Calling Names
It was an accident. A horrible one, if you think about it.
It was usual day in TARDIS where Amy and Rory are leaning on the console and the Doctor is talking endlessly when River suddenly appears in front of the door. She is greeted by her parents and husband, who notices a slight sigh of relief River lets out, thanking that she's on the right timeline. The Doctor plants a quick peck on the lips of her wife. She is delighted.
"So, family outing?" Rory suggests. The Doctor rambles on some of best places to go in the universe- some kind of beach, he says, making the girls excited. They successfully land-with a little help from River which the Doctor doesn't notice- on some kind of planet that neither Amy nor Rory can pronounce. But they decide not even to try.
"Better be quick!" The Doctor calls after his companions rush to their room for clothing and other preparation. He gently caresses the console and looks at the scanner when River comes back to the control room.
"Sweetie?" She approaches to the Doctor and leans against him. He could see her body trembling. The Doctor hugs her, who lets out a soft sob.
"What's wrong?"
"…Spoilers." River managed to chock out the words. She blinked, thinking about Manhattan.
"I hate that word." He growls. "You know, I can just go in and use telepathic field to look into your mind."
"You wouldn't." River flatly stated, keeping herself in the position so the Doctor embraced her tightly.
"Maybe I would. Why not?" The Doctor murmured, kissing River's top of the head.
"Because it would rip the universe apart if you know your future and try to change it."
"I won't change anything. Just tell me, show me what's making you cry." He pleaded. River closed her eyes, feeling her husband's double heartbeat. She thought about telling him about how her parents disappeared, how they both can never be seen by Amy and Rory in their further timelines. She stopped herself thinking. If he does find out, he will try to stop it, no matter what.
"I can't tell you anything, you know that- that's the rule." River answered fiercely, letting herself out from her husband's arms.
"My rules. But not anymore. It doesn't have to be this way!" The Doctor retorted, frustrated. He was getting tired of back to front timey-wimey-ness. As he started to discover some facts about River and him, the more frustrating it was that he couldn't tell anything or even see each other often.
"Don't be ridiculous! It could cause something that would destroy our whole relationship, worse, our existence! You know that like nobody else does, Theta!" River angrily yelled, and the Doctor flinched as he heard his name being called.
"I-" But the Doctor was interrupted by Amy clearing her throat. She and Rory approached them, looking nervous.
"Sorry to interrupt, but is there anything we can help?" Rory said worriedly, looking at the Doctor and his daughter.
"No, we're fine. Really. We were having- what do you call it, domestic dispute, that's it- yeah; we're having one of those. Not to worry. Just minor quarrel." The Doctor rambled, nervously scratching his chin.
"You sure? We heard something about destroying the relationship, so we're really worried. And what did you say, River? 'Theta'? What's 'Theta'?" Amy questioned, looking at her daughter. River, as well as the Doctor took a sharp gasp and looked at each other. The Doctor growled and mouthed something like 'What were you thinking?'.
"Tell me whatever that is. I won't let this one slip." Amy said, crossing her arms.
"Mother dear, I think you'd best not." River replied, still annoyingly glaring at the Doctor. The Doctor growled as he nervously fiddled with his bowtie and jacket button holes.
"We're your parents, River, and I think we deserve the truth." Rory chided in, demanding an answer.
The Doctor stared at his companions a bit and sighed. "It's my name." He said in a blunt tone. It took a while for Amy and Rory to recognize and process what the Doctor had just told them.
"What did you say?" Amy blankly repeated.
"Theta, that's my name. Theta Sigma." The Doctor confessed. Amy and Rory both froze, and then suddenly Amy blurted out her laughter as she got over the shock.
"That's a hilarious name!" Amy almost had tears in her eyes. "That's your real name?"
"Of course not! It's not my real name; it's just what my old friends and family used to call me when I was young."
"And by young you mean?" Rory raised an eyebrow.
"Until I chose my name 'the Doctor' in a psychiatrist's field day. I had my young years, you know, was born, spent childhood, went to academy and all- I didn't just pop out of nowhere aged 900 years old."
"You went to school?!" Amy said incredulously.
"Of course I did, Pond, where do you think I learned all these stuff?" The Doctor retorted. Amy laughed at how normal the Doctor was in some sense. He looked always so far away from a life they'd call normal. She wondered about the Doctor's family and old friends. He rarely told her any of stories back home; maybe this was the last chance to ask.
"Can you tell us about your family, Doctor? I mean, Theta?" Amy grinned. The Doctor frowned and scratched his hair. He nervously turned to River who showed no intension to help him. The Doctor looked at Amy and Rory who were still waiting for response. He felt like they were never this curious about anything. The Doctor sighed.
"Well, I don't really…"
"But we're your in-laws, Theta," said Amy, emphasizing his name, "We want to make sure that you came from a decent family and judge you by it." River laughed at that, and Rory still looked at him dubiously.
"Alright. Alright. Uh, what do you want to know?" The Doctor gave up and put his hands on his hips, giving them 'ask-me-anything-I'm-brilliant' look.
"Well, obviously for some reason you can't tell us your real name, so just tell us a bit about your family. Like parents, siblings- did you have any siblings?"
The Doctor flinched at that. He thought a bit and nodded. "I had a brother. Irving Braxiatel, that's his name. He was well, uh, into politics. He held many positions in the council; he was like an ambassador of Gallifrey."
"Good reputation. I like him already." Amy joked. "I'm hoping he doesn't have a personality like you."
"What's wrong with me?!" The Doctor retorted. "In some ways, he is bit more sensible than I am, I have to admit, but where's fun in that?" He smugly smiled.
"So he is a lot like you, only more sensible. Eh." Rory thought a bit. "Is that inheritable? Is it that your family has some problem with self-esteem?"
"Hey, don't diss the House of Lungbarrow! We, like you said, Pond, have good reputation and turned out countless Chancellors and Cardinals! Not just that, but we also had many Lord Presidents in our family!" The Doctor blurted out. The Ponds just looked at him, trying not to miss anything what's he's slipping off. Rory's plan- not exactly a plan- seemed to have worked, making the Doctor overexcited about his past.
"Lord Presidents?" Amy raised her eyebrow.
"Including me, that is." The Doctor finished. "You're seeing the 407th and 409th President of the Supreme Council of Gallifrey and All His Dominions, Holder of the Wisdom of Rassilon, Preserver of the Matrix, Guardian of the Legacy of Omega." The Doctor proudly straightened his bowtie.
The Ponds stared at him in awe. River knew that the Doctor had been Lord President, but had never seen him acknowledge it so proudly.
"Who elects you for presidency?" Rory blankly said, ridiculed.
"Oi, I served two terms!" The Doctor argued, slightly hurt. "which in both I fled almost immediately." The Doctor shivered at the memory.
"What happened?" Amy joyously asked, both surprised and delighted that he's actually revealing himself.
"A long story. A really long story that involves half of my regenerations. Literally." The Doctor scratched his chin. "And we don't have any time for that, because beautiful purple beach is waiting for us! Come on!" He headed towards the door, more excited than usual. He almost tripped himself off the stairs where River caught him.
"Thank you." Amy said, approaching the couple. The Doctor looked at her, not knowing what's going on. "For sharing your story."
"Oh, that, don't mind. You're my family now, all of you, so I just thought you deserved-" The Doctor was stopped by Amy and River hugging him. Rory stood in front of them, patting the Doctor's shoulder. 'Good one,' Rory mouthed. The Doctor nodded and smiled gently. Yes, they were his family. And he couldn't be-
"So does that mean we can call you Theta?"
-happier.
The End