Ties Between Time and Space

✦31✦ - An Unexpected Miracle

Chapter Thirty-One
Powers And Complications

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As soon as the TARDIS rocketed from one world to the other, Emma felt it. She felt the way the beautiful time and space machine came back to life. It hummed, a soft buzzing that Emma could practically feel in her bones. She was alive again. Emma held her hand against the control panel before gently patting it affectionately. The lights on the console blinked rapidly and it made Emma smile at the sight.

"I think she's happy to be back," Emma commented.

"Better than ever," the Doctor agreed grinning. "No doubt there, angel."

"How can you tell?" Rose asked.

"Just look at-" Emma cut herself off as a sharp ache filled her head. She groaned in pain before falling to her knees. "Ah!"

"Emma!" Rose gasped. "Emma, what's wrong?"

"Emma?" Mickey looked at her worriedly.

The Doctor turned away from the console at the sudden panic. He saw Emma on the floor and he was immediately by her side. Rose tried to rush forward but he held a hand up stopping her.

"No, stay back! Her powers are probably surging back. Emma's unstable," the Doctor explained as Mickey quickly grabbed Rose's arm to keep her close to him.

"Well, what do we do?" Mickey asked.

"She's in pain," Rose said, staring at her best friend.

"Angel," the Doctor cupped her face in his hands. "Emma, what do you need?"

Emma cried silently, she didn't want to scream. There were so many voices invading her mind. All the voices of heaven shrieking, yelling, shouting. Emma felt like her skull was going to explode. She needed to put up another barrier to lessen the volume. She needed to distance her mind from angel radio but to do that she had to be alone. Or at least not anywhere near Rose and Mickey.

"I need-" Emma gasped her hands cradling her head. "I need to-to go to my r-room," she finally managed out and without wasting a second the Doctor picked her up and into his arms. Emma gripped his coat in a fist as she buried her head in his chest. Listening to two heartbeats completely in sync calmed her down a little bit. She tried to focus on the sound as the Doctor rounded the corner of the TARDIS before pushing her bedroom door open with his foot.

He set Emma gently down on the edge of her bed. He crouched in front of her and held one hand in his while the other pushed her hair out of her eyes. Her beautiful blue eyes were burning a cold and powerful blue. The sudden return of Emma's grace was overwhelming her and she needed to calm down fast.

"Ge-Get away, please," Emma pleaded in a quiet voice.

The Doctor didn't hesitate to listen. He stood up and backed away until he was standing in the middle of the doorway. It was a good enough distance away so he wouldn't get hurt. Emma darted her gaze upward to see where he was before she closed her eyes again. Like the Doctor had seen a few times already, a gold barrier of energy appeared and engulfed Emma. It was warm and comforting. A rush of air swept through the room before the energy itself expanded double the size and then all at once it disappeared.

Emma sighed, her eyes snapping open and instead of a cold blue gaze it was a calm golden one. She blinked once and the color was replaced with a softer tone before her naturally blue eyes remained. The voices in her head quietened down. They hadn't left but the pain had. It was strange because this was the first time Emma experienced such excruciating pain. She'd lost her grace before and Gabriel had to feed it back to her. She felt nothing back then so why was it different now? Emma shook her head lightly.

"Em," the Doctor's voice quietly called her name. "Are you alright now?"

Emma looked up as their gazes locked.

"Doctor," she smiled at him like the very sight of him was soothing. "I'm fine. I had to distance the voices again, but I'm fine."

"You always say that."

"I'm fine," Emma repeated. "Actually I feel much better. It feels good to have my grace back," she said as she held her hands out in front of her. She was exhausted from the pain but relieved that her powers returned.

"I don't get it," the Doctor shook his head. "How come you lost it in the first place? You're an angel, shouldn't that apply to every world in every universe?"

"You'd think so," Emma retorted. "No, the same thing happened to my papa when he got sent to an alternate universe. He lost his powers too. We're only angels in this universe. Well, in my case a Nephilim."

"Makes sense," the Doctor nodded. He sat down beside Emma on the bed and took her hand in his. "Emma, why didn't you tell me that you'd lost your powers? You must have known the minute we landed in that world, but you kept it to yourself. Why?"

Emma's gaze dropped. "I knew," she confessed. "When I couldn't feel the TARDIS, I thought it was just because she was... you know. But when we stepped outside I knew I'd lost my grace. My senses were gone, I felt weak, and my head was quiet... I just-"

"Angel, why? You know that you can tell me anything," the Doctor reminded her. "I want you to tell me everything. No matter how minuscule or useless."

"I'm sorry," Emma apologized. "Doctor," she looked at him, "I just didn't want you to worry. I wasn't purposely keeping it from you, I promise. But I saw how distraught you were after the TARDIS crashed. You were distracted enough worrying about how to get us home again. And then there was Rose wanting to meet her dad. There was so much going on that I just thought it was better to keep it to myself and get through it all. I mean, we crash-landed in a different universe and if that wasn't bad enough Cybermen appeared and started a revolution."

The Doctor could understand Emma well. He probably would've done the same if he was in her shoes. But he never wanted her to do it again. He always wanted to know everything at all times. She was too precious to him to lose. He was sure he could lose anything at this point, even everything as long as he had Emma Winchester by his side. If he lost her though it might really be the end of the last Time Lord.

"I'm not blaming you, angel," the Doctor smiled and pulled her into his side. "Just don't do it again, alright? I don't mind worrying about you. I want to worry about you. I love worrying about you." Emma laughed at him before wrapping her arms around his middle and resting her cheek against his chest.

"Okay, my Doctor," Emma said. "Not again," she promised.

"That's my angel," he praised her and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head.