I feel like I might have thrown in a bit of dues ex machine into the story. But I did warn at the beginning it was a reference, so…I don't know. Either way, last chapter.

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Chapter 11

They darted out, looking every which way.

Now, if I wanted to set a self-destruct switch, where would I put it? mused the Doctor.

I vote for his office, volunteered Rory.

Excellent idea!

Hearts pounding and adrenalin pushing them, the three bolted for Benedict's office. There, conveniently, was the machine, a large computer set into the wall, lights red and the countdown at 2:30. He whipped out the sonic, but the system was evidently protected from that sort of tampering. Instead, the Doctor began flipping switches, turning the lights from red to green. As the last of them changed color, the screen displayed a message.

Enter passcode to terminate self-destruct.

"Ah. Well, that was an eventuality, I suppose. Don't reckon there's a password hint?"

Only 1:15 left. The Doctor was pacing as Amy and Rory collapsed into the nearby chairs. It was a tie between dying of old age or being blown up.

Amy, in case we don't make it…

Shut up, stupid-head.

In case we don't make it, I wouldn't have traded my time with you for anything.

She chuckled lightly. Me either.

20…19…18…

"Think, think, think!

17…16…15…

The Doctor paused in his pacing. The answer had been staring at him the whole time. He rushed to the display and entered in MORPHEUS.

"Self-destruct cancelled."

The countdown was frozen at 11 seconds.

The Doctor let out a loud "HA!" as the shaking ceased. He ran to the window just in time to see a small explosion as Benedict failed to override the controls. Whatever the entity was, it would be burned up quickly by the sun's corona as the debris was quickly engulfed.

He smiled as he felt the change wash over him, even from this distance. A whoop behind him told him that Amy and Rory's youth had also been restored.

"How did you know that was the right passcode?" asked Rory.

"Simple," he said, touching their temples and removing the mental link they'd had. "I watched the movie."

Amy's jaw dropped. "You guessed by putting in a random name from a movie?"

The Doctor grinned as he pointed at Benedict's desk. "Well, it looks like he watched the movie too."

There, on the desk, was a genuine, 21st century action figure of Morpheus from The Matrix.

"The Greek god of dreams as well," said the Doctor. "A fitting name, considering people entrusted their dreams to the Matrix when they chose to enter it." He wrinkled his nose. "Mind you, Morpheus could be a right grouch when he didn't get his beauty sleep. Worse than waking a cat, especially when his brother Phantasos, who did what you might call part-time work under him, decided to play practical jokes on him."

The Ponds just groaned as they followed the Doctor out of the room, who was still going on about Greek gods and their pranks.

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The TARDIS was still in the closet they had appeared in. A turn of the key later and they were safely inside. Immediately, the Doctor made for the controls, and they dematerialized. Something was still nagging at the back of Amy's mind, though.

"Doctor?"

"Yeah, Amy?"

"What you told Benedict, about a giant library? Can we go–?"

"No!"

She stared at him, eyes wide. "You don't have to shout, you know. We're not deaf. Well, not anymore."

His heartsbeat slowed back down. "We can't go to the Library."

"And…why not?" asked Rory.

He clenched and unclenched his jaw, focusing on a part of the console. "Because we can't." He bent his head. "It's…someplace I've been once, and…and I can't ever go back there."

How was he supposed to tell him he didn't want to desecrate their daughter's final resting place? A daughter that they had only just had, then lost, then seen her all grown up? He couldn't. He couldn't tell them the circumstances under which he had first met her. Not now, at least, if ever.

Rory could sense the burden associated with whatever had happened at this library. With a small tug on Amy's sleeve, they withdrew from the main console room.

The Doctor sighed as the central column gently rose and fell. In the back of his mind, the TARDIS tried to send reassuring emotions to him.

"Thanks, sexy," he murmured.

With a hum, the TARDIS gave a gentle nudge to the controls, sending them, not necessarily where they wanted to go, but where she knew they were needed. Now to see about finding Amy those spare clothes…

THE END

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I finally found the information I was looking for. Figures, all I had to do was admit that I couldn't find it and Pop!, there it was.

I hope that you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. There's still a matter of some bonus material that will be posted sometime tomorrow, then this story will be considered complete. No, there will not be a sequel. This was just the equivalent of a one-episode story.

As 2011 draws to a close, my hope is that 2012 proves to be even better.