NOTE: Short chapter is short. Just a little 'calm before the storm' to get the Doctor, River, Amy and Rory all on the same page. Hugs!

Chapter Twenty

"Home?"

"That's right, Amy, I'm taking you both home right now."

"You most certainly are not." Amy argued.

"I most certainly are to."

Amy looked to Rory to back her up and he just shrugged, not sure how to help. Amy turned to River who flashed her a smile. Seeing she was on her own Amy put her hand down on the console over the set of dials that the Doctor was making a move towards. The Doctor went to take her wrist to lift her hand up but she gave his hand a sharp slap to keep him back.

"Amy, please..."

"I am not leaving when my daughter is in the middle of some paradox problem." Amy said sternly. "Why the sudden rush to drop us off?"

The Doctor fell silent for a moment before he looked to River. She shrugged and instantly regretted it as she winced. Rory noticed the brief expression of pain and went to cross over to where she was standing but she shook her head to let him know that now was no a good time for his parental concern. Amy continued to stare the Doctor down, waiting for an answer. When he sighed and reached up to drag both hands through his hair Amy furrowed her brow and grabbed the lapel of his jacket to open it again. The Doctor pulled back, but it was too late, Amy had already seen the Vale Blade tucked into the shoulder harness that he was wearing.

"You want us out of harm's way, don't you?" Amy said gently. "I've never seen you armed with a weapon, let alone one that's already done so much damage."

"Of course I want you out of harm's way, Amy, and that's where I'm going to take you."

"Absolutely not. Whatever you doing Rory and I are helping."

"No. Not this time, Pond."

"You finally figured out who has been setting these traps for you, haven't you? The dragon, the Dalek, all the trouble we've gotten into collecting these bits for the Matrix, you know who it is. Worse than than you know who has my daughter, you know who took River out of her timeline and you thought you could get away with not telling me?"

"Amy..."

"No, stop right there, you've got that look on your face, the one you get that says you're about to lie to me." Amy snarled. "I usually let it slide, but not this time. Who has my daughter, Doctor? Who is trying to kill you?"

"I am." The Doctor admitted quietly. "It's me."

"What...what are you talking about?"

"I've have a past that has always haunted me, well now I have a future that is doing the same." The Doctor backed away from the TARDIS console. "My next regeneration hasn't gone so well and in his insanity he's lashing out at me."

"Why?"

"Why? There is no 'why', Amy." The Doctor said with a sad smile. "The Valeyard is not sane enough to have a reason for the things he does. Why did he release all of Stormcage? Why did he leave a beautiful dragon to starve to death? Why did he tangle with a Dalek just to set up a trap? Why did he risk River's life by tearing her out of time? Because he can...no other reason."

"What are you going to do?" Amy asked fearfully.

"I'm going to hunt him down and kill him."

"Doctor, no, you are not a murderer."

"That's a different discussion, but this isn't murder, it's suicide."

"It's insane. What if this mad hunt is what causes this future?" Amy pointed out.

"I've thought of that, but now that it has happened, now that the Valeyard is back I have no choice. I can't change what he's done, but I can stop him from causing further harm." The Doctor sighed. "Now that he no longer has the High Council to answer to he is infinitely more dangerous. He used to at least respect the Time Laws, now he is just running rampant."

"You said 'used to'," Rory spoke up "you've dealt with him before?"

"A long time ago...but he was a different man then."

"What changed him?"

"The exact same thing that changed me."

Amy could tell from the dark hollow tone that the Doctor was referring to the Time War. He always got the same lifeless expression whenever he made mention of it, the last Veteran of a war few knew even ever happened. Amy stepped up and threw her arms around him in a tight embrace. The Doctor tensed for a second and Amy suddenly remembered his injured shoulder.

"I'm sorry." Amy said quickly as she released him.

"It's okay."

"His shoulder doesn't hurt anymore." Rory said confidently. "But River's does."

The Doctor looked at Rory in surprise.

"I'm a medical professional." Rory said with a slightly annoyed tone. "I can see that you're moving just fine, but River has been cradling her arm since you two came back from wherever you disappeared to."

"River?" Amy asked with concern.

"I'm okay."

"No she isn't." The Doctor admitted. "But she will be. I'm going to fix it."

"*We* are going to fix it." Amy said firmly. "No more secrets, no more lies, no more 'lone wolf', Doctor. River is our daughter and you are our family, and you are both loved. You ask me and the fastest way to turning your future self into some twisted madman is for you to forget that and pull away from us, the way you're doing now."

The Doctor stared at Amy for a moment with an unreadable expression on his face. She didn't back down from him an inch.

"Ah, Amelia," the Doctor smiled warmly "sometimes I forget just how much you've grown up."

"Honestly, I'm getting a little annoyed with having to remind you."

"I sense that."

"So what do we do next?"

"Luckily enough there is one thing that the Valeyard was the master of and something he will find irresistible to return to."

"What's that?"

"The Matrix."

"Is it just a coincidence that you've devoted the last few months to reconstructing it?" Rory asked.

"Probably not...the Valeyard is my future so by definition he is one step ahead of me."

"Great."

"There is an advantage to having your enemy ahead of you, Rory, you just have to be willing to stab him in the back."