Hello FanFiction,
This is a short one-shot I came up with one time when I was out driving around. I found myself parked across the street from a wedding reception and thought 'that doesn't sound like a bad idea for a quick story'. So I'm using MY Doctor from Rise of the Valeyard as part of this. I also imagined what it would be like for MY Doctor to run into one of his past selves, not the one that was directly in love with Rose, but rather the one who remembered what being in love with her was like after getting such a painful reminder in his first Christmas Special (no offense Moffat, that wasn't even subtle).
Anyways, here. Enjoy my first story that is in no way connected to my other story, She Always Knew.
She Always Knew
He stood off by the trees in the back yard.
He had meant to leave as soon as the wedding itself was over, but he couldn't bring himself to leave quite yet. He had forgotten that there was another special visitor this day.
It had finally happened. Rose Tyler and his Meta-Crisis clone finally tied the knot. It only took six years after being dumped here by him (their time, nearly twelve hundred years for him), a failed engagement, and a life-threatening experience with the Cybermen of Pete's World to finally convince them both to make each other happy. He had helped with the last part after teaming up with their Torchwood teams to take out the Cybermen.
The first thing he proved upon his return to the parallel universe was that he was no longer the Doctor that Rose had healed from the Time War. He was far worse. Twelve hundred years, three marriages, and more heartbreak than any one man should ever endure later, he was just shy of becoming his own worst enemy. Unlike his past four incarnations, he was willing to take a life if their intent was to harm or destroy without reason.
The thoughts running through his head seemed dark, but as he watched the reception at the Tyler mansion from a distance, he suddenly remembered some old words he had heard back when he wore a bow tie and a fez.
"One last day to spend with your Beloved, what day would you choose?"
He watched as Rose and her personal Doctor shared their first dance. He knew the song they were playing even if he was too far away to actually hear it. Moonlight Serenade by Glenn Miller, what else would it possibly be? As they twirled and danced around each other, the Doctor from his spot could feel another presence by him. Knowing the arrival of who it was, he simply posed a question without facing the man.
"I guess that answers your question, doesn't it Chinny?"
His younger self couldn't bring himself to stand right next to him, lest a paradox be risked for too long. The Doctor knew where he had just come from. He had just dropped off Amy and Rory after their somewhat failed honeymoon attempt and the whole incident with Kazran Sardick. The younger Doctor finally looked at the scene before him and said, "I'm surprised you remember all of this..."
"As River Song says, 'Spoilers'." The Doctor laughed and nearly winced. How long had it been for him since he had even seen River? At least eight hundred years or so. His younger self wasn't too amused by that statement.
"Hmm. So I guess I never do quite get over giving her up, do I?" The older one smiled sadly.
"No, although it's not why I'm here. I got here by accident, only to have to re-set them up and make sure they both have the one adventure we'll never have. You haven't bumped into Sandshoes by accident, have you?"
The younger one shook his head, and the older one breathed a sigh of relief as they both smiled.
"So how is it that I come by with an American accent? Do I marry Jack in the future?" Both laughed at the absurdity of such a possibility but the older Doctor adjusted his black vest and shook his head.
"No, and thank Rassilon for it," he replied, "but I hope to find out sooner versus later." They both kept watching the dancing as Chinny could figure out his older self was hiding something. "And maybe someday figure out this whole Valeyard ordeal I was given as a prophecy." Chinny grew dark at the mere mention of that dreadful incarnation.
"I thought we put him in the past, why is he being brought up again?"
"Simple. We never became him, though I got the feeling he was right under my nose the entire time I was here, but after seeing him and Rose finally work things out, there's no way our clone can be him. You know I can't tell you much more."
Chinny put on his best fake smile.
"Of course, well I saw what I came to see, no need to say what I thought I needed to. Clearly you took care of all that for me." He paused as he started towards his TARDIS and faced his future self. "I won't remember this, will I?" The Doctor beamed at his slightly naïve younger self.
"Never say that. I started remembering this as a dream sometime after it happened when I was you. I know you force yourself not to sleep much, but give it a try sometime. You might find something worth holding on to."
With those words, Chinny dashed back to his TARDIS and just before shutting the doors to go back to their home universe he stuck his head out and shouted "Pond's wedding was more fun anyway!" After shutting the doors, the older Doctor was left hearing the typical sound of the TARDIS. That sound that him and basically everyone else loved to hear. The wheezing and grinding of the brakes in places, and he never cared to change that. Seconds later, his younger self's TARDIS was gone from view, back home, where it belonged.
As he gazed upon the wedding party one last time, he took in the sight of everyone.
Jake, the blondie with the attitude problem, had proven himself not only as a great friend to both the Meta-Crisis and to Rose, but proved to give a more than worthwhile Best Man speech.
Little Tony, though he wasn't quite so little anymore as he was now ten years old and almost as tall as his mum, who had made a great choice as the Ring Bearer for his big sister's big day.
Jackie and Pete looked old, if he was gonna be honest with himself. He meant that in every nice way possible, but they were both definitely older. Jackie with some obvious hair dye to cover up stress from her past ten years living the high life. Pete was still bald as ever, but at age sixty-three, he didn't look half bad. Maybe his so-called health drinks actually had some health benefits.
Rassilon forbid that on his own wedding day, the Meta-Crisis was wearing that old blue suit instead of trying on something a little more formal. The Doctor had offered to let him keep the "Tux of Doom" but after casually mentioning that he had once died in it, his clone had declined the offer, saying that it was better luck for him when someone other than this incarnation wore it. Yet, it seemed too perfect for the occasion, hence why the Doctor made sure he didn't wear it as to avoid any last second alien invasions or him trying to object the wedding or some kind of craziness that only seemed to happen to him.
Finally, his eyes focused on the woman in the white dress. The blonde shop girl he had met over twelve hundred years in his past and did more to change his life than he ever thought could ever have been possible. Rose Tyler could not have been more beautiful on her wedding day, considering she was a human. He hated to admit it, but not even Marilyn Monroe at their accidental wedding could have compared to the sight a hundred yards ahead of him.
He noticed that he caught her attention, by accident most likely. She smiled as she mouthed "Thank you". A tear rolled down the Time Lord's cheek but he did nothing about it as he beamed like a child in a candy store. With a nod of his head and his signature two-finger salute, he turned towards his beloved ship. His true wife.
He pushed the dual doors open as he stopped himself halfway through the opening and turned around to gaze upon Rose Tyler one last time. He debated a million times in his head within seconds of whether actually divulging the fact that he did love her and always would. As he continued to watch, he could see the traditional glass tapping occur. As the Meta-Crisis took his new wife in and bent her over for a kiss, that answered the Doctor's question.
"She always knew." With those words, he entered and closed the doors behind him. The TARDIS sent him a wave of happiness, and he thanked the Old Girl as he pulled the lever to go home. A mad man with His box, off to travel through time and space.