A/N: This chapter, (and probably the rest of the story), is dedicated to DaWhogirl, who reviewed so many times that she pushed my review count from 395 to over 430. The time you took to reread my story again AND review every chapter amazed me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the sweet comments! :) It's people like you who inspire me to keep writing, so thank you very much, again! Hugs and kisses to you :) xx
Also a special thanks to Ellie, Julia and Lily…my faithful reviewers/friends! :) xxx
I'm still in a dark place, but the clouds are breaking up. Thank you for your kind words and support. I love you guys. Honestly.
Despite her previous reluctance, Amy ate the food that her Aunt cooked, much to everyone's relief.
After the Doctor had washed up, breaking many plates in the process, he set off for the TARDIS with Amy and Rory. He strode ahead of them as they walked towards the ship, eager to get inside and travel away from the Earth.
Not surprisingly, the atmosphere between Amy and Rory was awkward. The Doctor had made a clever escape by walking ahead of them.
"So…" Amy started as they walked. "Looking forward to seeing some Bizzicles?"
Rory smiled, much to her relief. "Course I am. It's not everyday you see giant, blue grasshoppers!"
"That's nothing compared to what I've seen." Amy told him, eager to continue their conversation. "Stone angels, a Star-whale, Heartreeps, even Winston Churchill! You would not believe what he kept trying to do to the Doctor!"
Rory didn't reply, and at his silence, Amy began to grow anxious. "Rory?" She questioned, nudging him. "Earth to Rory!"
But Rory didn't laugh. "After seeing those things, I can see why you didn't want to return to Leadworth to marry me."
"Rory, I'm sorry." She whispered, touching his arm.
Suddenly he grinned, confusing her. "Amy, it's fine. I was just making a remark. Anyway, I've forgiven you for that…because you see…I've met—"
"Come on you two, don't dilly-dally!" They heard the Doctor call cheerfully, and they both looked up to see him unlocking the TARDIS door. "I need to sleep!"
Amy immediately snatched her hand from Rory's arm and ran the rest of the way to the TARDIS. "You? Sleep?" She snorted. "You can't tell me you're tired."
The Doctor gave her an odd look. "Of course I am. I haven't slept since I took you home. You've worn me out Pond!" He chuckled, ruffling her hair playfully, causing her to dodge out of his way and scowl at him.
"Sleep sounds good to me." Rory said as he joined them, and the Doctor gave Amy a look, as if to say, 'So there!'
"Right then Rory." The Doctor said, pushing open the TARDIS door. "You may be surprised to know that the interior of the TARDIS isn't what you think it is. Take a look inside."
Rory stepped inside, and the Doctor quickly followed, eager to hear his comments about his beloved ship. "So, what do you think?" He asked him excitedly. "I've heard everything. Surprise me with a new word!"
"This is exactly how I thought it would be." Rory replied, nodding as he surveyed the TARDIS.
The Doctor froze. "Pardon?"
"It's bigger on the inside. I knew that all along."
Amy stifled a giggle at the Doctor's annoyance. "When I said 'surprise me', I meant a good surprise!" He cried angrily, stomping up to the console and pressing down one of the levers. "What do you mean, this is exactly how you thought it would be?"
"I did some research on time and relative dimensions after the incident with Prison Zero." Rory said nonchalantly. "So I knew exactly what the TARDIS would be like."
"Well then, you're boring!" The Doctor snapped, now stamping up the stairs. "Boring, boring, boring!"
Rory looked a little shocked at the Doctor's insult. "What, did you expect me to go all moony-eyed over it or something?" He asked him, baffled by the Doctor's sudden foul mood.
"That's exactly what he expected!" Amy told him, grinning as she bounded up the stairs after the Doctor. "He loves to show off."
The Doctor ignored her. "Rory, your bedroom is on the second floor. It's got a green door on it. Amy will show you where it is. Now, I'm going to bed!"
Without bidding either of them goodnight, he disappeared into his bedroom.
Rory and Amy exchanged uncomfortable looks. "He hates me now." Rory said gloomily. "I knew I should have kept my mouth shut."
Amy shrugged half-heartedly. "Don't worry about it. He lost it with me on our first trip together. But then, I could have killed us both…and the whole population of Britain…"
"You what?" Rory exclaimed, hurrying up the stairs to join her. "Tell me everything!"
Smiling, Amy told him about the trip to Starship UK, all of those months ago, and Rory laughed hysterically when Amy told him about the Doctor's excitement about being inside of the mouth of a Star-whale.
When the story was finished, they bid each other goodnight, and Rory went inside of his bedroom. Amy laughed when she heard him gasp at the wardrobe inside of his room, which no doubt was full of clothes exactly suited for him.
She headed back down the corridor, unsure of where to go next. The Doctor was clearly in a bad mood, and although it wasn't directed towards her, she still hesitated outside of his bedroom door.
She hovered outside for a couple of minutes, before she heard the Doctor yell, "Are you going to stand out there all day Pond, or are you coming in?"
Shaking her head in disbelief at how he knew she was outside, she pushed open the door and saw the Doctor lying in his bed, gazing at her.
"Could you turn the light off?" He yawned, closing his eyes.
Amy switched off the lights and closed the door softly, before quickly changing into a pair of pyjamas that had been helpfully laid out for her. She slipped into the Doctor's bed, and curled up on her side, feeling tired all of a sudden.
She felt the Doctor turn onto his side as well, and he slipped his arms around her waist to pull her against his chest. "Night Pond." He mumbled sleepily, pressing his lips to the back of her neck.
"Night." Amy murmured back drowsily, closing her eyes. "Love you."
She heard the Doctor echo it back, before she slipped into unconsciousness, dreaming about an adventure with the man she loved.
~I~
Amy was the first one to awake, something that surprised her, as the Doctor was more of an early-riser than she was.
She turned around slowly, not wanting to disturb the Doctor, and smiled fondly at his peaceful expression. She began to trace the contours of his face with her fingertip, and she grinned when she saw a soft smile grace the Doctor's lips from her touch.
Removing her hand, she concentrated on memorising the Doctor's face, not knowing when the next time would be when she could stare at him openly. For someone so old, it didn't show in his appearance.
"You know, it's rude to stare at someone when they're pretending to be asleep." The Doctor suddenly remarked, and Amy jumped at the sound of his voice.
She smacked his chest playfully, and the Doctor opened his eyes. "Morning Pond." He grinned, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. "Sleep well?"
"Very well. I had a dream we were being chased by orange hippos." She told him, smiling as she remembered the dream in her head.
The Doctor laughed lightly. "Could have been worse…it could have been giant wasps. Unpleasant things they are."
"You know, I'm not even going to ask when you were chased by giant wasps!" Amy giggled, untangling herself from his embrace and rising up from the bed. "But I know that we're going to be chased by Bizzicles, so we'd better get ready!"
The Doctor laughed again and quickly clambered out of the bed. "Of course we are. Trouble just seems to follow us wherever we go." He commented, grabbing her hand and yanking her out of the bedroom. "Now, what colour bowtie should I wear today? Seeing as we're going to a jungle, I thought green, but then I quite like the idea of wearing red…what do you think?"
To his surprise, he saw tears well up in Amy's eyes. Panicked, he stopped, and cupped her face in his hands. "Amy? What's wrong?" He asked her frantically.
Amy smiled, her eyes shining. "I was just thinking that it's so good to be home. Nothing is better than discussing bowties with you in the morning."
The Doctor beamed, and the warmth of his smile was enough to dazzle Amy. "Oh Pond. I love you." He whispered, before their lips met in a sweet, meaningful kiss.
"Nice pyjamas." They heard Rory comment from behind them, and Amy immediately broke their kiss to stare guiltily at him. Although she had no feelings towards him, she couldn't help but feel guilty for flaunting her relationship with the Doctor in front of him, though she truly hadn't meant to.
The Doctor didn't share her guilt, and he was more than happy to wrap his arms around Amy's waist. "We're starting a trend." He told Rory, who was grinning at the state of them. "The TARDIS made them for us. I'm sure she'll make some for you as well, if you ask her nicely."
Amy hadn't really looked at what she was wearing, and when she glanced down, she saw that she was wearing the same nightwear as the Doctor. Their pyjamas were a dark blue material, and they were covered in mini pictures of the TARDIS. They were cute, but they were more designed for a child than for two adults, especially when one of them was over 900 years old.
"I'm good thanks." Rory said as he walked up to them, and Amy watched him closely to see his reaction to their embrace. But to her bewilderment, he didn't seem to be reacting at all. The grin on his face was genuine. "They're cute, but they're much better-suited to you two than to me. I'll stick to the plain, flannel pyjamas."
Smiling, the trio began to head for the kitchen, debating on what was better, the TARDIS themed pyjamas, or the flannel.
Definitely the TARDIS pattern.
~I~
After they'd eaten breakfast and gotten changed, Amy decided that the Doctor should wear his red bow tie, and that she should wear his blue one, something that amazed him.
"Amelia Pond, have I ever told you how magnificent you are?" He exclaimed happily, tossing her his blue bow tie.
Amy grinned and tied it on. "Yes, but I don't mind hearing it again." She quipped cheekily.
"You're magnificent." He replied, tying his on as well. "Now, you need to be very careful with that bowtie, because if it's returned to me damaged, I will not be responsible for my actions."
"Don't worry, it'll be fine. This is a one-off occasion only, so it won't be damaged." Amy told him, tweaking his bowtie. "I'll never wear it again."
"But it suits you!" The Doctor protested, spinning her around to face the mirror.
Amy sighed at her reflection. "A mini skirt and a bowtie? What am I thinking? I must really love you."
The Doctor beamed and kissed the top of her head, before Rory knocked gently on the wardrobe door. "Ready to go yet?" He called, and Amy and the Doctor hurried to the door, eager to start their adventure.
~I~
It only took the Doctor a couple of minutes to fly the TARDIS to the Vatikian Jungle, where the Bizzicles lived.
When Amy opened the TARDIS doors, she was stunned at the sight. "How tall is that grass?" She asked curiously, staring at the tall blades of grass that surrounded the TARDIS.
Once the Doctor had joined her, he tilted his head, calculating the height. "Hmm, one metre and thirty-three centimetres."
"How are we supposed to see anything if the grass gets taller?" Rory asked, stepping out of the TARDIS with them.
"We're not." The Doctor replied simply, heading towards the grass. "We'll hear the Bizzicles if they come towards us, and then we'll run away from the noise."
"Why are we here then if we can't see them?" Rory asked, bewildered.
"It's only dangerous if we meet them in this grass, it's their hunting ground you see." The Doctor called over his shoulder. "But if we climb into the trees, which are on the other side of the jungle, we can have a nice little chat with them…if they don't try to sacrifice us, that is."
Amy ran after him, and Rory quickly followed. "You're mental Doctor!" He yelled, but the Doctor just laughed and began to wade through the grass.
"Wait for us!" Amy yelled, following him into the grass.
"I am waiting!" The Doctor yelled back. "Hurry up!"
Amy reached his side first, and Rory joined them a minute later.
"Right, my main concern is you losing my bowtie in this grass." The Doctor told Amy, who rolled her eyes at him. "But my other concern is what happens if one of us gets lost, or kidnapped by the Bizzicles."
"Could we die in here?" Rory asked worriedly, now regretting wanting to travel with the Doctor.
The Doctor looked astonished by his question. "The Bizzicles aren't a violent race…usually. But we may suffocate in this grass…oh Rory, I'm joking!" He added as Rory's face went white. "Now, let's go!"
"Go where?" Rory questioned, wading through the grass after the Doctor.
"Don't know yet!" The Doctor replied happily, pushing through the grass. "Anyway, that's part of the—oh no."
"Oh no?" Amy repeated, poking him in the back. "What's wrong?"
"This grass is getting deeper." The Doctor replied, before his voice brightened. "Oh well, not to worry! We'll be able to hide from the Bizzicles easier, though it will be—aah!"
The Doctor suddenly fell through the grass, and Amy screamed. Rory, who had fallen behind them, rushed to see what was wrong, before falling through the grass as well.
"Doctor? Rory?" Amy cried, kneeling down in the grass to feel the ground with her hands. Once she'd traced a few steps, she felt thin air, and knew that they'd fallen into a hole, or a tunnel.
"Can you hear me you two?" She yelled, though all she could hear was silence.
Standing up, she prepared to jump down after them, when a loud buzzing sound filled the silence.
Before she had time to jump, something sharp pierced her in the neck, knocking her unconscious.
A long time ago, a reviewer called 'Don't diss the sonic' gave me the idea of Amy wearing a bowtie, so I decided to use it :)
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Hayley x