to know and this time it was your turn to frown. “He is no King or Prince!”

“What are you talking-” You began to say, looking over your shoulder to see the Doctor was nowhere to be seen. “Excuse me, father.” 

You ignore his protests, walking away from him and leaving the ballroom, making your way out of the castle, hoping the Doctor was just going to check on the creature considering it was past midnight. 

You saw him off in the distance, the creature nowhere to be seen and the Doctor looking as if he were leaving. That wouldn’t do at all, you had chosen him, he was the one you wanted. At first it had been a marriage of convenience but now you were glad of it. 

You liked the Doctor, you felt like you could spend forever with him. 

You followed him down, frowning as you tried to figure out where he was going when you watched him unlock a small blue box before he pushed the door open and went inside. You ran down the hill to catch up with him, most confused about what he was doing.

When you finally got to the box your frown deepened, what in the stars was he doing in there?

“Doctor?” You called, waiting a moment before touching the box, just as you did the door opened and you took a step back as the Doctor stepped out. “What are you doing?”

“Oh well, um, I just had things to check on.” The Doctor stammered and you looked at him as though he had grown another head.

“In a box?” You laughed in disbelief and the Doctor looked between you and the box. “The box doesn’t matter. Doctor, I just spoke with my father and he says he doesn’t know you, that you’re not one of my suitors? How can that be? You were invited here were you not? None of those other Kings or Princes stood a chance once I met you, it’s your bride I wish to be, not theirs.”

“Oh Princess.” The Doctor sighed, looking at you with warmth in his eyes. “I’m not a King, I’m not a Prince.”

“Then who are you? Why are you here if not for me?” You questioned, confused and a little bit devastated that it wasn’t him you could choose.

“Believe me, the only reason I’m here is for you. I’m sorry, I didn’t, I was more focused on the Lonix than those men in there.” The Doctor told you sadly.

“Who are you, Doctor?” You asked because you had always known he was different but you couldn’t begin to know how.

“I’m a Time Lord. This box is the TARDIS, it travels anywhere in time and space.” The Doctor told you, watching as your eyes widened and you shook your head in disbelief. “It’s true, look.”

The Doctor clicked his fingers and the door to the TARDIS flew open, your eyes followed the moment before looking back to the Doctor who gestured for you to enter. You hesitated before doing as he instructed, gasping as you walked in.

“It’s bigger on the inside!” You laughed, walking up to the console and running your fingers along it. “Doctor, it’s amazing!”

“I can take you somewhere, if you’d like.” The Doctor offered and you froze, staring at him with some much hope that it made him smile. “Anywhere you like, any time you like.”

“You mean it?” You whispered, taking a step towards him and the Doctor nodded, taking your hand in his as he spoke.

“I can show you the life you wished for, I can show you the stars you wished on.” He promised and how could you possibly say no to that. 

You didn’t hesitate to agree, unable to stop yourself from hugging him again, blinking away the tears in your eyes as you realised you were finally leaving the castle grounds and you didn’t have to marry a man you didn’t love to explore the universe.

“One trip to the stars, Princess.” The Doctor grinned and you couldn’t help but laugh as he moved around the console, flicking switches and pulling leavers as he went.

The stars were beautiful, you happily listened to the Doctor tell you all about them, getting lost in both the stars and the Time Lord for hours. The one promised trip turned into two, the Doctor insisting you had to see the festival of lights on Luiria which really were the most beautiful sight, the Doctor would have agreed but he’d spent more time watching you than the lights and that was a far better sight. After that he couldn’t let you leave until you’d visited Oaphus and then of course there was Vaetis.

“Hey Doctor?” You said to him one night as the two of you wandered the streets of Noavis after watching a play, the Doctor’s hand in yours, his thumb brushing softly against the back of your hand every once in a while.

“Yeah?” He answered, tilting his head to look at you with a smile, you’d never been able to stop yourself smiling back at the man.

“How long can I stay with you?” You asked him, watching his smile widen as he pulled his hand from yours to drape his arm over your shoulders to pull you closer.

“For as long as you want.” He murmured and you lifted your head to look up at him.

“Forever?” You asked and the Doctor laughed, a laugh full of happiness as his eyes crinkled with how wide he smiled at you.

“Forever sounds perfect, Princess.” He told you, pressing a kiss to your hair and you couldn’t help but agree.

Forever did sound perfect.

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[saiilorstars]

Written in the Stars

Ch. 11. The Power of Ponds

• Previous Chapters • Sequel to Falling in Temptation • Avalon’s Masterlist

• 11th doctor x ofc

Taglist: @ocappreciationtag​ @arrthurpendragon @anotherunreadblog​ @maaaaarveeeeel​​ @stareyedplanet​ @gloryekaterina @lenonizi @foxesandmagic​​​​​

If you’d like to be a part of this OC’s work/edits, let me know!

All was not well on planet Earth when Amy and Rory woke up, or rather woken up by Brian William's incessant pounding on their front door. They found their neighborhood was infested with small black cubes. It turned out it wasn't just their neighborhood - it was the city, the continent, the world! Thankfully, their granddaughter and her husband were there in a snap to start an investigation.

In the TARDIS, several cubes had been taken to be examined. However, no matter how much the Doctor studied them there was nothing to them. "All absolutely identical. Not a single molecule's difference between them. No blemishes, imperfections, individualities."

"What if they're bombs? Billions of tiny bombs," Brian made a motion of explosions in the air. "Or transport capsules, maybe, with a minirobot inside. Or deadly hard drives. Or alien eggs. Or messages needing decoding. Or they're all parts of a bigger whole. Jigsaw puzzles that need fitting together."

"Very thorough, Brian," nodded the Doctor, "Very, very thorough. Well done. Stay here. Watch these," he handed back Brian's cube to him, "Yell if anything happens!" He took Avalon's hand as he went for the doors. On their way, they stopped from needed equipment.

"Doctor, is this an alien invasion?" she had to ask. The sense of calmness in the middle of a cube invasion seemed pointless to her. She would rather just get straight to the point. "Because that's what it feels like - and my sister is thinking of living here again."

"It'll be fine," the Doctor assured but paused on his search for a moment to reconsider, "...okay, maybe tell her not to come out here yet. And why does she want to come back here again?"

"You haven't told him yet?" Amy had a smirk on her face when she and Rory caught up with them.

"Told me what?" the Doctor looked between all three with a serious face.

"Lena was considering moving in with her boyfriend..." Avalon rubbed the side of her neck while looking to the side, preferring not to see his reaction to that. Everyone knew how protective the Doctor was of his "baby sister", sometimes even more than Avalon and that was saying something.

"Why am I always the last one to know about this!?

"Because you react like that," Rory pointed.

"Well..." the Doctor started picking up the equipment and handed some of it to the trio, "...excuse me for caring a little too much about my baby sister. I mean, what if the guy's not even the right one? What if—"

"You've met him," Avalon reminded as he piled on some random objects in her arms, "Like several times already. You even said Tristan was a nice guy."

"Well, yeah, but that was before he wanted to move in with Lena!" the Doctor huffed and turned away, heading in haste to the doors.

"It's not even decided yet," called Avalon as she followed after him. They stepped into the Pond's living room where the TARDIS had been parked in, "She's considering it."

"Tell her we need to have a serious talk," the Doctor poked his head out from the hallway, "And by the way," he looked at Amy and Rory, "I'll be borrowing your kitchen."

Avalon turned to her grandparents with narrowed eyes, "Why is it that you must always put a wedge in my marriage?"

"That was all her," Rory nodded to Amy and made a smart exit.

"What?" Amy frowned, "I only said—"

"We're going to work on secrets," Avalon declared, "Lesson one: a secret is kept hidden until the appropriate time!"

"Sorry," mumbled Amy under her breath while Avalon turned for the kitchen.

Inside the kitchen, the Doctor was already setting up his workplace on the counter and stove, "I'm going to cook up some cubes, see what happens."

"Right, I'm due at work," Rory pointed and went for the threshold when the Doctor called.

"What? You've got a job?"

"Yeah, of course I've got a job!" Rory shook his head, "What do you think we do when we're not with you?"

The Doctor stood straight and answered, "I imagine mostly kissing."

Rory considered the answer and shrugged. Amy rolled her eyes at the two, "I write travel articles for magazines and Rory heals the sick."

"My grandparents," Avalon chuckled and went to the Doctor to set the rest of the equipment down.

"My shift starts in an hour. You don't know where my scrubs are?" Rory asked his wife.

"In the lounge, where you left them."

Avalon dropped her equipment near the sink and noticed the Doctor watching Amy and Rory, probably startled by the domesticity he rarely saw in the TARDIS. Still, it seemed like this time he wasn't as impacted, "Ehh, the Ponds. With their house and their jobs and their everyday lives. The journalist and the nurse. Long way from Leadworth."

Amy sighed as she placed her part of equipment on the table, "We think it's been 10 years," she looked at him and Avalon, "Not for you two, nor Lena," she shrugged, "or Earth, but for us. Ten years older, 10 years of you. On and off."

"And look at you know, all grown up," smiled the Doctor honestly as he thought back to the first day he had met the three little girls in a backyard, and the nurse at a park.

His thoughts were interrupted by the bursting entrance of soldiers from the front door. In no time the trio were surrounded by soldiers from the entrance of the kitchen as well as from the backdoor. And then came poor Rory marched in by soldiers - with no trousers on.

"There are soldiers all over my house and I'm in my pants," he frowned with raised hands.

"My whole life, I've dreamed of saying that, and I miss it by being someone else," Amy mumbled and was promptly nudged by Avalon.

"You're one weird grandma," she declared, making Amy smirk.

"All these muscles, and they still don't know how to knock," a soft voice called in from the hallway, moments later a blonde woman coming into the kitchen in all calmness, "Sorry about the raucous entrance. Spike in artron energy reading at this address. In the light of the last 24 hours, we had to check it out and, uh, the dogs do love a runout. Hello. Kate Stewart, head of scientific research at UNIT. And," her eyes drifted to the Doctor with curiosity, "with dress sense like that..." she pulled out a small scanner and placed it over the Doctor's chest to view two hearts, "You must be the Doctor. I hoped it'd be you."

"You know each other?" Avalon looked up at the Doctor expectantly, assuming the woman had just been in the dark of his new face. Apparently there were plenty of people who didn't even know he had regenerated centuries ago.

The Doctor didn't know who to tend to first, but he figured it would be wiser to go with Avalon first considering they lived together. "No," he pointed at her, "No, not ever," and then he looked at Kate, "Tell me, since when did science run the military, Kate?"

"Since me. UNIT's been adapting," she informed, "Well, I dragged them along, kicking and screaming, which made it sound like more fun than it actually was."

"What do we know about these cubes?"

Kate walked further into the kitchen and inspected the place, "Far less than we need to. We've been freighting them in from around the world for testing. So far, we've subjected them to temperatures of +/-200° Celsius, simulated a water depth of 5 miles, dropped one out of a helicopter at 10,000 feet and rolled our best tank over it. Always intact."

"That's impressive," admitted Avalon and looked at the Doctor for his input.

"Well, yes," he agreed, "but I don't want them to be impressive. I want them vulnerable, with a nice Achilles's heel."

"We don't know how they got here," Kate shrugged, "what they're made of, or why they're here. "

"And all around the world, people are picking them up and taking them home."

"Like iPads have dropped out of the sky. Taking them to work, taking pictures, making films, posting them on Flickr and YouTube. Within 3 hours, the cubes had 1,000 separate Twitter accounts."

The Doctor distastefully said, "Twitter!" to show his disgust with the site.

"I've recommended we treat this as a hostile incursion. Gather them all up and lock them in a secure facility, but that would take massive international agreement and cooperation."

"You'd need massive evidence," Avalon concluded with a sigh, "Which you don't have..." Kate nodded in agreement.

"The cubes arrived in plain sight, in vast quantities, as the sun rose. So what does that tell us?" the Doctor looked around to his wife and companions.

"Maybe they wanted to be seen, noticed?" Amy offered the clearest observation possible.

"Well, more than that. They want to be observed," the Doctor pointed, "So we observe them. Stay with them, round the clock. Watch the cubes," he grabbed a nearby cube and tossed it in the air to catch it. "Day and night. Record absolutely everything about them. Team cube, in it together," he planted a kiss on the cube and grinned.

~ 0 ~

The Doctor was having the worst time possible with his brilliant plan of watching cubes. At the moment he and the rest of the Ponds were sitting on the couch in the living room watching the cubes as planned. The Doctor was laying upside down and, frankly, to the brink of going mad, "Four days," he groaned and grabbed a cube off the table, "Nothing! Not a single change in any cube, anywhere in the world." He set the cube back in its place then shifted himself to sit upright with the others, "Four days! And I'm still in your lounge!" he pointed to Amy and Rory.

"You were the one who wanted to observe them, remember?" Avalon crossed her arms and leaned back on the couch, "So deal with it."

"Yes, well, I thought they'd do something, didn't I?"

"And you thought wrong, didn't you?"

"Avalon!"

"What?" she laughed and put her hands up in surrender, "You said, and I quote, 'we have to be patient'."

"Yes, you, you!" he pointed at her but after she narrowed her eyes at him, he changed the version and pointed at her grandparents, "Them, them!"

"Thanks," Amy rolled her eyes at him.

"I hate being patient! Patience is for wimps!" he threw his head back, "I can't live like this. Don't make me. I need to be busy."

Avalon couldn't take him anymore and threw her hands in the air, "Oh my God, just go do something, then!" she exclaimed, "We'll watch the cubes."

"Yes!" the Doctor cheered and jumped up from the couch, ready to do what ever he could to pass time.

"I blame you guys for this," Avalon said to Amy and Rory minutes later after the Doctor was gone.

'What? What did we do?" Rory looked at her in confusion.

"You guys let me marry him!" she mocked a frown, "I had partial memory loss - what kind of grandparents were you?" She mocked a scoff and stood up from the couch.

"What? Where are you going?" Amy watched her go around the couch for the staircase.

"I feel for a nap," she pretended to yawn then flashed a smirk and ran upstairs.

"Avalon!" both Amy and Rory called after her but received nothing but laughter.

~ 0 ~

One hour later, and a far cleaner house than before, the Doctor leaped over the back of the sofa to take place between Amy and Rory, "That's better," he sighed of relief, "Nothing like a bit of activity to pass the time. How long was I gone?"

Rory checked his watch, "Uh, about an hour."

"I can't do it," the Doctor's face fell, "No," he stood up and jumped over the back of the sofa again but stopped and looked back, "I'm short a wife - where's my ginger?"

"Your lazy wife took a nap," Amy made a face as she stood to her feet, "upstairs in her room."

"Oh, right, she has a room here..." it was then that the Doctor wondered if perhaps he could've done something more fun to pass the time with Avalon.

"You're welcome to visit anytime," Avalon appeared at the stairs wearing a smirk on her lips, clearly thinking the same as the Doctor.

"Oh, look who's up?" Rory turned to greet her sarcastically.

"I set an alarm for about an hour," Avalon went down the remaining steps, "Knew that was about the time this one," she nodded to the Doctor, "would finish up his little distraction jobs in that time."

"Yes," the Doctor reached for her hand and yanked her towards the TARDIS, "And now we're going!"

"What? Where?" she squealed with the force used on the yank.

The Doctor brought them into the TARDIS and came across Brian who remained sitting and watching the cube, "Brian! You're still here."

"You told me to watch the cubes," Brian reminded and stood up.

"Four days ago."

"Oh! Doesn't time fly when you're alone with your thoughts."

"You two can't just leave," Rory cut into the conversation and looked at the pair.

"Yes, course we can. Quick jaunt. Restore sanity," the Doctor snapped his fingers excitedly and pointed at them, "Ooh! Hey! Come, if you like."

Before either Rory or Amy could respond, Brian stepped forwards, "They can't just go off like that."

"Can't they?" frowned the Doctor, "Can't you? That's how it goes, isn't it?"

"I've got my job," Rory reminded him.

"Oh, yes, Rory, the universe is awaiting, but you have a little job to go to."

"It's not little," Rory snapped, slightly indignant, "It's important to me. Look, what you do isn't all there is."

"Look, he didn't mean to be rude," Avalon intervened, raising a hand to stop them from talking, "But it's fine, the Doctor and I can go off for a while, right?" she looked up at the Doctor for confirmation.

"Right," he kissed her temple then snapped his fingers to the others, "We'll be back soon. Monitor the cubes. Call us. I'll have the TARDIS set to every Earth newsfeed."

Agreeing, the three humans left the box. After the Doctor de-materialized the TARDIS from the Pond's, he turned to his wife with a sly smile.

"Where we off to, then?" Avalon innocently asked while gazing at the controls.

"I'll let you know..." He murmured as he pressed a few kisses down her neck, giving her chills on her skin, "...after we do something else..."

She giggled as he wrapped his arm around her waist and brought them into the corridors for that special distraction he had thought of.

~ 0 ~

Nine months would see the return of Avalon and the Doctor to planet Earth - and only to snatch Amy and Rory up for an extravagant anniversary gift. It would have gone far better if the 19th century hotel that served as the gift hadn't been the setting for a Zygon attack.

The next gift was an easier one, a simple wedding in the past of King Henry VII. But...

The travelers ran inside a highly royal wooden room, out of breath.

"Not good, not good!" Avalon declared and gave a hard look to the Doctor who'd found some fun leaping on the bed, "Are you kidding me!?"

"What?" He let himself fall on the bed then sighed, "Fine! Under the bed. Under the bed!"

They all scrambled to fit underneath the bed. Their chasers were hot on their trail and it would be mere seconds before they were inside the room.

"It wasn't my fault," grumbled Amy.

However, Rory quickly retorted to that, "It was totally your fault."

"Somebody was talking and I just said 'yes'!"

"To wedding vows. You just married Henry VIII on our anniversary!"

The door finally burst open again, allowing the chasers to come in. Henry VIII strolled around the room searching for his new wife. And, of course, the Doctor sneezed and gave their location away. Avalon dropped her head to her hands - why was her family this weird?

~ 0 ~

The anniversary celebration continued back on planet Earth, inside Amy and Rory's cozy kitchen with their friends. The Doctor stood by the threshold of the kitchen, overseeing the celebration. Avalon decided to stay up close and celebrate with her grandparents. Brian walked towards him, looking a bit upset, "How long were they away?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Brian."

"Because they're wearing totally different clothes from earlier," Brian pointed to the Ponds.

Seeing no way to hide the truth, the Doctor decided to just answer, "Seven weeks. I got sidetracked. A lot."

"What happened to the other people who traveled with you?"

The Doctor deterred answering a second since he knew the answer would not be a good one. "Uh, some left me, some got left behind, and some - not many, but - some died. Not them. Not them, Brian. Never them."

Avalon picked up two plates of cake from the table with two forks then headed towards the two with a bright smile, "I've got cake!" she beamed and handed a plate to Brian, "Grandpa," she loved to be able to say that to him. She had gained one new family member and he was the absolute sweetest!

Brian kindly smiled and took his plate, he still couldn't fathom the fact the woman was an extension of their family but he was slowly growing more and more fond of her. "Thank you, sweetheart."

"And we can share," Avalon leaned on the Doctor, already digging into her cake, "So, what are we talking about?"

The Doctor exchanged glances with Brian, unsure how to go about that topic. Brian could see the internal struggle within the man so he answered instead, "I'm just making sure he takes good care of you."

Avalon titled her head up to the Doctor and warmly smiled, "Oh, he's incredibly protective, grandfather. I'm always safe with him."

The Doctor placed a kiss on her curly hair and wrapped his arms around her tightly while she ate. He would never let anything happen to Amy or Rory - much less Avalon. She was his wife and he'd rather die himself before any harm came to her.

~ 0 ~

After the party was finished, the travelers remained together to clean up. The Doctor came to sit beside Amy who carelessly tossed a cube in her hands. He had been thinking of how best to approach the subject but in the end, he was still very nervous.

"Can we... stay here? With you. And Rory?" He said, preferring to stare at the cube in Amy's hands rather than her. "For a bit. Keep an eye on the cubes. However long that takes."

Amy poked at him curiously, chuckling. "I thought it would drive you mad."

"No. No no. I mean, I'll be better at it this time," he promised in an almost childish tone, "I...miss you."

Amy smiled and stood up, "It's okay, did you tell Avalon?"

The other ginger came in time to hear the question, "Told me what?" she looked at the Doctor.

"I thought...we could stay here?" He rose to his feet and shifted nervously as he waited for her response.

"Ooh, I like that," Avalon nodded and a sly smile spread across her face, "You can stay in my room," she winked.

Amy groaned and raised her hands while leaving, "Don't you dare!" she warned as she left the room.

Avalon laughed and came for her blushing husband, "You okay?"

"You love embarrassing me don't you?" he shut his eyes and hung his head.

"Maybe a bit," she shrugged and ducked to meet his lips for a kiss, "But I can apologize for that..." she assured and kissed him again.

The days passed and the Doctor kept true to his word in trying his best to live a semi-normal life without the TARDIS. It was difficult at times, but the Doctor thanked he had his wife to keep him from going crazy. She'd lived a long, human life so it was no problem for her to readjust again. For her, it was an opportunity to show him a different life they could live - a peaceful, safe life.

The Doctor admitted to himself it was one he could get used to - especially at times like the one he was currently in.

It was past midnight and he and Avalon were in her room. Nearly all furniture pieces were from Avalon's childhood home in Leadworth, except for the bed the two were laying in. It had been traded in for a bigger one to fit two people, cozy enough to snuggle in. At the moment, the two were closely laying together, with Avalon's head resting on the Doctor's chest. His hand was lazily playing with her ginger locks while listening to her read from her favorite fairytale book. He loved hearing her read, her voice had a knack for literature — she was a natural. Of course, due to the time, her voice was beginning to dwindle in emotion and speed. The Doctor had allowed her to continue reading until she could no more. When her words began slurring, he knew it was time to call it a night.

"Heeey..." Avalon manages to frown but not to lift her head, "...I was reading that..."

"And now you're sleeping," the Doctor shut the book and placed it on the nightstand.

"I'm not tired, you're not tired."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "You're not going to deprive yourself of sleep, love. Get some rest."

"You're not..." she yawned and closed her eyes, "...the boss of me..." she snuggled to him and released a small sigh before falling asleep.

"Of course not," the Doctor agreed in a whisper. He kissed her hair and pulled her blanket over her.

Of course, Avalon being Avalon, she wouldn't let him have it. Three hours later, her eyes opened up and she finally lifted her head up, "What time is it?" she mumbled, half expecting the to be gone.

He had a tendency to leave her during nights she needed sleep. He claimed it was simply for her comfort. Why share a bed with a man who didn't sleep? She should have an entire bed to herself! She understood he was just thinking of her and what was best, but she wanted him to stay with her...but she never admitted it out of embarrassment. So, when she saw the Doctor was still right beside her, she couldn't help set loose a wide grin.

"You're not gone," she quickly snuggled to him before he went anywhere.

"Hope you don't mind," he apologetically smiled at her. He was planning on leaving her to rest comfortably but she had clung to him during her sleep and he didn't have the hearts to leave her alone for the night.

"Not at all," she looked up at him.

"Planning on going back to sleep?"

"Mm, I don't know...let's read another story!" she exclaimed and moved to retrieve her book when the Doctor stopped her.

"Ava, it's 4 A.M.," he reminded and set her back on the bed.

"But I'm not tired," she softly complained, "Why do you want me to sleep so badly? Do you have someone to meet? Like another woman?"

"See? Deprivation of sleep is causing your mind to think of crazy stuff," he tapped her forehead, "I just want my wife to get some full rest."

"I don't want to," she shrugged and smiled at him, knowing how to distract him, "I had a dream about you."

"Really?" he raised an eyebrow, his attention already captivated.

"Mhm," she nodded, "It was about the first time we kissed, remember?"

"Kinda hard to forget," he breathed in just at the thought of that moment.

"Well, I do make quite an impression on men," she flashed a smirk that made him upset, "I've been told by several of them."

"Shh," he put a finger over her lips and quieted her down, "Let's not talk about..." he flapped hand to motion, "...that!"

Her smirk widened with his discomfort, "You mean my amazing kissing skills I used before you?"

The Doctor shut his eyes, trying to avoid any and all images of his wife kissing other men, "Shhh!"

"Cos you know, just because I only had 3 boyfriends before you doesn't mean I only kissed those three!"

"Ava, for the love of God, shhhhh!"

Avalon chuckled and draped an arm around him, "You know I like teasing you, fairy-tale man."

"No? I hadn't noticed," the Doctor had a hand over his face to avoid looking at her big smirk.

"I have to get back at you," Avalon continued and traded in her smirk for a dim smile, "Cos when I get to thinking of all the women who came before me...well..." she pulled his hand from her face, "...I get a little upset, and highly jealous."

The Doctor saw his opportunity to change topics and went for it, "All meaningless compared to you, love."

"Even your own late wife?"

"That marriage was under formal arrangements," he pointed at her, "completely out of my hands."

"And yet you still had children..." it was easy to tell Avalon wasn't playing anymore like she tended to with his past relationships. She fiddled with her fingers and kept her gaze from him, "...the marriage couldn't have been that bad."

"Let me put it to you in one question: Why do you think I left Gallifrey in the first place?" at that, blue eyes fell upon him, "I love my children, so so much...but I could not stand her. All the time it was bickering and bickering!"

"We bicker," Avalon reminded in a low whisper, her hands still fiddling together.

The Doctor scooted slightly from her to be able to roll on top of her, bringing their faces together, "But when we bicker, it's out of love," he whispered back to her before giving her a kiss.

Avalon seemed unsure of it but the second kiss she received put her doubts to rest. She took a long breath the moment the Doctor pulled away, "I'm glad to know where I stand..." she reached to touch his face, taking a moment to study his features, "You know, I think I was wrong about hope..."

"What exactly?"

"Maybe hope doesn't have to be an intangible force..." she tilted her head slightly and dimly smiled, "...it could simply be someone who's impacted your life so much that they become your hope - you." The Doctor was touched to hear that, his hearts beating wildly at the thought of her believing in him so much. She stared at him with her sparkly blue eyes which had foregone their tiredness. "You've changed my life in so many ways. How could you not be my hope? My future has never looked better."

"Well then, I promise to always keep your hope alive," the Doctor raised a hand as if he were making an oath, which actually he was, "and most importantly keep you happy."

Avalon blushed under his gentle stare and felt like the most important woman to him, "I thank you, fairy-tale man."

"I thank you for your hope, wife," the Doctor responded with that and a kiss that soon turned in dozens and dozens more.

~ 0 ~

"You two are impossible," Amy declared with arms crossed and a look of bewilderment as she watched Avalon and the Doctor competing in a WII tennis match, "How is it that you're married again?"

"You are a bloody cheater!" Avalon shouted at the Doctor, blatantly ignoring her grandmother's question behind them.

"I am not!" declared the Doctor with a huff as he turned to face his wife. He whacked his tennis racket to hit an incoming ball Avalon had sent just before she yelled at him.

"Yes" — Avalon thrust her racket to counter his hit — "you are! A big cheater! That set was mine and you know it!"

"That's not what the computer says," the Doctor flashed a smirk to her before using his racket again.

"Impossible," Amy repeated in the background as she resigned to have shouting in the house, "I'm taking a bath!" she called to whoever listened - probably Rory in the kitchen.

"You know, this is exactly why Fred Perry hates you," Avalon 'accidentally' pushed him in order to counter his attack on the television, "because you're a bloody cheater!" and when she hit the virtual ball she beamed as it went straight past the Doctor's, "HA! My set!" she jumped in excitement and turned to the Doctor.

"Okay, see that was cheating," he pointed at her.

"What?" she continued hopping and even jumped onto the couch, "It was not!"

"Yes, it was," the Doctor repeated and moved to grab her but she kept hopping and made it difficult, "You pushed me to hit the ball!"

"Strategies my dear husband, strategies," she stopped hopping to tap his nose.

"Cheater!" the Doctor managed to yank her off the couch and leave them face to face, a dangerous territory in their love/hate competition, "Why did I ever marry a cheater?" he touched noses with her and purposely flashed his charming smile.

Avalon was able to see over his shoulder the game starting up again and saw an opportunity to win again, "Well," her voice turned huskily while she neared his lips, "I do have some rather nice skills you're fond of...let me remind you of some of them..."

Barely brushing lips, the Doctor pushed her to the couch and spun around to strike the first ball in the game, "Ha! MY set!" he cheered.

Avalon fell with a thud on the cushions, stunned with the results of her seduction attempt. She blew the locks of hair that had fallen over her forehead then looked up at the Doctor with a glare, "How dare you!?"

"Sorry my love," the Doctor looked back at her, "I love you and we'll definitely get back to that," he pointed at her, "but this is my game and you were cheating!"

"I hate you!" Avalon jumped to her feet and got into position to give him one hell of a game, "And you're going to lose so badly," she warned just as the game set up again.

They spent another a two minutes playing while arguing when a cube hovered in front of them, freezing them in their spots.

"Doctor..." Avalon's eyes were wide.

"I know," the Doctor gave a small nod then narrowed his eyes at the cube, "Whatever you are, this planet, these people, are precious to me. And I will defend them to my last breath. Is that all you can do, hover? I had a metal dog could do that," the cube opened up one of its side to show a muzzle of a gun, "Ooh! Ooh, that's clever. What's that?"

"It's a gun!" Avalon smacked his arm, "What do you think it's for!?" she pulled him to the in time as the gun fired. They ran out of the room while dodging a second fire.

Once safely in the hallway, the Doctor peered into the room and saw the cube downloading information on the television. "Ooh, you really have woken up."

"Doctor!" Rory came running in from the kitchen, "Hi. The cube in there, it just opened?"

Amy was next to come running, but from the staircase, "The cube upstairs just spiked me and took my pulse!"

"Your cubes are losers," remarked Avalon with a small smirk, "Ours fired with a gun!"

"And it's surfing the net!" the Doctor added with excitement.

Brian ran into the house with about equal awe as Amy and Rory, "You're never going to believe this. My cube just moved. It rattled."

"Kinda of in the same predicament, Brian," Avalon gestured to the living room so he could peek in. Meanwhile, Rory went to attend to a call on the phone, "Do you think it's the start of the real invasion?" she asked the Doctor.

"Could mean anything, honestly," he shrugged.

"But if three cubes started in here, and another one at Brian's - would that mean that all the cubes have started moving?"

"Those are some very good questions," the Doctor looked at her with concern as he thought of her questions.

Upon hanging the phone, Rory returned to the group, "I have to get to work. They need all the help they can get."

"Let me come help out," Brian offered himself up.

"Take your dad to work night, brilliant!" Rory turned to Amy, "Okay, are you going to be all right here?"

She nodded and kissed him, "Keep away from the cubes."

"Alright," Rory took Brian and went off for the hospital.

"What the hell are you grinning about?" Avalon raised an eyebrow as she studied her grinning husband who'd remerged from the living room.

"Well, one," he raised a finger, "We're wanted at the Tower of London," he showed her and Amy his psychic paper to reveal a message, "And two," he leaned to Avalon with a smirk, "I won the last match."

"No you didn't!" Avalon angrily snapped and even made to move for the living room to check for herself.

The Doctor picked her up over his shoulder and headed for the doors, "Come along, remaining Pond," he called to Amy who laughed and followed him despite Avalon's angry shouts to be let down.

~ 0 ~

Kate Stewart led the trio down a hall inside the tower of London, explaining the reasons for her message, "Every cube across the whole world activated at the same moment."

"Now we're in business," the Doctor drowned the urge to clap his hands in excitement about it. He had loved his normal time with his Ponds but there needed to be some kind of action in the end, "You sent me a message to my psychic paper," he told Kate, "You know, I'm almost impressed. "

As they walked, Avalon and Amy were busy looking around the secretive base they'd been invited to. While Amy looked a bit worried, Avalon was more than impressed, "I must say, the secret base beneath the Tower was something I was not expecting," she flashed a smile at Kate, "I might use that in a book in the future."

"You write?" the blonde asked.

"No, but I plan to one day - this base can serve for a lot of purposes."

"Well make sure to write the part where the group gets invited into the base becuase they know too much,' mumbled Amy but was perfectly heard by Kate.

"Oh yes, and make sure to write that we have officers trained in beheading. Also, ravens of death."

"Ooh," Avalon thought about that while Kate took a lead down the hallway, "I think I just might. You know, I like her."

"Yeah," the Doctor nodded and hurried up after the blonde with them.

~ 0 ~

Kate had brought them into a room where the cubes were being monitored in small sealed rooms. They stopped by several of the casings to observe them, There are 50 being monitored and more coming in all the time. I don't know how useful it is. Every cube is behaving individually. There's no meaningful pattern. Some respond to proximity, some create mood swings."

"What's this one?" Amy pointed at a lone cube simply sat on a table. It seemed like it wasn't doing anything to her.

Kate knew otherwise and so motioned for her to go ahead and open its door, "Try the door."

Amy did as told and opened the door to the chamber, flooding the room with the Chicken dance, "Ooh..."

The Doctor plugged his ears with his fingers as the music blared. Avalon stared at him with genuine awe, "So that's how we can keep you quiet! Hey Kate, can I borrow that cube sometime?"

Next, Kate led the group into the lab room where her scientists/technicians were busy working away on the computers and other equipment. "This is the latest," she gestured to the computer screen in front of them.

The Doctor leaned forwards and used the keyboard to access its information, "Oh, dear. Systems breach at the Pentagon, China, every African nation, the Middle East."

"I've got governments screaming for explanations and no idea what to tell them. I'm lost, Doctor. We all are."

"Don't despair, Kate. Your dad never did," the Doctor glanced at the woman to find her staring at him in surprise, "Kate Stewart. Heading up UNIT, changing the way they work. How could you not be? Why did you drop "Lethbridge"?"

"I didn't want any favors. Though he guided me, even to the end. "Science leads," he always told me, said he'd learnt that from an old friend."

The Doctor smiled, "We don't let him down. We don't let this planet down."

One of the nearby technicians responded to an alerting beep, "They've stopped. The cubes. Across the world. They just shut down."

Kate frowned, "Active for 47 minutes and then they just die?"

"Not dead," the Doctor shook his head, "Dormant, maybe."

"But why go through all that trouble, then?" Avalon asked next.

"I don't know!" he exclaimed, clearly stressing, "I don't know. I need to think. I need some air. Who has an underground base? Terrible ventilation!"

Avalon exchanged looks with Amy then dashed off after the Doctor. Amy apologetically smiled to Kate before going off as well.

~ 0 ~

"The moment they arrived, I should've made sure they were collected and burned. That is what I should've done," the Doctor rubbed his face and deeply sighed to the two gingers sitting on either side of him.

They had moved to a wall sit on which overlooked the Thames - sort of peaceful, despite the looming dangers of the cube.

"Nobody would have listened to you," Avalon interjected and lightly shrugged, "I know I wouldn't have."

"You never listen to anything," shot Amy sarcastically.

"But you know I'm right about the others."

On that, Amy conceded with a shrug of her own, "Yeah, I suppose. There was no reason to back then."

The Doctor had been looking them back and forth, thinking of the future when Amy would no longer wish to be with them, "You're thinking of stopping, aren't you? You and Rory."

Amy looked away at the question, "No, no, I mean, we haven't made a decision."

"But you're considering it."

"Maybe. I don't know. We don't know. Well, our lives have changed so much. There was a time - there were years - when I couldn't live without you. Um, when just the whole everyday thing would drive me crazy. But since you dropped us back here, since you gave us this house, you know, we've built a life. But I don't know if I can have both."

"Why?" It was Avalon who asked the question, curious of the answer. She had been used to Lena's reluctance about traveling - her illness and the simple fact she wasn't made for it was enough. But Amy? Why would she want to stop?"

"Because they pull at each other," Amy answered carefully, "Because they pull at me and because the traveling is starting to feel like running away."

"That's not what it is," the Doctor frowned.

"Oh, come on, look at you. Four days in a lounge and you go crazy."

"I'm not running away," he insisted, "This is one corner of one country, in one continent on one planet that's a corner of a galaxy, that's a corner of a universe that is forever growing and shrinking and creating and destroying and never remaining the same for a single millisecond and there is so much, so much, to see, Amy. Because it goes so fast. I'm not running away from things. I'm running to them, before they flare and fade forever. It's all right. Our lives won't run the same. They can't. One day, soon, maybe, you'll stop. I've known for a while."

"Then why do you keep coming back for us?"

"Because you were the first," the Doctor put an arm around her shoulders and Avalon, and sighed lightly, "You two and Lena, you were the first faces this face saw. And you were seared onto my hearts. Ponds - and one Reynolds," Avalon silently rolled her eyes but let him have it for his sake, "You always will be. I've lost Lena long ago. Now I'm running to you and Rory before you fade from me too."

"But there's one of us who'll never leave," Amy tried her best not to sniffle, "And she'll keep you company long after we're all gone."

"Quiet," Avalon mumbled the order, never wanting to think of her family dead, "I don't ever want to hear that."

"What ever you want, spoiled granddaughter," Amy did her best sarcasm without crying.

Suddenly, the Doctor stiffened, something both women felt. "They got what they wanted," he whispered.

"What?" Avalon frowned at him, taking his sudden reactions as if he was mocking them.

"The cubes. That's why they stopped," the Doctor was having a moment of his own, even jumping and nearly knocking the women in the process, "Come on!" he ran back for the entrance of the tower.

He went straight back to Kate in a haste stride, "Kate?" he called and made the blonde turn around from a technician, "Before they shut down, they scanned everything, from your medical limits to your military response patterns. They made a complete assessment-" the lights in the tower went down with no warning, "...of planet Earth..." the Doctor pulled out to sonic the light bulbs, "...and its inhabitants. That's what the surge of activity was. Problem with the power?"

Kate was holding a lit torch in her hand and looking quite distressed, "Not possible. We've got backups."

"Then why aren't they working?" Avalon challenged, finding the action suspicious with the cubes.

The Doctor took them back to the chambers of the cube to get a look at what as happening. There, they found all cubes were counting down to zero, something the Doctor was able to give to Kate as a powerful reason for the cubes to be recalled and disposed by all humans. Thankfully, Kate was able to spread the word out and were getting the cubes thrown out of buildings. The Doctor had only one last thing to do: lock himself in a chamber with one cube.

Avalon, Amy and Kate stood outside of the chamber the Doctor was in, staring intently at the cube which was nearing zero. Avalon had her arms crossed and a look of clear disapproval, "Doctor, you don't have to be in there," she repeated for what seemed the tenth time, "I don't understand why you love scaring me like this."

"It's going to be fine," the Doctor gave her a thumbs up which did not make her feel an ounce better. It wasn't long before the countdown reached zero and when the Doctor prepared for the worst...the cube merely slid open one of its side to show nothing inside.

"What's happening?" Avalon asked quickly, sensing something worse would happen if the cube was showing 'nothing'. That nothing would turn into something in a surprise and harm the Doctor when he's off guard.

"There is nothing in here," the Doctor stood up, staring at the cube with a scowl, "Why? Why is there nothing inside? Why? It doesn't make any sense!" he left the chamber and went for thee technician rooms to see what had occurred outside, "Glasses, is it the same? Is it the same all around the world?" he gathered from the various screens in front of him.

"They're empty," Kate remarked, "We're safe. Right?"

"I don't think so," Avalon voiced her opinion, "because what if they're just playing us? This could be a decoy while the real attack happens with some other thing."

"All along, every action has been deliberate," the Doctor relayed, "Why draw attention to the cubes, if they don't contain anything?"

Amy, who had been staring at the videos while the others spoke, was the first to see the 'real action' take place, "Doctor, look," she pointed, alarmed.

The videos were all showing people gripping their chests and collapsing to the ground. The technician overseeing the monitors spoke up, "They're CCTV feeds from across the world, showing the same."

"People are dying," Avalon gasped in horror, "See! I told you!"

"They can't be dying," the Doctor disagreed, "How? How are they dying?"

Kate turned to the technician with an important task in mind, "I want information on how people are being affected."

"The cubes brought people close together. They opened and—" the Doctor couldn't continue when a sharp pain ran through his chest.

Seeing him fall onto a chair with a cry of pain, Avalon and Amy were at his side, "Doctor, what's the matter!?" Avalon wanted to help him but with his frizzy movements she couldn't lay a finger on him.

"Uh! Ah! I don't know!"

"Posters are logging a global surge in heart failure, cardiac arrest," the technician Kate had ordered finally gave an explanation.

"That's it. Ah!" the Doctor yelled, "Ah! Oh. Only one heart. Other one's not working!" he pounded on his chest.

"Okay! We need to get you to the hospital!" Amy declared and went to get him up with Avalon when the Doctor pushed them away.

"No no no no no! Just a second," he pushed his chair back to the desk, "Come, show me 10 seconds after the cubes opened. Show me the patterns in their electrical current. See?"

"No," Kate shook her head.

"Yes, the power cut. They sucked the power and then - aah! They're signal boxes! People - wham! Pure electrical surge out of the cube, targeted at the nearest human heart. The heart! An organ powered by electrical current, short-circuited. How to destroy a human? Go for the heart. Ow! Crikey Moses!"

"We need to get you out of here!" Avalon exclaimed.

Kate looked up from the monitor she was at, "Doctor, the scan you set running. The transmitter locations. It's found them."

"Oh, look at them all, pulsing, bold as brass. Seven of them, all across the world. (pounds chest) Ow! Seven stations, seven minutes. Why is that important? Ah-aaah! Ha ha ha ow! Ow!" the Doctor looked at Avalon and Amy, "How do you people manage one heart? It is pitiful!"

"I'm sorry, did you just really call me 'pitiful'?" Avalon raised an eyebrow, desisting in all movements to help him, "Are you really going down that road?"

"No, ma'am," the Doctor cleared his throat and shifted his attention to the monitor, still fighting the unbearable pain within his chest, "The wormhole. Bridging two dimensions. Seven of them, hitched on to this planet. But - but – but where's the closest one? Glasses, zoom in."

The technician zoomed in to the location and revealed a very familiar London building to the two gingers in the room.

"That's the hospital where Rory works," Avalon blinked, "We've got to get there now!"

~ 0 ~

In no time had they arrived at Rory's hospital. The Doctor tried leading the group with a hand over his chest, "How many deaths have been recorded?" he glanced at Kate beside him.

"We don't know. We think it could be a third of the population."

"Kate, I have to find the wormhole. But the attacks could still happen. Tell the world. Tell them how to deal this. The world needs your leadership right now."

"I'll do my best," the blonde promised and walked back.

Not a second later after she'd left did the Doctor fall against a wall with a cry of agony, "Agh!"

"Okay we need to fix you," Avalon declared and started looking around for something to help them.

"How long are you going to last with only one heart?" Amy sighed as she helped him stand with an arm around his shoulders.

"Not much longer," he started scanning the place with the sonic, "I need to locate the wormhole portal. Hello. Hello!" he found a young girl holding one of the cubes, "Oh, hello," he went up to her, "You are giving off some very strange signals."

The girl made no oral response and instead glowed a brilliant blue, startling the trio, "Oh my God," Amy blinked.

"Outlier droid monitoring everything. If I shut her down, I can," with the sonic's help the girl started swaying back and forth as she lost power, "Ah. It's all right. It's all right..." but his own strength was flailing, "Ava, Amy, I can't!" he slid to the floor, "I can't do it. I need both hearts. Ah! Aah!"

"Oh that is it!" Avalon huffed and stomped down the hallway, clearly searching for something.

"What's she doing!?" Amy narrowed her eyes as she studied the other ginger's movements.

Avalon returned to them with a defibrillator in hands, something the Doctor was immediately shooting down, "No! No, no, no, no, that won't work! I'm a Time Lord!"

"Yes," Avalon got on her knees, "you're a Time Lord with one working heart!"

"No, Ava!" He refused when she opened his shirt.

"Oh relax, it's nothing I haven't done before!"

"Hey!" Amy frowned at the implication, "Ew, grandmother, remember?" she pointed at herself.

"Shush, I'm saving my husband," Avalon snapped, "Clear!" and she applied the charge which instantly got results.

"Ooh!" the Doctor sat upright, feeling the blast of energy, "Welcome back, Lefty. Whoa-hoa! Two hearts!" he jumped to his feet and pulled Avalon with him, "Whoo! Back in the game. And Never do that to me again," he firmly pointed at Avalon who barely caught up with his radical movements.

"Okay, but then don't come whining to me tonight when I say no and go to sleep!"

"No, wait, not that," the Doctor immediately frowned, "Not that! I meant that!" He pointed at the defibrillator behind them.

"Sorry," Avalon raised a hand and walked off, "C'mon, then, portal awaits!"

"I hate when she does that," the Doctor huffed then noticed the distasteful face Amy had for him, "What?"

"Grandmother!" she pointed at herself again, "Ew?" would they ever understand neither she nor Rory ever wanted to hear what went on between him and Avalon in their bedroom.

~ 0 ~

They arrived at the lift where the Doctor's sonic had led them to. When the doors slid open, the trio peered inside to find a regulator lift.

"Oh, portal to another dimension in a goods lift?" Amy frowned at the sight.

The Doctor checked his sonic's examination results, "The energy signals converge here. Does seem a bit cramped, though," he stepped in followed by the two gingers. The back wall seemed to ripple attracting the Doctor's attention. He poked it and glanced at the two women, all sharing bright smiles, "Through the looking-glass, Ava."

"I loved that story," Avalon beamed as he took her hand.

"I loved hearing you read it to me."

Amy rolled her eyes, "Eugh!" she pushed past them and went through the wall first. She came to a spaceship which consisted of old hospital gurneys that held her husband and her father-in-law, "Rory!"

"Where the hell are we?" asked Avalon when she and the Doctor came through.

"We're in orbit. One dimension to the left," the Doctor shrugged.

Amy turned to them and pointed to Rory across the room, "Rory's unconscious!"

The Doctor reached inside his jacket's pocket and pulled out a small jar he handed to Amy, "Seborean smelling salts. Outlawed in seven galaxies."

Amy was hesitant to use such jar but took the chance and ran over to Rory. Upon getting a whiff, Rory sat upright with wide eyes.

"Rory, you're back!" Avalon excitedly hugged him.

"Amy, get them out of here," tasked the Doctor, "And you too, now."

At that, Avalon pulled away from her hug and turned to the Doctor, "No, what are you going to do on your own?"

The Doctor moved on to Brian's gurney and pushed it towards them, "Absolutely no idea. Get him through the portal," and he started helping them when someone fired at them. The Doctor looked back and saw a lone, bald man in a dark cloak and chapped, wrinkled skin.

"So many of them, crawling the planet, seeping into every corner," he was saying.

"What the hell is that?" Avalon stopped but was forced to continue out of the room by her grandparents. They returned to the lift and into the hallway while Brian was stirring awake, "Did we just really leave my husband behind?" she faced Amy and Rory.

"Of course not," Amy huffed at the accusation, "Don't you realize? We'd never leave him, nor you."

"Well..." Avalon crossed her arms, her eyes flickering between one grandparent to another, "...it's just, lately, I feel like you leaving the Doctor and the TARDIS means you'll be leaving me too."

"What?" Rory frowned, "How can you say that, Ava?"

"Because I barely see you anymore," Avalon dropped her arms to her sides in frustration, "and I try to act like it's all alright but deep down I don't want you to go. I like having my family/friends with me in that blue box."

"We need you to understand something for us," Rory came up and put his hands on her shoulder, keeping her still and looking directly at him and Amy, "Even if we do decide to leave the travelling it does not mean we are leaving you."

"Yeah, you're our granddaughter for god's sake," Amy shook her head, "How can you think we'd ever leave you?"

"I dunno..." Avalon played with her foot, "Cos when the Doctor talks about his previous companions he always says how much he misses them cos he doesn't visit them. He leaves them or they leave him. I don't want that to happen to you two."

"It's not," Rory declared with a sigh, "Because we are never going to let that happen. We stay and you'll come and visit us. And sometimes we'll come visit you."

"But we will always be a family," Amy finished.

"Promise?" Avalon whispered, believing herself to sound like a child.

"Promise," went both grandparents before hugging their granddaughter. When the moment was finished, they rejoined the Doctor and discovered the alien was still conversing with the mysterious man - one who apparently believed humans to be an 'epidemic' that needed to be stopped.

"What does he mean by 'Tally'?" asked Amy, still trailing the man with slight distaste, "What is that?"

The Doctor wasn't too happy to have his wife and friends back in direct danger. He knew he couldn't force them to leave and for the sake of time he didn't press, "Some people call it "Judgment Day" or "the Reckoning.""

Avalon glanced at him with surprise, "What? You don't know?"

"I've never wanted to find out."

"Before the Closure, there is the Tally," the Shakri declared, "The Shakri serves the Tally!"

"The pest controllers of the universe. That's how the tales went, isn't it?" the Doctor frowned.

"Wait, so you'r'e afraid of an exterminator?" Avalon snorted, crossing her arms and putting a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh, "What kind of bedtime stories are those?"

"Well you can talk," the Doctor turned to her, crossed she was making fun of him, "Your stories are no better. A wolf in your grandmother's nightdress?"

Avalon raised an eyebrow and stepped closer, "Are you making fun of your wife's favorite classic fairy-tales?"

"N-no," the Doctor quickly faced the Shakri again, "So!" he clapped his hands, desperate for a change of topics, "Here you are, depositing slug pellets all over the Earth, made attractive so humans will collect them, hoping to find something beautiful inside. Because that's what they are. Not pests or plague - creatures of hope, forever building and reaching. Making mistakes, of course, every life form does, but - but - they learn. And they strive for greater and they achieve it. You want a tally? Put their achievements against their failings, through the whole of time. I will back humanity against the Shakri every time."

"The Tally must be met. The second wave will be released," the Shakri moved to the keyboard and began typing.

Amy watched the actions in alarm, "What does that mean?"

"It's going to release more cubes to kill more people," the Doctor's eyes widened.

"The human plague, breeding and fighting. And, when cornered, their rage to destroy. You're too late, Doctor. The Tally shall be met."

Amy panicked when the man disappeared, "He's gone!"

"He was never really here," the Doctor dismissed as he moved to the computer, "Just the ship's automated interface. Like a talking propaganda poster. I can stop the second wave," he pulled out the sonic to use, "I can disconnect all the Shakri craft from their portals, leave them drifting in the dark space. Ah, but all those people who were near the cubes, so many of them will have died."

"I restarted one of your hearts," Avalon blinked, 'Could that work?"

"You'd need mass defibrillation," Rory said.

"Of course. Ah, beautiful. But, Ponds, Ponds, we're going to go one better than that," the Doctor pointed at them, "The Shakri used the cubes to turn people's hearts off. Bingo! We're going to use them to turn them back on again."

"Will that work?" Amy raised an eyebrow, sensing it too easy.

"Well, creatures of hope. Has to," the Doctor shrugged and worked for a couple more minutes, "30 seconds. Don't let me down, cubes. You're working for me, now," the ship lurched them to the side a bit, "Oh, dear," the Doctor got a glimpse of the computer and stepped back, tugging on Avalon's arm to join him as well, "All those cubes. There's going to be a terrible wave of energy ricocheting around here, any second. Run!"

The Ponds had no choice to follow, just barely missing the explosion behind them.

~ 0 ~

The only way to finish a day filled with explosions and an almost-invasion was to cook a nice dinner for the family in the evening. Amy showed Avalon a classic recipe that she had apparently picked up in the months of their absence and it turned out that the two actually made a good cooking team. It was a pleasant evening until the time came to leave.

"We'd better get going," the Doctor glanced at Ava to see if she would agree or not. If it was hard for him to leave the Ponds, it was ten times harder for her - they were literally family.

Thankfully, she seemed to agree as she nodded and stood up, "Right, lots and lots of things to do, um." She hugged Amy then Rory and went around the table to hug Brian last.

"Look," the Doctor settled his hands on the shoulders of Amy and Rory, "I know, you both have lives here, beautiful, messy lives. That is what makes you so fabulously human. You don't want to give them up. I understand."

"Actually, it's you they can't give up, Doctor," Brian said with 100% assurance, "And I don't think they should. Go with him. Go save every world you can find. Who else has that chance? Life will still be here."

"Why don't you come, Brian?" Avalon suggested, "It'd be really cool to have my grandparents and my great grandfather in the TARDIS."

"Nah," Brian patted her hand, "Somebody's got to water the plants." He then looked at the Doctor. "Just bring them all back safe."

"I will," the Doctor nodded, simultaneously reaching for Avalon's hand to squeeze.

Avalon couldn't help beam all the way to the blue box as she held her husband's hand and ushered her grandparents inside her home. She waved goodbye at Brian with the brightest smile and then disappeared inside.

A/N:

Ugh, there's only a couple chapters left before it's time to say bye, bye to the Ponds *cries*. It'll be the end of an era!

[the-meme-monarch]

thought ‘what if the vintage skins were more in line with actual 1930’s cartoons design sensibilities’ and promptly went mental. plus a bonus two-tone dandy ! since he’s not playable and all

so some things i learned as i was doing this:

-solo cups were not invented until the 70s, so scraps has a tin can as part of her tail instead

-hoodies WERE invented in the 30s but were generally worn by warehouse workers bc of the cold. they didn’t get worn by the general public until the 70s, so toodles and cosmo are Not wearing them

-leg warmers were invented in the 40s but also didn’t get popular until the 70s so glisten’s legs get to be naked. sad !

-GASHAPONS WEREN’T INVENTED UNTIL THE 60s. GIGI SHOULDN’T EVEN EXIST HERE. BUT I DIDN’T FIND THAT OUT UNTIL I WAS DONE DRAWING ALL THIS. OOPS !!!

other than that it was just a lot of ‘put gloves and/or shoes and/or pants on them. sometimes noses’

under the cut is All of them together and then also the sketch :]

[a-scary-lack-of-common-sense]

Local idiot absolutely destroys his twin brother

⚠️ Do not try this at home❗️⁉️

[mwagneto]

no!!!!!! 8 episodes will kill patient!!!!!!!! he needs 12-24 episodes some of which is light-hearted filler to live!!!!!!!!!!!!

[causalityparadoxes]

Live Sutekh Reaction: Bad Wolf Bay edition

[cute-sucker]

all i can think about is boxer!rafe with his cute clumsy gf??

𐙚˙✧˖°📷 ༘ ⋆｡ ˚

rafe being a boxer did not help your situation as an unnaturally clumsy person.

you're always on the brink of failing down, head face first into concrete, or something even worse. you feel like an idiot every single day as you try to get through obstacles that face your everyday life.

going up the stairs? yes, you have fallen going up the stairs.

going down the stairs? check that off the list too. that was done a hot minute ago. it's all a blur to you, but when you and rafe first got into a relationship it was alarming the amount of bruises you got.

it was strange to be with someone so coordinated as him, as if every single on his moves was strategic. you had watched him box and every move deliberate. power and strength oozed off of him, and you wondered what you even offered in the relationship. after all he was the one taking care of you.

he could tell when you were about to fall - his hand stuck out to catch you, he could tell when you were going to trip, hands reaching for your shoulders. you would always give him a cute smile afterwards, and a welcoming kiss.

but there were other times when you felt worse about it, crying to him about how incompetent you were, "can't do it, rafe. i'm so, so clumsy," and you could tell that he was fighting the urge to laugh as you pouted.

"nah. i like it," he would mutter, before gently smudging your lipstick with his finger as he tilted down to give you a peck, "keeps me on my toes."

and yet there were times when being clumsy did not help at all.

you were snuggled to his side, smelling his hoodie in deeply before sighing. the movie was playing in the background as he held you close to his chest, as a soft humming escaped your lips. it was a moment you knew you would always remember, and you raised your arms to stretch.

little to your knowledge the sleeves of your shirt went down to uncover a litter of blue and green bruises. they looked fairly recent but still were blossoming on your skin. unbeknownst to you, rafe's eyes quickly traveled to your arms.

"hey? you good?" he sputtered out, and you gave him a smitten nod, burrowing deeper into his chest. rafe looked even more concerned, readjusting - which forced you to get up as a short whine left your mouth.

he tugged at your sweatshirt, "what the hell was that?"

you furrowed your eyebrows, "what the hell was what? you have to be more specific rafe-" you hated this, and even though you didn't know what he was talking about there was this inkling of fear that stuck into your heart.

rafe let out a grunt, before pulling away down your sleeves again, and then he pointed at the bruises, "these? who hurt you?"

dumbfounded you stared at your arms, and then looked at rafe - his eyes practically bugging out of their sockets, jaw clenched as if a vein was about to burst and you couldn't help but start giggling.

"hey. hey, focus," a hand reached for your jaw as you stared into his steely eyes. suddenly you saw another side of him, the rafe that everyone talked about. the one that could knock out a guy with one punch, the one that came home with bloody knuckles and a chewed mouth guard. and yet it was the same rafe that slept in your bed comfortably and whispered your name gently as if he wanted to etch it on his heart.

that rafe.

you had zoned out again before you noticed his furious expression, and then an unpleasant smile that crossed on his face. it looked as if he was trying to feign being calm, and you felt tears prick your eyes.

"rafe-"

"no crying. c'mon baby, just give me a name."

now you were chuckling through tears, and he gave him an incredulous look.

finally he pecked your lips, his words oddly sweet, "listen. i've always told you i'm gonna protect you right. it's jeff isn't it-" his words came out sharp, and you knew exactly who he was talking about - your boss at the restaurant you worked at who complained about your inability to do anything right.

but that was definitely not it.

"rafe!" you finally sputtered, "rafe it's me."

finally he stopped, his mouth gaping open, "what do you mean it's you sweets?"

you huffed, looking down at your arms, "i'm so darn clumsy that i have bruises everywhere. i always check before i go to bed, yk' to check how many i have."

rafe's concern quickly shifted to a mix of frustration and worry as he examined the bruises on your arms, letting soft clucks. he let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair before turning to you with a furrowed brow.

"sweetheart, you have to be more careful," he said, his tone tinged with annoyance but softened by genuine concern, and then he finally tugged you in closer as you started to protest.

"we'll talk about this later. maybe you'll start boxing, huh? you'll be my little champ."

𐙚˙✧˖°📷 ༘ ⋆｡ ˚

taglist for all my fics; @wearemadeofstardust0

taglist for boxer!rafe: @maybankslover @vogueprincess @spookyscaryspoon

let me know if you'd like to be added!

[belgianreader2]

“It's beautiful, yeah... The sky's burnt orange, with the citadel enclosed in a mighty glass dome, shining under the twin suns. Beyond that, the mountains go on forever. Slopes of deep red grass, capped with snow.” - The Tenth Doctor

Oil on Canvas, 40x60cm.

It took about 30 hours over the course of nine months, and I learned about four new painting techniques for this, and it was all so worth it to finally bring the Gallifrey in my head to something tangible.

[doostyaudi]

Holiday toon redesigns plus twisted bobette. Giggles

(designs are subject to change)

[xiaowhore]

equivalent exchange.

DRAFT. this fic is incomplete, as i've stated in this post. this has been sitting in the dungeon for a while, and i have no plans to finish them, but i posted these drafts to not let them go to waste. it is up to you if you still want to read them regardless of their incompletion :) i will be writing my original ideas for the fic at the end so you guys will have an idea of what the fic was supposed to be like.

premise. when ayato stumbles upon a drafted resignation letter on your desk, he doubles his efforts to show you the perquisites of staying by his side.

he doesn't want to lose a competent subordinate. that's all there is to it.

note. what's wrong with secretary kim au but it's definitely not the same because i stopped watching at episode 5 and have no idea what happened. anyways i think we were all expecting a ceo!ayato x secretary!reader fic at some point so here it is. (couldn't keep this gender neutral for plot reasons, so feminine pronouns were used.)

Kamisato Ayato considers himself a good boss.

Or as far as things go, he's a decent one. He treats his employees well, takes them to expensive restaurants for company dinners, and discourages overtime so they can head off early for the night. He doesn't care much for formalities, and he gets along with his colleagues fairly well. He's never heard anyone talk behind his back or complain about his attitude at work, and there aren't any rumors spreading about him (if he turns a blind eye to the conspiratorial gossip guessing his relationship status).

But he does have minor faults. Like showing a more mischievous side when work hours are over. Getting Thoma dead drunk during dinners because his half-conscious inebriated talking is a form of amusement, or riling up Itto in drinking games just because it's funny. Then he leaves Sara to clean up the mess for him, since Yae seems to enjoy the comedy sketch as thoroughly as he does and probably won't lift a finger to help even if he asked her to.

As his assistant, you're prone to falling victim to his shenanigans, silly stunts that coax out aggravated eye rolls and sighs of exasperation. Years of experience eventually shaped you up to be entirely immune to April Fools' pranks.

He's in the middle of planning another one when he spots a letter of resignation on your desk.

At first, he thinks it's your rebellious phase arriving a decade late. He always found it odd how you never retaliated against his tricks, and this may just be the long-awaited April Fools' prank of vengeance. If it is, it's particularly mean of you—Ayato does have feelings, you know? Even he would feel hurt if you told him you wanted to leave! You shouldn't take this kind of thing lightly!

Then he remembers you aren't the type to make jokes, April Fools' or otherwise, and it's that moment when he feels (proper) fear.

“[Name] wants to resign?!”

Ayato makes a zipping motion and Thoma's shrieks immediately die down, but the disbelief on his face has yet to wane. His brows scrunch together, brain hard at work in processing this piece of information, though it seems to short-circuit in utter confusion from the sudden blow.

Scandalized, Thoma lowers his head and levels his voice to a hushed whisper, “Are you sure you saw it correctly?”

“I have able eyes. Unfortunately, my optometrist confirmed my perfect vision and assured I saw it just fine.” Woe is he.

“Get them checked again.”

“No matter how much I check, it won't change the results, Thoma.”

“We don't know that for sure, sir!”

“Trust me,” Ayato deadpans, looking off into the distance, “I checked with him thrice.”

Defeated, Thoma leans back to his chair, crossing his arms while deep in thought. “You saw the letter, but she didn't turn it in, did she?”

“She didn't. No e-mail, either.” Ayato taps the table in a mindless rhythm, expression stern but the shape of his lips almost resembling a pout. “Do you have any idea why she'd want to resign?”

Thoma rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. “Is that a genuine question, sir?”

Ayato's head snaps back to look at his companion. “Why wouldn't it be?”

“...Everyone in the office knows you... tease her for your own amusement.”

“It's my way of showing affection.” The corners of his lips curl up, stretching to a twisted smile as he rests his cheek on his palm. “Isn't she just so adorable when she gets angry?”

“You really do have a rotten personality.”

Ayato waves his hand in a noncommittal response. “We're straying off topic. What should we do next?”

Thoma hums, closed fist beneath his chin. “Since she hasn't turned in the letter yet, that means she must be hesitating. For what reason, we don't know, but it's keeping her here. So before she makes up her mind, we should dissuade her from quitting no matter what.”

Ayato laces his fingers together, brow in an inquisitive arch. “And we do that by?”

Green eyes sparkle with tenacity, clashing with blue irises twinkling in intrigue. “We bribe her, sir. It's time to show off your good points.”

--

“If a woman quits her job, what do you think her reasons could be?”

Ayaka blinks owlishly at her brother, taken aback by the abrupt question. It's a sudden thing to ask, especially odd given how their conversation hasn't led to that topic at all. “Did someone resign? I haven't heard anything of the sort, though.”

Ayato shakes his head, stirring the boba tea in his hands. “It's a hypothetical.”

Which means it's real.

Ah, whatever. At least he didn't go for the “my friend...” excuse.

Ayaka warily cuts a portion of her cake, scrutinizing each microexpression flashing on Ayato's face. It's one of their weekly lunch meetings, squeezed between hectic schedules, and they more or less have a silent agreement to avoid discussions involving work if they could help it. But this time, he brought it up himself.

How peculiar.

“Perhaps she wants to change workplaces? If she's exemplary, she might have been offered a better position or higher pay.”

Ayato nearly scoffs at the suggestion. The company, old-fashioned as it is, can only be inherited by a direct line of descendants. Outsiders can only go so far, and being the secretary for the chief executive officer isn't bad at all. Last time he checked, he's been paying you generously as well—how many figures was it? Six?

“Oh!” Ayaka exclaims, holding up a finger as she seems to have figured out something. “Or maybe she wants to settle down and get married? If her work is keeping her occupied, she'll most likely take time off to find a husband.”

Ayato proceeds to choke on a tapioca pearl.

“Or she got married and wants to be a housewife-”

“That's quite enough, Ayaka.”

Ayato would rather believe the Earth is flat.

--

If Ayato were any less desperate, perhaps he would have rationalized that putting together “give her what she wants to make her stay” and “she wants to get married” is a bad, bad idea.

Unfortunately for him, he is grasping at straws, so it leaves him no choice. Yes. Definitely. There is no other option than this, obviously.

(He does not delve deeper into the reason why he doesn't want you to leave, nor does he dwell any longer on why he was so quick to think he was fine with getting married if it was to you.)

“Don’t you want to get married soon, Ms. [Surname]?”

To clarify, Ayato does not spy on other people's conversations for a hobby, but he's always had impeccable timing. It comes with the job.

He stands by the door, reaching for the doorknob to the break room, but the mention of your name forces him to a halt.

“Why are you asking me that...?” You awkwardly dodge the question, sipping on your coffee. “I suppose I am at that age, though.”

“So you do want to!” The squeal rings with a note of glee, a stark contrast to Ayato's gradually dimming mood. “Wouldn't it be nice to marry a good man? I'm sure even you have thought of it at some point! Are you seeing anyone, then? Anyone you can imagine yourself marrying?”

“No, not yet.”

Before Ayato can even heave a relieved sigh, you follow with, “But my mother is making me go on dates to see people. Said if I didn't bring home a man soon, she'd come all this way to drag me back by my ear and introduce me to her friend's son.”

“Ah, I get that...” Your friend replies emphatically, nodding. “But those kind of meetings hardly go well. And you can't exactly tell your mother's friend you don't find her son attractive, right?”

“Why not just marry Mr. Kamisato, then?” Another one pipes up, to which Ayato gives a mental salute of appreciation. “You spend most of your time together. If you're not married to your job, then you're practically married to him.”

A cackle sends his heart dropping to his stomach.

“Not a chance.”

Can you at least expound why?!

“Huh? Why not? I mean, Mr. Kamisato is on another realm of existence and I can never hope to be on the same level as him, but you look good together!”

Your face pinches to a tight frown. “Look good together? In what way?”

“When you stand side by side, it just looks... right. And like I've mentioned earlier, you spend all your time with him. Why not seal the deal?”

“Mr. Kamisato is reliable, and if you marry him, you're set for life. He's handsome too, and we've all seen his muscles at our company sports day a few months ago!”

“I've never been so thankful for team-building events. Hallelujah.”

Ayato's face burns in embarrassment hearing the dreamy sighs. Even if they think there isn't anyone else listening on them (which is false), shouldn't they exert some restraint at work?

“Please don't lust over my boss,” you assert sternly, voice ice cold. “And we have a strictly professional relationship. So don't get any weird ideas from here on out, alright?”

“Fine. Tell me that again when I'm invited at your wedding, I dare you.”

“I said-”

They wave off your vehement protests at the statement. “Then if you're not into Mr. Kamisato, what do you plan to do?”

Ayato perks up, straining his ears in rapt attention.

“...I'm going on a date this weekend,” you sigh, rubbing circles on your temples. “I'll let you know how it goes.”

Oh no.

--

“-Dinner was nice. We didn't expect the rain shower, but he ran to the convenience store across the street to buy an umbrella because he didn't want me to get wet on the way to the car. He said it would be a waste if my hair got ruined since I-”

Slurp.

“...Styled it for the occasion. Then he drove me home. I found out we liked the same band from the music he played, and we agreed to-”

Sluuurp.

“-Go to their upcoming concert together. Then we somehow also like the same novel that's getting a movie adaption soon, so we also promised to see it-”

Sluuuuuuuuuuuuuurp.

“Could you please refrain from making noise when eating, sir?”

Ayato decidedly does not comply and only slurps his boba tea harder, nearly choking on a tapioca pearl yet again.

As always, you learn to ignore him.

“Concert... and a movie. I'm not sure about the concert, but the film you're talking about is the one coming out in the next two months, right?” Thoma confirms, sweating when Ayato's expression turns visibly grim. “You plan to see him for that long...?”

“Even if dating doesn't work out, we can always become friends, can't we?” You shrug, taking a bite out of your sandwich. “He seems like a nice guy. We get along really well, considering we've only met once. I ended up agreeing to a second date-”

The passive-aggressive slurping persists for the following afternoon.

--

“I've been meaning to ask for a while,” Thoma treads carefully, noticing Ayato's rapid-fire typing—no, striking—on the keyboard, “Ms. [Surname] is good at her job, but you seem really... eager to make her stay, sir.”

Ayato's fingers halt in their movement, and he takes a second to flash his business smile. “Of course. She's a valuable asset, and I'd be foolish to let her go.”

“Yes, I'm well aware, but...” Thoma scratches his cheek, looking off to the side. “You didn't go to such lengths when your former assistants resigned from their post. Or, uh... you fired most of them.”

“Yes,” Ayato simply agrees, still smiling, “she's competent. You don't find anyone like her easily, so it's only natural I'd want her to stay.”

“What do you mean by 'anyone like her,' sir?”

Thoma is awfully talkative today. Ayato might need to feed him something spicy to shut him up.

“Ms. [Surname] is special.” The words smoothly leave his lips. “Does anyone else have the meetings and company events scheduled for the next month memorized? She's the only one I can count on for work matters.”

Thoma's shoulders slump. “Okay, let me get straight to the point. Do you-”

“Mr. Kamisato?”

Thoma nearly jumps out of his skin at the sound of your voice, accompanied by the clack of your heels.

“What is it?” The cold smile on his face finally melts to something more genuine, softer around the edges and looking especially radiant. It's welcoming, like your arrival counts as a joyous occasion, and he is exponentially more attentive compared to the way he lent Thoma half his ear (the other preoccupied with a phone call, which he swiftly ends the moment you walk in).

“I came to deliver some files from Ms. Miko... did I interrupt something?” You gesture to Thoma standing idly by the side, dumbfounded from Ayato's inconceivable behavior.

“Not at all. Is there anything else?” Ayato accepts the documents, noticing your hesitance to leave.

“Ah, yes, I will be asking for time off tomorrow.”

That's... rare?

But it's not a hard request. Ayato's own schedule is blank for the most part, since the latest project wrapped up not too long ago, and the workload is lighter than usual. Missing one work day won't do any harm.

“It's fine, but could I ask why?”

You fidget, tentative as you reply, “I was invited... for a trip on a cruise. He insisted I come since his friend bailed on him and the tickets would go to waste.”

The warmth in his eyes freezes over.

“The tickets would go to waste...” Ayato repeats under his breath, mockingly cruel. The tone flies past your head but it hits Thoma full-force, making him sweat profusely.

Distasteful. An utter disgrace of a man. The magnitude of his ignorance is so awe-inspiring, I have to applaud. I must give credit where it is due, and the foolishness of this clown is truly impressive. “The tickets will go to waste,” he says? His money must worth more to him than his dignity. Inviting Ms. [Surname] to a date on a workday with no regard for her schedule is one thing, but making her out to be an afterthought as a substitute for his original travel partner is another. How shameful. This is no way to treat a lady. If Ayaka were to be with a man of his caliber, I would never allow it.

But what he says outloud is of course, “I see. I hope you have fun, then.”

--

Corporate events are, for the most part, adequately entertaining.

Preparing for it is not.

But the worst part isn't even brainstorming themes, or finding an appropriate venue, or planning the logistics, or writing the guest list.

It's choosing what to wear.

Actually, the cause for Ayato's headache isn't even what attire he'll go with. It's yours.

“That looks wonderful,” Yae praises, looking at the picture on your phone. It displays a silver necklace, a tear drop topaz encased in a diamond twist. It pairs well with the dress you bought with Ayaka last week, an elegant fit that accentuated your curves.

However.

“He chose that for you, didn't he?”

The stoic line of Ayato's mouth twitches and his eyes can't help but sweep over your screen, scrutinizing each grainy pixel.

Though he has plenty of insults prepared at his arsenal, he can't find anything to nitpick about. Damn it. It's a good choice.

“You'll look stunning,” Kokomi assures good-naturedly, smiling in delight. Ayato does not doubt that will be the case, but he's sure he would be in a foul mood the entire night if he were to see you adorning it.

He has already retrieved his coffee from the break room so he excuses himself to his office, long strides that lead him out of earshot.

As a result, he doesn't hear the following conversation.

“Why this, though?” Kokomi asks, looking closely at the accessory. “It's a simple design. Doesn't look like something a man would pick from the rest.”

You shake your head. “I just told him I wanted something blue, and I couldn't choose myself because there were too many that caught my eye...”

“Blue?” She echoes, a simple curiosity. “Why blue?”

“...It's a pretty color.”

--

It is an actual coincidence that Ayato runs into you in the middle of shopping.

You're hunched over a display stand showcasing a variety of earrings, deep in thought as you observe each one. You're doing that thing where you scrunch your nose in concentration, a habit Ayato doesn't think you even realize you have.

“Fancy meeting you here, Ms. [Surname].”

(He wonders what face you would've made if he said “You go here often?” instead. Probably some degree of disgust.)

You blink, correcting your posture and nodding in greeting. You don't look particularly thrilled to see him, but at least you're unbothered by the prospect of seeing your boss on a free day. “You're here to shop too, Mr. Kamisato?”

Ayato smiles amicably. “I am. Were you planning to buy earrings?”

“Yes, but...” Your gaze returns to the display, your own smile faltering. “It is a bit difficult to choose.”

He walks over, scanning the variety up and down. “Is it really? You only need to choose a pair that matches your necklace, right?” He focuses on shades of silver, bypassing the vibrant colors of reds and pinks. Not even fifteen seconds later, he picks out a card and holds it out next to your ear. “This one looks nice on you.”

“Huh? Really?” Perhaps surprised by his swiftness, it takes you a moment to react accordingly. You take the card from his hands and flip it over, eyes widening by a fraction. “Oh. It is rather pretty.” Then they widen further as big as saucers. “I can't say the same for the price tag, though.”

“Hm? What price tag?”

He plucks the earrings from your hands, walks to the counter, and pays for it without a second thought.

“M-Mr. Kamisato?”

“Pull up your hair.”

“Eh? Oh, okay.”

You're so caught off guard that you unwittingly do as he says, tucking your hair back obediently and still processing the last two minutes.

His fingers tug at your ear, warmth bleeding to your skin, and by the time you return to reality, he's already putting the earrings on you.

STORY FLOW.

ok i lied i actually can't remember shit about this fic so i will be making up stuff as i go lol

what i do remember clearly is that the resignation notice that ayato found on your desk is years old. you meant to submit it way, way back when ayato was tougher on you, and you weren't as well-adjusted as you are now to the job yet. as stated in the fic, being ayato's secretary is no easy task—he'd fired countless people he thought was incompetent.

you fought a number of times, and you didn't know if you could keep up working for a man you thought was simply incompatible with you (in terms of being colleagues/partners).

but over time, you learned to work together. ayato acknowledged your efforts and hard work, and you knew ayato had been trying to give you less jobs to reduce your workload, but you were going to prove that hou could handle it.

what truly made you appreciate ayato more was when you got stranded at the train station. you dealt with a far company they collaborated with, but work ended later than expected, and you'd missed the last train home. taxis were an option, but youd have to go through several of them to get back. right when you were thinking of checking into a hotel, ayato informed you he was already on his way and drove a couple of hours to get where you were to bring you home.

time continued to pass, and that brings us back to the present. you were on the process of cleaning up your desk and left the old resignation notice out in the open by accident, which led to ayato seeing it.

it is very apparent to the others that you two like each other, but the involved parties themselves are unaware of it. you currently aren't eager to get married, but you were trying to meet people so your parents would stop bugging you about still being single.

anyway, ayato bought those earrings for you. timeskip to the corporate event. you unconsciously picked a blue motif for your outfit because it reminds you of ayato.

when you get there, surprise, surprise. the man you were meeting, kazuha is a bigwig, heir to some other corporation. he actually owned that cruise he invited you to and pretended he didn't because you might be intimidated. ayato didn't think the kazuha he knew and the kazuha you knew were the same person, and now the advantage he had over him was ruled out (i.e being rich). (actually while i was rereading i was surprised i didn't mention that it was kazuha...? istg i was imagining him the whole time i wrote about him)

anyhow, as it became later in the night, ayato wanted to get you home before kazuha could offer to drive you back or worse, spend the night with him. ayato acted drunk so you'd tend to him and accompany him home while his driver was in charge of taking you to his apartment. as you were nagging at him, he compared your interactions with him to yours and kazuha's. you were certainly nicer to that man. smiled at him a lot more, too. did you really like him that much?

if you did, could he let you go?

he was ashamed that he couldn't answer it right away. as if he had any right to whatever you do.

you carried him to bed when you got to his apartment, but when you were preparing to leave, he hugged you from behind. do you like that man? why do you want to leave me? why can't it be me? ayato was just pretending to be drunk, but he felt dizzy now, soaked in your scent. he said things that he wasn't supposed to. things that he couldn't take back. things that would change your relationship forever.

slowly, you took away the hands wrapped around your waist. ayato figured that was a message of rejection.

but then you pushed him back down on the bed and you straddled his lap. his mind was silent for but a few seconds before he started screaming mentally.

i've always wanted you, but i knew it was impossible. you have a fiancee. i'm an ordinary worker. your family won't accept me. ayato's mind was in a daze because your face was so close to his, and all he could see was the red, glossy shade on your lips, but he managed to hear those few sentences.

it doesn't matter. nothing else matters. i can't marry if it's not you. if you accept me, i swear i'll make you happy.

from here on, it could be a happy, fluffy ending where turns out, you were tipsy so you were more honest with him and you fell asleep in the middle of kissing so he took it upon himself to change your dress into something more comfortable and end the night with a forehead kiss...

...or you could continue what you were doing and the first thing ayato takes off is the damned necklace so he could replace it with a smattering of hickeys. your choice ^^

[dandelionjack]

> new series release (space babies) coincided with the uk seeing the northern lights for the first time in years

> the devil’s chord coincided with paul mccartney’s long-missing hofner bass guitar being found, by a doctor who fan no less

> boom coincided with an actual meteor crash

> 73 yards is coinciding with a rise in bizarre supposedly-occult animal sacrifice rituals in britain (the folk horror part) and rishi sunak finally calling a general election (the political drama part)

> hypothesis: russell t davies has somehow managed to tune in to the universe’s divine frequency ??

> conclusion: messing with the forces of fate, cause&effect and coincidence, even if it’s for the pop culture franchise you’re showrunning, actually turns it into an egregore, but only if it’s been going for long enough (sixty fucking years to the dot) and watched by enough people (tens of millions). which it has

> ergo, postscriptum: television magick is real and is being unintentionally performed by the creators + audience of the world’s silliest science fiction show

> /jk. unless?

[saiilorstars]

OC HALLOWEEN CHALLENGE 2024. Day twenty - DARKEST AFTER DAWN

Things can go so right for so long and then suddenly so wrong. Show us what happens when something rains on your ocs parade, when a perfect day turns into a horrible night, or a dream vacation turns into a nightmare trap.

"You broke me like a promise."

Because after the Doctor saves someone else before Grier, not once but twice, she takes matters into her own hands. Broken and disappointed in the world, she picks up what's left of her and when the Doctor finally realizes what he's done, it's too late. Grier became who she needed to be in order to survive and most of all, to free herself from the Silence.

Grier’s Masterlist

taglist: @ocappreciationtag @arrthurpendragon​​​​​​​​ @maaaaarveeeeel​​​ ​​ @stareyedplanet​​​​​​​​ @gloryekaterina​​​​​ @foxesandmagic​​​​​​  @lenonizi​​​​​ @kmc1989 @caplanbuckybarnes

[doctorwhoisadhd]

clara oswald is the only doctor who character who could have made torchwood MORE fucked up

[greywoe]

child ward in search of belonging indulges in juvenile fantasies as a coping mechanism. sad!

[aron-mp4]

I've been doodling this exact mini comic everywhere since 2018 and I've finally drawn it properly what a day to be alive

[celestetcetera]

Wild Blue Yonder really emphasized the Doctor not knowing the answer, huh? He’s wrong about Donna 3/4 times, he doesn’t speak the alien language, he doesn’t know what the creatures are nor is he very familiar with the space they’ve landed in. Hell, he even has a line admitting he’s wrong often.

But you know what else this episode did? It emphasized Donna’s brilliance. She may think she’s stupid, but she’s sharp as hell. She’s the one who figures out the imposter after giving a Doctor-level tangential speech. She’s the one who’s able to clear her head. She asks the right questions— why are their doubles scaring them?

Her imposter thinks she’s dumb at first, but when no-thing Donna realizes the real one’s actually smart, that’s when she’s able to break through the salt spell. Unfortunately Donna being brilliant means her imposter must be too.

Anyway. Love the role reversal. But for it to come at a time when the Doctor is feeling lost and confused, when they’ve just discovered they don’t even know themselves— it probably stings. Because what are they if not the smart one? When you take away all they’ve learned of this universe, there’s nothing left.