Welcome to the end.

Thanks so much for reading; I look forward to getting more story ideas to write! Much loves, Audrey.

In the end, Amy had disagreed with herself and decided against leaving Bad Wolf. It had been so exhausting, the fight with herself. You can't leave here. It doesn't make sense. Yes you can! You have to! No...what would you do?

It wasn't giving up, it was learning patience. It was just the most logical solution. If Rory, by some wonderful chance, was still alive and looking for her, this was the only possible place he would know to search in. Alternatively, if she by some amazing miracle, escaped Bad Wolf, she had no money and no idea how to get back to the Paris hospital, let alone the airport.

But staying was more terrifying than setting out to find him herself. The knowledge that she had to wait. Maybe wait for eternity; but then again, that was one of the sticky note promises. To wait.

So when Tahla brought her a basket of hot, savory smelling food the next night, she was there to accept it. She binged a little, had a hot bath, filled a whole journal with emotional writing, and slept until noon. When she woke up, there were no new sticky notes, and the world seemed a little less like it was about to crush her skull.

She took the rest of the day doing completely pointless things; she thought about curling her hair, but couldn't stand the thought of seeing her own tear streaked face in the mirror. She alphabetized her bookshelf, sketched a landscape, and finished the bottle of orange juice.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Tahla, you can't keep giving her chances like this."

Tahla ignored Jenny as she started a fresh pot of coffee in the office.

"If you lost David, you'd be having these types of struggles as well, and you know it." she finally replied.

Jenny didn't have a response to this.

"She loved the guy, and she's balancing between denial and grief...on top of recovering from her condition. She's ridiculously strong, and I believe in encouraging that."

"Well, you call the shots, I guess. It's just..."

"I don't want to hear about it, Jenny. She wasn't treated well when James was calling the shots. She deserves this."

Jenny nodded. "Alright."

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Amy fixed her lipstick in the mirror one last time, then grinned widely to make sure none of it was trying to sneak onto her teeth. Her eyes screamed at her in the reflection, begging her not to do this. Not to go on a blind date. Not to go on a date at all.

She closed her eyes and pressed her fists into the sides of her head. It had been a whole year since that kiss with Rory. A whole year since she had last been sure that he was alive.

Now, he was dead. She knew he was dead. He had to be; he would have shown up. Or at least called. Googled the phone number of Bad Wolf. Or somebody.

Now, she would never even know. She was free from Bad Wolf...living in a flat with a sort of pleasant woman who had agreed to share rent with her. And she had learned to drive a car, and she had gotten a job at the florist down the street. It was a pleasant, quiet life. Full of clouds and tears and the ribbons that covered the places where she had torn out her own hair. Best not to report that when she had the occasional conversation with Tahla; she might lose her freedom. And she quite liked living on her own.

She grabbed her car keys, running the name through her head so she wouldn't blank when she shook this stranger-who-wanted-to-meet-and-maybe-kiss-her's hand. Trevor. Trevor. Trevor. Pleasure to meet you. I think your jumper's quite nice. Traffic was hell. Care for a stick of gum? No, I don't drink any wine, thanks.

A final change of mind made her toss the keys away. She was too nervous to drive; she would take a cab. The car keys jingled hurtfully as they bounced off the edge of the bowl she kept them in near the door and hit the floor. She didn't bother to pick them up.

"Becky, I'm going out!" She called, taking the green jacket off the hook and opening the door.

Trevor had a beard, she observed as she walked closer. She didn't like beards. She smiled her best though, determined not to judge prematurely.

"Amy?" he said hesitantly, pointing at her as he took a step forward.

"Yeah...Trevor." she smiled brightly and stuck out her hand. He grasped it gently and she forced back a shudder. He had sweaty hands.

Or maybe those were hers.

Her phone rang.

Trevor withdrew his hand uncertainly.

"I'm sorry. I think I need to get that...I'll only be a minute."

She smiled apologetically and turned her back to him as she dug through her purse for the phone.

"Hello?"
"Amy? It's Tahla."

"Is it important? I'm on a date."
"Amy...did you drive or take a cab?"

"Cab. Tell me."

Tahla sighed in relief. "Okay. Get a cab to my place. Now."
"Are you okay?" Amy asked. Her heart was doing flips.

"Just...come over."

She knew. Her heart knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

She was already out the door when a hand grabbed her sleeve.

"Amelia? Are you alright?"

She turned to Trevor, unable to contain her tears. "It's Amy." she said.

She didn't even feel bad for leaving him standing there as she hailed a cab and scrambled in.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Her hand flung the door wide instead of knocking when she got to Tahla's. Her eyes didn't see the brightly painted walls of the hallway, and her feet had memorized the path to Tahla's parlor long ago. Emotion blinded her as she flew into the parlor, overwhelmed with wild dizziness.

Her eyes, blurred with tears, saw nothing. Her other senses made up for it.

The smell, the touch. The voice. The cinnamon-fulfillng-completing smell. The firm embrace. The sound of her name.

She was home.

He was home.

Her Rory.

THE END