A/N: Well, hello there! Originally, TBOM was only supposed to be one part, but I've found that it's nearly impossible to be thorough about it and not have more than at least a few. So, this is the first chapter, and the rest are soon to come. Let the tears ensue!

The Doctor grimaced in pain, panting heavily as he swallowed back the sudden rush of painful emotions that were unwillingly unraveling themselves before him in his thoughts. They raced with the memories of his time spent running in the universe – from the blood lust of the Time War to the sorrow of his loved ones lost... to the present moment where he knew that his long and weary life was about to end. He sighed and wheezed for air as he forced himself to push away those trivial things, focusing only on the matter at hand.

The soft fringe of his hair tickled the side of his forehead as he bowed his head, and he sagged against his metal prison inside the Pandorica's intricate center. The amazing box glowed a sickly green, and he shut his eyes closed, for he did not want to see it. He did not want to see any of it. He wanted to live. He wanted to live so desperately.

He could do so much more.

But... the Doctor supposed that he had rightfully earned his fate. He deserved the righteous retribution that he would receive and because of that, he would take it... for surely the entirety of the universe was more important than a single madman and his blue box.

Well, at least - that's what he was trying to convince himself of.

He knew that he had only a few minutes left, and then it would be all over. No more pain, no more suffering... no more memories of his terrible past that woke him every single night in a cold sweat. If there was ever a silver lining in this moment, that would be it.

Sometimes, a time lord can live too long.

The Doctor was brought out of his thoughts once again by familiar footsteps that were slowly heading in his direction. Her feet scuffed the floor just as they always had, and the corners of his mouth turned up in satisfaction knowing that the last human being he would ever lay eyes on would be this one.

He didn't raise his head until the sound of her shuffling stopped. When he did, the Doctor found Amelia Pond hesitantly peeking around the Pandorica's exterior. Her eyes glistened with tears as she looked at him – broken and defeated, for she was scared and properly frightened. She was helpless.

"Hi," she murmured, her voice thick with grief. She was trembling slightly so that her hands shook in front of her, and her shallow breathing was all too audible as it echoed off of the Pandorica's walls.

Oh, Amy...

The Doctor took in the sight of his best friend, and he knew that he was going to miss her more than anything in the world. He was going to miss seeing the flash of her red hair as they ran for their lives on strange, alien planets – he was going to miss the clusters of freckles on the tops of her cheeks – he was going to miss seeing the dazzling smile that she offered him whenever he did something to impress her. He was especially going to miss her eyes... those bright, crazy pools of emerald that smoldered whenever he caught her being thoughtful. Some people wear their heart on their sleeve or not at all – Amelia wore her emotions right in the heart of her eyes.

She was so Scottish.

"Amy Pond," The Doctor finally breathed, smiling weakly at her. "The Girl Who Waited all night in your garden."

He paused for a moment, wheezing in another breath.

"Was it worth it?" he asked her.

She shook her head, looking away from him as the tears in her eyes threatened to overflow.

"Shut up. Of course it was."

Her words did not surprise him.

"You asked me why I was taking you with me, and I said 'No reason.'" The Doctor blinked slowly, feeling himself start to weaken. "I was lying," he continued.

"It's not important," Amy immediately interjected. She sniffled and cleared her throat as she met his gaze again, scrutinizing the shallow cuts on his face and lower lip.

"Yeah," the Doctor pressed, "It's the most important thing left in the universe," he persisted, raising his eyebrows at her.

His lungs demanded another breathe.

"It's why I'm doing this." He grunted, sagging forward in his restricted cell. "Amy, your house was too big. That big, empty house... Just you."

"And Aunt Sharon," she defiantly challenged.

He sighed and felt himself becoming just a tad bit frustrated... she wasn't listening. So stubborn! Stubborn, Amy Pond...

"Where were your Mum and Dad? Where was... everybody who lived in that big house?"

Amy took a moment to digest his words, her brow furrowing in concentration.

"I lost my Mum and Dad."

"How?" the Doctor urged. "What happened to them? Where did they go?"

"I..." she started, shock sweeping over her grief stricken features. "I don't – "

"It's okay, it's okay. Don't panic," he soothed, licking his cracked lips to moisten them. "It's not your fault."

The Doctor could hear Amy's breathe hitch just for a moment as her mouth parted in awe.

"... I don't even remember."

Yes, of course she wouldn't.

"There was a crack in the wall of your bedroom, and it's been eating away at your life for a long time now," he explained, trying to convey the truth of his words in his tone.

Leaning forward as much as he could, the Doctor gazed very seriously into Amy's watery eyes.

He hated to see her so confused.

"Amy Pond... all alone. The girl who didn't make sense," he rambled on, more for himself than her own benefit. He watched as she blinked away more tears - everything she rightfully knew about her life was beginning to disintegrate before her.

But, the Doctor would fix that.

"How could I resist?"

"How could I just forget?" she demanded sternly.

The Doctor sighed and felt his own expression soften. He was tired now, but still, he smiled.

"Nothing is ever forgotten. Not really. But you have to try," he quickly pleaded while searching her face.

Suddenly, the Pandorica shook around them like an earthquake, and the Doctor's eyes shut closed momentarily as he knew what soon awaited him. Now, he was merely just delaying the inevitable.

"Doctor!" River shouted from around the corner. "It's speeding up!"

Amy's face fell, and she unconsciously clutched the Doctor's sonic screwdriver to her chest.

"There's going to be a Very Big Bang. Big Bang Two," the Doctor rushed, his eyes opening wide with fear. Still, they shook, and Amy reached forward, closing the distance between herself and her Raggedy Man. She clutched on to the collar of his tweed jacket and listened as his words became even more frantic and jumbled.

"Try and remember your family and they'll be there."

"How can I remember them if they never existed?" Amy cried.

"Because..." and then the Doctor beheld her with total and blatant reverence. "You're special. That crack – all that time," and he paused to bring her close so that their foreheads touched, "The universe pouring into your head – You brought Rory back. You can bring them back, too. You just remember, and they'll be there." When he finished, he reached out and touched her hair before bringing his fingers back to his lips.

"You won't," Amy whispered.

"You'll have your family back," he assured her. "You won't need your imaginary friend anymore."

But even as he spoke, the Doctor knew that he'dalways need her.

Amy's face crumpled in defeat at his words and she wavered, her entire body quivering in agony.

The Doctor then felt the Pandorica's final warning to him – two bars produced themselves from the wall behind him, steadying his head and keeping it still.

"Ha!" he chuckled. "Amy Pond... crying over me, eh?" he casually remarked, swallowing down his own emotion once again.

She remained silent at his words, the tears finally streaming down her face in torrents.

"Guess what?" he urged her on cheekily.

"What?" she whispered.

The Doctor cocked his eyebrows at her, letting his mouth open in a mischievous smile.

"Gotcha."

And then for one moment, the Doctor burned as he saw Amelia's mouth drop open in horror as the Pandorica's walls finally closed, cutting him off from the rest of the universe...

Forever.