First apologies for the delay in the final instalment of this story, real life has been crazy with various charity events taking place but as tomorrow is the first of April and I intend to start the A-Z Challenge again I wanted to tie up the loose ends here first…
If you have missed the first parts you can click on the Full Sunday Story tab at the top of the page and read it all in one go for those who have been waiting patiently then read on and hopefully enjoy…
The sound of the slap echoed around the theatre, the Doctors head flew back, his eyes widening fro the mixture of surprise and pain.
“River! What…”
His voice trailed off as the situation became apparent to him. Tightly closing his eyes he slipped from the seat and hunkered down in the gap between the rows. Only once the singers were obscured by the seats in front di he open his eyes once more.
He pulled the sonic screwdriver out from his pocket and held it up in the air pointed towards the singers. Puling it back down he looked at it.
“Not good, definitely not good. Now think! I can’t use the sonic to disrupt the hold they have on every one or that will leave them all brain damaged, I need a plan…I need someone to listen to me what is the point in coming up with an amazing plan when there is no one to listen to it!”
He glanced to the seats either side of him, he made a decision based on his still stinging cheek and grabbed Astrid by the ankle and dragged her to the floor. It took a few moments for her to come to her senses, the Doctor clamped his hand over her mouth as she began to speak.
“No! Shhhh! Listen! Those creatures are using their voices to hypnotise people, somehow they are drawing the energy from them, I need to break the connection but I need to do it without leaving all the people here brainless idiots.” He looked along the row to where a group of strange looking creatures were frozen by the singers spell, “Okay so more brainless than they already are, I have a plan well not a plan but a thing, a thing that will be a plan as soon as I finish talking. If you understand nod your head but don’t speak.”
Astrid nodded her head and the Doctor removed his hand. Astrid opened her mouth to speak but one look from the Doctor silenced her.
“No! Wait! Yes! That’s it! Sing! Sing now at the top of your voice!”
“Sing what?” Astrid questioned looking perplexed by the sudden request.
“Anything, everything, sing a shopping list I don’t care just sing!”
Both the Doctor and Astrid broke in to verse, Astrid singing an old Stoe lullaby while the Doctor began singing seemingly random words into the sonic screwdriver which he appeared to be using as a microphone. The singers on stage waivered before increasing the volume of their own singing, the Doctor adjusted something on the sonic and his voice boomed out overwhelming the other singers, Astrid put her hands over her ears but carried on singing her own song adding more volume to her own words. Gradually she noticed people beginning to look round to where the Doctor stood still producing some form of noise which was passing as singing.
There was a flash and the Doctor spun round just in time to see a final glimpse fo the mysterious singers as the faded from view.
“Damn they got away!”
“Doctor!” River was now alert and noticing that the majority of the people in the theatre were now moving in their direction looking rather unhappy.
“Ah yes,” the Doctor followed her gaze “maybe we should cut our evening short. Run!”
He grabbed Astrid hand and the three fled from the theatre only stopping once the were safely back in the TARDIS. River set the co-ordinates and minutes later they set down back in the space port.
The Doctor opened the door and followed Astrid back into the place they had left only a short time before.
“Doctor? I thought your name was Mr Smith?”
“It is that is just a private joke River likes to play. Well Astrid you have a few hours left to go prepare for your new job. I don’t suppose I can change your mind about taking it?”
“No if anything the little bit of excitement you have shown me today has made me realise how much I want to get out there and see it all. I want to see the stars, see all the places these different people come from.” She gestured around the space port. “Today you showed me more excitement than I have had in my whole life, you made me feel alive, like I could do anything be anyone.”
“Astrid Peth you are incredible and you will see the stars and you will change lives. You are one of the most incredible women I have ever had the honour to know.”
Astrid laughed as she started waking across the space port, “You make it sound like I am someone special!”
“Astrid Peth you are special and don’t ever forget it.”
Astrid’s brow furrowed as she turned “I never told you my surna…” Her voice drifted off as the blue box disappeared with a wheezing groan.
Back inside the TARDIS the Doctor stood with his back against the door, eyes closed his lip trembled. River waited for him to compose himself as she knew he would. My Doctor, always running but he can’t run away from himself, she set the co-ordinates to return her to Stormcage. She watched as he straightened his bow tie and bounced up the steps to the console to join her.
“So Professor River Song where to now?”
“Back to penal servitude I’m afraid, for me anyway. I think you should go pay mummy a visit, I think they might just have forgiven you for leaving the Ood in the toilet by now.” She turned from him as a smile formed on his lips, then noticed something on the floor.
As she picked it up she recognised the Doctor’s Psychic paper which had so recently failed him, with almost a giggle she opened it, the words that formed before her eyes silenced her mirth and replaced it with confusion as she held it out to him.
“Come to the library, and signed with a kiss? If I didn’t know better I would think that was my writing.”
The Doctor snatched it from her grasp, staring at it with wide disbelieving eyes. “That’s wrong, no, no, no this is wrong.”
“Doctor what’s wrong?” fear entered Rivers voice, it was an emotion she had not felt in a very long time.
The TARDIS landed and the Doctor grabbed River by the hand and hauled her out to her cell. “River something is wrong, very wrong. I need you to promise me you will stay here until I come back. No going off and amusing yourself, no popping home to see your parents. Just stay here until I come back. Promise me!”
Looking in his eyes she saw the confusion and uncertainty, “Yes!” She wanted to push for more but she realised that she had no choice but to put her complete trust in him.
She watched as he departed knowing that she would keep her promise no matter how hard it was, that he knew more than he was letting on she had no doubt, but she knew he would be back for her. Only then did she realise he had not embraced her as he said goodbye.
