They didn't bury the Doctor's body. Instead they laid it in a rowing boat, doused him in petrol and set fire to it. It moved gently across the lake, flames rising high into the air as they licked the wood of the boat and the body of the Time Lord. As River had pointed out, even the body of a Time Lord was a miracle and they couldn't risk anyone getting their hands on him.
Amy had found it the most difficult to let go. Not that the others hadn't been devastated. As they laid the Doctor out in the boat Evie had had to hold Amy up. Her knees had buckled as she'd broken into sobs, clinging to the younger girl. Rory had helped River lay the Doctor out and pour the petrol over him. Then he pushed the boat onto the lake and threw in a match, watching it burst into flames. Amy pulled herself out of Evie's embrace and stepped forwards a couple of paces as the boat drifted away.
Now Evie found herself standing next to the old man who'd brought the petrol can. She wondered briefly who he was and what he was doing here, but then she sent him a weak smile as he glanced across at her. He laid a gentle hand on her forearm and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"I'm sorry, Evie." He said in a low voice.
The girl nodded sadly, before turning and walking to stand beside River. They didn't speak. Nor did they look at each other. After hesitating for a moment or two, Evie reached out and took River's hand. This time River didn't let go, but she didn't hold it as firmly as she usually did. She just let her hand lie limply in her daughter's. In silence they stood and watched the boat burning.
"Who are you? Why did you come?" River asked finally, dropping Evie's hand and walking forwards to stand beside the old man. It was only then that Evie realised that he had known her name somehow. As far as she remembered she'd never met him before in her life.
Rather than answering, he pulled out an envelope, TARDIS blue and identical to the one the Doctor had given her. River did the same, holding hers next to his.
"Doctor Song." He said with a smile. The man looked at each of them in turn. "Amy, Rory, Evie. I'm Canton Everett Delaware III. I won't be seeing you again, but you'll be seeing me." Then he put on his cap, nodded at River, picked up the petrol can and walked away from the four companions.
They watched him go, silent for a few moments, before River turned with wide eyes. "Four."
"Sorry, what?" Rory asked. They all looked confused, not just him, so she elaborated.
"The Doctor numbered the envelopes. Let's get back to that diner and I'll explain what I'm thinking."
"Why is that important?" Evie asked as they made their way back up the sandy hill towards the car.
"I'll explain at the diner." River replied, slightly snappily. Evie guessed that she was still annoyed at the slip she'd made by shouting 'Mum'. "What number was on your envelope? I'm assuming you got one?"
"Yeah… 2B."
"Hmmm…." River's eyebrows furrowed again and she slid behind the steering wheel, slamming the door. Rory and Amy were already in the back, so Evie sighed and got into the passenger seat. Apparently her mother was a lot moodier when she was younger.
x-x
"You got three," River told her parents as they walked into the diner, "I was two, Evie got 2B and Mr Delaware was four."
"So?" Rory asked, shooting Evie a curious look. The girl had to admit that it wasn't exactly sly of the Doctor to give her the same number as her mother with a 'B' tagged on the end.
"So? Where's one?"
"What you think he invited someone else?" Rory pressed. Evie was watching Amy clutching the booth beside her for support.
"Amy…?" Evie murmured, sliding an arm around her waist. The red-head glanced at her without even seeing her. River and Rory had walked on, still talking, but Evie stayed with Amy who seemed rooted to the floor. "Come on… we've got to carry on. We can't just give up."
"Will you shut up, it doesn't matter." She said quietly.
"It does… Amy…" Evie tried to reassure her, but she just shook her head, pushing the younger girl away.
"He's dead."
"I know… we know… but…" Evie looked desperately to her mother and grandfather for help, but they weren't paying any attention, still discussing the envelopes and what the numbering might mean.
"You're still talking, but it doesn't matter." Amy said, louder this time.
Rory heard her and moved closer. "Hey, it mattered to him."
"So it matters to us." River agreed.
"He's dead." Amy whispered, her eyes glinting manically. Rory had moved to her side now, taking Evie's place. She moved towards the counter, leaning heavily against it. The coldness of the surface and the pain of it digging into her back helped to override the pain of watching the Doctor's lifeless body burning. She still couldn't believe it. Unlike Amy, however, she knew they had to work out what he had meant them to do and do it.
"But he still needs us." River pointed out, stepping closer. "I know, Amy, I know. But right now we have to focus."
Rory was staring at a table near the back of the diner. Evie followed the direction of his gaze in an attempt to work out what he was seeing. He tapped River on the shoulder, alerting her attention as well.
"Look…"
At the same time River and her daughter realised what he had spotted. Another envelope lay on the table. Rory asked the man behind the counter who'd been sitting there while the two woman rushed to the table. The older of the two picked up the envelope and showed it to Evie. Written on the flap, in the same silver lettering, was a '1'.
"But who?" Evie breathed. "Who was number one."
River glanced at her, then turned to the other two. "The Doctor knew he was going to his death, so he sent out messages. When you know it's the end, who do you call?"
"Err… your friends? People you trust?" Rory suggested.
"Number one." The woman held up the envelope, showing them the number on the back. "Who did the Doctor trust the most?"
There was no time for them to think, let alone answer her question, before the door behind them opened slowly with a creak. Evie thought her knees were going to give way as she stared at the Doctor who was walking through it, head down and chewing on a straw. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Alright, she'd struggled with the idea that he was dead, but inviting himself here, after that? What was wrong with him?
"This is cold." River said, reflecting the girl's feelings completely. "Even by your standards this is cold."
"Or hello, as people used to say." The Doctor replied cheerfully.
Fury replaced the grief that had settled on Evie, making her blood boil. How could he have done this to them? He had forced them to watch him die and now here he was hugging Amy and Rory as though nothing was the matter. If he thought he was hugging her he had another thing coming.
"And Doctor River Song…" The Doctor's tone changed as he moved from Rory to his daughter, setting his eyes appreciatively on her furious face. "Oh, you bad, bad girl. What trouble have you got for me this time?"
He'd hardly finished speaking when River brought her hand up and slapped him sharply across the cheek. The sound it made cracked through the air like a whip, causing Evie to wince in sympathy. Then she told herself that he deserved it and her sympathy evaporated instantly.
"OK…" The Doctor gasped. "I'm assuming that's for something I haven't done yet?"
"Yes it is." She replied coldly. Evie could see she was shaking with anger.
"Good… looking forward to it." He turned away from River quickly. A patch of red was spreading over his cheek already. Hesitantly he smiled at Evie, as though he was expecting a slap from her as well. "Evie!"
Sensing that he was about to try and hug her, the girl folded her arms and made her voice as cold as she could. "Doctor." The Time Lord looked slightly hurt at her tone.
"I don't understand." Rory said, poking the Doctor's chest as though he was looking at a ghost. "How can you be here?"
"I was invited. Date, map reference… same as you lot I assume otherwise it's a hell of a coincidence." He revealed casually removing the invitation from its envelope and dropping them on the table.
Amy looked to River for an explanation. She seemed to be working things out in her head as she watched the Doctor. "River? What's going on?"
"Amy, ask him what age he is." The older woman commanded. Evie's mouth dropped open slightly as she realised where her mother was going with this.
"That's a bit personal."
"Tell her. Tell her what age you are."
"909."
"So where does that leave us, huh?" River demanded. Her tone conveyed as much hurt as it did anger now. Evie wanted to put a hand on her mother's arm, to comfort her, but she knew that River wouldn't appreciate the gesture. "Jim the fish? Have we done Jim the fish yet?"
The Doctor smirked, looking around at the four stony faces staring back at him. "Who's Jim the fish?"
"I don't understand." Amy confessed, shaking her head and looking at River.
"Yeah, you do." Her husband replied moving towards her and holding her hands.
"I don't." The Doctor said, raising his voice so that he was almost shouting. "What are we all doing here?"
They exchanged wary glances. Telling him the truth wasn't an option. But what should they tell him instead? It had to be something he'd believe. The Doctor was incredibly suspicious when he wanted to be. Instinctively the three younger time travellers looked to River for guidance. She took a steadying breath before she spoke.
"We've been recruited… something to do with space 1969 and a man called Canton Everett Delaware III." River explained, putting as much of what they knew into a plausible explanation. The Doctor, obviously suspicious, was pacing.
"Recruited by who?" He demanded.
"Somebody who trusts you more than anybody else in the universe."
"And who's that?"
River smiled sadly. "Spoilers."
