A/N - Double digits and one chapter closer to the end of the Ponds. Elise's meltdown is in the next chapter!

"Mercy. 81 residents," the Doctor read. He stood in front of a town sign.

There was a "Keep Out" sign and a line of stones and wood surrounding the entrance.

"Look at this. It's a load of stones and lumps of wood," Amy said.

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and scanned it.

"What is it?"

"A load of stones and lumps of wood," the Doctor said, stepping over the line.

"Uh, the sign does say Keep Out," Rory told him.

"I see "Keep Out" signs as suggestions more than actual orders, like "Dry Clean" only."

Elise, Rory, and Amy stepped over the line. As they walked down the main street, the inhabitants of the town watched them silently.

An electric lamp outside the Post Office sparked. The Doctor snapped and pointed at it. "That's not right." The Doctor soniced it and the light came on.

"It's a street lamp," Rory said.

"An electric street lamp about 10 years too early." "

It's only a few years out."

"That's what you said when you left your phone charger in Henry the Eighth's ensuite."

"Doctor, um..." Amy said.

"Anachronistic electricity, Keep Out signs, aggressive stares. Has someone been peeking at my Christmas list?"

"Doctor."

The Doctor stuck a toothpick in his mouth and walked into the saloon. The saloon went quiet when they entered. The Doctor walked up to the bar.

The bartender kind of reminded Elise of River. Maybe she should suggest they go see her soon.

"Tea. But the strong stuff. Leave the bag in," the Doctor said.

"What're you doing here, son?" the bartender asked.

"Son?" The Doctor laughed. "You can stay."

An African American man stood up. "Sir, might I enquire who you is?"

"Of course. I'm the Doctor. This is..."

Everyone in the bar stood up.

"No need to stand. You see that? Manners."

A man in a top hat came up behind the Doctor and started measuring him.

"Oh, thank you. But I don't need a new suit."

"I'm the undertaker, sir," he said.

A younger man in a brown suit and bowler hat stepped forward. "I got a question. Is you an alien?"

"Well, er, bit personal. It's all relative, isn't it? I mean, Elise and I think you're the aliens, but in this context, yes. Yes, I suppose we are."

The group grabbed Elise and the Doctor. A few other people grabbed Amy and Rory.

"Doctor! Elise! Put them down!" Amy yelled.

"Don't think we won't kill you," the bartender said.

"Take your hands off her!" Rory yelled.

"Don't worry, everything is completely under control," reassured the Doctor.

They tossed the Doctor and Elise over the line. The Doctor helped Elise up. When they turned around, everyone had their guns pointed at them.

"He's coming. Oh God, he's coming," the African American man said.

"Preacher, say something," the man in the bowler hat told him.

"Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name."

The Doctor turned around to see a Cyborg coming towards them. He grabbed Elise and placed her behind him.

"Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done."

There was a gunshot.

"You, bow tie, girl. Get back across that line," a man with a mustache told them. He pulled his coat back to reveal a Marshal badge. "Now."

The Doctor and Elise stepped over the line and Elise immediately ran over to their companions, allowing Amy and Rory to comfort her.

The Cyborg disappeared.

"Isaac, he said he was a doctor. An alien doctor," the man in the bowler hat told him.

"That a reason to hand him to his death?"

"Isaac, it could be him."

"You know it ain't." Isaac turned around and walked back towards town. "Ma'am, Miss," he said, nodding towards Amy and Elise.

The Doctor, Amy, Rory, and Elise followed Isaac to the Marshal's office.

"What was that outside?" the Doctor asked.

"The Gunslinger," Isaac said, "Showed up three weeks back. We've been prisoners ever since. See that border line stretching round the town? Woke up one morning, there it was. Nothing gets past it, in or out. No supply wagons, no reinforcements. Pretty soon the whole town's going to starve to death."

"But he let us in," Rory told him.

"You ain't carrying any food. Just four more mouths to feed. We'll all die even sooner now."

"What happens if someone crosses the line?" the Doctor asked.

Isaac tossed him a hat with a hole in it.

"Ah, well, he wasn't a very good shot, then."

"He was aiming for the hat."

"He shoots people's hats?"

"I think it was a warning shot," Amy suggested, giving the Doctor a look.

"Ah, no, yes. I see. Hmm."

"What does he want? Has he issued some kind of demand?"

"Says he wants us to give him the alien doctor," Isaac said.

The Doctor tossed the hat back to Isaac.

Amy turned to the Doctor. "But that's you. Why would he want to kill you? Unless he's met you."

"And how could he know that we'd be here?" Rory asked, "We didn't even know we'd be here."

Amy chuckled and turned to Isaac. "We were aiming for Mexico. The Doctor was taking us to see the Day of the Dead Festival."

"Mexico's two hundred miles due south."

"Well, that's what happens when people get toast crumbs on the console," the Doctor snapped, "Anyway, I think it's about time I met him, don't you?"

"Who?" Isaac asked.

"The chap outside said I could be the alien doctor, but you said I wasn't, so you already know who it is." The Doctor laughed. "Two alien doctors. We're like buses. Resident eighty one, I presume, so beloved by the townsfolk he warranted an alteration to the sign. Probably because he rigged up these electrics, and I'm guessing he's in here, because if half the town suddenly wanted to throw me to my death, this is where I'd want to be."

The Doctor turned to the cells.

"I don't know what you..."

The man in the cell pulled back his blanket. He had a face marking similar to the one the Gunslinger had. "Isaac, I think the time for subterfuge has passed. Good afternoon. My name is Kahler-Jex. I'm the doctor," he said.

Isaac let Jex out of the cell and the Doctor immediately shook his hand. "The Kahler. I love the Kahler. They're one of the most ingenious races in the galaxy. Seriously, they could build a spaceship out of Tupperware and moss!"

Amy gently pulled the Doctor away from Jex and sat him down in a chair. "All right. How did you get here?" Amy asked him.

Jex sat down at Isaac's desk. "My craft crashed about a mile or so out of town. I would have died if Isaac and the others hadn't pulled me from the wreckage."

"And you stayed, as their doctor?" the Doctor asked.

"On my world I was a surgeon, so it seemed logical. And it gave me an opportunity to repay my debt to them."

Isaac scoffed. "Listen to him. Talking like it was nothing. Tell them about the cholera."

"Now, Isaac, I'm sure our guests are..."

"Two years after he arrived, there was an outbreak of cholera. Thanks to the doc here, not a single person died."

"A minor infection we'd found a treatment for centuries ago."

"No, no, what, what do you call them? The electrics?"

"Using my ship as a generator, I was able to rig up some rudimentary heating and lighting for the town."

"So why does the Gunslinger want you?" the Doctor asked.

"It don't matter," Isaac said.

"I'm just saying, if we knew that..."

"America's the land of second chances. We called this town Mercy for a reason. Others, some round here, don't feel that way."

"Now, Isaac, we've discussed this..." Jex told him.

"People whose lives you've saved are suddenly saying we should hand you over."

"They're scared, that's all. You can hardly blame them."

"Them being scared scares me. War only ended five years back. That old violence is still under the surface. We give up Doc Jex, then we hand the keys of the town over to chaos."

"Did you try to repair your craft?" the Doctor asked, "Surely someone with your skills..."

"It really was very badly damaged," Jex insisted.

Elise had a feeling he was hiding something.

"We evacuate the town. Our ship's just over the hills, room for everyone. I'll pop out, bring it back here, Robert's your uncle."

"Really? Simple as that?" Amy asked, "No crazy schemes, no negotiations?"

"I've matured. I'm twelve hundred years old now. Plus I don't want to miss The Archers."

If the Doctor was 1200 years old, that would make herself what? Around 300 or so? Elise had a hard time keeping up with her own age.

"Oh, so you're not even a tiny bit curious?"

"Why would I be curious? It's a mysterious space cowboy assassin. Curious? Of course I'm not curious." The Doctor started to leave.

"Son?" Isaac asked.

The Doctor popped back in.

"You've still got to get past the Gunslinger. How you going to do that?"

The Doctor put the hat on his head. "With a little sleight of hand."