Title: One in Two Thousand
Author: datadoesntlie
Characters/pairings: Rory, Ten, Martha, Eleven, Amy / Amy/Rory (Eleven/Rory, Eleven/Amy/Rory)
Word count: 1902
Rating: PG-13?
Warnings: Spoilers up through the end of series 5, but nothing after.
Summary: Within the two thousand years Rory was guarding the Pandorica, he encountered a certain past Doctor. Four hundred years later, he can't forget it.
Wanted to see Rory and Amy with old Doctors or companions, ended up writing this. It's my first Doctor Who fic, so I don't know if it's good, but enjoy.
Two thousand years was a long time.
A very long time, and Rory Williams was bored. He had memorized every inch of the Pandorica, learned a couple of languages, tried to keep his mind busy. And then a familiar sound came from just far enough away that he couldn't see, but he knew that whirring and wheezing, and he was so tempted to run to find the Doctor, but he had waited over a thousand years so far without ever leaving Amy's side, he wasn't that weak.
He did pray to whatever god was prevalent at the time that the occupants of the time machine making that noise would head his way, though.
"Look at this, the Pandorica! Beautiful thing, isn't it. Survived for centuries, no one knows what's inside, no one's been able to get it open. Though no one's really been able to even try, thanks to that one." A skinny man in a suit pointed at him, and Rory blinked under his helmet. He wasn't expecting that.
"But you know what's inside, right? It had to have opened at some point." The girl with him questioned, looking closer at him. "Is that a Roman in the 16th century?"
"You know, funny thing about that..." The man scratched his chin, looking up at the sky. "I don't. It's like it just disappeared off the face of the earth after it opened. There's recorded history up until somewhere in the 20th century, then...poof. No more Pandorica. No more Lone Centurion either, and yes, he is wearing Roman armor."
The girl picked her way down the steps, heading closer to him. Rory contemplated the situation. He hadn't really talked to anyone, besides the typical "no one shall pass" or "if you don't stay away I will kick your ass". Not that many people came around with the intent of making conversation. He kind of figured he shouldn't, but they came out of the TARDIS, and they seemed to be sightseeing, not trying to attack the Pandorica. They looked like they were from around his time as well, which was weird because he thought the Doctor was the only timelord left, so who else could travel in time?
"And no one knows who he is? He just sits here and protects this box?"
"Some stories say that it's just one person, but it's generally assumed it was a title and outfit passed down through the ages. No one can live that long, after all...unless you're me, but I think I'd know if he was me." Once the two of them got close enough, Rory called out.
"Who are you two and how do you have the TARDIS?"
The two strangers paused.
"The TARDIS? You know the TARDIS?"
"I'm the Doctor, this is Martha, how do you know about the TARDIS?"
"No you're not."
"Excuse me?"
"You're not the Doctor. I know the Doctor, and you aren't him." Rory stood, ready to brandish his sword. They seemed innocent enough, but if they were aiming to impersonate someone like the Doctor, they probably had other intentions.
The so-called "Doctor" pulled out a pair of glasses and squinted at him, leaning closer. "What's your name again?"
"Rory." He almost slipped and said Rory Williams, but that would be too risky, until he figured out just who these people were. It obviously wasn't a Roman name, and he might still have to keep up the front...
"A Roman named Rory, guarding the Pandorica in the 16th century...sorry, doesn't ring a bell, are you sure it's Rory? You don't look like a Rory, it's kind of...not Roman-y."
Rory rolled his eyes. "Yes, it's Rory, but if it makes you feel better, I can pretend it's Roranicus or something."
"Well, Roranicus, I'm afraid I don't know you. Maybe I haven't met you yet, my timeline always gets messed up. Did I have a different face? Shouldn't tell me too much about my future, don't want spoilers, but I regenerate into a different body, so maybe you know a future regeneration. Was I ginger, at least?"
"You do talk like him, at least." Rory admitted. "And no, no ginger. Amy's ginger though."
"Amy, who's Amy?"
"My...girlfriend. Fiancée. Getting married in the morning...whenever "morning" is. I don't know anymore." His gaze lingered on the box, and he smiled wistfully. The Doctor's mouth formed a silent "oh" in realization.
"What, what is it?" Martha nudged him.
"She's in the box. Big Pandorica box, supposedly a prison for the world's deadliest being, and your girlfriend is in there? She's the world's deadliest person?"
"It was a mistake. It was supposed to be...someone else. But as a prison, you know, it...keeps people alive, or else of course they'd die after some time without food and water. Amy died, I killed her, but she's...safe in there. And after 2000 years or so, it'll open...and I can see her again." His voice took on a different quality, of remembrance and hope. "I haven't seen her in over a thousand years, you know. Sometimes...I forget stuff. Like her laugh, or how she says some words in that beautiful Scottish accent of hers. And it scares me, because...that's all I have." He didn't know why he was telling the man all of this. He barely believed he was the Doctor, still on guard in any chance they suddenly tried anything, but something within him knew to trust him.
"That 'someone else'...who is it?" The Doctor stared into Rory's eyes. Rory averted his gaze, keeping silent, but the Doctor understood.
"Spoilers." The Roman finally spoke. "...I feel like River saying that. Hello, sweetie." Blank stares from both the Doctor and Martha, and he sighed. "O-r maybe you haven't met her yet. But she's right. It's...better lived than told."
"What I don't get is, how are you living this? It's been centuries since the Romans, have you been guarding the whole time?"
"I'm plastic, don't age, it's a long story." Rory waved it off. "It's a big deal, but...you have to be there."
The Doctor nodded. As much as he was dying to know, he understood. If his future self was an important part of the Pandorica, he shouldn't interfere.
"I suppose we should take our leave then. Unless you have any cool stories to tell us, but I've probably been there during all the cool stuff, and if it's not cool it's probably a Sunday and I hate those."
"You're the one who always has cool stories, Doctor." Rory smiled. "One last thing. I don't know how far in the future my Doctor is, and I don't know if it will change anything, but...please don't be late. I shouldn't tell you when or where, but...it will break her heart. So please." The Doctor nodded.
"I understand. Let's go, Martha! What do you think, fancy a trip to Rio? Relax on the beach?" Martha grinned, getting up and following him.
"Oh, and- no matter what you think, bowties are not cool!" Rory called after them. The Doctor stopped and turned around, giving him an incredulous stare.
"Bowties aren't cool, why would I ever wear one?"
"Spoilers!" He laughed, watching the two depart towards the TARDIS.
Four hundred more years.
Life on the TARDIS was amazing. Always exciting, lots of running, with just enough downtime to keep them healthy.
But sometimes there was too much downtime, and Rory remembered. He had so many memories, two thousand years worth, and it was so overwhelming. He tried to push it away - he wasn't plastic anymore, the universe was normal, there was no more Pandorica. But one time the Doctor was cleaning out the main console room of the TARDIS, finding crazy old relics of past console rooms and past Doctors, and he pulled out a pair of glasses. He grinned and tried them on.
"How do I look, dashing? I used to wear these all the time in my last regeneration."
Rory blinked, suddenly recognizing the glasses. "Doctor, um. Whatever happened to um...to Martha?"
The Doctor froze, his playful expression turning serious. "How do you know about Martha?"
"Do you remember, Doctor? You didn't seem to when the Pandorica opened."
"Remember what?"
"16th century. Roranicus, guarding the Pandorica."
The Doctor thought for a minute, then his eyes widened. "Rory. Amazing, impossible, plastic Rory Pond. I knew you even before I met Amelia. And I didn't even remember."
"I'm easily forgettable." Rory admitted. Not that he wanted to be.
"Martha was amazing. But she left, three years ago. I don't blame her, I put her entire family in danger. She knew when to get out. She's gotten married, since. I was invited to the wedding actually, but I couldn't make it."
"Couldn't make it? You're in a time machine, Doctor." Rory raised an eyebrow, and the Doctor laughed wistfully.
"Yes, well." His expression turned serious again. "Rory, what you said back then, about forgetting Amy..."
"It got worse." Rory shook his head. "I thought I was going crazy. I guess I was. Two thousand years, barely anyone to talk to. There's only so much to think about, after all. But after a while even when I tried to think, nothing came to mind. By the end, I couldn't...I couldn't even remember her face, Doctor." His voice caught, and he tried to continue. "Even now, when I sleep, sometimes I'm back there, and-"
The Doctor interrupted him by throwing his arms around the younger - older? - man, pulling him into a tight hug. Rory shook, and he could hear muffled crying. "Shhh, shhh, it's okay. I'm sorry, I am so sorry. I should have known. I should have remembered. Even after the reboot, once you saw me again you remembered everything. But she's here now. I'm here now."
"I know, but it still hurts..."
"Look. Rory Pond. Rory Williams. Rory the Roman. Roranicus. Listen to me." He pulled back from Rory, touching their foreheads. Rory sniffed, focusing on the Doctor's face. "I have met so many good men throughout the years. I could tell you all about them but now isn't the time. But you, Rory, you are the best man I have ever known. You waited two thousand years for a girl who could barely even remember you, because you trusted her. You loved her so much you were willing to sacrifice your life for her, multiple times. You are amazing and both Amy and I love you with all of our hearts. Now it's our job to take care of you. You will never be able to forget, but trust me, you will be able to move on. Look at Amy now. Was it worth it? Would you do it again?"
"Yes." Rory answered immediately, and the Doctor grinned. "There you go." He pulled Rory's face down and kissed his forehead. "You'll be okay, Rory. I promise."
"Am I interrupting something?" Both of them looked up to see Amy at the top of the stairs. "A little bit of...bromance, maybe?"
Rory laughed, wiping his cheeks. The Doctor pulled back, looking back and forth, awkwardly grinning. "Ah, hello Amelia. Sorry...about that."
"No problem, I don't mind. My boys love each other, I love my boys..." She swung an arm around each of their shoulders, kissing Rory's cheek, then the Doctor's. "Full circle, works out, yeah? Now, let's get going. I'm not going to wait forever for Rio after all."