supernova (11th doctor)

Amy's Choice (pt 2)

"There's a delusion I'm not responsible for," The Dream Lord retorted.

"No, he is. Isn't he, Amy?" Rory asked casually, looking for validation.

The Dream Lord grinned. "Oh, Amy, have to sort your men out. Choose, even."

"Why are you so obsessed with the men in Amy's life?" I asked defensively, walking in front of them and facing the Dream Lord.

Now he actually laughed. "Oh dear, I could ask you the same thing."

Heat rising to my cheeks both in anger and embarrassment, I tried to defend myself. "What! I don't—"

"It doesn't matter!" Amy thankfully interrupted. "I have chosen. Of course I've chosen." While still glaring daggers at the Dream Lord, Amy smacked Rory's chest. "It's you, stupid."

Rory was relieved. "Oh, good. Thanks."

The Dream Lord disappeared again and reappeared behind us, leaving me at the back again. "You can't fool me. I've seen your dreams, some of them twice, Amy. Blimey, I'd blush if I had a blood supply... or a real face."

The Doctor approached him and spoke swiftly, fed up with the whole performance. "Where did you pick up this cheap cabaret act?"

"Me? Oh, you're on shaky ground."

"Am I?"

"If you had any more tawdry quirks you could open up a Tawdry Quirk Shop. The madcap vehicle, the cockamamie hair, the clothes designed by a first-year fashion student... I'm surprised you haven't got a little purple space dog just to ram home what an intergalactic wag you are." None of us had moved, and although the Doctor didn't seem to be offended at all, I knew better, and we were all worried about what he was hiding. "Where was I?"

Rory stuttered, not understanding the rhetorical question. "Um, you were—"

The Dream Lord disappeared yet again, and reappeared on the stairs above us. "I know where I was!"

This time, I took the opportunity to move closer to the Doctor, and tried to see what else he was feeling besides anger towards the Dream Lord—but I couldn't. His jaw was tensed and his eyes were dark. When I reached for his hand gently, he didn't turn to me, didn't take his glare off the Dream Lord as he began explaining—but he held my hand in his.

It was kind of a habit for me now since the first time in Starship UK. I would see it in his face that he wasn't okay, that he felt sad or angry or something else I couldn't quite put my finger on. And if I didn't know what to say or couldn't say anything—I would slowly and subtly trace my fingers lightly under his palms, until he moved to grab my hand. It was a small gesture, but it was something—and he seemed to readily accept it every time. It was a small reminder of what I had told him the first time—that he isn't alone anymore.

Though this time, I wasn't just grabbing his hand to calm him down. I was grabbing his hand to steady me up. I knew what was coming—I knew we would fall asleep again, but I wanted to figure out what the Dream Lord knew about me. He seemed to be a part of the Doctor, but the way he spoke proved that he knew other things the Doctor wouldn't.

"So, here's your challenge. Two worlds. Here in the time machine, and there in the village that time forgot. One is real, the other's fake. And just to make it more interesting, you're going to face in both worlds a deadly danger. But only one of the dangers is real. Tweet, tweet. Time to sleep."

The birds sounded again, and I opened my eyes wide and gripped the Doctor's hand tight—who had begun falling before I did. I was the last one standing—but I couldn't force myself awake, and couldn't keep my vision on the Dream Lord as I slowly dropped to the ground.