I don't own Doctor Who, obviously.
AU Series 5 onwards. Since Rory's not a nurse, but in medical school, there will be no Prisoner Zero. Also, Amy's wall doesn't have a crack (that we know of).
Time
There were no clocks aboard the TARDIS, at least none Rory could see. The Doctor was waiting for him to decide where to go. He wracked his brain, thinking of famous people throughout history he'd have loved to meet, or even just see.
"Can we save John Lennon?" he asked, the first musician coming to mind.
He remembered how back in the summer before grade ten, he had a terrible haircut. He told Amy that he joined a band (because really, he was trying to impress her) and she laughed. He taught himself guitar and the first song he had learned was 'Imagine'. Needless to say, when Amy went to his house and walked into his room (unannounced) she was surprised to see him strumming his guitar, singing softly. It was a song he had written, and she'd been impressed.
She sat down next to him and just listened. That was something Amy didn't just do. He thought they might have had a moment, but she left soon after. That was when he decided to stop pining after Amy Pond. He closed off any feelings he once had for her. He would forever be the beautiful girl's dorky best friend, always at her side.
He had thought that was enough. Always being there for her, whenever she needed him. Now he was tired of it. She popped up to his room unexpectedly, always expecting him to be there. To have no life outside of her. Well, he was done with that. He supposed he could consider this his teenage rebellion.
The Doctor fought a smile, "No. Sorry. Fixed point in time."
Rory looked at him, "Fixed?"
"There are some things that can't be changed. Other events can," the Doctor explained briefly.
"How do you know what's fixed and what isn't?"
The Doctor smiled and tapped his head, "It's all in here."
Rory took a moment to process the information he'd given. Apparently, the Doctor knew everything.
"Are you really a Doctor?"
"Yes."
Rory was given no further explanation. He tried to think of another place to go, another time. He thought back to his history class. He quite like the lessons about Rome. It was something he and Amy had in common.
"Ancient Rome," he decided finally.
"Excellent choice. Last time I tried to go there, I ended up in Pompeii. Should've seen Donna's face," he began to ramble.
Rory raised a brow at the mention of Donna.
"She was a friend, traveled with me."
Rory was about to ask what happened to her.
"She's fine. At home," the Doctor answered briskly.
It was still too soon. He'd just seen her at her wedding. He'd gone on a farewell tour only hours ago, and now here he was with the little boy who'd offered him a lunchbox.
It was that little boy's kindness that kept him from going mad after such a traumatic regeneration. Only the innocence and sincerity of a child could've talked him from the edge. Now that little boy had grown up, and he wasn't alone.
"Geronimo!" the Doctor set the coordinates for ancient Rome, hitting odd ends and strange buttons.
The ground was firm, made of stones. Rory took a tentative step outside, hopping lightly. The Doctor stood back, arms crossed, clearly amused. Rory looked up from the ground and he nearly lost his breath. All around them were marble columns and exquisite statues. Rory nearly forgot how to breathe.
"Welcome to the Forum," the Doctor decided to speak, "right over there are where the Vestal Virgins hang out."
"To keep the flame going," Rory added.
The Doctor blinked, "Yes. Exactly. Care to meet them?"
Rory looked at him. Meeting a group of beautiful Vestals? He was glad Amy wasn't there for two reasons. One: she'd get angry at him and stalk off (though she had no reason to). Two: she'd follow the Roman soldiers around like a puppy.
"Sure, why not. But how are we going to get through. They can't ignore the fire."
He was waved off by the Doctor. Rory hoped he had a plan.
"Leave it to me," the Doctor said, "And one rule: Don't wander off."
Rory nodded, acknowledging the rule. He wasn't about to ditch his ride home, anyhow.
As they walked across to the temple, Rory noticed people giving them strange looks. Right. Clothing.
"Uh, Doctor?"
He hummed.
"Don't you think we look a bit out of place?" Rory asked.
He looked at his companion, taking in his appearance.
"Well, that vest is just awful," the Doctor said.
Rory looked offended, "It's like the one Marty had in Back to the Future."
"Was that included in your research about time travel?" he raised a pale brow. This human boy had yet to fail to surprise him.
Heat coloured Rory's cheeks and the Doctor clapped him on the shoulder wordlessly. He liked Rory, he really did. He seemed to embarrass easily, but that was fine by him. He suddenly wondered how the lad would react when faced with Captain Jack. Oh yes, they should pay him a visit sometime. That's when he stopped himself. He and Rory were not a 'they'. He was the Doctor and Rory was Rory. He refused to get too attached to this Earth boy. He couldn't bear losing another companion as he'd lost the others. He'd go back to Leadworth, take his exams, and quite possibly marry the pretty ginger with a death grip.
The Doctor waltzed up to the temple, digging out a paper, showing it to the guards. The Roman soldier immediately let them pass, bowing slightly.
"What is that?" Rory pointed.
"Psychic paper. Makes people see whatever I want it to say," the Doctor grinned.
Rory looked at it, raising a brow, "Why does it say that I'm Roranicus?"
"You need a Roman name. Thus, you are Roranicus."
"But you're not 'Doctorus'. It just says, The Doctor," Rory frowned.
"Well, Doctorus just sounds silly."
"And Roranicus doesn't?" he stared at the strange man. He began to wonder if this was such a good idea.
The Doctor didn't respond, and stopped walking abruptly. Rory nearly bumped into him. He looked at where the Doctor was looking and saw it. The sacred fire of Rome, never to extinguish lest it cause chaos. Next to it were several young women, lounging about.
"Hello, ladies," the Doctor said, waving.
Rory mimicked his wave, quite awkwardly, "Do you speak Latin?"
"Don't have to," the Doctor whispered, "TARDIS translates everything. Go on, try it."
"Hello," Rory greeted the Vestals.
They smiled at him, "Hello."
Rory blushed, "Doctor, what do I do?"
"Just talk to them," he whispered back, "Lovely weather, isn't it?"
"It's dreadful," one, a blonde, piped up.
"It's too hot," a girl with dark red hair agreed.
"Sitting next to a fire doesn't help much, does it?" Rory found himself saying before he could stop himself.
The ginger smiled, "And you are?"
"Rory, er, Roranicus."
"I am Aemilia," she said.
Amy, Rory corrected in his mind. He shook his head. Here he was in Rome, and there was an Amy doppelganger there to mess with his head.
The Doctor and Rory had been invited to a festival, or parade of some sort. The Doctor had insisted Rory try and look the part, so he ended up wearing a Centurion outfit.
"It suits you," the Doctor complimented.
"Why don't you have to wear one?" Rory grumbled from beneath the helmet.
"My knees are too knobby," he brushed off the complaint as they sat down in the Colosseum.
It then hit Rory. He was in the bloody Colosseum. In bloody Ancient Rome. His lips turned upwards into a smile, and he was fairly certain his jaw cheeks would hurt.
"Oh, look, gladiators," the Doctor peered over the top of a fellow spectator's head.
Rory craned his neck and watched as two men stepped into the ring, ready to fight one another.
His eyes wandered and he saw the Vestals seated in prime seats, near the emperor. Aemilia noticed his stare and winked. Rory immediately turned his attention back to the gladiators.
Flirty virgins. Bad. Just bad.
The fire had gone out. The residents of Rome were panicking and havoc whirled through the streets.
"If they didn't want the fire to go out, why didn't they make at least one of the Vestals stay?" Rory asked as the Doctor observed the chaos.
People ran past, heading towards their homes. Rory wondered what could possibly happen. It was just a fire. It's not like they were going to be invaded-His thought process didn't continue as he saw decidedly non-Roman looking warriors gallop across the Forum, knocking over men, women, and children everywhere they went. Great.
"Rory, TARDIS, now," the Doctor ordered.
"But they're hurting people. We have to help them," Rory said, holding his ground.
"Just because you're in a Centurion uniform, doesn't mean you are," the Doctor said tense, practically yelling.
"I still have to help. I'm in med school, I can treat injuries, at least."
"Rory, go to the TARDIS," he demanded.
"I'm not a little boy, Doctor," Rory spat and took off in the direction the warriors were heading.
The Doctor groaned. Why did no one ever listen to the Don't wander off rule?
The Goths had laid siege on Rome. At least, Rory thought it was the Goths. His hand pressed into the handle of his gladius. He was scared. Buildings were burning and people were screaming. He heard a whimper and saw a little girl, about five, huddled behind a great marble column. He walked up to her, not wanting to scare her.
"Hello. Are you alright?"
Her large brown eyes looked at him unblinkingly.
"I want my mum," her lip quivered.
Rory knelt next to her. She had a scrape on her knee and a cut on her elbow. He frowned and wished he was still wearing his normal clothes. That way he could rip some cloth and clean her scrapes.
"Is it okay if I use this?" he asked, gesturing to the fabric of her outfit. She nodded timidly and used the gladius to tear a tiny bit off, just enough to clear up the blood.
"Thank you," she mumbled.
"Where are your parents?" he asked.
"They were at the Colosseum. I was home alone," she said, "I heard people shouting so I went looking for them."
Rory helped her stand, "We'll find your parents, okay?"
She nodded and they set off in the direction of the Colosseum, only to be waylaid by a group of warriors.
"Halt," they commanded.
The pair stopped, the little girl frightened and Rory trying not to panic.
"Names," the tall, bulky man demanded.
"Roranicus," Rory blurted out.
"Florentina," the girl trembled visibly, scared.
Without warning, the soldiers seized Rory by the arms.
"What are you doing?" he asked, struggling.
"You are a member of the Roman legion. You will be executed with the rest of them," he was told.
"What! No, this is a mistake. I'm just visiting. I'm not from here," he argued. Try a Roman soldier outfit, Rory. Blend in, Rory. Had he not been scared, he'd hunt down the Doctor.
"Release him," commanded a familiar voice.
"And who are you?"
"The Doctor. Roranicus here is my friend, and he was just trying to help this child find her mother. That is all," the Doctor said authoritatively.
The leader of the warriors looked unimpressed and scoffed, "You are but an odd man."
"Oh, but am I really? Some call me the Oncoming Storm. Feared throughout the universe for the demise of entire alien races," his green eyes glinted. He didn't really like having to call himself that. It felt like something his older self would do. It didn't sit so right in this body.
The man's eyes widened and he called back his men, retreating. Rory looked at him strangely and rubbed his neck.
"Now what?" Rory asked.
The Doctor regarded him darkly, "We find her parents and leave."
"Leave? But these people, they'll get slaughtered. We can't just leave," he protested.
"No interfering in major historical events is another rule. Welcome to the fall of the Roman Empire," the Doctor's mouth thinned into a grim line.
Behold, Ancient Rome instead of Prisoner Zero. I have no clue when the Goths invaded and when Rome fell, so consider this an alternate universe Rome. I'm not a history buff or anything.
(Rome only fell because Rory left!)
Yeah. Rory liked Amy. She was oblivious, and he tried to forget her. I think it makes more sense in my head.
Aemilia is a Vestal from legends. It was said that the fire went out, and she reignited it by praying and throwing cloth on it, but I just used her to get Rory flustered.
Thank you for the kind, encouraging reviews and the adding of this story to alerts and favorites. I'm really glad people seem to think this story is a good idea.
