Unwritten

By: Jecir

Chapter Nine: A Day of Victory

Amy felt like she was dreaming. This had to be a dream. Everything was fuzzy. Her memories; her awareness of the world; even the sound of her own voice—it was all wrong. She felt warm and comfortable lying in the darkness; she was stiff and cold, strapped to a metal harness. She was dreaming of Rory and the Doctor and of all their adventures together; she was staring down the creatures who stole her from the orphanage. It all blurred together in her mind; nothing made sense and yet it all made perfect sense.

They had taken her from the girl's room—the girl in the space suit, trapped and scared, her face forever captured in stages of growth in photographs, so many photographs, decorating the sparse room. And there had been one of her. Was that part of the dream? Did she dream that she had had a child? No, she remembered through the heat and the haze, I'm not pregnant.

But, the girl had Rory's eyes…

"Amelia Pond." They were calling her. The heat disappeared into cold. The comfort hardened into steel and bondage. And the haze snapped into crisp clarity. She was trapped, alone, with those things. Yet, fear did not win, for she knew they were coming. The Doctor, River, Rose, Jack, and her husband were coming to save her. She grinned in the face of her captors. Come on, then, she taunted with her eyes. Because you are about to die.

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"Ready?"

Jack caught the second gun River had tossed to him, checked the clip, cocked it, and holstered it. "Ready," he said to his Commander.

"River?"

River nodded, two guns strapped to her hips.

Rose drew her gun—the last thing she owned from her life in the other world—and checked it over. It was perfect. It always was. But she would take no chances. Not this time. This mission was far too important. She looked up at her team. Jack donned his signature coat, his good luck charm he had called it, and nodded once. River stood by his side, fierce determination in her eyes. Rose returned Jack's nod, satisfied. Three against who knew? Very good odds. "Infiltrate. Save Amy. Protect Rory." That was her charge to the duo. Then, to herself, she commanded, "Cover the Doctor." She cocked her gun, holstered it, and led the way into battle.

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Amy boldly defied the Silence, calling them out and daring them to keep her. She taunted their plans and laughed at their ambition, warning of the consequences that would soon fall. Her captors were not pleased nor were they intimidated. They simply studied her like a scientist studies a troublesome rat. Soon, her bravado grew tiresome. The leader leaned over her, its cavernous eyes boring into her. Amy jerked back and turned away, resisting its command to "Sleep now." She could feel it pushing against her mind. "No!" she cried. "No!"

A high wheezing filled the air. It came like a battle cry, drawing the enemy to defense. Amy's heart swelled with anticipation as that fabulous blue box materialized. She waited with baited breath for what would happen next. He's here! she thought. He's finally here!

The door swung open, revealing the barrel of a drawn gun. Commander Rose Tyler stepped out, her pistol aimed for the leader of the Silence; her target, the point right between its sunken eyes. Jack and River emerged behind her, each with weapons drawn. "Keep an eye on a Silence at all times," Rose instructed.

The trio of soldiers moved like an arrow piercing the enemy lines. Silence stepped back. Rose cut through the middle heading right for Amy. Jack and River flanked left and right. No one Silence was safe from their sight.

"Guns, really?" the Doctor said as he stepped out of the TARDIS. However, as he often did, he found himself swiftly distracted from the topic by something far more interesting. "Oh. Intriguing." He crossed the room, a medium sized television hanging from his hands, to inspect the purple-lit control consul in the middle of the room. "I've seen one of these before. Abandoned." He leaned back in thought. "Wonder how that happened. Oh well!" He swung around. "I suppose I'm about to find that out. Rose, why a gun?"

Rose did not look away from her target. The hostile energy crackled in the air around her as she stared down her prey. "Guns work on them," was her not-so-threatening reply. The lead Silence made to bare down on her, a tactic she saw coming and was ready for. Her smirk pulled higher and her gun pressed closer to its forehead. "Not this time," she whispered, a flash of gold alighting her eyes. The Silence stopped short, almost exuding a sense of fearful shock.

"Yes, yes, we established that," the Doctor said, missing the small exchange. "But you're being rude! Can't you see we're interrupting something." He waved his hand, spinning a bit as he did, indicating the gathering of Silence in the room. His eyes fell on his trapped companion and a smile burst to life on his face. "Oh, Amy! Hello! You alright?" He spun again before she could answer. "Rory! I found Amy!" He grinned at Rose. "See? Told you I could find her."

"Never doubted you for a second," Rose replied as Rory sprinted past her, his focus solely on his wife.

He grabbed the restraints, his mind working furiously on a way to breaking the foreign bonds.

Amy pushed against the bonds, aching for her husband's arms. "What's he got?" she asked, hoping the inquiry would distract her enough to allow him to work.

"Something," Rory muttered. "I think."

"Liar," the Doctor countered Rose's statement. "You didn't trust me one bit, sulking around the TARDIS, all angry at me. Made it quite difficult to work."

Rose resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I'm not angry at you."

"Really?" The Doctor danced up to her side, the foppish air of disarmament fading into a brief serious moment. "What is it then?"

"Excuse me!" Amy snapped. "Is this important banter, 'cause I think I should be pretty high on the list right now!"

"Right!" The Doctor scuttled away, declaring, "Rose is being rude. Barging in here with guns raised." He paused, a thought striking him. "I should not like that, kind of do, though."

Rose could not stop the grin from crossing her lips or the barb from passing her lips. "Change much?"

The Doctor smirked back at her. "You would know." He hoisted the television onto the consul. "But, as I was saying, it is rude to burst in on aliens unannounced without a house warming present." He pulled the antennas up. "And!" he turned back, his dark eyes landing on the Silence. "It is even ruder to refuse a gift." He stepped forward. "That's right. Don't move. Because, look at me? I'm confident." He narrowed his eyes. "You ought to watch out for me when I'm confident."

The Silence stopped their attempted advance.

The Doctor grinned again and turned back to the television, saying as he went, "And if that's not enough, I'm sure River or Jack will kill at least half if not three-fourths, well, eleven sixteenths of you—"

"More than that," Jack reported.

"More than you," River sing-songed from the other side of the room.

"Doubt that," Jack said.

"Bring it on, sweetie."

"Oh, stop it!" the Doctor groaned.

"What?" Jack and River protested.

The Doctor sighed heavily, not seeing Rose smirk and shake her head. To any outside viewer watching this tense standoff, it would seem surprisingly light hearted. But to them, it was just like old times; a feeling Rose would cherish for its rarity and meaning.

"Can you lot not focus for one minute? I'm trying to watch the telley!" The Doctor turned the old black-and-white model on. The screen creased and crackled for a moment as the picture came into focus. "There we go. But, before we enjoy this momentous occasion—one that you helped orchestrate, might I add. Aren't you proud?" The Silence glared at him. He scowled back. "The Silence. You take that literally. I don't suppose you're gonna answer me, but, what the heck, I'll ask. Who's the girl? Why is she important? What's she for?"

"Apollo 11 is making its final descent to the surface of the moon," the news anchor reported from the television. Images from space came on the screen, documenting the moment for all of eternity.

"You guys are almost out of time. But, never fear, there is always time to hear your total surrender. Yes, you've been interfering in human history for thousands of years," he drawled as he paced the room, making sure to note each and every Silence. "Yes, people have suffered and died, but what's the point of having two hearts if you can't be a bit forgiving now and then, hm?"

The Silence showed their first signs of emotion. They were anxious. They began to shift, nervous, ready. Rose's instincts came to full alert. "Doctor," she warned.

"Oh, you got me," the Doctor lamented melodramatically. "I'm lying. I'm not really going to let you go that easily. Nice thought, but it's not Christmas." He completed his lap around the room and turned back to face the leader of the Silence. "A question for you. Do you know how many humans are watching these events live right now?" He walked forward as he talked. "Half a billion. And that's nothing, 'cause the human race will spread out amongst the stars, you just watch them fly! Billions of billions of them for billions and billions of years!" He stopped by the television. "And every single one of them will look back at this man, taking that very first step, and they will never, ever forget it." He pulled a communicator from his pocket. "Oh," he added as he raised it to his lips. "But they will forget this bit. Ready?"

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"Ready." Canton took Amy's phone and connected it to the communicator the Doctor had given him for just this very moment.

Once the phone connected to the device, a signal was sent to Apollo 11 and then relayed back into the live news feed.

Across the world, half a billion humans waited anxiously as Neal Armstrong stepped out of the space pod. "That's one small step for man," he said.

Then the screen cut out, replaced by a Silence. It grabbed the world in its hypnotic grip and ordered them to "…kill us all on sight!"

Humanity heard and obeyed.

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The Doctor spun away from the television, no longer the jovial time traveler opting for peace; no, now he was the Oncoming Storm and he was about to crash upon the shores of the Silence. "You just gave the order for your own extermination, and the entire planet heard you!" he declared with triumph.

Neil Armstrong appeared again. "…one giant leap for mankind."

"And one WHOPPING kick up the backside for the Silence!" The Doctor was now standing behind Rose Tyler. His voice dropped into a deep threat as he said, "You just raised an army against yourself. And now, for a thousand generations, you're gonna be ordering them to destroy you every day. How fast can you run?" He circled around Rose; she stepped back but kept her gun raised, aiming over the Doctor's shoulder, a clear and present danger to the lead Silence. Her presence motivated him to rub their victory even further into their opponent's face. "Because today's the day the human race throws you off their planet. They won't even know they're doing it. I think quite possibly the word you're looking for is…oops." He stepped back. "Run."

The leader of the Silence was opening its black-hole-like maw. Electricity cracked through the air.

"Guys, I mean us," the Doctor clarified. "Run!"

All hell broke loose.

Jack and River opened fire. Rose grabbed the Doctor by the collar and hauled him behind her, firing as she moved. Rory pulled at Amy's bonds, desperate, determined, refusing to leave her. He was so stubborn! "Go!" Amy said.

"No!" he refused adamantly. He was a soldier. He would protect her. He would save her!

"Look! Just get your stupid face out of here!"

Rory jerked up, his eyes wide. She had called him stupid face…

Rose drove the Silence back. "Doctor, go!" She pushed him forward. He stumbled over to Amy's side, his screwdriver fumbling into his hands. Setting 5647xb9 popped the latches. Amy fell into Rory's arms and held him close, drinking in the feeling of security only his embrace could give.

"Jack! River! Cover fire!" Rose ordered.

The duo ran parallel across the room, firing into the Silence, opening a clear path to the TARDIS.

"Go! Go! Go!" Rose yelled. Rory covered Amy, shielding her with his body as they ran to the safety of their glorious machine. Rose forced the Doctor to follow, turning and back peddling after him, keeping the three covered from every angle.

Laser and gun fire peppered the air. The consul sparked, blinding the high commander long enough for a Silence to rise up in assault. Rose looked up. She did not have time to react.

The Doctor reached out from the TARDIS, grabbed her shoulders, and pulled her in just as Jack swung around and fired. The Silence screeched as death took it. Rose hit the TARDIS floor with the Doctor's body over hers, shielding her.

Jack and River met in the middle of the lair, back to back, guns firing in unison. Silence after Silence hit the ground. Smoke, laser residue, and toxic death filled the air. The battle concluded in a crescendo of destruction and then, all was quiet.

They waited, the sounds of their heavy breathing echoing around them. River lowered her gun. "Fifteen," she panted.

Jack turned to face her. "Fifteen."

River smirked, sliding a little closer and tilting her head up in both defiance and enticement. "We tied."

"We did." He grinned.

A Silence lurched up behind River.

Two guns aimed.

One fired.

River cocked her eyebrow. "I had it."

Jack raised his smoking pistol to his lips and blew. "But I got it."

"Oh, Rassilion!" the Doctor grumbled from the TARDIS doorway. "Stop it!"

Jack and River exchanged a final smile. The ancient Captain bowed genteelly to the lady. River skipped ahead into the TARDIS. Jack took one final look around, and, when he was satisfied that their enemies had been sufficiently punished, he joined his team inside the TARDIS and disappeared into the night.

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It was a beautiful day in Washington D.C.; a perfect day to celebrate the liberation of earth. All across the country, humanity celebrated. They didn't know why; they just felt the need to celebrate. America made it to the moon first, and they were free! Free from what, they would never know, but they did not care.

In the privacy of the Oval Office, President Nixon shook the Doctor's hand fervently, thanking him once more for his help. "You saved us all!" he said. "Thank you for keeping America and the world safe."

"Safe?" the Doctor balked. "No, no. You're not safe. There are hundreds of other nasty things flying about over your heads just waiting to descend on your defenseless world and wreck unimaginable havoc. But, if it helps you sleep at night, yes, you are safe."

Nixon paled at his words.

"Well, I must be off. Canton."

Canton took the Doctor's hand firmly in his. "Thank you, Doctor, for everything. You've changed my life."

"You changed your life," the Doctor said. "Now, see to it that it never changes back. And don't waste it."

Canton smiled and nodded, affirming that he wouldn't. He would never forget this wild adventure with the Doctor and his mad team of time travelers and their amazing blue box.

"Mr. President."

"Uh, Doctor," Nixon stepped up nervously, a question forming on his lips. But, before he could build the courage to speak it, Rose popped her head out of the TARDIS.

"We need to go now, Doctor."

"In such a hurry to leave?" the Doctor asked, glancing back at her with a raised brow. He did not mean the White House. She knew that. The Doctor swung back around. "Yes, can't keep this lot waiting. Goodbye, Canton. Mr. President." With that, he danced out of the room and out of their lives forever, flying away into his next big adventure.

"So," he said as he pulled a lever. "Where to first? Ah yes, River. I'm sure there's a guard or two searching for you."

"Never found me yet," she said with a grin.

"Indeed. But best not keep them waiting."

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The trip to the prison took mere minutes. In that time, the small band lounged in companionable silence. It had been a trying few months, and the emotions were catching up to them. Rory and Amy sat on the stairs, her head on his shoulder and his arm around her waist. Jack waited with River by the door. And Rose stood at the consul with the Doctor.

"Might I ask," the Doctor whispered, not wanting to break the silence. "If you are not angry with me—"

Rose kept her eyes down, focused on the controls. "Does it need saying?" she asked.

"I think I earned the right to know," was his reply.

Rose hated that he was right. She looked over at Rory and Amy. The young centurion was whispering something into her ear, causing her to giggle and reward him with a kiss. "It's this," she confessed. "All of this. They did not deserve it." She looked back at the controls. "None of us did, really."

"Deserve what?" the Doctor probed; though, a pang in his hearts told him he already knew.

For a moment, Rose debated saying it aloud. She had told Rory. He needed to know; he needed to be prepared. But to tell the Doctor? She was uncertain. Then, his words drifted back to her, his plea for her to trust him again, and her resolve faltered. Looking up into the central column of the TARDIS, she said, "Punishment." She let her confession rest for a moment, allowing him to draw his conclusion before she explained. "You once told me to never say "never ever". You saw it coming before I did; now that I'm back, I see it all too clearly." She was once again watching the young lovers. "Anyone who stands up against the darkness of the universe is punished." She turned to the Doctor, the coldness and anger draining from her eyes with each word of her confession. "I didn't want to see it happen to them."

The TARDIS landed with a jolt, cutting off their conversation.

"Well," River said, pushing off the wall. "This is my stop."

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"So," Jack said, looking over the cell with a critical eye. "Prison."

"Yes," River said, her fingers wrapping around the bars of the open cell door.

"Cozy."

River laughed. "Yes, it is."

Jack looked down at his feet, feeling strangely uncomfortable. It had been a long time since he found himself in a moment like this. Somewhere along the centuries, he had come to a conclusion, one that cooled the fires that drove him to embrace any creature that would have him. He had travelled and defended the universe, seen civilizations rise and fall, and watched creatures great and small, all better than him, die for no reason. Suddenly, spending his time jumping from bed to bed seemed such a waste. It was funny, in retrospect, how libertine his younger self had been; if that Jack saw him now…he shook his head. He needed to do this and quickly. "River."

"Jack."

He looked into her eyes and the words stuck in his throat. He needed to do this. "I'm old," he blurted out. "Over five hundred years. I've lost so many, I can't even count. This…" He moved his hands between them, searching for the right words. "This connection, it—"

Her lips burned against his, cutting him off, drowning out his protests, and searing her presence deeply upon his heart. His hands found their way into her hair, pulling her close and drinking her in.

It felt an eternity before they separated. His head was spinning as he leaned his forehead against hers, not wanting to leave.

She stroked his face, her eyes closed against the tears that always came whenever she had to bid him goodbye. "We will meet again," she promised. "And when we do, oh! Just you wait. We're going to run."

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"What is Jack doing?" Rory watched the door impatiently.

"Don't ask," Rose said.

Amy walked up to the Doctor, a gentle smile on her face. "Hey," she greeted.

"Hello." The Doctor leaned back against the consul, taking her in, Rose's words dancing in his mind. "You're ok?" he asked. He needed to know she was ok.

"Fine," she promised, leaning next to him and crossing her arms. "Heads a bit weird. Can't really remember everything."

"After effect of the Silence, but that's not what I meant. Why did you tell me you were pregnant?"

"Because I thought I was," Amy said, absently rubbing her abdomen.

"Yes, but why me? Why not him?" He nodded toward Rory, who was talking with Rose about something important by the looks of it.

Amy followed his eyes. "I was afraid," she admitted, turning back to him, her dearest friend and confidant. "I've travelled with you in the TARDIS for so long. What if it had an effect? I didn't want to tell Rory that his baby might have three heads or a time head or something!"

"A time head?" the Doctor laughed. "What's a time head?"

"I don't know!" Amy protested. "But what if it had one?"

"Time head." The Doctor grinned.

Amy smiled. "Oiy, stupid!"

Rory jerked. Rose smiled. They had been caught. The high commander walked away, acting innocent, leaving Rory to face his wife. Amy propped her hand on her hip. "If you're gonna keep ease dropping, I'm going to take that thing away."

Rory looked sheepishly at the nano recorder, sighed, and pocketed it before squaring his shoulders. "You should have told me," he said, joining her. "I'm a nurse. I'm good with pregnancies."

"Apparently not," Amy challenged. Then, she smiled and hugged him. "Stop being so stupid."

"Never," Rory said, picking her up and spinning her around. "I will never stop being stupid." He lowered her down and captured her lips in a kiss.

Jack strode through the door then, looking like the cat that ate the canary. Rose's eyebrows rose in surprise. She had not seen that grin or that swagger in a very long time. "Things go well, then?" she asked.

"Oh yes," Jack drawled. He gave her a mock salute and proceeded to jaunt up the stairs into the corridors beyond.

Rose shook her head, a smile on her face. She was happy for him.

Rory was whispering in Amy's ear again. The ginger girl giggled and nodded, pulling out of his arms to take his hand. "If you'll excuse us," Rory said before he and his wife jogged from the room, their delight echoing off the walls with each excited step.

It was just them, now, standing opposite each other, so many things unsaid, so many questions left unanswered, and yet, neither of them wanted to speak. Neither of them wanted to break. So, the Doctor began to tinker with the levers, and Rose read some read outs, and the silence drifted on.

"So," the Doctor finally spoke. "All of time and space at our fingertips. Where to?"

"My room," Rose said. She stretched her arms over her head for emphasis. "It's been a long few months. I think I'll freshen up before the next mission."

"Next mission?" he asked, watching her as she walked to the stairs, a bit of dread simmering in his hearts. "Are you…are you leaving?"

"No," Rose said, meeting his eyes. "We kicked the Silence off of earth, meaning they are now scattered across the stars. I don't know about you, but I'm not too thrilled about the prospect of running into them on, say, Raxacoricofallapatorous."

"But you held your own against them back there," the Doctor reminded her, his voice barely masking his resignation.

"The TARDIS protected me," Rose said. "And, with your permission, I'll let her continue to do so." She started up the stairs. "At least until I learn to control this new psychic whatever it is. Good night, Doctor."

"Good night," he said absently. "Rose?"

She stopped at the top of the stairs.

The Doctor looked up from the consul. "What was the last thing I said to you on Bad Wolf Bay?"

A flash of shock passed through her eyes. "Doctor—"

"Please," he cut in. "A straight answer. After three months, I at least deserve that much."

She scowled, irritation dictating her posture. She straightened her shoulders, disappearing behind the facade of Commander Tyler. For a moment, the Doctor feared she would not answer. Then, she spoke, her tone clipped. "You said "Rose Tyler." "

He had. Both times. "Which time?"

Rose quirked a curious eyebrow. "The only time." Her tolerance was spent. She turned on her heel and exited the control room, never seeing the pained look enter the Doctor's eyes nor the slouch of his body as the truth became all too clear.

"We're not leaving, then." Jack was leaning against the corner of the first junction, his arms crossed and a pleased 'I told you so' kind of grin on his face.

Rose looked at him, stern and ready. Her eyes were hard with determination as she said, "The mission isn't over."

AN: No, it is not. To all my readers, I advise you to put me on author's alert, least you miss when our team "Goes to War." There are two more installments in the works for the "Unwritten" universe. I promised you I would explain Rose Tyler if you agreed to come on this journey with me. The journey is far from over. Are you ready? Allons-y!