AN: Hi- hopefully this is fast enough for you lot! thanks as ever for all your support- I've now finished writing this fic, it's 35 chaps long (I think) and I hope you'll like the end (I did, if I say so myself.) It will be the end f this 'series', as much as I enjoyed it, all things come to an end. If you want to check out my other DW writing go to my profile, there's a couple, and I'm planning a new 11/amy as well as an arthur/ariadne fic for Inception.

This chap's quote:

Enthusiasm created from the heart is the spirit of the matter. It ignites your whole system so there's no drag, no resistance, no thoughts like "Do I have to?" coming from the head to sabotage the power of your surrender.

Ok, so last chap we met a little Aussie called Kaitlyn- who just happens to be best friends with an Alien stallion called Adonis who looks to be made of shadow and thunderclouds, and is intent on protecting her. No one believes her, though Adonis seems real enough to Amy and the Doc- and Kaitlyn explains it's because Adonis doesn't often turn up- it's normally the 'mares.

Not often having guests, being excluded like Amy, Kaity invites Amy and the Doctor in for drinks. Also, the Doctor is going under the alias John Smith so as not to scare her off.

Also- lightning in the time vortex knocked them off course. This is bad, but extra bad if it interfered with the time, as in, if the pair are not in 2010 any more...

Ok, enjoy!

A little confused, but not too unwilling, Amy and the Doctor followed Kaitlyn into her home- hoping her mother was held up particularly long in order to avoid any awkward explanations.

"Milo?" Kaitlyn enquired, opening a cupboard.

Amy turned around in her wooden chair- looking for a boy or pet. Seeing no one she turned back to the Doctor and Kaitlyn- the latter looking bewildered, and the former somewhat amused.

The Time Lord smiled graciously. "Two please Kaity, if you wouldn't mind."

Kaity nodded, tiptoeing to get two glasses out of the cupboard, a bottle of milk from the fridge and a pot of some kind of cocoa with garish green labels reading 'Milo'.

Amy blushed a little, muttering something like, "Australian stuff- how am I supposed to know?"

The Doctor chuckled, absently taking her hand- unaware of how still his companion went at his touch. Instead, he gently rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, and didn't notice anything wrong until she looked up into his eyes- her ones wide and shining.

Realising what he'd been doing, the Doctor abruptly let go of Amy's hand and she withdrew it quickly, cradling it in her lap as if she'd been burnt and looking away from him.

The Doctor heaved an almost imperceptible sigh- but before either of them could say a word Kaitlyn, oblivious to the tension in the room, placed two glasses of chocolate milk on the wooden table with a soft thunk- slurping from her own plastic cup through a straw.

She climbed into a chair- being quite small for her age she could barely reach, and smiled at her guests. "So, what d'you wanna know 'bout the 'mares?"

The Doctor's manner changed- as it always did when he was with children, softening and becoming more gentle- genuinely hiding all his pain and agony behind a friendly smile. "Well- when do you see them?"

Kaitlyn bit her lip. "Promise you'll believe me? Won't laugh?"

Amy and the Doctor nodded, saying simultaneously. "Promise." Kaitlyn giggled and they glanced briefly at each other before turning back to the girl.

"'Kay- well, mostly I see them in my dreams. See- you can't really see them when you're awake- they're there- sometimes you can feel their warmth or hear 'em pounding their hoofs and stuff- but you can only see the Stallions when you're awake- and normally you only see Adonis." Kaitlyn gave a little shudder.

"The other stallions are really mean. You should stay away from them."

She took a big gulp of her milkshake, looking up at the Doctor- John Smith as she thought of him, and waited for the next question.

Amy got there first. "And- what do the 'mares look like? like Adonis?"

Kaitlyn cocked her head to the side, considering.

"Sort of. But prettier. I mean- Adonis is really handsome- all white coat and chocolate brown eyes- but the 'mares are all shimmery, y'know- sorta like opals I guess? Their eyes are the same though- really nice, gentle chocolate."

Kaitlyn smiled a little and the Doctor and Amy exchanged a look- this time one of concern. Clearly Kaitlyn hadn't seen Adonis for what he was.

The Doctor took a slurp of his Milo- wiping a milk moustache from his mouth as he had with custard all those years ago and leaned forward, resting his arms on the table.

"So- have the 'mares ever mentioned why they're with you- why Adonis protects you- anything like that?"

Kaitlyn frowned a little. "Not exactly. I mean- I know it's something to do with when I'm ten. That's tomorrow. And… well- them and Adonis are mad with the other stallions about something- but I dunno if it's the same thing."

The Doctor frowned, leaning back in his seat and considering the child. Amy frowned too.

"Can you not remember when you first started dreaming about the 'mares? Or have they all become more real recently- I mean, you seemed pretty upset at your school, like that sort of thing didn't happen every day…"

The scot felt her Doctor's eyes settle on her in admiration and a flush of pleasure rose up her neck, even as they waited for Kaitlyn's answer.

"Well- I can't exactly remember when I first started dreaming of 'em, but I know that they started coming out for real three months ago."

The Doctor sat forwards looking stunned.

"Three months ago- exactly?"

Kaitlyn nodded, as bewildered by the Time Lord's reaction as Amy was. He glanced at the Australian girl. 'Sorry- what's the date?"

Kaitlyn frowned and looked to Amy for help- the redhead shrugged.

"Um- it's the 5th of May 1996."

Amy raised an eyebrow at the Time Lord- who wore a momentarily stricken expression. Whatever had affected the TARDIS had interfered with the time as well- just like last time.

The Doctor stood abruptly, setting his empty glass on the table and holding out his hand to Kaitlyn.

"Kaity- it was nice to meet you- and if you don't mind I'll be popping in tomorrow- but right now Amy and I have got to go somewhere."

Kaitlyn's face fell a little, but brightened at the prospect of seeing the pair again. "Kay then- don't forget to get me a card- it's my birthday!"

The Doctor tried to smile, but only made it halfway, nodding distractedly and grabbing Amy, dragging her out of the house. Amy- unsure exactly why- let him, and wished her heart would latch onto someone a little less fond of random sprints.

She took it back immediately though as they stumbled back into the desert town- to be with him, it was worth the running. Still, he didn't need to know that.

"What was that for? Some of us like to act sane from time to time y'know."

She punched the alien lightly on the arm- but his expression was incredulous, completely ignoring the insult.

"Three months Amy! Three months! Argh- I'm an idiot! Even in the Himalayas! I mean the TARDIS can't exactly miss Everest- that's not some random glitch!"

Amy frowned, following as he began to half walk, half jog up the sidewalk away from Kaitlyn's house.

"Hang on Doctor- is this to do with the thing messing with the TARDIS? But we weren't always knocked off course you know."

The Doctor threw his hands into the air. "Exactly- it was random! But three months ago, the Nightmairs and Stellions get worried, and start preparing her for her first decade- the perfect time for sacrifice. And three months ago in TARDIS time was when it started."

Amy's frown deepened as she followed after him- without much choice in the matter, as 80% of what he said went completely over her head. "Wait- 'Nightmairs'? 'Stellions'? Sacrifice?"

The Doctor nodded, running hand through his hair. "Yeah- they'd been grooming Kaitlyn to adopt her so they could get onto Earth- sort of like a human …visa… thing- they must have been barred from Earth- or maybe the solar system for some reason. They were planning on coming here from a long way away- that's why the 'mares can't materialize- they haven't arrived yet. But three months ago something spooked them- they have to wait for Kaitlyn's first decade, and then they can cut the link- sacrifice her and run away. Sounds like that Adonis chap and the mares aren't happy about it- no doubt because they were her foster parents. That should be interesting."

Amy grabbed the Doctor's arm, forcing him to stop in the middle of the street, somewhat shellshocked. "They're going to sacrifice Kaitlyn?"

The Doctor nodded- and Amy could almost see the thoughts buzzing behind his eyes.

"Well what are we going to do?"

The Doctor grinned at her.

"Stop them."

Right, hope you liked it, please please please review, I really appreciate it!

Thanks for reading!

Kat