Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my love for these two.

Theirs was a fairytale gone wrong.

'I would do anything for you, Amelia Pond. I would burn down half a galaxy just to see you smile and I'd happily throw myself into the centre of a supernova if you so much as asked.'

Fear is radiating from her body like a flame; it prickles his skin like sharp needles. 'Wh-why are you telling me this?' Her eyes are bright with tears, but the part of him that hates her for making him fall in love with her doesn't care. 'And where's Rory?'

His mouth twists into a grimace, and he tries not to laugh. It's all so ridiculous. Here he is, baring his soul to her, and still she worries about The Nose. 'I don't know. Sleeping, I presume. Why should I know. Aren't you listening to anything I'm saying?'

'Of course I am! I just don't understand! You know exactly how I-'

'No, maybe I don't know how you "feel".' His eyes are burning darker than starless skies, more intensely than black holes. 'You hide from me, Amy, you hide behind his love-' He has to hold back from spitting out the offensive pronoun; '-and I don't understand what went wrong.'

Amy's beautiful, shining eyes narrow into a glare so full of resentment he steps back a little, the base of his spine hitting the abnormally warm edge of the TARDIS console. It's like the TARDIS is trying to warn him.

'What went wrong? You brought my fiancé on board!'

'Yes! Because you were engaged and I would never, ever, not even in the darkest depths of the universe humiliate someone by making a mockery of their betrothal.'

'Oh, so you want me to go shack up with him? Is that why he's here, so I'll turn around and ask to go back home and you can continue on your self-fucking-righteous tour of the universe feeling sorry for yourself? Not fucking likely!'

'No! I brought him back so you could be the one to end it!'

Silence. Guilt at the surprise on her face is strangling him, like a rope around his neck, and he opens his mouth a few times wordlessly, unable to make any sound as the reality of what he has just said comes crashing down on top of him. He spins around, unable to look at her any more, and squeezes his eyes shut. He hears her let out a few incredulous chuckles from behind him. He can't do this.

'Well. Thanks for telling me that, never mind there's very little room for me to turn back now without looking suspicious. You're so bloody caught up in yourself, Doctor,' She snarls his name like its an insult. In a way, it is. 'That you can't even see when you're being too enigmatic.'

She receives no response from him; she shifts restlessly, furious with him, wanting to get a rise out of him. 'This is all your fault!'

Success.

He spins around, so fast she's not even sure she saw him turn, and takes a few predatory steps towards her until he's mere inches from her. She holds her ground.

'None. Of this. Is solely my fault.' He hisses; the fear, it's back in her eyes, and something dark and feral inside of him howls with satisfaction. 'I was the reason my people burnt, only me. I was the reason your life was so difficult, and I'll probably be the reason it is until you die, but don't you dare blame me for the fact you don't have the guts to tell your witless fiancé you're in love with me.'

Amy slaps him, without a pause, and hard. He flinches, closes his eyes momentarily, then steps back. 'I am not in love with you.'

'Liar.'

What can she say to that?

He was her knight in shining armour; had been since she was 7 years old and he'd come to investigate the crack in her wall like she'd prayed for, and she was his source of vitality, of life and joy and energy, encapsulated in wild red hair and a smile that seemed to light up even the darkest of nights, the most terrifying of situations. In an ideal world that both the Doctor and Amy clung to in the most unknown depths of their subconscious minds, they'd find themselves on some breathtaking planet at sunset and suddenly it would all come out- they'd declare their love for each other in passionate blank verse, there'd be fireworks when they kissed and they'd never leave each other's side.

As it was, their fairytale was steeped in fatal flaws. One whose name was Rory, another whose name was Time and a final known simply as 'The Doctor'.

The first was to prove the catalyst for the third, and the second was to be their downfall, in the end. It was always going to be that way.

'Well- what do you expect me to do now then, hmm? Wake Rory up? Tell him to pack his stuff, sorry love it's over, next stop Leadworth, see you in a few years maybe?'

He doesn't reply, but the disgust written on his face is clearly directed at himself as every cell in him screams out "yes".

She observes him for a moment. Everything about her has turned cold, like her heart has had too much and just given in. Unfortunately he has two, and neither of them seem willing to let this go all that easily.

'Say it.'

'What?' His reply is quick, hope un-sticking his throat and setting his eyes on fire again. Some are even known to have said that looking into the Doctor's eyes was like watching Gallifrey burn, all over again. 'Say what?'

'Say that you love me, just say that and I swear I'll go to Rory this instant and tell him it's over.'

The Doctor feels his hearts sinking all over again. He chokes back a sob. Why can't she just believe him? 'Wh- Amy, you are everything to me, with-'

'No.' Her voice is cold and he sees the 7-year-old girl he abandoned for 12 years in front of him again. She's terrified, has been from the beginning, from their first kiss that she so bravely instigated and from the countless more he's bestowed to her in front of collapsing suns and rejoicing continents. 'Tell me you love me.'

Self-hatred is rising in his throat like bile and he manages to croak out, 'I can't!'

She nods, and gives him a sad smile, before turning and walking away from him, away from the console room and, to him, it feels like the last time.

He wants to scream.

Theirs once was a fairytale; now its a tragedy.