(This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction, so I would very much appreciate constructive criticism on my technique and adherence to canon. Also, I'm an American trying to write for a UK show, so please help me correct any cultural mistakes as well!)

In a rare moment of peace, Rory Pond found himself feeling rather happy. He was sitting in the TARDIS kitchen, which currently appeared as though it were in a rustic old farmhouse, complete with a thick oaken table. The room was quiet, except for the constant thrum of the engines, and Rory sat alone with his thoughts, munching on a packet of some alien snack he had found in the pantry. The TARDIS helpfully translated the label as something like "kelp flakes," but he found them quite delicious.

With a clatter and thump, Rory's wife made her entrance. Amy was dressed in full rock climbing gear, complete with helmet, nylon harness, and a few more karabiners than might have been absolutely necessary. The whole ensemble made a tremendous racket, and Rory held his ear with one hand while he picked up his bag of kelp flakes from the floor.

"Ugh, Rory, darling, you startle way too easily. Believe me, once you've spent much more time with the Doctor, you'll start to get over that reflex. And what on Earth are you eating?"

Rory paused with a flake halfway to his mouth. "A nutritious snack?" he ventured.

Amy spun the bag around. "Oh, I remember these. The Doctor got the munchies on Algas 4 and bought them from a squid man on a street corner. He said they're all the rage with the local crustaceans. Though the fact that the main ingredient is processed lake scum does seem to put some people off a bit."

"The TARDIS said it was kelp! Like clean, nutritious, sea plants! Okay, I guess I don't even know why I wanted to eat them in the first place. 'Scuse me, I have to go brush my teeth."

Amy put her hands on his shoulders and gave him a quick kiss. "No, you don't. There, all better. Now come on, I feel like taking a walk."

"Um, I don't generally include 'Dangling from 50-foot cliffs' on my list of things to do on a walk."

Amy glanced down. "Oh yeah, the mountaineering stuff. I found a whole new room that's just covered in climbing walls. The TARDIS even made me the harness. Look, have you ever thought about how big this place must be? The Doctor said it's like a 'pocket dimension,' so there can be as many rooms as he wants! Imagine what's hidden away in the corridors that everyone's forgotten."

She began to strip off her harness and gear and put it on the large oaken table. Rory watched her thoughtfully. "Amy," he said finally, "what time is it?"

She paused. "What do you mean? It's late afternoon in Leadworth time, I think. Why?"

Rory began to walk around the room, peering beneath the rustic cabinetry. "Have you ever felt like we're losing track of our lives in here? Before you came in I was just sitting there, eating those fish flakes, and thinking about how I didn't have to worry about all the mundane things that normal people think of every day. You know, like bills and taxes, and the daily post and the neighbor's dog. None of it matters! And then I realized I didn't even know what time of the day it was. We just sleep and eat and go on adventures whenever we feel like, and adjust ourselves to whatever planet we happen to land on. What if we get back to Earth and it's more alien than this place? Ah, here we go."

He tilted his head at an extreme angle to read the small chronometer wedged beneath a spice rack. A wry laugh escaped his throat. "It's four in the morning. And we had no idea."

Amy, now free of all her clattering gear, turned him round to face her. "Rory, that's the beauty of this place! It can put incredible wonders at our fingertips but it can also take us home anytime. We can be as grounded as we want to be. Tell you what - we'll go for a walk, we'll find the Doctor, and we'll tell him we want to go home, just for a bit. We'll go round my parents', have a chat and some of Mum's rubbish tea, go back to our place and enjoy ourselves for a day or so, then call up the Doctor and he'll come pick us up."

Rory looked unconvinced. "But what if he never comes back? You'd never forgive me and I'd never forgive myself. Un-forgiveness overload."

Amy kissed him once more, a quick peck on the nose. "You stupid man, of course he'll come back. He always comes back. Now let's go."

She grabbed him by the hand and, together, they left. The TARDIS automatically dimmed the lights and began absorbing the discarded climbing gear and packet of kelp flakes into its raw material matrix for later use. Then, for a lark, it rearranged the kitchen's appearance into that of a quaint French bistro. After all, there's never a bad time for a crepe.

Next Time: Amy confesses a crime, the TARDIS is holding secrets, and an adventure begins.