Seeing as the TARDIS was miles away in some Anavrinian forest, the Doctor and Amy were given living quarters within the Underground. The apartment was modestly-sized, with two rooms and, despite what the Doctor had said about no indoor plumbing, a bathroom. Even though everything was made from stone, it was quite comfortable.

"About time we got our first flat," Amy joked as she laid Ian and Jenna down for their naps.

"What do you call the TARDIS, then?" The Doctor asked from the doorway behind her. He wasn't quite sure if he liked how—domestic—this arrangement felt.

"Well it's more like a camper, yeah? Or a mobile home."

"A bit roomier, though."

Amy tucked the blanket around Jenna's sleeping form and turned around to face the Doctor. Seeing his expression, she laughed. "Don't worry; I still like living in the TARDIS. For one thing you don't have to pay rent."

"So you've never wanted your own flat, or maybe a house? Something actually grounded?" The Doctor asked, not entirely convinced. They started for their room, closing the door softly behind them.

Amy thought about this. "Maybe, back when I was living with Aunt Sharon. But even then I would have taken the TARDIS over a place of my own any day. Like I told River, I don't plan on actually settling down for a good while."

The Doctor stuffed his hands in his pockets, his eyes downcast. "You deserve so much more than what I have to offer you, though."

Amy stopped in her tracks, causing the Doctor to halt as well. "Honestly, how thick do you have to be to not understand that I don't want anything else? All I need is you. You could offer me Clarion's palace in its glory day and I still wouldn't take it." She planted her hands on either side of his chest, the steady beat of his twin hearts pulsing beneath her palms, her red fingernails indenting into the material of his shirt ever so slightly.

The Doctors hands reached up and wound around her slender, pale wrists, sliding her arms up to wrap around his neck. Their lips met at the same moment her back collided with the wall, moving together seamlessly. She wrapped her legs around his waist, not caring about the rough stone of the wall that was digging into her back, intensely aware of the presence of a bed only a few yards away.

Just then, however, there was a knock on the apartment door. The couple broke apart, sighing in disappointment.

"Want me to try to get rid of them?" The Doctor asked her huskily, resting his forehead against hers.

Amy would be lying if she were to say she wasn't sorely tempted by this idea. "It might be important," she told him, reason winning out.

"Can't be. The galaxies could be imploding and it still wouldn't be as important as this," the Doctor replied, kissing all the way down to the tip of her nose.

Amy nearly conceded, but the knocking resounded once again, more insistent this time. Unwillingly she disentangled herself from the Doctor, allowing him to answer the door.

"I was starting to think no one was home." Ruth was standing outside the apartment, arms crossed. Both the Doctor and Amy started straightening their clothes self-consciously, which only made it more evident. The woman's right eyebrow went up.

"Right, sorry about that. Just…settling in," the Doctor invented lamely.

"Well I came to let you know that Prince Clarion is requesting your presence," Ruth announced.

"Erm, thank you," the Doctor said, adjusting his bowtie and stepping outside the dwelling to follow her.

"Wait! I want to come too," Amy said, grabbing his arm.

"What about Ian and Jenna?" The Doctor asked, none too keenly. As far as war was concerned, even the planning of it, he preferred it if his family was uninvolved.

"We have several able women who would be happy to serve as nurse for them. I can summon one if you wish," Ruth offered.

"Sounds good to me," Amy spoke up before the Doctor could refuse. He gave her a disapproving look, but she only beamed at him.

Five minutes later found them trailing behind Ruth through the tunnels of the Underground, Amy marching along triumphantly beside the Doctor, her sneakers making muffled thumping noises against the stone ground. He couldn't pretend he didn't enjoy her company, even when she was trying her best to spite him.

Ruth took them to a vast hall where meals were generally served that was being used temporarily as a meeting room for Clarion and his new generals. The men were older and battle-weathered, but they were also wise, having learned from experience the cost of war. They all sat around one of the large round tables, attentive on their leader. River sat at his right hand, just as involved in the meeting as he was.

"Glad you could come, Doctor. Amy," Clarion said as they entered the room.

"We do enjoy being invited to things," the Doctor responded, bounding over and sitting at the table as if it was a party. Amy slid in next to him. "Now, what did we miss?"

"We were just discussing Marduk's weaknesses. You've already pointed out that Sirrush may be one of them," Clarion replied.

"Ah, yes. Ever heard the saying 'A house against itself cannot stand'? Insert 'government' where 'house' is and you get the idea. There's a division in the house at the moment, and if that gap were to be widened…"

"…Then it'd be easier to take back the government," Clarion finished. He massaged his chin thoughtfully. "It's a good place to start. But how do we do it?"

"Someone has to get in there. Convince Sirrush that Anavrin should be his, and not Marduk's."

"And how are we supposed to do that? Have you forgotten how we got down here in the first place?" River said skeptically.

"Find out what his favorite haunts are, the kind of people he allows near him. There's got to be a way in somehow," the Doctor answered.

"He's well-known for frequenting the bars on High Street, although he's rarely alone," One of the other advisors contributed.

"But who do we send to do the job?" Another advisor queried. "Most of the residents of the Underground have prices on their heads. It's why they're here in the first place."

"Me, of course. I'm quite good at talking people up, if I do say so myself," the Doctor volunteered.

"More like talking people's ears off," Amy spoke up. "I'll go too."

"No you will not, Amelia," the Doctor said quickly.

"Why not?"

"It's a bar, for one."

"What, you don't think I've been in a bar before?"

"Not a rough alien one, no."

"They're all basically the same, ya know."

"I said no, Amy."

Amy smiled and patted his cheek. "You do realize that even if you forbid me to go, I'll still figure out a way around it and probably get into worse trouble than if you let me come with you, right?" She said sweetly.

"It might be better if she comes with you," Clarion told the Doctor. "Sirrush prefers female company, and he may let his guard down more."

"Besides, I'd rather not find out how much trouble she's able to cause if she stays down here," River remarked, only half-jokingly.

The Doctor opened his mouth and then shut it again, still clearly against the idea. But he couldn't deny there was something in what they were saying. "Fine, okay. You can come with me. But don't think I won't keep an extra close eye on you. No running off, and don't even think about touching that Anavrinian brew. It's fatal to humans; doesn't agree with your digestive system at all."

"What am I, five?"

"And absolutely no flirting with pirates."

Amy rolled her eyes.

"Do you want to come or not?"

"Alright, alright. No running off, no drinking, and no flirting. Takes all the fun out of everything, but whatever."

"Atta girl," the Doctor said contentedly, patting her leg. Ignoring the tingling feeling his touch produced, she crossed her arms on the table and did her best to look irked with him. "Right, so we might as well get a head start and go tonight. Come along, Pond. We need to…get ready."

As they were heading back to their apartment, Amy's curiosity won out. "What did you mean, 'get ready'?" She asked.

"Oh that? That was just a cover."

"A cover for what?"

"Well if I said what we were really going to be doing, it might have made the meeting just a tad awkward." As if to explain what he meant, the Doctor brushed aside her fiery tresses and kissed the back of her neck.

Amy grinned, a shiver going down her spine. "Ah, yes. We do have some unfinished business to attend to, don't we?"

The Doctor chuckled into her hair in response.

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