"So, Ponds, what are we going to be doing today?" The Doctor asked with a childish grin spread across his face. He walked around the consul and pushed buttons, flipped switches and pulled levers.
"I, for one, still want to see the Titanic," Amy said, sitting on the jump seat near the consul.
"No, past me was there, not only on the Earth one but on the space one too. That wouldn't be a good idea," The Doctor repeated his answer from the last time Amy suggested the Titanic. "Too Paradox-y."
"I still don't believe that there's a space Titanic," Rory stated.
"Out of all of the things we do, you choose not to believe in the space Titanic?" Amy chuckled.
"Who would name a ship after the Titanic?"
"The Titanic is famous!"
"For crashing," Rory retorted.
"That's why they named it the Titanic," The Doctor stated. After the two companions looked at him confusedly he continued on, "The person who ran the ship planned on crashing it into the palace, lucky them I stopped it. Just in time too, we had almost reached their destination. Met a fellow named Allonso too. Great guy, I wonder how Jack and him held up," He thought aloud.
"Okay...well, we could always go to Rome," Rory suggested.
"Huh?" The Doctor questioned, looking around the giant consul to see Rory.
"You asked where we should go, I'd like to go to Rome."
"Of course the Roman would like to go to Rome," The Doctor teased. "Does the Mrs. have any objections?"
"Wasn't past Rory there?" Amy questioned.
"In the other time line, yes. Here, Rory the Roman was never even a myth," The Doctor responded.
Amy pouted a bit and gave a little 'humph' as she leaned back in her seat, muttering something about how Rory's idea got chosen over hers.
"Off to Ancient Rome we go!" The Doctor exclaimed, pulling the last required lever, smiling impossibly wider as the sound of the engines 'whirred' and filled the box. He ran to the door when they landed and threw it open. "Hello Romans!"
On the outside of the TARDIS there were multiple soldiers surrounding it, pointing their swords at it. "Goodbye Romans!" He exclaimed and ran back to the consul before shutting the door.
"What was that about?" Amy asked, standing up from her seat.
"Sharp swords, never a good thing. We'll have to land at a later time period, hopefully farther away from soldiers this time," He answered.
This time, when the TARDIS landed, the Doctor approached the door more cautiously, armed with his sonic screwdriver. He peeked out of the door and sighed once he saw they were in a forest. "It's safe to come out Ponds!" He called, and the two companions exited the Time Machine with him.
"How far away from society are we?" Amy questioned.
"A good hagedtrop away, we'll have to walk for a while," The Doctor answered.
"What's a hagedtrop? Rory asked quietly, hoping his wife would know.
"No idea."
"Hello Romans!" The Doctor exclaimed loudly once they reached the town.
"That is how long a hagedtrop is," Amy answered Rory's former question, annoyed at the long journey that they had been forced to take.
"Doctor, doesn't something seem a bit... off?" Rory questioned.
"No, well, besides the fact that the temperature is a bit cooler than it normally is for this time of year," The Doctor responded, turning around to face the Ponds, all the while ignoring the various aliens wandering around the village.
"Are you sure that that's all?" Amy asked, noticing a blue blob sitting outside of a house.
"Fairly certain, yes, although I have been told I'm quite dense," He answered. "Why? What's gotten your knickers in a twist?"
"Well, if you would actually look at the so-called 'Romans' you would know," She retorted, crossing her arms over her black t-shirt.
"Well, somebody is cross," The Doctor mumbled with a pout across his face. He turned around and observed the town and his eyes went wide with surprise. "Well, sorry Ponds, but I don't think that this is Rome. Or, at least, proper Rome, that is."
"You 'don't think?' " Amy questioned.
"Okay, it's not Rome, but it is some version of Rome. Possibly a replica made by another species in honor of Earth," He responded.
"Why would they choose Rome?" Rory asked.
"You're the Roman, you tell me," The Doctor retorted.
"Because of the-"
"Yes, Amy, the hot men, we know," Rory sighed.
"Somebody's jealous," Amy teased, sticking her tongue out at her husband.
"I'm your husband, I have a right to be!" Rory defended, causing Amy to chuckle.
"Alright you two, stop flirting," The Doctor cut in, "let's explore the new planet." He excitedly ran off leaving it to the Ponds to catch up.
"Oo, Ponds! Look at that! It's a fortune teller!" The Doctor exclaimed, as excitable as a small child. He was jumping up and down and pointing to a table with two chairs, one on either side. There was a dark purple sign that read 'Fortune Teller' with yellow and white stars surrounding it. Atop the table, there was a crystal ball, and seated at the table was a woman with human-like features and black curly hair.
"In ancient Rome?" Rory asked, skeptically.
"Yeah, isn't it a bit odd to have one hear?" Amy echoed.
"This whole place is a tourist attraction, didn't you notice the Mequey selling t-shirts?"
"Mequey?" Rory murmured under his breath, his eyebrows knitting together for a second.
"Now, let's go get our fortunes read!" The alien of the trio exclaimed, practically galloping toward the table.
The couple sighed before trotting along behind their friend. By the time they got there the Doctor was impatiently tapping his foot, his arms crossed and the beginnings of a pout forming. Once he saw his precious Ponds, he beamed in excitement.
"I was wondering how long you'd take, it felt like ages!" He smiled before running towards the woman at the table. Now that they had a closer look they saw that the fortune teller had a faded yellow skin with three purple eyes, one in the center of her forehead. Her nose resembled Voldemort's, albeit a bit more nose-like, and she had silver drawings running all over her face.
"Would you like your fortune read?" She asked, her accent sounding like she was from Russia or Greece, rather than Rome, or even the replica of Rome. Her purple lips had a faint smile and her hands, with long black nails, were pressed together on the table. Her dark purple robe hung loosely on her figure and she sat cross-legged in her chair.
"Yes please!" The Doctor exclaimed.
"I'll need five golden coins," She said warmly.
"Oh, right, of course. Silly me," He chuckled before digging around in his tweed pockets. It was about a minute before he produced five coins and handed them to the woman.
She pressed her hands onto the crystal ball and quietly spoke a language even the TARDIS didn't translate. The inside of the crystal ball looked like the night sky before it filled with smoke and showed the woman flashes and visions of the Doctor's future, hiding it from the trio.
"A loved one, once lost, shall be found again
Along with a foe
And of course, a friend.
Tears will be shed
Hearts broken and bent.
But all will be fixed in the end.
Space will be seen
Stars trekked upon.
The golden eyes will gleam
And a love will sing a song.
A loved one, once lost, shall be found again
Along with a foe
And of course, a friend." The woman finished the fortune and the Doctor was beaming.
"I hadn't expected a riddle-y type thing. That was enjoyable, thank you!" He stood up, almost falling as he did, and grabbed his friends while he walked.
"Wouldn't knowing all of that be all time paradox, universe blow up, fixed point in time, type thing?" Amy asked.
"Fortune Tellers aren't real, I just wanted to see what she said," The Doctor responded. "Do you really think I would've listened if I thought she'd tell the truth?"
The Ponds had gone to bed and the Doctor was left in the consul room by himself, reading Sherlock Holmes books. He had always loved the books, he supposed it was a sort of second-hand love thing that he adopted. He didn't want to think about that though. That would lead to thinking about the Time War and he definitely didn't want that, so he just read his book in silence.