Hi everyone! I hope you enjoyed the prologue and looking forward to the rest of the story now! Please read and review, so I can get some feedback and can adapt the story to the reader's liking (because I'm just a nice guy).

Without any further ado, Geronimo!

Episode 0 – It's a Wonderful Life

Chapter 1

Amy prodded the turkey in anticipation. She was desperate to see the Doctor. She hadn't seen him for two months, and despite their phone conversations, she missed him dearly. But it wasn't just that. Her and Rory were having problems. It was like overnight, he just changed. He's short tempered, narcissistic and shows no love or affection to her anymore. Some nights he would just go out, and she wouldn't see him until the afternoon of the following day. There was no evidence that he was drunk or had gone to the pub, so she suspected that he was having an affair. Whenever he wasn't there, and was off with the suspected mystery girl, she wept and wept and wept. Whenever she called Rory out on his behaviour, he either told her she was overreacting or to shut up. She needed her raggedy doctor, and she needed him now. Just as the she felt like tears were ready to escape her eyes, she heard her favourite noise in the universe. The TARDIS. She flung open the window and watched it materialise. She smiled to herself. Finally, a man she could trust.

The Doctor leaped out of the TARDIS doors, only to see his Amelia Pond, smiling at him from the window.

"Ha ha!" The Doctor called, running over to the window. "Amelia Pond! It's been ages!"

"It's so good to see you!" Amy replied, hugging him from through the window.

"Crikey, affection? Who are you and what have you done with Amy Pond?" The Doctor jested, earning himself a slap on the shoulder. "Did you really miss me that much?"

"Of course I have!" Amy exclaimed. "What have you been up to for so long?"

The Doctor, deliberately trying to avoid telling her what he was actually worried about, told her an old story about him being stuck on a bus on a planet with massive alien stingrays. It wasn't true but it did the job.

"How's the Roman?" The Doctor asked inquisitively, instantly disliking the fact that the smile on Amy's face vanished.

"Umm… he's fine. We're fine." Amy answered, unconvincingly. The Doctor could tell something was wrong. And when things were wrong, he wanted to put them right.

'Couples fight all the time,' he thought to himself. 'It's Amy and Rory. They'll be fine.'

"Well, can I come in then? Christmas Dinner for three?"

A smile re-emerged on Amy's face. "Of course! I'll open the door!"

Amy made her way out of the kitchen and towards the front door. Rory walked out of the living room and gave her an odd look.

"Is he here?" Rory asked, a definite lack of passion in his voice.

"Yeah," Amy replied jovially, in hopes to lighten up her husband's mood. "He's just outside if you wanna come and say hi."

"Sure." Rory said, plainly, walking slowly towards the door. Amy eyed him curiously. She just had no idea what had gotten into him. Was he ill? Did he love someone else? She didn't want to cry on Christmas Day, so she supressed her feelings and opened the door for the Doctor.

"Hello!" The Doctor shouted merrily, fishing a Santa hat out of his pocket and placing it on his head. "Merry Christmas one and all! Rory the Roman, how are you?"

The Doctor opened his arms for a hug, and was surprised that Rory didn't come in for one like he usually does, but instead took the Doctor's hand and shook it.

"Good to see you Doctor. How have you been?" Rory asked dryly, causing the mood to drop significantly. The Doctor's cheery entrance had now come to a stop, and he was left perplexed.

"Umm… I've been fine." The Doctor answered, suddenly aware of how awkward the situation was, and tried to reignite some Christmas merriment. "How have you both been? The lovebirds? First married Christmas! Exciting right!"

The Doctor's efforts were in vain. The mood had plummeted, and the Ponds were both looking away from each other. The Doctor eyed them both suspiciously, especially Rory. Something seemed wrong. Very wrong. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but if he did, he felt like he would've had to wash his hands. The air was strange, and the Doctor momentarily stuck his tongue out to taste it. It was odd in taste, and texture. Almost artificial… but he couldn't be sure.

"Very." Rory replied, snapping the Doctor out of his thoughts. "I've got to check on the brandy sauce." He continued, walking directly into the kitchen.

"Well…" the Doctor said, trying to break the ice a little. "Very festive in here isn't it?" pointing at all the decorations. "Oooo, a mini Christmas tree! I once helped Saint Nicholas shift four million of these using the TARDIS. Didn't half leave her in a state though, all the little pines stuck in the console caused me to get stuck in Ancient China for two weeks. Emperor Qin Shi Huang wasn't very happy that I crashed the TARDIS through the gates of his palace."

Amy smiled at him, her eyes welling up. She loved it went he went on a rant like that. She had missed him so much, and needed him now more than ever. Tears began to trickle down her cheeks.

After the Doctor finished examining the tree, he turned to see Amy crying. Instantly startled, he walked towards her and pulled her into a hug.

"What's wrong Pond?" He asked gently, lifting her head up from her chin. Offering him no immediate response, she dragged him into the bathroom, and locked the door. When she was certain that they were out of earshot from Rory, she started to bawl. She cried on the Doctor's shoulder for ten or so minutes. The Doctor was perplexed. They were fine when he last saw them! Now, all of a sudden, he's getting cold shouldered by Rory and consoling a weeping Amelia.

"Amy? Amy what's wrong?" The Doctor finally asked, positioning himself to face her.

After a few deep breaths and some sniffles, Amy answered. "It's Rory… something's wrong…"

She went on to explain everything that was going on. The coldness, the disappearing and the ego. The Doctor listened intently, occasionally pulling Amy into another hug when the tears resurfaced. He knew something was wrong as soon as he stepped through that door. He was good at spotting a problem, he'd had 900 years practice. When Amy got done explaining everything, the Doctor looked at himself in the mirror and adjusted his bow tie. This made Amy smile. That was what he did when he was going to spring into action, and she knew this was a mystery that would pique his interest.

"So you think he's having an affair?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes. I can't think of another explanation." Amy replied.

"Hmmm… could be. Not the type though is he?" The Doctor responded, still looking into the mirror.

"How so?"

"Well he waited 2000 years to protect you, I doubt that only six months later he would look for anyone else."

That thought hadn't occurred to Amy. Rory had been exceptionally faithful to her, far more than any other woman on Earth could claim.

"What's happening then?" Amy asked, as if she could crumble at any moment. "He's breaking my heart…"

"Oh, Amy." The Doctor pulled her into yet another hug. "I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of this. Me and you together. Just like old times?"

"Just like old times." Amy smiled at the Doctor, who ran his finger across the air, and then put it in his mouth. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." The Doctor responded, his finger still in his mouth. He wasn't doing nothing. The air officially tasted funny. And not good funny, almost like an artificial chemical which was polluting the immediate atmosphere. Countless possibilities were running through the Doctor's head. Was it a gas specialised to make people fall out of love? It was a good thought, but if it was why wasn't it affecting Amy? She clearly still loved Rory. Also love is an extremely difficult emotion to reverse, so he discarded that thought. Could it be a gaseous alien lifeform living in the house, perhaps sent to spy on associates of the Doctor's? More likely, but if they knew the Doctor, they knew that he could sense something like that if he decided to turn up. Or was it remnant particles of something that has already come and gone? Another good theory. But he couldn't be sure, as there was no way of knowing why is was here, if he even was correct.

"Doctor?" Amy snapped fingers in front of his face, removing him from his trance.

"Sorry!" The Doctor said. "Got stuck in deep thought there." He unlocked the door and walked back outside the house, and did the same thing. He could still taste whatever it was, but it was considerably weaker, proving to him that whatever the chemical was had been concentrated inside Amy and Rory's house. The Doctor frowned. This was beyond current Earth technology, meaning there could be a clear and immediate threat. He still wasn't sure.

"Doctor?" Amy called from the doorway. "We're about to eat now, what are you doing?"

"Like I said, nothing." The Doctor replied, trying to change the energy. He didn't want to add to the pile of Amy's worries at that moment. "I'm hungry, and I've got the best chef of her time cooking me Christmas Dinner!" The Doctor ruffled her hair, which made her giggle. He then skipped into the kitchen and sat down at the table, rubbing his hands, a childlike grin appearing on his face.

While Amy and the Doctor shared jokes and lightly flirted, Rory opened a blue bottle from the cupboard, and poured a clear, blue-ish liquid into the brandy sauce, and smiled to himself.

The Doctor usually kept an eye on Rory, and this was especially true today. Whenever Amy tried flirting on coming onto the Doctor, Rory would always kick up a fuss. But today, he seemed unmoved and uncaring about the fact that Amy was practically sat on his lap. The Doctor was becoming concerned that she was going to kiss him again.

"Let's do a cracker!" The Doctor exclaimed suddenly, hoping to avert the inevitable incoming tongue tennis. Amy smiled at the Doctor's awkwardness, and grabbed a cracker from the table. It was then that the Doctor noticed there was only one cracker on the table to start with.

"Where are the rest of the crackers?" The Doctor asked.

Amy leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Mr Grumpy over there said they were stupid and he didn't want one."

"Stupid?" The Doctor all but yelled. "I invented the Christmas cracker, and he said they're stupid?"

Amy giggled at the Doctor, not even questioning the fact that he claimed he invented Christmas crackers. She could believe it.

They pulled the cracker, which the Doctor let Amy win, hoping it would make her day just a little better. They both had a good laugh at the reliably terrible joke and the flimsy plastic gift, which in this case was a moustache. For some reason the Doctor thought it looked better on Amy than on him, which earnt him another slap on the shoulder.

Eventually, Christmas Dinner was served. The Doctor looked in awe of the mountain of food in front of him. He had been to many a Christmas Dinner, but this one looked delicious beyond belief.

"Good lord, Amy!" The Doctor beamed at his companion. "This looks incredible!"

"Aww, thanks Doctor!" Amy replied, blushing a little.

Both pairs of eyes fell on Rory, who was already eating his, not looking at either of them. Amy and the Doctor exchanged another glance, then looked back at Rory.

"Well Merry Christmas everyone!" The Doctor said, raising his glass, and clinking it with Amy and Rory's. He took a sip of the wine, then spat it back into the glass. "I think I'll stick with water." Amy rolled her eyes, but still smiled at him.

Some time later, after a Christmas Dinner that mainly involved conversation between Amy and the Doctor, whereas Rory barely ate anything and muttered any responses in the least passionate way possible, it was time for pudding, which Rory was preparing.

"Have you made many Christmas puds before, Rory?" The Doctor asked, hoping for some form of an answer.

"Yes." Was his only response. The Doctor frowned again, before he looked back over at Amelia, who shook her head.

"You've never made a Christmas Pudding in your life, what are you on about?" She stated.

"Stop saying things you don't know Amy." Rory replied, coldly. "Just sit there and shut up."

Amy felt like she could cry again, but felt the reassuring hand of the Doctor slip into hers. She gave a weak smile and put her head on his shoulder, while he caressed the back of her hand.

As Christmas Pudding was plated up, the Doctor could now tell something was really wrong. Rory poured brandy sauce all over the Doctor's portion without him even asking for it. The Doctor liked brandy sauce, but usually you ask for those sorts of things. He eyed his dessert intensely, not sure what to make of it. He could smell something unusual as well, and it smelt like the taste in the air. The Doctor looked up from his bowl, only to see Rory staring at him from across the table, the expression on his face unmoving. The Doctor, not wanting to insult Rory, took a bite. The second he swallowed, he regretted that decision.

The Doctor felt his entire body seize up, and his hearts jolted. He collapsed onto the floor and starting writhing in pain.

"DOCTOR!" Amy screamed, rushing to his side, only to be forcefully shoved away from him by Rory.

"Ow ow ow ow ow!" The Doctor screamed. "One heart! Only one heart is working!"

"Look at you. Pathetic." Rory said, as coldly as before, standing over the Doctor's body.

"Rory what are you doing?" The Doctor asked, still wriggling in pain, punching his chest, trying to restart his second heart.

"Paredonhilicin. The poison of the Time Lords." Rory replied.

Now it made sense, the Doctor had been poisoned. He knew the taste was familiar, the way it electrified his tongue. Paredonhilicin was a fatal substance that the Daleks had developed as a chemical weapon in the early years of the Time War. It made one of the Time Lord's hearts stop, and froze their ability to regenerate. Needless to say, it lead to a slow and painful death.

"Are you…" the Doctor began, but started to choke halfway through. "Are you working for the Daleks?"

"No. This is a gift from my master, to finally get rid of you." Rory replied.

"Who are you working for? Rory tell me, who is it?"

"Shut it." Rory said, kicking the Doctor in the stomach.

"Rory Williams, stop it now!" Amy screamed, running back over to the Doctor, only to be grabbed by the neck by Rory, who started to choke her.

"You don't know me, or who I work for, Amelia Pond." Rory shouted in her face, which had tears streaming down it. "You're nothing in this world, nothing! Now I've killed the Doctor, and you can die with your imaginary friend!"

While Rory was giving his brutal monologue, the Doctor had whipped out his sonic screwdriver, and pointed it at Rory. For a split second, Rory screamed, before he melted into a pile of liquid flesh.

"Knew it." The Doctor squeaked, not having enough energy to speak right now.

Amy felt the fleshy liquid on her, and screamed. "RORY!" Before she knew it, she was screaming for the Doctor as well, who she rushed over to.

"Doctor! Tell me what to do! I can't lose you!" It was no use, the Doctor was fading, her cries becoming distant as he drifted into the darkness.

"Stay with me raggedy man, please! Doctor? Doctor! DOCTOR!"

TO BE CONTINUED