So many of you were excited to see the sort of appearance of past companions last chapter! Here's the good news: every single companion will meet during the 11s' time! I just won't say when, or how. All that I will say is that it's going to be epic. ;)

Here's "The Hungry Earth!"

***

"Behold . . . " The Doctor threw his arms out proudly as he exited the TARDIS. "Rio!"

Amy took one look around the graveyard they were in and shook her head. "Nah."

"Not really getting the sunshine carnival vibe," Rory added as he came out.

"No?" the Doctor pouted before frowning at the ground. "Ooo . . . feel that, though."

Jessie stepped out of the TARDIS next and instantly made a face. "Oh, what is that?" she wrinkled her nose, jumping up and down a bit. "That's weird."

"Ground feels strange," the Doctor nodded.

"What's weird?" Rory asked.

"Doctor, stop trying to distract us," Amy frowned. "We're in the wrong place." The Doctor instead dropped down to take a look at the grass, Jessie looking at the other side of the valley. "Doctor, it's freezing, and I've dressed for Rio. We are not stopping here, Doctor." He didn't answer. "You listening to me? It's a graveyard! You promised me a beach!"

"Blue grass," the Doctor mused, holding up a bit. "Patches of it all around the graveyard. So, Earth, 2030-ish, ten years in your future."

"And the wrong continent for Rio," Jessie added.

"But it's not a massive overshoot!" he protested.

"Why are those people waving at us?" Amy asked, pointing to the two people waving on the other side of the valley.

The Doctor blinked. "Can't be," he muttered.

Rory started to wave back, but Amy stopped him. "Don't," she said.

The Doctor pulled out a pair of binoculars and looked. "It is!" he gasped, eyes wide. "It's you two!"

Rory shook his head. "No, we're here. How can we be up there?"

"Ten years in your future," Jessie shrugged. "Maybe you came back to relive past glories."

"Humans," the Doctor said fondly. "You're so nostalgic."

Amy blinked. "We're still together in ten years?"

Rory snorted. "No need to sound so surprised."

Amy grinned. "Hey, let's go and talk to them! We can say hi to future us! How cool is that?!"

"Er, no," the Doctor shook his head quickly. "Best not. Really best not. These things get complicated very quickly, and - " He saw something and got distracted. "Oh, look," he grinned, pointing to a drill. "Big mining thing. Oh, I love a big mining thing!" Amy sighed in frustration as Jessie shook her head fondly. "See, way better than Rio! Rio doesn't have a big mining thing."

"We're not going to have a look, are we?" Amy whispered to Jessie.

"Three, two," she counted off.

"Let's go and have a look!" the Doctor grinned, and Amy groaned, dropping her head. Jessie laughed and patted her on the shoulder, following the Doctor. "Come on, you two. Let's see what they're doing!"

"If he can't get us to Rio, how's he ever going to get us back home?" Rory asked Amy.

"Did you not see over there?" Amy asked. "It all works out fine. Besides, I bet the Bad Wolf would pilot that one," she joked.

"But after everything we've seen, we just drop back into our old lives?" he couldn't help but ask. "The nurse and the kissogram?"

"I guess," Amy shrugged before heading after the Time Lords. "They're getting away."

"Hang on," Rory interrupted, stopping her. "What are you doing with that?"

Amy held up her left hand. "Engagement ring," she said. "I thought you liked me wearing it."

"Amy, you could lose it. Cost a lot of money, that."

"Hmm," Amy frowned, then took it off and handed it to him. "Spoilsport."

"Go on," Rory told her, taking the ring. "I'll catch you three up."

Amy watched him go back to the TARDIS, then she took off after the Time Lords. "Doctor! Bad Wolf!"

***

Rory put Amy's ring back in its box and set it on the console. He headed back out of the TARDIS, and nearly ran into a brown-haired woman. "Well, that was quick," she remarked.

Rory blinked. "Was it?" he asked, looking behind him.

"It's great that you came."

"Bit retro," her young son behind her said. "What is it, portable crime lab?"

"Er . . . " Rory eyed the TARDIS. "Sort of."

"Ambrose Northover," the woman introduced herself, holding out a hand, which Rory warily shook. "I was the one who called. I run the meals on wheels for the whole valley. This is my son, Elliot."

"Where's your uniform?" Elliot asked curiously.

"Don't be cheeky, Elliot," Ambrose told him. "He's plain clothes." Rory blinked, looking at the TARDIS, and refrained from rolling his eyes. Police public call box. Of course. They thought he was a policeman. "CID, is it? Anyway, it's over here."

"Er . . . " Rory sighed and followed. "OK."

***

"Restricted access, no unauthorized personnel," Jessie was reading off of a plaque when Amy caught up. "Well, since when did we listen to that?"

The Doctor grinned and used his sonic screwdriver on the padlock of the gates. "That is breaking and entering!" Amy accused.

"What did I break?" the Doctor asked innocently. "Sonicking and entering. Totally different."

"You two coming?" Jessie asked, climbing through the gate before frowning. "Where's Rory?"

"Putting my ring away," Amy answered.

She frowned. "You're sure he'll catch up?"

***

"It's a family plot, see," Ambrose told Rory as they stood over an open and empty grave. "My Aunt Gladys died six years ago. Her husband, Alun, died a few weeks back. He lived in the house two doors down. There's not many of us left up here now."

"Mum, he doesn't care about that," Elliot huffed. "He wants to know about the dead bodies!"

Rory blinked, but Ambrose nodded. "Yes, sorry. Well, they always wanted to be buried in the same plot, together. But when we went to bury Uncle Alun, Gladys wasn't there. Gone. Body, coffin, everything."

Rory blinked, stunned. "What?"

"The mad thing is, on the surface, the grave was untouched. No signs of it having been messed with."

"I'm sorry," Rory shook his head in confusion. "I don't understand."

"Nobody has touched the grave since my aunt was buried. But when they dug it open, the body was gone." Ambrose shook her head. "How is that possible?"

***

"What about now?" the Doctor asked, jumping a bit on the ground as they walked through a tunnel, Jessie doing a bit of a skip to feel it. "Can you feel it now?"

"More," Jessie nodded.

"Honestly, I've got no idea what you're on about," Amy told them.

"The ground doesn't feel like it should," the Doctor explained.

"It's ten years in the future," Amy rolled her eyes. "Maybe how this ground feels is how it always feels."

"No, it shouldn't," Jessie frowned. "I can hear a drill in start-up mode. Afterwaves of a recent seismological shift . . . "

"And blue grass," the Doctor nodded, trying a leaf . . . before making a face and sticking his tongue out, spitting it out.

Amy laughed. "Oh, please! Have you always been this disgusting?"

"No," the Doctor lied, shaking his head. "That's recent."

"So should I tell her about the Sycorax?" Jessie asked in amusement.

"Well . . . "

"Or the portable TV from the Wire?"

"Um - "

"Oh! Or the Pyrovile dust?"

"N - "

She grinned. "The dead sand from the 200 bus!"

"OK, so it's not recent," the Doctor admitted defeat, huffing at Jessie's triumphant look and Amy's amused one. "But what's in here?" he asked, walking into the next room, a woman standing inside. "Hello!"

"Who are you?" the woman asked as they walked in. "What're you doing here?" She frowned at Amy. "And what're you wearing?"

"I dressed for Rio," Amy grumbled, folding her arms.

"Ministry of Drills, Earth and Science," the Doctor said, flashing his psychic paper. "New Ministry, quite big, just merged. It's a lot of responsibility on our shoulders. Dn't like to talk about it. What are you doing?"

"None of your business," the woman huffed.

"Interesting readings," Jessie mused, looking at a computer. "Where are you getting these from?"

"Under the soil," she answered.

"The drill's up and running again," a man said as he entered before he paused, seeing them. "What's going on? Who are these people?"

"Amy, the Doctor, the Bad Wolf," Amy answered, pointing and answering. "We're not staying, are we, Doctor?"

The Doctor pointed to something in the ground. "Why's there a big patch of earth in the middle of your floor?"

"We don't know," the woman shrugged. "It just appeared overnight."

Jessie furrowed her eyebrows. "You need to get out of here, very fast."

"Why?" she frowned.

"What's your name?"

"Nasreen Chaudhry."

"Well, Nasreen, your readings are moving."

"Hey, that's specialized equipment!" the man snapped, moving over to her. "Get away from it!"

"What is?" Nasreen asked, coming over.

Amy crouched by the hole. "Doctor, this steam," she said. "Is that a good thing?"

"Shouldn't think so," the Doctor shook his head. "It's shifting when it shouldn't be shifting."

"What shouldn't?" Nasreen asked.

The ground rumbled underneath them, and the Doctor looked down. "The ground, the soil, the earth . . . moving. But how?" he frowned. "Why?"

"Earthquake?" Amy suggested.

"What's going on?" the man asked.

"Doubt it," Jessie shook her head. "It's only happening under this room."

Two more holes appeared in the ground, then three more. "It knows we're here," the Doctor guessed. "It's attacking. The ground's attacking us."

"No," Nasreen shook her head. "No, that's not possible!"

"Well, then, feel free to wake up," Jessie told her.

"Under the circumstances," the Doctor rubbed his hands together. "I'd suggest . . . run!"

Jessie took off instantly, the others following. The man got his foot stuck in one of the holes, and Nasreen cried, "Tony!"

"Stay back, Amy!" the Doctor warned as Amy jumped over to help. "Stay away from the earth!"

"It's OK," Amy told Tony, pulling him out . . . only for a hole to open up under her. "It's pulling me down!" she cried as she sunk into the earth.

"Amy!" the Doctor shouted, running over, Jessie grabbing Amy's arms.

"Help me," Amy gasped, the earth eating her up. "Something's got me!"

"Stay away from it," the Doctor told her.

"Doctor, the ground's got my legs!"

"And I've got you," Jessie told her, strengthening her grip.

Amy took a deep breath. "OK. Don't let go."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"Doctor, what is it?" Amy asked. "Why is it doing this?"

"Stay calm," the Doctor advised her. "Keep hold of us. Don't let go." Amy nodded and took his hand, her other one grabbing Jessie's arm. The Doctor looked over his shoulder to Tony and Nasreen. "Your drill, shut it down," he ordered. "Go, now!"

"Can you get me out?" Amy asked as the two ran off.

"Amy, try and stay calm," the Doctor ordered as the ground continued to eat her. "If you struggle, it'll make things worse. Keep hold of my hand. We're not going to let you go."

But suddenly, his grip failed, and Jessie lunged forward to grab Amy's other arm, trying to hold onto her. "Bad Wolf, it's pulling me down!" Amy cried, struggling as Jessie tried to keep her grip tight. "Something's pulling me down!"

"Stay calm," Jessie told her. "Just hold on till they can just shut down the drill."

"I can't hold on! What's pulling me? What is under the earth? I don't want to suffocate under there!"

"Amy, concentrate," the Doctor ordered, but Jessie gasped when she was wrenched forward, Amy disappearing more. "Don't you give up!"

Amy swallowed. "Tell Rory - "

"No," Jessie shook her head, but Amy was taken under the soil.

But what set the Doctor into a panic was that Jessie didn't loosen her grip at all, and she was pulled through as well. "Jessie!" he shouted, clawing at the dirt, trying to find a way to get to them both. "No!" he shouted over and over. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!"

Nasreen and Tony ran in, the sound of the drill stopped. "Where are they?" Nasreen asked, not seeing the ginger and the pirate girl.

The Doctor swallowed. "They're gone," he whispered. "The ground took them."

"And we're not dead," Jessie's voice said.

His eyes widened. "You're alive?!"

"Well, you're not dead, are you?"

He winced. "Fair point."

***

"Do you want sugar?"

Rory looked up from inside the grave to see Elliot crouching on the edge of it, his headphones around his neck. "Sorry?" he asked.

"In your tea," he elaborated. "Mum's asking."

"No," Rory shook his head. "Just white, thanks."

Elliot remained crouching for a moment. "There's only one explanation, as far as I can see," he said.

Rory folded his arms, interested. "What's that, then?"

"The graves eat people. Devour them whole, leaving no trace."

Rory smiled at his imagination. "Not sure about that."

"They didn't steal the body from above. They couldn't have got in from the sides. Only other thing is, they get in from underneath."

Rory nodded, it made sense. "Not very likely, though."

"When you've eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

Rory frowned. "Sorry?"

"Sherlock Holmes," Elliot said, tapping his headphones. "Got the audiobook. The graves round here eat people."

Rory couldn't help but look nervously at the ground under his feet . . . hoping that wouldn't be him next.

***

"Is that what happened to Mo?" Tony asked as the Doctor paced, Jessie sending constant reassurances to his mind. "Are they dead?"

"No," the Doctor shook his head, immensely relieved at that. "It's not quicksand. They didn't just sink. Something pulled them in. It wanted them."

"The ground wanted them?" Nasreen repeated.

"Didn't they say the ground was there this morning?" Jessie's voice asked.

"You said the ground was dormant, just a patch of earth when you saw it this morning," the Doctor turned to the humans. "And the drill had been stopped."

"That's right," Tony nodded.

"But when you restarted the drill, the ground fought back."

"So what, the ground wants us to stop drilling?" Nasreen asked. "Doctor, that is ridiculous!"

"Not if it's bio-programming," Jessie said.

His eyes widened. "Oh, of course!" he smacked himself in the forehead. "It's bio-programming!"

"What?" Nasreen blinked.

"Bio-programming," he grinned. "Oh, it's clever. You use bio-signals to resonate the internal molecular structure of natural objects. It's mainly used in engineering and construction, mostly jungle planets, but that's way in the future and not here." He frowned. "What's it doing here?" he asked to himself and Jessie.

"We're in some sort of moving tunnel," she said. "I can see Amy, but we're separated. I'll try and figure it out."

"Sorry, did you just say jungle planets?" Nasreen asked.

"You're not making any sense, man," Tony huffed.

The Doctor glared. "Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense," he snapped. "You're just not keeping up. The earth, the ground beneath out feet, was bio-programmed to attack."

Nasreen rolled her eyes. "Yeah, even if that were possible - which, by the way, it's not - why?"

"Stop you drilling," the Doctor said simply. "OK, so we find whatever's doing the bio-programming, we can find my wife and Amy. We can get them back - "

"Doctor, can you hear that?"

The Doctor blinked. "Shush, shush, shush," he told the humans, getting on the ground to press an ear to the ground. "Have I gone mad?" he asked.

"No."

"I've gone mad."

"You went mad a long time ago."

"Thank you for the support, sweetheart."

"You're welcome."

"Doctor," Nasreen began.

"Shush, shush," he told her. "Absolute silence." He listened more, then asked, "You've stopped the drill, right?"

"Yes."

"And you've only got the one drill?"

"Yes."

"You're sure about that?"

"Yes," Tony huffed.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "So, if you shut the drill down . . . why can I still hear drilling?" He sat up. "It's under the ground."

Tony shook his head. "That's not possible."

The Doctor ran over to the computers and started sonicking them. "Oh, no," Nasreen sighed. "What . . . what are you doing?"

"Hacking into your records," he answered. "Probe reports, samples, sensors. Good. Just unite the data, make it all one big conversation. Let's have a look." He pulled it all up and nodded. "So, we are here, and this is your drill hole." He raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Twenty one point zero zero nine kilometers. Well done."

"Thank you," Nasreen smiled proudly. "It's taken us a long time."

"Why here, though? Why'd you drill on this site?"

"We found patches of grass in this area, containing trace minerals unseen in this country for twenty million years."

"That's a long time."

"Trying to work here, angel."

"I prefer sweetheart."

"Sweetheart, then. I'm trying to work this out."

"Amy and I are fine."

"I'll believe that when I get you back." "The blue grass?" he said out loud. "Oh, Nasreen, those trace minerals weren't X marking the spot, saying 'dig here.' They were a warning. 'Stay away.' Because while you've been drilling down, someone else has been drilling up." He adjusted the readings, and his eyes widened at the tunnels he saw. "Oh, beautiful!" he beamed. "Network of tunnels, all the way down."

"No, no, we've surveyed that area," Tony denied.

"You only saw what you went looking for."

"What are they?" Nasreen asked, pointing at a few blips.

"Heat signals," the Doctor answered, then frowned. "Wait. Dual readings. Hot and cold. Doesn't make sense." His eyes widened, seeing them speed up. "And now they're moving, fast." He looked at them. "How many people live nearby?"

"Just my daughter and her family," Tony answered. "The rest of the staff travel in."

"Grab the equipment and follow me," the Doctor ordered.

"Why?" Nasreen asked, even as they did what he said.

"That noise isn't a drill, it's transport," the Doctor explained. "Three of them, thirty kilometers down. Rate of speed looks about a hundred and fifty kilometers and hour. Should be here in, oh - "

"Twelve minutes," Jessie cut in.

He smirked. She was good at her math. "Twelve minutes," he repeated. "Whatever bio-programmed the Earth is on its way up, now."

***

"How can something be coming up when there's only the Earth's crust down there?" Tony asked as they made it to the main road.

"You saw the readings," was all the Doctor said.

"Who are you, anyway?" Nasreen asked. "How can you know all this?" Her eyes widened when red energy shot in the sky. "Whoa. Did you see that?"

The Doctor's eyes widened as well. "No, no, no," he whispered, grabbing a stone and catapulting it into the air. It hit a faint red energy shield, and vaporized immediately. "Energy shield originating from under the Earth," he muttered angrily. "W'ere trapped."

"Doctor!" Rory called as he ran up. "Something weird's going on here. The graves are eating people."

"Not now, Rory," the Doctor shook his head. "Energy barricade, invisible to the naked eye. We can't get out, and no one from the outside world can get in."

"What?" Rory asked before taking a deep breath. "OK, what about the TARDIS?"

"The what?" Nasreen asked.

"Er, no," the Doctor shook his head. "Those energy patterns would play havoc with the circuits. With a bit of time, maybe, but we've only got . . . " He checked his watch. "Nine and a half minutes."

"Nine and a half minutes to what?" Rory asked.

"We're trapped, and something's burrowing towards the surface," Nasreen explained.

Rory nodded before looking around and narrowing his eyes. "Where's Amy?" he asked.

"Get everyone inside the church," the Doctor said instead. "Rory, I'll get them back."

"What do you mean, get them back?" Rory repeated before narrowing his eyes more. "Where's the Bad Wolf?"

"Get them inside!"

"Doctor, where have they gone?"

The Doctor blew out a breath. "They were taken into the Earth."

Rory's eyes widened. "How?" he nearly shouted. "Why didn't you stop it?"

"The Bad Wolf tried," the Doctor tried to explain. "She did, I promise. She tried. But Amy was pulled in, and she was pulled in after her. We'll find them, I promise. I'll keep you all safe. I promise. Come on, please." He swallowed. "She needs you alongside me," he finished.

Rory swallowed, but nodded and followed the Doctor.

"Where's Mo?" Ambrose asked when they made it to the church. "Is he with you?"

"This flaming door," Tony muttered, trying to get the church door open instead of answering the question. "Always sticking. I thought you were having it fixed?"

"Dad!" Ambrose shouted.

"Something's happened to him, hasn't it?" Elliot asked softly.

***

"So we can't get out, we can't contact anyone, and something - the something that took my husband - is coming up through the Earth," Ambrose tried to understand.

"Yes," the Doctor nodded. "If we move quickly enough, we can be ready."

"No, stop," Ambrose shook her head. "This has gone far enough. What is this?"

"He's telling the truth, love," Tony tried to tell her.

"Come on," she huffed. "It's not the first time we've had no mobile or phone signals! Reception's always rubbish."

"Look, Ambrose," Nasreen whispered. "You're not the only one who's missing a spouse." The Doctor's eyes darkened. "We saw his wife and his friend get taken, OK? You saw the lightning in the sky. I have seen the impossible today, and the only person who's making any sense of it for me is the Doctor."

Ambrose snorted her obvious opinion. "Him?"

"Me!" the Doctor huffed.

"Can you get my dad back?" Elliot asked hopefully.

"Jezebel?" the Doctor asked.

"His name's Mo, right?"

"Yes."

"I'll find him, don't worry."

"Yes," the Doctor told Elliot with a smile. "We'll find him, and I know my wife will, too. She's special like that. She never leaves anyone behind." Elliot smiled at that. "But I need you to trust me and do exactly as I say from this second onwards, because we're running out of time," he told everyone.

Ambrose sighed. "So tell us what to do."

"Thank you," the Doctor nodded. "We have . . . " He checked his watch. "Eight minutes to set up a line of defense. Bring me every phone, every camera, every piece of recording or transmitting equipment you can find. Every burglar alarm, every movement sensor, every security light. I want the whole area covered with sensors!"

***

Later, after the equipment was set up, the Doctor brought them back to the church. "Right, guys, we need to be ready for whatever's coming." He turned to Elliot. "I need a map of the village marking where the cameras are going."

"I can't do the words," Elliot said. "I'm dyslexic."

"Oh, that's all right," he smirked. "I can't make a decent meringue, but don't tell my wife, I'm an incredible liar."

"Heard that."

"Draw like your life depends on it, Elliot," the Doctor laughed, patting the boy on the shoulder.

"Six minutes forty," Tony reported.

***

At five minutes, the Doctor checked on Tony getting a CCTV array ready. "Works in quadrants," he said. "Every movement sensor and trip light we've got. If anything moves, we'll know."

The Doctor beamed. "Good lad!"

***

The Doctor was rummaging through Ambrose's van when she found him. "Oi!" she cried. "What're you doing?"

"Resources," he answered. "Every little helps. Meals on wheels. What've you got here, then? Warmer in the front, refrigerated in the back."

"Bit chilly for a hideout, mind," Ambrose said, depositing her armful of stuff in the front seat.

The Doctor eyed the rifles and cricket bat in distaste. "What are those?"

"Like you said, every little help."

"No," he shook his head. "No weapons. It's not the way I do things."

"You said we're supposed to be defending ourselves!"

"Oh, Ambrose," the Doctor sighed. "You're better than this. I'm asking you nicely. Put them away."

***

Elliot ran into the church later, beaming, showing the Doctor his map of the cameras. "Look at that!" the Doctor beamed. "Perfect! Dyslexia never stopped da Vinci or Einstein. It's not stopping you!"

"I don't understand what you're going to do," Elliot said.

"Two phase plan," he explained. "First, the sensors and cameras will tell us when something arrives. Second, if something does arrive, I use this to send a send a sonic pulse through that network of devices." He held up his sonic screwdriver. "A pulse which would temporarily incapacitate most things in the universe."

"Knock 'em out," Elliot translated. "Cool."

The Doctor looked around. "Lovely place to grow up round here."

"Suppose," he shrugged. "I want to live in a city one day. Soon as I'm old enough, I'll be off."

"I was the same where I grew up."

"Did you get away?"

"Yeah."

"Do you ever miss it?"

The Doctor swallowed. "So much," he admitted.

"Is it monsters coming?" Elliot tilted his head. "Have you met monsters before?"

"Yeah."

"You scared of them?"

"No," he grinned. "They're scared of me when they should be scared of my wife."

"Will you really get my dad back?"

He winked. "No question."

Elliot nodded, then straightened. "I left headphones at home!" he gasped, running off.

***

The Doctor walked up to Rory, the man completing the sensor array. "How're you doing?"

"It's getting darker," Rory frowned, looking up. "How can it be getting dark so quickly?"

"Shutting out light from within the barricade," the Doctor frowned. "Trying to isolate us in the dark. Which means . . . " The ground rumbled, and he swallowed. "It's here."

They ran back to the church to see Ambrose struggling with the door. "I can't get it open!" she cried. "It keeps sticking! The wood's warped!"

The Doctor joined in on trying to get the door open, and he frowned at Rory. "Any time you want to help!"

"Can't you sonic it?" Rory asked.

"It doesn't do wood."

" . . . that is rubbish."

"Oi! Don't diss the sonic!"

Rory finally helped push, and they got the door open and ran inside as the ground shook. "See if we can get a fix," the Doctor mumbled, avoiding falling stacked objects.

The lights blew out, and Tony frowned. "No power."

"It's deliberate," the Doctor sighed.

"What do we do now?" Rory asked as the Doctor checked the monitors.

"Nothing," the Doctor muttered, upset and folding his arms. Now he had no way of figuring out how to get to Jessie. Not yet, anyway. "We've got nothing. They sent an energy surge to wreck our systems."

Rory turned to the others. "Is everyone OK? Is anyone hurt?"

"I'm fine," Nasreen said.

"Me, too," Ambrose nodded.

Rory looked around as there was a large rumble. "Doctor, what as that?"

"It's like the holes at the drilling station," Tony said.

"Is this how they happened?" Nasreen asked.

"It's coming through the final layer of Earth," the Doctor said.

"What is?" Nasreen asked.

It suddenly grew eerily quiet, and Tony whispered, "The banging's stopped."

Ambrose nodded, then she froze. "Where's Elliot?" she asked, looking around in horror. "Has anyone seen Elliot? Did he come in? Was he in when the door was shut?" The others looked at each other in shock. "Who counted him back in? Who saw him last?"

The Doctor's eyes widened. "I did," he realized.

"Where is he?" Ambrose demanded.

The Doctor swallowed. "He said he was going to get headphones," he answered.

"And you let him go?!" she shrieked. "He was out there on his own?"

"Mum!" Elliot called from the porch. "Grandpa Tony! Let me in!"

"Elliot!" Ambrose screamed, running to the door.

"Let me in!"

"He's out there!" Ambrose sobbed, and the others ran to help. "Help me!"

"Open the door!" Elliot cried. "Mum, there's something out here!"

"Push, Elliot! Push, Elliot! Give it a shove!"

"Mum, hurry up! Mum!"

"Come on!" Tony grunted, giving the door a shove.

"Elliot!" Ambrose cried, running outside. "Where is he? He was here! Elliot!"

"Ambrose, don't go running off!" the Doctor shouted.

"Ambrose!" Tony shouted, going after her.

The Doctor caught up to them a few moments later to see Ambrose trying to help her father. "Dad!" she exclaimed.

"What happened?" the Doctor asked, running up.

"My dad's hurt."

"Get him into the church, now."

"Elliot's gone. They've killed them, haven't they?"

"I don't think so," the Doctor shook his head. "They've taken four people when they could've just killed them up here. There's still hope, Ambrose. There is always hope."

"Then why have they taken him?"

"I don't know," the Doctor admitted.

"Kasterborous, it sounds like they've got someone else," Jessie unknowingly broke in.

"A boy, Mo's son. His name's Elliot."

"They took a child?!"

"They did."

" . . . bastards."

"Can you find him?"

"Just watch me."

"We'll find Elliot, I promise," the Doctor told her. "But fist, I've got to stop this attack. Please, get inside the church."

Ambrose nodded and helped a wincing Tony up. "Come on, Dad."

"So what now?" Rory asked.

***

The Doctor put on a pair of infrared glasses, and smirked when he saw a dark shape moving in the bushes. "Cold blood. I know who they are."

He headed for the meals on wheels van and took the fire extinguisher. He heard a hiss nearby, and the Doctor aimed the fire extinguisher and let it off. The alien behind him screamed, and Rory jumped out of the back of the van. With the two men working together, they got the alien inside. "We got it!" Rory cheered.

"Defending the planet with meals on wheels," the Doctor grinned.

They high fived, then the ground rumbled. "What was that?" Rory asked.

"Sounds like they're leaving," the Doctor guessed.

"Without this one?" Rory asked. He looked up as the energy shield diminished. "Looks like we scared them off."

"I don't think so," the Doctor shook his head. "Now both sides have hostages."

***

Amy blinked her eyes open slowly, seeing her vision was blurry . . . no, that was the glass above her! She started banging on it. "Let me out!" she cried. "Can anybody hear me? I'm alive in here! Let me out! I know you're out there! My name is Amy Pond, and you'd better get me the hell out of here, or so help me, I am going to kick your backside! Please!"

"Amy?"

Amy gasped. "Who was that?" she demanded.

"Amy, it's me. It's the Bad Wolf."

"How can I hear you?"

"I'm in your head. It's telepathy. The Doctor and I use it all the time. Just stay calm, OK?"

Amy was about to answer when a figure leaned over her. "Shush," it said.

Amy's eyebrows rose high. "Did you just shush me?" she asked. "Did you just shush me?!"

"Amy, be careful!"

Amy looked left and right as gas entered the container. "No, no, no," she gasped. "No, don't do that! No gas! No gas!"

***

Jessie kept her eyes closed, hearing the hissing, knowing Amy had been knocked out. She felt gas swirl around her as well, but her respiratory bypass kept it at bay. She refrained from smirking as the creature above her passed her by.

They didn't have a clue who she was.

***

"So, I think I've met these creatures before," the Doctor told them as he headed for the crypt in the graveyard. "Different branch of species, mind, but all the same. Let's see if our friend's thawed out."

"Are you sure?" Rory asked. "By yourself?"

"Very sure."

"But the sting?"

"Venom glands take at least twenty four hours to recharge. Am I right?" he loudly asked the figure in the shadows. It didn't answer. "I know what I'm doing. I'll be fine." Rory nodded and headed back up the stairs. The Doctor slowly approached the figure as the alien moved out of hiding, the chains keeping it fixed rattling. "I'm the Doctor," he told it. "I've come to talk. I'm going to remove your mask." He took the silver mask with black eyes off, and a beautiful reptilian female face was revealed. "You are beautiful," he whispered. "Remnant of a bygone age on planet Earth. And, by the way, lovely mode of travel. Geothermal currents projecting you up through a network of tunnels. Gorgeous! Mind if I sit?" He didn't take an answer and pulled up a chair. "Now, your people have my wife and a friend of ours. I want them back. Why did you come to the surface?" No answer. "What do you want?" Again, nothing. "Oh, I do hate a monologue. Give us a bit back. How many are you?"

"I'm the last of my species," the female answered.

The Doctor snorted. "Really? No. Last of the species. The Klempari Defense. As an interrogation defense, it's a bit old hat, I'm afraid."

"I'm the last of my species," she insisted.

"No, you're really not," he shook his head. "Because my wife and I are the last of my species, and I know how it sits in a heart. So don't insult me. Let's start again. Tell me your name."

She paused. "Alaya," she answered.

"How long as your tribe been sleeping under the Earth, Alaya?" the Doctor asked. "It's not difficult to work out. You're three hundred million years out of your comfort zone. Question is, what woke you now?"

"We were attacked."

"The drill."

"Our sensors detected a threat to our life support systems. The warrior class was activated to prevent the assault. We will wipe the vermin from the surface and reclaim our planet."

"Do you have to say vermin?" the Doctor wrinkled his nose. "They're really very nice, my wife used to be one."

Alaya curled her lip. "Primitive apes," she decided.

"Extraordinary species," the Doctor corrected. "You attack them, they'll fight back. But there's a peace to be brokered here. I can help you with that."

"This land is ours. We lived here long before the apes."

"Doesn't give you automatic rights to it now, I'm afraid. Humans won't give up the planet."

"So we destroy them."

"You underestimate them."

"You underestimate us."

"One tribe of homo reptilia against six billion humans?" The Doctor snorted. "You've got your work cut out."

Alaya glared. "We did not initiate combat, but we can still win."

"Tell me where my wife and friend are," the Doctor ordered, eyes darkening. "Give us back the people who were taken."

"No."

He growled. "I'm not going to let you provoke war, Alaya. There'll be no battle here today."

"The fire of war is already lit. A massacre is due."

"Not while I'm here."

"I'll gladly die for my cause. What will you sacrifice for yours?"

The Doctor just glared at her.

***

"You're going to do what?!" Rory nearly yelled.

"I'm going to go down below the surface to find the rest of the tribe, to talk to them," the Doctor repeated what he'd said a moment before.

"You're going to negotiate with these aliens?" Ambrose gawked.

"They're not aliens, they're Earth-liens," he shook his head. "Once known as the Silurian race, or some would argue Eocenes, or Homo Reptilia. Not monsters, not evil. Well, only as evil as you are. The previous owners of the planet, that's all. Look, from their point of view, you're the invaders. Your drill was threatening their settlement. Now, the creature in the crypt, her name's Alaya. She's one of their warriors, and she's my best bargaining chip. I need her alive. If she lives, so do the Bad Wolf and Elliot and Mo and Amy, because I will find them. While I'm gone, you four people, in this church, in this corner of planet Earth, you have to be the best of humanity."

"And what if they come back?" Tony asked. "Shouldn't we be examining this creature? Dissecting it, finding its weak points?"

"No dissecting, no examining," the Doctor shook his head immediately. "We return their hostage, they return ours, nobody gets harmed. We can land this together if you are the best you can be. You are decent, brilliant people. Nobody dies today. Understand?"

Nasreen started applauding, but it faded quickly when no one else did. The Doctor nodded, then headed out back to the TARDIS. He turned back when he heard Nasreen follow. "No, sorry, no," he told her when he got to the TARDIS. "What are you doing?"

"Coming with you, of course," Nasreen answered before looking at the TARDIS. "What is it, some kind of transport pod?"

"Sort of, but you're not coming with me."

"He's right," Tony nodded, having come after them. "You're not."

"I have spent all my life excavating the layers of this planet, and now you want me to stand back while you head down into it?" Nasreen laughed. "I don't think so!"

"I don't have time to argue!" the Doctor glared.

"I thought we were in a rush," she agreed.

"It'll be dangerous."

"Oh, so's crossing the road."

"Oh, for goodness sake!" the Doctor groaned. "All right, then. Come on."

"Hey," Tony grabbed Nasreen's arm before kissing her. "Come back safe."

"Of course," she smiled, then stepped into the TARDIS, and froze, looking around inside.

"Welcome aboard the TARDIS," the Doctor grinned at her reaction. "Now, don't touch anything. Very precious."

"No way!" Nasreen gasped, looking around. "But . . . but that's . . . this is fantastic!" she laughed, running up to the console. "What does it do?"

"Everything," he answered. "I'm hoping, if we're going down, that barricade won't interfere - " He was cut off when they were knocked off their feet. "Did you touch something?" he asked.

"No! Isn't this what it does?"

"I'm not doing anything!" He got to his feet and ran around to check. "We've been hijacked. I can't stop it! They must've sensed the electromagnetic field. They're pulling the TARDIS down into the Earth."

***

Rory considered Alaya, the Silurian, who sat back in her corner. "You had to come and see me," she smiled.

"We are going to keep you safe," Rory told her.

"Your tribe are going to give us back our people in exchange for you," Ambrose added.

"No," Alaya smirked. "Shall I tell you what's really going to happen, apes? One of you will kill me." Rory narrowed his eyes. "My death shall ignite a war, and every stinking ape shall be wiped from the surface of my beloved planet."

"We won't allow that to happen," Tony shook his head.

"I know apes better than you know yourselves," Alaya laughed. "I know which one of you will kill me. Do you?"

Rory already knew that he wouldn't. But he considered the two with him. Which one of them would?

***

The TARDIS suddenly stopped, throwing the Doctor and Nasreen back to the ground. "Where are we?" Nasreen asked.

The Doctor stepped outside, looking up as soil fell to the ground from a hole. "Looks like we fell through the bottom of their tunnel system," he answered. "Don't suppose it was designed for handling something like this."

"How far down are we?" Nasreen asked, looking around.

"Oh, a lot more than twenty kilometers," he answered, walking down the tunnel.

"So why aren't we burning alive?"

"Don't know," he grinned. "Interesting, isn't it?"

"It's like this is every day to you," Nasreen mused, going after him.

"Not every day," he smirked. "Every other day."

***

"Amy?"

Amy slowly woke up, hearing the Bad Wolf in her mind. She tilted her head to the side to see the Bad Wolf was strapped down to a vertical examination table . . . just like she was. "What?" she asked.

"Don't struggle," a man's voice on her right side said, and she looked over to see a weary man strapped the same way. "Close your eyes, and don't struggle."

"What?" Amy asked, looking around. "Where are we? Why can't I move my body?"

"Decontamination," the Bad Wolf answered.

"They did it to me while I was conscious," the man said.

"OK, you're freaking me out," Amy shook her head. "Did what? Who did?"

"Dissected me," the man answered, looking down at the scar running down his entire front.

Amy's eyes widened. "No!" she gasped, turning.

"Not going to happen," the Bad Wolf promised, though she looked a bit pale at the thought.

"He's coming," the man said. "I'm sorry. I wish I could help you."

Amy bit her lip as a reptilian alien came towards her with a scalpel . . .

***

"We're looking for a small tribal settlement probably housing about a dozen Homo Reptilia?" the Doctor thought out loud, not noticing Nasreen break off down a side passage. "Maybe less."

"One small tribe?" Nasreen's small voice asked after hesitation.

"Yeah," he nodded, going back to her.

"Maybe a dozen?"

The Doctor stopped, seeing what she had. "Ah," he said weakly, looking down at the huge chamber below them. "Maybe more than a dozen. Maybe more like an entire civilization living beneath the Earth."

Suddenly, he felt like asking Jessie about some of those Asgardian curses she had.

***

Doctor, you might hear a lot next chapter. That's all I'm going to say.

Oh, my God, we're about halfway through Book Five! O.O That means we might get to Book Six before I get out of school for the summer! Oh, but updates would slow down then.

"Cold Blood" is coming next . . . and the Season 2 sneak peek of my next OC! Stay tuned!