Chapter Eight

The next morning, fourteen years later, a little girl, and a not so little girl, both awoke to the sound of birds at their windows.

Amy Pond, the not so little girl, looked over at the dress which hung on the back of her wardrobe door, and smiled. It was her wedding day, and she was going to be married to the daftest boy in the village, Rory Williams. But she didn't care that he was daft, because he was good, and he was kind, and she loved him with all her heart.

On the other hand, Robyn Lawson, the little girl, looked around the communal bedroom she slept in at the orphanage with sadness. For her it was just another day of being picked on, and ridiculed for who knows what, when all she wanted was a family.

Amy was about to get out of bed, when she suddenly heard footsteps, and a woman's voice, coming from the hallway. She gasped, jumping in surprise as a woman in a pink dressing gown, came storming into her room, bearing a tray of food. She stared at the woman, then realised who she was. "You're my mum," she murmured. "Oh my god, you're my mum."

Tabetha Pond looked at her daughter strangely. "Of course I'm your mum," she replied, with a frown. "What's the matter with you?" She showed Amy the tray. "And this is your breakfast," she went on, without stopping for breath. "Which your father made, so feel free to tip it out of the window if it's an atrocity." She put the tray down. "Downstairs? Ten minutes? Big day!"

Amy looked away, completely bewildered by what had just happened. "Of course she's my mum," she said to herself. "Why is that so surprising?"

She quickly got out of bed, and went downstairs and then opened the door to the living room carefully, poking her head through the doorway.

Her father looked up from his speech and smiled at her. "Ah, Amelia," he said as she entered the room. "I fear I may be using the same joke book as the best man."

Amy laughed. "You're my tiny little dad!" she cried, throwing herself at him and hugging him tightly.

"Amelia, why are you behaving as if you've never seen us before?" asked Tabetha, entering the room, and helping her husband put on his tie.

"I don't know," Amy replied, not even attempting to mask her glee at seeing the both of them together. "It's just..." She paused, as a thought crossed her mind. "I think I have to call Rory," she said, turning and running from the room. She went back upstairs and grabbed her phone off of her bedside table, then quickly found Rory's name and pushed the button to send the call.

"Hello!" Rory greeted, when he finally answered. His voice sounded muffled, but Amy heard the scraping of a toothbrush as he spoke to her.

"Do you feel like you've forgotten something important?" she asked, but didn't wait for him to answer before adding, "Do you feel like there's a great big thing in your head, and you feel like you should remember it, but you can't?"

There was a moment of silence... then, "Yep," Rory replied unconvincingly.

"Are you just saying yes because you're scared of me?"

"Yep."

"I love you."

"Uh, yep," Rory replied, then hastily corrected himself. "I love you too."

Hanging up on him, Amy turned and looked at her wedding dress again. She smiled.

This was going to be the best day ever.

OoOoOoOoO

Robyn hadn't been awake very long, when she noticed someone standing at the foot of her bed. A woman, all dressed in black, smiled down at her, and she couldn't help but feel a strange twinge in the back of her mind.

"Hello sweetie," the woman in black greeted.

"Hello..." Robyn replied hesitantly, unsure about what she should do, or say, next.

The woman in black smiled again. "It's all right, sweetie, it'll come back to you soon enough." She held up a pretty dress, a pair of stockings, and a pair of shiny black shoes that Robyn could see her face in if she looked closely enough. "You have to get ready," the woman in black continued. "So I can take you with me."

Robyn frowned, eyeing the woman in black suspiciously. "Take me where?" she asked.

"We're going to a wedding," the woman in black replied.

"But I can't go," said Robyn, looking at the dress longingly. "I'm not allowed to go out, not with strangers."

The woman in black smiled knowingly. "It's all been arranged," she said. "Miss Faversham knows I'm here, and she knows that you'll be safe." She held out the dress, and the pair of stockings, and the shoes. "So, coming?"

"I... I don't know..."

"Go on, it's all right. You won't get into trouble."

Robyn frowned. "I'm not so sure about that," she said. "I don't even know you, but..."

"But what?" the woman in black asked, sitting on the bed. "Are you scared?"

"No," Robyn said sharply. "Just... cautious." She looked at the dress again, and the little diamantes sewn on the edges sparkled in the sunlight. She blinked, the image of a diamond ring flashing across her memory for a moment, disappearing just as quickly as it came. "Well, that was weird," she said quietly.

"What is?"

Robyn shook her head. "Nothing," she said, shaking her head. "It was nothing." She stood from the bed, then took the dress from the woman in black and held it against herself. She smiled, realising the green of the fabric matched her eyes. "You're sure it's okay with Miss Faversham?" she asked, looking at the woman hopefully. "I'm not going to get into trouble, am I?"

The woman in black shook her head. "No, you won't get into trouble," she assured the little girl. "Not unless that's what you want?"

"No!" Robyn quickly exclaimed, her eyes growing wide. "No... well... yes... maybe..." She shook her head. "Oh, I don't know."

The woman in black laughed. "I'll give you a moment to think about it, sweetie," she said, standing up, leaving the stockings and the shoes on Robyn's bed. "And if you decide to come with me, I'll expect to see you in ten minutes."

Robyn nodded, then watched as the woman walked away. There was something oddly familiar about her, but she couldn't quite place where she'd seen her before. It was the weirdest thing, but then again, she'd always been considered weird by the other girls, so she didn't think anything of it. She went to her bedside table, and opened the drawer, taking out a worn piece of paper. The writing on it was faint, but it was still legible, despite all the time she'd held onto it. She could never understand why someone would write her such a note, and sign it 'Theta Sigma' and 'The Bad Wolf', but she never questioned it, even when she was made fun of because of it.

She replaced the note in the drawer, but kept it open, intending to come back for it once she was dressed. Gathering up the dress, the stockings, and the shoes, she ran through the doorway to the bathroom. She washed quickly, then brushed her teeth and then her hair, pausing only when she realised she didn't know the woman in black at all.

Not really.

It only felt like she knew her, for some odd reason that she couldn't name.

"What am I doing?" she muttered. "I'm not allowed to go out, not after the last time I ran away." She shook her head. "Why would someone just show up, out of the blue, and want to take me to a wedding, for people I don't know?"

She turned, and looked at the dress again. The diamantes sparkled again, and this time a new image flashed across her mind. She saw a glass sculpture, for lack of a better word, rising up and down, and glittering as the light bounced off it. She didn't know what it was, but it felt so familiar. "I must be going nuts," she murmured, as an odd thought struck her. "But I think the woman in black is trying to help me."

She quickly got dressed, and, she found to her delight, that everything, including the shoes, fit perfectly. Nothing felt tight, and nothing pinched, she could move freely without anything ripping or tearing. She looked up into the mirror, and wondered how to do her hair; whether to leave it lose, or tie it back.

"You look beautiful," a voice came from the doorway.

The woman in black had returned.

Robyn looked at her and blushed, even though she couldn't figure out why. "Thank you."

The woman in black reached into her coat, and pulled out a ribbon, one that was the same colour as the dress Robyn now wore. "Here," she said, walking into the room and picking up a hairbrush from the vanity. "I'll do your hair."

Robyn nodded, then turned around, and let the woman in black draw the brush threw her long dark hair, and when she was finished, found that it had been layered so that half was left loose, and the other half had been tied into a long braid. "Wow," she murmured, when she noticed how good she looked. "Just... wow."

The hairstyle was simple, yet elegant, for its intended purpose, and Robyn suddenly couldn't help but feel excited about this wedding that the woman in black said they were going to. She may not have known who were getting married, but she didn't care.

She looked beautiful.

For once in her life.

No one would dare make fun of her now, would they?

She shook her head. No, no one was going to make fun of her, not now, not ever.

The woman in black gently patted her on the shoulder. "It's time to go, sweetie," she said, handing Robyn her bag, which had been packed with all the things she ever owned.

Robyn looked at her bag, then at the woman, in confusion. "Aren't I coming back?" she asked. "I thought we were just going to a wedding?"

"We are," the woman in black replied. "But you won't be coming back here afterwards."

Robyn frowned. "Why?"

The woman in black smirked. "Spoilers."

Robyn's eyes widened, as another image flashed across her mind. But before she could work out what it was about, the image vanished, and a sense of loss washed over her. She felt the woman kneel down and hug her tightly, but that didn't help at all.

"Are you all right, sweetie?" the woman asked.

"I'm... fine," Robyn replied, feeling a little bit shaken. "Yeah... I'm fine."

The woman in black looked at her in concern, but nodded. "Then we should be on our way," she said. "We don't want to be late."

"I have to get something," Robyn said suddenly, running back to her bedside table. She reached into the drawer, and took out the tattered note, then folded it carefully and put it in the pocket of her coat as she put it on. "Now I'm ready."

The woman in black smiled, then took her by the hand. "Good."

And so, together, the woman in black, and the little girl all dressed in green, left the orphanage.

Forever.

OoOoOoOoO

Robyn and the woman in black arrived in Leadworth just in time for the ceremony to begin, and except for a little problem with their invitation (they didn't have one), they soon made themselves comfortable at the back of the village church.

A moment later, the bridal march began to play, and everyone, including Robyn and the woman in black, stood as the bride, a beautiful young woman will shoulder length ginger hair, was escorted down the aisle by her father, a rather short, rotund, man who looked rather nervous. More nervous, in fact, than his daughter, who seemed to only have eyes for her groom at the other end of the aisle.

Robyn blinked, getting the strange feeling that she knew the bride, and her groom, but she could've sworn she'd never met them before. She looked up at the woman in black, opening her mouth to ask her a question, then stopped, realising it would be rude to talk during the ceremony.

On the other hand, Amy had seen the little girl, and looked at her in shock. She too, had the strange feeling that she'd seen that little girl somewhere before. But she quickly shook her head, dismissing it as just a case of mistaken identity. She looked away, and back at Rory, and the ceremony continued without any incidents.

The ceremony itself was beautiful, Robyn realised as she watched carefully, if a little slow moving. She wasn't used to just sitting around all the time, for some reason. She never had, not even when she was back at the orphanage. She needed excitement, and adventure, and when there wasn't any, she created it for herself. The only drawback was when the other girls made fun of her, not that she could ever work out why they made fun of her, or wanted to make fun of her. She just seemed to be the acceptable target, and when they wanted to, they went for her.

Soon, the ceremony was over, and Robyn and the woman in black were the first to leave. Robyn didn't understand why the woman in black wanted to leave so quickly, but she didn't question it, following her quietly. They had only gone a short distance away, when the woman in black turned to face the little girl, then crouched down so they looked each other in the eye. The woman in black pulled something from her coat, a small blue book, and gave it to Robyn.

"This is a present for the bride and groom," she said. "I want you to give it to them."

Robyn took the blue box gingerly, looking at it carefully. There was something oddly familiar about the book, but she couldn't quite place where it came from. "Why do I have to give it to them?" she asked. "Aren't you coming to the reception with me?"

The woman in black shook her head. "I... I can't," she said hesitantly. "I have something else I need to do, and I have to do it alone."

"Why?"

"Because..." the woman in black began to say, and then stopped. She smiled sadly. "No reason."

Robyn nodded, accepting this without question, or at least giving the appearance of accepting it without question. She let the woman take her to the village hall, and then carefully seeded herself amongst the rest of the children that were in attendance. One more little girl wouldn't be out of place among lots of other children, she reasoned, but she knew she also had to talk to the bride and groom, to give them the book, which was meant to be their 'wedding present' as the woman in black had told her.

She was looking around when she felt someone tap on her shoulder. She turned and looked up, and saw the groom, Rory, she remembered him being called, standing behind her, resplendent in his wedding finery. "Um, hello," she said nervously.

Rory smiled at her. "Hello," he returned. "Are you lost?"

"Lost?" Robyn echoed.

"Yes, are you lost, like you've lost your parents or something?" He looked around. "Are they looking for you?"

Robyn looked at the floor. She didn't have parents, but it wasn't Rory's fault that he didn't know that. She didn't even know why she was there, at a wedding for people she didn't even know... or felt like she should've known, but didn't. She held out the book. "This is a wedding present, for you, and your wife," she said. "From a friend. She asked me to give it to you."

Rory took the book from the little girl, and flipped through it. "It's blank," he said quietly.

"Maybe it's a diary," Robyn offered. "Something you and your wife can write in about all the things that will happen to you."

Rory smiled. "Maybe." He paused, as a thought struck him. "Would you like to sit with us?" he asked. "Until your parents find you?"

Robyn looked up at him in surprise. "You'd do that?" she replied. "Why?"

Rory's smile faded. "I don't know," he said. "It sounded like the right thing to say."

And it did sound like the right thing to say, Robyn realised, and it seemed like the right thing to do, on her part, to go with him, and sit with him and his bride.

The ginger haired girl that felt so familiar.

"Yes, I'll come," she murmured, carefully slipping her hand into his own. "I'm Robyn, by the way."

"Rory," he returned, holding her hand tightly and leading her to the bridal party's table. "Rory Williams."

By the time they sat down together, the reception was in full swing. The wine and champagne were flowing, and the food was brought out, and everyone generally had a good time. It was almost time for the speeches next, and Amy's father hadn't finished writing his.

But Rory watched the little girl who had given him the book. She sat at the end of the table, beside Amy's Aunt Sharon, who was talking to the little girl animatedly, as if it were her job to keep the child entertained. Except she barely looked like she was listening, instead being strangely quiet and sad. She didn't react when the announcement was made for the best man to make his speech, nor did she make any movements when the best man spoke.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the best man began. "Ladies and gentlemen, the father of the bride, Augustus Pond!" he announced, and Robyn looked up and smiled, amused by the name more than anything else, as the rest of the congregation cheered, and tapped their wine glasses with utensils.

Augustus stood. "Sorry everyone," he said smiling sheepishly. "I'll be another two minutes. Just reviewing certain aspects."

Tabetha sighed. "Your father will be the death of me, Amelia," she said, leaning over to speak to her daughter. "Unless I strike pre-emptively."

Amy laughed, then looked out the window... and saw a woman all dressed in black walk past. Their eyes met, and Amy immediately got the feeling that someone had walked over her grave. She stood suddenly, trying to get a better look at the woman, but it was too late.

The woman was gone.

This was enough to distract Rory, and he took his attention off Robyn. "Amy, you okay?" he asked his newly wedded wife.

She looked down at him, clearly spooked. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm... " she murmured, sitting down again, "fine."

"You're crying," Rory observed, as tears began to slip down Amy's face.

Amy felt her face, and her fingers came back wet. "So I am," she replied. "Why am I doing that?"

"Because you're happy, probably," said Rory, trying to think of a good reason why she'd be in tears. "Happy Mrs Rory, happy, happy, happy."

Amy shook her head. "No, I'm sad. I'm really, really sad."

Rory looked at her in confusion. "Great."

"Why am I sad?" she asked, her distress growing.

But before Rory could reply, Amy noticed the blue book.

OoOoOoOoO

There was nothing remarkable about the book, just that it was old, and it was blue, with a strange pattern on the cover. But for reasons she couldn't explain, Amy was drawn to the book, because it was familiar, and she didn't know why.

"What's that?" she asked, reaching for it. She ran her hand over the cover, getting a feel for its surface.

"Oh, err, that little girl, Robyn, she said it was a present from a friend of hers."

"What is it?" Amy asked again, flipping through the book, only to find it was empty. There was nothing written on the pages, but something in the back of her mind was telling her - no - screaming at her that it should be full of writing.

"It's a book," Rory said in annoyance, as if that would be enough to placate her.

"It's blank," Amy argued.

Rory frowned. "It's a present."

But Amy wasn't prepared to accept this, not yet. "But why?"

"Well, you know the old saying," he suggested. "The old... wedding... thing."

Robyn watched the couple argue, and she couldn't understand why they were making such a fuss about a book. But something in the back of her mind was telling her that the book was important, even though she didn't know why, just that it was. It was a pretty blue, she knew that much, and something about the colour felt comforting, but... She shook her head, clearing away the thought as quickly as it came.

Amy stared at the book, as clouds began to clear from her mind, and something began to force its way to the surface. She barely registered her father stand up and begin his speech as she looked around the room. At one table, there was a young man in a suit, a red bow-tie adorning his collar. The image of another young man, and yet so ancient at the same time, crossed her mind. He also wore a red bow-tie, she remembered, even though she couldn't understand why she remembered. Then she looked over at another table, where an older man sat talking and laughing, and she saw a flash of a pair of braces when the man pulled back his jacket.

Another image crossed her mind, and she saw the same man from before, but much clearer this time. He was still wearing the bow-tie, but he also wore a matching pair of braces. But they weren't the only things he wore, she remembered. There was a tweed coat as well, and trousers that he kept rolling the legs up, and a pair of dusty boots that were always in dire need of a good cleaning.

She knew who this ancient, yet youthful, man was, and she remembered that he was so important, so wonderful, and so very, very real.

And now she knew how to bring him home.

A single tear slipped down her face, and fell onto the cover of the blank book...

OoOoOoOoO

"... at the age of six and announced that the new head teacher wasn't real because she looked like a cartoon -"

"Shut up, Dad," said Amy leaping to her feet. Everyone in the room looked at her strangely, but she pressed on, despite their concerns. "Sorry, but shut up, please." She swallowed, her emotions getting the better of her, and she knew she needed to pull herself together. "There's someone missing," she said, looking at Robyn intently. "Someone important. Someone so, so, important."

Robyn gulped, because for some reason, she was beginning to understand what the older girl was talking about.

"Amy, what's wrong?" asked Rory, looking up at his wife in concern.

"Sorry," Amy repeated, taking a moment to clear her throat. "Sorry, everyone," she said, addressing the congregation. "But when I was a kid, I had an imaginary friend."

Tabetha rolled her eyes in exasperation, unable to believe her daughter had brought up that part of her life on her wedding day. "Oh no, not this again."

"The raggedy Doctor," said Amy, continuing to tell the story. "My raggedy Doctor. But he wasn't imaginary... he was real."

"The psychiatrists we sent her to," said Tabetha, trying to explain away Amy's behaviour, rather unsuccessfully.

Amused whispers spread throughout the hall as Amy spoke, but Robyn was focused on her, and nothing else. She knew, somehow, she knew what the older girl was talking about. Someone was missing, and she could feel it inside.

"I remember you!" Amy cried, talking to the air now, as if something was meant to appear in front of her at her command. "I remember! I brought the others back, and I can bring you home too!" She became angry now, because her cries weren't working, or it looked like they weren't, because the one she was calling to just wouldn't show up. "Raggedy man, I remember you, and you are late for my wedding!" she yelled, pounding on the table with her fist.

At first, nothing happened, even though Amy expected it to, and the room remained quiet and still...

But then, the water in the glass in front of Robyn began to vibrate, as the glass began to shake. Then the chandelier started to shake as well, and the balloons were blown about as a great wind picked up...

And the sound of eternity filled the air.

"I found you," Amy said triumphantly, raising her voice over the din. "I found you in words, just like you knew I would. That's why you told me the story... the brand new, ancient blue box!" She grinned. "Oh clever, very clever."

"Amy, what is it?" Rory asked, as bewildered as the rest of the congregation.

The wind grew stronger and stronger now, and the noise grew louder and louder, and Amy couldn't help but smile as everyone else looked around in alarm. "Something old..." she told him, her voice as light as a whisper. "Something new... something borrowed..." She paused, and a big blue box, exactly as she had described, pulsated into existence. "Something blue."

Robyn watched the spectacle in alarm, but at the same time, images came flooding into her mind, and she gasped as they told a story, one that was only for her eyes to see. But they all told her the same thing...

She had a father.

And now, thanks to Amy Pond, the best friend she'd ever had... he was coming home.

OoOoOoOoO

Rory looked at the police box in disbelief. "It's the Doctor," he murmured. Then he frowned. "How did we forget the Doctor?" he asked incredulously, as Amy climbed over the top of the table. "I was plastic," he said turning to Tabetha. "He was the stripper at my stag. Long story."

Robyn was by Amy's side in an instant. "I remember, Amy, I remember him!" she cried happily. "And now I remember you too!"

Amy gathered the little girl into her arms. "I remember you too, kid," she said, hugging the girl tightly. "Now, let's get your Dad." She let go of Robyn and ran towards the TARDIS and knocked on the door. "Okay, Doctor," she called. "Did I surprise you this time?"

The door opened, and the Doctor poked his head out. He was dressed to the nines, top hat, tails - the whole works. "Err, yeah," he replied, not looking surprised at all. "Completely astonished. Never expected that. How... lucky... I happened to be wearing this old thing." He whirled around, regarding the entire hall with a wide grin. "Hello, everyone," he greeted. "I'm Amelia's imaginary friend!" He walked to the bridal table, and shook Augustus' hand. "But I came anyway."

Robyn laughed, tears of joy streaming down her face, as everyone in the room started talking in amazement at the sight of her father. That morning she'd been an orphan, or so she believed, but now, she had her father back, and it felt so, so, good just to see him again.

Of course, Amy seemed to feel this way too. "You may absolutely, definitely, kiss the bride," she said, approaching the Doctor with her lips puckered in anticipation.

But the Doctor raised a finger to her lips. "Amelia! From now on I shall be leaving the... kissing duties to the brand new Mr. Pond!" he declared, shaking Rory's hand in congratulations.

Rory grinned, pleased by this, at least until he realised what the Doctor had said. "No, I'm not Mr. Pond," he corrected. "That's not how it works."

"Yeah, it is," the Doctor insisted.

Rory looked at Amy, then grinned again. "Yeah, it is."

The Doctor looked around. "Right then, everyone," he said, turning on the spot as he addressed the congregation. "I'll move my box. You're going to need the space."

Amy coughed, then took Robyn by the hand. "Aren't you forgetting something, Doctor?" she asked, looking at him pointedly. "Or rather, someone?" She pulled Robyn in front of her. "Because there's a little girl right here who didn't even know she was missing someone until I brought you back."

The Doctor turned and looked at the two girls carefully, a sly smile playing on his face. He held out his hand to the little girl. "Come here, you," he said gently. "I'm going to need a bit of help with the old girl."

Robyn took his hand, and she smiled at the familiar cool sensation of his skin against her own, and allowed him to lead her inside the big blue box. She grinned when he stopped in the doorway, once she was safely inside, telling everyone he was only there for the dancing. She closed her eyes, as more tears of happiness fell down her cheeks, then pulled out the note from her pocket and kissed it. "I knew there was something important about you," she murmured, talking to the tattered scrap of paper, a wide smile forming on her lips. "And now I know why."

OoOoOoOoO

The Doctor strode past his daughter purposefully, then quickly sent the pair of them into the vortex. The trip to Amy's house was short and swift, exactly as he planned it, for there was still a wedding reception to attend, and he wasn't going to miss it for the world.

Not now that he was back in the world.

Now that he was back in the world, however, he had to set something right. Something that he should've done as soon as he knew it himself.

He had to tell Robyn he was really her father.

Not just adopted, but her actual father.

And that was a big step he was hesitant to take, despite how good it felt to see her again. It had been a long time since he'd been a father, not counting the time he'd spent with Robyn before the reboot, since it both had, and had not, happened. He sighed, then turned to face the little girl... who was kissing a tattered piece of paper, and tears streaming down her face.

He smiled. "So, that still happened," he murmured to himself, leaning against the console. "You clever girl, Rose Tyler. Very clever." He straightened, then walked towards the girl slowly. The green dress she wore matched her eyes, and it suited her very well. There was no doubt in his mind that River had been the one to choose it, and that she had been the one to bring the child to the wedding so she was in the right place, at the right time, for when Amy remembered him. Whoever River Song was, she obviously cared enough for his daughter to want them reunited.

The Doctor crouched in front of Robyn, a wide smile spreading across his face. "Hello, you," he greeted softly.

Robyn looked back at him, her eyes still wet with tears, but a smile, as bright as his, graced her face as well. "Hello... Dad," she returned.

Without another word, the little girl threw her arms around the Doctor's neck, hugging him so tightly that his respiratory bypass almost kicked in. But he didn't mind, returning the hug with the same vigour.

It had been a very close call, and they knew it now. It had been so close that it looked like that the Doctor would never have been able to come back without River's intervention.

"I missed you, Dad," Robyn said quietly, as she pulled away from him. "Even though you didn't exist, I missed you," she patted her chest, over her heart, "in here. I just didn't know why I missed you, because I couldn't remember you." She showed him the note. "You wrote this, didn't you?"

The Doctor looked at the note carefully. "It certainly looks like my handwriting, doesn't it?" he replied, a cheeky grin playing on his lips.

"But you did write it, didn't you?" Robyn repeated, desperate to know the answer. She wasn't about to let go of the issue now, not when she had the evidence in her hand, and the perpetrator staring at her right in the face. "Didn't you, Dad?"

He nodded. "Yes, I wrote it," he admitted. "I thought I wasn't going to see you again, so..."

"Is Rose really my mum?"

The Doctor frowned. "Now, that one's a little bit more complicated," he began. "And a very long story - "

"Is she really my mum?" Robyn repeated, interrupting him. She looked into his eyes, searching for answers that were there, but weren't ready to be revealed. "Is she, Dad?"

"Yes," he said simply. "Rose Tyler is your mum. Your real mum." He sighed, knowing that this was his chance to tell her the truth. "And I'm your dad. Your real dad."

Robyn nodded. "I know." She curled a strand of her hair with her fingers, and put the note back in her pocket. "Why else would we look alike, unless we weren't related somehow." She smiled. "I'm eight years old, Dad, not stupid, or blind."

The Doctor laughed. "You're right about that," he said, gathering his daughter into another hug. "You're definitely right about that."

The pair of them continued to hug, neither of them saying a word, savouring the fact that they were together again. But the fact remained that the TARDIS had been drawn to the day of Amy and Rory's wedding, and whatever had planned it that way was still out there. He couldn't get complacent, and he couldn't just drop everything yet, not when all of time and space was still under threat.

He let go of Robyn, and stood abruptly. "Now, I believe Amy and Rory are waiting for us, so I think we should return to them. What do you think, eh?"

Robyn grinned. "Are you going to dance?" she asked. "Because I'd like to see that!"

The Doctor did a little twirl on the spot, taking the little girl in his arms with a flourish. "Can't dance without a partner," he replied. "Well, you can, but sometimes dancing's better with two."

"So's travelling through time and space in a big blue box," Robyn countered. "It's much more fun when you've got someone to show the universe to."

"So it is," said the Doctor, with a small smile. He put Robyn back on the floor. "So it is."

Robyn reached into her pocket and took out the note again. "Do you mean it, Dad?" she asked quietly. "What you and Mum wrote?"

The Doctor remained silent for a few moments. Of course he meant what he wrote, he'd meant every word - all three of them. He nodded. "Yeah, he replied. "I meant it, and so does your mum."

With a wide smile spreading across her face, Robyn hugged him again, happy to know that at long last, after all that time...

She was loved.

"Come on," the Doctor said at last. "There's a man and his wife having a party, and they're waiting for us to turn up. Shouldn't keep them waiting, should we?"

"No, Dad."

OoOoOoOoO

It didn't take long for the Doctor to find his way onto the dance floor when he and Robyn returned to Amy and Rory's wedding reception. Of course, this lead to the only possible conclusion.

The Doctor danced.

The Doctor danced badly.

The Doctor danced very badly.

Amy laughed, watching the Time Lord as he jerked and gavotted across the floor. "You're terrible!" she exclaimed, raising her voice over the strains of Freddie Mercury. "That's embarrassing!"

Robyn giggled. "He's my Dad, Amy," she replied, trying to copy her father's movements. "He's supposed to be embarrassing!" She grinned. "Daggy dancing is the best kind of dancing."

"And don't you ever forget that, Amy Pond... Williams... whatever your name is now," the Doctor added, waving his arms in the air. "I'll have you know I'm the best dancer this side of Raxicoricofallapatorius!"

"Raxi-what?"

"Okay, not Raxicoricofallapatorius then," the Doctor corrected himself. "Klom. I'm the best dancer this side of Klom."

"Klom?"

The Doctor grinned. "Oh, just forget it," he said, shaking his head.

Amy laughed again. "Oh no, I'm not forgetting a thing, not now, not ever again," she told him. "Not when it was the only way to bring you back!"

"Yeah, and I am so glad that you did," Robyn replied, jumping on the spot. "Or I would've still been stuck in the orphanage right now." She danced over to her father, and let him twirl her around him. "Thanks to you, I've got a Dad again!"

Amy smiled. "And thanks to your Dad, I've got mine back too. Had to repay the favour somehow."

Robyn laughed as the Doctor lifted her high in the air. "Best day ever!" she crowed. She looked down at her father and grinned. "And the days are just going to get better, aren't they, Dad?"

The Doctor smiled back at her, but it was a bitter-sweet smile, as if there was one more thing he wasn't telling her. "Yeah, of course they are," he replied, putting her back on the floor.

The pair of them started dancing again, this time even more daggy than the first time, and the rest of the children who'd been invited to the wedding gathered around them, as Rory came over and led Amy back to one of the tables. Following Robyn's lead, all the children started copying the Doctor's movements, mimicking his actions perfectly. "This is my Dad," she told them gleefully. "The Drunken Giraffe!"

"I thought I heard someone call him the Doctor?" asked one of the children, another little girl.

Robyn nodded. "Oh, he's that too, but right now... he's dancing like a drunk giraffe!" She shrugged. "At least that's what Amy says."

But the Doctor was too caught up in his dancing, and the attention it was getting, to listen what they were talking about. "That's it. That's good," he told the group of kids. "Keep it loose!" He took Robyn by the hand and spun her around. "And don't forget to include your plus one!"

Robyn giggled. "Is that me?" she asked, letting him twirl her around him again. "Because I like the sound of that!"

"Yeah, that's you," the Doctor replied, lifting her into the air again. "Used to be your mum, though." He smiled sadly. "But now you're my plus one, and Rory and Amy..."

"They might still want to come with you," Robyn replied, as he put her down. "Just because they're married now, doesn't mean they want to stay here."

The music soon changed to a slow song, and all the couples, including Amy and Rory, took to the dance floor. The Doctor led Robyn away, somewhat reluctantly, but the two of them watched the newlyweds from the sidelines.

The Doctor smiled. "Two thousand years," he said, looking at his companions with pride. "The boy who waited. Good on you, mate."

"This is how fairy tales are supposed to end," Robyn said happily. "With the princess marrying her prince, and living happily ever after."

"Yeah."

Robyn looked up at her father, a strangely pensive expression on her face. "It's the one thing you can't have, isn't it?" she asked. "I mean, because of how dangerous your life gets, right?"

The Doctor nodded. "Usually," he replied, drawing her close. "But sometimes, the universe is strange, and ridiculous... and things happen..."

"And we call them miracles," Robyn finished, blushing deeply. "Is that what I am? A miracle?"

"Is that what you want to be?"

Robyn went quiet, thinking it over. "I like the sound of it," she murmured. "Robyn Guinevere Tyler... the Doctor's miracle."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "You're not calling yourself Robyn Guinevere Lawson any more?"

"That's my past. You're my future, Dad."

"They were still your parents, for a while."

"I know, and I'll always love them, but..."

"You never felt right being with them, did you?"

Robyn nodded. "Something was missing, and I didn't realise what until the TARDIS materialised, and you came out."

"But you still kept that note you found by your bedside, even when I didn't exist."

"I knew it wasn't a joke when I realised that none of the girls back at the orphanage wrote the way you do, so I kept it, hoping I'd get to meet the person who did... and then when you came out of the TARDIS... I knew I found what I'd been missing." She smiled up at him. "I was missing you."

The Doctor smiled back, then gathered his daughter into a hug. "You're a lot like your mum, you know," he told her. "I mean, you're completely your own person, but there's bits of Rose in you, even if you can't see them yet."

"There is?"

"There is." He pulled away, standing up and taking her by the hand. "Come on. We'll go back to the TARDIS, and I'll show you."

"Should we tell them we're going?" asked Robyn, pointing to Amy and Rory. "In case they want to come with us?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No," he said sadly. "They've got each other now. Why would they want to continue travelling with daft old me?"

"I want to continue travelling with you, daft old father of mine."

"I know you do, but I'm not so sure about them."

Robyn frowned, but allowed him to lead her away from the party. "I think you're just being silly."

"Maybe I am. But we'll let them have their moment, and see what happens."

"Spoilsport."

OoOoOoOoO

Leaving the rest of the revellers to their own devices, the Doctor and Robyn returned to the TARDIS, hoping to slip off into the night, when something made Robyn stop dead in her tracks. It didn't feel right to just up and leave without giving Amy and Rory the choice to continue (since this was the only way she could properly describe it) travelling with her father, but he seemed so sure that now they were married, their days on the TARDIS, running, skipping, and hopping for their lives through time and space, were over.

Without looking back, the Doctor fished his TARDIS key out of his pocket, and fitted it to the lock. "Did you dance?" a voice asked behind him, and he stopped, turning to face the newcomer.

It was River.

"Well, you always dance at weddings, don't you?" she said, smiling at him, and his daughter, warmly.

"You tell me," he replied, flashing her a wry smile.

A look of wonder crossed Robyn's face, and then she grinned. "River..." she murmured. "You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?"

River gasped. "Spoilers," she said, smiling wickedly, as she closed the gap between the three of them.

The Doctor pulled out the blue book, River's diary, from underneath his arm, and gave it back to the mysterious woman. "The writing's all back, but I didn't peek," he told her, a mischievous glint in his eye that made Robyn a little unsure whether or he was telling the truth.

River smiled again, placing the book underneath her arm. "Thank you."

"Are you married, River?" the Doctor asked, handing her the vortex manipulator.

Robyn frowned, thinking this a very odd thing to ask, but at the same time, there was a little thing niggling at the back of her mind. River Song was the strangest, and yet not the strangest, woman she had ever met. She knew things about the Doctor, and quite possibly about her as well, that hadn't happened yet. For all she knew, River might have seen her when she was older, but this, for all intents and purposes, was their first meeting! She shook her head, putting the thought from her mind. It wasn't important whether or not River possibly knew her future, just that she was there, and that was a confusing thing in itself.

She knew that her father's first meeting with River, from his perspective, was at the Library, the day River Song died. She also knew that her father and River kept meeting in the wrong order, so there was bound to be moments where one knew the other's past, and one knew the other's future, and then somehow they would reach a point where they were both on the same page. That must've been the point of River's diary, she realised, so they could have a reference point, and then be able to work out what they could, and couldn't, say to each other in case they accidentally revealed the future.

Which must've made their adventures together a bit frustrating on her father's part, because while her father knew next to nothing about River, River knew all about him, and that wasn't something he liked at all, particularly when she stood there smirking and saying things about 'spoilers'.

"Are you asking?" she heard River reply, enigmatically.

"Yes," said the Doctor, hoping that this time he'd get a straight answer from the confusing and frustrating woman.

River smiled. "Yes," she echoed, putting on the vortex manipulator, and neither the Doctor nor Robyn were sure whether she was confirming that she was married, or interpreting the question as a marriage proposal.

The Doctor frowned, obviously thinking along the same lines. "No, hang on," he said, looking at River in confusion. "Did you think I was asking you to marry me, or asking if you were married?"

Robyn looked up at him in surprise. "What, am I going to have a mum one day?" she asked suddenly. "Is River going to be my mum?"

River looked down at her with a wide grin spreading across her face. "Yes," she repeated, to the Doctor's annoyance, and it was clear it wasn't going his way after all.

"No, but was that 'yes'?" he asked again, trying to get her to make things a little more clearer. "Or 'yes'?"

"Yes," River whispered huskily, and the Doctor knew that was all he was going to get out of her.

The Doctor smiled, then shook his head. "River," he sighed. "Who are you?"

"You're going to find out very soon now," she told him. "And I'm sorry, but that's when everything changes." She pushed a button on the vortex manipulator, and vanished in a puff of smoke, a flash of blue light, and a burst of electricity.

"Are we ever going to know who she really is?" Robyn asked once River was gone. "Because that sounded like she's going to be your wife, and my mother, one day."

"It does sound that way, doesn't it?" the Doctor replied, continuing to stare at the spot River had just vacated. "Well, we'll find out what happens, when it happens, won't we?"

"Did you really leave her diary alone?"

The Doctor smiled. "Of course I did," he said. "What, do you think I'd ignore the rules that I... am going to put in place, and read her diary?"

Robyn smiled back. "I wouldn't put it past you," she countered. "But I think you told the truth, this time."

"Thank you. I'm glad to know that someone trusts me, even just a little bit."

"I trust you, Dad. Always will."

The Doctor took her by the hand. "It's time we were off as well," he said.

Robyn frowned. "I still don't like it that we're leaving without Amy and Rory," she said, looking up at her father in annoyance. "We could've told them we were going, or said goodbye."

"Maybe."

"What did River mean, anyway, when she said 'that's when everything changes'?" she asked, the look of annoyance melting away. "Is something going to happen to you? Because I don't want to lose you again, not now that I've only just got you back again."

The Doctor crouched, meeting his daughter's eye level, and regarded her carefully. "I don't know what she means," he replied quietly. "Not yet, and I don't think I will until we meet again. Who knows, maybe the next time we see River, I'll be the one saying 'Spoilers' and being generally annoying and brilliant."

"But Dad..."

"But nothing. I am not going anywhere, not now, not ever, and you are never going to lose me. We're going to travel the stars together, and get into trouble, and be generally annoying and brilliant." He smiled. "I promise."

Robyn smirked. "You promised Amy you'd come back for her, and you were late by fourteen years."

"So I was late. I still kept my promise though."

"Yeah, I guess you did."

The Doctor straightened. "Now, are you coming with me, or not?" he asked, holding her hand.

Robyn looked up at her father and grinned. "You bet I am."

"Then let's go."

OoOoOoOoO

Robyn giggled as the Doctor placed his top hat on the hat stand, then danced up the stairs to the console, removing his scarf with a flourish. It felt so good to be inside the TARDIS, her home, once again, with the father that she loved so much. For a moment, she wondered if they, back at the orphanage, thought she'd been kidnapped, or that she'd run away, but she knew that once the TARDIS had materialised in front of everyone at Amy and Rory's wedding reception, that the paperwork regarding her adoption now existed again.

Just like him.

She wondered if they would ever see Amy and Rory again, now that they were leaving, and she couldn't help feeling sad that she was losing the best friend she'd ever, yet never, had. But the Doctor and Robyn's little run in with River had given Amy and Rory the chance to catch up, once they'd realised that the little girl and her father had run off, and neither of them were about to let the Doctor get away so easily.

"Oi!" Amy cried, sticking her head through the front door. "Where are you off to? We haven't even had a snog in the shrubbery yet!"

Of course, Rory wasn't impressed by his wife's joke. "Amy!" he cried indignantly.

"Shut up, it's my wedding," she shot back, flashing her beloved husband a wicked smile as she ascended the stairs and joined the Doctor and his daughter by the console.

"Our wedding," Rory corrected.

"Sorry, you two..." the Doctor said suddenly. "Shouldn't have slipped away. Bit busy, you know?"

Rory frowned. "You just saved the whole of space and time," he argued. "Take the evening off. Maybe a bit of tomorrow."

"He's got a point there, Dad," Robyn chimed in. "You deserve a break, for a little while. Do we have to leave now?"

"Space and time isn't safe yet," the Doctor replied, revealing the last thing he figured out with his companions, and his daughter, at last. "The TARDIS exploded for a reason," he explained. "Something drew the TARDIS to this particular date and blew it up." He started pacing around the console, and the telephone began to ring, but, as usual, the Doctor ignored it. "Why? And why now?" He frowned, and the telephone continued to ring. "The silence, whatever that is, is still out there, and I have to..."

He shook his head. "Excuse me a moment," he murmured, and finally answered the telephone. "Hello!" He grinned. "Oh! Hello. I'm sorry, this is a very bad line." The Doctor listened for a moment. "No, no, no, but that's not possible. She was sealed into the Seventh Obelisk, I was at the prayer meeting. Well, no, I get that it's important. An Egyptian goddess, loose on the Orient Express." He gave Robyn, Amy, and Rory, a sly look out of the corner of his eye, and a hopeful smile danced on his lips. "In space. Give us a mo." He held the phone against his chest. "Sorry," he told them. "Something's come up, this will have to be goodbye."

Amy's face was passive, and so was Rory's. She nodded. "Yeah, I think it's goodbye," she agreed. She glanced at Rory. "Do you think it's goodbye?"

He nodded. "Definitely goodbye."

A wide grin spreading across her face, Amy ran back down the stairs, and back to the front door, opening it so she could take one last look at her house. "Goodbye!" she yelled, waving to it, for what she hoped was the last time in a long while. "Goodbye."

The Doctor grinned as his young companion returned to the console. "Don't worry about a thing, your majesty," he said, addressing the person on the other end of the call. "We're on our way."

"Where are we going, Dad?" Robyn asked with excitement, as her father hung up the phone, and began the de-materialisation sequence. "And is there really a version of the Orient Express in space?"

"Of course there is!" he replied. "You should've seen the Titanic!" The Doctor frowned. "Actually, forget about that," he corrected. "That was a very bad day for all involved."

Robyn frowned, then shook her head. "Okay, I'll take your word for it."

"Now," said the Doctor, taking his little girl by the hand and leading her to the hand brake. "Would you like to do the honours?"

"Would I?" Robyn reached out to the handle, and grinned when her father rest his hand on top of her own. "What, don't trust me to do it on my own?"

The Doctor laughed. "Maybe when you're older, dear." he said. He glanced at Amy and Rory, who were getting themselves into position around the console. "Hold on tight, you two," he told them. "The world's about to go just a little bit tonto." Under his careful guidance, Robyn pulled the lever down, and the TARDIS roared into life, sending the quartet spinning into the vortex, and off on their next adventure.

OoOoOoOoO