Rory chucked the bike aside near the entrance to Tish's building and took a deep breath. He was a strong, brave, confident man and would not be backed down from finding the truth about Amelia no matter what. He kept repeating that to himself as he entered the building but stopped in shock.
It was clean! Vacuumed carpets that didn't have a stain on them that looked like a chalk outline; the walls were a cheerful yellow that was on purpose; it smelled of flowers and sunshine, not of rotten milk and smoke…There wasn't caution tape on the lift!
"Wow." Rory mumbled to himself as he pressed the button to call the lift. He checked his mobile again just to make sure he had the right floor.
He was a brave, strong, confident man and he would not be backed down. He repeated this to himself as he walked down the hall to Tish's flat.
He was brave! Strong, nothing could stop him!
Rory knocked on the door, steeling himself for a fight of some sort; he was strong, brave and confident!
The door opened and the man from the hospital looked at him in annoyance. "What do you want?"
"Er, looking for Tish?" He cleared his throat, unhappy at the way his voice had squeaked. "I mean, I'm here to talk to Tish Jones." Rory stared at the strange man then repeated his mantra again.
The man rolled his eyes but opened the door the rest of the way and ducked aside, walking away. "Come in then and sit down somewhere." The man said in a bored tone.
Rory looked around suspiciously but shut the door behind him and followed the man anyway. "Where's Tish?" He asked curiously
"In the shower." The man sat down on the couch and picked up a bowl full of soup off of the table, leaning back and crossing his feet, resting them on the table.
"Okay…Who are you?" Rory asked looking at the strange man in his friends apartment.
"I'm the Doctor." the Doctor said glaring at Rory.
"Doctor Who?" Rory asked confused at the strange looking man. He didn't look like any doctor he had ever seen.
"Just 'the Doctor'." the Doctor smiled then turned his attention to the telly. He picked up the remote and pressed a button, unfreezing the show on the screen. Instantly bright colours assaulted Rory's senses.
"Are you watching Cartoons?" He looked at his watch, "At nearly 10:30 at night? How did you find cartoons this late?" Rory blinked at the television, and the colourful puppet like characters singing on the screen.
The Doctor sent him an aggravated look and spoke with his mouth full of soup, "On Demand." He mumbled out.
"What?" Rory asked
"Tish. She has something called 'On Demand'. I'm not sure what it is. Think it might be some sort of slavery over electronics. But she found it for me." He said smugly as he spooned up more broth from his bowl.
"I see…" Rory looked around, it was cleaner than it had been last night, no food or clothing sat around, DVD's didn't lie all over the table. The Doctor was dressed much like a university professor, complete with braces and pressed trousers. All he was missing was one of those old fashion tweed jackets to go with the bowtie, Rory thought with a smirk. "Where are the other two?" He asked looking around carefully.
"What other two?" he asked coyly.
"Amelia and er…River?" River stumbled trying to remember the names from the hospital.
The Doctor stiffened but continued watching the TV and eating, "Don't know who you're talking about."
Rory looked exasperated and flopped down onto the other end of the couch, "Any idea how long Tish'll be?" Rory looked around the apartment again. Hoping Tish would get here soon.
"Women take ages getting dressed and showering." the Doctor told him. "I'm not sure why. Do you know?"
Rory gave up trying to get a concise answer, "I don't know. Washing their hair takes a long time?"
The Doctor considered it and nodded, "Good idea. I'll have to try that one."
-Tish-
Tish listened to the loud noises coming from the living room, but didn't think much of it. The Doctor had discovered how to flip channels (Apparently her telly was 'weird') and had been consuming his 3rd bowl of soup when she got into the shower.
A dermal-glue, as he had called it, worked to fix his scalp together, but first she had been forced to remove the stitches he had in place. Even with gloves it had been a mess so she'd made her way to change as soon as possible.
"-Go on, get him, Yumo!" A yipping sound echoed towards her causing her to quicken her pace as she got dressed.
The Doctor encouraging the Uval…that wasn't good.
She hurriedly pulled her last sock on and opened her door.
"Good boy!" She heard the doctor say
"Argh!" She recognized that voice immediately and started quickly towards the living room.
Running down the hallway she paused in shock. Rory was on the couch, feet curled up under him as Yumo yipped at him furiously. The Doctor sat happily on the other end of the couch cheering Yumo on.
"Doctor!" She yelled in a voice reserved for when he or Amelia were being particularly rude or bad.
He looked up and had the grace to look a bit ashamed. "Sorry."
"Yumo, behave." Tish scolded the Uval.
Yumo made a whining noise but obediently left Rory alone.
"How long have you been here, Rory?" Tish asked calmly, looking at the other man in the room.
"Long enough to realize his stomach must be ever expanding and children's programming has gotten worse." Rory said.
"Oh…Doctor, did you get him some soup?" Tish turned her attention to the Doctor glaring a bit.
"No." the Doctor said stubbornly glaring at Rory childishly.
"Did you offer?" Tish questioned knowing the answer.
"No!" the Doctor looked possessive as he held onto his bowl, "My soup."
"God, you're such a child. I'm letting it slide tonight, thanks to pain killers. Tomorrow however, I will smack you."
Tish said "You must be polite to guests" she said turning and walking away.
He stuck his tongue out at her as she turned to the kitchen then went back to studying the TV Show.
"Rory, come in here?" Tish called him.
Rory stood up, sidestepped Yumo who grumbled at him, and continued his mantra as he walked into the kitchen.
'I'm a strong, brave, confident man who deserves answers.'
"Have a seat." Tish smiled as she poured hot water into two cups to make tea; at least the Doctor had boiled water for her. "Are you hungry? There is more soup or I've got sandwich stuff in the fridge." She offered.
"No. I'm good." Rory said as he sat down at the table. He took a deep breath, "I want to know why Amelia was at the hospital."
"Sure, pick the hard spot to start." Tish muttered but sat down at the table, handing him a cup. "Sugar's in the dish…"
"I'm not going mad, am I? Amelia really was there." Rory asked, getting to one of the reasons he was sitting here in an unfamiliar flat talking to Tish Jones of all people.
"Yes. She was." Tish took a moment to compose her thoughts. "What do you remember of the night Amelia went missing?" She asked gently.
"Well…Mum was watching us both. Aunt Sharon was out…I think with her fiancée." Rory had told the story so many times to so many different people as a child it had become routine. Now it was different, he hadn't told it as an adult to someone who didn't have an agenda. "We were playing and I fell and knocked my head on the stairs. Mum had to take me to the hospital…It was bedtime anyway so she told Amelia to go lay down; she called Aunt Sharon and said what happened. I was bleeding…
"We left for the hospital to get stitches. My mum sent over my brother and his friend to watch Amelia for a while. They weren't there but for maybe an hour before Aunt Sharon got there but Amelia was gone then and neither teen had any idea what happened or so they said."
Rory knew that bit second hand and it always came with a lecture on the dangers of drinking heavily. "They were arrested and brought in for questioning while I was given something at the hospital that interacted wrong with medication they had already put in me and an allergic reaction knocked me out for near a week. That's it."
Tish looked at him seriously, "You don't believe that last bit."
"No, but it makes more sense than 'a world war two soldier came into my hospital room, questioned me then gave me little white pills to make me forget' and much better than 'the world thinks my brother killed Amelia Pond'." Rory said in annoyance, "Now, about Amelia!"
"Right." Tish nodded, "I wasn't there, but the Doctor was. Amelia's told me the story too. Not long after you left she was going to bed but the Doctor, he crash landed in her yard…"
-The Doctor-
The Doctor ignored their discussion mostly. He could hear them perfectly despite how quiet they were trying to be. He hadn't known someone was home, he really hadn't.
Maybe Rory would be an okay person to keep an eye on Amelia on Earth…then she'd be raised by an earth doctor….a weird medical one with stupid hair…strike that.
He pressed buttons on the remote to make it change channels. No, stupid, music…more music…gun fight…naked person, argh!
He tossed the remote away and glared at the TV.
The Doctor closed his eyes, rested his head back on the couch and settled down. Maybe resting wouldn't be too bad. Normally he didn't 'nap', but he did have rather bad head trauma and thanks to a several cans of soup a rather full stomach. Napping sounded good.
He hadn't been asleep very long when the door slammed and he heard voices.
The Doctor sat upright on the couch and looked around.
River stood in the entryway, bags in hand with Amelia next to her. Both were pink from cold and laughing.
"Hello, Sweetie." River said bouncing into the room and smiling flirtatiously at the Doctor.
The Doctors mouth fell open as he looked at River. He looked at Tish in the kitchen then at River again.
He pointed accusingly at River while staring at Tish, "You told me no one wore corsets anymore!" he pouted as he looked between the women.
"I didn't account for time travelling alien hunters." Tish said with a giggle.
"I'm not an alien hunter." River said, eyeing Rory who was staring from the kitchen. "I'm an archaeologist."
"Then why were you the one called when they needed help?" Rory asked her, trying to stick to his confident persona.
"Because I kick ass and take names." River looked at Amelia and smiled as the girl laughed. "Also, because the TARDIS knew help was needed. I've programmed my number into your mobile, so next time the TARDIS won't have to call me." She smirked looking straight at the Doctor.
Amelia removed her hand from River's and sat down on the arm of the couch to look at the Doctor's head. "Where are your stitches?"
"Stitches?" He asked looking curiously at the little girl as she talked.
"When Rory hit his head he got to get stitches and when Aunt Sharon's fiancée cut his hand they both had to get stitches. You did both." Amelia stated firmly looking at the doctor as if he should know this fact already.
"Martha put them in. I had Tish take them out and use better medical equipment to fix it."
Amelia grabbed his head and tilted it to examine the injury. It was red and the area a bit bloody still, he really needed to wash his hair, and the cut was rather visible still, but it wasn't bleeding and it was covered with something clear and sealed together with something bright pink. "Glue?" Amelia's brow furrowed as she thought about this.
"Mostly. Some Pink cream to help it along and get rid of scarring." the Doctor told her. "I had soup and watched 'the tweenies'. According to Human culture that means I'm healed." He said as Amelia thought a moment, then nodded, kissing her fingers and touching them lightly to the area anyway.
"For fast healing." She said simply remembering something Aunt Sharon used to do. A wave of sadness hit her and a frown marred her face.
The Doctor nodded solemnly, "I'll remember that part next time." He said gently scooting over on the couch allowing her to slide down to sit next him.
"Who exactly are you?" Rory asked River, "Beyond an archaeologist."
River smiled at the duo then looked at Tish. "Sorry about earlier, there wasn't much time for introductions were there?" She offered Tish her hand. "Doctor River Song."
"Leticia Jones." Tish shook her hand, "Call me Tish."
"Rory Williams." Rory shook the hand River offered him. "You're a doctor as well?"
"I hold a Doctorate in Archaeology and history, not medical. Best I can do for injuries are call for help or seal it with a bandage." River laughed.
"So both of you are doctors, but neither of you are medical doctors." Rory confirmed.
"Yup." the Doctor shifted on the couch and stretched his back out, making the joints pop. "They're just giving the title away now." Rory shook his head.
"Don't worry, Dr. Williams, your title isn't being poached." River smiled.
"Dr. Williams?" the Doctor looked between Rory's shocked face, Tish's expression of disbelief and amusement and Amelia who was covering her mouth then said gleefully, "Spoilers!"
"What?" Rivers smile faltered, "What year is this?"
"2009." Rory croaked.
Her smile fell completely, "Oh…bugger."
"Language." Amelia scolded her playfully.
-Morning-
The Doctor stepped over a snoring Uval, sidestepped the sleeping Rory and made his way into the kitchen. Tish had said since he had head trauma they'd all just sleep at her flat tonight and travel tomorrow. Rory and Amelia had spent ages 'catching up' with him telling her about how he was a big brother and her telling him about Junbar and Demanshi.
The Doctor actually had tea and coffee done when River appeared in the kitchen and stole his cup.
"Hey!" He protested.
"Mmm." River sat down in one of the kitchen chairs, drinking deeply. She had stayed overnight too, something about 'prison can wait' and 'etiquette'. River had even told Amelia a bedtime story which made him sulk.
"That's mine." He pouted, glaring at Rvier.
"Possession is 9/10ths the law." River told him smugly.
"Who taught you that?" He said sulkily.
"Jack Harkness." She smiled sweetly as he scowled and made a second cup. "So, what are you plotting?"
"Who says I'm plotting anything?" He asked as he stirred in sugar.
"That look on your face. You're plotting something devious. Or just plotting in general. Which is it?"
He narrowed his eyes at her studying her for some sign then smiled, "Trying to figure out what to do with Rory."
"What do you mean?" River said in concern.
"Well, do I wipe his memory of Amelia and dump him back? Do I ask convince him not to say a word?"
"Why not…invite him along?" River suggested, shrugging and gesturing with her hand, "What's the worst that could happen?"
"What if he refuses?" the Doctor sighed.
"Don't give him a choice." River said deviously, "Kidnap him."
"I'd never kidnap anyo—" He started
"Barbara, Ian, Amelia." River stated.
"None of them count and how do you -" He continued trying to finish a sentence.
"Spoilers." River smirked
"I hate you sometimes." the Doctor muttered sulkily into his tea.
They sat silently for a few minutes. "Kidnapping him is a good idea." He said still sulking
"Very good." River nodded egging him on.
"And if he doesn't behave I can always drop him into a super nova…" the Doctor smiled, obviously satisfied with his plan as River looked distinctly uncomfortable with the idea.
"Super Nova?" River asked a bit of worry in her voice.
"Oooh, or maybe I could just kick him into the sun!" the Doctor stated, not seeing the brief look of horror on River's face.
[AN: Sorry, late once again. With a new record of TWELVE HOURS being used to 'edit'. Wait, 10:22...just over thirteen. Not my fault! I blame Apoca-Jesus. No blaming Sims characters. Anyway, another 'just moving the pieces' chapter, sorry. More action-y type things soon to come! River's here. Tomorow's christmas eve! Yeah...Children to visit with...Frankly writing a Doctor Who version of Christmas is more appealing...Really 2009, The Master takes over earth where Tish, Rory and Jack are; River's in prison and the Doctor is alone with Amelia and Yumo...What's the worst that could happen?]