Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Please,” the woman grabbed his arm as he walked past the furniture shop, “My mother has fainted, can you help me?”

Adam Warner nodded and followed her inside the dim shop, he could see different pieces of furniture but there was no one in there.

“Where…” he started asking, cut off as the woman grabbed his face.

He tried to move but couldn’t, as she stared at him.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered as a tentacle appeared from her sleeve and pressed to his right temple.

He felt his body burning as his shirt was ripped open and another tentacle wrapped around his torso the pad at the end pressing across his heart. Adam tried to get away, to beg her to stop but he couldn’t say anything. Finally, whatever was happening ended and Adam fell to the ground. Watching the woman look down at him, he saw the tentacles return beneath the heavy clothing she was wearing.

“I’m sorry,” she said again before she left him.

Adam lay, he could still feel his skin burning but it was all he could feel as his limbs were like jelly. He had no idea how long he lay until someone suddenly opened the door.

He vaguely heard people shouting, and the word ambulance was mentioned. Finally, he slipped into unconsciousness still feeling his skin burning.

The ward was quiet but as every patient in there was comatose then that was nothing unusual. This was the sixth patient in two weeks that had been brought into the hospital and no one could work out what had happened to put them in a comatose state.

Scanning the chart on the desk in front of him, Rory Williams, frowned in thought. He’d only been assigned to the ward last week, but the case had been in his thoughts a lot since he’d started. Which was why he began studying the charts.

“Rory?”

Hearing his name being called Rory’s head shot up to find Dr Paige Callow standing over him with an amused smile.

“Yes, Doctor?” he asked, confused by how she was smiling at him, “Is something wrong?”

“I’ve been calling you for several minutes,” she chuckled, “You were completely engrossed.”

Wincing he shrugged slightly, “I’m just looking at the patient files so I’m up to date on everything.”

“That’s good,” she told him, “But I wanted to let you know your shift finished twenty minutes ago. Go home and get some sleep.”

Rory chewed his lower lip for several moments before saying, “I just want to finish this. I won’t be much longer.”

Callow nodded, “Alright. But promise me you will leave within the hour. You’re one of our best nurses, we need you on the top of your game.”

Dropping his eyes, Rory felt his cheeks flame slightly but thankfully Dr Callow headed away leaving him to finish. Turning back to the files, Rory frowned in thought, all the files mentioned the patients had several strange burns on their bodies. Moving to the closest bed, Rory checked the burns before he moved to the next bed, doing the same. Checking all the patients, Rory let out a huff of surprise. All six had the exact same burn patterns on their body.

“Dr Callow,” he called, motioning the older woman over to him. She joined him instantly, “I think I’ve seen something. If this is something that you already know then I’m sorry…”

“Rory,” Callow cut him off, “What did you find?”

He nodded and pulled back the sheet, “Look at the burn pattern on the patient’s body. They’re all the same.”

“The burn?” Callow asked.

“No,” Rory replied, “The pattern. Look at the pattern of the burn, it’s the exact same on every patient.”

She took another look before checking the other patients in the nearest beds. A stunned expression covered her face, “I didn’t see that.”

Pleased that he hadn’t wasted her time, Rory smiled, “It’s not easy to spot due to all the fact they all have a mixture of skin tones and hair colour, but you can see it especially on their temple.”

“Go home, Nurse Williams,” Callow told him sternly, she stopped him speaking, “You can follow up on this tomorrow.”

With a nod Rory handed over the files and left the ward not seeing Callow pull out her phone.

“I have something,” she said, “Tell Miss Stewart I need to speak with her.”

Tammy staggered through the streets, the burning was intensifying and the whisper in her head told her that it would stop soon. Once she found someone to take the burden from her.

Reaching a restaurant, she saw one of the waitresses appear and Tammy caught her arm. Pulling her into the back room, Tammy caught the waitress’s face as the tentacle appeared pressing to the woman’s temple. Tammy ripped the other woman’s blouse open as the second appendage from the creature controlling her appeared and wrapped around the torso of its latest victim but instead of what had happened every other time, Tammy felt the creature release from her body and attach to the other woman who screamed briefly before it took over her body and cut off any noise she would make.

Tammy sighed sadly, “I’m sorry.”

Taking a step forward she fainted, knowing she had no way to warn anyone what was loose in the city.

Chapter Text

Sarah Jane Smith read the email in front of her and grimaced slightly. This wasn’t one of her best ideas but when Carrie had asked Sarah Jane to support her for her first few months as editor of the magazine, how could Sarah Jane say no?

They’d been friends for years, and Sarah Jane admired the other woman greatly, which left her with the issue she currently had.

“I can’t have an assistant,” Sarah Jane noted to the empty room, “What if she sees something she shouldn’t? She wants to be a journalist.”

When silence answered her, Sarah Jane sighed before decisively picking up the phone.

“Hi,” Carrie answered almost instantly, “I am so glad it’s you. You would not believe how busy my morning has been. And I know I’ve already said it, but I am so grateful for your help for the next few months.”

“About my assistant,” Sarah Jane said the moment her friend took a breath.

“Oh, you will love her,” Carrie told her, “She is smart, a very talented writer but also a hard worker. She’s only been with us a few months, but I wanted her to be put with the best because I can tell she’ll go far with the right guidance. Which is you.”

Sarah Jane sighed again, she couldn’t say no to Carrie. Especially when she was obviously under so much pressure already.

“When should I expect her?” Sarah Jane asked.

“She’ll be there tomorrow morning around nine,” Carrie promised, “She’s just finishing some things from her previous role today. Got to go,” Carrie said before Sarah Jane could say anything, “Talk to you later. Perhaps coffee next week.”

The dial tone sounded in her ear for almost a full minute before Sarah Jane hung up the phone. This was going to make her life a whole lot more complicated.

The hot water pounding down on him helped wake Rory. He’d spent most of his night studying the copies of the files he’d brought home and had only managed to get to sleep a few hours before. Rory turned off the shower and, grabbing a towel, began to dry himself as he continued to muse over the patient files.

Heading downstairs. he picked up the mail that was sitting, sorting out what was his and what wasn’t.

Moving in with his dad wasn’t the greatest situation to be in but, when the flat he’d been renting was set on fire by the idiot who lived downstairs, Rory had very few options.

On the bright side, his dad had decided to go visit his uncle in New Zealand for the next six months and moving to Bannerman Road had turned out to be interesting, to say the least.

Thinking about it, the fact his closest friends these days were several teenagers and a journalist with an alien supercomputer said everything about how strange his life had become.

Which was why he was pulling together all he had on the coma patients before he took it to Sarah Jane for her thoughts.

He was quite in awe of the journalist.

She had travelled through time with an alien in a blue box helping people, protecting the Earth from those who wanted to destroy it and she continued to protect the planet every day. While raising an alien son she’d adopted and training the rest of them to help her. Rory had somehow become the medic for a small team who protected the earth from aliens while still doing homework.

Who said the suburbs were boring?

After having a quick breakfast, Rory decided to check in with Sarah Jane to make sure his day off would be a day off.

Sarah Jane smiled when she opened the door, “Rory, what can I do for you?”

“Just making sure there is nothing happening,” Rory told her as he followed her into the kitchen.

She chuckled and poured him a mug of tea, “Nothing at the moment. Mr Smith assures me it is currently quiet in the cosmos.”

“That’s good news,” Rory smiled before tilting his head in thought, “But you don’t look happy.”

Sarah Jane handed him the mug taking her seat again, “An old friend of mine was recently promoted to Editor of one of the magazines I write for. She asked if I could work full time with her for the next few months until she’s settled in.”

Rory nodded, “Okay?”

“I know it doesn’t seem bad,” she said without him having to ask, “But she’s asked me to take on an assistant.”

“Ahh,” Rory understood, “Considering what on occasion happens around here it is bringing in another person into the danger zone. One who wants to be a journalist and may notice things we don’t want people to know.”

Sarah Jane nodded, “Which means I am going to need you to lead Luke, Maria, Clyde and Rani for the next few months on any issues that crop up.”

“Me?”

Sarah Jane nodded, “Alan will help but he’s Maria’s father so there are certain decisions he can’t or won’t make. Rory, you’re perfectly capable of leading the team. I’ve seen you do it plenty of times without thinking.”

Sarah Jane had completely adored Rory Williams from the moment she’d met him. She’d known his father, Brian, for years since he moved in across the road but only met Rory a few months ago when he’d had to move in with his father.

The young nurse was quiet but highly intelligent, Rory was also so compassionate and cared deeply which made him an incredible nurse. The kids all looked up to him, with Maria and Rani having a crush on him, not that he realised this because he didn’t see his own worth sometimes, although he would be mortally embarrassed to know. But he would do anything to protect every one of them, no matter how dangerous it was.

If only he had a little more confidence in himself then she knew he could do anything he wanted.

“I will be here,” Sarah Jane reminded him, “It’s just if my new assistant is around then you will need to take the reins on any issues.”

Rory gave her a worried look but nodded. She knew he would step up into the role she needed him to perform.

“Alright,” Rory finished his tea, “Since there are no catastrophes about to happen today then I have things to do. Give me a call if you do need anything.”

Sarah Jane nodded, smiling as the young man left her alone. Part of her wished that Rory could meet the Doctor, because allowing Rory to see the universe in that way and not the small way she was showing, would allow him to reach the potential Sarah Jane could see in him.

“He’ll pop by again one day,” Sarah Jane said to herself.

Knowing she had to get herself ready for her new assistant, Sarah Jane quickly checked the young woman’s name, so she didn’t embarrass herself by not knowing it.

Finally finding it on the end of the email.

Amy Pond.

Amy stopped outside the large house the directions on her phone led to and, pulling a small mirror out her bag, quickly checking she looked professional and not completely wind-swept.

She was so excited to start work today.

She had been ecstatic when she’d got the job with the magazine, other than the three months they’d spent in Leadworth when she was seven, Amy had never left Scotland for more than a week or two. Her mum and dad had been apprehensive about her going to London and living herself, after the imaginary friend incident, but Amy reminded them that she was no longer seven nor going to be stuck in the village time forgot.

She had been so nervous when Carrie had called her into the office last week, there had been a shake-up going on since she’d become the editor and Amy’s current boss had quit. Because he was a misogynistic ass who hated the fact a woman had been put in charge, not to mention he couldn’t string a sentence together without having to check a dictionary. Amy almost collapsed in both relief and excitement when Carrie told her she would be working with Sarah Jane Smith, one of the best journalists there was.

Ringing the doorbell Amy took a breath and smiled when it opened to reveal the woman herself standing there.

“Miss Smith,” Amy beamed, offering her hand, “I’m Amy Pond.”

The older woman took the offered hand, a bandage covering her wrist, “Come in, Amy and you can call me Sarah Jane.”

Following the older woman inside, Amy looked around the house finding it warm and inviting as they headed upstairs to an office.

“I have set up a desk in the corner for you,” Sarah Jane told her, “The wi-fi password is on the notepad and I’ve left a list of things I need you to go through for me. Feel free to use the kitchen to make tea, there are biscuits if you want any.”

A little stunned Amy nodded with each instruction. Sarah Jane stopped and turned back to Amy giving her a stern look.

“I expect projects to be completed properly,” the older woman continued, “And I don’t accept excuses for sloppy work.”

“Of course,” Amy nodded.

Sarah Jane gave her a small smile, “It’s nice to meet you, Amy.”

Rory chewed his pen as he went through his notes before he started to type them up on the laptop. His supposedly quiet night had turned into anything but as a horde of ‘Ulteerian Crows,’ which looked nothing like crows in Rory’s opinion, were let loose in a committee meeting at a nearby church.

Sarah Jane had been scratched, as had Clyde although his was to a lesser degree. Rory simply added the information to his growing file. He wasn’t sure why he had started documenting the medical issues he came across, along with treatments, but it seemed like the best way to cope with what he saw.

Finished with his updates, Rory got ready for work. He grabbed his first aid kit to check Sarah Jane’s wound before he headed to the hospital.

Reaching Sarah Jane’s door Rory knocked, absently scanning the garden for anything that shouldn’t be there. Hearing the door open, Rory turned, and his words died in his mouth. In place of the woman that he’d expected to see, stood a gorgeous redhead with pale freckled skin and amused hazel eyes.

“Well?” she demanded in a thick Scottish accent after he’d stared at her in silence for several moments, “Are you here for a reason?”

“Ahh,” Rory hesitated before his brain finally kicked in again and he asked, “Sarah Jane?”

She smiled at him, “Nope.”

“I know you’re not,” he shook himself, “I’m here to see Sarah Jane. I’m a friend.”

The amused smile came again, “Do you have a name, friend?”

“Rory,” he said, after about a few seconds trying to remember.

She gave him another smile, he was going to get a sunburn from those smiles, “Hello, Rory. I’m Amy. I’ll let her know you’re here.”

Rory stood in the doorway; despite the fact he had been told to just come in months before, but he was a little stunned by Amy. She reminded him of a little girl he’d known a long time ago, back in Leadworth when he’d been about seven years old staying with his gran. The red hair, the bright mischievous eyes and…the accent? Something tickled the back of Rory’s mind but when Sarah Jane appeared it was pushed to one side.

“Rory, why are you standing out here?” she asked, amusement in her eyes.

Shaking himself and ignoring the amused tone, he replied, “I want to check your arm before I go to work.”

She nodded and motioned him inside.

“So,” Rory said as he checked the wound, “That’s your new assistant. How are things going?”

Sarah Jane shrugged, “For the moment not bad but she has only been here for three hours.”

He smiled amused, apologising when Sarah Jane hissed at the antiseptic he applied to the scratches.

“Why are you heading to work?” she asked after he rebandaged her arm, “I thought you were off until Friday?”

Rory nodded, “Just a few hours. I agreed to cover part of a shift so Julie, she’s one of the nurses on the ward, can go to see her daughter receive a prize at her school for a science project.”

“Then you’ll be able to help the kids’ study tonight?”

It took him a moment to understand but realised that Sarah Jane was making sure he would be free that night to help with what Clyde liked to refer to as adventures. Rory nodded.

“I’ll send them over to you,” Sarah Jane told him.

Sarah Jane watched Rory leave with a slight smile. He was such a nice soul, giving up part of one of his day’s off to help a colleague and even if the studying was a ruse tonight, he always helped the kids for real.

“Are you okay?” Amy’s voice came from behind her, concern filling it.

Sarah Jane smiled turning to her new assistant, “I’m fine. I had a small accident while trying to retrieve my son’s phone from behind the rose bushes in the garden. Rory is a nurse, and he takes his patients health very seriously.”

“That’s sweet,” Amy said softly, she sighed, “I knew a Rory once. When I was about seven. He was the nicest person I’ve ever known. Must be something about the name.”

Sarah Jane laughed before checking her watch, “How about we have some lunch? You can tell me about yourself and how you came to be working for the magazine.”

“It’s not that interesting,” Amy shrugged.

Sarah Jane patted her shoulder, “Let me be the judge of that.”

Chapter Text

The peace of the house was shattered as the teenagers invaded it.

“Hello, you four,” Sarah Jane greeted them, catching her son in a quick hug, “How was school?”

“Wonderful,” Clyde cried theatrically while Maria and Rani rolled their eyes at him.

Luke shrugged, “It was fine, Mum.”

Sarah Jane felt the same small thrill that she had the first time he’d given her that title and gave him another warm smile. Footsteps indicated that her new assistant was about to join them, and she turned to see the redhead arriving in the kitchen with her empty mug.

“I thought I heard voices,” Amy said as she stepped into the kitchen.

Seeing the suspicious looks the four teens were giving the intruder, Sarah Jane stepped forward, “Amy, this is Maria, Rani and Clyde, who I’m going to start charging rent soon and this,” she rested her arm around Luke, “Is my son, Luke. Everyone this is my new assistant, Amy.”

“Hello,” Luke smiled, kind and open as always.

Clyde gaped at her in a cloud of hormones while Maria and Rani both looked at her a little suspiciously, although obviously wanted to know more about her.

“Hi,” Amy beamed at them.

“Before you all get too comfortable,” Sarah Jane spoke up, “Rory has agreed to help you study for your biology test tonight.”

Luke frowned, “But we don’t…”

“Have it till next week,” Maria took over while Clyde elbowed Luke to shut him up.

“But as he’s busy then he’s giving up his time when it suits him,” Sarah Jane gave her a small nod.

Rani glanced at Maria, “We’ll get changed and meet you there.”

Without another word they disappeared in deep discussion.

Sarah Jane ushered the two boys to go get changed, Clyde had clothes in the spare room these days considering how much time he spent here. It would also let them get the information from Mr Smith that they needed for the reason they were really going to Rory’s.

As the two boys thundered up the stairs, she turned to see Amy smiling.

“They seem like nice kids,” Amy noted.

“They are wonderful,” Sarah Jane smiled before adding, “But I never said that.”

Amy laughed, “Of course not,” her eyes became distant for a moment, “It’s nice that Rory helps them with their homework.”

Sarah Jane nodded, “He is a very kind soul, who they all think the world of.”

“That’s nice,” Amy mused.

“We’ve not much left for tonight,” Sarah Jane told her, “Let’s get to work.”

Rory grabbed Maria round her waist pulling her away from the whirlpool of energy, throwing them both back and he hit the ground. The neutraliser falling from his grip and bouncing across the grass.

“I’ve got it,” Clyde yelled before he was thrown across the field by one of the energy waves.

Rani dropped down to help him while Luke charged towards the neutraliser. He grabbed it and frowned seeing it was no longer set for their needs.

“Luke,” Rory yelled, as he dug his heels into the ground trying to stop Maria from being dragged into the whirlpool, “Hurry up.”

“I need to recalibrate the neutraliser,” Luke called back, “I need a minute.”

Maria screamed as she was pulled closer and Rory gritted his teeth, “Make it a fast minute.”

“A minute is sixty seconds…”

“Not now,” Clyde snapped at Luke.

Finally, Luke turned and hit the button throwing the small cylindrical object into the whirlpool which stuttered before fading away. Rory let out a sigh of relief and released Maria who took Luke’s offered hand to help her up.

“Is everyone alright?” Rory demanded, jumping to his feet and checking them, “No one was hurt.”

Clyde held up his elbow, “I think I hit my funny bone but other than that, we’re good.”

Rory rolled his eyes, “Okay. That’s good. Who feels like ice cream?”

They all nodded in agreement, following Rory back to his car.

The ice cream was really for him. It was the way his mother tended to get him to calm down when he was studying too hard or got overwhelmed and he really needed it now.

They stopped off at a small café, and Rory bought everyone ice cream before they dropped Clyde off then headed back to Bannerman Road. He winced seeing Rani’s father waiting for them, the look on his face telling Rory the man was not happy, but then he rarely was.

“Hi, Dad,” Rani bounced out the car.

“And where have you been?” Mr Chandra demanded.

“Rory suggested ice cream after we finished studying,” Rani smiled.

“Studying?” the older man asked Rory.

Rory nodded, “I’m working towards some extra qualifications and it’s helpful to have other people to study with.”

“As long as they’re not stopping you from working,” Alan Jackson appeared to rescue him motioning his daughter to hurry up, “Maria, school in the morning.”

“Just coming, Dad,” Maria promised, “Night guys.”

Mr Chandra nodded motioning his daughter into the house, she waved at them and disappeared as Luke called goodnight running across the road.

Rory took a spoonful of ice cream hoping he could escape. Mr Chandra was a smart man and Rory wondered how he hadn’t worked out what went on in the street frequently.

“Goodnight,” Mr Chandra said before he followed Rani into the house.

Rory let out a sigh of relief when the other man left him and Alan alone.

“Needing the kids to help you study?” Alan asked amused.

Shrugging Rory replied, “I’ve already memorised the text, but it will work as a reason they’re spending time at my house for any alien issues we have to deal with while Sarah Jane has her assistant.”

“How did it go?” Alan asked concerned.

“I think my need for ice-cream says it all,” Rory replied wryly.

Alan laughed clapping his shoulder, “See you tomorrow, Rory.”

Watching the other man head into the house while he called to his daughter to turn off her phone Rory smiled slightly. He’d always got on well with Alan, although his ex-wife made Rory grit his teeth every time the woman appeared.

Shaking his head Rory headed inside the house finishing his ice cream and looking forward to sleeping.

Amy dropped onto the couch with a sigh of relief. It had been a long day but also wonderful.

“Hey,” Kelly grinned appearing from her room, “How was your first day?”

Looking up at her flatmate, Amy smiled, “It was fantastic. She is just as amazing as I thought she’d be but worked me hard. I am going to learn so much.”

Kelly laughed, “Well, it’s good to know your dream job is turning into that,”

Amy nodded before letting out a soft sigh.

“What?” Kelly asked.

“It’s just…” Amy trailed off before saying, “This morning one of her neighbours who’s a nurse came over to check an injury on her hand.”

Kelly looked at her confused, “And that’s bad?”

“He just seemed…”

Kelly’s eyes lit up with amusement, “He?”

“Not what you’re thinking,” Amy frowned at her, “He just seemed strangely familiar to me.”

“Was he cute?” Kelly asked with a smirk.

Amy shrugged, “I don’t know…I guess so. From the tiny interaction I had with him, he seemed nice.”

“Well, considering the last guy you dated turned out to have a wife,” Kelly noted, “You could use some nice.”

Shaking her head Amy said decisively, “I am not thinking about anything like that just now, instead I am focussing on my career.”

“Really?”

“Yes,” Amy stated.

Kelly pouted, “You’re not coming out with me tonight?”

“I am going for a bath,” Amy announced, “Then to bed for an early night so I am rested for tomorrow.”

Kelly chuckled as Amy pulled herself up and headed to the bathroom.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” Kelly called after her before adding, “There’s spare batteries in the cupboard if you need them.”

Amy towelled her hair dry before pulling on her pyjamas and climbing into her bed. She was really tired, but it had been an incredible day. Sarah Jane Smith was as amazing as Amy thought she would be, and she had already learned so much.

Her mind slid to the chaotic scene in the kitchen with the kids that had run around, and she smiled to herself, it had been something she hadn’t expected but gave her hope that following her career would not leave her alone for the rest of her life.

As she cuddled into her pillow, she thought about the guy she’d met that morning, Rory. She thought back to when she was seven years old, and the little boy she’d met in Leadworth who had become her best friend for the short time she’d lived there.

It could just be a coincidence, or a sign that maybe she should get to know him better.

Now she thought about it, he was cute.

With a smile on her face, Amy fell asleep.

The alarm blaring in her ear forced Amy to wake up, and she was amazed it was morning already. Crawling out of bed, she stumbled into the shower and got ready for the day. Once she was ready, Amy headed to their tiny kitchen to make breakfast. When she was sipping her coffee, Amy frowned to find her roommate fast asleep on the couch.

“Are you alive down there?” Amy called, waving the coffee close to Kelly’s nose.

Groaning Kelly waved her away.

“Well I have to go,” Amy said, “I’ll call and check you’re still alive later.”

Chuckling to herself Amy left the lump on the couch, grabbed her bag then headed to work.

Amy hadn’t realised how early it was until she got off the bus, but she had at least a full hour to kill before she could go to Miss Smith’s house. As she wandered, Amy noticed a café and since she hadn’t actually had breakfast decided to grab something there. Walking closer Amy suddenly noticed the man walking towards her, headphones on he had a look of deep thought which actually made him look even cuter than she had originally thought.

“Hi,” Amy waved her hand in front of Rory’s face making him jump slightly.

“Ah, hi,” Rory pulled his headphones off and fidgeting to switch off whatever he was listening to.

Amused by how surprised he looked Amy asked, “Are you heading to work?”

“No,” he shook his head, “Day off. I just couldn’t sleep. You?”

“Early and not wanting to intrude before my start time since I work in my boss’s house,” Amy chuckled, “I was going to grab some breakfast in the cafe. Want to join me”

Rory’s eyes widened before he nodded, “Sure.”

With a grin Amy led the way into the café and found a table in the corner. The waitress appeared and took their order before leaving them alone. Amy smiled as she studied Rory, he looked quite bemused that she’d asked him to breakfast.

“So,” she knew he wasn’t going to start a conversation, “You’re a nurse, how did you get into that?”

“You mean as opposed to becoming a doctor?” Rory asked.

“I didn’t mean…”

“It’s okay, most people ask me that,” Rory replied before shrugging, “When I was a kid we were heading on holiday and the car was hit by a truck. My mum died, my dad was badly injured, and we were rushed to the hospital. A nurse sat with me the entire time, she explained everything that was happening and stayed by my side until my grandmother arrived. I knew then that’s what I wanted to do.”

Amy stared at him in amazement, not just because that was the most that he’d said to her since they met, “That’s amazing. How old were you?”

“Ten.”

“When I was ten I had at least three careers I wanted to pursue,” Amy chuckled, “One of them was marine biologist and another was ski instructor, neither of which I had any experience of.”

Rory laughed, “How did you become a writer?”

“I entered a short story competition at school which gave the winner the chance to spend a day at a newspaper,” Amy explained, “I won. And I really enjoyed the day I had. When I finished school, they let me work there for the summer while I sent out resumes. And I got this job.”

The waitress arrived with their breakfast interrupting their conversation.

“Have you always lived here?” Amy asked, once they were alone again.

Rory shook his head, “I grew up in a small village called Leadworth…” he trailed off as Amy laughed in amazement, “What?”

Amy grinned, “Do you by any chance remember a little girl who was there for a few months called Amelia?”

Rory nodded before he realised what she was saying, “You?”

“This is amazing,” Amy laughed, “We moved back to Scotland so fast I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to you. I thought you were familiar the moment we met.”

“Me too,” Rory breathed, “So, why did you leave Leadworth?”

Amy hesitated before she lied, “My dad’s job changed.”

“I always wondered,” Rory told her, “No one would tell me.”

“Well,” Amy smiled and caught his hand, “We can catch up now.”