Author's Note: A small random thought that came to me. I may add to it but for now it is a one-shot.
Enjoy.
Once upon a time in a small English village called Leadworth lived a young red haired Scottish girl named Amelia Pond who had a crack in her wall.
One night, when the voices coming from beyond it became too much to bear, she decided to ask for help from Santa - the only grown-up who had never let her down. To her surprise a Police Box crashed into the shed and a strange man appeared. He called himself the Doctor and told her of his magical box that had a library, a swimming pool and could travel in time. Then, after some interesting food choices, he fixed the crack in her wall.
Totally entranced by this strange man Amelia asked to travel with him so she could have adventures. To her amazement, because adults always told her she had to stay in stupid Leadworth, he told her she could but he would have to take his box away for five minutes to make sure it was safe.
She packed a case with everything she thought she would need, realising suddenly that she had to let her best friend know where she was going. Rory's mum had died a few months ago and his dad was still not well meaning he had to live with his gran, Amelia knew she couldn't just leave without letting him know where she'd gone or he'd worry. She quickly hid the message in their special secret hiding place so no one else would get it before she set her case down on the ground just where the box had been, sat on it waiting for the Doctor to come back.
No one would ever see little Amelia Pond again.
The van they'd hired made its way through the small streets of the quiet village. Leadworth was a picturesque little place with very little crime.
Patricia Kane, freshly graduated from teacher training and the village's newest Primary School teacher, sat in the passenger seat watching the houses pass by amazed by how perfect the place seemed to be.
Her research on the village had only found one thing to any real interest.
Ten years before a little girl had disappeared without a trace, typically from the house they were renting. It didn't bother her, despite her mother's concern of the history of the house; in fact Patricia was actually quite intrigued by the mystery.
"The 'Welcoming Committee' is here," Josh noted from the driver's seat as they drew close to the house.
Patricia chuckled at the resignation in his voice seeing Suzy Granger, the woman who had not only dealt with the renting of the house but was also part of the Village Council, standing waiting for them. They'd realised when looking for a place that living in a small village was going to be very different to living in the city.
x
"Suzy," Patricia greeted the woman the moment she slid out of the van.
"You've got a nice day to move in," Suzy smiled back, she handed over a small package, "This is all your keys with the code for the alarm."
Josh appeared at her side and nodded to the front garden, "Do we also get a security guard?"
"Oh," Suzy sighed as they all looked at the young man standing leaning against the large oak tree in the front garden staring at the shed. He had sandy hair and stood with his arms crossed, shoulders hunched sadness radiating from him, "That's Poor Rory. He won't be here for long."
Patricia turned to her confused, "Which means?"
"You were told the story of the little girl who lived here and disappeared ten years ago," Suzy said, continuing when they both nodded, "Well, Poor Rory was her best friend and it's the anniversary today."
"Do you think that's all one word or does he hyphenate?" Josh murmured in her ear while Suzy glanced back at their visitor again, getting an elbow in his ribs.
"I'll ask him to leave," Suzy said.
"No," Patricia stopped the other woman, "It's okay. Let him have his vigil."
Suzy smiled at her before she sighed, "Poor Rory, only a few months before Amelia disappeared he was in a car accident with his parents. His mother died and his father was so badly injured he lives with his grandmother. He's almost a fully qualified nurse which I must admit we all think was because of his losses."
"How old is he?" Josh asked interested, although a little stunned that they'd been given so much information on a stranger.
"Nineteen," Suzy replied, "He's a very intelligent boy. Threw himself into his studies after his losses, skipped several years of school and went to college early."
"Does he come here often?" Patricia asked.
Suzy shook her head, "No, only this day each year."
x
Rory leaned against the tree wondering where she was today.
Her message told him not to worry, that she was having adventures and maybe if her friend, the Doctor, agreed Rory could come on one too. No one believed him that the message he'd received had been from Amelia the night she disappeared. Instead they patted him on the head and murmured about the poor boy that lost his best friend just a few short months after losing his mum.
But Rory knew Amelia better than anyone and he knew that if she had told him she was going to have adventures then she was. Even as he grew and no longer looked at the world with the innocence of a child, Rory believed Amelia was having adventures with her magic Doctor.
Voices coming from behind him pulled Rory out of his musings and he grimaced when he saw the van, realising that the new tenants were moving in today. Seeing Suzy Granger standing there with two people he didn't recognise he winced but headed over to them.
"Sorry, I didn't realise you were moving in today," Rory apologised softly about to leave.
"How's your Gran, Rory?" Suzy asked before turning to the couple standing there, "She's a lovely woman, makes the best home-baked chocolate cakes for the fetes but has been a bit poorly."
"She's feeling better," Rory stated.
"You know," the man said suddenly, "I should start unpacking the van otherwise I won't get it back in time."
Rory was surprised when the man made a small head jerk to him but spoke up, "Do you want some help?"
"Great," the reply came and Rory followed on to the back of the van.
"Thanks for the rescue," Rory said softly.
"I'm Josh," he introduced himself, "I could see the look on your face when Suzy started giving us all the details. I take it privacy is something that happens elsewhere."
Rory nodded, "You learn to live with it."
"Or you could leave," Josh suggested as he started to pull out boxes.
Rory shrugged, "It's an idea. I'll take these inside."
"One question," Josh stopped him, "Is Poor Rory one word or do you hyphenate?"
Rory started to laugh, not sure why because it wasn't even funny but every time he looked at Josh he started again making the other man laugh as well.
Rory dropped onto the couch with a sigh, smiling when Patricia passed him a mug of tea, "Thanks."
"Bad day?" she asked, sitting on the chair and propping her legs up on the table.
Rory took a long drink of tea, "Long day. Where's Josh?"
"He'll be home soon," she replied, "He's bringing dinner."
Relaxing back and watching the movie Rory smiled slightly. Despite the hideous introduction they'd had, Patricia and Josh had become great friends to him. They were the only people in the village who didn't look at him like he was some charity case and he loved them for it.
He even found himself talking about Amelia every so often.
It was strange that somehow he'd found new friends in the house where his childhood friend had lived. He'd helped them move in then Josh had asked him to help assemble some furniture, which did not go as well as it should have but left the three of them in hysterical laughter. He'd then been asked to help paint some of the rooms and several months later Rory was a regular for dinner at least three times a week.
x
Patricia adored Rory.
He was very smart, supremely sarcastic when he wanted to be, extremely observant and very sweet. Josh was the eldest of four already so had just slotted Rory into the same category as his brothers. The younger man readily agreed to help them with anything for the house, although he would not go into the room that had been Amelia's bedroom. She realised that for the first time in a long time Rory had people who didn't think of him as 'Poor Rory', people he could spend time with who liked him but didn't think of him as some broken waif.
To her surprise, after a few months, he even spoke to them about Amelia. Neither said anything at his steadfast belief she was alive having adventures but they didn't treat him like an idiot either for the hope he carried it was true.
"No," Rory stated folding his arms across his chest decisively.
"Yes," Patricia told him, "You are coming and you going to enjoy yourself."
Rory frowned at her, "On a blind date with Josh's sister's friend from work?"
Josh chuckled holding his hands up defensively when his girlfriend and his friend both glared at him, "I'm not involved in this."
"It's your sister's friend," Rory threw at him.
Patricia sat at his side, "Okay, how about I make you a deal."
Rory grimaced but remained silent.
"You come for dinner and, if you're not enjoying yourself, I will let you use the 'working early in the morning' excuse to get out of there right after we eat," she told him.
Rory sighed in defeat, "Does it have to be tonight?"
Josh and Patricia shared a look before she rested a hand on his shoulder, "It's been eleven years, Rory. You are allowed to move on."
Anger filled Rory's eyes which faded when his two friends looked at him concerned, "I know it's stupid, I know she isn't going to magically appear one day but I..." he trailed off not sure how to voice his need to watch for her. He knew no one believed that Amelia was having adventures, he knew that it was an utterly ridiculous idea that he did but it was one he couldn't let go of.
"Come on," Josh said, "It'll be a laugh."
Sighing Rory gave in.
x
Jane was nice.
Rory was stunned to find he actually liked her and, to his surprise, she seemed to like him too. With a lot of pushing from Josh and Patricia he asked her out and they began dating. They were together for six months, Rory did his best but Jane wanted more from him than he was able to give her.
His grandmother needed his help, he'd been taken on full time at the hospital which gave him an erratic schedule and then there were his memories of Amelia. In the end she didn't like coming second to the memory of his childhood best friend and broke up with him.
Josh and Patricia tried a few more times to set him up but most only lasted a few dates. And then as the twelfth anniversary of Amelia's disappearance came around things became very strange.
Rory followed Dr Ramsden through the ward, wishing it had been one of the other doctors on because for some reason she didn't seem to like him. Something strange was going on, the patients in the coma ward were wandering about the village. He'd seen them, he had photographic evidence but no one would listen to him. It wasn't because he was just a nurse, it was because he was so much younger than everyone else. His twenty-first was in three days and he was worrying what Patricia and Josh had planned as they kept grinning at him whenever it was mentioned.
"So," Dr Ramsden demanded, "They all called out at once, that's what you're saying?"
Rory grimaced at the tone of her voice.
"All of them. All the coma patients?" she continued harshly, "You do understand that these people are all comatose, don't you? They can't speak."
"Yes, Doctor Ramsden," Rory replied.
"Then why are you wasting my time?" she snapped at him.
Rory winced before saying softly, "Because they called for you."
"Me?"
"Doctor," one of the patients called before Rory could reply, "Doctor. Doctor."
Rory looked at the woman standing across from him seeing the same confusion in her eyes that he felt as the other patients took up the call.
"Doctor. Doctor. Doctor. Doctor. Doctor."
After several minutes silence filled the ward again and Dr Ramsden checked the closest patient.
"I don't think they were even conscious," she said thoughtfully.
Rory knew it was probably a bad idea but he pushed on anyway, "Doctor Ramsden, there is another sort of funny thing."
"Yes, I know," she stated, "Doctor Carver told me about your conversation. We've been very patient with you, Rory. You're a good enough nurse, but for God's sake."
"I've seen them," Rory tried to get her to listen to him while he pulled out his phone to find the pictures.
She frowned at him, "These patients are under twenty four hour supervision. We know if their blood pressure changes. There is no possibility that you could have seen them wandering about the village. Why are you giving me your phone?"
"It's a camera too," he explained, relieved when she reached for it, her beeper sounded and she waved him away again.
"You need to take some time off, Rory," she told him, stopping him from arguing, "A lot of time off. Start now," he tried to protest once more, "Now."
x
Rory parked his car and dropped his head against the steering wheel. He'd sent a text to Patricia and Josh telling them what had happened, they were the only people in his life he could talk to because they were the only ones who didn't think of him as 'Poor Rory'.
Frustrated he decided to walk for a while, he really didn't want to explain to his gran why he was home from work early.
He was beginning to think about leaving Leadworth. There was very little keeping him here except the memory of a friend who had left twelve years ago and the grandmother who needed him. As he wandered the village green without thought Rory spotted one of the coma patients out with his dog. Pulling out his phone he was vaguely aware that the light seemed to be coming through a filter of some kind.
Rory jumped when his phone was snatched out his hands.
"The sun's going out," a strange man in a pin-striped suit that looked as though it had seen better days said, "And you're photographing a man and a dog. Why?"
"What?" Rory demanded confused.
"Man and dog. Why?" the man snapped, "Tell me now."
Rory shook himself and replied, "Because he can't be there. Because he's in a hospital, in a coma," bemused as the man said the words with him Rory nodded, "Yeah."
The man grinned at him, "Knew it. Multiform, you see? Disguise itself as anything, but it needs a life feed. A psychic link with a living but dormant mind."
"Who the hell are you?" Rory blurted out spinning as the coma patient began to bark instead of the dog.
"I'm the Doctor," the man replied absently before he confronted the strange image before them.
Rory was completely caught by how the man introduced himself that he barely noticed the alien spaceship, the explosions and the man turning to liquid before sliding down the drain.
"No TARDIS, no screwdriver, seventeen minutes," the man was muttering to himself, "Come on, think. Think!"
"You're the Doctor?" Rory demanded, pulling the other man out his mutterings, "As in Amelia's Doctor?"
The Doctor turned to him, "You know Amelia Pond?"
"Where is she?" Rory asked stunned, "Is she with you or did you leave her at your box?"
The Doctor stared at him confused, "What?"
"Amelia," Rory clarified, "I was her friend. If she's back I want to see her."
"What's your name?"
"I'm Rory," he introduced himself.
The Doctor took a breath, "I now have less than seventeen minutes to stop the aliens from blowing up your planet, Rory. Can we focus on that just now and then we'll talk about Amelia after the Earth is safe?"
Rory nodded, "Okay."
The Doctor pulled a phone out of his pocket, adding Rory's number to it and thrust it at Rory, "Get to the hospital. Get everyone out of that ward. Clear the whole floor. Phone me when you're done."
x
"Rory!"
He turned to Patricia as she came running towards him across the hospital car park, "You can't be here. Something..."
"The Police Box," she cut him off, "It's appeared in the garden."
Rory nodded, "I thought it might have."
She stared at him confused, similar to the look she gave him when he explained Amelia's farewell message before she asked, "How?"
"Because I just met the Doctor," he explained.
"What?!" she stared at him, "Is she with him?"
Rory winced, "I don't know because there are aliens trying to destroy the world and I have to help."
Patricia stared at him before shrugging, "So what do we need to do?"
He took a breath, "You get everyone out of the hospital while I check the ward."
x
Rory stared in amazement at the man, now dressed in clothes he'd stolen from the lockers, who had just called back aliens who were going to blow up the planet and told them off.
"Okay," the strange man turned to Rory, "Let's talk about Amelia."
Rory let out a laugh, "I always wondered if maybe it wasn't true but meeting you, seeing what you just did I can even believe the time travel."
The Doctor held up his hand, "Rory, where is Amelia?"
"She's with you," Rory said before frowning confused, "Isn't she?"
The Doctor shook his head, "Rory, I left Amelia less than half an hour ago. I meant to get back to her in five minutes but the TARDIS took a little longer than I expected."
Rory stared at him horrified, "But that means..."
"I'm sorry, Rory," the Doctor apologised, "I don't know where Amelia is."
Bile rose up in his throat as the weight of the words came crashing down on him, Amelia hadn't gone with the Doctor. She hadn't spent the past twelve years having adventures. Something bad had happened to her.
The world around him spun and he felt two arms catch him before he was set down to sit against the wall.
"It's okay," the Doctor said, "Deep breaths. We'll work this out?"
"How?" Rory demanded grabbing the other man by his jacket letting out a cry when something burned him.
The Doctor pulled out a key which was glowing, "I have to get back to the TARDIS and make sure she's fixed."
Nodding absently Rory forced himself to his feet and followed the strange man.
x
The blue Police Box sat just to one side of the shed and Rory stared in amazement to see it.
"So that's your magic blue box," Rory whispered folding his arms across his chest.
The Doctor nodded patting the side of it affectionately, "This is the TARDIS."
"Small," Rory noted.
"There's no need to be rude," the Doctor noted before shaking his head, "Alright, about Amelia. Tell me everything."
Rory shrugged, "There's not much to tell. She disappeared one night."
"How did you know about me?" the Doctor asked.
"She left me a message," he explained, "I found it the next morning in our secret place and I know it was new because there was nothing there when I'd left earlier that afternoon."
The Doctor frowned, "Okay, I need to see the message."
Rory nodded, "It's at home."
"You go get that," the Doctor told him, "I need to check the TARDIS is working. I'll meet you back here in an hour?"
"Okay," Rory replied.
Two days later Rory resigned himself to the fact the other man was not coming back.
A few months had passed since all the weirdness happened in Leadworth and the Doctor had saved the world, Patricia shook her head fondly finding Rory fast asleep in the chair beside the hospital bed, still in his scrubs. Checking the woman on the bed she smiled to see she was awake.
"Hi, Mrs Williams," Patricia said softly, "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, dear," June Williams replied weakly, "Just a little tired."
Patricia nodded, knowing she was much sicker than she would ever admit.
"Has that grandson of mine gone home?" June asked.
Patricia winced and moved out the way so she could see Rory unconscious in the chair, "I'll move him."
"I was so glad when he met you and Josh," June sighed softly, "He's such a good boy but I know he finds it hard to make new friends after losing Amelia."
Patricia smiled at the old woman, "Well, it's easy to like Rory."
"I worry what he'll do after I die," June whispered, "I know he's only staying here for me."
"You don't have to worry," Patricia assured her, "We'll look after him, I promise."
June caught Patricia's hand, "Thank you. Can you make him go home for me just now?"
Patricia nodded, "Of course I will."
x
Rory stared at the coffin feeling Patricia and Josh on either side of him as he said goodbye to his grandmother. He knew she was dying. He was a nurse, he'd seen it plenty of times but for some reason he hadn't been prepared for losing her. Rory was also trying not to let his anger for his father take over, anger that the man couldn't get over his issues to come to his mother's funeral.
It was now a year and a half since the Doctor had appeared and told him that he had no idea where Amelia was, where Rory had discovered something had happened to her and then the Doctor had disappeared again. Losing his gran had thrown Rory into a world where he had no idea what he was going to do now. It was only his two friends standing by his side that kept him going, that kept him from just curling onto a ball of misery while everyone gave him their condolences. Finally they left the cemetery and Rory was guided to the pub where a wake had been set up.
"I can't do this," Rory whispered when they reached the entrance, "I can't..."
Patricia gently rubbed his back, "It's okay. Josh will take you back to the house. You can stay with us as long as you need."
Rory hugged her grateful for her support before he let Josh lead him back to the car. He'd been staying with them since his grandmother had died, unable to go back to the home he'd grown up in since she was no longer there.
Exhausted by the day Rory undid his tie and pulled off his jacket discarding them unseen on sofa before he dropped to sit.
It was time to leave Leadworth.
"Final day at work," Josh noted when Rory walked into the kitchen, "How did it go?"
Rory shrugged, "It seemed like any other day but we had cake."
Patricia chuckled, "Bring any for us?"
"Like there was any left," Rory rolled his eyes before looking at the couple before him, "I never would have made it to this without you two. You know that. I'm so grateful to both of you for becoming my friends and giving me a place to stay for the past few months."
Patricia moved and wrapped him in her arms, "You're our family, Rory. You know that and we will always be here for you."
"Even if we hate you for the fact you're going to see the world while we're stuck here," Josh teased, laughing when his fiancé smacked his arm.
Rory chuckled, "Well at least we'll meet up in Spain in a few months for your wedding."
"Let's have dinner," Patricia said, "And we'll celebrate your last night with us before you go travelling."
"Pizza is on the way," Josh told them.
x
Rory grimaced feeling Patricia shake him awake while calling his name. His sleep fogged brain wondered what was going on wincing when she shook him again.
"Go away," he murmured burying his face into his pillow.
"Rory," Patricia called, "You need to wake up."
Batting her away he sighed, "Go annoy your fiancé if you can't sleep."
"The blue box is back," Patricia told him.
Rory jumped awake, running to the window he saw the TARDIS sitting there. Pushing on his trainers he ran out the door with Patricia just behind him.
"Rory," the Doctor greeted when he exited his ship, "Sorry, little later than I intended but the TARDIS just rebuilt herself so there's always going to be a few glitches."
Rory stared at him, "A little later?"
"What is it?" the Doctor looked up, "A couple of hours."
"Try a couple of years," Rory snapped at him.
The Doctor winced, "Oops."
"Oops?" Rory yelled, "That's all you have to say? Because I have spent over a decade wondering what happened to my friend and you appear possibly with answers then bugger off for a few more years."
"I am sorry, Rory," the Doctor told him sincerely, "But I'm here now and I want answers as much as you do."
Sighing Rory said, "Alright."
"Do you have the letter she left you?"
With a grimace Rory nodded, "I'll be back in a minute. Do not move."
"I promise," the Doctor replied.
x
Rory found Amelia's letter grabbing the rucksack sitting packed for his trip. Reaching the box again he thrust the paper at the man aware of Patricia standing at his side.
The Doctor studied the letter for several moments, licking the paper making Rory wince in disgust.
"Alright," the Doctor finally said, "I will use the traces of Amelia to do my best to find her."
"I'm coming," Rory told him.
The Doctor stared at him for a few minutes before nodding, "Alright. Let's go."
"I'm coming too," Patricia said stopping Rory from arguing, "You're not doing this alone."
Rory stared at her for a few seconds before shrugging, "Tell Josh you're coming so he doesn't worry."
Patricia patted his arm, "I'll be right back."
Rory waited until she entered the house before turning to the Doctor, "We're going now."
"You know I have a time machine," the Doctor noted, "I can get you both back ten minutes ago."
"Your track record so far doesn't fill me with confidence," Rory replied, "I won't let Josh spend years wondering when she'll come back. So we go without her."
Opening the door to the TARDIS the Doctor let Rory inside smiling slightly when he stalled seeing the large room there. Closing the door he quickly started the engines and taking them into a temporal orbit. He glanced over to where Rory stared around the massive room inside the small box. He dropped his bag and slowly took a few steps further inside.
"It's...It's..."
"I know," the Doctor grinned before becoming serious, "Alright, this might take some time but I promise you, Rory that we will find what happened to Amelia."
Rory nodded.
The Doctor grinned, "Then let's get going."