The Doctor wasn't at all happy that Amy drug him out of the TARDIS and made him sit at Rose's kitchen table while she made him a cup of tea. Rose didn't want to talk to him, probably didn't even want to see him, she'd made that apparent after he woke her in the sick bay. He knew she blamed him, hell he blamed himself for what she went through. He shouldn't have left the meta-crisis with her in the first place. He should have taken responsibility.

"I really do have…things to do," he said.

Amy eyed him, one hand going to her hip. She raised her brow.

"Things?" she asked.

"Yes, lot of things and they're going to take time so I should really-"

"What sort of things?"

Ah, well, there was…no…she wouldn't go for that…how about…no…she'd never believe that.

"Um…things…you know, timey wimey ship-ey things," he lied.

"Timey wimey ship-ey things?"

"Sounds a bit made up to me," Rory said.

The Doctor eyed him across the table.

"Things that involve bunk beds," the Doctor shot.

"But…um…maybe he really does have things to do," Rory continued, rubbing his arm nervously.

Amy turned her penetrating gaze on her husband.

"But…um…you could be right too," Rory said. "Is it hot in here or is it just me?"

"It's just you," Amy snapped.

"Oh. Right. Okay then."

"I know you don't have things to do, Doctor. You're trying to hide in the TARDIS to avoid talking to her."

That was true…entirely true…but…

"I'm a Time Lord and over a thousand years old. I do not hide, Pond," he snapped.

"Really?" she asked, giving him that gaze, that penetrating gaze that only a mother could give and made the person receiving it fess up whether they wanted to or not.

"She…she doesn't want to talk to me," the Doctor mumbled.

"She was upset after what she went through. I'm sure she's better now."

"Better?" he snapped. "How can she be better after that? Were you better…" he trailed off, knowing how tender that wound still was.

Amy merely rolled her eyes.

"I was upset at first, but I knew it wasn't your fault and I'm sure she knows that too."

"But it was."

She gave him that you're being an idiot look.

"You didn't know this would happen. It's not your fault."

But it was. He pawned his problem off on Rose, like Sherlock said. He should've known that she wouldn't be any safer with someone like him. The meta-crisis might be human, but they were the same, or had been the same before he regenerated. The point was, if the Doctor always wound up in the thick of trouble then he should've known his duplicate would have the same problem.

A door opened in the other room and he was on his feet.

"Where do you think you're going?" Amy warned, brandishing a wooden spoon. Where did that come from?

"Back to the TARDIS," he said.

"You're not going anywhere. Now sit down before I whack you."

She motioned with the spoon, threateningly. He eyed her. She wouldn't really hit him…would she?

"I'd sit if I were you," Rory said.

He sat down, not at all happy about it, and at that moment the kettle boiled making him jump. Amy laughed.

"It's just water, Doctor."

Yes, well, it could've been her, though she didn't sound like a kettle, but still. He had to find a way out of this before something happened, like Rose walking through the door and screaming at him to get out of her flat.

"The TARDIS has a kitchen," he tried.

"That's not the point," Amy said and then looked at Rory. "Watch him. If he tries to get up let me know."

Rory nodded. Bunk beds were definitely in their future. Amy opened the cupboard and grabbed three cups. The Doctor stood up, if he could make it out the door and into the TARDIS he could lock himself in with his sonic and then…

"Amy," Rory warned.

He glanced at her. Amy eyed him, picking up the spoon and shaking it.

"Sit," she ordered.

She was acting like his mother and he hadn't needed one of those in centuries. He sat back down in a huff, catching Rory's smile and glaring at him.

"You realize there are planets were people have their tongues removed for ratting their friends out."

"Sorry?" Rory asked, nervously.

"I'm surprised I haven't taken you there. Maybe we'll visit one after we get back to our universe."

"Don't listen to him. He's only trying to scare you," Amy said, but her husband didn't seem at all comforted by her words.

The Doctor was about to shoot off a reply when he began to feel…strange. It was as if…No! It couldn't be. He stood up, drawing Amy's attention and in the next moment she was gone. Amy, Rory, and the entire kitchen. Only, they weren't gone. They were exactly where they had been. He was the one who was gone.

The sensation stopped and he was standing in…well, a cell or a cage or whatever it was called when part of the room was cordoned off with bars and there was a door, also with bars. Cell. Yes, that was probably the right word.

There wasn't anything in the cell. No furnishings, window, nothing like that and it appeared to be new. The room wasn't new, but the bars were. He reached into his pocket for his sonic.

"I don't think so," a voice said, one he recognized.

The meta-crisis stepped out of the shadows, pointing a gun at him. Or, at least, he might be the meta-crisis, but he also might be another Flesh copy. If the Doctor could use his sonic he would know for sure, but the meta-crisis wasn't about to let him do that.

His duplicate…well, previous duplicate, crossed the room and held out his hand.

"I'll take that," the meta-crisis demanded.

The Doctor, reluctantly, handed his sonic over.

"What is this about?" the Time Lord asked.

"Don't you like it? I designed it myself. It should be big enough, don't you think?"

"Big enough for what?"

"For the two of you."

The Doctor's stomach dropped.

"Two?"

"Yes, I'll go and fetch her, shall I?"

"Leave her alone," the Doctor insisted.

The meta-crisis didn't listen, didn't even look back as he stepped out the door and into the hall. How the hell had the meta-crisis teleported him? And then he knew. It wasn't the meta-crisis. It was whoever was controlling him. Most likely Kovarian and if she was the one behind this then they were all in serious trouble.


Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

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