A/N: new chappie! enjoy!

Chapter 25: A Psychic Link

The first thing Olivia realized was that she was cold. Freezing. She couldn't feel her legs, her hands or her face, and all she saw for the moment was darkness. She had died in the van with the Doctor and Amy, and she couldn't help but wonder if they'd made a mistake and they were all truly dead.

She suddenly felt a cold hand touch her cheek and finally let her eyes open, slowly to see the Doctor staring at her. She was lying on her side next to him so that they were face to face. She couldn't help but smile and slowly reached for him to touch his ice covered face as well.

"So, you chose this world," the Dream Lord realized, making the Doctor, Olivia, Amy and Rory look up at him, but none of them got up. "Well done. You got it right. And with only seconds left. Fair is fair. Let's warm you up."

The TARDIS powered up around them as Olivia looked to the Doctor in wonder. She could see the wheels turning in his head again and she couldn't help but think that this was far too easy. After all the conniving the Dream Lord had done, it seemed he was giving up the game far too easily.

"I hope you've enjoyed your little fictions," the Dream Lord continued. "They all came out of your imaginations, so I'll leave you to ponder on that. I have been defeated. I shall withdraw. Farewell."

The Doctor waited until the Dream Lord disappeared before he attempted to stand, struggling to do so under the ice caked on his clothes, Amy and Rory sitting up on the other side of Olivia as the Doctor told her, "Liv, get up. Come on! I need your help."

"Help with what?" Olivia frowned as he took her hand and pulled her to her feet with some effort from the both of them through the ice.

"The TARDIS," he replied, going around the console and telling her what to do as Rory asked what happened, but Amy just hugged him.

"What are we doing?" Olivia asked, operating the TARDIS console with him.

"We're gonna blow up the TARDIS," the Doctor replied, making her freeze and shoot wide, jade eyes at him in disbelief.

"What?!" Rory snapped.

"Notice how helpful the Dream Lord was," the Doctor began, running around the console and waving to Olivia to encourage her to help him. "Ok, there was misinformation, red herrings, malice and I could've done without the limerick, but he was always very keen to make us choose between dream and reality."

He did something on the console that made the TARDIS give a boom sound, and he laughed as Amy and Rory stood, staring at him with wide eyes and Olivia ran to him.

"What are you doing?!" Amy demanded as the TARDIS quaked around them.

Olivia turned him, gripping his jacket lapels and shaking him as she growled, "Have you gone insane?! Can't you see this isn't the dream?!"

"Yes it is!" he shouted back, pulling her hands from his jacket to continue his work on the console. "Star burning cold? Do me a favor! The Dream Lord has no power over the real world! He was offering us a choice between two dreams."

Olivia listened and looked to him in realization then began helping him as Rory tried to push her away but she easily evaded him.

"How do you know that?" Amy questioned the Doctor.

"Because he knows who he is, Amy!" Olivia called back, making the couple look at her, distracting them and giving the Doctor time to pull on a lever to blow up the TARDIS.

Olivia stood next to the Doctor as he examined something in his hand, the two of them leaning back against the TARDIS console as Amy and Rory came from the hall at the top of the stairs.

"Any questions?" the Doctor asked, looking to them as they approached.

"What's that?" Amy asked as the Doctor held his hand out to let them have a look at what was in it.

"Specks of psychic pollen from the Candle Meadows of Crast on Slava," he replied, touching the shining, diamond-like crystals in his palm. "It must have been hanging around for ages. Fell in the time rotor, heated up, and induced a dream state for all of us."

He took Olivia's hand and pulled her to the door, opening it and smiled down at her before lifting his hand in front of her face. She looked to the crystals before smiling up at him, realizing what he was waiting for. She blew on his hand, gently and the crystals floated off his hand and into space before he slung his arm over her shoulders, shutting the door and turning back to Amy and Rory, heading toward them.

"So that was the Dream Lord then?" Rory wondered. "Those little specks?"

"No, no…no," the Doctor frowned as he leaned back on the console, Olivia still under his arm and she frowned up at him. "Sorry. Wasn't it obvious? The Dream Lord was me. Psychic pollen is a mind parasite. It feeds on everything dark in you…gives it a voice, turns it against you."

The three stared at him in disbelief and Olivia felt his hand on her arm tighten.

"I'm nine hundred and seven," he murmured. "Had a lot to go on."

"But why didn't it feed on us, too?" Amy wondered.

"The darkness in you three? It would have starved to death in an instant," the Doctor replied, stepping around the console before stopping and smiling at Amy, Rory and Olivia. "I choose my friends with great care. Otherwise, I'm stuck in my own company and you know how that works out."

"But…those things he said about you," Olivia called, stepping toward him to stand next to him, meeting his gaze evenly. "You don't really believe any of that, right?"

He stared into her jade eyes filled with love and concern. Concern for him, he knew, and if he said anything to the affirmative to answer her question, it would hurt her. He couldn't handle seeing that. He glanced at Rory and Amy and found his out.

"Amy," he smirked, making Olivia's wide-eyed stare narrow as she lowered her gaze to the console. "Right now a question is about to occur to Rory, and seeing as the answer is about to change his life, I think you should give him your full attention."

The Doctor stepped around Olivia, running a hand over her back and shoulders before trailing it down her arm then starting to operate the console. She glanced at him and he gave a wink, making her unable to do anything but smile and give a small giggle before she looked to Amy and Rory, remaining at the console.

"Yeah," Rory began, turning to Amy. "Actually…yeah."

"There it is," Olivia smirked.

"'Cause what I don't get is you blew up the TARDIS, that stopped that dream, but what stopped the Ledworth dream?"

"We crashed the camper van," Amy muttered, feeling a bit uncomfortable and awkward.

"I don't remember that," Rory admitted.

"No…You weren't there. You were already—" Amy choked on the last word and Olivia looked to the Doctor mouthing 'Aw' with an expression on her face as if she'd just seen the cutest puppy in the universe. He placed a finger over his lips to tell her to keep silent, which she did.

"Already what?" Rory wondered when Amy didn't continue.

"Dead," Amy blurted in irritation then muttered, "You died in the dream. Mrs. Poggit got ya."

"Ok," Rory drawled, still staring at her in wonder. "But how do you know it was a dream before you crashed the van. How did you know you wouldn't just die?"

"I didn't," Amy replied and Olivia grinned as realization hit Rory and he stepped closer to kiss Amy, the Doctor coming up behind Olivia to wrap his arms around her, setting his chin on her shoulder.

"Happy ending, yeah?" he murmured, and she nodded as he kissed her temple before asking them all, "So! Well then…where now? Or should Liv and I pop down to swimming pool for a few lengths?"

"I don't know," Rory replied, holding Amy. "Anywhere's good for me. I'm happy anywhere. It's up to Amy this time. Amy's choice."

The Doctor grinned before turning to the console again and gripping a lever. He was about to pull it when he looked down onto a glass part of the console and paused. Olivia sailed up to his left with a grin before looking to him with a frown when he cautiously looked over his right shoulder, Amy and Rory laughing as Rory teased Amy somehow. Olivia glanced behind the Doctor as well before he looked back at the console.

"Theta?" she murmured, shooting his gaze to hers. "Are you alright?"

"Fine, Liv," he smiled, making her narrow her gaze at him but he wrapped his arm around her shoulders to pull her closer and kiss her hairline, murmuring against it, "Let's leave the love birds alone, eh? Pick a place where we can talk, yeah?"

"The pool," she smiled, pulling away enough to look up at him. "I haven't seen it since it changed and you brought it up."

"Alright, you go, I'll meet you there in a bit," he nodded, lowering his arm and turning to operate the console as she smiled up at him, circling behind him and patting his rear. He jumped with a slight yelp and looked to her with narrowed eyes as she giggled, waving cutely as she headed toward the stairs leading to the hall to find the pool.

Later...

"Ooh, I recall that little number," the Doctor smirked down at Olivia as she stood in the shallow end of the pool in her purple bikini, her hair soaked and slicked back from having jumped in before he got there. She grinned up at him before frowning at him in wonder.

"Where's yours?" she wondered, noting he was still dressed in his usual clothes.

"I thought we came here to talk."

"I thought we came here to swim and talk."

"Well I can't do both this time 'round."

"Fine," Olivia sighed, stepping closer to hold her hand up to him. "Help me out?"

"I invented that trick back in Rome at one of the bath houses, Liv," he smirked, unmoving and shoving his hand into his pockets. "Caesar was not happy with me after I did it."

"I really need help, Theta," she pouted, cutely as she still held her hand up.

The Doctor sighed in defeat before gripping her hand and pulling her out, catching her when she stumbled into him and not caring that she was getting him wet. She threw her arms around him and planted her lips to his without another word. The Doctor didn't object as he slid his arms tighter around her, gladly returning her kiss, slipping his tongue between her lips and making her moan before he pulled away to breathe.

"Liv…this isn't talking, per say," he sighed, smiling a bit wider when her hands slid into his hair.

"I know," she smirked, mischievously as she twirled her fingers in his hair. "But I couldn't resist. It's been a while since we've been alone like this, huh? I mean…real time alone."

"Yes, I know," he smiled back before taking one of her hands and leading her toward the bench against the wall where her towel sat. He lifted the towel and swept it around Olivia's shoulders, making her giggle as he began rubbing her arms to dry her off, saying, "There's something I need to clear up, Liv. Something I should have explained to you when you asked, but I ignored it at that moment. I wasn't competing for Amy the way Rory was. I had a different reason."

"And what reason was that?" she wondered.

"Friendship, Liv," he replied, pulling the towel up on her head like a hood to hold the ends and tuck it under her chin, meeting her gaze. "I only want her to be here as a friend as long as possible. You know I like an audience."

"I know," she smiled, remembering how her heart had clenched the entire time she told Amy she'd share him with her if she had to.

"Olivia…I love you," he murmured, lifting a hand to stroke her cheek. "I know you've been through a lot since my regeneration, and I wish I could've spared you some of it…especially this one."

"Stop it, Theta," she whispered, lowering the towel from her head to place her hands on his cheeks, stroking his face. "I wouldn't trade any of it for anything, my love. Not even this one."

"But…you just saw a side of me…I never wanted you to see," he murmured.

"I knew it," Olivia sighed, lowering her hands to take his, looking down at their hands. "You really do think of yourself that way, don't you?"

"Liv, it's all true," he insisted, making her look to him with wide eyes. "I put you in danger, I threw my life away, I let you down all the time—"

"Shut up," Olivia breathed.

"But I—"

"Idiot, stop talking," she cut in, slapping a hand over his mouth and he stared at her with a wide-eyed frown. "You know me, don't you? You think I would stick around if you were even remotely like the Dream Lord? You may have a lot of quirks, you may be arrogant, you may not apologize for a lot of what you say and do but you are the most amazing, brilliant, insane man I know and I love you. I hate—!"

The Doctor frowned but her hand was still over his mouth so he said nothing as Olivia choked back a sob, lowering her gaze from his before she snapped, "I hate that you think of yourself that way when what you do is so important and wonderful!"

She lowered her hand from his mouth to place both of them over her face to hide her sobs. The sight made his hearts clench so tightly he couldn't breathe as he slid his arms around her to pull her close, feeling her shudder against him.

"That's why I didn't tell you who I thought he was, Liv," he murmured against her hair. "I didn't want…this. But I suppose the only way to keep this from happening is to keep things from you and you don't like it when I do that. Puts me in quite a spot, darling."

"Stop being an idiot and you won't be in a spot, Theta," she muttered, making him give a smirk at her playful tone before she lifted her head and looked up at him. "Haven't you learned by now to tell me everything no matter what?"

"Apparently not," he smirked, lowering his arms to lock them around her waist. "I'm a slow learner with you, Liv. You can be predictable sometimes, but there are times, not many, but enough, that you completely surprise me."

"Good to know I can still be unpredictable," she smirked, reaching around to fiddle with his fingers, but frowned in wonder when she felt something on his left middle finger, making her frown, and he frowned as well in wonder at her as she took his hand to bring it between them and examine it. "What's this?"

He said nothing as he let his right hand rest on her hip, his left in her hands as she examined the gold band on his middle finger with a single familiar looking crystal embedded in it.

"That's…a Psychic Pollen speck," she realized and frowned up at him. "You kept one and made a ring out of it?"

"Well, I didn't just keep one, Liv," he smirked, reaching into one of his inside pockets and pulled something out, making Olivia's frown deepen before her eyes widened. "One for you. Don't overheat it. You know what happens."

She smiled as he lifted her left hand and slipped the gold band with the stone set in it on her middle finger.

"We'll have to practice, but your psychic training from Jack will make it easier," he explained, making her frown up at him in wonder as he smiled, "We'll get it in no time."

"Get what?" she asked, meeting his gaze again as he lowered his hands.

"Well, go on then," he urged, making her frown deepen at him before he waved her on, explaining, "Admire it. Isn't that what you girls do with jewelry? You admire it."

"It's lovely, now what do you mean, get it in no time?" she questioned again, not even looking to the ring again.

"Oh, alright," he smirked before pulling her hand into his again, drawing her gaze to it. "I was hoping to surprise you a bit, but since you're asking… We can control the effects of this pollen and use it to communicate with each other telepathically."

"Really?" Olivia grinned, brightly. "Show me!"

"Alright, come here, then," he smiled, still holding her hand and pulling her to some chairs against the wall of the huge pool room.

He sat down and looked to Olivia with a frown when she pulled her hand from his but it fell away when she tossed her towel onto one of the empty chairs and sat herself on his knee.

"Right—" he choked before clearing his throat, making her smile at him, happy to know she still had that effect on him. "Right…now, the first time we must have contact, so take my hand."

She did as he asked, and giggled when he pulled it to his face and kissed the back of it with a wink.

"Can you hear me, Liv?" His voice filled her head, making her grin brightly again at him and she nodded, hugely. "Use your training, Liv. That's the whole point of the exercise."

"Sorry, Theta. Yes, I can hear you," she replied, still grinning.

"Good, now let go of my hand."

She obeyed without a word or thought.

"Can you still hear me?"

"Faintly. Did I mess it up?"

"No, no, no. It's alright. You still feel my presence in your mind, yes?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"Good, hold onto that. Remember that feeling and whenever you want to talk to me like this, use it and send your thoughts to me, understand?"

"Yes," she nodded again, and jumped when the bond snapped as he grinned.

"Good!" he grinned. "Lesson over. You did very well. You get a lovely reward now."

"Oh, really?" she smirked, leaning against him and wrapping her arms around his neck, smiling, "And what do I get?"

Without another word he pressed his lips to hers, making her smile into the kiss before she gladly returned it and after a moment they pulled away, both grinning at each other like fools.

"Amy wants to go to Rio," the Doctor reported.

"When?" Olivia wondered through a smile.

"Well, as soon as possible, of course," he replied.

"No!" she laughed. "I mean when in Rio, you idiot!"

"Oh! Yes! I don't know."

"Then maybe we should find out," she smirked back, standing and taking his hand to pull him to his feet as he slung his arm around her shoulders as they headed toward the exit.

"Liv…"

Olivia stopped and looked around the room with a frown, making the Doctor look down at her in wonder.

"What's wrong, Liv?" he asked, glancing around the pool as well.

"I thought…" she trailed off, trying to determine who and where the whisper had come from or if she was just imagining it. "I thought I heard…my name. I guess it was nothing."

She looked back to him with a smile and a shrug before they resumed their walk to the exit again.

Later...

"Liv! Get that—!"

"Got it!"

"And hit that—!"

Olivia slammed her hand over a button as the TARDIS thrashed, she, the Doctor, Amy and Rory gripping tightly to the edges of the console.

"All this fuss just to get to Rio?!" Amy questioned, having changed into something suitable for the weather of their destination, and Olivia in her usual attire as she sailed around her, she and the Doctor piloted the TARDIS.

"It shouldn't be this…difficult!" the Doctor growled, slapping a lever into place and the TARDIS came to a stop, making him grin, "Ah ha! There! Now she's behaving! Come on!"

The Doctor ran around the console as Olivia frowned up at the screen above it, but before she could say anything he grabbed her hand and dragged her toward the door. Amy grabbed Rory's hand and followed them as they all reached the door.

"Um, Doctor—"

"Behold!" the Doctor cheered, interrupting Olivia and flinging the door open to let Amy and Rory pass. "Rio!"

The couple stepped out slowly, their smiles fading as they took in their surroundings of a cemetery.

"Not really getting the Sunshine Carnival vibe," Rory said as the Doctor dragged Olivia out to the TARDIS, the door shutting behind them.

"No—! Ooh…feel that, though," the Doctor replied, making the three frown at him. He looked to Olivia, still holding her hand and asked, "What's that?"

He pulled her ahead, making her stumble behind him until he stopped and jumped in his place, still holding her hand.

"Doctor, what—?"

"The ground feels strange," he mused before stopping and looking to Amy and Rory then looking to Olivia. "Can't you feel that? You should be able to, at least."

"Ok, it feels…weird, but, Doctor, the thing is…we're not in Rio," she reminded him as he looked around again, satisfied with her answer. "Amy's gonna start complaining soon."

"Wait…that's weird," he murmured, looking around and making her frown in wonder at him before following his gaze.

"What's weird?" Rory asked.

"Doctor, stop trying to distract us," Amy snapped, marching toward him as he turned. "We're in the wrong place."

He ran around the TARDIS and around the church they were parked next to, dragging Olivia by the hand and making her stumble behind him as Amy and Rory followed.

"Doctor, it's freezing and I've dressed for Rio!" Amy reminded him, irritably. "We are not stopping here."

The Doctor stopped and knelt down next to a patch of strange grass, making Olivia frown down at it as he let her hand go to pick at the grass and examine it.

"Doctor!" Amy called. "Are you listening to me? It's a graveyard! You promised me a beach!"

"Blue grass," the Doctor muttered, standing and still examining the blades.

"What is a style of music, Alex," Olivia smirked, making the Doctor smirk back before it instantly fell as he looked back to the ground.

"Patches of it all around the graveyard," he muttered before looking to Amy and Rory as they approached and Olivia took a blade from the pieces of grass in the Doctor's hand before he tucked them into his inside pocket. "So…Earth, 2020-ish, ten years in your future, wrong continent for Rio, I'll admit, but it's not a massive overshoot."

"Why are those people waving at us?" Amy asked, making the three follow her gaze to a hill where two people stood atop it, waving at the four.

"Can't be," the Doctor murmured, pulling a pair of binoculars from his jacket pocket and making Olivia frown at him as he looked through them. "It is!"

"What else do you have in your pockets?!" Olivia squeaked, turning him to pull it off. "Is it bigger on the inside like the TARDIS?!"

"Liv! Stop it! Ah! That tickles! Stop!" the Doctor ordered, trying to slap her hands away as she searched his jacket.

Amy rolled her eyes as she snatched the binoculars from his hand as he still tried to fight Olivia off but she only giggled in return. Amy pulled the binoculars up and looked through them before lowering them, her eyes wide in shock.

"It's us," she blurted then smiled as she looked to Rory then back at the pair on the hill.

"No…" Rory drawled. "We're here. How can we be up there?"

"Ten years into your future," Olivia reminded them in a giggle, still attacking the Doctor. "Come to relive past glories, probably."

"Humans," the Doctor smirked, finally gripping Olivia's hands and spinning her around to wrap his arms around her, hugging her from behind and making her laugh. "You're so nostalgic."

"Where can I get a jacket that's bigger on the inside?" Olivia smiled up at him over her shoulder.

"Later, sweet Liv," he whispered into her ear before pressing a kiss to her temple and making her grin, brightly.

"We're still together in ten years," Amy realized.

"No need to sound so surprised," Rory smiled, light-heartedly, taking the binoculars to look through them.

"Hey, let's go and talk to them!" Amy smiled. "We can say 'Hi' to the future us! How cool is that?"

"Uh, no, best not," the Doctor cut in, taking the binoculars from Rory.

"Really better not," Olivia agreed as the Doctor tucked the binoculars away.

"These things get complicated very quickly, and—oh look," the Doctor explained then looked to his left, making Olivia do the same with a frown as he murmured, "Big mining thing. Oh, I love a big mining thing. See? Way better than Rio. Rio doesn't have a big mining thing."

"We're not gonna have a look, are we?" Amy groaned.

"You should know the answer to that, Amy," Olivia smirked to her.

"Let's go and have a look," the Doctor grinned to Amy, making her grin in return, unable to help it as he spun Olivia back around but held onto her hand as he hurried down the hill, calling, "Come on, you two! Let's see what they're doing!"

"Theta!" Olivia called as they were halfway away from the couple who were speaking at the top of the hill and he stopped to look at her with a frown. "I want something before we get into…whatever this is."

"Yes, Liv, I'll get you a jacket later, I prom—!"

He was cut off when Olivia pulled him by the hand and planted her lips to his for a passionate kiss before pulling back with a loud smack and she smiled slyly up at him as he cleared his throat nervously.

"That it?" he wondered.

"That's it," she shrugged before pulling him toward the mine, grinning, "Allons-y!"

A/N: amd onward to the next adventure! i couldn't resist the whole blue grass comment...it was begging to be said, and Liv totally would've said that, so it happened. reviews?