Disclaimer: I do not own 'Doctor Who' or any of the characters in it. All rights belong to the BBC, though I would love to own it myself. Sigh.
A/N: I'm going on holiday tonight, so there will be no updates until I get back. But don't worry, as soon as I arrive home on Sunday, I will update. I've nearly finished the next chapter already, and I can write the rest whilst I'm away.
I cut this chapter short so I could leave you with a nice ending, and not with a cliffhanger. See? I'm just that nice…haha!
"Are you sure that these space suits are necessary?" Amy grumbled to the Doctor as he zipped hers up for her. "They're so unflattering!"
"You can only breathe for thirty minutes in the volcano, so I'm afraid they are necessary." He told her. "Besides, I think you look magnificent."
"Oh really?" She muttered, studying her reflection in the mirror in front of them. "I think that I look like a frump."
"Well, I think that you look like someone who is about to save this volcano base from a mysterious alien." The Doctor remarked, and Amy rolled her eyes at him.
Grinning, the Doctor kissed her pouting lips before placing the space helmet on her.
"And now I look like an astronaut frump!" Amy exclaimed, her voice clear from the microphone in the helmet.
"Oh quit whining Pond!" The Doctor teased as he began to put his space suit on. "I'd rather have you looking like a frump than have you dead from lack of oxygen."
"Well when you put it like that…hey! Are you calling me a frump?" She asked him, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at him through her helmet.
"Ask me no questions, and I shall tell you no lies." The Doctor quoted, placing his helmet on. "And now we both look like frumps who are going to save the volcano base!"
Amy laughed and took his gloved hand. "Right then, frump number two, let's go and join the others!"
"Hey, why aren't I frump number one?" He asked her in mock-outrage. "I'm the Doctor! I should be number one!"
"But I'm Amy Pond, so I should be number one!" Amy argued back.
"Fair point." The Doctor agreed. "Fine. Frump number one, let's go and explore!"
Grinning, they both stepped out of their cubicle and joined the others, who were waiting for them outside of the base.
"I've sent a message back to England, just in case we don't return." Samantha told them grimly. "So at least our families will know what happened to us."
"You're an optimistic one." The Doctor commented sarcastically. "That message was completely unnecessary. I know we're going to be fine."
"And how do you know that?" Samantha asked him doubtfully.
"Because one, I'm the Doctor. I'm not going to let anyone die if I can help it. Two, I promised Amy that I'd take her home safely, and in one piece, and I never make promises that I can't keep. Three—"
Amy went mute at the Doctor's second point. All she could think about were his words: 'take her home.'
She slipped her hand out of the Doctor's, hurt, but he didn't seem to notice, as he was too preoccupied with telling Samantha why they were going to be fine.
~I~
As they descended down the volcano, Ronald fell into step beside Amy as they followed the others down. The Doctor was leading the others, of course, and Samantha was walking beside him, though they were too far ahead to allow Amy to hear what they were saying. Chris followed shortly behind them.
"He won't take you home." Ronald said to her quietly.
"How do you know that?" She muttered dejectedly, glaring at the back of Samantha's head.
Ronald smiled reassuringly at her. "I've seen his mind, remember? He needs you more than he'll ever admit."
Amy allowed herself to feel a flicker of hope. "Are you sure about that?"
"Positive."
"Well then, I better go and join my man!" She exclaimed brightly, and after she'd thanked him, she hurried forward to meet up with the Doctor.
When the Doctor heard her approaching, he turned his head and grinned at her. "I was wondering where you went!" He told her happily, taking her hand. "I was beginning to get lonely."
"You had Samantha for company." Amy reminded him, though secretly she was delighted that he wasn't really paying any attention to her.
"The Doctor prefers the company of redheads to brunette's." Samantha teased, nudging him playfully.
"I'm more partial to a red head. Especially if they're Scottish." He admitted, still smiling down at Amy.
Amy beamed and slipped her arms around the Doctor's waist, though it was a bit awkward with their space suits on. "He's only saying that. He prefers blondes really." She joked, although she regretted it when the Doctor's smile faded.
"I wouldn't say that." He said quietly, and the emotion in his eyes gave Amy the feeling that he wasn't just talking about hair colour.
Samantha eyed the Doctor's sudden tense posture and Amy's anxious face. "I'm just going to talk to Chris about something, you know the way to Layer P, right Doctor?"
At the Doctor's nod, she left them alone.
"Have you ever travelled with a blonde Doctor?" Amy asked him carefully, unwilling to upset him any further, but she had to know if there had been someone else like her.
He let out a long sigh before coming to a halt and taking his helmet off. Amy stopped with him and took her helmet off too, and when Samantha, Chris and Ronald passed them, the Doctor told them to go on without them for a minute.
He waited until they were out of earshot before speaking. "Amy, before I regenerated into this body, I was someone else. I was still me, but I had different opinions and feelings. For instance, I hated cats, but now I love them. I loved wearing converses, but now I prefer wearing boots."
He paused then and took Amy's hands in his. "Do you know what I'm trying to say?" He asked her desperately, reluctant to speak the words himself.
"That you had feelings for someone in your old body, the same ones that you have for me." She replied softly.
The Doctor closed his anguished eyes and pressed his forehead to hers. "Her name was Rose." He whispered. "She was my companion while I was in my ninth body, and she stayed with me after I'd changed into my tenth. That's when feelings began to grow between us. I never acted on my feelings though…" His voice broke, and Amy reached up to cradle her face in his hands.
"And then she was taken away from me, stuck in a parallel World. I travelled with two more companions after that, but they never filled the hole that her absence had left. And then she fought her way back to me." His face lit up from the memory. "And though there was a strong possibility that we'd die, I didn't care, because I had her."
Amy didn't fail to notice the way he referred to her in the past tense. She didn't want to ask what happened to her, though she needed to know. Thankfully, the Doctor hadn't finished talking.
"But then she went again. That was my fault. I had a clone and I told her to love him and not me, because he could give her what she wanted. And then I left them in a parallel world of Earth to start a new life together." He finished, his voice hoarse from the grief of the memory.
"You gave her up?" Amy realised quietly. "Oh Doctor, that must have been so painful."
He allowed himself to smile wryly. "It was. But the pain didn't last long. I regenerated soon after that. It's a long story, and I don't have time to tell it now. But I need you to know that I'm a different man now. I have a new face, a new body, a new personality, and let's not forget a new, sexy TARDIS!"
Amy had to laugh at his attempt to lighten the atmosphere. "Oh yes, we could never forget that!"
"Ten loved Rose." The Doctor told her. "But Eleven, me, loves you."
"What?" Amy whispered; her eyes beginning to gleam with unshed tears.
The Doctor frowned. "I think that's something else my new body likes. Being honest about feelings. I've never told anyone I loved them be—"
But Amy's lips on his silenced him.
The Doctor didn't respond, too shocked by her response to his revelation.
When Amy pulled back, he was about to speak, but she placed her finger on his lips. "I love you too you fool, so kiss me back!"
That was all the encouragement the Doctor needed, and he pressed his lips back to hers.
Okay, now that we all know that these two are in love, hopefully you all believe that they'll stay together forever ;)
But if you read my review replies, then you'll know what really happens.
Anyhow, I'll see you all in a week, and I promise to reply to your reviews the moment I get back!
Adiós!
Hayley x
p.s To my anonymous reviewers…
Violet- Aw, thank you so much! I hate Rory/Amy too…but Rory is in this story later on I'm afraid. But don't worry, he won't be a threat to Amy and the Doctor's relationship :D
Hannah-Wow, thank you! That's so kind :) I'm glad that you're enjoying my story :D
Jessica, thank you so much, again! Could you just explain to me what parts of the last chapter were rushed? I don't have a beta you see, so all of my work is my own :)