NicoleR85: thanks!
Rory watched nervously as a large cake was being wheeled in to the tune of The Stripper. "Out! Out!" his friends all chanted. Suddenly the Doctor's head popped out of the top of the cake making the chanters fall silent, somewhat in shock. Rory just shook his head in disbelief. He should've known something like this was going to happen. He'd hoped for a nice, normal Stag Do but that obviously went out of the window the second the Doctor came into his and Amy's lives.
The Doctor stood up and turned around, a big grin on his face when he spotted the dirty blonde. "Rory!" he cheered "that's a relief. I thought I'd burst out of the wrong cake again".
"That's because you insisted on piloting the first time", Alyssa said walking in with Lucy, the girl shivering even though she was wearing the Time Lady's jumper. It probably had something to do with the fact that she was wearing nothing but a bikini underneath as she was the stripper that was supposed to be in the cake. "And if I hadn't this time around, you might've ended up in another Hen Party cake".
The Doctor internally winced. He never knew how grabby drunk women could be until 5 minutes ago when he accidently ended up at Cassidy's Hen Do. He had been extremely lucky that Alyssa was able to get him out of their clutches. "Anyway", he said swiftly changing the subject "we need to talk about your fiancée, Rory. She tried to kiss me" the Stag Do guests gasped "Don't worry, I didn't let her", he quickly added "I've got a smart…beautiful fiancée all of my own whom I love very much" the Doctor cast a loving glance at Alyssa.
"Nice save", she commented. She then passed Lucy off to the nearest person "look after her, she's diabetic", she said before going over to Rory "that's why we're here Rory. We wouldn't have crashed your Stag Do otherwise. Now we're going to take you and Amy on a nice little trip to get all this sorts out", Alyssa explained. She took his arm and escorted him out of the pub. The Doctor scrambled out of the cake and hurried after them.
Alyssa sat in the harness seat underneath the TARDIS console, fiddling with some wires trying to undo what the Doctor had done. It wasn't easy even with Sexy mentally giving her instructions. The Doctor watched her for a moment before looking up to Amy and Rory who were watching them through the glass floor of the console room.
"The life out there can dazzle and amaze us", the Time Lord said "I mean, it blinds you to the things that are most important…" his gazed turned to his fiancée "or it can open your eyes and show you that the most important thing you'll ever want or need…" he moved over to Alyssa "is standing right in front of you". The Time Lady paused in her work and glanced up at him with a smile. The Doctor bent his head down and kissed her.
Amy looked away from the display of affection. She knew that what she did was wrong. she shouldn't have tried to kiss him. But she'd been so scared…she just wanted comfort from the person who'd been in her life in one way or another since she was a little girl. And when the Doctor had rejected her because of his love for Alyssa it made her realise that River and James were right. There was no getting in between them. The only thing she could do now is to forget whatever feelings she had for the Time Lord and focus on mending her relationship with Rory.
"So that's why we're going to take you on a little trip", Alyssa spoke up gaining the ginger's attention "to hopefully help you realise this. And we've got the perfect destination in mind, haven't we?"
"That we do", the Doctor agreed. He gave her another quick peck before he headed up the steps "it's a lot to take in, isn't it?" he remarked to the dirty blonde "tiny box, huge room inside. Whats that about?" the Time Lord asked rhetorically "let me explain".
"It's another dimension", Rory stated.
"It's basically another dimen…what?" the Doctor said realising what he'd just said.
"After Prisoner Zero, I've been reading up on all the latest scientific theories; FTL travel, parallel universes", Rory explained.
"Good for you", Alyssa called up, hopping off the harness seat as she'd just finished the repairs.
"I like the bit when someone says 'its bigger on the inside!'" the Doctor all but whined.
"It's true, he does", Alyssa agreed walking quickly the steps "I mean he loved it when I said those words" she sighed "man that seems like a lifetime ago", she added as an afterthought "but I don't regret any of it, not for a single second".
The Doctor softly smiled at her, winding an arm around her waist "me neither", he agreed pressing a kiss to her temple.
A couple of days later…
"Easy love", the Doctor said as Alyssa's legs wobbled while he was escorting her to their room "you've been through a lot".
"Yeah", the Time Lady agreed tiredly "next time I get the idea to infiltrate a vampire school, remind me of this moment cos I never ever want to be near one again. In fact I want to steer clear of any people or beastie with vampiric nature".
"That we can agree on", the Time Lord said.
When he reached their bedroom, he helped her get into her pj's and changed into his own. He wasn't tired but he wasn't exactly going to leave her alone. Not after what they'd just been through. They slid under the covers, Alyssa laying on her side. The Doctor also laid on his side, taking a protective stance over her, hand on her stomach.
After several hours of rest, Alyssa woke. She could feel the Doctor against her back, his arm over her. "How are you feeling?" he asked.
The Time Lady shifted under his arm so she was now facing him "Much better", she replied.
"Good", the Doctor said, pleased to hear it. Suddenly Alyssa's stomach grumbled earning her a chuckle from the Doctor. "We better get you some food", he said sliding out of bed "what do you fancy?"
Alyssa thought for a moment before she answered "banana pancakes".
The Doctor nodded. He should've known that's what she wanted. "Banana pancakes it is", he said "why don't you go to the library and pick out of film and I'll come join you when they're done", the Time Lord suggested.
"Sure", Alyssa agreed. She hopped out of bed and the pair left the bedroom.
"See you in a few minutes, love", the Doctor said giving her a quick kiss.
"I'll have the film ready and waiting", Alyssa promised and headed off. When she reached the comfy red sofa in the library that was situated in front of the tv, she found that A New Hope was already cued up. The Time Lady smiled. The TARDIS knew her all too well. Alyssa settled down on the sofa to wait.
It wasn't long before the Doctor came in, carrying two plates. He was not surprised to see a Star Wars film on the screen. Alyssa did love those films. He sat down and gave her a plate. The two of them ate their pancakes while watching the movie. After they'd finished, Alyssa snuggled into the Doctor's side. He put an arm around her, dropping a kiss onto the top of her head.
Almost half way through the movie, the Time Lords were joined by Amy and Rory. The four of them ended up watching all of the original trilogy before they made a stop at Karass Don Slava to have a picnic in the Candle Meadows.
After the picnic, Alyssa and Amy decided to have a little bit of girlie time together. "You know, this is the first time I've really done anything like this", the ginger admitted as she painted her toenails "at least with someone else". The Time Lady looked at her in surprise.
"Really?" Alyssa asked.
"Yeah, Mels wasn't much of a girlie girl", Amy explained.
"Well, now you've got me", Alyssa said "and we can do this as often as you like" Amy smiled at that offer "maybe next time I can take you to Oceana Spa. You'd love it there, it's amazing".
"I'd like that very much", Amy said. While they were talking, a light golden haze drifted into the room through the gaps in the door. Alyssa yawned, suddenly feeling very tired. "I think I wanna pick this up again later", Amy said, also starting to get tired "feeling very…sleepy" the latter part coming out as she too yawned.
"Yeah, sounds like a good idea", Alyssa agreed. Both the Time Lady and human feel asleep on Amy's bed, the bottle of nail polish in the ginger's hand dropping onto the floor, its contents spilling out.
In the console room, the Doctor was slumped over the console, tool hanging limply in his hand as he'd been in the middle of repairs when he dozed off. Rory was fast asleep in the library, an open book on his chest.
The TARDIS materialises in the middle of a patch of flowers. The door opens and the Doctor stuck his head out to see where they were. "Are we in the right place?" Alyssa called.
"Seems so, love", the Doctor confirmed. Alyssa joined him at the doorway, hand on her baby bump. The Time Lord stepped over the retaining wall first, knocking at stone from it before helping his wife down.
"Hey Rory!" Alyssa greeted, seeing Rory come out of the small house.
"Hey Ali, Doctor", Rory said back "congratulations on baby number two", he added nodding to the Time Lady's stomach.
"Thanks", Alyssa said.
"Oh…I kinda crushed your flowers Rory. Sorry", the Doctor said apologetically.
"Oh, Amy will kill you", Rory said.
"Where is she?" Alyssa asked glancing towards the house wondering where the ginger was.
"She'll need a bit longer", Rory told them.
"Whenever you're ready, Amy", the Doctor called. Moments later a heavily pregnant Amy waddles out. "Oh, way-hey! You've swallowed a planet", the Time Lord remarked. Alyssa elbowed him.
"That's not very nice", she scolded "when I get to Amy's size again are you going say that I've swallowed a planet?"
The Doctor's eyes widened realising that his remark had just offended his wife…his pregnant wife. "No! No, no, no", he said quickly "You'll look even more beautiful than you already do now".
"Really?" Alyssa asked sensing that he was being honest but her empath abilities have been starting to get a little out of whack since becoming pregnant so she was rather wary about trusting them. It was the same way during her first pregnancy.
"Really", the Doctor said. When she still looked unsure, he added softly "you're always beautiful to me".
Alyssa smiled at his words and hugged him. "Thank you", she said.
"No need to thank me, its true", the Doctor said. He glanced at Amy and Rory "Now that we're all together, what shall we do?" he asked.
"How about a nice walk?" Rory suggested.
"I'd like that", Amy said, agreeing with his suggestion.
"Sure, why not", Alyssa said "a nice walk never hurt anybody". The Doctor also thought it was a good idea. A walk was both nice and safe. And ever since finding out she was pregnant again, he'd been very careful about where they went.
"Ah, Leadworth. Vibrant as ever", the Doctor remarked taking in their surroundings as they walked.
"It's Upper Leadworth, actually", Rory corrected "We've gone slightly upmarket".
"Where is everyone?" the Doctor asked.
"This is busy", Amy replied "OK, it's quiet, but it's really restful and healthy. Loads of people here live well into their nineties".
"Sounds like the perfect place to raise a child", Alyssa remarked "but no offense to you guys, I'm not sure I could settle down here. I'd rather be in the TARDIS exploring the stars". The Doctor was happy that she preferred life in the TARDIS to living in a sleepy village but if she really wanted to settle down in a house then he'd be willing to give it a go. Anything to make her happy.
The group stopped by a bench, settling down on to it. "You know, I don't just abandon people when they leave the TARDIS", the Doctor said after a moment, putting at arm around Alyssa when she shivered "This Time Lord's for life. You don't get rid of your old pals so easily".
"You piloted the TARDIS, didn't you Ali", Amy stated.
"Yeah, I did", the Time Lady confirmed.
"So…what do you do around here to stave off the, you know…" the Doctor trailed not quite knowing how to finish.
"Boredom?" Amy supplied.
"Self-harm", the Doctor corrected.
Alyssa smacked his arm "Rude, dear", she scolded.
"If you must know Doctor, we relax…we live, listen to the birds", Rory said.
"Yeah, see, birds. Those are nice", Amy agreed as birdsong started up.
"We didn't get time to listen to birdsong back in the TARDIS days, did we?" Rory asked. The birdsong grew louder making them all feel a bit drowsy.
"Oh blimey, my head's a bit. Ooh…" the Doctor holds his head in his hand for a moment before he quickly sat up "No, you're right, there wasn't a lot of time for birdsong back in the good…" the Time Lord starts to drift off, so does Amy, Rory and Alyssa "old…days". Alyssa's head drops onto his shoulder as they all fall asleep.
Amy and Alyssa awoke with a jerk. "I had the weirdest dream…" the ginger human murmured, sitting up "I dreamt you and the Doctor had come to visit us in Upper Leadworth".
"And we were both pregnant", Alyssa added. The pair looked at each other surprised.
"We both had the same dream", they said in unison.
"Do you think the Doctor and Rory had it too?" Amy asked.
"Only one way to find out", Alyssa said hopping off the bed. The two of them hastily got dressed and hurried out of the room to find their boys. Amy and Alyssa ran into Rory in the corridor.
"Amy! Are you ok? I had this weird dream thing. You and I were married…we had a little house…"
"We had the same dream", Amy cut in. Rory looked at both of them surprised. He opened his mouth to say something when Alyssa spoke
"We can talk about this in length but first I want to go find the Doctor", and with that she continued up the corridor.
The second she stepped into the console room, she was enveloped in a massive hug from the Doctor. He stepped back and glanced down at her flat stomach. Alyssa knew that he too had the same dream as the rest of them. Before she could say anything, Amy and Rory entered the room. The Doctor moved over to the ginger and hugged her too. "You two are ok", he stated "terrible…terrible nightmare", he added with a mutter. The Time Lord stepped back "Blimey. Never dropped off like that before", he remarked lightly "Well, never, really. I'm getting on a bit, you see. Don't let the cool gear fool you. Now, what's wrong with the console?" he examined the console where red lights were flashing away "Red flashing lights...I bet they mean something". Alyssa also took a look at the console, trying to help him pinpoint the cause.
"Doctor, I also had a kind of dream thing", Rory spoke up.
"Yeah, so did I", Amy added.
"Not a nightmare, though, just…we were married", Rory continued.
"Yeah", Amy nodded "in a little village".
"We've all had the exact same dream", Alyssa put in, looking up from the console.
Rory frowned "How can we all have the same dream?" he asked "It doesn't make any sense". He glanced at Alyssa.
"Don't look at me. I may have psychic powers but I can't make people have identical dreams", she said.
Amy turned to the Doctor "And you had a nightmare about us. What happened to us in the nightmare?" she asked.
"It was a bit similar, in some aspects", the Doctor said evasively.
"Which aspects?" Rory questioned.
"Well…all of them", the Time Lord admitted.
"You had the same dream", Amy stated folding her arms.
"Basically", the Doctor said.
"But you said it was a nightmare", Rory reminded him.
"Look, it doesn't matter. We all had some kind of psychic episode", the Doctor said, quickly changing the subject "We probably jumped a time track" quiet birdsong started up "Forget it. We're back to reality now".
"Uh Doctor? If we're back to reality, how come I can still hear birds?" Alyssa asked as it grew louder.
"Yeah, the same birds", Rory agreed "The same ones we heard in the…"
~Leadworth~
"…Dream" Rory quickly pulled his head away from the Doctor's, embarrassed "Oh! Sorry. Nodded off. Stupid. God, I must be overdoing it. I was dreaming we were back on the TARDIS".
"We all were", Alyssa said touching her bump. The Doctor jumped up from the bench and held his hand out to his wife. She took it and he helped her up.
"Doctor, what is going on?" Rory asked as the Time Lord started to walk quickly away with the Time Lady.
"Is this because of you? Is this some Time Lordy thing because you've shown up again?" Amy questioned, huffing slightly as she tried to keep up. Not easy when she had this extra weight she was carrying.
The Doctor stopped and turned to Amy and Rory. "Listen to me. Trust nothing. From now on, trust nothing you see, hear or feel", he said.
"But we're awake now", Rory argued.
"Yeah. You thought you were awake on the TARDIS, too", the Doctor retorted.
"But we're home", Amy insisted.
"Yeah, you're home", the Doctor agreed "You're also dreaming. Trouble is, which is which? Are we flashing forwards or backwards? Hold on tight. This is going be a tricky one". His hand tightened around Alyssa's as the birdsong started up for the third time.
~TARDIS~
When the Doctor woke next he was laying on the stairs, Alyssa next to him. "Man, this flashing back and forth is really annoying", the Time Lady grumbled.
The Doctor jumped up, practically lunging for the console, gripping a lever. "Oh, this is bad. I don't like this", he said when the lever wouldn't budge despite the fact that he was using all of his strength. He stepped back and kicked the console. "Argh! Never use force. You just embarrass yourself", he said crossly "Unless you're cross, in which case, always use force".
"I could've told you that", Alyssa said. She tried to mentally reach out to her 'mother' but she didn't get a response. "Doctor…she's not talking to me", she told the Time Lord.
"That's not good at all", he said, a serious look on his face. The TARDIS always answered Alyssa. Always. Which meant something was seriously wrong with their ship.
"Shall I run and get the manual?" Amy asked following the Doctor down the set of stairs which led beneath the console while Alyssa continued to fiddle with the console trying to get something…anything to work.
"I threw it in a supernova", the Doctor replied checking the underside of the console.
"You threw the manual in a supernova? Why?" Amy questioned having followed the pair. Rory had also joined them beneath the console as well.
"He disagreed with it!" Alyssa shouted down to them.
"Yes, I did", the Doctor confirmed "Stop talking to me when I'm cross" he wagged his finger at the ginger.
"Okay, but whatever's wrong with the TARDIS, is that what caused us to dream about the future?" Rory asked.
"If we were dreaming of the future…" the Doctor muttered heading back up the stairs.
"Well, of course we were. We were in Leadworth", Amy argued.
"Upper Leadworth", Rory corrected.
"Yeah, and we could still be in Upper Leadworth, dreaming of this. Don't you get it?" the Doctor asked her.
"No, OK, no this is real. I'm definitely awake now", Amy insisted.
"And you thought you were definitely awake when you were all elephanty", the Doctor retorted.
"Hey! Pregnant!"
"And you could be giving birth right now", the Doctor shot back "This could be the dream. I told you. Trust nothing we see or hear or feel. Look around you. Examine everything. Look for all the details that don't ring true".
"Ok, we're in a spaceship that's bigger on the inside than the outside", Rory stated.
"With a bow tie-wearing alien and a psychic alien", Amy added.
"So maybe what rings true isn't so simple", Rory remarked.
"Valid point", the Doctor agreed. Suddenly the TARDIS is plunged into darkness save the light coming from the console. The Doctor moved over to Alyssa, putting an arm around her, holding her close.
Birdsong started up once more and Rory hugs Amy. "Remember, this is real. But when we wake up in the other place, remember how real this feels", the Doctor told them all, tightening his grip on Alyssa. She gripped the front of his jacket as the light on the TARDIS console began to dim.
"It is real. I know it's real", Amy said firmly.
~Leadworth~
"Okay, this is the real one", Amy said from the bench outside the library where she and Rory were sitting "Definitely this one", she rubs her stomach "It's all solid".
"It felt solid in the TARDIS too", Alyssa pointed out "You can't spot a dream while you're having it".
The Doctor waved a hand in front of his face. "What are you doing?" Amy asked.
"Looking for motion blur, pixilation", the Doctor replied "It could be a computer simulation. I don't think so, though".
An elderly lady then walked past. "Hello, Doctor", she called to Rory.
"Hi", he said and the same time that the Doctor said
"Hello" the Time Lord looked at Rory with some surprise "You're a doctor", he stated.
"Yeah. And unlike you, I've actually passed some exams", Rory said giving the Doctor a smug look.
"A doctor, not a nurse. Just like you've always dreamed. How interesting", the Doctor remarked.
"What is?" Rory asked.
"Your dream wife, your dream job, probably your dream baby. Maybe this is your dream", the Doctor surmised.
"It's Amy's dream too. Isn't it, Amy?" Rory asked glancing at his wife.
"Yes. Course it is, yeah", the ginger replied.
"And this is probably your dream too", Rory added nodding to Alyssa.
"What makes you say that?" the Time Lady asked.
"Well, you and the Doctor are married and you're expecting a baby, just like Amy", Rory explained.
"But that dream is already a reality or at least one part of it is", Alyssa said.
"The marriage part will happen one day, I promise", the Doctor assured her "so will our second child".
"While I'm keen to be Mrs Doctor. I think we should wait a little while after our first baby is born before we try for another one, ok?" Alyssa suggested.
The Doctor nodded "ok", he agreed. He was more than happy to wait as long as the Time Lady wanted for a second child. Since they were already going to be parents in several months' time anyway. "What's that?" he suddenly asked pointing to an old people's home.
"Old people's home", Amy answered.
"You said everyone here lives to their nineties", the Doctor said "There's something here that doesn't make sense. Let's go and poke it with a stick". He took Alyssa's hand and hurried off, Rory following.
"Oh. Can we not do the running thing?" Amy grumbled, hands on her back as she chased after them.
"Doctor, slow down", Alyssa said "Amy's struggling to keep up". The Doctor complied.
~Care home~
The four eventually entered the care home. Where they went into the lounge and Rory was greeted by another old lady. "Hello, Rory love"
"Hello, Mrs Poggit. How's your hip?" he asked.
"A bit stiff", Mrs Poggit replied.
"Oh, easy, D-96 compound, plus…" the Doctor trailed off realising that they didn't have that medicine just yet "No, you don't have that yet. Forget that".
"Who's your friend? A junior doctor?" Mrs Poggit asked Rory.
"Yes", Rory replied.
"Can I borrow you?" Mrs Poggit asked the Doctor "You're the size of my grandson". The Time Lord knelt down in front of the old lady who pulled an ugly knitted sweater over his head.
"Slightly keen to move on. Freak psychic schism to sort out" he leaned forward, forcing Mrs Poggit to sit back "You're incredibly old, aren't you?" he remarked eyeing the old lady.
"Not again", Alyssa groaned hearing the birdsong. The residents of the care home watch as she, Rory, Amy and the Doctor pass out on the carpet.
~TARIDS~
The four of them wake to find that they're all leaning against the console. "Okay, I hate this, Doctor", Amy stated standing up "Stop it, because this is definitely real. It's definitely this one. I keep saying that don't I?"
"You do", Alyssa confirmed.
"It's bloody cold", Rory remarked rubbing his arms.
"The heating's off", the Doctor said bluntly as he headed up the stairs to the upper level.
"The heating's off?" Rory repeated.
"Yeah. Put on a jumper. That's what I always do", the Doctor told him.
"Yes. Sorry about Mrs Poggit", Rory said apologetically "She's so lovely though".
"I wouldn't believe her nice old lady act if I were you", the Doctor told him seriously.
"What do you mean, 'act'?" Amy asked.
The Doctor pointedly ignored her question and made his way back down to the console where Alyssa was now fiddling with the controls seeing if there was a spark of life anywhere. "Anything, love?" he questioned.
She shook her head "nothing is working. Someone has overridden the controls", she told him.
"But shouldn't that be impossible?" Amy asked "you're the TARDIS' daughter. I thought it would take a lot for someone to take over the ship especially with your connection to her".
"You're right, this should be impossible", Alyssa agreed "and yet its happened". Her head suddenly snapped over to the stairs "and the culprit is in this room" a little louder, she ordered "I know you're there, show yourself!"
A man suddenly appeared right were Alyssa was looking. He was dressed similarly to the Doctor. He slowly clapped his hands. "Well done Alyssa. I knew you'd be the one to figure it out" he walked down the steps "very disappointed in you Doctor. I'd heard such good things. Last of the Time Lords, the Oncoming Storm. Him in the bow tie".
"How did you get into my TARDIS?" the Doctor demanded, wary of this newcomer especially since Alyssa was present "What are you?"
"What shall we call me? Well, if you're the Time Lord, let's call me the Dream Lord", the man said.
"Nice look", the Doctor said eyeing the Dream Lord's attire.
"This?" the Dream Lord pointed to himself "No, I'm not convinced. Bow ties? Should've gone with a fez" he glanced at Alyssa "you've got a thing for those hats, don't you?" Before she could answer however, the Doctor quickly threw a tennis ball at the Dream Lord…and it passed through him.
"Interesting", the Doctor commented as the Dream Lord turned back to him with an amused look on his face.
"I'd love to be impressed, but Dream Lord. It's in the name, isn't it? Spooky. Not quite there…" the Dream Lord vanished and popped up behind Alyssa, startling her "…and yet very much here". He gave the red an apologetic look "Sorry, my dear", he said sounding like he genuinely hadn't meant to scare her.
The Doctor darted forward pulling Alyssa away from the Dream Lord and placing her protectively behind him. "I'll do the talking, thank you", the Doctor said glaring at the 'man'. He was clearly a threat to his future wife and their unborn child. "Amy, want to take a guess at what that is?"
"Um, Dream Lord. He creates dreams", the ginger answered.
"Dreams, delusions, cheap tricks", the Doctor spat.
"What about our brilliant Time Lady here? Does she get a guess?" the Dream Lord asked "or will the gooseberry get a turn?" the Dream Lord nodded at Rory.
"Listen, mate. If anyone's the gooseberry round here, it's the Doctor", Rory said.
"Well now, there's a delusion I'm not responsible for", the Dream Lord said with a shrug.
"No, he is", Rory insisted "Isn't he, Amy?"
"Oh, Amy, have to sort your men out", the Dream Lord said "Choose, even".
"I have chosen. Of course I've chosen" without taking her eyes off of the Dream Lord, she smacks Rory in the chest "It's you, stupid".
"Oh, good", Rory nodded "Thanks".
The Dream Lord smirked at the ginger "You can't fool me. I've seen your dreams…some of them twice. You really ought to be ashamed of yourself Amy. The Doctor would only do those things with one person and that's not you".
"Where did you pick up this cheap cabaret act?" the Doctor asked.
"Me?" the Dream Lord raised his eyebrows "Oh, you're on shaky ground".
"Am I?" the Doctor scoffed.
"If you had any more tawdry quirks you could open up a Tawdry Quirk Shop. The madcap vehicle, the cockamamie hair, the clothes designed by a first-year fashion student", the Dream Lord said. They watched the Dream Lord vanish, reappearing on the upper level "So, here's your challenge. Two worlds. Here, in the time machine, and there, in the village that time forgot. One is real, the other's fake. And just to make it more interesting, you're going to face in both worlds a deadly danger, but only one of the dangers is real. Tweet, tweet. Time to sleep" birdsong started up, Amy and Rory succumbing straight away. The Time Lady grabbed the console trying to stay awake. But it was no use, she couldn't fight the birdsong. She fell asleep, the Doctor quickly grabbing her before she hit the floor. He held her, trying desperately to stay awake but he also failed. The Dream Lord watched the Doctor fall to the floor, Alyssa secured in his arms.
~Care home~
The Doctor, Alyssa, Amy and Rory woke in the lounge of the care home and discovered that the residents were gone.
The Dream Lord casually strolled in carrying an X-ray in his hand. "Oh, this is bad. This is very, very bad. Look at this X-ray" he held it up to the light "Your brain is completely see-through. But then, I've always been able to see through you, Doctor".
"Always?" Amy asked "What do you mean, always?"
"Now then, the prognosis is this. If you die in the dream, you wake up in reality", the Dream Lord said "Healthy recovery in next to no time. Ask me what happens if you die in reality?"
"What happens?" Rory asked.
"You die, stupid. That's why it's called reality", the Dream Lord said scornfully.
"Have you met the Doctor before? Do you know him?" Amy glanced at the Doctor "Doctor, does he?"
"Now don't get jealous. He's been around, our boy", the Dream Lord told Amy "But never mind that. You've got a world to choose. One reality was always too much for you, Doctor. Take two and call me in the morning". The Dream Lord vanished.
"Ok, I don't like him", Rory stated.
"Who is he?" Amy asked the Doctor, folding her arms.
"I don't know. It's a big universe", the Time Lord answered.
"Why is he doing this?" Amy demanded.
"The Dream Lord doesn't seem to have physical form", Alyssa said "so it's possible he's just taking it out on us".
"Couldn't agree more", the Doctor agreed tugging the horrible, knitted jumper over his head, tossing it aside.
"What does he mean, deadly danger? Nothing deadly has happened here. A bit of natural wastage, obviously", Rory said.
"Hold on where's all the residents?" Alyssa suddenly asked. The Doctor glanced around and finally noticed that they were alone.
"They've all gone", he breathed "They've all gone". The Doctor got to his feet, helped Alyssa up and exited the care home with her. Amy and Rory followed the pair.
"Why would they leave?" Rory asked as the Doctor watched some children enter the ruined castle with their teacher.
"And what did you mean about Mrs Poggit's nice old lady act?" Amy questioned.
"One of my tawdry quirks. Sniffing out things that aren't what they seem", the Doctor said "So, come on, let's think. The mechanics of this reality split we're stuck in… time asleep exactly matches time in our dream world, unlike in conventional dreams".
"And we're all dreaming the same dream at the same time", Rory added.
"Yes", the Time Lord nodded "sort of communal trance. Very rare, very complicated. I'm sure there's a dream giveaway, a tell, but my mind isn't working because this village is so dull! I'm slowing down, like you two have", the Doctor grumbled.
"Its ok", Alyssa said softly "we'll figure it out".
The birdsong started yet again.
~TARDIS~
The Doctor stood at the console, Alyssa by his side. A moment later Amy and Rory joined them. "It's really cold. Have you got any warm clothing?" Amy asked rubbing her arms.
"What does it matter if we're cold?" the Doctor said irritably. When Alyssa shot him a look, he apologised to Amy "Sorry, sorry. There should be some stuff down there", he gestured to the steps "Have a look".
Amy turns and heads down the steps, Rory following after her, zipping up his hoodie at he did so. the Doctor shrugged off his coat and offered it to Alyssa.
"Won't you need it?" the Time Lady asked.
"Nah, I'll be fine", the Doctor assured her.
"The moment I think you'll need your coat, you're putting back on. Ok mister?" Alyssa said sternly slipping the coat on.
"Yes, love", the Doctor agreed.
"There's nothing under there except these blankets", Amy said showing the Doctor and Alyssa the thin squares of fabric she and Rory had discovered in a trunk underneath the console.
"Those aren't going to keep you warm at all", Alyssa said "I'll get something from the wardrobe". She shrugged off the Doctor's jacket and gave it back to him.
"I'll come with", Amy said and the Time Lady nodded. The pair left the console room. "Man, is it getting colder?" Amy asked as they walked down the corridor, wrapping her arms around herself.
"Yeah it is", Alyssa agreed, rubbing her own arms. She paused in her movements when it registered in her mind that she'd felt this kind of chill before…and it wasn't from a sheer drop in temperature.
"What's wrong?" Amy asked when she saw a slightly scared expression appear on Alyssa's face. The Time Lady didn't answer her, instead she just slowly turned around. She gasped when she saw Tanya standing there. "Ali, who is that?" Amy questioned.
"That's impossible", Alyssa breathed, ignoring Amy "y-you're dead".
"Oh, Alyssa. This might come as a shock to you but my kind are hard to kill", Tanya said.
"What the hell?!" Amy exclaimed when Tanya morphed into her true form.
"Run!" Alyssa shouted, grabbing the ginger's hand. They raced down the corridor, Tanya chasing after them. Alyssa darted into a room, pulling Amy with her and slammed the door shut. "Stand back", the Time Lady ordered and the ginger complied. Amy watched her telekinetically move a bookcase in front of the door.
"Will that keep her out?" Amy asked.
"I hope so", Alyssa answered.
"And…who or what is she?" Amy questioned.
"Someone I thought was my friend. Turns out she was an alien vampire who tried to steal my life force", Alyssa explained "the Doctor saved my life and in doing so…he killed Tanya".
"If she's dead…could this mean that this reality is the dream?" Amy asked, hopeful "and she's the deadly danger?"
Alyssa opened her mouth to say something when they heard the dreaded birds. "I'm starting to get really sick of hearing those damn birds", the Time Lady griped before both females passed out.
The Converse wearing Doctor walked into the library and softly smiled when he saw his pregnant wife asleep, her sketchbook on the floor at her feet along with her colouring chalks. He walked over and moved the chalks and sketchbook onto the table before gently shaking her shoulder. "Ali", he softly called "Ali, love wake up". The Time Lady woke with a start. "Sorry, didn't mean to make you jump", he said apologetically.
"S'ok", Alyssa said sleepily "what's up?"
"I just wondered if you were hungry", the Doctor said.
"No, not really", Alyssa said "I'm just tired".
"Then why don't we get you to bed?" the Doctor suggested "it'll be a lot better for your back".
"Yeah, it would be", Alyssa agreed. She went to push herself to her feet when she saw that she had chalk on her hands. "Though I gotta wash my hands first", she said holding them up.
"That's fine", the Doctor said and took her hands, ignoring the chalk on them, helping her to her feet. He then led her out of the room, one hand on the small of her back, the other holding one of her hands.
"You know I had the strangest dream", Alyssa remarked as they walked.
"What was it about?" The Doctor asked.
"Well...there was you but you looked a lot different. Floppy hair and green eyes. I was there too and there were also two other people, Amy Pond and Rory Williams... I think they were our companions. To start off with we were visiting them in Upper Leadworth then suddenly were we all in the TARDIS. We kept flashing between both places every time we heard birdsong and there was this man dressed like dream you called the Dream Lord..." Alyssa shook her head and glanced at the Doctor "it was the weirdest dream I've ever had...That I can remember that is".
"Certainly an interesting one", the Doctor commented.
"I suppose", Alyssa agreed half-heartedly.
"What's wrong?" The Doctor asked hearing a worried tone in here voice.
"Nothing", Alyssa said quickly. The Doctor stopped making her stop too.
"I may not be the empathic one but I still know when something is bothering you", the Time Lord said "is it because the version of me in your dream is very different to the way I am now?"
"Yeah", Alyssa mumbled.
"You don't need to worry about me regenerating, that's not going to happen for a long...long time. I promise", the Doctor assured her. Alyssa looked at him and cracked a small smile when she sensed that his assurances where sincere.
"Ok", she said. They continued onto their bedroom where Alyssa stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She carefully turned on the tap and went to put her hands under the water when she stopped. Alyssa brought her hands closer to her face, rubbing her fingers together frowning. It didn't feel like chalk at all. It didn't even look like any of the chalks she had either as it was more of a golden colour. She stuck her hands under the water and scrubbed off the substance with some soap. Once her hands were free of it, she turned the tap off and rung her hands free of excess water.
Alyssa glanced up at the mirror and did a double take at what she saw. In the condensation was a message addressed to her.
This isn't real.
The Time Lady wiped it away only to reveal another message underneath.
It's just a dream.
She swiped her hand across again to discover a third message.
WAKE UP!
A sudden pain blossomed in the palm of her hand causing her to scream.
~TARDIS~
Alyssa's eyes flew open with a small cry as she felt the pain in her hand, more intensely this time. There was a little pool of blood in her palm. "What the hell?!" she exclaimed, noticing the scissors in her other hand. She dropped them quickly.
"I'm sorry sweetie" came the TARDIS' voice in a rather apologetic tone "it was the only way to wake you."
"Its ok", Alyssa said stepping over to the bathroom to clean her wound "what happened Sexy?"
"You were all subjected to the psychic pollen from the candle meadows of Karass don Slava. It fell in the time rotor, heated up and induced a dream state" the blue box explained.
"A dream state", Alyssa breathed dabbing her palm and then quickly wrapping it with a bandage from the cabinet "of course. Those worlds, they were just dreams. And the Dream Lord...he's a part of the Doctor. A part he tries to hide".
"And this is why you're his brilliant Ali"the TARDIS remarked, the Time Lady hearing the pride in her voice.
"Can you wake up the others in the same way?" Alyssa asked moving back out into the bedroom and regarding the slumbering ginger.
"I'm afraid not. The only reason I was able to wake you was due to our bond", the TARDIS replied.
"So how do we wake them?" Alyssa questioned.
"There's nothing we can do, it's all down to Amy. She needs to make a choice. The Doctor or Rory"the TARDIS replied "until then, they will be stuck in the dream world".
"How would she know how to do that?" Alyssa asked.
"The Dream Lord will tell her."
Alyssa looked at Amy, worry on her face. She didn't feel right standing by and doing nothing. There had to be something she could do! Think Ali! Think!
The Time Lady racked her brain trying to find something...a way she could help Amy. Her eyes widened as she remembered how she'd managed to pull herself into an alternate world that Donna had been trapped in. She made her way over to Amy and sat down by her head. Alyssa placed her fingers on her temples. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
When she opened them, Alyssa found herself back in the dream version of the TARDIS, in the room that she and Amy had barricaded themselves in. Though it was far colder than when she left it. The ginger was still passed out on the floor. The Time Lady knelt down and touched her on the temple "Amy, wake up", she said quietly. A split second later Amy gasped awake.
"Ali? Are you ok?" Amy asked quickly, sitting up "in the other place you were still asleep. Have you been here this whole time?"
"Not exactly", Alyssa replied "I don't really have time to go into it now as there's something I need to tell you".
"Ok", Amy said showing her that she had her full attention.
"You know how the Dream Lord was giving us a choice of two worlds, this one and Leadworth, right?" Alyssa said.
"Right", Amy said.
"Well, he was giving us a choice of two dream worlds. Neither of them are real", Alyssa told her.
"They're both dreams", Amy repeated.
"Yep", Alyssa confirmed "should've really been a big giveaway, I mean...the Dream Lord cannot manipulate real life. But making us believe a dream is reality, that he can do".
"So if we're dreaming both worlds, how do we wake ourselves up?" Amy asked, prepared to do anything no matter how ridiculous it sounded.
"Now, Now, Alyssa I can't have you spoiling my game", the Dream Lord said, appearing in the room. Bird song filled her ears but Alyssa just ignored it and stood up, folding her arms.
"That trick isn't going to work on me anymore. You see, I'm already awake", she informed him.
"Doesn't matter my dear, this is my world. You cannot beat me here", the Dream Lord said and disappeared before Alyssa could respond. A split second later, the Time Lady cried out, clutching her head.
"What's wrong?" Amy asked, worriedly.
"My head!" Alyssa exclaimed falling to her knees "it hurts!"
"Is there anything I can do?" Amy questioned.
"Yes", Alyssa replied through gritted teeth "you can...argh!" she let out a pained cry "you have to make a choice! Between your fiancé and mine".
"Why?" Amy asked.
"Because it's the only way to wake you, Rory and the Doctor", Alyssa answered with a scream at the end. Then before Amy's eyes, the Time Lady vanished.
In the real world, Alyssa broke away from the ginger, falling on to the floor with her head throbbing like crazy. "I'm sorry sweetie but I couldn't let the Dream Lord hurt you any more", the TARDIS said.
"It's ok", Alyssa whispered. She got to her feet, her stomach lurching as she did so. The Time Lady clapped a hand over her mouth and dashed into the bathroom where she threw up into the sink. Once she felt like she wasn't going to be sick any more, Alyssa cleaned out the sink and washed her face with cold water. She started back toward the bedroom, only making it a couple of steps before she collapsed, falling unconscious.