A/N: long time, again...i know! new chappie! enjoy!


Chapter 29: A Peace to Be Brokered

Olivia never thought of herself as a nervous tick sort of person. Habitual ticks? Sure, she had a few of those, like the way she bit her lower lip when she was concentrating or balled her fists when she was angry. But she never did much when she was nervous. Now, as she watched Tony rest the body of Alaya next to the long patch of Earth with discs set up for the five of them to be sent below the surface, she found herself nervously twirling the ring with the psychic speck in it. And she realized it was her new-found nervous tick.

"So we get on those and they take us down through the Earth?" Tony guessed.

"Geothermal gravity bubbles…or something," Rory nodded.

"Geothermal energy using gravity bubble technology," Olivia corrected, still twirling her ring as she stared at the discs as Ambrose was also.

"They sent five," Ambrose pointed out, still staring at the discs then sighed, "She was our only bargaining chip."

"We have to hand her back," Rory told her and was about to step onto one of the discs, Olivia doing the same.

"Wait!" Ambrose called, stopping them and making the three look to her. "Before we go down, there's something I've gotta do. Dad, I need your help."

Ambrose hurried from the room with Tony following after her, making Rory and Olivia turn frowns to each other before Olivia looked to the two hurrying from the room.

"Ambrose?" Olivia called and stepped around the discs to head after her. "Tony? What are you doing?!"

"Olivia wait!" Rory called, reaching out to grip her wrist and pull her back toward him, making her glare at him, but he only held her gaze. "It might be a…father daughter thing. We shouldn't interrupt."

"I didn't like the look in her eye, Rory," she explained as he let her wrist go when she showed no sign of heading after them. "It's the same look I get just before I do something stupid."


Below the Surface...

Olivia led the group through the tunnels, wanting to indulge her curiosity and examine everything, but she was far too nervous to think of anything else but the Doctor's reaction to what had happened. Not only that, but his reaction to how it happened. It was her fault. She knew it. Ambrose used her Stun Gun, which the Doctor had told her to put back in the TARDIS…which she hadn't.

"Here they are."

She jumped when she passed an open door, hearing the Doctor's voice. She looked to her left to see the Doctor wave to her with a smile, a Silurian in official-looking robes standing next to him. She noted there were others there, but all she saw was the Doctor as she turned and hurried into the room, Rory, Ambrose and Tony carrying Alaya following behind her.

"Mum!" Elliot called as he ran away from Mo and toward Ambrose, passing Olivia completely who only rushed toward the Doctor.

"Rory!" Amy greeted as Elliot hugged his mother and Olivia felt her heart thump in her chest as she noted the smile fall from the Doctor's face.

He knew something was wrong.

"Something's wrong," he murmured as she stopped in front of him and their gazes met. "Olivia, what's happened?"

She swallowed as he looked up to see Tony carrying Alaya wrapped in an orange blanket and she felt tears prick her eyes as she looked to her feet in shame.

"Doctor, what's he carrying?" Amy asked, standing next to him.

Olivia gasped when the Doctor gripped her arms to make her meet his glare with wide eyes.

"Olivia Felton, you tell me what's happened right now," he ground out.

She opened her mouth to respond but her voice failed her, the lump in her throat blocking her words. She bowed her head again when his hands fell from her arms and he headed toward Tony as he lowered himself to rest Alaya on the floor.

"No," the Doctor murmured. "Don't do this. Tell me you didn't do this!"

He knelt down with a sigh and pulled the blanket away from the face to look at Alaya before settling it back over her and turning a glare to Tony who bowed his head, unable to meet the Doctor's anger.

"What did you do?" the Doctor demanded.

"It was me," Ambrose called, making the Doctor and Olivia look to her, but Olivia frowned in wonder. She sounded far more confident than she had when it happened. "I did it."

"Mum?" Elliot frowned at Ambrose.

"I just wanted you back," she explained, but Elliot pulled away from her when she reached for him.

All eyes went to her as she looked around at them all, but after a moment, the Doctor turned to Olivia who had remained in her spot the entire time and he marched toward her, looming over her as she met his glare as steadily as she could.

"What happened?" he ground out, making her swallow, hard.

"She stole my Stun Gun," she whispered, turning her gaze to her hands as she twirled her ring on her finger again. "I didn't notice it was gone until it was too late, and I didn't think…it would kill her. It's my fault, Theta. I'm…I'm sorry."

He glared down at her for a moment longer before marching past her and she lifted her hands to her face to hide her shame and her tears as he stepped toward the Silurian, Eldane.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor desperately tried. "I didn't know. You have to believe me, they're better than this."

"This is our planet!" Ambrose shouted.

"We had a chance, Ambrose. Shut up!" Olivia shot back, throwing her hands down from her face.

"Leave us alone!" Ambrose continued, and Olivia was about to tell her off again but stopped short when she saw the Doctor marching toward the woman.

"In the future, when you talk about this, you tell people there was a chance but you were so much less than the best of humanity!"

The sound of marching made everyone turn their attention to the doors and they soon found themselves surrounded by masked Silurians, Restac marching through the main entrance. Her march slowed when she caught sight of the blanket and when she knelt down next to it, she lifted the corner to see Alaya's dead face. She gave a pitiful cry, making Olivia swallow again as everyone kept their eyes on her.

"And you want us to trust these apes, Doctor?" she hissed, looking up at him.

"One woman," he tried to reason. "She was scared for her family. She's not typical."

"I think she is," Restac snapped, standing and turning to Ambrose and making Olivia stiffen as she glanced between her and Ambrose.

"One person let us down," the Doctor still tried. "But there is a whole race of dazzling, peaceful human beings up there. You were building something here! Come on! An alliance could work!"

"It's too late for that, Doctor," Ambrose warned, making all eyes turn to her and Olivia frown at her before she looked to Tony with wide eyes.

"Why?" the Doctor asked cautiously.

"What did you do?" Olivia breathed, making Tony look to her in shame.

"Our drill is set to start burrowing again in…fifteen minutes," Ambrose replied, looking to a stop watch in her hands.

"What?!" Nasreen snapped, looking to Tony.

"What choice did I have?" Tony asked Olivia and Nasreen. "They had Elliot."

"Don't do this," the Doctor pleaded. "Don't call their bluff."

"Let us go back," Ambrose begged Restac. "And you promise to never come to the surface ever again. We'll walk away, leave you alone."

"Execute her!" Restac shouted.

Olivia instantly reacted, running toward Ambrose and pulling her out of the way just as one of the Silurians shot at her. She pulled her behind a column as the Doctor ran after the two, making sure they were both out of range of the weapons.

"Everybody, back to the lab! Run!" he shouted before looking to Olivia as they all obeyed and ran for the doors. "Follow my lead."

She nodded and pulled her Sonic from her jacket as he did, stepping to the center of the room, side by side.

"Execute all the apes!" Rastec shouted, but Olivia and the Doctor raised their Sonic Screwdrivers , activating them and making the Silurian weapons spark like mad.

"These are deadly weapons!" the Doctor shouted, pulling Olivia with him by the hand to hurry out of the room. "Stay back!"

"Doctor! This way!" Olivia called, pulling him toward the exit where everyone was running out of and into the tunnels of the city.

"Liv! Look out!" he shouted, pulling his arm from her grip to grip her wrist in turn and pull her out of the way of a Silurian snapping its tongue at her in an attempt to sting her. She screamed when she saw the tip of the tongue snap back then grunted when her back hit the wall of the exit, the Doctor pinning her to it. "Be careful, dear."

"Theta, I—"

"Later," he cut in, gripping her hand. "It's time to run now."

Olivia said nothing else as he dragged her after him by the hand, launching into a full run down the tunnel after the group.

"Take everyone to the lab!" the Doctor ordered Olivia as they all ran in that direction, sparks flying as they were still being shot at. The Doctor stopped, Olivia right behind him, frowning at him as she watched him pull his Sonic out again, saying, "I'll cover you!"

Olivia turned and ushered Mo and the others on, following them and shouting, "Go! Go!"

She watched the group run down the hall before turning back and running after the Doctor to see him holding his Sonic up threateningly at Restac and a few of her soldiers.

"Stop right there or I'll use my very deadly weapon again!" he warned as Olivia fingered her own Sonic. "One warning, that's all you get. If there can be no deal you go back into hibernation. All of you. Now! This ends here."

"No!" Restac shouted. "It only ends with our victory!"

"Like I said…" he warned again, "…one warning."

One of her soldiers jumped when her weapon sparked and the Doctor frowned before glancing over his shoulder at Olivia pointing her Sonic at the group.

"Olivia! What are you doing?!" he shouted, turning and running toward her, Restac and her soldiers charging behind him and he grabbed her hand to drag her into the lab, using his Sonic to lock the door then looked to Olivia. "I told you—!"

"I'm not leaving your side again, Doctor," she murmured and to avoid an argument she asked, "What do we do now?"

He opened his mouth to argue with her but he closed his mouth to frown at her before looking to Elliot, Ambrose and Mo.

"Elliot," he began, pulling Olivia behind him down the stairs as he continued, "you and your dad keep your eyes on that screen. Let me know if we get company."

Mo and Elliot ran to the far side of the lab toward a computer screen as the Doctor grabbed the stopwatch from Ambrose to toss it to Amy.

"Amy, keep reminding me how much time we haven't got," he ordered as she caught the watch to look at it.

"Twelve and a half minutes till drill impact," Amy announced as the Doctor pulled Olivia toward Tony and Nasreen.

"Tony Mack," he called, stopping in front of the exhausted man. "Sweaty forehead, dilated pupils, what're you hiding?"

Tony unbuttoned and parted his shirt to reveal something green running through his bulging veins on his chest.

"Tony," Nasreen breathed as Olivia gasped, her eyes widening. "What happened?"

"Alaya's sting," he replied as the Doctor used his Sonic on him. "She said there's no cure. I'm dying, aren't I?"

The Doctor whirled toward one of the computers next to him as he replied, "You're not dying. You're mutating."

"How can I stop it?" Tony questioned as Olivia stepped next to the Doctor to watch him aim his Sonic at one of the screens where an image of a DNA chain was showing.

"Decontamination program," the Doctor suggested, looking back to Tony. "Might work, don't know." He tucked his Sonic away and looked to Eldane, asking, "Can you run the program on Tony?"

"Doctor!" Mo called in a panic. "Shedload of those creatures coming our way! We're surrounded in here!"

"So," the Doctor chirped, "question is, how do we stop the drill, given that we can't get there in time? Plus, also, how do we get out, given that we're surrounded? Nasreen how do you feel about an energy pulse channeled up through the tunnels to the base of the drill?"

"To blow up my life's work?" she realized in disbelief.

"Yes," the Doctor nodded, apologetically. "Sorry. No nice way of putting that."

Nasreen frowned before sounding resigned as she nodded, "Right, well, you're going to have to do it before the drill hits the city."

"Which will be in…?" Olivia trailed off, looking to Amy as Rory stood next to her.

"Eleven minutes, forty seconds," she replied, hopelessly as the Doctor ran toward one of the computers.

"Yes," he grinned, chuckling, "Squeaky bum time!"

"Yes, but the explosion is going to cave in all the surrounding tunnels, so we have to be out and on the surface then," Nasreen explained.

"But we can't get past Restac's troops," Rory reminded them.

"I can help with that," Eldane called from the decontamination chamber where Tony was strapped to an upright chair and all eyes shot to him. "Toxic fumigation. An emergency failsafe meant to protect my species from infection. A warning signal to occupy cryo-chambers. After that, citywide fumigation, by toxic gas. Then the city shuts down."

"You could end up killing your own people," Olivia breathed, stepping up next to Eldane and looking to him with wide eyes.

"Only those foolish enough to follow Restac," he assured her.

"Eldane, are you sure about this?" the Doctor asked, needing to be sure.

"My priority is my race's survival," Eldane explained. "The Earth isn't ready for us to return yet."

"Ten minutes, Doctor," Amy reported.

"No," the Doctor agreed with Eldane. "But maybe it should be. So here's a deal. Everybody listening. Eldane, you activate shutdown. I'll amend the systems, set your alarm for one thousand years time. One thousand years to sort the planet out. To be ready. Pass it on as legend, or prophecy, or religion, but somehow make it known. This planet is to be shared."

"Yeah," Elliot nodded when the Doctor looked to him. "I get you."

"Nine minutes, seven seconds," Amy reported as he smiled at Elliot.

"Liv! With me!" the Doctor called, running around to the console Eldane was working on as Olivia sailed up next to him and he grinned, "Yes, fluid controls, my favorite! Liv, energy pulse."

"Timed, primed and set," she announced, instantly working on the panel.

"Before we go, Liv, energy barricade, need to cancel it out quickly," he told her. "Use the Sonic if you need to."

"Got it," Olivia nodded and did as she was told, pointing her Sonic at one of the screens. "Done."

"Fumigation pre-launching," Eldane announced.

"There's not much time for us to get from here to the surface, Doctor," Rory explained.

"Ah ha!" the Doctor grinned, he and Olivia still working. "Super squeaky bum time! Get ready to run for your lives!"

"But the decontamination program on your friend hasn't started yet," Eldane told the Doctor and all eyes turned to Tony as he stood from the upright chair.

"Well, go!" Tony called, making everyone stare at him in disbelief. "All of you! Go!"

"No, we're not leaving you here!" Ambrose argued as Elliot ran toward his grandfather to hug him.

"Eight minutes, ten seconds," Amy announced as they watched Tony say good bye to his family and when he hugged Ambrose, Olivia couldn't hold back the tears that flooded her eyes. The Doctor looked to her, noticing her tears but said nothing before looking to Eldane with a nod.

A moment later the lights dimmed then flashed as the voice from the PA announced, "Toxic fumigation initiated. Return to cryo-chambers."

"They're going!" Amy announced as she looked at the screen with a view outside the door. "We're clear!"

"Ok. Everyone follow Olivia," the Doctor called, grabbing Olivia's hand to pull her toward the door of the lab, pointing his Sonic Screwdriver at the control panel for the door. "Look for a blue box! Get ready to run!"

The group remained in front of the door as he opened it with the Sonic then stepped toward Eldane, pulling Olivia with him.

"I'm sorry," he murmured to Eldane.

"I thought for a moment, our race, and the humans…" Eldane replied before trailing off.

"Yeah," the Doctor nodded slightly. "Me too."

"Doctor, we've got less than six minutes!" Amy urged.

"Go!" he replied, letting go of Olivia's hand to shove her by the shoulder toward the group and she looked to him with wide eyes. "Go! I'm right behind you!"

"But—!"

"Go on, Liv!" he ordered again, making her bite her lip before turning to head after the group as they ran down the hall.

Olivia and Amy brought up the rear of the group and just before they all turned a corner, both girls stopped, looking behind them to see that the Doctor wasn't following. Olivia gave a growl and ran back toward the lab, Amy right beside her and they both found the Doctor speaking with Nasreen.

"Doctor!" they both shouted, making him look over his shoulder at them with a frown of wonder at their shouts in unison before looking back to Nasreen.

"Thank you, Doctor," Nasreen nodded.

"The pleasure was all mine," he replied before giving her a tight hug then turned to head out the door, grabbing Olivia's hand on the way and Amy running after them.

"Come and look for us," Nasreen called, making Olivia frown over her shoulder at her but she realized she was staying as well and said nothing.

"Immediate evacuation," the PA called as Rory came barreling toward them, looking for Amy. "Toxic fumigation is about to commence."

"Other way, idiot!" Amy called as they passed each other and Rory quickly turned to run after the three.

They met with Ambrose, Elliot and Mo on a long bridge and the Doctor flew by them with Olivia in tow until they reached a huge room where the TARDIS sat.

"No questions, just get in!" the Doctor called as they reached the door and he pulled the key out to unlock and open the door. "And yes, I know it's big! Ambrose, sickbay up the stairs, left, then left again…get yourself fixed up. Come on, five minutes and counting!"

"Theta," Olivia breathed, making him frown at her as Ambrose, Mo and Elliot headed into the TARDIS, Amy and Rory catching up with them and standing with the couple. She was staring at the wall facing the TARDIS where a light was shining, and when he turned, his eyes widened in disbelief, Amy and Rory looking to the wall as well…where a familiar crack was shining brightly.

"Not here," he breathed. "Not now."

"It's getting wider," Olivia observed in a breath as well.

"The crack on my bedroom wall," Amy realized.

"And the Byzantium," the Doctor added, stepping closer to the crack, Olivia reaching out to grip his hand and pull him back but he stepped out of reach. "All through the universe rips in the continuum. Some sort of space-time cataclysm…an explosion, maybe. Big enough to put cracks in the universe. But what?"

"Four minutes, fifty," Amy reported, looking to the stopwatch. "We have to go!"

"The Angels laughed when I didn't know," the Doctor continued, ignoring her. "Prisoner Zero knew. Everybody knows, except me!"

"Don't act like a child! Just leave it!" Olivia snapped, heading toward him to take his arm in both hands and pull him toward her, but he yanked his arm from her grasp to reach into the inside pocket of his jacket. "Doctor!"

"But where there's an explosion…there's shrapnel," he grinned, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and hurrying closer to the crack.

"Doctor, you can't put your hand in there!" Rory ordered.

"Why not?" he shrugged.

"Doctor, don't you dare! You get away from that—Don't!" Olivia screamed as he reached in and her hands flew to her mouth with a gasp, her eyes shooting wide when he started shouting in uncertain pain.

"I've got something!" he called.

"What is it?" Amy asked before Olivia gasped again when the Doctor shoved himself from the crack, clutching the wrapped object in his hand.

"I don't know," he replied in awe as Olivia ran to help him up.

"God, you're such an idiot," she muttered as he struggled to his feet.

"Doctor!" Rory called in warning, making them all turn to see Restac gasping and struggling toward them on her stomach, a weapon in her hand.

"She was there when the gas started," Amy realized. "She must have been poisoned."

"Ok, get in the TARDIS, all of you," the Doctor ordered in a low voice, keeping his gaze on Restac as she struggled to lift her weapon and Olivia instantly ran toward the TARDIS door.

"You did this!" Restac hissed as the Doctor reached into his jacket for the Sonic.

"Doctor!" Rory shouted, rushing toward him and shoving him out of the way just as Restac lifted her weapon and fired…hitting Rory in the chest.

"Rory!" Amy screamed and ran to him as he fell onto his back, shouting in pain and the Doctor and Olivia rushed toward him as well, hovering over him as Restac fell to the ground…dead.

"Rory, can you hear me?!" the Doctor called, running the Sonic over him and Rory brought his breathing under control, looking around in bewilderment and pain.

"I don't understand," he murmured before looking to Amy as she stroked his face. "We were on the hill. I can't die here."

"Don't say that," Amy pleaded through a whisper, tears flooding her eyes.

"You're so beautiful," he breathed before cringing in pain, closing his eyes and saying, "I'm sorry."

Rory's head fell to one side as he let out a breath…his last breath and Amy's head shook in disbelief, but she couldn't take her eyes off of him.

"Doctor, help him," she pleaded and Olivia looked to the crack, gripping the Doctor's arm to get his attention. Tendrils of light were moving from the crack toward Rory's feet, making the Doctor stand and pull Olivia as far away from it as he could.

"Amy, move away from the light," he ordered. "If it touches you you'll be wiped from history."

"Amy, come on," Olivia called as they stepped toward the TARDIS door.

"No!" Amy shot back, screaming, "I am not leaving him! We have to help him!"

"Get the door," the Doctor told Olivia and she stepped toward the door to open it as he bent down to wrap his arms around Amy, explaining, "The light's already around him, we can't help him."

"I am not leaving him!" Amy screamed through her tears.

"We have to," he urged, pulling her away as she screamed to be let go. "Sorry."

The Doctor pulled her toward the door and into the TARDIS as Olivia shut the door behind them and stood in front of it to keep Amy from getting out when she rushed toward it as the Doctor let her go. Olivia threw her arms around Amy, pinning her arms to her sides as she struggled, but Olivia only held her close as the Doctor headed toward the console.

"Please let me out!" Amy sobbed as Olivia held her. "I need to get to Rory!"

"I'm sorry, Amy," Olivia whispered, tears coming to her eyes as well as Amy slowed her struggle and stood limply in her arms, her head on her shoulder as she still sobbed. "I'm really, really sorry."

Olivia looked up to the porthole screen as Amy calmed her sobs then turned to it as well, marching toward it and out of Olivia's hold. The image on the screen showed Rory's body outside being enveloped by the tendrils of light coming from the crack.

"That light," Amy noticed, standing in front of the screen, Olivia hurrying up to the console. "If his body's absorbed I'll forget him. He'll never have existed." She turned to the Doctor shuddering, "You can't let that happen."

Olivia looked to the Doctor as she stepped next to him, her heart clenching as tears came to her eyes when he looked back at, because she knew he couldn't do anything to help Rory. She swallowed when the Doctor grabbed the lever in front of him on the console and cranked it to lift the TARDIS off.

"What are you doing?!" Amy shouted, running up the stairs and toward the console to stop him. "Doctor! No!"

"Amy! Stop!" Olivia called just as Amy tried to push the Doctor away from the console and they both wrestled to get her away from it while she screamed that they couldn't leave Rory.

"Keep him in your mind," the Doctor ordered her when he turned her from the console and turned her to face him. "Don't forget him. If you forget him you'll lose him forever."

"But on the Byzantium you said I still remembered the clerics because I am a time traveler now! You said!" Amy sobbed.

"They weren't a part of your world," he explained desperately. "This is different. This is your own history changing."

"Tell me it's gonna be ok! You have to make it ok!"

"It's gonna be hard, but you can do it, Amy!"

"Tell us about Rory," Olivia urged, taking Amy's hand and the Doctor wrapped his arm around her shoulders so they could both lead her toward the jump seat on the other side of the console to sit her down, both kneeling in front of her as she sat. "Fantastic Rory, funny Rory, gorgeous Rory."

"Amy, listen to me," the Doctor urged. "Do exactly as I say. Amy, please, keep concentrating. You can do this."

"I can't," she breathed, now in shock as she looked to him.

"Yes, you can," Olivia urged, gently. "Amy, you can do it."

"I can't help you unless you do," the Doctor explained. "Come on. We can still save his memory. Don't let anything distract you. Remember Rory. Keep remembering. Rory is only alive in your memory. You must keep hold of him. Don't let anything distract you. Rory still lives in your mind."

The TARDIS shuddered violently as it landed, sending them all to the floor, Amy off her chair, Olivia onto her rear at the Doctor's feet and the Doctor sprawled out on his stomach nearly under the console…staring at a red velvet box sitting in front of him.

"What were you saying?" Amy asked the Doctor, making him sit up and look to her in evaluation as Olivia glanced between the two, confused by Amy's sudden calm as well as the ginger looked to the stairs leading up into the hall.

"I have seen some things today, but this is beyond mad," Mo announced, coming down the stairs with Elliot and Ambrose right behind him as Amy looked to the stopwatch she still held.

"Doctor, five seconds till it all goes up!" Amy announced, making the Doctor shoot to his feet as she did and he grabbed Olivia's hand to drag her toward the door, everyone else following.

They all barreled out of the door of the TARDIS just in time to see the drill blow and they watched it go up in smoke for a moment before Olivia looked to the Doctor as he still held her hand. He looked down at her and he could read the question in her eyes before she even voiced it, making him pull his arm up to wrap it around her shoulders, pulling her close to press a kiss to her temple.

"We'll talk later," he assured her in a whisper.


A/N: OH MY GOD! writing Rory's death was so heartwrenching an cruel for me! made me cry! reviews?