Rory lays an unconscious Amy down on the floor of the TARDIS, and the Doctor rushes toward them with his coat. He hastily folds it up and places it under her head. Mutters something about a sedative, and then he's up again.
He goes to the door, and looks out at Amy. Older Amy, fighting off the Handbots. She disables the last one standing with a solid blow to the head, knocking it clear off and sailing across the gallery.
She looks up; they lock eyes. The Doctor and Amy Pond.
Everything inside him is telling him to slam the door shut and lock it behind him. Everything except the racing of his heart—he cannot leave behind his Amelia Pond. Not again, not ever again. The TARDIS won't like it, sure, but she'll survive if he can get them home quick enough.
She's running full speed at him, at the door, and he feels Rory at his back. "Come on," he yells to her, the Amy Pond that waited.
At the last second, when she's standing before him, his body still blocking her from entering the TARDIS, he drops his gaze. "Wait just one second more," he pleads.
He doesn't wait for a response. "Rory, keep her outside that door until I tell you." He's headed for the control panel, to lock in on a destination before the nasty Amy can mess with his TARDIS any more than she already has.
He keys in the house, the one he gave them not long ago, and puts his hand on the lever.
"Doctor!" he hears, and glances at the door. Rory and Amy, and a squadron of Handbots close behind.
He takes a deep, quivering breath, and tightens his grip in anticipation. "Now!" he yells, and throws it home.
There's a moment's hesitation before the TARDIS thunders into action, shaking and throwing them about.
While the Doctor's busy pushing buttons and wiggling switches and throwing more levers, Rory returns to the unconscious Amy, checking on her.
The other Amy, Amy-who-waited, is heading in his direction. It's clear how long it's been for her, out of the TARDIS, because she doesn't seem to have her footing down quite as well as he remembers.
"No!" he calls out to her, "Stay close to the doors!"
She gives him a confused look, but has to look away when they hit a particularly nasty patch and she slips on the stairs. She manages to spin herself so she lands sitting on one of the steps.
Finally, there's the resounding thud of landing, and he's rushing at the lot of them.
"Ponds! Out! All of you! Quickly, out!"
He's got Amy-who-waited by the arm, pulling her along while Rory scoops up the other Amy, the younger one, Amy-who-was-rescued-and-is-currently-unconscious.
"Doctor!" the Amy he's got a grip on is shouting at him, but he needs them out of the TARDIS if she's to recover from the paradox.
"I'll explain in a moment! OUT!"
And then they're out. On the street, in front of the little blue house, and Amy-who-was-unconscious begins to stir in Rory's arms. Within a few minutes, she's standing on her own and wrapping her arms around her husband.
Amy-who-waited is looking intently at the Doctor. "Sorry," he mutters nervously at her, "the TARDIS was about to collapse. Needed to get you out."
She keeps on staring at him, though. "I hated you," she whispers. "I still do, a little."
He looks up. So do Rory and younger-Amy.
She looks as if she's going to continue, but then she shakes her head slightly and holds out a hand. "Thank you," she tells him.
He looks from her face to her hand, and after a moment he takes it in his own. "Of course," he mutters.
She squeezes his hand gently before letting go, and then turns to Amy and Rory. "Well," she says.
"Well," Amy repeats, this time on purpose.
"Yeah," Rory adds awkwardly. "Uh, what happens now?"
"I go," older-Amy says. "You two live your life. I'll pop by every now and then, just to check in."
"Christmas dinner," Amy nods, "Birthdays."
Amy-who-waited smiles. "Yeah."
"At least stay for tonight," Rory says. "Get a change of clothes, maybe some food?"
Amy's hand rises to her stomach. "I feel like I haven't eaten in years."
The Doctor, witnessing this entire exchange, steps in. "That's because, theoretically, you haven't. But at the same time, it's only really been, oh," he glances at his watch, "four hours and seventeen minutes."
Amy laughs. Actually, both of them.
Older-Amy looks back to Rory. "Okay."
The Doctor smiles, turns to Amy-who-waited. "Remember, you're not in compressed time anymore, so you will have to do normal things like eat and sleep."
She nods.
"Well, um, I have some stuff to do in the TARDIS. She's had quite a day." He looks to Amy and Rory. "Tomorrow?"
Amy, Rory's Amy, the Amy-that-was-rescued, nods. "Tomorrow," she agrees.
He smiles at them, and looks nervously at Amy-who-waited, before spinning on his heel and quickly walking back to the TARDIS.
He pushes the door and smoke pours over him. He coughs, waving it away, and disappears inside.
Rory and both Amys watch as the TARDIS whooshes out of sight.
"Come on, then," Rory says. "Let's all get inside."
The Doctor doesn't return for nearly a week. When he finally shows up at their door, literally, he acts like nothing's changed. He doesn't ask about the other Amy.
But as they're walking into the TARDIS, Amy says, "We bought her a ticket to Rio de Janeiro."
The Doctor is busy at the control panel, and shows no signs of having heard her.
"Gave her some money, considering it's kind of also hers. Got her a phone, to check in."
She's right next to him, now, and he's still ignoring her.
"Doctor, do you even care?" she asks, irritated.
Rory's right behind her, watching.
He stops. "Of course I care," he murmurs. "She's you, Amy. It's just…"
"Just what?" Rory asks.
"The TARDIS doesn't like that I've created a paradox. She's throwing a fit, and even though I've gotten her stabilized, travelling isn't going to be like it used to."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, for starters, I can only ever have one Amy in the TARDIS. Just a disclaimer, sure, but still important."
"Kind of figured that one out on our own, thanks," Rory says.
The Doctor shoots him a quick glare. "And not just the both of you. The TARDIS doesn't like you anymore, Amy. You're one-half of a paradox. She can only handle you for so long before she attempts to correct you."
Amy looks at him for a long time. "Oh."
"So between trips, she'll need a break. Just a short jaunt to the moon and back should do it," he adds.
"No trips to the moon, now," Amy says. "A five minute trip to the moon turned into twelve years, if you recall."
"Ah, yes," he says. "Okay, no moon."
"Good," she says, nodding firmly.
There's a long, awkward silence.
"So, where to?" the Doctor asks.
Amy is walking down the street, gazing at all the people, when one face stands out.
He disappears a few moments later, behind a corner. Of course, she follows.
The corner turns into an alley, and she calls out, "Raggedy man?"
He appears again, farther down, through a door. "Over here," he says softly.
She comes up to meet him, a flash of blue over his shoulder.
He looks at her expectantly, with a nervous smile.
She sighs. "No," she whispers.
He doesn't look surprised, but he deflates, disappointed. "Oh. Okay."
"I'm sorry," she offers. "But thirty six years changed me."
He nods. "I know."
"I still want it, you know, it's just…I have a hard time trusting you after what happened."
He stares intently at his shoes.
"I could see it in your eyes, that day in the gallery. You wanted to leave me behind."
He looks up. "I didn't want to," he murmurs, "but I knew the TARDIS wouldn't like it."
Amy smiles sadly. "It's always you and her, eh? When all of us are long gone, you two remain."
"Yeah," he breathes. "Me and her."
"Besides, Amy and Rory told me about the one-half of a paradox thing. She wouldn't like it."
"She can handle it," he argues. "One at a time, she can do. She just…has a bit of a tantrum."
Amy chuckles, and takes a step back. "Well, better not piss her off, then. She did save me, it's the least I can do."
He smirks. "I suppose."
He's turning away when he hears, "Doctor?"
He looks back over his shoulder.
Amy's there, watching him. "Maybe one day. Ask me again in a few years."
He forces a smile, nods.
"And look out for River, yeah?"
He begins to walk away. "She doesn't need me," he calls. "She takes after her mother."
She watches the TARDIS disappear with a smile on her lips and a tear on her cheek.
"Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la…"
"Rory, will you turn down the carols a bit?" Amelia asks.
Amy chuckles. "Yeah, or maybe just turn them off?"
"Guys, get into the spirit!" he calls from the lounge.
"Setting a place for the Doctor?" Amelia asks.
Amy clears her throat. "Uh, yeah."
The Amy-who-waited had begun to go by Amelia again, settling into her late fifties. It meant less confusion around the house, as well.
"Amelia, will you hand me that knife?" Amy asks, pointing across the kitchen.
"Sure," Amelia says, grabbing it and handing it over. "Here you go," she says.
"Thanks."
"Amy, have you seen my sweater?" Rory calls from the top of the stairs.
"That old thing?" Amelia whispers to her. "He still wears it?"
Amy nods.
"Never mind, I found it!" they hear.
There's a knock at the door.
Amy sighs, and Amelia chuckles.
"If that is more carol singers, I have a water pistol!" She grabs the yellow gun off the side table and answers the door. "You don't want to be all wet on a night like…"
He's there.
"…this."
He looks nervous. "Not absolutely sure how long…"
"Two years," she sneers, still pointing the pistol at him. She squirts him a couple times and he flinches.
"Okay. Fair point," he sighs.
"So…you're not dead," Amelia says, coming up behind Amy in the doorway.
He looks surprised to see her, but pleased. Not nervous like he had been before—at least, not as much.
"And a Happy New Year!" he says.
Amy steps forward, and his smile falls slowly. "River told us," she tells him.
"Well, of course she did," he scoffs.
"She's a good girl," Amelia counters.
Amy and the Doctor stare each other down. "Well," Amy says, "I'm not gonna hug first."
Amelia rolls her eyes and returns to the kitchen.
The Doctor looks away from her. "Nor am I."
After several moments of silence, Amelia hears Amy and the Doctor laughing, and she smiles to herself.
Amy calls out from the door, "Mr. Pond! Guess who's coming for dinner."
Rory wanders down the stairs. "Oh," he says with a smile. "Not dead then."
Amelia leans out of the kitchen and says, "We've done that."
"Oh," he says again.
"We're about to have Christmas dinner," Amy says. "Joining us?" she asks, like there was ever a need to ask him. Amelia rolls her eyes as she watches quietly from the background.
"If it's no trouble," he says.
"There's a place set for you," Rory shrugs.
"But you didn't know I was coming," the Doctor says. "Why would you set me a place?"
Amelia and Amy say at the same time, "Oh, because we always do."
The women exchange a glance and a smile. Amy looks back at him and says, "It's Christmas, you moron," before heading back in the direction of Amelia and the kitchen.
Rory smiles at him, and waves him inside. "Come on," he says.
The Doctor lingers in the doorway a few moments, and when Amelia glances back, he's wiping away a tear. She doesn't say anything, but when she hears the door shut and he ventures further inside, she approaches him.
"Do I get a hug, too, then?" she asks quietly.
Amy and Rory watch surreptitiously from the kitchen.
He smiles. "Why not?" he says.
Her arms around him, feeling just like Amy's but not at the same time, and she whispers, "You still owe me that trip."
And he laughs. "Yeah, I do."
A/N: Well, there's that, then. The last bit is just a tweaked version of the end scene from 'The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe'. I wanted to explore life with two Amys, and how they all handle that. Please, please, please review. Thanks, lovelies.