Eyes of Time: The Prophecy

Chapter 4: Abseiling

[Fated Pair Bedroom]

The Time Lady observes him quietly from her chair, the room silent as she waits. The Doctor remains frozen in his seat, overwhelmed, his gaze fixed on the final page of the letter. Through their connection, she senses his growing despair.

The Alchemist understands that he is on the brink of breaking and is waiting for his first move.

The stillness envelops the room for nearly half an hour until, at last, the papers tumble from his grasp, landing softly on the hardwood floor, and the sound of his sobs fills the air.

She slowly rises, ensuring he can hear her footsteps as she approaches him. She kneels to pick up the letter and places it back on the dresser. The Alchemist turns and walks back over to him before taking his hand, pulling him up from the chair, and gently guiding him to their freshly changed bed, the covers already pulled back.

He's lost in the ever-changing depths of his emotions; she can feel it. The Alchemist slides off her Bondmate's leather jacket before removing his shoes and putting them away. Her heels and short socks follow before he allows her to guide him into the bed under the covers. The Doctor reaches out for her, and she folds herself into him, tucking under his chin while his arms wrap around her tightly.

The room is heavy with silence, broken only by the Doctor's anguished sobs as he grapples with the haunting image his wife endured and remembered throughout the war; he can only imagine what she had to endure based on what he knows so far.

As his tears finally dry up, he speaks in a gravelly tone, "They're gone, Amara."

The Time Lady exhales softly, leaning back just enough to meet his gaze. She notices his eyes are red and still glistening. She wipes away some of the dampness on his cheekbone with her thumb.

"There's a patch in my mind still, blocking memories. There are eight different telepathic signatures. I've been scratching at it, trying to lift it away since you broke the programming."

"What is it?" the Doctor frowns.

"First," she swallows hard, "I need to tell you some things that I was hoping to put off, but it seems I can't... just don't interrupt, please, or I won't be able to tell you the entire thing."

The Doctor nods and nestles deeper into the bedding, playing with the rings on her hand as he listens intently.

"The dreams were the Time Vortex warning Titan and I. It was Rassilon who was the shadow. He injected me with what he called 'pure schism water.' It's what increased my connection to the Time Vortex. By doing so, I could time travel and teleport anywhere and anytime," the Alchemist smirks slightly, "I was forced to follow orders. Still, 'cause of the memories I retained, the programming never entirely took hold, so it would break down every time I was sent out.

"I needed to be reprogrammed whenever I was recalled," she pauses, "...At one point, you whispered my true name, and I heard it. It broke my programming, and I could return to base on my own. That's when I found out Rassilon's plans, and my father helped me send you the message," she frowns, "I told you to use The Moment as a weapon, and he reprogrammed me with both of you as my handlers and ordered me to go through the Untempered Schism as we planned."

"That's how..." he breathes, eyes widened.

"Yes, that's basically how. I'm sorry I made you use it, but it was the only way to stop Rassilon..."

The Doctor sighs heavily at that.

"You didn't use the device," he says, denying it.

She knows he's wrong; she made him do it. Teacher told her otherwise, as they would have had to remove the Vortex connection from her if that were true, but she doesn't; no, she can't believe it.