"I'm out there, you know," Amy says, sitting on the swing with Rory on their back porch, "Back home."
"What happened?" Rory asks.
"Met Churchill," Amy says, "Ran into the Daleks."
"That was when I first met them, you know," Amy says, "Before the Pandorica."
"I wasn't dead then," Rory says, sarcastically.
"Obviously," Amy says, "Even when you were I didn't know it."
"The crack erased you, any memory of you," Amy adds, "Until the Pandorica."
"I have vague memories," Rory says, shuffling his feet.
"What happened?" Amy asks for the first time, "When I was inside the Pandorica."
"Well," Rory starts, "Most times it's sort of fuzzy, but I have these flashes, like memories."
"I never really told you, but I was out there too. In London," Rory says.
"I just wanted to protect you."
"I never thanked you properly for that," Amy says, "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."
"In more ways than one," Rory says.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Amy asks, confused.
"You could be back home right now, living out your life like you were supposed to, but you came back for me," Rory says, guiltily.
"That's not a life I wanted, without you," Amy starts, "That's not a life worth living."
"You'd be alright without me," Rory says, "You almost did it once."
"I signed those divorce papers for you," Amy says, "You know that."
"But never again," Amy adds, "What ever happens, we'll work things out."
Rory nods and turns up to the sky. "The Doctor's out there, somewhere."
"Think he's found someone new?" Rory adds.
"I hope so," Amy says, "The TARDIS would be awfully lonely."
"He'll be alright," Rory says, nodding.
"I just hope he takes care of Mel," Amy says, "I thought I saw her today, you know."
"You did?" Rory says.
"Yeah," Amy says, "At the shops."
"And it wasn't her?" Rory asks.
"No," Amy says, "Just the hair, you know?"
Rory laughs and Amy puts her head on his shoulder. "I do have something to tell you, though," Amy says.
"It's hard to explain," she adds.
"What is it?" he says softly.
"My memories have changed, sort of," Amy says, "It's like the Doctor's death, I remember it two ways."
"When Melody Malone was published my memories changed," Amy says, "I told him to go back and see me, and he did."
"He told me of my adventures," Amy says, smiling, "That I'd marry my best friend."
"He called me Amelia Williams," she adds, "I remember not understanding it then, but I do now. He's letting me go, us go."
"He said he wanted to be alone for a while, to reflect. But that he loved us very much. He never stops thinking of us. He even cried," Amy says.
"Oh, Doctor," Rory breathes, "Why does he have to make us sad all over again?"
"I'm not sad, I'm happy," Amy says, "I'm happy he listened to me, that he went back. It means the world to me."
"Then good," Rory says, "Did he say he was going to come back for us?"
"No," Amy says, "He said he'd let us live our lives."
"He could come back," Rory says, "It's 1940, it's been two years."
"It wouldn't rip New York apart now, would it?" he adds.
"I don't know," Amy says, throwing he hands up, "All that timey wimey stuff is confusing."
They laugh and Amy adds, "Besides, you'll be a proper Doctor soon," she pauses and adds, "I only need one Doctor."
"And I only need my author," Rory says.
"Secretary," Amy says rolling her eyes.
"That's temporary," Rory says, "You're an author."
"Have you finished it?" Rory asks, "Summer Falls."
Amy shakes her head and sighs, "I'm having a hard time with it."
"Will you let me read it?" Rory asks.
"When it's finished," Amy says.
"How long will that take?" Rory asks.
"Dunno," Amy says, "As long as I need to make it perfect."
"Statistically, I should be dead by then," Rory says half joking.
"Nah," Amy says, "You don't die for real for 50 more years."
"What about you?" Rory asks.
"I don't know," Amy says, "And I wouldn't want to."
"I'll be 30 soon," she says, "I already feel like I'm dying."
Rory laughs and says, "We're not kids anymore."
"No we're not," Amy agrees.
Rory takes a deep breath and turns to look his wife in the eye, "There's something I haven't told you."
"What is it?"
"I've been drafted," Rory says, "They're rushing my degree through."
"They need more Doctors, Amy," he adds.
"But you can't!" Amy says, enraged, "They can't do that!"
"I'll be fine," Rory says, "Everything will be fine."
"I'm coming with you," Amy demands, "I am not leaving you."
"Amy, you can't," Rory says, "Not this time."
"You just have trust that I'll be alright," Rory says.
"You have Sally and Mrs. Hendrickson, they'll take care of you," he adds.
"I can't believe you," Amy says, standing, storming into the house.
"Amy, stop!" Rory says.
"Leave me alone!" Amy yells, running up the stairs to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
"God dammit!" She says, leaning face forward on her dressing table, knocking her perfume bottle over.
She looks up into the mirror and says, "It's not supposed to be this way!"
She crumples to the bed, crying. Rory comes to the door and knocks, "Amy, can I come in?"
"Go away," she says.
"You know I can't do that," he says, "I love you too much."
"I love you too," Amy chokes out.
Rory opens the door, not waiting for her permission and sits beside her on the bed. He throws his arm around her. She says, "I don't want you to see me cry."
"Damn you," Rory says, "You're too proud. So Scottish."
Amy half laughs and Rory hands her a tissue. "It'll be alright, Amy, I know it will."
"What if it's not?" she asks.
"Then you carry on," Rory says, "Love again."
"There's nobody else but you," Amy says, "Don't leave me again. I can't take it."
"I'll be gone for a little while, just a while," Rory says, "They haven't told me how long."
"You'll be there indefinitely?" Amy asks, "That makes me feel better, you idiot!"
"Now that's my Amy," Rory says, squeezing her hand, "Like the headstone said, I'll be 82 when I die."
"Time can be rewritten," Amy says.
"Not this time," Rory says, repeating, "Not this time."
Three months later in December of 1940 Amy watched Rory board the plane that would take him overseas. She wept for days, even her friends couldn't get her to come out of the house. She clutched a picture of the two of them in her hands those days always. After she broke out of her initial depression she went back to work and tried to live life as normally as she could. For once in her life she was glad she didn't have any young children, their sadness would have been too much for her to bear.
Rory sent her letters as often as he could. He even got the opportunity to visit their old home town of Leadworth. He sent her a photograph of her family home, though it looked quite different than she remembered it. Rory was passionate about his work and she feared he would stay until the end of the war, many years off. Thankfully, she knew there'd be an end. She considered telling a few friends, but she thought better of it. How could she possibly explain it in a way they'd understand? She waited patiently everyday for the telegram that said he husband would be coming home. On June 6th, 1942 she got her wish. Rory was to be transferred home to work in a hospital for badly injured American soldiers.
On June 10th Amy woke up early and dressed in her best. She wrinkled her face in the mirror as she gazed up at herself. "Eek," she whispers to herself, smoothing out the fine lines on her forehead.
She hoped Rory wouldn't notice she looked older. The war had aged even her.
Amy waited at the gate with many other women and families. Though her best friend Sally asked if she wanted company, she went alone. The plane landed and her heart started racing.
"C'mon," she breathes, "Hurry it up now."
The door to the plane opens and the troops begin to exit. She studies each face, looking for Rory's. She suddenly cries with joy as she sees him, one of the last to exit the plane.
Once the soldiers are formally released the wives break through the barriers like mad-women. Amy thought there wasn't much need for soldiers. She thought if you threatened a woman's husband or children that the wives of the world could do much more damage than any man.
Rory smiles as Amy runs to him and embraces him. "The girl who waited," Rory whispers, "I love you."
Amy and Rory kiss passionately, his hands cupping her face, not letting her go. They finally break free. "You look," Rory starts in disbelief, looking her up and down, "Absolutely beautiful."
"Hey," Amy says, "Eyes front, soldier."
Rory laughs and says, "God, I've missed you."