Thorn Bush (Doctor Who Story)

Chapter 31: Deep Breath Part One

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has voted on chapters, commented and added this story to their reading lists.

——

A young Amelia Pond comes running up the stairs past the Eleventh Doctor, laughing. She's dressed in the clothes she wore the night she waited.

"Amelia?" Eleven murmurs in surprise.

"Who's Amelia?" Clara questions. She doesn't truly understand what's happening. He can't go.

The Doctor ignores her as another voice speaks up. "Don't forget about me."

The Doctor turns to see it's Kathy standing behind him with a cheeky grin as she walks over. She's dressed in the deep green floor length dress that he first saw her in on Platform One.

"Kathy..."

Clara looks in the direction he's speaking but is confused as she doesn't see her friend.

"The first face this face saw." The Doctor murmurs.

Kathy smiles sadly as she reaches him. "You'll see me soon, Doctor. Just with new eyes." She reaches up and caresses his cheek. "Goodbye Idiot."

The Doctor reaches up to touch her cheek with his hand for a moment then she disappears and he's touching thin air.

He knows it's time.

——

On the south side of the River Thames in London, across from Thorney Island and the Houses of Parliament, a crowd is gathered on the Albert Embankment to watch as a Tyrannosaurus Rex paces and bellows in the river causing the ground to shake. Big Ben rolls causing the dinosaur to roar at it. It's standing taller than the Clock Tower making the creature well over 96 metres tall. Naturally, the crowd screams. Kathy doesn't blame the crowd. A row of terrified Victorian Bobbies, cordoning off gob-smacked members of the public, to keep calm.

Kathy, Jenny, Vastra and Strax are eventually able to push themselves to the front where a jaw-dropped Inspector Gregson stands, staring up at the creature, which to him is impossible. The group already begin sizing up their latest problem – business as usual. As soon as she looks at it, Kathy immediately knows this is a Doctor Who episode, a significant one. She's glad that Ashildr and Carlyle had taken that holiday to Italy now.

"Madame Vastra and Madame Davis, thank God." The Inspector greets. "I'll wager you've not seen anything like this before."

Vastra steps forward, looking up at the bellowing creature. "Well," she throws back her veil, revealing her green, reptile skin, "not since I was a little girl."

"Big fella, isn't he?" Jenny remarks as she gazes up at the creature.

"Dinosaurs were mostly this size. I do believe it's a she." Vastra corrects her wife.

"No, they weren't, I've seen fossils," Jenny argues.

"You forget Jenny, Vastra was there." Kathy retorts amusedly. Excitement is already bubbling up inside her.

"Well, that's all well and good," the Inspector interrupts, "but what's this dinosaur fellow doing in the Thames?"

"It must have time travelled." Vastra turns to Kathy. "Kathy?" She prompts.

Kathy nods and pulls out her scanner. Since she received this gift from River so long ago, it's been through many upgrades. She scans the dinosaur. Ah, just as she thought.

The Inspector looks at them bewildered. "Time travelled?"

"Yes, time travelled," Kathy replies.

The dinosaur begins swaying her head, and seemingly coughing, trying to cough something up. Here we go...