Amy's Choice, Part 2
As the group of elderly people neared them, surprisingly fast, even the ones with the walking frames, the Time Lords, Amy, and Rory slowly began to back away, eyeing them nervously.
"Hi!" Rory called to them, giving them a little wave.
"Hello!" Amy added in a falsely bright, cheerful voice.
The Doctor clapped his hands together, trying to give them a smile, "Hello, we were wondering where you went," he informed them, edging carefully closer towards the group, "To get reinforcement, by the look of it!"
"Ah, are you feeling quite alright?" the Hatter asked, eyeing them as the old people hardly seemed to even hear what they said, determined to get them and…well, she wasn't entirely sure just what they had in mind, but from what she had already seen them do with an entire class of school kids, she didn't expect it was to gush over there grandkids with them, "It's just that you look a little…" she gestured towards them, looking at their set, blank expressions, "…tense".
"Hello, Mr Nainby," Rory smiled, stepping forward as he waved at an old man in a brown coat.
"Rory…" the Doctor began warningly.
He shook his head at him, "Mr Nainby ran the sweet shop," he told them, not listening to the Doctor's warning tone, "He used to slip me the odd free toffee…" Nainby suddenly grabbed Rory by his collar and lifted him off the ground, replacing his smile with a startled expression, "Did I not say, 'thank you?'" he asked nervously, when he was thrown backwards and landed on his back a short distance away in the mud. He sat back up, his eyes wide with shock, "How did he do that?"
"I don't think he's still the nice old man who gave you extra sweets anymore, Rory," the Hatter said grimly as he climbed back onto his feet, hurrying back over to them as the group came to a stop before them.
"Don't get comfortable here," the Doctor looked at Amy and Rory, before turning back to eye the group, "You may have to run, fast"
Amy sighed and looked down at her stomach, rolling her eyes, "Can't we just talk to them?" she tried tiredly, knowing that in her currant state, running fast from a bunch of elderly people was going to be very difficult. Suddenly, the old people opened there mouths to reveal a large, green, reptilian eyes in their mouths, making her and Rory jump back as the Doctor grabbed his sonic, flashing it at the old woman before them, "There is an eye in her mouth!" she gasped.
"More than just an eye, I expect," the Hatter muttered, eyeing them warily.
The Doctor continued to scan the old woman, "The Hatter's right, there's a whole creature inside her," he nodded, "Inside all of them. They've been there for years, living and waiting".
"That's disgusting," Rory grimaced, looking crossed between disgusted and curious as he glanced at the Time Lords, "They're not going to be peeping out of anywhere else, are they?"
The Hatter opened her mouth, looking unsure whether she should be amused or if she should scold him, when Mrs Poggit suddenly leaned forward and hissed out a green gas towards them, apparently not pleased by Rory's question. They jumped back, Rory pulling Amy back as she screamed.
"Run!" the Doctor shouted at the humans, realising just how dangerous the situation had become. He held up his hands in an calming gesture as Amy and Rory ran off and the Hatter watched them go, wanting to make sure they got far enough away, "Okay, leave them, leave them," he quickly ordered the group as they moved to follow them, "Talk to us. Talk to us!" slowly, the old people stopped, seeming to be eyeing the Time Lords, "You are Eknodine," he continued, trying to buy Amy and Rory more time, "A proud, ancient race, you're better than this".
"So, tell us," the Hatter said, frowning at them, "Why come here and hide? What happened to your home?"
"We were driven from our planet by…" Mrs Poggit, or the creature that had taken over her body, began.
"…planet by upstart neighbours," the Doctor cut in, nodding as he exchanged a look with the Time Lady.
"So we've…" Mr Nainby started.
"…been living here under the disguise of elderly humans, living inside there very bodies for years," the Hatter sighed, shaking her head, feeling sorry for the original hosts of the bodies, "Which is why they've lived so long, you've been keeping them alive".
"We were humbled and destroyed," Mrs Poggit continued darkly, looking determined, "Now we will do the same to others".
"Okay," the Doctor remarked slowly, glancing at the Hatter, "Makes sense, I suppose. Credible enough".
The Time Lady inclined her head towards him, "Could actually be real," she agreed.
A young man pushing his bike along walked past them, "Morning," he called to them in greeting, not seeming to find a group of elderly people standing in the middle of a park with two strangers odd.
Suddenly, Mrs Poggit turned and shot the green gas at the man with a loud screech, turning him to dust right before the Doctor and the Hatter's very eyes, the bike falling onto the ground with a clatter.
"You need to leave this planet," the Doctor whirled back around to the group, glaring at them angrily.
"And now!" the Hatter added, just as angry by what she had just witnessed as the Doctor, "To many people have died today".
Mrs Poggit simply looked back to them and screeched loudly, not appearing the slightest bit concerned or threated.
The Time Lady winced at the sound, eyeing the group nervously as they seemed to be preparing themselves to attack again, "Ah…I think that's our cue to retreat, sweetheart," she swallowed.
"Good idea," he nodded, grabbing her hand.
They managed to dodge around the group, running back through the park and over to the road. They glanced back to find the group following after them as they hurried back down the road, trying to find some way to escape them, when the bird song started up again, making them stumble. They struggled to try and fight it off, desperately trying to stay awake as they stumbled off the road and over to a butcher's shop.
The Hatter pushed the door open, relieved to find it unlocked, and almost fell face first onto the floor as she stumbled inside the small shop front, but luckily the Doctor managed to just catch her arm, pulling her back up. He quickly slammed the door closed and locked it, flipping the 'Open and Closed' sign over onto the 'Closed' side.
"Oh, I love a good butcher's, don't you?" the Dream Lords commented as he appeared behind the counter, making them blink and look over to him. He was smirking at them, seeming to be enjoying their attempts to fight back against the bird song, and he had changed his clothing again, dressed this time in a butcher's uniform, even with a straw Pork Pie hat, "We've got to use these places or they'll shut down," the Doctor tried to ignore him by moving across the room to a door, trying it, only to find that it was locked. He glared at the Doctor, "Oh, but you're probably a vegetarian, aren't you, you big flop-haired wuss".
The Hatter groaned, running a hand down her face, "Would you shut up for five minutes?" she huffed, throwing the Dream Lord an annoyed look as she spotted a key sitting on a shelf and grabbed it, handing it to the Doctor, since he was closest to the door, "We're quite busy, if you hadn't already noticed," she added over her shoulder, watching as the Doctor fumbled with the keys, his hands shaking with the effort to stay awake.
"Getting a little anxious, dear?" the Dream Lord raised his eyebrows, looking more amused by her anger then anything, "Maybe you two need a little sleep…" the bird song started up again, this time even louder, and both Time Lords fell against the door, slipping down it until they slumped on the floor, half asleep, "Oh, wait a moment…" the chirping stopped and they blinked awake, alarmed, and quickly pulled themselves back onto their feet. He leaned over the counter towards them, mock concerned, "If you fall asleep here, several dozen pensioners will destroy you with their horrible eye things".
"Oh, please shut up," the Hatter muttered, almost pleadingly as she stumbled, her legs feeling like they were about to give way beneath her.
They managed to get around the counter and over to a door leading through to a small hallway, when the chirping returned, causing them to fall against the doorframe, the Doctor trying to cover his ears to block the sound.
"Fingers in the ears?" the Dream Lord scoffed, following them, "Brilliant!" the Doctor began sliding down the wall as the Hatter clutched onto the door frame with as much strength as she could, just trying to stay standing, "What's next, shouting 'boo?'" he looked back to the shop and gestured with his hands, seeming delighted as he caught sight of the old people outside the shop window, "Come in, come in!" he called to them as the little bell over the door jingled and the old people entered. He glanced back to the Time Lords, both of them having lost their battle to stay standing, now slumped on the floor, "Yes, we've got lots at 'steak' this week. Lots at steak…" he cast the Time Lords a pointed look, "…get it?" the Time Lords suddenly jolted awake, their eyes widening in alarm as they struggled to stand, supporting each other as they caught sight of a door handle and latched onto it. The Dream Lord sighed, "Are these jokes wasted on you two?"
They tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge, so they hurried across to the second freezer at the end of the hall, but as they reached it, the bird song returned and they slipped down it.
"Wait, stop…" the Doctor tried as the old people approached them, reaching inside his pocket.
"Oh," the Dream Lord exclaimed in mock sadness, shaking his head, "Oh, I can't watch," he covered his eyes, peeking out between his fingers at them.
Seeing just how close the old people were to getting them, the Doctor used the last of his strength to grab his sonic, pull himself back up, helping the Hatter to stand as she leant heavily against him, her eyes half closed. He flashed the sonic at the door, unlocking it, and hurried inside, slamming it behind them as he used his sonic to lock it once more.
The birdsong returned and slowly, he fell back against the door, the Time Lady slipping out of his arms and onto the floor, and they both fell asleep with the sound of the old people pounding on the door from the other side ringing in their ears…
….
The Doctor and the Hatter jolted awake to find themselves back in the TARDIS, Amy and Rory awaking beside them, and sitting up.
"Ah!" Amy gasped, grabbing one of the blankets and pulling it around her, shivering, "It's colder".
"Goodness," the Hatter breathed, feeling herself shaking, too, as she wrapped her coat tighter around herself, snuggling closer to the Doctor for extra warmth, "We really need to start thinking about what world is the dream," she said, looking around at the other three, "We need to pick and all agree, otherwise we're all going to end up dying".
"It's this, here," Rory replied, determined as he gestured around them, before quickly putting his hand back inside his pocket.
"He could be right," Amy nodded slowly, "The science is all wrong here," she frowned, glancing at the Time Lords, "Burning ice?"
"No, no, no," the Doctor shook his head, buttoning his blazer as he pulled the Time Lady closer to him, "Ice can burn, sofas can read…" the Hatter opened her mouth, but decided against making a remark. He looked back and forth between them, "It's a big Universe. We have to agree which battle to lose. All of us, now".
The red head sighed, "Okay, so which world do you think is real?" she asked, looking at the Time Lords.
"This one," he answered, and the Hatter nodded along with him.
"No, the other one!" Rory said quickly.
"Yeah, but are we disagreeing, or competing?"
"Competing?" Amy repeated, looking confused, "Over what?"
Rory looked at her and she sighed, looking annoyed as she stood. The Hatter sighed tiredly, pinching the bridge of her nose, following after Amy, knowing that this was something that the Doctor needed to deal with, not her.
The Doctor turned to Rory, lowering his voice so that the girls wouldn't hear, "I'm not your competition, Rory," he told him quietly, "I'm married to a woman I've been in love with for centuries. Amy's a lovely woman, but I already have everything I have wanted since I was a child," he looked over to the Hatter, who was wondering around the console, her arms wrapped around her middle due to the cold. Rory followed his gaze, "She is everything to me," he finished, turning back to him, trying to make him understand just how deep his feelings for the Hatter ran.
Centuries had gone by and yet, only one woman had managed to make him feel like the Hatter made him feel. Nothing had changed, if anything, since the Time War his feelings for her had only grown, if that was possible, and now knowing just how it felt to lose her once, the idea of ever losing her again was unbearable. Perhaps he had taken her for granted before that she would always be there, but he would never make that mistake again, not now that he knew what it was like to live without her being in his life.
He eyed Rory for a moment longer, trying to make sure that he understood, before he checked his watch, "Nine minutes till impact," he announced to the room, jumping up onto his feet and stepping over to the Hatter, wrapping an arm around her.
"What temperature is it?" Amy questioned, looking around the steadily frosting room as she pulled the blanket off herself, placing it on the console.
"Well, outside…" the Hatter began, wincing slightly at the thought of just how cold it actually was out there, "Let's just say that you are going to need a lot of zeros for me to answer that question".
"But inside?" the Doctor added, trying to keep himself moving on the spot to stop his legs from freezing, his arm still around the Time Lady, "I don't know but I can't feel my feet and…" he glanced around at them, "Other parts".
"Okay!" the blonde held up a hand, throwing him a quick look, "Let's not go there, sweetheart".
Rory stepped over to the console and picked up the phone receiver, holding it up, "Can't we call for help?" he asked, looking over to the Time Lords.
"Yeah…" the Doctor moved over to him and grabbed the receiver, "Because the Universe is really small and there's bound to be somebody nearby," he rolled his eyes slightly, lightly tapping Rory's head, before setting the receiver back down.
"Put these on, both of you," Amy called over to them, throwing the Doctor the Hatter two blankets with a hole in it, that they caught and blinked down at, while she stepped over to Rory, pulling the third and last blanket over his head.
Rory looked down his front as the Doctor pulled on his blanket, but the Hatter frowned slightly, making no move to put hers on, "Oh, a poncho," he remarked, "The biggest crime against fashion since lederhosen," he looked up, but frowned as he caught sight of Amy standing there, still shivering without a blanket. He quickly moved to pull his off, "Amy, here…"
"No," the Hatter cut across him, moving forward, holding her blanket out to Amy, "You take mine," Amy opened her mouth and she continued, "Just take it, please. I'm a Time Lady, the cold will take longer to kill me then it will you, so please don't argue".
Amy smiled at her and gratefully took the blanket, pulling it over her head, "Thank you," she nodded to her, pulling her hair out from under the blanket.
The Doctor pulled off his blanket and before the Hatter could even speak, he plucked her hat off her head and pulled the blanket over her head, ruffling her hair, "And don't you dare take it off," he pointed sternly at her as she sighed, rolling her eyes, "I'll be fine".
"Sweetheart, we are very far from being fine right now, considering the fact that we're slowly freezing to death. Stop being such a gentlemen and put this blanket back on!"
"No," he shook his head stubbornly, crossing his arms as he pulled his blazer tighter around himself, trying to hide just how cold he actually was.
She glared at him before huffing loudly, deciding that she would have to bide her time and wait to find a chance to get it back on him, "Fine," she said quietly, her voice blank of emotions, "Have it your way…for now," he narrowed his eyes at her, "Now, give me back my hat and come here," she held out her hand. He handed her the hat, eyeing her warily as she put the hat back on, before rolling her eyes at him again, "It's not a trick, sweetheart. There's no reason we can't both share this blanket".
He smiled slightly, seeing that she wasn't planning some trick and moved closer to her, wrapping an arm around her, enjoying the warmth. But, of course, he really couldn't be sure that she wasn't up to something. She was definitely going to get him back later, he knew that.
They turned back to look at the scanner screen to see that the frozen star was growing closer, they could even now make out an icy blue hue to it as they watched grimly.
"We're not going to die," Rory remarked after a moment, trying to sound more determined then he felt.
"No, we're not," the Doctor agreed, quickly checking his watch, "But our time's running out," he sighed heavily, clapping his hands together, trying to warm his fingers up, "If we fall asleep here we're in trouble…." he began pacing, rubbing his arms as he shivered.
"If only we could split up," the Hatter commented thoughtfully, watching him pace, feeling guilty as she noticed how much he was shivering. She was definitely putting this blanket on him as soon as she could, "That way two of us could work in each world to try and work this out".
He nodded along with her, still pacing, "But the Dream Lord is switching us between worlds," he frowned, shaking his head in frustration, "Why? Why? What's the logic?"
"Good idea, rainbow," the Dream Lord suddenly appeared, pacing alongside the Doctor with a blanket on, his eyes coming to land on the Time Lady as Amy and Rory jumped slightly, "Let's divide you four up, so I can have a little chat with our lovely companion and resident Time Lady," Amy and the Hatter exchanged a slightly nervous look as he came to a stop before them, giving them an unnerving smile. The Doctor's eyes narrowed at him, looking anything but pleased by the suggestion, "Maybe I'll keep them," he continued as if he had only just come up with the idea, turning to the Doctor, "And you can have Pointy Nose to yourself for all eternity, should you manage to clamber aboard some sort of reality".
The birdsong started up again, but only the Doctor and Rory could hear it as the Doctor looked worriedly at the Hatter, desperately trying to fight off the effects.
"Can you hear that?" Rory asked Amy, blinking slightly as he stepped closer to her.
"What?" Amy shook her head, looking startled as she glanced at the Hatter, "No".
"Don't worry about us," the Hatter told them, giving them both a comforting look as she watched them trying so hard to stay with them, afraid of just what the Dream Lord had in store for them when they were in the other world. She stepped closer to Amy and wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders, "We'll be fine," she looked at Rory, who was trying to stay standing, but was losing the battle, "Rory, I promise, I'll keep Amy safe".
The Doctor tried to smile at her as he felt his eyes beginning to drop and his legs struggling to hold him up, "We'll be back," he said firmly.
"Be careful," she looked back and forth between the two men, trying to hid just how afraid she was, not for herself and Amy, but for them. They would be in far more danger then she or Amy was, she knew that for sure.
Slowly, both men slumped onto the floor, the Doctor reaching out his hand towards the Time Lady as his eyes slipped shut. The Hatter let go of Amy and knelt on the floor, taking his hand, squeezing it gently as he fell asleep, trying to reassure him that they would be okay.
The Dream Lord smirked at the woman, watching them, "We're going to have fun, aren't we?"
The Hatter pulled herself back onto her feet, glaring at him as he gave them a mocking wave, before disappearing, leaving them alone.
….
The Doctor's eyes snapped open and he found himself back in the freezer, slumped against the door. He gave himself a sharp shake, pulling himself up straighter, when he noticed the Hatter was still asleep beside him, her head resting on his shoulder, her hat sitting on an odd angle, but the sound of her soft, heavy breathing calmed him.
Carefully, he guided her onto the floor, moving her away from the door and picked up her hat, debating what he should do with it, before shoving it into his own pocket, knowing that she would kill him if he lost it. He remembered what happened the last time he had stolen her hat and hidden it in the console room…it certainly hadn't been pretty. She had blown up his sonic screwdriver, he had thought she was bluffing, thinking that she wouldn't destroy something that they had once built together, but he had really underestimated just how serious she had been. He had spent a week finding bits of his screwdriver stuck in his hair after that.
Once he sure that she was comfortable, or at least as comfortable as she could possibly be lying on a concrete, freezer floor, he stepped back over to the door, pushing his ear against it, listening. He could faintly hear the sound of the creatures screaming outside and he reached inside his pocket, withdrawing his sonic.
"Okay," he murmured, moving the sonic closer to the door handle, "Where is it?" he began trying to find the right frequency, the green light on the end flashing as he managed to locate it. He hurried back over the Hatter and pulled her up right, wrapping an arm around her waist as her head limply rolled backwards, "Sorry, dear," he winced slightly, struggling to hold her up as he moved back over to the door, trying to adjust her in his arms.
Despite her love of all things sweet, she really wasn't that heavy, but attempting to juggle a completely limp person while opening a door was quite tricky, and it took him a moment to find a way to open the door with his sonic in hand, before aiming it up towards the light hanging above the group of old people outside waiting for them, causing it to send sparks all over them, dazing them.
They blinked and covered their eyes at the expulsion as the Doctor scooped the Hatter up into his arms and ran through the group, running over to the backdoor, and out through a small yard out the back of the butcher's shop, through a gate, and onto the street. He looked around, trying not to toss the Hatter around too much, when he heard something.
"Oh help, somebody!" a man was shouting a short distance up the street, hiding inside an old VW bus, trying to close the driver's door, while Mr Nainby attempted to get inside, trying to get the trapped man.
"Oh, you couldn't live near the shops, could you?" the Doctor muttered, rolling his eyes slightly, tightening his hold on the Time Lady in his arms as he raced down the street towards the man.
"Help me!" the man cried frantically, struggling with the door, "Help me!"
The Doctor reached the van and tried to think of what to do with his arms full, when Nainby caught sight of him and whirled around from the van, taking a clumsily swing at him, that the Doctor managed to avoid and quickly kicked the back of his leg, sending the old man sprawling across the road with a loud growl of pain. Once he was out of the way, the Doctor hurried forward and pulled the door to the van open, looking at the owner of the van, who was staring at him, "It's okay, only me," he assured him cheerfully, carefully lifting the Hatter up into the van before following after her, slamming the door closed. He paused, glancing at the blonde, "Well, me and the wife".
The young man climbed into the back of the van as the man cast the Hatter a mildly concerned look as the Time Lady slumped in the passage seat, her head resting against the widow, "Is she okay?" he asked.
The Doctor waved him off, focusing on the wheel of the van as he started it up, "Just a little sleepy," he replied, "It's been happening a lot today".
He drove the van quickly off down the road and through the village, slowing down as he caught sight of two women at the playground, surrounded by advancing old people. The man in the back slid the side door open, gesturing to them urgently, "Get in!" he called to them, gaining there attention, "Get in, get in. Quickly, quickly, over here! Quickly! Get in…"
"Come on, jump in," the Doctor urged at the same time as the women ran over to the van, "Quickly, get in now! Quickly. Hurry up," the women jumped in, the second one slightly hesitate as the van continued to move. He glanced up at the revere mirror, trying to see if everyone had made it inside as the man slid the door shut, "Are we in?" before anyone had time to answer, he caught sight of a young family huddled fearfully together by a gate of a house, while the old people approached. He slowed the van once more and the man slid the door open again.
"Quickly, in here!" the man told them, gesturing to the family.
"All four, quick!" he called through the open driver's window. The parent's pushed their children into the back of the van first before following, "That's it, everyone in!"
As soon as they were safely inside the van, the door slid shut again and they speed off down the street.
….
The TARDIS console was covered in a thick layer of frost as the temperature dropped even further the closer they drifted towards the icy star. Amy could only huddle in her blanket as she sat on the steps leading up to higher level of the room, her hair and face covered with little specs of ice, along with her clothing. She couldn't even imagine how cold it must have been for the Hatter, who had removed her blanket almost as soon as the boys had fallen asleep, and wrapped it around the Doctor.
The Hatter was walking around and around the console, her hands buried deeply into her coat, in a similar state as the red head. Amy could practically see her shaking from where she was sitting, but the Time Lady didn't regret giving her blanket to the Doctor, not if it kept him a bit warmer, and besides, her face and extremities had already gone numb, so it wasn't too bad, just a little uncomfortable.
"Are you okay, Hatter?" Amy asked after a moment, watching the blonde as she did yet another circle of the console, carefully edging around the Doctor and Rory as she did so. Her movements had started to grow sluggish, she had noticed, and her pace had slowed. She couldn't help but wonder how much longer she would be able to keep standing, let alone walking with the rate she was going, and if she collapsed, what would she say to the Doctor?
"I've been better," the Hatter admitted, grimacing as she glanced over her shoulder to the girl, "I just need to keep moving, try and keep the blood flowing. If anything else, it should help to reduce the build-up of frost".
"You could always put the blanket back on".
"No," she said firmly, shaking her head stubbornly, "This is exactly what the Doctor would be doing right now if he was here. I won't take away something that will help keep him alive and comfortable, just for myself".
Silence fell over them as Amy watched as the Hatter continued pacing, when the Dream Lord suddenly appeared on the step below from her. Both women were too cold to even be surprised by his sudden appearance.
"Poor Amy," he remarked quietly, and the Time Lady paused in her pacing, narrowing her eyes at him, "He always leaves you, doesn't he?" he looked over to the Doctor as Amy followed his gaze, "Alone in the dark," he shook his head, turning back to her, "Never apologises".
"She's not alone," the Hatter reminded him sharply.
"And he doesn't have to apologise," Amy added, standing and moving away from him to stand beside the blonde.
"That's good, because he never will," Amy paused and looked back across the Dream Lord, unable to stop herself from listening to what he said, "And now he's left you with me. Both of you," he smiled slightly at them, "Spooky old, not-to-be-trusted me," he suddenly appeared in one of the jump seats, lounging back in a black and red robe that showed his chest. He smirked at them, "Anything could happen".
The Time Lady raised her eyebrows at him, not impressed in the slightest, "Yeah, and I could spend the rest of my life with this imprinted into my brain," she sighed, making a face, "Like I needed anymore bad dreams".
Amy eyed him for a moment, "Who are you, and what do you want?" she demanded, slowly stepping closer to him as he simply smirked at them, "The Doctor knows you, but he's not telling me who you are. And he always does," the Hatter inwardly sighed, looking away, "Takes him a while sometimes, but he tells me," she continued, watching him carefully, "So you're something different".
The Dream Lord glanced at the Hatter, "First Rose Tyler, and now this one," he commented, sounding amused, "How quickly they overlook everyone else in his life," he shook his head, focusing his attention back on Amy, "Is that who you think you are?" he questioned her, still seeming quite amused, "The one he trusts?"
She held her head higher, "Actually, yes".
He stood, looking as if he was fighting back the urge to laugh, "The only girl in the Universe to whom the Doctor tells everything?"
"Yes".
"So what's his name?" he asked, tilting his head mockingly, knowing full well that Amy would never be able to answer that. Amy blinked and stepped back from him, just as he disappeared and reappeared beside the Hatter, back in the tweed and bow tie. He looked back to Amy, smirking as he made a sweeping gesture towards the Time Lady, "Now then, meet the only woman in the Universe to whom the Doctor trusts and tells everything too. The one woman who knows him better than anyone else," he shot Amy a pointed look, "Even better then you do, or ever will".
The Hatter crossed her arms across her chest, "Leave her alone," she told him sharply, her voice quiet, but there was a dangerous edge hidden within it.
He raised his eyebrows and turned to her, "Oh, of course. You would defend someone who tried to seduce your husband, wouldn't you?" he scoffed slightly.
"No, I'm defending someone from a bully, it neither matters what Amy's past actions might have been when it comes to that".
He stepped closer to her until he was inches from her face, but the Hatter didn't flitch or even blink, not wanting to give him the satisfaction, "You can't fool me, dear," he whispered to her, smirking, "There's a dark side to you, I've seen it," his eyes twinkled as the Hatter struggled to keep her composer, "You wrap yourself up in smiles and laughter, caring for others, all those selfless little acts, but I know what is buried deep inside you".
She swallowed, her eyes flickering over to Amy, and back to him, "Just as I've worked out who you are," she said softly, trying to distract him from herself, "Or more accurately, who you represent".
"Finally," he rolled his eyes, "Took you long enough".
"You're right, I was an idiot," she nodded, keeping her voice low so that Amy couldn't hear, "I should have seen it right from the start, but you threw me a little bit with the whole 'Amy's choice' move. So when I started thinking about it, I realised that this whole time you weren't really targeting her, you were targeting the Doctor. From the mockery of his clothing, right down to the little endearment you have been calling me, it all pointed back to him," her eyes drifted away from him as a look of realisation crossed her face, followed by sadness, "No wonder he didn't want to tell me," she breathed, "He was ashamed and as always, he was trying to protect me".
"The brave hero, trying to protect his damsel," he mocked, "But we both know that you don't need protecting, not from anyone outside," she frowned at him as he continued, "You've given into that darker side before…"
"Yes, and I created the Moment," she cut him off, glaring at him angrily, "That was the worst time of my entire life, I had almost been driven mad by grief, my home was at war and I could do nothing to stop it. My best friend had been turned into a soldier, and so yes, I gave in. I let myself forget about my morals, about everything that mattered to me, and when I realised the horror that I had built…" she closed her eyes tightly and turned away, breathing heavily as emotions raged through her. Guilt, shame, anger, and self-hatred all toppled over her, making her feel ill as she struggled to compose herself.
The Dream Lord followed her, appearing right in front of her again, "And so you handed it over to the Doctor when he came," he remarked, his gaze hardening, "Handed it over with hardly a fight and when he needed you the most, you refused to go with him".
Her eyes snapped open, "A mistake a will never be able to make up for," she said in a forcefully calm voice, trying with every ounce of her self-control to regain some control over her emotions, "Oh, come on," she narrowed her eyes at him, "You've seen my dreams, you know how much guilt and pain I feel over that mistake, how much I wish I could fix it, but I never will be able to, and I will have to live with that for the rest of my life, all because I was too weak to be there for my best friend".
"And yet, even now, you fight so hard against that other part of yourself".
"The woman who created the Moment is a stranger to me," she snapped, shaking no longer from the cold, but from her anger, anger that she hadn't felt since she had come face to face with Davros, "She was cold and calculating, she didn't care about what after effects creating such a device would lead to, just as long as it took the pain and grief away, and so you had better believe that I will fight until my dying breath before I ever allow myself to become that woman again, because she is not me".
The Dream Lord laughed suddenly and Amy jumped, so engrossed by listening the Hatter that the unexpected sound had startled her, "Oh, but she is very much a part of you," he whispered to her, too low for Amy to hear as he leaned closer to the blonde, "That part of you is as much a part of you as I am a part of the Doctor. You both keep those sides of you hidden, buried deep for fear of what might happen if you let yourself give in, but every now and then, it comes out. You're just better at keeping it buried, after all, we all know how good you are at self-denial".
The Hatter inhaled deeply and took a step back, suddenly feeling completely drained, even the anger she had felt before seemed to fade away, replaced with a sense of numbness that had nothing to do with the cold. All she wanted to do with curl up in the Doctor's arms and pretend as if the Dream Lord's words hadn't been right, even a simple hug would have sufficed. She had never denied that darkness inside her, but there was a difference between admitting to something and accepting it, and perhaps that's what she had been forgetting about for all these centuries, refusing to accept that side of herself out of fear that those feelings would overwhelm her.
After all, just look at what happened to the Master and the Rani, two people who fully accepted who and what they were without fear, and all the terrible acts that they had committed. The Hatter had always known that she was more than capable going down the same path as they had and she did have to admit that it was far easier to simply give in then to keep fighting, but she also knew that that's what made her different from her once old friends. She and the Doctor had that potential, and yet they had dedicated their lives to helping and protecting others, she had always known that it was our choices that defined us, but thinking about it now, she realised just how true those words really were. She had chosen to stay true to who she was, desperately clinging to her morals, refusing to use violence, and making all those little rules up over the years, because she knew that despite that potential, giving into the dark side terrified her more than even the Daleks could ever.
The Dream Lord was right, though, that dark side that had led to her creating the Moment was a part of her, even if she didn't want to accept it, and she had the full potential to become that woman all over again, given the right circumstances, but the same could be said for the Doctor. The Valeyard was proof enough of that and trying to pretend otherwise now was pointless, but that realisation made her only more determined to stop herself from being overwhelmed by that side of herself. That darkness was a part of her, but that didn't mean that she had to give into it, even if it killed her, she refused to give in, not after what happened to the last time she had given in. Besides, if she couldn't even help herself, how was she ever supposed to help protect the Doctor from his own darkness?
The Dream Lord watched the Time Lady for a moment, smirking at her reaction to his words, before he suddenly appeared crouching between the Doctor and Rory's feet, "Now, Amy," he began, looking over to her, making her blink in surprise, "Which of these men would you really choose?" he asked, "Look at them. You ran away with a handsome hero, even though he already had his love," he gestured over to the Doctor, raising his eyebrows at Amy, "Would you really give him up for a bumbling country doctor who thinks the only thing he needs to be interesting is a ponytail?"
"Stop it!" Amy snapped, shaking her head quickly, glancing at the Hatter. Thing's had only just started to get back to normal between them since she had tried to kiss the Doctor, the last thing she wanted was for things to get even worse.
"But maybe it's better than loving and losing the Doctor," he continued, standing, his eyes fixed on Amy, "Pick a world, and this nightmare will all be over," he stepped closer to her, glancing down to Rory and the Doctor, "They'll listen to you. It's you they're waiting for," he smirked, "Amy's choice".
And with that, he disappeared, leaving the two women in silence. Amy waited for a moment, expecting him to pop up again, but when he didn't, she knelt beside Rory and adjusted his blanket around him, but even as she did so, her eyes couldn't help but drift over to the Doctor.
The Hatter watched her for a moment before moving to kneel on the floor on the other side of the Doctor, picking up his frost covered hand with her own freezing one, "He said it himself," she remarked after a moment, looking up to meet Amy's eyes, "This is your choice, all of this. You are the one who has to pick which world is the real one, Amelia".
"How?" Amy asked at once, sounding desperate, "Hatter, I don't know how to decide?"
She sighed heavily, shaking her head, "I don't know either," she replied tiredly, "I just know that only you can decide," Amy open her mouth, looking ready to argue, but the blonde quickly went on, "Think about it. Out of all of us, you are the one most conflicted by which world is real. This one…" she looked around the console room, "This feels real to the Doctor and I, but to Rory it's the village, while to you, both worlds are equally compelling, and that's why only you can decide".
"But I don't know how!"
"Then figure out what it is you truly want!" the Time Lady snapped suddenly, her already short temper from her encounter with the Dream Lord flaring. Amy's eyes widened in shock, certainly not expecting the Hatter to just snap like that. The blonde sighed again and closed her eyes, "I'm sorry, Amy," she said after a moment, looking back to her, "I shouldn't have snapped and I apologise. I'm afraid that my emotions are running a little high at the moment".
Amy nodded slowly, still looking a little unsure, "It's okay…"
"No, it's not," she cut her off, giving her a weak smile, "But I thank you for being so understanding," she took a deep breath, trying to regain some control over her own emotions as she focused back on Amy, "But right now we need to work on finding a way to fix this whole mess, and hopefully before we freeze to death".
…
The Doctor stopped the bus outside the back of the church and jumped out, hurrying over to the side door, and sliding it open, "Everybody out!" he called to the people, ushering them out of the bus, "Out, out! Into the church, that's right!" the people, and even a dog that he had picked up along the way, began running out and through the churchyard, heading as fast as they could over to the church, "Don't answer the door!" he added, half-serious.
Once everyone, including the dog, was out and running for the church, he slid the door shut and threw the driver's door back open, climbing back inside, setting off speeding down the street towards Amy and Rory's cottage. He glanced at the Hatter in the passenger seat every now and then, checking to make sure that she was okay as the bus bounced violently as he drove.
He very dearly hoped that she didn't end up getting a bruise on her head from where it was leaning against the window. She would never let him forget it if she did end up with a bruise. He turned his attention back on the road, when he noticed the Dream Lord appear in the revere mirror, sitting in the back of the bus in a racing uniform, the helmet sitting in his lap.
"It's make your mind up time in both worlds," the Dream Lord remarked to him, breaking into a smirk.
"Fine," the Doctor replied coldly, sending him a glare in the mirror, "I need to find my friends and I want my wife back," his tone turned threateningly, "And if you have hurt her…"
"Friends?" he repeated, interrupting him with a scoff, "Is that the right word for the people you acquire?" the Doctor's jaw tensed, trying to ignore him and failing, "Friends are people you stay in touch with. Your friends never see you again once they've grown up," he glared at the Doctor, "The old man prefers the company of the young, does he not? The only exception is her," he nodded over to the Hatter.
And with that, he disappeared, and the Hatter jolted awake, looking around widely, seeming very confused and alarmed as to where she was.
"Hatter!" the Doctor cried in relief, almost sending them off the road as he tried to look at her and drive at the same time, "It's alright, dear," he added quickly, catching her expression, "We're going to Amy and Rory's".
The Hatter blinked at him for a moment before sighing, closing her eyes, "Oh, you have no idea how happy I am to see you, sweetheart," she breathed, wishing she could hug him.
"The Dream Lord, what did he do to you and Amy?"
Her shoulder's slumped and looked away from him, "I'll tell you about it later," she told him, not wanting to discuss that whole ordeal right now. He opened his mouth, frowning worriedly, sensing something very off about her, but seemed to think better off it, "Ah, Doctor…" her hand reached up to touch her head, a frown of her own crossing her face as she realised her hat was missing, "What happened to my hat?"
He smiled slightly, before quickly replacing it with an apologetic look, "Sorry, dear, but it fell off…"
"Doctor…" her eyes narrowed at him, when he couldn't contain himself any longer, and burst out laughing. She smiled slightly, unable to stop herself as she realised what he had done, "Oh, well done," she muttered, shaking her head fondly as she nudged his side, "You're lucky I didn't start shouting at you with how short my temper is at the moment".
The Doctor's smile faded as he reached inside his pocket and withdrew her folded up hat, handing it to her, "What did…" he began.
"Please, I'll tell you later," the Hatter cut him off quickly, putting her hat on with a little more force then necessary. She took a deep breath and looked back to him, smiling at him sadly, "I worked out who the Dream Lord is supposed to be," his hands on the wheel of the bus tightened and he suddenly became very focused on the road. She reached across the seat and placed a hand on his arm, "Sweetheart, you never need to feel ashamed when it comes to me, you know that".
He sighed heavily, "I'm sorry, I should have told you".
"Yes, you should have," she agreed, still smiling at him sadly, "But I forgive you. Though, for future reference, if you ever think keeping something from me will help to protect me, then you don't know me at all".
He couldn't help but smile at that, knowing that she did have a very good point. Keeping something for the Hatter was one way to make sure that she would work it out, even more so when she knew that something was being kept from her in the first place. She probably would have a made a good journalist in that regard, no wonder she and Sarah Jane got along so well.
They arrived at Amy and Rory's house and the Doctor slowed the bus as they stared outside, watching while the cottage was surrounded by the old people all trying to find a way inside, using everything from garden ornaments to lawn mowers to try and break inside. He stopped the bus and cut the engine as they exchanged a look.
"Doctor, am I really seeing this or have I overdosed on jelly babies…again?" the Hatter asked, actually unsure whether she was really seeing a group of old people laying siege to a cottage.
He looked back to her, shrugging, "Well, this could all just be a dream".
"Ah, good point".
They turned back to the cottage, trying to work out how to get inside, when they noticed a slight shadow moving in one of the upstairs windows, "Okay…" the Doctor muttered, looking back to the Time Lady, who nodded.
They opened the doors and slipped carefully out, and ducked out of sight before the old people could spot them.
…
The window squeaked as the Hatter struggled to pull the window open, making Amy and Rory look up, startled at the sound as they sat on the floor across from the window, watching as the Time Lady climbed through the window, letting herself to fall onto her knees, while the Doctor followed after her.
"Sorry," the Doctor called to them, catching sight of the couple as he pulled his leg over the windowsill, "We had to stop off at the butcher's," his leg caught on the edge of the sill, sending him sprawling across the floor before them.
The Hatter took a moment to cast her eyes around the room and smiled faintly, realising that they were in Amy and Rory's nursery with bright yellow walls, all the little stuffed toys, and the crib. She had always thought that a nursery should be brightly coloured, needless to say, her Mother hadn't agreed.
"What are we going to do?" Rory asked quickly, looking slightly panicked as he looked back and forth between the Time Lords.
"We're not entirely sure yet," the Hatter answered wearily, sighing heavily, "Either world could be the real one," her eyes drifted over to rest on Amy, "Having said that, I do believe I know just which one of us will be able to work it out".
Amy frowned at her, when she suddenly gasped, her frown replaced with a pained expression, "Oh!" she winced, clutching at her stomach as she looked at Rory, "I think the baby's starting".
"Honestly?" Rory questioned, looking a little mistrustful as the Time Lords sat up straighter.
"Would I make it up at a time like this?" she snapped at him.
"Well, you do have a history of…" he began, and she glared at him, making his eyes widen, "…being very lovely," he quickly finished, glancing at the Time Lords.
"Nice save," the Hatter remarked quietly to him, moving to kneel beside Amy, wrapping an arm around her as the girl cried out painfully. She rubbed her back, "It's going to be perfectly fine, Amy," she tried to sooth her, "You're lucky enough to have two fully train doctors and one self-proclaimed one".
"Have you ever delivered a baby before?" Amy groaned, throwing her a look.
"Ah…" she gave her a slightly apologetic look, "No, this would be a first. There wasn't much use for midwifes on Gallifrey when you had Looms that did all of that without the agony".
"Not helping, Hatter!"
The sound of the old people trying to break inside the house grew louder as Rory looked over to the Time Lords, "Why are they so desperate to kill us?"
"They're scared," the Doctor replied grimly, glancing back over towards the window they had climbed through, "Fear generates savagery".
Suddenly, a garden gnome was thrown through the window behind them, smashing the glass, and causing them to jump as the Hatter automatically tried to shield Amy from the glass. Rory stood and stepped over to the broken window to investigate, when Mrs Poggit appeared, shooting the green mist at him. He cried out in pain and shock, stumbling backwards and collapsing onto the floor.
"Rory!" Amy shouted fearfully, ignoring her own pain, and hurrying over to his side as he fell against the wall. The Hatter quickly knelt on his other side, trying to think of something, anything to try and save Rory, but there was nothing.
The Doctor ran over to the window, grabbing a lamp, whacking the old woman with it, sending her falling off the roof with a screech. He whirled back around to look at the others and he caught sight of the Hatter's expression as she stood, moving back to give Amy and Rory a chance to say goodbye. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer.
Rory looked down at himself, "No!" he breathed fearfully, looking at his hand as it began to dissolve, "I'm not ready".
"Stay," Amy begged, her eyes full of tears.
He looked back up to her face, "Look after out baby," he whispered, slowly turning to sand.
The Hatter closed her eyes, struggling to hold back tears, "Oh, Rory…" she murmured. She wanted to go to Amy's side and comfort her, but she could tell already that Amy didn't want that, at least not from her or the Doctor, not at this moment.
"No…" Amy gasped, trying to hold onto him, but he simply slipped through her fingers. All she could do was look down at the pile of sand before her, "No. Come back," she looked back up to the Time Lords, shaking, "Save him," she pleaded, but they could only look at her sadly, "You two save everyone. You always do. It's what you do".
The Doctor swallowed, holding the Hatter tighter to himself, "Not always," he said softly, looking down at the pile of sand, unable to stand seeing the look on Amy's face, "I'm sorry".
"Then what is the point of you?" she demanded, glaring at them as the Hatter flinched, both of them looking down at the floor. She turned back to the pile of sand and lightly touched it, desperately wishing that Rory was back, and suddenly…everything made sense to her. She knew exactly what she needed to do, because the idea of a world without Rory in it was not a world that she ever wanted. She struggled to climb onto her feet and the Hatter stepped forward to help her as she turned back to face them, clutching the ponytail that Rory had cut off when she had woken up, "This is the dream," she said firmly, "Definitely, this one. Now, if we die here, we wake up, yeah?"
He nodded, glancing at the Hatter, "Unless we just die".
"Either way, this is my only chance of seeing him again. This is the dream".
"How do you know?"
"Because if this is real life, I don't want it. I don't want it".
The Hatter gave her an understanding look, "Losing the people we love, makes everything so much simpler," she said quietly, putting a hand on Amy's arm, grateful when she didn't shrug it off.
Amy gave her a forced nod and turned, making her way over to the door, almost throwing the chair that was leaning against it out of the way as she flung the door open, and disappearing out of sight.
"Are you sure about this, dear?" the Doctor asked, glancing at her as they followed after the red head.
"Sweetheart, if we do end up dying," the Hatter gave him a small smile, trying to make herself sound more confident then she really felt. There was every chance that they could be making a big mistake, after all, "I can't think of anything better then to die with you by my side".
They made their way down the stairs and through the front door, but not one of the old people made a move to attack them, simply watching them.
"Why aren't they attacking?" Amy shouted, glaring around at the old people, almost daring them to even try.
"Either because this is the dream, or because they know what we're about to do," the Doctor responded grimly, casting his eyes back to the old people. They reached the bus and Amy paused, turning back to them, holding out her hand with a determined look on her face. He took a deep breath, eyeing her carefully, "Be very sure," he warned her, "This could be the real world…"
"It can't be," she said forcefully, shaking her head, looking back and forth between them, "Rory isn't here. I didn't know…" tears began falling down her face, "I didn't, I didn't, I honestly didn't, till right now. I just want him".
"We understand," the Time Lady assured her, knowing very well that if she was in Amy's position, she would be doing exactly the same thing. She couldn't imagine a Universe without the Doctor in it and she dearly hoped that she never had to.
"We really do," the Doctor agreed, taking the Hatter's hand as he passed Amy the keys, remembering just what it had felt like to lose the Hatter once, but to lose her now, after knowing what it was like to be married to her, was too much to even bear thinking about.
Amy took the keys and nodded to them, before moving around to open the driver's door, climbing inside, and starting the motor as the Time Lords stepped over to the passenger side, pausing as they caught sight of the Dream Lord standing there, watching them. The Hatter ignored him, pretending as if she hadn't seen him at all, and opened the passenger door, climbing inside as the Doctor followed a moment later.
"I love Rory, and I never told him," Amy looked at them as soon as the Doctor had slammed the door, looking heartbroken and filled with guilt, just thinking about all the times she could have said it, the times that she should have, and yet, never did, "But now he's gone," she shook her head, taking a deep breath as she focused back on the front of the bus.
And with that, she revved the engine and the bus took off, gaining more and more speed as she turned the wheel sharply, sending it crashing through the front fence and straight into the side of the house.
…
The entire console room was covered in a thick layer of ice as the Doctor's eyes snapped open, finding the Hatter's face inches from his own, her face and hair covered in ice as her eyes flickered, struggling to open. Painfully, and with as much strength as he could manage, he moved closer to her, placing a hand on her cheek as he ran his eyes down her, trying to figure out why she was finding it so much harder to wake, when it hit him: she had given him the blanket.
"Oh, Hatter," he murmured, closing his eyes tightly as he rested his forehead against hers. She really was going to end up killing herself one of these day's doing things like this.
Amy awoke a short distance away at the same time that Rory opened his eyes. Slowly, she reached forward and took his hand, holding it tightly.
The Dream Lord appeared, standing above them, "So, you choose this world," he remarked, not sounding as smug or mocking as he usually would have, "Well done. You got it right," the Hatter's eyes finally opened, looking sleepy and confused, "And with only seconds left," he continued, "Fair's fair. Let's warm you up," he stepped over to the console and began flickering switches, and all the lights flared into life as power was restored. He moved back over to them, "I hope you enjoyed your little fictions. It all came out of your imagination," his smirk returned as the room began warming, "So I'll leave you to pounder on that. I have been defeated," he shook his head, hanging his head, "I shall withdraw. Farewell".
And with that, he vanished.
The Doctor slowly struggled back onto his feet, pulling the Hatter up with him, but as she stood, her legs gave way under her and she toppled forward into him. He managed to catch her and held her closer to him, kissing the top of her head as he felt her shivering, practically hearing her teeth chattering, "Shh, it's okay," he murmured to her, rubbing her back, trying to warm her, "I've got you," he sighed heavily, trying to sound annoyed, but his concern for her slipped through, "I told you to keep the blanket on".
"You…you needed it…more…" the Hatter said shakily, struggling to keep her eyes open with just how cold she felt, even with the console room starting to warm, "Besides, when…when have…I ever done…as I'm…told?" she tried to give him a smile, but she wasn't sure if she managed to. Her face was numb from the cold, making it hard to feel anything.
He sighed heavily and shook his head, holding her tighter to him. She was dangerously cold, no wonder her eyes were dropping and she couldn't stand. He was impressed that she could still form coherent sentences. Carefully, he picked her up, and stepped over to one of the jump seats, lightly sitting her down before he pulled the blanket off his head and wrapped it tightly around her. She was so cold that she didn't even try to protest.
"Hatter, don't go to sleep," he said firmly, lightly pushed her hair back from her pale, slightly blue face, "I know you're tired, but if you sleep…" he trailed off, swallowing thickly.
"I...know, sweetheart," she mumbled, her head falling onto her shoulder, too tired to hold it up anymore, "Stop…fussing. You…know I…hate people…fussing over…me".
He couldn't help but smile at that, having heard her say the same thing hundreds of times before. He kissed the top of her head one last time and turned around, stepping over to the controls, starting to hit buttons and pull levers, trying to break through the ice.
"Something happened…" Rory shivered as Amy moved closer to him, "I…" he frowned, looking confused, "What happened to me? I…" Amy grabbed him suddenly and hugged him tightly, making him blink, "Oh!" he exclaimed slightly, surprised by the contact, and hugging her back, "Oh, right. This is good. I am liking this. Was it something I said?" he asked as she slowly drew back, "Could you tell me what it was so I can use it in emergencies, and maybe birthdays?"
The Time Rotor started up again and the engines sounded, catching there attention as they looked over to see the Doctor working at the controls, "What are we doing now?" Amy questioned.
"Me?" the Doctor focused on the controls, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly, "I'm going to blow up the TARDIS".
"What?" Rory gaped at him, his eyes widening, before his head snapped around to look at the Hatter.
"It's fine," the Hatter assured them tiredly, waving her hand weakly at them before letting it fall back into her lap.
"Notice how helpful the Dream Lord was?" the Doctor commented, moving around to the frozen keyboard, and looking back over to them, "Okay, there was misinformation, red herrings, malice, and I could have done without the limerick," he made a face as he thought of the song, Amy and Rory stood, still looking very confused, "But he was very keen to make us choose between dream and reality".
The TARDIS began shaking and a red glow started coming off the controls as the Doctor laughed, grabbing a hold of the console to keep his balance, while Amy and Rory stumbled before doing the same thing. The Hatter sighed and grabbed the bar behind her chair, holding onto it as tightly as she could.
"What are you doing?" Amy demanded, shouting over the noise of all the shaking.
"The Dream Lord conceded!" Rory called to him, his eyes wide with fear, "This isn't the dream!"
"Of course it is!" the Hatter said loudly, her face breaking into a small smile.
Amy shook her head, "Stop him!" she cried to Rory as they tried to move around the console towards the Doctor.
"Stars burning cold?" the Doctor ignored them, scoffing, "Do me a favour!" he shook his head, pushing Rory's hands off him, "The Dream Lord has no power over the real world. He was offering us a choice between two dreams!"
"How do you know that?" Amy frowned at him.
He meet her eyes, "Because I know who he is!"
He pulled a lever, making the TARDIS explode.
…
The Doctor and the Hatter leaned against the TARDIS console, looking down at the Doctor's open palm as they examining something. Amy and Rory entered, stepping down the steps from the top level of the console.
"Welcome back to reality," the Hatter flashed them a grin as she noticed them, raising her eyebrows, feeling quite cheerful now that everything was over and done with, "I assume that you have a few questions?"
They moved closer to them and Amy peered at the Doctor's open palm to see some sort of glittering specks sitting in his hand, "Er…what's that?" she asked, nodding to the specks.
"A speck of psychic pollen from the candle meadows of Karass don Slava," the Doctor replied, using his finger tips to lightly move the specks around his palm.
"It's probably been hanging around for a while," the Time Lady remarked, tilting her head thoughtfully, "I think we had a panic there once…" she trailed off, shrugging, "Anyway, it must have fallen in the Time Rotor, warmed up, and thus, induced a dream state for us all".
The Doctor walked down the steps and over to the front of the TARDIS doors, pulling them open, and lightly blowing the specks out into space, watching them for a moment before closing the doors, and turning back around to face them.
"So that was the Dream Lord, then?" Rory questioned as the Doctor rubbed his hands and made his way back up to them, "Those little specks".
"No, no," the Doctor shook his head, frowning at him as he wrapped an arm around the blonde, "No, sorry, wasn't it obvious?" Amy and Rory simply looked at him blankly, "The Dream Lord was me," they blinked, staring at him, "The psychic pollen, it's a mind parasite. It feeds on everything dark in you, gives it a voice, turns it against you," he smiled a little grimly, exchanging a look with the Hatter, "I'm nine hundred and seven, it had a lot to go on".
"But why didn't it feed on us, too?" Amy frowned, looking between them, "And why didn't it feed on the Hatter?"
The Hatter shrugged, "Luck, I suppose," she said, shaking her head, "We'll probably never know why it didn't pick me, and as for feeding off you two…" she laughed, reaching forward to pat their arms, "It would have starved to death instantly trying to feed off you two".
"We choose our friends with great care," the Doctor added, smiling at them, "Otherwise, the Hatter would be left with only me, and you know how that works out".
"I would eventually have to kill him," the Time Lady remarked in a mock sigh before giving him a wink, reaching up to lightly pat his cheek, "Even if he is a sweetheart".
Amy continued to frown at them, her eyes coming to rest on the Doctor, "But all those things he said about you," she began, eyeing him almost sadly, "You don't think any of that's true?"
The Doctor didn't answer, avoiding their eyes.
"Of course he doesn't," the Hatter told them quickly, knowing perfectly well that she was lying. The Dream Lord wouldn't have said those things unless he had thought them at least once. She turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck, "And if he ever did…" she gave him a pointed look, "Then he would be sorely mistaken. First off, how could I possibly not love all your tawdry quirks?" she grinned at him, "They're very amusing and among one of the reasons why I fell in love with you. Secondly, the old girl is brilliant. That's all that needs saying. Thirdly, I happen to like your hair very much…" she gave him a sly wink, making him smile, "Fourthly, how could I possibly not love the bow tie and bracers?" she reached up to straight his bow tie as she spoke, "And the tweed suits this you very well. Fifthly, K-9 painted any colour would be brilliant, just as long as he can still beat you at chess. And lastly…." her smile turned soft, touching his cheek, "Regardless of what you might think, there has not been a single second of our marriage that I have regrated. I love you, sweetheart, and one of the best things to have happened to me was marrying you, because you are my Universe".
The Doctor broke into a broad smile, looking beyond happy as he pulled her into a deep kiss, that didn't last very long, as they were both smiling and laughing too much, "You're my Universe, too," he whispered to her, hugging her tightly to him.
She laughed, snuggling her face into his neck, grateful that he wasn't as ticklish as she was in his neck. After a moment, they let go of each other, and turned back to Amy and Rory, the red head smiled softly at them, enjoying seeing how truly happy they were with each other.
"Ah, Amy," the Time Lady cleared her throat, giving her a pointed look as she noticed how thoughtful Rory looked, "I do believe that Rory has something on his mind, and since it's a very important question that will change the rest of his life, I think you ought to give him your full attention".
"Yeah…" Rory nodded, turning to Amy as the Time Lords stepped around the console, giving them some privacy, "Actually, yeah".
"There it is!" the Doctor grinned, pointing a finger at him.
He focused on Amy, "Because what I don't get is, you blew up the TARDIS, that stopped that dream, but what stopped the Leadworth dream?" he asked, frowning.
Amy cleared her throat nervously, "We crashed the camper van," she informed him.
"Oh, right," he continued to frown, "I don't remember that bit".
"No, you weren't there. You were already…"
"Already what?"
"Dead," she forced herself to say, looking pained, "You died in that dream. Mrs Poggit got you".
Rory still looked confused. The Hatter struggled to hold back a sigh, rolling her eyes as she listened from the other side of the console, "Okay…" he said slowly, "But how did you know it was a dream?" he questioned, "Before you crashed the van, how did you know you wouldn't die".
"I didn't," Amy admitted quietly.
He stared at her for a long moment, his mouth hanging open, "Oh".
"Yeah," she smiled slightly.
A smile of his own spread across his face as he stepped forward and took her hands, "Oh!" he laughed, looking delighted.
"Yeah, 'oh,'" she started laughing, too, looking down at the floor, embarrassed.
Rory leaned forward and kissed her, Amy quickly returned the kiss, while the Time Lords stood back, watching with soft smiles on their faces, very pleased to see that Amy and Rory relationship was back on track, even better than before.
"So…" the Doctor remarked after a moment, clapping his hands happily, "Well then, where now?" a look of realisation crossed his face as he glanced at the Hatter as Amy and Rory simply held each other, "Or should we just pop down to the swimming pool for a few lengths?"
"You owe me a game of Marco Polo," the Hatter reminded him, nudging his side, shaking her head, "The last time we played you cheated".
"I didn't cheat!"
"I saw you peeking!"
Rory pulled back from Amy slightly, still looking delighted, "I don't know," he interrupted them, grinning broadly, "Any where's good for me. I'm happy anywhere," he looked back to Amy, "It's up to Amy this time. Amy's choice".
The Doctor clapped his hands and whirled back around to the controls, setting to work on them, when he looked down at his reflection to find the Dream Lord smirking back at him, making him freeze. The Hatter, noticing something wrong, stepped beside him and wrapped an arm around him.
"Can you…" he began to ask, but stopped suddenly as he looked back down to see his reflection back to normal.
"Sweetheart, how about that swim?" the Time Lady said brightly, trying to distract him as she grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the door leading to the rest of the time machine. She threw him a cheeky wink, "I'll wear the red two piece".
All thoughts of the Dream Lord faded from his mind and the Hatter soon found herself being the one pulled along as she laughed. She knew that they would have to talk about it later, she had told him that she would tell him everything that happened while she had been stuck with the Dream Lord, but right now, a little distraction couldn't hurt.
I did think about making the Hatter pregnant in the dream world with Amy, just for the fun of her complaining about getting a hormonal whiplash, but I decided against it in the end. I couldn't see her or the Doctor killing themselves in that world if that had been the case.
Next chapter, Classic Who references, mainly from the Third Doctor's era. The Hatter isn't very fond of mines, and what's this about a formal complaint? Tell me what you thought, please review :)
Guest reviews:
Guest: Well, here's that update you wanted, I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for the review :)