End of the Journey

(Sorry, not a very creative title I know!) This is set at the end of the series when the Doctor discovers that Amy is getting married. I know it's wayyy too early to be having a whole romance thing between them but I just liked the idea. Please review! ..I hope you enjoy it :)

"You're....getting married?" the Doctor asked.

"Y-yes." Amy couldn't meet his eyes. She hesitated, nervously playing with a piece of wire on the TARDIS console to avoid looking at him. "To Rory. You remember Rory. The nurse. You know, the one that was taking the picture of the man and the dog on his phone. His phone bill after that day was ridiculous – you know, he probably had to work extra hours just to pay it off. Probably had to pay for your smashed window too. That consultant – his boss – she really wasn't happy..." she realised she was babbling. She shut up.

"OK," he said simply. "Right. Back to Leadworth, then?"

"Yes. Please," she added. She couldn't think of anything to say. Their closeness seemed to have disappeared in a moment, replaced instead by an unfamiliar wall of frosty politeness.

The TARDIS shuddered as it changed direction abruptly. Usually Amy loved watching the Doctor fly his spaceship, his expert hands manoeuvring over each complicated lever and contraption, but without his normal light and carefree mood, it just made her sick to the stomach with an unexplainable nervousness.

The TARDIS landed silently, and for a long moment Amy could hardly hear a sound, just their breathing and a low creaking deep within the machinery below her feet. Unable to bear the silence, she got up and walked towards the Doctor, who stood leaning against the console, observing a set of red dials with an unseeing look in his eyes. Tentatively, she put her hand on his arm, and he sucked in a quick breath, looking away.

"Look," she whispered, her voice catching in her throat. "I'm still coming with you. I promise. This doesn't change anything. You can take me back in time, can't you? So – "

"Yeah," the Doctor interrupted, shocking her, "yeah. Things will stay exactly the same." He turned to her, incredulity written all over his face. "You're getting married, Amy."

"OK," she amended, "things won't stay the same. That was stupid. But – isn't there – " she stopped. The enormity of what she was about to do was only just sinking in. She was about to leave this life, this life that she had fallen madly in love with, and...get married instead? She felt dizzy, and stumbled against the console, putting out a hand to steady herself.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor looked at her, holding her gaze. "But you can't have both."

She nodded and fell silent, lost in a very familiar train of thought, not realising that the Doctor's head was filled with exactly the same thoughts – their kiss, sudden and unthinking but so wonderful, that had been on continuous replay in Amy's head since the day it had happened, nearly two weeks ago. Neither of them had mentioned it since. But every so often, Amy would catch a look in his eyes that made her sure he was thinking of it as well...she shook her head. Wishful thinking, she thought.

"Amy – " The Doctor's voice jolted her out of her reverie. "Do you really want to get married?"

"Yes," she answered reflexively, shaking her long hair forward to hide her confused expression at his question. Did she? Really?

"Amy." The Doctor strode towards her, gripping her shoulders, making her look at him. His hands burned into her skin and she was suddenly aware of the very close proximity of their faces, something she tried very hard to ignore. "Yes?" she answered in a mock-assured voice.

"Do you actually want to get married, Amy? Really?"

Amy looked away. She sighed. "I – "

"Do you love him?" the Doctor asked.

"Of course I do!" Her tone was indignant, defensive.

"Enough to spend the rest of your life with him?"

Again, she looked down, avoiding the question, avoiding what she didn't want to face. "I – I have to go."

There was a long, silent pause where they just looked at each other. Amy felt her palms begin to sweat and her heart thump faster and faster. Her lips parted – she wanted to say something, to tell the Doctor that of course she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Rory – but the words wouldn't come out. Standing there, their eyes locked, it felt like a lie. Then, suddenly –

"No."

"What?" Amy stared at him in confusion.

"I said, no." The Doctor clicked his fingers and the TARDIS doors swung shut. His eyes were blazing fire.

"What? What? You can't just stop me from going to my wedding! Let me out!" Amy pushed past him and rattled the doors, pulling as hard as she could. "Let. Me. Out. Now."

"You don't belong with him!" The intensity of his sudden outburst, matching hers, surprised her. She turned to him, eyes narrowed, but the fire in his eyes stunned her, shocked her.

"Oh yeah?" Still reeling, she put as much contempt and scorn as she possibly could into her voice. "So you're telling me that I don't love my fiancé?"

"No," the Doctor answered.

"Then what are you saying?"

"I'm telling you what you already know." He walked towards her, smiling that half-smile that she loved.

"Which is?"

The Doctor said nothing, just reached out and pushed a lock of her hair away from her face. Amy was caught off guard by the gentleness of his touch, by the shock that it sent racing through her body and the heat that flooded her face. Her heart responded, beating so loudly she was sure that he could hear it. He caught her eye again, just for a second, but long enough for her breath to catch in her throat at the burning look in his eyes.

Suddenly, he pulled her close to him and, brushing her ear with his lips and making her shiver, murmured, "That you belong here, with me."

"Doctor..." Amy meant her voice to be strong, forceful, as a reminder that she was supposed to be getting married. But she couldn't deny the truth of his words. His name came out like a whisper, a sigh of surrender and agreement, and before she could think at all, he was kissing her and against all reason she was kissing him back. Her hands curled around his collar and she pulled him closer, lost in him, lost in the kiss that was even better than she had been imagining. His hands touched her neck, his fingers pulling through her hair, and the strange heat spread through her again, and with it an intense, passionate longing that she'd never felt before with anyone. She never wanted it to stop –

Her phone beeped in her pocket, piercing the silence. Amy's eyes flew open as she fell back into reality with a jolt, grabbing her phone and turning away to read the display. It was a text from Rory.

Her heart in her mouth, Amy opened the message.

'Where r u?' it read. 'We're waiting for u, love u, R xxx'

"I have to go," Amy whispered, grabbing her coat. The TARDIS doors opened this time when she pulled them. She turned back to the Doctor, and immediately knew it was a mistake – one look at him and she never wanted to leave. His eyes were still burning, but now with pain. Amy tore her eyes away, trying to crush the overwhelming urge to not leave, to never leave, to just stay here with her Doctor. Like he had said – she couldn't have both.

"I have to leave," she repeated, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over. "I'm sorry – I can't – " She looked at the Doctor, leaning against the rail, and as their eyes met, something shut inside his and like a wall coming down the flames were replaced with ice. He just nodded.

Amy squeezed her eyes shut, pushing back the tears. Without saying anything she turned and ran, needing to get away from this man who scared her with what he could make her feel. But as she rounded a corner, she couldn't help it – she looked back, half-expecting him to be running after her. But he was just standing there, watching her with an unreadable expression in his suddenly dark eyes. She couldn't be sure at this distance, but just for a second, it looked like a tear was rolling down his cheek. Then the doors slammed shut, and with the familiar thrumming sound that tugged at her heart, the TARDIS disappeared.

Amy pulled herself away. She leaned back against the hard wall. Then she turned, pressing her palms and forehead against the bricks, desperate for something solid to cling onto. She let out a breath.

And then her tears began to fall.