It was Christmas night. And the Pond household was alight by dimly lit candles. Amy stood in the kitchen, sprinkling herbs on top of their meal. Rory was in the dining room setting the table carefully. Three placemats. It had always been three. For either the Doctor or River, thought neither had turned up in many years.
Almost forty years to be exact.
But the table was set for three all the same.
Rory headed into the kitchen, and wrapped his arms around his wife, pulling her closer. They missed the Doctor especially on Christmas. The reminder of the year he had turned up out of the blue on their doorstep just in time for Christmas dinner plagued on their mind.
She smiled sadly at him, wishing more than anything for her best friend, or her daughter. The ache for all of her family to be together was steady and dull, and never really left. He squeezed her hand and pulled her into the dining room. By habit his eyes flickered to the empty place. And he stopped dead.
There, looking the same as always, sat the Doctor. Bow tie and all. Somewhere, he had managed to procure a fez. The memory of the Doctor in a fez and a mop causes him to smile faintly, until what is in front of him registers.
The Doctor glanced up when they walked into the room, and beamed. His eyes lit up brightly, as nothing made him happier than seeing old friend. Though it always made him horribly sad afterwards.
Amy stared. Rory doesn't believe his eyes, as he stared open mouthed at the Doctor. "I meant to be here thirty years ago," the Doctor mused, turning a fork around his fingers. "But, my timing is still off." He frowned lightly as he thought of the trouble that his horrendous timing had gotten him into. Stealing a daughter from her mother for a year, leaving a child thinking about her imaginary friend for twelve.
Amy seemed to remember those twelve years vividly as she stared at him. The Doctor could see it in her expression, the thought that she had thought twelve years was bad enough, but his timing here was appalling. He smiled weakly.
"Oh Doctor!" she exclaimed, though she couldn't help but wonder how long it had been for him. A day? A week? Maybe a month. Maybe more. You could never tell with the Doctor.
Timelords, was all she could think as she embraced her raggedy doctor, her imaginary friend from childhood.
