TURN ME ON, DEAD MAN

Chapter Eleven

"Amy?" the Doctor called out as he and Rory entered the TARDIS.

They looked around but didn't see anyone. The Doctor called Amy's name again and then Rory di the same. When they didn't get a reply, the Doctor looked up.

"TARDIS? Did Amy come back before we did?"

Rory heard a grumbling sound and he looked at the Doctor.

"What'd she say?"

"She said no," the Doctor said.

"So she's still with Paul?" Rory asked. "Maybe they stopped off at his house to talk to Jane."

"I hope so. I hope nothing's happened to them. Come on, let's go check on them and make sure they're okay."

Rory nodded. He followed the Doctor outside. The Doctor locked the door and he and Rory hurried towards Jane's house.

The Doctor knew something was wrong when they approached the house. Jane was standing out in the front yard, visibly upset, while John Lennon stood with her. Jane spied them and pointed them out to John. John turned and walked towards them.

"Have you seen Paulie?" he said. "Jane said she heard him yelling to Amy about getting in his car and then she heard him drive off like a bat outta hell and that's the last thing she's heard from him. Have you seen him?"

"No," the Doctor said. "We were going to ask Jane about Amy. She hasn't been back either."

"Something happened," Jane said, coming up beside John, "Paul screamed and he sounded like he was panicking but by the time I got some proper clothes on and came downstairs, the car was long gone. I'm scared, Doctor."

The Doctor sighed.

"I think it's time we explained a few things to you," he said. "But first, can you ring the other Beatles and have them meet us here? I want to talk to all of you."

"I'll take my car and go get them if you'll keep an eye on Janie," John said.

"We will," Rory said as the Doctor nodded in agreement.

John nodded. He squeezed Jane's shoulder and ran to his car. They watched him leave and Jane smiled at the Doctor and Rory.

"While we're waiting for him to come back, come inside and have a cup of tea to calm our nerves," she said to them.

Paul and Amy lay together in the dark of the car trunk. They had their hands tied behind them and their ankles were tied together. The trunk wasn't that large so they had been placed on their sides facing one another, so close they were nose to nose. The car was rumbling down the highway and it seemed like every ten seconds they would hit a pothole since the car kept jostling them around.

"If I make it out of this alive, I'm going back to Bermuda and I won't be coming back home for a long, long time," Paul muttered after what seemed like the 100th pothole.

Amy laughed at that.

"Mind if I join ya?" she asked.

"I wouldn't mind one bit," he replied.

Amy smiled. She couldn't see him in the pitch black of the trunk but she felt his breath on the lower half of his face and smelled his combination cigarette/Chinese food breath. That gave her a bit of comfort, knowing he was alive and with her. There was silence from both of them for several minutes. Then Paul spoke.

"What you said before, about a double. Is that why you asked me about ESP? You used ESP to suss out that I was gonna be replaced?"

"No. Not exactly. I..."

She trailed off, debating whether to tell him the truth.

"Amy, if these men are to be believed, we'll be together for a very long time and I would like you to be truthful with me," Paul said.

"I'm trying to be but the truth is rather...bizarre."

"And lying on a hill watching your own death isn't? I have a very open mind. The fact that I changed my mind about reincarnation after reading that eastern philosophy should tell you that much. Please tell me, how did you figure it out, especially since it's not every day that people get replaced by doubles."

"Can I tell you once we're out of here? I don't think we should waste air and suffocate in here," Amy said.

"At the moment, being dead sounds better than being a slave for life," Paul replied.

He felt a pang of guilt when he heard Amy begin to sob.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that, please forgive me," he said.

He came close to her face and nuzzled her face. Amy swallowed hard when he found where her tear stains were on her cheek and kissed them.

"Shh, I'm sorry. I won't say anything like that again, I promise," he said softly.

"It's just that I knew this would happen, Paul," Amy said.

"How?" Paul replied.

Amy swallowed hard.

"Please don't think I'm a nutter. I'm not. I'm sane but...I'm from the future. Me and the Doctor and Rory are time travelers."

Paul said nothing and she could hear him breathing in the darkness.

"I swear it's the truth," she said when he remained silent.

"What happens to me in future?" Paul finally said.

"Well, that's just it. In the future, you died and was replaced by a double but everyone knew about it because John snuck clues about your death in the songs and on your record albums."

Paul chuckled.

"Sounds like something he'd do," he said. "So it's inevitable then? I'm going to die?"

"No, the thing is, the Doctor said that it can be changed. Some things in history have to stay fixed but some can be changed and your death is one of those things that can be changed. I came back with them in order to save you so you could continue to be with the Beatles."

"And that's why you went in by yourself at Ming's?" Paul said. "To lure one of us over so you could get to know us?"

"Yes. I was hoping you'd come over so I could talk to you and become friends. That way I could be around when this happened and try to save you."

"But you're in the boot with me. Is this part of the plan?"

"No. this is a cockup," Amy said bitterly. "But I tried my best to warn you without letting you know what I was doing."

"But you knew the date of my supposed death? How?"

"The new album, after you died and got replaced. It's not called Smile, it's called Sargeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and on the front of the album is this painted bass drum. It's one of the clues because if you put a mirror against it and look down, the writing has a one, another one, another one and an X and then he die with an arrow pointing up to your double. People interpreted the numbers and the X as being a date 11 and then I and X is 9 so September 11th, he die with the arrow pointing at your replacement, signifying you died. That's how we knew when to come. We came on the 9th to try to figure out why because the story surrounding your death has a lot of different variations and there's several different stories about how you died and why and we needed to find out all that so we could help you. I know it sounds insane but It's all true. I have a postcard in my pocket with the album cover on it. I brought it along so I could show it to you so you'd know I wasn't lying. I'll show it to you if there's a chance when we're alone."

Paul was silent and Amy listened to his breathing.

"You changed history," he finally said. "You got them to spare my life, at least for the moment."

"Yes," Amy said. "And I changed history by being here with you."

"You risked your life and your freedom to help me," Paul said softly.

"I had to. I'm a huge fan and when I realized the truth, that you had been replaced and there was a chance to change everything, I had to come and try to save you."

There was more silence from Paul. Then she felt him moving his head around. They touched foreheads and then she felt his lips on her forehead. He gave her a soft kiss and then the lips trailed down her nose and finally found her mouth. Amy felt electricity go down her spine as he kissed her firmly and she returned the kiss. They kissed for several seconds and then he put his forehead against hers.

"Whatever happens," he said softly. "I'll protect you. If we end up enslaved, I'll look after you and keep you safe."

Tears came to Amy's eyes and she sniffed. Paul kissed her forehead again and shushed her.

"You're my guardian," he said softly. "So in gratitude, I'll become yours as well. If I have to be enslaved for the rest of my life, at least I'll have a friendly face to look at."

Amy sobbed at that and Paul kissed her forehead again. Then to her surprise, he began to sing When I'm 64 to her. Tears fell from her eyes as she sensed that he was directing the lyrics at her and singing about how they would grow old together in captivity. The thought of that made her weep and Paul stopped singing and kissed her nose and cheeks until she calmed down.

"I'm here, Amy Pond," he said softly, "and it'll take the combine might of all these bastards to keep me from you. Together we'll get through this. In the midst of it all, we'll guard each other's backs and keep each other safe and sane, that's a dead cert."

Amy smiled at that and laid her forehead against his. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer as Paul resumed singing When I'm 64 to her.

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