Seventeen

Christmas time. One of the only times Amelia Pond and her aunt can get along without arguments arising. It was December 15th, Amy was helping to put the finishing touches on the tree with her aunt and the inside decorations whilst Rory helped with the outside decorations with her aunt's boyfriend.

"It can be another new start after this one's over Amelia. Maybe you could further your education. You've got the grades and the brains for it, and it's not too late." her aunt said.

"I told you, I've got it sorted. I've got the money comin' in haven't I? And I help out which is more than can be said for other people in this damn village." Amy said, looking over at her.

"Oh, I'm sure you and Caitlin will be back best friends in no time Amelia."

"No chance. Drunk or not she shouldn't have made a pass at my boyfriend." Amy said. "And why did you get a 7ft tree when neither of us are that tall? I'm only 5ft11``. "

"Because I thought it would look nice. And don't you change the subject Amelia Jessica Pond."

"Well there's nothing more to say so why not? At least I'll get somewhere in life." Amy told her, and stood on the stool in front of her, reaching up to place the star on the top.

Her aunt sighed. "Alright. If that's how you honestly think about it."

"Yes, it is. Now I'm going to go get ready for a party I'm going to later, and I dunno what time I'll be back so it'll be best if you have the door open and don't wait up." she grinned, kissing her on the cheek and walked out to her own bedroom, shutting the door.

She walked to her wardrobe to get out her sexy Santa suit, but she found it wasn't there. Thinking she'd got it out earlier, she searched the room. She sighed after no finding it and walked back out to her aunt. "Have you been in my room at all?" she asked.

"No, why?"

"One of my outfits is missing that's all."

"Well ask Rory. I saw him in there while you and Jeff were making the garden look presentable yesterday."

Amy nodded and walked out the room again and down the stairs, and outside. "Rory?" she looked up the ladder to see him hanging something up next to an upper window. "Rory when you were in my room yesterday, did you take any clothes out of there?"

Rory Williams stopped what he was doing and he looked down at her, holding the light up reindeer in his hands, debating internally on whether to tell her the truth. He decided against it. "No…" he lied.

"Rory!" she said firmly, knowing straight away he was lying.

He sighed and fixed the reindeer in place, and climbed down.

"Where is it?" she asked.

"Where's what?" he pretended that he didn't know.

"Rory I don't have time to play games or deal with your jealous. Where is my outfit?"

"Caitlin has it." he mumbled.

"What? Why her? What were you doing giving it to her anyway!" she shrieked.

"She said it was hers and she told me your job. What you really do." he said.

"Well you'd better get it back then! And I only kiss people Rory, it's not like I'm stripping off and having sex with them!"

"You're supposed to be my girlfriend Amy!"

"I'm not a possession Rory! And if that's what you see me as then we shouldn't be together." she told him.

"Fine, I'll get it." he mumbled and walked out of the garden, and Amy sighed and walked back inside, leaving a stunned man still outside.

"Did you find it, or did he have it, Amelia?"

"Yeah Rory's gone to get it back." Amy said, walking up the stairs to her.

"Amelia… you never told me what your job is."

"I um… sort of entertain people at parties… Mainly over 18's…" Amy said slowly, knowing she couldn't lie to her.

"You're a stripper?" her aunt shrieked, her eyes bulging.

"What? No! No not that!" she said quickly, a furious blush creeping to her cheeks.

"What on earth are you talking about girl?"

"It's sort of a step down from that… I go to parties and… I kiss people… in outfits."

"And does the person employing you know you're only seventeen?" her aunt raised her eyebrows.

"Yes…" Amy lied.

"Give me the number."

"Why?"

"Because I want to make sure."

"You don't need to."

"Amelia, you're being treated like an object. Does Rory know what you're doing? You know how he gets."

"No I'm not, and yes I know, yes he knows and if he wants to treat me like a possession he can wave goodbye to our relationship." Amy said walking into the kitchen.

"He does it because he cares, you know he does. He's also the only male your age who's able to look you in the eye and be near you after your antis when you were younger." her aunt said as Rory came back and walked up the stairs.

"Yeah that's right, bring up the psychiatrists." Amy said sarcastically and then sighed. "Look… can we not argue for once?" she said quietly.

Her aunt nodded, walked to her and hugged her,

Amy hugged back, sighing again.

"Your parents wouldn't have wanted this for you Amelia…"

"They'd want me to be happy. And I am."

Rory crept through to Amy's room, replaced the outfit and he snuck back out, out to where Caitlin waited, and they both went off together. What Amy surely didn't know wouldn't hurt her would it?

"Look, Amy go find him. And talk to him."

"Yeah… you're right I probably should…" Amy said quietly and stepped out of the older woman's arms. She walked out and back down the stairs, passing her aunt's boyfriend on the way.

"Amelia.." he started.

"Maybe later, Patrick I have to do something." she told him and she walked out the door, out the garden and across the playing field.

Within minutes she saw two figures on the park ahead. As she got closer, the boy started to become clearer, and he looked a lot like Rory. But what was he…?

"No…" she whispered, shaking her head, a sharp pang in her chest almost made her drop to the floor and curl into a ball, and she curled her arms across her chest. She could see Rory in some sort of embrace with another girl, though her face was obscured and she didn't know that it was her former best friend.

"I drove him to that…" she whispered, tears falling thick and fast down her cheeks. She turned on her heel and ran back home, back up the stairs, back to her room and slammed the door shut, and threw herself on her bed, sobbing into her pillow.