1.
The New Spain Starship, 3300
The first time was painful. Not just emotionally painful, more like in the name of Rassilon himself there's regeneration energy spiking through my veins and I'm keeping the actual process back because I want to say goodbye to all of my companions painful. The Doctor straightened his tie, hesitating, and pushed the doors of the TARDIS open. He was getting to a stage where he just couldn't keep up the energy to pilot the ship any more. He let the TARDIS take him where he needed to be. She was good at that.
He took a cautious step forward, and looked around. He was in a space station – that much was clear. However, he'd landed on a sidewalk, and around the (concrete?) path was fresh, green grass. It smelled like…
Spain?
He wet his tongue and let it out of his mouth to explore the air. Space station.
A Spain smelling space station. Well, that's certainly new.
He kept walking forward, just following the path onwards and onwards until –
WHAM!
A body slammed into him and, through the haze of regeneration, he felt a pair of warm arms holding onto him around his sides. He let himself be held onto for as long as those arms wanted to squeeze all of the air out of his body. He felt all of the care, and the love, and the worry in that one embrace and it stilled him.
The small form withdrew, and the warmth was suddenly gone. A pair of inquisitive green eyes looked up at him and it was like they looked into his soul. "You're going to be okay."
He nodded dumbly.
"Take care of yourself."
"Why don't I know you?" the Doctor blurted, not in the mood for vague pleasantries.
The strange young man who had been holding him took a step back and, rather than be offended, simply smiled. "You're not ready for that just yet."
The Doctor turned on his heel, walking away. He didn't need to waste his time. "I have places to be," he said, over his shoulder.
"I know," the boy replied, and walked away too. Once the Doctor reached the TARDIS, he turned back around. "Goodbye, Doctor."
The TARDIS whooshed away, off to the Powell Estate, ready to take the Doctor to Rose Tyler. And the Doctor left someone much more important behind.
2.
Madison Square Garden, 2023
The second time, he got an invitation through a mail slot he didn't really know he had. "You have a mail slot?" Amy asked, once again surprised by a 'normal thing' being on the TARDIS.
"Of course I have a mail slot, Pond," the Doctor replied, ripping the top of the envelope open. "How else would I get the mail?"
Before she could even reply with a begrudging "touché", the Doctor had sprung off to the main console, suddenly, flicking switches and pressing buttons. "What is it?" Amy asked, confused by the Doctor's urgency.
"We've been given tickets to a performance! A matinee! Won't that be fun?"
"A matinee? On some alien planet, or something?" A matinee performance could be interesting, but Amy was hoping more for a summons to an alien world or a trip back in time.
"No. At Madison Square Garden, in New York!"
"New York?" she asked, gathering her coat as they went to step out of the TARDIS. "That could be cool."
They stepped out into the chaos of the big city, and Amy's breath was taken away. "Did I mention we're about ten years into your future?" He checked his watch quickly. "And we're late!"
Racing along the sidewalk, they rushed into the theatre, taking their seats. They had just made the final performance. An announcer made her way into the middle of the stage, and took the microphone into her hands. "Are you ready Manhattan?" they all cheered. "Are you ready for what you've all been waiting for?" the yelling and cheering became louder as a curtain started to rise slowly, agonizingly so. "Please welcome New York's favourite singing duo, the Kasterbourans!"
Amy noticed the Doctor tense up at that. "Is everything okay?"
"I… I don't know."
She kept quiet after that as the two boys on the stage took to the microphones in front of them, and let herself get caught up in the throng of audience members and the noise coming from the speakers.
"We've got something special for you tonight!" the taller of the two proclaimed, and the whole audience whooped in delight.
When the smaller boy began talking, the Doctor couldn't hold back the sensation that he'd seen him before. "We're in a celebratory mood, what with the golden bands on our fingers and all –" at this point, the audience began cheering loudly again – "we thought we'd sing something by our favourite singer from the 90's…" the Doctor and Amy both tuned out as he continued talking, and looked at each other as the couple began singing lovingly to each other.
"Marriage… for two men… is legal now?"
The Doctor nodded. "It has been for about twelve years."
After the performance was over, the two boys moved to their separate changing rooms with a parting grasp of their hands. The smaller of the two walked into his room with a broad smile on his face. He walked straight to his vanity and began removing the make-up that had been plastered all over his face. "It's nice to see you," he began, not even looking at the man leaning against the wall next to his door, a man he believed to be around 900. "It's been a while, D-" he suddenly stopped, and looked over at the Doctor, almost like he was appraising him, looking for something. "Doctor. It's nice to see you, Doctor."
The Doctor walked closer. "Why did you send me those tickets?"
The boy smiled, and looked him right in the eyes. "I wanted you to be here."
"Why?"
With absolutely no warning, the boy rushed up and gripped him around his sides again, and the Doctor remembered when he'd seen him before.
"That was… that was you?"
"What was me?"
"On… Spain. In Spain. The place in… space. The Spain smelling place."
"Oh, you mean New Spain?" he considered, thoughtfully.
"Is that a starship?"
"Yes. But you can't tell me about it."
"Why not?" this boy was more confusing than he was, definitely.
"Because it's always been on the backburner, but I've not done it yet. Spoilers, and all that."
The Doctor turned to leave. "You were fantastic tonight."
"Thank you," came the sincere reply.
The door shut as the Doctor left.
"But you're just not my Doctor," the young man said to himself, turning back to his mirror.
3.
The Western Front, 1916
Amy, after being given the choice to decide where they went next, stopped suddenly, interrupted in her train of thoughts. There was a tapping noise going through the TARDIS speakers. "Doctor?" she asked, confused.
"The noise? I don't know. It's sounds like…" he trailed off as he hit a few keys on the keyboard in the central console, and moved over to the screen. "It's Morse Code."
"Morse code for what?" Rory asked, making his way down the stairs towards the console, having returned to the room after hearing the noise.
"It's co-ordinates. Sent telepathically."
"I suppose I don't get to choose then," Amy said, feigning sadness, but seriously excited with the prospect of getting sent co-ordinates through Morse code.
"Sorry, Pond, but we're going somewhere you'd probably never have chosen."
"Where?"
"The Western Front."
On the battlefield, a group of soldiers stood poised to enter battle, when they suddenly saw a rustling patch of dust. One of them stepped back from the line. A blue box emerged in full view slowly, making a groaning noise. "Sorry boys," the soldier said, "but that's my ride." He pulled a key on a chain around his neck out from its hiding place under his shirt, and inserted it into the box's door. "It's been lovely knowing you," he said, and stepped inside.
Only to be met by three very confused faces, which he proceeded to ignore, and set about taking his uncomfortable boots off. "You could have come sooner, you know. It's exhausting tapping a message out with your foot for an hour and relaying it telepathically. I thought you weren't coming," he said, and reached over, enveloping the Doctor in a large hug.
"What is it with you and hugging? You do it every time I see you." The sudden embrace flustered the Doctor.
"Probably a cuddle slut," Amy supplied, trying to keep her cool. She'd seen him before, somewhere. "Aren't you married, though?"
"He's married? It looks like he'd be more suited to the Tellitubbies than getting married," Rory asked incredulously.
"Married? Which time?" he commented, cynically.
"He was tall," Amy supplied.
"You're going to have to be more specific."
"Blonde."
He paused for a moment. "Narrowing it down, but there's still a couple of possibilities."
"You sang together."
The boy suddenly seized up, uncomfortable. "I'm going to need to commandeer your vehicle. Is that okay?"
The Doctor nodded. "Where to?"
"Oh, that's fine," he replied, taking to the controls. "I've got it from here."
"You can fly the TARDIS?" Rory asked, yet again surprised.
"Of course." He looked like he was just realizing something, and yanked Rory's hand out of his pocket, inspecting his ring finger. "Oh dear, we're early days on, aren't we?" He turned to the Doctor. "How many times?"
"What?"
"How many times have we met?"
"Three. Including this one."
The boy shuddered. "Fantastic," he commented dryly, and suddenly stopped doing anything with the TARDIS. "We're here. Thanks for coming when I called, as usual. Well, not usual for you, but… never mind."
He raced out towards the doors, and flung them open, smashing his way outside. He leaned against them for a moment, taking in his apartment around him. "I just need my Doctor. Just once, my Doctor."
4.
The Pyramid of the Sun, Mexico, around 1000AD
The priest lowered the blade slowly. The young man held down on an altar was squirming, and he needed to ensure that he made it work just right, or the gods would not be pleased. As he brought the knife down, at an agonizing pace, he noticed a breeze swirling around an area near him. A wheezing noise accompanied it, and soon he found that there was a large blue box to the side of the altar.
A man and a fiery haired woman stepped out. "I think you'll find you need to let him go."
A translation error had obviously occurred, because the natives suddenly backed up in apprehension, and began to kneel in reverence of the Doctor. "It looks like you've got a fan base, Doctor," Amy joked, untying the bonds holding the boy down and guiding him back into the TARDIS.
"He's got a lot more than just a fan base on a Mexican plateau. But thank you, for the rescue," the brown haired boy said, settling into the seat next to the TARDIS console.
"Are you going to let me pilot this time?"
He chuckled in response. "I'm too tired to protest."
"Where am I taking you?" the Doctor asked, walking over to the central console.
He paused in contemplation for a moment. "Well, I have an apartment in SoHo I could drop into. So I suppose that'll be SoHo, 1987 then."
"Anyone waiting for you at home?" Amy asked, noticing his lack of a wedding ring, something he'd previously sported proudly.
"No. Not for me."
"Recently divorced?" the Doctor chimed in from the console, speeding the inquiry along.
"Never married, actually." He eyed them suspiciously. "Unless you know something I don't, that is." He turned to face Amy. "So, how about you?"
"What about me?"
"Ever been married?"
The Doctor suddenly stopped fiddling, and peered over the side of the console. "Never engaged, actually," Amy said, taking her turn to look suspicious. "Unless you know something I don't."
The young man simply looked confused in reply.
He walked over to the console, and enfolded the Doctor in an embrace. "Where's Rory?" he whispered.
"It's complicated," the Doctor replied.
"So you're still on that hugging kick, huh?" Amy smiled, knowing that there was something she was missing, but choosing not to dwell on it.
The TARDIS grinded to a halt. "Yes, I suppose I am. Better go – I ought to call my parents. Never do that, even though I always promise to."
"Well, I'm sure they love you no matter how much contact you keep with them," the Doctor replied, and watched as the young man left his ship. Once he passed the doors, and walked out into the street, he stopped for a moment.
"I hope they do."
5.
New York City, 2538
The Doctor looked around the console, staring at the emptiness around him. It was harder dropping off Amy and Rory for their honeymoon than he'd imagined – there was always an idea niggling at the back of his mind that they mightn't come back again. Ignoring it, he decided to do something he'd neglected to do in a while – check his mobile phone. He had five new messages. Keying in his answering machine passcode, he put the handset to his ear.
"Hi, it's me, just reminding you that you are invited to my wedding and you've not RSVP'd. I'm assuming that you're coming, so I've set a place for you and everything, but you've not actually said. Let me know, okay? Much love, blah blah blah."
"It's me again. Look, this whole 'I'm not speaking to you' thing is getting kind of ridiculous. Either you're coming to my wedding or not. Just call me, okay?"
"I'm sorry, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear? Now grow up, be an adult and talk to me. When you're in the mood to, pick up the phone."
"You're being so immature now that I'm entertaining the prospect of all of my messages having bumped a time track and being sent to an earlier incarnation of you. Highly unlikely, since I know you have the capacity to act like a three year old, but still. If that's really my Doctor, just please come to my wedding."
"This is the last time I'm calling to remind you – I'm getting married in the morning. I know you obviously don't care about my happiness, so you're probably going to remain stubborn and just not come but I still feel the need to remind you that I want you to be there. So please, please, PLEASE, just trace this call and come to my wedding. I know you can. The TARDIS will help you. Please. I… I couldn't stand it if you weren't there. I need you. Goodbye, Doctor."
The Doctor did the only mature thing that could be done, in those circumstances. He suited up and set the controls. He was off to a wedding.
A disappointed young man stood at the long aisle, prepared to walk down it by himself. He'd argued with everyone far too much. Suddenly, he heard a wheezing noise coming from the side to the door of the church. He ran out and stood at the door, waiting eagerly for it to open. A ridiculous looking man wearing a top hat and a suit stepped out. "Someone call for a Doctor?"
He enveloped the man in a hug. "If you ever do that to me again, I swear, I'll lynch you."
The Doctor gulped. "Noted."
"Right, c'mon." He studied the Doctor's face. "You okay to walk me down the aisle?"
The Doctor's eyes just about sprung out of their sockets. "You want me to walk you down the aisle? Isn't that the father's job?" He paused for a second. "To walk the bride down the aisle?"
"Well, Jeremiah and I agreed that since there aren't any conventions for the marriage of two men, we'd just do everything. It's more fun that way. And," at this he paused, "my father and I aren't speaking at the moment."
"Why not?"
"We had a stupid argument. He was being stupid. I was being stupid. Long story short, he's not coming to my wedding, and you'll do to walk me down the aisle. Now, c'mon. Let's go."
Arm in arm, they walked down the church, off to sign the younger of the pair into wedded bliss.
The dancing at the reception was in full swing, and the Doctor was making an exit, attempting to slip out, before he was spotted.
"Did you think you'd get away that easy?" The young man walked over and took the Doctor's larger hand, pulling him onto the dance floor. "Come and dance with me."
"Jeremiah won't mind?"
The green eyed boy laughed warmly, and smiled. "I'm sure he understands. If he doesn't, we'll be having words."
"Is Jeremiah…" he trailed off leaving the question unfinished.
"Not the first one, no." He chuckled. "And he knows it. But he's not the first."
"Tell me," the Doctor said, as he led his partner into the next stage of the dance, "what would possess someone to join a sacrificial war effort on the Western Front?"
"Well, as it usually is, the pursuit of romance."
"I see," the Doctor replied, smiling.
"He was handsome, and we had a few lovely nights of happiness, and then he told me he had to go off to war. So I went off to war with him." He sighed. "I found the letters from his beloved in his alcove one night. After that, I called you. I needed to get out of there."
The song ended, and the pair pulled apart. "Where are your friends?"
"Amy and Rory are on their honeymoon, at the moment."
"Well, enjoy some time as a bachelor, Doctor."
"I will. All the best."
He walked the Doctor to his ship, and snapped his fingers. The doors sprang open. The Doctor's eyes widened, amazed. "You can do that?"
"I can. Now, you need to be off. Have fun!" The Doctor turned away. "Oh, and, Doctor, there's something you need to know – the Shansheeth are spreading rumours that you're dead."
"They're what?"
"Exactly. So, go on, fix it." The Doctor raced into the TARDIS, and once the doors were shut, it disappeared away, off into the stars.
He turned to see Jeremiah at the door. "It wasn't him. Well it was him, but not properly. It's like watching a family member with Alzheimer's – you don't know where you've met them in their memory."
The other man nodded, and reached out his hand, which he took gladly.
"The worst part is, though, there's a part of him out there somewhere that knows me. My Doctor. He's just… he's just not here."
+1.
Aerivanus, 2011
"So, Doctor, where are we?" Rory and Amy stepped out of the ship, following the Doctor. They were dressed to the nines – the Doctor had promised them some class.
"We're on Aerivanus. It's probably the most cultured planet on the cosmos," the Doctor replied, as they walked down a long pathway towards a large theatre. "They only play the best performances, and it's terribly difficult to get tickets." He reached into a pocket, and pulled three tickets out. "I found these whilst I was rummaging through the TARDIS cupboards, and figured I couldn't let an opportunity like this fly by."
Silently, appreciating the starry night sky, and the three moons, they made their way into the crowded theatre, and took their seats. An announcer made his way to the stage, and took his place at the microphone. "For your delight, this evening, all the way from the Time Vortex, Mr. Blue Brown!"
Amy and Rory looked at each other, puzzled, but then their attention was captured by the stage – they'd seen that face before. He started to speak, but with tune.
"Oh my man I love him so… he'll never know. All my life is just a spare, but I don't care. When he takes me in his arms, the world… is bright. All right. What's the difference if I say, I'll go away? When I know I'll come back on my knees someday. For whatever my man is, I am his, forever more -" He began to croon, dragging out the notes. His singing was powerful.
Oh, my man, I love him so… he'll never know
All my life is just a spare, but I don't care
When he takes me in his arms, the world is bright
All right
What's the difference if I say
"I'll go away"
When I know I'll come back on my knees someday
For whatever my man is
I am his
Forevermore
He held the last note with precision, and most of the crowd was moved to tears. He himself was crying, and walked off the stage, as the audience applauded heartily. The Doctor stood up. "Should we go with you?" Amy asked.
"I've got this one."
The performer raced to his dressing room, in tears. He sat at his vanity and began to remove his make-up (which he still hated) before it ruined his face. "I didn't… I didn't call you th-this time," he hiccupped, between tears.
"But I came anyway. I was here in passing." The Doctor eased himself into a lounge next to the vanity. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"No." came the instant reply, and the Doctor was silent for a few moments.
"Why not?"
"Because… because it's awkward."
"Why is it awkward?" the Doctor pondered for a moment. "Were you singing… about… me?"
He didn't expect what came next. "You were the last person on my mind during that performance. You and me, together? That's just… that's gross, Doctor. If you knew who I really was, you'd think so too, but you don't, so you don't."
"Who… who really are you, anyway? What sort of a name is Blue Brown?"
He chuckled. "It's my stage name." He sighed, and straightened up. "I don't really know if it's time for me to tell you. How many times have we met?"
"Five. This time makes six."
"Six… six times?"
"Yes." He stopped for a moment, and drew in a long breath. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"
"Listen, Doctor. There is always a list of people from the bottom up you'd never want to talk about something like this to. After him, you're next."
"Him?"
"My sadistic, abusive dumbass of an ex-husband."
"I see. Well, there's always other fish in the sea. But that still doesn't tell me who you are."
The young man paused, took in a breath, and looked at him with exasperated eyes. "Think about it. Who would be the last people you'd ever want to talk to about romance?"
"Well, if I was having relationship difficulties, I wouldn't want to go to my partner, so they'd be last." He paused for a moment. "And then, after that, of course, there's my f-" the Doctor spluttered.
"Your what?"
"My… my… but you can't be!"
"Oh, yes, I very much can be," he replied.
"So I'm your…"
"Go on," the boy urged the Doctor. "It's alright to say it."
"I'm… I'm your father?"
He received a nod in response.
"Wow, that's… that's… that's something else, certainly." His head snapped up, meeting his son's eyes. "Who's your mother?"
The boy shook his head. "Spoilers."
"Why do they always say that?" the Doctor muttered.
"Now, don't you go comparing me to Melody again," the boy complained to the Doctor.
"Melody?"
He backed up in apprehension. "I mean…. I mean Melanie. Melanie Bush."
"Oh, Mel. Well, she was less asynchronous than you. I was comparing you to River, actually. River Song."
"I suppose that's an apt comparison."
"But… about your mother… have I met her?"
"Yes," he replied instantly.
"Was she at your wedding?"
"You brought her there."
"Well, at least I know we're on speaking terms."
"Not exactly…" he trailed off. The Doctor's face begged him to explain. "You and Mother… you can't speak to each other. You'd like to, both of you, but it's too difficult. It's only happened a few times before."
The Doctor stood, and turned to leave. "Well, I wish I'd found all of this out under nicer circumstances, but I'd better not keep the Ponds waiting."
"I'll walk you to your box."
They reached the TARDIS after not very long, to find Amy and Rory waiting patiently. "Allow me to introduce you to my son, Ponds."
"He's your son?" Amy asked, amazed.
"I can see that. There's certainly a resemblance," Rory said. The pair turned and studied each other, and then shrugged identically after a few moments. They embraced in a hug.
"It's been wonderful," they told each other in stereo, and laughed at their synchronicity.
The Doctor's son snapped his fingers, and the TARDIS opened. Suddenly, the Doctor gasped. "That's completely impossible. It can't be. It just… it just can't!"
"Doctor, I'm sure I've demonstrated opening the TARDIS doors with a click of my fingers to –"
"She's your mother."
"What?"
"Her," the Doctor jerked a head towards the TARDIS. "She's your mother."
His son simply smiled. "Have fun, Dad."
"But how?" the Doctor asked, amazed. Amy just shoved him into the TARDIS. As he walked away, the TARDIS dematerialized, without a trace of it ever having been there.
A young man simply turned to look back at the space it had occupied for a moment, before smiling. "Thank you, Mother." He looked to the sky. "Thanks for my Doctor, when I needed him. Thanks for getting it right."
A/N: I kind of like this in a sort of nostalgic way. Those of you who'd like to know how the TARDIS can be someone's mother can shove your confusion. It was... it was like another Idris. And they got frisky. He does call her Sexy, after all.
Also, sorry if you're waiting for one of my other stories, but time got away from me.