{"Why do all the people I bond with leave?"}

This is the story of our planet, Earth. Of the day a thousand years past when we came to share it with a race know as Humanity. It is the story of the Doctor and Kate, who helped our races find common ground, and the terrible losses they suffered. It is the story of our past and must never be forgotten.

Theta, Nasreen and I are now making our way to another tunnel like cavern, crossing through a huge dome filled with life. Plant life, "This place is enormous and deserted. The majority of the race are probably still asleep. We need to find Amy. Looking for heat signature anomalies." Theta stated as he scanned the area with his sonic. "But Doctor, how can all this be here? I mean, these plants." Nasreen asked in awe as we managed to reach the other cavern. "Must be getting closer to the centre of the city." I spoke up, "You're sure this is the best way to enter?" She asked looking between the two of us. "Front door approach. Definitely. Always the best way." Alarms sound, I shot Theta a pointed look at his wince. "Hostile life forms detected area seventeen." A automatic voice message was sounded throughout the cavern.

"Apart from the back door approach. That's also good. Sometimes better." Theta turns to leave, Nasreen and I pausing at the sight of the doors opening. We are suddenly surrounded, from the front and back. Theta immediately turns to me, "Shield. Now." He snapped, I went to argue but he gives me a stern look causing me to shut up and put my shield up over myself. "Doctor." Nasreen uttered out in horror, "We're not hostile. We're not armed. We're here in peace. A warrior steps forward and gasses us with its weapon.

:••:••:••:••:

Ambrose is still holding Elliot's headphones, "Ambrose." Rory spoke up as he walked up behind her. "You lied. You told us you were the police." She hissed in anger, standing up causing Rory to sigh. "It was a misunderstanding." She automatically assumed he was an officer, he never actually confirmed it. "Who are you? You, Kate, Fay and the Doctor? Why is this happening to us? What did we ever do?" She asked as she began to pace back and forth. "The Doctor'll get your son back, I promise. Kate will keep him safe. In the meantime, we take turns guarding the creature." She scoffed with a shake of her head. "Oh, so that's it? We just sit and wait." She snipped back in annoyance, "And then we exchange her for your family. I promise you, Ambrose, I trust Kate with my life. We stick to their plan. We keep that creature safe."

:••:••:••:••:

I woke up to the sound of Theta screaming, looking over at my love I see he is being scanned, and it's hurting him. "Argh." I glare in anger as my eyes glowed, his machine began to fizz and smoke. The lizards jump back as they rush around trying to figure out what was happening. Theta let out a breath as he looked at me, his head leaning towards me with a small smile. I gave him a smile back, he mouthed a small thank you before his body relaxed and he passed out. "How can they have escaped? This proves all prisoners should remain under military guard." A female lizard hissed in anger as she smacked the doctor lizard. I watched as he hissed in pain from touching the very hot machine. "I'm sure you'd prefer to be in charge of everything and everyone, Restac, but we rank the same. Is there any word from Alaya?" I immediately perked up, "No." The female grumbled back in anger. "It's fine to show concern, you know. She's part of your gene-chain. Now, do you mind? I'm trying to fix my computer!" He growled at her in annoyance, she scoffed and moved out of the room.

:••:••:••:••:

Alaya is soaking in the sunlight from the small window when she smells Tony enter. "Why aren't you dead? You're carrying my venom in your blood. But you should have died. Why aren't you dead? Show me." Fay watched as Tony pulled his shirt down and shows her the green veins. "How does it feel, ape?" Fay rolled her eyes at the reptile, reminded her of her father just a bit. "Like it's burning in my blood. Please, if you help me, I can help you. If you could cure me, I could help you escape." Tony gasped, Fay stood up staying in the shadows for a minute. "You see? You beg and offer betrayal so early. Why would I want to escape when I can watch you die? The first ape death of the coming war." Alaya laughed, Fay sighed moving to smack her upside the head. The reptile hissed back at the little girl as she moved towards Tony, "Here. Let me." Tony and Alaya watched in confusion and awe as Fay's hands began to glow white. She ran them along his neck, healing him instantly. He gasped in relief as Fay panted, pulling away. She stumbled back, falling into Alaya who immediately caught the girl.

Alaya frowned down at her, this girl was going to change everything. The future she had set out to make happen is going to change because of this tiny creature. Fay smiled gently up at the woman before closing her eyes to rest. "You seem to trust me too much, little one. I wouldn't let my guard down if I were you." She whispered before pulling her closer to her body. Tony watched with a slight frown, but he didn't say anything.

:••:••:••:••:

The reptile doctor had sighed and decided he would be doing it by hand, he made his way towards Theta who had awakened once more. "Don't. Touch. Him." I hissed, the reptile smirked, "It's all right, it won't harm you. I'm only neutralising all your ape bacteria." He spoke, Theta immediately shook his head. "I'm not an ape, neither is she. Look at the scans. Two hearts. Totally different. Totally not ape! Remove all human germs, you remove half the things keeping me alive." He frowns, moving back towards his computer before he sighs and sets his tools down. The female from before, Restac comes in the room. Her eyes narrowing into a glare, "No, complete the process." She demands, "Oh, that's much better, thanks. Not got any celery, have you? No. No, not really the climate. Tomatoes, though. You'd do a roaring trade in those. I'm the Doctor, that's my wife Kate. Oh, and there's Nasreen. Good." He looks over to the other side of me when he spots the woman. Nasreen wakes, "Oh, a green man." She breathed out in shock. "Hello. Who are you?" Theta smiles at the woman, "Restac, Military commander." I grunted, great that's just what we need.

"Oh dear, really? There's always a military, isn't there?" Theta wined out as he shot me a look. "Your weapon was attacking the oxygen pockets above our city." The man stated, "Oxygen pockets, lovely. Ooo, but not so good with an impending drill. Now it makes sense." I spoke with sarcastically with an eye roll, finally gaining their attention. "Where is the rest of your invasion force?" She hissed at me, Theta laughed. "Invasion force. Me and lovely Nasreen? No. We came for the humans you took. And to offer the safe return of Alaya. Oh wait, you and she, what is it, same genetic source? Of course you're worried, but don't be, she's safe. My daughter is protecting her." Restac laughed, "You claim to come in peace, but you hold one of us hostage." She growled out with a scoff, "Wait, wait, we all want the same thing here." Theta rushed out with wide eyes. "I don't negotiate with apes. I'm going to send a clear message to those on the surface."

"What's that?"

"Your execution."

"Yes."

:••:••:••:••:

Tony frowns as he watches his daughter pace back and forth, her hands shaking. He knew that The Doctor and Kate would keep their word and bring his grandson back. He just wasn't so sure his daughter would be patient enough to wait. He sighed, turning to go back down to the cellar. Fay had stayed with the reptile, not wanting to break her promise to her mother. Neither female spoke, but it wasn't a awkward silence, more comfortable than anything. Alaya was meditating, Fay coloring in a book she had found as she snooped through the crates filled with things.

The door opens, Fay looking up as Alaya opened her eyes but didn't move. "My daughter is getting antsy, do we know anything? Or can we get ahold of your parents?" He uttered out towards Fay who watched him with a small frown. "We wait. Until mommy and daddy contact us. They will, don't worry." Fay smiled at the man who sighed, "Your daughter is going to kill me." Alaya spoke, the man watching her with a frown. Fay just laughed as she went back to coloring, "Don't worry, Alaya. I'll protect you."

:••:••:••:••:

The three of us are now moving through the tunnels under an escort of Silurian soldiers. "These must be the only ones awake. The others must still be in hibernation." Theta mumbled out as I nodded in agreement. "So, why did they go into hibernation in the first place?" Nasreen asked with a frown, "Their astronomers predicted the planet heading to Earth on a crash course. They a built life underground and put themselves to sleep for millennia in order to avert what they thought was the apocalypse, when in reality it was the moon coming into alignment with the Earth." Theta explained to her with a shrug. "How can you know that?" She asked him with a cock of her head. "Long time ago, I met another tribe of Homo Reptilia. Similar, but not identical." He responded back, "Others of our species have survived?" Restac asked as she came to a pause, "The humans attacked them. They died. I'm sorry." She hissed in anger as she turned away. "A vermin race."

:••:••:••:••:

Ambrose waited until Fay had left to stretch her legs, Rory convinced her that it would be ok for now. Too bad he was wrong, "Where is my son?" Ambrose hissed in anger, "Why would I tell you?" Alaya asked as she opened her eyes, the woman who she knew would kill her. "Because if you don't, I'm going to have to use this on you."Ambrose has kept a taser from her collection of weapons. "Now you reveal yourselves." Alaya smirked smugly at the woman, "I'm just protecting my family here, that's all. I don't want to use it. I want you to put things right." Ambrose muttered out, "Use it." Alaya hissed with a frown. "What?" Ambrose asked, looking at the woman in horror. "Use it on me. But you're too afraid. A woman who can't even protect her own child must be too weak to..." Ambrose zaps Alaya. She falls to her knees, "I didn't want to do that. Are you all right? Tell me, where's my son? Will they come back safe?"

Alaya doesn't speak, instead she just stares at the woman with a glare. "I am giving you a chance." Ambrose snarled back, "I knew it would be you. The one with the most to lose. The weakest."Ambrose uses the taser again. Rory and Fay are walking back, suddenly they hear a scream from the crypt. Alaya is still alive, when Fay and Rory run to her. "Ambrose, what have you done?" Tony asked in horror as he stared at his daughter. "She kept taunting me about Mo and Elliot and you." Ambrose cried out, trying to gain sympathy from her father but he shook his head. "We have to be better than this." Tony snapped at his daughter, "She wouldn't tell me anything. I thought sooner or later she'd give in. I would have done. I just, I just want my family back, Dad." Ambrose continued to cry.

"I'm sorry. How do we help you? Tell us what to do." Rory uttered out as Fay gently moved between them. "I knew this would come. And soon the war." Alaya smirked smugly, "You're not dying. I'm not going to let you. Not today." Fay snips as her eyes and hands begin to glow white. "No!" Alaya shouts as Fay heals her, before she passed out in exhaustion. Rory snatched the taser from Ambrose who flinched, Fay glares at the woman. "Get out! An stay out!" She hissed in anger, Tony dragging his daughter out with a nod.

:••:••:••:••:

We enter a giant council room with a long table in the middle, ranks of benches along the walls. "You're not authorised to do this." The doctor reptile spoke as he walked in front of us with Restac. "I am authorised to protect the safety of our species while they sleep." Theta gaps in awe as he looks around the place, "Oh, lovely place. Very gleaming." I chuckled lowly at his words. "This is our court and our place of execution." Restac spoke, Amy appearing in front of her. "Let them go." She smirked smugly, "Amy Pond. There's a girl you can't rely on." Theta spoke, Amy shooting him an annoyed look. "You're covered both ways, so don't try anything clever, buster." A man appears behind us in the doorway. "Mo." Nasreen smiles happily in relief, "Now let them go, or I shoot." Restac moves towards Amy. "I'm warning you."

Restac disarms Amy, I roll my eyes with a grunt. I saw that one coming a mile away, "And you." Mo is disarmed as well.

"All right, Restac, you've made your point." The doctor reptile sighed, "This is now a military tribunal. Go back to your laboratory, Malohkeh." They hiss at each other, "This isn't the way." Malohkeh glared at her. "Prepare them for execution." She demands as we are pulled towards the front of the room. "Okay, sorry. As rescues go, didn't live up to its potential." Amy winced at the look I shot her, "You think?" I grunted out as the five of us are shacked to rings in a pair of columns. "I'm glad you're okay." Theta smiled lightly at the girl, and honestly I was kinda glade she was ok too. Not that I would ever say that, "Me too. Lizard men, though." She laughed lightly, "Homo Reptilia. They occupied the planet before humans. Now they want it back." I explained to her, she nodded in response. "After they've wiped out the human race."

"Right. Preferred it when I didn't know, to be honest." Amy grumbled out, "Why are they waiting? What do you think they're going to do with us?" Restac moves towards a communication system. "Oh, my God." Ambrose shouted as she ran back into the room as the lights flickered. "Who is the ape leader?" Restac asked, the four of them looked over to the screen. "It's them. How are they doing that? How do they know that we're in here?" Ambrose flinched as Alaya laughs quietly, "Who speaks for the apes?" Restac asked with a cock of her head. Fay immediately pushes Rory forwards, "What? I'm not human, remember." I chuckle lowly at my daughters words. Rory nodded and cleared his throat, "I speak for the humans. Some of us, anyway." Alaya watched in silence, Fay making sure to be the closest one to her. "Do you understand who we are?" Restac asked, "Sort of. A bit. Not really." Rory uttered out, "We have ape hostages."

I guess they couldn't see us before, the only reason I knew Alaya was still alive was because I could see the top of her head. "Doctor! Amy!" Rory and Ambrose rushed forwards, "Mo! Mo, are you okay?" Mo nods in response with a small laugh, "I'm fine, love. I've found Elliot. I'm bringing him home." She cried out, "Amy, I thought I'd lost you." Rory spoke gently as he watched to woman he loved. "What, cause I was sucked into the ground? You're so clingy." She spoke sarcastically but she smiled happily at him.

"Tony Mack!" Nasreen cheers at the other man, "Having fun down there?" He asked with a laugh, Fay moving forwards with a small smile. She waved at us, Restac turns to look with a frown, "Hi! Baby!" Theta cheers happily as I laughed, Fay laughs as well before turning serious. "Not to interrupt, but just a quick reminder to stay calm." She stated back, everyone listened as Restac turned back to our daughter. "Show me Alaya. Show me, and release her immediately unharmed, or we kill your friends. One by one." My daughter went to move but Ambrose pushed her out of the way. I snarled in anger as she spoke, "No." Rory's head snapped in her direction. "Ambrose." He snapped in annoyance, "Steady now, everyone." Theta spoke up, "Ambrose, stop it. Let them see her." Tony tries to pull her away but she pushed him back. "Get off me, Dad. We didn't start this."

"Let Rory deal with this, Ambrose, eh?"

"We are not doing what you say any more. Now, give me back my family."

"No. Execute the young girl."

"Hey!"

"No! No, wait!"

"Rory! She's not speaking for us." Rory instead as he panics. "There's no need for this." Theta speaks loudly, "Listen, listen. Whatever you want, we'll do it." Restac hissed at him with a glare. "Aim." Rory's eyes widened in horror, "Amy!" Amy closes her eyes as she waits for it. "Rory!" She shouts out in fear, "Don't do this!" Theta shouts, "I'm alive!" A voice called out, everyone stops before the screen goes blank.

"Fire!"

"Stop!" A reptile male in court drapes walked in, with Malohkeh behind him. "You want to start a war while the rest of us sleep, Restac?" He hissed at the woman, she glared back. "The apes are attacking us." She spoke up, "You're our protector, not our commander, Restac. Unchain them." I smirked as I chuckled, so much for her then. "I do not recognise your authority at this time, Eldane." Eldane glares in response, "Well then, you must shoot me." That immediately put her to a stop, she turns to Malohkeh with a betrayed look. "You woke him to undermine me?" She growls out, "We're not monsters. And neither are they." He points towards us, she scoffed. "What is it about apes you love so much, hmm?" She asked with a cock of her head as we continued to watch. "While you slept, they've evolved. I've seen it for myself." Malohkeh explained, "We used to hunt apes for sport. When we came underground, they bred and polluted this planet."

"Shush now, Restac. Go and play soldiers. I'll let you know if I need you." I let out a loud laugh as Theta pinched me, Malohkeh moving to help us out. "You'll need me, then we'll see."

:••:••:••:••:

Down in the crypt, everyone stares at the blank screen in silence. "Nothing. I've got to get down there." Rory cried out, suddenly the screen came back to life. This time it was The Doctor, "Rory. Hello." He waves at them. "Where's Amy?" Rory asked immediately, "She's fine. Look, here, she is." The screen zooms out again to show Amy standing next to Kate who had her arms crossed. "Oh, thank God." He breathed out in relief, "Keeping you on your toes." Amy smirked at the man she loved. "No time to chat. Listen, you need to get down here. Go to the drill storeroom. There's a large patch of earth in the middle of the floor. The Silurians are going to send up transport discs to bring you back down using geothermal energy and gravity bubble technology. It's how they travel and frankly, it's pretty cool. Bring Alaya. We hand her over, we can land this after all. All going to work, promise. Got to dash. Hurry up." Transmission ends, "The moment we get down there, everything will fall apart." Ambrose snarled, Alaya scoffed with an eye roll. "We have to return her. They will give us back everyone." Fay insisted, Alaya for once agreeing with the girl.

:••:••:••:••:

"I'd say you've got a fair bit to talk about." Theta and I stood at the end of the table, Eldane on one side with Amy and Nasreen on the other side. "How so?" Eldane asked with a frown, "You both want the planet. You both have a genuine claim to it." I stated with a shrug, "Are you authorised to negotiate on behalf of humanity?" He asked us with a cock of his head and honestly we probably could if we wanted too. "Me? No. But they are." He points towards the girls, "What?" Nasreen gaps out, "No, we're not." Amy glared at us with a look of fear. "Course you are. Amy Pond and Nasreen Chaudhry, speaking for the planet? Humanity couldn't have better ambassadors. Come on, who has more fun than us?" Amy scoffed,

"Is this what happens, in the future? The planet gets shared? Is that what we need to do?" She asked looking up at us. "Er, what are you talking about?" Nasreen frowned as she watched us.

"Oh Nasreen, sorry. Probably worth mentioning at this stage, we travel in time a bit." He gestured between the three of us. "Anything else?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, "There are fixed points through time where things must always stay the way they are. This is not one of them. This is an opportunity. A temporal tipping point. Whatever happens today, will change future events, create its own timeline, its own reality. The future pivots around you, here, now. So do good, for humanity, and for Earth." Theta explained to everyone, Amy gapped slightly before she scoffed. "Right. No pressure there, then." She grumbled out, "We can't share the planet. Nobody on the surface is going to go for this idea. It is just too big a leap." Theta smiles at her, "Come on. Be extraordinary." He breathes out. "Oh." Nasreen groans back, "Okay. Bringing things to order. The first meeting of representatives of the human race and Homo Reptilia is now in session. Ha! Never said that before. That's fab. Carry on. Now, Mo. Let's go and get your son. Oh, you know, humans, and their predecessors shooting the breeze. Never thought I'd see it." Theta gives me a kiss before he and Mo leave to find Elliot.

:••:••:••:••:

"Elliot. There you are." The Doctor laughs as the find the sleeping chamber Elliot was in, "If you've harmed him in any way." Malohkeh stands in front of them, turning to look at them. "Of course not. I only store the young." He responded, "But why?" The Doctor asks with a cock of his head. "I took samples of the young, slowed their lifecycles to a millionth of their normal rate so I could study how they grew, what they needed, how they lived on the surface." Malohkeh explains to them, "You've been down here working by yourself, all alone?" The Doctor asks with a raised eyebrow, "My family, through the millennia, and for the last three hundred years, just me. I never meant to harm your child." He spoke towards Mo who nods back in response. Grateful to the man, and with a new found respect for him. "Malohkeh, I rather love you." The Doctor spoke up, Malohkeh laughed back. "I doubt your woman would appreciate that. Anyway, It's safe. We can wake him." Malohkeh unhooks Elliot from the wires.

"Come."

"Elliot? Ell, it's Dad."

"Dad."

"You're safe now."

"Where are we?"

"Well, I've got to be honest with you, son. We're in the centre of the Earth, and there are lizard men." Mo laughs gently as he looks towards Malohkeh who waves at the young boy. "Hi." His eyes widen in awe, "Wow." The Doctor frowns as he bends down to face Elliot.

"Elliot. I'm sorry. I took my eye off you." He murmured gently at the boy, "It's okay. I forgive you." The boy responded with a laugh. "You go on, Doctor. I'll catch up." Malohkeh pushes them out with a nod.

"Storage facility nineteen operational."

:••:••:••:••:

"We lived on the surface of the planet long before you did. Our sole purpose has been to return to our rightful place." I watched them with my arms crossed, Theta wanted me to stay to keep the peace. Make sure they don't do anything stupid, "And we've got a planet that can't already sustain the people who live there. And you want to add a whole other species to drain resources..."

"As I sat there that day across the table from the humans, the future of both species and of our beloved planet Earth rested in our hands. But as the discussions went on, I began to despair about whether we would ever find any common ground. As ambassadors for our species we all had too much to lose."

"So, what about the areas that aren't habitable to us? Australian outback, Sahara desert, Nevada plains. They're all deserted." Amy made a descent point, "Yes, fine, but what happens when their population grows and breeds and spreads? And anyway, what benefit does humanity get, and how will we ever sell this to people on the surface?" Eldane clears his throat after Nasreen finishes. "If I could get a word in, maybe I could tell you. You give us space, we can bring new sources of energy, new methods of water supply, new medicines, scientific advances. We were a great civilisation. You provide a place for us on the surface, we'll give you knowledge and technology beyond humanity's dreams. If we work together, this planet could achieve greatness." The two girls nod back in response. "Okay. Now I'm starting to see it." Nasreen breathes out, "Oh yeah." Theta enters with Mo and Elliot. "Not bad for a first session. More similarities than differences." He winks at me as I shake my head with a small smile.

"The transport has returned. Your friends are here."

:••:••:••:••:

Rory appears in the doorway, followed by Ambrose, then Mack and Alaya who stands behind Fay. "Here they are." Theta cheered happily, as he rushed forward. "Daddy!" Fay cheered as every reunited with their loved ones. I watched Alaya frown as she looked up with a hiss, "Something's wrong." I spoke up, breaking everyone apart. Fay moving towards my sigh while Theta moves over to Alaya. She frowned at him but nods, "I'm sorry." He breathed out causing her eyes to widen, she looks down noticing the punctures in her outfit. I glared towards Ambrose who flinched back, "This is our planet!" She hissed in anger, I just scoffed. Alaya moving forward as she ignored the woman, facing Eldane. "I was going to die, the woman had killed me." Theta turned towards Ambrose with a sharp glare. "But. The little girl, the one who isn't human but stands beside them with her parents; saved me. For that I am grateful, but something is wrong." She explained to Eldane who nods in response. Restac and her troops march in, "My sister." She beckons Alaya forward but said reptile doesn't move. "Oh. Is that how it's going to be sister?" Restac hissed with a cock of her head.

"I didn't betray you sister, I'm just not going to join you against the ones who save me." Alaya uttered out, Restac hissed in seething anger. I could see it, her gun moving to kill her own blood, "I think you will." She fires, everyone shouts and stops. Alaya stares in horror, at the light in front of her; my shield protecting all of us. "Sister?" Theta spins in anger, "You were building something here. Come on. An alliance could work." He snaps in anger as Restac continues to glare. Suddenly, Ambrose steps forward. "It's too late for that, Doctor." We all turn to her, I immediately could tell she was agreeing with Restac's views. "Why?" Theta breathed out in horror, "Our drill is set to start burrowing again in fifteen minutes."

"What?"

"What choice did I have? They had Elliot."

"Don't do this. Don't call their bluff."

"Let us go back. And you promise to never come to the surface ever again. We'll walk away, leave you alone."

"Execute them." Restac hissed out, Alaya shouts in horror, "No!" My shield immediately rises around everyone as I hold them back. "Move!" I shout, covering them. Theta rushes forwards, "Come on! Everybody, back to the lab. Run." He pulls me back, breaking my concentration. "Execute all the apes." gets out his sonic screwdriver, their Silurian weapons go Bang! "This is a deadly weapon. Stay back." He dodges a lashing tongue in response as we nearly escape. Rushing down a tunnel, "Take everyone to the lab. I'll cover you." Theta shouts as he pushes me forwards, "Go. Go." I come to a stop and watch him. "Ah, ah, Stop right there or I'll use my very deadly weapon again. One warning, that's all you get. If there can be no deal, you go back into hibernation. All of you, now. This ends here."

"No. It only ends with our victory." She uttered out with a smirk, "Like I said, one warning." He grabs for me and takes off again. Rushing into the laboratory, Theta spins and seals the door. "Elliot, you and your dad keep your eyes on that screen. Let me know if we get company. Amy, keep reminding me how much time I haven't got." He demands out, Fay and Alaya are standing next to Eldane. "Okay. Um, er, twelve minutes till drill impact." Mo moved over to us, "Doctor, shedload of those creatures coming our way. We're surrounded in here." He uttered out in worry, both him and Elliot trying to stay as far from Ambrose as possible. "So, question is, how we do stop the drill given we can't get there in time? Plus, also, how do we get out, given that we're surrounded? Nasreen, how do you feel about an energy pulse channelled up through the tunnels to the base of the drill?" I asked as I paced back and forth with a frown.

"To blow up my life's work?" Nasreen asks sadly, "Yes. Sorry. No nice way of putting that." Theta winced but she nodded with a sigh, "Right, well, you're going to have to do it before the drill hits the city, in er..." She turned to Amy, "Eleven minutes forty seconds." Theta sighs as he rubs his forehead. "Yes. Squeaky bum time." Nasreen sighs, "Yes, but the explosion is going to cave in all the surrounding tunnels, so we have to be out and on the surface by then." She explains as Rory moves forward. "But we can't get past Restac's troops." Alaya and Eldane move froward, "We can help with that. Toxic Fumigation. An emergency failsafe meant to protect my species from infection. A warning signal to occupy cryo-chambers. After that, citywide fumigation by toxic gas. Then the city shuts down." Fay grabs Alaya's hand, "You could end up killing your own people."

"Only those foolish enough to follow Restac." Eldane speaks up with a shake of his head. "Alaya, Eldane, are you sure about this?" Theta asks them with a frown, Alaya nods in response. "My priority is my race's survival. The Earth isn't ready for us to return yet." Eldane explains, Theta and I sigh with a shake of our heads. "No." He utters out lowly, "Ten minutes, Doctor." Amy calls, "But maybe it should be. So, here's a deal. Everybody listening. Eldane, you activate shutdown. I'll amend the system, set your alarm for a thousand years time. A thousand years to sort the planet out. To be ready. Pass it on. As legend, or prophesy, or religion, but somehow make it known. This planet is to be shared." Eldane and Alaya nod with small smiles. "Yeah. I get you." Amy turns to us, "Nine minutes, seven seconds." She calls out again. "Yes. Fluid controls, my favourite. Energy pulse. Timed, primed and set. Before we go, energy barricade. Need to cancel it out quickly."

"Fumigation pre-launching." Eldane utters as the fiddle with the computer like technology. "There's not much time for us to get from here to the surface, Doctor." Rory stated, "Ah ha, super-squeaky bum time. Get ready to run for your lives. Now." We spin around, "Eight minutes ten seconds." Amy states, "Alright, lets get out of here." I stated as I clapped my hands together. Alaya and Eldane bidding us goobye.

"Toxic fumigation initiated. Return to cryo-chambers. Toxic fumigation initiated. Return to cryo-chambers. Toxic fumigation initiated."

"They're going. We're clear." Amy yells as she looks back at us. "Okay, everyone follow Nasreen. Look for a blue box. Get ready to run." Theta sonics the door open before moving in front of Alaya and Eldane. "I'm sorry." He whispered to them, Alaya gave him a nod before Fay rushed into her arms.

"I thought for a moment, our race and the humans..." Eldane paused, "Yeah, me too." Theta responded as the girls pulled away, I gave them both nods. "Doctor, We've got less than six minutes." Amy calls, "Go. Go! I'm right behind you. Let's go." We all move out.

"So the Doctor and his family sent our warriors back to their rest, on the promise of future harmony with humans."

Rory runs past us, "Other way, idiot." Amy calls out as we continue running towards the tardis. The warnings continue to blare amongst the tunnels we ran along. "Come on." We finally make it to the tardis, Fay rushing inside but I pause. Something was wrong. "No questions, just get in. And yes, I know, it's big. Ambrose, sickbay up the stairs, left, then left again, Get yourself fixed up. Come on. Five minutes and counting. Not here." He pushes everyone inside, as he notices what I had stopped to stare at. There is a crack in the wall, the same crack that has been following us around. Theta, Amy, Rory and I are the only ones left outside of the tardis now. "Not now. It's getting wider." Theta breaths out in horror, "The crack on my bedroom wall." Amy gaps in horror as well. "And the Byzantium. All through the universe, rips in the continuum. Some sort of space-time cataclysm. An explosion, maybe. Big enough to put cracks in the universe. But what?" Theta grumbled out as he looks towards me, I shake my head in response. "Four minutes fifty. We have to go." Amy snaps, "The Angels laughed when I didn't know. Prisoner Zero knew. Everybody knows except us."

Doctor, just leave it." Amy snaps in anger. "But where there's an explosion, there's shrapnel." Rory gaps at him, "Doctor, you can't put your hand in there." Theta puts a red handkerchief over his hand and reaches into the crack. "Why not?" Because it hurts? Dumbass. "Argh. I've got something." He shouts, "What is it?" He pulls his arm back out. "I don't know." I move over to help him up, "Doctor?" Restac crawls in, "She was there when the gas started. She must have been poisoned." She glared at us, "You." She hissed in pain and anger, "Okay, get in the Tardis, both of you." Theta moves to push me towards the door. "You did this." Restac raises her weapon at me, "Kate!" Rory pushes me out of the way and takes the full force of the blast. "Rory!"

My ears were ringing as I laid on the floor, Theta and Amy sitting over Rory. "Rory, can you hear me?" He asks as I slowly move towards them, "I don't understand." Rory spoke in pain, "Shush. Don't talk. Doctor, is he okay? We have to get him onto the Tardis." He cries out, "We were on the hill. I can't die here." He laughs gently at the irony. "Don't say that." Amy cried, "You're so beautiful. I'm sorry." Rory dies and I yell out in pain. "Doctor, help him." Amy insists as she pushes him, he shakes his head. "Fay!!" Amy shouts, our little girl rushing out just as light from the crack reaches Rory's feet. It was too late. "Amy, move away from the light. If it touches you, you'll be wiped from history. Amy, move away now." Theta demands as Fay pulls me up, the tears continue to roll down our cheeks. "No. I am not leaving him. We have to help him." Amy continues to cling onto him, "The light's already around him. We can't help him." Theta speaks gently but she shakes her head in response. "I am not leaving him." She glares at him, "We have to."

"No!"

"I'm sorry!"

"Get off me!"

Theta drags Amy to the Tardis, as Fay pulls me inside. "I'm sorry." Theta grunted out, "Get off me. No." He sonicks the Tardis door shut. "No! No! No! No! Let me out. Please let me out. I need to get to Rory. That light. If his body's absorbed, I'll forget him. He'll never have existed. You can't let that happen. What are you doing?" Theta moves to set the Tardis in motion, "Doctor, no! No! No! No!" Rory is absorbed by the light from the crack as the Tardis dematerializes. "Doctor, we can't just leave him there." We are all heartbroken, "Keep him in your mind. Don't forget him. If you forget him, you'll lose him forever." Theta grabs Amy as she fights him. "When we were on the Byzantium, I still remembered the Clerics because I am a time traveller now, you said." She continued to cry, I sit down on the steps in shock as Thera sits Amy down to help her. "They weren't part of your world. This is different. This is your own history changing." She frowns, "Don't tell me it's going to be okay. You have to make it okay." She continues to shake her head. "It's going to be hard, but you can do it, Amy. Tell me about Rory, eh? Fantastic Rory. Funny Rory. Gorgeous Rory. Amy, listen to me. Do exactly as I say. Amy, please. Keep concentrating. You can do this."

"I can't." Amy breaths out, "You can. You can do it. I can't help you unless you do. Come on. We can still save his memory. Come on, Amy. Please. Come on, Amy, come on. Amy, please. Don't let anything distract you. Remember Rory. Keep remembering. Rory's only alive in your memory. You must keep hold of him. Don't let anything distract you. Rory still lives in your mind." The Tardis comes to a sudden halt. They are thrown to the floor. The ring box lands in front of Theta, he makes eye contact with me and I frown. Amy moves to sit up, "What were you saying?" Mo and Elliot enter the console room with looks of awe. "I have seen some things today, but this is beyond mad." He laughs, I quickly wipe my tears. "Doctor. Five seconds till it all goes up."

:••:••:••:••:

We all dash outside just in time to see the drilling derrick explode, "All my work gone." Nasreen utters out sadly as Tony grabs her hand with a smile before he drags her off. We follow after them to bid everyone goodbye, Ambrose coming to stand next to us. "You could've let those things shoot me. You saved me." Theta frowns at her, "An eye for an eye. It's never the way, besides Alaya is alive. Now you show your son how wrong you were, how there's another way. You make him the best of humanity, in the way you couldn't be."

:••:••:••:••:

The four of us return to the Tardis, "You're very quiet." Amy stated with a frown, looking between the three of us. "Oh. Hey, look. There I am again. Hello, me." A lone figure waves back from the other side of the valley. I flinched as Fay whimper quietly, "Are you okay?" Theta asked, looking between the three of us. Amy was frowning at herself in confusion, "I thought I saw someone else there for a second. I need a holiday. Didn't we talk about Rio?" Theta and I watched her, Fay moved inside quietly. "You go in. Just fix this lock. Keeps jamming." Amy laughed, "You boys and your locksmithery." She moves inside, Theta and I waiting for a minute.

"Now, as my people awaken from their thousand year sleep ready to rise to the surface, my thoughts turn back to the Doctor and Kate. The losses they suffered then and the greater loses that were still to come."

The shrapnel Theta pulled from the crack is a charred piece of the Tardis.

Theta and I shared as look of horror before I burst into tears once more. Theta immediately panics, dropping the piece and pulling me into a tight hug. "Baby?! Shhh. It's ok, I know. I'm sorry." He rubbed my back up and down as I managed to stop crying. Looking up at him with a frown, "Why do all the people I bond with leave?" He just shook his head sadly at me as he pulled me back into his chest. "I don't know, baby. I'm so sorry." He breathed out, I gripped him tightly for a few more minutes before pulling away. He watched me for a moment as I bent down to pick up the piece, handing it to him before heading inside where Fay was waiting.

She too had tears in her eyes.

๑๑

Guys.

Rory is gone.

I'm sorry.

Ok, for now I've removed Space and Time, I'll republish it after I finish season five.

But for real though like all the people Kate likes ends up leaving or dying. That's some tough shit.

Poor Fay, she loved uncle Rory.

Anyway, thank you guys for all the love and support.

Y'all have no idea how much it cheers me up when I read your comments. Like I actually feel better about myself knowing that I can make y'all happy.

So thank you.

For real.

Thank you.

7,068 Words