HELLO! This is kind of a follow up to my story, 'Truth', but can be read on its own. Just so you know, at this point, Amy and the Doctor are dating. Or at least the Timelord version of dating.

As the Tardis materialized on the desert plain, a couple of animals that looked like prairie dogs except that they were blue and looked like they could eat prairie dogs for breakfast, scattered away. As the door swung open, even more of the large, strangely cute creatures went running. And when a cowboy boot clad foot stepped out, well, they possibly sprinted away.

"Welcome, Pond, to the planet Saltesquo!" The Doctor said, gesturing grandly.

Amy peeked her head out. "You promised me Rio," she growled. She was dressed more for a night of clubbing then for trekking around a desert.

The Doctor scratched the back of his neck bashfully. "Yes, well . . ."

She sighed in long suffering exasperation. "Give me a mo." She ducked back in the Tardis.

The Doctor surveyed the land. There didn't appear to be anyone trying to kill them, but it was only a matter of time till they started lining up for the first crack.

"All right, let's move it!" drawled Amy as she stepped out of the Tardis again. The Doctor couldn't help but stare. She was wearing a pair of cowboy boots similar to his own, a tank top, and a sheer shirt over it. And shorts. Very, very short shorts.

Amy smiled lazily. "See something you like, yea?" she taunted.

The Doctor didn't take his eyes off her. "Very much."

Amy gave him a saucy grin. She loved the fact they could be like this around each other now, they could be a . . . couple. She grinned wider at that thought.

"Let's go exploring!" she said gleefully. "I'll walk in front."

"Amy, I really think I have a better knowledge-"

Amy turned around to face him, as she'd already set out towards what looked like it might be a path. "Doctor, I think it would decidedly be in your advantage if I walked in front."

The Doctor turned slightly red. "Ah, yes. I see."

"I bet you do," Amy muttered, and began to set off.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Despite their original intentions, Amy and the Doctor soon fell into step side by side. The laughed and joked, and had a contest who could kick rocks the farthest. But in what seemed like a very short time, they reached an absolutely massive hole in the ground.

Amy gave a low whistle. "What exactly populates this planet?"

The Doctor, who'd already cracked out the sonic screwdriver, took a few seconds to answer. "At this point in time, it should be uninhabited," he said distractedly. "This is probably just an abandoned mole people dwelling."

Amy gave him an incredulous look. "You've got to be kidding."

The Doctor pocketed the sonic and turned to her, confused. "What? You don't like mole people?"

"Doctor, mole people are a myth. A strange, silly myth. Like the Loch Ness Monster, and alligators in sewers and Elvis," Amy said exasperatedly.

The Doctor pointed a reprimanding finger at her. "Mole people are very nice," he began, but he was cut off as the ground began to shake. He had one last glimpse of Amy's face before the ground swept out from under her, and she tumbled down the side of the hole.

He had one moment of sheer panic before he saw that'd she'd caught an edge of the cliff. He rushed over to her, fumbling over himself, until he reached her and hauled her up.

Once he'd pulled her up, he frantically patted her over to check for injuries, before pulling her into a terrified and relieved hug. She held him back just as tightly.

When he finally pulled away to smooth her hair out of her face, she asked with shaky confidence, "Why does the ground always try and eat me?"

He laughed a little, and then kissed her forehead, then, after a moment of hesitation, her lips. But their kiss with brief, and he soon pulled away to stare into the massive chasm. "I don't know, but I certainly intend to find out."

I don't believe the Doctor's ever heard the phrase 'If you're in a hole, stop digging.'

-Layla