A/N: welcome whovians to the third installment to the Saga of Olivia and the Doctor! for my new readers, if you haven't read Highwayman and Gravity I suggest you go read those first before you read this one...cause you'll be lost. for my returning readers, welcome back! and thank you for keeping up with me! right then, allons-y!

Chapter 1: Invitations

"When is the Doctor coming back for you?" Joyce asked Olivia as she sat at the table, Olivia's mother at the sink, washing some dishes.

"Sick of me already, mom?" Olivia smirked, lifting her plate and taking it to the sink to help Joyce with the dishes.

"Of course not," Joyce smirked back. "I was just wondering. It's been a while since he left you here after your honeymoon."

"I told him I wanted to visit with you longer than an hour, so he left me here to have some mom time," Olivia smiled. "And it's been long enough that I got to Aaron a couple of times, too."

"That's what I mean," Joyce sighed, making Olivia frown at her in wonder, Joyce drying her hands with a dish towel and facing Olivia as she dried the dishes. "He married you, took you on your honeymoon then dumped you here saying he'd be right back."

"He didn't dump me here, mom," Olivia sighed, putting the dish she'd been drying away. "I just told you I wanted a visit with you."

"Then why didn't he stay to visit with me too?"

"Because you're my mom. Look, I know you're worried about me and him, but two months is nothing, compared to the four years I waited for him the first time. At least this time I know he's coming back."

"Do you?"

Olivia froze and turned a glare to her mother, ready to start an argument, but a knock at the door drew their attention to it.

"I'll get it," Olivia ground out before marching toward the door to open it, revealing the mailman standing at the door.

"Olivia Felton?" he asked.

"That's me," she frowned in wonder then noticed the box in his hands with a letter attached to it before he handed it to her.

"Package for you," he smiled, making her smile back with a nod as she took the package and letter.

"Thanks," she smiled before he walked away and she shut the door, turning to head back into the kitchen.

"What's that?" Joyce wondered, finishing with the dishes as Olivia rummaged through a drawer for scissors and a letter opener.

"Not sure," she replied, sitting at the table and using the scissors on the box first, setting the letter aside as Joyce sat at the table as well.

Olivia pulled the box open and grinned at the sight of a brand new Silver Sonic Screwdriver inside, sitting delicately in the packaging inside.

"I thought you already had one of those," Joyce recalled as Olivia lifted the wand reverently to examine it.

"Lost the last one," Olivia replied, looking to the letter. "Melted in a Cyberman's head. Long story."

Olivia frowned in wonder at the letter. It was card sized with several stamps, telling her it had been around. But what caught her attention was the color…TARDIS blue, and there was a number at the lip of the seal of the envelope.

"What's the 'two' for?" Joyce wondered as Olivia used the letter opener on it.

"I don't know," she murmured, deftly as she pulled the card from the envelope and read it, smirking, "Date, time and map reference in a TARDIS blue envelope. Oh, Doctor, you still surprise me."

"What's that mean?" Joyce frowned as Olivia flipped her Sonic in the air before catching it perfectly.

"It means, I'm gonna go meet the Doctor," she smirked, standing and heading to the stairs leading to the bedrooms.

"Why doesn't he just pick you up?" Joyce wondered.

"Stop questioning my husband's motives, mom!" Olivia called without malice as she hurried up the stairs to pack, muttering, "I think even he doesn't know what his motives are."

Utah...

Olivia climbed off the bus and looked around the desert she found herself in. She turned to thank the bus driver before he drove away and as the bus cleared her, her eyes locking with a pair of green eyes staring at her from under a wide-brimmed Stetson.

"Goin' my way, little lady?" the Doctor smirked in a Southern accent, standing next to a red and white station wagon.

"That depends," Olivia smirked back in a Southern accent as well, sauntering across the street toward him. "I'm lookin' for my husband. Tall, dark, handsome, pretty brilliant. Seen him around?"

"Hm, sounds familiar," he smiled back as she stopped in front of him.

"You kinda look like him, ya know?" she smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck to lean into him as his arms wrapped around her waist to pull her closer.

"Well, that certainly makes it easier for me to sweep you off your feet and steal you away from him," he smirked back, his normal accent returning.

Olivia grinned before shoving herself to her tiptoes so that her lips connected with his and he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. She couldn't help but frown in wonder at the feeling of the kiss as it continued. Desperation, sorrow and regret. It was so potent she had to break the kiss to look him in the eye.

"Theta, what's wrong?" she questioned, still frowning and his own frown of confusion fell away.

"I just…missed you," he smiled and moved in for another kiss but she placed her fingers on his lips, making him frown again.

"Ok, I know you said you'd almost never lie to me, but you could start the truth part right about now."

He sighed again and leaned back on the hood on the station wagon, taking her hands in his and pulling her closer.

"I know," he grumbled, fiddling with her fingers before looking up at her. "It's…been longer for me than it has for you."

"What do you mean?" she frowned.

"I'm older, Liv. Much older. Over one thousand."

"And you've never looked better. I'm suspecting you're trying to distract me from what's really bothering you."

"I can't tell you."

Olivia frowned in confusion and breathed, "Why?"

"You're gonna find out soon enough, my love," he replied, lifting a hand to stroke her cheek as she still frowned at him in absolute confusion. "And I'm sorry…but it's going to get hard for you."

"Theta—?"

"Howdy!" he grinned behind her, making her frown in wonder and turn around to see Amy and Rory coming toward them, but the Doctor murmured into her ear, "I know this isn't over, just bare with me."

"Doctor!" Amy grinned. "Olivia!"

"It's the Ponds!" Olivia smiled, hugging Rory as Amy hugged Amy.

"Someone's been a busy boy, then, eh?" Amy grinned at the Doctor.

"Did you see me?" the Doctor grinned back, making Olivia frown.

"Of course!" Amy replied.

"Stalker!"

"Flirt!"

"Husband," Rory cut in.

"Rory the Roman!" the Doctor grinned, hugging him as Olivia hugged Amy.

"Did I miss something?" she wondered. "When did you see him?"

"Oh, he's been causing trouble in history to get our attention," Amy replied as they both frowned at each other. "Didn't you see him?"

"I…wasn't really looking," Olivia admitted.

"Nice hat," Rory smiled at the Doctor.

"I wear a Stetson now," the Doctor smirked. "Stetsons are cool."

They all jumped when a gunshot sounded, sending the Stetson on his head flying off it before they all looked behind him to see River blowing the end of the barrel of her revolver before shoving it into her holster.

"Hello, Sweetie," she smirked.

"River!" Olivia grinned, running toward her and hugging her tightly.

"Good to see you, Olivia," River smiled, hugging her in return.

"Right!" the Doctor called, but he sulked over his hat. "Everyone in the car! I'll drive!"

"No you won't," Olivia retorted, snatching the keys from his hand when he held them up. "I'll drive. Everyone in the car!"

Later...

"Right, then, where are we?" River asked the Doctor as the two of them and Olivia sat in a booth at an old time diner, both holding books. "Have we done Easter Island yet?"

"Um…" the Doctor hummed, flipping through his book as River flipped through hers, Olivia peeking at it over his shoulder but he pulled it back to frown at her, making her stick her tongue out at him before he looked back to his book. "Yes! I've got Easter Island."

"They worshipped you there," River smiled, making Olivia frown between them in wonder. "Have you seen the statues?"

"Jim the Fish," the Doctor continued.

"Oh! Jim the Fish! How is he?" River grinned, as Amy and Rory slid into the booth with them with drinks.

"Still building his dam," the Doctor smirked, wrapping an arm around Olivia's shoulders as she frowned between them.

"I…I don't get it," she whispered. "When did you get that book and when did you do all of this, and why didn't you tell me?"

"It'll be explained later, Liv," he whispered into her ear before kissing her temple. "I promise."

"Sorry, what are you two doing?" Rory wondered.

"They're both time travelers, so they never meet in the right order," Amy replied. "They're syncing their diaries."

"So, what's happening?" Olivia questioned him, impatiently. "Obviously you're up to something."

The Doctor smiled at her and she could tell he knew she wanted explanations.

"I've been running," he began, threading his fingers through Olivia's hair, absentmindedly. "Faster than I've ever run, and I've been running my whole life. Now it's time for me to stop. And tonight, I'm going to need you all with me."

"Ok," Amy replied without hesitation but Olivia felt a weight to his words and exchanged a glance with River who seemed to feel the same thing. "We're here. What's up?"

"A picnic," he smiled. "And then a trip. Somewhere different, somewhere…brand new."

"Where?" Amy asked.

"Space," he smirked. "1969."

The Shore of a Lake...

"Salud!" they all cheered, clinking their glasses of wine, the Doctor holding the bottle.

"So, when are we going to 1969?" Rory wondered.

"And since when do you drink wine?" Amy wondered as they all sipped at theirs.

"I'm one thousand, one hundred and three. I must've drunk it sometime," the Doctor replied.

Olivia nearly spit out her sip before looking at him with huge eyes.

"What?!" she chirped, making him frown at her from his reclined position.

"I told you I was older," he recalled.

"Yeah, but when you said over one thousand I thought one thousand and three, not…another hundred years after that!"

"Oh…sorry," he muttered before taking a drink as Olivia frowned at him in absolute confusion before he spit the wine out, making her roll her eyes at him when he sneered, "Ew! It's horrid! I thought it would taste more like the gums."

"I'm with Olivia," Amy agreed. "You were nine hundred and eight the last time we saw you."

"And you've put on a couple of pounds. I wasn't going to mention it," the Doctor retorted.

Amy giggled before looking up and she seemed distracted, making Olivia frown but she said nothing.

"Who's that?" Amy muttered.

"Who's who?" Rory wondered and when she looked at him she shook her head, taking a sip of her wine.

"Sorry, what?" she wondered.

"You said you saw something?" Olivia prompted.

"No, I didn't," Amy frowned in wonder, making Olivia frown as well.

Olivia gave a squeak when the Doctor grabbed her around her waist and pulled her against him, making her giggle when she landed.

"The moon!" he grinned, pointing to the moon showing itself early in the daylight sky over the lake. "Look at it! Of course, you lot did a lot more than look, didn't you? Big, silvery thing in the sky, you couldn't resist it. Quite right."

"The moon landing was in '69," Rory recalled. "Is that where we're going?"

"No," the Doctor murmured as Olivia craned her neck to look at him as he spoke. "A lot more happens in '69 than anyone remembers." Olivia frowned as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly as he resumed, "Human beings…I thought I'd never get done saving you."

She smiled when he entwined their fingers in front of her, his chin dipping down into her hair to press soft kisses to her neck. Her grip tightened on his hands as she found their telepathic bond.

"My love, what's wrong," she asked him, silently. "I'm getting really nervous."

"I know," he replied. "You've always been perceptive, Liv. It's one of the things I love about you."

Rory suddenly stirred, looking to the hill behind them and directing everyone's gaze to the van that had stopped there. The Doctor gently nudged Olivia to stand, which she did, along with everyone else, and he waved to an old man that now stood outside the van and waved back.

"Who's he?" Amy questioned the Doctor.

"Oh, my god," River breathed, looking to the lake and turning everyone's attention to it.

"What…the…?" Olivia trailed off as they all stared at the astronaut standing in the knee deep water at the shoreline of the lake.

"You all need to stay back," the Doctor ordered, gripping Olivia's hand and pulling her ahead a few steps before letting it go and turning to face his friends. "Whatever happens now, you do not interfere. Clear? River, keep an eye on Olivia." He looked to Olivia as she frowned in wide-eyed question and terror as the astronaut trudged out of the water. "You're going to have to be strong, Liv. Promise me."

"I…I promise," she whispered and fought the urge to head after him as he turned to march toward the astronaut.

"That's an astronaut," Rory stated the obvious, none of them taking their eyes off the Doctor. "That's an Apollo astronaut in a lake."

They all stood, frozen in their spots as they watched at the Doctor, who seemed to be speaking to the astronaut before he lowered his head, River coming up next to Olivia to take her arm, feeling her trembling.

"What's he doing?" Amy whispered as the astronaut's hand came up.

They all jumped when a gunshot sounded, the Doctor falling back with a green blast to his chest.

"Doctor!" Olivia shouted as she and Amy both tried to run to him but River held Olivia back, Rory stopping Amy.

"The Doctor said stay back!" River reminded them both just as another shot rang out and the Time Lord stumbled back again.

"River! Let me go!" Olivia screamed, struggling to be free.

They all froze when the Doctor fell to his knees and she could see the familiar golden glow of his hands, signaling his regeneration.

"I'm sorry," she saw him say before they all saw his regeneration begin…but the astronaut shot him again, sending him to the ground.

"No!" Olivia screamed, all four of them launching into a run toward him as the astronaut walked away, back into the lake.

They all gathered around him, Olivia landing in the sand near his head as Amy slid next to her and River pulled out her handheld to scan him. All she got was a flatline, making her look up at Olivia as tears welled in her eyes before she looked back at the Doctor in disbelief and despair. River holstered her handheld as she stood and pulled out her gun to fire at the retreating astronaut until her gun was empty.

"Of course not," River murmured, catching Olivia's hearing but she said nothing as her focus remained on the lifeless Doctor.

"Theta," Olivia whispered, shuffling in the sand to lift his head and set it in her lap, stroking his face gently as Amy sobbed next to her. "You promised you wouldn't leave me alone. You promised."

"He can't be dead," Amy sobbed, curled into a ball as she rocked back and forth next to him. "This isn't possible."

"Whatever that was, it killed him in the middle of his regeneration cycle," River explained. "His body was already dead. He didn't make it to the next one."

"Maybe he's a clone or a duplicate or something," Amy insisted.

"I believe I can save you some time," the old man from the van said, suddenly standing right next to them holding a gas can. "That most definitely is the Doctor. And he is most definitely dead." He set the can down, saying, "He said you'd need this."

"Gasoline?" Rory asked.

"A Time Lord's body is a miracle, even a dead one," River replied through sniffles. "There are empires out there who'd rip this world apart for just one cell. We can't leave him here, or anywhere."

Amy uncurled herself and set her head on his chest, still sobbing as Olivia stared down at him, stroking his hair and face.

"Wake up," Olivia shuddered, her hands on either side of his head, fisting his hair. "Wake up, you idiot. Wake up!"

"What do we do, Rory?" Amy sobbed as Olivia lowered her head over the Doctor's to sob as well.

"We're his friends," River replied her voice thick with emotion, lifting the gas can. "We do what the Doctor's friends always do: As we're told."

"There's a boat," Rory reported, noticing the rowboat on the shoreline. "If we're gonna do this, let's do it properly."

"Why, River?" Olivia breathed, making River look to her as she lifted her head, glaring at the blonde through her tears. "Why didn't you let me go to him?"

"Don't do this, Olivia," River warned, but Olivia gently moved the Doctor's head from her lap and stood to march toward River.

"I could have saved him. Why didn't you let me?!" she ground out, shoving River's shoulder and making her stumble. Rory instantly wrapped his arms around Olivia's waist, pinning her arms to her sides as he held her back.

"The Doctor told us not to interfere!" he reminded her, struggling against Olivia as she fought to break free.

"And since when do you and me ever do what he tells us, River, huh?!" Olivia spat.

"Always!" River shot back. "We just don't think we do! We would follow him to the ends of the Earth, but the only way we've gotten this far is if we listen to him and you know it!"

"Stop it! Both of you!" Amy shouted, and Olivia finally shoved Rory away but didn't charge at River as she wanted, choosing to glare at the other woman instead. "The Doctor wouldn't want this!"

Olivia lowered her glare from River and nodded in agreement before murmuring, "I'm…sorry. I just…"

"I know," River nodded, stepping toward her to wrap an arm around her, still holding the gas can as Olivia turned to sob into her shoulder. "Me too."

Sunset...

Olivia stared at the flames that engulfed the boat with the Doctor's body aboard, tears still streaming down her face. She felt as helpless as she had when he'd been locked up in the Pandorica, but the difference now was there was no way he was coming back. There was no box to unlock. No way to get him back. He was gone, and it was tearing her up inside.

"Olivia," River whispered from behind her and she felt a hand on her shoulder. Knowing it was River's she lifted a hand to grasp her fingers, keeping them on her shoulder as she murmured, "Follow me."

"Where are we going?" Olivia asked in a raw voice, not looking away from the burning boat.

"Just follow me," River repeated, her grip lightly tightening on her shoulder.

Olivia sniffled and turned to follow River toward the old man that had given them the gasoline.

"Who are you?" River asked him. "Why did you come?"

"The same reason as you," he replied, pulling a blue envelope from his jacket and holding it up. River and Olivia glanced at each other before pulling their similar envelopes from their pockets.

"Three and five," Olivia whispered, reading the numbers on them as they all stared at the man in wonder.

"Doctor Song," he greeted. "Olivia, Amy, Rory. I'm Canton Everett Delaware III. Won't be seeing you again, but you'll be seeing me."

Without another word he placed his baseball cap on his head and turned to head back to his van as River and Olivia turned to Amy and Rory.

"Five," Olivia said.

"Sorry, what?" Rory asked in wonder.

"The Doctor numbered the envelopes," she explained.

Later at the Diner...

"You got four," Olivia explained. "River got three, I got two, Canton got five."

"So?" Rory wondered as they walked into the diner.

"So, where's one?" River wondered.

"Exactly," Olivia nodded.

"What, you think he invited someone else?" Rory wondered.

"He must have," River insisted. "He planned all of this, down to the last detail."

"Will you three shut up? It doesn't matter," Amy breathed.

"He was up to something," Olivia continued.

"He's dead," Amy breathed.

"What did he mean by 'Space. 1969.'?"

"You're still talking but it doesn't matter," Amy told them, bitterly.

"Hey, it mattered to him," Rory reminded her.

"So it matters to us," River added.

"He's dead," Amy whispered again.

"But he still needs us," River reminded her as Olivia looked around the diner, River and Rory stepping toward Amy. "I know, Amy, I know. But right now, we have to focus."

"River, look!" Olivia called, staring at the blue envelope on one of the tables and she ran toward it to pick it up to examine it and Rory went to the server behind the counter.

"Excuse me, who was sitting over there?" he asked.

"Some guy," he replied.

"The Doctor knew he was coming to his death, so he sent out messages," River said as they all crowded around the table. "When you know it's the end, who do you call?"

"Your friends, people you trust," Rory replied.

"Number one," Olivia read on the envelope. "Who did he trust the most?"

The door at the back of the diner with Elvis painted on it opened, catching everyone's attention and they all stared in shock and disbelief at who stepped through the door. The Doctor looked up and grinned, chewing on a straw, and pointed to all of them in greeting.

"This is cold," River blurted. "Even by your standards, this is cold."

"Or 'Hello!' as people used to say," the Doctor retorted, still smiling and now holding his straw in his hand.

"Doctor?" Amy murmured.

"I just popped out to get my special straw," he explained. "It adds more fizz."

Amy stepped toward him, circling him and he circled her in confusion as she smiled in a breath, "You're ok. How can you be ok?"

"Hey, of course I'm ok," he frowned, wrapping his arms around her to hug her close, sensing she needed it. "I'm always ok. I'm the King of Ok. Oh, that's a rubbish title. Forget that title." He let go of Amy to step toward Rory, hugging him as he said, "Rory the Roman! That's a good title! Hello, Rory." He let him go and turned to River, resuming, "And Doctor River Song. Oh, you bad, bad girl. What trouble have you got for me this time?"

Without a word River slapped him across the face, the force of it sending his head whipping to the side and he looked surprised as he looked back at her.

"I'm assuming that's for something I haven't done yet?" he guessed, looking to her shocked and enraged expression.

"Yes, it is," she ground out and a nod.

"Good. Looking forward to that," he muttered before looking to Olivia who was staring at him as well and he straightened himself out. "Well, I suppose you're gonna slap me too, eh?"

He braced himself by stiffening and shutting his eyes, tightly but when the blow never came he opened one eye to peek at her. She was just staring at him in confused shock, making him frown down at her.

"Liv, are you ok?" he hoped. "You look pale, and…have you been crying? Darling, what—?"

His question was cut off when Olivia grabbed his head and pulled him onto her lips, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him closer, her kiss desperate, making sure he was, in fact, real. When they pulled away with a smack she still said nothing as her arms wrapped around his chest to hug him, burying her face in his chest, refusing to let him go.

"And is this for something I haven't done yet?" he wondered.

"Yes," Olivia shuddered.

"Again…looking forward to that," he repeated.

"I don't understand," Rory confessed, making the Doctor look to him again. "How can you be here?"

"I was invited," the Doctor retorted, pulling his envelope from Olivia's hand. "Date, map reference. Same as you lot, I assume, otherwise, it's a hell of a coincidence."

"River, what's going on?" Amy questioned.

"Amy, ask him what age he is," River ordered.

"That's a bit personal," the Doctor muttered.

"Everyone be quiet," Olivia shuddered. "I'm listening to hear his hearts."

"Liv, honestly, loving this, but I think you need to let go now," he murmured.

"Tell her," River ordered the Doctor. "Tell her what age you are."

"Nine hundred and nine," he replied, making Olivia hug him even tighter.

"Yeah, but you said you were—"

"So where does that leave us then, huh?" River questioned him, interrupting Amy. "Jim the Fish? Have we done Jim the Fish yet?!"

"Who's Jim the Fish?" the Doctor smiled, intrigued by the name.

"I don't understand," Amy shook her head.

"Yeah, you do," Rory told her, gently.

"I don't," the Doctor shot back. "What are we all doing here?"

"We've been recruited," Olivia finally spoke up, finally letting go of the Doctor but not stepping away from him as he looked down at her. "Something to do with space, 1969 and Canton Everett Delaware III."

"Recruited by who?" he asked her and she met his gaze, making him frown at the look in her eyes. There was apprehension, a conflict within her as she looked about ready to reply but remained silent. "Who, Liv?"

"Someone who trusts you more than anybody else in the universe," River replied for her, making her look away from the Doctor as he looked to River.

"And who's that?" he asked her but she only gave a knowing, sad smile before replying with one word.

"Spoilers."

A/N: So, i didn't want Olivia to slap the Doctor like River even tho she probably would be pissed, but she's more happy to see him alive more than angry. anyway...reviews?