"I suggest that we all . . . run!" the Doctor yelled, grabbing the hand of whoever was nearest and dragging them out of the way.

Hmm, that's definitely not Amy's hand, the Doctor thought.

There was a cry from behind and he turned on the spot, afraid of what he might see. Luckily, it wasn't Amy up to her knees in soil, it was the old man. But the Doctor recognized that look in Amy's eyes – she wanted to help.

"Amy, stay back. Stay away from the earth," he ordered.

But Amy wouldn't listen. She leaped and began making her way to the old man when, suddenly, the earth moved again.

"Doctor!" Amy cried. "It's got me. Help!"

He ran, falling to his knees in front of her and reaching out a hand for her to take.

"I've got you," he said, taking her hand in one of his and grabbing her arm by the shoulder in an effort to drag her out.

"Don't let go," she pleaded with him.

"Never," he declared, smiling encouragingly at her.

"Doctor, why is this happening?"

"Just keep calm and hold on to my hand." Momentarily turning his attention to the two workers, he yelled, "Drill – shut it down. Go!"

"Can you get me out?" Amy asked pleadingly.

"Amy, just stay calm," he urged her, "Or you'll make things worse. Keep hold of my hand."

They gripped each other desperately.

"I'm not going to let you go," said the Doctor, doing as much to convince himself as Amy. I can't let you go, he thought. Not when you mean so much to me.

There was a moment of almost-overwhelming panic when they lost their grip. But the Doctor quickly recovered and was back in front of Amy, gripping her hand with all the strength in his 900-year-old hands.

"It's got me, Doctor," said Amy.

"Keep calm," he said. "Just hold on until they can shut down the drill."

"I can't hold on," Amy cried, her face twisting in agony. "What's under there? What has me?"

"Amy, concentrate," the Doctor grunted, arms straining with the effort of keeping Amy from slipping. "Don't give up – don't you dare."

'Cause I'm not going to, he finished inside his head. I will never give up, certainly not on you.

But it was too late. Amy lost her grip and began to disappear.

"Tell Rory—" she began, only to be interrupted by the soil swallowing her up.

"No!" the Doctor yelled as she was lost to the earth below. He dug desperately at the ground, as though that would bring her back. "No, no, no!" he yelled over and over. He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Amy was gone – she had vanished into unknown territory, where even he couldn't follow.

Amy, I was supposed to protect you, he thought sadly as he pointed his sonic screwdriver at the spot where she'd last been seen.

He was vaguely aware of the two workers running up to him, asking where Amy was.

"She's gone," he told them. "The ground took her."

Later, as he stood pacing around the hole in the ground, the Doctor didn't know what to think, so he lashed out at the available targets.

"No, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up," he declared haughtily. He continued to sonic the patch of earth that had swallowed Amy – my Amy, I'll get you back, and that's a promise – before pausing to listen.

"If you've only got the one drill," he said slowly. "Then why can I still hear drilling?"

He sensed the two above him sharing a look of confusion.

"It's coming from under the ground," he said as realization struck. It took looking at the records, though, for the big picture to sink in. "While you've been drilling down, somebody else has been drilling up." Then, just to shake things up, a reading appeared on the charts – three individual signals. "Oh," the Doctor exclaimed. "The noise we're hearing isn't drilling, it's transport. And it's heading up. Take this equipment and come with me."

As they walked quickly along the pathway, the Doctor did his best to answer their questions. And then – red sparks appeared in the sky.

"Oh, no," the Doctor groaned. He knelt down, selecting a rock and taking out his slingshot. Firing the rock into the sky revealed that the surrounding area had been sealed off by an energy shield.

Out of the corner of his eye, the Doctor saw Rory heading his way.

"Not now, Rory," he said distractedly.

"Doctor, where's Amy?" he asked.

"Everyone, get inside – now," said the Doctor, scooping up the case containing one of the computers and speed-walking back to Rory.

"Rory, I'll get her back," he said, trying to block out the memory of his friend's last moments before she disappeared – hopefully not forever.

"What do you mean 'get her back'? Where's she gone?"

"She was taken."

"Where?"

"Into the earth."

"How? Why didn't you stop it?"

"I tried. I promise, Rory, I tried."

"Well, you should have tried harder."

"I'll find Amy, I'll keep you all safe – I promise. Come on, please. I need you alongside me."

Without another word, the Doctor turned and walked away, hoping Rory would follow, as Amy would have.

I'm sorry, Amy. I did try, I promise. I'll get you back. And you'll be alive. Otherwise . . . my world might as well end, for you are my world, Amy Pond.

Trust a child's innocence to throw him for a loop.

"Can you get my dad back?"

The Doctor stared, caught off guard.

I will at least try, I can promise you that much, he thought. But nothing is going to stop me from getting Amy back safe and in one piece.

"Yes," he declared. "But I need you to trust me and do exactly as I say from this moment on because we are running out of time."

"So tell us what to do," said the mum.

"Thank you," he said, sparing the woman a slight grimace that could have been taken for a smile.

Of all things, he found himself conversing with a child about one's homeland.

"I want to live in a city. Soon as I'm old enough, I'm getting out," said Elliot.

"I was the same way," the Doctor admitted.

"Did you get out?"

"Oh, yeah," he replied, thinking of the mad flight away from Gallifrey and looking back to see it burning.

"Do you ever miss it?"

"So much," he replied, though, funnily enough, his first thought to missing home wasn't Gallifrey, but of Amy.

Well, I love her. So of course I'm going to think of missing her. No, now's not the time to turn nostalgic. You're getting to be as bad as these humans you call friends.

"Are there monsters coming? Have you met monsters before?" asked Elliot.

So many questions . . .

"Yeah."

"Are you scared?"

"No, they're scared of me."

"Will you really get my dad back?"

"No question about it." If I'm determined to get Amy back, the least I can do is get your dad out too, as well as whoever else may be down there.

The power went out, and with it, the hope of rescuing Amy.

"Nothing, we've got nothing," the Doctor said, pacing about with his hands fisted in his hair.

He was soon eating his words though as he attempted to convince Ambrose that Elliot was not lost to them.

I should listen to what I preach, he thought dryly. Yes, there's always hope. I will see Amy again, if it's the last thing I do.

"I don't know why these things are happening. I'll find Elliot. But, please – get inside the church. I have to stop these attacks."

I can't lose any more people. Losing Amy was hard enough. I can't take another blow like that.

"I'll be fine," the Doctor told Rory, but really, he wasn't at all sure. He just couldn't afford to let Rory put himself in harm's way.

I have to keep him safe, for Amy's sake. Everything – it's for her.

"Your people have a friend of mine," he told the creature. "I want her back," he said, deadly serious.

As the interrogation progressed, the Doctor offered an olive branch. "I can help. Tell me where my friend is."

"No. A massacre is due," she replied.

"Not while I'm here," the Doctor declared.

"I will gladly die for my cause. What will you sacrifice for yours?" she snarled.

The Doctor turned away without a word. I've already sacrificed too much, and that's Amy.

"I'm going to go down into the earth and talk to them," proclaimed the Doctor. "The creature in the crypt is my greatest bargaining chip. I need her alive. I'm going to find Elliot; I'm going to find Mo; I'm going to find Amy; and I will get them out. That's a promise."

"Shouldn't we be examining or dissecting this creature to figure out its weak point?"

"No – no examining, no dissecting. If we return their hostage, they'll return ours, and no one gets hurt."

I can't believe these people, the Doctor thought, inwardly groaning. I will do whatever it takes to see that Amy gets out alive.

"I'm going to see that nobody dies today."

And certainly not Amy.

Later, as he was running down the TARDIS steps, he thought, I'm coming, Amy. Hold on.

Having made his way down below the earth's surface, his final destination became wherever Amy was.

Getting caught probably wasn't the best move. Certainly the decontamination was pain previously unimaginable.

But I would rather die a thousand deaths than return to the surface without Amy. How could I ever face Rory? Never mind that – how could I live with myself?

As his execution was pronounced, the Doctor thought, Ah, lovely – just what I need. Still, I've been in worst jams before.

Suddenly, Amy was there, with weapon in hand. But of course it was too good to be true as the leader advanced, yanking the weapon from Amy's hands.

"Don't you touch her," the Doctor ordered in his most fearsome voice, as he was powerless to do any more, what with his hands behind his back. He leveled a glare at the leader, daring her to do her worst, so long as she left Amy alone.

"I'm sorry," Amy said. "As rescues go, that didn't live up to expectations."

Silly Amy, thought the Doctor, thinking I'd be worried about a rescue mission.

"I'm just glad you're okay," he said. He couldn't even mind the fact that they were all about to die. At least he got to see Amy one more time.

They shared a glance, eyes darting to their sides, as the leader demanded to be shown their hostage.

"Execute the girl," the leader declared.

"No, there's no need for this," the Doctor yelled. "Don't do this," he pleaded, urging them to see reason.

And then came their salvation.

"Unchain them," said a voice from the doorway. It was the laboratory creature, back with another one, obviously of higher authority.

The Doctor breathed yet another sigh of relief. Amy was not going to die today after all.

Walking into that room and hearing Amy negotiate, he'd never been prouder. He knew he'd been right when he'd said she was the best to represent humanity.

He could certainly have never, in all good consciousness, sent Ambrose to speak for the earth. When she admitted to killing the creature that had been their hostage, it was all he could do to keep calm and carry on.

"We had a chance here, a chance which you blew. When you tell people about this, tell them how you were less than the best of humanity."

His one thought at that point was Amy, and how she was the best. She would always be the best. But how would this turn of events affect their survival? What would become of them? Of Amy?

When their former executioner entered, he acted on instinct. Even though he was upset and disappointed in Ambrose's actions, she couldn't be blamed for wanting to keep her family together. He felt the same way about Amy. So, he pulled her out of harm's way and urged everyone to head for the lab. Bringing up the rear, he aimed his sonic screwdriver at the creatures' weapons, blowing them up.

Running to avoid being shot, he encountered the rest of his party.

"I'll cover you. Go, go," he urged.

Even if he died, he would do so in the knowledge that he had been protecting Amy. And there was no shame in that, only the highest honor in defending the woman he loved.

"One warning, that's all you get – stay back," he cautioned the reptilian creatures. "This ends here."

Stubborn as they were, the Doctor saw no alternative, "Like I said, one warning," before shooting their weapons out of their hands.

The Doctor felt on fire. He had his Amy back.

Then, during their escape attempt, he just had to notice the crack. If he hadn't, perhaps what happened next could have been avoided.

The leader of the rebel forces slowly crawled around the corner. She was shooting to kill, and had her gun pointed at the Doctor. But Rory – noble, selfless Rory – pushed him out of the way, taking the blow in the Doctor's place.

He fell instantly, gasping for air.

"Amy," he whispered feebly.

"I'm here, Rory," said Amy, kneeling by his side. "I'm here."

"Rory? Can you hear me, Rory?" asked the Doctor, waving his sonic screwdriver over him. "Oh, why did you do that?"

"Amy," whispered Rory again. "Amy, you have to leave me. Go with the Doctor, be happy."

"Rory, what are you saying?" Amy asked, fighting back her growing panic.

"We were never meant to be," whispered Rory, his voice growing fainter and fainter. "But you . . . you and the Doctor – you two are."

"No, Rory. It's you I love – only you," Amy cajoled.

"There's no use pretending, Amy, I know . . . I've seen the way you two act around each other. It's a beautiful sight. You're beautiful, Amy."

"Rory . . ." Amy was crying now.

"Doctor," said Rory, his gaze shifting to take in the alien man hovering above him. "Take care of her."

"I will," replied the Doctor solemnly. "You have my promise."

"Good." Rory nodded, though the movement seemed to cause him some pain. "And for the record, Doctor, I would take a bullet for you any day. You are worth saving, never doubt that."

The Doctor was left speechless. "I-thank you, Rory. I'll do my best to ensure that you won't have died in vain."

"Have fun, you two," said Rory with a smile. "Don't forget about me."

"No, never," declared Amy emphatically. "I'm sorry, Rory. You were right. I do love the Doctor. But I love you too."

"Have a good life, Amy – promise me that you will move on." Rory grasped her hand firmly.

Hesitating only slightly, Amy nodded. "I promise, Rory. I will live a full life, for your sake."

There were tremors passing through Rory's body that were causing him to shake.

"I don't want to go," he whimpered. And then, he was gone.

"No – Rory!" Amy yelled.

"Amy, it's time to leave," said the Doctor urgently. "Amy, the light from the crack is seeping through. If it touches you, it will be as if you never existed. Now let's move."

Sparing Rory a final glance, Amy allowed the Doctor to lead her inside the TARDIS. Guiding her up the stairs, he settled her into one of the chairs around the control panel.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently.

"He's dead, he's gone," she whispered, as though she were in shock and couldn't believe what had just happened. "Why did such a good man have to die?"

"He believed in something that was bigger and more important than him – me, I'm afraid to say."

Amy broke down crying, unable to bear the agony any more. The Doctor, still on his knees in front of her chair, took her in his arms and let her stain his jacket with her tears.

"There, there. It'll be alright," he whispered reassuringly into her ear.

When she had cried her last, she pulled away. As she moved to wipe away her tears on the sleeve of her shirt, the Doctor stilled her hand, bringing his own to brush the tears away with the pads of his thumbs.

"Feel better?" he asked cautiously.

"Yes, much better. Thank you," she replied.

"Don't mention it. You can use my shoulder to cry on anytime."

She cracked a tentative but genuine smile at hearing that, her first of many more to come.

"Now, Amy. I know you're suffering. You've just lost your fiancé. But we need to talk about what he said, which was that you love me. I notice you didn't deny this allegation. Care to tell me why?"

"Because it's true," Amy said, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Really?" the Doctor whispered, barely audible.

"Really, really," Amy replied.

"Well, then," the Doctor huffed.

"Doctor, what is it?" asked Amy concernedly.

"You just saw Rory die right in front of you, yet you love me. I don't know what to do. I want to give you time to recover, but my hearts are telling me to just kiss you senseless, out of relief that you're alive as much as for the fact that you feel the same."

"I rather like your hearts, Doctor," said Amy with a cheeky grin. "You should listen to them."

"You mean – you don't mind?"

"Not in the least. Rory's death has shaken me, but he was nothing more than a dear friend. I love him, but as I would a brother or a cousin. But you – you I love with all my heart and soul, and—"

The Doctor would never know what Amy had been about to say, as he chose that moment to connect their lips, rather forcefully too.

"I love you too, Amelia Jessica Pond – so, so much!"

"As I love you, Doctor – my Doctor," said Amy, smiling adoringly up at him.

"Yours for all eternity," he replied.

"Is that a promise, Doctor?" asked Amy.

"It's a guarantee," said the Doctor confidently.

Amy nodded, content in knowing that the Doctor was hers and she was his. They shared another passion-filled kiss, exploring more uncharted territory, before moving towards the control panel and deciding where to visit next.