belle, doctor who

fifty-nine

They're still in Hitler's study. "Okay, what do we do? How do we help you?'

"Take this. The TARDIS can home in on it. Now, go. Get after her," says the Doctor.

"Whoever's parents she has needs talking to," Belle says to the group, clearly angry. Amy and Rory look at each other nervously.

"You need some serious catching up to do. Doctor, think you could catch her up on things?" Rory asks him. The Doctor nods, but painfully.

"You said the smoke was deadly," says Amy.

"No, no, the smoke's fine. The poison will kill me first. Now, get after River!"

"I don't understand, okay? One minute she's going to marry you and then she's going to kill you. Sorry, Izzy."

"I would say it's fine, but it's not. Doctor, you still haven't accepted my proposal."

"I'm dying! And she's been brainwashed. It all makes sense to her. Plus, she is a woman. Oh, shut up. I'm dying."

"But fine, Belle, I'll marry you."

"That's not how I thought you'd accept my proposal, but that's fine considering that you got proposed to twice today."

– – –

"I'm shutting down," says the Doctor as he enters the TARDIS with Belle behind him, helping him walk. "I need an interface. Voice interface. Come on, emergency."

"Voice interface enabled," says the Doctor on the hologram.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no. Give me someone I like," says the Doctor.

A hologram of Belle is on the screen. Belle smiles, but frowns when the Doctor tries to get the hologram to switch to someone else. Their daughter, Ave was on the screen.

"Give me someone else I like," says the Doctor.

Belle scoffs. Doesn't he remember that she's their daughter?

A hologram of Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, and Donna Noble all pop up and vanish when he tries to find someone he really likes.

"Oh. Oh, Amelia Pond, before I got it all wrong. My sweet little Amelia," says the Doctor. Belle holds onto him as he is on the floor of the TARDIS, struggling to live.

"I am not Amelia Pond. I am a voice interface."

"She's a –"

"Oh shut up," says the Doctor.

"Hey, let's run away and have adventures. Come along, Pond," he continues on.

"I am not Amelia Pond. I am a voice interface."

"You are so Scottish. How am I doing?"

"Your system has been contaminated by the poison of the Judas tree. You will be dead in thirty two minutes."

Belle gasps. "Thirty two minutes? You better start explaining things, mister."

"Doctor to you," he says, winking. Then he turns to the interface. "Okay. So, basically better regenerate, that's what you're saying."

"Regeneration disabled. You will be dead in thirty two minutes."

"Unless I'm cured, yeah?"

"There is no cure. You will be dead in thirty two minutes."

"Why do you keep saying that?" asks the Doctor.

"Because you will be dead in thirty two minutes."

"You see? There you go again. Basically skipping thirty one whole minutes when I'm absolutely fine. Scottish, that's all I'm saying."

"You will be fine for thirty one minutes. You will be dead in thirty two minutes."

"Scotland's never conquered anywhere, you know. Not even a Shetland. River needs me. She's only just beginning. I can't die now."

"You will not die now. You will die in thirty two minutes."

"I'm going out in the first round. Ringing any bells? Argh! Okay, need something for the pain now. Come on, Amelia. It's me. Please."

"I am not Amelia Pond. I am a voice interface."

"Amelia, listen to me. I can be brave for you, but you have got to tell me how."

"I am not Amelia Pond. I am a voice interface."

Belle sighs. This is going to take a while.

"Amelia. Amelia, please."

"Fish fingers and custard," says the hologram.

"What did you say? Fish fingers and custard? Oh, Amelia Pond. Fish fingers and custard. Fish fingers and custard!"

– – –

Belle decided not to come outside to follow the Doctor in his footsteps once she realised who River was. River was Amy and Rory's daughter, and oh was she upset with her. No one cared enough to check on Belle because they were too busy thinking about the Doctor dying, but Belle knew he would find a solution anyway.

Though when someone did get Belle, River came to see her.

"Your fiance needs you," says River.

"River, I'm –"

"Who is this River you two keep talking about?" River asks, her arms on her hips.

"Follow me," Belle says, hoping she could get River, or Melody, to know something about herself.

She exits the TARDIS, seeing her husband on the staircase below her, looking dead. She gasps and falls to the floor.

"No," she says, sobbing. While this is happening, Melody Pond finds out who River really is, and tries to take regeneration energy to give to the Doctor, but instead of her, it's Belle. Belle gives her remaining regeneration energy to the Doctor to help him live. River ignores Belle and gives more regeneration energy to the Doctor herself as well, while kissing him. Belle growls as she realises what River had done.