With no other Time Lords alive to participate or guide the wedding ceremony, the Doctor and the Archivist chose to make the ritual what they wanted it to be. Short, sweet, and to the point. It was the Doctor who suggested where they have the ceremony. On the rooftop patio of Christine Madison's home. They hadn't yet packed it up, and Archie had called Janice and told her she would be out of the country traveling and that she didn't need to stop by for a few weeks. They'd take care of further arrangements once they returned from their honeymoon.
"I, the Doctor, Time Lord of Gallifrey, give myself to you, the Archivist, Time Lord of Gallifrey. I pledge to honor, respect, and love you for the rest of my lives." As he spoke, he wove a blue ribbon around their linked hands.
"I, the Archivist, Time Lord of Gallifrey, give myself to you, the Doctor, Time Lord of Gallifrey. I pledge to honor, respect, and love you for the rest of my lives." As she returned the vows, she wove a purple ribbon around their linked hands and through his blue ribbon.
"Alone we are weaker." the Doctor said.
"Together we are stronger," the Archivist added.
"We are no longer alone. We are strong," they said together. "We are one." As they said this final line they pulled with their free hands the end of their ribbons, pulling them tight, forming an intricate knot around their wrists.
"And now, I share with you my one kept secret. The name of my birth, the name of my heart," said the Doctor.
"And now, I share with you my one kept secret. The name of my birth, the name of my heart," the Archivist repeated back.
Then, they leaned in and at the same moment whispered into each others ear. Their full names only began with what they knew each other as…"Theta" and "Telana" and as they spoke their full names the connection between their minds wove deeper and intertwined like the ribbon around their hands. They both gasped and rested their heads against each other, temple to temple, as they felt the link grow. In that moment they saw their past and their possible futures, all flash before them. They saw moments in public, and moments in…private.
The Doctor had enough presence of mind to move his hand to the nape of her neck and shifted just enough to meet her lips in a kiss.
Telana…my love…we are one.
Theta…my love…we are one.
They broke away from the kiss and opened their eyes, both with a wide grin on their face.
"We are one," they said together, then turned to their friends, hands still linked and tied by the ribbon.
"Friends, we thank you for your presence," the Archivist said.
"While this ceremony was short, it represents the most important parts of a Gallifreyan wedding ceremony. We are now bound—woven—together. Our souls, our spirits, our minds, are connected."
The small gathered audience cheered and clapped for them, all stepping forward to hug each of them. After a few moments of chatting and congratulations, the Doctor spoke up.
"Now, if you'll all just head back down to the TARDIS, we'll see to getting you all back home."
"Aw, Doc, you mean we don't get to stick around for the physical bonding?" Jack said with a waggle of his eyebrows."
"Jack!" Martha swatted him on the arm.
"I'd just like a few moments alone with my new wife, there will be no, erm, physical bonding, till we're away on our honeymoon."
"When do you take off the ribbons, Doctor?" Donna asked, in innocent curiousity.
"Erm, well, you see—this is represents our physical bond until it's, well, you know—" the Doctor blushed and ran his free hand through his hair.
"Oh," Donna said as she blushed. "Then perhaps we should just be getting on down to the TARDIS so you can get us home, eh?"
"That'd be nice, Donna," the Doctor continued to blush, as did Archie.
"Aw, no fun…" Jack said as Martha shoved him back into the house, the others following suit. Once everyone was well into the house, the Doctor turned back to the Archivist.
"Hello, wife."
She grinned. "Hello, husband."
"You know, Jack doesn't necessarily have such a bad idea…just a few minutes and we could have these ribbons off our wrists…"
"Doctor," Archie said in a playful warning tone.
"I know, I know… too special to rush. Just kidding around..." He peered up at her, trying to act as if the thought hadn't seriously gone through his head, even though in his mind he'd already estimated the number of steps it would take to get to her bedroom. He couldn't help it—he was married now, but the bond wasn't 100% complete. But it shouldn't take long to drop off their friends back in the appropriate times and places. "Perhaps just another kiss then?"
"That seems fair," she said and he pulled her towards him with their connected hands. His arm wrapped tight around her waist, pulling her as close as he could as he met her lips with his.
When they broke away he sighed and rested his forehead against hers. I love you, my Archivist…my Telana."
I love you, my Doctor…my Theta.
Suddenly she frowned.
"What's wrong?"
"I thought I heard the front door open." She paused a moment longer. "Strange." Another moment and it was nothing. "I'm sure it was nothing. Come on, let's go. We should be getting our friends home."
He grinned. "You won't hear me arguing."