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RUN
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HOLLIE AND RIVER DECENDED THE LADDER, LANDING LIGHTLY ON THE TUNNEL FLOOR. They turned—and froze.

Standing before them were three tall figures in black tuxedos huddling in the corner. Pale, distorted faces. Wide, empty eyes that almost looked like they had just been woken up when Rivers torch was shone at them.

Hollie's breath caught in her throat. Her hand went instinctively to the dagger at her hip.

"But..." she whispered, trembling. "I've seen them before." She frowned her thoughts a sudden haze, where had she seen them... she couldn't remember the details, every time she tried to dig deeper into her mind, find the point in time she had seen them before it disappeared, just as she found the memory.

River's eyes flicked toward her. "What?"

"I've dreamt of them," Hollie murmured, voice barely audible as she finally gripped onto the memory, it pained her almost like she shouldn't have found it.

River's expression darkened. "Hollie, move. Now!"

She shoved the blonde toward the ladder. Hollie hesitated for a fraction of a second, then scrambled up with River right behind her. They reached the surface, gasping for breath.

The Doctor turned toward them, brow furrowed. "All clear?"

River hesitated for a moment and Hollie frowned and watched as River forced a smile. "Just tunnels. Nothing down there we could see." She shifted her weight. "Give me five minutes—I want to take another look around."

"Stupidly dangerous," the Doctor said flatly.

"Yeah, we like it too," River replied. She turned to Amy. "Amy, look after him."

Amy nodded and River led the way back down the ladder.

"Rory," the Doctor looked at him, "would you mind going with them?"

"Yeah, a bit."

"Then I'd appreciate it all the more." He patted Rory's shoulder.

Rory sighed. "Hang on, River, Hollie. I'm coming too."

Hollie held her stomach, swallowing hard, and looked at River, who frowned. "You too?" she asked.

Hollie slowly nodded before straightening as Rory headed down the ladder.

"Are you two okay?" he asked.

"Ah, yes, yes." River waved a hand. "Holliekins was just saying she had a bit of a headache. I, on the other hand, just felt a bit sick. It's the prison food, probably."

Hollie looked at River curiously before leading the way.

"What do you think?" River asked.

"I don't know what to think anymore," Hollie frowned, eyeing the other woman when she turned away.

"That's interesting." River checked her device. "These tunnels are old—really old. How can they be this ancient and nobody's noticed them?"

They stopped at a metal door.

"It's locked," Rory frowned testing it.

"Oh, why do people always lock things?" River muttered.

"What's through there?" Rory questioned.

"No idea." Hollie shrugged. "River?"

River grinned. "Don't know. Want to find out?"

Hollie's answering grin mirrored hers. "Obviously."

Rory sighed. "You're really going to open it, aren't you?"

"Well, it's locked." River shrugged. "How's a girl supposed to resist?"

"Is this sensible?"

River smirked, shaking her head. "Not remotely."

Rory sighed but stopped short when he noticed Hollie pulling the Doctor's screwdriver from her pocket. She put a finger to her lips as River chuckled.

"And here I thought I was the bad influence on you."

Hollie shrugged. "He can't get any more annoyed at me than he already is."

River's amusement faded, replaced by something softer. "He only cares about you, Hollie."

"Then why does he keep pushing me away?" she asked, exhaling sharply. "You're from the future, so you at least know our past. You know what he's done don't you?"

River's expression turned grim. "He'll come around. Just give him time."

"And what?" Hollie scoffed. "I'm supposed to keep arguing, keep pushing back? Just stand there while he acts like I'm still dead?"

River swallowed, and Rory's gaze flickered between them as he remained silent.

"Holliekins, you think it's bad, but it's not," River murmured. "You have everything to look forward to, but that's all my past. There are far worse days coming for me."

Hollie tilted her head. "Meaning?"

"Meaning it's all back to front. My past is yours and the Doctor's future." River exhaled. "We're travelling in opposite directions. Every time we meet, I know you both more, but you know me less. I live for the days when I see you, but every time I do, you're one step further away. And one day, I'll find the Doctor, and he won't even know who I am." Her voice wavered. "I think that's going to kill me."

Hollie swallowed hard, gripping the Doctor's screwdriver a little tighter before stepping forward. The lock clicked open.

The three slipped inside,

"That's an alarm," River stated. "Rory, check if anything's coming."

He nodded and hurried back to the door while River sighed and turned to Hollie, reaching into her pocket before pulling out a sleek, alien-looking gun. Hollie frowned, her gaze flicking to the one already holstered on River's hip.

"River..." she exhaled. "Why do you have another gun?"

"It's not mine."

Hollie hesitated. "Then whose is it?"

River held it out. "Yours."

Hollie blinked. "What?" She shook her head. "Why would I have a gun?"

River met her gaze. "Because in your future—my past—you told me I gave it to you. You're with the Doctor more than anyone. You're his rescuer. I know you'll do whatever it takes to keep him and everyone else safe. So take it."

Hollie hesitated, staring at the weapon. There was something final in the way River spoke, something that sent a shiver through her.

"I've seen you use it, Holliekins," River continued, softer now. "You told me I gave it to you today."

Slowly, Hollie reached out and took the gun, turning it over in her hands.

"You know how to use it?" River asked.

Hollie studied it, her fingers running over the sleek surface until she found a small switch near the trigger. "This is the safety?" she guessed.

River smirked. "You're good."

Hollie flicked the switch off, then back on again, testing the weight of it. A slow smirk tugged at her lips as River raised a brow.

"You never told me you actually used one before... the Doctor's not going to like that."

She shrugged. "He already doesn't like the daggers—what's one more thing on the list?"

River's eyebrows lifted as Hollie continued.

"I shot a gun on a sixth-form school trip." She glanced up. "We came here, funnily enough. America. I spent a day at a firing range while Amy was too busy being oblivious to Rory flirting with her to notice I'd disappeared."

"That's a strange way to spend a day on a school trip."

"I wanted an A in American history. If that meant learning about guns for my essay, so be it. Forging a convincing permission slip from my foster home and my teacher was harder than writing the actual essay." Hollie turned the weapon in her hands again, frowning. "But River... this doesn't look like an Earth gun."

"Because it isn't," River said, pointing to a small arrow and energy gauge. "No bullets. It recharges itself when not in use."

Hollie nodded, gripping it just a little tighter.

"It's outlawed on a couple of planets unless you have authorisation," River added. "And knowing the Doctor has to have at least some perks."

Hollie chuckled, tucking the gun into her waistband just as Rory returned.

"There's nothing out there. At all."

"These tunnels," River muttered, scanning her device, "they're not just here. They're everywhere. Running under the surface of the entire planet. They've been here for centuries."

Hollie frowned as the lights flickered. "That's not good."

River nodded slightly. "Holliekins, I think you should go find the Doctor."

Hollie hesitated, glancing between River and Rory. Something about the way they looked at each other unsettled her.

Still, she nodded, trusting River, and climbed the ladder, leaving them underground.

Hollie climbed out just as Amy doubled over in pain.

"Ames?" She rushed to her friend, eyes darting between her and the Doctor. "What's wrong?"

Amy winced, clutching her stomach.

"Amy?" The Doctor's voice sharpened, concern flaring in his wide eyes.

Then—

A little girl's cry rang out.

"Help me!"

The words slammed into Hollie like a sledgehammer shattering a wall. The impact was instant, breath-stealing.

That voice. She knew that voice.

But how?

It wasn't like hearing it through the telephone this time—it was clearer, closer. Real.

"Hollie?" The Doctor's voice barely reached her.

Amy groaned, bending over further as if the pain might subside. "Doctor, I need to tell you something," she gasped, barely getting the words out. "It's important."

"Doctor!" Canton's voice cut through the air.

The Doctor hesitated, glancing between Amy and Canton's call.

Amy's grip on her stomach tightened. "It's really, really important."

"Doctor, quickly!" Canton's voice grew urgent.

"What?" The Doctor gripped Hollie's hand, pulling her along as they rushed deeper into the warehouse. Amy followed, still bent over in pain.

They skidded to a stop at Canton's slumped form on the floor.

"Canton!" The Doctor knelt beside him, pressing two fingers to his neck.

"Is he all right?" Hollie's voice sounded distant, even to herself.

"Just unconscious. Took a proper whack," the Doctor confirmed.

"Doctor, I need to tell you something. I have to tell you now."

Hollie wasn't listening.

She was staring at the spot where the little girl's voice had come from, her mind spiraling into white noise.

"Help! Help me!"

Another cry.

Another breath stolen from her lungs.

The fear hit her in a second wave, stronger than before, as if something was forcing her to remember something she couldn't possibly know.

Amy inhaled sharply. "Doctor... I'm pregnant."

Silence.

The Doctor's head snapped toward Amy. Hollie's haze cracked, her wide eyes locking onto her best friend.

Then—

A sound. Quiet. Steady.

Footsteps.

Hollie turned, slow, almost unwillingly.

A figure emerged from the shadows, clad in a NASA spacesuit of all things.

It stepped closer.

Raised its arm.

The visor lifted—

A little girl stared back at her.

Terrified.

Hollie froze, ice-cold dread washing over her.

She knew this girl.

But she couldn't have.

"Help me!"

The child's voice rang out, raw and desperate—

Then—

A gunshot.

Everything slowed.

The Doctor grabbed Hollie's hand, yanking her backward.

The astronaut lurched toward them.

The girl screamed.

The warehouse blurred around her, nothing but noise and motion—Amy standing frozen, Canton's gun in her grip, the Doctor pulling her away. Orion and Cassiopeia had appeared from somewhere, dragging Canton between them.

Hollie turned her head as she ran, her heart hammering against her ribs.

Nothing made sense.

But the fear remained.

And that voice—

It wouldn't let her go.

×××

A month had passed since Amy had dropped the bombshell of her pregnancy on her two closest friends. A month since everything had gone to hell. And in that time, Hollie had done nothing but run.

The memory of that night haunted her.

Now, after finally stopping for five minutes, she tried to piece it all together.

Amy had fired Canton's gun at the girl in the spacesuit.

There were aliens in the warehouse—creatures no one could remember.

And at some point, she had been separated from the others.

She didn't know how. She didn't know why.

But the more she thought about it, the more it felt like the answers were slipping just out of reach—like something was actively taking them from her.

Flashes of that night flickered in her mind, disjointed and hazy.

The shot rang out, the crack of the gun splitting the air like a bolt of lightning. The warehouse erupted into chaos—electricity fizzing, shadows twisting, figures scattering. No one knew what they were up against, only that it was too dangerous to stay.

She couldn't remember how it happened. She had been with them—she knew she had. The little girl had appeared, and then—

Nothing.

A blur. A void where memories should be.

Every instinct screamed at Hollie to turn back. The thought of leaving them behind chewed at her relentlessly, a sharp, aching weight in her chest. But Orion had shut her down before she could even argue.

"If you go back in, you won't come out," he had said, firm and unwavering.

He was probably right. That didn't make it any easier.

So she had stayed with them, moving restlessly across America. No plan, no direction—just the desperate need to stay ahead. The creatures they were facing weren't their only threat anymore. The FBI had joined the hunt, too. It seemed the whole damn country wanted them. They never stayed in one place long enough to think, let alone regroup.

Weeks passed in a blur of stolen cars, late-night hideouts, near-misses, and suffocating uncertainty.

Then, everything changed.

It was late evening. They had been making their way through a narrow alley on the outskirts of a small Florida town when Hollie realised—

She was alone.

She spun around, heart hammering.

"Orion?"

No answer.

"Cass? Nova?"

Nothing but silence.

A chill ran down her spine.

And then—

"You are Hollie Aria."

The voice sliced through the air like a blade.

She turned.

The creatures from her nightmares stood before her.

Tall. Hollow-eyed. Fingers long and bony. Black suits draped over skin pale as paper.

Her throat closed up.

"I know you."

The whisper left her lips before she could stop it. The realisation clawed its way up from the depths of her mind, disjointed, half-formed.

She had seen them before.

In her dreams.

Her pulse thundered as she yanked a marker from her pocket, her shaking fingers pressing ink to skin. One tally. Then another. Then another. It was Orions idea because apparently you couldn't remember these monsters even if you tried.

And yet Hollie had created them in her nightmare.

She barely registered the movement of the pen against her skin. It was instinct. A desperate attempt to hold onto something real as the ground beneath her seemed to shift.

How?

She had never seen these creatures before. Not in real life. Not ever.

At least she couldn't remember seeing them before she suddenly thought as she studied them closer.

"We have been looking for you."

The words slithered through the air, their mouths unmoving.

Hollie stumbled back a step, her fingers twitching toward the dagger at her hip before it went behind her back for the gun.

Her heart pounded, mind racing.

Maybe River had known this moment would come. Maybe the blaster hadn't been for protecting the Doctor, but for protecting her.

Maybe that was why her future self had told River to give it to her that day in the warehouse.

Hollie's hand closed around the weapon.

Her instincts screamed at her to fight.

But something inside her whispered—not yet.

Before the creatures could move, she turned and bolted.

Her thoughts fractured as she ran.

She knew these things—she had dreamed of them for months. Their empty stares, their impossible voices, the way they moved like shadows bleeding into reality.

But now, seeing them in the flesh, the memories twisted and blurred, slipping through her grasp like sand through her fingers. The moment she tried to focus on the details, they vanished, stolen from her mind yet she could still remember them... sort of. It was everything the triplets told her wasn't possible. They only knew about them because of the future, a future Hollie hadn't got to yet.

How is this possible?

She didn't need to understand.

She only needed to survive.

And if the Doctor had taught her anything, it was this—

Run.

×××

The Time Trio ran as fast as their legs could carry them, their breaths ragged, their footsteps pounding against the deserted American road. Behind them, the men in suits gave chase, relentless.

"We can't run forever!" Nova shouted, glancing at her siblings as they sprinted across the vast countryside, nothing but open land stretching for miles in every direction.

"We've been taught by the best!" Cassiopeia shot back—just as a gunshot whizzed past her, barely missing.

"Oi!" she yelped, ducking instinctively. "That almost hit me!"

"I think that was the point," Orion muttered.

Then, suddenly—

A car came out of nowhere, swerving off-road before screeching to a stop right in front of them, cutting off their path.

The trio skidded to a halt, kicking up dust as they stared at the vehicle now blocking their escape.

The car door swung open.

Canton stepped out of the passenger side, sliding off his sunglasses as he straightened. "Time's up for you three."

The siblings exchanged glances.

Then, in sync, they sighed and raised their hands.

"Okay," Nova muttered.

"You got us," Orion added, sulking slightly.

Cassiopeia, grinned. "Take us to your leader."

Orion groaned. "Really, Cass?"

Cassiopeia shrugged, unrepentant. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

Nova shook her head, exasperated. "I'm so disappointed in you right now."

"Dad wouldn't be." Her sister snickered back while Orion rolled his eyes.

"I think he'd actually encourage her."

×××

The Doctor arched an eyebrow as Canton strode into the mostly empty airplane hangar. He was strapped into a chair in the centre, bound in a straightjacket, with armed guards stationed around him, all facing the exit. Three more guards followed behind Canton, each escorting a detainee—two identical women and a dark-haired man.

"Thought you three were good at running?" the Doctor quipped, tilting his head.

Cassiopeia rolled her eyes, only to grimace as she and her siblings were shoved into chairs identical to his.

"Cuff them," Canton ordered.

"We could just run with the chairs, you know," Orion remarked, raising an eyebrow. "Might be a bit awkward, but it's not impossible."

"Not if your chairs are chained together," Canton countered as another set of cuffs clanked into place, linking their chairs in a neat row.

"You had to say it, didn't you, Ori?" Nova muttered.

Orion shrugged. "Worth pointing out."

"If they're going to lock us up, they might as well do it properly," the Doctor remarked.

Nova twisted her head as much as the restraints allowed. "Where are we?"

"Some hangar," the Doctor replied with a shrug. "Not sure where exactly—I was unconscious for most of the trip."

"How long have you been here?" Orion asked, eyeing the unkept beard on the Time Lords face.

"Long enough." He remarked.

"Can we leave soon?" Cassiopeia asked, eyeing Canton. "Nov and I have a pirate ship to catch."

"Pirate ship?" Canton repeated, his frown deepening.

"And I've got an appointment with some cubes," Orion hummed.

"Cubes? Pirate ships?" Canton echoed, looking increasingly baffled.

"Spoilers," the triplets said in unison.

Canton's frown remained firmly in place while the Doctor smirked.

"I'm afraid you'll be missing the ship's departure," Canton said, tone sharp. "And there'll be no cubes anytime soon."

"Oh, brilliant," Nova sighed. "We had it all planned out."

"A pity," Cassiopeia muttered. "I was really looking forward to dressing like a pirate."

"No cubes?" Orion mused. "I know a few people who won't be complaining about that."

Canton ignored them, turning his attention to the Doctor. "We found Amy Pond. She had strange markings on her arm."

He flipped an A4 photo around, revealing Amy's arm covered in scattered black tally marks.

The triplets simultaneously raised an eyebrow each, their gazes honing in on an unsettling detail—Amy looked like she was lying on the ground.

"Do you know what they mean?" Canton pressed.

The Doctor's expression shifted slightly as his gaze flicked toward the triplets. The three exchanged a silent glance before he turned back to Canton.

"Why don't you ask her?" he said smoothly.

×××

Hollie had been alone for a month since being separated from the Trio. In that time, her legs had never stopped aching, her skin was perpetually filthy—marked with streaks of grime and endless tally marks—and she stank of sweat from constant running.

She hated it. Every second of it.

She couldn't even be sure how long she'd been on the run. If there was no time to wash, there was certainly no time to count the days slipping past. She guessed it had been at least two months by now. While Hollie Aria wasn't anywhere near as brilliant as the Doctor, she had picked up a few things from him—how to gather information, how to blend into the background when needed and how to survive.

Those lessons had kept her alive, even when she'd hitched a ride to New York with a man she'd rather erase from memory. He had made one too many advances before she finally pointed her gun at him, her voice cold as she promised, "If you try to kiss me again, I will shoot you."

He didn't even notice the gun didn't look like any from earth, the fear of it being pointed at him clearly was enough.

What she'd learned from that disastrous trip had been worth it, though: River Song was in New York, dodging the FBI just as Hollie had been in Virginia. Somehow, River was doing it in heels and a dress, looking as impossibly polished as ever. Hollie, meanwhile, was wearing what could only be described as rags—a top more dirt than fabric, shoes destroyed beyond repair, and hair that felt like it belonged to someone crawling out of a grave.

When River found her, the first thing she did—aside from flashing that trademark smirk—was hand Hollie a spare dark blue dress and matching heels. Hollie had no idea why River had been carrying around a backless dress in her exact size, but like much when it came to River Song she didn't question it. She couldn't run in heels, but at least she no longer looked like an unhinged runaway.

Still, she didn't feel much better.

That night, the pair found themselves back at a half-constructed skyscraper they'd used for shelter the day before. Their breath fogged in the cold night air as they ducked under a tarpaulin sheet, the creatures closing in on them.

"I see you," River said calmly, her voice almost playful, as she marked two tallies on her arm.

"I see you too," Hollie echoed, though her voice carried more tension. She drew her own tallies, the marks sharp and deliberate.

"Doctor Song?" a voice rang out—a familiar, singsong tone that made Hollie's stomach tighten. "Miss Aria?" Canton's shadow appeared, his voice bouncing off the steel framework of the skyscraper. "Come now, let's not make this difficult."

Hollie glanced at River, who was already watching the approaching figures. Canton gestured sharply, and three armed men moved towards the shadows where the two women stood.

When the men reached them, they stopped. Hollie and River were backed against an open wall, the wind howling around them as if trying to pull them into the void beyond.

"Don't move!" Canton barked. "It's over."

"They're here, Canton," River replied, her tone even but pointed. "They're everywhere."

"I know," Canton admitted grimly. "America's being invaded."

"You were invaded a long time ago," Hollie cut in, suppressing a shiver as the icy wind clawed at her skin.

"America is occupied."

"You're both coming with us," Canton said firmly, stepping closer. "There's no way out this time."

Hollie chuckled softly, the sound low and defiant. River's smile widened as she replied, "There's always a way out." Without hesitation, the curly-haired blonde stepped backward, her silhouette framed against the dark sky, and fell from the skyscraper with unsettling grace.

Hollie's breath caught, her heart pounding as the wind whipped around her. "I do hope you've got this figured out, Doctor," she murmured under her breath. Then, with one final exhale, she turned, stretched her arms wide, and leapt forward into the night.

─── ｡ﾟ☆･*.☽ .* ☆ﾟ. ───

I honestly did not expect to have another chapter finished so soon but here we are. Proud of myself for that one. It is shorter than usual but for good reason. I also have changed Orion's face claim... one I think works way better than the previous.Hope you all enjoyed the (shorter) chapter.
<3