New York City

United States of America

2012

It happened in seconds.

One moment they were all celebrating, ecstatic that they'd managed to not just escape the Weeping Angels but actually deal them such a blow that the stony bastards would never bother them or anyone else ever again. The paradox Amy and Rory had created in the name of love had reset the timeline and giving the Angels such 'food poisoning' that it was inconceivable that they would survive. The happy couple had grabbed each other and hopped up and down, thrilled that their mad plan had worked. Amy had just released Rory and turned to talk to the Doctor when it happened.

Rory was on the ground, groaning and rubbing his shoulder in pain. River was standing over him, still panting after violently tossing him to the grass. Amy let out a squawk of protest but that died in her throat as she turned and gazed at just what had been standing behind her husband.

An Angel.

"Sorry dad," River said, never taking her eyes off the Angel with its bared fangs and talon-like fingers reaching for them. The Doctor had whipped around, his screwdriver aimed at the stone monster, but River merely clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Mummy, without looking away from this bastard kindly push my dear husband away and explain to him that screwdrivers aren't offensive weapons." The Doctor's wife walked up to the frozen Angel, her lips quirking to form a cold, joyless smile. "Hello there."

"River, be very careful!" The Doctor exclaimed. "Even quantum-lcoked it is a danger!"

"Oh, I know, sweetie, which is why I am going to take care of this pest right now."

Rory, shaken from his near recapture by the Weeping Angel, hurried to his feet and moved to stand next to Amy. "What are you going to do? You can't break it or even hurt it, really. Right Doctor? You can't take a sledge to it because if you could we would have done that a long time ago."

"Right," the Doctor said, pocketing his screwdriver while still keeping an eye on the Angel. "They are tricky little pebbles, able to heal themselves even from that type of damage."

"Oh, but I don't need to damage you, do I?" River said to the creature, leaning in close like the Angel was a long lost lover. "You are sick, aren't you? So very, very sick. That little paradox poisoned all of you and you can feel that nasty time energy eating away at you. The others fell and died but you've managed to hold on but your gripe is slipping. You need just a taste of the good stuff to heal yourself. Didn't matter who, really, but he would provide you with a nice big meal. Be like chicken soup on a cold winter's night." She reached down and removed her Vortex Manipulator. With great care she pressed a few commands into the device before strapping it onto the Angel's wrist. "Don't worry… I set it to self destruct once you're gone… only a one way trip for you. Figure you might enjoy the irony. Now, I don't know if there is truly a Hell for creatures like you, but if there is remind the Devil that I am a daddy's girl… and I don't like it when people mess with my father." She leapt back and with a sizzling jolt the Angel disappeared, leaving nothing to show it had ever been there. "Well, that was fun!" River said with a grin, clapping her hands together. "Who wants Chinese?"

"River… what did you do?" Amy asked.

"Sent the Angel back in time, of course!"

"But… but all you did was unleash it on someone else," Rory protested, not liking the idea that they had just doomed someone else to the fate he'd barely escaped.

"Not if she sent it all the way back," the Doctor said slowly.

"I'm sorry but what?" Amy said, turning and staring at the Time Lord. She subconsciously reached over and grasped Rory's hand in her own. "Back where?"

"Back back… to the beginning," the Doctor said quietly.

"Of?" Rory questioned.

"Time itself," River said rather proudly. "Broke at least 20 Gallifreyian laws doing so but I doubt too many will mind. And if they do they shouldn't have been surprised… I've been disregarding the rules since I was a toddler."

Amy looked away, brow furrowed, before looking back at the Doctor, frustrated. "Ok, I'd like a straight answer please."

It was River though who answered. "The Angel wasn't just sick it was dying. Paradoxes will do that to them." River shook her head and chuckled. "Now… now what you two did, that was like take anthrax and mixing it with cyanide and adding a dash of arsenic. Nasty stuff. The only way to cure that is to pump their systems clean and they'd need time energy for that. But it couldn't be just from a normal person… that wouldn't work. It would take a thousand newborns, each one destined to live to 120, to generate that much time energy. They needed a source of unnatural time energy… you two."

"Us?" Rory said. "Unnatural?"

"Well, maybe you," Amy joked before turning serious. "Ok then, so to stop it you sent the Angel back in time…"

Rory wagged his finger at River, suddenly getting it. "So it can only send things back to only seconds instead of decades!"

"Exactly!" River said with delight. "Sure, there are plenty of creatures for it to try and send back but it is on borrowed time and can only work with seconds and minutes instead of years. It'd be like me slicing up an apple to the size of atoms and telling you to eat it in a minute one bite at a time!"

"Can't be done!" Amy said, hugging River. "Oh, you are brilliant! Utterly brilliant! You get that from me, you know."

"Oi! She does not!" Rory complained. "I'm the one that actually went to college."

"I went to college," Amy stated.

"Going to keggers with Mels does not count."

"Mmm, those were fun times," River said with a grin. "I remember that bloke you took to the hallway closet back at the New Year's party… now he was strapping. No offense, dad."

Amy blinked, realizing that her daughter was also her childhood best friend… and married to her other best friend. "We lead strange lives."

"Indeed," the Doctor said softly, speaking up for the first time since River had begun her explanation.

River looked at the Doctor, confused. "Oh, come on now, sweetie, don't pout. I know you like to be the dashing hero saving the day with some clever plan but it is nice once and a while to let someone else have a turn. You make a lovely companion."

Rory stepped forward, seeing clearly that the Doctor wasn't pouting. In fact the nurse was quite sure that he'd never seen the Doctor look so utterly broken. Not even when Amy had died had the Doctor been so despondent. "What's wrong?"

The Doctor did his best to smile but his eyes, those soulful old eyes that seemed to hold galaxies within them, could not hide his sorrow. "You can't ever travel with me again."

Amy stared at the Doctor, annoyance and disbelief battling for dominance in her heart. "We… what? Of course we are going to travel with you! You think a little thing like dying is going to stop us? Rory dies every other week."

"Yeah!" Rory said before what Amy had stated registered. "Wait, no… I don't die that much."

"You're the man who dies and dies again. Just accept it," Amy said. "So come on, let's go-"

"No," the Doctor said, shaking his head and walking away from them. "You… you can't travel with me anymore. You can't."

"Doctor, be reasonable," River said soothingly. "They survived the paradox and the Angels-"

"Exactly!" The Doctor proclaimed. "Don't any of you see?" He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "You said it yourself, Amy: you don't lead normal lives. You two have died several times, you've lived in at least two timelines… or three, I honestly lost count… you've conceived a daughter with Time Lord DNA, been held by the Silence, been reborn as a plastic Roman, spent thousands of years either trapped in the Pandorica or guarding the bloody thing… I've had companions go through wild adventures but never like the ones you two have experienced."

"Yes yes, we've had wonderful adventures," Amy groused. "Maybe one day I'll make a scrap book. That is the exact reason why we should keep going, because we're use to it!"

"But you still don't get it!" the Doctor roared, making the three flinch. He took several breaths, calming his nerves. "Certain species are built to handle those things. Time Lords, for example. For us it is a run of the mill thing to break the laws of time and space. But for humans? Oh, that is quite unnatural and every time you do it you leave a mark on yourself. And that mark… that mark is like seasoning for a Weeping Angel. Makes the time energy tastier and more mouth watering."

"So… we're delicious steaks?" Rory asked.

The Doctor laughed but it was such a sad sound that the three Ponds wished he had been screaming or crying instead. "Yes, yes you are. Everyone else in the world is like a hamburger you get out of a vending machine while you two are Kobe beef. That's why the Angels are drawn to you… that's why they pursued you so recklessly. A Time Lord and a TARDIS? Yes, those are very fine and filling meals but you two are delicacies."

Amy swallowed and grabbed Rory's hand once more, looking about for more Weeping Angels.

"No, no need for that," the Doctor said, finally managing to make his tone light. "The Angels are going to avoid you now, what with the paradox and what River did to that desperate one. Don't ask me how they'll get the word out but they will. Aren't worth the risk. You're tasty but not enough."

"That's good then, right?" Amy said. "No more Weeping Angels."

River, however, understood the Doctor's fear. "But if you step into the TARDIS you are just going to keep adding to your flavor… and soon the Angels will feel you are worth the risk."

"Right now you are safe," the Doctor said. "But continually traveling with me? That would ensure that the Angels would be after you in weeks… and in much greater numbers. They won't make the same mistakes this time." The Time Lord sat down on a headstone, hoping the soul whose body it marked wouldn't mind. "I can't let you two risk yourselves like that again."

Amy processed this, despair and anger flooding her veins. She marched up to the Doctor and jabbed him in the chest. "So what, that's it? You just go running off and we never see you again? Go hide in your blue box and expect us to be happy about it? You think we can just go on and never… never see…" Her voice petered out as despair won.

The Doctor gathered her in his arms, stroking her back as she cried. "Now now, none of that. Just because you can't go on adventures anymore doesn't mean I'll stop seeing you. I still have your address and you have my number so you can call me anytime you need." He pushed Amy softly away and smiled. "How about we make it that the first Saturday of every month I come to dinner, huh? Just us. I can catch you up on what I did and if I have some free time we can have another day like this… without the Weeping Angels and old Rory."

"And I'll make sure he keeps his word," River said with a dark, threatening smile that had the Doctor wincing.

Amy nodded, tears still in her eyes. "But… but it won't be the same."

"No, it won't," the Doctor admitted.

Rory moved and hugged his wife from behind. "I… I suppose this is it then?"

The Doctor nodded. "Yes. I can't even risk taking you back home. River will figure out a way to get you back… she's clever like that." The Time Lord stuck out his hand. "Rory… you are a better man than I."

The nurse grasped the Doctor's hand, his own eyes blurring with tears. "I'll hold you to those dinners… if you make me deal with Amy crying over you being late…"

"Daleks won't delay me," the Doctor said before releasing Rory's hand and gently pressing his palms against Amy's cheeks. "Amelia Pond… the first face this face ever saw."

"Doctor… are you sure-"

"I'm sure."

Amy managed a firm nod. "Then… what do you want for dinner next month?"

The Doctor smiled at that. "Fish fingers and custard."

"Deal," Amy said, blinking back new tears.

"River…"

The time traveler merely smiled at her husband. "I'll get them home… and then work on how to get myself back on the road. They might not be able to travel but I've never been one for staying in the same place, be it a cell or a bed."

"I'll see you when I least expect you." The Doctor turned towards the TARDIS, the doors opening as he trudged towards them.

"Doctor!" Amy called out. "Where will you go now?"

The Eleventh Doctor paused, his hand on the TARDIS' side, his head lowered. After a moment he turned back, all signs of sadness forced down as he plastered on his best smile. "Oh, wherever this old girl takes me!" With that he hurried inside, unable to look at them a second more. Amy, Rory and River all watched in quiet muted grief as the TARDIS' engines issued the familiar grinding, whirring noise before the blue box, and the madman within, disappeared from the graveyard and their lives.

~DW~DW~DW~

Arendelle

Norway

1843

"Alright, alright, I'm going!" the Doctor complained, buttoning his shirt. For the last week (or week relative to him) the Doctor had stayed in the TARDIS, allowing it to float through time and space at its leisure. He'd told himself that he couldn't decide where he wanted to go but he knew deep in his heart that that was nothing more than a lie. Even though he'd see them again in three weeks it still felt as if he'd lost Amy and Rory forever and he'd needed time to grieve the departure of his friends. That was what they were, after all: friends. He'd had plenty of companions; he'd had a few lovers as well. But no one, other than perhaps Donna, had been his true best friend since the Time War. It hurt to walk through the TARDIS and see their room or to spot something of interest only to realize there was no one to share it with. He knew WHY they had to go and he would never have allowed them to take the risk of continuing with him… but that didn't make it hurt any less.

He had thought he'd done very well in his 'moving on' process, handling it like the mature 1,200 Time Lord. Others might have disagreed, seeing the hooded bathrobe, Cookie Monster slippers (a gift from Amy) and week's worth of stubble as a sign that he was coping rather poorly but they just didn't understand. And yes, having imaginary conversations where he debating these style choices rather than bathing might also have been a bad sign but the Doctor chose to ignore those Negative Nancys.

The TARDIS, though, disagreed. After seven days of wandering the halls eating all of Amy's emergency ice cream (yes, he knew where she hid it) he'd awoken this day to find that every doorway led to the shower. Taking a hint he'd washed away seven days' worth of funk only to find that the hallways led to his wardrobe and, after that, to the main console room. He'd finally realized that the old girl wasn't going to let him mope anymore and he'd set about getting dressed.

"Can I at least see where we are first?" The Doctor asked in annoyance. When the TARDIS did not respond he took it as a yes and when to one of the main viewing screens. "Alright, let's have a look here. Arendelle, mid 19th century. Hmmm, don't remember that one. On Earth though, so that's a plus. Guess you're easing me back into things, huh?" He patted the console. "Well, I suppose a nice summer stroll would be nice. Clear out the cobwebs and such. Maybe I can pick up some chocolates for Amy… to make up for all the ice cream." He kicked one of the emptied tubs away as he made his way to the door. "Now then, let us-"

The moment the TARDIS open the Doctor was hit by an icy blast that nearly had him flying backwards. He shook his head, wet droplets of snow falling from his hair as he quickly shut the door. He paused, looking at the TARDIS screen that clearly said it was summer, and then opened the door again only to receive another arctic punch for his trouble.

"Something is very wrong here," the Doctor said, shutting the door and hurrying out of the control room. After a few minutes he returned, his normal clothing traded for his 'winter gear': double layered insolated pants, a heavy dress shirt under a padded vest, a long wool coat, a pair of finely knitted gloves he'd picked up on Toralo 9, thick soled hiking boots, and of course his bowtie (this one blue with little snowflakes on it). He paused, smirking, before he reached up and snagged a faux fur-lined bomer hat with incredibly long ear flaps. River and Amy would never have allowed him to wear it and now was the perfect chance to try it out. His hands waivered a final time as he considered one particular item. "Oh… why not? Break out a classic!"

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS and tossed the tail end of his long, multicolored scarf over his shoulder before marching towards the castle that loomed in the distance.

The city was an interesting one. It was clear that the people of this town were just as surprised as he was to see snow and icy winds. Planter boxes held frozen flowers, men and women dressed for a summer's night shivered and hurried inside, and chimneys belched out smoke as dark fireplaces were lit months before they were supposed to. The citizens were murmuring and whispering to themselves, debating just what was going on, and the Time Lord could sense that fear and confusion were growing every second. Some were trying to help others; he spotted a short-haired woman in a regal dress and a chameleon on her shoulder helping an old man inside while her husband wrangled up the old timer's grandkids. Others, however…

"This… this is madness, shear madness!"

The Doctor smiled and quickly followed the whiny voice. "Bingo," he muttered, spotting a short aristocrat, complete with garish jacket, massive white mustache, and wire-rim glasses, complaining to his servants. The Doctor smirked. While annoying and troublesome, such people were also a font of knowledge if you knew how to talk to them.

"How could none of you known about this? I… I risk my life going into that accursed castle! I could have died and worse!"

"Worse than death?" the Doctor asked, stepping forward. "Then this must be serious."

"Who are you?" the whiny man demanded, wagging his finger at the Doctor. "A spy? A demon?" He shrank down slightly. "A Dane?"

"No to the first, been called the second, and do I look like a large dog?" The Doctor pulled out his psychic paper, flashing it for them all to see. "I am Hans Christian Anderson, meteorologist. We'd gotten some reports about strange weather at headquarters and I was sent to investigate." The Doctor began to walk around the short man, occasionally kicking at the snow. "Now, who am I addressing?"

"I am the Duke of Wesselton," the whiny man said.

"Ah, yes, of course."

"You know of us?" the Duke said.

"No."

"Oh. Well… well, I must say I am rather surprised you got here so soon!"

"Oh, and what do you mean by that?" The Doctor asked, taking out his sonic screwdriver and scanning an icicle.

The Duke began to stammer. "I only mean that I am surprised as this only occurred an hour ago…"

"An hour? Really? What type of fool do you take me for? Such a buildup of snow and ice would take more than an hour to accumulate." The Doctor hurried over to the Duke, leaning towards him and forcing the man to bend backwards at an alarming curve. The Doctor pointed his screwdriver under the Duke's chin, the old man eyeing it warily. "What are you trying to hide, hmmm? Do you know it is a crime to lie to a meteorologist?"

"I don't even know what a meteorologist is!" the Duke whimpered.

"A meteorologist is a very dangerous man and not one you want to lie to. We have the ear of kings and Popes and game show hosts. I am not someone you want on your bad side so I suggest you give me some answers before I throw you in my meteorologist prison!"

"You… you have no right-"

"No right!" The Doctor thundered. "No right? I'm a meteorologist, I can do whatever I want!"

"Ok, ok, please!" The Duke whimpered. "I was not lying to you! This… this all happened within an hour, just ask anyone!" Several people, not just the Duke's bodyguards, nodded in agreement. "It was the Queen's fault… she did this! She waved her hand and created this snow and ice and has frozen this entire town before making her escape! She's a sorceress or a monster or a demon!"

"A sorceress or a monster or a demon, hmmm?" The Doctor said, pointing his screwdriver at a mound of snow. "Poppycock. There is nothing unnatural about this snow. If it were to suddenly appear then why is it clearly… only an hour old." The Doctor pursed his lips together. "Huh. Well, that… is unexpected." Slipping the sonic back into his coat pocket the Doctor whipped around and clapped his hands, a grin on his youthful face. "Luckily for you I am here to help!"

"Help?" Someone in the crowd called out. "How?"

"I will find your queen and determine if she really is a monster or if someone has replaced her with a monster."

"Re-replaced her?" the Duke asked.

The Doctor nodded. "Oh yes, happens all the time. Some oogie boogie scurries in and switches out the darling queen is some hideous pulsing fleshy beast. The disguise is so good no one realizes it, not even themselves." He tapped the Duke on the shoulder. "You could be one right now and not even know it."

"I could? Oh… oh my!" The Duke began to pat himself while several of his guards backed away in fright. "Please, Mr. Anderson, you must do something!"

"And I intend to! I will find your queen, find out if she is a monster or a demon or a… what was the last one again?"

"A sorceress and it was actually the first one," a tall man dressed in a white jacket and who sported rather impressive sideburns stated.

"Right, thank you…"

"Prince Hans. Of the Southern Isles."

The Doctor frowned. "Hmmm… that will be awkward, having two Hans. Since I am the meteorologist I will keep the name. From now on you are… Jim. Thank you, Prince Jim." The Doctor looked about. "So… where did the monster queen go?"

"That way, Mr. Anderson," one of the guards said, pointing north.

"Right! I'll be back in a jiff. Do try to stay warm and not resort to cannibalism." With that the Doctor set forth, clapping his hands in delight. "Suddenly appearing ice, runaway queens, potential supernatural occurrences? Oh, this will be a fun one!"

~DH~DH~DH~

Author's Notes: Now, before any of you panic and begin screaming about me starting another fan fic… this one is already done. All the chapters were written over the course of two days off. So unlike my other stories, I am able to post this and you can know that it will be updated and finished.

I have no idea where this idea came from but I love it. Taking the Doctor and having him interact with this cast… as I wrote it the entire thing just felt right. Like this was the true story and the movie isn't showing us what really happened.

The opening is my fix for The Angels Take Manhattan. A great episode with the most plot-holey ending ever. You're telling me that Amy and Rory had no way back? That there was nothing that could be done? Bull… crap. It was just lazy writing and I set about fixing it while also giving myself a way to have them stop being his companions. If I do sequels rest assure that Amy and Rory will return.

River is a very hard character to write for. The flirty part is easy but trying to get everything else… it comes off very hard. The Doctor, Amy, and Rory? Flowed naturally. But I keep second-guessing myself on River.

Some of you maybe be wondering how I will deal with magic, as Doctor Who makes it clear magic isn't real but is science that is misinterpreted as magic. I will be following that guideline and have come up with a reason for Elsa's powers that is going to be VERY interesting.

Finally... yes, there is a small cameo in here. I couldn't help but include it.

Next chapter the Doctor wanders into Wanderin' Oaken's Trading Post and meets up with a certain Princess and Ice Harvester…