Amy Pond ran back to the TARDIS as fast as her legs could carry her. As she ran she started to regret the decision of wearing such short skirt. Her red hair wiped around her damp sweaty face. This was making it difficult to see the trees around her that were already difficult to get through. She seemed to be running forever and her legs grew weary but she couldn't stop. She started to worry that she was going in the wrong direction until she saw that the thick forest was getting brighter. A few moments later she tore out of the woods and into a field. Amy unconsciously stopped in her tracks and her heart skipped a beat when she saw the TARDIS in the middle of the clearing. This bliss only lasted a second before she remembered why she had been running and once again sprinted to safety.
When she reached the blue box she fumbled to get the key out of her pocket. Her fingers were sweating and she stated to panic as the war cries got closer and the rumble of horses grew louder. "Come on, come on!" Even with the key out of her pocket and into her nervous hands she still had trouble opening the door. Finally, she was able to put the key in the correct way and throw herself into the time machine just before an arrow made its way toward her and penetrated the door.
Amy leaned all her weight against the door and gasped for air. In the past few months she had done some major workouts but nothing like this. She could hear the pounding of her heart in her ears and her legs felt numb. She didn't want to open the door again but she knew the Doctor was still out there and couldn't get in without the key that was now in Amy's hand. After a few more moments of composer, Amy turned to the door and stared to crack it open slowly, swearing under her breath as she did.
It was quiet. The only sounds Amy could hear were the wind blowing through the trees and the hawks in the distance, hunting for their next meal. The door was barley open and inch and with all this stillness it made Amy curious open it further. She opened the door another inch. To her surprise there was only an open filed in front of her. She causally poked her head out and looked around, her green eyes searching for any sign of the Doctor.
"Doctor?" She called his name softly at first, scared that someone would hear her and jump out from behind the TARDIS with a sword. "Doctor." She called again, this time louder. Nothing. She stepped out of the doorway completely and with all her might screamed at the top of her lungs. "DOCTOR!" At the sound of her powerful Scottish yell a flock of birds flew from the tree tops. Amy waited patiently with her arms crossed, not knowing whether she was daring enough to go back and look for him.
Her thoughts were cut short when she heard rustling from within the forest. She was glad to then hear the distinctive yell of the Doctor and see him rush out from the trees. Despite the fact that they were still in mortal danger Amy couldn't help but laugh at the Doctor's ridicules way of running. His long arms and legs were flailing all over the place. Her smile was wiped off her face when she saw the band of Mongol warriors riding up right behind the Doctor. They were covered head to toe with sturdy armor and wielded extremely large swords. Some had bows and arrows that looked like they could take down bear in one shot.
"Amy!" the Doctor yelled grabbing her attention. "Get in the TARDIS!"
She didn't need to be told twice. Amy quickly spun around into the spaceship with the Doctor right on her heels. Together they slammed the door behind them. Then the Doctor ran up to the console pushing many different flashing buttons and pulling levers that Amy still didn't know how to use. With that the ship took off into the time vortex.
There was a moment of silence where all they could do was look at each other, with Amy still leaning against the door trying to barricade it. Thankful smiles slowly spread across their faces at the fact that they almost died but managed to escape. Again. The Doctor let out a pleasant and heroic laugh, while Amy chuckled because she could find no other way to react.
"That was…" He looked for a proper word to describe the experience, "fantastic!" He was now smiling from ear to ear, his old eyes looking remarkably youthful.
"It was defiantly not boring." Amy made her way up the steps toward the Doctor. "But remind me why we were in the middle of a forest in early 13th century China?"
"China has the most beautiful landscapes." He stated turning to her. "Mind you, the coordinates for the exact location were a bit off but we still could have seen them. China has snow toped mountains and vast amounts of wide fields that go on forever." He went to work fixing and adjusting parts of his ship as he explained. "The sunsets will take your breath away with the countless colors that spread across the sky. Plus, Amy, the Great Wall! It was over a thousand years old in 1218 yet still in its prime."
Amy now wished she could have seen all these wonders. The Doctor had a powerful way of describing beauty and she was suddenly envious that see didn't get to see China's breathtaking landmarks. She soon shook off the feeling, reminding herself that she was in a time machine and could see the Great Wall in any century she wanted.
"Of course, you had to go and get a Mongol caravan angry at us and then they chased us through a thick forest where we barely escaped." He said it so matter-of-factly that Amy nearly threw the wrench in her hand, which she was going to use to help the Doctor, at his head.
"They were chasing us because of you!" she gave him a glare. "If you hadn't accidently married me off to Gangues Khan's cousin none of this would have happened!"
"I told you I was a bit rusty with the Mongol customs." The Doctor offered. "Besides, I made it up to you when I distracted them from coming after you when you were going back to the TARDIS." He smiled at her proudly.
"You distracted them after I was already in the TARDIS. You could have gotten yourself killed." She folded her arms and leaned against the console still giving him her "not pleased with you" look.
"Face it," He came over to her, but she looked away from him. "I saved your life and it wasn't the first time."
"My hero." Amy said dryly, rolling her eyes. She thrusted the wrench on the Doctor's chest making him cough as the metal hit his sternum. "You can fix your own sodden box."
He took the tool from her as she turned from him and headed to the larger part of the TARDIS. She walked away briskly her red hair wiping behind her, her arms by her side and her fist clinched. This was the same walk she had used after he met her for the second time in Leadworth and she reviled herself to be little Amelia Pond, the girl who waited. He had no idea how much she had gone through waiting for him back then. She had tried to forget about him so she wouldn't be teased at school, but he was always on her mind. Even when she had stopped believing he would come back, she dreamed about him. Even when she tried to convince herself he was just an imaginary friend, she woke up every morning and checked the garden for a blue police box.
He felt her frustration and her sadness and his actions weren't helping her deal with what she was feeling. When he looked into her eyes he saw her grief, he saw it even when she smiled. He knew that a small amount of Rory was lost inside of her. When Rory had first died and became erased from time when the crack engulfed him, it tormented the Doctor. He had failed himself and Amy. She was destroyed without Rory. Her tears soaked her face, she screamed for Rory, begged the Doctor to save him, but in a seconds notice it all stopped and she forgot about him. But not all of him.
As Amy made her way to the top of the stairs and disappeared into the corridors, the Doctor decided not to interfere with her emotions at the moment. He would let her be alone for now. He had done enough for one day.
Amy emerged three hours later. The Doctor judged by her sweatpants and tank top mixed with the mess of hair on her head that she had taken a relaxing nap. This, in the end was for the best, since Amy had forgiven the Doctor by the time she woke up. They didn't say anything they just stood in front of each other, sober, not really knowing what to say.
"I'm sorry." Amy said her accent was strong in her voice. "Kind of got all female moody on you." She fixed her hair behind her ears. "I really did enjoy our adventure today. Even if I did marry some old Chinese guy and had to run fifty miles so he and his boys didn't kill me. It was still amazing and I'm lucky to get to do this every day."
"He was actually from Mongolia." The Doctor couldn't help but correct her.
"Shut up." She smiled at him softly and reached out for a much needed hug for both of them.
It was a long hug, neither could let go. "Gotcha'" Amy whispered with her face barred in his shoulder.
The Doctor smiled with contentment. "Gotcha'" he said back. They finally pulled away laughing. He wanted no more tears today, just laughter. So he decided that it was time for their next destination.
"Well, Pond? Where would you fancy going now?" He almost skipped over to the controls. He was back in his element; he had chosen to forget that just a moment ago he had once again seen past Amy's laughter and into her lost pain. She was truly happy, he thought, she just wasn't completely happy.
"Someplace that is quiet!" Amy sang the last word loudly. "And in present day, well, my present day." She slid her way over to the Doctor looking at him seductively. "And romantic?"
"None of that Pond, you're a married woman now."
"Oh, please" she scoffed "It wasn't even official. It was just a fling." She smiled at her own joke and slumped down in the pilot seat behind the Doctor. "Besides, could you ever see me getting married?"
The Doctor stopped for a moment lingering over her words. She didn't notice. He shook away the thought and set the coordinates.
"How about the art gallery, Musée d'Orsay, in Paris?" he turned slightly towards her." It's quiet and in 2010 they have a wonderful exhibit of Vincent Von Goth's most famous pieces of art."
"And Paris is the most romantic city on Earth." Amy took him by the arm. "It's perfect." The Doctor gave her his signature smile and began the process of pushing buttons and pulling levers. "One day I'm going to have to learn how to do all this." He gave her a surprised look. "What if I'm trapped in here and you're stranded on a planet then I have to come and get you." She insisted "How will I know what to do?"
"I don't think that will ever happen." He said assuredly, walking around pressing a few more buttons.
"If it does, I have the right to say I told you so." She was being completely serious.
He stood next to her, his hand on the last lever. He gave her a smile and she gave him one back. They prepared themselves as he pulled the lever and the TARDIS shook with excitement, flinging itself through the vortex to its new destination.
