Stella walked into the room wearing a long flowing maroon skirt, a slit up the side of the skirt reveal a pair of black gladiator sandals that reached up to her knees when she moved, she had on a belle sleeved crème colored fitted crop top shirt with an off the shoulder neckline, her rose colored glasses were perched on her nose, and her hair fell down loose to her hips in loose waves with a cluster of white flowers with light pink centers behind her right ear.

"Vavoom!" The Doctor said as soon as she walked up to the console.

"Thank you dear." Stella said causing him to look up from the console doing a double take at her outfit, especially since the way she was standing allowed her leg to be revealed all the way up to her thigh, his eyes following the length of her leg. She smiled at his flustered look as she walked over, her hips swaying as she did, letting her arm slide around his waist and gave him a lingering kiss.

"Va-what?" Amy questioned from where she had been sitting on the Doctor's harness under the Tardis glass floor.

"Don't ask." Stella grinned as Amy came up from under the Tardis floor. "Now where was it you were so excited to go?"

"I can't believe I've never thought of this before." The Doctor moved around the console pulling Stella along with him, twirling her a bit as they moved around piloting as they went along. "It's genius. Right." There was a thud. "Landed. Come on."

"Where are we?" Amy asked.

"Planet One." The Doctor looked to Amy, pausing on his way to the door with Stella. "The oldest planet in the universe. And there's a cliff of pure diamond, and according to legend, on the cliff there's writing. Letters fifty feet high." The Doctor explained excitedly. "A message from the dawn of time and no one knows what it says, because no one's ever translated it."

"Till today I suppose." Stella smiled at the Doctor's enthusiasm.

"What happens today?" Amy asked.

"Us." The Doctor booped her nose before making for the door once again. "The Tardis can translate anything." He hoped on the stairs down. "All we have to do is open the doors and read the very first words in recorded history."

The Doctor held out his hand to Amy who took it with a grin, the Doctor pulling both of the girls along and bursting outside to read the first message in the history of time and space.

"Hello Sweetie…" Stella read off with an amused hum, the rest of the message going on to say ΘΣ-ΦΓΥΔζ.

"Vavoom." Amy commented, equally amused.

"Indeed." Stella agreed while the Doctor frowned in annoyance as well as a bit of amusement himself though he tried to fight it.

-0-

The Tardis materialized at the edge of a thick wooded area on the crest of a hill. There was a fog in the air and leaves littered the ground indicating the lateness of the season. The sun was low in the sky soon to be setting by the looks of it.

"Right place?" Amy asked as she stepped out after the Doctor and Stella shutting the door behind her.

"Just followed the co-ordinates on the cliff face. Earth. Britain. One…oh…two am. No, pm." The Doctor said checking his watch.

"No, AD." Stella corrected as they looked down on a Roman camp below the hill they had landed on.

"That's a Roman Legion." Amy said in excitement.

"Yep, the Romans invaded Britain several times during this period." Stella informed her as she rocked on her heels.

"Oh, I know. My favorite topic at school. Invasion of the hot Italians." Amy grinned gaining a look from the Doctor.

"Yeah, I did get marked down for the title." Amy admitted.

"Why? That sounds pretty creative to me." Stella hummed as a soldier ran up to them out of breath and saluted.

"Hail, Caesar!" The soldier said kneeling to the Doctor causing Stella to frown in distaste.

"Hi." The Doctor answered in an unsure voice.

"Welcome to Britain." The soldier went on still bowing. "We are honored by your presence."

"Well, you're only human." The Doctor played along. "Arise, Roman person."

"Why does he think you're Caesar!?" Amy asked as the soldier got back to his feet revealing a smear of lipstick on his face.

"I'll give you three guesses and the first two do not count." Stella raised an eyebrow.

"Cleopatra will see you now." The soldier said before leading them back down the hill. He took them through the camp and into the biggest tent there was. Moving aside the flap he allowed them entrance to 'Cleopatra' sitting regally in her chair being served fruit and drink from two slave boys.

"Hello, sweeties." River greeted them.

"River. Hi." Amy greeted her in surprise.

"You graffitied the oldest cliff face in the universe." The Doctor admonished.

"You wouldn't answer your phone." River replied as she waved her servants out of the room.

"People would take that as a gentle hint." Stella commented as River dismissed her servants with a clap of her hands. "But really River, Cleo and Ceasar?"

"I know how you feel about them, but considering the time and area I find that it was a necessary evil." River replied.

"Those despicable creatures broke Callie's heart." Stella frowned.

"Callie?" Amy asked.

"Calpurnia, Caesar cheated on her with Cleopatra." The Doctor explained recalling Stella's friendship with the famed woman.

"And after he divorced poor Pompeia just because she was suspected of infidelity when that nitwit Publius Clodius Pulcher snuck into the festival of the Bona Dea, the "good goddess" dressed as a woman and made a move on her which she rebuffed." Stella crossed her arms with a dark look. "When Caesar found out he told her that," Stella adopted a snotty male tone. ""My wife ought not even to be under suspicion." Stella rolled her eyes going back to her normal voice. "And it started a proverb, "Caesar's wife must be above suspicion." Hilarious coming from that unfaithful man whore." Stella spat. "Then there was that Cleo rubbing her affair and children in Callie's face every time she visited, despicable woman."

"Well they got it in the end." River commented as she stood up.

"Did you…" Amy started to ask Stella, recalling what had happened to Caesar.

"Didn't have to." Stella shook her head, cutting her off before she could ask. "Their actions led them to their own downfalls, I just did nothing to prevent it." Stella sighed looking to River. "So what's up River?"

"This is what's up." River replied.

"What's this?" Stella asked as River held up a rolled up scroll.

"It's a painting. Your friend Vincent. One of his final works. He had visions, didn't he? I thought you ought to know about this one." River said as the Doctor snatched it from her rolling it out for them on a table, the Doctor and Stella going tense.

"Stella? Doctor, what is this?" Amy questioned as they gazed down at a version of Starry Night, with an exploding Tardis in the middle. "Why is it exploding?"

"I assume it's some kind of warning." River went on when neither time traveler spoke their hands seeking each other's out a clinging together.

"What, something's going to happen to the Tardis?" Amy asked as the Doctor took a seat, his finger to his lips while Stella started to pace.

"It might not be that literal." River pointed out. "Anyway, this is where he wanted you. Date and map reference on the door sign, see?"

"Does it have a title?" The Doctor asked.

"The Pandorica Opens." River answered.

"The Pandorica? What is it?" Amy asked.

"A box, a cage, a prison. It was built to contain the most feared thing in all the universe." River told them.

"And it's a fairy tale, a legend. It can't be real." The Doctor said as he stood up grabbing up some scrolls.

"If it is real, it's here and it's opening, and it's got something to do with our Tardis exploding." Stella said tensely. "Do you know where it might be?"

"Hidden, obviously. Buried for centuries. You won't find it on a map." River replied as the Doctor poured over the maps.

"No, but if you buried the most dangerous thing in the universe, you'd want to remember where you put it." The Doctor said contemplatively.

"River, we need four of the best horses you have now." Stella said darkly and River nodded heading out of the tent demanding the horses. As soon as they had them they were off racing across wide open fields, the Doctor and Stella leading the way urging their horses to their fastest speeds possible.

-0-

The riders arrived running inside the circle of tall stones jumping from their steeds to the ground as soon as they could. The Doctor, Stella, and River start scanning the stones; the Doctor with his sonic screwdriver, River with a handheld device, and Stella with her sonic hands.

"How come it's not new?" Amy asked them.

"Because it's already old." River informed her as she typed into her device. "It's been here thousands of years. No one knows exactly how long."

"Okay, this Pandorica thing. Last time we saw you, you warned us about it, after we climbed out of the Byzantium." Amy looked to River.

"Spoilers." River grinned placing her finger to her lips.

"No, but you told the Doctor and Rhea you'd see them again when the Pandorica opens." Amy went on in confusion.

"Maybe I did, but I haven't yet. But I will have." River said confusing her even more. "Doctor, Stella, I'm picking up fry particles everywhere. Energy weapons discharged on this site."

"If the Pandorica is here, it contains the mightiest warrior in history." The Doctor said hopping up on a rock gazing around himself.

"Now, half the galaxy would want a piece of that. Maybe even fight over it." Stella cast her eyes up warily at the sky as if trying to penetrate the heavy cloud coverage to see space beyond.

"We need to get down there." The Doctor said getting down from the rock and pressing his ear to it.

"Then let's get started." Stella said as they all went about their work.

-0-

The sun had set and they were still finding their way into the illusive Pandorica. River had placed four devices in the shape of an X on each corner of the Altar stone, each glowing a soft blue. She typed into her hand computer as she stepped back with the others.

"Right then. Ready." River announced. There was a sound of smooth machinery moving, then the Altar stone moved aside to reveal a staircase down into the ground.

"The Underhenge." The Doctor said before they descended into the dark depths of the earth, roots from the ground above hanging down around them. The Doctor used his sonic to light the way down the earthen stairs, his other hand firmly grasping Stella's as they went along.

The Doctor lit a handy torch with his sonic screwdriver, lighting another torch River had found with his before Stella stepped up unbarring the big door allowing the plank to drop to the ground. She exchanged an excited look with the Doctor before opening the doors with a loud creak. The Doctor slipped his hand back into Stella's before they entered the wed and root covered room, cautious of the large box in the middle of the cavern.

"It's a Pandorica." The Doctor said looking over the square monument with a circular design on each face.

"More than just a fairy tale." Stella breathed out as the Doctor started forward accidently kicking the arm of a cyberman lying in the dust of the floor, cautiously eyeing it before moving on.

"There was a goblin, or a trickster, or a warrior. A nameless, terrible thing, soaked in the blood of a billion galaxies." The Doctor told them as he reached out touching the Pandorica. "The most feared being in all the cosmos. And nothing could stop it, or hold it, or reason with it. One day it would just drop out of the sky and tear down your world."

"How did it end up in there?" Amy asked.

"You know fairy tales." Stella shrugged as she and the Doctor moved around the ancient box. "A good wizard tricked it."

"I hate good wizards in fairy tales." River scrunched up her nose handing off her torch to Amy as she got back out her computer. "They always turn out to be him…or Stella."

"So, it's kind of like Pandora's Box, then? Almost the same name." Amy said as she turned to look around the cavern, waving round the torch a bit.

"Sorry, what?" The Doctor questioned setting his torch into a holder.

"The story. Pandora's Box, with all the worst things in the world in it." Amy explained herself as the Doctor soniced the box. "That was my favorite book when I was a kid." Amy took notice of the Doctor and Stella eyeing her intently. "What's wrong?"

"Your favorite school topic. Your favorite story." The Doctor pointed out. "Never ignore a coincidence."

"Unless you're busy." Stella commented.

"In which case, always ignore a coincidence." The Doctor agreed moving back to the box.

"So can you open it?" River asked.

"Easily. Anyone can break into a prison, I've done it multiple times." Stella said with a wave of her hand. "I've even broken out, but it was a bit harder."

"But I'd rather we know what we're going to find first." The Doctor said leaning his face in close to the box.

"You won't have long to wait. It's already opening." River said reading her scans. "There are layers and layers of security protocols in there, and they're being disabled one by one. Like it's being unlocked from the inside."

"How long do we have?" The Doctor asked her.

"Hours at the most." River replied.

"What kind of security?" Stella asked.

"Everything. Deadlocks, time stops, matter lines." River listed off.

"What could need all that?" Stella cocked her head to the side, her hand pressed against the center of the pandorica.

"What could get past all that?" River countered.

"Think of the fear that went into making this box. What could inspire that level of fear? Hello, you. Have we met?" The Doctor pressed his cheek against the box.

"So why would it start to open now?" River questioned.

"No idea." The Doctor and Stella said at the same time.

"And how could Vincent have known about it? He won't even be born for centuries." Amy pointed out.

"The stones. These stones are great big transmitters, broadcasting a warning to everyone, everywhere, to every time zone. The Pandorica is opening." The Doctor explained to her.

"Everyone everywhere?" River stiffened.

"Even poor Vincent heard it, in his dreams. But what's in there? What could justify all this?" Stella plucked a lollipop from her pocket and popping it into her mouth, rolling it around thoughtfully.

"Stella, Doctor, everyone?" River questioned tensely.

"Anything that powerful, I'd know about it. Why don't I know?" The Doctor asked in frustration.

"Doctor, you said everyone could hear it. So who else is coming?" River asked gaining their attention.

"Oh." The Doctor looked to Stella who echoed his oh, both of them realizing the implications.

"Oh? Oh, what?" Amy asked.

"That's not a good thing, not at all." Stella groaned as she crossed her arms.

"Okay. If it is basically a transmitter, we should be able to fold back the signal." River said as they got to work, River pressing her computer against one of the tall stones.

"Doing it." The Doctor replied going around the bases of the Sarsen stones with his sonic screwdriver, Stella doing the same with the tips of her fingers glowing lightly.

"Doing what?" Amy asked.

"Stonehenge is transmitting. It's been transmitting for a while, so who heard?" River posed her question by way of explanation.

"Okay, should be feeding back to you now." The Doctor called out waving his sonic up and down each stone, Stella getting the rest. "River, what's out there?"

"Give me a moment." River replied working as fast as she could.

"River, quickly. Anything?" Stella pressed.

"Around this planet there are at least ten thousand starships." River answered, eyes wide in shock as she typed.

"At least?" Amy echoed, equally in shock.

"Ten thousand, a hundred thousand, a million, I don't know. There's too many readings." River shook her head.

"What kind of starships?" The Doctor questioned.

"Maintaining orbit." The nightmarish voice of the Daleks echoed in the cavernous room.

"I obey. Shield cover compromised on ion sectors."

"Daleks. Those are Daleks." Amy said, terrified.

"Scan detects no temporal activity."

"Soft grid scan commencing."

"Reverse thrust for compensatory stabilization."

"Daleks, Doctor, Stella." River gasped out.

"Launch preliminary armaments protocol."

"Yes. Okay, okay, okay, okay. Dalek fleet, minimum twelve thousand battleships, armed to the teeth." The Doctor started to pace tossing his sonic from hand to hand, then turned suddenly to face the others. "Ah! But we've got surprise on our side. They'll never expect three people to attack twelve thousand Dalek battleships."

"Because we'd be killed instantly." Stella pointed out. "So it would be a fairly short surprise."

"Forget surprise." The Doctor agreed, bopping himself on the head with his sonic.

"Course correction proceeding." The emotionless voice of a Cyberman sounded.

"Doctor, Stella, Cyberships." River's eyes widened.

"No, Dalek ships. Listen to them. Those are Dalek ships." The Doctor shot out.

"Yes. Dalek ships and Cyberships." River shot back.

"Well, we need to start a fight, turn them on each other. I mean, that's easy. It's the Daleks. They're so cross." The Doctor said quickly.

"Sontaran. Four battle fleets." River went on.

"Sontarans! Talk about cross, who stole all their handbags?" The Doctor tried to joke, but it was strained.

"Terileptil." River started to list, the Doctor reaching out taking hold of Stella's hand as she went on, both of them backing toward the Pandorica. "Slitheen, Chelonian, Nestene, Drahvin. Sycorax, Haemogoth, Zygon, Atraxi, Draconian."

"They're all here for the Pandorica." Stella breathed out.

"Doctor, Stella, there's more." River said looking to Stella more so, her eyes apologetic causing Stella's stomach to drop. "Viriditas, Simias, Muspelheim, Malum, Sibi, Durum, Nocebunt, Occidere, Adolebitque and…"

"And what?" Stella breathed out, her grip on the Doctor's hand tightening.

"…the Lacetra." River said softly.

"What are all those?" Amy asked.

"Viriditas, weed people that tried to take over the forest of Cheem once, Simias wanted to go planet of the apes on earth, Muspelheim are lava people that tried to take over their neighbors the Stagnum who live on a planet of lakes, Malum were shadow being intent on snuffing out every light in the universe, Sibi were voice thieves wanting a quiet universe, Durum was the leader of the universes largest space pirate armada, Nocebunt were like locust going from world to world consuming everything, Occidere were brainwave vampires, Adolebitque was a women with a clockwork army intent on killing my friends, the royal family of Regium…all beings and people that I've fought against my whole life." Stela explained robotically, her body stiff as a board as she seemed to stare at nothing with wide unblinking eyes.

"And the last ones, the Lacetra?" Amy asked hesitantly, seeing the fear in Stella's eyes. The Doctor wrapped his arms around her pulling her close.

"They're the ones that made me into a cyborg and trained me as their soldier…I destroyed their planet." Stella said with a bitter look, a darkness in her eyes that made Amy shiver at the depth of it.

"What are you? What could you possibly be?" The Doctor looked to the box before running for the door pulling Stella along with him.

-0-

They all gazed up at the sky as spaceships too numerous to count were buzzing around in the sky. There were so many that you could not tell the stars from the ships. There light lit up all of Stonehenge and the surrounding country, their engines filling the air with their thunderous sound causing the ground to shake.

"What do we do?" Amy asked looking to the Doctor and Stella.

"Doctor, listen to me." River stood next to the Doctor, Stella on his other side starring up at one particular fleet of red and green dragon fruit shaped ships. She was shaking and her breath was becoming strained. The Doctor had his arms wrapped around her holding her to his side. "Everything that ever hated you and Stella is coming here tonight. You can't win this. You can't even fight it." River said desperately. "Doctor, this once, just this one time, please, you have to take Stella run."

"Run where?" The Doctor snapped not looking away from the ships, holding Stella close to his side.

"Fight how?" River countered as the Doctor took out a pair of binoculars looking off into the distance.

"The greatest military machine in the history of the universe." The Doctor replied handing the binoculars to Stella who looked through them gaining a smile.

"What is? The Daleks?" Amy asked.

"No. No, no, no, no, no." The Doctor shook his head with a mad grin.

"The Romans." Stella said with an equally mad grin.

-0-

River and Stella returned to the Roman camp which was in a panic due to the sky alight with ships. As soon as they arrived and no sooner did they leap from their horses were they taken prisoner. They were lead to the tent where River had been playing Cleopatra and where the Roman Commander was waiting for them.

"So, I return to my command after one week and discover we've been playing host to Cleopatra." The Commander eyed them with a hard look. They were held back by two soldiers, their swords crossed in front of them. "Who's in Egypt….and dead."

"Yes. Funny how things work out." River smiled completely unperturbed at her fallen rues.

"And the laughs keep on coming." Stella said dryly as a spaceship buzzes them causing the whole ground to shake like a quake.

"The sky is falling and you make jokes." The Commander eyed them darkly. "Who are you?"

"When you fight Barbarians, what must they think of you?" River mused.

"Oh, riddles now." The Commander scoffed.

"Where do they think you come from?" River questioned.

"A place more deadly and more powerful and more impatient than their tiny minds can imagine." The Commander tried to be imposing, drawing his sword and pointing at them threateningly. River drew her gun quicker than they could blink, using it to disintegrate a wooden stand filled with ornaments while Stella deactivated her filter allowing her cybertronic lines to glow brightly.

"Where do we come from?" Stella asked the shocked commander. "Your world has visitors. You're all Barbarians now."

"What is that? What is she? Tell me what?" The commander demanded.

"A fool would say the work of the Gods, but you've been a soldier too long to believe there are Gods watching over us." River replied.

"There is, however, a man." Stella said solemnly. "And tonight he's going to need your help."

"Sir?" Someone called from outside.

"One moment." The Commander sheathed his sword walking away and had a whispered conference with a shady Centurion before coming back to them. "Well, it seems you have a volunteer."

The Commander left the tent with one last nod to the volunteer, his guards following, who had yet to step into the light. Stella walked forward slightly with a calculatingly searching look.

"What's your name soldier?" Stella asked, her arms crossed over her chest. The soldier stepped into the light and waved awkwardly.

"Hello Stella." He said and Stella's hands slapped across her mouth holding in a strangled cry of shock. River looked between them, her gun hand tensing ready to use it on the stranger if he proved a threat to Stella.

"Stella? Are you ok?" River asked, but Stella wasn't listening, her wide eyes streaming with tears, her head shaking from side to side in disbelief. "Do you know him? Stella?" Stella launched herself at Rory wrapping her arms around him as she cried, Rory returning the hug. "I suppose you do."

"Rory, I thought…how…I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry." Stella sobbed as Rory held her.

"Sorry? For what? This wasn't you fault." Rory assured her as he patted her back, rocking her back and forth.

"Yes it was, if I had just pulled myself together and sucked it up you wouldn't have had to take that shot for me." Stella shook her head stepping back though they kept hold of each other.

"Stella, you were suffering from…from…PTSD, what you went through, no one could just shake that off." Rory told her gently. "And I'm back now, right? So there's nothing to forgive." Stella nodded, still crying as Rory pulled her into another hug. "It's ok now."

"Hate to break this up, but we need to get back to the Doctor and Amy with your army." River pointed out.

"Amy." Rory smiled and Stella felt her heart drop. "Come on, my men are ready to go."

Stella felt her blood drain from her face, but she hoped that maybe when the two saw each other Amy might remember. They all mounted their horses and made for Stonehenge as fast as they could, Stella holding onto the hope of Amy remembering as hard as she could.

-0-

The Doctor moved around the Pandorica, sonic in hand, trying to discover the secrets that it held. Amy was wondering around the cavern, placing her torch into one of the holders.

"So what's this got to do with the Tardis?" Amy asked, breaking the silence.

"Nothing, as far as I know." The Doctor replied.

"But Vincent's painting." Amy said. "The Tardis was exploding. Is that going to happen?"

"One problem at a time. There's forcefield technology inside this box. If I can enhance the signal, I could extend it all over Stonehenge. Could buy us half an hour." The Doctor mused taking another device out of his pocket pressing it against the center of the box.

"What good is half an hour?" Amy asked as she took the red ring box from her pocket, opening it up to gaze upon the diamond ring once more.

"There are fruit flies live on Hoppledom Six that live for twenty minutes and they don't even mate for life." The Doctor answered, then his face scrunched up in confusion, lowering the device from the box. "There was going to be a point to that. I'll get back to you."

"So, is this going to be Stella's wedding ring?" Amy said turning to face him, holding up the ring box.

"I'm sorry?" The Doctor's eyes instantly snapping to the diamond ring.

"I found this in your pocket." Amy told him. "Doesn't really match her engagement ring, is it for her?"

"No. No, no, that's er, a memory." He walked over to her, his eyes remaining locked on the ring. "A friend of mine. Someone I lost." The Doctor reached for it, but Amy pulled it back from his hand. "Do you mind?"

"It's weird. I feel, I don't know, something." Amy looked at the shinning ring as the Doctor watched her closely.

"People fall out of the world sometimes, but they always leave traces. Little things we can't quite account for. Faces in photographs, luggage, half eaten meals…rings." The Doctor told her gently. "Nothing is ever forgotten, not completely." Amy gazed down at the ring intently. "And if something can be remembered, it can come back."

"So, when are you going to marry Stella?" Amy changed the subject quickly closing the ring box handing it back to him, trying to ignore how sad she suddenly felt.

The Doctor half smiled taking the ring popping his head with it before slipping it back into his pocket. He moved back over to the Pandorica with the strange device in hand, pausing a moment before speaking again.

"Remember that night you flew away with me and Stella?" The Doctor changed the subject.

"Of course I do." Amy frowned at the sudden change.

"And you asked us why we were taking you and I told you there wasn't a reason." The Doctor went on and Amy nodded. "I was lying."

"What, so you did have a reason?" Amy asked.

"Your house." The Doctor said.

"My house." Amy rolled her eyes.

"It was too big. Too many empty rooms. Does it ever bother you, Amy, that your life doesn't make any sense?" The Doctor asked leaning against the Pandorica, but before she could answer an energy weapon fired at them from the severed Cyberman arm forcing them to hide behind the Pandorica.

"What was that?" Amy asked as they both pressed themselves against the other side of the Pandorica to avoid the fire.

"Okay, I need a proper look. Got to draw its fire, give it a target." The Doctor said.

"How?" Amy asked.

"You know how sometimes I have really brilliant ideas?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes." Amy replied, her eyes casting skywards.

"Sorry." The Doctor said before he ran out holding his arms out wide. "Look at me, I'm a target!" He got shot at before he ran again hiding behind the base of a Sarsen. "Please don't tell Stella."

"What is that?" Amy asked.

"Cyberarm. Arm of Cyberman." The Doctor answered.

"And what's a Cyberman?" Amy asked.

"Oh, sort of part man, part robot." The Doctor said.

"What? Like Stella?" Amy questioned.

"Not at all, completely different." The Doctor shook his head, glancing around the corner only to pull back sharply to avoid enemy fire. "The organic part must have died out years ago. Now the robot part is looking for, well, fresh meat."

"What, us?" Amy panicked.

"It's just like being an organ donor, except you're alive and sort of screaming." The Doctor explained to her, then moved on quickly from his explanation. "I need to get round behind it. Could you draw its fire?"

"What, like you did?" Amy asked in disbelief.

"You'll be fine if you're quick. It's only got one arm, literally." The Doctor said giving her a thumbs up, Amy returning it before she ran out from her cover screaming as she went. The Doctor took the chance to run out the opposite way and pounce on the arm. "Come here!

"Doctor?" Amy called out cautiously as the Doctor struggled with the arm which was still firing wildly, barely managing to sonic it off.

"Scrambled its circuits, but stay where you are, it could be bluffing." The Doctor cautioned her as he sat up.

"Bluffing? It's an arm." Amy scoffed, as she cautiously approached.

"I said stay where you are!" The Doctor snapped harshly. Amy stepped back at his tone, leaning against the Pandorica s she watched the Doctor. She didn't notice something creeping up behind her until it was too late. It lassoed her ankle tightly so she couldn't escape.

"Doctor?" Amy gasped out before she was pulled to the floor.

"Amy!" The Doctor yelled. Then the Cyberarm gave the Doctor an electric shock, knocking him out.

"Doctor!" Amy screamed as she was attacked by the Cyberhead. She grabbed it by the handles holding it from her face as it wrapped around her arms. It fizzled, then the mask popped open to reveal a skull, which fell out causing Amy to scream louder. The mask kept snapping open and shut like it was trying to eat her. She hit it against a Sarsen over and over again until it let her go, then threw it to the floor. It crawled away from her like a wounded animal, Amy moving toward the Doctor. "Doctor?"

The Cyberhead fired a little dart into Amy's neck, her hand snapping to it pulling it from her neck. She open and closed her eyes as it started to take effect.

"You will be assimilated." The Cyberhead said.

"Yeah? You and whose body?" Amy mumbled and was answered by a headless, one armed Cyberman entering the room. It put its head back on before it went after the woozy Amy. She grabbed a torch using it to fend off the Cyberman until she was forced to back out through the big doors which closed behind as she fell to the ground. "Doctor?" The Cyberman tried to get in banging against the doors, then it went quiet. Amy cautiously pushed herself up making toward the doors. "Doctor?" A Roman short sword pierced the door causing her to scream stumbling back. The doors swung open to reveal the Cyberman skewered to the wood, its head hanging off of its body. The owner of the sword walked into the room. "Who, who are you?"

"Hello, Amy." Rory removed his helmet and Amy passed out, Rory barely catching her and laying her gently on a stone. "Whoa, whoa, whoa."

Stella had rushed in right after Rory taking the room in, her eyes landing on the Doctor's prone form. She rushed to his side relieved to feel his hearts beating a steady rhythm. She tried shaking him lightly, but he wouldn't wake up.

"Doctor, wake up, come on, we don't have time for this." Stella leaned in close to his lips, just a hairs breathe away, then dipped down to his ear. "The fish fingers and custard have run out."

"What?!" The Doctor gasped awake.

"Morning sleepy head." Stella chirped.

"Amy? Where's Amy?" The Doctor scrambled to his feet pulling Stella up with him.

"Back there with Rory." Stella said leading him over to the couple.

"She's fine, Doctor. Just unconscious." Rory assured him as he scanned her with his sonic.

"Okay. Yes, she's sedated, that's all. Half an hour, she'll be fine." The Doctor checked Amy over them looked to the Roman soldiers. "Okay, Romans. Good. I was just wishing for Romans. Good old River and I bet my girl Stella was quite convincing." He kissed Stella's cheek, taking note of the faint taste of tears, but also noticed how happy she was making him smile. "How many?

"Fifty men up top, volunteers. What about that thing?" Rory asked.

"Fifty? You're not exactly a legion." The Doctor pouted looking to Stella.

"Your friend and fiancé were very persuasive, but it's a tough sell." Rory shrugged, not sure about the Doctor's lack of reaction.

"Yes, I know that, Rory. I'm not exactly one to miss the obvious." The Doctor rolled his eyes as he looked over a cyber stalk pile of weapons.

"Well, not for very long in any since." Stella looked on in amusement as the Doctor hefted up some large guns, feeling better than she had in what seemed a month of Sundays.

"But we need everything we can get." The Doctor went on, ignoring Stella's remark. "Okay, Cyberweapons." He looked over the guns. "This is basically a sentry box, so headless wonder here was a sentry. Probably got himself duffed up by the locals." The Doctor popped the cyberman with one of the guns. "Never underestimate a Celt."

"Doctor?" Rory tried.

"Hush, Rory. Thinking. Why leave a Cyberman on guard, unless it's a Cyberthing in the box. But why would they lock up one of their own? Okay, no, not a Cyberthing, but what? What?" The Doctor got right up into Rory's face as he went off on his rant. "No, I'm missing something obvious, Rory. Something big. Something right slap in front of me. I can feel it."

"Yeah, I think you probably are." Rory agreed.

"I'll get it in a minute, come along Stella." The Doctor hefted the weapons up on his shoulder heading out the door.

"Just give him a moment." Stella said with an amused smile. The sound of the Doctor dropping the weapons reached their ears making Stella giggle. Then the Doctor slowly returned, hesitantly walking up to Rory eyeing him curiously before reaching out and pocking Rory causing him to rock on his feet.

"Hello again." The Doctor said.

"Hello." Rory replied.

"How've you been?" The Doctor asked casually stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Good. Yeah. Good. I mean, Roman." Rory shrugged.

"Rory, I'm not trying to be rude, but you died." The Doctor pointed out.

"Yeah, I know. I was there." Rory said.

"You died and then you were erased from time. You didn't just die, you were never born at all. You never existed." The Doctor said, trying to understand.

"Erased? What does that mean?" Rory asked looking to Stella, who was frowning, still feeling guilty.

"How can you be here?" The Doctor asked.

"I don't know. It's kind of fuzzy." Rory answered.

"Fuzzy?" Stella echoed.

"Well, I died and turned into a Roman. It's very distracting. Did she miss me?" Rory looked to Amy, stroking the hair back from her face lovingly and now Stella was really feeling the guilt. Before either time traveler could answer something shook the ground. They ran out to find that the circular designs on the Pandorica were glowing green and moving like cog wheels. "What is it? What's happening?"

"The final phase. It's opening." The Doctor said taking hold of Stella's hand.

"Now the fun really starts." Stella frowned contrary to her words. The Doctor moved back to the Pandorica taking out even more tools while Rory ran up to the surface to be with his men. Stella took up a comm holding it up. "River? You there? What's going on?"

"You're surrounded. Have you got a plan?" River spoke into her comm form where she sat on her horse at the crest of a hill, watching the myriad of shining spaceships buzzing Stonehenge, lighting it up with spotlights.

"Yes. Now hurry up and get the Tardis here." The Doctor ordered taking the comm from Stella, causing River to roll her eyes at him. "I need equipment." The Doctor hung up as he snapped back to his feet eyeing the glowing box. "What are you? They're all here, all of them, all for you. What could you possibly be?"

"Doctor, they're getting pretty rowdy up there." Stella commented as the ground shook again.

"Then we better go say hi." The Doctor took her hand, pulling her along up the stairs out of the Underhinge. The Romans were scrambling around, frightened at the ship filled sky. They swooped in low lighting up the surrounding area and causing the ground to shake, filling the air with horrendous noise. Suddenly the loud sound of feedback ripped through the air.

"Sorry, sorry, dropped it. Hello, Stonehenge! Who takes the Pandorica, takes the universe. But bad news, everyone,…" The Doctor clambered up on to the Altar stone. "Because guess who? Ha! Listen, you lot, you're all whizzing about. It's really very distracting." They were buzzed a few more times. "Could you all just stay still a minute because I am talking!" The Doctor yelled loudly, his voice reverberating through the air, causing everything to go still. "The question of the hour is, who's got the Pandorica? Answer, I do. Next question. Who's coming to take it from me? Come on! Look at me. No plan, no back up, no weapons worth a damn. Oh, and something else. I don't have anything to lose!" The Doctor cast a glance to Stella, rethinking that last statement, but no time to take it back. "So, if you're sitting up there in your silly little spaceship, with all your silly little guns, and you've got any plans on taking the Pandorica tonight, just remember who's standing in your way. Remember every black day I ever stopped you, and then, and then, do the smart thing." He went on in a quitter voice. "Let somebody else try first.

"Good job love." Stella grinned as the ships sped off.

"That'll keep them squabbling for half an hour." The Doctor hopped off of the Altar taking hold of Stella spinning her around before pulling her into his arms looking to the army. "Romans."

-0-

The Doctor, Stella, and Rory returned back to the Pandorica as soon as all of the ships were out of sight.

"They're still out there. What do we do now?" Rory asked them.

"If Stella and I can stop whatever's in this box getting out, then they'll go home." The Doctor replied.

"Right." Rory nodded unsurely looked to Stella questioningly.

"Fingers crossed." Stella offered holding up her crossed fingers with an overly bright smile that fell as soon as she spotted a certain ginger Scotswoman walking groggily into the chamber.

"Rory, I'm sorry." The Doctor said gently as she took Stella's hand into his. "You're going to have to be very brave now."

"Oh, my head." Amy grumbled as she walked past Rory, not even sparring him a glance, going straight up to the Doctor and Stella.

"Ah." The Doctor opened his mouth wide.

"Ah." Amy mimicked as the Doctor looked down her throat.

"Just your basic knock-out drops." The Doctor reported.

"Here, suck on this, it'll make you feel better." Stella stuck a purple, blue, and pink sucker into Amy's mouth.

"Mmmm…Berry Blast." Amy smiled around the treat.

"Yeah, every layer is a different flavor of berry, wait till you get to the snoz-berries." Stella said taking out a milk chocolate sucker for herself that tasted of hot chocolate going so far as to fill like the warm liquid was going down her throat, she was going to need the extra sugar.

"And get some fresh air, you'll be fine." The Doctor added.

"Is it safe up there?" Amy asked.

"Not remotely, but it's fresh." The Doctor replied taking out his sonic and turning to the Pandorica.

"Fine." Amy said turning around almost running into a hopeful looking Rory. "Oh, you're the guy, yeah? The one who did the swordy thing."

"Yeah." Rory asked glancing down at Amy's mimicked swording movements.

"Well, thanks for the swording." Amy said with no recognition of the man before her as she headed out of the underhinge. "Nice swording.

"No problem. My men are up there. They'll look after you." Rory said weakly, to stunned to operate.

"Good. Love a Roman." Amy called out behind her before she was out of the room.

"She doesn't remember me. How can she not remember me?" Rory demanded.

"Because you never existed." Stella said despondently.

"There are cracks. Cracks in time." The Doctor informed Rory, still working on the Pandorica. "There's going to be a huge explosion in the future, on one particular day. And every other moment in history is cracking around it."

"So how does that work? What kind of explosion? What exploded?" Rory questioned, his agitation clear.

'And for those of us who can't read the base code of the universe?'

'Amy's time.'

"Doesn't matter." Stella said quickly, knowing what the Doctor was thinking of with just one shared look. "The cracks are everywhere now. Get too close to them and you can fall right out of the universe.

"So I fell through a crack and now I was never born?" Rory asked bitterly.

"Basically." Stella winced. "I'm so sorry Rory."

"Well, how did I end up here?" Rory asked.

"We don't know, you shouldn't have." The Doctor said looking to Rory, walking right up to him. "What happened? From your point of view, what physically happened?"

"I was in the cave, with you, Stella, and Amy. I was dying, and then I was just here, a Roman soldier. A proper Roman. Head full of Roman stuff. A whole other life, just here like I'd woken up from a dream." Rory told them. "I started to think it was a dream, you both and Amy and Leadworth. And then today, in the camp, the men were talking about the visitors. The girl with the red hair." Rory laughed without humor. "I thought you'd come back for me. But she can't even remember me."

"Oh, shut up." The Doctor said.

"What?" Rory looked at them barely catching the ring box the Doctor tossed him.

"Go get her." Stella smiled.

"But I don't understand. Why am I here?" Rory asked.

"Because you are. The universe is big. It's vast and complicated and ridiculous, and sometimes, very rarely, impossible things just happen and we call them miracles, and that's the theory." The Doctor told him. "Nine hundred years, only ever seen one," The Doctor pulled Stella closer to his side. "but this would do me another."

"Now get upstairs. She's Amy and she's surrounded by Romans." Stella pointed out. "I'm not sure history can take it."

Rory looked to the exit then back to the Doctor and Stella, before he nodded racing up the stairs.

"They'll be fine." The Doctor said taking Stella's hand in his.

"I hope so." Stella nodded, gripping the Doctor's hand. "I'd give anything for them to be happy again."

-0-

The Doctor glanced over to Stella who was looking over her readings projected before her. She had gotten the idea from Iron Man, not that she'd admit it out loud. She raised her hands moving the screens she no longer needed to the side and focusing on some of the more useful ones. She had also managed a 3D image of the box that detailed the traps as well as keeping track of when they were deactivated.

To anyone else she would have looked completely at ease and in her element of research, trying to find anything she could on the Pandorica. To the Doctor though he could see the subtle shaking of her hands, the paling of her skin, and the way she had to bite her lip to get it to stop trembling.

Finding nothing of any use she let out a frustrated sound shutting down her screens. She dug the heels of her hands into her eyes and then rubbed her face in agitation.

"Stella, maybe you should take a break." The Doctor said as he walked over to her.

"We don't have time, this thing is opening and we don't know if what's inside is good, bad, or indifferent." Stella kicked halfheartedly at the dirt. "I can't find anything on this box, the internet in this time period is even worse than 2020."

"Look, River is coming with the Tardis then we'll be able to access any kind of research in any form across all of time and space." The Doctor told her as he made her sit down on the ledge of the Tardis. "We're going up against a lot and you are still on edge from…"

"I know, I know…" Stella sighed taking in a deep breath. "They're coming, out of all the creatures in this universe it had to be them." Stella shook her head. "If the way I reacted with the silurians is any indication of how I'll react to the Lacerta…" Stella looked up at the Doctor. "We just got Rory back, I can't risk anything like what happened before to repeat itself.

"It won't." The Doctor kneeled down in front of her taking her hands into his kissing them. "I promise you that everything will work out. You trust me, right?"

"Of course." Stella nodded, glancing over to where the Romans were going over the weapons in the vault.

"Then let's see how River is getting along with the Tardis." The Doctor stood up grabbing a comm from where he had left it next to the Pandorica and contacted River. "The Tardis, where is it? Hurry up."

"Don't raise your voice, don't look alarmed, just listen." River said and instantly Stella rushed next to the Doctor. "They're not real. They can't be. They're all right here in the story book. Those actual Romans. The ones I sent you, the ones you're with right now. They're all in a book in Amy's house. A children's picture book."

"What are you even doing there?" The Doctor questioned looking over to the Romans.

"It doesn't matter. The Tardis went wrong." River replied. "Doctor, how is this possible?"

"Something's using her memories." Stella breathed out. "Amy's memories."

"But how?" River questioned.

"You said something had been there." Stella took the comm from the Doctor.

"Yes. There's burn marks on the grass outside." River replied. "Landing patterns."

"If they've been to her house, they could have used her psychic residue." The Doctor took the comm back. "Structures can hold memories, that's why houses have ghosts."

"They could've taken a snapshot of Amy's memories. But why?" Stella asked, making sure to keep her voice down.

"Doctor, who are those Romans?" River asked.

"Projections, or duplicates." The Doctor offered, glancing round the Pandorica. "Stella?"

"I've scanned them and they are perfectly human." Stella said with a dark look. "To perfect to actually be human. Other than that my scans aren't being very useful, something is shielding them."

"But they were helping us. My lipstick even worked." River argued.

"They might think they're real." Stella replied, still getting normal perfectly perfect human readings. "The perfect disguise."

"They actually believe their own cover story, right until they're activated." The Doctor nodded.

"Doctor, that Centurion." River said in a tense voice.

"What about Rory?" Stella took back the comm.

"It's a trap. It has to be." River told them. "They used Amy to construct a scenario you'd believe, to get close to you."

"Why? Who'd do that? What for? It doesn't make sense." The Doctor said taking the comm just as an explosion sounded on the other end. "River? River? River, what's happening?"

"I don't know. It's the engines. Doctor, Stella, there's something wrong with the Tardis, like something else is controlling it." River struggled, more explosions going off.

"You're flying it wrong." The Doctor called out.

"I'm flying it perfectly." River snapped back.

"Where are you? What's the date reading?" Stella questioned.

"It's the 26th of June, 2010." River replied.

"You need to get out of there now. Any other time zone. Just go." The Doctor urged.

"I can't break free." River said as more chaos sounded.

"Well, then shut down the Tardis. Shut down everything!" Stella yelled into the comm over the noise of the Tardis.

"I can't!" River cried out.

'Silence will fall. Silence will fall.'

"Someone else is flying it. An external force. I've lost control." River told them.

"But how? Why?" The Doctor questioned. A high pitched noise filled the chamber causing the Romans to slump over for a moment, then reactivate.

"Listen to me, just land her anywhere. Emergency landing, now." Stella ordered, absentmindedly rubbing her ear, not realizing the significance of the noise she had heard. "There are cracks in time. We've seen them everywhere, and they're getting wider. The Tardis exploding is what causes them, but we can stop the cracks ever happening if you just land her. It's not safe."

Suddenly the Pandorica started to open allowing a brilliant white light to spill out into the room. The Doctor and Stella looked over to the large box, watching it intently.

"Well, now. Ready to come out, are we?" The Doctor asked.

"Nice timing." Stella frowned in suspicion as the Doctor soniced the inside of the Pandorica. "Theta, I don't like this, something is really wrong.

"Doctor?" River asked. "Stella? I'm down. I've landed."

"Okay, just walk out of the doors. If there's no one inside, the Tardis engines shut down automatically." The Doctor told her. "Just get out of there."

"I'm going." River said and they could hear her running for the doors.

"Run!" The Doctor urged just as the Roman's fingers drop away from their hands to reveal weapons. Stella spotting them first backed up in front of the Doctor.

"They're Autons." Stella breathed out.

"Doctor! Stella, I can't open the doors!" River called out.

"Amy!" The Doctor said.

"Stella, Doctor, I can't open the doors! Doctor, Stella, please, I've got seconds!" River shouted as the Doctor and Stella were grabbed hold of by the autron soldiers, the Doctor's back to the Pandorica.

"Plastic Romans. Duplicates, driven by the Nestene Consciousness, eh? Deep cover, but what for? What are you doing? What's in there, eh? What's coming out?" The Doctor questioned.

"The Pandorica is ready." One of the soldiers replied.

"What, do you mean it's open?" The Doctor asked as the White allegedly Supreme new style Dalek trundled forward.

"You have been scanned, assessed, understood, Doctor." White said as Red and Yellow beam in behind it. "Scanned? Scanned by what, a box?"

"Your limits and capacities have been extrapolated." White said as Cybermen, Judoon and Sontarans beam down. There was also the Viriditas who were made up of various writhing sickly colored weeds, sharp splinter like teeth, thorns covering their bodies, and red eyes. The Malum were staying to the outskirts of the group, the shadowy wisps staying clear of the light as best they could. Then there were the Simias, a mixture of great apes and chimps decked out in high tech medieval inspired armor.

The last to come in were the Lacerta who had legs like that of Velociraptors, humanoid head that could be likened to that of a common Earth garden lizard in subtle ways, long sleek flexible tails, fin like spines like that of the Iguana followed the length of their vertebrae, their hands had but three clawed fingers, and all three of them had golden colored eyes. Their torso and arms, though covered in thick metallic colored scales, could only be likened to that of a human.

There were three of them, the two more burly of the trio was colored in shades of dark red, streaks of orange accenting them and they wore black body suits with pants that reached to their knees leaving their calves and feet bare, the sleeves ending mid arm, utility belts of dark brown with holsters for their weapons rested on their hips along with a bandolier across their chests filled with amo. The final and lither of the group was a dark blue female with green streaks. Judging by the bars on her uniform she was in charge.

"The Pandorica is ready." The sontarran said.

"Ready for what?" The Doctor asked, glancing over at Stella who was forced over to the Lacerta. She was pale, shaking with fear as they gripped her, their claws cutting into her skin.

"Ready for you." White replied as the light faded revealing a chair with heavy restraints.

"We'll you're not getting us." Stella gritted out, straining against the grunts that held her.

"My dear, who said anything about putting you both in the Pandorica." Dionis, as Stella remembered her name to be, hissed out in a pleased voice, grinning to reveal sharply pointed teeth.

"No." Stella shook her head, eyes wide, She couldn't be separated form the Doctor, anything she could stand, but for that. "NO!"

"Stay away from her! Stella!" The Doctor struggled against the grip of two Romans, one of the Lacerta grunts bashing Stella on the head knocking her to the ground when she tried to run to him. A disrupter shot from Dionis made sure she stayed down.

"A life for a life I think." Dionis hissed. "The life of my father, your creator whom you slaughtered, for the life of your Doctor. A fitting revenge I dare say."

"He…he…he…deserved…it…it…it…" Stella stuttered out as her body seized up the harder Dionis pressed down on her.

The Doctor was dragged closer and closer to the Pandorica despite his desperate struggle, then fastened into the seats inside it. His arms, torso and head are clamped in place and all his and Stella's old enemies stare at him.

"You lot, working together. An alliance. How is that possible?" The Doctor's gaze shifting from them to Stella, the cyborg starting to twitch as her systems rebooted.

"The cracks in the skin of the universe." White said.

"All reality is threatened." Stark said.

"Light and Darkness would end." A shadow hissed.

"All universes will be deleted." Cyberleader said.

"What? And you've come to me for help?" The Doctor questioned.

"No. We will save the universe from you!" Stark replied.

"From me?" The Doctor gaped at them.

"All projections correlate. All evidence concurs. The Doctor will destroy the universe." Cyberleader informed him.

"No, no, no. You've got it wrong." The Doctor argued.

"The Pandorica was constructed to ensure the safety of the Alliance." Cyberleader responded.

"A scenario was devised from the memories of your companion." One of the weed people said in a voice like the crunching of dry leaves.

"A trap the Doctor and Stella could not resist." Dionis grinned viciously as she stepped on Stella's chest.

"The cracks in time are the work of the Doctor. It is confirmed." White added.

"No. no, no, not me, the Tardis." The Doctor tried. "And we're not in the Tardis, are we?"

"Only the Doctor and Stella can pilot the Tardis." White said.

"Please, listen to me!" The Doctor cried out.

"You will be prevented." White said.

"Total event collapse! Every sun will supernova at every moment in history. The whole universe will never have existed. Please, just listen!" The Doctor struggled.

"Seal the Pandorica." Cyberleader ordered.

"No! Please, listen to me!" The Doctor yelled. "The Tardis is exploding right now and we're the only ones who can stop it! Listen to me!" The Doctor looked to Stella just to see grab hold of Dionis's leg twisting it sharply until it broke allowing her to struggle to her feet reaching for the Doctor, one of Dionis's guards dagger poised to strike. "Stella!"

"Doctor!" Stella screamed as the Pandorica closed.