"Rory, how have I got Rory?"

Rory stopped dead in his tracks, his heart racing. Mels had that look on her face, that all knowing stupid look. He cleared his throat.

"Yeah, how has she got me?" He glanced quickly around the room, trying to hide his discomfort.

"He's not mine." Amy looked completely certain.

"Yeah..." His heart sank. "Yeah, I'm not hers."

Mels was practically grinning at them. She rolled her eyes. "Oh come on! Seriously, it's GOT to be you two."

Rory kept his eyes on Mels, not daring to look at Amy.

Mels seemed to revel in their discomfort. "Oh cut to the song, it's getting boring."

"Nice thought." Amy finally spoke up, not a hint of quivering in her voice. "But completely impossible."

Completely impossible.

Rory felt as though his heart had been ripped out and handed to him. He loved her, how could she not know? Now, she'd never know. He finally found the courage to meet her gaze. She raised her eyebrows, gesturing him to agree with her.

"Yeah...impossible." He tried to make it sound sincere, but his words sounded flat and empty.

"I mean, I'd love to. He's gorgeous..." Rory just nodded nervously. "He's my favorite guy, but he's, you know..."

"A friend." "Gay." They stared at each other, both equally shocked.

Rory felt his hurt deepen. "I'm not gay."

"Yes you are."

Rory stared in disbelief. She was completely serious. "No, no I'm not."

Mels just laid on the bed grinning, ecstatic with what she had set in motion.

"Of course you are! Don't be stupid."

Rory bit his tongue, growing more and more upset.

"In the entire time I've known you, when have you shown the slightest interest in a girl?" Amy raised her eyebrows, begging for an argument.

Rory's eyes darted around, begging for an exit. She knew, how could she not know?

Amy kept her eyes fixed on him. "I've known you for what, 10 years? I've seen you practically everyday. Name one girl you've paid the slightest bit of attention to."

Rory tried to speak, but he was completely frozen. He tried to think of names, names of other girls he saw sometimes, but he couldn't. Looking into Amy's deep brown eyes, no other girls existed. Suddenly, her expression changed from sure to confused.

She knows.

Rory turned around and swiftly exited. He couldn't see her again, not after this.

Amy stood in the bedroom, still confused. There was a girl, she could see that in his face, but who? Rory wasn't exactly the most popular bloke, and he certainly didn't have many girlfriends. Mels then? No, of course not. Rory was constantly teased and put down by Mels, besides the fact he never really approved any of her "actions." Amy's eyes widen. How could she have not realized before?

Amy looked over at Mels. Mels laughed, nodding knowingly.

"Rory!" Amy ran down the hall after him.

Oh bloody hell, she really knew now.

Rory quickened his pace. Surely she had some speech for him. Some "how could you like me and not tell me" speech. Rory pressed the elevator button several times, wanting a quick escape.

"Rory, wait."

Rory turned around to look at her. Her face still wore a surprised expression. "Why did you run away?"

Rory met her gaze nervously. "What more was there to say?" He chucked, looking down.

Amy fiddled her fingers. "How long?" She couldn't look at him.

Rory almost laughed. "A long time."

"And before?"

"There was no before."

"So there's only..."

"You." Rory grabbed her shoulders, feeling a bit bolder. "Look I don't know if you want me now or if you ever have, but I might as well make my feelings known. I love you, I always have. Even when we were little, and you made me play Hide and Seek alone or dress up as the Raggedy Doctor..." Amy chuckled. "I put up with all of it because it was worth it to be with you. It's still worth it..."

Amy felt her heart beat faster. She wasn't sure what to make of this. No, she'd never thought of Rory like this, but could she? She looked into his blue eyes. She certainly hadn't lied about him being gorgeous.

"Listen Rory..." She took a step back from him. "I can't promise you anything..." Rory's expression faded. "...but I can tell you I'm willing to try this, and see if works."

That was more than enough for him.

"She tried to kiss me."

Rory's heart dropped into his stomach. He should have seen this coming. She'd said yes to his proposal, of course she said yes, she had no reason not to. They had dated for 8 years, and she was happy with him, she really was. But something was wrong. Since the Doctor had come back into her life two years ago, she'd been scared, distant. Sometimes he'd see this searching look in her eyes and know that she was thinking about him. The Raggedy Doctor. Not him. And now, his suspicions were finally confirmed in front of him.

"You're a lucky man though, she's a great kisser."

Rory felt his anger growing. Surely he fancied her too, how could he not? She was...Amy. Beautiful, head-strong and completely extraordinary.

The realization was like painful fire in his chest.

They were perfect for each other.

"You kissed him."

Amy closed her eyes. She'd known this was coming. At some point, no matter what happened with her and The Doctor, she'd have to talk to Rory. She turned around to look at him. "Yeah, but, it didn't mean anything..." She knew it was a fruitless statement, they both knew it had.

"But we're getting married! And you love...him!" Rory pointed downward at the Doctor working below the TARDIS floor, apparently oblivious of their conversation.

Amy looked at Rory, ashamed. Her kiss with the Doctor had hurt him tremendously. When she looked him, she saw a wounded man. A wounded man she still loved.

"I don't love The Doctor. I love...this!" She referenced everything around her, the magnificent time machine that was so much bigger on the inside.

"The TARDIS?"

"No, not the TARDIS silly! Just, all of this. Traveling through time and space, living an adventure."

Rory grabbed her hands. "Then I'll come with you."

Amy sighed. "Rory..."

"All I want to do, is be where you are, till the end of me." Rory pulled Amy close to him, kissing the very lips that only hours earlier had betrayed him.

He couldn't help it, he loved her far too much to ever let her go.

"DOCTOR!"

Rory ran toward the Doctor and jumped on him full force, knocking him off his feet. The Doctor fell, barely missing the laser.

The laser took affect immediately. He began to scream, feeling an intense burning in his chest and lungs. It spread quickly, immobilizing his arms and legs. He felt hard, unable to stand.

Amy rushed to his side, grabbing his hand. Rory thought for a split second of the irony, that he was dying for the man who had kissed his fiance not so long ago. He had unknowingly betrayed him in the most painful way, and yet, here he was. Dying for this magnificent man.

"Rory, can you hear me?" The Doctor stuck his sonic in Rory's face, scanning him. Amy clung to his hand, clinging on the life that was left.

"I don't understand..."

Amy shushed him, touching his face tenderly. "Don't speak. Doctor, we have to get him to the TARDIS."

One thought consumed Rory. "We were on the hill, I can't die here."

Amy clung to his hand ever tighter. "I can't die here."

"Don't say that..." Amy's vision began to blur with tears. Her love, her only love, was going to die, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Rory gazed into her eyes, those beautiful brown eyes that made him want to keep going when nothing else did. "You're so beautiful."

Amy was speechless. His dying words, still praising her beauty. She squeezed his hand, in a complete daze of anguish.

His eye shut his eyes tighter, a final wave of pain consuming him. "I'm sorry." Then finally, his body relaxed, his face full of peace.

Amy began to shake. He couldn't be gone, not now. Not here. "Doctor help him."

The Doctor glanced at the light from the crack, now nearing Rory's feet.

"Doctor, help him!" Amy was screaming now, shaking violently with anger and grief.

The Doctor grabbed her shoulders. "Amy listen, we have to leave him."

"I'm not leaving him!" She clung still to his now lifeless hand.

"You have to leave him!" Amy felt the Doctor grab her from behind and pull her off of Rory's body. She screamed, fighting him helplessly. Her love, why hadn't she been all that he deserved and more? Now it was too late. The Doctor slammed the TARDIS door, locking it with his Sonic. Amy still fought, crying with all her strength. She finally realized that all of this was nothing, if she didn't have Rory waiting for her.

The light from the crack consumed his body. Then, as quickly as he had died, he woke up.

"What's your name?"

Rory felt a bit taken aback at first. He knew the crack had erased him, but he had hoped the memories remained. Maybe she just had to remember, to remember him.

"I'm...Rory." He stared into her eyes, hoping for some hint of recognition, but saw that instead tears were beginning to form. "What's wrong?"

She laughed. How had missed her laugh. "Nothing. It's just not what you expect Romans to be called. What's it short for? Roranicus?"

Rory nodded. "Yeah." He still studied her face, confused. "You're crying."

Amy touched her face and found it wet with tears.

Rory clung to the hope of her memory in those tears, but her face portrayed only confusion. "Hey, what's wrong?"

The tears flowed freely now. "Nothing. It's like..." She paused, smiling. "It's like I'm happy. Why am I happy?"

Rory prodded her on more, his hope growing. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing." Amy brought her hand to his face, caressing it. She felt slightly awkward, but couldn't pull her hand away. "I don't know why I'm doing that."

Rory leaned towards her, his eyes full of hope. "It's me. Amy, please..." His eyes began to well up. "It's me."

Amy pulled her hand away suddenly. Maybe this was some alien trick, some new technology. "But I don't know you! I've never seen you before in my life!"

"You have, you know you have! It's me!"

She wiped her eyes, annoyed. "WHY AM I CRYING?"

"Because you remember me!" Rory grabbed her shoulders, wanting shake her. "I came back! You're crying because you remember me!"

Suddenly the urge overcame Rory. The orders flashed through his head like a movie. He let go of Amy, falling to his knees. "No! No, please no! I'm not going. I'm Rory!"

There was no way out, only one choice. Give up Amy, and have her live. He turned to her, crying. "Listen you have to run. You have to get as far away from her as you can! I'm a thing. I'll kill you..." The reality of his words were more painful than any past death. The orders flashed again through his head, this time more loudly then before. Still, he resisted. "Just go! Please no I don't want to go. I'm Rory! I'm..."

"Williams." She spoke quietly, but he could hear the shock in her voice. "Rory Williams from Leadworth." Amy knelt down beside him, holding his shoulders. "My boyfriend. How could I ever forget you?"

Her words filled him with joy and dread. "Amy, you've got to run. I can't hold on, I'm going." He grimaced as the orders were repeated again, louder than ever before.

Amy held him tighter. "You are Rory Williams and you aren't going anywhere ever again."

The orders were louder by the second. Soon, he wouldn't be able to resist. Rory tried to push Amy away, but she stayed, not willing to let go.

"The ring, remember the ring? You'd never let me wear it in case I lost it."

"The Doctor gave it to me."

"Show it to me." Amy's voice became dark. "Show me the ring."

Rory wanted to cry. "Amy..."

"Come on, just show it to me."

Rory took out the box carefully, restraining his weapon with all his might. He handed it to her, his hand shaking.

Amy smiled. "There it is. You remember. This is you, and you are staying." She held him tighter.

Rory felt his hand open. Terror filled him. "No..."

The gun fired. Amy fell backwards, her face filled with shock. Rory wanted to scream. She was dead, and he had done it. He held her, shaking with passionate sobs.

My love, you're still beautiful.

"Doctor what am I?"

There was fear in Rory's words, but the Doctor showed no symphaty. "You're a Nestene duplicate. A lump of plastic with delusions of humanity."

Rory felt hurt. "But I'm Rory now. Whatever was happening, it's stopped. I'm Rory!"

"That's the software talking." His words were cold. Obviously, he was angry.

"Can you help her? Is there anything you can do?"

"Yeah probably if I had the time."

Rory was shocked at how cold he was being. "The time?"

The Doctor whirled around, glaring at him. "All of creation has just been wiped from the sky. Do you know how many lives never happened? All the people who never lived?" He turned away. "Your girlfriend isn't more important that the whole universe."

Rory grabbed the Doctor's shoulder violently. The Doctor turned around, his face still calm and cold. Rory, seething with anger, slammed his fist into the Doctor's face. The Doctor fell backwards, somewhat startled.

Rory stared down at him, still furious. "She is to me!"

The Doctor jumped up laughing, his cold expression gone. "Welcome back Rory Williams!..."

"But she's already dead?"

"Mostly dead. The Pandorica can stasis-lock her that way. All it needs is a scan of her living DNA and it will restore her."

Joy filled Rory's chest. "Where's it going to get that?"

The Doctor looked at his watch. "In about 2,000 years."

Rory tried not to look shocked. "She's going to be in that box for 2,000 years?"

The Doctor dialed the device on his wrist. "Yeah but we're taking a shortcut. River's vortex manipulator. Rubbish way to time travel, but the universe is tiny now. We'll be fine."

"So the future's still there then? Our world?"

"A version of it. Not quite the one you know. Earth alone in the sky. Let's go and have a look." The Doctor extended his arm toward him. "You put your hand there. Don't worry, should be safe."

Rory looked at the Pandorica. "That's not what I'm worried about."

"She'll be fine. Nothing can get into this box."

"You got in there."

"Well there's only one of me. I counted." The Doctor grinned.

Rory placed his hand on the side of the box, the box that contained his world. No, he could not leave this to chance. "This box needs a guard. I killed the last one."

The Doctor's smiled faded. "No Rory, no. Don't even think about it."

"She'll be all alone!"

"She won't feel it."

"You bet she won't!"

"2,000 years Rory. You won't even sleep, you'd be conscious every second. It would drive you mad."

"Will she be safer if I stay?" He put his hand again on the side of the box, still staring at the Doctor. "Look me in the eye and tell me she wouldn't be safer."

The Doctor looked down, biting his lip. "Rory..."

"Answer me!"

The Doctor closed his eyes, sighing. "Yes, obviously."

"Then how could I leave her?"

The Doctor sighed again, almost chuckling. "Why do you have to be so...human?"

"Because right now, I'm not."

And so began the 2,000 years. Rory found out quickly the Doctor was right. It was enough to drive a man mad. Sometimes, he'd talk to Amy like she could hear him, telling her it was going to be okay, that they would make it. Many times, he pulled the box to safety, avoiding danger as much as he could. And everytime he thought he might be going mad, he thought of the beautiful woman inside that box. The beautiful head-strong incredible Amy Pond. He had no regrets.

"Amy?"

Maybe he was seeing things. It had happened before. He shut his eyes and opened them again, and she still stood there, looking just as beautiful as he had envisioned her for 2,000 years.

Her eyes flashed with recognition. "Rory!" She ran to him, jumping in his arms. He held her tight, vowing never to let go again.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry I couldn't help it. It just happened..."

"Shut up." Amy grabbed his face, kissing him. He was forgiven.

The Doctor broke up their kiss, looking worried. "Yeah, shut up, cause we've got to go! Come on!"

Rory grabbed Amy's hands. "I waited. 2,000 years, I waited for you."

Amy was at a loss for words. That skrawny teenager had become a man like no other. This man, this wonderful man, waited by her side like no one else would have.

"No, still shut up." She kissed him again, with every ounce of passion she felt for him. He held her gently, kissing her like he had wanted to for 2,000 years.

Finally, here they were. The boy and the girl who waited.

"You know when sometimes you meet someone so beautiful, and then you actually talk to them and five minutes later, they're as dull as a brick. Then there's other people..." Amy smiled"...when you meet them you think, "Not bad. They're okay." And then you get to know them and...their face just sort of becomes them. Like their personality's written all over it, and they just turn into something so beautiful."

Amy looked down at the casket. A crazy lifetime later, and still in love.

"Rory was, and still is, the most beautiful man I've ever met."